#[ v. golden days ] ✧〖 rays of sunshine 〗

[pirateborn]

“People will hate me.” It’s not a question.

Shanks knew that being a pirate would not make him loved, exactly. He was prepared for people to hate him because of that decision. But this wasn’t a decision he had any control over! It wasn’t fair!

His father–what a strange thing to call a man he had no memory of (and wasn’t the man before him, Roger, his father anyway?)–was a bad man. And not bad in the way that people thought pirates were bad. Celestial Dragons hurt people. Though not overly familiar with them, Shanks had heard more than enough to gauge that much.

They kept slaves. And killed anyone who they thought was beneath them. They thought they were gods.

Tears sting at his eyes and he tries to rub them away before they fall. He’d never liked crying in front of his Captain.

“I don’t want people to hate me because of him.” But they would. Would Buggy hate him, too, if he found out? The mere thought put knots in his stomach. Not many people knew where he came from–even most of those on the crew didn't. It would be a secret. “Does Rayleigh hate me?” he asks, voice shaking. And the worst yet: “D–do you?” He didn’t, did he? How cruel it would be. Shanks stared up at Roger, eyes large and wet with tears.

“I–I just wanna be a pirate.”

✧.   He watched in rare silence as Shanks spoke, his figure looming as he stood tall over the child, hands hanging loose by his side. Standing, waiting, forcing himself still from reaching out and wrapping his arms around his boy. His heart twisting in his chest at Shanks’ tears as he allowed the boy the chance to speak.

     And if he were truthful, he still couldn’t wrap his mind around why it seemed to be of such significance for Shanks to be of Celestial Dragon blood, regardless of how hard Rayleigh — or even Garp — had tried to hammer it into his head. Yet, looking at the sheer distraught upon Shanks’ face, perhaps he could still begin to understand.

     At Shanks’ admission, with a silent breath, he reached down and rested his head upon his boy’s head, its steady weight a gesture of comfort shared countless times, and one that would be shared countless times more.

“ Some will hate you for it, if they were to learn, yes, ”   blunt but not cold. Never cold,   “ People within this world can be fools. They judge for reasons unworthy of judgment. They would believe one’s fate is decreed within blood and flesh, rather than soul, ”   he smiled, small and rueful,  “ We have seen such hatred and indifference time and time again, and we will continue to see such beliefs, regardless of how shortsighted they may be. ”

     He would never understand it, not fully, not personally, but he'd witnessed more than enough atrocities to know it as reality and to loathe it. Yet that was neither here nor there. Getting down to one knee, Roger moved his hand from the top of Shanks’ head down to his cheek. Time and time again, it struck him just how small his boy was. Grown, certainly, though still he remained so incredibly young. How tragic it was that fear cared not for such things.

“ Yet, you tell me you wish to be a pirate, is that not so ? ”   he carried on, his smile widening just a touch, crinkling the corners of his eyes,   “ Well, Shanks, you see, that is the beauty of piracy. It is a choice. The choice for freedom. The choice to answer only to that which we desire, no matter that which tries to impede us, as blood holds no power of the Sea, for she takes and claims without care. ”

     That was what he’d grown to learn, to trust. He had no memory of his own parents, nor did he find care for whether they lived still or existed at all. He was raised by the streets of Loguetown and the Voices of the Earth, the Fire, and the Sea. They were what he knew, and they were what he believed. If only all could hear what he did. Perhaps then Shanks would know no doubt, but it wouldn’t stop him from trying anyway, cupping his boy’s face with both hands with expression turning serious.

“ Trust that your blood has never mattered to me, and I swear to you that Rayleigh feels the same, ”   his voice held no trace of hesitation. After all, why would he doubt when Shanks was theirs ?  And Roger knew that he and Rayleigh would both fight till their last breaths to keep stake of such claim,   “ Trust that, no matter what you desire, no matter what you choose, I could never hate you, ”   a simple fact of life, to even think of otherwise would be sacrilege,   “ My boy, there is nothing in this world that could change how much I care for you. ”

     His conviction as true as the sunrise, staring at Shanks as if he could will his boy into believing him. After a pause, his expression gentled, thumb wiping away a tear from his boy’s face as his smile grew a touch wistful and his eyes flickered up towards familiar straw hat.

“ That much I promised you when I gave you this hat here, ”   his voice mirthful, a faux whisper as though he were sharing a secret,   “ It was my treasure, you know ?  Not just any, but the first. From the very day I knew that this life of mine would be the one I’d follow. I've known it for even longer than I’ve known Rayleigh. No crown which dons this hat could be unworthy of my love or unworthy of the freedom the Sea swears to us. ”

      He recalled it had come to a surprise to all, even to himself, how easily he’d given that which he’d always so closely kept guarded of in order to try and calm the toddler they'd been bestowed responsibility of. A decision he'd never once regretted and never will. And he knew the crew had seen it as confirmation that Shanks was theirs, regardless of blood, if they hadn't already.

“ I hadn’t found any importance for the others to know ”   his head inclining to the side,   “ But if you wish, we can tell the crew of it all tomorrow. They will not despise you over something so out of your control, my boy. I would hope to have trusted better men than that, ”   both Rayleigh and Gaban were aware, and he wouldn’t be surprised if others — those who’d been there that eventful week — knew as well. He wasn’t certain, but they had all chosen and were chosen by him for a reason.

“ They would not mind, but know this, Shanks, that if any were to show stubborn issue over it, they are not, and have never been, welcomed upon this ship of mine, ”   it wouldn’t come to it, he already knew, and how he hoped Shanks knew as well. Yet if he didn’t, than at least he know know that Roger would always stand by him,   “ Know that you are safe here, my boy. Know that you are loved. ”

[pirateborn-a]

“What are they talking about, Capt'n?” Buggy asks quietly, accusatory. His voice was rough, like he had been crying recently and was trying to hide it. “They said... y-you're...” Buggy only stops trying to even pretend he’s fine when he’s really, really not, and the wobble of his lips betrays him. His gaze slips over to Shanks, the other boy just as shaken up as he is, if not more, and he squeezes the other boy's hand, briefly. For strength. 

They had sneaked into Roger’s cabin after overhearing a conversation in the galley, curling up in the small space between the clothes’ chest and the bed, waiting for their Captain to return from his duties to question him about what they had heard. “You said it's just a cough.”

Buggy squeezes his hand and Shanks blinks, lifting his own teary gaze from the floorboards. He’s been quiet the entire time. Buggy speaks for the two of them and that’s enough. Shanks nods, feebly, to urge him on and sniffles. 

“It’s not true, right?” He asks, once Buggy’s done. Desperation rings clear from the question and hangs in the air. He’s been near silent since the boys had overheard. Life and death were possible every day. This was worse though–different, but still so, so bad. His mouth is dry and he feels sick. Tears shine in his eyes but he wasn’t gonna cry. He wouldn’t. “It’s not.” His voice cracks. He needs it to not be true. [ from me and indomiitas <3 c:

@akagamiko , @indomiitas

✧.    “ You’ve been waiting a long time, haven’t you ? ”   he murmured up towards the massive figure blocking out half the night sky, the corners of his mouth twitching up into a smile at the humming reply. He would never tire of hearing that wonderfully majestic voice, even when the whale was but a young pod, that voice was that of a true child of the seas,   “ You’re a good friend, Laboon. I know that your crew has not forgotten you. Keep faith in them, understood ? ”

     Crocus would likely scold him if he’d been there to hear Roger encouraging Laboon’s dreams. But how could he help himself ?  He could feel it to be true within his bones as well as Laboon could. The whale had not been abandoned, at least not in the way some might suspect. He met the determined cry with a firm nod, prying his white-knuckled grip from his ship’s railing as he turned to retire for the night.

     As his back faced the sea, his smile fell from his face, hands curling into trembling fists. It was a delight to see Crocus and Laboon again, but he could only wish it were under better circumstances. One hand went to rub at his chest, face contorting with discomfort at the burning within it as his breath grew shallower. It’d taken weeks for him to be convinced to take the ship to Crocus; only after he passed out in front of both Gaban and Rayleigh —  blood trickling down his mouth  — did he finally give in, unwilling to let such a thing happen in the middle of battle or, worse, in front of the rest of the crew.

     His breath hitched, another burst of pain piercing his lungs and chest, sending trembling arms gripping the nearest wall for support as he covered his mouth, determined not to let a single sound escape as his body spasmed from muffled coughs. He hadn’t heard half of what Crocus had told them, all he’d been able to pay attention to during that conversation was the way Rayleigh’s face grew stricken. All he’d wanted to do was comfort his partner, but what could he have said ?  What could he have done ?

     What was there even to say ?  He might not have gotten much, but he’d understood that he was dying. He was going to die. Soon, it would seem, unless Crocus' medical abilities find a way to delay the process. His lips curled, hand tightening its grip on his chest, letting the pain from his own actions distract him from the deeper sensations. But he couldn’t. He couldn’t die. Not yet. There was still a promise for him to keep. There was still one more island for him to find. He couldn’t die, there had to be a way—

     The sound of nearing footsteps dragged him out of his thoughts, a grimace flickering across his face. Gaban. His third in command was keeping watch that night, the rest of their crew asleep. Roger knew that the past few weeks had been stressful for them all. Oh, they tried to hide their concern, but even he took notice of the whispers and glances. By the seas, what kind of captain was he for worrying his crew so much ?

     He quickly retreated before Gaban could find him, moving as quietly as he could towards his room. A cowardly move, perhaps, and one that left a bad taste in his mouth, but he needed time. Time to… understand his fate. To understand the ultimatum— the deadline he’d been given. Death had never been something he’d feared, but this… this was different. It wasn’t an accident at sea, or falling in battle. It was some kind of… mystery sickness. A noose slowly tightening around his neck as they all stared at the grains of sand trickling down until his end.

     What were they going to tell the crew ?  When he could barely wrap his own head around it. When Rayleigh couldn’t seem to accept it, his partner still out there pleading with Crocus. He loved his crew, and he knew what this news would mean to them. He couldn't bear to put them through that pain. But was there any stopping it ?  If even Crocus couldn’t find a cure—

     He froze in place, hands stopping inches away from the doorknob to the captain’s quarters.

     There was someone in his cabin. Two someone, their presence unmistakable, and he felt a pang in his chest unrelated to his condition as dread sank in. He’d been hoping for some time in private to clear his head, but he wasn’t going to get that, was he... ?

     Taking a brief moment to steady his breath and push down the agony, he relaxed his body and opened the door, walking inside with a smile on his face. Surely enough, he found Shanks and Buggy waiting for him, staring at his entrance with accusatory eyes, their small forms illuminated by the flickering candlelight. Being stabbed in the chest would have been preferable to their striking glares of betrayal; it would have hurt far less.

     Roger closed the door behind him, making no other moves as he simply stood there with an expression blank beyond his smile, listening to their words in uncharacteristic silence. He’d known the rest of the crew suspected —  if they didn’t outright know, Crocus and Rayleigh had hardly been silent in their arguments  — but he hadn’t anticipated for the rumors  ( the inevitable truth )  to reach the boys’ ears. Foolish of him to assume so; his boys had always been clever, but he couldn’t help but regret the fact they’d heard it, regardless of how it was only a matter of time

“ It’s not true, right ? ”   wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Shanks shouldn’t be sounding so desperate, not when Roger was right there,   “ It’s not. ”

     As Shanks’ voice cracked, so did he; unable to keep himself still a second longer, he rushed to his boys as the overwhelming need to protect them took over reason —  because they shouldn’t sound so— so sad. They shouldn’t look as though they were already grieving. He had only ever wanted joy for them, not— not this. He placed his hands on their shoulders —  please, please don't cry  — barely able to hold himself back from engulfing them both in his embrace. What could he even tell them ?  Mother of all Seas, how he wished Rayleigh was there to help him.

“ Shanks… Buggy… ”

     Their names fell out in a gentle murmur, dragged out in his indecision. He could lie. Tell them what they wanted to hear. What he wanted to say. It might not even be a lie, Crocus could be wrong. They could find a cure. They could...

     It could be easy. To lie, to refuse to accept reality. To pretend as though everything would stay the same. Pretend as though he'd get to see his boys grow old. Pretend as though he'd get to protect them forever.

     ( ...He was going to get to do neither, wasn't he ?  The realization nearly enough to make his smile waver. )

    But even as the thoughts raced through his mind, he knew that it was fruitless. Crocus was right, he already knew, had known. A part of him had known long before they got the confirmation, that he was going to die. There was no avoiding it. Would he truly waste what little time he had left with his crew, dragging them around on a wild goose chase for a cure that most likely didn't exist ?  No. No, he couldn't lie to them about this. Couldn't lie to himself. Denial was a strong drug for those who loved like them, but it had never suited him well.

“ You're going to get snot all over my room, ”   so he chuckled, his voice light and teasing, an easy grin on his face as he moved the hand on Buggy's shoulder to messily wipe away a few stray tears with his thumb,   “ You boys shouldn't eavesdrop on crew, what would Rayleigh say if he found out ? ”

     He had to accept his fate for his crew. If he insisted on anything but, then how could he ever expect his crew not to follow ?  When he was their captain, guiding them. He couldn’t have that; he couldn’t hurt them like that. He needed them to be ready to let him go when the time arrived.

     …And wasn’t that a thought that just tore at his heart ?  He needed them to let him go, but he didn’t want them to let him go. So selfishly, he didn’t want them to let go of him. He didn’t want to let go of them. This was his crew, his friends. Those who he’d chosen and who chose him. He…

     He’d always thought he’d grow old. Never retiring, forever at sea, side by side with Rayleigh. The two of them, partners, forever watching over their crew. Watching as Shanks and Buggy grew into magnificent men. He’d always thought…

     Yet, looking at how his boys stared at him with so much despair, he knew those thoughts were just as meaningless. He knew what must be done, and so he let the tides within him turn to determination, his resolve hardening. For them, he would smile. Such was the price of being captain, and it was a burden he would accept time and time again for his crew.

“ I was planning on telling the whole crew soon, ”   come morning, he would. His smile wry on his face,   “ I still have a bit to go, maybe even a couple years more if Crocus finds a way. But, my time is coming to an end, aye. ”

     It was funny, in a way. It was the first time he'd said it out loud, but the words had fallen out far easier than he'd expected for all his turmoil. In the end, accepting the truth of his situation had taken nothing at all. Not when it was for the ones he loved. Not when it was for his boys. He'd long vowed he would do anything for them, and if that meant chasing his fated demise ?  Then he would take life's cup of poison with a bow and down it with a smile, dreams of another life be damned.

     If only he could get everyone else to see it the same way. Shanks and Buggy were so young—  far too young to be asked to lose someone. Roger had hoped to spare them such pain, to shield them from it, and yet, as fate would have it, it would seem he would be the cause of it.

     Rather him than them, at the very least.

“ Wahaha !  Come on, cheer up !  Don't look so sad, ”   his grin widened, warm as ever with twinkling eyes, moving his hands to cup their faces with a touch far gentler than norm,   “ We still have one more grand adventure left to go. I made a promise a long time ago, and I intend to keep it. We still have that final island to find. ”

     In an odd way, accepting his fate brought him peace. Clarity. He would find the last island, he would find what the government so adamantly insisted on keeping secret. And then he would die, leaving the world a different place behind him

“ Isn't it exciting ? ”   all in all, it was a rather magnificent fate, excitement bleeding into his tone,   “ My boys, we are going to change the world together. If anything, I'm the lucky one !  Not many men get to know when it is that their time to go arrives. ”

     His mind made. It was time to bid farewell to past dreams and beliefs. There was no room left to be dragged down by  “what could have been”  and  “what ifs.”  He didn't have much time left, and so he intended to make the damn most of what he had. He would be strong, because his crew needed him to be strong. Because his boys needed him to be strong. He'd vowed to guide them, and so the Sea hear his renewed promise that he would. He will take them to the final island. No matter the cost, no matter his own death.

     And he would do it all with a smile, because if he didn't smile, then who would ?  He couldn't bear to have his last days on the seas surrounded by gloom. No, he couldn't bear to have that in the slightest. Life was to be rejoiced, no matter how abruptly cut.

     …Still, Roger allowed his expression to soften by a fraction. He could tell that his boys didn’t understand, did they ?  But they would. Before his time was up, they would understand, or else he’d have failed as their captain.

     Yet, there was still time for that. For tonight, he would finally let himself drag his boys into his arms, hands holding the back of their heads close to him.

“ My boys, ”   they were his, they would still be his for a bit longer,  “ Why waste your tears on a man yet alive ? ”

     One day, on a day far sooner than any of them had anticipated, he would be gone. Later, when the boys were gone or asleep, he would selfishly let himself grieve for the last time, one more time before the sun rose and it would all be tossed aside. But for now, he would hold his boys tightly in hopes of anchoring them. Let them listen to the beat of his heart beneath his skin. Let them listen to his breath falling in and out. Undeniably alive.

“ You’re captain’s right here. He still has some time. Shanks, Buggy, I'm right here. My boys, I’m right here. ”   

[streetlamp-amber]

can we just stay in bed? (18+)

bruce wayne x femwife!reader

word count: 2.8k | divider by @cafekitsune | requests are open!

CW: smut (MDNI), p in v sex, oral (fem receiving), soft sex NOTES: i usually don’t write soft smut like this so i don’t really know if i’m 100% satisfied with this or not but i still wanted to share, let me know your thoughts :)

The joyful singing of the birds in the forest surrounding Wayne Manor could be heard from miles away as the sun was rising over the treetops, marking the beginning of a new day in Gotham. A lone ray of sunshine made its way through the gap between the two curtains hung over the window of you and Bruce's bedroom, illuminating the darkness with a soft golden glow.

Today was Saturday, meaning you didn't have work waiting for you or school to drive Dick and Jason to. The only plan on the schedule this morning was to sleep in, even for Alfred.

But your husband had other plans.

Bruce woke up on his own, his body was now used to being up early to make sure the boys had completed all of their homework before dropping them off at school. He was laying on his back with your head nestled in the crook of his neck, your hot breath fanning over his skin at a gentle rhythm while your arm and leg were hooked around him, keeping your body flushed against his. A grateful, satisfied smile formed on Bruce’s lips as he hugged you closer to him and pressed a kiss on the top of your head. He loved waking up with you in his arms, it was his favourite part of the day – when all his worries about Gotham were still dormant in the back of his mind, when he could bask in the peacefulness of the morning with your steady breathing reminding him how lucky he was that you were so much of a hothead, you had him pull over on the side of the road to reprimand his reckless driving when he almost rear ended your car. He remembered that day like it was yesterday, because your anger and your indifference to his celebrity status had already caught his heart right then and there, the fact that you were breathtakingly beautiful was only a plus. Six years had passed since then and Bruce had tried his best to remain on your good side in that time, but it happened sometimes that you let out your anger on him – like when he let Dick patrol with him for the first time. He found that he was still as captivated and enamoured with you as he was when the two of you first met, you’re just so hot when you’re angry, he can’t help it.

Overcome with the love he held for you, Bruce started peppering soft, barely-there kisses on your cheek, your nose, your jaw and your neck, moving you to lay on your back as he did so for him to have better access to your skin. His gentle touches pulled you out of your slumber and you stretched out your limbs, your husband never relenting with his affections.

“Good morning, my love,” Bruce whispered in between kisses on your throat.

You giggled, the softness of his lips tickling you. “Good morning,” you replied, wrapping your arms around his neck while his held you tight under your back. You turned your head to glance at the digital clock on your bedside table, noticing the time displayed in red light. “Isn’t it too early to be awake on a Saturday morning?”

“What time is it?” Bruce asked as he comfortably laid on you, his face now resting in the crook of your neck.

“Ten past seven,” you answered, your hands finding their way to your husband’s hair. Your fingers threaded through his soft waves and you felt him hum in satisfaction against you.

“I’m not sleepy anymore,” he weakly argued, eyes closing as your scent comforted him.

“Bruce, I can literally feel your breathing slowing down like it does when you fall asleep,” you chuckled.

“Then we should do something to stay awake and enjoy these minutes of peace we have that are oh so rare,” Bruce suggested with an impish tone.

“Mhm,” you hummed in agreement, “we haven't made blueberry waffles in quite some time.”

Bruce rolled his eyes and stood up above you, trapping you under his body with his elbows resting on both sides of your head. “Can we just stay in bed?” He asked, his crooked grin on his lips as he leaned down, brushing the tip of your nose with his.

“And do what?” You feigned innocence, but your husband knew you too well – he had known you for more than six years after all, he liked to think he knew you more than he knew himself – and the mischievousness in your eyes didn't go past him.

“I have a few ideas in mind,” Bruce said before claiming your lips with his. You breathed a sigh of relief that he absorbed and he placed himself in between your legs.

He stood up after a minute for the both of you to get some air and teasingly tugged at the hem of your shirt (which really was one of his old Princeton shirts from his university days). “I think it's not fair I’m the only one who's bare chest,” he said, raising the shirt just above your bellybutton.

“I think you make a compelling argument, Mr. Wayne,” you playfully agreed then removed said shirt, throwing it on the floor.

Bruce didn’t waste any second, immediately peppering your chest with kisses the moment your skin was freed from your clothes. You relaxed into your pillow, enjoying the attention your husband was giving to every inch of your body. He took his time to savour your taste and you let him. There was no rushing this morning, only the two of you in your bubble of love where time and the outside world didn’t exist.

He nipped his teeth all over your chest, leaving soft bite marks in his trail, and sucked on your nipples, his hand massaging your boob his mouth wasn’t currently attached to.

“Bruce…” You mewled after he spent five minutes on each of your breasts, only now beginning his slow descent down your stomach. Ten minutes of working you up had you now very impatient and wanting for more.

“Patience, my love,” Bruce said against your skin, getting closer to where you needed him most. “We’re taking it slow this morning, we’ve got all the time in the world.”

“Mmm, I know of two certain boys who will be knocking at our door in less than an hour to see if you’re awake so you can watch the morning cartoons with them,” you argued, raising up your hips when he started leaving kisses on the inside of your right thigh.

“That won’t be a problem,” your husband reassured you before claiming your clit in his mouth, making you squeal in surprise. “Good thing I had the walls of our bedroom soundproofed,” he paused his sucking on your bundle of nerves to tease you with a grin on his shiny lips.

You glared at him, unamused, which made him chuckle at your cute face and he quickly kissed your thigh before going back to his previous task. He lapped the slick in between your folds like a man who had spent fourteen days in the desert and was drinking water for the first time. His tongue teased your entrance before diving in, grunting in pleasure when your hips bucked up closer to him, making his nose brush against your clit. Bruce could never get tired of you, of your taste, of the sounds you made because of him. It spurred him on and for the time being, his only purpose in life was to satisfy you.

He couldn’t even begin to explain the control you had over him, the way you guided him through this life like a lighthouse in a storm. He was putty in your hands, has been ever since the two of you met, and he knew very well how lost he would be without you. Yeah, he would be financially secured thanks to his family, but in every other aspect of his life, even as Batman, he wouldn’t be who he was today without you. And Bruce, who had never really been good at vocally expressing his feelings, would let you know how thankful he was to have you in his life the way he knew best: by pleasuring you to completion like no other person ever has before because no one has taken the time to learn every single reaction of your body like he had.

“Bruce…” you whined as your hand tugged at his hair. You needed more, you needed more than just his tongue inside of you so you pulled him up by the head, bringing him to your level, and attached your lips to his, tasting yourself on him, while your legs wound around his waist. You felt his hard cock brushing against your center through the fabric of his boxers and jolted at the slight pressure applied on your clitoris.

The two of you slowly and messily made out, Bruce’s right hand holding your cheek and his left one clutching onto your hip. Your hands had found their way to the waistband of his boxers, trying to pull them down to get what you wanted. Bruce helped you, his left hand leaving your hip to remove the only item of clothing still on, his mouth never detaching from yours as he did so.

Once fully nude, Bruce retracted from you, standing on his knees before dipping his fingers between your folds to gather some of your wetness and rub it over his dick. You watched him with anticipation, the sight before you something you could never get tired of. Your husband was straight out of a dream and, still to this day, you’d pinch yourself sometimes to make sure you were awake, that this was your life.

That somehow, Bruce Wayne fell in love with you.

But he was also so different from how he presented himself to the media, to the public, that sometimes you forgot you married the Bruce Wayne, heir to the powerful Wayne family, prince of Gotham. To you, he was just your silly husband who was incredibly hot and put everybody else before him.

You were pulled out of your thoughts when Bruce brushed the tip of his cock against the lips of your pussy. “I hope I’m not too much of a bore, darling,” he said, a teasing undertone lacing his words.

“No, just admiring the view and how lucky I am that my husband is so damn hot,” you replied playfully though there were no lies to your answer.

“Clearly you haven’t looked at yourself in the mirror lately babe because I’m the lucky one,” Bruce told you, his eyes confidently holding yours to show how truthful he was. He lined himself with your entrance, his stare never leaving your face so that he could drink in your expressions when he sheathed himself to the hilt inside you.

The two of you groaned in pleasure and Bruce took a moment to bask in your warmth, his eyes roaming all over you.

“Especially when you look so goddamn gorgeous with my cock inside you,” he added onto his previous comment, making you roll your eyes at the machoness of his words.

“Shut up and start moving already,” you chuckled.

“As you wish, my darling,” he leaned down to kiss you again and started rolling his hips to a slow, steady pace.

You wrapped your legs around his waist again while your hands found their place at his nape, scratching his scalp and tugging his hair, making him moan in your mouth. Your tongues danced to the same rhythm as Bruce’s thrusts, the both of you drowning in the feeling of the other.

Sex with Bruce was usually more rapid, more frantic, more bruising, more fiery, and you loved it. You loved how he could make you forget about the gala happening right down the hallway and the handprints he’d unconsciously leave on your hips from his grip. But you also loved when sex with Bruce was languid with no hurry. When one made you forget everything, the other basked you in love and made you feel like you were in a dream.

Bruce’s mouth left yours to trail down your cheek, then your jaw, until it found its place in the crook of your neck. He deposited open mouthed kisses all over your skin, licking it and leaving small nips on it. He easily found the pulse point behind your ear and, knowing you could easily hide that spot, started sucking on it and doubled the pleasure building inside you.

It made your breath hitch and your nails dig in his back muscles, leaving small red crescents on his skin. You felt him smile against your skin, his pride always swelled up to the reactions he was able to pull out of you.

“Mph, you feel so good darling,” Bruce groaned in your ear and kissed it. “You always do.”

“And you make me feel so good baby,” you answered, squeezing your walls around him as you said so.

Bruce’s head appeared in your eyeline again, his famous grin on his lips as his eyes roamed over your face, full of love. “I love you,” he told you.

You were about to say ‘I love you’ back but he didn’t let you, claiming your mouth with his instead to drag you in another make out session. He changed the angle of his hips at the same time and the tip of his dick brushed your G-spot, making you mewl. Bruce’s left hand fell down to the back of your right thigh, gripping it tight as he held it a little higher. It allowed him to go about one more inch further, said spot now being hit with every thrust.

“Oh God, yes,” you freed your mouth from his as your head fell back, your eyes squeezing shut due to the pleasure gradually overtaking your senses.

“Look at me, darling,” Bruce asked you and you obeyed, struggling to keep your eyes open as the two of you held eye contact. “Are you close?”

He knew you were, he knew your body like the back of his hand, but he still asked you the question just to be sure.

You couldn’t answer him. Your mouth was in a permanent ‘o’ shape as breathy moans escaped your lips with every thrust and you were unable to focus for more than one second on how to speak. So you nodded your head yes.

Bruce’s hand that held your thigh let it go to instead dip between your legs, easily finding your clit and rubbing it in circles with just the right amount of pressure. He proudly watched as you unravelled beneath him, your orgasm hitting you with full force. As he helped you ride it out, he reached his own climax and fell over you, but still made sure to not put his entire weight on you, as the two of you caught your breath.

Your husband removed himself from inside you and rolled over to lay next to you on his side so he could face you. “I love you,” he said again, kissing your temple covered with a sheen of sweat.

You turned to face him, your hand reaching to hold his cheek as you replied, “I love you”. You kissed him on the lips, this time short and sweet, and Bruce laid on his back so you could snuggle up against him with your head on his chest.

“You know, we should wash up before the boys come knocking on our door,” you said after a few minutes of peace.

“Can we just stay in bed for another minute?” Bruce childishly whined, his fingers brushing up and down your bare bicep.

“You're such a big baby,” you teased him, chuckling.

“Well sorry I’m a little spent from our early morning activity,” he lightheartedly argued.

“Alright, I’ll make you a deal,” you said, rising on your elbows to look over him. “I’m going to the bathroom and I’ll bring back with me a wet cloth for you to wash yourself and then we can cuddle and maybe go back to sleep until Dick and Jason crash through the door to drag you downstairs and watch cartoons. Sounds like a deal?”

“Sounds like a really good deal to me,” Bruce answered, bringing you down to peck your lips before he rested his hands behind his head. “You should come down to the tower next time we’re looking to make a deal with another company.”

“Nah, I’m perfectly fine with leaving all that work to you,” you pecked his lips once again and stood up from the bed, not bothering to cover yourself up. “I’ll be right back,” you said behind your shoulder as you walked towards the bathroom connected to your room.

Bruce didn’t hear you, too preoccupied with staring at your ass to focus on anything else. God, I’m the luckiest man in all of Gotham, he thought to himself before you disappeared through the door frame.

[loveshotzz]

We’re supposed to be eating breakfast

older!steve x fem!reader an AIRWIY oneshot

summary: You wake up after your first sleep over at Steve’s house feeling bold.

wc: 3.1k

warnings: 18+ older!steve, smut, p in v, cream pie, breeding kink, mentions of past drinking, reader is wearing Steve’s baseball jersey but it’s not really described how it fits on readers body, no real descriptions of readers body.

authors note: this took me over a month to write with everything going on in my personal life, so I’m excited to finally give it to you. thank you all for your patience and encouragement to keep coming back on here every day despite me not writing as much as I used to and to keep me opening my word docs. this one was spurred my @palmtreesx3 brilliant mind and an idea that’s haunted me day and night. This takes place in the All I Really Want Is You universe, but can be read as a stand alone. Just know you’re wearing Steve’s personalized cubs jersey. :)

The harsh sounds of the coffee grinder is what wakes you up, but the golden rays of morning sunshine that leaks through the cracks in the blinds is what gets your eyes to open. Slow soft blinks, with fluttering lashes and brain still fuzzy from the kind of sleep that makes you temporarily forget what year it is, you need a moment to recognize the unfamiliar, much nicer surroundings.

You were in Steve’s room.

A smile you can’t contain spreads wide across your face, butterfly wings tickling at your rib cage. Stretching your still sleeping limbs, your body melts into the soft cushions of his mattress. The feathers that fill his pillows contour to your head perfectly, and the memories of the ways he had you pressed into it resurface, skin igniting with the ghost of his hands on your curves. Biting your bottom lip, the kind of nerves that you haven’t had since the Fourth of July make themselves known again, having never spent a morning with him at his home.

Rolling over, your face hits the cotton of his pillowcase that you’re not surprised is cold. Shamelessly you inhale the cedar and spice that still lingers on it, and the faint ache between your thighs, along with the clinks of glass you hear from his sink, reminds you that he’s just down stairs. It takes a little bit of willpower to leave the cozy cocoon you’ve found yourself in but the need to see him over powers the comfort of his duvet that feels like just the right amount of weight against your body.

Shuffling out of the covers, your bare feet hit the cold hard wood of his floors, a shiver crawling up your spine that you tell yourself is from the chill of the winter air that seeps through his unsealed windows, definitely not your nerves catching a glimpse of your naked body in his dresser mirror. The same mirror you’d seen him in almost five months ago.

Padding across his bedroom you wonder if he can hear your steps as you search for any sign of your clothes that had been haphazardly thrown around after an old bottle of red wine. The clean white color of his jersey catches in your gaze, the blue bold lettering that spells out his last name has your thighs pressing at the memory of your second date as it sits folded on top of his dresser.

The thought of how good he looked with it stretched across his broad shoulders, and the top two buttons undone, teasing the chest hair that your nails dragged through last night makes your skin warm. The praises he whispered in hot merlot against your lips, your neck, and between your legs is what gives you the confidence you need to slip it on instead.

The stairs creak under each step, but the popping grease of the bacon that fills his house with the smell of maple lets you go undetected. Familiar voices of who you’re learning are sportscasters, spill out from the small speaker on his phone that you know is propped up on the little plastic holder he always sets it on when he charges it. He mumbles something in response to the commentary under his breath, and you hear the beeping of the oven telling him it’s finished preheating.

Your cheeks hurt from how high they push up when you realize Steve’s making you breakfast.

A little shy from his affections already, your fingers wrap around the wood frame of the entryway with your bottom lip tucked between your teeth. With his back to you, it gives you a perfect view of the way his white cotton undershirt stretches tight over his shoulder blades that move with every flick of his wrist, forearms flexing as he whisks whatever is in the bowl in front of him. Black sweats sit low on his hips, giving you a glimpse of his boxer briefs underneath, the font across the top of his waist band says Burberry, making your palms sweat. A personal favorite pair.

He turns his head to look at a replay of a game he missed in favor of spending time with you on his phone screen, still completely unaware of your presence. The new angle reveals the silver glasses he wore a few weeks ago in his office, dark chestnut and peppered hair sticking out wild at the ends, a mess you know was made by your hands.

“Seriously? Keep him on the bench.” He grumbles, shaking his head before bringing his attention back to the bowl.

You watch him for a few seconds longer, but his butt jiggling with the force of his whisking makes a giggle slip past your lips blowing your cover. He jumps at the noise no matter how sweet it is, meeting your eyes from over his shoulder. Steve gives you a smile that you’re learning is only reserved for you and sometimes Eddie, punching the air out of your lungs. Watching the way it only continues to grow across his stubble covered face makes your heart swell even more.

It’s only when his gaze finally lands on the only thing you’re wearing that the gold shimmering inside his eyes darken, a starless night lingering where the bottom hem of his jersey sits at the very tops of your thighs.

“Jesus honey, look at you.” The metal whisk hits the glass of the bowl with a loud clink as he turns around to really drink you in, “good morning to me.”

“I hope this is okay,” your voice comes out smaller than intended, suddenly self conscious you might have overstepped despite the way he watches you take your first steps into the kitchen like he wants to eat you alive.

“Okay?” His huffs out a breath like he’s wrecked, long fingers coming up to scratch at his jaw, “I’m afraid you’re not allowed to wear anything else in my house ever again.”

You giggle again, and you swear you hear him groan because of it.

“I think we might be able to arrange something, a deal, an agreement of some sort.” you smirk, tapping your nails along the smooth black marble of his kitchen island, giving your hips a little extra sway with your slow steps.

Both his palms curve around the counter behind him as he leans back, chest puffing while he licks his full pink lips. They pull up into a lopsided grin, a hungry gaze roaming freely as you come to a stop right in front of him. His confidence only falters a little when he has to push his glasses back up the bridge of his nose, but the gesture only makes your heart swell especially when the tops of his ears redden.

You lean against the island with a smile that tells him you’re up to no good. Heat from the oven and the man across from you warms your legs against the chill that bounces off all the glass and stone in his kitchen. Electricity sparks in the space between your bodies making the tips of your fingers and toes buzz, your pulse jumping when he reaches a big hand out for you.

“Just a little bit too far for me still baby,” He wiggles his fingers at you making you smile shyly before you slip your hand into his palm, your eyes glaze over watching it disappear in his grasp.

His gentle tug makes you squeal, hitting his chest with a soft thump, he grins down at you with a mischievous glint in his eyes. Wrapping an arm around you to keep you from leaving, he lets go of your hand to cup the side of your face. The pad of his thumb traces the length of your cheek bone, and he smells just his pillow. Your hands find themselves tangled into the cotton of his shirt, leaning deeper into his touch. It makes the playfulness that dances in the chestnut of his eyes turn soft with something lovesick.

“Good morning handsome,” you say in a content sigh, and the hand that's spread across your back starts to work a path up your spine pulling the fabric of his jersey with it.

“I could really get used to this you know,” He hums, dipping his head down so the tip of his nose runs up the length of yours, mint and coffee on his breath “waking up to you.”

Your stomach flips at his words, all the blood rushing to your cheeks when you feel the cool breeze hit where your underwear should be.

“Oh yeah? What about Bandit?” You tease leaning closer, letting your top lip catch his bottom one.

Steve snorts a little, reminded of his dog who he knows is soaking up the sun outside, and the palm on your back squeezes you even closer.

“Are you kidding me? We’re obsessed with you over here honey.” The whites of his teeth show a little before they nip at your pout. He takes advantage of the gasp he earns, closing the gap completely in the kind of kiss that doesn’t give you any time to catch your breath before he’s licking at your bottom lip.

Your fingers untangle themselves from his shirt, and find a new home to get lost in the locks at the nap of his neck. Tongues meet in the middle with eager enthusiasm, and your front teeth hit as you push up on your tippy toes on the search for more. A deep groan vibrates from his chest, and his palm starts working its way down the dip of your back. When he’s met with the bare swell of your ass as he reaches the bottom hem of his jersey, you feel him kick up in his sweatpants.

“Tough girl.” He says your nickname like he's scolding you, leaving open mouthed kisses up your jaw, nipping at your earlobe before whispering with the kind of gravel in his voice that makes the inside of your thighs sticky. “We’re supposed to be eating breakfast.”

You hardly register him turning the oven off beside you.

“Who says -“ your sentence is cut off by a gasp when two thick fingers trace up your slick lips with ease, the pads of them pressing down on your bundle of nerves just long enough to make you whine with shaky knees.

“Who says what huh?” He whispers against the sensitive spot behind your ear, rubbing small circles on your clit with pointed pressure, obsessed with the way your jaw goes slack, and your eyebrows pinch together because of it.

“Who says we can’t do both?” You manage to get out with fluttering lashes, as he spreads you apart.

“You’re right, I don’t think breakfast is gonna be sweet enough for me.” He tuts, letting his middle finger push just a knuckle into your already greedy walls, and the soft moan that he gets from you has him leaking in his sweats. “You gonna help me with that, honey?”

Too lost in his teasing all you manage is a nod and a breathy ‘mmhmm’ looking up at him with big glassy eyes. He lets his lips ghost over yours, with a smirk tugging at the corners of them before spinning you around. Your palms land back on the cool marble of the kitchen island while both his hands wrap themselves firmly around the soft dough of your hips keeping his Jersey rucked up with them. He pulls your ass flush with his hips, letting you feel the hard length of him that begs to be released from the fleece confines of his pants against the ache in your core.

“This is what you wanted when you came down here lookin’ like this huh?” He asks with a low voice, hooking his thumbs under the bottom of his jersey. Lifting it higher up your back, he grinds against you while his eyes drink in all the soft dips of all your curves.

“Maybe,” you giggle a little breathy looking back over your shoulder at him with half lidded eyes.

His smile steals all the warm light from the room as he looks down at you with a cocked brow.

“I was trying to wait till after breakfast, which was hard waking up to you naked in my bed.” He can’t stop his heavy gaze from wandering to his last name covering the top of your back, unlocking something primal and possessive inside of him that he thought he’d lost forever. He wants you to leave it on, he’ll get it dry cleaned. “But honey, I can��t keep my hands off of you lookin’ like this.”

His palm feels heavy as it slides over the curve of your ass, squeezing at the fat with strong fingers spreading you apart a little before shoving his sweatpants half way down his hairy thighs. With hot cheeks, you flutter around nothing when the thickness of his cock springs free, standing at attention just for you. Somersaults in your stomach as you watch his tight grip pump himself a few times. Your hips wiggle in anticipation, whining when he teases more, gliding his tip through your slick, a small moan spilling from between your lips when he catches your clit.

“Always so needy for me,” he groans with a hint of disbelief, “fuck, what’d I do to deserve you?”

Steve doesn’t waste anymore time, slowly pushing in and the feeling of your walls wrapping around him while your body tries to accommodate the stretch has him chanting your name under his breath. Half way in, he regrips your hips a little rougher than before. His cock twitches watching your back bow, making his last name shine against the light while your nails scratch at the cool marble when he bottoms out.

Legs shaking, still sensitive from the night before, his hold on you tightens. You keen at the feeling of his thumbs rubbing small circles into your soft skin giving you time to adjust. It doesn’t take long for the initial sting subside, giving you the strength to rock your hips a little, a breathy sigh escaping you when it feels good.

“Yeah?” He hums, meeting your hips with his own hitting that spot that makes your toes curl.

“Uh huh” You manage to utter as he pulls almost all the way out, a moan of his name long and drawn out bounces off the walls when he pushes back in letting you feel every inch.

“That’s my girl,” You can hear the smirk in his voice, and it makes you want to turn around and see it.

Your eyes meet from over your shoulder again as he starts to roll his hips, finding the perfect pace. The sound of skin slapping fills the quiet space between moans every time your ass jiggles from the force of it. That strand falls messily over his forehead when he looks down at you, brows pinching together and jaw going slack like seeing your face only intensified everything he was feeling. He holds your stare, and the snap of his hips starts to get rougher. Burying himself deep focusing on that spot, the one he’s only ever been able to find.

“Oh, oh- Steve. Right there -shit - oh my god.” Your head falls between your shoulders, when he starts to barely pull out anymore. The tip of him making your eyelashes flutter as he reaches the spot that had you screaming his name last night, over and over again.

His eyes wander the expanse of your back, keeping his pace while his hands slowly start to slide up your sides, pushing his jersey with it. He wants to see more of you, but his hips stutter hearing the noises he’s getting out of you with his last name plastered across your hunched shoulders.

“You look so good - shiiit, like this baby. My name on your back, letting me bend you over in my kitchen while I cook you breakfast.” He babbles as your walls start to flutter, already dangerously close to falling over the ledge, your body threatening to take him with you. “Wanna do this all the time, please, let me do this all the time, honey.”

“Whatever, whatever you want. I’ll do whatever you want, I’m - oh fuck, I’m yours.” Your words break off in a moan when he starts to circle his hips at the same time you push yours back and he holds you there, repeating the motion.

“Yeah? You’re mine?” Steve grunts, cock twitching at the thought of filling you up, and for the first time in over a decade he feels the need to mark what’s his in the most primal way he knows. The thought of you round with his kid brings a new kind of intensity to the way he starts to fuck you, and he knows he’s not going to last much longer. “Tell me again.”

“Mmmhmm, always yours.” You whine, feeling yourself reaching the edge. Steve leans forward, somehow going deeper. Long thick fingers find their way between your thighs, where the two of you connect and he starts rubbing messy circles on your clit, pushing you off the cliff.

You flutter and squeeze around him hard enough to almost push him out, but he continues rutting his hips fighting against it, white spots explode behind your lids, his name falling out of your mouth broken in a gasp and a shudder.

“That’s it, fuck, that’s it.” He groans, watching the way your forehead hits the cold marble with another tremor that makes his cock twitch. “Gonna cum baby, let me cum inside, need it, please.”

He can make out the nod of your head, and with the little strength you have left, you push yourself further back encouraging him more. He knows you're on the pill, he’s seen you take it, but right now in the heat of it all, a small part of him hopes you missed a day. He blames the blue letters on his Jersey staring him right in the face, or the way you coat his cock with the remains of what he did to you every time you suck him right back in.

He pushes himself deep enough to make you fall forward a little, a low groan rumbling deep from his chest as he spills hot inside of you the rock of his hips slowing down as he falls apart. His forehead hits your back, with one last lazy thrust, and you can feel the heat of his breath as he pants to catch his breath. You wish the fabric of his jersey wasn’t so thick when he plants a kiss between your shoulder blades, before slowly pulling himself back up.

“Yeah, it’s official. This is absolutely the only thing you’re allowed to wear here.”

[violet-eng]

f!reader reacts to Zhongli (Morax)! "apoptosis" during Rite of Descension | angst + 🔞 NSFW

So... I've always wondered how Zhongli's close friends (let's pretend he has close friends) would react to his death during the Rite of Descension...

╔══════*.·:·.☽✧  ✦  ✧☾.·:·.*════════╗

Summary: Zhongli and you are a couple, and you know he's Rex Lapis. How would you react if your beloved dragon boyfriend dies in front of your eyes during the Rite of Descension? Or worse yet, how would you react if you found out that he is actually alive?

Tw: Angst (a lot), smut, 🔞, MDNI, p i v, nipple sucking, words of hate during sex (i hate you), mentionsof death.

🎨 by: Nid417 2k words.

╚════════*.·:·.☽✧✦✧☾.·:·.*═════════╝

The soft caress of Zhongli's fingers on your forehead woke you up in the morning, bringing you back to the earthly realm and wrenching you from the comfortable sleep you had taken as a reward for your performance the night before. Like every night, Zhongli had abused you in bed, using you until he left his empty balls in your belly. 

The light streaming through the window, the rays of sunshine heralding a new day, brighten your face as you realize that Zhongli has gotten out of bed. You watch him get dressed, the shirt covering his arms, golden marks on his dark skin, the marks of your nails on his back, crimson traces open to the passage of your passion.

"Today is going to be a long day," your ardent lover says as he adjusts his tie, "I'm sorry to have to wake you, it's never my intention to cause you any discomfort, but I'm afraid on this occasion it was absolutely necessary."

"The Rite of Descension is today, I had forgotten," you mention, leaning back on your elbows and rubbing your eyes, the locks of hair falling over the valley of your breasts, the sheet covering you sliding down to your waist, giving Zhongli a magnificent view as he adjusts his pants.

"When it's all over, we should have dinner... and then maybe try our luck at starting a family," he says, though it's hard to make out his words because of the volume of his voice. Zhongli speaks with a tinge of nostalgia, a back and forth of dark feelings and a melancholy aura, he has been in this state for several weeks now.

"I guess there's no point in me asking you again what's wrong with you today," you say, embellishing the sentence with a subtle laugh, sometimes your dear Morax is very secretive about his feelings and manages to become hermetic and unshakable as a rock, today is one of those days.

"I promise you that once the Rite culminates, all your questions will be answered," he says, sitting next to you, caressing the curve of your back and tucking a lock of your hair behind your ear. One of Zhongli's favorite images is your face when you wake up...especially the morning after a good fuck. There's something about your puffy eyes that drives him crazy, or the scarlet color on your skin from his teeth the night before that makes him lose his mind, whatever it is, he finds you to be the most charming creature he's ever met in his millennia of existence.

"I only ask you," Zhongli says, continuing the conversation, keeping the cryptic tone he had a few moments ago, "I only ask you not to be afraid, no matter what you see, do not be afraid. I will come back to you no matter what happens”

"You always do," you say as you turn around, your face lit up with a smile and your breasts in full view as you reach out a hand that manages to caress his cheek, "that's our contract, darling, you always come back to me."

Zhongli fiercely fights the desire to fuck you at this moment, these words and this image you have given him.... He takes a deep breath before getting up from the bed, ignoring his instincts. There will be time to indulge your carnal desires.

You know the Rite of Descent in detail, you have witnessed it and heard it performed firsthand. This time there is nothing out of the usual, perhaps a new face or two, but nothing out of the ordinary. You find yourself looking forward to what will happen next, and perhaps during the night you will comment to Zhongli how strange it is to see him in his draconic form, and how sweet you find his empathic act of introducing himself to the....

The rumble of the lifeless body of the Lord of Liyue falling echoes through the place. The offerings table is a mess, and the ensuing uproar even more so. There is talk of murder, the Millelith rushes in pursuit of the suspects, and as the rest of the crowd disperses, you lie in place, frozen, stunned by what you have witnessed. You bring your hands to your chest in a reflex to stop the heartbeat that seems to pierce your skin, the sound of the Millelith's footsteps confused with the thumping rhythm of your heart, your lip trembling and your hands sweating, your trembling fingers clutching the fabric of your clothes, trying to bring you back to reality as you watch the body of your beloved Morax lying lifeless before your eyes.

"Tell Wangsheng Funeral Parlor what happened," Keqing orders you... or is it Ningguang's voice? " Y/n! There's no time to waste, go!"

Much to your chagrin, you find yourself running to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, your eyes on the verge of bitter tears and deep weeping, but you cannot afford to do so, not when you cannot explain your reaction to others. You walk down the stairs, wondering: Did Zhongli's recent attitude mean that he suspected that someone wanted to kill him, and if so, why didn't he trust you? The questions cloud your mind, you stumble over some people while debating with yourself, Zhongli knew it, in short, that's why he had such a mysterious attitude lately, he knew he would abandon you? No, you're cursing yourself, you can't think about him like that, especially now that he's... You can't even think of the word, Morax, Rex Lapis, your beloved Zhongli, is an immortal being who has traveled miles of life, he is a powerful being, the strongest of the gods... or he was... ....

You resign yourself to the facts, to the image of the dragon lying on the rubble, his chest motionless, his eyes lifeless... you had not even been able to say goodbye to him that morning. With regret gnawing at your heart, you burst into Wangsheng's funeral parlor and called out to Hu Tao.

"Rex Lapis," you say with a lump in your throat, as she grabs your arms and asks you to calm down, "Rex Lapis is..." you pause over your words as the figure of your lover emerges from one of the offices.

"Y/n" Hu Tao agitates you, but you are absorbed in the image coming towards you, the way Zhongli hurries to give you a drink.

"He's dead," you manage to finish the sentence without taking your eyes off Zhongli. Hu Tao is shocked by this and laments over such an unfortunate event, delving into theories that could have led to something like this happening.

"There is no reason to jump to conclusions at a time like this," Zhongli suggests, "Ninnguang must need help.

It is Hu Tao who leaves the place at his subordinate's suggestion, leaving him in charge of your welfare, your poor condition being too obvious to the average eye. It is just the two of you in the room, the sound of commotion outside is beyond reproach, but at this moment, you are oblivious to what is going on outside.

Zhongli holds out his coat to you, draping it over your shoulders and adjusting the collar over your chest, you holding the drink he offered you a few moments ago. You analyze him closely, your eyes scanning him in detail, taking in every inch of his image. 

"Y/n," he whispers as he caresses your shoulders, his hands coddling your arms, looking at you like an infant about to cry.

"Zhongli," saying his name feels like breathing out your last breath of life. You bring your hesitant hand to his face, a reflection of your desire to check if what you are observing is real. You press his skin against your palm, and he leans into the familiar touch of your caress.

"My beautiful y/n, I beg your forgiveness" he muses as he moves the cup away from your hands, to take your small limbs between his, kissing your knuckles gingerly.

The gesture causes you to burst into tears, to throw yourself into his arms and release the sea of bitterness and pain that had built up in your chest. Zhongli pulls you close to him, wrapping you in an embrace that he hopes will never break, that he hopes will prove how sorry he is for the hurt he has caused you. You ask him for explanations between sobs, you reproach him for not being clear with you, for letting you believe he was dead, you beat his chest in agony and resentment, and he allows you to do so, if it were up to him, you could actually kill him at that very moment, he deserves no less, not when he has made you shed tears for him so bitterly.

"You should have told me" you whimper, and your legs start to shake. The burning in your chest grows and you feel like you will faint at any moment. Zhongli senses it, senses every change in your organism, so he hurries to ask you to return home.

The road passes in silence, Zhongli has put his arm around your shoulder, and along the way he has showered you with pleas to redeem himself, but you ignore him, you don't even look at him, and that hurts him deeply.

You cross the door and go into the room to lie down on the bed, finally you can no longer use your legs, you have never felt so weak, so useless... You let out the rest of your cry on the pillows, leaning on your hands, your chest heaving for air, the shock hasn't completely left you...

Zhongli approaches you and puts a hand on your back, but you clearly warn him not to come near you, not to touch you, and maybe you are being too hard on him, but it is what you think he deserves. 

"Go away," you order sharply, "you're supposed to be dead... you..." you speak nonsense, it's the pain of shock that overwhelms you.

"What are you saying?" Zhongli exclaims in anguish, searching for your face, though you hide it well for him. He struggles with you, trying to bring you to your senses, "I'm here, my love, it's me... I'm alive," he says, taking your hands and pressing them to his chest, where his desperate heart beats in desperation. You look at him pitifully, your eyes drenched with tears, your lip trembling.

"This is the heart of a living man," he says, "and this is the warmth of a living man's skin," he says, bringing your hands to his neck and chest, unbuttoning his shirt in a desperate act, and as the shock of his desperation strikes your complexion, you seem to snap out of your trance.

"Zhongli..." you finally whisper.

"Here I am, beautiful, I came back for you..." he muses, pressing his forehead against yours.

"You always..." you falter, "you always come back to me," your breath mingles with his, as hot as yours. You rush to his lips, so eager to taste his breath of life, the divinity escaping his mouth like groans as you bite his lip, pressing it harder against your mouth.

"This is our contract," Zhongli says between kisses, a trickle of saliva between the two of you as he removes his shirt and your clothes.

He fucks you with anger, with desire and a burning he didn't know he was holding back. And you scream, your moans high and boisterous, not caring what is happening outside or how sacrilegious it is that you are fucking while everyone outside is suffering the death of Rex Lapis... the same Rex Lapis who is pounding on your cervix with fervor and enormous force, the same one who is massaging your clitoris while sucking on one of your nipples.

"I hate you," you spit angrily, drowning out your moans as you cling to his arms.

"It's what I deserve," he says, just as vulgar as you, sonorous and quite vocal, resting one of your legs on his shoulders, "hate me all you want, y/n, but then scream my name when you cum and when you give birth to our children."

"You bastard," you moan as your fingernails leave scarlet marks on his sculpted shoulders, "don't stop.... Zhongli, don't stop," the way he pounds you is delicious and your guts know it as they twist in a hot knot as his cock makes its way into your pussy.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry," he repeats, not stopping his assault, settling on top of you to look at the bulge rising in your belly where his cock is abusing you. He puts one of his hands on yours, the other massaging your thigh and the flesh on his shoulder, looking at you with a devotion that you do not recognize, as if you were a treasure, a goddess....

His hips crash mercilessly against yours, and you, as spiteful as you are horny, can't help but make the most vulgar sounds you can. You feel Zhongli's balls slapping against your skin, the frantic movement in and out of your pussy, the way something inside you seems to snap from the force of his penetration. He has you wide open for him, fully exposed, and he gives himself to you like the devotee he is when he fucks you, seeking only your pleasure.

"Zhongli..." you moan as one of your fingers gently caresses the line that divides his scarred abdomen, your digit running down the valley of his rock hard muscles....

"Let me take care of you, darling," he says, taking your hand and planting a kiss on the back of it, leaning down to capture your lips with his mouth. His tongue penetrates the roof of your mouth and you feel your throat receive the visit of such a welcome guest.

Zhongli turns you over, your body snug against the sheets, your face deep in the mattress, and he on top of you. He continues to stir your loins as he lets his chest fall on your back, his face sinking into your shoulder, and you feel that this way, so close to him, he has better access to you. His cock twists in your favorite spot, the one that makes you let out a yelp and reach out a hand for support, grasping the silk between your fingers. Zhongli intertwines his hand with yours, and there, trapped beneath his body, at the mercy of his relentless assault, he whispers a "I love you" with deep regret.

"Zhongli," you moan, completely trapped between the bed and how well he is fucking you, your hands trapped in his, "I love you...damn it...I love you," you cry out as you convulse beneath him, your orgasm erupting as he bathes your velvety walls with his white seed.

You turn your face to breathe. Zhongli doesn't let go or leave you. You stay like this for a moment, enjoying the heat the other gives off. Zhongli kisses your shoulder blade and you feel the remains of his cum leave you as he pulls his cock out of your abused hole. The empty feeling makes you moan. He doesn't let go of you at any point, clinging to you as he lies down and sets you beside him, wrapping you in his arms, securing you in an embrace as he leaves deep kisses on the back of your neck and shoulder. Your chest heaves for air, the ecstasy you feel is unlike anything you have experienced before, no previous encounter has ever been like this.

"I didn't mean it," you say, your voice hoarse, your throat scratchy from shouting, "I don't hate you...I couldn't," you turn to him, meeting amber eyes that look at you with calm and deep regret.

"Do you forgive me?" he asks in a sweet, syrupy, insistent tone. 

"My dear Morax," you whisper, taking refuge in his chest, "I forgave you the moment I felt your aching heart beat with concern for me."

These words are enough for Zhongli to ease the weight he was carrying so that he can rest his chin on your head and breathe in the scent of your hair, mixed with the smell of sex in the room.

He strokes your back, running his fingers over your small human form, downplaying the commotion outside, focusing only on you and your well-being....

[libbybee]

BETWEEN THE SHEETS OF DAWN — AA.

summary: morning sex in a daily day six months after defeating the netherbrain. warnings: MDNI 18+, female!reader, soft!dom vampire lord, shameless smut, angst, p in v, body worship, fingering [F], mutual masturbation, bite, blood drinking, vaginal sex, unprotected sex, cock riding, orgasm denial, orgasm control, overstimulation. word count: 7K+ masterlist . spotify playlist . AO3 . image

a/n: english isn't my native language, sorry if there are grammar mistakes.

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The first rays of sunlight filtered through the heavy curtains of the grand window, slowly bringing the chambers of the Crimson Palace to life as always with each passing dawn.

Astarion kept his word to rule by your side, hand in hand since the night he transformed you into his consort. In fleeting moments, as you walked together through the bustling streets of Baldur’s Gate, it was easy to pretend you were merely two ordinary souls, blending into the pulse of the town. But there was no escaping the truth: nothing about either of you was remotely ordinary.

The past six months were filled with a strangely comforting love that took you even by surprise, especially after his ascension. Nonetheless, this unexpected… ‘feeling’ only served to deepen your love for him, binding the two of you more tightly than ever. He was as much yours as you were his.

You stretched lazily, feeling the pleasant crack of your joints beneath your scarred skin for the marks left by his fangs and teeth—symbols of your previous night. Turning your head to your side, your eyes fell on the vampire lying beside you, naked as you were, his ivory skin half covered by the silk sheets while his perfect features kept quiet in sleep. Your lips form a smile subconsciously.

You traced your fingertips delicately along his right cheek, following the elegant curve of his pointed ear, gliding down until you reached the sharp line of his jaw. Your fingers lingered there momentarily, enjoying the connection before your palm settled on his cheek once more, just as if that simple, gentle touch was enough to attach you to him.

After a brief pause, you pulled away and turned your attention to the window. The sunlight crept through the curtains, warming the sheets slightly since the morning sun had risen and casting a golden glow over your uncovered thighs.

You pushed the sheets off your waist to rise from the bed, padding the wood floor on tiptoes as you made your way to the window.

For a brief time, you admired the peaceful morning outside: the streets of Baldur’s Gate, typically alive with activity, were quiet in the early sunshine. Buildings still repairing stood bathed in a gentle, golden hue as shopkeepers began to order their products and gardeners tended to the shrubs lining the pavements.

With a peaceful sigh, you finally drew the curtains, plunging the room back into a comforting darkness lit only by a faint, soft glow cast by candles. You didn’t want to disturb Astarion just yet, preferring the serenity of this quiet moment together.

Returning to bed, you sat beside him, your eyes once again tracing the sharp lines of his face. Your focus remained on his full, kissable lips, and the temptation to lean down was just too much to resist. You lowered yourself to place a kiss on his mouth, soft and full of affection.

His response was immediate when his cool hand cradled your cheek, pulling you closer as his lips parted to deepen the kiss. The moment your tongues met, a silent sigh escaped your lips against his. You moved in perfect and slow harmony, tongues tangling with an eagerness that left you breathless.

When you finally pulled a bit away, your cheeks were flushed, and both of your lips glistened with your combined saliva, connected by a thin trail.

“Ah, waking me in such a delightful way... You're learning, my love.” Astarion purred sweetly against your lips, his voice like a seductive melody. His mischievous smile sent a shiver through you as his hand on your cheek slid down to your neck, gripping it softly but with intent.

“Did you sleep well, darling?” You asked with a dulcet voice as you stroked his cheek tenderly. His crimson eyes flickered toward the two small wounds on your neck—fresh marks from earlier that night and still... healing.

He returned to your face, fixing his eyes on your lips. “How could I not sleep well with such beauty at my side every night?”

As he leaned back against the pillows, the black silk sheets slid down his waist to pool over his thighs and expose his sculpted abdomen and his sharp hips. Your attention roamed attentively over his form, tracing each intricate line and the exquisite curves of his physique. The sight was breathtaking; his figure was a masterpiece. The thought that this flawless, captivating vampire was yours filled you with delight and fascination.

“Enjoying the view, are we? I’d like to think so...” Astarion’s voice held a flirtatious edge, pulling you from your brief distraction. You had forgotten yourself for a moment, lost in the sight of him. But did it really matter? After all, you’d both seen each other stripped bare countless times during your months of camp escapades, and even more so after his ascension. And now, after defeating the Netherbrain and aiding in Baldur’s Gate’s repairs, this was just another layer of your shared intimacy.

A blush crept onto your cheeks, sly but obvious, yet you didn’t dare look away from him. Your sights remained locked, your heartbeat quickening under his inquisitive stare.

“Shyness, now? After last night’s performance?” He mentioned with a low and rich tone, amused. “How utterly adorable, darling.”

Before you could react, his hand slid from your neck to your waist to pin you beneath him on the bed in one swift and calculated move, letting your head rest on the plushy pillows. He placed his legs under yours to lift them and spread your thighs further apart, exposing you to him in the way he desired without letting you any chance to complain about it; his habitual dominance was both enchanting and... strangely tender.

A soft giggle escaped your lips, the suddenness of his movement catching you off guard, but you didn’t mind at all. If anything, you indulged in it.

Your hands instinctively sought him out, tracing the sharp angles of his cheekbone with one hand before drifting down to his perfectly chiselled abs with the other. You couldn’t help but marvel at the way his muscles tensed beneath your touch. With him so exposed, pressed so intimately against your naked form, you weren’t about to waste a single second.

Every brush of your fingertips elicited a reaction: a slight contraction of his muscles, soft, almost imperceptible sighs of pleasure. You loved how sensitive he was to your touch, how even the smallest of your affections could draw out those precious sounds as if he were only yours to navigate and explore; that was exactly what he was.

Your fingers danced slowly down his abdomen, descending as if you were asking for his permission to continue with your imploring eyes fixed on his predatory crimson ones.

Your hand trailed down his abdomen, every touch paused and reverent, cherishing each inch of his cool, porcelain skin. His expression, usually sharp and guarded, softened just enough to reveal a tiny hint of vulnerability that only you could ever see. You caressed his cheek before drifting up to his delicately pointed ear, and Astarion’s eyes narrowed with a flicker of surprise as you began to trace the soft lines of his ear almost impatiently.

With the lightest, most serene touch you could give, you traced its fine edges, letting your fingers explore every one of its contours. He exhaled out a pleased sigh, almost imperceptible as the slight tremor in his body betrayed him, but enough for you to notice. His ear was so sensitive that the merest caress from you could entice him.

He charmed at your touch, and you watched with satisfaction as his composure faltered. It was rare to catch him off-guard, rarer still to witness the quiet pleasure that softened his gaze as he let you continue, trusting you to lay bare even the most of his delicate places that became yours.

His hands wandered over the sides of your hips and waist, his thumbs squeezing and caressing the soft curves of your breasts as his face hovered just above yours. His eyes locked in only you as the silence enveloped you both, which just intensified the temptation pulsing in the air.

You felt his thighs press tight to yours as your legs wrapped around his hips, both pelvises grinding together almost involuntarily. His eyes burnt into you, feeling the tension in him growing with every passing second. Desperation flickered behind his blood-red eyes, and you knew he needed you as much as you needed him.

You pressed your thighs tighter against his sides, trying to pull him even closer as your bodies were demanding the connection that neither of you could deny any longer.

The fragile wall between your lips broke as Astarion suddenly lunged forward when his control slipped half away. He bit your lower lip hard enough to force a gasp from you before his mouth crashed against yours in desperation. His kiss was intense while his tongue tangled with yours as if you were his source of life. His hands tightened around your hips with a fierceness that made you wince, the sting of his fingernails buried on your skin mixing pleasure and pain.

You cradled his cheek once more as you tilted your head to let him deepen the kiss, opening your mouth for his tongue and feeling the throbbing between your thighs grow more intense. His desperateness was infectious. Your body was yearning for him, and your walls knew it damn well while they clenched pathetically around emptiness, as if they were screaming for him to fill you.

His nose pushed against yours, his fangs grazed your own and your lips almost enough to make your lower lip bleed in his, roaming his hands over your body with a rising urgency, as if he couldn't bear to not touch every inch of you. His control was unravelling, his usual elegance and grace shattering by a carnal instinct coursing through him.

You could feel his cock press insistently against the mound of your pussy, sliding over your lower belly as if seeking an inexistent entrance. His shaft rubbed and throbbed against the sensitive skin covering your clit, and the pulse of his lower vein tingled in time with your knot of nerves. He rocked his hips against you, chasing friction.

Every second that passed of your kiss, you could see it in his half-closed eyes: the increasing primal desperation, the absolute need to devour you again and again. And with each movement, you felt your resolve crumble, swept away by the storm of his passion.

Your pelvis moved in perfect rhythm with his, each motion drenching him in your warm, slick arousal that soaked your clit. His every touch drew more from you as your hands slid down his sculpted sides to grip his hips, pulling him closer as if even the smallest distance between you were too much to bear.

He crushed his lips against yours one final time, a passionate kiss that bordered on wild before he tore away to guide his mouth a path downward. His lips moved feverishly over your throat, grazing your collarbone with frenzy, hot smooches. Once he reached your sternum, he slowed, trailing sensual kisses along the centre of your chest to savour each inch of your skin. His mouth opened when he found your breasts, tracing soft and heated lines over the sensitive curve of one of them with his tongue before capturing your nipple between his lips, giving you unhurried suctions and flirty nibbles.

He lavished your other breast with the same meticulous, aching attention, his mouth gliding over your delicate skin as his tongue traced warm and precise, languid circles. He captured your other nipple between his lips, letting his teeth graze before soothing with his tongue your sensitive peak.

Pleased, he released your breast and began a steady ascent, his lips travelling back up your sternum while licking you with his tongue to taste you one last time before reaching his new focused point.

When he reached your neck, he paused to hover with his mouth over the delicate twin punctures from his last bite. He traced them lightly with his tongue, feeling the quickened pulse beneath your flesh before tracing them with the tip to feel the texture of your skin. Then he sealed his lips over your marks, sucking hard enough to pull an almost imperceptible sigh from your throat.

The pressure grew, his lips demanding, as if he were trying to draw every drop of your essence into him. His tongue lashed over the marks again, his need for you palpable as his body trembled in his attempt to restrain himself.

This made your heart race, as you knew well the look he gave just before he bit down. The slight tremor in his touch and how his hold on you tightened as his intentions were becoming evident by the second.

He failed miserably in his try to restrain as he sank his fangs back into the not-yet-fully healed punctures in your neck. His bite was perfectly controlled nonetheless; he learnt exactly how to pierce your skin with a minimum of discomfort, though the sharp, mingled sting of pain and pleasure surged through your throat.

A deep breath tore from your lips as you tilted your head back, giving your neck fully to him. His mouth latched on, taking deep pulls of your rich bouquet with a deliberate self-indulgence.

At the same time, one of his hands released your hips and slid between your thighs to find your painfully swollen clit with almost dangerous accuracy. His thumb stroked it mercilessly with slow and calculated small circles to stimulate you; meanwhile, his other hand remained firmly on your hip bone to keep you exactly where he wanted you.

Your soaked, empty entrance shuddered in frustration, your walls pulsing with need as he avoided where you needed him most. “Astarion…” You whimpered, the words barely escaping your lips. “Fuck me… please.”

Desperation clung to every syllable as one of your hands slid down between you, looking for his hard length. Your fingers, trembling with need, wrapped around his cock to slowly stroke him, the intense heat of him pulsing in your grip. With your bodies so tightly pressed together, it was nearly impossible to guide him where you required.

Astarion pulled his lips away from your neck with a slow drag, leaving your skin wet and painfully yearning for more of his bite. The sinful sound of his mouth leaving your flesh resonated in your ears.

Your, now open wounds, bled steadily, staining the pillow beneath your head. A trickle of your blood ran down his lower lip when you saw his face, an image that struck you as irresistibly sexy… especially when he slowly licked it away, savouring your taste once more.

He leaned in close to you, his breath ghosting over your ear as a raspy giggle escaped him. “Oh, you want me to fuck you, do you?” He uttered in a dangerous murmur. Each word sent a shiver through your entire pussy, making you drench his fingers. “You must be desperate, begging so sweetly like that and... wetting my fingers like this.”

Your fingers tightened in frustration around his length, feeling him throb and pulse in your hand. A soft, pleased groan escaped his lips. His restraint frayed under the sensation, but still, he held back to revel in your torment. His mouth crashed onto yours again with a fierce and consuming kiss, as if tasting your blood hadn’t been enough. Dominating your tongue with his and leaving no space between your lips, allowing you to taste your life fluid in his mouth.

And still, it wasn’t enough.

His fingers stroked harder your puffy clitoris, accelerating his circling motions and coaxing a helpless shudder of your hips against his hand. And just when the pleasure began to grow so unbearably close, he pushed two of his fingers inside you with effortless ease because of your wetness. The stretch felt abrupt and all-consuming, his fingers instantly fucking you knuckle-deep before curling upward to rub your G-spot, making your walls clench anxiously around him.

“Astarion…” You groaned against his mouth with a wavering voice as the torment grew almost too much to bear. Your hips bucked forward, trying to draw his fingers deeper a moment more, but he moved his hand just out of reach, leaving your trembling hands grasping ineffectively his cock and waist.

Frustration sparked hotter, stoked by the smirk tugging at his lips as he looked down at you, almost prepared to start crying for what you really wanted from him. “I want your cock…” You panted, grinding yourself against his fingers to satisfy your craving for his touch. But in your weak moment, he cruelly slipped his fingers away, causing your pussy to ache in disappointment.

“Begging more already?” He was obviously amused, as though your torment only made him more intent on withholding.

“Just fuck me, now…” Your demand words sounded harsher than you intended, but the ache between your legs was agonizing. His low chuckle returned, his thumb brushing all over your clit again and part of your entrance without pushing inside, making you shudder.

“Oh, darling,” he murmured, “you know I love seeing you like this... so needy, so irresistible.”

The fire in your eyes only burnt brighter as you glared up at him. “Then do something about it.” You blurt out in exasperation without thinking too much about what you just said, scrunching up your brow and pouting slightly in annoyance at his refusal to cater to your every whim.

Astarion enjoyed your frustration. A sarcastic smirk spread across his lips at your demanding tone, watching you anxious and aching in your exasperation. Your challenge sparked something playful yet... irritated in him. The corner of his mouth twitched as he leaned in closer.

The strokes all on your clit rapidly began to feel maddeningly light now, sending shocks of insufficient pleasure through your body that did not offer any relief. His lips grazed your ear once more, whispering in a voice laced with a mocking offence, “You really think you can order me around, my love?”

Without any warning, he withdrew his hand from between your thighs, which elicited a dissatisfied sigh from you. Then, a sharp slap in your clit resonated in the room, causing a quick jolt of pleasure and sorrow to ripple across your pelvis as he forced a rasping gasp from your lips and made your muscles tight in response.

A quiet laugh escaped him again before taking your hand off his dick; his breath felt hot against your neck as he gripped your hips firmly, lifting them just a few inches to position himself at your entrance. The bulging head of his cock pressed against you, tantalisingly kissing your throbbing knot of nerves covered by silken, sensitive skin and coating it with his precum, yet he held back to enjoy the way your impatience boiled over.

“You want me to do something about it?” He repeated in a serene voice filled with a false irritation. “You’re the one yearning for me, yet you’re barking orders. How charmingly misguided of you.” He watched you with a cruel stare, the corners of his mouth twitching into a smirk, savouring the way your breathing slowed in anticipation.

With a sigh, Astarion finally relented. “Fine.” Just when you thought he might keep holding back, he aligned the crown of his tip in your entrance to thrust into you with one smooth motion, satiating you completely. A flicker of satisfaction crossed his features when he added, “But you really should choose your words more carefully next time, beautiful.”

The situation made you moan in pleasure as he filled your entire pussy. Astarion exhaled, his control fraying as he buried himself deep inside you. His grip on your hips tightened as he set a slowly deliberate tempo, letting you feel every inch of him opening you deliciously wide as he leaned down until his lips hovered over yours.

“Is this what you wanted, isn't it?” He whispered roughly as the feeling of your pussy clenching all around his cock drove him into a state of madness. He pushed harder and more deeply, his ruby eyes challenging you to keep pushing him. “Or maybe you’d prefer to take control yourself? You look so eager for it.”

With that, Astarion stopped abruptly every move inside you, letting the heat of his cock radiate against your walls as he watched your every reaction with keen interest. He could sense your impatience—the ache in your body for more friction.

“Go on, then.” He ordered in a low, taunting tone. He kept himself firmly planted inside you while he tilted his head, refusing to thrust or move and encouraging you to take the lead. The sensation of him stretching you was incredible; every pulse of his cock against yours sent rushes of pleasure through you; anyway, he remained visibly indifferent.

“Don't tell me you can't handle this.” He remarked sarcastically, a hint of irony adorning his provocation as he guided his lips to your ear. “You wanted me. So stop stalling and do something about it... or perhaps it was just your desperation talking?”

His lips brushed against you, letting you feel the tension of his words between you. The atmosphere was charged with a tangible blend of your frustration and his enticement. His voice firmed as he urged you on, “I’m right here. Make it worth my while, or you’ll get nothing, treasure.”

Those last words especially provoked you, heavy with the implications, and they awakened a rage within you. You could feel the weight of his body, the heat radiating from him heightening yours. Astarion's cock suddenly throbbed and pulsed between your walls as he spoke, and certainly for what he could’ve imagined, as if it were a constant reminder of having him motionless inside you.

With a determined breath, you accepted his challenge. You began to gently and shyly rock your hips against his as you grabbed his waist with both hands. The delicious friction sent a renovated satisfaction rushing through you instantly as you finally could feel him rub against your inner cavity. His cock stretched you open perfectly, filling you so full that you could hardly think straight while your insides vibrated and squeezed all his shaft.

As the sensations started to inundate you, Astarion pulled himself a short distance up from your body and got on his knees on the mattress. This sudden change in position allowed you to fully fuck his cock and look up at his handsome face and expressions, making your pussy swallow him completely and your clit painfully throb with his satisfied look. The electrifying sensation of each inch stretching you further intensified as you slowly picked up your rhythm, driving you both deeper into a state of dizzy delight.

“Good girl…” He purred as his eyes hungrily drank in the sight of your pussy fucking him. “So perfect... so eager for me.”

You rocked your hips harder, pushing him deeper until his glans kissed your cervix with every thrust, sending new sparks of electricity through your womb. His hand slid from your hip, moving up across the skin of your abdomen to grasp your left breast. His fingers curled around it to squeeze it firmly, kneading your flesh as his thumb flicked over your hardened nipple.

Astarion’s gaze was fixated on the sight before him, his pupils dilating with raw lust as he watched your hips move against him more quickly. The way your pussy lips glistened, wrapping his length until you rubbed against his bare pelvis with every thrust, captivated him totally. Every bounce, every roll sent a fresh surge of heat through him at the way your body effortlessly glided to his hips because of your copious wetness. Your swollen, rosy clit stood out as it was bitten by a bee, begging for his attention—just a perfect contrast to the flushed sheen of your skin with the fresh layer of sweat on your flesh.

His eyes roamed up to your breasts, tightening his grip on the left one, his fingers digging into your flesh as he examined you with ravenous intensity. Each bounce made your breasts sway, their perfect rise and fall mesmerising him. The sight alone seemed designed to push him further into oblivion, his cock twitching and hardening inside you in response, feeling desperate to crush you harder against him.

“Fuck…” He mumbled with a raspy, strained voice as the raw desire in his gaze overtook him. He was delightfully enamoured of your body as it worked for him, every inch of you a vision of depraved beauty with unbridled passion.

His sudden curse caught you off guard. You weren’t used to hearing him swear, but the rawness of it only fuelled your eagerness, making you want to shatter his usual composure even more—to unravel the elegance he normally displayed.

“Gods...” He groaned, his grip tightening on your breast as he subtly guided your movements but still allowed you to take control, at least for now. “The way you're taking me, darling, it’s delicious.”

His other hand kept on your hip, fingers digging into your skin as your rhythm grew more intense. Astarion's eyes roamed over your trembling thighs, the slickness coating his cock as you grounded forward against him, and the exquisite pleasure flush flooding your cheeks as the moment overwhelmed you both.

“Come on,” he urged with a low, sultry growl that sent shivers straight to your clit. “Move those perfect hips for me, sweet thing.”

You obeyed, grinding against him with wild abandon, basking in the fullness of entwining yourself around him. The rhythmic sound of skin slapping against skin filled the air at this point, mixing with your melodious moans and the low, satisfied groans that emanated from his mouth.

“Look at that…” He purred, his grip tightening on your breast as his eyes swept over you. “I could watch you like this forever…”

Your body craved more irrevocably; the delicious friction was escalating into an explosive crescendo. Every movement brought you closer to cum, especially when his tip slammed against your G-spot with almost every move. And gods, the way Astarion was gazing down at you desirous and delighted only heightened your desperate determination to make him feel every last part of the ecstatic feeling that was overtaking you.

Every move filled with passion and delight coiled tighter within you, each sensation pushing you closer to your delicious breaking point. Your focus was consumed in the lewd sight of your pussy sucking him perfectly, over and over again.

But as your rhythm quickened, Astarion’s restraint began to unravel as the crimson glow in his eyes flared brighter. He let out a needy growl, inducing him to suddenly thrust into you with an impulsive and unrestrained intensity. His hand on your breast tightened up, the sensation adding to the delicious violence of his redoubled movements.

Astarion’s grip on you was fierce, his fingers digging into your flesh as he pulled you harder against him. Until he guided his hand to your hips side to grip them expertly and lift your hips slightly with a precise motion, aligning you with his pelvis hastily and making every thrust a flawless, heated collision of bodies.

The urgency of his need was palpable in every exhale. His hands firmly held you, squeezing you at his sides as he controlled your hips' movement, directing you to match his fevered pushes to make your pussy swallow him until his balls smacked against your ass cheeks.

The rhythmic sound of skin slapping turned more vigorous as your bodies moved in perfect sync—a wild, animal instinct overtaking you both. The air grew thick with the scent of sweat and sex, your climax so close to exploding as you succumbed to the insatiable carnal hunger that radiated from his body.

Astarion’s grip on you was fierce, his fingers digging into your flesh as he pulled you harder against him. His hands roamed over you with a seemingly restless urgency, moving from your hips to your waist, then to both your breasts, as though he couldn’t decide where to hold you. But there was no mistaking his intent: each touch, each grasp, was calculated and purposeful.

His nails almost scratched your skin for his barely restrained avarice before locking around your waist. This was to position your hips exactly where he wanted them, placing you just near enough to close any distance that could still be until your pussy labia kissed his pelvis skin. Then he tilted his head, a wicked smile flashing as he watched you react, fully aware of how his every movement drove you out of control.

And just as the ache in your belly built to a breaking point, he slowed abruptly, pulling you only halfway through the halting final stroke that would have sent you over the edge. His gaze fixed on yours as he held you there, cruelly denying you the release that was so close.

“Oh, no… my love.” He whispered innocently as his hands grabbed firmly your buttocks, halting your desperate attempt to thrust yourself against him. “Not just yet…”

He maintained a slow, calculated rhythm, letting the anticipation coil tighter within you, adoring each agonising whimper from your lips as he kept you teetering on the edge, refusing to let you fall. A discontented sigh escaped from you as you tried to move again, trying to calm the aching sensation of your body because of the release he denied so effortlessly.

“Astarion…” You muttered, your impatience clear, but his grip only became firmer, his hands sliding up to hold your hips with infuriating ease, stopping you mid-motion. A low, indulgent laughter rumbled from his chest as he leaned in to be mere inches above your face, tracing his fingers along your sides, each touch disappointingly gentle. “Oh, don’t pout, darling.” He purred with a cruel grin as he watched you squirm under him. “I’m enjoying this far too much to let you rush it.”

A feeling of dissatisfaction simmered within you, an unfulfilling need to feel him a bit more, to taste the release that hung tantalisingly at your fingertips. You arched your back, attempting to grind against him, but his grip was unyielding enough to hold you firmly in your place. The teasing is exquisite yet tiresome.

You lifted your hips, trying to reclaim some control. “My love…” You breathed, your voice escaping as a desperate plea, “Please...”

A dark glint appeared in his eyes as his breath ghosted over your lips. “Please what, my cheeky little thing?” He taunted low and sultry. “You seem to be enjoying this as much as I am.” His body pressed you into the mattress as he claimed your mouth with his when he finished speaking. The kiss was feisty and filled with a yearning that matched the urgency bubbling within you. You tangled your fingers in his white hair with one hand, pulling him down as your bodies melt.

As the kiss deepened, his hands roamed down your hips to grasp your thighs once again and lift them in his sides, tracing the curves of your body and igniting every nerve ending with his sensual touch. Your breasts crashed against his chest as you arched your back, seeking the delicious embrace of his body with his cock deep within your pussy, without taking special attention that he remained steadfast to hold you at the brin; even if it bothered you.

Desperation flooded your senses as you broke the kiss, panting against his lips as your head rested against the pillows and your eyes locked to his, his pupils turning black in untilled want. “Astarion, please… I need you.” Your spoken words came with more urgency than you intended to, but you couldn't help any more as your impatience only pushed you.

For a moment you thought he might relent, but he only chuckled. “Oh, my dear, the way you beg is quite the sight.” He pulled back just enough to wander his gaze down your body.

As Astarion lowered his gaze, his eyes were drawn to the sight of your bodies intertwined, a perfect fusion of sexiness and enticement. The smooth curves of your hips meld seamlessly with his pelvis, the tautness of your skin glistening with a sheen of sweat that catches the dim light of the candles in the bedroom. His eyes travel to your thighs, which quiver with impatience.

Your legs are draped around him, the delicate curve of your calves resting against his sides. He takes in the way your skin flushes—a rosy hue dancing across your cheeks and spilling down your neck, highlighting the soft swell of your breasts above. Each gentle rise and fall of your chest for your quick breathing beckons him.

His eyes fixate on your delicate peach-coloured pelvic area and where your bodies join at the sight of your labia glistening around the least visible of the base of his length—a tantalising vision of ecstasy that ignites a primal flame within him. He can feel the way you’re clenching around him, and your slickness surrounding him is a testament to the climax coiling tightly within you, imploring to be unleashed.

Astarion’s breath catches at the sight of your engorged clit peeking out between your lips, flushed and glistening, a silent plea for his undivided attention. It only fuels his need to take control, to immerse himself in the exquisite sweetness that radiates from you.

With his sight moving back up, he locked onto your eyes—pools of desperation and yearning that mirrored his own. Your full and rose lips, slightly parted as you breathed, became an irresistible temptation, igniting an irresistible urge within him to devour you.

A wicked glint sparked in his eyes as he lowered his head, pressing soft kisses along your neck and nipping innocently at your skin. He loved the taste of you and the way your pulse buzzed beneath his lips. “But I have to admit,” he murmured seductively, “you make this very difficult for me.”

He pulled back to meet your eyes just for a second, then reached for your lips. Finally, the tension snapped as he surged forward, capturing your mouth while he began to move within you.

At that moment, the world beyond disappeared entirely; all that mattered was the raw, unbreakable connection between you, locked in a rhythm of passion that left you breathless. His kiss was a measured balance of impatience and dominance, his lips soft yet insistent, moulding against yours in perfection, and taking special attention to the smallest details of your mouth and tongue.

Your bodies instinctively pressed harder together. He tasted of something irresistibly sweet, tinged with a hint of danger, each brush of his tongue against yours sending shivers down your vertebral column. One hand of his tangled in your hair while the other gripped your waist, acquisitive and tender as if he were trying to merge your very souls.

Every thrust sent pleasure coursing through you, intensifying with each heated kiss. Your body, responding to the exquisite friction, began to tremble as a tight coil of ecstasy built deep within. The kiss grew more urgent, each movement a plea for more, and as he deepened it, you felt a rush of intense heat flooding your senses.

The tension built higher, an exquisite pressure coiling within you as he held you tightly in his arms. Astarion groaned softly, the sound reverberating against your mouth. Then, teetering on the edge, a starburst of sensation exploded inside you as you fell from the edge, the wave of ecstasy crashing over you as his lips continued their fierce kisses. Your body shuddered against his, breaths mingling as you broke the kiss, gasping for air, your heart racing in the exquisite release.

You pulled the hand off his hair with uncontrollable urgency to guide it down to your swollen clit, rubbing yourself as quickly as you could to extend your orgasm as much as possible. You closed your eyes and laid your head on the pillow, focusing on the sensations rippling through your entire pussy: his cock plunging in and out of you with growing speed, your poor clit drenched and throbbing endlessly under your fingers, his kisses now trailing over your cheek and neck...

You were losing your mind because of him and everything he was making you feel. His name escaped your lips like a prayer, cursing in broken, disorganised moans and pleas as you lost your breath due to the suffocating burning sensation you felt throughout your body.

But even as he watched you fall undone beneath him, he didn't stop for even a split second; rather, he increased his pace. His control seemed to break into pieces when his hand, lost in your hair, wrapped and tightened around your throat, and the one holding your waist clung to your hip hard enough to be able to cause bruises and red stripes from his nails on your delicate skin.

He pressed his face tight to yours, closing his eyes as well to chase his pleasure as he felt your pussy strangle his cock and re-lubricate it with the new lubricant inside you. Your walls fluttered delightfully along his length, forcing even noisier moans from him against your cheek and solidifying his grip on your throat with each passing second.

You were aware that he was clearly noisier with you, but the spectacle of him so utterly lost in pleasure, and the way his moaning came out like that, was a whole new thrill.

As his cock grew impossibly hard, you could feel every vein pulsing and swelling against your inner walls, hammering your cervix more violently and rapidly with his bulged tip. Reaching a point of delicious pain as he denied you much of the breath you were gulping down for being so lost in your ecstatic stupor. Your fingers danced with unbridled need over your agonised clit, heedless and uncontrolled, soaking both with your warm, intense release.

Your thighs trembled against his hips as you clung to him with your legs as best you could. But suddenly, he stopped all movement against your body, still buried balls deep inside you. You felt his balls tighten against your reddened buttocks and your perineum as his cock pulsed and contracted between your walls, climaxing.

You didn’t even bother to count the streams that hit your cervix, his grip on your throat loosening just enough to let you breathe without fully letting go just yet. His hips began moving again, but much slower to prolong his placid orgasm, moaning in rough breaths against your cheek, his warm breath almost marking your damp skin.

You simply basked in your pleasurable ecstasy, feeling his cum spilling out your pussy and around his still-buried length, dripping downward. The luxurious sheets were no doubt a mess, but neither of you cared as you both floated in the glory, gasping for air as your senses returned to you and stabilised as best they could.

You wrapped his body tightly, crushing your tits against his sweaty pecs and resting your cheek against his as you stayed around his arms with your eyes closed. His grip finally released your neck, leaving a deep red flush where his hand had held you so hard.

The weight of Astarion’s chest against yours grounded you as the last torrents of euphoria ebbed through your bodies. His breathing was ragged but steady, and his fingers traced gentle paths along your waist, soothing the constant tremors in your aching limbs. He stayed, pressing a tender kiss to your cheek, almost reverent after the dizzying ecstasy that you both had just shared. His arms tightened around you as he murmured against your ear with a low, satisfied hum, “I could stay like this forever.”

Nestled against him, you felt the last vestiges of tension leave you both as the world slowly returned. A small, tender smile played on his lips as he met your gaze, a moment of serenity glimmering in his eyes. One of his hands let you go to caress your cheek as he continued, “I must confess, you’ve made this moment utterly unforgettable.”

In the comfort of his arms, a soft laughter bubbled up from you. “Is that your way of saying you’re hooked?”

“Oh, my dear, it’s far too late for ‘hooked.’ You’re mine in every sense of the word.” His smirk grew as some mischief danced in his face. “Besides, it’s not as if I had much of a choice, now, did I? You were practically begging for me.”

You raised an eyebrow. “Begging? I think you might be exaggerating...”

He smirked, his expression turning serious as he leaned in, biting down on your earlobe with a hint of roughness. “Exaggerating? Not even close. You were begging for me, and you damn well know it. It’s only fitting for my consort to be so eager.” His breath was warm against your skin as he murmured in your ear. “And don’t pretend otherwise; your body betrayed you completely.”

You felt a shiver run down your spine at his words, your cheeks bright red with a mix of embarrassment and thrill. “You certainly have a way with words…”

He chuckled softly, his gaze unwavering as he leaned back just enough to meet your eyes, his smirk remaining. “Oh, I have many talents, love. But I must say, this particular... skill of mine seems to have left quite an impact on you.” He let the words hang in the air, the teasing edge in his tone undeniable.

You narrowed your eyes playfully, trying to maintain your composure. “Impact, indeed. But don’t let it go to your head.”

“Too late for that. I’m already rather fond of my charm.” A look of mock seriousness crossed his features. “But in all seriousness, my consort, you have no idea how much I intend to enjoy having you at my side.”

“Oh, and how I’ll relish every moment spent with you...” You whispered in response, a playful smile lighting up your face as you pressed a gentle kiss against his lips.

With a satisfied sigh, you let your weight drop back onto the bed, feeling utterly content and fully sated. The morning ahead was bound to be a long affair...

‎

[inkedinshadows]

Picnic at the Border

Day 14: Outdoor sex — Lucien x f!reader

Warnings: smut, p in v

Word count: 759

You had been begging Lucien to take you to the Autumn Court for a long time, and he always needed to remind you how dangerous it could be, that there was a chance his brothers or father might sense his presence the moment he set foot on Autumn territory.

It was a reasonable concern.

That’s why you were surprised when he took you out for a picnic, but instead of going to your usual spot, he led you all the way to the border with the Autumn Court. You didn’t cross over and set your blanket on the Spring Court side, but it was enough to take your breath away at the sight of green trees and colorful flowers giving way to the browns, oranges, and yellows of fallen leaves and bare branches.

You and Lucien fed each other the food you had made for the occasion, and you probably had one too many glasses of the wine he had brought because when his mouth descended on your neck and his hands pushed your dress up around your hips, you didn’t stop him.

“Lu,” you murmured, even as you let your eyes close and your fingers tangle in his hair to keep him close. “What if someone walks by?”

His voice was muffled against your neck, lips trailing down to your collarbone. “We’re far from any village. No one will see us.”

That was all you needed to hear.

You lay with your back on the blanket and dragged him down with you. You pulled him in for a kiss, and as your lips met, Lucien shifted to better settle between your legs, his thumb finding your clit through the thin fabric of your panties, the kiss swallowing your moan.

Your hands fumbled with the buttons on his tunic, but you soon took it off and admired the golden-brown planes of his chest. Lucien noticed, of course, and brushed your underwear aside with a grin.

“Enjoying the view, sunshine?” he teased as a slender finger ran along your slickness.

You bit your lip, nodding. “You’re beautiful.”

He was more than that, actually—he was breathtaking. The sunlight glinted off his mechanical eye, while the russet one sparked with amusement. His skin was set aglow under the early afternoon rays, and his paler scar stood out more than usual. But your favorite part was his hair—it flooded off his shoulders in a wave of silky fire, tickling your neck when he ran his nose along your jaw.

“Let me thank you properly for the compliment, love,” he smirked. Placing a kiss on your lips, he leaned back on his knees to unbuckle his pants.

You had taken off your panties by the time he was between your thighs and, thankfully, he didn’t waste time teasing you and instead guided his cock to your folds, pushing in with a slow movement. You grabbed his ass to pull him deeper into you until his hips were flush with yours, and then you both began moving.

The familiar drag of his cock was pure bliss, and you drew him in for another kiss, tongues entangling with each other as Lucien picked up the pace. You closed your eyes, letting your teeth sink into your lip when his mouth moved to your neck and his fingers found your clit.

Lucien clicked his tongue. “That won’t do, sunshine.”

He rolled his hips to hit that deep spot inside you, and you did your best to hold back a moan, but he did it again.

“No one will hear you, I promise. Now let me hear your pretty noises.”

It sounded more like a command than a request, and when he thrust deep and hard again and his thumb pressed on your clit, you gave in and let out those little sounds your mate wanted to hear so badly.

“That’s it,” he whispered softly. “Let me hear you.”

You couldn’t hold back anymore. You wrapped your legs around his waist, your hands holding on to his shoulders while he fucked you in earnest, whimpers and groans falling freely from both of your lips.

The gentle breeze blew your hair in your faces, but neither of you bothered to brush it away, too lost in each other to even notice.

And when you finally reached your orgasm, arching beneath him and crying out his name, Lucien followed suit, releasing deep inside you.

He collapsed on top of you, and you held him close, face buried in his neck as you both tried to catch your breath.

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[wheneclipsefalls]

Withered

Beautiful Adult Neteyam photo by the wonderful @cinetrix

Pairing: Alpha Neteyam x Beta Fem Omatikaya Reader

Synopsis: You and Neteyam have opposite lives. He thrives in the daylight of possibilities while you are forced to the shadows. You are sure that the right course of action would be letting the future Olo'eyktan go. Neteyam is less convinced.

Based on a request from my 🥔 anon

Warnings: aged up characters, aged up neteyam, angst, health problems, explicit smut, dirty talk, crying, miscommunication, p in v, virgin reader, first time, omegaverse, alpha/beta relationship dynamic, heat, sickness, 18+ only MDNI

Tanhi: star/little star I Yawne: beloved I Sevin: pretty I Mawey: calm

A/N: I can't tell you all enough how grateful I am for the hype and many comments that have been around this story just from that small sneak peek I posted. This ended up being a lot longer than I ever anticipated but I had a blast writing it. Please let me know what you think. I love hearing from y'all!

For many the sun is a symbol of warmth, peace, and solace. The bright rays enwrap Na’vi of all ages in the glow of Eywa’s love. The rise of morning light represents a new day, another chance for adventure and possibilities. When the illuminating glow of yellow sunshine transforms into streaks of vibrant purples and pinks, it indicates a time for families to come together and tuck in for the night. 

However, for you, your day truly begins at the first glow of bioluminescence. Eclipse is your time to explore the world.

You were born with an almost unheard of disease. It only took a few days of your infant body breaking out into abnormal rashes for Tsahik to realize something was wrong. Exposure of more than a few minutes to sunshine causes detrimental effects to your body. For this reason, you are forced to avoid the vibrant glow of the sun. 

From that moment on you have lived your life almost nocturnally. On lucky days the clouds protect you from the harmful UV rays. Rain has come to be your favorite weather as it allows you an escape from your hut. 

Despite these difficulties you have always strived to remain positive. You thank your parents for their gracious attitudes that inspire you to look for the silver lining in all situations. Sure you can not sunbathe or prowl the forest during sunny days but no one knows the forest at Eclipse as well as you do. Your knowledge has come in handy more than a few times, being asked to guide night hunts with some of the most notorious warriors in the clan.

This is where you met Neteyam.

The firstborn of the infamous Toruk Makto and your future Olo’eyktan, you originally assumed he would have no interest in interacting with you. You knew him from afar, hearing the word spread of his kindness and diligence when it came to helping those around him. His alpha status only served to bring a larger gaggle of girls practically falling at his feet. As a beta and suffering from a rare condition, you naturally took yourself out of the run up. You were confident he would choose some sweet and knowledgeable omega that would be the perfect tsahik. 

However, your assumptions quickly crumbled as he progressively paid attention to you more and more throughout these night hunts. Instead of joining the rest of the alpha warriors gathering to share a strong drink after a successful kill, he would opt to check in with you. You were shy at first, unsure of how to act around such an influential member of the clan. However, there was something about those golden orbs and soft smile that quickly set you at ease. 

You still remember the first time you had sustained a small injury during these hunts. It was nothing more than a shallow slash to your forearm, but Neteyam had insisted on carefully wrapping it himself. You gushed over him like an idiot, reminding him that it was unnecessary but  he showed his stubborn side that day. 

At first you thought it was your own overactive imagination noticing the frequency of night hunts he signed up for increase, but eventually it had become every single night. No matter how boned-tired he was from a day of full Olo’eyktan training, he would beam at the sight of your small form. His scent was something that seemed to constantly enrapture your senses. The heavy essence of pine and hormonal swings was so much stronger than yours. It took some getting used to. The first few nights you were bashful to come home and find evidence of your arousal dampening your loincloth. 

Still, you told yourself it was just a simple crush that you had to live with. It took weeks for you to even consider the possibility of Neteyam showing interest in you. He had been consistent in bringing you out of your shell, getting you to talk about everything from your family to the fondest hope and dreams in your heart. Oftentimes he would stay back behind after the hunt to help you join him sitting on an overarching thick branch (you were grateful for the darkness of eclipse that hid your blush each time he effortlessly hoisted you up with large hands gently holding your waist) and chat away into the night. 

It was only when the gifts began that you gave these interactions a second thought. It had started small with simple flowers and fruits he had encountered throughout the day. However, they slowly became more intricate. The first time he brought you a small woven bracelet of sparkling gems, you had been gobsmacked. 

“Like the night sky. The only thing appropriate for my tanhi.” He had said, making you almost choke on your own spit. Tahni- little star: a nickname he had coined for you after the first week. A fitting term for someone that only knew the night sky. Still, it was the first time he had ever called you his. The terminology was not lost on you. 

When the sun arose once more and you had retired back to your protected hut, those words had kept you up, your small fingers twiddling with the bracelet. 

Taking your acceptance of the small gift, Neteyam had become even more bold with his courting. Before you knew it he was bringing a meal with him for you before every hunt. You had tried to decline the thoughtful gesture but he would not take no for an answer. 

“Someone has to make sure you eat, tanhi.” 

There was no fighting the alpha on this, so you graciously took the meals each night. He smiled proudly as you moaned in satisfaction of the carefully seasoned meat he had killed and prepared for you. Another testament to the mighty warrior and beneficial mate he is. 

You started to think that the eldest Sully was simply a flirt, or perhaps such a kind person that his actions came off as romantic. However, there was one instance that finally tipped you to accepting his affections. It was a particularly successful hunt, dragging home a thanator, when he had slowed down to your pace. Talking about anything and everything under the night sky, your breath was practically stolen from your lungs when he reached out to tuck a strand of your dark hair behind your ear. 

However innocent the gesture was, it was the lingering of his hand running down your neck that caused your heart to bash against your rib cage violently. A simple brush that had left his scent to coalesce with yours. An essence that would keep other suitors away. Out of habit, you mentally went to play it off as a simple accident, but the crooked smirk plastered across his face did not allow you. There was a primal satisfaction seated in those golden orbs, one that caused a pool of arousal to gather in your core. 

He knew what he had done. 

Neteyam was proud of it. 

His affection was untethered from that point forward. Accidental brushes of fingers had turned into blatant hand holding. The alpha never missed an opportunity to press a warm hand to the small of your back, guiding you through the terrain, or wrap an arm around your waist in order to steady you when walking over uneven forest floor. 

“What kind of alpha would I be if I let you get hurt?” 

He had spoken in response to your inquiry, a cheeky grin plastered across his face.

Falling for Neteyam was easy. Too easy. It was keeping yourself back from jumping into his arms or melting into his embraces that was difficult. No matter how strange and suggestive his behavior had been, you didn’t want to get your hopes up. After all, there was no saying what he got up to during the day. For all you knew he could be taking omegas out every day and weaving sweet gifts for them too. 

So you had decided to do what was best for everyone and take yourself out of the situation before something embarrassing could happen. You declined the request to accompany the hunting party and instead went to spend some more time with your family. If your parents noticed the difference in your appearance they did not show it. They were always good at giving you space, respecting your independence as an adult (although your mother did go out of her way to place a comforting hand on your shoulder, a silent way to express her understanding and love). Neither of them knew about Neteyam at the time, it was easier that way. 

This fact only heightened their surprise when they saw Toruk Makto’s eldest son approaching their small gathering. You can still remember the intent gaze that Neteyam pierced you with. Your heart hammered out of your chest, hands fidgeting with the moss beneath you nervously. Neteyam signaled the traditional greeting to your parents before respectfully asking your father if he could borrow you for a moment. 

They were caught off guard, your dad turning back to send you a curious look, but naturally neither wanted to decline the Omatikaya prince. 

Once the two of you were finally alone, Neteyam immediately sprang into action. He grabbed your biceps and used that hold to turn you from side to side as he scanned your form. His intense inspection had blood rushing to your cheeks. 

“Neteyam, what are you doing? I thou-”

“Where are you injured?” You twitched when he reached a hand out to inspect your flicking tail too. Confusion swarmed within you. You had sputtered and struggled to put together a full sentence.

“It has been three days, Tanhi. I blew one day off as exhaustion or a fluke and the second as pure coincidence but surely only an injury would keep you away from the hunt for three days.” His eyes finally met yours again when there was no wound to be found. His tall frame had towered over yours as he reached out to cup your cheek. 

That familiar warmth and adoration you had for him had returned within an instant. 

You stepped back, successfully out of his grasp.

“I’m fine.” You replied simply. 

His tail swatted in the humid air and those golden orbs had squinted into slits. The focused attention of that look full of suspicion was enough to hold you down to your spot. You swallowed the lump in your throat and as you tried desperately to keep the fidgeting at bay. It was one of the few times you were grateful to be beta because surely an omega would shrivel under the pressure of his looming presence. 

“I don’t like when you lie to me, Tahni. Now tell me why I’ve had to go without my little star for three whole days.” Neteyam placed his hands sternly upon his hips, ears twitching forward as if preparing to take in your explanation. An explanation that you felt could not be shared. Doing so was bound to undermine your plans, completely destroying the efforts that had been made. 

“The group seems to be more than sufficient without my guidance.” You don’t dare to meet his eyes, your own orbs trained at the ground instead. In a moment’s notice his sculpted body was once again inches away from yours. His warmth came off of him in waves, along with the heady aura of alpha pheromones. 

You couldn’t hold back the shiver that ran down your spine when he placed heavy hands on your shoulders and bent over your frame till you could feel his calm breath against your ear. Neteyam’s tail wrapped around your thigh. A part of your brain told you to run, understanding the alluring danger that awaited you, while the other yearned to curl up against his impressive physique. 

You couldn’t understand how any omega managed to be around this male without completely dropping to their knees.

Suddenly you had some sympathy for the girls that had always fawned over him. 

“Tell me the truth, sevin.” The heated words tickled at your ears and made your heart skip a beat. It was foolish to think that there was any chance of lying to Neteyam, the mighty warrior that walked with the confidence of the supernatural. 

So you did.

You had scrambled to messily explain how it would be best if the two of you spent less time together. Unfortunately this unrehearsed synopsis included an approach that painted yourself as the foolish beta with a crush on the Omatikaya prince and therefore unable to handle herself around him. It was not the perspective you had hoped for, but it was the only one that could have been presented in your state of jumbled thought. 

Neteyam shook his head, an almost fond smile upon his lips. 

“Tanhi, you really do not like to make things easy for me.” A bitter laugh escaped his throat. The sound put you slightly on edge but there was no trace of anger in his expression. Amusement was easily perceivable in the raise of his hairless eyebrows. He had taken your humiliating and pathetic explanation in stride, in fact, he had found humor in it. 

“I thought I’ve made myself clear.” You were swooped into the encirclement of his arms in one quick motion. You squeaked and braced yourself against the warm muscles of his abdomen. “You are the mate I seek.” 

His words had thrown you into a spiral, your heartstrings plucking into rhythms of heightened emotion. It was almost too much to take in. A part of you still found security in denying these bold claims but there had been too much evidence at that point. Neteyam Sully had in fact been courting you. 

His head lowered, nuzzling at your face until you finally looked up at him. Your lips were only a breath apart. 

“If you’ll have me.” Neteyam whispered. 

There was no fighting the longings of your heart at that rate. That night you had agreed to his courting and within a month the two of you had been madly in love and preparing to officially mate. 

The process was faster, seemingly faster than anything else in your life. Night had always slowed you down from progressing in the normal rhythm of Na’vi milestones, but Neteyam had broken that pattern for you. 

You can still remember the vivid sensation of his tendrils connecting with your own. Those sparks of electricity that had created a direct line to his innermost feelings and thoughts. There was great solace to be found in the surging feelings of love and adoration he had for you, something you had been able to tap into. Still, nothing could ever compare with the way you felt for Neteyam. 

He’s your world. Your light. Your sun. 

Being with him feels like finally having a taste of those golden rays. You can see it in his smile. In the shake of his shoulders when his laughter trickles from soft lips. In the unashamed sparkle that overtakes his eyes in a coating whenever they land on you after a long day of training. 

Neteyam has become your world in only a matter of a few months. It is hard to imagine how you went so many years without this unbreakable connection between the two of you. Each night you wake up to the warm embrace of your mate who has come home from a long day of training. Soft kisses are placed along your eyelids, cheeks, and nose until your thick lashes flutter and you regain consciousness. 

The searing envious looks of other females can be felt at your back when the two of you join the rest of the clan for dinner each night, but it is only white noise in the presence of your handsome mate guiding you with a hand to the small of your back. In fact it becomes less than a passing memory when Neteyam goes on to share the events of the day in great detail, usually pulling out a tucked away gift he has found for you along the trails of his adventures. 

There is so much hidden beneath that emanating exterior of perfection that Neteyam upholds. He strips away those layers only for you, usually among the flowering meadow the two of you lay in while stargazing. The stories often end with your mate trailing off into a groggy murmur until the air fills with the sounds of his sleeping breaths. You prefer to stay tucked against him for a while longer, letting the moment last before you must wake him and shoo the mighty warrior back home for some much needed rest. 

While he sleeps you venture from the hut to forage and hunt, although Neteyam prefers to accompany you during dangerous hunts. You decide that what he doesn’t know can’t hurt him. He is known to be an overprotective alpha anyway. Once food has been secured and your adventures have come to a close, you slip back into the darkened hut before the first break of dawn. Those specially made thick curtains are the difference between life and death for you. 

Although the tent has been sufficient for years, Neteyam continues to add to its layers. He is constantly worrying about the vulnerabilities of the hut, convinced that one slip could bring catastrophic consequences to his mate. So he works with his father to constantly rebuild and strengthen the exterior walls. There are times where you remind him of how unnecessary these actions are but Neteyam is undeterred by these conversations. So you let your mate continue his projects. If it brings him peace of mind to obsess over the structure then it must be doing some good. 

Things are great for the first month. Nothing sexual occurs during those first few weeks of being newly mated, out of respect to you. There is no denying that Neteyam has had experience in the ways of pleasuring females but you on the other hand have never been close to intimate with someone else. As a couple you decide to take things slow. However, you can not help but admire the restraint Neteyam shows when you catch the shift of his pheromones into that of lust or see the tightness of his loincloth after a particularly long make out session. 

Were it any other alpha you are sure that the time would have come for him to become impatient and work towards persuading you to go further with him. However, Neteyam knows that you are shy and nervous. He puts your needs before his own and constantly assures you that he is happy to wait so long as you feel comfortable when the time is right. 

Your apprehension has slowly been melting away. The soft caresses that travel along your form sends a burning thrill that is exotic to you. Moments where you are brave enough to straddle his lap while kissing, the friction of his groin against your core is electric. These new feelings have been quickly festering and building inside of you. The nerves have slowly morphed into alluring curiosity. It has been becoming harder to hold back.

For this reason, you’ve decided to tell Neteyam tonight that you are ready. Finally, the bond created through tsaheylu will be strengthened and confirmed by the intertwining of each other’s bodies. 

The last hints of sunshine have disappeared behind the moon. This time you wake before Neteyam has a chance to come wake you up himself. The nerves that bundle into a coil in your stomach have kept you from sleeping in so you decide to seek him out yourself. It shouldn’t be long till he is back from an exhibition with Jake. 

The village is lively with reuniting families after a prosperous day of duties. It's a familiar sight that has always brought a warmth to your heart, especially that of small children running to their mothers or fathers with grabby hands. There are times where you imagine sending your own child to wobble excitedly towards Neteyam, spun through the air by the mighty warrior that you are lucky enough to call your mate. 

High in the trees, hidden by the walls of a family hut you hear the familiar voice of Lo’ak. A smile tugs at your lips, confident that Neteyam is sure to be with his brother. However, that excitement is dampened slightly when the responding voice is not your mate’s but Unip’s. 

“I just don’t know how long he thinks this can go on.” Unip sighs.

“Well you know how Neteyam is. He will find a way to succeed and if not, he will die trying.” Lo’ak snorts, but there is a hint of concern in his nonchalant tone. It’s a timber that makes you halt in your tracks and ears twitch to hear the conversation. 

“It’s only going to get worse, you know. Once he is Olo’eyktan, half a night’s rest will not be enough anymore. He already looks half dead.” 

There is a silence that follows, only filled by the sound of your own heart thumping. 

“You’re never going to convince him otherwise, bro.” Lo’ak responds, amused tone faltering greatly. 

Stepping forward, you curve yourself around a thick tree trunk in effort to discreetly get a better look at the pair. Lo’ak’s back is facing towards you but even from this low vantage point, the lines of his tense muscle are easy to spot. Your golden eyes have become specialized for seeing in the dark after all these years, allowing a better image of his form and mannerisms. You are used to reading people’s expressions and body language with only the dim glow of eclipse. 

“Stubborn skxawng.” Unip shakes his head before leaning against the sturdy trunk. His scowl is illuminated by the soft red glow of a patch of sprouting flowers. The sight makes your stomach twist. 

Have things truly gotten this bad?

“Neteyam won’t leave her. You and I both know that. All that can be done is make peace with it.” Lo’ak shrugs his shoulders.

“And watch him turn into an old man in a few years. Those bags are sure to be bad for his pretty boy appearance.” Unip quips back, causing both the males to break out into laughter. 

The tension visibly eases between them but you are not laughing. In fact, you can feel the beginning of those twisting nerves pushing bile up your throat. All joyful anticipation has washed from your features, replaced with dread and horror. 

Your feet drum against the forest floor, stuck on autopilot and effectively taking you home. The beginning of streaming tears threaten to drop past your eyes. 

It’s true that Neteyam has been tired but it isn’t till now that you reply back your interactions and his recent appearance. Those dark circles aren’t as prevalent in the light of eclipse, perhaps they are more telling in daylight. Neteyam has a way of falling asleep in a matter of seconds once hitting the mat but you have always assumed that to be a part of his nature. Some people are naturally deep sleepers. 

However, now, all of these signs appear in a different light for you. Each conversation is played back in your head but of course Neteyam has never let his weaknesses show, especially ones that could be brought on by you. You know this and yet it is only now that you scold yourself for not being more perceptive, for not seeking advice and perspective from those around him.

His family and friends have an advantage that you can not achieve. Surely they would be the first to notice his changes in demeanor and health. They are the ones watching him work, train, and interact more closely with clan members. You have never been more envious of those walking in the sun in your entire life. This condition has always been a hassle for you but now it has turned into true heartache. 

This weakness that Eywa has given you is no longer just affecting you but now your perfect mate. This disease has spread to him in a way you scold yourself for not anticipating. 

How is he supposed to become Olo’eyktan, protecting and guiding the People all while being tethered to you? 

Eywa has destined your life to be forever restricted to the shadows, but that is not Neteyam’s path. 

You can spot the familiar dark canvases of your hut in the trees up ahead. No doubt Neteyam has already returned home at this point, if not then he will soon. Less than an hour earlier you were ecstatic to see him but now the thought of seeing those tired eyes makes you want to curl up into a ball. 

Needing more time to process, you opt to take a different route, one that leads to a secluded waterfall. Safe in the greenery and now sitting in the shallow area of the glowing water, you take a moment to breathe. Water trickles into a soothing pattern that has been associated with your memories in this found sanctuary. 

Truly, none of this should be a surprise. This ailment has been the driving course of your life thus far and you’ve grown used to it, letting go of certain aspects that are not meant for you. Neteyam is just another one of those. He is beyond your reach. Keeping him here would only hurt the clan. They need a leader that can be with them, present both physically and mentally. For the greater good it is time to let him become that Olo’eyktan. 

Perhaps you would have accepted this fact and stuck to it earlier on were it not for the great love you hold for him. Neteyam Sully holds your heart and soul effortlessly in his hands. There will never be another that lights up your life the same way he does and truth be told, you don’t want there to be. Forever your first and only love. 

Regardless, the time for being selfish is over.

Some Na’vi have the honor of dying a warrior’s death, going down in the name of protecting the People. Others sacrifice their time and energy serving the clan daily in the name of Eywa. You have been kept back from either of these duties so it makes sense that giving up the future Olo’eyktan would be your contribution. 

After all, how are you supposed to serve as Tsahik with your limitations?

This makes sense. Your brian tells you this is the logical solution. Life will go on. You will return back to a life that you have come to be content with over the years and Neteyam will find a proper mate that can serve The People by his side. 

Still, it is impossible to ignore the cracks that are slowly developing in your heart. It is difficult to imagine a life without your true love. The thought alone has a sob crawling up your throat. This sound however is morphed into a strange shriek when a pair of muscular arms suddenly grasp and pull you back against a hard chest.

The water splashes around the two of you and you can feel the rumble of Neteyam’s laughter as you are awkwardly shifted in his arms. 

“Baby girl, you are really off your game today.” He teases fondly before nuzzling his face into the curve of your neck. An efficient shuffle has you more familiarly settled between the corded muscle of his toned thighs. Instinctually you lean back against him. 

“What? Nothing to say in your defense?” 

“Oh yeah uh just tired.” You lamely respond. 

“Silly Tanhi, today has barely begun.”

For you. 

The day has barely begun for you and only you. Every other Na’vi enjoy the blissful alignment of the sun and their ‘days’. You are the outlier. 

Gathering up your courage you finally lift yourself onto your knees and turn to face him. Neteyam grins, but for once you aren’t focused on the gleams of those pearly teeth. Sure enough there are dark circles in a crescent shape beneath his eyes. You reach out to thumb at those dark contrasts. The alpha blissfully misreads this as cupping his cheek. He leans into the touch and his smile broadens. 

“My sweet sevin.” He mumbles. Your stomach tightens back into that knot. Finally, he seems to notice the shift in your demeanor. The smile falters and he places his hand over the one cupping his cheek. The large veined hand completely covers yours. 

“What’s wrong?” 

It seems an impossible task to go through with what you know must be done. A part of you considers holding off, letting it last a little longer before you lose him forever. However, that would only result in a more sleep deprived Omatikaya Prince and the suffering of future Olo’eyktan. 

The longer you take to respond the faster the amusement in those golden orbs declines. He calls your name softly and turns his head to gently peck your palm. 

“I just-” You steady yourself. The words feel like acid crawling up your throat and sitting pressed against him only makes it burn more. Cautiously you detach yourself completely and settle down on the colorful rocks lining the shallow river. 

Neteyam immediately stiffens. His tail curls up into high alert and his ears twitch back slightly, but still you can see the now fake smile plastered on his face. 

“You’re…tired.” It’s a weak start but they are the only words you can force out. 

There is a flicker of surprise in his features but it melts away into a mocking eye roll. The corners of his lips are back to being turned up in a more genuine manner. 

“Well of course I’m a little tired Tanhi. Every mighty warrior should be if he’s done his job right.” The alpha chuckles and you can almost taste the deviation of his pheromones. He confidently reaches out to take your hand in his. “But never too tired to spend time with my sweet little star.” 

The cool rush of water is a dramatic contrast to the warm grasp Neteyam has on your hand. It feels like fire that curls up your veins and pushes tears to the back of your eyes. It’s too painful to be close like this. To see him obliviously flirt and cuddle as if all is well when you know deep down that this will be the last time you feel his touch. 

“No, I mean exhausted. Ma Neteyam-” You shut your mouth tight. That phrase was so easily in your arsenal of vocabulary but it’s time to start training yourself to stop using it. You brush the circles under his eyes again. “You haven’t been getting enough sleep.”

Realization seems to dawn for him.

“Oh you mean my eyes. Lo’ak was teasing me earlier about it. Didn’t think it would bother you so much, sevin, but I’m sure my grandmother has some herbs to lighten the color.” He laughs lightly.

“No, Neteyam. This is bad for you. Staying up every night only to push yourself to the limit the next day. Living in that darkened hut. Spending every last fiber of energy you have spending time with me. Taking care of me-”

“That is what mates do, Tanhi. I don’t want it any other way-”

“I am bad for you!”

The words cut through the air and suddenly every remnant of the playful atmosphere has disappeared. 

“Don’t say stuff like that, Tanhi.” His voice is firm, stern enough to be considered reprimanding. Neteyam eyes darken onto a duller glow. The musky scent of your mate shifts into that of a stronger presence. It’s moments like that that you remember how distinct his second gender is. 

“Neteyam, you know I’m right. This condition is no longer just hurting me but you too. Playing this game of back and forth makes no sense.” 

He sits up straight, back stiff as a rod. It takes everything in you to hold that gaze without bursting into tears and backing down. The flicker of his tail has turned into frantic swatting as his lips curl downwards. 

“What are you trying to say, love?”

You gulp and prepare yourself to utter words that weigh heavy in your heart. 

“We have to end this.” 

Silence drags on. The rush of running water and purring wildlife is the only thing that fills the air. Your tail swishes nervously in the water, causing a slight splash. No matter which way you squint or tilt your head, Neteyam’s expression is unreadable. Even your enhanced night vision is not enough to fully understand or anticipate the brewing emotions beneath those golden eyes. 

“No.”

Your mind sputters to a halt at the snipped response. He’s giving you nothing to work with. 

“Neteya-”

“Where is all of this coming from, yawne?” He reaches forward to cup your cheek but you stand up before he can. This close proximity is becoming too much. Perhaps it’s cowardly, but you need a reprieve from his love-filled gaze and tender touches. Otherwise, there is no way you will be able to do what needs to be done. You wonder if he knows this as you are met with a toned chest at eye level blocking your path. 

“Did something happen?”

“No.”

“Then why are you so worried all of a sudden?” He pleads for an answer but you have finally managed to slip past him and wade out of the water. The drum of your feet rings in your ears, taking you to Eywa knows where. Neteyam is hot on your heels. 

“It’s not just worry, it’s logic, Neteyam. Can’t you see? You are going to be Olo’eyktan. The People need a leader that won’t be tied to some nocturnal Na’vi that drains the last bit of energy you have left.”

The alpha goes to interject but the words are flying out of your mouth at such a speed at this rate, he has no opportunity. 

“They will need a Tsahik that can do more than just work a night shift. Not to mention one that actually understand healing protocal-”

“My grandmother has already offered to teach you.” He counters, stomping feet practically nipping at your heels. It’s not that you mean to walk away from him, but the dam that holds your suffocating emotions at bay is starting to crack and crumble. One look at him could weaken your resolve. This has to be done fast, ripped off like an adhesive bandage. 

“You deserve to be with someone that can lead The People with you. A mate that can serve both you and the clan in a way I never can. An omega that is a proper mate.”

A strong hand clamps around your bicep and spins you around. Neteyam glowers down at you with an intensity that is borderline desperate. The tears are starting to leave a glaze over your eyes, even as you avoid his own at any cost.

“You are my mate. You are the woman that I choose to spend the rest of my days with.” He tries to gently tilt your face towards him by grabbing your chin, but you flick it off. “We are mated before Eywa.” The crack in his voice tears at your heart. 

“I shouldn’t have let it go on this long, I’m sorry. I foolishly let myself believe that you and I are meant to be but now it is clear that my head was simply in the clouds.” A sob thickens your voice until it is barely tangible. Words are failing you and you idly wonder how many more you will truly be able to manage in this state. 

You attempt to flee from his embrace once more, just a moment to escape that heartbreaking stare that follows your every move. Neteyam holds you gently by the biceps but there is enough force there to keep you in place. 

“We are, Tahni. All these other obstacles are just that, obstacles. Things we can overcome.” He slumps down, determined to finally have your eyes meet his. The curtain of your flowing hair is a weak shield against these efforts. You can feel the heat of his escalating breath tickle at your cheeks. He swoops in closer slowly, with the caution of closing in on a skittish prey. “It’s just you and me, little star.”

The flat of his nose finally rests against yours, lips only a sudden movement away.

There are promises of familiar comfort and happiness in this intimate position. Your nature keens towards his gentle touch. It prompts you to hide away every other concern, worried that it could break this moment of tranquility. 

However, that is exactly what you do.

“You have to break it.” 

There is a pause, a moment of shock that you take advantage of. Slipping out his hold, you watch realization slink across his features. It’s blood chilling, the look of horror that is clearly evident upon his handsome face. It’s a rare thing to render Neteyam speechless. He has grown up learning how to lead and command a room with confidence and grace. Seeing him now, mouth agape as his thoughts lag, it’s easier to see that there is simply a normal man behind the mighty warrior. 

A male that you have managed to strip away the light in his eyes, all evidence of excitement lost. 

It is now that you can truly see the aching restlessness and lost nights of sleep in his demeanor. He wilts before you. 

“You don’t mean that.” He insists, voice now hollow of its usual domineering confidence. 

“I do.” The timber of your voice shivers and shakes, doing nothing to strengthen your resolve. Still, the lost look that Neteyam sends you absolutely wrenches at your heart. “It’s what’s best for everyone.”

Words that are meant to reassure him at least slightly only make his tail halt movement, obvious that the phrase only digs the dagger deeper into his chest. 

“Everyone?” He whispers, hairless eyebrows drawing together. Hesitant steps lead you backwards, eager to begin your journey away from this tornado of darkened emotions. Away from the raincloud you have created between the two of you. “You…this is what you want?”

Want.

That small word is a palpable distinction. To change this argument from what needs to be done to the inner workings of your desires and dreams. To veer it towards the ever flowing river of devotion and love you know will always be in your heart for him. It’s the one move that leaves you completely defenseless.

This is the last thing that you want. 

He has to know that. He must know that. And perhaps that is why he faces you with this question head on, forcing you to say the words out loud. It’s a towering wall that you have no hopes of climbing. Lying is not your strong suit. Neteyam knows that. 

“Please Neteyam.” You send your final plea before turning on your heel and bolting. Vanishing into the trees before he has a second to form one syllable.

Lying isn’t your strength, but hiding is something you are familiar with. 

“She’ll probably cool down.” Lo’ak reassures him, handing a leaf with larvae to Neteyam. 

“What did I do wrong?” Neteyam wonders out loud. It’s difficult for Lo’ak to tell whether or not that question is rhetorical. The eldest Sully’s eyes are focused on the horizon, he’s lost. Off somewhere else. 

“Nothing, bro! Not everything is that simple.” 

Out of the corner of his eye, Neteyam sees the wooden cup of strong drink pushed toward him but he declines. Drinking is the last thing he needs right now, although it is tempting. These past two days have been pure torture and sorrow. Washing every clouding thought away with the swig of fermented fruit would surely keep his mind off of you for a while, but it would never stop the permanent ache in his chest. 

Although Neteyam knows he must look awful because even his father encourages him to drink, despite the duties he is set to carry out the next day. Most nights he is advised to keep his wits about him, but Jake has let up since the event. 

“There has to be something I could’ve said. Perhaps something I can say now.” 

“Bro, you’ve already said more than enough. If your constant notes and begging haven’t got her to let you into the hut, I don’t think words are the problem here.” A grimace is etched into Lo’ak’s features but Neteyam turns away from the sight. He can’t handle the look of pity that his family seems to constantly be shooting him. 

He looks miserable. He is miserable. Every Na’vi with eyes can see that much. However, he doesn’t want sympathy. He needs solutions. A plan that will set things right again. Anything to bring his littler start back into his arms. 

“Ma Teyam,” Neteyiri gently coos, haunching forward to tuck on the tangled braids behind his ear. “Perhaps it is time to give her some space.” 

Usually his mother’s presence has the power to soothe away the worst of his worries, but today all he can do is sigh at her words. Sitting in problems has never been his strong suit. Neteyam is used to problem solving. Coming up with a strategy and executing it until the issue is nothing but a distant memory. He prays to Eywa that this too will become just that. Something that can be laughed at down the road.

However, sitting here now surrounded by people and never feeling more lonely, it’s hard to imagine ever laughing at such a thing. 

Neteyam continues to pick at the grass next to the untouched meal. The sun has been down for over an hour now. Dinner is wrapping up and there is still no sight of you…again. Every crunch of a leaf or flitter of voices has him turning to search for your small frame in the darkness. It’s an effort that leaves him empty handed every time but, no matter the frequency of failure he can’t stop himself from whipping his head around anyway. 

“You know, there was a time that I was upset with your father. Livid, actually. And yet here we are today.” Neytiri almost purrs, trying to comfort her son.

“Yeah and did he wait around and give you space?” The words come out harsher than intended but Neytiri doesn’t tell him off like usual. Instead her ears pin back and she runs a thumb across his cheek. Jake and Neytiri lock eyes from across the fire, a silent communication that has Jake clearing his throat. 

“I’m not sure if I’m the prime example in this scenario, kid.” A deep chuckle accentuates Jake’s words. He goes to close his mouth and leave it at that but his mate sends him one fierce look that lets him know he is far from done comforting their eldest. “I mean uh truth be told, I was an absolute knucklehead before I met your mother.”

“Still are.” She corrects him. 

Jake doesn’t try to fight against the claim, but he does nervously clasp the back of his neck, searching for the right words to say. 

“Tanhi still hasn’t eaten. Must go.” Neteyam abruptly calls, on his feet within a heartbeat. He gently cradles his untouched meal in the palm of his hand as he navigates his way out of the circle of his family. Neytiri sighs and Jake sends her an apologetic look as they watch their son slither off into the night once again. 

Even Tuk sends sad eyes in the direction of her older brother as he walks away. 

Upon reaching the dark curtains of your hut, Neteyam is unsure whether or not you still reside inside. There is no sign of light emanating inwards. For a moment he is convinced that you have slipped out during his absence, but then there is a ruffle of covers that his ears manage to pick up. Stalking forward carefully, he leans in to pick up on every sound possible. 

Even with his alpha hearing, there is little to no noise coming from the hut. Or at least no sound that is useful to him in any way. He wonders what you are up to within those darkened walls. His hindbrain urges him to go inside and find out for himself, cradle you in his arms till there are promises of never leaving again. However, he knows better than that. 

Neteyam waits to be invited in. 

“Tanhi?” The sound echoes through the night air, but no response comes. With a sigh he kneels down by the entrance, cautiously pushing the leaf underneath the thick rim of fabric.

“You missed dinner again.” Neteyam knows he shouldn’t expect a response at this point, but his tail still naturally droops to the floor when one doesn’t come. “I brought some for you.” 

He waits once more, but silence hangs heavy in the air. Neteyam’s ears twitch to focus in on the minute sounds again. The shallow breathing is confirmation enough of your presence. A part of him almost wishes that he is talking to a blank piece of fabric. If you had left then he could have at least spent that anxious energy scouring the forest for your slim frame. If you had left it would give him hope that you’ve hunted, eaten, gone on a walk. Anything that isn’t sitting in your hut. 

“Do me a favor, baby. Please eat something. Maybe you have been when I’m not breathing down your neck,” He gives a humorless laugh. “But…I just want to make sure you’re healthy. I’m starting to get worried.”

When the silence continues he doesn’t leave immediately. The weight of the stress and heartache is tangible. He can feel it in his bones. He can sense it when in the lag of his maneuvers and movements during flight in his training. Truth be told, Neteyam is sure that it’s visible to others, shining through in his trudging walk to and fro. 

Sitting here in the grass, the same place he had spent that first night you started icing him out, he can feel the weight of sleep pulling him downwards. The muscles of his body scream in protest at every movement. Physically his body is ready to give way, but his hindbrain weaves together signs of distress all night long. 

His instincts yearn to be close to you again, close to his mate who he shares a special connection with that nothing can replace. At times it is painful, that bond between the two of you. Neteyam remembers many days where that connection has been physically fortified by your time together, binding tighter with every brush of his fingers along your skin. However, he did not anticipate the effects of the opposite reaction. 

Going to sleep alone and cold, leaves a heavy weight on his chest. At times it feels almost suffocating. Sleeping outside of your hut doesn’t erase these pains, but it does dull them slightly. He wonders if you’ve ever stepped over him during his slumber. Actively trying to or not, his senses remain on high alert throughout the night. He can wake at the drop of a leaf, false hope that it may be your small form finally stepping past those heavy curtains. 

“Neteyam.” His head whips around at the voice, but it isn’t your honey timber that flits through his ears. Instead it comes from behind him, where Kiri stands with her hands woven together in front of her. 

“What’s wrong?” 

Not bothering to answer, she instead motions for him to follow her. He glances back at the entrance of your hut, but one look at Kiri’s down turned lips has him groggily shifting back onto his feet. She doesn’t speak till the two of them are out of ear shot. 

“Mom and Dad sent you?” Neteyam guesses, tail already drooping between his legs. It bothers him that his parents are rushing to bandage things up, treating him like a child. Advice is appreciated at the best of times, but this is his life. He is an adult, and has been for years now. The rift that has been fortified between you two is his problem to solve and therefore his choice on how to fix it. 

“No, just thought I would save you from making a fool of yourself.”  She continues to effortlessly lead him away from the hut. 

“I’m just dropping some food off.”

“I know.” There is no hint of mocking or disbelief in her tone. She simply grabs his hand gently and guides him back along the path home. Neteyam braces himself for a spew of advice but it never comes. Kiri to his surprise is silent, no hint of tension lingering between them. Still, he knows what message is being conveyed. No matter how much it hurts, he can’t continue to barricade your front door. 

It’s moments like these that Neteyam comes to truly admire how much his younger sister has grown up. She prances through the forest with a humble confidence. Each step taken with the certainty of belonging. Kiri no longer needs others to tell her who she is. Similarly she feels no need to press her opinions on her older brother. She waits patiently. As if she knows that he will come to her when the time is right.

It is a quality he looks upon with great fondness and gratitude. 

Life has thrown you more obstacles than you care to count. This condition has been a stumbling block your entire life, but you refuse to let it keep you from the finishing line. You consider yourself a persevering person, one that is not easily taken down. When things get difficult you have always been taught to gather your bearings and get to work. Some sacrifices are painful but meant to be left behind if they are keeping you from fulfilling a happy and purposeful life. 

So for the first few days, you try to get back into your normal routine. The first night was spent weaving baskets together through the blurred vision of your tears. The basket came out looking like it had been mauled by a Palulukan. Regardless you continued to attempt getting back into your old routine, however those were usually filled with night hunts, an activity you were terrified of seeing Neteyam at. So you declined. 

However, truth be told, it only takes twenty four hours to realize that this heartbreak is intruding upon everything you do. You open your eyes as sunset turns to Eclipse and the first thing that surfaces is the dread at needing to go to communal dinner. So, you push dinner off. Neteyam is persistent in bringing you a plate each night, usually saying a few apologies and begging once again for you to come out. 

Your lips are raw and sore from biting into them in order to keep sobs at bay every time he comes to visit. Those first few nights he spent laying outside your hut was an awful mixture of longing and agony. His potent essence was easily carried through the night wind, constantly bringing it to your senses. You had twisted in the thin blankets on your hammock to stop yourself from going out there and cuddling next to him. 

On the third night, he doesn’t stay. 

You expect to feel relieved when he silently sets the serving of food down and leaves.

And yet, there is a part of you that longs for the draw of his smooth voice, no matter how distraught and rough it has become over the past few days. A part of you seems to also intrinsically sense his presence, even in the midst of slumber. Now that he spends his nights away from your hut, the emotional turmoil has become too much to handle.  

Simple tasks pose as daunting accomplishments, ones that already feel like impending defeat. So, you slowly start losing those habits too. Your eyes run out of tears to shed so instead you spend more than a reasonable amount of time pondering on your life. You consider what it is that brought you to these circumstances, questioning whether or not you were the one to blame for this heartbreak. Perhaps, you were the one easily swayed into promises of fairy tales. 

Before you know it a whole week has passed and you haven’t stepped foot outside. Recognizing this fact makes you feel pathetic and helpless, something that you don’t take a liking to. So, with red rimmed eyes and a congested nose, you take up a new purpose. Wielding together weapons from the materials in your hut. 

Although they’re nothing to gawk at, the finished results are enough to convince yourself that you are contributing to the welfare of the clan. The steps are repetitive and allow your thoughts to wander while doing so. By the second week you have donated a fair amount to the hunting parties without having to leave your home, thanks to the kindness of your mother. 

Your parents drop in frequently, but it’s obvious that they too find these visits painful. It’s an emotional ball and chain to see you wither away into something different. Visits that used to be full of vibrant laughter and storytelling now consist mostly of their own updates and pleas for you to come outside. Each time you assure them that you will…soon. 

It’s not a lie, at least not to you. 

Despite the physical ache of your heart every time you think of Neteyam’s smiling face and the bond that is now nothing but dust between you, there is still hope in your heart. A hope that someday you will recover from these lovesick feelings and finally be able to look upon the Omatikaya prince as any other clan member would. Purpose will return to your everyday tasks and Neteyam will only reside in your mind as Olo’eyktan of the Omatikaya. 

Still, you would be naive to ignore the weighted awareness of his presence that consumes you every time he comes to drop meals off. You can sense him before his footsteps are even audible. Occasionally, he will say a few encouraging words or promises of solution but some nights he simply places the food there and stares at it sadly before disappearing once more. Both instances strangle your heart in their grasp. 

You thought that his scent would lessen once the bond was broken, but you figure it is alpha status to thank for always sending his essence of fresh pine through your hut at each visit. In some ways it feels like the only full breaths you took. The woven walls still allow air in, but only breezes warped with his scent remind you of being outside. 

It’s on the two week mark that there is a shift in the miserable routine. No meal is brought to the entryway. Hours go by and Neteyam never comes by. You’ve been living off of those nightly meals and while one meal is not hardly enough to maintain a status of full health, its loss is even worse. At first, it appears that Neteyam has given up. He is tired of chasing after you and rightfully so you suppose. This is meant to be a step in the right direction, but you cry yourself to sleep that night. Apparently, your body had an extra storage of tears after all. 

However, when it happens again, your theories start to change. A small slice of fruit is left outside on a leaf by the curtains in place of a meal. It’s delicious with juice squirting along your tongue in a dramatic symphony of taste. It’s the type of experience that leaves one wanting for more. Initially you are disappointed when the small piece is gone, but you remember where this food comes from. It would only take a five minute walk to approach the communal fire and snatch some away for yourself. 

Only moments away from dipping outside that entry way for the first time in two weeks, you have another thought. 

Neteyam only put one piece.

Would it not have been easier to leave a whole fruit rather than take the time to cut and separate one morsel of it onto a leaf as an offering.

It wasn’t an offering, it was an enticement. 

You stay behind, trying to forget the sweet tang of the dessert. 

Sure enough the suspicion is correct when the next night one piece of wrapped chocolate is left outside with a note.

Found this during the raid this week. There’s a whole bag left sitting in my hut. Let me know if you want some more.

-Neteyam 

The chocolate is a tiny ball wrapped in a red textured material that is unfamiliar to Pandora. Chocolate is something you never knew of before Neteyam. However, now it has become one of your all time favorite delicacies, especially with the rarity of its availability. Neteyam took a great liking to showing you around the outpost and the stocked treasures they were stealing from the old Hell’s Gate post and the new trains they were constantly raiding. He would explain the random customs and stories of Sky People that he hears from his father while carefully unwrapping the delicious pieces for you. 

Some days you would even have him read some of the English text, whether from the wrappers or other books that are kept around the outpost for the human scientists to enjoy at their leisure. You never understand a word of what he says, but the sounds are fascinating to hear in Neteyam’s familiar timber. Although the Mother Tongue of the Sky Demons, you’ve always been fascinated by Neteyam’s ability to speak it. Something very distinctly attractive about his extra abilities. 

You sigh and thumb at the round ball of chocolate. It melts on your tongue, creating an explosion of sweet smooth sensations. Leave it to Neteyam to try and lure you out through your love of chocolate. That night you flatten out the wrapper, running your thumb over the English text that appears as nothing more than scribbles to you. It serves as a painful reminder of the golden memories the two of you have shared. 

It remains clamped in your fist the entire day.

Heavy eyelids blinking open slowly, you can still feel the strange texture of that wrapper between your fingers. Contrary to your lack of activity, your body feels sore. Every muscle seems to be wound the wrong way and the air in your hut feels moist and stuffy. Stretching out, your foot hits the food supplies basket you keep and knocks it over. You stumble to put the object away, or rather you try to before you realize that it’s empty.

The last of your supplies is gone. 

Regardless of your feelings and fears, you need to go outside today. It’s time to face the music. 

Your toes curl and feet flex before carefully shifting to stand. Pushing aside clusters of baskets and tools you finally breach the front entryway of your hut. Expecting the air to have cooled down by now, your skin prickles strangely at the feeling of heat against your back. You rush to throw off whatever blanket or item of clothing that must have stuck to you but then your eyes are blinded. Sheer light invades your vision, drenching every sight in white. 

Stumbling across the forest floor, it truly takes you more than a moment to understand what is happening. The harsh light, the foreign heat. This is sunlight.

A pure beam of sunlight that has not disappeared behind the moon yet. 

Your delayed reaction finally allows you to search for the entryway and try to scramble towards safety but it’s impossible to see with the brightness of the world turned up to one hundred. Your eyes can’t manage to stay open for more than a second, each time feeling a burning sensation that is unbearable. Soon, though, it seems to be too late as your limbs grow heavy and your skin heats uncomfortably. Even when that last ray of sunshine disappears, your body continues to torment you with a rising heat.

The sensations become too much. The weight of your own head drags you down. The world spins around you in disorienting directions. Only a glimpse of blue skin is caught before you collapse into someone’s arms and the world turns blissfully black again. 

“Move before I kick you out.” Mo’at warns, but her tone holds a morsel of sympathy despite the strict instruction. 

You are laid out along the mat of her healer’s tent with half the Sully family gathered around. Neteyam can hardly keep his hands off of you, constantly checking to see if you have cooled down yet. Each time renders him disappointed, ears folding back against his head. Mo’at is quickly losing patience as she is constantly swatting the boy away in order to apply the series of healing balms. 

“She’s burning up.” He protests, but finally moves out of her way. His idle hands find a new place along his knees where the blunt nails dig into his skin. Kiri and Tuk surround their brother but are careful to not impede too much on his space. His panicked dread rolls off of him in waves, a palpable tension that can be felt by everyone in the tent. 

“How long was she exposed?” 

“I don’t know. Can’t be more than a few minutes maybe. She was hardly past the entrance when I found her…I….is she going to be ok?” His voice cracks as tears finally well up over his golden orbs. Tuk places her small hand on his shoulder. 

“Only the Great Mother knows that.” She pauses, looking up to see her grandson’s crumbling composure. “She is hot. Her temperature needs to drop significantly.” 

The message doesn’t seem to settle on Neteyam. His gaze continues to focus on your unconscious face.

“Neteyam.” His head finally snaps up at his grandmother’s stern voice. “Go fetch me cold water from the river.” A basin is handed to the alpha but she can already tell there is reluctance in his expression. 

“Now.” It’s harsher than Mo’at would like to be but she knows that getting the concerned alpha outside of the tent is essential for her to complete the healing rituals. His presence is a distraction that has her own emotions tugging her away from the work at hand. 

Neteyam purses his lips and sends one last glance towards you. He cradles your cheek and leans down to softly press a kiss to your forehead, whispering promises to return. Then finally, he rushes out of the tent, driven by the given task. 

The hours rush and drag simultaneously for Neteyam. It becomes difficult to believe that it has already been a full twenty four hours and yet every minute that your eyes are not open feels like a year to him. Jake recruits Norm and some of the other scientists to take a look at you in the outpost. Moat is naturally displeased by the change at first but even she can’t deny that the old metal portable is a safer place for you to hide from the sun. Thick blankets and rugs are hung over the windows to keep the rays of sunshine out. 

Between the expertise of the scientists with their modern technology and the healing powers of Tsahik, things begin to look grim when there is little to no change in your state. Neteyam becomes increasingly more tense with every passing hour that yields no result. At some point his family stops trying to convince him to take breaks. Tuk takes it upon herself to gather and deliver a good serving from the communal fire for her older brother at every meal. 

Kiri is constantly teetering between helping her grandmother wrap cooling salves of thick leaves on your skin and foraging through the forest for different materials that could be used to create various healing ointments. 

Lo’ak tries to provide his brother with some pleasant company. If not that, then at least an annoying younger brother that can keep his mind off the matter for a few minutes. He tells jokes and shares random stories, usually featuring young alphas and the things their idiotic pride leads them to do. He has a plethora of these events saved up, having been training the new batch of future warriors almost daily. Those stories shift to other couples’ drama and fights when Neteyam laments over the past few weeks, assuring his brother that rough patches are normal in relationships and that perhaps he is not the worst skxawng to be found in the forest. 

Jake and Neytiri watch the scene with sorrowful eyes, discussing in the privacy of their home what needs to be done for their son and you. 

At hour thirty six, you begin to squirm. Every muscle seems to creek with each movement, seemingly as rusty and worn as the door to the outpost that takes an extra shove to open. It’s the burning heat that you notice next. It seems to travel along your veins and cover you in a suffocating cloud. It brings on feelings of almost claustrophobic symptoms. 

Finally, the flutter of your lashes reveal your golden eyes to the synthetic lighting of the outpost makeshift hospital wing. Only one electric light is turned on down the hallway. The rest of the ambience comes from lit candles scattering the surfaces around you. Their flicker is soft and soothing, but it’s the familiar scent of timber and pine that has your muscles finally relaxing. 

The surface beneath your head is cool to the touch, you rub your cheek against it. 

“Tanhi.”

That soft makeshift pillow is his thigh. Your already burning cheeks seem to reach new levels of inflamed rose color as you drowsily look up at him.

“You’re awake.” His voice is thick with emotion, almost choking the sounds from his throat. On its own volition your hand shakily reaches up to swipe away the tear traveling down his cheek. His skin is cool to the touch, such a different contrast to the usual warmth that you remember radiating off of him in your nights together. Your thin arm shakes from the strain of holding it upwards, he grabs your wrist gently and reluctantly helps you lower it back to your side. 

“Yes.” The sound comes out more hoarse and gravelly than you anticipated. You clear your throat before continuing. “How long have I been out?” 

“Over a day.”

A few moments of sunlight and suddenly a day and a half has been taken from you. It’s a lot to process, especially with the hazy pounding assaulting your head with every moment. The usual strength and energy in your body seems to have greatly dissipated, leaving you feeling as nothing but a shell of your normal self. Your attempt at sitting up is not only hindered by the strain of your abs but also cut short by Neteyam’s large hands gently pushing you back down. 

“No no Tanhi, just rest. Don’t strain yourself.” It’s too easy to settle your head back onto his welcoming lap. A small voice at the back of your head warns you of reversing all the progress that has been made, but it seems insignificant when Neteyam begins to tenderly brush his fingers through your hair. Nothing can take away the ache of your body and heat of your blood boiling but his touch does finally stir your heartbeat into a steady rhythm. It’s as if a weight is lifted off of you as your senses become filled with his essence. Every point of contact between you is like fire and ice. He is the ice that you welcome greatly, the only thing that seems to relieve the burning along your skin. 

“I’m sorry.” You whisper, eyes almost closed once more. 

“Whatever for, love?”

“I don’t mean to trouble you. I should’ve been more diligent, tracking the sun’s cycle..” Your lungs seize into a painful invisible grip, forcing a coughing fit to begin. Neteyam is quick to shush your sentence away and help you get some cool water down. His large hand rests over the heat of your forehead. The eldest Sully frowns down at you, no doubt still feeling the evidence of your raging fever. 

“Hush, Tanhi. There’s no place I would rather be right now.” 

You watch the shadows dance across lines of his collarbones and sharp features as he prepares another cool wrap to lay across your forehead. The grip you have on conscious thought is weak, but even at your mental peak you are sure that there is nothing more beautiful than the man above you. His harsh and sharp features that frame those kind and insightful eyes. He has an ethereal beauty that has always captured you. 

 “You’re going to be ok.” It’s unclear whether or not the sentiment is meant for you or rather himself. His hairless brows pinch into those familiar clenched lines. You recognize them from days he would come home to, the evidence of his still racing thoughts clearly etched into his features. 

Through the constant ache of your body and heat that tries to lure you to sleep, it takes you a moment to recognize the pheromones drifting off of him. You’re surprised to find that you can still identify the shift of emotions through his essence. Supposedly your sense of smell is better than you thought for a beta. The curling sadness and anxiety that comes off of him in waves, however, is something you wish could not be so easily detected. It is foreign and strange when mixed with his calming perfume. Neteyam isn’t usually one easily frazzled. 

Neteyam settles a clear plastic over your mouth and it takes a moment before you recognize it as the Avatar oxygen masks. The air filtered through it is clearer and more readily accepted by your lungs. After a few breaths you nod at him and he pulls it away again. 

Silence ensues. You yearn to break it with some semblance of an apology or explanation, but the words never come. Your body has other ideas as it drifts in and out of consciousness. Several times you wake to see another member of the Sully family perched next to Neteyam. However, the oldest Sully child never leaves. The hold you have on time becomes almost nonexistent as you slip back and forth between reality and fever induced dreams.

 Eventually you begin to wake periodically in Neteyam’s arms, head laying on his chest or coddled in his lap. Each time you consider saying something, knowing that he is no longer your mate. You have no claim on him and therefore no right to use him in this way, but his skin is cool and calms the sizzling heat upon your own. The very idea of creating distance between you two causes a spike of anxiety to take hold. 

It would be all too easy to blame this on your fever and the aid he provides, even in your state of watered down thought you know the truth. There is a yearning to be close to him again. To feel the gentle caresses that line your lips and cheeks as you sleep. To fall into a fantasy where the two of you never split, convincing yourself that today is simply a small sick day where your mate pampers you. The natural instincts of your beta nature furthermore aches for the calming presence of an alpha. Even the simple actions of his rising and falling chest that contains a steady heartbeat lulles your nature into a submissive calm. 

It is such a dramatic contrast to the empty abyss that has replaced your heart over the past few weeks. Falling into Neteyam feels natural, as expected as the waves that crash against the shore. It’s an ironic feeling to have considering the most inconvenient and problematic characteristics of your relationship. He was never meant to be yours. 

You chant those words in your head, willing them to echo true. 

This time, your eyes flutter lazily open to the feeling of his slim tail wrapping itself around your upper thigh. With creaky drowsiness you look up to find him fast asleep, lips parted softly with shallow breaths escaping soundlessly. Sprawled across him, head on his chest, this position resembles that of your usual sleeping position together. Or at least, what it used to be. Before the first cracks of dawn you would slip back into the tent and gently fall into his dozing embrace. It was not uncommon to find his tail slink around one of your limbs possessively all while never stirring from his unconscious state. 

Looking around the dingy outpost, it’s just the two of you. The plastic material of the mask around your neck feels uncomfortable around your heated skin. You find a matching one around Neteyam’s own throat. Although showing no signs of struggling breathing, you gently place it against his lips. When the clear oxygen filtered through his lips, Neteyam stirs.

You contemplate faking sleep when his ears twitch and eyes slowly open, but they immediately land on you. 

“Yawne.” Neteyam groans, voice thick with sleep. The deep rumble of his morning voice always makes your stomach do somersaults. “How are you feeling, Tanhi?” 

His ears pin back when you veer away from his efforts to cup your cheek. 

“A bit better.” Your arms tremble as they push against Neteyam pectorals to try and sit up properly. Despite his gentle protests, you finally manage to remain upright for the first time in days. The room spins around you. It’s only by the grace of Neteyam’s hands supporting your back that you remain sitting. “What time is it?” 

It feels like night but then again the heavy blankets over the outpost windows would show no indication of broad daylight if present. 

“Middle of the night.” 

“Then I should go.” Your feet are barely planted on the ground before Neteyam is pulling you back into his arms. 

“You don’t really think I’m going to let you out there in this condition, do you?” His chest rumbles with a stern timber, but his hold is tender and gentle. You are tempted to roll your eyes at the protective behavior, but you’re worried that doing so would put the room back into orbit again. 

“You need rest.” 

“I can rest at home.” 

“Like hell you will.” Neteyam scoffs, using another phrase he so commonly picks up from his father. You can practically feel the protective growl that yearns to climb up his throat, but a sigh comes out in its place. “You’re shaking, Tanhi. Let me take care of you.” 

His knuckles graze your cheek delicately, sending a cool shiver along your shoulders. 

“I don’t think that is a good idea.” 

Neteyam’s hand stills before dropping heavily to his lap. The heated breath coming from his lips tickles at the back of your neck. Were it not for your already trembling form you are sure that his presence alone would erupt goosebumps and shivers along your body. The pressing weight of silence is dizzying, tempting you to lay back down. You can practically hear the cogs in his head turning at a rapid pace. 

“Please just hear me out for a moment.”

Turning around to face him takes more effort than you would like to admit. Seeing those sad golden eyes without melting takes even more. 

“Five minutes is all I ask.” You hesitate, biting your bottom lip. “And if by the end of it you are sick of hearing from me then I promise I will leave you alone. My grandmother will take over caring for you and I will…respect your wishes.” His words are strangled, that suffocating dread pulling his features into a deep frown. 

“Ok.” 

The shimmer of hope is barely visible in his shining eyes but it still wrenches your heart. 

“My entire life has been about being Olo’eyktan. I’ve watched my father lead the people since I could barely walk and since then I have always known that someday that would be me. I wake up every day and the first thought that comes to mind is what needs to be done in order to become the mighty leader that everyone expects me to be. For a long time I’ve thought that my path was already decided by Eywa. Find an omega suitable of being tsahik, settle down with her, and lead till my son can take over. I was ok with that, I’d accepted my fate.” Neteyam shifts to his knees, fingernails digging slightly into his own thighs. Apprehension spoils his scent, creating a new mixture you are unfamiliar with. It’s then that you realize you’ve never seen Neteyam nervous before. 

“Then I met you.” 

Your eyes dart to the laminate floor. 

“I…I’m usually a lot better with words.” He chuckles nervously while rubbing the back of his neck. “It occurred to me recently that I’ve been negligent in our relationship. I never truly explained why I chose you. Why you are the person I can’t live without. Perhaps if I had we wouldn’t be in this situation now.” 

“Neteyam it’s not-”

“Please let me finish, Tanhi.” 

You nod softly, careful to not increase the already blooming headache pounding at your skull. 

“I’ve never met anyone like you.” A weak snort transforms into a cough raking up your throat. “I don’t mean because of ailment, yawne.” He clarifies and you suddenly feel embarrassed for assuming so quickly. Neteyam pauses his little speech to reach behind and once again carefully bring a cup of water to your parched lips. Gratefully, you let the cool substance slink down your throat to soothe the scratchy ache. 

Once he seems to be sure that another fit is not about to come on, Neteyam continues. 

“You have this unyielding spirit, determined to forage through any storm. Eywa herself puts you in the shadows and you conquer the terrain. The air around you hums with a quiet confidence that is…” He searches for the right word. “Intoxicating.” 

A laugh escapes your lips and yet you feel nothing resembling humor. Your hairless eyebrows scrunch in disbelief. Neteyam shows no acknowledgment of your reaction as he instead puts the mask back against your mouth. 

“I’ve been drawn to you since that first night hunt. Surely, that isn’t a secret.” He laughs into his own mask that is raised to his lips. If only he knew how oblivious you were to his intentions those first few weeks. “You’re fiercely determined and independent yet hold a gentle empathy and kindness for those around you that I could only ever hope to imitate. And stubborn too.” Neteyam chuckles with a shake of his head. “Fucking stubborn enough to tell a dumb alpha like me off, consequences be damned.” 

Your lungs can only manage a simple huffed laugh, but the corners of your lips are already turning upwards subconsciously. 

“When I’m around you,” His eyes pierce through you. “I can finally bear that weighted pressure of expectations on my chest. You make it light.” Neteyam leans forward and tucks a stray strand of hair behind your upturned ear. “My little star.” 

Your cheeks are damp and it is only then that you realize tears drops have been escaping your eyes. Neteyam thumbs them away with tender care. 

“I’ve grown accustomed to sacrificing whatever it takes to become Olo’eyktan. I’ve written my life off as not my own. I’ve given everything I can and could in order to fulfill this role. You are the only thing that I can not sacrifice. And maybe that is selfish of me, but I also know that without you I’m simply a shell of the man I am with you.” 

“I could never be Olo’eyktan without you by my side.” 

“But how am I supposed to be beside you when I can’t even step a foot into the sun without falling apart at the seams?” 

“You truly think that I haven’t thought about that, yawne?” Neteyam’s lips quirk into an amused smile. “I guess now would be a good time to tell you that Lo’ak and I have been building a black out healers tent.” You gape at him. “I wanted it to be a surprise. I suppose I should’ve known better than to think I could pull one over on you.” 

It’s foolish, you tell yourself. Another darkened tent doesn’t solve all of the problems. It doesn’t erase the strain this relationship would have on Neteyam or allow you to operate during the daytime hours, unless you are content to remain in the tent for all of your days. And yet, there is a sliver of hope growing in your bosom. 

“Nete, I don’t know what to say.” His braids swing over the intense eyes that focus on your every move. He’s tense, ready to jump in at the notice of resistance. “But, I can’t live my life in a dark tent.” 

“Of course not. I’m talking about a compromise. Lo’ak, he takes over in the mornings while you and I start the day in the midafternoons. Tsahik duties in the tent for a few hours and then the rest of the night spent together. Leading together. Hunting together.” The dopey grin that spreads upon his lips is fiercely adamant in capturing your heart once more. It takes everything in you to not reach out and pinch the mighty warrior’s cheek. A notion Neteyam is known to reprimand with a playful glare. 

“You make it sound so simple.” It’s too much to meet his gaze. You prefer the view of the worn down tiles as you take another calming breath from the mask. The pace of your heart is evermore increasing and part of you wonders if this conversation has the ability to make you faint. 

A hand beneath your chin gently prods you to look back up again. He whispers your name, soft but clear in the quiet outpost.

“We have a choice.”

The words weigh heavy in the air, drawing your ears to perk forward in anticipation. 

“I know that may sound like a lie to you. However, if there is anyone that understands their life being determined from birth, it’s you. You and I have been pushed and kept into our respective boxes, taught to dream of only the realistic paths ahead of us.”

You wish to say it’s untrue, but any other reality has been stripped away from you from your first breath and morphed into only that of fairy tales. 

“We get to choose whether or not we believe that. I’ve accepted my destiny, Tanhi, but I can not bring myself to see my journey walking besides anyone that’s not you. I’ve already chosen. You are what I will not sacrifice.” Neteyam’s calloused fingers weave into your hair, hands on the sides of your head. 

“It’s your turn, Tanhi. What do you choose?”

“Is that your definition of fumbling words?” Your chuckle is choked with tears. Neteyam’s short laughter joins your own, his lips already starting to spread into that smile you adore so much. 

The past few weeks have been a constant building of that fortress around your heart. You’ve tried to convince yourself over and over again that the two of you parting ways is for the best. These mantras have ripped your heart out and left you in a state of empty sadness, but they also have created a sturdy wall, one that is hard to crumble. Naturally, it is Neteyam that ever stands a chance at breaking through. Sweet Neteyam that knows you so thoroughly that he doesn’t require brute force to get through, he finds a hold from the inside, reading you like a book until there is nothing left for you to hide. 

This experience has been a draining uphill battle, but one that you have embarked on because you’ve been convinced that the right thing to do is often the hard thing. However, now, the story shifts. You are left wondering if perhaps this whole time, running away is not the hard thing at all. It’s staying that proves to be the most difficult battle to fight. It’s staying that requires your heart to be opened and at the mercy of failure and disappointment. Leaving Neteyam isn’t the noble cause you once thought it to be. 

It’s hiding. 

“You really have some nerve calling me stubborn.” You try to joke, but tears are already cascading down your cheeks at an alarming rate and you can tell Neteyam is seconds away from scooping you back into his lap. 

“Well I admit being stubborn has its reward sometimes.” He quirks an eyebrow at you. “Perhaps it’s paid off for me this time?” 

“Perhaps.” You smile coyly at him. It takes bracing a stabilizing hand against the floor to stop yourself from falling over when you lean forward but it’s worth the exhilarating feeling of his lips against yours once more. 

Neteyam is cautious and gentle, moving his lips softly in sync with yours, but you can feel the restraint it takes for him not to swallow you whole. However, you are still healing so Neteyam treats you the way you expect any alpha to: like a delicate flower. Your own tears wet the canvas of both of your cheeks and it takes a moment to realize that small droplets are falling from Neteyam’s eyes too.

The kiss is warm and tender. Relief washes through your body in a wave that makes you realize how much pain you truly were in. How even the very bones in your body finally lose their ache when Neteyam slips an arm around your back to bring you closer. 

You’re forced to break the kiss earlier than desired as Neteyam can feel the way your body lags to get air into its lungs. The soft pants that leave your lips are soon encased by the mask that the alpha slips over your mouth once more. The warmth of his gaze beaming down on you spreads across your chest and lights another fire along your skin. 

“Come home, Neteyam.” You whisper softly. His forehead leans against your own, those golden orbs still shimmering with unshed tears. 

“Always, Tanhi.” 

The hours float by in a happily dazed dream afterwards. Neteyam’s touch starved state comes fully into the light as he is constantly keeping a point of contact between you two. It’s obvious that his alpha hindbrain has gone off the wall after being apart for so long and furthermore trying to care for you without going too far. Now that the green light has been given, Neteyam is constantly wrapping his body around your own smaller form till you are almost completely encapsulated by him. 

Truthfully, you have no objections. In fact, even your own instincts push you towards readily accepting and initiating any forms of affectionate touch. It further helps that Neteyam’s skin is cool to the touch in comparison to your own raging feverish skin. 

Within half a day your wellbeing has greatly increased after the constant nurturing of your overprotective alpha, who seems to be constantly slipping water, food, medicine, or mask given air past your lips. Mo’at is greatly pleased when your temperature begins to return back to its former state and there is a greater strength present in your body. Still, she instructs you to lay low for another day as a precaution. 

Neteyam is more than happy to keep you to himself for another day. Watching you come close to the brink of death has his primal urges dialed to eleven. You have to scold him every now and then when his younger brother comes to visit and Neteyam thanks him with an aggressive hiss and tucking you safely into his arms and away from the ‘threat’. 

It’s borderline shocking to see his strong reactions considering the severed bond between the two of you. That is, until you find the truth.

“I admit, it might’ve been selfish Tanhi but I couldn’t bring myself to cut our tie before knowing that I had tried everything possible to get you back.”

He had looked up at you with a guilty composure but after everything the two of you had been through you couldn’t hide your relief and joy in finding out that this bond had still survived the heartache. It also provides a greater explanation to your own body's willingness to melt into him with or without a resolution. Now, though, you are content to let him have his fun babying you for one day more and revill in the renewed connection the two of you share.  

This time when you awake in the newly hung hammock inside of the outpost (Neteyam had used every angle possible to convince the human scientists to let him temporarily take up the space) you’re surprised to find your mate’s skin hot against your own. His thumping heartbeat rickets in your eardrums but instead of rocking you to sleep, the sound sends shivers down your spine. 

Neteyam is blissfully unaware of your consciousness as your own heart starts to speed up. Shifting your leg, it’s a surprise to feel a sticky texture lining the inside of your loincloth. Blood rushes to your cheeks when you realize the source of this substance. Bashfully you’re relieved to see Neteyam is still asleep, allowing your arousal to remain a private humiliation. 

With the cautiousness of a sneaking Palulukan, you attempt rolling off of the hammock and out of his arms to take care of your little problem. It’s only halfway rolling over to your side when the Omatikaya prince shifts and spoons you from behind. All plans are immediately thwarted when his muscular thigh slips between your splayed legs innocently. However, the pressure it incidentally puts against your clit brings forth feelings that are anything but innocent. 

A veiny forearm easily clamps around your waist to pull you back against his chest. The act rubs his thighs against your clothed folds so suddenly, that it brings a whimpered moan from your lips. Breath hitched in your throat, you wait to see if Neteyam stirs. He shows no sign of waking so you try to scoot your heated core away from his thigh slyly. 

Not only are these efforts unrewarded but also bring a tinge of sadness coursing through you. It’s a strange wave of emotion that follows. Arousal quickly windles into full blown desperation within a few heartbeats. The sensations are overpowering, racing through every surface of your body until all that your mind can focus on is the need to be filled by a mate. 

Filled by Neteyam.

“Oh Great Mother.” You curse quietly. 

Your first heat.

A momentous milestone that your parents have talked to you in great lengths about yet still brings nothing to light on the reality of the experience. You’ve had smaller mini episodes of heat, normal in the beginning of adulthood for Na’vi betas, but it’s only a laughable comparison to the clawing desire taking over your body currently. As a beta you figured that your own heats would be miniscule compared to the laborious heats that plague omegas earlier in their years. 

Involuntarily rocking your clothed core against Neteyam’s thigh you now wonder how these Na’vi have ever survived such a demanding lust and lived to tell the tale. And that is what it feels like. Death if not satisfied. Pain if not satiated. 

Embarrassment is thrown out the window in favor of creating a pleasurable friction against your clit. Hardly ever having experienced touching yourself on the rare occasion, you have no idea what to do. The corded muscle of his relaxed thigh feels better than your usual small fingerings drumming against the bundle of nerves, so you continue to rock back in a desperate rhythm. 

The hammock starts to sway softly with your jutting hips. Some movements are rewarded with a spark of pleasure, only to then be absent on the next rock of your hips. Frustration is quick to brew as you can’t seem to find the right angle and pressure against your core. Shiny slick drenches through the thin fabric and onto the alpha’s thigh. It acts as a lubricant for your journey across his skin, allowing a faster pace to be adopted. 

Your pussy clenches around open air, beckoning for a worthy mate to finally fill and claim you properly. It’s an emptiness that you can only compare to the tingling you have experienced after especially long makeout sessions with Neteyam, but it’s worse. So much worse that it brings tears to your eyes. The only relief is found when a lucky thrust finally has the fabric pushed away from your core and lets your small clit peek out and press against his azure skin. 

Now without any barriers, pure ecstasy wracks through your body. It only amplifies when the muscles flex slightly beneath you, giving just the right amount of pressure against your clit. A knot forms and tightens in your stomach, quickly winding until it feels as if it’s about to snap. It feels almost dirty to realize that your slick has now coated the entirety of Neteyam’s thigh all while he is sleeping and yet it lures you further into a state of arousal than you have ever been before. 

Your own thighs clench harshly around Neteyam’s to trap it against your core. A release clear on the horizon, every effort is put into maintaining that delicious sensation of your clit being assaulted against the muscle. Legs shaking and small squeaks erupting from your throat you chase that feeling relentlessly. 

“Cum, Tanhi.” 

Neteyam’s raspy voice pushes you over the edge with a shocked gasp. His rumbling growl of satisfaction seems to pulse through you in sync with the overwhelming sensations of an orgasm. 

“Good girl.” He praises as your body trembles in the afterglow of release. Neteyam chuckles when a simple flex of his thighs has a whimper spilling your lips. Swirling patterns are drawn by the alpha’s fingers along your sides and arms. 

Mental clarity returns in a flash, allowing the reality of the situation to sink in. You hide your heated face against his arm underneath your head while groaning in humiliation. 

“Nete.” You whine.

“Hush, baby girl. It’s alright, no reason to get all shy on me now.” He coos while swiping your hair away from your cheek to finally have an unobscured view of your blushing face. “Especially not when you make such pretty noises.” 

The words crumble any wall of resistance against the impending heat. Your body yearns for another release, still screaming at you for not being filled with your alpha’s cock yet. A cock that you can feel hardening beneath Neteyam’s loincloth and poking at your lower back. 

“Neteyam, it really hurts.” 

“I know, Tahini, I know.” He soothes, softly kissing your temple while brushing the strands of hair away. “My poor little star. A bit stronger than you expected, hm?” 

When his thigh finally shifts away from your leaking pussy, despite the strength of your clamped legs, a noise of disappointment escapes you. 

“So much worse. Neteyam please!” It’s hard to say what you are begging for specifically, but the alpha is quick to calm your worries with sweet nothings. Your limbs kick out and try to wind around any of his, subconsciously finding ways  to trap his body closer to yours. 

“If you want help, all you have to do is say, yawne. I know how to take care of my girl.” He turns you by the chin to make direct eye contact with him, a silent second measure to make sure this is truly what you desire. Hesitating is far from your mind as you nod and whine out little pleas.

Satisfied with your consent Neteyam grins and begins to descend down your body. Confusion swirls in your eyes when he situates your legs over his shoulders. The sex talk from your parents may not have been that descriptive but you know enough to realize that his cock is nowhere near your drenched entrance. 

“How does that…” You trail off, head tilted to the side. 

“Just need to get your ready first, Tanhi. Want my baby girl to feel good.” Pointed teeth poke out beneath his lips in his open mouth grin. The pads of his fingers tenderly brush and tease along your outer thighs, slowly making their way to your inner. Tingles of anticipation and pleasure trickle up your body. It boggles you how such a light tracing heightens your lust to new levels. 

“How?” 

His face softens and Neteyam coos at you while tucking a strand behind your ear. 

“Just trust me, little star. I promise you’ll like it.” 

So you do, even when his face lowers to your partly clothed mound. Neteyam’s nose presses against your pussy and he sucks in air like a man on the brink of drowning. Your cheeks set aflame at having his face so close to your special place, something you had never considered before. The rumble of power in his hungry growl, however, washes away any insecurity that would plague your mind. 

“Smell so delicious, Tanhi.” He purrs.

Neteyam’s creates a path of wet kisses along your inner thighs. Careful grips on your knees allow him to maneuver your legs into whatever profane position he desires, easy access for his eager tongue and lips. His saliva and your slick become intermixed along the expanse of skin as he takes his time warming you up. Each time his lips come closer to your folds, you whimper needily. Heated lust entraps every thought you have, wondering how long it will be until the two of you finally become one. 

The first nips at your left inner thigh causes you to jump. His eyes look back up at you as the pointed tips of those canines teasingly scrape against your soft skin. 

“Just a little taste, yawne?” He asks, although the smirk along his lips suggests that it is less of a question and rather a warning. 

“A bite? T-there?” 

Neteyam chuckles at your clueless behavior. It’s been known among Na’vi to leave obvious hickeys and bites along one’s mate’s skin, but you’ve always assumed that to only be in places more visible and less…private. Your tail swishes anxiously as you think of those marks being so close to your heated entrance. 

“Yes, baby girl. A little mark to remember me by, hm?” 

A simple nod of your head is all the permission required for Neteyam to continue. He takes one last breath from the hanging mask before picking a spot on your inner thigh where the flesh is supple and tender, licking and kissing and the area in preparation. When his lips close around the plush skin and begin to suck, it sends tendrils of electricity straight to your core. Without even thinking you moan and grab at his hair. You’re stuck between the urge to push his head away and encourage him to suck harder. 

Once released, the skin is left with a pronounced purple mark. One lick is deposited on the spot before his teeth nip and tug at the skin. You squeal and arch your back dramatically, Neteyam moans darkly he has let it fall from between his teeth and begin to soothe the skin with kisses and licks. The entire act scratches a part of your brain that is primal, satisfied by the apparent claim he leaves for all to see. 

“Much better.” His tone drips with pride. “Thank you, Tanhi.” He kisses your knee in gratitude, as if you have given him some sacred gift, and perhaps for him that is true. 

It’s only now that it occurs to you how many times Neteyam has held back from staking his claim on you the way most alphas do. You vaguely remember the indented mark of his own teeth against his bottom lip that would draw blood, especially after you have shared an intimate moment or he saw another male eyeing you for too long. What you had originally shrugged off as a habit now transforms in your mind as an act of self control. 

Neteyam is quick but deliberate with his handy work of undoing the ties around your tail and hips. He slides the fabric away from your pelvis with an attitude of reverence. Cool air against your slick folds feels like a tickling touch that has your lust spiking dramatically. Burning eyes on your most sensitive area is like gasoline to the flames. 

You attempt to clench your thighs together to protect your dignity, but Neteyam hoists them apart and back on his shoulders sternly. 

“None of that, baby girl. Let me see how pretty you are.” 

And there’s something in that phrase and his undivided attention that makes your toes curl. It becomes blatantly obvious that if he doesn’t hurry up and get on with sticking his cock inside your pussy, you will fall apart at the seams before there is even a chance. 

“Neteyam, I’m ready. Please please I’m so ready.” You ramble, willing your legs apart to prepare easier access. Once he is inside everything will be better, although the thought of your virgin walls stretching around him causes a slight tinge of panic to break loose.

“Mawey, my love. It’s about to get good.” 

However, frustration and confusion bubble to the surface again when you see his face lowering back down. 

“No no, Nete. Enough kisses.” You whine. “I need you inside.”  

His brows push up at that, the corners of his lips perking slightly as if hesitant to fully grin.

“Are you sure, my love? We can still wait if you wa-”

“NO! No more waiting! I’m ready now. I need you right now.” 

He calls your name softly, but with a hint of unyielding sternness that lets you know it is important you listen. Even a beta can sense when the time to obey is present.

“You’re heat is a very powerful thing but also fleeting, Tanhi. I don’t want you to make such a big decision purely because of your primal instincts.” It’s a respectful and considerate gesture but your head is shaking before he is even close to finishing. If this man does not take you now, you’re ready to flip him over and sit on his member, inexperience be damned. 

“It’s not. I’ve been ready for weeks. W-was just waiting to tell you. Take me now, stick it in now.” The ringing in your ears, you realize is actually the accelerated blood thumping along the eardrums from your racing heart. It feels as if the speed will be enough to burst your ribcage open. “I’m ready.”

Neteyam watches as your eyes clench shut and hands scrape against the woven material of the hammock. You’re braced and ready for the pain that will ensue upon penetration. 

“Tahni,” Your eyes slowly peek open to see that the alpha hasn’t moved a muscle. “You love me, don’t you?” 

The question throws you off guard, but the answer comes easily.

“Of course.” 

“And you know that I love you?” 

“Yes Neteyam.” Your hips scoot against the fabric, pussy fluttering as it continues to wait for the incoming sensation. 

“And you trust me?” 

“Always, Nete.” 

The alpha hums happily at your response, muttering out a deep ‘good girl’. 

“Then I need you to trust that I know what I’m doing, baby girl. Trust that your alpha will take care of you.” He tenderly brushes his fingers over your soft stomach. “And trust me enough to say if or when something doesn’t feel good.” 

You nod hazily, keenly aware of the tickling sensation of his touch along your hips. 

“That’s my good girl. Now let me get you ready.”

It’s still confusing when you see his head lower towards your navel once more, but you don’t protest this time. He’s right, you do trust him and he does have far more experience with sex than you by far. Your upturned legs are spread even wider by his broad shoulders as he leans closer and lets the tips of his tongue drag over you from belly button to navel. The saliva line goes down further and further until…oh.

It takes his grip on your hips to keep them pressed against the hammock when his tongue brushes over your clit for the first time. It’s a pleasure that is completely foreign to you. Comparable to the spark of dopamine that comes from your small finger teasing the area and yet completely different in intensity. He draws sensual figure eights along the bundle of nerves several times before swooping down to collect more of your arousal between your folds. 

Neteyam is calculated with his exploring, performing in the way of someone who has crafted their art. When his tongue just barely swipes across your entrance your hands fly down to grasp his braids again. This time, however, the only thought on your mind is keeping him down there. His flat nose nudges at your clit with every swipe of his tongue along your pussy. 

“Oh my Eywa!” You screech as that knot is quickly being tied again in your stomach. 

Neteyam on the other hand becomes focused on another knot, tugging at the twine holding your top in place while still working on your pussy with zealous excitement. With your aid, the dangling top is released and falls to the side. His assault on your pussy pauses for him to trail upwards and lick along your quickly hardening peaks. 

“So pretty, Tanhi.” He murmurs against your right nipple before taking it into his mouth and sucking. Meanwhile his fingers have taken the place of his tongue and expertly rub your clit. “My pretty little star.” 

Gleeful pride twinkles in his eyes as he looks up at you, a string of saliva connecting his lips to your chest. Your small hands grapple at any part of him you can reach, finding purchase on his flexed bicep that holds himself over you. 

The connecting lines of your thoughts are tangled into a ball of messy hunger and desperation. Never in your wildest dreams would you have imagined such strange things to be so exhilarating. A part of you wonders what else was not included in that sex talk. 

His head is found back between your legs again once your nipples are red and pointed proudly. Neteyam licks, nips and sucks at your pussy like a starved man. Every moan of pleasure releases vibrations that sky rockets through you. It becomes too much to handle. You’ve never felt more fragile in your entire life than when his eyes connect with yours, one eye winking at you, and you fall apart. 

Neteyam’s moan while licking up the white substance pouring from you goes completely unnoticed as the world around you spins and your ears ring. The gravity of this orgasm shakes you to the bones, floodgates of pleasure completely open in your brain. 

Although it feels as if Pandora has slipped out from beneath you, the recovery from this release is swift. Your skin prickles with goosebumps and your pussy hungrily clenches around open air once more. It seems that the monster of a heat inside you grows more insatiable with every second. So when Neteyam covers one finger in the remnants of your juices and starts to prod at your entrance, you’re relieved. 

“You’re doing so good, baby girl. This may feel strange at first, but let me know if it hurts too much.” It’s hard to focus on anything else besides the shiny slick that still coats his chin as he looks at you, but you manage a nod.

It does feel strange at first, your walls incredibly tight. Getting down to the first knuckle is easy but going towards the second proves to feel a little more strained. Regardless, you are happy to find that getting one finger inside is nothing near as painful as expected. Neteyam wiggles the digit and it makes you twitch. Such a strange sensation to be filled but, the longer he twists and curls his finger, the more you find yourself enjoying it. 

“How does that feel, yawne?”

“F-fine…a little strange.” 

Neteyam chuckles.

“I know. My girl’s pretty pussy is so tight.” It’s the pride and adoration in his voice that melts you from the inside out. The muscles of your cunt relax against him as he starts to slide another finger in. 

This stretch takes a little more time, effort, and praise from your alpha but otherwise it’s smooth sailing. He scissors and stretches your walls with due diligence, even as the dark pupils of his eyes overtake the gold color. By the third finger, you’re clawing at his braced forearm and begging for his cock. Neteyam doesn’t immediately give in, reminding you of the importance of being stretched out for him. Frustrated by his noble intentions, you aren’t beyond playing dirty. 

“Alpha please! Need your cock so bad, it hurts. Feel so empty.” The begging turns into sweet tones of whimpers. You can see the shift of his muscles as they tense. His pheromones take on a stronger hue, one that surrounds you like a cloud. Your small hand reaches down for him, fingers grasping in open air. Neteyam is quick to use the hand not half way up your pussy to hold your own, looking up at you. “You said you’d take care of me, alpha.” 

Perhaps in a situation not distorted by desperate lust and the sweet scent of your erotic perfume Neteyam would be tempted to put you over his knees for trying to manipulate him, but the clenching of your velvet walls around his fingers is enough to keep him focused on being balls deep inside of you instead. You can see the moment that his resolve crumbles to ashes, it’s accentuated by a deep growl and narrowed eyes. 

You watch with hungry eyes as Neteyam hastily claws at the strings of his loincloth. It’s a wonder that it doesn’t rip underneath his harsh fingers but it finally falls away and your pupils dilate at the sight. His length stands heavily against his stomach, curving slightly under its own weight. Saliva gathers in your mouth as you observe the freckled stars that glow under the dim light of the room and scatter over his shaft till reaching the tip. A bead of precum is settled there and for the first time, you understand the desire to put your mouth in such sinful places. 

Neteyam preens under your awed attention, his hindbrain purring in delight at seeing his little mate impressed with what he has to offer. His grin widens when he notices your hand hesitantly reaching towards it. You stop, however, before getting to touch. 

“It’s ok, Tanhi. You can touch.” The three fingers leave your entrance with a squelching sound. Neteyam confidently keeps eye contact while licking the digits clean with a soft purr, then that large hand is wrapping around your own and leading you towards his twitching member. 

Even with Neteyam’s guidance, you’re unable to wrap the entirety of his width in your grip, but he doesn’t appear to be bothered by it. In fact, a devious spark lights in his smile as he watches you struggle to hold it. Although, you will probably never admit it outside of heat, you too enjoy the dramatic size difference between the two of you. On more than one occasion you have let your arousal ruin your loincloth just from having his large body completely wrapped around your own, tucking you away so easily. 

A small gasp leaves your throat when his cock twitches in your hand. Neteyam can’t keep his cooing laughter in as he pets affectionately at your hair. He pauses to take a breath from the mask while still smirking. 

“You see what you do to me, baby girl?” 

The taste of iron erupts in your mouth and it is only then that you realize you’ve been crushing your bottom lips between sharp teeth. 

“Is it…uncomfortable?” It feels silly to be so bashful after having his lips along your pussy moments earlier, but you can’t help but keep your voice down to a whisper. You thank the Great Mother for the privacy that the scientists have allowed the two of you over the past few days. There would be no recovery for your dignity if they were to walk in on this scene. Heat or not, being whiny and oblivious is embarrassing. 

“Hm, sometimes my love. If relief is not given.” He guides your thumb to run over the head. “Mostly it gets my thoughts traveling to tempting places. Imagining all the different ways I can have you laid out for me.” The weight of your eyelids seem to increase with every word he speaks. His other hand running up and down your inner thigh only adds to the lust filled daze that has captured you. 

“Wondering what you would taste like.” Being the cheeky alpha that he is, Neteyam doesn’t let the opportunity pass by without reaching a few digits down to his soaked thigh and swirling the substance between his fingers. He simultaneously continues to help you jerk his thick member slowly while sticking the dripping fingers into his mouth profanely. 

“My imagination, however, doesn’t do it justice.” He hums with delight, his pink tongue swiping over his bottom lip to collect any escaping juices. “My thoughts are merely a facade in comparison to the real thing. They can’t do you justice.”

You subconsciously tighten your grip around him at the words, causing a low groan to rumble from his chest. Another trickle of slick coats your entrance. You’re in absolute awe at your body's ability to get close to cumming just from the dark noises and words that spill from your mate’s lips. Not to mention the twitching weight of his cock restrained in your hand. 

“Then stop imagining and come here.” You leap forward and capture his lips with your own. Neteyam’s hum of surprise morphs into a viscous growl as your tongues fight for dominance. The little gasps and groans that slip into the kiss as you pump his cock is electrifying. It’s borderline addicting to see that way the mighty Omatikaya Prince bucks his hips for you. A sense of power to know that you can get him melting like this. 

Never breaking the kiss, Neteyam shuffles your body forward and the two of you start to guide his cock towards your fluttering pussy. All forms of trepidation are gone. Your body screams from every pore that you can take it. You trust these instincts as the thick head of his member prods at your entrance. 

Your lips part against his mouth in a gasp when the head slips past your entrance. Slick walls stretch in ways that you couldn’t have imagined and it feels as if you are about to be split in half. Neteyam continues to kiss and nip at your lips gleefully while carefully continuing to guide himself in inch by inch. 

“You’re being such a good girl for me.” He coos as your eyes scrunch shut tightly. It feels as if the length will never stop, as if he is about to reach your chest from the inside, but Neteyam is patient. He takes his sweet time checking up on you with every inch and soaking his tone and words with constant praises. It does this trick, scratching at that primal desire to please your alpha. 

When his balls finally meet the curve of your ass, little whimpers rain from you consistently. 

“N-nete, so b-big.” You cry, forehead touching his own as you struggle to take in ragged breaths. He forces you to take a breath from the mask hanging from his neck. 

“I know, baby. So perfect and tight around me.” His own voice shakes slightly. “God damn!” The english phrase sounds like gibberish to your ears but you understand the sentiment nonetheless. 

Settled there to let you adjust, your head lolls to his shoulder.  When his cock twitches, you clamp your teeth down on his exposed shoulder to stabilize yourself. Neteyam encourages the oral fixation through  hissed words of praise. Tears spill from your eyes but it’s hard to say what the source of your crying is. The stretch is uncomfortable but you can’t deny the certain tinge of pleasure that courses through you when a slight shift reminds you of how full your pussy is. Eventually, your heat takes the edge off, rewarding your ability to secure a mate with a pulsing clit and dripping entrance. 

It takes a moment to realize that Neteyam is calling your name, you eventually snap out of it when his lips murmur it straight into your flicking ears. 

“Hand me your kuru, baby.” Your hands obey on their own accord. “Want you to understand how good you feel, Tanhi. How happy you make me.”

When those dancing tendrils wrap securely around one another, your eyes go from sleepy slits to dilated pupils of awe. It never becomes old being able to feel Neteyam so closely. To feel his breath and strength. To have his own emotions coalesce with yours. A vulnerable certainty of how he is feeling. In this state, neither of you can hide. There is no deceit. There are no polite formalities. You both have direct access to the other’s soul.

This time, a new current of sensation travels through the bond. It sparks into growing forms of ecstasy that makes you groan. It’s a strange thing to accept, but you can feel your own tights walls secured around him. Hugging him so tightly in the warmth of your cunt, velvety texture caressing him with every shift. Underneath that pleasure also grows an unyielding lust that pricks at his self control with every passing second. His hindbrain is screaming at him to move. To claim. To fill your womb with his seed until it drips out from you. 

It’s better than if the words had come from his own lips. It sets you into a feral need to complete these fantasies. 

“Can you feel me, baby girl?” His arms are securely wrapped around your middle to keep you tight against him. 

“Yes Nete, feel all of you. Need all of you. W-want you to move.” The ability to form coherent sentences starts to slip between your fingers. Neteyam, however, requires no further instruction. Your back hits the hammock once more as his strong grip clasps around the soft flesh of your hips. The mask is settled over your lips by the alpha before he continues. 

Slowly, but surely, he draws out with smooth and continuous thrusts. Your cunt clenches around him almost painfully, as if to keep him locked there. Once the tip is just barely past your entrance he starts to slide back in smoothly. The prolonged thrusts eventually angle in a way that hits a bundle of nerves inside you that has never been explored by you before. Neteyam moans in sync with you as he can feel your own pleasure every time the head of his cock rubs at the rosy spot. 

It spurs him forward. You don’t have to explicitly tell him to go faster because he can feel it straight through the bond. It allows you to focus the energy you have left on gripping his shoulders for dear life. A brutal rhythm begins to take place, your legs wrapped around his waist. 

“Oh Eywa!” You screech. The obscene noises of skin slapping fills the room along with Neteyam’s loosed growls and grunts. 

“That’s not my name, Tanhi.” The alpha teases, but you can feel the aching desire he has to hear his own name upon your lips. To have the auditory satisfaction of knowing he is pleasing his little mate.

“N-neteyam oh haa Nete!” 

His precision at hitting your g spot increases. Neteyam learns your body with an impressive speed. One hand comes up to palm and tease your breasts in his large hand. His eyes switching back and forth between watching his cock disappear inside of you and marveling at the nipple hardening between his pinched fingers. 

Everything starts to become a blur for you. The origins of sounds are unknown. Several times you are surprised to find that the high pitched screams are coming from your own throat. Your body shakes and trembles as if it is about to shatter into a million pieces. And that is what you come to truly believe as it overwhelms your senses. It is so consuming and new that you start to sputter little pleas of mercy to your mate, convinced that you truly will die from this overload of sensations. 

“It’s alright, Tanhi. You’re alright. Just let go for me. Let it all go.” 

Your hair tangles in the woven material of the hammock as you shake your head. Neteyam thrusts become ragged and less coordinated but he slips a hand down to fondle at your clit. You scream and arch, cumming harder than ever before. Neteyam is less than a second behind you, feeling the effects of your orgasm through the bond. Warm ropes of seeds paint your inner walls. 

The first normal sense that comes to you is the feeling of Neteyam’s heavy and warm body collapsed on top of yours. Heated breath tickles at your neck, intermittent with sweet kisses and nonsense murmurs. You let yourself bask in the afterglow. Your body is sore and motionless, but luckily Neteyam takes over. Only a tiny sound comes from you when he slips out.

“Come here, tanhi.” Your boneless body is pulled to lay on top of him. Soothing affection swims across the bond when you nuzzle your face against his chest. The swing of the hammock and rhythm of his heartbeat is quickly luring you to sleep. 

Neteyam grabs your hand and kisses it sweetly. You can vaguely make out the sound of his voice, but the words are like garbled noises which never compute in your brain. It’s hard to say whether or not it’s english or if you just can’t understand simple words now in your fucked out state. Still, you like the way it makes his chest rumble. 

“Neteyam.” The rumble stops, tail flickering as he waits patiently. 

“I see you.” Your words are barely more than a whisper in the stuffy room but they ring true. He gently places the breathing mask over your lips again before your eyes close. 

“You’re all I see, little star.” 

Taglist @yurmomsawh0r @nilahsstuff @name-saken @luvv4j4ybe11 @stylishtoast @karateperson @henhouse-horrors @easy2004 @whisperingwillow0854 @whenercolorfulrainbowlol @neteyamtesuli

[girlgenius1111]

WIPS

alexia x reader -trust me: r's first time taking the strap -chosen: alexia helps r navigate a rather difficult reunion with her family -shadows: you and alexia grow closer, but before anything happens, you pull away. she is determined to find out why. -hard knocks: r gets a concussion, and her [fairly new] girlfriend, alexia, wants to help take care of her. r is incredibly resistant to allowing alexia to help, until she has no choice. -learning curve: r gets custody of her 6 year old nephew when her brother gets into trouble. alexia insists on sticking around even though r gives her an out, and they both have to try to understand the other's definition of what it means to be a family. -no time for losers p2 - new world series: meant to be: r isn't sure she wants kids. alexia is sure that she does. not going to break: a few months into your pregnancy... 18+ favorites: after a long stretch of being at home, alexia has to leave for a few days. mila appears to have suddenly developed separation anxiety.

barça x reader -my business: r gets a meaningful tattoo, but gives her teammates no details about it. her older teammates, especially alexia whom she lives with, are furious that she didn't talk to them first. -terrified: incredibly nervous to go under the knife, r is scheduled for a minor surgery over the holiday break, but she doesn't tell any of her teammates. well, not right away.

engen!reader [solstråle] take care: ingrid gets injured, and sol is overwhelmed with worry. mapi day: when sol makes a new friend, she spends less time at home. ingrid is thrilled at the growth, as is mapi, but mapi also worries that sol was only spending time with her before because she had no other choice. sol invents mapi day to make it better. study buddy culture shock [blurb] tree hugger [baby sol] crashed out: sol wrecks mapi's car

other what it takes: cata x reader. cata is called to replace misa during the knockout rounds of the world cup. she freaks out, her teammates call r to come calm her down rewards: just let go prequel. the first time alexia and jenni try to relieve your stress. grumpy v smiley: kika x reader. as two of the new signings with the team, r and kika spend time together getting acclimated. r is perpetually grumpy, while kika is a ray of sunshine, trying to pull r out of her shell. kika is unrelenting, and eventually r lets her in. [basically black cat golden retriever ... unlikely friends ish to lovers kika x r] un verano sin ti: jenni x r. jenni returns home from a less than successful olympics, while r has been having an awful summer herself. both of them think the other is trivializing their issues, causing arguments and distance that neither of them really want. what they really need is each other.

[paddockbunny]

Don’t Blame Me - Part 5

Summary : You had it bad. You had it so damn bad for a man that was not your boyfriend. And when you arrive in Brazil and find out all the drivers were staying in the same hotel…what happens when it’s suddenly all out there to you, on a plate? Rating : 18+ Pairing : Daniel Ricciardo x Reader & Max Verstappen x Reader Word Count : Multi-part imagine, 2,000 words+ in this part Trigger Warnings : 18+, NSFW, adult language, Max V in a sexual position, oral female receiving, a lot of smut talk Images : curated from Pintrest & texts are made by me (and obviously are fake) Authors Note : Just a little short chapter but I hope you all like it. I know some people don’t like the Max V smut but it works for the chapter and for the context 😉 oh and just a reminder - Max asks Daniel to f*ck her in Budapest & Daniel kisses her in Monza 😘

Max’s Apartment, Monaco 4 days post Monza

The sun flooded in through the white gauzy curtains and created beautiful rays of warm golden sunshine. They streamed in and cascaded over yours and Max’s entwined legs. He had pulled your right leg up so your thigh fell across his stomach. His fingertips drawing nondescript patterns against the flesh that had been wrapped around his waist last night. The bedsheets were barely covering both of your naked frames. This was sheer, complete bliss for you. No commitments or plans. Just the pair of you wrapped up in the bed that you had spent the whole of the night prior making love in.

Last night was the first night of having sex with Max that you didn’t fantasise about Daniel. You gave him your whole focus and you loved every single second of it. You loved how he touched you, how he kissed you and how he made you feel completely adored. It was slow, steady and loving. You felt so full after last night and the memory of how he felt inside of you lingered. In fact, it made you ache for more. You were content laying like this after a night like last. Until Max’s phone buzzed loudly on his nightstand. The moment had been broken by some anonymous interloper. You could only pray it wasn’t work related. You only had him to yourself for a short time and you wanted to fill it with more nights and days like the ones you had just had. His body twisted as he grabbed his phone. Your knee fell down to meet the other one on the bed. Already feeling disappointed that the pair of you had been interrupted.

Max chuckled over whatever he had been sent before you heard his thumbs quickly tap, tap, tapping on the glass screen as he replied. “Work?” You ask, trying to find out if the late morning sex you were envisioning would have to manifest into a quickie instead. “Nah, just Daniel.”

Daniel.

Think of the devil and he shall appear. You had just managed to stay focused on your boyfriend - seemingly overcoming your obsessive filthy thoughts about him - for only one night. The mention of his name had you flashing back to four days ago when he had kissed you. Perhaps the kiss was why you had stopped thinking about him as Max pushed you to orgasm last night. Perhaps you had a tiny, small taste of him and decided against it. Or perhaps it was because you were attempting not to give into anymore temptation. Reaching up and instinctively touching your lips reminded you of the excitement that thrashed through your body after it happened. It made you feel so euphoric that you even let yourself question the solidity of your relationship. Why the fuck are you so obsessed with him? You almost groaned aloud from your ridiculous thoughts.

Max put his phone back to where he had retrieved it from and as he rolled over so that now he was half on top of you, his mouth gently pressing to your throat, you wondered if you were actually going about this the whole wrong way. You still craved Daniel. You knew the reason you thought about him as soon as you heard Max speak his name was because you still wanted more than just a kiss. As Max’s hand gripped on to the same thigh that had just been laying across him a throw all caution to the wind and decided to ask him the question that had just sprung into your mind.

“Max…” You purred as his mouth trailed down lower than your neck. His teeth nipped your collarbone and his hot breath against your skin was enough to break you out in goose-pimples. He made an “mmmm hmmm” noise against the soft curve of your breast. “Have you ever…” the words caught in your throat before they could come out but you swallowed the nerves and tried again. “Have you ever had a threesome?” The last word came out quieter than the last and made it seem like you were embarrassed about saying it. You glanced down just in time to see the corners of Max’s mouth begin to slowly turn upward. “A threesome?” He asked to confirm what he thought you had said. The word wasn't difficult for him to say and he didn’t say it in a hushed tone like you had. He wasn’t embarrassed about it at all. “Yeah.” He added and kissed your nipple as if the idea you were putting to him was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Oh” tumbled from your lips. It was all you could think of saying. It wasn’t like you weren’t expecting him to say he was as virtuous as the pope and had never indulged in multiple partner sex but it was the way it was sort of thwarting the plan that you had only just came up with that made you feel disappointed. You had thought that it could have been a good viable option for you to ask for someone else to come join the pair of you in the bedroom. Well, not someone else but rather, Daniel. It was an obvious, clear way for you to finally get your fantasy of fucking Daniel whilst staying within the permeates of your very loving, caring relationship. But perhaps it was just wishful thinking he hadn’t already checked this particular sexual box. Now that you found out that Max had already done the whole three way thing you knew he wouldn’t find the thought of including another in your bed exciting and would probably shoot down the idea if you raised it.

“Have you?” His lips opened and closed around your still sensitive pert nipple. His tongue glided across it as if hearing about your sexual past before him was going to get him off. “No.” You stated confidently but he simply just continued. “Who was it with?” It came springing to your mind the instant he said he had done the practically pornographic act. You wondered if he had already experienced what you were daydreaming about in that moment. If it had been another driver that had joined him and a female third party. Or if he had stuck purely to women and denied playtime to another man. “My ex-girlfriend and one of her friends.” Figures. You swallow your scoff. It was perhaps wishful thinking all along. You couldn’t be so lucky to have this blessing fall into your lap like that. “They’re not all they’re cracked up to be. There’s too many arms and legs” he chuckled “then it gets a bit awkward bumping into them because we’ll, you’ve been inside your girlfriends friend and it’s not as hot thinking about it as it what when you were doing it.” Well he’s not going to want me to suggest we invite Daniel to join us now, is he?! You felt the slight annoyance about how he was shooting you down without you even having asked the question.

“Why are you asking?” He smirked and went back to his earlier task of kissing down your stomach. His lips trailing a wet hot line as they went. “Do you want to have a threesome?” He looked up and as your eyes linked with your own, his shoulders slipped under your thighs. Your core was right there, right in front of his face. Inches from his lips. Completely bare and exposed to him. Still flushed pink from all of the activities the night prior. He seemed so cocky and arrogance coursed from him. The smugness this man had was insurmountable. His tongue dipped out of his parted lips and without hesitation he licked a teasing ghosting stripe up through your folds.

“Well?” He asked and you had already forgotten what it was that you had even been thinking about. In fact all of your thoughts of a threesome had been eradicated from your mind and replaced by the burning, dark need to feel his tongue repeat the action it had just taken. You just needed the pleasure he was about to give you. You just needed Max.

Didn’t you?

Max POV

My tongue laps at her with complete enthusiasm. I want to hear her moaning for me and watch as she comes undone again. Her folds are glisten with a mixture of her own arousal and my saliva. The sight of her like this (legs wide open, pussy wet) makes me painfully hard. She had to go and mention threesomes. She had to give me the thought of her like that. With another girl. Fuck. It would be so hot. I’d come instantly if I got to join in on that.

As her hand runs through my hair, spurring me on to keep my tongue going in the same tempo as it currently was, squirming against her sensitive nerves, I realise she just so happened to mention the threesome thing right after I had mentioned Daniel. And it made me smirk. Was she thinking about him right now? Was she imagining I was him and he was the one who was currently going to town on her beautiful clit? Was she pretending she was moaning for him and writhing around the bed for him? Did she want a threesome with me and him?! I wouldn’t be opposed to it but perhaps after he fucked her first. A rush charged through me as I realised how well I had played this and how well I had been reading her. It was sort of thrilling to think about the fact she would get to have sex with him with my full consent. Next thing I knew her legs tightened around the sides of my head and I knew she was seconds from tipping over the edge into ecstasy. Her sweet juices coated my tongue and I thought once again about Daniel. I watched as she convulsed and twitched as she bathed in her orgasm. Daniel was in for one hell of a treat when he finally got to fuck her.

[pirateborn]

❛ i made a mistake. ❜

200 RANDOM DIALOGUE

✧.  " Hm ?  Did you, now ? "

     Amusement colored the captain's reply, slightly distracted as his eyes lingered for a second longer on the sprawled map before him. The local archipelago was far from bizzare, but it'd been over a decades time since he'd last been and, if memory and the map served him correct, a pleasant enough place with some interesting caves and underground tunnels. Perhaps he could take Shanks and Buggy with him to explore them.

     But that would something to come back to later. Putting down his quill, Roger's head turned towards his boy, gaze briefly sharp and searching as he scrutinized the boy for sign of injury. Satisfied to see no signs of blood or bruises, that were immediete at the very least, he smiled warmly and tilted his head lightly to the side with curiosity.

" What's the matter, Buggy ?  Did Rayleigh scold you ? "   a little teasing, a little concerned,   " Are you alright ? "

[pirateborn-a]

[ VENGEANCE ] { from clown son! Let Roger go apeshit xoxo -indomiitas }

INJURY MEMES. — @indomiitas

✧.    Thunderstorms rolled overhead, covering the sky in a dark gray and sending rain pelting down onto the deck like drums, tandem in song with the growing waves crashing against the sides of the Oro Jackson that sent her swaying in her anchored spot upon the shore.

     Men scrambled around him, securing loose objects and running to get their weapons. Each of them careful to provide him with ample space, well aware of how their captain was during his fouler moods.

     Roger would have thanked him, had he the mind to pay any notice to it from where he was, leaning off of the ship with his hand loosely wrapped around a rope. His visage was stoic upon his face, reflecting the storm around them. Body coiled with tension as time continued to slip by, he continued to stare at the unchanging scene before him, beach leading to green forest, stone fortress peeking from above the treeline in the distance, faintly able to make out the symbols of the Marines upon flying flags.

     For the thousandth time in the last few minutes, he regretted allowing his crew to talk him out of running guns blazing. Each second that passed was another second where—

     Hazy but familiar silhouette finally emerged from the trees and at once Roger moved, jumping off the Oro Jackson with the sea pushing him towards the shore as he ran to meet Gaban, staring expectantly as his hands fidgeted with his blade by his side.

“ They have him, ”   Gaban replied through gritted teeth the moment they were close enough. His shades were on, but Roger knew with confidence that his third in command held a glare furious enough to rival his own,   “ Bastards know we’re coming. They’re taking him out to the courtyard, but we’ve confirmed the shackles aren’t explosive. ”

     Tension loosened slightly in his chest, though quickly returned with burning wildfire. Shackles. They’d still shackled his boy.

     Faux calm adorned his face, mind made. Though his eyes must have let his thoughts slip by, if the way Gaban straightened his spine indicated things. He turned his gaze behind them towards their approaching crew, tilting his head up.

“ Donquino, Mugren, ”   his voice raised enough to cut through the storm,   “ Would explosives work in this weather ? ”

     Booming laughter answered him, Murgen chuckling still as he replied,   “ Aye! It’ll be a pain, but we can make it work. Sure would be hell of a lot easier if Mother Nature didn’t seem to favor your moods so, capt’n. ”

     That drew a genuine smile from him, sunny disposition returning for a moment with a cheeky grin and laugh,   “ Sorry, sorry. But it’s hardly my fault that the sea loves us so ! ”

     Smile remained upon his face, yet tension was far from gone. If it weren’t for the way his crew jokes, he might forget that they were unable to hear what he did. The Sea was raging in his head, her Voice screeching with rage, fueling the scorching embers in his chest and leaving him unable to find the lines which separated her voice from his own.

     Both of them screaming to be let loose, to go and claim back what was theirs through whatever means necessary.

“ Gaban, go lead the others, ”   he tossed his hat at the other man, glancing in the direction of the Marine base, his smile twitching,   “ I’d like that stain on the horizon gone before we leave. Give that to Shanks and tell Rayleigh I went on ahead if you run into them, would you? ”

“ Rayleigh’s not going to be happy about that, captain, ” Gaban said with warning in his tone, sighing as Roger merely flashed him another grin.

     If there were further complaints, he didn’t stick around to hear them, bolting into the forest and further inland, weaving between trees before impatience got the better of him. With a flick of his wrists, he drew his blade and swung down, cutting down a direct path towards stone walls. Some navy men were patrolling the outskirts, but he’d hardly noticed them or the way they collapsed the moment he approached. His mind was focused on a single task, the burning in his veins growing with each step.

     The wall had never stood a chance.

     Roger stepped over broken stone, Ace loosely held as he walked more calmly into the courtyard. Startled group of marines on the other side staring at him in shock, some yelling at each other and sending some into the buildings behind them.

     None of that mattered to him, his eyes focused solely on the young boy with blue hair, hands bound behind his back, roughly yanked to the side of the marine wearing a coat. The leader of the place, a Commodore —  whatever that meant  — if Roger remembered correctly. Smile still calm on his face, he lowered Ace, tilting his head to the side.

“ You know, it’s odd. I seem to recall you folks having agreed to let us sail by, ”   he said cordially, holding off his rage,   “ Truly, I would recommend letting go of my boy. I might even be inclined to leave some of you alive if you do. ”

“ Captain — ! ”

     Whatever Buggy had to say was cut off, sword hilt slammed hard on top of his head, sending him crumpling onto the ground and in that split second, Haki crashed down upon the courtyard like thunder, drowning all with a strangled vengeance and sending the Commodore to the ground.

     He moved without thought, feet barely touching the ground before he on top of the Marine who dared to hurt his boy within a second, snarling as he shoved the bastard away —  he’d throw him seas away from Buggy if he could  — and drove Ace through his shoulders, embedding him against the wall.

     Whatever words the man had to say, Roger cared not. He’d deal with the bastard later, for the time being, he ran back towards where his boy had fallen.

“ Buggy ? ”   he asked in a quiet tone, but the boy was out cold. Holding his face —  he was so young  — Roger noticed wordlessly the trickle of blood falling from blue hair, the rain not quite able to hide it.

     Shouting neared them, reinforcements, and Roger draped his coat over his boy, standing up with a steadying breath.

“ I’ll be right back, my boy. Don’t you worry, ”    reassurance given with a warm grin, snapping to fury he turned towards the approaching navy men, no longer able to keep still the storm within him.

     The following world was nothing but a blur, an anger and haki filled haze tinting the world in red as he tore through each man he encountered or lunged for. None of it could quell the wildfire in his chest. How could they ?  How dare they ? 

     Did they not understand how terrible it was to be alone ?  To have nothing and no one but yourself ?  Did they not know how damnably miserable it felt ?  How painful ?

     Or, at least —  his hand breaking cartilage and bone with each blow, ripping the throat out of some bastard’s next before moving onto the next in ceaseless downpour of bloodlust  — did they not understand how it infuriated him that they would even think about casting such a horrid fate onto one of his own ?

     Roger might not have had the boy for considerably long, not as long as some other in his crew perhaps. But they had found him alone, drifting upon the vast seas, their paths crossing at that moment in an act divine and so Buggy was theirs. Buggy was his.

( The Sea had wept for them that day, and she wept for them now. Roger would damn himself before he wasted her holy tears. )

     The sight of his boy collapsing, of blood trickling down blue hair, continued to burn in his vision. Driving each attack he gave, thoughts of grabbing a weapon void in his mind when all he could think about was making them pay.

     Let them feel his wrath. Let them see it. Let the world learn that they had claimed the boy as theirs, and let them learn how fiercely he would guard his own.

     It might have been seconds, or it might have been hours since he’d struck the first man, he couldn’t tell, nor found point in attempting to do so. Standing tall, he towered above his carnage, littered bodies carelessly strewn about. Some still breathing, some surviving, with many more less fortunate. His fury still burned brightly under his skin, but he paid no more attention towards the sailors, walking with resolute steps to where he’d left his blade, left impaled within the Marine Commodore who’d been responsible.

     Roger looked down at the poor excuse of a man with a vicious grin, blood dripping off his hands with the rain and down, staining the marine’s white coat red.

     The Commodore was already dying. That much was obvious, if disappointing. His first attack with Ace had done enough damage to secure that fate, but let it be testament to the bastard’s stubbornness that he still clung onto his breath, glaring daggers up at Roger.

     Such a shame it was that very pride which got him and his men killed.

     Grabbing the hilt of his blade, Roger tugged it upwards, forcing the man to stand against the wall and startling a gasp of pain out of him.

“ There is no fate I could bestow to you that could possibly make up for your transgressions, ”   laughter falling out with his words before shaking his head with a tsk,   “ Not only have you taken advantage of my initial mercy, ”   stomping against the man’s leg hard for emphasis, grin returning filled with teeth.

“ You hurt my crew. ”

     Explosions went off from the building behind them, dragging their eyes upwards. Pleased, Roger watched as smoke billowed out, fighting against the rain. He knew it wouldn’t be long before the entire base was razed to the ground, his crew were delightfully efficient in that manner.

     But, head turning back down towards the bastard, there would be time enough for him to finish his business.

“ For each hair on my boy’s head, I ought to strike you twice more. Finish off the deed at last by leaving you to rot at the bottom of the sea. At least becoming a feast for the fist could serve as means of redemption, ”   with every word, he slowly dragged Ace further up, cutting through tendons and bones until he finally drew screams from the Commodore. Smile twitching in satisfaction at the sound, letting them linger like that for a moment longer before, reluctantly, a sigh fell out.

“ I suppose I’ll have to content myself with this. ”

     He yanked his blade out, kicking the man onto the ground before slamming his foot down onto the Commodore’s chest, feeling ribs give way beneath him like twigs, vindication finally easing the fury within him. Though maelstroms refused to dispel, continuing to lie in wait beneath the surface, begging to drown any who gambled their fates around him.

“ A coward and a fool, ”   he spat, wiping the blood off the soles of his shoes on the dead man’s coat before finally turning away, letting the growing explosions take care of the last of the source of his rage. There were better things to focus on now.

     With each step, his expression softened, the storm calming within him and around him as rain trickled to a halt, until he finally reached where he’d left his boy beneath his coat.

“ Hey, Buggy, ”   he murmured, voice gentle as he knelt down, gingerly wrapping him up in the coat before carrying him, holding him close to his chest,   “ Let’s get you out of here, hm ? ”

     He was so terribly small in Roger’s arms. Barely weighing a thing. How could someone be so small? How could someone be willing to hurt someone so small ?  He felt ready to turn around and tear apart the Marine base all over again, but —  with some difficulty  — he kept himself focused on getting Buggy back to the Oro Jackson.

“ I’ll tell you what, whatever treasure we’ve managed to loot from this place, we’ll give you the largest share, eh ? ”   his voice cheerful and bright, keeping his mind off the lingering anger,   “ I’ll be honest, if I had it my way, both you and Shanks would get larger share when it comes to dividing whatever bounties we’ve gathered. But even though I’m captain, our treasurer’s word is final. I’m certain that I can convince them for this occasion though. ”

     There was a pause in the cacophony, before a final explosion roared and was quickly followed by the sound of stone falling, startling nearby wildlife in droves. Roger laughed, he’d have to compliment the crew once they were reunited, but he followed the path of birds and elk back towards the shore, holding Buggy close to his chest, his hands wrapped protectively around his boy.

“ You’ll always have me, so just stay with me, alright ? ”   murmured reassurances, quiet promises,   “ You’re going to be okay. Captain’s got you. I’ll always be right here, Buggy. I’ll always have you. ”

[shiroganeryo]

My spouse's contribution to this year's BSD Rarepair Week! We have a whole AU dedicated to animal forms (most of them are dogs, similar to Wan!) so naturally, there are also couples 😌 I’m his official reposter for Tumblr, so please do not repost; support the original instead!

🐶💖 I drew some dogs for the #bsdrpw2024, day 7: Free Day!higugin and #fukuran for me, and #chuuaki for my spouse. Thank you for hosting such a fun event!! ´ v `//

There's always a reasoning behind each breed pick, so under the Read More are the explanations my spouse wrote for each character:

"I choose breeds based on their traits and appearance. Here's why I chose each of these:

🏵️ Higuchi: Goldens are popular for being goofy, ray of sunshines, but they are also very capable working dogs. Higuchi is usually a comic relief, with her obsession over her senpai and 'girl failure' attitude, but she's also very capable and stands in a kinda high position in the Mafia, so I thought it was a good parallel. 🗡️ Gin: I wanted a breed that would fit both the Akutagawa siblings: a black dog, with a sleek look and possibly lethal. As one of Ryunosuke's titles is "Black-Fanged Hellhound", and dobermans are the popular image of a hellhound, I went with it. (I hope to post dog Ryunosuke someday as well!)

🐺 Fukuzawa: welp his title is 'Silver Wolf'. 🔎 Ranpo: When we think about detectives, we think about scent dogs. Beagles are excellent scent dogs, with a small size, friendly face and love for treats! Reason why they are used on airports to inspect luggage (so they won't scare the travelers) and why I picked one for Ranpo.

🍷 Chuuya: I wanted a dog with short legs for Chuuya, so Dazai could make of fun it (sorry!). As hearding dogs, corgis have a sturdy physique that suits him pretty well. I went with the cardigan because of its fluffy tail and their older origin, from the rough terrains of the Wales. 🦋 Yosano: I couldn't think of any breed that's directly related to medicine other than 'test' dogs, which I didn't want, so I went with a working breed. From all the working dogs, I thought Dalmatian would be a fun choice because I could make some of the spots shaped like butterflies! They were also one of the breeds used in warfare, a detail that goes well with her backstory. Their flop ears would also mix well with Yosano's hair."

[wowstrawberrycow]

My Lord of the Rings drabble is done!

Gifts Given at Dawn

Hi there! I would like to shout out to @bugstuff4ever! Thank you for answering my prompt call on one of my previous posts! I hope you enjoy this one. However, I will admit Gimli is not as fail epically as I intended for him to be lol (I think. He's sappy. I canon him to be that way with his lovers). This is what naturally flowed out with the music I was listening to. I was shooting for a Disney princess in the woods vibe with this piece. Hope you like it! Although I intend to try playing around with the idea of being so love-struck he fails in flirtation in the future. I might need different music to pull that out of me.

Pairing: GimliXLegolas - Gigolas

Warnings: none, just a pair of adorable gays.

If you would like to listen to what inspired this writing here are the links! I take no credit for these playlists, only the writing that came from them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Qbdxfu3Onw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWibYLygiGM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bi7tiTg-OnY

🌹Everyone has a prince, princess or royal inside. I hope this inspires my readers to let that shine.🌹-me!

Modest winds in the early morning blew kisses across the land outside the bundle of which they slept. With fluttering lashes lofty with the dreams of the night before they hesitantly lifted to greet the delicately shining light of the sun. Their ever open eyes through the night were caught off guard by the crisp air. But, for all of its nipping touches, they couldn’t help wanting to leave the warmth of their blankets. The birds and their leafy companions were calling to the golden haired royal. They had no choice but to heed the tranquil calls.

Mornings such as this one were a novelty to the royal elf. Since leaving the somber forest they called home, they chose to bask in the sun's rays each day. This was a grace that Legolas dared not omit from their sight. With each second beams of magnificent light fell over the land, drenching it in colors of gold, silver, and hues of spiced pumpkin. The elf drew in a deep breath taking in the liquid rhythms of a stream near them. Even with the daunting tasks that lay later in their path, the morning was still perfect. They carefully exited the camp feeling a strong need for nature's embrace. With footsteps as light as wispy clouds, Legolas tread closer to a nearby patch of trees. They simply walked humming softly enjoying the echoes of the wilderness. All its whiles made them feel at peace.

Little did the royal know, their solitude was silently interrupted by robust eyes. Gmili had caught sight of a beauty that morning too. Alas, it was not the breathtaking sunshine. It was a different gift. Perhaps, for the first moment in his lifetime he could appreciate the majesty that an elf could carry. Legolas did so without arrogance as they sat up in front of the dwarf. Their golden locks flowed with elegance against the canvas of the sky. It was then that he felt his heart pulse. How had he been so blind? Was it that he took his new friend for just another pretty face before now? Beauty as fair as this surely coveted so much more. This lesson, he learned in the Lothlorian woods, seemed to be slow to sink. Regardless, the two had found an unexpected friend in each other there. It was this mysterious connection that beckoned him from his comfort against the pillowed grasses. In search of his fascination, which now was basking in the light within the trees, he troted. Legolas’ divine voice was Gimli’s lead. Though once he had the elf in sight, the lovely tune stopped.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of your company,” Legolas’ demeanor shifted to one of little expressions. Such was the way they appeared to everyone. Though, internally they felt a tug of anxiety. Being caught embracing vulnerability was not what they needed. For, this was the second time the dwarf caught them off guard. They strode backwards feeling stripped with nowhere to hide.

Gimli noticed the change right away with a raised brow. He smirked, quite pleased with the elf’s meek nature. He was a learned man, now wise to Legolas’ deceptive habits.

Legolas took in a stabilizing breath, “you ought to get more rest master dwarf.”

“And miss this moment?” Gimli looked gingerly upon the elven flower in front of him.

Legolas merely stared at the stout man. Their mind clearly attempted to grasp what the other was in reference to.

Gimli kept his suave grin now moving to the royal’s side.

Startled by the man’s bold disposition, Legolas flinched slightly out of reach. Their eyes shifted side to side, “ Can I help you?”

Gimli respectfully took a reasonable distance back, so as not to spook the gentle deer of a soul that Legolas was. “I think so. Sharing a simple moment with you is all that I wish.” he bowed his head as if the elf was a lady of the court, “ Will you not bless my ears with your graceful voice?”

Legolas was at a loss for words before shaking their head, “ D-don’t speak s-such lies. It is unbecoming of you to tease on such a lovely morning,” Their cheeks then flushed with astonishment.

It was too late, Gimli heard the sweetness that hung below their words. That blasted wall would need to come down eventually.“ It isn’t a lie,” he offered the beauty a small smile. feeling gallant he locked eyes with the elf, “ Fairest flower, would you please bless the morning with your song if not for my own ears?”

Legolas gasped in a stream of stammering, “ Pl-lease… do-n’t.. You’re making fun of me and I don’t a-a-appreciate that. Wh-y se-eek me just to to-y with me for your own amusement,” pain filled his eyes. Anxiety began to rise in their chest again.

Gimli shook his head, before bowing low to the elf in earnest, “Again I say, I dare not speak a lie. Your presence this morning is what my heart yearns for,” He then took several steps forward in order to tenderly take the other by the hand. He pressed his lips to its silken top.

Legolas surged with disbelief. They could feel a well of emotions ready to burst within their chest. They could not control the trembling that rippled in their hand he held. The sensation traveled up their arm and through their body. “ please…I-I-I… your joke has gone too far.” as much as they wanted to ignore the feeling, this man’s words spilled into their inner void.

Gimli sighed, massaging reassuring circles into the elf’s hand before leading them to a log to sit down. Legolas didn’t fight it, although they had not the faintest notion why. The royal’s skittish eyes jumped around disoriented. They could feel their breath picking up. They tapped their feet jittered by the situation.

All of this was of course interrupted by the dwarf taking a knee in front of the cherry-faced royal. “Please, my deer. Honor me with your heavenly song.” he again took Legolas’ hand kissing it.

Legolas stared at the man speechless with trembling lips under his gaze. A nod was all that they could manage while being stared at with such intensity. With a shaking breath, they opened their mouth only for gorgeous, melodious, words to escape. Gimli’s soul began to sing in time with the elf’s mellifluous voice.

[haen45]

BTS: The Type of Husbands I Think They'll Be

Hey, Tumblr fam! Let's talk about BTS. While we adore their music and performances, let's indulge in some playful speculation and imagine what kind of husbands the BTS members might be in the future 😉.

1. RM (Kim Namjoon):

As the leader and intellectual powerhouse of BTS, Namjoon exudes a sense of calm and wisdom. We can envision him as a supportive and understanding husband, always ready to listen and offer insightful advice. He'd be the type to encourage his partner's dreams and passions, making sure their relationship is built on mutual growth and respect.

2. Jin (Kim Seokjin):

Jin, our beloved worldwide handsome, possesses a playful and caring nature. He'd be the type of husband who surprises his partner with little gestures of love and affection. From romantic candlelit dinners to planning spontaneous adventures, he would make every moment special. His heartwarming sense of humor and knack for cooking would surely make home a delightful place to be.

3. Suga (Min Yoongi):

Suga, known for his introspective and passionate personality, might be the kind of husband who understands the importance of personal space and independence. He'd support his partner's individuality, giving them room to grow and pursue their own interests. Suga's artistic nature could inspire creative collaborations and late-night conversations about life and dreams.

4. J-Hope (Jung Hoseok):

J-Hope's infectious energy and bright smile make him a ray of sunshine. As a husband, he would be the ultimate cheerleader, constantly motivating his partner to reach new heights. With his endless optimism and uplifting spirit, he'd be the go-to person for emotional support and unwavering encouragement.

5. Jimin (Park Jimin):

Jimin, the embodiment of elegance and grace, has a heart that radiates pure love. He would be the type of husband who cherishes emotional connection and demonstrates his affection through acts of kindness. Jimin's nurturing nature would make him an attentive partner, always striving to create a safe and loving environment for his loved one.

6. V (Kim Taehyung):

Known for his playful and mischievous personality, V would bring an element of fun and spontaneity to the role of a husband. He'd be the type to plan surprise dates and adventures, ensuring that life with him is an exhilarating journey filled with laughter and excitement. V's expressive nature would make every day feel like a romantic escapade.

7. Jungkook (Jeon Jungkook):

Our golden maknae has grown into a versatile artist and remarkable individual. Jungkook would be a fiercely loyal and dedicated husband, striving to be a pillar of strength for his partner. He would always go the extra mile to ensure their happiness and well-being, promising a love that withstands the test of time.

Of course, these speculations are just for fun and based on my perceptions of the BTS members. Thank you very much for reading ❤️❤️❤️. Tell me which Kpop group or k-drama actors I should feature in my next post .

[strawberryshortcake1495]

So I had a dream about an AU that I’m calling the “Pink Pony Club AU” because why not. It’s basically Murder Drones but Uzi is replaced by her opposite version made by @megbanned. There was this scene where N (canon) has this vision about V or something and he’s really shaken up and Evil!Uzi tries to comfort him but he flinches and is like “Please don’t touch me :(“ AAAA- Sorry. Anyways, Evil!Uzi maintains a safe distance from N and tries to calm him down by telling him a story about fishing. N tells her that fishing isn’t a really feminine thing to do, and Evil!Uzi tells him that she may like feminine stuff but she’s open to anything. After some talking, Evil!Uzi manages to slowly but steadily reach out and hold N’s hand, and he lets her. This next part of my dream is about the Prom episode, and it’s about the scene where Evil!Uzi and N meet up in the snow. Now I know Evil!Uzi has a canon prom outfit, but in this AU, she wore a suit because she wanted “to experiment”. N is wearing a dress because he “also wanted to experiment” (but there was nothing else to wear). I know it doesn’t make sense, but at least they’re dapper!

Tbh I love N and Uzi’s golden retriever and black cat dynamic but I’m all for two little rays of sunshine who are just so sweet to eachother. Also, I’m planning on changing Evil!Uzi’s name in this AU, but I’m not sure what. If you made it to the end, thanks for reading. It means a lot to me <3 Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to hyperfixate about this AU for the rest of my day.