#did a bunch of tracing studies over his face beforehand
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My man
#bbh#badboyhalo#dtblr#dreamblr#dreamwastaken#first time drawing human bbh....#did a bunch of tracing studies over his face beforehand#he's got a lot of square goin on#my art
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How I Gravitate Towards You
Rating: Teen and up
Relationship: Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widowgast
The Mighty Nein return The Blooming Grove. Essek takes time to think about the events that happened and has a talk with Caleb. Things slowly escalate from there ;)
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The grove was beautiful. Vines intertwined and tangled with the colorful blooms dotting the landscape. You would almost forget that this was, infact, a graveyard with the amount of life around it. Essek took a second to breathe in the nature around him. A very welcome change of environment compared to Cognoza.
Sighs and cheers of relief and triumph echoed around him as the Mighty Nein bathed in their newfound victory. The sight warmed his chest. His friends. Now there were actually nine of them.
How ironic. Essek thought to himself with a smile.
The Clays burst out of the moss covered temple and started to bombard the group with hugs. Caduceus was practically beaming with joy to see his family again. Jester rambled on about their adventure as the Clays eagerly rushed them inside. They gave curious glances to the two new members, but decided not to say anything about it at the moment.
Within moments food and tea were being prepared. Fjord asked to help with the cooking but was promptly shut down by Cornelius.
"Look at you all! It looks as if you have been through hell and back! Rest. We will take care of it," he said.
The food was delicious. Reminiscent of Caduceus' cooking from that one night in the Xhorhous. He smiled fondly at the memory. Essek's eyes drifted to each member of the Mighty Nein. How did this even happen?
His thoughts spiraled into an assortment of memories. Cold and alone in his study. Ambition gnawing at him as he struggles to progress in his research. Greed and selfish desire as he traded away his country's livelihood for knowledge. Fear as a bloodied human holds up one of the beacons he stole. Rage at the thought that his so very carefully planned espionage would be ruined by a bunch of sell-swords.
When had this ragtag group worn down his walls? Was it Jester's hugs? Or her consistently chaotic messages? Was it Yasha in her soft silence, or was it Beau in her harsh way of loving? Maybe Caduceus, with his gentle reassuring gestures. Or Veth, with her tough but kind way of showing care. Maybe it was Caleb. A mind that matches so perfectly to his own it was almost unsettling. Intellect sharp and piercing, with a gaze so intense he could melt under its warmth.
Essek found his eyes laid on Caleb. The strands of copper red hair falling partially over his eyes. A small part of him resists the urge to reach across the table and push the strands away. He studied his features, as if he hadn't already memorized them. The sharp curve of his jawline, his slightly tussled beard. Eyes so blue it almost felt like looking into the daytime sky. His mouth curved into a soft smile as he talked to Beauregard next to him. Essek lingered on that sight. The stress of these past weeks washed away as he focused on Caleb's smile. Then Caleb's eyes met his. Electricity jolted through him as the spark of whatever it was between them burned. Essek quickly looked away, a slight warmth building in his cheeks. He thanked the Luxon for drow skin coloration.
After food was had, the group gushed over their old (new..?) Friend. Poor man was probably so overwhelmed by the attention. Mollymauk - as Jester had told him - didn't say much at all in response to the Mighty Nein's questions.
"Empty… empty…" he trailed off.
As happy as they all were, exhaustion took over their senses. They were due for a much needed rest. Caleb did not have enough energy left to create the tower (Essek had quite a bit of thoughts he still needed to unpack about that place), so the group decided to sleep in the grove. Yasha lay with Beau snuggled up against her. They hugged and muttered sweet nothings to each other in low whispers. Molly was not too far from Yasha, and was quickly taken by peaceful sleep. Jester lay partially on Fjord's chest, talking about some new prank she wanted to try on her newly reunited parents. Caduceus lay back against the wall and was already passed out - his snore a rather loud one. Caleb lay next to veth, who was already out cold.
There wasn't really a need to be so close - they weren't in the confinements of the dome. And yet, they choose to drift near each other. Comfortable in the proximity. Essek felt very out of place. In the nights prior he could always stay a fair distance away from the cuddle pile, for the sake of keeping watch. But now, with the group all clumped together in the mass of life that was the blooming grove, Essek didn't know quite where to go. He fidgeted in his space as he debated where to trance. He can't go too far, but he definitely can't intrude on this intimate bond they all share. Eventually, Essek sits down a few feet from Caleb. He always seemed to gravitate towards him. Perhaps it was the similarities between them that made Essek feel safer in his presence.
Essek starts to begin his trance, and it is only then that the weight of the day's events crash onto him. The horrors of Cognoza will never truly leave his mind, but it is nothing compared to the absolute terror he felt when they were in that final fight.
The watch of one of the Somnovem caught him early on. The guilt of his actions surged into him tenfold. The lives he took, the families he'd broken, all for the sake of his selfish thirst for knowledge. It was all his fault.
He didn't catch sight of the tower hurled at him until it was too late. Caleb grunted as the weight of the rock (..flesh? It was very confusing) trapped him beneath it. Essek felt a surge of fear as he pictured the worst. He quickly scrambled over to where Caleb laid and desperately tried to pull him out. To no avail, it would seem. Those of his craft were not quite suited for these feats. Essek summoned the bead of possibility he had placed in himself beforehand. With a surprising surge of strength, he got Caleb to his feet.
In a rush of adrenalin,Caleb pulled him close and touched their foreheads together. If this was a different circumstance, Essek would be soaring. A small part of him completely forgot about the raging battle around them. That part focused on the presence of the man next to him. The wood burning autumn scent now mixed with the iron-y tinge of blood. That part of him noticed how close they were. Faces mere inches apart. Essek felt his heart jump into his throat. Then Caleb pulls back, the moment ending as quick as it began.
The ferver gained from this interaction was short-lived as Jester fell. Her bloody and broken corse strewn to the side carelessly. It was then that things started to go so very wrong. Jester was back thanks to Caduceus, mere seconds after she fell, but Esseks attention immediately went elsewhere. Caleb clutched at his torso with a grunt of pain as he fell, unconsciousness taking his form. Essek didn't even know he was capable of the rage that followed. He screamed and tore the very fabric of gravity itself around Lucien.
Then the battle field changed. It was no longer the fleshy horror of a city, but now a calming forest surrounding him. He looked forward to see the Mighty Nein - happy and smiling - with a hand outstretched towards him. It was Caleb. Caleb was calling him over to join them. Excitement burbled into him as he rushed towards the sight. It was only when he reached his destination he realized he had made a grave mistake.
The image of Caleb's torn and sundered body is one that will never leave Essek's mind. The sound it made as his lifeless corpse fell to the ground. The look he gave as the light left his eyes. It haunts him. The amount of terror, rage, pain and guilt he felt in that moment was immesruable. The world faded around him. Only being able to see the bloody shell of what once burned so bright. He fell to his knees, not hearing the final cries of battle around him. Essek's hands shook with emotion as he reached out to grab one of Caleb's. Those bright blue eyes he once knew were replaced by the vacuous expanse of emptiness and cold. He didnt hear the clerics rushing over and saying their prayers. He didn't hear the rest of the group trying to stifle their tears. He only stared into those eyes. Essek didn't breathe until Caleb inhaled once more.
Thoughts swirled around his head like an ocean of violent emotion. He can't trance like this. Essek stood up - trying his best to not wake his sleeping friends - and walked outside.
The calming reverie of the grove helped clear his mind a bit from these nightmares. He wandered around the exapanse, his hand tracing the occasional gravestone as he went. Eventually he came to the edge of the perimeter. Tall crystalline tree-like growths sprouted forth infront of him. Glowing ever so faintly. It was beautiful, the garden around him. So Essek sat and let himself soak up the tranquility of the nature around him.
It wasn't until he heard the rustle of footsteps that he opened his eyes.
"Its a bit late to be wandering the grove by yourself," Caleb noted, taking a seat next to Essek.
"Just… needed to clear my mind a bit." He replied.
"Ja, I get it. That was… a lot." Caleb laughed softly, a small smile playing on his lips. Essek found himself enraptured in the sound.
Caleb looked down, his brow furrowing ever so slightly as if deep in thought. He turned to look at Essek with a burning intensity. "Thank you, Essek."
Essek was taken aback by this. "For what?"
"You didn't have to come with us. You didn't have to risk your life just because I asked. And yet, you came anyway. Thank you." Caleb spoke softly. Appreciative.
Essek's mind whirred with thoughts. He didn't know how to respond. "I…" he trailed off. "Of course I.." Of course I had to come. You asked me to. I would do anything you asked. He didn't say. Instead, settling upon, "Of course I came. I care for you all more than any Dynasty or Empire. And I owe you this much."
Caleb shifted a bit at that. His hands fidgeted for a moment as he looked away. He moved his hand to touch Essek's. The touch was minimal. Almost unoticable to anyone but himself. Essek nearly jumped at the contact. A familiar tingling setting into his stomach.
Caleb's hand slowly grabbed Essek's, calloused fingers meeting smooth ones. Essek tried to map every detail. Every little feeling of the other man's hand in his. Entirely focused on the heat covering his skin.
"What do you plan to do after this?" Caleb inquired.
That startled Essek out of his reverie. "I.. I honestly do not know." He mumbled out. He couldn't go back to the dynasty, not with his situation like this. Could he go back to the outpost? Would that be safer? He was still responsible for people up there. He hadn't noticed himself squeezing Caleb's hand. At least, until Caleb squeezed back.
"What about you?" Essek asked, trying to shift the focus. "What do you plan on doing now?"
Caleb pondered for a moment, before responding with "There is still a few issues I need to take care of. I still have to help fix my home. Remove a cancer before it can spread."
Then, silence. It wasn't uncomfortable, per say, but something hung in the air. After a few moment in this quiet, Caleb turned and placed Essek under the intensity of his gaze. Those blue eyes bore into him with such a warmth. And Essek craved it. He craved to feel those eyes wash over him. He needed to see those eyes, alive and burning with a fiery passion.
The immense gravity of what he almost lost crushes him. The man sitting next to him, tenitivly holding his hand, died. If things hadn't worked out so well, if something different happened, he wouldnt have Caleb here next to him. That thought broke him. His eyes dropped down to look at the ground. Apperently he wasnt doing a very good job at hiding his emotions at the moment, because Caleb's face fell. He frowned and scooted closer to cup Essek's cheek.
"What's wrong, Shaltz?" Caleb asks tenderly. His thumb rubbing Essek's Cheekbone.
Essek looked up at him, and put his other hand on Caleb's as if to confirm that he was really here. "You… died Caleb… you died and I couldn't do anything. What if Caduceus and Jester didn't get there so quickly? What if something went wrong? What if-"
"I'm here. I'm ok. Everything is ok." Caleb cut him off. His voice gentle and soothing.
It was only then that Essek met his gaze. Caleb smiled softly, and Essek realized how close they were. Caleb's breath ghosting over Essek's lips. Essek forgot how to breathe. He could only focus on the feeling of Caleb so close to him. So close and yet not close enough. If he could just close the few inches… It took every ounce of self control that Essek had to steady himself. His pounding heart, the swarm of butterflies in his stomach. He knew he was staring. How could he not? Small freckles speckled across Caleb's face, framed by vibrant red hair.
The hand placed on Essek's cheek moved to the back of his neck, and Essek froze. Caleb painstakingly leaned in. So slow, so excruciatingly slow. As if to give Essek time to back away. To leave. But he didn't. And their lips met. The kiss was so soft, almost featherlight, and Essek's mind went blank. He could only focus on the sensation of Caleb's lips on his, how they were chapped and warm and perfect.
Caleb pulled back, a breaths distance between them. In all of his study of time, all Essek wanted to do now was stop it on that moment. It was over far too soon. Just the smallest brush of lips. He wanted it to last longer. He wanted more.
Essek leaned back in, crashing their lips together. This time the kiss was more desperate. As if scared that the other would pull away. Essek relished in the feeling. The heat of the man so close to him spreading to every inch of his body. Their lips fit together perfectly. Moving together and pressing into eachother. Essek moved his hand to Caleb's head. His fingers combing through the strands of coppery red. It was perfect. He wanted to remember every little sensation. He wanted to chart every little movement. His heart was beating so hard in his chest. He wants this to last forever.
They separate after what feels like a lifetime to catch their breath. Caleb's mouth is still parted as he gasps for breath. Essek savors the taste of Caleb on his lips as his breathing begins to steady. Part of him wants to reach out. To take Caleb's mouth once more. But Caleb speaks before this is possible.
"That was…."
He doesn't need to complete the sentence. Essek already knew.
And they gravitated towards each-other once more.
#critical role#cr essek#caleb widogast#shadowgast#essek theyless#caleb x essek#This is my first CR fic pls don't judge#I just wanted the wizards to kiss#Almost canon compliant#don't forget to love each other
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We All Fall From Heaven
Hello my little constellations! @mammonrights and I are bringing you a fun little treat! We’re collabing on We All Fall From Heaven, a Yandere House of Lamentation series c: That being said, please be aware of the tags, and enjoy! I also will not be adding my usual tag list to this due to the themes involved, so please let me know if you’d like to be tagged in future chapters!
WARNINGS: YANDERE THEMES, DUBCON/NONCON, Abusive/Obsessive Relationships, Branding/Marking, Choking and of course, SMUT ABOUND~ Please be sure to mind the tags <3
You belatedly thought you should have been more nervous being an exchange student in the Devildom, but it was hard to be when everyone was so welcoming. It was a little disorienting, suddenly being thrust into a different place with several big, attractive people waiting for you. But Diavolo welcomed you with open arms.
You weren't even the first, apparently there had been a regular human exchange student before you. She had even come back for a second year before finding her happy ending with an angel. Simeon, they called him, and though you thought you saw anger on the faces of your hosts, it was quickly brushed off as they explained what the next year would look like for you.
You were welcomed into their home warmly by all except Mammon. He had huffed off after Lucifer told him your room arrangements weren't up for negotiation, which you hadn't quite understood. You were in awe of your room, comfy and full of lush vegetation. One of the other brothers- Levi, if you remembered correctly- laughed and said he was still hung up on the normie that was here before you. None of the other brothers seemed too concerned about it, so you let the issue drop and focused on enjoying your time here.
The first few weeks passed quickly, especially with all the brothers eager to spend time with you. Asmo was quick to talk you into weekly at-home spa dates, Beel took you out to all of his favorite restaurants, Mammon eventually warmed up to you and roped you into his schemes- which rarely worked but were too fun to turn down, Levi was quick to drag you down the rabbit holes of Devildom anime and games, Satan offered a quiet space for reading and someone to study with, and Lucifer… while he was more aloof than the other brothers, he still took time out of his schedule to enjoy downtime with you. There was one, though, that was glued to your side from day one.
Belphie. He hung off your arm everywhere you went, and if it was anyone else, you'd be concerned at how easily he convinced you to start taking naps with him. But he was the Avatar of Sloth, and he curled up next to you so sweetly, who wouldn't want to lay next to him after seeing him sleep so peacefully? He always made sure you had pleasant dreams and woke up feeling rested. So you let him hang off you as you walked the halls of RAD and the house, and you weren't even surprised when you awoke to Belphie cuddled up to your side in your bed. He had told you he slept better when he was next to someone anyways.
It was one of the few times that you weren't used to prop Belphie up as you walked home from RAD. He had gone home early to nap, but the other brothers were called to an emergency student council meeting. You were sent home with the instruction to wake Belphie and send him to the meeting, and you were a bit uneasy with the idea of waking Belphie on your own. You had heard the stories…
You found him in the attic, one of the nap spots he had shown you after you had grown close. It was probably the third or fourth place you had checked, and all the stairs paired with the long day had made you a bit tired. Seeing Belphie all curled up on the bed made you want to lay next to him, but Lucifer’s wrath was more pressing.
“Belphie-boo, you gotta get up.” You crawled up next to him and shook his shoulder lightly. He wasn’t even stirring from his sleep, so you took the chance to run your fingers through his hair. He always liked that when he was awake, so maybe he would wake in a better mood this way. His hair was silky under your touch, and you noticed one bleary eye open to you. “Good morning, sleepyhead. Lucifer sent me to tell you there’s a student council meeting you need to get to.” This seemed to wake him up. You weren’t sure why, as you had seen him sleep through the meetings multiple times.
"So, you're saying you came home by yourself?" Belphie sat up and clutched at the hand that was in his hair. You nodded, a bit nervous at the glint in his eyes. Your nerves only worsened as he began chuckling, pushing you down to the plush of the mattress. "You silly human, coming home all alone to wake a demon." He crawled over you as he spoke, caging you in.
"The last one left us for an angel. We used to be angels, too, you know? But we weren't good enough for her to stay. You won't leave us, though, will you?" You froze, uncertain of how to respond. You loved it here, you really did, but you had family to return to.
“I won’t let you anyways. Especially now that I’ve got you alone.” His hand played with the tie of your uniform, slowly pulling it undone. The buttons unhooked under his deft fingers, revealing your bare collarbone to him. “I messed up bad with the last one. I was locked in here for so long, and I didn’t have long enough to convince them to stay. I won’t make the same mistake twice.” His head dipped to your neck, laying a delicate kiss to the sensitive skin.
“Belphie, I-” Your hands tried to push at his chest, but he easily caught them in his hands, transferring the one wrist to the other hand, pinning you to the bed.
"Don't be so coy now, you've let me into your bed so easily up til now. What's going a little bit further?" You could feel his grin on your shoulder as he chuckled. The warmth of his breath on your skin sent a shiver down your spine, and you tried to fight the heat collecting in your stomach. "I've seen the way you look at all of us. Just stay with me and Beel, we'll treat you like a princess. Most of the time, at least." His free hand took to your shirt again, unbuttoning faster than you thought the Avatar of Sloth could move. You struggled in earnest when you were exposed to his gaze, dark and wanting. Part of you knew, knew that he was right and that you had no hope of fighting against a demon.
With one hand, Belphie had stripped you of all clothes save for your underwear. His fingers traced the pattern of your bra absentmindedly as he leaned back to look at you. "You look so cute like this, shaking underneath me." Before you could retort, his mouth was on yours. His kiss was lazy, more aligned with the Belphie you knew instead of the demon atop you. You were so comforted by this that you hadn't fought him when his tongue softly traced the seam of your lips, exploring your taste like ambrosia.
While you were distracted by his leisurely kissing, his hands roamed your body, sneaking under the hem of your panties. You couldn’t help the pathetic whine as he carefully ran a finger through your slick. “Who are you fighting, little human? Everyone but you seems to know you want this. Even your body knows. Just give in.” It was hard to refute him when his fingers started plunging into you at an unforgiving pace. His hands seemed to be working at a different wavelength, as his sleepy kisses were still being peppered over your neck and face.
Tears pricked at your eyes, your head unable to reconcile the Belphie you knew with the one currently pistoning his fingers in and out of your heat. You barely even struggled as Belphie ripped your bra from your chest, your panties following soon after. "You know what's funny? We all had pacts with her, and she still left. You won't, though, I won't let you leave. You'll learn to love me. Then we can live together: you, me, and Beel." Energy seemed to course through him as he rushed out of his clothes. The most you could do was rise on shaking arms while he undressed, but the tell-tale sound of Belphie morphing into his demon form told you that you'd never even reach the door.
"You belong to me now." He loomed over your body, bare chest pressed to your back as your shuddering arms threatened to collapse underneath you. A gasp passed through your lips as his dick slid through your dripping slit and pressed in without warning. The breath was pushed from your lungs as he thrust in, your arms finally giving out as you landed face-first in the tangle of blankets. Belphie only pushed you down further, spreading your legs out to allow him to thrust deeper into your heat. You scrambled to get breath into your lungs before he bucked into you again, all the air leaving you with a keening cry.
"You're so cute when you struggle, you know that, right?" He cooed above you, dragging a hand through your hair much too gently for how he ravaged you. His head dropped to the back of your neck as he sped up, and you were vaguely grateful that he at least made sure you were prepped beforehand. Your hands tugged at the blanket, bunching it under your hips and unwillingly propping yourself up to meet his thrusts. With the angle you had inadvertently placed yourself at, Belphie's cock was relentlessly dragging at your sweet spot. He lifted his head to lick a line up the curve of your shoulder. "You sound so sweet, screaming for me, little human. Better than any lullaby. I promise you'll love me. The last human may have gotten my pact, but you're going to be special. You're going to get my mark." His hand drifted from the painful grip on your hips to delicately wrap around your throat. "Should I put it here? My brothers might get jealous if they see it." His manic giggle reverberated through your skin as he pressed his lips to your shoulder. His pace was relentless, desperate as he whined against you. You let out a choked sob at the thought of his brothers seeing his mark on you, which only seemed to rile Belphie up. "No, I want it to be somewhere secret. Just for you and me. And Beel, I can share when I want to." His hand slowly trailed down your body, absentmindedly groping at your breast before following the curve of your hip down.
His fingers dipped to your swelling cunt, swiping over your clit a few times until you started squirming against his hold. "Such a good little human, such a good little pet." He cooed in your ear, the loving tone in his voice a chilling contrast from the snap of his hips against your ass. His hand finally ceased their journey on the top of your thigh. "I'm going to lay my head on your lap every night and know that my mark is right there." The glee in his voice sent a chill through your veins before fire flooded your body. His hand burned against your thigh, a pure red hot agony. You clenched against his length, pulling a lewd moan from him. "Oh, such a good girl, take it. Take my mark, take everything. You're never leaving me now."
You were so thankful that the pain receded that you didn’t fight the crest of pleasure you rode on after. Belphie groaned, his sweaty forehead braced against your back as he flooded your pussy with his essence. His cum stained your insides, dripping down past where you were joined.
Belphie fell back onto the bed, an exhausted sigh filling the air. He pulled you to lay next to him, and you sought the solace of his familiar touch. You hid your face in his shoulder as he spoke soft affirmations in your hair.
"Hush, the worst part is over. You're mine now, and me and Beel will take such good care of you." The kiss on your crown was too soft, too loving, too much like the Belphie you thought you knew. His hands drew shapes against your bare back, and you hated that it calmed you down. You should be running, you should be looking for one of his brothers to help. But Belphie had been your closest friend here… Who's to say their reaction would be any better.
Belphie gently extracted you from his hold before gathering his clothes and slipping back into them without a care in the world. “I have to go to this meeting before Lucifer punishes us both.” Even after all Belphie had done, the threat of Lucifer’s punishment still made you scared. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He moved to hold you to his chest, laying a soft kiss to your lips, like a lover would.
As Belphie’s hand traced the delicate lines of the sigil inked into your thigh, you finally realized. For the first time, you truly understood you were surrounded by demons. You hadn’t known what you were signed up for.
#obey me x reader#belphie x reader#belphegor x reader#obey me brothers x reader#lucifer x reader#mammon x reader#levi x reader#asmo x reader#asmodeus x reader#satan x reader#beel x reader#beelzebub x reader#WAFFH#nyx writes#collab#tw: yandere#tw: abuse#tw: dubcon#tw: noncon#tw: branding
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LOCKED-ROOM MYSTERY: an Obey Me! AU
The year is 1908. You, MC, have been invited for an extravagant getaway at the mansion of the eccentric Mr. Diavolo, who simply insists that you must come. You are quite the busy person yourself, you know, what with all this detective business -- but there is something so genuine in your old friend's letter that you cannot help but relent. So you pack your suitcases, send in a note to Mrs. Adams at the front desk about your leave, and set off to your good old friend's mansion.
As expected, it is in quite the isolated location. There is quite the breathtaking view of the mountains, seeing as you and the guests are the only ones here, but there is something eerie about it. Something odd. And the guests here are very strange indeed. Mr. Diavolo seems to have amassed a great variation in his ... colleagues. From a sultry actor to an irritable professor, a greedy banker to a shut-in, and a chef that eats more than he cooks to prideful, incorrigible politician -- well, it seems he's had quite the adventures over the years.
The dinner is good. Very good. Mr. Diavolo has spared no expense for his esteemed guests. There are nine courses in all: trays of exotic fruits and sliced cheeses, a charcuterie of all sorts and herbed butter, poached fish with risotto, roasted lamb that still crackles when it reaches the table, spiced meats that you cannot even recognize, soup with good, crusty bread -- oh, you do not know where to even begin! The strange guests, you, and your old friend make merry long into the night, and it is obvious that all look forward to the getaway.
Everyone is ushered into the parlor by his loyal butler, Barbatos, and it is here that more brandy is poured, bottles of wine are opened, and good champagne is inspected. It is also here that Mr. Diavolo says to you that he is going outside to light a cigar, for it would be a waste to let such a beautiful night go to waste. You think nothing of it.
An hour passes. Then another. And another. Some of the guests have begun to consider retiring to their rooms for the night. And then --
And then there is the scream.
You follow the sound, running through the corridors. There is a great door before you. You all but kick it open -- and you realize that you stand before the bleeding, facedown, very much dead body of Mr. Diavolo. The actor, Asmodeus, trembles before the door, having witnessed the gruesome scene through the glass windows of the door. Moments later, the other guests rush in to find the source of the panic. Varied looks of shock, panic, and horror can be seen on their faces.
This is the locked-room murder of Mr. Diavolo.
The Murder
There appears to have been no signs of forced entry. No signs of a struggle either. All the locks on the windows and doors remain undamaged and have clearly not been tampered with. The position of the furniture seems to be typical of a study.
Mr. Diavolo lies facedown in a pool of his own blood, the imported rug soaking up most of the liquid. There are exactly three stab wounds to his neck, ribcage, and stomach, with all entry positioned at the front. If he did not struggle -- at least, if he did not struggle initially -- then he must have known his murderer.
Time of death appears to be midnight, given the state of his body. He must have been murdered shortly after retiring from the party to have a cigar.
There are no footprints, fingerprints, or traces of the murderer at the scene ... at least for now. You do your best to corral the guests out of the study and begin your investigation. You have exactly six nights before the coachman comes to fetch everyone from the mansion.
The Guests
Lucifer
The prideful, insufferable politician that Mr. Diavolo has become acquainted with over the years. Unsurprising, of course, given his work overseas. You can imagine no other reason why anyone would desire to remain in this arrogant peacock of a man's presence.
He insists he was in the parlor the entire team. Which you can believe, to an extent. You quite clearly remember him arguing with the blond professor over the manner of drinking brandy. But what was he doing beforehand? Why suddenly make himself so conspicuous in the argument?
Mammon
The rather loud, obnoxious banker that Mr. Diavolo has trusted to run his accounts. Once more, you question the judgment of your late friend's business decisions. He does seem somewhat legitimate, given the fact that your late friend's business hasn't gone completely under. To your knowledge, that is.
Why on Earth would he want to murder one of his best clients? He insists that he would have no motivation to do so -- if anything, this is quite the blow to his establishment. But why was he late to dinner? Surely this loud buffoon could not have been doing any work on holiday.
Leviathan
The shut-in author of many strange, niche novels. You tried to make yourself seem more amiable earlier by lying and telling him that you have read his novels, but he only grew quiet in response. The conversation was very brief. Mr. Diavolo claimed he was a great fan of his work. You do not try to wonder why.
As a social recluse, Levi had decided to retire to his room immediately after the dinner, citing some illness or exhaustion or whatnot. He was not present immediately at the time the body was found, but he did rush all the way from his room down to the scene of the murder upon hearing the scream.
Satan
The irritable professor of a Very Important University, mind you. He seemed quite offended when you had little knowledge of his published journals, taking you for an ignorant idiot for some brief time afterwards. You quickly ended that with a scathing review of the clothing he has clearly forgotten to iron in his rush to get here, his mismatching socks, and the clear complex he has surrounding his intelligence.
How could you forget his rather loud argument with that peacock-like politician? You hadn't paid much attention to him until just then in the parlor, given your spat with him. But would an innocent man be so offended at the thought of being accused?
Asmodeus
A charming, sultry actor that Mr. Diavolo has met in his travels. You are not well acquainted with the theater or the novel moving pictures, but he seems quite happy with the recognition of his name. Then again, it isn't like you can take him for anything else but a bohemian artist.
He debated with Mr. Diavolo quite frequently over the finer details of art and theater over the course of the night, sitting by his side for the entirety of dinner. There was the brief interlude after dinner, but he insists he was only having a tryst with one of the maids. And he was the one who found his body.
Beelzebub
A chef that Mr. Diavolo has had the pleasure of becoming acquainted with over his travels. He seems to eat more than he cooks, really, but despite his eccentricities, he seems to be the most normal of the bunch. Certainly one of the most amiable.
You are quite sure that this guest is not the murderer. Every moment you have seen him seems to center around either the making or eating of food. Even now during your questioning, he chews on some bread roll that he has taken from dinner. If he were to have murdered Mr. Diavolo, you're sure his method would have simply been devouring him whole.
Belphegor
You're not quite sure what he does. He trails before Beelzebub as if he were a shadow, managing to look exhausted yet attentive to his brother's antics all at once. You can only guess that he was strung along by the aforementioned individual.
Like his brother, you find yourself doubting that he could be murderer. He has been in his brother's shadow for the entirety of the night, as you recall, and he seems to know little of the other guests or even of Mr. Diavolo.
Who murdered Mr. Diavolo?
This is now a choose-your-own-adventure novella. Read it here.
#obey me#obey me shall we date#obey me!#obey me mammon#obey me leviathan#obey me lucifer#obey me satan#obey me beelzebub#belphegor obey me#obey me belphie#obey me beel#obey me levi#obey me asmo#obey me asmodeus#obey me barbatos#obey me diavolo#obey me au#obey me hcs#obey me hc#obey me headcanons#obey me fanfic#obey me writing#writing#fanfic
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hawksweek2020 - Day 5: Insecurities
@hawksweek2020
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Pretty Bird
(or: someone just give him a hug please im begging you)
It had been eight months since the Winged Hero Hawks had made his debut. The spotlights hadn’t let up since then, and he hadn’t stopped moving.
At his first hero ranking, he’d already made the top twenty, popularity polls adding a huge bonus to the sheer number of successful rescues he’d already pulled off with seeming ease. And it was easy, to him. Saving people came as naturally as breathing after all the training he’d gone through.
Charming the masses? That was also easy. A smile that was just smug enough to make him interesting, and just warm enough to have people believe he was genuine. Words that sounded a little too blunt but were carefully picked and made the public love him for his honesty. A wink thrown in at the right time, a strategic placement of his wings in front of the cameras. All of that had been training.
This was just another one of those things, another side of hero work that he hadn’t experienced before but should have been fine with.
He should have.
So why exactly did he find himself hiding away in a storage closet?
Well.
Fuck.
Keigo pulled his wings tighter around himself and tried to count to ten under his breath. He got to seven before there was a knock on the door.
“Kid?”
Ah, shit. They knew where he was.
Of course he was already going to have to answer for running out and messing up the schedule the way he had, and he didn’t even know how long he’d been here, but he still didn’t want to be talked to.
“Go ‘way!” he called back, and his voice sounded way too shaky and not enough like his hero persona at all. “I’m fine! I just need a minute!”
A pause. “… Hawks.” The voice was softer now. He knew he’d heard it before, but his panicked mind wasn’t supplying him with anything. “Can I come in if I close the door behind me?”
Keigo furrowed his brows. Why would she do that? Wasn’t she here to drag him back out? But saying no would probably make them break down the door or something. He twisted the feather he’d kept stuck in the lock around until he felt it click open.
He straightened up where he was sitting in between a bunch of nondescript storage crates and cleaning supplies, his wings folded neatly against his back even though he just wanted to curl them around his body again.
The door opened a moment later, and Keigo could have slapped himself for not recognizing Midnight’s voice when she’d been outside the door.
She must have had a photoshoot here today, too. He vaguely remembered that this was supposed to be the place where she most often did her modelling work. She was in her hero costume, though lacking her usual accessories, and she was holding the shirt that he’d left when he’d hurried out of the studio.
He caught it when she tossed it at him and freed his wings of feathers for a moment so he could pull it on, slotting them back in place after.
“… thanks.” He flashed Midnight one of his trademark smiles, and from her furrowed brow she wasn’t buying it in the least.
Keigo wondered just how much of a persona she was putting on for her hero work, and how much of it was real. There was no way all this 18+ nonsense could be her entire personality.
Keigo thought she was fun to watch, sure, and definitely capable, but she’d always seemed very… fake to him. There were just some heroes who were so obviously playing a role, and unfortunately a lot of the female pros who were being pushed into the ‘sexy lady hero’ stereotype came across like that. Keigo was always glad he was a man, or this might have very well been his fate.
And he’d proven today that he was not cut out for that.
Midnight kicked one of the crates aside and sat down on top of it, one leg over the other, and watching him closely.
“First model shoot?” she asked, “They can be a little awkward.”
Keigo sighed and dropped his smile, shrugging a shoulder. “It’s not… I’m good at what I do.” That sounded very defensive. But he was! He was good at this! He had no problem with the posing, even though he hadn’t exactly practiced that before. It had actually been a lot of fun, in the beginning.
“I didn’t say you weren’t,” Midnight pointed out, “Just that it can be awkward. I’ve been doing this since I was your age, and don’t tell anyone, but that was a while ago.” She winked at him and Keigo huffed a laugh. “But, even for me it can get… a bit much at times.”
Keigo looked back at her with more intent this time, studying her face. Did she enjoy what she did? Well, she had picked her own brand, and she got more choice in what she did than he ever had, but she’d also picked that brand as a teenager. Playing into the R-rated hero thing got her a lot of fans, of course, and modelling contracts, and adult merch, and a ton of other things, so it had been a clever move for her career. But to constantly be seen like this? Keigo nearly shuddered at the thought.
Midnight met his eyes and smiled, a little more gentle, and Keigo remembered that she, in fact, was also a high school teacher. “Don’t look at me like that, bird boy. I love what I do. It’s normal to get overwhelmed. Happens to the best of us. Just last week, I witnessed Present Mic screaming into a pillow for almost ten whole minutes.”
Keigo pulled one of his wings across his lap and smoothed out some feathers. They’d been groomed extensively before the shoot, but he’d gone and gotten them all ruffled up again. “… is the pillow okay?” he asked after a moment.
Midnight snorted. “That’s what we keep Eraser around for.”
Would Keigo ever have any real friends among other heroes? He sure hoped so. He had never really had the opportunity to make friends.
He looked down at his wing. “… I don’t like being on camera shirtless.” And in a room full of people, too. He pulled up his shoulders a little. “I mean. I know I’m objectively hot, right? This is all… very marketable.” He gestured down at his body, and then at his face.
He'd been lucky to grow up attractive, he’d been told that many times. And yet.
“It doesn’t make sense. I just… they didn’t warn me beforehand, and so when they told me to, I just took it off and I started feeling worse.”
Letting go of his wing, he instead traced his fingers along his chest, where there weren’t even visible scars. “It’s stupid.”
“The way you feel about your body is never stupid,” Midnight said, voice surprisingly firm.
Keigo jerked his eyes up to look at her.
“It’s unreasonable. I should be fine with it. Plenty of people are gonna look at these photos, and they’re not gonna think ‘oh, look at Hawks, he’s way too skinny to be attractive’ or ‘he’s tiny, how’s he supposed to save people’ or ‘hey, doesn’t Hawks look kinda like a girl?’. That’s just me thinking that.” He waved a hand in the air vaguely and sighed, feathers fluffing up as he did so.
Midnight was still watching him. Keigo hated it. She seemed to be seeing right through him, and he himself didn’t even know what she was seeing.
“I have a feeling it won’t help any if I say I think you’re cute,” she finally said, “Because this is about you. This isn’t going to change, no matter how many crazy fans in the streets scream that they’d love to have your babies.” She paused. “Or… eggs.”
Keigo couldn’t help the surprised laugh, and he tried to give her a half-glare. “I’m pretty sure I’d have perfectly human babies, thanks.”
“I’ll believe that when you prove it,” Midnight teased, and Keigo realized she’d done that very much on purpose to distract him from his doom and gloom.
She was a pretty good hero, he decided. The best heroes had to be the ones who knew how to help other heroes, and not just civilians. “I should probably get back out there and finish the shoot, huh?” he asked, glancing at the door.
Midnight clicked her tongue. “Or you walk out there, apologize, and fly home like a good boy.” She met his eyes and winked, and Keigo blushed maybe a little bit, though he would deny that to his dying day. That was just how she was though, and her flirty nature was enough to keep him somewhat grounded and from letting his thoughts spiral again.
“… I have responsibilities,” he protested half-heartedly, though home sounded very good right now. He hadn’t been living in the apartment long, but it was his and it was safe. He didn’t have to be Hawks there.
Midnight waved a hand at him. “They must’ve gotten a bunch of pictures they can use. You’ve been here all morning, and it’s almost four now.”
That late? Oh, shit. Keigo had a patrol at six. He’d need to pick up some food on the way. But, hey, at least patrol was going to make him feel less shitty about himself. He stood up and brushed himself off. “You’re probably right, Midnight. Thanks.”
Midnight got to her feet as well, and Keigo nudged her arm with his wing.
“Kayama is fine, you know? No need to be all formal with the hero names.”
Keigo never liked when this happened. He shifted. “I prefer Hawks.”
Midnight’s gaze was too knowing, but he didn’t think that she knew the full extent of why he didn’t use his other name.
“Hawks it is, then. It’s a good hero name anyway. Very catchy.” She nodded her approval, and he smiled as he moved past her – only to be stopped by her hand wrapping around his wrist.
“Okay, I know you barely know me, but I want you to listen to me. Because you’re just a kid, and you’re taking your first steps into this mess of a professional world. Are you listening?”
Keigo nodded.
Midnight’s gaze was serious. “No one can tell you who to be, Hawks. No one can tell you what to do with who you are, either. You want to save people, you’re good at that. You clearly don’t like this aspect of it all, and that’s fine. Not everyone is born for this. Being a hero isn’t about looking sexy, or letting them treat you like a piece of meat. It’s about finding danger and facing it to keep others from getting hurt. And you’re doing that. So you can damn well decline any of these publicity engagements that have you doing things you’re uncomfortable with. They’ll tell you to just go through with it, and not make a fuss, but they’re wrong, okay? Set up your boundaries now, because you’re allowed to. Do you hear me? You’re allowed to.”
Keigo nodded again, a little dazed from her intensity. Or maybe her quirk. But she wasn’t using it right now.
Midnight let go of his wrist, and placed both hands on his shoulders. “I look forward to seeing more of what you can do. Up in the sky, not on some advertisement for a product neither of us is ever even going to use.” She raised a hand and put a finger under his chin, forcing his head up a little. “Now, don’t look like a scared little bird that’s just been a cat’s plaything for the past ten minutes. Or else there’ll be rumors about the two of us and this closet.” She laughed, and Keigo swallowed.
“Uh… yeah. Okay. Okay.” He was very off kilter now. Did she have that effect on everyone?
Midnight looked him over, and then gave a satisfied nod. “Good. Now, remember that you’re an ass kicking, whip smart, devastatingly handsome young man, and get out there.”
Keigo blinked at her, stood still for another second or so, and then turned and opened the door, his shoulders set, and the weight of his wings still heavy on his back.
He couldn’t wait to spread them again and get back to doing his actual job.
#hawksweek2020#this is kinda vent-y in a way?#body insecurity cw#trans hawks isn't really a theme here but it's hinted at#because im *jazz hands* projecting#im also still not doing great but i didnt wanna skip two days#especially since i had the idea for this a while back#dysphoria cw#just a little
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Plaited Bliss
Charlie Weasley x Reader
Summary: (Y/N) sees Charlie’s hair down for the first time,
Prompt: hi can i request a Charlie Weasley x Reader where the reader see Charlie with his hair down for the first time? Thanks! :) - @b0rkk
Word Count: 1,750
Warnings: none, just fluff
A/N: I. LOVE. CHARLES. WEASLEY. that is all. enjoy the rest of your day, thank you.
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Speechless.
(Y/N) usually always had something to say or add to a conversation, she had quite the quick tongue. On this unusually hot May day, however, (Y/N) found her mouth dry, empty of any thought that could formulate on her lips. Charlie and (Y/N) had been studying outside in the shade and out of the harsh sun, somehow getting off task—talking about dragons, naturally— and just enjoying each other’s company.
“I’d like to think I’d be pretty good at telling a dragon ‘no!’, wouldn’t you agree?” Charlie asked, pencil tapping in his crossed knee. He had been staring up at the clouds, painfully deep in thought, clearly not focusing on their Transfiguration assignment.
(Y/N) laughed, head rested fully in his lap. “Charlie, you can hardly tell your mum ‘no’, how do expect a literal dragon to listen to that?”
Charlie looked down. “Are you comparing my mother to a dragon?”
“No,” (Y/N) hummed. “Just pointing out the obvious lack of courage on your end, nothing personal.” She smirked, cocking an eyebrow playfully up at Charlie.
His face went red. “Lack of courage? Need I remind you that I’m a Gryffindor? We’re known for being rather courageous—thank you very much—it can’t possibly be a lack of courage!” Charlie’s hands flew up into the air in protest. (Y/N) chuckled airily.
“Okay big man,” (Y/N) sat up from his lap, fingering through her hair, hopefully changing the appearance to something more presentable. “Whatever helps you sleep at night.”
“I sleep just fine, thanks.” Charlie huffed, a tuft of red hair blew out of his face.
“Of course you do,” (Y/N) smiled. “You still have your baby blankie, right?”
“It’s a quilt.” Charlie mumbled, his ears growing red.
(Y/N) sighed. It was clear that she had offended him, even if she had meant for it to be a joke. “I’m sorry.” She said, flopping her own hands into her lap, slightly defeated.
“Do you mean it?” His voice grew small, the sound almost inaudible.
“Of course I do.” (Y/N) replied lovingly.
“Good,” Charlie glanced back up at the sky. “You know how I get when you tease me about Sir Blankie.”
“He has a name now?” (Y/N) asked, clearly amused.
Charlie’s face broke a small smile. “He’s always had a name,” He blew the same tuft from before out of his face again. “You, my dear one, had never thought to ask.” The hair fell back in it’s place.
“Forgive me,” (Y/N) bowed her head lightly. “I should have known that anyone who names their broomstick ‘Cyrus the Conquerer’ would have also named their blanket.” She laughed, bearing her weight to her hands, leaning back into the small patch of sunlight peaking through the tree.
“What do you have against Cyrus?” Charlie asked, feeling his fingers reach up to his locks again. He was losing the battle against his own hair, feeling angry and annoyed by it’s current state.
“Nothing at all. I’m just relishing in the fact that my boyfriend is a huge…”
(Y/N) couldn’t finish her thought. Charlie had rather abruptly yanked the tie from his red hair, sending a cascade of fiery locks to frame his freckled face. It was just longer than shoulder length, the tips reaching just below the top of his white uniform collar.
“…dork.” (Y/N) finished, still entranced by Charlie’s hair.
“What? Kneazle had your tongue?” Charlie mused, cocking his eyebrow towards (Y/N).
“I—no, that’s—no,” (Y/N) stammered, feeling her face heat up with the force of a thousand dragons. “It’s just—hair.”
“Hair?” Charlie asked, reaching behind his head to re-tie his hair up. “What about—” He paused. “Oh.”
“Yeah,” (Y/N) said. “Oh.”
“Never seen it down before?” Charlie said, lowering his hands. (Y/N) shook her head, a bit faster than she’d like to admit. “I find that hard to believe. I must’ve—no, I guess I don’t take it down for Quidditch,” Charlie said to himself. “But what about—wait, you weren’t there for that.”
“Charlie,” (Y/N) said, stopping Charlie’s train of thought. “Let’s just agree that I’ve never seen it down before, okay?”
“I suppose,” Charlie shrugged. His eyes met (Y/N)’s (Y/E/C) ones, watching them scan around his face, flickering rather quickly. Her lips were parted slightly, mouth hanging open. “Careful,” Charlie said, reaching his hand out and pushing one of his fingers under (Y/N)’s chin, gently shutting her mouth. “You’ll catch bugs if you keep doing that.” His thumb rubbed softly against (Y/N)’s chin before he pulled away.
“I’m sorry,” (Y/N) shook her head. “Now I feel like the huge dork.”
“Only now?” Charlie laughed. (Y/N) shot him a stony glare. “I know you cant help it, I’m just too handsome. It’s quite understandable, really.” He cracked a toothy grin.
(Y/N) rolled her eyes. “Yeah, that’s it.”
Charlie hopped next to (Y/N), his shoulder bumping lightly against hers. “Come on,” Charlie turned his chest, now facing (Y/N). “I know you want to touch it.” He tilted his head down slightly.
“What? What makes you think that—”
“Sweetheart, I’ve known you how long?” Charlie asked, peeking up through the stray strands of hair that flowed down his face. (Y/N) didn’t respond. “Yeah, exactly,” He laughed. “I swear, I washed it today!”
“If you insist.” (Y/N) said, lifting a hand up to his fiery locks. She placed her hand atop his head, patting it lightly.
“Are you petting me like a cat?”
“I was thinking more like a puppy, but same idea,” (Y/N) chuckled lightly, stopping her movement. She slid her hand down his face, cupping his jaw. Charlie leaned rather hard into the soft touch. Her hand pushed up, past his ear, her fingers lacing through the red hue. “It is pretty soft.”
“Told you,” Charlie hummed. (Y/N) raked her fingernails lightly against his scalp, causing Charlie to moan lightly. “That feels nice,” Charlie readjusted his position, his head now resting fully in (Y/N)’s lap, eyes closed. “Both hands, please.”
“Such a needy one you are, Charles,” (Y/N) laughed, pulling her other hand to his head. Her fingers combed through his hair, occasionally dragging her nails against his scalp. The sight of Charlie’s near sleeping face, his red hair surrounding it like a rosy halo, was enough to cause (Y/N)’s heart to skip a beat. Instantly, her fingers hit something small and hard in his hair. She pulled it out to examine it closer. “I thought you said you washed your hair today?”
“I did,” Charlie opened his eyes, quickly staring at the small twig (Y/N) held between her fingers. “Oh. Quidditch practice.”
“Ah,” (Y/N) tossed it to the side, returning to her previous movements. “Does Bill have soft hair too?” She asked, mindlessly.
“Don’t even joke about that.” Charlie scolded, his brows furrowing tightly on his face, eyes still closed.
“Wasn’t joking, genuinely asking.” (Y/N) shrugged, smiling lightly. Her fingers worked quickly against his head, threading strands together.
“What are you doing?” Charlie asked, peeking an eye open.
“Nothing,” (Y/N) hummed, placing a hand over his brown eyes. “No peeking!”
“If you give me a flower crown, Bill won’t let me hear the end of it.” Charlie said, resting his head deeper in (Y/N)’s lap.
“That’s not a terrible idea,” (Y/N) said, glancing at Charlie’s now rather shocked expression. “I don’t have any flowers, don’t worry,” Her fingers moved gently, her fingertips brushing lightly against his forehead every now and then. Charlie could have easily fallen asleep in that moment, relishing in the feeling of pure bliss. “Sit up, please.”
Charlie sat up, following the urging of (Y/N)’s hand on the back of his neck. She clawed at the ground for a moment before grabbing Charlie’s hair in her hand, pulling it back into it’s previous ponytail.
“Let me know if it’s too tight,” (Y/N) said, tugging lightly on the locks. “There, done.”
“Done? Love, you just put my hair back up,” Charlie said, letting a hand travel up to his hair. “Yeah, it’s in the same…” His fingers traced near his forehead, feeling a bunch of small bumps. “…spot?”
“Let me know what you think,” (Y/N) reached into her bag, pulling out a small blue compact mirror, handing it to Charlie. He opened it, gazing into the mirror quietly. His hand traced along the bumps he had felt before. It was a braid. “You were annoyed with your bangs falling, right? I braided them back so they shouldn’t bug you anymore.”
“A braid?” Charlie asked, eyes not leaving the sight.
“It’s not a flower crown,” (Y/N) smiled. “Though I think a daisy would look nice.” Charlie handed (Y/N) back the compact, not saying anything. “Do you not like it?” Her voice grew uneasy.
“No,” Charlie sighed. (Y/N)’s face fell. “I love it.”
“Charlie!” (Y/N) slapped his shoulder rather hard. “You scared me!”
“Sorry, sorry,” He laughed. “Couldn’t pass up the opportunity.”
“Like hell you could’ve,” (Y/N) mumbled. “But you really like it?” (Y/N) ran her fingers across the small braid, following it to the tie at the back of his head.
“I do,” Charlie grabbed (Y/N)’s hand, bringing it closer to his lips. He placed a soft kiss to her knuckles. “Only because you did it.”
(Y/N) felt her face heat up. “Oh stop.”
“It’s true,” Charlie said, placing another kiss to her hand. “I really loved the massage beforehand too. Think we can make that a daily thing?”
“You’re giving me an excuse to play with your hair? Every day?” She asked, glancing around, hoping it wasn’t a prank. Charlie nodded. “Wow. Okay. This is a lot to process.”
“Is it?” He chuckled.
“I hadn’t ever seen your hair down before a few minutes ago and now you’re going to let me play with it all the time? I could melt just thinking about it.”
“Don’t do that,” Charlie smiled. “I wouldn’t know a spell to fix you.”
“Then you better start learning, Weasley,” (Y/N) laughed, placing their textbook in his lap. “Because tomorrow,” She leaned in near his ear, breath tickling his skin. “I’m thinking pigtails.”
“Charming,” Charlie said, turning his head quickly, his lips catching (Y/N)’s lightly. “Can’t wait.”
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general tag list: @maralisa124
want to be added to a tag list? hmu in the replies or ask box with what characters you’d like to be tagged with!
#charlie weasley#charlie weasley x reader#charles weasley#harry potter x reader#hogwarts mystery#charlie weasley x you#harry potter#weasley x reader#hogwarts#charlie weasley imagines#charlie weasley imagine#dragon boi#plaited bliss
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Knight In Shining Leather
FFXV Prompto/Reader Oneshot
Word count: 22,514
Rating: Explicit (NSFW)
Summary: After saving you from a bad fall, Prompto asks for a kiss in return, only to realize that he wants much more.
(Originally posted on Archive of Our Own and AdultFanfiction.)
Disclaimer: I do not own FFXV or any related characters, nor do I own you. No money is made from the writing of this story.
Author’s Notes: I recently bought FFXV, and I was so hooked that I finished it in five days. I love it so much (minus the ending), and I completely fell in love with our four heroes. While Ignis is my favorite, sweet Prompto is a very close second, and I couldn’t wait to write stories for them.
“It had to be bugs.”
You came to a stop, glancing back over your shoulder to look at the blond walking a few feet behind you. “Hey, it could be worse. They could have sent us after a behemoth.”
Prompto made a face. “I would have preferred that! Anything but killer wasps…” He shuddered, and you had to smile. His hatred of bugs was well-known to the group, and the moment Noctis had agreed to the hunt, you had known that Prompto wasn’t going to be happy about this one.
“I wouldn’t have complained about that, either.” The deep voice came from your left, where Gladio pushed past the trees that pressed in on you from all sides. With his massive stature, his presence made the small gaps between the trunks seem even smaller. “We still have some Cup Noodles left over from Lestallum, and behemoth meat makes them taste the best.”
“That particular ingredient is difficult to come by, I’m afraid,” Ignis commented. He walked just ahead of Gladio, and didn’t look back as he spoke. Instead, his green eyes scanned your surroundings, searching for any trace of your current quarry. “We were lucky to happen upon that one when we did.”
“If you can call running into something like that ‘lucky’,” replied Noctis, who led the group. “Personally, I’d rather not do it again any time soon. The noodles were good, but I could do without facing down a one-ton pissed off monster beforehand.”
Gladio chuckled. “Considering how eager you always are to accept these hunts, I figured you’d be up for a little challenge.”
“Not when that challenge has the potential to eat me.”
“Aww, Noct, don’t take it personally. Behemoths will eat anything. Besides, it would probably spit you right back out; I bet you’d taste bad.” Prompto grinned, causing you and Gladio to snort with amusement, and even Ignis cracked a smile at the irate look on the prince’s face.
“Gee, thanks,” he said dryly.
Privately, you had to admit that Noctis had a point. While the five of you were even able to take on some of the daemons that roamed the land at night, there were some beasts that you preferred to avoid; behemoths being one of them. Your style of combat was up close and personal, and you didn’t like getting that close to something that could rend you in half with a single swipe of its claws. In fact, out of all of you, Prompto was the only one who was truly safe in that regard, since his guns allowed him to keep his distance from whatever it was that was trying to kill him.
You weren’t afraid of fighting; in fact, you quite liked it. There was nothing like the adrenaline you felt during and after a difficult battle. But even so, you weren’t eager to leap into a fight with something so much larger than you were. Even Gladio looked small compared to one of those, and that was saying something. It took a long time to bring a behemoth down, and the last time you had tried, all of you had ended up sore and decorated with a multitude of cuts and bruises.
So when Noctis had accepted this particular hunt, you were grateful that you were at least going after something of a more reasonable size, even if that something happened to be a nest of killer wasps. Not to mention the fact that the bounty reward was quite nice.
Unfortunately, Prompto hadn’t agreed. He didn’t go as far as to ask Noctis to reconsider, but the look on his face had made it clear that he was far from pleased. He kept to the back of the group as the five of you moved through the trees, glancing warily around him as if he expected to be ambushed at any moment.
But you all knew that, regardless of his protests, he would enter the fight when the time came. Prompto was reliable, even when it came to things he disliked.
Noctis fished around in his jacket for a moment before pulling out the map, pausing as he studied it. “We should be getting close. They’re supposed to be somewhere in this area…” His voice trailed off and he looked around. “Maybe we should spread out. We’ll waste less time that way.”
“I dunno, Noct… If they find one of us alone, do you think we can take them on by ourselves?” Prompto asked. “Killer wasps are pretty nasty in groups. And they’re always in groups.”
“Prompto is right,” Ignis agreed. “It would be unwise to take such a risk. It may take us more time to find them if we stay together, but the alternative is dangerous for us all.” He turned to look at the black-haired young man, knowing that the prince had the authority to override him, if he wanted to. While Ignis may have been the group’s tactician, Noctis had the final say in everything. Ignis just hoped that he was willing to listen.
Noctis put away the map, then turned to look at you and Gladio, arching one eyebrow questioningly. It looked like he was going to go with the majority vote on this one, rather than making the decision himself.
“I agree,” you said, nodding. “If it was just one or two, we could probably handle them alone, but we don’t know for sure how many there are. We still have a few hours before sunset, so we have time.”
“Speak for yourself. I don’t think a bunch of bugs will be too much of a problem,” Gladio commented, crossing his ink-decorated arms over his broad chest.
“Sorry, Gladio,” Noctis said, shrugging. “Looks like we’ve been overruled. We stick together.”
Prompto gave a sigh of relief, and you saw him visibly relax. If there was one thing he hated more than bugs, it was having to face them alone, so this seemed to be a weight off his mind.
“Let’s get to it, then,” Gladio said, taking the lead this time.
It was surprisingly peaceful in the forest, with no sign of the usual wildlife, but you didn’t let this fool you. You knew that it was probably only like this because the wasps had chased off the other animals. The absence of anything else meant that you were drawing close to your target.
Sure enough, within another two hundred feet, you began to hear a faint, low-pitched hum. Noctis came to a stop, frowning. “You guys hear that?”
“Sure do,” Prompto agreed, making a face.
“The nest is just up ahead,” Ignis said, summoning his twin daggers in a burst of blue crystalline shards. “Everyone stay sharp.”
Slowly, the five of you crept forward, and before long, you could see movement between the branches of the trees. Four gigantic wasps, each one bigger than any one of you, hovered above the ground.
Prompto shuddered upon seeing them. “Let’s get this over with,” he whispered to Noctis, who nodded.
The prince summoned one of his weapons, in this case, an elegant lance, and the moment it materialized, he launched it at the closest wasp. Even before it struck, Noctis had disappeared, following the lance’s trajectory as it – and then he – collided with his target. The force of the blow knocked the insect to the ground, though it didn’t stay there for more than a couple of seconds before it was airborne again, buzzing angrily.
Now that the element of surprise was lost, the fight truly began. The four of you were showered with blue light as weapons materialized out of thin air, and you scattered, each of you making sure to stay out of everyone else’s way.
Like Ignis, you held two weapons, a slender sword in your right hand, and a dagger held backhand in your left. Your eyes scanned your surroundings, and you quickly picked a target. Just ahead of you and slightly to the right, one of the wasps hovered, its antenna twitching as it spotted Gladio, who was coming towards it on the other side.
You locked eyes with the big man, and gave a single nod, which he returned. In one smooth motion, you lunged forward, leaping into the air to swipe at the wasp’s thorax. The upper half of your sword connected, biting into its hard shell and sticking there. You hung in midair, your weight pulling the wasp downward a couple of feet.
This caused it to turn its attention away from Gladio, who was rapidly closing in on it, and it jabbed at you with its stinger. You blocked its strike with your dagger, turning the dangerous appendage aside before it could sink into your flesh.
The king’s shield drew back, swinging his broadsword in a powerful horizontal slice. Just before it connected, you kicked off against the wasp’s body, flipping back out of the way as the massive blade smashed into the insect, damaging one of its wings and shearing off two of its legs. The wasp dropped from the air, fluttering its now-useless wings in an attempt to rise back up. At it fell, it scored a shallow slice across Gladio’s broad chest, but he didn’t even flinch.
Yanking his sword out of the wasp’s body, Gladio breezed past you, clapping you on the shoulder as he went. You grinned back in return. You hadn’t expected a successful combination so early into the fight. Sometimes being the smaller target really paid off. When teamed up with Gladio, your opponents tended to focus on him, viewing him as the bigger threat – which, realistically speaking, he was.
Upending both your sword and dagger, you plunged them into the wasp’s head, ceasing its struggling. As it went still, you straightened, looking around. Prompto and Noctis were confronting a second wasp, the prince warping away every few seconds to allow the gunman to fire off a barrage of bullets, before returning to skewer the insect with his lance. It was slow going; the tough exoskeletons of the wasps didn’t give easily, so the lance would only penetrate a few inches into its body before he would have to withdraw it and retreat to allow Prompto another volley. Still, the streamlined lance was proving to be a better weapon than your own sword; you’d needed Gladio’s help to bring one down quickly.
Ignis was holding his own with a third wasp, keeping it at bay with his own lance, slicing at it when it came too close and scoring the occasional wound across its body.
Behind him, you could see Gladio’s massive form as he confronted the fourth wasp. It swooped in, attempting to impale him on its stinger, and he nimbly dodged out of the way, shearing off one of its antenna as it passed harmlessly by him.
You turned, closing the distance between you and Ignis, and the wasp he was facing lashed out, raking one of its serrated front legs at the green-eyed man, and opening a slice along his cheekbone. He hissed, leaping back out of range for a moment before driving his lance in a downward arc that struck the wasp’s abdomen, piercing into it and driving it to the ground. He used his weight to pin it there, using the shaft of the lance as a vault to get on the other side of the insect, allowing you to move in and slice off the wasp’s wings, preventing it from ripping the weapon out of the ground.
Ignis landed on the wasp’s head, severing it from its body with a slash of his summoned daggers. He straightened, turning just in time to see Prompto and Noctis bring down their own insect.
Movement on your left drew your attention, and you swung around to face the fourth wasp just as a hazy cloud of noxious smoke enveloped you. Unable to hold your breath fast enough, you choked on it, and everything around you shattered. Pieces of the world spun around you, fragmenting into shards that danced around too quickly for you to get a read on anything.
Your hands tightened on your weapons as you looked around, trying to make sense of what you were seeing, but nothing you did helped. Your body swayed on the spot as you fought to keep your balance, and in the distance, seemingly coming from three different directions at once, you heard a distorted voice.
“Something’s wrong with (Name)!”
As you turned towards where you thought the voice had come from, you suddenly felt a sharp pain in your right arm, and an intense pressure in your shoulder. It took you a moment to realize that the remaining wasp had caught you, and was now lifting you into the air. You cried out in a mix of pain, anger, and panic, twisting in the insect’s hold, but this only caused your arm to hurt worse as the spiked mandibles dug deeper into your skin.
You ignored it, swinging your body up in an attempt to kick the wasp and force it to release you. “Let. Me. Go!” Though your foot connected, the wasp’s exoskeleton kept it safe from harm, so your attack did little more than cause it to buzz angrily.
Bringing your body up again, you planted your feet against the wasp’s body, dismissing your dagger and replacing it with your sword. You upended the weapon with your free hand, and drove it into the insect’s thorax. At the same time, you heard the singing of a blade as it flew through the air, and a heavy weight smashed into the wasp, causing it to drop several feet, and making your stomach lurch.
Without warning, you were falling, but you didn’t make it far before you felt a warmth against you, and a strong arm snaked around your waist. Noctis’s voice rang in your ear, “Prompto!” Your downwards plunge was suddenly altered as the prince flung you to the side, towards his blond friend.
“Gotcha!” Prompto all but sang as you dropped safely into his arms, causing him to stumble back a few paces. You heard the sound of glass breaking, and the pieces of the world fell back into place as the effects of the smoke faded away. As it did, you found yourself cradled gently against the gunman, who gave you a bright smile.
“Nice catch,” you told him as he set you back on your feet. You looked up just in time to see the wasp that had seized you plummet from the sky, its legs twitching as it perished.
Noctis landed a short distance away in a burst of blue light, his own sword disappearing as he dismissed it. He looked around, dusting his hands off with a sigh. “That takes care of that.”
Behind him, you saw Gladio straighten, his broadsword, which was as big as you were, slung casually over one shoulder as if it weighed nothing. “Everybody okay?”
“I’m great,” Prompto said with a grin, returning to his usual sunny disposition now that the wasps had all been dealt with.
You looked down at your arm; deep grooves indented the skin where the spikes of the wasp’s mandibles had dug into the flesh, and you were frankly shocked that your shoulder hadn’t been dislocated when you had been yanked upward so suddenly. But other than that… You gave Gladio a smile. “Just fine.”
The brown-haired man turned. “Iggy?”
Ignis had appeared from behind one of the wasp’s bodies, brushing himself off. You could see a thin scratch on the side of his face, and his usually pristine clothes were a bit ruffled, but it seemed that he hadn’t been injured too severely. “No worse for wear. Noct?”
The prince rolled his shoulders. “Tired, but good.”
As they gathered closer, you saw that they all sported minor wounds; Gladio had several shallow cuts crisscrossing his bare chest and arms, and Prompto was similarly pattered. The only one who seemed to have been able to escape mostly unscathed was Noctis, since he had been able to warp away from any potential attacks before they could land.
Ignis circled the corpses of the wasps, bending over a couple of times to pick something up. When he returned, he was holding two large stingers. “These should fetch a nice price,” he commented, tucking them safely under one arm.
Prompto grimaced. “Oh, come on, we’re really going to be taking pieces of those things with us?”
“Yeah; wanna be the one who carries them?” Gladio teased, amusement lacing his deep voice.
“Hell, no!”
Noctis patted his friend on the shoulder reassuringly as you gave a soft laugh at Prompto’s vehement reply. “Don’t worry, we’ll put them in the trunk.”
“Not cool, Gladio…” Prompto grumbled, but you could tell that he wasn’t truly upset at the large man.
“Shall we be off, then?” Ignis asked, shaking his head at the bickering between the two. It was rare for him to join in the teasing, but it was equally rare for him to try and stop it, either. Even though his own personality was rather serious, he didn’t mind the lightheartedness that came with the playful conversations. In fact, he quite liked it. It brightened the days that the five of you spent together, and made things much more pleasant.
He led the way back to the Regalia, stowing away the wasps’ stingers before climbing behind the wheel. You and the other three piled into the black car, situating yourselves comfortably for the long ride back.
~ ~ ~
The sun was beginning to settle onto the horizon by the time Ignis pulled the Regalia over onto the side of the road.
“I fear this is as far as we go tonight,” he said, pulling a spare map out of the dash and looking over it. “We won’t make it back to the rest stop before nightfall, so we must wait until morning to report back.”
“Camping it is, then,” Gladio said.
“Just give me a place to lay down, and I’ll be happy,” Noctis agreed, getting out of the car and stretching his arms over his head.
You followed them out of the car, your arm folded tightly across your stomach. By this point, the abused flesh had become swollen and tender, and a patchwork of dark bruises had bloomed in various places. Your shoulder ached, but you’d been injured worse in the past. It could have been a lot worse, after all, so really, you had been lucky.
As Ignis popped the trunk, you and the others gathered around it, collecting the camping supplies. Gladio took the heaviest of it; the collapsible table and the tent, while Ignis grabbed the cooler and the portable stove, leaving the lamps and chairs for you, Noctis, and Prompto.
It wasn’t a long hike to the haven, and light still lingered in the sky when you arrived, giving everyone plenty of time to set up the camp. While Gladio set up the tent and Ignis set to work on supper, you lit the lamps, hanging them up on either side of the table where the sandy-haired man was preparing what promised to be a very good meal.
Soon, the camp was finished, and you looked around, contemplating your next move. While you wanted nothing more than to stretch out inside the tent and wait for supper to be finished, you knew that wasn’t an option. There was something else you needed to do first.
“I’m heading to the river; I’ll be back soon,” you told them. Though your leather jacket had deflected most of it, the cloud of smoke the wasp had sprayed on you had soaked into the shirt you wore beneath, causing the material to become sticky, and you wanted to be rid of it as soon as you could.
“Stay alert,” Ignis cautioned, pausing for a moment in cutting up a haunch of garuda meat. “We have little to fear from daemons, but other things may be prowling around in the dark.”
“I will,” you promised him before turning around and heading off into the forest. Within five minutes, you could hear the sound of rushing water, and the trees thinned out, opening onto a small clearing with a shallow river threading its way through it. You made you way over to it, pulling off your gloves as you did so. Your sleeveless leather jacket was next, which you folded up and placed on a rock so it wouldn’t get wet. Finally, you unbuttoned the short-sleeved shirt beneath it, shrugging out of it and leaving you bare from the waist up, save for a black lace bra.
Before doing anything else, you knelt down, bracing yourself on one hand, and dipped your other arm into the cold current. You gave a soft sigh as the temperature of the water seeped into your skin, cooling it down and numbing the worst of the sting.
That felt so nice…
Holding yourself there for a couple of minutes, you finally straightened, putting your shirt aside for a moment. Cupping your hands beneath the water, you splashed it on yourself, shivering faintly. While you could have simply waited until you were back at camp and asked Ignis to let you borrow some heated water, you wanted the foul residue of the wasps off your body immediately, even if it meant that you had to deal with goosebumps and chattering teeth.
When you were clean, you shook out your shirt and plunged it into the water. You rubbed the fabric against itself, washing away the stickiness that had been bothering you since the battle.
While you worked, darkness settled over the land, and the moon rose, illuminating the clearing enough for you to see what you were doing. There was nothing quite like sleeping out beneath the stars; you understood why Gladio liked it so much. As nice as a soft bed was – and you had to admit, it sounded very nice right now – you also enjoyed the nights the five of you spent camping. It made you feel a sense of camaraderie that a hotel could never manage to replicate.
Just as you were wringing the excess water from your shirt, you heard a twig snap behind you. You froze, your breath catching in your throat as you strained to listen. The normal sounds of the night surrounded you…for the most part. But directly behind you, they had ceased. Something was there. Something big enough to disturb the nocturnal animals into an uneasy silence. Quiet footsteps were coming closer – whatever it was didn’t seem to be overly large, thankfully, but you didn’t lower your guard. In all likelihood, it was an innocent creature coming to drink from the river before settling down for bed.
Still, in a glimmering burst of light blue, you summoned one of your daggers, the blade materializing out of the crystalline shards. In a single, fluid motion, you stood up, turned around, and flung it into the darkness.
“Yaah!”
There was a shriek and the sound of a body hitting the ground as the dagger buried itself in the trunk of a tree, four inches to the right and just above a very startled Prompto. He had fallen backwards, you saw, thinking that the blade was going to find its mark in him, and was now sprawled out on his rear in a position very unbefitting for one of the Crownsguard.
“H-hey, it’s just me!” He held up one hand in an attempt to ward off any further attacks; he knew you still had two other weapons at your disposal, just waiting to be called forth.
“Prompto? What are you doing out here?” you asked, coming out of your battle stance and turning to fully face him.
“It’s not safe to wander around alone at night,” he explained. “The guys sent me…to…” His voice trailed off as you moved, and you saw his dark blue eyes trail down over your body, taking in what you were wearing. Or, more accurately, what you weren’t wearing. Quickly, he looked away, and even in the darkness, you saw a faint hint of pink bloom on his cheeks, beneath his freckles. “The guys sent me to keep you company,” he continued, though you swore that his voice was a bit more flustered than it had been a moment ago.
Your head tilted slightly to the side as you watched him. Prompto Argentum, shy? This was new. He had never really shown much embarrassment about anything before; you had been half-convinced he couldn’t even feel something like that. But his sudden show of modesty made you smile.
“You know, you don’t have to look away. It doesn’t bother me if you see me like this.” You had officially become one of the Crownsguard a couple of years ago; at this point, you had long since passed the point of being comfortable enough around them all to not be embarrassed if one of them saw you partially undressed, or you saw them in a similar state – which had actually happened a few times…just never with Prompto. Really, it was a near-miracle that it hadn’t happened sooner, with the amount of time the five of you spent together.
Those cobalt-blue eyes – which seemed almost indigo in some lights – flickered back to you uncertainly. “Are…you sure?” he asked.
“I’m sure,” you confirmed, moving closer to him and extending one hand in an offer to help him up. “Sorry about the, uh…” You nodded to the dagger still lodged in the tree. “I wasn’t expecting anyone to follow me; we’re close enough to the haven that we should be protected from any daemons.”
“Yeah, you say that, and then I almost get turned into a Prompto-pincushion.” Regardless of his words, he took your hand, standing up and dusting himself off with a sigh. “If you don’t want me here, I can go.”
“I didn’t mean it that way; I don’t mind the company.” You reached out to touch the dagger, and it vanished in another shower of blue light. “And I didn’t intend to attack you; it was a reflex. If I’d actually meant to hit you with it, you wouldn’t be standing here right now. I missed on purpose.”
“That’s true,” he agreed, leaning back against the tree trunk and hooking his thumbs through his belt loops. “You can give Iggy a run for his money with those things.” As he spoke, you saw that he still kept his eyes averted for the most part, though every now and then, his gaze would flick back to you, trying to drift downward.
You turned, heading back to the edge of the water and picking up your shirt. Thankfully, the stickiness had washed out, so all that was left was for the material to dry. Once you got back to camp, you could change into your casual clothes, which you had intended to do anyway; you loved your Crownsguard attire, but it wasn’t the best for sleeping in. Until then, though, you could just wear your jacket. But as you reached for it, you paused, straightening as a thought flashed across your mind.
“Hey, Prompto?” you murmured.
“Uh-huh?”
“I didn’t get the chance to say it earlier, but… Thank you. For catching me like that. You saved me from a nasty fall, and probably a few broken bones.” You looked back at him, giving him a warm smile.
He waved one hand dismissively. “It was nothing. Just happened to be in the right place at the right time, is all. You and Noct did most of the work with that thing.”
“Still, I really owe you one.”
Prompto’s eyes narrowed, then, and he stood up straight, turning to face you. “Yeah? Then there might be something…” His fingers traced over his camera, which he had strapped to his hip, as usual, and for a moment, you thought he was going to ask for a picture. It wouldn’t be the first time, after all, though he usually only asked for permission when it had to do with landmarks.
“All right,” you agreed warily. “What do you want?”
“You said I saved you, right? Well, Noct already has the Prince Charming thing, so I can’t claim that for myself, but in the stories, when a heroic knight rescues a lady, she always gives him a reward, in appreciation.”
You blinked, then laughed, though it wasn’t mocking, but gentle. “I’m hardly a lady. And I think you and Noctis have been playing that game of yours too much,” you teased, giving him a smile to let him know that you didn’t really mean it.
“I am a knight!” he insisted. “A knight in shining…” he stopped suddenly, looking down at himself, then back up at you, returning your smile with a bright one of his own. “…leather.” Another pause as he thought this self-bestowed title over. “Yeah, I like it. It’s got a nice ring to it.”
“Knight or not, don’t sell yourself short. You have plenty of charm of your own, even without the benefit of being a prince.” That was the thing about Prompto. His charismatic disposition was like a magnet, drawing in anyone who happened to be nearby. When you first met him and the others five years ago, it had only taken a few hours of being in his presence before you had been ensnared as well, and had been ever since. Over time, it had turned into an attraction to him.
His grin grew wider. “Think so? Well, then, as your charming knight, I’m going to ask for just one thing. How about…a kiss?”
This made you pause. “That’s it? That’s really all you want?” You had expected something…well, more. But this was easy enough, and something you were happy to do.
He held up one finger as you took a step towards him, halting you. “But! It can’t be a kiss on the cheek or forehead.” As he tapped his lips, you saw his smile turn almost devilish. “Right here. Okay?”
Very interesting… Of all the favors he could have asked for, this one hadn’t even made it onto the list of potential guesses. But it shouldn’t have been any real surprise; he had always been very straightforward when he wanted something, and it seemed that this was no exception. His earlier hesitance in looking at you was completely gone, and his cheerful demeanor was back, just the way you liked it.
For several moments, you simply watched him, your expression unreadable. Just when you saw his smile beginning to falter, you moved over to him, tossing your shirt aside. Curling your fingers into the front of his jacket, you stood on tiptoe so you could reach him easier – despite being the shortest of the four, he was still several inches taller than you.
If he wanted a kiss, that was what he would get. Closing your eyes, you placed your lips gently over his. They were slightly rough, you noticed, probably from the hot weather. You felt him bend down slightly, to make things a bit easier for you, which you appreciated.
Just when you were preparing to break the kiss, there was a sudden warmth on either side of your waist as he rested his hands there. They slid around to your lower back; the soft material of his well-worn gloves was a stark contrast to his calloused fingers, and you jumped as you felt his touch on your bare skin, but you didn’t even consider moving away.
Prompto pulled away for only a moment, just long enough for you to catch a glimpse of his blue eyes, darkened now almost to black, and hear a sudden sharp intake of breath before his mouth was on yours again, and he deepened the kiss. He pulled you completely against him, one hand rising slowly up your back, tracing along your spine, then back down.
At first, you had expected it to be awkward, not knowing how much experience he might have had, since he always seemed to strike out with whatever woman caught his eye – then again, it didn’t seem like he had ever really tried all that hard, either, now that you thought about it – but nothing prepared you for the heat you felt. It was borderline passionate, the way he was kissing you, the way he was holding your body against his. Through the material of his clothes, you could feel the solidness of his form. As slender as he was, there was strength there.
Fire seared through you, leaving your body tingling, and you felt it settle somewhere in your lower stomach. It took root there, slowly spreading tendrils through your blood, and causing you to warm up in the most delightful way. The feeling took you by surprise, but you didn’t try to push it away. Instead, you embraced it, letting it fill you.
He tasted good, you couldn’t help but think; there was a faint hint of something familiar…was that cinnamon? It was difficult to tell. The scent of the leather he wore wove around you, along with his own natural smell – a mix of sunlight and the brand of soap he used (unlike Ignis and Gladio, he had never been one for cologne) – until you could no longer tell what was scent and what was taste, combining into a flavor that was uniquely him.
But you didn’t have much longer to ponder these things, as he finally broke away, his chest rising and falling more rapidly than it had been before. It might have been your imagination, but you thought you could feel his heart racing beneath your hand where you were still clinging to the front of his jacket. Idly, you had to wonder whether he could feel yours, as well; it was certainly beating hard enough.
“Prompto, that was…” you trailed off, unable to come up with the right words. A hell of a kiss, your mind supplied, and you fervently agreed. You hadn’t thought he had it in him to do something like that, and he had proven you wrong on every level.
Reluctantly, his hands slipped from around you, and he stepped back, giving you a sheepish grin. “Sorry, I got a little carried away.” There was something in his eyes that you couldn’t identify, veiled thoughts that were only hinted at, so you had no idea what they were about. But you thought you detected…
No, you couldn’t jump to conclusions like that. Instead, you focused on his words, rather than things you were unsure about. “I take that to mean you’re satisfied with your reward?”
He gave you a sweeping bow. “Yes, milady, thank you.”
Reaching out, you lightly swatted his arm, but you were laughing. “Knock it off, will you?” Prompto had always had a flair for the dramatic, and more often than not, it always ended up having this effect on you.
What you had never told him was that you were grateful to him. Ever since the fall of the Crown City, the world had seemed like a darker place, and without the blond to lighten the mood, you were sure that everyone would have succumbed to that darkness, try as you might to push it back. You adored the other three, but even you had to admit that they could be a bit too serious at times. Ignis in particular was very rarely given to levity, though you had seen it happen on occasion. Gladio was more laid-back, allowing himself to crack a few jokes, especially when it meant teasing someone, and even Noctis had gotten to the point where he could almost be called playful.
But Prompto was the light that illuminated the shadows that had fallen over the five of you after the invasion, and with his help, you and the others had slowly been able to lift Noctis out of the despair that he had almost sank into.
As you drew back, his gaze went to your arm, and he frowned. Slowly, he reached out, as if he expected you to smack his hand away, and when you didn’t, he gently took hold of your wrist, examining the marks that twisted their way up your arm. “Does it hurt?” he asked.
You shook your head. “Not so much anymore.”
His fingers skimmed lightly over the nearest bruise, never once using enough pressure to make it uncomfortable, and you felt a wave of goosebumps erupt over your skin at his touch.
“Let’s get back to camp before the others come looking for us,” you suggested suddenly. “Ignis probably has supper ready by now, and he’ll be upset if we’re not there to eat it before it gets cold.”
For a moment, Prompto looked like he wanted to protest, but at last, he nodded, his hand slipping from around your wrist. “Yeah, you’re right. He won’t let Noct and Gladio start eating until we’re all there.”
Turning around, you retrieved your discarded shirt, shaking it out and folding it up before grabbing your jacket and sliding it on. You buttoned it closed, shivering a little at the feeling of the cool leather against your bare skin. Stuffing your gloves into a pocket, you returned to your companion.
You let him take the lead back to the outcropping of rock that served as a haven for your group, and before long, you could make out the flickering of the campfire, and the forms of your other three friends situated around it. Gladio’s impossibly massive form was stretched out in a chair, a book in his hand. Ignis was bent over a small table, precisely arranging food on five plates until it met his exact specifications. Noctis was sitting on the ground in front of the tent, head propped up in one hand, eyes closed. At first, you thought he might be asleep, until Ignis said something to him, and he replied without even looking up.
As you entered the circle of firelight, you made your way over to the tent that had been set up behind Gladio, ducking into it and finding your belongings, which, along with everyone else’s, had been tucked into a corner on top of a pile of blankets. You found your casual clothes, shrugging out of your Crownsguard gear and replacing it with a button-up sleeveless shirt and a pair of jean shorts. As you changed, you could hear Prompto’s voice from outside the tent.
“For the record, guys, don’t ever come up behind (Name) when she has her back to you. You might get skewered.” There was the sound of shuffling, and the creak of leather as he plopped himself down in one of the empty chairs.
“It might help if you didn’t stomp around so much,” Noctis quipped. “She probably thought you were a daemon coming to eat her.”
“Hey! I do not stomp around!” A pause. “That’s Gladio’s department.” Prompto’s voice was smug, and you heard the sharp sound of Gladio snapping his book closed, and then a thump as he smacked the blond with it. “Ow! I was just kidding…”
“Say that again and I’ll be the one to skewer you,” the big man rumbled.
“Settle down,” Ignis’s smooth, accented voice cut in. “Supper is ready, and I would rather my hard work not be spoiled by threats of violence.” You exited the tent to see him holding a plate of food in each hand, the first of which he handed off to Noctis, who eyed it warily.
“Did you put extra vegetables in mine?”
The green-eyed man ignored this, moving around the fire and passing out the other three plates as you sat down in one of the empty chairs.
“I just want to say that if Prompto had identified himself before sneaking up on me, the attempted skewering wouldn’t have happened,” you chimed in, unable to stop yourself from joining the playful banter. These were the moments you loved best; the five of you gathered around the campfire after a long day, sharing conversation and teasing each other.
Prompto brandished his fork at you. “You didn’t even give me a chance to say anything!”
Ignis heaved a long-suffering sigh as he took his own seat, crossing one leg elegantly over the other. The firelight glinted off his glasses as he turned his head to look at you, his eyes following the movement of your arm as you speared a piece of carrot with your fork and brought it up to your mouth.
“(Name), how are your wounds? We have a surplus of potions, if you wish to heal yourself.”
You paused, looking down at the pattern of dark bruises that mottled your skin, which you could still feel throbbing on occasion. On your right, Prompto went still, eyeing you in what would have been a surreptitious manner, had your chair not been angled in such a way that you were able to see him in your peripheral vision.
“I’m fine,” you assured the prince’s advisor after a moment. “It’s nothing that won’t go away on its own in a day or two; we should save the potions in case one of us needs them next time.”
“Hm. Very well, but I would at least suggest a cold compress, to bring down the swelling.”
You couldn’t help but smile at this. Trust Ignis to insist upon proper medical treatment, even out here in the wilderness. Whenever one of you was wounded, he was always the first to notice, and the first to act. Thanks to this, you and the others had been able to avoid some very serious injuries in the past.
“If I have to,” you replied, knowing that you would. He’d always been very firm about making sure that everyone took very good care of themselves, and you all knew better than to argue with him when he was like this. Even Gladio was no match for him when he used his advisor voice.
“I’ll get it,” Prompto said suddenly, putting his plate down and bounding to his feet. He disappeared into the tent, returning a moment later with an ice pack in his hand, which he then wrapped carefully around your arm.
You hissed at the sting of the cold against your skin, and had to resist the instinct to jerk away from it. “Thanks, Prompto.” You gave him a small smile, though you couldn’t help but wonder why he was being so attentive.
“Welcome,” he chirped, taking his seat again.
As you returned to your meal, you didn’t notice Prompto fall into a pensive silence, his eyes growing distant as he became lost in thought.
You didn’t notice, but someone else did.
“Hey, Prompto, you’re going to fry your brain if you keep thinking so hard. What’s up?” Noctis put his plate aside, the dish still littered with uneaten vegetables. As he had suspected, Ignis had indeed added extras to his plate, much to his dismay.
Prompto started, looking up. “Huh? Oh, nothing. I was just coming up with a new strategy for King’s Knight, so I can whip your butt again next time we play.”
“Again? You make it sound like it’s a regular thing,” Noctis shot back, a smirk on his face.
“It is unlike you to be so quiet,” Ignis observed, stopping whatever retort Prompto was about to fire back at his friend. The two of them had a fierce rivalry when it came to that game, and they were always trying to outdo each other. Noctis won more often than not, but Prompto could hold his own well enough to provide a challenge for both Noctis and Gladio. Through you weren’t a player yourself, you often enjoyed watching the three of them play, and making casual bets with Ignis about who would win each round when they competed.
“It’s nothing, really,” Prompto insisted, shifting uncomfortably now that four sets of eyes were fixed on him curiously. He stood up, carrying his plate of half-eaten food over to the table and putting it down, which made Ignis arch one eyebrow, and surprised you. Prompto never left food on his plate; now you were starting to believe that Noctis and Ignis were on to something.
Abruptly, he changed the subject. “You up for a round before bed?” he asked Noctis, pulling out his phone and flashing the prince a grin, which Noctis returned.
“You know it. Let’s see if this new ‘strategy’ of yours is any good.”
“I’m in; better get ready for an ass-kicking,” Gladio told them, getting up long enough to add his empty plate to the table.
You added yours soon after, returning to stretch out in your chair and soak in the warmth of the fire. Propping your head up in one hand, you closed your eyes with a yawn. That hunt had tired you out, and now that you were full of Ignis’s delicious cooking, you were on the verge of falling asleep.
Only half-awake, you listened to the chatter of the three beside you as they played their game (Gladio was making good on his threat; he had already knocked Prompto out of the running, and was well on his way to claiming victory over Noctis), and the sound of Ignis putting away his cooking utensils.
Just when you were about to slip into true slumber, you felt someone gently shake your shoulder, and you looked up to see Noctis. “You’re as bad as me tonight; come on, you can’t fall asleep out here.”
“Bet you I could…” you murmured, but you stood up nonetheless, stretching. As you entered the tent, you noticed that everyone had changed out of their Crownsguard attire in preparation for bed, and were settling down into their customary places.
Your own position was nestled snugly between Ignis and Prompto, with Noctis on the blond’s other side, and Gladio taking up the far edge. Cautiously, you rested your arm across your stomach, not wanting to let the ice pack touch the men on either side of you. While the cold was soothing to your inflamed flesh, you didn’t think they would agree, should they have to try and sleep with it against them.
The last thing you heard before drifting off was Gladio zipping the tent closed, and laying down with a deep sigh.
~ ~ ~
One arm folded behind his head, Prompto lay on his back, listening as four breathing rhythms began to slow as his companions dropped off to sleep one by one. Unsurprisingly, you were the first, and he glanced over at you. It wasn’t completely dark in the tent thanks to the low flames of the fire seeping through the walls, and he could barely make out your features beside him.
He hadn’t wanted to tell the others, but he’d clearly not been thinking about King’s Knight earlier; his swift fall to Gladio had been proof of that, but thankfully, Noctis had seemed satisfied by his explanation, and hadn’t pressed him further.
In truth, he had been thinking about that kiss. He’d known what he was asking from the beginning, and was under no illusions about what it meant. But as soon as your lips had touched his, a fierce hunger had overcome him, and he hadn’t been able to stop himself from embracing you, and taking control of the kiss.
You had been on his mind more and more as the weeks passed, but he’d never thought that he would actually get the opportunity to do something like that. So when you had offered him a favor in return for keeping you from harm, he had seized it eagerly, even though Noctis was probably more responsible than he had been, since it had been the prince who had grabbed you out of the air and changed the trajectory of your fall.
Unconsciously, he licked his lips, remembering your taste; sweet as any dessert, he hadn’t been able to get enough. He wanted to do it again, as many times as you would let him get away with, even though he had no good reason for why you should allow this. But the soft feeling of your body pressed against his…
He shifted uncomfortably beneath his blanket; his pants were feeling a bit tighter than they had a moment ago, and he knew that his thoughts were leading him down a path that there would soon be no turning back from. Really, he should try to occupy himself with something else…but he also realized that he wasn’t sleepy, and the image of you standing there in the moonlight, with almost your entire upper half bared to him refused to leave his mind, no matter what else he tried to think about.
Suddenly, he froze as you turned over onto your side, giving a soft sigh in your sleep. Judging by your peaceful expression, it looked like your arm was no longer bothering you. A lock of hair came untucked from behind your ear, falling across your cheek, and without even thinking about it, Prompto reached out and brushed it back. You didn’t so much as twitch as he did this, making him smile. Noctis was usually the heavy sleeper, and after your accidental attack on him when he’d found you in the forest, he’d half expected your eyes to open even before he’d touched you. But still you slept on, oblivious to him.
Maybe that was a good thing, though. If you had woken up, he had no idea how he would explain the growing bulge in the front of his pants that was becoming harder to ignore by the second. It looked like he wasn’t going to be able to make it go away through sheer force of will; his mind automatically drifted back to you within a few moments. There were other methods, though…
Carefully, silently, he slipped out from beneath his blanket, kneeling in front of the opening to the tent and starting to unzip it, moving slowly so the sound wouldn’t wake anyone. A sudden movement caught his attention, and he froze, turning his head just enough to be able to see what had caused it.
With the absence of his warmth beside you, you had brought your legs up, curling up into a tight ball. The motion caused the blanket to slip from your bare legs, and Prompto’s mouth went dry as his gaze swept upward, taking in the sight of you. If you hadn’t so clearly still been sleeping, he might have thought you were doing this on purpose, just to tease him. But this settled it; he needed some kind of relief, immediately.
He finished unzipping the tent, pausing just long enough to cover you back up, then slipped outside. As he straightened, he looked down at himself in some annoyance. Now almost fully hard, he could feel his pulse shooting through his entire body with every beat of his heart, and heat was starting to collect in his lower abdomen.
“Always gotta pick the worst times, don’t you?” he muttered to his traitorous body as he moved past the fire, disappearing into the shadows that led away into the forest. He didn’t like the idea of leaving camp in the middle of the night, but you had been right; the river was close enough to the haven to be protected by its wards, so he had nothing to worry about.
By the time he reached the waterside, his breath was coming quicker, and the heat within him had turned into an ache. Dropping down onto his knees, he unbuckled his belt and pushed his pants down a few inches, not even bothering to fully discard them. His black boxers were next to follow, and he gave a soft sigh of relief as his length was finally freed from the tight confines of his clothing.
Bringing one hand up to his mouth, he used his teeth to yank off the glove before reaching down to take hold of himself, hissing as he touched the heated flesh. Gently, he stroked the skin, and before long, he was completely hard, and almost panting. His eyes closed as he ran his fingers over the tip, collecting the liquid that had appeared there, and smearing it down his shaft. Taking a firmer hold of himself, he set to work.
It wasn’t difficult for his mind to return to the events that had transpired just a couple of hours ago. He could still taste your kiss, still feel your warmth as he pulled you tightly against him. Your skin had been so soft and smooth, and as he’d slid his hand up your back, he had gone to mental war with himself; a part of him wanted to unhook your bra and take your full breasts into his mouth. It had been torture, knowing that you were right there, but that he couldn’t do more than hold you. That would have been crossing a line, and that was something he wasn’t willing to do, regardless of the circumstances. No matter what his feelings for you might have been, he would never do that to you.
But in his mind, the scene played out differently, taking on a life of its own. Never one for silence, Prompto let out a soft moan as he envisioned you pressing yourself against him. His hands would trace over your curves, moving down over your hips to cup your rear, and pull you more firmly against him, so you would be able to feel the full extent of his arousal. You would reach down between the two of you, caressing him, and he would kiss you again, coaxing you into opening your mouth so that he could fully taste you.
At long last, he would reach up to free your breasts, sliding the annoying piece of lace down your arms and tossing it aside. Now fully bared to his gaze, he would sit down and pull you into his lap so the two of you would be closer to the same height. With the soft swells easily within his reach, he would help himself to them, his mouth closing on one sensitive peak.
Prompto could only imagine the soft moan you would make in response to this, but it was enough to leave him gasping as he felt a faint tension beginning to grow within him. His hand worked furiously over his length, though he was barely aware of what he was even doing anymore. All he could think about was the way your small hand would curl around him, your delicate fingers tracing over his skin and making him shudder.
Another moan, a little louder this time, tore from his throat. His hips were moving in time with his hand now, bucking forward instinctively as he lost himself in the pleasure. In his thoughts, he would lay you back, his fingers unfastening your belt and unsnapping the button on your pants. Slowly, he would draw the garment down over your legs, leaving you clad in nothing but your panties. He could hear your voice whispering his name, begging him not to keep you waiting.
He licked his lips as he thought about what awaited him beneath that cloth barrier; he couldn’t wait to taste your most intimate flavor…
A soft cry escaped his lips as his release suddenly overwhelmed him, and he spilled himself onto the ground. Slumping forward, he caught himself on his hands, breathing hard. He hadn’t even realized that he was that close…
“Damn it!” he growled. Of all the annoying… First his body wouldn’t let him get any sleep, forcing him to come out here and take care of himself, and then he finished before he could even get to the best part of the fantasy he had begun to weave for himself!
Trembling slightly with the aftershocks of what had proven to be a powerful climax, he stood up, moving closer to the water’s edge to clean himself off. When that was done, he fixed his clothes, replaced his discarded glove, and made his way back to the campsite. Finally, his heated body was beginning to cool off, and he could feel drowsiness setting in.
But even still, he was cautious as he knelt down in front of the tent, listening. Four sets of even breathing; everyone was still asleep. No one had noticed his absence. Slowly, he climbed back inside, zipping the flap closed. Laying down in the open space that he had left behind, he pulled his blanket back over himself and closed his eyes.
In the darkness, he was extremely aware of your proximity; your arm was just barely brushing against his, and he could feel your warmth next to him. But his fierce desire had been satiated for now, so he was no longer flustered by you being so close.
As he began to finally drift off, however, a realization entered his mind. The fantasy had been good, even though he hadn’t been able to finish it. It had been good, but…
But it wasn’t enough.
He wanted more. More than an image in his mind, more than imaginary touches and pretend words. He wanted the real thing. The problem was, he didn’t know if you were interested in anything like that. You had seemed responsive enough when he had turned the tide of the kiss, but there was a big leap between that and everything else he wanted to do with you.
Well, there was only one way to find out whether you would agree. He just had to figure out the best way to go about doing it.
But he thought he had an idea.
~ ~ ~
Midday found you back at the rest stop, where Noctis collected the reward for disposing of the killer wasps. While you were taking inventory of the remaining supplies, Ignis and Gladio were inside the mart, restocking what you were running low on, but Prompto had decided not to join them. Instead, he was attempting to convince the prince into taking a couple of days off.
“C’mon, Noct, what do you say to a little break?” Prompto said, his voice taking on its most persuasive tone. “We’ve been going nonstop for a while now. Don’t you want to sleep in a hotel bed for once?”
Noctis sighed. “Galdin Quay is so far away, though. It’ll take us the rest of the day to get there. If you want a bed, there’s a caravan right here.”
“I know, but I’ve been really wanting some seafood lately, and we don’t have any left. Plus, I hear the fishing is supposed to be really good there right now.” He nudged his best friend. “You know you don’t want to pass up an opportunity like that!”
This made the prince hesitate. It had been a long time since he’d had the chance to do any fishing, and Prompto was right; there had been a sign stapled to the notice board outside the shopping mart that advertised a rare fish that had been sighted along the coast. Not to mention the fact that it would give everyone a chance to recharge from the battle with the killer wasps.
Prompto saw the opening, and seized it before it could slip away. “Fresh seafood, soft beds, hot baths, and all the fishing you can handle,” he listed. “Sounds like a dream come true, doesn’t it?”
“All right,” Noctis relented at last, making Prompto grin happily. “I guess a couple of days of rest couldn’t hurt, and we have some extra money after that hunt.”
“Yes! Galdin Quay, here we come!”
The blond didn’t have a chance to celebrate any further before a massive hand closed on his shoulder, and he was hauled away none too gently by Gladio. “Okay, enough cheering; come help Ignis and me carry this stuff.” A row of bags had been lined up in front of the mart, where the man in question stood, his arms full.
But instead of pulling Prompto over to where Ignis was carrying the first of the bags to the Regalia, Gladio steered the gunman out of earshot of anyone else. “All right, spill it,” he demanded, releasing his grip on Prompto and crossing his arms over his chest.
“Spill…what?” the blond asked in some confusion.
“There are a dozen places that we could be staying, most of them cheaper than Galdin’s hotel. Why there specifically? And don’t give me that line about the seafood; if you wanted fish, you would have gotten some from the river last night.”
Those dark blue eyes blinked. He had forgotten how perceptive Gladio could be; usually Ignis was the one who noticed the little details. Most of the time, the king’s shield simply didn’t care enough to want to pry deeper when something seemed a bit off. But this had gotten his attention.
Prompto sighed, looking away. “Okay, okay… I can explain.”
Gladio waited silently, arching one eyebrow in a universal I’m waiting gesture.
“I want to go to Galdin Quay because…well, it’s the most romantic place I can think of here in Lucis.” There was a tinge of redness staining his cheeks as he said this.
“And…you want a romantic place because…?” Gladio asked, his voice a slow rumble as he waited for the missing puzzle pieces to fall into place, though he had a suspicion that he knew where this was going.
“Because…” Prompto hesitated, then turned away, running his fingers through his fair hair in a mix of frustration and embarrassment. Spinning around, he began pacing back and forth restlessly. He hadn’t expected to be called out like this, and he didn’t want to tell Gladio exactly why he wanted to make this little detour. It wasn’t something he was ready to share with anyone else.
But he knew that he had no choice. The big man wasn’t going to let this go without an explanation. “Okay, look. Last night, when you and Ignis sent me to find (Name), she said that she owed me a favor for saving her. I couldn’t let an opportunity like that pass me up, so I took it.” A long, uncomfortable pause. “I asked her to kiss me.”
There was a moment of silence, in which Prompto thought that Gladio might burst out laughing. But he was only met with a surprised raising of eyebrows, and a single question.
“Did she?”
“…yeah, she did. At first. But then, I… I couldn’t help myself! I kissed her back. And then I realized, I didn’t want to stop. I like her, Gladio. A lot. And I want to do something nice for her, so I thought I would take her on a date or something, and Galdin was the nicest place I could think of.”
Gladio remained silent as the entire story came pouring out. The truth was, he already knew a little of it; for a while now, he had been watching Prompto’s behavior around you, and noticed him sneaking furtive glances your way whenever you weren’t looking. At every opportunity, he would snap a picture of you, though he was careful not to take more of you than he did anyone else, lest he draw suspicion to himself. But there were other signs that Gladio had picked up on, whether Prompto realized it or not – and it seemed like he hadn’t.
But it came as no real surprise that Prompto would want to go about things this way. Gladio was exceedingly familiar with his personality, and knew that a casual lay wasn’t his style at all. He was the type to go all out, wining and dining a woman before even thinking about making a move. That he had been aggressive enough to ask for a kiss in the first place was almost astounding, but it seemed it had been what he had needed to get the ball rolling.
His amber eyes narrowed slightly in thought. There might be a way to help this along, just a little… Not much; he would stay out of it for the most part, but he could make things a little easier for both you and Prompto. The blond had courage to spare, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t get nervous as the time drew closer to put his plan into action.
“All right,” Gladio said after a few seconds. “A few days in Galdin won’t hurt anything. If it gets to be too expensive, we can always camp instead.”
Prompto let out a sigh of relief and stopped pacing, the tension leaving his body. “Thanks, man.”
Gladio clapped him on the shoulder, almost causing him to lose his balance. “Now, go get the rest of those bags.”
The blond saluted. “Aye-aye, sir!" He bounced off to do as he was asked, leaving Gladio alone to make his way over to Ignis, and whisper something in the elegant man’s ear. Ignis blinked, his emerald eyes widening slightly behind his glasses, but he nodded, murmuring a reply back, which made Gladio grin and glance over at you.
Back at the Regalia, you were carefully packing everything away into the trunk when a shiver skittered its way up your spine. You straightened, looking around. What was that feeling…? It took you only a moment to find the source. Gladio was watching you, though he quickly looked away as your eyes met his.
You frowned. What had that been about? There was something almost devious about the way he had been looking at you, and you couldn’t help but wonder if he knew something about what had happened the night before. You didn’t think Prompto would have told him, but…could he have found out about it on his own, somehow?
Your attention was drawn away from this mystery by Prompto bringing you the rest of the bags, which you tucked into place. “Is that everything?” you asked.
Prompto nodded, leaning back against the Regalia and crossing his arms. “Yep. And it looks like we’re going to have a little vacation, too. I convinced Noct to let us spend some time at Galdin Quay.”
“Ah, a vacation at the beach. I’ll take it!” you commented. You’d always had a fondness for the ocean, and nowhere was it more beautiful than at Galdin. Or at least, nowhere that you had found. It had been quite a while since the five of you had been there, and you were looking forward to returning for a few days.
Noctis was already in the backseat, his arms tucked behind his head and his eyes closed, so you had to get in on Gladio’s side, sliding to the middle. Because you were the smallest, it was easier for you to sit there, though Prompto had offered on several occasions to switch places with him. You had accepted only once, and immediately regretted it when you saw how stiff he had ended up, climbing out of the backseat. He’d had to fold himself up like a piece of origami, and you knew there had been little room for his long legs, sandwiched between Gladio and Noctis. From then on, you had turned him down whenever he tried to convince you to sit up front.
Gladio’s weight settled in beside you, and Ignis and Prompto took their places in the front seats. After glancing back to make sure that everyone was situated, Ignis started the car, pulling out onto the highway that would lead you to your destination.
~ ~ ~
Nightfall at Galdin Quay was almost enough to take a person’s breath away the first time they saw it. The white sand beaches were illuminated by the lights that lined the bridge leading to the hotel and restaurant, and the trees rooted deeply in the water waved softly in the warm breeze. The restaurant itself was lively, filled with patrons enjoying their meals. Even now, though you had seen it many times, you couldn’t deny how beautiful the place was.
Ignis backed carefully into a parking place before getting out. “I’ll book our accommodations for the night,” he offered before striding away towards the combination restaurant and hotel.
Noctis all but slithered out of the backseat, rubbing his hands over his thighs in an attempt to get the blood flowing through his legs again. “Man, those long car rides really kill me.” He took a few steps away, looking around.
Freed from the confines of the car, Prompto headed towards the beach. “Anyone up for a short walk?”
“I’ll go,” you said, moving over to him. “I need to stretch my legs.” You paused, looked back at the other two. “Noctis, Gladio?”
The amber-eyed man shook his head. “Nah, I’ll pass this time. You two go on ahead. Iggy and I will take care of dinner.” He saw Prompto shoot him a grateful look, though it was gone before you had time to notice it, and he smiled to himself. Guy really had it bad…
Noctis was already turning towards the bridge. “No thanks. There’s a hot bath that has my name on it, and then I’m going to see if I can’t find that fish everyone’s been talking about in the fliers.”
You shrugged. “Suit yourselves. Guess it’s just us, then, Prompto.” You flashed him a smile as you turned back towards the beach, which he returned.
As the two of you walked along, you noticed that the gunman was close enough that his hand occasionally brushed against yours. A night of rest and the ice pack had done wonders for your wounds; though the bruises were still tender to the touch, they had stopped aching, so you weren’t averse to the contact, whereas you might have been the night before.
While you walked, Prompto pulled out this phone, tapping out a quick message before putting it back in his pocket. If this was going to work, he was going to need a little help. He just hoped that you wouldn’t be offended by him enlisting the help of the others, just a little. Under other circumstances, he could have done it himself, but he hadn’t had the chance to prepare beforehand. If you weren’t pleased with it, he would just make it up to you at another point, he decided.
A few seconds later, his phone chimed a reply, and as he glanced down at it, he grinned. Excellent. Gladio had agreed. Now to stall for time…
“What’s with that look on your face?” you asked curiously, noticing the way he was smiling.
“Huh? Oh, Gladio just said that Noct stole all the hot water in the shower, so the rest of us are going to have to wait a while if we want one. I just thought it was funny, since he does the same thing.”
You arched one eyebrow. Given the size and reputation of the hotel, you didn’t believe this for a moment. There was no way that one person could use all of the hot water in a single shower, unless they stayed in there for hours. But you decided not to say anything to the contrary; let him have his secrets for now.
“It was a good call, asking to stop here of all places,” you commented after a few minutes of companionable silence. “Galdin Quay is one of my favorites.”
“I know,” he replied. “That’s…actually why I suggested it.” He came to a stop, reaching up to rub the back of his head.
You paused and turned to look at him. “What do you mean?”
“I mean that I wanted to come here…with you.” Shifting from one foot to the other, he finally looked at you. “Look, I was wondering if you wanted to have dinner with me tonight. Just…the two of us.” Hesitantly, he reached out, hooking his fingers lightly around yours, though he wasn’t quite holding your hand. “It’s really sudden, I know, but…
You smiled. “Honestly? I would like that a lot.”
The nervousness seemed to evaporate from his body, and Prompto took your hand in a bit of a firmer hold.
“Mind if I try something?” he asked.
“N-not at all.” Now it was your turn to be a bit nervous. You recognized that expression in his gaze. It was the same type of confidence that he had displayed when he’d asked you to kiss him. It seemed like once he had your assurance that you weren’t going to push him away, an entirely new man took over.
Gently, he pulled you closer, bringing your arm up and pressing his lips to the darkened skin, tracing over each bruise with exquisite delicacy.
This made you give a soft gasp as you felt your heart flutter in your chest. Where had he learned to do that? You hadn’t known that Prompto could be so…well, sensual. He was a bit clumsy at times, and tended to put his foot in his mouth more often than not, but occasionally… Occasionally he showed you a side of himself that you never would have imagined existed. You had seen it the night before, and now again, as he kissed his way along your arm.
“Prompto,” you breathed, feeling yourself beginning to melt into his touch.
A sudden shiver ran through him; hearing you say his name like that was even better than he had imagined it would be. He wanted to hear it again, and again… As many times and in as many different ways as he possibly could. He hooked his other arm around your waist, so you were flush against his body, and his lips traced their way up your arm, until he reached the sleeve of your undershirt. Pushing the fabric up, he placed more kisses up to your shoulder, where he was forced to stop by the leather of your jacket.
There was a faint blush on your face by this point; even though he was making heat flood your body, you were very well aware of the fact that the hotel and restaurant were just a short walk down the beach. You were too far away for anyone to get a clear look at you, but you were still technically in a public place.
“We shouldn’t… Someone might see…” Despite your words, you wrapped your arms lightly around him, and you knew that you didn’t want him to stop, regardless of the fact that anyone looking in this direction would be able to see the two of you twined together.
“Don’t worry,” he replied, his voice lower than it had been before. “I bet people do things like this all the time.”
You had to admit that he had a point there. In a location such as this, innocent trysts – and maybe some not so innocent ones – were probably quite a common sight.
Still, he raised his lips from your shoulder, looking down at you. In the moonlight that shone down, you saw that his pupils had dilated to the point where you could barely see the rings of dark blue around them. “Do you want me to stop?”
You considered the question for a moment. Though unexpected, his touch and kisses were anything but unwelcome, and while it was true that you would have preferred a more private place, the darkness concealed enough that you weren’t overly self-conscious of any potential watchers. Besides, you knew that, even if he continued, he wouldn’t go too much further. There was a line drawn about what was acceptable in a semi-public place, and what wasn’t, and it was a line neither of you would cross.
With this in mind, you tilted your face up towards his, closing your eyes.
He took the hint, and his mouth descended on yours. It wasn’t as fierce as it had been the night before, but there was still enough heat in it to make you tighten your arms around him.
Hands partially covered by gloves came up to run through your hair, and a moment later, you felt his tongue touch your lips hesitantly, just once, before backing off again. He was getting bolder, you noted with approval.
Without giving him a chance to change his mind, your own tongue moved to trace along the seam of his lips, as you coaxed him into opening his mouth. He’d had the right idea, but not the confidence to go through with it. Something would have to be done about that, and you thought you knew exactly how to remedy it.
That would have to wait, though, as he responded to you, allowing you to deepen the kiss. Your tongue slipped inside his mouth, brushing against his for a moment before he took charge once more, forcing you out of his mouth and back into your own. A soft moan tore from his throat, and he finally broke the kiss, eyes glazed, chest heaving.
“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that,” he admitted breathlessly, still holding you close while his hands slid down your back. He rested his chin on top of your head and closed his eyes as he tried to slow his frantically beating heart.
His words made you pause. If they were true, that might explain a couple of things. Why he had been so worried about your wounds the night before. Why he had stopped checking out other women. It would mean that the one he had his eye on had been with him the entire time.
You.
“Then…why didn’t you?” you asked after a moment. That was the one wrinkle in all of this that you couldn’t figure out; twice now he’d said that he’d been interested in you for some time, yet the night before was the first time he’d ever shown any hint of it.
His eyes flicked open again, and he leaned back enough to look down at you. “Seriously?”
“Well, yeah. It wouldn’t have bothered me at all.” You paused for a moment, considering your next words. “I…always did think you were the cutest.” Reaching up, you gently brushed a lock of blond hair back out of his eyes.
The grin that lit up his face was so brilliant that it made your heart ache a little. What you wouldn’t give to see him smile like that more often…
“You…think I’m cute?” he repeated.
“Absolutely.” Smiling, you nuzzled his chest, inhaling the smell of his leather jacket, combined with his own natural scent.
“The truth is, it took me that long just to work up my courage,” he admitted. “I’m not like Gladio; he can just walk up to a complete stranger and ask them out without a second thought, but…I always found a way to talk myself out of it.” He tugged idly at the bracelet he wore on his right wrist, his fingers tracing over the bands of leather. “I guess I convinced myself that you wouldn’t want…someone like me.”
Your brow furrowed. “‘Someone like you’?” you repeated, in some confusion.
He opened his mouth to reply, then closed it again, seeming to change his mind about what he was about to say. Finally, he continued. “There are a lot of things you and the guys don’t know about me,” he said quietly, not meeting your gaze. “And to be honest, I’m a little scared of what might happen if – when – you learn everything.”
Without thinking, you reached up, placing your hands on either side of his face and turning it so he was forced to look at you. Lightly, you stroked your thumbs over his freckled cheeks.
“Prompto, nothing in this world could change how I feel,” you told him seriously. “I promise you that. And I bet they would say the same thing. You will always be our Prompto, no matter what.”
He reached up, placing his hands over yours, and for a moment, you thought his eyes seemed a little brighter in the glow of the moonlight. “Thank you, (Name),” he whispered. “Sorry if I brought down the mood.”
You shook your head, giving him a smile. “You didn’t. But if you ever need more reassurance, just let me know. I’ll be happy to remind you as many times as you need.”
It was strange. Most of the time, Prompto was the very definition of confidence. He was always quick with a joke or a flippant remark, and he was loyal and courageous to a fault. But the last couple of days, a crack had appeared in his persona, and you saw something different beneath it; a shy, scared young man who was more self-conscious than he would have liked to admit. He was afraid of letting you get too close, you realized. It hurt you to see him like this, and you wanted to do whatever you could to make sure that this side of him never had reason to see the light of day. More than anything, you wanted to see that sweet smile, as often as you could.
He held you for a while longer before finally pulling away, his hands skimming down your arms before he released you. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to stand like this for much longer before his body betrayed how he was feeling, and he wasn’t ready for that yet, and especially not while he was in public. Already, he could feel a faint straining that was the beginnings of his arousal.
“Want to finish that walk?” he asked. For a moment, you thought he was going to take your hand again, but since you would be heading back to the hotel, he seemed to decide against it.
“Too bad we have to go back. It’s nice out here,” you replied. But you could feel your stomach threatening to growl; dinner had been hours ago, and you were starving. You had to wonder whether Ignis was happy to have a night off, or if he would rather be the one to cook for everyone, as he usually did. He was talented enough that his dishes were usually better than what was served at a hotel, but Galdin was one of the places that matched his skill, making you look forward to what they had to offer.
That mysterious smile returned to Prompto’s face; now you knew he was up to something. “We’ll be here for a couple of nights, so we can come back out here whenever we want,” he pointed out.
“That’s true,” you agreed, though you weren’t sure if the current mood could be replicated again so perfectly. He had truly picked a good place for a date. A date… It was hard to believe that was what this actually was. That kiss had been the beginning of all of this, and you hadn’t even realized what such an innocent suggestion would be setting in motion. But the path the both of you were heading down was one that you didn’t want to turn back from. You wanted to follow it to its conclusion, and see where it led.
Passing by the fishing pier, you spotted Noctis sitting at the end, fishing pole in hand. He glanced back at the two of you as you passed, and you swore that you saw a smirk on his face. He had probably seen you in Prompto’s embrace, you realized. The question was, would he tease you about it, or let it go? It would all depend on his mood, you supposed; it could go either way.
Let him tease, you decided. You didn’t regret for a moment everything that had led up to this, and you would happily do it all again the exact same way as before.
As you reached the bridge that led to the hotel, you found Ignis standing on it, watching the trees wave in the wind. He glanced up as you and Prompto approached, turning to face you. “Supper should be ready by now. Hurry along, so it doesn’t get cold.”
A suspicion rose within you, then. Ignis always insisted on the five of you eating together, even when it was in hotels or at rest stops. He maintained that food always tasted best when enjoyed by all. Yet here he stood, saying this, which meant…
He knew.
You should have expected that, though, really. Ignis was the most perceptive out of everyone; he was able to pick up on the most subtle clues that you weren’t even sure had been there at all, until you looked back on the situation and were able to notice them. But not only did he probably know, he also seemed to be encouraging the two of you along, in his own subtle way.
“Sure thing, Iggy. Thanks a lot,” Prompto said, giving the taller man a wave as the two of you passed by. He certainly didn’t seem to be embarrassed by this, somewhat to your surprise. His relaxed reaction meant that Ignis not only knew, but it was also likely that Prompto had been the one to tell him.
Galdin’s hotel was tucked into one side of the restaurant, where a young, well-dressed man stood by the door. A friendly smile came to his face as you approached, and he opened the door to let you and Prompto pass through. “Enjoy your stay!” he said. It looked like Ignis had already booked a room for everyone, since you had been let through without any trouble.
As you stepped into the hallway, you looked around. Just before you could ask which room was yours, your gaze landed on Gladio, who was leaning against the wall at the end of the hall, twirling a keychain around one finger.
“Well, I guess we know where we’re staying tonight,” Prompto commented, leading you towards the amber-eyed man.
Gladio grinned when you stopped just outside of the door, and tossed the key card to the blond. “Have a good night,” he said, his deep voice laced with a secondary meaning. He brushed past you, vanishing into a room across the corridor.
Separate rooms; one for you and Prompto, and one for the other three… You blinked. “Prompto…” you began.
“Yeah?” He slid the card through the lock, and the door swung open. With a smile, he turned to face you.
“Did you…tell everyone about this?” Your voice was emotionless as you spoke, betraying no hint of your thoughts.
The smile faded from his face. “No!” he insisted vehemently. “Gladio cornered me after we turned in the hunt, and I told him that I wanted to do something nice for you, which is why I wanted to come here. But I knew that I couldn’t set it up myself without a lot more time, so I asked him for help. He must have asked Ignis, too. I’m sorry; did you not want them to know?”
You considered this. Truthfully, you weren’t angry, though it seemed like no secrets could be kept from the group. Or at least, not from the two of them. They would have found out sooner or later anyway, and you were somewhat touched that they seemed so willing to help Prompto out with his plans.
“No, it’s all right,” you said at last. “I think it’s actually kind of sweet, that you would do so much just to try and make this a nice night for us. But you know that Gladio is never going to let you live this down, right?”
Prompto shifted restlessly. “Well, I haven’t had many chances to ask a beautiful girl out on a date, so I knew I wouldn’t be able to do it alone without more time. I knew Noct wouldn’t be of much help, but Gladio and Iggy… If anyone would know how to do something like this, it would be them.”
You smiled at his words, feeling a faint heat rise into your cheeks. “Beautiful girl, huh?” you murmured as he led you into the room.
It was almost completely dark as the door closed behind you, and you automatically reached for the light switch when Prompto grabbed your hand.
“Leave it off,” he instructed. “Just trust me, okay? Come this way.”
Slowly, he led you across the room, towards the balcony. You noticed the glass doors had been opened, and occasionally, the curtains drawn across them would flutter in the breeze, revealing glimpses of silver moonlight on the floor. When you reached them, Prompto pushed back the curtains, letting you see what lay beyond.
In the middle of the white linen-draped table was a single candle, its flame protected by a small glass dome. Two plates had been set out, each one holding a filet of herb and pepper-encrusted fish on a bed of greens, and garnished with a wedge of lemon. Beside the plates were a pair of wine glasses; the liquid within a light, translucent red, though you couldn’t tell what brand it was. This was an interesting choice; neither one of you were very big on alcohol. Finally, there was a third glass, a champagne flute this time. Instead of champagne, however, it was filled with a chocolate pudding, with a strawberry perched on the rim. Beyond the balcony was the ocean, the moon reflected on its rippling surface and covering everything in an argent glow. It was a simple set up, but it took your breath away nonetheless.
“Do you like it?” Prompto asked.
“It’s amazing,” you breathed. “Did you come up with all of this by yourself?”
He grinned proudly. “Well, Ignis chose the main course…” Ah, that explained the wine. Ignis and Gladio were the only ones who really drank alcohol, though the king’s shield had talked you and the other two into sampling it on occasion. “…but everything else was my idea.”
It was incredible that sweet, sometimes goofy Prompto could throw all of this together on such short notice, but you found that you were very impressed with how romantic the entire thing had turned out to be. Even knowing that the other three were probably very well-aware of what was going on did nothing to dampen how you were feeling.
He reached up, unbuttoning his sleeveless leather jacket and shrugging it off, along with his gloves. Taking a step closer, he extended his hand. “Why don’t you get comfortable?” he suggested.
You smiled, removing your own jacket and gloves, folding the garment up before handing it to him. It seemed like some of Ignis’s behavior was rubbing off on him, you noticed. It wasn’t like him to offer to take your jacket. But it was clear that he was striving to be the perfect gentleman tonight. Idly, you had to wonder if you could push the right buttons to awaken the more aggressive side of him that he had shown you at the riverside.
He disappeared into the bedroom for a minute, and you sat down, looking out over the water, listening to the waves lap against the building’s supports. When he returned, he took his own seat, and the two of you began your meal. The fish was delicious; you were half-convinced that Ignis had actually made it himself. Which, if you were honest with yourself, he might have. It was certainly up to his level of skill. But what surprised you most was the flavor of the wine. You could hardly taste the alcohol in it at all; light and fruity, it was sweet enough that you had no trouble drinking it, and it seemed that Prompto didn’t, either.
“How long have you been planning this?” you asked after a while, your curiosity getting the better of you.
He gave a thoughtful hum. “About twelve hours,” he said at last, an impish smile appearing on his face. “I’ve known for a while that I wanted to do something, but I didn’t know any of the details until last night.”
“You could have fooled me. This doesn’t seem like something that was thrown together at the last minute at all.” Done with your fish, you sat back in your chair, sipping at the wine. Even if you drank the entire glass, it wasn’t nearly enough to get you drunk, which you appreciated. You wanted to be clear-headed for tonight.
He shrugged modestly. “I just wanted to do something you would like.”
“I’d say you succeeded; I couldn’t have asked for a better date,” you told him honestly.
“It’s not over yet,” he replied, leaning forward and picking up the glass of chocolate pudding. “Come on.” Retreating back into the bedroom, he pulled back the curtains. Moonlight spread across the floor, falling on a large bed tucked into one corner…and only one bed. To make up for the cost of two rooms, it looked like Ignis had decided to ask for only a single bed for the two of you.
Prompto froze. “Ignis, I’m gonna kill you,” he muttered.
“Are you sure this was Ignis’s idea? I smell Gladio’s handiwork here,” you commented. The idea of sleeping together in one bed didn’t bother you in the slightest; all of you slept side by side in a tent so often that you were not only used to it, you quite like it, especially when the nights started to get colder. But then again, it was something entirely different to share a bed, and you knew that whichever one of them had decided to do this, sleep hadn’t been on their mind when they’d asked for this room.
Prompto looked over at you, listening to the casual tone of your voice, and studying your expression. Slowly, he began to relax when he realized that you weren’t upset about how things had turned out. He sat down on the edge of the bed, patting the blanket beside him in invitation. “Ready for dessert?”
You took a seat next to him, tucking one leg beneath you. Your eyes followed his movements as he plucked the strawberry from the side of the glass, covering it in the chocolate before offering it to you.
A wicked thought came to your mind, then. The gesture might have been innocent enough, but you weren’t going to let it stay that way. You wanted to see just how worked up you could get him, and what might come of it.
Leaning forward, you braced your hand on his thigh, taking the strawberry into your mouth. At the same time, you sucked lightly on his fingers, licking away the excess chocolate. To your delight, you heard him inhale sharply, and his body stiffened. When the digits were clean, you drew back, chewing thoughtfully on the tart fruit. “Delicious,” you declared at last. “You picked the dessert yourself?”
Prompto’s voice was strained when he replied. “Y-yeah. I thought we could split something…” He trailed off, swallowing hard. When he’d offered you the fruit, he certainly hadn’t expected you to lick the chocolate off of his fingers, as well. Whether you’d meant it that way or not, it had been one of the hottest things he had ever seen. That one simple gesture had sent fire blazing through him, and it took every ounce of his willpower not to throw you down on the bed and devour your mouth, and every other part of your body he could reach.
“In that case, don’t let me eat it all; you should have some for yourself,” you suggested.
“I think I will.” Before you had time to reply, he had wrapped his free hand firmly around the back of your head, and his mouth descended on yours. His tongue swept into your mouth, thoroughly tasting you, and the combination of flavors from the pudding and strawberry. All trace of the hesitation he had displayed before was gone, washed away by the surge of heat flowing through his blood.
At last, he drew back, leaving both of you breathing hard. He licked his lips, then grinned. “You’re right. That is good.” Slowly, he leaned down, putting the still-full glass on the floor beside the bed. “But there’s something else I want even more than chocolate.”
“And…what is that?” you asked, your voice barely audible. Your heart was pounding in your chest, and you wouldn’t have been surprised if he could hear it.
He leaned towards you, and for a moment, you thought he was going to kiss you again. But instead, he whispered one breathless word into your ear.
“You.”
Bracing himself on one knee, he gently lowered you onto your back, placing his hands on either side of your shoulders. The next thing you knew, his lips were on your neck, kissing and licking the sensitive skin. He trailed down to your collarbones, and one hand moved to the first button of your shirt. He unfastened it, placing another kiss on the triangle of flesh that was revealed.
Your arms twined over his shoulders, and you held him close, tilting your head back to give him better access. He certainly knew what he was doing, you noted idly, and you gave a soft gasp as he suddenly nipped the skin just beneath your right ear. Soothing the now-pink skin with his tongue, he pulled back far enough to look at you, his hand resting on the second button of your shirt.
As you felt him lean back, you opened your eyes, returning his gaze. Your own hands came up, and you hooked your fingers beneath the bottom of his shirt. Slowly, you pulled it upwards, your fingers trailing over his ribcage as you raised the fabric.
He let you pull the garment over his head, tossing it aside as it pooled down his arms. This was all the encouragement he needed, and he returned the favor, slowly opened the rest of the buttons on your shirt. His gaze was riveted to you as each one came undone, revealing more and more of your body. He had seen you partially undressed just the night before, but this felt different, somehow, and he wanted to savor the slow unveiling.
Though you had seen him with his shirt off before, it had never been in this context. Even in the dim light, you could see that his shoulders were dusted with freckles, and beneath his fair skin, you could make out the curves of muscles in his arms, chest, and stomach. He wasn’t anywhere near as well-built as Gladio – few men were – but for all his slenderness, he was still nicely filled out.
You didn’t want to keep him waiting. “My turn,” you told him, reaching up and pulling him back against you. Your mouth went directly to his collarbones, and you lightly scraped your teeth along the smooth ridges, before biting down hard enough to leave a mark. He jumped in response to the sting, but to your surprise, managed to stay silent. You’d thought that would get him to make some kind of sound. Well, you’d just have to work on that. Leaning back a bit, you studied your handiwork, feeling a trickle of satisfaction. The mark would be barely visible above the collar of his shirt, there for anyone who cared to look. But then again, they would also be able to see the one he had left on your neck.
Well, turnabout was fair play, after all. You weren’t going to let him get away with doing something like that without returning the favor. You might be setting yourself up for grief from Gladio and Noctis when you saw them in the morning, but you didn’t care. Tonight was all about you and Prompto, and you were going to make the most of it. You would deal with the rest when it happened.
Placing your hands on his arms, you rolled him onto his back, leaving your shirt behind as you did this. He looked a bit startled, but didn’t protest. You threw your leg over his waist, and lightly sat down on him. Immediately, you could feel him pressing against your core, even through the leather of both of your pants. His eyes automatically went to your lace-covered breasts, and he started to reach up, only to restrain himself just before he could make contact, and let his hands fall back to the bed.
This made you smile gently. “It’s all right,” you told him, taking his hands in your smaller ones and bringing them up to your chest. “You can touch me.”
He drew in a slow breath, and he lightly trailed his fingers over the clothed mounds, caressing you as if he thought you might break if he handled you too roughly. Occasionally, his fingers dipped beneath the thin fabric, but never very far. The amount of self-control he was showing impressed you, even though he had no reason to hold back.
When you were sure that his hands were going to stay in place, you leaned forward, kissing him deeply. At the same time, you rocked your hips against his, and at last, this drew out the moan you had been waiting for.
Feeling the pressure of your core against him, Prompto instinctively bucked his hips up against you. He could feel himself straining against the front of his pants, and he wanted some kind of relief, even if it came from the friction of where you were seated on him. You were using just enough pressure that he could clearly feel you – and he was sure that you could feel him – but it only served to make things worse. He was sure that you were aware of this, and he could only hope that you wouldn’t draw out the torment for too long.
Through the fabric of your bra, he found your nipples, already stiff and begging for attention, which he was happy to provide. But the material was in the way; it would have to go. He slid his hands slowly around your sides, and when you didn’t protest, he traced the straps of the bra to the back, fumbling a moment before he found the clasp. But once he located it, it was swiftly unhooked, and the flimsy garment came loose from around you, slithering down your body until it landed in a heap on his chest.
Feeling this, you broke the kiss and sat back, tossing the bra aside, not caring where it landed. You held still, allowing Prompto to get his first good look at you without anything covering you from the waist up.
His cobalt-blue eyes raked over your body, lingering on your breasts for several seconds before sweeping upwards to lock gazes with you. The expression on his face was a mix of lust and adoration, making your breath catch in your throat. No one had ever looked at you like that before, and you felt your heart twist in your chest in response.
When your bra had come free, his hands had settled lightly on your waist, but now he slid them slowly up your sides, over your ribcage. You weren’t ticklish, he noticed; you didn’t so much as twitch as he touched you. His thumbs traced gently beneath your breasts for a moment before he finally reached up, covering the soft mounds with his entire palms.
You closed your eyes as he caressed you, enjoying the faint tendrils of pleasure that were slowly spreading through you. Not wanting to let him do all the work, you rocked your hips against him again, using enough pressure that it couldn’t be called teasing, but it wouldn’t be enough to give either of you any kind of release.
Suddenly, Prompto sat up, and his arms went around you, bending you back slightly. For a long time, he simply studied you, to the point where you found yourself beginning to grow a bit self-conscious.
“Say something,” you murmured, your hands rested lightly on his arms. “What are you thinking about?”
“Just wishing I had my camera,” he said at last.
You blinked, looking down at his waist. Sure enough, it was gone. He must have taken it off earlier when he’d removed his jacket. But at that moment, you were glad that he didn’t have it. You weren’t sure how comfortable you were with him potentially taking pictures of you while you were half-naked.
He correctly read the expression on your face. “Don’t worry, I won’t take any pictures. The lighting is too bad in here, anyway, and using the flash would ruin the image. I guess I’m just going to have to memorize it, instead.” He paused for a moment, and an impish smile came to his face. “Then again, that might be a good thing. I don’t think I would want to share those pictures with anyone else.”
You gave a breathy laugh, which turned into a gasp as he leaned forward, capturing one of your breasts in his mouth. The warm sensation sent a pleasant shiver up your spine, and your hands slid up his arms, curling around his shoulders as you held him close.
He flicked his tongue over the peak, circling it for a few moments before lightly scraping you with his teeth. His other hand came up to squeeze the other globe, and he gently tweaked the nipple, just hard enough for you to feel the barest sting. When he finally released you, he placed kisses along the sensitive flesh, sucking every now and then, and you were sure that there would be multiple marks before the night was through.
He trailed upwards along the center of your chest, leaving a soft nip between your collarbones before he found your mouth again. The moment that his lips touched yours, you found yourself being lowered back down onto the bed, but this time, Prompto was kneeling between your thighs, preventing you from closing them.
Sitting back, he slowly unlaced your boots, pulling them off and dropping them beside the bed. He ran his hands slowly up your legs, dragging his fingers along the smooth leather. When he reached your hips, he reached for your belt buckle, pausing for a moment to glance at you questioningly.
You nodded silently, giving him permission to continue. It was touching that he was so concerned for you, not wanting to push you beyond what you were willing to do. But he needn’t have worried. By this point, you were worked up enough that you had no intention of stopping him, and you had a feeling that he was of the same opinion.
With surprising slowness, he unbuckled your belt, but instead of pulling it through the loops and discarding it, he leaned forward, placing a string of kisses along your waistline, from one hip to the other. When he was done with this, he carefully unbuttoned your pants, and began to draw them down. The speed at which he was doing this was torturous, and you had to wonder if he was feeling the same way. If he was, he was hiding it well.
As the garment slipped down your legs, Prompto was treated to the sight of the last remaining item of clothing that covered you, a pair of black panties. He had to move back to draw your pants completely off, but as soon as they came free, he resumed his former position, and rested his hands on your smooth thighs, his thumbs tracing circles over the skin.
His pulse skyrocketed as he gazed down to you, almost completely laid bare to him, and his mouth went dry. In less than twenty-four hours, he was going to get to live out the fantasy he had created for himself the night before, something that he wasn’t sure he would ever get the chance to do.
Except, there was one small problem. He didn’t know how open you were to the idea that had taken root in his mind.
Lightly, he placed one hand over your center, and began to caress you through the fabric, watching your reactions like a hawk. Your body stiffened, and a moan caught in your throat as a faint burst of pleasure exploded within you. He smiled slightly, noticing that the soft fabric was slightly damp, betraying your arousal.
He traced along the crease of your right thigh, and you jumped as his fingers slipped beneath the garment, coming into contact with your folds for the first time. Collecting the evidence of your arousal, he pulled his hand back, examining the digits thoughtfully. “You’re this wet…for me?” he murmured, as if he could hardly believe it.
At his words, a fierce blush lit up your face. It was embarrassing, hearing him say it like that…even if he was technically correct. “If you want to think of it that way,” you replied, not meeting his gaze.
“Huh… I like it!” he declared, and before you even had a chance to look back at him, he had licked his fingers clean of your essence, giving a soft hum of appreciation. “And I think I like that even more than the pudding.” A devilish look came to his face. “Mind if I have another taste?”
“Um, sure,” you said simply, unable to come up with a better response in the wake of what you had just heard. He kept switching between bold and shy so fast that it was hard for you to keep up. But it also made it difficult for you to predict what he might do next, and you liked that element of surprise.
That brilliant smile returned to his face, and he bent down, catching a section of the waistband between his teeth. Slowly, he drew the garment down over your hips, inhaling the scent of your arousal as he did so. It made his length twitch within the tight confines of his pants, heightening the ache of desire he was already feeling. It was so tempting to just unfasten his pants and relieve some of the pressure… But for the moment, he kept his eyes fixed on yours, watching your reactions.
At last, he drew your panties completely off, settling down on his stomach between your legs. But instead of tasting you again, like you had expected, he traced over your folds with his fingers. His index finger barely brushed against the hidden bundle of nerves, and a bolt of electricity shot straight through you, making your body burn, and a ragged moan tore from your throat. The roughness of his skin against the sensitive, delicate flesh was an incredible contrast, and you struggled to keep still, when all you wanted to do was increase the contact he had with you.
He froze, and with the smile still on his face, repeated the motion with a little more pressure this time, circling around the tiny bud. “Feels that good already?” he asked, noticing the way you were trembling as he touched you.
“Yes,” you breathed.
Frankly, Prompto was amazed. It wasn’t that he had never done this before, but he was by no means an expert at it. He had only been with a woman a handful of times, so he wasn’t overly confident in his technique. But here you were, shuddering beneath him, and he had barely even begun to touch you. Never before had he gotten this kind of reaction from someone.
But you were different, in many ways.
You repeatedly reassured him when his nervousness got the better of him, even going as far as to soothe his fears about things that he never wanted to come to light. And the fact that he was able to make you feel like this was just the icing on the cake. He wanted to do whatever he could to make sure that you received as much pleasure as he could give. He wanted to see you come undone beneath his touch, and prove how much he cared for you.
But what he didn’t know was that you were of a similar mindset. Despite how sweet and caring as he was, you could tell that, even though he had probably been intimate with someone before, he had most likely never allowed himself to forge a bond with who he slept with, never allowed them to get too close. You wanted to be the exception, and based on the look that had been in his eyes when he had gotten his first look at you after removing your bra, the two of you were on the same wavelength. Over the five years that you had known him, and the two years that you had been a fellow member of the Crownsguard, the friendship that had blossomed between the two of you had deepened into affection, advancing beyond what you felt for the other three.
You were well on your way to loving him.
A single finger sliding into you brought you out of your thoughts, and your hips jerked as Prompto circled the nerve cluster at the top of your entrance, pressing down on it as he stroked your inner walls.
He studied you closely, committing to memory all of the places that made you squirm, so he could use them again next time. It was a learning experience, but he was eager to be taught so he could perfect his admittedly relatively unpracticed technique. He twisted his hand, hesitantly adding a second finger and pausing when your walls hugged the digits tightly.
You let out a shuddering exhale, and the motions of the fingers of his other hand sped up, causing hot pleasure to unfurl within you. “Keep doing that,” you instructed him. “And you can move your hand; it doesn’t hurt.”
Gently rolling the bundle of nerves between his fingers, Prompto alternated between using fast and slow strokes, until you began to quiver beneath him, your legs shaking as the pleasure he was providing began to grow. At the same time, he drew back his other hand, hooking his fingers so that his knuckles ran along your velvety flesh. He set up a smooth rhythm, and with the new angle, as the digits sank back into you, he brushed against the patch of rough skin deep within you that was so easily missed.
Your breath caught in your throat the first time he touched it, and the sound made him pause, his blue eyes narrowing. “Right there?” he questioned, rubbing up against it again, and causing your hips to twist as you sought to maintain the contact.
“Yes,” you all but moaned, your own fingers curling in the sheets of the bed. You hadn’t expected him to find that particular place on his own; but whether he had just gotten lucky, or whether he had been purposely looking for it, you didn’t care.
He gave a thoughtful hum, adjusting the movements of his hand so that he struck it with each stroke, pushing the pleasure within you ever higher. But his patience was running thin, and at last, he could wait no longer. He bent down, and his mouth latched onto the sensitive bundle of nerves. He sucked hard, causing you to arch up off the bed as the pleasure suddenly spiked.
What he lacked in experience, he made up for in enthusiasm, as his tongue flickered rapidly over the bud, circling and prodding it before he applied more suction. After a few moments, he trailed down, tracing around your opening and getting a better taste of your nectar. He sat back, licking his lips with a thoughtful expression on his face.
“Yep, just as good as I thought,” he decided, nodding.
“Then don’t stop,” you practically begged, making his eyes widen. He had never heard you sound like that before, and it was intoxicating. Having you at his mercy like this was incredible, and all that you were feeling was coming from him. It seemed like his inexperience didn’t matter to you.
He grinned. “Sure thing, babe,” he sang, lowering himself back down and resuming his attentions to you. His tongue lapped eagerly at your core, and this, combined with the continued motion of his hand, had you moaning as the pleasure climbed ever higher, pushing you towards release.
Prompto could feel the muscles in your thighs beginning to tense, and he doubled his efforts, determined to make you climax. Reaching up, he used his free hand to press down on your stomach, keeping you still as his tongue washed over you, drawing out more pleasure than he would have guessed possible.
Just when you were about to reach your peak, he suddenly clamped his mouth over you, sucking hard enough to make you cry out, and sparks flared before your eyes as the intense pleasure broke, spiraling through you and lighting your nerves on fire. Shudders racked your small frame and you shook beneath him as he continued working you through your climax, prolonging the pleasure as long as he possibly could. His continued efforts set off a ripple effect, though none were as strong as the first one.
He eagerly lapped up the liquid proof of your release, devouring you as if he had just been presented with a lavish feast after starving for days. When he had cleaned away all traces of your sweet essence, he sat back, a self-satisfied look on his face as he gazed down at your limp form. This time, he didn’t need any kind of reassurance; the reactions of your body told him exactly how well he had done, and he couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride.
You turned to face him as he snuggled up against you, draping one arm across your side.
“Whatcha think?” he asked lightly.
You looked up at him, and your eyes narrowed. Reaching out, you lightly ran your fingers over his still-clothed length. You could feel that he was rock-hard, and probably very uncomfortable. His pants weren’t exactly loose to begin with, and now the material was strained as he pressed against it.
“I think we’re not finished yet,” you replied, propping yourself up on one elbow and leaning forward to kiss him. Your taste still lingered on his lips and tongue, but you disregarded this as you pressed against him, encouraging him to turn over onto his back.
“Are you sure?” he murmured against your lips. “We don’t have to…”
You trailed down to his neck, nipping him lightly in response to his words. “Oh, yes, we do. I’m not letting you get away so easily.” Stroking him through the leather, you glanced up at him. “I don’t think you’re ready to stop yet. Don’t you want some relief of your own? Especially after that performance, I think you deserve a little something for yourself.”
He allowed you to push him back, and he reached down to pull his boots off before stretching out. You sat up, your fingers going to his belt buckle. Unfastening it, you leaned forward, licking at the place on his collarbone where you had bitten him earlier. Slowly, you trailed back down, leaving a line of kisses in your wake. Even before you reached the top of his pants, you heard him give a soft moan, and you glanced up to find that his own eyes had closed.
That wouldn’t do.
You nipped his stomach, causing him to instinctively flinch, though the bite wasn’t hard enough to hurt. “Eyes on me,” you ordered. You didn’t know if he had ever experienced this before, and if he hadn’t, you wanted him to watch every moment of it. He had been waiting so patiently, and had even been willing to forego his own pleasure if you were too tired to continue. But you could have been utterly exhausted, and you still wouldn’t have let him go without something for himself. You were determined to end the night with him inside of you.
But first…
When those beautiful cobalt eyes were fixed on you once more, you began your work, unbuttoning his pants and drawing the leather down over his hips. He raised up to make things a bit easier for you, and you slid the garment down and off, adding them to the pile of clothes that had accumulated beside the bed. This left him dressed only in black boxers, but you didn’t remove these just yet. Instead, you ran your hand over him, getting an idea of his size. From what you could tell, he was a bit larger than average, but not obscenely so.
Prompto’s hips jerked, and he let out a shaky breath. You knew that your soft touch was probably torturous to him, after waiting all this time. While you could have drawn it out more, you didn’t want to tease him; not tonight.
Your fingers slipped beneath the waistline of his boxers, and you pulled them downward. At last, his length was freed, and it sprang up, already glistening with traces of his arousal. Settling yourself between his legs, you placed one hand on his thigh as a warning for him to keep still, while the other wrapped around the base of his shaft to keep him steady. Slowly, you leaned forward, licking the tip.
His taste burst on your tongue; salty, with a faint bitterness. You couldn’t say that you disliked it, though. Without warning, you engulfed the head, and to your amusement, you heard him swear, his voice shaking. If he did have experience with this, it couldn’t be very much, based on his reaction.
Your tongue lapped at the sensitive underside, tracing along the ridges, and at the same time, you began to stroke him, your grip firm, but your movements slow. Carefully, a centimeter at a time, you began to take him in farther, increasing the pressure of your mouth as you sank down.
His hips trembled beneath your hand, and you paused, preparing for him to buck upwards, but to your surprise – and relief – he kept still. Just before he could hit the back of your throat, you pulled back, your tongue drawing patterns on his skin as you slowly released him. You felt a soft touch on the back of your neck, and his fingers twined gently through your hair, tenderly brushing it back out of your face. Even without looking up, you could feel that his eyes were fixed on you, just as you had instructed, but you couldn’t resist glancing up, just to see the expression on his face.
His eyes were glazed, and his mouth was slightly open as he exhaled in soft pants. Pleasure seared through him, collecting in his abdomen and sinking sharp claws into him, refusing to let go.
Your movements controlled, you took him in again, setting up a slow rhythm designed to wring every ounce of ecstasy out of him that you possibly could. He probably wouldn’t last too long, you knew, but you didn’t care. A release now would enable him to last longer in a short while.
Very, very lightly, you allowed your teeth to scrape against him, and this made him shiver.
“That feels so damn good…” he murmured, his fingers still sliding through your hair.
Hearing him say that sent a burst of renewed arousal through your blood, and you narrowed your eyes slightly, letting him know that his words had reached you. But you never once backed off of him, using as much pressure as you could as you took him in, then released him. The entire time, your hand was still stroking him, your thumb pressing against the underside of his length as you gave him the occasional squeeze.
Your tongue danced around the tip, and you felt him twitch in response. Every now and then, a moan would drift to your ears; you liked that he was so vocal. Hearing his voice pitched low in pleasure just heightened your own excitement, knowing how much he was enjoying himself.
The pressure you were exerting on him with your mouth was incredible, and it caused the sensations flowing through him to contract into a tight ball deep within his core. To make things worse, the sight of his length disappearing into your mouth was one that he couldn’t keep watching without losing his composure, as you probably intended.
Suddenly, you felt his hand tighten in your hair for a moment. “(Name), stop. I…I’m gonna…”
Ah, that was what you had been waiting for. You pulled off of him, though your hand kept up its movement, never letting the rising pleasure die down. “That’s fine,” you assured him. “That’s the entire point.”
“But I don’t want to…in your mouth.” You could see the faint trace of pink dusting his cheeks again; he was embarrassed at the thought, but that just made you even more determined. You were going to make absolutely sure that he enjoyed himself tonight.
“It doesn’t bother me.”
With that, you took him back into your mouth, letting him slide almost to the back of your throat. Knowing it would probably send him over the edge, no matter how hard he tried to cling to the shreds of his self-control, you gave a soft hum.
You were right. The sudden vibration was enough to push him into his release, and with a quiet whimper, he emptied himself into your mouth. You swallowed quickly, your tongue catching the last drops of his essence and preventing them from escaping. To prolong his pleasure, you kept up the tension around his length, and you felt him shaking as wave after wave of his climax broke over him.
At last, he went still beneath you, breathing hard. You released him, crawling up his sweat-dampened body and resting your chin on his chest. It came to your attention that he was still semi-hard, and you knew that he would be ready to continue before long. For the moment, though, he was drained.
While he recovered, you reached down, picking up the forgotten glass of chocolate pudding that he had set aside earlier. Scooping up a spoonful, you took a bite before laying back down next to him.
“I hope I didn’t disappoint,” you told him, offering him the next bite.
He looked down at you, blinking. “Are you kidding me?” Licking the pudding from the spoon, he lay back, wrapping one arm around you and stroking a path up between your shoulderblades.
“Don’t get too comfortable,” you warned him. “There’s still one more thing left to do. Unless you’re too tired?”
“For you, I think I can manage. What did you have in mind?” He watched as you swirled the spoon through the pudding, considering your next words.
“Well, I was thinking that we could have a shower together, and I…” You didn’t meet his gaze as you spoke; suddenly you were the one feeling shy. “I want to feel you inside of me,” you murmured at last, your face taking on the same tinge of pink that had appeared on his a few minutes before.
You felt him freeze beside you, and the next thing you knew, you were lying on the bed alone as Prompto vaulted to his feet. He was halfway across the room before you even realized he had gotten up. Never before had you seen him move that fast.
“What are we waiting for, then?” he chirped, all previous trace of tiredness gone as if it had never been.
You couldn’t help but smile as you got up a bit more slowly, putting the glass aside and following him to the bathroom. As you passed by a lamp that stood in the corner, you flicked it on, providing just enough light in the bathroom for the two of you to see by.
By the time you got to the bathroom, Prompto had already turned the shower on and climbed inside, his usually-upswept blond hair plastered to his head. He extended his hand to you as you came close, and you took it, allowing him to pull you beneath the water with him. As the warm water poured over your body, he wrapped his arms around you, pressing you back against the wall and taking hold of your right leg, hooking it over his hip.
It took a bit of balance on your part, but with his hand beneath your thigh for support and his other arm wrapped firmly around you, there was no danger of you falling. Steadying yourself with one hand on his shoulder, you used your other hand to take hold of him, guiding him to your entrance.
Once he was properly aligned, he gently pushed forward, sliding into your tight heat. Because of your earlier release, your inner walls were slick enough that he had no trouble fully sheathing himself with you, and you gave a soft gasp at the pleasant ache of him stretching you. It wasn’t enough to really hurt, but you were grateful when he paused, allowing you time to get accustomed to him.
“You feel so good,” he murmured against your neck as he rested his forehead on your shoulder. He had been dreaming of this for weeks, and finally, now that he was getting to experience it, it was even better than he had imagined.
You wrapped your arms around him, the fingers of one hand playing with the ends of his wet hair. “So do you,” you replied.
After a couple of minutes, he began to move his hips, starting with long, slow strokes. Both of you were still sensitive after you had found release, and he needed to be careful. But at the same time, feeling you squeezing his length the way you were made it difficult for him to take things slowly.
Before long, he had set up a leisurely rhythm that had a slow burn of pleasure setting itself up within you. It felt nice, but it wouldn’t be enough for you to reach your peak. At the moment, though, you didn’t care; you were just savoring the feel of him.
Slowly, you could feel him returning to full hardness within you, and as he did, his pace picked up, becoming a bit rougher. Your grip on his shoulders tightened, your nails digging shallow crescents into his skin that made him hiss softly.
Now that he was moving more quickly, the pleasure grew exponentially, and you moaned as you felt it flourish, searing through your blood. Because of the sensitivity of your body, each sensation was heightened, and you were acutely aware of every small movement he made. Your walls fluttered around him, making him give a soft groan.
The way you were positioned, it was difficult for you to move your own hips, but you did the best you could, rolling them forward to meet him whenever he thrust into you. Slowly, you felt a tight knot of pressure beginning to grow in your lower abdomen, but though it continued to coil further and further, it never snapped. The friction between the two of you was exquisite, but it wasn’t quite enough.
“Touch me,” you whispered, knowing that you only needed a little more to reach your second peak of the night.
The arm that had been around your waist unwound itself, and you had to tighten your grip on his shoulders to keep your balance. His hand snaked down your stomach, finding the nerve cluster again and beginning to stroke it gently. It was still overly-sensitive, so the barest touch made you yelp, but when he stopped the movement of his fingers, you shook your head.
“I’m fine. Just don’t stop. I’m so close…”
Sure enough, once he resumed the motion, you felt the tension pushing its way towards the breaking point. Without warning, the coil exploded, sending you spiraling into white-hot pleasure that had your inner walls clamping down and convulsing around him. A cry rose up in your throat, and you stifled it by biting down on his shoulder, hard enough to leave an imprint of your teeth on his freckled skin.
This caused him to give a soft cry of his own as your climax triggered his, and his warmth filled you. The once-smooth movement of his hips became erratic, but he never stopped moving until the pleasure had drained from both of your bodies, leaving you exhausted. He released your leg, allowing you to stand on two feet again, and held you close as you slumped against him, breathing hard. He had one arm wrapped tightly around you, while the other was braced against the wall for support.
The two of you held each other as the hot water poured over your exhausted bodies, and at last, you regained enough strength to pull away from him.
“Let’s get cleaned up and get some sleep,” you suggested.
He nodded his assent, and after a quick wash, took your hand and led you back into the bedroom, where you curled up beneath the blankets together.
“I have to say, this might have been the perfect night,” you told him, tucking your head beneath his chin as he wrapped his arms around you.
“Can’t argue with that,” he said, amusement in his voice, though there was an underlying current of sleepiness, as well. “So…I have to ask… Does this make us a couple?”
Though you had closed your eyes, this question made you open them again, and you looked up at him. His face was serious as he looked down at you in the dim light. You studied his expression closely, trying to read his thoughts, but you learned nothing.
“Do you want to be?” you asked after a moment.
He placed one hand on the back of your head, pulling you to him and kissing your forehead tenderly. “I won’t lie, I care about you. A lot. Maybe more than I’ve ever cared about anyone before.” Realizing what he just said, he backpedaled quickly. “I mean, as more than just friends.”
You smiled. Even during a serious conversation, Prompto still had a tendency to put his foot in his mouth. You reached up, brushing a lock of hair back out of his face. Leaning forward, you kissed him softly. “Then we’re a couple.” You paused for a moment, your fingers tracing lightly down the side of his face. “My sweet knight…in shining leather.”
He blinked, then grinned that brilliant smile, and you felt your heart melt all over again. “I knew that title would grow on you eventually.” He pulled you close, giving a soft sigh of contentment and closing his eyes. Soon, his breathing had evened out in the pattern of sleep as exhaustion finally claimed him.
You rested your head against his chest, letting your own body relax. A couple… It was going to take some getting used to, especially with the teasing that no doubt awaited you from Gladio and Noctis. But you didn’t care. Let them say what they wanted. You were happy enough that it didn’t matter, and it was clear that Prompto was, as well.
Within a few more minutes, you had joined your new lover in slumber, the two of you safe in each other’s arms as the moonlight shone down on you, bathing you in its argent light.
Author’s Notes: Given Prompto's past, I imagine that he's probably a little shy about letting someone get close to him intimately, and might have moments where he's a little insecure about himself.
I also believe that he's probably not very experienced. No matter what I tried, he kept turning shy!
That being said, though, he's still so much fun to write for, especially his interactions with the other three.
So...more to come?
#prompto/reader#prompto argentum#ignis scientia#gladiolus amicitia#noctis lucis caelum#ffxv#reader insert#complete#oneshot#prompto x reader#ffxv fanfiction#ffxv smut#ffxv x reader#smut#fluff
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Secrets;Taeyong
featuring Jaehyun
Genre: -
Request: Hello ahah I finally got the courage to request smth ehehe. Can I ask for a college au where u & jaehyun are gorgeous af twins & everyone wants u but u have a secret r/s with bad boi TY ooh & idk how to continue this hahaha ily thank u
A/N: Like the Soulmate! series i’d probably write this College! Au series in a storyline form , it’s much easier for me this way ! I seriously apologise beforehand if this wasn’t what you wanted , my writing is really going down these days idek why , but enjoy reading !!
—-
You smiled to yourself as you glanced over to the bunch of boys standing at the corridor , fawning over your presence , simply just by sitting there and doing nothing but using your phone .
It was nothing new to you .
“ What’s up , beautiful ? Wanna hang out with me ? ” a tall and muscular boy appeared beside you , his arm snaking around your waist . Feigning a smile , you lightly pushed his arm away , as you replied in a calm and gentle tone ,“ No thank you . And i’d appreciate it if you respect my personal space ”
The boy beside you gave a smug expression as he moved even closer to you , his face leaning towards yours . He turned his head slightly as he whispered into your ear , his warm breath hitting the side of your cheek , “ What if i don’t want to ? ”
You heard the sound of heavy footsteps appear from behind you . Within seconds , the boy was pushed away from you and you were greeted with your older brother , who flashed you his warm smile . His expression changed as he shifted his focus back to the boy , “ Stay away from her , no one treats my sister like that ” . Scared , the boy got up and ran away , without saying anything else .
You spread your arms as you hugged your brother , the people around you staring at the both of you in awe since they stunned by your beauty .
“ Thanks so much Jae , and also i missed you so much . ”
He took a seat beside you as he drank a sip of coffee from your cup , before patting your shoulder ,
“ No problem ”
He paused as he nudged his head to the left ,
“ I had to do it since someone’s not happy , go talk to him Y/N ”
You turned your head and your eyes met his strong gaze .
He didn’t give you the smirk he gave everyday .
Despite you giving him a small smile , he did not budge . He kept a straight face as he got up from his seat . He pointed to the door before he left , signalling you to meet him outside - the way you two always did .
“ He looks very pissed . Be careful and call me if you need help alrights ? ” Jaehyun smiled as he pat your head . He took care of you very lovingly despite only being older than you by 5 minutes .
You assured him with a smile before rushing out of the cafeteria , making your way towards the quiet hallway .
—-
His back was facing you and he was leaning on the row of lockers . He tapped his foot impatiently , as he stood there with his arms crossed .
You slowly wrapped your arms around his torso as you laid your head on his shoulder . “ Why are you so angry babe- ”
He brushed your arms off and pushed you lightly against the lockers . You gasped from the sudden impact as you tried to avoid his piercing stare .
“ Babe ? You could have done anything to stop him but you didn’t . ” his angry tone rang through your ears as he traced your jawline with his right hand , the other grasping your wrist tightly .
You tried to escape but his hold tightened . “ I did , i told him to move away but he didn’t . What else could i do Taeyong ? ”
He scoffed at your words and leaned even closer to you , his arms circling your waist .
Once again , you tried to get out of his hold but he pushed you back once more , as he rolled his eyes at your actions .
You hated when he got all aggressive and angry .
“ Well if you’re not happy then why didn’t you do anything . You’re my boyfriend after all , ”
You notice him clenching his fist as the veins on his arms started to become more visible . He took a deep breath before hissing at you , “ We are in a secret relationship Y/N , i can’t make it that obvious ”
You rolled your eyes as your tears threatened to fall . You looked away from him and attempted to push him away .
“ That’s the thing i don’t get , why must we still keep it a secret when we’ve been dating for 8 months now ? ”
He threw his fist against the locker beside you , so strong a dent had already formed . You flinched from his outburst as your tears started falling . You tried running away but he pulled you back .
—-
“ Let me guess , another box of chocolates ? ” your friend teased you as she took a peek into the bag you were holding . You laughed at her words before giving her the bag , “ Yeah , you can have them ”
She jumped excitedly as she took the box of chocolates in her hands , opening it up .
“ Thanks to you and your admirers i get free gifts everyday , how great is that Y/N ” she teased you as she picked up a piece of chocolate .
You shook your head as you flipped through your textbook , trying to understand its contents .
“ But seriously though , almost everyone is after you in this school , are you not going to accept any of them ? ” your friend asked curiously , as she picked up another piece of chocolate .
“ Nah , i’m in college mainly to study and all i want to do is graduate , i have no plans on dating anyone ”
You caught her pouting for awhile before her expression brightened again , “ What about Jaehyun ? Is he planning to date anyone ? ”
You laughed at her question before replying , “ That , i’m not sure . Are you one of those fangirls too ” you squinted your eyes and playfully pointed at her .
She pushed your finger away before denying , “ N-No , i was just curious ”
The both of you turned towards the direction of the commotion . A table was flipped and books were scattered everywhere .
“ Don’t insult me like that , ” the man hissed as he charged forward to attack the other, only to be stopped by your brother who appeared just in time .
Your friend sighed as she whispered softly to you , “ Not Lee Taeyong again , when is he ever not angry honestly ”
Your eyes never once left him and when he caught you staring , his expression softened and he gave up trying to fight back . He pushed Jaehyun away as he wiped his sweat away from his face , before stomping out of the room .
He always had your attention . While every other boy was going crazy over you and showering you with gifts , he never once made the effort to talk to you . All he did was sit and stare at you from afar .
You first heard about him from your brother , as they were pretty close friends and Jaehyun would mention about him from time to time .
Everyone else was pretty much afraid of Taeyong because of his looks and anger . He hardly smiled and his strong gaze could set almost anything on fire .
But you trusted him . You trusted that he was more than just the ’ bad boy ’ and that he had a different personality than everyone else thought . You believed in him .
You wanted to know him better .
Then it happened , one fine night while the both of you were in your dorm , he started hugging you and it was the first time he ever did .
It was also the first time you ever saw him smile so brightly , and that sight made your heart melt as you slowly started falling for him .
—-
“ Both of you are together ? How did ’ i don’t want to date anyone ’ turn to this ? And Taeyong ? Oh my god Y/N are you okay ” your friend stared at you in disbelief .
“ Lower your volume , i’m only going to tell you and Jae . Also , we want to keep it a secret , ” you whispered to her . She sighed before pinching your cheek , “ I’m happy for you , but if he makes you unhapy then he’s going to get it from me . ”
—-
Everytime the both of you were together alone , he became a whole new different person , and you were glad that you were able to make him open up to you .
He smiled more often and he got less involved in fights - all just because of you .
You changed him completely and you loved it . But one thing that kept bothering you was being secretive in the relationship ,
Was he embarrassed of this relationship with you ?
Why couldn’t he just be open about the relationship with others , did he not care about your feelings ?
Yet everytime you asked him about revealing the relationship , he always gave the same answer ,
“ Not yet , ”
—-
His strong grip on your wrist pulled you back and you landed on his firm chest . His arm was around your waist again , as he pushed you against the locker again , this time gentler .
His other hand caressed your cheek as he pushed his lips against yours . Your arms naturally wrapped around his neck , as you struggled to catch your breath in between the kisses .
He bit your lower lip gently before pulling back , his forehead resting on yours . Your eyes met his eyes and the anger that once filled them was now gone .
He gave a small smile before saying out truthfully ,
“ I wanted it to be a secret because i wanted to be happy with you , not the relationship status . I was afraid i’d go back to the old me , starting fights because those boys would probably want to start snatching you away if they knew ,
but now’s the time , i’m not afraid to show you off anymore .”
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Five Days of Fatherhood-Pt.1
Adventurers might list monster killing as one of the more difficult and frustrating things they've done out in the field. Never knowing what to expect or what the beast will do next, it's quite unnerving. But what about monster babysitting? It can't be as hard as fighting, right? When Rallis needs to go away for a few days and has Adam babysit her adopted children, a certain adventurer learns just how difficult and frustrating it might be.
When Rallis had said she had a task of dire importance to be taken care of, Adam was not expecting that task to be babysitting. She was practically on the ground begging him to watch her adopted kids while she had to run off and do something. Something "up north" was all she said and he got no more answers than that.
"Don't you leave them alone normally when you go on adventures?" Adam asked, confused. "Why do you need someone to look after them this time?"
"My, well I guess you could call them roommate, watches over them when I'm gone normally, and even then I try to make a point to see them to bed. But unfortunately my roommate isn't here this time so they'll be left alone." She tried pleading with puppy eyes. "Can you pleeeeaaassseee look after them for me? Just for five days?"
Adam sighed. He'd heard a couple tales about her "children" and how they were a bunch of lost and found dragons. It sounded like trouble, but Rallis was his friend and she needed his help. "Alright," he conceded. "I'll look after them."
She jumped with joy and hugged the man. "Thank you thank you thank you sooooo much! I'll write up everything you need to do and explain everything, I promise!"
And with that it was settled. In a few days, Adam was going to be a parent for almost a week.
Three days later, Rallis returned to his doorstep in Hosidius, eager to show him how everything worked so he would be ready to go on his own. Adam had a pack full of things he'd need for the stay, excluding weapons Rallis was thankful to see. She didn't tell him much about the 'exoticness' of her home beforehand just in case he felt he'd need to bring such a thing (there was no need she would argue, her house was safe).
"So where do you live?" he asked. It dawned on him how little he knew about her life outside of adventuring.
"Technically, Yanille. But I guess Nowhere is more accurate." Adam looked at her bewilderedly. "Look it's not going to make much sense so just follow me."
"Not to Yanille, I hope! That's quite a distance."
She hastily shook her head. "No, no, we're actually almost there!" Adam opened his mouth to ask something else but Rallis quickly hushed him. "No, don't ask questions. It won't make sense so just don't ask yet!" They strolled a bit farther into Hosidius until they reached a pile of old machinery, scrapped and discarded by the locals from ages past up until recent time. Amidst the junk was an old crumbling circular stone frame with crudely carved steps leading up to it. Adam had seen it before and it had a kind of magical presence about it, but he couldn't figure it out. Rallis walked right up to it and unrolled a piece of cloth, holding it in front of the middle of the stone frame. She waved her other hand and commanded "Fosgail an doras!" The cloth shimmered as runes lit up along the stone frame in an eerie purple glow, and with a great deal of crackling and fizzling, the frame was filled with an otherworldly violet glow. Rallis rolled the cloth back up and stashed it away, looking back to her companion with a cheeky grin. "C'mon then!" she barked as she jumped through and vanished before he could even say 'wait.'
Adam gave the glowing stone frame a dubious glance. 'Yeah because this isn't abnormal and sketchy in any way.' He was accomplishing nothing standing around in the Hosidius junk pile. With cautious steps, he stepped through...
...and was greeted with the sight of a grand garden framed by the largest forest he had ever seen. He looked behind him and saw a similar purple shimmering, only this one was framed by intricately woven bronze and iron in the shape of vines. Back in front of him, two hulking stone statues of dragons covered in plant life greeted him, their front paws almost raised in salute. Rallis excitedly bounced in front of him with a massive grin. "Welcome to my home!"
As if on cue, a tropically colored wyvern flew overhead, screeching as it nearly clipped the top of Adam's head, causing him to duck out of the way, and disappeared into the forest beyond. Adam was in shock and awe. "What is this place?" he all but whispered.
"My home!" Rallis repeated. "Isn't it great? It's my own private world in here. And the best part is, no one can get in without me!"
"It sure is something," Adam muttered as he took in more of his surroundings. They were standing in a circular open area with a variety of different flowers. It looked like a rainbow was growing from the very ground! There was a large red one raised above the rest, almost calling to him. He only managed to take one step closer before Rallis roughly grabbed his arm, snapping him back to the moment at hand.
"Rafeillia!" Rallis angrily snapped. "This is our guest! Stop!" The flower opened its mouth in a hiss in response, three eyes coiling around to peer at the visitor. It grumbled before sinking into the ground, leaving no trace.
"Rallis," Adam started shakily. "What the hell is this place?"
"Come," she said. "We'll walk and talk."
Adam took one last look at the frame behind him before moving along. 'What exactly did I sign up for?'
They trekked through a dark dense forest, light hardly able to seep through the thick canopy. It was a winding foreboding passage, but Rallis knew the way like the back of her hand. She cheerfully answered his questions as they walked.
"My home," she started, "is in a place I like to call Nowhere. It isn't in Gielinor, no sir, but you can get to it from there, and apparently other places too! Using the right kind of magic and words, you can get here from any portal frame in the land, and there just so happens to be one by your house! Crazy right?!"
"How did you even find out about this place?" Adam asked.
Rallis shook her head. "Long story, not important. What IS important is understanding how this place works so you don't get lost or something." The forest started to clear a bit up ahead and soon disappeared completely to reveal a wide path carved out of a mountainside. "There is forest all around you," Rallis continued. "If you wander too far into it in any direction, you don't come back out. My children know not to go that far. You need to keep that in mind as well. Anything else that wanders through don't worry about though. You only have to worry about my ten."
Adam's mind was already racing with questions. 'You don't come back?' What did that mean? And what other wandering things? Things like that wyvern or the flower beast? Where did they come from? Where did they go?
Also TEN?!
They hiked up the mountain path and finally reached the grand entrance to Rallis' home. Well 'home' wasn't the appropriate term. Maybe 'castle' suited it better. Two stories of aging white stone sat atop the flat mountaintop, ivy, vines, and small buds and flowers crawled up the sides of the walls, pouring onto the roof above. Two marble dragons framed the entry way of the house. Rallis hauled the doors open and let her guest inside, heavy doors slamming shut behind them. She tugged Adam along through a small parlour room and out into a long rectangular beautifully kept garden with an odd rocky hole in the center.
She held her arms out and motioned to the plants and walls around her. "Welcome to my actual home! This is where you'll be staying and looking after everyone. You don't need to worry about all that outside here much."
All around the garden were rooms, open-faced and connected, all visible from the garden at the center. There was a kitchen, workshop, and was that a library? A shadow on the ground flickered a bit and a series of quorks and chirps echoed throughout the garden. Adam looked up to see the vines from outside crawling up the walls congregating into nest-like perches overhead, creating a somewhat makeshift roof but still allowing light to come in.
Adam gave one long careful look around. "I can't believe you live here," he mumbled, still in a bit of shock at it all.
"It's great, right?!" Rallis squealed and bounced. "It's the greatest place in the world. Err, well, out of the world! Here let me show you around so I can start explaining everything."
They explored the first floor with its garden and whatnot. It held mostly actively used rooms such as a kitchen and workshop, but was also used for a great deal of storage. Seeds, herbs, food, potions, and other related goods were stored neatly in their own separate rooms. Adam's gaze lingered on the stacks of fresh ranarr, warranting a bark and "don't even think about it" from Rallis. Upstairs were the more private rooms, such as bedrooms, a study, more of the library, and supposedly a whole hallway of sorted treasure. Every room was locked, physically and magically, save the guest bedroom Adam was to stay in. He put his pack down on the bed and took it all in, the place he was to live in for the next few days. The room he was in was simple enough, with bed, drawers, wardrobe, nightstand, and usual accompaniments of a bedroom, but everything was elegant, almost too elegant. The fireplace was made of marble, the rugs trimmed with gold leaf tassels, and the wood, all the wood, was rich dark mahogany. It was almost imposing, the sheer amount of fanciness. It was certainly a contrast from the overgrown plant covered exterior.
"I hope this is okay," Rallis said bashfully. "It's the only open room and I tried to make it nice over the years."
"Yeah of course! It's nice!" He took another glance around. "Really nice..." He rubbed the blanket of the bed between his fingers. "Where did you get all this?" he asked, motioning around the room.
"Oh, I built it!" she exclaimed with pride. "I made everything in here! Well, actually, I made everything in the whole house. But yeah!"
Now his jaw dropped. "No way."
"Sure did!" she said as she rolled out the cloth she had with her earlier. Getting a better look at it, it wasn't just some cloth. It was a cape! And on it there was a symbol of a saw cutting through a log stitched on the back. "I'm a master carpenter, and this says so!"
Adam was impressed. He had seen her carve and build things before, sure, but master carpenter? That was not a talent he was expecting. Rallis grabbed him by the arm and pulled him along. "Alright, now we gotta introduce you to everyone and what you need to do!"
She raced down the stairs, yanking her companion along, trying to keep up and not trip, and pulled him back into the garden on the ground floor. She sprinted over to the stone hole in the center and hopped in, calling him down after. It was dark inside, the only light coming from mounted glowing stones on the walls' sides. Rallis grabbed Adam's hand again and pulled him along in the dark. Speckles of light started to break through until soon they were at an opening in the cave. The opening looked out over a lake below, tucked away in the center of the forest. Down below, Adam could see a bunch of odd looking creatures relaxing by the water's edge. Rallis whistled and screech-sang something as loud as she could, noise echoing off the walls of the cave. At once, happy chirruping and the heavy sound of wings could be heard from outside. Red blurs zipped through the hole in the wall and tackled Rallis to the ground. Adam jumped back reflexively, readying a stance, but Rallis just giggled under the seven small red dragons piling on top of her and licking her face.
She shoved them off and lined them up. "Well, here's seven of them!" she panted breathless. She introduced them one by one. "This is Manelgar." The biggest stepped forward. "This is Garold." He staggered over with a limp. There was a scar on one of his legs and was missing a toe. "This is Xavier." He slunk forward, giving their guest a wary eye. A smaller one trailed after him. "And that's Anton. Those are all the boys." One of the three left, the only one with black crests under its eyes, decided to walk away with as much attitude as it could muster. "That's Caroline. Don't take it personally if she doesn't warm up to you." The smallest one left hissed at Adam. "Oh shush you! This is Octavia." The last one, barely larger than Octavia, was hiding behind Rallis as best she could. "And this is Natalie. She's a bit shy." Rallis gave her a pat on the head. "Those are the girls! They all sleep down here together. They're old enough where you won't need to worry about feeding them, they can hunt, but they do need to be put to bed. You'll stay with them until they fall asleep, then you can leave them be. That's about it for them. Honestly they're pretty independent now. Oh! But don't let them near my herbs! They know why."
"O-okay," Adam stammered, trying to process everything at once. "How exactly do you tell them apart?" Standing still and side by side, he could kind of see the differences in them, but now that they moved around, he couldn't tell who was who.
"They don't look or act the same! You'll figure it out." Adam didn't look convinced. "Fine, I'll write their names down or something for you," she grumbled.
Rallis led Adam back aboveground to meet the last three he would be looking after. Upon re-entering the garden, the loudest shrillest screech sounded from above. "What the hell is that?!" Adam shouted.
Rallis smiled. "That would be Twist! Seems he wants to come down now." Rallis showed her guest up to the roof. The stairs opened up onto the flat vine covered walk of the roof if one deigned to climb that high. Up on the roof, the whole world was visible. The lake, forests, and flower field were all minuscule from up on the vine perch. The tangled mess hanging over the open center of the castle hosted a variety of what looked like nests. Some of the vines crawled up a tower at the far end of the roof, no entry point visible. A few bright green and red feathers were in a nearby nest, left behind from a former resident, and a few holds housed sleeping piles of something he couldn't properly see.
That same shrill screech sounded again, this time incredibly louder. It was coming from something sitting in one of the hanging nests. Why, it looked to be...
"A cockatrice!" Adam yelled as he averted his gaze. "Why do you have a cockatrice?!"
"Why wouldn't I have one?" she retorted. She saw him covering his eyes and not looking at the beast. "Oh stop that nonsense," she reprimanded. "He won't turn you to stone or anything like that. He's almost blind."
He cautiously uncovered his eyes. "Blind?"
Rallis nodded. "Not completely, but he has really bad eyesight. I think that's why he can't paralyze anyone. Anyway, this is Twist my cockatrice. He screams when he needs help doing something." Rallis walked across the tangled tightrope mess of vines and out to the nest where Twist sat. She scratched him under the chin and cooed as she helped him get up and lead him to the more solid part of the roof.
"Isn't that dangerous?" Adam called after her as she walked across the vines. "That doesn't look stable!"
She strode back to the roof, cockatrice in tow, resting its head on her shoulder as she walked. "It's safe, stop worrying! If it can safely hold a Forokururu, I'd be a bit shocked if a small dragon and a human were what made it break!"
"What's a-- You know what, never mind. So what's the deal with this one?"
"Twist can't see very well so he'll call for you when he needs help getting around. He'll rest his head on your shoulder as you lead him around," Rallis demonstrated as she led them down the stairs to the ground floor. "You might be a bit tall though so I guess you can let him rest his head in your hand and walk with him behind you. He gets up really early, and don't worry, you'll know when." She snickered at that part. She carried on to the kitchen. "He eats in here," she continued. "He gets fruit in the morning and limpwurt roots before bed. You'll find both in here. Here's his bowl." She reached up onto a shelf to pull down a bright red bowl covered in peck marks and chuckled as she pulled it down. "Well I guess I found where you've decided to hide today!" she said to the bowl and pulled out what looked like a small green snake with fire red webbed wings. It yawned and squeaked as she picked it up. It was a void torcher.
Adam gasped and reached for a weapon that wasn't there. "RALLIS THAT'S A VOID MONSTER! Why do you have that?!"
She held the little creature away from him and hissed. "That's my son," she growled. "He's no monster!"
"Do you have any idea what that thing is," he said accusatorily. "What it can do?"
Rallis waved her hand in the air. "Yeah, yeah, you and a whole order seem to fear these things, never mind the fact that they're just like anything else in the world. Skorch is no menace to society or destroyer of worlds. He's a runt who can't even breathe fire and can barely fly. Do you understand? A torcher that can't torch."
"That's not the point!" he argued. "Just by existing they can ruin everything! And smuggling one onto the mainland, do you have any idea how illegal that is?!"
"He. Isn't. Dangerous!" she growled menacingly, actually startling the man. She sounded like an enraged animal. "Humans need to stop being scared of and trying to kill what they don't understand. And in case you haven't noticed, we aren't on the mainland. We're in my house in the middle of Nowhere. There are none of your ridiculous human laws here and no danger to be in with Skorch."
Adam still seemed dubious about the whole affair, giving the thing a glare. As if on cue, it yawned and smiled at him in response.
"Can you handle doing this?" Rallis asked. "I know the rest of the world isn't too keen with my kids, with different, but I thought you would at least understand it."
"No, it's fine," he said hastily. "I already said yes too, and I'm not about to back out from a promise." He eyed the torcher again. "How long have you had that thing?"
"Skorch isn't a thing!" she snapped and gave it a pat. "And a few years. Longer than I've known most people. He's not dangerous, I promise."
Adam sighed and grumbled, but there was nothing he could do about it. He was taking care of a Void monster and that was that. "So what's the routine with this one then?"
"You only really have to worry about him at night," she said. "He's clingy so he sleeps with me in the bed. And since I'll be gone, that means he stays with you. Other than that, you don't need to worry about anything else. He doesn't leave the house and is usually hiding in the kitchen and getting into the food or hanging with Twist. I guess just make sure he doesn't eat too many cookies." She gave Skorch a playful glare, who buried his face into her hand embarrassedly.
Adam inwardly groaned. Going to bed with a Void monster? There was no way. 'Guess I'm not sleeping then!' Rallis put Skorch down on the counter, watching him slither into a pot left out. "That's nine," Adam said. "Who is number ten?"
"That would be Nago!" Rallis said with a smile. "He's an herbiboar. Small, brown, herbs growing off his back. He can look like the garden so watch your step! He seems to be hiding right now, but you don't need to worry about him much either. He's usually wandering around the garden eating pests or digging holes outside. Just leave a few guam leaves out on the kitchen floor every morning and they're sure to be gone!" Rallis ran through a mental checklist. "That should be everything. Just make sure everyone eats and keep an eye on them in case something should happen. You're welcome to any food in the kitchen for yourself. There shouldn't be a reason you'd need to leave the house, but if you want to see the lake or something, go right ahead. Just be careful of what might roam down there. Do you have any questions?"
He ran through everything in his head. 'Feed everyone, guide the bird, tuck in the dragons, sleep with the torcher.' A chill went up his spine at the last one. 'Think that's it.'
"I think I've got it," he told her. "Should be an easy five days!" he said with confidence.
Rallis grinned. "Hopefully!" She looked to the sky. "Well, more like four now." It was starting to get dark, the sun setting in the distance. "I need to get going ASAP but if you forget something, there's notes on the counter in the kitchen." She pulled out a small square stone with a purple 'A' drawn on one side out of a small pack she'd been carrying around. "Good luck, see you later, have fun, and all that!" She slammed the stone onto the ground, splitting it in two, and disappeared in a burst of light and puff of smoke. Adam was left alone in the kitchen with some notes, a torcher in a pot, and a half blind cockatrice trying to find its way outside.
"Let's get to it then!"
Adam spent the rest of the day unpacking and getting more of a feel for the layout of the place. It was simple enough, just two hollow rectangles stacked atop each other, and everything was laid out well. Even all the supply rooms were sorted and labeled. "Organization wasn't exactly something I expected from you, Rallis!" he laughed to himself.
It was almost completely dark now, only the faintest hint of red sunset illuminating the stone walls. Adam clapped his hands together and walked toward the stone hole in the garden. "Ok! Dragons first!" He crawled down to find five of them rolling around and play fighting while one sat on a large round slightly raised platform, watching Adam carefully. The seventh was nowhere to be found. "Who is missing?" He looked at a note he was given with all the dragons' name and the easiest way to identify them. He saw a big one, two small ones, and two who wouldn't leave each other alone, and the one glaring at him had a crest of black scales under its eyes. There was a distinct lack of a scarred one. "Aha! So Garold is missing! Where is your brother, everyone?"
The five stopped playing around, one of the smallest ones hiding behind the other small one who hissed in response. The largest one growled and snorted and pointed his head in the direction of the hole they fly in and out from. "Thank you, uh, Manelgar!" he said stiffly. It felt weird addressing them like people. The dragon grunted and nuzzled his brothers and sisters up to a platform. Adam scanned the horizon from the hole, looking for a red speck in the distance, but found nothing.
"Garold!" he shouted. "Garold! Time to come home!"
He heard wingbeats in the distance signaling something flying his way. He stepped out of the way as a dragon flew in, clumsily flopping to the floor. The dragon had a log in his mouth, tongue lolling out to the side underneath it. He looked up at Adam with a dopey smile and presented its treasure. "That's... very nice," Adam tried. "Why don't you put that down and join everyone else?"
The dragon chirped and flew back out the hole, vanishing into the darkness. "I meant put it down in here!" Adam called after it. He received no response. Some time later, he flew back, mud coated all over his paws and nose, tongue still lolling out like a happy dog. The dragon tracked muddy footsteps into the cave as it went to join its family. Adam shook his head and sighed. "Oh you're going to be a problem child, aren't you?"
Eventually, the mud was cleaned, the dragons were together, and life could move on. The seven of them laid together on the elevated platform and waited expectantly. Adam stood around, unsure of what to do. He shuffled and looked around, kicking at the stone floor. "I'm just uh... supposed to stay here until you fall asleep, right?" One of the dragons angrily lashed its tail while two others hollered whines of disapproval.
"Ok, guess not." He thought to himself. 'When she said to stay with them until they fell asleep, I sure hope she didn't mean sleep with them until they fell asleep.' The red dragons were all looking at him, as if waiting for something. 'No, that's exactly what she meant. It's Rallis. Of course she sleeps with the dragons.'
"Alright," he groaned as he crawled up to join them. Some of them weren't too happy with that. They didn't want this stranger, they wanted their mom. He sat down and was surprised to find it warm, almost hot, up on the stone bed. "Heated stone? Well aren't you all lucky? Must be nice and comfy," he played, trying to get them to lay down. A couple did, but most just stared at him. "Well what else do you want, warm milk and a story?" he growled sarcastically. At once, all seven of them sat at attention. "What, you want a bedtime story?" They crept closer. Adam rolled his eyes with a smile. "Alright. But I won't start until everyone lays down." They sunk to the warm floor immediately.
"What would a good story be?" he thought aloud. Then he snapped his fingers as he got an idea. "I know! How about I tell you about the time I met your mom?"
Adam didn't even get a quarter of the way into the tale. The dragons were sound asleep on the ground, and on him for the matter. He grunted as he wriggled his way out from under the pile of beasts, careful to not wake them. In the distance, he heard the faint screech of the cockatrice. "You now, huh?"
He climbed out of the hole and into the garden to find the cockatrice standing in the kitchen, screeching at its bowl. "Food, yes, okay, I hear you!" Adam rushed over and hurriedly dropped a bowl full of limpwurt roots down for the bird, not wanting it to scream any more. He heard a metallic clang as the torcher runt crawled down from who knows where, slinking over to the man with a smile. Adam started to grow nervous by the thing's mere presence. "Hello, torcher," he growled. "What do you want?" It flicked out its tongue like a snake and fluttered onto Twist's back. The cockatrice was done eating now and tried to rest its head on Adam's shoulder, but it couldn't reach. He held a hand out to it and helped guide it up to the roof. "C'mon buddy. Time to sleep."
Leading the bird across the tightrope mess of the vines was unnerving to say the least, but Rallis hadn't been lying. They were incredibly stable. The cockatrice sunk down into its nest and folded in on itself, tucking its head under its wing. The torcher was fluttering in front of Adam now, abandoning its post on the cockatrice's back. It tried to land on Adam's head but the man backed away every time. It sadly squeaked in protest as it started to descend, not being able to stay airborne for long. Adam groaned and cautiously held his hands out to catch it. It sank down and coiled into a ball, glad it no longer had to flap about in the air. The mere act of holding the small serpent sent shivers up Adam's spine. 'A torcher. A bloody torcher. Out of all the monsters she could call her own, she picked a Void monster!'
He held Skorch away from him as he made his way to his room, fretting the whole way. 'I'm going to get sick touching that thing, aren't I? I'm putting this thing down and rinsing this filth off. Out of all the possible things in the world, why did she have to have a pest?' He continued his mental complaining as he opened the door to his room and walked inside. Skorch chirped happily and fluttered from his hands and onto the plush bed. Adam stared at the thing, unsure of what to do. "That's my bed," he told it. "I sleep there, not you." The torcher made a confused chirp and tilted its head. "You better be off it by the time I get back," he commanded with an accusatory finger point.
He left to change into his nightwear and otherwise prepare for bed (including rinsing the 'pest filth' off) and came back into the room sporting a fluffy cow pajama set and fuzzy rainbow slippers. With as much intimidation as he could muster in the ridiculous cartoony suit, he glared at the torcher who was still on the bed. "My. Bed. Not. Yours." Adam pushed the creature off the blanket, careful to not actually touch it, and onto an extra pillow off to the side. He quickly turned the light off and dove under the covers before it could move back. Skorch sadly cried in protest as it tried to wiggle off the pillow and over to Adam to go to sleep. The man pushed the creature away. "No. Nuh-uh. You stay on that side of the bed on your pillow. You're not touching me."
The torcher whined and sadly sunk down on the pillow. All was quiet now and Adam tried to fall asleep, trying his best not to think about what was a foot or two from his face. But as time went on, whining and crying broke through the silent darkness and it didn't stop. Adam groaned and sighed and shifted and covered his ears with a pillow. It didn't stop. He shot up and growled. "Fine!" he snapped. "Sleep where you want! Just stop whining." Skorch happily cried out and slithered over, curling right up next to his chest and falling asleep. Adam grumbled into a pillow. "I'm not going to get any sleep tonight..."
His premonition came true. He had hardly slept a wink all night, feeling like if he took his eyes off the torcher, something would happen. He didn't know what! But something! He was exhausted and more than ready to pass out. As his eyes started to involuntarily fall shut, a shrill horrid screech shook him awake. He jolted out of bed, waking up Skorch in the process, and looked around the dark room. Just as he thought he had imagined the noise, it sounded again, louder than before. Adam dragged a hand down his face. "Right. The cockatrice."
He shuffled out of bed and out onto the roof, not even bothering to change or worry about the torcher following close behind. There Twist was, head pointed to the sky as the sun started to peek through, screeching its heart out. The noise drilled into his ears like nails on a chalkboard. It was way too early for that kind of noise. "Yes! I hear you!" he shouted. "Stop that now."
Twist tilted his head in Adam's direction, waiting for his helper to come closer. He led the bird across the roof and down the stairs and finally to the kitchen below. There was someone else waiting for him as well, a small boar with what looked like plants growing out of its back. It snorted as the man came closer. "You must be Nago," Adam mumbled with a yawn. "I'll feed you too, don't worry." Through sifting through the drawers, Adam found everything he needed to feed them all breakfast. Nago happily gobbled up the guam before scurrying back to the garden, Twist pecked at some fresh fruit (and the ground with aim gone awry), and Skorch was nibbling on some sort of cookie he found in a cabinet.
"Ok, everyone is good now?" he asked. No one squawked in complaint so he took it as a yes. "Good," he grumbled. "I'm going to actually sleep then." He checked on the red dragons underground before heading back to his room. They were all still asleep, piled on their heated rock. Adam crashed to the bed, undisturbed by an unnerving guest curled next to him, and fell asleep.
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