Welcome back to this update of Fire in the Snow! I am so happy so many of you reappeared after my hiatus, and thank you so much for everything you've done for me and all of the lovely reviews no matter how detailed or short you leave! I love them all equally, and take all of your feedback into account when making these chapters! I love you all!
CHAPTER IS NOT BETAED. MINOR SPELLING AND GRAMMAR MISTAKES MAY BE PRESENT.
CHAPTER RATED HARD M (PLEASE SEE WARNINGS); This chapter is rated hard M for mature and includes explicit sexual content between of age adults, graphic depictions of nudity, brief heavy language, past mention of rape/sexual violence, reference to PTSD, heavily suggestive themes, and general adult content!
Purple felt every bone in his body sag with heavy dread when he spun Red on his heel and tugged him out of the way just in time for the tiny medical drone to shove them into a pathetically unfurnished engineer's dorm in the winding belly of the ship they'd traversed for the past hour, collecting food on the way when they were given permission for a quick snack grab when Purple raised complaints about the service. One slip up against him and the Control Brains would be all over Del like flies to honey, eating him alive from the inside of his code out but that didn't stop the drone from following orders as a sulking Tallest trailed a few feet behind them to burn holes against his freckled skin and give the order with a furious flick of the wrist, locking them tight in their temporary home for the next twenty-four hours.
Red hadn't said much as Purple banged irately against the door of the frigid hatch, gripping at the wiring to the side of the control panel and tearing it to pieces with his claws as he let loose a torrent of violent curses in his wake before throwing his sharp claws in the air with a shout to pace the perimeter of the room. Red had followed, giving suggestions to talk down the unbearable nervous electricity sparking in the air when they realized just what they'd gotten themselves into. Purple would have to face Del, the strongest, tallest, cruelest of the Almighty Tallest and he had been denied a request for a weapon from the booming voice of the Control Brains. Surely, Del would be allowed something fantastic and body-razing, giving his long fingers and impressive height a surefire advantage towards spilling his organs to his feet before the whole of the Empire around them. It would be a gnarly, nauseating bloodbath, Purple spilling every precious drop of his treasured lifeforce to the chilly, callous platform they'd be forced to battle upon, and there was no telling what perilous dangers their equally brutal mechanical kingpins were preparing for the two to catch them off guard. A meat-thirsty Hogulus? A slew of shorters with kitchen knives? Ok, maybe that last one was a bit of a stretch, but every dark, disturbing fantasy creeping into the back of his mind as Red stopped him and held him silently in the center of the room only put the sharp pang of utter, unabridged trepidation in the pit of his throbbing spooch and alerted him to how much he truly wasn't prepared for something as terrifying as mortal combat with a Tallest. Sure, Del had passed his prime by nearly three hundred cycles, but he had retained his lean muscle and speed combined with the experience of hideously faulty leadership made him a virtual killing machine capable of guzzling the soul of anyone who dared shoot a hot look in his direction.
Irk what had they gotten themselves into?
Red had let go and reassured him on a repeated, trusting loop that he was strong enough, that he was fast enough, and that they would unlock his hidden potential hanging just beneath the surface of his prickling skin as he positioned Purple at one stagnant end of the room and took his own battle stance at the other, throwing up his fists and bracing himself for impact when he shouted for his partner to hit him with everything he could possibly muster. The encouragement and mounting spark between them only grew, Purple laughing his way through their first dozen sparring matches and bursting into body-shaking mirth every time Red placed a well time sweep to the back of his knee and swept him, quite literally, off of his feet before extending a hand down and tugging him back up to start once more from the beginning.
That was seven hours ago.
Breathe and follow the pattern he taught you.
Flow like bromine, paint the canvas of death and destruction with your formidable claws and focus only on the burn of glowing golden eyes you've come to hate with every miniscule fiber of every moral tucked away deep in your psyche. Del was wrong. Del was sickening. Del was evil. The crowd will be cheering and jeering alike, throwing pathetic globs of trash to distract them both from the primitive entertainment of icy combat, but Purple couldn't afford to take his piercing gaze from his target for fear of demise. The mortality rate of combat involving a Tallest was over 91%, giving him a mere 9% chance of actually severing his captor's wiry smile from his shoulders and holding him by the antennae for his esteemed overlords to scan with presumably impressed sensors and appoint him the next Almighty Tallest of the Irken Empire.
How the hell had they come to be here?
Eight hours.
Why did Red have to elect him of all people? Why did he feel so tired?
Nine hours.
The novelty of landing on his side had faded away some time ago, leaving Purple numb to the world and Red's voice alike as they grew exhausted with one another and took a break only to come back angrier then before with the unwarranted stress taking hold of their buzzing minds and contorting them to something inirken at best. They were both so repulsively drained, limbs physically disoriented and dazed as they took their routine spots and forced themselves to keep going for the benefit of hazy practice, Red's swings decreasing in blistering intensity with every droning minute they shared until they were all but forced to take a break for a ridiculous excuse for a meal in the form of crackers and a mystery juice before taking up the distressing tedium once more with renewed fervor.
Ten hours.
Neither of them spoke. Their voices had died away at the seven hour timestamp and the awkwardness of being stuck together in a confined space like caged tigers was wearing thin. Purple's patience was threadbare, every snicker from his once lovely partner turning him sour with a sarcastic snicker of his own that seemed to drive Red so far up the wall that he couldn't see straight and became sloppy in his motions. He could see him visibly bristle, the vent scales on his elbows flaring slightly in the low light as he scoffed silently back in his direction and grumbled in the back of his dry throat, the sheer force of stress and physical exertion getting to his supportive mantra and obliterating it completely to leave nothing behind but the uncomfortable stare he'd given him the first hour they'd met. Purple's own thoughts swam with untamed curses he somehow continued to contain, thrashing against his own words for Red's benefit when they engaged in ritual combat once more and opened up the dance that never seemed to end.
Eleven hours.
Eventually, there was a pattern to the madness, a coordinated barrage of falsely fatal attacks switched up by his heaving partner as he collected himself and refused to falter, flying forward for what felt like the thousandth time to snatch Purple by the shoulder and flip him hard onto his back. He was prepared this time, adeptly skirting out of the way to counteract Red's obsessive battering with a brutal hit of his own to the side of his ribs, feeling the valuable atmosphere flood from his lungs under his touch before he caught him completely off guard with a well-placed war cry that would set anyone's blood to curdle in their veins, his time-destroyed muscles burning with powerful lactic acid as he finally tackled Red around the thin waist and pinned him on his front to force the side of his face into the frigid metal of the exacting floor beneath them.
Red hissed and threw him off, puffing up to his fullest extent before dialing back his offensive and remembering their training, moving to flop face forward on their prestigiously made up bed with a low groan of defeat as Purple laughed back haughtily in his face with a touch of condescending idiocy to speak for the first time since they'd gone into some semblance of a lurid trance together.
"What's wrong, Red? Can't handle the heat anymore?" Purple chuckled, letting his wide victory smile fall flat when his partner refused to meet his gaze. "Hey, I'm talking to you, so look at me!"
Red shook his head with another throaty growl, digging his claws into the base of his antennae to squeeze as he forced his face deeper into the mattress. What the hell? Why was he suddenly so unresponsive? He rolled onto his side after a few long moments followed by the annoying tap of Purple's snow boot, glaring up from below with a sneer before halfheartedly kicking his way up to the head of the bed to somewhat cocoon himself in the comforting softness of breathable cotton sheets. Purple narrowed his eyes, pursuing him around the side of the frame and hovering over him with a dastardly pout when he realized Red wasn't in the mood for praise, a complete 180 from when they'd gone into this mess together.
"Red? Red! What the hell is wrong with you?" He reached down and prodded him in the shoulder, yelping when he was met with a swift bat of the wrist and another confusing round of misunderstanding that had his own frustrations peaking. "Did I do alright?"
Nothing.
"Red?"
Silence.
"Irk, why are you being such a smeet about finally losing?! Isn't that what we were supposed to achieve here?!"
With that, Red flew up from his sheath, nearly ripping out his own antennae in the process as he slammed a hand down hard on the plush cushion beneath him, staring up at his partner with a wrathful intensity Purple hadn't seen since their fight in the forest. It sent a chill down his spine, forcing him to take a step back as his partner opened his mouth to speak then let it falter, merely laying back down and refusing to let go what was plaguing his busy, fast-paced mind. What…what did he do? Did Red not want him to win? No, that wasn't it. He would never put Purple in harm's way if he didn't think he had a shot and undermining whole of the Empire…right?
Now Purple wasn't so sure.
He swallowed his own mounting anger and elected to sit instead, reaching out and wincing when he felt his own muscles give in to the torture they'd undergone but keeping on to run a silvery, smooth tough over Red's shoulder. He trailed up to the side of his face with a claw, trying to elicit a response, a smile, a blink…anything, but still receiving the silent treatment. He kept on, laying back and forgoing his internalized need to shudder away by wrapping himself around Red's form and shakily taking him by the waist to draw him in from behind, his entire body screaming with a need to move away when the affection became too much but holding firm when his partner finally spun in his touch to face him directly. Red searched his face for a few long seconds that felt like an eternity, a sudden, blindingly exasperated but infinitely depressed flash sparking behind his ocular implants and only bewildering Purple further when he didn't understand what was unfolding between them. He tugged away to a comfortable distance once more, the lingering touch of Red's sudden grip on his hand telling him to run but also assuring him to stay in the same short breath.
"Sorry. I needed a minute to…well…think about all of this." Red finally mumbled, breaking the tension once more for something softer and unexpected, Purple's own worry and frustration leaking away when he slowly wiggled his fingers free from his partner's vice-like grip to hang at the edge of the mattress and listen. Red continued, used to Purple's impulsive need for space by now and instead bringing his own claws together on his chest to toy with them as he thought. "I let you win, Pur."
Huh?
Purple wasn't following, blinking in surprise at the sudden confession smacking him in the jawline out of nowhere and turning him to dust, swallowing thickly around the anxious lump forming in his throat at the connotation that held.
"Let me win? Ha! Y-You're just jealous that a someone bred for sniping took you down at your own game!" He laughed back, trying desperately to smash through the incredible layer of ice Red had shoved between them as his persistent angst stabbed at his mind. He reached out and took Red by the cheeks with his fingers, pretending to make him talk and putting on a poorly done impression of his gruff voice as he laughed. "Oh, Purple, you're so strong and powerful! Please protect me from this awful place and carry me away to the Green like a beautiful princess because I'm sooo weak!"
Red struggled to pull him off, a glimpse of a smile peaking on his exhausted face at the sound of Purple's pathetically done impersonation, allowing him a single huff of a laugh before holding his hand close to his skin once more. He pressed into the pads of his fingertips as he averted his gaze to the steaming piping of the ceiling, following every curve and contour with his fretful gaze before sighing and turning back. Oh no. He didn't have to reiterate himself, Purple smacking himself in the forehead with a groan of excruciating, boiling defeat when he realized Red truly wasn't joking to preserve his own mile-high pride. He truly had let him win, hadn't he?
"You've got to be kidding me." Purple began, letting his fun dissolve to be replaced with something else he couldn't pinpoint beyond the sensation of resounding misery, plucking his claws back from Red's cheek and slinging himself up to force his worn body to pace. "We trained for what, ten hours? Eleven?! And I still can't beat someone the same height as me?!"
Red sat up amidst their pillows, clenching his jaw to the sound of his other half so distressed and flinching when Purple grabbed for a fluffy blanket to chuck it halfway across the room in a fit of exasperated fear. "Pur, listen, maybe we can-"
"No, Red, there's no listening anymore, there's no training, there's none of you reassuring me to be something that obviously can't become in twenty-four hours! This is training that takes cycles and I'm trying to do it in a single day! It's impossible!" Purple shouted back with a bit more force then he'd warranted, taking a deep, blistering breath when Red narrowed his eyes and threatened to yell back. "Look, I'm sorry I'm so frustrated, and I'm not upset with you. I'm upset with this whole unavoidable situation we're stuck in and the stupid fact that we can't ever seem to break away from the violence of this damn place!" He moved forward and kicked the wall with the steel toe of his boot, feeling it crack against his already sore toes and slinging himself down to the floor to work them off. "I can't take this life anymore, and I'm not going out there to fight Del."
Red followed, scooting himself to the edge of the mattress and standing to follow his own haphazard gait to where Purple had slogged, stooping to help him unlace his swollen ankles from the faux leather of cheap Callnowian fashion before massaging into his pained muscles in, hopefully, soothing circles.
"Do you have a choice at this point? If we try to leave, the Control Brains will have our heads on a literal spike." He pointed out, just as unnerved with their situation as his partner. He continued his soft, restful pressure, listening to Purple unconsciously sigh when he plucked his other boot free and helped prop him up against the wall. "We're bred for combat so if you fight, at least we have a chance of beating this mess once and for all. I want to walk away as much as you do and I want nothing more than to take your place out there on Judgementia but…I can't. I know you know that."
"You don't have to tell me what I already know." Purple muttered, letting his head fall back against the wall as he closed his weary eyes to the weight of the universe. "All I'm saying is that there's no way that I'm walking out of this alive and…a-and maybe that's for the better."
Purple yelped in shock when Red landed a firm smack to his calf, flying down to rub at his sore skin when his boyfriend leaned forward and threw a wild, white-hot finger back in his face at his absurd wish for a swift end.
"Don't ever say that again!" Red snapped harshly, slinging his hands forward on Purple's knees to keep him in place when he tried to stand and evade the argument that had been festering for a few hours between them. "You're always talking about wanting to die because of everything everyone else has put you through, but you deserve so much better! I know how hard it is to get up in the morning and look at the world that has literally torn you to pieces and face it, but you have to face it for yourself!" He was almost pleading at this point, continuing when Purple opened his mouth to retort but keeping him silent. "I was laughed at for my IQ, I ate trash on the streets, and I murdered someone I didn't even know! On top of it all, I lied to my Empire and posed as a General after defecting from my coded duty as a consort but you know what? I don't give a shit! I know who I am and…and I think I know who you are better than you do right now!"
Purple had had enough, forcing himself up and nearly faceplanting when his legs turned to painful jelly. "Oh yeah?! This isn't a competition over who's suffered more and I don't need you yelling at me right now! I'm trying to hold all of this together but you have no idea what it's like to be me!" He shouted back, throwing a hand in the air when Red stalked forward and followed his ritual pacing once more. "I'm sorry that you went through all of that, and it's just as terrible as what I've experienced, it really is, but I was raped, Red! Raped! I know it may seem like I'm all hung up on it, but it invades your mind and destroys your self image for the worst and you can't ever begin to understand how long I've thought about ending my life just to get away from the replay in my head when I sleep!" He continued on, feeing his emotions betray him as he let loose everything he kept carefully concealed. "I was starved too and had to live off of my sheer desperation to live for over two cycles of torture and I don't wanna do it anymore! I can't live like this!"
Red tried to find an answer, resorting to dropping his tone when he fell to the jaws of snapping defeat, moving away and sitting back on the edge of the bed to sling his head into his palms, curling forward and letting his once rigid antennae fall limp over his knuckles. "But you have to live." He whispered simply, his emotion carefully concealed and unnaturally tamed as Purple spun to face him with a hot look of his own. "You have to."
Have to. What a strong phrase.
"Ugh! I'm sick and tired of everyone else telling me what I have to do and what I don't! It's like I don't have any free will in this place, do I?! I didn't have it with Del, I didn't have it with Lire, and I want to believe I have it with you but sometimes I feel like you're ordering me around just like they did!" Purple bit, gritting his teeth and feeling his jaw pop under the force of his own internalized self-loathing as he continued to batter Red with everything he had. "If you think you know who I am, I wanna hear it. What am I to you, Red? Huh?!"
Red froze, slowly looking back up before immediately tearing his shocked stare away, forcing Purple to relax a bit when he realized he was taking out his rage on someone who didn't deserve it. He waited a long moment, letting himself finally simmer back down when Red merely returned his face to his hands without another words, halfheartedly gripping at his bone structure as he took a deep shuddering breath and held his world together without crumbling. He was so strong…he'd been through so much and maybe…just maybe…Purple was internally jealous of that. He was envious of the independence Red seemed to radiate, of the incredible sense of autonomous skills and clever trades he'd learned in his time on the street. Red had a sense of how to survive in the wilderness of the Irken Empire and of how to overtake anyone with enough gall to come after him in the future, giving Purple an undeniable sinking feeling that he should have been the one to take on Del.
If he had taken Purple's place, maybe they had a chance at surviving this mess.
Now, Purple was going to get Red and Sen killed and let Del and Ipi overtake the whole of their collective armies with their blood all because he was too weak to keep up a steady fight.
Why did he have to be so feeble?
Did he need someone to hold his hand through life?
He blinked when his last thought brought on something unexpected within him, diverting his gaze down to his palms as he glanced over every worn crease of his hands and noticed how uncalloused they truly were. He was soft, given a life of unimaginable luxury in the form of physical and mental torture and kept in the dark so long his skin had turned supplely translucent, one poke setting his capillaries to burst and delicately bruise.
Did he need someone to hold his hand?
The same question resurfaced no matter how many times he attempted to swallow it down like a pill, taking a step forward and thinking long and hard over what Red had told him. He had to live. But why? Was he living for himself? Well, yes, in a sense. He needed to keep himself breathing to keep his blood pumping and out of the hands of those who wanted to use it for their malicious intent. But was he also living for someone else?
Oh.
An awful, radiant clarity overtook Purple's anger and pacified it to something mildly acidic as he took another step, slowly lowering his burning muscles down next to the only other who had ever shown him any form of kindness. He was fighting the wrong person, gingerly taking Red by the wrist to peel his fingers away from his salty, sweat-slicked face and noticing the monumental effort it was taking his partner from breaking down and giving in himself. He was putting everything on Red's shoulders to carry, forcing him to take on the burden of his own mental insecurity when those very feelings dissipated and ceased to exist when they were joking together or sharing some semblance of a meal. What was this feeling? He'd said it to Red before out of habit, telling him he loved him to pump up his own ego but unsure of what he felt, taking his jaw between his thumb and his forefinger to deeply examine his features for the millionth time. Purple had promised himself long ago that he wouldn't love. Love was messy and dangerous and, at the time, something that could have gotten him executed for ruining his purity in the name of unadulterated, uncut emotion. He was a prize to be won like a trophy, not a man to be loved. He was an object to be owned, not an individual to be cherished. But now….now….what?
Now there was a man as broken as he was.
Maybe those broken pieces could help to fill his own holes.
Maybe his broken pieces could help to fill Red's.
"Holy shit…" He breathed, holding Red in place when a spark of confusion overtook him and made him a bit nervous in his touch. "You…who knew it was going to be you?"
"W-what?" Red mumbled plainly, a hint of concern lacing his tone. "What's wrong? What was gonna be me?"
Purple sat static and unsure, his mind racing when he realized what he was about to say and still fearing the weight behind his words. He was going to die. He was going to go out onto the battlefield and give his life to hopefully save thousands, if he was lucky, and watch Del laugh above him that maniacal laugh he'd spat back in his vision for cycles upon cycles. But, on the off-chance that he somehow won and kept Red and Sen safe, he would be appointed as acting Tallest of the Empire, giving him elective privilege to rule over every inch of territory in his jurisdiction under the watchful gaze of the Control Brains. What would become of Sen? Would she go back home and help him wage the war against his mother and the rest of Callnowia for their inexcusable crimes? What would become of…o-of Red? Purple had promised to make him the General he'd always dreamed of becoming before he fell so stupidly short a few meaningless points on an IQ evaluation, leaving him to feel worthless and ashamed of everything he was and everything he would become in the future and breaking Purple's soul every time he imposed his own self-hatred upon himself as internalized punishment. Red was so intelligent, so formidable, so needed. Should he say that? Should he say the very phrase that was on his mind that kept them tethered at the seams to race this diabolical track of misery together towards wherever they'd end up?
Say it.
"I…nothing's wrong…I think." Purple breathed, lingering much longer than he intended against Red's skin as he faltered and choked on his own articulacy for once.
Red had been there for a while, lingering in his gloomiest shadows to keep Lire in line and ensure he didn't kill Purple on accident with the roughness of his torture, knowing his now partner wanted nothing more than to spring forward and preen his antennae with his hands after he'd been half-drowned or slit Lire's throat as a gift before they left this place forever and never looked back. But again, here they were. The Massive must house their destiny, drawing them back in together like a swirling vortex and tying them down to the bottom of the ocean until they faced the music of who they were meant to be. Whoever the hell that ended up being. It was nearly unbearable to think about, suffocating Purple under the weight of responsibility when he realized he would never be normal again, that his mind had been twisted and razed by someone with the need to satisfy his hideously insatiable desire to breed him to a loud, one sided orgasm. Lire was gone, but the trauma was still fresh, haunting Purple with every ghost of a touch over his knee or brush of his lips against Red's no matter how much he enjoyed it. But still…there was something about Red that made him feel whole.
There was something about Red that made him feel safe.
Say it.
"Are you going to hold on to me all day or can I lay down and try and get a bit of rest before we spar again?" Red half joked, grazing his fingertips up the length of Purple's arm and stopping when he realized the touch may be too much. "Hey, Irk to Pur. You gonna let go or are we stuck like this forever, now?"
Say it.
It was now or never.
Purple didn't respond, his mind swimming as it raced with what if's and terrorizing fantasies of his uncertain future, cramping his psyche like a muscle and giving him a bit of a headache in the back of his skull. He couldn't say it, feeling it linger on the tip of his tongue when he tried to speak but unable to release it from his throat into the atmosphere as something beautiful and real for once, instead of deceitful and impure. Maybe it was the uncleanliness he felt. Maybe it was the sense that he didn't deserve to mean something so heavenly euphoric. No, he deserved it, and so did Red.
Say it!
Do it now!
"Fine!" Purple shouted back at his own screaming thoughts, startling Red and feeling him lurch in his careful hold as his pulse escalated and pounded up through his already quivering antennae.
Was he sweating? Ew, could Red smell his stress? Was he giving off pheromones that gave away what he knew now to be an odd, slightly unnerving, fact? Ugh, quit stalling! You've already said it before, so it should be a piece of cake at this point! But…b-but now you mean it. Now it was real. Now it had the weight of a hammer crashing down to irreparably change the already unstable weave of your future.
"Ok, you're really starting to freak me out. Who the hell are you talking to?" Red asked, a bit nervous to pull away when his partner continued to mumble to himself. "Shit, did I break you? Dammit, are your PAK language centers malfunctioning or something-"
"I love you."
Purple held firm, standing his ground when his own mind threatened to buckle and draw him away like a slug from sizzling salt, keeping his grip on Red's jawline and relaxing his hold when he noticed his mouth clamp shut mid-sentence. He waited, letting his boyfriend process the information he'd already told him a good handful of times, knowing the undeniable sincerity to his tone changed things and let Red know just how deeply he'd dug under his skin. He felt it. He felt him miles beneath the surface wrapping his protective embrace around his wounded sense of self and restoring it piece by piece to make him into a rational, whole individual for once. He was…he was Purple. Red had shown him that he no longer needed to be weak, terrified Nemi, but someone so much greater that he could learn to appreciate.
Red and Purple, huh?
Together they could become one and paint the universe magenta with the blood of their enemies slipping beneath the rubber soles of their opulent boots; a Tallest and his General…a lover and his love.
"I…I love you." Purple breathed once more when his partner smoothed over his own antennae with a shaky palm, trying to rid his stalks from the noise he never thought he'd hear and finding that it was indeed real.
"Really?" Red mumbled back, gripping at Purple's wrist when his emotions threatened to betray him, holding him close for fear that he might slip away and finding comfort in the warmth of his hands when he felt unexpected, salty tears prick in the corners of his eyes. "Y-You…you love me?"
Purple nodded with a haphazard, anxious smile when Red folded forward and buried his face into his neck to squeeze around him, sniffing against him as he felt a gentle, warm wetness lick at his already flushed skin. If this was love, why did it hurt? Maybe…maybe love was supposed to hurt before it got better as wounds were stitched and mended by the tender care of one another and the defibrillator of companionship shocking them back awake. For once, Purple didn't pay any mind to his internalized agony to run, returning Red's embrace with a tight, sincere hug of his own before letting his partner lean his weight against him and sob openly for the first time since Tak's death. He felt Red let go everything festering in his chest for cycles upon cycles of weighty, excessive torment and drunk in his pain like it was his own, feeling his own sadness swell and crest as he pressed his cheek to his partner's and too sobbed openly about everything he'd kept secret. It hurt…Irk it hurt so much but it was also refreshing like a chilling nitrogen rain, washing away cycles of hurt to reveal the raw wound beneath that still hadn't healed properly and wouldn't for some time to come. But now, maybe they both had a chance and finding normalcy again.
Purple felt his breath hitch when Red pulled back and gingerly brought their lips together, holding them there to move against him and try and to stimulate some form of reaction in the heat of the moment, his hands moving up to caress at the back of Purple's neck and elicit the sensation of chilly goosebumps to prickle over his body in waves. He stiffened, feeling his pulse lurch in his throat as he let it happen and tried to keep himself from panicking when his stress response went haywire and told him to bring his sharp claws out to fight, remembering that he was in no real danger and squeezing his eyes shut as his partner continued to leisurely move against his still lips, sighing softly through his own tears before blinking in confusion when Purple finally pulled away and tried to distract against his fears by wiping Red's cheeks with his shaky palms.
"Y-You're all sticky and disgusting now." He pointed out flippantly, unsure of what he'd just said but desperate to hide his own innocence even after it had been ruthlessly stolen in the past, feeling his partner's hands land back against his shoulders to tug him forward once more with a yelp. "W-Wait! I-I don't…what are you doing?"
Purple couldn't deny the obvious look of disappointment bogging down Red's expression when he smiled back and remained faithfully patient, keeping true to his promise to wait for his permission and quickly moving his hands back to the comforter between them. He was so kindhearted under all that anger, so irresistibly enduring to every wince and mumble of disapproval Purple gave him under his breath, relaxing the air to something sweet and sluggish. Purple felt his antennae crane forward when they picked up the scent of pheromones lingering from the tips of his partner's, finding himself craning forward ever so slightly to get closer to the balmy, temperate sweetness of the mouthwatering scent.
Damn him.
From the beginning of their official meeting and beyond, Red had always had a knack of smelling delicious. Whether it was artificial with the use of cologne or his biological aroma giving away the deep, irrefutable needs his body craned desperately for, he smelled incredible.
Again…damn him.
"Ah, sorry. I get a little carried away sometimes." Red began, putting his hands up in defense as he shuddered back across the comforter and attempted to put some much needed, but not wanted, distance between the two. "I know this kind of stuff makes you uncomfortable, and we probably have training to get back to-"
"What kind of stuff?" Purple asked suddenly before he could stop himself, surprised at his own out of character curiosity for Red's motives but still finding himself moving closer. He wavered a moment, his fingers itching to reach out and entwine with his partner's but still hitting an internal wall. "What kind of stuff are you talking about?"
Red instantly flustered, smacking his hands over his flushed face and turning away when Purple scooted ever closer out of genuine perplexity for what his idiotic partner was getting at. "N-Nothing! It's nothing so don't worry about it and just…just go get set up for sparring!" He half demanded, peeking between his fingers and groaning in humiliation when he noticed Purple had closed the gap between them once more. "Geez, ok! S-Stuff like…eh…" he waved a hand with incessant nervousness as he attempted to say his motives delicately. "I dunno…just stuff that people do when they love each other."
Purple let a tiny smile peak on his weary face, wiping away his remaining tears on the back of his hand when his sadness was replaced with the brightest warmth he'd felt in ages. He was determined to make it last, and whatever Red was doing, was somehow working. Maybe if he probed a bit more, he would get another burst of serotonin he so urgently craved.
"You love me? Well…I-I've never been in love before." He said plainly, only fueling the stifling awkwardness the atmosphere had slipped into.
"I-I haven't either."
"So…"
"So…what?"
"Stuff."
"What stuff?"
"Stuff that people do when they love each other. If we're in love, shouldn't we do that too?"
It must have been something Purple said, Red groaning again and falling back onto the mattress to grab for a pillow and stamp it over his face to hide his expression. No, it was definitely something Purple had said. Why did he have to say things like that in a tone so innocent and sweet?! Red knew that his partner was far from both of those things, but in the moment he could hardly look him in the eye as if they were meeting on the off chance for the first time in their lives. They'd already kissed, they'd already slept next to one another and woke up in the heat of danger. They were bonded for Irk's sake, so why was this so excruciatingly embarrassing for Red to talk about?! He became instantly aware of the box nestled at the bottom of his PAK storage, squeezing down around the plush fabric of the pillow and waiting for his idiot other half to try and pluck his lifeline away, surprised when he too was met with nothing but patience and kindness for once.
Or inexperience.
Purple wouldn't want to do that. A-At least not the first time. He had a lot of healing and self-discovery to go through before they could take each other fully and completely, the thought sending a spike of something warm and unexpected between Red's already unsteady legs as he yelped and nearly smacked Purple in the face with the pillow, flying down to cover the dull ache mounting in his abdomen with his fluffy barrier. The two froze, Purple's mouth open mid-question, as he too flushed and frowned before turning away and keeping his gaze firmly against the far wall. Ugh, this was absolutely humiliating! It sure as hell wasn't this easy for Tak to get him so insufferably zealous and heated, stealing away Red's once powerful voice and replacing it with a vocabulary of broken Irken and droning grumbles that only made things considerably worse for his case. Not even the allure of Sen's once gorgeous physique had taken him and reduced him to the puddle of liquid goo and blubbering nonsense he felt like in the moment, unsure of what was happening for a swift second and feeling his internalized cursing mount when he realized how hypocritical he must look in the moment. He had promised Purple he would be patient with him and allow him as much time as he needed to heal from his past traumas regarding specific, very obvious subjects, and here he was feeling restrictive in his own leggings and letting his body betray him!
Shit.
Red laughed nervously, trying to ease some of the tension when Purple finally realized what was going on and gave him a soft, nearly inaudible "oh" under his breath, only flustering more as he wrung his hands nervously at the thought of having made someone so…well…excited to put it politely. He watched as his partner stood, pillow in tow and clamped as respectfully as he could muster over his form as he inched backwards towards their temporary bathing chambers.
"Um…s-sorry! Just give me a minute to think of something uh…gross or something to take my mind off of it and cool down. I-I can do that in the bathroom so you don't have to s-see anything you don't wanna!" Red stammered with a cheesy smile, refusing to meet Purple's stare when he stood and followed. "Honestly, if you stay out here it might help."
Purple swallowed, catching another lingering scent of pheromones wafting lazily around the tip of his antennae as he blocked the doorway to the bathroom on an instinct he didn't understand, watching as Red wavered gawkily and tried to figure out what to say as his temperature rose. He looked odd like this; so venerable and distinctly different in temperament. He was quieter, with a silvery voice and smooth rational underneath all that anxiety that made Purple stand straight on his toes when they hitched and curled against the metal beneath him. What was he doing? He was going to die tomorrow! He should be training and violently sparring with Red, not looking at him with a stoic awareness that he was becoming lost in. He was going to die, and all he could think about was Red's scent…that utterly infuriating, body-warming, lovely aroma he wanted to bathe in and become one with. Such a different feeling…such a strange shift from earlier experiences. Sex hurt. Sex was supposed to hurt.
Right?
Then why did this feel nice?
Wait…they weren't even having sex, what was he thinking of?!
Purple tugged his mind free from the gutter and stepped out of the way, rocking on the balls of his feet as he brought his hands together and moved away without a word, watching out of the corner of his eye as Red mouthed a squeaky thank-you and cautiously shut the hatch behind him to leave his partner to his bewildering thoughts. He moved back to the edge of the bed to wait, glancing back at the main doorway and remembering that he wasn't allowed to take a walk out of fear that a burly guard would grab him by the neck and shove him back inside their temporary quarters. Nah, he was stuck here for the next…what was it? Thirteen hours now? Twelve? He'd lost count, slumping back over the same indentation Red had carved out in the blankets beneath him as he tried to put his mind back on a plot to overthrow their Tallest and free them all. He felt his antennae perk as the image of Del and Lire's ferocious death fade in his mind, replaced by the scenting instinct to root down into the sheets and take a good long sniff of the incredibly faint, gorgeously honied smell transferred to his clothing from the expensive fabric.
Mm.
This was…this was…Purple didn't know what it was, burying his face into Red's quickly fading warmth and letting his breath escape to the atmosphere like steam as he dug his claws into the mind-numbing mix of sweat and innermost yearning, feeling like his partner had gotten him high on himself alone. Did Red feel the same about his smell? He couldn't scent his own, knowing in the pit of his stomach that Red probably picked up on it as soon as it poured free from his stalks and alerted him to his potential status as a mate, making things a bit more complicated then he had originally anticipated. Homosexual relationships weren't uncommon on Irk, but they were frowned upon in positions of power, leaving Purple in between a rock and a hard place for his potential ascension to the esteemed office of Tallest. So, he could either die a half-virgin, if he could call himself that, and never feel Red's touch, or he could survive and become Tallest and have an illegal relationship. Either way, he could potentially lose his chance to…um…well…partake in Red's scent. Did he really want to? Purple sat up and let his fingers dance up to his cheeks, shying away when he noticed the incredible heat pooling beneath his lightly freckled complexion and chewing lightly on his lips as he furrowed his brow in thought. He was afraid of sex. It provoked a terrifying stress response that numbed him to the world and took him away from his rational mind to reduce him to a begging, sobbing mess of terrified psychological torture. He couldn't go all the way, and he wasn't sure he ever would be able to…at least not now. Now, he wasn't sure what he wanted.
A sniff?
A peek?
A touch?
That touch reciprocated?
He felt his pulse lurch when the door opened and revealed a very haggard looking Red, pillow still in tow and clamped firmly over his abdomen to disguise the obvious as he slunk back in utter, humiliating shame. He curled up on the opposite side of the bed, kicking off his boots with his toes and sighing in frustration when he knew his issue wouldn't go away any time soon.
"S-Sorry…I tried to think of something nasty like Del but my brain is on a whole other level right now. I'm gonna try and take a quick thirty minute nap and see if everything dies down." He mumbled in disgrace, swiftly yanking the pillow away and covering himself with the comforter to let his eyes flutter shut as he tried to let his mind wander. "I know I keep apologizing but this is a lot harder than I thought. Shit, that wasn't the best w-wording was it?" He tried a flippant attempt at humor, letting it die away when Purple too laid next to him and decided to keep his hands to himself. "You should try and sleep a bit too. You'll need all your strength for morning."
Purple nodded, gripping at the zipper of his jacket and tugging it away to toss it to the floor before slipping under the sheets with his wholly embarrassed, exasperated boyfriend, feeling him shimmy a few inches away when his hands found their way to his waist for comfort. He didn't want to be touched, did he? Purple tugged back once more, returning to staring at the painfully boring ceiling as he counted the number of pipes for the fortieth time and started over when he got to the end, eventually letting his mind swim back to the realization that Red was attempting to sleep next to him ardent and ready for something he was internally debating about. Why did they have to be in their prime for their search for a mate? Red himself was a few cycles older than Purple, giving him a boost of testosterone and opening up his primitive instincts to find a breeding partner to produce smeets, something the two couldn't do together due to fertility blockers implanted in their PAK hardware upon hatching. Geez, did he have to be so scientific about it? Red was horny. That was all there was to it and that was that.
Red was desperate for his touch.
Red was secreting a honied smell that made Purple's mind fuzzy.
Red was making his abdomen throb with heat he hadn't expected.
Sex was supposed to hurt. Sex was supposed to hurt. Sex was supposed to hurt. Sex with Red would hurt. It would feel exactly the same as mating with Lire and the hundreds of other officers who had forced themselves on him in closets and the bathroom of his chambers to pry his mouth open and choke him on meals that definitely weren't food, leaving him behind nauseous and cold in their wake to pick up the fractured pieces of his soul.
Sex with Red might not hurt.
They hadn't gotten far; they'd only personally known each other a little over a week and already it was like love at first sight, the chemical slew needed for attraction firing off in their brains and traveling down to their mechanical hardware to let off steam as they attempted to regulate emotions that Irkens shouldn't feel so intensely. Companionship, safety, hope.
Sex with Red could be fun.
It was odd feeling his own internalized biases against sexual acts fading away in the moment to be replaced with an undeniable lust and intense inquisitiveness to see what his partner looked like, images of more than accidentally seeing Red's body in Ipi's private garden flashing through Purple's memories and only complicating things further. He was scarred to hell, lean on the border of emaciated, and so utterly handsome he couldn't see straight. Every dip was a valley and every crest was a mountain waiting to be scaled for the betterment of his own mental health, knowing that if he could pass himself off to someone else's hands that he trusted maybe…just maybe…he could heal from his trauma and experience something beautiful.
Sex with Red could be beautiful.
How would he know if he didn't try?
As Purple thought and fought with himself, Red stared at the far wall, cradling a cozy pillow against his buzzing body to provide some form of relieving pressure against his most intimate places as he sighed intermittently and kept himself from moving any further or shifting enough to create friction. How stupid did he have to be to let himself get excited in Purple's presence?! He'd really messed up this time, the silence deafening in his antennae as he was taken back to the handful of times he'd locked himself in his room at night on his old ship, images of Purple's smile contorted into something even more incredible as he held his breath to keep from making sound and let himself go to his palm. It was scandalous and dishonorable at best, yet here he was, laying with his partner after a single slew of kisses and the faint scent of Purple's mating pheromones set him into the mood to mate. He smelled so rich and well-rounded, a heavy weight bearing down peaceably on Red's form and calming his worries with every tentative inhale of the honied mixture he'd waited so long to scent with his quivering antennae as he tried to make his overwhelming interest less obvious. He knew Purple wouldn't be into the intimacy of penetration at the moment but maybe…
No! Do you only think with your dick?!
Red grumbled to himself and pulled the pillow away when the fleeting pressure became too much to handle, instead electing to creep down and slowly tug his waistband away for more room, freeing himself from the stifling fabric with a mumble of relief and making an internal reminder to pull them back up before they began their training once more.
They laid that way for a long while, Purple intermittently creeping closer until he was pressed flush with Red's back after a few minutes of careful slinking, drawing a yelp from Red's lips when he snuck his hands up around his waist and stopped, holding him there in a state of limbo over whether he should move or remain stiff as a statue. Eventually, he let his eyes flutter shut to the comforting bodyheat radiating outwards and mixing into his, willing his stagnant, frustrating pleasure to subside as he attempted to sleep a bit in the wake of the violence they would face tomorrow. They were all going to die, huh? Red had a great deal of faith in his partner, but he didn't know how far his strength could go against the most formidable opponent their universe knew at the moment. It would take a miracle to even-
Huh?
Hands?
Hands!?
Yep. Those were definitely hands.
Red went to screech something out in sudden surprise when Purple startled him by reaching up and lightly tugging at the zipper of his jacket with careful, shaky fingers, dipping his sharp claws against his bare skin to run the length of the first scar they could find. He tried to say something, stopping when Purple took a deep confidence boost of an inhale and leaned forward to pepper a swift, unsure kiss to the back of his neck, grazing his teeth over his flesh with a single swipe before retreating and recollecting himself when he didn't seem to know what to do. Shivers instantly rippled up Red's spine when his partner tugged him back against his tenderly heaving ribcage to smear another fast peck against his skin, every point of contact a burst of energy that set Red to combust in a fit of jumbled questioning and visceral need to keep going and feel more. Any progress he'd made in calming himself came flooding back like a tidal wave of emotion and feeling straight between his legs, forcing him to clamp his knees shut and spin in Purple's hold when he felt his hands creep ever lower to feel along every dip and swell of his chest, locking eyes with his partner and noticing his own dazed misperception gawking back at him in the low light. Did he…did he know what he was doing? Of course he did. He was a functioning adult with a high IQ and a fairly decent sense of self, so why the ever-loving hell was he allowing his thin fingers to trail back to their original position, peeling back the frustratingly thick fabric that kept his baffled partner concealed from his view?
"What…what are you doing?" Red breathed, feeling it catch in the back of his throat when Purple finally unzipped him from his jacket and moved to run his blistering hot touch down his lower back and nearly draw a contented sigh from the back of his mind. "You don't have to do this just because I'm frusturated…You have a choice."
"I know I have a choice." Purple responded with firm conviction, swallowing down another throb of fear growing within his spooch and taking another slow, soothing breath as his mind caught up to what he was agreeing to. "I…I can't handle…certain things b-but I wanna try and feel something before I die." He admitted in a small voice, the tremble in his hands obvious against Red's spine. "What I mean is, I-I don't want any," He glanced up to make sure they were alone by habit, "u-um…penetration. I just want…I-I dunno what I want. You? I want you but you have more experience with this kind of thing so bear with me for a bit while I f-figure it out."
The gruff governance in Purple's voice was overshadowed by his underlying, enthusiastic suggestion to move forward and open up something new and unexplored between them. It was dubiously raw, passionately intimate, and overpoweringly terrifying all in the same breath, Red drowning out his own pride to tentatively move closer and flick his antennae forward to graze against his partner's, every tiny sigh and breath held back enough of an indicator for him to gently move forward and relish in the speed of Purple's pulse beating against his chest. Red was careful and slow, nodding wordlessly against Purple's forehead when he brought them together and leaned in to eat up each and every nervous kiss he was met with, knowing his partner had no idea just how absolutely handsome he was or how he blinded him every time he turned to flash him a smile. Purple was his perfection, his literal dream come true, Red venturing a bit of courage to slip his hands along the same smooth curve of his lower back as they relaxed into one another and found a natural rhythm they were both comfortable with. They went together perfectly, matching each other's affectionately greedy speed with habitual ease as they gingerly fought for dominance and settled on mutual affection, hands exploring tracts of land and territory they'd never been given access to when Red finally kicked off his leggings and worked them down to the end of the bed to forget.
The scent of honied vanilla clung to the air as Red shifted, drawing a light sigh from Purple's teeth as he pulled him up onto his chest to give him complete control of his body, picking up the pace between them when he noticed the undeniable squirm of discomfort hitching in Purple's form. He wanted the sensation of urgency to build until it burst like a bubble, staying just far enough from his boyfriend's waistband to give him total liberty of how far they went depending on his level of consent. He would be damned if he scared Purple off during their first time, preparing for the worst when he ventured enough bravery to silently slip a bare leg up between his to provide a tentative sense of pressure against the heat he knew in the back of his racing mind was undoubtedly building beneath the sheets, blinking when he was met with an astonishing wetness that proved to Red just how touch starved they both seemed to be. Purple froze at the sensation of being caressed so intimately, going stiff with fear and thankful when Red pulled back to give him time.
"I'm trying." He whispered, placing his hands on the sides of Red's face to pepper a few more sweet kisses against his lips as his breathing escalated, flattening himself down against his chest and blinking at the sensation of something warm and firm running the length of his thigh through his leggings.
They were touching. They were actually…a-actually touching.
"Shhh…I know…it's alright." Red reassured, swiping a teasing thumb over Purple's lips to make him smile at his dorky antics. "Do you wanna stop for now? We don't have to keep going if you're not into it."
Purple thought a moment, feeling Red squirm back up between his legs to seek out his own heat, the unconscious motion enough to give him the boost he needed to spread his thighs a bit and grind back with featherlight touches to provide friction along his own length when he felt himself finally slip free. Stop? Should they stop? Purple felt his doubts dissolve completely when Red propped himself up on his elbows and dove back in to run his blistering hot tongue over the nape of Purple's neck, quickly replacing the tender ribbing with the smooth graze of his sharp teeth over his skin, biting down intermittently over his freckled shoulders and forcing Purple to dig his claws into Red's in response. It was absolutely overwhelming to the senses, the throb in Purple's abdomen deepening with every passing second as his body whined out it's need to be set free from the terrified, disillusioned horror he had lived under the clutches of his old advisor, passing his liberated soul over to Red's heavenly, loving palms and feeling him cup him softly like a diamond to be treasured for everything he was. He did the same, continuing his prodding here and there as he learned what Red liked and what he didn't as his partner dipped a single finger past the elastic of his waistband to toy with his hips and draw a tiny giggle out of him at the sheer anticipation for what was to come. Purple couldn't believe it; there was no tears, no blood-curdling screaming stifled by a pillow, no disgustingly foreign saliva oozing between his legs. This was, dare he say, kind of fun in an intimate sense, every flicker of light and spark of lust behind the sweltering, half-lidden crimson streaking his lover's flush eating him away like sweet candy dragging him deeper into the beauty of the moment only they could share together.
Power.
So much power and sense of control.
Purple felt powerful. He felt coveted and appreciated in such a personal way when he reached back and scrapped his claws along Red's bare calf, urging him with the bite of his lip to slip his leg back between his own. Red happily obliged, going into an awestruck trance when Purple hiked himself up on his knees and experimented with his own risqué pleasure, grinding back against him and feeling his breathing morph into something he hadn't ever heard roll off his tongue. He let loose another breathy moan when Red finally snapped out of his comatose surreal fascination with the sheer immaculacy of the perfection unfolding before him, snapping his limp jaw closed when he realized he probably looked like a complete idiot in the moment. He swallowed thickly, smoothing back up to Purple's chest to feel for his steady, overly excited pulse before raking back down at a snail's pace to frustrate him out of his mind and grip at his sharp hipbone as he leisurely rocked against him. He felt a spike of pleasure shoot to his own curling length when he noticed a telltale firmness grinding down against him and seeking escape, drowning out the rest of the world to focus only on his mate and sinking a second finger into his waistband to tug teasingly at the fabric.
"Can I?" He mumbled when Purple folded back forward and brought their mouths together, moaning against his lips as Red felt the vibration ripple up to his antennae and beyond. "Please?"
Red held him close, pulling his hands away and instead shrouding Purple in a protective embrace when he took complete control of the pace, his breathing becoming a steady, rhythmic pant as he bounced against Red's hips and transferred the same delicious fanaticism between them in a sudden burst of electricity that overpowered the mood. It was hungry but affectionate…desperate but loving. Purple didn't feel the need to shudder away or hesitate, rolling off onto his side and flashing Red a deviously sly look as he worked off his own leggings, pulling them free from the comforter and holding them up for his partner so see, giggling when what was left of Red's usually massive egotistical nature dissolved to be replaced once more with a sputtering mess of syllables that hardly made any sense. The distance between them was agonizing, Purple feeling himself curl up against the sheets in search for the blinding intensity of resistance as he clamped his legs together and squeezed, attempting desperately to find some sense of relief. He tossed his clothing to the side and reached out to brush his fingertips longingly down his partner's chest, almost beckoning him over with his eyes as Red began to peel back what was left of their protective, enshrouding comforter for his second peek at what he was about to partake in. One foot. Seven inches. Three. Almost there as the brush of warm, ghostly fabric draped and plucked at Purple's form and made him shiver when his flushed skin was met with the chill of the Massive's internal air systems, freezing in place when his partner finally plucked away what kept them apart to reveal everything that had been hidden from sight. Purple's memory was right; Red was scarred to hell and lacerated with the memories of pain long since past yet still lingering on the surface of his blemished skin, an imperfect disaster of gorgeous proportions leading into chemically enhanced retinas that couldn't be more striking. He let his gaze trail back down, feeling himself flush and instantly look away when the taboo of seeing Red's squirming, ribbed length overtook him again and embarrassed him beyond belief. He flipped and turned his back with a groan of awful embarrassment, gasping in shock when Red pressed into his pack to silently run the back of his thigh with ardent fingers traveling slowly…ever so slowly upwards to part his legs and allow the cool air to hit places he hadn't been expecting.
Legs tangled for warmth, bodies turned and pressed back together to transfer beaming balminess as stifled moans and gentle cries of encouragement were sung into necks and sweat-slicked collarbones. It was so much…so much all at once but so incredibly delicious and right, keeping the two tethered to the moment as all fear of the violent, angry future flooded away to be replaced by pulses humming in tandem and fingers slipping tentatively between legs to graze pads over gooey, needy slits. Purple traded his lack of positive experience for devotion, laying back when Red patted him on the PAK and urged him to lay back before positioning himself between his legs and silently asking for permission, holding his length still in his calloused palm and running his eager tip the length of his parted lips.
Holy shit.
Red was gonna…wait a minute. Purple never expected his partner to be into anything like that, staring down in awe as he leisurely worked the first inch into his hot, wet mouth, careful with his teeth as he relaxed his jaw and scrambled to massage up over Purple's abdomen as he continued tasting him. Overpowering. Sensational. Revolutionary. This isn't what Purple remembered sex feeling like, his hands instinctively finding their way to the base of Red's antennae and gripping as he pulled back to swirl his tongue back around his tip with slow intention before swallowing him down once again. This was incredible and full of absolute, blissful dedication to one another, the threat of death falling to the wayside for the time being as Purple relaxed back against his pillow and massaged along his partner's downy stalks with his hands as Red carefully let him slip past his precarious gag reflex, taking a gulp of air before swallowing down around him and driving Purple absolutely mad. His grip on his partner's antennae tightened as he neared his climax, panicking and humming through clenched teeth when he felt the tight coil burning its way up through his abdomen constrict and grasp at the fringes of his own self-control he'd once been confident about keeping, huffing with a whine of immediate displeasure when Red noticed his toes curl into the mattress and pulled away to linger at the underside of his tip with a tiny smirk. He smiled warmly behind his blush, leaning forward to smooth genuine, kindhearted kisses over his ribcage as he repositioned himself to lovingly straddle his partner's hips, taking him ardently by the hand and helping him to bring their unbearably warm, ribbed lengths together in his palm, feeling himself slip and curl with mounting fervor against Purple's claws before moving to grind up into the loose hold he encased them both in. Red let his eyes flutter shut when Purple ventured a bit more finesse, helping him scoot forward a bit with a blink of curiosity so his base ground firmly up against his partner's dripping slit to simulate the sensation of thrusting with every downstroke of his hand.
"Mm…f-fuck…that feels nice." Red managed to slur out in between breaths, rocking forward against his partner and feeling him squirm and writhe against his entrance in uneven circles that kept him guessing. "S-Shit…can you press up a l-little…ah…harder? Please, I…I need the pressure."
"U-Um…" Purple couldn't think let alone process the shamelessly seductive request, busying his hands against them both and falling victim to the firm slickness before it finally clicked with a bleary nod. "Like this?"
Red rewarded him with a soft moan, pressing down against him as he urged Purple to pick up the pace with his hands, working his slit against his ribbed texture and driving him absolutely mad with overstimulation. This was all so surreal, like a dream but so much foggier in the mind and overpowering in the best of ways; the buttery, invasive scent of pheromones overtook Purple's senses as Red rode him closer and closer to his friction laden release, finally convincing him to let go of his own voice and sing out fantastical praise and purrs alike when the same feeling of tightness crept back through him. Purple felt oddly empty, squeezing down around nothing as he flew up to claw frantically at the fabric of his pillow for support, turning to the side to cry out when Red licked his lips and renewed his own powerful grip around them both, letting his own length coil and curl up against the underside of Purple's for added stimulation as he held back and drug a claw up to land against his jawline to coax another unashamed, pleasure-filled moan from his lips.
"I-It's ok…y-you're safe here and you're allowed to cum…please…please, Pur, please…" Red pleaded, folding forward when Purple scrambled to wrap his arms around his waist and drag him down to his level in desperation for another kiss. "I love you…I love you…"
Purple could barely hear, feeling Red mouth his bleary, sugarcoated words against his lips as he stared glassy and unseeing over his shoulder at the once boring pipelines turned to something excruciatingly blissful and filled to the brim with ethereal ecstasy. Everything was too intense, the burn of dawning climax blooming between his legs when a ripple of cosmic, absolutely electric pleasure shot up his spine and collided hard with his PAK, curling his lithe spine up into something stiff and untamed when he elected to give in and follow instinct completely. The texture of Red's overworked hands and careful claws squeezing and rolling his tip between his fingers, the kisses smearing down his jawline to turn to playful bites along his collarbone, the feeling of Red's parted slit grinding down over him and practically begging to let him slip inside. He wasn't ready. He was ready. He wasn't ready. He was ready! R-Ready for what? Wait…burning, building, burning, building, sweltering, cresting, blooming…!
Now.
Purple bit down on the fabric of his pillow, shredding through the casing with his claws when he felt the anvil of climax hit him square in the chest, releasing through Red's fingers as he continued his frantic, urgent grinding to eventually find his own, the added stimulation of his partner squeezing down around him as he cried out without fear that anyone would hear was mind-blowing.
Silence.
Pure, unadulterated bliss.
For a long while, there was no stress or anxiety, merely the caress of shaky hands over thighs and fingers massaging against sticky slits to work out the residual ripples of climax shuddering up between them both. Purple felt weightless, sighing hazily when Red's touch found it's way to his entrance, circling him soft and slow as he hummed hoarse praise to detail every single molecule of perfection he saw when he rested heavy against him to catch his now shallow breath. Eventually, he felt Red curl back and slow down, his own body doing the same when a characteristic drowsiness overtook him to cradle him in the serenity of finally being loved the way he should when Red went to instinctively preen his ruffled antennae with smooth, soothing strokes.
"Talk about a meet and fuck." Red joked, struggling to catch his own breath when Purple sputtered and giggled against him, squeezing him back into a tight hug and wincing when his sore muscles groaned for relief from the intensity of their earlier fighting.
"What are you talking about? I've known you for at least a week." He bit back lovingly, searching Red's face when he looked at him with the deepest, most sincere gaze of unabridged ardor Purple had ever been met with. He impulsively picked at a stray bit of antennae fuzz poking out at an odd angle, chuckling once more when Red wordlessly protested with a grumbling whine and draped himself back over his chest to recharge.
"I need you. I didn't ever think I would need anyone as much as I need you right here, right now." He expressed honestly, mindlessly tracing Purple's ribs in the way he'd done so many times before. "I've been so used to running through life alone and taking care of myself even when I was around others who liked me but now, I feel like I have something to live for. You know?"
Purple nodded in agreement, blinking at the strange confession and finding his own truth in his lover's tender words. They were here together for a reason, and it felt good to be needed for once by someone who didn't view him as a piece of cutlery or a steak ready to devour. He was a whole Irken in Red's claws and vice versus, leading Purple to think that he had been broken to make room to fit the jagged pieces of his partner's life within his mending soul. If he hadn't gone through all the pain and torment of the Empire pressing down on him like a squirming insect meant for slaughter…who knows if he would have met Red in the first place. He would have died on the streets and Purple would have died on the battlefield in his own blood. Well…he still might. Red had given him more of a life than he'd ever hoped for, knowing that deep down, he would be happy with the literal antichrist he'd been initially uncomfortable to be stuck with. He was angry, he was firm, but underneath everything he was the softest and sweetest Irken Purple would ever meet. He couldn't lose that. He wouldn't lose that.
"Pur?" Red broke the silence, scratching at an itch his idiot lover couldn't seem to reach with his spindly claws and grinning when he sunk deeper into the mattress in sudden release.
"Yeah?"
"Will you promise me something?"
"Sure. What is it?"
"Don't die."
Purple sighed when Red buried his cheek back into the crook of his neck and let his fingers toy with the ridge of his clavicle, thoughts of loneliness and abandonment creeping back into his psyche and bringing him back to his time completely alone and forgotten on the filthy street corners of Veloria. No, just as he had told Purple he was safe, Red needed to trust in him that he would be too. If Purple became Tallest, they would all be safe and a new era of dignified, authoritarian force would blast down over the heads of their sworn enemies to stand strong with an army of millions of devoted soldiers. He would look so handsome in uniform.
Heh.
Red pulled back and smiled, reiterating his question once more as his partner wavered on his answer. "Look me in the eye and promise me you won't die." He whispered softly with another tender kiss, his grip involuntarily tightening at the thought of loosing what he'd only just gained.
Purple watched a moment, a sudden spark of determination striking against his spooch as his awareness heightened to an undeniable protectiveness of his mate. He was doing this for Red, Sen, and himself…and the whole of the Empire. He couldn't afford to lose, so what choice did he really have?
"I promise."
I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Next chapter we'll have the violent showdown between Del and Purple! Who do you think is going to win? Guess we'll find out during our next update!
Next Update: Thursday, May 14, 2020 at 10:00 pm CDT! (MONDAY IS MY MOM'S BIRTHDAY AND UPDATES USUALLY TAKE ME ALL DAY SO I WANNA SPEND THAT WITH HER! :D)