#gift for Manda - the best and brightest of them all

[kalee60]

i wish you would write a fic where jock!bucky seduces twink!steve, maybe he hits steve with that pec flex guys do that is both dick-ish and insanely hot at the same time?

Oh Manda - you absolute gorgeous gem! I very much like what you're asking me to create here 😘 I also love, love, love that you sent me a prompt!

I immediately think of sun, summer, ice cream, boys at the beach playing frisbee and our gorgeous Smol!Steve and Jock!Bucky as friends mutually pining (Ha - it's me, it was never going to be anything but this story!)

Once again, my quick little drabble (that I wrote today when I woke up {thanks to my sprinting buddies in discord}) turned into a 4k fic... But I mean - I think that's okay (more stucky for us - right?)

I hope you like where I took this, maybe in a slightly different direction than intended - it's also on ao3 here (with all tags necessary) if you prefer to check them out and read there instead, it'll be part of my stucky bingo fills - Beach and rated M for mild sexual content 😉

If you'd like a fic - here's the post - I wish you'd write a fic... (It might take me a little bit to write - but I will get there!)

Steve was in hell, literally. It was hot, he was sweaty and he was being tortured. Honestly, Steve really loved summer, but at the same time he loathed it. And most of that had to do with the fact he had to sit around in his large group of friends and watch Bucky fucking Barnes sans top and wearing only a small pair of running shorts frolic over the sand at the beach.

Life was unfair. 

How could somebody like Bucky actually exist in real time? He was a complete jock for starters, his looks and size perfect for being naturally great at sports, earning him a football scholarship of his choice (of course). And Steve, well Steve Rogers was as far from a jock as anyone could get. Not that he was horrible in the fitness and muscular department, but he was too little and his asthma still played up to join rugged contact sports. Being 5’4 also didn’t particularly endear him to any of the coaches at college who were scouting for star players. Plus studying to be a high school teacher probably wasn’t sporty enough, and he was leaning towards a specialist English role, not Gym.

So Steve joined the campus gym instead of a sporting team, did weights and classes and enjoyed it immensely. It was where he met Natasha, and that fateful meeting brought him to Bucky and his dickish jock ways and friends.

Though if Steve was to be fair (of which he was - usually) not all jocks were dicks, even if Steve had preconceived notions from high school what college boys would be like. He'd been pleasantly surprised to find that the captain of the football team was not only gorgeous, cocky and a bit of a douche, but also very smart, kind and had a smile that could make Steve’s legs turn to jelly with only a small half tilt.

But it was as he sat on a towel under the shade of a large umbrella that Carol had stolen from her parent’s garden shed, that Steve really felt the heat, and it had nothing to do with the blazing sun above him and the burning sand beneath his feet.

It was all Bucky Barnes and his chest, his slim waist, his tanned olive skin, the breadth of his shoulders, the thickness of his sinewed and muscled thighs that tapered down to calves that bunched up as he jumped and landed to grab the frisbee aimed at him.

Steve sighed heavily as his gaze lingered on the brunette. Bucky Barnes was every mans wet dream, every girls perfect prince, and Steve pulled his dark sunnies over his eyes again, ignoring the pounding in his chest, the throbbing in his groin as he watched Bucky behind dark lenses spring up and prance over the sand, laughing with a wide mouth that could do sinful things to Steve’s body. The worst part was that Bucky was doing all of this with no knowledge that Steve harboured the biggest crush of his life.

It really was unfair.

Sitting back to lean on his hands, stretching his legs out, he saw Bucky glance over at him, and gave a smile. Bucky grinned back and then grappled Sam to the sand to yank the frisbee from his grip. Life wasn’t unfair because Bucky didn’t date guys, he did, very much so, and girls too from what Steve had seen, it was just the guys Bucky dated were typically more like… jocks.

Steve hunched over, trying to not stare too long and inadvertently get turned on, finding it an impossibility as his eyes wouldn’t tear away from Bucky’s frame as he bounded effortlessly over the soft sand, something Steve couldn’t do. He’d almost lost a lung from the trek over to their secluded spot earlier that day. Soft sand was the enemy - that was fact.

“Heads up.”

Startled from his thoughts by Bucky’s deep voice urgently calling out his way, Steve looked up only to see the frisbee coming straight for him. With a reaction that even surprised himself, Steve raised his hand and caught the flying disc with nary a blink of an eye.

Bucky was skidding to a halt on his knees before him a second later.

“Shit, Steve. That was epic, you sure you don’t want to play? You can be on my team - my secret frisbee weapon.”

Steve’s mouth went dry as he tried to listen to the words leaving Bucky, because the delectable man was less than two feet away and the smell of sunscreen, sweat and something virile and uniquely Bucky entered his senses. Steve knew that if sitting next to Bucky in the dining hall was torture when Bucky was wearing his spicy cologne, he’d keel over being enveloped in his sweaty beach scent for longer than a minute. 

God he wanted Bucky to fill him, everywhere. Make him forget his name, take him over and over.

He realised that he still hadn’t answered and heat crept into his cheeks, managing to blurt out, “I’m good for now. Nat’s grabbing ice creams and I don’t want to get a stitch.”

Steve then gave Bucky what he hoped was a soft and cheeky winning grin, but the way Bucky faltered, swallowed tightly, face impassive made Steve wonder if he’d missed the mark on trying to be flirty.

He really was as hopeless as Darcy continually told him.

Steve’s eyes trailed down to Bucky’s broad and lightly haired chest, finding himself breathing quicker, wondering if he’d remembered to pack his inhaler. No, he was sure it was in the pocket of his backpack. Thank god, he might need it in the face of Bucky’s glorious muscles moving in his vision all day.

“If you’re sure,” Bucky finally said in a deep steady voice.

“Maybe later,” Steve stammered, holding up the frisbee with a shaky hand. He had to get a grip.

“Alright, later then, I’m holding you to that.” And Bucky took the disc from Steve’s grip and was off bounding towards Sam, Carol, Thor and Maria.

While Steve recalibrated his thoughts, Nat came back holding only one ice cream cone, licking it slowly with a sparkle in her eye as Clint trailed behind, wearing Nat’s beach bag and carrying the rest of the ice creams, and Steve worried she’d overestimated his balancing skills. But if Nat asked, Clint would do - it was kind of amazing the power she had over him without even trying. Although they weren’t dating (yet), Nat was never cruel, she was playing the long game and really liked Clint, but had been hurt before by some Russian asshole, and Steve knew that Clint, when Nat finally agreed to go out with him would never be the same man again. He’d be lost in deep shock and joy. They were perfect for each other.

A pang went through his gut as Steve watched them, taking a cone from Clint, wishing he had someone that wanted him as much as they wanted each other.

“Vanilla,” Nat commented with a scrunch of her nose at Steve’s choice as he took a lick of the creamy goodness, the chill on his tongue welcome under the heat of the day. “You’re so very basic, Rogers.”

“Hey there is nothing wrong with that. I happen to love vanilla.” A rich voice said from right in front of Steve as Bucky flopped down on the sand, kicking up little grains that stuck on Bucky’s thighs where he was sweating. Steve shut his eyes against the picture before him, once again pleading to any God or Goddess that would listen that it wasn’t fair, that they had to find him someone one day. He just hoped it would be soon, else his dick drop off from Bucky unwittingly giving him blue balls.

“You’re one to talk, you didn’t even want ice cream, just a soda. And a club soda at that.”

Bucky looked over to Nat, flashing her a wide grin, and Steve immediately started to lick his ice cream just to do anything but stare at the crinkling in the corners of Bucky’s eyes, or to watch his lips as they wrapped around the bottle tip. He only half listened to their banter as they kept teasing each other, Nat and Bucky having been best friends from childhood, the reason how Steve inadvertently fell into the group of jocks, for a lack of a better term to encompass all the fit people he was now surrounded with.

Nat had introduced him to everyone after they’d hit it off at the gym in first semester, and Steve had waited for the inevitable teasing to commence about his small stature, but it never came. He was always included, never mocked (unless it was called for, because he was a facts man and couldn’t help correcting people when they were clearly in the wrong) and it was such a novel experience, so how could he not fall immediately in lust with the football captain? One who had smokey blue-grey eyes, sinfully full lips made for kissing among other fun activities and a personality that you could fall into and live inside forever.

“Err, Steve… your ice cream, it’s ummm, dripping.”

“What?” Steve asked, realising that he’d been swirling his tongue over the top of the soft confectionary and that his fingers were now completely sticky as the ice cream dripped over them on to his thigh. “Oh shit.”

Steve immediately switched hands and started to lap at his fingers, tongue darting between them to catch all the creaminess, sucking them into his mouth one by one, only looking up when he heard a muted groan. Bucky was moving before him, squirming in the sand, and as his eyes landed on Bucky, he startled, surprised to find Bucky’s hooded gaze directly on Steve. But his eyes hadn’t landed just anywhere, they were trained to Steve’s mouth, and as Steve swiped his finger through the sweetness that had dribbled on his thigh, Bucky’s gaze followed that finger's movements. Steve without thought, heart thumping hard, confusion and awe flowing through his veins, stuck the digit in his mouth, licking off the stickiness. 

Thankfully, Steve had his sunglasses on, hiding his expression, but he knew his face was burning red at the brash and overt display. Bucky was watching him intently, the rise and fall of his gloriously thick chest heaved, and Bucky’s skin flushed from the exercise or maybe the sun. Steve wasn’t sure.

But it was as Steve licked around the base of the cone again, the ice cream melting quicker in the heat than he could swallow, Bucky’s pecs twitched.

Steve stopped all movement, caught at the tick of flesh, the way it bounced taut, watching with abject lust and desire as Bucky did it again - knowing exactly where Steve’s eyes were trained.

It was such a fucking dick move, a power move to get attention and Steve hated jocks who flexed like that, but on Bucky… on Bucky it was god damn mesmerizing. And it was after the third time Bucky’s pecs jumped, Bucky stood up abruptly and fled saying in a higher pitch than usual that he was jumping in the water, that Steve realised he might not have been doing it on purpose.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Bucky was dead, he was going to die from being hard for... how long had he known Steve Rogers, six months maybe? Well, that was how long he’d survived with a non-stop boner for the blonde man. And he was at the end of his tether.

Steve was everything Bucky ever wanted in a partner, smart, strong, intense, funny, handsome  and a person that he could fall into, spend time with - love.

So it didn't help his little issue to be at the beach that day, watching Steve sit under the huge umbrella on brightly coloured towels in his swim trunks and a loose tank with arm holes so big he could see all the way through to his muscular chest and pink nipples. It was driving him fucking insane. 

Sure he’d seen Steve wearing an array of items at the gym, but he’d never witnessed him so carefree as he was at the beach. He was smiling more, relaxed, joking while big sunglasses hid those gorgeous eyes that would give the ocean a run for its money as to what was bluer.

But what killed Bucky that particular day over every other day he lusted after Steve, what made him clench and twitch all over was watching Steve lick up his ice cream. It was downright obscene, Steve shouldn’t be allowed to do that in public, or at least he should have a warning sticker on his person.

Steve had a mouth made for sucking cock, and Bucky wanted, no, he needed to know what having those lips wrapped around him felt like. Christ, he wanted to know what it felt like to be buried in Steve, maybe even have Steve press into him. Fuck.

There was only one thing for it.

He had to seduce Steve, and he had to do it soon.

But that begged the question - how?

How did Bucky capture the attention of the smartest, funniest, quick witted and grumpiest man on campus? Not only that, but to have Steve take him seriously? Bucky was aware that people thought he was only a dumb jock, that all he had to offer the world was to play ball and shit talk other teams and work out in the gym. Which, yeah of course he did all of those things - but he really was so much more. He was studying economics, was thinking about trying to specialise and work as an international trade specialist after college, and although Bucky really loved playing ball - it wasn’t his whole life. He’d never go pro - well, not without a hell of a lot of luck and persistence, and he wasn't sure he really wanted to take something he enjoyed and make it a living in that way. He’d seen how broken some sports stars bodies were after a career, and he still wanted to be able to walk at forty without having had three knee reconstructions.

But Steve, Steve saw through all of that, he spoke to Bucky like an intellect, like he had something worthy to say, to add to the conversation. Even at the gym after Nat had introduced them (Bucky begging to know who the gorgeous guy she was chatting to on the rowing machines was) Steve and he worked out together, had fun catcalling each other for being weak and helped each other with their forms - something Bucky largely did just to get hands on Steve even though Steve’s form was perfect.

Bucky had been taken with the slight man from the first moment he’d seen him, always under the impression that Steve was too smart to even think about dating a meathead like him, even if he truly wasn't what his physique made him. So he stuck with friendship, but now he wanted more. Was going to ask for more.

“Whatcha thinking?” Nat asked as she swam out to float in the water next to him.

“Nothing much,” He replied, ignoring her knowing hum. He hated that they’d been friends forever and she knew all his tells.

The much needed cold water had soothed his itching skin, and from his vantage point he could look back at their rag tag group of friends, able to stare unabashadly at Steve as he laughed with Clint and Thor about something, staring up at Thor as he... as he fucking flexed in front of Steve.

“Easy boy,” Natasha grabbed his bicep that was taut from clenching his fists, “Thor’s with Jane remember? Steve’s not interested in someone like Thor anyway.”

Bucky’s eyes swung to her immediately. “What do you mean? Because he's a jock?”

Nat let out an exasperated sigh. “No you idiot. Because he’s interest lies elsewhere.”

“Oh,” Bucky’s chest squeezed tight, wondering who had Steve’s undivided attention. And he couldn’t help but watch Steve as Carol held out a hand to pull him to his feet, and suddenly Bucky forgot his disappointment when Steve pulled his tank off, revealing a gorgeous toned body in all its glory. Bucky’s dick stirred. Thank fuck he was hidden in the water.

“You are a colossal idiot. You know that right?” Nat deadpanned.

“I have to ask Steve out,” he blurted. “I need to… I need to be with him.”

“I know,” Nat said with a smirk, and Bucky looked at her gratefully, if she helped he would be fine. “But that really sounds like a you problem. Have fun with that.”

“You horrible cow,” Bucky sniped back, ready to splash her, but she was already under the water stealthily swimming up behind Clint, only to dunk the unsuspecting man. 

Bucky’s attention suddenly caught on movement on the shoreline as Steve stood knee deep, testing the water and with no further hesitation, dove in, coming up for air not far from where Bucky floated. Bucky watched mesmerized as the sun glinted off Steve’s wet eyelashes, before he wiped the droplets from them, smiling at Bucky.

“Oh god, this water feels amazing.”

“So would you,” Bucky whispered.

“Huh?” Steve asked.

For a long moment, Bucky stared at Steve, realising that sound carried over water differently and Steve most likely caught what he said. Seducing someone was hard, even though he hadn’t even tried yet.

Instead of answering, Bucky ducked his head so his mouth went underwater and swam towards Steve like a shark, deciding that he just had to ask him point blank, no messing around with seduction. Slipping up out of the water at the last moment he put on his most predatory smile, Steve’s eyes widening and he looked around, face flushed and Bucky hoped he wasn’t looking for an escape.

He quickly darted behind Steve, wrapping his arms tight around his lithe body, trying not to linger too much as Steve was the perfect fit, felt so good against him; and when he heard the small gasp from Steve’s throat he launched him into the air. Flinging Steve into the water a few feet away.

“You fucker,” Steve exclaimed laughing as he came up for air, and Bucky smirked.

Suddenly with a smirk of his own that made Bucky inhale sharply, Steve disappeared under the water, Bucky feeling him come up underneath his body and with a strength that belied Steve’s small stature, completely turning Bucky on more than it should, he was pushed up out of the water, throwing him completely under as well.

“Jesus, Steve. You should join the team.” Bucky spluttered when he came up for air.

Steve grinned back, pushing wet hair out of his eyes and Bucky stared, lost in how stunning Steve looked in the sunlight, that he was there before him alone in the ocean full of people, “I mean they already have you and Sam as Captains. Wouldn’t want to put either of you out of a job.”

Bucky laughed, “I don’t doubt you’d do it too, Stevie.”

And when Steve stopped smiling, Bucky realised what he’d said.

“Shit, sorry - you don’t like that? Nicknames?”

“No I... I do…” Steve answered softly, and Bucky became lost in a blue that matched the water they were treading.

“Would you get out with me?” Bucky blurted.

“Sorry? Get out of the water?”

Bucky internally facepalmed himself. “No, I mean go out.”

“Out. With you?”

Bucky nodded.

“Err, why me?” Steve asked in a small voice lost on a gust of wind.

Looking at Steve, who stared back at him with questions in his eyes, Bucky wanted to explain how much he’d desired it for months, to tell Steve all the ways he wanted to make him happy, and as a multitude of words sat on his tongue, Bucky suddenly understood Steve might not listen to his reasoning, might not believe him. So he decided to show his intent instead, and swam closer. Steve’s eyes were wide, guileless, Bucky seeing a small spark of something more, and hoping he wasn’t triple jumping over a line, he swam up behind Steve. He felt Steve tense up, anticipating to be flung into the water again, but instead, Bucky pulled him closer so that Steve’s back slotted against his front and leaned in, mouth only an inch away from Steve’s ear.

“Why you? Oh Stevie, you have no idea how gorgeous you are. How much I want you.” Bucky pressed his nose against the back of Steve’s ear and inhaled deeply, sunscreen, salt and Steve’s shampoo filled his senses and he lost his head for a moment, especially when Steve let out a high pitched groan and wriggled back into Bucky. “I want to spread you out beneath me, I want to lick all the sweat off your body, sweat that I'm going to cause from working you hard, making you work extra hard for my dick, because Stevie - I want you, I want you bad, and I think you might want me back just as much.”

Bucky hoped he wasn’t completely off base with his desires, that Steve really was just as interested, and when Steve ground back against him, skin sliding against Bucky’s, letting out another moan at the friction when he felt Bucky hardening up underneath him, Bucky knew it was going to be ok.

“Yes…” Steve whimpered as his shorts caught against Bucky’s dick, pushing backwards.

“You want that baby?”

“Fuck. Yes, I do.”

“How much?”

Steve spluttered, and Bucky couldn’t help chuckle at the noise. “What do you mean?”

“How much do you want it?” Bucky knew he was being a prick, making his pec’s tense against Steve’s back, pulling him onto his lap as they floated in the water, before wrapping a leg around one of Steve’s pulling it to the side, making Steve gasp gorgeously.

“A normal amount,” Steve husked back.

“Oh, you want me a normal amount - is that all?” Bucky smirked before licking a sloppy stripe up Steve’s neck at the same time as he snuck a hand down the front of Steve’s swim trunks, gripping his dick tightly, feeling the impressive length and girth for the first time. Fuck, he was definietly not taking switching of the table. But not anytime soon. First, he wanted to take Steve apart in every way conceivable.

Steve meanwhile, was liquid in his arms, going slack as Bucky took his time to explore while they floated in circles not far from the shore, but far enough out they wouldn’t get in trouble. He hoped. 

The moans tearing from Steve’s throat were getting louder though, Bucky loving every noise punched out of Steve as he stroked harder under the water, the friction and pressure of the water making him slower and more languid than usual. And Bucky wanted to make Steve call out with no thought or boundaries, nothing to stifle his pleasure, he needed Steve coming in his arms, again and again.

“I think you might just want me a little more than that.” Bucky rasped against Steve’s neck, sucking a bruise onto his pink skin, giving Steve’s dick another sharp tug and before he knew what was happening, Steve was shaking in his arms, whimpering out a release and Bucky was speechless. Utterly speechless as he continued to stroke Steve slowly, carefully as he jerked in his hand.

“Holy fuck, you’re stunning, gorgeous, the absolute best,” Bucky rambled into Steve’s neck, nipping kisses and pressing his lips against him in absolute awe at what had just occured.

Suddenly Steve moved, spinning himself around to straddle Bucky and he went under for a moment as their weights shifted and came back up spluttering, only for Steve to launch himself so his lips pushed against his. Steve took over, devouring his mouth, and although Bucky was the one in control, holding them both up, he’d never felt so out of control as Steve writhed and ground down as best he could in the water. Shit, Steve was going to be a handful and Bucky was there for it.

As he kissed back, grabbing the back of Steve’s head, holding him still as he pressed his tongue in deeply, a huge beach ball smacked into the side of his face. They jumped apart with a gasp.

“Don’t make me go get the hose!” Nat yelled out as she and Clint swam around nearby. “It’s about time you dolts wised up, but this is a public beach with you know - families.”

Bucky watched as Steve’s face flushed a perfect shade of red, and he couldn’t help but grab him again, giving him a quick intense kiss, claiming Steve until he struggled for breath, to show Bucky’s intent was clear and true. It was pure perfection.

“We’ll pick this up again later.” Bucky promised.

“Later.” Steve replied breathlessly.

Suddenly Steve pushed himself away from Bucky, grabbing and throwing the beach ball, hitting Clint dead on the nose. The surprised yelp from both Clint and Natasha made Bucky laugh.

“Oh it’s so on, James,” Nat yelled out.

Steve piped up from his side, “you wish, Romanoff - we’re gonna take you down!”

Bucky beamed.

“Yeah!” he called over to them, dodging the ball that came directly for him as Nat and Clint shit-talked. And as he and Steve swam out to retrieve the ball floating behind them, Bucky turned to Steve and gave him an overtly salacious wink. “And once we take them down, I’m going to take you home and show you what going down is all about.”

Steve burst out laughing. “Really? That was incredibly lame, especially for a savvy sex-crazed jock.”

“You’re not interested in my proposal then?”

“Oh I’m interested,” Steve grinned, licking his lips and Bucky caught his breath. “But if you’re going to use dad jokes on the regular - I might have to start calling you something else in the bedroom.”

Steve then threw the ball, Nat ducking at the last minute, and Bucky didn’t even feel when the returning pitch slammed into his head; Steve’s words creating a delicious cacophony of images and filthy thoughts in his mind instead.

Bucky had always known that Stevie Rogers was going to be both the life and death of him, and as he rubbed his head, grasping the ball in one hand, ready to throw it, he couldn’t wait to see where their adventure would take them.

But first - Clint had to pay.

[hopeatermeetsgodzilla]

Chapter 22

“Anguirus?” He snapped out of his trance, turning toward Mothra. Her wings were still open behind her, patterns glowing green as she absorbed energy. “Is everything alright? You’ve been awake for very long.”

He nodded. “Yeah, don’t worry. I just.. I wanna be there when he wakes up for real.”

Mothra sighed softly, turning toward her sleeping mate. Godzilla’s hair had switched from almost black to a dark, dull blue, and he was emitting his own light, even if it was much softer than her own. Not on the verge of dying anymore, stable even, but certainly not ready to fight.

“You should do like my brother.” Mothra told him, the two turning their head toward the rocky ceiling. Battra was hanging upside-down here, wings draped around him as he slept. “Rest, and conserve your energy.”

“I know I should, but...” Anguirus sighed. “Each time I lay down, I can’t help but think of all the good times I had with him. We’ve been friends for so long, I can barely remember a time when we weren’t... I don’t want to imagine what would happen if he actually did die.”

Mothra frowned sympathetically. Anguirus really was Godzilla’s oldest friend, wasn’t he? “Maybe talking about it would make you feel better?” She proposed.

Anguirus thought for a moment. “I mean, starting off, him dying from something we don’t know the source of is... pretty worrying? Especially when we look at everything else he survived: Ghidorah, Battra, Baragon, a shit-ton of Beetles, Manda pre-sinking of Mu, Ebirah-”

“You?” Mothra asked with a lilt in her voice. Anguirus couldn’t help but laugh at that.

“Yeah, me! And you too!” He noted. “I mean, he just came on my island one day, started screaming at the top of his lungs, and started wrecking shit up. What was I supposed to do, not fight him to the death?”

Mothra laughed. “He never was good at negotiations, was he? During his quest to become King, he decided that the best way to make me come out to give him the Trial of Death was to deliberately provoke me.”

“At least, he had a reason for you! For me, he just wanted to kick someone’s ass because his sisters were teasing him!” Both laughed for a moment, before calming down. “Who else did he survive... ?”

“... Rodan.” Mothra muttered under her breath. “Dear Terra, Rodan-”

Anguirus chuckled. “Yeah, that checks out. Rodan’s temper is even worse than his, would make sense the two would fight. He just takes longer to blow up.”

“No, you don’t get it- when Ghidorah was busy sinking Atlantis, Rodan was busy fighting Godzilla. When I found them, the two kept throwing a rock at each other- Rodan with his head- and I had to tie them up with silk so they would listen. The reason I sought them out is because at this point, they were the only ones who survived an encounter with Ghidorah in the past.”

“What were their reaction.”

“Rodan didn’t give a shit. Apparently, he thought that humans dying out would be a good thing because, and I quote, ‘they’re always mean to me’.” She snapped, Anguirus bursting into laughter. “And Godzilla agreed! Even after Rodan dropped him crotch-first into a tree!” The laughing doubled, Mothra joining in this time. “I mean... I was eventually able to convince them, and you know the rest.”

Anguirus nodded. “Five fucking centuries we spent before we successfully sealed those fuckers away. And now, they’re free again, Godzilla’s dying, and Rodan won’t talk to us.”

Mothra frowned at that. “Don’t worry. We’ll find a way again.”

“I know, it’s just...” He sighed, closing his eyes and turning away. “I can’t help but wonder when it all went wrong.”

-

Rodan stared up at the sky, thoughts circling in his head at a frantic pace. He knew Ghidorah were not good people. They came down from the sky to destroy their world, starting with the king that came before Godzilla, shortly followed by his father, and all of the pretenders to the throne. They liked causing storms that wiped away everything under them for... what? Proving they could? Practice? Entertainment?

They were selfish monsters who only cared about themselves, and everything else was to be destroyed for mild amusement. He knew all that. But if that was the case, then why were they being so kind to him?

Why was Ichi doing his hair for no reason and cuddling him and dancing with him and giving him compliments?

Why was Ni constantly bringing him gifts and food and trying to be less of a sharp weapon for his brothers to yield?

Why was San always so happy to see him and so patient and understanding when he messed up?

Surely, it must have been some kind of trick. Make him lower his guard so he’ll let them out. But they not being the reason why Mara had died, San opening up about his own past wounds, Ni making himself so vulnerable when he was teaching him sign words, still kept him questioning what their intentions were here.

The fact that he was currently being cuddled by all three was not helping with his internal questioning.

He tried to get up, doing his best not to shake them awake, but immediately stopped as he heard San stir. Red eyes blink open in the darkness, locking onto him. “What are you doing?” He asked, a lilt to his voice indicating playfulness.

Before he could think of what to say, he opened his mouth and asked the question that pretty much summed up all of his current worries. “Why are you three being so nice to me?”

San blinked in confusion, tilting his head. “Because we like having you around- sorry, I don’t think I understand your question.”

Rodan laughed bitterly. “Oh please. Literally the only thing you three care about is yourselves.”

San frowned. “When did we ever give this impression?”

“Oh boy, where to start?” Rodan exclaimed, starting to remember acutely the things Ghidorah did in his presence, before all four of them were trapped on Mara. “Ichi thinks he stands at the top of everything, and that whatever doesn’t bend their back forward at the sight of him needs to be destroyed.”

(Godzilla, staring into nothing, expressing doubt of being able to become King for the first time since the beginning on his campaign as he tells his friends how his father died while showing them a wound that would’ve killed him had it striked just a bit more to the left-)

“Or how about Ni jumping anyone who so much as threatens you three? Godzilla and everyone who’s ever met him are convinced that he lives to inflict physical pain.”

(Shrieking laughter echoing as Mothra was punched by lightning again and again in her child form, almost killing her permanently but that clearly didn’t matter as much to Ghidorah as making her cry out for help and in pain-)

“And as for you...” Rodan said nothing after that. Just clutched at the wound on his chest San had inflicted millenias ago, suddenly very aware of the acute pain here. The first time he had been alone with the three of them...

(Come back when you’re worth looking at.)

“You like hurting people too. Not like Ni does, but you do. Your words...” He took a short breath through his teeth. “Your words cut, and they cut deep.”

“Which is why you don’t want to hear the truth.” San suddenly said. All emotions were gone from his voice as big red eyes stared at Rodan, almost burning in the dark.

Rodan withheld it, narrowing his own eyes. “Don’t tell me what I want. The only person who can say what I want is me. Answer my question, San.”

“... We want you to let us out, so we’re being nice.” He admitted, voice still devoid of emotions. “That’s the main reason.”

Rodan frowned. “You guys do realize I’m not gonna let that happen, right? The only reason why I’m around you three is to not go insane mad from loneliness, you said it yourself. Being nice to me isn’t going to convince me you’re actually nice.” Better not mention how much their kindness had shaken him.

“But it’ll make you lower your guard. Tell us things about yourself that you normally wouldn’t tell a soul. And then, once we’ve emptied you of all your secrets, we’d be able to destroy what’s left with an off-hand comment. And that’s when you’d let us out.” There was silence for a moment, before a shaky sound emerged from Rodan. San frowned as he recognized what it was. Laughter. “Why are you laughing?”

Rodan gradually stopped. “Should’ve seen this coming.” Steam clouded his vision as he blinked. “Of course the only moment you deem me worth looking at is when you want to break me.”

“What? No!” San exclaimed, Rodan sending him a skeptical look. “I mean, at first, but things have changed since then! We... we like having you around.” He admitted. “You... you’re like the brightest, biggest, hottest star in the universe, and your presence alone beckons us to get closer and closer, regardless of the risk of getting burnt, just for the chance to bask into your light.”

“... what the fuck are you talking about?”

“What I’m trying to say is...” San grabbed Rodan’s hand, his face warming up at that. “We actually like having you around. You’re like a beacon, and we don’t want to lose sight of you.”

Rodan shook his head curtly, tugging his hand away from San’s as the blush on his face lessened. “Why should I believe you!? You literally just admitted to trying to mentally break me in order to make me a slave!”

“True. We’ve snuffed out bigger flames than yours before.” San admitted. “But none were ever as bright as you. We don’t want to snuff you out anymore: we want you to be our lantern!... you know what a lantern is, right?”

Rodan hesitantly nodded. “Like a torch, but smaller?”

San nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah, they’re pretty similar! To be honest, I don’t think we’d be able to snuff you out, no matter what we try. Next best thing is feeding your flame and having you light the way to our conquest.” Rodan frowned in confusion at that.

“I thought you wanted to kill the planet?”

San giggled. “What, did one of the Moths tell you that?” 

Rodan nodded hesitantly. “Yeah, Mothra did.”

“Come on, firebird. We’re not going to destroy the planet we’re hiding on! That would be very stupid. We just want to adapt it to our needs, and, uh...” he hissed through gritted teeth. “We can’t really help it if all humans are gonna die. Beside, we can’t control something if we destroy it at the first opportunity.”

Rodan sighed, closing his eyes and turning away from San. “Yeah, I guess that makes sense...”

“You want to know what we were going to tell you?” San asked in a low voice. “What we thought would break you before you showed us nothing can?” Rodan frowned, but nodded nonetheless, convinced nothing Ghidorah could tell him would make him change his mind. Oh, how wrong he was. “We’re not the ones who killed your island and your friend.”

“Yeah, I figured out you didn’t destroy my island, it’s why I’m so confused- wait. You guys didn’t kill Godzilla?” He asked, filled with confusion. San nodded. “But... you three hate him.”

“Exactly. If we had killed him, Ni would’ve swam after his corpse to take his head as a trophy.” San told him, Rodan humming in answer. “The ones who killed them... are humans.”

“What!?” He exclaimed, somehow sitting up in surprise without waking Ichi up. “But how- humans are so tiny-”

“Do you remember what I told you, back in the soul realm?” San asked, blinking slowly. “Weaker beings fear what they don’t understand. If you don’t understand how you cheated death, how are beings as puny as humans supposed to understand anything about you, let alone your people?”

Rodan had nothing to say to that. Especially since he knew exactly what San was talking about. Humans that were both very brave and very stupid, usually the ones that could not Hear them,  “I- but how did they-?”

“With machines.” The only answer to that was an incredibly confused frown. “Look, for now, go back to sleep, okay?” San asked, putting a hand on Rodan’s shoulder and forcing him to lay back down. As he was about to retort, Ghidorah gently shushed him. “We’ll give you proof in the morning.”

-

[Telling him what we’re doing was a really stupid move.]

(I know. But his main problem with us until now is that he thought we killed one of his friends and his nest. He now knows we didn’t, and is questioning whether or not we actually want to destroy the planet. I took a calculated risk.)

{And you’re better at math than I remember you being. The biggest setback with this change is that we’ll have to wait longer before enveloping the planet in a storm for good, make an active effort in keeping it alive... Until our dear fire bird dies, that is.}

[Oh... I suppose we could wait just a few more millenias before leaving. I mean, we’ve already stayed on this planet for... what, forty thousand years?]

(Around that, yeah! And uh... I don’t know about you two, but I think I want Rodan to stay around for as long as possible.)

{Seconded, actually. He’s entertaining. Having him as an enraged flag bearer will be interesting.}

[You two should be more careful. You’ll end up getting attached and thinking you owe him something.]

{You’re the one getting language lessons from him. If one of us is going to end thinking they owe fire bird something, it’s you.}

[What-]

(~ Ni owes Rodan ~ Ni owes Rodan ~ Ni owes Ro-)

[I don’t owe him shit!]

{Are you protesting us waiting until he dies a death unrelated to us, then?}

[... No.]

{Then it’s settled. Rodan shall be kept alive, and act as our champion.}