#this story has a choke hold on meeeee

[vixen7243]

Lurking in the Shadows Pt. 3

Husband!John Price x AFAB!Reader | Obssessed!Ghost x AFAB!Reader

Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

MDNI!!!

Over the next few days Simon had very much settled himself into the grooves of your and Johns marriage, when John would get up in the morning Simon turn the both of you , pulling you in closer to him he would make quick work to stuff himself into you. He made sure that during the day he had you bent all over the house, every filthy, needy desperate thought he's ever had being played out, pouting when John would get home and your attention would shift to him, your attention being split and no longer solely on him. Tonight no different as John walked in and you got out of his lap to meet John at the entry way, kissing him, and helping him take his jacket off. "Hi love, how was your day?"

"Hello darling." John wrapped his arms around you pulling you in tightly, "It was well, gonna be staying late the next few nights though, just so you know."

"What? Why?" You pouted up at him, "You guys are leaving again so soon?"

John glanced up, the pout you were giving him being mirrored on Simon's, only deeper and directed at you. Picking you up he only smirked when he saw dinner ready, having wrapped your legs around his waist you repositioned when he sat down on the couch near Simon, "We aren't going anywhere, I just got some meetings and files to get caught up with."

"Promise?" You felt his hands pulling the waist band of the your his sweats down, after some shuffling he squeezed your ass pressing your front into him as he kissed the valley of your breasts.

"Yeah." Smirking into your chest when he noticed that when you reached your hand out to Simon's cheek and cupped it bring him to you, Simon's whole demeanor changed, making him perk up. "Knew you were needy for her for a while but Jesus Simon, never took you for a pouter."

Tensing up Simon looked at John, "Wasn't pouting."

"Doin an awful nice thing as to share my wife, could stand to let up a few moment for me to restuff this cunt when I get home." You moaned when one of his hands slid down your ass and back between your thighs, a days worth of Simon soaking your underwear waiting to drip down. "What do you say darling?"

"Yes, please I want you love." Kissing his lips and neck, you tugged his shirt up from the waist band of his cargo pants, "Fill me up." John let you remove his shirt and undo his belt and pants, your hand wrapping around his shaft pulling him out and jerking him up stiff.

Sliding your underwear to the side John guided your hips down onto him, groaning feeling Simon's cum help ease his cock into you, sliding forward a bit John started moving your hips against him. Bouncing with John's movements the squelching of Simon's cum coating your inner thighs and all of John's pelvic and thighs, whining as you pulled your tank top off you arched into John's mouth as he suckled on your nipple, feeling your walls flutter around him John started rubbing a thumb into your clit in rhythm with his thrust making you dizzy.

Simon felt hot, eyes watching as John's cock bullied up into you, making his cum cover the both of them, knowing that his cum was on his captain made Simon's cock twitch. Gripping himself through his jeans he rubbed himself through the thick material looking up to your face, eyes rolled in bliss, mouth agape, small huffs of breath leaving your lips. He had been working you up to that all day, loving how lost you get when cumming, his pride swelling each and every time you begged him for more. Simon swallowed the lump in his throat when you came around John, the force of your walls clenching around him making him quickly cum with you.

He seen how the two of you silently looked at one another before you both smiled at the same time and you slowly eased off of John, grabbing the collar of Simon's shirt and pulled him to you across John and started kissing him. Consumed into the kiss he didn't see as you jerked John, sliding your other hand up to the back of Simon's neck you guided him down still kissing him, pulling back you leaned down kissing and licking the tip of John's dick, dragging your tongue down the shaft before feeling Simon jerk his head freezing as you were bringing him down. "Be a good boy Si." Massaging his neck you gently guided him down watching as Simon slowly and hesitantly stuck his tongue out barely touching the tip of John's dick. Making your way back up and with Simon's tongue the both of you swirled your tongues around John's tip. After feeling Simon now easing more of John into his mouth on his own you suckled and fondled John's balls.

John groaned watching the both of you going down on him, smirking as you helped ease Simon into it, and huffing when Simon wrapped his lips around the head of his dick. You slowly pushed on his neck making him take a little more of John, you sat up and still holding Simon's neck you leaned into John's chest kissing him. "Isn't he doing such a good job hun?"

"Aye, right, good job lieutenant, urgh, you could take more, go on."

Simon never knew that getting this kind of attention from John would ever rile him up as much as it was, feeling his captain's cock twitching in his mouth, your hand sliding up into his hair Simon couldn't hold back the moan ripping through his throat vibrating around John also making him moan. Pushing little more before John rested his hand over yours he pushed quickly up and holding for a moment while Simon coughed surprised.

Getting off the couch you removed your hand and to Simon's surprise you rested on your knees between his legs trying to help him move his hips so you could undo his pants and tug them down slightly freeing his aching cock, when you started kitten licking his dick his mind fogged up with the sensation of getting his dick licked and sucked while simultaneously having one shoved in his own mouth. As Simon realized you were following his pace that he set to get John off he grew anxious and close, wanting you to go deeper and faster he took a breath through his nose closing his eyes and did his best to go at the pace he wanted you to go. Following his lead you looked up at John trying to focus but smiling as John grinned tightening his grip on Simon's head halting his movements, making Simon whine and thrust up into your mouth when you also stopped. Reaching his hand down to your hair and trying to guide you to continue bobbing your head only for John to reach over, grabbing his wrist and pulling it behind his back. "No, no, no. You'll take what you give lieutenant." Huffing and whimpering with his mouth full, John chuckled holding Simon's head still before setting the pace himself and thrusting up himself, Simon trying not to cough or gag the deeper John worked himself into his throat. "Good, like that lieutenant, quick learner aren't you. Knew you would make me proud."

Simon grunted as his cock started twitching in your throat, groaning trying to bob along John faster before you pulled back and pulled Simon off of John, both huffing looking to you, eyes dazed. "You're so close, I know baby, but you can't cum till John does." Simon groaned, opening his mouth to say something but you stopped him, wiping you thumb on his bottom lip, collecting his drool and all the fluids from when you rode John. "Not. Till. John. Cums." Smiling, you kissed him quick before letting him get back onto John, John mean while rolling his head back moaning when Simon continued. You got back down and took him back in your mouth moaning when John was working his hips up meeting Simon's mouth all while Simon pushed down a few times holding getting used to his girth, getting riled up even more as John continued to say HIS name and praise him.

Hearing John moaning Simon's name you clenched your thighs feeling Simon close again, as you stilled, holding his waist pulling back when he would try to thrust up. You heard Simon whining around John, chuckling around him when he gripped the base of John and was now more determined to get John to cum. John groaned, grabbing Simon's head and started working himself now close, "Don't tease him anymore darling, shit. Close, let him cum."

Moaning you started following John's thrusts while going down, feeling Simon now thrust also both grunting, Simon whimpered around John as the both of them came. Trying to swallow John's cum Simon coughed and grunted as John finished before letting go, letting him sit up gasping, John's cum going down his chin. You sat up smirking, swallowing all of Simon's cum, his cock having a glisten from your saliva.

Looking at John's messy cock you giggled, crawling up onto Simon's lap, using the tip of your tongue to collect John's cum and kissing Simon. "Poor baby, couldn't take all of it? Don't worry, you will. Practice makes perfect huh?" As Simon slowly nodded his head, you kissed all around his face using your thumbs to clean around his mouth. Using the space between the two you got down and took John into your mouth, cucking him in and using your tongue to clean him. Sitting up you hummed as John pinched your chin tilting your head back kissing you sweetly.

"Such a good girl." Pulling your leg over his leg John smiled when Simon followed his lead. Both their hands squeezing and massaging down to your filled cunt. Biting your lip you scooted your hips trying to get more comfortable when their fingers started working together, dipping their fingers into you, their other hands pulling your folds open more. Rolling your eyes back you moaned cupping your breasts, arching your back. "Did such a good job baby, just relax."

Huffing resting your head on Simon's arm you started jerking when both of them found your sweet spot, both working in tandem at the spot as you started gushing around them, the couch slowly getting ruined as when you moved to squeeze your legs they held you tightly. "Shit, there." Looking down you started panting as you tensed, cumming around their fingers, whimpering as their fingers started thrusting into you drawing your orgasm out a little longer. Slouching back into the cushions you groaned when they slide their fingers out and sucked their fingers clean. Looking up into the kitchen you laughed to yourself, "Anyone hungry for real food, dinner is done."

-----

Part 4

ehehehe 🥰🥵

[skzss]

yours

Member: Seo Changbin x reader

Warnings: None

Genre: Light angst

Word count: 554

Description: You know it. You do. But still, you wish you could just be together again.

Author’s notes: I have no excuses :)

“Biiiiiinnie.” You drape yourself dramatically over the back of the couch where Changbin and Jisung are hanging out. “Binbin, don’t ignore meeeee.” 

Jisung giggles before bumping Changbin with his shoulder. “Seems to me your local stray is begging for attention. I’ll come back later for the song, yeah?” 

“Yeah, sounds good,”Changbin sighs and nods. Jisung collects his stuff, shoving it in a bag before he waves bye to Changbin and gives you a salute at the door. With Jisung’s seat vacated, you slide right into it and wiggle around until you have your head in Changbin’s lap. He looks entirely unimpressed with you but you know he’s amused. He’s got that twinkle in his eye, the one you love seeing.

“Aish, (Name), must you always interrupt me when I’m working?” He sighs, ruffling your hair. You giggle, chasing his hand away with a light swat. “Every time?”

“Binbin, you’re so mean. You’re always working, when are you gonna have time for me?” You pout but there’s no real bite. Changbin is always working of course. He has to, as one of 3racha. Bang Chan always works harder, he tells you. They work hard to make sure each comeback is better than the last. You know that.

But that doesn’t mean you don’t get lonely. That doesn’t mean that you didn’t wish dearly that you could spend nights cradled in his arms, your head against his chest and listening to his heartbeat strong under your ears. Even now, his gentle touch that brushes your hair out of your face is more fulfilling than the dozens of things you’ve tried to keep yourself distracted. 

“Binnie,” you murmur, lulled by his touch. He hums and as you reach up, he catches your hand in his own. You watch as he presses a kiss against your knuckles and look at you with so much love. If only it wasn’t tinged with heart wrenching guilt. He shouldn’t be guilty. It’s just something that can’t be helped. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispers. “I’m sorry.” 

You bite your lip. You could put on a brave face. Tell him everything’s okay and that you’re proud of him for working so hard. Distract him with something silly, some story about Yeji or Ryujin. You could cry like you want to, cry and beg him to stay even though you know he can’t. But feel warm in his arms for one night because he won’t leave you like that. Get one precious night with him. You could do that. 

Instead, you sit up and press your forehead to his with your eyes closed. Your hand lifts to cup his cheek, his hand still pressed around it so he’s holding it in place. You take a breath, trying your best not to let it shudder. There’s so many things you want to say. You settle for just one, as timeless as the universe itself.

“I love you.” 

That chokes him up. Changbin might be the dark rapper for Stray Kids but in the end, he’s still just your Binnie. Like he always has been and like he always will be. He laughs, quiet and throaty. It gets you giggling until you’re both laughing hard, foreheads pressed hard together. And if you’re both crying a little, well, neither of you are going to point it out.

[thearcanaartificer]

Misadventures Series

Title: Dog Pile

Characters: Julian Devorak and Odelia (My Apprentice)

Rating: T

Genre: Domestic Fluff

Word Count: 3893

Note: This will be posted on AO3 soon, but I want to post it here first because people here are wonderful. 

I always felt bad for Melchior and Mercedes, especially since Lucio never comes back in most stories. So here’s a twist to Julian’s upright ending.

______________

“I’ll be with you in just a moment!” Julian called out of his office in response to the bell above his clinic’s door chiming. 

He was in the middle of finishing up his last patient’s file- a new patient that had come in to be treated for a sprained wrist- and didn’t want to forget anything specific to his patient that needed to be noted. It wasn’t that he was forgetful, but he did lose a few slight details if distracted. His brows furrowed when he heard the clicking sound his mind instantly recognized as dog paws against the wooden floors of his clinic.  He quickly wrote the last note before getting up to investigate.

“I’m sorry,” He started as he began to open up his office door, “But any dogs or animals in general are not… allowed…” He trailed off as he looked about to find no human about. 

Just two fluffy white tails wagging earnestly at the edge of his vision. He looked down and a light gasp escaped him. A nervous smile edged onto his lips as he stared into the faces of two very familiar Borzoi dogs. Their tails wagged even more at the eye contact.

“Well… hello there.” He shoved back his trepidation to the back of his mind, reminding himself that there was no one around anymore to order them to attack him. He pulled his gloves off and let the two sniff at his hands. “It’s been quite a while, hasn’t it, sobachki?”

The dogs gave a quick sniff of his hands before they began to lick at them with eager whines. Julian couldn’t keep himself from letting out a light laugh before stooping lower and tentatively reaching behind their ears to give them a good ear rub. One hand for each dog. The two ate up his attention like they were starved of it. It was Melchior, the one with the ruined ear, that eventually leapt up to shove Julian over and Mercedes pounced upon his prone state. Fear ran through him for only a moment before her tongue lapped at his face.

Melchior’s front paws were standing on his stomach and he was licking up Julian’s exposed chest, causing him to laugh helplessly as his tongue tickled him. Both tails wagged excitedly as the man below said dogs pleaded between laughs for mercy. Melchior nor Mercedes let up and he had to close his mouth as he struggled not to laugh because Mercedes seemed determined to stick her tongue in his mouth. She had already caused his eyepatch to go askew and fall off his face entirely at her ministrations. All of a sudden Lady, his wife’s red Éirish Setter, was also now in the room, assisting the two menaces as she sniffed and poked her nose in his ticklish spots and lapped at his bare skin too.

“Hahaha! No! Whoahahaha! Stop! Stopstopstop- ahaahahaahaa- Ne tam! Please! Whahahaaha!” He begged between guffaws futility with the three dogs. He tried to push them off, but every time he managed one, they others overwhelmed him until all three could continue their affectionate doggy assault upon him. It took him a moment to think better of it and call out to the mastermind of these three. “O-odelia! Plea-egh- not in my mouth, hahaha, Mercedes! Odelia, ahahaha-urk, Melchior, ne tam! Not there! S-save meeeee! Whahahaha.”

He was pretty sure he was crying from how hard he was laughing but with Mercedes washing his face, he wasn’t entirely sure. He had given up pushing them off and was covering his open mouth with a hand to protect himself from Mercedes’s tongue.  He had also pulled his legs up to try to keep his more delicate parts protected.

“Save you?” His darling wife’s coquettish tone sent a trill down his spine. He peered up, having to force his eyes to stay open to see her standing with a bemused smile on her face as she watched the dogs kiss him. “I’m sorry, my darling love, but that’s not what I came here to do.”

“Nyet~ Nechestno~!!” was all he had time to squeal before she pounced on him with a war cry of “Tickle attack!”.

She sat on his lap, straddling him, and danced her strong fingers up and down his sides, causing him to wriggle and writhe as his laughter became even louder than before. His legs behind her kicking and squirming fruitlessly. She tugged his shirt out of his pants between tickles and he tried to use his free hand to stop her from unbuttoning his shirt further so the dogs had more skin to tickle, but either Melchior or Lady always seemed to get in the way and soon he was trying to curl up from how hard he was laughing, covering his face entirely as he guffawed uncontrollably. He could hear his wife’s peals of laughter as she took enjoyment from her teasing.

By the time Odelia called off the hounds (quite literally), he was shivering from the energy loss, dizzy from the unsteady air supply due to his constant laughter, and his muscles burning a bit from how hard and long he had laughed. His wife was already moving to grab him a blanket to wrap him up in. He was heaving every breath he had as he laid supine on the floor. He had no energy at the moment to move other than the shivers that wracked his body.

“I will admit, that was not the original intention, but I quite enjoyed where it led.” Odelia told him as she wrapped a warm quilted down blanket around him and tucked a pillow under his head. “You okay?”

Melchior and Mercedes chose at that moment to cuddle up to him, one on each side and their heads resting on his chest as he regained control of his breathing. At first, he was a bit apprehensive, but seeing that neither dog had ill intention (or ready to give him round two of a tickle attack), he relaxed. He rested a hand on each dog’s head and rubbed their ears. Lady was sitting next to Odelia, ever her faithful companion.

“Ha… ha…. My legs feel weak and… haha… I feel like I may have popped a rib from all the laughing. But I didn’t hate it.” He told her with a tired smile. “I don’t think I’ve laughed so hard in my life… haha-ha…”

“Well,” She patted his chest lovingly. “Gotta make sure you get daily dose of endorphins somehow.”

“Ya tak ustala seychas.” His eyes closed heavily and he felt like, with the dogs wrapped around him like this he could drift off at a moment’s notice.

“You being tired is merely a bonus effect. Just like sex,” he let out a choking sound as his face colored pink, “except I think hearing you laugh is more enjoyable.” She made a thoughtful look before she met his gaze, her eyes turning sultry as she continued to talk. “Hmm, make it a really close second. Or a non-sexual first. I love the sounds you make during sex. You get so whiny and needy and it's all so pretty and thrilling to observe.”

Before he got too worked up- because he really was exhausted by how hard he had laughed- he decided to redirect his wife back to her original purpose of bringing these two dogs to his clinic.  “Ha… So, ah, uh, what was the, uh, original intention, Myska?”

“Oh, yes, right!” His wife didn’t forget things necessarily, she just misplaced the thought when distracted. “Mel?”

The white slinky like dog whined, but got up to go fetch something that had been set on one of the chairs in the front of the clinic. He came back with an envelope carefully held in his mouth and proffered it to Julian. He raised a brow, looking first at the dog before glancing at his mischievous spouse, trying to get a feel for what was going on. He turned back to Melchior to take the letter and the dog cuddled back up to him after he did.

“What’s this, hmm?” He released his hold on Mercedes to open up the envelope with unadulterated curiosity. Inside was a written letter, in his wife’s hand.

“I helped pen it, is all.” Odelia told him as she reached over to play with Melchior’s good ear. “Doggy paws aren’t dexterous enough to write and they are not that smart, but these doggies are smart enough to dictate for me.”

“Right. You can hear other people’s familiars.” He remembered the unusual quirk bestowed to her by having the body of an Arcana. The more shocking revelation hadn’t been that she could hear familiars as it was that these two had been Lucio’s. He unfolded the letter and began to read it out loud.

“Dear Doctor Hooman- really Odelia?”

“So I wrote it in character, it makes it cuter. The thespian in you should appreciate it. Keep reading.”

He heaved out a dramatic sigh, a playful smile on his lips, before beginning once more. “Dear Doctor Hooman, My sissy and me arwe verwy sorrwy we use to chase u and act like we would bite u. Our old pawpaw (snrk. Paw-paw? That’s adorable Myska, even if you mean Lucy) told us to and we wanted to be good doggies fur our old pawpaw. But Pawpaw is gone now and we arwe alone.” 

He stopped, frowning as he looked over at Odelia, who was deliberately not making eye contact with him. He had a feeling he knew where this was going. Melchior let out a small woof and Mercedes nudged him with her nose, both wanting him to continue. There was an anxiousness in their forms causing their stilled tails to nervously twitch periodically as well.

He cleared his throat and continued. “Noddy-a haz no time fur us and we arwe lonely. We want a new home where we can be good doggies and get pets and attention and bellie rubs and cuddles and walkies and -did we mention attention? We remember u use to have a doggy and u like doggies. Since ur doggy is no longer… no longer here…” He had to take a moment before continuing. “A-and our old pawpaw is gone too… can… we…” Odelia was watching as her sweet husband tried not to cry at the words the two dogs had dictated to her (she had nearly done so herself). He rubbed his eyes a bit with his palm as he a long breath of air stuttered out of his chest. “Ca-an we be ur go-od doggies and u be o-our n… new Pawpaw?”

A sniffle escaped him as he lowered the letter. His face blotchy as he fought the urge to cry. “G-goodness, Myska, can you write it a-anymore pathetic? I don’t th-think my heart is c-completely c-cru-shed yet.”

“I wrote what these two dictated, remember? It’s all them! Two doggish masters of manipulation! It’s not called puppy eyes technique because humans were the first to use it!” She herself would have cave, like, sentence three. But this was a request for Julian, not her.

He had laid the letter on top of his chest as he stroked the dogs at his side caringly. Concern etched into his forehead as he spoke his thoughts. “I… don’t know… I mean, it’s not like I’m against th-the idea entirely, but well… I… I don’t mean to sound negative, but… but our home is way too small to add two dogs on top of everything else. A-and these two are trained hunting dogs! Ex-familiars or not, they’ll instinctively go after Posey a-and Juniper!”

Odelia smiled at his consideration. “Don’t worry about that. We can work around Posey and Juniper. What do you want to do? Taking them in would make them yours. Like Brundle was yours. Like Lady and Sebby are mine. I know you’ve craved the affection and been a little disappointed at how much I’m chosen over you.”

“I...I didn’t realize I was so, ah, transparent.” He glanced away in embarrassment. He didn’t mean to come off as that desperate.

“Don’t think you’re the first I’ve seen disappointed.” Odelia smiled, scooting closer so she could run her fingers through his hair. “Sebby never even took to Asra. Tolerated him. Unlike you, where he’ll come ask for food and the occasional pet and sometimes sit in your lap- until you make a big deal of it. And Lady follows me everywhere.”

“But what about Posey? And Juniper? It’ll definitely be a problem.”

“Firstly, as much as I love Posey and Juniper, I don’t have as strong of a bond with them as I do with Sebby and Lady. Juniper’s a fox. She will always be too feral to be fully housebroken or anything more than a wild animal that I love. And Posey’s life is short. I would be foolish to bond too much with something that dies in a few years time. Secondly, I’ve already secured them new homes, if you want these two. Homes that I visit all the time. In fact, Juniper will probably be going regardless, because her quality of life will be even better.”

“Where… where will they be going?” Julian was already pulling the two dogs closer and Odelia could tell he wanted them, but the thought of her losing any of her animals because of his wants weighed on his consciousness. He wouldn’t admit to wanting them until he knew her animals were in good homes and that his wife wouldn’t begrudge him for having to give them up. Though she wanted him to admit his wants, she knew he wasn’t there yet. Alleviating him of his anxiousness would help him voice his desires in this situation.

She maneuvered so that she was lying on his chest, arms around his neck, and her nose running up and down his temple as she spoke softly in his ear. “Pasha is taking Juniper. Since she’s in charge of the wild animal reserve, she lives in a pretty nice place on the property and Juniper will have a bigger area to run around in and a way bigger habitat than the one in our apartment. And Pasha loves Juni. And since Juniper was raised around cats- the whole set up is even better.”

“And Posey?”

“Nadia could pet that bunny for hours. Has too. Chandra doesn’t attack her either, so Nadia will be taking Posey in exchange for us taking these two menaces off her hands. Posey’ll be a royal bunny for the rest of her life. Probably get really fat with how much she’ll be spoiled too.”

“It’ll still be quite cramped in the apartment with three dogs, two humans, and one cat.”

“Well, when it becomes too much, we’ll just figure out a creative solution so it's not cramped with ‘three dogs, two humans, and one cat’.” She lifted her lips to press them against his temple in a sweet kiss. “We’ll fret about it later. What do you want, Juli.”

“Oh I’m Juli today, hmm?” There was a playful tease in his tone as he deflected.

She nipped at his earlobe, getting a startled gasp. “Keep it up and you’ll be ‘Pretty Princess Jules’ all day tomorrow.”

He whined a bit at that name. “Ugh. It’s never going to go away. I still get called that at times down at the Raven.”

“Change taverns.”

“Blasphemy.”

“Then suffer.” She suckled a bit on his earlobe, eliciting a pleased groan before quitting her ministrations to press the original subject. “So, what are we doing about these two?”

“Is it really okay if we keep them?” His tone was shy and she sat up, straddling his waist with her legs and her hands on his blanketed chest, observing his expression. He still looked unsure about if it was alright. 

“This isn’t about if it’s okay or not okay. Outside of our sexual activities, I don’t get to dictate what you have permission to want or not want- and even then I don’t have ultimate control because your consent is important to me. Yes, I helped with this because this seemed like something you’d like, but I told these two it’d ultimately be your decision. So this. This right here is about what do you want, Julian? Right, wrong, doesn’t matter. I simply want to hear you tell me what you want.”

It didn’t take anymore coaxing to get him to admit his desires. His face turned serious, the uncertainty was gone. “I want this, Myska. I want them. I want to have dogs that are mine.”

Immediately after admitting that, both Melchior and Mercedes, barely able to contain their excitement, sprang up and began to kiss at his face, tails wagging like crazy. Julian sputtered as he was barraged with kisses once more. However this time, he wrapped his arms around both dogs and yanked them off their feet and into his chest. Their bodies slammed into Odelia’s arms on his chest, knocking her a bit off balance and, with a surprised shriek from her as he bucked his hips up, she crashed down against his chest between the squirming dogs. He linked his hands behind her and held all three of them in one of his famous bear hugs.

“Okayokayokay!” Julian chanted at the continued kisses from the dogs, though they were mostly licking at his neck now. 

“Juli!” His wife cried out as she wriggled and squirmed to escape. He kicked up one of his legs, pushing the blanket out of his way and skillfully crossed his gangly appendage so that she was locked in. “No~ No fair~!”

He craned his neck to kiss her lips getting a squeal from her as she yanked her head back.

“Yuck! No kisses! You’re covered in dog saliva!”

“Jokes on you, I’ve been covered in saliva. You've been smooching me with doggy spit all over me the whole time!”

“Oh gross! I did! Phwaw, phwaw. I can taste it! Yuck!”

“Doggie kisses. Mwah!” He kissed her lips again, causing her to try to squirm out, but he simply tugged her back up between the squirming dogs also trapped in his arms and kissed her again. “Mwah, mwah, mwah. Oomphf!”

Lady hated to be left out and jumped in, landing on top of Odelia and licking at any skin she could reach. Julian looped her into his hold too. He held them all tightly for a moment before, just to be obnoxious and because he could, began to rock the lot of them back and forth on his chest while crooning some sort of Nevivion sea shanty.

“Ah! Did I marry a man or a bear!?” She forgot how strong he was until he pulled stunts like this. Gangly bear man.

“Whoho-ho-ho-ho~ You may never know, Myska.” He pressed a kiss to her crown, giving them all one more tight squeeze before quitting his rocking and simply held them all as he reveled in the moment. The dogs had all settled down and were just soaking up the attention in this cuddle pile.

“They’ll need new collars.” Julian spoke aloud.

“Naturally. I am not very fond of the whole gold aesthetic.”

“Yeah and the spikes really dig into the flesh.” He grunted as he began to loosen his hold. He had been able to ignore it due to the blanket buffering the effects, but it was really starting to smart.

“Oh shit! Are you okay, Julian?” She was already checking for injuries.

“Perfectly.” He looped his arms out from around the dogs to wrap around his wife’s tiny waist. “I have two new dogs and a wonderful wife.” He pushed his face into the nape of her neck. “I’m really so very lucky, my darling Myska.”

There was a long pause before Odelia spoke. “Wide black lambskin collars? Silver heart shaped tags?”

“Definitely.” He agreed. “How are they with people?”

She paused, listening to a series of barks, whines, and doggy huffing. “How agreeable do you want them around strangers?”

“If they are to be in the clinic with me, very agreeable. Especially around children. No biting for any pulled tails and such.”

There was another pause and a few more barks. “They are willing to be that agreeable only if they are allowed to reserve the right to attack threats to your person without commands if you seem under duress and cannot give commands. Also, decent treats for any amount of tail pulling that they endure.”

“Done.”

“Well, it looks like our family now has three dogs.”

“Sebastian will be thrilled.” Sebby, in fact, would not be thrilled.

“Sebby will deal with it. I’ll just have to give him a few extra doses of catnip in the beginning to help him adjust.”

“Drugging your cat to get him to cooperate, sounds criminal.”

“Well, I did marry a criminal, so- ah! No! I’m ticklish!!”

“Oh, I’m quite aware.”

Before he could fully declare a tickle attack on his wife, the bell above his clinic door rang and the two of them froze. The look on Odelia’s face told him that she was certain she had remembered to lock it.

It was Portia’s voice called out from the door. “I’m sorry I let myself if with the key you gave me, Ilya. I was too excited to wait to hear if you’re keeping th- what are you two doing?”

The two of them let out a sigh of relief before Julian threw his wife a mischievous grin and a waggle of his eyebrows. She raised a brow, her impish lopsided smile pulling at her lips. 

“Pasha.” Julian whispered in a frantic, excited tone. “Pasha, you gotta come over here and see this.”

“See what? You cuddling three dogs and Odie? I can see that from here.” She didn’t budge from the door, Pepi at her heels. “Why are you on the floor anyways?”

“Come here. If you come here, you’ll see it.” Odelia gave Julian his props. He was quite the method actor. He sounded so earnest and excited.

She hesitantly walked towards them, as if unsure this was a trap.

“Closer. No, no, no, closer. Pasha, do you want to see it or not? Closer.”

“Ilya,” Portia said rather exasperated. She took one final step to stand by Julian’s shoulder as he peered up at her with a smile. “I’m standing right here. What am I looking for?”

He released his hold on the lot in his arms to wave his sister closer. “You need to bend a bit to see it. I swear, Pasha, it’s great!”

She leaned down, suspicion coiled in her shoulders as well as written on her face as she did. She didn’t even register Julian’s hand shoot out to grab at her shoulder and pull her down until she was tumbling towards the hodgepodge group with a surprised yelp. Odelia caught her so that she didn’t land hard on either Julian or the dogs, but before she could really collect herself, both Julian and Odelia were declaring “Tickle fight!”

“Ahahahahahaha~ Nooooo~ I-Ilya! O-Odie!! No fair!!! Hahahaahahaaa- ah! No! No dog kisses! P-Pepi! Hahahahaha~! Save me~!”

Pepi decidedly chose not to join the conglomerate mess of dogs and humans on the floor to rescue her human and instead went next door to go visit Sebby.