Chapter Text
Jia was waiting in the alley behind Till’s work. The moment he stepped out he saw her silhouetted by the streetlights. She was leaning against the wall and smoking. Till took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. His emotions were already rubbed raw from his heart-to-heart with Mizi and now he’d have to deal with this blackmailing bitch.
“What do you want?” Till snapped. Jia straightened up and turned to face him. Her cheeks were tinted pink and her eyes were owlish. Till leaned against the wall next to her and pulled out his own cigarette. He held it out to her and she lit it off of hers wordlessly, “You have until I’m done.”
Jia lifted her cigarette to her lips and Till noticed her hands shaking. He side eyed her but kept his head facing forward.
“I wanted to give you this,” Jia pulled a bandana out of her pocket and pressed it against Till’s chest. He looked down at it in confusion.
“This isn’t mine?” Till pushed her hand away tactfully and took another drag, deep and long in an attempt to hasten his promised departure time.
“Obvious- Fuck you’re dense!” Jia exclaimed. Her shoulders hunched and she pulled away from the wall to step into Till’s direct field of vision. Till put out his cigarette on the damp brick behind him and gave Jia an unimpressed glare. She held her hands out to block Till’s escape desperately, “Wait! I’m just- fuck this is so embarasing! I’m trying to court you!”
She held out the bandana again, this time up near Till’s nose. As he breathed in, a stinging bitter scent permeated the air. He gagged and stumbled backwards.
“You coulda just said no…” Jia mumbled, shoving the bandana back into her pocket and looking crestfallen. Till honestly felt bad for her, even if he was baffled by this turn of events.
“I wasn- Oh god that's bad.” Jia frowned and Till scrambled to comfort her, “It’s not you. I mean, I don’t really like you and I thought you hated me. So this is weird but like genuinely that made me feel sick. I don’t think we’re compatible.” Till paused and took in a shaky breath.
Jia shook her head at Till and laughed bitterly, “That’s not just incompatibility. You’re mated aren’t you?”
“The fuck?” Till stared at Jia like she’d just grown a second head. Sure he’d accepted that he was in love with Ivan or whatever, but mated? They hadn’t even- and even if they’d tried, Ivan was human.
“Guess I shoulda guessed with the way he looks at you.” Jia cleared her throat awkwardly. Her eyes flitted around the empty alley way then back to Till for a half second. She opened her mouth as if to say more but instantly closed it again before turning heel and scurrying out of the alley.
Right after Jia left Till’s view he heard yelling then scuffling as if a fight had broken out. Till sprinted to the mouth of the alley and took in the scene before him.
Jia was lying atop the overturned street sign for the bar. She was propped up on her elbows and glaring at Ivan who stood over her looking more than pissed. As Till skidded to a stop his sneakers squeaked against the pavement. Ivan whirled around at the sound and rushed to Till’s side.
His hands flitted about Till anxiously, worrying over Till like a mother checking a toddler for scrapes and bruises. He finally settled on cupping Till’s face gently before pressing their foreheads together.
Soft rabbit ears sprung up and brushed against Ivan’s head. Till flushed crimson.
“Did she do something to you bunny?”
Till scoffed and looked past Ivan to Jia who’s eyes had grown puffy and bloodshot in the half second since she’d left Till’s view. He pressed his lips together in an attempt to suppress a laugh. They locked eyes with each other and Till could see tears welling up in her eyes. Till wasn’t one to kick someone while they were down so he turned his attention back to Ivan.
“Ah- No she was just returning something. She was nothing but polite,” Ivan’s shoulders relaxed and he pressed a flurry of kisses around Till’s face. Till swatted him away in embarrassment, “Go apologize you idiot.” Till hissed.
Ivan pouted at him but obediently turned around and offered a hand out to Jia. She looked between Ivan’s hand and his face before helping herself off the ground, pointedly refusing Ivan’s gesture.
“Sorry, I guess,” Ivan looked at Till as he spoke. Till glared at him for the half assed apology and rolled his eyes. He could see Ivan panicking in his peripheral which brought a subtle smile to his face.
“I was childish and I lashed out at you, I’m deeply sorry Jia.” Ivan’s tone was dripping with saccharin sincerity. Jia made an exaggerated gagging sound as she brushed off her clothes.
“Fuck you!” She turned tail and ran away from Ivan who looked between Till and her retreating figure exasperatedly.
“Let her go, she’s had a rough night.” Till laughed at Ivan’s annoyance at the perceived unequal treatment. His indignation melted away when Till caught one of his hands and leaned in to pressed a chaste kiss to his lips.
Ivan followed Till home in a giddy daze. Till wanted to say something, share the epiphany he’d come to in the breakroom. But he needed time to form the words. He had to do this right. Ivan had become a fixture in Till’s life. He’d offered support, kindness, and companionship Till hadn’t realized he’d been lacking.
Even with his affection, he offered it up with no expectation behind it. No desire for reciprocation. He bared his heart to Till again and again like he had no fear of what Till could do with it. So it was up to Till to treat it with care, and as Mizi had helpfully pointed out, he’d been failing in this aspect.
When they got through the door, before they’d even stepped out of the foyer, Ivan plastered himself against Till. Draped himself over Till’s back and started nibbling up and down Till’s neck.
Till pressed a palm against Ivan’s temple and pushed him away, trying to peel Ivan off of him. When he looked over he saw Ivan grinning at him. Ivan turned his head and licked a stripe across Till’s palm. Till shivered then tried to curb his rapidly building arousal. He needed to have a serious conversation with Ivan.
He yanked himself out of Ivan’s grasp and tripped his way into his living space. When he spun around Ivan’s arms were still outstretched and he was looking at Till pathetically. He pulled his hands back and gripped and ungripped them anxiously, like a toddler asking to be picked up.
“Did I do something wrong, bunny?”
Till shook his head emphatically. He started to take a step towards Ivan but thought better of it. Both of them were too weak to temptation and Till needed to talk. He cleared his throat awkwardly and tucked his hands behind his back.
“Ah- um.. I guess. Well I just- There’s something I wanted to tell you.”
Ivan nodded, listening with rapt attention. Lapping up every word that fell from Till’s lips. The intensity in his gaze forced Till to look away for a moment, trying to salvage the courage that was quickly fizzling out.
“I’m in love with you.”
Ivan blinked once, then twice, then three times. He tilted his head and considered Till seriously. He opened his mouth then closed it again. Till had never seen Ivan speechless before, it was a pretty sight.
“Yeah,” Till arched a brow at Ivan. Ivan’s response didn’t seem to be connected to Till’s declaration at all, “I know.”
“You! How the-” Till sputtered, anger and annoyance coloring his features and twisting his expression, “Since when.”
Ivan shrugged and took a step towards Till. Till stiffened up but did nothing to impede his approach. Ivan snaked a hand around Till’s waist and used the other to brush past Till’s ears.
“I did my research you know,” Till still looked lost so Ivan continued, “Rabbit demi-humans aren’t that sensitive unless they’re struggling to accept their emotions. What other emotion could it be?”
Till pouted and turned his head away from Ivan. Who, in retaliation, started nibbling along the shell of Till’s ear.
“Maybe it was rage, pure unbridled hatred.”
Ivan laughed and dropped the hand scratching Till’s rabbit ears down to his stomach. Ivan’s hand flattened out as his fingers teased along Till’s waistband, “You’ve got no issue accepting that bunny boy.”
Till couldn’t argue against that so he snapped his mouth shut and let himself melt into Ivan’s embrace. Ivan spun Till into a bridal carry and Till let himself be swept away with minimal complaining. Ivan tossed Till down on his bed and was about to crawl over him when Till held out a hand.
“I’m sticky and sweaty and gross,” Ivan made a face that told Till he had saw no issue with the situation, “I’m taking a shower before we do anything.”
Ivan’s eyes lit up and Till’s rolled back in annoyance.
“Alone Ivan.”
Ivan fell to his knees next to the bed dramatically. He clutched at Till’s sheets and mimed sobbing. Till kicked him in the shoulder before rolling off the bed. Despite Till’s command, Ivan followed behind Till like an imprinted duckling.
Till slammed the bathroom door and locked it for good measure. Contrary to the front he was putting up, Till was enjoying Ivan’s unbridled desire for him. He started to strip the grimy, smoke infused clothing when the door knob jiggled. Till spun around in shock as the door swung open.
There, in the doorway, looking thoroughly pleased with himself, stood Ivan. He held up a book chain gift card triumphantly. Till blinked at him and his head jerked to the side in annoyance. He grimaced at Ivan and spoke through gritted teeth.
“What. The. Fuck.”
“Didn’t I tell you I can pick locks?”
Before Till could tell Ivan that no, he had not, in fact, informed Till that he knew how to pick locks Ivan was on him again. Ivan’s shirt had fallen to the floor somewhere in the two steps it took to close the distance between them.
Ivan descended on Till pressing sloppy open mouthed kisses into his lips. It felt like Ivan was devouring him. It made Till shiver with anticipation. Ivan’s tongue traced along the roof of Till’s mouth and Till let out a squeaky groan that Ivan swallowed eagerly.
When they pulled away for air they stayed locked close. Both panting against each other’s faces and grinning like the lovestruck idiots they were.
“Ivan,” Till wheezed. Ivan’s eyes grew dark as Till said his name, “Shower…please.”
The plea only served to rile Ivan up further. He grabbed under Till’s thighs and hoisted Till up around his hips. Till squawked in protest but Ivan silenced him with yet another scorching kiss. Till felt his back collide with the tile of the shower seconds before chilly water poured down over them. Till flinched and started trying to blink the water out of his eyes.
He was rewarded with the view of Ivan’s thick lashes sparkling with water droplets. It made his already alluring gaze even worse(better?) Till’s eyes shifted down and he realized Ivan was still wearing his pants. Ivan watched his gaze and just grinned at him in response.
Ivan’s refusal to disrobe was just enough on the right side of degradation to have Till gasping against Ivan’s mouth. Ivan took the opportunity to lick into Till’s mouth. Water dripped down their faces and mingled with their spit as their lips moved against each other.
Till felt Ivan grasp at his ass roughly, spreading his cheeks and pressing a finger against Till’s entrance. Despite how often they’d done this Till still hissed at the intrusion. In an attempt to relax Till, Ivan started nipping along Till’s neck.
For a human Ivan had an unnatural fixation on leaving his mark on Till. The primal part of Till preened under the attention. Not that he’d ever admit that to Ivan.
At some point Ivan added another finger and he began scissoring Till open. The tips of his fingers kept brushing against that sensitive spot. Till squirmed in Ivan’s grasp, trying to push himself back against Ivan’s fingers.
“Eager, aren’t we bunny?” Till tried to glare at Ivan but instead jerked his head back as Ivan pressed another finger in and pressed deeply against that bundle of nerves, “Tell me what you need, bunny.”
“Ah-” Till choked out a groan and bit his lip, “You- I-ah! More!”
Ivan grinned against Till’s neck and pressed down against Till’s prostate. Till moaned and arched his back towards Ivan’s chest. Ivan’s fingers expertly stroked inside of Till, building up a coiled pressure in Till’s abdomen.
“Ivan- s’good!” Till’s head fell forward and he pressed his forehead into Ivan’s shoulder. Water dripped between them and pooled around where Till’s legs locked around Ivan’s hips, “Close..”
“Let go, bunny.” Ivan whispered huskily into Till’s ear. Till’s body went taught like a lifewire. Every muscle tensed and he came undone under Ivan’s touch. When he came back to earth he was trembling in Ivan’s arms. Ivan had lowered both of them to the floor.
The cool tile under Till’s knees was grounding. Helped coax him out of the post orgasm high as Ivan dutifully washed him. Before Ivan’s touch had been like fire, it lapped at every part of Till and burned with desire and excitement. Now it was a gently glowing ember. Ivan was thorough and tender.
It was strange, being cared for this way. Especially by Ivan who was always so brash and perverted. Till’s eyes flitted up to meet Ivan’s and he leaned his head back against Ivan’s chest. Ivan grinned down at him and pressed a gentle peck against Till’s soaked forehead.
“Need something, love?”
Till didn’t respond, instead humming contentedly and snuggling closer.
Once Ivan was done washing Till off he swaddled Till in a fluffy towel Till didn’t know he had and started to dry his hair off. At some point he’d also switched to a pair of pajama pants that he’d left at Till’s place.
As soon as Ivan was satisfied with Till’s hair he unwound the towel and buried Till under the covers. Ivan slid in beside him and Till happily draped his nude form over the other man. Till could feel Ivan’s heart beating right next to his. It was shockingly intimate.
Of course, Ivan had to ruin the moment with his stupid wandering hands. His fingers pinched around one of Till’s nipples and till squeaked out a half yelp half moan. Till’s eyes went wide like a deer in headlights. Ivan bit his lip in an attempt to suppress a laugh. Then his eyes narrowed evily and he pinched down again.
Pain and pleasure shocked through Till in equal measure. He found himself unconsciously rutting his hips against Ivan, something that didn’t go unnoticed by Ivan.
“Where’s your lube bunny boy,” Ivan breathed against Till’s skin, sending shivers through Till’s frame. Till didn’t respond, instead jerking his head towards the nightstand. Ivan rolled them over so he could reach for the nightstand. In doing so he brought his chest up against Till’s face.
Till hadn’t been aware that he had a thing for mens chests. But now, face to face with the male equivalent of DD, he was becoming enlightened. Did Ivan work out? He had to right? His chest wouldn’t have gotten like that if he didn’t. Till reached a tentative hand up and pressed his fingers against his chest.
Ivan brought his hand back and grinned down at Till, “See something you like?”
Till blushed but didn’t pull his hand away. He flexed his fingers against Ivan’s chest and found it to be shockingly plush. When he furrowed his brows in confusion Ivan flexed and Till watched as the muscles contracted under his touch.
The act had Till pulling his hand away self consciously. Ivan laughed under his breath, a low rumbling sound that reverberated through Till’s ribcage.
A lube slicked finger pressed against Till. This time he pushed back against it, welcoming the sensation. Ivan gasped subtly at his eagerness then hoisted Till up onto his lap.
Since Till was still lose from their activities in the shower it took no time at all for Ivan to deem him ready to take more.
“You still want this?” Till was surprised at the hesitance in Ivan’s voice. He nodded confidently and the smile of relief on Ivan’s face filled Till’s chest with warmth.
The burn that accompanied Ivan entering him was nothing on the blooming elation in Till’s chest at finally being one with his chosen mate. Till arched into Ivan and keened against his skin.
Till couldn’t stop his hips from rocking back to meet Ivan’s thrusts. He gasped and moaned completely unrestrained. Each time Ivan pressed into him Till could feel sparks going through his entire body.
“Yes- ah! There,” As Till clenched around Ivan he could hear choked out gasps and grunts that made Till dizzy with want, “Good- it’s good, Ivan.”
Lose hair stuck to Ivan’s sweat soaked forehead. He looked up at Till like he was the sun. His brows were knit in concentration as he pounded up into Till. Every miniscule reaction from Ivan drove Till mad.
Fire burned between them and branded Till from the inside out. Ivan’s hands gripped Till’s hips firmly as he thrust up into Till. Each movement pounding into Till’s prostate. Whimpers and meaningly babbles fell from Till’s lips as he fell forward against Ivan. Ivan caught him, arms lifting from his waist to wrap around his back and bind the two of them together.
The sensation of their heartbeats going in tandem returned and Till’s breath caught in his throat. When he regained it he let out a drawn out whine that Ivan understood instantly. He wordlessly nodded against Till’s head, gasping then gritting his teeth as he began thrusting with renewed vigor.
Till wanted to kiss Ivan. He lifted his head but the shaking between them kept their lips from fully connecting. Instead they shared the same breath as they both came together. As Ivan’s hips stilled Till surged forward to connect their lips. Ivan groaned against Till and received his affection readily.
Eventually, they were forced apart by their need for oxygen. Till’s head fell against Ivan’s chest which was rising and falling shakily.
“Good,” Till choked out, needing to say something but not knowing what else to say.
“Hah- yeah, it was good.” Ivan’s arms flexed around Till as he pulled Till closer. Till nestled into his arms and sighed contentedly.