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alloftheimaginesblog · 2 years ago

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almost lost you {s.h}

Plot: You're Steve Harrington's best friend so of course you're going to follow him into the depths of the lake and into the Upside Down. He's pissed that you've risked your life for him but when he sees that you're injured, your relationship shifts.

Character: Steve Harrington x Plus Size Female Reader

Warnings; MDNI, 18+, SMUT, NSFW, blood, wounds, gore, sex, soft sex

Word count: 11.6k

this is my favourite thing i've ever written

Of course you'd followed him down here, of course you weren't just going to leave your best friend to drown and/or be taken to the Upside Down and be killed. You were never a strong swimmer but you'd be damned if you weren't going to save that stupid boy. Reacting on blind adrenaline, you abandon your jacket in the boat, grab an oar and then you dive into the lake.

The water is freezing, prickling your skin like needles, but you barely register it. You have to get to him. It's a lot deeper than you expected and by the time you reach the red, glowing gate your lungs burn for sweet oxygen. Grimacing, your hand reaches out, pushing through the fleshy gate before you push your entire self through and all you can think in that moment is that you hope there's no more swimming involved.

Your back hits cold hard ground as you lay there gasping for air, thankfully no more water. You'd landed on concrete. It doesn't take long before you jump up, dripping wet and undeniably in the Upside Down, and start hitting everything in sight. They were like bats with big wings and long tails and they swarm you. You whack them with everything you have before they break away and then you see Steve a few metres away. He's being choked, strangled by one of the bat's tails, arms and legs flailing to find something to get it off of him. You spring into action, barrelling over to the bat and hitting with all of the strength you could muster. Bats swarm and attack you with teeth like razors slicing into your skin but you couldn't care about that now. You have to help Steve. With a final thwack! the bat that had been strangling him dropped down, releasing Steve's neck. It lay on the ground, twitching and making a faint screeching noise so you whack it a few more times making sure it's finally dead before dropping to Steve, "Are you okay?!"

"I told you not to follow me!" His voice is a croaky yell as he pants hard, "You shouldn't be in here! Not you!"

"You think I'm not going to follow you into the depths of hell? Oh, Harrington, we're too far into this friendship for that. I'd follow you to Mordor." He rolls his eyes at your Lord of the Rings reference, far too used to you and your nerdy comments.

"It's too dangerous-" he cuts himself off, realising that blood dribbles from various cuts on your arms, "You're bleeding."

"I'm fine," you tell him strongly and honestly you do feel fine. The adrenaline is coursing around your body and right now, you don't feel any of the wounds, "I'm fine. They're just scratches." He accepts this, leaning back to take deep breaths as the rest of your friends appear each more horrified than the last (Eddie's last to come and judging by his scream of 'what the fucking shit is this?!' you can tell he's pretty freaked), "Can you stand?"

He nods and with your outstretched hand, you help him up. Once he's up, he looks around, "You all came down?"

Eddie runs his hands through his wild curls, "Dude, they all came down and I didn't want to be the only one not here."

The five of you look around. It's terrifying down here. The whole place looks familiar but it just feels off; uncanny valley or whatever they call it. It looks like Hawkins but an evil version of it. The sky crackles above you, lightning and thunder casting an eerie red glow over the Upside Down town. You look to the ground and see that the tendrils, the long fleshy veins, are everywhere.

"Be careful where you step," Nancy says, "it's a hivemind so it's all connected. You step on it, it knows we're here." Everyone knows it's more so pointed at Robin who can never seem to keep her balance even when standing perfectly still.

Robin nods, "I can do that," she murmurs to herself as the five of you begin to walk in the direction of the Creel House. You don't know who she's trying to convince more; the four of you or herself.

There's an uneasy feeling in the pit of your stomach. Steve's shoulder brushes yours and you immediately feel the dread die down for a moment. You breathe in a deep breath and puff out your chest as you continue walking.

As the lot of you tread through the Upside Down, you begin to feel slightly hazy, just around the edges at first as though you've just woken up and you're trying to shake off the tired and then it wrapped you up all at once. One minute you're beside him and the next, you've dropped to the floor, eyes rolling. Steve yells out, alerting his friends, as he falls beside you, hands on your cheeks. He's shouting your name, shaking you when he realises that your jeans at the thigh are dark and wet... you're bleeding. He pulls back the fabric and sees a large bite wound. He'd known you'd gotten scratched but you'd told him it was fine, not sore and not deep. He mentally curses you.

"I can help," Nancy says quickly as she rips her shirt, pulling a thick part of fabric off, "Move out the way and I'll bandage her leg."

Steve shakes his head, "I have to do it." He can't lose you; he has to be the one who saves you. He has to be the one to do it. He keeps talking to you, asking if you can hear him but you're not waking up. Panic surges inside of him, heart beating quicker as he stares down at you. Why aren't you waking up?

His hands are clumsy and shaking as Nancy hands him the piece of fabric from her now ripped shirt. Four years into this and they'd still never thought to bring a first aid kit wherever they went. The ripped cloth of the t-shirt would have to do and once tied tight, it would at least apply pressure and hopefully stop the bleeding. Steve's eyes dart to your face, scanning your face to see if you're awake. He's talking to you the whole time, panicked and adrenaline fuelled sentences that he doesn't remember.

"You gotta open your eyes, (y/n). Show me those pretty eyes."

"You think I'm really worth all this fuss?"

"You just had to follow me in here, didn't you?"

"I need you to open your eyes and speak to me, (y/n). I need to know that you're okay. Please."

"Please don't leave me."

You can hear him but it's all fuzzy. It sounds like you're underwater, he sounds far away. It feels peaceful but you fight and you fight hard. It takes every bit of strength you have to open your eyelids which feel like they're weighted down, it's brief but it's good enough. He breathes a sigh of relief as he sees your eyes fluttering, you're alive but you're slipping in and out of consciousness, world feeling hazy as you lay on the ground.

"Hey," he says, voice loud enough to wake you up but quiet enough that the rest of the group wouldn't hear, "you gotta keep those pretty eyes open for me, (y/n)."

You blink up at him, wiggling your fingers as the sensations of your body flood back to you, the pain floods back hitting hard and making you groan out. Steve asks if you're okay and all you can respond with is, "M'awake."

"Keep it that way." He holds up the makeshift bandage, "This is gonna hurt."

You're all banged up, covered in cuts scrapes and bites but the bite on your leg is the worst. Between the two of you, you're able to peel back the ripped jeans on your thigh to expose the bleeding wound. Steve grimaces, "That good, huh?" He doesn't respond and instead pulls the fabric around your leg tightly. You wince, hissing out in pain but you let him continue as he tries his hardest to be gentle by wrapping it tightly around your thigh before tying it tight. The pain from your wound is forcing you to be awake and conscious, sending streams of curse words out of your mouth. It hurts and it hurts bad, it burns and stings with every movement. Your whole body wants to sleep but the wound pulsing under the bandage won't let you and you're thankful for it. One of his hands is on your arm, never wanting to part with you, and all he can do is watch as you breathe hard, teeth grit, as you manage to sit up.

"Motherfucker," you hiss, "that hurts worse than that time I catapulted off the wall up behind Benny's and landed on that rock."

Despite everything, he manages a small smile and a breath of laughter, "Your mom never forgave me for that one even though it was your idea." He glances down at your leg, looking at the bloodied cloth, "That should hopefully stop the bleeding."

Nancy glances into the sky and realises that the bats are coming back and there are hoards of them this time, "Uh, guys?" She asks, voice tense.

Steve looks over at her and then follows her gaze upwards. Fuck. You do it too and you know that there's no time. You have to move. All you want to do right now is curl into a ball in bed - in Steve's bed - like that one time when you drunk and you fell asleep wrapped up together cause that's just what friends do, right?

"I'm okay," you tell him nodding and just like Robin not long ago, you don't know who you're trying to convince more, "just... help me up will you?"

Steve's strong hands pull you up and immediately wrap you in a tight hug, "Don't ever do that to me again," he huffs breath tickling your neck, "I thought I was about to lose you."

"You can't get rid of me that easy, Harrington." You thought that joking would help the situation but no, if anything it made him worse. He's shaking; absolutely terrified from the ordeal of thinking he'd lost you. He pulled back, heart hammering in his chest, as he stares down at his hands that are smeared with your blood. His eyes are glassy and he looks like he's about to cry. You take a breath, taking his hands in yours, "Hey," you whisper, forcing his attention away from his hands and to you instead, "I'm here, okay? I'm alright; bruised and bloodied but I'm alive, Steve, okay?"

"I can't lose you." It's an admission of some sort, not a full blown 'I love you' but it's pretty damn close. It makes your heart race and all you can do is hug him again, pulling him in tight. For a moment, just a moment, everything faded away around the two of you and you could close your eyes and pretend that everything's okay.

The moment's over all too soon when Nancy clears her throat from up ahead. You look over to her and she gives you an apologetic smile. It's time to go.

"Out of the frying pan," you say, taking Steve's hand tightly.

"And into the fire."

Walking isn't an easy task, you're slow and unsteady and with every step, you want to yell out in pain. Steve stays at your side, supporting you as much as he can, "I could carry you, you know... At the very least just a piggy back ride." You're holding everyone up and there's not enough time to let you go at your own pace, you have to move quicker but each time you try, the pain burns stronger.

Quickly, you shake your head, "Over my dead body."

"Yeah, well it might have to be if you're walking this damn slow," he snaps half serious, "Seriously, (y/n), let me lift you."

You push back from him. It's been years since someone picked you up, last time someone did they commented on how heavy you were and how you should think about losing some weight. You were humiliated that day so never again. You had a complicated relationship with your body, in some things you really liked the way your body filled out clothes, in other aspects you hated it. It wasn't a secret that you were fat, people had eyes and they could see it obviously, but it's like when your friend has a very obvious massive red spot on their face - you see it but you just don't speak about it. You don't voice things that could very well be an insecurity for some people.

"Steve, I- I'm too heavy." You feel pathetic as you say it and you can't look at him. You hate that you still have these worries and insecurities but after years of society telling you how you should look of course it had an impact on you.

Steve stops.

He ducks his head to look at you with sad eyes. He hates that you're ashamed of yourself in this way when in his eyes you're absolutely perfect. "Let me help you, (y/n), please," he says quietly so the others don't hear, "You won't hurt me, you're not too heavy, I'm strong and I can get us there faster... It'll help your leg, it'll let you rest it even for a while."

"You're not going to... to laugh at me for how heavy I am?"

Something bubbles up inside him in that moment and all he wants to do is wrap you up and keep you away from all the bad things in life. My god, he wants to kiss those insecurities away, make you realise that you're the prettiest goddamn girl in the world. No one comes close. He shakes his head, strands of his perfect hair falling out of place, and he takes one of your hands, "I'd never do that. You're not going to be heavy for me just let me help you."

If it had to be someone, you would've picked Steve so with a sigh, you relent and he crouches so that you can jump onto his back. You almost forget about the pain in your leg as the nerves burn hard in the pit of your stomach. He lifts you with a surprising amount of ease, jumping to readjust you so that his hand isn't anywhere near your injured leg, "Comfy?" He asks as he starts walking.

"If I'm too heavy you can just put me down, it's okay. I'll walk faster, you don't have to-"

"(y/n)," he cuts over your rambling, "I've got you, don't worry. Just take a breath and chill out for a bit." He begins to walk and catches up with the group on their path to the Creel House. Nancy and Robin glance at you both before catching the other's eye and giving the other a knowing smile.

You bury your head in the crook of Steve's neck, breathing long and deep. Steve can't think straight. All he can focus on is the way your breath is hot against his cool skin and the way your lips gently graze his neck with every step. The feelings that he thought he'd buried down long ago burn violently under the surface. Dustin would be screaming 'I told you so' if he was here right now. For years Dustin had been trying to get Steve to realise the true nature of his feelings for you and finally, fucking finally, it was happening. He shakes his head, trying to ignore the pounding of his heart when your lips graze his skin, and instead he tries to focus on the task at hand.

Everything's over, it's done... at least for now.

You manage to get back to Steve's house in one piece, the five of you traumatised and dirty. Steve's house was empty as usual, his parents both working out of state, so the five of you crowded in Steve's car, Steve driving and you in the passenger seat with his hand in yours. The five of you cram into Steve's car, bloodied and bruised and knackered but you're all alive. Steve drives through Hawkins but his focus is entirely on you. Since your injuries, he hadn't stopped touching you; holding your hand, arms wrapped around you... He had to keep touching you, had to keep reminding himself that you were okay. Every now and then, his thumb brushes over the bloodied skin of your hand. Dustin, Lucas and Max had radioed a while back to say that they got home okay, they'd nearly been caught by police but managed to escape so it was just a straight drive to Steve's. It felt strange being back in Hawkins. You hadn't been away for too long in the Upside Down but returning as though life was normal was a weird one. Things weren't normal; things were pretty fucking strange.

As the five of you enter Steve's house, Nancy darts off to the phone. She'll be trying to get a hold of Jonathan. Eddie asks if Steve's got any beer, Steve points him in the direction of the kitchen and Robin follows in search for food.

It's just you and Steve standing in the hallway.

"How's your leg?" He asks you.

"Fucking killer," you frown, looking down at the bloodied state of your jeans. You hadn't realised just how much you'd bled with being in the tinted red Upside Down since it was kind of hard to see but now it was a stark contrast against your light blue jeans even in the darkness of the night.

"You wanna go shower first?"

You nod quickly. The thought of a shower appeals to you, being able to wash off the dirt, grime and blood and getting to properly clean your wound, oh it sounds like bliss. The only thing that halts you - as you attempt to very slowly climb the stairs - is that Steve obviously won't be in there with you. For the entirety of the night, since jumping into the lake and heading into the Upside Down, Steve had been by your side, constantly touching you in some way, and now... you weren't ready for that to stop. Things had changed, things that you weren't sure you could keep a secret for much longer, and you weren't ready to be apart from him, not yet; not ever.

You glance back at him and he seems to know what you're thinking. He can tell by the panicked look in your eye and he quickly nods and says, "I'll be right outside the door, I promise."

He helps you as much as he can upstairs, holding you up while you hiss and curse in agony as pains shoot up your leg, and helps you into his bedroom. He raids his closet and finds an old jersey of his, it's big and baggy and it'll definitely fit you, before he grabs a pair of stretchy gym shorts from his closet, "Here," he says as he hands you it, "change into these and we'll wash your clothes. We'll get everyone's stuff washed actually."

You're quiet as you nod and pad slowly back to the bathroom, Steve behind you. He slides down the wall, sitting on the floor just to the left of the bathroom door, "I'll wait here, take as long as you need." You're hesitant to leave him but you know that there's no way around this so you thank him and close the door behind you. As soon as you're in the bathroom, you want to turn back and find comfort in his arms but you force yourself to move forwards towards the shower. You have no other choice but to shower, you need to get cleaned up and you'd already prolonged that for long enough.

Stripping off your clothes is harder than you thought it was going to be, they're stuck to you, stuck to your skin from dampness, sweat and blood. You manage to peel your t-shirt off before chucking it to the floor. You take a breath as your hands work gently to untie the makeshift bandage around your leg. You curse loudly and Steve's calling out after you, asking if you're alright.

"Fine," your voice is tense as you try and breathe the pain away, "just getting these stupid jeans off. Leg's agony."

"Once you're cleaned I'll get the first aid kit and patch you up, give you painkillers too." He wishes that he could do more, that it could've been him instead of you that got badly hurt but there's nothing he can do now. All he can do is try and help you be comfortable.

"Can you talk to me about something? I need a distraction so I can pull these jeans off."

Immediately, he straightens and starts talking to you about the time in sixth grade when William Denver got a pencil lodged in his ear after a dare gone wrong. It was the distraction you needed as you managed to pull your jeans down with some ease and some pain. You stay standing for a minute just listening to him talking, it's nice; he's nice. You like that he didn't even question it, he just produced a memory from random and started rambling about it. He never made you feel silly or like you were asking for too much, he just did whatever you needed him to.

"Steve?" You say after a minute .

"Yeah?"

"You can stop talking, I did it."

"How does the wound look?"

"Gonna be honest, Harrington, I'm not fucking looking at it." It was the truth. You don't want to look at the wound, not yet. You'll wait until it was clean to do that. If you look now, you'd freak out so instead, you climb into the shower and almost instantly, you feel a million times better.

As Steve sat outside, scraping blood from under his nails, he couldn't get something that Eddie had said to him out of his head.

"It was (y/n), dude. As soon as you were pulled under, she was off like a shot. I've never seen anyone move that fast. She didn't even think about it, just dove in straight after you... You've got a good one there, dude. Can tell she really loves you."

Was that true? Did you love him? The questions whirred around Steve's mind and it was all he could focus on, nothing else except you. Things had changed and it was obvious, even to the two of you.

The water is hot but not too hot that it hurts. You stand in the shower just letting the water rush over you for what feels like forever, you're just enjoying avoiding looking at the bottom of the bathtub. When you finally look, it shocks you that it's still red, that there's still so much blood and grime on your skin that it's still turning the running water red. It makes your stomach flip and makes your eyes fill with tears. You'd hoped that by the time you opened your eyes, the only reminder about what happened that night would be the bite on your leg but when you open your eyes, the reminder is still all over you. You're still caked with dirt and blood, sticking to each and every crevice of you. With outstretched hands, you steady yourself against the wall as the reality of the whole situation hits you. It hits you hard from Steve choking to you passing out to the piggy back to the events in the Creel house... it all hits you like a train and you can't hold back the sobs that wrack your body. All you want to do is curl up and cry and sleep and pretend everything was normal.

It's too much. It's all too much. Steve was used to this life but you weren't, he'd always kept you safe from this world and now here you were, standing in the shower covered in blood; your blood, your friends blood and strange creature's blood. Bile rose in your throat as you desperately try and calm down. Your whole body is shaking as reality hits you, the adrenaline from diving into the lake to save your best friend stayed in the Upside Down, it didn't come back. You don't feel brave anymore but instead weak and scared.

Steve hears you. He can hear the sobs that come from you though drowned out by the shower but he hears and it breaks his heart. He looks at his hands which have dried blood coating them; your blood. He knows the feeling that's crashing over you, he knows how intense and overwhelming those moments are so he does the only thing he can do. He begins to talk loudly so that you can hear him over the noise of the shower, he doesn't know what he's talking about, he's just talking. He needs to fill the space, needs you to concentrate on something other than the panic and dread that's nestled and made its home so very deep inside of you.

You frown as you try and control your crying to listen. He's rambling about the time in eighth grade when he decided to skateboard off of the top of his garage and he ended up with a broken ankle. Rambling about how freaked out he was seeing the blood and the bone and how calm you were, about how you calmed him down told him that he'd be okay. You were the one who calmed him down with jokes in the ambulance ride to hospital and when they told him he'd need surgery, it was you who made him feel better by saying he'd have such a cool scar. It was you who waited hours on him coming out even despite your mom not being happy since it was a school night. It was you who visited first. It was you who signed his cast first.

"You've always been the strong one, (y/n). Always been the one to help me out... Always been you."

You'd been so focused on listening that your body worked in autopilot, scrubbing your skin hard of all of the grime and blood and when he was finished, you realised that you were almost done too. You catch a glance or two at your thigh, the wound is angry and red and it's deep but it's not as bad as it once looked. You scrub your nails furiously, trying to get the blood that's jammed under them out, before turning the water off.

You can hear him talking to someone outside the door, it sounds like Robin. You dry yourself off, careful not to irritate your thigh too much, before pulling on his jersey and shorts. They fit and they fit baggy which surprises you. They must've been huge on Steve. You wipe the steamed up mirror to look at the blurry vision of you. You like it, you like wearing his clothes. They smell like him, a mixture of cologne, pine and vanilla. You love that smell.

It's not much longer before he's knocking on the door, "You alright?"

You don't reply and instead just open the door. He almost can't function as you stand there in his clothes. It's an old jersey and shorts but oh my god, you make them look incredible. Something within him stirs, something possessive and feral inside of him but it's forgotten about after a second when you ask him if he's alright, "You're just staring at me, you good?" You feel self-conscious under his gaze because he's never looked at you like that before, at least not that you've been aware of. You shift in his jersey, self-consciously tugging at the hem to pull it down so it wasn't clinging to your stomach.

"I, uh, yeah. I'm fine." He nods quickly, "Robin came up a couple minutes ago. Her and Nancy are gonna use the downstairs shower so pointed them in the direction of my mom's closet for clothes. Eddie's just showered and is wandering about in his boxers so just don't look." You manage a small smile, "She says that Nancy's making some food if you wanted to go down-" He sees the absolute look of terror in your eyes, "Or you can wait here for me coming out the shower?" You nod quickly, "Okay, that's fine. I'll try to not take too long." He smiles knowing that you don't want to be away from him, he doesn't want to be away from you either. He grabs himself a clean towel and something to change into before disappearing into the hot and steamy bathroom.

You awkwardly manage to slide down the wall without irritating your leg too much as you wait for him to finish. You try and shut your mind off, not wanting to be alone with your thoughts for any longer than necessary, so you distract yourself with any means necessary.

You think back to when you and Steve were twelve and had thrown a party for the two of you in your basement. You'd stolen your dad's old records as the two of you danced around, wired to the moon on sugar and candy. A song had come on, Life On Mars - David Bowie, and the two of you were in total amazement. It swiftly became 'your song' as Steve dubbed it. It wasn't romantic like most couples songs were but it was a song that the two of you would dance around the room and sing loudly in the car to. You began to hum it quietly to yourself trying to stay focused in the memory of that silly party the two of you threw.

He doesn't take too long but it's been long enough when it hits the fifteen minute mark. You feel on edge. You know that he's just on the other side of the door but you don't feel right knowing that he's not there beside you. Your hands fidget nervously with the hem of the jersey as you breathe in his scent from it to keep calm. You long abandoned humming David Bowie as after five minutes, you were driving yourself insane, and instead spent the last ten minutes with your eyes squeezed shut head pressed back against the wall as you try and calm the rising panic.

The door swings open a few minutes later and there he is, standing there freshly cleaned and washed with his sopping wet hair still looking perfect and a clean t-shirt and shorts on. You reach out for him to help you up and when he does, you throw your arms around him tightly. You need to feel him, need to know he's okay and he's safe. He seems to need this embrace as much as you do as he responds by tightly pulling you against him, bodies flush against the other, warm and damp. His hands grip onto the fabric of your material as he buries his head in the crook of your neck, "I almost lost you," he breathes out. His voice is thick and you can tell that he's close to tears. He can't get over how close he came to losing you. It put everything into perspective for him then, made him realise that life was too short to continue pretending that there wasn't obviously something between the two of you.

"I almost lost you," you murmur as tears build in your eyes, lips once again grazing over the skin of his neck, "I saw you go under and I just- I didn't even think I just jumped in after you." Steve closed his eyes briefly, so what Eddie had told him was true.

It almost doesn't feel real what happened tonight. The whole thing, even this standing in the safe arms of Steve Harrington, it feels like you could blink and be back in the Upside Down so you cling to him and he clings back just as hard. Neither of you cry but the fact that you both welled up over nearly losing the other proved the point regardless.

It's not until you hear someone padding upstairs that the two of you break apart, though his hand holds yours, it's Nancy. She's wearing pyjamas that belonged to Steve's mom, loose and baggy on her, "Food's ready," her voice is quiet and her smile is apologetic knowing that she's just walked into something that she shouldn't be seeing.

Steve nods before he gathers yours and his clothes and then he leads you slowly downstairs to go and eat. Steve tells you that you'll eat then he'll patch your leg up. The smell hits you when you walk into the kitchen; pizza, chicken nuggets and fries. Nancy had raided the freezer and put on a feast for everyone. You didn't think you were hungry until you got there and saw the food. Steve bundles together everyone's clothes and chucks them into the washing machine, pouring a healthy amount of detergent in before turning it on. It's only then as the five of you crowd round the table, chairs squeaking as you pull them in, that you feel the hunger. You all eat in silence the only noise that can be heard is chewing and the grumble of the washing machine. Usually you didn't like eating in front of people, you got worried about what they'd think about your portion size or made a comment but right now you didn't care. With Steve's hand on your knee, you couldn't care about anything else right now. It doesn't take long before the food's finished and you're all guzzling on the water bottles that Nancy had placed on the table.

It's then that you look around the table, looking at everyone. Everyone's clean, smelling of vanilla body wash and coconut shampoo, with clean clothes that are a little loose and baggy (aside from Eddie who only wears boxers but he's wrapped the throw from the couch around himself) but the angry red scrapes, scratches and cuts that litter everyone's limbs are hard to hide. Nancy's managed to shower, change, cook dinner and even managed to treat hers, Robin's and Eddie's scrapes and cuts in the time it took you and Steve to shower. Impressive.

Once the food's finished, everyone scatters. No one really talks aside from their 'thank you's to Nancy. Steve gathers the plates up and puts them in the sink. You wait. He'll wash them in the morning he decides before moving to the counter where Nancy had left the first aid box. He grabs it and wiggles it in his hand, "You ready?"

You nod, "Let's get it over with."

He kneels down in front of you as you sit in the chair, "Can I?" He asks as he nods to the shorts you're wearing. You nod. Robin walks into the kitchen and quickly backs away, the scene unfolding far too intimate for anyone else to see. She warns Nancy and Eddie to stay away. Steve hands are gentle as he rolls your shorts upwards to get to your mid thigh. It's then you both get a good look at your wound. It's angry and raw but it looks better. The bleeding stopped a while ago so that's a good sign. Still hurts like hell though.

He rummages through the first aid box, finding a wipe and a large plaster, "It's gonna hurt." He tells you as he tears open the antiseptic wipe. You nod quickly and with a tender hand, he cleans it. It stings and burns but you aren't focusing on the cut, you're looking at Steve. You're looking at the way his hair falls into his vision and he blows it away with an upwards puff of air. You're watching the way his brow furrows in concentration as he gnaws on his lower lip making sure to not cause any further harm to you.

He grabs stuff to dress it with, glancing up at you, doing a double take when he realises that you're staring at him, "I'm not hurting you am I?"

You shake your head, "No, you're fine."

He goes back to gently dressing your wound and before you know it, he's finished. You go to pull away but Steve reaches out, "You forgot the most crucial part of patching up a wound," he chides, that playful tone once again back where it belongs. You frown but before you can ask what he means, his head ducks low and his lips graze the skin above the dressing. It's so soft and gentle that you wouldn't have known he'd done it had you not been staring at him with wide eyes. Where he kisses feels hot but not from the wound rather from him. Your heart beats fast in your chest and your cheeks feel like they're on fire, "There." His breath tickles over your skin. He lingers for a few seconds, too long for a friend, before he pulls back and stands up leaving you sitting there absolutely stunned.

He smirks as he turns away from you, discarding the empty wrappers in the bin, he knows what he's doing to you. Hope burns strong inside him, hope that maybe this is it; this is his chance, your chance. When he turns around you tell him to sit down, "Mine are fine," he says with a shake of the head, "not as bad as yours."

"So?" You ask with a raised brow, "Sit."

He complies.

You grab some plasters that were at the bottom of the box which happen to be some yellow and red plasters with various wild animals on them. Steve laughs slightly, "Seriously?" He asks as you grab a wipe to clean him.

"It's the only plasters you've got, not my fault Harrington."

He rolls his eyes but humours you and lets you dab his cuts carefully before sticking down the plasters. You only plaster the ones that are deeper so he ends up with some on his arms and one on his left temple. He goes to stand up, "Wait," you tell him fighting off a smirk, "you forgot the most crucial part of patching up a wound." His eyes widen slightly and his Adam's apple bobs in his throat. Two can play at your game, Harrington. Slowly, you duck your head to press gentle kisses to the cuts on his arms, lips lingering just as his did. Steve swallows hard. It's taking everything to control himself right now and even then, he's barely controlling himself. He can't stop thinking about the way your lips feel, soft and warm on his skin, and he can't stop thinking about how they'd feel against his own.

Your heart is beating harder but you don't let it show as you lean in close to him. Steve's eyes are trained on you, never wavering, entirely focused on your next move. You press a gentle kiss to his temple, your hand rests on his knee for leverage. Steve swallows hard again and you secretly smile knowing that you're having some form of effect on him. He can smell you, smell the shampoo in your hair that he uses, he can smell his jersey on you and he loves that he can smell himself on you. Again, that primal urge rises in him but he pushes it away as you lean back and sit back down in your chair.

"Uh... thanks," he says as he clears his throat. You like seeing him like this, flustered and flushed, "How's it feel?" He asks referring to your wound.

"Better." Your cheeks feel hot as you replay the moment of him kissing your thigh over and over in your head. He stands up and takes your hand before slowly leading you out of the kitchen and into the living room. You like the way his hand feels in yours, warm and large.

Eddie's set up camp for the night there, laying on the couch under a blanket with a cushion shoved under his head. Robin's curled in the armchair almost half asleep but Steve taps her leg and tells her to go to the guest room, Nancy too who was coming downstairs carrying blankets. Without a word, the two girls nod and head upstairs.

You and Steve aren't far behind them, following them up after he locks the door. There's no question of where you're sleeping, not an utterance of a word about it, instead it's just quiet acceptance. He makes sure that Nancy and Robin are comfortable before leading you into his bedroom and quietly closing the door behind him.

Nerves bubble in your stomach. It's different. You've been in Steve's room hundreds of times over the years of being friends. You'd slept in this room plenty before too on duvets on the floor and once in his bed curled up with him after a drunken party. This time though... it feels different. It doesn't feel like sleeping over with a friend because well, he's not a friend anymore. You aren't sure how he feels about you but you know that this isn't how friends treat each other. You don't want to get your hopes up just in case but they're there, niggling under the surface of your skin.

It's only when you're in his room with the door closed, you're unsure what to do next. Steve's not shy and he knows exactly where you're going to be. He walks to his side of the bed and lifts the duvet to get in, "Well?" He asks, "Hurry up and get in here."

He doesn't need to tell you twice.

Your heart beats fast as you climb into bed beside him. The bed smells like him, it smells like home. Steve watches you the whole time, the words he wants to say are right there on the tip of his tongue, locked behind his teeth but he's not feeling brave anymore so he stays silent. There's a certain tension in the air that you both feel as you lie on your sides, facing each other. Your heart hammers in your chest as your mind whirs with the possibilities of what might be.

The moon seems to be right outside of Steve's open windows, shining in bright so that you can see him, he's a duller and darker version in this light but he's still Steve; your Steve. You look up at him from behind long lashes and you find his eyes boring into yours, roaming and searching, looking for an answer to the question that he hasn't asked. It seems to click then, to both of you, that this was something more than what is once was or maybe this is way it always had been but it was only now you were realising it. He shifts closer and you do too as his eyes switch from your lips to your eyes. The burning desire to kiss someone has never been this strong before.

All you can hear is the beat of your heart in your ears like a drum, faster and faster, as you inch closer to him. He finds one of your hands lost under the sheets and takes it, clasping your fingers together tightly. It's then when you look up and realise that you're almost pressed together. Steve swallows, Adam's apple bobbing in his throat, as his breath tickles over your face.

It happens.

You're not sure who moved in first, it was more like a joint effort to meet in the middle. Your eyes flutter shut as Steve closes the gap between your lips, pressing a soft kiss to your lips. It's a small kiss, gentle and it doesn't last long but in that moment, everything slots together and you feel like everything's right again. He's testing the waters with this kiss, keeps it short and sweet before he pulls back a few centimetres, eyes scanning your face for some kind of regret or negativity but he doesn't find it.

Your mind reels from the fact that you and Steve just kissed. Your stomach is a jumble of nerves overlapping each other and writhing deep in the pit of your stomach. That few seconds where you're just staring at each other, eyes searching for confirmation, seemed to solidify something for the two of you, a silent agreement, consent and before you knew it, it was a push and a pull of bodies. Your free hand tangles in his shirt, pulling him close as his pulls you in at the waist.

No other kiss has ever felt like this one. It's fast and hard, smashing of lips and clashing tongues. It's hungry and passionate, it's a 'finally' moment, a breath of fresh air, a breath of relief. You've never been kissed like this before; never been kissed with such intensity and passion behind it. He kisses you like it means something because to him, it does; it means everything.

With a swift kick, he shoves the sheets to the floor where they gather in a pile. He rolls you onto your back and shifts without breaking the kiss so that he's over you, hands on either side of your head as you kiss. His knee moves between your legs, parting them, and pushing upwards. You gasp, breaking the kiss, at the sudden friction between your legs.

He snaps back.

His eyes roam your face again as your brow furrows. He worries that he's gone too far, moved too fast, but you grab a handful of his cotton shirt and pull him back down to kiss you. There's a new found confidence within you, allowing you to grab him and kiss him which you wouldn't have done before, you kiss him hard and he seems to get the hint that you want this, that you want him.

You almost feel like you need to be pinched, like at any moment you're going to open your eyes and you'll be somewhere else; that this is all a dream. For years, you'd had a crush on him but you thought it would always just be a secret and never be reciprocated but here he is, kissing you as though his goddamn life depends on it. You. He's kissing you. If 14 year old you could see you now. Well maybe not the scenes that would unfold in the next few minutes but my god, it would be the biggest confidence boost knowing that you, despite your weight and despite your size, would have Steve Harrington fawning over you. It felt good to be wanted, it felt right.

Soon the kiss turns needy and desperate as heat pools between your legs. Your hips push downwards into his knee trying to feel the friction through the cotton shorts that you wear. Steve's lips pull away from yours, extracting an audible whine from you, as he moves to your cheek, your jaw, your neck, your shoulder. He kisses everywhere, peppering small kisses on the soft skin before finding the spot on your neck that makes your gasp and makes your back arch. His hands are on your sides, dancing the hem of the jersey you wear up, and it's then it kicks in. Your hand darts out to catch his, stopping it in its place.

He stops.

"Am I going too fast- dammit, shit, sorry, sweetheart. I-I got carried away-"

You shush his worries and cut off his rambling before you answer him softly, "Self-conscious." Your voice is a mere whisper and Steve's face immediately softens. You'd never really had anyone touch you like this, with so much care and love and it makes you so aware of all of your imperfections. The worry that sits in the back of your mind, too, is that you know Steve's dating history; tiny, petite and pretty girls... Not you. Not fat and curvy and lumpy. Steve's eyes bore into yours and he can see your worries, sitting so openly and plainly in front of him.

"Baby," he murmurs, hand trailing fire over your cheek as he caresses it, "I think you're perfect." You look in his eyes and you know that there's a decade of trust there, a decade of friendship and loyalty, a decade of love, "You don't have to hide from me." You're still not quite there so Steve continues, "Your body, your smile, your laugh; you are perfect to me, (y/n). Beautiful. Your weight and size doesn't make you any less so... I want you, (y/n). Why do you think I only gave you my clothes to wear? I only want you, no one else." You hadn't thought about why you were the only one wearing Steve's clothes. It hadn't really clicked to be honest. He'd sent Robin and Nancy to his mom's closet, Eddie chose to be half naked, and you were the only one wearing Steve's clothes. It was such an honest, sweet, possessive action that it made the heat burn between your legs.

He leans down and presses a gentle kiss to the side of your jaw, then another and another before he pulls back, "You want me to stop?"

You shake your head.

"Speak up, babygirl."

"Don't stop," you whisper, "I want you... Fuck, Steve, I need you." Hearing you say it makes his cock twitch in his shorts. It doesn't take much until he's rock hard, pressing against your thigh as he kisses you again, hot and heavy.

His hands resume sliding under your shirt, over the lumps and bumps and curves of your stomach and sides until they find your bare breast, heading straight for your hard nipple. His thumb grazes over it, extracting a soft moan from your parted lips. Steve moans into your neck at the sound of you, "God," he groans, "you even sound so fucking pretty."

Your whole body feels hot, feels like you're burning a fever but in the best way possible, "Take it off," you get a moment of bravery as you push him back and pull off of the jersey, throwing it across the room where it bundles in a pile at the wardrobe. You hoist your lower half up and rather ungracefully tear off your shorts and throw them over to where the jersey resides on the floor. Thankfully Steve was to preoccupied with taking his shirt off to see.

It was when he looked back down at you, ready to move in to kiss your breast, that he stopped.

"Holy fuck, baby."

He looks at you like you're the only thing of importance in the world. The way he stares at you, drinking in your body, your curves, your stretchmarks, it makes you shift and wriggle awkwardly. The way that he looks at you, you've never had anyone look at you like that before. His gaze is so awe-filled and you never want him to stop. He follows every line, every bump, every freckle, every blemish on your body until it leads back to your face and your eyes, "So goddamn pretty."

He bends his head, taking your nipple in his mouth tongue swirling around the sensitive bud, as his fingers press into your hips. The moans that he was pulling from you were like music to his ears, every moan and mewl making his cock twitch with anticipation. Every time you moan, he hums against your nipple. God he doesn't think he'll ever get tired of hearing you or making you feel good. Your back arches and his hand slips over your stomach, groping the curve of it. You shiver and squirm but not because you're uncomfortable. His touch sends tingles down your spine and all across your soft, sensitive skin.

"Steve," you whisper out, back arching as his fingers push apart your thick thighs, "I- I- need you."

Steve growls against your skin, "Never thought I'd hear you say that, baby," he says against your skin before taking your nipple back in his mouth, tongue swirling and circling around it as his fingers trail down your thick thighs to your aching hot sex.

You've never had anyone touch you like this, your hand brushes against his and he stills, raising his head to look at you, "I've never... you know..." You're a virgin. He already knows it, just like you know that he's not and he's not been for a long time.

Steve nods, "I'll be gentle, babygirl," he murmurs, pressing a kiss to the side of your mouth, "if it hurts or you want me to stop-"

"I'll tell you."

Steve grins, that half grin you love so much, before he attacks your neck again as his fingers continue their agonisingly slow dance down your thighs, "God," he moans into your neck as he hears the way your breath hitches in your throat, "you sound too fucking pretty. I want to hear you moan for me..." His fingers graze over your slick cunt and my god, you're soaked, "God, I want to do this right; I want to take my time with you but- I don't know how much longer I can go." His fingers part you and circle your sex until they brush over your clit.

Your eyes roll backwards as your back arches to a level you never knew possible and Steve grins at your reaction. He presses harder on your clit, pressing and circling lazy circles. Your body twists and convulses, overwhelmed by the new sensations that he's causing, your words are a jumble of moans and curse words crumbling beneath him and he's never witnessed anything so beautiful.

"J-Jesus, Steve-"

His hips involuntarily buck forwards, colliding with your thigh and his head falls as he groans, "Baby, you can't say my name like that," he hisses, "you'll make me- Jesus- I've never had that before- never had this. I'm so- so desperate for you and just hearing you, just seeing you like this is enough to make me- fuck." You love having that effect on him but he doesn't let you enjoy it for too long before a finger is pushing at your entrance. He searches your eyes and you nod as he coats it in your slick heat before slowly, his finger is being pushed inside of you.

You kiss him. Lips open and tongues swirling as he pushes inside of you, you moan against his mouth and he seems to understand what you want. He shifts and slowly pushes another finger into you and it isn't long until your hands are tugging at the sheets, his hair, nails digging into strong shoulders as you come undone beneath him. Your mind is a jumble of everything Steve. All those moments with Steve. The innocent laughter of kids, the secrets of teenagers, the awkwardness of young adults. The inside jokes, the teasing jibes, the playful roll of the eyes, the secret glances when you think he isn't look, his lovesick whenever you laugh.

Steve feels like he could finish right here, right now. Not even inside you and barely started. This moment had been in the works for years and now it was here, years of tension built up into a few lustful, passionate moments. He slips his fingers from you and immediately takes them in his mouth, tasting your natural tang on his tongue. He moans against them as he licks your wetness from them, "Fucking delicious, babygirl." He tugs his shorts down and looks down at you, "Shit, condom-"

"I'm on the pill, Steve," you pant, "we don't need it."

"Are you sure? We can stop-"

"Steve," you cut him off, leaning up on your elbows to give him a quick peck, "I'm sure."

He lines himself up and readies you for him to push into you. You gasp at his size and he gives you a few seconds to adjust before he checks if you're alright and want to continue. It's not sore, it's an unfamiliar sensation but it feels good. You nod to let Steve know you're ready to continue. His finger trails lazily down your thigh, avoiding your wounds, as he looks at you with teasing eyes.

"Words, please."

"More- God, more."

He complies, his pace slow and steady. It takes everything in his to not implode then and there in your slick warmth. It's all a bit of a blur, it feels like you're high or drunk, fuzzy around the edges and tingly. Steve's groaning into your neck, sounds that drive you crazy because my god how does he sound so fucking pretty too? Your legs are tight around him as he kisses you hard, pace quickening with every thrust. It doesn't feel like anything you'd experienced before. It's deep and makes your body squirm and shake, it makes noises you didn't know you could make escape from your throat; it makes you go wild.

"You feel so-" he groans, "so fucking good, babygirl."

The way he speaks to you, voice dark and dripping with lust, could easily tip you over the edge once more but you hang on, wanting to stretch it out just a little longer. Your eyes meet Steve's. You'd always wondered that if you and Steve did ever get together, would it be awkward? Would it be uncomfortable at first? You had your answer. It wasn't awkward, it wasn't uncomfortable. It felt like how it should; it felt right. Like two pieces of a puzzle slotting together perfectly.

"Cum for me," Steve pants, peppering kisses all over your face, your neck, your shoulder. Your body involuntarily convulses, gasping at his words, "Cum for me, babygirl."

You couldn't stop yourself even if you tried. One second you're staring into Steve's eyes, the next you're tumbling into the blissful vortex of an orgasm, writhing and wriggling beneath him. The sensations overwhelm you; so much pleasure, so much build up and now you're unravelling at the seams for him; for Steve. Your eyes squeeze shut as your hands go between pulling at his hair to gripping his flesh with your nails, probably adding new cuts to his already bruised and battered body. The moans that come from you, jesus, he barely contains himself. The knowledge that he's the one making you feel this good, he's the one inside you, the one who's making you moan like that... he could explode inside you right now.

"Fucking hell, babygirl," he groans into your neck, "too fucking good, too fucking tight and pretty."

His thrusts slow as you come down from your high, allowing you some time to calm your racing heart and tingly limbs. Your breathing is erratic and you can't seem to form a single word or even a single thought but only Steve. Just Steve. Always Steve.

"I can't hold it, baby," he whispers, "you're too much; perfect but so- so fucking good." He means that you're too much in the highest of compliments. He could've came with just the sight of your naked body, hell just kissing you could've made him explode, the sound of you could've made it happen so the fact he's here, listening to you, touching you, kissing you, inside of you... it's so much; too much but he never wants it to stop. He wants it forever - wants you forever.

Slowly regaining some strength back, your hips rock into his. You're unsure of how to exactly do it but you know you're doing something right when he's cursing and gasping into your ear. The more he reacts, the more confidence you gain.

"Cum for me," you whisper in his ear just as he had done to you.

His moans make you shudder with excitement and it's not long before he's cursing and groaning loudly into your neck and the pillow you lay on, fist clenched around your hand. His thrusts grow quick and sloppy and you continue to talk him through it until he stills and shudders.

Pants fill the humid air as the two of you recover and fall down from your highs. It's a moment later when Steve slowly slides out of your warmth and slides off of you, falling onto the bed next to you. He doesn't give you any time to miss his touch because as soon as he's off of you, he's pulling you in at the waist and pressing soft kisses to your forehead.

You don't know what it is, the rushing tsunami of emotions, the reality hitting you or just the whole day's overwhelming nature but you feel vulnerable in those few moments afterwards and instinctively, your hands scrabble for the sheet, pulling it half over yourself.

"Hey," Steve murmurs, one eye open, "you never have to hide from me again."

You curl into him, "I know... It's just... weird getting used to it." It doesn't feel awkward or uncomfortable or even weird. The only weird thing about it is how normal it feels. You settle into Steve's arms as you feel a question bubbling up inside of you. "How... How was it?" It's a question that you're unsure you want the answer to because what if he hated it? What if it was just okay? It's too late now anyway, the deed has been done and the question has been asked.

Steve pulls a long breath out, "I seriously mean this, babygirl... the best, most intense, most mindblowingly awesome sex I've ever had in my life. No joke. Seriously like-"

You find yourself laughing, cheeks burning and heart racing at the compliments he continued to pour out, "Okay, okay, stop, I get it! I'm the best sex you've ever had in your life and you'll never find anyone like me ever again-"

"I don't want anyone ever again." His mood turns serious, a snap of the fingers and all laughter is gone, "I only want you, (y/n)... This isn't a one-time thing for me." You look up at him and you see that expression back once again, sad and scared, "I almost lost you, (y/n). I'm never letting you go again."

Your heart skips a beat, "So what does that mean for us?"

"it means that I-" the words are right there, locked behind teeth but he doesn't feel brave anymore, "I can't lose you."

"I can't lose you either." It's as good as an admission goes. You know how he feels just like he knows how you feel for him but the two of you have been too brave for today and neither has any intrepidness left in you so you leave it at that. You'll tell him the true nature of your feelings at some point but not right now, not yet. So for now, it's enough and it isn't long before the darkness wraps its arms around you and pulls you to sleep.

Steve settles with you wrapped up around him. He's warm, almost too warm, but he's not letting go of you. He can't. With a deep breath, he does his best to block today's events in the Upside Down out of his mind and focuses on the sound of your breathing to help lull him to sleep.

The lot of you don't get up until well into the afternoon, bodies and minds equally as exhausted. Your body is sorer in the morning, achier and just plain tired, Steve thinks it's his fault and he keeps apologising profusely but kisses work wonders to soothe his worries.

"I'm just bruised and battered. Not from you, Steve. You can't ever hurt me."

When you and Steve finally emerge from downstairs, Nancy's on the phone to Jonathan, Robin's watching TV and Eddie's surprisingly making breakfast. He's quiet and his smile doesn't quite hit his eyes but he tries his best to lift spirits. When the two of you pass Robin, she gives you a warm smile - a knowing smile but not a teasing one. After the events of yesterday, there's no teasing, no jokes; it's a 'life is fucking short so get with the one you love immediately'.

Once more, you crowd around the breakfast table, a little livelier than last night but the bruises, cuts and dark circles under everyone's eyes tells a different story. Everyone's eyes have a darkness to them; a hollow emptiness after the trauma of last night. Eddie fills in the conversation where he can but even he isn't feeling up to it so the sound of silence is something that you've grown to be used to. Steve's hand doesn't leave your hand all morning, he still doesn't want to be away from you.

After breakfast, the five of you glance around at each other and there's a question that you all think but don't say. Steve finds himself answering, "You can all stay as long as you need. My parents won't be home for a week and-"

There's a group sigh of relief.

"Maybe just one more night," Nancy says, "until we can get a proper good night's sleep." She's always been so strong, so fearless but the fact that there's a slight tremor of fear in her voice is oddly comforting to you.

"Thank god because I wasn't going anywhere." Robin says as she finishes the last of her apple juice.

"Me either," Eddie says, "maybe we could extend the invite to Henderson and the rest of the little buddies."

As the rest of the group break off, with Eddie going to call Dustin and Nancy and Robin cleaning up, you and Steve move outside to sit by the pool. Steve's arm is tight around your shoulders, pulling you into his embrace, "I love you." He's not feeling very brave today but he says it anyway. Life's too short, he learned that last night. So even despite his worries and fears, he had to tell you. Why not?

You press a kiss to his neck, smiling. See? Like two puzzle pieces slotting together. His confession makes you feel brave and makes you feel like you could tell him. Last night was a night of firsts; first time into the Upside Down, first time getting wounded, first time having sex so what's wrong with another first? First time telling someone that you love them; first time telling Steve. The boy who you thought was so far out of your league. Years ago you'd accepted your fate of just being friends but now? Now you were here, in his arms, so why the fuck would you let your fears stop you from taking the leap of faith?

"I love you, too." He presses a kiss to your forehead, smiling.

The two of you stay there, curled up together and smiling, until Dustin and crew get there and until Dustin yells at the top of his lungs, "I fucking knew it! Fifty bucks Harrington!"

#one shot #os #prompt #steve harrington x plus size reader #steve harrington #steve harrington imagine #steve harrington x reader #plus size #plus size reader #reader insert #steve harrington x you #stranger things imagine #stranger things #stranger things fic #fanfic #fic #fic rec #st

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slattern-femina · 10 months ago

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iris

A/N: originally on ao3 Iris - Chapter 1 - hiraethnefarious, lilsmutqueen - Ghost (Sweden Band) [Archive of Our Own]

Dewdrop nearly trips over Phantom when he tries to make his way to the tour bus bathroom at 3am. He should have turned on a light. But he’s a toughened fire ghoul- dammit- he can find his way to the bathroom fine without help.

Or so he thought.

“What the-“ he squeaks as his foot catches on the quintessence ghoul’s outstretched leg, and he feels Phantom recoil in on himself like a cat. It’s so dark in the tour bus that all he can really see is Phantom’s huge, watery, violet eyes.

Dew sighs and reaches over to sort of pat the area where Phantom’s head is.

“Why are you up this late, kid?” Dew asks gently as he can.

Phantom can only look at the bunk, with the curtain closed, with their resident water ghoul resting, but soft sobs and pants fill the air. “Rain is crying again,”

Dew frowns, also hating the noises. “Yeah, I know.”

Phantom wide, violet eyes are tearing up. “I don’t like it.” He says bluntly.

Dew can only nod. “Yeah… bug, I don’t either. I hate hearing him like that,”

Phantom states at the curtain- then at Dewdrop. “Can I stop it?”

“Ugh.. not unless he asks you yet. It’s okay- I think Mountain is with him right now,” Dew states, judging by the two tails curled around each other, slipping out of the bunk. One comes up and slaps him gently on the chin- as if to make him quiet. Definitely Mountain.

“Fucking ouch,” Dew grumbles and holds his cheek, before getting the hint and leaving. “Here come sleep with me,” Dew says to Phantom, and wraps an arm around the younger ghoul, half hauling him to the bunk. They can all be a cuddly group- but Phantom especially. And especially with him. It makes Dew happy; he remembers he was the same way with Aether- who seemed to never know a minute rest when Dewdrop was constantly at his side.

Phantom waits for Dew to slide in first then he crawls in, tucking his body around the fire ghoul- nearly purring immediately and relishing the heat that radiates off Dewdrop.

Phantom actually adores cuddling with Rain- even though Rain was a little standoffish, when the young ghoul was summoned. It’s not Phantom’s fault… none of them were good with change and not having Aether was hard.

But Phantom seemed to spark such an innocent joy, that no one could avoid him for that long. Soon- they were all over Phantom. Well- they’re all over each other, all the time, it just sort of happens when ghouls are in a sort of pack like this. Everyone fucks everyone and everyone loves everyone. Some ghouls just love a bit more.

Rain has been known to seek out the young ghoul- sometimes just flopping on him in bunks or in his room- and Phantom curls around him like a little, happy, koala. Which is why Phantom hates hearing him crying.

“Why is he crying?” Phantom asks Dew.

Dew quiets for a second and thinks, not exactly sure how to explain it. He’s not always the best with words. He can’t really just say; Oh don’t worry- basically he turns into a rabid sex monster for a week and his body is preparing for him that and it hurts him a lot and no one really knows why and he fucks all of us until we literally can’t move.

No. Be more eloquent than that, Dew- he internally scolds himself. Phantom has never seen this before- he doesn’t understand why his treasured water ghoul is hurting and no one can fix him.

“Ugh… basically. Um. Do you remember what Swiss was like two weeks ago?” Dew asks Phantom. Phantom nods, and a faint blush appears on his rosy cheeks- as he remembers having Swiss basically tackle him and they fucked for hours- while Dew and Mountain were catching their breaths in the same room. “That’s what is going to happen to Rain- but it’s just… hurts him more preparing for it,”’

“Why?” Phantom scowls at the thought of Rain hurting.

Dew can only shrug. “Everyone is different I suppose. Bodies and magic work differently in each form,” at Phantom’s still worried, wide eyes, Dew runs his fingers across the ghoul’s pretty jaw, smiling fondly at the sweet boy. “He’ll be okay- he just needs a few knots and he’ll be fine,” Dew jokes.

Phantom leans into his hand but knits his brows together. “What’s a knot?”

Ah, crap.

Dew stiffens. Shit. Phantom has never been knotted before. He forgot. Almost everyone wants to do it to him- but they’re waiting for him to decide who he wants to do it with for the first time.

“Ugh… knot is … um… okay- special? It’s still… fucking just you get stuck together after.”

Swiss- who Dew swore was asleep- can barely contain himself in the bunk above and pokes his head down into the curtain at Phantom and Dew. Aurora grumbles as he jostles her in the bunk.

“Jesus Christ , Dewdrop! Couldn’t you be a bit more romantic describing the beautiful experience that is knotting with someone you love?!”

Dew rolls his eyes and swats at Swiss angrily with his tail. “Oh, fuck off.”

Phantom stares at them. “… stuck together?”

Dew swears cheeks burn- more so than normal- for the fire ghoul. “Yeah- ugh. You’ll understand more when it happens to you,” he stutters and Phantom doesn’t push him anymore. He just stares at Dew with beautiful, big amethyst eyes.

When Phantom speaks again- his voice is so quiet, Dew can barely hear him. “Will that happen to me? Hurting… like Rain?”

Dew doubts that. If Phantom was going to go feral or rabid or in heat, he would have done it by now.

“Nah, bug. I think you’re good.” Dew says fondly and ruffles his hair. Phantom curls up and tucks his face into the crook of his neck, purring.

“Promise?” Phantom asks, looking at him with wide, purple eyes that makes Dew’s insides feel like they flipped. He really is so pretty.

“Yeah, yeah, promise,” Dew affirms.

They stay like that for a few minutes. Phantom seems so genuinely worried for Rain- but then he starts to relax and purr. A while later, once there is only calm breathing filling the tour bus, Dew is almost surprised when he feels Phantom’s erection tenting his pants and he has to bite back a laugh and endeared smile spreads over his face. He can’t fix Phantom's sad eyes- but he can make him feel good, right? He likes to think he’s good at that.

Dew glances up, hearing Swiss’s snores, and Aurora’s steady breaths. Phantom is already pawing at him, pressing needing kisses to the fire ghoul’s neck. Dew carefully maneuvers him, so Phantom is lying under him. Hell– He’s pretty. So pretty.

“Be quiet, kid, I’ll take care of you—,” his fingers curl around Phantom’s needy erection and the boy jerks against him, breath coming out erratically as he bites his lip to keep himself quiet.

And then Dewdrop jacks him, hard and fast, and Phantom is unsure if his can remain quiet. Dew is often gentle; but getting off hard is sometimes what Phantom craves and Dew seems to always know when that is.

Dewdrop’s hand feels a million times better than his own and he was already so, so close being so close to Dew. He really loves the fire ghoul.

“ Dew ,” he groans, gasping in pleasure when Dewdrop’s head dips down and nips at the junction of his neck, biting down but not hard enough to leave any evidence. The fire ghoul grins against his skin, soaking in all the beautiful sounds he’s making.

“God, baby, you sound so fucking good,” he growls, resisting the urge to grind his hips up against him. He’s not going to “Can you come for me?”

“Shit—Dew— I—,” he pants, legs beginning to shake, his eyes glowing a bright amethyst, and he presses more of his body against Dewdrop to steady himself.

Purposefully Dewdrop drags his thumb over the head of Phantom’s cock, rubbing into the sensitive slit, and Phantom nearly loses it.

“Dew—!” It almost physically hurts Dew to have to cover the boy's mouth; but he can’t risk waking anyone else up. Or … giving them more fuel to torture him with if they’re already listening.

“Come for me, baby,” Dewdrop growls, lowly, into Phantom's ear. It’s the last push Phantom needed, mouth opens in a nearly silently scream under Dew’s hand as he finally reaches his orgasm. His eyes roll into his head and Dew nearly loses his goddamn mind. God, this kid is unreal.

After Phantom finally regulates his breathing- Dew kisses him, slowly, before getting ready to clean him up.

From the above bunk- Swiss snickers. “That wasn’t a knot!”

✧.*

In unison- from both Mountain and Dewdrop in their respective bunks- a glorious “Shut the FUCK up!” Rings out in the air.

In Rain’s bunk- he is nearly curled around Mountain, also panting, and sweating, but not for the same reason as Phantom. Normally Mountain loved seeing him doing that- but not the time. It’s not because of pleasure, that Rain is doing this, it’s because of the unbridled pain he is in. Mountain grimaces and pulls the water ghoul closer to his chest.

Sure- some of them get… ugh. Well there’s no good way to describe it. Feral, heat.. whatever you want it to be called. Swiss and Cumulus are known to be nearly rabid when it hits them every few months.

It’s just Rain’s lead up to is always so painful for him. Waves of cramps and fevers rack his body- and especially when they’re on the road with no big bodies of water in sight- it’s difficult for the water ghoul to find any sort of comfort.

Rain has his face scrunched up; more sweat, and more water, dripping out of his body. Mountain slowly maneuvers around him to fish out his phone - seeing if there were any bodies of water close to them. He has no shame in asking the bus driver to stop and throwing (or gently laying, whichever is more efficient) Rain into water so at least he could have some of his element close to him; but Mountain can only scowl- no water in sight. Just trees and hills. Great for Mountain, awful for Rain.

“I wish I could take you home to the abbey, baby,” Mountain sighs and rubs Rain’s back.

Rain only grimaces. “Can’t… show,”

Mountain sneers. “Fuck the show. You’re in pain. And I hate it.” But he has to hold a certain resolve, if not for him then for Rain’s sake, since he will only be worse if he thinks Mountain is upset with him. Which of course he isn’t; but the water ghoul isn’t exactly thinking clearly right now. “Okay… just… let me know if you need anything?” Mountain says softly as Rain curls up in his chest- humming in response.

Somehow- in amazing strength- Rain played the show the next day, without much difference. He was definitely not as mobile as normal- but his skill was still out of this world. Only a few times did he have to duck behind the drum set, behind Mountain, to curse and double over as waves of pain hit him with unrelenting vigor.

The entire night; Phantom was close to him, barely letting Rain out of his sight for a second. Sometimes; Rain even leaned on him to keep him upright. The fans went insane.

Inwardly; Phantom was crying because Rain was in so much pain.

Finally- it's time to go back to the hotel they’re blissfully staying at for two nights- with no show tomorrow.

It still feels like shit for Rain. But at least there’s a bed and a bathtub.

On the bus ride there; Rain stayed curled up on Phantom, something about the ghoul makes him feel calm. The rest of them watch closely, as if to jump if they need anything.

It was not surprising that Ghouls became a pack like this. Being brought into this existence can be a lonely life if you don’t find comfort in your own kin. And here at the Abbey or on the road; they all rely on each other.

They had pulled into a hotel for the night and the other members wanted to go to the bar- with Rain’s request and approval. There’s really nothing they can do to help him right now. But Phantom refused and came into Rain’s room to help him.

He starts out so well, he really does. He gets Rain to drink water and eat something, run a bath when epsom salts for him which he soaks in for nearly two hours.

Phantom even got him heating pads and human meds for his cramps, he holds him as he falls asleep. Will human medication even work? Other substances work- why not those? Well they’re there for Rain if he needs them.

Phantom really wants his little group to be proud of him, and wants to show he can take care of Rain. He may still be young; but he’s not weak. And he loves Rain a lot.

For the first few hours he is a good ghoul. But then, later- when Rain is sleeping, Phantom feels restless. Like he’s missing something. So he lets his eyes wander, and spots Mountain’s sweater on the edge of the bed… but it feels out of place. Just slightly, but Phantom notices. And suddenly, it’s all clouds his mind. He very gently wriggles out of Rain’s tight grip, and manages to escape without waking him.

He goes to the bed and moves the sweater, holding it tightly.

Would Rain be upset with him for moving it, or touching it? That’s a weird thought to think, Phantom can’t help but to say to himself.

Rain will have to fix it up anyway if he doesn’t like it, right? Phantom decides he can apologize to Rain later.

But the next feeling that hits Phantom makes him hiss and his tail snap in discomfort. A burning, aching pain hit his gut. It didn’t do that before. It feels like it knocks his breath out of him, and he shakily reaches for the desk to catch himself.

He is still holding the sweater so he brings it to his face, inhaling Mountain’s scent. It makes his head a little bit fuzzy. With gentle hands, he folds it and places it on the bed in just the right spot.

He picks up a blanket without thinking, folds it in half and spreads it over the corner of the mattress. That’s so much cozier, and Rain will like it better like this anyway. Probably. He can’t help but chirp with satisfaction, until another wave hits him and he nearly yelps out in pain. What is happening to him?!

Dew said it wouldn’t hurt- not like Rain hurts. Did Dew lie to him? Why, why would he do that.

Tears pool in Phantom’s amethyst eyes and he chokes back a sob.

He forces himself to look at the room and… tidy it. Make it feel… good. Something deep inside him feels settled in a way he can’t describe when it’s down. He basks in the warmth of the nest borders, of the smoothed blankets underfoot. It just feels right… safe.

Or...no, not good. Not safe.

Not safe?

There’s a door right there, anyone could burst through, and Phantom and Rain’s human made phones still lay on the bed- what if someone tries to call, and wakes Rain? Rain can’t leave their hotel room… it’s not safe. The idea of stepping out of the room right now himself makes Phantom feel terrified and on edge, but he knows he needs to make this room safer for them.

His eyes slowly draw to the dresser against a connecting wall. That...that could work. It’s not screwed in to the wall like most hotels. He could move it.

His gaze flips to Rain, still asleep. If he’s asleep, he’s calm, which means Phantom is doing a good taking care of him. He’ll need to be quiet. As silently as he can, he drags the white wardrobe across the hotel room carpet to use as a barricade. It’s heavy- but no worse than a road case.

Once it’s in the spot, pressed against the hotel room door where it will stop anyone bad, at least a little bit. His chest feels so light, his gut hurts so badly...and suddenly, he’s so tired.

He stumbles back to the white hotel bed… and wriggles his way back into Rain’s arms.

✧.*

When Rain wakes, he feels several things all at once.

Confusion and he feels like he’s going to puke.

Hot. So. Hot.

Like his torso is inflamed.

The pain is something he has to learn to live with, because Rain’s lead up have never been easy. A schedule of pain meds, being submerged in his lake, and heating pads when he isn’t keeps him…Mostly sane, but the pain never fully goes away. He looks down and stiffens as he realizes why he is suddenly so hot.

The ghoul, cuddled into Rain’s chest, is sweating uncontrollably, pale lavender face scrunched up even in sleep. Is he sick…?

The sweat drips from Phantom’s clammy skin and seeps into Rain’s bed shirt. It’s already soaked.

Then the smell hits Rain. That’s from Phantom too. Rain doesn’t know how he didn’t notice the source of it at first, but it’s so strong. Sweet, but cut with copper- almost like… vanilla? No. He can’t place it. Phantom has never smelled like this before. Most ghoul don’t really have scents aside from when they go feral for a week. Swiss smells like cinnamon. Cumulus smells like honey suckle.

Rain doesn’t know what he smells like. No one has even really said. Rainwater maybe? That doesn’t really smell like anything. But- that doesn’t matter. He focuses back on his main worry of the absolutely ill looking ghoul on his chest.

None of the other ghouls even thought for a remote possibility that Phantom would get like this too; feral. And worse- it looks like it pains him, like it does for Rain.

Rain sighs heavily and puts his hand on Phantom’s head. “Sorry… if it hurts you too,”

He’s always smelled like… just him. The Sister’s that Phantom had spoken to had just told him that he was just a ghoul with a very weak, probably undetectable smell. That it wasn’t a problem, a lot of ghouls don’t have a strong scent. And yet, here he is, smelling… good? And all Rain wants is to bury his face in his neck.

So what the hell has changed? And why does the ghoul look so illl? The boy is asleep and fisting a handful of Rain’s shirt with white-gripped knuckles, like he’s afraid he might lose Rain if he lets go. Should he wake him?

It takes a second, a wave of cramps hitting with a hiss, before he can gather himself to gently sit up. Phantom doesn’t let go. Rain reaches to the nightstand to see what time it is, to text Mountain.

shit- where’s his phone? He had it earlier to play a game, it must be somewhere here. Maybe Phantom is sleeping on it.

He glances at the wardrobe to see what time clock reads, only to notice that the dresser has been moved to block the hotel room door.

Rain is so confused .

Why would that be pushed there?

What had Phantom been doing while he was sleeping?

His hotel room is completely different, carefully organized and folded clothing in neat lines along the edge of the bed. The change doesn’t bother him really but why would he-

Rain leans down- pressing his nose into Phantom’s neck, breathing slowly. His smell gives him away. The first feral space is always the most instinct-heavy, so these actions aren’t out of the ordinary. His instincts are telling him he needs to make the area safe. Logic isn’t easy when slipping into a feral headspace even for ghouls.

Rain almost cries out at the next wave of cramping, and his eyes water.

He finally reaches his phone under the sleeping ghoul. Phantom hissing and looking like he’s in pain.

01:12 am

To: Mountain

I need you to come back rn. Swiss and Dew too. Dont tell others. Something going on with Phantom

Not thirty seconds later, Mountain responds “ Coming ”

And then- only a minute later- he strokes Phantom’s hair until the boy drifts. Rain’s pain hits him like an absolute wave and he hisses- his hand stilling, and Phantom starts whining in his sleep, and Rain smells the rusty tinge of pain in his scent.

His thoughts are interrupted by a knock. “Rain— It’s us... why won’t the door open?”

Hm. Rain didn’t consider this. There’s still a huge dresser in front of the door, so the three can’t get in that well. “Um... there’s something in front of the door.”

“Huh- what did you say?” Mountain asks, but Rain already has his attention diverted because Phantom snaps up again. He looks dazed, not quite as immediately alert as he was the time previous. Rain stares at Phantom- worried he will start panicking and… yep, there it is. Sure enough it seems to hit the sleepy ghoul, and Phantom’s hands reach for Rain’s shirt.

“Phantom, you need to let go- I need to move the thing at the door,” Rain tries to say but a wave of pain makes him nearly crumple. Phantom looks startled but then he can hear Mountain outside. He likes Mountain, and Mountain loves Rain, so he should come in. Rain is in pain- so Phantom will need to move his little barricade.

Rain groans loudly, holding his stomach, and Phantom gently rubs his back. He knows they’re being loud enough for the ghouls to hear through the door, and they’re probably very confused.

✧.*

Mountain, on the other side of the door, has no clue what’s going on, even with this out-of-context conversation. He’d gotten an urgent text message from Rain and now he and Swiss were panicking, but none of them could open the door, despite Swiss nearly throwing his shoulder against it.

“What the fuck is against the door!?” Swiss snaps as Mountain tries calling Rain.

There’s something more there, too. Mountain can smell it even stronger now that he’s outside the room- it smells...it smells… weird? Sweet. It’s not Rain’s scent. Rain smells.. Clean for lack of better words. So where’s the other scent from?

Mountain can hear struggling behind the door, and he presses his ear to it, when a large thump as something is moved. “I... I can’t move it anymore… I’m sorry… Can you get in?” Phantom’s voice is muffled behind the door and Dew feels like something is physically compelling him to bolt through the door to get to him. “Please, I can’t-”

Phantom sounds like he’s sobbing. “Yeah, yeah, we’ll try,” Mountain reassures. He shares a look with Swiss and Dew, who’s just as stressed as he is.

Dew goes in first, since he's the smallest. He opens the door carefully, and it stops after about a foot- blocked by something heavy. It should be enough room… though Mountain will need to half throw himself in due to his size. First to squeeze through after is Mountain, closely followed by Swiss who fit much easier.

Dewdrop- who was unusually quiet during this whole event, felt like his heart hadn’t been beating when he read that something was wrong with Phantom. And when he rushed into the room; Swiss hot on his heels, as he saw Phantom curled in the floor, fat tears were rolling down his face, sparkling like crystals, but the pain was so… so obvious. Dew drops to his knees but Phantom flinches and cries as another wave of pain hits him. With every cry; Dew feels like his heart is being torn to shreds.

“You- you said it wouldn’t- wouldn’t hurt– me” Phantom chokes out in between sobs. Dew is crying now.

“Christ- kid- I'm sorry, I'm so sorry… I didn’t know it would hit you like this-” Dew can only choke, just running his hands through his sloppy brown curls, but Phantom just looks so devastated. He hates that he looks like that.

Before Dew can say anything else, Swiss has shoved him away from the quintessence ghoul and has Phantom scooped into his arms, carrying him to the bed, to be laid next to Rain. Rain is, unlike Phantom, completely silent and not moving an inch. But he is biting his lip so hard it spills blood onto his lip. It seems like if he moves, if he makes a sound, he is scared he will be in the same way as Phantom.

“Rain… baby, hey, can you speak? Is it that bad?” Mountain asks, terrified, at the absolutely and eerily silent and still ghoul. The water ghoul looks ghostly grey, like the blue hue of his skin has been evaporated.

Dew simply stares as Mountain holds Rain and Swiss is trying to calm Phantom down. Dew feels angry and lost- again.

Fuck. He hates this feeling. He especially hates the desperate look Phantom had given him with his huge, amethyst eyes, almost pleading for Dew to make this stop; make him feel good, like he always does, to fix this.

Dew had said it wouldn’t hurt- and he had lied to the one ghoul that trusted him so fully.

Another cry makes Dew’s heart shatter and he looks at his feet. Dewdrop always fucks things up, doesn't he?

⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

3: 04 am

Finally- after a lot more tears from Phantom and horrible silence from Rain, they end up in a weird pile on the bed; Rain and Phantom in the middle, Mountain lying next to Rain, Swiss behind Phantom, and Dewdrop shoved right in the middle of Rain and Phantom because he acts as a physical heating pad for the cramping that the ghouls are experiencing.

Swiss is lying on top of Phantom- his hand rubbing the fragile ghoul's back as he whimpers and cries in his sleep and Dew feels like he wants to just keel over and die. Rain is asleep with his head buried into Dew’s neck and his body half sprawled on top of him for the heat he provides. A string from Rain’s hoodie is half in Dew’s mouth but he’s pinned between them- and all he can do- is spiral into pathetic self-pity.

“Oh - hell- I fucking suck,” he whispers into the void of darkness that he’s staring at. He’s lying straight as a board in between the quintessence and water ghoul, his red eyes simply staring at the ceiling.

“Dew, you don’t suck, but shut up,” Mountain hisses as he glances at Rain to make sure he’s still sleeping soundly. Normally he’d always try to comfort Dew in his moments of self-pity, but Phantom and Rain’s current states make Mountain very anxious and he wants them to sleep.

Dew barely hears him as he continues rambling. “… I lied to the kid…“

“Dew, I will rip your throat out if you wake them up,” Swiss snarls quietly. “You didn’t lie. You didn’t know .”

Dew is crying again. His tears fell into Rain’s cheek; making the water ghoul’s face scrunch. Swiss notices and hisses as Dew continues crying. “… And the kid trusted me and now he’s crying and…“

“Dew, I swear-“

“And did you see him?! He was in so much pain, I should have known-“

Swiss growls and it knocks Dew out of his self-pity for a minute. “But none of us knew. He didn’t show any signs like Rain does, he wasn’t moody or sore, and he was just himself like normal. It came out of nowhere,” Swiss whispers- still trying to comfort Dew, his love for him still trumping his annoyance that he may wake up the two sleeping ghouls. Swiss focuses on Phantom again and rubs the boys’ sloppy brown curls off his face as he says this; feeling an endearing adoration blossom in his chest for Phantom and Rain all over again. Swiss loves everyone. But Phantom and Rain are just… special, not just to him, but to everyone in the pack.

“Maybe being around Rain… sort of… pushed it? I don’t know. Maybe their magic just sort of… melded and Phantom was pushed into this state earlier than he should have…? Actually, scratch that, I really have no idea what I’m saying,” Mountain mumbles out loud, defeatedly. He does remember how much Phantom was glued to Rain’s side lately, but tonight especially. Mountain mentioned maybe calling Aether for advice, but they haven’t gotten to do it yet.

As if he can sense they’re talking about him, Phantom whimpers and his face scrunches in his sleep and he turns, burying fully into Dew, his arms wrapped around the fire ghoul- and he cries in his sleep. Dew wants to just… fix this. But he can’t. So he just lies there while Phantom almost looks like he’s trying to envelope himself inside of the fire ghoul for comfort.

A soft voice breaks through the air. “…. Mmm…. Pizza,”

Swiss, Mountain, and Dew all snap their heads to look at each other to see if they just heard right.

“Did he just say pizza?” Swiss whispers.

“Maybe he’s dreaming about it? I mean I dream about pizza all the time,” Dew adds.

Mountain huffs, his arm still wrapped around Rain. “Dew- stop saying you dream about pizza-“

Rain’s eyes finally fly open and he cracks his beautifully calm and still façade of control he was holding on to. He was in and out of sleep this entire time, but the pizza comment woke him up completely.

“Oh my fucking god, all three of you shut the fuck up and get him his fucking pizza!” Rain finally snaps the anger part of his lead up seeming to have kicked in. Mountain nearly rolls off the bed in surprise at Rain’s sharp voice.

Mountain turns and cradles Rain’s face while the water ghoul looks like he might rip his head off- or seems to still be weighing the consequences.

“Hey- what do you need? Bath?” Mountain asks but Rain looks at Swiss this time and his watery blue eyes prove that he wants Swiss to run the bath and take care of him, which is a typical request he has during his feral lead-ups. He’s not sure why - maybe it’s because Swiss makes him laugh when he’s feeling so miserable.

Swiss gets it immediately and gestures for Mountain to switch places with him, so the giant earth ghoul can cuddle beside Phantom- so the boy is protected by both him and Dew.

Ironically- despite being a bit shorter- Swiss can easily carry Rain, even with the water ghoul's gangly long limbs. He's so lithe and agile, that most of the ghouls can carry Rain if the situation warrants it. He scoops him up out of the bed and carries him to the bathroom quickly.

The bathroom is pearly white; a jar of Epsom salts still sitting at the edge of the claw foot bathtub. Swiss carefully perches Rain on the edge of the tub, and turns the water on, so steamy hot water begins flowing into the tub.

“How bad is it hurting, Rainbow?” Swiss asks him as he gently shrugs off the water ghouls damp shirt, then his black joggers.

Rain just shakes his head- unable to vocalize his answer. His lower lip is nearly mangled with blood from him biting it to stop him from screaming.

Swiss dumps the Epsom salts into the tub and swirls it with his hand before gently leaning Rain into it.

Swiss grins at Rain, coyly. “Hey, Rain?”

“Hm?”

“Want to hear a joke?”

“No.” Rain responds. A total lie. Of course, Rain wants a joke; that’s the whole reason he wants him involved in the first place.

Swiss grins at Rain's petulance as he grabs the water ghoul's tail and tucks it into the water. “Why was the octopus laughing?”

“Shut up,”

“Because he had ten tickles. Get it? Like tentacles,” Swiss says, with soft glee.

“Just let me drown.” Rain deadpans. He knows he can’t drown. And he secretly loves Swiss’s jokes.

Swiss cradles the back of Rain’s head until the water ghoul is completely submerged in the water. He much rather put him in a lake or ocean- but this is the closest thing they have.

Swiss curses at the whole situation. He gets feral too- why couldn’t he just have all this fucking pain? Why didn’t it go to him- why did it have to torture Rain and now Phantom too?!

Swiss curses his biology.

Swiss has a theory though. He isn’t sure if it’s true but he half wonders if Rain and Phantom might be able to… carry kits. No one really knows a ton about how it works, their biology. But maybe that’s why it hurts. But in the end, no one really knows. It hasn’t happened yet to Rain.

Or he doesn’t think it has.

Or… if it did happen, and he lost a kit, he never mentioned it. Which is unfortunately a frightening option. Rain is notorious for still hiding his emotions from the pack and has been known to be cooped up for days in his room sometimes, refusing to let anyone in or tell them what’s wrong. Swiss always feared and wondered why- but anytime he tried to bring this up with Rain, it was like the water ghoul would shut down mentally and it took a lot of care to get him to open back up. Swiss didn’t want to force him to do that anymore or talk about anything emotionally heavy, it seemed so mentally exhausting for the water ghoul.

Swiss looks at Rain and debates asking him about his theory, for lack of better words. But no. It’s not the right time. Rain is already hurting too much.

Rain settles into the tub; his aching body is so happy to be in his element. He sighs and lets himself nearly submerge right away, even though his gangly limbs stick out of the tub a bit- but his face is covered by water.

Swiss watches him as he submerges his face in the tub and Rain wraps his tail around his wrist as a thank you.

But in the water there; Rain is feeling angry. At everything. His body, his magic, how much Phantom is hurting… all of it. The weight of it all sits on his shoulders.

And he knows he needs Dewdrop right now. Dew is feeling like shit right now. And a soak in the tub would help the former water ghoul too.

“Can you send Dew in please?” Rain mumbles. He hears a flurry of movements when he says this- as if Dew was listening in on them too. Despite Phantom whining at the loss of the fire ghoul and the subsequent hurried sound of kisses and apologies, Dewdrop comes in and immediately knows what the water ghoul wants from him.

Swiss gives Rain’s horns a rub before he stands and returns to the bedroom. He shuts the bathroom door on his way out so they can have privacy and dims the lights in the bathroom so only a soft glow is cast on the bathtub.

Dew is awestruck as he enters the bathroom, as he can only look at Rain for a moment and marvel at how beautiful he is; in the low-lit yellow glow of the tub as he floats in his element.

Dewdrop sheds his sweater and jeans on the floor, before going to the tub, climbing in behind Rain. The feeling of the water, his former element, still calms him. He’ll never quite understand why they took his water element away from him, but he's glad he still finds serenity in its depths. He wraps his arms around Rain’s lithe shoulders and buries his face into the ghoul's soft curls with a sigh.

Rain leans back into Dewdrop- before one of his hands reaches up, ghosting over the scars where Dew’s gills once were on his neck. Dewdrop never lets anyone touch them- only Rain. Sometimes when they’re fucking, Rain will press slow- deliberate kisses onto Dew’s scars, enough that makes the fire ghoul cry. But never enough to ask him to stop.

Occasionally, especially during the lead-up to his heat, Rain muses over the idea that he is suffering because of what happened to Dew… What Rain’s role could be in why they changed him from water ghoul to fire? Dew never told him directly what happened, but Mountain admitted it one night when they were talking in the kitchen.

Rain can’t stop thinking about the event; how Dew was dragged to Sister Imperator's office; how they chanted over him, how much he screamed as they burned his element from his small body. He spent months in his room in the abbey- trying to learn to breathe through the smoke and fire suddenly coursing through his veins, as his gills had been burned off. It must have been terrifying; to be shredded apart and then put back together as a new firey being; and to Rain’s knowledge, no one ever offered Dewdrop an explanation as to why.

“ ‘Suffering can refine us rather than destroy us because the Creator himself walks with us in the fire’… that’s the only thing they told him,” Mountain admitted to Rain that night with teary eyes.

Rain doubts Dew will never forget that sentence. Apparently- the Sister Imperator chanted it like a prayer. It likely haunts him to this day.

During his inner tirade, Rain hisses audibly, making Dew raise a brow at him. Rain hates what they did to his Dew. He would rather have not been summoned at all; if Dewdrop could have been spared that. But he wasn’t. Neither of them was spared the pain- and now Rain feels like the universe is making him pay for the sins of others because if he was never summoned maybe Dewdrop could have been protected.

Rain turns in the tub places a quick kiss on Dew’s chest and shuts his eyes, arms wrapping tightly around Dew’s as they hold him in the water. Dew’s bare skin against his is the best feeling in the world.

Rain whimpers when his stomach cramps painfully, his tail spiralling and sending a splash of water in his face. Dew looks at him worriedly.

“What’s wrong?” Dew fuses, “Do you need more meds or—“

“My stomach,” Rain lies flat on his back against Dew to try and get a better, more comfortable, position.“It hurts.”

Dew’s hand is already on his stomach, massaging it. His hot fingers splay over Rain’s abdomen and the ghoul sighs in the water, “Better?”

“A little, yeah.” Rain whispers. His stomach is cramping and his head felt like it was going to explode. What worries Dew is how he is breaking out into a fever; going from being ice cold and then being boiling hot, even in the water.

“I’m sorry for how much this hurts you, baby,” Dew says quietly against the water ghoul's neck.

Feral headspace seems to grip Rain as tears still come out of his eyes. “I deserve it. If I didn’t get summoned… they never would have hurt you. I don’t wanna do this anymore… it hurts too much-“

Rain's words make Dew tighten around him instinctively and the fire ghoul's heart stops.

The weight of the words settles on Dew’s shoulders as he realizes what Rain’s saying. He’s leaning in before he can stop himself, pulling Rain into a fierce embrace in the tub, his body drawing close around the sobbing ghoul, as tightly as he can. “Don’t you fucking dare. Don’t say that. I need you here, we all need you here. I would go through that shit 100 fucking times, let them turn me into whatever if it meant having you. Fuck, I… Rain-Don’t even think about that, okay?”

When Rain doesn’t stop crying, Dew manages to maneuver himself in the tub so he’s still sort of cradling the naked ghoul but can look him in his watery, wide blue eyes. Rain really is so beautiful; even when his skin is still grey with fever and the blue of his body is not as dark as it should be. Dew gently brushes his fingers over Rain’s gills, which makes the water ghoul shudder and look at him. “Rain- look at me, baby, please… you were worth all of the pain I went through. And I’d do it all over again for you. All of it. You hear me? You are worth everything. And you don’t deserve this pain at all. Okay?” Dew says, urgently, his hands holding Rain’s face.

Rain doesn’t answer just drop against Dew’s neck in the tub. The water was starting to cool- but Dew was so worked up that it immediately began to heat up again, causing more steam to rise.

“Don’t leave… Dew,” Rain mumbles exhaustedly, his eyes fluttering shut as his strength leaves him again.

Dew kisses the base of his horns and digs his face into Rain’s hair. He smells good. Sweet. “I’m not letting you out of my sight- Rainbow. You’re staying right here with me, okay?” Dew soothes, and Rain nods.

✧.*

Outside; it sounds like Swiss and Mountain are ordering Phantom’s pizza- and he can hear the boys’ tired, but happy chirps at the idea of food. That’s good- and Dew will need to get Rain to eat too.

After the pizza was ordered- Swiss finally had time to think about this whole thing.

Swiss loved everyone. That was his curse and blessing. He loved everyone deeply. When those he loves hurt, Swiss hurts with them.

The thing about Rain and Phantom is everyone just sort of adored them more than most. It was likely because of Rain's pain, and Phantom’s sweet innocence; everyone felt drawn to and protective over them naturally.

Swiss sits with Phantom, cradling the still distraught and confused ghoul to his chest, as Mountain lies on Phantom’s stomach- trying to add pressure to counteract the cramping.

Finally, a small voice breaks the silence. “What’s it like?” Phantom asks as he grips Swiss shirt with white knuckles.

Swiss glances at him. “What’s what like?”

Phantom has a tear running down his cheek. “This… feral.. the- pain?”

Swiss frowns, pressing his head against the quintessence ghoul's sweaty forehead. “It doesn’t hurt for me. It’s just… you feel… ugh, desperate and empty and one thing can fill it. You’re sort of in one-head space. Like how I couldn’t keep my hands off you- it’s just… like that,”

“So— that’s what knots are for?” Phantom pieces together.

Swiss nods to encourage him to ask more questions.

Phantom seems to be thinking; his amethyst eyes looking at the dark ceiling and his lilac brows knitting together. “Do you knot with only one person forever?”

“You can. Or with anyone you want to. Normally it’s… someone you love especially. It’s how you show them you love them,” Swiss says, fondly.

Phantom nods slowly. “Do you knot?”

“Yes,”

“With or from people…?” Phantom inquires loudly.

“Both.”

At the answer- both Swiss and Mountain suddenly stiffen, knowing where this is leading. It happens almost in slow motion as Mountain swears and grips Phantom’s waist; as the boy begins to cry.

“Why has no one... ever wanted to knot me?” Phantom asks with hurt etched into his pretty features and Swiss feels like his gut was punched.

“Oh… bug, no…. We all… we all would have done that with you. For you- or have it done by you. But we didn’t want you to feel pressured. We were waiting for you to tell us you wanted it. And for… you to tell us who you wanted it from first.” Swiss tries to say- but his words are lost on the feral idled mind of a ghoul who is spiraling.

Phantom, who’s always too loving, too happy, and feels just too much- look at him with wide, watery amethyst eyes. “No… no . None of you even told me about it. None of you wanted to do it with me,” he cries out; any logic leaving his feral idled brain- leaving him feeling absolutely unwanted, uncared for, and unloved by those he loved so much.

Swiss pulls him closer- cursing- at seeing the boy like this. It breaks whatever heart he has. “Bug- no, I’m sorry we should have talked to you about this, told you what it was- we let you down, I’m sorry,”

At his intense and urgent whispers- Mountain is clutching Phantom so tightly one of his ribs might break; unsure what he can add to comfort… because he can’t. Phantom is right- no one told him, asked him… no one did anything .

Mountain buries his head into the boy's back- wishing… he could just make him feel okay.

It wasn’t only the knots that were making Phantom cry; apparent when Phantom’s fingers grazed over the soft bite mark on Swiss’s neck.

Ah .

They all have mating bites on their necks- multiple. It’s done in the most intense moment of love and passion and their devotion to each other.

They all have scars from their mates' bites, carrying the love with them wherever they go.

Except Phantom, whose pretty, freckled lavender neck- is completely untouched. He’s noticed- but seemed to never ask about it. Likely he was waiting for one of them to do it for him… but no one ever bothered to even mention it.

They all fucked him all the time, leaving him panting and flustered, never bothering to knot or bite him; and never bothering to tell him why they weren’t doing it. Of course, he felt confused.

As Phantom sobs, the alarm clock on the bedside table begins shaking violently before exploding next to Swiss. Both Mountain and Swiss jump and look at it; shocked at the potential power Phantom might process. But with no time to dwell on it, they return to trying to calm the hysterical ghoul.

Swiss and Mountain cuddle the sobbing ghoul and both internally curse themselves for letting it get to this point that the boy feels so unloved when that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Rain and Dew sit in the tub for nearly another twenty minutes; completely obviously to the world outside them. Rain has switched positions, so his longer body is positioned behind Dewdrop- supporting the tiny fire ghoul's hot body. It soothes him- despite the exhaustion and pain he’s experiencing, he runs his hands through Dew’s long, tangled blond hair, working out the knots; still sweaty from the performance the night before.

It’s the smell of pizza that finally lures them out of their little sanctuary. Dew perks up right away. He should be a pizza ghoul at this point.

Dew stands first, not bothering to offer to dry Rain because the water ghoul prefers his skin to be wet. He cuddles with Dew, his entire body engulfing the fire ghoul like a blanket.

Dewdrop can’t help but snort. “Ha. You feel like a wet blanket,”

Rain huffs. “No ‘m not,” he protests weakly- his voice muffled by Dew’s head.

When Rain finally walks out of the bathroom- his instincts flip and he’s hit by a very sour scent, and a very uncomfortable feeling. He immediately looks over and sees Phantom, sobbing, feverish, and throwing up into a waste paper basket on the floor- after Swiss and Mountain tried to feed him.

Rain growls. Actually growls.

Swiss, Mountain, and Dew all stare at him.

It even catches Rain off guard when he does that. He has no idea why he growled; he doesn’t usually growl that deeply ever. But all he sees is Phantom, in pain, sick and no one taking care of him properly and there’s a deep need in Rain to protect him.

“Get away from him,” Rain snarls.

That definitely catches Swiss, Mountain, and Dewdrop off guard. The three of them stiffen and look at each other unexpectedly- but when Rain growls again- they do what he says and slowly step into a huddle by the bathroom door.

“This is weird- I’ve never seen him so instinct-heavy,” Dewdrop whispers.

“Is this even feral? What would this be called?” Mountain muses out loud.

Swiss grunts. “Oh, for fuck sake, brainiacs- of course this is feral… ugh… something. Rain just never exhibited this behaviour around anyone else before because maybe he didn’t need to…?”

Before Dewdrop and Mountain can ask what he means; a glaring look from Rain makes all three of them tumble into the bathroom, shutting the door, so Rain and Phantom can have some time alone.

Behind the door- their faint voices can be heard.

“… Damn it… we should have grabbed the pizza-“

“… Dew - I swear-“

Rain grumbles and pulls Phantom off the floor, and into the bed, ignoring the voices. He sees the shattered remains of the alarm clock.

Huh . That’s weird.

Rain adjusts them, so Phantom is straddling him, needing the closeness for himself as much as Phantom might need it. Once Phantom is firmly placed in his hold, he sighs and drops back onto the bed, almost boneless, and Phantom climbs to lay on top of him, his body weight providing nice pressure to soothe the older ghouls' pains. Phantom is barely talking anymore; seemingly exhausted, his cheeks still tear-stained.

Rain can’t explain the possessive feeling he has over Phantom right now. Sure he’s always liked him, everyone did. They cuddled and fucked but this is different. Instinctual and powerful. Rain doesn’t have many words for him, just holds him tightly, their tails wrapping together and Rain buries his face into Phantom’s sloppy curls.

“I’m so sorry you’re hurting,” Rain murmurs. It’s the only thing he can say. And he wishes he could take it all away.

“They didn’t… you didn’t want me,”

The voice is so quiet, it’s barely a whisper. Rain piques and leans down- having trouble hearing the boy through his muffled voice against his shirt.

“What?” Rain asks.

“Bite… knot… none of you ever wanted to do it with me,” Phantom cries into his shirt and Rain feels like a pile of bricks falls on him.

Fuck .

He never even thought about that- he always assumed one of the other ghouls told Phantom about their instincts. And Rain had… a lot of other things he needed to focus on, at a personal level, before thinking about Phantom’s knowledge of knots or mating bites. Maybe before- he would have been too guarded and cold to even act like he cared. Though he did care; deeply. But he didn’t always let himself show it.

But now- with this intense protection suddenly blossoming in Rain, he feels like a true failure.

Rain feels tears in his eyes. He fails so often. More than he ever dares admit to his pack.

And, now, he failed Phantom too.

⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

Rain always liked learning about things.

He loved learning about the fish and wildlife in his lake, and the rocks that dotted the shore. He loved looking at books in the library- filling his head with knowledge he never really would need but likes to have. He’d sit, perched in the library window for hours, reading page after page, especially while it rained out.

He liked hearing Cumulus’s favourite joke- over and over again- learning curves and lines of the excitement etched on her face when she said it.

He liked learning how to cook Mountain’s favourite food.

He liked learning about Papa’s views on life.

He really liked learning how reactive Dewdrop is when he kisses his scarred, former, gills for the first time.

And in this moment; as he holds Phantom in the hotel room, still battling with his feelings of intense disappointment and letting the boy down- he is still captivated by the idea of learning about Phantom. He wants to learn his reactions and his favourite places to be touched, wants to learn everything he can about his bug.

His… ?

Rain doesn’t normally call Phantom his. Actually- he never has. But now it’s all he can think about. How the quintessence ghoul is his . Phantom fits into Rain so well. He is moulded against his body like he was made to be there.

Rain is still feeling the crippling anguish, from failing Phantom. He holds the boy tightly against him. When Phantom starts whimpering against him and feeling feverish in his hold, Rain’s instincts begin taking over and any rationality in the water ghoul's mind fades away.

Phantom pushes himself closer, pawing at Rain’s clothes- whining. Rain tries to settle him by petting his hair and gently kissing his forehead but Phantom is restless, and losing his composure quickly. Compelled by his need to please the quintessence ghoul- Rain wants to undress Phantom, and himself, to get skin-on-skin contact. He always finds that skinship calms his feral mind- he hopes the same for Phantom. He drags his fingers from Phantom’s soft curls, down the nape of his neck, up over his Adam's apple and then around his collarbones over the neck of his worn, grey t-shirt. Rain recognizes it to be one of Dew’s old shirts, oversized and large, despite how small Dew is.

The younger ghoul goes still at the touch- almost pliant. His breathing goes steady and he starts relaxing back into the pillow on the bed.

“ Good boy ,” Rain praises against his ear- making Phantom whine under him.

Rain continues his downward path- dragging his nails- on the arm furthest from him. He starts on Phantom’s shoulder, where his shirt rests on the skin on his arms, and then down his inner forearm. This causes Phantom to shiver and a deep purr settles in the boy's chest. And Rain hisses in satisfaction- Rain's feral mind is overtaking him, just as fast as Phantoms. He grabs the quintessence ghoul’s lavender hand now and brings it to his lips. He places soft kisses on each knuckle, pressing empathy and support into Phantom’s skin. Rain hears his breath and purrs get caught in his throat, the boy's body arching a bit already.

Phantom's reactions to such small gestures are driving Rain crazy . He moves to the hem of Phantom's shirt and pulls it from his body, swiftly. The quintessence ghoul is so out of it, that it takes him a minute to lift his torso to help Rain remove the shirt- more wines escaping his throat. Rain watches Phantom’s shirt peel off his body- leaving his curls tousled and his wide eyes blinking slowly.

He's ethereal .

His violet eyes, wet, distant, and almost sleepy in his instinct to submit to someone taking care of him. Phantom whines again- craving more skin, and Rain is eager to please. Instead of letting himself dwell on the boy’s exposed body, his hands go to his black sweatpants- and Rain immediately pushes down both his pants and underwear.

The water ghoul’s whole body freezes when he notices a spot on Phantom's thigh. He recognizes it but has never seen it there before. Like two upside-down triangles, delicately on top of each other, faded, like an old stick and poke tattoo after years of weathering.

He has a similar marking on his hip…that’s weird. But Phantom’s whine; forces his attention back to the boy. Forcing himself to keep moving, and remove the rest of Phantoms and his own clothes. He gets back on the bed where his lips immediately meet the feverish skin of Phantom's neck. The ghoul hasn't stopped purring and is now gripping Rain's back. His hands do not stay in any one place, just digging his nails into Rain's skin, on his back, his shoulders, then down to press his thumbs around his hips. This surprises a moan out of Rain's mouth. Phantom touching the mark on his hip sent electricity and clarity right through him.

"Woah…" Phantom breathes into the air above Rain's head.

Rain feels a rush of heat and groans. "Did you feel that?"

Phantom gulps a breath of air. " Yeah . Wow."

Rain curses under his breath. This is good. Fuck .

"One second, tell me how this feels?" Rain leans back to sit on his heels and then reaches down to touch the mark on Phantom's thigh. He barely touches it, when Phantom arches off the bed and lets out a whimpery moan.

" Beautiful ," Rain rasps, doubting the other ghoul even heard him.

"More… I need more- " Phantom starts begging softly and Rain thinks where his mark being touched shocked him into clarity, Phantom's has made him even more desperate.

Rain whimpers this time. "More what, baby? Want me to touch you more?"

"Just closer, want you closer," Phantom cries. He's pulling Rain's arm and shoulder towards him so Rain falls forward onto Phantom. He doesn't even let Rain adjust his position, just wraps his arms and legs around him. His face is buried in Rain's neck and his mouth is opened- and his lips and tongue are latching onto the heated, sweet-smelling skin there. Rain sallows hard and lets his head fall back reflexively, baring his neck for Phantom. But when Rain feels teeth- his eyes snap open- and clarity comes back, albeit fleeting. He knows he needs to push Phantom away. This is where they already fucked everything up and Rain needs to start fixing this.

Rain feebly paws at Phantom, trying to be clear, but the heat in his face and body makes it difficult. " Baby , baby, stop…”

"Don't wanna'" Phantom slurs into his skin.

Rain pushes more firmly, "No,” he says- despite Phantom’s cries. “Bug, we need to talk first..."

Phantom finally relents with a whine and lifts his sad eyes to meet Rain's intense gaze.

Rain takes his pretty face in his hands, making sure he looks Phantom in the eyes. "You were getting really close to doing something important. I know your instincts are going crazy—,” When Phantom whines, Rain tightens his grip on his chin. “But please , I need to ask if you know what you were going to do with my neck?"

Tears well in Phantom’s eyes, as his brain processes what he is thinking, and feeling, before he answers in a hoarse, choking voice. “I wanted to bite you… You smell so good, and I want to… to taste you. Is it bad ? Did I do something wrong? Should I not bite you? Isn't that how you guys have those marks? I want marks too, Rain— Why doesn't anyone want my marks? Or leave their marks on me ? Am I not good enough?! I-I’m sorry I was summoned here… and threw off the band… when Aether left. I’m sorry I was forced to join your pack." Phantom sobs into Rain’s hands. Tears are streaming down his flushed cheeks and his words are shattering Rain’s heart.

Rain’s words nearly pour out of him- scrambling to fix this- make his bug feel okay. " No - no. That’s not… I’m sorry that’s not what it is at all. Of course, I want your mark, Phantom... You're the sweetest… sweetest creature I’ve, we’ve , all met. You're just… so precious, that none of us wanted to take advantage of your kindness and innocence. We didn't want to take more than you wanted to give,” Rain says and Phantom sobs more, at the idea that no one wanted him, and Rain continues, desperately. “That was so stupid of me. We were all so stupid. I can't… can’t apologize or make up with you in place of everyone, but I want your mark. I want to have those pretty fangs imprinted on my skin. But I need you to want to do it to me. Not just … feral you. Not just instincts. I need you to want to do it,” Rain is desperate to make Phantom understand his love for him and understand the seriousness of this choice.

Phantom is eyeing him nearly suspiciously, but the look falls when his fingers come up and graze over Rain’s mating bite. “… Really? You promise you mean that?" Phantom's wide eyes are still trying to find any lies in Rain's actions.

Rain cradles Phantom's face between his palms and places the first soft kiss on his slack lips, wanting him more than anything. Rain whispers, “Please bring us as close as you want, bug. I'll do whatever you want." Phantom's tail slowly drags over Rain's thigh and wraps around his waist.

Phantom is breathing heavily and pulls Rain closer, holding onto his pale blue shoulders. "Come closer and show me the best way to bite you okay? Maybe… Maybe you could do it first so I know what to do?"

Rain blinks at him. At what he’s asking. "Of course, bug..."

Rain’s hands travel from Phantom's cheeks and bury themselves in Phantom's hair. Phantom moans when Rain's fingers get caught in his curls and force his head to tilt back. He always did love having his hair and horns pulled- Swiss, always loves doing that at random times, making the boy whine and pant even when they’re all having dinner.

As the boy writhes under his hand- Rain can't help but smile at his willingness. Rain has a soft, buzzing feeling and he is not used to having such a calm, soft experience during his pre-feral times. He’s normally so sore, so angry, so desperate. But now, it’s like something in Phantom and forging their bond is calming them. The pain is still there but more bearable, almost like they are sharing it rather than fighting against it and their instincts. They were meant to share this together… Rain is convinced. Phantom is his- he was made for him.

With that in mind, Rain lays his body flat over Phantoms. The boy is hot under him, his body feeling like pure magic. They are aligned from knees to hips, to chest, and Phantom's head is pushed into the pillows. Rain’s mouth is at Phantom's neck- breathing heavily, making the quintessence ghoul’s neck erupt in goosebumps. Neither ghoul is still, both bodies feeling insanely restless to complete the bond. Their hips are moving in a slow grind, neither realizing how hard they are until the small movements force soft sounds out of both of them.

"Ready, baby?" Rain whispers into his neck, feeling like he can’t hold back any other. His fangs are dragging over Phantom’s skin already.

A keening whine sounding vaguely like a drawn-out ‘yes’ is the only reply he hears. He presses one… two… three soft kisses into his neck before opening his mouth and sinking his sharp fangs into the pale, violet skin.

The sensation explodes between them. Phantom screams - loud- while his whole body arches under Rain. Rain can feel him shake and spasm, knowing he's probably just cum between their naked bodies- spilling onto their stomachs. The bond doesn't have to be made through sex, but in this feral state, his body is forced through everything and honestly, it's beautiful . Rain is getting desperate to feel his bond with Phantom solidify when Phantom bites him back- he needs it, fucking desperately, he needs it. He holds Phantom while he rides out his orgasm and feels the mind-numbing sensation of the bond.

Once Phantom stops shaking and panting, and goes slack beneath him, Rain lifts his head and pushes Phantom's hair out of his eyes- needing him. "You okay, bug?” Rain asks as he licks at the bite- dutifully lapping up the blood on his neck.

"Yeah," Phantom pants- his neck craning to give Rain more access to his neck.

Rain looks at him, tilting his head already… he wants that bite. "Still… still want to try? On me?”

The words are barely out of his mouth before Phantom whines and kisses him. " Yes !" Phantom exclaims.

With unexpected enthusiasm and strength, Phantom pushes Rain to his back and straddles his hips. Rain is a little surprised but immediately turns his head, exposing his throat, and holding his breath in anticipation. Phantom uses his fingers to gently explore Rain's neck, picking his spot among the other marks already there. When firm fingers push his chosen spot, Rain moans and his body shivers. This must encourage Phantom because the next thing he knows is he feels breath on his neck, warm lips on his skin, then-

Fuck .

The flood of…. everything that is the younger ghoul. He feels his body lock up, he's probably cumming like Phantom did, but this is better than any orgasm. Is he screaming too? He doesn’t know, doesn’t care. He holds Phantom close, even after his body falls back to the bed. Phantom is lapping at his neck, licking the blood, kissing the bite mark. Phantom is praising him, saying how much he loves him, how good he is, against Rain’s ear. He also kisses away the tears Rain didn’t realize he was crying. By the time the bond is fully formed and he comes back to himself; he hears voices in the bathroom over the ringing in his ears.

✧.*

Protect. Hurt. Scared.

The only thought running through Dewdrop’s mind is he has to get to Phantom. He has to.

“We need to get out there, fuck!” Dewdrop is nearly screaming- pushing his body against Swiss- who was nearly standing in front of the bathroom door like a barricade.

Dew and Mountain are nearly rabid to get out of the bathroom and back to the bedroom. Swiss, still the only one with any sort of logic left- snarled at them to keep them back.

“Dew- no . Rain doesn’t want us there. We have to respect that,” Swiss snaps- his voice a higher whisper, trying to not alert Phantom or Rain.

“They screamed. I heard it. Swiss, move,” Mountain snarls. His mossy green eyes open in surprise. Mountain is always gentle and soft-spoken- especially with Swiss, and he is surprised at the surge of anger he feels towards the multi-ghoul. But Mountain wants to get through that door, now .

Dew is also nearly losing his mind in the bathroom. He's trying to respect Rain, like Swiss said, and let him help Phantom - but right now, Dew’s instincts are stronger than ever.

He's never felt like this before. He needs to see Phantom- and hold him. Satan knows he doesn't deserve it but every inch of him is screaming to be near Phantom. When he heard Phantom scream- his heart shattered. Swiss- who is stronger than most- held both his arms out- and kept Dew and Mountain at bay, just barely. He wants to be out there just as badly but he knows Rain will let them know when he wants them back.

It’s a mere moment later, when Rain finally calls out, like he heard Mountain’s heated words. “It’s- it’s okay- you can come out,”

Dew almost breaks down the door in his haste to get out trampling Swiss in the process. Mountain is hot on his tail and, Swiss follows behind, shocked at the others' intense reaction.

Mountain reaches Rain first- his large hands on the water ghoul’s hazy face, as he sees the bloody bite mark on his neck- then Mountain looks at Phantom, putting the pieces together. The screaming, the panting.

“Oh, fuck. They…” Mountain begins, but Rain’s whimper brings his attention back to him.

Swiss is next to Phantom, examining his bloody neck. “Shit- bug- did you… did you ask for that?” Swiss whispers and Rain looks at him, wide and watery blue eyes, at the insinuation he would have bit him without consent, breaking through his feral headspace for a minute.

Phantom is crying and looks at Dewdrop; the fire ghoul hovering by the side of the bed but still not touching him.

Phantom stares at Dew- desperate, longing. Why… why won’t he touch him?!

But it’s like something in Dew is preventing him from moving. He doesn’t deserve Phantom. He used him, fucked him, never bothering to even knot or mate him. He should have known better. It should have been his teeth on Phantom first. No one else’s.

Swiss looks at Dew. “Fuck sakes, Dewdrop. Please don’t do this to him,”

Dew takes a step back- his hands up as he fights against every single urge in his body to shove Swiss, off Phantom, and gather the boy in his arms. He has to cover his mouth and nose with his hand, trying to stifle Phantom's sweet vanilla scent as it makes his head spin. He forces himself to take another step back- and Swiss growls, kneeling over Phantom.

“I c-can’t… I don’t deserve him- you take care of him,” Dew forces out, his voice muffled from his hand. Phantom hears this and lets out a cry.

“Dewdrop- fuck - just-“ Swiss begins but Phantom sobs loudly, interrupting him. Rain shudders at the sobs- blindly- reaching for Phantom, even as Mountain has begun to press fevered kisses to the water ghoul’s jaw.

“ Dew , please… why don’t you want me?!” Phantom sobs and reaches for him. The sight of the naked quintessence ghoul, eyes blown open, feverish and desperate reaching for him, wanting him, sobbing for him.

Swiss, sitting on top of Phantom, is shaking now. He hates seeing Phantom like this. And hates seeing Dew being so stubborn. Happiness has never come to Dewdrop easily- and Swiss can see the pure joy and adoration that Dew has when he so much as looks at Phantom, let alone, when he touches him. And Dew is denying himself that- because of some damn, selfish, self-pity.

But, Swiss knows yelling won’t help right now. It’ll only upset Phantom, Rain… honestly all of them. Swiss grabs the fire ghoul's free hand and looks at him almost pleadingly. “Dew… he doesn’t want me right now. He doesn’t need me. He needs you,” Swiss clarifies gently.

It’s not often Dew just… freezes. But he stares at Phantom, knowing he… shouldn’t. He should walk away, he doesn’t deserve Phantom, he didn’t treat him well, and he-

“Dew- Dew , I need you, please,” Phantom finally sobs, from the bed, staring at him with watery, desperate amethyst eyes.

With that, any self-control Dew has, any self-restraint, is gone.

He nearly shoves Swiss off the bed, making the multi-ghoul tumble into Mountain.

Dew takes the place on the bed, grabbing Phantom, and pulling the young, crying mess into his arms.

“Hey, hey- it’s okay- I got you,” he lets out in a stream, clutching the quintessence ghoul close to his chest.

At Dew’s words, Phantom pounced into his lap as he belonged there, settling his body weight in Dew’s thighs, running his hands in Dew’s hair, and dragging his mouth to Dew’s.

The taste of Phantom was something that could bring Dew back to life- he’s convinced. He begs he’ll never lose it. Same as the feeling of him.

Hands settling on Phantom’s waist, he quickly followed a path up and down his sides, over his back, down to his lithe waist. He slipped his hands under Phantom’s shirt, devouring the moan the boy in his lap made at the contact.

It should be a sin, Dew decided, how Phantom rocked his hips down into his. He moved easily, feeling like liquid sex melting against him. Fuck this boy… is his.

“… Phantom,” Dew groans, breaking away when the ghoul rolls his hips again.

“Dew,” Phantom hummed in response. He trailed his lips over the scruff of Dew’s chin, teeth coming out to scrape across his jawline. He sank his teeth into the skin of his neck, not hard enough to break the skin, but enough to leave a giant bite mark. The motion sends a thrilling shiver down Dewdrop’s spine as the bites got rougher, and more animalistic as he went on. There was no doubt he’d have bruises and teeth indentations scattered across his throat and neck for the next several days. And maybe.. His mating bite…

Dewdrop tries to stop. Phantom deserves better. Phantom deserves everything good, everything perfect in the world… everything that’s not Dew…

But any logic quickly leaves Dewdrop’s brain.

⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

“… Phantom,” Dew groans, breaking away when the pretty ghoul rolls his hips again.

“ Dew ,” Phantom hummed in response. He trailed his lips over the scruff of Dew’s chin, teeth coming out to scrape across his hard jawline. He sank his teeth into the skin of his neck, not hard enough to break the skin, but enough to leave a giant bite mark.

The motion sends a thrilling shiver down Dewdrop's spine as the bites get rougher, more animalistic as he goes on. Phantom bites hard, even shaking his head a bit as he does so, breathing heavily into Dew’s neck. There was no doubt he’d have bruises and teeth indentations scattered across his throat and neck for the next several days.

If Dew could, fuck, he’d have Phantom’s teeth marks on him always. He’d be littered in Phantom’s bites, bruises, everything from the quintessence ghoul. He’d be a walking testament to Phantom’s adoration. And he’d have the mating mark, deep and obvious. He wants it all so badly. He wants Phantom.

Dew’s mouth goes slack as Phantom bites him. Fuck he’s so close…

It takes nearly all of Dew’s self-restraint to jolt a bit, so Phantom’s bite loosens.

No, Phantom deserves better than him. Dew didn’t think to knot or mate him before this, spending so many times between Phantom’s legs and never taking care of him the way he should have.

Dew feels tears well in his eyes as he thinks about how differently he has treated Phantom, compared to how Aether knotted Dew. Aether was big, and strong, kissing Dew and reminding him how adored he was the entire time. He talked clearly- telling him what he was doing, why he was doing it. Dew felt so good.

Dew is horrified Phantom will never feel that now. He should have done this before; not just knotted him during a time of high emotion and feral headspace and heat.

But before Dew can dwell on it, Phantom kisses his attention back. Phantom is so desperate on top of Dew, he needs to try to get the upper hand so he can make this good for Phantom, actually help him and make him feel better. The smaller ghoul is almost frantic in his movements and Dew knows he needs to take the edge off, for both of them, if he's honest.

He's been aching since the bathroom door opened, and Phantom's heat scent engulfed him. It had attacked his nose, making Dew weak at the knees. God, Phantom… so perfect.

Pulling himself together and gently coaxing Phantom off his lap is tougher than he thought it would be. The younger had latched on to Dew’s clothes, wrapped his tail around his bicep and clenched his thighs tight around his hips, grinding his body against Dew’s, his strength keeping the fire ghoul pinned under him.

Dew kisses Phantom’s jaw, gasping. “ Bug , you gotta let go, sweet boy. Dew's gonna help, but you gotta let me up,” he is trying to be as clear as possible for the feral boy.

Phantom answered by whining and letting his claws come out, ripping through Dew’s shirt to get a better grip on his shoulders. Dew hissed at the sharp sting of claws, his back bowed and hips jerked up into Phantom's pelvis. The pain is delicious when coming from Phantom, and he grunts as blood comes out of the claw marks lacing his shoulders.

The full-body reaction Phantom has to Dew thrusting into him is the perfect chance for Dew to catch him off guard. He can free his legs and flip Phantom under him, finally giving him the upper hand. The startled gasp Phantom lets out is very satisfying, it’s music to his ears, and Dew can't help but smirk. He keeps Phantom pinned with his hips and sits up to remove his shirt.

When his hand touches a wet spot on his pants, Dew swallows hard. Fuck. Phantom is soaking . Dew feels his hard cock throb at the realization. He loves it when Rain is feral and in heat because he gets wet, soaking wet, like this too. It drove Dew wild .

He shuffles down the bed, barely hearing Phantom's disappointed cry before it turns to a near scream of absolute pleasure. Dew has Phantom folded in half with his tongue licking as much of Phantom’s flowing slick into his mouth as possible. He isn't being careful, he's frantic in his desperation to taste his most precious Bug. Slick is dripping from his chin and Phantom's involuntary movements are causing it to spread from his chin up the bridge of his nose.

Fuck, he tastes perfect.

He's drowning in it, the same way Phantom is drowning in his pleasure. Dew can’t keep his hips still against the bed. His pants are rubbing against his sensitive cock in an almost painful way, but Dew deserves that. It keeps him from forgetting that this is temporary, he doesn't get Phantom like this for real, doesn’t deserve him.

Just for now. Just while he needs help through his heat…

A hard tug from Phantom’s fingers in his hair pulls him out of his head. “ I got you bug,” he returns his mouth to Phantom's wet hole and drags one hand from Phantom’s thigh, up to his weeping, pulsing cock. A few tugs of his fist and a well-placed movement with his tongue has Phantom drawing up tight, bowing off the bed and nearly bucking lithe Dew off the bed, with the intensity of his orgasm.

Dew hastily removes his pants while Phantom takes some deep breaths. Phantom’s, now messier, cock has not deflated in the least. It's dark head pulsing against his taut stomach, every little vein and ridge straining with how desperate he is to finally get the knot he wants so badly.

Phantom seems exhausted at this point, his body finally stilling, but no less needy. “Please Dew. Knot. Me. Now.” It’s slow words, but intense, punctuated and sure. How could anyone say no to that?

The look of absolute petulance on Phantom's face is the last push. Dew lines himself up and enters Phantom in one smooth thrust. A little rougher than he intended but he's losing control- barely had any as is. He's shaking and trying to be gentle with the young, feral ghoul under him. Phantom's face broke into the softest smile feeling Dew bottom out . So pretty.

His eyes are closed so Dew can stare at his face without feeling guilty, well guiltier.

“Move, Dew,” Phantom whispers softly. At his beautiful, soft command, it's like Dewdrop’s body isn't his own anymore. Phantom’s words go to every fibre of his being.

He thrusts fast right from the beginning, hands and arms wrapped around Phantom to keep him as close as possible. His sweaty body melds against Phantom’s perfectly, sticky skin making lewd noises as Dew absolutely loses himself in the quintessence ghoul.

Only a handful of thrusts later, with a broken choke, Dew feels his knot swell, and it's swelling fast. It's never been like this before, he can't stop himself, he can't even think, he can only fuck. Fuck himself into HIS Phantom; his perfect ghoul.

One, two, three… Hells , he's coming. His knot is being milked by Phantom's muscles contracting as his body empties yet another load onto his sweat-soaked body.

“Fuck, Phantom, baby- hell-” Dew’s words are barely legible, his eyes rolling into his head as his knot pops.

Phantom is sobbing, feeling so full, and he somehow cums again, spilling between their bodies as more slick flows between his thighs and over Dew.

✧.*

Swiss glances at Dewdrop and Phantom, fully entangled.

Fucking finally. Dew FINALLY did something smart. He loves his fire ghoul but he makes stupid decisions with his heart sometimes.

But now that Phantom is satiated, Swiss can focus on the other ghoul suffering in the heat. Usually, Mountain takes care of Rain for his heat, but there are times, like today based on the look the earth ghoul is giving Swiss, when Mounty is just well, too big.

“I shouldn’t,” Mountain mumbles as he holds Rain’s face in his lap, stroking his hair with his huge hand.

Rain is sensitive at the best of times, during his heat sometimes he can't take the sheer size of Mounty’s knot and needs one that won’t inflict pain on him. So, Swiss, always willing to offer a knot and lend a hand, takes over. The three of them work together to soothe Rain's needs. Mounty holds Rain close as Swiss moves from Phantom's side of the bed to run his hands over Rain's bare legs and up over his hips.

The earth ghoul is pressing kisses to his forehead but Rain is trying desperately to lick into his mouth. Swiss can't help but find Rain's debauched behaviour incredibly provocative and if the heat scent in the air wasn't enough, he's almost fully hard in his pants. Swiss is always turned on by Rain, the water ghoul’s pretty body and calm demeanour just lurs Swiss in.

Swiss pulls his shirt over his head as he watches the other two. Mountain and Rain are lost in each other, their hands and mouths running over any part of the other's body that they can reach. Rain cries against Mountain, gasping and rubbing his face in Mountain’s neck.

“Good, you’re good, you’re okay,” Mountain whispers into Rain’s ear, kissing him again. “Swiss is going to make you feel so good,”

Swiss is removing his pants when Rain looks at him and beckons him closer, with a shaking nod. Swiss is on him instantly and they share a filthy kiss of their own, making the big guy watch this time. Mountain grunts and his eyes are nearly hazy with lust of his own. Swiss makes room around the other ghouls so he can guide his cock into Rain- he can’t wait anymore.

Rain arches his back right away, Swiss’ tight grip on his hips the only thing that keeps himself from slipping from Rain's dripping entrance. He’s so fucking wet. It sends everyone into a frenzy; Cirrus and Swiss especially though; something about how wet, and desperate, Rain is especially during his heat is fucking irresistible.

Mounty’s the one that moans into Rain's shoulder at his beautiful reaction. Mountain is so gone on Rain, it's adorable to watch, Swiss smiles at the two while starting to build up a bit of a rhythm. Rain's body is getting restless again, feeling Swiss’s more average-sized knot grow against his entrance with everything, deep thrust.

“Do it, Swiss,” the earth ghoul grumbles before biting against the mating bite on Rain’s neck. Mounty knows Rain so well that he's the one to urge Swiss to force his knot into the feverish ghoul at just the right time, triggering Rain's orgasm right away.

“Fucking hell,” Swiss chokes as Rain squeezes around him. Swiss’s hands go to Rain’s dark locks, fisting them tightly.

Rain is sobbing as he cums, Mounty holds his treasure through it while Swiss freezes above them, his own orgasm hitting nearly instantly, so he rides out his own waves.

Finally, Rain seems a little calmer, not in so much pain at the release. Mountain guides them down, so they can arrange themselves a bit more comfortably, to wait for Swiss knot to go down. Rain dozes instantly, he’s always sleepy after an orgasm, with his face in Mounty’s neck and his hand holding onto Swiss’s.

✧.*

Similarly situated, with Phantom seeming blissed out of his mind- his pupils blown in ecstasy, his chest rising and falling slowly. Dew is so lost in the feeling of pleasure, that when the guilt finally creeps back in, it slams down on him like a pile of bricks.

Fuck, Dew, you fucked up. Bug deserves so much better.

As soon as Dew’s knot deflates, he scrambles off Phantom, tears in his eyes as he runs to the bathroom- shutting the door. The sudden, jerking movement scares Phantom, making the boy cry almost instantly.

Dew fucked up. Fuck - he fucked up so badly. Phantom deserves better- so much better- than getting knotted for his first time in some hotel room, next to Swiss and Rain getting it on, with Mountain watching all of them, for hell’s sake.

Dew slams his head against the door- his eyes shutting as he hears Phantom’s muffled cries, as Mountain offers comforting words to the ghoul. Dew shudders as he slumps against the door. “I’m so sorry… I’m so sorry kid,” he chokes out.

Smoke is choking his body, heat and fire running through him, as smoke spills out of his ears, and nose, and he coughs out smoke from his lungs as biting tears spill out of his eyes. His heart is hammering in his chest as he grabs the doorknob with a shaking hand to lock it.

Mountain tenses as he sees Dew nearly bolt off Phantom and the giant ghoul’s normally calm demeanor snaps, as he scrambles to grab quintessence ghoul in his big arms. Why the fuck would he do that?! Dew knows better.

“Hey, no, don’t cry- it’s okay- little bug, you did nothing wrong, you did so well. Please, don’t cry, you did so well,” Mountain murmurs and rubs his cheek- pulling Phantom into his lap, his huge torso wrapped around Phantom. “You’re so good. Dew is having some problems- it isn’t you. Do you hear me?”

Phantom is still coming off his waves of euphoria and emotions and the beautiful, lavender ghoul stares at Mountain. “He… doesn’t want me-”

Mountain cradles his face tightly. “He does. We all do… but him especially. He does want you… he just… he’s having an issue with himself, not you,” the earth ghoul tried to clarify but it fell on deaf ears. Mountain’s heart breaks looking at the quintessence ghoul and he wants nothing more than to make him feel so good and so loved.

Mountain is furious with Dew but heartbroken for Phantom. He wants to simultaneously pummel Dew but protecting Phantom in his delicate state is the top priority. Dew is beyond careless with Phantom right now, abandoning him like that, after his first knot without so much as a fucking word.

Mounty's reassurances to Phantom taste like ash in his mouth. They're empty words, he can't explain anything in Dewdrop’s brain, but he can support Phantom and stop him from spiralling. The giant ghoul takes the band's tiny bug in his arms to settle him back on the bed. The boy is still sobbing but no longer with loud or wet noises, just quiet; his little heart is still shattered.

Mountain isn't great with words, he always was better with actions. He starts petting Phantom’s curly hair to get it out of his face, tucking it around him on the pillow. Phantom really is beautiful and Mounty will never understand how he ended up in their pack, be he's never going to complain either. He loves all of the members dearly. He hasn't been as close to Phantom since he's arrived but he will be definitely changing that, starting right now. How he hasn’t before is a mystery to him, but Mountain is normally so enamoured with Rain around it takes up most of his attention. But this pretty ghoul was in front of him the whole time and he barely touched him. He wanted to, fuck, just never did. Idiot .

He places gentle kisses on Phantom's forehead, holding him down with his body as a living weighted blanket to ease the boy's distress. Phantom latches on to his long arms and legs, silently begging not to be left alone again. Phantom's body heats up as another wave of pain starts to hit him, the respite from Dew’s knot is gone.

Mountain feels him clenching in pain underneath him, and he kisses everywhere he can reach to comfort him. Phantom is whimpering softly at the gentle treatment and heat pain. Mounty knows what Phantom needs but also knows that he could end up hurting him the same way he does with Rain sometimes, and he’s terrified of that.

“Hey, bug, can I help you now? I know you're heating up again?” Mountain mumbles into his neck.

“Please, Mounty. I need help.” Is his whispered reply. Rain and Swiss move a little closer to offer support for the couple, a little awkward considering the situation. Rain especially is shaken out of his trance as he can nearly feel Phantom’s pain. Mounty has renewed determination as he goes from pure comfort to helping Phantom with his heat.

His touch is less gentle, more frenzied, and soon Phantom stops crying, and is reacting to one of his potential mates making his body sing. Their naked bodies were already pressed together, now moving to seek more friction. Mountain can't stop kissing and licking his sweet-scented skin. Phantom lets out a loud moan when Mounty goes near his mating mark with Rain. He mouths over the still tender bite and it makes a primal feeling overtake him, and he grunts, his huge body reacting by thrusting firmly into Phantom. And that's when Phantom stills.

Mounty knows what's going to happen next, and he's getting ready to simply finger Phantom until Swiss or Dew are ready. He's too big. He's going to hurt those he loves again… fuck, he should have been more careful.

He goes to pull away, but he feels Phantom's small hand reach between them, and wrap around his fully hard cock, the knot already obvious even though it's just starting to swell.

“ Oh, ” Phantom sighs. “It's so big.”

Before the giant ghoul can answer, Phantom turns his watery eyes onto his Mounty, “Please. It's so big. Please put it in me, fill me up,” he’s begging.

Fucking hell. Who could say no to that?!

Mounty is so turned on his cock twitches in Phantom's hand and a bead of precum runs down, getting caught on his small fingers. Mounty groans into Phantom's shoulders, as Rain lets out a chuckle next to them. The giant quickly returns to his previous kissing and licking, now knowing that Phantom wants this, and wants him. His neck and shoulders are addicting, even littered with marks from the others, hell especially because of the fresh mark from Rain and little bruises from Swiss and Dew. Mounty can't focus on anything else.

Mountain is completely overcome by the intense need to bite the beautiful ghoul. “Oh, fuck,” he groans, his head pressed into Phantom’s neck, breathing deeply, as his tongue and teeth drag over the ghoul’s skin. The impulse to bite him, mate him, claim him clouds his mind.

Phantom bares his neck almost immediately- panting and eager- and Mountain mouths at the sweet-smelling spot in the crook of his neck. His hand goes to the base of Phantom’s hair, fisting it, and pulling his head down further.

Swiss, still knotted in Rain, breaks his gaze from the water ghoul and looks over. “Careful, big guy,” Swiss warns as he kisses Rain’s jaw.

The water ghoul opens his hazy eyes, focusing on the scene in front of him. Mountain is close to biting Phantom. His green eyes appear almost glazed over, his fangs dragging over Phantom’s speckled neck, and the quintessence ghoul nods eagerly.

“Wait… wait… bug, are you sure?” Rain says hazily, trying to force some sense of clarity into his voice to make sure his bug is aware of what this means.

“Yes… don’t you want to do it?” Phantom replies with tears in his eyes and he looks at Mountain. Hell. He is beautiful.

“Fuck, yes. Wanted to for so long,” Mountain replies desperately, but he snaps his mouth shut and looks at Phantom, carefully, before kissing along his neck. “You sure you want me to, little bug?”

Phantom is gulping, and his head nods fast. “Yes, please ,”

Confirmation enough for him, Mountain proceeds to wrap the ghoul's legs around his waist and pull him close, firm against him. He leans back just far enough to push himself into Phantom's waiting body. His reaction is stunning. Even after fucking two people and being knotted once, Mountain’s knot is so big he might as well have been a virgin. “ Mountain ,” Phantom wails. He's panting. The feeling is extremely intense, almost like it shouldn't fit but it does.

Mountain can't help but watch as all three of them are enraptured by the stunning ghoul. “Now. I want to bite you when I cum this time,” Phantom has to pant between every few words like he's barely coherent anymore, the pleasure too much.

Any remaining doubt is thrown out of the earth ghoul's mind as he leans forward to the quintessence ghoul’s bared neck and bites hard, right next to Rain’s, almost overlapping.

Phantom almost shakes apart from the euphoric feeling as their bond starts to solidify within him. It’s overwhelming and he's pulling Mounty’s head away frantically, but gently. Mountain spares his neck a few licks before Phantom has his teeth on a relatively clear spot on his neck; ironically, they find out later, it's right next to Dew’s. Phantom mouths as the spot and bites. The bite lasts a little longer than Mounty’s because Phantom cums immediately, as the earth ghoul thrusts his full knot gently, and their bond is completed.

Spiralling words and praises are falling out of someone’s mouth- Mountain isn’t sure who. He is only feeling pure pleasure as he rides out his orgasm, pinning the ghoul into the bed like he is trying to fuck him through it. Mountain couldn’t help but marvel at how small Phantom was compared to him, the bulge appearing in Phantom. Mountain can’t help himself, his huge hand slips down and he palms the spot on the ghoul's stomach, making Phantom sob. Mountain kisses the tears, reminding him that he is so good, so good for him.

✧.*

When Mountain finally manages to pull himself off Phantom when his knot deflates, Swiss is quick to switch places, and holds Phantom tightly, rubbing his horns, and threading his fingers through the boy’s curly hair. He presses kisses to the Phantom’s sweaty forehead. Sweet boy.

“Do you want them?” Phantom mumbles into his skin.

Swiss looks down at him, pressing his lips onto Phantom’s forehead. “What?”

Phantom breathes out before his pretty amethyst eyes go to Swiss. “Kits,”

Swiss debates this question for a second. He’s never really thought about it... Or never let himself think about it, too much. No multi-ghoul has ever carried kits- but he could have them with someone else. He can’t lie and say he’s never thought about it with Rain… But he answers the quintessence ghoul. “Maybe? One day I guess. I don’t know,”

Phantom looks at him and purrs. “I do.”

Swiss smiles and ruffles his hair. “They’d be lucky to have you if you decide to have them. But you’re still young. You have time. We all have time,” Swiss says, and as he thinks about it, he smiles, overcome with the daydream he has more than he likes to admit. “A little kit in the pack? How sweet. We should have had one sooner,” Swiss jokes but almost instantly- the atmosphere in the room plummets.

Beside them, Rain’s entire body stiffens from under Mountain. His entire energy, magic, and aura shift almost immediately- and both Swiss and Phantom notice. Phantom especially tries to shuffle forward to Rain, reaching for his sweet love. “Rain… Rainy , what’s wrong?”

Rain is so heartbreakingly sad, his huge blue eyes watering. “Please don’t talk about them...” He snuffles out as he cries against Mountain’s chest. “I don’t deserve them,” Rain mumbles, so softly, it’s like he was saying it only to himself.

Swiss hear him well, also shuffling over, so they’re crowded against Rain. Mountain has woken up, his groggy eyes focusing on the distressed ghoul under him. Swiss looks confused. “What do you mean you don’t deserve them, Rainbow? You deserve everything good. You’d be so good with a kit-“

Rain shakes his head. “No. No . You don’t… fuck! You don’t understand! I don’t fucking deserve anything. I’ve lost all of them. All of them. I was never able to carry one for any sort of time. Fuck . I’ve lost them and I miss them every fucking time. They deserved more. Life. They deserved a carrier who could actually protect them. But instead, they got… me. Fuck,” Rain chokes out. His eyes shut as if he is reliving the brutal experience of losing a life he wanted desperately to carry, to nurse, to adore. Fuck. He would have adored them- so much.

The weight of the words slam onto Swiss.

He was right.

Rain lost kits- oh hell- he’s lost more than one. And he mourned every crippling loss, alone, never admitting the pain he was going through.

Phantom is out from under Swiss in record time, his lithe body nearly wrapping around Rain. His hand goes to Rain’s hair, dragging his face closer to his neck, and his tail wraps around Rain’s legs, as he hugs his arm around his waist, tightly. “It’s okay- you’re so good, Rain. It wasn’t your fault. You didn’t do anything wrong.” Phantom whispers reassuringly and presses soft, loving kisses to the water ghoul’s distraught face.

Rain almost seems to try to shove him off- anger rising in him- but then he also grips at Phantom’s lithe waist. “No- shut up. Shut up. Fuck off. You don’t know. It’s my fault. Fuck… it’s all my fault.”

Phantom, a protective, low growl comes out when he grabs Rain’s face. Despite the fact they’re still in a pile in between Mountain and Swiss, Phantom props himself between them, hugging the water ghoul against his naked body, and keeping the other two ghouls off him, for the time being.

“No. Stop it,” Phantom tells him firmly. But the tears don't stop. But just by being next to him, Phantom’s calming adoration and love for Rain seems to flood the ghoul. Words don’t matter right now. What matters is Phantom is trying, from his entire core, to remind Rain that he isn’t a bad thing simply for experiencing loss. He’s not. He’s good and pure and doesn’t deserve the pain life has dealt him.

The bathroom door opens, and Dew comes out, on shaky legs. He was listening to everything. One look between him and Rain, and Dew slides back into the bed nearly instantly. Phantom is too lost in his instinctual need to be with Rain to be angry with Dew for abandoning him.

Dew and Rain always shared a bond, something so strong and protective. He cradles Rain onto his chest- his heat radiating through his body. “It’s not your fault. You need to know that. Fuck. You didn’t deserve any of this shit you’ve been through,” Dew mumbles. It isn’t exactly a soft words of affirmation, but it’s a reminder for the water ghoul who is often too hard on himself.

Rain doesn’t respond, not to anyone. The praises and constant reassurance almost make him feel worse. Not worthy of it, fuck. He just buries his head into Phantom’s neck for the time being- ending the conversation for now. He’s too feral, too fragile, for any good to come out of this anymore.

When Dew’s hand inadvertently slips to grab Phantom’s, Swiss snarls lowly and swats it away. Dew blinks hard and tries to avoid his own tears.

It’s a haze of cuddles and long limbs being strewn over each other as the pile of five remains on the hotel bed. Dew and Phantom huddle close to each other, despite the boy's still heartbroken look at being abandoned after Dew knotted him.

When the fire ghoul starts kissing along Phantom’s jawline, making the quintessence ghoul melt against him, a look of confusion flashes over Phantom’s features. Phantom tries to conceal the tears and Swiss finally growls. He grabs Dewdrop, ripping him out of the bed, ignoring the surprised whines and cries from Phantom and Rain, and the questioning look from Mountain.

Swiss loves Dewdrop. But he loves Phantom, too. And Dewdrop is hurting Phantom whether or not he means to. And as much as Swiss adores the fire ghoul; it isn’t fair to bug for Dew to be treating him this way.

Swiss grabs Dewdrop, as he slams the bathroom door shut, pushing him against the door and growling. Dew looks surprised, but he’s used to rough treatment from Swiss- when he asks for it. Swiss fucks him rough, and loves him hard. But Dew can see the anger. “If you can’t give that boy what he needs, be the person for him that he wants- you gotta let him go. Don’t touch him, confuse him, don’t do anything with him again. His state is way too fragile now. You knotted him then fucking ran off him like a bat outta’ hell. The fuck is wrong with you?!” Swiss snarls at Dewdrop.

Dew stares at him. Not be with Phantom— at all? No. No. He can’t do that. “I can’t,” Dew chokes out.

Swiss yells at him now. “You have to let him go!”

Dewdrop yells back at him, aggressively. “I can’t! I can’t!”

“Then fucking do better,” Swiss snarls at him. Swiss loves too deeply to see the quintessence ghoul ever cry like he did because of Dew abandoning him. And Swiss loves Dewdrop, and fuck, the stompy, stubborn fire ghoul deserves happiness. And Phantom is happiness. Why would Dew deny himself of that any longer?

“He loves you most,” Swiss admits.

Dew sighs and sags under his hands, as the multighoul holds him against the bathroom door. “Don’t deserve him. He’s too good.”

Swiss tightens his grip. “You deserve happiness , Dewdrop. You do. I know it doesn’t come easily but for your sake, his, for all of our sake… just… let yourself find happiness because it’s right fucking in front of you.”

It’s Rain who asks Mountain to be with Swiss to the bathroom, so he can have time alone with the fire ghoul and Phantom; both of them needing it. Rain will watch to make sure Phantom isn’t hurt. He's more clear-headed but still protective.

Dewdrop comes out, looking defeated, and looks at Phantom with wide eyes. “I’m so sorry… kid. I’m so sorry you are… fuck… just everything. And I didn’t feel deserving of you. But I shouldn’t have done what I did.”

Phantom looks at him, hurt still, but his eyes soften when he finally reaches for Dewdrop and pulls him into the bed. No more words for the time being. Phantom just wants to be with him.

Rain and Phantom are immediately on either side of the fire ghoul, pressing kisses to his neck, and jaw, anywhere they can get. Phantom entangles his hand into Dew’s long, blond hair, so his head is tilted back so he can reach his pretty mouth.

“Good- you’re so good, Dew. Fuck, so good,” Phantom praises. It nearly makes Dew sob instantly at the praise. He doesn’t feel deserving of it, none of it, but Rain and Phantom make him feel so good and so loved.

Rain kissed the scars of his gills, Phantom sees it, but knows it’s not his place to touch.

Phantom is kissing Dew; kissing away the tears that’s coming out of his eyes on his flared cheeks. Steam rises from the contact of the liquid on his hot skin. Rain works his way down the fire ghoul's body until he finds his cock, kissing it and wrapping his long fingers around it- making Dew gasp and buck into his hands.

Phantom is mouthing at the spot on Dewdrop’s neck and the fire ghoul almost immediately drops his head, baring his neck.

They don’t need any guidance from Rain for this. Phantom kisses his neck, before sinking his fangs deep into Dew’s skin, piercing the flesh, and making the fire ghoul cry out, his eyes fluttering shut, as he comes in Rain’s hand almost immediately.

Phantom laps up the blood- kissing the wound- as Dew fists his curly hair in his hands. “Good- so good, Dew,” he praises.

Hells, the praising. Dew doesn’t deserve it.

But even though he doesn’t deserve it, Phantom is so willing and wants to give it. So, why keep denying himself something so good, so pure?

Phantom— the missing piece that no one knew they needed, and now they can’t live without.

Phantom guides Dew’s head to his neck and the fire ghoul breathes in heavily, the sweet scent filling his nose, as he turns and slots himself between Phantom's leg, grinding against him.

“Okay?”

Phantom nods eagerly. “Yeah… yeah. Please,”

Phantom screams when Dew bites his neck, coming again, and crying. Good, so good.

Rain is watching, protectively over his bug, but also… so happy, to see the love radiating through the room.

✧.*

Swiss, Mountain, and Dew are amazed that the two ghouls manage to play the shows they had lined up for the next day. They were all over each other on stage- making the fans go wild- but it was magic how they seemed to support each other and manage to still perform.

Finally, back on the tour bus, Mountain and Swiss somehow manage to cram into the same bunk as Rain. The water ghoul, who is nearly pinned underneath them, his lanky limbs stuffed into an unimaginable angle, whines.

“Ah, fuck, you two are heavy- get off- Dew, help ,” Rain muffles, as both Mountain and Swiss try to snuggle him. Dew is out at the back, smoking a cigarette, unable to hear the water ghouls' voice.

“You get him all the time!” Swiss snaps at Mountain, moping.

Mountain, so full of love and adoration, just smiles and hugs Rain tighter. “I can’t help it. Where is the other one?”

Said other one, Phantom, came out of the bathroom- with big, curious eyes, as he heard Rain’s voice. He shuffles down the corridor, before Swiss nearly scoops him up by the scruff of his neck and the quintessence ghoul lets out a surprised cry. “Hey, wait- what?! No, I can’t fit!” Phantom whines as Swiss drags him into the bunk- which is absolutely, definitely, not made for four ghouls. Swiss stuffs Phantom on top of him, his limbs wrapped around him tightly to keep him from falling and somehow Phantom winds up on top of Rain, sandwiched in between Mountain and Swiss.

He looks around and whines. “Help,” he says to Rain.

Rain snorts- before kissing the mark on Phantom’s neck. “You think you need help? I’m getting suffocated down here.”

Dew comes back to the bunks after his cigarette- his brow raised as he sees a pile of tangled limbs and tails from behind the privacy curtain on the bunks. He raises an ashy blond brow and snorts. “What’s going on in there, shitheads?”

“They captured us,” Rain groans, and Mountain laughs.

“They won’t let us go!” Phantom squeaks.

Dew scowls, before somehow managing to grab Phantom's tail, playfully tugging it, and the ghoul whines before climbing out of the bunk and nearly falling into Dew’s awaiting arms. “Sorry. He’s mine for the night,” Dew tells them.

Back in their familiar bunk on the tour bus, Dew sits next to Phantom, cradling the freckled ghoul’s face. Phantom is in one of Rain’s blue hoodies, and a pair of Dew’s sweatpants. Dew smiles at the sight, as he peppers kisses over Phantom’s face, making the sweet boy giggle and hug him tighter, so tightly over his torso. He’s strong.

Dew winces a bit but doesn’t ask him to loosen his grip. It’s fascinating to see Phantom’s magic and power fluctuate and grow, and Dew will spend as much time as he can observing the quintessence ghoul. His emotions are intense and deepened, even more than before- reflecting in his magic. He’ll need to get Aether to have a look at him too.

“You have a lot of magic, kid,” Dew mumbles into the boy's hair. Phantom is nearly glimmering in the dark.

Phantom’s brows knit together. “I don’t understand it yet,” he admits. In the dark bunk; the freckles on Phantom’s face nearly glitter and shine like small galaxies painted over his skin.

Dew presses kisses along his cheeks, following the outline of stars on his lavender hue skin. But his face falls when he thinks about how cowardly he was earlier. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, for what I did… leaving you after that. I don’t talk about shit well. But that… was so stupid of me. You deserve so much better-”

Phantom kisses him to make him stop talking. “Stop it. You were scared. I get it,”

“No, no, kid. No matter what I felt, I should have thought about you first. I promise I’ll do better.” Dew whispers. Clutching his face and kissing him, tears in his eyes.

Phantom smiles and presses his body as close to psychically possible. “I know, love, it’s okay. I love you. I love you, Dew,” Phantom reminds him, and soon they’re a pile of limbs and bodies as they curl together in the bunk. Phantom kisses over his bite on Dew’s neck, making the fire ghoul shudder.

“Mine.” Phantom breathes.

✧.*

Back in the abbey, in Rain’s little outcove, Phantom had come for a visit. Phantom loves the outcove, in a crumbling part of the abbey, where spring water is collected in a glittering pool. It’s cold and smells like earth. Reflections of the rippling water dance off the crumbling grey stones, and water plants grow all around. Outside the window, the lake is visible.

In contrast to the cool atmosphere, in Rain’s bed, it’s warm and cozy. Rain has a thick fleece blanket he nipped off Mountain. It’s brown, warm and ragged from use. Phantom cuddles against Rain, draped in the blanket, and his head pressed against the slight swell of the water ghoul’s stomach. His lavender hand is holding onto Rain’s chest, the other on his hip, and he presses soft kisses along Rain’s ribs and stomach.

“You’re like a cat,” Rain murmurs as he dozes against the quintessence ghoul’s touch.

Phantom purrs, proving the point. He reaches up, holding Rain’s cold hand in his. “You don’t cry as much these days,” Phantom observes out loud.

Rain smiles. “Yeah. Don’t feel like I need to, I guess. I have a lot more to smile about,” Rain brushed over the mark, making Phantom shiver. “Glad I found you… little bug. You’re probably the most precious thing I ever could have wanted. Didn’t even know I was missing something in my life till you showed up,”

The quintessence ghoul doesn’t answer- he seems to be listening to something intently. His head is on Rain's soft stomach still, the pads of his fingers tracing the water ghoul's damp skin. His eyes pop open wide and he grins. “Little water lily,”

Rain stills but doesn’t answer. Nor does he ask for Phantom to elaborate, yet. His fingers go to the mark on Phantom’s thigh and he runs the pad of his thumb over it, making the ghoul shiver again. “Maybe. Maybe one day.”

Phantom seems to understand. But it’s like can see it in his mind; a beautiful, little pale thing running around. Giggling, happy, created out of love. One day. Sooner than they would all think.

Phantom snuggles closer to Rain, feeling sleepy and safe in the water ghoul's embrace. And feeling loved. Endlessly loved, with the marks on his neck to prove it.

Rain, who always felt so undeserving of adoration, feels settled and safe in Phantom’s comfortable embrace. For so long, the water ghoul felt terrified of life. It was daunting and scary, and he didn’t understand why he was made. Dewdrop went through so much pain because of him. Rain was heartbroken often, and sad, and his bandmates always tried to remind him they loved him, but he felt so undeserving of it. He lost… so much.

Rain deserved nothing. Sometimes, he felt that it would be so much easier if he just… wasn’t there.

But he found love in his pack mates. But especially in Swiss’s constant kisses, Dew’s fiery love for him, hugging him around the waist and kissing his hair. And Mountain’s firm, steadfast love. He holds him during the nights, his gentle voice reminding him how loved he is.

And now, Phantom… being the missing part of his heart, he never knew he needed. He lessens his pain, and makes him feel safe and whole.

Rain starts crying, but not because he’s in pain. It’s quite the fucking opposite. Rain hugs Phantom tightly. That kid is pure magic.

And everyone is lucky to have him. And he’s lucky to have them.

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straykidsnerd255 · 11 months ago

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I'll Be Your Man: WereWolf!BangChan x Female Reader

Pairing: BangChan x Female Reader

Genre: Fluff/Angst- Hurt/comfort

Song: Pray- BTOB

Rating: PG-13

Warning: Blood, fighting, Werewolf!BangChan, swearing, Reader can see extremely far distances and can use repulsive magic(She can hold her hand up and throw people away from her a great distance), Reader gets kidnapped and choked.

A/N: I will do eight different versions of this one-shot! Enjoy!

Word Count: 3K+

The rustling of the bushes unnerved you. You had wandered into the forest behind your house, not realizing it would suddenly grow as dark as night. As you moved further in, a grunt sounded from your right. Snapping your head in that direction, you looked around, hoping to find whatever made the noise. You carefully pushed bushes and vines to the side and saw what looked to be a large dog lying on its side. You carefully move towards the wounded animal, trying not to spook it however its head snapped towards your direction, its eyes on you as you move towards the front of it. A snarl leaves its lips, but it doesn’t move.

You kneel in front of the animal before looking it over. Its breathing was labored as if it had been running for a long time. Your eyes scanned the animal from head to toe. “I need to get you back to my place. I can’t make out the severity of the wounds out here.” You mumbled, trying to find something to help you with the wounded animal. The animal, clearly understanding your words, slowly began to stand up. A whine left its lips as it began to limp forward. You moved closer to the animal(you found out it was a wolf once it stood) and followed it.

Relief washed over you as you saw your little house. You quickly raced towards the door and opened the door once you and the wolf were near the door. After entering the house, the wolf fell to the floor and whined in pain. You threw your things to the floor before running to your bathroom and grabbing everything you would need. Returning to the living room, you notice the wolf looking up at you with half-lidded eyes. You carefully knelt on the ground and gently pressed your hands against its fur. In the light, you noticed the black fur was matted down with blood and dirt but was still soft to the touch.

You stood from the ground and walked into the kitchen. You grabbed one of the large pans you had and filled with with hot water tolerable to touch. You bent down to the bottom drawer of the sink and grabbed a washcloth before returning to the living room. The wolf looked up and growled seeing the pan in your hands but stopped when water splashed out the side. You sat down and scooted closer to the wolf’s side. “Easy boy. I’m just gonna clean the wound on your side and bandage you up.” You said, gently scratching behind his ear.

His tail started wagging before he grunted and touched your leg with his front paw before taking it back and lying on that paw while the other was outstretched. You took the electric razor and gently cut away the fur that surrounded the wound. Dipping the cloth in the warm water, you gently began to dab at the wounds. He hissed when a certain spot was hit but didn’t move otherwise. “And finished.” You said, wrapping the bandage around his middle. His tail started wagging once again and he looked up at you. You stood from the ground and stretched your limbs out. You looked down at the wolf and noticed a scared look in his eyes. “Don’t worry. I’m not gonna send you away. You are injured and I have grown rather attached to you.” You mumbled before helping him up and getting him to your room. You carefully helped him onto your bed and watched him curl in on himself. He huffed tiredly before closing his eyes and falling asleep. You smiled at the sleeping wolf before turning around and quickly changing into pajamas.

Around 2 am, you woke to the sound of your bed moving and creaking. You turned to your side and came face to face with a handsome man. You screamed and fell from the bed and you crowded yourself close to the wall. The lights turned on the man stood from the bed and looked around in what looked to be alertness. “W-Who are you?” You stammered out, looking a the man. “My bad. My name is BangChan, but you can just call me Chan. I was the wolf that you saved.” The stranger said. You narrowed your eyes but the bloody bandages around his stomach and sides proved his words.

You slowly stood from the floor and walked towards him. “You…are the wolf….that I saved.” You said, moving closer to him. Chan nodded his head. He watched as your hands reached towards the bandages and winced when your fingers brushed against his skin. You drew your hands back like you just got burned and looked at him. “Sit down. I need to change them.” You said, rushing to the bathroom to grab the bandaids.

Chan sat down on the edge of the bed and looked around your room. It had a desk that sat on the far right corner of the room, a TV stand directly in front of the bed, and a wardrobe that sat in front of him. It was basic for a bedroom. When you returned, he sat up straight and immediately lifted his arms. You carefully unwind the dark red bandages and wince at the state of the wound on him. “Who or what did this to you?” You asked, carefully putting ointment on the wound and wrapping the bandage around it again. You felt his body tense before sagging.

“You don’t have to tell me.” You said.

He squirmed on the bed before taking a deep breath and looking you directly in the eyes. “I want to tell you. I feel….I feel safe here.” He said.

You blinked at his words before placing the leftover bandage aside and sitting next to him. He told you everything that had happened even the part where you had found him. You clenched your hands tightly when he mentioned his pack was still captured. You could see the fear in his eyes and agreed to help him look for them. You jumped when a popping noise sounded close to you and turned your head just in time to see Chan shift back to his wolf. His wolf was majestic. You had heard about werewolves but thought they were only myths. A fairytale even. You pulled on a jacket and grabbed a flashlight.

Winter was right around the corner and you hopped and prayed that Chan would be able to find his pack in time. Opening the door, you and Chan stepped out into the cold autumn wind. You shivered but suppressed the urge to turn around and go back inside. Chan darted towards the opening of the forest before turning around and facing you. His golden eyes shone like beckons. You carefully jogged over to him and placed a hand on his head.

You felt Chan lift his head closer to your hand before turning back to the forest. You stayed close to him as the two of you ventured into the dark. Chan suddenly stopped. You noticed the hair on the back of his neck stand up in alert. A deep growl left his mouth as he circled in front of you. His ears were flat against his head. You shone the flashlight in the direction he was staring in and gasped. Chan’s snarl turned to a whimper before he darted forward. “Chan!” You called out, chasing after the wolf. You almost lost sight of him a few times but he would always turn around when he needed to.

What did you notice? You didn’t think you looked that far into the distance but running for five minutes proved your thought of not seeing far wrong. Before long, you noticed Chan sit down, his ears down and his tail lying still. You move closer and crouch next to him. Your hand reaches up to pet his head before turning to face him. “What’s wrong?” She asked. Chan reverted to his human set and carefully took your hand in his. He was scared. You could tell by the way his hand shook violently in your hold.

“Chan?” You said, hoping to gain his attention. However, it didn’t. He continued to stare forward before lifting his free hand and pointing forward. You followed where he was pointing and noticed a bonfire. You squinted your eyes to see better. As if your body knew you were looking a far distance, your vision enhanced to the point it looked like you were looking through binoculars. You ignored it for the moment as you looked closer. Men were gathered around the fire and laughing. You could see wolves, covered in blood and favoring paws and legs tied up and in cages.

Your heart dropped to the pit of your stomach as you turned to Chan. “My pack.” That was all he said. Your eyes narrowed in anger. Chan revered back to the wolf and lunged forward. Your eyes widened as you watched the massive wolf attack. However, it didn’t last long when a rope wrapped around his throat and yanked. Chan made a high-pitched choked-off whimper before thudding to the ground. A sharp hiss left his lips as he landed on the wound you had bandaged up. He hadn’t fully healed from the first wound on his body.

“Damn, didn’t think we would ever see this big guy again. He will fetch us a fortune!” one man said, grabbing Chan’s snout tightly. Chan snarled and tried to bite the man’s hand only to be kicked hard in the stomach. You felt your heart shatter and before you knew it, you raced into the clearing, you dropped in front of Chan and pressed your hand to his face. Chan’s eyes widened when you appeared in his line of sight. He tried to get you to move but couldn’t even move himself. He was in so much pain.

“Well well well. Guess this big guy brought another friend along. Tie her up. We can see her along with those mutts.” The same man said, turning his back towards them. A group of men started walking towards you with a long rope in hand and menacing smiles on their faces. You, on instinct, closed your eyes and screamed. Chan’s eyes widened in shock when he saw what looked like a shock wave leave your body. It sent all the men flying away from the camp and extinguishing the fire. Opening your eyes, you noticed the fire had been put out and the men were nowhere to be seen. “Wha-” You couldn’t finish your sentence when you noticed Chan whining in pain. You quickly untied the rope from his throat before searching for your flashlight. You turned it on and looked around trying to find something you could drive back to your house. A sigh of relief escaped your throat when you saw the pickup truck you assumed the men used.

You scrambled forward and opened the door. “Fools.” You mumbled out loud when you felt the keys in the ignition. You quickly started the car and grinned when it roared to life. You ran to the back of the truck and opened the tailgate. You lifted the back of the flashlight to your lips and bit down on it as you moved towards the cages. You crouched in front of the first cage you came to and felt your heart shatter. Chan walked over to you and leaned his weak body against yours. You felt your heart hurt for all of them. You and Chan (as much as he could) got the cages in the back of the truck. You made sure that everything was in place before closing the tailgate. Taking the license plates from the front and back, you tossed them as far as you could before climbing into the truck. You closed the door and immediately put the car in reverse.

You backed up a bit before putting the truck in drive and slowly moving forward. Chan hissed when the truck jerked forward. You placed a hand on his head and you felt him lift his head to press closer to your hand. “Don’t worry Chan. I’ll make sure to get them the medical attention they need.” You said flipping the truck around and backing up so the tail of the truck was covered by the garage. She turned the car off and helped Chan, who had turned back to his human, into the house. You swiftly managed to get the 7 injured wolves into your house and began working on them one at a time. Once all were bandaged, wrapped up, or even stitched up, you collapsed on the floor and fell asleep.

{3 years later- You and Chan are in an established relationship now}

“HAN NO YOU CAN’T-” You flinched when the sound of a vase crashing against the floor was heard. Everyone went deadly silent as the tan wolf froze. His tail between his legs and his ears flat against his head in fear. You walked into the living room and found a vase you had been given by a friend sitting on the ground in pieces. You quickly grabbed your broom and dustpan and cleaned the mess up. “It wasn’t a really good vase anyway. It's alright Han.” You said, finishing sweeping and dumping the pieces in the trash. You placed a hand on the tan wolf’s head and ruffled the fur.

Han’s tail happily wagged behind him and he curled closer to her. Chan watched from where he was lying on the couch, bandage still wrapped around his middle. His golden eyes watched his pack getting along beautifully with the human that had saved them on that night 3 years ago. Slowly, Chan moved from the couch and walked towards you and Han. He nuzzled his nose against your neck making you giggle before placing a hand on his head and scratching behind his ear.

You giggled before standing up. “Let’s go outside for a bit, it's sunny out and and quite warm for an autumn afternoon.” You said, walking to the back door and opening it. The wolves happily chirped their agreement before racing out the door. Chan made his way out the door before turning and looking at her. “I’ll be out in a moment. I need to clean the kitchen a bit.” You said, giving the wolf a reassuring smile. Chan nodded his head before heading outside. You left the door open a crack and you would later find out that was the best decision you had made.

As you were cleaning the kitchen, a knock sounded at the door. Quickly drying your hands off, you walked to the door. Swiftly opening the door, you go to greet whoever is at the door but a strangled scream leaves your lips. Chan’s ears perk immediately and he’s racing into the house in human form. He tore through the kitchen just to see you get thrown into the back of a van, said van driving away fast. A snarl left his lips before he slammed the door and went back to the rest of the pack.

The pack watched Chan pacing in a circle, his mouth in a permanent snarl, spit falling from his lips as if he was a starved, and bloodthirsty creature. His eyes burned red. “You were here the longest with her. You should have her scent all over you by now. You can track her.” Lee Know said, looking at his best friend. Chan snapped his head towards Lee Know with wide eyes. That’s right, how could he forget about that? He raced back into the house and went straight to her room. Sure he had her scent practically memorized, but he needed a boost. He pressed his nose into the comforter and inhaled deeply. Her scent always put him at ease. Allowed him to let his guard down.

He darted from the room just as the rest of his pack came back inside. They noticed the look in his eyes and looked at each other. “Let’s go.” was all Chan said before they darted from the house and ran down the street in the direction Chan had seen the van leave in. His mind raced as he remembered your gentle touches and the way you were careful when he and his pack were injured. He knew he needed to save you no matter what. You change his life and his pack's life for the better.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

You groaned as you opened your eyes. Looking around, you noticed you were in an old warehouse. A headache formed in your head when you finally woke up. You go to move your hands but hearing the clanking of the chains makes your entire body freeze. “Likes like you finally woke up.” A voice said, causing you to shake in fear. “What do you want?” You ask, trying to keep your voice steady. “You injured a group of my strongest men. So, I’m selling you on the black market. You have a special gift and it will make me rich.” The man said, stepping out from behind a pillar.

You felt your heart sink to the pit of your stomach. The sound of screaming and gunshots rang through the air causing both you and the man to look towards the door. “BOSS!” A strangled voice called out. A loud growl rang through the silence and the deafening sound of bones snapping could be heard. The door opened to reveal Chan, covered in blood. His red eyes stare the man down, calculating his next move. You go to open your mouth only, no sound comes out. You try to breathe but it is restricted. You look up in a wild panic as the man’s grip on your throat tightens.

You reach up and grab the man’s wrist in hopes that he would release your throat if you pulled but the lack of air was starting to get to you. Your eyes rolled into the back of your head as the man continued to choke you. Chan howls in rage. He was already fast but in his wolf form, he was much faster. You gasped for much-needed air as Chan bit into the man’s throat. A strangled cry left his mouth before everything went silent. Chan tore into the man, blood covering his black fur and his teeth. A crazed look in his eye.

“Chan.” Your weak voice pulled him from the man in front of him. His eyes cleared and he immediately went to you. His human took over as his hands quickly wiped the blood from his mouth and face before pressing his hands against your face. “I am so sorry I let this happen. I should have been there with you.” Tears filled his eyes as he looked over you. You had a black eye, busted lip, and blood running down the side of your face. You looked like you had gotten in a fight much worse than it seemed. Tears filled Chan’s eyes as his fingers danced across the bruises that lined your arms, and neck. The chains on your wrists clinked every time you moved or he moved you.

You leaned forward when you had filled your lungs with air and pressed your lips to Chan’s. He immediately kissed back. His fingers tangled in your hair, before dropping to your legs. He gently squeezed your thighs in a form of comfort, both for you and himself. Pulling away from the kiss, he took deep breaths before leaning forward again. His lips locked with yours and a sigh escaped him. You giggled but returned the kiss. “Let’s get these chains off.” He mumbled, after pulling away from the kiss.

Once freed from the chains, Chan lifted you into his arms and held you tightly. “I won’t let you go ever again.” He whispered as he walked towards the open door of the warehouse. The rest of his pack waiting patiently for him and you to come out. Minho’s ears perked when he heard family talking and heartbeats. You smiled at the other wolves and gently patted Chan’s chest to let him know you wanted to be sat down. He did what you asked but stayed close to you. You looked over each of the wolves before being pounced on by the two younger wolves. They curled up against your chest and whined. You giggled before pressing kisses to their heads.

“I’m all right. I promise.” You said, petting their heads to the point the two felt their eyes growing heavy. You smiled softly before taking a deep breath. “Let’s go home.” You said, carefully standing up. The two younger wolves staying at your side. Shifting to his wolf, Chan stayed in the back while the rest were in front. You giggled at how protective they were being but you understood why they were acting this way. When you finally reached your house, you collapsed on the couch and took a deep breath. Chan sat next to you and wrapped his arms around you, having shifted to his human after entering the house.

The others stayed as their wolves but laid around you and Chan. I.N the youngest of the pack, moved to your left and laid his head in your lap. His ears were straight up and his nose moving but he was content. His tail wagging happily behind him as you pet his head before moving to scratch behind his ear. You smiled softly before turning to face Chan. He was still tense but he had relaxed knowing they were back home. You leaned your head against his shoulder, your hands holding his hand before tracing patterns across the back of his hand. You felt your eyes growing heavy and you finally fell asleep. Content and above most all…protected.

#Stray Kids #BangChan #Female Reader #Fluff #a little angst #Hurt/comfort #All of Stray Kids are there #Ot8 Skz #BangChan x Female Reader #Reader has powers #Kpop-StrayKids

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agustd-png · 11 months ago

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Day 11: Jaehyeong 🎄 Face Sitting + Overstimulation

Kinkmas 2023

Jaehyeong plopped onto the bed of your hotel room with a tired exhale, swiping a few leftover beads of sweat from his brow. "How was it from out there?"

You'd watched his concert from the audience this time, able to meet some lovely fans and snap some good photos.

You perched yourself on the edge of the bed next to him and handed him your phone so he could see the pictures you took. "Great, you guys sounded awesome and everyone I talked to seemed to be having a great time," you replied honestly and happily.

Jaehyeong swiped through the photos as you spoke, an amused smile spreading across his face with each new photo until he was laughing. "These are all of me!"

"They are not!"

"Okay, not all, but like, most of them," he teased.

You grabbed your phone back, leaving him still giggling. "Well, what do you expect when Roy dresses you like that?" Another concert, another see-through shirt; how could you not take pictures of your boyfriend on stage when he looked that good?

Jaehyeong propped himself up on an elbow, his other hand coming up to curve over your thigh. You felt the atmosphere change, from a playful one to a more sensual one.

"Kitten likes the see-through shirts, huh?" He smirked and pushed his hand between your legs, cupping you over your clothes. "Did it make you wet, watching me up there?"

You weren't about to lie, so you spread your legs and nodded, letting the truth speak for itself. You knew he'd find your panties damp and ready to be removed. He reached past both waistbands and let a finger slide down your pussy, easily slicking through. "Oh I can tell already...take these off." You did as he asked, pushing off your pants and underwear, and before you knew it, he had you pulled up straddling his face. He curled his hands around your thighs, peering up at you. "Sit down, kitten. That's what you've been thinking about, right?"

This was far from the first time you'd sat on his face; he knew how much you loved it, how much you fantasized about it, and he knew it was likely what was running through your mind while you watched him on stage. And he wasn't wrong.

So you let yourself relax and Jaehyeong's tongue met your pussy deliciously, a low moan rumbling through him when he tasted you. Your legs trembled as he sucked at your pussy, his lips getting covered in your arousal. You felt another rush run through you, watching him below you, making you even wetter.

"So good, baby," you praised, pushing your hand through his hair and steadying yourself against the bed with the other.

He brought a hand up to spread you open and dug his tongue into you, wriggling into your hole and making you see stars. The sounds that filled the air were truly filthy, and you added to them with your increasingly loud moans. His lips came up to latch onto your clit, suckling hard, the intense pleasure making your hips drop and buck to follow it. He held you more strongly, groaning again, loving eating you out almost as much as you loved it. But that felt impossible to you.

Your hips rocked even more greedily against his tongue. He outstretched it for you to grind against, so you did, focusing your clit into the velvety warmth, and soon enough you were crying out his name and shaking, unable to keep yourself up, the pleasure rushing through you.

Jaehyeong flipped you onto your back at the tail end of your orgasm, rubbing hard to your extremely sensitive clit, and making your back arch high. "I can't, babe, I--I can't!"

You pushed up onto your hands and watched him continue to work, shoving two fingers into you and sucking hard on your clit. He watched you as your brow furrowed and you were pushed over the edge a second time, falling back and absolutely shuddering, legs snapping shut, instinctively pushing him away, the pleasure just becoming too much. Jaehyeong pulled back this time, content with that, and laid next to you, chuckling. "Is my kitten's cunt all tired out?"

You looked over and saw the obvious tent in his pants, your blood pumping hard again at that sight. You rolled over and reached for his belt, rubbing a hand over his bulge. "Maybe, but my mouth isn't."

Please consider liking, reblogging, commenting, and/or sending a message!

#mine #kinkmas #kinkmas 2023 #jaehyeong smut #the rose smut #kpop smut #the rose scenario #the rose imagines #kpop scenario #kpop imagines #the rose hard thoughts #the rose hard hours

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cheerycherrycandy-resurrected · 11 months ago

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Ghoulette Appreciation Week 1

Week 1: Start of something new & Girls night in/out

"Sunshine battled her curls back from her face, put on her most obliging smile, and thanked Lucifer below that human noses couldn’t smell fear." Sunshine is staying back at the Abbey while the others leave on tour. Anxieties about her new job, goodbye kisses, and a final Girls Night in.

Sunshine x Cirrus x Cumulus x Aurora Content: Light angst, hurt/comfort (pre-tour goodbyes) Rating: general Words: 2274

A huge thank you to @jesusbutbetterrr et al. for organising the ghoulette appreciation weeks!

Read below or on AO3!

Sunshine battled her curls back from her face, put on her most obliging smile, and thanked Lucifer below that human noses couldn’t smell fear.

Lifetime job security Imperator had said (although who’s lifetime was anyone’s guess) if she and Aether stayed at the Abbey while the band was on tour. A guaranteed spot topside for the whole pack, for as long as they wanted it, in exchange for several months separation while they trained the influx of new clergy members at the Abbey. Ahead of her first day, Sunshine couldn’t help but wonder how unpleasant this job was going to be.

She was in charge of administration training, which mostly meant teaching young new clergy how to fill out tax forms and change typewriter ribbons, while Aether was training medics in both human and ghoul ailments for the infirmary. What Sunshine suspected this meant however was doing five times the paperwork she normally did, as well as acting as Sister Imperator’s personal dogsbody and scapegoat.

Sunshine forced a smile in the mirror, trying to project an air of confidence beyond her small stature, and smoothed down the front of her uniform shirt. This is all for the pack she told herself, begging the butterflies in her stomach to settle down at the thought of her first day ahead.

She ran a fingertip along the golden barrette in her hair, a farewell gift from the ghoulettes, then pressed it to her lips. That was the best she was going to manage for a good luck kiss today.

She thought back to the last kisses she had shared with the ghoulettes in the early hours of the previous morning. She and Aether had waved the band off on the bus, and used every shred of their collective willpower not to sprint down the driveway after them. The girls had stayed up all night before leaving, declaring such little sleep pointless, and having their final Girls Night in what would be an achingly long time.

They’d pulled out all the stops to try and compensate for the coming months of separation. Sunny knew they could call and see each others’ faces, but their solid presence and smell would be irreplaceable once apart. They’d sat around on Cumulus’ plush bed in pyjamas, drinking monstrously large hot chocolates and watching their collective favourite movie, all curled into each other in a tangle of legs and tails. They tried hard to distract themselves from the impending alarm on Cirrus’ phone which would pull the three touring ghoulettes away from Sunshine.

When the phone began chiming, it sounded like a death knell to Sunshine. Around her, the three ghoulettes began grumbling and stumbling towards their bus loungewear neatly laid out on the desk, Aurora’s idea to maximise their time together before leaving. Their suitcases were packed and lined up in the hallway outside for the same reason.

Sunshine looked up at them from the bed with a stricken look on her face and tears pre-emptively filling her eyes. Now the time for them to leave was here, it seemed impossible that she would survive their absence. Cirrus noticed the second her head popped back out of her hoodie, and she rushed back to Sunny with hands outstretched. She grasped the smaller ghoulette’s in hers, calloused fingers stroking over her knuckles, and pulled her to her feet and into her embrace.

“I changed my mind Riri, I don’t think I can do this anymore!” Sunshine hiccupped, failing at keeping her voice steady.

“My precious Sunbeam, you’re being so brave. You’ll manage splendidly without us, those new Siblings are going to be eating out of your pretty hand within a week!” Cirrus rubbed her back soothingly. “And besides, you’ll have Aether for company, I’ve got to wrangle the five boys without him!” she joked weakly, trying her best to make Sunny smile. She had a little success.

“I’m gonna miss you so much…” she sniffed, trying not to make a mess of Cirrus’ sweater. “Promise you’ll call?”

“Of course I will Sweetheart, every chance we get.”

The pair stayed swaying together for as long as they could spare while Sunshine tried her best to steady her breathing, before pulling back slightly to look into Cirrus’ slate grey eyes.

“Can I give you your goodbye kiss here? I don’t think I’ll let you leave otherwise.”

“Oh my sweet girl, I’ll miss you every second I’m away from you” Cirrus’ normally composed demeanour seemed on the verge of shattering too, as she leaned down to capture Sunny’s lips with her own. Eventually they had to separate, Cirrus running a finger along Sunshine’s jaw as though to memorise the shape.

As Cirrus reluctantly moved to finish dressing, Aurora approached with a small wrapped gift.

“We got you this, Sunny. So whenever you miss us you can remember how much we love you.”

Sunshine unwrapped the small parcel, revealing a shining gold hair clip. A sun, moon, star and cloud decorated the metal, one symbol for each of the ghoulettes.

“It’s beautiful, Starlight, thank you!” Sunny clipped it into her fringe, before leaning in to press a chaste kiss to the tiny multi ghoulette’s lips. She tasted like the strawberry chapstick she used so often, that Sunshine definitely hadn’t also bought for herself while they were away. Despite Aurora only being topside for a short time, she and Sunshine had become fast friends, and quickly more, so it felt like a cruel injustice that they were being separated so soon into their relationship.

Finally, Sunshine turned to Cumulus, who was faring the worst of all at holding in her tears. She always got anxious before tours, and not having the cheery ghoulette next to her on stage to ground her was a change she was apprehensive about.

“Please don’t cry Lulu!” Sunshine wiped Cumulus’ cheek gently with her sleeve. “You’ll be back before you know it!”

“Everything’s going to be different though Sunny, what if the congregation don’t like the changes? What if they don’t like Rory and Tommy?”

“They’re going to love them, and they’re going to love you. Papa won’t let anyone say anything bad, you know how protective he is about his ghouls.”

Cumulus sniffled in acknowledgement, her froth of lavender-scented hair tickling Sunshine’s nose.

“Cheer up, my little stormcloud! You’ll be back before you know it. Take lots of photos for me okay?”

Cumulus nodded sadly, and gave Sunny a wan smile. “Can I have my goodbye kiss now?”

“Of course you can darling.” Sunshine kissed Cumulus sweetly, savouring the softness of her lips.

When they eventually pulled apart, Cirrus was waiting with Cumulus’s shoes to put on.

“Time to go I’m afraid girls, bus call is in ten minutes.”

The mood sombre, the four ghoulettes slumped along the corridor out of the ghoul wing and to the main entrance of the Abbey, Cumulus never letting go of Sunshine’s hand. Swiss and Phantom were already there, the latter almost vibrating in their excitement.

“Mornin’ all. You good to get going? Driver’s already got the side of the bus open for luggage if you want.”

“Thanks Swiss.” said Cirrus, “Any sign of the others yet?”

“Dew and Aether are making out like the world’s ending, Mountain’s making a giant flask of coffee for the road, and Rain’s still packing.”

“So no rush to get going after all then.” Cirrus rolled her eyes, before grabbing her and Cumulus’ suitcases and heading out to the bus with Aurora.

“How’re you holding up, Sunny? Ready for some peace and quiet?” Swiss flashed a toothy grin, but it didn’t reach his eyes, revealing the poorly-masked concern in them.

“Been better.” she shrugged, “I’ve got Aeth to keep me company at least.”

Swiss nodded comfortingly, and held his arms out for a hug. Cumulus finally let go of her hand so Sunshine could be swept into his warm embrace, inhaling the comforting incense and black pepper scent of her first friend topside.

When he finally released her, they could now see Mountain lumbering down the hall, an oversized thermos in one hand and his suitcase in the other. He grunted a greeting to the assembled ghouls, and slouched out to the bus to drop off his bag.

“Good morning, sleeping beauty!” Aurora joked as she passed him coming back into the relative warmth of the Abbey. She soon struck up a conversation with Phantom about what they were looking forward to on their first tour, and where they were looking forward to visiting.

Shortly before Copia’s designated meeting time, the man himself arrived, clutching an even more comically large flask.

“Good morning my ghouls, glad to see you made it at this ungodly hour!” He took a swig of his coffee, shuddering at the taste. Good morning Papa chorused the assembled ghouls. “It seems we are not all here yet though, hmm?”

As he spoke, Rain came trotting down the corridor, suitcase clearly bulging at the seams.

“Good morning!” He chirped, “I’m not late am I?”

“Not the latest.” Swiss rolled his eyes. “Who’s volunteering to go and requisition our blond beauty from The Beast’s chambers?”

Several pairs of eyes shifted to look at Mountain. He huffed out a sound that was bordering on a growl, and slouched off back down the corridor. Not even a minute later, an angry roar echoed back towards the assembled pack, making Copia wince and Swiss and Cirrus chuckle.

Mountain returned dragging a squirming Dew, hissing and spitting furiously like a feral cat, with one arm and an equally mad Aether whose anger was emanating from him in dark wafts with the other. He pulled Dew’s suitcase along behind them with his tail.

“Uh, good morning Dewdrop, Aether. R-right then, everyone onto the bus?” suggested Copia nervously, the ghouls’ infernal anger affecting even the dark Pope himself. Cumulus patted his arm reassuringly and tried to ignore how he flinched at her inhuman touch.

After a final heated kiss, Dewdrop was eventually coerced out of Aether’s arms and onto the bus by Rain and Swiss, closely followed by Mountain and Phantom after saying their own goodbyes to the ghouls remaining behind. That left just the ghoulettes and Aether stood in the entryway.

After each giving Aether – who was still emitting a distressed void-like smoke – a brief hug, the ghoulettes said their final goodbyes to Sunshine.

“I promise to try and live up to your reputation Sunny.” said Aurora. “Gonna make sure the congregation appreciate us ghoulettes just as much as those silly boys and their bickering up front!”

“If anyone can do that, it’s you Rory.” Sunshine smiled. Aurora could command a stage like no ghoul she’d ever seen before. “I can’t wait to see videos!” She hugged the smaller ghoulette tightly, and placed a kiss to her forehead.

“Take care Sunny, we’re so proud of all you’re doing for us and the pack!” Cirrus gave Sunshine a final hug and brief kiss on her cheek, and she immediately felt the tears from earlier pricking at her eyes again. She wouldn’t let them fall this time, she was determined that the ghoulettes not leave for the tour with her tearstained face as the last thing they saw.

Finally Cumulus stepped forward, her tears already falling silently, shining like diamonds on her cheeks. Sunshine kissed them away as they fell.

“Be brave for me little cloud, and I’ll be brave for you”

Cumulus nodded in response, saying all she needed to with her eyes alone. She knew if she tried to speak it would only result in more tears. She pressed one last kiss of her own to Sunshine’s cheek, and pulled away, Cirrus and Aurora each taking one of her hands in theirs.

The trio made their way onto the bus, and Sunshine reached out for Aether’s hand as the doors hissed shut behind them. In the early morning twilight, the faces of their beloved pack were clear as they looked back at them through illuminated windows.

In a chorus of Love You and Good Luck and a flurry of frantic waving, the bus accelerated down the driveway, leaving Sunshine and Aether alone on the front step in the chilly air of the early morning. As it turned a final corner and the last glimmer of headlights vanished from view, Sunshine allowed the tears to fall. Turning into Aether’s arms, she saw he was equally affected.

The pair sobbed in each others arms in the doorway to the Abbey, until the cold forced them back inside. Sunshine couldn’t differentiate the shivers from the sobs at this point. They ended up curled around each other in front of the fire in the common room under one of Cumulus’ crocheted blankets, eventually falling back to sleep and waking up when the embers burned low around midday. They had been granted the day off from all duties ahead of their new roles tomorrow, Sunshine suspected this was Copia’s doing.

They spent the day in a daze, orbiting each other like lost planets. When they eventually decided to settle for the night it was separately; each wanting the solace to absorb the scents of their mates’ nests before it faded completely.

Sunshine slept fitfully, her face buried in a pillow that smelled of Cumulus’ shampoo, the taste of Aurora’s chapstick on her lips and the feel of Cirrus’ silky pyjamas against her body. The hair clip they had gifted her sat on the bedside table, her uniform hung on the wardrobe door. Tomorrow she would start her new job and the pack would have their first Ritual. This was the start of something new, for all of them.

#this was meant to be barely 1k words but it got a bit out of hand...#also why does everything I write turn into angst?#might edit tomorrow; I wanted to post this tonight #sort of got both prompts in there though!#ghoulette appreciation weeks 2024 #ghoulette appreciation weeks #ghoulette appreciation #ghoulettes #sunshine ghoulette #cumulus ghoulette #cirrus ghoulette #aurora ghoulette #ghost #the band ghost #ghost bc #nameless ghouls #nameless ghoulettes #ghost fanfiction

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steampunkserpent27 · 2 years ago

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Red Footprints

for @hdcandyheartsfest 's prompt: Strawberries rated: G CW: Ferret Draco “Hey! Get away from those!” He waved his hands, attempting to shoo the ferret away from his open jars of strawberry jelly. They had just finished heating, and he was in the middle of labeling and screwing their lids on. Only his yelling had caused the ferret to leap into the air, knocking over one of the jars and sending bright, red jelly all over the counter top. The ferret, Draco, landed right in the middle of the mess, staining his paws and underbelly with strawberry mush. “Don’t run!” He reached out, attempting to grab hold of the white ferret before he could scamper away. “I mean it!” The ferret ran. Draco skittered towards the edge of the counter, leaping to the stool and then flopping to the floor, which he proceeded to bolt across, leaving a long trail of red footprints in his wake. Harry watched in dismay, as his hardwood floors and carpet were stained with perfect impressions of ferret feet. “Quit that! You menace.” For a moment, he attempted to catch Draco with his hands, although that proved impossible, as he proceeded to hide beneath the couch. “Accio Draco.” The ferret appeared, flying towards his outstretched hands. He caught him and held him up, so he could see the destruction he had caused. “Do you see this?”

Draco went limp, flopping over his hands. “Oh, now you’re helpless?” He carried him to the sink, turning the tap on and allowing it to warm up. He checked the temperature multiple times, before he put a stopper in the drain and added some soap. Draco was still pretending to be dead, although he could see his little nose twitching, as he watched what he was doing. “You’re getting a bath.” The ferret let out an indignant huff, his tail bristling. “You’re covered in strawberries, Draco. Look at you.” He set Draco into the water, starting to scrub the jelly from his feet, using the soap suds that had formed and the corner of a small sponge. “You’re lucky you’re cute.” Draco walked in a circle, taking large, exaggerated steps. “Yes, you’re very cute. Now hold still.” He picked him back up, holding him, so he could scrub the red coloration out of his belly fur. Deciding he needed more soap, he squeezed a glob onto his hand and started to work it into his fur, watching as the pink staining started to lift away with the suds. He turned the tap back on and checked the temperature once more, before he rinsed him off beneath the stream of water. Once he was clean and his fur was bright white, he wrapped him in a towel and began to dry him off, making his fur all spiky in the process. Draco kept making angry grunting sounds, as he squeezed the water out of his fur. When the ferret was only slightly damp, he set him back on the floor. “If you do it again I’m putting you in ferret jail.” Draco hopped side to side and threw his head back, his legs going rigid, as he showed him his teeth, his tail curled back and bristling. “Very frightening. Truly.” He stepped around him, heading into the living room to clean up the mess he had caused, while he heard the soft patter of footsteps behind him.

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fanfic-lover-girl · 5 months ago

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A lot of flexing, not much protecting

Philosopher's Stone

“You’re a lot braver now that you’re back on the ground and you’ve got your little friends with you,” said Harry coolly. There was of course nothing at all little about Crabbe and Goyle, but as the High Table was full of teachers, neither of them could do more than crack their knuckles and scowl.

Chamber of Secrets

“Eat slugs, Malfoy,” said Ron angrily. Crabbe stopped laughing and started rubbing his knuckles in a menacing way.

Prisoner of Azkaban

Very shaken, the Care of Magical Creatures class followed at a walk. The Slytherins were all shouting about Hagrid. “They should fire him straight away!” said Pansy Parkinson, who was in tears. “It was Malfoy’s fault!” snapped Dean Thomas. Crabbe and Goyle flexed their muscles threateningly.

Malfoy’s head jerked forward as the mud hit him; his silver- blond hair was suddenly dripping in muck. “What the — ?” Ron had to hold onto the fence to keep himself standing, he was laughing so hard. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle spun stupidly on the spot, staring wildly around, Malfoy trying to wipe his hair clean. “What was that? Who did that?” “Very haunted up here, isn’t it?” said Ron, with the air of one commenting on the weather. Crabbe and Goyle were looking scared. Their bulging muscles were no use against ghosts. Malfoy was staring madly around at the deserted landscape. Harry sneaked along the path, where a particularly sloppy puddle yielded some foul-smelling, green sludge. SPLATTER. Crabbe and Goyle caught some this time. Goyle hopped furi- ously on the spot, trying to rub it out of his small, dull eyes. “It came from over there!” said Malfoy, wiping his face, and star- ing at a spot some six feet to the left of Harry. Crabbe blundered forward, his long arms outstretched like a zombie. Harry dodged around him, picked up a stick, and lobbed it at Crabbe’s back. Harry doubled up with silent laughter as Crabbe did a kind of pirouette in midair, trying to see who had thrown it. As Ron was the only person Crabbe could see, it was Ron he started toward, but Harry stuck out his leg. Crabbe stum- bled — and his huge, flat foot caught the hem of Harry’s cloak. Harry felt a great tug, then the cloak slid off his face. For a split second, Malfoy stared at him. “AAARGH!” he yelled, pointing at Harry’s head. Then he turned tail and ran, at breakneck speed, back down the hill, Crabbe and Goyle behind him.

Goblet of Fire

“LEAVE IT!” Moody shouted. “Leave — what?” Harry said, bewildered. “Not you — him!” Moody growled, jerking his thumb over his shoulder at Crabbe, who had just frozen, about to pick up the white ferret. It seemed that Moody’s rolling eye was magical and could see out of the back of his head. Moody started to limp toward Crabbe, Goyle, and the ferret, which gave a terrified squeak and took off, streaking toward the dungeons.

This scene always makes my blood boil...

Order of the Phoenix

Malfoy was curled up on the ground, whimpering and moaning, his nose bloody; George was sporting a swollen lip; Fred was still being forcibly restrained by the three Chasers, and Crabbe was cackling in the background.

“Help me!” Harry flung at Ron, managing to get an arm around Neville’s neck and dragging him backward, away from the Slytherins. Crabbe and Goyle were now flexing their arms, closing in front of Malfoy, ready for the fight. Ron hurried forward and seized Neville’s arms; together, he and Harry succeeded in dragging Neville back into the Gryffindor line.

I wonder if Goyle and Crabbe were as tough as they looked? They only seem to flex to threaten after the attack has happened. Part of me wants to see a scene where they actually beat up someone to protect Draco. Like why does Draco keep these losers around if they can't protect him properly?

They seem like lousy guards to me. Draco needs to hire new help. But I guess Draco is too high-maintenance for anyone's peace of mind lol.

#gregory goyle #vincent crabbe #draco malfoy #harry potter books #harry potter series

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ritz-writes · 2 years ago

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So... when I said that everything was the same in spotlight au... that includes Macaque making a deal with LBD. cuz who am I if I don't have some kind of angst hehe. Though, there are a few differences. The main one being that, when Spider Queen tries to take over the city, LBD keeps herself hidden from Wukong. This also means that he doesn't leave during season 2. At least, not at first.

This is another drabble that got way to long hhhh

Words: 1128

(Everything said in this post happens about a week after the attempted city takeover.)

By this point, Macaque's friends know Wukong is the ex and still don't rlly like him, but they can see he's trying, so they r giving him a chance. But, like I said, they have their ups and downs. At one point, they have a fight. I haven't worked out what the fight is about, but they both say things they regret later and Macaque storms off to the theater, his one place of solace (he and a few other long term actors have the codes to get in and are allowed to whenever they want). A few of his cast mates were there going over lines and immediately rush to comfort him, letting him vent out his frustrations.

Here's where the angst comes in >:))

It was well into the middle of the night when the lights flicker out, a man stepping out of the shadows, purring about how "easy it was to find the lady's little play thing."

Macaque immediately backs away in terror, knowing full well what the man was there for. Or rather, who.

(Theres like 6 people there including macaque, but i dont have any names, so I'm just gonna use letters to address them lmao)

"Uhm, excuse me sir?" A said nervously. "You can't be in here, you need to leave."

The man chuckled, ignoring them completely, his eyes zeroed in on Macaque alone. "You know, if you were trying to hide, you did quite a poor job of it."

B and C move forward, the others converging to stand in front of Macaque. "Hey, back off, man." C snapped. "You need to leave. Now."

The man raised an eyebrow, then smirked. He rushed forward and in the blink of an eye, had B and C by the throat in either hand, raising them off the floor.

Macaque pushed passed the other 3, eyes wide. "Stop!! Stop, let them go, please! I-I'll go with you, okay?"

D grabbed Macaque's arm. "Mac, are you crazy?"

Macaque ripped out of the hold, moving closer. "Let them go and I'll follow you without a fight. I'll do whatever she says, just... don't hurt them, please. " His voice was shaky, as were his hands. He thought he'd gotten away from Her years ago, thought he was free despite the feeling of chains in his dreams.

He now realized just how foolish a thought that was.

The man's grin widened. He threw B and C forward, the duo crashing to the others with a yelp. Macaque moved to help, but was stopped by and hand gripping the back of his neck, sending shivers by his spine.

"And the lamp?" The man hissed in his ear, smile ever present.

Macaque was near hyperventilating. He didn't want to do this. Gods, he did not want to see her again, but he had no choice. He had to keep his friends safe.

Shit, why did he have to go and get attached again?

E stood up, seeming just as scared as Macaque. "L-Let him go!"

The grip on his neck tightened. "The lamp, Macaque."

Macaque shut his eyes, tail curling around his leg. "I-It's at my house."

"Good. Take us there. We don't want to keep the lady waiting, now do we?"

Macaque bit his lip and summoned a portal under them. He opened his eyes long enough to see the terrified expression of his friends, B and D rushing forward, arms outstretched toward him.

He couldn't let them get hurt. He could probably--maybe--fight the man off, but he couldn't risk LBD using his friends against him.

Macaque reached into his pocket and, right before he dropped into the portal, threw his phone towards the group, praying to any god listening that they'd know who to call.

And that he'd be willing to help.

---

Wukong was surprised to see Macaque calling him. Normally they went days without talking after a fight. He honestly didn't want to answer at first, but he knew that'd probably just make things worse.

So, with a heavy sigh, he swiped answer. Before he could even speak, though, the sound of loud sobbing filled his ears, the noise coming from the background. He sat up from his couch, fur bristled. "Macaque? What's going on, who's crying?"

Someone took a deep breath, then spoke. Someone who definitely wasn't Macaque. "Sun Wukong?"

Wukong growled. "Who the hell is this. Where's Macaque."

"This is B. I'm a friend of his. He... shit this dude just came in and took him!"

Wukong jumped off the couch and ran out the door, summoning his cloud and taking off toward the city. "Took him? What do you mean? Who was it?"

"It was this weird dude in a suit, he came out of nowhere. I think Mac knew him or something. The dude said something about a-a lamp? I don't know, but he threw his phone before they left. I'm assuming he wanted us to call you."

Wukong swore under his breath, urging his nimbus to go faster. "Do you know where they went? Did the man say anything else?"

"Mac said the lamp was at his house, so he took them there. Uhm, the guy said something about a lady?"

Wukong felt cold. "A lady?" He repeated quietly.

"Y-Yeah. I think Macaque knew who he was talking about? He said 'she' at one point. I-I'm sorry, it's kind of a blur, everything happ—"

"Are you sure?" Wukong repeated, voice strained. He had to be wrong, please, he had to be wrong. "He said 'she'? Do you remember what Macaque said exactly?"

B took a shaky breath. "He said 'I'll do whatever she says.' He was trying to get him to not hurt us."

No.

Gods, he was such an idiot. How did he not see it before. People don't just come back from the dead on their own. Someone brought Macaque back, someone with a purpose. Someone who was supposed to be dead themselves.

A low growl made its way past his throat.

B spoke again. "You know what's going on, don't you?" It wasn't a question.

"Yeah," he answered. "What's his address?"

B hesitated, but only for a second. "It's ______"

"Alright. Thanks for calling me. I'll handle this."

"I'll keep his phone on me. Keep me updated."

"Sure."

"I mean it," B snapped. "You better keep me updated. I want to make sure Macaque is okay. I don't trust you, but he obviously still does. Don't let him down again. Please."

By the time Wukong made it to Macaque's house, there was no one there, the magical presence of the lamp faded.

The next day, Monkey King went on 'vacation.' He didn't tell B about it.

#lmk #lego monkie kid #lmk au #lmk spotlight au #spotlight au #lmk macaque #lmk wukong #lmk mayor #lmk lbd #lmk sun wukong #lmk six eared macaque #shadowpeach #fanfiction #technically lmao #this became WAY too long that my b #btw these 5 cast memebers will prob have names at some point #i have ideas for B and E already

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hookaroo · 1 year ago

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Laden of the Torn (12 of 25)

AO3 link Catch up on tumblr: One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Eleven Tagging @priscilla9993 @cocohook38 <3

***

Killian soon discovered that the wait for supplies was not the only motivation for keeping the hooks embedded. The net was still attached in several places when the high-ranking black monkey made a reappearance with a single command:

“Secure them for Favor.”

Immediately, scorching anguish tore across Killian's shoulders as he was pulled to his knees by the remaining attached piercings. Stifling a yelp, he scrambled to accommodate their apparent wishes.

"No need to get rough." His head spun and his arms trembled beneath his weight. "If you want me to do something, all you need do is ask."

Killian worked to catch his breath as he settled carefully down onto his haunches. The attempt to avoid putting weight on the hooks in the backs of his legs and backside ultimately proved futile. He tried to focus instead on what more he could see of their surroundings now that he wasn't pinned to the floor.

Strings of fish and drying plant matter hung from the wall to his left, no more than two meters away. These were attached to loops of metal drilled directly into the stone wall, and even as he watched, it quickly became apparent that these would serve another purpose as well. A short distance away, the hands and feet of the unconscious Blackbeard had been thoroughly bound with sinewy cord, and now, that cord was being secured by an impressively athletic primate climbing the very rings projecting from the stone. Not an impossible trap to get out of, especially for a pirate, but it would certainly slow him down. And good luck trying to go unnoticed with this many eyes around.

Killian's own bound feet were already tethered to the same wall, and before the first climber had even finished securing Blackbeard, a second leapt onto Killian's shoulder and hauled a corner of the net-cape up to its level, as if fishing over the side of a human-shaped boat. The monkey on the wall curled its tail around a projection and leaned toward its comrade, who fed lengths of tangled netting into its outstretched paws. Killian braced himself for more pain, and it wasn't long in coming: the strands on that side pulled mercilessly at his inflamed skin as the ropes were tied among the cave dwellers' food stores… perhaps not as out-of-place as he would have preferred.

Cursing softly, Killian scooted awkwardly backwards to allow himself more slack. "Is this how you treat all your visitors?"

He was trying to sound nonchalant but only managed pleading. Busy overseeing the proceedings, Mandible flashed his teeth in apology.

"This is for the protection of our healers and our chieftain. He wishes to speak with you."

"Well there's no need for all of this." Killian sucked in a hissing breath as the other corner of the net joined the first, leaving his upper back awash in pulsating pain. "I give my word that I don't intend to harm any of you."

"We dare not take that risk," the black monkey growled back from a good distance away. "And you are in no position to demand otherwise."

Killian bit his tongue. If he didn't move, the pain was tolerable, but every time he shifted his weight the tiniest fraction, it was like claws were tearing him open, fiber by individual fiber, until it seemed the skin covering his back must soon turn inside out in one long strip of flayed flesh. And to add to the misery, his legs were already beginning to cramp up; what would happen when he needed to move off of them?

Off to the side, Mandible stirred vigorously at a substance within a shallow dish, and Killian caught a whiff of something strongly herbal that hinted at the healing arts. A tiny helper lugged a ceramic vessel, tucked under one arm, almost as big around as the little fellow's whole torso. He or she placed the burden within reach of Mandible and scampered away, leaving the lid secured.

Killian's arm was mostly free of netting, so he had been resting his hand on his thigh, using it for balance despite how it burned from fingertips up past the elbow. But then a being that seemed to be little more than white fluff appeared out of nowhere, grabbed onto the fishhook in his finger, and pulled. Killian shifted his weight and allowed his hand to be manipulated into the desired position, hanging loosely at his side and low enough for a rope noose to be secured around his wrist. These monkeys were not taking any chances.

Killian did not resist the brutal treatment, hoping that with good behavior he might earn their trust, especially that of their leader. Whatever deal they intended to offer probably depended on his admittedly rusty diplomacy skills. And as long as they still saw him as a threat, he remained in danger.

At first, it seemed the plan was to attach this newest rope to one of the hooks behind his head, joining the knots already there. But at an unintelligible command by Mandible, the miniature cotton puff at his side instead vaulted his knees in a single bound before scaling the dangling net like a rope ladder. It tied a knot near his shoulder, so that his arm rested loosely across his torso, with enough slack to allow some movement, but not enough to pose any threat to the primates gathered around.

Mandible took one look at the mess along Killian's forearm and immediately grabbed a monkey-sized bucket and ladle, along with a pawful of fibrous, cotton-like material. He settled himself atop Killian's thigh, not seeming to mind the slope as his miniature clawed toes found purchase in the fabric there. One of his assistants sprang closer with a short, flaming torch in paw. Using his long tail for balance, Mandible filled the ladle and stretched himself into a bipedal stance.

"Just water," he explained as the first trickle washed grit and caked blood from Killian's lacerated arm. While the ginger-furred assistant provided torchlight from a cautious distance, Mandible used his roll of cotton to dab away the grime.

It was more than a little bit surreal, watching Mandible tend to the wound in jerky, non-human movements. Killian could almost believe it to be a dream, except the pain was all too real. And the diminutive primate could exert a surprising amount of force behind the agonizing scrubbing.

Reflex jerked Killian's arm toward his chest as rough cotton discovered Blackbeard's buried needle with a deep lance of heat that seemed to radiate down to the marrow. Killian cursed, then apologized, but none of the monkeys in the vicinity seemed offended, if they even understood.

For a few seconds, Mandible leaned closer to peer at the throbbing lump, gesturing at the torchbearer in a request for more light. Then he set aside bucket and ladle to free his paws. The healer monkey seemed to have no qualms about causing his patient additional pain and went straight for the anomaly he'd spotted, obviously intending to dig it out through the torn flesh nearby. As thorn-like claws probed the area, Killian gritted his teeth, grunting,

"No plans to use your fangs, Mandible?"

"Good guess." Dainty fingers burrowed deeper. "But the name did not originate from the use of my own jaws for healing."

Another lightning bolt sizzled through Killian's arm as questing fingers found their mark.

"And besides," continued Mandible, "Torn blood is much more palatable when properly cooked."

Killian fixed his murderous stare on the unconscious Blackbeard: mental curses really ought to be aimed at the true cause of his suffering, not the torturer only trying to help.

Amazing, how easily the full repertoire of creative vulgarities came back to him despite so many years of trying to censor himself around his little girl. And honestly, Blackbeard deserved each and every one.

The flare grew white hot for an instant, the swollen flesh not easily surrendering the deeply buried needle. But Mandible's grip won out and, at last, the offending metal slid free.

Killian waited a few heartbeats for the pain to fade, then grimaced a smile. "Thank you. Much better."

Mandible was busy examining the red-tinged needle, likely checking to make sure it had remained intact, though for a moment Killian wondered whether he might decide to finish what Blackbeard had started with it. But then the healer set the needle to the side and resumed his enthusiastic scrubbing, ignoring the loose thread trailing from the wound.

"You must get plenty of practice at this," Killian commented tightly. "Considering the geography of the place you've chosen to call home."

"Probably less than you imagine. Our pelts are much tougher than yours, especially on our paws, and we are taught from birth the best way to traverse the Stone Forest."

Mandible set aside his cotton and reached for a small bowl containing crushed plant matter. "Plus, with our four-legged gait and our tails for balance, we are naturally more graceful than you Torn."

Wincing, Killian relived each tumble he had taken among the razor stone. "Can't argue with that."

"But accidents do happen from time to time, and you are fortunate that they do, because we may not have been so well-prepared otherwise." He took a pawful of the herbal paste and began to apply it to the gathering blood. Killian drew some controlled breaths in anticipation of the burn, but it was not nearly as harsh as he'd been expecting. Not exactly soothing, but nothing like the scald of a rum rinse.

Mandible included the already-sutured half of the wound in his painting, then used the residue to cover the clotted hole in the back of Killian's hand where a fishhook had been torn free. That done, the healer monkey left his perch to retrieve the as-yet untouched ceramic vessel. He handed it off to the torchbearer, who could barely even lift it, considering it was at least twice as big as her entire arm. Mandible clambered back on to Killian's thigh and twisted toward his assistant. His hind claws dug into Killian's trousers as he leaned sideways and cautiously lifted the lid a few inches. Killian caught a brief impression of writhing, skittering shadows, but then Mandible's paw flashed in and out in a movement reminiscent of a serpent strike. The healer replaced the lid just as quickly. He now held in an expert grip a dark mass of frantically struggling, jointed twigs. Obviously not actual twigs, but they certainly shared a disconcerting resemblance. What concerned Killian more were the massive jaws chomping again and again at empty air.

"Bloody hell; is that an ant or an immature lobster?"

"We call them Warrior Ants." Mandible squared himself with his patient, placing his free paw on Killian's arm for stability. "I did not invent this technique but have perfected its use among the First."

It did not take much imagination to guess what he was about to do. Eyeing the giant insect warily, Killian grimaced,

"Hence, Mandible?"

"This time, you are correct."

Without further ado, Mandible thrust the snapping jaws at Killian's wound, directly beside the point where Blackbeard's suturing left off.

The bite felt comparable to the sting of a Neverland Cockerel Wasp, though its burn started to fade faster. While Killian was still fighting the impulse to tear his arm away from the assault, Mandible performed a practiced twist of the wrist that parted the ant's head from its body, leaving a black sphere with two tightly clenched jaws embedded in either side of the laceration. The insect's legs were still twitching feebly as Mandible popped the decapitated body into his mouth.

"And nothing is wasted; an honorable death, wouldn't you agree?"

Killian watched as the monkey opened the container of ants and prepared to select another. "And this treatment is effective, is it?"

“The jaws stay locked in place for two to three days, after which they may need to be replaced, depending on the severity of the wounds.”

Alice would be fascinated by this. Not just the giant ants, but everything: the super-intelligent monkeys, the sharp Stone Labyrinth; hell, even Blackbeard over there, snoring away as though he hadn't a care in the world. Killian could hardly believe any of it himself, even with all he'd seen in his travels. So often had he wished for the ability to allow her to see such things for herself, to counteract the cruelty of imprisoning such an inquisitive mind.

Although, as a second pair of ant jaws gnawed his flesh just beside the other, and he had to bite his tongue to keep from cursing aloud, Killian concluded that it was probably for the best that she was not here at the moment. There were plenty of other amazing places in the world he could show her that would not result in hours of meticulous and agonizing wound care, innovative though it may be. There had to be adventures far less painful that they could share together… someday…

***

Favor of the First Clan was a deep reddish-gold color, sleek fur framing his face like a lion’s mane and garbing the rest of him in an appropriately royal robe all the way to the tip of his feathery tail. He did not strike Killian as either remarkably large or small compared to the rest; almost exactly middle-of-the-road, in fact. An hourglass of silvery bare skin contained his facial features, which currently rested in a quietly neutral expression. Flanked by a retinue of followers, Favor came to a stop just behind Mandible’s assistant, so that he would be out of range of any sudden attempts at attack, as well as squarely in the strongest torchlight in the vicinity. He paused to study Blackbeard briefly, then cast a roaming gaze over Killian, whose kneeling pose was only incidentally deferential.

The chieftain addressed his healer first. “Do you have everything you need, Mandible?”

His voice was as silky as his shining pelt, but its tone held a natural authority commanding instant attention. Mandible positioned a struggling ant in line with the growing number of severed heads clamped firmly into the skin all along Killian’s wound.

“Yes, Favor. The Torn intruders are in little danger of perishing from their injuries.”

“Good.” Chocolate eyes glinted in the firelight, peering into Killian’s wary gaze. “I am Favor, chief among the First Clan. Have you been advised of your situation, Laden of the Torn?”

“My situation hardly requires explanation,” Killian answered ruefully. “What I haven’t been told is what exactly you need from me so badly that you’re willing to spare my life to obtain it.”

Tawny twins crouching behind Favor shared a look of wordless disapproval at his tone, but Favor only appeared tired.

“The fact is, Laden…” He stopped, made a furtive survey of the cave over his shoulder, then continued in a low voice. “Our rival clan dealt us a terrible blow recently, and you may be our only hope of restoring what they took.”

“Rival clan?” This was the first time Killian had considered the possibility that there may be more than one faction of these creatures. Favor bared his teeth, and even Mandible took on something of a sour expression as he dipped his fingers back into the ceramic pot. Killian glanced down at his arm, wondering how many more ants would lose their heads to finish closing the wound.

“The Less,” hissed Favor. “Savage little brutes. Always scheming, coming up with ways to expand their territory or otherwise raise their status over ours. We try not to antagonize them, but you must understand, our lands have belonged to the First for many generations, and we will always defend them.”

Killian shifted his weight, trying to relieve the worsening tingling in his feet. Pierced flesh that had gone relatively quiet suddenly flared as his movements tugged at penetrating steel.

“I won’t be much help securing your borders,” he growled. “You can see for yourselves how poorly I’ve managed to navigate this terrain.”

Furious insect jaws chomped into lacerated skin, emphasizing Killian’s point, and he gritted his teeth through the sting.

“Our borders are secure," Favor assured him. "Though they do try, the Less have inferior warriors and unreliable weaponry, and must admit defeat every time. However, six days ago, they… you see, the best of our fighters were occupied in a skirmish, to the north, in the Triple Cascades region, and…” The chieftain seemed to grow smaller, his ears drooping and his tail wrapping protectively around his haunches. “I failed to post enough guards here at the Burrow, and Less cowards crept in and some of our sentries were slain and… a child was taken.”

The sudden wave of heat coursing up Killian’s spine was not pain, but inspired understanding. That look in Favor’s eyes… How could he have missed it before? It was everything Killian was forced to see when faced with his own reflection. And despite the rough treatment he’d received here, his heart went out to the small creature before him.

“Not just a child. Your child. Yes?”

Favor blinked once in slow defeat. “The future matriarch of the First. My only heir, now fated to become…”

Golden fur stood on end, then rippled into a shudder. Favor’s distress was nearly palpable, and Killian barely even noticed when Mandible quietly transitioned from ant-wrangler to bandage-wrapper.

None of the monkeys dared glance in their leader’s direction as he took a moment to regain his composure. They fidgeted with their claws, scratched or groomed themselves anxiously, and even Mandible’s assistant kept her gaze anchored on the torchlight she was providing. Finally, Favor bared his teeth.

“Puzzle is not yet capable of producing an heir for that villain Lack. When she does, our clan will be absorbed into theirs, our people enslaved and our lands forfeit. And she will be given no choice in the matter.”

Bile rose in Killian’s throat, having little to do with his physical condition, and for an instant, he half expected Blackbeard’s ugly face to dissolve into Gothel’s even more repulsive one. To be similarly taken advantage of, and at a young age at that…

“I’m truly sorry,” he managed to say, suppressing a shudder of revulsion. “I take it your attempts at rescue have failed?”

Favor lowered his head, half in shame, half in sullen petulance. “We are forbidden to interfere. She is theirs by law, and we cannot venture to claim her back, at least not directly, or we risk the wrath of the gods.”

Killian almost scoffed. Not at the mention of their deities or the outdated regulations permitting a young one to be stolen from her family and forced to mate with their enemy, but at the concept of a father not doing everything in his power to get her back, consequences be damned. But… the curse on his heart… didn’t that feel like a smiting every time he entered Alice’s presence? And wasn’t he allowing it to keep them apart for fear of that pain?

He could not, in fairness, fault Favor for his reluctance.

“But sending in a neutral third party,” Killian reasoned, “that would be considered an ‘indirect’ attempt?”

“The law does not forbid it.”

This was apparently the best answer Favor could provide, but Killian was no stranger to exploiting the rules in any given situation.

“And what are the chances that this rival clan doesn’t slaughter me on sight?”

“That is a risk,” Favor admitted. “But I believe their chieftain will have a particular interest in meeting you.”

“For argument’s sake, let’s say you’re right. How do I persuade the Less Clan to release your daughter? It sounds as though I’ll need something quite valuable to offer in exchange.”

Favor lost some of his confidence then, pensively watching his healers as they began to pluck the vicious barbs from their prisoner’s skin. “Sadly, their victory makes anything we might offer them redundant.”

Killian squeezed his eyes shut as a particularly stubborn fishhook took a painful piece of flesh while tearing free. “Bloody hell. Well then I can’t imagine I’ll be very convincing. Unless this chieftain is far more merciful than you’ve made him out to be.”

Instead of responding immediately, Favor took a moment to size Killian up once again, dark eyes taking in all of the metal barbs yet to be removed, the bandage covering his wounded arm, his general exhausted pallor from days of sickness and a rough road. He must have seen through all of that, down to the sacred parental role they had in common, for no hesitation or doubt showed as he said,

“There is another way. If we appoint you as the First Clan champion, any challenge you raise, they must answer. Defeat their champion, and by sacred law, you may claim even their most prized possession as your spoils.”

Killian nearly laughed out loud. Perhaps he’d been naïve to have sworn off all dueling after his latest disaster… but he hadn’t expected to be required to break that vow so soon after making it. “Fight your battle for you, you mean.”

“It is the only way,” Favor confirmed gravely, oblivious or maybe just unconcerned about the ludicrous burden he was placing on Killian’s shoulders. On his best day, the pirate wouldn’t have thought twice about his chances against any of these excitable creatures, even the larger, more menacing ones. But he wasn’t exactly in his prime anymore, and weakened by the journey and hampered by injury…

“You’re asking a hell of a lot from an ignorant stranger you caught wandering your territory. What makes you think I’m anywhere near the right person for the job?”

“Our scouts have been watching you, Laden. We know you did not come here by choice and are not driven by such selfish motives as your Torn captor. We sense that you can be trusted with this task. You will not betray the First.”

Killian’s concern was more of physical failure than whether or not they trusted him. But what choice did he have, really? If he refused to help, he was almost certainly a dead man.

“If I succeed in bringing your princess back,” he said half-heartedly, “do I have your word that you will then release me?”

“That, and anything else you desire which is within our power to grant.”

“‘Within your power’ is a far cry from the unlimited wish-granting of legend, mate.”

“But better than leaving with nothing but your life.”

Mandible spoke up from his position atop Killian’s leg. “Do not dismiss our offer so easily, Laden. If we are able to cure your heart and restore you to your daughter, then it will be a fair trade indeed.”

Killian stared down at him, taken aback by the casual way he had just thrown those words out there. As if it would be so simple. Was it possible?

“You need not decide tonight,” said Favor, and the weary grief was back in his tone. “We will give you until tomorrow, and perhaps when you are feeling better, you will see the sense in such an arrangement.”

Without further discussion, Favor turned his back and departed the way he had come, taking most of his attendants with him. When he was out of earshot, Mandible looked up into Killian’s eyes and said sorrowfully,

“Favor did not mention this, but he also lost his mate in the same raid. Our current matriarch. Having our princess back would do much to restore joy to the First Clan. And we would then gladly use all of our resources to help find a way to return yours.”

#ouat fanfiction #laden of the torn #wish hook #restrained #nets #fish hooks #pain #ant-mediated wound closure #kidnapped child #who happens to be a monkey haha #bargaining #potential cure for a cursed heart #brief mention of the non-con aspect of his encounter with gothel

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