#d gray man fanfic

[georgiapeach30513]

With Your Touch, Part 8

Summary: There's some things that need to be discussed

Pairings: Lloyd Hansen x Reader

Rating: explicit

Warnings:  explicit language, explicit sexual content, D/s dynamics, teasing, fingering, degradation, praise kink, humiliation kink, toy play, slight voyeurism, unprotected sex, creampie, mentions of cum play, bit of breeding kink, mentions of spanking, 18+ ONLY

Word Count: 6.1K

Previous

Series Masterlist

Lloyd leans into Lyla’s bedroom, smiling at you unable to leave her. You don’t say anything, or even move, you just stare at the precious Lyla Bee. A soft smile turns your mouth up. So often you show your love for her. It isn’t something you have to do, it’s something you choose to do daily. It’s the sexiest thing you can do. You love an extension to him.

He’d have to make it official. Eventually give Lyla a sibling. He’s enjoying playing with your body, but he seriously can’t wait to see you swollen with him. To see you around your father and he understands the love that the two of you have. And he knows what a good girl that you are.

Lloyd fully intends on exploring your sweet obedient ways. He wants to push you to your limits, with your complete consent as well. “She’s so beautiful,” you coo down at your daughter. You don’t want anything in this world to ever harm her. If you could keep her this little you would. Freeze time so everything stays this sweet always.

It’s an odd thing to accept that she wants you to be her mom, but also Lloyd. There’s no way that you could love her any more than you do, even if you birthed her. You could spend hours just looking at her. Watching how her lips pucker up, and she even makes smacking noises with her mouth when she’s extra tired. She learns something new everyday, and you don’t want to miss a second of her life.

Lloyd walks up behind you, wrapping both arms around your front. He settles his chin on your shoulder to stare at this beautiful angel with you. “She really is. She’s spectacular.”

“I don’t think her wants her daddy to go back to work,” Lloyd knows exactly what you’re trying to pull. You’ve been laying it on thick all week about his returning to work.

“I think her mama is trying to guilt trip her daddy into not leaving.”

“But it’ll be lonely out here,” he doesn’t have to look at you to know that you're pouting. He doesn’t want to ignore your fears, but also doesn’t want to let you know that this is fully working on him. He’d almost choose to never go back. But you need boundaries. And he has no problem giving them to you, and also enforcing them.

He inhales swiftly, turning his head to kiss on your neck, “I’m going to make it a point to come home every night. Sometimes maybe every other night,” you groan, pushing your ass into his back, and your eyes go wide. His soft kiss turns to a nibble on your neck as he walks you out of her bedroom.

“Why are you hard?”

Groaning, he cups your covered mound, and you whimper. His hands are so large. You’ve had them in you. You still haven’t gotten used to that. Lloyd Hansen has been inside of you. Swimming inside of you. “Lloyd?” You whimper, and he drops his arms from around you, sitting on the couch with a plop, and you see his tightened jeans. “Lloyd!”

“Oh, shut up,” it’s playful, he grins at you. He rubs his hand over his bulge, smiling, “You know, when she goes to sleep, it’s time for mama and daddy to have fun,” the sinful bastard, “But first, we need to establish some boundaries.”

Your brow raises, while you look at him inquisitively, “Dolly, it’s just to make sure that I never take advantage of your trust. You have no idea the ways I want to play and use your body, but you have to give me permission.”

“You have it,” you earnestly answer. Your feet swish back and forth, eyes going glassy as you stare at him. Naturally going into a submissive state, Lloyd has a deep urge to destroy you like this. Just so he can lift you back up. He can’t take advantage of something your body naturally craves.

“You truly don’t understand. Sit,” listening immediately, Lloyd grins, “Good girl. You listen well,” you preen, leaning towards him. “You do well with praise. Noted,” he hums, staring over your body a moment. You’re so reactive to him. Sitting up straighter, and shoulders shimmying. That slight smile tickling the edges of your plump mouth.

“I have very distinct — needs,” that didn’t sound bad. “I haven’t done relationships, and I fear that I could be too much,” that could be putting it lightly. He’s extremely needy, and is prone to stress. He needs you to unwind.

“Why’s that?”

“There’s this bit of a humiliation mixed in with degradation that I enjoy,” inhaling sharply, you find yourself staring at the fabric of the couch. You didn’t know how to press him for more information. “Do you want to be my slut?” You tremble, but nod your head. “Why?”

“I’m just yours?”

“Just mine.”

“That’s why,” Lloyd smirks, “If I asked you to stop, would you?” He makes a weird noise with his mouth, looking up at you, “What does that mean?”

“Sometimes in intense sessions, you say stop because you feel it’s what you should say, but you desperately don’t want me to stop. Hence, the need for a safe word, and the need for me to read your body language. Safe word?”

You think long and hard. You know it needs to be something you wouldn’t normally say out loud. Something easy to remember, easy to say, easy for him to understand even if you whisper it. “Nightingale,” Lloyds eyes blink rapidly, and you’re afraid you said something wrong.

“It’s beautiful,” the smile that lights up your face has him feeling all fuzzy in his stomach. The way your body reacts to him is too addictive. You’re more dangerous than he ever thought about being, “The nightingale is often associated with Venus. I think that’s perfect for you.”

“What do you mean by humiliation?”

Lloyd hisses between his teeth. His hands drag up his thighs, that one is a bit more complicated, “When my fingers are buried so deep into your cunt, do you want me to tell you that you’re taking my fingers like my sloppy little slut?” You look just like a puppy. Nodding your head, and scooting closer to Lloyd. “Do you want me to make you clean up your mess with your tongue for my own enjoyment before I let you fuck yourself with my cock?”

Gulping you nod, “Yes.”

“What about what I mentioned last night? Put the toy version of my cock inside of you, pulling your panties up, and asking you to pour me some bourbon. Maybe ask you to get on your knees to wipe something out of the floor, and I can stare at that toy puckering out your lingerie while you crawl around?”

“My god, yes,” you’re such a slut. Maybe it’s a slut for him. Possibly a slut for the praise, but regardless, a slut. “Yes. I want to play with the little Lloyd toys.”

He chuckles. Reaching over to a drawer, and retrieves out the little toy. He’s bright pink. “Ooh! I want to call him LJ,” it didn’t take a genius to know why you wanted to call the toy that. “What do you want me to do?”

“I want you to behave, and listen. Stop pouting,” his voice is still soft, but the command is obvious. “I want you free use,” you furrow your brows, staring into his eyes. “Anytime I want you, I can use you. With discretion of course. I will never fully share you. I will never let another man look upon your body if you don’t want it. I-I,” he stutters, “I want you to explore your sexuality. If you want someone to join us, I would consider it, but everything is with your say so.”

“Wait another man in the bed with us?” he watches your face intently. Making note of how you’re not disgusted, you’re curious.

“Or woman,” you scrunch your nose up, shaking your head no, “It’s not that bad.”

“I just don’t want to share you.”

“I know you don’t, sweetheart. But sometimes we just have to get it in when we can, and if you’re dripping with my seed, you’ll just have to suck it up, even if people are around,” you are a peculiar and funny little thing. Trying to work out different scenarios. “Let’s say that there is a visitor here, and we’re in the middle of something. We finish up as much as we can. But maybe I can’t fully clean you up. I get off on knowing that you're soaked in my cum, while we have company.”

“Yes,” one simple word is all that he needs to hear. You are truly a slut for him. For wearing him. He reaches over towards you, tugging at the hem of your shirt, and you pull it off with so much enthusiasm. Lloyd leans over just a bit for an open mouth kiss on each nipple. Kissing and sucking on the tender flesh until they’re peaked and pebbled up.

“Take off your bottoms,” you listen. “Such an obedient little one. Now, turn around. I want you laying back on my thigh,” this time you don’t move as quickly. Stubbing up and pouting at him. Refusing to listen to his command, and he slaps at the side of your rear. “Behave, and do as I said, so I can play with you and LJ.”

You may huff, but you listen. Laying back on him, and he taps on your thighs to spread your legs wide open. “What other colors of the little Lloyds are there?”

He leans over your body, gazing intently at your split before he barely flicks your sensitive pearl, “One is blue, and the other is purple,” he is too enthralled in your clit, and you’re becoming too aroused to pay attention. “What are their names?”

“Umm…”

Waiting too long, he squeezes your bundle of nerves between his thumb and forefinger, causing you to arch your back in surprise, “What are their names?”

“L-L-Leonard,” that isn’t what he was expecting. “The blue one, he’s Leonard. The purple is — he’s,” you look down your body, watching as Lloyd plays with you. Comparing the thickness of his fingers to your body. But it’s not overtly sexual. He’s having fun exploring your folds. “His name is — Lennon.”

All L names. You would do that. “You do realize I could have you airtight without me ever being inside of you? I could have LJ in your tight little pussy, Leonard in your ass, and Lennon in your mouth. Watching you go dumb on three cocks that might be shaped like me, but they’re not. And then if you get extra desperate, I could push myself in your cunt. Right beside LJ. Do you think you can handle four of my cocks?”

“No,” he plunges a finger into your warmth, and you try To capture his eyes. He didn’t look disappointed, but he does seem less animated. You don’t like seeing him like that. You want him to look proud, “But I would try.”

“Such an eager little whore. That’s why I like you, you know. You would do anything to please me, wouldn’t you?” Breathlessly you answer him. Nodding your head as he dips another finger into your body. Having you spread out, naked, and vulnerable is his favorite. He’s fully clothed, but he gets to look at the work of art that is you.

Venturing deeper into your cunt, he watches your face with every small movement he makes. Learning what makes you tick, and what you enjoy. Listening to the change of your breathing, and the slight differences in your sounds. And then pulls out of you too soon. He caresses your lips with his fingers, making the pillows look glossy with your essence. And then his meaty fingers go into his mouth where he sucks off the rest of your honey, “Hmm, you taste so sweet.”

He licks his lips, reaching over to grab LJ, and brings it to your mouth, and you suck on him enthusiastically. Trying to show him how much of the toy you can take, but he pulls it out of your mouth, and lowers it to your entrance. Lloyd teases the toy around your hole, and without commandment, you spread out further. Angling your body for easier entrance. He slowly breeches through your walls.

His mouth falls open right along with yours as he studies your body opening up, and accommodating him, LJ. The sounds that your body makes is a symphony, ringing in your home. He becomes obsessed with you. Pushing and pulling out the hot pink toy. Your slick coats the fake version of him. Each push into you, he goes deeper.

Deeper.

Deeper still.

Until he can push it in balls deep, and he holds it there. You took every inch. Every thick veiny inch of the fake him. His free hand cups your breast, and he pinches on your swollen nipple. Perfect. You take him so well. While you may have your toys, he has you as his toy. The things he could do to you. It’s not even innately about sex with you as much as giving you pleasure. He finds pleasure in that.

You’re so reactionary to being filled with him that it nearly makes him weak thinking about you waddling around the house with this stupid dick inside of you. Have you get on all fours while you simulate backing up on him. God, your body is immaculate.

“Lloyd,” you pant out, looking between him, and the immobile toy. You need something else, and he’s not giving it to you. It’s both frustrating, and hot as fuck, and it confuses your brain, “Lloyd? Daddy?”

“Yes, baby?”

“I want to come.”

“You’re such a sweet girl. Can I just play with you?” Your body needs some release. It needs anything besides this torturous nothingness. “Why don’t you play with your clit, and let me just watch you get yourself off.”

His eyes look over to the clock, and he smiles. Still holding that stupid toy fully in you. The depth of it gives your belly a funny feeling. An ache you can’t explain. It doesn’t hurt, it’s not fully uncomfortable, but it is different. “Use both hands. Spread those lips far apart, and let me see that cute little swollen clit of yours.”

You follow his instructions. Letting him see the button before creating tight circles on your body. Your hips start to buck up as you imitate sex. Rocking on the couch just to make your tits bounce. Putting on a show for him so he will want to fuck you. Will want to at least let you come.

Your body climbs with pleasure, and you close your eyes. Envisioning that he is hovering over you. Pushing his length as deep as he can, and a lewd moan escapes your puckered lips. He feels so good deep in your body. He feels good with his weight over you. Filling you up with every inch of him, and with his load right in your belly. “Daddy, I’m so close.”

“There you go, princess. You’re right there aren’t you?” Giving him a head nod, he takes his hand off the toy. Bringing both of them to your tits, and he tweaks, and pinches them. Watching as your swaying body creates the friction with the toy you needed. Sucking the hot pink rod into your body, and lifting up so it pulls out. Little desperate slut, “Such a needy little slut. You’re taking every inch of that pretty little cock. But…”

Lloyd doesn’t get to finish his sentence. His fingers let go of your tits, and he pulls your hands off your body. Keeping them spread so you can’t touch yourself, but your body still searches for movement. “Shh,” he says, but you’re too busy trying to jump over the edge of euphoria. “Dolly, don’t you hear the doorbell ringing?”

“What?” You halt. Listening with haggard breaths, and the doorbell rings again. “Lloyd, no!”

“Don’t pout. Just get dressed. Leave the dick inside of you,” you gawk at him. “I said what I said, Dolly. Dressed, with the dick still inside your body. “It’s just Ari. He arrives almost directly on the dot when I ask him.”

You sit up, starting to pull the wretched pink toy out of your body, and Lloyd tsks you. “I don’t want this in me when Ari is here.”

“Do you remember what we said just moments before?”

“Yeah, but you tricked me. You knew he was coming tonight.”

He actually rolls his eyes at you before grabbing your chin, “What’s your safe word?” You shake your head no, “Either say it, or put your fucking clothes on,” you stare at him a moment, unmoving. “Each second I count is how many spankings you’re getting. One,” you don’t dare move. You can be just as stubborn as him. “Two. Three. Four. Five.”

You cross your arms over your chest. Trying to ignore him. “Six. Seven.”

“Fine!” Your voice is a bit raised as you reach for your shorts. Leaving the panties in the floor, and hope they embarrass him. And you grab your shirt. Asshole. He sits there with his legs crossed looking awfully proud of himself. “Aren’t you going to open the door?” You ask him. He got too comfortable, and now you’re dressed, and still aching to find some release that is just right out of your grasp.

“Nope. You are,” your mouth falls open. “Go on, princess. Let daddy’s friend in. He’s been waiting on you to act like the good girl I know you are,” fucking tease. Standing up. You wince. Not in pain but because the movement sends an odd sense of pleasure through your body. “Ari’s waiting. Go on, waddle for me, baby.”

You aren’t going to waddle. You won’t give him the satisfaction. You’re going to walk very oddly, sure. But you hold your chin up high. Refusing to let him know you see his cocky little smile as you make your way to the front door. Smiling up at Ari as you open the door.

His eyes drift down your front with a smirk before he walks past you and into the living room. And you stand at the front door, trying to regulate your breathing. You aren’t going to let him see you struggle. “Sweetheart, Ari and I would like something to drink.”

The fucking asshole. This is so wrong, and still there’s that part of you that enjoys it way too much. A sexual secret that you and Lloyd share, while you have company. Knowing that Lloyd knows what is inside of you. Wonder how he’d feel if Ari knew. If Ari saw. You get the most devilish grin on your face. You didn’t care if people knew that Lloyd could destroy you with his dick. And Ari is bound to know all the sick twisted ways Lloyd gets off.

“Did you mean for her to answer the door with her nipples hard as a rock?” Ari motions his head toward the discarded panties on the floor. Lloyd would get you all worked up right before Ari came here. Edging is his favorite hobby.

“You should see my dick,” Ari rolls his eyes as he settles back into the couch, and then he makes a face of disgust before moving to the chair. “Why did you do that?”

“You’re on a couch with a hard on. Your girlfriend is walking around in short shorts, bra less, and nipples protruding. And that spot was warm,” chuckling, Lloyd pops his fingers into his mouth, moaning, “You’re truly sick. You know that?”

“Have you seen her?”

“I think you’ve seen enough of her,” Lloyd scoffs. His crystal eyes roam down the hall, trying to listen to hear what you’re doing. He hopes you’re fucking yourself. Knowing how frustrated you are, he hopes you’re doing something to get yourself off. He’ll watch the footage when Ari leaves.

“Lloyd, everyone is getting restless. You either need to take an extended break, and let me resume power, or come back. But the mercenaries need to know what’s going on. You can’t hole up here with your slut forever.”

“You’re not saying that in a derogatory way are you?” Ari shakes his head no. “I mean, she is my slut. She’s my girlfriend, Lyla’s mom, my future baby mama, future wife,” Ari clears his throat, “What?”

“That’s another thing. Someone got wind of Candy sniffing around. Me thinks she knows how much you’re worth, and either she’ll hold Lyla over yours and her head, or you’ll have to pay her off.”

“Write her a check,” Lloyd grunts suddenly. The idea of that woman coming and taking Lyla from you is sick. She didn’t even give her daughter a name!

“See the problem with women like her, she’ll always come back for more. You need it legally settled that you and Dolly are her parents. The lawyers are drawing up a petition for adoption. You know, it’ll need to be legal. She will come back.”

“Then I’ll put a bullet through her head,” he’s so annoying and ridiculous that Ari can’t even comprehend his little tyraid. “She won’t have our daughter. Lyla doesn’t even know her. Do you know who puts her to bed every night? Who bathes her every day? Pushes her in that stupid expensive pram? Goes to mommy and me classes for singing and yoga? Who is teaching her to walk? And who has been planning a first birthday party for her? Not some fucking whore who wasn’t worth the money I paid, and who poked fucking holes in the goddamn condoms.”

You flinch walking back into the living room. Getting an apology from both men. You take a deep breath, handing Ari’s bourbon on the rocks to him, and definitely not waddling to Lloyd to give him his. He pulls you nearly into his lap. Leaning you so far onto him, your ass is pointing towards Ari, and you playfully look towards him. He sees it. See the outline of Lloyd’s little dick inside of you.

His lips curve up into a devilish smile, and he raises his brows. Holding his cup up as if to cheers you, and you wiggle your as a bit. Smiling right back before Lloyd smacks over the protruding toy, and you lift up, moaning so loud that Ari chokes on his bourbon. Your face heats up with the most delightful embarrassment and you hide it in Lloyd’s chest.

“Stop looking,” he warns Ari, who still refuses to look away.

“Stop putting it out on a platter for me to stare at,” Lloyd is too fast. Reaching into your shorts, he tugs out the toy, and drops it onto the coffee table. Leaving Ari to stare at something besides yourself. Now it’s a hot pink replica of Lloyd’s cock, shining in the light, and soaked with your honey, and…

“I knew it,” he whispers more to you, even if Ari hears it. “Now that everyone can get their mind out of the fucking gutter. Dolly, Ari tells me we may have some issues with Lyla Bee’s birth mother. It seems she is pushing for leverage, and she’s using our daughter.”

You sit up immediately. Going into mama bear protective mode, despite the soaked dildo on the table. “She won’t take my daughter.”

“Ari doesn’t seem to think paying her off is enough.”

“It won’t be,” Ari raises his cup towards you. “No, it won’t. Women like her know that you would pay anything to keep our daughter with us. She’ll know your weak spot, our weak spot.”

“So she needs a bullet in her head,” that isn’t at all what you meant.

“No!” Ari bursts out laughing, but you’re serious. “I know what you do. But maybe — I think we need, I mean if you’re okay with it, but maybe we should do something legal. I mean what if I adopted her. If she’s legally mine there’s nothing that woman can do, right?”

“Thank you!” Ari raises his hands up, and looks at Lloyd, “She gets it. So, I’ll talk to the lawyers and get the ball rolling. We’ll tell them the address of Dolly and Lyla are to be held off as long as possible. You know you’ll have to go through a background check, and,” he grimaces, looking at the stupid forgotten toy again, “It’ll probably be easier if you’re married.”

“Oh,” you answer in surprise, looking up at Lloyd who remains emotionless. his control on his emotions can be frustrating, “That will be something we’ll have to discuss. But — whatever it takes. I need my daughter,” it’s amazing how quickly you accepted her as yours. With as much time as you spent with her, it just made sense. And now you also get to share her dad. “Is that why you came by?”

“Yeah. And Lloyd promised me a show of you fucking yourself with the dildo,” you’re stunned. Unable to look at either one of them, and Lloyd is no help. He’s completely frozen in place.

“Maybe next time.”

“I was only kidding. I know he has a weird little obsession with his dick, and his toys,” the toys of his dick, or you as the toy? You aren’t sure how Ari means, or if he means both. Doesn’t matter. “I’m sure I’m going to leave, and he will make you perform for him though, and I suppose he’ll want to look and see how wide your cunt is spread,” Lloyd clears his throat.

“Have the two of you watched a girl do that together?” Ari answers yes quickly, while Lloyd groans. “Oh. So you’re really close?” The two seem close. Possibly more than colleagues because who watches a girl masturbate with their best friend with them?

“We didn’t have sex with her at the same time. It was more or less entertainment, and you’re not a paid for show. Anyways,” leaning forward, he places the cup on the table before lifting himself up. “You two have fun with that conversation,” and he leaves.

You swallow deeply, keeping your eyes on LJ. Contemplating how you want to start this conversation. “Do you want to share me?”

“I want you to be happy, and I’ll do whatever experiences you want to keep you that way. If you don’t want Ari to see you riding the toy, or just playing with yourself, you don’t have to. It is not a requirement, and I’m perfectly satisfied with that. Your pleasure is my pleasure. I do enjoy watching you pleasure yourself. I enjoy staving off my own arousal to watch you get off. I like that desperate feeling when I finally sink into you.”

Inhaling deeply, you take off your shirt, and step out of your shorts. Grabbing up the dildo of Lloyd, you suction it to the floor, and stand over it. Keeping your eyes on Lloyd, and he scoots the table to the side, and leans back on the couch. Your knees slowly bend as you sink to the floor. You’re not performing. You’re just watching him. Seeing what it is he truly likes.

Getting to your knees, you hover over the nine inches that make up Lloyd before sinking over him. He stares so hard at the toy splitting you open. He doesn’t even touch himself. He just watches as you slowly bounce over it. “Would you want Ari to see me like this?”

“Would you want him to?” He answers a question with a question, so you pinch your nipples. Trying to make him squirm, but it does nothing.

“Possibly.”

“Then maybe,” infuriating. He can’t even fully answer.

“Would you would want Ari to fuck me?” Straight forward is the best way.

Lloyd sucks in a beat of air, “I’d prefer he didn’t.”

“Would you want Ari to watch you fuck me?”

“I wouldn’t mind it, but only if you wanted it, and were comfortable,” at least he’s being honest. Lloyd’s kink isn’t about sharing you. It’s about showing off what he has.

“Would you let Ari touch me, while you’re fucking me?”

“You know Ari is a bit of a cuck, right?” Your brow raises as you look at him. “Ari enjoys watching people have sex. He enjoys fingering a woman when she’s filled with cum so he can make a mess of her used hole. He enjoys writing on her body how much of a slut she is before he watches a man fucks a load into her. Or him. He doesn’t care who is getting fucked. He likes watching. He enjoys cleaning cum out of her pussy. He enjoys fucking women, and men fucking him. Ari enjoys the art of voyeurism that turns into participation. He enjoys the art and beauty of sex and pleasure. It’s not about love as much as it is about enjoyment. So tell me Dolly, do you want Ari to finger you while eating my cum out of your swollen pussy?”

You don’t know how to answer that. It’s so much information all at once. It’s raw and vulgar. It’s hot as fuck. But to have someone do that to you, you just don’t even know. It’s too much happening at once. Way too much. “You don’t have to answer now. But now that you understand Ari’s odd little choices in sex…”

“Have you ever fucked Ari?”

There’s a bit of a hesitation before Lloyd shakes his head, “No. It’s not like that. He participates, yes. But…”

“Your love has remained platonic?”

“I think you think he’s a third. Ari has no problems finding partners. But he enjoys the ways that I can degrade, humiliate, and praise a sub all at once. You couldn’t handle him,” you didn’t know what that meant, and you no longer have a desire to discuss Ari. You want Lloyd inside of you immediately.

“Fuck me,” he cocks up an eyebrow, smiling. “Fuck me like you love me,” he stands. Removing his shirt, and pulling down his pants and underwear at the same time. The pretty cock springs free as he walks out of his pants and towards you, and lifts you right off the toy, and onto his own cock. Wrapping your legs around his waist as he carries you into the bedroom.

He crawls the two of you onto the mattress, and lays you down gently. His body weight lowering on top of yours. Lloyd uses his nose to pet around your face. Smoothing his skin across the perimeter of your jaw, inhaling your scent as he lifts your arms above your head. Weaving his fingers in yours before he rolls himself in and out of you.

A steady rhythm of thrusting. He’s so soft and deliberate with his movements. Continuing to trace your face with his nose. Whispering your name, “I love you. We don’t have to invite anybody into our sex life. You’re more than enough. And I need you to understand that. If you don’t want Ari to ever see you in the position he did tonight, I need you to vocalize that, okay?”

“Okay,” you pant out. Arching your back to take more of him. You want him all over you.

“You can take all the time in the world to decide that. You can change your mind at any time,” the idea of Ari is exciting to him, but not necessary. Especially if it meant losing you. That is what mattered; you and Lyla. Not some kinky sex and cum play.

“I know,” he knows this is the worst time to try and get you to comprehend what could be a difficult sex life. But he isn’t lying. It isn’t a performance. You’re his obsession. Just you. You are more than enough for him. “What did you know earlier?” your chest heaves as you try and get the question out. “When you took LJ out of me.”

“You left your cream on the toy,” he laughs up against your neck. His mouth and hips are both a work of art, and the most sinful parts of him. “You got yourself off before you came back into the living room didn’t you?”

“Maybe,” he bites your neck, starting to suck on the skin hard. “You’re going to leave a mark!”

“Tell the truth,” he demands before sucking even harder. Sending every synapse in your brain into overdrive.

“Yes! Yes, I was leaning over the counter, and — and I was — I was — Lloyd!” He stops his movements, and you squeal. “Stop!”

“Then answer me.”

He starts a steady pace again, and then pounds into you so hard you see stars. His pace changes to slow, but rough jabbing movements, “I was just playing with my clit, and — and humping air. I was pretending it was you. Daddy!”

You’re wrecked. His movements are so slow, but they hit every right spot. Maybe it’s the blinding stabs into you that has every muscle in your body tightening up. He fucks into you so hard that the hairs on your body stands up, your toes curl, and your fingernails dig into his hands. You wish you could touch some other part of his body. You’re a goner.

Each thrust becomes harder. Deeper. Just. Right. There.

In. The. Perfect. Spot.

“Daddy!” Everything blurs. Lines disappear, and your body is numb with pleasure. Breathing so erratically as stars light up your vision. “Daddy!”

Jolting your body up the bed higher. Until your hands hit the head board, and he drops them. Slamming his hands above you, and he rockets himself into you. Pounding you so hard that your body lurches higher on the bed. Your head starts to knock against the padded board, and you start speaking in tongue to the heavens above as pleasure so deep in your body locks your bones into place.

Lloyd grunts, gritting his teeth as he remains pistoning into your clenching cunt. Your body is locked down, and this high lasts so long that you forget how to breathe. How to even be a human. Bright light floods into your mind, and then a loud, “Fuuuck,” before warmth spews inside of you, and your walls pulse around his cock. Milking him dry.

“My god, if you want me to marry you, I’d do it tomorrow,” you hum as he settles over you. He kisses around your neck. Using his fingers to trace the delicate lines on your neck and collarbone. Something is missing, and now he knows, “We’re going to have to fix this before I go back to work,” he still has to deal with The Verb, and your disgusting father. But he’s going to make sure everyone knows that you belong to someone. Even if you didn’t understand the significance, others would. He’s sure the neighbor down the street that stared at you when you dropped the keys to your car too long would understand exactly what it meant.

He had to make it be known that you were claimed, and unavailable. In every way possible. “Yeah, you’ve got a nasty little hickey on your neck.”

“What?” Your hand feels around your neck where he bit you. Thinking you could see with your eyes before you roll over on top of him. He sighs when he feels himself drip out of you. He doesn’t even care that you’re giving your own mark on him because you’re also grinding your greedy little twat on his stomach. You’re just as insatiable as him.

You nip on his creamy skin. Sucking and kissing over him. You want this ugly thing to last. Moving lower to give him another hickey. And another. If he’s going to leave you, you’re going to make sure everyone knows that he comes home to you. Home to fuck you. And home to his family.

You sit up on him, smiling at your handy work. “There. Now you can go back to work, and show everyone how you have a slut living with you.”

“Yeah yeah. Just keep grinding, and get yourself off on my stomach. I’ll walk around with this stupid thing if that makes you feel better. And I’ll worry about those seven spankings another day,” you forgot about that threat. But he didn’t.

In some weird way, you like knowing that he’ll walk around with red bruises all over his neck. Not that you didn’t trust him. It’s just fun to think that everyone knows he’s getting laid on a regular basis. That he can come home to his Dolly. Home to you. Home to your daughter. And his family.

And you have every intention of letting him use you.

Next

Masterlist

Taglist: @tis-thedamn-season @marveloustaylortot @pono-pura-vida @peaches1958 @seitmai

@smile1318 @andydrysdalerogers @cjand10 @midnightramyeoncravings @kmc1989

@pandaxnienke @theinheriteddutchess @rainydayandmondays @buckybarnesisdaddy @patzammit

@xoxo-ls @rebeccapineapple @slutforchrisjamalevans @marvel-wifey-86 @jesevans

@ughdontbeboring @infantasywonderland @vampy-doll @i-like-to-read-13 @missacidburn928

@charmed-asylum @superflannel @hisredheadedgoddess28 @lostinspace33 @abbyyourlocalmilf

@saranghae012 @rogersbarber @tas-renee @kmm-fluv

[yourteght]

» AQUELES, CUJO O PODER CONDENA — capa teste

⟅16.05.2024 — eu disse que ia me afastar mais, só que na minha condição de agora, eu fico louco sem editar :) queria uma capa que me passasse a ideia de uma união de duas capas minhas: a white blood e um lugar para voltar que são minhas capas favoritas de dgm (das que fiz recentemente). Minha ideia era que ia ser uma com o Link e Allen ou o Johnny e Allen porém é tão escasso as imagens deles no pin, então desisti da ideia (por agora) e fiz yullen, é sobre isso :D essa capa foi bem engraçada de fazer pq eu estava sem internet e caçei até o fundo da minha galeria pra achar outras imagens deles, um desafio. ficou um resultado que ok, vou testar coisas novas. Eu nem conhecia essa música, pensei nela depois que ouvi e fui ver a tradução e juntando com esse título, achei que super combina e vai assim, ficou biutifu <3 inté!

[echothagram]

Visual representation of me knowing we’ll have to wait another 3 months before the next dgm chapter

251 was WOW. Like WOW. So much new information and so many previous conceptions completely shattered (@_@). I have a lot of thoughts but I’m just gonna end this post right here

[arimiaromage]

haha what if pasta + twins......but visual novel sprites???

[musicianofzero]

“Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the teeth that catch!” by Musician_of_Zero

Two figures stood in a snow covered field. Cale, with his blood-red hair creating great contrast with the scene around, stared up. However, a totally different shadow fell behind him—this one with a large body, white eyes, and a grin. The other figure, with black hair reaching his shoulders, stubble on his face, and tired eyes, looked solemnly down at Cale. The man’s shadow also looked different—almost that of a deranged clown.

The man leaned over and whispered something Cale had not heard for nearly two lifetimes.

…

“I found you… my darling, 14th.”

OR

After a mysterious attack on the Henituse Duchy, allies, friends, and family are summoned to an unknown realm to find the key to saving their beloved commander. Past and present combine into a grand orchestra of secrets. Three lives. Two worlds. One soul.

Soldier. Savior. Traitor.

Orphan. Survivor. Leader.

Hero. Commander. Family.

Follow the reactions of Cale’s family over on Ao3!

[lost-in-horrorland]

IDK if anyone can help me find it, but I'm trying to find a D.Gray-Man fanfic I read years ago. I remember bits of it, but am drawing a blank atm so I wanna know if it rings any bells for others.

It's an OC fic, and iirc the OC is a girl with red hair that lives in a manor in the woods(?) and her Innocence ends up being her toy bow. I'm also pretty sure it's General Yeager that finds and teaches her.

IDK if she ended up paired with Allen or Lavi, but I'm pretty sure it was a romance with one of those two as the end game.

I think the OC ends up actually being Cross's daughter??? But never knew anything about it and it's only hinted at iirc. Again, it's been well over a decade since I've read this fic.

If anyone knows what fic I'm talking about, can you hmu????

Small edit:

Yes, this fanfiction was originally on FFN when I originally read it years ago.

[freckledlavi]

today i realized that in two different scenarios i wrote things about lavi and being kidnapped by the noah. i'm gonna preface this with i was and sometimes am still a tyki/lavi shipper. so TWICE in 2009 i was like WHAT IF LAVI WAS KIDNAPPED BY THE NOAH WOULDNT THAT BE SO INTERESTING?

fifteen god damn years later, no the fuck it was not interesting. i am tired, hoshino. give him back please.

[sacredfire44]

Considering writing a Daemon AU for D.gray-man, but is the fandom even alive enough to read it????

I like the idea of the complications of necromancy and akuma and Noah when your literal soul is something outside your body, something physical and visible.

What magic is used to get around it? What ways do Akuma affect Daemon? Does the magic keep the daemon whole, controlled by the new invading soul in it’s body? Do daemons shift with the new owner, the new soul, or does the Akuma magic keep them trapped in this form, tortured as much as the other half of their soul, chained to a form not meant for itself? Do akuma’s souls feel it, when you touch their daemon? I can’t imagine they react outwardly, but perhaps through Allen’s eye, he can see them flinch, see them scream and cry and beg for mercy for their daemon, if not for themselves. Can Allen see the daemon’s soul as well, it’s true form, chained and restrained and tortured within itself?

What do Daemon mean for Noah? I like the idea that they unsettle when Noah are reborn, that the rebirth changes them so fundamentally that their daemons must change as well, must rediscover what and who they are. But do they always resettle into the same form as their previous lives? I doubt it. There seems some separation, at least for Tiki, from the original Noah memory. But for Wisely, it seemed to be a one-to-one reincarnation. Perhaps it depends on the individual, on how much they remember and connect with their previous selves, on how much they identify with them.

And what of the Second Exorcists? Are they reborn with their daemon? Do they even HAVE daemon anymore, or did they fail to follow them into this life? If they did, are they the same as they had been the last time? Do the souls remember, even when the brains do not? Do the daemon remember their past lives? Do they see these children as themselves, or are they so different that even the other half of their souls can no longer recognize them? Or are the daemons just as clueless, just as new?

And Neah… is he still considered alive? Does his daemon remain, alive and alone? Does his soul still long for his brother, for his best friend? Do they need to stay nearby, need to cling to the other half of their soul?

Oh god. Oh god Timcampy is Neah’s daemon. Hidden in plain sight, disguised as a golem.

Wait. Neah and Mana were the same person once. Could Timcampy be BOTH of their daemons??? Ohhhh boy, and combined with the theory that Mana sealed his soul inside Allen with the curse, and how much Mana cared about his little Pierrot, and how much Neah and Allen had to care about each other for his reset to make sense, of course a piece of their soul would love him too, of course a piece of their soul would mourn him even if Neah would not allow himself to, and of course their daemon would WANT TO STAY CLOSE-

I may be posting some polls soon about what Daemons characters should have, or I may go take that one weirdly-specific Daemon quiz from the perspective of the characters.

[faeriexqueen]

Songbirds in Winter (Update: 5/27/2024)

Title: Songbirds in Winter. Fandom: D. Gray-Man. Pairings: Alma Karma/Tyki Mikk, Kanda Yuu & Alma Karma (One-Sided/Unrequited Yulma), Lavi Bookman/Allen Walker. Rated: Explicit. Words: 221.3K+. Tags: Romeo and Juliet AU, Omegaverse, Alpha/Omega, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Royalty/Nobility, Renaissance/Renaissance Era, Medieval, Slowburn, Romance, Drama, Angst, Forbidden Romance, Secret Relationship, Eventual Romance, Pregnancy, Hints of Incestuous Feelings/Incest, Family Drama, NSFW, Lemon/Eventual Lemons (Please see AO3 for full list of tags and warnings). Chapters: 28/?. Summary: They had always known that their lives would be planned out for them. For Tyki, it is to eventually become the head of his family as the next alpha in line, despite his wishes for otherwise. For Alma, it is to be married off for the benefit of his kin — to be bred for political gain, regardless of his own feelings on the matter. The stage is set, and they have their parts to play. But being in the crossfire of a dangerous rivalry among noble families is never easy — not when the person you love is the very one you’re forbidden from being with. Chapter 28 Excerpt — Reaching the Edge:

The church bells rang at the hour, the sound heavy and loud. Incense burned as the scent of frankincense and myrrh wafted into the air, filling the ambulatory and nave as light spilled through the stained-glass windows, a mosaic of color painting the pews. Although no congregation took place, several individuals knelt, praying while a few priests tended to the altar. Cross leaned against the inside of the confessional box, weary with an unpleasant, lingering headache — the taste of wine and nicotine still on his tongue. The hour wasn’t even that early, yet Cross was already itching to creep out, the temptation stronger than anything the devil could have dealt him. He had already listened to two confessions that day, and truthfully, he couldn’t be bothered to care. There were so many worse problems in the world. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. If he couldn’t escape, a nap was also attractive. Sloth be damned, he needed a break. The sound of the curtain pulling back drew his attention, and Cross opened his eyes. He scowled, hearing someone get into the confessional box, and readied himself to feign some level of sympathy. Or patience. Whatever he would need more of, God willing. A familiar scent of cedar and patchouli tickled his nose, Cross sniffing. “I come for counsel, o’Father.” “Dear God,” Cross muttered, leaning his head back. He screwed his eyes shut. “I don’t have the energy for you today.”

Read on AO3.

[water-writings]

Who was your first oc? Are they still an active oc or did you leave them in the past? If they're still active, tell us five facts about them! - 🖤

So sorry for the late reply. Life has gotten a little busy the past couple days!

My first OC was for my favorite anime D Gray Man. Her name was Lily Sahi and she was probably a Mary Sue looking back on it. At least I hope she wasn't, but she was my first so she probably was lol!! She is no longer active, but I keep debating revamping her. I technically have revamped her in my head, but I don't think I'll ever get around to writing an actual remake/redo/whole new story on the fanfic I wrote for her.

[cloud-in-lazure]

Аллен умирает. Его сознание и разум рассыпаются на тысяче осколков, а почва уходит из под ног. Парень падает, утыкается носом в сырую, пахнущую свежестью, перегноем и кровью землю. Он лежит среди осколков, не способный даже пошевелиться ��т усталости, или от ран, покрывающих, кажется, каждый сантиметр изможденного битвой тела. Его мутит от запаха гари, на глаза наворачиваются слезы. Как же жжёт! Но юный экзорцист не в силах даже стереть солёные капли со щёк, позволяя им скатываться, оставляя на коже блестящие влажные дорожки. Он просто жмуриться, не желая видеть отвратительной картины вокруг.

Чуть поодаль распростерся на алом песке Канда, сжимая в оставшейся руке расколотый Мугэн, одна его нога валяется на пару метров левее, другая вывернута под неестественным углом, а половина лица расплавилась настолько, что стекла с головы и склеилась с усыпанной мелкими металлическими осколками дорогой. Юу, вроде бы, ещё в сознании и даже что-то бормочет. Интересно, в бреду или нет? В любом случае из заполненного кровью, неестественно растянутого рта вырывается лишь скомканное бульканье. Аллену правда жаль, что он не смог отговорить упрямца идти вместе с ними. Предчувствовал же опасность, но в ответ на предостережение получил лишь "Не лезь ко мне со своими советами, стручок". Теперь последняя, услышанная от товарища фраза звучала еще обиднее. Канда ведь даже не успел нанести ни одного удара перед поражением.

По правую руку, за небольшой воронкой от взрыва виднеется рыжая голова Лави. Бедняга, он ведь даже не хотел в этом участвовать, всю дорогу ныл, что рождён был не для такого и развлекался тем, что пытался обыграть случайных попутчиков по методу Аллена. Лави больше не напишет ни строчки в своих книгах. Сложно писать, когда вся нижняя половина тела, включая кисти рук, превращена в сплошное кровавое месиво из разорванных органов и дымящейся пло��и.

Линали, скорее всего, пока жива, но какое это имеет значение, если каждая косточка в теле девушки сломана, и экзорцистка едва ли способна на что-то большее, чем стонать и безуспешно тянуться вывернутыми пальцами к лицу. Скользящие по щекам, лопнувшие глаза похожи на слезы. Она всё равно очень красивая, для Аллена она самая красивая, даже так, даже если её губы разорваны и на месте рта зияет тёмная дыра.

Уолкер не хочет, чтобы всё было так, чтобы они погибли в одиночестве и бесконечной агонии, полностью растворившись в своей боли, но ничего не может сделать. Он тоже умирает, медленно каплю за каплей отдавая свою кровь земле, парень чувствует, как сам становится всё холоднее, а сердце замедляет свой стук. Ему ещё повезло, перед концом, он может думать, может, при желании, моргнуть, сбросить туманную пелену с усталого взора и посмотреть на мерно плывущие по небу облака, на легко покачивающиеся в объятиях ласкающего их ветра стебельки трав и цветы. Просто ему это не нужно.

Аллен в отчаянии. Какая же он все-таки тряпка, не способная защитить ни друзей, ни простых людей, чьи тела уже рассыпались в прах, оставляя после себя лишь потрёпанную одежду - единственное напоминание о том, что здесь кто-то был. Наверное, эту одежду и похоронят в закрытых гробах. А Аллена? Его тоже похоронят? Его вообще найдут? Зачем всё это, если на могилу уже некому будет прийти. Самые близкие люди будут уже лежать в земле, вместе с ним. Мана... При одной мысли о нём сердце наполняется горечью, и неизъяснимой тоской, на которую способен лишь тот, кто прожил зря всю жизнь, начиная от рождения и вплоть до самой смерти. Аллен не исполнил обещание, данное Мане.

"Продолжай идти..." - слова, отпечатавшиеся на подкорке сознания ребёнка, видевшего в жизни так мало хороших людей, но изо всех сил своего маленького сердца любящего единственного человека, впервые за столько лет подарившего ему нежность, заботу, отеческую теплоту.

Аллен подвёл Ману. И себя. Свои идеалы. Он проиграл, проиграл ни за что, и теперь ни за что умирает. Бессмысленно. Как же всё это бессмысленно! Учитель, верно, посмеялся бы, видя его таким. Жалким и беспомощным.

Юу как-то сказал, что ненавидит слабаков, не способных даже совершить обещанное. Уолкер ненавидел лишь одного слабака, так отчаянно желавшего защищать людей, а в итоге погубившего столько невинных жизней. Кажется, он впервые в жизни так искренне, отчаянно кого-то ненавидел.

Аллен устал. У него нет сил даже на то, чтобы нормально заплакать, закричать вместе с хрустом костей, не понятно своих или чужих. Он устал сопротивляться, бороться, противиться судьбе. Устал смотреть раз за разом на то, как тела покрываются чёрными звёздами, а лица искажаются непониманием и ужасом, устал видеть страдания скованных волей Графа душ. Устал жить и каждый день ждать чьего-то конца.

Возможно, ему стоит снова прокрутить в голове, как заевшую пластинку, неизменную мысль, обычно придающую сил, последние слова отца или что-то про обретения покоя душой акума. Какую-то очередную глупость. Но не проще ли закрыть глаза и отдаться тьме, принимающей слабеющего юношу с распростёртыми объятиями? Не проще ли плыть по течению, позволяя крови покидать тело вместе с жизнью? Не проще ли закрыть глаза, отрешиться от этого мира, полного непонимания, боли, жестокости и насладиться в кое-то веки тишиной, одиночеством, расслабиться в конце-концов. Аллен давно мечтал о хорошем отпуске, ему просто надоело внутренне сгорать каждый раз, проваливая задание, позволяя несчастным людям умереть, встречая акума, терзаемую с ужасной силой. Всё в нём уже прогорело дотла, остался лишь слабый, едва заметный дымок. Чем смерть не лучше отпуска? Бессрочный отдых в небытие. Разве мальчик экзорцист с серебряными глазами не заслужил его?

Аллену больно. Хочется, чтобы всё закончилось поскорее, потому что с каждой минутой становится всё больнее. Ноги, что вроде бы отнялись, продолжают ныть, а каждая рана, каждый порез пылает так сильно, терзая мальчишку непрекращающейся пыткой.

Наверное, он так ничтожен сейчас. Нет, учитель Кросс точно надорвался бы от хохота, увидев своего глупого ученика в столь постыдном положении. Весь в крови, посреди песка и полутрупов - друзей, один во всей вселенной, без сил, без желания жить, с потухшим навсегда блеском в глазах, затянутых дымкой безнадёжности, отрешенный от мира несчастный мальчишка, что когда-то хотел стать экзорцистом. Он бы и сам посмеялся над собой, если бы ещё мог улыбаться.

Аллен сдаётся. Последний бастион в его сознании рушится, организма прекращает даже инстинктивные попытки противостоять неизбежному. Звуки музыки, далекой- далёкой, до сей поры недосягаемой ласкают слух. Он знает, что скоро сольётся с этой музыкой воедино, и это хорошо.

Аллен умирает. Умирает, так и не закончив начатое. Так и не исполнив свою мечту.

[yourteght]

» UM LUGAR PARA VOLTAR — capa pessoal

⟅07.04.2024 — eu achei a minha primeira capa desse casal muito xoxa para o tanto que eu amo eles ENTÃO eu fui lá e fiz uma outra que creio que minhas vozes da cabeça não vão me sabotar :) eu estou totalmente apaixonado por capas mais terrosas que faço normalmente, não sei se repararam mas eu estou impossível, eu tenho alguma coisa com essa cor gente, ela me deixa tão tão mais motivado pra capar que cês não tem ideia <3 eu queria alguma coisa que me remetesse a algo muito distante e a cartas, acho que fiz um dos fundos mais lindos da minha carreira de capista com essa capa, eu acredito que nunca mais vou fazer um fundo tão lindo quanto esse e eu não to bem :'D muito dos recursos que usei foram do Pinterest com as dicas do @shibuinni3 nesse post aqui ☆ (muito obrigado, chuchu). Sobre a capa, o que dizer? Ela é fruto de um surto de domingo à tarde, as minhas capas mais bonitas nasceram assim e com essa não é diferente, eu amei cada segundo :3

[daughterofthesky]

I forgot how fun fandoms are but I’m baack

[writermich18]

Remember that Legend of Zelda and D.Gray-Man writing prompt a few months back? I made a one-shot. :)

Summary: Riju dies and reincarnates as Tyki Mikk, or in her case, Tylah Mikk. Her Secret Stone follows her and transforms into Innocence to fit the world's rules. The world changes years before her birth and after to adjust to the appearance of the Sage of Lightning. Pleasure disappears and makes way for a Gerudo Warrior turned Exorcist.

[crimsonmoon777]

Hey y'all if anyone wants to yeet some fic writing prompts at me, I would love that.

I need something to rest my brain that is currently stuck (without starting something completely new that will take a lot of time)

Main fandoms:

MHA, Blue Exorcist, D Gray Man, Code Geass, Bleach, Fairy Tail, and pokemon

You can throw stuff at me that isn't related to those fandoms but I can't say for certain if I'll get to it (especially if it's not a show/manga I'm familiar with)

[bluebeetle]

You’re flesh and blood, but what’s underneath?

AO3 Link

15k words.

Summary:

Three years in the life of one Tyki Mikk, from his brother’s Noah awakening to his own.

-- “Do you hate our father, Tyki?” Sheril asked.

Tyki paused, hand lingering over the glass he had been about to clean. “No,” he said, and he found it wasn’t a lie. Perhaps once he had, but that hatred had cooled after the years to indifference--even if a part of him still wanted to paint the walls with that man's blood.

But he felt that way about a lot of people, Sheril included, so their father wasn’t special.

Warning for animal death, blood, gore, abusive themes.

It was uncharastically cold that winter.

Living by the Mediterranean usually guaranteed a warm December, with the weather rarely even approaching freezing.  His mother had told him that a cold winter was an ill omen, as frost swept across the country during the worst nights, bringing only death. 

Tyki hadn’t thought much of it--his mother was a superstitious woman most of the time. But as he traveled out into the city, bundled up like never before, he sure wasn’t grateful for the chill. At least the snow had held off--unlike some of the inland towns, according to the gossip he overheard from shivering lips.

Cold as it was, while they had been burning more wood and oil than usual, they were doing fine; he didn’t know why his mother worried so much. It was long past harvest time, with Christmas fast approaching. 

Which brought him to the market--sheltered in an old church for the winter, where it was just a little warmer than the streets. He frowned at the list, written out in his mother’s too-fancy writing. Why did she have to make it so hard for him to read? But he wouldn’t remember it anyways, and his mother was always scared he’d forget how to read, or something. Better than nothing. 

“Tyki! I was worried when I didn’t see you yesterday,” Isabel greeted, as Tyki approached her stand. There wasn’t much available this time of the year--mostly things that kept well, like dried meats, jarred vegetables, and handmade goods. He had already stopped at the general store, but his mother had asked for a few extra things, and with Christmas coming up…

“Something came up with the Kamelots, so we had to deal with it,” Tyki said, watching as she packaged the dried meats for him carefully; she knew his order by heart. 

“I see, you’ve become such a busy young man,” Isabel continued, her hand out for Tyki’s money. He gave her the few escudo coins he had left. Money was always tight, but his mother was good at budgeting. They managed. Isabel handed him the meat, a soft smile on her face.

“Um… this is too much,” he said, blinking. He turned the package around in his hands, the paper crinkling as he inspected it. 

“Consider it a present,” Isabel replied. “For Christmas, and your birthday.”

Tyki blinked. “Thanks,” he said, giving a casual wave goodbye.

“And tell your mother I said Merry Christmas!” 

   The Kamelot manor was quiet when Tyki returned. He squeezed past the gates, heading through the dying gardens towards the servants entrance by the kitchen. After dropping off a few things, he headed to the room he shared with his mother, stashing the rest of their shopping away from sticky hands.

He sighed, sitting down for a moment on his bed, staring at his mother’s neatly made one across the room. It wasn’t much of a room, sparsely decorated and much too small now for the two of them, but it was what they had. It was all Tyki had ever known.

But his break was short, as he pulled himself up and out the door. He was sure his mother was busy with her usual housekeeping duties, so he wouldn’t bother her, instead heading to the kitchen once more to clean up, mostly biding his time for the day. 

“Tyki,” a scullery maid said--he thought her name was Aurora, maybe--”Can you bring this tray to the sitting room? The Master has some guests over, and I’ve got to get working on helping with dinner.”

Tyki glanced up from the dishes he had been slowly working on, trying to hide his distaste. He hated dealing with the Kamelots; his mother was well aware of his distaste, often sending him off on errands off manor grounds or finding ways for him to avoid being in their presence. It was just for the best, for everyone involved.

But he couldn’t avoid them forever, he knew. And Aurora had probably been told to get him specifically; Lord Kamelot liked to remind Tyki of just where he belonged whenever he could.

“Alright,” he said, giving her a sliver of a smile. It wasn’t her fault.

 He dried his hands, movements slow out of pure spite, before he took the tray gently in his hands. The tray was ornate, silver plated, the type of thing Tyki could never afford in his life, even though he was the one who kept it from being tarnished.

He moved through the winding halls of the manor with practiced ease, the building burned into his memory. 

Tyki stopped in his tracks at the door to his destination. He could hear voices, light laughter--a mingling of voices familiar and not. 

He didn’t want to go in. 

It wasn’t fear that kept his feet rooted in place. It was hatred, spite. He gritted his teeth. He didn’t want to see that man. 

He didn’t want to see his father.

Tyki sucked in a deep breath, cooling his nerves. This was a show of power, Tyki knew, or intended to be a way to get a message across to him, though he wasn’t sure what for. He hadn’t done anything to get his father’s ire recently, as far as he was aware; he had long learned to stay out from under the man’s feet and off his toes, as much as he wished to make the old koot suffer. 

Tyki entered the sitting room, as silent as a ghost. 

Lord Kamelot was in his usual ornate chair, chatting with his wife. He said nothing as Tyki sat the tray down on the table they were gathered around; normally gatherings like this would have been on the terrace, but the cold weather brought everyone huddling inside by the fire. 

His father glanced at him, an uncaring look in his eyes as he met Tyki’s. Tyki returned it with a disinterested glance. He wouldn’t be riled up, he wouldn’t give the man an excuse to get rid of him and his mother. 

There was a family Tyki was sure he had seen before opposite Lord Kamelot. The blond woman with them, small and pale looking, seemed familiar, but Tyki didn’t bother with remembering who was who in the world of nobility and socialites. It didn't matter to him.

Tyki turned to leave, his job done, and whatever message his father had been trying to send him ignored.

“Ah, before you leave, stoke the fire, well you?” 

Tyki stopped, blowing a curl out of his eyes. His expression stayed flat, despite the frown trying to tug its way onto his lips.  “Of course,” he said, curt, turning to face the speaker.

Of course it was Sheril . His brother. His half brother. A blood bond neither was all that happy about. Sheril was as bad as nobility got; egotistical, entitled, and easily enraged. Tyki hated the man more than anything, and he knew it was mutual.

It didn’t matter to Sheril that Tyki was a child, being 7 years his junior, nor did it matter that they shared a father--if anything, that made his ire towards Tyki stronger. Sheril did not get along with most of the servants of the Kamelot household, but he had a special hatred for Tyki, like he had any control over the circumstances of his own birth. It wasn’t his fault Sheril’s father had more than a passing interest in some common maid, all while still married to Sheril’s mother.

Lord Kamelot’s infidelity was an open secret. Tyki was sure there was not one person in the household who didn’t know. The obvious nature of Tyki as a bastard was one thing--his mother still unmarried at her age, too focused on her work and raising her son. That was impossible to hide. 

Perhaps, in some alternate world, they would have been able to dance around the topic of who Tyki’s father was, but as it stood it was nearly impossible to--not with how much Tyki was cursed to resemble his father, to resemble Sheril, with the same cool eyes, the same curly dark hair, and the same sun-kissed skin.  

Everyone knew. Though his mother rarely spoke of his father in anything but the most professional tones, even Tyki had known from a young age. Sheril hadn’t let him live without that knowledge, had made it clear why he hated Tyki so much from the beginning. 

Realistically, Tyki knew it was Sheril’s own faults showing through; misplaced anger about his father’s actions, fear about Tyki somehow swooping in and stealing his inheritance (which Tyki knew that would never happen).

He turned towards the fire, the flames hot against his skin as he grabbed the poker, stoking them higher. He glanced towards Sheril, noting the closeness the man had to the daughter of the family visiting. Ah.

“He seems rather young,” the woman said, voice soft. 

Tyki busied himself with cleaning up the ashes, but his ears were always open, prying for information around the home.

“He’s about 16, that’s a perfectly fine working age,” Sheril replied. He was wrong; Tyki was pretty sure he was about 14, almost 15, but Sheril got it wrong so often that Tyki was sure he was doing it on purpose. Or maybe he just cared that little, that such a small detail wasn’t worth even trying to remember.

 “He’s the son of one of the unmarried maids; father was kind enough to let them stay here. ” Kind? He was the one who caused the “problem” of her having to deal with a young child by herself. Tyki wasn’t even sure if his mother had been seduced or coerced, considering the power his father had over her as her employer. 

“Oh, that’s good,” she said softly. 

“Yes. You’ll be seeing him around a lot shortly,” Sheril replied. “He’s our errand boy most of the time.” 

Ah. This was a courtship. Was this Sheril’s plan, then? To what, remind Tyki he was the bastard son, and Sheril was the heir apparent? He already knew that, but Sheril probably got some sort of joy from rubbing it in his face. 

Perhaps, too, it was to make sure his future wife would remember Tyki as a servant first, not Sheril’s brother. He wondered if she’d even notice the resemblance; it was hard to miss.

But Tyki didn’t bother with the Kamelot's mind games and petty drama. He had long since learned to not rise to the bait, even the subtlest of it, if he could.

So he finished tending the fire in silence, before leaving as silently he came, even with Sheril’s glare burning into his back.

   People had asked him, before, if he hated having his birthday on Christmas, but to be honest, Tyki preferred it that way. It was less strain on his mother, since she felt the need for things like gifts, even if Tyki didn’t really see the point. 

Christmas morning was always a quiet affair. Focus first was on making sure things were ready for the Kamelot family the night before and in the early hours of the morning. However, by noon, the servants were left alone, allowed to celebrate in their quarters with each other. The cooks, despite the work they had put in and would put in for Christmas dinner, would usually help the scullery maids whip up a smaller, less decadent meal for everyone.

It was the same every year; they’d attend midnight Mass, prepare for the coming morning, and then rest in the afternoon. 

Tyki stretched out onto his bed like a cat, giving a sigh of content. With the Kamelot's busy for the day, it was nice to just be able to rest.

“Good afternoon, Tyki,” his mother, Dionísia, said. She was pale, her brown hair tied up tight, only the darkness under her eyes betraying the long hours she worked the day before. She headed towards her bed, just across their shared room, and dug around in her chest. “I have a gift for you.”

She looked like she hadn’t slept in days, but that was normal for her these days. Her movements were slow, wracked with coughs as her frail form was. She had been sick for years by that point, probably around three or four. It was tuberculosis; the white plague was a “good death” they said, but it didn’t feel that way to Tyki, watching her slowly wither away. 

Despite her illness, she was still expected to work if both her and Tyki were to stay fed and housed. It made Tyki’s blood boil, but at the very least she was often given work where she could be isolated and keep from spreading the disease, as much as one could anyways.

Supposedly some American had found out it wasn’t genetic and could be prevented with good hygiene. So, Tyki often had to wash his hands due to his close proximity to her, to reduce the risk of getting others in the manor ill. She would always remind him to clean under his nails--always worried about him getting sick.

Tyki sat up, bare feet ghosting the cold wood of the floor. His mother turned back around, revealing a glinting object between her hands. 

“A pocket watch?” he said, gingerly picking it up. It was rather plain, so unlike the intricate metal work on the ones he saw his father with. 

“Yes. I got a good deal on it. It’s made of brass, and the gears are all nice and cleaned up,” she explained.

He opened it up, greeted with a simple, plain clock face. It ticked away, already wound up by his mother. 

“I thought it would be useful; I know you don’t like extravagant gifts,” she said softly. “I was saving up for it all year.”

Tyki nodded, closing it gently. He sat it aside onto his bed, pulling his mother into a hug. She felt cold. He knew, he knew that she had a feeling this could be their last Christmas together. She had been sick for so long, getting so weak… He hadn’t cried in years, but in that moment, he felt like he could sob.

“Thank you.”

    “Where’d you get that?” 

Tyki sighed, snapping his watch closed. He really did not want to have to deal with Sheril. “Gift. For Christmas.” It was still cold outside, so he had been hoping Sheril wouldn’t come out of the manor. He was wrong, as always.

Sheril quirked an eyebrow at him, looking at his distorted reflection on the watch’s metal. “Did you now?“

“Yes,” Tyki replied, annoyed. “It’s also my birthday, so my mother got me something nice.” 

Sheril merely scoffed in disagreement. Whatever. Tyki found Sheril’s watch rather gaudy anyways, with a confusing pattern and an inlaid stone. Ugh. 

“She’s probably going to die soon, you know,” Sheril said offhandedly. He wasn’t looking at Tyki.

Tyki gritted his teeth. “I know,” he said. Stay calm, he thought. Don’t rise to the bait.

“Which will be a good thing. I don’t know why we kept her around when she’s coughing blood everywhere,” Sheril continued. Tyki bit back a comment about how Lord Kamelot clearly only did it out of guilt for siring her son and nothing more. “We could all get sick from that filth, and from you too, I bet; Probably got Tricia sick as well.”

“Huh?” Tyki said, glancing over. “Who?” It was a better topic than his mother’s death, even if he really didn’t care. Sheril liked the sound of his own voice. Tyki merely had to play along. 

“Tricia. My wife-to-be. Or she was, until he called the whole thing off because she’s apparently seriously ill now,” Sheril hissed, pacing now. Great. Tyki hated it when Sheril decided to rant to him; he had to pretend to care, and it was annoying.

But Sheril was clearly upset, so he had to try. “...I’m sorry. About Tricia,” he ground out.

“Sorry?” Sheril snapped. “It was probably you who got her sick, with your… everything!” he threw his hands up in the air. Sheril was such a child, despite being so much older than Tyki. “And then they called it all off! I couldn’t care less if she dies, that wedding--the power her family has here, all politicians… All of that, lost because she’s a little ill!” Ah. Of course. Why would Tyki expect Sheril to care about anyone but himself? 

A sharp sting snapped Tyki out of his thoughts.

“Huh?” he said, rubbing his cheek. Sheril had slapped him. Sheril had slapped him? 

“Don’t give me that look,” Sheril hissed, grabbing Tyki’s wrist like he was worried Tyki was going to run. “Like you think I’m nothing.” “I wasn’t--”

“This is all your fault!” Sheril snapped, claw-like nails digging into his skin. Tyki hissed, trying to draw away. Blood pooled where they were connected. 

Sheril took in a deep breath, cooling his anger. “I don’t have time for filth like you,” he said, pushing Tyki’s arm away. Like he wasn’t the one who had initiated the contact. Then, he left, back to the relative warmth of inside. 

Tyki was alone in the gardens. He was the only one out, with even the gardener and groundskeeper preferring the indoors over the evening chill. He sat on the dying grass, knees to his chest as he glared at the decaying opulence; the wilted rose, the browned hedges, the fountains on the edge of freezing.

He hated this place. He hated everything about it. He leaned back, the buildings stucco rough against his back.

Small squeaking reached his ears, and to his surprise he noticed some brown rats to his left, sniffing at damage to the building.

I should kill them, Tyki thought. Part of it was because he knew how Lord Kamelot would react if he knew there may be rats in his home. But there was another part of Tyki, a darker part, that felt visceral glee at the very idea of it--of adding to the death around him.

He stood slowly, not wanting to spook them. They didn’t seem to notice him before it was too late, his hands scooping up the biggest one. Its brethren ran away, disappearing from his sight, as his prisoner struggled against him, worm-like tail whipping around, its overly long teeth trying to dig into his skin. Sheril’s nails had felt worse.

It would be so easy to break its bones , he thought, to snap its neck and take the thing apart--

His mother didn’t question the blood he washed off his hands when he came back into the kitchen. She merely reminded him to clean under his nails.

Perhaps he could ask the cook about getting live traps in the future.

That would be fun.

  The rest of the week passed without any affair. Snow fell, glistening in the low light spilling out from the manor windows. Tyki scrubbed at the porcelain dish in his hand, staring off into the window. How dull , he thought.

He heard Sheril and Aurora just outside the kitchen, visible in the corner of his eye. Sheril was holding his weight on the wall, talking with Aurora in harsh, quiet tones. Tyki couldn’t pick up his words, so moved his attention back to the window.

A mistake, really.

“Master Sheril!” Aurora cried, the man’s stance faltering as he stumbled. His hand caught the kitchen door frame, knuckles white, shaking. Her hands hovered over him, unsure of what to do.

Tyki glanced up from his work, a frown on his face. Was the idiot drunk?  

Sheril growled, face flushed red. “I’m fine, I’m fine, let go of me--” he hissed, reaching up to wipe sweat off his brow. 

His hand came away red with blood.

“Wh-what?” he gasped, staring at his trembling fingers in horror. Sheril put his full weight on the wall, his breathing ragged with fear and fever. 

“I--Tyki, go to town, get a doctor, I’ll get Master Sheril to his room, and tell Dionísia to go get Lord Kamelot and inform him that his son has fallen in,” Aurora said, finally taking charge as she ushered Sheril to his room. 

He must be in a lot of shock , Tyki thought, to allow himself to be manhandled by a lowly scullery maid so easily.

Tyki ran out the door. Distaste for his half-brother aside, if he didn’t do anything, god knows how his father would react. It was better to bow for them, as much as it killed Tyki to do so, than get him and his mother thrown out onto the streets.

He really hoped the doctor could help.

    Sheril seemed so different in his sleep, his face flush with fever, and twisted slightly in pain as opposed to disgust. Staring down at him, Tyki could see himself in the man more than ever.  He didn’t like it.

He didn’t want Sheril to die.

It was an odd thought for him to have. Had someone asked him before, perhaps he would have said he’d celebrate if the man died. 

But now…? He supposed mostly it was selfishness that made him worry. If Sheril died, their father would probably send Tyki out on the streets out of grief--his face a living reminder of the child lost. Plus, it would keep Tyki from even thinking he was privy to any of the Kamelot fortune.

And it’d be trouble, too, if Sheril died, dealing with the funeral and everyone else’s grief despite how terrible the man was. Ugh. He’d rather die himself than have to praise Sheril, even in death. ‘ He was such a kind master ’--bullshit, he was a bully and a coward through and through.

Then there was always the worry of more things going wrong; death was always a bad omen, and it seemed to only bring more with it whenever it happened. 

Or so his mother always said.

He just hoped he wouldn’t get sick with whatever it was Sheril had caught. Was it some sort of plague? God, that would just be what they needed.  The fever looked bad enough, leaving his brother twisting and turning in his sleep… But when Sheril did wake, he complained of the pain, of the aches in his body, of the unclosing wounds on his head.

The wounds themselves made Tyki feel sick. He wasn’t sure why-- blood wasn’t new to him. But the shape of the broken skin was odd, too uniform. He had heard someone call them stigmata--but that was stupid. Sure, his mother dragged him to church every Sunday, but he had never considered himself that strong of a believer. 

He doubted this was anything to do with God--nor the devil.

He worked slowly, changing Sheril’s bandages, careful of his brother's sweat slicked and overly sensitive skin. Tyki laid a cool cloth down, watching as it soaked up the bright red blood, before removing it and applying new bandages. Sheril sucked in a sharp breath as he worked, feeling the sting from the water and alcohol, but his eyes stayed closed, even with the rapid movement behind them.

Tyki wondered if his mother would outlive his brother.

      Someone was touching him.

He didn’t remember falling asleep. His back ached, unhappy with the position he had been in, curled up uncomfortably on the chair as he was. He had been having a nice dream, of warmer weather in big open wheatfields and being far, far from the Kamelot Manor.

He cracked open his eyes, blinking sleep out of them as his gaze met with Sherils. His brother's hand was on his shoulder as if to shake him awake.

“...Sheril?” he murmured, mouth dry. 

The man seemed better; no longer flushed with his fever seemingly down, and his bandages were browned with old blood as opposed to red with fresh--like it had been despite everything they had tried.  He was on his feet, even, without assistance (something Tyki was sure hurt his pride in ways he would never recover from). 

Tyki thought that he’d be happy Sheril had recovered, or at least feel relief that he wouldn’t have to deal with the aftermath of his death. Instead, ice settled in his stomach as he continued to lock eyes with his brother. 

Sheril was different.

He looked the same, sure, but there was something about his expression, his eyes--like he had a divine experience. Like his life was forever changed.

Tyki felt shivers down his spine. Something was wrong.

“Sheril?” Tyki repeated. 

Sheril’s hand cupped Tyki’s cheek, thumb stroking where his mole was. “You helped watch me?” Sheril said. 

Tyki felt like he had made a grave error. 

Why had he offered to help Sheril out? At the time it had seeed pragmatic; a way to get into the good graces for his father and to make sure Sheril didn’t die lest all of Tyki’s worries about his own fate come to pass.

“...yes,” Tyki replied, glancing at the door. He moved to stand, but found himself rooted in place. “Should I go get Lord Ka--”

“No, no, no, it’s alright. I’m alright. They already know, the doctor and some visitors were already here. I thought it was best if you keep sleeping.” Sheril’s voice was sickeningly sweet; just like it always was before he was about to hurt Tyki.

Tyki stiffened in the chair, frozen. Sheril’s hand on him felt like it was burning. “...I should go--” he started, trying to move away. 

He didn’t get far. Sheril’s hand moved, grabbing at his curls. Sheril smiled and Tyki felt like a fly caught in a web, with Sheril as the starving spider. Sheril tugged, uncaring about--or perhaps even reveling in--Tyki’s pain. “Were you planning something?” he asked. “I bet you’d just love to have me gone, wouldn’t you?”

Tyki glared up at him. “I didn’t do anything to you--” he said, wincing as Sheril tugged harder. “I didn’t! I don’t--I didn’t want you to die!” it felt odd to say that outloud, especially with Sheril smiling at him like that. It only reminded him more of why he avoided the man.

Sheril scoffed at Tyki. His free hand cupped Tyki’s face once more, in that faux caring way that made Tyki’s skin crawl.”Oh, Tyki… I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised with how spineless you are.” He clicked his tongue. “Yet you seem to struggle to understand your place, even now, tsk tsk.”

 Tyki frowned. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Do you think you’re better than me?”

“No,” Tyki lied. He kept staring at the door.

Sheril ‘s hand slipped to his chin, using both his hands to force Tyki to meet his eyes. “Oh, Tyki… It occurred to me, how worthless of a person you are,” he said, humming as his hand slipped to Tyki’s throat, but his grip stayed light. Tyki swallowed, his heart hammering in his throat. No one was around, from what he could tell, and if Sheril did try anything, who would believe Tyki over him? 

“But,” Sheril continued. “Perhaps I am being too harsh. After all, it’s only natural to worry about your older brother, hrmmm?”  Sheril was toying with him, or something--but Tyki didn’t know why.

“...yeah, I guess,” he breathed, voice small. 

Sheril let go of him, pulling away. “Don’t come in my room ever again, you understand? I don’t want you around here, or going anywhere that isn’t for the servants without permission.”

“But they said I could--”

“I don’t care about that, you listen to me , alright?” Sheril said, smiling once more, gripping Tyki’s shoulder tight enough to bruise.. “Because of all the people here, I am the only one worth listening to.” 

Tyki’s brow furrowed, but he nodded. Sheril squeezed down, his nails digging into Tyki’s skin through his shirt. “Well… I better go, we have an Earl visiting now that I’m better,” Sheril announced, standing up with a flourish as he removed his bandages. 

Tyki stayed where he was, unsure of what had just happened. He moved cautiously slow, leaving the room. He could hear voices from the atrium, mostly unfamiliar; the Kamelots and the guests Sheril had mentioned, he supposed. It really did seem like he had slept through Sheril’s awakening.

Odd… he was a light sleeper by nature.

It didn’t matter. He rubbed at his neck, heading towards his room. It didn’t matter, because Sheril saw him as nothing but trash. He was a fool to think anything else.

    Sheril’s odd mood continued into the spring. Tyki wished he knew what had changed Sheril--if only to make him stop the cruel streak he had developed, far worse than before.

Or even to make him stop being so cryptic.

“Do you hate our father, Tyki?” Sheril asked. 

Tyki paused, hand lingering over the glass he had been about to clean. “No,” he said, and he found it wasn’t a lie. Perhaps once he had, but that hatred had cooled after the years to indifference--even if a part of him still wanted to paint the walls with that man's blood.

But he felt that way about a lot of people, Sheril included, so their fathee wasn’t special.

Tyki was sure his mother would have hated him, if she knew about the thoughts he had. Tyki didn’t mind, however. It was almost fun, in a way, having his own little secrets and fantasies no one else was privy to. He was so used to so much of his life being out in the open, spoken in hush tones around the manor,  that it was freeing to keep things to himself. It was a fun--a game.

“No?” Sheril repeated.

“Why are you so surprised? I’m not going to bad mouth the man who keeps me fed,” Tyki said, clicking his tongue. He knew he was pushing it with Sheril, but his patience had begun to wear thin since the day his brother had woken up. Sheril hummed. “I see, I suppose that isn’t that odd for a parasite like you,” he replied. Tyki’s grip tightened on the glass, and for a moment he feared it would shatter in his hand. Maybe he could use the shards to slice open Sheril’s neck then--

“I was just curious, I suppose,” Sheril continued.  “Seeing as how I fear he may not be in this world for much longer, with his age… I just thought it’d be awfully sad if he were to go with you hating him so.”

Tyki sat the glass down to dry, moving onto his next one. He was silent, just letting Sheril speak as the man cleaned his monocle. He wasn’t sure what Sheril meant; as far as everyone was aware, Lord Kamelot was fit as a fiddle, and the man was only 50. Certainly not young, but ancient either. 

“But it’s good to hear that isn’t the case,” Sheril finished, his smile twitching. Had Tyki said something wrong? Probably, considering Sheril always seemed to find some fault with him. 

Tyki watched Sheril leave out of the corner of his eye. Odd. 

    He supposed it shouldn’t’ve been a shock, then, when Lord Kamelot died not half a year later. His wife had grieved heavily, and after the funeral, seemed to go into a near catatonic state, locking herself in her room, and going off on walks late at night. Often, Sheril had Tyki bring her meals--which was stupid, she hated Tyki as much as Sheril did--but he was turned away more than he was not. She wasn’t hungry, she said. Not yet. Her actions seemed so stiff, her voice without emotion. Broken, Sheril lamented, by the tragic death of his father. 

But with Lord Kamelot gone, Sheril rose to the role of head of the family, and inherited all the wealth and power that came with the title. His mother was mostly left forgotten in a wing of the house, but she always seemed to be there when every Sheril called for her, listening with a patience to him Tyki had never seen from her before.

Tyki felt nothing. Not even a tear at the man’s death. He knew that Sheril likely had done something, power hungry man as he was, but Tyki could not will himself to care.

Tricia and Sheril began to court each other again not long after. Apparently her illness was no longer of any worry--it seemed perhaps only Lord Kamelot had really cared about it, as it apparently left her infertile. Or so Tyki had heard. But his father had worried often about the prospect of grandchildren and future heirs--from Sheril only, of course.

Now he’d never see any, being six feet under.

       “Tyki?”

“What?” he asked, gritting his teeth. It was Sheril, it was always Sheril. When before the man had often avoided him, now it seemed more than ever he sought Tyki out. Ever since the sickness…

“Is that any way to address the Lord of the Manor?” Sheril asked, hands resting on Tyki’s shoulders. He jumped, unsure when Sheril had gotten so close. 

“...sorry, sir, ” Tyki replied. “What is it, sir ?” He felt sick, but he’d tamper down his pride for the time being. 

“I was hoping you could help me with something,” Sheril said, letting go to grab Tyki’s wrist. 

Tyki winced, but allowed himself to be pulled along.

“...what’s with that grimace? Not very professional,” Sheril said.

“...Just bruised.” From the last time you dragged me around , he thought. “I’ll be fine.” It was a lie. It was always a lie now, around Sheril, who seemed to be delighted with each and every injury he could inflict on Tyki. It was always small; too small to make anyone else worry too much, but Tyki feared it’s escalation now that their father was dead.

No one would save him, he knew. Everyone bowed for Sheril, especially the newer maids. Sheril liked that, loved the control and made sure to see just how far it went. He was the type of man who hated things not going his way to the letter, and he micromanaged Tyki and his mother in a way Lord Kamelot never had.

Tyki’s mother never once complained. She worked diligently as usual, following every order to the end. Tyki tried his best as well, yet Sheril always seemed to find some fatal flaw, something to berate or slap him for.

The bruise still healing on his cheek stung in reminder.

But no one could do anything. Or, rather, no one dared.

“...sorry,” he said softly. “Sir.”

“Do better,” Sheril said, with a cheshire smile that told Tyki he was the source of all the boy’s problems. He probably was, honestly.  “Now help me with the new dog.”

A dog?

 …ugh, as if Sheril needed something louder than himself around.

      “He’s sooooooo cute,” Sheril cooed. “Purebred, of course, the most adorable little--”

“Uh huh,” Tyki replied, wishing he was deaf.

        Tyki sighed as he entered the manor, shaking himself off. It was hot and dry, and his trip to the city had been extra dusty. It’d probably be bearable with a horse or carriage, but he was usually left to his own devices on foot. He sighed, checking his pocketwatch. He was on time, if nothing else. Whatever. He had gotten what he was told to get, even if he wasn’t sure why. Sheril definitely had something planned, but Tyki hadn’t cared enough to pry. So long as it didn’t involve tormenting him, that idiot could do whatever he wanted. 

He wiped sweat from his brow, stopping in his tracks as he entered the kitchen.

There was a girl by the counter.

A little girl. In a dress probably worth more than what Tyki made in a year. And she was getting into the fresh bread made for whatever Sheril had been cooking up.

Tyki’s eye twitched. He was going to get blamed for this, he just knew it. Who even was she? Did Sheril have guests over, ones who apparently could not keep an eye on their child? 

The girl turned to him, her hair trimmed oddly short. “Hello,” she smiled, looking him over, before recognition showed on her face. 

Right. Tyki supposed he looked more like his brother than ever, now that he had lost what little baby fat he had been holding onto as a teenager. 

The girl smiled. Familiarity tugged at his heart. He ignored it. “Who are you?”  she asked, voice saccharine.

“...Tyki. I work here,” he said curtly. He didn’t want to make her cry, or anything. That’d be a pain to deal with. 

“Ah~ I see,” she said, climbing up to sit on the counter. Tyki felt his eye twitch again. He sat down what he had bought on another counter, careful of the eggs precariously perched at the top. 

“I’m Road,” the girl replied, kicking her legs as she stared him down.

For what it was worth, Tyki did have a soft spot for children. He was only human. So he bit back a sigh, turning back to his groceries to unpack, letting her stay and bother him. “Nice to meet you, then, Road,” he said. 

“Have you worked here long?” she asked, looking at him like she was trying to peer into his soul. “How old are you?”

“My whole life, basically,” he said. “About 15. 16.” 

“15? I see,” she said, sounding oddly distant for a moment. “Do you like it here?”

Tyki hesitated. “I guess. It’s home,” he said idly. 

“Hmm… well it seems nice,” Road continued. “I think I’ll like it here.”

“...huh?” Tyki turned, blinking at her. Road grinned, looking coy and innocent all at once. It was scary. “Sheril’s getting married, you know! This is the engagement party, and after that I get to live here.” 

“...Are you Tricia’s kid?” He didn’t know she had a daughter. Actually--no that didn’t make sense, Sheril would never marry a woman who had a child out of wedlock. He was an asshole like that.

Road took joy in his confusion. “No, but I will be soon. Officially, anyways, if not by blood.” 

“...oh,” Tyki murmured, fighting to keep the bitterness out of his voice. Of course. Of course Sheril would adopt some poor little girl to seem all special and kind, so giving, while letting his own half-brother suffer as his servant. He was going to get out of here. One day. One day he’d put this whole damn place and everyone in it behind him for good. 

“Well, anyways, he was showing me the new tutors I was gonna get and--” 

From there, their conversation hit a lull, Tyki was content to let the girl tell him about the things she was excited for or had seen that day. Honestly, despite the biting jealousy in his heart, he found himself enjoying listening to her. She was surprisingly insightful, and had a good sense of humor--enough to get a laugh or two from Tyki as he worked on cooking lunch for himself and some of the other servants. It felt easy to talk to her--like they had been friends for years.

“You’re kidding, you actually said that to his face?” Tyki was saying, snorting as he flipped his eggs. 

“Of course! You should have seen his face, and then he--” Road continued, words broken up with giggles.

He found himself not minding the idea of her being around. Maybe Road would be the one shining star in the blackness of his life at Kamelot manor.

Of course, Sheril had to ruin things. He was especially talented at it.

“Tyki,” Sheril began, voice curt. He paused, noticing Road still perched on the counter. “Ah, Road! There you are, what are you doing here? You’re going to get your adorable dress all dirty.”

Like a completely different person at the drop of a hat , Tyki thought. He occupied himself with his lunch again, staring hard at the sizzling oil. He hoped Sheril would forget about him; he was tired of dealing with his brother’s constant abuse. 

It was hard not to let his mind wander about all the terrible things Sheril had done to him. Lost in his own thoughts, he didn’t notice the man coming up behind him. “Did I tell you to talk to Road?” he hissed, suddenly in Tyki’s ear. Tyki jumped, flushing red in embarrassment for not even noticing him. “I--” What was he supposed to do? Ignore her? Leave? He knew not to say anything--this was the type of situation where nothing he could do or say was the right option. 

Sheril grabbed his wrist, squeezing hard. Tyki tried to pull away, but all that got him was Sheril twisting it in such a way that hot oil spilled from his pan, burning his skin. It hurt, the pain seering and constant. “Fuck--” A smile played on Sheril’s lips. Tyki let go of his pan and spatula, finally pulling his hand away. 

“You really need to be more careful, Tyki,” Sheril said, mocking worry laced into his words.

“Go to hell,” Tyki hissed, cradling his burned arm to his chest. 

“Tyki, why are you being so harsh?” Sheril chided, shaking his head. “I know it hurts, but there’s no need to take it out on others.”

Road said nothing, watching them like a statue. Her eyes glinted with curiosity--not horror. Tyki couldn't help but feel a little betrayed.

Tyki gritted his teeth. Fuck this, he was done. He turned on his heel, storming out of the room and up the servant's stairs. Belatedly, he knew he should have gotten water--but whatever, the wonders of indoor plumbing meant he could cool off his wound upstairs. 

Anger and frustration clouded his vision. It blocked out the pain from his burn, leaving him with nothing but an empty feeling of bloodlust.

The dog that Sheril had adopted--he couldn’t remember its name--stood in front of him, sniffing around for food. Clearly it had been forgotten about since Sheril had gotten a new thing to adore. Tyki’s hands twitched.

   He made sure to clean under his nails, just like his mom always said to.

     “Soooo, what’s with you and Tyki?” Road started, twirling around in the garden. It was lush and green; a sharp contrast from the wasteland it had become during the winter months. Even as Akuma, the gardeners tended to it diligently.

“What do you mean?” he asked, adjusting his monocle. It wasn’t too warm, yet, with summer still rolling in. Just the right type of weather to enjoy a short walk under the sun.

Road hummed, shaking her head. “Come on now, I can tell you don’t like him but you keep him around anyways. You really seem to like to torment him.” Her face broke into a grin, all teeth and cruelty. 

Sheril shrugged, saying “Maybe I do, why does that matter?” 

“It’s personal, isn’t it?” she asked, turning to face him. She kept on walking, not careful of where she was going. Sheril found himself fussing over her safety internally--sure, she was older than him, but she was so adorable that he found himself slotting into the overprotective father role easily. 

With a sigh, Sheril replied, “...he’s my bastard half-brother.” And that was all there was to it, really. He had no attachment to the boy other than a frustrating blood tie.

“Ahhh, I suppose he does look a little like you,” she said, sounding distant. With a shrug, she turned back around. “He reminds me of someone I used to know.” Her hands folded behind her back, her face wistful as she glanced at the clouds sheepishly passing by in the sky.

“Does he now?” Sheril asked, eyebrow raised.

“Hmmm,” Road hummed, eyes slipping closed for a moment, voice almost somber. “But they died a long time ago, it’s nothing important.” 

Silence floated over them. They reached the edge of the manor grounds, surrounded by treeline and old fences. 

“Sooo,” Road began, speaking very much unlike a girl would to her father. “You have an inferiority complex when it comes to your brother, then? Or is it jealousy?”

Sheril squawked. “I do not! It’s nothing like that,” he said, hands moving wildly as he denied it. 

“Really?” Road asked, grinning at him as she tapped her face. “Because it seems his existence has struck some sort of chord in you, for you to hate him so much for it,” she laughed.

“You’re too cute to be saying such mean things,” Sheril muttered, deflating.

Road just shrugged, skipping along. “Well, we’ll see how long he lasts around us and the new servants, I…” 

Sheril hummed, but he stopped walking as Road’s voice tapered off.  She had stopped in her tracks, staring off at something in the distance, among the trees. “Road?” he asked, following her line of sight. 

It was a gruesome view--the viscera strewn around the body, half charred, leaving him unable to identify what it was--at first. Then his eyes fell upon a familiar collar.

He couldn’t bring himself to be angry; shocked, more than anything.

“Would an Akuma do that?” he asked Road, noticing her lips twitch into a concerned scowl.

“...maybe a higher level one, I guess, but they usually don’t care about animals and this is… very theatrical. Whoever did this was clearly emotional,” she said. “Do you think maybe your brother…?” 

“He’s not my brother,” Sheril cut in, anger flaring up finally. “And no. Never. He’s a coward. He has no backbone, he’d never do a thing. It was probably someone from off the grounds. The dog liked to escape.”

“If you say so,” Road replied, voice light like she was laughing at him.

“I’ll get Dionísia to clean it up,” Sheril said, anger bubbling inside him.

        Poetically, it rained the day his mother died.

It had been raining heavily for awhile, though, so it wasn’t a surprise.

He stood there, in front of her grave, staring with dead eyes. It was a humble stone, but more than he could afford. It was the only thing Lord Kamelot had ever really given her, aside from a son and working herself into her own grave.

“Are you going to come back?” 

Tyki turned, his face neutral as he locked eyes with Sheril. The man was dressed in black, but he looked more like he was going to a gala than a funeral. 

“Does it matter?” Tyki asked, turning back to her grave. 

“It does. I need to know if I need to fill two positions, or just one,” Sheril replied, clicking his tongue.

Tyki balled his hands up into fists. He wanted to punch Sheril, wanting to make him suffer and bleed. “I didn’t think you’d want me around.”

“Hrm. I like having you where I can keep an eye on my beloved baby brother, I suppose,” Sheril said, voice dripping with fake saccharine. 

Tyki gritted his teeth, his mind supplying gorey images of what he could do with Sheril, if he could get away with it. “....I’ll be back later today,” he said finally, glaring hard at the mud at his feet. His hands gripped his pocket watch until his knuckled turned white. It wasn’t like he had anywhere else to go, and the manor was better than the streets. For now, anyways; Tyki didn’t intend on staying there forever. He’d look for work elsewhere, a new place to live even, and then he was gone--never to see that smug face again.

He was sure Sheril was smiling at him, that cruel, cold smile he had come to hate. He didn’t dare look back at the man, lest his anger get the best of him. He had been working on cooling his temper over the years, but it had come back red hot in the wake of his loss. 

“That’s good to hear. It must be sad to lose her so close to your birthday. What are you now, 18?” 

 “16, almost,” Tyki replied. “Probably.” Sheril just hummed.

Thunder rolled, distant, as the sound of the rain filled in the silence. 

“Do you hate Him for it?” Sheril asked, closer to Tyki than before. He nearly jumped. Nearly--Tyki had adjusted to Sheril’s sneaking, his need to be too close. 

“Huh?” Tyki replied. Sheril titled his umbrella, keeping Tyki out of the rain, as futile as it was by this point. Still, even while already soaked with rain, the gesture made Tyki feel weird. But for once, not a bad weird. 

“God,” Sheril clarified. “Do you hate God for taking her from you? Do you think you’d bring her back if you could?” He spoke with a soft tone, one that could be mistaken for caring. But Tyki knew Sheril, knew him well enough to catch an edge to it that sent chills down his spine. 

Despite that, Tyki didn’t answer right away. He kept silent, thinking Sheril’s words over carefully. “No,” he answered. “I don’t. It’s hard to hate someone who was never there for me anyways. It’s why I don’t hate our father. They’re both nothing to me.” He paused. “No, I wouldn’t bring her back. She’d… she’d probably just work herself to death again.” 

Sheril blinked, surprised, before he burst into laughter. “I see, I see… Perhaps we’ll talk again soon, then,” he said, moving away to leave Tyki to the elements once more. “If you’re still around.”

Tyki frowned at the crypticness of Sheril, turning to watch the man slink away back to his carriage. 

      “Aurora?” Tyki said, knocking on her door. She was staring at her hand mirror, eyes glazed over. It was a gift from her fiance, she had told him.

Aurora didn’t answer, still staring. Tyki moved slowly, sitting down beside her on her bed. “You doing okay? I know you were excited for the wedding, but then… with my mothers death and now this…”

“I’ll be fine,” Aurora replied, voice monotone. “Thank you, Tyki.”

Tyki frowned, wringing his hands. “I’m sorry about Ramiro, for what it’s worth.” 

Aurora gave a stiff nod. “I…” she reached out, hand hovering over his arm. She closed her mouth, grinding her teeth. Tyki felt something odd in the pit of his stomach, but the feeling soon passed as she placed her hand back on her mirror. “I think I should be alone.”

Tyki nodded, standing up. “Okay. I am always around, if you want.”

“Thank you, Tyki.”

    Aurora barely talked to him after that. Actually, now that he thought of it--none of the staff really did. Most of them were new; Sheril had fired so many at the drop of the hat. Brought in new ones. Aurora had been the last light in Tyki’s life after his mother died, but she, too, grew distant. Sad. Monotonous.

Without her or his mother, Tyki felt so very alone in the manor’s walls. Faces blurred together, names barely sticking in his mind as he lived one day at a time. Work bored him, cleaning the same things again and again and again; listening to each of Sheril’s barked orders with a clenched jaw and tension headache.

He was isolated; no one to talk to during meals, no one to joke along with while he scrubbed the floors. No songs, no stories by the candlelight. No talk about ill omens and the weather. No reminders to clean under his nails.

Nothing.

His heart ached in a way he wasn’t used to. He missed his mother. He hated the manor more than anything. He hated Sheril and his family; everytime their laughter carried through the halls it was like a ghost, haunting Tyki’s mind. Reminding him of how pathetic his life had become.

He was going to leave by the age of 18, he decided one sullen grey day. He stared at his reflection in the windows, cleaned by his calloused hands. He had never been planning on staying, of course, but the idea of leaving had always been a far off fantasy; an idea without a when or how. But now he had a when. As for the how…

Tyki walked through the streets of the town. It was summer now, the sun burning bright. With the warm weather came more people--seasonal workers and rich tourists. The city was bustling, but Tyki moved through the crowds with ease, as though he was just passing through the compact bodies.

He had gotten very good at avoiding being touched. It was useful for his continued survival in the Kamelot home. Still, he could never truly get away from Sheril’s malice when the man had his full attention on him. It was like being held by strings, controlled by a cruel puppeteer. 

Tyki was only human--and under the blistering heat, he found himself sweating. A drink, then…. He stopped by a small cafe, fishing out some change. 

“Sir… you wouldn’t have any to spare?” came a small voice. Tyki glanced down, seeing a small child, face dirty with grime. “Please, I--” the child continued, but without a word Tyki handed him a few coins. It wasn’t much, but Tyki’s meager pay didn’t leave him with much in the way of savings. He had enough for what he needed, and that was enough. After all, he was always weak to children. 

The child ran off, thanking him profusely. Beside him, some men sitting in rickety chairs laughed. “You got any to spare for us,” they asked, looking just as worn and filthy as the child.

“You’re adults, don’t you have a job?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, but the mines don’t pay much! Come on,” the man continued, before getting an elbow to his ribs from a friend.

“Sorry ‘bout him, he’s just tryin’ to get more to lose to us in poker, s’all,” the second man said, shaking his head.

Tyki blinked, now noticing the cards splayed on their table. It made sense, he supposed; something to keep them occupied on their break.

“Am not!” the first man snapped. This broke the group into another bout of laughter. “S’just that I ain’t got that much, s’why I took this job even though it’s so far from where I usually am!”

“Ain’t our fault you got piss poor luck, Bruno.”

“Shut up, Mauricio!”

Tyki turned away, getting his drink. He thought for a moment, wondering if maybe that was his way out. Seasonal work in the mines wasn’t the best--it was a lot of physical labour, dangerous conditions, going where the work was and hoping for the best. But it was a guaranteed way out of Kamelot manor, out of the city. Maybe even out of Portugal. 

Tyki’s eyes sparkled, plans forming in his head. He turned back to the men, eyeing them up and down. He wasn’t built that different from them, other than being taller. 

“...there wouldn’t happen to be any extra work at the mines that needs doing, would there?” Tyki asked, leaning towards the men playing poker.

With a blink, the second one who had spoken glanced up at him. “Hrm… I dunno, but I could always see if there’s anything to be done, kid,” Mauricio said, voice surprisingly gentle. He seemed to understand, at least, the desperation for work that laid underneath Tyki’s curious gaze. 

“Thank you,” Tyki replied, and he found himself meaning it for once.

“Don’t go thankin’ me yet, boy, but you can find us here most days around lunch,” the man continued, waving him off. “Now go on, I gotta game to play.” 

Tyki returned to the crowds feeling lighter than he had in months. People weren’t so bad, he supposed. When those dark, awful feelings weren’t settling inside him, he found himself enjoying the company of other people, of gentle words under the sun. 

He missed his mother.

       “You asked the Akuma to leave Tyki alone, hrm?” Road asked, kicking her legs as she idly flipped through a book. Diagrams of flowers and insects filled the pages, colourful and detailed. 

“Maybe.” Sheril’s tone was curt, his focus on the documents in front of him. With a flourish, he signed his signature, moving onto the next with robotic movements. 

“Why?  You seemed almost excited at the possibility of him becoming one after his mother died, but then that never happened.” She pushed herself up into a sitting position, gaze burning into the back at Sheril’s head.

Sheril twitched. “No, which surprised me, is all,” he replied, voice clipped. “But it’s good to have some humans still around, for appearances sake, especially since some of the Akuma aren’t the best at playing along with their disguise.” He gave a huff of annoyance at that. There had been an… incident, not long ago, but that faulty akuma had been dealt with swiftly. 

Sheril blamed the dog’s death on it, but Road still disagreed. It felt too… human.

“Hmmm, you just like tormenting him. How cruel,” she laughed, closing her book.

“Does it matter? He’s just some lowly human,” Sheril said, turning slightly to stare her down. 

“Who shares your blood, though,” Road pointed out.

“Doesn’t matter to me; you and the Earl are all the family I need,” Sheril replied, the cold, serious look on his face melting away to a smile. 

“It seems like it does matter, though,” Road pressed.

Sheril sighed, abandoning his work for a moment. “It’s about control. I just want to keep control of this manor, of this family, eventually of the country. And Tyki… he has always been hard to keep in line. It’s about making a point, is all. He’s really not that important, just a toy to play with. Nothing more.”

Road hummed, seemingly content with that answer.

For now.

      Running errands was always thankless work. The foreman at the mine always seemed to need something done, as fast as possible, but never once did any thank you slip from his lips.

So. No different from work at the manor.

Whatever ; the miners were kinder, when he did interact with them. It was hot, the sun blistering, but it kept him busy. Sheril seemed to have lost interest in him--occupied with running the manor more efficiently than his father ever did, and often Tyki fell to the wayside. 

Having money that Sheril didn’t know about was only a bonus. If he got enough, then maybe-- maybe --he’d finally be able to leave that horrid house.

It wasn’t home. Not anymore.

“Hey! Tyki, kid!” one of the miners, Mauricio, called. 

“..Yeah?” Tyki murmured, moving towards them.

“Yer workin’ yer ass off! Come, sit, have a break,” Mauricio said, tapping the wooden table he sat at with a deck of cards.

“I--”

“Come on, everyone gets at least a lunch break,” Mauricio continued, as Tyki slowly sat down. “Anyways, you know how to play poker, kid?” 

“Not at all, no,” he said.

“Then allow us to teach you,” Maurico replied, shuffling the cards with a flourish.

“Cigarette?” Bruno asked, offering him one already rolled from a worn-looking tin.

“Thanks,” Tyki said as he took it, using a match to light it. He wasn’t really allowed to smoke at the manor, but no one was here to stop him. It burned his lungs, but he managed to not cough all over Bruno.

“Well then, poker. This is a game of chance, but also skill--the skill of lying,” Mauricio continued, still shuffling the cards. “First, there’s one dealer and at least two players, who are after specific winning hands--some worth more than others--and then--”

        Tyki’s first few games were terrible.

They didn’t have chips like in casinos, only a few belongings and spare coins between them for betting.

Tyki had lost every bet he had made.

“C’mon, Mauricio, go easy on the kid,” Bruno said, kicking the other man under the table. Mauricio yelped like a cat, causing the other players (Tyki had neglected to learn their names-- oh well .) to burst into laughter.

“Fine, fine…” Mauricio sighed as he dusted himself off. He leaned in, close to Tyki’s ear, hand blocking his words from the others.  “I’ll let you in on a few, ah, beginners tricks then,” Mauricio whispered, flicking his wrist to reveal cards stowed away under his sleeve.

Tyki stared, suddenly realizing why he was struggling.

They were all cheating.

A grin crept up onto his face. “Yeah, I’d like that,” he said.

Maybe this could be fun after all--especially if he got better at his bluffs.

        He ended up staying after the work day ended, playing with the other men even as the sun sunk lower in the sky. It was easy, talking to them--no walking on eggshells, no balancing act of trying to figure out the right thing to say. He could be his lighter self, his human self--all that darkness that seemed to swirl inside him dissipating, even if only temporarily. 

It didn’t last.

“So this is where you’ve been running off too?” Sheril’s shrill voice cut in. The laughter died off.

Tyki frowned, hand gripping the bottle of alcohol he had won the last hand--opened to taste his sweet, sweet victory, his cheeks dusted pink and warm. “What are you doing here?” he hissed, turning around to glare at his brother. For once, it was Sheril who looked out of place--all prim and proper, tight seams and wealth--not a hair out of place--contrasted with the rough looking miners dusted with coal.

“What am I doing here?” Sheril asked, grabbing Tyki’s bicep and yanking him onto his feet.  “What are you doing here, in an awful place like this?” 

“We got a problem here, mate?” Bruno asked, glaring up at Sheril from his hand of cards.

“No, we don’t,” Sheril spat. “I’m going to be taking this idiot now.” He tugged Tyki towards the door, clearly not caring about letting Tyki even put one foot in front of the other before moving. 

Tyki staggered after him, swears spilling from his lips. “I see you’ve spent far too long talking to them,” Sheril hissed. “Why the new friends? Where did you even get the money to gamble? Did you steal it--?”

“Shut up!” Tyki snapped, forcing Sheril’s hand away. “Leave me alone, you creep! I made the money on my own, with my own fuckin’ job that is waiting on you hand and foot!” 

“What do you want money for?” Sheril asked. “Are you trying to leave me?”

“Of course I am! You want nothing to fuckin’ do with me, so why the hell would I continue to put up with that shithole and all your little games when I don’t have my mother keeping me there anymore?” Tyki yelled, glaring daggers into Sheril’s skull

“I own you ,” Sheril hissed, grabbing a fistful of Tyki’s curls. “Know your place--and it’s one you cannot leave.”

“Fuck you! I’m not your anything-- not your brother, and not your fuckin’ thing-- ” He ripped his head away from Sheril, not caring about the stinging from the scalp, the blood wetting his roots--and pushed Sheril back with his all his strength.

Sheril hit a wall with a look of shock painted on his features. Tyki took his momentary surprise to run- -run , run away from all of this, away from Sheril.

“Follow him,” he heard Sheril say--but to whom Tyki didn’t bother to look back and see.

He heard no footsteps behind him.

       No place, it seemed, was safe from his brother. At least no place that didn’t cost money to get to. Tyki wasn’t sure how long he had run, how far--just until his lungs burned worse than from smoking, just until his legs could barely hold his own weight. 

He heaved over, panting, hands on his knees as sweat ran down his face. That rat bastard. Tyki screamed in frustration, his throat hoarse. He punched a wall, not caring about the skin on his knuckles splitting at the seam, blood beading. 

Everything hurt. His head, his body, his heart. 

“Are… are you okay, sir?” a voice came--a man, around his age, eyes wide and bright. He was well dressed--not as well as Sheril, but clearly better off than Tyki was.

It wasn’t fair.

Tyki turned to him, bloodied hand twitching. “I will be,” Tyki replied, voice dark as he rounded on the other man. The stranger backed up, fear sparking in his eyes--but even then, he was too slow to react as Tyki’s hands clamped around his throat. 

Tyki couldn’t make out the strangers words--focused solely on the whimpers he made, on the rush of the blood in his veins, thumbing with his heart beat--his pulse jumping against Tyki’s fingers, following the rhythm of blood that dripped as he dig his nails into the skin. 

“Help---!”

       He was going to have to replace his boots.

After he cleaned his hands, of course.

Tykis breaths came heavy, laboured, as he scrubbed at the blood on his skin like it was acid. It didn’t do much good, though, stained as it was on his clothes. He knew hew must look like a mess--like a murderer --but it was late in the manor. He only had his own oil lamp to light his way, everyone else long asleep as he cleaned under his nails, just like his mother said to. 

His heart thrummed with adrenaline still, the high from what he had done lingering still. If anything, the idea of going back to work the next day--like nothing had happened, pretending along with everyone else, comforting others--was exciting in its own way too. It kept things interesting, to lead these two paths. 

He had come back to the manor.

Tyki wasn’t sure why he had. But even as he had hidden the body--dragged it to the closest body of water he could think of--he had felt like someone was watching him. Like Sheril would know if he had tried to leave town.

So. He had gone home, the response almost automatic as he entered through the kitchen door, and began to scrub his skin raw in the sink, illuminated by only the moon and a single lamp. 

Tyki paused in his cleaning, the wood creaking somewhere in the manor. It was probably nothing; maybe Road or someone unable to sleep, or needing the bathroom. Hopefully no one would question the running water--

“Tyki?” 

Tyki jumped. He stared at the doorway, a deer in the headlights, wide eyes meeting Sheril’s.

“Yeah?” Tyki said, with a casualness that didn’t quite fit the situation. 

Sheril’s lips fell into a frown as his eyes looked Tyki up and down, taking in the obvious blood splatter on his white shirt, the red dripping down his arms into the drain of the sink.

“I cut myself. By mistake,” Tyki said, stare still unbroken. “After I got back here.”

“...you… cut yourself?” Sheril repeated, looking at Tyki’s hands--then to the splatter on his clothing. “On what?”

“Yes,” Tyki replied. He didn’t dare look away yet, like a dog unyielding to submission.

“I see. You… cut yourself,” Sheril said, nodding a little. “...right.”

“Yes.”

They stared at each other in silence.

“...perhaps avoid cutting things at night, then,” Sheril said, leaving then. “Or. Whatever you did on your way back.”

“Okay.” Tyki blinked, finally, but his eyes never left the spot where Sheril had been standing.

How… had that been one of their most civil conversations?

Tyki turned the water off, and stripped off his shirt. At least he had others, but a pity it was to have ruined it. He dried his hands on it, worrying his lip. Was Sheril going to go to the police? He didn’t have much in the way of proof sure but people would take his word over Tyki’s, he knew, with the type of political power and money Sheril possessed.

He headed back to his room, laying down on his bed, even though he had no intention to sleep. His veins buzzed too much to allow it, a mix of excitement and anxiety swirling within him.

 At least rewinding his watch gave him something to ease his mind with, for a few moments.

      Sheril had slept uneasy that night himself, to his own surprise. He was not easily bothered by blood--quite the contrary in fact. But he hadn’t expected to find Tyki covered in it--he had been expecting to find Road stealing snacks from the kitchens, not his spineless bastard brother covered in what was obviously not his own blood. 

There was too much for it to have been a simple injury, either. The answer was obvious: Tyki had killed someone. Probably. Maybe Sheril was too morbid, jumping to that conclusion, but it had looked like a lot of blood, and if it had been a simple injury from someone else, why lie? 

A murder… Who, Sheril didn’t really care that much, since everyone in the manor was accounted for. Honestly, it didn’t affect him at all. Most of the servants were Akuma anyways.

He couldn’t even be mad that Tyki ran off--he had come home like a loyal dog, after all. 

Which brought him to his actual concern. Was it accidental? Self defense? Or... “The Earl wouldn’t have happened to have turned Tyki into an Akuma without telling me, would he?” Sheril asked, glancing over at Road.

She looked up from the book she was likely only pretending to read. “Hrmmm? No, he wouldn’t. Plus, didn’t Tyki’s mother die a while ago now? Did someone else die?”

“No… well…” Sheril sighed, rubbing at his temples. Why had he decided to keep that kid around? Tyki was such a headache. Sure, the sadistic part of Sheril loved having Tyki around to torment, but now things were getting tiring.

“Well? Why do you ask, anyways?” Road said, flipping down in her chair. 

“He killed someone last night.”

“He did?” Road replied, blinking, surprise on her face. “Did you see it happen?” 

“No, but I saw the aftermath of him trying to get the blood off him. Too much for just cutting his hand, like he told me,” Sheril said.

“Hrmm… interesting. He didn’t strike me as the type. Maybe he accidentally killed one of the miner friends he has?” 

“No… I don’t think so. There was this look in his eyes, under the surprise. It was bloodlust. I think he murdered them.” Sheril sighed, rubbing at his temples. “Hopefully it’ll be nothing of any worry. We can kill him if you think it’ll be an issue.” Sheril paused. "You knew about him sneaking off and didn't tell me?" 

Road gave a grin. “I don’t think it will; I think it just makes things more interesting.” She hummed. “Plus, it confirms what I thought about the dog. And yeah, I thought it was more fun not to share."

“The dog--?”  Sheril started, before realising. His lips twitched. “It seems so. I suppose people don’t always start with other humans. He has more of a spine than I thought.”

A knock at the door. “What is it?” Sheril asked, frowning as he glared over the back of his seat.

An akuma poked her head in--Aurora, he thought the maid’s name had been, before her death. “Lord Sheril, sir,” she said, dipping her head in a curtsey. “I followed the boy like you asked, last night. He killed someone and returned home after running towards the merchant district.”

“Old news. Is that all?” Sheril asked.

“No. He hid the body on the Kamelot estate. I can take you to it,” she said, raising her eyes to meet Sheril’s. 

     Road whistled as the akuma lifted the corpse from the estate’s pond. “He really did a number on him, huh? Looks like he was attacked by a dog,” she said. “So much for him being your ‘meek little brother’. I'd be glad it wasn’t you.”

“Yes,” Sheril agreed, voice uneasy.

      Tyki was on edge. 

He hadn’t seen Sheril since the night before. As he robotically went through his day--running errands for the manor, odd jobs around the mine and town--he had a feeling of dread settle in his stomach, ice cold contrast to the excitement of the night before.

But nothing came. No police, nothing.

He frowned. Sheril had to have something planned. He wasn’t that stupid (or so Tyki hoped) to have believed the lie had given without thinking, nor did he think Sheril would just leave it be. Something was up.

He sighed, leaning against a wall, taking a drag from a cigarette. A cheap brand, but it was good enough for him. His mother had never been a fan, but she wasn’t around to curb the habit any longer--the other night had reminded him of that.

It did help him relax a little, as he brushed his curls out of his eyes. He needed a haircut.

It was a warm winter, so very different from the previous. Even warmer than usual, but it was a welcome change of pace. Still, Tyki could feel himself sweating already, outside under the bright sun. He groaned, moving to wipe sweat from his brow--only to hiss, his head suddenly pounding. Must be the sun , he thought, as he put out his cigarette. He almost wished for snow to lay face down in.

He found himself wandering back to the same pub he had been with before, with Bruno and Mauricio.

They were still there--enjoying their single day off, laughing with each other. Bruno spotted him, waving him over. “Tyki! There ya are, I was worried about you. Who was that bastard, anyways?”

“....someone I really hate,” Tyki said, not wanting any association with Sheril. Brother wasn’t the right word, not anymore. “It’s fine now.”

“Right,” Bruno replied, but his poker face was never very good--and it showed now, too, his expression unsure and worried.

“You okay there, kid?” Mauricio asked, frowning. “You look awfully pale--” he reached forward, fingers brushing Tyki’s sweat-slicked skin before he could pull away. “Yer burnin’ up.”

“M’fine, just overworked myself,” he lied. His head felt like a nest of angry wasps. “How about another hand? Never got to finish the last one.”

“Only if you’re prepared to lose, kid.”

      His migraine persisted throughout the night, and the next day. He did his best to ignore it, at first.

But on the third day, it was hard to not to notice--not with the blood seeping down his face. Tyki stared at the mirror in horror, open wounds so much like Sheril’s all those years ago adorning his forehead, blood flowing freely in red rivets along his features.

It hurt; it hurt like hell, but not in the way he felt such open cuts should. His hands shook as he washed himself of the blood. It wasn’t like Sheril had died from his illness, but if it went the same way… Tyki knew this was only the beginning of the pain, that fever and shakes and awful, awful aches would follow. 

Maybe he wouldn’t make it. 

After all, people could survive TB, but his mother didn’t. 

Blood continued to fall into his vision, no matter how much he wiped away.

He stumbled back into his room, breathing heavily--from fear or fever he did not know. He gripped the side of his bed, trying to will himself to stay calm; the Doctors never found out what had made Sheril sick. Was it familial? A horrible sickness inherited from their shared blood, their shared father? 

Tyki swallowed back acidic bile. 

Would Sheril even care, get a doctor like Tyki had gotten for him, or just let him suffer? Who was he kidding ; Sheril would probably delight in watching Tyki waste away, suffering in pain until he died.

So.

This was alright.

No one had to know. He’d deal with it on his own, and go to the doctor on his own if he had to.

He stood up straight, his movements wooden, as he scrubbed at his face once more, bandaging the wounds and brushing his bangs to cover them. The blood seeped in, warm and sticky against his skin.

No one has to know , he thought, staring at his flushed face in the mirror. He’d be sick for a while, maybe, but it wasn’t like anyone would notice; he did less and less around the manor these days, and even Sheril had seemed to become bored with harassing him after their conversation in the kitchen that night. His eyes had been watchful, but not omnipresent.

No one had to know, he thought as he washed the blood out from under his nails.

       Doctor’s visits cost money, and Tyki hadn’t budgeted for one. He couldn’t miss work, not yet. 

For what it was worth, Tyki had managed pretty well that day with his usual work. He had gone slow, trying to not exert himself, and luckily none of the errands he had seemed that urgent. Returning to the Kamelot estate, he was bone tired--but not collapsing.  A win in his books.

Of course, while Sheril hadn’t noticed his sorry state (thank God), Road had.

“You look sick,” she said, lips twitching.

“I’m fine,” Tyki replied, downing water from the tap.

“You don’t look fine,” she said, looking him up and down. He was sure he looked like shit; he sure felt it. 

“I’m fine,” Tyki hissed, bracing himself on the counter. “You shouldn’t be in the kitchens anyways.” He did not want to deal with Sheril’s incessant worrying over Road’s safety. His migraine already felt like he was being stabbed with hundreds of nails.

Road gave him a doubtful look, opening her mouth. She paused, her face scrunching up into a frown. “Is that blood?” she asked.

Tyki blinked, before he noticed it; the feeling of something warm dripping down his face. He swore--his bandages must have become too saturated, even though he had changed them--

He heard his glass shatter on the ground before he realised he had dropped it.  His world spun, and it took him far too long to realise he was on the ground too, his mind hazy with fever and pain.

“Tyki,” Road said, surprisingly calm for such a young girl watching a man dying of illness right before her eyes. She knelt down, reaching for him, brushing his sweat drenched curls away. He heard her gasp--the sound small, but yet hard to miss in his muddled mind--and he didn’t blame her. It probably looked demonic, the markings on his forehead. He remembered all the murmurs of demons and the devil when Sheril had fallen ill.

Maybe there had been more to it at the time they had thought. He supposed, if any people in the manor were to be cursed by Satan, it would be the two of them; they were both fucked up enough for it, and Tyki knew it.

In reality, as much as he liked to pretend it wasn’t true, he and Sheril did have things in common about their personalities.

Road called for someone, he wasn’t sure who--the name sounded like nothing but noise to his ears, as the pain consumed his thoughts and his world went black.

 “I didn’t think--”

 “Not common, for siblings who aren’t twins--”

      His sleep was restless. He dreamed, dreamed of things he could not quite remember in the morning, of a world destroyed, of a pillar that gave him fear he had never experienced before, all swirling around in his head in a sea of overstimulation--pain, heat, voices and sounds, images he couldn’t understand--all mixing together into white noise.

He dreamed of golden fields of wheat, of old trees with beautiful names, of a mother who was still alive and a brother who loved him.

He wasn’t sure if he slept through the night, or had woken up intermittently. Perhaps he had. Maybe even talked, but the words said were lost to his mind.

    Tyki opened his eyes. 

The world was blurry, unfocused as he looked around. It was a room in the manor, but not his room--far too opulent to be. One of the guest rooms, maybe? Perhaps Sheril had thought it was a better place to die.

No. That didn’t make sense. He wouldn’t want Tyki’s blood getting on the sheets. Why was he here?

“Tyki,” a voice said, close to his face. He groaned, managing to look over, meeting eyes with his half brother. “Good morning,” he replied, a genuine smile on his face.

Ah.

Tyki had died in his sleep, and this was his hell: Sheril. 

Tyki groaned, laying his head back down on his pillow as he closed his eyes. “Let me suffer in silence,” he said, his throat parched, his voice like sand.

“Here,” Sheril said, pouring Tyki some water. He still sounded far too kind. 

But, Tyki himself had been worried, genuinely worried, when Sheril was sick despite everything, so perhaps it was like that. Didn’t make it any better, though. Tyki still despised that man.

Though his body felt stiff and unnatural, he reached over to take the glass. He downed it easily, not caring at the cool water that split and dripped down his face. 

Sheril took the glass back without hesitation, and settled back into his chair, gaze still locked on Tyki.

There was a lack of malice in his brother’s eyes.

Tyki stared back.

“How are you feeling?” Sheril asked, titling his head. Sheril’s hair was messy. Odd. He was so used to it being perfectly kept--Sheril hated being seen disheveled. Violently so. 

Tyki kept staring.

“Tyki?” Sheril repeated, looking concerned. Real concern, not the fake act he usually had put on when he wanted something from Tyki, or was mocking him.

“....what the fuck is wrong with you?” Tyki replied. “You’re acting all weird and creepy.”

Sheril blinked at him, before he smiled. “I’d say you’re feeling better then,” he said, clapping his hands together with a tilted head. "Oh! And I had Aurora clean up and fix your watch, the one you always have," he added, presenting it to him. It looked as nice as the day his mother had given it to him, three years ago.

Tyki glared at him. Oooookay. Something was very, very wrong here. Sheril just kept smiling back.

“Sheeeeeeril~” Road sang, coming into the  oom with a flourish. “I think you’re scaring him.” 

“What’s going on?” Tyki demanded.

“Just a friendly welcome!” came a third voice--jovial, light, belonging to a scruffing looking man Tyki had a vague recollection of. He came over often, to see Sheril. Maybe. Tyki had long since given up paying attention to the faces in the hallways.

“Don’t worry, the Millennium Earl’s here to help!” Road cheered, putting out her arms as to present the weird man to him.

“....the who?” Tyki asked, eyebrows raised. He glanced at Sheril--still smiling--and decided that yeah, he was dead. Definitely dead and in hell.

Road laughed, walking over and pinching his cheek. “Oh c’mon now! Don’t play stupid, you know who Adam and I are,” she said, pouting.

“No. No I really do not know, and I have no idea what is going on with all of you suddenly acting like you, y’know, like me? ” Tyki retorted, feeling like he was going insane. What was going on? He tugged at his hair, wondering what he had done to deserve such a hellish punishment. Damn you, God.

Road blinked, her eyes wide as she took a step back, looking him up and down. Her eyes scrutinized him, as though she was trying to see into his very soul to decipher what he meant. Then, her expression turned serious, dark--far too mature for someone her age.

“...is he just joking with us?” the ‘Earl’--Adam, was it?--stage whispered to Sheril, who’s smile had dropped for a confused frown. 

“No,” Road cut in. “No, he really doesn’t remember. In his dreams… I saw very little but... I… I think… with the 13th--I think he might not be able to access his Noah Memory. Not anymore.”

Tyki blinked, feeling like he was missing even more than before. “My what?”

         Turns out, he actually did like the Earl--and Road--a lot, once he got to know them, and their weird plans, and everything else. 

Sure, it had taken a bit for it to sink it--for him to really accept this was all real. But it felt real, and his skin sure was grey now, and his eyes sure were gold. 

Plus--ever since he became a Noah, things had been better. As annoying as Sheril was--he, and the others, all started treating him like an equal. He supposed maybe he ought to have a little more resentment, but… it was hard to stay mad at the Earl and Road!

Sheril, on the other hand…

Well. At least watching the world be destroyed would be fun enough to put up with him. And he got to relive the thrill of killing that stranger, again and again, all while balancing his normal life, his life with the miners--his humanity and his noah side, intertwined, light and dark.

He could get used to this life.

       “Let go of me,” Tyki ground out.

“No! You’re my cute little brother.”

“I think I miss it when you hated me.” Tyki struggled to get away, fighting against Sheril’s arms. He felt his world shift, and soon as he could blink he found himself on the ground. 

Sheril stared at him, his hands still positioned in a pantomime of his suffocating hug. 

Tyki stared back. He had… gone through Sheril’s arms? He had just thought about not wanting to be touched by Sheril and then…Tyki climbed to his feet, making a run for it--right through the wall.

Oh.

He could get so used to this.