Why has nobody ever told him…?
Yet even as his mind, dazed with unbelievable pleasure drowned while his lover set to gently brush the fur on his tail, G'raha knew the answer.
As a kit, his caretakers seemingly simply had no idea what to do with him. Other than children of members of the Forum – Old Sharlayan was hardly a place for children, and those, like Alisaie and Alphinaud, didn't leave the residential district. And by the time he reached the age of most of the students, his… 'eccentricities' earned him a reputation that had most if not all stay well away from him – which only worked to get him to… behave even worse. After all, any attention was better than none… Or so he thought, naively.
Then, once he passed puberty and his body slowly developed into the typical for his race athletic form – with the addition of his archery practice – he started to receive a different sort of attention, mostly from the older than him females. And now, after his long, long vigil… and having a comparison in form of his Senri's love – logically he knew he simply made for an easy… prey. As lonely and unwanted as he felt – starved for attention and affection – he didn't even mind that most of his so-called lovers treated him like a shameful kink and discarded him like… trash once done with.
He used to think he deserved that – that somehow… it was his fault that nobody ever wanted him.
Until Senri… and the way his Warrior simply swept him off his feet. He was not only powerful and beautiful beyond compare – but as well sweet, affectionate and so shamelessly doting… it was beyond intoxicating. He made him laugh with his hilarious efforts to distract him – as if he could ever truly focus on what he should be doing and ignore him – and he never… minded G'raha's eccentricities. More – most of the time, he seemed to almost expect and be utterly, shamelessly eager to… play and indulge his whims, despite the risk to his reputation.
And considering how ashamed and torn over his preferences his Warrior seemed at first when they met – that he seemingly discarded it without a thought for… him…
No one and nothing could ever compare to his Snark – and he was worth more than a hundred years of lonely vigil… now if he could only focus long enough to tell him…
Damon remained suspiciously silent since the moment his lover set to blow his mind with his… caring attentions – and in a way, G'raha was more than thankful – as he was embarrassed enough as it was by his… near-deafening purrs and quiet mewls of pure indulgence. Draped over his lover's chest after Senri delicately nudged him to turn around to grant him easier access to his tail – he gratefully hid his flaming face against his lover's throat and coiled his mismatched arms around his wide chest.
More than dazed, he almost unconsciously nuzzled against his Warrior's hot skin, getting himself even more… drugged on his intoxicating scent. And as his lover's tender ministrations trailed down the length of his tail, he couldn't help himself but climb his lap and pretty much rub against his mate… needily as his arousal grew beyond… anything he ever experienced. And that his Senri seemed content to let him… purring soothingly against his ear while delicately running his free hand up and down along his spine… while his more than interested cock poked against the skin of his inner thigh…
"N-need you," he murmured with a furious blush into the skin at Senri's throat over his choking purrs, shifting in his lap as his body simply… begged for any sort of friction on his painful, throbbing erection. That it made his flesh rub deliciously against the hard wall of muscles at his lover's abdomen… wasn't enough.
"I'm not done yet, my heart," his Warrior chuckled, delicately nipping on the available skin below his jaw… And in normal conditions, G'raha would be beyond embarrassed about the sound that left his throat at that: a loud, needy whine of complaint… or about how his fingers dug into his lover's lower back and his body almost against his will rolled against his Warrior's. Without conscious thought, he turned his head and slid his tongue over the visible bite mark on the junction of Senri's throat and shoulder, and when that made the hard body under him shudder noticeably and tore a breathless gasp from his lover's mouth… he bit down hard, purring even louder when Senri arched with a choked whimper. "Oh, Azeyma… You're so… ngh, oh, fuck…" G'raha's needy sounds only grew in volume and intensity when his Warrior's free hand curled around his hip and he pulled him tighter against him.
Losing his grip on any sense of shame and without breaking his bite, he used his grip around his lover's to rut against his stomach, whining petulantly as the pressure grew painful and he needed…. Had to…
Senri chuckled breathlessly, shakily, and then his hand moved around his hip, fingers delicately nudging at the tight ring of muscles between his buttocks.
"If I give you… what you need, will you behave and let me finish taking care of your beautiful fur?" he cooed, nuzzling against the crystal on his shoulder.
He finally pulled back from his bite and nosed insistently against his lover's throat.
"Yes, yes, please…" he choked out, beyond any point of care as his blood simply… boiled and any sane thoughts were lost in the deafening rhythm of his heartbeat. "Need you… so b-bad, Snark… pleeeease," he whined, then bit him again, clawing at the Warrior's back and rutting against him needily.
"G-gods, Raha…" Senri gasped, then G'raha barely purred his approval and relief when one of his long fingers slowly pressed inside him, massaging the tight squeeze of the muscles loose. His other hand momentarily left his task to reach for something, but G'raha couldn't care, torn between rutting against his lover and pressing back against the intrusion, pulling back only to spread sharp bites over his Warrior's throat and shoulder. "G-give me a… moment," black-haired Seeker murmured, shifting under him slightly, and he whined another complaint when that finger pulled back, panting against his lover's throat as his mind simply… drowned in painful arousal.
Enough said, he was beyond relieved when it came back, oiled and easily sliding inside him up to his partner's knuckle. Mewling his approval, he tightened his grip around his lover almost painfully and shifting on his knees around Senri's hips, rolled his, losing himself in the double sensation. Triple, when his lover's hand went back to blew his mind completely with his delicate brushes at the base of his tail while pushing his finger back and forth into him.
By the time the second finger joined the first, G'raha was shamelessly whimpering for more, shuddering violently and rutting against Senri's stomach in sharp, jerky thrusts. Feeling like he's going to simply… burst at the seams in the overload of sensations, he merely mewled breathlessly against his bite mark when his mate pulled back, then shifted under him, tilted his hips, and then slowly impaled him on his cock, choking on a string of gasps and whimpers until he was buried inside him up to the hilt.
The sensation of his throbbing, scalding heat inside him and his beautiful Warrior's shudders and choked noises had his arousal shot into overdrive, and he eagerly wrapped his arms around Senri's shoulders, gratefully nuzzling against his throat.
"Now… ah, b-beha…" his lover choked on a keening whine when he tightened his muscles around the too-hot intrusion, slowly rolling his hips to enjoy that feeling against the slow friction on his aching erection. Senri's hand clenched around his hip in an almost painful grip, his fingers digging into G'raha's skin while he audibly fought to catch his breath. He didn't mind, using his grip and lifting on his knees to slowly bounce on the rigid flesh and ground his cock against that firm wall of muscles. Instinctively nuzzling against his lover's throat to cover him with his scent and purring near-deafeningly as his thoughts swam in the haze of pure bliss of his claim over that too-beautiful, too-perfect body… The intoxicating scent of apples filled his head until there was no place for any sane thought, only the need to please this wonderful mate of his that took such sweet, tender care of his fur.
The only person who always only made him feel safe, loved, and cared for. Who made him feel it was okay… to be him. That even now, half-eaten away by crystal as he was… only showered him with affection and care… never asking for anything else in return but his heart, soul, and body – which were already his since such a long, long time ago…
G'raha was so lost in the feelings he didn't realize he was weeping until Senri whimpered, pushed him back delicately, and wrapped his big, warm hands around his cheeks.
"What's wrong, my heart?" his lover breathed against his lips, then delicately licked at the wet trail up his left cheek. G'raha closed his eyes, barely feeling more tears spill when he let his mismatched hands climb up and drown in velvety, inky-black strands at the back of Senri's head, pulling him closer until their foreheads met.
"You're… e-everything," he choked out through his too-tight throat. "M-My Snark… I l-love you…"
"As you are," his Warrior chuckled breathlessly, then tenderly smoothed his hands down his back. "If I knew…" he sighed softly and maybe a bit… sadly. "I'll take better care of you from now on, my beautiful mate," he purred soothingly, placing a delicate kiss on the corner of his mouth, but when G'raha flushed and opened them to protest such a… silly statement, he only drowned in his lover's delicious taste when Senri used it to claim his lips and any sanity he had left.
And when his Warrior was busy devouring his mouth, his hands wrapped around redhead's hips, soon slowly pulling him up and down on his engorged flesh. Swallowing his breathless mewls of pleasure and feeding him his delicious purr-growls until G'raha felt like his heart is going to burst… He didn't really notice when his mouth grew aggressive, his hands fisted in black hair, tilting his lover's head for better access as the noises shooting down his throat grew with an intoxicating, keening edge. Bouncing on his knees and rolling his hips to feel that hard flesh brush against the spot inside him that had jolts of levin shooting across his nerve endings, he was barely aware of the needy, pleading whines and whimpers he fed his Warrior as the pressure at the base of his spine grew unbearable.
He purred into Senri's mouth and swallowed his choked snarl when his lover shifted and without breaking their all-consuming kiss turned, pinning him down against the edge of their nest. Roughly pulling his legs up around him, the kiss grew nearly violent – now more like a clash of tongues and teeth – when he braced his weight around him, then proceeded to fuck him, in sharp, hard thrusts he needed. The first harsh stroke had G'raha arch under him with a keening shout, breaking the kiss as his crystalized hand shoot to mindlessly claw at his lover's back. When Senri buried his face against his shoulder, teasing his ears with a maddening mix of snarls and groans, his normal hand tightened in the inky-black hair almost painfully, in thought cursing the covering him crystallization and dying for his lover to bite him, take him… claim him every way… Choking on his instinctive, inviting purrs and whimpers his Warrior's harsh thrusts tore from his throat…
"F-Fucking… crystal," Senri snarled, as if reading his mind, then almost violently pulled back to rise above him on his stretched-out arms – his beautiful ice-blue irises dark and hungry as he bared his teeth at him in instinctive fury. His muscles straining and dancing under the sweat-dampened, pale skin as his movement grew near brutal. The pure possessiveness and mind-boggling lust written all over his handsome face while his eyes devoured his, had G'raha tighten his legs around him painfully, arching and undulating under him to take his deeper, harder, and tore mindless mewls, whimpers, and profanities from his mouth. Digging his crystalized fingers in the tattoo on Senri's shoulder, while his other hand almost outside of his will shot between them to coil around his too-painful cock… in barely a stroke timed with his lover's stroke he was coming, choking on a shout of his mate's name.
Trembling as the pressure snapped, sending wave after wave of incredible heat across his senses, he barely registered his Warrior's expression – his dazed eyes only by chance catching the sight of pure devotion and love in the icy-blue irises, his swirling with bliss senses barely aware when his lover gasped a loud, strained groan, his muscles shuddered noticeably and he came with a choked whine of his name, chanting it over and over as he shook above him. Only feeling his almost too-hot seed filling his insides in mind-blowing spasms had him purring loudly with satisfaction at pleasing his mate, to chuckle breathlessly when Senri collapsed on top of him bonelessly with quiet, blissed-out purrs.
"Mine," he cooed, grinning with instinctive pride as he nuzzled against his mark on his lover's shoulder while pawing at his back possessively.
"Yours, always," Senri gasped, then chuckled a bit sheepishly and pressed a tender kiss against the crystal on his throat. "But just so you know, Raha… once I can, I'm going to bite the seven hells out of you."
He flushed up to his hairline… with pleasure at the undertone of the possessive growl in his deep voice, then sighed softly and nipped gently at his mark, his ears twitching at his lover's pleased hum at that.
"…can't wait," he admitted shyly, closing his eyes and tightening his arms around his Warrior.
Feeling the exhaustion set in – maybe a bit more emotional than truly physical – he sighed again and rested his cheek against his lover's throat. He smiled and purred happily when Senri chuckled, then carefully rolled them over, wrapping his arms around him when G'raha sagged against his chest with a quiet, pleased hum. In the blissful haze of the afterglow and after his lover's tender ministrations, he felt warm, comfortable, and spoiled beyond reason.
"Take a nap with me?" Senri whispered, nuzzling against his ears with his own blissful purrs that simply had G'raha's heart stutter and swell almost unbearably with delight.
"Your stamina is giving out?" he chuckled, pressing his cheek against his lover's heart and shifting slightly to curl into his side comfortably.
"Definitely," his Warrior uttered a hilarious exaggerated sigh of resignation, drawing slow circles on the skin of his lower back. "So… take mercy on your senior, love?"
"Pardon?" he scowled, peering up into his lover's amused eyes.
"Well…" Senri drawled slowly, flashing his teeth in his wide, goofy grin that he him narrow his eyes suspiciously even while his heart stuttered. "…if I'm not wrong… physically I'm older than you now, brat."
"…brat?" he downright pouted, though his lips twitched involuntarily when his lover wiggled his dark eyebrows at him playfully and his grin widened.
"Yes, my adorable… brat," Senri gushed, swatting his buttock meaningfully before clasping his big hand around it and squeezing. "And as your senior… you got to listen to my demands, so… a nap?"
He blinked slowly, then dropped his head against his lover's chest with a loud, resigned sigh.
"I guess I have no choice," he said in his best, 'Exarch's' noble tone. "We can't risk you'll collapse… in your old age, can we?"
"Exactly!" his Warrior exclaimed in his most… petulant, bratty tone, then nuzzled shamelessly against the top of his head. "Glad that we're in agreement, my lord."
G'raha couldn't help it… and he snorted a laugh, shaking with it when his lover chuckled with satisfaction and tightened his arms around him.
"I love you, Snark," he sighed after calming down, rubbing his cheek against Senri's chest and splaying his arm over his waist as he closed his eyes and relaxed against him.
"I love you too, my prince," he heard right before he drifted off with a quiet, pleased hum.
"Ares?" a quiet, subdued whisper broke the silence of the dark room.
"Yes, my heart?"
"Before they'll eventually reach Old Sharlayan, I'll make you and Senri a list."
Too-bright, sky-blue irises peered through the dark lashes as he shifted his head and pressed a tender kiss against the crown of red-white hair.
"Thank you, love," he purred soothingly, even as his lips tilted in a slow, bloodthirsty smirk.
The next morning, as he oh, so innocently entered the Ocular, T'senri was more than glad that this time he did remember to wear Ares's mask at the sight of a familiar-unfamiliar slouched figure standing between his lover and his friends.
When the man turned as he silently joined the Scions' side and his golden eyes narrowed toward him, he kept his expression in a carefully neutral mask at the Ascian's vague… statement of his 'patronage' I they prove themselves true… heroes.
So… that's your little brother? He hesitantly asked his… passenger.
In the flesh… Ares hummed with obvious amusement. Isn't he just adorable? All that posing and sharp looks… Ah, this takes me back.
There's no accounting for taste, T'senri guessed, barely stifling a snort. He probably quite… failed as soon those eyes focused on him and something truly… cold flashed in his depths. At the same time, somehow Ares's presence in his head… shrunk, until he almost couldn't feel him anymore – and only that made him aware of the difference.
When Thancred snapped a thinly veiled insult at the Ascian, tearing his attention from T'senri – he felt his suddenly taut muscles relax as something in him sort of… unfurled. He frowned under the mask, considering the strange sensations.
Sorry, boy… He just took a look at your soul and since we don't want him aware of us before the right moment, I had to hide my presence, Ares grumbled.
Why did it… feel like that? he hesitated, barely stopping himself from shifting uncomfortably.
I was part of you long before I was awake, his Ascian's voice sounded… careful and guarded. Some… in-mixing of our souls was simply… unavoidable. Your strength and speed… and heightened senses are a result of that, not the effect of the Blessing. Ven… Hydaelyn's magic activated it because of its shielding effect – lessening the strain of your soul under the weight of mine.
T'senri scowled, his gaze involuntarily drawn behind the Ascian in the round room and toward the motionless figure of his lover. Under the shade of his cowl, he couldn't see Raha's expression – but he didn't need that, feeling his… apprehension. And maybe… more than a bit of worry.
He almost grimaced, knowing he won't have the chance to soothe his mate's agitation – almost resenting it after how blissful and relaxed his lover looked before he left him at dawn, teleporting to Crystarium's Aetheryte and heading to Pendants to pretend he spend the night there – as he was almost sure he'll be leaving straight from here toward their next target.
Rak'tika Greatwoods and Y'shtola… with her aether-seeing eyes. How was he supposed to hide from her the fact that not only he was mated now – and to who – but also carried the… surprising passenger in his head, he had no idea.
Don't worry about that, Ares hummed with amusement. I'm by now quite well versed in hiding from her eyes. And I'll cover your bond to G'raha… though that will have a price, Senri.
What price? He hoped he didn't sound as nervous as he felt… though, with the Ascian's access to his thoughts, that was probably useless.
Quite, Ares chuckled, then sighed, maybe a bit… remorseful. But it's simple, my boy. To make Y'shtola unable to see me or your bond – I have to… push it quite deep… So you won't be able to feel or travel to your man's side.
Now – as he bit back a whimper – he understood his mate's apprehension. Probably Damon warned him about it as well at some point before this meeting.
It is necessary, Ares hummed almost… apologetically.
I know, he replied, closing his eyes briefly as swallowed thickly and took a deep breath.
Suddenly… he wasn't looking toward this travel at all.