Black Clover - The Three Brothers
Asta and Blake occupied an area of the forest surrounding the Black Bulls Base. Asta practiced his swordsmanship just as Fanzell had taught him, performing hundreds of reps for each angle of attack with his Demon-Slayer on one of the many sturdy trees—after he trained his body in the sacred exercises of Push-ups, Sit-ups, and Squats, among others.
Blake trained using his Tree Magic, creating ones of increasing weight for various lifting exercises such as Weighted Squats, Shoulder Presses, and Arm Curls. Bodyweight training was great and important, but he liked Weightlifting just a bit more.
Blake and Asta weren't exactly training together, their routines differed and they were independent of one another, but seeing their sibling working hard pushed them to work harder, a terrifying loop when it involved these two brothers.
"597...598...599...600!"
"997...998...999...1000!"
As Blake finished his last rep of curls, Asta performed his final horizontal slash, bisecting the tree into two, causing the top part to plummet to the ground. It would've created a hell of a thud, had Blake not stopped it with his hand.
"Jeez, Asta, ain't my arm burning enough?" Blake joked with a smile
"Woo." Asta exhaled as he stabbed his Demon-Slayer into the ground, wiping off some sweat from his forehead. "Come on, Blake! A little more work ain't gonna kill ya!"
"Yeah, yeah, I know." Blake nodded as he stepped forward and set the top half about where it should be with its lower half before using his Tree Magic to help "stitch" the tree back together with sturdy bark.
I guess with this, I can start making up for all the trees I used when I was younger. Hope Mother Nature's kind enough to forgive me. Blake thought amusingly.
He plops down on the ground, resting his bare back against the tree. "Rest time." He'd say, before pulling out two canisters of water from his "Cloud of Holding" and tossing one over to Asta.
"Oh, thanks!" Asta says. He flicks off the cap and gulps down plenty of it in one go. He sat beside his brother, a refreshing 'Ah' leaving him as he enjoyed the rejuvenating taste.
Blake's eyes followed Asta with a fond smile and as the boy sat down, he couldn't help but ruffle his hair.
"Huh? What's this for?" Asta asked, not minding the action as it was a rather common act by Blake.
Blake pulled his hand away, smiling still. He leaned his head back onto the tree. "You know, just...where we've gotten, so far, since we left Hage and the Church. You, Yuno, and I, all we were given and what we got through hard work and training." He looks at Asta with a proud smile, "It feels good to know it paid off, doesn't it?"
Asta's eyes look up from Blake, letting himself think over his brother's words. If he remembered right, it's been about 3 months since they've been in the Black Bulls. Quite a bit has already happened to them in that relatively short time.
Asta grinned. "Yeah, it's been pretty crazy what's happened so far, but we've been able to handle everything thrown at us!" He said, the clenching of his fist a sign of determination. "To make sure it stays that, I'll keep training and getting stronger! ...You hear that, Yuno?! You better watch out 'cause I ain't letting you beat me!"
Blake laughed at his little brother's words. Even if Asta was practically yelling into the air, he's sure Yuno could feel it somehow, that's just the type of bond they had. Since their last talk after the extended Awards Ceremony, Blake was certain the flames of rivalry between them burned even hotter than before.
"Yami was generous enough to give me some details on where the Golden Dawn's base is. We should head out over there sometime. I'd like to spend some time with both of my little brothers if I could." Blake says with a small smile.
"Oh, really? Hmm," Asta thought it over for a second. He wasn't in a hurry to see Yuno but, "Sure! When that happens, me and him can have a spar! Test each other strengths!", He said with a nod.
Blake chuckled with a shake of his head, of course that's Asta's first thought. "Sure, but let's try to work in some actual bonding time in between that, alright?" He remarks before downing some more water.
Asta has a sheepish grin on his face. Bonding...that's another thing he's happy about. He's grown fond of everyone in this brigade in the few months he's spent with them, even when it came to the ones he hadn't spent much time with and he knows Blake has as well. Speaking of which...
"So, Blake, mind if I ask you something?" Asta asks.
"Nah, go ahead. What wisdom shall Big Bro Blake impart upon you today?" He asks with an amused smile, bringing up a leg to rest his arm on and letting his chin rest on his fist.
"Well...what's up with things between you and Charmy and Grey?"
Blake immediately averted his gaze for a moment. Ah...
Asta's wondered about it Since the day Grey revealed herself and her, Vanessa, and Charmy bum rushed Blake through that portal, Blake's been treating Grey and Charmy similarly to how he acts with Vanessa which seemed...unusual? Unexpected? At least, that's what a few of the Black Bulls seemed to think.
"The wino's one thing, but having a thing with the smug little glutton and Grey? Blake's got some strange taste in women." Magna said, shaking his head. Still, he gave Blake props for somehow pulling that off without ending up six feet down and hated. " What a man you are, Blake, what a man."
"I know the more people you have fighting, the more fun things become...so I guess it's something like that!" Luck said, the notion of romantic connections still being lost on him. He and Asta shared that regard.
"Whatever lecherous crap your older brother has with those three, tell him to keep it far away from my precious Marie...or I'll kill both of you!" Gauche spat with a murderous glare and blood trailing down his nose, making Asta step far away from the table Gauche was sitting at.
"He's done it...He's made it happened. Should I be overflowing with seething jealously or absolute admiration?" Finral said with a shaky breath, looking at his trembling hands. All Asta could do was pat his Senior on the back.
"I just don't get it, how could they possibly...? W-What are you looking at, Dorksta?!" Yet again, Asta became the victim of Noelle's water blasting. For what reason? He still doesn't know!
"Right, right, I get what you're saying." Blake says. Even he couldn't help but get a little flushed when discussing the topic.
A few weeks had past since that whole thing and plenty of Blake still couldn't think it was real, it all just seemed too...crazy, amazing. A large mixture of both, honestly.
"Okay, I'll try to, uh, break this down I guess."
Blake creates a dagger with his Steel Magic and uses it to illustrate on the soil free of grass. He draws two figures—representing a man and a woman, a line connecting them, then a heart around them.
"Under normal circumstances, a relationship is only supposed to be between you and that other person. You're supposed to be faithful to that one person and love them wholeheartedly."
Blake glances at Asta for a moment. Full attention and he's understanding, good. Makes sense, considering his 'Sister Lily Marriage Phase'.
"But..." On the outside of the heart, Blake draws another woman. Then, he draws a line between the man and that woman, messing up the line drawn for the heart. "By going outside of that and having that kind of relationship with someone else, it causes a huge problem!"
Blake adds an expression to the lady within the heart that Asta isn't sure whether it's supposed to be anger or sadness. Actually, maybe it's supposed to be both.
Blake makes changes to the heart, making it appear broken. "You've destroyed that person's trust in you, proved you don't care about their feelings, and frankly, deserve to die in a ditch." He drags an X across the man.
"Woah, yeah, that sounds horrible!" Asta says with a nod. To do something like that to someone you're supposed to cherish for your life was an absolute jerk move! "...But, wait, then how does this thing between you all supposed to work?!" He questioned, as he moved his pointer fingers all over the place, trying to connect invisible dots and failing to do so.
"There's the burning question!" Blake said with a laugh that trailed off into an embarrassed one, before clearing his throat again. He swept his hand in the soil patch, removing the previous illustration to begin a new one.
A man and woman within a heart again. This time, however, they were given more specific features to signify who they were.
Blake's drawn chibi versions of himself and Vanessa.
"I've been with Vanessa for about as long as we've been in the Black Bulls, about a week after I think? She's so awesome, honestly." Blake says with a smile, before pausing and, outside the heart, he drew chibi versions of Charmy and Grey.
"But, admittedly, as time passed and I spent time with with other members of our brigade, those feelings I had for Vanessa, I realized I had them for Grey and Charmy as well. They were amazing and I liked being around them and...I guess I couldn't help what I began to felt." He says, as he creates another dagger and uses them to begin drawing lines from him to both Charmy and Grey.
However, he stops just as those lines were about to cross through the line of the heart.
"I couldn't help what I felt but I could control what I did, and what I did was not fuck up what I already had with Vanessa, because what I have with Vanessa is amazing and if I messed it up I'd hate myself for the rest of my life!"
Asta understood. He knows especially that when Blake cares about someone, he cares.
"I was going to just let the feelings I had for those two be left alone and untouched, I'd never let myself act upon them because that wasn't fair to anyone involved. I thought I'd just hurt them all." Blake says, rolling the daggers across his fingers as he spoke.
Then, he threw the daggers into the air, grabbed them, and stabbed them into the grass with a bit of force.
"Little did I know, the mother of all fucking surprises was waiting for me!" He says with an excitable smile. "While we were spending time with everyone back at the church, Vanessa, Grey, and Charmy had a talk. Vanessa found out that Grey and Charmy had feelings for me as well and...she didn't mind it! So...I guess after some discussion—I got included in the last bit of it—none of us minded if this..."
Blake notioned to the illustration he drew, before shifting around the soil and making adjustments to it. What was there now was all four chibi drawings within the same heart, now much bigger, with lines fully connecting Blake to all three girls.
"...Became this."
"I see..." Asta says, thinking through it for a moment before saying, "So, you're still faithful, but instead of just to Miss Vanessa, you're faithful to Miss Charmy and Miss Grey too?"
"Exactly! And the same rule still applies, If I were to do this." Blake says, before drawing another figure outside the heart and drawing the line between Blake and the woman outside it. "I'd hate my guts and would deserve to die!" He exclaims.
"It's good you care but that's a bit much!" Asta says before looking down and wondering something.
"What if..." He uses his fingers to edit the art of the soil, erasing the part of the line that went past the heart and fixing the line of the heart. "...What you felt with Grey and Charmy happens again?"
"That's...hmmm..."
That's not something Blake even thought about, honestly. He had been so wrapped up in what he already had with Vanessa, and what he's begun to have with Grey and Charmy, that the idea of another girl being involved didn't cross his mind.
"Sounds like something to I should ask them about, thanks for bringing it up." Blake says, patting Asta's shoulder.
"Yeah, no problem! Oh!" Asta then began to draw the figure of another guy outside the heart with a line connecting one of the girls to him—
"Asta, don't finish that line."
"But what if—"
"Asta, Don't. Finish. That. Line." Blake says again, with just a bit more authority in his voice.
Asta kept eye contact with Blake as he scribbled out the line and man he just made.
Blake sighs, before putting on a smile and jumping to his feet. "I'd say that's enough resting, back to some more training! Let's spar and work on your Dual-Wielding speed, sound good?"
With that, Asta jumped as well, feeling excited to get back into it again, especially now that it'll against his brother. "Yeah, let's do it!" He'd shout, pulling out his second sword, The Demon-Dweller.
Blake smiles. For a moment, before offering the spar, he'd thought to ask Asta about how'd he feel being in the type of situation Blake had found himself in, but he decided against it. That can be something Asta discovers on his own.
Besides, he's sure the girl watching behind the trees wouldn't be a fan of hearing "Dorksta" talk about kind of stuff.
One look over in that direction and...oh, off she goes.
Vanessa hummed, taking another small sip of her wine. It had been a usual morning so far. Well, as usual as it could be with the Black Bulls.
The Flame and Lightning duo were off to the side bickering as they usually did, with Luck's enticing taunts making it inevitable that Magna gets fired up and another fight begins.
They'll want to be careful with how far it goes, unless they feel like getting dealt with by their Captain who's sitting in his chair, appearing to make some minor refinements to that strange shaped blade of his.
A handful of them were off on missions. Finral and Gordon were two of them; She believes she heard Finral rambling about something before heading out—a mixer, perhaps? Gauche was on a solo mission to take down some bandits and Charmy and Grey were on a joint mission on some basic reconnaissance, nothing too serious.
Still, Vanessa was getting a little bored not having them around, especially with Grey and helping her get more comfortable in her own skin.
And if I remembering right, Blake and Asta are still off training. I'm pretty sure that's where she went off too—
"Could you two stop being so reckless and watch where your attacks are actually going?!" Noelle shouted toward the two, getting Vanessa's attention. Her eyes trail down and, Ah, looks like one of the tailcoats of Noelle's blazer had gotten singed as collateral.
"What, did the Princess' frilly little dress get a blemish on it?" Magna shouted back in a taunt, aiming his flaming bat toward Noelle, a playful smirk on his face and his hand beckoning her. "If it bothers you that much, go and land a hit on me if you c—!"
Faster than Magna expected, a blast of water hit him center mass, making him collide into the wall behind him and leaving just a bit of dent in the structure.
"Alright...that wasn't too bad...newbie." Magna said with shaky breath.
"Oh wow! Not bad, Noelle! You've really been improving in your control!" Luck complimented.
"Obviously, I am a Royal after all." Noelle said nonchalantly. Or, that's what she tried to display, but Vanessa is sure Noelle was happy about the positive reinforcement.
While Luck went over to Magna to zap and make him fidget with small charges of Lightning for his amusement, Noelle sighed and took a seat beside Vanessa. She holds the singed tailcoat up for Vanessa to see and holds a soft look in her eyes.
"Vanessa, could you...?"
Vanessa sets her wine aside and holds the tailcoat in her hand. "Sure thing, sweetie, no problem at all." She says with a smile, activating her Thread Magic and using it to remove the singed fabric, replacing it with new but matching material.
"Thank you..." Noelle says shyly.
Vanessa's smile lingers. She's proud of the progress Noelle had made in herself, not just in her magic but in her ability to let down her walls just a bit with the members of their brigade, spending enjoyable time with them. Being able to relax and have fun like a young girl should.
"And...there we go!" Vanessa says, finishing her handiwork. The tailcoat looked just as it did before getting singed.
Noelle held it in her hand for a moment before letting it drop from her hands and giving a grateful nod to Vanessa that she returned.
For a moment, the two simply sat beside each other, content in their silence within the overall chaos. But, soon enough, Vanessa breaks it.
"So, did you enjoy peeking in on Blake and Asta's training?" She'd ask.
"H-Huh?! How did—I don't know what you're talking about!" Noelle stammers out, angling herself away from Vanessa to hide the flush in her face.
Vanessa giggled, this part of the girl still hasn't change.
"Come on, Noelle. You left almost right after you heard about those two heading out, it's not hard to connect why you did." Vanessa says, leaning closer to Noelle and whispering in a singsong tone. "A certain muscle-headed munchkin~"
"You and Blake are the worst!" Noelle said in a pouty tone, lightly pushing Vanessa away back to her side of the couch, only to her amusement.
Noelle stayed silent, still with the small pout on her face that Vanessa couldn't help but find adorable. Then, she exhales.
"When they were resting, Blake was telling Asta about what he has with you... and Charmy...and Grey. How it all works and...I could tell it really did mean a lot to him, this...arrangement you're all in."
Vanessa nodded along. Blake had said Noelle seemed to be acting a little different around him, and not in a fond way. It was easy to see that perhaps Noelle had begun to doubt the type of person Blake was, not having a problem showing that kind of special fondness to the girls while being with Vanessa.
Thankfully, Noelle hadn't want to view the boy in that distasteful way, especially when everything else about him was in direct opposition to that sort of behavior. Hearing him treat it with such importance that he'd end himself if he messed it up...it certainly showed that he was devoted to making the other three women in the Brigade happy.
"I'm still just baffled that you three turned out to be okay with this as well." Noelle conceded, "Blake...he's still a guy, I'm sure he didn't mind it, but sharing someone you all...care about like that?"
Vanessa nodded along, she expected to talk about this to her at some point, natural curiosity to have as a young girl who's begun to think of someone in that way. While Charmy and Grey weren't here to give their own input at the moment, Vanessa can do her best to speak for them.
She explained how Charmy viewed it as 'Having another main dish alongside one that you already had. Its different but it helps compliment what you already have and Blake certainly had the appetite to enjoy more than one main meal to the fullest.'
How many analogies to food can that girl make? Noelle wondered, mouth slightly agape in disbelief, meanwhile Vanessa just found it funny.
"When it came to Grey..." Vanessa continued, taking another sip. "It mattered more to her that she was able to be with Blake in that way than it did to be the only one he saw in that way. I'm think that's how she views it."
Vanessa turns to Noelle with a small smile and a slight shrug. "The heart yearns for what it wants, circumstances outside of it be damned and all that."
Noelle nodded along, though she was still having some difficulty following the reason behind it.
Living as a person of her status didn't leave much room in seeing how things could be from another's point of view, not when such action could be viewed as "Weakness" or "Stupidity" by fellow Nobles, Royals, and even her own family...she couldn't bare to deal with even more belittlement back then.
Yet, since being in this Brigade, Noelle has been able to explore more of it. Understand more of it. ...Empathy. It's been...pleasant. Yes, as a Royal, there are still certain standards she intends to hold for herself, but to cast away and write others off simply based on their birth status?
No, that's not a standard that should be held up by anyone. But, returning to the topic at hand...
"Then, what about you?" Noelle asks Vanessa, who still hadn't spoken about her own reasonings yet.
The wine glass that was almost empty, Vanessa played with in between her index and middle finger.
"I'm sure you know I'm not one for restriction, Noelle. When it comes to something like this, especially so. Plus, I'm fond of Grey and Charmy anyways, so if they want to spend some time being with him while I'm napping off a hangover or out on missions, I'm not all too bothered." She said, finishing with a shrug. "No one's trying to take him from me all for themselves." She says with a small giggle.
"I see..."
Slowly, Noelle could begin to understand how Vanessa saw it. Though, she doubts she could ever see herself sharing that sort of view...
Though it is rather strange, its also...so very honest in what it is. Noelle's hands held onto the fabric of the bottom of the purple dress beneath her blazer. Maybe...I could be more—
"WOO YEAH! THAT TRAINING FELT GREAT!"
Noelle yelped in surprise of hearing the muscle-headed munchkin's voice echo throughout the entire lounging area, her head snapping over to where she heard the doors leading outside being slammed open by him, with Blake walking beside him with his usual relaxed smile.
"You'll turn yourself into a living whirlwind if you keep improving your speed like that, Asta." Blake compliments, patting Asta's shoulder. Seems like Asta's even picked up on that Fonzie guy's agility with Wind Magic alongside his technique and control in Swordplay.
"You bet I will!" Asta exclaimed, with a smile filled to the brim with so much motivation and optimism that Noelle's not sure what she'd do if it were aimed at—
Stop it! Stop it! What am I thinking?!
"Yo, how's things going Luck and...Magna?" Blake's sentence stopped momentarily as he witnessed Luck poking Magna with zaps of lightning, making Magna spasm each time it was done. "Damn, bro, you got fucked up." He says, leaning forward with his hands on his hips and a smirk on his face.
"Shut UP, Blake!" Each jolt made Magna's voice rise in pain. "NoeLLE got a goOD HIt on mE—I'M GONNA KILL YOU, LUCK!" Magna shouted, rising from the ground and engulfing himself in his flaming mana.
It only earned him Luck's cheerful laughter. "Sounds fun! You'll have to catch me first, so come on!" Luck taunted, activating his Thunder God's Boots spell and breaking through one of the windows of painted glass and off into the forest, his cheerful laughter holding a slight bit of mockery in it then.
"Twitchy little bastard, you're dead!" Magna shouted out, jumping through the broken window and intending to hop onto his Crazy Cyclone for a Baseball Bat Drive-By!
Blake and Asta blinked at what just transpired, before looking at each other and laughing. Such a humorous duo.
Though, Noelle said otherwise. "They're so unruly, but you two aren't much better. Honestly, don't you think you should put some shirts on?" She said, attempting to reprimand them, even though she knows they'd just finished up their training.
That hint of blush on her face was noticeable by Blake, so was her failed attempts to keep her eyes off Asta.
"Huh, why would I do that when it would get all sticky and wet? I'd need a bath first before changing clothes." Asta said in confusion. He thought a Royal would know all about cleanliness, did they bathe differently?
Noelle couldn't answer at the moment, for the terms "Asta" and "Bath" being together in the same sentence left her mind to begin wandering off into those kind of thoughts and slowly would that hint of blush rise to plastering red all over her face.
Blake tried his best but he really couldn't help but snicker at the sight. If Noelle was aware of it, she'd most certainly kick him in the shins.
"Huh? Noelle, you feeling alright? You look like you're burning up." Asta steps closer to put a hand to Noelle's forehead—
"AAH!"
Asta stepped back with a jolt. Did she just screech at me?!
"You...! You...! Ugh!" Noelle groans before she takes off down the hallway, planning to inevitably throw herself onto her bed and scream into the fluffy void that is her pillows.
"What did I do...?!" Asta said, shaking his head slightly as he tried to figure out why what just happened happened. He didn't mean to upset her!
"You're fine, Asta, don't worry about it." Blake said, patting Asta on the back to settle him down. "A bit of an overreaction is all, she'll be alright in a little bit, I'm sure." Blake says.
Asta nodded slowly, "Alright, if you say so.", He says heading over to the open kitchen to refresh himself with some more water.
Blake looks back towards the hallway and has a small shake of his head. And she calls us unruly? Unbelievable.
"Hmm, Noelle may have a point. Especially you, Blake~" Vanessa purrs from behind him, her arms reaching forward to lay them on his exposed chest. "It's dangerous to leave honkers like these out in the open! Have you no shame?" She'd dare say with that faux judging tone as she squeezed what she could of the dense, hard muscles in her grasp.
The...The fuck—HONKERS?!
Instantly, Blake grabbed hold of Vanessa's right wrist and pulled her around to the front of him with a little spin, "Yeah, like you're one to talk, Miss—!"
Blake stops. He takes a good look at Vanessa, who's holding that devious little smile on her face, while she's currently wearing a familiar sleeveless black top that, with the difference in her figure and who it's supposed to fit, making it loose and reaching to her thighs.
"...Are you wearing my shirt?"
She adjusts her wrist in the grip Blake has it in, allowing to clasp her hand in his, her fingers laying upon his calloused knuckles while her palm feels the fabric of red bandages covering up his own, still feeling the warmth in it.
Then, she makes a gesture with her body, as if to present herself. "How does it look?"
It looks good, Blake obviously knows that; This is Vanessa he's looking at, she could pull anything she wore. Still...
"That's my favorite shirt, I'll have you know." He said, leaning a bit forward with a step.
Vanessa meets it with her own, "I can see why, it's so comfy~"
Her free arm moves from her side up to her waist and slowly drags it up her torso till she has it propped beneath and accentuating her covered breasts.
Blake narrows his gaze but he has an amused smile on his lips. Vanessa could always pull him into her little games of foreplay like this. He didn't mind it, of course, he rather enjoyed it actually. He's always down for a bit more activity. Besides, the more she did it, the more he could begin to match her.
He trails his free hand from atop her thigh to the side of her hip, enjoying just how good the fabric of the shirt and the plumpness of her flesh feel together in his hand.
"Do I need to take it back by force?" He'd whisper huskily, his last word acting as trigger to squeeze her hip, his hand pulsing like a constrained heartbeat.
A desire. That hunger again, Vanessa saw in his eyes, making her bite her lower lip just long enough for Blake to see that he was doing something to her. Something she liked. Something she wants more of—and with Charmy and Grey out for the moment, she intends to get quite the fill of it.
"I'm sure I could be...persuaded~"
The match was stricken and the flames of passion will burn long, as Blake hoists Vanessa with his right arm wrapped around her waist and moves forward through a portal to his room. They were going to enjoy this.
"...Took them long enough." Yami says with a sigh, any longer and he would've thrown them through a wall into Blake's room. He sheathes his katana after finishing his maintenance of it. He turns to see Asta looking blankly over at where Blake and Vanessa had just been, before looking at him.
...I'm not having this fucking talk right now.
"Give it a few years kid, you'll know by then, probably..." Yami remarked, before heading out to take care of...anything besides that.
Asta blinked again, "...That's not Blake's favorite shirt."
[Start of Smut]
An exhalation of breath leaves Vanessa as she's dropped onto the bed without a care, making her smile. The numerous blankets beneath her cushioned the impact anyways, though she couldn't bother with that detail as Blake immediately drew himself closer to her, making their lips connect, and his arm behind her waist to keep her up.
Blake expects the aftertaste of wine. This time, Its one of Vanessa's sweeter choices and his tongue moves into her. He wants more of it, more of her, he always does; Vanessa has no problem obliging. Among the melding of their tongues, Vanessa pulls back for a moment only to hastily pull at Blake's lower lip with her teeth, letting her hear his short grunt of annoyance at the pain.
"So that's how it's gonna be?"
He doesn't wait for her answer and she doesn't expect him to, she already knows what she has invited. No matter how many times he does it though, she still jolts at the feeling of his teeth sinking into and sucking her skin; between her shoulder and neck, what she exposes with a pull of her finger on the shirt. Her free hand trails the lines of the defined muscles up Blake's back and his teeth sink in deeper as her nails dig into it, needing another form of release besides the low moans of pleasure leaving her.
In this back and forth of dull pain and enticement, the outlier of it all is their hands still clasped together, a reminder of the tender compassion they have for one another. Of the warm embrace that Blake seeks more of as he pulls his right arm back to bring Vanessa into him, and is met by the feeling Vanessa's amazing legs encroaching and eventually wrapping around his waist.
Though the fabric of the shirt got in her way, Vanessa could still feel and admire the dense wall of muscles that was Blake's upper body; Chest as dense as armor, his large secured forearm behind her waist that she was sure could keep her in his hold forever if she asked, and she couldn't help but make a specific moan at feeling every edge, ridge, and bump of his mid-section that defined his thick abdominal muscles pressed against her.
She can feel it, the dull ache of pleasure pooling in between her legs that, somehow, only he can make her feel so quickly, so easily.
Sure to have marked that spot on Vanessa's flesh with a hickey, Blake lets himself move on. His teeth back off but his tongue remains, trailing its way from the hickey, up to her neck, her jawline, until its made it way back to her lips and they're left to taste one another again.
The thumb of Blake's clasped hand rubs the back of Vanessa's and with it she releases her hand from his, happy to let it roam elsewhere—the tenderness can wait, that's what the aftercare is there for.
While Vanessa decides to let her hand have fun feeling the muscles of Blake's upper arms beneath the tight red bandages—having no chance of her fingers being able to wrap around it due to the sheer width of his bicep and tricep—Blake's now free hand works to unclasp his belt. He was sure Vanessa would appreciate it, and that was proven by her sudden gasping in his mouth, as he had let his hold on her dip just enough to make the fabric of her panties suddenly meet the bulge of his pants, made prominent by the loosening of them. Its followed by a moan-filled shudder that intensifies as Blake, softly yet devilishly, rocks himself against Vanessa, letting his almost contained erection push up against her covered slit again and again.
Vanessa breaks away from their sloppy kiss, letting the shared saliva drip between them, looking into the eyes of her man, who bears a dangerously satisfied smirk on his face. She's dampened the fabric of her panties and his pants with her liquids, and he fucking knows it. Vanessa couldn't do it. She rests her head on Blake's chest, letting out moans through gritted teeth that Blake, realizing after a few times of them doing this, couldn't get enough of.
"Blake, wait..." She gasps and, thankfully, Blake stops himself.
"What do you need from me, gorgeous?" He whispers into her ear.
Fuck, he's gotten good~
"I—f-fuck." Vanessa breathes and looks up at Blake with a challenging smile and her eyes filled with...a need, a want, a desire, whatever the fuck it wanted to call itself. "A-Against the wall...I need you to take me against the wall~"
Blake has the gall to quirk an eyebrow, his smirk still present. "Where's your manners?"
Oh, now he was just being unfair. What has she done to him? All it took was a few sessions for Blake to grow comfortable with himself and soon enough he was the one taking the lead, taking control, taking her. Sure, she had the experience advantage at first, but after a point, he knew just how to overwhelm her, how to dominate her...
"Take me against the f-fucking wall, Blake, please~~"
She saw his teasing smirk slowly shift into a smile, and his left hand gently brushes the strands of her pink hair away from her face.
"Of course, Vanessa, whatever you say." He says with softness.
...Yet somehow knows when to be tender, just to make it that much more unbearable in such a good way. She wonders how he can look so damn good either way.
She enjoys teasing, watching him have that cute blush of red on his face when they're out in public, but when they get behind closed doors and Blake knows exactly what to do with her?
She loves every fucking second of it.
She's practically latched onto him already, its easy for him to move them off the bed and push her up against the wall right next to it. She knows he's making sure to keep his erection right against her, teasing her relentlessly. It almost makes her want to plead for it, to just enter her already and fill her up with his throbbing entirely.
But she doesn't need to, Vanessa thinks, she'll get it very soon—growing excited as Blake grasps at the sides of her panties and, with forceful flicks of his thumbs, breaks its fabric and tosses it off somewhere.
Yet all hopes of getting what she expected, and wanted, was dashed as she felt his rough hands reach up behind her thighs and keep them there, steadying Vanessa—shocked by the action—as she saw Blake drop to his knees. Barely a moment later, her legs were resting on his shoulders and Blake's hands grip onto as much of her thighs as they can while she feels his breath hit against her wet entrance, half his face obscured by the fabric of the shirt.
Fuck, he can't be serious, right?
"Blake, come on, I'm already—aah~" Her back arches immediately as Blake's tongue penetrates her, as deep within he could get it before putting it to work at every angle he could get it to move at. "D-Damn it, fuck~~ This isn't—nng~~"
Blake's tongue slowly trails out of Vanessa's pussy, taking a moment to swallow, "You'll get what you need, Vanessa, don't worry." He whispers lowly, before those dark eyes of his look up at her with that smirk again. "But I'm only taking you as I want after I'm satisfied with what I've given you~"
Vanessa attempts to chuckle in disbelief at just how audacious Blake's turned out to be in their acts of desire, but even that is cut off by him returning back to his delicious licks and laps, made merciless by the added stimulus of his right thumb working deep circles into her clit.
"Fuck~! Blake, you...terrible fucking t-tease~~!" She says lovingly through her moans, her gasping, her squirming. She pushes the back of her head against the wall as her hands run through his hair, raking her nails across his scalp and pushing him as close into her as she could, lost in the pleasure pooling within her, only moans for him to keep going leaving her.
This...This is what puts him above the rest. Rarely had the other men she bedded put this effort into pleasing her body, into making her feel like she was burning from the continuous licks and laps at her pussy, into making her crave them as more than just a quick and easy dick.
But, Blake—this absolute fucking hunk of a young man—did so and more. Even as he worked to pleasure her, he knew to do so in a way that itched her want for his dominance just right. In and outside the bedroom, he was amazing to her, and It made her want him to just fuck her already even more.
The thoughts became incoherent as one last loud gasping moan came out of her mouth and the orgasm that had practically been "tortured" out of her finally came, letting her euphorically ride the waves her pleasure released.
She's allowed a few moments of this before she lets her head drop, looking at Blake just as he pulled away from her entrance to look up at her.
"You, calling me the tease?" He says with a cocked eyebrow, before letting his shoulders rise for a moment in a shrug, a small laugh escaping him. "Well, what can I say? I like giving people a taste of their own medicine..."
Then, he sticks his tongue out, letting her see what's left of her liquids briefly, before swallowing the rest of it down.
"And your's tasted pretty sweet~"
Vanessa might have appreciated her legs being supported by Blake, but right now, she didn't care about feeling her legs.
"Blake..." Vanessa breathes, lightly squeezing her thighs against Blake's cheeks. "Fuck me. Right now."
She's satisfied with the small blush he got from her, but she's more than satisfied with the aftermath.
"If that's you what you need, Vanessa." He'd say with another smile.
He rises to roughly kiss her again, her legs up against his chest, with one hand on the back of her neck while the other works to pull away at his pants. Vanessa squirms delightfully, unable to move her arms much with her legs in a way. She wanted to feel his hot, throbbing cock in her hands before he ruined her—
A loud cry of pleasure is taken from her, as, with a grunt of exhalation and deep desire, Blake's hands grip onto Vanessa's plump ass with a smack, before slowly but surely filling her aching pussy to the brim with his cock, a reminder of just how deep within her he reaches, how much he fills her and makes her breath get caught in her throat as she takes it in, and begins his relentless thrusts into her.
—Oh fuck that this was so much better~
"Fuuuck yes, Blake, yes~~Just like that~Fucking fill meeee~"
"You—fuck, you feel so fucking good, Vanessa..."
Blake rasps in the midst of his own low grunts and moaning growls, his cock feeling like it was suffocating in the vice-like grip Vanessa's tight and wet walls had it in with each thrust and pound he gave her—the intense, powerful smacks he gave her ass acting as another outlet for him as well, something Vanessa didn't mind in the slightest either.
Fuck, he's so fucking amazing at this, its unfair~~
There was nothing she could do in response; Against the wall like this and her legs practically pinned right up against her, the movements and intensity was all on Blake and he was handling her like a fucking professional.
All she had at the moment was her hands but she knew how to make the best of them. She'd place them at his neck, let them touch and trail down what muscles they could, even at the rapid pace Blake was fucking her at, before moving to where the bottom of the shirt was and pulling it on up, letting Blake's eyes dilate at the sight of Vanessa's beautiful bare breasts as they bounced and jiggled deliciously with each of his thrusts.
"Don't forget about their needs, Blake...ah fuck, fuck~...they've been feeling neglected~~"
Let him correct that then. Without a second thought, even with being occupied with his thrusts and slapping, Blake made sure to give her breasts the attention he's given to the rest of her, alternating between them to fill his mouth with the nipple and surrounding flesh—his tongue swirling and licking all around them hungrily.
It was like floating in a cosmos of euphoria, Vanessa imagined in her hazy, lust filled state, gasping out affirmative moans one after the other as her fingers interlocked and pulled Blake closer into her chest, letting the desire continue to envelop them, words leaving her mouth she was barely aware she was saying.
"You're so good~F-fucking perfect, Blake~Take every bit of me and make it yours~D-Daddy~~"
Blake's hands dug digger into the flesh of Vanessa's ass, but slowly had his thrusts begin to stop, the force he had been pounding into her...dissipating and his cock leaving her walls.
"H...Huh? No, fuck, put it back in—~"
Her pleas for him to not stop were cut off by sudden rough movements, ending with her being face down on his bed and her ample ass in the air. She feels Blake grab onto her hips possessively and pulls her closer into his pelvis.
Blake lowered himself, letting his demanding whisper tickle against Vanessa's ear. Truth be told, he liked hearing that, a lot. "...Say that again, Vanessa."
And there, Vanessa realized, had another spark set alight in Blake, creating an swirling inferno of lust. Fuck, she may just have heart eyes right now.
"Oh fuck yes, Blake—!"
Her mind goes crazy as his fingers gently work their way into her hair and then pushes her face into the bed.
One, two, three numb-minding thrusts fully into her as he speaks again.
"Say. That. Again."
"F-Fuck, Daddy, fuck~~Please keep pounding my pussy, Daddy~~I need it so fucking much~~"
Blake was surprised by how much he enjoyed watching Vanessa's hands reach out to grab one of the pillows and ending up just gripping the blanket when it failed. He was fucking her good and that made him feel absolute satisfaction. Hearing this fucking goddess of a woman call him that continued to claw at just the right part of Blake's mind he hadn't realized needed itched till now, and fuck did it feel good.
"Fuck, you know what? Keep the shirt, I like it on you. You're gonna want to keep it on anyways~" Blake remarks before delivering another hard smack to her ass with his left hand, watching and feeling it jiggle and shake in his grasp, driving Vanessa crazy.
"Why would I do that...?" She says, breathing in a moan, turning her head back just a bit and having enough control over her voice to give it her usual sultry tone. "Doesn't Daddy want others to know I'm his~~?"
Even Blake can feel the blush on his face from that, and he grits his teeth with amused annoyance. Damn it, she got him again, and she definitely knows it with that lustful smirk on her face. Damn you, you amazing fucking woman...
Still he'd continue, thrusting into her pussy again and again, ravaging it with his cock without remorse because of what Vanessa wanted to feel and what he wanted to hear.
It was finally approaching, "V-Vanessa, I'm...f-fuck I'm close..." He mutters.
Vanessa's eyes gaze off over to Blake's desk, seeing the white bottle of pills they've been using vehemently sitting there and she smiles to herself.
"Fill me up~ Fill my pussy with all your fucking cum, Daddy~~"
"Fucking...damn." Blake rasps. He moves both his hands to grip onto her upper arms and pull her back with his final few thrusts...before letting his cum finally burst forth and release so fucking deeply into Vanessa that she couldn't help but just roll her eyes back in the pleasure.
For moments, in this position they stayed, simply letting their overlapping heavy breathing occupy the noise in the room.
Before he would forget, Blake makes a small portal and grabs the pills through it. He flicks off the cap with his finger before setting it in front of Vanessa.
"Here...shouldn't wait too long." Blake whispers.
"Right...thank you." Vanessa quickly gets one into her mouth and swallows, setting that worry aside.
Blake pulls himself out of Vanessa, simply letting it rest against her. He lets some of his upper body lay on her, hands wrapped around her torso, above the blankets.
"How're you feeling?" He asks softly, his forehead resting against the back of Vanessa's head.
She chuckles, "Good, so damn good. All thanks to you." She says, turning to look back at him, raising her hand to let it run through some of his hair as they gave each other short, much softer kisses. "Plus, now we know more about what you like, I've had a feeling you'd be into something like that~"
Blake chuckles. Now that they're out of the heat of the moment, he feels a little embarrassed looking back at it. But fuck it, he's found another thing he enjoys doing with Vanessa, he's nothing but content about it.
"...Another round?" Blake asks for the sake of it.
Vanessa hums with a giggle, "Definitely later, but for now, I've gotten my needs for the morning~" She says before slowing pulling herself up to the pillows on the bed, with Blake coming along as well. "Just lay with me 'til Charmy and Grey get back."
Blake nodded with a smile, he could do that. He pulls his pants back up enough to cover himself before laying beside Vanessa, pulling up the blanket before securing her in his arms and adjusting for comfortability. A little power nap would be good after all this morning activity.
Though, Vanessa bringing up Charmy and Grey did make him wonder. Bringing up sex as a topic just left Charmy confused and it turned Grey into a blushing mess, so honestly, Blake didn't expect to be doing something like that with them anytime soon. He was okay with that, those sorts of needs being handled perfectly with Vanessa, but he wondered what they would be like, in that kind of situation.
[End of Smut]
"Have fun, you two!" Vanessa said, gleefully and drunkenly, as she waved to Blake and Grey from the couch, still adorning herself in Blake's shirt even though quite some time has passed. So, in the meantime, Blake wore a similarly styled but long-sleeved white shirt alongside his usual attire.
"We will! Just make sure to save some drinks for me later, alright?" Blake asks, casting a spatial portal to their destination of Castle Town.
"Mmm, no promises~" Vanessa retorted cheekily.
Blake rolled his eyes with a smile, before aiming that smile at the blue-haired beauty beside him, currently twiddling her fingers in a mix of being anxious and excited.
I-I'm going on a date with Blake, my first one ever... Oh gosh gosh gosh, what should we do, what should I say?
Thoughts such as these had been running rampant since Blake had offered to take her on one, to act as a destresser after her latest mission. While she has been making progress in being the version of herself she wants to be, situations like these could still get her and her heart to act up and want to hide out of instinctual habit.
In place of a verbal answer, she had nodded fervently—as she usually did—and Blake made sure to spend time afterward to help calm her down, through long hugs!
Still, now that it was happening, the racing of her heart began again from the anticipation. That changed, partially, when Blake had pulled one of her hands to him and interlocked her fingers with his.
"Alright, let's get going, Grey!" Blake said with a pep in his step as he walked through the portal with her beside him.
Grey looked to Blake as he did so, her eyes enveloped in the deep admiration that's grown with each passing day. It was so easy for him to take the lead for her and she appreciated him greatly for it. Holding his hand, even though she would've imagined her heart to be beating a million times a second, instead could help settle it more than anything.
"Y-Yeah, let's go." She says with as much excitement as she could muster up.
In either's eyes, there was no need to do anything extravagant for the occasion. Blake had come to know that anything especially loud or flashy wouldn't be something that peaked Grey's interest and, besides that, the date was also acting as an exercise to help Grey overcome her anxiety—she could be overwhelmed by taking part in something like the previously mentioned.
So, for a time, the two simply enjoyed walking around the town, hand-in-hand. Even small talk about previous missions and other casual topics wasn't much of a necessity, simply being around one another happily made them content.
A warm breeze past by them, some leaves that had come in from nearby towns closer to nature floating by along with it. Even as they approached the colder months and nights were growing chillier, the day-time still had plenty of warmth to bask in, that's how it had always been in the Clover Kingdom. Snow was a rather rare occurrence, something that Grey was somewhat thankful for.
While Grey did prefer the night, the coldness that sometimes came with it wasn't something she was fond of. She...simply attributed it to her more petite frame and the way her body naturally was, but she didn't have as much body heat as others seemed to have and she hadn't always been able to bundle up...
Her hand squeezes Blake's...and she thinks that could've been one of the reasons she wanted to be around him more. She moves closer to him, partially because of that...but also because the area they were going down was now bustling with activity.
More people—strangers—around her.
The thought of more eyes being on her.
Surrounding her in stares and attention.
Blake's eyes gaze at his side to see Grey had pulled up her Black Bull robe and was using it as a cover block off some view from her face, something Blake would have found cute were it not for the deep breaths Grey was contracting and exhaling, clearly trying to push her nerves down. So instead, he lightly tightens his hold of her delicate hand.
"It's alright, you're doing great." He'd say in a soothing whisper, turning to her slightly. "It might be hard to see, but I'm sure this is quite the improvement."
Grey hums, curious.
Blake continues, looking at Grey with a raised finger. "I mean, what would you have done if you had been around this many people a few months back?"
"I...I'd be in my transformation form." Grey softly answers, while Blake sees the grip on her robe loosen just a little.
He chuckles, "Right, right. And if that wasn't an option?"
Grey pauses, her hand twisting left and right in Blake's hold that he goes along with. "I would've gone somewhere where no one would see me for a while...and wait till I could use my magic again."
Blake nodded along, "And as you and I can see, you haven't done either! You just...have a bit of armor on is all!" He said encouragingly. He takes a look around them, before speaking again. "Sure, there's quite a few people around but, even though they see you, they don't really see you. You know?"
Grey's eyes narrow softly in clear confusion and she wordlessly shakes her head.
"Crap, okay, it's like...we probably don't remember every person we pass by when we're off taking care of business—missions, chores, blah blah blah. Unless something stands out, other people are just shapes more than anything. That's how it tends to be for me and sometimes its even worst with Asta!" Blake remarks, thinking of how even after fighting alongside that royal, Leo, Asta didn't remember much about him!
"I can't say for certain, but I'm willing to bet that's how we end up being in the eyes of everybody passing by. We might be distinct shapes, but they don't really hold onto it, and probably forget about seeing us by the next day. That's why I say that they don't really see you, not in the way like everybody in the Black Bulls does..."—He pauses to look at Grey with a warm smile—"And definitely not in the way I do."
That smile had easily cemented a place in Grey's heart. Just as he had done back then, Blake always made sure to remind her and encourage her for the progress she's made and helped her see things in a way that just made everything a little bit easier to deal with. Whenever those sinking thoughts of her were ready to weigh her down, Blake was there to shove them away and lift her back up—sometimes literally.
With that, she's able to let her robe rest back on her shoulders and look up at Blake with a smile of her own. "Thank you, Blake..."
They held their gaze on each other for a few seconds, before having to look away with blushes on their faces, the hold they had of the other's hand stronger than before. Meanwhile, Blake had to fish for some sunglasses out of his Cloud of Holding spell—Matter of fact, I might need some armor myself if I get hit with a sunray attack like that again.
They checked in on a few stores as they walked around, grabbing some things here and there for the base or whatever picked up their interests, though one place had a bit more of a personal purpose. The establishment they were currently in was in a town just a bit closer to the edge of the Noble Realm than Kikka was.
"We're looking at beds?" Grey asked, taking a look at the selection of comfortable looking mattresses within the building they walked around in.
The different mattresses were lined up in short rows and wooden box frames outside of them. Other types of furniture were on display for sale as well: carpets, lamps, etc.
"Yup! I know we've tried to make do but considering the regular sizes of our beds, its a bit hard trying to make it comfortable for everyone."
Blake didn't exactly mind the close-in, somewhat suffocating feeling of it—he had been accustomed to it with having to share a room with all his siblings after all—but he's sure that wasn't the same thought process for the girls, so he's set out to find a bed that can fit them all and give at least some wiggle room.
It...has been a tight fit for all of us, I ended up falling out of the bed a few times actually... Grey thought back with an embarrassed giggle, having not been used to other things taking up so much space alongside her in the bed. She thought it would be nice to have just a little bit of room to move around in.
"Too small...too small...same size...hmm, oh!"
Blake found a mattress on display that looked to be quite a bit bigger than the others, so he checked it out with Grey quickly following afterwards. This is really soft, very comfortable, got a lot of size to it too!
Blake laid down on it, arms spread out, and sees he doesn't take up too much of the space after all. To make sure...
Grey sees Blake thinking, his eyes gaze over her for a second. Her eyes widen and a blush crosses her face as she wonders. Blake needs to see if multiple people can fit on the bed comfortably...will he ask me to lay down with him? Th-There's not many people around, b-but the thought of being in such a personal position out in the open like this...oh gosh oh gosh I might die if he asks!
"[Copy Magic: Solid Mist Clones]"
Grey's brought of her heart-racing thoughts as she hears Blake casts one of his spells and she softly gasps as she sees three other Blakes laying flat on the bed alongside him, adjusting to get comfortable.
M-M-Multiple Blakes...on the bed...Right in front of me...?!
Meanwhile, Blake hums to himself as he looks at how much of him and his clones cover the mattress, his clones mimicking it and causing a reverberation. He quickly dispels the magic afterwards and has a smile on his face as he gets up.
"Looks like the best choice! If it can fit four of me with just a little space left over, it shouldn't have a problem with all of us cuddling up!" Blake says happily, looking at Grey for agreement but is instead met with Grey burying her face in her hands. Even with that, he can see the sides of her face brimming red.
Huh, guess I did something to make her act up?
"You alright, Grey?" He asked with a light-hearted chuckle.
"O-Oh, yes. I'm fine, totally fine. Don't worry about me." She'd say, even with her tone of voice being a pitch higher than it normally was.
"If you say so," Blake said with a smile, deciding to let her run this one out, before beginning to take a look around for the price. "Let's see, let's see, how much are you—GODDAMN!"
The moment his eyes found the wooden plaque with the price etched into it, that singular word erupted from his vocal chords. He looked all around and sees he's drawn much attention from fellow shoppers and workers alike, giving him and the girl with him strange looks, making Grey hide herself behind the wooden frame of the mattress.
Blake can only chuckle embarrassingly, scratching the back of his head. "Sorry about that, didn't mean to disturb you guys..." He called out to them, giving a slight apologetic bow.
One of the workers, a middle-aged woman who seemed stern but approachable, quickly made her way over to Blake, not minding the girl currently. "Is something the matter with our product?" She asks, adjusting her glasses, her worker tag showing her name to be Elena.
"Oh, no, not at all, I just got a bit more surprised by the price than I should've." Blake said with a wave of his hands, before looking back at the wooden plank with its price tag of 600,000 Yul, something Grey was also looking at from where she was standing.
That price is crazy! I'd need to save up my entire paycheck for 3 months in order to get it!
And with how Blake uses his money to donate money and gifts back to the church, stuff he buys for his squadmates and especially now for his three girlfriends, and the bit of money he uses for himself, that ain't happening anytime soon!
"Well, I assure you, the cost matches the quality and work put into making it. I'm sure you've already familiarized yourself with it." Elena remarks, which Blake nods along in agreement to. "If its out of your price range, I'd be happy to help you look for alternative options, or perhaps a payment plan?" Elena offers matter-of-factly.
Oh great, I can be in debt just like Good ol' Captain Yami! Blake thought with a bitter smile.
Before Blake can give her an answer, he feels a tug on the sleeve of his shirt and turns to look at Grey. She starts with a stutter but is able to get it under control. "Could you make a portal back to the my room at the base? I...I might be able to help..." She asks meekly.
Blake regards her with a surprised look before doing what she asked, "Uh, sure, if you want", he says, creating the portal.
Grey gives a slight bow, before quickly walking through the portal, now being waited on by Blake and Elena, the latter looking at Grey as she walked away.
That girl...is she...?
Blake honestly had no idea what Grey could be getting. Maybe she was going to ask Charmy and Vanessa to split the price between them? But that made Blake frown, he didn't want them to take on that hurdle with him. He'd rather take on the payment plan and be in temporary debt before needing them to—
Suddenly, a very sizeable coin pouch landed on the ground with a thud, taking both Elena and Blake out of their thoughts.
What the—
Then another...and another...
What is...how...?
Then another...and another...and another.
Where did all this come from?!
Blake would wonder this even after Grey had finally emerged out of the portal—appearing a bit winded.
"I...I think this is enough, r-right...?" She says, catching her breath.
Elena quickly asked one of the workers for the yul counting machine.
"Is...Is all this yours? You're loaded?!" Blake shouted in a whisper, completely caught off guard. He closed off the portal, his head shaking rapidly between the coin pouches on the ground and Grey.
Grey twiddled her fingers as she spoke, "W-Well, I've never really had t-things I wanted to spend money on a-and...I guess I've just been saving it up and stuff?" She says with a small shrug.
Blake scratched his head, impressed and astonished, "I...wow."
"Okay, its been added up." Elena says, her and a few other workers having poured the yul through the counting device and seeing what it amounted to. "You have the exact amount you need." She says, turning to Blake and Grey with a smile, quickly tidying up her hair, styled in a bob. "Shall we finalize the purchase?" She asks, looking at Blake, then Grey and keeping her eyes keenly on her, while Grey turned away slightly.
"Just, hold on." Blake says, reaching into his inner coat pocket for his own yul pouch and opening. "Give us some of the yul you have there and I'll exchange what I can with my own!" He requests.
Elena and the other two workers looked at Blake strangely due to his request, meanwhile Grey spoke up. "Huh? But why?" She asks, looking up at him.
"Come on, I wouldn't want you to spend all of your own yul like that! I don't have much here, but I'd like to make some contribution for it—we'll probably get paid soon anyways so I'll be fine till then." He reassures Grey, before quickly trying to count up how much Yul he has left.
Grey's lips pursed in uncertainty. While she didn't expect this, she's not surprised that Blake would at least try to offer some aid, simply out of his own desire to help somehow, someway...
Grey moves to in front of Blake and pushes his coin pouch closer to him.
"Grey?" He asks, confused.
"N...No. Its okay..." She says softly, holding onto his hands.
...Its that sense of gratitude and selflessness that makes her want to do this.
"Your magic, your earnings, your time...you use so much of what you have to help everyone in our brigade somehow, to just brighten the day a bit more whether its a gift, helping some of us train, or even just keeping us company."
Her kind words make Blake blush, even more so when she looks up at him with those soft eyes of hers.
"So, please, let me do it for you this time...a gift for the four of us, from me." She asks with a small smile.
...Yeah, I knew I'd need these sunglasses.
Blake exhales a sigh of defeat, before looking at Grey with a smile. "Okay."
Waiting until they had finished, Elena, who held a warm smile on her face, instructs the two other workers to begin writing down and processing the payment with the yul as well as to bring up one of those mattresses in its large packaging, hurrying them off.
There was another matter she wanted to discuss, which she ignites by tapping Grey on the shoulder, letting her see the girl's features a bit more clearly, though she could sense the girl had some sort of urge to do something, considering the slight movements in her hands that rested against her chest.
But, with this one last look, she's able to confirm for herself.
"Yes. It took me a few moments to remember, but there's no doubt about it. You're much the same, even all grown up, Miss Cerelia." The older woman said with a smile, filled with nothing but a nostalgic fondness.
...What?
...But it didn't matter, for the moment Grey heard that name, her heart dropped into a cold, black pit. She felt paralyzed. Right now, everything felt so constricted, she couldn't move or do anything for what felt like so long. Everything tied to that name...
She seemed just fine on the outside, but that was far from the case.
"A name as beautiful as that is wasted on someone like you!"
"Truly! Grey fits so much better for soot covered filth!"
"Dirty useless girl, you have no point for being around. Your mother had no right to give you such a name."
Why...? Its...Its been years since anyone's called me that. Why now...?
"Cerelia...?" Blake cocked his head in utter confusion, taking off his sunglasses. That's not Grey's name, it's...Grey. The hell?
Elena regarded Blake with a confused look in return, before going on, "Yes, her father was a frequent business associate of ours. Quite the ambitious man; Not many commoner businessmen had aspirations like his." She said with a small giggle, before looking back to Grey.
"You were with him and your mother on some of his trips as a young child, remember? Even back then, you were rather shy, like glued to your mother's leg!" Elena joked.
No, Mother...
Grey's fingers gripped into the fabric of her top, holding onto what she could in a death grip, something Blake picked up on as he moved to be beside her, on the side of both women and still confused by what Elena was saying.
Then, Elena made an 'ah' sound. "How is Mr. Grimm by the way? I hope he's alright, It's been quite some time since I last—"
"No!"
Grey's cry startled Elena and Blake, but it was the one action she could feel herself taking to break out of that state.
"I'm...I'm sorry, but you must be mistaking me for someone else. That's not me...my name's Grey." She bowed apologetically while frantically shaking her head.
"That's...what?" No, Elena was positive this girl was her. What was she talking about? "Cerelia, what's come over—"
Elena is stopped by a firm hand on her shoulder. She lifts her gaze up to meet Blake's, who's eyes are on Grey for a moment—filled with concern, Elena could see—before he turns to her and gives a stern, but pleadful look. A look that tells her not to push the subject, for whatever reason.
She almost wants to object, but when she sets her eyes on Cerelia...
She's shivering.
Elena sighs, before removing her glasses and wiping them off with some soft fabric. "My eyesight isn't what it used to be, that's for sure..." She remarks, trying to reset the mood in someway. She puts them back on and returns a bow to Grey. "I apologize for the misunderstanding...Miss Grey. I'll hurry along with your purchase now."
"Its okay...Its okay..." Grey says back softly, her Black Bulls robe pulled over her head, becoming a hood, wanting to shield her face from everything for the moment. Even from Blake, who simply stood by her side to let her know he was there with her, believing it wasn't a time for words.
Even after taking care of business in the shop and heading out to spend their time elsewhere, Grey was still affected by the incident. She'd become more withdrawn, still wearing her robe as a hood, and her hand almost felt limp in his, like he was only pulling her along. Asking if she was alright was only met with with murmurs of yes and a smile that Blake could tell was forced.
Grey's past wasn't something that ever made its way into their talks, it wasn't a matter that either were interested in talking about, but Blake wouldn't have expected a reaction like this from Grey. She's falling back into how she acted back then.
Blake's free hand tightened into a fist, with a determined expression. Come on, Blake! Figure out what you should do! You can't let her first date drag on like this!
He stops his walk as he notices Grey did the same. Looking back, something seems to have finally peaked her interest and he follows her quiet gaze to...'Ghislaine's Delicacies'. A shop that focused on sweets, desserts, and the like.
That's a new name. I didn't think she had a particular sweet tooth but, then again, she does have a fondness for Milk...
Blake thinks it over for a moment, seeing a few older kids leaving with a few desserts in hand.
This place. Stepmother would take my stepsisters here sometimes...
Abruptly, Grey feels Blake move his hand to around her shoulder, making the girl softly yelp even in her subdued state.
"Grey, hurry. Let's jack their sweets!" He whispers with ecstatic urgency.
"H-H-H-Huh? N-No! W-What are you even saying, B-Blake?!" Grey sputters out in complete disbelief, her hands flying all over the place.
Blake laughed heartily, "There you are! Thought I lost ya for a second!" Blake says, taking the chance pull her hood off and away, making Grey's blush intensify as he ruffled her hair. He takes her hand back into his again and leads her to the sweets shop, "It's my treat this time! No ifs and or buts about it!"
The shop had just a few tables that could be seated at, Blake and Grey had taken the one farthest off after ordering their dessert of choice, Milkshakes!
Grey looks upon her milkshake, plain vanilla being her choice—...one that she had needed Blake's help in ordering—and takes the glass into her hands before sipping.
As she sips, she could feel the smile forming on her lips. She may have not enjoyed the cold itself, but the treats brought from its use were different, it's coldness was different.
Then, her smile slowly becomes a frown.
It wasn't like the cold on those nights where she'd sleep on the hard, bare floor tiles, left in a room meant for storage, left in a home with people who'd take the warmth and leave her in what was left. Or the nights after nights where she'd shiver as the cold surrounded her, left without anywhere to go or stay for long.
Grey's hands linger, but eventually pull away from her milkshake's glass.
That coldness was lifeless, empty, and so painful.
"Woo-wie! This stuff tastes amazing, Grey!"
In the midst of it all, Grey's pulled away from those painful memories and she looks to Blake who had, of course, went all in on a custom Sundae filled to the brim with toppings atop the ice cream: Granola, sprinkles, bananas, cherries, marshmallows, brownies, chocolate sauce, everything! Just the mere sight of it made Grey's stomach feel overwhelmed, but Blake had dug into it with a bright smile and was now shoving it over to Grey with another spoon for herself.
"Hurry, you gotta try it!" Blake ushers gleefully with a chuckle.
Grey feels hesitant. Internally, the remembrance of back then tries to pull her back within that dull cold, left in that loneliness. But, she brings the large sundae bowl to herself and the toppings she looks at seem so much more than that.
The juice from the cherries drip, trailing lines similar to the strands of Vanessa's pink hair. Three dots of leftover chocolate sauce on the vanilla ice cream, like Gordon's signature make up. Marshmallows so soft and fluffy, almost like Charmy's sheep. The sprinkles laid upon the dessert like a lightning bolt.
...Has she been spending too much time around Charmy?
Whatever it may be, it...it helps her remember that she doesn't have to worry about that shivering cold of times past creeping upon her again, because the Black Bulls have brighten her life up permanently. She keeps that fact in her mind as collects the ice cream with a little bit of all the toppings with her spoon to have a bite.
This frozen delicacy was heart-warming.
"Are you feeling better now, Grey?"
Grey open her eyes and meets Blake's. He rested his chin in the palm of his hand, holding a soft, knowing smile and sincerity in his red eyes. The rays of the setting sun passing through the window hit upon him warmly. Grey's heart couldn't help but flutter, like butterflies were taking off with it.
"Y-Yes, I...I'm feeling a lot better now...!" She says, holding complete eye-contact with her partner, but broke it briefly.
He must be wondering about what that was all about before. I...I can tell him! We've become so close and he means so much to me, It wouldn't be fair to keep this hidden away, he should know...
She begins, trying to keep a hold of herself, yet her stutters were practically involuntary. "B-B-Blake, about what h-happened earlier, I...I..."
She stops, as Blake reached over and placed his hand on hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. "It's okay, Grey. Whatever happened in your past, don't force yourself if it's too much for you. You could never tell me and I'll be a-okay." Blake reassures.
It's with that, Grey lets go of a breath she had been holding in. Everything within her began to finally settle.
She hesitates, but eventually turns her hand over to squeeze Blake's. "Thank you..." She says, sincerely. It...It was still too much. She wasn't there just yet, but she would like to be.
Blake understood and he accepted it without issue. He nods his head and, for a few moments, they enjoy the sweet delicacies in simple pleasance.
Then, Blake whispers, almost to just himself, "...Cerelia, that is a beautiful name."
He looks up and...yeah, Grey is blushing and—oh fuck she just transformed.
In this small shop, with the table and their desserts flipped over from the sudden change in Grey's size and the absolutely horrified reactions from the workers' reactions, Blake just chuckles to himself, staring at the large smoke-puffing figure in front of him.
You're so adorable, Grey.
The chills of the night had finally come, but Grey wasn't anxious in the slightest. Blake had given her his coat, sheltering her with it's warmth...Blake's warmth.
They walked along the left, passing by the ambient lights that came on after dark. Not many people were around and out right now, it seemed.
"Hey, Grey? I have a question." Blake says, walking beside her with his arms resting behind his neck, noticing Grey's rosey cheeks but not bringing attention to it.
"O-Oh? What is it, Blake?"
"That transformation you were in all the time, why that one specifically? What's the deal with 'em?" He says, twirling his finger in a gesture.
"A-Ah, that..." Grey mumbles, beginning to intertwine her fingers anxiously. She giggles nervously. "W-Well, it was when I...first met Captain Yami, actually."
"Oh?" Blake drew in closer, growing curious.
"I'd been using my magic as a...street performance, sort of? Just to—"
Scrape together whatever yul she could. Just enough for another night at an inn and some food, hopefully...
Grey skipped past that bit, "Well h-he saw me doing it one night and...h-he told me to transform into him..."
Blake's stride slowed, Hold up.
"But, Captain Y-Yami was really s-scary and I couldn't really control my magic correctly because of that so I...kinda messed it up." Grey said, with a half-hearted shrug.
Blake blinked for a few moments, eyes staring up at his forehead, trying to see his brain come up with the visuals clicking together.
Big, imposing figure. Smoke coming out of them like a chimney. Pushed back Black hair. Shadowy face. A deadly gaze...
...Transformed Grey = CAPTAIN YAMI?!
What was first just an utter gasp of disbelief soon turned into an uncontained howling of laughter erupting from Blake. He'd quickly lean back against the wall of a building.
"That's—you—being Yami?!" Blake gasps in between his laughter.
"I...well...Captain Yami is...!" Grey had tried to come up with an excuse for why.
But...an excuse? Why? She hadn't done anything wrong and Blake certainly didn't think so. It wasn't a mocking laughter aimed to demean her, no, it was cheerful in every sense of the word. Uplifting, even, as Grey finds herself lifting her shoulders up and joining in it.
"I thought he was really going to kill me, b-but he laughed and told me to join the brigade...!" Grey say, softly giggling to herself.
"Well, damn, the Transformation that started it all!" Blake said, finishes his last few giggles off with an offer of applause. "Give plenty of my thanks to your past self!"
Grey cocked her head slightly in confusion, "For what?"
Blake chuckles with a smile, "Because if you didn't, I might never have met you!" he responds, securing his hold on her upper arms. His smile gets smaller. "And...I'd be bummed out, never knowing you like I do know." He says with sincerity.
There it was again, that warmth that Blake shares with her, that helps her feel not so tied down by all those thoughts from back then.
Without a word, Grey moved into Blake, her palms resting just below his chest and her head being right on top of it. She can't help but nuzzle herself into him a little bit, like she wanted to be enveloped by him as she feels his arms wrap around her waist.
The Black Bulls were all like shining stars in the night, but Blake himself was Grey's Sun, what pushed her forward to meet whatever came next with her head held high, as long as she could.
"Blake...is there a-anyone around?" She asks, nervously.
Blake hums softly, closing his eyes. "...No, no one else is out and about at the mome—"
Taking every ounce of confidence she's acquired in these few months of knowing him, Grey pulls Blake down by his shirt—surprising him—and shoots herself up onto her tippy toes, all to place a kiss on Blake's lips.
Even with all the effort, the kiss felt so...soft to Blake. This wasn't at all like his kisses with Vanessa, or Charmy for the matter. It wasn't heated or rough, it was warm and tenderly loving. This kiss felt so fragile, that if he made one wrong move, Blake thought it would all break apart. Yet, that just meant it was something to be wholeheartedly cherished to the fullest. Everything that tied Grey to Blake was being given to him through this kiss and he'd made sure it felt the same way to her.
The moment the kiss ends, Grey brings herself back down and pushes herself completely within Blake's hold, wanting to hide herself within his embrace. She furiously shook herself within his hold, needing some way to release all this energy that she acquired from what she did, what made her heart race out of control.
"Hey, that tickles...!" Blake chuckles softly.
"I...I...I..."
"Take your time." He reassures, moving one of his hands to rub her head soothingly.
"I...love you, Blake."
Everything within Blake stops momentarily. Even though her words were barely above a whisper, it may as have been shouted at him from the rooftops.
That feeling of his heart swelling emerged, her words had been aimed straight at his very soul and he felt nothing but complete and utter rejuvenation.
Grey...she said those words first.
Blake's hands move up, from her waist up to her upper back, securing her tightly in his arms.
I'll hold onto you, cherish you, for as long as I can. As long as you'll let me.
"I...I love you too, Grey."
Black Clover - The Three Brothers
A/N: Yo, hope you enjoyed the long chapter! Not too much going on in terms of plot this time, more so just deepening and exploring character dynamics and relationships and sometimes that's what you need!
A/N 2: Since there's no info on Grey's real name and stuff, I decided to play around with it. We'll see how it compares to Canon if it ever gets expanded on! I chose Cerelia for her "real" name due to its similarity to Cinderella and its meaning referring to a change to Spring, since I wrote Grey as not being a big fan of the cold. Her dad's last name is Grimm to tie into the Brothers Grimm and all that. Cerelia Grimm
A/N 3: Next chapter's gonna have more action and will be focusing on Charmy and...Mereoleona! Hope you look forward to Page 19 - ...And Pump the Adrenaline!
A/N 4: Of course, feedback is always appreciated!
A/N 5: Official Blake Design can be found on the Wattpad and AO3 versions of this chapter if you're interested!
Reviews
Djinn: I'm excited for the next chapter too! Hope you'll enjoy it.
Discipline01: Glad you think so!
Switch 4 Life: Let's hope Gordon won't be forgotten! In regards to Kahano, she's not planned to be in the Harem.
wellingtonlucas282: De nada, que bom que você gostou!
Switch 4 Life(4/4): Nero is already planned to be in the harem, don't worry! Nebra though...Blake thinks nothing good of her.