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deiaiko · 4 hours
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#20.3 Company
"Where's Dan and Novick?" Grace asked, finding the living room unusually empty.
"They're going to the cinema since Agni gave us a day off today, cluck."
"Is that so?" Of course Agni had thought this far ahead. No wonder their teammates didn't try to wake either of them up. "I think we do need some time off."
"Speaking of, where's Agni?" Gyetang glanced at Grace and Agni's door.
"Ah. He's quite sick right now. I was about to fetch him some medicine and get us breakfast." Grace made his way down the stairs and allowed Bam to follow him.
Gyetang peeked from above. "Would you like me to take over your shift for lunch, cluck?"
Grace considered the offer. He did like cooking, and it usually worked wonders on easing his anxiety. But then Agni came to his mind, and Grace wanted nothing but to stay by his side until he got better. "I would really appreciate it, Gyetang. Sorry about that."
"It's no problem! How about macaroni soup?"
"Sounds good!"
"Got it, cluck." Gyetang gave him a salute and disappeared from his view.
Gyetang's cheerful aura filled some of the emptiness in Grace's chest. It sort of reminded him of Rak and Isu, and it made his heart ache again. He didn't want to cry now– he had cried enough last night, but the corner of his eyes started burning from the unshed tears. The fact that he would never be able to see them again was still a hard pill to swallow.
Bam tugged his shirt, and Grace realized he had been staring into the distance, stopping just in front of the storage room. He gave Bam an apologetic smile and went in, quietly searching between the aisles for the medicine Agni had listed. Bam not once let go of his shirt, as if he was trying to ground him. Surprisingly, it worked, seeing that his mind was brought to the weight of Bam's pull. Grace wondered how much Bam knew, looking at Bam's attempt to comfort him. Hwaryun must've told him what was going on, right? Was it the reason for his visit? Or did Bam just want his company after yesterday's breakdown regarding Rachel? Grace hoped it wasn't the latter.
Pocketing the needed medicine, Grace led them back upstairs to the kitchen where Gyetang had prepared two portions of reheated omelet fried rice and three glasses of orange juice. Looking at it, Grace realized he never had to find out what his old team's favorite foods were. So many moments he had missed, times that he could've used on getting to know them better. How could they still consider him a friend?
Gyetang waved from the living room, pulling Grace out of his daze. "Have you eaten yet, Viole? I can cook you something quick, cluck."
Grace could hear Bam's stomach growl, yet Bam didn't say anything. Grace figured Bam was probably torn between accepting and not being a bother to Gyetang. So he placed his hand on Bam's shoulder. "You can have Agni's share. I don't think he can stomach it right now anyway. I will get him some snacks instead."
So they both sat in the cafeteria, while Gyetang resumed playing on the game console. Bam stole careful glances at Grace between taking a spoonful, although Grace tried to ignore the worried look and ate his own ration as well. He wasn't really in the chatty mood right now, and he was thankful that Bam didn't try to start any conversation, or worse, pepper him with questions.
The food tasted bland, but maybe it was just him since Bam seemed to enjoy it. Grace finished the meal quickly. The uneasy and cold shinsu coming from their dorm room was getting harder to ignore. "Sorry, I can't accompany you for long. I really need to check on Agni."
Bam locked eyes with him before looking away, swallowing his food. "Okay."
Grace felt guilty for leaving his guest unattended, but he was more restless if he left Agni for longer. Even if Agni currently wasn't in immediate danger, Grace just couldn't help but worry. Still, he felt the need to make it up to Bam. So he put his hand on Bam's shoulder and pulled him into a side hug, "Thank you for stopping by. It means a lot to me."
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Bam leaned his head to the embrace. "I will stay here for a while, if that's okay."
The unspoken 'I will be here if you need me' was clear to Grace. A warm feeling filled in his heart and he knew everything would eventually be okay again.
"Of course. Make yourself at home." Grace gave Bam a few pats on the back before pulling away and making his way to the kitchen to wash the dishes. "Is there anything you would like to do in the meantime, Bam?"
Gyetang overheard Grace's raised voice from across the room. "You're welcome to join me, cluck! The game is more fun with multiple players."
The offer seemed to pique Bam's interest. Bam looked at Grace with twinkling eyes, as if searching for approval that he shouldn't need to ask for. Grace returned with a nod and a warm smile, knowing very well that at this point Bam hadn't gotten the luxury of being able to play games, let alone with a friend.
After putting the dishes to dry, Grace rummaged through the kitchen cabinet to find some salty crackers. He put them on a tray along with the juice and a bottle of water. Before going into his dorm, he cast one last glance at Bam and Gyetang. "I will be back for lunch. Just knock if you need me."
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deiaiko · 7 days
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#20.2 Spell
Viole knew what to expect, but witnessing it was a different story.
Hyung's eyes were swollen, undoubtedly from crying. Viole thought it was quite bizarre, to see that familiar look without a mirror.
"Uh, are you okay?" Mr. Gyetang asked. "You don't look so good, cluck."
"I haven't bathed yet, maybe that's why." Hyung tried to act nonchalant by forcing a laugh and casually rubbing his neck, but it fooled no one. He quickly dropped the act and looked down, eyes clouded with sadness. "I will be fine...I think."
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Gyetang made a small noise of affirmation, although doubtful.
Hyung walked up to Viole and smiled to acknowledge him. It was a real smile this time, yet it still didn't reach his eyes. "I suppose Hwaryun told you where to find me?"
A pitiful sound escaped Viole's mouth, realizing too late that his voice was stuck in his throat from nervousness. He quickly shut his lips and nodded.
"I see." Hyung looked thoughtful, the corner of his lips pulled down in displeasure. "I definitely told her that I'd be out of commission today."
Viole quickly shook his head, noticing that Hyung had come to a wrong conclusion. After all, he came here of his own volition.
Hyung raised his eyebrow, frown smoothed out to a polite curiosity. "What is it, Bam?"
Viole bit his lip. How could he tell Hyung that he was here to make sure he was okay? To keep him company, like Hyung did to him yesterday. There was one thing that Viole had in mind, one that Rachel did to comfort him on the days when he was sad. But he was afraid that Hyung wouldn't get the intention, and it would be hard to explain if Hyung were to ask.
It was worth a try though, he could just hug him afterward if Hyung didn't understand. Viole cupped the air in front of Hyung's chest as if he was catching Hyung's sorrow in his palm, then he threw his fists away. As he did so, there was a glimmer in Hyung's eyes.
"The spell to banish sadness?" Hyung chuckled lightly. His expression turned nostalgic, "I haven't seen that in a long time."
Viole felt immense relief at Hyung's recognition, and was very pleased when Hyung placed his palm on Viole's head.
"Thank you," Hyung smiled fondly at him, and it was finally a smile that Viole was familiar with. "I feel a lot better now."
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deiaiko · 12 days
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Hang on, we will find a way out
@jusalilweird asked for angst and I shall deliver. Happy birthday <3
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deiaiko · 14 days
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#20 - Visit
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deiaiko · 21 days
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#20.1 Sulk
Her footsteps echoed through the hallway, stopping in front of one particular room where her god resided in. She knocked on the door to make her presence known, not expecting her god to answer. Not today, at least.
Hwaryun opened the door and saw her god curled up on the sofa. He peeked at her and quickly looked disinterested at her presence. She considered it better than getting herself kicked out before she could talk some sense into him.
She invited herself in and went straight to the pantry. "Grace couldn't come today, so he asked me to look after you. Would you like some tea?"
Her god didn't answer, but he did perk up at the name. She brewed him a cup of tea anyway, adding a little more sugar than she would have liked for herself since her god had a sweet tooth. She set his cup on the coffee table and took a seat on an unoccupied sofa next to him.
Viole sat more upright, still hugging the sofa pillow. He gave her a once over before he went back to staring into the far off distance. "Why can't Hyung come?"
Hwaryun took a sip of her tea before answering, "He said he needs time for himself."
"Is it because of me?" Viole mumbled into the pillow, eyes shadowed by his long bangs.
"No. He's grieving for his late friends."
"Oh." Viole loosened the grip on the pillow, although only momentarily. "Can I see him?"
'I want to be there for him' was what his gaze seemed to say. Her god was such a compassionate person; it was endearing. Still, she had to shake her head. "You won't be of any help to him with your plate full."
"Why? What does that mean?"
"You have a lot on your mind. It's better to sort them out first before helping someone else." Hwaryun traced the edge of her cup, "Do you want me to guess or would you like to tell them yourself? Putting words into your thoughts will help you to untangle it."
Viole blinked. "I don't know. I feel bad."
Hwaryun hummed. "Do you know the cause of it?
"...Rachel." Viole turned his head away. "My chest aches whenever she comes to mind."
"She betrayed your trust, didn't she? It's expected that you feel that way."
"I've been…I just wanted to help her. Yet…" Viole trailed off. "I know I have forgiven her for making me live like this. But…"
When Viole couldn't find any words to continue, she decided to help him fill in the blanks. "You feel sad and angry because it feels like you're wasting your time thinking about how to get her back, only for her to walk away from you."
Viole buried his face on the pillow, staying quiet.
Hwaryun decided to help herself to the cookie jar on the coffee table and pulled out a book from her pocket. Opening the bookmarked page, she began reading where she left off while she waited for her god to gather his thoughts.
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Moments later Viole shifted on his seat and mumbled, "Miss Hwaryun, why should I keep going?"
"To climb the tower?" Hwaryun didn't look up, even though her book was quite boring. "Or to be FUG's slayer?"
Viole stiffened at the latter question. Unlike the book, her god was easier and more interesting to read.
Hwaryun took another sip from her half empty cup. "Well, if you refuse to be a slayer, then what would you be?"
Viole didn't reply. It wasn't like they gave him enough time to think about it before.
"Being FUG's slayer isn't that bad, you know? You have backup here, and we will support you with whatever we have. Connections, money, information. I'm sure Jinsung, Grace or Agni had told you how important those are to help you climb the tower."
Viole bit his lip, "I know that. But that's–"
But nothing they could offer would satisfy him, Hwaryun knew. Because her god didn’t care about money or fame. What he wanted was companionship, his cherished friends, and FUG had cruelly taken that away from him. However, "Believe me, it could be a lot worse than what you have now."
"How much worse could it be?" Viole's voice cracked a little. "I just…want to be with my friends, is it too much to ask?"
"Is it?" Hwaryun clapped the book close, eyeing the untouched tea on the table before looking to its owner in his eyes. "Considering everything I've seen in my lifetime, you're quite lucky your friends are still around."
Viole blinked, staring back at her with a look that could kill. She realized she had worded it like a threat.
"Don't take me wrong, I'm just saying that in general. The tower is just a cruel place, and people who climb it know that they must put their lives on the line to get what they seek. People kill and die for a lot of reasons, and we are no exceptions." Hwaryun placed her finger on her eyepatch, "This eye could have been my life, if I didn't dodge in time. Did you get what I mean?"
Viole frowned. "Then what do I do? I don't want to lose anyone anymore."
Hwaryun hummed thoughtfully, "That is impossible. All you can afford is to do your best by getting stronger, so at the very least, you won't see them get killed in front of you."
Fear reflected in Viole's eyes and he gritted his teeth. "How could you say such a thing?!"
"It's not impossible. If Hansung were to take Khun and Rak as a hostage, would you be able to fight back and win before he's able to hurt them, or worse?"
Viole bit his lip.
"Hansung wouldn't do that, don't worry. But I couldn't say the same thing with other rankers and regulars that will come across you."
Viole considered her words for a long time. "...I don't think I would be okay if I lost them."
"I know." It would be just like what happened with Jinsung.
Viole suddenly jumped down on his feet, staring sharply at her. "They are all still alive, right? My friends, I mean."
"Yes, they are. Grace would have told you otherwise if anything were to happen."
"Then, do you happen to know who Hyung's friends that's…?
Hwaryun shook her head, "No. None that we knew of."
"Ah." The sulking brokenhearted boy he was before was no more, and Hwaryun couldn't help but smile at her beloved god. "Do you think I can help him somehow?"
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deiaiko · 1 month
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Commission for @mj-chan 💖
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deiaiko · 1 month
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The story of a little boy named Twenty-fifth Night.
Inspired by The Little Prince / Le Petit Prince
Written by @deiaiko Illustrated by @cheer-soli-art Betaed by @jusalilweird
There was a little boy who lived all his life in a dark and cold cave. He built a tower made of rocks, so tall in hopes of reaching the ceiling where light trickled down from between the cracks. It wasn't an easy task, for the sharp edges of the rocks easily made their marks on his unprotected skin. But for him, who had no one but himself and accepted pain as part of his life, it was nothing but a little itch.
A girl showed up from the other side, bathed in blinding light that the boy had never hoped to ever see in his life. Her hair was a lovely shade of gold and her face was littered with stars.
"I shall call you The Twenty-fifth Bam," The girl said, "for I have found you on this night."
"Night of the twenty-fifth," the little boy repeated. At that moment, he finally understood what it meant to be lonely, for he was no longer alone.
-----
The little boy came to enjoy her company, and for once, he felt content.
His day started when the girl came, and ended when the girl left, for he had nothing else to distinguish between day and night.
He learned what longing meant. He would be bursting with excitement the longer he waited, and he would feel sadder the longer he spent time with her.
-----
"I shall go and climb the tower myself," said the girl, countless nights later. "This place is not big enough for me. It doesn't have what I want."
It bewildered the little boy, for he was already content with only her presence. "What is it that you want?"
"At the top of the tower, just me and a massive sky with stars that twinkles as far as the eye can see." The girl said dreamily, and the little boy knew she had gone to a place where he couldn't reach.
"What's so good about it?"
"Because stars are supposed to be beautiful, no? That's reason enough."
"How can you say they're beautiful if you have never seen one?"
"Because I believe so."
The little boy didn't understand.
"Can't I come with you?" Because what would his cave become without the sun coming to chase away the darkness?
"No, Bam. The tower is too dangerous for you."
If it's dangerous for me, then wouldn't it be the same for you? The little boy wanted to say. But instead he asked, "Will you be happier then?" With a silent plea that she would say no.
"I will."
-----
The tower was a place the little boy could never have imagined. It was colorful yet blinding, vast yet crowded, and the fresh air smelled like doom.
The little boy had never felt so small. It was so overwhelming that he couldn't really register what he had done, until a firm hand took his and they ran.
The owner of that firm hand was just a boy like himself. Unlike the little boy however, he had hair the color of the vast sky, his steps were surer, and his eyes were sharper.
The blue haired boy extended his hand and smiled with all teeth, "Shake my hand, and we shall climb the tower together."
"Why me? I am weak. I will be of no use." The little boy shrunk away.
"It's no matter." The blue haired boy's eyes softened. "Your company is enough."
The little boy smiled and shakily took his hand.
-----
The little boy stood by the balcony, looking at the twinkling night sky above. Soon the last test would be held.
"Those lights up there, do you see them?" The little boy pointed at the light above to his blue haired companion.
"I do."
"I think they're lonely. So far above, out of reach and apart from each other." The little boy sighed wistfully. "Will you leave me too?"
"Why should I?" His companion tilted his head, finding the question very absurd.
"Because of the beautiful stars."
"Stars are nothing to me but a myth."
This time it was the little boy who tilted his head. "But aren't they beautiful?"
"I wouldn't know until I saw one."
That was something that the little boy could finally agree with.
"Then what does beautiful mean?" The little boy asked, curious.
"You." His companion said easily.  "I have seen a lot of pretty jewels, but none of them shine as pretty as your eyes. I have heard plenty of songs and played different instruments, but none of them brought as much joy as your laugh."
The little boy blushed at the compliment. "Then I shall laugh more often, so that the stars will envy me."
-----
The little boy ended up being the one to leave, not by his own volition.  He lost his companions, so what reason was there to laugh? What reason for him to be beautiful if there was no one to acknowledge it?
-----
After years of anguish and loneliness, the little boy finally got his companions back. But something was still lost. Something had changed. Yet the boy didn't know what that was. So as per usual, when his feelings were tangled and nothing seemed to make sense, he went to the balcony to seek the answers in the vast sky.
His blue haired companion noticed and decided to join him in silence. It was exactly like what they did all those years ago, yet it didn't feel the same.
"I love looking at the sky. Bright blue at day and deep blue at night, it's beautiful." The little boy said, when he noticed his companion's not so subtle glances. "It is beautiful because it always reminds me of you."
His companion blushed. "Is that so?"
The little boy smiled wistfully. "When I missed you, I would look at the sky."
"How often?"
"Every chance I got."
There was an unreadable expression on his companion's face. "All this time, I thought you were gone for good."
The little boy bowed his head, not knowing what to say.
"So even if you're standing next to me right now, it somehow feels as if you're still out of my reach." His companion confessed, and it broke the little boy's heart.
"Then, hold me! See that I'm right here, still within reach." The little boy looked at his companion, pleading and desperate. "And when you do, make me stay."
His companion cupped the little boy's cheeks that were streaked with tears. "I see. You're no longer the light that was hung up above."
"I am not." The little boy smiled. "I am The Twenty-fifth Night, and the lights are my friends."
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deiaiko · 2 months
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Hoaqin and Viole Coffee/Parfait Date
Thank you @pal-pi for commissioning me UwU)/💖💖💖
Check out the post on Pal's twitter as well 💖
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deiaiko · 2 months
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And we dance, we dance~
Happy Birthday @cheerful-solitude UwU <3
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deiaiko · 2 months
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khunbam be like:
agni: hey handsome
grace: hey light of my life
They really do 😭😭💖
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deiaiko · 2 months
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Sleeping in
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deiaiko · 2 months
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#1 Testing the waters (🔥 Explicit 🔥)
Summary
Grace wondered what sex felt like and asked Agni to show him.
A/N
So my friends challenged me to write an E fic and this happened. Disclaimer: This trope is not my specialty, so take it with a grain of salt. I had one of said friends, *cough*Athena*cough*, who is very knowledgeable on (and she adds: has ruined her search history with) this topic, to beta this, so it shouldn't be too bad…right? (Thank you for betaing btw, Ath. You're such a lifesaver. It's embarrassing enough as is, wouldn't want others to see it when it's raw 🫣)
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"Are you ready?" Agni asked him. His fingers fidgeted by his side, pulling and crumpling his shirt. Agni didn't look ready himself.
It had been five years since Grace passed the second floor and was accepted as FUG. He and Agni had reunited quickly, but parted just as soon. Grace worked on raising his status in FUG to curry favor, while Agni continued his climb until the 25th floor, recruiting regulars for their team on the way.
It had been four months since Grace reunited again with Agni on the 18th floor, waiting for their friends to arrive to aid them. They now had their own floating ship, plus three other regulars as their teammates. Novick and Dan were familiar, and there was a new face Grace didn’t recognize: Gyetang. 
After those four months, their floating ship was starting to feel more like home as they fell into a routine. And of course, given that they could finally take a break from climbing the tower, Grace finally had the time to talk to Agni about taking the next step in their relationship. And now that they were officially dating, it led them to this.
"Are you?" Grace responded. "I'm ready whenever you are."
"It's been weeks. I've postponed it enough as is. Not that I don't want to do that with you, but…" Agni trailed off, a slight blush tinting his cheeks. He was looking anywhere but at him. Grace wanted to kiss him right there and then, but Agni cleared his throat before Grace could do anything more than take another step closer. "L-let's just get to it then."
Grace agreed and trailed behind Agni to the bathroom. A few weeks ago, he was wondering out loud to Agni right before they went to sleep, and the topic of sex came up. It was Dan who brought up the words, and he didn't elaborate after finding out that Grace was totally clueless on that topic, saying that he should ask Agni instead for guidance. Grace still remembered how flushed Agni was after he asked, but despite his reluctance, Agni still promised that he would educate him on that matter by making him experience it firsthand, which was Grace's preferred method of learning.
Their bathroom was spacious, as all of the rooms were designed to accommodate bigger builds like Rak and Horyang. Agni pulled out a water bed from his lighthouse and started to fill it with warm water.
Grace kneeled down and poked the steadily rising bed. "Why do we need a bed?"
His question seemed to throw Agni off guard. "Ah. Well, most people seem to prefer doing it in a bed. But it's not a necessity. You can also do it while standing or sitting, or any other position as long as it's enjoyable."
Grace hummed, although he still didn't understand what counted as sex if all it took was “any position that's enjoyable”. Though, thinking back to Agni's reaction, he expected this to be more than just hanging around with him or cuddling in bed.
"Also, I figured that if we get messy, it'll be better to do it here instead of on our bed," Agni added after a moment. "This material is easier to clean up."
Grace wondered how messy this sex activity could be if Agni had prepared this much. The anticipation was starting to gnaw at him.
The bed was quickly filled, and interestingly, Agni only put one pillow at the far side before deeming it ready. Agni patted a space next to him, prompting Grace to sit. The bed dipped comfortably under his weight.
"Okay, so, let's start with the basics. There are roughly three steps to achieve satisfying sex," Agni gestured with his hand. "First is foreplay. It's where we build the mood and get ourselves ready for sex. This includes things like kissing, cuddling, touching, or just talking…like this."
Grace tilted his head. "Just like what we always do?"
"Yes. But there are also other things that you can explore, especially with kissing and touching, since we will do this naked."
O-oh, so that's why. Agni's embarrassment and Dan’s secrecy now made much more sense.
"It's expected to take us a few tries to get each other's preferences. But I will try to demonstrate as much as I can so you can see for yourself which you like best and which you don't."
"Alright."
Agni hummed, "It is important to know what is off limits, so make sure to tell me if I cross any lines, ok?"
Grace smiled at his thoughtfulness, though he was sure that Agni would have a lot more lines that he should be aware of. "Same goes for you."
Agni gave him a faint smile. He tucked a lock of blue hair behind his ear absentmindedly. "Next step is the sexual intercourse itself, which…generally, the goal is to get both of us to reach orgasm."
"What's that?"
"Sexual intercourse? For us, it's when a dick is inserted into the butthole." Agni looked like he was about to combust after saying that. "But if that doesn't interest you, there are other things we can try to reach climax. It will still be sex as long as it involves two or more people playing with their private parts, whether it is with hands or mouth or toys."
"Ah." Now he understood the difference between sex and their regular pastimes together. Though he wasn’t sure if he saw the appeal of inserting his dick into a butthole; it didn't sound very sanitary. "Then what about uh…organs?"
"Orgasm?"
"Yes, that."
"Have you ever masturbated?" Agni looked like he wanted to cry when he saw Grace’s confusion. "It's uh, when you touch yourself in a way that makes your dick spurt out something white?"
"Oh." Grace thought it was something forbidden to do, remembering Rachel's disgusted face when she saw him with his mess. "Is it not…is it normal to…? I thought…"
"It is perfectly normal to ejaculate, but it is usually done in discretion because it involves one's private parts. Are you not used to doing that?"
"A few times…only? It's been a long time since I’ve done it," Grace admitted. It wasn't like he had the time to even think about this type of stuff, seeing how hard life had pushed him around.
"Well…" Agni looked away, face burning red, "W-we can do something about it, now that we have more time to ourselves…if you want, of course."
Grace reached out to poke Agni's cheek, making him turn his head back to face him. Agni looked very pretty with the blush adorning his cheeks. Grace grinned, "I will be in your care."
If Grace thought Agni's face couldn't get any redder, he was wrong.
Agni cleared his throat and continued. "Then the last step would be the aftercare, in which we take care of one another after we're done or have reached the climax. It depends on everyone on what they prefer to do; from bathing together, cuddling, touching…anything to unwind, basically."
Grace figured he would just go with whatever Agni planned for them when they got to it.
"That's all for the steps. Next we'll get to the stuff we will use for this activity." Agni pulled out a lot of things from his lighthouse, ranging from bottles, tubes, a box of wrapped candies, to weird looking souvenirs. Agni picked some of the wrapped candies from the box and put it aside on the floor, before storing the box in the sink cabinet. When he got back, he pointed to the bottles and tubes. "Those are lubricants. It will make the surface it was applied to more slick, so it'll reduce friction on our skin when we get to the intercourse."
Grace eyed the scattered items; there were at least twenty of them. "Do we need this many though?"
"Well…not necessarily? I just want to give you some options to choose from, since maybe the texture or the smell or the taste might not work for you."
So the next minutes were spent with him testing the lubricant on his hand. They were all unsealed yet still full, so Grace assumed that Agni had tested them before and these were his chosen ones. Some smelled really nice, some were thin like water, some were thick like gel, some even tasted like fruit and cake. It was definitely an experience. Grace approved of almost all of them, but in the end, Agni encouraged him to pick one he liked best to be used later.
After that was settled and stored, Agni pointed to the remaining batch of items. "Those are sex toys. Which, well…as the name suggests, are things that we can play with while we're having sex. You can also use them when you're by yourself."
Grace took one that caught his eyes, curiously inspecting it. "Why is it shaped like this?" There was a button on it and it started vibrating when he pushed it on, catching him off guard. "W-wha–?"
Agni snorted and Grace couldn't help but laugh, which in turn made both of them giggle. What a fun toy!
Agni shook his head affectionately, still smiling. "I can demonstrate how to use that later."
Oh? It had other uses than the element of surprise from that vibrate button? Grace couldn't wait.
"Hm, that should be all." Agni mused out loud.
"What about the candies?"
"Candies?" Agni followed his gaze to the forgotten items on the floor. "Oh you meant the condoms?" Agni chuckles heartily, "I will tell you later. But first–"
Grace definitely didn't expect for Agni to pounce on him so suddenly, pinning him down to the bed. Heat rose to his cheeks when he felt Agni rubbing his crotch against his. He could feel his cock turning hard under the restricting fabric of his pants. Agni hummed, a satisfied smirk on his lips, and Grace always loved that look on him.
Agni sat on his lap and offered a hand to pull him up so they were both sitting. He hummed again, more thoughtful this time, before he lifted Grace's shirt so he could have access to his stomach. Agni's cold hands were such a contrast to his warm skin. Grace relished the way Agni touched him ever so gently, yet still applied just enough pressure to not make it feel ticklish.
The touches trailed from his lower abdomen up to his chest, and Grace could only stare as he took in every movement that Agni made. From the way his pupils went wide or when he held his breath, the way his lips parted but no voice came out or when he swallowed nervously. The way his fingers twitched and his face reddened when he located Grace’s nipple. Grace let Agni pull off his shirt completely and stared at each thin scar on his body, tracing them with his fingers and nicking some kisses on his skin.
After he was satisfied, Agni took Grace's hand and rested his palm on his own chest. Grace could feel how fast the heart under his palm was beating. Agni gave him one last encouraging squeeze before releasing his hold on Grace's hand. "Now you can do mine."
Taking the cue, Grace carefully started to unbutton Agni's shirt. One at a time, slow just like Agni had done with him, a little afraid that he would mess up if he were to rush it. The shirt slid off Agni’s narrow shoulders down to his arms, revealing the burn that had long since healed. Grace was there when it was still fresh, when it was raw and hurting. He knew how much suffering Agni had gone through for his lightbearer to accept that it would be forever part of him. Seeing it now reminded Grace of how much time had passed. After all the tragedies that had befallen them, he was forever grateful for having Agni by his side.
He leaned in and started peppering kisses on Agni's scarred shoulder. Then he moved to his neck and breathed in the scent of his shampoo. He mouthed at the skin and felt Agni shudder under his hold, and found out that he liked it when Agni did that. So he went up and kissed his jaw, feeling the stubble scrape his lips as he found his way to his earlobe and clamped it between his lips. Agni shuddered again and let out a soft whine, and Grace felt his own dick twitch in response.
He felt embarrassed when Agni seemed to notice that, as he was now starting to touch and rubbing the tent on his pants, which really didn't help calm it down at all. "A-agni…"
However, Agni didn't get the hint to stop. Rather, he started to unbutton his pants instead, freeing his hard member from the confines of his underwear. He hummed again, "I think we can move on to the next step."
Grace gulped in anticipation when Agni started to remove his own remaining pieces of clothing, before remembering to do the same himself. It wasn't like he had never seen him naked before, but to know that Agni was just as hard as him while also not knowing what moves Agni would pull next pumped adrenaline to his system and made him feel all giddy.
Agni picked two wrapped cand– condoms from the floor and handed one to him. "We will use these to make things less messy, since it will catch our semen. Less time cleaning up and more time cuddling sounds better to me."
Grace could agree with that, though he wouldn't mind doing the cleaning either.
"Also it will make the overall activity more hygienic, in case you want to switch between putting your dick in a mouth and butt." Agni's voice wavered, and Grace could feel his embarrassment. "You just have to discard it and put on a new one. Does that make sense?"
"...Maybe?" Grace got the gist of the idea, but still didn't understand why they would want to do so. "I think I will understand when I get there. I learn faster with practice than with theory anyway."
"That's true. In that case, first watch me for how to wear it, okay?"
Grace took mental notes as Agni tore down the wrapping and put a few drops of liquid lubricant. He pinched its tip and placed it on the head of his dick that had its foreskin pulled back. He began rolling the edges of the condom about half the way down before releasing the foreskin, then continued rolling the rest. After that he ran his fingers from the tip down to the base again to get rid of any air bubbles. Grace then tried to mimic him and Agni had to make sure the condom was facing the right way.
"Later when you have come, you have to hold the base like this so the content won't spill out," Agni demonstrated by holding his own dick.
Grace believed he had caught what Agni meant, but he still asked just to be sure. "Come?"
"Ah. Hm." Agni seemed to have started getting used to his questions, seeing that he looked less flustered by it. "That's one way to say when your semen spurts out from your dick. You can say something like 'I'm about to come' when you feel like you're going to do so, if you want to give me a heads up."
"I see." So many new words he learned in one sitting.
"Now that's out of the way…" Agni slumped his shoulders and gave him a teasing smile, "Shall we start?"
When Grace gave him an enthusiastic nod, Agni pushed him back onto the bed. Grace had his legs half bent and Agni pushed his knees outward, making him truly exposed, at his mercy.
"Ready?" Agni looked at him, expression a little unsure yet eager.
Grace gulped, feeling his heart beating even faster at the thought of trusting Agni handling his private parts. Still he nodded, full of anticipation.
With the lubricant on his palm, Agni started applying it on Grace's inner thighs down to his groin, sending pleasant tingles in its trail. His cock twitched when Agni started to rub the lubricant on its base, and Grace had to remind himself to breathe.
"...Big," Agni muttered to himself, and quickly clamped his mouth shut. "I-I mean–"
Grace pushed himself up and captured his lightbearer’s lips in a kiss, which he returned just as hungrily. They parted after only a breath and Grace huffed, "Stop teasing me."
Agni chuckled, "But it would be a shame if I missed any details."
He laughed and held Agni's head in his rough hands. Years of endless hellish training had built his muscles. His battle scarred body was once coated in the blood of the people he had mercilessly killed, and he had spent countless sleepless nights with nightmares that created pronounced eye bags. He really wished to see himself from Agni's eyes. "Tell me about it."
Agni rolled his eyes. "Is this to raise your ego or are you in need of a confidence boost?"
"Please."
Agni's eyes widened briefly before they crinkled warmly. He softened his smile and placed his palms on top of Grace’s. "You have a pair of beautiful golden eyes. And your muscles…when you hold me it makes me feel safe, and I think that's hot. I also noticed tan lines on your arms and thighs, have you been training with shorts lately? I'd love to see that, especially when you're doing the warm up. Oh, and…" Agni blushed deeper as he slid his hand down and gripped Grace’s throbbing cock, making Grace tense in his hold, "I want this in me…eventually."
Grace felt heat raised to his cheeks as he captured Agni's lips on for a quick kiss, and laughed when Agni pouted like he was expecting longer.
Agni pushed and pinned him back on the bed. Grace thighs were still spread to allow Agni lean higher, grinding their members against each other. Now that their pants were out of the way and were touching skin to skin, the friction between them was exhilarating.
Agni purred into his ears, making the hair on the back of his neck stand. "I want you, so you’d better learn."
Grace was left dumbfounded as Agni's hand found its way down and started rubbing on his balls, which made Grace curl his toes from the pleasant touch. 
However, Grace instinctively tensed when Agni's finger reached lower and touched his hole, and the probing hand stopped in its tracks. It took Grace a few seconds to try and relax his body, laying back onto the bed and exhaling the breath he didn't know he was holding. Agni took that as his cue to keep going, and started rimming his hole, poking a fingertip in. Grace flinched and tensed again.
Agni retracted his finger just as quickly, and made his way back so that he was no longer pinning him down. Grace raised his head curiously, witnessing Agni fetching one of the toys from beside them. It had five beads from small to large, assembled like a tower, and Grace finally connected the dots.
"I'm going to put this in, okay?" Agni showed him the toy and pointed at the largest bead, "After you can fit this, I will take this out and put my cock in."
Grace's face heated up at the image and he felt the nervousness rising; could it really fit in him? But he was also curious and excited, wondering how it would feel to have Agni in him. "Okay."
"Lay down," Agni commanded, "try to relax."
Grace put his head back down on the pillow, looking at the ceiling. His hands found each other and rested on his belly, trying his best to stretch his tight hole.
"If it gets uncomfortable, tell me to stop." Was the last warning Agni gave before the toy was gently pushed into his hole. The first bead was small enough that it went in easily, but his muscles clamped on it so tightly that Agni didn't make any move to push another more.
Agni put a hand lightly on his stomach. He looked a little worried. "How do you feel?"
"Strange." Grace admitted. "I think it's fine. I’m just not used to it." Grace tried to relax his muscles but— "Ah, I think it slipped out."
"Oh." Agni looked down and inserted it again more easily. "Well, let's try to get the next in?"
"Yeah." Grace had to consciously relax his muscles, and Agni pushed at the right timing. It really surprised him that it actually felt good. "T-try another one." And oh! That really hit the spot. But his hole now started to feel a little sore. It felt like it had stretched to its limit, and suddenly Grace felt a little scared that it would get stuck like that.
Agni leaned up and kissed him so suddenly that he was thrown off guard. Grace gasped for much needed air when Agni pulled away, heartbeat still racing inside his ribcage.
"Calm down. Focus on me." Agni placed his palm lightly on top of Grace's frantic heart. "Breathe in, slowly. Yeah, like that. Breathe out. Good."
Grace gradually felt his heart rate slow down as Agni guided him. Now he was calm enough to reason that his initial fear wasn't as scary as he thought, since he knew Agni would be there to help him. His throbbing hole clenched and unclenched involuntarily, trying to get itself accustomed. It eventually waned out to small throb, but Grace was still too tense to fit another one as of the moment.
"Let's wait for a bit." Agni suggested and laid down on top of him, sighing tiredly but content.
Grace instinctively wrapped his arms around him and immediately felt himself relaxing with the presence of Agni in his arms. He could still breathe fine without rolling Agni to the side, since the latter didn't weigh that much, which might be concerning since Grace knew how little he ate everyday. But all things considered, it was far better than that time where he looked like he could be blown away by the wind, all because he refused to eat for a whole week.
"How are you?" Agni asked, his head was tucked underneath Grace's chin, but Grace could tell that he was nervous.
"I'm not sure." Putting words into his feelings was always hard, especially since everything he felt now was so new.
Agni shifted a little. "How is it? Are you enjoying it?"
Grace hummed thoughtfully. "It felt good when you pushed it in," he admitted. "I just panicked when I thought it would get stuck."
Some tension left Agni's shoulders and he huffed airily. "I can assure you that it won't."
"That's a relief." Grace sank deeper into the bed. And as an afterthought, he added, "How about you?"
"Tired from holding myself up with just an arm." Agni laughed dryly, before mumbling, "I was just afraid that you would dislike it." 
The initial addictive pleasure Grace had felt was still fresh in his mind - a little pain wouldn't be enough to deter him from having to experience it again. "I can see myself asking for more." Grace chuckled when Agni squirmed in his embrace, temperature comically rising. "You're doing great. I was just being impatient."
Agni huffed again and pushed himself up, a wan yet affectionate smile gracing his lips as he stared softly at him. "You're impossible."
Grace laughed. "'Impossible' is my middle name, being an irregular and all."
Agni rolled his eyes and kissed him. Agni licked his lips and Grace parted his mouth, letting his lightbearer's tongue explore and dance around.
When they pulled back for breath, Grace caught Agni's wrist. "You should teach me what I should do while you do your part. My hands feel weird just staying still."
"Oh. I haven't briefed you on that, have I?" Agni pushed himself up. The movement brought Grace’s attention back to his plugged hole and involuntarily made him clench again. But then his attention snapped back to Agni when he rested his hands on his chest. "I suppose I can teach you some tricks."
Agni leaned down and started kissing and sucking on his chest up to his collarbone, while his fingers were pinched and played with a nipple. It left a tingling and burning feeling on his skin, and Grace never knew being touched could feel this good. When he thought it couldn't get any better, Agni's other hand found its way down and started pumping his dick. The surge of pleasure from all of the motions combined had had his fingers curling and his hip writhing, his throat making a sound that he wasn't even aware he could make.
Agni stopped and stared at him, wide-eyed, before he burst out laughing and hid his red face in the crook of his neck. "Damn, you're so cute."
Grace could feel Agni's hard cock twitching between them and felt his own face heat up as well. Embarrassment aside, the sound of Agni's laugh echoed clearly in his mind. He couldn't remember the last time he had heard him laugh like that, carefree and genuine, and oh how he loved to hear such a beautiful sound from his lightbearer.
Their heartbeats were still uncontrollably loud between them, and Grace became acutely aware of it when Agni rested his ear on his skin. He willed it to calm down as Agni started running his fingers through his brown locks, untangling the knots and twirling the loose strands around his pointer finger. Grace mirrored him by playing with his silky blue locks, always marveling at how soft and sweet scented they were.
Agni shifted his head to hide his face back in the crook of his neck, hot breath tickling his skin, and Grace felt his heart rate picking up again. A pleasant chill ran down his back when Agni put his teeth against his skin, biting on it slowly so that it didn't startle him but also hard enough that Grace was sure it'd leave a mark. Then Agni shifted upward to start nibbling on his earlobe, sending another pleasant shiver up his spine that made him feel weak.
Taking a deep breath to ease his hammering heart, Grace ran his fingers along Agni's spine. Agni whined in his ear and arched his body in sync with his touch. When he reached the bottom, he grabbed Agni's butt cheeks and started massaging them when he felt them tense at his touch. Agni whimpered and held his breath, before slowly relaxing.
"You learned so fast." He heard Agni whisper near his ear.
Grace grinned filled with pride, "So I've heard."
Agni huffed heartily and slumped down his full weight. "So? Do you think you're ready for another one?"
Grace clenched and unclenched his hole and found that it was no longer as tense as before. "I think so."
"Alright." Agni pushed himself up and positioned himself back under Grace's bent legs.
Grace held his breath as Agni pushed another bead in. The movement and pressure felt so great that a whimper escaped his lips. He could already imagine just how amazing it would feel to have Agni's cock in its place. His heart was pounding in anticipation. But the pleasure quickly wore off with the lack of movement, and Grace was getting impatient.
"Agni, can you, uhm… pull it out and push it back in again?" Grace tried to hide his burning face from Agni.
Agni contemplated his request but didn't judge. Rather, he seemed conflicted. "Fine."
Grace cheered to himself and tried to relax his hole as much. Agni put an additional lubricant on the opening and pulled it out with a controlled speed. Grace's breath hitched and his back arched along, moaning at the amazing sensation. 
"A-alright, I'm putting it back in again." 
Agni had pushed before he could digest his warning, which had him gasping at the unexpected pleasure. His chest heaved for much needed air, and his heart beat wildly in his ribcage as if trying to get out. His hole was hot and throbbing yet it was a pleasant kind of pain and he wanted more.
"Agni…Do it again." He pleaded. But instead of doing what he said, the bed shifted and suddenly his fingers were intertwined with Agni's and they were pinned down beside his head. "Ag–nmff–"
Agni silenced him with a kiss. His lightbearer nibbled on his lower lip, and Grace had no choice but to open his mouth, letting out a low groan when Agni got hungrier with his exploration, which he was also very much into.
Eventually they parted, panting and out of breath. His brain was foggy and they were both sweaty. Agni’s blush had not only spread on his face, but also to the tip of his ears and his shoulders. His eyes were a little unfocused, which made him look like he was about to faint.
After he regained his bearings, Grace traced his lightbearer's lips with his thumb, and ran his fingers through his soft hair. "How can you be this beautiful?"
Agni didn't reply, but his deep blue pupils were so blown wide that Grace was unable to look away from such a rare and pretty view. Agni rested his trembling palm on top of Grace's chest, softly caressing the places he had just kissed, making Grace preen under his touch.
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Grace whimpered when the silence dragged out for too long. His plugged hole was twitching, already seeking out the missing pleasant sensation from earlier. He currently wanted nothing more but to feel it moving again, but Agni was spacing out. "Agni…"
That seemed to snap Agni back from whatever he was thinking. "Hm?"
"Can you move it again?"
Agni considered it for a moment, "No."
"Why?"
"There's one more thing I want to try." Agni winked at him, smirking.
Grace perked up; he'd always be down to try new things. "Sure! But can you put another one in before we try?"
"So impatient," Agni chuckled. "Though actually, you're on the last bead right now."
"Already?" He thought he was on the fourth. Agni must've slipped another one in between. Well, look who was also impatient then? No wonder it felt quite tight earlier - he thought he was just tensing a lot when Agni ferociously kissed him.
Agni got off him and kneeled under his raised thighs. Grace sat a little upright to get a better view, supported only by his elbows since getting higher than meant sitting on his plugged butt. Agni grabbed a different bottle of lubricant this time, one that Grace remembered tasted like mixed fruit and more water like. His cock twitched when Agni started applying lube to it, his nimble fingers tracing circles on the tip and slowly rubbing down to the base. When he was done, Agni leaned down and started licking on its head, and Grace felt heat suddenly rise up to his already burning cheeks.
It felt different when Agni licked his dick like it was a popsicle, but it was just as pleasant when Agni pumped his fist up and down around it. It began to get dizzying when Agni put it whole in his mouth and started sucking on it, in and out, going deeper and deeper at each try until it felt like he was being swallowed whole.
"A-Agni, stop. Stop." Grace reached out with his shaking hand to hold Agni's cheeks, pulling him away from his throbbing dick. "Come here and hug me."
Agni's eyes glistened under the light, a little dazed, probably from trying to fit him too deeply inside. There was also a masked fear from the way his eyebrows knitted, but he obeyed and laid himself on top of Grace.
Grace was heaving, his heart was beating so loud he could feel it pulse in his head. He was sure some fluid had escaped his dick, and he knew he wouldn't be able to hold it for much longer if he hadn't stopped him. Speaking of…Agni was strangely still in his hold, he didn't fall asleep, did he? "Agni?"
Agni swallowed thickly, "...Did you not like it?"
Ah. So he was worried. "It's not like that," He assured Agni, absentmindedly running his fingers through his silky blue hair. "I like it a lot. It felt really really good. But I would've come before I could have you in me, and I don't want that."
Agni slumped his shoulders and exhaled, chuckling weakly. "I see. Do you think you're ready for it yet?"
Grace hummed, feeling his hole stretched and no longer as tight around the toy. "Yes. Don't keep me waiting."
Agni laughed and got up, he snatched two hard pillows from his lighthouse and told Grace to raise his hips so he could put them under him. Grace's raised bottom now made the pillow he had been using as a headrest uncomfortable, so he slipped it under his back to fill in the gap. Agni lifted both of Grace's legs up and had Grace hug them close to himself. Personally, Grace found the position very embarrassing since his plugged hole was now on full display to Agni, though maybe it was also just the blood rushing to his head that made him more self conscious.
"I'm going to pull it." Agni warned, and Grace held his breath. The air escaped his lungs when he felt the beads massaging his hole. His toes curled, and he instinctively bit his lower lip before he let out more than a whimper. His hole was throbbing and hot, and it clenched and unclenched uncontrollably as if searching for the missing object.
He felt the bed dip as Agni leaned in, releasing his thighs from the confines of his own arms and letting them rest on Agni's shoulders. And then Grace felt his hole being filled again, but this time it was hotter and bigger than the beads. It slipped in slowly, pausing when his hole constricted and going in again when it relaxed.
His back arched in pleasure when it hit a certain spot, and Grace felt his cock throb, knowing he was at the edge. He heard Agni moaning and hissing, and realized that his hole had clamped down on him quite tightly. But when he tried to relax again, Agni pushed himself in even deeper until his pubic hair tickled his overly sensitive skin.
They were both breathing hard, especially from the close proximity and the way they couldn't look away from each other. Agni was beautiful from this angle, Grace mused, as he appreciated the lively blush that tinted his lover's skin. Grace reached out to gather his silky blue hair behind his head, since some of it was sticking to his face and it looked uncomfortable in the heat. He then purposely clamped his hole just to see how Agni furrowed his brows and whimpered, biting his lower lip, before looking pleadingly at him. "Grace…"
Satisfied, Grace unclenched his hole again and ordered, "Move."
Agni pulled his hip back just a little and thrust it back in, making both of them gasp as they bumped into each other. 
The vibration on his cock sent a shockwave through him that electrified his brain, making everything go fuzzy. It felt so good. "Again."
Agni pulled farther and thrust a little harder. Grace sucked in a breath, his back arching and his hole constricting from the pleasure. He moaned harder when Agni stroked his dick, making his hole twitch involuntarily and loosen just enough for Agni to move again. Grace threw his head back and shut his eyes, gritting his teeth as Agni thrust into him harder and quicker, trying to focus on getting enough air to breathe between the sounds of pleasure escaping his throat.
He was really close to coming, but suddenly he felt Agni's on his dick tense, followed by a muffled groan. His thrusts slowed to a stop and Grace finally opened his eyes to check if his lightbearer was okay before realizing what it meant.
Agni's eyes were unfocused, and he was trembling hard, as if it was taking all of his willpower to keep himself up in that position. After three deep breaths, Agni pulled his dick out of Grace completely, and Grace couldn't help but feel sad at the loss of warmth.
With Agni still preoccupied, Grace decided to pull out and toss away the pillow from under him, since his back was starting to ache and he figured that Agni wouldn't be needing it again. Grace sprawled out, trying to regain control of his breathing. Replaying the image of Agni he had just seen, he began rubbing his still hard cock, trying to feel some of the pleasure so he wasn't left empty. His hole was throbbing and sore, but he found that he enjoyed the sensation, like the feeling after a good work out.
He expected that their session had come to an end since Agni had come. But to his surprise, Agni pushed his thighs apart again and filled his hole with something different, which he received eagerly. It wasn't as filling as Agni, but his hole was able to rest on it more comfortably since it didn't stretch him as much.
His breath hitched unexpectedly when it started vibrating right over his sweet spot, and suddenly he was on the edge again. Agni gripped his cock firmly, making his heartbeat spike up. Grace knew he was coming when Agni started to pump, occasionally licking and sucking on it. It didn't take long until his muscles spasmed and a pleasant sensation shot through his body. The next thing he knew, it felt like all the energy had drained out of him from the sweet release. He slumped back and sighed contentedly as Agni slowed his movement, now rubbing his cock more gently while still securing a hold on the base.
"That was…that was really good." Grace admitted, suddenly dizzy and still out of breath.
Agni smirked. "Glad to know."
Grace tried to push himself up with his wobbly arms, but stopped when he remembered that his hole was still plugged, which made sitting uncomfortable.
Agni proceeded to help him pull the filled condom off his dick. Grace was flattered that Agni was taking care of his mess…Though he wouldn’t have known what to do himself. Once it was off, Agni tied a knot near the base and discarded it. Grace made a mental note for future experiences.
After making sure that Agni had finished what he was doing, Grace captured Agni in his arms and threw himself back, hitting the bed with an oomph. They started giggling, and everything felt perfect.
"You look like you're about to faint." Grace teased, rubbing their noses together affectionately. And it was true. Most of Agni's skin was still covered in a pretty blush, and his deep blue eyes were half lidded and unfocused, with his pupils blown wide. It was as if he was very drunk.
Agni huffed and placed Grace's palm on his chest, right in front of his heart. "Can you feel it?" Agni chuckled, "I thought it'd explode."
The fast thump was unmistakable under his palm. The only time he had felt Agni's heart beating this frantic was when he was having a panic attack, so he had to check Agni's condition right there and then just in case. Being able to tell someone's condition by reading the shinsu in their system was a basic skill for a novice medic. But manipulating it supposedly took years of practice. In Grace’s case, though…having a great understanding of shinsu reverse flow control naturally meant that he also understood how shinsu inside the body system worked.
Checking on Agni…Grace found nothing major to be concerned about, aside from the increased blood pressure. 
"Grace…" Agni rolled his eyes, a smile still present. "I'm fine."
The downside was Agni could also feel when he was probing his shinsu system. Still, he chuckled at being caught. If Grace were to explain it, the shinsu inside Agni's body currently felt bubbly and bouncy, though a little sluggish, and it was docile when Grace interacted with his own shinsu.
"You're happy," Grace concluded with a smile, squeezing his lightbearer in his arms and swinging him side to side. It was very obvious now that he thought about it. Agni very rarely smiled this much in a day.
Agni shifted closer and gave Grace a peck on the cheek. He grinned and the corners of his eyes wrinkled. He was even more beautiful when he smiled.
"I love you," Agni confessed before snuggling into the crook of his neck. "Thank you for having me."
"It was my pleasure." Grace tilted his head to make space, hands rubbing the expense of Agni's back. It was the first time Agni had said it so outwardly, since Agni preferred to express his love more with actions rather than words. Grace would commit this moment to his memory and cherish it forever. "I love you too."
Agni hummed to acknowledge him, but quickly changed the topic to mask the flattery. "You still have the vibrator in."
Grace thought about it for a while, and decided to let it be. Too lazy to move from his current position where he still had Agni lying comfortably on top of him. "It feels good."
"You came surprisingly slow." The way Agni said it made it sound like it was something he envied rather than something Grace should be ashamed for. "Maybe I should wear a cock ring next time."
Grace didn't know how that would help, though he really looked forward to that next time. Hopefully soon. "So…Does this mean we're now at the care part?"
"Do you mean aftercare? Yeah." Agni confirmed. "Is there anything you want to do?"
Grace didn't have any preference, he'd just go with whatever Agni wanted to. "I feel like you had something in mind."
"I want to rinse my hair first, it feels gross with sweat," Agni decided. "Let's go bath together?"
"Sure." It did sound like a good idea, since Grace knew he enjoyed a good bath after working out.
After waiting a few more minutes to catch their breath, Agni lifted himself off him and went to get the tub ready. 
Grace pulled the vibrator out and was quite surprised to see that Agni had put a condom on it, as he did with the beads earlier. He got it cleaned quickly, discarding all the used condoms in the trash bin. He also tossed their used clothes in the laundry basket before joining Agni.
They took a quick shower as they waited for the bathtub to fill up, rinsing off the sweat and leftover lubricant from their bodies. When the tub was filled enough, Agni threw in their usual-to-go bath bomb and its sweet scent quickly filled the room. Grace went in first since he knew Agni liked to sit in front of him.
Grace rested his chin on Agni's shoulder, his hands resting on Agni's hips. "Can I touch you?"
Agni didn't answer verbally, but his hand found Grace’s and led it to rest on his cock. Grace held it loosely, feeling it twitch, and he stroked it gently until it hardened, before gripping it more firmly. He felt excitement bubble within him when Agni shuddered. His own hole started throbbing as he remembered how the dick he was holding had filled him so pleasantly just a moment ago.
Agni blushed again, evident even when Grace was only viewing from his back. He kissed the red skin on his shoulder and decided that he had teased him enough when Agni squirmed away.
Grace wrapped his arms around Agni's chest like he usually did when they bathed together, just enjoying each other's company as the scented warm water worked its magic to melt away their exhaustion.
Agni got the hint that they could finally start winding down, so he pulled out his reading glasses from his lighthouse and opened an article. Grace let him lean back on his chest, and Agni tilted his head just enough for Grace to rest his chin on the dip of his shoulder. Grace had a good view of the text, but he was not really interested in reading the contents himself. He usually asked Agni to summarize it for him if he got curious. Sometimes Agni also let him experiment with the shinsu in his system. The knowledge was especially helpful for when Agni was having trouble controlling his heartbeat and breathing when he was having an episode. Otherwise, he mostly used this time to meditate, which he decided to do this time around.
"When do you think the next time will be?" Grace finally asked after a long silence.
"Definitely not tomorrow." Agni answered without taking his eyes off the page. "I have an important meeting in two days. I need to get enough sleep."
Grace saw the time in his pocket and was surprised that it was later than he had thought. If having sex took this long, then it was best to have it when they knew they could take some time off the next day. "The night after that meeting then?"
"Sure." Agni chuckled at his impatience. "But I don't think I will have enough strength to keep myself up like earlier after a tiring day."
"That's fine, I think I can handle all the hard work." Grace felt quite confident about it, having more stamina than average regulars. "Can I still be the one to have you in me though?"
"You want to bottom again?" Agni tilted his head at him curiously and huffed. "Okay. But it'll be my turn for the next one after."
Grace grinned. "Deal."
They got out of the tub when the water was no longer as warm and their fingertips were wrinkled. After rinsing off the soap and changing into fresh clothes, they took turns drying each other's hair.
"Grace, I had been thinking of asking you…" Agni put the hairdryer away and began combing his hair. "I originally had another plan for the aftercare, but bathing just seemed right at that time. Since we got that done…what do you say about letting me clean your ears?"
Grace actually had never had his ears cleaned before, so he was curious at the idea. "Why not. Go for it."
Agni smiled and dragged him to their bed upstairs, leaving the water bed just as it was in the bathroom, since they'd be using it soon enough.
Agni sat him down on their bed, and took his own seat on his left. He pulled out a kit from his lighthouse and put on his reading glasses. He always looked so professional in whatever he was doing, and Grace couldn't help but admire the beauty before him. In his hand was what looked like a very tiny spoon that glowed faintly at its tip when Agni flicked a switch on its handle.
Agni tilted Grace's chin away. "Look ahead, so I can see your ear."
Grace felt Agni's hands resting on the side of his face, fingers pinching lightly on his earlobe. He flinched away when something touched the inside of his ear, reflexes working before his brain could supply that it was Agni's doing.
Agni retracted his hands, humming thoughtfully. "Is this your first time?"
Grace nodded, the inside of his ear still tingling on where the spoon touched.
"If that's the case, then…" Agni put Grace's palm on his knee. "Whatever you do, don't move your head so suddenly like earlier. If it hurts or gets very uncomfortable, just squeeze my knee or tell me to stop."
"Alright." Grace repeated the instruction in his head a few times as they got back to their positions.
Agni went even more gently this time. Still, Grace had to fight his reflex to move away at the unfamiliar touch. Agni stopped moving until Grace released his grip on his knee. After a few seconds, he started to get used to the sensation. Agni would move the spoon a few times before pulling it out and cleaning its tip on a napkin, before putting it back in to repeat the process. It surprised Grace how he enjoyed it. It felt like a good scratch.
Grace stole a quick glance when Agni's hands didn't come back within the usual interval. In Agni's hands were a cotton swab and baby oil, items Grace usually saw Agni use for fixing or cleaning up his makeup.
After putting a drop of oil on the cotton, Agni tilted Grace's chin so he was facing forward again. Agni inserted the cotton swab in his ear and twisted it as he went deeper. Grace's lashes fluttered close and eyes rolled back from the pleasure, his throat letting out a contented hum.
"Done," Agni announced after he pulled the cotton swab out. "Your next ear." 
Grace needed a few seconds to regain his senses before he processed Agni's order and turned around. He felt a brief flash of sadness at the thought of being halfway done, but he was comforted knowing that he could always ask Agni to do it again some other time.
As before, Grace had to resist a flinch when Agni started with the spoon, but it quickly felt more pleasant as he got used to it. He relished the good feeling of scratches, though his favorite part was still with the cotton swab.
When Agni was done and had put his tools back in his lighthouse, Grace leaned in to give Agni a kiss on his cheek as a thank, which had Agni smiling back.
Agni yawned and Grace caught himself doing the same. Without much word, they laid down on the bed, pulling their own respective blankets and snuggled closer.
"Tonight was great. Thank you." Grace pulled the blanket-wrapped-Agni in his arms and draped his own blanket over them. "Sweet dreams, Love."
Agni pecked his jaw and hummed, fast asleep in his embrace. Grace planned on surprising him later with a special breakfast, though he would decide the menu later. For now, sleep was more tempting.
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deiaiko · 3 months
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#19.3 Unravel
It had been some time since Agni felt this nervous. Not even talking with Jinsung Ha recently had made him feel like this. He fiddled with the mask on his hand as he waited for Grace to come back. He had thought hard on how to deliver the news, but he knew that no matter how he phrased it, Grace would be upset. Velt nuzzled under his palm and Agni gave her a few pats, before deciding that she would be better inside her bowl in his lighthouse, just in case the shinsu acted up around Grace after he received the news.
Grace came back wearing the comfiest shirt and shorts Agni knew Grace liked to wear on lazy days. He joined him on the floor, and they ate dinner together. Agni always finished last, so while waiting for him to finish his meal, Grace told him about his day with Bam. Grace was intrigued by how much his way of thinking had changed, and how glad he was to be able to be by Bam's side when he was having a bad day. It reminded Agni of the hidden floor, when Grace faced his sworn enemy.
They left the used bowls on the coffee table and went to brush their teeth. Afterwards, they turned off the light and went upstairs to sit on their bed. Grace's curious gaze never left him, and Agni curled his feet nervously.
Grace was the one who broke the silence. "So…what is it?"
Agni's breath hitched. This was the part he dreaded most. "I talked with the crocodile earlier. Did you know that he could manipulate stone already?"
"Huh." Grace needed a few seconds to let the information sink in. "Didn't Rak learn it on the Hell train? How does he know it?"
"Turns out our crocodile also traveled back to the past like us. He found the young crocodile and taught him."
"What?!" Grace gasped, wide eyed. "That means our Rak is–!!"
"He's dead." Agni quickly snuffed out that hope. They had been in delusion for long enough; it was time that they faced the bitter truth. "He suffered a fatal injury from the explosion. He couldn't have lasted long without proper help." Agni omitted the actual cause for Rak's death, but still kept his words true. "I'm sorry."
"…Oh." Grace looked lost, just like Agni was. His lips parted a little, but they closed before any sound escaped.
Agni gently squeezed Grace's hand, encouraging and comforting as he let the silence stretch on, giving Grace some time to process the information.
"Agni…" Grace whispered, "do you think Hatz and Isu…?"
Agni bit his lip and avoided his gaze, as the nightmare of that day replayed in his mind. He witnessed Hatz get his arms ripped off when trying to protect him. He could still recall the clang of a sword hitting the floor, and Hatz's suppressed scream that gnawed deep at his guilt. He witnessed Isu get beheaded after being taken hostage, the memory of warm blood painting them both still vivid like it happened yesterday. 
Agni refused to acknowledge their possible deaths, because it felt like a nightmare that one day he could hopefully wake up from. He avoided the topic when Grace brought it up, so he wouldn't have to say it aloud and make it real. He had been so hard on himself, because he couldn't get rid of the feeling that he had failed Grace and everyone else involved.
Agni knew this had to change if he wanted to live better, now that they had gotten a second chance. So he swallowed down the lump in his throat that had built up over the years and asked mostly to himself; "What are the odds of their survival?"
"There's always a chance–"
"Grace." Agni looked him straight in the eye. "They were already severely injured before the explosion hit."
Grace fell silent and went still.
Agni felt a pang of guilt upon witnessing Grace's reaction. "Sorry. I didn't mean to snap." Agni fiddled with his hands. He realized that he didn't know how much Grace knew of what happened. "My scar…do you know how I got it?"
"I…was told it was from the family heads' battle." Grace looked thoughtful. Agni knew he was trying to be careful with his words. "A stray attack?"
"It could have been worse." The memory of the scorching heat on his skin felt like it had only happened yesterday. He passed out right when he was about to heal Isu, and only found out later that he also lost sweetfish at that time. The days he spent recovering from the burn, to withstand the excruciating pain every second he was conscious, and finally coming to terms that it'd be a permanent scar, was one of the turning points that had changed him forever. Were Grace not there to care for him, he might have ended up destroying himself even more.
Agni hadn't realized he had his left hand clawing on his cheek until Grace pried his hand off and frowned, "You're doing it again."
"Maybe I should wear the mask…" Agni muttered to himself. After all, Grace gave it to him less so he could hide the scar but more to prevent him from unconsciously hurting himself. The only time he could safely take it off was when Grace was around.
Agni bit his lip nervously when Grace didn't reply. He no longer had the courage to look Grace in the eye that spoke so much concern, so he leaned close and rested his head on Grace's chest. "Rak, Isu, Hatz and Hwaryun were trying to get me out of that damned place. But we were caught while escaping, and…it was a bloodbath. I was…too occupied to react to the incoming heat. Rak shielded us from the explosion. And when I woke up…"
"They weren’t with you," Grace finished it for him after Agni trailed off a moment too long.
Agni nodded dazedly, "I've been telling myself that they're still alive, after a blow that could kill rankers. But…who am I kidding? I was lucky enough to survive with just this little–" Agni vaguely pointed to himself– "inconvenience."
Agni felt a hand gripping his arm, and he pulled away to see Grace looking at him with a pained expression. His eyes were glossy and his lips were pulled into a thin line. Trusting his instinct, Agni reached out to gently trace and cup Grace's cheek with his free hand.
"I'm sorry," Agni muttered. "I'm sorry, for not telling you sooner."
Agni silently witnessed tears that streamed down on his love's face. It was a bitter sight that Agni wished he'd never have to see again, that he had tried to avoid for so long by not telling him. He pulled Grace in and held him close to his chest, as if Agni was trying to gather his own crumbled heart back together.
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Grace mumbled their late best friends' names as he held onto him tighter, shaking from each breath he took between sniffles.
Agni felt his own eyes sting with unshed tears. He remembered the years he spent climbing the tower together with his old team. Despite their banter being his source of headaches, Agni knew he too had come to acknowledge them as his cherished friends. Only when they were gone did Agni realize how much he'd miss having them around. Seeing the younger them didn't exactly close the gaping hole in his heart, but at least the emptiness was more filled.
Agni squeezed Grace tighter. "We have their younger selves with us now. We will protect them better this time."
Grace only nodded and sank further into his embrace. And Agni planted kisses on his hair, relishing the thought that after everything he had gone through, Grace was still a constant in his life. As long as he had him, everything would be okay.
When Grace started shaking again, Agni caressed his hair and hummed a comfort song they had known by heart. Still, it didn't make falling asleep any easier for Agni, especially not after admitting that his nightmare was very much real. However, as he had been through grief…this, too, would pass.
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#Whee we get to know some of their past. Specifically their turning point#I hope it flows nicely because i have rewritten this like 3 times now 😭😭😭 dialogues are just not my specialty#like how to make them reveal such information without making them come out of the blue#writing style aside. let's talk about why Agni behaves this way#I will save the details on the what and how for the prologue. but basically Agni had been through hell that he couldn't escape alone#Rak Hatz and Isu saved him (or attempted to). and Agni owed them for saving his life. thus the strong attachment that Khun doesn't have#also let me mention that Agni had trouble differentiating between hallucination and reality after the incident. So he was kind of in denial#maybe Agni had come to a conclusion that they might be dead months after that. but he was too afraid to admit it to Grace#because he thought it was partly his fault for being incompetent. and Grace would hate him for letting their friends die#not wanting to risk being left by Grace. he just put himself (and inevitably Grace too) in the illusion of truth#that there's still a chance their friends are still alive because they have no proof of their deaths#so when Agni was offered to go back to the past. he agreed to it. Already expecting that Rak Hatz Isu aren't the same ones that he looks fo#but it was as good as he could get to redeem himself. Plus they get to meet everyone else who they couldn't save#Anyway. I'm taking hiatus until April. In return I will answer if you have any questions whether it is written in the tags or sent via ask#see ya folks <3 we'll get more brothers and team bonding when I return#tower of god#tog#two sides of the same coin fic#my fic#my art#bam#25th bam#jue viole grace#khun#khun aguero agnis#khunbam#shibisu#ship leesoo#rak wraithraiser#hatz
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deiaiko · 3 months
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#19.2 Dinner
It had only been five seconds after Grace went into his room that Dan whispered, "I'll cook instant noodles for tomorrow's dinner if they make out."
Right. It was Dan's turn to cook tomorrow night. Gyetang saw Novick roll his eyes, albeit a little affectionately if Gyetang were to pick on his smile. 
"Well, let's hope they didn't then."
"Why? Instant noodles taste good and are easy to make! I say it's a win." Dan speared the meat on his plate with a fork and stuffed it in his mouth, pouting at Novick. "Or would you rather eat something else?" Dan winked, and Novick squinted his eyes in fake displeasure.
Gyetang deliberately ignored the teasing going between them and voiced his thoughts. "Anything but the cup ramen, cluck."
"Well, I can just cook–"
Sudden notification came to their pockets, it was from Agni; 'Training canceled tomorrow. You three can have a day off.'
He and Dan cheered while Novick smiled, it was rare for Agni to give weekdays off after all.
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"Instant noodles for dinner!" Dan raised his fork and one of the electric eels with a dot on his head swam along the motion. "See? Cosmo agrees."
"Let's just order take out. It's been quite long since we–" Novick's eyes went wide in realization– "...Oh."
Gyetang shivered as he recalled a recent memory, only a few months ago. The way Agni’s ice spikes instantly destroyed the dining table the moment his eyes landed on the take out foods. People would have laughed and joked that Agni had overreacted, but his killing intent was terrifying enough that Gyetang and the others could only stand there in silence lest they end up like the food. "Agni hates take out, cluck."
Dan looked nervous as well, most likely recalling the same memory. "Only if it's convenience store-bought, I think."
"Grace said it's fine as long as we put it on a plate…and avoid certain brands." Novick tapped his chin, "But it's best not to take our chances."
They nodded in agreement and resumed eating.
"We still have enough allowance this month, right? How about going to the cinema tomorrow?" Dan suggested after he finished his meal and got up to do the dishes.
"I'm saving mine to buy Ms. Endorsi's merch, cluck. I will stay here and play games."
Novick got up from his seat and joined Dan in the kitchen. "There's a film I want to watch, so I guess I can go with you."
"Yay!" Dan fisted the air excitedly. "Expect us to spoil the plot later, Gyetang."
Dan was actually a good storyteller, so Gyetang didn't get why he made it sound like a threat. "Then I'll make sure to beat your high score on Quant Quant Racing 4."
"You can try," Dan taunted, laughing airily, "but you can't beat me at speed."
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deiaiko · 3 months
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#19.1 Anticipation
Grace opened the door to their dorm, and wasn't surprised to find that the room was dark. "Agni?"
Velt swam past him and whistled along, as if she was also calling for her master.
"Coming," Agni called from the mezzanine floor and Grace felt his presence descending the stairs.
"I'm going to turn on the lights, ok?" Grace warned before clicking on the lights. Colors returned and painted the familiar figure on the staircase.
Agni’s right hand was gripping a walking cane that Grace hadn't seen in years. It was back when Agni was severely burned that they also discovered damage to his left knee. Agni never told him exactly what happened, but the doctor that tended to him said that it had broken so many times that it would likely never heal completely.
The recovery took weeks, but Agni was able to walk normally again. He avoided frontline fights from then on, but if there was no choice, he was careful with his moves. Someone must've caught him off guard to be able to land a hit there. Could it be that this was the cause of his bad mood?
"Hey," Agni greeted Velt as she swam beside him. He patted her once before resuming his steps, making his way to Grace. "Welcome back."
"What happened?" Grace asked. He brought his hand to caress Agni's hair, undoing the clip and slipping his mask off his face.
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To Grace's surprise, Agni smiled fondly. "Mini-me figured out my weak points."
"Well…" That probably wasn't it, then. It looked like he had a good time with them, especially with Khun's progress. "As expected from you."
Agni chuckled and took control of Grace's lighthouse. "Yeah. Kind of proud, perhaps."
"Glad to know you both get along."
"As good as currently possible. It's still a work in progress."
Grace gave Agni's mask back and trailed after him to the living room along with Velt. He resisted the urge to hold Agni's arm to support him, knowing that Agni hated being coddled when he was clearly capable by himself.
"I healed the worst of it. I just need to rest it a little." Agni assured, reading Grace's worry easily. "It should be good tomorrow."
Grace felt a little comforted after hearing that, knowing that it wasn't as serious as he had feared. Although he could still feel some uneasiness radiating from Agni.
"How's your day?" Agni asked, as Grace set the food and drinks down on the coffee table. 
"Master called me after our call ended. After some explaining and persuading, he left me to practice together with Bam. I'm currently trying to teach him how to use reverse flow control for a wider range." Although it was a bit hard when Bam didn't have his emotions under control, so they were quick to call it a day and just sat together until Bam's curfew.
Agni hummed thoughtfully, "That gives me an idea for our next mock battle. I’ll think about it first."
"Cool." Grace joined Agni to sit on the floor, side by side. "How about you? It seems like you have something on your mind." 
"Yeah, it's…" Agni avoided his gaze by staring ahead, "...not really about today's spar."
Grace raised his eyebrow. "Is everything okay?"
"I will tell you after dinner, alright? Go take a bath first. I've prepared your clothes in the bathroom."
Grace obediently got up when Agni nudged him away, though he gave Agni one last glance before turning around the corner and locking the bathroom door. He went on autopilot as his thoughts spiraled. Nothing major should be happening to the team right now, but what else could be the cause of this unease? It feels as if…someone they know had just died.
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deiaiko · 3 months
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#19 - Abode
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deiaiko · 4 months
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#18.2 Decision
"Where's Agni?" Shibisu asked Rak, who had just rejoined them in the training ground.
Rak looked like he was deep in thought. It was rare to see him like that, which made a few heads turn in curiosity. Still, it didn't take him long to reply. "Masked Turtle said he was done here and left. Also said that he'll schedule the next training on the same day next week."
Khun couldn't help but snort, "So he just comes and goes as he wishes now?"
"At least he gave us a head's up." Shibisu shrugged, shoulders slumping in resignation, knowing that there wasn't much they could do.
They continued their spar until the artificial suns started to dim. Everyone packed up and headed back, ordering takeout for dinner on the way. The walk was quiet, except for the princesses who were still caught up in the fact that they hadn't won against Agni and started to cook up evil plans. Rak was surprisingly disengaged from the heated discussion, which Khun found a little concerning.
Night time was uneventful. It went as per usual routines…until Rak declared out of the blue; "I'm going to join Masked Turtle's team. I will ask him the next time we meet."
Endorsi gasped in mock surprise. "You talked to him for like what…less than half an hour? And you're now on his side?"
"I will be able to hunt him more often and learn his weaknesses!" Rak crossed his arms defensively.
Khun hummed teasingly to mask his surprise, "Sure thing, softie."
"What?! Who are you calling soft!! Damned Blue Turtle!"
"But are you for real, Rak?" Shibisu jumped in. "Why so sudden? There must be another reason, right? You wouldn't just…leave. I know how much this team means to you, to us."
Rak huffed and turned his head away. "Masked Turtle and Best Turtle…I just found out that they're friends of someone I once knew."
Khun raised his eyebrow. He would've teased Rak since Rak just made a clear point that he was a softie…were it not for how serious Rak looked when he said that, plus the information also had surprised Khun somehow.
"Really?" Isu said in disbelief. Muttering how small the tower was under his breath.
Rak balled his fist with a newfound glint on his slitted eyes. "He believed that I can grow stronger faster if I have those turtles around. They have been the reason I climbed the tower! The worthy prey that I've been seeking for so long."
A few beats of silence followed as everyone processed the thing Rak just said.
"Well, I hope they will take you with them." Endorsi flipped her hair, a smirk on her lips that didn't reach her eyes. "It'll be less loud in here, so good riddance."
Khun was about to say that it was a rushed and reckless decision, until a realization sank in. Joining Agni and Grace's team meant that there was a chance to meet with Bam again. But would he do it? They were associated with FUG after all, would it be worth it?
"Well…" Khun decided firstly that he'd need something to tip the scales of loss and gain before he came to a decision for himself, "in case they actually accept you, I expect you to report your findings to me, crocodile."
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