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Chapter Text

BTW: Here is the cover art for the book

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Hey. So just making this because I REACHED THE FUCKING TAG LIMIT ON THIS STORY. They really need to make it be able to have more then 25 tags on Wattpad. Here is a list of all the tags.

What the fuck am I doing with my life

Bl/ MlM/ TW: GAY??? {I'm just joking about the trigger warning part, but if you are homophobic, BYE BITCH.}

Fantasy

ModernDay

Fluff AND Smut 

Detailed Smut

Mentions of Hospitalization 

Again, What the fuck am I doing with my life. 

Past suicide attempt

Suicide attempt

Depression

Supernatural

Sex work/ Pornographic work

TW: GUN / Mentions of Gang Violence

Werewolf / Vampire / Succubi / Nymphs / Mythological and Non-human beings / Big Mac / Dunkin Donuts Bacon Egg and Cheese Croissant

WHO COOK'S SALAD?????

TW: Mature Themes

Mentions of Past Sexual Assault [SA] (IS NOT VERY DETAILED, BECAUSE THAT IS DISGUSTING)

Irregular Updates

Writing this at 2 AM

On this Episode of: WHAT THE FUCK AM I DOING WITH MY LIFE

Should have made an alt account for this, but too late

Mentions of a Coma

Coma

Kind of smart MC

Kind of dumb MC

MC is A Switch??? I thought he was a bottom?

ML is a BOTTOM/ SWITCH???? I THOUGHT HE WAS A TOP?

Damn, this shit got me crying writing this

Gang violence???

Mentions of arson

TW: MEN (SCARY OOO000OOO00OO)

Romance

LOTS OF PLOT TWISTS O_0

Trust Issues

Kind of Infuriating characters that have a kind of good reason, but they are infuriating notheless

WAR?????

Childhood trauma

Is this toxic yaoi? [Honestly, I have no idea if their relationship is toxic or not]

All Tags Subject to Change [STC] (Especially on the tag list)

By the way, all the chapters that have a winking smiley face [ ;D ] next to the name will end up having a kind of detailed to a VERY detailed sex scene in it. If you do not feel comfortable reading these chapters and you still want to read the story, skip to the end of the chapter, where there will be a pinned recap kind of separated from everything else and mentions everything key notes on the chapter. 

As you may have guessed, this is going to have kind of graphic violence and mentions of adult topics. If you feel uncomfortable by that or any of these tags mentioned, just know this. THAT IS OK. Do not put your mental health in a bad state just to read a book. On A03. Your better than that. Have a good day, and take care of yourself. 

This story will have very mature topics on top of all of that. Not because I support the topics, but because they don't fully get adressed in this day and age, and I want to try and show the effects it could have. These topics include mentions of past SA, PTSD, religious trauma, etc. If you do still want to read the story, but you may feel uncomfortable with any of the more mature topics that may appear, I will try to add a content warning at the start of the chapter. At the end of the chapter, there will be a summary of what happened, without fully going into the details that may make people uncomfortable. I want to spread awareness, but I don't want to feel disgusting or to make people feel disgusted while doing so. Plus, for a person who may have experienced that, it could bring back bad experiences of your own. 

Well, now that that's out of the way, enjoy the story. 

Chapter Text

... "And you are all set."

"Wh..What?" I said, not really listening to a word that she was saying. I know I should have probably kept my ears open when the contractor decided to sell me a house right next to what seemed to be the middle of nowhere, but when you have been traveling back and forth from your old apartment to the fucking woods for 15 hours straight, you suddenly feel just a little bit tired. Especially if it has been going on since 6. am.

"Romero?" The contractor started to ask. "Are you ok? What are you doing."

I feel bad because she is my friend, but I am so tired that I cannot even answer her. I can't even remember her name. What was her name again? Lila? Luna? Luka? Leo? Probably not Leo. Shit, was it Leo?

"Why are you on the floor?"

After she said that, I open my eyes a bit more and finding myself laying on the floor. Did I almost just fall asleep on the grass by my new house? What was I thinking??? Although, it does feel soft. AND, if I fall asleep, it means I don't have to start unpacking yet.

That's it. It's decided. I am sleeping on the floor.

As I decide to sleep on the floor, Leo tries to pick me up. "Look, Romero. I know you are tired. I am too. But don't you think that you should just MAYBE try to sleep IN YOUR OWN HOME? You know, AFTER putting everything away? Or, just hear me out on this, sleep on the floor in an unpacked spot IN YOUR HOUSE. Or even just sleep in your car while the movers unpack everything. Just, please. Don't sleep on the grass. Ok?"

I get up, mumbling to myself before answering her. "I'll just go with the last one." I say, dragging my body into the car and laying down on the back seat.

"SAGE? IS HE READY FOR US TO UNPACK THE ITEMS?"

"YES. JUST DON'T UNPACK BOXES LABELED PERSONAL OR WORK STUFF. LEAVE THOSE INSIDE BY THE FRONT DOOR."

"OK."

As I dose off, finally getting sleep, I think to myself. "So her name was Sage...Wait, why did I think it was Leo?"

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I had always been a lucid dreamer, and because of that, my dreams never fail to amaze me. This one in particular stood out a bit. I'm next to a river, and a beautiful voice lures me in. I see a shirtless man on the sand, and they call out to me. I reach for them, trying to feel the nonexistent warmth of their body, and they pull me into the water. It is suffocating, yet, so alluring. We are about to lean in for a kiss, when I feel a tap on my shoulder nudging me wake me up. It's Sage. Again. Look, I am grateful she is so on top of things, but why could she not wait five minutes? IT WAS JUST GETTING SO GOOD.

"Your house is all unpacked. Well, except for your personal items and other marked packages, those are by the door."

I sit up, trying to look her in the face as she talks. "Thank you." I say, tiredly. "Is there anything else I need to know?"

"Nope. Overall, this house was a good choice for you. It is a nice, quiet neighborhood. The townspeople seem friendly. You do need to worry a bit about the woods that are a little bit next to your backyard, but there seems to be a path to a local park that connects to it. Specifically, a fishing spot, so that should not be a problem, and I guess you have a place to go fishing and connect with the neighbors. The city is around 30 minutes away, so you can still do all of your more tedious work there. There should be no rat or pests in any areas of the town, as it seems to be really clean. And finally, and probably best of all, you are in a kind of secluded area, so nobody can really hear you, especially while doing your job."

I probably only caught around half of those words, but that's probably fine. "Yeah, that will be all. Thanks again for this Sage."

"Are you kidding? It's my pleasure. You're my friend. Plus, paid for the entire house in one sitting."

"That's just the benefits of my 'job', I guess. You do good at it, and you do it for a long time, and you're lucky, you end up get paid more."

Sex work. Specifically explicit live streams on ###### and major porn films on ******. That's my job. Honestly, it is not the most "ideal" job to have, but you do what you can to get by, I guess. I mean, I honestly kind of like it. I get to meet a lot of new people. I have a good body, so I get a lot of jobs. I get paid well, and I am free to do what I want for most of my day. On top of all that, I managed to find the one place in my line of work that does not take advantage of people in my industry. All it cost me is my dignity, my past close friends that disagreed, any chance at another job ever, my ego, and any other chance at a normal life...So.....that's great. But at least half of those things are not a problem. They left long ago.

Although, now that I think of it, nobody should know me out here. I mean, what people in a small town in the middle of nowhere watches porn, especially the type that I am in? And, even if some do, they probably won't say anything to anyone, because it may embarrass them. I mean, it is a small town, so it should be a close circle of people. Nobody can hear me from where I live, so I don't have to worry about disturbing neighbors with the live streams and the moans. I go into the city for most major job anyways. So, does that mean... is this it? Do I finally have a chance to live a normal life? Can I finally make friends again?

"Ahem!"

I look up. I was so lost in thought that I forgot Sage was still there. "Sorry, you were saying?"

She smiles at me sarcastically, continuing on with what she was saying. "Ok, after looking everything over, everything seems to be perfect. I should probably go now...." She stops, looking up from her iPad and then looking at me. "Actually....There is one teeny...tiny...LITTLE...downside that I forgot to mention..."

...

DOWNSIDE??? WHAT DO YOU MEAN DOWNSIDE??? I start to get nervous. What is it? Frequent natural disasters? Flying fish? CANNIBALS?

"Sage... what's the downside?"

"It says here that this town tends to have a... wolf problem. I have no idea what it means, but I don't really think this is good."

I stare at her, lost in my own train of thought. Wolfs? I could handle cannibals if they came at me, it wouldn't be the first time someone tried to eat me out, but WOLVES? "So, I just bought a house next to a part of the woods in a town that seems to have a WOLF PROBLEM? WHAT EVEN IS A WOLF PROBLEM?" I start to get more panicked, my breath getting even more narrow by the second. "How many are there for it to be a problem? 1? 2? 20??? 50?????"

She grabs my arm, looking in my eyes. "Calm down. Ok. Just take deep breaths, got it? Deep breaths."

I look at her and notice I am hyperventilating. I try to breath at a normal pace.

...1

...2

...3

...4

...5

...6

...7

...8

...9

...10

...I think I am ok.

She looks at me, trying to calm me down. "Don't worry. It is going to be fine. Just remember to lock your doors. Besides..." She hands me her iPad. "...it says here that there only seems to be reports of anything really bad happening on nights with full moons, and even that is very infrequent. So, just relax, ok? Everything will be fine."

I breath again, trying to calm myself down more. "Ok. Yeah. YEAH. Ok. I can do this. I am strong. I am fine. I can take on a wolf." I start to panic again. "I mean, it's not like it is going to do anything to me, right? I will be ok." I hold my arm in my hand, scratching it frantically.

"AND, just in case you are not, you have this, remember?" She hands me a shotgun and a box of silver bullets. "If worse comes to worst."

I hold it in my hands, putting it down slowly next to my feet. "Thank You."

"Ok, I need to go back to the city. There are a lot of paperwork waiting for me there..." She gets in her car, looking out the window as she turns to me. "Romero. Even though I have not been your friend for a long time, please, try to take it easy on yourself. You are still recovering. Got it?"

I stop scratching my hand, waving goodby to her. "Got it. Come back to visit sometime, ok?"

She nods, moving out of the driveway and leaving back to the city.

I guess this is it.

A new life.

A different life.

A different me.

"What can go wrong?"

I turn to enter my house, getting to the door. I probably jinxed it. FU-

Chapter Text

As it actually becomes night, I go to bed. Sure, I may have just slept in my car for around 2 hours, but I can still be tired after that. Cars are uncomfortable. Plus, it's 12 already. 12! I'm falling asleep tomorrow.

I go to the bathroom and get ready to sleep. It is only in my sleep deprivation that I realize something that I did not fully process before. This house is HUGE. It has 3 bathrooms, 4 bedrooms, an office, a kitchen, living room, dining room, attic, basement, patio, and a back porch with a grill and a pool. AND IT IS NEXT TO THE WOODS. Yay nature I guess. AND I HAVE MY OWN WALKWAY TO MY HOUSE WITH A DRIVEWAY. IN THIS ECONOMY??? AND I'M ALONE. I'M ALONE. ALONEEEEEEEEEEE.

"I'M ALONE." I scream so loud that I could hear some birds flying away from my rooftop, but you know what I don't here. PEOPLE. Usually, if I even tried that before, I would get screams to "shut the fuck up" from my downstairs or upstairs neighbors, but I did not get any. YAY.

I walk into one of the bedrooms. Is it the master one, or one of the guest ones? You know what, I DON'T CARE. Its mine now. Its closest to the living room anyway, so at least when I get home, I can go straight to bed. I get undressed and go on the bed, drifting off to sleep almost immediately.

What will my life be like now?

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"Hey [UNSEEN CHARACTER], have you heard?"

"What is it, [OTHER UNSEEN CHARACTER]. I'm kind of busy right now."

"Someone just moved into the house by the park."

"...ARE YOU SERIOUS? Thats an expensive house. I think. Is the house that expensive? Whatever, it's a nice house."

"Yeah. But do you want to know what the kind of funny part is?"

"Oh, this is going to be good. What is it?"

"So, I was talking to [OTHER OTHER UNSEEN CHARACTER] today about him..."

"Wait, why to [OTHER OTHER UNSEEN CHARACTER]?"

"Because he was fishing by the house earlier while they were moving. Anyway, I was talking to him about the mystery man, and apparently, the person who just moved here, DOES NOT KNOW ABOUT THE ?????????????"

A look of concern spreads across [OTHER UNSEEN CHARACTER]'s face. "SHUT UP. Are you serious? WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS FUNNY? He could get into some serious trouble. We should tell him tomorrow."

"...Are you sure we should do that? What if he does not react well to it? I mean, it would be our first impression. Saying something like that on a first impression could make him think we are crazy."

"Well, we can't just not tell him. He could be seriously injured if you don't say anything."

"He'll be fine..."[UNSEEN CHARACTER] stops, but then turns to look at [OTHER UNSEEN CHARACTER]. He sighs. "...but if you are so hesitant then I guess [OTHER OTHER UNSEEN CHARACTER] and I will meet him first thing tomorrow and then see if he actually knows about it. If he doesn't, then we will tell him."

"Alright then. Good."

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AH-AH-AH-AH-AH-AH-AH-AH-AH-AH

...Can that alarm just turn itself off? I just want to sleep. Is that too much to ask?

I get up and turn off the alarm. I guess this is it. No turning back now.

I open the blindfolds of my window and get ready for the day. I put on some basic clothes, work out, make coffee, and sit down on my sofa. A new life.

Ding-Dong

I think that was the doorbell. Who shows up to another person's house first thing in the morning? Am I just being delusional. Maybe it is Sage again. Did she forget to mention something yesterday?

I open the door. "Listen, Sage, whatever you want to say can you please just wait for the coffee to kick in yet. Also, why are you here so early. I really don't...have...any..." I look at the door and see two people standing in front of it. None of them are Sage. Or maybe she just got a makeover? Nah, both are too tall to be her.

"Um...Ok. That was... weird, but...HI." One of the two says, having more energy than anyone I have ever knew in my entire life, especially for the morning.

"Hi...Who are you guys?"

"Oh. OH. Well, my name is Maxwell, and this is Bartholemew. You can just call us Bart and Max. We just wanted to welcome you into the neighborhood."

"Oh. OH. OK. I'm sorry, I just woke up and I am still kind of tired." I look at them standing outside, seemingly waiting for an invitation. "Do you want to come in, or...?"

"Of course." Says Max, again, with way too much energy. It's not a bad thing, just taking me by surprise.

We all sit on the couch. I offer them some coffee and we all talk about some small things, like the news, some sports, family recipes, the town, etc. After a while, though, I feel more... comfortable... with them. Sure, they may have just showed up out of nowhere, but they seem to have good intentions, and they are friendly enough. Two hours end up passing by and although want to keep talking to them, I do need to unpack things today.

"Well, this was lovely, but I think it is time for you guys to go. Sorry."

Bart looks at me in confusion. "Oh. Ok then. Sorry for asking but is there something else you needed to do today?"

I look at the boxes that I have laying around every inch of my house. "Well... kind of. I guess need to unpack a few boxes. I know I can do it a different day, but I just want to get them done, and I don't want to trouble you with it."

Max decides to chime in. "Are you kidding? We can totally help you unpack all of this."

I look around again, seeing all the boxes near us. "Really? It is a lot of stuff, and I don't want to work you guys. I literally just met the two of you."

Bart gets up, already starting to pick up a box. "It's not a problem. Let's get to work."

I smile, getting up and taking another box. "Ok then. Let's get to work."

After hours and hours of unpacking, we finally get it all done. It took a WHILE, but it was worth it. I feel like I can finally call this place a home. Although, I do feel like I am missing something.

"Hey Romero? This seems to be the last box. What is in this one? It's heavy."

I look at the box Max is holding. A label is on it, saying "Work Stuff ;)" THAT. I was missing that.

I look in horror as I see Max holding the box where I keep all my...sponsorships...and other...work utilities and items I use for my... livestreams.

I freeze in place, trying to extend my arms. "HEY MAX, maybe you should just give me the box." I say, panicked on what Max will do if he opens it.

"Are you ok, Romero." Bart says, worried. "You look a little...pale."

"What are you talking about." I wipe the sweat off my forehead. "I am fine. Just please give me the box."

"Man, you are sweating so much that it looks like you'll make permanent water damage. Are you sure you're ok?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. Just give me the box. Please?"

Max looks down at the box that he is holding, clearly confused in what is in the box. "I mean, if it is that important, sure man."

I let out a sigh of relief.

"I don't know what is in this box that you want to hide, but I guess..." Max looks at the box again, then at me. "Um... Is this what I think it is?" His face turns pale as he looks at me with terror.

I feel a wave of panic yet again. "Wh..what do you think i...it is?"

"IS THIS A GUN?"

I let out another sigh. "Oh."

Wait. This is the perfect opportunity. I can throw them off from what is really in there. I don't know why they are asking me this many questions about MY box, but I guess it works for me.

"Um, YES. It is a gun. In fact, there are around 3 in there."

Max looks at me in horror. "Why do you have THREE GUNS in a box titled 'Work Stuff ;)'?"

Oh...Um... I did not think this far ahead. HOW DO I EXPLAIN THAT? "Um. I put it in there so... that way, no one could suspect what was in the box? I did not want the movers to freak out." I think I saved it.

"Well, couldn't you just label it hunting equipment? You live right next to the woods."

Panic. "I mean I COULD HAVE... but I still think they would have still freaked out."

Max lets out a sigh. "Ok, I guess." He lowers the box, placing it down slowly. "...I will just put it here."

I let out a breath. "Thank you. Sorry if it freaked you out."

"I mean, I was not really freaked out. Just a bit... surprised." Max says, clearly still in shock from what he thought was a lot of guns.

"Don't worry. All of them are currently unloaded anyways. They would not have hurt you."

I mean, I don't really know if I would consider them all UNLOADED...just...not loaded with bullets. But this is good. They don't seem to suspect a thing.

As it starts to get dark, they start to leave, and I am left alone again. Today was a long day. I take off my clothes and get into the shower, letting the water touch my skin. I just can't help but think about how I almost blew my cover. I get one chance at a new life, only one, and I almost ruined it on day ONE. I did not even mind the cold water. All I could think about was how I need to hide my job better, and the ways of doing so. Sure, maybe one day I will tell them about my line of work, but today, the first day I was here, is NOT that day.

As I get on a towel, ready to go to bed, I look at my box of my "work stuff ;D." I put it in my room and open the box. How long has it been since I "went to work?" Months at least. What about a simple post? A couple of weeks? Maybe a month? I was figuring a lot out, after all. Like moving. But, if I don't continue to post something, I could lose my fans, and I can't have that happening. But I also don't want to really do anything today.

I look down at myself, still in nothing but a towel. Maybe I just make a simple post. That way, my fans will be satisfied, and I will not have to do much. I take out my phone and lower the towel a little bit, then take a picture of my lower body. After this, I write out the post.

"Sorry I have been less active recently. Along with everything that happened over the past few months, and I just moved, so I could not interact that much. My mind is aching thinking about you guys...and so are some other parts of my body. Thank you for being so patient in this time. More to come soon ;)."

I post the photo, already getting a bunch of comments in a couple of seconds. "I need you so bad." "It's good that your saving energy. More for you to use later." "Wow, under all that stress and still keeping us fed." "I would not mind dirtying a new house with you." "Raw, next question." "I love you, please don't fall into a coma." And so on.

As I lie in my bed, trying to go to sleep, only one thing pops in my head.

What am I doing with my life?

Chapter Text

I open my eyes again. Another day. You know, since I am all done with unpacking, maybe I should go around the neighborhood and introduce myself. Get to know people.

I'm get ready for the day, when all of a sudden, I hear the doorbell ring again. Are Max and Bart here? Again?

I walk to the entrance and answer the door.

"Hello?" At the door, I see Bart and Max. Although, this time, they seem to have brought someone with them. "Hi Bart. Hi Max. Hi... Who are...?"

Before I could finish, the person cuts me off. "I'm Athena. Lovely to meet you." She extends out a hand.

I shake it. "Lovely to meet you. So, why are you guys here today? Came to visit me?"

"Well..." Max starts to say, looking as energetic as yesterday. Seriously, how is he like this in the morning? What is he on?... Can I get some? No, I probably could not handle it. My heart would explode. "...we just thought it would be a good idea to show you around the neighborhood. You know, help you meet people. Show you everything to do in the town."

My eyes widen. "Oh, I was kind of planning on doing that already, so... perfect! Let me just get my stuff and I will be on my way." I pack a bag and get ready to head out.

Bart looks at what I am wearing, completely stunned. "Um, is that what you are..."

I look down at myself, confused. "What's wrong with it?"

"It's 80 degrees' outside. Why are you wearing a cardigan."

I look down at my yellow cardigan. Honestly, I just don't want them to see... something. But also, they just met me. How am I going to explain that to them. "Um... fashion."

Athena steps onto Barts foot. "Well, I think it looks great on you! Very stylish."

I start to blush a bit out of embarrassment. "Thank you. That's... very sweet."

We turn to leave. The rest of the town seems to be only 5 minutes away, so they show me all the spots they enjoy. "That is the flea market. It usually is only open on Sundays, so remember to come on time. That is an apple farm. A person in the town, Milo has been working on it for YEARS. Reminds him of his wife. Right over here is the local bookstore. Here is a grocery store. These are some of the restaurants."

As Max continues to talk, I look over to a small, glass dome with a gothic bench inside of it. "What is that?"

Bart looks at me in surprise. "Did you not live in the city before you moved here? That's just a bus stop."

What bus stop looks like that??? "Where does it go?"

Athena looks at me in confusion. "It takes you to the city. It is only 30 minutes away. Did you not know about that before you moved here?"

"Are there other stops?"

"Of course. It's a bus. It also takes you to a shopping area near the city, an airport, the closest beach, which is also not too far, and some other less noteworthy places."

I look back. "Oh. Ok then. I will... I will keep that in mind."

Max continues, moving on. "Anyways, let's keep going."

As we go on, I can't shake the bus stop out of my head. Why is there a dome over a bus stop. It looks too fancy to just be a stop in the middle of nowhere. So, why does it exist?

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As the day goes on, I meet more and more people and see more and more places. The town seems to change as it starts to get dark, streetlamps filling up the town with light, with the help of fairy lights, seemingly connecting them. More night-based areas start to open, and more of the day-based areas start to close.

"We are almost done." Athena says, leading us as Max and Bart fall behind her a bit. "There is just one more area that needs to be shown. I saved the best for last, so come on." She goes into a park, which is beautifully lit up by all the lights and lamps, along with all the nature surrounding it. As we walk in the park, we reach the center, which seems to be in its own, secluded little area.

"Welcome to the Concrete Circle. Home of a famous local cafe, all the food vendors, ice cream vendors, and most famously, the Driving Buffalo."

"What is the...."

"It's a bar." Bart says, cutting me off before I could respond. "There is also a little area next to here that is kind of like a hangout spot. They do karaoke on Wednesday through Sunday."

"That's...cool."

Athena turns around. "Well, that's it for the tour. You guys want to go get a drink? The bar has VERY good drinks."

Max, already sitting at the bar, waves over to us. "Already ahead of you. Come on. Sit."

As I sit down, I look over to the bartender. She is in cowboy boots and has a cowboy hat. Looking straight out of a wild west movie.

"MAX! How are you, sugar. I have not seen you in a few." She says in a thick southern accent.

"WENDY! I'm good. I'm good. We just finished showing around out new neighbor."

"That's fun." She looks over to me. "Nice to meet you. I'm Wendy Carlson."

"Hello. I'm Romero. Romero Porcupine"

After I shake her hand, we chat for a bit, and I look over to a sign on the bar, saying "NO RAMPAGING ON ABNORMALS" and chuckle. "What's that sign for? Is it, like, an inside joke or something? Like 'don't fight in the bar!'"

Wendy starts to laugh, and everyone laughs with her, but I stay a bit quiet. She looks at me, puzzled. "Wait, are you being serious, sugar?"

"I mean... yeah. I guess. Is there... is everything ok?"

"Ok. Um, just checking if Max or Bart told you, you do know about the rule for... people like us, right?"

I look at her, confused. "What rule?"

She looks at Max with annoyance, then at me. "Guess not. Well, there is a rule in this town. Never stay out at night if you are not able to handle it. One look at you, and you don't seem too bad strength wise, but mentally, are you able to handle it?"

"...Handle what?"

"Well, I'm sure they probably told you about the 'Wolf Problem' in this town. Yeah, sometimes at night they like to come here, so I just wanted to put a sign in case of an Abnormal. They probably won't come here today because it is not a full moon, but still, the chance is never zero."

I start to panic a bit. It makes a bit of sense. The woods seem to be right next to the park, but still. What does that have to do with the sign? "I mean, I don't know why wolfs would come to a bar, but I guess I can try and handle it?"

She looks at me and laughs. "Oh, doll. You are so funny. Wolf's coming to a bar. You should give it a go next stand-up night at the karaoke area. One second in will get you a standing ovation. So funny."

I get a bit nervous. "I mean, I don't think I said anything funny. Why would wolves come to a bar in the middle of the park. It seems like a weird thing to happen."

Her laughing dies down a bit, then she starts to stare at Max. After a second, she turns to Bart and Athena. "Wait, did y'all not tell him?"

I instantly start to panic. "Tell... tell me what?"

Athena looks at Bart and Max. "I though they told him yesterday."

"Guys? Tell me what?"

Max and Bart look at each other. "We thought he already knew. He seemed to have protection for the worst-case scenario when we went over to his house yesterday."

"TELL ME WHAT??? Can someone please tell me what is going on?"

They all look at each other. Wendy turns around and then hands me a bottle of Tequilla. "Here you go. You are going to need it."

I stare at the four of them, then Bart starts to speak. "When we say...Wolf Problem... we don't mean...wolves. I mean, there are normal wolves that are in the woods, but that is not what we mean. We mean...Werewolves."

I look at them blankly then start to laugh. Clearly, they are playing a joke on me. "Oh my god. For a second there, I thought you were being serious. Werewolves don't exist. Everyone knows that." They look at me, then exchange glances, serious looks spreading across all of their faces. I look at the bottle of tequila and Wendy gives me a shot glass. I pour some Tequilla in and drink the entire thing in one gulp. "Ok...um... I don't really know what to say. I guess... just start from the top."

Max looks at Athena. "There really is no 'starting from the top.' That's really it. Werewolves exist. The end. Why did you think the house prices here were lower than in the city. I mean sure, there are some nice houses, but some apartments are way more expensive than the ones here."

I take another shot, panicking a bit. If normal wolves can already do so much damage, what happens with anamorphic ones. "So, are they, like, conscious of their decisions?"

Bart starts to talk, his tone of voice trying to be as coherent as possible. "Most of the time yes. Sometimes they are not though, but if you stay safe, you should be fine."

Max chimes in, energetic as ever. "Oh my GOD, I HATE when I lose consciousness. My house is destroyed when I come back to my senses."

Wendy laughs. "You also destroyed the bar a few times, sugar, remember?"

He turns his head so fast I thought it may come off. "REALLY?"

"Why do you think we have a no rampage rule now."

"OH NO, I am so sorry."

"It's ok, I put the damages on your tab."

Max chuckles a bit. "Ha Ha. Very funny." Wendy smirks at him, rolling her eyes. "Wait, your serious? Is that why my card keeps getting declined?"

I try to stay calm, taking in as much information as I can, while taking another shot. "Can we please get back to the matter at hand? Also, Max, are you a..."

"Werewolf. Yeah. Almost everyone in this town is. There is a lot of cultural heritage tied to towns that have them, and it tends to be the more dominant gene when in comparison to normal humans. Most being genes are like that."

I drink another shot, my mind racing. I have so many questions. "BEING GENES? So, does that mean that... other things are also real? Like... VAMPIRES AND SHIT?"

Athena looks at me. "I mean, yeah. There is the 'bat problem,' or vampires, and the 'fly problem,' or fairies. There are a lot of more towns and communities that have many different 'problems'. Think of them as a... codeword... for what type of beings they have. For example, in Greece, there is the 'tree problem' or the 'water problem,' which are also known as nymphs. Around more tropical areas like Brazil, there is the 'fish problem' or mermaids and sirens. In Japan, there is the 'horn problem' which are oni and sometimes just general yokai. Some places have a different kind of 'fly problem,' who are pixies instead of fairies. Some places have the 'bird problem', which correlate to angels and demons. And then, some places have more traditional, localized types of 'problems'. An example is Native Americans, who have the 'deer problem', or the deer woman. As far as I'm aware, it is only one, but she seems to be really good at her job. Anyways, a lot of these people are stereotyped though, and tend to be underrepresented in things like the news or popular media. A lot of information about all of these beings in books or media are always exaggerated and stereotyped, so it is best to ask what they can do."

I drink a couple more shots, trying to process everything. "So, do you guys...all... know each other? Or...hang out? Have a barbecue or something like that?" Was that offensive?

Bart looks offended. "Of course we don't all know each other. We just know about each other. Do you know every white person named Phil. No."

Max cuts him off. "But we do have barbecues and parities with some of them that live nearby. For example, there is a town an hour south from here that has a bunch of vampires that came here from Europe and other places that carry their cultural background. It was recently built as part of a project to keep them safe, as they tend to be kind of rare nowadays after..." He cuts off, starting to switch topics. "Oh, sorry. I'm rambling again. Anyways, we have had a barbecue with them, and in the city, there are a lot of things like nymphs or succubi who like to visit from time to time. There are also sirens in the woods who live in the river. They don't visit as often, but they should be by the fishing area."

Ok. So... there are people that live near me. That's... great. Wait. "Why are there nymphs in the city? I don't think there are that many trees or big areas of water there."

"They try to keep the place clean and fight against climate change."

"Oh. Ok." I try to drink another shot, but I see that I am holding an empty bottle now. That can't be good for me, but at least I might be able to kind of understand and closure about all of this now that I am a little bit drunk.

Wendy walks out from behind the counter. "Well, it is now 11:00 P.M., so I guess my shift is over. See you later, sugar."

Max wave at her with a hand motion going at the speed of light. "Bye Wendy!"

As she leaves, she swaps places with a random man behind the counter. I am too drunk to notice him as he talks, but his voice is DEEP. "Whoa. What happened to you man?"

Bart looks at the man and watches as he tries see if I'm ok. "Oh, hi Darius. How are you man?"

"I'm good. Can't say the same for your friend here. Is he visiting you guys or something? I have not seen him before, but he looks... familiar."

"No. He is the new person moving in that I told you about two days ago. We just told him about this town's 'wolf problem.'"

"Wait, so he did not know in the end? Thats... not good." I can hear him looking over at the bottle of Tequilla. "Damn. He drank a LOT. Well, time to get up. Come on big guy."

I look up at him, still drunk, but it does not stop me from taking him in. All of him in. GOD DAMN. "Oh mY. YoUr hoT. I'm..ROmeRo. Am I dreAMing. I tHInk I Am. WhAt is yOur nUm...NAmE. WhAt is yOUr naMe?" I stutter and hiccup in between words, but I end up saying a sentence. I think.

"I'm...You know what, I will just introduce myself later. How much did you guys tell him?"

Bart looks at him. "A LOT. He had a whole bottle of tequila."

"DAMN. BY HIMSELF? Oh my. Here," he hands me a glass of water. "Drink this. This will help sober you up."

I stare at him. "WhAt iS iT?"

The bartender looks at me, clearly seeing that I probably will reject it if he says the wrong thing. "Um... More tequila?" He says in high pitched voice.

I look at him. "Ok." I drink the entire thing in one go, then start to ramble. "ThAt diD nOt TasTE Like TequILa. DiD yOu... hic... puT soMetHiNG iN It? I thOugHT wHen I MoVED heRE, I cOuLD sTOp... hic... worRYInG abOut PEoplE sPikING mY DriNk."

"Ok, fine, you caught me, it was wa..." He cuts himself off, and the bartender looks down at me, his smile fading almost instantly to a worried look. "What did you just say?"

I stutter through my words. "It'S FiNe. I HaVE HiGh TolERance. I cAn HanDLe..." As the water kicks into my system, my stomach cannot handle anymore. I feel something come up. I run to the nearest garbage can and vomit, then walk back in shame, a bit more sober, but still a bit drunk. "Ok, I think I am fine enough now. Damn, what did you spike me with? I don't think I tasted that type of drug yet. Is it new? Did you make it?"

The bartender looks to Athena, Bart, and Max in concern. "Is he ok?" Then, he turns to me. "I didn't spike you. I just gave you water. Why would I..."

I chuckle, my cheeks turning red in embarrassment as I try to double down. "Ok. Just water. Never heard that before." As I sober up more, I can see the serious expression on his face more clearly. "Wait, your serious."

He looks at me, absolutely astounded. "Of course I am! Why would I drug you? I just met you."

I look at him, even more embarrassment kicking in. I must look like a tomato at this point. "Well, I thought that...you recognized m..." I stop myself, trying not to create a new color of red on the color wheel and plastering it all over my face. "...nevermind. Just forget I said anything, ok." I grab my stuff, getting off of my chair. "Bart, is this place close to my house?"

He looks up. "Yeah, just take the path to the fishing area and it should start to be a bit familiar from there."

"Thank you. It was nice meeting you..." I look at the bartender. I think his name was Darius. I don't know why, but there is something weird about him. Almost like we have met before. "Sorry. Bye!"

I go down the path, at first walking, then running. I kept running. Running as fast as I can. I cry from embarrassment, but I just keep running away. I finally get the chance to make a lasting first impression, and I blew it. I thought I could finally start going to the bar again. This is not the city anymore. I would be able to relax. But, after everything that happened, I can't show my face there again.

I finally get to my house and open the door. I don't even change. I just go to the room and lie in bed.

Tomorrow will be a new day. It won't take away what happened, but it will be a new day.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What was that about." Darius asked. He can't quite put his finger on it, but he knows something would make this make some more sense if he just looked hard enough.

"Beats me." Max starts to say. "Maybe he was just delusional. I mean, we did give him a lot of information. Maybe he just needs time to process."

Darius looks down at the bar. "You are probably right." But Darius recognizes something. Someone. He is sure that he had seen Romero's face before. He is sure he is missing something. A piece from a big picture.

He tries to think back onto what Romero said. I thought that you recognized me. Is that what he was going to say? Why would he recognize him? Is he famous? He thinks back to his expression. His features. His long blond hair. The blue eyes he had. His muscular physique. Where had he...

It hits him and Darius gasps. No...NO... It can't be.... is it...no way...right? He's... surely not?

Athena looks at him. "Is everything ok Darius?"

He thinks back and starts to look something up on his phone, hiding it behind the bar counter so no one else could see.

IT IS! Oh my. It makes so much sense now. He knew he looked familiar. He looks to everyone at the bar, thinking to himself... "Do they know? No, probably not. Should I tell them? I mean, they would probably..."

"Darius." Athena snaps at him, bringing him back to reality. "Is everything ok?"

"What...Oh. Yeah. Everything is fine."

As he continues tending the bar, Darius thinks to himself. "It is not my place to tell them. I should wait until Romero is ready. I hope he is ok. I can't believe it though. It's him. It's really him!"

Chapter Text

AH-AH-AH-AH-AH-AH-AH-AH-

Why did I have to wake up again? After what happened yesterday at the bar, can I just die? That seems like a good plan. You know what, It's fine. It is not the end of the world. You just said some things yesterday; you can go over and correct them. It's fine. Everything will be A-OK. Just make sure to...

Ding-Dong

While thinking to myself, the doorbell rings. I walk from the bedroom to the door, still wearing the same clothes as yesterday. It's probably Max or Bart again. Don't they have jobs or something? Maybe it is Athena? Whoever it is, I am planning on just turning them away nicely. I need to figure out how I want to apologize to that bartender from yesterday. How can I fix everything?

I open the door, and lay my eyes on...

"DARIUS?"

"Hey." He is smiling at the door, carrying a bag with something inside of it. "Do you mind if I come in? I want to talk to you about... something..."

I look behind me, motioning towards the couch. "No, YEAH, you can come inside." As he comes inside to sit down, only one thing goes through my head. WHY THE FUCK IS HE HERE??? WHY DID HE COME HERE, NOW? WAS IT BECAUSE OF WHAT I SAID? OH NO, WAS IT?

He sits down and gives me the bag. "First off, here is a housewarming gift." I take the bag and look down, finding a bottle of tequila.

My face turns red. Seriously? Is he joking with me?

"Second off, about what you said yesterd..."

I cut him off. "NO! No. Hang on. I am so so SO sorry about what I said yesterday. I was drunk and I did not know what came over me. Maybe it was all the information given to me by everyone, but still. I did not mean to say that, especially not to you. I am sorry. It won't happen again. Do you want to never see me again. I understand if you never want to see me again. I will NEVER, EVER go-"

"WOAH WOAH WOAH WOAH WOAH!" Darius cuts me off, starting to panic, like he had just messed something up. "It's ok. I get it. I figured as much anyway. You used to live in the city, right?" I nod. "Maybe, in the heat of the moment, you just thought of where you used to live and the bad memories that come with it. I guess you have some bad experiences with bars and merged the two situations together because of how common it was for you to go there and get spiked."

I sigh. "Yes. That's it! Thank you for understanding."

He lunges closer to me and grabs both of my hands. "But that is the thing. I don't, because that should not be a thing in your everyday life. Being spiked should not be such a common occurrence that you should blend with doing something like going to a bar. You deserve to feel safe, and comfortable, and I am sorry that I could not make you feel that way when I was there with you." He puts his head down on my hands and starts...crying? "So, please. Forgive me, for not making you feel safe enough around me."

I stare at him in shock. My face starts to blush even more, and my heart starts to skip a beat. To say I did not expect this was an UNDERSTATEMENT. I did NOT expect this. Maybe it is a respect thing. Are the people in this town very big on forgiveness or something?

I lower my hand and pat his head. I don't know why, but it feels like the right thing to do. Like something in my brain tells me that this is what he wants. "It's ok. Don't worry. Just, lift your head up. Please?"

He lifts up his head and let's go of my hands, stopping for a moment. As he sits in silence, he pulls me in for a hug, talking in a low voice. "Thank you."

I normally don't really like hugs, but this one feels... different. It feels...warm. Like I am being covered by a blanket made of clouds. I had always had dreams of being hugged like this. Filled with the genuine warmth and care from another person's body. I almost forgot what it felt like. I extend my arms and hug him back, trying to reciprocate his kindness. "So, can we be...friends, I guess."

Darius smiles, still holding me close. "Yes. I would like that."

We sit like that for a while, and then let go. Then, he starts to think back, and say's something. "Actually... While we are on that subject, were you hitting on me in the bar?"

WOAH. TALK ABOUT A CURVEBALL.

As he says that, my mind races back to what I said to him yesterday at the start of the conversation that we had at the bar, where I remember something about me calling him hot. SHIT, DID I SAY SOWMTHING THAT WENT TOO FAR? I look at him in horror, pushing him away and trying to defend myself, but getting flustered. "Oh my GOD, I completely forgot about that. I'm sorry. SO SORRY. I did not mean it. I mean I did mean it. You are kind of hot... WAIT NO, I DID NOT MEAN IT LIKE THAT. I was drunk and out of my mind. Also, it was stupid of me to say. I mean, LOOK AT YOU. You are probably taken. I would be shocked if you were not. Your fit. Your tall. You look FUCKING FANTASTIC. I probably don't even stand a chance. And besides, with all of that, you are probably straight. Guys that look like you are mostly straight, especially near here. WAIT. I'M SO SORRY. I DID NOT MEAN TO HIT ON A TAKEN MAN. I'M SO STUPID. WHY WOULD YOU GO OUT WITH ME ANYWAYS? I JUST MOVED HERE, AND YOU DONT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ME OR MY LIFE..."

He cuts me off, thinking to himself for a moment. "That's true. I don't know anything about you. And you don't know anything about me. I mean, how could you know anything about me? We just met yesterday. How can you truly know you like me without getting to know a bit about me?"

I look at him and nod. I am a little disappointed, but also relieved to see that he is going to turn me away lightly. He's so generous. His girlfriend is probably so lucky to have him. She won the jackpot.

"So, how about I learn more about you, and you learn more about me." He smiles, kneeling down and putting a hand out in front of my arms. Like he was just asking to propose.

I stare, shocked at what he said.

"...What?"

Chapter Text

I'm sorry, did my brain just break or something? There is no way he just said what I just heard. He wants to go out with me? HA. Cut the cameras. Deadass?

"I'm sorry, I think I must have misheard you." I am obviously hearing things. There is no way that he just said what I think he said. "I thought you just asked me out on a date. Funny, right?"

He frowns, looking deeply into my eyes with disappointment and what seems to be a shattered heart, putting down his extended arm. "I... I DID just ask you out."

Am I high because WHAAAAAAAAAAA????

I blush. I can't believe what I am hearing. Sure, I usually get things like this from time to time, but most of the time they are not from people that are so...attractive and... kind. I don't know if that is rude to say, but it is the truth. My job attracts a lot of CREEPS. People who recognize me and then just want to use me, or "fix" me.

"Do... do you not want to?" Darius instantly snaps me back to reality with his concerned, heartbroken voice. "It's fine if you don't..."

I rush to cut him off, saying everything going through my head like I am writing lyrics to a cheesy romance song. The only thing going through my head it to get him to stay. I mean, this attractive, gentle, kind, muscular GOD of a man just asked me out. I mean, I am hot, but REALLY. He's a 100 on a 1-10 scale. If I fuck this up, I don't know how I would live with myself. "I WILL! I will! I want to! I will go on a date with you! Any time! Any place! Here! I am fine with here! Not here! OK! I..."

As I think I am screwing this up, he grabs my hands again and pulls me in, chuckling like he had just won the lottery. "Looks like someone is excited! I guess that is not a no, then." I nod, and he smiles. "GREAT! Is later today ok?"

I nod with a speed that could break my neck.

"Ok. Well, I will come back here around 8:00, and we can figure something out from there, OK?" He hugs me, then gets up from the couch to go to his house and get ready, seemingly jumping for joy with each step. "See you then." He winks at me by the door and leaves the house.

What... just... happened?

Am I dreaming?

I wanted to clear everything up that happened, and I got a date out of it?

Did that just go how I think it went?

What will we do?

Where will we go?

How long are we going to be there?

How far will we go?

Will we kiss?

Will we do MORE?

What time is it?

I look over at the clock. As I had been sitting on the couch asking myself questions of what will happen, 2 hours have passed since he had asked me out. It was already 1:30. Only a few more hours till the date. As I stare at the clock, thinking of what is to come, I get a knock on the front door. Did he already come to pick me up? I'M NOT READY? NO! I STILL DID NOT EVEN SHOWER YET!

"HEY!" I hear from the other side. "IT'S BART! CAN I COME IN?"

I rush to open the door and let him in. THANK GOD. I mean, I would not mind if it was Darius, but I also want to look my best!

Bart comes in the house, something clearly on his mind. "Thank you, Romero. Anyways, I wanted to ask if you are... ok?"

My mind starts racing, thinking about what he could mean by that. The date is the only thing on my mind right now. Wait, did Darius already tell everyone that I am going to go on a date with him? That is kind of a weird thing to do. Wait, did Bart come here to warn me about Darius? IS HE SECRETLY A CREEP OR SOMETHING? PLEASE NO. GOD, IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, I HOPE NOT. DON'T LET HIM BE A WERIDO "Wha... Whatt do you mean?"

"I am talking about what Max, Wendy, Athena and I told you last night. You know, about the whole 'problem' thing. Are you ok?"

My mind flashes to last night, and everything that was said. I was so caught up in what just happened, I did not have any time to really process any of the information. Although, now that I think about it, there is nothing really that shocking. I mean, if it never really came up in my life before, maybe it is not that important. Wait, why hasn't it come up? I was living in the city before, so surely one of the people living there was not human. Bart even said there was things that were not human living in the city. How did I not know about it before?

"Um, Romero. Are you ok?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine." You know what, I am going to ask him. "I am just wondering...why did I not hear about this before? I mean, if there are so many people out there who are not human, I would have known, right?"

"Oh. Well, there are a lot of beings, and a lot of them try their best to keep it hidden. Thats why it is not taught in any schools, stated on the news, and why we have phrases like 'wolf' and 'bat problem'."

I guess that makes sense. "Wait, so do most people know about these types of things?"

Bart shrugs. "I mean, many people do. They just don't talk about it that much. It is not really affecting their daily lives, so why should they care? The only people we really keep it from is really insane conspiracy theorists, and even then, we try to talk them out of those... weird theories about us before we say anything. We don't want any more stereotypes being passed around, you know?"

I stare at the floor, kind of surprised by everything, but also expecting it in a way. I mean, why would they tell me, a person they only knew for barely two days, if they are keeping it a secret. Sure, it could be just because I live here now, but they could have lied. They don't know me that well. "So, I know Max is a werewolf, but... are you one too?"

"Nah. I'm a human. I was adopted by werewolves though, so I know a lot about them." Adopted, huh? Well, looks like we have that in common. "When I got old enough, my parents asked me if I wanted them to...convert me into one. I said no and so, here I am."

"Oh. Ok then."

...

"WAIT, I'M SORRY? CONVERT INTO ONE? YOU CAN CONVERT SOMEONE INTO ONE?"

Bart looks around. "Well yeah. I mean, humans are very versatile when it comes to DNA manipulation. You can easily convert a human into a type of being. Although, most methods are very dangerous and highly illegal, but there are some tame methods that people take to be a type of being."

We talk a little bit more on the subject, and it starts to get late. "Hey man, do you know what the time is?"

Bart looks down at his phone. "It's around 7:30. Why?"

"7:30?????? OH NO." I run into rooms around my house and rush to get ready.

"WOAH. WHAT IS GOING ON? Why are you so panicked?"

I think about what to say. Do I tell him about the date? How will he react to know that I am going on a date with someone I just met yesterday? "I, um, have a... thing... that I am doing. I just need to be ready by 8:00."

"Oh. I'm sorry for keeping you held up, then. Do you need me to..." He motions to the door.

"NO. No. It's ok. Stay for as long as you like." I say, rushing to figure out what to wear. Is Darius taking me somewhere fancy? Somewhere local? Cozy? Extravagant? What do I wear? WHAT DO I WEAR?

I look into my closet, figuring out what to wear. Then, I see it. The perfect combination of fancy and comfortable. Not to overdressed, but definitely not underdressed. I take it down, iron it a little bit, take a quick shower, dry myself, then put it on, walking out of the room to show Bart. "How do I look?"

Bart watches as I come out of the room, fully dressed head to toe in better clothes. "You look great, but... what are you doing that requires you to look so fancy?"

FANCY? Did I overdo it?

Ding-Dong

OH, NO? Well, there's no time to turn back now, I guess.

I open the door and see Darius, standing with a bouquet of flowers. Chrysanthemums. My favorite. Although, there was probably no way he knew that. He looks at me, starting to blush. "Wow. You look...wow." Judging by his reaction, he seems to like it. I look at him, and he is wearing something similar to me. I guess he also did not know what to wear for this occasion, but no matter what, it WORKS.

"You look...incredible." The more I look at him, the more I want to melt. The button up shirt he is wearing, unbuttoned at the top two and bottom one. The pants, not too tight, but tight enough to see... enough. Even his shoes, fancy, yet... comfortable. After taking this all into account, I have decided. I want to rip it all off of him with my bear hands and let him just do what he wants to me. Maybe I don't even need my hands. Just my teeth.

WOAH! THAT WAS A BIT TOO MUCH! Let's not get ahead of ourselves. I look back at his face, watching him look me up and down, over and over, as if he is trying to take in everything, completely captivated by me. I mean, I know I look good, but I don't think I look that good. Maybe he feels the same way I feel about him. Maybe he thinks I am perfect in every way imaginable. Probably not. At least, probably not as much as I feel that about him.

"Darius? What are you doing here?" I turn around in shock. Even though I was just talking to him, I completely forgot Bart was still inside my house. Does that make me a bad friend?

Darius smiles and laughs a bit at my reaction, stepping inside to put the flowers into an empty vase that I was going to fill with something from the Flea Market. "What do you mean? I am picking up my date for tonight." He looks over at me, staring into my eyes again.

Bart looks at us shock. Mouth wide open, eyes wide open. SHOCK. ABSOLUTE SHOCK. "Your...YOUR DATE?" He rushes to the flower vase, going up to Darius. "Why didn't you tell me you guys were going on a DATE? A DATE??? AFTER ALL THIS TIME, YOU FINALLY ARE GOING ON A DATE! GOOD JOB, YOU TWO." He runs down the path out of my house that leads up to the town, waving away. "DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME, I CAN GET HOME FROM HERE. HAVE A GOOD DATE!"

We both laugh as he runs away, and then, I feel a hand on my shoulder, the familiar warmth enveloping me once again. I turn around, and he lets go, blushing after seeing my face. He clears his throat as he extends out a hand for me to hold. "Well, shall we?"

He walks me to the bus stop, and we wait a bit, talking a bit about the weather and some local news before getting on and going into the city. During the bus ride, I take in the sights of the area near my new home. I had seen it on the drive here, but I never truly appreciated it. The trees form this almost wall, and a bunch of flowers line the side of the road. The view above the trees shows a mountaintop, which completely lies up with the sunset. It's just so... breathtaking. I look back at Darius, who stares at me looking out the window and smiles. Fuck, the scenery on this side is breathtaking too.

"I take it you are enjoying the view?"

"Yeah. It's wonderful. It is something that takes your breath away."

"I know." He comes up next to me and holds my hand. "Every time I use this route, I find it so... calm. I am taken away by it every time." He turns his head to face me. "But, this view will never be as breathtaking as you, though."

I stare at him for a moment and then feel a sudden stop. We are already in the city.

We walk around a bit, trying to make small talk about the places we can go. Obviously, I know this city like the back of my hand. I lived here for most of my life. But, I want the place that we go to be special. "So, where do you want to go?" I ask him.

He looks around the city. "How about...there?" He points to a restaurant. Not too fancy, but also not to causal. It's perfect.

"Well, let's go in."

We go inside the restaurant and get immediately greeted by staff. "Welcome. How many?"

"Just two is fine."

"Ok. We will call you when a table is ready." We wait on the side for a bit, then get sat at a table where a waiter comes by. "What would you like to order?"

Darius looks at me, waiting for my response to his question. "Do you want to order first?"

"Sure." I look over the menu, seeing my options. "I guess... I will take the lamb. Well done please."

"Good choice. And you, sir?"

"The steak, please. Medium rare."

"Coming right up."

I look at him a bit, starting to pick up my water. I'm not the biggest fan of medium rare. Something about the texture, so I just have to ask. "Why medium rare?"

He looks at me, a bit surprised that I had asked that. "Why not? Is there something wrong with liking things a little bit raw."

I choke on the water I was drinking. "Was that supposed to be a dirty joke?"

Darius looks down, realizing what he had just said. "Um... Um... Um... No... Yes... NO... Do you want it to be?"

I can't help myself from laughing. He looks so irresistible, but he is also so... cute. I mean, he probably could be sexy if he wanted to, but he keeps getting flustered whenever I talk to him.

We eat our food, also talking about simple things as the night goes on. Interest, hobbies, things like that. We find some common interests, like fitness, gaming, music tastes, etc, along with some differences. "WAIT. WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DONT LIKE SINGING?"

"It's not that I don't like it. I have just not really done it before. Is that a problem?"

Darius looks at me in surprise. "It's not a problem, because now something we can try on our next date."

"Haha... yeah." I laugh sarcastically. Right. The... next date.

He notices my expression change, suddenly looking as if he said something wrong. "Romero, is everything..."

The waiter, noticing the tension at the table. "Your bill."

I look at him, trying to change the subject. "Do you want to pay for it, or should I?"

Darius gets out his credit card. "I will pay for it. I did ask you out to here, after all."

As the check gets taken from the table, I whisper the words "Thank you" to the waiter, who quietly nods.

We pay for dinner and go back to the bus stop. He tries to talk to me about what happened in the restaurant, but I keep on bringing up other topics. Things start to repeat, like comments about the weather and some news, but when he realizes I don't want to talk about it, he stops trying to talk. On the bus, we did not say a word to each other. SHIT. This is bad. He is looking down the entire time. He probably thinks that it is his fault. That he messed something up. But in reality, that can't be further from the truth.

We get off the bus together and we both head for my house, where he drops me off, hi head still hung low with the idea that he ruined the date.

I turn to him, holding his hand to try to get him to feel better. I pick up his head and look deep into his eyes. "I had a wonderful time tonight."

Today was truly a dream.

He looks back, his eyes starting to lighten up. "Me... Me too." I can hear the hope coming back in his voice.

Too bad that we need to wake up from dreams at some point.

"So, do you maybe...want to do this again?" Darius asks. In my heart, I want to say yes, but I know I have to say no.

He's just so... perfect. And I am just...not. I can't keep stringing him on like this. Eventually, I would need to tell him the truth. And the truth is...

"I'm sorry, but I don't think I can do this."

He looks at me, confused and heartbroken. "Do what?" He's stuttering his words. As if he is trying to fix something that he doesn't even know how he broke.

"I can't keep leading you on. I know you are a nice person, this date had proved that to me, and I don't want to hurt your feelings. I would love to do this again but... I cannot go on another date."

He starts to at me, his voice cracking a bit. "But... but why? Why can't you?"

My voice also starts to crack. I feel bad. I want to have him. I want him. But... "Because if you knew about me. Who I was. Who I am. You would never look at me the same."

He grabs my arm and tries to pull me close to him, but not in a way that hurts me. "Then please tell me, who is the person that you think I would not want to know."

"I... I can't."

"Why not?"

"BECAUSE IT IS TOO SHAMEFUL."

"JUST TELL ME. PLEASE. I NEED TO KNOW WHY."

"FINE. YOU WANT THE TRUTH? I'M A SEX WORKER. THATS WHY. HAPPY?" He stares at me for a moment, still holding onto my hand. I can't bring myself to look at his face, so I turn away. "I... I make...certain...videos. I post them on the internet for money. Sometimes, I even do livestreams, showing off my body, touching myself in certain areas. I work in porn. I sleep with a bunch of people, and I get sponsorships from sex toy companies because of it, begging me to review their products, and honestly, I don't think it is wrong. I actually quite like my job...BUT A BUNCH OF PEOPLE DON'T." I start to break off, my sentences becoming harder to say out loud. "I have tried to date in the past. Everyone who finds out early thinks I am basically cheating and breaks it off. Those who already know don't really think of me as a person. A lot, A LOT of people don't like what I do for a living, and...and that's ok." I shut my eyes, tears welling up in them. "But I can't... I can't put you through that. If I was your partner, I feel like you would think I basically need to cheat on you to keep the job I love to do, and you... you don't deserve that. I don't want to quit, and I don't want to be 'fixed,' and I really don't want to upset you. I want you to be happy with the person you choose to give your love to. You are just so... so nice, so kind, so caring, so...perfect. And I am just... not. So, I'm sorry... but I can't go on another date with you, because I don't want to break your heart if we become something more." I cannot stop myself from breaking down. "And I don't expect you to understand me. Believe me, I know it is hard to understand. I don't expect that you even would want to see me ever again. And that's ok. I expect you to turn away. I don't expect you to just tell everyone you know about the FREAK who moved in next door, but I would not be surprised. I have been deceived in the past by nice people. I would not even blame you for it. Just please, I beg you, forgive me. I should have never dragged you into this mess that I call my life, or led you along. I just really, Really, REALLY LIKE YOU. I hope, one day, you can forgive me, but it's ok if you don't."

As I finish what I am saying, I notice that I am sobbing and sobbing, to the point where I am almost on the floor, curled up into a ball. But, I also notice something keeping me up. Someone, who despite all I said, is still holding on to my hand, gripping me tighter. I look at that person, tears all over my face, and see he is crying too. I feel him tug on my hand, lifting me off my feet, pulling me in for a hug, not letting go. As I cry on his shoulder, I hear him whisper in my ear.

"I already knew all of that."

What? He... knew who I was? Then why did he go on a date with me? Why would he ask a question that I would definitely reject after? Was he just trying to sleep with me or something? Was he really just one of those people, wanting to use me for my body? Why did he do it? "Why..."

"I never cared about any of that. I asked you out because, from the moment I laid eyes on you, before you ever noticed me, before I realized who you are and what you do, I had my heart skip a beat. Sure, you have your job, but as long as you would have told me about it before we would actually start dating, I would have been ok with it. I know that you love what you do, and I also know you don't mean to hurt me, and I don't want to hurt you either. I don't need to fix you, because when I look at you, I know that you are not broken. I wanted this date to go so well, that you would not think of any of that stuff, because I want you for who you are, and if you did not get any of that, I guess this date did not go as well as I planned. So, I guess I will just have to make it up to you. So please..." He loosens his grip from the hug a little bit, and I face him. His eyes are still filled with tears, and he tries to spread a smile across his face.

"...Can I get another date?"

I stare at him, a mix of joy, relief, and excitement washes over me.

Maybe too much excitement. I guess my tunnel vison got the better of me, because I let go of him, grab him by the shirt collar, pull him in, and kiss him. He's only an inch taller then me, but he still stumbles on his feet, clearly not expecting this for an answer. His lips, surrounding mine. His mouth, tasting like the steak he just had. I start to think maybe I took things a bit to far, until he kisses me back, and I can feel his tongue, intertwined with my own.

I don't ever want to let this feeling go.

It's just so... perfect.

Chapter Text

{IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO READ THE SMUT, SKIP TO THE END FOR CHAPTER SUMMARY}

I stand there in the doorway, kissing Darius. After what feels like an eternity, we break apart. "Guess it is time for me to go." He looks back, what was once tears of sadness, now turned into tears of joy, running down his cheeks like rivers. "So, about that second date... when do you want to go?"

The next date? I am still not satisfied with this one! He can't just take me out, take in all my feelings, accept them, kiss me like we are the ONLY two people in the world, AND THEN JUST DIP! No. I want more. I need more. 

I open the door behind me and stare at him again, standing by the doorway. "Are you already leaving?" I try to get close to him, luring him in like a siren to a sailor. "You really are going to go after one kiss?" 

He looks at me like how I am looking at him. But I notice something. He seems...shy? Oh no. Did I overdo it? He starts to talk, his cheeks bright red. "Well, if you are wondering, I did not think you would want to do...that. Especially since you just met me, and you seemed to just get comfortable around me." 

I try to refute, but technically, he's not wrong. I did only just now get comfortable around him, and we only really knew each other for two days. Actually, LESS than that! Was I being too forward? I mean, I do this often, so I don't really consider it that weird for a first interaction, but if I want to enter a relationship, A REAL relationship, I need to think about the other person, and what they might want. "Sorry. I just thought that...maybe...you felt comfortable enough to..."

"No don't get me wrong. I am here for it if you really want to. But...do you...REALLY want to do it?"

As he asks me that question, I feel...heavy. I know that he does not mind it, and I know that I kind of want to, but... am I just getting tunnel vison again. It has been a while since I went on a date with someone, and they have not asked for sex right after, which, in all honesty, gets boring after a while. So maybe this is a good thing. Take it nice and slow. Along with that, I have not even had sex in a while because of the... incident. 

BUTTTTTTTT, on the other hand, I really do like him. He is the LITERAL EMBODIMENT of everything I look for in a man. Fit, tall, handsome, sweet, charming, adorable, has a good sense of style, does not mind what I do for work, is totally captivated by me, is also into men. I mean, I thought I set unrealistic standards for myself when I was thinking of the man of my dreams, but APPARENTLY NOT. I guess this goes to show to never lower your standards. This should be an easy decision... so why doesn't it feel that way.

Darius brings me back to reality by caressing my cheek, startling me a bit. "You seem to space out a lot."

As I am brought out of my own mind, I process his words. "Sorry." I say, redness going around my face like I just ate a spicy pepper. 

"Why are you sorry? You are allowed to think. Plus..." He stops for a second, then kisses my head. "...it's adorable."

As he says those words and kisses my head, I fully came to a decision. I pull him inside of my house by the collar of his shirt, lock my door, pushed him onto the couch, and kissed him. I'm a bit worried that I may have taken it TOO far again, when he suddenly grabs my face, pulling it closer to his, leaning into the kiss while doing so. 

He is a little nervous, but still tries to keep up with the heat building up around us."So, I guess you came to a decision then."

I turn away, kind of laughing it off. "UMMMMMM, NOT EXACTLY... As much as I would like to go all the way with you, it has been a while since I had a date with no sex involved, BUTTTTT, I also want to do SOMETHING. So..." 

I grab both parts of his button up shirt and separate them, accidentally removing some buttons in the process, exposing his whole chest. GOD DAMN. Perfectly chiseled. His dark black hair, spread out perfectly like the Mona Lisa. He looks at me, tilting his head a bit. "Well, I don't know what you are planning on doing, but someone looks eager to do it. Do whatever you want to me. You're the professional, after all."

He probably does not know how sexy he looks when he does that. He's so, FUCKING HOT. 

I laugh as I unbutton my own shirt, ripping off some of the buttons in the process too. I then pick him up and push him against the couch, making him face the TV in the living room, turning it on. I change the channel to something more...sexual. I sit on the couch, my body on top of him as he watches the TV, slowly massaging his chest as I work my hands to his nipples, rubbing them slowly. 

"Ah, what are you...oh...ooh...th..that....that feels..."

"Don't worry, just let me do all the work. Just watch the TV and enjoy the... sensations."

He looks into my eyes. "That ..ah....sounds fun and.. ah..all..." As he talks, he moves his hand onto my pants, rubbing my crotch that was rubbing against his lower body a few minutes ago. "...But I don't think...ah... I... can focus...ohn... on it while I have som...mhhh...something more enticing ....ah....to watch ...rahhh...right...hehahh.. here."

Even though his sentence is a little bit choppy from all the moaning, I piece it together perfectly, and I just can't keep myself from kissing him again. The way he moans while he talks. The way his touch feels so... gentle. The way I feel his body tense up with pleasure as I try to pleasure him, I can't resist. "If you keep talking like that, this is going to be over way too soon."

He pushes me off of him gently. I am confused as to why until he gets up to take off his pants, revealing a pair of boxers, and the thing that is poking out from underneath them. Oh god. It's big. It's like...8 inches. That's almost as big as mine. And it is THICK.

He then pushes me onto the couch, taking off my own pants, revealing my underwear, and my erection. Because of my line of work, almost all of the pairs I own are considered sexy, so, due to my optimism for how the night may have turned out, I wore one of my best pairs. Seems like it was a good idea, as his face started to turn red, and his skin got incredibly hot. "Damn it." He gets on top of me, rubbing his dick against mine. "I know that I said I would let you take control. I still am going to, but why do you have to be SO. FUCKING. HOT?"

I put my hands on his side, tugging at his underwear to pull it down. "I could ask you the same thing."

He looks at what I am doing, helping me along by just pulling it down to his feet, kicking it off of his body in a way that does not kick me. He then tugs at my own underwear, and I decide to help him. This is not the first time a hairy muscular GOD has been naked on top of me, trying to help me undress my body. It also DEFINITLY won't be the last. However, this is probably the first time I wanted someone to absolutely destroy my insides this much, but I need to save those thoughts for a different day. 

"Oh wait. I forgot something important in my room."

Darius kisses me on the cheek, then moves so I can get off the couch. I go into the box of "Work Stuff ;)" that I have and take something out, then hide it behind me so that Darius does not see. Like a... surprise. I then go back onto the couch, get back under him.

"So, what did you get."

"This." I pull out a fleshlight, then position it between our two cocks, which are rubbing against each other.

He leans in, "What are you pl..." When it is on top of both of ours, I push it down, feeling him rub against me intensely in a confined area. I cut him off as we both moan in pleasure.

"So, how does it feel." I ask him, trying to catch my breath.

"GR...GREA....AH...AH." He screams out as I start move it up and down before he could respond. 

We stay there for a moment as I use the toy. I have stretched it out a bit with my own 9 inches, so it should not break. Up and down. Up and down. Up and down. Each movement, more breathtaking. Each breath, closer on each other's face. Our two bodies, closer and closer together in each passing stroke. 

After a while, we both get to the point where we can't take it anymore. The moans from the TV drown in the feeling of our warmth, and we are suddenly the only two people in the whole world.

"I'm...Mmhhmm... s...so close."

"Me ...ah...too."

I push it down as far as I can, leaning in and intertwining our lips once again as we both are delivered the final blow. We feel the confined space get more slippery as liquid gushes out of the toy, dropping a bit onto both of our bodies. I did not even think it had enough room to get out, but apparently, I was wrong. The white liquid overflows onto us. We are both left breathless, speechless, and in each other's arms. 

Darius breaks the silence. "So, I guess you enjoyed yourself, then?" Then, kisses my forehead.

"Yeah." The more I regain control of my body, the more...tired...I feel. Why do I feel so tired? Darius tries to say something, but my body is too tired to understand. I mean, I have not done this in a long, long time, so I guess it makes sense. As I try to compose myself, I drift off into sleep.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Yeah."

Darius smiles, looking down at Romero. "So, if you enjoyed it so much, do you want to go for another..."

He watches Romero shut his eyes, falling asleep within seconds. He smiles, caressing his cheek. "Well, I guess he must have tired himself out." He takes Romero's hand off the toy, now mixed with both of their fluids, carefully removing it so that the white liquid seeping out does not get onto Romero that much. Their penises spring free from the confined area made by the toy, making Darius moan while he tries not to cum again or wake Romero up with the feeling of pleasure he was experiencing. He sets the toy aside and cleans up the room, puts the dirty, button broken laundry away and turns off the TV, changing the channel before doing so. He takes some paper towels and wipes down the parts that did get onto Romero, cleaning him well enough so that he does not feel so dirty in the morning by his actions. Darius himself goes into the shower, washing himself well enough to take off all the fluids on him. 

He gets out of the shower, water dripping down every angle of his perfect body. Finally, he looks at the last thing that needs to be cleaned. The toy, still filled with both of their fluids. He picks it up and holds it in his arm. The sight of it fills him with...obsession? No... desire. A desire to feel more. A desire to have more. See more. Smell more.  

Taste more. 

He puts his finger into the toy, still stretched out from the night they had just shared. The fluid, still in the toy fills his fingers as bringing it to his lips and licks it off of his hand. His forces his cock, still hard from everything that happened, and stops it from ejaculating for the second time that evening, again. He cleans out the object and puts it on Romero's bed. As he walks back into the living room, though, he feels something rush over him. A feeling to keep Romero safe. A feeling to keep him curled up in his hands and never let go. To never repeat that day. "Oh, Romero. My dear Romero."  He hunches himself over Romero's body, taking in the sight as what Darius can only describe as Romero's... divinity. Everything about Romero is perfect to him. Looking at him makes Darius want to act upon the feelings he has to protect Romero. It makes him want to hold onto Romero tight, never letting go until they both pass away happily, in each other's arms. He has more self-control than that, though. He would never do anything that he feels may harm Romero and how he lives his life. After all, he loves him too much. He leans down and hugs Romero lightly, kissing him on the forehead, and then pulls away, turning to get on some clothes for the both of them and leave. Then, he feels a tug on the towel around his waist, almost pulling it completely down.

"No... don't...leave....me." Romero says. He is clearly dreaming, but even so, it looks like he needs someone right now. "Please...don't...leave." Darius lays down next to Romero on the couch, both of them completely naked while Romero tries to nuzzle against his chest. Darius adjusts himself closer to Romero's body, trying not to make him uncomfortable while he sleeps. 

"Don't worry. I won't leave you, my love. My dear. My Romero." 

Chapter Text

As I open my eyes, I hear the birds singing. The sunlight, shining in on my face. The person, sleeping next to me, cradleding me in his arms as I use his chest as a pillow.

Wait...the person sleeping next to me cradleding me in his arms? I look over to the person, finding Darius, completely naked, sleeping next to me on the couch. He looks so...so...

...so adorable.

I kiss his head and get up, getting ready for the day. I look around, seeing if anything needed to be cleaned, but I am pleasantly surprised when nothing did. Did he clean everything after what happened last night?

I look around for the toy, finding it cleaned, sitting nicely on my bed. I try to see if anything got on the floor, but sure enough, it was clean too. In fact, it was more than just clean. It was sparkling. The only thing that did not seem to be clean in this house was probably my thoughts.

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? HE CLEANED AFTER THE BOTH OF US? Now that is aftercare.

I look at the time. 11:30. How long did we stay up last night. I don't remember anything past 11 PM.

Ding-dong

Is someone at the door. I look down at myself and my surroundings. Shit, I was still naked, and Darius was too, still sleeping on the couch with a towel on the floor next to him.

"Hello?" A voice, obviously Bart's, screams from outside. "Can I come in? I want to know how it went last night between you and Darius."

"Um. Give me a second." I feel bad for doing this out of nowhere, but I don't have any other choice. I pick up Darius, him bridal style in my arms, then open up my room and put him down on the bed comfortably. All that cleaning probably made him more tired than me, so he should probably get some rest.

I quickly go into my closet and put clothes, and I try to run to the door as soon as possible. When I get there, I open it up, visibly nervous. "Heyyyyy Bart. How are you?"

"I'm ok... is now a bad time, you seem a bit...nervous?"

I force a laugh. "HA! Nervous? Why...Why would I be nervous?"

"Well, can I come in then? I want to know what happened on your date!"

"Oh, yeah. Ok." I let him in then look down the hall, seeing that the door into my room is still open. I run to it, slamming it shut before he can see Darius's naked body in there on my bed. "Come in. Sit." I look out onto the couch, seeing a towel still on the floor. "WAIT." I go to get a laundry basket, quickly stuffing the towel inside. "Sorry. A couple of days in this house and it is already a mess."

Bart smiles, not noticing anything out of the ordinary. "It's fine. It's cleaner than my house at least." He spaces out, then shudders at the thought. "Anyways..." he goes to sit on the couch. "...how did it go?"

"It went great." I tell him about the date, everything from how Darius picked me up from the house and kept going until a little after dinner.

"Well, that's good." He says, then looks at me with a grin. "So... did anything happen between you two...AFTER dinner?" He moves his eyebrows up and down, trying to insinuate something.

"Um...well..." I think for a moment, then decide the best thing to do right now is lie. "Not really. He took me back home, gave me a kiss, and then left!" I feel bad for lying about this type of information, especially to someone like Bart, but I also don't think it is a good idea to ramble on about how I rejected him because of the pressures of my job that I won't tell him about, broke down crying in front of my date, brought him inside after everything was resolved, and did a kind of strange, very sexual thing after.

"Well, that's kind of boring, but I guess it is expected. It's only the first date after all. I did not expect you guys to go all the way."

"HAHA YEAH." I mean technically we did not go all the way. We just went to a place that sort of looked like all the way.

"So, if it went so well, did you guys schedule another one?"

I go to the kitchen and make myself a cup of coffee. "Not yet, we still need to talk it out."

"Right, right." He looks down, something clearly on his mind, but then starts to blurt it out, "I'm sorry, I know it was only your first date, but...did you guys...make it official."

I turn away from the kettle, starting at him. "What do you mean?"

"Well, it just looks like you really like him, and I'm pretty sure he feels the same way about you. I personally have only known him for a little while, maybe a year or two, but I have never seen him this... ecstatic before. So, even though it's your first date, I'm just wondering if you decided to... put a label on it yet."

A label. I had not thought of that. How did I not think of that? I mean, sure, we did stuff last night. And sure, he accepts me for who I am. And MAYBE, just maybe we like a lot of the same things and have a lot in common. But a label? I mean, that is a lot of commitment. Are we both ready to put a label on it after one date?

As I think to myself, I hear my door open. "What...time is it?" Darius is there, standing in the doorway with nothing but a pair of shorts that he probably got from my closet. I look over to Bart, who looks in shock at Darius, then looks over to me.

"I... I THOUGHT YOU SAID HE LEFT AFTER THE DATE?"

"Um..."

Darius looks at the voice who just talked, seeing Bart on the couch. His cheeks start to turn red. "Oh, um...hey...Bart."

Bart's jaw drops to the floor, clearly LIVING for everything going on. "Wait, did you two...no... No... NO!" Bart's enthusiasm quickly turns into disappointment. "COME ON MAN! Now I owe Max and Wendy both 5 bucks each."

Oh no. He does not... wait...5 bucks? "DID YOU GUYS BET ON US SPENDING THE NIGHT TOGETHER." BITCH...

"WELL OF COURSE WE DID. As soon as news went out that Darius was showing up to your house with FLOWERS, Wendy and Max started talking about how they never expected that to happen. OBVIOUSLY, I already knew, but whatever. BUT, because it was already happening, they were sure that your first date would end in each other's arms. I though you guys would wait until the second date before you did the "devils tango", so I bet against them. Why am I so STUPID? LOOK AT Y'ALL."

My face turns red as I look over to him. "WHY ARE YOU GUYS BETTING ON OUR LOVE LIFES??? ALSO, WHY WAS IT SO NEWSBREAKING THAT I WAS GOING ON A DATE WITH HIM? CAN'T A MAN AND A MAN GO ON A DATE TOGETHER?"

He looks up, taken out of his train of thought. "Oh, did you not hear? I mean, it is not a surprise that you have not heard, you know, with you only being here for a couple of days. He is...well, was...the towns "golden bachelor". Mainly because of that "Huba Huba" effect that he seems to have. A lot of people tried to flirt with him at the bar or the cafe, where he works. That's one of the reasons why those places are so popular in the concrete circle. I mean..." He looks Darius up and down. "...Can you blame them? WELL, I GUESS NOT, SINCE NOW I OWE MAX AND WENDY 5 BUCKS EACH."

Bart is clearly annoyed with how his bet turned out, but I still get hung up on the words that he is saying. Town... bachelor? I mean I am surprised? No. If I find him perfect, other people probably do too. But then, why pick me? There are surely other people who are better than me. HELL, ATHENA LOOKS BETTER THAN ME. Why chose someone you just met over them?

Darius cuts into the conversation. "I mean, is there anything that they bet on in particular."

Bart looks at him. "Oh, they bet that you two would...well, you know..." He makes some motions with his hands, clearly representing something sexual.

"Oh...OH...yeah no, we did not do that."

Bart looks Darius up and down in confusion. "Are you sure about that." Darius, who is still in nothing but a pair of shorts, tilts his head.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure. Why do you ask?"

Bart looks back at me. " HOW ROUGH DID YOU GUYS GO? Did he get memory loss or something?"

I look at Bart. "No, he's right. We did not have sex last night, believe it or not."

Bart looks forward. Not towards any of us, just forward, then gets up. "Am I drunk? I got to lay off the alcohol at the bar, I guess." He goes to the door, stepping outside. "Anyway, I should get going now. Thanks for having me."

I wave to him goodbye. "No problem, see you around."

He walks a bit, but before he leaves, Bart looks over to Darius. "Um, hey man, while you are here, can I talk to you for a bit?"

Darius, who now gets a hint of concern, goes over to him. "What's wrong?"

They say some things that I don't hear, and then Bart leaves.

"What was that about?" I ask him. It is almost like they did not want me to hear, and that is... bad.

Darius looks at me. "Oh, it's nothing. He just told me to be careful at work tomorrow because it will be a full moon."

"Oh. Ok." Right. Werewolves. I forgot about that. HOW DID I FORGET ABOUT THAT? I FEEL LIKE I AM JUST GLOSSING OVER A MAJOR DISCOVERY.

I grab his hand, holding it tightly. "Will it be safe?"

He looks over to me and smiles. Even though he did not say anything yet, it tells me all I need to know. "I mean, it should be. I don't think that it will be an Abnormal moon."

I heard that mentioned before at the bar. "Ab...normal?"

"A full moon that takes away a person's conciseness. We call them Abnormals, since they don't happen that often. Usually only happens once in the span of 3-4 months. It's nothing to worry about."

"Oh."

We stand there in silence for a moment, and then, I bring up something. I guess Bart got into my head, because he said something that I just...could not let go. I needed an answer.

"Hey Darius?"

"Yes, Romero?"

I grab both his arms, standing in front of him as I look deep into his eyes. "What are we?"

He stares, showing kindness as he grabs onto my palms. "What do you want us to be?"

I take a moment. Let me thin-... A COUPLE! I WANT TO BE A COUPLE! Is it too soon to call ourselves a couple. "I... I don't know. Would I be going too fast to say that we are...a couple? I mean, it has only been one date."

He brings my right hand to his cheek. "I don't think so. In fact, after yesterday, I was going to ask for your hand in marriage." We both laugh.

I smile, feeling as if I was walking on sunshine. "I guess then, if you don't think I am going too fast, will you be my boyfriend?"

He takes my hand off of his cheek and kisses it. "Yes. I would love to. Will you be mine?" I pull him in for a kiss, staying like that for a few minutes as he kisses me back, passion filling out senses. He pulls away for a moment to say something. "Well, I guess I got my answer." Then leans back in.

We stay like that for a moment, and then he looks at the time. "Shoot, I forgot I have the day shift at the park's cafe." He goes into my bedroom, putting on a shirt to go with the shorts he took from my closet. "Do you mind if I borrow these for today? I promise I will give it back."

I smile. "Sure. You can even keep it if you want to. I don't mind, sweetheart."

He blushes. "SWEETHEART??? I swear, the next time I see you, I am picking you up and I am never letting go."

I hold his arm, giving him a wink. "Don't break that promise."

He goes to the door and leaves the house. "I will see you around... darling"

As he walks away, closing the door behind him, I feel my heart skip a beat. DARLING??? AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! THIS MAN. I SWEAR. How did I get so lucky? HOW?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Before he leaves, Bart looks over at Darius. "Um, hey man, while you are here, can I talk to you for a bit?"

Darius, who now gets a hint of concern on his face, goes over to him. "What's wrong?"

He pulls Darius close to him, both of them talking in a whisper. "Did you tell him?"

"Tell him what?"

"Man, you have become one of my closest friends, but please, cut the bullshit. Did you tell him that you are a werewolf yet?"

Darius looks at him, panic filling his face, making sure to face Bart and keep away from Romero's view so that he does not worry about the conversation. "Not...yet..."

Bart looks at him in shock, then scream whispers to him. "YOU HAVE TO TELL HIM!"

"Be quiet. Don't worry, I will tell him. It's just..."

He looks at Darius, who cuts his sentence short. "Just..."

"It's just that he has so much going on in his life right now, more than you even know, and I don't want to overload his brain with information. That's just... unhealthy."

"Well, he is going to find out by tomorrow anyways."

Darius gets even more concerned. "Why tomorrow?"

"Did you not hear? There is a full moon tomorrow. It should not be an Abnormal, but it is going to turn you into a werewolf. You need to tell him so that he does not get freaked out. That is not something that you can just keep from a person. If you don't tell him, I will."

Darius sighs, but then reluctantly agrees. "Alright. I will tell him. Just... give me time to tell him before you go running up to him screaming that I am the big bad wolf, Ok?"

"Ok Good." He pauses for a second, then starts to say something else. "Also, one more thing before I go," his expression turns even more serious, a dead look filling his eyes. "We have a Code Dreamcloud in a week."

Darius expression changes, becoming more serious and panicked. "I'm sorry, I must have misheard you... what did you just say?"

"Yeah. Code Dreamcloud. So be prepared. And make sure that nothing bad happens to him. I don't doubt that he is strong, I mean, LOOK AT HIM, but there is no way he could be prepared for that after just a few days in the town."

Darius nods, understanding wholeheartedly. "Alright."

After some time had passed, Darius goes to the park. He runs up to the cafe, and then goes into the back, seeing an elevator and taking it to a strange area, where Max goes up to him, drinking a coffee.

"SOOOOO, I am guessing that you got the warning... I tried to give it to you earlier, but you were not there."

"Yeah. Sorry about that. I was... busy."

Max forms a cheeky grin. "Busy, huh. So that's what we are calling spending the night now." He puts a silly expression on his face, then nudges Darius's side. "I am guessing Bart told you about the code, but it also sounds like he will owe me 5 bucks soon."

"Actually, it is kind of the opposite, sorry man. You'll have to pay Bart when you see him again."

"WHAT? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I WAS ROOTING FOR YOU! WE WERE ALL ROOTING FOR YOU! You have been single for what, 2 years now. Even then, that relationship was... It is time that you find someone. Someone you LOVE. BUT FINE! Anyways..."

Darius chuckles, thinking about Romero. Oh, he found someone. Even thinking about Romero makes him want to melt down to his knees. Romero is just so... dreamy. In Darius's eyes, Romero is just so perfect at everything he does. His confidence, the way he keeps himself up high and does not back down, the way he is not afraid to say what he really wants in his life, his body, his eyes, his expressions, his sense of style, (the absolute package underneath said sense of style,) his hair, his taste. His... kindness. The way he... does not judge others for how they look, but who they are. The one to see past all of the mistakes, and focus on what the person did to fix it. Just... everything about him. All of it makes Darius feel like... he is not enough. Romero deserves better in Darius's eyes because he is just so...him. And of course, there is also the... incident. The one that really made him realize that he does not want to let go of him. The one where in that moment, he did not care about anyone else but Romero. His darling. His guiding star in the cold, dark night sky. His light at the end of the tunnel.

Max puts a hand on his shoulder. "Um, Darius? What's going on with you man? You never space out?"

Darius snaps back to reality. "Oh, um, it's nothing. Really."

Max shrugs. "Ok. Well, you know the drill. Take this." Max hands Romero a gun with silver bullets, all already loaded inside. Then, he takes Romero to a room, filled with shooting range targets, all moving frantically. No pattern to the movements. The speed, changing irregularly.

Darius pulls the trigger on the gun. Six bullets, three targets.

All of them stop moving. The gun, once having Six bullets, now only has 3.

Perfect aim. All of them, shot straight though the head. Just as he has always done.

Chapter Text

I expected this to happen.

I get into my car. I have not used it for a while, but I don't feel comfortable taking a bus to the city right now. Especially since my "shift" is more than an hour away.

What did I expect. I mean, sure, I could just go on hiatus indefinitely, but I promised my fans that I would come back soon in the post. How was I supposed to know that soon mean in a few days? It's not that I don't like my job in particular, it's just that this past week felt like a vacation from reality, and I was not ready to go back so soon. Oh well, you do what you got to do, I guess.

Ring-Ring-Ring-Ring

I answer the call, putting it on speaker. "Hey Phil. What's up?"

"Oh, nothing much. Just wanted to make sure you are on your way. After all, it is my job as your manager to keep you on task."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm on my way."

Noise from a set can be heard in the background, getting a bit louder as Phil tries to talk over them. "Did you read over the script?"

I roll my eyes. "Yes Phil. I read the script. Honestly, I feel like these scripts are getting so bland nowadays. I mean, come on, what even is this plot?"

"People don't watch for the plot, silly. It's about the action."

"I mean, I get that, but can't they make a decent story to go along with the action?"

"I mean, if you feel so strongly about it, just make your own. I'm sure you can try something on your social media. Maybe a roleplay live stream or something."

I sigh. I mean, he does have a point. I do have a big following on my social media due to how widespread I am in my job. I can probably make my own film at this point. Hell, I could probably create my own studio. No, but then I would not be able to do this job. I feel like, aside from some undesirable moments it may bring into my life, I have gotten really lucky with how my work has turned out, especially in this field. I don't want to take that for granted and create a place that may add to the problem. What if it starts off well, then becomes corrupt and exploit its workers? I can't do it. Although, making my own film does seem like a sort of good idea...

"Whatever. I will think about it." No matter what I do, though, this is a problem for another day. "Anyway, is everyone already there?"

"I mean, aside from a couple of camera workers and some fluffers, I think everyone is here. The only member of the cast that is not here is... well, YOU! Just, come by soon, ok?"

"Ok. See you soon."

"Bye."

As I hang up, I almost immediately getting another call back. It's probably Phil again. He always tends to leave out a small detail that I need to know, and then call me back after we finish talking. I should ask him about that. Does he had memory loss or something, because how does that happen so frequently?

Not even looking at who it is, I answer the phone. Let's just get this over with, and I can go back to listening to my music in peace and quiet. "What did you forget to tell me this time Phil?"

A deep voice suddenly starts to talk. "Who's Phil?"

I almost crash the car. It was Darius.

"HOLY SHIT! I'm so sorry. I thought it was my manager."

I hear him laugh from the other end. "HEY, IT'S OK. It's ok. I guess I caught you by surprise." He stops laughing, I can tell that something is on his mind. His voice is trying to sound calm, but I don't think he realizes how shaky it is on the other end. "You doing ok darling? I got nervous when people said that they have not seen you around lately."

Have not seen me around lately? I have only been gone for, like, AN HOUR. How many people wanted to talk to me today? AND WHY NOW? It's already late. Surely, they could have come in the morning if it was something so important. Also, I saw Bart earlier. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just going to work." You know what, thinking about the morning, maybe it was a good thing they did not see me earlier.

"Oh. OH! Ok." Judging by the surprise in his voice, I don't think he expected me to be working tonight. "I thought that you were taking a break."

"Yeah, sorry sweetheart. It's just that..." Wait, should I tell him? How do I explain that I have not been back at work in 4 MONTHS? No. Not yet. I'm... not ready. "...I have not been working for a WHILE, so I needed to get some things done today, or else my career could go seriously downhill. I will try to be back soon, though."

"NO!" Darius screams at the other end of the phone. The sudden high-pitched noise startles me, making me slam the breaks in the middle of the road. What was that? Is everything ok at home? "I mean... don't worry about it. Just take your time." He is definitely concerned about something, but for some reason he seems to be keeping it from me. He is trying to talk in a calm voice, but I can hear his shaking hands holding the phone from the other end.

Well, that's weird, and not in a good way. "Is everything ok? You seem... panicked."

I hear him talk in a high-pitched voice from the other end again. He is not that good at hiding things. "Yeah. Everything is fine. Just... great!"

Even though the high-pitched voice is absolutely adorable, he did almost make me get into a car accident. "Darius. I may have not known you for a long time, but let me tell you this. If you are trying to lie to me, don't make it too obvious. Your voice is getting so high, you may hit an Ariana Grande note. Just tell me what is going on."

I hear a sigh from the other end of the phone call. "Your right. It's just...I need to tell you about something. Something... I can't fully explain over the phone. BUT, if you are there till tomorrow night, then I should not need to worry about it." Wait, why would I be here until tomorrow? Is it something to do with the full moon he told me about. "Just... stay there for as long as you can, ok?"

As he says that, I finally arrive to the filming location, starting to pull into the parking lot. "How long do you think it takes to shoot porn? Sure, some things need to be reshot from time to time, but for the most part this one is a short one. It should only really take one night. I should be back by tonight, maybe tomorrow morning if something goes wrong." I exit the car, walking into the venue. "Don't worry. If you really can't tell me over the phone, just tell me tomorrow morning. Plus, It' not like it is life threatening. If it was, you would have already told me! Just don't worry, ok?"

"But... ok. Good luck. I love you, darling."

"Love you too sweetheart." We both kiss the phone, hanging up afterwords.

"SWEETHEART??? WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?" I hear a voice come out from next to the front door.

"HEY MARC! I mean, I guess it happened today."

"OH MY GOD!" Marc comes in, lifting me up and giving me a hug. "I am SO happy for you." We stay like that for a second, then he puts me down, trying to stay quiet. "Wait, does he know about..." He cuts off his sentence, pointing to the set.

"Yeah."

"And he is completely ok with it? He has no problems with it... AT ALL?"

"I mean, I have not talked about it with him that much, but he says he's ok with it." I should probably ask him more about that, but, I guess I will just ask him tomorrow after he tells me about the thing he wanted to explain. "I also moved."

"FINALLY, MAN. I know you wanted to do that for WEEKS. I mean, I don't blame you. The city is a nightmare. But still, just..."

Before Marc could continue asking questions, I see Phil looking at the doorway, noticing I arrived. "FINALLY! YOUR HERE." He motions to the director and the film crew, grabbing our hands and dragging us to the film set. "OK, WE'RE ALL HERE."

The stage director looks up, starting to give us instructions. "OK PEOPLE. LET'S GET MOVING. WE DON'T HAVE ALL NIGHT." He then turns to Marc and I. "OK. Romero, go center stage. Marcus, you go next to the door on the left don't walk in until the light on the other side appears..."

I start to space out, panicking a bit. Ok. It's ok, Romero. Not anything that you have not done a million times before. Sure, it has been 4 MONTHS since I have been in anything related to work or sex, but that's ok. Just remember the script and go with the flow.

"3... 2... 1... Action."

I try to remember the script as best as I can. If I remember correctly, it is just supposed to be a simple porn video to get me back into the flow. The "plot" is a person making dinner for their husband, and then we have sex in the kitchen. Simple! I stand by the fire on the stove, pretending to cook what seems to be... IS THAT FUCKING SALAD? WHO THE FUCK COOKS SALAD? Whatever. You know what, its fine. Maybe things have changed in the time I was... asleep. I am probably not caught up with the latest trends or something. That does not make sense though. I am on my phone all the time.

The watch from the corner of my eye as the camera pans to my face. That should mean that Marc is coming in around in 3... 2...

I feel someone grab onto my sides, speaking to me in a low, seductive voice. "Hey honey. Is dinner ready yet?"

"Not yet. I still have to cook the rest of the vegetables and finish making dessert, but the steak is done. I made cream pie. Your favorite." I think I said that line good enough. I can't really tell. I feel so out of the loop.

"That sound great and all..." He grabs onto my ass, talking into my ear "...the cake looks so good sweety, it just seems to be missing a little... frosting."

"AND CUT. REPOSTION THE CAMREAS."

As Marc looks over my shoulder, still in the hunched over position on top of me, he whispers into my ear. "ARE THEY MAKING YOU FUCKING COOK SALAD? WHO THE FUCK COOKS SALAD?"

Ok, so at least I am not crazy. "THATS WHAT I THOUGHT!"

"Ok... 3...2...1...ACTION."

"I mean, if you think the cake is ready, let me just take it out of the ove...." I break character, starting to laugh.

"CUT."

Marc, who was standing behind me, starts to laugh with me. "ROMERO....YOU CAN'T....YOU CAN'T JUST..."

"I'M SORRY. I'M SORRY. IT'S JUST.... WHO WROTE THIS? I mean, NO OFFENSE, but you really expect me to say, 'If you think the cake is ready, let me just take it out of the oven,' and then follow it up with 'but you want a different cake, don't you sugarplum?' AND keep a straight face? Why are there so many pet names in this? Also, who's idea was it to cook salad? Who does that? This is not even the type of salad that needs to be cooked."

The stage director looks at me with annoyance, putting their head in their arms. "Look, we expect you to be profe... wait, SALAD???" The stage director drops everything and rushes over to the scene. "MY SALAD? THAT'S MY SALAD. WHY IS MY SALAD HERE INSTEAD OF THE VEGATABLES?" She goes over to the prop manager, half angry and half crying.

Anyway, Marc and I do a few more takes. Long story short, I bend over to get the cake out of the oven, he rips my pants off, we fuck, yada yada yada.

"CUT. THAT'S IT. OK, LET'S PACK IT UP FOLKS. WE HAVE TO BE FULLY OUT OF THE AREA IN AN HOUR."

The director comes up to me, a smile plastered over his face. "ROMANTIC CANDY! MY MAN! Look, I know you have not filmed in a while, but for your redebut in the industry after your... break, you are still doing as great as ever. I just wanted to congratulate you."

I look up and smile, still a bit out of breath from the scene I filmed. "Thank you, sir."

"No problem." He looks at me, a hint of concern filling his face. "Also, I just wanted to ask, are you ok? I mean, you just got out of your coma a month ago, and if I am not mistaken, this is your first time doing something so... energizing... after that. It must be tiring for you. Do you want a film crew member to help you get home?"

I look around. Sure, I am a bit tired, but after what had happened yesterday, I think I am awake enough to get home and not crash. "No, I'm fine."

The director gives me a nod, then walks over to help pack up.

Marc looks over at me, still naked from the scene we had just filmed, cleaning himself with an on-site shower. "Well, that's done." He goes over to the side to dry himself off and put on his clothes, and I do the same with my own. "ANYWAY, NOW THAT THAT'S OVER, tell me... what's Mr. mystery man like?"

I smile, blushing a bit. "Well, he's tall. He's handsome. He's fit. His hair looks beautiful. His eyes are so dark. His skin is smooth. Actually, everything about him is just so...perfect."

Marc looks in confusion. "You do know most of what you just said doesn't actually describe him, right? I mean, they do but COME ON! Thats like... a tenth of the population. Ok, maybe not a tenth, but still."

I look away. "Sorry."

He turns to get a drink of water. "No need to be sorry man. If anything, I should say sorry on how rough I went with you today. For a moment, I thought your back would break. By the way, are you ok man? It may have not been the best to do that after you just came back."

I look at him, in a joking sarcastic expression. "Are you serious. I filmed so many scenes at this point, and you really think THAT was the roughest someone has been with me. In fact, it is not even the roughest scene we filmed together on set."

"OH YEAH..." Marc tries to think back, his mind wandering off. "ANYWAY, YOU MOVED FINALLY. Congrats! But... where to?"

Oh no. I mean, I know that they don't really keep it a secret, but would it be ok to tell Marc that I moved to a town of werewolves. "Oh yeah. So, I moved to this... strange... town. Not too far from here actually." Maybe it is best to keep it a secret for now. Don't want him to find out about that. I am don't even fully understand it myself, after all.

Marc rolls his eyes. "Well no duh. How did you expect to work if you don't live nearby the... wait... strange? Strange how?"

"Well, have you heard of the town Parwaisha near the city."

Marc thinks for a moment. "OH YEAH. I know that place. Wait, you moved there?"

I'm surprised. Usually, Marc is not really the geography expert. How does he know about a place in the middle of nowhere. "You know about the town?"

He looks over, kind of surprised. "Well yeah. Remember when I moved out of the city around half a year back? I actually I moved to a place close by that area. In fact, I even got to attend a great barbecue that the town was holding. By the way, have you met Max yet? SUPER COOL guy, makes the best hamburgers. I think he may have a crush on this girl named Wendy, but you did not hear that from me. Anyways, hamburger! I want a hamburger..." I watch as his mouth starts to water.

I'm still in disbelief of what he had just said. He knows about the town. Does he know about the... "Wait, since you know about the town, do you know about the town's... 'Wolf Problem'?"

"I mean, of course. I don't mind though. They were so nice to me and the rest of my family, along with other people that lived in my neighborhood who are like myself. Even to the people who moved from Europe because of the... ANYWAYS, it's only a drive an hour south from my house, but you and I both know that I don't need a car to get around, WINK WINK NUDGE NUDGE."

I look at him. The town an hour south? That's the town where all the vampires live. Does that mean... "YOUR A VAMPIRE?"

He looks at me in confusion. "Actually, it is 'YOU'RE A VAMPIRE?' not 'YOUR A VAMPIRE,' and I mean, of course. How do you think I got here so fast? Wait, DID I NOT TELL YOU?"

ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? "NO, YOU DID NOT TELL ME?" Why am I so out of the loop. I feel like I am going to lose my MIND.

"HOW DID YOU THINK I WAS SO GOOD AT SUCKING?"

"I JUST THOUGHT YOU PRACTICED?" I look around. Even though we are talking loudly, the rest of the remaining staff on set seem to be minding their own business. Like this is something that was already known. WAIT. "DOES EVERYONE ELSE KNOW?"

"I mean, YEAH! Almost everyone here is not human. Like, you know Eric from that one thing you guys stared in together... I think it was called 'Sexy Escapade' or something?"

"Yeah?"

"Incubus. So was Steve, Carl, other Carl, other other Carl, Bob... point is there are a lot of incubi. I am pretty sure Ivan is a mix of a fairy and a pixie. Till is a changeling..."

"What about Fred and Manchester?"

He looks at me like I had just said something stupid. "I mean, they are both human silly... as far as I am aware. Anyway, that doesn't matter now. What matters is that now you are aware. I mean, did anyone try and catch you up to speed in when you first learned about this in Parwaisha?"

I shrug. "I mean, kind of. Not really in depth though." Even if they did go into depth, I am TIRED. And I was drunk, but I don't really want to think about that.

"Ok. Well, if you need someone to help you get more info, we can go to a bar in your town. There should be someone that will tell you everything you need to know. By the way, HAVE YOU VISITED THE DRIVING BUFFALO YET. THEY HAVE THE BEST FUCKING DRINKS I SWEAR TO GOD. AND ONE OF THE BARTENDERS, DARIUS, IS SO HOT. I tried to flirt with him, but he just joked around with me. I mean, does he think it was a joke? I need him. THAT MAN IS FINE. I'm telling you; he seems like he would be your type. He's tall, a little dark, and has chocolate brown eyes. He also has a mix of long and short hair, like a wolf cut. He's built like a BRICK. He smells like freshly cut cinnamon mixed with a warm cup of tea. Honestly, if he asked me to run away with him to a random cabin in the woods, it would not even take me more than a second, and that's only just to process the words. I'm telling you; I would be gone with the wind." I laugh as we both walk out of the venue, making our way to the car. "Maybe try to shoot your shot. If he is not taken already, he may be into you. You never know until you..." He then looks at me with a look of horror. "I'M SORRY. I COMPETELY FORGOT. YOU HAVE A BOYFRIEND NOW! I mean, I know he is ok with your job, but is it like... an open relationship. Would he be ok with you going out with someone else in the town, or even someone else he may know?"

As Marc rambles on, I sit there in my car, quietly laughing to my coworker as he crushes over my lover. Do I tell him? The man he wanted me to try and get and the man he wants for himself is also the same man who I call my sweetheart on the phone? HELL NO. IT WILL BE SO MUCH FUNNIER TO SEE THE LOOK ON HIS FACE WHEN WE GET TO THE BAR AND HE FINDS OUT WE ARE A COUPLE.

He looks at my trying to start the car. "Um, do you just want me to take us there?"

I look at him. "How?"

He smirks and gets out of the car. I wonder what he is doing and then watch as the floor gets...higher. Is my car in the SKY? IS HE CARRYING MY FUCKING CAR? HE BETTER NOT DENT IT. I ALMOST FINISHED PAYING IT OFF.

Outside the car, I hear. "Singular gentleman, please keep all your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times and just remember to say thank you after the flight. I hope you enjoyed your flight with Marc airlines."

"WHAT THE... enjoyed?" I look out the window, seeing the car right by the park. Well, that was anti-climactic. I guess it would make sense that it could travel a faster distance in the sky.

I see as a bat files out from under my car, turning into a cloud of smoke, and then reshaping into Marc. "Anyway, come on. GET OUT ALREADY. We don't have all night. The bar closes at 3 am."

I get out of the car, walking with Marc into the concrete circle, where we see Max talking to Bart.

"MAX! MY MAN!"

Max looks up, seeing Marc and I walking towards him. "MARC???" He runs up to Marc, hugging him. "OH MY GOD MAN, I HAVE NOT SEEN YOU FOR A WHILE! How have you been?"

Marc looks at him confused. "I literally stopped by here after work a couple of weeks ago. What are you talking about man? Is that special coffee of yours getting to your head?"

Those words shock me. Not the part about me being right that Max is on something, and that there is something wrong with his coffee, but the words before that. After... work? DO THEY KNOW WHAT MARC DOES FOR WORK?

Max looks at me. "ROMERO. HEY MAN. I HAVE NOT SEEN YOU TODAY, BUT JUST SO YOU KNOW, I... " He starts to tear up with fake tears in his eyes. "...AM HURT. YOU COST ME 5 BUCKS MAN. TO BART. BART!"

Marc turns to me. "What is he talking about?"

"They bet on my love life."

"Ah. Speaking of which, where is your boyfriend? I would love to meet Mr. Mystery Man."

Bart and Max both choke on their drinks. "BOYFRIEND? YOU TWO MADE IT OFFICAL. THAT WAS FAST. Congratulations."

I look down in a mix of embarrassment and glee. "Well, yeah."

Max and Bart come up to hug me. "WE'RE SO HAPPY FOR YOU TWO."

Athena then walks out of the bathroom, seeing the two of them hug me. "Do I even what to know what is going on this time?"

"THEY MADE IT OFFICAL AFTER THE FIRST DATE!"

"WHAT???" She screams out. I mean, SCREAMS out. She then runs up to us and joins in on the group hug.

After everything had died down, she notices Marc standing by me. "MARC. YOUR HERE! Have you met Romero yet. I think you two would get along well."

He looks at them, a bit disappointed. "Are you... you're joking, right? Did I not tell you guys. He is my work friend I was telling you guys about a month ago. You know... the one with... the thing... and the other thing."

I stand there for a moment, as Max, Bart, and Athena's jaws drop to the floor. "Your... work friend?"

"YEAH. You know, the one that... I... Wait, why are you all just..."

I pull Marc aside for a second, my face pale as I am trying not to just curl up into a ball and die. The concrete on the floor seems to pull me in, like quicksand. "Hey Marc?"

Marc looks over at me, oblivious to what he just did. "Yeah?"

"I did not tell them about what I did for work yet."

"Oh." He then looks back at them, then at me "OH! OH NO. NO NO NO NO NO. ROMERO I AM so, SO SORRY. I THOUGHT THEY KNEW. I MEAN... YOU AT LEAST TOLD THEM ABOUT THE..."

The bartender walks out from behind the bar. "What is all the nois... ROMERO." He runs up to me and hugs me, caressing my cheek. "Are you doing ok? How was work?" He looks at my face, my horrified expression unmoving. "What's going on? Is everything ok..."

Max looks at him, cutting him off. "Darius, did you know about... Romero?"

Darius looks at him, then back at me. "What is he talki..." He looks around, seeing Marc next to me. "...OH, HEY MARC? How are you? Wait, why are you here. Did something happen?"

Marc, still with a horrified look on his face from what he just did, turns to Darius. "Hey man. I was just... helping Romero... get home from... work."

Athena, Max and Bart all turn to look at me. "So, you are... and you work with... are you..." They look at each other, and... start to cry. WHY ARE THEY CRYING? ARE THEY THAT UPSET?

"SO YOU'RE THAT GUY. THAT GUY WITH... THE THING! WHY DID YOU NOT TELL US? HOW ARE YOU? YOU FEELING OK?" They... bring me into a group hug, still crying.

"OH MY GOD. IF ONLY WE KNEW BEFORE... WE'RE SO SORRY THAT HAPPENED."

"Um." I turn to Marc. "Did you say something about me to them or something."

Darius looks at me, then at Marc, and something seeming to click. "WAIT. HE IS YOUR WORK FRIEND? THAT WORK FRIEND? I mean, it makes a little sense, but still, HE'S THAT WORK FRIEND?" He looks at me and joins the group hug, crying with everyone else.

I stand there, my horror turning into... confusion. What the FUCK was going on? "Ok seriously Marc, WHAT DID YOU TELL THEM?"

Chapter Text

"Ok seriously Marc, WHAT DID YOU TELL THEM?"

Marc looks at me. "I'm sorry, Romero. I wanted to ask them for advice on what to do after the... incident."

The incident? Is he talking about... THAT INCIDENT? Oh. Oh no. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

"MARC, YOU CAN'T JUST TELL PEOPLE ABOUT THAT WITHOUT MY PERMISSION!"

"I KNOW. I KNOW. It's just... what happened was really bad, and it affected me in such a bad way. I needed to talk to someone about it. I did not give them your name, but... still. I needed to know what to do after you... woke up. Where I should go from there."

The incident... also known as the attempt I made on my life. The one that sent me into a coma for three months. The reason why I was not in any porn films, and the reason why I was not online for a while. The incident.

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Ok. I guess it's time for a backstory.

When I was younger, my parents decided they did not want any children anymore. My father was... not the best. The doctors had diagnosed him with a disorder closely linked to psychopathy. My mother could not handle the pressures that came with keeping me safe and keeping my dad in check. So, because she did not think he would get better... no... because she KNEW he would only get worse as time went on... and because she still wanted to protect me, she... gave me away. I never held it against her. I never resented her, or tried to lash out at her for it. She just did what she thought would protect me.

One day, in the middle of the night, she woke me up.

"Hey sweety. I was thinking about going to get some midnight ice-cream at the shop downtown. Do you want to go get ice cream?" Obviously, because I was as a child, I would not turn that down. Free ice cream. HELL, I STILL WON'T TURN DOWN FREE ICE CREAM. ICE CREAM CAN BE EXPENSIVE. GIMME THAT. Of course, I agreed, so she dropped me off at an ice cream parlor, pretending to get out of the car with me, then, when I was not paying attention, she just left. I sat alone, in the middle of the night next to an ice cream parlor for around 2 hours. And then, someone walked by and noticed me sitting by the sidewalk.

"Whose child is this? Are you lost little buddy?"

When I was younger, I had a really bad speech impediment. So bad that everything I tried to say came out as jumbled up nonsense. That's probably why spend so much time thinking to myself. I remember sending a sign to say yes. Maybe I nodded my head. Maybe I gave a thumbs up. Point is, I told her yes.

"Ok. When was the last time you seen your mom or your dad, little bud?"

I put up two of my fingers.

"Two... two. OK. Two what?"

I tried to think of something. I had just learned about clocks and how they work in school. I used that to move my hands like the arms of a clock, trying to replicate it.

"What are you... OH. It's a clock." I nod. "Since you are going all the way around, that means... TWO HOURS? YOU HAVE NOT SEEN EITHER OF YOUR PARENTS IN TWO HOURS???"

I nodded.

The lady contacted the police, who show up at the scene and try to get me to say my name, where my house is, or who my parents were, anything that could help them help me. But, because I could not talk, I was just stuck there. In the end, they took me to an orphanage. Let's just say it was... not the best. The orphanage was very Chistian based, built on practices like repenting for our sins, or facing hash punishment. The caretakers were really rude and strict, and I had gotten a lot of religious guilt from it, but it was better than how I was living before, so I just... went along with it.

After a while, I got enrolled into school. It was a small school, so mostly everyone knew each other, except me of course. Being the small, frail, orphan, speech impaired new kid at the school, I got targeted a lot. A LOT. I MEAN, I FIT EVERY CATEGORY SOMEONE WOULD BULLY SOMEONE ELSE FOR. I was abused, called names, and I was forced constantly to do things for other people, like homework and giving up lunch money. Whenever I told my teacher, they would just ignore it, saying how "This is just how other kids your age play around. They will grow out of it." Then, one day, it got maybe... just MAYBE a little bit too extreme.

One of my bullies, who was a really deranged kid from a rich background, felt like he could do anything he wanted, and he wanted to see if an orphan would "cry to their mommy" after a something bad happened to them. So, he took me into the bathroom with a group of bullies. The other ones probably had no idea that he would pull out a knife. Before they knew what would happen, the bully pushed me down and stabbed me in the arm. The other bullies, finally realizing the situation, immediately decided to run off and get a teacher, while two of them stayed behind and tried to get the stabber off of me. Meanwhile, the stab wound got worse, going in so deep that I started to bleed out from my arm. My vision got blurry after that, and the next thing I knew, I was in the hospital for a while. When I was let out, I thought things might change, but it did not take long for kids to start bullying me again. Although, they kept it to just be verbal bulling, you know, like name calling, which I guess is a considerate in a way? And the teacher was fired for negligence.

Anyway. Middle school. Long story short, I was bullied there too, but it was not too bad. My speech got better, and I was finally able to talk.

Now. High school. For the most part, nothing happened. Because of my bullying, I decided to get really fit in middle school, (I mean, as fit as you can get as a middle schooler living in an orphanage) and bullies avoided me because of it. But, because of all the years I had gone through bullying, I did not really speak up that much, so I only really had one friend when I was younger. Clare.

She was probably the sweetest person I met in my entire life... well, up until now, but she is still tied for first. She was so kind to me, and she always listened to what I had to say, never judging what I decided to tell her. I ended up talking with her a lot after school, and even meeting her family, including a close cousin of hers who was around 2 years older than me, Marcus. Anyway, we both did everything together, and we trusted each other a lot. We were so close. So close that I was developing... feelings for her.

Valentines' day. Senior year. That was it. The day I was going to ask her out on a date. I was so happy; I was basically skipping my way to school. But, when I got there, she was nowhere to be seen. She was... gone. She was just... gone. A day went by. Then the next. Then the next. After a week had gone by, I hear the news. Clare was in a car accident. She was not dead... she was just... not fully here. After school that day, I rushed to the hospital where Clare was staying at, finding out she was in a coma, Marc next to her side, crying. Over the time she was gone, I decided to try and confide in Marc, as if anyone could understand my pain, it would be him. We ended up becoming really good friends, and I ended up telling him what I planned on doing for work after graduation. He was super supportive, and, after a while, he tried to look into it as a career path. Obviously, the orphanage was not as supportive, but I went from devout Christan to sinfully lusting full time, so I understood their anger.

Anyway, lets skip to more recent years. Marc and I got really popular within our line of work, along with a couple of other people we became friends with within the industry. But, along with popularity in this scene, problems came to follow. People I was kind of able to get close to started to distance themselves. I lost some closer connections in my life, like the other people I grew up with at the orphanage. Any real dating I tried to do... did not really work out due to my job and the person only seeing me as a cheating liar, which I guess is fair. Those who did not see me a cheating liar saw me as more of a sex doll then a person, so I could not stay in those relationships. Some tried to say that it was ok, and that they would "fix" me, which was really bad for my mental health. All it made me do was force me to think I was broken. That I needed a savior, to come swoop me up, and whisk me away from my rotten, dirty life. It was dehumanizing, basically dumbing me down to a damsel in distress. And then there was.... you know what, I am rambling too much.

Anyways, along with all of this, and probably worst of all, any time I would go into a bar alone, people would try to drug me to have sex with them, a lot of times succeeding in doing so. You see, I was very widespread, due to my numerous porn videos and my explicit livestreams. I also did normal streams, so I was a little popular from that too. Of course, no one cares about that, because it is always overlooked by the more intimate things in my career. Point is, I was famous. I still am. So, because I was not careful, many people would spike my drink. I probably tasted every drug in the book. Ketamine, Rohypnol, GHB, you name it, I had it. Fortunately, I never got addicted. I found out that my family's genetics had a certain gene that makes it harder to be addicted. I guess if I have anything to thank them for, it could be that. Basically, I was drugged a lot, and have been assaulted a lot.

Thankfully, almost every time someone did that, they expected me to just... do it with them again. Almost all their defenses when I went to court was "You do this for a living. What is one more person going to add to a never-ending list?" So, most of the time, I would end up waking up in their hotel room before they would. I would find a rope or a key, just something to keep them confined in the room. I would call the police, saying that I have been drugged and assaulted. They would search the room, see the person in the room, find the drugs they used, and hold them for a bit. I would get a drug test and a rape kit, and it would turn out positive. I would go to trial, getting them thrown in prison. Some sentences were for a long time, some were for less than a month, which was horrible. But, I guess I must have fans in there because I never see or hear of those people again. That still never took away from the fact that I had been assaulted, though. In fact, it got so bad that one time, the police asked me if I was just trying to get assaulted for constant publicity. I mean it was rude, but it was happening so often that I kind of understood where they were coming from. In a few months, I would never walk into another bar in the city again.

There was only one person who I trusted enough to tell all of this to. Marc. I mean, who else was I going to say all this to? Obviously, I did not tell him everything wrong in my life. I did not want to overload him with trauma, after all. He was my only real friend. But, after telling him enough he tried to help by suggesting I go to therapy. "I know an office nearby. Maybe you can go there and try to book an appointment."

So, I did just that, and it was actually a great decision. I ended up with a therapist who really understood my situation. She helped me get over some really bad problems within a matter of minutes. I looked forward to going back to therapy each time because it felt like it was helping. I was... healing. Slowly healing, but it was healing, nonetheless. And I was proud.

I went into her office, ready for another session. It was going to be my fifth to final one. "OK, I'm- AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH."

I scream. January 16, the day I found a person in my therapist's office, holding a knife, and my therapist, dead on the floor. They look at me, the reflection of the blood filling their eyes. I had seen those eyes before long ago. It may have not been the same body, but it was the same intention. Bloodlust. They walk over to me, stumbling step by step. "YOU... YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND. SHE WAS A MONSTER! A MONSTER!" I freeze. Ever since I was stabbed, I was always uneasy about sharp objects, especially knifes. I was frozen in fear, but it was a good thing other people heard my scream, because security was alerted. The killer tried to jump at me, I guess to not leave witnesses, but the guards stopped him just before he could do so. He was later detained. I don't know what happened to him, though. I hope wherever he is right now, he is rotting.

As I am left alone for the following days after that, I just can't help but wonder... why? Why does everyone that I confide in, everyone that I trust just... disappear? Am I... cursed?

During all this time, I started to disassociate. I end up harming myself, burning my leg a bit. I distance myself from my work friends, not showing up to scheduled films. I even tried to take my own life, but I would always end up getting stopped by people like Marc or Phil, who would come check in on me at the worst times to see if I was feeling just a little bit better.

But, the spiraling continued. The deeper into depression I went, the more I wanted to die. So, because my attempts kept failing due to interruptions, I tried to run away into the most secluded place I could, so that I could take my own life without people noticing. No one can stop me if they can't find me. And what better place than the woods.

I walked into the woods. It was the first week of February. The cold, winter moonlight surrounded me. On the top of a mountain, I found a tree stump, perfectly lined up with the branch of another tree. I tied a noose to the tree branch, and just when I was about to get my neck inside of it and end it all, a wolf jumped onto me, starting to attack me. It must have been starving. There were barely any deer out where I was this time of year. It bit and scratched me multiple times, one of them being in my arm, where I still had a permanent wound from my childhood. The wound reopened, causing me to bleed out. I was so scared, and as I screamed in pain, more wolves started coming and chewed onto my skin, trying to eat whatever was there. In that moment, lying on the ground, I was shaken to my core. I mean sure, I wanted to die, but not like this. Who wants to die slowly and painfully in the middle of the woods, bleeding out in the snow as animals eat your skin.

Because of all the pain, my vision got blurry. I was certain I was going to die, and after a while, I accepted it. That's when I felt something lifting me up. I think I mumbled something, as if I was talking to an angel. My memory after the wolves is so blurry. I don't even remember what I said. Thinking back, all I remember is...

... Breathing...

...I remember something breathing...

...The panic in their breaths, almost as if they were trying to keep me alive...

...I was bleeding out, and something... someone... tried to keep me alive...

And then I woke up in a hospital bed.

Marc, who was visiting both me and Clare at the time, watched as I opened my eyes.

"Romero. ROMERO. ARE YOU OK? NUSRE! NURSE HE'S AWAKE!

A nurse quickly rushes in, trying to get some help. "DOCTOR! I NEED A DOCTOR IN ROOM 444 IMEDIATELY!"

The doctor soon came in and made sure I did not drift into unconsciousness again. Apparently, I was in a coma for around 3 months, and falling back asleep at that moment could have meant I would never wake up again.

There was also no major damage to my body. All the bitemarks were fully healed, and none of them scarred my body. The only scar I had was a wolf scratch on my arm, where my old wound was.

After a few more weeks in the hospital, my condition was finally stable, and I was let go. While I was there, people heard about me getting attacked and then waking up. So, I ended up having an even bigger number of fans then before, which I guess is a nice bonus. It's funny, people only really started to notice how bad I was actually doing when I was not there. Why is that? I almost fell back into a depressive state, but all the support I was receiving from my fans made me have hope. Hope that somewhere in the world, someone would accept me for who I am. Not just people online, but someone that I can truly be with. Someone that could make me happy. I know it was stupid, but I made a list of what I wanted my lover to be like. For the first time in years, I prayed. Praying that if someone like that exist, that they would find me, hold me, keep me safe, and never let go.

While in the hospital, I also decided a change of scenery would be nice. I worked for a couple of weeks, only around 2-3 posts on my normal social media. I updated that I was fine, and that there was now a giant scratch on my arm, but I think people found it hot because I saw a lot of... comments. During this time, I also called my friend in the real estate department, Sage. She had grown up with me in the orphanage, and was one of the only people who still tried to keep in contact after I started my job. I ended up finding a big house in a small town. I had saved up millions from how successful I was, but it did not cost that much. I did not care though, because, after living in the city, a small town is probably a major improvement.

And, since you already know everything from there, back to present day.

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I am still in the middle of a group hug, a bunch of people crying over me.

I try to back away a bit, tapping someone's shoulder. "Um... Ok... so I'm guessing Marc told you everything he knows then?"

Athena tries to wipe her tears while still hugging me, crying in between words. "Well.... yeah. I mean... he tried to come to us... for advice... about what to do and... and how to approach you after you... woke up. You really... you really made him sad once you were gone... and after everything you went through... we did not want you... you to just die." She then stops crying, as if she realized something. Her head does a quick turn to Marc, rage filling in her eyes. "ALTHOUGH, HE FORGOT TO MENTION THAT YOU WOKE UP, SO WE ALL THOUGHT YOU DIED. WHAT HAPPENED TO KEEPING US UPDATED???"

Marc tries to back away slowly, and then tries to run from her. "AHHH. HELP ME? HELP ME? REF, DO SOMETHING! HELP?"

I turn go back to my group hug, hugging everyone, and then starting to tear up. "Wait... so no one... cares about what I do... for work?... You... you guys... you guys are just ok with it?"

After the crying dies down, they stop the group hug, looking around at each other. Max speaks up. "Why wouldn't we be? I mean, it's not like that defines who you are. Also, Marc is in that line of work, and we are friends with him. Plus, besides from you two, we know a couple of other people who do that. Like Carl."

I stand confused. "Which one?"

"Yes!" Max continues to ramble on. "Point is... you're our friend now, and as long as it is not hurting you, we don't mind. Honestly, I don't even think anyone in this town would mind."

Marc, still running away from Athena, tries to hide behind Darius. "HELP ME. CALM HER DOWN! PLEASE!" He stops screaming, looking at his face while his voice gets lower, trying to sound more alluring. "I mean... your big and strong, surely you can do something. I can try to pay you back... one way or another."

Darius looks at him, then at me in confusion. "Di... Did you not???" I give him a look that tells him everything he needs to know. He giggles under his breath a bit, and then turns back to Marc and grins. "Yeah, still not happening man. I like your persistence though."

Marc looks down, getting on his knees defeated. "BUT WHY NOT? You have been single since the moment I met you. Can't we just try it out? See how it goes?"

"Actually, I'm not single anymore. I got a boyfriend recently."

Marc looks back up at him, surprised. I swear, the way people move their heads recently, it makes me concerned for how their neck does not break, and confused as to why it does not just detach and fly off into the wind. It's kind of scary. Marc throws his hands up into fists, jokingly punching the air like an old-timey movie. "REALLY? Who is the lucky guy? WHERE IS HE? Thats it. I feel a wave of jealously. I got to throw hands with 'em. I'm sorry, but that's the rule. Who are they?" He then looks at me, then back at Darius, something clicking in his head. "No... NO! SHUT UP! HE'S MR. MYSTERY MAN?" He quickly looks at the two of us.

I laugh. I put my hands up like him, also punching the air. "Are you still going to try and fight me? I can handle it. Let me at 'em."

"ARE YOU KIDDING? OF COURSE NOT. CONGRATS MAN." He goes in to hug me, but before he could do so, he gets tackled on by Athena.

As everyone continues chatting, I look down. I feel... dizzy. I guess I overextended myself again.

Darius looks at me and notices I am starting to lose focus, picking me up bridal style.

"Come on. Let's get you home."

Weird. I feel like this is... familiar...

Chapter Text

We arrived in front of my house. Too tired to even stand, Darius decides to drive my car to get there. 

"Thank you so much sweetheart."

"No problem, darling. Do you want me to stay with you for a while?"

I smile and kiss him on the cheek, making his face light up. "Yeah, that would be great."

Before we head inside, we look up at the night sky, filled with stars. 

Darius looks at them, then back at me. "It's funny. Out of every star in the sky, you are the one shining the brightest."

I giggle a bit. "What, is this the time we pick out pet names?"

"Why not?"

I think for a moment. "Ok. Well, if I'm the star, I guess you are the night sky." I caress his cheek. "That fits you. You are so beautiful. You are so vast, always having a way to guide a person to their destination."

"But I am nothing without the stars." 

I look at him, my heart feeling as if it is going to jump out of my chest. "What?"

"The stars are the things that light up the sky. Sure, the night sky may be their when all the stars go out, but without the guiding light they bring, the night sky is just a dark space." He caresses my cheek, holding my hair gently with the other hand. "Romero, you have helped me. More than you will ever seem to understand. Will you be my guiding star?"

I look at him. Man, do I want to FUCK this man. Both of us, raw and passionate. On the Couch. On the bed. The rug. The tub. ANYWHERE HE WANTS. ANYTHING HE WANTS. 

"Not unless you be my night sky. The stars are also nothing without the sky."

He smiles "Of course." He leads me inside the house as I lay on the couch, about to go to sleep. "Goodnight, my star."

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Darius stays with Romero until he goes to sleep, watching him dream about something. He caresses Romero's cheek, holding him close.

"So... warm." 

After a while, he walks away. DAMN IT. He was not able to tell Romero about his secret, or about Code Dreamcloud, but... should he even say anything? Should he keep the secret for a little while longer? He does not want to see Romero hurt. Romero has had so much that he needed to process in just the past two days alone, after only around a month of getting out of a coma. Will it overload him. 

He looks over to Romero, crying to himself. "I'm so sorry, my star. You trust me so much, and told me so many things about yourself that would be hard for a person to say to anyone. You are so quick to try, and in such a short amount of time. You... you don't deserve me. I can't even tell you that I am a..."

There is a knock at the door. Darius opens it to see... Marc. 

"Hey, just wanted to see if he got home safe."

Darius sigh's. "Yeah, he is asleep." 

"Already? Damn. I mean, I guess that is expected." He looks worried. "I feel like, every time I see him, he seems to get weaker by the day. I don't know if I am just imagining things, but..."

Darius runs up to him and pushes him against a wall. It ticks him off to hear that Romero may be... deteriorating. "Don't say that. He's ok. And if something is wrong, he will be ok. I will make sure of it."

Marc looks at Darius, dumfounded. "Well, usually I enjoy getting pinned to walls, but this just makes me... uncomfortable. Like, buy me dinner first at least. Can you please let go of me?"

Darius, realizing what he is doing, lets him go, backing away fast. "Sorry about that. I... I don't know what came over me. I guess I just got... carried away. I don't like people just saying stuff like that out of nowhere, especially for the people I love."

"Don't worry man. I understand." He looks over to Romero, who is sleeping on the couch again. "So... you did tell him about... you know..."

"Not yet."

He looks at Darius, eyes wide open. "WHY NOT?"

"Because, I have not had the time. And after everything that happened to him, I don't think I want to tell him at all."

"AGAIN, WHY NOT?"

"BECAUSE I DON'T... I don't want to scare him. He seems to be... afraid... whenever people talked about werewolves. Most people can't see it, but I do. After knowing that he is your friend who literally got hospitalized by regular wolves, I can see why he is so afraid. He has not moved on from that yet, and your telling me that he is going to be ok with me saying 'oh yeah babe, I am kind of like this super traumatic thing for you, just potentially a lot more dangerous.' Yeah, I'm sure he would LOVE that."

Marc looks at Darius, who had started to clutch his fist in a mix of anger and sadness. Just, he is not angry at him. Darius is angry at... himself. "You're... afraid. You're afraid of hurting him."

"OF COURSE I AM! You are telling me that if you have the risk of hurting someone close to your heart, you would not be afraid of what you would do."

Marc comes closer, putting a hand on his shoulder. "But, wouldn't it also be hurting him to just let him live in the dark. I mean, sure, you may think you are protecting him, but when the truth eventually comes out, he is just going to end being worse off than before, because he feels like a person he loves, a person he trusts, does not trust him back."

Darius starts to break down, falling to his knees in front of Romero's front door. Even though he is still uneasy about this, he knows he can't just deny Romero of this information. "Your right. I have to tell him."

Marc nods, then turns to leave. Darius looks at him, trying to ask something before he goes. 

"WAIT! Can I ask you... a favor?"

Marc turns around jokingly. "Anything for you, Babygirl UWU."

Darius looks at him with a blank expression. "Don't do that."

"Sorry."

"Look, there is a Code Dreamcloud happening this week, and I need you to make sure that Romero is safe."

Marc looks at him, the expression on his face changing juristically from playful to panic. "Do you know when? What they are planning? WHO? "

"Well, the town seems to think it is either the Great Bane Greyhounds, or the German Shepard Spears."

"Well, that is the logical choice." He turns around, a panicked look washing over him. "WAIT, YOU DID NOT TELL HIM ABOUT IT YET EITHER, DID YOU???"

Darius looks down. "No."

"WELL, WHEN DO YOU THINK THEY WILL COME?"

"The earliest... tomorrow. The latest... three days."

"OK, you NEED to tell him about yourself. If not about yourself, then at least about everything else going on. What if you get killed?"

"That won't happen. You know that."

"What if HE gets killed???"

Darius stands there, absolutely silent.

Marc teleports behind him, putting him in a chokehold. "You need to tell him. He is my best friend, and I will not lose him. Especially because a person kept a bunch of things secret when he poured his heart out to them. So, either you tell him tomorrow, or I will. AND... if you get killed, I will go to the underworld, get your fucking soul, and kill you myself with my bare hands, no matter how handsome you are. And, if HE gets killed, you are going to WISH that you were in hell, because I will make your life a living nightmare. AM. I. CLEAR?" 

Darius, not even reacting to the chokehold, lowers Marc's hand. "Your clear. Now, can you please let go. I rather not be choked in this context."

Marc turns to look at him, his fury turning into disorientation. "Was that a dirty joke?"

"I guess your flirting is rubbing off on me."

His face lights up. "Does that mean I have a chance?"

Darius stares at him. "HA. Still not a chance, man."

"Well, I tried." After that, his demeanor changes back to normal, letting Darius go. "Anyway, BYEEEEEEEE." He turns into a bat and starts to fly away. "Also, call me sometime. OK?"

Darius chuckles a bit. "Ok, but you still don't have a chance." Marc flies away, and Darius goes back inside, trying to take care of Romero the best he can. "After all, no one will ever compare to you, my star."

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Another lucid dream.

This time, I am brought back to the night it all happened. The middle of the woods. 

I see a man... no... it's man-like, but it is not a man. 

It fights off a bunch of wolves, grabbing my body and carrying me to safety.

The wind brushes past my hair. My face, tattered and bruised, and my body along with it.

But he does not seem to care.

I don't get a good look at the figure. But I trust it.

...

Is this a dream...

...or a memory?

Now that I think about it, all the men in my dreams have the same figure. Even that siren dream I had in the car. I can't put a face to it, but...

"Who... are you?"

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I wake up. Strange, I don't really remember my dream. Guess it wasn't that important.

I feel... good. No... GREAT! Granted, I did not think my secret would come out so soon, and it is probably being passed around the neighborhood as I think, but I don't really think that anyone would seem to mind. It's like a weight has been lifted off my chest. Now that I am thinking this, I should really get to know the rest of my neighbors better. Maybe I should get to know Milo more. Oh, right, I almost forgot. Today is the full moon. Maybe I can meet more people then! I mean sure, to say I am scared is an UNDERSTATEMENT, but from what Darius said, everything should be normal tonight. Everyone will just look a bit... different. I don't know how it happened so soon, but... I trust him. 

"Morning sleepyhead." Speak of the angel.

I look into the kitchen, seeing Darius in an apron cooking breakfast. 

"I made eggs."

I go up to him. "You... did not leave yesterday after you dropped me off?"

He blushes a bit, freezing for a moment. "I... did not feel good about leaving you alone. You are my boyfriend after all, and you just went through so much these past few days. I did not want you waking up with no one to talk to about it with. Sorry if that's a bit weird."

I sneak up behind him, talking into his ear. "I think it's a sweet gesture. Shows how much you care about me."

He gets flustered. I can see his body tense up. But as I look at him, I sense this feeling of... guilt. He's hiding something.

"Oh no. Did I do something wrong?" As he quickly turns to look at me, surprised, I cover my mouth. I did not mean to say that out loud. 

He drops the spatula and turns off the fire, then goes into grab my hands. "Don't say that. You did nothing wrong. It's... me."

"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa???"  What is he talking about? "Are you sure? Is this a prank or something?"

"I can be wrong too sometimes you know."

I get on top of the counter and sit down. "Yeah, I know." I try to lighten the mood by teasing him a bit. "So what did you do wrong? Did Marc get to you yesterday. You end up sleeping with him and now you feel bad."

He looks at me, embarrassed. "WHY IS THAT THE FIRST THING THAT YOUR MIND GOES TO?"

"I don't know. Kinda hot, not gonna lie." I think back to yesterday's conversation with Marc about when the relationship ends up crossing the line and what he is ok with. "Wait, is this even an open relationship, or a one-sided thing which is 'just because it is my work'? I mean, I'm fine with either or. Honestly, for you, if you were not even comfortable with that, I could probably survive if I..."

He shakes his head to everything, his eyes filling with horror. "Look. How about we talk about the boundaries of our relationship a different day. I have something important I have to say. Not that that's not important, I just... need to tell you something." He puts the eggs onto plates, setting up the table. I sit down in a chair next to him, and he turns to face me. "Look. You have told me so much about yourself, and I am really grateful that you did. You have so much trust in me, and I love you for that, but I feel like I have not been telling you everything either, and it is killing me to keep this from you." 

I mean, I guess that is true. In a way, he knows my entire life story. My hopes, my fears. Out of everyone I know, he is the only one who has truly seen me at my best, and my worst, all in a matter of days. And yet... I have not seen him. Sure, I saw his feelings, but what are those feelings if they are not attached to a story behind them?

I get worried. holding him in my arms. "Darius? Sweetheart? Tell me what's wrong?"

He takes a breath in. "In all honesty, I have not been... that truthful to you. So, I am going to tell you everything. Which includes something that I have been keeping from you ever since we met a couple of days ago."

"Just spit it out. What's wrong?" I get even more worried. 

"I'M...  a werewolf."

...

"Oh!"

Darius waits for a moment for me to say more, but I never do. "Oh!"? Just "Oh!"? That's all that comes out. 

"You're not surprised? Or angry at me? Not at all? Not even a little bit?"

I look around. I mean, I'm not that surprised. I found out they existed the same day I met him, and with all the people in my life who ended up being not human, like Marc and the incubi I work with, it's not that unexpected to add one more person. Also, it's kind of obvious. In a town full of werewolves, I would fully expect that the person with a wolf cut would be one as well. ALSO, I was probably going to find out anyway when I went to the bar later today, so it's whatever. I thought he may have just forgot to tell me on our date.

"So, do you want me to tell the truth or lie?"

He looks at me and starts to laugh and cry at the same time. "Oh my god. I literally could not have asked for someone better in my life then you." He pulls me in for a hug. "Thank you, for understanding. Actually, thank you for everything."

I smile, closing my eyes and hugging back. "Don't mention it. Any other secrets I should know about, my night sky?"

He pauses for a moment. "I am technically homeless."

"WHATTTTTTTTTTTTT?????"

Chapter Text

"WHAT???" To say that I was not expecting this would be putting it lightly. "Why? What happened? Is everything ok?"

Darius looks down. "Well, that's another thing I wanted to tell you about. My house burnt down because of a Code Dreamcloud around half a year back in February. It's getting rebuilt, but still."

That's a lot to take in, but most importantly, WHAT THE FUCK IS A CONE DREAMCLOWN AND WHY ARE HOUSES BURNING DOWN BECAUSE OF IT???? 

He looks at me, my expression telling him all that he needs to know. "I'm sorry. You probably don't see me as... the best person now."

Ok, maybe not everything. "Why the fuck would I not see you as a good person? Just because you are homeless? Hell, I have been homeless before too when I was kicked out of the orphanage for being too old." And for the porn thing.  "Wait, where are you staying now? Is it safe>"

He looks up, as if he was not expecting me to be kind about his situation. "Y...yeah, I'm safe. I'm staying at the park's cafe. There is a bunker down there, and it has a spare room, so I live there for now."

I sigh in relief. Good, at least he is somewhat safe. "Ok... good." WAIT... BUNKER??? WHY WOULD A CAFE NEED A BUNKER? "Anyways, WHAT THE FUCK IS A CONE DREAMCLOWN, AND WHY DID IT BURN YOUR FUCKING HOUSE DOWN?"

He looks up and laughs. "DREAMCLOWN??? HAHAHAHAHA." Then, like a fucking shapeshifter, his expression changes. "No. Code Dreamcloud. It's a safety protocol from a... certain group of people."

That tells me everything I need to know. "Ohhhhhh. So, in other words, basically gang violence, but with extraordinary abilities that only a certain species has that make them think they are superior to everyone else, basically wanting to kill or enslave everyone who disagrees with their agenda. Am I correct?"

He looks at me, his eyes widening with surprise. "Yes. Exactly. How did you understand that so fast from what I just said?"

I look around. "Are you fucking joking me? How could I not? It's just like the forced religious conversions I was taught about in the orphanage, but with a bit more... twists and trauma."

"Oh. Yeah, I guess that is one example you could think of it as."

I stand up, bruising myself off. The calm before the storm. 

"Well, now that we got that out of the way..." 

WELP, TIME FOR THE STORM. 

"...WHAT THE FUCK? WHY DID NOBODY TELL ME ABOUT THIS UP UNTIL JUST NOW? THIS SOUNDS REALLY IMPORTANT. YOU CAN'T TELL ME OVER THE PHONE OR SOMETHING. YESTERDAY EVENING? ANY DAY BEFORE TODAY???"

He looks down. "Nobody wanted you to freak out."

"No one wanted me to freak out. NO ONE WANTED ME TO FREAK OUT? HOW AM I SUPPOST TO NOT FREAK OUT WHEN YOU BASICALLY DESCRIBED THAT A SUPERPOWERED VERSION OF A RELIGOUS TERRORIST GROUP IS COMING TO KILL A BUNCH OF PEOPLE THAT DON'T AGREE WITH THEM???" I take a deep breath in. "Look. I am very thankful that you told me, and I am trying not to be mad at you, or anyone else right now, especially you since I love you, but COME ON. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE SAID BEFOREHAND."

He curls up. "Sorry."

I start to blow up. "SORRY? THIS IS A BIG THING, AND IT CAN'T JUST BE SOLVED WITH SORRY!" I try to calm myself down as much as possible, trying not to have a full-on panic attack. "When are they coming? I mean, if you are this laid back about a TERRORIST GROUP, surely I have weeks to prepare, right?"

"I don't kno..." As he says that, his phone starts to ring.

I look at the contact. It's Max. I whisper to him. "Sweetheart, put him on speaker please." Darius, still looking guilty, nods.

"It's Max. Bad news; The Code Dreamcloud seems like it will be here today."

He turns to the phone, swallowing his remaining dignity. "Hey Max! You are on speaker now. Romero is here. In the room."

I can hear Max turn pale from the other side of the phone. "HEYYYYYYYYY ROMEROOOOOO. HOW ARE YO..."

I cut him off. "If you are going to ask how I am, I am NOT FUCKING GOOD. WHAT THE FUCK MAN? YOU CAN'T JUST TELL ME SOMETHING LIKE THIS RIGHT AS IT'S FUCKING HAPPENING? THIS IS A BIG FUCKING THING. I'M GUESSING EVERYONE ELSE KNEW ABOUT THIS TOO. DID MARC KNOW AS WELL. NO MATTER. YOU CAN'T JUST FUCKING TELL ME 'HEY YOU KNOW SOME OF THE GREATEST HORRORS OF HISTORY, WELL THERE IS SOMETHING WORSE THAN THAT HAPPENING TODAY!!! GOOD LUCK NOT DYING!' AND EXPECT ME TO BE SANE. GOODBYE!" I hang up the phone.

Darius, who is still sat in the living room, tries to calm me down. "Are you ok, darling?"

I look at him. "No I am NOT OK. Look, I was fine with the werewolf thing, even though I am still scared shitless from regular wolves, because I TRUSTED you when you said nothing bad will happen. I AM FINE WITH THE HOMELESS THING, BECAUSE YOU SEEM TO HAVE IT UNDER CONTROL, and I TRUSTED YOU when you said it was fine. EVEN IF IT WASN'T, I WOULD STILL BE FINE WITH IT, BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE OFFERED YOU TO MOVE IN. HELL, IF YOU STILL WANT THAT OFFER, IT'S ON THE TABLE." 

Darius looks at me for a bit. "That's... actually very sweet. Thanks."

 "I'M NOT DONE. I AM FINE WITH EVERYTHING THAT YOU COULD DO, BECAUSE I TRUSTED YOU. I VIEWED YOU AS PERFECT, AND I TRUSTED YOU. BUT THIS??? THIS IS TOO BIG TO KEEP FROM ME." I start to tear up. "I TRUSTED YOU. I TRUSTED YOU WITH SO MUCH. IN JUST A FEW DAYS, I FEEL LIKE YOU KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT ME, ABOUT MY FUCKING LIFE, MY PAINS, MY STRUGGLES. I WAS EVEN WILLING TO CHANGE FOR YOU. I WAS WILLING TO DROP EVERYTHING IF YOU GOT TOO UNCOMFORTABLE. I TRUSTED YOU, AND, IN MY EYES, YOU JUST TOOK THAT TRUST AND THREW IT ASIDE WHEN I NEEDED IT MOST. WHY? WHY DID YOU WAIT UNTIL THE LAST SECOND TO TELL ME SOMETHING LIKE THIS. MAYBE..." I cut myself off, thinking the worst. I am bad with relationships, I know that, but if someone acts like they trust me, and can't even tell me about the things I need to know, do they even trust me with myself. He knew about me online. He probably saw pity in me. Someone who needed to be saved. Someone who needs to be sheltered from the horrors of the outside world. If I can't even show them that I can handle myself... "...Maybe it's my fault. Maybe I... moved too fast. Maybe, just maybe... you deserve to be with someone you can trust with themselves, because... I guess I'm not that person."

His eyes widen as he looks up, starting to tear up at my final words. I watch as his heart breaks into a million pieces. "What?"

I run down to my basement and get the shotgun Sage gave me on my first day in my new house. Then, I run back upstairs. "Can you at least tell me... what species these people are, so that I know what I am up against?"

He looks down again, whispering. 

"What?"

"w--w----"

"I still can't hear you."

"WEREWOLVES." He starts to burst into tears, quieting down. "They're... werewolves."

I look at him in shock. Are you KIDDING ME? Even if something happened, there is a HUGE chance that he knows what to do to be safe. HE IS A FUCKING WEREWOLF! Even if he was not, he could have told me about SOME INFORMATION that could help me. If anyone needed the info, it was me, since I was apparently the ONLY ONE in this GODDAMN TOWN, OR MAYBE EVEN THIS GODDAMN PLANET who did not know ANYTHING about any type of being AT ALL. 

I look at him, realizing something in that moment. I can't be with him. I don't know enough about anything. I am not good enough for him. I can't be trusted. Just something to be put onto display. A sheltered, broken down, puppet, with no one willing to fix anything about me. 

I thought he was different. That he was going to tell me everything. That he just though he was a bit boring, and that nothing bad was or is happening. But I was wrong. Instead, he kept the things I needed to know the most, and hid it away from me. 

My hands are sweating. My brain, about to pour out of my head onto the hardwood floor. Frantic breathing, clouding every thought I have. Except one. One screaming at me. It is not the smartest thought, but it is the only one I have. "I... I need to go."

I burst through the door, shotgun in my hand, running out. It's raining heavily, and I feel myself get absolutely wet head to toe, but I don't care about that. I just need to GET OUT. Get out of my house. Get out of this forest. JUST... OUT. I NEED TO LEAVE. NOW.

Do I go into the city? No. If they really are trying to surround the area to commit something like a FUCKING MASS MURDER, they might have people waiting for those who want to leave the town. They probably planned something like that because they want to KILL EVERYONE. Of course, I don't know, as DARIUS DOES NOT TRUST ME ENOUGH TO TELL ME ANYTHING APPARENTLY! Honestly, how did I let myself fuck up THIS MUCH? I should have known, a happy ending for me was too good to come true. Every dream turns into a nightmare if it goes on for long enough. 

I look behind me, hyperventilating faster. More frantic breaths, and the air still does not come to my lungs. SHIT.

Where do I go?

Where do I go?

WHERE DO I FUCKING GO?

Darius exits the house, trying to run out to me, slipping on the concrete walkway and falling. Still, even as he falls, he tries to calm me down. "Romero, please get inside. I promise, I will tell you everything. Just talk to me? PLEASE?"

I look at him, and then past him. I can't process the words he is saying. I look past for an escape.

That's right. There is an area behind my house. A way out.

I put the shotgun strap around my shoulder and run towards the woods.

"ROMERO. NO!"

I run. Away from the town. Away from the truth. Away from Darius. I run. I run.

I need to keep going. I need to keep moving. Just go. 

Go.

Go.

GO. 

GO.

GO.

RUN ROMERO. RUN.

DON'T LET THEM FIND YOU.

DON'T LET THEM CATCH YOU.

JUST RUN.

IF THE LESS YOU KNOW THE BETTER, THEN DON'T GIVE THEM THE CHANCE TO TELL YOU MORE.

GO.

RUN.

GET OUT.

As I run, I can't help but think of the things I want to say. I just want to say to him... sorry. I'm sorry, Darius. I'm sorry that, in the end, you thought I was not someone you could trust to accept you for who you are. I hope you find that person. It probably won't be hard, since you are the "town bachelor", after all, but still. I hope you find someone, get married, have kids, and forget about me. You don't need to forgive me. You just need to forget me. Don't let me hold you back.  You kept everything away from me because you thought I could not handle it, and it must have held you back. I  wish you well, and I'm sorry. It's all my fault. In the end, I guess I was just nothing more than a pretty face.

-Sincerely, your former darling, your faded star in the sky, Romero. 

This star is about to die, but I hope, when we both are born into this world again, things will be different, and I can become someone you could trust to be your equal, instead of the one to be a burden. 

Chapter Text

[I can't find if I said it before, but from this point on, Darius is now a main character along with Romero]

As I watch Romero run into the woods, I try to chase after him, but the fall I had taken creates a pain in my legs, getting the better of me. I can only get onto my knees. I try to stand, but I keep slipping. The pain gets worse, and I feel as my leg cracks. I know it is useless. All I can do is watch him slip away. 

Why?

WHY?

The rainwater falling on my skin mixes with my tears, dripping down and suffocating me. 

PLEASE. DON'T LEAVE AGAIN. MY DARLING. MY STAR, SHINING BRIGHTLY IN THE SKY. MY GUIDING LIGHT. 

Romero. I have lost so much in this life already. I have had everything I love be taken away from me. I don't deserve you, but please. I can't afford to lose you too. You are all I have left.

...

...

...

...  

...

...

...I know it seems like I had just met Romero a few days ago...

...Well, that was a lie.

I wanted to tell him. I wanted to bring it up and say that everything is ok, but I know that's not how things are in the world. If I told him, about the part he does not even remember, everything will change between us. If I say anything to him about who I was before, would he still look at me again with the same glimmer in his eyes? Will his version of me, still so high on a pedestal, come crumbling down, breaking him into pieces? Will he be afraid instead of comforted this time, the big, bad, threatening wolf, the one so horrifying, that even death himself pities the man? I could not risk it. I did not want to risk it, but I should have, because Romero has risked so much already.

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On a day of a full moon, I decided to walk around the woods. I did not want to destroy anything in the town, or any place I could potentially hide, and I heard that it would be an Abnormal, so I wanted to be safe. A Code Dreamcloud had been called just a week before. My house burnt down. The one place I hide when I turn into... this.

Everyone in the town knows I am a werewolf. They have heard my howls, my screams into nothingness, but... they have never seen me. For their own safety, I stayed put. 

So, I walk around, taking in nature. The mountaintops in the snowy years are truly beautiful at night. I walk into the nothingness, when all of a sudden, I hear a scream. It was not like a normal scream from any animal in the woods. Sure, there was things like deer and wolves, but they did not make that noise. No. It was something without experience in this area. It was the scream of something that I recognized too much. Those screams haunt my past, bellowing in my nightmares, evening after evening.

Those screams are not something, they are... someone. A person. A human.

I run to the scene as soon as I could, seeing a man lying there, starting to bleed out onto the ground. The winter air is cold, and there is snow all everywhere. If they would not die of blood loss, they would have frozen to death. 

There are wolves all over the man, trying to eat away at what they can chew. It was a good thing I was transformed, otherwise, I probably would have been seen as food for them too. I growl a bellowing sound at them, sending a chill down their spines, making them run away. 

Once they leave, I get closer to the man, who is barely keeping his eyes open. I hold him in my arms, cradling him, trying to keep him warm enough so he does not freeze to death. But as I pick him up, he starts to cry to himself. 

"I was... I was so close. Why? Why did this... happen? I just wanted to... die in peace. Please, just let me go in peace. It was supposed to be fast... painless. Why?" 

What? What is he talking about? What sort of bullshit is this?

I look around, finally landing my eyes upon a noose tied to a tree branch, right next to a stump that is high enough to hoist a person up. Shit.

I look back at him in concern, and he starts to caress my cheek. "Your... warm." He puts his head by my chest, holding onto me. "Whoever you are... thank you... for saving me... but it's probably... too late. I... should have... known. I... fuck everything up... so why... would my death... be any different? I can't even do that right."

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I crawl inside the house, both my legs broken. It takes me an hour to get to the phone, but the blood rushing through my body helps me not even notice the pain.  I crawl to the coffee table and pick it up, trying to call someone. Just someone. ANYONE. PLEASE. JUST HELP. HELP ME!

I call the first contact I can.

Max answers. "Hey man. So, I guess you guys talked it out."

"SHUT THE FUCK UP MAX!" I scream into the phone, pain and sadness mixing together to make the most spine chilling, blood curtailing scream possible. 

Max, shaken and startled by the scream, tries to talk back to me. "S...sorry. Wh... what happened?"

I break down, starting to cry, my eyes burning from the tears of everything happening in that moment. My broken legs, the Code Dreamcloud, and the thing I don't want to be true. "He's gone."

"...What?"

"HE'S GONE! He ran away from the house."

Max gets even more startled, this time from the new information. "WHERE? Where did he go?"

"He ran into the woods."

Max, still confused about the entire situation, tries to interject. "AND YOU DID NOT RUN AFTER HIM?"

"I CAN'T. I... can't walk. Both of my legs got injured on the walkway, I think one might be broken."

I hear as he gets up, running into what sounds like an elevator. "Stay right there. The full moon should heal you today anyway, so it should not be a problem. Even so, I will send someone to get you and help with the situation, ok?"

"Why would the full moon heal me? That only happens with..."

...no.

NO.

NO. That's why the Code Dreamcloud is today. That's why they are picking tonight, of all nights they could have picked. 

It's an Abnormal.

"No." I have to move. I have to get up. I have to get to him. To save him. To warn him. I just need to get to him. He's in danger. 

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At this point, I am just trying to run out of the woods, finding the nearest hospital. It's a good thing I am transformed, otherwise, he would be dead before I arrived. The city has to be close by now, I just know it.

I look down at the man, who is now crying, tears of sadness running down. He lifts his arm up, hugging me. In this form, no one would even dare to approach me. Even if I would try and help them, they would run. I am surprised that he even let me pick him up. So why? Are you not... afraid of me? Of the real me? Of the freak I had become?

"Can you... put me down for a moment?"

I do not think it is a good idea, but I honor his request. We stop for a moment, and he lies down on the ground. I stand over his body, giving him a look at the horrible beast I am. I will still save him. I will run to the hospital and try the best I can, but I cannot deny him the right to see my face. If he is afraid of me, I would understand. 

He tries to raise his arm. 

Is he... reaching out to me? 

I lean in closer to his hand, feeling him caress my cheek. His touch is cold, but I still feel the warmth, deep within him. "Why... were you... in the woods? It is... the middle... of the night. I... I thought... no one was around... but... you thought that too... is that why... you were there?"

I look down, nodding my head. "Yes. It was."

"Why... did you... hide?"

"Take one look at this body I am trapped in. I am not a man. I am not even an animal. I am a monster. A creature best looked at in the dark. A worthless, hideous..."

"No... no... look at yourself... you... are not.... hideous." He cuts me off, taking m by surprise. "You... aren't hideous... at all. And... I am... not frightened... why... would I be?"

My eyes widen. For the first time in my life, I was not seen as a monster in this form, but a man. "You are really not... afraid?" 

He thinks for a moment. "No... I am not."

I pull the man in for a hug, picking him up in the process. The cold surrounds us, but the little warmth we have helps combat it. I start to run again, trying to go as fast as I can.

The man starts coughing out blood. This man is dying. As a being of death, I can see his soul. It's... magnificent. A beautiful soul, unfortunately broken by the word, is dying a cruel, painful death. "Please... If I die... don't blame yourself...It's ok... live a good life... and just remember that you tried... I'm sorry... Just... leave me... here... and... when someone finds me... finds my body... find my grave... Tell yourself... that it is not your fault... Move on... from me... the person you were unable to save." 

I continue to run, tears starting to well up as I nod at the man. "Would you like flowers?"

Even though he is bleeding out, the man cracks a smile. "Yes... please... If you... are able... get Mums... white ones... they are my favorite." He closes his eyes, and I feel his body go limp, fading into unconsciousness. "They remind... me of you... They.... are.... beautiful.... just.... like.... you......." 

After those words, he stops talking. His grip on mine loosens, and his skin turns more pale. 

FUCK. I NEED A HOSPITAL.

HOSPITAL. WHERE IS THE HOSPITAL???

I run. Faster than a car. Faster than a train. Faster than a bullet. Faster than light itself. I run fast, so that this man can see another day. I run so that I can say that he is safe. I run because I need this man to be alive. I need this man to be ok. Nothing else matters to me in that moment, just this man, dying in my arms. I want to see him live, comforting him, saying that whatever happened, it was not his fault. I want to get him flowers. Beautiful ones. The ones that remind him of me. The beauty that he is able to see, even at my worst. 

As I exit the woods, I see it. A HOSPITAL. 

I force myself to transform back into a human, entering the facility, screaming to get a doctor. "HELP. SOMEONE HELP ME. PLEASE."

"OH MY." The nurse takes one look at me holding the man in my arms and runs to get a hospital bed. "WHAT HAPPENED?"

"He was attacked by animals in the woods nearby."

She loads him onto the bed, running to the emergency room to get other doctors to help, then rushing him to the OR.

I wait. An hour. Two. Three. Four. I wait. I wait as long as it takes for him to get better. No matter how long it will take, I will wait. 

I need to. For him.

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It does not take long before Max arrives, bringing along some other people with him. 

He goes up to me, helping me off of the tile floor of Romero's living room and laying me onto the couch. "It's ok man. We're here now. Ok?"

I look at him, tears filling my eyes as I talk. I have so many things I want to say, but the pain makes it hard to even form a sentence. In the end, I can only mutter one word. 

"H....He...lp."

I look into the doorframe, a gust of smoke circling it as Marc appears. "I came as soon as I heard what happened. Where is he? Is he ok?"

Max looks down. "We just started checking the woods, so we have no idea where he is."

His skin turns paler than it already is. "I will fly over the trees. Maybe I can see him if I check hard enough."

Max nods, and Marc leaves, leaving us alone again.

"Don't worry. We called in Madiline from the city. She should be able to heal you soon, and then you can go try and find him, Ok?"

I muster enough energy to nod. 

Just a little bit more time. I'm sorry, but please, wait for me, my darling.

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Finally, a nurse comes out. "Don't worry, his condition is stable for now. Luckly, he is in our databases from his past visits, so we know his emergency contacts."

"Good." I am about to ask more, but then something strikes me as odd. "I'm sorry... past visits?"

"Oh, sorry. I cannot disclose any of that information with you. We looked for your name, and because we don't fully know your relationship, I can't tell you about these things. You understand, right?"

I should have pushed more, but in that moment, I just take that thought out of my head. I was just happy he was ok now. "Yeah. Yeah, your right. Anyways, how is he?"

"Well, like I said, his condition is stable..." 

I sigh in relief. Good news at least.

"...but he is in a coma."

NEVERMIND. "WHAT? A COMA???"

"I know this must seem challenging for you, but since you are not registered as an emergency contact for him, that is all that I can tell you about this condition." 

I sigh. I don't like it, but I guess that's fair. That answer does not satisfy me, though. He's stable. But what if he is not in the morning? Or the day after that? Or the day after that? "It's ok. It's not like it is your fault that you can't say anything to me. Well, can you at least tell me his name?"

The nurse looks at her papers for a second and then looks back at me. "Sure can. It's... a Romero Porcupine."

"Romero... Porcupine?"

"Yes. Porcupine. Is that a problem?"

"No."

"Good."

"Good."

I don't press any further. All the energy it takes to make me a human will go away soon, and I will be forced back into a werewolf. I guess all I can do now is just... leave. 

This should be an easy thing to do. I saved his life, I walk away. It's not like I know this man. His life. His story. His hopes and dreams. I don't know him at all. 

But why does it feel so hard to let go? So hard to walk away from him? I want to be there with him. I... I want to know more about this man. I want to learn about his troubles. I want to help him fix them. 

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After an hour had passed, Madiline, a young doctor from one of the cities hospital, appears at the scene.

Max goes up to her, trying to talk as fast as possible. "ThankyouforcomingonsuchshortnoticeMadilineIknowthingshavebeendifficultlatleysoIreallyappreciatethetimeyouaretakingto..."

She looks at him, rolling her eyes and putting a hand over his mouth. "Quiet down Max. It's ok." She then turns to me, her pupils going up and down. "So, this is Darius, the famed 'Howling Deathbringer. The monster in mortal flesh.'" She seems to be... observing me. "Why are you so..." She looks into my eyes, something clearly bothering her. "Hmmm..." She doesn't say anything though, and starts to do something with the water, her skin turning blue and her green hair rising. After a while, I am healed. Not fully, but healed enough to find him. 

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you so much!"

She talks with me, still hung up on something that is clearly bothering her. "No probl...OHHHHHH that's where I know you from. You're that guy."

What is she talking about? Is she talking about my reputation... or... something different. "Huh?"

"Yeah. I remember you visiting the hospital a lot. You kept asking to see the same pers0on over and over and OVER AGAIN, and each time, the nurses would turn you away, since you never actually knew the person. Honestly, I was surprised. You came by, like, everyday man. I think that guy was my patient actually. Pretty bad accident. Attacked in the woods at night. Yeesh"

Max stares at me. "Darius, what is she talking about?"

She turns to him. "Yeah, if I'm not mistaken, he kept trying to see a Mr... Porcupine. YES. Mr. Romero Porcupine. How could I forget!" 

Max swings his head to her, dumbfounded by the information he was just given. "Romero?" He then turns back to me. "Like, ROMERO Romero, or..."

"Yes."

She turns to me. "Anyways, why did you need me to heal you? Isn't it an Abnormal soon? I got a report from the national being association to warn people about it."

Max tries to explain the situation to her. "He had a fight with his boyfriend, and now his boyfriend ran off into the woods alone. Normally, it would also be ok, but there is a Code Dreamclould today and..."

"HOLD UP. A WHAT?" She cuts him off at the mention. "AND HE RAN OFF INTO THE WOODS? What, did he not know about it before or something?" 

She half-jokes around, but then sees Max and I put our heads down. She pauses, and then grabs us both by the ear. 

"ARE YOU FUCKING JOKING ME? HE DID NOT KNOW ABOUT IT BEFORE? PLEASE TELL ME YOU GUYS AT LEAST MENTIONED IT ONCE, ONCE BEFORE TODAY? BEFORE THE VERY LAST SECOND."

Silence. Loud silence, but silence, nonetheless. 

She walks out the door, clearly baffled by our answers. "You know what, good for him. GOOD. FOR. HIM. I'm just going to stay here for the town, Ok, because they might need me, but I don't want to see you two until you guys get your SHIT together, got that?"

With that, she leaves out the door into the rain, transforming into a seaweed like horse and walking away.

After a while, Max starts to say something. "Well, that was..." 

Before he can finish his sentence, I run out the door, trying to run into the woods. "I'm sorry man, just tell me later."

Please be safe. Please be safe. Please be safe. Please be safe. Please be safe. Please be safe. Please be safe. Please be safe. Please be safe. Please be safe. Please be safe. Please be safe. Please be safe. Please be safe. Please be safe. Please be safe. Please be safe. Please be safe. Please be safe. Please be safe. Please be safe. Please be safe. Please be safe. Please be safe. Please be safe. Please be safe. Please be safe.

I'M COMING, MY DARLING. MY GUIDEING LIGHT. 

I broke my promise. My promise that the next time I see you, I won't let you go. But, that does not mean I can't fix it. Fix my mistakes, my faults. Fix myself. That way, I can be the person you want me to be.  

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After all of that is over, I go to the place under the cafe. 

I tried to forget about the man. His warmth, his embrace, his soul, but, no matter how much I tried, I could not get that man out of my head. Even in the moments that he thought were his last, he was so... bright. Like a star in the sky.

I am called the Howling Deathbringer for a reason. As I already said, my wolf form is, unsettling, to put it lightly. Anyone who sees it for the first time feels threatened. The tales attached to my name make it worse. All anyone sees when they see me... is a monster, and this includes myself, but not him. He was the first one to see me in that state and feel safe in my arms. The only one to look at me as a werewolf for the first time, and still see the person underneath, instead of the monster I had become. He only saw one person saving him that day. I only saw the man with a heart of gold, that sadly had been used for the heart he had. He is a star. A shining light, brighter than any other, about to fade too soon.

He just looked so terrible, and that broke me. I wanted to see him again. To talk to him again. To say "Hey, I know it is hard, but I am here for you. If you need anything or anyone, I am here for you. I will protect you, because you see me for who I am."

I think... I love him. I know it is wrong to feel this way, to have a crush on a man that I just saved from dying after he tried to kill himself, but it is the truth. I want to see him again, never wanting to let go. I would make sure that, whatever caused him to feel that way, I will be there so that he never feels that unsafe and unhappy again. I would love him, cherish him, help him, console him, comfort him, be with him. So yes, I love him. More than the sea loves the moon.

Because of all of this, all these feeling I got about him, I look him up. Maybe it will give me a way to see what happened to him, why he turned out like this. I don't want to dive too deep, but a quick google search should help a little bit, right?

I search him on my computer. Porcupine is not a common last name, after all. After one search, I find something... interesting. Only a pornstar by the name of "Romantic Candy" shows up.

I sit there, wondering why he is not showing up. But then I decide to click on the link, and I see the same man that was in the woods. It's him. He's definitely look... different here. Not in bad way. He still looks as beautiful as ever. His eyes still have that same kind expression.  

I dive deeper into the rabbit hole, finding thousands of videos that he has been in over the years. I never touch myself to them. It feels wrong to do so. Even if I wanted to, I don't have the right, the honor to do that without his permission. I stumble upon his regular posts. Like walks along the beach, board games that he is playing, and other random things he decided to share. But, among all those things, I only really take one thing into account. He looks so... happy. Whether it be the board games, or the beach, or even the porn, he is... he was... happy with what he did. How can someone be so happy, but then try and kill themselves?

We get to around 3 months later, where I am talking to my friends at the bar I work at, one of them being Marc. As we are talking, he brings up this friend that he has that went through a hard time and then slipped into a coma. He never mentioned a name. Even though it could have been anyone in the world, I knew exactly who he was talking about. The man I saved. Romero Porcupine. I finally got the reason as to why he did it, which only made my affection for him multiply.

"HOW IS HE? IS HE FEELING BETTER NOW?" I blurt out. Everyone looks at me with weird stares, except for Marc. 

"Damn, look at you. You really got invested in my story. So caring."

"Whatever, Marc. ANYWAYS, IS HE OK?"

Look, I have tried to visit him before. In fact, I try to visit him at least once a day. But because I didn't know him that well before the hospitalization, I end up not getting any information at all. 

Marc, a bit hurt, turns to look at me. "Ouch. Harsh. But fair, I guess. He's doing fine. Actually, the doctors said he may wake up soon, so that's good. I am going to visit him next week. Want to tag along?"

Before I could scream yes, yes, a million times yes, Athena cuts me off. "No." 

WHYYYYYY? 

"I mean, we never even met the guy. If he would wake up from a coma when we went to visit, he might end up being too scared to say anything, and after what he had just went through, we don't want to freak him out." She gets out from behind the bar, holding Marc by the collar and lifting him up. "That being said, YOU BETTER INTRODUCE US TO HIM. He sounds sweet, and although you are a good friend, you are not the best when it comes down to thoughtful conversations. And tell us if he is ok. GOT IT?"

He looks at her, hurt by her words. "DAMN. THAT WAS RUDE. But honestly, fair. Tell you what, next barbecue, if he is awake by then, I will introduce you guys. Happy?"

Around a month later, Athena, Max, and Bart are showing their new friend and neighbor around the neighborhood, stopping at the bar last, just in time for me to take a shift. I would end up meeting a familiar face. A face I did not recognize at first, as I did not see his expression in a while, but still, in my heart, knew was the one I was looking for. His soul, even though it was cracked, was still healing, and was as bright and beautiful as ever. At last, he was ok. 

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I run. One hour. Two. Three. Four. 

I run and I run. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. 

Just keep running. No matter how bad the rain gets. No matter how out of breath I am. No matter how much my feet bleed and blister, JUST RUN. 

Nine. 

Ten.

It turns dark, the moonlight starting to set. My body, starting to change, turning me into a... monster. The monster that everyone sees, everyone is threatened by. 

Everyone but him. 

What if I never find him? You know, it's funny. I finally have the ability to finally grab a guiding light, and I took advantage of its trust, causing it to slip through my fingers.

Gods. If you're there, please. Help me see the light shine another day. Let me hold it once again, and I promise, I SWEAR, I will never let it dim again. I will be there for it. I will do whatever it wants me to. Just don't let it die. 

Chapter Text

I stop running. I need to take a break. At this point, I have just been going in circles. Running nonstop for twelve hours. No food. No water. Nothing. Just one foot in front of the other, hoping to take myself as far away as possible.

I look around, trying to find a place to rest. There has to be something nearby I can sit on. Maybe a dead tree, or a smooth rock. Something.

And then I see it.

A tree stump.

There is a tree next to it, seeming to have something on it, hanging off in a menacing way.

A noose.

My noose.

I thought I would freak out by the familiar sight, but instead... it calls to me.

Is this... destiny?

Is this my purpose?

Is the universe telling me to do it? To remove the parasite that lives on this earth in the form of my body?

My limbs seem to move on their own, like a fly to an electric lamp. Craving to see the light, not even caring about the consequences. I, however, don't have any consequences to care about. No one cares about me. They just view me as a pathetic, lost man in a world that knows no bounds. The ones that don't keep things from me, hurting me in the process. Am I just better off dead? Are the angels calling me, telling me that my suffering has come to an end?

I put my head in the noose, ready to step off the stump, when I hear a voice.

"Well well well, look what we've got here."

I stop, backing away from the tree stump, watching as eyes emerge from the bushes.

1. 2. 4. 8. 16. 32. 64. 128. 130.

Sixty-five. Sixty-five mother fuckers who are stopping me from completing my fate.

Hey universe, make up your mind already, do you want me dead or not?

"Well, big guy, you seem scared. You lost or something?"

"Come on, we don't bite."

I look around, backing away from the people... no... these things are not people. They don't have a glint of mercy in their eyes. I back away from the monsters who are coming towards me.

"We have not seen you around these part of the woods before. Tell me, you new around here? Are you fresh meat?"

Ok. So, universe, I don't love THAT.

I back away, trying to maintain composure, like a sheep in a wolf's den. "Yes. I am. What's that to you?"

One of them chuckles, emerging from the shadows. He's big. Like, really big. "It's nothing. We just want to welcome you to the neighborhood. That's not a crime, is it?"

One of the pairs of eyes go up next to the biggest one, who is probably their leader.

"Hey boss, doesn't this person look kind of familiar."

The "boss" looks at him. "What are you talking about? I have never seen him in my life, and you know I don't forget a face." The boss looks sort of confused, trying to remember if he saw me before.

The person, looks at me, puzzled. "I swear I saw him before. You sure?"

The boss furrows his brow, closing his eyes as he holds his head. "Yeah, I am PRETTY SURE. YIKES."

"You've... seen me before?" I look at him dead in the eyes and start to laugh. I know I should not be laughing, but this is pretty funny. "HA. Guess someone's a fan." I tilt my head, looking at him "Not a good look for you, though. If you recognize me, it is probably because... Oh no man. You just exposed yourself for watching gay porn. Hope your happy with the conversations to come." Everyone that was looking at me turns to look at him. "Oh. It must be so EMBARASSING for them to find out."

One of the pairs of eyes looks at the embarrassed one, who I am deciding to call redhead, cause his face looks like a fresh tomato. "DUDE, IS THAT WHY YOU TAKE SO LONG IN THE BATHROOM? GROSS MAN."

"NO I... How did you..."

I look at him, dumbfounded. "How did you think I knew, dumbass? I'll give you a hint. OH, HARDER, HARDER." I say, sarcastically. "You know who I am now?"

The persons eyes light up. "WAIT? YOUR ROMANTIC CANDY???"

Damn. Talk about a 180. His face completely cleared up. No red in sight. "BINGO."

"Yes? Did someone say my name?"

The boss looks at the person in the crowd, obviously annoyed. "No Bingo. Everything's fine."

I wait for a moment, and then continue. "Well, that was weird. Anyways, yes, I am. You want an autograph or something? Just please make it quick, I am kind of in the middle of something." I point to the noose next to my head.

The leader looks at the both of us, anger filling his eyes. "Can you two STOP CHATTING. We will never complete our goal if all you do is WHINE AND WHINE, LIKE YOU'RE A STUPID, FUCKING, PUPPY. COME ON MAN. STICK TO YOUR GOAL. We don't have all night, remember. If you want to talk to him, just come back and talk to his HANGING CORPSE."

I look back at them, finally realizing who they are. How have I not seen it sooner Code Dreamcloud. It's because of them. I don't think they see the gun on my waist, so that's good at least. I back up slowly, and ready the gun behind me.

"Now, will you please kill this motherfuck..."

ELEMENT OF SURPRISE BITCHHHHH!!!

BANG

The leader gasps out, looking up to see bullet holes, pierced straight through his head.

"So sorry to disappoint a fan, if you even are one, but I'm not dying today." I look back to the noose. "Sorry, I AM dying today... BUT it won't be by the hands of you motherfuckers, so now shut the fuck up and leave."

He looks at me, and I watch as the bullet holes start to heal on their own, morphing into his body and making him a bit bigger. WHAT IN THE ACTUAL MOTHERFUCKING HELL IS THIS BS?

"Stupid bitch. You really thought that would kill m..."

I shoot again, aiming for the heart this time. He heals again. THIS MOTHERFUCKER HEALED FROM A FUCKING SHOT TO THE HEART. AND A SHOT TO THE HEAD. WHO DOES THAT? I guess this guy, but still. WHO DOES THAT? I look down at my gun, seeing if it's broken or something. "That's funny. I thought silver bullets pierced werewolf skin. Unless I am wrong. Is that a stereotype? I don't think it is. Am I wrong?"

"Can you stop FUCKING SHOOTING ME? I GET IT, you're determined, but please, just fucking wait."

"Why, are you like, half zombie or something."

"No."

I watch as his body morphs. Not only his body, but all the people around him too. Fuck. Fuck. FUCK.

"I am just using the power that our god bestowed on us. It's an Abnormal, meaning we can't die. Speed healing really comes in handy."

An Abnormal? Wait hold up. "I thought those only happened once every few months, and why are you not losing consciousness?"

He smiles. "Our god is forgiving. Along with giving us an Abnormal, he also makes us resistant to ALL its effects, while getting all the perks."

SHIT. Wait... "Why are you telling me all of this?"

"Because you won't be alive to run off and warn anyone of our power. Leo, teach him a lesson, will you?"

Leo, the one who recognized me, and also probably the boss's right hand, starts to whine. "UGH, do I have to? He's such a good actor in his field. Really making it less boring nowadays."

Wow, being complemented before I die. I'm flattered. I mean, I would be even more flattered if they weren't trying to kill me, but I guess I'll take what I can get. "Aw, thank you. Sorry that your boss is such a BITCH. Maybe we could have done something together if he was more... kind. Like get a coffee."

"Really? Damn it." He looks back at the boss. "Caliban, why do we need to kill him? Can't we just let him go?"

Caliban, their boss, looks at him. I can't really tell werewolf expressions, but he is clearly annoyed. "May I remind you he FUCKING SHOT MY HEAD. AND MY HEART? Just listen to me and get it do-"

"ARGH."

One of his people falls down, dying instantly. A blood trail, washing away in the muddy ground.

Caliban looks down. "WHAT? IMPOSSIBLE. There's something in the shadows. EVERYONE, AT YOUR GUARD."

Another falls, then another. One by one, they fall onto the floor. In just a few moments, twenty of the sixty-five members just lay there, lifeless. All the blood on their skin, washing away in the rain, making the entire forest floor be stained with dark red hue.

Caliban looks at the sight, fear seeping in. "No. NO! Who is doing this. SHOW YOURSELF! YOU HEAR ME! SHOW YOURSELF!"

The shadowy figure steps out behind him. A low, raspy voice speaks to him from the darkness. "You... should not... have come here."

The figure jumps on top of Caliban, the two fighting as the rest of the werewolves around them seem... frozen. Like statues in a garden.

I look over to Leo. "Hey, so I know we are on, like, opposite sides and I think this guy is helping me, but why don't you help your boss kill them. I mean, they just killed, like, half of your people. Y'all seem kind of bad at your job."

"I... can't move."

I watch as everyone tries to fight the urge to stand still, all failing to do so. Even I am frozen, not in fear, but in amazement, watching as the monster who was about to kill me gets beat by a moving shadow.

After a while, Caliban manages to get away from under the shadow. The shadow, moving closer to me, reveals himself under the moonlight. It's... a werewolf. A giant werewolf. He has black fur all around his body, with bright red scratch scars, all healed, but permanently clashing with what once was a uniform darkness. There is something else too. His eyes, a bright red, smoke seeming to come out of it. He's under the influence of the Abnormal. I mean, unless it is just a werewolf thing to have bright red eyes with special effects.

His low voice comes again, shaking everyone to their core. "I am going to tell you what is about to happen. You are going to leave. You, just you, Caliban, will come back a different day. You will fight me, ALONE. If I win, you will be put under trial and prosecuted for your crimes in the past. If you win... I will join you, and the gang you call the Great Bane Greyhounds. But, until that day comes, you will NEVER step foot in here again, or harm ANY of the people under my protection. AM. I. CLEAR?"

Caliban, still trying to put up a fight, starts to stumble towards the shadow. "GO TO HELL. I WILL NEVER AGREE TO YOUR RULES. You just MASSICARED TWENTY OF MY COMPANIONS. My team. MY FAMILY. I will kill you, you hear me? I WILL KILL YOU."

The shadow, put his head down, and starts to chant. "Θάνατο, έλα ως μάρτυρας μου. Πάρε τις ψυχές εκείνου του καταραμένου, που σου έδωσα μόλις τώρα, και επιστρέψτε τις σε ΜΕΝΑ" As he chants, the bodies of the dead seem to rise up, and with the snap of his fingers, a red light appears. All the blood that the bodies have lost suddenly rush back to where it came from, the fatal wounds seemingly stitching themselves back together.

In its own way, it's sort of... beautiful. The way that the blood rushes back, finding its way home.

"There you go." As he talks, he walks up to Caliban. "Your twenty companions, your team, your family. Here they are, alive and healthy. Just as an added bonus, I also aged them down to how they were physically three years ago." The shadow turns to one of the men that he had just killed, the first one to drop dead. "You especially. You had a tumor on your brain, but you probably already knew about that."

"WHAT?" One of the werewolves cut him off, holding him in her hands. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME STEVE? WHEN WERE YOU GOING TO TELL ME ABOUT THIS? WHEN WERE YOU GOING TO TELL JOHN? WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF YOUR SON JUST GREW UP WIT..."

The shadow turns to her, cutting her off as his eyes glowing white. "Esmerelda..."

She looks at him, terror striking her face. "How do you..."

"He is not sick anymore. But in 5 months, it may come back. I cannot stop that, but you can. Get your husband the treatment he needs, and he will be ok."

She looks at her husband, Steve, and starts to hug him, crying into his shoulder.

The shadow turns back to Caliban. "NOW THAT THAT IS SETTLED, DO YOU AGREE WITH MY TERMS NOW, CALIBAN LAMENT?"

Caliban tries to refute, but realizes that he does not really have a choice. If he says no, the shadow will probably kill him where he stands. "Ok." He starts to walk backwards. "Let's go. I have to prepare for what is to come."

Everyone leaves, except for Leo, who waits behind a little bit, walking up to me. "I'm so sorry to bother you, but can you sign this?"

I look at the thing he wants me to sign, eyes wide open as he hands it to me. IS THIS A FUCKING BUTT PLUG? WHY DO YOU HAVE THIS ON YOU? YOU WERE JUST ABOUT TO TRY AND KILL A TOWN? FOR WHAT PURPOSE COULD YOU JUST HAVE THIS LYING ON YOUR PERSON?

"You know what, sure. Got a marker?"

He pulls one out, and I sign it.

"Thanks." He whispers to me. "By the way, the boss, BIG FAN. Definitely just trying to keep his pride."

DAMN. OK. RIGHT HAND IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE, I GUESS. RESPECT? YOU KNOW WHAT, HELL YEAH.

Actually, maybe I should not say that about things who just tried to kill me.

He runs to the rest of his group, following behind everyone. In the end, I am left alone with the shadowy figure, who looks over me. Just standing there. Never once leaning over to attack me.

It's strange, though. It's an Abnormal. Surely, he should be attacking me, but he does not seem to even mind my presence. It's definitely affecting him, as his eyes are still smoking red out of them, so why not attack me?

I am not afraid of him. Everyone else seemed to be horrified, but I can't figure out why. He is not hideous, or monstrous, just... different.

I walk up to him, the shadow still standing in place. I go in front of him, looking deep into his eyes. I see someone. Someone that I have met before. That's the funny thing about shadows. Thy follow you around, and although they might be scary at times, they are not always as they appear. Just a reaction to light. My mind racing back to the night I was attacked, remembering their warm embrace. The embrace I had long since forgotten. I thought it was a dream, but it's him. It's really him. I can still remember the warmth of his fur, keeping me safe in the cold snow as I was bleeding out. I look at this man, not seeing anything more then who he is. A kind, gentle soul. The figure that comes to me every night as I dream.

But, as I look at him closer, I don't just see that man who saved me that day. I see someone I know. Someone I have grown to trust over the course of the few days that have passed. Someone who trusts me back, clearly engulfed with guilt. Someone who, despite being transformed, looks like he has been through hell and back, just to try and see me smile again. I reach up to caress his cheek, tears falling down mine. Shadows are a reaction to light, this one being a reaction to the light that shines off of... me.

My shadow.

My night sky.

His guiding star.

"Darius?"

The shadow squats down a bit, tears also running down his eyes as he leans in closer, resting his nose on mine.

"Hello, my dear."

Chapter Text

{Hey, so the rewrite is done. Um... So, because of a request from one of the beta readers, I uncensored the ending paragraphs. Just a heads up. I forgot what I originally said in those ones, but I tried to still say something spicy. Enjoy}

"Hello, my dear. I guess this means you remember me from that day. I wanted to tell you, but you have seen to forgotten me."

I look around. Aside from the summer rain replacing the winter snow, this scene sadly seems like Deja Vu. When I first woke up, I just saw that as a dream I must have had in a coma. It felt so real, but so unrealistic. Like something out of a fantasy novel. I quickly forgot about it, thinking it as just my minds way of saying it wants a fantasy. But now, in this near perfect recreation, and given everything I know now, I can say that it was real. "It's hard to forget when everything looks so... familiar..."

Daruis looks around the area where he found me, realizing where he was. He turns to my side, finding the noose I was, once again, about to use to end my life. His face dropping, as what was before just a feeling of guilt and heartbreak, peaks to an all-time high, absolutely breaking him inside. Lightning flashes in the distance, and I can see his expression, filled with the horror and pain or where my despair had taken me.

He turns to me, his voice, still low and raspy, but shaken up enough to put it to a normal pitch. "You... came here... again? But... Why?"

He grabs onto my hand, but I look down, backing away from him. "I... I..." I try to say something, but nothing will come out. Tears filling my eyes, and I try to blurt out whatever comes to my mind. "I GUESS IT'S JUST MY... my destiny. I should not have existed for this long anyways. Let's face it, I have nothing to live for. No one I trust trusts me back. The ones that do end up getting hurt by my actions. Everything in my life goes wrong one way or another, and as much as I love my job, it has caused some tough conversations. When people meet me, the real me, I am not seen as anything more than a slut, or a toy, or a broken doll. And they are right. I am broken. I am just so... helpless. You did not even feel comfortable telling me something that could have potentially put me in danger, because you know that is true. How do I live with that, knowing that you, the most perfect man in my world, if not the whole world, can't even trust me enough to let me trust myself? To protect myself?" I pull away from his hand, feeling myself slip through his fingers. "You don't deserve someone like me. No one does. Not that anyone else wants me anyways. I only hold people back." I try to force a laugh. "Please, just... go. Leave me here. "

As I fully slip away, ready to get back to what I was about to do, I feel a warmth holding me in place, grabbing me so tight, yet... so smooth. A head hunches over my own, wrapping me in place as I feel the rainwater water falling onto it drip down onto my body. "I'm sorry, my darling. I made you feel like you were less than you are, and that... is something I can't let you live with, or die with. You are such an AMAZING person. Such a kind person. Someone I can believe in. Someone I can count on. Someone I can trust. I'm sorry that in these past few days that we were together, I did not show you that, even after you showed that to me. I tried to keep everything undesirable away in the fear you may hate the real me, but I see now that I just can't do that. You just had so much on your plate, and I did not want to give you any more to stomach in such a short time, not realizing that you still needed more before you stop feeling starving and alone. Please, forgive me. I will tell you everything, good and bad, especially if it might affect you and the world around you, not just at the last second. As much as I want to protect you, I know, dep down, you can protect yourself. Just please, come home."

He moves his head to the side, letting me lift mine up to see his face. I see him so clearly, even at night. What I mistook for rainwater, I see now as tears. Sure, rainwater is probably mixed in, but they are mostly tears.

"Will you forgive me, my star?"

I reach my hand out, wiping a tear off of his face. "Yes, my night sky."

I use this time to clearly take in his form, nuzzling my head in his chest, hearing his heart skip a beat. He hugs me, still crying over what had just happened. So... warm. Physically, he has changed. The scars all over his body, probably from other werewolves attacking him in the past. What I first saw as an all-black design, now clear under the moonlight, I see bits of very dark red, looking like a sort of skeleton-like design. Man, I guess someone had an emo phase or something. But underneath all of that, he is still the same man I know. I don't know why people are afraid. In this form, he is gentle, soft, and fluffy. Actually, only one thing pops into my mind when I look at him in this form.

"Hot."

He looks down in shock. After what had just happened, he probably did NOT expect that word to follow it. "What?"

Look, I know it is not a good thing to think of this right after you were talked out of killing yourself, but COME ON. He's my boyfriend, and if I see hot, I say HOT. Even though he is the same, his physical appearance has changed so much. He's bigger. WAY BIGGER. I mean, I don't even know how his clothes did not rip right off.

I look down at what he is wearing. His pants are the only thing remaining, and even that is ripped.

I mean, parts of it did rip right off, but still. He's like a FUCKING GIANT. GOD DAUMMMM. His arms are bigger. His teeth are sharper, even poking out of his mouth a bit. I feel his arm, the muscles under it seeming to have grown two times its size. It's like if he had scaled himself up by one and a half times his size, and all of his muscles by twice their regular size. He's an absolute unit. I mean, I thought he was a unit before. HE IS STILL A UNIT IN HUMAN FORM, but this is just a whole new LEVEL. This man is a BEAST.

"Um, darling, you have been quiet for a while now. I mean, it's cute, but did you say something?"

OHHHHH. And the VOICE. His normal speech mixed with that low, raspy voice just does something to me. "YOU ARE SO FUCKING HOT!"

He looks away, clearly flustered and surprised. "Do you really think so?"

Do I think so? DO I THINK SO? "Sweetheart, now I KNOW you did not just ask me that. LOOK AT YOURSELF!"

He turns away. "The skeleton pattern or the scars don't scare you. The teeth are not... monstrous?"

"Are you KIDDING. I know that you don't think the scars look good, because why would you, they're scars from past events that you are probably not proud of, but, in my opinion, you look GOOD. Like, really good. The skeleton pattern suits your style, and the teeth look great. Why would I be afraid?" I look around, an idea popping into my head. "Was anyone else trying to find me?"

He looks to the side, still trying to process the fact that after everything, I was still not threatened by him. "Well, Marc was trying to search from the trees, but from what I understand, he could not fly that well due to the bad weather. The other werewolves may still be trying to look for you, but I think they may have already gone back to protect the town since they don't know that the Great Bane Greyhounds already left. Why, do you want to go back home? Aren't you cold? You have been in the rain for 12 hours straight."

I look at him, mischievous thoughts filling my mind. "I'm fine. So, what you are saying is that, they won't be here for a while..."

"Yeah, probably an hour, at least. Why are you..." I make sure he is looking at me as I look him up and down, licking my lips. "Oh. OH NO. Sorry darling, but right now, I am OFF limits."

DAMN IT. "WHY THOUGH??? Don't think I can handle it?"

In an instant, he nods. "NO. I DON'T THINK SO."

I frown. "WHY NOT THOUGH?"

He looks down. "Well, you see now how everything is bigger. Well... everything... is bigger. If I even tried, you may break apart. I don't want to hurt you after what just happened."

I laugh. "I mean, you're kidding, right? I am a professional porn star, I may be able to tighten up, but if I wanted, I could take it deeper than the Mariana Trench. How big are we talki..."

"Double length, double diameter."

Oh. Well, if he was 8 inches before, and also very thick, then... OK YEAH MAYBE LET'S NOT TRY THAT NOW. But he's exaggerating, right? Do I want to find out?

"Damn it. Well, what if you just hold back a bit."

"Can't. Full moon enhances werewolf emotions. Especially Abnormals"

"REALLY? Huh, well I guess that makes sense. You need to tell me more facts about this later. But whatever. Really? Is there REALLY no way you can fucking DEMOLISH me right now?"

He blushes. "NOT REALLY! I mean, there probably are ways, but they are not really available, considering you and I are IN THE WOODS. Also, why do you want to have sex IN THE WOODS? WHILE IT IS RAINING?"

I shrug. "Because it's hot, and I probably won't see you like this again for a WHILE. I mean, how often does a full moon happen. Like, every thirty days?"

He sits down on the tree stump I was going to use as a stepping stool, the noose hitting his head as it swings back and forth. After the third time, he just rips it off the tree branch, throwing it far off into the distance. After it's gone, he motions for me to sit next to him.

"Ok, so how in depth do you want me to explain this to you?"

I sit next to him. Wow, when he said he would promise to tell me everything, I did not think right now, but I guess now is as good of a time as any other. "Just like... surface level, I guess. Whatever helps you get deep in me."

Although all the fur covers it, I can tell he is blushing. He smiles, and I put my head on his shoulder. "Ok, so, just to clarify some things. Number one: We don't only transform on full moons. Sometimes, it will just happen randomly at night. It's just said as a full moon because, every full moon, we do transform."

"So, technically, there is a chance that you would just transform tomorrow night."

"Exactly. There are also some people who can control when they transform, like me, because..."

WOAH. HOLD UP. WAIT A SECOND. "You can control when you transform?"

He looks up. "Yeah, it takes a lot of energy though. Max can do it too. Thats why he adds around three 5-hour energy drinks into his coffee every day. He works as the town's security, so he needs to be able to be ready and protect the town no matter what. Think of him as the local police force, but... less corrupt."

SO THAT'S WHAT IS IN HIS COFFEE. On second thought, I would NOT want to taste that. My heart would probably explode. Also, he's security? I did not expect that. "What about Bart?"

He looks as me, confused. "What about Bart?"

"What does he do?"

Darius giggles a bit. "Did he not tell you? He's a stay-at-home husband. Most of the time, he takes just takes care of his kids, but I think the youngest one is about to go to college now, so he doesn't really do anything. The kids mostly hang out in the city."

"HANG ON. HE'S MARRIED? HE HAS KIDS?"

Darius acts confused. "YOU MET HIS WIFE ALREADY MAN. HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW THIS?"

"WHO?"

"ATHENA."

"WHAT? HIM AND ATHENA ARE A COUPLE? THEY'RE MARRIED? THEY HAVE KIDS? IN COLLEGE? HOW OLD ARE THEY?"

"YES THEY ARE MARRIED. THEY ARE IN THEIR MID FIFTIES."

"HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE? I'M ONLY 24, AND BOTH OF THEM LOOK YOUNGER THAN ME."

"Good genetics I guess. Look, we can talk about Bart's love life later. Right now, let's just get back on track."

"Ok. Ok. So, you don't need a full moon to transform, but you transform every full moon. Werewolves can't die on Abnormals, unless they are killed by another werewolf's hands. Bart and Athena are in their 50's and have KIDS. I think I understand all of that, but there is one more thing I don't get."

"Ok. Hit me."

"HOW DID YOU RAISE THE FUCKING DEAD. AND WHY DID YOUR EYES GLOW WHITE?"

He looks down, trying to find a way to explain it simply. "Ok, so you know how there are different cultural backgrounds for different species."

"Yeah."

"Well, some beings have more than one cultural background, but they all end up getting lumped together. Thats why some werewolves can transform whenever they want to, but some can't. The bloodline that I am connected to dates back from Ancient Greece, so many of us are able to call upon powers from our gods."

"Ok. So I am guessing the necromancy is..."

"Yep. That's it. It's the power I am able to call fourth. The people do need to be ones I... killed for them to be brought back correctly, but a little bit after their souls are put back, I can alter and manipulate them a bit. That's how I knew about the guy's cancer, and his wife's name. I can also see souls."

Ok. I guess that explains everything that just happened.

WAIT... NO IT DOESN'T. "HOLD ON, WHAT ABOUT THE GLOWING WHITE EYES."

He scratches his head. "That's just a side effect. Cool though, right?"

I sigh, looking up, feeling the rain on my skin. "Yeah, it is..."

He leans in. "Is something wrong, my star?"

"No... Yes... It's stupid."

He rests his head on my shoulder. "I will decide that for myself. Just tell me."

"Ok. What I wanted to ask was..." I take a deep breath in. "... Will we ever be able to have sex in your werewolf form?"

Darius stays still for a second. "What?"

"I mean, come on. LOOK AT YOU. I CERTANLY AM. I don't even care if I will never be able to walk again, if you are the one to paralyze me, it is WORTH IT. YOU'RE SO FUCKING HOT, AND I MEAN HOT. Not that you are not hot in your normal form. I STILL WANT TO LAY YOU DOWN ON MY BEDFRAME, GET CLOSE, SUCK YOU OFF UNITL MY MOUTH IF FULL OF YOUR SWEET, WARM JUICES, AND THEN RIDE YOU LIKE A ROLLERCOASTER UNTIL IT LEAKS OUT FROM MY NOSE, but we are not talking about that right now. By the way, is there any chance you can clone yourself? If you find one, let me know. TWO FOR ONE DEAL, MORE LIKE TWO FOR ONE STEAL." I laugh. "But no seriously." I grab his pants tightly. "I want you to pin me down to the mud and fuck the daylights out of me. I want you to use me until every hole in my body remembers your shape, filling me with all the pent up frustration you have in your balls, choking me with that massive, giant beast in your pants, and then pulling out of my mouth so I don't pass out, just so I can stay awake for the rest of the ways you want to be able and fuck me. I am flexible enough. I can fit into a lot of different positions..."

Darius opens his eyes wide with shock, blushing, even though it does not show up on his face. As he looks around, he hears someone coming closer.

"Um, my love."

"...Like I can obviously do things like doggy style and that basic shit, but I can do things like put my legs behind my head. If you are worried if I will break, don't worry, because I want to break. I want you to go all night, raw and passionate, and absolutely destroy any tightness I might have left. If I can't walk, I will use a wheelchair. Maybe we can even use that as a seat to..."

As I continue to ramble on, I hear a voice from the bushes.

"WOAH! OH MY GODS. MY SOUL NEEDS TO BE BEACHED! TWICE!" I hear a voice. MAX? Shit has an hour already passed. "WHAT THE HELL MAN? YOU FREAKY! I mean, I knew you were freaky, since that's your job, BUT YOU FREAKY FREAKY! No, actually, YOU JUST A FREAK."

I stop rambling, hiding behind Darius in embarrassment, trying not to die. Is that noose still around here?

"MAX? WHAT THE HELL MAN? YOU CAN'T JUST SAY THAT TO PEOPLE."

"DID YOU HEAR WHAT I JUST HEARD." He looks over to me. "No offense. I mean, I guess if y'all are both into it, then its ok. But still. WARN SOMEONE NEXT TIME. DAMN. AND WHILE YOUR LEGS ARE BEHIND YOUR HEAD???? ON THE WHEELCHAIR??? UNTIL IT STRECHES OUT THE TIGHTNESS??? YOU CRAZY. Again, no offense, you are a very nice person and I respect you, BUT THAT SHIT IS CRAZY." He turns to talk to Darius. "Well, I'm guessing you got everything under control... so I'm just going to leave, ok?"

Max goes to leave, then turns to me. "Also, if y'all really want to... um... 'ride him like a rollercoaster until it leaks out of your nose'... you should probably ask some of your incubus friends if that's even possible."

"Got it." I lay my head low, waving my hand as he turns to walk away, shivering in fear.

[OK, so yes, I know it is technically possible for them to do the dirty in the werewolf form, and all it requires is training, (unfortunately I stumbled upon the "second ring" video on TikTok. My ears need to be disinfected after that. It was helpful to writing the story, but still a bit traumatizing.) Anyways, I know it is possible, but I need a conflict for some of the developing plot, and this is one of them. But for anyone wondering, it is actually humanly possible to... take Darius. (Seriously, don't watch it unless you are really prepared, otherwise you might be just a bit traumatized.)]

Chapter Text

"Got it." I lay my head low, waving my hand as he turns to walk away.

Max and the other people quickly leave the woods, leaving Darius and I alone again. Darius starts to get up, extending a hand to help me up too.

"Come on, darling. Let's get you home. You probably don't want to be here in the cold anymore."

I listen as Darius talks, but my mind is elsewhere. Would an incubus know how to make it so that I can go up and down on him like a see-saw, fuck him for days straight, and then take his big, fat, juicy length in its entirety without Darius ripping me in two during the process?

"Actually, sweetheart, if you don't mind, I need you to take me somewhere first."

He blinks rapidly, kind of surprised by the request. "Sure, but where do you want to go? Max showed me the time, and it's already, like, 12:30 am. Don't you wan..."

I cut him off, focused on my own goal. "PERFECT! THERE IS STILL PLENTY OF TIME."

His expression shifts. "Time for what, exactly?"

"For what I have planned silly." I get up close to his ear, trying to reach his height as I talk to him. "What, you did not think all of the things I said were a what if, did you? It was not an if. It was when. I want you. I need you, and I can tell that deep down, you need me." I breath into his ear, going up behind him. "And even if there is no option, we can probably still do SOMETHING." I work my arms down his back, massaging it a bit before going back in front of him, seeing his hands cover his eyes and face. I move them out of the way, looking into his eyes. "So, sweetheart. Please do me this favor. You are so sweet to me. So kind. So gentle..." He looks at me, and I can tell there is a burning passion trying to fight his urge to hold back. I deliver the final blow as I raise my hand under his chin. "But sometimes, don't you want to be a little rough? I just want something to eat. Something a bit... salty. Is that so wrong?"

He does not fight any longer. He pulls me in for a kiss, and I feel his tongue, now ginormous, trying to intertwine with my own. For the most part, I would say it's succeeding in doing so, but it is choking me a bit. He pulls it out, grabbing my face gently. "Oh, darling. I want to keep you in one piece, but if you keep talking like that, I won't be able to hold back."

I reach down, caressing his... other leg. I feel as it gets bigger, hardening in my arms. DAMN! It's BIG. I know he said it was big, BUT I thought he was exaggerating a bit, like how other people usually do. HE WAS NOT. The sight of him is truly breathtaking, as I try to control myself from attempting to take him in without a solution. How are his pants not even more ripped? "In a little while, you won't need to." I back away, trying to keep myself alive while trying to turn him on. "I mean, only if we find a solution. If not, then first thing in the morning. I'm talking my breakfast with a side of MILK. You know what, even if we do find something, we will still do it in the morning."

He looks at me, leaning in, his raspy voice intoxicating me. "Darling, do you not think that is... just a bit too much?"

From his tone of voice, I can tell he is clearly trying to tease me. I mean, if he was not into it, then that would be fine. We could still do other things as a couple. But he is INTO it. He is very, VERY INTO IT. Maybe a bit more than me. HOW IS HE GOING TO ACT SHY AND BE FREAKIER THAN ME? I didn't even think that was possible. I lean in closer to his face. Well, time to choke on his tongue again. "Do you?" Like clockwork, he pulls me in for another kiss, the taste of his breath, mingling with my own. Worth it. 100... 1000... 10000000000000000000% worth it.

As he lets go, I see him step back a bit. I cough for a little while. "Oh no. I'm sorry. Are you ok, darli..."

I quickly try to catch myself. "YES. I mean, if I am being completely honest, it is a bit too much, but I can handle it." I reach out my arm, attempting to grab his own. "Well, shall we?"

In a quick moment, I feel him scoop me up into his arms. "So, where do you want to go?"

I did not think that part out yet. SHIT, who do I ask for advice? I mean, if anyone knows advice on the subject, it would be an incubus like Max said, but who do I go to? Eric? Steve? Carl? Other Carl? Other other Carl? Why are there so many Carls? Bob? Marc did not mention any more incubi that I apparently know, so that's all I got. Who do I...

"We're here. So, where to from this point?"

I look around, seeing the parking lot of the hospital as Darius puts me down. Ok, if I am not mistaken, I think the closest place would be... the...

Oh. Right. I forgot that they all meet up most nights. I mean, now that I know what they are, I understand why they go there every night... but... oh. Oh no... Oh dear.

I turn to him, my face turning pale as I gasp for air. "UMMM... YOU KNOW WHAT, MAYBE WE SHOULD JUST RESCEDULE TO A DIFFERENT DAY."

Darius freezes, his eyes turning wide as he looks down at me. "Is everything ok, darling? What happened? Do you not want to d..."

I quickly cut him off. I feel bad for doing it, but I need to clear things up. "It's not that I don't want to... it's just... I just don't want you to be..." How do I put this in a way that will not harm him. "...uncomfortable. Especially since you look like... this." His face breaks as a wave of sadness fills his eyes. SHIT. NOT THE RIGHT WAY TO SAY THAT. Especially after I said that I don't know why people see him as a monster. "OK, that was worded BADLY. What I am trying to say is that you felt like you look like a terrifying beast when you are a werewolf, because others tell you that and you believe it, even though I think it is complete and utter bullshit. I mean, DO THEY HAVE EYES. YOU'RE SEXY AS FUCK. But still, you can't detransform right now due to the full moon, so walking around the city may make you feel uncomfortable, and I don't want you to feel that way just so that we can have sex on a random rainy day. Plus, the place where the people that I think can help us is a place that people would consider to be... inappropriate, and I don't want you to feel disturbed."

I know that the place is near this hospital, and most of them would be there, but even though I don't remember the name, I know one thing for sure. It's a sex club. They invited me to it multiple times, telling me that if they want me to see them, just to visit there at night. I never took them up on the offer, though, as I was too busy being absolutely fucking depressed and trying to plan out a suicide in the woods. Also, I thought they were kind of weird that they would go EVERY NIGHT. Not in a bad way, but who has enough energy to go to a sex club EVERY SINGLE NIGHT? That's a bit extreme, even for me. Then again, they are incubi, so at least I understand how they have the energy now.

Darius turns to me and nods. "Ok, I guess I have no choice then."

Thats a weird way of saying "Let's just take the bus home and fuck in the morning and try to figure this out a different day" but I guess the message still got across.

I close my eyes, feeling a bit defeated, but it's fine. "It's ok. I mean, there will be other days. Literally. You can transform anytime. Just pick a day and take a sip of Max's coffee. I..."

I open my eyes again, seeing a man. Not a werewolf, but not exactly Darius.

"DARIUS? Is that you?"

The man looks back at me. "Well, yeah. I mean, I know it is kind of weird, but this is what happens when I try to detransform on a full moon. I turn into this."

I did not even think this was possible, but I guess it is. He looks like a combination of the two versions of himself. The fur is now just some overgrown body hair. His eye color, a mix of the blood red and his normal dark brown. His hair is all the way to his side, and his muscles are way more defined. He still has the wolf ears and a wolf tail, but they can easily be hidden. He also still has the scars on his body, though, but it still makes him look sexy as fuck. I mean, it's at the point where I could see him as a human, but still also see him as a werewolf.

"Ok, is every version of you just hot or what. If it's possible, I'm going to need all three of them at once."

He comes up to me, his speed still fast, but kind of slow compared to the 70 mph he was running at before. "Aw, your too kind, my darling."

HIS VOICE. In human form, it was soothing. In werewolf form, it was threatening, but in a "please bite and choke me" kind of way. BUT NOW. IT'S FUCKING SEXY. How is he perfect in LITERALY ever single form. It's kind of not fair. GOD, I KNOW YOU HAVE FAVORITES, BUT YOU DON'T NEED TO RUB IT IN. Although... Darius can certainly rub something in.

"Um, darling, are you ok? You seem, flustered."

"HOW ARE YOU SO GODDAMM PERFECT? I mean, as a human, your perfect. As a... this... you are perfect, and as a werewolf, you are perfect. Are you a wizard or something. I mean, you're a necromancer, but that's different then a wizard. Do wizards even exist?"

He blushes. "Well, I don't know if perfect is the way to describe... me..." He stops for a second, grabbing my fingers, looking at my hand and bending down. "...but I guess that if I really am perfect in your eyes, and I have fallen head over heels for you, then you must be perfect too." He kisses my hand, then stands up and reaches over to me, grabbing my side. "And you are perfect. If anyone is the perfect one, it is you, my star."

As I am about to go in to kiss him, I see him quickly turn away, running to the nearest trash can in the parking lot and vomiting up blood. "OH MY GOD, ARE YOU OK?"

He picks himself up, dusting himself off. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just a side effect from a forced transformation. It takes up energy, remember?"

"ENERGY DOES NOT MEAN YOUR FUCKING LIFE ENERGY. Are you sure you are ok, sweetheart? The hospital is right here. We can go in if..."

He grabs my hand, pulling me close to his chest. "Don't worry, darling. I'm fine. Let's just hurry this up, I don't think I can hold out for much longer."

It's a good thing that the club is within walking distance, otherwise I would have made him get on the bus back home. But... will they even be here? I think they change which one they go to every few days. I don't even know if they are in the club or not. Whatever, I will just ask the guy at the front door.

I guide him to the sex club where all the incubi are at, watching as his face, green from all the vomiting, turns red with embarrassment. "Oh...um..." I guess I never told him the exact place. Oops.

I look back at him before opening the door, stepping back a little bit "If you don't want to, then you don't need to come inside. You can just wait out here until I come back, ok? Or we can just go home and..."

"NOPE. NU UH. NO WAY. NO." He looks straight ahead, pushing himself through the doors.

At the door, there is a host working the front of the room, taking people's names, ID's, and giving directions as to where to go. "Ok, you have fun now. Don't forget the rules, and if anything happens, tell the staff. NEXT!"

Darius waits near the door as I go up to the man in the front desk. "Hi. Is a man by the name of Eric Darting here?"

"Ah yes. The owner. Well, he is currently... busy... at the moment. Would you like to schedule to see him a different day, or do you have a message you would like to pass on?"

"No, just... please try and call him. Tell him it's Romero and that I need to talk to him. Urgently."

The host looks at me, rolling his eyes and picking up the phone. "Alright. Don't know if he will see you though." He dials a number, letting the phone ring before someone on the other end picks up.

"What....AHhh.... is it... JUUhh...Jullian? I'm.... UHgh... a bit... busy right no... Ahhh.. OH FUCK. THATS MY TAIL....AHHhh... Anyways... I'm a... Haaaaahhah. but busy..."

"I'm sorry, but there is someone who needs to speak to you down here. Says his name is Romero. Would you happen to..." The phone line hangs up immediately after my name is said. Well, that was kind of rude. The host looks at me, giggling a little bit. "Well, I guess he did not need to talk to you as urgently. Unless you need anything else while you are here, or you want to go into the main room, there is the door."

I turn to the entrance, about to tell Darius the news. That was rude. I mean, I kind of understand that he is in the middle of something, but that was still RUDE. I swear, next time I see him, I am going to give him a piece of my...

"ROMERO." I look behind me, a person in nothing but a robe coming up and hugging me from behind. "ARE YOU OK? I SAW YOU FINALLY GOT OUT OF THE HOSPITAL. GOOD JOB MAN." He leans over my shoulder, laying eyes on Darius by the door, and I feel as his mouth starts to water. "Hot. So... hot...NO! I will not think of that right now. HOW ARE YOU? ARE YOU OK? WHY ARE YOU SO WET?" He looks behind me, seeing the gun I have tried to hide in my shirt. "WHY..." He leans in near my ear, whispering to me. His cheerful voice kind of sounds ominous. "Why do you have a gun? What happened?"

The host looks at the man, taken by surprise as he gets out from behind the desk and tries to pry him off of me, stepping to the side to talk with him. "SIR... ERIC? What are you doing down here? I thought you were just... you know..."

"It's ok, Jullian. He knows." Eric looks at me. "Wait, you know... right?"

While I try to still think about the answers to his other questions, I am hit with another. "Sorry... what?"

"YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE... THE THING?" I feel him pull me over to him. "You know... the... 'bird problem'?"

I stare at him for a moment. Wow, either everyone has been thinking they told me about their secrets, or I have NOT been paying attention. "Not only do I not know everything, but I did not find out about the 'problems' until a few days ago. Along with that, I did not know about the 'bird problem' that you and some of the others had until yesterday. Marc had to tell me. MARC."

His face drops. "I DIDN'T TELL YOU? YOU DIDN'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT THE 'PROBLEMS'?"

I am stunned. "LOOK, I DON'T KNOW WHY PEOPLE JUST ASSUME THESE THINGS."

"WHAT THE HELL? HOW? I THOUGHT YOU KNEW MARC SINCE YOU GUYS WERE IN HIGH SCHOOL."

"WE DID, HE NEVER TOLD ME ABOUT ANYTHING UNTIL YESTERDAY, WHEN I ALREADY FIGURED IT OUT."

"THATS FUCKED UP. I NEED TO CALL HIM LATER AND GIVE HIM A PIECE OF MY... Wait, but it's ok though, right, because you know everything now." I continue to look down in silence. "BECAUSE YOU KNOW EVERYTHING NOW, RIGHT?"

I back away. "I mean, not EVERYTHING, but I think I know enough for someone who had only found out about it, like, four days ago."

"FOUR DAYS AGO? That's barely any time to learn anything." He leans in and puts his hand around my shoulder. "Come on. Let's go upstairs to the room. I will tell you everything, ok?"

I turn around, walking away as Darius waits by the host booth, looking a bit like he is trying not to throw up. "Actually, while I do appreciate it, I came by for a... different reason."

Eric pouts a bit. "Ok then. Tell you what, I will help you out, BUT you need to answer my questions and listen to what I have to say. DEAL?"

"Yeah. Sure man. Deal."

He sighs, looking back at the host booth. "Jullian, take the next guy, OK? I need to have a chat with my... friend." He then turns to Darius, who is still waiting by the door, and starts whispering to himself. "Goodbye, handsome." We turn around, walking to the steps as I look at Darius, seeing as he tries to stop himself from vomiting or passing out. As we walk away, Eric looks at me, trying to strike up a conversation. "Did you see that guy at the front door. WHAT A MAN. NO... WHAT A BEAST. DAMN. Like, his looks are just aftercare enough. Wouldn't mind taking him for a spin if you know what I mean." He then shrugs. "Oh well, time to go. I am not going to let a MAN separate us." I wait for a moment and turn around, running away from the steps that he was about to use to take me upstairs and run to Darius. In the distance, I hear him say. "Ok. I see how it is. That's cool. Way to pick a man after saying that it won't be what separates us. I mean, I understand, look at him, but damn. That's cold."

Darius looks at me as I grab his arm, whispering to me. "Damn. Picking a MAN over your friend. That's cold."

"Shut up." I laugh, then walk to Eric, who was walking up the stairs, shouting to him as he does. "HANG ON. WAIT FOR US!"

"Woah woah woah." He waits for us to catch up with him, pulling me to the side on the very large staircase as he tries to talk to me in private. "What are you doing? You can't just bring someone like THAT over here. I'm still very much exposed, thank you very much." He motions to the clothes that he is wearing, pointing out the lack thereof. "Do you want him to see me get hard? That's embarrassing. Is this because I said he was hot. Look, I am thankful for you to try and set me up, but I..."

"Eric, this is Darius, my boyfriend. Darius, this is Eric, my friend from work."

Eric stops for a moment, too stunned to speak. "What the..." He takes time to process what I said, taking a few seconds.

Wait a minute.

"BOYFRIEND?"

There it is.

"WHEN? HOW? WHAT? HUBBA HUBBA." He grabs my hand and Darius's hand, dragging us to the staircase and up to the second floor, where there is an area for individual rooms. He walks us to the VIP section. After a couple of rooms pass by, he steps by the final door, turning to me.

"Ok, whatever you want to tell me, you need to tell everyone else too. Got that? Wait is he going to be comfortable with..." He looks over to Darius. "YOU. MR. HUBBA HUBBA. STAY OUT OF THE DOORWAY FOR A FEW SECONDS UNTIL I GIVE THE GREEN LIGHT, OK?"

Darius nods his head, stepping close to the garbage can at the end of the hall. "Yeah. Sure thing."

Eric opens the door.

"HEY EVERYONE. GUESS WHO CAME TO VISIT US?"

Chapter Text

[Just so everyone knows, there is a small sex scene near the beginning of this chapter. Not enough to mark the chapter as explicit, but I think that it is still good to note.]

Eric opens the door.

"HEY EVERYONE. GUESS WHO CAME TO VISIT US?"

Wow. I get why he had Darius stand off to the side. This is... um.

For context. All the incubi that I mentioned are here, along with other people who I guess are also incubi. I almost can't recognize any of them. Their real forms are so... different... then their human counterparts. The redder skin tones. The demon markings. The horns, wings, tail, all of it. That's not the bad part thought. Honestly, they look good. The reason he wanted Darius to stay away was probably because they are all doing certain... activities... with one another. I mean, it's hot, but... it is... what am I even looking at?

One of the three Carl's, who is balls deep inside Bob's ass, looks up. "OH, Is it the pizza delivery guy again. He's hot."

"No. It's-" Eric pauses and looks at Carl. "What? No. I think you may have traumatized him, Carl. They made any call with our location pickup-only, remember?"

"Aw man, I liked that guy."

"Anyways, come on. SAY HI, MAN." Eric steps away from the doorway, revealing me to the room else. "Hey guys."

Everyone stops what they are doing, freezing like statues in place, until Other other Carl, O-O-Carl, speaks out. "ROMERO? What are you doing here? I thought...I thought you were still recovering from... the incident."

I shrug. "I mean, I was, but I am done. Did Marc not tell you guys? I filmed with him yesterday." I look at the time "Well, I guess two days ago now, but whatever. Point is, I'm back. Hi"

"THAT'S GREAT! It's also so nice that you came by to say high. That's sweet."

Everyone slowly continues what they were doing before. "Well, do you want to join in. I'm sure there is room somewhere. Just transfo-"

Eric cuts him off. "Also, he apparently did not know about... the 'bird problem' thing until a few days ago."

Everyone stops what they are doing again. "WHAT?"

This time, they actually got up and ran over to me near the doorway. Bob looks at my body, seemingly confused. "HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE? I THOUGHT YOU WERE AN INCUBUS, LIKE US."

Why would they think that? Was I really that good at my job? Huh, that's a nice compliment, though. "Nope, just human."

Steve looks at me, also inspecting my body. "REALLY? I WOULD HAVE NEVER GUESSED. Anyways, welcome to the room. We like to gather here every day to eat. You probably know how it is."

"I actually don't. Just try and catch me up to speed quickly."

"WHAT? Did no one tell you anything?"

"Nope."

"Did you even know we existe..."

"Look, as much as I would love to repeat conversations, I have already had these conversations many times over the past 5 days, when I first found out this information. I would love it if we could maybe hurry the explanation up."

One of the unknown incubi try to speed things up. "Well. Basically... We used to be able to go to earth to get a food source. We were one of the only demon able to do so, and because of that, we stayed there for a while. Hell is not really the best place. Anyways, we would feed on human lust. Only problem is that humans were usually frail, and just continued to try and go round after round with us, sometimes killing themselves in the process. All of the succubi and incubi in the world had decided to form a sort of council, where we ended up finding out that even though being with a set human helps more with replenishing energy regularly, being with another succubi or incubi helps replenish our energy for around the same amount if not even more time than a regular human, and we have no side effects to it. So we decided to make killing humans by having sex with them illegal and a bunch of us also meet up almost every single day to get enough energy for the next day, but some of us also just get with one person with a lot of energy and try to just be partners with them. But, there are still some succubi and incubi that kill humans. They end up being taken to court and banished from the human world, but I don't know anyone that would do that since we are basically immortal even without them." He finally stops talking. "I think that's it about us. Did I miss anything Bob?"

"I mean, probably, but I think you got everything important down Oscar."

Wait. "OSCAR? YOU'RE AN INCUBI?"

He looks over at me. "Well yeah. Did you not notice?"

"NO. YOU GUYS ARE ALL TRANSFORMED. Not to be rude, but you all look very different when you are transformed. It's not bad, it's just hard to tell who is who. Plus, I only just found out that Eric, the Carl's, Steve, and Bob were incubi. YESTERDAY. BECAUSE OF MARC. MARC HAD TO TELL ME."

Everyone looks in shock and then all turn to me, guilty expressions plastered on their face. They all started talking over each other, but what I could basically hear all of them saying was, "We're so so sorry we did not tell you sooner. We just thought you already knew since you are a friend of Marc's and Marc is a vampire, so we thought he told you about us. Again we are sorry. Sorry. Sorry."

I cut them all off, my brain feeling as if it is about to explode. "HEY. IT'S OK. IT'S OK. Don't beat yourselves up about it. I get it. Just, try to tell me stuff like that next time, Ok?"

They all look around and nod. Carl starts to talk for all of them. "Alright. We promise.

Oscar cuts him off, rambling on again. "Anyways, how are you? Are you ok? Why are you so wet? Why are you here if you are not here about asking us questions? Is that a shotgun?"

When Oscar asks that last question, my eyes widen. I pull out the gun from under my shirt and gently lower it. "Shit. I forgot to put it down. Is there a table here?"

Everyone looks in shock as they point to a table. I run to it, putting the gun on it.

They all turn to look at me. All of their faces, once so full of excitement and... other expressions, now only show concern. "Um, Romero... what happened? Why did you come here?"

At this point, I have already stepped into the room, so I sit down on the bed, where I am pretty sure I have ruined my clothes. I look down, realizing that I am still wearing the clothes from when I ran out of the house this morning. It is full of mud, and my feet are blistered.

"Ok, well, I guess I will go... in order. To answer your questions Oscar I am... not good... the best. In fact, I am probably at the worst I have ever felt. I am terrified and confused and... just overall broken down. But I guess that is normal for me." I try to laugh it off, but tears start to run down my cheek. I look at the door, seeing a hand try to get inside, but Eric stops it from coming in. "Ok. For your next question. I am not ok. In fact, I think I might be... more traumatized than I was before." I start to break down, looking at the door again as I watch as Eric talks to him, and Darius continues trying to get inside. "As to why I am wet... Well..." I start choking on my words, what I want to say barely coming out, and when it does, it comes out in a whisper. "... I... ran into the woods... It was kind of early in the morning... in my new house... where I got into an argument... with my boyfriend..."

Oscar cuts off. "NEW HOUSE? BOYFRIEND? WHAT? WHEN DID..." Other Carl, O-Carl, cuts him off. "Sorry. Continue."

I laugh a bit. "It's ok. Anyways. I ran away from my house. The house I had moved to has an... area next to it... next to the woods. I ran for 12 hours straight with nothing on but the clothes I slept in and a shotgun... and then... I found the... place... the one from... the incident. So... yeah... that's why I am wet right now." I try to wipe away my tears, but they just keep coming down. Why do they keep coming down? I'm fine now... right? Everything is over. I am safe. So why does it still hurt to talk about?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Outside the room]

I try to get a look inside the room as Romero steps inside, getting blocked by Romero's friend, Eric.

"Sorry man. Even though your boyfriend is in there, there is also a lot of people who don't know you in there, all of whom are naked. Now I don't really think they would mind a shirtless HUNK walking into the room, but I don't think they really want to see anyone in the room they don't really know right now. You know, because Romero." Eric leans on the door, trying to listen in.

I stand on the side, standing in defeat. Well, I guess that's fair. I don't think it is my place to disturb Romero when he is talking ab...

My thought gets cut off, as I start to hear Romero laughing. But... I know that laugh. I know I have not known him for very long, but I definitely know the difference between his fake laugh and his real laugh. That's his fake one.

I look at Eric as I hear Romero start to pause. "Ok, man, I am sorry, but I want to get in. It sounds like he is... uncomfortable."

Eric, still trying to listen in, turns to me and stops me from coming in. "Sorry man, but as I said, everyone is trying to listen to the story he is saying. Unless Romero tells me it's time to let you inside, I am not letting you in." He looks at me, seeing the concern that I have. "Don't worry. Romero is strong. He can handle himself."

"Your right. I just... don't like seeing him upset. He has been through a lot, and has not ha that much time to process."

I mean. Again. I get it. If I just barged in. Romero would be uncomfortable. I would probably be uncomfortable. Every incubus in there, although they might be turned on, will also be uncomfortable and it will probably lead to more questions. I should listen to him. Just wait here, Darius. Everything is...

I hear sobbing from the other side of the door. It is the same sobbing as that night, four months ago.

I turn to Eric. "Look, I don't know everything that everyone is being talking about, and I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable, but my boyfriend is crying behind this door and I want to show him I care about him and that I am there for him. So can you please let me into the room so that I can be with him."

Eric, watching Romero cry past the doorway, turns back to me.

"Fine. But you don't say anything, ok?"

I look at him, my energy slowly decreasing from trying to stay untransformed for so long, but I don't care.

I nod at Eric, running past him as he lets me into the room.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I watch as Darius runs in, going past all the naked guys around the room who are trying to listen in to hear what happened.

Steve is the first to notice, looking at him. "WHAT THE FU... Oh my god. Hello sexy." His eyes follow Darius as he walks past everyone, trying to get to me. "NO. No. I need to focus." He turns to the doorway, enraged at Eric. "ERIC. WHY DID YOU LET HIM IN HERE? I mean, I don't mind him being in here on normal circumstances, BUT THIS IS NOT A NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCE."

Everyone turns to looks at Darius, then at Eric, bombarding him with questions as to why they let this random man into the room at this very intense time.

Darius sits down next to me on the bed I was sitting on. Now both of our clothes are probably ruined, but he does not seem to mind. He gets close to me, caressing my cheek and wiping away my tears, hugging me afterwords.

As everyone bombards Eric with questions, he points at the two of us together.

The second unnamed incubus, who was otherwise silent, turns around. "Oh. OHHH. Now I understand. Damn."

Bob turns to look at him. "Niko, what are you..." He turns to me, seeing Darius hugging me as I cry on his shoulder. Everyone else turning with him.

I sit there for a moment, and then pull myself together. "Thank you. I needed that." I wipe away my tears, suddenly feeling the stares of everyone in the room, looking at me. Shit. I forgot to introduce them to Darius. I stand up as he sits on the bed, trying to stop himself from collapsing and hold himself together. "Oh, right. I forgot to mention. This is my boyfriend. Darius."

Everyone falls silent for a moment, leaving Oscar to break that silence. "Hot." They all look at him weirdly. "WHAT? We were all thinking it. He's hot." They turn to each other, then nod their heads in agreement. "Yeah." "No, I get it." "I want to commit arson in this man's honor." "I would let him choke me out."

I look at all of them, then back at Darius, who looks like he is about to pass out. "OH SHIT. I FORGOT THAT TAKES ENERGY. You can go back now, sweetheart. I'm sure it's fine."

"I'm sure what's fi.... OH MY GOD."

Darius transforms back into his werewolf form, trying to pull himself back together. He puts his hand on his neck, trying to stretch it out. "I think I would have passed out if I had tried to stay like that any longer. Thank you, darling."

Everyone looks at him in shock, unable to think of a next response.

Shit. I guess it was ok to say they were not expecting this. "Look, I know you guys were probaly not expecting my boyfriend to be a werewolf, but i-

Eric cuts me off. "That's not what shocked us. You are... Your da... your boyfriend is the Howling Deathbringer?"

...

I'M SORRY THE FUCKING WHAT?

Chapter Text

"I'm sorry the WHAT?" I turn to Darius, who is looking down at the ground. He clearly wants to say something to me, but for some reason, he seems to be holding himself back.

Everyone seems to have a cautious look on their faces, backing up a bit before Eric decides to talk again. "Yeah, the Howling Deathbringer. Did no one tell you about..." He stops, eyes meeting Darius's head before continuing. "You did not tell him about the war?"

War? WAR? THERE WAS A WAR???????

Darius starts to speak up a bit. "No. With everything that happened today, with the woods and the... other stuff... no one was able to. I was going to tell him about a few hours ago, but we got a bit... sidetracked."

I turn to him. I mean, he probably was going to tell me about it. We had literally just promised to tell each other everything, but I guess I got a bit too carried away with my... personal desires.

"Alright. You know what, I am here now, so why don't you guys tell me about this war." Better late than never. If it really is that important, I don't want to keep pushing it down.

Everyone looks around, a little bit startled. They start fidgeting with their fingers, their breathing becomes very focused, and they are sweating like crazy. Are they... Are they really that scared to even talk about it? How bad was it?

As everyone looks around, one of the Incubi who I have not met before starts to talk. "Hi. First off, you have not met me, so I guess I will introduce myself. My name is Niko. I already know who you are. Big fan of yours." He comes up to shake my hand, and then motion for me to sit on the bed. "Ok, now onto the war, I guess. Well, around 200 years ago, some portals opened up, allowing angels and demons who were not able to travel to earth before into the terrestrial plane, or as you know it, the human world. Many of them, like myself and other incubi, had ended up going to places to meet living people, and, after a while, established ourselves in normal society. But as time went on, some wanted more. Specifically, a demon named Helix, a member of the demon monarchy. For him and a bunch of other members of demon nobility, they ruled over the respective realms, mostly ruling over the dead. So they also wanted to do the same for the living. Now, this is only the demon perspective, but groups like these have been around for thousands of years. They wanted power over the weaker species. Many of these group's agendas aligned, and they would end up recruiting other types of beings to their cause, like werewolves and vampires. This would later start the beginning of the group, 'Hive Mind,' which would end up recruiting multiple factions worldwide, merging it all into one regime. Now, a lot of people wanted to just live in coexistence with humans, as throughout history, both tended to see the other as equal, even if they did not know they existed in the first place. Because of this, war had broken out 2 years ago. Many lives were lost, and many beings were caught in the crossfire. In the end though, the united beings of the terrestrial plane ended up winning, and all beings tended to live in coexistence again. Due to the damages, there were also protective laws set in place, like the formation of the national being association, the addition of an elected being representative for the UN, reconstruction towns for endangered beings, and finally, codes, but the last one is not really that common."

"Codes? Like... Code Dreamcloud?"

Niko looks surprised. "Yeah... but that is one of the more complex and dangerous ones. How do you..." He looks back to the shotgun on the table, then back at me. "... No. There is no way." He looks at Darius. "No. Are you serious. You let him go ALONE into THE WOODS while it is raining during a CODE DREAMCLOUD and DID NOT TELL HIM ANYTHING? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Is there any way that it could get worse?"

Darius lowers his head even more. "It was also... an Abnormal. And the organization was the Great Bane Greyhounds."

Niko watches him in shock. The changes in his expression within these past few seconds tells me all I need to know. He stands there in silence for a few seconds and then looks at me. "Why are you with this man? He's horrible."

"HEY, that's my boyfriend."

"HE SHOULDN'T BE. He really, REALLY SHOULDN'T BE."

Niko turns his attention to Darius, who I can tell wants to be curled up into ball with his tail between his legs. "You know, at least during the war, I respected you for what you did. Sure, you were an absolute monster of a man and have killed more people than I will ever sleep with in my life, but you helped end a war after making a big, BIG mistake. You seemed to live with the baggage, and for that, I respected you. BUT THIS? WHAT THE HELL? Even if you were not trying to, you could have seriously hurt him. This is not a game of monopoly: information edition. This is life and death. Have you even told him... about how much BLOOD is on your hands? How many lives were lost? I respected you, but now, you absolutely disgust me, your hollow shell of a piece of shit."

I try to jump into the conversation as Niko is reading Darius to filth. "In his defense, it was not entirely his fault. I only found out about this four days ago, and it was a lot of information to take in, especially because I was drunk at the time. I also only started dating him three or two days ago, and then I was busy with a film immediately after that. The only day I was able to talk was yesterday, and even then, it was already too late. Is he at fault? Yes. Could he have told me at least a bit of something before the day of? Also, yes. But did we also just have this conversation around an hour ago. Yes. So, he is not all to blame."

Niko looks down at Darius, and then sighs. "Alright. I mean, I guess that kind of makes sense. But..." He grabs onto Darius's face and then brings it to look into his eyes. "You need to tell him everything. Either today or tomorrow. Or else, I will make you choke on your own goddamn flesh. Got that?"

Darius nods slowly, and then Niko lets go of him. "Ok." Niko turns back to me, trying again to explain everything from where we had left off. "So, let's continue. Where were we. Ah yes, the codes. Well, as a result of the branch factions, there had been countermeasures set by a bunch of different being representatives and the UN. There is Code Merrybloom, which is when a faction is moving near the area of humans or a different being that could be viewed as 'inferior' in the groups eyes, Code Waterlily, which is when multiple faction had been seen meeting up, Code Silverbell, which is when a well-known faction member goes to a fight with a specific person or group, and Code Dreamcloud, when a faction goes to try and take over a town. There is also Code Doomsday, where multiple factions join together to take over an area, and more rarely, Code Newmind, where a faction disbands entirely and joins society after a period of renewal, or a period of jailtime, although the last two are very infrequent."

"I think I get it now." I try to process all the information given to me. My head feels like it is splitting into two, but... I need to know this. "Wait, how do you even know all of this?"

Niko looks up in a bit of pride. "Well, I am a historian at the museum in the city, and this is my department. I am also the acting incubus representative for the UN, so I am quite knowledgeable on the topic."

"A... historian?"

He looks at me. "Yes, a historian. Is there something wrong with that?"

"Nope."

"Ok."

"Ok."

O-O-Carl cuts in "Well this is awkward."

Niko cuts him off. "Anyway, I think that is everything that I should say. Those are the basic facts of the war, so I think it is safe to leave it there. After all, Darius will tell you his involvement in the rest." He turns over to Darius. "RIGHT?????"

"Y...YES. I WILL."

"Good. Anyways, you can leave now Darius."

"But... but I..."

Eric, a bit scared to touch him, walks over to him slowly. After a while, he calms down. "If you want, you can stay in the room next to this one for the night. Ok?"

Darius gets up, looking at me before leaving. "I am going to leave now, darling. Once you are done, come find me. Ok?"

"Alright."

He hugs me. "You are the strongest person I know. With everything from the past two hours, you have stood tall. Be happy." I don't know how he sensed it, but his words hit me deep.

That's right. It has only been two hours. "Well, it will be fine. I will see you after I am done, ok?"

"Ok." We break the hug, and he goes into the hallway. "Love you."

I smile. "Love you too."

And with that, I watch him leave the room.

Chapter Text

I wanted to do a small QnA of some questions that you, the reader, may have about this story or about the ideas behind it.

Q: When does this story/ your other stories update?

A: When I have TIME AND ENERGY to write the story. A lot of the stories I have remain unfinished, and that's because they are. I currently can't keep up with my life and the stories, so whenever I have time, I try to write a coherent chapter and post it. As time goes on, I will rewrite all the chapters and make them better and then write newer chapters along with it.

Q: Is there a reason why the story has so many chapters?

A: Yes. Originally, I was going to make it a bunch of different books, but then I decided that it was going to be hard to find every single chapter if I split it up. So, I decided to just cram it all into one place.

Q: Will there be any official art for this story?

A: I don't think so. I want to make art for it. In fact, I have every single character design saved as a 3D model {thank you Sims 4 CC}, but I cannot draw for the life of me. I have taken MULTIPLE ART CLASSES, A GRACHIC DESIGN CLASS, AN AP ART CLASS, AND GOTTEN ADOBE CERTIFIED and I still cannot draw human proportions IF MY LIFE DEPENDED ON IT [at least, not on my drawing device. Traditionally, I can do fantastic, but for digital, I cannot do anything :(. Maybe I will relearn to draw again so I can draw all of the designs, but even so, I will still have to learn a lot.]

(UPDATE: Not only did I make art, but it got taken down from the Wattpad link. I don't like posting artwork onto a03, as I find it really confusing, but I will upload all the artwork there. Especially because I can't upload some here for being to... explicit.)

Q: Did you have any scrapped ideas for this story?

A: Yes. The bar was going to be a cafe, and it was going to end up being a GL/WLW at first. I really wanted to keep it like that, but I did not think it felt right for me to make a story about two women, especially when it was going to be explicit, when I myself am not a woman. Also, I tried looking up lesbians in the porn industry to understand what it is like, but I really ended up getting NOTHING. Literally everything that popped up seemed to be catered to men, which was REALLY weird considering it was WLW. Also, it seems to have more of a very hostile work environment, so I did not know how I was going to make the main character's work environment a comforting place, because although it will have adult themes, I don't really want to make it unreadable. Plus, with a male protagonist, I can touch on the topic of sexual abuse and the argument that it does not exist when it comes to men. Anyways, beside from that, I was going to make it a Superhero type of setting, but then I decided to turn that into an AU.

Q: What would Romero have been if he was not in the Porn Industry/ Adult Influencer industry?

A: Believe it or not, a neurosurgeon. If he decided against Porn, he would have become a doctor to help get his friend out from the coma she is stuck in.

Q: Why is the timeline so fast? (Why are they speedrunning a relationship?)

A: I saw that there was going to be a lot of miscommunication when coming up with the story. Because it is THE ABSOLUTE WORST GODDAMN TROPE OF ALL TIME {If you like it, I'm sorry for saying this, but it is not for me,} I decided to get it all out early. Plus, it gives me more to write about when it comes down to the plot, as everything is so compact that a character misses something, letting me write about it.

(UPDATE: I accidentally made it toxic regardless. I will fix it.)

Q: What arcs do you have planned?

A: I have the Wolf fight, Escape from Hell, Seven seas, The Change of Heart, What it means to be a couple, Trip to the Manor, Etc....

Those are not in order btw.

(UPDATE: AS OF 7/9/2025, I have moved onto the second arc, What it means to be a couple. This arc will have a main story between Romero and Darius, but it will have some side relationship stories as well.)

Q: I thought this story was to experiment with writing smut? WHERE IS THE SMUT???

A: I WANTED TO ADD PLOT OK? I promise, I will add more smut to the story, but right now, I have to drive the plot along. Plus, where they are currently, THEY CAN'T EVEN HAVE SEX YET, SO CALM DOWN?

Q: Will Marc ever have sex with Darius? (Is Darius a Virgin?/ Has he went out with anyone other than Romero?)

A: No idea. I mean, Marc kind of play flirts with Darius, and Marc and Romero have hooked up [mainly for work, but still] but I don't know if Marc should even see Darius naked? I don't know what to do with them. What do you guys think? Should they? Would that be a little bit weird? I honestly have no idea if Darius should even have sex with other people. He wanted to before. There were many times that Darius actually thought of getting into a relationship with another person (a lot of people flirt with him at the bar.) Before he met Romero, he was in a very serious relationship, but that did not work out. After the war, he didn't enter a relationship, but he would hook up with people from time to time (never Marc though.) After he met Romero, he literally dropped everything. No relationships. No hookups. No porn. Nothing. (He thought that doing so would betray Romero's trust in him, and he wanted the next time he was intimate to be with the man that he fell in love with in the woods.)

Q: What is Romero into?

A: So, because of Romero's job, he is actually into QUITE A LOT, but I would say anything that does not cross a certain moral line/ gross line. Examples OF WHAT HE IS NOT INTO include Vomit, Shit, Vore, Necrophilia, Incest, and other things that I WILL ABSOLUTELY NOT WRITE ABOUT, because if you think I will write about him getting hard while someone shits on him or dies YOU CAN GET OUT.

Q: What is Darius into?

A: Romero. NEXT!

Q: You have said that there will be something about Romero and his experience with SA. Why?

A: Why not? Well written characters with trauma of SA are VERY underrepresented in media, especially male SA. I don't really like seeing that the world kind of views the entirety of SA as "just a part of life" {words actually spoken to me when I was assaulted in middle school and told the teacher}. Now, do I find it comfortable to talk about a topic as dark as this one? NO! ABSOLUTLEY NOT. Will I. YES! Why? Because if you want change in something, you will have to make some choices that will make you uncomfortable. If you are not willing to be uncomfortable to make a better change in an area that you believe in, then do you truly want change to happen? Also, going along with this, whenever I looked up major actors in the adult film industry for this story, I kept seeing news articles from assault cases, mainly ones done to them. Many people overlook SA in the adult entertainment industry as just "part of the job" but it is not. No one deserves to go through that, no matter what they want to do in their life. That being said, I won't try to glamorize it. If I talk about SA, I will just talk about the haunting effects. It won't be an explicit chapter, or one that goes into depth on what the assaulter did (basically, I am not going to add rape porn in this, because WHY THE FUCK WOULD I ADD THAT?)

Q: Will we see more of other couples in the story?

A: OH ABSOLUTELY! You think I am going to write a romance and only have ONE COUPLE? No. I WILL WRITE ABOUT THEM ALL. There are many couples that will show up in the story, and I will at least write a little bit about most of them. They won't be as detailed or as explicit as the main couple, but I will still write some cute fluff for them. Also, some of the characters are asexual, and I will dive into that.

Q: Do any of the characters have any siblings?

A: Yep. {THAT IS ALL I AM GIVING YOU. I DONT WANT TO SPOIL TOO MUCH. AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH}

(Update: The AU I have for this story uses characters that I plan to have appear. That being said...)

Q: Is Athena a type of being? (Ex: Nymph or Demi-god)

A: No. She's Human. So is Bart. So is Romero. So is Sage. Basically, there are and will be a lot of humans. Pizza guy is not human though ;).

Q: What are all the characters jobs?

A:

Romero: Adult Entertainment (Porn and social media)

Darius: Bartender/ Volunteer Guardian of the Town/ Retired Mercenary

Max: Town Security/ Ambassador of Werewolf Affairs for the UN

Bart: Househusband

Athena: Data Analyst

Wendy: Bartender/ Karaoke Host

Marc/ MANY Incubi: Adult Entertainment (Just porn)

Niko: Historian in the Supernatural Department/ Ambassador for Incubus Affairs at the UN

Sage: Real Estate Contractor

Madiline: Doctor (Specializing in neurology)

Others: We will see

Q: Character backgrounds? (Ethnic / Religious)

A:

Romero: White/ Christian

Darius: Half African American Half Greek / Hellenism

Max: Half White Half Greek/ Hellenism

Bart: White/ Adopted from family with Hellenist Origin

Athena: Greek / Christan

Wendy: White (Southern) / Christan

Marc: Romani / Christian

Claire: Romani / Chistian

Caliban: Half Greek Half Australian / Hellenism

Madiline: Half Scottish Half African American (Sudanese) / Celtic

Others: We will see

As you may notice, a lot of them tend to have a very similar cultural background. This is mainly because they all tend to be from the same town, and its deep roots into Greek culture when it comes to this version of werewolf, but I do want to add some other cultural backgrounds to the story. Speaking of which, what are some names for characters I can use, as I only tend to think of basic ones and I seem to be blanking on them {the three Carls WHO SAID THAT?????}

I think that is it. Now, most of these questions were asked by friends of mine who have somehow found this and asked me directly, but please, PLEASE ask as many questions as you want. I would be happy to answer them. Bye :D

Chapter Text

As Darius leaves the room, I suddenly feel the eyes of a bunch of men stare down at me. Almost like they are dumbfounded by a decision that I had made. "So, what else did you guys want to talk about?"

The incubi all look at each other, then back at me. "Well, for one thing, you have never really cleared up any information whatsoever about what has happened over the last few days, so maybe start with that."

"Ah. Ok. Well..."

For another hour, I have been sitting in a room sharing what had happened. The need to move, the new house, how I met Darius and the others, the date, the work with Marc, the argument. Everything.

"...Anyways, so I originally came here so I could have sex with Darius in the woods while he is still in his wolf form, without getting hurt of course, but now I don't really think this is the time."

Eric laughs for a moment and then falls silent. Everyone else glances a look at him, then turn back to me and think for a moment. They all seem like they have something to say, but none of them want to say it for some reason. Weird. Is it really that impossible.  

O-Carl speaks up, breaking the silence. "Well, I guess we could give you a contract, but we don't really want to do that because... you know... it's a literal deal with the devil."

Oscar tries to add on to the ideas. "What about an immortality ritual, that could work."

"But that would basically be the same thing, plus, it would be torture for him. Immortality does not mean invulnerability, and the mental capacity you need to have is very much a problem."

Carl looks around. "What about turning him into an incubus?"

"NO." All of them scream out at the same time, and then Niko keeps talking. "That would be the same as immortality, and, although it is fun for a little while, I don't think he wants to need sex to eat, sleep, and enjoy his life for the rest of eternity. Plus, it's not a great time period to be an incubus in."

Bob zones off. "Oh, how I miss the 90's. Such a good time for us."

As they all argue, I sit there awkwardly. I can feel the pressure of the past few days weighing on my shoulders. My panic rises. So much that it is killing me. So much that I feel like I might go insane. Maybe Darius was right to not tell me everything instantly. Everything going on just feels like... too much. 

"ENOUGH." I cut all the arguing off. "Can we please focus on the matter at hand. We can talk about this later."

Everyone looks in surprise, and then Steve tries to follow my thought process. "... but... I thought you wanted to find a way to..."

"Yeah, I did, but at the same time, I was almost killed today. I just started work a day before that, and I just got in a relationship a day before that, after only one date on the same day. I understand why Darius wanted to take it slow with coming clean with everything, but at the same time, I don't. I have so much pressure on me right now that I feel like it is crushing me, but because I missed out on everything going on, I need more every time. Is the information necessary, YES. But do I need to know, also yes. My trust was broken and fixed and broken and fixed and broken and fixed so much, I am starting to lose my mind."

They all look around. "So, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying maybe not to think of this right now, because I don't even know if I want to stay in a relationship with him at this point." 

I quickly covered my mouth, shocked with the words that I had said. Why did I say that? I want to be in a relationship with him. I want to go on dates, and cuddle, and kiss. I want to be able to wake up to a familiar face in my bed instead of some random person in a hotel room, disoriented from the night before. But... am I ready for all of that. I thought I was, but maybe... this is just too much. 

They all look at me, petrified by my words, then turn to each other, huddling around and discussing. 

"Is that safe?"

"Is he sure about that?"

"I mean, I guess he does not know, should we say something?"

I join the circle, whispering. "Why are you all huddling up?" They back a way a bit, and then I walk towards them. "What? What's so wrong about me wanting to break up with him?"

Niko steps forward. "Well, in all honesty, we are afraid of what might happen if you do." 

What the hell is he talking about?

"Explain."

"Well, during the war, many lives were lost. Many of the people from the other side did not really care for who they killed. They trained mercenaries that felt nothing to anyone. No one. Among these mercenaries, though, there was one who outranked them all. Someone who still strikes fear into the hearts of people to this very day. It is said not many people know his human face, and those who did never lived to tell the tale. At this point, he is more of a legend then a man. A warning tail. The Howling Deathbringer."

Wait. "Isn't that..."

They nod. "Yes, it is."

I rush out of the room. The wind echoes as I run to the next door. I just need something. ANYTHING. An explanation, a denial, anything that may help. I mean, I know killed before. I witnessed it in the woods. Even so there is no way that he is...

...

I open the door, Darius sitting on the bed, facing away from my face.

"I know what you did. Of who you were. The role you played in the past."

Darius looks down, seemingly ashamed of what was said before. "I know." He chuckles, then points to the ears on his head. "Enhanced hearing. Remember?" 

"Please, say it isn't true. I know you killed people but tell me you did not work for people like them. People like the ones who tried to kill me today. Please. Don't lie. Just tell me the truth."

Darius motions to the other side of the bed. He looks down, trying to compose himself, and I do the same. 

"It is true. I did those things."

I almost turn to look at him. Almost. But I cannot show this feeling. I know he most likely feels remorse for what he did. He most likely tried to change after it. After all, he had been hiding in the woods on that fateful day, trying not to hurt anyone. But I need to hear him say it first. I need to know for myself. 

"How many did you kill? 

5?

11?

23?

46?

89?

104?

168?

197?

205?"

"More."

"254?

277?

329?

378?

383?"

I can hear the sadness in his voice. The regret showing itself. "MORE."

"476?

562?

670?

933?"

"MORE."

"1068?

1490?

2630?

3820?

5689?"

He is breaking down. He sounds like his whole world, his life after this moment, is gone. "MORE."

"10985?

27390?

56473?

198462..."

He lets out a breath. A shaky, dreadful breath. "Stop."

"198462. That's how many people have died by my hands. That's how many souls I have in my disposal."

"That is why they call me Darius, The Howling Deathbringer. The Monster in Mortal Flesh. that is the reason why, besides from my looks, people are afraid."

I look down. I can hear him crying, but my face stays stone cold. I am breaking, but on the inside. I want to show emotion, but I feel like I need a better reason to. I know there is something I am probably missing. There has to be? 

... Right?

Chapter Text

"Why? Why did you do it?" I finally turn to look at him, my eyes filled with a mix of sadness and rage, but I do not try and show any other feelings I may have. All those people, dead by the hands of him. I know that he care for me, and I would be lying if I said I still did not care for him, but it hurts. I need a reason. There must be a reason. "Give me a reason why you did it. Please."

I hear a loud sigh coming from Darius, followed by his shaky voice.

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I was born into an aristocratic werewolf family. They have been very powerful for many generations, and because of this, they were also filthy rich. Rich from all the blood money that they have on their hands. They are necromancers, after all. They have the power to do what they want with the souls they have ripped apart. Many people don't care for the lives, the power, that they are giving to them. They get the job done.

From there perspective, I seemed to be a prodigy, having mastered the art from a young age after bringing a butterfly I had stepped on back from the dead, even without being transformed. Since then, they had tried to train me, cultivating me in their image. Day after day, they would bring in a bunch of butterflies from the garden, and I would kill them, and I would bring them back. I did not feel good doing this, but, because of the way I was raised, I thought that it was fine. I would revive them afterwords anyways. I thought that nothing was really being harmed. It was ok. Right?

Oh, how I miss that butterfly garden. Out of everywhere in that house, it was always full of life. I always thought that they were living their best lives. They got constant attention, being tended to often, they could fly around, they did not have any needs or expectations put upon them. They were just there.

...

But they were not free.

They were still trapped in a glass house. If any tried to escape, my mother would take out a gun and shoot them on sight. She always had such great aim, and she has almost never missed a shot. I still remember her picking up the body and putting it back into the garden, reverting it to how it was a few minutes before, but before letting go, she would clip it's wing a little bit before putting it back. That way, it will never fly far again.

She would always turn to me afterwords, staring deeply into my soul. Her eyes seemed void of any type of emotion. Almost as if she was trying to send a message.

"Leave this place, or disobey my orders, and I will kill you."

I learned to grow in constant fear of my parents and what they would do to me if I disobeyed. So, I had never disobeyed an order. From the age of seven, I would continue to kill the butterflies and bring them back. I continued telling myself that it was not wrong for me to do so, but deep down I knew what I was doing was horrible. Inhumane. But that was the point.

However, on my 16th birthday, that changed. I went to the garden to kill a butterfly. It had become a daily routine for me at that point. But instead, a man stood there. My mother had handed me her gun, and nodded her head.

"Go on. You are a smart man. Surely you must know what you need to do."

"I... I don't understand. This is a person. A living person. You really don't expect me to..."

I felt a smack on my face, knocking me to the ground. A metallic taste fills my mouth as I look up, seeing my father, who stands right next to her.

"YOU DARE DISOBEY YOUR MOTHER??? YOUR FAMILY? DO IT. TAKE THE SHOT."

I had tried to fight back, but I was too weak. Too fragile to fight back.

I get up and look at the man. There is a gag on his mouth, but his eyes are still very visible. They scream out for me not to do it, begging for me to just walk away. His muffled screams also make that clear, the sounds of them pounding in my head like a drum. I hold the gun, my hands shaking for what I had to do. How was I supposed to kill him? To take another man's life? This person has a story. A family. People who care about him. What was I supposed to do?

My parents' distorted yells echo in the background, and I hear them walk over to me. Their footsteps bellow in the air, suffocating me. What would they do when I didn't take the shot? Would they hurt me again? Would they torture me?

Would I be killed?

I start to hyperventilate, almost dropping the gun in my hand, but then griping it tightly and pointing it at the man. All that was on my mind was that I did not want to die. I would not die in that moment. This will not be the place where my story ends.

I pulled the trigger, and watched as the man's blood splattered everywhere. He was dead.

But I could bring him back, right?

I had focused really closely on bringing the man back. If I did it in time, I should still be able to save him. I could undo it. I could fix everything.

Or I could have, if I did not feel something knock me out.

When I woke up again, I was sitting at the dinner table. The eyes of my parents looking down at me.

"Welcome back. How was your nap, Darius?"

I stand up from my chair as I tried to remember what had happened. "I don't... I don't understand. I... I could have.... brough him back. Why? Why did you..."

My mother had put her cup of tea down. "Necromancy means that you can do what you want with the soul. It is better to make an army then to every person back, don't you think?" She spins around the spoon in her cup, and I hear the metal scrape the porcelain. It's sound tries to drown out my thoughts, confusing me.

"No.... no.... no no no no no no NO... please. I need to bring them back. I can't just let them..."

"Its too late."

"What?" I turn to look at my father, who seems to be wiping his mouth.

"You can't bring them back now. You can only bring someone back to their body five minutes after they die. It has been hours."

He gets up and then leaves the table. My mother does the same, leaving me all alone with my thoughts.

I just killed someone.

I sat in silence for a moment, trying to process everything. I didn't know what was being planned for me, but I did not like it. Were they trying to get me ready or something. Ready to fight and kill? What was their plan? Their goal? Why were they doing this?

Over the next few days, I would find out about their true identities. They were one of the leaders of a werewolf supreme organization, which had merged into Hive Mind. I would also learn about Hive Mind, and what they were planning.

For years, they planned out a war that would let them take over the world, and I, the child prodigy, was a big part of their plan. So, my parents sold me to them. I had later found out that my mother was pregnant, so maybe she felt like I was not needed anymore.

I was not seen as a man, but as a tool. I was used to take out competition for the beings I worked for, such as politicians and figureheads. I led Hive Mind to places of political power, and then, after a few years, war broke out. I was now directly working with the leaders of Hive Mind as their personal murderer.

During the war, I had fought and killed many people. A lot were other soldiers from the opposing side, but a lot were also innocent people. All the screaming and crying on the battlefield had made the pain of killing so much worse. I wanted to stop. I did not think any of this fighting was right. It all just felt so useless to me. I tried to stop killing, or tried to secretly bring some back, but Hive Mind had put a tracker in me. I was chipped, like a dog. If I strayed from the path, then they could easily find me and punish me in any ways they seemed fit.

So, I continued to kill. I had built up an army of souls, which I did not seem to have any control over, for some reason. I could only summon them, and it seemed like they were being taken away from me. I had no control over anything. I was just a tool. A tool for killing.

So I killed.

And killed.

And killed.

And killed.

Until finally, I was outsmarted and taken hostage. At that point, I had already made a name for myself as The Howling Deathbringer. People knew what I looked like as a werewolf, but to them, I looked more like something else. A monster. Of course, I don't really blame them, but because of this, I was held in a maximum-security prison, named Mirandas.

I woke up in a cell, my mouth covered, and my hands tied to a chair against my will. Although it seemed pretty safe, I was trained to get out of this by Hive Mind. I could have easily escaped that place...

...but, I also really didn't want to.

In here, I could just... sit. For the first time in a long time, I was not expected to do anything, or kill anyone. I was just... there. I know it sounds strange, but I felt... free. It's funny, the time where I am being held against my will, it was the only time I felt free in my life up until that point.

After a while, the leader for the werewolf division of the army had tried to have a talk with me, walking into the room and sitting down.

"Hey man. As for protocol, I have to ask you a bunch of questions. It is very boring, but you know what, better to get it done now, right? You ready?"

I nod.

"Ok, first up, what are you still doing here?"

I am confused on what he meant, and motioned to the metal covering my mouth. He hesitated for a moment, but then got close enough to take it off of me.

"Thank you. Now, what do you mean by that, exactly? I am obviously trapped in here."

"What do I mean? I mean that you are the most skilled mercenary that Hive Mind has. Surely you know how to get out of a prison like this. You can probably break out a bunch of your friends too. So, why don't you?"

...

...

...

I decide to tell him the truth. There is no doubt Hive Mind would kill me if I returned. So, for all the years of torment, to get back at them, I will tell this man everything. And then, I will die by this man's hands.

"I can't kill anyone if I can't get out. That is why I am still here. A tool without a person using it is basically a piece of scrap metal. I do not want to kill, but I have to if I am out there, under their control."

The man looks at me, trying to understand my reasoning. After a while, he looks up and starts to undo my restraints.

"That is the only question I have. You're free to go."

"WHAT? ARE YOU CRAZY?"

"No. I'm strategic. I know you are just staying for an ulterior motive. You probably have some sort of tracker or something that you are using to break everyone out. So, you can leave."

"Oh, right. I do have one. It's in my neck on the left side. Do you have anyone in your medical staff who can take it out please."

The man looks confused, but then feels the side of my neck and stands in his disbelief.

"Ummmm.... I guess. I'm confused what you think this will achieve."

"Look, I don't want to hurt anyone anymore, and I don't want them to find me, so please just take this thing out of my damn neck."

Anyways, long story short, they took the tracker out and then tried to let me go. I stayed in the cell for a while and the man wondered why I still have not left. In the last month of the war, I won over his trust and helped him get rid of the Hive Mind group, making it split into multiple, smaller groups. I found out that my parents had made an agreement that for the time of the war, any soul of the people I killed goes to them, which was made possible by the chip they put in me, so they have all the souls that I killed during that time. I can still borrow them, but I could not bring anyone back.

After everything was over, I moved into the same town as the man that tried to let me go, Max, and I started a new life. I tried to make a good reputation for myself as Darius, and, over time, made a good reputation in the town. Outside of it, not so much. Though, many beings have only seen me in werewolf form, so not that many know my face, so I guess that is a plus. I guess, like you, I was also using the town as a place for a new life.

During my time living in the town, I had discovered something. I stepped on a butterfly on a walk in the park, but I did not notice until ten minutes had passed. It was stuck to my shoe, but the soul kept... lingering. At that point, it should have already been impossible to bring it back, but I tried to do so anyways. That is when I learned that I could not only bring beings back, no matter the time, but I could also modify their soul and body when doing so. Once I found this out, I had been trying to find my parents and take back the souls that I had killed. If there was at least a small chance I could bring them back from the dead, letting them live a happier, normal life, I would take it. Slight problem though, I could not really find them, and now I have no idea where they might be.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So... yeah. I think that is everything. I understand if you still hate me, and you don't want to date me anymore. It's just that... when I met you in the woods on that day, you were the only one who was not scared of the person that I had become. I felt comforted by you. Everyone else is still a little terrified by my wolf form. I don't blame them. Even without all the knowledge, I was still horrifying, I am scared of me too. But you... you were different. You were not scared of the person I had become, and after actually talking to you over the past coming days, you were so kind to me and the person that many would have seen as a monster, despite having problems of your own." Darius starts to cry, tears streaming down. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I did not want to hurt anyone. I did not want to hurt you."

I give him a hug, still sitting on the other side of the bed.

"Darius?"

He looks over to me, looking into my eyes. "Yes?"

"Let's break up."

{Ok, maybe I am getting too plot driven with the smut book. Should I make less complex plot. Amp up the smut? What do I do? Do you guys like the story and the place it is going?}

Chapter Text

"Darius?"

"Yes?"

"Let's break up."

As I listen to the words come out of Romero's mouth, the tears streaming down my face seem to fill up the very room I am sitting in. I do not complain, though. I know how he must feel. Finding out his new boyfriend was some sort of psychopathic, deranged murderer. Hell, if I was dating me, after hearing that, I would break up too. It is only logical.

"I get it. I know how you must think of me now. You probably view me as a murderous, horrible freak, like how everyone else does, but, if you really don't want to be with me because of it, because of bad actions I had done, then..."

"What? Oh! No. It's not because of that."

...

WHAT? EXECUSE ME? I mean, I'm happy that it is not about my past, BUT HOW IS IT NOT BECAUSE OF MY PAST??? I LITTERALY KILLED PEOPLE.

Romero, still hugging me, starts to talk quietly. "Look. I know how you might be feeling. Frankly, I would be lying if I did not say that I was a little bit startled by everything that you had just said..."

A LITTLE BIT STARTLED? JUST STARTLED??? As much as I love him, he really needs to raise his standards. I am not the perfect man of his dreams. He would be better off with that man. So why does it feel like he... forgives me?

"... but it does not really sound like your fault. You seem like you were forced at a young age to do things that you did not want to do, and you still regret the things that you did to this day. You also seem that you have been making up for it, and that you are trying to do your best to make amends. That just proves my point that you are a sweet, gentle soul. You are perfect in every way..." He seems to fall silent, trying to think of the words to say. "...but... I can't keep up with perfection. The more that time goes on, the more I realize we really may have pushed things too far too fast. I just keep getting hit with new information and no time to process it."

I turn to look at him, my tears stopping for a moment. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that what we know about everything is inconsistent. You seem to be knowledgeable in every single thing happening, almost completely unfazed about it. Meanwhile, I am having serious breakthroughs in my life that keep getting added onto with each passing moment." He's not wrong. Everything happening right now are things that I am familiar with. Things that I have lived with, and things I have known about for my entire life, but Romero, he is just finding everything out for the first time. "And I just keep finding things out about you. Like, earlier today, I found out you were a werewolf. I thought, "ok, that's not so surprising." Now, I found out that you were not only a werewolf, but a feared one, and that apparently you were a child solider that was sold off to a fascist group to be a mercenary, and then became a well-known war criminal turned heroic veteran, who hid his werewolf self so much, that people think of him as a legend, even thought this was only, what, a year ago?"

That's... not too far off. Wow, when he puts it like that, my life SUCKED.

"I mean, even though you also know things about me, you had months to do so. When I was in a coma, you heard about me from Marc, right? Considering that you also knew about my accounts, you probably also know about my current likes and interest. My hobbies, the games I like to play, the new toys I try out, everything. Even if we are talking about first interaction, in the woods, you found out my favorite flower, something that I had not told anyone. You seem to know almost everything about me, but you also had time to process it. I, on the other hand, am just finding out about you. I was in a life or death situation, and now I'm finding out about different species of werewolf, werewolf aristocracy, being fascist groups, A WAR, your past, your struggles to fit in, your insecurities."

"I thought that you wanted to know about that though?"

"Of course I do, I am glad that you are telling me these things. It really shows me that you trust me, and don't just expect me to pour out my heart with no sign of sincerity in return, but it can also become too much after a while, especially if too much happens at once. I was just told year's worth of history in a matter of seconds." Romero starts to sigh again, gripping on to me tightly. "Look, one thing is for certain. I still love you, and I still think that you are perfect in every fucking way imaginable. You are still so sweet, so loving, hot as FUCK, and are overall an honest, accepting person with a heart made of fucking GOLD, but maybe I may have been taking things too fast. Look, I still want to be in a relationship with you, but right now, I feel like we may be moving a bit too fast. So, how about we break up for now and get to know more about each other. We slow down the pace a little bit, and I will get time to process everything going on, and then, after like a week or two, after I am able to actually take in new information about you, and live in the moment with you, instead of trying to process the past, we get back together again. Ok?"

Tears still stream down my face, not in sadness, but of joy. I would be lying if I did not say it hurts me. I will miss being together with him, even if we will only be broken up for a week. Although, when I look at Romero, I can tell he does not want to do this either, but it is the only thing he can think of that may help. I don't want to deny him this.

Romero notices the tears streaming down my face again, scrambling to try to get them to stop. "ORWECANJUSTSTAYTOGETHER. IDON'TREALLYMINDSTAYINGTOGETHERANDFIGURINGITOUT, BUTTHATWASTHEONLYIDEAICOULDTHINKOF..." His voice raises a bit due to panic.

"I will do it."

His rambling stops as he turns to my face. "Really? You are ok with it?"

"Yeah. It is not like we are really breaking up anyways. Just... taking a break to process everything going on. Plus, even if you wanted to break up, no matter how much I want to be with you, I can't just keep you with me. That is not fair to you."

Romero gets off the bed and steps in front of me, suddenly hugging me so tight that we both fall onto the bed.

"Darius, after meeting you, there will never be a time where I don't want to be with you."

We both lay on the bed for a moment, crying in the other's arms, and then, we fall asleep.

Chapter Text

End of the 

"Unknowingly Living in a Fantasy" Arc

Start of the 

"What it Means to be a Couple" Arc

Chapter Text

{Hey, so just a warning, this chapter does have a reference to abusive relationships, and because of that, the implications and the insults that are said may be a little... much. I will put a chapter summary at the end because of this, but if you still want to read it, go ahead. [I should also mention that it is not Romero and Darius in this dynamic. They are doing well in their relationship so far.]}

I open my eyes, suddenly feeling as if I am lying down on a cloud.

That's... weird.

Where am I?

A landscape of silence. Bright pastels drift off into a sunset. The water below the feet of my body, not too cold, but not too warm, and surprisingly soft.

Is this... a dream? It must be. I have not had a lucid dream like this in a while.

I breath in, feeling the hypothetical cold air on my body.

Peace. At last.

Over these past few days, I have never felt this at ease. Sure, I have had a lot of ups, but it was always followed by a down. I know that none of this is real, but... at least it gives me some time to relax with everything that has been going on. Moving, getting into a relationship, going back to work, having a secret spilled, finding out fucking mythical beings exist, almost getting killed, getting out of a relationship, etc. It can all be so tiring. But finally, in this dream, I can just... chill.

Maybe I will see Darius. Until now, I have not slept after finding out he is the mysterious figure visiting me in my sweetest dreams almost every night. Sure, we broke up, but we still like each other, AND... it is a dream. Anything I do in here won't matter in the outside world. Maybe I can get that three for one deal I wanted, and tell him all the ideas that I thought of in excruciating detail.

I try to force myself to make him appear, but he does not.

DAMN IT!!! Well, that's fine. It is still a peaceful place. A place to relax.

An up... without a down.

I hear someone singing out in the distance. "Romero... Where are you...."

FUCK. Well, there goes my good mood. Are you serious? This nightmare? AGAIN? Out of everything that has to repeat in my head, why does it have to be HIM??? I have so many other good memories that can repeat instead, like....

...Ok so maybe not that many, but still, there are a lot less worse memories then HIM. WHY HIM? This is MY dream. MY peace. Why does it have to be ruined by that... thing.

"Romero." The voice continues to sing, like it is talking to a dog, and it seems to be getting closer. "I know that you are here somewhere. Come out and play."

Ok. So, brain, I do not like that. The only one who I want to treat me like a dog is... You know what, fuck it. This is my dream. He can't do anything bad to me here. I need this to STOP. Just face him, and I will be perfectly fine... hopefully.

I walk to where the voice is coming from. "Yeah, yeah, I'm here."

"Oh, there you are..." The voice, comparable to scratching on a chalkboard, finally turns to me. "I thought that you were hiding away from me again."

"Nope. I mean, why would I? You're not even real. Just a... figment of my... imagination." I don't know why it feels so real every time I talk to him. The same repeating nightmare, and the same feeling of absolute fucking despair. How lovely! "Look, can you get out of my head, please. I don't know why you are here. I don't know why you torment me. I just want to forget that you ever existed, so can you please just leave. Yikes, can't get a moment for myself. And you called me clingy."

The body attached to the voice starts to contort itself, wrapping its arms around me like a snake. "Oh, you would know about people leaving, wouldn't you? People always seem to come and go. And come back. And go again. And come back again." He pauses for a second, smiling before walking back into my view. "Hey, that kind of sounds like you. Funny... right?"

"No. NO. Things are good this time. Things are better. I don't need you. I haven't needed you for a long time. I don't need to hear you. I don't need to see you. I... I just... I don't need you anymore! You just keep fucking everything up. Just stop haunting me and get out of my head." I scream at the voice, but I know that it will not leave. It never leaves until the dream is over.

"Oh. Well, that's too bad." The area around me starts to change color, as everything starts to turn dark. What once was peaceful starts to show its true nature that was hiding under the surface. "You know, the funny thing about being trapped in a prison like mine is that... nobody is a fan of yours. If I was anywhere else, your 'fans' probably would have made sure I would never see you again." He pulls out a calendar, a red X in the middle of a date. "Look at it. A week from today, and then... I'm free."

What. No. No, that's not possible. He was supposed to be in there for YEARS. That's what was decided. This is a lie. It has to be a lie. This entire thing is just... my mind playing tricks on me, right? HAHAHAHAH. Very funny. You can stop it now. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Whatever cruel joke my mind is playing on me, it starts to freak me out. Ok, the first thing I do tomorrow is call the prison.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I can't wait to see you again. It will be SO much fun to catch up on some old times. Let's just hope you don't run from me again, DARLING, Ok?"

The last words cut me like a knife. Darling. Who the fuck does this figment of my imagination think he is. "YOU DON'T GET TO CALL ME THAT. DON'T YOU EVER, EVER CALL ME THAT."

"What's wrong, Darling? It's not like you have anyone else in your life. I mean, who would ever, EVER, love some pathetic, used up dirty whore like you?"

"Stop it... please... just stop it..."

"I mean, all they ever do is use you for your body and then toss you aside. 'MAyBe tHis OnE wiLl bE tHe OnE. MAyBe tHis OnE WiLl bE DiFFerEnT.' What a bunch of bullshit. Both you and I know that no one, NO ONE, will ever love you. The least that you can do is come back to someone who won't throw you out, though. Oh, how I missed that body of yours. Nothing in the world tryly compares to it."

"Get out of my head..."

"FACE IT. YOU ARE AN UNLOVABLE, WORTHLESS, LITTLE LEACH. The best thing that you can accomplish in this world is die, and even that is not good enough because the world will still have your decaying corpse in it."

"Get out of my head... Just get out... PLEASE."

"WAKE UP AND LOOK AT YOURSELF. NO ONE WILL EVER, EVER..."

"Romero?"

I open my eyes. Darius, still transformed, lays in front of me. I sit up, hyperventilating from everything that just happened. The thought of seeing his face again made me sick to my stomach.

I am still confused, though. Is this also a dream. "Darius, what... what's going..."

Darius grabs both of my shoulders lightly, massaging them as he tries to calm me down. "You kept mumbling in your sleep. Something about head... I guess. Is everything alright?"

I look around. We are still in the hotel room. The lights are off. The window is open, letting the night breeze flow over my body. The bed feels soft. Almost like a cloud.

"Yeah, everything's... fine."

Darius, looking unconvinced, adjusts himself to hold me in his arms. "Don't worry. Whatever is bothering you, just know I am here. I will help you through it, ok?"

I hesitate for a moment, and then hug him back. "Ok..."

We both lie down, still held in each other's embrace. Darius's body engulfs me, keeping me warm with the fur that surrounds him. Even though we are not technically together anymore, it is nice to know that he still cares about me...

...right?

Who does he see when he looks at me? When I look at him, all I see is perfection. Even with all the faults and flaws that he went through, he had come out on top and became a better person from it. Plus, he is sexy as FUCK. GOD DAMN. I want that tongue in my mouth again. Ah, good times.

Ok, enough of that. When I look at him, all I see is perfection, but... when he looks at me, what does he see? Does he also see perfection, or does he see me as someone that makes him shine when put next to him? Does he see a helpless, pathetic man. Someone who needs his protection to survive. Someone who is all bark and no bite (get it, because he's a werewolf. Haha, you get it.)

I look into his eyes again. I am not afraid to go to sleep. I faced that monster before, and I will face him again and again. I know that Darius is trying to help, but when it truly is time... time to see him again... I have to do it alone. I need to prove to him that I am not helpless. Not for his sake, but for mine.

I lied, Darius. I love you. You know I love you. But, because I love you, I need to do this. When the time comes, I know you won't be with me. You may even think less of me because of what I may do. But, please, when you tell your friends about me, tell them who I used to be, the perfect image that you saw me as, and not who I am about to become.

[Chapter Summary:

Romero dreams about a person from his past, who seemingly haunts his nightmare every time things seem to go well for him. This figure tells Romero that in a week, the person that they are supposed to be will be let out of jail early, and will be able to "see him again" It is also implied that Romero ran away from this man, and that he is afraid of the man's capabilities. The man tries to insult Romero, but, mid insult, Darius wakes up Romero due to him acting strange while sleeping. They hug it out, and Darius tries to reassure him that he will be here no matter what happens. Romero agrees to this, but is secretly lying, the voice of his past getting into his head and making him have doubts on if the relationship is even something that he should have. He looks at Darius, saying to himself that he hopes "If Darius views less of him after what may happen, he should try to tell people about the person he saw Romero as, instead of the person who he will inevitably become."]

Btw did anyone get the reference at the end? If you did, HORRAY!

Chapter Text

WARING: THIS CHAPTER DEALS WITH PAST RELATIONSHIP MANIPULATION AND PAST RAPE/SA. ALTHOUGH NOTHING I EXPLICITLY STATED TOO GRAPICALLY, IT MAY STILL BE TRIGGERING, SO, IF YOU DO NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE READING THIS, A CHAPTER SUMMARY IS GOING TO BE BELOW.

The morning sun starts to rise as I stare at Darius. After the dream that I had, I could not fall asleep. I am not afraid. It is just a dream, after all, but I didn't want to risk seeing... him... again. His face, his voice, his disgusting personality, it all makes me want to throw up. I don't want to experience that. The nightmares that I have of him all come back to haunt me in terrible ways. Some are tamer than the others, but... the bad ones... they get under my skin. It feels real, and I hate it.

I close my eyes to blink for a moment, and in the next second, Darius is back as a human. I sit up. Now that he is weaker than his enhanced state, I can finally get out of bed for the morning. 

I walk off the mattress, looking down at Darius, who is still sleeping soundly. I put a pillow in his arms, so he still thinks he is hugging my body. Looking at him standing up, I start to realize how weird he is sleeping. Sure, it was comforting, but that position that he is in right now reminds me of that one anime pose, where the person is in the middle of a crater. Thinking of it makes me chuckle a bit. I find a blanket on the floor of my side of the bed, probably from when I woke up in the middle of the night, and I put it on him. I still can't believe someone as cute as him is my...

...

... Oh, that's right... we broke up. 

Why do I feel... disappointed. I am the one who broke it off. Darius just agreed to it. I mean, I still think that things are going to fast, especially with the timing of everything else going on. So why... does it hurt so much. I mean, in the end of the day, we are still going to be together though. It is not like this is permanent. It's just a little... setback.

Darius's eyes start to flicker, waking up slowly. "Ahhhhh... good morning Sweethe..." Darius catches himself, pausing for a second and then looking down. "Good morning... Romero. How did you sleep?"

I look at him, wanting him to finish the word he was about to say. I know he won't, but I still want to hear it come from him. 

"I slept well," I lie. I don't want to worry him. I worried him too much already yesterday, in the middle of the woods. "I just had a bad dream, that's all."

Darius looks at me, clearly concerned. Shit, did he see through me? "Do you... want to talk about it? I mean, it seems like it really affected you." He looks down, blushing a bit. "That is, if you feel comfortable enough. I know that it may be something that you don't want to mention to me, or something that is-"

I go to the bed, sitting on it next to him. "It's ok. It's just about something in my past. I got over it."

Darius looks up to me, turning his head to face my own. He gets himself comfortable, trying to brace for impact. "What happened?"

"Ok, so... you know how I mentioned that I was drugged in bars in the city, and how it would lead to me being assaulted. How it did not really affect me for some reason?"

Darius's voice starts to tremble, cracking a little bit. "Yeah. I remember that."

"Well, my dream has to relate to... the reason why it did not affect me. You see, when Marc's cousin, Clare, got put into the hospital, I spiraled down into some really bad roads for my life. Although I confided in Marc for a lot of things involving her coma, I did not really find comfort to be in a relationship with him. So, when I turned 18, I started dating this man. He was a bit older than me. I don't really remember the age he was, mainly because any time I would ask, I felt like I was being lied to. He liked to lie, and he never told me the whole story. Anyways, our relationship was very toxic, but because I was so blinded by the experiences that I have lived with before that moment, I felt... stuck... with him. I could not make friends, let alone get a boyfriend, and because of this, I clung to the first man who gave me attention. Not to say that the attention was good. In fact, it was more often than not the opposite. He would always degrade me, constantly saying things like how he saw me as nothing more than a toy, that he wants to use whenever he feels like it, or that I was nothing without the use that I could receive from him. He manipulated me into believing I was nothing without him, and, because of this, I gave into anything he did, not because I wanted to, but because I was afraid of what would happen if I did not. He had sex with me constantly, but kept going against everything that I wanted, just to fill his sick, twisted idea of pleasure, as if he was superior to me, and I was his... pet. There was one time where he... he brought his friends... to..." I cut myself off. Even thinking of that makes my spine curl. "I have never felt so disgusted to be trapped in my own flesh and blood. A body, not for myself, but for the people who don't see a human inside of it. And, to top it all off, he was also abusive. You probably could not tell, but in the past, I was constantly covered in bruises. If I did not follow an order he gave, I got another. If I was seen with one of my friends, I got another. If he just felt like giving me one, I got another. And another. And another. I would always have to cover up black and blue marks that he created with makeup, which is why I had that rumor about me secretly getting tattoo's all over my body, but then regretting them later on."

Now that I think about that rumor, it was kind of stupid. I mean, I have a tattoo on my ass, and I do nothing to cover that one up. 

As I pause, I notice Darius staring at me, a serious look unmoving as his brows start to furrow. I look down at Darius's hand, clenched in a fist as his knuckles start to turn white. 

"At the time, I did not tell this to anyone. I felt like they would all judge me for what happened. Now I obviously know better, but I was still in the porn industry, after all. If I confided in someone, would they judge me? Look at me a bit different? Alienate me from everyone else? I did not want to lose anyone because of him. I would not risk it. Anyways, this had gone on for a couple of years, until Marc had told me to go to therapy for... other problems that I was facing. On the first therapy session, I had completely broken down. You see, earlier that day, I found out that his friends had recorded me during that incident, and were planning to post it online as an exclusive unreleased video of a famed pornstar, getting their body wrecked as men took turns using them like a doll. That same day, I also found out that he had been recording any time we had sex, and was planning on using it as blackmail if I tried to leave him permanently. He also filmed any time I had opened up to him, telling me he would release that to the public as well. For context, I had left him many times in the past, but they only really lasted a month or two, because every time I would date, my partners would find out what I did for a living and then dump me, or expect me to be their own personal plaything. Although, they still were not as extreme as he was with that idea. Some of the people I have dated even looked me dead in the face and said, 'don't worry, none of that matters anymore, because I will be the one to fix you,' treating me as if I was somehow broken. So, after I broke down in that first meeting in her office, my therapist immediately took action. Within the four sessions I had with her, she helped me file a report, put him and his friends in a prison, and get over the trauma that I had. All while also helping me with the other trauma I had trouble getting over."

I hear as Darius lets go of a breath I did not even know he was holding, sighing in relief. "Oh, thank the gods. At least he is in prison. If he was still roaming around the streets, I would not even know what I would have done. Actually, I may still have a talk with Max about this..."

I smile a bit, forcing a laugh. "Haha, yeah..." 

That dream is still bothering me. There is no way that it is possible. I mean, a week? He got a lifetime sentence.

Darius looks at me in my train of thought and puts his hand in the space between us on the bed. "So... in your dream... you were thinking back on the past? The things that he did... and the things he put you through?"

"Yep." I pause for a second, holding his hand in mine. "I don't know why it does, but those dreams always seem to haunt me. I mean, I know the prison he is trapped in. He is not getting out. He was put away for life! But... I still think about it. Is that... strange."

Darius hugs me, holding me in his arms tightly. "Of course not. Trust me, I understand. I am haunted by my past too, after all." He stops for a moment, resting his head onto my shoulder. "Don't worry, whatever this is, we will get through it. Together."

I hug him back, accepting his embrace. "Thanks, Darius. I needed this."

We stay like that for a while. 

Mid hug, Darius opens his eyes and starts to talk again. "Wait, how long ago was this?"

"Around a couple of months ago."

"WHAT???"

"Yeah, he only got arrested a little while ago. The court system sucks. I had all the evidence, lined up and pointed to their faces, but they did not fully arrest him until last December. They arrested his friends, but because they saw I was in a relationship with him, I needed more evidence to show I did not consent."

Darius looks at me, dumbfounded.

"That was my reaction too!!! The only reason why he did end up going to jail at all was because, sadly, he had also been doing this to another person, who heard about the case and testified. We still meet up from time to time and talk it out." Speaking of which, I have not heard from her in a while. I talked on a call when I came out of a coma, but after that, nothing. 

Darius looks as if he is about to say something, but before he does, Eric bursts through the door.

"OK. GOOD NEWS. THE OTHER INCUBI AND I HAVE BEEN THINKING AND WE MAY HAVE FOUND A WAY TO... to..." He notices the tension in the room. "Damn. I can cut through this silence with a knife. What's going on?"

I look at Eric, trying to force myself to cheer up. "Oh, nothing... I was just... telling him about Dylan. That's all."

Eric, hearing that name, stands in silence for a second, and then rushes into the nearest bathroom. After a while, he comes back, wiping his mouth. "OH! Him! I remember him! Quick question, where was his house again? I think I forgot my lighter over there..."

"Eric. It's ok. I am fine."

"I know, it is just that it he was the WORST. Why did you have to mention HIM?"

"I... had another dream about him. Darius was just helping me through it, that's all."

Eric looks at me, worry filling his face, but then sighing. "Ok. I'm worried about you, but at least you already talked about it with Dari-"

He stops talking again, looking at Darius up and down.

...

OH. RIGHT. HE NEVER SAW HIS HUMAN FORM.

Darius sits on the bed, his body glistening in the sunlight. He is still shirtless because of his clothes getting ripped off during his transformation, and, because of how big he was, the remaining clothes he has are very loose. His hair is unkempt, but right now, it just adds to his morning beauty.

Darius, unaware of how many wars his looks could start in his honor, looks at Eric in confusion. "Is everything ok, Eric? You seem distracted."

"UM, because I am. LOOK AT YOU. YOU LOOK LIKE A GOD. What, did you do plastic surgery while you were asleep. How can a mortal man look like... THIS??? It's not fair." Eric turns to me. "Congrats man. Just... congrats, because your boyfriend is so, FUCKING..."

I quickly try to correct him. "We broke up last night."

Eric opens his eyes wide. He stands in the doorway for a moment. All the other incubi, who were by the door eavesdropping the moment Eric walked in, suddenly show their faces. "You... actually did it? You guys broke up?" They all seem to mutter to themselves. Probably the same things they were saying yesterday. 

I forgot the conversation we had. Even if they see the man he is right now, they will never shake the feeling of the supposed monster lurking underneath.

Darius and I look at each other on the bed, and Darius gets up. Does he want to say something to them?

As he walks over, the incubi all look in awe, seemingly encaptivated by his body. His pants, stretched out to the point of no return, are close to falling down in any instant. He quickly holds onto it, making sure it does not fall to reveal Darius the second. Darius gets close to them, but before he gets too close, they all back away in silence. He sighs to himself, his head hung low, and he looks down. Suddenly, he starts to get on his knees. "Look, I know what you all may think of me. Of the horrid, monstrous thing I was, but, before anything else is said, please forgive me. I had no intention of harming anyone, and I am going to try and make amends. So, will you please give me the honor of letting me start over with all of you. I am not asking to be friends. I understand if that is never an option, but I do not want you all to view me as a threat for as long as I may live." 

The incubi look uneasy, unsure of what to do. However, one of them touch his shoulder. They are still a far distance away, but it is progress. 

"Ok. We will give you one last chance. Just... don't go on a killing spree and hunt us all down, ok?"

Darius nods frantically, he quickly gets up, and rushes to the bathroom, trying to fix his pants.

Once he leaves, everyone else looks at me. They seem tense. Oscar starts to speak first. "So... you guys did it. You... broke up. You actually broke up." 

His words cut deep. "Yeah. I... I guess we did."

In all their eyes, I can only see one thing. Is that... guilt?

They stay quiet for a moment, and then all start to shout, saying things like. "Look, we are so so so so so so sorry if you broke up because of us." "We just wanted you to be safe, but you were already happy." "We should not have told you to do that because of our preferences." And so on.  Do they... blame themselves? I mean, that makes sense. The last thing they mentioned is that he is this feared myth, and then the next time they hear from me, we are not together anymore. 

"Guys, relax. We are just taking a break." They stop their shouting, turning back to my direction. "Because of everything that happened, I thought it would be best to just give time to process all the information." 

The incubi all look at each other. "OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH." After a moment of quiet, they all start breathing heavily. "OH THANK GOD." 

Darius walks back into the room, still unable to fix his pants enough to leave. "Um... Romero. I may have a problem here."

[Chapter Summary: Romero and Darius wake up and Darius asks if Romero is ok. Romero tells him that he was dreaming about someone traumatic from his past, and Darius asks if he is comfortable sharing about it to him. Romero goes on to talk about his ex, which he was in a relationship with up until a couple of months before he met Darius, and mentions all the emotional and sexual manipulation that his ex had done over the years. One of these involved a group of his ex's friends, which all had assaulted Romero because his ex let them. Romero finds out that this group of friends recorded this, and because of this, would soon find out his ex had also been recording all the times that he took advantage of Romero, using them as blackmail to humiliate him. After going into therapy, Romero's therapist and him find a way to send his ex and his ex's friends into prison for life, his ex getting sent to a maximum security prison, and the friends were sent to a different one, but were never being heard from again. Darius is shaken up by all of this, and is very enraged at the ex, but is glad that his ex is at least still locked up. Darius tells Romero that it will be ok, and that he will be there for him no matter what, and Romero thanks him for this. Romero then tell Darius some more information about the ex, which includes another person who experienced the same things as Romero. As he is about to tell Darius about her, Eric burst through the door, and wonders why Romero is talking about Dylan. A little bit later, he is informed that Romero and Darius broke up last night. The other incubi, who were eavesdropping from when Eric walked into the room, are surprised Romero went through with it, seeing how they view Darius as this horrible monster. Darius uses this time to beg for forgiveness from them. They are skeptical, but they agree to give him another chance. Darius goes to fix his pants in the bathroom after this, as it got stretched out when he was a werewolf. During this time, the incubi apologize, thinking they made Romero second guess what seems to be a genuinely good relationship because of their preferences. Romero tells them the real reason why they broke up, and they instantly are relieved to hear they did not cause a breakup. The chapter ends with Darius still unable to fix his pants, asking Romero if he can help him.]

Chapter Text

"Um... Romero. I may have a problem here."

I look at him as the pants seem to be fall apart, going faster by the minute.

How did he not prepare for this. Well, I guess he never needed to worry about this issue, since this is his first time going out of the house as a werewolf, and coming back to a place he cannot change.

Shit. "Hey Eric, do you have some spare clothes?" Eric nods, rushing to go get them. As he does so, I grab Darius's hand. "Come with me."

He follows my lead as I drag him into the bathroom. I manage to get him in there just in time before his clothes completley fall off his body, leaving him nude.

God, he looks so ravishing right now. With the way he looks right now, he may be a gift from heaven itself. I mean, this sight alone is a blessing.

...

... Actually, it feels more like a curse.

Am I... wrong... to want him? I want him. I want his body to be intertwined with my own. I want him to undress me, so we are both vulnerable to each other. I want him to run his hands all over me. I want him to penetrate my body and feel the warmth as he moves inside and out. I want him to praise me. Tell me that I such a good boy as he forces out every last drop into me. I want him to bite around my body, leaving marks all over me like a beast in heat. I want him. I need him.

... But I also need space. With everything going on, I don't feel like I even have humanity. I feel more like a pet, or a doll. Something living in the world, but never fully understanding what it has. I need a break. I need to process, and adapt, and learn. Normal relationships are full of people who take the time to learn. About themselves, about each other, and the world around them. I want a normal relationship with him.

Don't worry Romero. It will only take a few days. Just a few days to process, and a few days to learn more about him. Then, we can go back to the scheduled program of cute couple stuff.

But a few days feel like an eternity. It is like an addiction at this point, and he is my drug. Whenever I am with him, I feel the urge to hold him. To kiss him. To laugh, cry, cuddle, eat, sleep, fu-

"... Romero?"

As I am taken out of my train of thought, Darius stands closer to my view. I can feel the warmth of his body on mine, like a fresh cup of tea. It's... nice.

He smirks a bit, pushing my hair out of my face. "Let me guess, lost in thought again?"

I chuckle a bit. "Yeah... I guess so."

Darius leans in closer as he puts his hand on my shoulder. "Romero... I... Are you feeling ok?"

What? Where did this come from? "Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know, it just seems that something is bothering you. Is everything alright? Is it because of that dream? If I can help in any way just say so and I'll..."

"No it's... I'm sorry. I just... I just want you to know that no matter what, I love you, ok? I am going to be with you, no matter what, so don't go giving up on me just yet."

Darius seems to be taken by surprise a bit, and his expression gets more somber. He hesitates for a moment, but then puts his head on my arm, facing me as he rests like that for a bit. I lean into his head, trying to enjoy the moment.

"Romero?"

"Yeah?"

He looks into my eyes, staring deep into them. "I know this is wrong, but... would you mind if I... kissed you... right now?"

...

Should I?

Should I not?

We should not do this. We are on a break. Broken up.

But, on the other hand, I don't think that this is wrong. We are just... getting to know each other more intimately.

OH WHAT THE HELL. "... No, I would not mind."

He raises his head a bit, and focuses on my face, seemingly taking a moment to process something. He slowly pulls me in for a kiss, and I let him. His tongue is not choking me anymore, so that is good. I mean, it was not bad before, but this feels nice.

...But I still want more.

Maybe I am greedy. Maybe I am selfish. But when I am faced with perfection, I can't help but ask for more.

I pull away from our kiss a bit. "Darius?"

"Yeah?" He asks, still holding me in his arms.

"Look... I guess by normal standards it means that... we shouldn't... but... can we maybe do a bit more then kis..."

In that moment, we are interrupted by Eric, who is waiting at the other side of the door. "OK, GOT THE CLOTHES! Open the door a bit please?"

My train of thought gets cut off as I move away from Darius, opening the door a bit so that I can get the clothes. "... Thanks Eric. Appreciate it."

As I turn to face Darius again, I see him a bit flustered. "What did you just say?"

SHIT. I FUCKED IT UP. I FUMBLED. QUCIK, I NEED TO CHANGE THE TOPIC. "What do you mean."

"You were in the middle of saying something. Eric cut you off but... I still heard it. What did you want to say."

FUCK. "Nevermind. It doesn't matter. What matters right now is getting you dressed up."

I hand him the clothes and he lays them down on the side, stepping close to my body yet again as I can see his tense up. His expression does not look like it is forced. It almost seems as if he is pleading with me. "Please... Just say what you wanted to. Tell me what you want to do with me. I... I want to hear it."

I turn my head a little bit, facing away from him. Do I even say what I want to tell him out loud? This is a bit embarrassing. I mean, I have said worse, but the situation is... different now. It's... not a normal thing to say. Especially to someone you want to be with.

You know what, he knows me. He probably already knows what I want to say already.

Wait...

... IS HE TRYING TO GET ME TO ADMIT IT OUT LOUD?

HE'S TRYING TO TEASE ME. THAT DIRTY DOG!

As he looks at me think to myself, he smirks a little bit. He knows that I caught on to him. God, he looks so hot right now, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, I WAS RIGHT! HA!

You know what, I kind of like it. I will give him what he wants, but he better be prepared for the words that will come out of my mouth. "I want you to fuck me. Raw and filled with emotion. I want to feel your dick inside of my body as you pound me into until I see stars and the floor tiles crack below us. I want to see you bulge out from my stomach as you thrust, and feel you as you go as deep as you possibly can go."

Darius laughs a bit, raising his hands in surrender. "I'm guessing you caught on?"

"Yep."

"Yeah, sorry about that. I heard the thing that you said before, and I guess my emotions are still a bit enhanced. Did you like it though?"

"Oh I liked it very much."

I watch as his penis gets even harder under me, leaking a little bit. I did not even notice it starting to pulse, let alone get to this state. I reach down and grab it a bit, using a tight grip to stop it from leaking, causing Darius to put his hand over his mouth, biting down on it. "Oh no you don't. You are not doing anything unless it is inside my body. I don't want to waste a single drop, after all."

Darius takes his hand away from his mouth. "Ga... ah... Go..t... it."

I loosen my hand, letting go of him. "Good."

He stares at my body and runs his hands down my chest, pausing a bit before getting to my waist.

"What's wrong?"

"Are you... sure about this? You wanted to try and learn about each other first. Do you think this may be... crossing the line?"

You know what, no, I am not sure. But, I don't think it matters. It's just sex after all. I do it a bunch, and I never feel romantic attraction just for that. "Do you think it will cross any lines?"

"No... I just... I wanted to know if you are really ok."

I pet his cheek lightly as I uncover his face. "Darius, I am fine. I am more than fine. I want to do this with you, no matter what circumstances we are in. So, can you please just do me until I pass out?"

He grabs my waist and nods, kneeling down as he undoes my pants and my underwear, releasing my lower body from its containment. He is about to suck me off. I feel his hot breath on my cock, twitching in anticipation.

And then we hear a knock on the door.

O-O-Carl talks from the other side, a bit of concern in his voice. "What is taking you guys so long? Is everything ok in there?"

I roll my eyes and help Darius up, pulling my pants back up enough to make it look like nothing is happening. I open the door a bit so I can see all of them. "Yep, almost done. Some of your stuff may be just a bit stretched out after this though. Sorry Eric."

"That's fine." Eric blabs about how the outfit was too basic for him, and how he was going to give the clothes away anyways because it was not his style.

I turn to see how Darius is doing. Darius, now fully clothed, looks a bit disappointed. I guess he really did want this as much me. I would be lying if I said I was not a bummed out about it too. But, maybe this was the universe telling us to just "GET THE FUCK OUT AND GO HOME." I walk up to Darius, gently holding his head in my palm. He leans into my arm, and I feel his soft skin against mine. After a while, I go next to his ear and whisper. "It's ok. If today turns out good, we can just do it later. Ok?"

Darius nods, and I hear his heart beating a bit faster. "Al... Alright."

The two of us get out of the bathroom, seeing all the incubi waiting for us. They are all in their human forms now, and they are not wearing anything too... lewd... anymore. In fact, I am impressed that they are all wearing something tame today. From the ones that I have met, every time I see them, they seem to be wearing something a bit revealing.

The silence between us feels heavy. You can probably cut the tension in the room with a knife if you really wanted to. After a while, Niko breaks the silence. "I'm sorry. We need to know. Did you guys... you know...do the thing... that...?"

O-Carl cuts him off. "OH, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, DID Y'ALL FUCK?"

"What? No."

"Then what was taking so long?"

I look at a clock in the room. "IT HAS ONLY BEEN 7 MINUTES."

Eric is about to say something, but, as if out of thin air, Jullian appears. "Sir. Darting, you have an appointment at the hair salon in 30 minutes. We need to hurry to get there on time."

Eric looks a bit annoyed, seemingly wanting to say more to me. "Got it, Jullian." Eric turns back to me. "Ok, you know we have a film scheduled to shoot together in a few days from now, right?"

"Yeah."

"I need you to tell me EVERYTHING. GOT THAT?"

I nod, a bit scared. "Yep. Sure. Got it man."

"GOOD." He walks out the door. "Anyways thanks for coming to visit us. If you ever want to come by again, for anything, and I mean ANYTHING, just come in. Maybe join us a bit next time."

I say my goodbyes to him, and then, one by one, they all seem to go their separate ways, leaving me and Darius alone in the room.

...

WAIT A MINUTE.

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I look at Romero as we go on the bus. Luckly, he had enough money in his pocket to go back home.

As we both sit on the bus, Romero looks over at me.

"Hey Darius?"

"Yeah?"

"I thought about what you said, and I could not shake this feeling of doubt. I just need to know, in your eyes, is what we are doing... wrong?"

I pause. It is quiet for a bit. An uncomfortable silence.

...

"I don't think so. I mean, plenty of people have sex without dating."

"But, it is not just that, we slept in the same bed."

"We wanted to hug."

"I saw you naked."

"People see each other naked all the time. Just go to the gym bathroom. There is one a couple blocks away from a nearby bus stop."

"We kissed."

"That... ok, there is no non-couple way to explain that..."

Romero pauses for a moment.

"Is this... really ok? To be acting like this when we are not together? Is it normal?"

I pause for a moment. "I guess not."

Romero lays his head low a bit.

"But, I guess, neither are we."

Romero silently cries a bit, and then pulls me in for a hug.

"... I just. I don't want to lose you. It's stupid. I broke up with you, and I don't want to lose you. I still want to act all romantic with you. I want to be together, but... I want to know more about you first if I am going to commit. To know more about the world you live in, that I have ben oblivious about, and show you I can... I can come back stronger, and be stronger. For the both of us. I... I don't know what to do."

I think for a moment. "Then how about we don't put a label on it?"

Romero looks up a bit. "What are you saying?"

"We don't be a 'normal couple.' We act romantic, even when we are not together. We use some basic pet names and go on some cheesy dates, and, when enough time has passed, and you are ready... we make it official."

"...but... is it really ok? Are you really fine with waiting for me?"

"I have waited this long, haven't I?" I chuckle a bit. "I mean, at least this time, I won't have to worry about you never waking up from being unconscious."

Romero wipes away his tears a bit, hugging me tighter.

"Thank you, Darius. For everything."

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I love you, Darius.

I feel like I can trust you.

So, I am sorry that I can't tell you the real reason why I need you to wait.

I know that I am... not the best person. After everything I have done, I am probably going to go to hell, but, I don't want you to see me as a worse person. I need to know for myself that, when the time comes, I am not helpless. I can protect myself.

The dreams, they feel too real. After learning about all of this, I am sure I am not just imagining things. I need to know if it is real. And, if it is, I need to do something.

I need to kill that monster.

I need to make sure he never does that again. To anyone else.

I don't want to rope you into this. After hearing about your life yesterday, I know that you probably don't want to harm anyone, especially not to that extent, ever again. I know that he is dangerous, but, I will not drag you into this, and I promise... no... I swear... I will not die by his hands.

I will come back. I will come clean to you. I will ask you the question again, and I will see if you will view me as the monster I have become, or the man I once was.

But... in the chance that I do not come back... I am happy that I can be intimate with you before I go.

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We stay hugging until we get closer to the town. City lamps are everywhere, but not in their usual posts. No, they are scattered all over the floor. Concrete is broken, crateres made by beasts in the night. Construction workers, electricians, plumbers, and other branches of the Being Cleanup Committe are scattered as far as the eye can see.

Romero looks out the window. I guess I forgot to warn him. "Darius, what is this?"

The aftermath of an Abnormal.

{Chapter Summary:

Romero tries to get Darius dressed in the room's bathroom, whose clothes got ruined by being stretched out in his werewolf form, but gets turned on by his naked body. He thinks of all the things that he wants to do with Darius, but wonders if he should even act on any of these desires, because they are not together anymore, and he wants to be a "normal couple." Darius wonders for a moment if Romero is ok, and if he is spacing out because of the dream he had the night before. Romero tries to tell him that he is fine. He does not tell Darius what is on his mind, but he reassures Darius of the love he has for him. Darius, after hearing this, goes up to Romero and asks if it is ok for them to kiss. Romero agrees and they kiss, but Romero wants him to take it further. He starts to ask if Darius would being ok with doing more then just kissing, but they get interrupted by Eric, who has a change of clothes for Darius. Romero gets the clothes and gives it to Darius, who puts it on the side and asks Romero what he was about to say. Romero tries to deflect, a bit embarrassed by the question, but then Darius starts to tease him a bit, trying to turn Romero on. Romero gives in, and they are about to do something... Um.... something.... you know what, it does not matter, because they get interrupted by O-O-Carl. They get out of the bathroom and say goodbye to everyone, soon getting on the bus to go home.

On the way, Romero asks Darius about the things that have been bugging him, mainly "is it wrong to feel this way, even though he had just broken up with Darius? Is this a normal couple thing to do?" Darius responds with probably not, but then again, they are not necessarily a normal couple (Clearly. Otherwise, it would not be as entertaining to write.) Anyways, Romero asks Darius what to do, as he does not feel ready for that commitment, but still wants to be there for Darius. Darius suggests that they don't put a label on their relationship. That they do the cheesy couple stuff, they have intimate times together, and then, when Romero is ready, they put a label on it. Romero asks if that is really ok, and if Darius is really fine with waiting until Romero is ready to label themselves as boyfriends, and Darius tells him that he does not mind waiting. Romero hugs him, thanking him for understanding.

In his head thought, the true reasons for Romero's non-commitment is revealed. Obviously, part of it is wanting to process, and know more about Darius, but part of it is also to prove that he can protect himself from danger, mainly to himself. He does not want Darius to see him as frail or fragile. The dreams that he had the night before felt too real to him, and, after learning about these beings in his world, he starts to think there is more to them then what meets the eye. If there is, then he only has one thing on his mind. To protect himself, the people in his life, and others that may be like him if he lets this man roam free. The only thing set on Romero's mind is to kill the guy. Romero swears to himself that he won't get killed by the man, and, if he succeeds to kill the guy, he will come clean to Darius about why he had put off their relationship. He knows that Darius may view him as a monster after this, as Darius has a bad history with death, but he does not care. If this happens, he will go to Darius and tell him what he did, why he did it, and let Darius decide if this is the person he really wants to be with. In the end of this thought process, he thinks to himself how happy he is to have Darius, and that if he dies, he will at least get to at least share some intimate moments with the person he loves.

Also, the town is destroyed as a result of the Abnormal. ]

Chapter Text

As I look out the window to the wrecked town, I freeze in place. Sure, I have seen places destroyed. I lived in the city, after all. Back there, buildings were being demolished and reconstructed left and right... but this... this is a whole new level of destruction. Everything is basically in ruins. Like a fucking nuke was dropped on this place.

I turn to Darius, my mind racing in what could have done this. "Darius, what is this?"

Darius, who is currently looking out the window, turns back to face me, as if snapping out of a trance. "Oh this. This is just the aftermath. It's fine."

UM, FINE? THIS DOES NOT SEEM FINE. "Um... what?"

I am about to press him for more questions, the bus suddenly halts. In the middle of all the chaos, an untouched bus stop surrounded by a glass dome comes into view, seemingly unmoved by everything around it. I guess this is why the bus stop looks like that.

We get off the bus and sit down at the stop for a moment, looking out at the very, VERY broken landscape in front of us. Darius takes a deep breath in, and then starts to talk again, seemingly breaking the deafening silence between us.

"Look, I understand that it is your first time seeing something like... this... but don't worry about it, ok? It will all be fixed in the morning."

I turn to him, then back to the destroyed scenery. It certainly does not look like it can all be fixed in the morning. I mean, everything is in RUINS.

I look back at Darius, wondering if he hit his head on the bedframe earlier. "You sure? What even happened here? Everything is just a... a MESS!"

"The Abnormal." Darius seems to space out, as if he is trying to play back what could have happened in his head. "Look, you know how some people in this town turn into werewolves, and how the Abnormal makes them lose control of themselves and more like a... well I guess a monster?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, because of this, they end up destroying things. A LOT of things. Now obviously, a lot of people have valuable stuff at home they don't want to destroy, and some people don't have space to make a safe room for themselves. So, most of them just roam the streets. They destroy a lot of the town, but most of it is just public property, like roads and streetlights. A lot of non-werewolves in this town just stay home for the night."

I mean... I can see that. If I was a werewolf, I would not like to go unconscious and wake up to find my entire home wrecked. "Ok, but then, how would everything be fixed."

"The BCC" I stay still for a bit, and Darius blinks. "Someone did tell you about the BCC, right?"

I stay confused for a bit. It definitely DOES NOT mean what I think it means, so the only other option is... "Are you talking about that British news channel?"

Darius holds in a laugh, composing himself before talking again. "That's the BBC. No, the BCC is the Being Cleanup Committee. It was made to rapidly clean up accidents related to being disasters. I though the people from yesterday told you about that when they were explaining the history of this stuff."

"Nope."

"Oh. Well... they cleaned up a lot of things that they don't want people to worry about, like towns, localized incidents, and..."

...

Darius goes quiet for a moment. He is probably thinking about the war. I guess they cleaned up any evidence that it existed, but they could not clean up the memories from the people that were affected by it. I need to change the subject.

QUICK. DIVERT. "Wait... if an Abnormal is really that powerful, then why were you not affected?"

It seems to have worked. Darius snaps out of his daze, brought back to reality. "OH... Right. Sometimes, if your adrenaline is high enough, then you are not affected mentally. Like, when I was trying to find you in the woods."

"Ok. But the Great Bane Greyhounds were not affected either."

"Yeah, but they have enhancers for it."

...

"Drugs. They were using drugs."

"OHHHHHHHHH."

"In fact, that is their main department. Max told me they have only started attacking humans recently. It has only been two months since they switched from drug deals to this kind of violence, and no one knows why. They never attacked anyone before. In fact, they sold a lot of things to humans before the attacks they started planning."

Strange. Why would they do that? Why would they switch to...

... What if they are...

I am about to tell my theory to Darius, when I see someone run to the bus stop. "Mr. Porcupine!" They get closer, putting there hand on the glass dome to rest when they get close enough. "Oh good. Glad to see you are alright."

As she rests for a moment, I finally recognize who the person is. "DR. SEALS? WHY ARE YOU HERE?"

She looks at they place around us, then back at me. "Romero, look around you and take a guess."

"But... but... you know about the..." I whisper. "The 'wolf problem'?"

She looks at me, stunned. "Not only am I a doctor of the closest hospital to this area, not only do I need to learn about it in medical school, but also... I AM A FUCKING KELPIE!"

"Well how was I suppose to know that? I literally don't know anything going on."

She shrugs. " I guess that's fair. Anyways, you ok? Everyone was a bit... concerned about you."

Am I? I mean, I think I am. Probably not, but it's fine. "Yeah. I'm ok."

"Ok. Don't worry, everything will be fixed tomorrow. All the streetlights, roads, stop signs, landmarks, houses. You name it, it will be fixed."

"Yeah, I know. Darius was just catching me up to speed with..." Wait a second.

"HOUSES? MY HOUSE! I NEED TO SEE MY HOUSE!" I grab Darius and pick him up, bridal style. I run away from Dr. Seals, shouting to make sure I still have a place to live. "WellThisWasFunDr.SealsButIREALLYNeedToGoSeeIfMyHouseWasDestroyedBYE!"

As I run, I can hear her shout. "WAIT. I WANTED TO TELL YOU ABOUT..."

She gets cut off as I get farther away.

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After two minutes, I arrive back at my house.

ITS STILL INTACT. YES. THATS GOOD. WOOOOOOOOOOOO.

As I celebrate, I don't even realize Darius is still in my hands. He is blushing a bit, seemingly dizzy from all the running. "Whoops. Sorry. Guess I got carried away." I manage to open up the door and carry him inside, lying him on the couch.

"Bench press me please."

"What?"

"What?" Darius gets up off of the couch, bushing as he walks to the door. "Well, that was... eventful. I am going to go back to the cafe now to get a few things ready [And die of embarrassment from what I just said.] Love you!"

Before he can leave out the door, something rushes through me. I... I want more time. As much time as I can have. I want to be with him more, before I am not able to see him again.

"Darius?"

He stops at the doorframe, probably embarrassed by what he just said. "Yes...."

"You live in the basement of the cafe, right?"

He slowly nods his head. I think he knows where I am going with this. "Yeah. I... I do? Why do you ask."

"Well, yesterday that I said I would not mind if you moved in. I know that things are a bit different, but... would you still like to... live with me?"

Chapter Text

(So, you may be wondering, what is going on with Bart and Athena at this time... well...)

TW: STRAIGHT COUPLE 😱😱😱 (OH MY GOD!!!!!!!! THE HORROR!!!!!) 

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AH-AH-AH-AH-AH-AH-AH-AH-

Athena wakes up from her sleep, turning off the alarm she had set the night before. Man, she slept GOOD last night.

The night before, there was a Code Dreamcloud and an Abnormal. Even though the Code Dreamcould never happened, the Abnormal was still very much happening. Due to the high chance that a bunch of people will turn into werewolves and wreck the town (like always), she and Bart decided that it would be best to just stay home and chill. With everything going on, they did not really have the chance to relax for themselves. This week, any time that she was not at home, she was working, and any time that she was not working, she was too tired to do anything, except for the two times she hung out with other people in the town. But yesterday, because of the warnings that she got and the town she lived in, she got to go home early, and was given the day off the next day. She decided to take this time to catch up with her husband. They watched a cheezy horror movie, played a board game together (Bart won), knit some scarves together, and just... talked. For once, she was not overloaded with the things going on in the world around her. It was... nice. A good break that she did not even realize she needed. 

As she is thinking of Bart, he starts to walk through the bedroom door.  He always got up before her, and she still can't figure out how he does it. In his hands, he holds a tray, filled with eggs, toast, a drink, and other breakfast items that she liked. 

"Morning, sleepyhead." He says, walking in with a smug look on his face. "It is just your favorite monarchy winner. I made eggs!"

"Sweety, what is all this?"

"I thought that I should make you breakfast in bed. You have been so busy with work, and I have not really done this in a while. I just want to show that I care."

She looks at the food in his hand, appreciating the gesture. How did she marry someone so thoughtful? In all of their 30 years together, not once had she felt unloved by him. She had never felt betrayed, or outcast, or forgotten. It's sweet. 

She motions to the space that Bart usually sleeps, asking for him to sit with her. He puts the tray down near her side of the bed and sits next to her, lying on her shoulder. As he does that, she picks up a book on her nightstand.

Bart looks at the words, thinking that her book is another murder mystery. She often recommended those types of books in their book club with some people in the town. He starts to read it, and is caught a little bit off guard. "What are you reading, honey?"

She puts her bookmark on the page, closing the book to show Bart the cover. "Love After Roses by A. H. Turntable. It is about this woman who gets into an arranged marriage with this guy she absolutely hates, but then starts to find out that he secretly is obsessed with everything about her. And she is loving it. Also he is a billionare."

"Wow. The book sounds... interesting... Wait, why did you not bring it up to our book club? I'm sure they would love to read it." The book club they are a part of usually reads things like this. Things that kind of seem like a joke read, but is really easy to get invested in.  

Athena laughs a bit. "Well, um, the book is not... you know what, I will just read it." She opens the page to the one she was on before, and then starts to read the current page out loud. 

"As I look into the eyes of the man I hate, I see a powerful, intoxicating lust in his eyes. He is trapped under the gaze of my presence, and I know it. My long, dark, mysterious, dark, long, mysterious hair circles around him as his tall body stands over me. 

'Listen to me when I say this to you. I am going to destroy you, Isabella Coachella Cinderella Meteor By-O-Mobile. You will not even think of another man when I am done with you. Your body will remember the shape of me, and you will be hooked to me like a moth to a flame. Got that?'

I nod. I don't know how I got into this mess, but I won't complain. I mean, how am I, a pretty petite poor girl from Kentucky, going to challenge the Rich Billionaire CEO that I somehow got into an arranged marriage with. 'Got it.'

'Good. Now turn around, babygirl. Let me see your...'"

"Ok. Got it now." Bart cuts her off before she gets too in depth with the things that she is about to say. "Sounds a bit... repetitive."

"Yeah. It is a dark romance novel written by a man. Normally I don't read them, but I decided it was good to try something different ever once in a while." 

"But, why this one."

She shrugs. "It had the worst reviews. And I was bored."

Athena continues to read the book while eating her breakfast. As she reads, she pauses for a couple of moments, saying things like. "Would that even work?" "Oh, I guess if they... Got it." "ON THE WINDOW? Girl, you are better than that." "HOLD UP? THE STRAP?" "Girl, how do you not already know it is your childhood friend from your small town in Kentucky?" 

As she finishes her tray, Bart starts to cough, seeming to try and excuse himself. "Well, I take this back into the kitchen now." He takes the dirty tray, and then motions to the book in her hand. "I will leave you two alone then." 

He kisses her forehead, and then walks out to the kitchen, cleaning everything that was made. After a while, he goes to the fridge to get a snack, realizing that they are almost out food. 

"Shoot. Well, guess I need to go to the store. Is the market in the town even open yet? I may need to go into the city." Bart gets his bags ready, and goes into the room to tell Athena he is going to leave to get some food items. "Honey, I am going to go to the store. Do you... want... any..."

Athena sits on the bed, the book she was reading now laying on the side table. Bart can't place why, but it almost looks like she is trying to be... alluring. It's probably just in his mind, right.

"Hi, sweety. Can I ask you a favor?" Bart nods, gulping loudly. "While reading the book, I kept thinking about how the positions may work. It was very badly written, and all the things they did, it just seemed a bit too impossible... but... I have a husband."

"Um... um... um... what?" Bart stands in the doorway, confused. 

Athena sighs to herself. Bart has not always been the brightest when it comes to figuring out sexual messaging. Athena sees it as part of his charm though. She thinks it's cute to watch him get confused about these things, and then try to piece it together.

"You know, Terry is going to be in the city today preparing for basketball when he goes to college. It should keep him there until the night, at least. And Casey is preparing for that concert she is doing with her band tomorrow, and she won't be back until much later. Come on, it has been a while since I have just spent time with Bart Stuart, don't you think?" Bart still stands in the doorway flustered, his heart beating out of his chest. "If you want, maybe we can test out some of the things in the book. You know, just to see if they would work."

After a long moment of silence, Bart finally gives into his confusion. "I'm sorry honey, what are you saying?"

Athena finally gives up with the subliminal messaging, kissing him on the lips. "I'm saying I want to try some of the positions from the book with you."

"Oh. OH! Why didn't you just say that!" Bart instantly puts down the bags he was going to use for shopping, undressing himself a bit. "Well then. Lead the way, sweety."

Chapter Text

I walk back to the cafe, Romero's question ringing deeply in my head. I honestly don't even know where to begin processing it. He... he really meant it. I mean, I did not doubt him when he said he would have let me move in with him yesterday, but to hear him ask me that was still... unexpected! He wants me to live with him. He actually wants ME to live with HIM. I feel like I should be over the moon, but...

Max walks up to me while I am sitting on a couch in the lower level of the cafe, thinking to myself.

"HEY MAN!" Energetic as ever, he sits on the couch in a way that makes me feel like I am about to jump out of my seat. "You know, it's so weird. I feel like I have not seen you in forever."

I look at him, rolling my eyes. "Max... you saw me yesterday."

"Yeah, I know." The embodiment of 5-hour energy on steroids nudges at my shoulder. "SOOOOOOO, I did not see you two come back until today. Did you guys really do all those..." He pauses for a second, and then shudders "...those things you wanted to do."

I look down and play with my thumbs. Well, it's better not to beat around the bush. "We broke up."

"Perfect. Look I don't really want to hear the details, but for you-" Max pauses for a second, his facial expression seemingly frozen as he turns to face me. I guess he only just processed the information I gave him. "Excuse me? What did you say? I think I am going crazy, because for a second, I though you just said you broke up with the person that you APPARENTLY were pinning after for the past few months on-end."

I look down.

"I misheard you... right?"

Silence.

We sit like that for a moment. I guess the tension was a little too much for Max, because he broke it within a few seconds. He is not really a quiet person.

"Do you... do you want to talk about it?"

I take a deep breath in, digging my nails into my skin as I talk. "Look, the whole situation is... complicated. Romero needs time to take everything in, so we are putting everything on pause."

Max lets out a breath, exhaling like he had just been drowning under the water. "OH, THANK GOD! IT'S ONLY A BREAK."

Um... What? Why is Max of all people so concerned about my love life? Did he place another bet?

"Um, is everything ok Max?"

Max yanks onto my shoulder, headbutting me.

"OW WHAT THE FU-"

"No, it is not ok. Do you want to know WHY? Because in all my years of my one-sided feelings for a person, I have gotten NOWHERE. And then, here you go, the sexy bartender, head over heels for a random person I did not even know existed up until a few days ago, and you get together, and then BREAK UP???? WITHIN A FEW DAYS????? WHAT THE HELL? It's just not fair." He looks over to the side, tears welling in his eyes.

Um... I feel like this is getting a bit too personal.

I try to get up and move, but he holds me down. "Oh no you don't."

"Um... I'm sorry but did I... do something?"

He looks over at me. "Yes... I mean no..." He takes a deep breath in and wipes away his tears. "Look, I don't know if you know this, but... I have a crush on Wendy."

Why is he saying this like it is a surprise? "Literally everyone knows that."

"HUSH. YOU SHALL BE SILENT RIGHT NOW, FOOL."

Ok, that was a bit rude.

"Anyways, I have a crush on Wendy. She is... I can't even describe her. Words alone won't do her justice. I have been so scared, but watching you over the past few days, I felt a bit of hope. I mean, before, you were just a hot loner with little to no real genuine connections, other then me and a few people in this town."

"Well that's just..."

"But then, you met someone. Someone that you actually seem to like. I thought that... if you, a lonely, friendless, sad man could get a genuine connection with a person you just met... maybe I have a chance. I just... I don't want to be rejected by her."

Max leans on my shoulder. Despite all the rude and hurtful things he had just said to me, I feel like I am supposed to comfort him.

I look up at the ceiling light, trying to say something nice. "Look, my situation with Romero is... complicated. Now, is that bad, no, but I don't know if it should technically be your basis for what a relationship looks like. Every situation is different. But honestly, I feel like you should just go for it."

He sits up a bit. "But... what if she says no?"

"Is that really a bad thing? I mean, at the end of the day, it will be awkward, but you guys know each other. You guys can still be friend's afterwords. I know it will be hard, but... it is easier to move on when you have a clear thing to move on from."

Max stops crying for a second. For the first time since I met him, he sits in silence. After a while, he smiles, and gets up off of the couch. "Thanks Darius. You know what, I am going to tell her."

OH I AM SO HAPPY THAT WORKED. I WAS JUST MAKING THINGS UP AS I WENT ALONG.

"I'm happy for you man."

He smiles, turning to leave to the Cafe, and then quickly turning back. "OH WAIT. I ALMOST FORGOT THE REASON I CAME DOWN HERE." He then grabs his phone and shows me a picture. "Do you see this?"

I mean... it's a picture. Looks kind of like a document. "Ok. Yes. These are... words... is this your love poem or something?"

"What, no. IT'S CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS. The city is finally about to send people in to finish building your house!"

Oh. Right. My house. The place where I... am going to live...

"I mean, I was thinking that they would never get to it, being that the city was the one rebuilding it after the damages, but I am glad that after all this time, you will finally have a place to live other than this... basement place. I mean, I honestly though that you were going to stay here forever, but it is a big step up for-"

You know what, I am going to spit it out. "Romero asked me to move in with him."

Max turns his head as fast as a bullet. "WHAT? I THOUGH YOU GUYS BROKE UP?"

"I TOLD YOU IT IS COMPLICATED!"

"CONGRATS. I GUESS EITHER WAY, YOU FINALLY ARE MOVING OUT OF THIS PLACE! OH, we should gather everyone here to celebrate! People in this town always love a party, and it is a very special occasion. Did you come back to pack your stuff? Wait, what are you going to do with your rebuilt house? I mean, you could always sell it. It's a NICE house. I mean, not as nice as Romero's, though. Anyways, we can figure that out later. I am so HAPPY that no matter what, you are FINALLY MOVING OUT OF-"

"MAX." I yell to cut him off, and again, he falls silent. "I said no."

"UM, NOW WHY THE FUCK DID YOU DO THAT????"

I lay down on the couch, trying to even out a weight that seems to have been put on my chest. "Because I... I am worried. What if he is there?"

"Um... well I would be suprised if he wasn't in his own house."

"No, I mean... what if, during an Abnormal, I hurt him.? You know I don't go out during those. Or, what if I get too attached, and he thinks I am too clingily? What if I don't do enough around the house, and he thinks of me as lazy. What if I... what if I can't control myself around him. You know how some people like us get when we... can't control ourselves. I don't want to hurt him, but whenever I am with him, I feel strange. It's like I want him. Like I need him."

"Well, everyone needs someone."

"Yeah, but to need someone is dangerous. I... I'm afraid of what will happen."

"Ok, well, first of all, the last part of that was a bit TMI. Secondly, dude, are you joking me right now? YOU? Can't control yourself around HIM?" I nod, and Max smacks his forehead so loud it sounds like a gong. "MAN, LITERALLY LAST NIGHT SHOWS THAT HE OUTFREAKS YOU IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE."

"Who said that was true?" I don't want to admit it, but last night, I was holding back because I did not want to hurt him. In all honesty, if it was possible, I would have even ##################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################-

"UM. MAN! IF YOU DON'T STOP TALKING AND GET THE FUCK OUT, I AM GOING TO LOSE MY SHIT."

"What's wrong?"

"YOU SAID ALL THAT SHIT OUT LOUD."

"OH." Well... this is embarrassing. "Ok then. Um. Do you think Romero would..."

"DON'T REPEAT YOURSELF PLEASE! NOW GET OUT AND MOVE IN WITH ROMERO, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY, YOU GUYS ARE YIN AND MOTHERFUCKING YANG WITH THE THINGS THAT YOU SAY. Also, HE PROBABLY WOULD. Now... LEAVE."

"But... but I-"

"The only butt I want to hear in your mouth is the one that OBVIOUSLY want to eat out. You are fucking long distance edging each other, and I do NOT want to be a witness to it. Honestly, I am so happy that y'all match each other's vibe so well, and I am happy for you guys, but maybe it is a bit too well. KEEP THAT IN THE SHEETS, NOT THE STREETS. Although, for you guys, the streets and the sheets probably look familiar."

"Damn man, that was rude."

He stares at me in dead in the eyes"... Man go get your stuff."

THERE IS A PART AFTER THIS, SO IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ THIS, JUST SKIP UNTIL YOU SEE A DOTTED LINE.

[The blurred-out part was a bit explicit, and was honestly kinda weird, so I will put it here. SPOILER: IT'S BAD. LIKE, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHY I WROTE THIS IN THE DRAFTS FOR THE CHAPTER. MAYBE I SOMEHOW GOT HOTBOXED WHEN MY COLLEGE ROOMMATES WERE SMOKING WEED AND I WROTE THIS, BUT I GUESS THIS IS STILL SMUT, SO... ENJOY????

Side note: If you feel like it is too much to handle, or too weird for your liking, that is why it is blurred out earlier. You do not, I repeat, DO NOT need to read it to understand the story. Honestly, I do feel like it is a bit... much, and I AM THE AUTHOR. That being said, if I should remove this part, just... let me know.

"Who said that was true?" I don't want to admit it, but last night, I was holding back because I did not want to hurt him. In all honesty, if it was possible, I would have even used the mud as a lubricant if he would have let me. I am not even going to lie, if he is up for it, later this week, maybe we can go walk around the forest together. Alone. Where no one can hear us and the things that we do to each other. Just us two, going at it, using the tree branches as handlebars. Even if we are not alone, and a hiker finds us, or a person walking around sees us, if they want, they can come on in. I don't mind being shared if he agrees. As long as, by the end of the day, Romero is either inside of me, or I am inside of him, I am walking away satisfied, if I am still able to walk that is. I want to be the glass cup to his homemade milkshake. If he is the cup, I want a taste of the salty milk left behind. I mean, maybe not if we use the mud as lube, because that will be a bit weird... OH. I KNOW, we can just bring lube with us. It will be like a camping trip. And for the main course, we will be the marshmallows to top the smores. Anyways, I want him to keep going and destroy my asshole until I remember the veins of his thick, juicy-

]

OK. Some space to clean your eyes if you read that.

How are you guys doing?

OK, BACK TO THE SCHEDLUED PROGRAM :D

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I am sitting in my living room, wondering what I should do now. I am a bit disappointed that Darius did not want to move in with me, but maybe it was for the best. Darius... in the same house as me. The chance of seeing his naked body after a shower. The idea of him hearing my moans when I am doing a "special" live stream. The closeness of it all. Sharing the same food with him. Rainy days inside with him. I... I would not be able to control myself around him. Not to mention, I would cling to him like crazy.

Will things be awkward with him now?

God, I hope not.

Is it because he doesn't want to spend time with me?

Did he think I am dirty because of... that night?

Wait, I am probably overthinking things.

Am I?

I hear a knock at the door. OH, A DISTRACTION! "Coming."

I open the door to see Max and Darius, who is holding a suitcase. Max looks me up and down. "Bet you are. Anyways, I am here to drop off your rabid animal. Hope he does not bite too much, but honestly, you guys are probably into that."

"Darius... wait Max, what did you just say to..."

Darius cuts me off a bit, looking a bit guilty. "Hey, um.... do you still want me to move in? Are you really sure?"

I need to thin-

"Yes."

MAX pushes Darius inside my house. "OK. GREAT. THAT'S SETTLED. YOU CAN MOVE IN. Romero, can I talk to you for a second?"

"Yeah?"

Max grabs my hand and pulls me away from Darius. "Ok, now that he is far away, THAT MAN IS A FREAK. I MEAN, I THOUGHT YOU WERE FREAKY, you know, with the woods and everything, BUT HE IS A FUCKING FREAK. No wonder why you guys got together, you match each other PERFECTLY."

"Ummmm...."

"Honestly, because I don't want any miscommunication, he kept going on and on about how he 'does not want to move in with you because he would not know if he will be able to control himself' or some bullshit like that, but, I am thinking in my head that he must be joking, because YOU don't even control yourself, you just dive in."

"Um... thank you... I guess."

He turns around. "OK, well, I am off to figure out a way to confess to Wendy. Enjoy your evening!"

"YOU ARE GOING TO DO WHAT?"

He turns around and seems to talk at the speed of light. "Yeah, the bar is not open today because of reconstruction, but it should be open tomorrow. I am thinking about asking Wendy out. Wish me luck."

"Okkkkkkk...... Good luck?"

"OK. Good luck with Mr. Lover man over there. HE IS... well he is my friend..." Max shudders a bit and then turns to leave again.

"Oh, I know."

He darts his head back. "OH!" We stay still for a moment. "WELL, I FEEL A BIT AKWARD NOW. I AM GOING TO LEAVE."

Um... I don't really know what to do.

Should I offer him a place to stay for tonight?

"Um, you can stay if you want to. It is getting late and there are spare guest rooms in the house."

He stands there for a moment, and then starts laughing. "HA! WITH ALL THE NOISE YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO PROBABLY MAKE, I WOULD BE FUCKED OVER ANYWAYS."

"...You can always join us."

"HARD PASS." He blushes out of embarrassment.

"Fair. I was saying it as a joke anyways." I wave to him goodbye. "Good luck on asking Wendy out!"

Max leaves, and I am now stood at the doorway alone with Darius.

Darius turns to me, not really saying a word. I guess the decision from earlier today is still making us feel a bit awkward.

I look at him and grab onto his hand, leading him past the front door and into the house. "So... do you... want to finish a bit of what we started earlier?"

{I hid an Abbott Elementary reference in this chapter, so if you find it, YAY!}

Chapter Text

After what had happened the other night, the incubi did not feel that comfortable with continuing their... evening activities. That being said, all the incubi, unable to get their energy yesterday, had decided to go all out today. Well, other than Nico, but that is because he is currently working the night shift. We also can't forget about O-O-Carl, who is with O-Carl and their girlfriend. Then of course, there is the one who... You know what. Eric, Carl, Oscar, Bob, and Steve are going all out.

Whoops. Nevermind. Spoke too soon. It seems like Carl has been positioned on top of Oscar for about 10 minutes, and has not even moved a muscle. Carl has always been the one to tease, but for some reason, he has been... distracted lately. This had been going on for weeks, maybe even over a month, and it was starting to get a bit concerning.

Oscar looks at him, worried about his well-being. "Um, Carl... is everything ok? You seem a bit carried away."

Carl, lost in thought, seemingly snaps back to reality. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Sorry, I have somewhere I need to be."

Carl quickly moves away from Oscar and then runs out the door. This has already happened six times this past month, and it is starting to get a bit annoying.

Oscar just lays there on the floor for a bit, contemplating if they should just join another group, or go home.

Eric finally notices Oscar laying on the floor. "Osc....ahhhr.... where's..... Caarl?"

"Oh, you know, probably at the pizza shop. Again."

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A lot of the incubi's are going at it. They were able to meet up with everyone, so tonight, they were going all out.

Wait, this sounds... familiar...

ANYWAYS, they were going all out, and they got a weird craving for human food. It does not happen too often, but it still happens. So, they decided to order pizza. They know this place that has two whole pies for $16! [Authors Note: This is based on a real place, but they closed down after prices started to go up]

So, what better way to eat then to order delivery. Although, they did not think of their current... situation.

DING-DONG

Eric turns to look at the door, handcuffed to the bedframe in the room as O-O-Carl is inside of him. "That... that must be the pizza."

Being closest to the door, and the least... preoccupied, they all turn to Carl. Getting the message, he rolls his eyes in annoyance. "I'll get it." Carl pulls out of Bob, letting some liquid flow out of his ass and leaving him a bit dazed. "Sorry Bob. Just give me a second."

Carl, still naked and not really paying attention, grabs some money on the table and opens the door to see the pizza delivery man.

"Hello, are you 'Eri-'"

Carl notices that the pizza delivery man is cut off a bit, but does not notice what is wrong. "Yeah, yeah, pizza for Eric, right?"

"That's... right..."

Carl continues to look at the man, and starts to take him in, physically. He is big. Bigger than any man that he had seen before. He is even bigger than Steve, who is around 6' 7''.

"Damn. Hello Sailor. Look at you. You're... ginormous. I mean, what type of genetics do you have that makes you look like... THAT."

The delivery man, still a bit startled by the naked pink man with wings and horns before him, gets a bit... uncomfortable, to say the least. "Um... Sir... if you can just take your pizza, that would be greatly appreciated."

"And look at the size of your muscles. Those biceps, those pecs, or I guess in your case tits, look at you. I thought I as strong, but damn."

The man starts to blush a bit. "Sir, can I please just have the money."

"Look at you, if you're this big now, I wonder what other parts of you are this big."

The delivery guy finally hits his breaking point, going from just embarresed, to embarresed and annoyed. "SIR. Look, if you are going to look at me like a fucking object, then can you please, PLEASE put some clothes on first. Maybe also close the door so I don't see the other people you so obviously are fucking, which I can tell because you are covered in their cum. Also, you are dripping on the floor."

Carl finally notices the man's discomfort, looking down at himself and the people that are still going at it behind him. He then covers himself with one of his wings, and hands the man a $50 bill. "Oh. I am so sorry. Here you go, just keep the change."

The man looks at Carl and stares at him, dropping the pizza into his hand. "Enjoy your pizza."

Later, Carl would find out that the restaurant had made their location into a "pickup only" area. I guess that was the end of that.

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OR NOT I GUESS????

Ever since that day, Carl has not been able to get the pizza delivery guy out of his head. So, he tries to come to the restaurant a few times a week. At the very least, he feels as if he should apologize to the man about his behavior.

Carl is now a regular at the shop. He knows all the workers names by heart, and has sat down with other regulars, like a goth rock band practicing close by. But even so, he has not seen or heard from the delivery man again.

As time goes on, Carl starts to fear the worst. What if he quit? What if Carl made him quit? It is not that easy to find a job right now. If he made a person quit their job because of his actions, he could not live with himself.

As he is sitting at the table by himself waiting again for the delivery man to come, more people that Carl recognizes come into the restaurant. He is happy to see a familiar face, but when he sees it is the singing group, his happiness is crushed. Their main singer starts to wave to him, and sits down at his table.

"CARL. MY MAN. HOW ARE YOU?"

"Hey, Casey. I'm good, I guess."

She looks over at Carl and then to the rest of the group. "Dahlia, is it just me, or does he look... upset?"

Dahlia is about to say something but Hope cuts her off. "Of course he is upset. Look at him, he is clearly hung up on something that has been eating away at him for a long time, leaving a shell of what he once was in its place. The only thing that would seem to give him closure is acceptance, but, due to some unforeseen circumstances, that does not seem to be coming anytime soon." Everyone turns to look at Hope, a bit surprised by her words. "WHAT? AM I WRONG???" They turn back to Carl, who is a bit uncomfortable.

"Um... how did you-"

"It's a gift. I am very good at reading people."

"O.K. I think I am just going to go for tonight. See you guys later."

I wave to them, about to leave the restaurant, when I suddenly bump into someone on the way out.

"Oh. My apologies."

"No, no, it was my..." Carl is frozen in place a bit, and then turns to the guy. He recognizes that red shirt. "YOU!"

The man then turns to Carl, and then looks at him closely, it then clicks who he was. "Um... are you the.... hello"

The two of them sits down at the table, wanting to discuss what had happened that night, but they both seem to be unable to think of the words to say. It is a bit of an unusual situation. Carl had been thinking of this moment, but not what to say. Where does he even start?

Carl decides to break the silence. "Look, I wanted to say that I am sorry for the way that I had acted during the delivery. It probably was not a pleasant experience for you, and it was not a good look for me."

The delivery man looks down, waiting a bit before sighing to himself. "Thank you for that."

The delivery man starts to get up, facing away from Carl. He still feels like some things need to be said. "Also, I am sorry for letting you see the people behind me. That must have been traumatizing for you."

The man sits back down, still not moving his head to face Carl. "It's ok. It is not the first time that I have seen an incubus. I get it."

"Ok. Ok. That's good. That's- Wait? What?"

The man breathes in, as if he is trying to get courage from the air itself. "Ok. I guess I never introduced myself to you. My name is Amir Osman. I was born and raised here, but my ancestors still have a connection to ancient Egypt. When I was a bit more mature, my parents had told me about this, and that they were some of the last followers of the Egyptian god, Min, and wanted me to follow in their footsteps when it came to worship."

Carl is still a bit confused. He had not really paid any attention to the gods of ancient Egypt. It was rare to find someone who still worshiped most of them, after all. "Wait, which one..."

Amir cuts him off. "Fertility. He is the god of Fertility."

"Oh."

"Yep." Carl is a bit surprised. To say that this was not expected would be like saying that he expected a peacock to swim. Sure, it is technically possible, but you don't really think of that possibility.

The room falls silent again, and then, Amir starts to talk again. "Anyways, because I am one of the last few followers of him, he visits me frequently and has taken me to meet beings that relate to his area of expertise. Succubi and Incubi, Boto Encantados, Skogsrå, Elves. The list goes on. I have also met some other deities, like Xochiquetzal, Cliodhna, Tu Er Shen and Yue Lao, Oshun... you get it. Anyways, it's fine. I am not traumatized by the room. I was just a bit... overwhelmed, is all."

Carl is a bit intrigued by Amir. He starts to remember a bit about Egyptian mythology. How the gods would often grant requests from their followers. "Wow. Did you ask for anything from the god?"

Amir looks a bit taken aback, finally turning his head to look at Carl. "What kind of question is that?"

"I'm sorry, but Egyptian gods grant requests, right? And it seems that you guys were kind of close."

He darts his eyes away a bit, seemingly a bit uncomfortable with the topic at hand. "We are not 'close'. We just have had some interactions, that's all. He is a god. The lives of mortal beings are... unimportant to him, in a way."

"OK. But that still does not answer my question. Did you ask him for anything."

Amir looks back at Carl. "OK! Yes! I did ask him for something. I... I asked for protection from all beings. I am still only a human, after all. Some of the beings he had introduced me to are not the best kind of people to be around, and I need to keep myself safe somehow."

That makes sense, but in Carl's head, it doesn't. There are so many different beings in the world that he is not even sure he knows them all. To grant something like that, no questions asked is... unusual. "That is a big ask."

"I am one of the last followers. He was ok with it. Plus, he probably pities me a bit because..."

Amir starts to lower his head, and Carl gets a bit suspicious. There is something that he is leaving out. Something that is bugging him. Carl knows it, but can't tell what it could be. "Because..."

"Because I am a... look, I am... abnormally big... to say the least. Doctors thought I may have some form of gigantism, but in the end, I stopped growing, so they crossed that off the list. Some people view me as a walking statue, some as a giant, some as a future athlete, or firefighter, or solider. But the only thing they did not view me as was... normal. I have never been with anyone before, because any time someone comes up to me, they keep putting me into a box. Labeling me as something, and putting me in a box, like I am some kind of object. A toy for their entertainment. I hate it. I hate it so much, and I was so distraught when you did it, because you have been put into that box before too."

Carl wonders what he is talking about. What is he... wait? Does he...

"Look, I know who you are, Carl Salmon. 'Salivating Carl.' I have seen your... films... before. As much as I hate to admit, I have done things to myself watching your films, and you are one of my favorite ones to watch." He starts to get a bit red, probably embarrassed by the things he is saying, but quickly seems to snap out of it. "And, when I met you in real life, I thought, I don't know, I just thought that you would not do something like that to me. I thought you ould not try and box me up, because, being in the line of work you come from, you have probably experienced that too, and it crushed me when you did."

Amir starts to get up, wiping at his face before any tears could come. As he turns to walk away, Carl grabs his arm. "I think you are normal."

"Stop it."

"No. Really. I do. Look, I admit, I may have been looking at you as an object when I first saw you, but I am so sorry that I did. I have wanted to apologize to you for so long because I realized that I did not treat you like the person that you are. And to apologize for everything that I said, how I looked, how everything else looked, and so on. The whole delivery back then was a disaster, and I have been coming here for months just so I can come up to your face and tell you that. I am sorry that I made you uncomfortable. You don't deserve that."

Amir looks at Carl. For the first time in this interaction, he actually looks at Carl. "I know that you have been coming in. There were times where I waited for you to leave so I could go back inside."

"Why?"

"Because I was not sure what you were going to say. I was not sure if you were going to apologize, or yell for banning you from delivery. I had seen how you were that day, and I did not want to risk you being worse than I already saw you as. Also, because I know who you are, I did not want it to feel a bit... parasocial."

Carl laughs a bit. "Trust me, you are not being parasocial. I am the one who came here for months trying to find you." Amir chuckles a bit. "Look, I am sorry that the first impression was a bit... off. So, do you want to try and... maybe learn more about each other. Maybe be friends."

Amir stands still for a moment, hesitating a bit, but then ends up shaking Carl's hand. "Friends."

Carl gets up and embraces him into a hug. They stay like that for a while, and then Carl feels a slight discomfort near his lower chest. "Do you have something in your lower pocket. It is kinda poking at my stoma-" Carl then realizes what is poking at him.

Amir breaks away from the hug, a bit embarrassed as he puts his hands over his crotch. "Sorry about that. I guess it is just a reflex from all the videos that I watched." He tries to laugh it off, but is very much startled by this interaction.

Carl's heart starts racing a bit. If he is being honest, he does still think that Amir is attractive, and he is still in need of some energy. "Hey... do you maybe want to... talk in the bathroom?"

Amir looks at him up and down. "Um... what are you... are you trying to flirt with me?"

"Sorry... bad time. To be honest, I still feel a bit attracted to you. My bad." If it was not obvious enough, Carl has not really been that thoughtful of when it is a bad time to say something. If something is on his mind, he will probably say it.

Amir looks around the room, blushing a little bit. His breath starts to get heavy, and his body tenses a bit, he does not even notice that Carl is starting to wave goodbye to him. "Well, guess I will... see you around. Bye" Before Carl leaves, Amir grabs onto his shirt and drags him into a bathroom stall. "Hey, what are you doing? Why are you..."

Carl stares at Amir inside of the stall, watching as he takes off his hat and puts it onto the bathroom floor.

"Do what you want. You're the professional."

Carl is a bit stunned. He had not know Amir for long, but he did not have this in mind, or think that his flirting would work at all.

He looks at Amir's eyes, who then nods his head. He was really serious about this.

"Wait... but I thought... didn't you say you never were with someone? Doesn't that mean you're a virgin?"

Amir nods.

"So... wait... I mean I was flirting with you... but..."

"Please." Amir looks down at Carl. His breathing is heavy, and he starts to take off more of his clothes, revealing Amir's hairy body. "Please. I want to. I want you to... to..."

Carl encases himself into a puff of smoke, it quickly fading away as he shows his true form. He flies up a bit to meet Amir's face, and kisses him passionately, trying to taste his saliva mixed with his own, before pulling away, a little line still connecting the two of their mouths together. "If you are sure about this, then ok."

He stops flying and squats down a bit, unzipping Amir's pants. Amir, worrying if Carl would struggle with it, starts to take it off himself. Carl laughs a bit.

"What are you doing?"

"Well, you were trying to take off my pants, and you seemed to be pulling the zipper down slowly, so I though you needed help."

"Wow, you really are a virgin. I did that because I like.. to..."

Carl gets cut off as he looks down at the monster presented before him, a bit speechless.

"Um... wow... you... you sure have... damn."

"Yeah... sorry about that."

"WHAT THE HELL. It's as big as Romero's. Maybe even a bit bigger. It's huge!"

Amir smiles a bit. "Is that a good thing?"

"It's a very good thing." Carl pulls down Amir's underwear, which is barely containing his dick in his pants. It is leaking already, and Carl has never been that picky when it comes to drinks. "Now stay back. I need to work my magic."

He pushes Amir onto the toilet and positions his mouth to it, licking the tip. He uses his demon tongue to wrap around it, slowly moving it around. Amir leans back on the toilet seat, trying not to melt. He grabs onto whatever he can, and suddenly tenses his hips. After a few licks, a bit of white starts to come out. But before some more follows it, Carl quickly wraps his tongue around again, gripping tightly and stopping anything from coming out.

Amir breaths heavily, trying to control himself as Carl holds onto him, stopping his release. "Why... why are you...."

After a while, Carl loosens his grip, letting him be able to talk again. "Well, I can't waste the food on my plate, can I? I mean, you work at a restaurant, you know the importance of eating what's on your plate." Carl readjusts himself, positioning his mouth on the tip of Amir's cock. "And I don't leave until my plate is clean."

Amir watches as Carl starts to put his dick into his mouth. He moans out as Carl moves down on him. He watches as Carl bobs up and down, and starts to get incapsulated in a wave of pleasure.

Carl, on the other hand, is secretly struggling. He is trying to take it all in, but it is just a bit too much. Sure, he had seen big dicks before. Like Romero. Romero is 9 inches. 9!!! That shit is fucking massive, but this... this is a whole new level. Sure, there are some beings that have a mor enhanced anatomy, like werewolves, some incubi, and other creatures that have giant bodies, but for a human to have this is unheard of. This shit is 11-12 inches. It's unhuman. Now, has he taken bigger, yes, but it has been a WHILE.

Carl continues to move up and down, and Amir's palms starts to sweat. His hands keep sliding off of the walls, and his grip seems to be loosening. Along with that, he is getting a bit close. He was still on the tipping point when Carl wrapped his tongue around, but he had been trying to hold it in. But... he can't hold it in anymore. He is about to burst with the pressure of a fire hydrant.

He looks at Carls head, and, more specifically, the horns on his head. As if running on pure instinct, he grabs onto them. Carl is a bit surprised, wondering why he is grabbing his horns, and then he feels something push him down as far as he can go. His faces reaches Amir's lower body hair, and Amir thrust's a bit into Carl's face, holding his horns as he lets loose strings and strings of fluid, each one a bit longer then the last.

"Yeah, take it. Take it all in. Don't waste one last drop."

After a few seconds, he pulls Carl's mouth off of his dick, leaving Carl feeling a bit sticky inside. He lets go of Carl's horns, and then tries to back away.

Carl looks up at him. "That was... EXILIERATING! DAMN. I did not even know you had that in you. You're a fast learner."

He notices that Amir is still backing away on the toilet seat, seemingly distraught.

"Is everything ok?"

"Did.... did I hurt you?"

Carl is a bit confused. "What?"

Amir looks at Carl, starting to rethink things. "I held onto your horns and held you down. I know that incubi horns are very sensitive when it comes to touch, and I grabbed onto them like they were... HANDLEBARS. I also pulled you all the way down. I am so sorry. I did not mean to hurt-"

Carl jumps up on top of Amir's body and kisses him.

"Did I hurt you just now?"

Amir looks away. "No. It... felt nice."

"Exactly. It felt nice. Look, if I really didn't like it, I would have left right now, but I didn't."

Amir looks back at Carl. "So... you're ok?"

"Yep. It's a good thing I am not human though. That may have killed me. I guess it's a good thing you are having your first time with an incubus then."

"I guess so."

Carl feels something on his back. He turns around, and only then does he realize that he is sitting on top of Amir. He smiles a bit, transforming back into a human.

"Why did you transform back." Amir looks at Carl in confusion, and Carl starts to get undressed. He puts it into a pile with Amir's clothes, and moves that away. Amir stares at Carl's naked body, watching as he sits back down over Amir.

"Because. My wings may block the view." Carl starts to grind his body against Amir's dick, moving himself closer to it, and raising his body up as he goes along. "It's still a bit slippery from the cum."

Amir tries to look away, feeling like he is watching something he shouldn't be. Like he had just witnessed a god in their true form, that no mortal being should ever see. But his eyes seem to be locked onto Carl's movements. "S...Sorry ab...about that.."

"Don't be. I did not bring any lube with me."

Amir is a bit confused, and then, Carl goes near the tip of his dick, circling around it with his hole and getting ready to push it in. Carl was right. The slipperiness was the perfect alternative to lube. He pushes down a little bit, and then, pulls out.

"Damn it. I don't really think this position will work right now." Carl looks at the door, putting his hands on it, arching his back, and starting to sway his body a bit. "... but this one probably will."

Amir starts to get up, his legs shaking a bit. He bends his knees a bit, and positions himself to go in Carl. He is about to push his dick inside, but then, stops.

Carl notices something is wrong, and looks back at him. "What's wrong?"

"I have never done this before... what if I do it wrong?"

"Don't worry. I will talk you through it. Just relax, ok?"

Amir takes some deep breaths, and then gets back to what he was about to do. "Ok." He starts to move forward a bit, pushing his tip so it just barley enters his asshole. And then, like clockwork, he starts to thrust.

"Tha...ahh... that's it... Now, push... deeper."

He tries to keep a steady rhythm, thrusting in and out a bit. The sweat starts to trickle down his body, and he pushes in more, going deeper with each thrust. Carl starts to moan out, the sounds getting louder and louder as he goes along.

The feeling is intoxicating. The tightness around his dick, the moans Carl lets out, their heartbeats, beating fast, but oddly in a nice, unified rhythm. It is not how he imagined his virginity being taken, but it is better than what he had in mind. As Amir gets more confident, he starts to go at a faster pace. He watches as more of his cock disappears into Carl's ass, and how Carl's body gets closer to his own.

He keeps going. In. Out. In. Out. Faster. Deeper. Until he can't see his own cock anymore. Until he fills Carl's ass. Until a puddle is left behind on the bathroom stall's floor.

Amir starts to pull the whole thing out. Carl looks at him, wondering what he is doing...

"What... are you... ngh... ahhhhhhhhh~"

... And then, in a single movement, he pushes the whole thing in. He did it, all he can see right now is Carl's ass against his dick hair. He stays like that for a while, and then leans over Carl, feeling himself pulsate inside of him. He opens Carl's mouth, spiting in it and then pulling it in for a kiss. They stay like that for a minute, and then he starts to thrust a bit more. Slowly. As if bracing himself.

"Carl... I think I am about to.... ahhh~ I think I am going to cuum."

"Ahhh~ do...nn... do it inSi!de of me.... ngh- pleah~ please."

Carl feels as Amir starts to go a bit faster, and then, he feels something filling him up inside. It took everything in him not to ejaculate until that point, but Carl seems to have reached his boiling point. The heat was too much. Carl soon follows Amir, making a bit of a mess as he paints the door white, the "paint" dripping from the door onto the ground, creating a puddle in it's place. Carl is done already, but he still feels Amir inside of him, and still feels Amir's cock twitching inside of him. After a minute, Amir pulls out, leaving enough fluid inside of Carl that it can fill up a jug of Arizona. Obviously, a lot of it falls out, and falls onto the floor, merging itself with Carl's puddle.

Amir is left shocked. He looks at Carl's ass, now gaping and painted white because of him. But, after a few seconds, it quickly starts to tighten a bit, and the cum seems to disappear. Carl starts to feel more energized, and then, turns back around to face Amir.

"Damn. You are a natural. I have not had a human meal like that in a while."

Amir stands there confused a bit. "What just..."

"I absorbed the semen. I am an incubus. I need to eat. And my body regenerates whenever I want it to." Amir looks a bit disappointed, his cock still dripping a bit of cum onto the floor.

"I... I wanted to..."

"You wanted to what?"

Amir blushes a bit, and then turns away. "Nevermind. It's nothing."

"OH. You wanted to admire the aftermath." Amir looks down, and then slowly nods his head. "Yeah, I would have let you... but..." Carl adjusts himself, and then looks down at the puddles, the door, the screws they somehow unbolted from the door. Amir finally notices the mess they made, and then realizes.

"Oh."

"Yeah. I would NOT want to be the person to clean this. Especially not off a bathroom floor."

Suddenly, a voice starts to scream out. "TOO LITTLE TOO LATE."

The two of them get a bit started by the presence. Carl opens the door, poking his head out to see who it is. Amir pokes his head out too.

"ALEXIS. OH. OH NO."

"AMIR???? OH NO IS RIGHT. ONE, THAT IS MRS. TANAKO TO YOU, AND TWO, WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS???? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" The lady looks down, putting her hand on her side, seemingly trying to calm herself down. After a while, she looks back up at us. "Do you know how many deliveries you had to do? DO YOU KNOW how much time you guys have apparently been in here? I am this close to falling off the deep end... and you are currently pushing me to a fucking diving board."

Amir looks down, quickly sorting through his clothes and getting dressed, wiping off the remaining fluid with a piece of toilet paper. Carl starts to do the same, and they both get out of the stall.

"Are you mad?"

"Am I mad? AM I MAD? No, Amir, I am ESTATIC. I am just so SO HAPPY. WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK?"

Amir looks down, and starts to walk towards her in shame. "Are you... are you going to fire me?"

Alexsis, the manager and owner of the restaurant, sighs to herself. "No Amir. I am not going to fire you. But you are better then this. Seriously, a bathroom stall. What are you, Morgan? At least be like Felix or something and do it in a place like in the back near the trash. Or do it in a supply closet."

"Wait... Morgan and Felix have been..."

"Yes. They are the only ones though. I swear, I am this close to firing them. If they did not make good food, I would have already done so. So, I DO NOT want this to be a common occurrence with you. I don't want to need a reason to get rid of you."

Amir is relieved. Embarrassed, but relieved. "Thank you, Mrs. Tanako."

"No problem. Anyways, I guess this is a good thing."

Amir is a bit scared. "Why is it good?"

"Because, the janitor called in sick today, and I have no one to close the store." Alexsis smiles at him, her face tattoo contorting as a scheming look plasters on her face.

Carl looks at her. "Damn, you are EVIL."

"And you just dirtied my floor, broke my bathroom door, and had sex in a public space that I own, and I am not banning you from the establishment or charging you for anything."

Carl quickly adjusts himself and bows a bit out of respect. "Thank you, Mrs. Tanako."

She looks at Carl, adjusting his bow. "Thank you, but don't do that if you don't know how. With how much you went down, it was less of a bow and more of a beheading."

"Sorry."

"It's fine." She turns to walk away, and then darts her head back to face Carl. "Actually, it is not. I changed my mind. You need to get out now. Not forever, but at least for today. Amir, walk him to the door." She then goes back to walking away, and then leaves.

Amir looks back at the mess that they made, a bit disappointed that he needs to clean the mess, but also a bit impressed at the mess he made. Then, he takes Carl's hand, and walks him to the door.

Carl looks at him, standing near the exit, and then turning to face Amir. Amir looks down at him, and starts to play with his fingers. "So, I guess this is goodbye. Are we still friends?"

Carl looks at him, chuckling a bit and then nodding his head. "Yeah. Friends."

He is about to walk out the door, but then, Amir stops him. "Wait!" Carl turns back to face him. "Do you... want to come over to the restaurant tomorrow? Maybe we can talk a bit, and then go someplace after. You know, get to know more about each other?"

Carl smiles, pulling on Amir's shirt collar. Amir bends down a bit, and Carl kisses his cheek. "It's a date!"

"OOOOOHH!!!!! SOMEONE IS GETTING HITCHED!"

"CASEY, DO NOT RUIN THIS FOR ME."

Casey and the rest of her group laughs a bit, and Amir starts to join in. Carl smiles at them, leaving out the door, and waves at Amir. His heart skips a beat when Amir stops for a minute, waving back at him.

Well, he had cleared the situation up.

[ Chapter Summary:

Incubi are fucking, and Carl is preoccupied. He leaves to go to a pizza place, trying to see the pizza delivery guy, and Oscar is a bit disappointed. Some might even say... jealous.

Then goes to a flashback of the way the delivery guy and Carl met. Carl, aside from being naked and putting the activates of the incubi in the back on full display, had also said some things to the delivery guy that seemed a bit... objectifying, to put it lightly, the delivery guy got mad, and when Carl realized what he had did wrong, it was already too late.

Ever since then, Carl had been going to the restaurant to apologize. Carl is about to give up hope, but when he is about to walk out the door, he runs into the pizza delivery guy. The two of them sit down to talk, and Carl apologizes for his appearance and putting his friends basically on full display. The pizza delivery guy says it's fine, and reveals that he is one of the last followers of the Egyptian god of fertility. Carl asks if that was not the problem, then what was. The delivery man, Amir, says that it was the objectification (as if that was not fucking obvious). He says that because of his predicament, he often gets comments like that, putting labels on him and confining him into a box. (For context; Amir is a 6' 11' buff man, who was thought to have gigantism, but then seemed to stop growing at a point. So, because of this abnormality, he often gets objectified or sexualized by people.) Anyways, he was upset when Carl had done this, because, knowing Carl's line of work, he has also probably been viewed this way. This is how Carl finds out that Amir knows his work, and is a fan of some of his films. Carl then finally apologizes, not some half assed apology, but a genuine apology. Amir decides to forgive him, and they say that they will just be friends and hug it out. This soon becomes a friends with benefits situation apparently, because Amir was turned on when they hugged and then soon lost his virginity to Carl in the bathroom stall. (Oh yeah, I forgot to mention it already, but despite being a follower of the god of fertility, Amir is, or I guess was, a virgin. Until now.) Anyways, they do some freaky shit, and big bang boom, they break the stall door and make a huge mess. Mainly because one is a literal demon for this, and the other is a giant that has an unhuman-like giant with him. Anyways, Amir's boss catches them after they are done, but decides not to fire Amir, as he has a good track record up until this point, and honestly, some other coworkers have done worse. She does kick Carl out for the day though. Carl says goodbye to Amir, and Amir invites him to what basically is a date. Carl accepts, and then waves goodbye. THE END.

]

Chapter Text

Wow. I guess I was speaking accurately when I said that I would not be able to control myself. One second, I am teasing Darius a little, and then, before I can even blink, we are already locking lips. I guess it really goes to show that dreams do come true. 

We stand there kissing for a while, a fiery passion in both of our eyes. The taste of his lips gives me a rush, and I crave more. Eventually, it seems as if our passion gets the better of us, making us stumble a bit into each other, both of our knees weak. Somehow, we manage to stumble onto the couch, not even phased as we fall onto the cushions. As I lay on top of him, Darius calls out to me. "Romero... I... please... can you..."

Sensing something might be wrong, I pull away a bit, still gently holding his face in the palm of my hand. "Is... is everything ok?"

Darius looks at me, his dark brown eyes filling me with an overwhelming feeling of lust. I try to hang onto every word he is about to say to me. "Can you... get the water?"

...

"Um... what?"

Darius points to a bottle of water on the coffee table. "I'm sorry. I don't want to mess this up... but... I did not really drink anything today, and I feel a bit lightheaded. Can you just pass it over before we start to do anything?"

I look at him and smile, kissing the top of his forehead before eventually getting up. "Of course."

I walk over to the bottle on the coffee table when suddenly getting an idea. A very, very stupid idea, but it could be sexy.  

I look over at him. He is readjusting himself on the couch, which is absolutely adorable. Surely, he would not mind, right?

"Hey Darius. Can you come here for a minute?"

He looks a bit confused, but Darius still nods and gets up, walking towards me. "Yes, Romero?"

I take off my shirt and then pick up the water bottle, and then, without warning him, I dump the water onto my body. My hair gets soaked, and my chest starts to glisten because of the light. I look back at him, and watch as his face is plastered with utter shock.

"Drink up."

Darius looks at me up and down frantically. Shit, did I go too far? I mean, he was just saying how he was dehydrated. Pouring the water down my body was probably not the best idea. I mean, most of it is now dripping on the floor! With how many people have apparently been in my house these past few days, that floor is NASTY.

"I'm, so so so sor..."

Before I am able to apologize, Darius comes closer to me and starts licking the water off my neck, as if he is trying to drink as much as he can. His eyes, when they are open, lock onto mine as he works his way down slowly. When he gets to my chest, he pulls away a bit and talks, taking his time with every word. "You really are full of surprises."

I shrug my shoulders. "It's a gift. You do this for so many years, you start to get a bit creative." I point down to the rest of my torso, still trying to cling onto as much water as it can. "Now, drink, before it all falls onto the ground."

Darius bends down a bit, this time working his way up. The way that he is moving is driving me mad. I want him. I want more. I NEED more. I look at the water bottle, seeing that it still has a bit of water in it, and wait for Darius until he finishes "drinking" off of me. When he does, he is panting like a dog in heat, seemingly out of breath, his eyes still hungry for more. I look down at him, mocking him in a teasing tone. "Are you still thirsty?"

"Y... yes...."

With that, I pour the rest of the water bottle down my neck again, this time getting more on my chin, and a bit on my lips. "Then what are you waiting for?"

Like clockwork, Darius works his way up my neck again. I count the seconds until he has worked his way back up to my face, kissing me with the violent affection we both have for each other. As we kiss, I feel him as he works his hands down my body, reaching around my waist, and stroking my hardened cock from the outside of my pants. In the heat of the moment, I speak out a bit, my voice trying to be low and seductive. "Good boy." 

Darius backs away for a second, stunned at what I just said. I guess he didn't like it? Damn, that kinda hurts me a bit. For some reason, hearing those words come out of someone else's mouth fills me with excitement. I'm a bit bummed he is not really into it, but, you know, I understand. 

I look him up and down, trying to laugh the situation off. "Guess you didn't like that? I mean, it is not for everyone. I can s-"

While I am speaking, Darius leans in and grabs my forearm with one hand. I did not even notice that he is hiding his face with the other, attempting to hide the slight red pigmentation appearing on it. "Say it again."

"What?" 

"Please. Say it. Call me a good boy again."

"Oh!" 

...Nevermind. I guess he is into it. 

I REALLY need to check what he is into and what he is comfortable with. Maybe tomorrow though. Honestly, we MAYBE should have done that before diving straight into borderline kink territory, but oh well. 

I lower my voice just a bit, and then say the magic words again. "Good boy."

Darius uncovers his face, blushing a bit more, and then pulls me into yet another kiss. His boldness leaves me breathless. His tongue, firm yet gentle, dances with mine in the space we combine between us. He pulls away a bit. "Am I still a good boy?"

"Yes."

He grabs onto my dick, rock hard in my pants, and circles around the tip with his thumb. He grabs my face gently, and then whispers into my ear. "What about now?"

"Y.... yes~"

"Say it. Say I'm a good boy."

"You're a good boy."

"Say it again."

"You're~ ahhh You're a good boy~"

He leans over to my neck and breathes on it, undoing my pants. "Thank you." I start to melt at the touch of his hands, precum starting to leak through the clothes he is trying so desperately to take off. While working on undoing the barriers of my lower body, he accidentally touches the sticky substance. He looks down at his hand, noticing it, and then looks back at me. "You are really eager, aren't you?" I nod, and he grins, licking his fingers to clean my fluids off his hands. "Don't worry..." I watch as he backs up, letting me see the imprint of his cock, begging for freedom in his pants. "... so am I." 

I grin at him, and then look him up and down. Not in a sexual way, although he is still sexy as fuck, but in a confused way. Something is wrong here. 

And then it hits me. HE IS STILL DRESSED??? WHY? Not that there is anything wrong with how he is dressed. He still looks like a damn GOD in those clothes, the beauty of which can only compare to Aphrodite herself. But what I want to do with him requires me to be able to see him. ALL of him. 

"Um... Romero." He looks at me as I stand in place, trying to figure out my next move. He laughs to himself, muttering something about me always thinking. I hear the words adorable and lovely come out of his mouth, but I can't make out much else. 

In just a few seconds, though, I figure it out. I push my pants off and walk up to him, and then, in one swift motion, I slide his pants and his underwear right off. He is shocked, to say the least. Probably because it came out of nowhere, and I was able to do it before he could even process what was going on. But... here he is now. Naked. Mission accomplished.

"WOW. I mean... how... I am wearing JEANS. HOW?"

I lean in, resting my head on his shoulder as I nibble on his ear a bit, whispering afterwords. "You were wearing jeans."

Darius stands there as I back up to look at his perfect face again, laughing as he takes off his shirt. When he is done, we look into each others souls, kissing again not long after. He guides me to the couch and I follow, positioning me as he sets me down on it. He looks at my underwear, see-though from the water I poured on myself that ran down my body, and a bit sticky from the precum. He looks at it, and he kisses it, again and again and again and again. With each kiss, I moan out with pleasure a little louder, my breaths becoming a bit more hitched. After he is done kissing my lower head through my clothes, he free's it from his confinement. My cock springs free, my underwear not holding it back anymore, and it hardens to its maximum capacity as the air brushes against the skin of my lower body.

"Wow. I... I kinda forgot how big nine inches is. It's... it's... wow." Darius puts his arm up as a comparison, my hardened member being almost as big as the arm. 

[For context, the average forearm for a person who is 6'6 is around 10.5-11.5 inches according to google, and the average male forearm can range anywhere from 7-12 inches.]

I smile, rubbing his head a bit as he lowers his arm back to his side. "I mean, it's not like you need to take the whole thing. Just do however much you ca..."

Before I can finish my sentence, Darius opens his mouth and pushes seven out of the nine inches down his throat. I can feel the hot air from his mouth on my dick as he moves his head a bit, going slightly in and out slowly, until, eventually, the entire shaft of my dick is gone, and all I can see is his expression, hungry with lust. 

He... he did it. 

He took the whole thing.

...

HE TOOK THE WHOLE THING???? IS THIS MAN NOT HUMAN. (I mean, I guess he is a werewolf, BUT HE STILL IS IN HUMAN FORM.) HOW? I mean can do it, but I have had YEARS of practice. HOW???

"AR...ahhh...are you~ o...ok?"

Darius gives me a thumbs up, and then continues to go down on me. I can feel the inner walls of his throat caressing my cock. His tongue, working a bit around it as he massages it from inside himself. His breath feels hot, but not too hot. I breathe heavily as he looks into my eyes, and I look into his. 

DAMN.

This may be too much, even for me. 

This experience, this feeling, is probably one of the best blowjobs that I have had in my life. If not, then it is still around top 3, and that is saying something. I have had SO MANY sexual interactions within my time on this earth, but... this one feels different. It is almost as if it feels... romantic as well.

I can't contain myself anymore. I usually don't cum this fast, but this is a special occasion. "D...darius.... I am.. I'm gOin..g to~..."

After hearing the words I say, Darius seems to try to take as much of my dick into his mouth at the current moment as he can, unmoving as he buckles with anticipation. I grab his head with my arms and hold him in place with my thighs, and then, I feel something come out of me in ropes. Something as warm as how I feel with Darius. After a few strings of cum leave my body, I pull my dick out of his mouth, feeling the cum still stuck to my cockhead and foreskin trail along his throat. 

As I pull out, Darius lets out a giant gasp. I guess he was being suffocated. I mean, it makes sense. He did just latch onto my body for a solid few minutes without coming up for air. I watch as he breathes in and out, seeing how his chest moves with every breath. "That was.... amazing." I look at him, my eyes a bit hazy as I am slouched on the couch, also a bit out of breath from the experience and all the noises I had been making. I look at him, his eyes locking onto mine, and then back onto my dick as he quickly seems to go for seconds. This time though, he just licks around the head, trying to get as much of the white substance that he can get from me inside of his body. My eyes roll back in a feeling of ecstasy, and his face seems to tense a bit.  

"DAAariusSS~" A bit more cum that was trapped starts to come out, and he takes as much as he can into his mouth. 

When he finally let's go, he opens his mouth to show me how much he managed to hold, a bit of the white dripping down his chin while doing so. After a second, he closes his mouth and swallows all of it. After he is done, he licks his lips and looks me in the eyes, a look of bliss spread across his face. "Your milk tastes delicious, my dar- Romero." He looks down at his other hand, which, I didn't even realize, was jerking off his own dick. He shows me his other hand, cupping the load of "milk" that he had produced himself, or at least the amount that he could get without spilling it on the floor. "Am... am I a good boy?"

AHHHHH!!!! I can't take it anymore!!! His actions, the things he does, it's just so... irresistible. 

I grab his other hand and frantically lick it clean. "You.... are SUCH... a good boy...." I hang onto as much as I can fit in my mouth, and watches as he looks at me, captivated by my unique eating habits. "Am... I a good boy?"

"IS THAT EVEN A QUESTION?" He gets up and pulls me in for a frenzied kiss. "You are incredible. You are the goodest boy there is." I kiss him back, pulling away just enough to try and lick the cum off of his chin to add a bit of seasoning to our meal. We stay there for a moment, his body hunched over mine, and then he pulls away, trying to say something. "F...Fuck me. Please. Romero... I want you to fuck me." After that, he continues to kiss me, passion unwavering. 

I continue kissing him as the words linger in my ears. And then it processes. "Really? You want me to fuck you?"

"Y..Yes." I pull away from him, ending our kiss abruptly. Darius is very surprised by this, opening his eyes as he watches me. "Is... is it alright?"

"Yeah... it's just... I wasn't expecting you to... WANT to bottom."

Darius shrugs, trying to hide his concern from my reaction, but I can still hear it in his voice. "I can go either way if you don't want to-"

"I WANT TO." I climb on top of him. "DARIUS, I WANT TO FUCK YOU SO BADLY. I WANT TO WATCH AS MY DICK SLIDES OUT OF YOU, AND THEN VANISHES BACK INTO YOUR BODY. I WANT TO WATCH AS YOU MOAN OUT MY NAME, CRYING OUT IN PLEASURE."

Darius blushes at my enthusiasm, but senses there is something more. "But..."

"But... I don't know. I guess I just... I don't want to hurt you."

Darius tries to lighten the mood for me, getting off the floor and sitting down on the couch. "Don't worry. It will be fine. Besides, you have topped before."

I get up, walking back and forth in a line. "I topped people in porn before. It's different. They do that for a living! They train for that. I've never topped in a..." The word relationship almost slips out of my mouth, but I catch it before it leaves. After walking for a while, I sit back down, looking down and playing with my fingers in my hand. I try to distract myself, but... I... I want to be happy with him. I want to FEEL with him. I would be lying if I said I did not want to do it, I just don't want to hurt him (too much.) "I just... do you really want this?"

Darius holds my hand, squeezing it tightly. I look up at him as he nods his head. "Romero. I want this. I know you want this too. Please. Fuck me. I can take it." He helps me off the couch as he goes to the entrance table, reaches for his phone. When he comes back, he shows me a video of him douching in a place that kind of looks like the cafe, and then whispers into my ear. "Besides, if we don't, that would have meant that I prepped for nothing." 

...

Wow. 

I mean... wow. 

He is COMMITED to this. 

It... it makes me... I just want to...

I kiss him. I pull away and kiss him again. And again. And again. Over and over and over. Leaving him hanging onto me by a fucking thread. "Ok." We kiss each other, our hands caressing the other person's body as the intensity heightens. I pick him up and lay him on the couch, his ass on the armrest. I continue to kiss him, and then work my lips down, trying to kiss every inch of his happy trail, until I reach the finish line. I kiss the base of his cock, and then go past it to reach his ass. 

"Romerahhh~~ aahhh~"

I start to eat him out. My tongue moves smoothly within him as I loosen his hole a bit. I watch as he lays his head down on the couch, his body tensing and relaxing to the sensations of my tongue. I love hearing his moans, and watching as his cock twitches in delight. 

When I am done, I lean down close to him positioning myself by his asshole. The foreskin of my cock rubs against him, retracting on the skin of his ass, and I kiss his neck again. I feel as he grabs onto my shoulders, trying to find something, anything, he can use to hold onto me. I cup his head in one of my arms, kissing him, and then reach into my couch cushion for a condom. I find it, pulling away from our kiss, and rip open the packaging with my teeth, making sure not to break the latex glove for my lower body inside. I look to make sure that I grabbed the one already coated in lube. After confirming it is, I grin down at Darius, who seems shocked that I pulled a condom out of basically thin air.

"Was... was that in your couch?"

"Yeah." I can tell that he's still looks confused as to why it is there. "Look, I did not know if you were going to move in with me or not. Frankly, I did not even know if you were coming here today at all. But... if you were... I wanted to... be prepared, you know. To finish what we started in the club earlier. So... I put a condom in the couch. Just in case."

Darius brings me into yet another kiss, this one feeling reassuring. We stay there, kissing for a couple of moments, as I use my hand to slip the condom onto my dick. Once it is fully on. I pull away, a bit out of breath. 

"I... I love you... Darius."

With that, I push into his asshole, slowly watching as Darius reacts to me. His inner walls seem to clench to my shaft, as I position the tip, thrusting it and an inch of my cock into his body before, I start to move soon after. "I... I lo~vve... yo..ooh... tooo... nggh ~ ah ah... ahhh... am... I- I aa~ ghhaaood boy!?"

I quicken my pace a bit. "You... are SUCH.... a good~ boyyy.... look at yo--ooh." I look down. My dick working more of itself into his ass. I maintain a steady pace as he engulfs me. "Look at you... taking my.... my cock so well into that pretty ass of yours~ You enjoying this?" 

"Y-YES.... I ENJOY ITTTT So-ohHAH... SO MUCH~"

The sounds that are coming out of him is pushing me a bit over the edge. "Yeah you are... taking it like a good boy~"

"I...I~ ammmm ahh....  ngh.... ahh good bohohoy~!!"

I push my dick deeper into his ass, going a bit faster, but still maintaining a good pace as to not overwhelm him. "YOU ARE.... YOU ARE A GOOD BOY. YOU ARE MY GOOD BOY~!"

"YE##YESS... I... I AM.... I AM AHHHh GOOD BOY~"

"S...SAY IT LOUDER!"

"I- nghh... I AM A GOOD BOY~~~"

"LOUDER!!!"

"I  AM AHhhhAH GOOD BOY~~"

The base of my cock finally reaches his ass cheeks. It's not fully in there, but it is close. I still maintain a steady rhythm, trying to not hurt him. The rush in my blood. The warmth between us. The way he looks into my eyes, moaning in delight at the motions of my body. Just everything about him. It's just so.... SO HOT.

He spreads his legs a bit more, allowing me to lean into him. As I tower over his body, he hugs around my neck, his muscles tensing with each movement that I use to push inside of him. Even while still going relatively slow, he is enjoying himself. As he should be.

"Tell me, who is your star?"

"Y...YOU ARE~"

"WHO IS IT?"

"haaahhaa~ Y-YOU AhARE~ nghah"

"That's right. Such a.....nahha... A GOOD, GOOD BOY!"

"Ahhh-nghaaaha"

"My... my nighhht sky. My one and only. My l0v#... my loveee. MY GOOD~... GOOD BOY."

"YES~ I~ ngh~ I am YoUr goOd bOyyyy!"

At this point, I already got my whole dick inside of his ass. I kiss him, the passion in both of our bodies equal in anticipation. I feel something sticky on my chest, and I look down to see that he already came.

"Yeah... You like that~ ha... ~ngh~  don't you~"

"Do...don't stop... nggghs... I'm...haaaahaha..... I'm.." I watch as Darius tries to find the words to leave his mouth, being left both speechless and breathless by my movements. 

"Don't worry. I won't stop. Especially because you are such a good... GOOD... boahhaahhaa~"

I stutter as I feel cum flow out of my dick again, filling up the condom. With the amount that is being filled I worry it is going to leak out the sides a bit, but it doesn't. 

DAMN IT! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!

I thrust my entire dick into his ass, holding it in for a bit, and then moving out slowly so that the condom does not fall off. Darius, guessing why I stopped after he just said "don't stop", tightens his asshole as I pull out, milking as much cum as he can into the latex sleeve. As I finally exit his ass, I hear a pop sound, and Darius cums again, the ropes flying into the air and then onto his chest. His hole gapes a bit, moving slightly, as if saying to put it back in. Darius looks up at me, teasing me a bit after he finished catching his breath. "I'm... I'm guessing that you filled up the condom?"

"Yeah. Sorry about that."

He looks at me and smiles, trying to pry open his asshole with his fingers. "So... do you want to continue?"

As I am about to say yes, to scream it out, my body seems to start collapsing in on itself.

I guess it makes sense though. I did not sleep that well earlier because of... that thing. Before that, I was running in the woods for twelve hours with no food or water. The day before that I went to shoot porn. The day before that, I was with Darius and jerking off. The day before that I was drunk...

...DAMN. 

I AM EXAUSTED.

It is only really hitting me now. The doctors said I should probably get some more sleep for the next few months, but, in case it was not obvious, I have not really been keeping to that. So, I guess I will just lie here on the floor. 

Darius, rationally concerned when I jut dropped out of view onto the ground, starts to get up, running to my side to help me up. "ROMERO! Are... are you ok?"

"Yeah... YEAH. I'm sorry, it's just..."

Darius smirks a little, tucking my hair behind my ear. He picks me up from the ground, leading me towards bathroom. "Come on, let's get cleaned up."

"But... but I wanted to... I want to be with you. I want to continue..."

"But you can't." I lean into his chest, using it as a pillow as he adjusts himself to open the door. "You're only human, after all."

"You're... you're not disappointed."

He kisses my forehead, laying his head on mine gently afterwords. "Of course not. It was amazing. You truly know how to make a person feel incredible." And then, as if reading me like a book, he whispers into my ear. "Good boy," Which, just makes me warm inside. As we get inside the actual bathroom, he helps me stand back up. After a while, I have a little more energy, and, although my legs are a bit shaky, I can stand without his help. He gives me a nod, and then waves to me. "Tell me when you're done, ok? I will be cleaning up the living room."

I watch as he turns to walk away, and then grab his arm before he walks out the door. "Aren't you going to join me?" He turns back to me and chuckles a bit, and then gets into the shower with me. I stand behind him as I wash his back, massaging his muscles in the palms of my hands, hearing him moan quietly as I do so. It's... nice....

...but, I can't shake the feeling that something is watching me. 

Like a wild animal. A predator hunting down it's prey. 

Just thinking about it makes me lose my balance. I slip, falling flat onto the marble tile of the shower floor. Darius, hearing me, turns over and helps me back up, like the angel that he is. 

"Hey... Romero... are you... ok?"

"What... oh, yeah... I'm fine."

...

We stand there in silence for a moment. The water from the overhead showerhead trickles down on the two of us. I look down, trying to maintain my composure, until Darius pushes my wet hair away from my face. "No. You are not. I can tell that something is wrong." He caresses my cheek, and I lean into the heat of his arm. "Romero... Tell me. Please. You can trust me."

"It's just... I can't explain it. I don't even know what it is myself. I'm nervous. I'm... confused, and honestly, I'm... scared. Not just for myself, but... in general."

Darius stops for a moment, taking in all he can, hugging me afterwords. I cry a bit into his shoulder as he holds me into his arms. "Don't worry, whatever it is, we will get through it. Together." 

I look up, the shakiness of my legs causing me to squat down a little, meeting his face. The glow of his features is vivid. I kiss him, gently, and he kisses me back. We stay like that for a moment, and then continue showering. 

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As our shower together comes to an end, helps me go to bed. He leaves the room for a bit, probably to clean up the living room.

[Meanwhile...

Darius finds the condom filled with Romero's cum, dropped on the ground. It is overfilled with the cum that Romero had produced. Still being naked, and, now incredibly turned on, Darius feel like a balloon ready to burst. So... he takes the condom, and adds his own, fresh load to it, before eventually throwing it out.

He then goes on to clean up the couch, the floor, the trash, the clothes, and other messes that were made in their midnight escapade. He smiles, looking at the now clean living room, and beams with joy. 

Later, he moves all of his item he had brought into a spare guest room. ]

After a while, Darius returns, looking at me with a giddy expression. "Alright, I finally finished cleaning up, and I moved my stuff into a spare guest room!"

"Oh. That's... that's good."

I am happy for him. He... he settled in. That's what I wanted, right?

"Alright. I'm off to bed." He walks over by the bedside, a towel hanging over his waist, and leans over to give me a kiss. "Goodnight, Romero."

I kiss him back, but instead of letting him leave, I pull on his towel, making it accidentally fall off.

Look, did I mean to do that? No. but is it unpleasant? ...nevermind. That is beside the point. Here is the thing: When I said I wanted him to move in with me, I was hoping that he would move in... WITH me. I want to see him when I wake up, and share a closet space. You know, like we are a... 

Oh... right.... Still, I think that I can ask him this! 

"Actually... I was actually wondering if you wanted to sleep in here. With me. You know, share a space." 

He looks slightly flustered for a second, but then, he picks me up from the bed and twirls me around. "Of course! I would be honored, Romero."

I chuckle, and then look down at his still naked body. "You going to put on clothes."

It looks like he is wondering what I could be talking about, and then he looks down. "Oh. OH. Yeah." He sets me down onto the bed, and then goes towards the door. "If might take me a while to find something though. Sorry. Not really used to this."

"What, do you sleep naked at night?" I tease.

He blushes a bit, turning his head away. "...usually."

...

Wow. Ok. "I did not really expect that."

"Yeah, with how much I can shapeshift, most of my clothes that aren't that elastic tend to rip, so I just sleep naked, or just in my underwear... But if you want, I can put something on." 

I think for a moment, trying to relive the tension starting to form. "Or... I could just take off mine." 

"What are you talking abo-" 

He looks over at me, seeing me sprawled out on the bed, slowly taking off my shirt and pants, nothing underneath it. He smirks a bit, the red in his face lighting it up like a cracked glowstick. "What? I like to feel a breeze sometimes."

We both laugh as he gets into the bed, and we lay in the bed together, and, after a couple of moments, we fall asleep together in each other's arms. 

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I wake up. It is the middle of the night, and Romero is already asleep.

I can't believe this is happening. I mean, not only am I now living with him, but we also had sex together for the first time, took a shower together, and we are now sleeping in the same bed together. (The last one technically also happened yesterday, but in his house, it's different.)

Everything about this feels like a dream. A dream that I never want to wake up from. Like a painting, made with the most magnificent brushstrokes, to create the picture both of u seem to want.

I look over to Romero, who is twitching in his sleep. Concerned, I caress his cheek a bit, playing with his hair, which seems to soothe him a bit. 

...

I don't know why, but... I don't think Romero trusts me. I understand it, though. I did not tell him things that he needed to hear, just to push forward my illusion of keeping him safe. I should have told him about the Abnormal, the Code Dreamcloud, my true identity. I should have told him everything. He has told me so much already. He trusted me. It would make sense that, after what had happened, the trust is not fully there yet. 

Oh Romero, why won't you tell me what is going on. It pains me to see what is going on, and how it affects you. I want to help you through it. I want you to trust me. 

...

Thinking back at what happened at the sex club, I am sure Dylan is a being. Everything that Romero told me about makes me think that he has to be one. But... what type of being? I have never seen anything like this before, and it worries me. I mean, tormenting him in his dreams? That's terrifying. What if he can do actual damage to him when he sleeps? What if Romero exhausts himself trying to keep himself awake? I am worried about him. His health is getting worse. Even after a month, it is deteriorating. I can sense it in his soul. 

It's killing him, and it won't stop.

But... even though he won't tell me what is going on, even though it hurts me to see him get worse, I won't let him die. 

I will protect him. 

My light. 

My star.

My love.

My Romero.

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Floating pink clouds,  rainbow birds, endless water.

YEP! This is a dream!

"Darling?"

YEP! This is a nightmare!

Honestly, you solve one problem, another comes to haunt you. I finally, FINALLY showed Darius that I was able to trust him, was finally vulnerable in front of the man I truly love, and now, THIS HAPPENS? I just want to be able to rest. TO THINK, FOR GOD SAKE. I want to process everything. I want to be stronger, so I can finally get back with MY MAN. But, I can't do that with this bitch on my mind. 

"HAHAHAHAHA. OH, so you realized that I am here? Hello." 

There he is, floating in the air, lingering like a stain on my soul. "What do you want, Dylan?"

"I am just here to tell you that I am being released next Thursday! Isn't that fun. I will get to see you again, Darling."

"NO. STOP IT." I try to cover my ears, drowning him out, but it is as if his voice is piercing my head. "Things are different now. YOU... YOU FUCKING MONSTER. I WON'T GO BACK TO YOU AGAIN."

"YOU THINK YOU WILL HAVE A CHOICE? I WILL FORCE YOU BACK IF I NEED TO." The voice looks at me up and down, like a god on a peasant. "You are mine. Don't forget that. You and Patricia are MINE."

I stop trying to avoid him as he says that, looking up at him, staring straight into his eyes. 

Patricia? 

"You listen to me. Don't you DARE lay a finger on her."

I can take it. I have experienced his "love." I survived it before. I can take all the abuse, the sex, the manipulation. I can take all the assault, the beatings, the filming, the blackmail. Everything. I can take it. I can suck it down, and I can deal with it. I can take it. He can take me away from everything I love, everything I am learning to love, and I can take it.

But Patricia? She is just a normal person. I think she is only 19. She's still a child. She still has her WHOLE LIFE ahead of her. 

Mine is already too far gone.

"Listen to me. I will find you. I will find you and I will kill you. I will make you pay for what you have done. I will make sure I am the last face that you see. I will be your undoing. Your grim reaper. Just wait, because when you get out, you will die by my hands. Got it."

He grins. "Looking forward to it." 

And then, he is gone.

Damnit. I need to think. Obviously, I need to visit Patricia to make sure she is ok. It would probably be best to also talk to Niko at the museum. 

I just... I need to think.

I need to think. 

I need to think.I need to think.I need to think.I need to think.I need to think.I need to think.I need to think.I need to think.I need to think.I need to think.I need to think.I need to think.I need to think.I need to think.I need to think.I need to think.I need to think.I need to think.I need to think.I need to think.I need to think.I need to think.I need to think.I need to think.I need to think.

End of Thursday, June 24th. 

7 more days until confrontation. 

[Chapter summary:

Romero and Darius have sex, and then, after the sex, they take a shower together. In the shower, Romero feels like something is creeping up behind him. Watching him like a predator hunting down it's prey. He gets startled and slips on the shower floor. Darius, who is shampooing his hair, turns to face Romero. He helps him up and asks if he is ok. Romero says that he is fine, and that he is just... thinking. Darius feels like Romero is lying to him, and reminds Romero that he can trust him. Romero tells him that he does, but that the thing he is feeling is just hard to explain, and that Romero does not even know what it is. Darius hugs Romero, and then tells him that it is ok, and they will get through it together. They kiss, and then get out of the shower and dry themselves off. Darius finally unpacks his things into a spare guest room, but Romero invites him to sleep in the same bed as him. Darius accepts, and then they fall asleep.

In the middle of the night, Darius looks at Romero and plays with his hair a bit. Darius knows that it is something connected to some type of being, but he himself admits he had never seen anything like this before. He starts to get worried about Romero's health. 

Romero, in his dream, thinks of Dylan again. Dylan tells him he is going to be let out on Thursday, Thursday (a week from the first dream), on July 1st. He starts to panic. Romero also thinks it's related to a type of being, but he is not sure. When Dylan fades, he makes a mental note to himself to go see Patricia, and go to the museum Niko works at for more info. Chapter ends with a countdown towards the inevitable.]

CAR FROM PINTERST:

Chapter Text

OK, so at first, this was considered a "Wattpad only" part of the story (Don't worry, it was the only chapter like this, besides from the extra tags one. I just find it easier to write on there). 

Anyways, it was Wattpad only, but then one of the artworks were labelled too explicit. So now, I am going to make an official art chapter here, BUT it will also include the explicit art (Which will be at the very bottom in its own section, so that anyone who does not want to see that does not have to. I will also give it enough space from the comments, so that if you do want to say something about another artwork, you won't be staring at that the whole time you do so.) 

If I use a pose reference, I will link it under the artwork made with said reference.

BTW: THIS CHAPTER DOES CONTAIN SOME SNEAK PEAKS FOR WHAT IS TO COME

A place for some official art and some fanart for the story. 

Romero with a gun (At this moment a teaser for some things to come in the next 10-12 chapters.) [Btw I messed up the eye color, it was supposed to be blue.]

Original pose with Pinterest link: https://t.co/UodhYqVdGr

Darius Art. In the new arc, something will happen. He will sadly lose the wolf cut (mainly because I cannot draw it that well), but he will get a new haircut. What do you guys think of it?[Why does he have fang-like teeth? Well, you will just have to find out.] Also chibi Romero in the background. [I need to work on the drawing the chibi versions, they look so bad] 

I don't know if I should put this one in the explicit section. Should I?

Original pose reference link: https://t.co/oXqBb4uKJU

The embodiment of Romero's Soul (The one Darius saw in the woods. Past Regrets: Secrets being kept (1))

Just tried to make a quick artwork for this one. 

Artwork of Caliban in the woods. I messed up on the foreground, but still. (Tell Me)

Official Romero Artwork [mainly based on the song Waltz of Malice by Kikuo ft Hatsune Miku, more specifically the vibes of the song and the Hanatan cover art for the Flower Rain album, which has a cover of the song]

(Can't really write right now, but I will be able to write again soon!)

(One of the first of many official artworks on a different drawing program. The ones before were on Penup [the Samsung off-brand version of procreate] and this one is on Krita. I have been drawing for a few months on the program, and this is one of the first artworks that I made with it. I am honestly stunned in how it turned out, so YAY.)

Another Official Darius Artwork!!!

{I know it sucks. I absolutely HATE drawing side profiles. Originally, it was supposed to be an artwork of both Darius and Romero based on the song Desert Theater by Kikuo, but I could not get the pose right for Romero. So, I decided to just draw Darius. It now reminds me more of the song Talia from the musical Ride the Cyclone. I tried to cover us where all the mistakes were with the picture frame, the sheets, and the hands, but it still looks bad, but I wanted to still put it out. If anything, I will try to remake this later on.}

[Anyways, you guys may be wondering why I am not writing recently. The only answer I have is depression and midterms. I am sorry, but I will try to start writing again soon. I do need to reread the story a bit to remember what I had already wrote, but still. Enjoy all the artwork that has been coming out, and, if everything goes well, I will be back soon.]

HALOWEEN 2025 ARTWORK 

{Darius in his half human half werewolf form, with the symbol of the Howling Deathbringer over him.}

Obviously, it is missing a bit of the body hair he has in the actual story, but it was made in a rush, so WHATEVER. I would have drawn his werewolf form, but I can BARELY draw an actual person without the symmetry tool or without a LOT of time, so half-half is what is here. YAY. HOPE Y'ALL ENJOY THIS!!!

Explicit section (Mainly going to not be anything too bad. More like implied messaging and things that some people may deem "explicit." That being said, some things actually are explicit, so be warned.)

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Romero, tied up on a mattress. He seems like he is waiting for someone. 

[I don't know why the colors turned out weird, but it's fine]

[FOR CONTEXT: THIS IS NOT LINKED TO THE NIGHTMARE EX CHAPTER!!!! THIS IS GOING TO BE SOMETHING BETWEEN DARIUS AND ROMERO]

[May redo this artwork, because looking back on it, it is kind of (VERY) badly drawn. The proportions are nowhere close, the colors are messed up, and it needs a background]

[Update: I redid this artwork (and made it more explicit. I want to try to draw more explicit artwork, as it is actually good anatomy practice.) I will release the updated version when the arc ends]

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Explicit Section Cutoff

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