#the way he gestures to link when saying ‘our relationship’ | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

badkitty3000 · 7 months ago

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I had to make a new post for the remaining chapters because it was getting too long to add them to the original. If you'd like to read chapters 1-6, here is the link.

☕Love In The Time Of Cholera And Coffee ☕

Part Two: Chapters 7-9

Five x Female Reader, Klaus x Female Reader

You and Klaus are in a casual relationship. No ties, just sex. When you start spending a lot of time at his apartment, you somehow manage to break through his brother's prickly outer shell. He seems to like you, or at least tolerate you the best that Five can. When you start to realize that maybe there is more than just mutual friendship between the two of you, it opens up a lot of feelings and unanswered questions. And a lot of problems.

This story contains sexually explicit material! (But also lots of humor and fluff)

Chapter Seven: Be My Baby

The morning rush is typical for a Saturday. Lots of parents on their way to soccer tournaments, and elderly couples that wake up early, starting their day when the sun rises. You don’t need to be there, necessarily. Your team can handle it. But you like it. You like the early morning sunrise and the smell of the first pot of coffee brewing. The smiles of the hopeful people as they start their days. The morning is perfect. It gives everyone the chance to start fresh.

As you’re surveying the pastries and taking note of inventory, the bell over the door rings. You don’t even look up as you focus on the spreadsheet on your tablet. The customer, however, is not the usual. You recognize the silhouette of the person walking towards you. How could you not? It’s been 6 months, but you’ll never forget it.

“Hey there,” he says, as he nears the counter.

He’s just as you remember him and he addresses you as if no time has passed.

“Hi, Klaus,” you respond with a timid smile, looking up from your tablet.

Klaus removes his sunglasses that had been perched on his nose, and he looks around, taking it all in. He smiles that smile that usually means he’s up to something.

“Wow, so this place is hopping!” he says as he leans against the counter.

He’s wearing a pair of way too-tight white jeans, and a tank top that says “Slut” across the chest. His signature dog tags hang down over the lettering and jingle when he moves.

“Yeah, we’re doing alright. Our profits are actually up since I bought it,” you respond with pride.

You haven’t seen Klaus since that day he and Five had their blow-out fight over you. Well, technically you haven’t seen him since the night before the blow-out. You had figured you’d never see either one of them again. Yet, here he was.

“Is that right? Well, mazel tov,” he answers with a genuine smile.

“Can I get you something?” you ask.

“I’ll take a green tea if you don’t mind,” Klaus says.

He doesn’t sound angry like you assumed he would be. Like he should be, honestly.

You nod at the barista who is working today and he busies himself with making Klaus’s drink. In the meantime, there is no one else in line, so you and he are stuck staring at each other. Klaus speaks first.

“So, it’s been a while. How are you?” he asks, a suspicious-looking smile on his face.

“I’m fine, thank you. And you?”

Klaus shrugs his shoulders and looks around again. “Oh, you know. I’m always here and there, doing something.”

You smile. “Same old Klaus. Like a feral tom cat just prowling the town.”

He winks back at you with a grin. “Meow.”

The barista hands him his tea and he reaches into his back pocket for his wallet to pay, but you hold out a hand.

“Don’t be silly. It’s on the house.”

Klaus raises his eyebrows, then lifts his cup up in a toasting gesture. “Thank you!”

You shrug. “It’s the least I can do. The very least.”

He nods thoughtfully and takes a sip, looking around the shop again. “Do you have a minute? You know, to talk?”

You swallow nervously and chew at your bottom lip. He doesn’t seem upset, but what does he want to talk to you about? It can’t be anything good. But you nod and come around the counter. You gesture to an empty table near the back, away from listening employees, and you both make your way over. Once you and Klaus are situated, sitting across from one another, you wait with hands folded in front of you.

“So…you’re probably wondering why I came here, aren’t you?” he asks, still with that same Klaus smile on his face.

You nod. “A little, yeah. I know we have good tea here but given the circumstances…” You look down at your hands and start picking at a cuticle. “I really never thought I’d be seeing you again.”

Klaus leans back and drapes an arm lazily over the back of the chair. “Yeah, well…I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. And maybe a little bit of therapy.” He rolls his eyes. “Anyway, I’ve been trying to be a better person and see the error of my ways, and all that shit. And I have come to the conclusion that I owe you an apology.”

The surprise on your face must be evident because Klaus gives a little laugh and shakes his head. “I know that’s not what you were expecting. But, it’s true. I owe you an apology and I’m sorry.”

“For…for what? I’m the one—”

He cuts you off with an airy wave of his hand. “Listen. I was selfish and I should have appreciated you more. I know we weren’t going to end up getting married or anything, but I could have made more of an effort. Like when you were sick…that was shitty of me and I’m sorry. If I had treated you just a little better, then maybe…”

You groan and drop your forehead onto your hands as they rest on the table. “Klaus, I appreciate the apology, but you had nothing to do with that. That was me and I’m the one that needs to apologize, not you. I’m the one that fucked everything up between you two.”

Klaus is quiet and you glance up at him. He has a tiny smile on his face again. “Ok, so we both had a hand in it. And I accept your apology. But you didn’t fuck everything up. I mean, you’re not that amazing,” he says with a smirk before taking another sip of his tea.

You lift your head. “What do you mean? You guys aren’t…”

Klaus shakes his head and gives another dismissive wave. “Nah, we’re good. He did move out, though. But that might have been more about me leaving wet towels on the bathroom floor than anything else.”

You chuckle a little and lean back in your chair, starting to relax somewhat. “Huh. Well, good. I’m glad to hear that.”

Klaus is looking at you with one eyebrow raised, his mouth turned up at the corner.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” you ask.

Klaus shrugs his shoulders, trying to look innocent. Then he reaches into the pocket of his pants and pulls out a small, folded piece of paper. He slides it across the table to you. You pick it up with a look of confusion. When you unfold it, you see there is an address scrawled on it in Klaus’s messy handwriting.

“What is this?”

He gives another shrug. “I think maybe you two need to talk.”

Your eyes widen and you glance back down at the paper. “Wait…this is his address?”

Klaus nods, but then he’s starting to stand up, apparently ready to leave. “If you don’t want it, throw it out. But I figured I owed you that much.” He puts his sunglasses back on and looks down at you. “You do know he’s in love with you, right?”

Your shocked expression makes him laugh and he leans down to give you a quick peck on the cheek.

“Thanks for the tea. Maybe I’ll see you around. You know, at family gatherings or something?”

Then Klaus is walking out the door, leaving you stunned and staring down at the piece of paper in your hands, your brain whirring.

A week goes by and you try not to think about it. But it’s kind of hard when you carry that paper around with you in your pocket every day. The address isn’t far from your store. Just a few blocks, actually. Which makes you realize that he has probably been avoiding you and the shop like the plague. Or has he been quickly walking by, taking a glance through the windows to see if you’re there? Maybe blinking away before you can raise your head and see him. Doubtful. Despite what Klaus told you, you have every reason to believe he has no desire to see you again.

Every time you think that maybe you should walk over there, to that address you have memorized now, you change your mind. Maybe it would be different if you still didn’t have a clear image of him in your head from the last time you saw him. That blank, uncaring look on his face. Those cold words he said to you. That’s what stops you each time.

But then at night, when you’re home alone and in bed trying in vain to sleep, different images come to mind. Memories of his face and his smile, and the way he would begrudgingly laugh at something funny you said. And of his body on yours, the heat of his skin, and his urgent kisses. You remember every word he said to you in the dark that night. And you just can’t believe he didn’t mean them. Not when he was pleading with you to be his.

The crazy thing was that you had already given yourself over to him. You wanted to be his. And you had thought that night was going to be just one of many you would spend together. Maybe it would have been awkward at first, with Klaus; but you were willing to try and work past that. Because that’s how much you wanted to be with him.

What an idiot you had been. On your way out of work one night, you throw the paper with the address into the trash can and walk away.

It has been two weeks since Klaus came by and even though you still can’t stop thinking about what he told you, you aren’t taking the bait. You’re better off without him or any of that mess. He’s better off without you, too.

The café is quiet, with only a few lights left on. It’s been closed for an hour now, all cleaned and the food stored away for the night. Your staff has gone home and it’s just you there. You’re finishing up some financial documents on your laptop at a table, a mix of some soft rock tunes playing on the speakers overhead. You’re humming along to a Whitney Houston song when you hear a knock on the glass door. When you look up, you take a sharp breath in and accidentally knock over the glass of water you had sitting next to you.

It's Five. He’s standing there, right outside the door, and he’s already spotted you, so you can’t exactly hide. Plus, now you’re jumping up and trying to mop up the spilled water with a few flimsy napkins and swearing to yourself out loud.

“Shit shit shit,” you mumble.

When you look up again, you can see Five watching the whole thing go down and he’s got that smirk on his face. The one you hate but also can’t stop thinking about. You huff, rolling your eyes, and motion for him to come in. The door is locked for the night, of course, but that doesn’t matter. He blinks in right away, reappearing a few feet away from you, hands in his pants pockets.

“Hi,” he says with a smile.

You pause, taking him in for a moment. Damn it, why is he so good-looking? With his stupid dark hair falling onto his forehead and his annoyingly perfect body and ridiculously chiseled jawline. And that goddamn sexy, smart-ass expression on his face. Fuck.

“What are you doing here?” you say, trying to appear like you couldn’t possibly care less that he’s standing right in front of you.

He shrugs. “Just walking by. I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d see if you were still here.”

After throwing the soggy napkins into the trash behind the counter, you come around again and lean against it, your arms crossed.

“Just walking by, huh?”

Five at least has the decency to look a little embarrassed as he glances at the floor and clears his throat.

“Yeah, well…something like that,” he mumbles.

“Why are you here, Five?”

You’re determined not to let him see the uncertainty in you and you raise your chin and square your shoulders to try and appear more confident. Inside, a million butterflies have taken residence in your stomach.

He rubs the back of his neck. “Yeah, so…Klaus told me he came by the other day.”

You raise an eyebrow. “Yes, he did. And?”

“He told me he talked to you and gave you my address.”

You make a circular motion with your hand to get him to hurry this little story along.

“Anyway, he said he gave it to you and I thought maybe…” he trails off and looks down at the floor again.

“Ohhh…you thought maybe I’d come crawling back to you? Run right on over and jump into your arms? Tell you all is forgiven. Is that what you thought?”

“No!” he snaps, and then his voice softens again. “No. I just thought…” He throws his hands in the air in frustration. “Fuck! I don’t know what I thought! This is stupid, I don’t know why I came here.”

He turns around to leave, but you call out so that he stops in his tracks. “I almost did!” He turns to you and you blush a little. “I came really close to going over there. I had a whole speech prepared and everything. It was good, too. I was really going to let you have it.” You give a short laugh.

“Why didn’t you?” he asks.

“Because I was afraid that what Klaus told me wasn’t true,” you admit.

“What did Klaus tell you?”

You’re not really sure you want to get into all of that quite yet, so you change the subject back to him.

“Really, why are you here, Five? It’s been six months, so why now?”

“I just…” he takes a deep breath. “I just wanted to see you again. And to say I’m sorry.”

Your eyebrows shoot up in surprise. Then they crease together again. “And which thing or things are you sorry for?”

Five sighs and takes a few steps toward you, but stops short of coming too close. He seems to gain a little more confidence and he looks you in the eyes.

“I’m sorry for everything. For putting you in that situation. And for saying what I did. I know I was a jerk and you didn’t deserve that.”

You look up and blink a few times to try and keep your emotions in check. Then you look back at him.

“Jerk doesn’t even begin to cover it. You hurt me, Five. Really hurt me. Do you realize that?”

He swallows hard and nods. “I know.”

“Why? Why did you do that? I don’t understand. I was ready to…” Your voice cracks and you don’t finish your sentence.

“After the fight with Klaus, I just felt so awful and ashamed, so I panicked and took it out on you. Which was a really shitty thing to do, and I’m so sorry. I also understand if you never want to see or talk to me again, but I thought I’d take a chance by coming here. I at least wanted to let you know.”

You nod slowly. “Yeah, ok, so you’re sorry. Is there anything else you’d like to confess?”

“What do you mean?”

You shift your weight to your other foot and cross and uncross your arms. “Did you even mean those things you said that night?”

He pauses for a minute and you see him swallow hard. “Yeah,” he says quietly. “I meant them.”

“Klaus said you’re in love with me,” you blurt out, and you watch as his eyes get wide and his face flushes.

He clenches his teeth together. “Fucking Klaus,” he mutters under his breath.

“So?” you challenge. “Is he right?”

He is visibly uncomfortable and his hands are in his pockets again as he looks at the floor. Then he gathers some courage and he looks up.

“He’s right,” he says. “I am in love with you. I have been for a long time.”

You sigh and put your hands on your hips and look up at the ceiling, then back at him again. “Damn it, Five!”

“What?”

“You know, just because you say that does not mean all is forgiven, or that I’m automatically in love with you too, even though I am, although why I have no fucking idea. I really cannot believe the nerve of you showing up here after all this time. You are still the biggest asshole I have ever met and I’m not even sure I want anything to do with you anymore—"

Your rant is cut short when Five closes the few feet between you in a short spatial jump, making you yelp sharply when he suddenly grabs you around the waist and pulls you into him.

“Let go of me!” you say in protest.

“What did you say?” he asks, that arrogant look on his face as his mouth turns up on one side.

You squirm, trying to get out of his grasp but it’s not very convincing, and it’s also making your body rub up against his, which is not helping matters. His hold on you is strong, though, and he doesn’t let up. He’s looking you right in the eyes and you can’t seem to look away.

“I said you’re a giant asshole,” you say, your voice much weaker all of a sudden.

“You said you’re in love with me.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Yes, you did,” he says with a smirk, right before he jerks your body closer to him, his arm wrapped around your middle and his hand resting on the small of your back.

His eyes travel over your face and you look at his lips and suddenly you can’t think straight anymore. You nod your head slowly.

“Yeah, maybe I did,” you confess in a whisper, right before he kisses you.

His kiss is soft and slow, and he brings his hand up to the side of your face. All of those feelings that you had pushed down come rushing back to you with that touch. You kiss him back, savoring the feel of his soft lips and the way his body feels next to yours.

He smiles against your mouth, even as he continues kissing you, and you drape your arms over his shoulders. When you pull away, he keeps his hand on your cheek.

“I’m sorry it took me this long to get my shit together,” he tells you with a breathy laugh. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” you tell him with a smile, but when he goes in for another kiss, you pull back and place a hand on his chest. “Whoa there, buddy, not so fast.”

He scrunches his eyebrows together and it takes a lot of resolve for you not to kiss him right now because his pouty man face is so cute.

“What’s the matter?” he asks.

“Ok, so you said you’re sorry, but I’m going to need a little more than that.”

“More?”

“Yes. You can’t possibly think waltzing in here and simply saying you’re sorry and you love me is enough, can you?”

“So, what do you want? You want me to fall on my knees and grovel?”

You place a finger on your lips in thought. “Hmm…that does sound nice, but something tells me you’d actually like that. No, let me think…” When you hear the music that has been playing on the store speakers, your face lights up. “I got it!”

“I’m afraid to ask, but ok, what is it?”

“Sing.”

“Excuse me?”

You step out of his arms and lean back against the counter again. “I want you to sing the next song that comes on. No matter what it is. And I want it done with feeling. To me.”

Five’s face is hilarious because he looks like you just kicked him in the nuts. “Are you fucking serious? You want me to sing to you?”

You nod. “Yep.”

He stares in stunned silence for a minute before he crosses his arms and tilts his head. “You know I took a punch in the face for you.”

You shrug. “Sorry to hear that, but that’s not really relevant at the moment. Plus, I wasn’t there to witness or enjoy it, so it doesn’t count. No, I want you to sing, and if you half-ass it you will have to start over. I want to see some professional, Frank Sinatra-level, Elvis in Las Vegas-style crooning. And I want it right now.”

Five glances up and notices the security camera mounted in the corner behind you and runs a hand down his face. “Shit. And this is the only way you’re going to forgive me and stop torturing me by standing there looking cute but not letting me touch you?”

“Pretty much, yes.”

“And there’s no way I can talk my way out of this and get you to kiss me again? Because I really want to kiss you again.”

“Nope. You say you love me. Prove it.”

He sighs heavily. “Alright then.”

“Alright, what?”

“I guess I’m fucking singing.”

You smile widely and at just that precise moment, the song that had been playing fades out and another one starts up. You start laughing when you hear “Be My Baby” by the Ronettes. It’s such a cheesy, girly pop song, and it’s perfect.

“Don’t forget…with feeling,” you remind him as you perch yourself on the countertop and wait expectedly for him to start.

With another sigh and a sarcastic smile in your direction, Five reluctantly starts singing.

The night we met I knew I needed you so

And if I had the chance I’d never let you go

It’s bad and off-key and he’s stumbling over some of the words. He can’t decide if he wants to sing it in the high, women’s register or lower his voice, so his voice keeps cracking. But he’s putting the effort in, like you requested.

So won't you say you love me?

I’ll make you so proud of me

We’ll make ‘em turn their heads, every place we go

He’s starting to get into it a little, adding awkward dancing and elaborate hand choreography.

So won’t you please

Be my little baby

Say you’ll be my darling

It’s maybe the cutest thing you’ve ever seen and when you start giggling, that’s when he really kicks it into gear. He grabs a plastic knife from the counter and uses it as a microphone to up his performance.

Be my baby now…whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh

He is singing his heart out directly to you, as dramatically as he can. He is also trying not to laugh while you are barely holding it together as you watch his horribly wonderful performance that he is putting on just because you asked him to. The dramatic emoting and facial expressions are too much, so you cover your eyes with your hands and peek through two fingers to watch him.

I’ll make you happy, baby,

Just wait and see

For every kiss you give me

I’ll give you three

For this, he grabs your hand and kisses it dramatically as you toss your head back and laugh at him. You have never seen him act this stupid and silly, and it’s making you love him that much more because you know he’d never do this for anyone else. When the interlude comes on, Five tosses his knife microphone over his shoulder without taking his eyes off you and takes your hand again, pulling you into him. He holds you to him as he dances slowly with you and when the lyrics start up again, he finishes out the song by belting it out as loudly and as off-key as possible while you alternate between laughing and visibly cringing.

So won’t you please

Be my little baby

Say you’ll be my darlin’

Be my baby now

Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh

As the song winds down and fades away, he stops dancing, but he’s still holding you close to him. He stands there with a wicked grin, waiting for you to say something.

“That’s all on video, you know. So I can blackmail you whenever you act up,” you say with a smile.

“Do you believe that I am willing to do anything for you, including humiliating myself? Did I sufficiently prove my love to you?”

“Well, I reserve the right to demand further proof at future times, but for right now, yes. That was sufficient.”

He doesn’t wait any longer before he’s back to kissing you, and this time you don’t try to stop him. When he holds you tight to his chest, his arms wrapped around you and his hand winding into your hair, you feel happier than you have in months. You probably shouldn’t have taken him back so willingly, despite his apologies and musical performance. But you can’t help yourself. You want him like you’ve never wanted anyone in your life, and the fact that he came back here for you has immediately melted any stoniness you had in your heart for him.

It’s quickly obvious that a few kisses are not going to be enough and you are both breathing hard as you try to pull each other even closer. Five pushes you up against the counter, boosting you up so you’re sitting on top and he is standing between your legs, his hands gripping into your thighs and pulling them forward to wrap around his waist. After a few seconds, you place a hand on his chest again.

“Hang on, we can’t do this,” you say, your chest heaving.

Five frowns. “I’m sorry, am I moving too fast?”

“No, I mean we can’t do this here . This is a major health code violation and if someone sees I’ll be in deep shit.”

Five laughs. “Well, I wasn’t planning on jizzing into the espresso machine, but I guess I see your point. We can stop.”

“No, I don’t want to stop ! Can’t we go to your place? It’s just a few blocks over.”

Five raises his eyebrows in surprise and chuckles. “I thought you didn’t care where I lived.”

You blush. “Well…I may have thrown your address out but that doesn’t mean I didn’t memorize it or map out how to get there from here.”

“Stalker!”

“Shut up,” you tell him, even as you’re smiling. “I know you’re loving this, you bastard.”

He shakes his head. “You think I’m loving the fact that the girl I’m head over heels in love with has secretly been obsessed with me and stalking me like a total creep?”

“I wasn’t stalking you! Jesus Christ, Five…are we going back to your place or not?”

He laughs again and you find yourself laughing right along with him. “Come on, psycho, let’s go.” He holds out a hand for you and you hop down off the counter. “It’s a nine-minute walk. Three if you let me blink you part of the way there.”

“You know exactly down to the minute? Who’s the stalker now?”

“Alright, I confess. I may have walked past here a couple of times.”

“Only a couple?” you ask with a smile.

He rolls his eyes. “I think I already regret coming here.”

You give him a quick kiss and then pull him by his hand towards the door. “No, you don’t. Because, in a few minutes, I’m going to rock your world, baby.”

He gives a frustrated groan. “You’re definitely letting me blink you there, now. I can’t wait a full nine minutes.”

Chapter Eight: Slow Hand

When we arrive at my apartment (5 minutes later, after one blink and a quick make-out session on the street), we step inside and she takes a look around. It’s not much different than the one I shared with Klaus, just a little smaller. The furniture is nice but simple, and everything is clean. There’s nothing fancy about it, but it’s comfortable and cozy. She notices a folded-up newspaper on one of the tables, turned to a half-completed crossword puzzle.

She smiles and points at it. “Such an old man thing to have.” She glances around. “Where’s the bowl of butterscotch candies? Or the plastic furniture covers?”

I am watching her as she starts walking around the living room, but then I suddenly blink over and grab her from behind. My arms are around her middle, holding her close to me while my mouth makes its way to her neck. After her initial shock wears off, she melts into me and tips her head back onto my shoulder.

“I might be an old man, darling, but my body and my hormones are 21 and you are driving them fucking crazy right now.”

She inhales sharply and exhales a soft laugh as I caress her stomach and hips with my hands, letting my mouth trail over her neck.

“Good thing for you, I happen to have a thing for older men in hot, young bodies,” she says. She turns around to face me, my arms still around her, and she gives me a smile before kissing me.

“Lucky me,” I reply.

Before I can say anything else, she pushes me backward until my legs hit the back of the couch. She gives me a shove with a hand on my chest, making me sit down, and she immediately climbs onto my lap, straddling me. Just that move right there has me hard already and I grab her face with both hands, kissing her deeply while she pushes herself over my crotch.

“Can I ask you something?” she breathes out while my mouth returns to her neck.

“Hmmm,” I respond in between kisses.

“Have you been with anyone else since me?”

I stop and I just can’t help but tease her a little with an inside joke about the book we read together. I flash her a devious smile. “622. Give or take.”

She laughs and whacks me on the chest. “Yeah, right. You wish.”

I shake my head. “No, sweetheart. There’s been only you on my mind.” Then I trace my thumb across her bottom lip and look her in the eyes. “But it’s ok if you have.”

She kisses me again, running a hand through my hair. “I went on one date, that’s it.”

Despite what I just told her about it being ok, my body immediately tenses up when she says that and I know she can tell. I start to relax a little when she places her own kisses onto the side of my neck. I let out a long breath before I ask more questions, even though I don’t really want to hear about it.

“Just one?”

She nods, continuing her kisses. “Yes. Just one.”

“And how did this date end?” I ask, trying to play it cool, although I doubt it’s very convincing.

She runs her tongue under the curve of my jaw before giving it a small bite. I grab her hips in return.

“It ended with a very steamy good night hug.”

I let out a hum of approval, leaning my head back while she draws her lips over my Adam’s apple.

“Why nothing more?”

She pauses and waits until I’m looking at her again. “Because he wasn’t you,” she tells me. I think maybe she is teasing me, but the look on her face is completely serious.

“I like that answer.”

I put my hand on the back of her neck as I try to pull her in for another kiss, but she resists and pulls backward. I’m momentarily confused until I see her very devilish face as she slowly slides off my lap and onto the floor, kneeling in front of me with her hands on my thighs. She looks up at me, biting her lower lip and it’s a goddamn miracle I haven’t come in my pants yet. I let out a little whimper just from the sight of her.

“You know, you kicked me out before I had a chance to repay you for that amazing tongue action you gave me that night,” she tells me.

“That was pretty fucking stupid of me,” I joke, although I’m clearly breathing harder and I have to shift in my seat.

She smiles and leans forward, letting her mouth graze over the crotch of my pants where the hard swelling of my erection is impossible to miss. When I feel her warm breath seeping through the fabric, I suck in a loud breath and push my hips up.

“Fuck,” I whisper.

As she starts unbuckling my belt and opening my pants, she looks back up. “You don’t have to,” I tell her quietly.

She gives me a small smile but starts to pull at my pants until I help her out by lifting my hips up slightly. When she takes my straining cock in her hand, I make another groaning noise and swear under my breath.

“Let me give this to you,” she says softly.

She is licking and sucking up and down my shaft and circling her tongue over the head, and I’ve never experienced anything like this before. I may have had a few sexual experiences before her, but none of them involved anything sensual like this.

“You taste so good,” she moans before her lips pass over my entire length again and I have to close my eyes.

I move a hand to her head and she makes a little whining noise that I take to mean she’s ok with me doing that. Which is very good, because I am having one hell of a time controlling myself right now. I flex my fingers and pull her hair at the same time I just slightly push her head down. I want to fuck her face so badly right now, but I know if that happens, I’m going to be done in about three seconds and I’d really like to wait just a little longer before I embarrass myself again this evening.

“Oh fuck, honey, that feels so good and I really don’t want you to stop, but…shit…I’m not going to be able to hold out much longer if you keep doing that.”

She doesn’t laugh, or argue, and she looks pretty proud of herself as she removes her mouth from me and looks up. My chest is heaving and I lick my lips.

“Get up here,” I say with enough authority that she knows I’m not messing around.

It must have worked because she’s standing up in a second and stripping off her clothes until she is fully naked in front of me.

“God fucking damn it, you’re gorgeous,” I groan, reaching out a hand for her.

Rather than climb directly onto my lap again, she shakes her head and leans down to unbutton my shirt and drag it down my arms. I love the way her warm hands feel on me as she quickly undresses me. She yanks my pants the rest of the way down my legs and off until I’m completely naked, too. She stops for a minute and looks me over. My mind drifts back to the time she caught me in the shower, jerking off while thinking of her. Luckily now, I get to do a lot more than just imagine things.

This time when I pull her by the hand, she immediately relents, straddling my lap once more. I dive onto her mouth to kiss her hard while I grab her hips tightly. She whines quietly as she automatically starts rubbing her soaking wet slit over my cock. It feels amazing, but I need to be inside of her again; I can’t wait any longer. With one lift of her hips and some maneuvering with my hand, she sinks down onto my shaft, letting me fill her up entirely.

“Oh…oh my god!” she cries out.

We stay like that for a minute, neither one of us moving yet, and I bring my hand up to the back of her neck, pulling her closer to me.

“I’ve missed you so much…” I murmur into her shoulder and I hear her sigh happily.

When she starts to move, slowly, over my dick, my grip on her tightens and I thrust up to match her rhythm. I can’t stop looking her deep in the eyes, so when she tries to look away, I gently guide her face towards me again. My hands travel down her sides and back up again, around to her ass, and then over her thighs. I want to touch every part of her and I can’t believe how long I’ve gone without feeling her. I love how it feels with her slowly fucking me, but I can’t stop the urge to have her pounding away on top of me.

“Ride me harder, sweetheart,” I tell her with a groan as I jerk her body forward.

She does exactly what I say and starts moving hard and fast on top of me, her hands holding onto my shoulders and her forehead pressed to mine.

“I love you, Five. I need you and I love you,” she tells me, and she sounds so desperate.

I’ve never been so happy to hear something in my whole life and it’s almost painful to feel the amount of love that is flowing through me right now. “I know, baby. I’m so sorry for everything. I love you so much.”

It’s hard to focus on everything all at once. I want to keep kissing her and tell her so many things. I want to feel her body pressed against mine, her hands all over me, and her harsh breathing on my skin. The desperate noises we are making are getting louder and higher pitched, and underneath all of that, I can hear the wet slapping noises between the two of us as her cunt passes over my dick. She is fucking me as hard as she can, but it’s not enough; I want more.

I don’t say anything or ask if it’s ok before I lift her off by her hips, pulling out and throwing her next to me so that she’s lying on her back. She’s sprawled out, whining at the loss of my body against hers. That doesn’t last long though, because I’m back on top of her in a second, thrusting inside of her again while I hold myself over her.

“I do love you, but fuck , I want to destroy this body of yours right now,” I warn between clenched teeth.

“I’m all yours,” she moans, throwing her head back as I slam into her.

I am rough and relentless, and even though I’m fucking her to the point I’m sure it’s almost painful, she is screaming for more. She is gasping for air and whimpering with each forceful drive of my cock inside of her. I’m starting to sweat and my hair is hanging in my face, but I keep my eyes trained on her. I’m hoping to god she’s getting close because I know I am and this is one race I do not want to win.

“Five…Five, oh my god yes!”

Hearing that is too much, though, and suddenly I’m violently coming inside of her. “Ah, fff-fuck!”

She is falling apart, clutching at my shoulders and writhing beneath me, her body spasming with pleasure as she lets out a sobbing cry that is filled with emotions. My manic thrusting stops as I stiffen against her, my hips twitching as I fill her up with a surge of cum. My moans are loud and long as I hold myself over her, finally lowering myself down enough to kiss her through panting breaths.

As my body relaxes, she pulls me onto her so I can press my face into the crook of her neck, my chest flush with hers. We trade soft kisses back and forth as we both try to catch our breath. She smiles at me and pushes my hair off my damp forehead, trailing her fingers down the side of my neck and over my shoulder. I could stay like this forever.

“Shit, that was amazing. I want you like that every day,” she tells me. “Although, maybe you have lots of important things to do this evening? Should I leave?”

I let out a long sigh. “Is this going to be a thing? You’re just going to make me pay for my stupid behavior again and again?”

She shrugs and gives me that impossibly cute smart-ass look of hers. “Probably.”

I return it by giving her a small bite to the side of her neck and I chuckle when she yelps. I hold myself over her so I can look down on her, one eyebrow raised. “I suppose that’s fair. But you are the only important thing I have to do this evening and you are never leaving again.”

“Oh, so now you’re holding me captive?”

“I’m afraid so,” I tell her sadly.

She laughs and pulls me down to kiss me again. “You’re so cute when you’re all soft and sweet like this.”

“I think we’ve been over this,” I say with a frown. “I am not cute. I am an angry, smoldering, sex god.”

Running a hand over my back and down, she grabs my ass and gives it a squeeze. “Yes, you are. And you are my smoldering sex god.”

I don’t know about the sex god part of it, but I know I am undeniably hers from now on. I smile. “Yes, I am.”

After another quick kiss, I help her up off the couch and she heads to the bathroom to get cleaned up. I still can’t believe this is real and I just stand there like a big, naked dope smiling to myself because I’m so happy right now.

When she comes back out, I’m still there waiting for her and I watch as she bends down to pick up her underwear that was discarded on the floor. I startle her when I grab them from out of her hands and tilt her face up with a hand on her chin.

“What do you think you’re doing?” I ask with a smirk.

She blinks up at me and sticks her bottom lip out. “I thought I was getting dressed.”

Without taking my eyes off her, I hurl the balled-up panties over her shoulder so that they land halfway across the room. “Like hell you are.”

Then, just to be a giant prick, I grab her around the waist and in half a second we are falling out of one of my portals and onto my bed. She lets out a shriek as her back hits the mattress and I laugh evilly when I land next to her. This might be my favorite party trick and it never gets old.

After she gets her wits about her, she sits up with a scowl and punches me in the arm. “Don’t ever do that without giving me a heads-up again! Fuck, that was weird.”

“Sorry, darling. But when you have the ability to teleport a beautiful, naked woman into your bed, it’s nearly impossible not to take advantage of the opportunity.”

She’s probably still trying to get that foggy feeling to leave her brain, but I don’t wait before I kiss her again, deep and hard while I push her back onto the bed. I know she can already feel me getting harder as I lay myself over her.

With a giggle, she pulls back. “Already? Pretty impressive for someone your age.”

I flip a piece of hair out of my eyes and gaze down at her with an expression I’ve been told makes me look like an arrogant asshole. “Sweetheart, if you think for one minute you are getting any kind of break tonight, think again. We have a lot of time to make up for and with that amazing fucking body of yours, I get hard as a rock just looking at you.”

She lets out a little whimper that has me proving my previous statement as I start pressing myself against her thigh. She lays her head back and lets me kiss down her neck and over her chest. Her hands are warm and firm as they travel over my body in response. Everything is perfect and I’m in heaven.

"Five?”

“Yes, love?” I ask, not stopping as I move my mouth to her cleavage, sucking at the skin there while I massage her perfect tits and lightly graze her nipples with my fingertips.

“I want this to be real. And I want it to last.” I stop what I am doing and look up at her. “If you think there’s a chance that tomorrow or next week or even a month from now you are going to change your mind; if there’s any doubt at all…then I can’t do this. So, tell me now if this is just another impulse you are acting on but are going to regret in the morning. Tell me if you’re going to wake up tomorrow and say none of this was real. Because that shit hurt and I don’t want to feel that bad ever again.”

It’s like someone just ripped my heart out of my chest. I look at her face and it’s filled with so much uncertainty and hurt, and it was all caused by me. I want to reassure her that I will never do anything like that again, but I hardly know where to start. My mouth opens partially before closing again. I reposition myself so that I am lying next to her, placing my hand gently on the side of her face, urging her to look at me. I want to look her in the eyes so that she knows I mean it.

“I know I hurt you. I was horrible to you and I understand why you don’t want to trust me right now. I wish you could see inside my head and know how fucking sorry I am. How I wish I could take back everything I said to you that morning. All I can do is beg for your forgiveness and let me try and make it up to you. I meant everything I said. I’ll take care of you. I want to make you happy. And I want you with me not just for tonight, but always. I love you.”

“Ok,” she whispers with a small nod. “I believe you.”

“I’m serious. I can’t promise I will never do anything stupid again or that I will magically stop being an asshole sometimes, but I can promise that I will never deny my feelings for you again.”

She nods again, and then her mouth turns up in a cute little smile. “Never? Even when I’m incredibly annoying and wiping my snotty nose all over your shirtsleeve?”

I make a disgusted face that has her giggling. “You wiped your nose on me?”

“Just once or twice when you weren’t looking.”

I shake my head. “No wonder I ended up with your disease ten days later.”

She smiles and traces my lips with her fingertips. “A deadly disease and a punch in the face? Just for little old me?”

I kiss the tips of her fingers and nod. “And I would do it all over again a million times if it meant you’d end up here. Specifically, right here, underneath me and naked.”

When I start to kiss her again, I feel her body react as she sighs into me, and her hips start slowly rolling upwards. She tries to drag my body on top of hers, but I don’t let her. Instead, I pull away from her mouth to look at her again, my fingers following the curve of her jaw. I have been thinking of something she said while she was talking in her feverish dreams that night, and I’m going to need to try it out.

“I told you I’d take care of you and I meant it.” I give her another kiss. “So, let Daddy take care of you, my love.”

Her reaction is just what I was hoping for as she sucks in a loud breath and bites at her lip, her hips pressing up again. I laugh, kissing her gently while running the back of my hand down her cheek.

“I take it you like that, sweetheart?” I murmur as I move under her chin.

She whines out some sort of response that might resemble a yes, and I smile with approval while my mouth travels back down her neck and onto her collarbone.

“I want to make you feel good.” I go about sucking a dark bruise onto the hollow between her shoulder and neck, making her hiss through clenched teeth. “Tell Daddy what you want, darling.”

“Shit,” she breathes out, at the same time trying desperately to push herself against me, but I’m being mean and not letting her. “I really fucking like it when you say things like that,” she moans.

I’m trailing my lips over the soft skin of her neck. She’s so beautiful and I nuzzle my face into her shoulder, sighing happily. “Do you? Now, how did I know that I wonder?” My hands start roaming all over her body. I continue to speak close to her ear and bite her earlobe. “What else, my love? Tell me. Tell me everything you want.”

With a whine, she closes her eyes and tips her head back. “I want to feel your hands all over me. I dream about your hands.”

Well, that’s new information. But it’s definitely going to work in my favor because if she likes my hands, I love exploring every square inch of her body with them.

I place another deep, sucking kiss that brands a mark onto her neck and she tries to stifle a whimper, but it comes out anyway. One of my hands is already making its way down her side and onto her hip while my other gently pets her hair as I hold myself partially over her with my forearm.

My fingers trace along the curves of her thighs and onto her stomach. I continue watching her face as I map out her body, bit by bit until she is so starved for more, she tries to push my hand between her legs. I’m quicker and stronger, though, and I pull my hand away with a sly grin and a shake of my head. I really am being a bastard right now.

“If you want something, sweetheart, you need to tell me.”

She gives a small groan of frustration, but she meets my eyes as her hips jerk upwards.

“Fuck me with your hand, Daddy.”

Damn, if that isn’t the hottest thing I’ve ever heard and I think about forgetting her request altogether and just slamming my cock into her instead. I resist, though, and I lower my head to bury my face into her shoulder again. “Oh, shit I love hearing that,” I tell her.

I want to give her everything she wants though, so I get back to work, my hand slowly moving across her lower abdomen and then lower still. I tease by stroking the crease between her thighs and hips and then pull away again. She is getting more and more worked up by my fingers traveling over her body. I decide to crank up the dirtiness level just a little by bringing my hand up to her mouth and pushing my two fingers inside. She immediately grabs my hand by the wrist and starts sucking on them, wetting them all over and slipping her tongue in between. Her eyes fall shut and she moans. I push them in and out a few times, and I like the way she looks when I do that.

“You look so pretty like this, baby,” I tell her before I remove them and she licks at her lips.

I give her another kiss before I’m back to tracing lines over her breasts, leaving a trail of her own saliva over each one. I keep moving down, over her stomach again and around to her hip. It’s slow, but the anticipation makes it all the more erotic when my fingers finally make contact with the satiny area between her legs. The noise she lets out is loud and long and when I slip two digits inside of her tight hole, she cries out; pressing her hips up to try and fuck my fingers.

“Five! Ohhh...god...”

“Don’t close your eyes. Look at me,” I order her, and she obeys.

I want to see her reaction to every little movement and calculated maneuver I perform on her. I also want to hear her. I want her to cry out my name and scream so loud the neighbors will think something is wrong. The crease between her eyes deepens and her mouth falls open as she keeps her eyes on me like I want; all while I am fucking her slowly and deliberately with my hand.

“That’s my sweet girl. Just like that.”

When I curl my fingers inside of her and press my thumb into her clit, she grips the bed covers on either side with her fists and arches her back off the bed.

“Oh, fuck yes!” she screams out.

Watching her like this is turning me on like crazy, and I have to tell myself to keep going. I want to pound my cock inside of her again, to feel her tight cunt around me as I slam mercilessly against it. I keep fingering her, but the thought of everything else I want to do is getting to me and I can’t help rubbing my dick against her leg.

She is so wet that my hand is covered in the slick of her arousal, and it’s dripping down my wrist. I push in deeper and work her clit harder while she writhes around, thrusting her hips up. I’m practically humping her leg now, shoving my cock between her thigh and the bed, and I can’t fucking stop. Any contact with her body against my raging hard-on feels amazing and I want more.

Right before she comes, she grabs my hand and shoves it harder against herself, grinding and bucking against it while the noises she’s making get louder and louder. I feel like my dick is going to explode I’m so worked up right now and just watching her fall apart like this is making it worse.

When she starts to squeeze her eyes shut, I don’t let her. “Look at me,” I demand, and she does.

“Ff-iive!” she moans as she pulses against me, her grip on my wrist tightening.

When she calms down and her hand slackens on mine, I pull my soaking-wet fingers out. She smiles dreamily up at me and lets out a breathy laugh.

“Sorry, I got a little—”

I don’t let her finish what she was going to say, because all I can think about are my own needs at the moment. I want to fuck her so badly, but I know that I’m going to come instantaneously if I shove my dick into her right now. Instead, I take her hips and flip her over while I sit up on my knees behind her, pulling her towards me so that her ass is in the air directly in front of me. I hear her make a little squeal of surprise, but I barely register it.

When I haul back and smack her voluptuous ass cheek with the flat of my hand, leaving a beautiful pink mark on her skin, she cries out louder.

“Be a good girl and stay right there for Daddy,” I growl.

All I can think about is how she is finally mine and no one else can have her. I violently pump my hand over my dick as I stare at the perfectly round ass that belongs to only me. I rub one cheek while I’m still jerking my cock; she is moaning while sprawled out on the bed in front of me, ass in the air. It’s such a depraved scene and what I’m about to do will probably not be appreciated, but I can’t be bothered to care at the moment. After a few more strokes I am unloading all over her, covering her with ropes of my cum. I watch as it pools in the small of her back and drips down in between her crack. More of it lands directly on her ass and is sliding down the backs of her thighs.

I want this image to be burned into my brain, as sick as that sounds. I feel like I just marked her as my own like some sort of territorial animal. Some psychiatrist out there would probably have a field day with me right now, but fuck them. She is mine and here’s the sticky, milky proof all over her.

“Fuck!” I yell as the last few drops spurt out.

I’m breathing loud and hard and it takes me a minute to fully grasp what I just did, which was jerking off all over her ass and back without any warning or permission to do so. I can’t see her face either, because she has it turned to the side and her hair is partially covering it.

“Shit, I’m sorry,” I start to say, but then she pushes her hair away and glances back at me as she lowers her body so she’s flat on the bed again. I start to feel a little better when I see she’s smiling.

“Damn, Daddy, you are one horny, perverted old man!”

“Yeah, that was not my finest moment, was it? I am so sorry,” I say sheepishly.

She laughs. “Don’t be sorry. Anytime you want to take charge like that, you can do whatever you want to me.”

I break into a wide grin. “That’s a good thing, then, because I have many more dirty things in mind that I’d like to do to you.”

“Can’t wait,” she says in that sexy way I love.

She’s still lying there covered in my semen that is rapidly cooling and sticking to her skin. Even if she says she’s ok with me jerking off all over her, it is probably not the greatest feeling in the world, so I tell her to wait there as I blink into the bathroom to get a warm washcloth to clean her off with.

After all that is taken care of, we settle into bed. She feels so good snuggled up next to me, her body warm next to mine, and I breathe in the scent of her strawberry-infused hair that I have been missing so much. I love how soft her skin is and I can’t stop running my hands up and down her arm and hip as I pull her in closer, her back flush with my chest.

We are quiet for a while, just comfortable in the silence until I speak up. There’s so much I want to tell her, and I’m not even sure where to start.

“You know, for years I would dream about this. About having someone to fall asleep with and wake up with.”

“What about Dolores?”

“I loved Dolores with all my heart, and I will always love her. But there were many nights, after she fell asleep, that I would allow myself to think about what it would be like to have someone that could kiss or hug me back. To touch me at all, really. That’s probably why I liked reading all of those romance novels. There wasn’t a lot of physical love in my house growing up, and then there was only Dolores. My two sources for any affection in my life came from my robot mother and my mannequin wife.”

I let out a small laugh at that, but she doesn’t return it. Instead, she just squeezes my hand and pulls my arms tighter around her. She waits for me to keep going.

“So, those books were the only reference I had for real love. And I wanted that for so long. After a while, though, I just stopped thinking about it. Because I knew it was never going to happen. It was all just a made-up fantasy.”

“I’m so sorry, Five,” she says quietly.

“Don’t be. All of that made me into the fully functioning and mentally stable man you know and love today.”

At that, she does laugh. “You are one of a kind, Five, that’s for sure.”

“That’s another thing,” I start as I rub my cheek against her hair. “Are you sure you’re ok with…you know…my situation?”

“What does that mean?”

“Well, by my rusty mental math, I am technically more than double your age.”

She’s silent for a minute and I think maybe she really is re-thinking this whole thing. “I know that. I don’t care.”

“Are you sure? Because it’s not going to get any better, you know. I’m just going to keep getting older and crankier. Pretty soon, I’m going to want to eat dinner at 4 pm and bitch about my expired grocery coupons.”

She giggles. “I don’t think you can get any crankier than you already are, so I don’t have to worry about that. And the rest I can deal with.” She flips over so she’s looking at me. She threads her fingers into my hair at the back of my neck and I close my eyes at her touch. “I love you because of, not in spite of, all of that. I love you for all that you are, Five. Even the cranky, old man parts.”

When she kisses me, it’s the softest, most loving kiss I have ever felt and I want to melt into her. “With you, I get the best of both worlds. Hot young guy with the mature mind and life experiences of an older man. What’s not to love?”

I lean in for another kiss, and when she breaks away from it, she gives me a little smile. “Besides, as long as you keep fucking me like you’ve been, I don’t care if you’re sixty or six hundred years old.”

She throws her leg over my hip and I shake my head with a smile. “Honey, I really don’t think that’s going to be a problem.”

“I can tell,” she says before pushing harder against me and kissing me again.

The next morning, after one of the best sleeps of my life, I wake up to the smell of freshly roasted coffee and a soft kiss on my cheek. When I open my eyes, there’s my girl, standing over me and setting a tray down on the table next to the bed. I barely notice the coffee cups with their fragrant steam drifting out of the tops, because I can’t take my eyes off of her. I must be having one hell of a dream right now because she’s wearing one of my t-shirts with nothing else on except a pair of cotton panties adorned with little pink cats. When I smile blearily up at her, still in the process of fully waking, she laughs at me.

“What?” I ask, as I try and haul myself up to a sitting position.

“Your hair. It’s sticking up everywhere. You look like you stuck your finger in a light socket.”

I frown and pat my hand on top of my head, feeling the rat’s nest that’s there. “Give me a break, ok? I just had a pretty wild night. Some crazy woman kept trying to maul me all night long.”

She presses her lips together in an effort not to laugh. “Well, I can hardly blame her. Have you seen yourself with no clothes on? Kind of ridiculous to expect to be left alone.”

“Come here, crazy,” I say as I reach out and yank her towards me by her hand.

She lands sideways on my lap and I kiss her while she attempts to smooth my hair into place. “I brought you some coffee,” she tells me after I let her up for air.

“Thank you, love. Although that hardly seems fair that you’re serving me coffee. Don’t you have to work today?”

She shakes her head. “I was supposed to, but I asked my boss and she said I should stay here today, instead.”

I reach for one of the mugs of coffee and hand it to her before taking my own. “Your boss sounds very smart.” When she giggles at that, I run a hand over her bare thigh and give it a squeeze. “Especially since you’re wearing these little cat panties I love so much. I was hoping I’d get to see these again.

She makes a little face over her coffee mug. “What do you mean, again?”

I take a drink from my own mug and give her a crooked smile. “You already gave me a nice little show in them before. Although I definitely prefer you wearing my shirt over them instead of my brother’s.”

“What…wait…you remember that? You were wasted drunk!”

I roll my eyes at her. “No amount of alcohol would let me forget you standing half-naked in my doorway trying to look mad but not really succeeding.”

She scoffs at me. “I was mad! You were being obnoxious!”

“Right. And you weren’t being obnoxious when you decided to put on that little vocally-driven performance right afterward?”

That makes her break and laugh, and she leans in to give me a kiss. “You know why I did that, right?”

“To torture me until I considered stabbing a pencil into my ears?” I deadpan.

“No…” she smirks. “For one, I wanted to piss you off and make you jealous. Show you what you were missing out on.”

“Uh-huh…well mission accomplished.”

“And two, well, there was a reason I was acting much more spirited than usual.”

“Spirited? It sounded like you were possessed.”

She runs a hand down my chest. “Maybe I was thinking of someone else at the time.”

I like where this is going and I raise my eyebrows before taking a sip of my coffee. “Go on. I like the turn this story is taking.”

“Well, I won’t go into detail, but just know that all of those noises you heard, were caused by you.”

I set my mug down and then grab hers to do the same. With my hands free, I pull her closer to me while I slip a finger into the waistband of her underwear and snap it against her skin.

“Naughty girl,” I murmur before kissing her hard on the mouth.

“Maybe so,” she says when she pulls away, “But, I’m willing to bet that gave you some nice material to use for a few lonely nights?”

When I pull her by her hips over my lap, there is no way she is missing the growing hard-on I’ve got going on under the sheets. “Baby, you have no idea how much material that gave me.”

Before I can get too involved with my roaming hands and mouth, she stops me by pulling back. My eyebrows crease together and my lips form a tight line with annoyance. I don’t like not being able to indulge in an early morning bone session at the moment. Especially when she’s sitting here, grinding her tight little ass against said bone.

“Before you get too carried away, and before you start pouting any more than you already are, I have to show you something.”

“Is it under your panties?”

She sighs and rolls her eyes at me. “No.” Then she reaches over and takes something off the tray. She hands me a book and when I look at it, I see it’s the book we read together. Love In The Time Of Cholera. And it’s not just any copy, it’s my exact one.

I look up at her in surprise. “This is mine! I’ve been looking everywhere for it. I thought I lost it when I moved.”

She shrugs and smiles shyly. “I may have stolen it from your room before.”

“You stole it from me?”

“Kind of. After we were done reading it, I put it in my bag because I wanted to take it home to reread it again. And I meant to tell you and bring it back when I was done. But then you decided to be the world’s biggest asshole…”

“Yeah, I know that part, we don’t need to rehash that again.”

“Well, anyway, I forgot it was in there and I left with it. So, there it has stayed, in my bag for the past six months. Which is how it ended up here again because I brought my bag with me when I left work last night.”

I turn the book over in my hands and smile. “I love this book. For obvious reasons.”

“So…will you read to me?” she asks, just like she did before, with the big eyes and the pouty lip.

“You want me to read this again? Are you sure? Because there are a lot of other things I can think of that we could be doing right here, right now, in this bed.”

She shakes her head, and then climbs off my lap, taking her coffee cup, and then snuggling up next to me under the covers. “I want to lie right here next to you, all warm and cozy, while you read our book to me with that super sexy voice of yours.”

I smile and kiss her forehead. “Well, when you flatter me like that, how can I resist?” I start to settle in and open the book. “And then…”

She sighs. “Yes, and then you may use me to take care of that giant bed snake I felt stabbing me in the leg just now.”

“I’m going to remember you said ‘giant’, by the way.”

“Just read the damn book, Five.”

“Yes, my darling. Anything for you.”

Chapter Nine: Hey Daddy

“Five!” you yell from the bedroom, as you’re on your hands and knees, frantically searching under the bed. “Where are my shoes?”

You hear his voice from the other room. “How the hell do I know?”

“Well, can you come here and help me look for them? I’m going to be late!”

After a few seconds, Five comes striding casually into the room, holding out a pair of strappy black heels that are dangling from his fingers. “Looking for these?”

“Oh! Yes, thank you! Where were they?”

“One was on the kitchen counter and the other was lying on the sofa.”

You give an exasperated sigh as you start tugging them onto your feet, using Five’s shoulder to steady yourself so you don’t tip over. “How in the world…I am a walking disaster this morning!”

When you get your shoes on, you straighten up and tug your clothes down, then you smooth your hair. Your nerves and scattered brain are obvious and Five grabs your hands in his. You can see he’s trying not to laugh at you.

“Hey, everything is going to be fine. You’re supposed to be having fun. It’s a celebration, remember? Not a tax audit.”

You give him a strained smile and you’re dying to start picking at your fingernails, but he’s got your hands held tight. “I know, but there’s just so much to do. I have to make sure all of the food is there, and the gifts for my staff and the music…” Five gives your hands a squeeze when he sees you starting to panic again.

“You’ve gone over everything a million times, it’s all done. All you have to do now is show up, be your delightful, albeit slightly neurotic self, and celebrate your one-year anniversary of ownership.”

“You’re right,” you sigh.

“As always.”

You give him an irritated look at his response, but you only receive a smirk in return. Then he leans in to kiss you and suddenly you feel a little more relaxed.

“You’re going to come by later?” you ask him.

“Absolutely. I want to hear you make your big speech, and also snag some of that good champagne we bought. I can’t let all of that go to waste on the riff-raff over there.”

“They are not riff-raff, they are my loyal customers.”

“If Klaus is there, they are riff-raff.”

You laugh. “That’s true. He said he was coming and bringing friends.”

“See?”

“Well, anyway, don’t be late. What are you doing before then?”

“Going to visit Leroy and Mr. Featherbottom the Third. They’ll be expecting me.”

After a deep sigh and a look up, while you mutter under your breath, you look back at Five. “You’re naming them now?”

“Well, not all of them, that’s ridiculous. Just the frequent flyers.” A giant grin spreads across his face. “Get it?”

“Oh, I get it alright. I get that my boyfriend is a certifiable nutcase and is starting to name pigeons at the park.”

“You’re just jealous.”

“I’m jealous of some dirty old pigeons?”

“Yes. You’re jealous because I have to split my time between you and my feathered friends and you can’t handle the competition.”

You let out another frustrated sigh, but your exterior is starting to crack and you can’t help smiling as you pull your hands away from his and put them on his shoulders. “I can assure you, my sexy old man, that I am not jealous. Because if I were, that would mean you’d be doing something much weirder with those birds than feeding them in the park, and if that’s the case we need to have a long talk. And I don’t have time for that right now.”

He gives your cheeks a squeeze and kisses you on the mouth. “I promise you are the only one, human or non-human, that I am doing weird things with.”

“Glad to hear it. Now, I need to get going, so tell Mr. Featherbutt…”

“Bottom.”

“Whatever…tell him I said hi and I’ll see you later today, ok?”

“I’ll be there.”

You start looking around the room. “Now where the hell are my car keys, I know I just had them.”

Five fishes around in his pants pocket and pulls out your keys, holding them up in front of you with that know-it-all look of his.

“Damn it! Where were they?” you ask as you snatch them out of his hand.

“In the dishwasher.”

“In the dish…what in the hell is wrong with me today?”

Five shakes his head. “I’m not sure, but you are so damn cute, you know that?”

You give him a hasty kiss on the cheek and then you’re hurrying out the door. “Yes, I know I am, but thank you for reminding me. Love you!”

The anniversary party for your café has been planned for weeks. You never had a grand opening celebration, since you had just taken it over from the previous owner, but you decided you needed to mark the occasion somehow. Five had helped you with the planning, which ended up being extremely helpful and annoying at the same time. As it turns out, which was not a huge surprise, an uptight man with attention to detail and a lot of spare time on his hands can be a bit much. But he really did take care of a good portion of it, so you were very thankful in the end.

On your drive in to work, you let your mind wander and start thinking about how happy you are at this point in your life. Your business is profitable, you have a good staff that likes and respects you, and you are no longer lonely. Only a few weeks after your reunion, you had moved in with Five. Everyone you had told at the time had thought you were crazy and moving way too fast, but you knew deep down that it was the right choice. You two were happy together and neither of you were going anywhere. So, it just made sense.

Now it was six months later and you had never been so in love. He had not broken his promise of making sure you were always taken care of and he did everything in his power to make you happy. Not that you needed much. You made sure he was content with your life together, too. And even though his old man tendencies sometimes tried your patience, you were happy if he was happy. The amazing sex was an added bonus.

The party was supposed to be an all-day event, with free coffee, music, and glasses of champagne for every customer. Then, you were going to close early and have the party continue for just your staff. They were as much of a part of the success of your business as you were, and you want them to feel appreciated. The staff party was when Five was supposed to drop by.

The event goes well and when Five does walk in, you catch him out of the corner of your eye while you’re deep in conversation with someone. You are drawn immediately out of it, though, when you do a double take as he stands across the room, watching you and waiting for you to finish. You’re pretty sure your jaw drops open and you feel your heart start to beat faster.

“Holy shit,” you mutter to yourself as you rudely blow off the person you are talking to and start heading in Five’s direction.

He is dressed impeccably in a black, three-piece, tailored suit and black tie. His hair has been freshly cut and combed neatly into place. And he smells amazing. For a second, all you can do is stare and you feel like you’re back in the apartment when you were dating Klaus and you were eyeing him up from afar, imagining dirty scenarios about the two of you. Then you snap out of it and remember he’s yours now, even if you still find yourself imagining dirty scenarios.

You run the palms of your hands down the front of his suit coat and down to his waist before bringing them up again, grabbing his tie and smoothing it down.

“Hey, Daddy,” you say quietly while looking up at him hungrily.

When he draws a line down your cheek with the back of his finger, you shiver. “Hello, darling.” He places a hand on your chin and raises your face up before leaning down to kiss you sensually. You hope the sound you made wasn’t audible by anyone else because it is embarrassingly pathetic. Five pulls back with a satisfied smirk because he knows he looks fucking good and that you’re weak in the knees for him right now.

“Are you feeling alright, sweetheart?” he asks like the giant asshole he is.

“You look amazing…and I think you know it.”

Five shrugs and puts his hands in his pants pockets, which only accentuates the lean lines of his body even more. He looks around cooly and then back at you. “Thank you, but I was just trying to clean up a little for your special occasion. I didn’t want to come in here looking like a bum.”

“I don’t think it’s possible for you to look like a bum, but you most definitely went above and beyond with this suit.” You can’t help but run your hands down his chest again. “Damn it, Five, this isn’t fair.”

“What’s not fair?”

You look around to make sure no one is close enough to hear you. “How badly I want to take you into the back room so you can fuck me against a wall right now.”

He laughs. “Since I know you want to remain professional at the moment, how about this? I will most definitely fuck you against any wall you wish once we get home later tonight.”

“I can live with that, I suppose. I just want you to know, though, that you are the hottest man in here by a mile and I have already seen at least two women checking you out.”

“Is that so?” he asks with a quirk of his brow. He looks around the room. “Which ones?”

You roll your eyes. “Alright, your hotness factor is starting to diminish now.”

“Yours hasn’t,” he tells you before kissing you again.

Just then, Klaus enters the shop. You can see he has dressed for the occasion as well, with fitted red velvet pants that flare at the bottom and a flowy green shirt that is halfway unbuttoned down the front. It should be a hideous outfit, but Klaus makes it look good. You can already see a few people eyeing him up. When he sees you and Five, he makes his way over.

“Hey there,” he says as he saunters up. “Well, don’t you two look adorable? Kind of makes me nostalgic for the good old days, if you know what I’m saying.”

Klaus leans in to give you a quick kiss and Five scowls at him. “Watch it.”

Klaus puts a hand to his chest, feigning offense. “My dear brother, have no fear. I wasn’t suggesting anything lewd between me and your lady love.” He pauses and smiles while looking Five up and down. “You are most definitely included in the equation, too, you sexy bastard.”

Five gives an exacerbated huff. “Klaus, you’re disgusting.”

“Why thank you!” Klaus turns to look at you. “Great job, by the way, I’m very proud of you.”

“Thanks, Klaus,” you say.

“Now, I heard there was booze here?”

You laugh. “Yes, the champagne is over there. Help yourself.”

“I shall,” Klaus replies as he floats away in the direction of the table loaded with flutes of sparkling wine. You watch as one of your employees immediately rushes over to him, and within thirty seconds Klaus already has his arm around the lucky man. You laugh and shake your head. He really does have a way of charming everyone he meets.

After a few more minutes, you make sure everyone has a glass and you take one for yourself before you head to the front of the room, facing the small crowd of coworkers and friends. Klaus and his new boy toy go over to stand next to Five.

“Excuse me, everyone?” you start, gathering the group’s attention until the room is quiet and all eyes are on you. You suddenly feel very nervous, even though all of these people are close to you and they feel like family. Your gaze drifts to Five standing at the back of the room, and he gives you an encouraging smile.

“I just had a few brief words to say about marking this one-year anniversary of the café. I want to thank every single person in this room for all of their hard work and dedication. Without you, we would not be the success we have become today. I love my job and I love my staff, which is much more than most people can say about their work. You are all truly wonderful and I cannot thank you enough.”

Everyone claps at that and when the noise dies down again, you continue on.

“I also need to thank someone else, and that is my very supportive, yet mildly abrasive boyfriend.” When you see Five react with surprise, you smile. “Five, you are truly the love of my life and I owe a lot of my success to you, too. You make me a more confident person and I always know that you will have my back. Plus, I have become pretty good at conflict resolution because of you, since living with you every day has its definite conflicts.”

You laugh when he gives you an exhausted look. “But I wouldn’t change any of it, because you are my rock and I love you so much. Thank you for loving me back.”

There is a chorus of “aws” throughout the room. Five has a combined expression of embarrassment, pride, and love on his face. You watch as Klaus nudges him with his shoulder in a fond gesture.

You continue on with a smile. “Because I love you so much, I was trying to think of a new name for the place that would be a little tribute to you. The obvious name would be ‘Cholera and Coffee’, but I have a feeling that would not be good for business.” Everyone laughs, including Five. “Then I thought of ‘Bean My Baby’, since I know that’s your favorite song.” Five raises an eyebrow at you. “Then it was ‘The Old Man And The Tea’, but that was too long.”

“In the end, I decided on ‘Books, Love, and Coffee’, because you don’t know this yet, but I am going to add a small library of classic romance books to the store so that customers can sit and enjoy their drinks while they read about love. And hopefully, it will inspire them to find someone perfect for themselves, just like we have done.”

You can see Five get a little misty-eyed after you say that, and you have to control your happy tears, as well. After you finish your little speech with a toast to everyone, you go back over to Five where he immediately pulls you in close with an arm around your waist. He kisses you softly and looks deeply into your eyes.

“The Old Man And The Tea? Really?” he says dryly.

You laugh. “Come on, you have to admit that’s funny.”

“It’s not.”

You squeeze his cheeks in with your hand, just like he had done to you earlier and you plant a big kiss on his lips. “My grumpy old man…I love you.”

He tries to look irritated, but that makes his face squish together even more, which gets you giggling again before you let go.

“I love you, too. Against my better judgment,” he says.

“So, what do you think of my new idea with the library?”

“I think it’s great. I know you’ll make it work and it will draw more people in.”

“I might need your help with some logistical things.”

“I’d be happy to help, you know that. I’m always here for you.”

“I know that,” you smile. Then your eyes travel down his body again and suddenly you’re not thinking about the café anymore. You kind of wish everyone else would get the fuck out so he could pound you into one of the tables, health code violation be damned.

“We need to get home soon,” you tell him with a hand on his chest. “I can’t keep looking at you in this suit without having some very inappropriate thoughts.”

Five smirks and pulls you in closer, his hand rubbing up and down your back, making your skin tingle. “Yes, we do need to get home. I’m going to need details of these inappropriate thoughts and then we can work on making them happen.”

When you two arrive back home, it’s late and you’re exhausted. You kick off your heels in the middle of the living room, prompting Five to pick them up with a heavy sigh and place them neatly near the door.

“I need to shower,” you tell him.

His mouth turns up in a mischievous smile. “Is that an invitation?”

“I’ll let you decide.”

Once you are in the shower and you have washed the grime of the day off of you, you start to wonder if Five is going to join you in there after all. You are just about to turn the water off and step out when you shriek loudly as your body is forced flat against the tile wall. Five is behind you, his body pressed against yours and his lips on the damp skin of your neck.

“What took you so long?” you say as you try to catch your breath.

“I was torturing myself by seeing how long I could hold out before blinking in here to violate you. Turns out, it’s really not that long.”

“Felt like a long time to me.”

“Sweetheart, how many times do I have to tell you…just ask for what you want and I’ll give it to you,” he murmurs against you.

His hands drift down your arms, encircling your wrists to hold them tightly. He’s in complete control of you, trapping you between the wall and his body, your arms pinned to your side. You turn your head and look over your shoulder as best you can. His gaze catches yours and he grins.

“Lucky for you, I happen to know exactly what you want right now.”

“Oh, do you? And what’s that?” you answer back with as much sass as you can manage with your face smashed against the wall.

You feel the heat of his mouth against your wet and rapidly cooling shoulder. He licks up the water droplets that cover it and you can feel his teeth scrape lightly across your skin. You don’t think you will ever get tired of feeling his mouth on you and right now you would let him do just about anything without hesitation. And you have no doubt that he does know exactly what you want right now.

His voice is dark and husky as he speaks next to your ear. “You want me to make you helpless. You want to be fucked hard and rough until you can’t take it anymore.” He pauses to push his hard cock against your ass. “You need me, don’t you?”

“Yes,” you whimper, and maybe you sound a little pathetic but you know he likes it.

Taking your wrists, he roughly yanks them over your head and pins them to the wall. “Beg me,” he demands, and the hardness in his voice sends shivers down your spine. “Beg me to fuck you. I want to hear it.”

“Please,” you whine.

He takes your wrists and pulls them away from the wall before slamming them against the tile again. You notice that he keeps his hands around you in such a way that you don’t get hurt by the impact.

“You want to try that again, princess?” he hisses, before biting the side of your neck with enough force to make you flinch.

“Please, Five…I need you.”

“Keep going. Beg for my cock.”

He starts pushing against you harder, and your tits are smashed into the wall almost to the point of pain. But the feeling of him behind you, grinding his hard cock against your ass is making you so damn wet that it hardly matters what the rest of your body is doing.

You give out a little cry and try and push your ass back into him, but he’s stronger than you and there’s no way you can move. “Please, Five, please. I need you to fuck me.”

Five reaches over and grabs some soap off the shower shelf. He holds onto your wrists with one hand, using plenty of his strength to keep you there. You feel his soapy hand drag between your cheeks, his finger stopping and rubbing over your tight hole, dipping just a little inside before pulling back again. Then he is sliding his dick between your ass cheeks, pumping it back and forth with a long groan.

“God, I could come just from this,” he rasps before biting and sucking at your shoulder again, his hips jerking and snapping against you from behind.

“No…” you whimper sadly. You would much rather him come somewhere else.

“What’s that, sweetheart?” He slams his cock against you, the soap making it slide easily between your cheeks, rubbing over your hole. “You don’t want me to come like this? I thought you loved it when I cover that beautiful ass of yours with my cum.” His voice changes from sweet to menacing in a second and his hold on your wrists tightens, his fingers digging into the soft flesh of the underside.

He doesn’t demand an answer from you this time. Instead, he asks you another question. “Tell me, darling…who else fucks you like I do? Who else makes you scream?”

“No one,” you moan out, louder than you meant to. You’re so desperate and you don’t care how pitiful you’re becoming just from some dirty words and a dick pressed against you. “Only you, Five.”

His self-satisfied smirk is evident against your shoulder as he passes his lips over one and then moves to the other. He’s teasing you mercilessly as your pussy gets slicker with each second.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of hearing that,” he muses.

He lets your wrists go, but it’s only so that he can grab your upper arms and spin you around so that you are facing him. His eyes are dark, and the spray from the water has dampened his hair. He takes one hand briefly off of you to slick it back off his forehead before he has you in his full grip again, your back flush against the wall. When he rubs his dick between your legs, you moan and close your eyes.

He suddenly drops to his knees in front of you, and there’s no time to react because he’s moved his hands to your wrists again. Once again, your arms are pinned against the wall. Five looks up at you with feral eyes.

He keeps his intense gaze on you, even as he gives a long, slow lick through your throbbing heat. The sound that comes out of your mouth is high-pitched and desperate as you jerk your hips into him.

“Ohhh…Five…”

He doesn’t give you anymore just yet but makes you sweat it out while he kneels before you and watches your face.

“Did you like that, baby? Want more?”

“Yes, fuck yes I want more!”

He gives one more long lick up through the middle and then he stops just like before, leaving you desperate. You push your hips into him again, but he pulls his head back just enough that you can’t make contact.

“I could do this all day; you taste so fucking good. Maybe I will,” he teases with a dirty smile before diving back in again for another long, single lick.

“Ohh…god…please, Fiiive…” You can barely stutter out a coherent sentence you’re aching so badly for him.

“I love hearing you beg for me. Fuck, that turns me on.” He runs his tongue over you again, one time. “Keep going, sweetheart.”

“Fuuck…Five, you’re not being fair.”

“Oh, I’m aware.” Another single lap wets your already-soaked sex as he drags his tongue over it. “But I really do like watching you squirm like this.” He licks you again. “And let’s not forget who’s in charge here. So, if I want to make you wait, I guess you’re waiting. Isn’t that right, darling?”

You tip your head back against the wall with a frustrated sigh. “Yes.”

Five resumes his torture for several more minutes, one agonizing lick at a time. He continues to hold your arms down and any time you try to push yourself into his face, he backs off. You’re dying to come, but he won’t let you, and the more he makes you wait, the more he gets off on it.

When you’re absolutely sure you’re going to die from lack of sexual satisfaction, and the water has run cold so that your skin is covered in goosebumps, he finally relents.

“I think I’ve made you wait long enough. What do you think? You want to come on my mouth or my dick?” he asks with a crooked smile.

Your chest is heaving and you try to answer the best you can in between gasping breaths. “Fuck…I don’t care…just…fuck me!” You’re practically screaming you’re so desperate.

“I think both,” he says, right before he covers your cunt with his entire mouth.

It hardly takes anything at all. As soon as he is sucking at your clit and tongue fucking your pussy, you are falling apart. This time he doesn’t stop when you’re bucking wildly against his face as your orgasm ripples throughout your body, but he does keep your arms restrained. Your cries are echoing off the shower walls and throughout the whole apartment. If the neighbors didn’t know Five’s name before, they sure as hell do now.

“Oh, fuck…oh fuck…oh my god…” you pant as you try to compose yourself just a little after your body stops shaking.

Five pulls away from you and stands up, letting go of your wrists as he gives you another direction.

“I’m not done with you yet,” he growls, before picking up one of your legs and wrapping it around his hip. He pushes his cock into you with one deep thrust. “I’d hang on if I were you.”

With that warning, he’s pounding into you hard and fast as you scramble for purchase on the slick shower floor with your one foot, grasping onto his shoulders for support. Your back is being slammed against the wall as he uses all of his strength to fuck you as hard as possible.

“I…fucking…love…you,” he tells you in between his grunts and groans.

You wrap your arms around his neck and kiss him, even as he is currently trying to destroy your body and smash it into a million pieces.

“Five, I love you,” you tell him as you’re hungrily trying to kiss him more and more.

You’re going to come again, you can feel it building inside of you, as he continues to penetrate you over and over again. He has one hand on your leg, holding you up, while the other is in your hair, alternating between pulling and stroking it.

Five is moaning as he talks to you. “Fuck, you feel amazing. I’ll never love anyone like I love you. Please, don’t ever leave. Ah fuck! Damn it, I’m going to marry you!”

It’s maybe not the best time for him to be confessing his undying love and proposing to you, but it doesn’t matter. You lock eyes with one another and you smile before you kiss him again. A few seconds later, you’re climaxing together, clutching onto one another, both of you wet, cold, and shivering. As soon as you are both finished, and he lets your leg down, Five reaches over and turns the water off. Without the sound of the shower going, it feels intimately quiet. You are still shaking from the cold and having just had two back-to-back orgasms when Five helps you step out and wraps a towel around your body. Then he pulls you in close again, holding you tight.

“I’m sorry, I know that was probably not—"

“My answer is yes, by the way. I know you didn’t actually ask me, but if you do, my answer will be yes.”

The smile that he flashes you is so full of love that it makes you want to melt into the bathroom rug at your feet. “Alright then. Will you marry me?”

“Yes, Five, I will marry you. I love you more than anything.”

Five lifts you up so that your feet are off the ground and he kisses you again. “I promise, I will give you everything you deserve.”

“I’m not even sure I deserve you, but I’m so lucky I have you. You make me happy every day.”

“Good. Because I plan on doing that for the rest of our lives.”

It is three months later and you are at home by yourself. Five has been out with his family most of the day. You know this usually pisses him off like nothing else, and he will most likely return in a foul mood. You don’t mind, though; you are used to dealing with his mood swings. The only difference today is that you can hardly wait until he gets home.

You can’t sit still and keep trying to sit down, only to pop up seconds later to do some mundane task like dusting the baseboards or scrubbing out the kitchen sink even though it was already clean. You really hope he gets home soon because you are majorly on edge and you feel like your brain is going a mile a minute, with a constant whir of thoughts and emotions running through it.

You are standing in the kitchen, wiping down the counters for the tenth time when you hear him appear inside the doorway with the familiar supernatural noise that you’ve come to associate with Five’s preferred form of transportation. And, as predicted, you can already hear him bitching and complaining to himself or anyone else that may be in the general vicinity.

When you walk out to the living room to find him, he is striding over to the liquor cabinet that resides there, taking out a crystal tumbler and filling it with a generous pour of bourbon. You watch as he slings some of it back with a grimace before looking over at you. He gives a tight smile, but you can tell he’s all wound up.

“These fucking morons! I swear, they get dumber by the day. Is it really that difficult to download the spreadsheets and charts that I have sent them all in preparation for our meeting today? And, per their request, I kept it under ten this time!”

He’s ranting in your general direction and you have to hold in your laughter so he doesn’t get even more pissed off. You perch yourself on the arm of one of the chairs.

“It’s really astounding the amount of stupidity they possess as individuals and as a group. I really don’t know why I waste my time on them.”

“Because you love them,” you offer matter-of-factly with a small smile.

Five scoffs in frustration, but he doesn’t deny it and seems to have stopped dwelling on the subject now. He takes another sip of his drink and when he lowers the glass, he manages a genuine smile.

“Sorry, this has nothing to do with you, really. I just needed to vent to someone.”

“I know. I’m used to being vented at by you.”

Five doesn’t comment on that, but he holds up his glass. “Do you want one?”

You shake your head and walk over to him. When you are standing in front of him, you can smell his usual scent of after-shave and general annoyance. You give him a kiss and you can immediately feel him start to morph into a normal, rational human again.

“How was your day, darling?” he asks after he kisses you back.

“It was good,” you say with a smile and a shrug.

“Nothing exciting happened, then?”

“Not really.” You reach up and give him another kiss. “But I did get some good news.”

“Oh yeah, what’s that?”

“Well, Daddy…I think we may need to move into a bigger apartment,” you say slyly while running a hand down his arm.

Five frowns and looks around. “Why? What’s wrong with this place?”

“You know, it’s kind of small, really only big enough for two people.”

Five is still looking at you with his eyebrows creased together and he takes another sip of his drink. “And last time I checked, we are only two people.”

You sigh but smile at him again. “Yes, we are right now. But what if there was another person here? Someone that we would love and take care of?”

“What do you mean?” Five puts his glass down and tilts his head. “Don’t tell me Klaus lost his apartment because he is not moving in here with us. I don’t care what sad story he told you. That is some history I do not need to repeat.”

“Christ,” you murmur under your breath, before trying again. “Listen very carefully, Five. Soon, it’s not going to be just the two of us. We’ll be a threesome.”

He crosses his arms over his chest and looks at you with what you like to call his ‘what the fuck’ face. “What are you talking about? Like a three-way? I don’t know, that’s pretty weird, and I’m not saying I never thought about it, of course, but…it still seems kind of awkward and where would we even meet a—”

“Jesus Fucking Crist, Five! For being a self-proclaimed genius, you are the densest person on the planet sometimes!” You run a hand down your face and try one more time, taking his hands and holding them tightly in yours. “Listen to my words. You are going to be a daddy. And not in the sexy way that you’re used to. Do you get it yet?”

He blinks down at you in confusion and you think you might need to resort to pulling up a PowerPoint presentation on the birds and bees when you see the lightbulb finally flick on. His eyes widen and his eyebrows shoot up his forehead.

“Wait what? You’re…”

You smile and nod, squeezing his hands. “Yep, I’m pregnant. And I really hope you’re as excited about it as I am.”

Five brings his hands up to his face in disbelief and he nods. “Yes, yes, of course I’m excited. This is…I don’t even know what to say.”

You stand there for a few seconds while he processes everything. Then he suddenly grabs you and picks you up, your legs wrapping around his waist. He kisses you while your arms loop over his shoulders. When he pulls away, you can see the tears welling up in his eyes.

“I can’t believe this. Are you sure?”

You nod. “Yes, I’m very sure.”

He kisses you again and you start laughing just from the pure joy of the moment. There are actual tears running down Five’s face and you wipe them away with a gentle touch of your hand.

“You’re happy?” you ask.

He nods and smiles through his tears. “I’ve never been happier in my whole life. And I promise to love you and our child for the rest of my life. I’ll take care of both of you with everything I have.”

“I know you will, Five. Because that’s who you are. You take care of the people you love, even if you pretend to be an old grouch most of the time.”

“I am an old grouch, that’s true. However, I am willing to change and try to be a little less grouchy for the sake of our kid. And you.”

“Well, don’t change too much. I still want the same old man I fell in love with.”

Five kisses you and another tear slides down his cheek. “Sweetheart, I promise I will always be the same old man that you love. And you will always be the beautiful young woman who saw right through me and stole my heart with her relentless love and annoyance.”

“And I promise to always love and annoy you.”

He rests his forehead against yours and closes his eyes with a happy sigh. “I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

Thank you everyone for reading! If you'd like to check out my other, Five-centric fics, here is my MasterList :)

@baileebear @myinnermonologueisepic

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infiniteeight8 · 13 days ago

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Desperate for those final few Can’t Find Out! So excited! So here is a prompt for one of them!

I'm sorry I made everyone wait so long for this! It's, like, three weeks past when it came up in my queue. But it needed some extra brain energy, so I had to wait for the right moment. I hope it lives up to expectations!

Edit: As usual, I forgot to link the rest of the series. Here it is: https://archiveofourown.org/series/3953044

Tony has brought Stephen food again. Not just take out, this time; Stephen is almost certain that Tony made this pasta himself. Possibly a family recipe. Tony hadn’t said so, but he was masking nervousness when he handed it over, and when Stephen made an involuntary noise of appreciation at the first mouthful, Tony had looked pleased in a way that you just didn’t when you were supplying take out.

The take out itself had been inappropriate, given their dynamics and mating status. This meal… This meal would be grounds for bond dissolution in some places. God only knew what Pepper thought of it; Stephen was certain that Tony hadn’t been hiding anything from her. Most likely, she’d rolled her eyes at Tony’s blithe disregard of social mores.

Stephen, for his part, has long since abandoned any shame he’d once felt for accepting these gestures as if they were real. What harm does it do to pretend for a moment that Tony is courting him? Stephen is the only one who knows, and he’s careful to accept, but not respond.

“That was incredible,” Stephen says when he’s wiped up the last of the sauce with a bit of bread and finished that off, too.

Tony still has food in front of him; he’s been watching Stephen eat. “Thanks,” he says. “It’s been years since I made it; I was a little afraid it wouldn’t come out right.”

He had made it himself. “Years? Why so long?”

“Busy, mostly,” Tony says. Stephen waits, because it seems like there’s more to it. “The longer I went without making it,” Tony eventually goes on, “the more it seemed like I should save it for a special occasion.”

Stephen’s mouth goes dry. “I guess you gave up on that.”

Tony shakes his head.

Oh God. Stephen knew he should have cut all contact after Thanos. He was going to tear Tony’s life apart without even trying, how could he have been so selfish? “Tony—”

“Have I ever told you how Pepper and I got bonded?” Tony breaks in.

Stephen snaps his mouth shut. “No.” He doesn’t particularly want to hear this story, but he probably deserves to.

“I had this big interview scheduled,” Tony says. “We were in the green room getting ready. Pepper was going over this endless list of questions with me. What they’d probably ask, things we’d told them were off limits, that sort of thing.” He pauses and Stephen nods for him to go on, confused. This doesn’t sound like a romantic story. “Probably three quarters of the questions on the list—expected and banned—were about my relationship status. I was supposed to be talking about Iron Man and clean energy and the expansion of SI’s medical technology division and all they wanted to know was who I was dating and what I wanted out of a marriage." Tony snorted. “So I complain to Pepper, of course, and she says, ‘At least they don’t shut you out of meetings because unmated omegas are ‘volatile.’” Stephen winces. He’s heard that one, too. Tony continues, “So I say, ‘Hey, if we got bonded, we could kill two birds with one stone.’”

Stephen waits for a long minute for the story to continue, but Tony just waits. “I… don’t understand,” Stephen says. He can’t understand. It can’t be what it sounds like. His heart starts pounding anyway.

“Stephen, Pepper and I were never a love match,” Tony says carefully. “We’re friends, but we got bonded for the convenience of our careers, not because we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. I don’t consider myself mated, and neither does she.”

It feels like the world has dropped away from Stephen, like he might have accidentally slipped out of phase with reality. “But you love Pepper,” he says helplessly. “Fourteen million futures, Tony. I know you love Pepper.”

“Yeah, I do,” Tony affirms. “She’s my best friend. She’s been with me through everything. Of course I love her. I’d be wrecked if I lost her.” He had been, more than once, in those futures. “But that doesn’t mean our relationship is romantic. We’ve never seen each other that way.”

Stephen looks at his empty plate. He touches the edge of it with a trembling hand. “A special occasion, you said.”

Tony smiles. “Well. I’ve never initiated a courtship before.” He pauses for a long moment, then smirks. “Unless you’re still carrying a torch for your mystery alpha.”

That smirk. Stephen laughs—maybe just a little too sharply—and shakes his head. “When did you figure it out?”

“Not me,” Tony admits. “Pepper.”

“Of course it was Pepper,” Stephen sighs. He really should have been more discreet around her, but it’s hard to regret it now.

Tony stands and comes around the Sanctum’s kitchen table, standing next to Stephen and holding out both of his hands. Stephen pushes back from the table and takes Tony’s hands, letting the alpha pull him to his feet. Tony’s grip is gentle, but not at all tentative.

“So what do you say?” Tony asks. “You’ve already had god knows how many lifetimes with me. You up for one more?”

As if there was any doubt. “Always.”

Tony pulls him into a kiss, and Stephen finally comes home.

#IronStrange #ficlet #there's one more #in this series #it's kind of an epilogue #but after all the heat angst #I can't not write them having a good one #so that's still upcoming

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romanreignseater · 1 year ago

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Our Reflection.

Jey Uso x Black Female Reader

Rating: 18 +

Warning: Probably my dirtiest story yet. It’s just pure filth. Brace yourself.

“Being two beautiful people in a relationship causes us to look in the mirror quite often. So, why not take a chance and fuck in front of it.”

A/N: They need to stop targeting our Bloodline hero, Mr. Main Event Jey Uso. That’s my man and I got his back. Sorry… I’m in my feeling about NOC 😭. Had to write for my him, but I also got a Jimmy fic coming out soon, so stay tuned. Also, I didn’t forget about my Dean fic it’s still coming out as well.

GIF: @jeysuso

“You really think you could guess my Chipotle order?!”

My husband, Jey, smiled through FaceTime. “I feel the vibes right now, like that telepathic shit.”

I couldn’t even contain my laughter at his remark of us being telepathic. “So, what do I want then baby?!”

“Well, obviously you always want me that’s a given.” I rolled my eyes at slick comment and he cheesed real hard.

“Okay then with yo fine ass, what do I want?!”

“I thought I was handsome.” His hand over his heart as if he were hurt. “You’re actually an idiot.” Jey soon began sniffling like he was going to cry, eyes closed and all.

This boy really in the middle of Chipotle actin a fool.

“Okayyy… handsome.” He peeled one eye open and smirked at me lovingly. “What. Do. I. Want?!”

He opened his mouth, giving me a long and very dramatic pause just to say, “I can’t tell you that mama. But, I know you always get chips and guac, so that’s all you need to know.”

This boy better get my burrito.

——————————————————————————

Roughly about two hours later, I began doing my makeup. My girls invited me out to a quick little lunch.

I’ve been waiting for Jey, but my chipotle STILL… had yet to arrive. I wasn’t gonna sit around and not get me something to eat. So, lunch with my girls it was.

Trin was on her way to pick me up, so I had some time to kill. The 28’ inch jet black silky buss down was laid, and the all black outfit was hugging my curves in all the right places. My top had a heart cutout right at my cleavage showcasing my ample breasts and my leggings were definitely holding my ass tight.

As I looked in the mirror, making sure everything was looking right before I continued my makeup. In the mirror I could see Mr. Main Event Jey Uso standing in the doorway admiring me.

Looking down at his reflection, I could see a Chipotle bag in his hand. But, when looking up I could see his bottom lip sheathed behind his teeth.

Turning back around to the mirror continuing my makeup, “Look who decided to show up.”

I could hear Jey’s heavy size 13 feet nearing me. Looking up from my eyeshadow palette, my husband’s big frame could surround my entire body. He stood behind me with his hat on backwards, gold link chain dancing on his neck, Niu Tat crop top, and black cotton Nike shorts.

“And where yo’ ass think you going looking this fine?!”

Jey pressed himself against my backside, and I could feel his heavy member stabbing me in the ass. The bag of food was placed on the counter and Jey’s hands were placed on the counter in front of me, practically trapping me between the both of them.

“I hope you got what I wanted sir.”

I continued doing my eyeshadow and Jey looked at me with utter confusion. He pushed my hair behind my ear and whispered, “You ain’t answer my question.” (Just imagining this is Jey’s voice 😩).

“And I don’t want to, your ass took forever with my food.”

Jey’s lips soon traveled down my neck, kissing, licking, and sucking at it passionately. I completely ignored his gestures, and he could tell his neck kisses weren’t working.

“I got you a burrito, I felt that telepathic shit.”

“That’s cute babe, but I got plans to go eat out anyways.” Turning around I swiped a little eyeshadow on his cheek. I giggle as his face remained stone cold.

“So… who you got these ‘plans’ with?!”

“Nunya.”

Jey’s face changed from a sly and hard stare, to a completely hard stare.

“So you’re telling me… you going out to eat, looking all good, smelling all good, just to make me upset cause I brought your Chipotle late?!”

I paused brush strokes and looked him in his eyes in the mirror. “I still would’ve went out with the girls, even if you brought the Chipotle earlier. So… I don’t know what you want me to tell you.”

“What I’m gonna tell you is what I’m gonna do to you.” Jey begins to sort of pace around me back and forth. He then walks back behind me and bent my back over the counter slowly.

“What are you doing boy?! I got a lunch to go to.”

My breasts were soon pressed against the counter, and Jey’s knees spread my legs apart. His grip on my back arrived to the back of my neck and my breathing became heavier.

He bent down to my level in front of the mirror, looking me in my eyes and said, “Imma eat this pussy real good, fuck you real hard, you finna eat this burrito, and then I’ll think about letting you go out,”

His commands made me very upset, but also really wet.

“I don’t know what the fuck you think you’re doing, but I gotta finish getting ready.” As I tried to get up from my bent position, I couldn’t. Jey’s strength totally overpowered mine and there was really no way I’d get up.

“Yo’ ass ain’t going nowhere.” I yelped as a smack was placed on my ass. A couple more smacks were laid upon my ass and tears began to well up in my eyes.

“Aww, you crying and I didn’t even fuck you yet. And to think yo’ ass was tryna run from this dick. Tsk tsk tsk.” I looked up at him with fury.

Jey’s hands went from the back of my neck to my clothed, pulsing mound. Massaging it ever so gracefully. Goosebumps arose from my arms and Jey chuckled, practically enjoying the reactions I was trying not to give him.

Jey shocked me by ripping my leggings straight down the middle, panties and all.

“JEY!! WHAT THE FUC-.” His large and bear like hands covered my mouth, nearly my entire face. “Shhhhh.” He placed a kiss on top of my head and his fingers traveled from my neck to my cunt.

Rubbing my slick juices all over the entirety of my pussy. “Unhh, oh my g-.” I moaned through his hand, but I soon stopped moaning as Jey paused his ministrations. Looking at him with pure anger, he took his wet fingers into his mouth and sucked on my juices.

“That shit tasty mama.” Even though, he was pissing me off, he was just so irresistible. “I’m about to go to town on that pussy.”

I watched as his head dipped down and he was at level with my pussy. I felt him spread my lips apart and his hot breath cascading it. His thick thumb traced my pussy lips gently and he pressed it against my clit.

“Gotta taste it before I fuck it huh?!” As I tried to get a word out, he dived right in. He spread his mouth over my center. My hand traveled behind and was placed on the back of his head while he went to work. He drooled all over this pretty little pussy, causing me to whimper and whine for him.

Jey slurped on me a little more before bringing his hand up to meet my ass with a stinging slap. I continued to breathe deeply as he was really eating it from the back.

He feasted wholeheartedly on me, not stopping. This pussy belonged to him all day, everyday, whenever he wanted it, and he damn sure was getting it now. My legs shook as I felt the pressure build up. “Unhhhh, I’m cumming Jey.”

“Cum for daddy mama.” His saliva drooled from my ass to my clit, making even more of a mess. Just absolutely tonguing me down to the max. I came all over his tongue and I shook with pleasure. But, I soon screamed as he didn’t stop.

The overstimulation was getting to me, and I knew I was going to burst. My ears to deaf the other sounds, the only thing I could hear was the gushy noises coming from his filthy mouth.

“Oh my god, I’M CUMMING AGAIN!!”

“Go on baby.” My pussy lips quivered as Jey continually made out with it sloppily. I reached my high and squirted all over Jey’s face.

I had an out of body experience as Jey rubbed me through out the rest of my orgasm. My ass gained a couple more abusive smacks and Jey’s shorts were dropping.

Lifting my head up and arching my back for me, Jey told me his exact plans. “I’m for real about to get balls deep in my shit, ya understand me?!” My eyes lowered and breath staggered as I tried my best to look at him in his eyes.

“Ya understand me princess?!”

Gulping, I accept his orders. “Yes daddy.”

“Don’t be running now.”

I couldn’t really make no promises of that, cause if he got to hitting that spot; which I knew he would, it would be a wrap.

His swollen mushroom tip glided against my cunt savagely, spreading my juices all over his tip. Jey soon pressed his tan brown dick in, gently massaging my walls instantly.

He smacked my ass once more. “That ass juicy just like that pussy.”

“Just fuck me boy.”

“Don’t mind if I do.”

He pushed my chest deeper into the counter, getting in a few solid strokes of that monster dick before gradually picking up speed. He starts stroking me so good, and the pleasure is near unbearable. “Okay baby, stop I’m cumming.”

“Already?! I barely started and I’m having fun.”

My little manicured hands were placed upon his rock hard abs trying to get him to stop. “I’m serious STOP!!” My pussy was getting obliterated and Jey had yet to stop. I began squirting all over his cock and my whole body began to convulse.

“Damn girl… I was about to get my leg up on the counter so I could really hit that shit.” My breath was sucked out of my lungs and my heart felt like it had just stopped. Jey held onto the sides of my stomach and waited for my breathing to calm down.

“You better be ready now, cause ain’t no stopping.”

He placed his length back into my cunt, stretching my walls to accommodate his meaty girth. My head was soon lifted and held in place as Jey fixed my vision to him and him only in the mirror.

“I know how much you like to look in the mirror, Imma really give you something to look at.”

Jey’s foot was placed on the counter right beside me and my head nearly fell, but he was quick to catch it. My toes curled and my brows furrowed. “Daddy, you’re so deep.”

“I know baby.”

He plunged into my cunt so devilishly, “It feels like you’re in my stomach.”

Jey plunged forward so his stomach was placed against my back. He cupped my cheeks, “I know, cause I am in your guts.”

His strokes just absolutely brutal, grabbing my hair, and smacking my ass digging off in my pussy. Balls sticking and slapping against my clit, providing an entire new sensation.

Pounding my g-spot like there was no tomorrow. Both of us moaning and watching one another reflections in the mirror. I watched Jey’s stomach tensed admiring my thickness spreading me all the way out, my cunt tightening as he slid in and out of me with ease.

“That pussy so wet baby, that shit talking to me huh?!”

“Yes daddy all for you.”

“I know that’s right.”

My body went limp and my eyes rolled into the back of my head. My knees threaten to give out, but Jey’s vice like grip on my hips lead me to continue to stand upright. “I’m cumming so hard daddy, you’re fucking the shit out of me.”

“Yeah, let the neighbors know my name mama. Scream for me.”

With a loud cry, I squirted all over his length, nearly pushing it out. Jey began to chuckle as he sped up his pace, clutching my ass cheeks for dear life. Moaning sweetly as he released heavy spurt after heavy spurt into the warmth of my sweet little pussy. Pulling out with one final smack to my ass, his cum dribbled out of my hole onto my clit.

Grabbing my cheeks harshly, he kissed me sloppily. Spit all over my lips and around my mouth. “I love you baby.”

“I love you too boy.”

As we looked into each others eyes, we could hear the loud banging of the front door.

“Y/N!! GET YO ASS DOWN HERE!! Are you coming or not?!”

“Tell Trin you already did.”

Rolling my eyes once more at my husband, but his big smile got me every time.

——————————————————————————

THE END.

MY TAG SQUAD: @cyberdejos2 @thesamoanqueen @nayys-world @mzv11 @babybatlover @vogueyonce @harmshake @harlem11680 @seeingstarks @thewarlordsworld @alyyaanna @southerngirl41 @christinabae @pitlissa22 @thealliasylum @fame-ass-ers @iluvthebloodline @jeyusos-girl @ah-fin3sse @solosikoasgf @msbigredmachine @rollinsland @angelicflower2020

#jey uso #jey uso x reader #jey uso fanfic #jey uso smut #jey uso imagines

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fl3shm4id3n · 11 months ago

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Hiiii

Can we get a so'lek x human? No smut, just bit of fluff?

ᵢₙ ₐ ₘᵢₗₗᵢₒₙ Yₑₐᵣₛ

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝

ᴘᴀɪʀɪɴɢ: ꜱᴏ'ʟᴇᴋ x ꜰᴇᴍ! ʜᴜᴍᴀɴ! ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

Tw: mentions of humans being assholes, alien x human relationship, kisses, mainly fluff.

Masterlist

So'lek has hated humans with a passion ever since they've step foot in Pandora. They did many horrible things, from destroying the forest to even causing clans to disappear completely. He hated them, he wished that they all would die or just leave Pandora completely. But, he knew that not all humans were the same. Specially the ones who have decided to help him and the na'vi get rid of the RDA. He may not right out say it, but he appreciates it deeply in a way. One thing that he didn't expect was to fall in love. How could anyone fall in love in a time like this? Everyday animals and other people die. It is a risky thing to do since the na'vi and humans are still at war. But even with that reasoning, he still ended up falling for someone. That someone was you.

You were a scientist, who had an avatar body of her own just like Alma. The thing that caught So'lek's attention was how you were willing to learn the ways of the na'vi. You didn't have to, but you did anyways. Half of the time, you'd be in your avatar body, specially while with him. At first he somewhat preferred it that way, but he also wished to see you in as you are. A human. He may not admit it, but he likes seen you in your actual human form more. He doesn't really understand how or why, he just prefers it that way. But he also understands why you decide to be in your avatar more. So it could be easier for you to learn his ways and also so that you could be able to move around comfortably around the forest.

After a while, of the both of you not getting the hints, you and So'lek began a relationship. You and So'lek wanted to keep your relationship on the down low. It's because he doesn't really like bringing attention to himself or you. Besides, what goes on in his private life, is not of anyone's concern. He doesn't mind being affectionate around others, but he saves the other stuff when you and him are alone. When it's just you and him, he is very affectionate. As if, he's a totally different person around you. Normally he doesn't act this way around others, but when it comes to you, he does. This was a form of trust between the both of you.

That day, you had decided to let your avatar body rest along with your human body. You've been using it so much that you somewhat had bunt yourself out a bit, you needed a break. At the moment, you were in your small sleeping area, while everyone else was doing there thing. You were simply laying in your hammock, with your eyes closed. As a way to relax your mind a bit, along with your back. It was sore from laying in the link pod for many hours of the day. You then felt something or someone over shadow above you. Making you open your eyes to see who it was.

It was none other than So'lek. He was also holding a flower. It was pretty big for your human hands to hold, but you loved the gesture. "Hello yawne, I've brought you this." He said, with a small smile. You sat up from your hammock and took the huge flower. It was almost similar to a sunflower, except it was even bigger and more different. "It's pretty, thank you." You said with a smile, then you watched as he leaned in and kissed you right on the cheek. His lips took up all of your cheek, making you slightly giggle. "So'lek, we'll be seen." You simply said, as he continued to kiss your cheek. He stopped, as if he was thinking about something, then went right back to kissing your cheek. "Let them, I do not wish to keep our relationship hidden anymore." He simply said.

That surprised you a bit, So'lek, no longer minded being seen? What changed? You didn't mind though. You then felt how So'lek moved down and kissed you right on the jawline, under your ear. Making you giggle a bit more. "So'lek! That tickles!" You giggled even more. But that didn't stop him, he just kept on kissing you in that spot making you laugh even more. "I didn't think you'd be ticklish there." He teased, as he jokingly bit the tip of your ear, causing you to laugh even louder. Making your laugh slightly echo around the area.

#so'lek x reader #so'lek x you #so'lek x y/n #so'lek x fem reader #so'lek x female reader #so'lek x human reader #so'lek fic #human reader #human y/n #female reader #female y/n #cereza's writing #cereza's requests #cₑᵣₑzₐ'ₛ wᵣᵢₜᵢₙg #cₑᵣₑzₐ'ₛ ᵣₑqᵤₑₛₜₛ #𝔠𝔢𝔯𝔢𝔷𝔞'𝔰 𝔴𝔯𝔦𝔱𝔦𝔫𝔤 #𝔠𝔢𝔯𝔢𝔷𝔞'𝔰 𝔯𝔢𝔮𝔲𝔢𝔰𝔱𝔰

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brabblesblog · 6 months ago

Text

𝕽𝖊𝖒𝖊𝖒𝖇𝖊𝖗 𝖞𝖊 𝖓𝖔𝖙 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖋𝖔𝖗𝖒𝖊𝖗 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖌𝖘.

Chapter 16: What's left of kisses? Wounds, however, leave scars.

A sequel to Whither is thy beloved gone? (AO3)

After the events of ‘Whither is thy beloved gone?’ Lord Astarion Ancuńin and his consort wife navigate their relationship anew. The ghosts of the past - his, hers, and theirs - threaten to unravel everything they’ve worked for.

Astarion and Ban attend the debutante's ball.

Professionally edited and collaborated on by my dearest friend <3 @editing-by-night

Read on AO3.

Masterlist

Art by Naaty

For a smutty render go to the AO3 link :P

She sat at the table, watching the debutante pass by. Corrinne glided by in a massive pink tulle gown - a showstopper, for sure, Ban thought - a gaggle of her friends trailing behind her.

The party hadn’t been too bad, all told, the food decent and the wine palatable. Astarion had disappeared sometime during the proceedings, arm in arm with Meiros. She’d been introduced to the master of the mirror-makers’ guild, had shaken his hand and smiled politely, but the man had seemed keen on holding negotiations with her husband alone. Astarion had shot her an apologetic look and left, but hadn’t protested at all, which was odd.

It was not an uncommon occurrence - some of the people they dealt with did not mind having her present, but inevitably some did. The first time someone had asked for Astarion to keep his spouse waiting outside he had seethed, about to launch into a tirade, when she had grabbed his wrist and told him to just go along with it - it would be quick, and it would be easier than offending someone they needed to cozy up to.

He had given her a long-winded talk that evening. She sipped her glass, smiling ruefully at the memory.

“What is the point,” he thundered, “of all this effort to mark you as my equal, if at the first sign of resistance you give in?”

She watched him tug off his shirt, tossing it away with a little more venom than he normally would. “I just think that some of the time we have to let them have their way. Easier than arguing and potentially losing out on-”

“I don’t care!” Astarion marched to her, placing his palms on the tub and leaning over where she was soaking. “We are to be wed soon. I would not have those morons think you’re…” he gestured with a hand, “you’re still some…”

“Consort? I mean, we still do use that term, at times.” Not in private, not in most circumstances, but in certain circles, yes.

He exhaled. “Consort, fine, when we must. Some plaything of mine, absolutely not.” Crimson burned into her, his anger evident, with lingering traces of guilt as well. She covered the hand grasping the tub with her own.

“Consorts can wait outside for their lords, Astarion, every once in a while. It’s fine.”

He deflated, eyes softening. “I’d still want to at least insist on your presence being invaluable to me.”

“If those people want me out of the room, saying so would merely make you seem weak.”

Astarion tugged off his trousers and underwear, grumbling to himself. He stepped into the tub and sat down, still glaring at her. “I’ve half a mind to invite whoever asks that of me to a party, lock all the doors, and…”

He let the thought sit, a small smirk dancing across his lips. She laughed. “Do that, and we’ll have all the nobles of Baldur’s Gate on our tails. Don’t.”

“The request you plan to make, if you do make it, can easily be done,” Meiros said, tapping his hands on the mahogany desk he was seated at. Astarion was pacing back and forth, rubbing his chin. “If I understand correctly - this is for your wife, is it not?”

“Which is why I asked you to request to meet me alone,” Astarion answered.

Meiros nodded. “Roderich hasn’t been the most active member the past few years, something his fellow guildmates and I are frankly pleased about. When I found out you were marrying a Glasscraft, I had assumed I would never see you outside my door, so imagine my surprise when you showed up.”

“And I suppose no one has seen any Glasscraft other than Roderich himself?”

“You’d be correct. There was only ever him. Oh, he used to say he had a loving wife at home, and two wonderful children to take over his business, but,” Meiros shrugged, “as I said. He stopped showing up to guild events. He’s still well-known, of course, with his gaggle of old, loyal customers, but we all assumed he was working on some new secret method or some such. When I heard about Barcus’ advancements in the mines, I thought Roderich might have already gotten his hands on that material.”

Astarion stopped pacing to lean on a chair, hands wrapped around its back. “Last time I purchased a mirror from him he was still harping on mercury being the best.”

“Then he is woefully behind.” Meiros stood up. “Well. If you do wish to push this through, I would be more than delighted to fulfill your request. I’m sure most of the members would have no complaints, either. A pleasure doing business with you, Lord Ancunín.”

The men shook hands.

Ban saw the side door open and Meiros walked in, followed by Astarion. The talks seemed to have gone well; they were chatting animatedly. She watched as he waved his daughter over to be introduced. Corrinne flounced to her father’s side, or at least attempted to - the rather large skirt bumped people’s legs as she passed - and finally arrived in front of the two men.

The girl’s eyes widened as she took in Astarion, and Ban smirked inwardly. He kissed Corrinne’s hand and her face flushed beet red. Ban leaned back, enjoying the show, sipping her wine absently; with Astarion’s mind unlinked from hers, it merely tasted dull.

It was fine. She knew her husband was accustomed to shallow admirers, and Ban was used to people who’d look at him, look at her, and deem her unworthy of him - just like Corrinne was doing now. Ban caught that furtive glare aimed her way, the quick up-and-down movement that told her the girl was sizing her up and found her lacking, and the satisfied grin on her face as she turned back to Astarion. Nothing new, nothing surprising, and nothing he couldn’t handle.

She found herself scanning the rest of the room, more than a little bored. She noted Meiros talking to another guest, gesturing towards Astarion. Likely he was discussing whatever their meeting had been about. The other guest looked intrigued, and Ban pondered again what her husband could be up to with the guild. She continued her visual roam around the party, finding nothing else of note taking place.

As her eyes made their way back to them, her husband’s eyes locked onto hers, and she raised her glass in greeting, amused. She was about to lean back and continue watching when she realized that Astarion hadn’t moved - was frozen, in fact. The pinched eyes, that slight part of his lips, and the furrow of his brow told her all she needed to know. In the same instant she recognized it, she felt his mind prod hers.

There were no words, just a flash of memory - from mere seconds ago, gauging by the expression on his face.

Corrinne laughed, bending over to do so, making sure Astarion received an eyeful of her rather ample bosom. She grabbed his shoulder. “Oh, sorry, Lord Astarion. I didn’t mean to. It’s just these shoes…” She made a show of falling off-balance, likely a little more drunk than she ought to be, and he automatically caught her elbow to steady her. The size of her skirt meant that to do so Astarion had to lean in somewhat, and she took the opportunity to step closer to his body, the skirt bunching up between them.

Meiros had already walked away, talking to a passing guest. Corrinne shot Astarion a coy look; Astarion - and through him, Ban - felt her thigh press between his legs, hidden by the voluminous dress. Corrine ran her hand from his shoulder to his neck - Ban felt him shiver - and then dragged her nails down his chest to his hip. The thigh pressed against him harder. “We could sneak away for a few minutes, handsome,” she purred. “I don’t think your wife would mind.”

The effect was instantaneous. His thoughts flicked through old, haunting memories, his grip on her tightening incrementally. There was a boiling rage, a near-overwhelming urge to snap Corrinne’s neck - held back solely by the fact that he needed to be in Meiros’ good graces and the presence of the countless guests at the party.

“I am not interested,” he ground out, a sneer pasted on his face, “regardless of whether or not she would mind.”

Ban felt his impotent rage shifting into panic, held at bay and hidden behind the veneer of his cold dismissal. His breathing hitched, pulse picking up, posture stiffening; something that Corrinne seemed to have interpreted as interest, despite his words. She kept talking.

Ban’s eyes snapped back to him. He was still staring at her, expression blank, holding Corrinne’s elbow while she chattered away. Ban’s hand instinctively closed around the hilt of the sword she wasn’t carrying, bile rising in her throat. She felt warm all over, enraged, but in a way she’d never felt before. The feeling was completely foreign and it took her utterly by surprise, but it also felt like it was something that had always been a part of her, lying dormant until this moment.

She stood up.

As she began cutting her way through the crowd, Meiros wandered even further away, heading for the guest’s table. Thanking the gods for that small blessing, Ban reached Astarion’s side. She cleared her throat, leveling a searing glare at the vapid young woman and then at her hand, still caressing Astarion’s hip. “Kindly take your hand off my husband, if you want to keep it attached to your body.”

Corrine looked down at her, nose wrinkling. “You must be Missus Ancunín,” she said, offering a dainty hand, the same one she’d been touching him with. She had not backed away from Astarion, her body still pressed against his.

Ban did not take the proffered hand. “Indeed I am, and that’s my husband you are clinging to. How… unbecoming. You must be drunk, so I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt,” Ban replied coolly, “because I assume, were you in control of your faculties, you wouldn’t dream of offending your father’s guests in this manner. I’m quite sure your father would take a very dim view of you accosting his business partner with that thigh, Corrinne.”

She blanched, blinking furiously. “I- um…”

“Put your leg down, and take a step back. Unless you want me to either tell your father you’ve just groped a married man, who has important business dealings with him, or you want to wake up bloodied and broken on this ballroom floor. Either way,” she smiled pleasantly, “I’ll be the one going home with him. He is not yours, Corinne, and never will be.”

Through it all she could feel Astarion slowly calming. He slipped his hand away from Corrinne, trembling ever so slightly. As Ban finished speaking and Corinne stepped back, he finally moved, taking a step towards her.

Ban took his hand. He seemed to look at the ring on her finger for a long moment, then turned to the debutante. “Corrinne. Have a wonderful evening.” The words were completely devoid of emotion, and Ban felt a chill run up her spine.

She linked her arm through his and led the way, him trailing silently. Ban searched for somewhere private to take him. She spied a door, slightly ajar, and made a beeline for it, slipping in and shutting it behind them the moment they were inside.

It was a small study, and she immediately located an armchair. Her eyes returned to her husband’s face. He looked lost and a little scared; his eyes were blank, as if he wasn’t even in there.

“Are you okay?”

He blinked, then his expression snapped into one of chilly indifference. She noted it, the way his jaw clenched and was forcibly relaxed. “Fine,” he said, the falseness clear as day. He tugged at his sleeve. “That was nothing new. I’ve had my fair share of advances, and that was one of the most amateur attempts I’ve ever seen - to be expected of course, given her youth. One would ideally press their thigh in a grinding motion, not ram it straight up,” he scoffed.

She guided him towards the armchair. “Sit, Astarion.” He did so, but his mouth kept moving, a desperate attempt at feigning nonchalance.

“Of course I could have simply told her not to, or pushed her off, or threatened her - a million options, really - however, offending her father would not have been ideal for our plans. I-”

She knelt in front of him and grasped both of his hands. “Look at me. Take a deep breath, and just look at me.”

He trailed off, chest rising and falling far too rapidly for her liking. “I said I’m fine.”

“You are fine. You’re safe.” She kept her hands on his, avoiding touching him anywhere else, unsure what he could tolerate at the moment.

“Safe,” he repeated. “A fine sentiment, but we never really are, are we?” His shoulders finally sagged, the proud arch of his brow falling as his eyes fell shut. “It’s been more than a year since I’ve been… his, but it still haunts me as if it were merely yesterday.”

The trappings of power, of riches and decadent luxury - none of it mattered when he was faced with the memories of endless hands on him, of thighs pressed between his legs, of needing to slip deep into his mind to escape. It had been one thing to let the twins touch him and sit in his lap to maintain his facade in front of the other vampire lord - it was quite another to be randomly accosted and treated like property when he least expected it.

Ban looked at him, pained. “You were a slave for centuries, my love. It will take more than a year to recover from that. Things will get easier, but sometimes something will remind you of… before, and then it will come back. But I’ll always be here, to help you, to protect you when you need it.”

He smiled, leaning forwards to touch his forehead to hers; she sighed in relief.

“You’d think I’d remember that, but it always catches me off-guard.”

“It does so for me as well.” He sighed as she spoke and his breath fanned over her face. It was slowing, thankfully. “Can I…” she trailed off, and he opened his eyes. He gave a small huff of assent and her arms wrapped around him, pulling him into a tight hug.

“You never have to ask, but I find myself grateful that you do.”

He was nestled between her breasts, eyes wide open. The slow ruffling of Ban’s hand through his hair was comforting, although the strands tickled his eyes. He shifted, placing his chin flat on her sternum. Ban returned his gaze.

“Decided you want to read more?” she asked.

“Wasn’t much help.” He rolled over, but grabbed the book anyway. It had been laying facedown on the page he’d given up at. “But I suppose I could give it another shot.” He propped the book on his chest as he leaned against the headboard.

She glanced at him. “I trust your conversation with Meiros went well, at least?”

He grunted, flipping to another page. She waited for a response - none came.

“And?”

He flipped another page, far too fast to actually be reading it. “And things are proceeding as planned. Like I’ve said, Ban. Let me handle it.” There it was again, that edge in his voice.

He hadn’t spoken much after the party. They had gone home, and bathed, but he’d been mostly silent throughout. She’d given him his space, scrubbed him down and allowed him to wash her as they usually did, but then they’d gone to bed and he’d immediately buried himself in his book with nary a word in her direction.

She bit back the urge to simply ignore his distress and leave him be. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Crimson eyes flicked over her for a second - she noted the way his gaze raked over her features, another tell - and he exhaled. “The novel is trite, dry, and the heroine dully heroic.”

Ban covered her face with her hands, choking back a frustrated groan. Do better. “That’s not what I asked, and we both know it. This… isn’t about Corrinne, is it? Or if it is, there’s more.”

Astarion snapped the book shut. It was uncommon for her to see his ire nowadays, much less to be the object of it, but there it was. He exhaled through his nose. “You loathed it when I prodded you. Must you do the same?”

The response died in her mouth. She wasn’t sure how to address it - in the past, stoking the fires of his anger had been a thoughtless thing, fighting back with barbed words second nature - but not anymore. Not that she didn’t feel the petty desire to do so rising in her throat, but she couldn’t. Wouldn’t.

She thought for a moment, choosing her next words with care. “Just as I’ve learned to try to open up to you, I hope you will do the same for me.” Taking the book from his hands, she set it down and leaned over. “May I?”

At his nod, she laid over his chest, her head settling against his heart. “You don’t need to. I just want you to feel better,” she murmured.

He was quiet, reaching over to pick the book back up again. The minutes passed, one to ten to thirty, the only sound the occasional turning of pages and the scratch of his fingers against paper, his breathing, and the painfully fast heartbeat thrumming beneath her ear.

She waited.

“No use feigning sleep,” Astarion finally drawled. “You’re mad, aren’t you?”

“Frustrated. Concerned. Not mad.” She felt him shift, his muscled chest rippling under her as he placed an arm under his head, the book still in the other.

“Now you know how it feels,” he said under his breath. As he did so his pulse hammered harder, and Ban decided enough was enough. She placed a hand on his chest, beside her face, watching the ring glint in the moonlight.

“Does that give you some sort of satisfaction? Because I’d understand if it did. But I’d prefer we talk about it.”

That took him by surprise. His eyes locked onto her, wide. She met them without hesitation, watching his expression soften as he finally gave in.

“One - I have no idea who I married a tenday ago, because I’m not exactly sure it’s the Ban I knew.” He laughed humorlessly. “Two - it might be silly,” he looked away, “but I’d thought this would all be… if not over, at least… lessened.”

He set the book down by his side and wrapped an arm around her. “I’m no idiot. I am aware it doesn’t ever truly fade away, but today it caught me unawares.”

“I can’t blame you for that. You haven’t had any encounters like that in a while, nor should you have to expect them in the first place.” The hand on his chest closed into a fist. “If it were not for her father I’d have beaten her where she stood.”

He shrugged. “That’s… not my concern at the moment.” Ban sighed - she had been right. There was more.

“Then what is it?”

She watched his lips part, fangs peeking as he licked his lips nervously. “I worry that in a century, or in five centuries, this will still happen. That it will keep happening again and again, in moments when I least expect it. I will freeze as I did today. It will feel like nothing has changed, no matter how much time has passed. I may never fully…heal.” He took a deep breath, her head rising and falling with it, his heart racing as he finally spoke the fears he’d been haunted by the past few hours. “You’d be spending eternity bound to a pathetic, broken, man.”

Ban shook her head; she couldn’t help taking offense. “I fell in love with you the way you are. Why worry about that? Do you think I’m still that selfish, that I still require you to be a certain way to love you? Because - well, I understand and I’m still working on it, but truly?”

“No. I merely pity you for having to deal with it. I thought the wedding would…” a growl ripped through him, “...would at least fix something.”

“A wedding doesn’t guarantee everything will be sunshine afterwa-”

“Well it should!”

She flinched. He tightened his grip on her. “I worry about how this will affect us, in the long term.” He raised her hand to the light, admiring the ring on her finger. “Affect our marriage. I could not forgive myself if I lost this simply because I couldn’t let go of the ghosts of the past. I worry that I will whittle your patience down into nothing; that with each incident I further drain the wellspring of your heart dry.”

“Astarion.” He let her hand go, eyes snapping back to her face. “Listen. When I made my vows, they were made for both the good and the bad. I love you. All of you. That includes this, and whatever other worries you have. I love you-” she poked his chest, “and everything that comes with you, ghosts included. Maybe it will take a century, or five, or maybe it will never fully heal. But either way, I will be here, and I will help you, and protect you, and love you through it all. No matter how many Corinnes come our way.” She poked the tip of his nose. He wrinkled it in response, apparently still unwilling to let his pique go.

“There will be many, Ban. There will always be more. Men and women, everywhere we go. Unwelcome as it is,” and there it was again, the way his eyes scanned her face, “they will keep coming. They will keep seeing you as a trivial obstacle in their path, and they will be wrong, but they will think it and try all the same.”

“And that bothers you, because…”

“Does it not bother you?”

It was her turn to look away. She was silent for a beat. “It does. A lot.”

“Oh, it does?” His mouth showed the beginnings of a small snarl. “You seem wholly unfazed by it. Ban, always the picture of indifference, even as some woman-”

“I wanted to rip her head off! Is that what you want to hear?”

He froze, then the edges of his lips curled into a satisfied smirk. “Precisely that, yes. You never understood, thinking it was the mere desire to own you that ruled me.”

Ban shifted, resting her chin on his sternum. He took a deep breath. “I made mistakes. I sought to keep you in a way that was twisted. But some of it…” he seemed to have finally cooled off, softly stroking her cheek, “...some of it I still feel was valid.”

“Halsin.”

Astarion nodded. “There is… was, a lot of indignation due to the fact that you brought me to his camp, without feeling it necessary to tell me why, or anything else at all, for that matter. That you didn’t respect me, or us, enough to communicate.” He bit his lip, and she shook her head.

“I won’t be mad, or punish you. Please. Keep going.”

“I thought you wished to rekindle whatever you two had, whether it be for a tryst or for something more serious. At the time I said you were not mine to hoard in such a manner, but…”

She felt him tense underneath her, and nuzzled his chest encouragingly. He ran his hands through the back of her hair in silent gratitude.

“You understand that some of what I felt was warranted, do you not?” He searched her face, and she reached up to cup his cheek. “Please.” He shut his eyes. “Tell me you do.”

“I do. The idea that you could be taken from me, even unwillingly… It made me so angry. Just seeing her touch you… I think it finally sank in.” She cleared her throat. “I understand that taking you to Halsin like that was uncalled for, and you deserved better. I handled it especially badly, given the fact that he and I…”

He flapped a hand. “That we have talked about. It was the visit that I’ve never dared bring up.”

“You worried that I’d leave you over it.”

“That, and that you wouldn’t understand.” He opened his eyes again, met hers with a sad smile. He ruffled her hair. “You’ve spent so long bristling under men who sought to own you that you never learned that belonging to someone can also be a beautiful thing. I have been yours throughout our time together, and it has given me nothing but safety, care, and love.”

She stared at him for a long moment. “You… that was legitimately the last thing I expected to hear from you.”

“I spent two centuries learning what it meant to be someone’s property,” he reminded. “Cazador owned me. I belong to you. There’s a vast difference. And you? You are mine.” The last word was growled, and Ban felt heat pool between her legs. He lifted her hand, the one with his ring on it. “Belonging to you is no curse, binding myself to you no hardship. That is what I wish for you to comprehend - that my jealousy is not monstrous, as misguided as my first times feeling it were.”

“You want what we have to be respected. By me, by everyone.”

“And for you to see that I don’t wish to own you, but I do want you to belong to me and only me.”

Ban considered this, considered the venomous fury that had risen in her at the sight of Corrinne pressed against her husband. That rage, the split-second urge to sink fangs into her neck and drink her dry, or break every one of her bones… It had been powerful. It had come after the initial concern for Astarion, of course, but it had been there, surprising her with its intensity.

To belong. Still a bit frightening to her, but she could not deny his words - could not deny the way she’d felt tonight, nor deny the ring on her finger.

“I’m sorry, my love,” she said, the words slipping out with ease, to her relief. “I couldn’t understand it, or even imagine how it would feel, until today.”

Astarion’s tension ebbed, the lines on his face easing as he exhaled. His hand drifted away from her to pick up the book. “Thank you. I think I shall rest easier knowing that.”

“You’ll still be reading, though?” She nodded at the book.

“I’m afraid sleep will come with far less ease than it usually does tonight. Not your fault,” he added quickly.

“Then I’ll keep you company.”

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, then began to read the book, flicking back a few pages to where he’d actually last understood what his eyes were running over. As he did Ban settled against his sternum, the now-slow beating of his heart lulling her into sleep, much as she fought it.

As she lost the fight and her eyelids drooped shut Astarion watched, amused. He didn’t move her, eyes moving back to his book. It helped that she understood, but he couldn’t help the small pang of worry that niggled at his mind still.

The rite had not fixed him, nor had his marriage. Would time really do so? A foolish thought, he knew, expecting all of his wounds to be healed by a simple ceremony, but part of him had… hoped. It had been largely absent in his mind until today’s painful reminder, and he wished he could have ripped that girl apart for her insolence. Instead he had frozen, mind searching for his wife’s, seeking solace.

He flipped to the next page. None of the words made sense.

And if time failed to heal those wounds, would it one day push them apart? He could almost taste it for a brief moment, the vision filling his mind-

Ban, in her armor and with her weapon slung over her shoulder. Servants hurrying out, bags and bags of her clothes and belongings carried to their carriage. He could see himself on his throne, the house already cold and tomblike, as if it was already mourning her departure. He would have his hands gripping the armrests, digging in until they cracked, resisting the urge to drag her back in, because he refused to do that ever again, even if losing her again would kill him. But every fiber of him would want to.

He would let the flowers wilt, let the palace fall into ruin. He would rot, because there would be nothing else for him, and nothing would matter but her memory. He would wander these empty halls and wait, deluding himself that she’d be back, because she’d come back once, hadn’t she? Perhaps he would seek an end to his misery. Create spawn, unleash whatever chaos he could, hoping someone would lop his miserable head off his shoulders. Perhaps she would. Or perhaps he would find her, beg for her return. She would do so again wouldn’t she, she wouldn’t leave, please, never again-

“Astarion.”

He flinched, looking down at her. She rubbed his chest.

“You were breathing hard. I could hear your heart pounding.” She crawled upwards so that they were eye to eye.

“Oh.” He waved the book at her. “Exciting part came up. It wasn’t all drivel after all.”

She raised an eyebrow, and he exhaled. There would be no way to fool her. “Too many thoughts,” he finally said. “Too many fears, ones that I’m afraid even the sweetest words cannot assuage. There’s no scrying the future, after all.”

“No.” She shook her head. “We can only really see today. And today, you are mine, and you are loved.” She pressed her lips against his, a chaste, gentle kiss that he couldn’t help but deepen. His hand fisted in her hair, gripping hard. The other wrapped around her waist, pressing her against him, his hips grinding against hers, the intent clear.

“Promise me,” he hissed, “that I will always be yours.”

She nodded, but that wasn’t enough. He pulled at her hair, tugging her head back. “Say it.”

“You’re mine,” she growled, slowly moving lower as the hand on her hair guided her downwards. There was a catch in her voice as she said it.

“Don’t hold back,” Astarion snarled, pulling the sheets off them. He could see the simmering anger behind her gaze, held at bay for most of the night, for his sake. “I don't need you to be proper. Show me who I bel- fuck.”

She had grasped his cock, given it a long, slow stroke. His expression softened as she licked along the shaft to the tip. She licked off a bead of precum, savoring the salty, tangy taste that was purely him. Her eyes searched his. “I wasn't sure if I should touch you. If tonight that would be welcome or not. But I'm glad you wanted to. I… I need it too.”

At that she swallowed him down, suckling his head, her tongue swirling in a teasing circle. Bucking helplessly against her, Astarion groaned, hand tightening in her hair. Her fingers stroked the rest of him, her other hand fondled his balls. It felt good - wonderful, even - and much needed, but-

He nudged her then got on his knees, cock proudly jutting out, glistening with her saliva, begging to be sucked. Ban thankfully understood, getting on all fours. He looked at her for a long moment, taking everything in - the swell of her ass, her muscled back and shoulders, her eyes filled with desire for him.

“My sweet Ban. Always eager to please,” he purred.

Her mouth took him in, deeper this time, the sudden return of warmth and suction causing his hips to jerk. He fucked her mouth, leaning back to support himself, hips rolling slowly, soft moans the only sound from his lips. He relished the feel of her swallowing around him, tongue laving its attention on every part of his cock. She was his, and he was hers. He tilted his head back, lost in the ocean of his desire.

Only she would be allowed to touch him like this, to see him like this, to love him like this. She wanted him - but not just that. Loved him. The real him. Not just his face, or his body, or his honeyed words. The true core of him. The good, and the bad, and the pieces he would show no one but her.

He threaded his fingers into her hair once more, enjoying the feeling of holding her while she claimed him. She brought one of her hands up to grip his hip and pull him further down her throat, her nails digging into the side of his ass hard enough to bruise. He let out a loud groan, her forcefulness driving him to the brink.

Hers. He was hers no matter what anyone else said or did, and the way she was swallowing him down right now - not even breathing, just burying him deep into her throat with an aggression he rarely saw from her - told him she also wanted to be reassured of that same fact.

“Show me,” he gasped, lost to the building pressure in his balls, thighs burning, “show me exactly who I belong to, who I give myself to, the only one who will ever make me co-”

She gave him one long, hard suck, tongue flicking against his underside, up to the slit of his cock, her loud moan vibrating against his cockhead, and he came apart, erupting into her mouth with one last hard thrust and a wild, needy groan. She swallowed, humming appreciatively as she did, intensifying his pleasure as her throat pulsed around him. She continued swirling her tongue around his length until he finally pulled out, gasping. Ban sat up, wiping her mouth on the back of her hand, her eyes dark with possessiveness and satisfaction.

“Mine. I promise you that.”

He felt a pleasant shiver run down his spine. He was so relieved she finally understood.

The night passed in relative peace after that, with Ban asleep on his chest as he read. His mind was at ease, and the words on the pages finally made sense.

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yamcha-thelonewolf · 1 year ago

Text

🫀The Heart's Savior.

Today I want to discuss a fairly complex topic that I will have to divide into three parts. I do not know when I will publish the remaining two, but I will certainly try to be as quick as possible to complete it as soon as possible. Well, the title of this topic is clearly a pun. King Kai would probably love it, because as you can imagine the word "heart" is musically related to the word "earth." This creates a close connection between two terms that are absolutely linked in Dragon Ball. The point is that in our story we often talk about earth's saviors, which is normal since the goal is to save the planet at all costs. However, it seems to me that nowhere is it written that only muscles and ultra-powered energy balls are always needed to protect the earth. Sometimes the heroic gesture happens even beyond the battlefield, and it does not even have to be addressed to the whole world. It would be enough to help even one person, and that could make all the difference. From this point of view Yamcha has done a lot, but unfortunately his good deeds have always gone unnoticed or foolishly ignored. So today I will try to bring back to the forefront his personal heroism, which as far as I am concerned had its little best between the Androids Saga and the Cell Saga.

I will divide the three parts in a temporal sense. The first part will be about the past, the second part about the present, and the third part about the future, so that it will be very clear to everyone how Yamcha's contribution has seriously saved the whole arc of Dragon Ball.

So... Let's not waste any more time!

Are you ready, wolfpack? Let's get started!

PART 1: The Past.

In order to better understand all that will follow, it is good to specify once again what Yamcha's role in the story consists of: he is basically a support. This does not mean that his character automatically takes a back seat, but simply that his personality causes him to behave in a certain way, surely different from all the other warriors who immediately take the field. Many people laugh that Yamcha is a coward who prefers to shy away from battles, but that is not true. Yamcha is there. He has always been there, and no matter what, he has always tried in his own way to help.

Few people notice it, but I cannot help but realize how in these two arcs he has fought the most dangerous battle of all. No, guys, I am not joking or overestimating the character. Keep following me and you will understand better.

The chapter "The Past" is perhaps the one that most shows what I think, as well as the most important. Here we will talk about the one and only Goku, who has been part of Yamcha's life since the days when they were a child and a young boy respectively. You know, the one between Yamcha and Goku is a long-term friendship. Think of it, it is even longer lasting than the friendship between Kuririn and Goku, since he met the bald kid some time after meeting the desert bandit. I know that time is relative when it comes to relationships, but I only want to emphasize this precisely to point out how much more intertwined Yamcha and Goku's lives are than you might think. For this reason, Goku won the first chapter. It is a symbolic way of saying that Yamcha cannot help but give thanks to his past.

Let's go in order.

The Androids and Cell Saga is certainly one of the most fascinating and memorable. The plot is considerably more intricate, a historical enemy, the Red Ribbon Army, returns, and most importantly we have the full Z-Fighters for the entire duration of the story arc. What is most beautiful is that everyone, in one way or another, makes a contribution, even those thought to be "weaker". For example, Tenshinhan's intervention trying to stop Cell's second transformation from absorbing Android 18 is unforgettable.

But... what about Yamcha? It really seems that he did not do much in the battle, but that is not the case. Well, he certainly fought less than Piccolo and Vegeta, but that doesn't mean he helped less than the others. First of all, we must take into account an absolutely essential event that strongly influenced Yamcha's future actions: upon the arrival of androids 19 and 20 he was the first to risk death. No, I should correct myself: he almost died. Had it not been for the Senzu bean, he would surely have died within a very few minutes, and even if he eventually survived, that does not mean that Yamcha has forgotten the pain he felt from that horrid hand completely perforating his chest.

This is a a full-fledged trauma. Not only that, it is also an epiphany for him, because at that moment he realizes that he is unable to cope with two such terribly strong monsters. Think how discouraging it must have been for him to have to accept the fact that he was knocked out practically at the beginning. If we then want to add that all this coincides with the separation from Bulma, which he certainly did not take well, let us say that this period was not the best for his already fragile personality hidden behind his great charisma.

However, a little later something extraordinary happens. It is a scene that I personally find as moving as it is realistic, simply because Yamcha proves once again that he is the most human of all. Unfortunately, this scene is seen by everyone as Yamcha's usual ridiculous moment, but the truth is that this is where he demonstrates all his greatness. I'm talking about the time when Goku suddenly gets sick from the disease and someone necessarily has to accompany him home to start treatment. Gohan is the first to offer, of course he is his father and cannot do otherwise, but he is immediately stopped by Yamcha who offers to do it for him.

This is the first time ever that Yamcha puts aside the pride that has often made him tenderly cocky and admits in front of everyone that he is the weaker one. I would have many things to say about this consideration of him, because I strongly believe that his problem is precisely that he has come to hasty opinions of himself precisely because of his fragile personality, but I will not discuss that now. Here, an interesting point is that he calls it pathetic to stand aside, but he is very wrong. There is nothing pathetic about accepting one's limitations and giving way to someone more capable. It is also a very good strategy. If Gohan had left, the chances of others being defeated would have been much higher. Taking away a strong member of the team would have only made things worse, so it makes sense that it should have been the least strong person to leave. This to me is the most exemplary test of courage of all. In Dragon Ball we have always seen proud, swaggering characters constantly bragging about their strength, but few times have we seen someone take a step back because staying might have only gotten in the way. The hole in his uniform is the greatest demonstration of this. You can see that he is ashamed of it, that a silent anger simmers inside him and that all the frustration accumulated over those years has reached its peak, but boy, let's just say that in saying that he is more badass than those who do not accept being second best. That's why I say Yamcha is incredible. He is the only one who took a step backward, not knowing that by doing so he was able to go beyond. This is the way of life. At some point you stop running aimlessly, you look inside yourself, and you realize that in order to move forward you must also know how to go back. That's what Mr. Popo had told him to do, but he was too young and blustery to listen to him. And that's okay. He's a human, let's never forget that.

I could end here. Yamcha leaving the group and entrusting the mission to heroes stronger than himself, but this is where the fun begins.

Just before getting up in the air, Piccolo warns him that there may be a risk that Goku's illness may be viral. This means that Yamcha, being in close contact with the infected, risks contracting the virus as much as the saiyan did. Actually, it is not confirmed anywhere that the virus is contagious. Piccolo assumed this from Trunks' words when he explained to Goku what would happen in a few years.

We only know with certainty that senzu can do nothing against this disease and especially that not even a super saiyan can recover from this illness. Did you get it right? This means that an earthling is totally unable to survive this disease. I mean, if a saiyan has no chance, a human being is triply doomed. We are back to square one. Yamcha is risking his life again, and this time against an absolutely unbeatable enemy that has defeated even Goku. Do you understand? Goku. If there was a margin of possibility to beat the androids, in this case it is completely impossible. So by agreeing to help Goku, consequently Yamcha also agrees that he can surely die. But this time he is not backing down. This time he is sure of what he is doing, just because his greatest goal is not to survive and avoid death but to support in his own way. Coward, huh? From here it is clear how dying is not his problem at all. Or rather, it is, but it does not matter if it means helping the one he loves and, in this case, the one who could save the entire planet.

This is how Yamcha's true nature comes out. Actually it is possible to notice it long before, but this time it is practically evident. I imagine him constantly searching for his place in the world, but the truth is that he has already found it, he just hasn't realized it yet. He hasn't realized that his job on the team is precisely to take care of everyone, even more than a magic bean can. It is a shame that even the authors did not realize this aspect of him. What the hell... Seriously, did no one notice how heroic Yamcha was at this point in the story? He remains there with him, keeping vigil for his friend, and with great bravery faces a battle in which emotions are also at stake.

The scenes in which Chichi and Yamcha care for Goku are among the sweetest in all of Dragon Ball. Yamcha is not required to stay because Chichi is already in the house, but he once again makes himself available to help as much as he can. Notcing how Goku struggles in pain, Yamcha's strength may be needed to block the saiyan and prevent him from unintentionally hurting himself or Chichi. What's more, assuming a worsening of the disease, thanks to the ability of flight Yamcha could transport him anywhere else in no time.

In some ways, he is also taking care of Chichi. A wife who sees her husband in so much pain can never cope alone, she needs support, comfort, someone to tell her that everything will be all right, and Yamcha is absolutely perfect for this role.

No one else among the Z-Fighter would be able to instill serenity in Chichi as Yamcha does. His patient, friendly temperament, always ready to reassure anyone, has surely prevented her from any crisis or attack of fear. One can well see how Yamcha's sensitivity goes beyond fine words. His mental elasticity leads him to reason quickly about all possible eventualities, so without a second thought he even suggests that Chichi take the medicine with him. Yet more proof of how he really loves everyone.

For example, this is a scene that explains very well what I mean. We're talking about filler, but I don't care. Whoever decided to do them must have understood that Yamcha deserved more. It is only a small detail, but at least it is highlighted how Yamcha's presence was crucial for Chichi and Goku himself. Here we can see Goku once again being sick, so Yamcha warns Chichi to retrieve the medicine again, but when she rushes to look for it she cannot find it, perhaps because she is so panicked that she does not understand anything more for a few moments. Sensing her confusion, Yamcha turns toward her and in no time comes to her rescue, pointing her to the exact spot where the medicine is. She grabs it and so Goku can once again stop suffering. I like to think that Yamcha's sixth sense, or ultimately his well-developed spirit of observation, helped him easily memorize where the medicine was at that time. His cool-headedness, coupled with his gentleness, were definitely a staple in Goku and Chichi's most intimate and fragile moment.

He also does so during the Cell Game, and this time together with another great character who deserves equally: Tenshinhan. This is one of my favorite scenes. Two great friends of Goku, initially villains and then both reformed to become his allies, stand before Goku when he is in trouble, to protect him from the Cell Juniors. It doesn't really matter that they are not strong enough to defend him forever, but just being there for him, acting as his human barrier, is one of the best moments. When I say that they could create a lot of good content for Earthlings, I am also referring to these kinds of scenes. It would be nice if they could recapture the atmosphere of this arc, where everyone lends a hand and everyone fights in their own way, even if they don't necessarily win.

Well… I know I've said as much as I know I could still say as much. I would just like to point out something. Doesn't it also seem to you that Yamcha is a bit like a guardian angel for Goku? Pay attention to that. Yamcha took care of Goku at the very time when he was most vulnerable. This shows how he has always been that big brother to him who has always watched over him. He took care of his heart at a time when not even a senzu could help him feel better, and going back to the past… He took care of Goku even in his most unconscious state, which is when he transforms into the Great Ape. The first time, being the only one who realized that his weak point was his tail, he had managed to stop him by cutting it off with Puar's help. But it is when Goku transforms for the second time that Yamcha shows off all his love for his friend, running up to Jackie Chun to stop him from hurling the kamehameha at the monster.

In the end, the moon was the target, but Yamcha and the others certainly could not have imagined that. I find it extremely emotional to see him desperate and ready to even hurt himself in order to prevent the death of his little friend.

As you can see, protecting Goku has always been part of Yamcha's instinct, and it is a pity that many have forgotten or ignored it. He is the character who most of all is moved by love, in every possible sense.

Therefore, while someone else gets the title of Earth's Savior, Yamcha absolutely wins that of Heart's Savior.

He's not pathetic. He's a true hero.

Well thank you, guys, for getting this far, whoever did it. Stay tuned for the other two parts of this topic and remember to never stop loving this beautiful wolf!

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foxes-that-run · 6 months ago

Text

A TTPD theory

Take this as fiction, or view it as a thought experiment in how what we see can be taken in a number of ways. We are not privy to anything in Taylors life but her lyrics, social media posts and paparazzi photos, and for many years Taylor has been a continuous participant in pap photos as promotion, and keenly engaged and aware of how her fanbase reads things. I think most fans think what she wants them too, which isn't always her actual experience. She has told us this in songs like Dear Reader, Mirrorball and a lot of TTPD. Taylor has also acted out or given quotes to seed songs, in the lead up to or after their release before too.

In this post I talked about how the TTPD prologue has three muses and I'll highlight this line after the 'cosmic' muse I think is Harry:

So, here's my fan fiction/thought experiment. To me I think what started as wishing to be in a different relationship, became friendly flirting. Where I think it went wrong was in wanting different things at the time, as Taylor said in the prologue, 'some stars ever align', I still hope they do one day.

We start our story at the 2021 Grammy's (March 2021)

2021 timeline

Harry and Taylor were seen together for the first time in 6 years at the 2021 Grammy's, where both were seen looking at the other and they spoke. Their body language in the video of them talking is interesting. Taylor is leaning forward, gesturing a lot, she looks confident but also tense. Harry is the one to start it, but he looks away when she says something and it looks like he ends the conversation with pleasantries. She goes home and writes High Infidelity about resenting a partner and having an affair, outing April 29 in the process. He writes As it Was and Love of My Life about accepting something special is gone forever.

TTPD guesses for this time:

I look through people's windows - I think this song refers to the 2021 Grammy's, it refers to the muse catching their breath, tilting their head. They are someone close now distant. Sliding doors and what if's. It sounds like that conversation.

Guilty as Sin? - This song is seems early in Taylors thinking about leaving Joe, she is feeling guilty about wishing she was with someone else. High Infidelity we know was written then is oddly similar, but GAS is a current thought process with Haylor links.

Peter - I think it fits for vibes of 'life was easier on you'

May - August - Brit Awards (May 2021)

They saw each other again at the Brits in May when I think Glitch was written, Joe was in Belfast filming then.

On July 24 2021, for the anniversary of Folklore Taylor posted a photo of herself with two (double album) coffee cups (Karma MV) and text which could fit into an Eras tour Betty Speech, highlighting 'victorian ghost' and The Lakes (poets)

On 18 June 2021 Taylor announces Red TV and says “tortured by memories past”

TTPD guesses for this time:

Tortured Poets Department (because she refers to it in September and in the Red TV Announcement.

My Boy Only Breaks His Favourite Toys - the Red TV announcement refers to Wild that is on TTPD 11 times and Red 4 times, most in that song. Taylor also used the sandcastles in 1989 Spotify Visuals

August - October 2021

This is where I wonder if a friendship was becoming flirtatious. Or with the rerecording of Red and being unhappy with Joe if perhaps Taylor was thinking more about a road not taken. Taylor had a version of the title track written and decided it was a title track and an emerging aesthetic to easter egg by September 2021. Harry was very overt too, on their anniversary he performed in white satin in Nashville wearing the Peace Ring. I think it was a flirtation then.

recorded Red (Taylors Version) in Belfast visiting Joe so was in the Haylor feels

posted this TikTok of a Glitch while recording Red TV and a request for Wildest Dreams TV

went on Fallon to promote ATW where she easter egged Typewriters, and said would try to drop easter eggs 3 years advance.

At the Tribeca Film Festival she again mentioned Typewriters, an album with an acronym, tortured poets and manuscript. She would try to drop easter eggs 3 years in advance.

Released the ATW short film with typewriters super clear and and included them in the merch too.

Harry has the first heart kiss since 2018 in St Paul! Then wears all white satin and wears and plays with his Peace Ring (for the first time in years) to perform in Nashville while Taylor in town, a few days after their anniversary, and adds To Be So Lonely to the setlist. Then he records Satellite.

TTPD guesses for this time:

Manuscript because of Red TV records (and referred to at Tribeca)

November and December 2021

This is when the majority of Midnights was written. Taylor was also not seen much after the ATW release, Joe was in Panama. You're Losing Me was recorded, if TTPD songs are from here that's hard to tell. Harry was MIA for 2 weeks before Taylors birthday and in this period Taylor wore a Gucci Lion Ring to Zoe's birthday, interesting with the amount of ring talk on TTPD. Question…? Written.

2022

2022 timeline

Matty Healy first worked with Jack sometime after 5 January.

21 January - Charlie Puth includes painting a red fence in his MV he later refers to when promoting TTPD. - So the left typewriter/Charlie Puth of it all is way too early for MH.

April 2022, Harry said “to BFs everywhere F U” which I think was directed at Joe. So he knew whatever Joe did. Drake also shouted out supportively Taylor on 19 April. Joe's costar's name in the final cut of CWF (Ep 3, 11:55).

Harry's House released on Harry and Taylors 20 May anniversary. As it was MV beforehand.

I still think it was Joever (or they were on a break) May 2022

In November I posted that I thought Midnight was the break up album. Suggesting that I think Joe and Taylor broke up by May 2022. I had thought that Joe may have agreed to a number of appearances to provide them both time to process and ready themselves for Taylors fans finding out.

I still think this, though perhaps it also could have been a break. The speed with which Taylor moved on could have that the break up was raw for us, not her.

I primarily thought this because Joe was at a random Hollywood party rather than her NYU Graduation, and she stopped liking his IG posts then, which she had done reliably.

This is to say, I think Taylor held back in Midnights and at least some of it was written before the 2 years she said at the Grammy's.

August - October 2022

By August friendly flirtation had been going on for a year, Harry dressed for eras as the rerecords were announced. They were in communication so much he knew when she was announcing things before she did. On the night of the VMAs he was dressed in blue stars to match her Midnights after party dress while Joe dragged her out to a car. I wonder if Fortnight was set after they were both at TIFF then New York for 2 weeks during Harry's residency, Harry seemed to be really struggling after that. My guess is that with the impending bad press of the Nanny/OWs relationship - any part in it being Joever would have been out of the question.

August 2022 - Harry and OW are in a Rolling Stone interview, they interviewed them in April and it came much later, but I think this is referred to in loml and something Taylor would have especially not liked given her desire for a power couple

The OW/Shia drama came to light and that relationship looked done by 5 September at the DWD premiere.

7 September - 30 October Harry wore the Peace Ring again at HSLOT shows. They were both at the Tiff Film Festival, (where Taylor mentioned typewriters again).

They were then both in New York during his residency ending 21 September, where he also played Ever Since New York for the first time in 4 years. This is my guess for when Fortnight is set.

There were blinds Joe was texting other people.

The TTPD Spotify room included a safe (vault) from Toronto 👀

In October 6 - 10 Harry postponed 2 shows due to Illness, with Sony saying Harry was not unwell. Now, other Sony artists postponed shows and this Reddit thread suggests it is over the Nanny scandal (but I don't think Harry would be so cut up about that story to cancel shows and call his mum) so there could be lots of reasons for this. But it is a real anomaly.... and Anne and Gemma flew from England to support him when he performed again.

12 October - Charlie Puth easter eggs TTPD on Fallon.

Midnights was released and Joe carried a coffee table book to avoid touching Taylor in the pap walk

Eras Tour training started September 2022 - in the Time interview Taylor said she stopped drinking and ran on the treadmill for 6 months before tour began. The Typewriters were also in the Eras set for The Man.

"This time, she began training six months ahead of the first show. “Every day I would run on the treadmill, singing the entire set list out loud,”" and "“Learning choreography is not my strong suit.” With the exception of Grammy night—which was “hilarious,” she says—she also stopped drinking. “Doing that show with a hangover,” she says ominously. “I don’t want to know that world.”

TTPD guesses for this time:

Fortnight - I think the references to a cheating husband (current tense) and wife, (the Clean lyric similarity of watering flowers) places this here. I think the August 2022 Rolling Stone with OW is part inspiration for that line. Also functioning alcoholic/time magazine quote, here or soon after.

loml - this song would have come after Harry's House. I think the Valiant Roar is a reference to the August 2022 Rolling Stone Interview with OW and Harry, I also wonder about June 2022.

Down Bad - This fits narratively if the Fortnight was September and it ended in October that puts Taylor 'down bad crying at the gym' while preparing for the Eras tour. The staring at the sky / CBBH reference also make sense to be after Taylor heard Satellite and re-recorded Red TV.

BDILH - Based on my theory on it ending due to scandals I think this fits here, at least in a starting form.

November - December 2022

This period is unknown to me, OW and Harry BUA, Harry bought a Ferrari he never drove. He was last seen driving in December 2022. Joe said Tortured Man's Club in an interview. Taylor and Joe go to New Orleans, seemingly argue and she visits a recording studio. So if not completely over this looks like a final blow.

TTPD guesses for this time:

Fresh Out of the Slammer, Florida!!!, Who's Afraid of Little Old Me, were recorded at the Esplanade Studios in NOLA

January - March 2023

Taylor performed at The 1975 concert, Harry rumoured there. Matty Healy accused Harry of Queer Baiting and Blinds that he hated Harry. Harry started being driven places.

Taylor went over to Harry at the Grammy's and was enthusiastic supporting him. I feel like things between Harry and Taylor were friendly, but I think that was it, she was initiating. He recorded the Satellite music video but then kept it in his pocket until May, maybe something started earlier, when things were different and finished then later. Joe was seen at the Grammy's with Jack and posted a photo of meredith. Harry tours Australia, slides into Influencer Yan Yan's DM's. He adds Woman to the setlist and kisses his heart. ER kiss. At the end of the month MHs ex says they were going fine.

TTPD guesses for this time:

imgonnagetyouback - because of him fixing his hair at the Grammy's

April & May 2023

Joever announced. I have a long post on the Maylor thing. My perspective is that Harry wasn't up for more than friends at that time, Matty is known for deep resentment of Harry. Matty & Taylor were both on tour, they weren't in the same city apart from the handful of times they were seen, and they were overseas from each other when it started and ended... and Matty implied it was not sincere. Taylors team also said it was not serious. Fans see it differently and that's OK. But to me it was trolling of the highest order from them both.

On 9 April Harry played golf at Augusta Georgia and disappeared for 2 weeks. In April 12 Taylor wore the Gucci Lion ring, she went to Florida, MH in Australia, HS MIA last seen in Georgia. Most of the MH public stuff was after that. Harry also added Stockholm Syndrome and Grapejuice to his setlist and seen outside Cartier before Taylor starts wearing the Necklace after their old anniversary. It's a mess. The MH thing ended.

TTPD guesses for this time:

Songs recorded, but like Fresh out the slammer they are likely started earlier. I think the daily pap works with nicely matching photos is to have everything happen in this 'neater' timeline.

Alchemy - Taylor said this title in the Cruel Summer speech in March, Taylor may have added to it later.

June

June is when I think things went really bad. I think this is where Taylor 'tore it all down with one conversation', which based on the Time magazine may have been wanting something public. Angry I don't wanna live forever Surprise Song and wild Betty Speeches:

"James, and he really, really, really messes things up bad with the love of his life, and he has to try to get her back, and apologize very sincerely, and profusely, and say he’s going to change and be better, and that’s all he has to do."

Taylor crying in a car in pap photos. Deux Moi reports Taylor attended HSLOT at Wembley. TR attends one Wembley show, we don't know which. Harry played Sweet Creature, maybe for Gemma's baby. The same night Taylor played Seven and said:

"I’ve always just had something happen to me, or feel a feeling, for even like seven seconds, if I feel a feeling, it’ll be like, ‘Oh! I have to write a song about this seven seconds of me feeling this way.’ It’s like, it’s genuinely been like, it’s not really a job, it’s like a full coping mechanism" ... (TTPD hint) ... "radical, the idea of a man apologizing in a beautiful, heartfelt, sincere way.’ I’m not talking about any of you. If you’re here, you’re exempt. You’re a really emotionally intelligent group. I’m sort of talking about other people right now.

TTPD guesses for this time:

Black dog, down bad, FOTS recorded, but not necessarily written.

loml - I think it fits here because Harry put Stockholm Syndrome with "I'll never leave" on the setlist in the place of Love of My Life.

Prophecy

BDILH

The rest is in the 2023 timeline

#TTPD #the tortured poets department #Taylor Swift

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defensivelee · 2 months ago

Text

Six Lives Won't Make You Happy: Will-o’-the-Wisp

A happy October 14th to all! It certainly isn't for Mary, who's dealing with her increasingly unhinged father and a nasty methamphetamine withdrawal. But her work awaits for nothing! On the other side of things, Bentinck, Anne, and William decide to go fox-hunting in the city of Nayaflitt. It turns out the touch of a dwaallicht spirit may be a curse as well as a blessing.

Here is the AO3 link! This chapter's a bit more relaxed, but fun nonetheless.

CW: explicit violence, murder, death, gun use, heavy drug use, addiction, withdrawal, smoking, drinking, mild alcoholism, abusive relationship(s), abusive parent(s), domestic violence, implied/referenced child abuse, ableism, implied/referenced psychosis, fantastic racism, objectification, dehumanization, public humiliation, rape threats, normalization of rape/sexual assault, implied/referenced child sexual abuse, implied/referenced non-consensual incest, prostitution, explicit sexual content, ritualistic sex, explicit rape/noncon.

It was a truly peaceful night, nothing could ruin it. The wind was gentle against his face. The sky above was pure black, save for the stars that flickered and then fell to the ground some immeasurable distance away. The dark red blades of grass seemed to protest against every lash of his tail, as if they wanted him to lie still. Forever.

I am not staying here. He managed to sit up, holding a hand up to his heart. It no longer beat in his chest, nor did he hear his own breaths as he tilted his head up towards the sky.

“I did not expect to see you back so soon,” he heard an echoing voice say behind him. “William.”

William turned around to glare at the feathered devil, coiled there as if preparing to leap. His orange eyes matched the glow of his claws, which tore at the grass as he approached on all four of his legs, the scales on his back shaking slowly. His long, thin tail was made of nothing but rattling bone, as were his open jaws.

His name was William, too, when it was translated from the ancient language of Infernal. Only, he was the first William, the oldest William; indeed, the oldest devil in the world— the Prince of the Western Kingdom, right at home in the devils’ realm.

“Don’t look at me like that,” the younger William said, backing away warily. “It’s not my fault Bentinck didn’t come for me on time.” He shook himself out at the thought, at the memory of waiting so foolishly for help that came too late. Bentinck had held him to his chest, and William had leaned in like he always did, but it was a thoughtless gesture. Being so close to his Ally’s beating heart, he wanted nothing more than to rip it out with his teeth.

“You could have saved yourself,” the Prince said. “You did it once before. You do not need your Ally when you were born with so much power within you.”

“If I could have saved myself, I would have done it, old man,” William hissed. “But the fucking spells you devils left us with require the use of our voices and hands, none of which I had!” He paused, lowering his head. “Bentinck could have done it. It’s not unreasonable for me to expect better of him.”

“I did not give you six lives so you could sit around and wait for your Ally to come save you,” the Prince said, pacing around William. “I respect you, boy, but forgive me if I have any doubts after witnessing every day slip through your fingers with no progress at all.”

“Maybe if I had all the promised gifts and powers of an Overlifer on day fucking one, this wouldn’t be happening,” William said. He kept having to turn this way and that, trying to keep his glare on the circling Prince. “But no, you make the Overlifers wait six lifetimes. You make them die over and over again to reach their full potential. It’s like you punish us for daring to want more!”

“Why, yes, William, that is precisely what we are doing,” the Prince said with a chuckle. “Power cannot be obtained without sacrifices. You know that better than anyone. Shall I list the memorable dead?”

“There’s no need—”

“Oh, ‘tis not a long list, child. I did say the memorable dead, after all.” The Prince sat back to lap contentedly at his claws, like a lazy cat. “If I listed all those deaths you never cared to remember, we would be here for an eternity.”

“If I didn’t care enough to remember them, then I correctly decided that they weren’t important enough to remember.” William tilted his head to the side. “That’s not on me.”

“Are you trying to be dense here?” The Prince equally tilted his head to meet William’s gaze. “You have decided that in order to do what you want with the world, some people have to die. Is it so wrong for the devils to decide that sometimes you have to die, too?”

William nodded firmly. “Who do you think you are to limit our strengths, to clip our wings?”

“Must I remind you who you owe your lives to?” The Prince leaped towards William, baring his teeth before his face. “Who do you think you are to speak to us like this?”

William leaned forward, staring right back at the Prince’s bright eyes. “I will have your kingdom after your death. I am essentially your heir, and you would do well to remember that. The end of your rule draws near. Remember that I decide if you die or not.”

“I am your oldest ancestor.”

“Well, you wouldn’t be the first relative I kill,” William said, stepping back. “Has it been six hours yet? I’m getting bored of your realm here.” He knew that would sting; the devils could not stand any insult to their home, perhaps because they knew how much better the land they had left behind was.

The Prince’s scales shook faster, but he otherwise ignored the slight. “Not yet. Why are you so eager to return to such a hostile world?”

“What am I going to do here?” William flicked his tail over the grass. “Besides, Bentinck came for me. I...should be safe now, right?” He winced. His voice sounded a little more desperate than he had intended, as he realized that he truly had no idea if Bentinck had gotten out of the burning Hoerenkast or not.

What if I’m still dying? His whole destiny, cut short by a measly little fire!

Or, even worse— what if Mary had taken him back, after all? She had made it very clear that there would be no exceptions made for him anymore, especially now with her father lying dead and helpless as well. She would still want William to be there for when James woke up, wouldn’t she?

I’ll just wake up to another nightmare! He swallowed, realizing he was shaking at the thought of still being in their hands, and he felt the Prince’s tail come up to his chin.

“You are safe now, trust me,” came the rumbling voice. “But you are always welcome to stay, child.”

“Fuck, no, you want me dead,” William said, pushing him away. He took a deep breath from the wind picking up around them. “If you promise I’m safe, I’m going now. They need me up there.”

The Prince sighed. “Very well.” He straightened himself up as he began to trace a summoning circle through the grass with his claws. “You will return with more power than you have ever known, but remember that there is still more to be found.”

William bowed his head. “You will not see me here again. Not for a very, very long time.” He dropped his voice to a growl. “I will prove to you that I don’t need all the power you hold back from me to fulfill my destiny.”

“We shall see about that,” the Prince said, looking up at William again. “One last thing. When you return, your doctor will give you an order that I advise you not to follow.”

“Oh, really? My doctor?” William wondered what Bidloo could possibly want now. Had he been with Bentinck? He hoped not; he could only imagine how insufferable he must be acting right now.

“Yes, he’s there now,” the Prince said. “This is the only time I will tell you this: do not listen to him.”

“Why not? Is he a traitor?” William narrowed his eyes, but received no answer as the Prince suddenly turned away, smacking his tail hard against William’s chest. William stumbled back with a cry, waving his arm out behind him to catch himself, only for it to go straight through the summoning circle, and pull him down with it.

“Cryptic bastard!” William shouted as he fell through, the energy sparkling all around him nearly being enough to knock him out again.

No— but it was enough to bring him back out of the inevitable claws of death.

🝰🝰🝰

“He’s almost up, Mary.”

Mary looked up at her stepmother, standing at the doorway of her room. What on earth was she talking about? It must have been important if Maria was looking at her like that. But she couldn’t remember, she couldn’t remember a thing that had happened to her, ever, and was only present here, lying uselessly on her bed. There was something streaming down her fingers as she lifted them away from her mouth.

“Oh, you’re bleeding again!” Maria rushed to her side, and Mary quickly sat up, backing away from her. That was it, the scent of iron on her hands.

“It’s fine, what are you going on about?” She kicked her legs out at Maria, who shuffled back in surprise. “You always act like this when I get high! Like you’ve never seen it before! You don’t have to act so offended.”

Maria tilted her head to the side. “I’m not.”

“Yeah? Maybe you should try it some time.”

“Acting offended?”

“Getting high, you stupid bitch!” Mary yelled. “At least then you’d have a reason to be seeing shit for no reason. And maybe you don’t have to look James straight in the eyes. You’ll be okay, you got that?”

“Mary...” Maria laughed nervously. “There’s always a reason. Whatever I see is meant to help all of us here, meant to help you, and- and James, even if he doesn’t realize it sometimes.” She reached out to gently place a hand on Mary’s shoulder, as if she were trying not to scare her off, to keep her there. “Even if you don’t realize it. They’re not...senseless hallucinations. I’ve had them since I was a child.”

“Seems pretty senseless to me,” Mary said. “Some of it, anyway. Most of it.” She raised an eyebrow. “Maybe it’s just all the smoke you breathe in from me. I mean, I see stuff, too. Now and then. I know those aren’t...divine visions, or whatever special name you like to call your lunacy.” She turned away and lay back on the bed with a groan. She left bloodstains on the pillow as she clenched her fist over it. “Don’t act like the worst thing in the world is what you are— fucking crazy.”

“Ha!” Maria barked out a sad, bitter laugh. “Yeah. So are you.”

“Am I the worst thing in the world?” Mary smiled back at her.

“No, Mary, of course not.” Maria shifted up beside her. “You know that.” She hesitated before adding, “Did you want to see your father now? I...understand if you don’t want to, I don’t imagine he’ll be too pleased with you. I just want to make sure I’m at his side when he does wake up.” She lowered her voice. “So that snake Churchill isn’t the first face he has to see.”

Oh, there she went again. Mary had no idea what she was referring to. If it had to do with James, though, she had to be there, didn’t she? Besides, she didn’t know why he would be unhappy with her at the moment. Hopefully he would have forgotten whatever it was by now. He played such strange games with everyone around him, though; she could never tell what it would be.

“I’ll go,” Mary said, sitting up.

“Are you sure?”

“You would keep a daughter from her poor old father? Why would I ever refuse it?” She wiped her fingers on her skirt and got up, though it took some effort. She pushed her hair back, glaring ahead at the light outside her room. She didn’t want to step out there, under the unceasing glow. But she knew James would have liked her to.

“Come on, then.” Maria took her hand and led her out of the room. Mary followed, keeping a hand on the wall as she walked. She thought she might have been tearing it open, despite the perpetually short nails she kept; there was an incessant buzzing at her fingertips that had been growing lately, every time she smoked her pipe.

It was, to her relief, much dimmer in the stairway, as well as in the main salon, where she saw a small crowd of Disciples gathered there. Those with tails whipped them about impatiently, staring down at something on the white sofa. Devils below, why did it have to be white?

“He’s all healed by now,” Maria told her as they stepped in. “We’re just waiting for the devil to release him.”

The devil? What devil? Mary opened her mouth to ask, but snapped it back shut when she saw that all the Disciples were staring back at her with wide eyes, letting her pass almost too easily. They did so in a very slow, ghostly manner, as if she were all alone in this room, and her six lives were enough to consume the ancient spirits surrounding her. She thought she could reach out and wave them away like leaves.

Six lives. She paused before the sofa. What a foolish thought. The power was never hers to wield.

“No, Mary,” she heard a faint, familiar voice say beside her, echoing deep in her mind. “It was always his.”

She glanced at the speaker. She realized she truly had smoked too much when she saw her uncle Charles standing there, just as he looked before his death, save for one broken horn. He smiled at her, though his blank eyes were far from friendly.

Right. She remembered now. She turned away from him, letting him disappear into the back of her mind, and knelt in front of the body before her. That of her father, who had been shot last night...by none other than her sister. She’d pay for that, Mary would see to it.

Oh, she had done other things, too— she’d started a fire, which might have explained the unusually sore throat Mary had today, and she’d spoken to Ally Marly, but all of that paled in comparison to the secret she had revealed. It had the power to destroy the leadership of the Disciples.

Of course, it hadn’t, but she still would have liked killing Anne before she spat out the revelation that Mary and James had both killed Charles. She didn’t like the stares she was receiving now, the hacking coughs she heard behind her. Anne wasn’t here, so Mary knew that, at least for now, she was where they turned their ire towards.

She lifted her head towards James, lying so still and beautiful, his curls falling over his eyes. He would be angry, too, that she had let slip the truth so easily; it was undoubtedly why Maria had only asked and not ordered Mary to be here. She didn’t know where else she was supposed to be, though. He’d surely be looking for her the moment he opened her eyes.

Maria approached cautiously beside her, sitting up next to James and dipping her head to kiss one of the filaire-marked horns. Behind her, Marly leaned down over the sofa, staring at Mary through narrowed eyes. He looked like a starving cat.

What does he want? Was he disappointed she and Maria had survived his treacherous actions? Well, he would have more to worry about when James woke up, she would make sure of that.

She thought she had her explanations ready as her father began to stir, opening his mouth wide in a yawn that displayed the gleam of both his white and golden teeth. She wouldn’t be able to explain away everything, especially since she knew he would be very, very angry, and yet she dared to hope, clenching her teeth so hard that it sent shivers down her neck. It hurt.

James opened his eyes, sitting up with such force that Maria jumped back in surprise. He curled his lip back in a sneer as he glanced down at his clothes, none of which had been changed since he had been shot. He must have smelled the blood; Mary could see the fur on his tail standing straight up as he looked around.

The Disciples all bowed their heads deeply in greeting, but James did not acknowledge any of them. Instead he looked straight at Maria and asked, in a slow, uncertain voice, “Where is William?”

William. Mary might have despaired at the sound of his name, but hearing it this time only made her feel her heartbeat more acutely. She wiped the sweat from her face with her arm and looked up to face her father. At least this wasn’t the worst thing he could have said.

“You weren’t awake for this, but Anne started a fire,” she began. “She used a Western fire spell, so you know she wanted to kill us all. Indeed, it spread so quickly—” She stood up, nearly tripping on Maria’s lashing tail. “It was a choice between saving you or catching him, and he scurried away so quickly. I mean, he was like a little fucking rat, you really would have had to be there.” She mimicked the motion of crawling with her hand. “Oh, I guess you were there. But not awake, right? Right. So he left, and we had to take you instead, and Maria saved both of us! You and me. And herself, too, I suppose. We were the last ones to get out.” She clapped her hands and looked back at everyone else. “It’s very likely that William probably died there, burning alive as you might have wished him to be. There’s nothing left of him, and he was the only casualty...save for yourself.”

She turned back towards James and Maria, in particular raising her eyebrows at her stepmother. If it were up to Mary, they might have kept William, and this whole mess within her would be over, but Maria had insisted on letting Bentinck take him back, for whatever nonsense reason Mary couldn’t understand. All she knew was that Maria had allowed William to slip away, allowed him another day to come back and destroy them all.

So she hoped that it was enough for James to believe her and cast his gaze away from Maria. She had saved Mary’s life, now Mary could save her, if even for a little while— an eye for an eye, it was what the devils would have liked to see.

James managed to stand, his hand on Maria’s shoulder for support. “So we are sure,” he said, “that William is dead.”

“I think so.” Mary smiled at him, backing away slowly.

“Well, at least Anne did something right,” he spat, much to her surprise. “I wish I could have been there to see it, but that’s one less thing to worry about.” His eyes glittered. “How cute; she must have thought I would forgive her. Poor thing. Did any of you happen to capture her?”

“She hasn’t been seen since,” Marly answered, bowing low before flitting to James’ side. “And neither has Sarah.” He lowered his voice as he spoke, and Mary couldn’t help but bark out a laugh.

“Oh, don’t tell me you don’t know where either of them went!” she said. “You were speaking to them both right before the fire spell was cast.” She pointed straight at him, feeling foolishly like a child choosing her favorite treat from right outside a shop’s window. It delighted her. “And then —get this, sir— you left us! You fled to save your own skin, never looking back once for James. Some Ally you make.”

Her smile widened even as she heard the mocking, disbelieving hisses from the Disciples. Marly jumped a little, his gaze flicking from her to James to Maria.

“I- I was always thinking of you, sir,” he said to James. “I only tried to- to speak to Sarah to dissuade her from fleeing with Anne, but I don’t know if she really knew about your daughter’s plans until the very end.” He glared back at Mary. “I know I didn’t. Besides, I was the one that saved you, not—”

“Enough.” James flicked his tail to silence him. “Don’t lie to me again.”

“I’m not—”

“John, I said enough.” There was a warning in James’ voice as he turned his head towards his Ally. “Has anyone else defected, or was it just your beloved Sarah?” He spoke the word with a sly smile growing on his face, and Marly swallowed.

“No, I don’t believe so. We’ve all stayed.”

“Ah, how wonderful.” James stepped forward, starting to circle and weave through his followers. “It pleases me to see you all here after that unnecessary revelation. You must recognize how far I will go to ensure only the very best for the descendants of the Eastern Kingdom. More importantly, you surely recognize that an Overlifer must do everything he can to ensure his voice is heard above all others. He must be willing to make sacrifices. The moment a limb loses all functionality and becomes nothing but a painful, stinging burden...he must be willing to cut it off.”

Mary glowered at the Disciples who still lashed their tails suspiciously. Couldn’t they see how dedicated James was to them? If it had been the other way around, Charles would have never killed James, he would have let the whole cause rot. There was someone with no honor, no determination, no backbone. James was always meant to rule in his place.

So what if he just...hastened the process?

“But it is also necessary for an Overlifer to listen to his Eastern subjects.” It was Madam Finch’s deep voice which spoke, that of the only Disciple Madam in Altos Diablos, dressed accordingly with the odd cravat and justaucorps. She always had a severe look about her, though Mary didn’t know how honest it was. She had always been nothing but polite.

“An Overlifer commands absolutely,” James said simply, stopping in front of her.

“An Overlifer cannot possibly rule if every subject is unhappy,” Finch said. She lifted her head to look into James’ eyes, blinking tiredly. “I trust that your word is law, but some things have historically never been allowed to pass by the followers of your ancestors. Believe me when I say that I have never agreed with those rebels.” Her tail flicked slowly from side to side. “But I can understand why they did what they did.”

“Is that a threat?” James snapped.

“Let’s just say it’s an unprecedented situation, sir,” Charles Talbot, Finch’s favorite whore (and, by extension, Mary’s as well) piped up beside them. Today he had somehow managed to look more exhausted than his mistress. “Killing an Overlifer, of the highest divine blood and rank, even for the sake of becoming one yourself...it’s never been done before. Can it be done? Should it be allowed?”

“That doesn’t matter,” Mary said. She stared at Talbot’s thighs as she spoke, ever so slightly exposed in between his shorts and boots. She’d certainly like to be in between them again. “My father is better, and his choices now as an Overlifer cancel out the will of a dead one.”

Talbot gave her a look she couldn’t read, and said nothing more.

“I don’t mind this so much at all,” Spencer said, approaching rather noisily with his heels. “It’s the lies that stung, sir. I would have followed you anywhere.” He was smiling, but his tail, lashing slowly, revealed his discontent. So even him.

“Does this mean you wouldn’t now?” James asked. His features seemed to soften as he looked back at Spencer.

There was a pause, then Spencer bowed his head. “I would. But you must think about where you would be without us.” His gaze burning, he turned around and walked out the door.

James snorted. “Insolent snake. I’ll deal with him later.” Waving his tail at everyone, he said, “You may be Easterners, but remember that I decide your future in this world. My brother promised glory, but I won’t make it so easy for you. Around here, you earn your place. So glory you may receive, if you simply behave.” He flashed a grin at Finch. “But you can also earn yourself a fate worse than death. You would all do well to remember that.”

It was only sensible. Mary didn’t know why they all looked so stunned, their high horns blurring at the edge of her vision as if they were reaching up towards the heavens. This was how she had always lived, understanding well that the more use her father had for her, the more favor he would show her, and the happier they could all be. It was a peaceful existence, where she could numb her mind and let James pull the strings for her. It was so easy to kill when the order came from his lips.

She was the daughter of an Overlifer. Everyone else here had the honor to serve him, to bring him one step closer to his solution for humanity. What more could they want?

Just follow orders and you’ll have everything you’ve ever wanted and more. She looked up, and it seemed to her that the Disciples might have been speaking. There was the mindless drum of conversation all around her, but they all appeared to be frozen in place, disappearing beside her as she began to walk towards the stairs again.

Everything I’ve ever wanted. She’d been following James for twenty-three years and yet she could only feel a sort of new, aching grief within her as she glanced back at the frozen figures.

“Mary. I’d like to see you alone, please.” That was James in her ear. She looked up at him and followed him up the stairs, resisting the urge to cling onto his tail like she had when she was a child. At least she had more reason for it now, unsteady as she was.

“I’m sorry,” was the first thing she said once they were alone in the corridor.

“Why did you tell her?” Already James was circling her, like a wary lion with his tail swishing from side to side. It looked sort of funny; she had to stifle a laugh.

“Anne? I don’t know. Maybe I just wanted a reason to kill her, you ever thought about that?” It was a lie, she never once had thought of it. But she was of hardly any use to James anymore, she only made their dear father angry. It wouldn’t have been such a great loss to Mary. Not if she just spent the rest of her life as high as she had been that day.

“I would have liked to avoid killing my own daughters,” James said in a low voice.

“Ha, well, you wouldn’t have been the one doing it, anyway. You’d just send me again, wouldn’t you? I can kill anyone.” Mary tilted her head to the side so that she was leaning against the wall. “We could try getting high some time. You and me and Maria. And then we can kill anyone we want. You know, I think if you’d been shitfaced enough, you could have killed Charles yourself. You could have strangled and beaten him. It would have been so easy for you.”

James paused his pacing, turning his head sharply towards her. “What kind of goodbye would that have been for him?”

“Yeah, right. You didn’t even say goodbye.”

“Will you shut the fuck up, Mary?” he snapped. “You don’t know anything about what happened that night. You were just there to kill him, and you did your job, so keep it professional, why don’t you? I don’t need to hear your opinion on the...customer.” His tail wagged a little at the tip, as if he were amused at the remark.

“Mm. Well, you know. Just some feedback.” Mary shrugged. “Besides, I’m not complaining. I’m just saying, if you’re getting high, that’s more power to you.”

“You revealed our secret while you were high!” James said bitterly. “And you couldn’t even kill Anne once she knew. Two of the most important orders I have ever given you, and you disobeyed both of them.” He stepped closer to her, and Mary gritted her teeth as she looked up at him.

“Never on purpose—”

She was cut off by her own yelp as he reached out to pull hard on her hair, bringing her so close to him she could smell his metallic breath. “I can’t believe you’re my heir,” he said, “and you have done nothing lately but bring us further and further from our destiny.”

“I thought you were going to live forever,” Mary said faintly, and her father shoved her back, hard enough for her to nearly stumble and fall. She gasped as he began to walk towards her again.

“That doesn’t matter! What matters is that you must always serve me, and somehow you keep fucking it up!” With those last words, he raised his fist, only narrowly missing her eye as she turned her head. She felt the impact there anyway when it landed, her vision blinking out for a moment when she fell back against the wall, hitting the other side of her head as well.

Shit. She rubbed at her cheek and tried to scurry to the side when she felt James’ shadow over her. But he took hold of her wrist, pulling it sharply towards himself so that she fell back against him. She cried out, feeling him take a step back at her weight, but then he shoved her down on the floor.

“Ugh- fuck!” she cried out as she landed on her back. She was shaking so hard she could hardly sit up, though she frantically tried to scoot away when she felt James’ presence right down beside her. “Sir- sir, please, you don’t—”

“You’ve become no better than your sister! Am I to be alone in this forever?!” he shouted at her, crawling over her and pinning her arms above her head with one firm hand. “All you and Anne have ever done is ruin everything I’ve been trying to do here, you’ve never done so much for this like I have!”

“N-No—” Mary could hardly catch her breath, her chest heaving below her father’s. What was all the blood for, then? Did her father never smell it upon her, like she did on him?

Or perhaps she was remembering wrong, after all. Sometimes it happened when she was high enough. Reality was rather disappointing the next day.

She saw a flash of silver above her, and then it came down on her face, sending so sharp a sting through her that she opened her mouth to scream. It was muffled as James shoved his forearm into her mouth, forcing her to bite down as he landed blows from the buckle on the belt he had slipped off. Her arms were free now, but try as she might, she couldn’t push him off, couldn’t make him stop.

She was glad she kept her eyes shut, or she would have seen the fierce gaze that she remembered from a time so long ago, yet somehow also a time where everything was the same as it was now. She would have seen his lips curled back in a determined snarl. She hated that it was all a lie, then, that he truly thought so little of her that the worst he could offer her were these mindless beatings.

Damned beast! She bit down as hard as she could on his arm, and still he did not move. She could no longer hear anything but her own racing heartbeat, her shallow breaths becoming faster as the seconds ticked by. She could feel tears slipping out the corners of her eyes.

“By all the stars,” she heard James exclaim once he was done, sitting back with a huff. “I don’t know why you would do this to me.”

Mary lifted her head cautiously as he stood up. She could feel that, for the most part, he’d struck her face and arms. Her eye that had escaped his first punch couldn’t even open now.

“I’ll kill all the disloyal snakes that I have to,” James said, turning away from her. “I don’t care why; if they so much as even suggest that they no longer believe in my rule, I will fucking devour them myself.” He glared back at her. “But they were happy before. The blood will be on your hands.” With that, he disappeared down the stairs.

As if he cared about that. She was quite offended that he thought she would— any traitor, no matter the reason they dissented, deserved to die!

She pushed herself up with a grunt and stood up, swaying in the air until Charles reached out to steady her. Instinctively, she leant against him, but instead she fell hard against the wall, hitting her head on it.

“Will you stop doing that?” she mumbled. She let herself slide back down the wall, clutching at her still-frantic heart. She hated Charles. She hated this false high; it didn’t even make her happy for a moment. None of it did at this point.

So why do you still do this? Just stop. It hurts. It hurts, just stop. She buried her face in her hands with a shaky breath. Just smoke like everyone else.

No, no, she couldn’t do it. She had to keep going— being sober never made anything better, anyway. She could at least try to have some fun.

For now, though, it only brought her and James nothing but trouble. Nothing but uncertainty and the fear of the beginnings of something working beneath them. She’d seen the look in Spencer’s eyes, like a festering wound.

She wanted to scream that she had tried, that she had always done whatever James had asked of her, but none of it could ever compare to this. They’d spent years building up to this, to the moment James would finally rule, and she had just shattered it all.

Somehow, it was explained to her that she always did.

🝰🝰🝰

Anne turned her head to the side as Bentinck leaned down to kiss her neck, letting out sweet gasps when he shifted his hips forward, deeper into her. She was warm underneath him, her hands shaking slightly over his shoulders, her legs spreading just a little further to grant him easier access.

“A-Ah— my lord—!” Her eyes glistened under the rising sun as she cried out. Bentinck paused for a moment, listening to her huffs, borderline prayers, before starting up again. He stroked at her horns, kissing them while she buried her face in his chest.

“You don’t need to call me that,” he reminded her gently.

“I- I want to,” she said, her face flushing as she smiled up at him. She brought her hands up to his hair and pulled him closer, sighing against his lips before kissing him. Bentinck certainly had no problem with that; he shut his eyes and continued that way.

He was the first to break away with a ragged gasp. He bowed his head to stifle a groan as he came, feeling her body shudder against him. She laughed breathlessly beneath him.

“Have I pleased Lord Portland?” she asked.

“Well...have I pleased Lady Anne?” He pressed another kiss to one of her horns and backed away with a stretch. He hoped they had been quick and quiet enough to not have disturbed Bidloo downstairs, but he truly couldn’t have waited any longer.

I just hope that William doesn’t mind that we used one of his guest rooms for this. He glanced back at the door, and Anne sat up beside him.

“You have,” she said. “Very much.” She pecked at his cheek, then looked downwards and said, “Hey, do you mind if I get your condom?”

“Oh- what?” Bentinck turned sharply back towards her. She merely blinked at him, waiting for his answer. Somehow she had never looked more serious.

“Well, I need all the blessings I can get,” she said. She nudged one of his legs to the side and began to slip off the condom on him. She held it up over her head once she pulled it off.

“What are you doing?” Bentinck laughed nervously.

“They say it’s better to drink straight from the source,” Anne said, opening her mouth wide. She began to squeeze all the cum out onto her tongue, a few drops falling from her lips and landing on her chest. Bentinck swallowed hard as he watched.

“But this will do,” she said as she finished. She wiped absently at her mouth, and Bentinck bounced forward and kissed her. She returned his kiss with a soft sigh, reaching up to hold his hand, cupped around her face.

“Hans,” she said, opening one eye to stare up at him as he lifted his head. “An Ally such as yourself—”

“Oh, please, Anne, enough of that,” Bentinck cut in. “We’re here as lovers, are we not? I love you. That’s all there is to it.” He hated that he had to let her go and get dressed; she appeared so vulnerable there on the bed, her eyes narrowing.

“And I love you,” she said cautiously. “Very much.”

“Is something wrong?” Bentinck tilted his head down at her. He hadn’t liked the way she said that.

She seemed to think on it for a moment. “No,” she said at length.

Oh. He didn’t exactly believe her, but it seemed the matter was quite done on her end, as she turned away to dress as well. Maybe what she needed was time, then.

He didn’t mind that. Right now, if Bentinck was correct, William was just on the verge of waking up, and he’d no doubt be pestering Bidloo about where his friend was. For some reason, Bentinck was already dreading speaking to him again.

“No Ally clothing today?” Anne asked behind him.

“Um, n-no.” Bentinck cleared his throat. “Don’t have it on me, anyway. And William doesn’t like seeing me with it. I don’t have to make this whole...situation worse for him.”

“Do you like it, though?”

“Well...maybe a little.”

Unfortunately William had already woken up when they got downstairs, sitting up on the bed and giving Bidloo a nasty scowl as the doctor spoke to him. Bentinck peeked in through the doorway, trying to remain hidden, but William caught him an instant.

“You—!” He stood up, but Bidloo pulled back on his arm.

“Sit down, you just woke up!” he said. “You’re not so steady yet.”

“Fuck off, I know more about my state than you do,” William retorted.

“William, I’m right here,” Bentinck said, sitting beside him on the bed. Anne stood beside him, her wary gaze kept on the Overlifer.

“Oh, finally, you’re here when I need you,” William said. He glared up at Anne, then back down at Bentinck. “What is she doing here? Do you know what she did to me? Or- or do you just not care?” His tail lashed furiously behind him, swatting Bidloo in the face. “You get this traitorous snake out of my house or I’ll kill her myself—”

“Enough,” Bentinck said sternly. “It’s because of her that I was able to save you.”

“It’s because of her that I was captured in the first place!” William yelled. “How could you trust a Disciple? If she came back to help, it’s because she just wants the protection of an Ally, and having one be mad at you doesn’t exactly put you in the good graces of the devils.”

“That’s not true,” Anne broke in. “Trust me, I would have liked to see you die—”

“Anne,” Bentinck warned her, but she went on.

“If Hans didn’t love you so much, I might have said nothing at all,” she said. “I only came back because I knew how much it would hurt him to lose you. I don’t expect nor want your gratitude, but because of you, I can never return to the Disciples now.”

William seemed so angry he let out a real growl, like that of a devil, and turned to Bentinck. “The point still stands. None of this would have happened if you hadn’t believed she loved you.”

“I do love him!” Anne cried.

“Silence!” William snapped his jaws in the air. “I’m talking to my Ally.” He crawled closer, his tail twitching behind him as if he had no idea who sat before him now. Bentinck wanted to back away, but found that William’s stare was just as effective as any Southern mind spell.

“Hanni,” he whispered, leaning his head against Bentinck’s shoulder. “You never knew of this plan, did you?”

“No, of course not,” Bentinck said. “She knocked me out, too. I was fine, though,” he added quickly, glancing back at Anne. “And then I wanted to go get you. I’m sorry I couldn’t go sooner, but- but I promise, it’s thanks to Bidloo and Anne that I knew where you were. If I had known of James’ orders to her, I wouldn’t have left you alone, so you—” He hesitated, glancing over at Bidloo before taking William’s hand in his own. “You must forgive me.”

William bowed his head, and Bentinck realized then that his master truly stank, of blood and smoke and spirit flesh. He’d been too late, late enough so that whatever torture James had been planning had probably already been carried through. William’s face was clear, as, it seemed, was the rest of his body, but the devils could only mend physical wounds, not memories. His clothes made the ordeal more obvious to Bentinck, torn and stained with dry blood.

“I’m sorry,” he repeated.

“Do you know,” William began, “how fucking embarrassing that was? To kneel before James, to be unable to say a word to defend myself?” He stood, turning away from all of them as he spoke. “I’m sure no Overlifer had ever suffered such dishonor. For a moment there, I saw James in all his triumph, standing high above us all, and I saw the madness in his eyes...in his heart...” He nodded once. “I was afraid, not for myself, but for what would become of the world once he had his way. Once I was dead. And I thought I would die.”

“William, what did he do to you?” Bentinck made his way towards him, but William stopped him with a flick of his tail.

“I guess you would have had to be there, right?”

“He said he was sorry,” Anne said in a low voice. “He didn’t have to go at all.”

“But he did,” William said. He turned back to stare at her, in his eyes a coldness that Bentinck had only seen from the Disciples. “That’s the bare minimum. What I truly wanted and expected was for him to come quickly, before I had to face all those Disciples, before that damned spirit tamer—” He stopped himself, his lip curling back in a sneer. “Well, I’ll let you imagine it for yourselves.”

“Did they call snake’s eye for an eye?” Bidloo asked, his small tail twitching anxiously.

Shit. That wasn’t something Bentinck had considered. He knew James wasn’t above it. He looked up, holding his breath as William opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again.

“No.” He still stared at Anne.

That didn’t sound entirely convincing, but it wasn’t exactly anything he could be made to talk about. Bentinck glanced at Anne, who shrugged and turned away.

“Well, that’s good. They might have, though, after the first execution.”

“Yes, so naturally you must think you came just in time, didn’t you?” William hissed. “Just after they had beaten and whipped me.” He flicked his tail at the back of his shirt, still covered in dried blood. “You were all pleased to let that happen.��

Bentinck ran at his friend then, bowing his head to kiss one of William’s horns as he held him close. He heard William gasp softly, but he didn’t protest, merely stood there and dropped his head on Bentinck’s chest. He felt a long tail coil around his body.

A whipping— Bentinck had survived that before. It wouldn’t have killed him, but William could have.

No, he had saved Bentinck’s life instead, and here the Ally stood, clutching pathetically at his master who he had failed over and over again. Anne was right, somehow; he didn’t deserve William.

“Truly, forgive me,” he said. A tear fell from his eye and onto William’s head, and the Overlifer looked up with wide eyes.

“Falling in love with a Disciple who betrayed and captured me,” he said. “I should have you killed.”

Well, maybe you should. Bentinck dropped his gaze as William lifted his hand up towards his cheek, wiping at the tears that fell there.

“Unfortunately, she’s right. You still came. Both of you.” To Bentinck’s surprise, he laughed. “And also, I love you.” He jumped up and wrapped his arms around Bentinck’s neck, still laughing and clinging onto him with his tail. “Even as I lay dying, I- I was so, so happy to see you.”

Bentinck stumbled back and laughed too, pushing the hair out of William’s eyes as he smiled down at him. “You- you really are too kind.”

“Well, I don’t hear that one often,” William said. He let go of Bentinck and directed his grin towards Anne, though his tail now began to lash again. “But it’s true, isn’t it? Anne.”

“What?” Anne jerked her head up. Beside her, Bidloo snorted, but he paid no attention to them, instead looking down at his phone.

“You cannot stay here,” William said. “I appreciate what you did to help Bentinck, but you’re still a Disciple. You’re a risk to us if you stay. And,” he added, his expression now becoming serious as it was before, “you are not to return.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, sir,” Anne said. Her eyes glittered as she looked over at Bentinck. “I wasn’t kidding when I said I could never return. I’m no longer a Disciple. James’ rule is far worse than I ever imagined it would be.” She sighed again, wistfully this time. “I suppose I don’t really want to stay here, either. But I trust I’m safer under the protection of the Devils of Orange-Nassau than I would be if I just walked alone.”

To hear her so certain about this decision once more was another thrill to Bentinck. He couldn’t help but walk over and give her a light kiss on the cheek. She lifted her head slightly as he did so.

“So you betray us first, and then immediately after, you want to join our cause.” William let out another laugh, though Bentinck could detect the sarcasm in it. “Oh, that’s fucked. Especially when you might just be another spy.”

“Not this time!” Anne said, looking helplessly up at Bentinck. She hesitated before bowing low, taking William’s hand to kiss it. “You have my word.”

William raised an eyebrow, but didn’t move. At length he said, “You’re forgiven, Hans. But this one will have to earn that honor. I trust you to keep an eye on her until then. Understood?” He snatched his hand away from Anne and turned his fiery gaze back to Bentinck.

“Yes, sir.” Bentinck nodded once. It certainly wasn’t an impossible order, and he trusted Anne to stay true to her vow. He reached out to squeeze her hand once to reassure her.

“Are you done now?” Bidloo looked up, holding a lighter in one hand and his phone in the other. “I want to get out of here.”

“You can leave whenever you like, you know.” William glared back at him.

“No, idiot, I can’t,” Bidloo said. He stood up and stretched. “Been with you all night just to tell you that you need to stop dying.”

Bentinck winced, and the fur on William’s tail stood straight up. “You don’t think I know that, you—”

“Well, clearly whatever your strategy is isn’t working,” Bidloo calmly interrupted. “You told me once before that you were working on getting the Earl of Albemarle to come to you. Hurry it up.”

Albemarle! Bentinck’s blood ran cold as he remembered the sharp-toothed grin the fox spirit had flashed at him, right before Anne had knocked him out. That beast had been out to kill.

“I’m trying,” William began, but Bentinck cleared his throat.

“Actually, Anne and I came across him at the- the abandoned mall we went to,” he said, hoping the mention of the place wouldn’t stir up memories that were too unpleasant. “I was going to capture him, but Anne, she- um—”

“Anne, huh.” William sighed, falling back on the bed. “By all the stars. And you didn’t think that was the first thing you should have brought up?”

“Sounds like maybe he isn’t so elusive to you, after all,” Bidloo said. “You go there and see if you can track him down again. It would save me a lot of trouble, and the whole rest of the world, too.”

“Some doctor you make,” William growled. “Aren’t you supposed to give me the prescription yourself?”

Bidloo let out a high, bitter laugh. “Oh, no, I’m not spending any more time with you than I have to. You and your Ally can handle it.” He opened the door to leave, lighting a cigarette as he did so. “But actually handle it. Those are my orders, William, not as your doctor, not as your subordinate, but as someone who doesn’t want to see James rule the whole world.”

William blinked up at the ceiling. “Done.”

🝰🝰🝰

In the Mercia governorate lived the greatest Allies in the world, among them the ruler of Altos Diablos, watching the nation from his place so far up among the clouds. Mary had never really understood Ally Lucky Balcer, as he seemed ever so fond of the Stewarts when it must have been obvious to him the animosity they held towards him. At least James was much better at hiding his contempt than Charles had been. When he was ordered to report to the Administrative Hoerenkast, where every Master of the Devils reigned from in the governorate, he dropped everything he had planned for that day and set off almost immediately.

He took Mary and Marly with him, Maria being left to run the Disciples in Berufungsachse. Mary thought it a little offensive that he should not have left her in charge instead— she who was the heir! But James had made it clear that he wanted Mary beside him, and it would have been only Mary had it not been for the fact that an Ally was quite logical to bring to a Hoerenkast.

On the train ride there, however, James revealed a yet more flattering reason for bringing Mary along. As she stared dejectedly at her cigarette, smoking it for even a fraction of the thrill she got from her meth, James blew smoke out from his own lips towards her face.

“Mary,” he began, “we are going deep into enemy territory now. I want you to take out at least one Ally, preferably one of the governors. They’ll all be there, Lucky and I are meeting with them.”

“Whatever for?” Marly asked beside him.

“They’re trying to get a bill passed to limit the power of monopolies. They want my opinion, as a man who runs a few of them myself.” James paused to take a drag from his cigarette, then held it out towards Marly, who took his turn as well. “Lucky’s words, not mine. With luck I can get them to shut the fuck up about it.”

“Are you friendly with Lucky?” Mary asked. She had been wondering about it since the day she’d been caught by the Master and his Doves, noting how easily it was for him to forgive her. He had asked her to take a message to James, simply don’t do this again. And now this...

“Stars above, no,” James said, rolling his eyes. “But Charles was, in his...way. I suppose his influence is still felt.” He flicked his tail, dismissing the matter. “Oh, you know how it is with us. In any case, the order stands, Mary.”

“I’ll do my best.” She bowed her head, though inwardly she was panicking a little. How was she supposed to do this sober? Her father hadn’t given her methamphetamine for a few days now. She was exhausted, her eyes fluttering through a damnable headache that would certainly make it harder to aim her gun or blade.

More importantly, it wasn’t fun like this, and ecstasy would only make it worse. She was tempted to tell her father, but he had always been adamant that she was a better assassin when she wasn’t high. He might have been correct nearly a decade ago.

Truly, have you not been paying attention this whole time? She didn’t dare ask the question that would displease him more. Instead, she focused on taking all that she could from the cigarette she held.

Supposedly, when she was younger she had been taken into the Administrative Hoerenkast with her father and uncle, but she remembered nothing of it, nor did she remember the rest of Mercia very well. The governorate where she had been born was crowded today with Doves at every corner, though the streets of the capital city, Ferociudad, seemed emptier when compared to New Amsterdam. This was not a place where just anybody could be expected to survive.

Inside the Hoerenkast, there were far more Doves guarding the place, standing on the numerous floors above them and glaring down at the guests through their masks. The shadows seemed to get darker near the top, but Mary could still see the brilliant eyes blinking at her. At any moment they were ready to aim their guns down at her.

If I fuck this up even a little...

“Did you want to come in with me?” James asked her, his tail flicking at the edge of her vision.

“It sounds boring,” she admitted. “Why don’t you take Marly?”

Take him if you like him so much, she added darkly to herself. Marly glanced at her, stepping closer to her father as they walked.

“I will,” James said. “I suppose, then, you will wait here and—?”

“Are the governors here yet?” Mary asked in a hushed voice. Almost immediately, the Doves leaned in closer from their places above.

“Yes. You’ll have to wait until we’re done.”

Are you kidding me? Had he set her up to fail on purpose? She shook herself and began to look around for any quick exits, the ones that wouldn’t set off any alarms, out of sight from the Doves. She noticed, too, that everything echoed here, so shooting wouldn’t be an option.

I could try poison. She knew they were also invited to dine here, and it was certainly easier, for she could expect no fight from her chosen target. Devils below, if she was quick enough, she could even kill all of them.

“Ah, James Stewart!” came the greeting from down the hall. Mary recognized the voice, though it was quite different hearing it sober now. She looked up, saw Ally Lucky walking towards them, as always with a few Doves at his side. “You came, love!”

“There was no reason why I shouldn’t have,” James said, rolling his eyes. He stepped back as Lucky approached, laughing and patting his shoulder as if he were greeting an old friend. At this, Marly drew back, looking Lucky up and down.

“How are you, dear?” Lucky asked. “You look worse when you’re not covered in stars, you know. Oh, but you are a lion!” He ran his hand through James’ hair, and Mary narrowed her eyes.

Who the fuck does he think he is? For whatever reason, this was the one Ally whom Mary was forbidden to kill, when he seemed the most insufferable to her out of all of them. All Allies acted as if they owned everyone who spoke to them, but to do it to James, who held more power than anyone else— he deserved to die!

“Please, sir,” James said in a voice remarkably calm for him. “I am here on official business.”

“Ever so dedicated,” Lucky cooed. He glanced at Mary and Marly, his smile spreading wider in a way that made Mary’s skin crawl. She knew false kindness when she saw it. “Hello again, Mary. Will you be joining us?”

“Oh, n-no,” Mary said, glancing at James. “I can wait out here.” She felt the Doves glaring at her. They surely recognized her from when they had last seen her, though this time instead of it being obvious that she was high, today it was too obvious that she wasn’t. But what was she to do? James knew how she got in withdrawal, and had brought her along anyway.

“Stay out of trouble,” was the last thing James said before following Lucky down the hall. Marly smiled at her not unlike Lucky had, and then they left her standing there alone, watching them go through lidded eyes. How tempted she was to throw her blades at them.

Even you, James, she thought, though she immediately felt sick at the idea. She turned around and left them as they were.

The water in this Hoerenkast ran far longer than any of the streams back home, leading her to a kind of waterfall that fell in front of the entrance to a grand meeting room. The most faithful followers of whatever Ally sat here would have to step through the water to see their idol.

But there was no one here, so there was no need to show such foolish reverence. Instead she simply squeezed through the gap in between the entrance and the water, skipping through the little stream and nearly falling into the room.

It was as if she had stepped into a jungle; it was strangely humid in here, patches of sunlight beaming down upon the throne in the middle of the room. The rest of the room was dark, but she could see plants hanging from the ceiling, as well as the spot in front of the throne where the stream formed into a gentle spring. As she stepped towards it, lights from beneath the water flickered on as if they had sensed her, highlighting a single goldfish swimming alone.

Hm. Real pretty in here. She looked up when she heard a small meow come from behind the throne.

It was a pure white cat, staring at her curiously. It stepped back as Mary sat down in front of the spring, then ducked behind the throne, its tail flicking from side to side. Its gaze dropped to the fish.

“What, did you want to eat it?” Mary asked in amusement.

“Lady Mary.” A deep voice called her name behind her, and the cat ran off into the darkness, much to Mary’s disappointment. She looked back, glaring at the masked Dove standing in front of the waterfall.

“Hello,” she said. “Want a picture?”

“No.” The Dove tilted his head to the side. “My children watch you. Even after I told them that you tried to kill Master Lucky and that I have seen you in such a miserable state for a girl of your status. Even after I described the tattoo on your neck in great detail.”

“You haven’t seen it,” Mary said. “Quit lying to your kids, they deserve better.”

“We all know what a Disciple’s tattoo looks like,” the Dove said. “And we know why you’re here.” He twitched his tail behind him, and a couple other Doves stepped through the water, already holding their spears out.

Ugh. She began to reach for her spells, her favorite knife.

“You are here to kill him again, aren’t you?”

“Maybe just you,” Mary said. With that, she took a slip of paper from her pocket and ripped through it with her knife, yelling, “Accelerami!”

It was a spell written by Maria, though it had sounded too good to be true to Mary. And yet, it worked to make her practically fly through the air, the Doves before her nearly frozen in time except for the slight movement of their arms as they began to lift their spears. She paused for a moment, remembering Maria’s instructions on how to make use of the spell.

You may get as close to your enemies as possible, but the moment you touch them, your speed will return to normal. Use it once, to finish a fight.

How was she to finish this? She held the knife up to the lead Dove’s throat, then braced herself before shoving the mask up to make room for the blade to pierce through the skin. She shoved it far deeper then she had intended to as she slowed down again, and the assisting Doves sprung back in shock. Blood rained down on them as she pulled the knife out, letting the Dove fall beneath her.

“What kind of spell—?” one Dove uttered in horror. “Only devils reach such speeds!”

“I wasn’t intending to kill you,” Mary said. She looked down, realizing that the body was bleeding out into the stream. She kicked it away, but it was too late; she could see the blood running through the water already, and certainly others would as well. “Now look at what you’ve done—!”

“Who cares, just shoot her already!” The other Dove reached for her gun, and Mary panicked, kicking out hard at the stream before her. The water splashed the Doves, who instinctively lifted their tails to shield themselves. She caught them in her hand and pulled back, bringing them towards her and shoving her knee up into one Dove’s belly. He fell in the stream, and Mary took his spear, swinging it around towards the Dove that was still standing.

“I’ll kill both of you like I killed your friend here,” she said. “I can cast the spell again and you won’t even have time to reminisce on your lifetime. It’s just—” She snapped. “Lights out.”

“Cheater,” hissed the standing Dove. She lifted her head, ever so slightly, but Mary saw it. She turned around in time to knock the gun out of the other Dove’s hands, realizing with a new wave of nausea that it had been pointed straight at her head.

“Devils below, you never learn!” Mary shoved her spear into the Dove’s thigh, throwing another one of Maria’s spells behind her. “Return to your master!”

Just as she predicted, the Dove behind her shot at Mary, but the bullet never reached her. Mary tore the spear out of the Dove in front of her, kicking him back towards the ground, and turned around to see the other Dove falling back against the wall. There was blood pouring from a clean hole in her chest, which heaved up and down desperately for breath.

“Who- who taught you such things?” she heard her remaining opponent ask with a shaky voice. It sounded distant through the ringing in her ears.

“Well, I don’t know where she learned it from, either,” she answered, out of breath herself. She pushed her hair back and pointed the spear back down at the Dove’s chest. “You call yourselves Doves? Protectors of the Master? It’s little wonder this government has grown to be as weak as it is.” She raised the spear above her and slashed it with finality across his throat.

Oh, James help me. She remained there for a moment, wrinkling her nose at the scent of the blood on her clothes and the floor. If anyone came in now, they would see what a mess she’d made of things. They would finally see her for who she was, a murderer, and then they would turn towards James and know that the Disciples of Restoration were still in operation after all.

This really didn’t have to happen! Truly, it was their suspicion that had killed them. Of course, they’d been right, but how wrong they were to think they could have protected anyone. She took one by the horns and began to drag him to the back of the room, nearly stumbling over the stream.

“Shit, shit, shit,” she huffed, dropping the body again. Even if she hid them all now, they would be found eventually, and it would all be traced back to her. But that didn’t matter much when she remembered just how loud the gunshot had been. Had the rushing waterfall been enough to stop the sound from reaching any other Dove?

Surely not. She leaned back on the throne and brought a hand over her eyes. They’re going to catch me, and James—

He would kill her, maybe. There were only so many failures he could take from her. It would be a mercy, however, if it would spare her from going to one of the rehabilitation facilities, especially the one where that Devil doctor, Govert Bidloo, ran the show.

“Two minutes until they arrive.”

“Huh?” Mary looked down, thinking for a moment that one of the Doves was still alive.

She saw only the fish staring up at her. It turned this way and that, and then said, “Need some help?”

“Oh?” She decided to humor her hallucinations this time, induced by the grief of her brain, longing for the stupid crystals that only impaled and disfigured it. What a foolish, poor head she carried on her body; she considered putting it out of its misery with one of the guns here as she stared at the fish that had been made an actor against its will, taking orders from the director, psychosis.

“I could take these clowns with me,” said the fish. “I could wash the blood from your hands. I ask no favors, but you will remember my deeds forever, do you understand? You must.”

“Yeah, nice try,” Mary said. “I wish it were so easy.”

“Nothing is so difficult for a dwaallicht remnant.” The fish jumped out of the water then, spreading its fins which became wings, and then humanoid arms, its body becoming longer and larger. It fell forward on the ground, sitting up on its claws and looking back at Mary.

Indeed, it appeared to be a humanoid spirit, wearing little save for an orange silk in between his legs, and golden bracelets which matched the color of the fins on his limbs. The scales on his tail were far more varied in color, as were the ones on his face, forming into fins above his head that acted as some kind of elegant mane. He curled his lips back in a smile, revealing dozens of needle-like teeth.

“Wow,” Mary said, though she couldn’t find it in herself to be impressed. “So you’re real?”

“Let’s see.” The goldfish spirit smacked his tail against the water, splashing Mary’s legs. “How’s that?”

“Stop that!” She stepped back. “You said you could help me, didn’t you?”

The spirit hummed thoughtfully. “One minute left. Do you accept?”

“Alright,” Mary said, unable to think of anything else to say. It wasn’t as if she had any better ideas.

The spirit laughed and opened his mouth wide. His tongue began to roll out of his mouth endlessly, and it kept going as he took the bodies, one by one, all in a single hand. He scooted back into the spring and clawed at the water with his feet, pushing the bodies in with his tail. They disappeared as soon as they hit the water, sliding in as if they went to another world. And yet, the water remained clean and still.

The fish then swiped his tongue about the place, flicking it up and down to wipe the blood off of every surface. He then turned to Mary and ran his tongue over her body as well, the blood sliding off easily with the saliva. Somehow, she remained dry, save for her hair.

I can’t just be seeing this, right? She stared at her reflection in the spring, her appearance now only as unkempt as it had been when she had first arrived.

“What sort of magic is this?” she asked.

The spirit rolled his tongue back into his mouth and grinned. “You, too, can learn it. Now, I must be on my way, for in ten seconds the Doves will arrive here, and you must have a good excuse.”

“Hold on,” Mary said. “I know you asked for nothing, but can I offer you something, anyway?”

“What?”

“You could always come eat me out, if you want.”

He barked out a laugh at that. “Truly?” Then he jumped in the air and back into the spring, and in an instant he was a fish again. He dipped into the very bottom and disappeared with a mere plip! of the water.

She heard the rush of the waterfall briefly interrupted by rather harsh footsteps, and she looked up at the few Doves that had entered the room. As they did so, the white cat she had seen earlier bounded in front of her, pressing itself against her legs with a loud purr.

“Mary Stewart,” one of the Doves greeted her, too polite to have been one to recognize her. “We- we heard a sound—”

“I did, too,” Mary said. “I thought it came from outside.” She glanced down at the cat. “I like the kitty you have here.”

“The kit- I mean, the cat belongs to Lady Ildicó,” the Dove replied. “In a sense. One day, as she knelt down before this very spring to drink from it, the cat bounded out from within her crowd of followers and went up to drink with her. Since then the cat has lived here, waiting for whenever she returns to visit her father.”

Ildicó Balcer. Mary recognized the name, for the daughter of Master Lucky was one of the most famous and beloved Allies in the world, admired more than even her father. She could not, however, remember exactly what that woman did.

“Is she here today?” Mary asked. “As one of the thirteen governors?”

“Yes, she’s the governor of Berufungsachse.” The Dove tilted his head to the side. “You live there, I thought you might have known this.”

“I, um—” Mary laughed. “Oh, well. You know. Not really into politics. I mean, I’ve never voted in my life, really.” She shrugged, changing the subject. “Why on earth would she drink from the spring, though?”

“Does it every time she meets with her followers here,” said another Dove. “To give thanks to the city that raised her. She’ll do it again tonight.”

“Ah. I hope to be there, then.” She paused, then added, “I want to leave an offering.”

The Doves bowed their heads and left her there, presumably to pray. Instead she waited until all was fully silent before she took a vial of what was supposed to be a deadly poison out of her bag. It might have been thallium, some fancy shit like that, but she could hardly remember what James had been saying to her the day he had given her the vials. She just knew it would kill.

She opened the vial and poured its contents neatly into the spring. She watched the powder dissolve for a moment, and then she looked at the cat, staring up at her with its brilliant green eyes.

“Do not drink from this when your lady does,” she instructed it. “There’s my offering.”

The governor of Berufungsachse— James would be so very, very pleased.

🝰🝰🝰

William could hardly hear the words of the hushed voices behind him, but he knew that they spoke of him. He was leaning against the window of the car, right beside Bentinck, who was one of the voices; quite improper, if you asked William, since he was also the one driving. He clenched his fist and looked to the side, where his milkshake shook over the cupholder. He took it and slurped on it loudly, interrupting the conversation behind him.

“How is it?” Bentinck asked after a moment.

“The shake? Fine.” William set it down again and sat up to face his friend. “Are you absolutely sure you did not sense the Earl there? It’s not unheard of for spirits to be able to hide their presence.”

They had gone back to that abandoned mall the day before, even if William had felt the fur on his tail bristling as soon as he had stepped into the shadows. He was supposed to be looking for Albemarle, but he’d only been waiting for Elizabeth Villiers to jump out at him again, her fingers digging into his hair just to smash his head against the wall. He had tried to fight back, of course, even trying to land a bite here and there, but she’d been incredibly quick, and he was not used to surprises. Even if he should have expected no less from a Disciple of Restoration.

Much to his relief, however, they’d gotten out of there quickly after Bentinck had announced that he sensed no presence of any remnant here. It made sense; Albemarle had been sighted here once, it certainly would not be the last time if he stayed where he was, but it annoyed William to no end. Now they had to drive up north of Berufungsachse, to one of the only shrines dedicated to the fox. He was as loved as he was hated for all the blood he had spilled throughout the centuries, and it was unknown if he would appreciate the shrine enough to stay away from the visitors, or if it would instead attract him to the taste of their adoring blood.

As glad as he was to be out of there, it was beneath an Overlifer to visit a remnant shrine, and this one in particular was two hours away from New Amsterdam by car. He’d been tempted to take a jet, but Bentinck had dissuaded him of it, saying they couldn’t risk bringing attention to them now, just as they were about to catch one of the most famous spirits in the history of the Four Kingdoms. Albemarle had always been wanted and hunted— whoever was the one to catch him would only be the next target, but William had other plans.

So it was just the three of them, in Bentinck’s car, with Anne sitting behind them. She’d just been leaning forward to speak to Bentinck, but now she lay back, sipping on her own milkshake that they’d stopped for twenty minutes before.

“Are you doubting him?” she asked. “You might have seen something, too, Overlifer.”

“It’s not something I was trained for,” William said, rolling his eyes. “I just don’t want to go all the way up here to waste time.”

“It would have been quite a fuss to fly over here, anyway,” Bentinck cut in. “Just relax, William. We have an hour left. You can take a nap.”

“This isn’t one of your usual cars, is it?”

“No.” He reached out to pat William’s hand. “You didn’t, ah, tell the Disciples about this, right? They didn’t...get any information out of you?”

“As if I would ever let them get anything out of me.” William lashed his tail upwards, catching it and inspecting the tip. It was hard to believe it had ever been broken, hard to believe—

Count. One, two, three.

He let go of his tail with an involuntary shudder. How easily the numbers had spilled forth from him, as if Spencer had taken control of his tongue. But it would not happen again, he swore that now. Surely a broken tail was a more tolerable pain the second time. Besides, it was a meaningless list. A simple order. It’d be much harder to get him to admit to anything else.

If you think you have me, Spencer...you’re mistaken. He swallowed. It felt as if his neck had started to burn, right where the gloved hands had caressed and lifted his head.

I’m not that easy. I’m not that—

“William.” That was Bentinck. “You’re safe here.”

“Hm?” William looked up, forcing out a bitter laugh. “W-Well, yeah, obviously. I know that.” He brought a hand over his chest, realizing his breathing had sped up, slightly so. Had Bentinck noticed?

“Drink your shake, it’s cold.”

“I know.” William sighed and lifted the straw back to his lips. “Just wish you would have brought something better to drink.”

“Are you telling him to drink and drive?” Anne barked out behind him.

“No, I’m saying that I can drink, he can drive,” William said. “Nothing illegal about that. Encouraged, even. Right, Hanni?” He leaned on Bentinck’s arm. “Friends don’t let friends drive drunk.”

“I just think we should all be sober before we have to capture a deadly spirit,” Bentinck said.

“You know you like me better when I’m drunk.” William flashed Anne a smug smile before looking back out the window, turning up the volume on the radio. “Wait, shut up. I like this song.”

“Never heard it,” Bentinck said.

William opened the window, narrowing his eyes slightly against the wind. “Shame. It’s an honor to join the choir of an Overlifer.” He smiled, genuinely this time, and took a breath before raising his voice over the violins.

“Oyfn furl ligt dos kelbl,

Ligt gebundn mit a shtrik.

Hoykh in himl flit dos shvelbl,

Freyt zikh, dreyt zikh hin un tsrik.”

They arrived at the shrine about twenty minutes after another stop, this time insisted on by William, who admittedly could not resist even the worst of beers from the gas station. He drank two cans before they had even exited the highway, and one more as they drove through the city of Nayaflitt. It was quieter here, and significantly less wealthy, William noted with a displeased flick of his tail. At the very least, one could see the sky here.

“The shrine is behind one of the Hoerenkasten here,” Bentinck said once he had parked the car. “I’d like to have a word with the bitch who decided that a little spirit’s shrine is worthy enough to be anywhere near an Ally’s meeting place.”

“Neither of you matter under mine divine eyes,” William declared.

“Isn’t he your fucking friend?” Anne glared at him.

“Well, yes, but if he matters then that is why. Not because of—” William flicked a finger out towards Bentinck’s unnaturally dark gaze as well as the ridiculous outfit chosen for today, complete with a corset, a blue and white skirt, and thigh-high stockings. “All this.”

“It’s the greatest honor I could ask for,” Bentinck said, smiling at William’s waving hand.

The servants at the Hoerenkast were quite startled to see that an Ally and his handler were visiting, bowing profusely and kissing Bentinck’s hand in greeting. They rushed to ask if it was a meeting room he needed, if he intended to stay for the night, but Bentinck explained that they were merely here to visit the Albemarle shrine, and that if all visitors could be cleared out from it so that he would be alone, that would be perfect.

“Your followers are so obnoxious,” William muttered through his mask as they bounded through the halls. The Hoerenkast here wasn’t as large as the ones at home, and nowhere near as splendidly decorated— there wasn’t even a stream that William could see. There were, however, stained glass windows, showcasing history’s bravest Allies and fiercest devils.

“One day you’ll be in my place, William,” Bentinck said. He glanced up at the windows. “That’ll be you there.”

“Yeah, cheer up, soon we’ll have to look at you everywhere we go,” Anne said. “Doesn’t that sound fun? We look out our windows, it’s you; we turn on the TV, it’s you; we go for a stroll in the park, it’s you.” She trailed off and stepped closer to Bentinck.

With everyone’s gaze upon him. Wasn’t that what he had always wished for, as a boy? He would be happy when the whole world could only look up at him.

They’re looking at me. They’re all looking at me, and I—

There was a presence behind him again, the same one that had been there when he had knelt on the ground, the chain about to swing back down on him. And they were all watching him scream.

Ugh. He turned around, so briefly that Bentinck and Anne didn’t notice, but it did the trick. There was no one there, after all. He bowed his head and kept walking.

The shrine itself looked like just another meeting room to William, though the entrance was far smaller, so that both Bentinck and Anne had to duck to enter. They were met with a great altar in the center of the dark room, dozens of spears propped up on the walls, surrounded by masks that resembled white foxes. Two tapestries hung at the back of the room, singing praises in Infernal.

“William,” Bentinck said. “Light a candle.”

“Are you trying to kill me?”

“You’ve got a mask, don’t you?” Anne asked.

“Alright, enough,” Bentinck said. “I’m just saying that since he’s on his fourth life, he should be able to do some minor Western spells. Eastern, even, with his ancestry.”

“Don’t talk about my Eastern blood to my face.” William shook himself out. It was strangely cold in here for a Hoerenkast, and yet he realized he was sweating, his gaze unfocused as he looked around. Maybe he had been drinking too fast.

I could try. He didn’t think an explosive spell like the one Mary’s sister had cast would work without the paper, but maybe something small...to light a candle, like Bentinck said. He walked towards the altar.

“Light my way,” he said, snapping his fingers just over the wick of a candle that sat atop a plate shaped like a scallop, right beside a wooden fox figurine. It seemed like a hazard, in his opinion, but the subsequent spark that came from his fingers was small, and the flame stayed where it belonged.

“Aw, William, look at that!” Bentinck exclaimed. “I told you you could do it. You get more powerful with each day.”

“Well, that would have been useful.” William drew away and looked around the room. “You gettin’ any presence of the spirit yet?”

“No, not yet.”

“Then we’re going to need a summoning circle, right?” Anne asked.

“Maybe if either of you brought something to draw with,” William said. “I didn’t.”

They fell silent for a moment, then Anne piped up. “I have an idea. Hans and I accidentally summoned the creature at the mall, when I blew him to entertain the other spirits that were there. Maybe if we did something like that...”

“Are you telling me you want me to watch you two go at it here?” William frowned. “I’ve seen more of him than you have. Besides, we’ve tried doing that this whole time and we haven’t sensed him once.”

“Maybe he just liked me more,” Anne said with a shrug. “I don’t see why there’s any reason he should reject us if we draw a summoning circle out of Ally semen, though.”

Bentinck started laughing. “I- I mean, if you want to do that, I wouldn’t mind.”

William sighed. “No, you wouldn’t, would you?” He brought his hand up over his mask, thinking for a moment. It had worked, after weeks of trying, only when he wasn’t there to see it. What a truly insolent spirit. He knew what he was doing.

He dropped to his knees in front of Bentinck, slipping off his mask and setting it aside. “Alright, then. Masturbate.”

“On your face?” Anne said doubtfully. “Aren’t you going to blow him, too?”

“I don’t want to swallow it if we’re going to draw the circle with it.”

Bentinck’s face flushed, and he laughed nervously, glancing at Anne. “Oh, dear...William, I’m not so sure—”

“Want Anne down here with me? Alright, Anne, get over here.”

“Mm, very well,” Anne said, not at all hesitating. She sat down beside William and smiled up at Bentinck, reaching up to pat his thigh. “Go on, we’ll be right here! You’ll do so good, I just know it.”

Bentinck made a clear effort to swallow before pulling down his skirt, slipping out his cock that was noticeably hardening already. William leaned forward to press his cheek against it. His breath quickened for a moment, but he lifted his hand to his chest, willing himself to keep quiet.

“Oh,” Bentinck said. “Ah, well—” He began to stroke his hand up and down his cock, until William could tell when it had reached his full length. He backed away, his tail twitching.

“You know, you can imagine whatever you like,” Anne said, her eyes glittering.

“Don’t make me do some crazy shit, though,” William said.

“Ah- fuck—” Bentinck was stroking faster now, his eyes lidded. “C-Can’t one of you just suck it?”

“Can’t you even fuck yourself properly?!” William growled through gritted teeth. “I’m not doing anything in front of Anne.”

Anne laughed and spit onto Bentinck’s cock, but didn’t move any closer. “Will that help?”

“Y-Yes, thank you...” Bentinck huffed and continued. William saw him bite his lip and guessed that he was already close.

Too damn easy. He wished he could have been more intoxicated for this, but nonetheless he turned to Anne and brought her closer to kiss her, one eye kept up on Bentinck. She seemed to understand, for she leaned in as well and met William in quite a repulsive kiss, if you asked him. Still, he made sure Bentinck could hear his sigh.

“So fucking cute,” Bentinck grunted. It was a few minutes before he finally came, though William shuffled away to leave it on the floor instead. At this Anne looked a little dejected, but she did the same.

“That was very good, Hans,” she said. “Look how much we have now!”

“Yeah, great, perfect,” William said, rolling his eyes. He was absolutely going to wash his mouth out as soon as he could. “Now, are you going to draw the summoning circle?”

“I don’t know it,” Anne retorted.

“I, uh- I don’t, either.” Bentinck still looked flushed, trying to catch his breath. Anne stood up beside him and leaned in to kiss his cheek, and William looked down at the mess on the floor. He had memorized all the summoning circles for the Prostitutes of the West a long time ago.

“The one Hoerenkast without a stream, of course,” he muttered. He placed a finger in Bentinck’s cum and began to trace out the circle across the floor, as big as he could with the amount he had. He heard Bentinck laugh awkwardly behind him as he pulled up his skirt again.

At last William knelt down before the circle, nearly falling over as he did so but hiding it well. He was quite dizzy now, and he wished he had taken some water from the servants. He would need to be fully lucid for this.

He leaned forward and tapped his hand over the center of the circle. “Come to me, fox,” he whispered.

To both his surprise and amusement, the circle began to glow, and he shuffled back beside Bentinck, his tail twitching in anticipation. Bentinck straightened up suddenly, his eyes narrowed.

“Is he here?” Anne asked him.

“I’m starting to sense him...”

“Get ready to capture him as soon as he comes out, then.” William shoved his hand in his pocket, quickly checking to see if all his most important spells were there. Anne loaded her gun, and as William glanced at her he realized it was the same one that she had forced down his throat.

What the—

“Wrong way!” a delighted voice yelled out behind them. Before either of them could turn around William felt sharp teeth, like that of a dog’s, dig into his neck, jerking him to the side with enough force so that he slammed hard into the wall, horns first.

Shit. He looked up, dazed, and saw the beautiful spirit in the form of a young man smiling triumphantly down at him, drops of blood staining his toothy grin. William had often heard of how breathtaking the creature was, with his ashen hair that had grown all the way down to his white, bushy tail, matching the small, pointed ears on his head. But it was another thing to witness this himself, to look up and see the clever blue gaze flicking down to meet his own.

“You- you are the Earl,” he breathed out. He lifted his hand to the wounds on the back of his neck; thankfully, they were shallow.

“And you are going to die,” Albemarle said pleasantly. “Fools, the lot of you. You had no need for such a drastic summoning circle if I was already in the same realm as you.” He bowed low, his torn black dress nearly slipping off his shoulders as he did so. “I merely obeyed your call so I could come destroy you at last.”

“Damned beast!” Bentinck tore a spear off the wall and pointed it at Albemarle with a vicious snarl entirely unfitting for him. “If you surrender now then I won’t have to sedate you. It is the greatest honor to serve an Overlifer—”

“This Overlifer?” Albemarle barked out a laugh. “Oh, but he is even smaller than I could have ever imagined! He is all bark, no bite whatsoever, like all of the others.” He turned around to face Bentinck. “Ah, Lord Portland, how the mighty do fall. I never thought I would see you so desperate to please me.”

“It is an Ally’s purpose to submit to the will of the Overlifers!” Bentinck spat. “As it is the purpose of all dwaallicht remnants.” He brought his spear back in, then pointed it directly at the ground. “Enough of this. By the ancient order of the dwaallichten who created our Earth—” He shoved the spear nearly all the way through the tiled floor, and the sharp end came out of the wall, right above William’s head.

“Shut your mouth!” Albemarle hissed, springing forward before the spear could go through him. He raised what William believed to be his arm, hidden by an exceedingly long sleeve that widened as it approached and dragged on the floor. It was rather unusual, as his other arm was uncovered save for a long glove that still showed off his fingers and claws. But a strange glint at the bottom of the sleeve caught William’s eye.

“Bentinck, get out of the way—!” he called out, just as Albemarle flung his sleeve forward with all his strength before he had even reached Bentinck. It was like a ferocious swipe of a fox’s paw, and, just like any other paw, there were huge, thick claws sewn into the end of the fabric. Sharper and more precise than any blade of steel.

Despite William’s warning, Bentinck clearly hadn’t been expecting it, as he’d been pulling his spear back up, thinking he had enough time before Albemarle reached him. The weight of the claws, however, knocked it out his hand, then drove through his stomach.

“Hans!” William scrambled up to his feet, crying out at the same time Anne did. He was unsteady, he realized, and whether it was the loss of blood at his neck or the drinks he could not say.

“Miss Villiers!” Albemarle grinned at Anne, standing triumphantly over Bentinck, who had dropped to the floor, clutching at his wounds. “I’m surprised to see you here after you stopped him last time.”

“I didn’t do it for you!” Anne shot at him twice, and he jumped swiftly up in the air, transforming into a lithe, white fox.

“So you want to play hunter now?” Albemarle landed on Bentinck’s shoulders, bowing his head to sniff at his wounds. “Ah, how divine! You have many years left in you, far more than anyone else here! Even more than your Overlifer!”

“Get off of me, rat!” Bentinck grunted, taking Albemarle by the scruff of his neck and flinging him at the wall. The spirit returned to his humanoid form as soon as he hit it, falling to his knees for a moment.

“W-Well, my lord,” he said through gritted teeth, getting back up with some effort. “What great strength. You have not changed a thing about yourself, have you?”

William rushed to Bentinck’s side. “How deep is it?” He ducked down and held his hand up to the open wounds. Bentinck winced.

“It looks worse than it is,” he said. “I-I can still fight.”

“Nonsense, stay down.”

“But you said—”

“That’s an order, Bentinck. I can handle a spirit.” William stood up and smiled ruefully down at him. “Besides, you already did the work of the circle, didn’t you?” With that, he picked up the spear that Bentinck had dropped and threw a spell in the air.

“All blades become bullets!” he shouted in Infernal as he slashed through the paper with the spear. He then swung the spear to the side, bright orange reflections of the blade flying off of it like thrown knives. Most landed on the floor and wall and disappeared upon impact, but a few got caught in the tangle between Anne and Albemarle. She’d been stabbing at every open spot on Albemarle’s body with her own spear, though unable to land anything as he transformed from human to fox and then to human again.

He didn’t have time to bounce away as one reflection landed deep in his thigh. He ducked back with a shriek, just in time to dodge the other two, and Anne rolled to the side, her eyes widening.

“Damnit, William, you could have hit me!” she yelled.

“Keep fighting him!” William called back. He took out another spell, murmuring, “Écartez vos ailes, Majesté.” As the paper burned away in his fingers, the shadows on the wall reached out towards him, and he willingly stepped into them, allowing the claws of the Southern Kingdom to hide him. He flipped the spear over onto the blunt end.

“Y-You think this will stop me?” Albemarle laughed, holding his hand over the wound on his thigh. “This will heal in no time at all. I have survived far worse things—” He began to step away from Anne, who glared at him, clutching her spear to her chest.

William came up behind him, raising the spear high above him as Albemarle continued to back away, hissing and lashing his tail. Anne paused, as if she had seen the shadows move strangely behind the spirit. Before Albemarle could notice the look, William smacked the spear as hard as he could on his head.

It knocked him to the side and into the altar, and William shook off the shadows to reveal himself. Albemarle blinked up at him, evidently dazed, before William gripped his hair and pulled him up to his feet.

“Ah, you wanted to run already?” William asked. “That’s always been your thing, hasn’t it, my child? Always running away, leaving a trail of blood in your wake.”

“You are certainly in no position to say such a thing,” Albemarle growled, his ears slicking back. He began to lift his claws towards William’s hand, and William threw him to the ground, towards Bentinck. He flicked his tail once.

Bentinck sprung at the gesture, sinking his fangs into Albemarle’s neck before the latter could get up again. Albemarle flinched, biting his lip lightly, but said nothing as Bentinck backed away and spoke the word that every one of his opponents so hated.

“Relax.”

Albemarle had no choice but to obey, bowing his head but keeping a wary eye on Bentinck. He bared his teeth as William and Anne approached.

“You have me now, does it please you?”

“Very much,” William said, strapping the gas mask back on his face. He buried his hand back in the hair behind Albemarle’s neck, much as if he were scruffing a fox. “You could have come to see me without a fight, you know. You could have been a guest and not a prisoner.”

“I...have enough dignity to refuse to...to submit to an Overlifer who wishes to use my body,” Albemarle said.

“Use your body- no, no, that’s never what I intended.” William shook his head. “I wanted to speak with you, maybe strike a deal of some sort, but then you had to attack and cause all this.”

“It was you who- who wanted to capture me— ‘tis what you said—”

“By the order of the dwaallichten who created our Earth, I command you to be silent,” Bentinck said. Anne helped him stand, blinking anxiously down at his wounds. “You will do as William commands. You’ve ignored his calls for too long. That’s a lot of nerve for a dwaallicht spirit.”

Albemarle lashed his tail, keeping his fierce gaze on Bentinck as William began to drag him out of the room. All things considered, he was remarkably docile, William noted with pleasure; maybe an Overlifer wasn’t valid under those flashing eyes, but an Ally always would be. And yet...nobody had to know that.

“Hurry up,” he called behind him, picking up his speed. “I think the servants would like to see this.”

“The servants?” Anne echoed. “I thought you didn’t want anyone to know what we were doing here.”

“We’ve just caught what is perhaps the most desired spirit in the world.” William lifted Albemarle up slightly. “Are you kidding me? Let the Disciples see just how invincible their enemy is now.”

“They’ll want to take him from you,” Anne said. “Especially James. If he knows where Albemarle is now, he’ll stop at nothing to capture him. And Marly is, well—” She glanced over at Bentinck. “He’s more skilled than even Hans is.”

“But never as powerful as an Overlifer,” William said. “Let them come.” He saw the servants up ahead, as well as a few of the worshippers that had been cleared out of the shrine, and he waved his tail in greeting as they turned to look at him.

“Followers of Ally Bentinck and the Master of the Devils,” he announced, “I have captured one of the state’s greatest enemies. He has always killed to serve his own lifespan, and then fled without facing any of the consequences, but today he is tried as a human killer.” He lifted Albemarle up in the air, gripping his neck firmly. Though the spirit was around his own height, he was quite a lot lighter. “The Earl of Albemarle has been captured. The people of Altos Diablos have nothing left to fear from him.”

Albemarle’s face flushed as the people stared, as they stepped closer and then drew back as if he would pounce at them suddenly. One servant cleared his throat.

“W-Well, sir, with all due respect, what is a shrine without its spirit? Is that why you came here today, to catch him when he only expected to- to be able to grant a few prayers?”

“Worshipping a deadly spirit is a choice only masochists and cowards could make,” Bentinck cut in. “This pathetic beast tried to kill me.” He lifted his hand to show the blood on his stomach, and his subjects gasped. A couple servants bowed briefly towards him before directing him to sit down so they could look at his wounds. Anne hesitated before walking over to stand at William’s side.

“We were only defending ourselves,” William said. “And my lord will take care of him in his own Hoerenkast back home. He’ll be the last Ally he harms.” He brought Albemarle down towards his face, so close he could see the blood the fox had drawn on his teeth. Albemarle curled his lip back into the beginnings of a snarl.

“I have seen...everything,” he let out in a hissing whisper.

William stared back for a moment before dropping him back down to the ground, giving the small crowd around him a displeased look. A few of them were taking pictures of the spirit lying before them; good, as long as he showed up as well.

“The Western Defense Company has always been dedicated to the safety of every citizen of Altos Diablos,” he said, inciting the name of his most famous corporation, “as we all know that the threat of Grand Cabaret has never truly gone away. The continuous production of our firearms has kept them in their place thus far.” He could nearly scoff at the gleaming eyes of his audience. Had they forgotten his Grand Cabaretian grandmother so quickly? “But for too long the threat of such spirits has gone unchecked. Rest assured that Ally Bentinck and I will work endlessly to eliminate their insolence once and for all.”

“What do you intend to do with Lord Albemarle, sir?” another servant asked. “Do you intend to take advantage of...the legends we have heard of him?”

William rolled his eyes. “No, of course not. I have no need for it, I know my life will be as long and prosperous as that of my father. No, Albemarle will be killed. There is no reason a human should live beyond a century.”

“Killing such a powerful spirit? Can it be done?”

“The question is if it should.”

“He’s been a danger to humanity for the longest time...”

“Surely not so much that he needs to be killed! His power holds value!”

There were already new people trickling in, having seen the illustrious figures of William and Bentinck through the windows, only to be faced with none other than the Earl of Albemarle. The Earl himself tried to sit up, though he seemed too shaky to do so. He blinked expectantly up at William.

“Go on, my child, give them a smile.” William nudged his shoulder with his tail. “For whatever reason, they’re all afraid of you.”

🝰🝰🝰

Albemarle’s chest rose and fell, his youthful face covered by his tangled curls. Bentinck had finally ordered him to sleep, and he’d been perfectly peaceful since, lying as limp as a fox pelt when William had carried him up the stairs, into a guest bedroom. Even in this state, he seemed impossibly light.

Bentinck winced as Bidloo poked his last open wound with a needle, and the doctor looked up with a scowl. “How long were you and William with the news stations, again?”

“Trust me, it didn’t last long,” Bentinck lied. As soon as the city had found out, of course, then it’d been a mad scramble for the interviews with William, who was already so respected by the media and had long shaken off the bloody legacy of his grandmother. Oddly enough the stations hadn’t been so interested in speaking to Bentinck, rather they asked Anne for his opinion. It seemed they didn’t want anything to do with a bleeding Ally on camera.

So it had been a few hours before they could get back, and though Bentinck could already feel the lacerations healing, they were nowhere near fully sealed. He wondered how such a strange weapon could be so dangerous. Even now he saw the claws hidden under the long sleeve, which fell off the side of the bed and had nearly slid all the way down off Albemarle’s shoulder.

“Didn’t last long,” Bidloo mocked. “Yeah, well, no matter how long it takes, if you keep bleeding then it’ll be harder for your devil to heal you. If I’m not in there in time then you need to get to a fucking hospital, you hear me? This needed fucking stitches!” At the last word he roughly pulled the needle back out, and Bentinck bit his tongue, clenching his fists over the arms of his chair as Bidloo continued.

“You- you could be nicer about it,” he said. He swore Bidloo hadn’t numbed the wound only because he enjoyed seeing his patients in pain, a fact he had admitted to dozens of times before. But Bentinck didn’t bring it up now.

“I’m not taking shit from an Ally,” Bidloo muttered. At last, he finished and stood up, opening and closing a bloody, gloved fist. “Looks like the healing time might be more than twenty-four hours. Call me at the same time tomorrow so I can see how it is.”

“Thank you.” Bentinck bowed his head.

“As for that fox...” Bidloo turned towards Albemarle, pushing the furry tail to the side so he could see the wound on his thigh. It had already been bandaged. “How long does a spirit take to heal? Do you know?”

“With ones like these, I would say about the same time as an Ally.”

“Mm, well, his was much deeper than yours.” Bidloo ran his hand along Albemarle’s thigh. He’d wiped off the blood, though the white stocking that stopped at his knee was still heavily stained. “William didn’t curse the spear he used, did he?”

“I don’t think so,” Bentinck answered. “At least, not before he cast the Southern shadow spell.”

“Ah, that one.” Bidloo’s features softened. “You always hear about that spell in great legends or fairy tales, and yet, no one’s ever been able to cast it. An Ally hasn’t done so publicly in decades. It might as well never have existed.”

“But William has,” Bentinck said. “So it does exist.”

“William, oh, William,” Bidloo sighed. “I would ask myself what I would do without him if I didn’t already know.”

“And what is that?”

“Same as I’m doing now.” Bidloo shrugged and got up. “I’m surprised he actually listened to me this time. If he tries to fuck Albemarle tonight, tell him I wouldn’t advise it. I don’t want that wound opening again.”

“You’re hardly one to care,” Bentinck scoffed.

“If only because I don’t want to come here again anytime soon.” Bidloo flashed him a wide grin before stepping out, leaving Bentinck alone with the spirit.

Damn. He inhaled sharply as he looked over at Albemarle. He really is beautiful. He had to admit, it was one thing seeing him shrouded by shadow, glowing unnaturally as he had been in the mall, and it was another to see him now, lying still under the moonlight that was slowly rising through the window. His body was not unlike William’s, with that slender waist of his, though there was certainly more softness around his chest and thighs.

He looks younger, too. How was it possible, he asked himself, leaning forward to lift Albemarle’s face in his hand, that such an ancient spirit should appear more divinely timeless than William, an Overlifer who had only just reached his thirtieth year?

He should have savored the moment that he had been allowed to bite into Albemarle’s neck. He remembered, all too clearly, how the fierce, wiggling spirit had stiffened under him, how the fire had left his body but not his eyes. He’d felt the slight shudder as he had backed away, and had seen how the noble head had dropped as if in instinct. He’d thought nothing of it then, but regretted it now.

You know what your place is, after all. He let go of Albemarle just as William opened the door, Anne at his side.

“How was dinner?” Bentinck asked.

“Better than anything I usually have,” Anne said. She glanced down at the bandages on Bentinck’s belly. “Are you healing already?”

“Slowly, but yes.”

“And Albemarle?” Anne sat down on the bed, looking at him with an expression Bentinck couldn’t read. “He’s kind of cute, Hans.”

“I- I was thinking the same thing, but, um...” He trailed off as William stepped forward, dropping to his knees in front of the bed, resting his head right in front of Albemarle’s. His tail twitched once, twice.

“You’re not seriously going to fuck him tonight, are you?” Anne asked. “He’s still hurt. Besides, he’s got a right to be awake for it, and you won’t...rape him, right?” She glanced at Bentinck. “I mean, if Hans claims you’re so much better than James...”

“He is!” Bentinck cried. “But Albemarle is a spirit, and he must know that his raison d’être is the service of the greater powers above him— the Allies, the devils, but most importantly, the Overlifers.”

“Does that mean he must obey?”

“Yes!”

“And what if he doesn’t want to?” Anne’s eyes widened. “Will you go ahead with it anyway? Will you pressure him until he has no choice but to accept?”

“That- those are no- spirits cannot—” Bentinck shook his head helplessly, looking over at William.

“Cannot what? Cannot be raped?” Anne stepped in between them both. “Oh, yes, I’m sure your master must think the same thing of Allies and everyone else beneath him.”

“Silence!” William stood up, his eyes blazing. “I will not rape any spirit, but I will not wait forever, either. You must understand, Anne, that just as it is his duty to accept what I have to offer, it is my duty to provide him with only the very best experience, especially for someone with a title such as his own. It’s an honor for me as it is for him. I will—” He paused, noticeably swallowing. “I’ll have to think on how to go about this. But I will not do anything until I know he will allow me to do so. He’s not a human, but he’s no animal, either.” He glared at Bentinck. “I mean, what do you take me for?”

Bentinck felt his face warm up with embarrassment. “You should know that you’re not the equal of the remnants.” There was something else that irked him about William’s stern refusal to touch Albemarle, but he couldn’t place it, though he suddenly realized it was weighing on him more heavily than concern for William’s honor did.

“Should the Overlifers not rule with fairness, something the Allies think they’re so far above?” William lashed his tail in irritation. “They oppress their followers; we listen to and protect them.”

“That’s a lot of talk from someone who commands the same authority as James Stewart,” Anne said.

“James is a false Overlifer,” William hissed. Though he was shorter than the two of them, his presence suddenly became larger than life, his tail bristling as he spoke. “I am not. It offends me that you both should think that I hold the same status as him.”

“N-No, William, never that,” Bentinck said hurriedly. “But I mean, that’s exactly what I’m saying! You’re so much greater, your power is- it’s incomparable, really, you don’t deserve to bend to the whims of a mere spirit.”

“And I suppose my father didn’t deserve to bend to the whims of a child, either, did he?” William cried out suddenly, his eyes filling with tears as he clutched at his chest. “Because he was an Overlifer? Should I then become the very man himself? Fuck you, Hans, seriously!” He pushed Bentinck to the side and rushed out of the room, hiding his face in one hand.

“Ah, shit— William! That’s not what I meant!” Bentinck began to follow him before hearing the door downstairs slam shut.

“That was really weird, Hans,” Anne said, raising an eyebrow when he looked back at her. “Is that what you really think?”

“I- well- we have the creature now, shouldn’t we take advantage of this chance?”

“If he can consent, then you would do well to remember that,” Anne said. “I can’t believe you’re an Ally and your Overlifer has more sense about this than you do. Even after everything he’s done to you—!”

“He has done nothing to me!” Bentinck realized tears were gathering in his own eyes, and he blinked, turning away towards the window. “Nothing at all. I’m serving him, as I always have. And I’m proud of it.”

Anne sighed. “It’s so hard to watch this happen, you know? If you can stop just one more person from being hurt, then why shouldn’t you?”

He’s not a person, Bentinck wanted to say, but found himself unable to speak through the lump in his throat. He’s not a person, and neither am I.

“P-Please don’t go,” he said at length. He bit his lip; how pathetic he sounded.

“It’s not like I have anywhere else to go,” Anne said with a shrug. There was a flicker of disappointment in her eyes as he changed the subject, but she seemed too pleased to drop it as well. “James knows where I live. You know I can’t go back—!” She tried to smile as the pitch of her voice heightened near the end.

“Then- then you can stay here, of course. I’m not going anywhere.” He held his hand out towards her, but she jumped into his arms instead, wrapping her own around his neck. He could feel her shudder against his chest.

“The world isn’t safe with people like them,” she whispered. “I’m scared, Hans.”

🝰🝰🝰

Mary watched her stepmother dip under the radiant water, the glow coming from the many lights within the pool. Yet it seemed the water itself was the sole giant lamp behind the house, interrupting the darkness of the surrounding trees and starless sky above them. For this reason Mary much preferred swimming here during the night, sometimes alone, and sometimes not.

Maria swam back up again, leaning on the edge of the pool and handing Mary the phone she had dropped at the bottom. “You always do this,” she said. “Are your hands really so—?” She cut herself off, instead reaching out to take hold of Mary’s shaking wrist.

“Maria, I think I’m going to kill myself.”

“No, you’re not,” Maria said firmly, letting go of her again. “Your father will come around when he realizes you can’t kill anyone during withdrawal.”

“But the thing is that I did,” Mary said. “I killed Ally Ildicó.” The news had come about a few days later, that the governor of Berufungsachse was dead. There would have to be someone to replace her, and already the grief of the nation was overshadowed by the Allies here squabbling to get to the top.

“Maybe you shouldn’t have,” Maria said.

“Did you want me to disobey?”

Maria tilted her head to the side. “No,” she said. Changing the subject, she stepped back a little, shaking her wet hair off her shoulders. “Come in with me! Is your phone okay?”

Mary tried to turn it on. The dirty case seemed no cleaner than before, and was in fact dripping its filth over her fingers. But the phone itself seemed to be just fine, as it turned on to show her the wallpaper of her favorite character from the latest game she had played on stream.

“Yeah,” she said. “Thanks.” She sighed and pushed herself in the water, though the smell of chlorine in the air made her headache no better, and her shaking only got worse as she stepped ever deeper, in spite of the warmth of the night.

She watched Maria do laps around the pool, yawning, though the shock of the cold water kept her awake. She found herself staring mostly at Maria’s red and white bra, cute with all its ruffles, the swimsuit a present from James if Mary remembered correctly. Of course, she told herself that it was merely the bra that she was looking at and nothing else.

Her own swimsuit was nowhere near as impressive, pure white, though a little stained since it had been a while since she washed it. At least her chest was bigger and covered in more tattoos, she noted with a glimmer of pride.

“Oh, stars above, that’s nice,” Maria said, popping up beside her so suddenly that she splashed a bit of water onto Mary’s glasses. “Why don’t you swim? They tell me you loved it as a girl.” Wondering who they could possibly be, Mary shrugged and looked to the side. “I don’t know. I just can’t anymore. But the water isn’t so bad...” She smiled and then ran her hand through the water, bringing it up to splash Maria in the face.

“Oh— Mary!” Maria jumped back with a laugh.

“What? Your face is already wet!” Mary grinned back at her, and Maria smacked her tail hard against the water, returning the violent splash. Mary tried and failed to cover her glasses in time.

“Hey, that’s not fair!” she cried. “I don’t have a tail!”

Maria laughed again. “And a very good thing you do not. You’d never stop moving it!”

“Hmm, maybe,” Mary said, feigning thoughtfulness. “But it’s just as well, I can play with yours instead!” She took hold of Maria’s tail and pulled it back towards her.

“Ow, by the stars—!” Maria twitched it in her grasp, but Mary gripped it tighter until Maria cried out. “Alright, that’s enough!”

Mary let go of it and sighed. “Sorry, sorry. It just really is so fluffy, you know.”

“So I’m always told,” Maria said, examining the golden tip.

Mary’s amusement was soured by the voice of Marly, calling out even before he was visible in the shadows of the house. He bounded forward, wearing the familiar, revealing attire of an Ally, and reminding Mary who the most tattooed Disciple truly was.

“Where is James?” he asked.

Maria narrowed her eyes. “What do you need him for?”

“Nothing that should warrant that face,” Marly retorted. “I wanted to tell him that William is alive, I mean— he’s all over the news! He’s caught the Earl of Albemarle in Nayaflitt.”

“Albemarle?” Mary asked. She turned to Maria. “What does that one do, again?”

“He grants you a longer life,” Maria said thoughtfully. “But Overlifers have six of them.”

“That’s exactly the problem.” Marly huffed before sitting down in front of them, the water rippling as he did so. “Think on it, our enemy survived, and for all we know, he’s still on his third life. Nothing can harm nor kill him, and as long as he keeps sleeping with Albemarle, then he’ll live forever. This is- this is the worst thing that could have happened.” He sounded almost distraught at the end there, but Mary couldn’t help the skip in her heartbeat.

Immortal William? She was oddly relieved to know that the world would be graced with his beauty and presence forever, whereas she would part with it eventually, hopefully soon. Her only regret was that once she left without him, she would never see him again, wherever the dead fled to.

I suppose it’s a mercy for him, though. She sighed, smiling foolishly down at her reflection. Her stupid, traitorous heart rejoiced as she realized she could never kill him now, after all he had escaped from. The fox had freed her.

“It’s not as bad as it seems,” Maria said, her voice quiet but startling Mary nonetheless. “Albemarle is a spirit. His protection can’t do anything against the attacks of a devil-sent Overlifer. Most of us can’t break through it, but you know better than anyone that James wouldn’t want us to. That’s his prize to win.” She laughed, a little sadly. “And as long as William’s on this life, it’s guaranteed to him and only him.”

“So the extra years— James can just- he can just interrupt that?” Marly’s eyes widened. “Are Overlifers so powerful that they can defy even Albemarle’s touch?”

“That’s the hierarchy.” Maria shrugged.

“If it’s the hierarchy, then why can’t Allies break that, too?” Marly asked. “We’re more powerful than the spirits.”

“Because they’re still devils, after all,” Maria said. “And you are not.”

“Spirits are devils,” Marly muttered, shaking his head. “Silly...silly.”

“Oh, who am I going to believe? The one who thought spirits could truly override the powers of even the Overlifers, or myself, who was literally raised in a Hoerenkast?” Maria lashed her tail in the water, splashing Marly slightly. “It’s common fucking sense, Marly, get with the picture. You’re an Ally.”

“And you dare say I’m of a lower rank than those filthy remnants—?” Marly began to stand, but evidently the smell of smoke came to them all simultaneously, for he froze at the same time that Mary felt her heart sink.

“Ooh, did I come just in time for the catfight?” James laughed behind them, his tail swishing in amusement. He appeared rather disheveled, his hair wild and his shirt unbuttoned, showing off the elegant R on his neck as he took a drag from his cigarette. “Calm yourselves, ladies. What is it?”

Marly glared back at him. “William is alive. But these two instead concern themselves with the fact that spirits are supposedly more powerful than I am.”

James’ head snapped up. “What?”

“William,” Marly repeated slowly, “is alive.”

“I thought you told me he was dead, Mary.” James turned towards her, and she backed away in the water with a nervous smile. “Did you not make sure of it?”

“I-It seemed only logical. I mean, where could he have escaped to, you know?” Mary stammered. “He was weak, you- you damn near killed him yourself. I didn’t expect him to be able to get up.”

“You couldn’t have shot him?” James asked. “Just to make sure he stayed down?”

“It was a lot, James,” Maria said hurriedly. “She could barely escape herself. If she had stayed any longer, it would have been at the expense of her own life.”

“Every Disciple must be willing to give their life for the cause,” James said.

He was met with silence. Mary didn’t dare look up at him. Did he truly mean that; would she have been of more value to him if she had died, but brought William down with her? It had been the whole reason for her training, after all.

Who am I kidding? Of course that would have been better. She could have been dead, alone with him, but now that would never happen. She closed her eyes, the lights of the pool suddenly being too much for her head to tolerate.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, again.

“Don’t ask me for your fucking drugs ever again,” James spat. “I don’t care how sick you get. You have the audacity to ask me for this shit that you don’t need, and I’m over here like an idiot just giving it to you. But when I ask for something, you can’t ever do it right.”

“Sir, I killed Ildicó!” Mary cried, finally looking up. “Doesn’t that count for something?”

“Don’t try to pull that shit with me,” James said. “You know very well what your main duty was.”

“P-Please, sir, I—” There she went again, her voice breaking with the tears that began to spill from her. “I c-can’t- I can’t live like this—!”

“You will live,” James said coldly, “as you have allowed William to.”

“James, please, it really isn’t so serious,” Maria said. “No one can kill William now, anyway. No one except for yourself.”

“What are you saying?”

“William has the Earl of Albemarle now,” Maria explained. “If he has already kissed the spirit, then no one can harm him for however many years he’s received. But,” she added hastily, seeing the look on James’ face, “what’s little known is that an Overlifer can bypass this protection. Ferocity willing, he doesn’t know about it, either, so he won’t expect any attacks from you.”

“What?” The news didn’t seem to mollify James, much to Mary’s dismay. “You expect me to kill everyone myself? I have things to do, Maria.”

“We can always bring you William,” Maria said. “But we cannot harm him.”

“By all the fucking stars, girl, if you can capture him, you can kill him!” James snarled. “What does a spirit matter? All three of you have been of no use to me in regards to our rival, and because of your carelessness, he’s become even more impossible to deal with!”

Mary knew the wiser thing was to remain silent, her voice choked behind the lump in her throat, but there was something on the back of her mind that she couldn’t resist bringing up. “S-Sir, I thought you- you wanted that glory. You relieved me of that duty...remember?” Perhaps James had forgotten.

Her father turned his blazing eyes towards her. “Because I knew none of you could do it.”

“Exactly,” Marly cut in. “So you shouldn’t mind doing it yourself, right?”

“Just because I can doesn’t mean I should!” James slapped his tail against the water, splashing them all in the face. Marly in particular, still wearing his makeup, looked displeased as he drew away. “It’s not about William. It’s about who is in charge here.”

“James, please, I- I’m very sorry,” Maria said, reaching out to rest a hand on his leg. “But it isn’t the end of the world. Sit down, we can talk about it.”

“Failures like these can spell an end to our world,” James said in a low voice. He sighed and then dropped down to lie beside the pool, resting his head on Marly’s lap. “Stop making excuses, Maria, for both yourself and for my daughter. You can’t hide behind anything; I know what you did wrong.”

“I’m sorry,” Maria repeated softly, but James didn’t answer.

Mary had heard it all before, just as James had heard their endless apologies that he, in his infinite mercy, accepted and forgave. It would be over tomorrow, and then maybe when he was in a better mood she could ask to get high again, but for now she listened and wished the world wasn’t so full of love for the wrong thing. If only Bentinck hadn’t returned for his master, if only Mary had truly meant it when she said her farewell to William.

Her father seemed to calm down as he blew smoke up at Marly’s face, then almost immediately held the cigarette up to his lips. “Say, Marly, you haven’t heard from that hydra Sarah again, have you?”

“Excuse me?” Marly blinked down at him in surprise.

“You heard me,” James said. “What a false siren. You see now that she loved you for your power, right?” He smiled and lifted his hand up to caress Marly’s cheek. “She was so happy to leave you as soon as she saw where your true loyalties lay.”

Mary snorted. It was Marly who loved James for his power! He would be nothing without his Overlifer, and he knew it well. She shook her head; sometimes her dear father could be such a lovesick fool.

“I- well- no, sir, I never doubted her love,” Marly said, backing away. “As I surely don’t doubt her love for Anne. If she helped your daughter with her betrayal, then it wasn’t out of malice. She would follow Anne anywhere.”

“But not you,” James said.

“I don’t need her with me at all times. I’m an Ally, and Anne—”

“Oh, Marly, baby, hush now,” James cooed, gripping Marly’s face more forcefully now. “You know I have always loved you more than she has. I’m just very, very glad my warnings have rang true at last, and now it’s just...you and me.” As if on cue, Maria started to back away, but James flicked his tail at her, ordering her to stay.

False siren. The words rang in Mary’s ears. It was Marly who ripped James away from his true family, from Maria, from his destiny— how could James be so blind? If it were up to her, she’d have gladly dragged Marly all the way into the water, and held him there until he stopped moving beneath her.

“Sir, I love you just the same, but Sarah was my first handler and I won’t part so easily with her,” Marly said, narrowing his eyes as he tried to wrench his head away from James’ grasp. “I’ll never forget the kindness she treated me with when you- you—”

James sat up and butted his head against Marly’s shoulders, the force of his horns being enough to knock the Ally to the side and into the water. Mary gasped and covered her face, trying to shield her glasses from the water as much as she tried to hide her laughter.

“Ah, Marly, my true, true love!” James cried as he stood up, grinning down at Maria for a moment before he shifted his glittering gaze to Marly. He dragged himself out of the pool, gasping and coughing.

“Y-You— you fucking snake, you—” Marly could hardly speak. He wiped at his smudged makeup, then let himself fall forward on the floor, a hand held up to his heaving chest. He looked up with wide eyes as James stepped towards him. “Get- get away from me, James—!” Evidently, he heard Mary laughing, for he turned around to glare at her. “Shut the fuck up!”

“You can try and make me!” Mary retorted, turning to Maria with an amused smile. But Maria only looked pale, seemingly unable to tear her eyes off of her husband.

“I think I’ll stay right here,” James said pleasantly. He kneeled before Marly, digging his fingers into his Ally’s hair and jerking it up so that they faced each other. Marly cried out, but remained still as James spoke to him.

“The end of this dance draws nearer,” he began. “Berufungsachse is without an Ally governor, and you are without Sarah. Do you know what that means?”

“I- I—”

“You will run, and you will win,” James said. “And I, as your loving husband, will be at your side, telling you what is best for this noble governorate. We will purge this nation of...what was it? Heretics, Vita-marked?” He brought Marly closer and practically whispered, so that Mary had to get closer to listen with horrified awe. “Until we’re the only ones left.”

“Husband?” Marly repeated, his breaths shallow.

Husband. Mary snapped to attention. It can’t be—

“John...will you marry me?”

Marly visibly swallowed, his hand shakily trying to pry James off of his hair. When he didn’t answer, James leaned forward and kissed him. At first he tried to pull away, but James held him there, gripping his wet hair until Marly at last fell limp and returned the kiss.

You damn siren. Mary inhaled sharply as James drew back, licking his lips.

“I- I can think of no greater honor,” Marly said at length, and then the two kissed again, much to Mary’s disgust. What a truly ungrateful rat he was, pulling away only moments before until he inevitably must have realized what he had to gain from such a union.

“James, are you sure?” Maria asked, her voice sounding strained. “By marrying you, he marries me as well.”

“Damnit, Maria, I thought you would be pleased,” James snapped, glaring down at her. “Why can’t you just let me be happy? Hm? I provide for you and I’ll provide for him as well. You have nothing to complain about.”

“I understand why it’s necessary, but surely there- there must be some other way—”

“Enough.” James stood abruptly. “Neither you nor Mary have pleased me as of late. Maybe with him living here I’ll finally get some fucking peace in this house. At the very least, you can allow me that.” He took Marly’s hand and turned to leave.

“Of course,” Maria said. She waited until they had left before she looked at Mary.

“This is fucked,” Mary muttered.

“I- I don’t understand, you killed Ildicó!” Maria cried. “And nobody has found out, you did perfectly! Isn’t that what he wanted? Is that not what he wanted?” Her voice shook, and she took a deep breath, wiping at her eyes. “What was I to do, let William die?”

“That might have been better,” Mary said.

“You don’t understand, they were telling me— the devils, they-”

“The devils?” Mary cut in. “You mean the shit you see? They told you to let him go?”

“Some did,” Maria said. “Not all. But I knew it wasn’t illogical, Mary, I’ve never had reason to distrust them.”

“Is this not reason enough?!” Mary gestured vaguely around her. “James is going to marry Marly, do you know how badly you have to mess up for him to do that?”

“I- I’m sure he was planning it already,” Maria said.

“Yeah, well, there’s a reason he did it in front of you,” Mary said. She began to get out of the pool, grunting with the effort. “And it’s because of how fucking unbearable you make yourself here. He can’t stand you, Marly can’t stand you, I mean, even I— what the fuck did you think was going to happen if you told him about the little Overlifer loophole with Albemarle?”

“It’s better than nothing!” Maria reached out to take Mary’s hand, but Mary pulled away with a scowl.

“You need to get some serious help!” she said. “You’ve let shit like this happen too often.”

“Oh, quit acting like you weren’t so relieved to see William spared!” Maria yelled. “You’re in love, aren’t you? Just like I was when I met your father!” She followed Mary out of the pool, shaking herself. “And look at me now!”

“Ha, I’m looking, alright!” Mary shook her head without turning around. “I’m not going to run away with him, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“No, Mary,” Maria said. “I was actually hoping you would.”

Mary paused. Her heart seemed to inexplicably stop. What did she—?

“Look at me now!” Maria repeated. “I, the wife of the ruler of all the universe! His only wife, I might add, and I will remain forever so!” She raised her voice even higher. “I’m happy! I’m very happy!”

“Fucking madwoman.” Mary waved her hand dismissively and kept walking, turning on her phone as she did so. She needed to get out of here. Her mind was still on Talbot’s thighs from a few days ago, and she knew that if she called him now, he’d be happy to go anywhere she pleased.

And then, of course...she couldn’t go on like this. No, something great would have to pass, something that would at least momentarily distract James from his vitriol and his prospective marriage.

“Do you know what that means? I will rule with him! I will be your queen— no, I will be your angel! Even you can’t live up to the name, can you?” Maria kept on. “And it’ll be me, only me, eradicating this rebellious, ungrateful human race!”

What Mary needed was Anne. Someone who dared take the first life of their Overlifer could not be allowed to live peacefully in this world. She knew James would enjoy punishing the insolence, the defiance, as he always had with Anne. Her poor, idiotic sister.

“I think James will go down with them, too!”

Mary pulled her towel about herself and began to call Talbot, the very same number dozens of people called each day to have their fantasies realized by the adored King of Hearts.

“Do you hear us, Ferocity? Do you hear our prayers? Ah, of course you do—”

Mary held her phone up to her ear. “Charles, dear, where are you right now?”

“The Law of Honorable Succession still survives!” was the last thing she heard from Maria.

🝰🝰🝰

There was some sort of toast going on when William walked into the club, where the patrons were all gathered around up close to the largest stage, their eyes bright but dull with the numerous drinks they had no doubt already finished. Nonetheless, they held up their shot glasses at the command of the young man who stood upon the stage, dressed in what was clearly a mockery of the attire of the Allies. His brown curls were voluminous and wild, but they failed to hide the dark, disfiguring scars all across one side of his face that reached down towards his neck, covered only slightly by an eyepatch. William recognized them as the scars that only acid could leave on a person, for he had attended enough sessions of torture to see it used often.

He wondered briefly if this man, with his clear Eastern descent, was involved with the Disciples at all, and that was how he had come to suffer such an attack, possibly at the hands of the Devils. If he was involved, then William had to stay hidden here, away from the quick, amused gaze of the stranger’s single eye.

“Praise be to King Louis!” he was saying, met with much roaring and applause. “Soon arrives the Southern Kingdom, and I expect to see you all here again for the festivals. Ferocity willing, I’ll have Ally Marly with me.” He blew kisses at the adoring crowd, who held countless guilders up towards him, whistling as he bent over to take his tips.

Southern Kingdom! William snorted and sat down at the bar, watching the man descend the steps of the stage. That was most certainly a Disciple, then. His sharply twisted horns were small, but telling, and his long tail, with the fur at the tip styled into the shape of a heart, twitched with sudden apprehension as he weaved through the guests. He waited a moment before sitting down on one of the many white sofas, right beside a large, graceful figure who leaned in to kiss him. There was something lazy, but affectionate about the movement, something familiar—

Mary! William gasped, but before he could get up to see her, he heard the bartender clear her throat behind him.

“Mr. Nassau,” she said. “It’s an honor to have you here. Can I help you with anything?”

“Not right now, but you’ll have your chance, trust me.” William flicked his tail at her and kept walking. He realized then just how alone he was out here, how wide open he was left without Bentinck. There was little chance that anyone who saw him here, Disciple or not, wouldn’t recognize him. If he had company, he had to admit that he liked entertaining and lecturing the young businessmen here who looked up to him so, even if their admiration was superficial. But here, stalking nervously through the darkness, he felt as if every glance was that of a potential assassin.

As he got closer he began to hear Mary’s laugh through the chatter, and he could no longer resist the pace he was going at. He bounded forward, crying out, “Mary!”

Mary looked up, her companion jolting a little beside her. She grinned to see William approaching, a smile that made his throat run dry, and she got up, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

“Devils below, you’re here!” she said, her words slurring slightly. He found it difficult to react when even her simple embrace took his breath away, even after everything. “Oh, you look so much better than when I saw you last.” She gasped and drew back. “But what a terrible night to come out here, do you know how many Disciples are swarming about?”

“You should have told me,” William said, smiling back up at her.

“Idiot, I might have,” Mary said. “But how was I supposed to know you’d come here? I mean—” She looked around. “Are you alone? Why are you here?”

“Same reason as everyone else is,” William said with a slight bow. “To drink until you know nothing.”

“You’ve got enough money to do that at home, don’t you?”

“Oh, I can’t stay there. Not right now, we have that- that fox there with us, I couldn’t stand him.” He tried to clear his head of what Bentinck had said. Perhaps he felt bad for pinning it all on Albemarle, but it was an answer that would make more sense to Mary. “He makes my skin crawl. But of course...there’s no shortage of whores out here, either.” He glanced at the man who had been kissing Mary only moments before, and Mary laughed, batting at his shoulder.

“You can have the one at home or you can pay for one here,” she said. “I saw pictures of you posing with Albemarle, like my father posing with a jaguar he shot in Grand Cabaret. I must say, I wouldn’t blame you if you had decided to stay home, after all.” She lowered her voice. “Especially when James was so convinced you had died in the fire. You could have fooled him if you hadn’t drawn so much attention to yourself!”

“Sooner or later, I always end up in the news.” William shrugged. “It’s better when I can control the information that comes out about me.”

“You’ve made James furious,” Mary said. “Unbearably so.”

“Have I?” William’s eyes widened, and he leaned in, squeezing Mary’s hand. “Are you well? Has he hurt you? I’m sorry-”

“No, no, it’s not your fault.” Mary gripped his hand and began to lead him towards the stairs near the back of the room, where the lights became fewer and fewer. “You can’t be seen here...”

There was the tapping of heels behind them, and William looked back to see the scarred stranger rushing after Mary. “My lady,” he called after her, “is it so wise to go alone with- well, with him?” He bowed his head slightly towards William. “You know I would keep any secret for you, but this borders on treachery, and with your father so displeased with you, I shouldn’t want you to—”

“Are you calling me a traitor, Charles?” Mary turned to him, her eyes flashing. “Or are you jealous? I’ll go home with you later, so just let me have this moment with William. Alone, please.”

“Mary, please, just think about it, I know you respect him, but—” He took her hand. “If you go any further than that, you put yourself in danger, and this betrays everything you’ve ever been taught.” He paused, then added, “Will you try to kill him?”

“Even if I was, I wouldn’t be telling you in front of him, idiot.” Mary tore her hand away. “I know why I do the things that I do. I won’t reveal any secrets, I promise.”

“But you’re still—”

“Shut it,” she snapped. “Shut up now. Has my father not spoken civilly to William before? I can do the same thing, and I am as faithful as I’ve always been to this cause of ours.” She stepped closer, her hand drifting up to her belt, where William guessed she held her gun. “But if a word of this reaches him, trust me, I’ll find out.”

The said Charles glanced at William, then bowed briefly at Mary and walked away. Mary rolled her eyes and skipped up the stairs, flanked by a more hesitant William.

“You were kissing him,” he said. “When I first saw you.”

“Yes,” Mary said. “He’s damn good at it, too.” She laughed and leaned precariously over the railing, smiling down at the scene below. “That’s Charles Talbot for you. He’s kind of fun when he isn’t being annoying. Have you ever seen his stuff?”

William shook his head. “Is he an actor of some sort—?”

“You don’t know the King of Hearts?” Mary’s eyes widened in shock, but then she laughed again, turning away from him. “I don’t know what I expected.” She pulled out a chair from under a small table and sat down with a sigh. “It was nice to see you smiling, you know. In those pictures of you with the fox. I mean, it was good to see you so alive, you know?”

William swallowed as he sat beside her. “Y-You never told me your streamer tag. I’d like to see you...alive as well.”

“Oh, it’s stupid—”

“Never as stupid as the movies your father’s Ally is in,” William teased. There seemed to be a flicker of darkness over Mary’s gaze as he spoke, but he must have imagined it, for she smiled back at him, leaning in to stroke at his horns.

“Oh, alright, as long as you give me one thousand guilders every time I go live,” she said. “I call myself the ‘lemonwingsangel,’ which is a weird theme, I know, but you have to keep in mind that I made this account when I was twelve.”

“It’s perfectly fine.” William pulled out his phone. “I can follow you right now.”

“And subscribe too?” Mary added hopefully. He couldn’t help but laugh.

“Fine, I’ll subscribe.” He let her lean on his shoulder to see his screen as he did so. After a moment he realized his tail was coiling instinctively around her, and his face flushed.

“You haven’t gotten any drinks,” Mary remarked once he was done. Her own breath smelled of alcohol, something oddly sweet.

“I’d like to be sober to talk to you,” William said. He lifted his head as her hair brushed against his chin.

“Aw, really? But you’re so amusing when you’re drunk.”

“I don’t think it’s...safe. Not out here.” He placed his hand on her shoulder. “Was- was Talbot looking out for you? Or was he drinking too?”

“No, he needs to be sober for what he’s doing,” Mary said. “I’ll be fine, William.”

“I- yeah, that’s...probably good.” William sighed. “I’m sorry about your father. I’d have stayed hidden if I had known, but there was only so much time that could have worked out for, I mean—” He cleared his throat. “Thank you for- for saving me. Even if you knew what would happen. I remember looking up at your face, and- and it was the last thing on my mind before I—”

“Before you died,” Mary finished. “Again.”

William bowed his head. “Yes. Trust me, I was trying not to do it while you were holding me.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time I saw you die,” she said. “But I don’t want to see it again.” She sat up, and William looked at her, so covered in both shadows and vibrant light. It was hard to see her eyes under her glasses, reflecting everything they caught, but even then he could tell her smile was sad. “Have you slept with the Earl of Albemarle yet?”

“I- I will,” William said, almost defensively. Mary tilted her head to the side.

“Well, do it quickly. You know that only my father can—” She paused and drew away. “Nevermind.”

“What?”

“It’s nothing, William.”

He reached out to take her hand, resting on her lap. “Has he- has he hurt you?”

“Oh, yes, but...it’s nothing new.” Her voice shook slightly. “I- I keep messing up, but I don’t understand. Have you heard of what happened to Ally Ildicó? I killed her, I did what he asked—” She inhaled sharply and dropped her head in her hands. “I don’t know what to do. I can’t kill you. And I don’t know if...I’ll make it through tonight—!” She rubbed at her eyes, and William sat up abruptly. “You mean to say he’s going to kill you?”

“N-No, not that, I just...I don’t know what I’m going to do. I don’t know what any of us are going to do.” She placed her glasses down on the table, still wiping at her eyes, though William could tell it wasn’t stopping the tears. “It’s so hard to be there, but I can’t just leave.”

“Mary, I- I killed my father,” William said. He lifted her chin gently in his hand. “You can do the same. Besides, you killed Charles, didn’t you?” He remembered Anne’s furious announcement, the interruption that had ultimately saved the rest of his lives. “That’s pretty good, you know. It’ll just be another Overlifer.”

“I did it for James!” Mary cried, pulling away. “It was an order, okay? And- and what use would it be, why did Charles have to die if I was just going to kill his brother, too? Why did I do that, then? Why do I do any of this?”

“So you can be the next Overlifer, Mary!” William urged. “Look at you, with the power to kill even Charles! Something I couldn’t manage myself. You were made to rule, you have the ruthlessness, the power, the audacity.”

“You don’t understand, you’ve only ever seen me that way— you don’t know me at home.” She lifted her legs up to her chair, resting her head on her knees. “I’m such a fucking mess. It’s my father who- who’s fated to rule the world, and that’s just fine with me. I couldn’t handle it, I- I just want to help him. That’s my destiny, and if I turned away from that to defy and murder him, then what would be left for me?” She looked up at him in bewilderment. “I’d have to go with him.”

“So you’re just going to live like this? Forever?” William asked. “Mary, even I had a breaking point.”

“Oh, I’ll die eventually. He won’t.”

“Is that how you want to die?”

She paused, then shook her head, her voice quiet under the music. “No.”

“Your friend Anne didn’t want to die like that, either,” William said. “And neither did your sister. Please, Mary, I’m always here, I’m always...waiting for you. You know there’s something more to life if you also know that this is no way to live.”

“And what’s that? What is that something more? Do you know?” She scooted closer to him, her eyes narrowed. “You’re an Overlifer, too. Are you living?”

“O-Of course,” he said. Her gaze was like knives at his throat. “I’m doing what I’ve always wanted.”

“You’ve always wanted this?” Mary looked disappointed, and oddly enough William felt the same.

“It’ll get better when I fulfill my destiny.” The words he had always repeated to himself as a boy felt empty now.

“Destiny, destiny!” Mary fell down against his lap, resting her head there. “My destiny was to kill you, and I have to say, I’m happy now that I didn’t. I’m so very tired of the word of Overlifers. Both of you.” She sighed bitterly. “Is that heresy?”

“Do you not believe in me?” William sounded more desperate than he intended.

“I’m an Easterner,” she said. “Of course I don’t.”

“I would spare you,” he insisted, but before he could add more, Mary sat up on the table in front of him, crossing her legs.

“What a fine honor you do me,” she said. “I told you I didn’t want you to save me, especially not you. James never told me that serving him would be easy. I-” She swallowed. “I know what must be done to unite his world, as surely as you know what must be done to unite yours.”

“It’s not about what you want, Mary, it’s about what you need,” William said. He reached out, hesitating before cupping her face in his hand. “You need to get out of there. I want you to be happy, and to not be afraid of every choice you make. I want you to come with me.”

“So you want to be my prince?” Mary’s features seemed to soften. “My dear, heroic prince. The misguided tortoise who runs behind me still.”

“If- if that’s what you would like.” William tensed as Mary reached up to place her hand on his. “I’ll be your prince. Whatever will save you.”

“Ah, William, you could at least try to make me swoon,” she sighed. “And maybe I’d think about it more. You’re not tempting me at all right now.” She pushed his hand away. “Are we really, truly in love? Is that what this is?”

“I don’t know,” he finally admitted, both to himself and her. “You saved me a few times, but then what?” He shrugged. “I...don’t know anything about you. And you know nothing about me, either, except for what you’ve been taught.”

“I know that you believed in me from the moment we met.”

“I was drunk-”

“And yet you found it in yourself to tell me,” Mary said, blinking tears away once more. “Why? What kind of joke did you try to play? To give me hope like this, always, always making me think I can be more, just to rip everything away at the last minute!”

“That’s all I’ve given you, Mary. But you—” He stood up and leaned in towards her. “You’ve returned the favor. You’re an angel of second chances, so give yourself one, as well.” Now, he thought to himself, and tilted his head up to kiss her.

She was quite taller than him, especially now, but she brought him closer, gripping his horns as she did so. He waited a second before allowing himself to close his eyes. For all her sharp edges, in this moment she felt very soft, fitting perfectly around him.

“I do want to fall in love with you,” she whispered as she pulled his head back slightly. “If I haven’t already.”

“Then I’ll do everything to convince you,” he said. “I already love you, always—” He cut off and jumped up to wrap his arms around her neck, his tail twining around her body. “I’m sorry it just wasn’t someone better. Someone who could save you.”

“It just had to be you, huh?” Mary laughed above him, running a hand through his hair. “Well, I’m sorry, too. That it was me. I mean, you have someone like Bentinck!”

“He’s not you,” William said firmly, taking a step back. “For a while I thought I would marry him, but...I just can’t look at him like that. I know it isn’t his fault, but he’s keeping me entangled with the shit I just want to...forget.” He felt his face get hot with shame as he tried to remember how much she knew, but nothing seemed to have changed, anyway. He lifted her hand to his lips and placed a kiss on it. “Besides, I wouldn’t want to love an Ally. Another Overlifer by my side would command far more respect.”

“Even if I’m an Easterner?”

William thought for a moment, then shrugged. “Why does it matter? I’m part Easterner, too.” He had never taken any pride in it, to be of mixed, polluted blood, a result of his father’s foolishness in choosing a partner he had never cared for, anyway, but now he decided that the rules had been bent for a reason. He was here now, and he loved Mary like he loved no one else, like no one had ever, thankfully, loved him.

“Ha! Then I wonder why he hates you so.” She got off the table and yawned. “My father, I mean. He was close to your mother.”

“I don’t want to hear about it,” William muttered, flicking his tail dismissively.

“Very well. Then let us both shut up about these stupid things.” Mary placed her hands on the railing in front of her. “Damnit, William, I came here to drink and you’re not even letting me do that. Can we make this a real date, please?”

“Well...would you like to dance?” He held his hand out to her, and she took it, her chipped nails causing him to grit his teeth with discomfort. But he said nothing as she led him back down the stairs, nearly tripping on her heels.

He felt the loud music was even more annoying than when he had first walked in, especially when he tried to speak to Mary, but she seemed happy enough to simply hold him as she swayed her hips, drifting ever closer to him. They were both out of breath after a few songs, William before Mary, but she ordered Talbot to bring them more and more drinks, so they never were apart. Her proximity to him was starting to make him sweat.

William was relieved when they finally stopped. He hadn’t realized he’d been feeling as if he were about to fall over the whole time, dizzy as he glanced around at the blurred lights. He collapsed back on the sofa he’d first found Mary on and groaned.

“William, we’ve got margaritas!” she cooed at him, holding the ornate cocktail glass out to him, filled with a frothy blue liquid. “Do you want one?”

“Yes, thank you.” He snatched it from her and hardly tasted the margarita as he sipped it all through the straw, though the burn when he finished it made him gasp as he gave the glass back to Talbot. He held a hand up to his chest, realizing his clothes were damp, though he couldn’t tell what it was. “Mary, can you smell my tits? What is that?”

Mary sat on his lap, eliciting a grunt from him. “Damn, I don’t know. I can’t smell shit.”

“Ugh, Bentinck’s gonna smell it all over me and he’s gonna be like William, you can’t be doing that! And then...I’m going to fuck him, and he’ll shut the fuck up.” William slammed his fist down on the sofa and laughed bitterly. “Yeah, that’ll be nice.”

“You don’t want to make love to me?” Mary asked wistfully, tracing his horn with a finger.

“Oh, I could do it right now. Come here.” He sat up and kissed her, sighing as her tongue slipped into him eagerly. She bucked her hips against him, and he let his hands drift up to her chest, where he squeezed her through her buttoned-up shirt and bra. She was even softer now.

She had his shirt halfway off his shoulders when Talbot finally cleared his throat beside them. “Mary, I am told your father is here.”

“Huh?” She looked up, licking her lips. “Why the fuck—? What time is it?”

“Just past midnight.”

“Are you kidding me? I didn’t get to fuck you, either!” Mary stood up and pushed the hair out of her face with a sigh. “Ugh, fine, but you’re coming with me.” She looked back at William. “You’ll be okay?”

“Really better than I’ve ever been.” William grinned ruefully up at her.

“Whatever you say. Don’t get roofied.” She dropped down to kiss him once more before running off with Talbot, laughing and pushing him along. Talbot glanced over at William as Mary paid the tab, then followed her out of the club.

William sighed and began to get up, his eyes on the bar. He was startled by a gloved hand coming down on his shoulder.

“No, no, stay! Don’t go!” A bright red tail twitched at the corner of his vision, and he froze as he heard the familiar voice above him. “I’ll bring you anything you like.”

He swallowed as Robert Spencer came around him, kneeling in front of him before the sofa. He held a full shot glass, which he then tilted up towards William’s lips, ordering, “Drink.”

“Y-You’ve spiked it,�� William growled, scooting back.

“No, I haven’t.” Spencer gulped down the shot and crawled closer. “Do you not like vodka, little one? I could always get you something else.”

“I— that won’t be necessary,” William said. He curled his tail in as Spencer stood up again. “What the fuck are you doing here, jackass? Come to gloat?”

“You should be the one doing so,” Spencer said. “Considering you survived, and now you’ll never die again. I wonder...” He lifted his hand up to his horns. “If I ran these through you, would the fox himself come to stop me? Or how does this work?”

“You think you could harm an Overlifer?” William laughed bitterly. “You can try.”

“You think I couldn’t?” Spencer smiled, his eyes glinting. “I already have, remember?” He sat down beside William, lifting his fine legs, as always in their long, shiny boots, up onto William’s lap. “We should catch up a little. How have you been?”

“Better before I saw you here, cunt.”

“Oh, better indeed,” Spencer said. “You were getting real close to James’ daughter, weren’t you? I suppose it makes sense. Both of you make yourselves very easy.” He flicked his tail at a host walking by. “Two shots of your well vodka, love. Thank you.”

William snorted as the host walked away. “Think you can buy me with that cheap shit?”

“You’re drunk enough for it.”

“Well, can you get your fucking legs off of me before I—”

Spencer cut him off. “What a filthy mouth! Is that what you were kissing Mary with? The princess doesn’t deserve such a foul-mouthed Westerner.” He sighed and sat up to look William in the eyes. “You look a little roughed up, but well, otherwise. It pleases me to see that you’ve recovered.”

“Sure it does.” William rolled his eyes.

“No, really! Ever the suave businessman, aren’t you?” Spencer got up, pulling on William’s tie as he did so. “So you’ve got the money to pay for this.”

“What are you on about?”

Spencer pushed through the crowd of people and hopped up onto the largest stage, lifting his fingers to his mouth and whistling. “Forgive me, I know the stage isn’t open tonight,” he announced, “but would you all want to miss this?” He untied his hood and whipped his pink hair about, met with much applause. “Now it’s up to you to see the rest.”

What a ridiculous show, William thought. He was only too happy to take the two shots that were brought to him, glaring ahead at Spencer on the stage. He moved very predictably, in William’s opinion, swinging his hips to the bells of the song and stomping a heel to the beat as he sauntered around the pole. He hooked one leg onto it and pulled himself up, spinning once before climbing up higher, his tail twining around the pole. He winked at William and let himself drop back.

Ugh. William’s face flushed, though he was unsure if it was out of embarrassment or simply the alcohol. He ordered two more shots and watched the crowd work themselves into a frenzy over Spencer’s exposed chest, revealed as he hung upside down and his shirt fell over. There was a green tattoo quite literally snaking its way down his belly, what looked like a resting serpent. But William caught only a glimpse of it as Spencer swung himself back up again and spun around the pole.

He hoped he would faint as he downed more shots, as Spencer spread his legs before the audience and hopped off the pole. He slid slowly to the ground, to his knees, and began to unbutton his shirt. Lucky for the bastard, the collar he wore must have hidden the R that was undoubtedly on his neck.

William buried his head in his hands when Spencer bent over, his ass and tail straight in the air. He managed to block out most of the subsequent noise from the crowd, though as soon as he closed his eyes he felt a wave of nausea run through him. He shuddered, looking up and into the lights again. As he breathed, he became oddly aware of his chest rising and falling, pounding louder than the music.

Spencer at last came back to him, his eyes glittering with amusement as he pulled his shirt back on. He had what looked like hundreds of guilders hanging from his belt. “You greedy boy. I knew you'd drink them both. And then some, hm?”

“Fuck you,” William mumbled, hardly audible.

Spencer raised an eyebrow. “What was that?” He then glanced to the side and chuckled.”It's about time we get out of here. I'll pay for you. I made enough dancing for those needy worshippers.”

“Nooo.” William batted at Spencer's tail, and Spencer laughed again, walking away.

Did he intend to come back? There was a dim sense of dread in William’s skull, and he tossed his head back on the sofa. He could run, of course. He doubted he could drive in his current state, but he could hide in his car, at least, and Spencer wouldn’t know which one was his.

He got shakily to his feet and began to weave his way through the people, shoving back against anyone who accidentally bumped into his shoulder or stepped on his tail, which dragged on the floor behind him. He met every apology with a fierce growl and kept walking, though every unsteady step startled him.

“Woah, William, watch out,” he heard Spencer say behind him. “You’ll fall like that.” He flung an arm around William’s shoulders. “It’s a good thing you have me, hm?”

Where is he taking me? William wanted to pull away, but he knew he wouldn't make it very far out on his own. He could wait. As they stepped outside, the sudden quiet made something rise in his throat, and instinctively he clung onto Spencer's shirt with a groan.

“Are you well, little one?” Spencer asked. “We're almost there.”

“I- I'm leaving now,” William said, swallowing hard and wrenching himself out from under Spencer. “Thank you, but—”

“Oh, that's perfect,” Spencer said thoughtfully. “I came here with the others. We can just take your car back.” Seeing William’s expression, he added, “You seriously didn't think I was going to let you drive like that, did you?”

“I sure as fuck don't need you to drive me.” William glared at him and began to stumble off, bunching up his limp tail in his fists.”I- I would rather die again, out there in the fucking streets.” He paused and turned back to yell, “Kill yourself!”

Spencer followed him, his heels tapping ever closer in a way that made William's heart race. “Let me drive you. I can't let you die out there.” He took William's hand and kissed it. “Please.”

William ripped his hand away. “You- you'll take me to James, you sly bitch. If there's anything you can do for me…just die.” He saw his car out of the corner of his eye and edged closer to it, wondering if he should scream for attention from the other people out in the parking lot. But what then? Who would come save him? He knew he made himself very unpopular among the younger citizens of Altos Diablos.

Spencer looked around, then suddenly took him by the hair and slammed him back against the car. William gasped, kicking out at him as he felt the gloved hands run through every one of his pockets. They were uncomfortably warm.

“Get- get the fuck away from me, you—” He was cut off as Spencer took him by a horn and forced his head down on the car, his knee coming up in between William’s legs. William bit his tongue, keeping his fiery gaze on Spencer as he lifted the car keys triumphantly.

“You’re quite weak for an Overlifer,” he said, unlocking the car. “Why an SUV? You don’t have a family.”

“That’s none of your fucking business!” William fumbled for the gun in his belt, before remembering with dawning horror that he’d left in such a hurry that he hadn’t brought one with him. Perhaps there was one in the car, but then what—

Spencer’s arm came around his neck, pulling him back as the former opened the door. William clawed uselessly at the long gloves before he was thrown onto the backseat, his tail getting caught under Spencer’s heel. He pulled it out and sat up quickly, curling his lip back in a snarl as Spencer got in with him, shutting the door behind him. They were left in darkness; even the lights outside hardly reached them.

William realized he was sweating as Spencer crawled closer, and he drew back further still, lifting his legs up. “I- I’ll fucking kill you,” he grunted, looking around for one of his pistols. He swallowed again, the sickening taste in his throat returning. He let his head fall back with a sigh.

“You know you need me, William,” Spencer said pleasantly. He moved one of William’s legs to the side and smiled at him. “I look upon you with the eyes of a serpent.” With that, he pulled William’s head in, kissing him rather distastefully.

William shuddered at the force of the tongue that slipped through. Truly it was like that of a serpent’s, and as he felt it shoved down his throat, he finally retched, tears springing to his eyes. Spencer shuffled back just as William turned to the side, vomiting on the floor of the car. He winced at the burn in his throat, coughing until he was sure he was done.

“You couldn’t have waited?” Spencer sounded disappointed.

“I- I didn’t— you are—” William could hardly speak through his gasps. He fell back and covered his eyes with a hand. He knew there was nothing left in him to vomit up again, but he still felt nauseous, especially in this heat.

“Shh, little one. I’ll take it from here.” He heard Spencer begin to unbuckle his belt, but he no longer felt as if he had the energy to move. His legs were heavy as he shifted them up slightly, feeling Spencer’s hands on his belt.

“You’ve done this before?” Spencer asked once he had pulled William’s pants off. He began to unbutton his shirt next, and William looked up at the pierced stars on the elegant gloves.

“I asked you a question, William.”

“Y-Yes.”

“Good.” William felt his hand shake as Spencer lifted it towards his lips, kissing it once more. “Very good. You’ll call me sir, do you understand? Like all those I take under my blessed protection.”

I fucking hate you, William thought, but he nodded.

Spencer spit down onto his hand, spreading William’s legs and then spitting down there as well. William jolted at the feeling of the uncomfortable, wet leather entering him. He turned his head to the side and held his hand over his mouth. It hurt, but not for long.

“Alright, we can make this quick.” Spencer sat up and looked through the pockets of his shorts, taking out a cigarette. He lit and took a drag from it as he lined himself up with William. He was fully erect already, William could tell. He whimpered as Spencer rubbed the tip up against him.

“You like that? Good boy.” Spencer leaned over to kiss him again, fully pushing himself in. William cried out into the kiss. His hand came to grip Spencer’s shoulder, involuntarily.

He moved like William would have expected of him, with something of impatience but nonetheless grace. He huffed with every thrust, keeping the cigarette held up to his lips with one hand and the other on William’s waist. His tail flicked behind him in amusement.

He was big, almost painfully so. William couldn’t resist his gasps, then his groans, forced out of him almost rhythmically with the obscene sounds the rest of his body made. He began to buck his hips against Spencer, trying to catch him in the right place.

“Ah, good boy,” Spencer sighed. “This is how an Overlifer should fuck. I hope you know that you’re better than James so far.”

“Thank- thank you, sir,” William let out. He tossed his head back with something approaching a shriek as Spencer shoved himself all the way in, blowing smoke all over his face. He coughed and tried to wave it away, only for Spencer to take his wrist and pin it down beside his head. It sent a spark of fear to him to realize how truly powerless he was in this moment, how Spencer could strangle him if he wanted.

He looked up with teary eyes, panting softly as Spencer smiled down at him. The Disciple was louder than him, taking deep breaths and sighing often, his gaze admiring as he stared down at William. He seemed to pause for a moment, then let go of William’s hand, instead running it under his shirt, stroking at his chest. William let a cry slip out of him when Spencer picked up his speed inside of him. His hand came up to grip the gloved wrist.

“Devils below,” Spencer breathed out. “William- ah, William, my love— I pledge myself to you, forever— nothing can take me from you; oh, my leader, my Overlifer, my savior.” He seemed to get more tactless, slamming into William like a true Eastern beast. William let him take control and fell still, meeting Spencer's praise with nothing but his own moans.

At last he heard Spencer hiss above him, stopping deep inside him. His hips still rocked slightly; William guessed he was done now, judging by his eyes that drifted shut after a moment.

“You know how to finish a man very well, don’t you?” Spencer smiled as he pulled out. “Look at that sloppy hole! Very beautiful.” He took a puff from his cigarette and kissed William’s lips once, then shifted his lips down to his neck. William turned his head to the side with an insistent whine, and Spencer drew back with a laugh.

“Ah, very well.” He lashed his tail once. “By the stars, it smells in here. Sorry about the mess in your car, but boys like you like to have other people clean them up, anyway.” He pulled his shorts back up, not even bothering with the belt. He took the keys that he had placed in the cupholder beside him and moved up to the front, his swishing tail hitting William in the face.

“P-Please don’t take m-me to James,” William managed. He wanted to sit up and get dressed, but he only had the strength to hold his arms around himself, trying to ease a bit of the sickness. “Sir.”

“Of course not,” Spencer said. “I already told you that I can’t let you die. You’ll take the whole world down with you.” He glanced at William from the rearview mirror. “We’re going to your place. Where do you live?”

There was some objection in the back of William’s mind to telling Spencer his address, but there was no other way about it. He couldn’t call Bentinck now.

“You best tell me, William,” Spencer piped up again, “because I’m not yet done with you.”

#yes i am aware for most of you it is no longer october 14th #HOWEVER THERES STILL TWO HOURS LEFT FOR ME #i intend to have this ~gift~ ready for james hehe #i mean what greater gift than what i give him in this chapter?#hehehehe enjoy!!#six lives won't make you happy

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