Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Good afternoon, Kazuna."

Kazuna glanced up at Shulk from the lesson plan she had been preparing to educate the Agnians he and Rex had liberated only a few weeks ago.

This was an old friend of Rex's from Fonsett, back in the days when the two worlds were still fully twain. Kazuna was a particularly spirited and jocular woman who was always chatting up her fellow inhabitants from Alrest and pushing them to follow their literary pursuits, and who managed to maintain a youthful sense of vivacity despite all her years on Aionios.

She viewed Rex as something of a big brother figure, and they frequently teased each other as siblings would. Rex liked to make fun of her for her interest in trashy romance novels (the same ones Shulk caught him poring over a week later, the hypocrite), while for her part Kazuna would often return the favor, heckling him for his questionable salvaging skills and trading barbs over his acquired bulk whenever he’d tease her over her petite size.

Shulk did not share that same sense of history with her, but in the many decades since they had gotten to know each other on Aionios, he’d come to appreciate her all the same. She was the adaptable sort, the kind of woman who knew her way around both needlework and knives, and she threw herself into the Liberators’ efforts with great gusto.

Her experience from having become a teacher back in Fonsett Village proved invaluable in preparing the former child soldiers for the skills they needed to live a life outside of war—the life they should’ve always been free to live.

She also had a strong eye for aesthetics, which she was fond of leveraging to bring a touch of glamor to their makeshift garrisons. Even with the consistently limited resources they had at their disposal, Kazuna figured out ways to improvise something fashionable, be it the colorful berry-dyed bandanas she wore over her auburn hair or the trinkets she cobbled together from stray wires, melted glass, and Ether Crystal fragments scavenged from the sites of past battles.

And most importantly of all, she was very perceptive—able to spot troubles that brewed and defuse them before many realized it, including Shulk’s own. In turn, Kazuna had come to view Shulk as a trustworthy friend and a fellow shoulder to lean on as they commiserated on the uncertain fates of their spouses and children.

Which is why there was no anxiety in her face as the fearsome leader of the Liberators approached, steepling his fingers together with pursed lips and hesitant expression, pensively assembling the words for his next sentence.

"Y’alright?"

"I've come to you with a request. But it might sound like an odd one at first.”

“Go ahead. Shoot.”

“You… still remember what Mythra looked like, right?"

Kazuna clucked her tongue.

"Hard not to, with how she would parade herself about town, like she were the cock o’ the walk. Sometimes when Miss Mesulia was giving one of her lectures on aesthetics and the nature of true beauty, Mythra’d waltz in and offer herself as a case study! Trust me, she made sure I burnt it into me memory or else I’d fail the class. Pinnacle of cuteness, she called herself! …Ha, she wishes. Maybe if she were a Nopon she’d have a point.”

Shulk nodded.

"Heh. That is about the least surprising thing I’ve heard about her.”

----

The majority of Shulk’s knowledge about Mythra came secondhand through the stories Rex, Nia, and others like Kazuna shared; naturally, most of them centered around her unparalleled braggadocio and her vanity.

But Shulk actually recalled her having been reasonably polite, even somber during the rare occasions he got to talk with her one-on-one. He sensed a palpable melancholy to her, particularly when discussing Klaus and the unified world of yore, or his once-mutual ability to see the future. Perhaps an artifact of the static on the ansible, or just his imagination. Whatever it was, that sense of gravity quickly melted away the moment the subject turned to more mundane matters.

Rex immediately took a liking to him after they’d first made initial contact some twenty years before the Intersection. At first he had chalked it up to all their shared experiences in years past. He could hear a familiar sense of world-weariness in Rex’s voice underneath his chipper demeanor. Once the video quality achieved an acceptable bitrate, Rex would fondly crack jokes from the other side of the ansible that Shulk could pass as Mythra’s brother.

Ne’er could I be more wrong about someone, Rex remarked to him after they’d finally first come face to face, back when Aionios was still young. You look so much like her, but I’d be a fool to confuse the two of you. You get so lost in that pretty little head of yours sometimes, always thinkin’ about those damn machines or worryin’ about the future. If you ever have a problem, jus’…, y’know, talk to me. Don’t bottle it up. Let me share in your burdens. We’ll do this together.

Pretty, Rex had called him. Shulk thought little of it in the moment, as he was wont to do. But the word continued to linger in his mind.

It was a matter of time (and they had plenty to go around) before he became aware of Rex’s feelings for him, and that his had come to match. One thing led to another, and they found themselves in each other’s beds with alarming regularity.

That first night together, Rex had divulged to him that he was the only man he’d ever been with, though not the only man he’d desired in that way. Shulk had reckoned it a quaint, albeit unnecessary thing to confess; he’d never even given a consideration to gender when it came to his own encounters with desire. Though it did make sense. Rex was the adventurous type who reveled in new experiences, just as Shulk reveled in new knowledge, and he was blissfully happy to provide them.

Yet, the very fact that Rex considered the distinction worth acknowledging at all weighed constantly on Shulk’s mind, what with how often Rex spoke of missing his wives.

His beautiful, feminine, womanly wives.

Even with Rex’s seductively whispered praises of the masculine form, Shulk couldn’t shake the nagging sense that these trysts were merely Rex’s way of settling. That he was a vaguely Aegis-shaped fuckdoll. It’s not like Rex wasn’t the first to comment on those similarities himself. Nor did Shulk fail to remember Mythra’s own tendencies to keep her worries bottled up, just as Reyn admonished him for back home.

He was filled with a sinking sense of validation when, focus gone in the unfettered throes of passion, it was her name that tumbled from Rex’s lips.

You’re so full of shit, Rex. Shulk had stormed off to his tent, from which Rex was hereby banned for an entire year, roiling with frustration and dick unspent after one too many of Rex’s amatory blunders. Blistering with the urge to spike his Monado through the nearest wall, he attempted to cool his mood by ruminating on how she would react to this situation.

Why, she’d be utterly beside herself if she ever discovered us like this. ‘Ha! Your fault for thinking you could ever compare to me, the beautiful Mythra!’ And she’d be absolutely right. His fury smoldered into quiet dejection.

But in due time, he realized he was being foolish. He struggled without his new lover by his side, and he found himself once again consumed by his own thoughts of his beloved Fiora.

(And sometimes, terrified as he was to admit it, of him. The name he still struggled to say. Those silver eyes he could never look into. The yearning he dared never confess. The source of all this fear he carried. Shulk would later pay for that unspeakable longing dearly with his right arm and Rex’s left eye.)

Shulk craved Fiora’s warmth and vigor, her temerity against all odds, the way her body swayed as she swung her dual blades with deadly precision against her foes. The same way her voluptuous figure moved in rhythm with his on their bed. All traits Rex shared in great abundance, and which he craved from him as well.

Whether or not those liaisons were the result of compromise, they needed each other. The least a man of his age could do was to not push away the one soul left in this cold, cruel world who could truly understand him over such a petty mistake.

Rex, in his infinite kindness, held no grudge against Shulk for the outbursts. Every partner was dear to him, and the last thing he would ever want to do was to reduce them to the shadow of another. Even so, the spectre of his departed spouse continued to haunt him, as Fiora haunted Shulk, but with this mutual understanding, those initial explosions of anger towards his lapses gradually gave way to exasperation, to begrudging acceptance, to even a sort of tender compassion towards the deep sense of grief that had driven him to seek solace in Shulk’s arms.

And as difficult as it was to eventually admit it, Shulk realized he found it downright arousing to be desired in this way. His whole life he’d been a puppet, crafted to play a part in another’s theatrics. What difference would it make to take up such a role once more? At least he could say the strings were firmly in his own hands this time.

To be of use like this, to allow the person he loved to take their fill of satisfaction from his being. To be embraced with the same level of ardor Rex would his own wife. To let Rex curl his hands over his chest in that distinct way, to let him toy with and tug at the disheveled strands of golden hair, gather them up in his fingers and pull them aside to expose the nape of his neck, press gentle kisses against his skin, as he imagined Rex had done with her. To have Rex make him truly his—it sent shivers down his spine.

Shulk wasn’t one for cutting his own hair to begin with. Growing up, it was usually the responsibility of his father Dickson (and he continued to regard him as such, in spite of everything that had transpired), then Fiora’s. It was a pragmatic choice pitting her deft fingers, adept at working sharp edges, against his, skilled enough to wield a sword but still ungainly and lacking in finer motor control.

And in the years leading up to the Intersection, between her responsibilities as Master-at-arms and constantly risking her life to deal with the proliferation of new Rifts and Fogbeasts, against his many long hours poring over the development of Origin, maintaining his appearance was at the bottom of his list of priorities, all the more so once their children were born.

And given his aversion to most people touching him in general, her current absence meant those periodic trims, now Panacea’s doing, were spread even more years apart. So, he reasoned, it made no real difference if he started allowing his hair to remain waist-length, barring any emergencies.

----

“...So. What’re you planning on using this info ‘fer, anyhow?”

Shulk quickly jolted back to reality after realizing he’d been lost in yet another one of his mental meanderings.

"Waaait. Lemme guess—ooh, don’t tell me he’s still callin’ you by her name after all this time? It’s gotta have somethin’ to do with all yer sick nasty shaggin’, don’t it?”

“W-WHAT?! I, er, erm, that’s-” Shulk sputtered as he struggled to come up with a coherent response.

Typical Kazuna. She wasn’t ever one to mince her words, but did she have to lay it out this bluntly? Not that others hadn't come down on him for his own lack of tact, so he’d no right to call her out on it.

“Don’ play coy, you've made it incredibly obvious to everyone within earshot. ‘Oh Rex, Rex, Reeex~!’ Titan’s foot, I can hear you all the fookin’ way from the other side of the encampment! If Miss Mesulia were here, she’d milk an epic saga out of you two!"

 “S-Sorry! We’ve been trying harder to keep it down lately.”

He winced as shame crept on his face. Memories of being bent over an ammo crate, right hand grasped for purchase against its edges as he bit down on the knuckles of his left, inundated his mind.

“Yeah, yeah, we know, you’ve been covering yer gobs. But we can still hear everythin’ else, trust.”

Grinning, Kazuna rhythmically slapped the edge of her table with the palm of her hand. The sound itself was quite muted, but the implied obscenity echoed throughout the room. “I guess age hasn’t slowed either of the two of you down in that compartment, hehehe.”

Shulk let out a low groan of frustration, eyes squeezed shut and flush deepening into crimson as his thoughts then turned to the dull thud of the crate against mossy walls to match each thrust, thick calloused fingers tightening on his scalp and gripping his waist...

Shit. I knew we should’ve stuck with my idea and looked for a spot by the riverbank. It was usually Rex who told Kazuna off for her cheek, while Shulk typically appreciated her candor, but her calling him out on his love life like this? Was more than a little mortifying, honestly.

"Yer bad enough as is, but bless his heart, Rex ain’t one for keeping quiet either.” Kazuna rolled her eyes and tapped her temple with a wry look.

Her impish smirk then shifted into a wistful one. “I get it though. I’ve also heard him slip. What he's called you an’ what thoughts lay heavy on his mind. He misses her, and I miss her too. We all do."

“It used to bother me greatly, but I know he never meant any harm by it. It’s not like me getting on his case for it would help anyway. The Velites might as well be calling the Centuris black. And besides…”

He paused for a second, unsure if he should even finish the sentence. His voice dropped to a whisper.

“…Truth be told, a lot of times… It’s a little more enjoyable when it happens. Which brings us back to why I came here.”

Kazuna’s gentle smile quirked back into a grin, this time of anticipation. Oh dear. Had she been reading her novels again?

“You’re one of the best tailors in the commune. You have a good eye for artistry. And you knew her personally. So, I was thinking that maybe you could, er, come up with something that helps me to... sell the illusion better? ...For Rex’s sake?”

Her grin widened even further in excitement, her bright blue eyes the size of saucers.

“Ohohoho! So it’s garments you need!"

(Shulk waved his hands anxiously, gesturing at her to keep her voice down.)

"Ehe, sorry. To tell the truth, it's been such a long time since I'd got the chance to really experiment with my embroiderin’ skills. You folks with your insistence on your dead drab grays and browns. Have nowt of the rest of you gotten any sense of culture or taste to speak of?”

“Ahh... You already know the answer when it comes to me.” Shulk rubbed the back of his head as he jibed back gently. The scarlet cloak that marked him on the battlefield was originally a gift from Dunban, so she wasn't wrong.

“Anyhow. Gonna need some materials, so could you cadge some Gold Condensors out of the Levnis wreckage piles for me? There’s an Eluca nest in the hills over yonder out west for silks. An’ I’m also runnin’ low on Silver Antol Fibers and Lively Quartz too, so it would be good to replenish them. As for the rest, the local fabricator to the north is still safe and can cover most of it for now, so I’ll drive out and grab them on my weekly resources dive.”

Shulk nodded with each addition. He dreaded the prospect of having to hunt Elucas and Antols by himself, but Kazuna did describe it as a matter of keeping the camp supplied.

(Hmm. Maybe he’d ask Panacea to send the trainees over to fetch them as a teambuilding exercise.)

“Finally, we’ll need some Broken Ether Crystals to make it look extra nice… Now, I doubt I could replicate the Aegis’s unique emerald glow—I mean, I could, but it’d require a lot of expensive materials and energy sources to get it just righ’…”

“It’s alright. Remember, as people of the Bionis, we Homs are partially composed of Ether, and thus possess a limited degree of control over it, not entirely unlike your Blades. I can probably work something out on my end.” Shulk pointed to his heart, where he typically placed his Power Frame. “As long as we can refurbish the Crystals to be capable of channeling the ether properly again, my body can provide the rest.”

“Sounds good. An’ make sure you don’t end up Vvarga food in the meantime. Can’t exactly dress up a swarm o’ motes!

"Thank you so much, Kazuna. I’m sure it will be lovely."

"... And, ahh, make sure to keep it safe from prying eyes. You know how Panacea can get.”

Chapter Text

It was deep into the evening, and most of the Liberators who remained at base had retired to their dwellings.

Shulk had just returned from an extended relaxation in the bathhouse, having thoroughly cleaned his body and neatened his overgrown hair as best as he could. He felt he’d earned the break, considering how hectic the last couple of weeks had been.

They had just successfully liberated a Kevesi colony nestled in the exposed remnants of what he recognized as the Mag Mell Ruins, and after having wrangled a couple of the most chaotic upstarts with a good deal of help from Kazuna, the newly-Clockless soldiers finally seemed to be settling into their new status quo.

He searched through the soldiers for familiar faces, but was only able to recognize one among the group—Narine’s boy, Stanislaw.

----

Stan had been a friend of Nikol’s prior to the Intersection. Like his grandfather he was the curious sort, easily excitable and just as eager to trifle with Shulk’s spare gadgets behind his back. But despite the ruckus, Shulk had rather appreciated the company. Especially considering how often he would be holed up in work for days on end, and with the increasingly lengthy leaves of absence his wife and friends had to take in response to the increase in Rifts and Fogbeasts.

It hadn’t been very long after Melia’s coronation that the peace was broken when a new Rift was discovered within Mag Mell. Fiora eventually relented to the Defence Force’s persistent requests for her to join their ranks, initially to serve as a combat instructor. Her responsibilities included training the newer recruits in the proper use of their armaments, fortified with Shulk’s Power Frames and Monado Replicas as well as the Machina technology she had become so intimately familiar with.

But as the Rifts continued to emerge with progressive frequency and intensity, it became increasingly necessary for Fiora to leave home to oversee the battles directly. Likewise, as development on Origin reached a critical phase, Shulk could no longer accompany her on the field with the same regularity. It was not so long after Nikol took his first steps that she and the rest of their friends signed up with the Defence Force full-time to keep the Fogbeasts at bay.

Dunban’s smile was proud yet bittersweet when Fiora was promoted to General of the Anti-Fogbeast Corps. She would be away for long stretches of time with Reyn and Sharla in tow, holding the line against the Rifts while Shulk and his fellow researchers continued to labor on their half of Origin in relative safety.

Thankfully Shulk had been able to delegate enough of his workload among his various associates that he was able to regularly care for his and his friends’ children while their parents were away, something Panacea was eternally grateful for. But he always fretted that his youngest would eventually forget his mother’s voice with her lengthy absences.

Reyn would eventually come home with his leg torn nearly half-off, a wound incurred against a particularly riotous Arachno. Such an injury would have been more manageable twenty years ago, but despite Sharla’s best efforts and Linada’s offers, he would never regain enough use of the leg to see direct combat again.

As Shulk replaced the dressings on Reyn’s injury and applied a light current of healing ether, he pondered if it had perhaps been a blessing in disguise. Reyn was back, and could now remain home to care for his family full-time.

A disturbed part of him wished for a fraction of a second that the same might happen to Fiora—perchance she’d lose a few fingers or the function of her arm like Dunban did. Then they’d be able to visit Outlook Park every week and bask in the breeze together, just like old times.

Surely she must have felt the same underneath that cheerful smile she put on for the sake of maintaining her fellow troopers’ morale.

(Centuries later, it would seem that the eventual loss of his own arm was a kind of poetic justice in the face of this sinful entreaty.)

----

Reyn flopped onto the divan, weary after a frustrating hour or so attempting to repair the ansible he’d been using to communicate with his Alrestian contact Kasandra. Restoring it to functionality required a few minutes of Shulk fidgeting with the Ether Crystals, before he attended to Reyn’s leg as he usually did.

“Can’t believe how things’ve changed, Shulk. Whatever happened to me doin’ my job? I’m supposed to be the one protectin’ you from those Fog bastards, not the other way around.” Reyn scratched at his grey-flecked beard. “Urgh. Could also use a trim about now.”

“Don’t be like that, Reyn. You could’ve died. I’m just grateful you returned in one piece. More or less.”

As Shulk spoke, he reopened the ansible commlink to pass a report onto Nia regarding the current status of their Cradle research.

They’d successfully reverse-engineered the High Entia regeneration chamber he’d located into a more reproducible form, with their current project now centered on reprogramming the devices to permit digitized data as an input parameter in addition to the usual genetic scans.

Their hope was to eventually rig it to Origin’s Core Crystal database array, bringing them one step closer to their end goal of using the Cradles to preserve humanity in its material form. Unfortunately for Reyn’s leg, the technology was still currently optimized around regenerating lost limbs and organs, not restoring functionality to damaged existing tissue.

“And besides, weren’t you fine with it this way? You once told me you were proud of how strong I’d become, remember?”

“Yeah, but look at you. All fit an’ handsome, even though you’re in a lab all the time, while I’m lyin’ about. I… I can’t help you anymore. Not the way I used to.” Reyn gestured downward to his growing pot belly. “Can’t run no more. If a Fogbeast barges into your house? I’m a sittin’ duck. That’s it.”

“Relax. Teelan and I have tested the Anti-Rift Cancellers plenty of times. They’ve never failed us even once in nearly three decades. And we have enough Ether Cylinders stockpiled in the Hangar to ensure they will last however long we need them to. Besides, if all else fails, I’ve still got the REX+.”

“See, that’s what I mean. You’re still workin’ your arse off tryin’ your damnedest to keep us all safe. Like you’ve always been doin’ from the moment you took up the Monado.”

“I’m getting on in years, Reyn. I can’t do this forever either. It’s why I’ve seen to it that our research teams are organized in as non-hierarchal of a fashion as possible. If something were to happen to me, then at least I have people like Riku who will be able to carry my work on in my place.”

“I know, it’s just… I can’t even do the one thing I was good at. Not like this.”

“You’re still alive, aren’t you? For me, and Panacea, and all the others… Just having you with us, that’s more than enough.”

“Look. I’m scared, Shulk. What if this was a mistake? What if all of… this, was? You remember what Rex an’ the others said. About how when we killed Zanza, the Architect Klaus died with ‘im, and how that’s the reason all these Rifts showed up and our worlds are collidin’. We did that, and now we’re gonna pay the consequence for it.”

“I don’t have any regrets striking Zanza down. If I hadn’t, then he would’ve murdered us all for certain. Egil, Meyneth, and the others, they all gave their lives to stop him. And I saw to it that their sacrifices would not be in vain.”

Shulk’s voice grew more resolute.

“And I don’t regret my wish for there to be no more gods either. Nor do I regret my refusal to become one when I was given the opportunity. That’s not something I, or anyone else, have the right to claim responsibility over. Whatever happens, the most important thing is that we chose this future. Not lived it at the meager mercy of some self-important ‘god’ who thinks he gets to make all the calls for us and could erase us upon a whim.”

He continued.

“Reyn… I have the utmost faith in our people and the people of Alrest. We’ll get through this together, I promise. And…”

“And…?”

“And if the Ark, if all of this fails… Then at least I’ll go to my death satisfied that I fought to the bitter end. For your sake, and for everyone else’s.”

“Yeah… Yeah, you’re right. You’ve got my back. Just like I’ll always have yours.”

Reyn smiled at him with a look of such profound fondness that Shulk could not help but pause. Within it lay the unfading love of a lifelong friend, and possibly other unspoken emotions he dared not ponder too heavily, lest his own turn unbecoming.

Though, he conceded that he might have also been imagining things, and in all probability, he likely was. It would not have been the first time that he had misconstrued someone’s intentions after all.

----

Desire before intimacy was a concept that Shulk had always struggled to grasp on an intuitive level. It certainly wasn’t that he didn’t comprehend what sex and sexual attraction was, far from it. Sexual urges were simply a natural biological process. One of various component experiences of being a Homs, like eating and sleeping.

And it wasn’t as if Shulk himself was unfamiliar with the pleasures that sexual gratification could bring—he had experienced many of the typical stirrings of puberty, and done his robust share of experimentation with his own body under the covers at night.

But lust for another in the absence of lasting love? As cognizant as he was of the fact that his thought patterns often diverged from many other Homs, he found that specific mindset exceptionally alien to him, even if he had no intention of excoriating others for living their life as such.

Shulk had received his fair share of compliments on his apparent good looks over the years, but he honestly never understood what the fuss was, or why it was worth acknowledging other than as a signifier of sound physical health.

True beauty comes from what is inside, does it not? And from that axiom proceeds all else. Besides, Dickson had always told him that appearances were often deceiving—how deliciously ironic, he reflected with solemnity.

His engineering colleagues used to joke amongst themselves that he’d sooner make love to the Monado or some self-made contraption of his than a fellow Homs. For a long time, he believed that might be true.

Reyn himself wasn’t beyond a jab or two at Shulk’s expense. “Swear on the Bionis, you’re gonna marry that bloody thing one day.” He had been prodding Shulk, who’d dozed off on top of his notes yet again after a grueling night of running crystallographic analyses on the sword.

“Oh shut up, Reyn.”

“C’mon. You’re gonna make Fiora cry when that day comes. And I’ll be in the front row joinin’ her.” He prodded Shulk some more. “Get up man. She’s been worried sick about you.”

Fiora… In hindsight, it had been plainly obvious to everyone else around him, but even Shulk’s own deep and abiding love for her was something he feared he had not fully realized until far too late, before she returned to him, almost as if by a miracle.

(He awoke from many a dream, tormented by faint recollections of vermillion gleaming amidst the haze, and desperately wished he could have said the same for another.)

And now they were all lost to him. The inescapable fruit of his improvidence, his sinful covetousness. They would be lost forever if he so much as faltered in his nigh hopeless efforts against Moebius.

The fate of two entire realms and more weighed on his meager shoulders. Such a burden would destroy most men. It would have destroyed him too, had it not been for Rex.

Rex.

If there was one singular being in Aionios who could keep the flame of hope in Shulk’s soul alight, it was Rex and his boundless optimism.

In Rex, Shulk found much more than just a brave comrade. He found the redemption he dared not seek. And thus the stirrings of so long ago returned with a vengeance.

What could Rex possibly have wanted from a fool like him? Rex had a family and spouses of his own. But after Melia had been captured, and Nia was forced to retreat into her lengthy slumber, Rex too was left all alone.

It’s because you and I…

We’re the same, Shulk.

Fiora had known about Shulk’s latent feelings for Alvis, even before he himself did. She acknowledged it was only natural for his heart to wander whilst he believed her dead. The fact that Shulk was so adamant on his devotion to her in spite of her past affliction had already made her happier than she could have ever imagined.

She loved Alvis too, in the brief time she had known him. Loved him because he loved Shulk, and because Shulk loved him. She had made it abundantly clear to her husband that she felt no sense of treachery from it, so long as Shulk obeyed his promise to treasure her in his heart at all times.

But Alvis was gone. He would pose no threat to Fiora.

And yet, the fateful day that Shulk removed that most precious possession of his—the red gem of Alvis’s pendant, that which he believed to be the key to everyone’s salvation—from his own neck and placed it within the heart of Origin, a profane hope stirred within him. That there was yet a chance that Shulk might one day see him again. That this, above all else, was the true purpose of his decision.

The last thing Shulk would ever want to do was betray Fiora again. Not after the price so many had paid for his previous transgression.

He should not, could not, and would not open his heart to anyone else.

But that blundering oaf of a salvager had forged his way in regardless.

When Rex declared that he would stand beside him and carry his pain for however long it would take, even if it would be without end, even if it claimed his own life in the process, Shulk thought he finally understood what Fiora had meant.

They had been fighting together for so long that he’d regrettably come to take Rex’s presence for granted.

So in the heat of battle, when Rex found himself run through by the claws of a dying Consul, who had prepared one final strike intended for Shulk—

“Get up, Rex! We need you!”

He pleaded desperately as Adenine poured as much of her healing ether into Rex as she could.

He couldn’t tell through the blood and the blurriness of his tears whether the bright spots in his vision were mere overflow from Adenine’s efforts or accumulating motes of light. He did not dare to voice his true feelings.

No…

I need you.

When had it changed?

Then Rex opened his eyes, and in his joyous relief it was as if all his despondency for Fiora and Alvis had vanished for one fleeting moment, that he realized.

Because I love you.

It all fell into place. Pyra, Mythra, Nia... Now he as well.

And if there was anything Shulk could do in his power to give Rex a reason to smile, he would.

Chapter Text

Shulk stood in front of the mirror in his private chambers, clad in the outfit Kazuna had finished preparing for him. He marveled at his reflection, his lips parted in soft admiration at the fine work she had done.

It had been the first time in so long, possibly since the Intersection, certainly since all of this, whatever it was, that he’d really paused to think about his appearance and the effect it could have on others.

And for once, it felt like he was beginning to understand it himself. To be honest, this perplexing rush of emotions was possibly a bit much for him, even. It was positively exhilarating.

He relished the sleek sensation of the conspicuously smooth, flawless silks against his aged skin and unkempt hair.

Over his head was a golden circlet clasped to his overgrown bangs by a set of black and white feathers on each side. The golden bands gleamed in the dim light of the room’s ether lamp and complemented the long blonde locks that spilled down his back, however disheveled he left his compared to her.

Atop the middle lay a large Ether Crystal. Though not quite the same exuberant shade of emerald as Mythra’s, its verdant cyan tint brought out the intense blue hues within his cerulean eyes, or so he thought with some gratification—Rex, sap that he was, would often panegyrize about his eyes and how he could spend hours gazing into them. About how they recalled the calm, cool ocean waters beneath the Cloud Sea and the skies of Elysium alike, and brought Rex back home.

A white choker circled his throat, tight enough to hold in place and wide enough to hide most of his Adam’s apple, but also flexible and durable enough to slip two fingers underneath and tug on it. Perfect for Rex to—no, not yet! His body was already getting hot as is. Shulk hurriedly shoved the thought into the recesses of his mind.

His arms were sheathed with a pair of white evening gloves that extended to just below his sturdy deltoids. Patches of black velvet covered the underside and inner elbow of the gloves. At the edge of each sleeve were several stripes of gold lamé surrounding a glowing diamond-shaped patch of green, and around the wrists were similar patterns. An imprecise, but judiciously pared-down version of the more elaborate ornaments Mythra had adorned herself with.

Adorning Shulk’s chest was a soft silk white brassiere that barely covered the swell of his broad, defined pectoral muscles. He inhaled sharply as he gently danced his fingers over it, feeling his nipples perk up in response to the combined sensation of the material pressed tautly against his chest and the cool air against his skin. Over each cup was a cross lit in ether, its ambient glow further highlighting his protruding nipples, the firmness of which he could sense underneath the thin fabric.

Next, a matching set of silk panties—to Shulk’s simultaneous pride and discomfiture, Kazuna required a large amount of fabric in the front area to contain his generous endowment—likewise covered his groin.

He resisted the urge to start palming his length through his panties, the faint outline of which could be seen through the cloth, in favor of running his hands down his sides towards his ilium. Two straps, one white and one black, nestled snug on each hip, underscoring the defined lines of his Adonis belt. Thin ribbons of white and gold, fastened securely despite their delicate appearance, held the lower straps on each side together.

Below, Shulk’s long, lissome legs were covered in a pair of sheer sable stockings that reached up to his thighs and accentuated the curves of his surprisingly supple backside, providing a tantalizing sliver of bare skin between them. The stockings were tipped with wide elastic bands embroidered with lace patterns and glowing green crosses around the diameter, which held tightly enough against his thighs to leave indentations in the skin. He placed his thumbs inside the bands, then released them to the sound of a satisfying snap.

Kazuna had mentioned to him in the middle of modeling the leggings that Mythra herself also wore black tights when she was in an especially daring mood. The extra attention could often piss her off, but they certainly drew quite a few interested looks from everyone else in town, including Kazuna herself.

Not that she ever tried anything, of course. Mythra was a happily married woman with three adorable children after all.

Ah! You understand that sometimes, less is actually more. I gotcha, she had quipped.

His legwear was held aloft by a set of garter straps to a belt harness that encircled his waist at navel height. The straps connected to his stockings by way of a pair of clasps designed to resemble the gold-inlaid emerald crystal Mythra would wear on the belt around her right thigh.

Two tails of fabric, black satin emblazoned with glowing green crosses on one side, and the other white with gold pattern on the other, were appended to his belt. They trailed behind him, swaying with his hips as he graciously pivoted himself in front of the mirror.

He had remembered that Nia wore something similar as part of her battle dress when they fought together. Sometimes he wondered if she deliberately modified it to more closely resemble the style of her wives. A means of keeping their memory close despite their absence, the same way Melia wore a copy of Fiora’s locket on her person as a token of their love while her true self remained sealed away.

A diaphanous negligee cascaded over his body. The material was delicate enough that it was as if his torso was wrapped in a shimmering aura. The negligee, trimmed in pink lace, split apart at the front, leaving his scarred but toned abdominal muscles on full display.

Shulk brought his left hand back up to press against the exit wound scar at the center of his chest, a reminder of the time Dickson had tried to kill him. The wound still ached under the pressure, but it was a good ache; a lasting memento of his enduring will and continued survival.

On the negligee’s clasp was a hook to which he made sure to attach a Power Frame, since as Kazuna was correct in noting, his lovemaking did have a tendency to become particularly… intense. The last thing he’d want to do right now was accidentally tear her carefully-crafted handiwork. Or other things.

----

“Is everythin’ OK? You said you wanted to show me somethin’, but yer takin’ an awful long time in there.”

Shit. Shulk was so caught up in admiring himself that he had briefly forgotten Rex was still waiting for him in their shared sleeping quarters.

He stepped outside, putting on his best effort at a coquettish smile and a restrained, yet enticing pose that he figured would best showcase the craftsmanship of Kazuna’s tailoring.

Rex was sitting on the edge of the bed, stripped down to a simple pair of shorts and undershirt for the night. His head was hung down from a long day of arduous work. He raised his head to peer at Shulk, only for his eyes to widen in shock at his appearance.

He continued to stare at Shulk for quite some time. The dilated pupils of his amber eyes scanned Shulk’s form, but he said nothing.

It was in this moment Shulk cursed himself for his persistent difficulties in interpreting others’ facial expressions and body language. He could not quite decipher whether the startled look on Rex’s face was one of approval, confusion, or perhaps even fear at what he’d done.

Had he violated some unspoken taboo in invoking Rex’s wife so flagrantly? The lack of verbal response from Rex offered nothing in the way of clarification.

“So, erm… Rex. How do I look?” Uneased by the silence, Shulk spoke slowly, hoping to break the possible tension in the room.

Still nothing.

“Rex… You know well enough that I’m not under any delusion that I’ll ever be a proper substitute for any of your spouses. But, I had supposed that…”

Shulk’s voice trailed off, his face burning bright as he felt the weight of Rex’s eyes upon him.

His breathing picked up in speed, and his heart pounded in his chest as he anticipated Rex’s next move with a simultaneous mix of desire and dread.

Then, after what seemed to be an eternity under Rex’s scrutinizing gaze, he finally stood up.

This time it was Shulk’s turn to be surprised as Rex quietly embraced him.

They stood together like this, in peaceful calm, before Rex pulled back and, without words, only a hand on Shulk’s face and the hint of a smile on his lips, let Shulk know what he thought of the sight.

----

By the time the sun came back up, Shulk mentally thanked himself inside for the foresight in bringing his Power Frame along.

Chapter Text

Rex couldn’t believe his eyes.

In the time since they’d started being intimate, they’d had the opportunity to try out a lot of different things. Sometimes it’d involve the use of external tools and gear.

This, on the other hand? Was completely new.

To be fair, Rex couldn’t deny that he’d flirted with the idea in his mind. That he’d had fantasies of Shulk laid out in women’s clothing (and yeah, sometimes that did involve Mythra’s dress specifically, or any of the other ones worn by his wives for that matter). Particularly when the light caught Shulk’s gorgeous, mussed up hair just right, or whenever he’d seen Shulk leaning over his workbench at a funny angle.

And things had certainly slipped here and there.

But Rex always stopped short of actually suggesting the idea outright.

He couldn’t betray either Mythra or Shulk’s trust like that. Especially not after seeing how distraught it’d made Shulk the first time he’d mixed up their names. Hell, a part of Rex even thought that Shulk might’ve been taking the piss out of him. That this was his idea of revenge.

Leave it to Shulk to catch him off-guard once again, as he always did.

Whereas Mythra sure as hell knew how to leverage her good looks, Shulk was completely oblivious to his.

He was the kind of person who based his upkeep entirely on practical matters like hygiene and comfort. As long as it was warm, sturdy, and familiar, he didn’t give a damn what he was wearing.

That he of all people would then go through the effort of having a special outfit made, especially one intended for Rex’s eyes only, left Rex at a complete loss for words.

As he looked closer, the first thing that drew his attention was the clean, yet detailed filigree and stitchwork of the costume. Seemed like Kazuna’s doing.

Or well, it had to be hers, because Riku was the only other experienced goldsmith around, and there was no fucking way Shulk was getting him involved in this. Even if the nosy little orb did already know way too much about their sex life for Rex’s comfort.

Rex looked closer again. The translucent fabric of the lingerie did little to leave anything to the imagination, showcasing Shulk’s alluring figure in all its glory.

“Mmh…” Rex couldn’t help but swallow audibly as his eyes wandered from Shulk’s pillowy bosoms to his prominent bulge, to the stockings that clung to his thighs, and then back up again. He tried his hardest not to ogle like a lech or blurt anything embarrassing out.

True, they’d become partners in more than one sense of the term. But Rex was a grown man, and Shulk was still his respected friend and confidant, dammit.

While Rex was fighting with himself internally over his self-restraint, Shulk seemed to have gotten caught up in one of his spirals of overthought once again. From his statements he’d utterly missed the way Rex was practically biting his lower lip to avoid saying something too uncouth.

Shulk’s foes knew him as the Godcleaver, so feared was his very presence on the battlefield that his name alone could scatter their ranks to the edge of Aionios.

Yet here he was, baring himself to Rex, his body and insecurities fully on display, and doubting whether Rex would so much as have a taste of this fine delicacy being offered to him.

Oh, Shulk… What’ll I ever do wi’ you? All the brilliance in the world, and you still don’t understand how much I adore you just for being yourself.

----

Rex remembered with some amusement to the first time Shulk had seen him properly naked and erect. It was such a different time then. Not like how they were now.

Dawn had just broken and he’d been looking for a place in the stream by their camp to wash up for the day. But he had an embarrassing case of morning wood that just stubbornly refused to go down. As he was grumbling to himself, he caught a flicker of motion out of the corner of his eye. Had to be his damn luck that Shulk got the same idea, in the same spot no less.

It was hard for Rex not to be completely captivated by the way Shulk’s always-curious eyes practically sparkled against the crystalline blue waters, serene yet blazing with determination.

It didn’t take long for Shulk to catch on. Startled by the presence of another in his vicinity, Shulk was soon staring back at him, mouth agape and face practically steaming with embarrassment.

Oh bollocks.

Haha ha! Aha! Ha ha… ha. Fancy seein’ you here for a dip, mate. Like wha’ you see ‘ere?

Honestly.

If anyone should’ve been blushing right then, it should’ve been Rex.

Small mercy that Shulk was too much of the emotionally daft sort to recognize it, as always, but Rex was all nerves underneath his attempt at a suave and cocky grin. His chest throbbed as if he was a hormonal schoolboy, despite his best efforts to play himself off as some kind of unflappable merrymaker.

To his immense relief, Shulk stammered out a quick apology before legging it for a more private place.

But if he could be candid for a sec? Once Rex had enough time to catch his bearings, he thought the most unreal aspect of their little cockup was how mortified Shulk was, when if anything, he had the perfect opportunity to boast.

Even if Shulk wasn’t quite as large as Rex, his loose-fitting outfit certainly did a good job of obscuring the proper contours of his rather powerful physique. His arms, chest and shoulders were surprisingly sculpted underneath those sweaters of his, matched by a curvaceous bottom and an hourglass waist so narrow Rex figured he could wrap his whole arm around it if he wanted—and he had thought about it more bloody nights than he’d have liked to admit.

Shulk had explained plenty of times before that, on top of his naturally-demanding lifestyle, it had been the responsibility of all members of the Defence Force to maintain peak physical condition in case of an attack, regardless of their primary duties. Still, Rex couldn’t help but be impressed at how musclebound he was for a man who clearly preferred to bundle himself up inside a lab or library all day long if he could help it.

Evidently that man was not compensating for anything with the large weapon he wielded. Rex reckoned he must’ve been almost 20 cetri soft, and mentally congratulated Shulk’s wife on her conjugal fortune.

He doubted lust had anything to do with Shulk’s graceless reaction. This was a long, long time before Shulk began to desire him in that kind of way after all. And in fairness, at the time he wasn’t sure Shulk was even capable of letting such urges rule over him.

Oh yeah sure, he had occasionally caught Shulk having a wank by his lonesome, and he’d offered to help him out with his sexual frustrations (as a friend, he always stressed, and I promise no eye contact or chinwagging during), but otherwise Shulk was the perfect model of restraint and composure.

(Of course, first impressions would once again prove to be deceiving, as Rex would later comment to himself as he woke one morning covered in leather straps, bruises, and bitemarks.)

Unfortunately, after getting the eyeful of Shulk that he did, his whole stiffy issue definitely wasn’t resolving itself any time soon.

See, there was this issue that Shulk was a very pretty man.

----

At first, Rex dismissed his attachment to the fetching blonde on the other side of the holographic display as a form of shock at his striking resemblance to a thirty-year-old version of the man Rex had once worshipped as his god and creator.

Over the course of their conversations, he’d learned a good deal from Shulk about the other world, and about his peculiar connection to Klaus. As a child Shulk was chosen as the host of Zanza, Klaus’s despotic other half who assumed the title of God of his own accord.

Whether that resemblance was a result of or an impetus for Shulk’s prior possession by Zanza, nobody could truly say for sure. Klaus or Zanza weren’t exactly still around for anyone to ask. Though by Shulk’s own account, Zanza had dismissed it as a genuine coincidence.

It was eventually with the power of the Monado—Ontos, as Pyra and Mythra reminded him—that Shulk was able to overthrow Zanza and permanently bring an end to the cycles of death and destruction he perpetrated against his own people. Much as Pneuma had done for Rex, Ontos bestowed Shulk with the ability to create miracles.

But at the height of his power, Shulk had also willfully relinquished it, declaring that his world should be one free from the tyranny of any gods whatsoever. And it was this fateful choice that ultimately brought their worlds on a collision course.

As their correspondences continued, Rex quickly realized how little Shulk had in common with Klaus beyond the most cursory traits, and not just because their visual similarities weren’t all that exact to begin with. Sure, there was the intense scientific curiosity, and the shaggy sun-kissed mop of hair that he often left uncut and in loose ponytails of varying lengths and… erm. Yeah. Where was he again?

Right. In many ways Shulk was Klaus’s complete opposite, to the point that the likeness was even a bit of a sore spot for him. Shulk was so thoroughly devoid of hubris that, when given the chance to change the world for the better, he insisted on giving that power away to everyone else instead of deciding it for them.

The two had yet to meet in the flesh, and doing so would literally invite the end of the world. But Rex could already tell that Shulk was a good man through and through, with a righteous heart and a beautiful soul and a dream of a peaceful future where everyone could smile and be happy. A dream he shared and was determined to see through.

Like Pyra, Shulk was kind, compassionate, and thoughtful. But just like her, there also seemed to be a profound sadness simmering underneath. A melancholy he refused to name. Though he didn’t much care to go into detail about it, it was quite clear that Shulk had endured immense tragedy of his own throughout his life.

And as with Pyra, Rex could sense the wild and untamable beast that lay beneath Shulk’s calm, cool exterior. He was a man brimming with passion and empathy, an unceasing hope for the future, however precarious and faded it often was.

Mythra herself felt a strong kinship with Shulk from afar, and not just because she immediately recognized his bond with Ontos for what it was. She was more than familiar with the true toll that the gift of prescience wrought on one’s psyche, and she could hear the same weight in Shulk’s voice as he recounted his past. Mythra keenly understood Shulk’s reticence when he spoke, and she was often the one who’d have to advise Rex not to press too hard whenever the two talked.

Once Aionios finally brought them face-to-face, fighting side-by-side, their shared hopes and hearts together as one, it was only natural for Rex’s burgeoning affection towards Shulk to blossom into full-blown feelings of love.

Rex was a loyal man, husband, and father. His wives and children did not ever once doubt his love for them. The unceasing sense of loss he and Nia both continued to feel in their absence attested to that. But she would frequently have to remind him that this flowering bond he had formed with the one called Godcleaver would not be a betrayal of the ones they shared, but the beginning of a new commitment he must honor and cherish.

As he continued to fall further under Shulk’s spell, Rex realized that, despite all of their immense differences, Shulk shared more of Mythra’s qualities than he initially thought. Tragically, this also included her disposition towards self-flagellation. A tendency that only intensified his devotion, as he swore to save Shulk from himself.

It almost disturbed him how well he and Shulk slotted themselves into each other’s new lives. How they complemented one another so damn perfectly with their strengths and weaknesses.

Shulk gave the orders, and Rex saw to it that they were fulfilled. Almost like they were made for one another, and incomplete without. Just like the two worlds themselves were.

He couldn’t go on denying his yearning any longer. He needed Shulk like he needed Pyra and Mythra. Needed his trust, his faith, his kindness, his courage, and his wisdom. His body, his voice, his laugh, his sigh, his smile. Needed him so badly.

But he didn’t know if he could have him. Until then, all he could do was vow to support him as much as he could.

That Nia once confided something similar to him regarding her own growing feelings for Melia, and that the young High Entia empress reciprocated soon after he’d given Nia his blessing to take her as a lover, did little to assuage the guilty longing that ate away at him. Then Nia disappeared, and Shulk was all he had left.

Rex never considered himself particularly religious. Spiritual perhaps, but not religious. And especially not after he found out the true nature of his “God”.

But that didn’t rule out the existence of some greater transcendent power out there.

Could it be Fate itself?

It must have been Fate who chose to bring him and Shulk together. Just as Fate had brought him to the Aegis.

And it was Fate who had decreed for them to be soulmates, as much and no less than Pyra, Mythra, Nia, or anyone else he had already come to love.

----

But in this moment, as they stood together? All of his interconnectedly roaming musings about Shulk, about the complex emotions he’d been harboring for him, or the passing resemblances he bore to the many other loves of Rex’s life (and, as Rex had come to learn, Shulk had so many unique and wonderful traits of his own that they were in many ways largely passing), couldn’t be farther from his mind.

As an immature young man Rex used to think of himself as an especially lucky bloke for getting to marry what he thought were the most beautiful and wonderful women in the whole world, wives who he never needed to worry about losing their luster. Their eternally youthful appearances reflected the vivacity and love of life they had given each other by being together.

Shulk was… different. More like him.

As he changed with the progress of time, so did Shulk. Untold years of struggle and triumph alike were etched into the weary creases of that face of his, but in Rex’s esteem, they had only made him even more beautiful in the time since the two first met.

Shulk was also a good deal taller and heftier than any of Rex’s wives. Not that it was especially difficult—Nia barely came up to Rex’s neck now—but being closer to Rex in size just meant there was more to love and hold onto.

And, not that Shulk would’ve been in any position to know, but it was hard for a red-blooded born-and-bred Leftherian like Rex not to twig onto the way Shulk embodied the classical ideal of Old Tornan beauty—strong and well-built, yet with a willowy refinement and delicateness to his features that persisted into older age.

Before they’d been able to see each other on the ansibles, Rex had already taken note of the soft and drawn-out, almost distinctly Tornan way with which Shulk enunciated his bath’s and his craft’s and distinguished his o’s from his u’s, not like Rex with his rough Fonsett r’s. And he certainly knew his way around a sword, swinging it with all the finesse of the great masters of Auresco despite living a literal world apart.

As Rex ran his thumb tenderly against the skin of Shulk’s cheek and drew their faces closer together, he couldn’t help but take pause to note all the fine features of Shulk’s comely countenance, like his solid jawline, tall sharp nose, high cheekbones, slender yet large eyes, and… Oh no, he was doing it again.

It was all reminding Rex of a certain splendid swordsman once regarded as its greatest treasure.

But there was something more to Shulk than just his elegant swordsmanship, his fierce blue eyes, his perpetually untamed hair, or his kindness beneath his stern exterior. It was that desire to shake the world to its very core.

As with Jin, Rex recognized the way that the deaths of those Shulk cared for had driven him to a murderous rage that threatened to consume him, and vowed to stop it—this time not with his own blade, but with his heart.

Oh, Jin.

It seemed Jin had pierced through Rex in more ways than one.

How Rex wished he could have also saved Jin from his despair, just as he was able to do with Pyra and Mythra, and as Malos tried and failed to. Perhaps, if only things were different, he could have one day kissed Jin or Malos’ sorrows away, too.

Alas, those were the delusions of adolescent, well… infatuation was probably much too strong of a word for whatever it was. And besides, no matter what Mythra had told him after the fact, there was no point.

Jin was long dead.

Here, Rex was confronted with a man who was the same as him. Who vowed to change the world and succeeded, but at what cost? Shulk was so convinced that he had lost everything through his own folly, and yet…

Shulk was one of the miraculous few chosen alongside Rex to be granted true life within Aionios. For what purpose, no one knew. Rex was convinced Fate had blessed him, given him an extra chance.

But Shulk saw it as punishment. Retribution for some silent sin, some unspoken perfidy. His mission was one of atonement. And he dedicated so much to this cause that he risked losing himself in the process.

Rex couldn’t bear to see Shulk in pain like this. Whatever was burdening Shulk’s heart, Rex felt the same twofold.

And whenever Shulk smiled, it was as if all the years of hardship writ upon the lines of his face had melted away, and Rex was a smitten youth all over again.

This was a man who forever lived at the precipice of defeat, forever fighting from the brink.

It may have been too late for Jin, but Rex would see to it that no matter what may befall them in this cursed world, it would never be too late for Shulk.

Rex had once wished those weary blues would gaze back with the same fervor that these eyes of gold would peer into his. That Shulk would realize that he would not have to face his struggles alone.

The day he did, Rex felt like he was truly the luckiest bloke in the world.

And as he faintly registered the sensation of being pulled down onto the sheets, Rex figured that, in spite of all that had and likely would transpire between them and the rest of Aionios, things were probably going to turn out OK.

Chapter Text

If Rex could be quite honest, the night it all fell into place, all those years ago? Hadn’t been nearly as neat and tidy as he was hoping for.

It wasn’t really a fight, no. Or rather, it was more like Rex had gotten ahead of himself once again.

“I have HAD it with you putting your life at risk for my sake! This has to stop!”

Shulk, ever the unflappable one, had been cursing up a storm, practically screaming at the top of his lungs as he backed Rex into the corner of their then-current command center.

“An’ you’re bein’ a right git! If I hadn’t done somethin’ there it’d have been your head on the platter! You’re the one who always acts like he got a fuckin’ death wish! So go on an’ do one, will you?”

He shoved Shulk away from himself, wincing from the pain afterwards.

Adenine had tried her best, but her talents were geared towards combat, not healing. Although she was able to close Rex’s wounds and staunch the bleeding, the Consul’s final attack had still left him grievously injured. Until the Liberators found access to a rich deposit of natural ether soon, full recovery would be a long way off.

Regardless, he really didn’t want to have to use physical force against Shulk at all if he could help it. But he’d never seen him so blood-curdlingly angry before. It was actually frightening him.

(And, while this was just as likely to be a side effect of all the healing potions, maybe even making him a little turned on.)

“The hell ‘as gotten into you, Shulk? It’s not even like it’s the first time I got hurt keepin’ you safe. That’s just the price of war, innit? Comes with the fuckin’ territory.” Rex waved his hand in the direction of Shulk’s abdomen, which he knew was littered with various battle scars hidden underneath his sweater. “Like yeah, yeah, I know that’s usually your job, but someone’s gotta look after you out there. Especially since you sure as shit ain’t! An’ besides, I’m doin’ fine now, aren’t I?”

“No, you aren’t!”

Shit, did he just cross a line? Shulk manifested the Monado REX+ to his hand, poised to strike.

Except…

“I can’t have any more people dying to protect me! And it’s all because…“

Instead of pointing it in Rex’s direction, Shulk lunged it into the nearby wall, twisting the blade deeper into the makeshift stone as he spoke.

“It’s all because…”

The outburst seemed to have calmed him down some, and the Monado REX+ dissipated into the air, mortar crumbling in its wake. He hunched against the wall for grounding as his hair fell around his face, rendering his expression inscrutable.

“Because…“

Shulk was now trembling. His body seemed so small and fragile as he stood there, swathed in that large cloak and overcoat of his. A reminder to Rex that the Godcleaver was still just an ordinary man like him.

“Because no matter what I do, I’ll still never be strong enough to save the ones I care about!”

Wait. Never mind the way Shulk had his head turned away from him and towards Lucky Seven. Was he crying?

It wasn’t like Shulk was incapable of emotional displays, but Rex could count the number of times Shulk cried in his presence on a single hand. And until now, only by accident.

“Please, Rex…” Shulk rose back up, head still hanging low. The lack of expression on his face was betrayed by the wavering tone in his voice as he looked back at Rex. “I’m well aware of your feelings for me. But I need you to look me in the eye and promise you won’t ever do anything like that again. If it really is as you say, then—”

“I’m sorry, Shulk. I can’t. You remember what I already promised you back then. That I’d be there to stand and fight by your side, and share your pain for as long as you need. But that I’d also be willin’ to offer my life up for yours if I must.”

“…That still doesn’t mean your life is worth less than mine!”

Rex was not deterred. “You’re absolutely righ’, it doesn’t. I can’t exactly do that if I wind up dead meself. I ain’t stupid. But I also need you to understand that your life doesn’t just belong to you. So many people are countin’ on you.”

Shulk was a logical thinker, wasn’t he? He wasn’t acting very logical right now, but Rex figured Shulk might let up if he tried to engage on Shulk’s own terms.

“What are you even talking about, Rex?” Shulk was standing tall again, his voice firm but laced with anger once more. “You’re just as much the leader of the Liberators as I am!”

“Yeah, but… It’s… I’m not as strong as you, alrigh’? Is that what you wanted t’ hear? Or, would you rather just think of me as nothin’ more than some kinda lovesick twit, like you’re treatin’ me right now?” Rex felt himself also getting heated, but willed himself to remain collected. “If anythin’ were to happen and I snuff it, it’ll be tough, but I trust you’d eventually be able to carry on without me. Because you’re strong and you’ve managed it before. If anythin’, it just made you even stronger and deadlier. You don’t need me the way I need you.”

“Rex… No, no, that’s—"

If Shulk was trying to goad Rex into ripping his own heart back out for his satisfaction, then Rex was going to give him exactly what he wanted.

“But if I was the one who lost you? That’s it. I’m done. Can’t handle losin’ any more than I already ‘ave. I just… wouldn’t be able to live with myself, y’know? I need someone to believe in me. Be the light that guides me and let me know I haven’t lost my way. You’re that light for me. And until Origin restores the worlds and brings our families back to us safe an’ sound, you’re also the home that I return to. Got that?”

“That’s not… that’s not why I don’t… Rex! You’re not LISTENING to me! I’m not afraid of losing you because I don’t think I’m strong enough. It’s not about needing you, it’s…”

Oh for the love of…

“Well then what the fuck is it, Shulk? You’ve always said you wished you could be better at this whole communication an’ talkin’ business, righ’? Now’s your chance to start. Out with it!“

Ooh, Rex had really done it now.

Shulk’s breathing was becoming heavy again, his stormy eyes glaring at Rex with a frenzied look as he clenched his fists, nails digging so hard into his palms Rex thought he was going to draw blood.

Not that Rex really gave a shit anymore. Even if he wasn’t in any condition to slug it out long-term, he’d still get some good stress relief, wouldn’t he? And once he was down and out, maybe then he’d finally get through Shulk’s thick skull.

Moreover, even though he would never openly admit it, he was getting a real kick out of seeing Shulk all riled up like this.

Shulk trudged over and grabbed the collar of Rex’s vest hard enough to nearly tear it off.

Here it comes, he thought. Rex raised his arms, preparing to intercept whatever came next.

“You’re the one who’s good with words, right?” His eyes did not change, his breathing did not change, but his voice became low and controlled all of a sudden. “Then… you tell me... if I need to stop…”

And like that—

He lunged forward, his motion imperceptibly quick, closing the remaining gap between them.

Such a simple act, really.

Yet coming from Shulk, it burned with all the fury, heat and passion of a new universe being born.

Two coalesced as one, their pull inexorable, filling Rex to the brim with endless radiant light, and for an instant it had become impossible to tell where one ended and the other began.

His lips were improbably soft against Rex’s own, tender and gentle and surprisingly chaste after all their prior tumult.

Rex thought he could sense the faint taste of ash and whiskey lingering on those lips, mingled with the scent of machine oil and the Spirit Clematis petals that infused his hairwash. Although his grip on Rex’s collar had loosened slightly, their chests were pressed so close together that Rex could feel the palpitations of Shulk’s heartbeat thundering against his.

For the briefest of moments, a whisper of a thought passed through Rex’s mind that perhaps he could be persuaded to tolerate the Endless Now if it meant letting them stay together just like this, safe and distant from all the troubles of the world.

He quickly banished that fleeting thought as Shulk pulled away to catch his breath, the gravity of his actions slowly sinking in. Shulk had never looked more lovely to Rex than he did right now, slightly out of breath with his barely-parted lips and cheeks flushed pink as he glanced up with misty eyes full of requited longing.

“I… think I’ve made my point clear enough, Rex.” Shulk’s voice then fell to an uncertain hush as he averted his gaze, signaling his attempt to leave the room. “I don’t want this to change anything between us. Just… please watch yourself. Not only for your sake, but mine as well.”

Rex gave a light laugh of relief, the tension draining from the rest of his body as he tightened his arms around Shulk’s shoulders to keep him in place. He carded his fingers affectionately through Shulk’s soft blonde hair with a relaxed smile.

“O’ course it won’t, Shulk. Why d’you think I fell for you in the first place?” His smile turned sly. “But… ah, I’m still a wee bit confused by that first part. Would you mind runnin’ your point by me again?”

Shulk kissed him again, fiercer, deeper this time to remove any lingering doubt of the intent behind his actions.

Maybe Fate really was smiling on him all along.

Chapter Text

By the time they’d broken their kiss for air, Rex realized Shulk had him pinned against the bed and completely at his mercy. Out of all people he knew best that when the Godcleaver found himself a target, he rarely let them escape intact.

Even so, there seemed to be a twinge of uncertainty lurking beneath Shulk’s expectant eyes.

Shulk could often be something of an enigma. So kind and generous, yes, but always so guarded and closed off when it came to his own needs. Rex didn’t think it was due to malice, or paranoia, or anything of that sort.

No, Shulk’s fiercest demons came from within—places where Rex’s blades couldn’t reach, and made it even more difficult for Shulk to comprehend how others perceived him.

Nonetheless, the way he offered his body so freely to Rex, shared so much of himself as he clung to him—it was different from Mythra’s somewhat clumsy embrace, but likewise showed the utmost faith he placed in his partner.

At times Rex wondered if it was a mistake for them to have allowed it to get this far. After all, there wasn’t any guarantee that they would ever see each other again, or even remember any of it.

An issue for another time, but it would have to come eventually.

“You look good righ’ now. Really good. Positively breathtakin’.” He briefly caught himself, adding, “Er, I mean, you always do, but… e-erm… yeah.”

Shit, now he was the one on the back foot.  

He was interrupted mid-falter by the press of a finger against his mouth, and then the brush of Shulk’s soft lips as he offered a few appreciative kisses. Seemingly bemused by Rex’s efforts to take the edge off, he once again swooped in to save Rex from himself, as always.

He broke away briefly. “…I hafta know, though. Was all o’ this your idea, or did Kazuna put it into your pretty little head?”

Rex’s words stalled on his tongue as Shulk dove down with his answer, licking into Rex’s mouth before fervently delving deeper. His noticeable erection pressed against the tent in Rex’s boxers as they ground their hips together for friction.

Their bodies were pressed so tightly together that Rex could feel the thrum of Shulk’s Power Frame against his chest, overflowing with the pent-up ether energy that radiated off of Shulk’s body. It was at times like these, when their hearts were most aligned, that Rex could feel the currents of Shulk’s ether coursing through him as if it were his own blood—a tangible manifestation of the ineffable bond they’d forged over the years.

**----**

Without warning, Shulk then flipped the two of them over so that Rex was now the one hovering over him.

“Rex, I… I want you inside me, tonight.” Shulk tilted his head up, though still a little hesitant to make direct eye contact. “Come and claim your waiting bride.”

He was still visibly nervous, not that Rex wasn’t. Which made sense. Neither of them had ever actually gotten to the point of leaning into it quite like that, even if they had both fantasized about it on their own time.

Though, it was still a little jarring to see his lover take such a demure turn all of a sudden considering how Shulk was typically as ferocious in the bedroom as he was on the battlefield. Rex rarely woke up unscathed, which honestly suited him just fine. Given the choice, Rex typically preferred to be the passive partner anyway, much to Shulk’s initial surprise.

But Rex loved satisfying his partners’ desires even more. And there was something to be said about the borderline-sacrilegious thrill he felt as he profaned the body of the man who bore the visage of his God with his own lust. His ability to reduce the Godcleaver to a completely pliant mess in his hands, using nothing more than the careful touch of his fingers, sent exhilarating sparks of anticipation up his spine.

“O’ course. Anythin’ for my precious angel.”

Mythra always did love it whenever we called her that.

Rex quickly tossed his shirt and underpants off to the side before teasing his index finger over the growing bulge in Shulk’s panties, feeling the dampness of Shulk’s yearning along the way. His fingers prodded against the hem, teasing his way in as he peppered kisses to Shulk’s collarbone, while his now-exposed cock rubbed against the underside of Shulk’s raised thigh, smearing against the glowing green band of his stockings.

“Is it OK for me to keep goin’?”

Shulk gestured to tug at one of the ribbons, hoping to give Rex easier access.

“No, wait. I don’t mean it like that. I want you to keep the outfit on. All of it.”

He continued, massaging the front of Shulk’s panties before sliding his hand inside to give Shulk a few gentle strokes, earning himself sweet little moans for the effort. His precome-wetted fingertips brushed lightly over Shulk’s hole, pressing gently to tease him for what was to come. Only, he found Shulk already slick and pliant. His finger slipped in easily, and then another, with little resistance.

Shulk flushed.

Rex swore under his breath, eyes wide.

“Oh, fuck.”

“Mm… I was thinking about you, a-and… ohh, how you might react to seeing me, nghh, dressed like this.” It was cute the way Shulk was trying his hardest to keep his voice under control as he was steadily being fingered open. “I guess I just couldn’t, er, help myself.”

“You’re already so wet for me, you little minx, you. Y-your pussy, I mean your, erm…” Rex glanced up, hopeful for some kind of affect to Shulk’s expression as he searched for the right word before giving up, his face bright as a beet. “I can’t believe you’re so soppin’ wet and eager for me to fill you up.”

Shulk scoffed with a smile as he ruffled Rex’s hair with his gloved hand.

“Hah, you and your dirty talk. It’s entirely up to you how far you want to take our little game of pretend. I actually think it’s adorable that you’re trying, though. And…” Shulk twirled a few stray strands of hair around his finger. “I certainly don’t mind if you refer to me as if I were a woman. In fact, some quiet part of me enjoys it, actually.” He laughed slightly, almost a giggle, as if to assuage Rex’s concerns.

Rex withdrew his hand from inside Shulk and reached over for the bottle of scented lubricant that Shulk kept in the nightstand. The air was filled with the floral, enticing aroma of Heart Peaches—a fruit Dorothy once told him had potent aphrodisiac properties. No idea if it actually worked, but the warm lotion was already making his skin tingle. 

Shulk made quiet noises of contentment, his eyes closed in relaxation as Rex worked him loose and open, Rex’s job made much easier by his prior debauchery. 

Fuck. Shulk really did work himself good for me earlier. Woulda loved to be there and watch him go at it fer my sake.

Rex intermittently curled his fingers upwards slightly to nudge at Shulk’s prostate, grinning into his ear as Shulk jolted slightly with a startled gasp each time.

“An’ this? Is for startin’ without me, hehehe.”

Rex continued to rock his lube-slicked fingers in and out of Shulk, stretching and swiping them around to ensure Shulk’s insides were completely coated with the slippery substance.

Shulk’s increasingly vain efforts to restrain his breaths amidst the wet noises of Rex’s fingers inside him only served to stoke Rex’s anticipation further. He was lain out so lascivious and tempting, so eager to accept Rex into his body with his legs enticingly spread that it took a great deal of self-control not to skip past the foreplay and start fucking him right there.

His flushed, rosy skin was covered in the scars and the wear and tear of age, but they certainly did nothing to diminish his breathtaking beauty. If anything, they enhanced it. Allowed him to display all of the flaws and foibles of being ordinarily human.

Admittedly Shulk did still look remarkably youthful for being the older of the two; like all life forms from the Bionis and Mechonis, Shulk was an etheric being, similar to a Blade in some aspects, and Rex occasionally wondered if that might’ve helped. But the furrows that gathered around the edges of his eyes and the corners of his mouth in the time since the two had first met lent an air of acquired refinement and dignity to Shulk, while highlighting just how much of him had remained the same.

And if Rex could be quite honest? Thoroughly-bloomed was exactly the way he liked it.

He wasn’t too fond of admitting it openly because of how others often invited themselves to an uncomfortable amount of intrusive speculation about his psyche. He and especially Pyra had endured enough backhanded insinuations about his relationship with his late parents for both their lifetimes; those same busybodies would have a field day over seeing him with someone as nurturing as Shulk.

Maybe they were right, maybe they weren’t. As far as Rex was concerned, he just liked the idea of being with someone he felt he could trust to take the lead, and who needed his support enough to value it. Besides, it wasn’t like the underpinnings of attraction were always rational in nature. Shulk had enough of that maturity for the both of them.

Rex withdrew his fingers once more, giving Shulk a light kiss to bring his attention back from wherever his mind might have wandered off.

“Hey… Y’ready, love?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Shulk replied back, his voice dropping to a husky purr.

“So, which way would y’like to have me?”

Rex preferred to be able to see his partners’ faces when making love, but he figured Shulk had something else in mind.

“From behind, please.”

Right, of course.

That was their favored position early on, done more for practical reasons than for the pleasure of it. It helped keep the unsavory thoughts out, after all. Let them think of literally anything else besides the fact that they were getting off with the help of someone who was distinctly not their lawfully wedded spouses. It wasn’t as necessary now, obviously, but he couldn’t help but wonder.

Rex shifted over on the mattress to give Shulk some space to reposition as he prepared himself, drizzling a generous extra helping of lube over his cock, just to be on the safe side.

Shulk clambered onto his elbows and knees with a sassy swish of his head, as wild waves of honey-colored hair cascaded over each side of him, ending right above the small of his back and giving Rex the perfect view of his plump, curvy ass as he beckoned Rex forth with an inviting shake of his behind.

Rex couldn’t resist grabbing a generous handful of his rear, slipping his fingers under the straps to massage the supple flesh before giving it a playful slap.

“Ooh! O-oh my. Enthusiastic, aren’t you? Do show some restraint towards your ravishing new bride!?” Shulk drew out the last few syllables with an especially flirty lilt, anything but bothered by Rex’s impulses. “And besides… You wouldn’t want to knock me up before we’ve even had a chance to go on our honeymoon…”

Ehhh?!

“Erm. Y-y-… Wot…?” Rex’s mind started spinning.

“Of course… If you’d rather breed me raw until I can’t move, I’ve got no objections to that either, heh.”

That damn nearly shorted Rex’s mind altogether. Shulk might’ve been putting on a meek voice there, but the flutter of his eyelashes was clearly issuing a firm challenge.

Look. He knew Shulk was talking a bunch of nonsense. True that a lot of aspects of Homs biology continued to mystify him, and no doubt so did humans for Homs, particularly one as curious as Shulk. But he was pretty damn sure that if either of them was currently capable of getting the other pregnant, then it would’ve likely happened by now. Many times over, he reflected with a blush.

In general, protection wasn’t something either of them had given much mind to.

To be fair, Rex hadn’t been with anyone else since Nia’s forced hibernation, and he knew for a fact that Shulk hadn’t either. And besides, Nia had the utmost diligence in using her Blade abilities to ensure nothing from her dalliances with Melia could make its way to Rex, or vice versa.

And although neither Rex nor Shulk were opposed to the taking of further lovers, they’d been more or less strictly exclusive with one another for the entirety of their relationship. In hindsight it was unbelievably reckless not to bother with keeping it wrapped up, but they’d never experienced any major negative consequences for it, so there was no point in starting now.

Eh, fuck it. Shulk might not actually be able to give him children, but he was damn sure making Rex wish he could, with such an alluring proposition.

He tugged at the hem of Shulk’s silk panties and pushed them to the side, exposing the delicate pink flower of Shulk’s, er, manhood to the cool air of the bedroom before bringing the tip of his cock to Shulk’s entrance, gingerly nudging it inside.

“Alright. Lemme know if it starts to hurt, will you?”

Shulk hummed in acknowledgement.

“I keep having to remind you not to be too gentle for my sake, Rex. I’m not an easy one to break. Besides, you know how I like i-nngh!”

Shulk’s expectant breaths turned to loud gasps, the air gone from his lungs as Rex breached him further, steadily feeding the rest of his cock inside.

Rex considered himself pretty respectable in size, albeit not especially remarkable by the standards he was used to on Alrest—though he did wonder, with a little trepidation, whether Shulk’s considerably more impressive length was normal by Homs standards?—but there was a reason that Shulk affectionally liked to tease that Rex was both stout of heart, and of certain other places, whenever Shulk was in a particularly bewitched mood.

“By the Bionis, Rex, I always forget that you’re so… nhh, you’re so, ah, so fucking thick…”

God, way to fluff up my ego, why don’tcha? Whether Shulk was sincere or just prattling amorously, Rex couldn’t help the sense of satisfaction that came with it.

Shulk moaned out between further breaths as he took more of Rex inside himself. It seemed almost like a miracle that Rex’s girth was able to fit at all. But he eventually managed it after what seemed like an eternity of struggle.

Old age be damned. Shulk still felt so fucking good and hot and tight around his cock.

In fairness, Rex didn’t know what to expect the first time they’d progressed all the way to doing anal sex. His own experiences with buggery had been limited to being on the receiving end of Nia’s embraces, so he did his best to draw upon those delights, remembering how incredible she felt inside him when he topped Shulk for the first time. Bottoming out inside of Shulk was a mindblowing sensation, completely incomparable to anything Rex had felt when with any of his wives, and he wanted only for Shulk to experience the same.

“Ahh~! T-too big…!” Shulk yelped as Rex pulled back, about to thrust back in.

Rex instinctually froze. Was he going too fast…? Despite all their prior preparation, it seemed insufficient to avoid causing his partner pain.

Although, that wasn’t an entirely unhappy sound. Shulk didn’t seem to mind it at all.

If anything, he loved it.

“N-no, nnh… Keep going…!” Shulk gritted out, clearly straining to take Rex back in as he roughly pushed his hips back in an effort to make Rex move again.

Rex exhaled exasperatedly and tried to maintain his arousal by directing his attention back onto the sensation enveloping his cock.

This aspect of their physical relationship was always one of the more difficult ones for him to deal with.

----

Rex learned quickly that Shulk took his pleasure best when it came with a side of pain.

He always had an unusual relationship with his senses relative to most people, for since as far as he could remember—likely even before any of the whole business with Zanza took place—with touch being especially prominent among them.

Rex noticed the way Shulk would absent-mindedly do things like tap his feet against the ground when deep in thought, habitually rub his wrists and neck, or fiddle with the ether cannisters strapped to his shirt as a kind of stress relief. He was also fastidious with trimming and removing most body and facial hair, and described the feeling as akin to clearing bugs that were crawling on his skin. Very unlike Rex, who typically let his grow untamed. (Although, he’d begun shaving his inner thighs smooth for Shulk’s sake).

Just some more of those little eccentricities of his that Rex was endlessly fascinated with.

Shulk had explained in the past that, more than just being a quirk of Homs fashion, the thick sweaters and hoodies he so favored were remarkably good at blotting out all sorts of unwanted and potentially distracting sensations, though he’d grown to become more tolerant over the years.

Only in intimate moments such as these did Shulk actively enjoy baring his body to others, longing to experience touch in its totality, allow it to bear down on him like the scorching rays of the sun.

And for a man who faced both the numbness of oblivion and the dispassionate omnipotence of godhood, nothing quite sent sparks through his system like that dual dance of pain and pleasure.

Pain kept him grounded, tethered him to his continued humanity, reminded him that he was still acutely alive. That, gods or no gods, some force beyond his understanding had granted him the right of continued existence while his loved ones remained slumbering senseless. A right he was certain not to waste.

Still, Rex loathed the thought of hurting his partners, regardless of if they asked him for it or not. Any physical marks were easily dealt with during aftercare, whether it was the soothing application of Shulk’s healing ether or one of Rex’s homemade salves.

But the burden it lay on Rex’s psyche was much heavier. It took a lot of convincing from Shulk for Rex to accept that he wasn’t really bothered by it. That he liked it this way.

Even once they implemented safewords, Rex found himself invoking them so often that it tended to kill the mood, particularly as Shulk’s requests became more and more bold. He’d ask Rex to commit increasingly degrading acts on him, the kind that Shulk rarely had the opportunity to do with his own wife at risk of resurfacing old traumas from her past.

But Shulk’s pleasure was Rex’s to share, and so he learned to better inure himself for both their sakes.

----

“…Hurry up, Rex. We might technically have all the time in the world, but that doesn’t mean I want to wait all night to get off.”

“Alright, alrigh’. Jus’ making sure you’re not seriously hurt. Surely you’ll allow me that much?”

It didn’t take them long to settle into their usual rhythms for whenever they made love in this position. Rex’s chest pressed to Shulk’s back, his cheek nestled against the soft tousles of flaxen hair at Shulk’s temple; his own pleasured grunts, low and throaty in response to Shulk’s needy moans, conveyed how good they were making each other feel.

Shulk gave the orders, and Rex saw to it that they were fulfilled.

That was their style. Their bodies moved against each other with the perfect synchronicity of Blade and Driver, thoroughly attenuating themselves to each other’s needs and desires.

Rex focused on the sensations of the warm figure underneath him, his arm wrapped securely around Shulk’s broad chest and shoulders, holding him close and fast to keep him safe, the same way Shulk always guarded him and the others on the battlefield.

This time, it was plush silk and lace that answered Rex’s caresses, and masked the cragged musculature of Shulk’s form. Not soft like Pyra’s and Mythra’s or svelte like Nia’s, but lean and sinewy. A seasoned soldier’s body, mature and experienced. Yet here he was, letting Rex manhandle him on their bed like he was a hapless virgin, as light and delicate as the fabrics covering his skin.

Shulk’s gasping and panting was also becoming noticeably more breathy, more high-pitched than usual. Girlish, even. It was certainly imperfect as far as an impression of Mythra went, if that was Shulk’s intent. Too gruff, too restricted and restrained, too lacking in either of her alternating tendencies of diffidence or confidence to mimic her intonations effectively. Nonetheless, Rex found those dainty little sighs pleasing to his ears.

“Yer bein’ awfully cute like that, y’know. Maybe you should… ah, maybe you should do it more often.”

Shulk eventually relinquished his grip on the bedsheets, his hand drifting down towards his groin to free his aching erection from his panties. He began idly stroking himself, as he often did once he’d become comfortable in this position.

But Rex—seized by a rare impulse towards forcefulness—seized Shulk’s wrist, yanking it away and pinning it to the mattress.

“Nope, not this time, sunshine…” he tutted. “Be a real shame if ya got off before I’ve even had a chance to spoil you. I’m gonna take such good care of you, you won’t even need to touch yourself to come.”

Shulk keened at this uncharacteristically bold move from his lover, and enthusiastically squeezed down on Rex’s cock in wordless approval.

Forbidden from using his hands on himself, he fumbled around to grasp at Rex’s thighs for grounding, his hold on Rex almost painful after a distinctly sharp thrust.

Shulk craned his neck to glance at Rex, his seductively half-lidded blue eyes beckoning Rex to move faster. His mouth hung open, letting loose little whimpers and whines with each drag of Rex’s cock inside him, and his head drooped as he allowed himself to get lost in the sensation.

Rex drew back to appraise the lewd display in front of him. Lustrous golden locks draped untidily over Shulk’s arched back and onto the mattress, swaying as the blonde’s plush ass shook against Rex’s pelvis with each thrust as more high-pitched cries rang out. Silk, straps, and garters hid much of that backside except for the obscene, slick spot where their bodies connected.

Usually this was the point where Rex would begin pounding away with wild abandon. He couldn’t deny it was hard to resist grabbing ahold of those full, luscious hips and that finespun lace and those shining tresses and just… letting loose. Allowing his imagination to go all the way, for once. It could be that easy.

After all, that was the whole point of this, wasn’t it? What Shulk went through all that trouble for?

Yes, of course.

Shulk.

“W-Why’d you stop?” There was a tinge of a whine amidst Shulk’s concern.

Frustrated by the sudden pause, he made a few small pushes back against Rex’s groin, only to be pulled flush against Rex, who leaned back on his haunches so that Shulk was seated comfortably in his lap.

“…Oh. Do you want me to start riding you? Or…?” Shulk offered somewhat slyly.

“You can do that if you’d like, yeah, but… Hol’ on for a sec. Actually, I got ano’er idea. I think I wanna try somethin’ out.”

Rex rested his chin on Shulk’s shoulder, arm wrapped around his torso as he spread Shulk’s thighs wider apart. He moved his hand over his lover’s groin, fingers splayed on both sides of the blonde’s cock, and began massaging the sensitive skin of his testes.

“There’s these special spots down ‘ere, see. An’ Nia loves when we touch her there. Says it makes it feel like she’s got a proper fanny. She called it ‘muffing’, I think. If I understand Homs right, you should have somethin’ similar. Let me know if what I’m doin’ is sound for you or not.”

“Erm, alright then.”

With Shulk’s permission, Rex curled his fingers, feeling upwards towards Shulk’s pelvis and pressing into the indents he found deep within.

The way Shulk huffed with each push told him was certainly doing something with the gesture. Though exactly what, it was hard to tell.

“How is it? I’ll stop or keep goin’, as you like.”

“M-Mmh… It’s, well, it’s strange…” Shulk paused to catch himself. “It’s, ngh, it’s like… you’re fucking me with your fingers, alright… Augh!” He snarled, gasping loudly when Rex pressed harder into those two points.

“Ah, sorry! Did I hurt you in any way?” Rex fretted over him again, a demeanor Shulk once compared to that of a mother Armu.

Shulk murmured shakily after Rex ceased with his ministrations. “I… don’t entirely dislike it, but… M-maybe we can try it some other time…”

Entirely fair. All these new sensations were probably getting to be a bit much for Shulk. Especially with Rex’s cock currently still buried deep inside him, stimulating him all the while.

As if in apology, he reached to tilt Shulk’s chin up for better access as he caught him in a sloppy, open-mouthed kiss, hoping to stir him up again. He gripped Shulk’s cock, squeezing it gently to check that he was still aroused, and gave him a couple of strokes for good measure.

Shulk met his kiss fiercely and full of need, spit trickling down both their chins from the awkward angle as he plundered Rex’s mouth, assertively shoving his tongue against his.

Satisfied with Shulk’s persistent ardor, Rex pulled away to nip at the flesh of Shulk’s throat as his hands roamed over the rest of the blonde’s physique. Coarse fingers explored the divots of Shulk’s sharply defined muscles underneath his negligee, earning a few delicious whines for Rex’s efforts.

“Y’ready to continue, darlin’?”

Shulk raised his legs to hook them behind Rex’s thighs in assent. Once stable, Shulk began to grind on his cock, slow and deep, swiveling his hips to feel the fullness inside him, stretched to the limit as Rex groaned from the slick warmth engulfing him.

“Unh, Rex… It’s so… ah, it’s so big…!” Shulk’s murmurs were barely audible, but it was enough to send jolts of heat through Rex’s cock.

Shulk made a soft noise in his throat as he slowly raised his hips up before dropping back down to the base with a cry, repeating with increasing speed. After regaining some of his composure, he reached back to rest his arms against Rex for better leverage as he increased the intensity of his motions, his breath hitching each time as he chased for more friction.

“Take me…” Shulk growled at Rex, his voice breathy and strained, his head falling back onto Rex’s shoulder. “Take me like I was your one and only.”

Rex’s heart skipped a few beats. It was as much an expression of Shulk’s desire as it was a command. Given their situation, it was also one he had no choice but to oblige, but did so gladly.

Rex fell back as he drove himself up into the heat of Shulk’s body, his new position giving him an excellent angle of that fantastic ass as Shulk continued to work his cock, sheathing him exquisitely.

Oh, and those sounds Shulk was making…

One of the things he quickly came to note about Shulk was just how talkative he could sometimes be, both in bed and everywhere else. Shulk was ever-chatty, much more vocal and eloquent in communicating his pleasure than any of Rex’s other partners. It might have driven a less patient person mad.

But for Rex? It was perfect. Nothing got him going like being told what a good job he was doing. Hell, out of all the wonderful things Shulk had to offer him during lovemaking, his verbose responsiveness was possibly Rex’s absolute favorite.

Each praise Shulk would lavish towards Rex’s cock, his muscles, every other part of his anatomy sent more blood rushing southward, aroused him further, got him even more determined to make Shulk feel good. And nothing gratified Rex quite as wonderfully as the desire to be given validation for his efforts.

Except, perhaps, for when Shulk wanted even more, and would start provoking Rex to give him what he craved.

“Rex, surely you can, ahh, do better than this. Don’t tell me you can’t handle my body all of a sudden. Go on… I want you to wreck me.”

Titan’s bollocks, Shulk was being brash tonight. Another of the many ways in which he’d always reminded Rex of Mythra. Although, for all of her bluster she was usually quick to relinquish control back to her spouses soon after. Not like Shulk, who appreciated whatever sense of command it brought him.

The matter-of-fact, almost nonchalant way with he urged Rex between each moan on as he continued to bear down on Rex only served to make Rex’s cock throb with further want, eager to make Shulk go wild with pleasure and regale upon every cry of validation he could wrest from him.

Rex let slip an unbecoming whimper of his own as he bucked his hips up ferociously into the blonde on top of him, warmth pooling in his groin as he responded to Shulk’s taunts with all the zeal he could muster.

“…Mm, what was that, Rex? I couldn’t understand you. Gormotti got your tongue?” Shulk taunted him with a roll of his hips, his tone taking on an atypically bratty drawl.

Great, and now his boasting was making Rex a little lightheaded. Or maybe that was from the speed with which Rex had sat back up in order to pry Shulk’s legs apart as he drove deeper into him.

“I was tryin’ t’ say ‘Please’…! Let me…!” Rex pulled Shulk’s body close, and thrust savagely with renewed vigor. He needed to know what a good job he was doing, or else he’d go mad.

“Nnh…! Aah…!” Each motion of his hips was now being met with a particularly slutty-sounding moan of approval from Shulk. “Ahh, that’s right…! You’re being such a good boy for me, Rex…!”

Oh, oh fuck.

That was Mythra’s favorite pet name for him. Whatever Kazuna had taught Shulk about her, she taught him good.

Well then.

If Shulk wished to be like Mythra so bad, then Rex was going to give him what he wanted. Flip the script a little.

“Such a shame that my pretty girl is all covered up. How about I help you take somma that off?”

He peeled the straps of Shulk’s negligee and brassiere down his shoulders with his avid compliance, exposing the firm and full pecs underneath.

With the lightest touch of his fingertips, he delicately traced the large cross-shaped pair of scars on Shulk’s bosom—this one, Shulk had received shielding him from the wrath of Consul M, whose fearsome swordsmanship skills were matched only by his crazed fervor to subjugate Shulk under his whims. The sordid affair surrounding their last encounter with that madman was a bittersweet one, but one that nevertheless entrenched the depths of their devotion to one another.

But Shulk was growing impatient, and his breaths turned more desperate.

“Rex, please touch me there…! N-need you to-…Aah!”

Begging wasn’t a usual part of Shulk’s repertoire. Or at least, not the supplicating kind. Shulk typically liked to take as much of whatever Rex could provide as he pleased, and then some. The rapaciousness with which he was currently moving his body against Rex’s attested to that.

To be honest, Shulk’s current shift in manner only made him less like Mythra, who often struggled to be forthright with her desires. Even so, he knew his way around Rex. Exactly which buttons to push, which ways to inflame Rex’s passions into giving Shulk exactly what he wanted.

“Of course. I love it when ya let me play with your tits, sunshine.”

He cupped his hand around one of Shulk’s ample pecs, rolling the flesh in his palm before gently squeezing down. Shulk’s chest was all muscle, not quite so soft as Mythra’s or Pyra’s, but he savored the feeling with his fingers all the same. Rex plucked one of Shulk’s dusky-colored nipples between two of them and delighted in the way Shulk practically wailed as he toyed with his chest.

He glanced downwards as he moved his other hand to Shulk’s waist to stabilize him. The muscles of Shulk’s back strained as he tried to angle himself better, ensuring Rex’s cock pressed up deliciously against his sweet spot with each thrust.

“Ngh-! T-that’s…~!”

Nailed it.

Rex found himself thrusting harder and faster, Shulk’s gasps coming out in shorter, louder, quicker bursts as he pushed himself back against Rex with more abandon. Shulk’s iron grip was leaving bruises on Rex’s sides, holding on for dear life as Rex continued hammering into his taut frame at a punishing pace.

“Oh fuck… oh fuck… oh fuck… Rex, fuck! Fuck me, do it~, do it harder~!”

Shulk was practically sobbing as Rex railed into him, those intoxicating cries of pleasure filling Rex’s head and spurring him to go even harder, anything to wring more of those delicious noises out of the older man.

“Ahh! Ahh~! Rex…! Ah, no, y-you’re going to make me come, a-aAHHh~!”

He knew he was doing something right as Shulk’s begging and crying of his name dissipated into completely incoherent moans. Anything to make Shulk feel as good as possible.

Rex could tell Shulk was nearly there from the way his speech slurred, the way his voice grew sharply in volume, his utterances indecipherable as the breathless, wanton noises continued to spill unbidden from his lips.

Not too surprising given the way Shulk was beset with an onslaught of pleasure from multiple angles, between Rex’s hands playing with Shulk’s nipples and chest, his impossibly thick cock jabbing against Shulk’s prostate as he filled him up, and the increasingly guttural groans he was making as he audibly approached his own limit.

Each scream of passion was cut off as Rex pulled all the way down out to the tip before slamming back up against his thighs, fingers digging deeper into the flesh of Shulk’s bared chest and hip. He was moving faster and faster, harder and harder. God he was so close, wait, fuck that was a mistake, he wasn’t ready yet, he needed to slow down before he got too carried awAY—

T-Too late!

Rex’s mind went blank. His chest coiled tight. He could do nothing else but fixate on the white-hot sensation of spilling himself into his lover’s body with a loud shout. He clutched at Shulk’s flank and belly as he jerked his hips up, riding out the waves of his orgasm and painting Shulk’s insides with thick spurts of his seed with each thrust. Shulk was crying out in ecstasy, his voice shattered and unrestrained, his thighs spasming shut over Rex’s.

As the haze slowly dissipated, he also became more keenly aware of the way Shulk’s body continued to tremble against his, the way Shulk’s insides contracted almost painfully around his overly-sensitive cock, the lilt in Shulk’s voice audible as he continued to moan out his pleasure.

It took the feel of slim, yet strong fingers clawing almost painfully into his side and thigh to fully jolt Rex out of the fog clouding his brain and onto the blonde who’d gone slack in front of him, still faintly quivering over his lap.

“Aye, that’s well sorted then. I guess ya came too, huh?” Rex chuckled as he wiped away some of Shulk’s tears before pressing a few kisses to his cheek.

Damn. He’d become so rapt in his own bliss that he practically missed getting to experience Shulk’s own. Gotta make up for it somehow.

He gathered Shulk up his arms for a while, humming contently into the crook of Shulk’s neck as he waited for Shulk to fully come down from his high, both of their ragged breaths slowly easing back to normal.

Once Shulk had regained some of his senses, he slowly pulled himself off with a slight wince, squeezing down on Rex’s softening cock as he got back onto his knees somewhat unsteadily, as if trying not to waste a precious drop of the warm fluid.

Rex could see that Shulk was still hard as a rock, having managed to come from Rex’s cock alone. Looked like he had more work to do before Shulk was truly done for the night.

“You’re gonna give me a damn heart attack one day, y’know that?”

And if he did, well, that was going to be their little problem, wasn’t it?

-----

Rex was always the type to prefer accommodating his partners’ needs in bed over his own. Indeed, his ability to finish was often predicated on having made sure they climaxed first. At least, that was how it was back on Alrest.

But for Shulk, on the other hand? All bets were off.

Because, hoo boy, underneath his polite exterior that man was far kinkier than Rex could’ve ever imagined going into this relationship. Rex mentally slapped himself for the mistake of ever assuming Shulk was the chaste and vanilla type.

But while appeasing Shulk’s sadomasochistic tendencies was something he could overcome with enough mental preparation, the physical mismatch in their sexual stamina was a much more formidable obstacle, and easily the biggest hurdle to navigate in their burgeoning sex life.

They had plenty enough time to learn each other’s bodies and better understand their own. Enough so that Shulk eventually realized his sensitivity to touch had its own utility, and figured out that he could orgasm hands-free from penetration alone, even multiple times, before his own cock was properly spent. Sometimes to Rex’s considerable chagrin, as fun as it was for him.

Rex prided himself on his ability to quickly get Shulk to his first apex, whenever it was his turn to top for the night. He was a conscientious lover, always striving to be attuned to his partner’s wants. But physically lasting long enough to make sure Shulk was fully satisfied before he himself was done? That was usually a much taller order, given Shulk’s bloody damn-near endless stamina.

Maybe it was a Bionis thing. Poor Nia always seemed so wrung out after her liaisons with the High Entia empress.

Many nights had ended with Shulk griping about what a quick shot Rex was, while Rex would retort that Shulk was some kind of insatiable vampire, draining him dry while continuing to truck on as if Shulk’s sexual appetite was powered by a Machina battery. Even when Rex did manage to hold off long enough, it was the luck of the draw whether Shulk’s sometimes-instantaneous refractory period left him lusty for more than Rex could readily give him. He had to concede that man’s tenacity in bed was downright unbeatable.

Worse, Shulk was the kind of guy whose libido tended to skyrocket when stressed. And there was plenty enough of that to go around with the life they led, whether the Consuls were breathing down their necks or not.

Still, Rex was the considerate sort. Some nights, he’d convince Shulk to top for the rest of the evening and eagerly prepare his own thighs or ass for Shulk’s use. Others, he’d suck or jerk him off, or just sit back and watch as Shulk played with himself to completion. And if Rex was granted a merciful recharge time, they could quickly pick back up where they left off, whichever happened first. It’s not like Shulk was the only one with a surprisingly robust libido for his age, after all.

----

It didn’t take much time for Rex to get back to work.

He grazed his tongue lightly over the scars that covered Shulk’s exposed abdomen, savoring the way Shulk squirmed slightly as his lips skimmed against the gnarled, sensitive skin. Shulk had accumulated a fair number of them across the years, healed as they were; a testament to his valor and his unyielding will, carved directly into his flesh.

Hands fisted into the bedsheets as Rex dipped his tongue across Shulk’s navel. He trailed a line of adoring kisses along the indent of Shulk’s hipbone, moving steadily downward until he reached his delectable prize.

Rex mouthed sensuously along the side of his lover’s cock, fingers dipping beneath Shulk’s panties to curl around the sensitive skin of his balls.

“Love, I’m gonna go down on your clit, OK?” Rex muttered, hoarse with arousal.

Shulk nodded, voice still a little too wrecked to speak clearly.

Rex spit into his palm and grabbed the base of Shulk’s cock, stroking it lightly. He gave a tentative lick up towards the head before wrapping his lips over the dripping tip and suckling at the slit, fitting as much of Shulk into his mouth as he could while using his hand for the rest.

Taking all of Shulk down his throat was no easy feat. It’s not like he had particular trouble sucking cock or anything like that, or so he liked to think. He learned it in record time for Nia’s sake, loved taking her all the way down to the hilt after seeing how vociferously she expressed her appreciation for it.

But Shulk was just so much bigger. Doing the same for him was often a struggle.

Nevertheless, the soft pleasured whine Rex received in response told him it was still enough.

“Fuck, Rex…” Shulk creaked out. “That’s right. Keep going…”

Rex couldn’t help but whimper around Shulk in response. He felt a hand on his scalp, pushing him back down until his nose pressed against the matted amber hairs that covered Shulk’s groin, allowing himself to be used as a tool for Shulk’s pleasure.

“Mmh, your mouth feels so nice on my clit. You’re taking me so well, like the good boy you are.”

Hearing that, Rex endeavored to swallow more of Shulk down as Shulk continued to lavish upon him for his efforts, the ache in his jaw more than worth it to draw out more of those honeyed praises. He ran the thumb of his other hand over Shulk’s perineum and cradled his balls as he sucked, pulling more sensual sighs from the older man with each bob of his head.

His fingers moved downward to rub around the edge of Shulk’s glistening pink hole. In doing so, his hand brushed against the wet spots on the bedsheet, places where some of his semen splashed out after Shulk had removed him from inside himself. Feeling the results of his prior licentiousness lit sparks of renewed arousal throughout his loins, and then another extremely filthy idea struck.

He pulled his mouth away, a trail of saliva still connecting his lips to the tip of Shulk’s cock.

“Girl, I’m gonna clean you out for Round 2.”

Shulk let out a drawn-out, filthy noise in response to Rex’s salacious decree.

Rex licked at the sensitive, clean-shaven flesh of Shulk’s inner thighs and, high off the obscenity of tasting his own ejaculate, lapped his way up the trickle of come that slowly seeped from Shulk’s sore, sensitive hole. He gave a few trial flicks against Shulk’s entrance before pushing his tongue past the taut ring of muscle, earning himself more whines from above.

Shulk hissed and instinctually clamped his muscled thighs around Rex’s head as Rex swiped his tongue around to cleanse the mess he’d made inside him earlier. Rex eagerly gulped down the copious rush of fluid, the salty and mildly bitter taste of his own spend mingling with the sweet, fragrant lube, and could feel himself becoming hard once more.

Reinvigorated, he removed himself from between Shulk’s legs to whisper into his ear.  

“Alright, love. M’ready for more.” Rex leaned back slightly, giving Shulk a clearer view of his eager nakedness, and of the steady flow of pre that streamed from his renewed erection. “I want you back in charge. Do with me as ye’d like. ‘S long as I get to see your face when you finish this time.”

“Lucky for you that I have no intention of holding back,” Shulk crooned, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

Shulk crushed his lips against Rex’s, moaning into the kiss as he tasted the remnants of what was inside him just a minute ago on Rex’s tongue, before brusquely shovng Rex back onto the bed. He straddled Rex’s waist for the next round, his cock rigid and leaking against his belly.

He eyed Rex with a hungry look and licked his lips in anticipation before leaning over, continuing to kiss Rex viciously as he sank back onto Rex’s cock once more, the mix of saliva, come, and remaining lube from their previous session helping ease the way back inside his used, yet still-tight hole.

Ah, this was always Mythra’s favorite position too. Even if she were a lot more shy about admittin’ it.

Just the thought of Shulk taking him in the same manner while dressed like this was enough to make his cock twitch inside of Shulk, hot and hard.

Shulk began by teasing him with slow, seductive rolls of his hips, taking him all the way from tip to base, before picking up speed and riding him in earnest, leaning back on Rex’s knees for purchase. Shulk’s cock bounced against his stomach as the exposed muscles of his thighs tensed against Rex each time their hips snapped together, his utterances of Rex’s name chanted as if in prayer as he bared himself wantonly before Rex’s eyes.

Eyes which Rex couldn't help squeezing shut, focus narrowed down to the points where their bodies joined. The sweat from Shulk’s exertions dripped down his skin, soaking into the costume.

“You’re really gonna be feeling it tomorrow at the rate you’re goin’, sweetheart.”

Rex could tell that Shulk was starting to get close again from the increasing sloppiness of his movements, and from the growing shakiness in his voice as his whimpers and moans became more and more drawn out.

Shulk spread his thighs wider to take Rex in deeper, threw his head back and let loose, wordlessly begging for more, more, more, his garter straps jostling in rhythm with the lewd, wet shlap shlap of their hips crashing together.

It all felt so, so good.

It wasn’t long before Shulk came for the second time that night with a nearly-soundless cry, his body and innards tensing up as his cock oozed all over Rex’s abs untouched. He held himself up with shaky arms, doing what he could to avoid falling over Rex as his whole body tremored for a good minute or two.

The gleam of the tiara’s crystal seemed to shine more intensely as Shulk’s orgasm continued to wash over him, accentuating the sweat-soaked strands of golden hair that were sticking to his face as the remnants of his tears streamed down his burning red cheeks. Likewise, the faint glow of his power frame highlighted his continued arousal as his nipples perked through his brassiere, his cock still fully hard and wanting.

As Shulk paused to catch his breath once more, Rex entertained the idea of continuing to fuck Shulk right through his orgasm, maybe even wringing the next one out of him right on the spot, but decided to be lenient and admire this excellent view of the debauched figure atop him for now.

So untidy and disarrayed, so utterly lacking in his usual grace. All because of Rex and the work he’d done to get him there.

God. Shulk’s so pretty when he comes. Even more so now that he’s dolled up like this, done special just for me.

Rex placed his hands on both sides of Shulk’s face and pulled him close, brushing the hair away from Shulk’s cheeks with his thumbs.

“Looks like it’s gonna be my turn again.” Rex smirked wryly.

“…Rex. Do I have permission to touch myself now?”

“Aye, love.”

“Thank you.”

Shulk’s gentle, loving expression belied the fire in his eyes. The creases of his mouth twisted into a tender, yet utterly wicked smile.

Yeah, this was definitely more Shulk’s style.

“Rex, I have a request of my own.”

“Anythin’ you’d like, love.”

Shulk’s grin broadened, his expression turning fiendishly ravenous.

“Keep your eyes on me, Rex. Say my name. And don’t you dare look away from me.”

Oh, how Shulk always did relish his ability to make him lose control like this with just a few simple words.

“W-wouldn’t even think of it, love…” Rex practically babbled out his response, head dizzy with need.

Shulk laughed serenely. “I know I can always count on you, Rex.”

He placed a soft kiss to Rex’s brow. A simple imitation of innocence, yes, but which made the indecency of the gesture all the more incredible for it.

“Good boy.”

Rex shuddered. He couldn’t hold back anymore.

With a bitten-off moan and permission to assume control again, he began thrusting wildly into the searing heat of the man above him, slamming himself into Shulk almost as frantically as Shulk shoved his hips down to match each of Rex’s movements, their eyes locked on another as they both chased after blissful release.

He did exactly as Shulk told him, and how could he not?

Shulk was everything to him in this moment. He took in each line and crease of Shulk’s face, each messy golden strand of hair that clung to his forehead. And especially those azure blue eyes, the likes of which nobody’s on Alrest, not even God’s himself, could compare. Heavens, he could kiss him right now, if Shulk would just bloody let him.

Their faces were so close, their lips were nearly touching. Shulk planted his arms against the mattress as he continued to ride Rex, gasping into Rex’s hot, inviting mouth. He yelped slightly as Rex slid his hands down to grip his ass for better control, whimpering each time Rex rubbed against his overstimulated prostate as he moved up and down on Rex’s cock.

Rex could tell Shulk wanted to kiss him so badly too, if only he could control his gasps and whines long enough to press their mouths together.

“You’re beautiful, Shulk. You’re the most incredible thing I’ve found since I’ve come to this forsaken place,” Rex choked out in between Shulk’s own cries as Shulk fucked himself harder on his cock, still sensitive from their most recent round. “God himself would hafta come back and take my eyes outta my head to tear my gaze away from you.”

Pleased with this vow, Shulk moved Rex’s hand over his cock, before entwining it with his own fingers. It pulsed beneath Rex’s palm, ruddy and hot and heavy, slicked with the dripping remnants of Shulk’s previous orgasm as he jerked into Rex’s hand every time Rex bucked against him.

It was a surprisingly intimate gesture, Rex with one hand on the small of Shulk’s back to guide him close, the other fisting Shulk’s cock with his guidance, keeping in rhythm with the motion of their bodies.

Now it was Rex’s turn to beg. His soft sighs of pleasure, his suppliant entreaties quickly turned to fervent cries of Shulk’s name, pleas for him go harder and faster, bring him to completion.

“Shulk… I want you. N-No, I need you…!” He cried out louder.

They were fucking frenetically by this point. Rex’s heart burned with desire as he drew ever closer to the edge, doing his best to take Shulk over it with him.

Shulk panted into his ear, low and feral. “Come, Rex…! Come inside me… Do it. You’ll be good for me, won’t you?” He was growling now, practically out of breath. “Tell me… Tell me I’m yours…!”

“Yes, Shulk, I’ll do anything you ask…!”

Rex couldn’t help but scream those last words out as Shulk’s walls clamped down around his cock, so tight, so good.

“Rex, I…!”

Composure too far gone to finish that sentence, Shulk forced his lips against Rex’s, moaning into Rex’s mouth as he swallowed Rex’s hollers down in a passionate kiss, consuming him like fire itself.

This was the Shulk he loved, just like the Mythra he loved. Powerful and unstoppable, blazing bright as the sun, and he would give anything short of the world itself for their sake—and with that, Rex came undone.

Rex twisted himself against the mattress, crying out as the heat spread throughout his body. His hips stuttered, pouring his release inside Shulk again as he uttered a strangled shout, Shulk spilling all over his hand with a yell.

The two slumped against one another, Shulk a boneless wrecked mess underneath his still-immaculate nightgown. Rex considered complaining about the added weight against his chest, but decided against it, instead choosing to revel in the comfort of Shulk’s warm body resting against his.

They lay like that for quite a while, basking in the afterglow and the serenity of each other’s presence. Their kisses were languid, slower, more tender this time, Shulk practically melting into Rex’s embrace as Rex ran his fingers along Shulk’s hair and back.

“…I take it you’re good for tonight, Shulk?”

“Mhm.” Shulk eased himself off, grimacing slightly at the sticky fluids that gushed between his legs and the soreness beginning to set in before curling up to Rex’s side. “Feels like I got mauled by a Deinos, but yes.”

“Good, because I dunno if I could handle another bloody round from you. I ain’t as young as I used to be, and neither are you.”

He was too utterly exhausted to even think of cleaning up as Shulk blithely drew the blanket over the both of them. It’d just have to wait until tomorrow. Mercy be upon on whoever was currently in charge of laundry duties.

**----**

“…Hey. Rex?”

“What’s the matter, love?”

“Actually… Forget it.”

It seemed like Shulk had slipped into another one of those apprehensive moods of his.

If Shulk didn’t want to speak his mind, then Rex would. He’d bare his soul the same way he’d just done with his body. And, with some luck, he might even be able to coax out whatever it was Shulk was thinking of.

Rex took ahold of Shulk’s hand as it rested atop Rex’s chest, interlacing their fingers together.

Shulk wasn’t her. Rex knew Shulk didn’t even dare to hope to be like her. But he was real, and he was here, and he was no less precious.

“…Shulk. I need you to make a promise to me. Just a little somethin’ in return. An’ I don’t think I’m asking for too much here.”

“I’m all ears.”

“Then promise me this. When Origin reboots—not if, but when—and our worlds have joined together, that you’ll come and find me. That you’re not just gonna go on an’ return to your wife and kids, pretend like none of this e’er happened. I need to know that this…” He couldn’t bring himself to name it for what it truly was. “This thing that we have between us is the genuine article. That I’m not just some temporary fling fer until you get them back, and that you’ll just forget me once this is all over.”

Shulk’s reply was to snicker. Maybe opening up was a mistake after all.

“Ugh. Come on, Shulk! I’m bein’ dead serious here,” he grumbled, the hint of a pout upon his lips. Was it true then? That was really all he was to him?

Shulk’s snicker turned into peals of laughter, coming straight from his chest. But it was a cordial kind of laughter. One without any hint of mockery to it. If anything, it was the first time Rex had seen Shulk be so at ease in quite a while. Moreover, Shulk did nothing to pull his hand away.

“Oh no, it’s just. All this time, you’ve been the one who was afraid of being seen as a substitute here? While I’m literally in the guise of your wife no less?”

Shulk drew Rex’s fingers closer until their palms were pressed together, and squeezed lightly in unspoken assurance.

“As for me? Well… I couldn’t have asked for someone better to be by my side when I wake in the morning.”

Typical Shulk. His ways of expressing his devotion could often be so understated, yet all the more profound for it.

“I’m not one to love lightly, Rex. Fiora would’ve been the first to tell you that, if she could.” He shifted to pull Rex’s shoulders toward him so they lay directly opposite one another, their legs intertwining with each other. “Now get some rest. The two of us could definitely use some. And besides, fretting about whatever comes next is supposed to be my job, after all.”

It wasn’t long before Rex was overtaken by sleep, the hazy image of Shulk’s reassuring smile etching itself into his mind as he drifted off.

The Endless Now would come to a close some day. If not by his own hands, then by the inheritors of his will.

But until that day arrived, he could be content with his lot if it meant getting to remain by Shulk’s side. Whatever trials the future would bring, they would face it together, hand in hand.

Chapter Text

“Mornin’ Shulkie. Wot’s happenin’ with y-Melnath’s horns, you look positively knackered!” Kazuna nearly dropped her clipboard as Shulk shambled into the canteen, the blossoming bruises around his neck and the limp in his step visibly apparent.

Maintaining eye contact with Shulk was never the easiest of tasks, even on a good day. But he seemed to be actively avoiding her gaze as he gingerly situated himself at his usual chair at the table for breakfast.

“Tch. I don’t even need to guess. He was positively mad fer it, weren’t he.”

Shulk’s lips crooked into a sheepish, yet slightly self-satisfied smile as he continued to avert his eyes.

“Mmh, yeah. Rex can’t keep his hands off of me. Now, if you’ll excuse me… Oww…!”

Kazuna narrowed her eyes knowingly as Shulk shuffled uncomfortably in his seat.

“Well it certainly ain’t helpin’ with the decibel issue, that’s fer sure. Saomi was beggin’ to stay over at my cabin last night, when she were managin’ just fine even wi’ all the new folk right before.”

Ahh. The last few days had been awkward whenever she’d run into Linka, particularly the glares she exchanged over the state with which Shulk and Rex emerged in the morning.

“Glad he liked it, that. Actually though, Shulk…”

“Hmm?” Shulk took a swig from his coffee mug, bitter and black as he typically preferred it.

“Don’t let Rex know I told you this, but… He said to me somethin’ funny the other day. He actually asked me to see if I could make somethin’ similar for him! Say, you wouldn’t happen to remember how that wife o’ yours used t’ dress, would ya?”

The mug clattered to the table.

And with that, Shulk nearly fainted on the spot.

----

THE END

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