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Everything about the Trailblazers’ arrival to the Xianzhou Luofu was incredibly suspicious—from Kafka’s message, to the Jade gate opening itself to allow them inside, to the many things and people they encountered when inside. Chips continued to fall into place, putting together a game that none of the players knew the name of or end goal for…
That was weighing heavily on the Trailblazers’ minds as they finally made their way to the Inn for the night, led by their auspicious guide, Tingyun.
“Oh dear…” Tingyun mumbled, standing in front of the front desk, her hands clasped together, continuing to talk to the receptionist with a troubled expression- she was far enough away that her benefactors couldn’t hear her distress.
March 7th stretched her arms above her head, groaning. “All of that and we still haven’t managed to track down Kafka or Blade!” she whined, letting out a deep sigh.
“It is a little unsettling turning in for the night knowing that they’re both still out there.” Welt agreed, leaning a bit of his weight on his cane. An exhaustion was settling into his muscles that he hadn’t known for some time. It’d been quite awhile since he’d gotten to stretch his legs on an adventure.
“What if they’re already in our rooms…” Stelle murmured, a darkness cast over her features as she glanced around suspiciously. Her companions laughed, and her expression softened, though she looked confused as to why they were laughing when she was being completely serious.
“I am sure they have more pressing things to attend to on the Xianzhou Luofu than to wait around in our rooms just to give us a scare. Especially since they are the ones who called us here,” Welt said, offering Stelle a comforting smile, watching as she immediately perked up again.
“Oh yeah…” Stelle said with a laugh.
“In any case, I cannot wait to get some sleep!” March 7th said, as Tingyun approached the group, a nervous look on her face.
“I’ve… got some bad news, benefactors…” Tingyun gulped, as the trio turned to look at her, varying expressions of worry (and one neutral look of confusion) painting their expressions. “With the situation on the Luofu right now, and this being the main place with citizens of the Xianzhou evacuating to… Um, this particular Inn only has two rooms available.”
“So…?” The gray-haired girl tilted her head.
“Um, she means we’ll have to share,” March 7th replied, not entirely put off by the idea. She loved a good sleepover! “That shouldn’t be a problem for us, though…”
The pink-haired girl glanced over at Welt and Tingyun, gears turning in her head. The arrangement if she roomed with Stelle meant…
“Well, I don’t mind sleeping on the floor,” Welt replied, pushing his glasses up, though his expression was a little troubled. “If Miss Tingyun doesn’t mind sharing with me.”
“Oh, I…” The expression that flashed across her face showed that she very much did mind. “I couldn’t dare, benefactors…”
“Maybe… I’ve known Mr. Yang for longer, so I don’t mind sharing a room with him,” March 7th spoke up, clearly disappointed in losing her girly sleepover opportunity.
“I can just return to the Express…”
“And go through all of those Mara Struck on your way back to the Jade Gate? I couldn’t in good conscience allow you to!” Tingyun replied, though her voice was decidedly not very sincere.
“I’ll sleep in the room with Mr. Yang,” Stelle deadpanned, raising her hand. “I’ve known him for less time, meaning it's less weird to sleep in the same room.”
Three pairs of eyes blinked at the newest Trailblazer, and the absolute nonsense that just came from her mouth.
“That makes… no se-”
“If you’re sure, benefactor!” Tingyun cut March off, clasping her hands together. In the most polite way possible, the Foxian woman was tired of this discussion and wanted it settled so she could sleep. “I’ll make sure the Divination Commission compensates you for this unfortunate situation tomorrow!”
Well, that settled that.
Tingyun led the three Trailblazers into the Inn and to their rooms, each one a little ways away from the other. Stelle and Welt’s room was close to the stairs, while Tingyun and March 7th’s was at the far end of the hall.
“I can’t believe they actually accepted that,” Welt let out a soft laugh, setting his cane down by the door and sitting down on the double bed.
“What do you mean?” Stelle asked, as she walked around the room, peeking in the desk, opening up the empty closet, and checking under the bed. She really was convinced of the possibility of a Stellaron Hunter waiting to ambush them.
They’d had an arrangement for the last few weeks on the Express, of Stelle sneaking into Welt’s room to sleep. His resonance with the path of Nihility provided the perfect muffler for the Stellaron inside of her—which caused her to have rest-interrupting nightmares—and allowed her to sleep peacefully. It wasn’t hard to get used to each others’ company, and they’d each grown almost dependent on the arrangement. They’d been somewhat worried when embarking on this trip, that they’d be caught, or circumstances would leave them forced to sleep apart.
“Just… uh, nevermind,” Welt laughed again, shaking his head. He unclipped his scarf and undid the various straps on his clothes before he shrugged his jacket off, setting them aside on the chair near the door. “Well, since we’re so unfamiliar with each other, I suppose I should get comfortable on the floor.”
“Huh?” Stelle’s head popped up from where she was diligently inspecting underneath the bed, her expression one of confusion and surprise. “Why would you do that? Do you feel uncomfortable again…?”
Welt shook his head, letting out an amused breath as he sat back down on the bed. “No, no, just making a joke.”
“Oh…” Stelle laughed softly, grinning over at her companion. She crawled over the bed, towards the edge Welt was sitting on, plopping down beside him. She bumped her shoulder into his. “I don’t think we’ve started the night together like this, though. I get to see Mr. Yang’s nighttime routine~”
“It’s- uh, it’s not like it’s anything special…” Welt replied, his face flushing a little under her inquisitive gaze. “What happened to calling me by my first name when we’re alone?”
“Who’s to say we’re alone?” Stelle replied, that serious look on her face once more, before she broke out into a smile.
“I’d say your thorough inspection of the room was a good indicator that we’re alone. Unless you’re going to check behind the dresser and under the bedside table as well,” Welt replied, wrapping an arm around her when she’d moved to try to get up and do exactly that.
“Weeeelt~” Stelle whined, laughing as she was pulled into his chest.
“There it is, we must be alone, then,” Welt replied, a warm chuckle vibrating his chest. “C’mon, get ready for bed, you can take the bathroom and I’ll get ready out here.”
He released the younger Trailblazer, letting her stand up. Stelle turned and leaned in, pressing a soft, chaste kiss to his lips. Welt raised his hand, gently cupping her cheek as she savored the feeling, his eyes closing.
Stelle pulled away after a few beats, a soft smile on her lips as she nodded, satisfied, and moved towards the bathroom, stepping in and closing the door behind her. She changed into her usual pajamas—shedding her jacket and outer clothes and swapping her skirt for a pair of light gray linen shorts.
Without thinking, Stelle opened the door into the bedroom without any indication that she was done, getting a good eyeful of Welt’s bare back as she pulled on his sleeping t-shirt. It was a beautiful sight, his back very lightly tanned, lean, and riddled with various scars. Not exactly the back of a simple animator, as he always claimed to be.
Welt turned at the sound of the door opening, tugging idly at the hem of his shirt as soon as it was on, raising a brow.
“Well, were they hiding in the bathtub?” he asked, giving her a soft grin as she walked over towards him, wrapping her arms around his middle.
The younger Trailblazer shamelessly buried her face in his chest, taking in a deep inhale. A grin pulled at her lips at the feeling of his chest vibrating with laughter, his arms immediately wrapping around her in turn. She was clingy, and she didn’t feel an ounce of self-consciousness or insecurity about it, going in for it like this- with no warning.
Since they’d expressed their feelings, that was all the go-ahead she’d needed. Though their budding relationship was still new—it was technically only their first day since opening their hearts to each other—they were already incredibly comfortable with each other. It helped that they’d spent weeks sharing their most vulnerable hours with each other each night, simply sleeping near the other.
Stelle yawned, reminding Welt of why they were there- to sleep. He gently led the sleepy trailblazer over to their bed, laying down and bringing her with him. He waved his hand, turning off the lamp on their bedside, before he settled into the soft cushion beneath them.
The gray-haired girl shifted a little as she got comfortable, laying cuddled up to his side, her head on his shoulder. She’d settled down for a moment, and Welt assumed she’d fallen asleep, she was always the first to fall asleep, dropping like a fly the instant her head hit the pillow.
Welt stole a glance at her sleeping face, only to find a pair of glowing, golden eyes staring up at him. The dim reddish lights from the lamps outside their window cast a blush over her face, as she blinked and grinned.
“...I got caught staring again,” she said, laughing as she curled her hand in the material of his t-shirt, leaning up to press a kiss to his chin.
“You’re incorrigible,” Welt chuckled as slid his hand down to the small of her back, pulling her in a little closer. For as tired as he was after his first adventure in a while, a low fire still burned inside of him—the excitement of the day, for what was to come, and the beautiful, powerful woman in his arms.
Stelle chuckled, leaning up to press another kiss to his stubbled chin, then his jaw and finally up to his lips, grinning like a cat all the while. She lingered at his lips for much longer, savoring the feeling of their kiss as his lips moved against her’s.
Getting to see her in action that day had been refreshing—more than that, it had been invigorating. He’d heard of her abilities second hand, but to witness her as she led their battles had been entirely different. She was a live wire, flowing with a neverending vigor and energy.
That much was apparent with the energy she still had, even as they’d laid down for bed. Her lips pressed to his, feverish and needy, hands pulling at his shirt, her enthusiasm had Welt feeling like a young man again. Any sign that she’d been tired was gone, dust in the wind.
He was the first to break from the kiss, though, looking down at her as their breaths mingled, taking in the sight of her flushed face and bright eyes.
“P… Perhaps we should rest,” Welt said, finding it harder and harder to tear his eyes away from the sight. “Today was quite taxing, and there will be more to do tomorrow…”
“I am resting,” Stelle replied easily, leaning up to kiss him again, pecking his lips a few more times. Something in her gaze when she pulled away after that seemed longing, desperate. It further fanned the flames of desire building in Welt’s chest.
“I think you’re trying to do the opposite of rest right now, Stelle,” Welt said in a lower voice, and Stelle felt a jolt of heat course through her at the sight of his gaze, suddenly she was hyper aware of the feeling of his hands on her body, wrapped around her and holding her flush against him.
Stelle was not a woman who could ever feel like she’d bitten off more than she could chew, always willing to rise to the challenge, no matter how great. Even if that challenge was trying not to appear as inexperienced as she was in front of a man with many, many years under his belt. She didn’t want to scare him off when he was clearly a little apprehensive about this relationship in the first place. She tended to pretend to be a little more unaware than she truly was, not wanting him to be self-conscious about his hesitance, but situations like this made her inexperience shine like he’d pointed a spotlight at it.
However, she pressed on, following her instinct by not responding as she slipped her hands under his shirt, fingers ghosting over his chest, lips pressing to his neck.
“Stelle…” Welt groaned, his voice much lower, grittier, his fingers tightening against her skin.
Stelle could feel the slightest bit of stubble against her lips, as she kissed and nipped at his jaw, his skin smoothing as she moved lower on his neck, heat pooling in her stomach at the sound of his voice. Her hands did little more than feel him up, grazing over the slightly raised flesh that she marked as scars, his torso firm to the touch—no so firm that she believed he worked out, but rather in a more battle-hardened way. He didn’t have a six-pack, but the flesh beneath her fingertips was strong, sturdy. And her’s. All her’s.
Her enthusiasm certainly helped him get over his hesitance, as he pulled away enough to catch her off guard, taking her chin in his fingers and tilting her face up towards his, capturing her lips in a deeper, much more assured kiss. His head tilted, mouth opening as his tongue pushed into her’s, relishing in the soft noise of surprise she made.
If she wanted to be bold, she’d have to reap what she sowed.
Welt’s hands curled into the hem of her white shirt as he slowly dragged it up, over her sensitive skin, leaving goosebumps in his wake. He savored every inch of her soft flesh, feeling her shiver once his hands brushed over the sides of her chest. Her breath caught, and he took that opportunity to break their kiss, tugging her shirt up and over her head.
Immediately, he leaned forward to catch her lips with his again, and she was more prepared this time as his tongue prodded her lips, her mouth opening as she accepted.
Stelle wanted to take his shirt off too, but she didn’t want to separate from their embrace again, so she thought of something else she could do. As her tongue lapped against his, her fingers slipped into the collar of his shirt, closing around the fabric as she pulled, easily tearing it off. It was the only natural conclusion she could come to- destroy the thing sitting between her and her lover’s bare chest.
Startled, Welt still ended up breaking the kiss, panting softly as he scoffed in disbelief.
“Stelle-”
“Oops, sorry, I got impatient,” Stelle couldn’t help but giggle, not guilty in the slightest, as she returned to feeling up her partner, finally getting the opportunity to look at his chest. His skin was lightly tanned, his chest marred with old, old criss-crossing scars. She was right in that he didn’t have a six-pack, but a strong, sturdy torso instead. She loved it.
Welt slid his hands up her side, at last taking in the sight of her chest. Her skin was flushed, raised in gooseflesh as he touched her. He palmed one of her breasts, swiping a thumb over her light colored nipple, listening to the catch in her throat as her body jolted a little. Her flesh was a light tan, barely a shade lighter than his. In the center of her chest, in the valley of her breasts, her skin lightened in a bursting star-shaped scar.
As if compelled, he leaned forward, pressing his lips to the center of that scar. Stelle buried her fingers in his hair, gasping for a breath at the feeling. Her skin burned hot where his lips touched her, lingering there for a few moments, feeling her heartbeat as it sped up.
By now, he’d lost any sense of hesitance when it came to what he wanted—what they clearly wanted by the way she’d attacked him—and desire burned like a flame in his chest. One that only she could douse, with the feeling of her body writhing beneath his.
Welt slowly dragged his lips over her breast, nipping very gently at her skin- much more gently than she’d bitten at his neck. She was like a damn cat. Every soft noise and gasp she made went straight below his waist, growing his need. He lapped and kissed her stiffened nipple, twisting and rubbing the other between two fingers while she moaned and panted, her hips starting to jolt and rock.
She couldn’t quite tell what she felt- it wasn’t overwhelmingly, mind-numbingly euphoric, but it made her stomach flutter and force quiet sounds from her lips. The feeling of his lips made her want more- to be closer, oh, why couldn’t she get any closer to him.
As if he’d read her thoughts, in the next moment she felt something firm and solid press between her legs, right up against that throbbing, desperate place of need. Too thick to be his sex, she determined it was his thigh after a few moments, feeling it rub against her sensitive need.
“You’re excited,” Welt pointed out with a quiet chuckle, pulling his lips from her breast to shift upwards, to look down at her, all flushed and needy for him. The fact that he inspired such desperation in a young lady was truly proof that he still had it in him.
“Mr. Yang…” Stelle pouted, rocking her hips against his thigh with a soft whine.
“Welt,” he corrected softly, hand sliding down to grip her butt, giving it a squeeze and watching her face twist in surprise.
“Welt…” she supplied, lips pulled into a real pout.
“Yes, Stelle?” Welt hummed, his voice even, as she ground her sex on his leg, shamelessly so.
The young trailblazer whimpered, helplessly, sliding her hand down his chest, fingers brushing past his elastic waistband to settle against his manhood, eliciting a soft grunt and a heady, completely smitten look. She realized only then how clearly she could now see his soft amber eyes, pupils nearly completely obscuring the lightness of his irises as he looked at her- his glasses had been removed. She wondered how his vision fared, she hoped he could see her. She really wanted him to see her.
“What are you thinking about?” Welt asked, his voice a low, soft rumble in his chest.
“You…” Stelle mumbled, growing nearly shy, her heart pounding up in her chest. She was suddenly made aware of his leg between her’s as he shifted it a little in his movement to press his lips to her’s again. She shuddered and whined, hips jerking clumsily against his thigh.
Her response must have pleased him, and she reveled in that fact, her hips rocking against his thigh with a little more of a tempo. Warmth seeped between their bodies, her arousal growing with each twitch of her hips. She stroked her fingers over his manhood, applying a little more pressure and feeling it throb under her touch.
“What-” Stelle panted, “What are you thinking about?”
“You,” Welt replied, sliding his hand down her waist to grip her butt again, giving it a soft squeeze as he guided her hips in a more fluid motion against his leg. He dragged his lips down her neck, to her shoulder, gently nipping at her tanned skin.
“Be more specific..?” Stelle replied, curling her fingers in his hair as she felt pleasure shoot through her, her stomach erupting with butterflies as he took over her hips’ movement.
“You weren’t any more specific than I was,” Welt chuckled, finally slipping his fingers in the waistband of her pajama shorts, his fingertips pressing into her bare hips.
“You think more things than I do,” Stelle whined.
Welt gripped her hip as he turned her, moving so she was laid back on the bed and he was hovering over her, knees pressed to the bed on either side of her hips.
“Fine,” he murmured, dragging his eyes down her form, taking it all in its entirety. Perky breasts, the starburst-shaped scar between them, her toned abdomen, disappearing beneath her pajama shorts. The dark, wet spot between her legs, showing up clearly on the lighter-colored material of her shorts. “I’m thinking about you like this; underneath me. Your face twisted in pleasure, desperate for my touch, trying to keep your voice down- mm, perhaps you might not care as much about that, would you?”
Stelle shook her head, retaining eye-contact as much as she could as Welt spoke, watching his hand brush down her stomach, toying with the waistband of her shorts.
“I’d thought so. The only thing you care about now is being touched here, isn’t it? From how desperately you were grinding on my leg. You left a mark on my pants.”
“It felt good,” Stelle defended shamelessly, glancing at his leg and seeing the darkened spot in the low light. She hadn’t realized that it had felt that good.
Welt couldn’t help but chuckle softly, shaking his head as he finally dipped his fingers between her legs, feeling her slick arousal for himself. Her reaction was immediate, her face pinching in pleasure, finally dropping their eye contact as her’s closed, her head turning to nuzzle into the pillow. He sought out her clit first, slowly circling his fingers around her sensitive bud, drinking in the sight as she squirmed and moaned, hips rolling into his hand.
“How’s this feel?” Welt murmured, keeping his thumb pressed to her clit as he pushed his middle two fingers into her sex.
“Really good,” Stelle breathed.
“Why aren’t you looking at me anymore, hm? Have you finally grown shy?” Welt teased as he slowly pumped his fingers in her sex, curling and rubbing them against her walls.
Stelle turned her head, opening her sparkling, glowing golden eyes to look at him once again. The sight sent a pang of arousal down below his belt- her eyebrows drawn together, her eyes lidded, and her lips parted as a soft sigh escaped her.
“That’s better,” he praised softly, moving his fingers a little faster, as a little reward. “Don’t take your eyes off me, Stelle.”
Stelle panted softly, nodding- making sure she didn’t look away as she did. Heat was quickly pooling between her legs, pressure building from the feeling of his fingers inside her, stroking against her clit.
Welt hummed in satisfaction, using his free hand to drag her shorts down her legs, exposing her sex to the chilly nighttime air. The soft, squelching sound of his fingers was much more audible now, as his fingers sped up, drawing more wetness from her core.
He could tell by the way her chest heaved and her hips twitched that he had her right up close to the edge- at the last second he pulled his fingers out, tugging the waistband of his pants down to free his cock, gripping it with one hand as he pushed his tip inside of her dripping sex.
Stelle broke eye contact as he did, her head falling back against the pillow as her back arched and her sex squeezed pitifully around his cocktip, her first orgasm. Welt only pressed on, pushing more and more of himself in her until she was full. His fingers pressed into the flesh of her hips as he let out a shuddering breath. She wrapped around him so perfectly, like she was made just for him, for this moment.
Her fingers buried in his soft brown hair as his hips started to move, slowly pulling out and pushing back in, savoring every inch of her warmth. Supporting himself on one hand, his other fell to grasp at her hip, fingers digging into the flesh- possibly bruising her. Part of him liked that idea, leaving a mark on her in such an intimate place. Somewhere she’d only see in the mirror as she changed or before she bathed, the most subtle reminder of this night.
His name fell from her lips like a fervent prayer, between gasping moans and low hums. Her grip on his hair went from steadying to pulling, nearly painful.
Welt carefully reached up to untangle her fingers from his hair, moving her hands to his shoulders, where her nails immediately dug into the skin. He hissed softly, his hips jerking a little harder into her core.
Stelle let out a soft gasp, her back arching. “Like that, like that,” she moaned, rolling her hips into his.
That was all the encouragement he’d needed to know she had adjusted to his cock, as he angled his hips to hit deeper, harder. To think that he’d so quickly gone from flustering at her falling asleep on him, to embracing her so readily like this. That old guilt might have been flaring up in him again in this moment—he was so much older, and she was clearly lacking in experience, was he stealing this first time from her?—but he was far too gone to think of anything but her, her pleasure, her satisfaction.
Her enthusiasm was hard to ignore, her voice bouncing off the walls as he pounded his cock into her core. Her legs had wrapped around his hips, ankles hooking behind his back, clearly quite enjoying this change in pace. Her moans, her ecstatic expression, and the feeling of her sex, dripping and squeezing around his manhood- it was all coming together to add to the pooling heat in his stomach.
Welt moved his hand from her hip to flatten over her stomach, pressing his thumb to her clit once again, rubbing it in feverish circles, trying to match the pace his hips had set. If he was going to climax soon, he wanted to make sure she went first, if not very soon after.
Stelle’s eyes nearly rolled back, dragging her nails down his back as he pleasured her. As if the feeling of him filling her over and over weren’t enough- direct contact with her sensitive, nearly overstimulated clit had her seeing stars, her core twitching and pulsing around him.
She chanted his name more desperately now, her lips seeking out any exposed bit of skin she could reach, kissing and nipping and trying to prolong this overwhelming feeling for as long as she could, to swim and drown in pleasure for as long as he’d allow her to- who knew when they’d get this opportunity again?
All too soon, she felt herself hit her peak again, her eyes squeezing closed as she sank her teeth in his shoulder, hearing him hiss and bury his face in her shoulder as his hips stuttered. He gasped and quickly jerked his hips back, barely in time as his seed spilled onto the sheets.
Welt panted softly as he sat up fully, running a hand through his hair. That was close. He dragged his eyes over her form, feeling his softening cock twitch at the sight- her legs still spread, giving him an eyeful of her flushed, dripping sex as it twitched, squeezing out the little bit of his seed that he’d spilled before he’d pulled out.
Her eyes were on him, glowing and half-lidded, her lips parted as she panted softly. She looked… absolutely smitten, and absolutely divine.
Welt grabbed the discarded tatters of his shirt and gently cleaned them both up, before he tossed it in the trash and helped her pull her shorts back on before he tugged his pants back up as well. He slipped back into bed, Stelle immediately cuddling up to his chest.
He wasn’t exactly excited to sleep in a semi-soiled bed, but he wasn’t sure if… no, he definitely couldn’t request a change of sheets. They’d just have to live with it- and Stelle didn’t seem to particularly mind.
The gray-haired girl leaned up to gently peck his jaw, smiling a little to herself as she brushed her fingers over his bare chest.
“That was good,” she murmured, breaking the silence, as she looked up at him. Her eyes were wide, sparkling with boundless energy. Oh no…
“Stelle, I can not do that again,” Welt said, stopping at her surprised, disappointed expression. “R- Right away, anyway. At least give me a minute to catch my breath…”
The younger trailblazer grinned, leaning up to press a few more hot, open-mouthed kisses to his jaw and neck.
This poor old man was in for a long night…
~~~
“Oh man, Mr. Yang, looks like the floor didn’t treat ya too well last night!” March 7th laughed as the small group met back up in the morning, her laugh much too loud and boisterous for the early morning after a sleepless night.
“Yes, well… I found out Stelle snores, loudly. She kept me awake for half of the night,” Welt said, rubbing his eye with the heel of his palm.
“Guilty~” Stelle chuckled shamelessly.
“I do apologize again for the inconvenience, benefactors…” Tingyun said, lacking even a hint of guilt as she glanced between the odd pair of trailblazers, the slightest hint of a knowing smile on her lips. “In any case, we should move along now~ It’s going to be quite the busy day!”
With that, the three trailblazers filed behind their Foxian guide, a certain pair sharing conspiratorial grins as they moved along…