⊶»﴾ 𝚂𝚢𝚗𝚘𝚙𝚜𝚒𝚜 ﴿«⊷

❝𝐷𝑒𝑣𝑦𝑛𝑛 𝑠𝑢𝑑𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑤𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑠 𝑢𝑝 𝑖𝑛 𝑎 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑠 𝑢𝑛𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑖𝑙𝑦 𝑑𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑙𝑢𝑟𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑟, 𝑤𝑎𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑎𝑐𝑘 ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑠. 𝐼𝑛 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑠, 𝐷𝑒𝑣𝑦𝑛𝑛’𝑠 𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑟𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑙𝑑 𝑖𝑠 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 ℎ𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑙𝑒𝑓𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑠, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 ℎ𝑜𝑤 ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑜𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒.

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑓𝑢𝑙, ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐, 𝑓𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑑𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑙𝑑 ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 ℎ𝑖𝑚𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓 𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑠𝑒𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑑 𝑣𝑜𝑖𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑠𝑛’𝑡 𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑠… 𝑠𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑛. 𝐴 𝑏𝑙𝑢𝑛𝑡, 𝑠𝑎𝑟𝑐𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑐, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑑 𝑚𝑎𝑛 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑎𝑠 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑎𝑠 ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑦 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑛𝑜 𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟 ℎ𝑜𝑤 𝑐𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝐷𝑒𝑣𝑦𝑛𝑛 𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑖𝑚… 𝑤𝑒𝑙𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑠, 𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑙…❞

⊶»﴾ 𝙴𝚙𝚒𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚙𝚑 ﴿«⊷

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩

𝘨𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯, 

𝘨𝘶𝘭𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘴

𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘨𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘥.

𝘋𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘨𝘰 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬

𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦, 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘨𝘰,

𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱

𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵.

— 𝐷𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑑 𝐺𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑚𝑎𝑛, 𝐹𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒

⊶»﴾ 𝟷. 𝙳𝚎𝚜𝚌𝚎𝚗𝚝 ﴿«⊷

・⥋【 𝐃 𝐄 𝐕 𝐘 𝐍 𝐍 】⥋・ ・⥋【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟷 】【 𝟶𝟶:𝟶𝟶:𝟶𝟻:𝟶𝟸 】⥋・

Devynn woke up lying in the middle of a field he’d never seen before, confusion and panic seeping into him as he quickly scrambled to his feet, his eyes rapidly darting around the field, looking for houses or any indication of where he was. He stood there, looking around, his heart pounding and his breathing ragged as he realized he was in the middle of nowhere. How’d he end up out here? He was sure he’d been asleep in his bed before this; it just didn’t make sense.

Devynn couldn’t help but notice, as he took in the sight of the grass and the twisted, contorted trees everywhere, that he’d definitely never seen this place before. They were strange, almost creepy, and sad in some unexplainable way. The tinting of everything was weird. The sky, instead of being a dark blue, reminiscent of a normal sky at night, was instead a deep, inky black. There wasn’t a single cloud or star visible for miles. In fact, there wasn’t a moon, though he was sure it’d been a full moon when he’d gone to bed.

The grass shared the same strange color palette—a deep, murky brown color that almost looked right but not quite. There seemed to be a forest to his left, but the trees were misshapen, looking like props for a movie set with a creepy witch character. He couldn’t help the goosebumps racing across his skin, his heart pounding impossibly harder.

Okay, he could handle this. No big deal, so he was lost in the middle of nowhere; at least he was in a field. That meant there had to be a road or something somewhere around here where he could phone home and at least assure his mother that he was okay. Behind him, he heard a twig snap. Devynn jolted around; his heart felt as though it would burst as he tried to catch sight of something, anything, to explain where the noise had come from. There was nothing there.

Thoroughly freaked out, Devynn turned and began running across the field at full speed, his heart racing as he tried to look back over his shoulder to ensure nothing was following him. It didn’t look like anything was following him, but he couldn’t help looking back over his shoulder multiple times, his skin crawling. He swore he felt eyes on him, the feeling impossible to shake despite his sprinting. He stopped upon reaching the other side of the field, panting as he slowed to a stop, and took one more precautionary look behind him.

Nothing. Okay, he was just freaking out; it’s fine. He reached the edge of the field, so there had to be something around somewhere. He took a few more steps forward, his eyes raking in the sight of what lay where he thought a road should be. More grass. Where the hell was he? Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something standing in the field to the right of him. His head snapped up to see what was there.

When he turned to face it entirely, nothing was there. His heart, which had finally seemed to be slowing down, sped up again, anxiety washing through him. He was supposedly alone. However, something told him he might not be nearly as alone as he perceived himself to be.

“H-Hello?!” Devynn called out, “Is someone there?” There was no answer, not even a hint of noise. No leaves crinkling, no dirt crunching, no wind blowing. It was eerily quiet, and the realization hit him suddenly. He lived in the city; he could always hear the sound of cars driving on the streets; there was always noise. Wherever he was, he had to be really far from home for there to be absolute silence like this.

Devynn looked around, and out of his peripheral vision again, he caught sight of a large black creature standing way too close to him in the field to his right. It was a ways back, but with the thing standing up the way it was, its legs were over half of his height in total, and that didn’t count the elongated torso and long, willowy arms that looked almost like sticks. It was solid black and seemed to be hunched over; its face was just an endless black void of nothingness. All over its oddly proportioned body were spikes, not looking sharp, exactly, but dangerous nonetheless.

Devynn froze, his eyes staying trained in place as he tried desperately to keep from looking over. It had disappeared last time. At least now he could see it, even if it was just out of the corner of his eye. Keeping it in his eyesight, Devynn found himself slowly backing up toward the forest. The trees were at least something to hide behind, even if it wasn’t a great option. Though there was no certainty that the thing couldn’t just kill him right then while it stood maybe seven feet away, Backing toward the trees without looking away became challenging, as he had no idea what was actually behind him. He just knew one thing: he at least wanted to see it coming if it started toward him. He’d run off in the first direction he could find, even if it seemed like a lost cause.

With every step that Devynn took backward, the creature to the side of him took one forward, the gap between them staying the same, but the anxiety was only building. He had no idea what he was doing, and he had no idea what was pursuing him. All he knew was that it was not humanlike, at least not really. It was somewhat humanoid, but only in the most uncanny ways possible, standing upright with arms and legs. It almost seemed odd for the creature to be standing that way, looking at the odd shape of the rest of its body.

Devynn took a step back, his foot slipping off the edge of a plateau he hadn’t seen since he wasn’t looking where he was going. A scream tore from his throat as he tumbled and rolled down the slight inclination, losing sight of the monster. A cry of pain echoed through the forest as he landed shoulder-first against the base of a tree. It broke his fall, despite the pain it caused, and he could only imagine how much worse it could’ve been if he’d kept falling. The pain was the least of his concerns at the moment because the creature had entered the treeline where he had, swiftly beginning its search for him. He had caught sight of it in his peripherals but wasn’t sure it could see him yet.

The stress, confusion, fear, and increasing ache in his shoulder demanded his attention more than the need to acknowledge the tears that flowed freely down his cheeks. The creature was only moving closer to him, peeking through the breaks in the trees on either side, seemingly looking for him, making him feel like a caged rat about to be fed to a snake. Actually, being fed to a snake somehow sounded more pleasant than whatever he could imagine this entity doing to him if given the chance.

He heard something behind him—a twig snapping—and he quickly turned his body to the side as much as he could, trying to catch sight of whatever was behind him. There was nothing there, and he felt panic surge through him. The last time that’d happened, this creature came after him moments later. His only hope was praying that he didn’t get found by the one already stalking him; he had no chance against two. Something grabbed him from behind; his scream echoed off of the trees as he scrambled and fought, trying to get away.

The hand on him didn’t waver as it yanked him from around the tree and into a dip in the ground, similar to the one he’d initially fallen down. Before he had a moment to speak or the opportunity to look through the darkness in an attempt to identify what had grabbed him, he found himself pushed forward against the dirt wall of the hole, his body hunched down in the shadows as a hand covered his mouth from behind.

“Hold your breath.” A deep, hushed voice whispered into his ear, sending shivers down his spine. He couldn’t help struggling against the grip; his fight or flight mode was well past activation. The arms around him tightened enough to make him almost squeak, but the hand over his mouth muffled it.

Overhead, he heard the sound of the creature’s footfalls on the grass. Out of terror, or maybe just stupidity, he let out a gasp. The footfalls stopped, and he saw the creature looking around at the trees above them. The man, being, or entity behind him, was stiff as a board, its own breath held, and completely silent, his hand blocking Devynn’s mouth entirely. He couldn’t scream—not that he could’ve anyway with the monster above him—but the inability to do it just made him even more freaked out.

“Hold your breath.” The guy hissed, his voice still quiet, but the creature overhead heard him. This time, instead of waiting on Devynn to comply, he just slipped his grip up enough to block his nose as the creature bent down, its head right over their bodies, its creepy face level with Devynn’s. Nose to nose. Instinct told him to move, to run away, to scream, but the firm body behind him kept him still and silent.

It just stood there, crouched over the spot where they were hidden, its formless face seeming to stare right into Devynn’s eyes as it waited. It did nothing at all; it just motionlessly stood the same way it had in the field. It felt like every minute was crawling by at a snail’s pace as the creature stood there, hovering over them without any emotion whatsoever. It was freaky and unsettling, the way the thing stared at him without being able to stare.

His lungs were burning, and the lack of oxygen made his head feel dizzy, but he didn’t dare move a muscle, too afraid of setting it off. He was so scared, he felt like he might pass out, but he had to keep holding his breath. It felt like hours before the entity finally pulled its head away from them, and its footsteps began once again, heading back the way they’d come before. It wasn’t until the footsteps had completely receded that the hand covering his mouth and nose pulled back.

As soon as the hand was gone, Devynn gasped in a breath, the dizziness worsening as the oxygen was reintroduced to his brain. He couldn’t help coughing a bit as the guy stepped away from him, giving him space. Devynn shakily pushed himself off of the wall, his arm aching as he put pressure on it. He whimpered quietly as he straightened himself, turning to look at what was behind him. It was so dark, he could barely see a couple of inches in front of him now that he was facing deeper into the forest, and it looked unending. just an endless pit of darkness.

“Who are you?” Devynn demanded, “Where are we? What was that thing??“The guy in front of him stepped close enough that he could finally see him, with grayish eyes and deep brown hair. He looked young physically and muscular enough to be on a wrestling team; his face was shrouded in shadows, but he had a five o’clock shadow and bags under his eyes.

“A monster,” The guy answered, his deep voice somewhat less hushed but still keeping his tone low and measured. “Keep your voice down, or we’ll be that guy’s dinner. You’ve already almost gotten me killed once tonight; are you going to behave and listen to me from now on, or am I going to leave you here for the mimic to find?”

“I’ll be quiet,” Devynn said quickly, lowering his voice. He didn’t want to be that things dinner more than he wanted to call the guy out on his abrasiveness. “Where are we?” He asked again, worriedly. The guy didn’t answer, his eyes roaming along the floor of the forest above them.

“Come on,” the guy insisted, pushing him further into the forest. “We need to get into some light quickly. Unless you can hold your breath for fifteen minutes while we take a leisurely stroll,” The guy said it in a hushed voice, urging him to go faster. Devynn shook his head, beginning to walk. The guy was quick to step in front of him, his head moving rapidly from side to side, almost as if looking for something in the shadows.

“Where are we going?” Devynn asked, unable to help himself as he walked as close as possible to the guy. The guy let out a long, exaggerated sigh, his gray eyes turning to roam over him for a split second.

“To my campsite. Keep your voice down, or we’ll attract more mimics.” The guy answered. Even with the softness of his tone, Devynn could feel the weight of the order hanging in the air between them. Devynn nodded his head, not even bothering to point out that he’d already been talking as quietly as he knew how to. He was a naturally pretty loud and erratic person, always screaming accidentally when excited or nervous. Though it wasn’t intentional, it was now biting him in the ass more than it ever had back in high school.

It seemed like the guy just wanted him to shut up, so that’s what he did. This guy clearly knew more about where they were than he did, and if he wanted to survive, he was going to have to listen to the guy in front of him. He didn’t know anything about where he was, and the first thing he’d encountered here was a monster that would have eaten him if it hadn’t been for this guy. At the very least, this guy hasn’t tried to kill him yet, which he was counting as a good sign.

The deeper into the forest they plunged, the darker the shadows became, lurking around and seeming to encompass them. Devynn was on edge and creeped out; every noise he heard made him jerk and jolt to see if something was following them. The guy in front of him didn’t react as violently. There were some noises that he responded to by looking around, but many he didn’t. He was calm, albeit cautious, his eyes scanning the surrounding area without jumping at every little noise he heard.

Devynn tripped over something he was unable to see and couldn’t identify through his shoes, stumbling forward into the guy’s back with a squeak. The guy glanced over his shoulder, narrowing his eyes in annoyance.

“Watch where you’re going.” The guy snapped quietly, making Devynn bite his bottom lip and nod his head. He hadn’t meant to stumble; it was just so dark that he couldn’t see.

He couldn’t tell how much time had passed as they walked deeper and deeper into the forest, but after a while, he caught sight of flickering light dancing on the trunks of trees in front of him. We need to get into some light, the guy said, so perhaps this was the campsite he mentioned. It was relieving to see; his feet hurt, his arm was aching from the fall he’d taken earlier, and he was anxious. He needed to stop feeling like he was seconds away from being eaten, or he was going to lose his mind. The closer to the camp they got, the more light filled the pathway. The ground was uneven and hard to traverse in the dark, so Devynn was relieved to see the light at the end of their path.

The strangest thing was that the closer to the light they got, the quieter things around them became. The less cautious the guy in front of him got, as well, which made him feel more at ease. Even if he currently felt like he wasn’t sure which way was up, the guy in front of him at least had some kind of experience, since he’d kept them both from being eaten and if the guy wasn’t worrying, then neither should he.

Once they stepped through the break in the trees and into the brightly lit campsite, Devynn looked around it curiously. There was not a lot there, save for a fire in the center and a bloodied spear resting against the trunk of a tree. By the fire on a rock was some meat, charred and possibly overcooked, and it did not smell pleasant at all.

“You can talk here; just keep your voice low or you’ll pull shit to the edges of the fire.” The guy said his voice was louder but still pretty low. Devynn nodded his head, looking around the treetops, desperately wishing there was a canopy of trees overhead to cover the inky blackness that was the sky.

“Where are we?” Devynn asked, watching as the guy bent down by the fire and grabbed a stone bowl that looked like it’d been hand-carved. The guy glanced over his shoulder at him as he sat on the ground, shrugging his shoulders in response.

“I don’t know,” the guy said, shrugging his shoulders again. “It’s nowhere, I guess,” he replied, his head turning toward the bowl, before bringing it up to his mouth and taking a careful sip.

“It has to be somewhere,” Devynn responded. The guy laughed at that, his head shaking. “If you don’t know, you can just say that,” Devynn continued. The guy laughed again, a smirk pulling up the corners of his lips. “What about this situation is funny?” Devynn demanded. The guy just shook his head.

“The part where you can’t grasp the situation you’re in right now,” he said, hoisting himself up off the ground. The guy stood taller than him and was much bulkier. His shirt was bloodied and shredded in some places. Under his shirt was a blood-soaked undershirt, much less destroyed than the one he wore over it. His pants were old and weathered, just as destroyed as the rest of his clothing, with the knees completely missing and the rest of the fabric torn haphazardly.

“Well, what exactly is the situation?” Devynn asked, “I don’t know what happened; I just woke up here a little while ago; I don’t know how long it was, but… I just woke up; I don’t… I don’t know where I am or what’s going on, and you really aren’t helping! Can’t you just answer a question? I want to go home.” The guy’s gray eyes hardened before they softened just the slightest, and he turned his head in Devynn’s direction.

“The situation is, you can’t go home, and you’re probably going to die within the first three weeks of being here,” the guy said, pausing for a moment to fully look at him. “You’re small, loud, and you smell like flowers. You’ll attract every beast here like a beacon.”

“What?!” Devynn said, his heartbeat picking up as he looked over his shoulder at the trees surrounding them.

“It’s better you’re prepared for reality.” The guy shrugged. “Holding punches won’t save you out here.” He walked over to a pile of twisted sticks, picked up a couple, and carried them to the fire. “You’d do well to eat and get a drink, with the waters in the bowl and the meats on the stone. Conserve the water as much as possible; meat is much more common here.” The guy said this, tossing one of the sticks into the fire, followed by the next.

“It kind of smells bad,” Devynn said, making the guy snort.

“Yeah, you’ll get used to it; shit around here ain’t meant to be eaten, so none of it tastes especially good either.” The guy replied, smirking a little.

“I think… I think I’m okay for now,” Devynn said, and the guy shrugged.

“I’m not going to make you eat; if you starve here, it’ll be on you.” The guy answered simply, making Devynn bite his lip.

“It’s not going to make me sick, is it?” Devynn asked. The guy started to shake his head, then hesitated.

“Well, it might make you puke after the first couple of times.” The guy said, “But as far as deathly ill, no. It just tastes like shit.” The guy explained. Devynn nodded his head, his eyes roaming over the meat hesitantly.

“Is the water okay?” Devynn asked, and the guy nodded.

“That water is; it’s been boiled.” Devynn nodded his head as he leaned down and picked up the stone bowl, surprised by how heavy it was. He took a sip of the water, fighting against the urge to cough a little. It was so metallic that it tasted terrible. He managed to keep from showing his disgust, swallowing it down. It didn’t quite quench his thirst, but it was good enough, he guessed.

“How long have you been here? What part of the world are we in?” The guy shrugged in response.

“I’ve been here a long time,” the guy replied after a moment, his eyes hardening before he sat down by the fire across from him, keeping his distance.

“Well… My name is Devynn; what’s your name?” Devynn asked, trying to break the tension between them.

“My name doesn’t matter.” The guy said, laying back against the dirt but staying near the fire, his eyes looking at the sky. “You can just call me Scythe.” Devynn nodded, looking into the fire. “You should sleep while it’s still dark outside.”

“Okay,” Devynn responded. “Are you going to sleep?” Scythe nodded, letting out a yawn. Devynn glanced over at him, watching as the light from the flames danced across his face. There was mud on one of his cheeks and on his forehead; his hair was messy, lengthy, and matted. Despite the length of it, it was pulled up into this insanely messy bun. He looked tired, really exhausted.

His eyes shut, and Devynn, following his example, laid on the ground. His skin itched a little where it touched the ground. He didn’t know where he was, he didn’t know what was going on, and he didn’t even know if he was going to survive if he went to sleep. He was scared, confused, and uncertain, but there was nothing to comfort him. He had so many questions, and Scythe wasn’t really answering them, at least not with a lot of explanation.

He lay there quietly, watching the fire and jumping every time he just thought that he heard something. Scythe was silent and still, his eyes shut and his chest moving up and down slowly as he slept. He was completely silent; it felt so odd that even his breathing was carefully measured, making him seem less asleep than Devynn initially thought.

If there was one thing he knew for sure, he couldn’t be in the world he grew up in. It almost seemed as if he was in a different world entirely. He lived at home, so his parents would almost assuredly realize he was missing, right? Would anyone be able to find him? It didn’t seem likely at all, and that made him that much more anxious. He wanted his mother, as childish a wish as that was. She always made him feel better and safer in any situation that he’d ever been in.

He couldn’t tell if he was sleepy or not. He genuinely didn’t know. He was filled with so much adrenaline and nervous energy that he couldn’t help but feel like he was losing his mind. He didn’t think that he went to sleep that night; his eyes refused to close. He was so freaked out that nothing seemed real; he felt as if he was suffering a mental breakdown and imagining everything. That would make more sense than any other explanation he could think of. Nothing about this made sense, and coupled with the lack of answers from Scythe, he felt crazy.

Okay, well, that wasn’t entirely true; Scythe had answered him, just not in enough detail. So he was still left with more questions than answers. They couldn’t be anywhere , right? It seemed like, at the very least, they had to be somewhere . Figuring out where wouldn’t be easy, but they could probably do it.

Without Scythe’s help, Devynn was basically a sitting duck, so he hoped that Scythe would let him stay. He didn’t know if he’d agree to it; he seemed rather unsociable and brash, but Devynn wasn’t in a place to be thinking about anything but survival. Unsociable and brash or not, he could still teach him how to survive, and that was something that he desperately needed. He had no idea how he was meant to survive otherwise.

If Scythe noticed his plight, he didn’t acknowledge them, and Devynn was a little relieved about that. He couldn’t calm down, and it felt a little embarrassing with how calm Scythe had been. He didn’t want to disturb him. All he could hope was for Scythe to be in a better mood the following morning, and maybe then he could figure out something more about where he was because he wanted to go home.

・⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟷 】【 𝟶𝟶:𝟷𝟶:𝟸𝟽:𝟷𝟶 】⥋・

By the time daybreak began, Devynn was cold, exhausted, and hungry. The ground wasn’t comfortable, his skin itched everywhere the grass had touched him, and his shoulder was now a deep purple and mauve color from falling the night before. He hadn’t slept at all; he’d spent the entire night miserable and mostly silently crying to himself. He was reasonably overwhelmed, but it didn’t matter at all because he was stuck in this strange place. Scythe was up almost as soon as the sun peaked over the horizon, going about the campsite, covering their footprints, and putting out the fire despite it being absolutely freezing.

Devynn didn’t ask what he was doing; instead, he sat and watched. He was too nervous to move around and was on edge, with the light and warmth gone. He was hungry, but he was weary about eating any of the meat due to how terrible it smelled. He figured maybe there’d be some edible plants around when he could see what plant life he was surrounded by. It didn’t seem like that would be an option, though.

The trees didn’t have leaves on them, and while the grass was… well, grass, it really didn’t seem like it. It was thicker and firmer somehow. It felt almost like turf, but not nearly as pleasant. The color of the grass was even stranger under the light, looking similar to the color of swamp water. He couldn’t see any other plant life, and he was literally in the middle of a forest, so he wasn’t sure if that was directly indicative of everywhere else.

“Hey!” Scythe’s voice cut through his thoughts, snapping him out of his apparent daze and bringing him back to reality. “I’m going.” Devynn scrambled to his feet, his head turning to take in the sight of Scythe’s back. Scythe had stopped just at the edge of the forest, in a different direction than the one they’d come from the night before, with a spear on his shoulder in a holster that looked like he’d woven it himself. Something was hanging off of a loop of whatever he’d used to weave the holster, and it was shaped strangely, almost like a wooden axe, or maybe a piece of a bow that just didn’t have a string yet.

“Can I come?” Devynn asked nervously, prompting Scythe to glance back over his shoulder and sigh.

“No one’s stopping you,” Scythe said blankly. “But if you can’t keep up, that’s on you.” Devynn nodded his head and hurried to his side, standing as close to him as he could.

“I-I will; I’ll stay close,” Devynn answered nervously, his fingers lacing together in front of him. He didn’t want to be a burden on the guy, but at the same time, his survival depended on this guy being with him. He definitely didn’t have any weapons or anything like this guy had, even if his weapons were handmade. They still had more of a chance than Devynn, who had none.

“You don’t have to crawl up my ass,” Scythe said blankly, heading off into the forest without giving him a moment to respond. Devynn followed behind him, putting enough space between them to keep Scythe from being grumpy but close enough that he wasn’t going to fall behind. He hoped.

As they walked, he noticed that Scythe was on high alert today, his eyes roaming over the trees around them, seemingly looking for something in the area. After a short time of walking, Scythe stopped suddenly, and Devynn found himself walking right into his back. Scythe didn’t say anything, but he could tell just by the way he inhaled that it annoyed him. Devynn stammered out an apology, his eyes narrowing a little as he looked around, catching sight of an ‘x’ carved into the top of a tree.

“Stay here,” Scythe demanded, handing him the spear on his shoulder. Devynn took it nervously, the end of the spear touching the ground behind him. Scythe didn’t say anything about it; instead, he ran forward toward the tree, launched himself up, and grabbed onto the lowest branch. He pulled himself up, maneuvering his body between the twisted limbs, working his way up until he reached the ‘x’ on the trunk.

Devynn watched him as he carefully got to his feet, standing up on the limb that he’d previously been sitting on. Scythe reached higher and grabbed something from what appeared to be a hole in the tree. Devynn couldn’t really see what he was doing, but Scythe’s hand disappeared into it, and when it came out, he was holding something vaguely reminiscent of a backpack. But it was made out of something that Devynn had never seen here before—something that looked like a leaf. A really big leaf.

Scythe tossed the bag down from the top of the tree, and it landed in front of Devynn with a thud. Devynn blinked a couple of times, taking in where it’d landed with nervousness as he realized how close to him it had actually landed. Scythe began to weave his way back down from the treetop, his muscular body impressively limber.

Devynn knelt down, his eyes roaming over the bag curiously. It wasn’t a leaf, he quickly realized; it was made out of a material that was somewhat akin to leather, but once again, not leather. He had no idea what it was made of; it didn’t look like any kind of material he’d ever seen before.

Devynn couldn’t help but be somewhat impressed. He could tell by looking at it that the bag had been made entirely by hand. Whatever had been used to make the majority of the bag was clearly beaten with an uneven object repeatedly, everywhere . The strings were made out of thin vines woven together, forming straps that were pushed through holes that were poked into either end of the bag, as well as being messily placed around the opening of the bag so that it’d be able to close. It was pretty big and looked somewhat heavy—much too big to have been in a hole, he was sure. Maybe the height of the tree had been playing tricks on his eyes because he didn’t see how the bag could’ve possibly fit inside the tree.

Scythe jumped out of the tree from above him, landing on his feet and walking toward the bag, where it lay on the ground in front of him.

“It’s not going to bite you,” Scythe said, gripping the strap and hoisting it over his shoulder before motioning for the spear. Devynn was quick to hand it to him, watching as he hoisted it over his other shoulder.

“I know,” Devynn said, perhaps a bit dumbly. He wasn’t exactly at peak functionality, and he didn’t have the brain capacity to be snarky back to him. He was stretched thin and anxious; he hadn’t stopped being anxious. “So, where are we going now? “Why are we leaving the campsite?” Devynn asked.

“Multiple reasons,” Scythe said vaguely, turning on his heels and continuing forward in the same direction they’d been going before grabbing the bag, forcing Devynn to catch up with him quickly or risk falling behind. Devynn opened his mouth to inquire further, but before he got the chance, Scythe cut him off. “It’s not safe to stay in one place for long here. Between the monsters and the rapidly shifting weather, the only way to survive is to keep moving between biomes.”

“M-Monsters?” Devynn asked, “H-How many are there?”

“How many different animals are there on Earth?” Scythe asked, making Devynn blink a couple of times, uncertainly. “Exactly.”

“Are there that many kinds of monsters here?” Devynn asked nervously, glancing around them to see if he could spot anything following them.

“Yes,” Scythe said simply. “The main ones in this area are Mimics; they stay where the shadows are thickest, so near any woods we encounter or caves we pass. They are blind and can’t smell for shit, but they can hear everything , including your breathing.” Scythe paused for a moment, looking back over his shoulder with a smirk crossing his face. “Easy to kill, given the whole blind thing. But not being able to breathe around them levels the playing field and makes things a bit more interesting. One wrong breath and you’re dead.”

“That’s horrible!” Devynn said, though he wasn’t sure he should be defending a monster that’d fully planned to eat him for dinner if the guy hadn’t saved him.

“Maybe,” The guy said it blankly, the smirk falling from his face. He didn’t say anything else, silently leading Devynn through the woods with confidence and certainty. Devynn was quiet this time, cautiously taking in his surroundings. He was so tired that walking was a little difficult, but it hadn’t reached impossible yet. Still, he was sure that it’d only grow more difficult as the day progressed.

Once out of the forest, Devynn found himself looking up at the sky. The sky was a deep purple near the horizon and gradually became redder the higher he looked. The sun was bright red, looking almost like a blood moon on Earth but with more intensity to the color. A lot more. It was so bright that it hurt to look at it, even more than the sun he was familiar with.

“Don’t look at it,” Scythe demanded. “You’ll burn your retinas and be blinded until they heal.” Devynn couldn’t really look at it anyway; it was too bright, but he was quick to turn his head away from it regardless.

“Yeah, sir,” Devynn found himself saying thoughtlessly, his eyes roaming over the terrain he could see with his head turned. In the far-off distance, he could see mountains or possibly sand dunes; he couldn’t tell from the distance and the lack of trees. They were currently in the middle of a field, the gross-looking grass seeming to mesh together under the harsh light of the sun. This side of the field was littered with rocks. It wasn’t hilly, but it seemed to have trenches. He wasn’t sure they were technically trenches because, to his understanding, they were man-made, but these had grass in them and definitely looked more naturally occurring.

All over the field, there were hideous monsters , varying in size from rather small to humongous, all absolutely terrifying. He didn’t know what to do, so he just stepped a little closer to Scythe. Scythe barely acknowledged him, his eyes roaming over the monsters in front of them considerately.

“Damn it,” Scythe muttered, his eyes continuing to roam over them all. “C’mon, I guess. Try not to get eaten. Follow my path exactly, and if one of them sees you, run. “ Scythe said, making Devynn shake a little as he realized immediately what Scythe was saying run It wasn’t a good sign. Devynn gulped, his heart thudding against his ribcage as he looked around the field, taking in all of the different monsters walking around in the sunlight.

There were so many monsters that it was daunting and overwhelming just looking at them all. Devynn was terrified. He glanced up at Scythe and bit his lip.

“What’ll happen if I don’t run fast enough?” Devynn asked. Scythe gave him a sideways glance, shaking his head.

“Don’t worry ’bout it,” Scythe said simply, making Devynn bite his lip harder, his anxiety creeping through him until he was shaking like a leaf in the wind. Scythe let out a sigh and then continued: “Just whatever you do, do not slow down. Keep moving even when it feels impossible.”

“Th-They’re all…” Devynn trailed off for a moment, swallowing down the knot in his throat. “Very frightening.” Scythe just let out a sigh, shaking his head.

“Don’t think about it,” Scythe said. “We have to go through. The longer we stay here, the higher the chance of someone seeing us.” Devynn nodded, watching as Scythe began walking, going down into one of the trenches. Devynn took a hesitant step toward him, his eyes roaming over Scythe’s form as he followed closely behind him.

The walk was slow but highly stressful, even with the sunlight. especially with the sunlight. He couldn’t imagine it being harder to get somewhere in the light, but he almost preferred not being able to see them all. It was so much harder to relax knowing that there were monsters everywhere, and if he could see them, they could see him . A walk that probably would’ve only taken about an hour without the monsters took what felt like six excruciating hours, made that much harder with the hot sun beating down on them.

His shoulder was still a deep purple and ached the entire time, his feet were sore, and he hadn’t had this much exercise since he was about thirteen. He’d swapped from outside time to video games around then, and after that, his outside time lessened more and more the older he got. He was beyond out of shape, so keeping up with Scythe wasn’t easy in any way. Scythe didn’t try to slow down for him either, leaving enough distance between them that Devynn was anxious.

They were nearly seen about ten times, which only added to his fear. Scythe didn’t indicate when something was up; he had to just mimic his every move. Scythe didn’t instruct him when a monster was nearing them. He’d be completely silent and duck behind the nearest surface, sometimes just laying flat down in one of the trenches without warning at all if there was nowhere else to hide. It kept Devynn on edge because he could have to drop to his stomach and get back up using the arm that he’d hurt the night before at a moment’s notice. That made things harder because he was falling behind a bit, but when he and Scythe reached the other side of the tree line, Devynn was relieved.

Finally, Devynn almost moaned as he looked back over his shoulder at the monsters. In the shade of the tree line, Devynn felt a little safer. A lot of the monsters were big enough that he didn’t think they’d be able to get into the trees so that at least gave him a sense of comfort.

“Come on, we can’t stop moving yet,” Scythe said firmly, his gray eyes narrowing as he looked over Devynn. Devynn nodded, following behind him as he walked deeper into the forest. The terrain in the forest on this side was much different than the terrain on the other side had been. The trees were different and absolutely covered in thick vines that seemed to move and pulse. Devynn swallowed and stepped a little closer to Scythe.

“Are the vines… alive?” Devynn asked hesitantly, keeping his voice down. Scythe glanced around for a moment, before nodding. “Will they eat me?” Scythe shook his head in response.

“They’ll wrap around you if you step on one, though, so watch your step,” Scythe said, making Devynn nod again, his eyes glancing down at the ground. Scythe didn’t offer further elaboration, and Devynn didn’t ask. He was anxious enough already that any further information might be more of a hindrance than a help.

He had a feeling that this walk had only just begun, and they still had a long way to go. He was getting tired, but he knew he was going to have to push through. He couldn’t impede Scythe’s pace because he made it clear he would just leave him behind.

ᨒᨔ෴⦁ᨖ⦁෴ᨔᨒ ⦁⚞【⎗ 𝙱𝚊𝚌𝚔】【𝙽𝚎𝚡𝚝⎘】⚟⦁

【🖫】【🖬】【🗐】

⊶»﴾ 𝟸. 𝚃𝚛𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚍 ﴿«⊷

・ ⥋【 𝐃 𝐄 𝐕 𝐘 𝐍 𝐍 】⥋ ・ ・ ⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟷 】【 𝟶𝟶:𝟷𝟾:𝟺𝟻:𝟹𝟼 】⥋ ・

Devynn didn’t know how long they’d been walking, only that as they did, the terrain changed drastically from one place to the next. They’d been walking across wide opened fields before, but now they were surrounded by thick forest again. The trees were different from the twisted ones, but… still just as uncanny as the ones before. Instead of being twisted and contorted in strange, creepy ways, they were completely straight, not a single limb or anything, no leaves, just… wooden stalks placed in close enough proximity to call it a forest.

It was chilly, Devynn’s bare arms were covered in gooseflesh, and the sun was getting dangerously low on the horizon, making him look out even harder for monsters. His feet were aching, hurting so much that he never wanted to walk again. He was getting hungry, too, hungry enough that he felt dizzy. He’d drank, just enough to keep him alive, really, thanks to Scythe’s help, but he was getting… really hungry and tired. He hadn’t slept the night before, so with the reminder of nighttime looming over them, he was beginning to feel it.

“Hey, you,” Scythe’s voice caught his attention and he visibly shook his head, looking over at him. “I’m going to set up camp here for the night.” Devynn paused, glancing around them and finally taking in the sight of a tiny clearing.

“This isn’t… much space for two people,” Devynn said, prompting Scythe to shrug his shoulders.

“We’re in the woods, it’s survival of the fittest, not a five-star resort. You can stay in this little clearing, or find your own. Either works for me.” Scythe said coolly, prompting Devynn to bite his lip and shake his head. He didn’t want to be any father from Scythe than he already was, given how reliant on him he was right now.

“W-What’re we doing for f-food and warmth? I-It’s pretty wet here…” Devynn said, making a show of his shoes squelching in the mud.

“You’re probably not gonna like the answer to that,” Scythe said emotionlessly. “In the way of food, there isn’t anything. As for warmth. Well, we can’t have a fire out here, so it’s either the mud, or you’re going to get real close to me real quick.”

“I-Is there anywhere to shower in the morning?” Devynn asked worriedly, prompting him to shake his head. “I-I don’t want to be covered in mud…” Devynn stammered out.

“Then you’d better get real friendly with me quickly,” Scythe said, shrugging his shoulders. “I don’t care either way, I’m used to being covered in mud and blood, so this is nothing new for me.” Devynn nodded his head, biting into his lip as he fought back a yawn, terribly. Scythe let out a sigh and dropped his bag to the ground. “Preferably this’d be miles from the campsite but you’re slow so I didn’t have time to make it to the damn point,” Scythe grumbled under his breath, making Devynn raise an eyebrow.

He wasn’t just imagining that, from sleep deprivation or hunger, right? He… was pretty sure that Scythe had said he’d leave him behind if he slowed him down. He didn’t comment on it, not, instead, he looked away and bit his bottom lip, his chest filling with warmth. For all his big talking, Scythe had yet to stand by all of his talk about leaving Devynn in the dust to fend for himself. He still didn’t want to push his luck, though, the prospect of him getting tired of him was high and Devynn would prefer to keep that from happening.

Devynn couldn’t fight back the yawn he let out then, prompting Scythe to look up at him from where he was kneeling on the ground. Devynn flushed brightly, his arms wrapping around himself. He wished he had a jacket or something, he was cold. The fire the night before felt much more comfortable.

“Why can’t we have a fire out here?” Devynn asked, prompting a deep, heavy sigh from Scythe’s lips.

“Because certain monsters are drawn to the light, others are repelled with the light,” Scythe paused for a moment, “This area is full of monsters that are drawn to light. We didn’t make it through the woods in time, so this is the plan now. Do what you want, but regardless, I have to sit and watch to make sure you don’t get eaten either way.” He griped. Devynn bit his lip.

“T-Thank you,” Devynn murmured. “F-For… keeping watch, so I-I don’t get eaten,” He followed up shyly. “I-I appreciate it.” Scythe blinked for a moment, clearly unsure how to follow up his declaration. “I-I would be dead a-already…. without y-your help, so it’s… much appreciated.” Scythe let out a long, drawn-out heave of annoyance, his eyes narrowing. Still, Devynn didn’t miss the way he turned away, his tongue running along his lips.

“Whatever, just… lay down. Where do you want me? How… d’ya want to do this?” Scythe asked, making Devynn bite his lip. He couldn’t say he rightfully knew. Scythe rolled his eyes and sat down, leaning back against the tree, his legs curled up beneath him. “Just… c’mere, and… don’t be weird about it,” Scythe said, his warm hand wrapping around Devynn’s wrist, yanking him down into his lap.

Devynn flushed, squirming around in an attempt to get up, unable to help his shyness. He struggled for a minute, before stilling as he realized how warm Scythe was. Practically a heater, in comparison to him. He was thin, lithe, short even. Scythe on the other hand… well, maybe it was just from however long he’d been here, but his body was slightly denser, almost. He felt more… solid. His muscles were evident even through his shirt, and Devynn couldn’t be sure, but… he might feel the outline of his dick through the ratty pants he was wearing. He couldn’t be sure if he was hard, or if he was just… sizable.

This is the closest I’ve ever been to him, Devynn realized, chancing a glance up to see Scythe staring blankly out in front of them. Devynn curled himself up more, his legs pulling up toward his chest as he leaned his head over to rest on Scythe’s chest, his hands fighting against the urge to slip beneath his shirt for more warmth. It was tempting, with them so close like this. A little too tempting, if he were being honest.

“I-I don’t know i-if I c-can sleep,” Devynn admitted quietly after a moment, prompting Scythe to glance down at him.

“Give it a minute,” Scythe said blankly, emotionlessly. Devynn nodded his head, biting into his bottom lip. He was tired, very tired, sleep was the logical next step for him. But his stomach felt… nasty, from being so empty. He felt almost nauseated, but also, a little dizzy. He felt like he was ill, but he knew it was just from being so hungry. He tried to remain calm about it, but he wasn’t used to feeling like this. He wasn’t used to the stress.

It was all so stressful. He was… scared . He was so scared, and hungry, overwhelmed, and he couldn’t help himself as he felt tears beginning to flood his eyes. He fought them back, way too close to Scythe to hide his emotions, and was slightly embarrassed about his emotional dilemma. Scythe was so calm that it made him feel somewhat overdramatic. Unable to help himself, a couple of tears slid down his face, and he reached up to wipe at his eyes, sniffling as quietly as he possibly could.

He was holding Scythe back, he knew that. Slowing him down. Scythe had adapted to the environment and knew how to survive in it, but Devynn… well, he’d just gotten there. If something happened to Scythe while he was trying to accommodate Devynn, it’d be his fault, right? He… didn’t want him to get hurt to take care of him. He didn’t want to be the reason anyone got hurt. The tears flooded faster, and he couldn’t fight them back, even if he did his best to muffle the sound.

If Scythe heard him crying, he didn’t say anything, and Devynn was too shy to ask him about it.

・ ⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟸 】【 𝟶𝟷:𝟶𝟷:𝟷𝟼:𝟻𝟶 】⥋ ・

Devynn was sleeping against Scythe’s chest when he awoke to the sound of something rustling in the trees. It was dark outside, completely silent save for the rustling and Devynn was immediately on edge. The air was even colder now that he was awake, he noticed, when he’d gone to sleep he’d already been cold, he didn’t think it could get worse. Devynn shifted slightly and rested his head on Scythe’s chest, trying to press closer to him in an attempt to ward off the head.

He tensed slightly as he heard more rustling in the trees, this time, Scythe’s head moved down to look at him through the darkness. Scythe was silent, his head turning in either direction before he tensed slightly and leaned down a bit, so his lips were near Devynn’s ear.

“Be quiet, and shift deeper into the woods,” Scythe directed calmly, pushing Devynn forward so that he was out of his way and no longer pressed against him. Devynn shivered, his arms wrapping around himself as he looked up at Scythe, who’d already maneuvered his way onto his feet and was cautiously looking out into the trees. Scythe’s head turned toward him and he opened his mouth to speak. No words came out, though, because suddenly his head jerked forward and he pushed Devynn back between some trees. Devynn fought back the groan that tried to leave his mouth as he landed in the mud, covering himself.

Before Devynn had a chance to take in what was happening, something moving way too fast lunged forward toward Scythe, who to the best of Devynn’s knowledge was weaponless. Well, maybe not, he had built that spear, and Devynn had kind of lost track of it during sleeping so he wasn’t too sure. Devynn’s hand darted up to his mouth to hold in his scream as the monster attacked Scythe, his eyes widening in horror.

He was so sure he was about to watch him die, the creature having collided with his body and pushed him down onto the ground. He couldn’t move a muscle, his brain freaking out, his body trembling, he had never been so terrified in all of his life, and he wanted to help but he was too afraid. He didn’t know what to do! Did he try to help?!

Before he had to think any deeper into it, he heard the sound of an animalistic growl and started paying attention to what he was seeing once again, taking sight of Scythe repeatedly kicking the monster in the… abdomen(?) or whatever part of its body that would be an abdomen, full force. It was enough that even the monster, which was quite a bit larger than him, was being interrupted as it tried to eat him. Scythe’s eyes darted over to his through the trees and Devynn looked away as his cheeks heated up.

Scythe made a loud noise, something between a growl and a scream, using his legs to push the monster off of him, sending it flying through the air before he jumped up off of his back. Moving way too quickly for Devynn to ever keep up, he reached into the bag he’d been carrying earlier and pulled out a knife. It was way sharper than Devynn would’ve expected, but he didn’t have time to question how Scythe would’ve even managed to make it himself, the monster was back and angrier than before, snarling.

Devynn couldn’t help but watch, mortified, terrified, but somewhat curious as he watched Scythe begin to fight. Devynn was no fighter, he’d been the type to avoid conflict at all costs in an attempt to blend into the background, so he’d never been this close to a fight before. Even when fights had happened when he was in school, he’d stayed back and out of the way, wanting no problems with anyone. He wasn’t athletic, and his survival tactic in high school had been a pretty simple one: head down, mouth closed, and stay out of it. Make no enemies. Be unremarkable, and get out alive without suffering at the hands of anyone he was in school with. He’d always been on the sidelines, just trying to avoid getting pulled into the center of conflict.

Now he was in nothing but conflict. He had no idea how to handle it, and all he wanted to do is run and hide. He was so scared, so hopelessly frightened and unsure of what to do. Scythe’s body moved around rapidly, his hand swinging the knife around, cutting into the monster as it tried to slash him with its long claws. Devynn could see at least Scythe had a chance now, though he wasn’t sure it was a great one.

The monster was twice the size of Scythe, so it seemed unlikely that he’d ever be able to defeat it with a knife so small, but Devynn could hope that the tables were turned in his favor this time. He needed Scythe. He was the only protection that Devynn had out here. He was nervous, admittedly, watching Scythe meet every move the monster made with a countermove.

He couldn’t help watching his body as it moved, getting closer to the tree he was pushed behind when Scythe had pushed him out of the way. When he’d… protected him. He couldn’t help but watch Scythe’s movements through the darkly lit trees, unable to help but notice how the moonlight leaked through them and cast shadows on his muscles. His arms were moving with the blade, dodging out of the way of the monster’s attacks, as if he knew every move it would make before it made them.

He was clearly skilled, not necessarily in hand-to-hand combat, but whatever the hell this was. His muscles were even more massive than Devynn had ever noticed, even when he’d been lying on his chest. Now that he could clearly see him using his muscles, he could see how thick and chorded his arms were, the muscles moving with every movement of his arms, tensing slightly, almost. Devynn was honestly a little distracted and he wasn’t too sure why.

Scythe was edging the monster deeper into the woods, Devynn realized, watching as he moved between the trees, edging deeper. Devynn wanted to follow him, was scared not to follow him, but he stayed put regardless, unsure of what he’d do if he got caught.

It didn’t take Devynn long to see what Scythe’s plan of attack was. It wasn’t to injure the monster, or anything like that. He was trapping him. Even Scythe was having a bit of a hard time getting through the branches of the trees the farther back he went, eventually disappearing. It was mostly silent, he could hear the monster’s footfalls on the ground, growls echoing through the trees, and the sound of a struggle.

“DEVYNN RUN NOW!” Scythe’s voice screamed from the darkness, and Devynn’s head snapped up, his heart clenching in his chest. He didn’t know if that meant the monster was stuck and Scythe was coming with him just behind him, or if that was bad and Scythe had been caught. He couldn’t think about that, though, because he had his orders.

His body moving mostly on instinct, Devynn turned and ran, his feet sliding in the mud slightly as he ran in the opposite direction than the one that Scythe had lured the monster into, figuring if Scythe was planning to meet up with him, that’d be the most likely direction he’d run in. At least, that was what he was hoping for.

Devynn ran, and ran, stopping only once he’d found a clearing somewhat similar to the one Scythe had camped with him in earlier, his heart pounding in his chest. He sank down onto the ground with his back pressed firmly against a tree, shivering as he wrapped his arms around his legs, terrified and uncertain of what to do. He didn’t know if Scythe was headed toward him, away from him, what monsters lay deep within these woods that could be watching him, nor how he’d even manage to protect himself if he managed to know that they were watching him.

Devynn felt like, on one hand, he should keep moving, because being still couldn’t be good. But at the same time, if Scythe was looking for him and he kept moving, Scythe wouldn’t be able to find him. Terrified, but trying his best not to panic or freak out, Devynn squeezed his arms around his legs, shivering as he looked out and around him, trying to keep a look out for anything moving through the woods.

He felt unsafe without Scythe beside him. He didn’t like this, he was so scared. Tears prickled the corners of his eyes, a shiver crawling up his spine as he tried to calm himself down. He couldn’t be loud, he had to be quiet. If any monsters were out there, he could get caught by them and he didn’t know what’d happen after that but he didn’t really want to, either. Not knowing was easier, because at least he didn’t have to know that he was going to suffer.

He sat there for a long time, the minutes feeling four times as slow as his brain raced, wondering about Scythe. He was still sleepy, he was trying hard not to nod off, his eyes scanning the area around him for any sign or movement. He wasn’t going to sleep until he found out about Scythe. He would have to take ‘no news is bad news’ at some point, but… until then, he’d wait. Scythe seemed to know this place very well, he’d survived up until now, and Devynn was holding out hope that Scythe was just taking his time, or couldn’t find him, or was going a different direction to lead the monster off track before doubling back.

He couldn’t accept that something could’ve happened to him. That wasn’t a possibility he wanted to accept, even though there was a nagging feeling in his chest that was feeling much more pessimistic than he was trying to be. He was beginning to wonder though, his mind losing optimism as he waited longer and longer.

It’d been hours, he knew, though he couldn’t be sure how many. He felt like… like he was surely gone if it’d been this long, and it made his chest tighten as tears sprung to his eyes. He didn’t know what he was going to do and worse… he was alone. Without Scythe, he had no idea how to traverse and he had no survival skills, he was about as muscled as a blade of grass if that, and he didn’t know how to hunt. He couldn’t build a camp or anything. He just… needed to think. There was no way, right? He hadn’t died, right? He’d just abandoned him. That could be possible. He’d rather that.

Devynn let out a quiet sob, trying to hold in the tears that slipped down his cheeks. If Scythe hadn’t been with him he never—

“Devynn? Devynn?” He heard a quiet, hushed whisper through the darkness of the trees surrounding him, and Devynn’shead snapped up as he looked around, his heart clenching. He couldn’t tell if it was Scythe, though he didn’t know if anyone else could ever possibly be near him to know his name. None of the monsters they’d come across yet had spoken, so it didn’t really make sense to think it was one of them.

Still crying, Devynn pushed himself up off of the ground, looking around desperately for which direction the voice was coming from. He heard the sound of something rustling the leaves to the right of him, and he quickly jerked around to face that direction, cautious, afraid. The last time that he’d heard that, it’d been a monster, so all it did is make him terrified.

“S-Scythe?” Devynn called quietly, keeping his voice hushed as he stepped forward cautiously, trying to peer out into the darkness, trembling slightly.

“Dev?” Scythe said, stepping forward from behind a tree, and letting out a deep sigh. “Thank fuck—” Scythe cut off as Devynn threw himself forward, wrapping his arms around Scythe as he cried, pressing his face into Scythe’s bloody shirt. “What the hell are you doing?” He asked, sounding a little annoyed. Devynn didn’t care at all.

“You’re o-okay,” Devynn cried, “I-I was so scared, I-I didn’t know what to do, I d-didn’t know if you w-were okay, o-or if you’d left m-me or if something b-bad had happened and I c-couldn’t think that—!” Devynn broke off with a sob, pressing his face into Scythe’s chest more. “Pl-Please don’t l-leave me a-alone out here!” He pled, “I-I don’t wanna be a-alone—”

“Fuck, you’re so high maintenance,” Scythe sighed, patting him on the back awkwardly as he let Devynn shift closer to him. “I’m not going to leave you, so just stop crying?” Scythe requested, patting his back a bit more. Devynn sniffled, nodding his head as he squeezed his arms around Scythe’s waist. “Are you hurt? From me pushing you,” Scythe specified, and Devynn shook his head. He didn’t think so.

“I-I don’t think so,” He answered quietly, “A-Are you okay?” Scythe nodded, motioning towards the cuts on his arm.

“Son of a bitch got me,” Scythe explained, shaking his head. “I’m fine, though, I get injured a lot. This isn’t anything to worry about,” Devynn nodded.

“I-I should at least bandage it,” Devynn said, and Scythe just rolled his eyes. “It’ll get infected,” Devynn pressed, and Scythe just sighed.

“Whatever, do what you want to do. This part of the woods is mostly clear, just stay right where I can see you while you gather supplies. I think it’s unnecessary, so you have to do the work.” Devynn nodded, pulling away from him finally and wiping at his eyes, flushing brightly. That was so weird, Devynn, don’t do that! He scolded himself as he turned away from Scythe, and started going around looking for things he could use to form a bandage.

He wished he had something cloth… Well… he had his shirt, and he could always use the bottom of that, right? He’d seen that in all the old movies his parents used to watch. It probably wasn’t up to par with the conditions in a hospital where Devynn would prefer to take him, but it’d have to do.

“S-Scythe?” Devynn asked, hesitantly, flushing a little as Scythe looked up at him from where he was resting against a tree. “C-Can you cut my shirt? T-To make a bandage? Or… bandages?” Devynn asked, and Scythe sighed.

“A twerp like you, out here without a shirt on? What are ya, suicidal? You’ll freeze. Uh-uh, no way.” Scythe said, and Devynn frowned, crossing his arms over his chest stubbornly. “…You’re not gonna let this go are ya?” Devynn shook his head, prompting Scythe to sigh heavily.

“Fine, then take mine,” Scythe said, lifting himself up and pulling off the shirt he was wearing. Devynn’s eyes widened as he took in the skin-tight undershirt he had on beneath it. It too was stained with blood, but oh holy macaroni, he was fucking ripped . He must never stop moving, and work out when he isn’t moving. He’s got the body of a heavy-weight boxer on steroids, only without the steroids. Devynn couldn’t help staring blatantly for a moment, before he blinked and shook his head, taking the shirt and turning around self-consciously.

He couldn’t recall a time that he’d ever felt this self-conscious just changing his shirt, but even if he knew Scythe wasn’t going to look up at him because he didn’t care , he still couldn’t help it. He pulled off his shirt, shivering a little before he tugged Scythe’s over his head.

Scythe’s shirt felt warm against his skin, and his scent clung heavily to it. He could smell the faint scent of water from when he’d last washed it, but for the most part, it smelled like sweat. Scythe’s sweat, maybe a little like just what he smelled like, Devynn had never smelled him when he’d bathed and he couldn’t imagine the opportunity came around often to do so, so Devynn wasn’t judging.

As strange as he found it, he actually kind of… liked it. Scythe’s sweat, at least the scent of it. He’d clearly been fighting hard and had worked up a sweat even with the temperature low enough for Devynn to be freezing. Devynn couldn’t fight back the blush that lingered on his cheeks as he turned around and handed the shirt to Scythe, watching as he cut the bottom of it off and stuffed the rest into the bag.

“You stopped by the camp to get that?!” Devynn asked, unable to help the shock in his voice. Scythe glanced up at him and nodded.

“You do not want to be out here without supplies,” Scythe said rather vaguely, handing him the makeshift bandage. “Hurry, we need to get moving, that thing won’t be trapped forever, we need to keep going this way. Round the mountain and then follow the edge of it straight to get to the water pit by daybreak. We can rest there for an hour, clean up, and then we’ll need to keep moving.” Scythe said as Devynn took the bandage.

“I-If we’re going to the watering hole, can I use the shirt to stop the bleeding,” Devynn said, looking down at Scythe’s arm. It was dark enough that he’d barely noticed it was still bleeding, in the dark it had looked solid and still, like the blood was dried almost, but this close to it, he could see the wound oozing blood.

“Fine, do what ya have to,” Scythe said, sounding a bit annoyed but otherwise complying, reaching into the bag and handing it to him calmly. Devynn immediately set to work, dabbing at the wound carefully, pressing in to try to stop the bleeding, pausing as Scythe let out a hiss. “Hey! Careful with that, I’m not immune to pain,” He scolded, and Devynn let out a squeaked apology, nodding his head.

Devynn was more gentle, trying to be careful. As soon as he was satisfied with how little it was bleeding, Devynn began to wrap it, uncertain what else to do. He knew he couldn’t spend forever working on this or Scythe wouldn’t let him finish it, so he had to be quick and settle for what he just kind of assumed was okay. He knew no amount of bleeding was really preferable , but he wasn’t really in a position to hold them there forever when he knew the plan Scythe had and wanted to keep from slowing him down. Today, Devynn would be quicker. He would keep up with Scythe without pause.

He wouldn’t hold him back again.

・ ⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟸 】【 𝟶𝟷:𝟷𝟸:𝟹𝟷:𝟸𝟽 】⥋ ・

He’d not thought it was possible, honestly, but he managed to keep up with Scythe, at least for the most part. He’d been a little slower at times, but he’d done decently well at staying right with him, which made things a lot easier on Scythe he was sure. The closer and the quieter he was, the happier Scythe was, so he’d practically taken a vow of silence.

Scythe had been working on building the campsite and Devynn had been focused on… well staying out of the way, but also, admiring Scythe as he worked. He couldn’t help it. Maybe his seclusion was getting to his head or something, but… Scythe was pretty… attractive. He’d not been a virgin before he appeared here, far from it really, he’d always managed to get laid and stay out of trouble, and he’d fooled around with a couple of guys before, but nothing really serious.

He didn’t really know if he was bi, that felt more appropriate than saying he was straight. And considering there was absolutely no chance of confusing Scythe with a woman, he was pretty sure that was at least something to take into consideration. Still, he was… pretty attractive, with a strong jawline. He was fit, and with just that undershirt on, Devynn had been cursed with watching his muscles as he walked, and lifted things was not helping him any.

“W-What are we doing tonight? F-For food? A-Are we eating?” Devynn asked nervously, shyly, keeping his voice low and respectful. He didn’t want to step on Scythe’s nerves much, and he didn’t know what Scythe wanted him to act like.

“Yeah, I cut off that fuckers hand while he was stuck in the trees,” Scythe explained, reaching into the bag and pulling out something that looked like a lidded jar with a clawed hand in it. Devynn couldn’t help the immediate reaction he had to seeing it, as gross as it looked. Still, he was starving at this point, and he’d eat just about anything. “I’ll take care of hunting and cooking, I guess, can’t imagine you’d be much good at it.” He said, shaking his head as he spun the hand around in it.

“I-I absolutely can cook.” Devynn said defensively, flushing a bit, “I want to do something, so… c-can I? C-Cook, I mean. Can I cook?”

“Devynn, you really don’t seem like the kind that could handle chopping into an arm, buddy,” Scythe said, scoffing a bit. “Don’t be difficult, this is unnecessary. If you puke on it, It’ll be a waste.”

“I-I won’t! Really! I can do it, I-I want to help somehow,” Devynn insisted, and Scythe sighed heavily. Scythe jerked his head toward the structure he’d been building with tree limbs on the other side of the campsite.

“You can finish that. Do you know how? Take boy scouts when you were a boy?” Devynn shook his head. “Damn it.” Scythe sighed, “Look, what about this; I’ll skin it, chop it, then you can cook it.” Devynn nodded, “Okay. Just wait a bit and let me get the tent finished and set up the fire. The tent is more important than the fire and the food tonight, so we’ve got to reserve daylight.” Devynn nodded.

“I-I can get the fire pit set up while you work on the house, I-I’ve built a bonfire before, so I can actually be useful,” Scythe nodded hesitantly.

“Do not wander beyond the point where you can see me through the trees. If you can’t see me, I can’t see you. Keep your eyes and ears open, pay attention , be quiet, and do not scream if you see a monster. Hold your breath, get down low behind something, in a hole, just get out of sight. Climbing is really good if you’re good at it, just be sure you go high enough that you’re out of their reach.” Devynn nodded his head, glancing out from where he’d been sitting on the ground. This campsite was significantly bigger than the last, which worked out nicely because they’d have more space but… he kind of didn’t entirely mind the prospect of curling up on Scythe’s chest.

He was physically affectionate and without human contact, he was touch starved. It was easier for him to excuse the weirdness if he just told himself it wasn’t what he was pretty sure it was. It just was mind-boggling because Scythe was… soooo rude. Okay, not really rude, he’d actually been pretty respectful, but it was like he had zero idea how to… communicate. He was gruff and blunt, quiet, buuut… he also was pretty hot.

Devynn felt so silly. He was being so stupid. Scythe was not looking at him in the same way he was looking at Scythe. Scythe barely even wanted to look at him. He barely wanted to help him. He’d been so pathetic, begging him not to leave. How embarrassing. Scythe must think he’s a massive baby. Devynn frowned a bit as he walked through the woods, getting as much wood as he could carry before he turned around and went back to the campsite.

Once he reached it, he began building a stack with all of the wood, putting the biggest at the bottom and the smallest on the top. He was pretty sure that’s how his dad used to do it when they were hosting the family bonfire. He was just trying to help as much as he could despite being mostly just useless here. Maybe he could at least get Scythe done quicker so he could rest. He was probably exhausted.

“Good job,” Scythe said from behind him, “That’s perfect.” Devynn turned around, somewhat startled, and Scythe laughed. Devynn felt his heart speed up a little, staring up at Scythe as he laughed at him unable to help but be a little taken with him. He looked good when he didn’t look so dead-eyed and emotionless.

“Y-You c-complimented me?” Devynn asked, a little surprised. Scythe rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, that tends to be how doing something right works, right?” Scythe asked, “You do something right, someone goes ‘good job’ and gets all excited.” Maybe for a child, Scythe would be right. Devynn was twenty-three, though, the farthest thing from a child. Still, he’d always been a sucker for praise, so he wasn’t going to turn it down, either.

“How old are you?” Devynn asked, and Scythe shrugged.

“I don’t really know, I’ve been here so long. There aren’t any calendars, and it’s not like the years are the same here anyway.” He said, shrugging, “I’m at least twenty,” He said, and Devynn snorted. Clearly, he was over twenty, but he really didn’t seem to have any idea at all. How long has this guy

actually

been here, if he can’t even remember how old he is? Devynn couldn’t help but wonder.

“I’m twenty-three,” Devynn offered, and Scythe ran his eyes over him, surprise taking over his features. “W-What?!” Devynn asked, flushing, and Scythe just shrugged, remaining silent. “I am not that short,” Devynn complained, making Scythe just raise an eyebrow. “You’re like a mastodon giant! So don’t compare me to you?!”

“I don’t know how tall I am, but given the fact that a lot of the monsters here tower over me, I’d say I’m not a giant,” Scythe pointed out, “At least all you are is a cute little snack, I’m the full course meal, shorty, they’d much rather munch on me.” CUTE?! LITTLE?! SNACK?! SCYTHE COULDN’T HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT HE WAS SAYING, RIGHT?! HE’S BEEN HERE SO LONG THAT HE DIDN’T EVEN KNOW HIS OWN AGE, HE COULDN’T KNOW SLANG FROM… Well, Devynn wasn’t sure whether or not they were on Earth, but regardless: SCYTHE CALLED HIM CUTE?!

Devynn’s face flamed red, and he turned away from Scythe to go back to working on the fire pit, embarrassment washing through him. He was clearly just trying to make him feel better, less self-conscious, maybe. Devynn just needed to stop being so stupid. Scythe was not looking at him. Right? Scythe didn’t care. Right. Right. Devynn let out a breath and sat back in front of the fire pit, turning to glance over at Scythe, unable to help himself.

He was right, Scythe wasn’t looking at him, but he was looking at Scythe. Scythe definitely seemed like the kind who’d have tattoos, and Devynn was curious as to if he had any. He’d said he was at least twenty, so did that mean he was twenty when he came here? Or that he knew he’d at least hit twenty since coming here, or was it more that he’d aged twenty years here? Devynn was so confused, still, Scythe was definitely at least twenty, he’d say he might be early thirties, going off looks, but also, it wasn’t easy to gauge that because he’d gone to high school with a dude who looked like he had a whole ass mortgage.

“What?” Scythe asked, not turning away from what he was doing. “Do you need something?” Devynn shook his head, blushing a bit.

“N-No, I’m just watching how you do it, I’m a slow learner but I learn best by watching people,” Devynn explained quickly, shaking his head, willing his cheeks to cool down. He didn’t want to embarrass himself, not more than he had already least.

“Oh,” Scythe said quietly, nodding his head. “Fine then, watch away.” Devynn nodded, letting out a breath as he pulled his legs up to his chest, his chin settling on his knees, thighs squeezing together slightly as he watched Scythe. He was learning nothing, but watching diligently regardless.

・ ⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟸 】【 𝟶𝟷:𝟷𝟼:𝟷𝟸:𝟻𝟶 】⥋ ・

After eating, it was once again time for bed and Devynn was relieved to note that there was not nearly as much space in the makeshift tent house thing that Scythe had made them out of sticks. It was quite nice, really, he was pressed so firmly against him as they laid back to back that it had his heart hammering in his chest. Despite being so wired from the contact, Devynn was absolutely exhausted. He’d been going non-stop until they finally got into the structure they were sleeping in.

His attempt at cooking hadn’t been entirely pathetic, but he could admit that he’d made better food. It didn’t help that everything just tasted bad no matter how it was prepared or cleaned beforehand. Scythe was right, nothing here was meant to be eaten, at least not by humans like them. Devynn wanted to try to get better at cooking through, here, where he really needed to be. He wanted to prove his worth, and if he was hopeless with literally everything, he wouldn’t be very useful to Scythe.

Scythe was taking care of him, feeding him, protecting him… it was only fair that he pulled weight where he could, right? Besides, he couldn’t imagine Scythe really wanting him around forever if all he did was hold him back and bog him down with extra responsibility.

Devynn shifted around a bit, trying to get comfortable on the moss-like stuff he was trying to go to sleep on. Scythe had pushed him back toward the trunk of the tree to sleep while he’d taken the spot in front of the door, his muscular body forming somewhat of a wall between Devynn and anything that might stick its head into the structure. It wasn’t lost on him that the part of the ground Scythe was lying on was solid dirt, much harder than the mossy stuff Devynn was resting on top of.

Despite himself, he couldn’t help but feel giddy, protected, small, and hidden behind him. Even a bit pampered, even though that made little sense when comparing it to the conditions he had at home. It was just… Scythe… It was different now, though, he knew. He wasn’t at home with a warm comfortable bed, changes of clothes, and his mother cooking him meals anymore. Franky, he didn’t really know where the hell he was. Maybe this was hell. Maybe he was dead, and he’d gone to hell. He didn’t really know. But… wherever he was, the only person he had now was Scythe.

Devynn shuffled a bit, shivering as he slipped his arms inside Scythe’s shirt, pulling the collar of it up over his nose and ears, trying to fight off the chills. It’d be warmer in the morning, at least.

ᨒᨔ෴⦁ᨖ⦁෴ᨔᨒ

⦁⚞【⎗ 𝙱𝚊𝚌𝚔】【𝙽𝚎𝚡𝚝⎘】⚟⦁

【🖫】【🖬】【🗐】

⊶»﴾ 𝟹. 𝙰𝚋𝚢𝚜𝚖𝚊𝚕 ﴿«⊷

・ ⥋【 𝐃 𝐄 𝐕 𝐘 𝐍 𝐍 】⥋ ・ ・ ⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟹 】【 𝟶𝟸:𝟶𝟺:𝟷𝟻:𝟷𝟾 】⥋ ・

When Devynn woke up, he was warm. Really warm, and his head was resting atop something so much softer than he’d remembered the ground to be. Devynn let out a hum, pressing closer to the warmth and nuzzling into the softness, his brain lagging behind as he let his eyes flutter open, the haze of sleep still muddling everything. He paused for a moment as he took in his surroundings, his head slowly turning to see that his head was resting on Scythe’s chest. Scythe’s head turned, and Devynn swore the ground was going to open up and swallow him whole.

“You’re finally awake,” Scythe said, his eyes wide and unmarred by sleep. Devynn felt the urge to scream, or maybe cry, he wasn’t really sure. He’d just woken up sleeping on Scythe’s chest, and he couldn’t even pretend it hadn’t happened because SCYTHE FUCKING ACKNOWLEDGED IT OH HOLY MACARONI WHAT WAS HE SUPPOSED TO DO?!

“I-I’m sorry!” Devynn gasped, “I-I didn’t mean to…” Devynn trailed off as Scythe started chuckling.

“Oi, just hush and get up, we gotta get moving before it gets too bright out,” Scythe said, “We’ve got a long walk ahead of us. How are you with heights?” Devynn gulped, shifting away from Scythe shyly and watching as Scythe shifted out of the structure and looked in at Devynn. “You’re gonna have to overcome that, today.” Devynn nodded and looked at Scythe who tapped on the wooden structure.

“O-Okay, I-I’ll do my best,” Devynn said, coming out of the structure behind him and raising to his feet. Devynn glanced around, watching as Scythe went around the campsite and began preparing for them to leave. In an attempt to be useful, Devynn followed suit.

・ ⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟹 】【 𝟶𝟸:𝟷𝟶:𝟸𝟹:𝟻𝟷 】⥋ ・

They had been trekking uphill through the woods for hours, and Devynn was fucking exhausted. He was not suited for the kind of walking that this place required, but he was pushing forward despite his tiredness. He was just a little behind Scythe, who was mostly clearing the way for him. His stomach was nauseated from the food they’d eaten the day before, but he didn’t really have time to be keeling over and puking his guts up so he was just trying his best to ignore it.

Scythe slowed down in front of him as the sound of water began to tickle Devynn’s hearing, and Devynn frowned as Scythe stopped entirely and looked around. Devynn felt his heartbeat rising as he stopped just behind Scythe, his hand instinctively moving to clasp onto Scythe’s belt loop, terrified of getting separated from him again.

“You’ve got to be careful up here. The water will burn you. Do not fall off the edge. Do not get close to the edge. Stay closest to the treeline, and follow me exactly. Do not stumble, and if you do stumble, assume it’s always better to fall into the trees and attract a monster rather than to fall off the edge quietly.” Scythe said firmly, and Devynn nodded his head, complaint, and yielding Scythe’s commands.

“Y-Yes, of c-course,” Devynn said, nodding his head, his hand retreating a bit hesitantly from where it was holding Scythe as Scythe began leading him forward, out of the treeline and onto a bit of ground that was oddly completely free of trees. It was so strange, it was almost like a perfect pathway just along the edge. There was a giant waterfall, so far off that even with its size it looked pretty small. The air was humid and muggy, so much so that just standing right here by the ledge where the steam from the river below was running, he immediately felt hot and muggy, like he was going to suffocate from the sheer heat.

“We need to move as quickly as possible, take your shirt off, the fewer clothes you have on the better. It’ll only get hotter when we reach the walk that crosses the river up ahead, and you’ll really not want anything extra covering you.” Scythe instructed, pulling his shirt off and hooking it to the strap of the backpack. Devynn swallowed down the knot in his throat and nodded, pulling his shirt up and off of him before tentatively slipping it into the backpack.

“Okay, let’s go, then,” Scythe said, motioning him forward and stepping over closer to the edge. Devynn bit his lip and fell into line beside him, unable to help blushing a bit as his eyes glanced over to run over his muscled abdomen. He was clearly just so horny he was losing brain function at this point. He let out a huff as he walked, his arms coming up to cross over his chest self-consciously as he lowered his eyes to the ground, keeping a lookout for tree roots or rocks that might trip him otherwise.

Anything to keep from looking at Scythe’s abdomen while he was walking beside him.

“W-What was that thing that attacked us last night?” Devynn asked, keeping his voice low, but attempting to break the silence anyway. It was hard to keep his thoughts off of how nice Scythe looked in direct lighting, even if the coloring of it was a little off. “I-It was different from the mimic, right?”

“I call them Predators,” Scythe said evenly, keeping his eyes straight ahead of him. “They are different from the mimics. They can see, have claws, and this annoying armor skin stuff that makes it hard to kill them.” Scythe paused, “The only way to survive if you get found by one is to trap them. They’re not smart so it’s rather easy to get them to follow you, especially if you’re bleeding,” Scythe explained, motioning toward his arm. “The smell of blood distracts them, drives them crazy, they want it so bad they are stupid for it.”

“S-So you got hurt on purpose?” Devynn asked, and Scythe shook his head.

“I never intend to get hurt, but when I can use it to my advantage then it’s less a problem and more something I use to get away,” Scythe said, his eyes glancing over to run over Devynn, “That bastard was dumb enough he would’ve followed me through the trees without the blood, just because he can smell it through my skin, but he got me through the trees while I was leading him through them. I knew if I jumped through enough, he’d get tangled and stuck. At least until I could get away from him,” Scythe explained.

“W-Where are we headed to now?” Devynn asked, timid and shy, peeking up at Scythe’s face.

“Well, once we pass over this river with the waterfall, we’ll be on the other side of the forest on the tropical side, so we’ll need to reach the treehouse I have built by the time it starts raining this evening, or else we’ll be fucked.” Scythe said, glancing over at him. “Unless you’re radiation-proof, that is.”

“R-Radiation?!” Devynn asked worriedly, and Scythe nodded. “Won’t we like… die?” Scythe shook his head, a frown pulling at the corners of his lips.

“From what I can tell, the concentration of radiation in the water is just enough to burn, not to kill. You’re not going to melt, but… it’s not going to feel good.” Scythe paused considerately, “And prolonged exposure will end up worse than anything you could possibly be imagining so it’s best we don’t drag along too much today. It rains every single night, without fail, in this part of the world, so you want to get to shelter before that happens.”

“Will it at least get warmer?” Devynn asked, and Scythe shrugged.

“Yeah, probably. At least until it rains and the temp drops all at once. It’ll be so hot during the day you’ll want to tear your own skin off, and at night, it’ll be so cold you’ll want to tear my skin off and use it as a blanket.” Scythe drawled, making Devynn shudder. “Feel this? This is the average temp for this area, just a lot more humid because of the steam from the river. Hence why we need to get across quickly and head into the jungle.”

“Everything in here is a literal nightmare,” Devynn replied, and Scythe snorted. “I-It’s really cool that you’ve survived though. And that y-you’re helping me.”

“Eh, you might be second-guessing how cool it is to survive here after a year,” Scythe said dryly, “Don’t worry about me helping you, it’s just until you figure this shit out for yourself anyway. It’s much better to be alone out here, that way when you die, no one’s missin’ ya.” He glanced away, walking forward a bit faster as they neared the crossover from one side to the next.

“A-Aren’t we supposed to cross here?” Devynn asked, and Scythe shook his head.

“There’s a path up ahead that crosses over the water.” Scythe explained, “You did not look too confident about your abilities to handle heights so I changed the route we’re traveling a bit. It’d be problematic if you fell to your death.”

“O-Oh, I-I think I can walk across it…” Devynn said, not wanting Scythe to have to go out of his way just to accommodate him. He’d made it really clear how important it was for them to get to the treehouse thing, so he didn’t want to hold him up, it seemed like an inconvenience to him, and if they were on a time limit then he just needed to get over it.

“Maybe another day, champ, just keep goin’ forward,” Scythe said, an air of finality in his voice that had Devynn biting into his bottom lip, a flush crossing his cheeks as he started walking again, trying to ignore the way it made his heart speed up in his chest.

・ ⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟹 】【 𝟶𝟸:𝟷𝟺:𝟺𝟻:𝟶𝟾 】⥋ ・

When they finally made it to the treehouse, Devynn was just a little astonished as he looked up at it. It was high, much higher up than he’d thought Scythe would be able to get it. The only way up onto it was by climbing on these annoying mushroom-like things that were growing on the trees, some of them much bigger than others, with varying levels of hardness. He could literally tell how ‘old’ they were based on the texture of them beneath the soles of his shoes which was truly as uncanny as it sounds.

Getting up there was a little terrifying, especially when the mushroom things they had to climb on were between two different trees and Scythe had to help him across. That was… enough to make him shake. He was so nervous, and Scythe being close to him was only making that worse. But, once they finally managed to get inside the treehouse, Devynn honestly never wanted to leave. It was as much like an actual house as he had been in since he’d appeared here, and he was honestly a little relieved to have solid walls around him.

“W-Why don’t you like s-stay here all the time?” Devynn asked as he settled into one of the corners of the treehouse. It was a little cramped for both of them, but if it was just him or Scythe then it’d be different.

“Well, this is… from what I can tell a somewhat tropical climate,” Scythe explained, “There doesn’t really seem to be ‘seasons’ here, everything just is what it is all the time, there isn’t a noticeable change in anything. This place’s weather is annoyingly random, but also certain in some ways. It’s impossible to know upon coming in here when you’ll be able to eat next.” Scythe explained. “We could be in here for the next four days while it pours radiation rain down outside, which makes this place not exactly ideal for a long-time residence.”

“I-Is there any place that is?” Devynn asked curiously, and Scythe hesitated.

“Somewhat.” He answered. “First you’d have to clear all the woods away, then you’d have to build a house and fight off the monsters in the area that migrate in random hoards around the area,” Scythe explained. “It’d be a hassle to do alone.”

“A-About what you s-said earlier,” Devynn said, swallowing uneasily as he pulled his legs up to his chest, “A-About only helping me until I-I learn how to do it m-myself… C-Can’t we just… stay together? I don’t want t-to be out here a-alone,” Devynn stammered, wrapping his arms around his legs in an attempt to make himself feel safer. “I-I feel safe w-with you,” he mumbled shyly, biting into his bottom lip.

“Devynn, it’s better to be alone out here,” Scythe said, his voice leaving no room for negotiation. Devynn frowned a bit, trying to keep from letting his tears escape, sniffling slightly.

“S-Shouldn’t it be safer t-together?” Devynn asked, despite Scythe’s hesitation to talk about it. Scythe sighed.

“No, Devynn. It isn’t.” Devynn fell silent with that, pressing his face down into his knees to keep from looking at Scythe. He was so tired, tired of walking, and tired of being scared. He didn’t want to be alone out here. He just wanted to stay with Scythe. Why was he being so mean? It was so unnecessary. He knew it was a hassle for Scythe to have him with him, but he wanted to help him. He wanted to be a team.

It was awkward and silent as they sat there, but it didn’t take long for the rain to start and then he definitely felt the immediate temperature drop. It was cold and he was sad, he wanted to go home.

・ ⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟹 】【 𝟶𝟸:𝟸𝟹:𝟻𝟿:𝟷𝟶 】⥋ ・

Devynn woke up to the sound of loud, booming thunder that made his entire body feel like it was shaking. He was startled, and his eyes immediately searched around the treehouse for Scythe. His eyes landed on him, sitting behind Devynn, his legs crossed as he stared out of the doorway of the treehouse, watching the glowing blue rain that fell from the sky. He’d put a board up across the bottom of the door, keeping the water from flooding into the room. Scythe glanced over at Devynn and nodded.

“W-What’s going on?” Devynn asked quietly, “Is the w-weather okay?” Devynn continued and Scythe nodded.

“Everything is fine, you can go back to sleep,” Scythe said, leaning his head back against the wall of the treehouse. “It could be like this for the next seven hours, might as well sleep while you can.” Devynn shook his head, raising his head up off of the hard wooden floor, looking around the small treehouse as he shivered.

“I-I’m c-cold,” Devynn said, shivering a bit as he stuck his arms into Scythe’s shirt, pulling his legs into it in an attempt to ward off the cold. Scythe sighed and nodded.

“Come over here,” Scythe said, and Devynn nodded getting up and crawling over to Scythe, sitting down beside him. Scythe reached his arm up, wrapping his arm around Devynn’s shoulder. “Go ahead, get comfortable.” He said, his voice rather blank. Devynn nodded, shifting around a little as he pulled his arms and legs back into his shirt, shivering a little as he pressed against Scythe’s side, resting his head against Scythe’s side. Scythe’s arm wrapped around him, holding him close to his side.

Another loud boom from thunder echoed out around them as lightning flashed across the sky outside and Devynn jerked, a cry trying to force its way from his mouth. He didn’t like this, not at all.

“…Are you scared…?” Scythe asked, and Devynn glanced up at him from beneath his bangs with wide eyes, trying not to let the tears escape his eyes. Scythe let out a sigh and pulled him closer so that he was pressed against him more. “It’s fine. This is normal, and it’ll pass. Just breathe and listen to the sound of the water.”

“T-There’s no wind,” Devynn said quietly, and Scythe nodded.

“No. The treehouse is stable.” Sythe said, and while his voice was monotone and a bit cold, Devynn couldn’t help but feel a bit comforted just by the little he’d said. “Have you ever heard the story of Asallais?” Devynn shook his head, and Scythe nodded his head. “Asallais is a water spirit that my mother used to tell me about. She’d make it rain for days and days on end, the worst storms you could ever imagine.”

“That’s horrible!” Devynn gasped, and Scythe shook his head.

“Asallais didn’t intend for it to happen,” Scythe explained, “Asallais was sad, and when she cried, waters poured from the sky.”

“W-Why was she so sad?” Devynn asked, and Scythe hummed.

“My mother always said ‘When you understand that you’ll be a real man,’” Scythe said, laughing a bit. “I’ve never quite figured it out, I always thought maybe it was just because she like lonely or heartbroken or something,” Scythe said, and Devynn nodded.

“H-How does it end? T-The story?” Scythe glanced down at the floor of the treehouse.

“Asallais falls in love,” Scythe explained, “Phoerbei, a wind spirit, ran across Asallais as she ascended from the lake in our village, they fell instantly in love, and the pair of them settled together. Phoerbei helped Asallais control her power, and the village’s weather was at peace.”

“I liked that story,” Devynn said, resting his head forward on his knees. “C-Can you tell me another? A-Are there m-more spirit stories?” Scythe sighed quietly and nodded, making Devynn peek up at him.

“Have you heard of Incuyiest and Labamin,” Scythe asked, and Devynn shook his head. Honestly, he’d never heard anything like this before in his life. It sounded like something out of a storybook, almost, and Devynn found it somewhat comforting. “Well, Labamin, the spirit of fire blessed a single village with light for a full 30 days,” Scythe explained.

“That was nice of him, but if he could do it for one village why couldn’t he do it for all villages?” Devynn asked, no longer even paying attention to the storm raging outside as he leaned closer to Scythe.

“Well, because, each village had a different spirit watching over them,” Scythe explained, “It wasn’t until Asallais and Phoerbi that any of the spirits ever shared territories,” He filled in. “Each village was their territory, to bless or destroy, depending on what their wishes were. It was chaotic, but for the most part, they all agreed about which village was who’s,” Scythe continued, and Devynn nodded, listening as Scythe spoke. “Incuyiest was the spirit of lightning and he wanted the village that Labamin had blessed. As punishment for accepting the blessing from Labamin, Incuyiest struck the crops of the village with lightning,” Scythe said.

“Oh holy macaroni!” Devynn gasped, glancing up at Scythe, “What happened next?”

“Labamin set a ring of fire to surround Incuyiest’s residence, keeping him trapped within his home without his acolytes to assist him,” Scythe said, “In retaliation, Incuyiest attacked Labamin directly, instead of attacking the village, and though Labamin was gravely injured from the lightning, he was able to consume Incuyiest in his flames, sending him to Nadasm, the realm of the spirits,” Scythe explained.

“W-What about the village that Incuyiest was meant to bless then?” Devynn asked curiously, and Scythe hummed quietly.

“Labamin and Sazee, the spirit of prosperity, split the territory down the center and blessed both villages together,” Scythe explained, and Devynn nodded his head.

“They sound kind of like the Greek gods,” Devynn remarked and Scythe let out a hum, making Devynn glance up at him. “Do you know about them?” Scythe shook his head, “…To be honest, I don’t know much about them, that’s probably why I’m confusing the two,” Devynn admitted shyly. “W-Where were you from? I-I’ve never heard of any of those spirits,” Devynn asked.

“Flóðvǫllr,” Scythe answered. Devynn didn’t think he’d ever heard of that place either, but he was really bad about zoning out during history… Still, it seemed odd that he’d never heard of the place. But if it was a small village that might make sense, because why would his teachers focus on a tiny village, probably in Europe, that didn’t really have any impact on history really? Most of history is just wars and stuff like that, so if they’d never been involved in anything terrible then it probably wouldn’t make it into a history book.

“C-Can you keep telling me stories?” Devynn asked, and Scythe sighed and nodded his head.

“Just until you go back to sleep,” Scythe said, and Devynn nodded. Scythe began telling him another story that Devynn listened to happily, cuddling closer to Scythe.

・ ⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟺 】【 𝟶𝟹:𝟷𝟶:𝟹𝟸:𝟺𝟾 】⥋ ・

It. Was. Still. Raining. Devynn was more than just unhappy, his limbs were aching from having been in the treehouse for so long. He was tired of listening to thunder, he had very little room, they couldn’t stand up at all because the treehouse wasn’t tall enough, and it was clear that there was not really enough room in here for both of them. Scythe had nodded off sitting against the wall, his legs laying out diagonally from the corner he was in, and Devynn was curled up in the other corner, trying to give him room to sleep.

Since it’d started raining, Scythe had been awake. He seemed more restless the longer that the rain lasted, and Devynn had found himself struggling against the urge to shift closer to him and try to soothe him. Though he wasn’t really sure how to do that, honestly. Scythe was so different from him that it was… hard to know how to help him. Devynn refused to give up though. He knew it might be pointless, Scythe had already said he planned for them to part eventually, but Devynn was holding out hope that something would change Scythe’s mind.

He felt like if he could just show that he was valuable too, maybe Scythe would change his mind. Devynn’s eyes darted over to Scythe, shivering a little as he pulled his legs up more to his chest. He was so cold. Scythe’s shirt did little to give him any kind of warmth with all of the holes in it, and Devynn felt like he was going to freeze to death.

It didn’t help that he was also hungry, he could feel himself shaking a little, his blood sugar probably low. He could only imagine that wasn’t helping him feel warm. He was just… hungry and cold. He ran his eyes over Scythe, wondering what the likelihood of him being able to slide in beside him without waking him up.

Devynn shivered again and bit his lip, deciding to attempt what seemed a little impossible. He pulled his arms and legs out of his shirt and crawled forward, settling beside Scythe carefully, slotting himself against his side. Scythe’s arm curled around him and he let out a little sigh.

“Tòmas,” Scythe murmured quietly, his head falling over to rest on Devynn’s. Devynn held his breath for a moment, uncertain if Scythe was waking up, but after a moment of him being still, quiet, and non-confrontational, Devynn released his breath and shifted closer to Scythe unable to help himself. Scythe clearly thought he was someone else, Tòmas, whoever that was. Devynn was curious, but he knew that Scythe would avoid talking about it if he mentioned it.

Besides, he figured Scythe would much rather him never mention this anyway, because his personality was definitely one that told Devynn he’d been embarrassed about showing any sort of vulnerability. Devynn couldn’t help the little smile that tugged up the corners of his lips as Scythe’s arm tightened around him slightly. This close to him, Devynn felt at least a little less cold, though Scythe was pretty chilly himself.

Devynn let out a little yawn as he snuggled closer to Scythe, pulling his arms and legs back into his shirt and curling up into a little ball beside him. A nap didn’t sound like the worst decision right now, anyway.

・ ⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟻 】【 𝟶𝟺:𝟶𝟻:𝟸𝟹:𝟺𝟽 】⥋ ・

When Devynn woke up the next morning, after napping off and on the entire day before, it was STILL RAINING. Devynn was getting mad at the weather at this point and felt more than just a little edgy. He was hungry still but wasn’t too tired anymore, for some reason staying awake felt really hard regardless. The rain had been going on for so long that he wasn’t even jumping with the loud booming rolls of thunder that echoed around them every few minutes. He could see the lightning, an odd greenish hue to it as it flashed across the sky.

He’d been cramped up in this tiny little treehouse for so long that Devynn was getting ready to run out and embrace the radiation rain. He was tired of feeling cramped up, his muscles ached for movement and he was about thirsty enough to be ready to drink some of the water falling from the sky. Scythe had a small flask of water, but he was only giving them both a certain amount each day, which was making him grumpy. He could somewhat understand, they had limited resources and as such, they had to conserve, but could Scythe really just ignore how thirsty and hungry he was?

Despite Devynn being incredibly edgy and grumpy, Scythe was himself. He hadn’t complained about being hungry or thirsty a single time and didn’t even look particularly bothered, though he’d rarely slept during the three days that they’d been in here. He’d not talked a lot really, unless Devynn was pestering him about stuff. He’d answer his questions with only a slight bit of annoyance, tell him stories when he was ready for Devynn to shut up and go to sleep, and then he’d listen to Devynn complain when he couldn’t help himself.

Devynn was trying his best to adjust to these conditions, but really, nothing had been steady. Scythe was with him, but he wasn’t guaranteed to stay with him while he was here, and that made Devynn feel less settled than he should. It just… felt so scary to think about him being alone out here. It was only made worse by him knowing what it felt like to be hungry now, knowing he was pretty terrible at all things physical and hunting seemed like something he’d be very, very bad at.

Devynn was just… trying not to take out his unsettled emotions on Scythe because he knew it wasn’t his fault. He didn’t ask to be here any more than Devynn had, and Devynn knew that. He also knew Scythe didn’t have any obligation to help him, and it was selfish of him to try to force it, but… he didn’t want to be alone, and… he liked Scythe.

Just a little. He was kind of annoyingly condescending sometimes and definitely had the people skills of a hermit crab, but he was like… a nice asshole? Devynn felt a little crazy even thinking it, honestly, but it fit Scythe pretty well. He wanted to stay with Scythe, at least as long as he was here and stuff, and it’d be a lot better for Scythe to be with someone, too. Scythe wouldn’t take care of his own injuries, he’d end up getting an infection or something! Devynn could do that for Scythe, so he didn’t have to.

Maybe he was just desperately trying to make himself have worth to him when he was really just unnecessary. But… Scythe…

“Devynn, I don’t think I’ve had this much silence or space since you showed up here,” Scythe drawled from across the treehouse, “Don’t get me wrong, I love it, stay where ya are, but I get the feeling that there is something wrong with you ,” Devynn glanced up, flushing a little.

“I’m just restless,” Devynn said, a little grumpily, “I don’t feel like talking.”

“That’s alarming,” Scythe snorted but fell silent, leaving Devynn to stew to himself as he reached his hand up and started tugging at the vines he used to hold his hair up. He was clearly struggling a bit, and Devynn bit his lip.

“D-Do you want help?” Devynn asked hesitantly, and Scythe glanced over at him.

“I can’t cut it out or I won’t have another one,” Scythe sighed, trying to pull it around his hair. Devynn nodded and glanced away.

“Y-Your hair is very tangled,” Devynn noted, and Scythe sighed and nodded, finally managing to get the vines out of his hair. Devynn could imagine that he’d not had a hairbrush in a long time, and it didn’t seem like there was anywhere to cut his hair out here, so he could imagine that his hair was matted very badly. “D-Do you want me to brush it?” Devynn asked, and Scythe raised an eyebrow. “I-I can use my fingers, get out the knots and stuff,” Devynn offered.

“Sounds boring,” Scythe said, and Devynn shrugged.

“Not less boring than just sitting here,” Devynn said, and Scythe hummed and nodded his head.

“Whatever you want to do,” Scythe said, rather agreeably, which made Devynn feel a little spark of excitement. He shifted around as Scythe moved back, leaning his head back so that Devynn could run his fingers through his hair. As matted as it looked, it really wasn’t that bad, Devynn noted, carefully carding his fingers through his hair. It was tangled, but not unfixable. Devynn set out to untangle it, humming a bit to himself as he did so, unable to help himself.

・ ⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟼 】【 𝟶𝟻:𝟶𝟿:𝟹𝟶:𝟶𝟺 】⥋ ・

When Devynn woke up the next morning, the sun was out and Scythe was packing up the stuff they’d been using in the treehouse. Devynn was up and ready to go in minutes, hating the cold and the rain here more than he was sure should be possible. He hated it here, the weather sucked and he just wanted to go anywhere that wasn’t here. Scythe seemed to be on the same page as him because they were quickly making their way down the very slippery and annoyingly soft mushrooms in barely minutes.

Devynn barely managed to make it down them without falling, Scythe helped him an annoying amount, but then they were starting the trek to the next location. Devynn had never been happier to walk in his life. He was so sick of being cramped up in that tiny treehouse and absolutely understood why Scythe didn’t live there permanently now.

Devynn glanced around and looked up at the sky, the sun beating down overhead as he tried to keep up with Scythe. He seemed to be in much more of a hurry today, probably because he wanted the hell away from the treehouse before it started raining again, something Devynn was more than pleased with. The last thing he wanted personally was to get stuck in the radiation rain, and the prospects of having to go back to the treehouse were terrifying.

“S-So what’s our next destination? Is it gonna be less miserable, or more miserable?” Devynn asked, and Scythe hummed.

“Well, there’s plenty of water there we can drink and bathe in,” Scythe said, humming quietly. “There’s like three kinds of monsters in that area, but overall, everything should be fine as long as you follow my directions.” Devynn nodded his head easily and smiled up at Scythe.

Just being out of the treehouse was such a mood elevator that it made Devynn feel a little excited. Scythe was right beside him, talking to him, seemingly not mad or anything. It was really nice and Devynn wanted it to be like this all the time. It had been so tense the past couple of days between them, probably from being confined together for such a long time, but Devynn was determined not to let it hinder today. Scythe was in a relatively okay mood, and Devynn was content to just let it roll without saying anything about the past couple of days of tension. He knew things had been hard, but now it was onto better and brighter things, so he was going to…

Oh, holy macaroni! Devynn stopped short as a monster ran straight past them, just a few feet ahead of them, his heart skipping a beat in his chest. Scythe glanced over at him, his arm reaching out to push Devynn behind him as he stepped forward and peeked around the trees to see if the monster had noticed them.

Devynn held his breath, his heartbeat deafening in his ears as his hands reached out to grasp onto Scythe. Scythe was still, tense, his eyes narrowed in concentration as he looked around through the trees. It was eerily silent, not even the sound of leaves rustling in the air as everything fell utterly still. It was so hot, not quite as humid as when they’d walked over the river, though. Devynn couldn’t complain too much, not even with his hair matted to the back of his neck. Scythe finally let out a soft exhale.

“I think we’re safe,” Scythe said, “It’s very good you were paying attention, if you had kept walking and gotten into that fuckers way, he would’ve noticed us for sure.” Scythe’s voice sounded almost a little proud, and the clear praise had Devynn blushing brightly, his hands gripping tighter at Scythe for a moment before he let him go and stepped back, trying to fight the smile off of his lips.

“I-I was trying really hard,” Devynn said, and Scythe nodded, reaching his hand over to rub Devynn’s head slightly. It wasn’t much, but… it felt affectionate, in an odd way, and it made Devynn’s heart speed up and skip slightly for a totally different reason this time.

“I could tell. Keep it up,” Scythe said, turning back toward the direction they were heading in. “Let’s keep going forward. If that thing does double back around, we don’t wanna be here waiting for it.” Scythe said, and Devynn nodded, following behind him without hesitation. He trusted him rather blindly, honestly, but it wasn’t really like he had another option. All he could do is trust Scythe and hope for the best right now.

“H-Hey, out of curiosity… Do you think there could be a way home?” Devynn asked, and Scythe shrugged.

“I haven’t found one yet,” Scythe said rather gruffly, and Devynn nodded his head sheepishly. He guessed that would be a rather dumb question to ask in hindsight. Clearly, he hadn’t if he was still here. Devynn couldn’t imagine wanting to stay here. “Watch your step up here,” Scythe instructed and Devynn nodded, almost sighing. He’d almost managed to keep from upsetting Scythe today. He still had the rest of the day to make up for it, though, so it was okay. He’d do something nice tonight, like… try to do something creative with dinner maybe. He didn’t know yet, but he was going to try his best.

・ ⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟼 】【 𝟶𝟻:𝟸𝟹:𝟷𝟼:𝟺𝟹 】⥋ ・

When they finally arrived at their location, it’d been edging nighttime. While Scythe went to work on a shelter, Devynn set out to collect some edible plants from the area directly beside them. They were in a clearing surrounded by different things that looked edible, and there was a huge supply of water literally right at their campsite so Devynn was thinking about maybe… boiling some of it if Scythe had a pot.

It seemed like vegetables, maybe, or at least the closest thing this place had to vegetables, so he was going to ask Scythe about it. He knelt down in the patch of vegetable things and began picking the ones that looked most pleasant to eat, though none of them really looked all that appetizing. He figured he could peel some of them, maybe try to squish them with a rock. He wasn’t really able to whip up anything like his mother would make, but there seemed to be some… almost similar things so maybe he could just prepare them similarly?

“Hey, Devynn, I’m about to go hunting,” Scythe called, and Devynn glanced up from what he was doing and looked over at Scythe.

“B-Before you g-go… Are these things edible?” Devynn asked, and Scythe glanced over them and stepped closer, kneeling down beside him to look at them. Scythe nodded his head after a moment.

“For the most part, all of the… plants here that aren’t alive are edible, though I’ve rarely found anything I could pallet so you might have similar troubles,” Devynn hummed and nodded. Scythe raised an eyebrow. “What’re you thinking?”

“I-I just… I-It’s kinda nerdy,” Devynn asked, “B-But some foods taste d-different once heated, because d-during the h-heating process, a-a complex series of ph-physical and chemical changes happen t-to the food.” Devynn explained, “The changes v-vary according to the different heating methods, t-time exposed… it could change t-the nutrient c-composition, fat c-content, moisture, f-flavor, smell, texture, c-color…” Devynn prattled and Scythe just blinked at him a couple of times.

“What?” Scythe asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Cooking food makes it taste d-different,” Devynn explained, and Scythe nodded his head.

“You can try it, whatever, I’ll be back with meat. You want me to cook that for me?” Devynn shook his head, widening his eyes a little.

“N-No, no!” Devynn said quickly, “I’ll cook for both of us, I-I want to help you too… maybe I c-can make a stew?” Scythe nodded his head.

“I’m keeping some of the meat out in case the stew is inedible,” Scythe said firmly, and Devynn nodded his head agreeably. “I’ll be back. Keep an eye out for monsters.” Devynn nodded his head. “Do not leave the fire-lit circle or I will let the monsters devour you,” Scythe continued as he walked over and grabbed his spear, and Devynn nodded his head.

“U-Understood, I won’t leave the camp,” Devynn said without hesitation, and Scythe nodded. “Be careful ,” Devynn said softly. Scythe glanced at him and nodded slightly, before turning away from him and disappearing out into the woods from where he was standing, heading towards Devynn didn’t know where. Devynn turned back to the vegetable things and piled them into Scythe’s shirt, using it as a bag to carry them all over beside the fire pit. He glanced over and caught sight of the knife Scythe had in the bag sitting just outside of the small wooden structure that Scythe had built for them.

After a moment of hesitation, he grabbed the knife cautiously out of the bag, leaning over awkwardly to grab it, before bringing it over and beginning to try his luck with peeling the vegetables. It’d take trial and error, but Devynn was confident he’d figure it out.

ᨒᨔ෴⦁ᨖ⦁෴ᨔᨒ

⦁⚞【⎗ 𝙱𝚊𝚌𝚔】【𝙽𝚎𝚡𝚝⎘】⚟⦁

【🖫】【🖬】【🗐】

⊶»﴾ 𝟺. 𝙱𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚏𝚒𝚝 ﴿«⊷

・ ⥋【 𝐃 𝐄 𝐕 𝐘 𝐍 𝐍 】⥋ ・ ・ ⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟽 】【 𝟶𝟼:𝟶𝟸:𝟹𝟾:𝟷𝟻 】⥋ ・

It was very late, and Devynn had finished the stew. But he’d tasted it, and it didn’t taste bad. They didn’t have any utensils to eat it with, but Scythe hadn’t hesitated to just start drinking it, so Devynn let him go first. He was the hunter, he needed more nutrients than Devynn did to be able to fight. And he’d brought back a lot of meat. He’d done Devynn the service of… skinning it, before bringing it to him, so Devynn had been quick to get to chopping the meat that Scythe gave him up and putting it into the stew. He knew it needed some work, certainly, but it wasn’t bad and Devynn was pretty interested to get a good taste of it.

It’d been so hot right after he’d taken it out of the fire that Scythe had to useDevynn’s shirt and the knife to get it out of the fire and had let it sit on the ground for about an hour before they could even grab the pan.

“H-How is it?” Devynn asked as Scythe let the small stone pot move away from his mouth and Scythe’s eyes darted over to him.

“It’s so good,” Scythe said, “I haven’t had anything that tasted even remotely like… food in…” Scythe trailed off, seemingly not really knowing how to finish the statement. Devynn suddenly realized that Scythe didn’t seem to really know how long he’d been here. Devynn had thought initially that Scythe just didn’t want to talk about it, but he really didn’t seem to know how long it’d been.

“D-Do you want the rest? I-I can make more?” Devynn offered and Scythe shook his head, offering him the pot.

“You eat too, or I don’t eat. We can’t afford to eat multiple portions, even if we have a fair amount of meat right now. I got lucky hunting tonight, it’s best to take our good tidings and conserve them.” Scythe said, and Devynn nodded his head. “You really did a good job, Devynn,” Scythe said, reaching over to rub his head before standing up. “I’m going to get in the water. I am sweaty and gross. When you get done, perhaps you should bathe too.” Devynn nodded his head.

“I-I will,” Devynn said, and Scythe nodded, standing up from where he was sitting beside him at the fire.

“Enjoy the fruits of your labor,” Scythe said, smirking a bit as he headed toward the edge of the water, “You earned it.” Devynn smiled brightly and took a drink of the stew himself, humming a bit. He thought perhaps Scythe’s tastebuds were just fucked because it didn’t taste anywhere near as good as Scythe acted like it did, but it was a lot better than the… hand/claw meat they’d eaten the last time, so he would count that as a win and give himself an E for Effort.

・ ⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟽 】【 𝟶𝟼:𝟷𝟶:𝟺𝟻:𝟷𝟿 】⥋ ・

When Devynn woke up, he was expecting them to be moving again, so he was a little confused when he got up to see Scythe laying out beside the fire, his eyes shut and the sun beating down on him from between the canopy of trees overhead. Concerned that he was sick, or injured, Devynn was quick to rush forward and kneel beside him, trying to access what could be wrong.

“S-Scythe? Scythe are… are you dead?” Devynn asked, poking his finger out and prodding at the side of his face. Scythe’s eyes opened, a scowl immediately crossing his face as he looked up at Devynn from where he was resting.

“Obviously I am enjoying a break,” Scythe said, pushing Devynn’s hand away from his face, “This is the one place in the entire world where we can stay comfortably for a night or two, and all of the monsters in this area are blind or affected by light so they can’t come out now.” Devynn frowned a little and nodded, glancing around.

“I-I was just worried,” Devynn said, and Scythe nodded, sitting up.

“I really shouldn’t be lazing around anyway. It’s best if I get started working on shit now anyway,” Scythe said, raising himself up off of the ground and wiping at the backs of his pant legs. “I need to hike up into the mountain today,” Scythe said.

“W-What for?” Devynn asked, and Scythe glanced over at him.

“I don’t think you want to know the true answer to that question, Devynn,” Scythe said, crossing his arms over his chest. “The long and short of it are, we aren’t the only people this place has taken, but we’re probably the only two that have survived. Whenever one new person shows up here, so does a few others, never close together, and they often always end up dead.” Scythe said, “You got lucky because I found you before the monster did. That doesn’t happen often here.”

“O-Oh… what’re you going to look for?” Devynn asked, “A-Are you going to bury them?” Scythe shook his head.

“Just looking for any things they might’ve had on them that didn’t get destroyed by the monsters.” Scythe explained, walking up to the edge of the mountain, “I will be back by nightfall. You know where the meat is, if you get hungry, make something or whatever.” Devynn nodded his head and watched as Scythe walked up into the trees on the edge of the mountain.

“B-Be careful!” Devynn called. Scythe made a snorting noise that echoed through the trees that let him know he heard him. Devynn couldn’t help giggling to himself as he went back over to the little patch of vegetable things and began picking through them curiously, wondering which he should try to incorporate into a stew next. Scythe had really liked the last one, so Devynn thought maybe he could even make it better… he couldn’t help but wonder if some of the plant leaves had flavor, too. If so, then maybe he could incorporate some of them into the meals too… It’d maybe be like spices!

Devynn hummed and grabbed a leaf that somewhat resembled bay leaves and took a hesitant bite of it. Scythe had said that the plants were edible as long as they were not alive, so he figured this would be fine. To his surprise, it didn’t immediately taste bad. He hummed and nodded, collecting some of the leaves and trying some of the other leaves as well.

・ ⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟽 】【 𝟶𝟼:𝟷𝟿:𝟺𝟶:𝟻𝟸 】⥋ ・

When Scythe finally returned from trekking the mountain, he came back with an actual backpack. It was checkered, blue, and pink, with some purple and green intermingled into it, a bunch of iron-on patches on it with different logos and stuff that Devynn didn’t recognize at all. They looked almost like band logos or something, along with a jacket and an MP3 player thing, but not one like anything Devynn had ever seen before.

“W-What’s all of that?” Devynn asked, and Scythe shrugged.

“I thought you could have the bag and jacket, you’re like tiny as hell so you need a jacket with the cold weather,” Scythe explained. “I don’t really know what this is, but I thought maybe you would want it.” Devynn bit his lip, taking the stuff Scythe handed him as he walked closer.

“T-Thank you,” Devynn said, motioning toward the firepit. “I-I made a different stew tonight, and have been keeping it warm for you. It shouldn’t be too hot, I brought it to the very edge so it was not completely in the heat.” Devynn said, and Scythe nodded, sitting down by the fire and grabbing the pot cautiously to make sure it wasn’t hot.

“Have you already eaten?” Scythe asked curiously, and Devynn nodded his head. He’d been hungry enough to eat a little before. He didn’t eat a lot, but he had spent part of the day munching on some berries he found in the vegetable patch. They were strange in texture but tasted startlingly similar to raspberry and Devynn couldn’t help but snack a bit.

“I-I ate a bit earlier, and snacked on some berries,” Devynn said, and Scythe nodded, picking up the pan to begin drinking the stew. Saying that he was drinking the stew felt weird, but at the same time, they couldn’t really use utensils… unless Devynn could figure out how to widdle, or something. Maybe Scythe could… He’d made the backpack he had and the knife, so maybe he could make them some silverware? That seemed like something annoying to do, though… Devynn wasn’t sure Scythe would want him to ask him for that.

“A-Are you sure it’s okay if I have this stuff?” Devynn asked, and Scythe glanced up at him and nodded.

“No one’s missing it,” Scythe said, and Devynn nodded his head and hesitantly pulled open the backpack and peeked inside. There wasn’t much in it, really, a couple of spiral notebooks and a textbook that looked college-level, but he couldn’t read the language it was written in. “Anything useful in there?” Devynn shook his head.

“J-Just some spiral notebooks and a textbook,” Devynn said, and Scythe nodded. The only other thing in the bag was a pretty nice-sized bottle of drinking water, but they had plenty of water currently, and in honor of Scythe, he was going to save it for when they were somewhere without water. It was brand new and hadn’t been opened yet, so just the thought of water that didn’t taste like absolute toxic waste was exciting, but he… wanted to prove to Scythe that he was worth something. This seemed like a decision that’d benefit them in the long run.

“Whatever you don’t want, you can throw into the fire,” Scythe said, “We don’t need it, it’s just gonna weigh us down,” Devynn nodded his head easily and pulled the textbook out of the bag, setting it down on the ground beside Scythe. Scythe glanced at it, then picked it up, tossing it into the fire.

“Hey, there’s pencils in here!” Devynn said excitedly, pulling them out and presenting them to Scythe as if he’d found something awesome. “With the notebooks, I-I can write!” Devynn said, and Scythe hummed and nodded as he started drinking the stew again. Devynn smiled a little as he put the jacket and the pencils into the bag and sat it down beside him on the ground.

“That’s cool, Devynn,” Scythe said, and Devynn nodded his head and smiled, leaning forward a bit.

“H-How’s the stew?” Devynn asked excitedly. Scythe nodded his head and glanced up at him smiling.

“It’s good. Tastes different from last night,” Scythe said, making Devynn smile brightly and nod his head. He was so excited for Scythe to like it because he wanted him to be happy with it. He wanted to be worth something to Scythe so that he wouldn’t want to leave him behind.

“I changed the recipe!” Devynn chirped excitedly, “I-I put all kinds of plants in it trying to get a good flavor and I didn’t entirely hate it myself! So you liked it? Should I keep experimenting?” Scythe nodded his head.

“Go ahead,” Scythe said, casting him a side-eyed glance, his eyes roaming over him. “I’ll probably go out hunting in a bit,” Devynn raised an eyebrow.

“B-But… you just got back from trekking through the woods?!” Devynn questioned, frowning a bit as he pouted. He didn’t really want Scythe to run off again . “Aren’t you g-going to overwork yourself if you do s-so much in one day?” Scythe shook his head. “Well, w-what if I am scared to be in the camp by myself?”

“You spent the whole day here by yourself,” Scythe drawled lazily, “I’m too… I gotta go hunting, I’ll not take long, just… chill here and take a bath or something. Seems like a luxury you won’t get many opportunities to enjoy out here so you should probably take it while you’ve got it.” Devynn frowned more, glancing over at the lake, admittedly a little less happy than he had been just before. He wanted Scythe to stay with him. Not because he was afraid, but… because for some reason Devynn really liked him. Maybe it was just the ‘body-better-than-a-god’ thing, though Devynn hadn’t really considered himself that superficial.

“F-Fine,” Devynn answered, “I’ll be fine just go ahead.” Scythe nodded, finishing off the stew before he stood up, grabbing his spear and the knife. After a moment he tossed it to Devynn. Devynn glanced down at it, leaning over to clasp the handle of it.

“Don’t go far from the camp,” Scythe said, turning around and walking away from him without much more of a goodbye. Devynn just watched him go, a frown marring his face. He was beginning to wonder if he was delusional for ever thinking a guy that looked like that would ever want him. Devynn shook his head and glanced in the direction Scythe had gone to hunt.

Okay, so what if Scythe wanted to go hunting? They needed food, even if they had a bit of extra meat right now, he couldn’t imagine that it’d last forever. He just needed to find a way to… he didn’t know, really. Just… stop thinking.

He was so fucking horny, he hadn’t gone this long without sex of some kind in… fuck , he didn’t know how long. He just wanted to jizz. But it wasn’t like he could just watch porn or something, and there was nothing to look at when jerking off save for Scythe and Devynn genuinely could just never look him in the eyes again if he jerked off to Scythe. He’d combust from embarrassment before Scythe had the chance to ask him if he was okay. Devynn let out a sigh and stood up, heading toward the edge of the water to undress.

Since Scythe wasn’t here, he guessed a bath would do for a secondary source of comfort. Maybe the water would be cool enough for him to stop fantasizing mentally about Scythe plowing him.

・ ⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟾 】【 𝟶𝟽:𝟷𝟸:𝟺𝟻:𝟹𝟸 】⥋ ・

When Devynn woke up the next morning, he did so to the sound of some bird-like creature chirping overhead, sunlight streaming in through the small gaps in wood that composed the tent they were staying in. He was warm, hot really, sweat matting his hair to his forehead, but the feeling of warm, strong arms curling around his body kept him complaisant. He was still somewhat tired, he was up most of the night waiting on Scythe to return.

He didn’t end up making it to the point Scythe returned, despite him fighting through his sleep but Scythe was back now and wrapping around him. Devynn yawned quietly, letting his eyes flutter open as he sank back against Scythe’s chest more, one of his hands raising to rub at his tired eyes. He was exhausted still, maybe he could go back to sleep still… Scythe was sleeping behind him, his breathing warm and steady on the back of his neck, and Devynn was hit by a wave of arousal that had his head swimming.

He was already hard, the fog of sleep still clinging to him just enough to have him disoriented and pliant. He was horny, desperate, and too hazed to think about anything other than how close Scythe was to him.

Scythe let out a deep groan, the arm wrapping around his waist pulling Devynn’s hips in line with his as he nuzzled closer to Devynn. Devynn couldn’t help whimpering a little as he felt the hard length of Scythe’s cock pressing against his ass, fighting the urge to push back, to press his ass harder against him. Couldn’t fight the urge to wiggle his hips a bit, pulling a soft noise from Scythe’s mouth as he pushed his hips forward.

Devynn let out a whine, his eyes falling shut as his cock leaked out a line of precum into his underwear as he felt Scythe’s cock pressing into him harder. Scythe let out another groan, his arm tensing around Devynn’s waist as he shifted forward slightly.

“Dev,” Scythe sighed quietly, rolling away from him and sitting up, another sigh falling from his lips. He was so embarrassed. Holy Macaroni, he’d woken Scythe up with his whine. Devynn peeked up at him over his shoulder, attempting to play like he was still asleep. Scythe sat behind him for a moment before crawling out of the structure and standing up, letting out a yawn and a groan as he stretched. Devynn rolled over onto his stomach, his heart flying in his chest as he tried to collect himself.

Fuck, fuck, fuck. Devynn wanted to be fucked.

・ ⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟿 】【 𝟶𝟾:𝟶𝟿:𝟹𝟺:𝟻𝟺 】⥋ ・

It was finally time for them to move again, and Devynn wasn’t happy about it. He’d grown a bit too comfortable in the campsite, it’d begun feeling just a little like… home. Still, he was staying with Scythe, so even if he wasn’t too sure what they were heading toward or away from, he was going to stay with Scythe. They’d been walking since daybreak and were finally taking a brief break halfway up a mountain. It wasn’t one by their camp, they’d crossed what looked like a desert but felt like Autumn temperatures, so that was a bit of an adjustment to get used to.

He didn’t quite like that his body felt like it should be unbearably hot, and though he was very grateful for it with hours of walking behind him, he was still feeling confused. He was struggling to keep up, his mind just not in it today. He hadn’t slept well the night before, dreams that he’d rather not look into too deeply waking him up. Which was really the best possible outcome, otherwise he might jizz his pants and have to explain to Scythe what happened.

Oh, holy macaroni, and the horror of the mere thought of if he accidentally moaned Scythe’s name. He was beginning to wonder if they should make separate little tents to sleep in, just to save himself the embarrassment… but on the other hand, he kind of loved sleeping beside Scythe, and despite it embarrassing the fuck out of him, he loved waking up with Scythe wrapping around him. He couldn’t help but love that, honestly. It was only embarrassing because he knew that Scythe didn’t see it the same way as him.

He just felt so safe with Scythe. And he knew that it wasn’t really like he had many other options for romantic partners out here, the monsters weren’t really good company. Besides, Scythe smelled really good, and he was buff and well-muscled and could provide for him, take care of him, yadda yadda… It wasn’t rocket science. It just makes sense, at least to him.

“Uuuuugh, we’ve been walking for hours, can we take a break?” Devynn asked, and Scythe shook his head, “Where are we headed, at least? Are we close?” Scythe glanced back over his shoulder and shook his head.

“Devynn, I am walking slowly to accommodate you, not the other way around,” Scythe muttered grumpily, “There are monsters all over this mountain, and we have to walk all the way over it to get to the cave we’re going to be taking up shelter in before the sun begins to fall, or else we’re as good as dead.”

“I-I’m sorry,” Devynn squeaked, “I-I just am not used to walking this much and my feet hurt and…” Scythe let out a groan and stopped walking, turning around to face him as he pulled the backpack he was wearing off.

“Put this on.” He instructed, making Devynn nod his head and hurry to do as he was told, flushing a little as he felt his cock stirring in his shorts from being commanded to do something. He was sure the stint without sex was killing off his brain cells. He was pretty sure that he’d never been this horny before. He was pretty sure he could cum looking at a leaf right now. “Hop on, and shut up.” Devynn bit back the sassy comment that tried to slip out of his mouth as he did as instructed, wrapping his arms around Scythe’s neck and his thighs around his waist.

His feet tingled and ached with relief, his head lulling forward to rest on Scythe’s shoulder for a moment, his heart racing as he caught the faint scent of Scythe’s sweat. Scythe was quick to begin walking, his arms curling underneath Devynn’s knees to hold him in place, the spear somewhat awkwardly positioned between Devynn’s body and Scythe’s back. It was a small blessing, one Devynn was slightly annoyed by, but grateful for regardless.

“Hey, S-Scythe?” Devynn asked hesitantly, shyly, “Do you ever get lonely out here?” Devynn asked curiously, but still cautiously. He didn’t want to step on any boundaries he didn’t even know were in place.

“Not really,” Scythe said quietly, “I’ve been alone long enough not to think about it anymore.”

“D-Don’t you miss like, your parents or anything?” Scythe let out a hum and nodded his head, glancing up at Devynn with a slightly strange look in his eyes. It wasn’t a look Devynn had ever been allowed to see on Scythe’s face and it made him feel remarkably… something . Remarkably something. “D-Do you have brothers or sisters?” Scythe nodded his head.

“I had a brother,” Scythe said, turning his head to look forward once again. “I was the younger of us, though. Really didn’t have much bonding time before he was shipped off to school. My dad had two kids, but my brother’s mom died. My dad met my mom not long after, jizzed in her at just the right time, and out popped me.” Scythe drawled.

“O-Oh, I’m sorry,” Scythe shrugged half-heartedly, and Devynn bit his lip. “My parents were like, in love forever,” Devynn said, “I’m the middle child, I have an older brother and a younger sister, and they both sucked. My brother was a stick in the mud and my sister spent twelve years in the shower every morning and made me late for school like three times.” Devynn continued. Scythe hummed, sounding somewhat disinterested, but like he was still listening nonetheless.

“I-I’ve just been thinking about my mom a lot,” Devynn admitted bashfully, feeling a little silly, “Cooking reminds me of her because we used to do it, kind of, together, at least.” Scythe nodded his head.

“It’s good you have memories of them,” Scythe said, bouncing a little to shift Devynn’s position on his back a bit.

“D-Did you just give up on going home?” Devynn asked, maybe a bit boldly.

“No,” Scythe said, surprising him, “I’ll never give up trying to go home.” After that, no amount of prodding got Scythe to respond to him with little more than a nod or a snort depending on which suited his reaction to whatever Devynn said. Devynn eventually fell silent and just let Scythe focus on where they were going, enjoying the break from walking while he had it.

He just… wished he could get Scythe closer to him, somehow.

・ ⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟿 】【 𝟶𝟾:𝟷𝟾:𝟸𝟽:𝟹𝟸 】⥋ ・

When they finally stopped at the cave that Scythe had mentioned, it was late evening, the sun just beginning to get low in the sky. Scythe sat him down on his feet and motioned him toward the entrance to the cave. It was strange, a drop-down entrance like something had burrowed into the ground and straight into the stone. Devynn was hesitant, unsure what might be lurking inside of the cave since Scythe hadn’t been in it in like… days. He had honestly not a single clue how long he’d been here at this point but it didn’t really matter.

He was scared of jumping into a dark, unlit hole. Scythe sighed and reached for the bag on his shoulders that belonged to him, taking it off Devynn before tossing it down into the cave. Devynn glanced at him as he sat down on the ground and fearlessly dropped into the cave. Devynn watched him hesitantly, glancing around to see if any monsters were currently around. He didn’t see any.

“Hurry,” Scythe said, reaching his hands up to grasp at Devynn’s hips. “You need to get in this cave now, dark or not,” Scythe said, and Devynn bit his lip and nodded his head, sitting down on the ground how he’d seen Scythe do it. Scythe’s hands grasped his waist and pulled him down into the cave just behind him before he pulled something over the entrance that looked like a bush. Scythe walked over and grabbed his bag off of the floor, very little light streaming in through the bush he’d put into place.

“W-Where’re we going?” Devynn asked, and Scythe sent him a look that it was too dark for Devynn to be able to make out. Devynn knew it was sarcastic in some way, maybe rolling his eyes.

“Just walk forward and stop running your mouth,” Scythe said grumpily, leading him forward through the slender cave. The deeper into it they went, the less Devynn really wanted to go farther, but with Scythe behind him urging him forward he didn’t have much of a choice. Once they finally made it to the end of the cave, Scythe stopped, turned toward one of the walls, and reached around, his hand roaming over the wall somewhat blindly. Devynn tensed a little as he heard something creaking and scraping on the stone, his eyes widening slightly as Scythe moved a piece of the wall out of the way and stepped forward.

Devynn followed him, moving as Scythe turned around to put the stone back over the hole in the wall. Scythe walked deeper, leaving Devynn standing where he was as he walked around, clearly looking for something. After a moment, he heard the sound of something scratching against the stone, and then fire burst out from a match Devynn hadn’t noticed he had before Scythe threw it into something.

As it caught fire and light filled the room, Devynn looked around in wonder, his eyes roaming over the stuff in the small little bunker room in amazement. There was even a small fireplace carved into the stone. It was so carefully crafted, even a small stone thing that looked like a bedframe carved out of stone. Even a mattress carved out of stone. It looked like something from an episode of a cartoon or something, something so unreal that it could only exist in a cartoon. It had a sort of elegance to it, though, someone had clearly taken time to make the place as nice as it could get, and Devynn could appreciate the sentiment.

“D-Did you make this?” Scythe scoffed at that, shaking his head.

“No,” Scythe said calmly, a weird tone slipping into his voice that made Devynn’s eyebrows raise. “It doesn’t matter who made it, it’s mine now. Make yourself comfortable.” Scythe said, motioning around. “Anything you want to keep but don’t want to carry with you, leave it here. That way, it’s not slowing you down.” Devynn bit his lip and tried not to let his curiosity get the better of him, not wholly okay with there being something Scythe was clearly hiding from him. He had no right to feel this way, no right to want the things he wanted.

“O-Okay,” Devynn agreed, “When a-are we leaving again?” Scythe hummed and glanced around.

“A couple of days. We brought enough meat to be able to stay here for a bit. Just get used to this being all you see. Underneath that stone right there is wood to keep the fire lit. It’s heavy so don’t try to lift it, I do not want you to be hurt the whole time.” Devynn nodded his agreement and glanced around. To his surprise, there were actual… clothes here. Not many, and all of them were damaged in different ways and covered in stains but it was something other than the same thing he’d been wearing for days.

As Devynn glanced around, he caught sight of a couple of books strewn in one of the corners of the room, by the fire. His eyes zeroed in on them, his heart skipping a beat.

“C-Can I read those?” Devynn asked excitedly, and Scythe glanced over and nodded his head. “Okay, d-do you want me to get dinner started, while you rest from walking?” Scythe couldn’t disguise the interest in his eyes which made Devynn giggle. “I brought some stuff with us from the last campsite so I think I can try grilling it in fruit and vegetables, and maybe… spices? I don’t think that’s really what these are, but those are the closest classifications I can give them.” Scythe nodded his head, feigning disinterest. “Did you want some water?” Devynn asked, reaching into his bag and pulling out the bottle of drinking water he’d been saving for them.

“Sure, how’d you bring some? I have the flask in my bag.” Devynn nodded, offering Scythe the bottle. “Oh shit, you got the good stuff. Where were you hiding this? I’m almost jealous,” Scythe teased as he opened the cap, taking a small sip of it before offering it to Devynn. “Keep in mind, the more water we have, the longer we can stay here. So reserve.” Devynn nodded obediently and took a drink, almost moaning from how fresh and clean it tasted.

“God, I miss home,” Devynn sighed desperately, recapping the bottle and setting it down on the stone. “S-So what is the monsters here l-like? A-Are they blind and dumb like the last ones?” Scythe shook his head, watching Devynn as he knelt down in the floor with the bag he was wearing, pulling out some of the meat that Scythe had in jars, somewhat curious where all of the jars had spawned from, but Scythe had been gone for literally hours the night before.

“There’s three in this area, but most of them are not that bad,” Scythe said, “There’s one, though… Real damn annoying. Pretty much impossible to defeat if you get caught.” Devynn glanced up at him, beginning to peel off the peel of one of the fruits, setting it down on the floor beside him.

“W-Why is it so hard to defeat?” Devynn asked, and Scythe sighed.

“Damn things invisible. It’s impossible to know how many there are, or if there’s only one of them. Every time I’ve faced on, someone’s died.” Scythe said blankly, shrugging his shoulders. “On the bright side, it’s too big to fit through that little hole, and the stone stops the smaller monsters from being able to get in. They don’t have the ability to think ‘pull rock out and turn sideways a little’ to get inside.” Devynn nodded his head.

“S-So how do we avoid being seen by it… them?” Scythe shrugged his shoulders.

“It only comes out at night,” Scythe said. “Anyway, just have fun in an environment where you’re actually relatively safe for a bit. At the least, you can ramble to yourself as loudly as you want. You don’t have to worry, I won’t be listening.” Devynn couldn’t help giggling as he watched Scythe move over to the bed thing, sitting down on it. “I’m probably going to nap while I have the free time.” Devynn nodded.

“I’ll wake you for dinner,” Devynn said, and Scythe nodded compliantly, making Devynn smile to himself. It… felt remarkably… like his mom waking his dad for lunch or something when he’d accidentally fallen asleep reading a book, honestly. It made him feel a little warm.

・ ⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟷𝟶 】【 𝟶𝟿:𝟶𝟽:𝟹𝟶:𝟺𝟸 】⥋ ・

The next day, Devynn spent the day reading, while Scythe sat on the ground across from where he was sitting, by the fire whittling something out of a small piece of wood. He wasn’t paying any attention to Devynn, focused intently on what he was doing. Once Devynn finally managed to get bored reading one of the books he found, he found himself somewhat fascinated with what Scythe was doing.

He hadn’t noticed before, but Scythe had a pocket knife–probably why Devynn had never noticed it before–and he was… really good at whittling. Devynn had grown up in the city and had never seen a single person in all of his 23 years who could whittle that wasn’t like, ninety to a hundred, and none of them had anything on Scythe’s abilities. Devynn couldn’t tell exactly what he was aiming for, a fantasy sculpture or something, maybe? But he could tell it had a human head and body.

“W-What are you making?” Devynn asked, and Scythe glanced up from what he was doing for the first time since he’d begun, looking up at Devynn with annoyance written across his face. “Sorry, I s-shouldn’t have interrupted.”

“Asallais,” Scythe said simply, his eyes going back to the wooden sculpture in his hand. “You were quiet for so long I almost forgot you were there.” Devynn glanced at Scythe, running his eyes over him. His dark-colored hair was a mess over his face, bangs falling everywhere and somewhat in the way. Occasionally he’d shift his head to shake them out of the way, not that it helped much. His grey eyes were narrowed in concentration as he whittled what Devynn was pretty sure was going to be an arm when Scythe was finished with it.

“I was reading. I-I got bored though,” Devynn explained nervously, “Can I… watch you?” Devynn asked shyly, and Scythe paused, glancing up to look at him with a hesitant look on his face.

“One wrong move from you and I could lose a fingertip,” Scythe said, and Devynn nodded his head, pursing his lips a little. Scythe did have a point there, Devynn wasn’t particularly skilled at being still and quiet, so he could only imagine that it’d probably not be a great idea for him to sit, right in his lap or anything. But he could probably sit kind of close to him, right?

Scythe hadn’t slept on the stone ‘bed’ beside him last night, despite there being enough room. He’d taken to lying on the ground by the fire, getting up every few hours to toss more wood into it to keep the bunker bright enough for them to see. That made him feel some type of way, though he wasn’t really sure why. It wasn’t cold enough for him to need Scythe’s warmth to stay warm. He just… kind of liked feeling him there. It made him feel kind of… safe, which was weird he knew but at this point what about the situation wasn’t weird anyway?

Anyway, he just kind of wanted to be closer to him, he’d not even slept beside him last night, so he just kind of… uuugh, emotions are confusing. Why does he even care about being close to Scythe? Scythe had such an abrasive personality, he generally would’ve never gone for someone like him, even if he looks like a greek god. But after having been around him, he could kind of… appreciate him for just what he was.

He was not talkative, a bit rude and assholish, except he didn’t really seem to be intending to come across that way. At least not all of the time. When he was, Devynn could tell. It seemed more like he just had no idea how to communicate with people, and Devynn couldn’t lie… he could see why. They’d been here for a while, at this point, seemed probably a lot longer than it really had been, but they hadn’t seen a single person once.

Logically it stood to reason that Scythe just wasn’t sure how to interact with people the same way as him. He also didn’t really mind that much, it only sucked when Scythe wasn’t on the same page as him.

“Are you getting hungry?” Devynn asked instead of pushing, conceding to letting him work in peace without Devynn standing right over his shoulder watching what he was doing. Scythe glanced back up at him, having gone back to working on his sculpture while Devynn was lost in thought, and nodded his head.

“Yeah. Gettin’ hungry,” Scythe said, running his eyes over Devynn’s body for a moment, his eyes trailing along Devynn’s thighs for a moment, a spark flickering through his eyes before he glanced back down to the statuette and focused on it once again.

“I’ll begin dinner, then,” Devynn said, his heart speeding up a little as he glanced down at his thighs curiously, wondering what had made Scythe’s eyes spark like that for a moment. It hadn’t lasted long but he’d been right back to… oh . Devynn flushed brightly as his eyes settled on Scythe, his eyes roaming down to his crotch.

Alright then, he just had to change his game-plan. Not that he really had one to begin with. Scythe was acting weird, he had an erection when he was cuddling with him and now he’s avoiding sleeping beside him and he’s not looking at him and when he does look at him, he’s got a… well, he clearly wasn’t fully hard, or he was just compressing it somehow, but there was enough of a bulge there now that Devynn could tell the difference.

He had been going about this all the wrong way. Scythe clearly wasn’t an emotional person, he somewhat seemed like a blank slate at times, almost stoic or robotic. Still, he was human, a man, who was alone in this hellscape. He’d been trying to appeal to emotions that Scythe didn’t really have, fear, homesickness, and trying to bond through sharing stories with him. He had thought the way to go about Scythe keeping him with him was to bond with him, but maybe… Devynn was approaching this far too intelligently.

Scythe seemed to function off instinct alone, so maybe instinct was where he should appeal. He wasn’t brave, stupid, or horny enough to use protective instinct, but… he could maybe appeal to sexual instinct instead.

ᨒᨔ෴⦁ᨖ⦁෴ᨔᨒ

⦁⚞【⎗ 𝙱𝚊𝚌𝚔】【𝙽𝚎𝚡𝚝⎘】⚟⦁

【🖫】【🖬】【🗐】

⊶»﴾ 𝟻. 𝙵𝚘𝚛𝚖𝚞𝚕𝚊 ﴿«⊷

・ ⥋【 𝐃 𝐄 𝐕 𝐘 𝐍 𝐍 】⥋ ・ ・ ⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟷𝟶 】【 𝟶𝟿:𝟸𝟶:𝟺𝟷:𝟷𝟿 】⥋ ・

When Devynn was ready to go to sleep, he set plan ‘Seduce-Scythe-Subtly’ into action and he slipped out of his pants, feeling a bit shy without his pants on to cover his underwear. Still, too horny and determined to let that get in his way, Devynn gathered his courage and moved around on the stone so that he was up on his knees, putting one of his hands between his legs to keep him from seeing the slight bulge in his underwear, leaning forward a bit to look down at Scythe. He was still focused on whittling the sculpture he was working on and was much farther along than when Devynn had last looked at him, but Devynn was planning on interrupting him.

Again. But that wasn’t the end of the world, he’d been working on it so long that Devynn was worried he was going to go insane.

“S-Scythe?” Devynn asked innocently, raising his voice just enough for him to be heard over the crackling fire. Scythe glanced up at him, his hand movements stalling as he raised his eyebrow in inquiry. “W-Will you sleep beside me tonight?” Devynn questioned, trying to look as adorable and nervous as he could at the same time. It was a bit challenging, but he was attempting. Channeling his inner theater kid acting abilities.

“Why?” Scythe drawled, running his eyes over him slowly and calculatingly. He was clearly suspicious, Devynn hadn’t directly asked him to sleep by him before so he was sure it was a little odd, however, he had a plan for that, too.

“W-Well,” Devynn stammered, “You’ve been sleeping by me t-the whole time, and I-I’m right in front of the s-stone that opens,” Devynn sat down on his heels, balling his fist a little as he sniffled slightly, “I-I don’t want to sleep alone.” That much was true, he really didn’t want to. He was a little nervous sleeping without Scythe beside him, but that wasn’t really what he was mostly focused on. He just felt safer when Scythe was beside him, warmer too like he was being protected. It was just… nice.

“Ugh,” Scythe sighed, sounding a bit grumpy though he rose up off of the ground and walked over and sat down by Devynn on the stone bed, shifting around slightly. “You are so annoying and needy,” Scythe grumbled, his eyes roaming over Devynn’s body for a moment, pausing at his thighs and swallowing a bit before he glanced away and finished lying down, rolling to face the wall he’d been sitting against.

“Th-Thank you,” Devynn chirped, lying down and facing the opposite direction. He was content with just Scythe being close, even if he really wanted Scythe to fuck him senseless, he’d take this too.

“I’m tired anyway,” Scythe said after a moment of silence, and then they were both quiet. Scythe didn’t move closer to him, he didn’t wrap his arms around him, but he didn’t protest when Devynn pressed himself closer to the warmth of his body, snuggling up to him. Scythe inhaled sharply, his eyes cutting down to Devynn’s face, giving him a narrow-eyed glance, curiosity flickering through his eyes.

“I’m cold,” Devynn said softly, not even trying to hide his happiness as he nuzzled closer to Scythe’s arm. “T-Thank you, f-for keeping me warm,” Devynn put on a sweet face, resting his head down on Scythe’s muscular bicep.

“No problem,” Scythe muttered, his voice a bit rough. “Just go to sleep.” Devynn nodded and let his eyes fall shut, simply enjoying the closeness he had with Scythe. It’d end, eventually, but maybe he’d be lucky enough to wake up to Scythe’s hands on him.

・ ⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟷𝟷 】【 𝟷𝟶:𝟷𝟸:𝟹𝟾:𝟺𝟷 】⥋ ・

Devynn found himself quite happy when he woke up with Scythe’s arms around his waist, but his happiness was rather short-lived because Scythe pulled away from him much quicker than he wanted to allow him to. It made him fight back the urge to react, to whine about him pulling back. He bit it back and played as if he was asleep, letting Scythe shift away from him quietly and begin getting to work on tending to the fire.

Most of the day was rather uneventful, even boring. Devynn read for a while, letting Scythe work on the wooden sculpture he was whittling and made dinner when Scythe off-handedly mentioned something about being hungry, though he was pointedly not directly asking Devynn to cook. Devynn was unbothered by his coldness. Once Scythe and he had eaten, Devynn cleaned up the bowl, burning off the food in the fireplace, before he began walking around, tidying up. He took his time, being subtle as he bent down to pick up the clothes strewn across the floor and began folding them up.

Devynn could feel Scythe’s eyes boring into him, his gaze practically burning into Devynn’s ass. He was wearing just one of Scythe’s shirts, the one he’d been wearing all along, and his underwear, so his ass was perfectly on display for Scythe to admire and Scythe didn’t seem fully able to control giving in to it while Devynn was turned around.

A smirk pulled up the corner of Devynn’s lips as he shifted slightly, leaning forward to grab for a tattered pair of pants, squeezing his thighs together slightly as he arched his back. He stretched himself forward, grabbing the pants as Scythe let out a choked sound, a quiet noise that Devynn could barely hear. So he played innocent, as if he heard nothing, folding up the pair of pants before doing the same thing again, and again, relishing in the burning hot gaze that was practically devouring his body.

He could practically feel Scythe’s arousal in the air, making his heart thump and his cock leak a little, his mind fogging over a bit as his mind began to wander to what Scythe could do to him. He was able to fight giant monsters and survive, and Devynn couldn’t lie, the thought of Scythe directing that heat, passion, and strength into fucking him into incoherence was a bit intoxicating to consider.

He’d never put much thought into it, his mind much more occupied with just seeking out physical pleasure rather than anything else, but he couldn’t deny the way Scythe affected him. The way he wanted Scythe. He wasn’t used to… this .

He’d always been a bit of a freak in bed, he wasn’t ashamed of being into whatever he was into, and he’d always leaned towards more of a submissive position in bed even when he was topping. He’d never really considered it a… kink , really, more just he was more shy and reserved than he acted despite it all. Demanding something, asking for something, always felt so… he didn’t know. Wrong, perhaps.

In a way, this felt like playing with fire. Like something Devynn should be hesitant of, but on the other hand, he was horny enough to throw caution to the wind right now. He wanted Scythe, as stupid as he was, he just didn’t care.

Feeling rather bold, Devynn bent forward again, putting his ass on full display, parting his legs a bit so that his thighs would be separated, and grabbing for a jacket tossed on the floor. Scythe’s already heated gaze burned into him in a way that made him bite back a whine, his cock leaking into his underwear. He was so horny, so needy, his body tingling slightly. He was excited by the attention, by the gaze raking his exposed skin.

Devynn bit his lip as he heard Scythe suck in a deep breath, leaning more, playing like he was struggling to reach, letting his ass sway slightly.

“Fuck,” Scythe muttered, making Devynn’s heart stutter in his chest as he led himself back so that he was sitting on his heels, innocently folding the shirt as if he heard nothing. Playing unaware, Devynn laid the shirt down and glanced back over his shoulder, discreetly running his eyes over Scythe.

“Are you getting sleepy?” Devynn asked, blinking at him innocently over his shoulder, trying to make himself look cute. Scythe clenched his jaw and nodded, being quick to turn his head to avoid meeting his eyes entirely.

“Yes. So get in the bed, I’ll be there in a moment.” Scythe said, his voice coming out rougher. “Just wait, I’ll get the fire tended to,” Devynn nodded complaisantly, standing up from where he was sitting to get onto the stone they were sleeping on like it was a bed without complaint. He didn’t need to be told twice.

・ ⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟷𝟸 】【 𝟷𝟷:𝟶𝟿:𝟻𝟺:𝟷𝟹 】⥋ ・

“𝐷𝑒𝑣𝑦,” 𝑆𝑐𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑒’𝑠 𝑣𝑜𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑤𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑒𝑎𝑟, ℎ𝑖𝑠 ℎ𝑖𝑝𝑠 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝐷𝑒𝑣𝑦𝑛𝑛’𝑠 𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑚𝑙𝑦, 𝑟𝑜𝑐𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑠𝑙𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑙𝑦. 𝐷𝑒𝑣𝑦𝑛𝑛 𝑙𝑒𝑡 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑎 𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑚𝑜𝑎𝑛, ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦 𝑚𝑒𝑙𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑠 ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑒𝑙𝑡 𝑆𝑐𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑒’𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑐𝑘 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑠𝑠. 𝐻𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑠𝑜 𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑚 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑔𝑔𝑦, ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑟𝑒 𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦 𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑠 ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑢𝑟𝑔𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘, 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒𝑔. 𝐻𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜, 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑆𝑐𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑓𝑢𝑐𝑘 ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝑠𝑜 𝑚𝑢𝑐ℎ ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑𝑛’𝑡 ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑝 ℎ𝑖𝑚𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓.

“𝑆-𝑆𝑐𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑒 , 𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒 , “ 𝐻𝑒 𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑘𝑖𝑙𝑦, ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦 𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔, 𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑓𝑢𝑙𝑙. 𝑆𝑐𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑒𝑡 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑎 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑎𝑛, ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦 𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑠 ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑚𝑢𝑠𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑎𝑟𝑚𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝐷𝑒𝑣𝑦𝑛𝑛’𝑠 𝑤𝑎𝑖𝑠𝑡, ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝑖𝑛 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑎𝑠 ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑜𝑐𝑘𝑒𝑑 ℎ𝑖𝑠 ℎ𝑖𝑝𝑠, 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑚𝑙𝑦. 𝐻𝑖𝑠 ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑤𝑖𝑡𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑑 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑦, 𝑎 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑓𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑛 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑙𝑖𝑝𝑠 𝑎𝑠 ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑢𝑟𝑔𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐ℎ ℎ𝑖𝑠 ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑑𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑜𝑢𝑐ℎ ℎ𝑖𝑚𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓. “𝑊-𝑊𝑎𝑛𝑡…” 𝐷𝑒𝑣𝑦𝑛𝑛 𝑏𝑟𝑜𝑘𝑒 𝑜𝑓𝑓 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑎 𝑔𝑎𝑠𝑝 𝑎𝑠 𝑆𝑐𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑒’𝑠 𝑡𝑒𝑒𝑡ℎ 𝑠𝑎𝑛𝑘 𝑑𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑙𝑦, 𝑝𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦 𝑎𝑠 ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑒𝑙𝑡 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑐𝑘 𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔.

𝑈𝑛𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑓𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑖𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑦𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒, 𝐷𝑒𝑣𝑦𝑛𝑛 𝑙𝑒𝑡 ℎ𝑖𝑠 ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑠𝑙𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑑𝑜𝑤𝑛, 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑝𝑎𝑙𝑚 𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑡 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑐𝑘 𝑎𝑠 ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛 ℎ𝑖𝑠 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑑. 𝐻𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑠𝑜 ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑛𝑦, ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑐𝑘 𝑝𝑢𝑙𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑏𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ ℎ𝑖𝑠 ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑠 𝑆𝑐𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑒’𝑠 ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑝𝑢𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑡 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑤𝑒𝑎𝑟. 𝐷𝑒𝑣𝑦𝑛𝑛 𝑚𝑜𝑎𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑠 𝑆𝑐𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚, 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝑡𝑜 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑑𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑎𝑠 ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑑 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑐𝑘 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑠𝑠, 𝑟𝑜𝑐𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑖𝑠 ℎ𝑖𝑝𝑠.

“𝐹-𝐹𝑢𝑐𝑘 𝑚𝑒,” 𝐷𝑒𝑣𝑦𝑛𝑛 𝑚𝑜𝑎𝑛𝑒𝑑, 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒, ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦 𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑠𝑙𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑙𝑦 𝑎𝑠 ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑒𝑙𝑡 𝑆𝑐𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑒’𝑠 ℎ𝑖𝑝𝑠 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑑. 𝐻𝑒… 𝐷𝑒𝑣𝑦𝑛𝑛 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑑… 𝐹𝑢𝑐𝑘, 𝑓𝑢𝑐𝑘 ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑆𝑐𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑒, ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑠𝑜 𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔-

Devynn woke up with a start as he felt Scythe shift behind him on the stone, letting out a quiet groan. Devynn glanced up over his shoulder, running his eyes over Scythe curiously, his hand reaching down to run along his aching cock. He was hard-pressed, his mind felt so fucking fried. At this point, he felt like offering his ass to Scythe on a silver platter. He was ready for whatever Scythe could do to him.

Devynn yawned, shifting around on the stone, closer to Scythe as he blocked his cock with his arm, not wanting Scythe to feel it. He was too embarrassed, regardless of being absolutely horny enough to debase himself in humiliating ways, he wasn’t that pent up. He had a feeling that Scythe was getting close to snapping anyway. He just had to keep pushing, subtly teasing him, driving him crazy with desire. So far, it seemed like Scythe was noticing his body more, which he was happy with. He wanted him to notice him. He didn’t know how to do more to attract his attention, though.

“Devynn?” Scythe grumbled quietly, making Devynn start a little, heat flushing his cheeks. “We need to get up and get ready to walk today,” Scythe said, and Devynn frowned, shifting a bit away from Scythe to look down at him with a frown on his face.

“D-Do we have to?” Devynn dared to ask, despite knowing that all of the rationing possible couldn’t prevent them from having to leave. They only had enough meat for one more meal, and barely enough water to last half of the day. He knew they had to, but… this felt safe in a much more permanent way, or maybe just… Devynn just felt secure there, but still…

“Yes, Devynn,” Scythe said, glancing over his shoulder to glare at him. “Just get up and get ready, we need to hurry,” Scythe demanded. Devynn nodded, shifting up more and wrapping his arms around his legs, pulling them to his chest. He wasn’t looking forward to this. But, also, maybe some part of him kind of was… Seeing Scythe protect him, as horrible as it was, turned him on. He couldn’t really explain it, if he were in any other situation he’d probably find the whole thing kind of crazy… but watching Scythe fight was… attractive .

“Yes, Scythe,” Devynn said sweetly after a moment, shifting forward to wrap his arms around Scythe’s shoulders playfully, giggling a little. “Th-Thank you for letting me stay with you,” Scythhe grunted, shrugging him off and glaring back over his shoulder. “Do you want breakfast before we go?”

Scythe paused for a moment, his gaze softening just the tiniest bit as he looked over him. He cleared his throat and then nodded his head.

“Do as you please,” Scythe answered, a bit coldly, but warmly at the same time somehow. The contradictory tone made Devynn’s heart skip a beat in his chest, happiness flooding through him.

“I’ll cook quickly,” Devynn assured, and Scythe hummed nodding his head as he sat up and stretched his back, yawning as he scratched his lower abdomen.

“I’ll get shit packed then,” Scythe said, and Devynn nodded his head and followed Scythe as he got up and began walking around the room. Devynn went in the opposite direction, going to prepare breakfast for Scythe, unable to help the warm and fuzzy feelings it gave him. He… might hate everything about this place he was, but, he really liked at least one part of the experience. His eyes glanced back to take in the sight of Scythe’s muscular bare back as he changed clothes. He wanted to feel them beneath his fingers as Scythe fucked him senseless.

Devynn bit his lip and let out a sigh. Okay, he needed to focus now. Focus, right , that’d be totally easy.

・ ⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟷𝟸 】【 𝟷𝟷:𝟷𝟻:𝟹𝟶:𝟺𝟻 】⥋ ・

The farther they walked from the last place they’d stayed, the more sad Devynn felt. He had grown quite comfortable with the place they had been and he didn’t know where they were heading but it didn’t feel quite like Devynn wanted it to feel. It was so cold, bitter cold, the air biting against his skin even after he’d taken the jacket out of his bag and put it on. He swore just a few minutes ago he’d been sweating, the proof of that was practically turning to ice on his forehead.

“We’re getting close to a campsite,” Scythe stated, tilting his head to look down at Devynn. “Better speed up a bit though, we’re almost on time for the first time since you’ve been here so this’ll be a monumental occasion.” Devynn giggled despite Scythe’s sarcasm, shrugging his shoulders as he crossed his arms over his chest, attempting to trap some warmth against his body. The zipper on the jacket was broken, he’d realized, and no longer would zip, so he hoped this’d hold the thing in place on him.

“D-Do you want me to try t-to build the campfire this time?” Devynn asked, “I’ve never started one personally, but my dad used to li-light them in front of me.” Scythe hummed, nodding his head as he ran his eyes over him heatedly. He couldn’t help but notice the energy sparking between them that he was pretending to be oblivious to, his body desperately throbbing with desire as he played innocent. All he could think about is Scythe pushing his face down into the dirt as he fucked him from behind, and yet, he had to try to keep from letting Scythe realize that.

It felt so difficult to meet his eyes, knowing he was literally dreaming about the absolute sex god fucking him.

“Go ahead,” Scythe said, leading him forward up a much steeper step on the mountainside that Devynn struggled to make. The next one wasn’t much better, and Devynn could practically feel his heart crawling up his throat as he made his way higher up the mountain. He was beginning to really not like this and was fighting the urge to look down. “Don’t panic,” Scythe said firmly, making Devynn frown. As if that was any help at all.

“I-I’m trying,” Devynn said, nervousness washing through his tone. He wanted Scythe to be proud of him, but more than that, he wanted to not fall off of this mountain. On the other hand, Devynn was clumsy enough to be worried about the prospect of dying from falling off a cliff. “It’s scary to climb up the side of a mountain!” Scythe sighed, stepping up onto the rock in front of him, before stepping back.

“Get in front of me,” Scythe demanded, making Devynn let out a shaky breath, stepping up onto the rock. It was much less of a step up, thankfully. “If you knock me off getting in front of me, I’m going to haunt you after I die horrifically.” Devynn nodded, taking a deep breath as he edged his way in front of Scythe. He felt so shaky and unsteady, just wanting to finish this part of the journey because he’d much rather walk than scale a mountainside basically. He wasn’t a mountain climber, this was just… a lot. But when had shit not been a lot? Basically every single moment of his life since coming here was filled with chaos and fear, so this wasn’t surprising as much as it was frustrating.

“Keep going up.” Scythe instructed from behind him, “Don’t look down, just keep climbing until we reach the top.” Devynn nodded his head shakily, doing his best to slow his rapid heart rate. He needed a break, but a break wouldn’t really be comfortable on the edge of a mountain anyway, so there was no point in even asking. It wouldn’t calm him down at all. The only thing that would make him feel better right now was getting off of this mountainside.

Devynn stepped up onto the next rock, his heart stalling a little as he struggled to reach it. He just kept walking upwards, not stopping because Scythe was a single step behind him. It forced him to keep moving and to keep climbing higher. He didn’t have many options with Scythe behind him, he had to move at a pace agreeable to him, so it was actually inspiring him to move somehow. Still, he was ready for this to be over.

A few more steps and thankfully, Devynn was able to see the flat ground in front of them, so he was much more enthusiastic about his movements. Within a few more stairs Devynn found himself stepping up onto the ground and practically running away from the mountainside, falling down onto the dirt-covered ground as his heart raced in his chest. He just needed a moment to clear his head, slow his heartrate, something. He was an anxious mess and couldn’t do much other than just roll around on the ground and fight back tears as he felt his body shaking slightly.

He’d been so sure he’d fall, so sure he’d die, he didn’t know how he had made it all the way up the mountain.

“Devynn, get up, we’ve gotta keep moving,” Scythe said, making Devynn pout. Scythe held his hand out for Devynn, raising an eyebrow expectantly. Devynn’s pout deepened but he reached his hand up and wrapped it around Scythe’s, letting him hoist him up off of the ground. Devynn’s feet ached under the pressure of his weight, but he held on tight to Scythe’s hand as he tried to tug it away.

“I’m tired, r-really tired,” Devynn explained, biting his bottom lip. He felt bad, honestly. He’d gotten really overwhelmed trying to climb the mountain, and now his body was just not cooperating at all. He knew he needed to push on, but Holy Macaroni he was going insane. “I just w-want to hold on t-to you, I don’t want to t-trip. Is that o-okay?”

“Fine,” Scythe sighed, “Just keep up,” Devynn nodded his head agreeably, smiling a little as he tightened his grip on Scythe’s hand and followed behind him as he started walking. Staying in step with Scythe was difficult, but after a bit, it didn’t feel exactly impossible, so he was going with it and taking it as a win.

They were silent as they walked, but Devynn was soaking up the connection between them however he could get. He was so easy, honestly, all Scythe had to do to appease him is just humor his physical affection occasionally and he was happy. Still, he felt a little… just, maybe too clingy. He didn’t really intend to be, but Scythe made him feel safe and secure and gave him someone to be affectionate to. He was a physical person, he’d always been, a very emotional and physical person who needed company. He needed companionship and someone to talk to. He couldn’t help but want to be physically close to Scythe. He was so warm and protective, and muscular and strong feeling…

Devynn wanted to feel closer to Scythe, and he wasn’t feeling that from the little connection, they had now. He wanted more of a connection, more… more something. He didn’t know what. He just wanted Scythe, closer. It wasn’t much farther before Scythe stopped and looked up at the sky, a frown marring his face. Devynn frowned as well, glancing up to see nothing above them. He was confused, not really sure what Scythe was hearing that he wasn’t.

“Devynn, let me go,” Scythe said, his head turning to the side and glancing around. Devynn released him quickly, watching as Scythe stepped forward and glanced around, peeking into the trees suspiciously. “Do you hear that?” Devynn raised an eyebrow and shook his head. Scythe sighed, nodding his head. “We’re almost there. You need to get in front of me and walk quickly, got it?” Devynn nodded his head, stepping ahead of Scythe and walking further into the trees, stumbling a little over a tree limb that’d fallen onto the pathway.

“I-Is something after us,” Devynn asked anxiously, and Scythe glanced back over his shoulder before shaking his head.

“I must’ve been imagining it,” Scythe said blankly, and Devynn nodded his head, letting Scythe push him deeper into the forest. The rest of the walk took what felt like an hour at least, going up and down hills and steep edges on their trek upwards, the temperature only growing colder the higher up that they went. Once they finally reached where they were staying, Devynn was relieved.

On a small, snowy bank of one of the highest points on the mountain, a cave directly in front of them. It was beautiful, Devynn thought, even as off as it felt to look at it. The trees here actually had leaves, a commonality of the past few areas but not many other places he’d seen so far. The snow was falling down heavily from above, blocked only by the odd shape of the entrance of the cave which seemed both too convenient to be natural, but also, strange enough that it didn’t seem possible for anyone to have put it there either. It covered just enough outside of the actual cave to make it feel almost like a little porch, with woods surrounding everything that wasn’t on the ledge beside them.

The trees were close enough and accessible to Scythe, who frankly seemed like a mountain man, but Devynn wouldn’t be walking down to the woods any time soon if he could manage it. Scythe tossed his bag into the entrance of the cave and then started fishing through it before he pulled out his knife and pulled the spear off of his shoulder.

“I’m about to hunt. Start the fire with the sticks I stocked in the cave last month.” Scythe instructed, making Devynn nod his head and walk into the shadowed cave, looking around cautiously before he began gathering up the wood and carrying it over to the outside part of the cave just outside of the entrance, beginning to stack the wood. This didn’t feel entirely foreign to him at this point, so he was going with it and planning for him to fail somewhere along the lines. He wasn’t particularly well equipped to handle this stuff, but Scythe was trusting him so he wanted to do his best.

It… He couldn’t really explain it, but something about the dynamic they’d somewhat shifted into at this point had him feeling incredibly fuzzy. He loved having Scythe order him around, and his cooking and taking care of their living quarters made him feel like he was taking care of his husband. Stupid, more than likely, but Devynn couldn’t help but wonder about how Scythe would react to seeing him dressed up really… sexy, not just in tattered clothing that Scythe let him wear. He wanted to get Scythe to look at him and think wow. To acknowledge him not just because he was the only person he had access to.

It didn’t take long for him to get the wood set up and in place for the fire, but he was quick to realize that he didn’t know how to start the fire. If he had matches he probably could’ve figured it out, but this was a beast of a whole new caliber. He knew that there was a way to start it without matches or a lighter, but Devynn wasn’t privy to that knowledge. All he could do now is wait and beg Scythe to teach him when he returned so this wouldn’t happen again. Devynn sat down at the entrance of the cage and looked out in the direction he knew that Scythe would be coming from when he returned, shivering a bit.

It was so cold, Devynn pulled his legs up to his chest and wrapped his jacket-covered arms around them, trying desperately to warm himself up. He missed Scythe right now. It surprisingly wasn’t long until Scythe returned with food, something he’d already pre-butchered. Devynn met his eyes, peeking up at him through his bangs shyly.

“I-I realized I didn’t know how to start a fire without matches or a lighter,” Devynn explained and Scythe nodded, putting the meat down on a stone by the edge of the cliff and then walked forward, fishing out a box of matches that Devynn had never seen him use before.

“I forgot to give them to you before I left,” Scythe explained, “So I hunted quick, didn’t get much usable meat, but there’s some there. Ain’t much up here to make stuff taste good so you’ll struggle with that, but otherwise, you should be fine to start whenever you want.” Scythe said as he lit the match and tossed it into the sticks Devynn had arranged. It was quick to burst into flames, casting light all over the small area and making Devynn glance around to see what he hadn’t been able to see before.

The cave was much bigger than he thought it was, large, thick spider-like webs covering past a certain part that made Devynn feel just a little unsafe, but it was at least far enough away that sleeping near the fire would probably keep him safe. Plus, Scythe was with him and he trusted his judgment, so this was fine. He was fine. He nodded his head, pushed himself up off of the ground and took the knife from Scythe before going to begin preparing food for them, the fire already making him feel warmer just from existing.

This wasn’t so bad, Devynn figured. It was a bit of a hassle, but with Scythe it definitely didn’t feel impossible.

・ ⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟷𝟹 】【 𝟷𝟸:𝟶𝟽:𝟷𝟶:𝟻𝟼 】⥋ ・

When Devynn woke up the next morning, he did so alone and to the sound of birds chirping. The sound was strange, a bit uncanny, but was definitely birds. Devynn raised up off of the ground, looking around for Scythe inside of the cave before he looked out. Scythe wasn’t on the plateau where their camp was on, so Devynn wasn’t sure where he was. Devynn stood up and tried to straighten his back in an attempt to relieve some of his discomforts, walking out of the cave and tossing a couple of sticks into the fire before he looked around somewhat sleepily, his brain lagging a bit.

He was still sleepy, it felt so early, what time even was it? He glanced around and yawned quietly, stepping closer to the fire to warm himself up more. His mind wandered to Scythe and what he was up to at such an odd time, but Devynn didn’t know what he could even think he was doing. Hunting, again maybe, because Scythe had been right, it wasn’t very much meat.

Devynn hummed quietly, shuffling around, his feet still hurting slightly from the walk here. He swore this was a harder journey than the last, and Scythe hadn’t given him any breaks, really. He’d been so exhausted when he finally fell asleep he’d not even bothered asking Scythe to cuddle with him, just curled up beside him and went to sleep there without asking. It’d been efficient enough, he didn’t remember Scythe complaining at all, really.

“Devynn, is that you?” Scythe’s voice sounded, and Devynn glanced around, he swore it sounded like he was standing right where he was. “Are you awake?” Devynn blinked a couple of times, nervousness washing through him as he glanced around, wondering if he was beginning to go a little crazy or if he was just imagining it. Before he could delve too deeply into that thought process, Scythe’s head popped down from the jut of stone covering the entrance to the cave.

“Y-You’re up there?!” Devynn asked, and Scythe nodded.

“Enjoying the sunrise,” Scythe said, “It’s a beautiful morning.” Devynn raised an eyebrow at that, almost a little suspicious. He’d never seen Scythe in a good mood before, and that led him to an inevitable suspicion that something was off. “It’s not often that you get to see such a clear sunrise in this part of the world,” Devynn glanced up and nodded. “Come up, you’ll enjoy it.” Devynn bit his lip nervously.

“How’d you get up there, even?” Devynn asked, and Scythe laughed, pulling his head back up without answering. Just as Devynn was about to protest him ignoring him, Scythe jumped down, landing crouched in front of him.

“Just come on and don’t ask questions,” Scythe instructed as he raised up, making Devynn nod his head in agreement. He couldn’t explain his compliance entirely, following Scythe’s orders just made him feel comforted. Safe. Kind… of maybe like a possession, and surprisingly he… liked it. Scythe nodded and began leading him around to the other side of the plateau. It’d been so dark the night before that Devynn hadn’t noticed this part of the plateau at all, but it wasn’t nearly as steep of an incline as he’d taken it to be.

He was quiet as Scythe led him up what honestly looked and felt somewhat like steps, stopping to look around once they reached the top of it. They were so high up in comparison to everything else around them. In the distance, he could see much taller mountains, pristine white tops covered thinly by dark blue mist, strangely sized birds flying around, and the sun rising just barely over the peak of the mountain across from them. The beams from the sun created a weird yellow-orange streak effect to paint the sky with pretty marks. All of this had been hidden by treetops down below, but up here, he could see perfectly.

“It’s so pretty,” Devynn exclaimed, looking around excitedly as he looked at it. “Are we going to go blind, though?” Scythe shook his head.

“Won’t til it gets much higher, full contact… we’ve got about fifteen minutes to soak in the view before we have to go and do work around the camp. Well,” Scythe paused, “I have to hunt again. You have to do work around the camp.” Devynn nodded easily, slipping closer to Scythe and wrapping his arms around his waist, pressing his face into his chest. “What are you doing?” Scythe asked, not even bothering to struggle away from him this time.

“It’s really high up,” Devynn excused, for lack of a better excuse, and Scythe just let out a sigh and wrapped his arms around him loosely.

“You’re high maintenance, even in the morning,” Scythe sighed, almost mournfully, making Devynn giggle and nod his head. He could only sink into the warmth of Scythe’s muscular body, letting himself melt as he watched the sunrise. He was able to feel the slight tension between them, which felt just a little… charged . Scythe seemed different today, less pent up or something, but… different . Like he almost wanted to be close to him.

Devynn couldn’t really understand it, honestly. Scythe confused the hell out of him often, but honestly, that didn’t bother him too much in the long run. He just loved this, kind of. It wasn’t ideal, he’d much rather be at home, and Scythe be there . But then, if he was home, there was zero reason for him to hang around with Devynn, and if they weren’t forced together like this then Scythe probably wouldn’t be hanging around with him.

Devynn frowned a bit but managed to push it from his mind as he pressed his face into Scythe’s chest, shivering a bit, this time not because of the chill. Scythe smelled slightly of sweat, and a bit like river water, his tanned and scarred arms were strong around his waist, holding him to his chest and it made him feel small and protected.

“How much longer do we have?” Devynn dared to ask, and Scythe hummed and shrugged, giving him a couple more moments to relax in the warmth without moving much more.

“Just a couple of minutes,” Scythe answered quietly, and Devynn nodded his head. He couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed with the knowledge that Scythe was going to be leaving him soon. It made him sad, he didn’t really like being alone. There also wasn’t much for him to do, which left him feeling pretty bored.

“Okay,” Devynn agreed easily, giggling a little. He wasn’t going to let the thought of loneliness keep him from enjoying this moment. Devynn squeezed his arms around him tighter and nuzzled in closer to Scythe’s scent, letting it wrap around him. In a little bit, he would be alone and working in the camp while Scythe hunted but for now… all he had to do is sink into Scythe’s grasp and let the warmth wrap around him.

・ ⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟷𝟹 】【 𝟷𝟸:𝟷𝟽:𝟷𝟾:𝟸𝟹 】⥋ ・

Devynn was sitting by the campfire, wrapped up in his jacket, waiting on Scythe to return rather impatiently. He was so tired, and getting hungry too. He was just going to wait as patiently as he could and would dutifully prepare dinner when Scythe returned. He felt… somewhat like a housewife, though they had no house so it made little sense in the long term. Devynn was just… He liked this maybe a little too much because Scythe seemed content to just abandon him as soon as Scythe deemed that he had enough training to survive on his own. Devynn didn’t really think that was possible though. It just felt absolutely too unreal for him to fathom.

He’d long since run out of things to keep himself busy with, the snow had long since begun falling from overhead and Devynn was beginning to feel a bit lonely on his own. He had nothing to do, and he was absolutely terrified to leave the spot he’d been perched because he was scared of attracting the attention of monsters. He couldn’t help but worry, he didn’t have the knowledge Scythe had and after he’d been gone so long, Devynn was beginning to worry.

Scythe had specifically told him every time he’d left him alone not to leave the camp on his own, and this time was no different. Still, Scythe wasn’t back and he’d left early. It was now late enough to be dark. He was worried. He felt like he should go look for him, but also like he’d be breaking a rule if he did.

He tried to appease himself with the thought that Scythe might just be struggling to find food again and was being more selective this time because Devynn had heat. He just… wished Scythe could tell him. Back home, he’d just pull out his phone and text Scythe to find out when he’d be home, but… like this, they couldn’t really do that, could they?

Devynn supposed if they found two cellphones out here, he could figure out short-range communication, maybe, but that’d take a miracle. Maybe a Zippit would be easier, but he was sure at this point that finding one of those out here was really not likely. Maybe, if they were lucky, but Devynn wasn’t hopeful. He didn’t know if he was going to be back soon or not. If he was, maybe Devynn could dress up a bit, and make himself look pretty. Sit by the fire and look sexy or something.

He wondered about the likelihood of looking sexy in a pair of shorts, and after a moment of shyness, he found himself shifting around on the stone ground and began trying to pose. After failing rather miserably, he glanced down at his pants with a hefty sigh. The things he was doing for dick were almost shameful. Devynn shifted closer to the fire and pulled his shorts down, letting himself sit back on his heels by the fire. He let his legs fall open some, his head falling back slightly as he looked at the place where Scythe was going to emerge from curiously. He felt so shy and silly, presenting himself this way. He didn’t even know if Scythe wanted him this way, he felt so dumb…

But the mere chance that he’d see it, lose his mind, and want to jizz all over him was enough to quell the nervous voice that whispered in the back of his head. Part of him wondered if Scythe had been here so long that he didn’t have any sexual drive whatsoever. He didn’t know how long Scythe had been here, but he’d been here a long time based on what he knew… That couldn’t do good things for him in the long run.

“I’m back,” Scythe called, walking up onto the plateau from below the treeline where the entrance hid behind the edge of it. Devynn started, his hand jerking up to rest over his speeding heart, his eyes roaming over Scythe as the light of the fire danced on him.

Through the darkness and the light of the fire, Devynn could see the blood speckled on his face and arms, and splattered everywhere, the meat butchered already and held in a pan that he must’ve carried off in his carry-along bag when he left because Devynn had thought that it was with him. Scythe offered him the pot and Devynn stood up to take it, making a slight show of his exposed body as he moved, shivering a little as he uncurled his body and moved away from the fire enough to grab the pot.

“Are you dense? Sitting out in the snow without even pants on,” Scythe snarked, his grey eyes roaming over Devynn’s thighs as he took the pot from him and turned around, carrying the pot to the fire. Devynn bent over a bit, feeling Scythe’s shirt ride up the backs of his thighs to kiss the line of his underwear. A part of him had been embarrassed about the underwear he’d been wearing, but Devynn was coming to terms with it. They were briefs, just a plain black pair, but the cut of them somewhat reminded him of women’s underwear.

The part of him that was going a little feral right now was somewhat intrigued at the reaction he’d get from Scythe if he had’ve worn those to bed instead. He had a couple of pairs, mostly gag gifts from his girlfriends or guy friends respectively, he’d never seriously considered wearing them… at least not until now. He wasn’t sure what was going on, honestly. He wasn’t usually… this gay.

His friends had always picked on him for being small, having a somewhat thinner, lither physique than most guys. And maybe his inner theater kid was a little… ostentatious sometimes. And maybe sometimes he was overdramatic and loud, sometimes a bit of a know-it-all nerd on accident, had always been the ‘innocent’ friend in his group. He wasn’t known for bluntness, he was known for staying out of the way, being as unremarkable as he could be, and just existing… but he’d always been that way.

“My p-pants were itchy,” Devynn excused shyly, “Y-You took so long, I was w-worried about you.” Scythe inhaled swiftly, his eyes roaming over Devynn’s exposed thighs as he parted his legs a bit, teasing him with a slip of shadowed skin.

“I had… a lot of energy I had to get out tonight. I ended up playing with dinner a bit.” Scythe explained blankly, emotionless tone somewhat cool as he tossed his bag into the cave and then walked toward the steps. “Call me when you’re done. Til then, I’m gonna rest under the stars.” Devynn didn’t bother reminding him he’d only just scolded Devynn for being out there pantsless before going out to literally lay in the snow without a jacket, he just nodded his head, somewhat accepting the hypocrisy of it.

A part of him wondered if Scythe was going to jerk off, or if that was just wishful thinking. He’d given Scythe a tiny show, not much, but Scythe had been rather quick to shut it down tonight. Run away from it. Perhaps… that meant it was working? Devynn didn’t know, but he greatly hoped so.

ᨒᨔ෴⦁ᨖ⦁෴ᨔᨒ

⦁⚞【⎗ 𝙱𝚊𝚌𝚔】【𝙽𝚎𝚡𝚝⎘】⚟⦁

【🖫】【🖬】【🗐】

⊶»﴾ 𝟼. 𝚂𝚞𝚌𝚌𝚞𝚖𝚋 ﴿«⊷

・ ⥋【𝐃 𝐄 𝐕 𝐘 𝐍 𝐍 】⥋・ ・ ⥋ 【𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟷𝟺】【𝟷𝟹:𝟶𝟾:𝟺𝟼:𝟹𝟸】⥋ ・

Devynn woke up the next morning to Scythe behind him, curled up to his back with his cock pressing right between his cheeks. Absolutely… between them. As sinful as it was, Scythe was breathing raggedly against the back of his head, his arms holding him perfectly in place while he rocked his cock against him. Was Devynn horrible for wanting to drool from the mere feeling of his cock near his hole? He’d never been a bottom in the bedroom much, so this felt somewhat out of the blue, though not entirely unheard of. He’d only dated more girls than guys because there were more girls in his class than boys, so he didn’t have nearly the same amount of options for him to choose a personal preference.

Scythe made him feel things, though, like he should bend down and let Scythe wreck and ravage him like a wild animal… Scythe’s groaning broke through his train of thought, his hips pushing forward into Devynn’s ass, grinding it against his hole through his underwear. Though his briefs provided a slight separation, it was almost to his detriment. If his briefs happened to be ripped off by Scythe in his sleepy daze and he pushed inside him, Devynn wouldn’t be the slightest bit upset.

Scythe rocked his hips forward, pushing himself into Devynn’s ass as he growled something under his breath that Devynn couldn’t make out, his heart stuttering in his chest. He could feel his cock leaking into his underwear, precum dribbling into them, so much that it was honestly embarrassing. Any more of this and Devynn thought he might cum.

“S-Scythe, Scythe,” Devynn gasped breathlessly, squirming away from him desperately as he felt himself growing embarrassingly close. He would never recover from the embarrassment if he jizzed from this. Talk about humiliating. But also, it might give Scythe an idea of how easy he was right now. The idea of Scythe waking up and realizing Devynn was so desperate he’d cum from him just rubbing against his hole was embarrassing, but somewhat arousing. He was way too out of it, his cock pulsing and aching between his legs, his mind deliciously blank and he was desperate to cum.

“Devynn,” Scythe sighed into the back of his head, letting out a quiet groan as his hips pressed forward harder for a moment. Scythe seemed to awaken a little, and then entirely very quickly, as one moment Devynn was on the brink of orgasm, and the next moment he was shivering and gasping out as Scythe pulled away from him entirely and shifted to the other side of the cave. He seemed almost embarrassed, or maybe just called out, and Devynn somewhat regretted not just playing innocent.

“I-It’s okay, S-Scythe,” Devynn said quickly, crawling after him a little in an attempt to reclaim at least some of his warmth if nothing else. His ignored cock throbbed between his legs and had him feeling a bit hazy and foggy. “A-Are you okay?” Devynn asked.

“Yes, just stop,” Scythe snapped, making Devynn pause, stalling in front of him as he flushed brightly, his eyes widening a little. “Stay… there,” Scythe demanded. “Just… I can’t fucking do this right now. Just stay there.” Scythe’s voice was tight and deep, his muscles tensed and his legs covering his cock. Devynn bit his bottom lip, his body trembling a little as he felt his cock twitching within the confines of his briefs.

“I-I’m sorry,” Devynn murmured, his eyes pleadingly looking up into Scythe’s. Scythe let out a growl and shook his head, rising up off of the ground after a moment of silence, towering over Devynn in a way that had his head fuzzy and disoriented. The glare of arousal and heat in Scythe’s eyes was enough to make Devynn feel dizzy, his mouth fighting the urge to open. He didn’t know where these instincts were coming from, maybe from blue-balling for what felt like forever, but all he knew was he wanted Scythe to pound him straight into the ground.

“I’ll be back. I’m going to hunt.” Scythe said roughly, tearing his hungry gaze from Devynn’s body after a moment, “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay right here, out of my way.” Devynn sucked in a deep breath and nodded his head, his heart stuttering in his chest as he turned his head to watch Scythe as he disappeared down the pathway, leaving Devynn to sit by the fire or go after him and try his luck.

Devynn stood up and looked around, frowning as he looked in the direction that Scythe had disappeared in, curiously. He grabbed at his shorts and pulled them on, shy and confused, sitting down by the path that Scythe had left on. He wanted to meet Scythe halfway, try to talk to him, and see what he was missing. He didn’t understand how Scythe reacted, being embarrassed was one thing, but… he didn’t know. He wasn’t smart enough to figure any of this out on his own.

Scythe was a mystery to him, one he desperately wanted to make sense of, but seemed not to be able to even get close to. He was sad that Scythe was gone. He really wanted him to come back. He was antsy on his own usually but with the kind of… arguing or whatever that had been… Devynn was anxious. He needed to know that Scythe was okay and wasn’t mad at him. He really didn’t want that, not at all. Scythe was important to him, he needed him for safety and food, but also because he just… kind of wanted him.

Devynn let out a sigh and pulled his legs up to his chest, shivering slightly as he tried to fight off the cold without the heat of the fire right beside him. He was hungry, so he guessed an early morning meal wouldn’t be the worst, but Devynn just wanted to cuddle up in Scythe’s arms again.

・ ⥋ 【𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟷𝟺】【𝟷𝟹:𝟷𝟻:𝟹𝟶:𝟸𝟶】⥋ ・

When Scythe returned, he had more butchered meat but was no longer covered in blood. It was a bit strange, but Devynn was just glad that Scythe had finally returned. He’d not given him a list of tasks to do before leaving, so Devynn didn’t want to step on any boundaries Scythe put in front of him. Scythe was just… hard to please sometimes, and Devynn wasn’t confident that he’d ever achieved making Scythe proud of him. He wanted genuine praise from Scythe and also wanted Scythe to fuck him. Preferably at the same time.

“H-How w-was h-hunting?” Devynn asked, trying to sweeten his voice as he stood up from where he was sitting, shivering as he tried to shake all of the snow off of him. Scythe ran his eyes over him, a glimmer of annoyance sparking in the depths of them.

“Did you sit right there the entire time I was gone? You’re fucking soaked in the snow, you fucking idiot,” Scythe snapped, tossing the meat down into the snow and grabbing onto Devynn’s bicep roughly. “Get over there, by the fire, you’re going to get sick,” Scythe snapped, pushing Devynn back toward the fire.

“I-I was w-worried, y-you l-left and…” Devynn explained nervously, “I-I d-didn’t know i-if y-you w-were c-coming b-back s-so I w-waited,” he managed to get out, his teeth chattering so hard it made his jaw hurt, shivering so hard his muscles ached. He’d sat there long enough that his body had gone numb, probably a combination of the cold, the snow, and Devynn’s poor choice of clothing.

“So you figured you should get frostbite while waiting for me? Sounds like a magnificent plan. I’m not sure what could’ve possibly gone wrong,” Scythe said sarcastically, looking down at him through angry eyes. “Strip. Your clothing is soaked through.” Devynn flushed brightly, his eyes falling to stare at the ground where the fire was reflecting off of the stone the slightest bit. The snow had fallen from overhead at some point while his back was turned, some of it getting close enough to the fire to melt it so there was a small puddle on the ground beneath his feet.

“I-I’m cold, “ Devynn complained, his hands slightly blue as he reached out to tangle them in Scythe’s shirt. Scythe shivered and let out a curse.

“What the fuck were you thinking you dipshit? Take your clothes off,” Scythe demanded, his hands roughly pushing at the wet jacket clinging to his form. Devynn let him push it off of him, stumbling slightly as Scythe stepped closer to him, his hands grabbing at the hem of his shirt.

“I-I c-can d-do it m-myself,” Devynn said in a rush, his hands raising to press against Scythe’s chest. His heart was practically beating out of his chest as he felt Scythe’s warm fingertips trail along his abdomen. He couldn’t help but shudder a little, a whimper falling from between his lips.

“Fine, just… strip, “ Scythe demanded heatedly, making Devynn nod his head, his shaking hands reaching down to grasp at the hem of Scythe’s shirt, pulling it up over his head. He toed out of his shoes, pushing his shorts down to pool at his ankles, flushing brightly as his underwear came into view. He could practically feel Scythe’s eyes devouring his exposed skin though he was quick to avert his eyes from Devynn’s before he could really look at his expression well enough. “Those too,” Scythe said coldly, motioning toward his underwear.

“B-But…” Devynn protested, making Scythe glare at him.

“If you want your nuts to freeze off fine,” Scythe snapped, making Devynn frown and pout as he reached his hand down to play with the band of his briefs shyly.

“A-Are… A-Are y-you going t-to j-judge me?” Devynn asked, glancing up at Scythe through his lashes, leaning forward a little. Just enough to hear Scythe’s quick inhale, the heat that flashed through his eyes making Devynn’s insides heat up slightly. “W-Won’t l-laugh?” Scythe just scoffed.

“If you’ve got somethin’ I don’t have, I’ll throw a coin at it then move on,” Scythe grumbled, rolling his eyes.

“T-That’d h-hurt, c-coins a-are metal,” Devynn protested weakly, shivering a bit as he crossed his arms over his chest stubbornly, and definitely not in an attempt to hide his desperately straining nipples. Scythe just glared, making Devynn flush more and nod his head after a moment. “W-Won’t b-being n-naked be w-worse?” Scythe shook his head, stepping back to pull at his own shirt.

“No, because we’re going to curl up on the stone near the fire and cover you up with my clothes as much as possible,” Scythe said, “You need to not get sick.” Scythe continued as he pushed his pants down, leaving himself in nothing but his boxers. He didn’t push his boxers down, though, instead, offering Devynn only an impatient look and a grunt of annoyance as he hesitated. Devynn couldn’t help it though, Scythe was just… fucking perfection and he felt so simple in comparison. His slight form was pretty normal where he was from, but Scythe? He was like perfection incarnate.

“O-Okay, okay,” Devynn answered as he pushed them down, letting them pool around his ankles too, his cheeks unable to get any redder, even as his teeth chattered. “B-Better?” He stammered out, trying to curl in on himself while standing up. It was an absurd idea, but he was failing regardless. Scythe didn’t answer, nor look at him, moving to sit down beside the fire, out of the way of the water that was puddled beside them, before pulling Devynn down into his lap. Devynn let out a squeak, his heart stalling as he felt Scythe’s warm skin against his bare flesh. He was warm, and it took everything in him not to curl up even closer.

Scythe was quick to use his shirt to cover Devynn up with it, his arms wrapping around his waist and tugging him back toward his chest more. Devynn could feel his cock pressing against his back, the firm line of it along his spine had him feeling more than just a little excitement. He wanted it inside of him, deep within him where he could feel Scythe’s warmth seep into him.

“S-Scythe,” Devynn stammered out breathlessly, “I-I’m s-still cold,” he complained, wrapping his arms around his shins and pulling his legs up closer to his chest more. He felt so bare and exposed like this, his body close enough to Scythe’s that there was no hiding, the embarrassment, and arousal coiling together within him and making him feel a little dizzy.

“You’re the dumbass who sat in the snow for hours on end,” Scythe drawled lazily. “Just get closer and try to warm yourself up,” Scythe said, and Devynn flushed a little as flashes of what he wanted to do to warm himself up flashed through his head, making his cock try to harden between his legs. Devynn let out a quiet whine, his arms squeezing tighter as he tried to shrink himself down more.

He was a dumbass, he shouldn’t have waited in the snow for Scythe when there was a fire so close to him. He just… hadn’t thought about the repercussions of doing it. He wasn’t really sure about snow, truthfully, he couldn’t recall having ever actually experienced it as an adult. Maybe when he was a young child, but not any time that he could remember if that was the case.

They fell silent then, Devynn trying to focus on getting warm without losing his sanity and trying to hump Scythe’s thigh, while also fighting a boner. He was… seriously on some hard shit lately. All he could think about lately is getting boned. But, he was going through a serious dry spell, this was not normal for him, and he was losing his damn mind. He just wanted to jizz.

He knew that wouldn’t really be appropriate, though. He’d had opportunities along the way, when Scythe was sleeping, or when Scythe was hunting, or doing other stuff. He always left for long periods of time… but he also never gave Devynn any kind of time bracket for how long he’d be gone, nor would Devynn even be able to calculate when he’d be back on his own. It was really embarrassing to think of Scythe walking back to the camp only to see Devynn a second away from cumming.

Also, there wasn’t anything other than Scythe for him to get aroused by out here. He supposed he’d seen some alright trees, but he didn’t think that’d get him very far, and even if it did, he was pretty sure he’d be so horrified from that reaction that he’d lose it. Still, coupling with that, there was also the fear aspect that came into play here.

He didn’t want to be caught unaware by a monster planning to devour him with his cock in his hand! That’d be next-level terrible, and he was practically able to see that happening to him if he wasn’t careful. He already wasn’t very good at paying attention. Give his dick some attention and he really falls flat then. Devynn frowned a bit, resting his head down on his knees, letting out slow, measured breaths in an attempt to calm down.

He could barely concentrate with Scythe this close. After Scythe basically humped him to the point of orgasm and then pulled away just before, all he could think about was how good he’d felt then. How warm he’d been, wrapped up in Scythe’s arms. He couldn’t help his mind wandering away from him when the scent of Scythe’s sweat tickled at the tip of his nose and hand him feeling dizzy. He’d never met someone whose sweat smelled like his, almost sweet, a little bit… spicy, but not… gross.

Arousing. Terribly arousing. Devynn let out a low whine, despite trying to be quiet, his eyes squeezing shut slightly.

“What’s the matter?” Scythe asked after a couple of minutes of silence encompassed them, making Devynn shudder a bit as his breath ghosted over the back of Devynn’s neck, sending a wave of pleasure rocking through him. Devynn’s breath caught in his throat as he choked down a groan, his eyes squeezing tighter as he shook.

“A-Ah…” Devynn stammered, almost shyly, his cheeks darkening as he forced them to stare forward without moving, not wanting to peek behind him for anything. He was too embarrassed to look Scythe in the eye right now. “N-Nothing,” Devynn managed, “J-Just cold.”

“Still?” Scythe mused, almost distractedly as his fingers wrapped around one of Devynn’s wrists, pulling his arm away from his leg, before replicating the action with the other hand. Scythe was quick to lay them over, pressing his back to the stone as he pulled Devynn back toward his chest, slotting his legs behind Devynn’s knees. His bicep rested beneath Devynn’s head, his arms curling around him tightly as he pulled him firmly toward his chest.

“T-This is c-close,” Devynn murmured breathlessly, not sure he was making any sense at all, but trying regardless. He was a horny mess, his brain just a clear echoing chamber with nothing inside of it. He could melt into Scythe’s arms like this. Scythe just made a quiet humming noise, shifting closer to him and trying to stretch his shirt out over as much of Devynn as he could possibly cover him with.

“S-Scythe,” Devynn murmured, and Scythe hummed again, his hands tucking Devynn in with the shirt as much as he could. “Y-You’re so warm,” Devynn mused under his breath, unable to help but to roll around so that he could press his face and arms into the expanse of Scythe’s muscular abdomen. Nuzzling into his neck, unashamedly taking in a deep, slow inhale of Scythe’s scent.

The deranged part of him wanted to run his tongue along the space where his scent was strongest, wanted to taste it on the tip of his tongue. The cold did an alright job as a reality checker, but not nearly enough of one to keep him from wanting to do things with Scythe he’d never considered before.

“You seem to like that,” Scythe grumbled, the baritone in his voice making the cells in Devynn’s body vibrate beneath the surface of his skin. Devynn did, he wasn’t complaining. He was practically worshipping. He didn’t really know why, either. He just… Scythe radiated this energy that made his insides stutter and his brain lag

“I-I d-do,” Devynn admitted, somewhat bashfully, “I-It’s c-comforting,” He said simply, attempting not to further embarrass himself. Scythe hummed and shifted, wrapping his arms around Devynn’s lower back, pulling him closer and letting him nuzzle closer. Devynn pressed his face into Scythe’s chest, letting the heat sink into his face and warm him up. Scythe stayed silent and let Devynn shift around until he stopped moving and settled.

Scythe was still quiet, even after Devynn began to warm up some, pulling back just enough to pull his legs up and press his shins to Scythe’s chest, curling in on himself so he could press his face close to him as well. He loved this. Being invited by Scythe to cuddle up to him provided him the confidence to get as close as he pleased, to nuzzle in closer and take his time to enjoy himself while Scythe was so open to it. He only really loved this when Scythe was so open to it. He wanted Scythe to want him close, that was part of it for him.

It stayed like that for a long time, silence encompassing the cave, as they lay on the stone ground, the crackling fire heating up the small cave just enough to fight back the shivers that were trying to trace Devynn’s spine. No part of him wasn’t touching Scythe in some way, and it had his blood simmering in his veins. He was still freezing, though, his entire body practically an ice cube despite him being significantly warmer than he had been before.

Devynn let his eyes fall shut, his legs sliding down to tangle with Scythe’s as he nestled his head into the crook of his neck, letting himself take pleasure in the closeness, his thigh sliding up slightly in his attempt to get close to him. Devynn sucked in a deep breath as he felt the outline of Scythe’s cock pressing against it. He was slightly hard, clearly intently trying to ignore the fact, and the quiet inhale that Scythe let out as Devynn shifted his thigh up so that it was pressing more firmly into the length of it.

“Devynn, are you awake?” Scythe grumbled, pushing at his shoulder slightly, nudging him back enough that Devynn let out a whine, shaking his head.

“Yes,” He answered, his voice muffled into Scythe’s skin as he peeked up through his bangs at the one eye he could manage to make contact with without fully separating from Scythe. “I-It’s g-getting warmer, k-kinda,” Devynn muttered, in an attempt to convince Scythe, but mainly himself that it was true. He was still freezing, could feel the temperature of the stone beneath him.

“That’s some shit,” Scythe growled, “You feel like you’re about twenty fucking below. What the hell do I do,” Scythe said, his voice sounding tense, but also quieter like he wasn’t talking to Devynn at all. Devynn yawned and shook his head, sleep pulling at the corners of his mind. He was so cold. Whenever he woke up, he was always warm. “Hey, wake up,” Scythe demanded, shaking him slightly. Devynn’s eyes fluttered open, and he blinked a couple of times, a bit confused.

“W-What?” Devynn asked sleepily, his eyes trying to flutter shut again as he nuzzled closer to Scythe.

“You ain’t about to croak in my arms, Devynn,” Scythe groaned, “Just wake up, open your eyes, and talk to me. You always got somethin’ to say, so get to saying something.” Devynn groaned a little, shaking his head.

“I-I’m s-sleepy,” Devynn griped, his fingers trying to tangle in Scythe’s shirt, only for his finger to brush over the hard plane of his abdomen. “J-Just a-a f-five minute n-nap?” Devynn pled, shifting forward to nuzzle into his neck. Scythe shook his head insistently, his hands grasping Devynn’s cheeks, forcing him to meet his eyes. Devynn met his eyes, flushing brightly. “W-What?” Devynn asked, his cheeks heating up. “I-I just…”

“Devynn stay awake,” Scythe urged, and Devynn frowned a bit, nodding his head as he fought the urge to let his eyes fall shut. “Devynn,” Scythe demanded, making Devynn blink a couple of times and nod his head. “How can I keep you awake,” Devynn flushed a little, blinking up at him shyly. “Come on, got any ideas?”

“I-I’m h-horny,” Devynn blurted, “Y-You wanna f-fuck me?” Scythe’s eyes widened a bit and looked down at him with confusion-glinted eyes, “I-I’ll l-let you d-do anything,” Devynn pled, blinking up at him through his lashes.

“What do you mean?” Scythe questioned, and Devynn blinked a couple of times, confused a little. “Do anything? The fuck are you on about?”

“E-Exactly t-that,” Devynn muttered, “I-I mean… e-exactly t-that…”

“You must be delirious,” Scythe grumbled under his breath, “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.” Devynn yawned and raised an eyebrow, too tired and confused to really be able to take that statement literally.

“I-I mean… f-fuck me,” Devynn answered, “Stick t-this,” He shifted his thigh so that it was pressing against Scythe’s cock, “In-Inside of m-me.” Scythe inhaled sharply, choking down a noise that made Devynn’s heart stutter in his chest.

“Why exactly would I do something like that?!?!” Scythe demanded, his hands moving down to Devynn’s shoulders, unintentionally rolling them over so that he was hovering over Devynn, his jaw slightly clenched.

“B-Because it f-feels good,” Devynn explained, pushing his thigh harder into Scythe’s cock, relishing in the moan that escaped Scythe’s lips. “Y-You want t-to? I-I’ll take a-anything you g-give m-me,” Devynn pled, his eyes staring pleadingly up into Scythe’s. “I-I want i-it.”

“Where?!” Scythe seemed less against it, more curious than anything, his voice slightly strained as his hips pressed down into Devynn’s thigh, “I-Inside you?” Devynn let out a low whine, feeling Scythe’s cock pressing into his thigh. He could tell how big he was just through the fabric of his boxers, and Devynn couldn’t help the slight bit of excitement that swarmed through him, wanting to feel it inside of him.

“M-My asshole,” Devynn explained softly, breathlessly, “I-I’ll take i-it, h-however y-you give i-it to me,” He pled, looking up at Scythe through his lashes. “Y-You want it?” Scythe bit down into his bottom lip, looking at him curiously, seeming a little contemplative.

“It’ll just go… in?” Scythe questioned, and Devynn let out a shaky breath. He nodded his head.

“Y-You have t-to use your f-fingers t-to open me u-up first,” Devynn explained, “H-Have y-you really n-never… I-I mean, y-you just…” Devynn was far too out of it to really grasp a reality where a guy that looked like Scythe was a virgin. He was still really cold, though he was fairly distracted by the situation so he could ignore that. His brain was twelve different kinds of jumbled right now, between freezing, being horny as hell, and desperate that he really didn’t care. He just wanted to cum. He wanted Scythe to touch him.

“Okay,” Scythe answered, nodding his head. “I’ve… been here a long time,” Scythe grumbled under his breath like an afterthought, clearly not wanting Devynn to question further, and right now he wasn’t at himself enough to really think deeper into it. He probably would later, but right now he couldn’t think about anything.

“T-Then… I-I’ll help y-you,” Devynn murmured shyly, shifting slightly, “L-Let me u-up s-so I c-can roll over,” Scythe nodded cooperatively, shifting back away from him. Devynn moved quickly, shifting over onto his stomach and pulling his knees up. He let out a quiet noise as he felt his bony knees hitting the stone, but he was floating through it, drowsy enough to feel complacent and needy. Still shy, though, shy enough that he flushed as he felt the frigid air brushing at the sensitive skin of his hole. He shivered, his skin freezing even though his blood was simmering in his veins.

He couldn’t even get hard, he was too cold right now, but he had no doubt that’d change as soon as he started getting hornier. Probably once Scythe was buried within him, but until then… he’d just have to deal with it. Devynn couldn’t lie, though, he hadn’t experimented much with fingering himself, outside of the experiences he’d had with men himself. He didn’t really know how to do it himself either, but, he guessed that it didn’t really matter.

Ideally, they’d have condoms, lubrication of some kind, or at the least some vaseline if it was absolutely necessary, but none of that exists here so he didn’t have that kind of equipment for this. He’d have to be pretty inventive here. But he couldn’t do that if he froze to death in the process.

“L-Lean o-over m-me and gi-give me y-your h-hand,” Devynn requested, shy but still feeling somewhat emboldened by the hungry gaze Scythe was running over his exposed skin. Scythe complied somewhat quickly, silent, but still avidly focused on Devynn in a way that was almost somewhat… enamored with. Devynn was a loud, boisterous person who was affectionate and he strived for praise. An attention whore at heart, having Scythe’s unwavering attention made him feel fuzzy and warm.

He wanted more of Scythe’s attention, all of it. He wanted to have Scythe’s pleasure moaned into his ear, and wanted to be the reason Scythe felt better than he ever had before. As soon as Scythe was into place behind and over him, Devynn grabbed his hand and pulled it up to his mouth, looking over it curiously. He seemed clean like he’d had a bath at some point after hunting, the last time he’d been covered head to toe in blood. His clothes were stained before he’d taken them off, but his skin wasn’t.

“D-Did you s-shower e-earlier?” Devynn questioned, trying to determine if he wanted to suck on his fingers or not. Scythe shook his head, making a noise as Devynn shifted his hips, unable to help but tease his cock as it settled between his cheeks.

“I-It’s too cold out here,” Scythe answered, his voice strained as he choked back a noise. “I washed my hands, arms, and face off in a creek,” He further explained, “Didn’t want to spend the whole day coated in blood again,” Devynn nodded. Good enough, he guessed. Devynn leaned forward, pulling three of Scythe’s fingers into his mouth, sucking around them as he ran his tongue over them. “F-Fuck,” Scythe groaned, his hips pressing down into Devynn’s ass more, rubbing against him somewhat urgently.

Devynn felt all different kinds of things in the moment, his brain scattered and frazzled. He felt a little high. Knowing his work teasing him had paid off, and had made Scythe pent up like this made Devynn feel just a little too fuzzy. Part of him, the absolutely insane part, wanted Scythe to just push him down and fuck him into the stone without pausing. He was so ready, too horny to think straight.

Devynn ran his tongue along the underside of Scythe’s fingers, feeling the callouses on the pads of his fingertips, taking them deeper as he breathed through his nose to keep from gagging. He couldn’t be sure how Scythe would react to that, and as much as he wanted to just relax into this and let whatever happened to happen, he needed to ensure he didn’t freak Scythe out. As he seemed to know nothing about this, it was a safe bet he didn’t know what reactions were usual, and while Devynn could explain all of that later, he didn’t really want to confuse him now while he wasn’t in a place to explain it all in detail.

Devynn slid his tongue between two of Scythe’s fingers, relishing in the swift inhale it gained him from Scythe’s lips before he released his fingers from his mouth, heat flooding through him. Certain they were wet enough, he nodded his head to himself and glanced back to look at Scythe over his shoulder.

“S-Start with o-one,” Devynn explained shyly, “Push i-it inside m-me,” Scythe nodded, pulling back from overtop of him, making him whine a little as the cold air rushed across his bare skin. Scythe followed directions perfectly, maybe a little too perfectly because as soon as his fingertip pressed against his hole, it dipped inside of him all the way. Devynn choked on a moan, his body tensing slightly as he struggled to adjust to the sudden intrusion.

“You okay?” Scythe asked tightly, and Devynn nodded, sucking in a deep breath as he squeezed his eyes shut, his hair falling down to brush at the stone ground he was kneeling on. Okay, he needed to be much more descriptive with what he wanted Scythe to do, clearly. After a moment to collect himself, Devynn leaned his head back and sucked in a deep breath, preparing himself. He just had to be confident and assertive, that couldn’t be… too hard, right??

“O-Okay, n-now, m-move it a-around s-some,” Devynn instructed, “B-Be careful th-though,” Scythe nodded, experimentally moving his finger around inside of him. After a moment of uncertain, slightly awkward movements, Scythe’s fingertip brushed over Devynn’s prostate and Devynn choked slightly, a moan falling from his lips. “F-Fuck,” He gasped as Scythe’s finger movements caused it to hit his prostate again.

“Did that hurt?!” Scythe sounded mildly, if not completely, concerned, and Devyn struggled desperately to make the haze of pleasure release enough for him to use his tongue. He shook his head somewhat frantically in the meantime.

“N-No~! A-Ah, f-feels g-good,” Devynn gasped out, shaking his head. “K-Keep going. P-Push i-it in a-and o-out.” Scythe nodded, beginning to thrust his finger in and out of his hole. His pace wasn’t rhythmic or anything, but often enough the tip of it would hit either beside or directly on his prostate, sending pleasure swirling through his body.

“S-Scythe, p-put another f-finger i-in,” Devynn instructed, “L-Like, s-slowly, b-be careful, please,” Scythe pressed the tip of his middle finger against Devynn’s hole, pressing it into him more slowly this time. It was still faster than ideal, but he was just glad it didn’t hurt like hell still. “S-Start sp-spreading them, a-and move th-them like b-before,” Scythe nodded his head, beginning to move his fingers within him once again.

Scythe’s fingers moved without rhythm and a set pace, but once again there were accidental touches to his prostate that forced a gasp out of his mouth with every single one of them. Scythe’s fingers were thick and strong, they moved against the walls of his hole without even attempting to pleasure him, he really had no idea what he was doing but Devynn kind of didn’t mind. It made it so that he wasn’t trying too hard, or too self-conscious and worried to do anything. It was somewhat relaxing and made him feel less edgy himself because Scythe wasn’t worried at all.

“K-Keep going, y-you can g-go f-faster,” Devynn pled, somewhat shakily, pleasure making his voice come out deeper and less steadily. He was shaky and cold, distracted though, enough so that he could feel the pleasure more than the coldness. He couldn’t help but want to feel Scythe’s cock stretching him out instead of his fingers. He knew that Scythe’s cock would hit against his prostate so much more consistently than his fingers did.

He was impatient for Scythe to be actually inside of him because he was pretty certain that once Scythe got inside of him, Scythe would be taken over by instinct and rail him into senselessness. He wasn’t sure what Scythe would be like in bed, but based on normal Scythe, it was pretty certain that he’d be just as rough and callous when fucking. Devynn found that just a little exciting, the idea of someone who had no preconceived notions of sexuality at all, so much so that they don’t even know what fucking actually is… he felt like it’d be somewhat different from sex with anyone he could find at home. Less soft and planned out, with no boundaries and limitations to hold him back.

“What’s this?” Scythe asked, quirking his fingers so they were pressing firmly into Devynn’s prostate. Devynn choked, his entire body tensing as his eyes rolled back, a line of precum leaking from the head of his soft cock and down onto the stone. He was just a little bit dizzy, his body seeming to warm up the slightest amount, tingling slightly. His knees hurt, the stone beneath them not exactly comfortable to kneel on like this, but fuck it felt really good.

“M-My p-prostate,” Devynn managed to get out as Scythe pressed harder. He moaned, his fingernails digging into the stone as he pushed his hips back into Scythe’s hand. “D-Do th-that again,” Devynn begged breathlessly, his teeth sinking down into his bottom lip.

“Does it feel good?” Scythe asked curiously, and Devynn nodded his head breathlessly. “You want me to keep touching there, then?” Oh God, Devynn really wanted that. He nodded frantically, his tongue running along his lip.

“P-Please,” Devynn pleaded, his eyes rolling back as Scythe’s fingers immediately began pressing harder against it. He didn’t really have any kind of finesse with how he moved them, but it felt good enough for Devynn to be completely okay with that. “A-Add the l-last o-one, the t-third,” Scythe nodded his head and pressed the tip of his finger against the rim of his hole. As Scythe pressed it inside of him, he sucked in a deep breath, feeling the friction from this finger more. He hadn’t been fast enough for his spit to last, but Devynn was so ready for Scythe to be inside of him that he didn’t care.

“It’s kind of hard to push it in,” Scythe noted, and Devynn nodded.

“T-That’s w-why I got t-them wet f-first earlier,” Devynn explained and Scyte nodded his head dipping his head slightly before he spit down onto the rim of Devynn’s hole without further prompting. It was… really hot. Devynn couldn’t help but moan as he wormed his way back toward the fingers stretching and filling him. “F-Fuck, S-Scythe, I-I want y-you inside m-me,” Devynn pled, too ready to even consider that Scythe wasn’t even done with the third finger.

“Okay,” Scythe agreed, somewhat tightly, his fingers pulling out of him. “I do pull these out first, right?” Devynn nodded, though the idea of him not doing that kind of made his head swim. He was too ready to feel Scythe right now for that to really be a consideration, though. He wanted Scythe to fuck him so much, he was dizzy from it.

“T-Take your u-underwear o-off,” Devynn requested, “I-It’ll make th-this e-easier,” Scythe nodded, pushing his underwear down and out of the way, working them off of his legs before returning his weight behind Devynn, this time, much closer than before. Devynn couldn’t help but choke out a moan as he felt the weight of Scythe’s cock resting against his ass, his body quivering the slightest bit from excitement. “S-spit on your cock, t-then p-put it in. H-Hurry!” Devynn demanded, albeit a bit impatient after all of the buildup.

Scythe let out a growl in reprimand, narrowing his eyes at Devynn as he pressed the head of his cock against Devyn’s hole, spitting down onto his hole and the head of his cock. After a single second, Scythe’s hips pressed forward, his cock pushing inside of him fully in one movement. Devynn practically choked on his tongue, his eyes rolling back as he felt Scythe filling him completely.

It was accompanied by a slight burn, friction from how under-lubricated he was echoing through his body in a somewhat unpleasant way. That was really the only unpleasant part, though, Devynn couldn’t help but notice, fullness and pleasure swirling through his body in a way that made him somewhat dizzy and disoriented. The head of Scythe’s cock was practically resting just against his prostate, and he could feel just how girthy he was in reality. Fantasy hadn’t prepared him, not that he should be entirely surprised by that. He had known he was… packing… since he’d woken up a couple of times with Scythe rubbing his cock against him.

Perhaps that fuelled his fascination, though, as Devynn wasn’t generally a bottom… but he had always somewhat had a fascination with cocks. Specifically the bigger ones. His cock was average, pretty much just like everything else about him, but he’d always sneakily pondered about what it’d feel like to take a big cock. He had just never come across someone with one big enough for him to consider it an achievement or even really anywhere near the level he’d seen in porn. Now he understood, fuck, he was so full.

He could feel every pulse, jerk, and throb of Scythe’s cock within him, a blessing if he’d ever received one. The length of it was enough to make him feel almost as if it was too much, but he’d never complain about that. The girth… oh, god, it was perfect.

“S-Scythe, Scythe,” Devynn gasped as Scythe let out a low groan, his body falling over Devynn’s and pinning him to the stone floor, arms settling on either side of his head as Scythe began moving. “W-Wait, wa– ack! “ Devynn broke off with a noise he had no idea he could even make as Scythe’s cock bashed head-first into his prostate with the first slight movement Scythe made. It still hurt, the friction enough to make him feel lightheaded, but the pleasure was enough to have him somewhat numb to the discomfort. He was acutely aware of Scythe’s body behind his, the feeling of his length stretching Devynn’s insides out to fit him making his insides jerk and tighten with excitement.

Scythe, to his credit, didn’t move much. Though Devynn wasn’t sure he knew he was supposed to either, so he didn’t know if that was courteousness, common sense, or just a genuine lack of knowledge, but it gave Devynn a moment to collect himself before they continued on. His breathing was hitched, his breath warm and heated on the back of Devynn’s neck, and it had Devynn feeling remarkably warm.

“M-Move,” Devynn instructed, “P-Pull your h-hips back, then p-push t-them back forward, c-chase t-the pl-pleasure,” Devynn managed to get out shakily. Scythe was quick to pull his hips back at his instruction, letting out a deep, guttural groan that made Devynn’s insides heat up with excitement before he pushed his hips back in.

“Fuck,” Scythe growled, the only warning he got before Scythe’s hips began thrusting into him at full speed and strength, with absolutely no build-up to the movement. Devynn gasped, his eyes rolling back as he struggled to hold himself up with one shaky arm, bringing his hand down to grasp at his cock where it was hanging between his legs. Even the cold air couldn’t keep him completely flaccid at this point, Devynn’s cock was half-hard in his hand, sensitive to the touch from the chill. His hand in comparison felt warm, though it definitely was nowhere near as warm as Scythe’s hand would be were it to wrap around his length instead. The idea made his insides heat up with excitement and he found himself trying to jerk himself off, using the precum leaking out of him as lubrication.

A hoarse moan fell from Devynn’s lips as he felt the head of Scythe’s cock battering against his prostate. There was no rhythm to it, he was sloppy and uncoordinated, every thrust rough and hard, no reprieve whatsoever, but he followed the instruction perfectly: He chased the pleasure.

“Not hurting you?” Scythe asked, his voice breathless and tight, though he didn’t stop his movements at all. Devynn let out a shaky breath, his eyes rolling back as one of his thrusts managed to hit his prostate directly, forcing a gasping noise to push its way from between his lips.

“N-Not at a-all,” Devynn managed to get out shakily, his eyes falling shut as he let his face rest down on the ground beneath him. “G-Go a-ahead, d-do with m-me as you w-wish,” He offered. Scythe had never really stopped, but that seemed to be all he needed to say for Scythe’s already rhythmless pace to go a bit more frantic and bestial.

Scythe’s pace was unmeasured, unhindered, every single thrust of his hips seeming to err more and more desperate. He was senselessly fucking him like he were nothing more than a hole in the wall, paying no attention to stimulating Devynn at all. That didn’t stop it from feeling good, though, every thrust was somehow managing to punch a noise of pleasure from between his lips without a single struggle. It was enough to have Devynn’s entire body singing with stimulation, pleasure crashing down atop him and leaving him absolutely no room to compose himself.

Words tried to escape his mouth, pleas for more, for Scythe to completely let loose and ravish him, but they couldn’t escape him. Scythe’s thrusts didn’t have to be well aimed, not when he was packing like this, every thrust had his cock hitting Devynn’s prostate in some capacity, which was enough to have Devynn’s mind blank as pleasure permeated his every thought.

He loved this a lot more than he’d ever thought he would, and that was saying something. Scythe’s pleasured noises just made his blood heat up more, his body tensed and desperate, wanting to cum. It was so soon, but he really didn’t have the slightest idea how he’d manage to fight it off after this long of a dry spell. Still, Scythe would probably cum pretty soon too, he was a virgin so that much was assured. He wasn’t backing out of this until Scythe lost himself to an orgasm. He had to know what the man was like when the pleasure consumed him entirely.

“So, this is how I get you to shut up,” Scythe grumbled under his breath, his head leaning down enough so that his lips brushed against the shell of his ear hungrily, a moan falling from between his lips. Devynn moaned in response, not able to work his tongue in the face of the intense pleasure that washed over him.

He’d gone far too long without cumming, his entire body was trembling and desperate, and all he wanted was to lose himself to orgasm. Scythe’s words were nothing short of sinfully arousing and he didn’t even begin to know what dirty talking even was. It was greatly helped by the baritone of his voice, which made Devynn’s blood sizzle in his veins like he’d been set over a flame. Every jolting thrust of Scythe’s hips had noises leaving Devynn’s lips, edging Devynn closer and closer to an orgasm that he was so fucking ready for.

“S-Scythe,” He managed to gasp, his body tensing as he pushed back to meet his thrust halfway. Scythe let out a groan in response, “I-I’m c-close, f-fuck, I-I…” Devynn couldn’t fight back the cry that forced its way between his lips as the pace of Scythe’s hips picked up as if on instinct, not seeming to fully understand what Devynn was saying.

Devynn didn’t care at all, not when it felt so good. He could barely think clearly, his hand trying to move in time with the explosive and wild pace of Scythe’s hips. He couldn’t really help himself, his body and his consciousness felt like two separate entities entirely, one far away from him and one getting really close to fucking cumming.

Really fucking close.

“F-Feel good?” Devynn questioned somewhat desperately, wanting to hear Scythe verbally confirm it. He was feeling too good not to want to make sure that Scythe was also feeling good. He wanted to know for sure and hear Scythe say in his own words that it felt good.

“So fucking good,” Scythe groaned, his head leaning down to press against the back of Devynn’s, pressing his nose into it firmly. “F-Feels so fucking good.” Scythe broke off with a growl as he nudged Devynn’s head with his forehead, effectively knocking him off balance enough that he plummeted down onto the stone, his chin bumping against it.

Devynn bit his tongue with the impact, but his ability to complain was completely chased away seconds later when Scythe began pounding into him even more forcefully, relentlessly, his breathing becoming more labored. Scythe was determinedly chasing the pleasure, relentless in his efforts, and it had Devynn’s entire body melting a little.

Scythe growled quietly, his head moving from behind Devynn’s head, his teeth beginning to bite down into his shoulder. Blunt but sharp teeth scraped the surface of his skin, dragging along it hard enough that he was pretty sure it, at the very least, lightly broke the skin, but he was too far gone to really give a flying fuck about that. All he could think about was the way Scythe’s cock felt as it pounded relentlessly into his prostate, each ruthless forward plunge of his hips knocking a sound from his lips that was rather loud, echoing off of the walls of the cave back at him.

He had no excuse to be dangling this close to orgasm, but he was only getting closer and closer with each movement of Scythe’s body. He felt so strong and big behind him, the strength Scythe unleashed on him was enough to have him feeling about as high as he could get.

Waves of insurmountable pleasure crashed down over him with each bash of the head of Scythe’s cock against his prostate, keeping him mostly wordlessly moaning and gasping, unable to do much else. He couldn’t work his tongue to plead for more, but fuck did he want Scythe to destroy him right now. Devynn let out a choked cry as his hand squeezed around the base of his cock.

He was plenty hard at this point, hard enough that it was actually surprising that he was managing it with the chill of the air. At this point, though, he was a mess, edging dangerously toward an orgasm. His entire body was trembling, his knees aching and sore from kneeling, the cold air keeping him edgy and ready .

Scythe was only growing more and more urgent behind him, every thrust echoing through Devynn’s body, pushing him harder into the stone he rested on. He was dizzy, getting way too close, his hand frantically trying to keep up with the rapid jackhammering of Scythe’s hips. The sound of skin slapping skin echoed off of the cave walls, growls, moans, and groans slipping from Scythe’s lips. He seemed gone, in one way or another, lost in his instincts and Devynn loved it.

“S-Scy…” Devynn cried out, his voice cutting off as he felt Scythe’s teeth scraping down into his shoulder roughly. It hurt, but it also… felt really good. He had never really considered pain pleasurable before, but… this? Scythe scratching his teeth over his shoulder? It felt fantastic. He wanted to cum so fucking bad. He was so fucking close.

“Fuck, Devynn,” Scythe growled, seeming to go just a little more feral as he grunted, thrusting his hips forward with quick, rough thrusts that rocked Devynn to the core of his being. Pleasure rocked through him with each plunge of Scythe’s hips, his entire body shaking slightly as he looked out hazily at the webs covering the end of the cave, tensing slightly as he felt himself growing closer to cumming.

He was just getting closer and closer, the more that Scythe moved within him, the better it felt. Scythe was every bit as ruthless as Devynn had thought he’d be, albeit less experienced, but Devynn couldn’t find it within himself to care about that. He was fucking him senseless.

“G-Gonna c-cum?” Devynn managed to get out around his heavy tongue. Scythe made a noise that sounded like confusion, but after a moment, his pace went completely bestial, his movements gaining ferocity as he growled out a noise that had Devynn’s heart flying in his chest as the pleasure hit a peak it couldn’t overcome. “C-C-Cumming!” Devynn managed to get out as his chest collapsed down onto the ground beneath Scythe’s body, his hips still propped up as Scythe’s cock twitched and pulsed within him.

It pulsed and twitched within him, a wave of warmth flooding his insides that made him shudder and tense, his eyes rolling back. Scythe’s hips didn’t stop moving at first, fucking him well through his orgasm as he chased the pleasure like Devynn told him to.

The sting of overstimulation crept up on him much faster than the pleasure had, and it left Devynn gasping and trying to sort out how to begin working his tongue to tell him he could stop. He didn’t manage to sort it out before Scythe collapsed down on top of his back without him having to prompt it, the position was a little bit painful with him being pushed down into the stone ground with his ass up.

“S-Shift?” Devynn managed to get out, his voice a little scratchy, throat a little sore. He’d not noticed in the moment how loud he’d been, but he’d definitely been loud.

“Mnm,” Scythe groaned, shifting them over as he pulled his cock from his ass, hissing slightly as he flopped down onto the ground behind him. His arm curled up around Devynn’s waist as he nuzzled into the back of his head. Everything around him just felt… calmer . Devynn couldn’t really explain it any other way. Scythe had always seemed so uptight and stressed, but right now, he could feel how relaxed he was pressing against him.

“Y-You going to sleep?” Devynn ventured to ask, and Scythe made a grunting noise, seeming to pull him a little closer. Devynn giggled a little, unable to help himself. He’d have to figure out how to clean up at some point, but right now, he was pretty content to at least nap with Scythe right now. “Goodnight, S-Scythe,” Devynn murmured sleepily, pressing himself back toward Scythe as he made himself comfortable, letting himself sink into the warm embrace of Scythe’s arms limply.

It didn’t take him five seconds to fall asleep.

ᨒᨔ෴⦁ᨖ⦁෴ᨔᨒ

⦁⚞【⎗ 𝙱𝚊𝚌𝚔】【𝙽𝚎𝚡𝚝⎘】⚟⦁

【🖫】【🖬】【🗐】

⊶»﴾ 𝟽. 𝙱𝚊𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎 ﴿«⊷

・ ⥋【𝐃 𝐄 𝐕 𝐘 𝐍 𝐍 】⥋・ ・ ⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟷𝟻 】【 𝟷𝟺:𝟶𝟿:𝟷𝟾:𝟹𝟺 】⥋ ・

Devynn woke up to the sound of birds chirping somewhere nearby, without the warmth of a body behind him and he let out a whine and fluttered his eyes open, looking around the cave for Scythe. He wasn’t in the cave, Devynn realized, as he pushed himself up off of the floor, a groan falling from between his lips as he felt a sharp stabbing pain run up his spine. He winced slightly, his hand rubbing at his lower back in an attempt to soothe it. Scythe didn’t seem to be in the camp either, though Devynn could see his clothes resting beside the fire, laid out very deliberately for him to see them.

“Good, you’re up,” Scythe said, capturing his attention. Devynn glanced over to see Scythe standing by the pathway down. “You should get up and put on your clothes. We’ve gotta get moving.” Devynn gave him a somewhat horrified look, the idea of climbing back down the way they’d come sounding a little more than just overwhelming with his back hurting like this.

“M-My back is s-sore,” Devynn said, pouting a bit, “C-Can’t we stay here a-a single night longer? And maybe h-have you carry me down to the stream? I… I d-don’t feel good.” Devynn said, not really loving the way his stomach was clenching slightly. He’d fallen asleep with Scythe’s cum in his ass, now he was suffering the consequences, which just happened to be an upset stomach. They needed to camp near lakes or something so he can bathe comfortably.

“The next location’s path crosses two different rivers you can bathe in,” Scythe said, shaking his head firmly. “You already got dangerously close to hypothermic last night. Get dressed.” Devynn frowned a bit, accepting that despite his whininess, and stood up shakily. He stumbled slightly, putting his hand out to catch himself on the wall. Fuck, he was not going to have an easy walk.

“Devynn?” Scythe asked, sounding somewhat alarmed.

“I-I’m fine,” Devynn said quickly, “I… Y-You fucked me l-last night, n-now w-walking isn’t g-gonna be e-easy… I-I’ll probably b-be slow t-today…” Devynn explained, “I-I don’t have a p-pussy, s-so t-the first d-day after h-having sex w-with a guy, i-it’s not that e-easy to get a-around.” Scythe just raised an eyebrow.

“What do you mean?” Scythe asked dully, “I still don’t know what you’re talking about. Do you still feel sick?” Devynn’s eyes widened a little.

“A-Are you fucking w-with me?” Devynn asked, crossing his arms over his chest, and moving his legs apart. It was only then that he noticed the line of cum that began leaking down his leg. He flushed brightly and did his best to not react outside of that, doing his best not to acknowledge it, lest he wanted Scythe to realize.

“Apparently,” Scythe drawled, sounding rather bored, his grey eyes roaming over Devynn’s face. “Are you going to get ready, or…” Scythe’s eyes flickered downwards and then widened, making Devynn’s cheeks heat up more. “What the hell is on your leg? Are you dying? Is this a symptom of death?” Devynn brought his hand up to cover his face, trying desperately to fight back the very embarrassed giggles that tried to escape him at the very serious question that Scythe sounded actually worried about.

“Y-You JIZZED in m-me!” Devynn exclaimed, “I-I can’t help i-it! G-Give me… a-a minute… go… do something? G-Give me s-some privacy,” Devynn said, pulling his legs together thoughtlessly before he cringed a little, feeling the cum squish between his legs.

“You know what, just stop trying to explain, I’m not on the same page,” Scythe said, “Just tell me how to help so we can speed this up as much as possible.”

“C-Can I have t-the water a-and the shirt I cut u-up to make you the b-bandage?” Scythe nodded, grabbing the water and the shirt out of his carry-along bag. “G-Give it to me.” Scythe complied, handing over the supplies. Devynn took them and pulled open the water jug, being very careful not to waste any unnecessary water as he poured some of it onto the fabric and then parted his legs, bringing the cloth down between them and began wiping up the cum that’d been smeared on his thighs. It was embarrassing to have Scythe watch him as he cleaned himself up, though he didn’t appear to be judging him.

It wasn’t like his gaze really felt like much of anything, honestly. He just seemed curious, if anything, and Devynn didn’t really know how to take it. This… felt like an indicator of how old Scythe was when he came here. He couldn’t remember the first time he had heard about sex. He was pretty sure he didn’t really come to understand what it was until his parents had explained everything when they signed him up for sex ed. It’d been an embarrassing conversation, he recalled, around the age of like… 14? He thought. He wasn’t really sure.

So he must’ve come before he was 14ish, right? Considering that everyone in his school got the same sex ed class, it seemed like a safe assumption with the lack of statistics he had. Scythe must’ve been pretty young, though, not to even have the vaguest idea about sex. He was curious as to if he could get Scythe to talk to him about when he showed up here, but he really didn’t think that it was likely they’d be bonding much after this.

“When we get to the lower part of the mountains,” Scythe said, after a moment of silently observing him as he cleaned himself up, “I will carry you the rest of the way.” Scythe turned away from him after he said it, heading out of the cave, pausing by the pathway. “While you are doing that, I’m going to collect wood for next time.” Devynn let out a relieved breath and nodded his head. It’d do him well to have a moment to collect himself… and maybe try to find somewhere to take a shit before they left… his stomach really hurt.

He’d have to do better about cleaning up after they did this from now on, otherwise, his stomach would never stop feeling like this.

・ ⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟷𝟻 】【 𝟷𝟺: 𝟷𝟼:𝟻𝟼:𝟸𝟽 】⥋ ・

When they reached the two rivers Scythe had mentioned, he sat Devynn down on his feet and then glanced around them, seeming to be looking for something. After a moment, he let out a sigh and nodded his head.

“We’ll camp here for the night,” Scythe said, somewhat surprising him. “This journey usually only takes me one day, a full ten-hour trek,” Scythe explained, pausing for a moment to look over him. “But it’s convenient to break here, just a little over halfway. There are monsters around, but not more than there were at location one, so overall, we should be pretty good here.”

“I-Is the w-water safe?” Devynn dared to ask. Scythe nodded his head and then paused.

“Just watch out for the plants around the edges,” Scythe warned. “They generally don’t bother you if you don’t get too close or bump into them. But, they are thorned, and will absolutely disembowel you without hesitation.” Devynn sucked in a deep breath, nodding his head.

“I-Is there… a-anything I can do t-to keep them fr-from attacking me?” Scythe nodded.

“I already told you. Don’t get too close, and don’t bump into them,” He said, repeating himself. “Pay attention. Just be aware of your surroundings…” Devynn nodded his head.

“D-Do you have a spare shirt I-I can wear until my clothes dry,” Devynn asked, and Scythe nodded, reaching down to grab the hem of the shirt he was wearing, pulling it over his head, and then tossed it to him. Devynn caught it and nodded to himself, turning around to head toward the river. Devynn paused and glanced over his shoulder curiously, finding Scythe intently working on setting up the fire for the night.

Devynn giggled to himself, walking forward until he met one of the edges of the rivers, glancing down at the water. It was surprisingly clear, though slightly green. Seemingly not even from algae or anything, just instead of clear, it was slightly green. It didn’t look entirely normal, but Scythe said it was safe, so… he was trusting him. Devynn took off his clothing and shoes, then stepped forward into the water, feeling it wrap around his feet.

It felt just like normal water, and there didn’t even seem to be any kind of algae or anything on the stone he was standing on, so he stepped more confidently into the stream, quickly realizing that the rock formation that formed the riverbed and let himself sink down into the water, the stone soft and smooth against his ass as he sat down and reclined against the stone wall. The water was cool, and the air was just a bit warm though, just enough to give him temperature whiplash considering the snowy mountain.

The walk down the mountain had been misery though. He’d been so sore by the time that Scythe had let him hop on his back, he’d felt like he was going to cry from relief. He didn’t think he’d ever adjust to how much walking this required. He was getting really, really tired at this point, and just really wanted to stop having to run all of the time. He couldn’t help but wonder if any of these places had names. He knew they’d been to so many different climates he couldn’t keep up. Where the hell really were they? Devynn glanced back over his shoulder at Scythe, watching the flames dance in the iris of his eyes as he stared blankly into the flames.

Scythe glanced up, as if sensing his gaze, and Devynn glanced away from him quickly, trying to hide his flush. The water of the stream was flowing across his skin gently, giving his aching muscles a slight bit of relief.

“Hey Dev,” Scythe called, making Devynn’s heart skip a beat in his chest as his head flew up to look over his shoulder at Scythe again, flushing a bit. “There’s meat over here, also found some…” Scythe trailed off, seemingly trying to find the word for what he was trying to explain, before shaking his head, “I don’t know what they are, but you usually manage to figure out how to make shit taste good, so…” Devynn giggled a little and nodded.

“I-I’ll cook w-when I get d-done,” Devynn called back, and Scythe nodded, pushing himself up off of the ground in front of the fire, brushing off the ass of his pants before he glanced over at Devynn curiously. “A-Are you getting i-in?” Devynn questioned, and Scythe shrugged.

“How’s the water?” Scythe asked, nodding toward it, “Warmer than it is cold?” Devynn nodded his head, glancing up at Scythe as he bit his bottom lip, looking contemplative. “Sure, I could use a wash.”

“I-I can de-tangle y-your hair and w-wash it f-for you,” Devynn offered, giggling a little as he watched Scythe start tugging on the button of his pants.

“Sounds fine.” Scythe agreed, and Devyn nodded his head. Scythe pushed his pants and boxers down, letting his flaccid cock slide into view and the sight of it had Devynn’s insides heating up so he turned to glance away from him, not wanting to get turned on. It wasn’t a good time, if they were at his house in the comfort of his own room, he wouldn’t hesitate. But he had to walk tomorrow and keep up with Scythe, so that wasn’t a good idea. He couldn’t be too impulsive out here.

The sound of Scythe’s feet splashing in the water on the stone beside him made him jump a little, feeling rather shy in the face of Scythe after he’d fucked him. Sure, Scythe really didn’t understand the connotations of having sex so there was no awkwardness on Scythe’s end of things… but Devynn… well, he wasn’t so skilled as to be able to just ignore his attraction to Scythe. He’d been hopeless before, now… he didn’t know how to contain himself. Scythe sank down into the water beside him, dipping much deeper into the water than Devynn had.

“D-Don’t wet your hair!” Devynn complained, reaching out to grab at Scythe as he tried to dip under the water. Scythe frowned, letting Devynn pull him closer to him. Devynn turned Scythe facing away from him, his fingers reaching up to pull at the vines that were holding Scythe’s hair up, carefully undoing it so as not to break it. Once he’d freed his hair from the vines, he began carefully carding his fingers through Scythe’s hair, carefully working the knots out of his hair as he found them. He wished that he had a hairbrush.

Scythe hummed quietly, his head leaning back into Devynn’s hands slightly. He felt so relaxed today, even the air around him was lighter. He just feels so much less… stressed. Devynn giggled to himself, making Scythe pull his eyes open, glancing at him from just below where he was floating, the ends of his hair now in the water.

“What?” Scythe asked, and Devynn just shook his head, making Scythe raise an eyebrow skeptically. “What is it?”

“J-Just… y-you being s-so relaxed,” Devynn murmured, flushing a little, “Y-You’re actually… kind o-of nice,” Devynn continued, his eyes narrowing in concentration as he worked out a particularly bad tangle. Scythe snorted.

“I’m a ray of fucking sunshine,” Scythe drawled, letting his eyes slip shut as he rested his head back more. Devynn giggled and nodded, enjoying the way Scythe’s face looked as he relaxed. He couldn’t help but enjoy himself, Scythe being so openly affectionate, or at least the closest thing to affectionate Scythe had ever been.

Devynn didn’t want to acknowledge it, because then Scythe might suddenly realize he was behaving differently and then go back to usual. Right now, he didn’t want anything to penetrate the nice, comfortable feeling that came from being close to Scythe. He really loved this. It felt so comfortable.

It took him about an hour to work all of the tangles from Scythe’s hair, less time than it had the first time he’d done this, and then Devynn released him. Scythe immediately dipped under the water, his hair going everywhere as he dipped into the water. Devynn watched him, a smile pulling up the corners of his lips as he pushed himself up off of the floor of the river with his feet, wiping the water off of his face with his hands before shaking his hair out and then resting back against the edge of the riverbed beside him.

“Ah, that feels nice,” Scythe said, pushing his hair back from his face with his hand. The sunlight caught on the droplets of water that ran down his face, an orange glow emanating from them as they sparkled beneath the light. His hair flowed down to his shoulders, messy and thick, water soaking through it. “I hate this shit,” Scythe said, reaching for the vine band Devynn had left laying on the stone beside him.

“What?” Devynn asked curiously, “Y-Your hair?” Scythe nodded, going to tie his hair up with the band. “I-I… haven’t ever u-used a knife to c-cut hair, but I-I can try?” Devynn offered, and Scythe glanced over at him.

“If you want to try, that’s fine. What’s the worst that can happen, you fuck it up so bad that the monsters are afraid to look at me?” Scythe threw his head back, laughing rather loudly. Devynn glanced around, looking for monsters, and then Scythe ran his eyes over him. “The monsters here don’t come out ’til night,” Scythe explained after a moment.

“What monsters are here?” Devynn dared to ask, and Scythe hummed.

“A few,” Scythe responded, “Ngkør Gwne̊m̌x, Awgbældfǔth, and Tshěrrshé Chyǐex, respectively.” Devynn raised an eyebrow, not used to such a list of monsters, “On top of that, there’s also Ngkǎntmúngx, but they are less of a threat.” Devynn had been curious all along, but now he was really curious…

“W-What language i-is that?” Devynn asked, and Scythe glanced over at him, grey eyes dull and emotionless as he tossed the words around his head.

“Zhézviw,” Scythe answered, making Devynn nod.

“W-What do all of those words mean? Ng… Ng-hor?” Devynn attempted, making Scythe shake his head.

“Ngkør,” Scythe corrected, the word flowing like melted chocolate between his lips, “Ngkør Gwne̊m̌x, Night Walkers,” Scythe explained. “Awgbældfǔth, Treemen,” Scythe continued, “Then there’s Tshěrrshé Chyǐex, Stone Ladies.”

“Ts-Tshěrrshee,” Devynn attempted to copy the last word he said, resulting in a somewhat comical expression from Scythe, “W-What’s the last one?”

“Ngkǎntmúngx, Moth Mutants,” Scythe answered. “They’re less problematic than the others. As long as you don’t bother them, they don’t bother you.” Scythe explained.

“S-So… how’d t-the monsters get n-named? D-Did you name them?” Scythe nodded. “D-Do the places have names too?” Scythe shrugged.

“I gave them names,” He said, shrugging non-committedly. “This is between Ìbælshàng and Zwěnwǒ,” Scythe explained. “No name, really. Zwěnwǒ is where we are headed, and Ìbælshàng is where we were.”

“Wh-What about the v-very first place?” Devynn asked, curiously.

“Bnìktlùlmna,” Scythe said, making Devynn nod his head.

“C-Can you teach m-me to say my name? I-In Zhézviw, I mean,” Devynn asked, making Scythe shrug his shoulders.

“Maybe. I think you better learn to say the name of the language first though,” Scythe drawled, making Devynn pout and playfully slap water in his direction. Scythe laughed, shaking his head. “Dvyuh. Your name would directly translate to Dvyuh. Loved ones would call you Dvyuh-Zhà, and friends would call you Dvyuh-Dhà,” Scythe explained.

“Dvyuh…” Devynn attempted, and Scythe nodded. “So w-what would a l-lover call you? Is i-it the same as like, loved ones?” Scythe shook his head.

“Dvyuh-Kyá,” Scythe answered. “Each suffix is used in different situations depending on what kind of relationship you have with the person you’re communicating with. All conversation is formal,” Scythe explained, turning around to rest his arms on the stone his back had been resting against, “Kyá is used exclusively between lovers. Zhà is used by very close friends and family, and Dhà is used by friends and acquaintances. Dyá is used by strangers.”

“Ohhh,” Devynn nodded his head. “So w-when you meet s-someone, what do y-you do? Use D-Dyá?” Scythe nodded. “C-Can you teach me it? T-The language?” Scythe raised an eyebrow.

“It’s a very complex language,” Scythe muttered. Devynn nodded.

“I-I’d really l-love to…” Devynn murmured. Scythe sighed and nodded his hesitant agreement. “A-Are you serious? Y-You really will?” Scythe nodded again, leaning his head forward to rest on his crossed arms.

“Might as well, I guess. But that means I’ll be calling you Dvyuh-Dyá from now on.” Devynn fought the urge to cringe a little at the reality of Scythe implicating they were strangers. He was right , to a point… Still.

“W-Well then w-what’s S-Scythe in Zhézviw, then?” Devynn asked, meeting his eyes despite the pit that he felt in the center of his chest. He was getting closer to Scythe every day, and even if Scythe was resistant to being close to him, he was still somewhat slipping closer. He could work with this. He could.

“Aksyě,” Scythe answered, and Devynn nodded.

“Aksyě-Dhà,” Devynn managed to get it close to the same pronunciation as Scythe, though not nearly as cleanly as Scythe had managed it. He wasn’t deterred, though. He’d use it until he got the hang of it.

“Keep trying,” Scythe drawled, letting his eyes slip shut as he smirked a little. “I expect perfect pronunciation before I have to respond to it.” Devynn groaned, splashing him a little to show his annoyance playfully. Scythe just laughed and shrugged. “What is it, again?”

“A-Aksyě-Dhà, right?” Scythe nodded his head, smirking a little as he pulled one eye open to look up at him through gray eyes. “I-I said it?” Scythe hummed.

“Somewhat. You have to get better at really stressing the last syllable,” Scythe said, “But close enough. Keep working on it, though. Good enough isn’t the bar you should reach for.” Devynn giggled a little and nodded.

“I-I will!” Devynn chirped happily.

・ ⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟷𝟼 】【 𝟷𝟻:𝟷𝟷:𝟺𝟻:𝟸𝟾 】⥋ ・

The next morning they’d been up bright and early, trekking from the campsite they’d been at overnight. Scythe had been up the whole night, Devynn could tell based on the bags beneath his eyes. They’d trekked all the way to the campsite already, though, and they had leftover meat from the hunting trip that Scythe had gone on a couple of days prior. He was happy about that, though. All he needed from Scythe now was for him to start the fire then he could make them lunch and Scythe could nap.

Devynn glanced around the campsite, taking in the sight of the small area. It wasn’t much larger than the first clearing they’d stayed together in, except instead of trees surrounding them, it was brush on one side and around the front, a mountain on another, and a small lake. It was completely circled by things that were naturally occurring, the bushes taller than even Scythe and the lake was steaming slightly. The air was dry and warm, and the scent of something rather repugnant hung heavy.

“Dvyuh-Dyá,” Scythe called, catching his attention. Devynn glanced over at Scythe, raising an eyebrow curiously. “I’m about to build the fire.” Devynn nodded his head, running his eyes over Scythe. Scythe raised his eyebrow in return, looking somewhat amused. “What?”

“N-Nothing,” Devynn stammered out, flushing a little bit. “W-What do y-you want for dinner? H-How do you w-want me to prepare i-it?” Scythe shrugged his shoulders as he walked over to the brush and began pulling small branches off of it carefully. “I-I’ll surprise you t-then. D-Do you want to s-sleep while I c-cook?”

“I’ll nap for an hour,” Scythe answered. “Not longer, though, I have to work on building a shelter and preparing for the overnight. It’s going to be much more active tonight than it is right now.” Devynn nodded his head, looking up at Scythe through his lashes. He couldn’t help but step a little closer, tilting his head back more so he met his eyes.

“I’ll be q-quick with cooking,” Devynn said, and Scythe nodded, tossing a handful of the brush he’d gathered in his hand down onto the ground behind him and began going for more. “I-Is it s-safe for me to g-go foraging?” Scythe glanced around and then shook his head.

“Safe enough,” Scythe said, “Take the knife, just in case you happen upon anything. If you stay close enough for me to hear you, and you scream, I’ll come check on you, but still be careful.” Scythe muttered, and Devynn nodded his head.

“I-I’ll take it,” Devynn agreed, blushing a little as he walked forward and kneeled down in front of Scythe’s bag, taking the knife out of it. He carefully placed it in his bag and then turned and gave Scythe a thumbs up. “G-Got it… I-I should be right back, not gone l-long at all,” Scythe nodded.

“Pay attention to where you are walking,” Scythe responded, “Don’t get lost.” Devynn nodded. Truthfully, he planned to stay right by where they were, just on the other side of the brush, maybe a little into the woods, but not so far as to get lost. He wasn’t brave enough to venture that far away from Scythe if he were being completely honest. He was scared of getting attacked, and even if he had a weapon, it wasn’t like he’d ever defended himself before with one. In fact, he couldn’t think of a single time he’d been near a knife that wasn’t used for eating. He was pretty hopeless if he got lost.

“I-I’ll be careful, Aksyě-Dhà,” Devynn answered softly. Scythe’s eyes roamed over him for a moment and then turned back to the brush he was picking pieces out of without speaking, but even with him facing away, Devynn could feel his gaze lingering on him.

“Chyyà,” Scythe responded, prompting Devynn to glance back over at him. “Good,” Scythe answered the unasked question. Devynn giggled and nodded, smiling at Scythe.

“Cheyyaa,” Devynn responded, close enough to how Scythe said it that he felt happiness flood through him.

“Chyyà,” Scythe said, slower this time, “Chi-yUH,” Scythe emphasized, making Devynn nod his head. “Remember that you have to stress the last syllable, not draw them out. Chyyà,” Devynn nodded his head.

“Chyyà,” Devynn managed to say, making Scythe nod his head, a smirk pulling up the corners of his lips.

“Chyyà èrgæ, Dvyuh-Dyá,” Scythe drawled, smirking a little as he looked down at Devynn. He only understood part of the sentence, making him quirk a brow up in question. Scythe just laughed and shook his head. “I’ll tell you when you’re older,” Scythe said, and Devynn pouted a bit.

“T-That’s not fair!” Devynn protested, and Scythe just laughed and continued picking at the brush without responding, which made Devynn whine a little. Scythe still didn’t answer so Devynn took his leave. He didn’t know what èrgæ was, but he couldn’t help but giggle to himself. Scythe was something else, and Devynn somewhat loved it.

He wasn’t used to people not being predictable. He loved that Scythe never stopped surprising him. Scythe was surprising, in multiple different ways, and he wanted to get closer to Scythe… even with him being as complicated and confusing as he could be. Devynn wasn’t upset with it. He liked Scythe, and the way he made I’m feel.

Devynn walked around the bushes, leading a bit into the woods, occasionally turning around to look and make sure he was still close to the campsite. He didn’t want to wander too far away from Scythe, all things considered. He still really didn’t know how to get around this place, much less protect himself. He also… liked feeling how close they could be. He liked Scythe being with him, protecting him, and taking care of him. It made him feel good, and he wanted to return the favor… in a multitude of ways.

He wasn’t opposed to paying his dues with his body, and by cooking for Scythe, it seemed like somewhat of an even trade-off… plus, he wasn’t exactly suffering by fucking him. Scythe was hot as hell and built like a Greek god or something with the muscles and the chiseled jawline. He was certainly not too proud to admit that it was somewhat exactly what he wanted. Well, was as close to what he wanted as he could get right now, seeing as how Scythe didn’t seem to really understand relationships at all.

Devynn wasn’t too bothered by that now. He would find a way to explain things to him, he just hadn’t quite figured that out yet. He wished he knew how to handle it already, honestly. It didn’t seem like an impossible task to explain relationships to Scythe. He just didn’t know how to explain it specifically to Scythe. If he just knew how old he was when he came here, it might be easier. Did he have memories of his parents together for Devynn to use to explain the differences? He didn’t know, and asking would probably lead to Scythe pushing him away. He had to handle this carefully…

Devynn stopped at a tree that had patches of something akin to fruit, different from the last time he’d found any, and he kneeled down in front of it to try to figure out if they were edible. They looked normal, or at least normal for where he was, though that didn’t provide nearly as much comfort as if he were at home. Still, he just had to overlook that little fact and do his best to assess them without judgment.

He leaned over the patch, reaching into it carefully, in case any bugs were hiding in the leaves, and grabbed out one of the fruits. He plucked it off of the stem and then pulled it up to his face, carefully inspecting it for bugs or anything that might be crawling on it, finding a small hole in it. He frowned and tossed it over onto the ground, going for another, and then another, until he finally found one that didn’t have a hole in it yet.

It felt a lot heavier, Devynn realized, weighing it in his hand. After a moment of deliberation, he shook it. There’s a liquid inside it, he thought, shaking it again. Whatever burrowed into them must’ve caused the liquid to drain out. Though the ground was really dry, so Devynn felt a little suspicious. Devynn glanced over the patch, one of his eyebrows raised a bit in skepticism. After a moment of intensely scrutinizing the fruit, he picked it up and put it into his shoulder bag.

There wasn’t enough space in his bag for more than one, so he stood up and began making his way into the trees a bit deeper. The walk today hadn’t been nearly as miserable as he’d half expected it to be, so he had a bit of spare energy. He couldn’t wait to get back to the camp and cook dinner, he wanted Scythe to compliment him again. As he was walking, he stumbled upon something bright shining through some bushes, a bright white light that threw him off a bit as it cast shadows over the slightly dark forest floor.

Devynn paused, glancing around to see where the light was coming from, catching sight of something glimmering through a bush nestled against a tree. He leaned down, pushing his hand through the limbs of the bush, his hands wrapping around something that felt… decidedly like a cell phone. His heart leaped to his throat as he yanked it back through the bush, his hands grasping at the phone in his hand, confusion washing through him.

It was burning hot, he realized pretty quickly and was able to deduce had clearly been left on for hours. He hit the power button, his eyes widening a little as he caught sight of the battery life on the lock screen. It was at 62%, so he was quick to work his way to the flashlight button in the menu to turn it off so it didn’t drain it down any further before slipping it into the back pocket of his shorts. He didn’t want to risk it getting broken in the carry bag he had been putting vegetables in.

He couldn’t wait to show Scythe! He’d have to factory data reset it so that he could get into it and use it, but he might be able to call his mother! Well, given there was reception here… his cell phone had been struggling to have reception between home and his college, and they were not too far apart.

A little bit lost in thought, Devyn continued forward, glancing around for any plants that looked edible and stopping to harvest them, keeping a close eye to make sure he didn’t travel too deep into the woods. He stayed where he could always see the brush through the trees, walking in a small circle around the perimeter to keep from losing sight so he could keep looking because he wasn’t satisfied with what he’d found so far. He glanced around, walking into a rather large clearing, his mouth falling open as he took in the sight of the patch of vegetables he found. He hit the jackpot!

He had no idea what they were, other than they looked like different vegetables… just… wrong. It was an uncanniness that he was beginning to grow used to and had begun to at least accept the reality of what he was facing. He was getting familiar with the sinking feeling of fear that never quite left him, and even more familiar with the environment. He no longer had to look twice to make sure he wasn’t imagining things.

Devynn kneeled, going through the patches of vegetables curiously, taking a few of each, but not all. He didn’t want to take everything because then there’d be none if someone else happened to come along. While Scythe was adamant about them being the only two people there, that just didn’t feel realistic to Devynn. On another hand, if he was wrong… well, then there’d be some when they returned still, so it wasn’t lost in any way. They moved every few days, and he couldn’t imagine this place being big enough for it to take over a year for them to traverse the whole thing. No way in hell.

Devyn hummed as he stopped in front of one patch he’d not noticed, tucked between two of the other ones, with a small red vegetable on it that somewhat reminded him of baby tomatoes. He could give Scythe a really nice stew now, or if he wanted to be extra he could even try his hand at grilling the meat and the vegetables to give Scythe food that wasn’t mostly liquid.

From the trees behind the patch, Devynn caught the sound of rustling in the trees, and he jumped a little, his head raising to look around for anything moving within the tree line. He didn’t see anything, so he glanced back over his shoulder to see the brush surrounding their campsite just barely through the trees. He felt nervous, and while he was certain Scythe would hear him if he screamed, Devynn was really scared of getting eaten before he got the chance to scream. Another bout of rustling came from the trees, and Devynn sucked in a deep breath, staying quiet and still as he could, attempting to see if it was the wind or something.

Well, that was until… it came out a second and a half later.

Ngkǎntmúngx, Scythe had said they were moth mutants and he could definitely see where that’d be what Scythe related it to. It was like a moth in appearance, but bigger, much bigger. Its eyes were uncannily large, its wings outlined by a thick border, the center of them so thin that Devin could make out the thin lines of its veins. The center of its wings seemed to glow golden faintly, though Devynn had no idea where the light was coming from. Its body was furry toward the face and its bottom end was longer, pointed, and spiked. It had small bulb-looking things on either side of its face, and two longer antennae on either side of its head. One antenna went up and separated into two at the end, and the other that was thinner, smaller, and looked somewhat damaged, didn’t have two ends.

It was creepy to look at, but… honestly… maybe a little cute . Well, more like it was so ugly it was cute.

Its wings flapped quicker, moving toward him so quickly that Devynn couldn’t fight back a gasp, his heart picking up its pace as he watched it, flinching back. The Ngkǎntmúngx stopped in front of him, its wings flapping harder as it made a clicking noise. Its big bug eyes glowed faintly gold like its wings did, unblinking and staring right at him. It buzzed a little closer, the bulb things on its face glowing a little as it stared at him.

Devynn squeaked a little, jumping as it got even closer to him, the front two of its five legs reached out, wrapping around the small vegetable between his fingers, slightly pulling but not enough to dislodge it from between his fingers. Devynn’s eyes widened and he glanced down to the vegetable in his hand then back to the Ngkǎntmúngx.

“A-Are you hungry?” The Ngkǎntmúngx made a series of clicking noises in response, its legs trying to pull it from between his fingers. Devynn raised his hand up to drop the vegetable in it but before he got the chance to do so, the Ngkǎntmúngx let out a loud click and jumped back, its antennas going wild on its head. “H-Hey, it’s okay, c-come back,” Devynn said softly, “Y-You want it? It’s a-all yours.” The Ngkǎntmúngx’s antennas shook slightly back and forth, its wings fluttering rapidly as it made more clicking noises, flying up a little higher before landing on Devynn’s forearm, its antennas twitching as it leaned its head down toward his arm.

“Ewwie,” Devynn muttered under his breath as he felt its hairy legs walking on his arms. Some of its legs were normal but some of them were… weird. Two ends to them in odd places, but Devynn didn’t really figure that was out of the ordinary here, because nothing was normal here. “Y-You want this?” Devynn offered, carefully and as slowly as possible dropping the small vegetable into the palm of his hand in front of it.

It began clicking again, its antennas going wild on its head as its legs walked him slowly to the palm of his hand. The little things on either side of its face shook slightly, its mouth opening and then biting down into Devynn’s palm. It had small teeth, but it didn’t really hurt, more of a slight sting than anything. As soon as it bit down, it pulled back, shaking its little bug head around slightly. Devynn used his finger to push the vegetable toward it, and it immediately bit down into the vegetable and took a bite when it was in range, gobbling it up pretty quickly.

“W-What? Y-You want more?” Devynn asked as it looked up at him expectantly, clicking noises coming out of it from… somewhere that wasn’t its mouth. “O-Okay, a-another one,” Devynn muttered, reaching his hand down to dig through the leaves of the patch, picking out another one, and offering it to it. The Ngkǎntmúngx began eating the second one too, occasionally accidentally nipping at Devynn’s palm. He couldn’t help but watch, a little intrigued.

After feeding it another one, its wings began rapidly flapping, raising it up off of his arm so that it was floating beside him. Its wings moved so fast it fanned Devynn the slightest bit, clicking noises falling from its mouth as it floated beside him. Devynn giggled a little, reaching out cautiously to run his fingertip along the fur on its head.

“W-Well, you aren’t so s-scary after all,” Devynn murmured, giving it another gentle pat before he turned his attention back to foraging. He began getting out some more of the vegetables he’d given to the Ngkǎntmúngx, putting them into his bag. Once he’d collected all that he needed, Devynn glanced into the bag, satisfied with what he’d gotten, so he rose up off of the ground and turned to head toward the camp where Scythe was waiting for him.

The walk wasn’t a long one, nor was it difficult, but when he returned to the camp, he glanced around catching sight of Scythe kneeling down in front of the fire he couldn’t help the smile that pulled up the corners of his lips.

“Aksyě-Dhà! Aksyě-Dhà! Guess what?!” Devynn exclaimed, and Scythe immediately glanced up, raising an eyebrow in question. “L-Look what I found!” Devynn said, reaching his hand back to dig the phone out of his back pocket, holding it up to Scythe.

“Yeah? So? I have a thousand of those in the cave, they don’t do shit plus most of ’em have number screens and nothing else.” Scythe drawled lazily, shrugging his shoulders. “…Dvyuh-Dyá,” Scythe said suddenly, causing Devynn to jump a little at the alarm in his voice. “Get over here!”

“W-What?” Devynn asked, panicked, and Scythe motioned behind him. Devynn glanced back and caught sight of the Ngkǎntmúngx that he’d fed, hoovering just behind him, silent but looking somewhat lost. “O-Oh! He followed me!” Devynn exclaimed, smiling as he glanced at him. “I-It’s really sweet, see!” Devynn said, turning toward it just as the wind blew. It began making the clicking noise again, flying closer to Devynn. He put his hand out, letting it land on his hand. Scythe made a mortified noise, somewhere between a scoff and a cry.

“Have you lost your fucking mind?” Scythe asked simply, glancing at him with a somewhat incredulous expression on his face. Devynn shook his head, walking closer to Scythe with the Ngkǎntmúngx in his hand.

“W-We are friends, I-I think!” Devynn said happily, “I-I gave him some of th-these little tomato-looking things! And h-he accidentally bit me, but th-then I pushed it cl-closer and he ate three right out of my p-palm!” Scythe only looked more mortified, making Devynn pout a bit.

“Zà b̮ï ǎtssê guhṇ snɞy̌!” Scythe snapped, “In other words, you have lost your mind! That is an enemy, it will kill you,” Scythe insisted.

“I-It won’t! B-Besides, what d-do you c-care anyway? I-I thought we weren’t e-even friends, just s-strangers, right?” Devynn said, pointedly, making Scythe scoff a bit. Not wanting to upset him, Devynn looked up at him through his lashes, stepping a little closer to him. “I-If he gets dangerous, t-then you can take c-care of it. I-I know you will protect m-me, so… I’m n-not worried.” Scythe gave him a sour look and just shook his head.

“Whatever, Dvyuh-Dyá, but if it tries to kill us,” Scythe said evenly, stepping a little closer to him. “I’m killing it in front of you,” Devynn squeaked a little and nodded.

“I-I accept that,” Devynn answered, his eyes darkening as he looked up at Scythe.

“It’s not coming with us,” Scythe said firmly, and Devynn shook his head, unable to help pouting a little bit.

“H-He’s coming with us,” Devynn said, watching as it flew up off of his hand and started flying in small circles around his head, just a little higher.

“Devynn,” Scythe said, stepping forward to grab him by the shirt, and yanking him forward. The Ngkǎntmúngx began making the clicking noise at a frantic speed, flying down toward Scythe, its antennas waving around wildly. Scythe flinched a little, “Devynn that thing is dangerous and I don’t want it near you or me,” Scythe said, and Devynn pouted more, shaking his head.

“B-But it’s s-so ugly its c-cute,” Devynn protested, “P-Pleaseeeee? Please? I’ll make sure your food is really good,” Devynn stepped a little closer to him, pressing himself against Scythe’s chest, ignoring the feeling of Scythe’s arm between their bodies as he ran his fingers along Scythe’s abdomen, relishing in the swift inhale the action garnered from the man. Determined to get his way, Devynn didn’t hesitate to bend his knee, sliding it forward between Scythe’s legs, stopping only once he felt the line of his cock pressing against his thigh. “And I’ll take care of t-this tonight,” His intention was to sound confident and assertive, but he felt pretty sure he just sounded silly.

Scythe didn’t seem to care though, as his grey eyes darkened, staring down into Devynn’s eyes. He let out a slow breath, a calculative look crossing his face as he glanced between the half-panicking Ngkǎntmúngx and Devynn then back again.

“Fine.” Scythe said heatedly, “I will consider it. Don’t get your hopes up.” Devynn nodded his head, smirking a little to himself. He was pretty sure he could get Scythe to see things his way. The Ngkǎntmúngx isn’t anything to worry about. All he really had to worry about was cooking, and figuring out a name for the little fella. The rest he was sure would come once he’d managed to get Scythe’s dick in his throat.

ᨒᨔ෴⦁ᨖ⦁෴ᨔᨒ

⦁⚞【⎗ 𝙱𝚊𝚌𝚔】【𝙽𝚎𝚡𝚝⎘】⚟⦁

【🖫】【🖬】【🗐】

⊶»﴾ 𝟾. 𝙳𝚢𝚗𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚌 ﴿«⊷

・⥋【𝐃 𝐄 𝐕 𝐘 𝐍 𝐍】⥋・

・ ⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟷𝟻 】【 𝟷𝟺:𝟷𝟾:𝟹𝟺:𝟻𝟽 】⥋ ・

Devynn spent the rest of his afternoon preparing food and considering what he wanted to do when he finally got to touch him again. He’d made it as clear as he possibly could about what he would do for Scythe later, and he could tell Scythe knew what he meant simply from the heated looks the man kept passing him. Each one had made Devynn’s heart skip a beat in his chest, arousal burning in his veins, first at a simmer, then a boil . The excitement was hard to ignore, and Scythe’s reaction to him just offering him sex made Devynn feel a little dizzy.

He liked how easily Scythe was affected, it made him feel so… sexy. It was arousing that Scythe could get so turned on just from Devynn teasing him a little, and it somewhat solidified the fact that Scythe was attracted to him. On top of that, Devynn felt just a little… strange around Scythe. The more that they danced around each other this way, the more Devynn longed for Scythe to truly desire him in more of an emotional way.

“Dvyuh-Dyá,” Scythe called, catching Devynn’s attention. He glanced over at Scythe from where he was kneeling, messing around with the phone he’d found earlier, a flush trailing his cheeks. He could tell just by the sharpness of Scythe’s voice that he was edgy, definitely horny. Every time Scythe got horny, he also got snappy. It was a huge indicator for Devynn at this point, almost like a scale that told him how horny he was from one to ten.

Devynn couldn’t help giggling, his cheeks heating up a little bit, looking up at Scythe through his bangs. He could practically feel the tension in the air, the lust sparking off from Scythe’s body. He was handsome, normally, but in the mid-afternoon sunlight, he looked even more so. At some point while Devynn had been simultaneously lost in thought and mindlessly fucking around with the phone he found, Scythe had lost his shirt and was walking around with his abs just hanging out as if they weren’t a gift to creation on their own.

“Y-Yes, Aksyě-Dhà?” Devynn responded, unable to help the gaze he let linger on Scythe’s abdomen. He was scary ripped. Devynn wanted, absolutely desperately, for Scythe to push his face down into the dirt and fuck him until he was lying in a puddle of his own cum.

Okay, maybe the environment was getting to his head a little. He couldn’t say he’d had a single fantasy that wasn’t outside in some capacity since coming here. That partially had to do with the fact that they were never really inside, except when they’d been in the treehouse or the cave with the door. Other than that, there really wasn’t much of an indoor setting so far. It seemed unlikely that Scythe would have many structures here that were permanent based on things he’d already said.

“What is that? That you’re messing with?” Scythe asked, somewhat curiously. Devynn paused, shock washing over him as he looked up at Scythe.

“I-It’s a cell phone,” Devynn explained, holding it up so that Scythe could see the ‘Factory Data Reset’ screen on it. Devynn was pretty tech-savvy, he was a closet nerd, and this was rather easy to do anyway, so he figured Scythe might recognize it. After a couple of moments of blank staring from Scythe, he shrugged his shoulders. “Y-You can use them to call p-people anywhere in the world, g-go on the internet, play games, t-take pictures, yadda yadda. It c-can do almost everything,”

“I have a lot of them,” Scythe said, “I thought they were useless pieces of junk,” Devynn shrugged.

“H-Here… maybe?” Devynn said, skeptically, “I’m not really s-sure yet. I know at least the base applications like the flashlight are still f-functional, though charging it will be a problem. There are no electrical outlets.” Scythe shook his head.

“The little battery thing doesn’t move,” Scythe said, “The clock doesn’t either,” Devynn frowned a bit, confused. “I know cause I spent a week stuck in the treehouse with nothing to do but randomly type numbers into the keypad and listen to the beeps.”

“That sounds more boring than j-just sitting there,” Devynn said, glancing around for the Ngkǎntmúngx, catching sight of it laying down beside the tent in the shade, its wings sprawled out on either side of it. “It’s staying really cl-close to me,” Devynn said, motioning his head toward it. Scythe glanced over at it, then back to Devynn, narrowing his eyes.

“It seems so,” Scythe said, glancing away from him after a moment. “It doesn’t need to stay here. It’s too dangerous to keep a mutant with us, even if it seems nice.” Devynn shook his head.

“W-What if he’s nice? H-He seems to like me, maybe h-he can help somehow?” Devynn asked, and Scythe just shook his head.

“It’s probably dying,” Scythe deadpanned, shaking his head more. “It’s not supposed to be out in sunlight. It’s out in the sunlight. Clearly, this one isn’t the smartest of the horde.”

“I-I think it’s disabled,” Devynn said, shaking his head stubbornly. “I refuse to leave without him. H-He’s my friend now, I want to keep him.” Scythe rolled his eyes and looked back over at the Ngkǎntmúngx, then to Devynn.

“Whatever,” Scythe drawled, “Keep the damn thing.” Devynn squealed, jumping forward and wrapping his arms around Scythe’s neck, hugging him tightly.

“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” Devynn cried, pressing into his chest. “I’ll keep it fed and stuff, Scythe, I-I promise!” Scythe grunted.

“You better,” Scythe said simply. Devynn nodded, batting his eyelashes up at Scythe.

“I-I will,” Devynn said, letting his eyes slide over to the lake. “Do you want to… b-bathe with me?” Devynn asked, turning his gaze back to Scythe to look up at him coquettishly. “I-I will make sure to take c-care of this for y-you,” Devynn reached his hand out, cupping the length of his half-hard cock beneath his hand, giving it a slight squeeze for emphasis. Scythe sucked in a deep breath, his arousal-darkened grey eyes running over Devynn’s face, his lips pursing as they scanned him.

“Yeah, I will,” Scythe answered, his voice hoarse and deep. “You ready now or what?” Devynn nodded, looking up at Scythe through his lashes, biting down into his bottom lip. Scythe glanced away from him, nodding his head. “Then… let’s go.” Devynn nodded his head, stepping back away from Scythe to walk closer to the water, pausing when he reached the edge of it to strip out of his clothing. He was hyper-aware of the hungry eyes that roamed over his skin, unable to help the excitement flooding through him at the idea of Scythe’s eyes roaming over his skin as he teased him.

Feeling rather emboldened by Scythe’s lingering gaze, Devynn turned his upper half so that he was looking up at Scythe over his shoulder, a smirk pulling up the corners of his lips. Scythe’s eyes met his, the lustful gleam in his eyes had Devynn’s heart stuttering a bit in his chest.

“Do you w-want to undress me?” Devynn asked, his voice coming out a bit husky. Scythe let out a slow breath, his lips parting slightly for his tongue to run along his lips quickly, his eyes scanning over Devynn’s skin heatedly. Devynn flushed a little under the attention, his body heating up a bit under the intensity of the gaze being leveled at him.

“Sure,” Scythe answered, no hesitation in his tone, no embarrassment. He seemed immune to both, something that Devynn couldn’t help but be a little jealous of. Scythe closed the distance between them, his chest pressing against Devynn’s back, arms wrapping around his waist to work the button of his shorts. Devynn’s breath rushed from his lungs as Scythe’s fingers lightly grazed his cock as he pushed Devynn’s shorts and underwear down, leaving him completely naked.

Scythe didn’t pull away once he was naked, though, his fingers ran lightly along his pelvis. Devynn shivered a little, his teeth sinking down into his bottom lip as he found the urge to moan, his body melting back into Scythe’s chest.

“You’re so soft, Dvyuh-Dyá,” Scythe muttered, halfway under his breath, his fingers trailing along Devynn’s skin. Devynn nodded, letting his eyes fall shut as a moan left his lips, Scythe’s fingers dipping close enough to his cock that it jerked a little, screaming for attention. Scythe ignored it, probably wouldn’t really get what he wanted without him specifying, but before he could manage to ask Scythe to touch his cock, Scythe pulled away, shedding his own clothes and stepping into the spring beside them without warning.

Dizzied from the arousal, Devynn’s mind lagged a bit, desperately seeking Scythe’s touch for a moment before he managed to compose himself and follow after him. The water wasn’t all that deep here, Devin noticed, feeling the water wrap around the lower part of his thigh. It was really warm, though, warmer than Devynn had been expecting.

“Aksyě-Dhà,” Devynn sighed as he dropped down to his knees in front of Scythe, his hand reaching out cautiously to wrap around the base of his cock. Scythe let out a soft groan, his lust-clouded eyes darkening slightly as he looked down at Devynn, the gaze so heated and hungry that it made Devynn feel way more confident than he really had any right to feel. He sucked in a deep breath and leaned forward, running his tongue along the underside of Scythe’s cock, delighting in the shocked and pleasured noise that slid from between Scythe’s lips.

Scythe was silent, his eyes narrowed and focused on Devynn so intently it made Devynn’s heart skip a beat. Being stared at like this was not helping him to remain calm, and hold his poker face, but Devynn couldn’t deny that Scythe’s gaze was making him tremble with need, wanting him more than anything to do exactly what he could tell Scythe was thinking subconsciously.

Spurred on and aroused by Scythe’s gaze, albeit embarrassed, Devynn reached down, his free hand wrapping around his cock as he ran his tongue along the underside of his cock again. Devynn didn’t have nearly as much experience giving blow-jobs in comparison to receiving them, but he was undeterred. Maybe a bit too eager, too, if he was being honest. Devynn let his mouth fall open entirely, taking the head of Scythe’s cock into his mouth.

Scythe let out a gasp, his hands reaching out to grasp Devynn’s hair almost frantically, tugging him back away from his length and prompting a whine to slip from Devynn’s mouth.

“What are you doing?” Scythe demanded, almost sounding nervous and frazzled, his hungry gaze roaming over Devynn’s kneeling form in front of him. Devynn bit into his bottom lip and looked up at Scythe, biting into his bottom lip.

“S-Sucking your d-dick,” Devynn responded, rather sassily, poking out his bottom lip. “I-I won’t bite you, I promise,” Scythe’s eyes scanned over him, calculation and curiosity dancing in his eyes as he scrutinized him. “Y-You can fuck my face,” He mumbled shyly, widening his eyes a little as he looked up at Scythe through his bangs and lashes coquettishly.

“…Like last time?” Devynn nodded his head, letting his mouth fall open slightly, mouthing at the head of Scythe’s cock. Scythe sucked in a deep breath, eyes practically riveted on him, his lips parting slightly as he looked down at Devynn. Devynn nodded his head, tilting his head to place an open mouth kiss on the side of the head of his cock. Scythe groaned quietly, his head lulling forward slightly as he looked down at Devynn through hooded arousal-darkened eyes, his lips pulling into a thin line. “Go ahead,” Scythe said, his voice hoarse.

“I-I’ll make sure y-you feel good,” Devynn murmured, letting his lips lightly brush against the tip of his cock as he spoke, before running his tongue along the slit of his cock, his eyes meeting Scythe’s. He took a minute to pay the head of his cock some attention, running his tongue along it before he dropped his hands and brought them around his body, clasping his hands behind his back as he ran his tongue along his lips.

“U-Use my mouth,” Devynn murmured, lowering his voice a little so it was huskier, “G-Grip my head a-and just go at it. I-If I tap your hip, let my h-head go,” Devynn requested, breathily, and Scythe nodded his head, looking down over his face.

“Gotcha,” Scythe answered tightly, his hand reaching out, tangling in Devynn’s hair, watching him closely as he let his mouth fall open, his tongue falling out. Devynn wasn’t able to entirely fight through the embarrassment, but the heated glaze in Scythe’s eyes made him easily able to push aside his shyness, so he eagerly let his head dip forward enough to take the head of Scythe’s cock into his mouth.

Devynn stayed silent, his insides tightening a little as he looked up at Scythe expectantly. He waited, waited so that Scythe could take the reigns because Devynn really didn’t want them. He could feel the excitement and arousal flooding through him, making his body feel warm and fuzzy. His cock was aching in the warm water he knelt down in, his hands beneath it as well.

“Shit,” Scythe muttered after a moment of silently staring at him, lust and a slight bit of confusion lacing through his expression. He looked so hot, his hooded eyes practically devouring the sight of him. Devynn felt remarkably light, the intensity setting his blood to a simmer as he waited impatiently. Pretty suddenly, Scythe pressed his head down toward his crotch, stopping only once Devynn’s nose pressed into his pelvis. Devynn gagged, his eyes watering slightly as he felt the head of Scythe’s cock in the back of his throat.

Scythe immediately began thrusting his hips, his heated grey eyes roaming over Devynn with a lustful expression, his gaze darkening. The first few thrusts led to more gagging as Devynn pushed for himself to start breathing through his nose, his head swimming a little as he choked around the length and girth of it. Fuzzy-headed, compliant, and needy, Devynn just took it, not even thinking about it, his body heating up more as he struggled.

He loved that Scythe didn’t have reservations about this stuff, he would be as rough with him as he wanted because he didn’t know any different and that was kind of perfect for him right now. He wanted Scythe to use him for his pleasure, an urge he usually pushed away because of the social structures he’d grown up around, but now that didn’t exist either.

Sorting out his breathing was a bit difficult, but he accomplished it and found himself melting just the tiniest bit, his head falling back and jaw-dropping to give Scythe more space. Even as he did that, he tightened the seal of his lips around Scythe’s cock on an outwards stroke, letting out a hum just to make his tongue vibrate against the length of it. Scythe let out a groan, his eyes so dilated that Devynn could barely see any of the iris of his eyes as he began thrusting harder, faster.

Devynn gagged, not able to help it at all as he felt the head of his cock tapping against the back of his throat. As much as it made him gag and choke, Devynn shouldn’t really like this, but… he really did . He could feel the weight of Scythe’s erection on his tongue, feel it pulsing in time with his heartbeat, the warmth of it as it filled his mouth. He could taste the sweat he’d not yet washed off, salty but not entirely unpleasant. Every time Scythe pushed his head down, he found his nose and face nestled into his pelvis and the unkept hair that rested there, his scent so strong that it made his head swim.

“Fucking hell,” Scythe groaned, the grip in his hair tightening suddenly and holding him down around the length of his cock. Devynn choked and sputtered, eyes welling up with tears as his lungs burned slightly, head dizzied as he let his head fall back more. He could feel himself melting at Scythe’s feet, the warm water dancing against his skin, joints feeling looser and disconnected, his head blank and empty save for the thoughts about Scythe’s cock.

Scythe’s hand gripped the back of his head, holding him into place as his hips pushed forward, the length of his cock moving between his lips as he let out a groan. He couldn’t help feeling dizzy as his cock throbbed, ignored between his legs in the warm water. Devynn felt dizzy, head swimming with arousal as he let out a moan around the length of Scythe’s cock, his eyes fluttering open to look up at Scythe from beneath his wet lashes, his cheeks burning read. Scythe inhaled deeply, his hand forcing Devynn’s head down farther, harder, holding him into place for a moment as Devynn gagged slightly, tears trekking down his cheeks.

He felt so out of control, but not in the same way he had his entire life, not the same way he felt even when he was just going about his day here. He felt so… unafraid. Unbothered. He didn’t feel like he was thinking at all, honestly, but he loved this. He was getting so fucking dizzy. He wanted to know what Scythe was thinking. He wanted to know if he made Scythe feel the same way Scythe made him feel.

“F-Fuck,” Scythe moaned, pushing Devynn’s head down so that his nose was nestled into his pelvis again, holding him in place for a moment. He couldn’t fight the urge to choke and sputter slightly, spit running down his cheeks, his chin pressing into Scythe’s balls. He was feeling so… something. So something.

Devynn didn’t know what it was, really, what made him feel as though he was feeling so damn out of it, he couldn’t focus for shit. Devynn loved this, he loved the way it felt to have Scythe’s cock inside of him, even if it was just his mouth. He loved the way it felt for Scythe to use him, use his body how he wanted to, for his own pleasure. It made him feel so aroused, so confusingly compliant.

He wasn’t used to this, but it felt so good. His cock throbbed between his legs, his hands fighting against the urge to wrap around his cock, he wanted to touch himself so much. He wanted to touch himself, feel the pleasure echoing through his body as he was used for Scythe’s pleasure. He was so excited that Scythe was actually using him to pleasure himself.

“Fucking… fucking hell,” Scythe groaned, his hips movements stuttering slightly, leaking out precum onto Devynn’s tongue as he pulled his hips back, before thrusting his hips forward again. Devynn let out a breathless moan, his eyes fluttering shut as he let himself sink into the water more, his body feeling warm and fuzzy. He could taste the saltiness of it on his tastebuds, his head swimming a little as he focused in on the weight of his cock on his tongue.

He was heavy and thick, resting on his tongue and rubbing against it as he thrust his hips, the girth of it keeping his jaw slightly down. He couldn’t help but let his thighs spread more, his head pushing back more, feeling the length of Scythe’s cock pressing deeper into his mouth. The back of his throat was going to be sore after Scythe got done with him, but that made him feel a little excited.

He wanted to be used by Scythe, to give over all of the reigns and let him take him where he wanted him. Of course, if Devynn really had concerns, he would tell Scythe to stop, and pretty much knew for a fact he would. Scythe, as much as he was in control, also listened to Devynn’s words and took direction. It was an odd dynamic, surely, but he didn’t hate it. He actually kind of liked it.

“O-Oh, fuck,” Scythe grunted, the grip of his hand tightening as he thrust his hips forward twice, then stilled, a groan falling out of his mouth as he lost himself to orgasm. Devynn choked and sputtered, body tensing slightly as his nose pressed into Scythe’s pelvis, effectively taking all ability to breathe away from him. The first couple of shots of cum hitting his throat made his head swim, unable to keep from gagging, the length of his cock pushed as far into his mouth as he could get it, all the way, the cum literally sliding down the back of his throat where the head of it was pressed.

All he could smell was Scythe’s scent, slightly tinged with sweat, and all he could taste was Scythe in his mouth, the cum he was struggling to swallow entirely. He was dizzy, managing to swallow down the cum in the back of his throat and gasp in a deep breath as Scythe’s hips pulled back, leaving Devynn momentarily reeling, his head fuzzy and disjointed as he gasped and coughed on the ground at Scythe’s feet, his hand reaching up to wipe absently at his bottom lip.

“H-How was it?” Devynn managed to get out once he’d caught his breath, his heart stalling a little as he looked up at Scythe from where he was kneeling. “D-Did it feel good?” Scythe nodded, his tongue darting out to run along his bottom lip as his heated eyes roamed over Devynn’s body.

“Yeah, Dvyuh-Dyá, really good,” Scythe answered, his eyes roaming over Devynn for a moment longer before he glanced away and sat down across from him. Devynn, far too out of it for it to really be fair, just scooted closer to him and rested his head over on Scythe’s shoulder, his knees pressing against Scythe’s side as he got as close to him as he could. The back of his throat hurt a bit, no doubt from the beating it’d just taken, but he was oddly satiated despite the throbbing erection he was nestling between his thighs.

・⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟷𝟼 】【 𝟷𝟻:𝟷𝟷:𝟺𝟻:𝟸𝟾 】⥋・

Devynn woke up to Scythe’s cock resting between his ass cheeks, chest plastered to his back like space wasn’t allowed to exist, and Devynn was still groggy enough to not even care. He just melted into the warmth and enjoyed the embrace, his body buzzing lightly as he settled back into Scythe’s body. It was warm enough that he was sweating, but he couldn’t help wanting to be closer to him. He heard the sound of clicking, and his eyes flew open from how close it sounded, seeing the Ngkǎntmúngx on the ground beside him, its large bug eyes looking right at him.

Unable to help himself, he tensed and squeaked, surprised, mostly, which startled Scythe awake from behind him. Scythe immediately sat up his eyes roaming around wildly for a moment before they landed on Devynn and the Ngkǎntmúngx, his eyebrow twitching slightly from annoyance.

“Fuck off, it’s too early,” Scythe grumbled, laying back down on the ground behind him, his arm thrown over his face. “Feed that thing before it tries to eat us. Knowing my luck, he’ll go for me first.”

“He eats fruit,” Devynn said firmly, snarkily, crossing his arms over his chest petulantly. Scythe just grunted in response, prompting Devynn to purse his lips and get up off of the ground, reaching around thoughtlessly for his pants. He had slept in Scythe’s shirt the night before, though he’d clearly gotten hot at some point and shed it because it was just lying haphazardly where he’d been sleeping, just over his head. Now he couldn’t remember where he’d put his pants.

Letting out a groan, Devynn knelt down by the fire and tossed a stick into it, worried about the flame being low, before catching sight of his shorts by the spring they’d been in the day before. Right. He’d spent the rest of the afternoon as close to Scythe as he could get, even sleeping in just his shirt. He couldn’t help feeling a little embarrassed about how clingy he’d been, but Scythe had been oddly affectionate in return to him the night before.

The Ngkǎntmúngx came flying over after him as he pulled on his shorts, the clicking noise coming closer and closer to him as it flew around his head, down his body, and then back up from between his legs, the clicking growing more excited. Devynn giggled to himself and looked at him, reaching his hand out to rub between its eyes. It was so ugly it was cute, and he just couldn’t get over that. He’d never seen something so hideous be so adorable in his life, it was honestly a little mind-blowing.

“A-Awww are you hungry, b-buddy? Let’s find you s-some berries, and I’ll c-collect stuff for dinner,” Devynn said to him, listening to the clicking sound speeding up from excitement. Devynn giggled to himself, turning around from the spring and running over to where his bag was, picking it up, and tossing it over his shoulder. “Aksyě-Dhà, a-are you awake?” Scythe raised his head off the ground, a sleepy gleam in his eyes. “I-I’m going foraging… W-Will you keep an ear out?” Devynn questioned nervously.

“Got it,” Scythe yawned, resting his head back against the dirt for a moment before he raised his head again, looking over Devynn for a moment. “Give me a second and I’ll go with you. Hunt nearby. Your scent might attract something nice.” Devynn bit his lip and nodded his head, biting into his bottom lip as he ran his eyes over Scythe, watching him move rather slowly from where he was lying.

“I-Is everything okay?” Devynn asked, and Scythe nodded, running his eyes over Devynn’s face, down to his chest and abdomen, and then back up again before averting his eyes and clearing his throat.

“Fine, everything is fine,” Scythe said, nodding his head. “Just give me a moment to get ready and then we’ll head out.” Devynn nodded and led the Ngkǎntmúngx away from Scythe and toward the exit of their campsite, waiting on him by the exit as the Ngkǎntmúngx flew around him, clicking as it tried to lure him out of the campsite before circling back around to fly around his head.

“I will f-feed you, c-calm down,” Devynn giggled, reaching his hand up to lay it palm up so that the Ngkǎntmúngx could land in the palm of his hand. “I-I’ll teach you one o-of these days,” Devynn said as the Ngkǎntmúngx flew around his hand, clicking and flapping its wings wildly. “You seem s-so happy,” Devynn said, watching as it fluttered around his hand in circles.

“He was probably alone,” Scythe chimed in from behind him, making Devynn glance over at him as he knelt down in front of the fire, grabbing the water tin and taking a drink from it. “Things usually travel in groups, that’s why I said he was dying.” Devynn frowned a bit, shaking his head.

“H-He’s healthy, it seems,” Devynn interjected and Scythe shrugged.

“Well, I’m just saying,” Scythe said, raising an eyebrow, “If it ain’t with a horde there’s a reason for it. Maybe he’s not sick, maybe he just has something wrong with him, but–” Scythe trailed off, seemingly realizing that he was talking about the Ngkǎntmúngx the same way Devynn was before he rolled his eyes. “Whatever,” Scythe said after a moment of pausing, “Are you ready to go?” Devynn nodded his head, glancing over at the Ngkǎntmúngx that was circling his hand.

“Is it a b-baby?” Scythe glanced over at it and shook his head.

“Things too big, a baby is about fist-sized, that thing is much bigger than that,” Scythe answered. “Well, come on. Make sure to make a lot of racket, you want to attract attention from monsters. I’ll be sure to keep a close eye out for you, I’ll stay on one of the hills just overhead of you, and once one shows up I will jump down and attack it.” Scythe said, making Devynn swallow around a lump that suddenly formed in his throat.

“A-And if you’re too late?” Devynn asked and Scythe raised an eyebrow.

“You suddenly start doubting me now?” Scythe asked, and Devynn shook his head. He wasn’t doubting him, he knew very well that Scythe could protect him. He just couldn’t help but be worried about the what-ifs and possibilities that he didn’t really love . Still, Scythe had never let him down, up until now.

“Never,” Devynn said decisively, making Scythe nod his head in agreement.

“Well then, get a move on,” Scythe said, quirking up the corners of his lips as his eyes roamed over Devynn’s face. “I don’t have all day,” he teased. Devynn giggled and nodded, turning to the entrance and walking forward, the Ngkǎntmúngx following behind him as he walked. He was excited to be going with Scythe to hunt, though a bit nervous about being used as bait.

It took about ten minutes for them to reach the break-off point, and then Scythe headed up onto the ridge giving Devynn the single order; Stay along the edge of the ridge, if you can’t hear me, I can’t hear you . So Devynn gripped onto the strap of his shoulder bag and walked along the edge of the ridge, the Ngkǎntmúngx following behind him, clicking as he went. Devynn was careful to keep an ear out for Scythe’s quiet movements overhead.

If he really paid attention, he could see him moving through the trees and the brush that surrounded the edge, but it seemed rather unwise to be examining Scythe’s movements right now. All he could think about was trying to impress him, trying to show him he was doing well enough to justify keeping him around. He wanted to keep him around, and Devynn liked being with him so much. He didn’t want to be alone, not without Scythe.

The Ngkǎntmúngx fluttered along, clicking and dancing around beside him, turning in circles as it flew around him. After walking for a bit, Devynn came across a patch of vegetable things on the ground and then knelt down, going to scan through them with curious eyes, trying to determine what kind of vegetable it might be.

It could be a fruit of some kind, but he wasn’t sure. It seemed much more like a vegetable, though he couldn’t think of one in particular that it resembled. He just wasn’t sure. It still looked edible, though, so he placed them into his bag and stood up, wandering farther into the woods and glancing around, catching sight of a bush of what looked like berries. Devynn glanced back at Scythe in the trees, walking forward a bit toward it, trying to stay within earshot of Scythe while also trying to get to the bush.

The Ngkǎntmúngx seemed to realize food was ahead of it because it abruptly sped up its clicking noises, its wings flapping harder as it flew faster. Devynn watched, following behind it with amusement as it flew in circles, looping a couple of times before flying straight into the bush. Devynn gasped, running forward and stopping in front of the bush peeking into the hole the Ngkǎntmúngx had left behind.

Devynn let out a quiet squeal as it suddenly flew out, a twig caught between his wings on one side, making it fly crooked and try to rapidly flap them in its effort to dislodge it. Devynn reached out as he flew by him, grabbing it before it could fly past him, bringing him closer to him so that he could carefully pull the twig from between them without hurting him.

“I-Is that better, buddy?” Devynn asked, and the Ngkǎntmúngx made the clicking noise again, excitedly flying in circles before he dipped down and tried to grab one of the berries with his front legs, tugging on it with a clicking noise before losing grip and flying backward. This time, seeing where it was going, Devynn stepped in his way, catching him with his chest and arms before he could fall.

“I g-gotcha,” Devynn assured quietly, setting him carefully atop the bush and then going to pick berries, holding his hand out for the Ngkǎntmúngx to eat from his palm. Unable to help himself, he watched with interest as the Ngkǎntmúngx carefully ventured closer, its face getting closer to his palm. He fought the urge to jerk his palm away at the feeling of his tongue running along his palm as he tried to pick up one of the berries. After he ate the first one, he had a bit of an easier time getting the second, and Devynn couldn’t help giggling a little as he watched it.

From in front of him, he heard a rustle in the trees, barely a split second, before a huge hulking creature jumped from behind the bush, either from a ledge or it was just a high jumper because as it jumped up and over it didn’t hit the bush or the Ngkǎntmúngx either one. It landed down behind him with a snarl, its humanoid form standing over him menacingly by quite a few feet.

Its skin looked as if it was partially decayed wood, clinging onto his muscle beneath like saran wrap, root-like things stemming off of his body in random places. Its fingers were lengthened even more by the length of the roots extending from them, and its golden eyes glared straight into him. Devynn screeched as it raised its hand, a snarl leaving the monster’s lips as it poised to attack.

Devynn raised his hands to block the swing, only for an angry clicking noise to sound from behind him, the buzz of the Ngkǎntmúngx wings loud enough that Devynn could actually hear its flapping. The Ngkǎntmúngx flew off of the bush behind him, making a noise much less akin to clicking and much more akin to a screech, his mouth opening as it swooped down toward the monster, seemingly vomiting in its eyes.

The monster let out a wail as Scythe landed on the ground behind it, surprise written across his face for a split second before he did a weird double spin, ramming the spear upward through the back of the creature as it clawed at its eyes. Devynn screamed as blood spurted out from around the spearhead, covering his face and chest in blood spatter. Scythe released the handle of the spear and the monster collapsed on the ground in front of them, blood quickly beginning to cover the floor as it seized and twitched on the ground in front of him.

Devynn stepped back away from it, unable to help the feeling in his stomach as if it’d dropped straight from his body. He knew this was necessary, he knew it was a monster that wanted to kill him. But it made his chest ache like a gaping wound had formed in him as well. Without intending to, Devynn found himself gagging slightly, his stomach twisting from the sight of it at his feet, guilt flooding through him.

He hadn’t been quiet, he’d lured it here. He was responsible for it. It made his head hurt and his chest ache. He had never been fully okay with animals dying for consumption, but this felt even worse somehow and he wasn’t sure why. He wasn’t supposed to be there, Scythe wasn’t supposed to be there, this creature was. Could he really justify killing it for his own survival? He wasn’t so sure.

As the pool of blood hit the toe of his tennis shoe, Devynn gagged again, unable to fight back the wave of nausea that washed over him. This time, he just couldn’t fight back the urge to vomit, at least managing to run closer to the tree by the bush he’d been feeding the Ngkǎntmúngx at so as not to taint the food.

The Ngkǎntmúngx clicking noise grew closer to him, swirling around his head worriedly, anxious clicks echoing around his head. Devynn gagged again, his stomach clenching slightly. To his surprise, he felt a warm, strong, comforting hand land on his right shoulder.

“It is okay, Dvyuh-Dyá,” Scythe murmured. “The first time is the hardest,” Devynn glanced back over his shoulder, teary-eyed and distraught, shaking his head as he gagged again, this time managing to keep from puking but only just.

“I-I can’t,” Devynn gasped, shaking his head, turning away from where he’d been puking and sitting down on the ground in front of the tree, pulling his legs up to his chest. “I-I can’t do this, I-I can’t, I’d rather die now t-than…” Scythe growled a little, knocking him back against the tree as he kneeled over him in one smooth motion.

“Fuck that, fuck you,” Scythe snapped, “Since you’re traveling with me right now, you don’t get to die until I tell you it’s okay.” Devynn looked up at him through his bangs, letting out a shaky breath before nodding.

“C-Can I have a hug, please?” Devynn murmured, and Scythe sighed and nodded. Devynn didn’t wait for Scythe to hug him, instead, he just threw himself forward onto Scythe’s chest, crying as he curled his arms around his neck. He felt so out of sorts, he just needed to feel safe again. Scythe felt safe, even if the situation felt fucked beyond repair.

ᨒᨔ෴⦁ᨖ⦁෴ᨔᨒ

⦁⚞【⎗ 𝙱𝚊𝚌𝚔】【𝙽𝚎𝚡𝚝⎘】⚟⦁

【🖫】【🖬】【🗐】

⊶»﴾ 𝟿. 𝙴𝚡𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜 ﴿«⊷

・⥋【𝐃 𝐄 𝐕 𝐘 𝐍 𝐍】⥋・

・ ⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟷𝟿 】【 𝟷𝟾:𝟷𝟻:𝟺𝟼:𝟷𝟿 】⥋ ・

The next couple of days were a blur. They didn’t do much after hunting, but today they’d spent the better part of the day walking from one location to the next, mostly in silence. Scythe had been himself, quiet, distant, seeming to be hyper-aware of Devynn the entire time. Every time Devynn turned around, he was being given these looks that were enough to have his blood heating up. Scythe had never paid nearly this much attention to him, and it had him feeling as aroused as it did guilty.

He didn’t want Scythe to worry about him, but at the same time, it felt nice to know he was looking out for him. It felt like… maybe he cared. He liked that Scythe seemed to care about him, but at the same time, he wasn’t thrilled. He wanted Scythe to watch because he cared, not because he had to worry about Devynn’s well-being. All he wanted was for Scythe to care about him. Not because he had to, but because he wanted to.

Devynn felt slightly better about… the monster… now, at least. He’d spent a couple of days mostly mentally disconnected, trying to distance himself from the events that had transpired, but now he was feeling better. He didn’t love having to hunt, but he understood why it was a necessity. Still, that didn’t erase the fact that he felt bad about it. He really couldn’t hunt for himself, he’d never be able to bring himself to hurt something else, even if it wanted to hurt him. He just wasn’t built that way.

But Scythe was, and he wanted things to be even. He handles one part of the work while Scythe handles the other part. In his head, it sounded like such a damn good idea. Like it’d work so well. Devynn could handle the cooking, the cleaning, the washing, and all of the other housewife bullshit, and Scythe could handle the other stuff. Hunting, protecting, providing. It could be perfect.

He could… he could be Scythe’s perfect little housewife. A desire he’d never wholly considered until this point, though it really shouldn’t surprise him too much. He’d always silently watched his mother, wanting to be what she was, just like her… Now he could be. He didn’t have to push aside the desire and hide from it here. No one could, or would, judge him for this. He could… he could be free from everything.

Devynn frowned to himself, biting into his thumbnail as he glanced over at Scythe, taking in the sight of the expression on his face. He looked more tired than usual, the bags under his eyes were enough to raise suspicions, and Devynn couldn’t help but notice the blank expression in his grey eyes as the fire danced across the planes of his face.

“A-Aksyě-Dhà?” Devynn asked softly, drawing Scythe’s eyes away from the dancing of the flames to linger on him once again. Scythe hummed in response, making Devynn frown. “A-Are you mad at me? F-For not being able to hunt?” Scythe let out a grumble under his breath, glancing away from him. “Is that a yes?” Scythe sighed and shook his head.

“You have no idea what the hell you’re talking about,” Scythe grumbled after a moment of silence, his gaze moving back to the fire.

“Then w-what did I do?” Devynn stammered, flushing a little as Scythe’s eyes roamed back to him, shaking his head once again. “O-Okay, I overreacted to you killing th-the monster, right?” Scythe let out an even more hopeless sigh, shaking his head yet again, but offering no further explanation. “D-Did I make an m-mistake?”

“Shut up, Goddamnit!” Scythe barked, “I told you you have no idea what you’re talking about. Just do both of us a damn favor and go to bed already.” Devynn flinched a little, tears welling up in his eyes against his own accord, his heart stalling a bit in his chest. Devynn glanced away, tears trekking down his cheeks as he stood up silently and walked to the other side of the campfire, turning away from Scythe and laying down, facing away from him as embarrassment flooded through him.

He wasn’t tired yet, not even near there, but he didn’t want to upset Scythe any more than he already had.

For a very, very long time, it stayed like that. The silence hung in the air between Scythe and Devynn so thickly that it made him feel nauseated. He couldn’t stop crying and felt like a total pussy, but he wasn’t able to help it entirely. He was just so sad. He missed home. He missed feeling safe and loved. He missed feeling cared about. He missed his mom.

It wasn’t until the sun had fallen down behind the horizon that Scythe came to join him on the ground to sleep beside him. Devynn fought the urge to let out a shaky breath, not really sure how Scythe would react to him being noticeably upset. He felt embarrassed, like such a baby for crying like this. Devynn accidentally sniffled a little, and Scythe glanced over and down at him, his grey eyes roaming over Devynn.

“You okay?” Scythe asked, after a beat of silence, and Devynn just nodded his head. He couldn’t open his mouth, not and keep from crying, so he was just going to hold his breath until Scythe went to sleep or something. Really he hadn’t thought that far ahead if he were being completely honest. “Asleep?” Devynn didn’t respond this time, not sure what to say in response that wouldn’t come out either over-emotional or mad so he just stayed quiet and let his eyes shut.

Scythe lay down behind him on the ground, silent, but Devynn could feel the tension in the air between them even with his eyes shut. He was so uncertain. He just wanted to cuddle up close to Scythe and sink into the comfort that he could provide. At the same time, his feelings were hurt, he needed more time to lick his wounds and make sense of his feelings before he’d want to do that.

Devynn forced himself to try to sleep, pushing away the thoughts of the man behind him, somewhat tossing and turning as much as he could without turning toward Scythe. He couldn’t sleep. He knew, though, based on the noises coming from the man behind him, that Scythe didn’t sleep either.

・ ⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟸𝟶 】【 𝟷𝟿:𝟶𝟾:𝟹𝟺:𝟷𝟻 】⥋ ・

When Devynn woke up from the very brief two-hour nap he’d managed to take, Scythe was up and walking around the campsite, putting out their fire and rushing around in a big hurry. Devynn sat up sleepily, his hand rubbing at his eye as he shook his head, trying to get a leaf or something out of his hair. Scythe stopped what he was doing, his gray eyes roaming over Devynn silently for a moment.

Scythe looked rougher than he had the day before, the bags under his eyes had taken on an even darker shade, and he seemed more shaky than the day before. Devynn could tell just by looking at him he’d slept less than Devynn if he had any sleep at all.

“I was going to let you sleep in,” Scythe said, reaching his hand up to rest it on the back of his neck, somehow looking awkward. Devynn nodded his head, rubbing at his eyes again as he let out a yawn, standing up and stumbling slightly as the world spun a bit before stabilizing. Unable to fight it back, Devynn yawned again, shaking his head as if that’d shake off the sleep still trying desperately to cling onto him.

“Th-Thanks,” Devynn answered drowsily. “Do you w-want breakfast? I-I can make something?” Scythe shook his head, glancing down at the mostly taken-apart campsite and then to Devynn.

“Take a break,” Scythe suggested, “We’ve got a long walk today, keep resting. You can cook when we get to the next location,” Scythe instructed firmly, and Devynn nodded, walking over to where the Ngkǎntmúngx had slept the night before, going over to him and making a clicking sound with his tongue.

The Ngkǎntmúngx opened its eyes, slowly, and Devynn started making the noise quicker, which prompted it to start clicking back at him, getting up from where it was lying down to flap its wings quickly.

“Good m-morning, buddy,” Devynn said, reaching his hand out to carefully rub between its antennas, making it click more excitedly. “H-How’d you sleep? Need a small b-breakfast before we head out?” Devynn asked him, making the Ngkǎntmúngx flap its wings again, making a click sound as it started flapping them faster, this time, raising up off of the ground and flying around him in a double loop before stopping and landing on his head. Devynn giggled quietly, trying to ignore the gaze that was lingering on him from behind.

“W-Well, good morning, H-Happy, I guess that g-got you fully u-up, huh?” Devynn said to the Ngkǎntmúngx, as it clicked happily on his head. It felt really weird for the clicks to be made so close to his head, it was a bit discerning too, because he swore it felt like they were bouncing off of his skull.

Devynn walked over to his bag, carefully keeping his head straight so that he wouldn’t knock the Ngkǎntmúngx off of his head. It took great effort to get down onto his knees beside it without knocking the Ngkǎntmúngx out of place, but with caution and carefulness, he managed. Somehow. He didn’t even really know how if he were being completely honest. Still, he managed.

Devynn dug out a handful of berries from his bag. The Ngkǎntmúngx’s wings flapped erratically, buzzing as it flew up off of Devynn’s head, gliding down and curving around so that he landed on the ground in front of Devynn, his antennas going wild on his head as they hoovered near the berries, click sounds increasing. Devynn giggled a little, bringing his hand down to rest it on the ground before him, watching as the Ngkǎntmúngx drifted closer to it before chomping down into the first berry it came across.

“G-Good boy,” Devynn murmured, reaching his other hand out to pet it on the head lightly as it ate, listening to the quiet clicking noises it was making as it ate. Devynn giggled a little, looking up to catch sight of Scythe, who’d paused what he had been doing to watch him. As soon as Scythe realized he was caught, he glanced away, pushing his hair behind his ear as he began shoving stuff into his bag.

“Hurry with that,” Scythe called, “Almost ready to head out, you won’t want to be here in a bit when the Hyaftwe̊sh and the Awgbældfǔth begin coming out for the day,” Scythe continued, softening his voice a bit before he looked back over at Devynn. He looked conflicted, even if only for a moment before he glanced away again.

“O-Okay,” Devynn agreed quietly, prompting Scythe to nod his head silently and stand up, tossing his bag over his shoulder. Devynn looked back down at the Ngkǎntmúngx and let out a quiet sigh, his head hurting slightly. He wasn’t looking forward to walking in silence again. He was so tired still, drowsy as hell, but he would stay awake and walk, and follow Scythe as quickly as he could because there really was nothing else he could do right now.

The tension hanging in the air felt even more present now than the night before, Scythe’s lack of sleep no doubt contributing to the man’s stress. Devynn wanted to help, but he just didn’t know how to do so.

・ ⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟸𝟶 】【 𝟷𝟿:𝟸𝟷:𝟶𝟽:𝟻𝟷 】⥋ ・

By the time they finally reached the next location, Devynn was absolutely exhausted. He’d started out his day with about as much energy as a refried bean, and after so many hours, Devynn had only grown more tired and cranky than he had been before. Still, he was trying to hold himself together because he could tell how tired and sleep-deprived Scythe was, on top of how hungry he probably was.

Scythe looked almost a little bit like a corpse as he trudged around their campsite, setting up for the night. Tonight, they were in a tiny clearing, about enough space to stretch their legs out and build a fire, not much else… except for the hole in the trunk of an absolutely GIANT tree, which was where Scythe had directed him to put all of his things, and the Ngkǎntmúngx to keep it safe. As soon as Devynn had brought him inside of it, he’d flown up into the top of the hole, hanging practically sideways and upside down somehow.

Scythe had just finished the fire and was beginning to put brush and tree limbs around the perimeter of the campsite, so Devynn took that time to step up and begin cooking. They still had some Awgbældfǔth meat left, which meant that Scythe didn’t need to go hunting tonight. A blessing, surely, because Scythe was in no condition to be hunting. He was staggering slightly, even his normally calculated movements felt less… decided.

“A-Aksyě-Dhà?” Scythe looked up from where he was arranging tree limbs along the borders of camp, his sleepy eyes a little dazed and confused as he looked over him. “S-Sit please, it’s o-okay, right? That’s just ex-extra?” Scythe used the toe of his boot to push at one of the limbs on the ground in front of him, glancing over at him.

“Once I’m done,” Scythe said after a brief pause. Devynn whined a little, nodding his head as he looked over Scythe. Scythe glanced back over his shoulder and then went back to arranging the brush and limbs along the forest floor, clearly for some unspecified reason.

“O-Okay, Aksyě-Dhà,” Devynn stammered, “P-Please do when you finish, I-I’ll have dinner made soon.” He assured. Scythe nodded, going back to doing what he had been doing before Devynn had interrupted, which left Devynn to begin making dinner. He had some spare ingredients still, he’d been gathering on the way as much as he could, plus he’d also just had some left over from the last time he’d gone foraging.

Devynn wanted to try to make up for whatever he’d done to Scythe and hoped that if nothing else… this would show his intention. He was hoping that if he just showed that he cared about Scythe, maybe Scythe would understand. He didn’t know what else to do, he just… wasn’t really sure how else to approach the situation right now. He hadn’t eaten in like two days, he thought, he didn’t really know for certain though. Right now, both of them needed to eat.

Scythe was quiet, and so was Devynn, but even the silence between them felt deafening and lonely, like the terrifying emptiness of space. Devynn wanted to say something, but he didn’t really know what to say at this point. So he just stayed quiet as he prepared dinner, trying to figure out how to make amends with Scythe for whatever he had done. He didn’t understand entirely, but he knew this had to do with him .

He’d upset Scythe, and now he had to figure out how to make it right. Devynn wasn’t sure how, but he would figure it out. Maybe he needed to try to think like his mom. What would she do to make something up to his dad? Uhhh… probably make his favorite meal for him, let him eat it on the couch, and bring him a new beer every time he runs low. If his dad was making shit up to his mom, it was much more sporadic, just random gifts, jewelry, or whatever he could think of that she’d like. Neither option worked here.

He’d have to keep brainstorming. In the meantime, he needed to get dinner cooked so Scythe could sleep some. He looked exhausted.

・ ⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟸𝟷 】【 𝟸𝟶:𝟷𝟸:𝟺𝟻:𝟶𝟼 】⥋

When Devynn woke up in the morning, it was to the angry clicks of his Ngkǎntmúngx, and the feeling of his front legs pushing against the tip of his nose. He was propping himself up with them, two holding himself steady while the other two smacked at the bridge of his nose. Devynn blinked open his eyes and yawned quietly, reaching his hand up to rub at the Ngkǎntmúngx’s head, smiling a bit. The Ngkǎntmúngx immediately began clicking happily, his mouth opening to nibble at the bridge of Devynn’s nose.

“Mm, g-good morning, Happy,” Devyn murmured, “You r-ready for food, buddy?” The clicking noises increased, and Devynn giggled. He knew that the Ngkǎntmúngx absolutely couldn’t understand him, but it was still cool how he clicked in response whenever Devynn spoke to him. Devynn carefully pushed the Ngkǎntmúngx away from his face, sitting up and stretching as he yawned, looking around the tree and out of the opening to see if Scythe was anywhere. He wasn’t and it made Devynn sigh a little, his heart stalling a bit.

He’d somewhat hoped that if he just kept giving Scythe space, one day he’d wake up in a better mood or would forget everything or something. He still didn’t really know what he’d ever done to upset him so much. He felt bad about it, he wanted him to not be mad anymore. Devynn really didn’t like people being angry with him, and Scythe… well he was different. He didn’t want Scythe to give up on him, because then he just really didn’t know what he was supposed to do. He didn’t think he could do all of this on his own.

It was too stressful and too much to handle. Devynn stood up, grabbing his bag off of the floor of the literal tree house–it was so cute and felt like a fairytale type of house, whimsical and soft. He could picture a fairy living in it, with multiple stories… a mansion , really. It was far too big to be from any trees that Devynn had ever seen. It honestly… felt a little like a house.

The Ngkǎntmúngx followed him as he walked over to a root that was jutting out and curling from the wall of the tree trunk, giggling to himself a little as he grabbed out a handful of berries and put them down on the root. The Ngkǎntmúngx clicked happily, flying around Devynn on his way to the root for breakfast. Devynn smiled to himself and turned around, walking over to where he’d taken off his shoes the night before and put them back on, before he walked out of the tree trunk and looked around the campsite to see if Scythe was around anywhere.

“Aksyě-Dhà! A-Aksyě-Dhà!” Devynn called, not too loud but he hoped loudly enough that if Scythe was anywhere around he’d respond. When no answer came Devynn nodded to himself and glanced down at the fire, which was no longer burning. His heart sped up a little, panic creeping through him.

Had Scythe left him?! Even put out his fire and just dipped?! That seemed so needlessly–Devynn startled a little as he stepped a bit farther out into the clearing, his foot slipping slightly as he stepped in the driest mud he’d ever seen before. It felt… almost like clay, but wetter, with a hard and crunchy surface. Devynn let out a groan as his feet slid from beneath him, landing on the edge of the tree trunk and partially in the mud.

It didn’t hurt much—unless his bruised ego counted, but at this point, he’d venture to say that was the least of his problems. Devynn let out a sigh, his head lulling forward as he reached his hand up to rub at the back of his neck, his brain hurting. Devynn missed Scythe. A lot. It’d been so tense that Devynn was worried that Scythe would just never come back for him. He didn’t know what to do if that were the case.

He felt as if he were in a nightmare, inside of another nightmare. Everything felt so scary right now. He’d always been on edge before this when he was alone in the campsites, but this was different because at least then he knew that Scythe could be back for him and might be able to save him. Now he wasn’t even sure if that applied anymore. Frustrated, sad, and troubled, Devynn pulled his knees up to his chest and pressed his eyes into his knees, arms wrapping around his shins.

Devynn had cried so much since coming here, he felt so overdramatic… at the same time, though, Devynn was just a little bit overwhelmed with everything right now. He didn’t want to be alone out here, this place was terrifying even with someone, so why should he think it’d be better without it? At least Scythe would protect him, if he was by himself he couldn’t even bring himself to kill a monster that tried to kill him first! He wasn’t suited for this.

Tears flowed down between his knees and his cheeks, a whimper falling out of his mouth. He felt dizzy by the surge of emotions he was feeling, overwhelmed, needy. He wanted a hug, he wanted Scythe. Even though Scythe could be an asshole sometimes, he could also be really nice. He… Devynn liked Scythe. He didn’t care if he was rough around the edges, he was intriguing. He was strong and Holy Macaroni was he hot, all muscled and hunky.

Devynn really liked how Scythe smelled, too. He often smelled, and tasted, just a little like sweat, but it wasn’t off-putting in the slightest. He was… dreamy, just a little bit, but also kind of hard to get a read on. Devynn wanted to understand what Scythe was thinking–he had no idea how to even begin with that, though. All he really wanted to do is understand where Scythe was coming from—why he was so angry with him. He didn’t understand what he’d done.

“Dvyuh-Dyá, what are you doing?” Scythe asked from behind him, his voice seemingly coming from nowhere. Devynn jolted, his head rapidly turning from one side to the next, trying to pinpoint his location. “Dude, look up,” Devynn did, and frowned, confused, squinting a bit and just barely catching sight of Scythe through the leaves at the top of the trees.

“Wh-What on earth are you—” Devynn gasped, surprised, and Scythe dropped down a limb, his hand catching on the branch he’d been standing on, feet stilling on the limb of the tree as it shook slightly beneath his weight. “You’re way too high up! W-What if you fall?!”

“If I fall then I’ll die,” Scythe called back down, “No big deal—don’t stress so much. Just keep your mouth shut while I’m scouting the area… I heard something weird so you need to be quiet.” Devynn bit down into his bottom lip, his cheeks darkening with color as he looked up at Scythe from where he was sitting on the ground, his tears running down his cheeks much more aggressively.

“Fine!” Devynn snapped, his head dropping back down to keep from looking up at Scythe, stubbornly refusing to meet his eyes. He was grumpy, hungry, tired, and just generally in an unpleasant mood today. Scythe’s attitude was not appreciated today.

“Damn! You are in a fucking great mood today,” Scythe snarked, shaking his head as he pulled himself up into the tree farther. “Maybe you should chill, I’m all the way up here, yet I can still feel the daggers you’re shooting me.” Devynn let out a groan and squeezed his arms around himself for a moment before he stood up, storming toward the tree to curl up in the corner and cry. He was just—in no place for this shit today. His head hurt, his brain hurt, his stomach hurt… he was not up to this.

Devynn grabbed his bag, lying over and curling around it, his head throbbing as he let his eyes squeeze shut. He was feeling so stressed and just wanted everything to stop for a moment. He wanted his brain to shut the fuck up, wanted Scythe to shut up and put his dick in him—really just anything to make him feel closer to him. He was sad, lonely, and wanted physical contact, and Scythe was the only person he had. He was content with making the best of it, but he needed something .

Devynn looked over at the entrance of the tree trunk as he heard the sound of something hitting the ground—somewhat afraid Scythe had fallen from the tree. He took in the sight of Scythe crouched down on the ground with his head bowed for just a moment, before he stood up, looking over at Devynn before walking toward him. Devynn looked up at Scythe as he closed the distance between them, tipping his head back some.

“W-What?” Devynn snapped, looking up at Scythe through teary eyes. Scythe sighed after a moment of intense staring, his head tilting to one side.

“Look, I didn’t mean to piss you off. So… Sorry,” Scythe said, the words coming somewhat out of nowhere and surprising him. Devynn blinked, stunned, his mouth falling open. Scythe just stared at him, his eyebrow raised slightly as he looked down at him.

“Y-You’re… apologizing?” Devynn questioned, a little surprised. He hadn’t expected this, he hadn’t even considered it a possibility, honestly. Scythe didn’t seem like the kind to admit fault, and Devynn was fine with that… but it wasn’t easy to consider what that’d be like for the rest of his life. He was unsure how to respond to the apology, though.

“Yes,” Scythe said, sounding somewhat annoyed at having to clarify further, “I am apologizing to you. For pissing you off.” Devynn nodded, biting his bottom lip. He wasn’t pissed off, though, he was sad . Sad, maybe a little pissy because Scythe has been so annoying and rude the past couple of days, but also… confused . He didn’t know what he’d done to make Scythe dislike him like this.

“I-It’s not that I’m pissed off,” Devynn managed, letting his eyes fall to Scythe’s tattered boots, “I’m… c-confused , and a-a little sad…” Devynn admitted, embarrassed, maybe a little shy.

“About what?” Scythe asked, and Devynn huffed.

“Y-You’ve been m-mad at me s-since the… h-hunting in-incident,” Devynn explained, “I-I never understood w-what made y-you so mad at m-me…” He continued, letting his words taper off. He didn’t know what to follow that up with, given that he still had no idea what was going on.

Scythe’s eyes darkened instantaneously, narrowing them as he ran them over Devynn’s face, a frown marring his handsome face. He looked tired, worn out entirely, honestly. A bit drained, even. Devynn couldn’t help the worry that shot through him, his mouth opening to ask him if he was okay.

“I’ve not been mad,” Scythe denied, “Somewhat irritated, but not mad. I’m… irritated at you.” He grumbled.

“W-Why?” Devynn asked, somewhat incredulously, and Scythe sighed heavily.

“I’m busting my ass taking care of you,” Scythe said, “Trying to teach you how to survive here so these horrible fucking monsters don’t eat you, and you’re all ‘I’d rather die’ which honestly makes everything I fucking do for you meaningless.”

“Th-This is h-hard for me, Aksyě-Dhà,” Devynn murmured, “I-I had never e-even been camping b-before this, m-much less hunting…” He trailed off, somewhat shyly, “I-I am n-not used t-to a-all of this…”

“That was then , Dvyuh-Dyá,” Scythe said, “You have to adapt to life here or die, there isn’t any other option. You either learn or die and I know that’s harsh, but it is reality.” Devynn nodded his head and let out a shaky breath, his head falling forward to look down at his feet. “…I will let you stay with me,” Scythe continued, “But only on the stipulation that you never fucking stop trying to survive. You never give up, even if you’re at death’s doorstep. You fight it until the very last breath you take.” Devynn felt tears stinging at the corners of his eyes.

“Y-You mean—” Devynn started, cutting off as Scythe tangled his fingers into the back of his hair, tugging his head back so that Devynn was forced to meet his eyes.

“You are not allowed to fucking die, Devynn.” Scythe sounded so serious, his voice somewhat edgy and melancholic. He had even gone from using Dvyuh-Dyá to Devynn, his eyes staring deeply into his soul, clearly trying to express something to Devynn but he didn’t know what . Or why the emotion in his eyes made Devynn’s heart feel achy.

“O-Okay, Aksyě-Dhà,” Devynn promised softly, blinking his eyes up at Scythe as Scythe leaned a little closer to him. “W-What are you…” Scythe leaned down and pressed a kiss to his lips lightly, experimentally. Scythe pulled back a slight bit, meeting his eyes with a heated expression on his face. “W-What?” Devynn muttered shyly, not sure what had happened. His brain wasn’t fully wrapping around the situation, presently. “Y…You… k-kissed me?”

“Yes,” Scythe said, his words whispered against Devynn’s lips.

Devynn’s mind raced at Scythe’s admission, his brain spinning as Scythe captured his lips once again, much more certainly this time. The pressure of his lips against Devynn’s was enough to have Devynn’s blood sizzling, excitement sparking through him as he mindlessly brought his hand forward to rest on Scythe’s abdomen. The feeling of the firm muscles beneath his hand made him feel dizzy and needy, his cock hardening as he pressed closer to him.

“A-Aksyě-Dhà,” Devynn moaned as Scythe’s hand moved to rest on his lower back, pulling him forward more as he shifted over him, effectively pinning him against the wall so that he couldn’t escape.

“Fuck,” Scythe growled against Devynn’s lips. Devynn let out a little moan, his mouth falling open, anxiously waiting for Scythe to push his tongue into his mouth. Scythe didn’t, he just pulled Devynn closer and pressed his lips harder against Devynn’s. Devynn brought his arms up to wrap around Scythe’s neck as he pressed his tongue against Scythe’s lips insistently. Scythe let out a deep groan as his lips parted curiously, letting Devynn’s tongue slip inside of his mouth.

Since Scythe seemed to have no idea what he was doing, Devynn took the lead and began moving his tongue against Scythe’s, coaxing it into tangling with his. Scythe’s hips rocked against him suddenly, his teeth sinking into Devynn’s upper lip as he let out a hoarse noise. It seemed accidental, but the pain from being bitten sent a shockwave through Devynn that he couldn’t ignore.

“Aksyě-Dhà, fuck m-me,” Devynn pled as he pulled away from Scythe’s lips after a moment, his words coming out much more shaky than he’d like to admit. “P-Please,” Scythe let out a huff, his grey eyes darkening as they roamed over his face hungrily.

“Now?” Devynn nodded in response to Scythe’s question, his back arching forward. Scythe had him pinned into place with his arm so he wasn’t doing much , but it was just enough to force Scythe to feel how hard he was. “Fuck,” Scythe grunted, his nostrils flaring as his pupils dilated more. They were so large that they were practically eating the entire iris of his eyes as his tongue flicked along his bottom lip, his head nodding.

“Y-You can,” Devynn invited, excitement sparking through him as the glimmer in Scythe’s eyes darkened some. “I-I want you to d-do whatever you w-want,” Devynn explained softly, “Anything y-you want,” Devynn murmured, his cheeks burning brightly as he squirmed slightly, unable to fight back the whine that left his throat as his cock pressed into Scythe’s abdomen.

Scythe hesitated for a moment, his avaricious eyes practically devouring the sight of Devynn beneath him, his cock tenting the front of tattered pants. He looked uncertain, unsure how to proceed.

“I…don’t know what I want to do, Dvyuh-Dyá,” Scythe murmured, “I’ve never felt this way before… done this before.” While it sounded cheesy and over-used on the surface, Devynn could hear the sincerity in his voice and see the confusion written over his features. Devynn nodded in response.

“O-Only with me?” Devynn asked, for clarification, and maybe to stroke his ego just a little. There was something kind of adorable about the way Scythe didn’t have a clue. He was older than Devynn, he should know… but he’d been here for years. There probably wasn’t much around to be aroused by, and they’d been close a lot, even if Scythe wasn’t in the know about sex, his cock reacted to being close to Devynn

He’d woken up with boners against him frequently, Scythe storming off to go hunting right after and thinking back on it, it made so much sense. Scythe didn’t know what arousal was. He’d been here a lot longer than Devynn had ever considered, clearly, and now he thought he might know how to handle this. He’d been trying to submit, thinking that’d appeal to Scythe based on his behavior otherwise, but maybe… maybe that wasn’t the strategy he would succeed with. Scythe not knowing anything meant he was rough and animalistic with him because he didn’t know limits, which Devynn reveled in… but even the first time, he’d led Scythe right where he wanted him first.

He had been picturing somewhat of a housewife kind of thing with Scythe, but who said he couldn’t be an opinionated housewife? No one. So.

“Yes,” Scythe answered, his words coming out quietly. “I’ve only ever… I hadn’t even had this happen before,” Scythe motioned toward his erection. “Well, unless I was just waking up, but usually that’d just go away.” Devynn practically choked on his tongue as the words registered in his brain.

“N-Never?” Devynn asked, unsure if he should feel flattered or if he should apologize for distracting and confusing him. He hadn’t ever considered that Scythe would know this little. He didn’t even know why it felt so surprising to him. It was just a bit of a trip and a half to try to make sense of things. Scythe shook his head, and Devynn bit his lip, a devious smirk crossing his lips as he put his hand on Scythe’s shoulder, nudging him backward experimentally.

If he leaned, then Devynn would know he was onto something, and if he didn’t… then Devynn wouldn’t force it. Scythe followed his lead and leaned back, his eyes staying locked on Devynn as if he were afraid to look away for a second as if he might miss something.

“Good boy,” Devynn purred, crawling up over him and positioning himself so that his ass was resting on Scythe’s erection. “S-So hard for me a-aren’t you, Aksyě-Dhà?” Devynn asked as he pressed himself firmly against Scythe’s cock, watching as his nostrils flared and arousal-darkened eyes narrowed with confusion and pleasure. Devynn smirked a bit and rubbed more firmly against Scythe, gaining a moan from Scythe that made his heart flutter in his chest.

“What are you doing?” Scythe asked, his voice a bit deeper than Devynn expected. Devynn’s smirk grew, leaning over Scythe’s muscular abdomen, pressing his similarly hard cock against Scythe’s abdomen while he rested his palm in the center of Scythe’s chest, pinning him into place. If Scythe wanted away from him, there was no doubt he could get away, but Devynn was surprised by the rush of adrenaline he got from having Scythe below him like this.

“I-I’m teasing y-you,” Devynn said, trying to put on a bold front. He was somewhat loving the way Scythe’s attention was locked in on him, and it only added to it that he was letting out quiet noises whenever Devynn decided to shift a bit.

“…Is it working?” Scythe asked curiously, raising an eyebrow. From the look on his face, no it wasn’t. Not really. But, Devynn had more experience, he could do this. He could.

“M-Maybe,” Devynn murmured, leaning down over Scythe as he rocked his hips, pulling a groan from Scythe’s lips. Scythe’s hands found their way to Devynn’s hips, his fingertips biting into the swell of Devynn’s hips.

“I don’t think it’s working,” Scythe murmured, “You seem more flustered than I am.” Scythe wasn’t saying it in a way that would make Devynn think he was intending to be rude or bratty. No, he was just right and Devynn hated that. Scythe’s attention on him was arousing, that much was true, but no matter how arousing it was… Devynn could barely hold his nerve with his eyes on him so unwaveringly.

“F-Flustering you isn’t the p-point,” Devynn pointed out, “Th-The point is t-to turn you on,” Devynn pushed his ass back against Scythe’s crotch. “And it s-seems I might b-be onto something.” Scythe let out a grunt as Devynn rocked his hips, relishing in the feral gleam that sparked in his eyes. Devynn was beginning to realize that maybe he jumped to conclusions… but there was one thing for certain here—Scythe was getting harder and more turned on. Devynn might just spur him to action with his behavior.

“On my last nerve, maybe,” Scythe grumbled under his breath, even as his eyes sparkled with arousal. Devynn could see the arousal deepening the color of his eyes, and feel the heat wafting off of his body. He was slightly sweaty, his hair matted to his forehead.

Devynn opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, a loud scream echoed off of the trees surrounding the one they’d taken up shelter in. Devynn let out a gasp, his body tensing as Scythe pushed him up and off of him, sending him falling back onto the ground as he leaped up off of the ground and grabbed his spear.

“W-What the hell was that?!” Devynn whisper-yelled, moving closer to Scythe as he edged toward the opening of the tree trunk, his body tensed. Scythe shot him a dirty look, probably for being so loud, but Devynn was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

“Sounds like a monster found dinner,” Scythe muttered to Devynn as he looked along the treeline, carefully monitoring the edges. Another scream echoed through the trees, the sound of leaves crinkling and twigs snapping as the brush separated and a girl fell out of it, a monster tearing its way through the trees just behind her. She looked up, catching sight of Scythe and Devynn as the monster’s footfalls echoed louder and louder. Even the ground was vibrating the slightest bit from its weight, and trees falling over and breaking in half.

“HELP!” The girl screeched, large claw marks extending across her abdomen, her shirt cut and blood ran down the front of it. She was heavily injured and looked as if even just kneeling there in the dirt hurt worse than anything in the world.

Devynn jerked, moving to step around Scythe to go help her. Scythe grabbed him by the arm as the monster grabbed her by the ankle. Her face paled as she screamed, reaching her hand out for him to grab it as she scrambled and screamed. Devynn probably would’ve gone forward anyway if it wasn’t for Scythe’s hand on his arm. He watched in horror as she was drug toward the trees she’d come out of, his mouth falling open as he fought the urge to scream with her.

Devynn couldn’t see what happened next because Scythe pushed him back against the wall of the tree trunk, his arm pinning him flat against it. Devynn let out a quiet whimper, the sounds of her screaming bringing tears to his eyes even if he couldn’t see what was happening.

“You can’t save the damned,” Scythe said softly, mournfully if nothing else, his body turning to cage Devynn in place. “Don’t move, be as quiet as possible. We’re hidden, but that doesn’t mean we’re safe. It’ll have a hard time getting us in here, but still.”

“I-Is she…” Devynn whispered as the screams suddenly stopped, “Is i-it over?” Scythe shook his head, tensing a little as Devynn reached forward and wrapped his arms around his waist, pressing his face into Scythe’s chest.

“She’s dead, that much is certain,” Scythe said, “It’s over for her… us on the other hand… She led that thing right to us,” Scythe murmured, keeping his voice low as he practically pressed his lips to the shell of his ear. “It might not be smart enough to find us, but that doesn’t mean it won’t spend the next few hours looking.”

Devynn let out a helpless whine, tears trekking down his cheeks.

“I could’ve helped her,” Devynn murmured to Scythe, guilt flooding through him. He had done nothing, Scythe shook his head.

“Once that monster injured her, there was no use,” Scythe answered softly, “The wound was too deep, she was dead before she got to us.” Scythe was trying to be comforting and Devynn genuinely appreciated it, but the melancholic apathy in his tone made Devynn’s chest feel tight.

“B-But she made it here,” Devynn muttered, grasping at straws. Scythe just shook his head, bringing his hand up to rest on Devynn’s cheek gently.

“You can’t save everyone , Dvyuh-Dyá,” Scythe murmured. Devynn tilted his head to rest it in Scythe’s hand, letting out a shaky breath. “This place isn’t kind to us, and the reality is, it’s every man for themselves out here.”

“B-But you saved me,” Devynn answered quietly, letting his eyes slip shut as he heard the monster outside beginning to walk around. the tree shaking from the weight of the beast. It made him tremble a bit, his heart stuttering in his chest. “Y-You protected me…”

“It was a different situation,” Scythe explained, “You were mostly uninjured, were away from the monster that was hunting you, and the monster after you wasn’t very hard to deal with.” Scythe’s hand slid around to the back of his head, fingers lacing through the back of Devynn’s hair, pulling his head back so that he was looking straight up into his eyes. “I won’t let you sacrifice yourself to save the living dead.”

Devynn went to respond, but Scythe silenced him with a kiss as the monster roamed closer to the entrance to the door. He pulled back just enough to press his finger to Devynn’s lips, indicating for him to be quiet as he shifted forward, pressing his thigh against Devynn’s cock. Devynn jerked, inhaling sharply as a wave of pleasure washed over him, his head swimming. Devynn reached up and wrapped his arms around Scythe’s neck, unable to help wiggling slightly.

Scythe stayed silent, his eyes darkening with arousal as he pulled farther back and glanced toward the opening of the tree trunk where the monster was walking around. That made Devynn turn his head, taking in the sight of it. It took all of the focus he could muster to keep from screaming, his eyes trying to take in what he was seeing.

It was huge, a hulking monster that was covered in fur, walking mostly on its dog-like hind legs. It looked somewhat like a dog, but even more so like some kind of boar or… something . He was aware that there were no similarities between boars and dogs appearance-wise, at the very least. This creature looked like a toddler had drawn an example of what they thought dogs looked like, failed miserably, but instead of correcting the mistake, the parent altered the genetic makeup of an entire species of animal to make them fit the kid’s mental image.

It sounded crazy, but Devynn had some family members who just could not accept that their kid was wrong despite them being literal fucking demons.

“W-What is that,” Devynn breathed, his words so quiet he didn’t even know if Scythe could hear him. Instead of answering, Scythe shifted them further back into the tree trunk, pressing him against the farthest wall with his body. Pinned in place and too afraid to speak to ask what he was doing, Devynn just rested himself against the wall of the tree trunk.

“Shh…” Scythe breathed, resting his weight against Devynn as he looked down at him. “Later. Just be still and quiet for now.” Devynn nodded, struggling desperately to keep from squirming as his cock was pressed between their bodies. His ability to hold it lasted exactly five seconds and then he was wiggling slightly in a desperate attempt to stimulate himself. He whimpered, reaching his hand up to cover his mouth as he squirmed and pressed himself forward more into Scythe’s chest a bit.

“S-Sorry,” Devynn whimpered, his teeth biting down into his bottom lip. Scythe just nodded his head, letting out a shaky breath as Devynn shifted the slightest bit to reposition himself. Devynn hadn’t intended to, but in the process of repositioning himself, he pressed his cock right against Scythe’s. Scythe let out a hiss, his eyes narrowing as his hips pressed forward into Devynn’s abdomen.

“D-Do you want me to…?” Devynn murmured, reaching his hand down to brush along Scythe’s cock through his pants. Scythe sucked in a deep breath, his eyes darting over to the entry to the tree before looking back at Devynn.

“…Quietly,” Scythe agreed, his eyes roaming down to Devynn’s cock, his tongue running along his bottom lip. Devynn nodded his head and worked the button of his pants with one hand, quite the struggle but they were worn enough that it wasn’t impossible with the right amount of jiggling. As soon as they were open, Devynn slid his hand into Scythe’s pants and underwear, taking his cock into his hand. With just the slightest attention, Scythe’s cock jumped, pulsing slightly.

Devynn didn’t mess around this time, he began running his hand along the length of Scythe’s cock, delighting in the pleasured sound that Scythe choked back. Caged against the trunk of the tree with Scythe’s body, Devynn could do nothing but stifle the noises that tried to escape him and the desire to move as he jerked Scythe off, excitement curling through him. It excited him so much to see Scythe give in to his baser instincts like this, to want him this way. It was exhilarating, he couldn’t help himself as he ran his finger along the slit at the tip of his cock, relishing in the jerk of Scythe’s hips that resulted from it.

“Do you want me to…?” Scythe murmured into his ear, his voice barely loud enough for Devynn to hear him if it wasn’t for how close to his ear that Scythe was speaking. It made his insides heat up, the rush of warm breath against his ear had him shivering.

“Yes,” Devynn breathed, “Pl-Please,” Scythe shot him a look, one of his hands moving from beside his head to cover his mouth as Scythe pulled back just enough for him to tower over Devynn. It made him feel small, tiny, the realization that he was completely silenced now made his blood heat up as he melted back against the trunk more.

“Shhhh…” Scythe reminded him quietly, leaning his head down so that his lips were practically pressed against Devynn’s ear. He whimpered, nodding his head desperately as Scythe’s other hand moved down, slipping into the waistband of Devynn’s shorts and underwear without a second of hesitation.

Devynn found that sexy—his lack of inhibition, he didn’t overthink everything like Devynn did. He just did , and it was possibly one of the sexiest things that Devynn had ever seen. He was used to topping, having people be somewhat hesitant, not from reluctance, mostly from inexperience. Scythe, though, even when he had no idea what to do, he still didn’t hesitate before taking action. It was attractive how sure of himself he was, how infuriatingly certain he was. It was maddening.

Scythe’s hand ran along the length of his cock, perfectly mimicking what Devynn’s hand did on his own cock, his eyes practically devouring the sight of Devynn. Devynn couldn’t help the noises that were being muffled into Scythe’s palm, his cock so sensitive that it made him feel on the edge already and Scythe had just started touching him. He was way too desperate at this point, too on edge all the time now that he wasn’t getting off regularly.

In an effort to chase his rapidly approaching orgasm, Devynn sped up the movement of his hand, letting out a delighted whimper into Scythe’s palm as he copied him. It made Devynn’s whole body tense, pleasure rocking through him as he rocked his hips forward, desperate and chasing his pleasure without a thought. He could barely focus on moving his hand for Scythe, but he was bound and goddamn determined to bring Scythe over the edge in time with him. He didn’t know why, he just liked the… idea of it. Of them losing themselves to the pleasure together.

It felt so quaint and cutesy, he couldn’t help but think… but there was nothing quaint about the way that Scythe was looking down at him with arousal-darkened eyes that made him feel as if he were going to melt into a puddle right there from the sheer intensity of the gaze he was being leveled with.

Scythe’s grip on his cock was firm and unwavering, squeezing tight enough that it made Devynn’s cock throb the slightest bit, a squeak trying to escape him as Scythe’s grip squeezed around his cock. It was just edging on painful, but it made pleasure spark through Devynn’s body as his head swam. He could feel the vibrations of the monster walking outside of the tree trunk and all around it, sending a spark of adrenaline and exhilaration straight through him.

Scythe let out another hiss, his teeth biting down into his bottom lip as Devynn’s hand moved more enthusiastically, his eyes rolling back as Scythe pulled his hand along the length of his cock. The movement was slow and decisive, just enough pressure to make Devynn shudder and push his hips forward, a line of precum leaking from the head of his cock. Devynn let out a muffled whimper as he brought his thumb up to rub along the slit of Scythe’s cock, collecting the precum there and smearing it along the length.

His hand slid much easier, with no friction, and Scythe’s eyes darkened with arousal as he rocked his cock into Devynn’s hand. He looked more than just a little bit turned on and desperate, his eyes narrowed in concentration as his breathing sped up, the sheer heat in his gaze making Devynn’s body feel overheated. He wanted to make Scythe cum, to show him how good he could make him feel, but also, he wanted to feel Scythe’s cum in his hand.

“Shit,” Scythe muttered under his breath, his eyes dilated with arousal as they darted over to the entry of the tree trunk and then back to Devynn once again, his cock pulsing out a line of precum into Devynn’s hand. Devynn let out a breathy whimper, his hand’s grip tightening as he swiped his thumb along the slit of his erection, delighting in the choked noise that Scythe muffled.

Scythe’s cock was hard as a rock, soft as velvet as he ran his hand along it. The hair at the base of it was unkept, unlike Devynn’s which was only just beginning to grow back, but Devynn didn’t mind it. Scythe was rugged, not tidy but not unclean, and that was somewhat arousing if he were being honest. He loved the way that the differences between them stood out, highlighting the way he was smaller and prettier than Scythe. It made him feel adorable, small, cute , precious.

“Fuck, fuck, “ Devynn choked breathlessly, his eyes rolling back as he felt his orgasm wrapping around him from the speed of Scythe’s hand moving on his cock. He was getting closer, he could feel Scythe’s pulse in his cock, too, and knew that meant he had to be getting close himself. Determined to bring him off with him, Devynn cautiously squeezed the palm of his hand around Scythe’s cock as he stroked upward toward the head. Scythe grunted, the sound just loud enough to cause the footsteps of the monster outside to cease as it caught the noise. Devynn couldn’t be fucked to think about that, though, because Scythe leaned forward to bite down into his neck to stifle himself as his hips pressed forward.

Scythe’s hand was jerking him off without any level of precision or thought, he had no idea what he was doing, but it felt so good that Devynn had no complaints. He didn’t really care how Scythe touched him as long as he touched him. He wanted Scythe’s hands to touch him everywhere , wanted to feel his hands on his skin so much that he never forgot what it felt like to be his .

Scythe’s hips pressed forward into Devynn’s hand and he bit down harder into his neck as cum shot up from the head of Scythe’s cock and pained Devynn’s wrist and forearm. Devynn whimpered as he felt the blunt edges of Scythe’s teeth bite down into his neck, undoubtedly breaking skin but Devynn’s orgasm decided now was the moment to surge forth and toss him straight into the abyss. Devynn could barely hold himself back from crying out from relief, his orgasm making everything in his body tense and release with a wave of pleasure that made him feel unsteady.

If it weren’t for Scythe’s body holding him up against the wall, he would’ve collapsed. His legs felt shaky and like jelly, but all he could focus on for the moment was Scythe’s breathing against his skin and the stinging bite that Scythe had yet to release. He had no idea how long they’d have to wait, but at this moment… he didn’t care about that either.

The monster could hunt for them all night long and he wouldn’t care less as long as Scythe stayed pressed right up against him like this.

ᨒᨔ෴⦁ᨖ⦁෴ᨔᨒ

⦁⚞【⎗ 𝙱𝚊𝚌𝚔】【𝙽𝚎𝚡𝚝⎘】⚟⦁

【🖫】【🖬】【🗐】

⊶»﴾ 𝟷𝟶. 𝙷𝚞𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚍 ﴿«⊷

・⥋【𝐃 𝐄 𝐕 𝐘 𝐍 𝐍】⥋・

・ ⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟸𝟸 】【 𝟸𝟷:𝟶𝟶:𝟸𝟻:𝟹𝟸 】⥋

Devynn woke up from his slumber somewhat confused and disoriented, not too certain how he’d ended up lying down on the ground with his head in Scythe’s lap. He’d been fighting sleep while the monster searched for them earlier, and at some point, he must’ve given out entirely because he didn’t know what happened next. To his relief, it was mostly silent, only the sound of the Ngkǎntmúngx wings fluttering from where it was lying atop Devynn’s bag. The monster seemed to have given up because there were no footsteps, nothing was making the ground shake anymore. Devynn couldn’t help but be relieved.

They’d been still and quiet for so long that Devynn had been antsy before going to sleep. He wasn’t used to being still and quiet, he was improving some, but today had been a test and he’d barely scraped by with a passing grade. Barely. Unable to help himself, Devynn rolled over and stretched, not even thinking to move from Scythe’s lap first.

“Dvyuh-Dyá?” Scythe questioned, his voice deepened with sleep. “Everything okay?” Devynn nodded his head as he pushed himself up off of Scythe’s lap, letting out a yawn.

“I-I’m just not fully a-awake yet, s-sorry,” Devynn responded, reaching up to wipe at his eyes, trying somewhat desperately to clear the sleep from his brain long enough for him to wake himself up. He had no idea what time it was, but there was one thing for sure: Neither of them had eaten anything today, and he needed to fix that.

Scythe shrugged, glancing around then scrutinously, looking relieved, much less visibly exhausted. Even his voice sounded less sharp, more soft, and at ease. He’d seemed so prickly the last few days, but now he seemed different. More relaxed, more approachable. Unable to help himself, Devynn shifted closer to Scythe, resting his head on Scythe’s shoulder so as not to disturb him. Scythe glanced down at him, a smile pulling up the corners of his lips.

“Are you okay?” Scythe asked, pausing for a moment before he awkwardly moved his arm to curl around Devynn’s lower back. Devynn nodded his head, shifting closer to him, pressing his side against Scythe’s before curling up and resting on him.

“Y-Yes, Aksyě-Dhà, I’m okay,” Devynn promised, and honestly, he thought he might mean it this time. Sure he’d meant it before, but he meant this in a different way from even that. He meant… well, he meant that for once, he wasn’t thinking about missing home. He wasn’t thinking about the comforts he was missing out on, or anything that he usually would’ve cared about. Music, video games, television shows, movies, comics he’d been following for ages—he had so many things he could miss.

But, he… he didn’t. Well, not entirely. To some degree, living this way was exhausting and he couldn’t discount that in any way, but in this moment, somehow, it felt kind of worth it. Sure, it was hard, stressful, strenuous, and exhausting… but with Scythe there it didn’t feel entirely unenjoyable.

“Chyyà,” Scythe murmured, making Devynn giggle and nod his head. Things were good, he could concede to that. At least for the moment. “We’ll need to move today, set up camp somewhere else. That thing knows our scent now, so there is a high chance it might try tracking us.” Scythe said, bringing one of his legs up to rest his elbow on his knee.

“O-Okay,” Devynn agreed, because what else could he do? That monster could kill both of them and eat them like their bones were pop rocks from the size of it alone. Devynn hadn’t gotten a great look at it, though. He was unsure what they were even facing which made it even more terrifying. “W-What is it? T-The thing that was h-here,” Devynn inquired as he stood up, brushing off his ass and cringing a little when he felt the cum dried on his hand and forearm.

He’d wiped his hand on his shirt, but he could tell that he hadn’t washed his hands since.

“That was a Mdaril,” Scythe explained, “No cool name or anything, just beast because that’s all I know about it. They’re massive so my weapons are useless. To meet one is to meet certain death, hence why I want us to move… I can’t protect you if I don’t have a shot in the dark.” Devynn nodded, giggling.

“Mdaril…” Devynn murmured under his breath, working on the pronunciation as he began to pack up his stuff and put it into his bag. He would have to feed Happy when they got wherever they were going because he would rather the little guy be a little hungry than Mdaril food. He was so tiny and cute, he’d barely be a grape to that giant monstrosity.

“Do you need food before we go, or will you be alright?” Devynn shook his head. He didn’t need food right now, not bad enough for them to hang around and possibly invite that monster back to their camp. He wasn’t ready for a face-off of that magnitude, so he’d rather avoid it if possible. “Okay, then let’s get on the move… the sooner the better.” Devynn nodded his head, a smile pulling up the corners of his lips.

It had to be the middle of the night, walking in pitch blackness wouldn’t be easy given he didn’t know the terrain but he had Scythe to watch out for him and lead him. Scythe would make sure he was fine… he was sure of that if nothing else.

・ ⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟸𝟸 】【 𝟸𝟷:𝟷𝟷:𝟺𝟽:𝟷𝟺 】⥋ ・

As soon as they reached the next campsite and had it set up, Devynn began foraging. He was starving, and he knew Scythe had to be feeling similarly famished. Happy had been snacking off and on all afternoon on fruits that they passed by on the path they were walking on, and now he was just flying around behind him. Occasionally he’d fly in a double loop around him, starting either higher and going lower or vice versa—it was somewhat enjoyable. He’d make clicking noises whenever they came across fruits that they could eat which was helpful beyond belief.

Everything here looked unappealing to eat, and it didn’t follow the same laws of nature as the ones he’d grown up with. Some of the uglier foods tasted better than the more appetizing-looking ones. Devynn hummed under his breath as he caught the sound of footsteps beside him and turned his head, his heart stalling as he realized that he could no longer see the campsite.

How’d he get this far away? He was so sure… the sound of leaves crinkling caught his attention, and Devynn let out a squeak, looking around nervously as he looked for the camp behind him again, concerned, confused. He didn’t understand. He was certain that he’d been just on the edge of the woods. Had he been walking deeper in when he’d been intending to follow the edge? But that didn’t make sense… He was so sure…

“T-Tsǎkvì…?” A small voice called, a girl, and Devynn glanced around, his heart stalling a little as he tip-toed forward, being careful to avoid making any noise as he peeked around through the bushes and trees around. He didn’t know what he was expecting to find, but it certainly wasn’t what he found.

There was a parting in the woods that looked strange where it was, somewhat uncanny as if it was manufactured rather than naturally occurring. It looked too perfect, not a single tree out of place in the line, and the branches overhead were perfectly wrapping around each other, forming a perfect canopy that barely let any light through at all. Nervous, Devynn glanced back to look one last time to see if he was in sight of the camp. He didn’t want to go forward, but he had the strangest urge that he needed to. He couldn’t describe it.

It was like something was calling him there other than the sound of the little girl. That thought alone made him hesitate, this felt remarkably similar to how the flower in The Little Shop of Horror hunted if he wasn’t mistaken… Devynn steeled his will and turned around, resigned to leaving the kid behind since she hadn’t spoken while he was standing there debating. If she was caught by something, then there was nothing Devynn could do anyway, right?

“Tsǎkvì?” The voice called again, louder this time, somewhat echoing through the canopy in a weird way that Devynn didn’t know how to process. Devynn frowned, looking back toward the entrance, torn. He didn’t know what to do. Scythe would certainly tell him that this was none of his business, but wasn’t it? If it was a kid… Well, he couldn’t leave her, right? She was more defenseless than him!

Damn his mother for raising him to have morals! Devynn squared his shoulders and raised his head, pushing the bushes apart. They parted as if he’d just pushed vines apart, which was weird but what about this wasn’t? Devynn stepped through them, wincing a little as he immediately stepped on a twig. The sound of it breaking made him pause, his head slowly glancing from side to side as he tried to determine if anything was hunting him. It didn’t seem like it, though Devynn wasn’t exactly a prize-winning survivalist, either.

Unable to figure out whether or not he should be worried, Devynn just continued forward, his head occasionally turning from side to side, and even more sporadically behind him. The pathway seemed so long, it seemed weird that he could even hear the voice on the other end. He was about halfway down the path when he began to consider turning back around, paranoia getting the better of him. He was thinking about this hard and he knew that it was a dumb decision.

Scythe was going to be so mad at him!! He had only just gotten things straightened out with him and now here he was doing something dangerous and stupid right out of the gate! Devynn hesitated for a moment, his urge to turn around strong enough to make him hesitate. He should turn around, that was the smart thing to do. If he turned back now then when he returned to camp, then Scythe wouldn’t be angry at him… at least not as angry as he would be if he got himself killed being stupid. He also had promised Scythe he’d be careful, and this was not exactly that…

He couldn’t understand it, really, but there was something in his body that was just urging him forward. He had a feeling that it was safe and that was crazy and ridiculous and he was aware of that… however , he just couldn’t turn back now. Especially when it could be a child. Devynn let out a heavy whine, his body trudging forward though his mind protested heavily, not sure how to get out of this situation unscathed. If he was to come face to face with a monster, what would he do? He had no weapon other than a small knife that Scythe gave him to assist in cutting fruits with thicker stems… sure it was a knife, but it didn’t seem good enough when thinking about fighting the monsters that this place spawned.

Devynn stopped at the end of the pathway, his head poking out and looking from side to side as he attempted to catch sight of the little girl that he’d heard. If he didn’t see her, that meant one of two things: she was dead already and his wavering had killed her, or he was lured here by something that was trying to eat him. Neither scenario was particularly appealing, he couldn’t lie. All he wanted to do was go find Scythe.

“H-Hello?” Devynn called nervously, stepping out from between the trees and looking around. He wasn’t staying long. He couldn’t afford that kind of time investment. He needed the girl to show herself so they could get the hell back to camp. Assuming he could find it, that is.

Devynn caught a glimpse of a tiny, shadowed figure from behind a tree that looked oddly placed if nothing else though Devynn couldn’t begin to comprehend what was normal for here. He took a cautious step forward, his arm extending out in front of him so his hand was offered to her. He had to show her he wasn’t going to hurt her, right? She probably wouldn’t just walk off with him without anything to show his intent.

“Hi t-there,” Devynn said, keeping his voice low. He wanted to try his best not to attract any monsters to them if he could, which wouldn’t be easy but he’d have to figure out something if one showed up and he didn’t have a game plan. He didn’t even know how to come up with a game plan. “M-My name is Devynn and I-I want to h-help you,” Devynn introduced himself. The little girl stuck her head out from around the tree, wide green eyes staring up at him through unshed tears.

“Tsǎkvì? Zà erj syu á tsǎkvì,” She answered, confusion lacing through her voice. Devynn’s eyes widened a little, and he bit his lip. That complicated things—how was he supposed to get her to come with him if she spoke a language he couldn’t understand?!

“I’m sorry,” Devynn said, shaking his head, “I don’t k-know what you are saying, b-but I will help you! Follow me!” Devynn said, motioning her forward.

“…” She didn’t respond, and it made Devynn want to just grab her arm and pull her because the longer they stood there the more dangerous became for them both. He needed to get her back to the campsite and then he’d figure out what to do from there. But how could he do that without terrifying and or traumatizing her for life? Granted, she was here so being traumatized and terrified wouldn’t be too out of the norm if you asked him…

“P-Please,” Devynn said, motioning toward the pathway that he’d come from. She shook her head, her hand reaching out toward Devynn. Devynn moved closer to her, offering her his hand as if she were a frightened animal that would respond to smelling his scent. He just didn’t know what to do, he needed to get her to Scythe, he’d know what to do. He always knew.

“Gå chywï á tsǎkvì,” She repeated, and Devynn just shook his head, feeling a bit edgy. The longer that they stood here debating things, the more dangerous this whole situation became. Devynn stepped forward more, being cautious as he took her hand into his and pulled lightly while motioning her forward.

“I’ll help you,” Devynn said, doing his best to keep his voice calm and level. Trying to express with action what he couldn’t with words. “Protect you. P-Please, it isn’t safe here,” Devynn pled as if she could understand him. Hoping she could understand him. He didn’t have any other option here, he wouldn’t leave her here when he had a chance to save her. The other girl, Scythe was right about… but this one, he could save. He should save.

“Erj zà ë dzhöns eb̮ á tsǎkvì?” Devynn nodded his head, not understanding what she was saying but hoping that she would come with him if he answered positively. He couldn’t quite help her if he didn’t get her back to camp. “Ákù,” She answered, taking a step forward, letting him lead her forward. He pulled her forward toward the pathway he’d come on to find her, looking around carefully, trying to figure out how to get back to the camp.

Devynn paused as he caught sight of something moving in the trees on one side, holding his breath as he leaned over to pick the girl up and carry her. He couldn’t assure a little girl of like five could keep herself entirely silent. Though he did have many questions—how did she get here? Furthermore, how did she survive until he found her? He’d barely survived, and he was found immediately by Scythe. Was she found immediately by him? If so, that’d be some luck, but that seemed… odd.

Devynn paused and glanced around, somewhat convinced this was too good to be true. He didn’t know how this had felt so easy, but he guessed convincing her wasn’t… still, he felt like it should’ve been more difficult than it was.

He kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, for a monster to jump out and get them, or better yet, for the girl to turn into a giant face-eating monster that would try to wear his skin-like clothes or something. That felt a little crazy, maybe, but he wasn’t sure. Everything felt weird about the way he’d come to find her, and he was still unsettled about how he’d been in sight of the camp until he heard the girl. That felt a little weird, right? He wasn’t imagining that? Still, she seemed so harmless…

As Devynn finally reached the other hand of the pathway, he came out of it to find Happy right where he’d left him, though he didn’t have any recollection of leaving him behind. Had they gotten separated? It seemed odd that he’d sit around waiting on Devynn, but he wasn’t going to complain as he liked his pet. As soon as Happy caught sight of him, he started to fly around, making a high-pitched clicking noise as he dove forward and flew in a loop-de-loop around him.

“Happy, I’m okay, I-I’m okay, promise!” Devynn said, giggling as he let his eyes follow the dancing Ngkǎntmúngx as it flew around him. The little girl in his arms giggled and clapped, her hands reaching out as if she wanted to touch it. Just as she did, Scythe burst through the trees, an unreadable expression on his handsome face.

“Dvyuh-Dyá! Dhèysh Ôtké!” Scythe said, relief washing over his expression before his eyes fell to the child in his arms. “Who is this?”

“A little girl I f-found in the woods…” Devynn explained shyly, motioning toward her. “She was a-all alone, I… c-couldn’t leave her there. She d-doesn’t speak English, though, I don’t t-think which made this hard.” Devynn continued. Part of him expected Scythe to blow off of the handle, to be angry at him. But, instead of freaking out, Scythe just glanced down at the child.

“What language does she speak?” Devynn shrugged.

“I t-thought maybe you’d know how to figure that out,” Devynn admitted.

“What did she say to you?” Scythe asked. Devynn shrugged again. It all sounded like gibberish to him, so he didn’t know. He couldn’t recall exactly how she had pronounced everything, either, and he was pretty sure he’d be embarrassing himself if he tried to mimic her without her saying it right before he spoke. “Hello, Child,” Scythe said, reaching out to ruffle her hair. “Speak.”

“Àkvër?” She said, her voice raising with upward inflection. Questioning something, though Devynn didn’t have the slightest idea what she’d be questioning.

“Dye̊ èltø, fkølsá lyæ… Àkvër bnû zhawṇ nòja?” Scythe answered her, and she looked up at him through sparkling green eyes.

“Röfyenlyi,” The little girl answered, and Scythe nodded his head, smiling in a rather uncharacteristically bright way. Devynn couldn’t help but blink a couple of times in confusion.

“Nwá, jï bnû ëtsh ûn ölnu zà, Röfyenlyi-Dyá,” Scythe said, reaching his hand out for her to take it. “Gå ǐb̥ Aksyě, b̮ûz gøskt bnû á dzhöns Dvyuh-Dyá,” Scythe motioned to him. She looked up at Devynn through tangled bangs, her face covered in dirt. She needed a bath, really bad, and her hair brushed, too. Probably some food, she looked way too thin… “Why don’t you go cook while I talk to Röfyenlyi-Dyá, I’ll tell you about it when we’re done, okay?” Scythe asked, and Devynn nodded his head.

“Is there a river, lake, stream, or pond around here? With safe water? She needs a bath, she’s covered in dirt and I need to work with her hair…” Devynn worried, and Scythe nodded his head, glancing at her as he reached his hands out toward her.

“Brï rësï, Röfyenlyi-Dyá,” Scythe said, and she leaned forward, wrapping her arms around Scythe’s neck without hesitation. “Let’s get back to camp. We’ll figure out what we’re going to do once we have figured out what is going on, okay?” Devynn nodded and smiled, fighting the urge to reach out and wrap his hand around Scythe’s. It was so rare to see him behave so… warmly to someone.

Still, he wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. He’d take what he could get, given he’d been pretty sure that Scythe was going to be angry at him. Devynn followed behind Scythe, sticking close to him so that he didn’t get lost, somewhat confused. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but it felt a little like he’d no-clipped from reality or something. Even so, he had responsibilities to take care of so he had to put this thought on the back burner.

He needed to cook more food this time, which would take more time and thought than usual… but he felt somewhat emboldened by saving her, even if he hadn’t done much. She’d not been in active danger, a mystery and a blessing all at one time. He’d been right about Scythe being able to know what to do, he was glad she’d spoken Zhézviwian because he didn’t know what they would’ve done otherwise. Not being able to communicate with her would’ve been difficult in more ways than one.

It didn’t take too long to reach the camp, but Devynn had managed to wander quite a distance away without even realizing it. He couldn’t help but feel a little silly even if he’d done a good thing. He was still confounded over how he’d managed it, but even as the thought plagued the back of his mind, Devynn set out to cook for everyone, wanting to get them all fed before it got dark.

・ ⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟸𝟸 】【 𝟸𝟷:𝟏𝟒:𝟑𝟓:𝟓𝟑 】⥋ ・

Scythe and Röfyenlyi talked the entire time that Devynn cooked, and while they were eating. Scythe was keeping his expression in an odd combination of happy and stoic—Devynn wasn’t certain how to even describe it. While his face was a warm smile, there was a glimmer of dread in his eyes. He didn’t see how Scythe could hold such contradictory expressions, though Röfyenlyi only seemed to recognize the happiness which probably was good. He couldn’t understand what they were saying, but he was getting unsettling feelings from the look on his face.

Devynn had since taken to leaning against a free on the edge of their campsite, his eyes roaming over the pair of them as they sat by the fire talking. She was amiable and smiling, though her hair was matted and greasy, dirt clinging onto her skin. Even her clothes were dirty and needed to be washed. She seemed not to notice or care either way, though it bothered him immensely. He couldn’t help but feel itchy just by looking at her.

He and Scythe could also use baths as well, but that was something he’d prefer to do when the little girl wasn’t around if he were being honest. He wanted things from Scythe that he hadn’t gotten the past two times they’d fooled around and Devynn was getting about ready to jump on Scythe’s cock the moment that they were alone together without young eyes. He let out a hum, his eyes roaming over to where Happy was curled up on Devynn’s over-the-shoulder bag.

He caught sight of Scythe moving in his peripheral vision and turned his head, taking in the sight of Scythe standing and ruffling the girl’s hair before heading over to Devynn and leaving her sitting by the fire. Scythe stepped in front of him and let out a heavy sigh, finally letting his smile fall from his face.

“W-What’s wrong?” Devynn asked him anxiously, prompting Scythe to glance back over his shoulder before looking back at him.

“She got separated from her sister, she says,” Scythe explained to him, “How she managed to survive up until this point I don’t know, she said nothing had bothered her… I don’t know how that could be possible.” Devynn nodded, biting his lip. He knew that seemed a bit far-fetched, but maybe the monsters had some sort of a conscious? It seemed unlikely, but… maybe? Devynn didn’t know. “She wants to find her.”

“Do y-you think that she is still…” Devynn trailed off, not really wanting to say alive, but… well, it was a necessary question.

“Probably not,” Scythe answered simply, “I told her that we had a travel plan and would take her with us on it, and look for her while we go but I don’t have high hopes of them reuniting.” He glanced over at the little girl and then back to Devynn. “She isn’t scared, though, oddly enough.”

“Well, th-that’s good at least,” Devynn answered. “Is s-she going to slow us down?” Scythe nodded his head.

“A lot, she’s smaller so she will be able to cover half of the ground we can on her own,” Scythe explained. “We’ll have to take turns carrying her when she gets tired because we can’t let it slow us down or we’ll get eaten.” Devynn nodded. “I assume you knew that already, though.” Devynn had assumed as much, he knew that it’d be rough to have someone so young with them but he also knew they had to protect her. He wouldn’t let her get hurt, he’d do what he had to to protect her until they could find her sister. If her sister wasn’t out there… then he’d continue to do so until he died just as Scythe had vowed to do for him.

“We’ll f-figure it out t-together,” Devynn said, and Scythe nodded his head. “Y-You said there was a clean body o-of water around here?” Scythe nodded his head. “We should t-take her to bathe, I’ll let h-her wear my shirt until her clothes d-dry.” Scythe nodded.

“I can wash them if you make sure she gets clean.” Scythe offered.

“I-I think I can do both,” Devynn said, “But you might be n-necessary because I can’t talk to her.” Scythe nodded his head.

“I can help translate…” Scythe trailed off with a cocky smirk, his eyebrow quirking upwards, “And you’re learning how to speak Zhézviw anyway, so this is just extra motivation,” He teased, making Devynn giggle and nod his head.

“True…” Devynn agreed. “H-How do I say ‘Can you bathe yourself?’ in Zh-Zhézviw?” Devynn asked, and Scythe let out an amused hum.

“M̈er zà mbêrj zhànestgů,” Scythe said, and Devynn frowned, blinking a couple of times as he tried to comprehend the words being said to him and how to replicate them. He was somewhat confused, honestly, but he was going to attempt.

“M̈herzà mbêry zhànestgew?” Devynn attempted, and Scythe outright laughed. “H-Hey!!” Devynn protested playfully, frowning as he looked up at him.

“I’ll do the talking for now, we don’t have long for you to practice right this moment… However, you were close.” Scythe said, reaching out to ruffle Devynn’s hair. “Let’s get on the way, then. We’ll need to be back well before sundown just make sure that we don’t lose her in the woods.” Devynn nodded his head, biting his lip as he glanced over at her.

“Let’s be quick, t-then,” Devynn answered, prompting Scythe to let his hand fall to Devynn’s lower back as he whistled, leading Devynn over toward Röfyenlyi as she raised her head. Scythe immediately began rattling off words in Zhézviw to her that Devynn didn’t understand as Devynn stood by passively, enjoying the way Scythe’s accent showed through with him speaking his native tongue. It was arousing, to say the least, and even a bit distracting, but he was enjoying it enough not to want to complain about it.

・⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟸𝟹 】【 𝟸𝟸:𝟶𝟿:𝟸𝟼:𝟷𝟹 】⥋・

Devynn woke up before everyone else had and began preparing breakfast. He’d been wearing Scythe’s shirt and he’d given it to Röfyenlyi when they bathed her the night before so he was shirtless and chilly. But by the time breakfast was done, her clothing was dry so he gave it to her and had her change before they began to pack up and get ready to move on to the next location. It was sooner than he’d been expecting but at the same time, he could understand why.

Röfyenlyi was a young enough child, keeping her quiet wasn’t easy and she was active and playing all the time. She wasn’t afraid of monsters seeing her, eating her, them—she didn’t understand the danger she was in and Devynn was too soft-hearted to ruin her illusion of safety at the moment. He knew he’d have to eventually, but… he felt so bad for her. For her to end up here… he didn’t understand. He didn’t understand how any of them ended up there, but she was so young…

Too young for this, for the life that they would have to live. He felt bad for her and wished that he could send her and her sister back to where they came from—same for him and Scythe as well. He just wanted them all to go home, preferably him and Scythe keeping in contact… he was selfish enough to want to have both.

If he’d met Scythe anywhere else he might’ve could’ve ignored him, but he was… oddly captivated by the aura that surrounded him. The confidence, the assurance, the assertiveness—oh, everything about him was somewhat different from people that he’d known before. He loved the way Scythe just knew what to do and how to protect him, it made him feel very… aroused. He loved feeling protected, so Scythe treating him the way he did made Devynn feel all kinds of things that he wasn’t sure he was allowed to feel. He still did, though, and that made things complicated.

Röfyenlyi only further complicated things, but in a different way. At this point, Devynn was beginning to think he had a housewife kink. He’d never really considered it before, truthfully, but now… well, he wasn’t sure.

“Aksyě-Dhà,” Devynn asked quietly, leaning down by him to help him put the leftover meat in his backpack, “When are w-we going somewhere where th-there is water?” Devynn asked curiously, and Scythe looked down at him from the corner of his eyes as he watched Devynn.

“Tonight,” Scythe muttered. “The route from here to the mountains follows a series of rivers, lakes, hot springs, and streams…” Devynn nodded, looking up at Scythe through his lashes. “Why?” Devynn couldn’t help but giggle at the completely unsuspecting expression on Scythe’s face. He couldn’t help himself, honestly…

“Well, w-we never went all the way the o-other day,” Devynn reminded him quietly, leaning forward to whisper into his ear, “I-I want you inside me,” He couldn’t see Scythe’s immediate reaction, however, his swift inhale had Devynn feeling somewhat exhilarated. Scythe’s eyes darkened as they roamed down his body, lingering on his thighs and hips, arousal glimmering in his eyes.

“What about Röfyenlyi-Dyá?” Scythe asked, and Devynn smirked and giggled.

“We camp near a b-body of water,” Devynn murmured, “Do it in the water, s-so our bodies are covered… and keep q-quiet,” Scythe nodded, looking up to check on Röfyenlyi-Dyá. “Do you want to?” Scythe nodded his head, his eyes moving back down to Devynn, heat simmering in his eyes.

“Always,” Scythe answered, sounding a little breathless. He didn’t look embarrassed, uncomfortable with his admission maybe, but not embarrassed of it. “Anyway, we should probably head out, because if we don’t we won’t make it in time.” Devynn nodded his head, attempting to fight back the blush that tried to spread down his cheeks. The idea of Scythe wanting him all the time was a little too intoxicating for him to entirely clear his head.

ᨒᨔ෴⦁ᨖ⦁෴ᨔᨒ

⦁⚞【⎗ 𝙱𝚊𝚌𝚔】【𝙽𝚎𝚡𝚝⎘】⚟⦁

【🖫】【🖬】【🗐】

⊶»﴾ 𝟷𝟷. 𝚆𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 ﴿«⊷

・⥋【𝐒 𝐂 𝐘 𝐓 𝐇 𝐄】⥋・

・⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟸𝟹 】【 𝟸𝟸:𝟸𝟷:𝟹𝟺:𝟻𝟽 】⥋・

It was just hitting dusk when they finished setting up the campsite, this time in Dzhdǒk. He’d picked this spot intentionally, as the campsite was in earshot of the hot spring and vice versa. He’d be able to keep an ear out for Röfyenlyi-Dyá, and still… do whatever with Dvyuh-Dyá. At the thought, Scythe couldn’t help but glance up and run his eyes over him, his heart stalling in his chest a little as he took in the sight of him.

He was pretty, way too pretty in Scythe’s opinion. He thought girls were supposed to be the pretty ones, the fuck is up with that anyway? He didn’t know what it was that made his heart feel… weird when he was around. Sometimes it’d beat too fast, which was inconvenient, and sometimes it felt as though it were light. His voice, Ôtké, drove him insane, it was so soft and warm. He’d never felt this way about anyone before, and yet… here he was. Admiring Dvyuh-Dyá from a distance, unable to tear his eyes away from him. He just couldn’t make sense of it.

He was beginning to recognize what the feelings he had meant, though, and that was… terrifying on its own. He doubted he was capable of living a life… that was normal in any capacity anymore, after having been here so long. He was one of the lucky ones, though, he survived and that’s more than most people who end up here can say. He was lucky, he came into it expecting to die from the moment his feet hit the soil.

It was so long ago, he couldn’t remember dates or anything—but he’d only been seven. At this point, his parents and siblings were all distant memories that he couldn’t place. He didn’t think that he’d be able to recognize them if they had his face tattooed in gold on their forehead. He had known all along what his fate would be, he had never thought that he’d survive.

He had lied to Dvyuh-Dyá, by saying that he didn’t know where they were or how they got there. He didn’t have a lot of memories, but he remembered one thing: the moment his father told him that his name had been one of the 300 picked to be sacrificed to the goddess of destruction, Kivbawdh. Kivbawdh was powerful, entombed in a realm outside of the space-time continuum, with all of the power of the gods and goddesses combined.

Even with all of the power of the gods and goddesses combined, they aren’t strong enough to hold her in place if she tries to fight back, so instead… they offer up sacrifices, all of the timelines, not just his. Some of them paint it as the people go missing, their families never get closure but the quota is met. Some are drugged and dropped here because it’s assumed they’ll die within minutes of hitting the ground so some convince themselves it is more charitable for them to never even know what happened.

Every timeline is a little different, the more different the farther down the line it is. There are limitless possibilities for each timeline, nothing is the same anywhere, whether it be slight changes like the map being backward to mannerisms and everything in between—even if everything looks the same, it’s not. Dvyuh-Dyá didn’t know anything about this place, which signified to Scythe that he probably wasn’t informed of the existence of this place at all. Whether from malice or negligence either way, whoever hadn’t told him had done him a grave disservice, as it’s impossible to survive if you go into it not knowing you’re going into it.

Scythe felt somewhat lucky that he’d known before coming, it made the transition easier to stomach if nothing else. But, telling Dvyuh-Dyá that he’d been sacrificed by not only his family but the world he lived in as well, was… not an easy task. It weighed on Scythe heavily, part of him wanting to tell him, but the other part being too afraid to.

Dvyuh-Dyá was struggling with the transition, and the knowledge might help him overcome it. Depending on how patriotic he was, he might view the sacrifice as necessary and accept it. On the other hand, he already seemed to be teetering on the edge of giving up. If he knew his parents had sacrificed him, if he knew that his world had essentially discarded him, he might just be pushed over into giving up and that was terrifying for Scythe even though he wasn’t sure why. He didn’t want Dvyuh-Dyá to get hurt, which meant that he had to handle this delicately… but he didn’t know how.

His parents knew from the beginning that Scythe was going to be sacrificed, so his dad didn’t even try with him. His mother had homeschooled him to the best of her abilities, but his father wouldn’t let her enroll him in school. They knew he’d be sacrificed well before adulthood, so there was no reason to waste the money, his father had told her. So maybe he remembered more of life before here than he cared to remember, but that was beside the point. The point was, that Scythe… had limited education and had spent the majority of his life in this place, and from the age of 16 he’d been alone.

The only reason that he survived once he arrived here is that he was awake and had run straight into a man from a different reality, who didn’t speak his language at all. The man, around 30, had looked down at him with an expression that he could still so vividly picture to this day. Sadness, anger, and something else that he still didn’t know how to put into words. He’d taken him in, taught him to speak his language, and how to survive the same way that he had.

The man had spent his time before Scythe charting the entire area and had books in his few safe-houses around the area with all of the information in it that Scythe needed to survive. Though he hadn’t lived long enough to teach him to read, as everything else was a lot more important. They had to travel constantly to avoid the monsters that’d migrate just behind them, and just ahead of them. They had to set up camps, hunt, and gather materials to start building other safe houses. Sitting and reading wasn’t something they had much time for, and the man only wrote while Scythe was asleep so that he could never take his eyes off of him while he was awake and moving.

His emotional development was stunted because he never interacted with other people his age, and once he got here, there wasn’t time for warm and fuzzy emotions. He never would’ve survived without Tomás-Dzhø, and while Tomás-Dzhø had been taking care of him, he’d looked at him somewhat like a father. The father he’d never had before.

That was taken from him when he was old enough to survive on his own, but only just. Barely. Tomás-Dzhø got injured on a hunt, and then Scythe got sloppy because he was distracted by watching Tomás-Dzhø instead of the trail. He’d walked right into a monster’s nest, just barely, but he’d been in it enough to alert the mother and Tomás-Dzhø threw Scythe out of the way and got eaten right in front of him.

The limited experience he had with people since he was eight was Tomás-Dzhø, and that is no help with his interactions with Dvyuh-Dyá. Tomás-Dzhø had told him he looked at him as his son, he’d never done the kind of things that Dvyuh-Dyá wanted to do with him. Dvyuh-Dyá was closer to his age, probably only a couple of years younger though Scythe had no idea what year it was. He’d been here so long without a calendar that he just didn’t know… and he did enjoy doing what Dvyuh-Dyá wanted to do. He just wasn’t sure what it was that he was feeling.

Ever since they’d met he’d felt jittery and discontent, his eyes lingering on him longer than he wanted them to, his body responding in ways he wasn’t used to. Sure he’d gotten hard before, but it was always when he was just waking up. He’d never thought about touching himself, he’d always been so busy with everything else that he had never considered it. It’d gotten worse while he was cuddling with him, waking up with his cock pressed against Dvyuh-Dyá’s ass…

He hadn’t known then what to make of the feelings coursing through him, all he knew was that it made him jittery and antsy. He felt like he had to move to get some of the exuberance out of him that he didn’t understand. He’d taken to hunting when he felt that way, not sure what else to do with the… energy buzzing within his veins. The more he was around Dvyuh-Dyá, the more unfocused he got, and the more his eyes tried to follow his movements.

Scythe couldn’t help glancing up to see Dvyuh-Dyá and Röfyenlyi-Dyá from the other side of the fire. They were talking, though he doubted they were getting anywhere given that they didn’t speak the same language, which Scythe couldn’t lie, he found amusing. Still, Dvyuh-Dyá was… gorgeous with the flames light dancing across his face, flickering in the light blue depths of his sparkly eyes. His tanned skin looked beautiful as the orange and red hues danced across it, shadows cast in the direction away from the flame, but it only seemed to highlight his beauty, not take away from it.

Dvyuh-Dyá looked up as if he could sense his gaze on him, and Scythe was quick to look away and busy himself with looking at a rock on the ground, an attempt not to get caught staring so blatantly. Unable to help himself, after a moment, he let his eyes flick back over to the pair, and Dvyuh-Dyá met his eyes with a smile that made Scythe’s heart race in his chest.

He… didn’t know what he was doing anymore… but he also didn’t mind that as long as Dvyuh-Dyá was involved in it.

In an attempt to keep from staring so blatantly at Dvyuh-Dyá, Scythe turned his attention to the empty abyss of the sky, trying to recall what the sky should look like. Would look like, if he were home. If he were honest, he didn’t remember much about home unless it was the memories he clung to in an attempt to cling to sanity while he was alone. He thought of his mother often, she had been one of his best friends before coming here. He could remember the stories she’d tell him to put him to sleep at night but when it came to things like the sky, he couldn’t think of it. It didn’t come to mind.

He couldn’t remember the taste of food before he came here, he didn’t remember the sky during day or night, or even… feeling safe when he went to sleep. All he had for memories were faded childhood memories of his mother.

For so long he’d felt so alone, it’d been years since he’d run into other survivors. He knew there were a few, but the area was so vast and they were so few and far between that they rarely crossed paths. He had heard stories from Tomás-Dzhø about a camp of them that camped in the center of the realm somewhere but he’d made that dreaded trek before and he’d seen no sign of them. He thought that it was merely a survivor’s wish—a place to find community and companionship in a hellscape meant to destroy everything that entered.

He’d always suspected it to be a myth, even as a child, but he’d humored Tomás-Dzhø even so. He didn’t know anything for sure anyway, so it didn’t matter. He had assumed it would be a myth, anything that sounded too good to be true probably was… so even if they did exist, had existed, there was no guarantee that it was what it seemed.

“Aksyě-Dhà!” Dvyuh-Dyá called softly, dragging Scythe’s attention away from his thoughts and the sky, and dragging him back down to reality. “Are y-you ready for the… b-bath?” he asked softly. Scythe nodded and stood up, letting his eyes trail over Dvyuh-Dyá for a moment before looking around for Röfyenlyi-Dyá. As if sensing what he was thinking, Dvyuh-Dyá laughed softly. “Sh-She’s asleep… let’s go while we c-can.”

With his worries quelled Scythe turned and led Dvyuh-Dyá toward the hot spring, unable to help himself as Dvyuh-Dyá’s hand wrapped around his wrist. An attempt to stay together, more than likely, but Scythe… wasn’t sure he could go anywhere if he wanted to.

He’d been captivated with Dvyuh-Dyá since he’d first laid eyes on him, and Dvyuh-Dyá’s habitual closeness only made his attention center more. He had gotten quite used to the feeling of Dvyuh-Dyá pressed against him during sleep, and though he loathed to admit it, Dvyuh-Dyá presence was greatly missed when he wasn’t there. When he’d gone foraging and disappeared, Scythe had immediately noticed his absence when he was trying to focus on whittling.

He wasn’t used to being able to focus anymore, not when Dvyuh-Dyá was usually right there and asking him questions or being too attractive to ignore, and it was distracting. Therefore, as soon as Scythe realized that he was actually making progress on the weapon he was whittling, his mind wandered to where Dvyuh-Dyá was and what was taking him so damn long. His worry had only grown when that damn Ngkǎntmúngx clicking noises could be heard from the camp.

It’d been annoying at first, he’d thought Dvyuh-Dyá would shut it up eventually but that never happened. Which only made him more worried, because while the thing making noise a lot was common, it never shutting the hell up meant something was wrong. Especially because the longer that time went on the more distressed the noises it was making sounded. He’d panicked after ten minutes, grabbed his spear, and ran toward the noise.

The Ngkǎntmúngx was there, but Dvyuh-Dyá was not. It terrified him if he were being honest. He’d immediately began searching the area for signs of a struggle, kicking himself for not responding to the bug mutant sooner, blaming himself for whatever potential outcomes Dvyuh-Dyá would face. it’d been so stressful, he’d looked everywhere, for anything if only it meant figuring out what happened. He wouldn’t quit looking until he had an answer, whether it was unsatisfactory or not. He had assumed the worst, truthfully, expecting to never see him again.

“Aksyě-Dhà?” Dvyuh-Dyá’s voice was quiet and contemplative, and Scythe looked up at him and nodded his head. “Y-You’re unusually quiet,” he continued, “I-Is something wrong?” Scythe blinked a couple of times, unable to help himself as he realized that Dvyuh-Dyá could tell when something was on his mind. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that, about the barrier between them falling even more. He wasn’t sure how to handle that level of intimacy, that level of closeness.

He’d never experienced it before and now he wasn’t sure what to do with himself. But that wasn’t Dvyuh-Dyá’s problem, that was his—he needed to learn to deal with emotional intimacy, and he knew that. Complex emotions are a part of the human design, uneducated or not Scythe knew that.

“I’m just thinking,” Scythe answered stoically, “Nothing important.” Scythe was relieved to see an escape from being caught out right away in the form of a hot spring. It wasn’t where he’d intended to take him, but it would be good enough. Better probably, because the water would soothe muscle aches thanks to the temperature. “We’ve arrived,” He motioned towards it, making Dvyuh-Dyá giggle and nod.

He stepped toward it, his hands going to pull at the shirt he was wearing to take it off. Scythe started working on undoing his belt, his mind racing a little as he attempted to keep from letting Dvyuh-Dyá read through him. He wasn’t sure what he was feeling, and he had no idea how to express what he was feeling for Dvyuh-Dyá to understand adequately.

Once Scythe had shed his limited clothing, he glanced up to see if Dvyuh-Dyá was also ready. He’d spaced a little, gotten lost in thought, which was all on him, but he couldn’t help inhaling deeply as he caught sight of Dvyuh-Dyá in front of him.

His hair was getting longer, reaching the bottom of his earlobes now, and bright clear blue eyes illuminated in the darkness so Scythe could see them perfectly. His skin when he’d first arrived was so pale when the sun hit him it could be dicey, but now it was bronzing slightly—just enough to make Scythe’s brain notice it because of the tan lines on his body where his clothes usually rest.

He was looking thinner, too—either he needed to eat more, or he was benefitting from the constant movement they had to keep up a little too much. Scythe couldn’t be sure, but one part of his brain was already trying to figure out how to get him more food to eat, while the other was a little captivated by just staring at him.

“You are st-staring,” Dvyuh-Dyá pointed out, sounding uncomfortable, and Scythe cringed mentally. He was staring, and Dvyuh-Dyá had called him out on it almost immediately. It was frustrating, merely because he was trying to avoid drawing attention to himself. He didn’t want Dvyuh-Dyá to try to talk to him about anything before he knew what he was going to say. And he didn’t know what to say, or what to do for that matter.

Not just with the emotional side of things either—in the moment as well. He wanted to close the distance between them, he’d been thinking about this all day while walking, got their camp erected in just over an hour… He’d been ready for this all day. Now he wasn’t sure what to do with himself, only that he wanted to close the distance between them so bad it was driving him a little bit mad.

“Sorry,” Scythe grumbled, running his eyes over Dvyuh-Dyá, his tongue running along his bottom lip as he took in the sight of his beautiful body. He’d touched it a few times now, he knew what he wanted to do, but starting it felt weird. Dvyuh-Dyá let out a little giggle before stepping forward and reaching up to wrap his arms around Scythe’s neck. It felt like a rather bold move for him, but Scythe was a little bit too preoccupied with the feeling of Dvyuh-Dyá’s smaller body pressing against his.

“Come on,” Dvyuh-Dyá purred, “R-Relax a little, Röfyenlyi is f-fine,” Scythe nodded as if that was what he was worried about in the present moment, his eyes flickering their way down to where the shadows fell and blocked Scythe’s vision slightly.

“This is relaxed,” Scythe said, instead of giving Dvyuh-Dyá room to question his odd behavior. Devynn smirked a little and shook his head, reaching one of his dainty hands out to run along the center of Scythe’s chest. Scythe couldn’t help how his breath caught in his chest as he watched it flutter and felt the soft movements of his fingertips against his skin.

“This is n-not relaxed, but…” Dvyuh-Dyá tilted his head to the side, his teeth biting down into his bottom lip lightly. “I’ll help with t-that.” Devynn stepped forward more, letting his fingers graze lower, his fingers wrapping around the length of Scythe’s cock as he pressed his body closer.

“Dvyuh-Dyá,” Scythe grumbled under his breath, uncertain what he was going to follow up with. His brain was moving a hundred miles a minute, wanting to do so many different things all at one time. He wanted to tell Dvyuh-Dyá how pretty he looked under the moonlight, wanted to push his cock into his hand, wanted to push him down and—

“Aksyě-Dhà,” Dvyuh-Dyá murmured, his fingers running along the length of his cock, “I-It’s been a while since we’ve done th-this, it feels like,” Scythe nodded his head, a groan falling from between his lips as his eyes watched Dvyuh-Dyá’s hand. It was smaller than his, softer , too, the way it felt for him to touch his cock was so different from when Scythe touched it himself. It actually felt good, it wasn’t rough, or scratchy.

“Yeah,” Scythe answered, but he was pretty sure it really hadn’t. It just felt like it. He wanted to break the tension somehow, but he didn’t know what to say. “Shit,” Scythe cursed under his breath as Dvyuh-Dyá’s thumb lightly ran along the head of his cock. “Wait,” Scythe said after he caught his breath, “I want to touch you,” He stated, feeling somewhat ridiculous. He wasn’t sure how he was even supposed to touch him right now, he had no idea what the fuck he was thinking.

“O-Okay…” Dvyuh-Dyá agreed, turning his light blue eyes up to meet Scythe’s. He was so pretty, even in the dark, and covered in specks of ash and dirt. He was the exact opposite of Scythe, he just looked small in comparison. He knew that he wasn’t, really, he’d encountered other people along the way out here that told him Dvyuh-Dyá was about normal, but that wasn’t enough here. It terrified Scythe, he looked so breakable, delicate.

He was delicate in more ways than one, physically was just one way… emotionally too. Scythe had no idea how to handle him, how to speak to him. He was nothing like Scythe, so pure and innocent, unmarred by the circumstances around him. It was up to Scythe to protect him, and that terrified him. One wrong move and one of the monsters could…

Scythe pushed that thought from his mind before it could even enter it, his hands reaching out and grasping Dvyuh-Dyá’s waist, somewhat hesitant. He wasn’t exactly sure how to touch, but he knew… kind of what he wanted to do. Dvyuh-Dyá’s skin beneath his skin felt as soft as it looked, his abdomen lean and defined. Scythe couldn’t fight the urge to drag his hands down, feeling the silky smoothness of his skin beneath his hands.

Dvyuh-Dyá let out a quiet noise, his head tipping back as Scythe’s hands ran over his ass cheeks, cupping them in his hands. Dvyuh-Dyá reached his hands up, lacing them behind Scythe’s head, his body shifting closer, pressing against his chest. Scythe wasn’t done, though, he let his hands trail up along Dvyuh-Dyá’s back, enjoying the shiver that raced through his body in response.

“Aksyě-Dhà,” Dvyuh-Dyá whined, his head leaning forward to rest his forehead on his chest, “You’re t-teasing,” Scythe shook his head, his hands tensing slightly. He wasn’t, not intentionally at least. All he wanted to do was touch and feel his silky soft skin melt beneath his hands.

“I’m not,” Scythe insisted, “I just… have never touched you like this,” He muttered, “You’re so soft…” Dvyuh-Dyá flushed brightly, his teeth biting into his bottom lip. Scythe hesitated slightly, trying to decide his next move. After a moment, his hands roamed again, sliding around Dvyuh-Dyá’s sides once again, his hands beginning to roam upwards, toward his chest. Dvyuh-Dyá shifted back a little to give his hands room to move, his lips parting with a soft noise.

Scythe couldn’t help but worry, he didn’t see a reality existing where he was doing this properly, and furthermore… he knew how his hands felt when he touched himself. He’d been here for so long, using his hands continuously, they were rough and calloused. He didn’t see how his touch could feel good. He wanted Dvyuh-Dyá to feel good, but he didn’t even begin to know where to start. Whenever Dvyuh-Dyá was the one leading, he always touches his cock. He’d touched Dvyuh-Dyá’s the last time they’d done this… that , he should be able to do.

Scythe moved his hand down, wrapping it around the length of Dvyuh-Dyá’s cock, running his hand along it. Dvyuh-Dyá moaned, his hips pressing forward into Scythe’s hand, his cock twitching in Scythe’s hand. He looked so pretty, and sounded even better than that—it made him want more. He wanted to put his cock inside of him, he hadn’t stopped thinking about it since the last time they’d done it. Dvyuh-Dyá had done other stuff, it worked, took the edge off, and felt really good…

But Dvyuh-Dyá wanted more than that this time, right? He’d said earlier that he wanted him inside, too… Scythe felt a little in over his head, but also like he was in too deep to pull out now.

“Dvyuh-Dyá,” Scythe murmured, his hand speeding up as he ran it along the length of Dvyuh-Dyá’s cock. Dvyuh-Dyá let out a moan, his fingers tangling in Scythe’s hair as he let his head fall back. His hair fell down behind his head, his bangs out of the way entirely, letting Scythe really see Dvyuh-Dyá’s face. Looking at it up close like this, he couldn’t help but notice small details he normally didn’t, like the delicate arch of his eyebrows and the length of his eyelashes. His lips, even, looked soft and kissable, plump and inviting.

He’d never had thoughts like these before, he’d never wanted to touch someone like this before. He wanted Dvyuh-Dyá in a way he’d never wanted anyone else. Tomás-Dzhø, the other survivors that Scythe had encountered over the years, none of them had this effect on him. He’d always remained distant from everyone after losing Tomás-Dzhø, though, not wanting to experience the same feeling of hopelessness again.

Dvyuh-Dyá, though… he’d irritated him from the very beginning. He irritated him because he didn’t deserve this life he’d been dammed to, he was too good for this place, too sincere, too kind, too happy . He didn’t deserve to live his life the way he’d have to and there was a part of him that felt like it might be more merciful to have left him to perish early on so he wouldn’t have to feel the things Scythe had felt. Dvyuh-Dyá didn’t deserve this.

“A-Aksyě-Dhà, please,” Dvyuh-Dyá pled, his fingers tugging in Scythe’s hair. Scythe was brought from his thoughts, suddenly realizing he’d been stroking him off slowly the whole time, barely giving him any stimulation at all. It probably does seem like I’m doing it on purpose, he thought to himself, his hand speeding up a little more in response to the plea. “U-Use your fingers,” He pled again, and Scythe couldn’t help drawing his eyebrows together. He was , he was stroking his cock—unless…

“Here?” Scythe asked breathlessly, his other hand sliding back down to Dvyuh-Dyá’s ass. Dvyuh-Dyá nodded, his lips parting as he looked up at Scythe through his lashes, his face twisted into an expression that Scythe didn’t know the name of. His expression was so cute, his cheeks tinted pink, his eyes narrowed slightly, dilated, glazed, and watery, his lips damp with spit and slightly parted. Scythe became aware of his cock throbbing between his legs, his fingers sliding closer to Dvyuh-Dyá’s hole.

“Nnghhh,” Dvyuh-Dyá moaned, his teeth biting down into his bottom lip as Scythe let his fingertips brush the rim of his hole. “I-I… Inside,” he pled, desperately, needily, his fingers pulling rougher at Scythe’s hair.

“Impatient,” Scythe grumbled, not liking being rushed so much. He wanted to take his time and enjoy this, to… actually touch him. He’d kind of done it before, but Dvyuh-Dyá had been directing his every move, to some extent. There was little satisfaction in doing something if Scythe couldn’t do it himself. Dvyuh-Dyá whined in response, but Scythe ignored him, feeling the tight rim of his hole.

“It’s dry,” Scythe said, remembering how difficult it’d been to try to push his fingers in when it was dry before. Saliva is what Dvyuh-Dyá had used before, he knew, so without really thinking about it, he turned his head, brought his fingers up to his mouth, and spit on them. He was quick to return them to Dvyuh-Dyá’s hole, his fingers spreading it around the rim of his hole, curiously trying to press the tip of one inside.

Dvyuh-Dyá made a soft noise as it pressed inside of him, his hole tightening around the tip of Scythe’s finger enough to make him breathless. This shouldn’t surprise him, he’d been inside of him before, his cock…

The memory made his cock throb between his legs, desire coursing through him. He let his finger slip in deeper, trying to be slow and careful. Call it morbid curiosity, insanity, or something out of his own comprehension entirely, but he’d tried sticking a finger in his ass. It wasn’t pleasant. He figured the angle whatever went in mattered a fair bit, but he didn’t have any idea how to gauge that himself. He wanted to make Dvyuh-Dyá feel good, too. He had to figure this out.

Scythe moved his finger around, searching for the little spot he’d found before, his prostate, seeking out the bundle of nerves. Dvyuh-Dyá had responded to that well, last time, so he wanted to focus his attention on that, specifically. Finding it felt a little more trying with this position, somehow, but the moment that he hit it, he knew, because Dvyuh-Dyá jolted like he’d been electrocuted, a moan falling from between his lips.

“A-Aksyě-Dhà,” Dvyuh-Dyá gasped, “I-I want more,” He pled, his voice shaky, eyes darkened with a feral gleam in the depths of them that made Scythe’s blood feel like it was boiling. Dvyuh-Dyá looked—he looked like he was the one about to lose his mind, not Scythe. It was cute, his expression… Scythe liked it.

“More?” Scythe questioned, pressing his finger in deeper, applying more direct pressure against the nub. “Like a second finger? Because I just put the first one in,” Scythe stated, and Dvyuh-Dyá nodded.

“A s-second one…” Dvyuh-Dyá answered, and Scythe quirked up a brow and shook his head. Dvyuh-Dyá let out a whine, his bottom lip poking out a little.

“No,” Scythe stated firmly, wanting to get him into a different position so that he’d have better access, or… something first. This position was somewhat similar to the one he’d had to use to get his finger in his ass, so he wasn’t going to add a second one like this, right after he’d just added one. That seemed stupid.

“Ughhh,” Dvyuh-Dyá groaned, tossing his head back dramatically as Scythe began circling his fingertip around the little nub buried deep within him, not directly touching it. He wanted to make his expression look even more desperate, feral… Well, Scythe wasn’t sure that was the word he was looking for but it was the closest that he had to what he needed. A clear slippery liquid leaked from the tip of his cock, smearing against Scythe’s skin.

“Does it hurt?” Scythe questioned, breathless, his eyes practically glued to Dvyuh-Dyá. His eyes were welled up with tears, though none ran down his cheeks, his face and ears flushed brightly with color. The sight of it alone was enough to make him shiver, desire running through him.

“N-Not enough,” Dvyuh-Dyá whimpered, his voice sounding edgy, “T-Touch it directly.” He was pleading, Scythe could tell, and his inexperience told him to listen. But there was another voice whispering; Don’t , it’s cute like this— he’s cute like this. Scythe was torn between whether or not he wanted to do what Dvyuh-Dyá told him to, because it was assured to please him, or if he wanted to try his luck. “A-Aksyě-Dhà!” Dvyuh-Dyá whined, “Please.”

“Don’t be loud,” Scythe scolded, his head turning from side to side to make sure nothing had heard them. Röfyenlyi-Dyá was the least of their concerns, if a monster found them out here they’d be fucked for sure. Scythe didn’t have a weapon nearby enough.

“S-Sorry,” Dvyuh-Dyá whispered, “It’s jus—Nnnghhhhh!” Dvyuh-Dyá broke off with a moan as Scythe finally moved his fingertip to apply pressure to the spot he wanted it. Dvyuh-Dyá’s reaction was immediate, his body jolting in Scythe’s arms as his head fell back all the way. He trembled and jerked, his mouth hanging open, eyes slammed shut as tears ran down his temples, his cock pulsing out line after line of the clear, slippery stuff.

His hands in Scythe’s hair held on tight like he was afraid he’d fall, sweat beading on his forehead as his eyebrows furrowed. He looked so pretty, so… all that he wanted to do is… Ôtké, he didn’t know. He wanted to touch him more, he wanted to push himself inside of him and fuck him. The word took on a whole new context now for Scythe, one he wasn’t entirely certain he fully understood, but… did, somehow, at the same time.

It didn’t seem to matter if he entirely understood the complexities of the whole thing, regardless, he got the point. Er, he thought he got the point. It felt good, Dvyuh-Dyá had said, and he wasn’t lying. It did feel good. He was sure there was more to it, but he couldn’t be fucked to question it further. He could ask, but doing so felt embarrassing, which Scythe wasn’t used to feeling so he just avoided it.

“Are you okay?” Scythe asked worriedly, his mind managing to clear the fog from his head as Dvyuh-Dyá fell limp in his grasp save for his hands in his hair. Dvyuh-Dyá nodded, panting as his hands tightened their grip slightly.

“Better th-than,” Dvyuh-Dyá answered breathlessly, “I want more.” Scythe shuddered as Dvyuh-Dyá shifted forward, pressing his smaller body against Scythe’s. This position had his cock pressing firmly against Dvyuh-Dyá’s skin, his head flooded with the urge to rub against it almost immediately. Dvyuh-Dyá was so soft, everywhere , smooth, unblemished perfection. Scythe wanted to protect him from everything, wanted to ensure that no matter how the world around them tried to turn him to darkness, he’d remain the same beacon of light.

Almost too bright for comprehension. He was so… bright, like the sun that beat down overhead, lighting the hellscape they called home now. He was everything that Scythe could never afford to have been, too driven by emotion and feeling. He was so hard to shake that it felt impossible, as well, no matter how many times Scythe pushed him away he only came back stronger and more determined. Scythe could barely take his optimism, but even if it grated his nerves to a powder, somehow, he enjoyed it.

“P-Put it in,” Dvyuh-Dyá pled, “I want you d-dammit,” He fussed, whined really, pouting. Scythe couldn’t help laughing, making Dvyuh-Dyá’s face heat up even more.

“I want to look at you when we do it,” Scythe said, Dvyuh-Dyá’s response reminding him that he’d been watching his expression the whole time. He wanted to keep watching it, too, if possible.

“W-What?!” Dvyuh-Dyá cried, letting his hands fall from Scythe’s hair to cover his face, without straightening himself. “W-Why?!” Dvyuh-Dyá cried as he began to fall backward, Scythe moving the arm that was free to catch him before he could.

“Why not?” Scythe asked, raising an eyebrow. He was quick to note that Dvyuh-Dyá’s response hadn’t been one that determined there wasn’t a possible way, just that he seemed reluctant. Dvyuh-Dyá looked up at him through parted fingers, his cheeks visibly heating up more.

“It’s embarrassing f-for you to just stare a-at me!” Dvyuh-Dyá whispered, “W-Why?”

“Because…” Scythe trailed off, not really certain how to put it, “Your… face. Is nice, I guess, like this…” Dvyuh-Dyá let out an embarrassed squeak, his eyes widening visibly, even with his fingers covering them.

“F-Fine,” Dvyuh-Dyá answered, squirming out of his grasp before sinking down onto the ground in front of the hot spring, lying back, but keeping one of his hands over his face. He brought his legs up, his knees pressing together in front of his body as he looked up at Scythe. “D-Don’t stare at me,” He insisted, his cheeks flushing. Scythe nodded, his breath catching a little in his throat as Dvyuh-Dyá parted his legs, motioning for him to come.

Scythe dropped down to his knees, then crawled between his legs, and got over top of him. Dvyuh-Dyá looked up at him through his lashes, his eyes darkened and pupils dilated. His lower abdomen was shiny, drops of the clear liquid falling from Scythe’s abdomen to land on Dvyuh-Dyá’s as well, pooling there.

“What’s… this?” Scythe questioned, curiosity getting the better of him as he looked down at Dvyuh-Dyá, one of his hands moving, fingers running through it. It was even more slippery than Scythe had thought.

“C-Cum,” Dvyuh-Dyá answered, “Y-You made m-me cum.” His response sounded breathless and shaky, his words somewhat muffled behind his hand.

“Cum,” Scythe murmured, “It’s slippery.” Dvyuh-Dyá nodded.

“U-Use it as a lubricant,” Dvyuh-Dyá suggested breathlessly, his eyes hooded as he looked up at him. He looked so cute, shy, and embarrassed. A part of him wanted to soothe him, but another part of him wanted to make his expression twist even more.

“What?” Scythe asked.

“Run y-your fingers th-through it, then wipe i-it on your cock,” Dvyuh-Dyá said, but what Scythe heard was: Run your fingers through it, then use it . Scythe ran his fingers through the little pools where his cum had dripped from Scythe’s chest, delighting in the shudder that wracked his body. Scythe shifted so that he could fit his arm between their bodies, his slick fingers running along the rim of his hole.

“W-Wait, wh-what’re… wahh!” Dvyuh-Dyá cried out as Scythe dipped two of his fingers into him, his back arching as his arm came up curl around Scythe’s neck, clinging onto him desperately. “A-Aren’t you going t-to put your c-cock in?” Dvyuh-Dyá asked, his hand still resting over his face.

“Not yet,” Scythe said decisively. Dvyuh-Dyá whined, an overdramatic one, at that. Scythe ignored it, his fingers beginning to seek out the little nub buried within Dvyuh-Dyá so he could play with it more. Finding it didn’t feel like as much of a challenge, either, maybe the positioning mattered a lot more than Scythe had considered. Maybe he just was getting better at finding it. He didn’t know which was the case but felt certain that one or the other was.

When his fingers made contact again, Dvyuh-Dyá’s entire body convulsed, a cry falling from between his lips as his head shook, hair flying everywhere.

“S-Sensitive,” He gasped out, his hand jerking down from his face to grasp Scythe’s wrist, “G-Gonna make me…” Dvyuh-Dyá broke off with a moan as Scythe’s fingers applied pressure to his prostate, curiously rubbing it in a circular motion. Dvyuh-Dyá shuddered, his mouth agape and eyes wide, letting out a moan in response to the action. Scythe smirked a little, unable to help himself, adrenaline and arousal coursing through him. Having Dvyuh-Dyá like this was exhilarating, all he wanted was more.

His cock was throbbing, painful, but even with the constant aching reminder, all he could focus on was Dvyuh-Dyá’s reactions. He wanted more of them, more of Dvyuh-Dyá. He wanted to be inside of him, the way he had been that one time. He wanted to touch him more. He wanted so many things all at once that he wasn’t sure how to manage it all.

“F-Fuck,” Dvyuh-Dyá squeaked as Scythe let his fingers circle his prostate, his eyes rolling back as he shuddered, his hand squeezing around Scythe’s wrist. “Pl-Please, please, put your c-cock inside me, I-I need…” He broke off with a huff, need written clearly across his face. “Ugh!” He groaned, his hole tightening around Scythe’s fingers as he squirmed around, his cock resting on his lower abdomen, twitching slightly as it leaked down onto his skin into a pool.

“Y-You’re being a-a bully,” Dvyuh-Dyá complained breathlessly, his eyes rolling back as Scythe’s fingers circled the edges of his prostate. “M-More,” He pled, prompting Scythe to use his hand resting on the ground to turn Dvyuh-Dyá’s face, capturing his lips in a kiss. He moaned immediately, his body relaxing in Scythe’s grasp as he melted, his lips moving against Scythe’s desperately.

Scythe swallowed down his moans and whimpers, reveling in the emotions coursing through him. He’d lived his life feeling so massively out of control of everything around him that there was something addictive about this feeling currently, like he was completely in control. Everything felt slower, almost, like it was moving at half-speed, his mind somehow both a pleasure-hazed mess and crystal clear at the same time. He couldn’t quite describe it, the feeling of power and control that usually was only present when he was at the end of a fight for survival.

Really, the whole sensation he got when he was around Dvyuh-Dyá reminded him of fighting. The excitement, adrenaline, the way his heart raced and he felt fidgety and antsy like he had too much energy. Dvyuh-Dyá made it hard to think, and concentrate , all he could focus on was his presence.

Scythe wanted to do more, he wanted to do something else but he didn’t— oh . He remembered it rather suddenly, Dvyuh-Dyá telling him to move his fingers in and out of him the first time. Okay, that he could do. Scythe was quick to start thrusting his fingers into him, delighting in the surprised and caught-out expression on his face. Scythe couldn’t help but revel in the sight of him like this, the sounds he made, and the fact that it was all because of him .

“A-Aksyě-Dhà!!” Dvyuh-Dyá cried, breaking the kiss, his hand releasing Scythe’s wrist, instead going to pull and tug at Scythe’s hair, his legs squeezing around his forearm instead.“G-God, fucking go-gonna… gonna cum,” he sobbed, his back arching and thighs shaking. Scythe didn’t let it slow him down, even as they tried to clamp tighter, his thighs weren’t close enough to his hand to stop its movements.

Scythe’s eyes widened slightly as he watched Dvyuh-Dyá, his facial expression marred, hair a mess, crying and pulling on his hair. It was enough to make Scythe’s fingers stop moving, but Dvyuh-Dyá’s hole clamped down around his fingers, his thighs squeezing even tighter, a whine leaving the back of his throat.

Dvyuh-Dyá’s breathing was labored, tears running down his cheeks, his lips dampened with spit. Scythe felt a little dizzy just from looking at him, his cock aching desperately between his legs. He wanted to push himself inside of Dvyuh-Dyá, to bury himself so deep inside that everything else disappeared, and to embed himself in him and never let go. He had no idea how to do that, but he wanted to.

“Dvyuh-Dyá,” Scythe murmured, “I want to put my cock in.” Dvyuh-Dyá blinked open his eyes, looking somewhat dazed, his head nodding.

“O-Okay,” Dvyuh-Dyá breathed, “Please, h-hurry.” Scythe nodded his head, pulling his fingers out before getting back over the top of him. Dvyuh-Dyá looked up at him through his lashes, his arms curling around Scythe’s neck as he spread his legs to let him between them, his breath catching in his throat as his cock hit Dvyuh-Dyá’s lower abdomen.

Scythe wrapped his hand around the base of his cock, pressing the head of it against the rim of Dvyuh-Dyá’s hole, letting his hips fall forward with a groan as his cock slid inside of him. Scythe gritted his teeth in an attempt to silence himself going further, pleasure and relief flooding through him. Dvyuh-Dyá was so tight and warm, that it made Scythe feel breathless as if he were being suffocated. He wasn’t, he was well aware… but it felt so good, that he didn’t know how to process it.

“P-Please,” Dvyuh-Dyá pled, pulling Scythe closer, and pressing his face into Scythe’s neck. Scythe’s heart stuttered in his chest, unable to help it. Whenever Dvyuh-Dyá did something affectionate like this, Scythe wasn’t sure how to respond to it. He wanted to, though. Was he doing enough ? He hadn’t been lying when he said Dvyuh-Dyá was high maintenance, he wasn’t sure if he was accommodating enough, even if he tried.

Scythe wasn’t entirely sure what Dvyuh-Dyá wanted bad enough to beg for, but he was too lost in the sensation of being inside of him to be able to think about that. He couldn’t think about anything but how fucking good he felt. Fuck , it was so hard to think right now. All he wanted to do was move, to chase the pleasure as Dvyuh-Dyá had put it the first time, to lose himself in it. He was worried though, worried about Dvyuh-Dyá.

“Are you okay?” Scythe managed to grit out, and even to his own ears, he sounded strained. He simultaneously felt like he was in complete control, and slowly losing control at the same time—it was somewhat disconcerting. He wasn’t sure what to make of his own reactions to this, he sure as hell couldn’t read Dvyuh-Dyá’s.

“I’m g-good,” Dvyuh-Dyá whispered into his neck, “M-Move, please .” Scythe nodded, relieved to have the go-ahead to push aside his worry. Holding still was almost painful, honestly, all he wanted was to move.

Scythe immediately began thrusting his hips, pleasure washing over him with each movement, his mind singling in on the feeling of Dvyuh-Dyá’s warmth wrapping around him. It felt so good, so mind-bogglingly good that Scythe hadn’t stopped thinking about this since the first time. Scythe was used to things being uncomfortable, painful even, but this—this was the exact opposite end of the spectrum. He’d never once felt this good in his life, he’d never experienced something only feeling good.

It was incredibly easy for him to get into the rhythm of moving his hips and forget everything else, the pleasure consuming his thoughts and making everything else disappear around them. That probably wasn’t good, merely from a survivalist standpoint, but putting that aside for the moment… it kind of felt relieving.

His every waking moment was stressful, but now, nothing existed except for him and Dvyuh-Dyá. He didn’t feel afraid of a monster coming across them, or of being attacked. At the moment, he felt a little bit— too certain of himself. He wasn’t sure exactly how to describe it, honestly, but he felt so in tune with Dvyuh-Dyá and everything around him, his instincts running high. He felt like even if they were attacked right now, he’d be able to handle it without problem.

Dvyuh-Dyá clung to him harder with every movement of his body, a different breathless cry falling off his lips, his nails biting into Scythe’s skin harshly. Scythe couldn’t help but love the sounds he made, they were so cute, even as he tried to muffle them into Scythe’s skin. He couldn’t be sure it was working, to be honest, it sounded really loud to Scythe.

“F-Feel good?” Dvyuh-Dyá questioned breathlessly, prompting a nod of Scythe’s head.

“Feels amazing,” Scythe sighed in response, his hips speeding up as he chased after the pleasure even more recklessly. “You’re so warm, soft,” He murmured thoughtlessly, his eyes shutting as he focused in on the sensations running through his body. He could feel Dvyuh-Dyá’s hole clenching around the length of his cock, feel his body spasming in his grasp, his breath on his neck, feel the sweat clinging onto his skin—he could feel so much.

“Ak-Aksyě-Dhà,” Dvyuh-Dyá moaned, his teeth scratching at Scythe’s neck, “Sho f-fucking big, f-fuckkk,” He moaned into Scythe’s skin, his teeth biting down again. Scythe let out a groan in response, not sure what to say in response to that. He didn’t really know what he was talking about, honestly, and he didn’t care enough in the minute to ask the questions necessary to figure that out.

He couldn’t think beyond moving his hips, chasing the pleasure without a thought in his head, his body seeming to move on its own. He felt breathless, pulling back away from Dvyuh-Dyá clung to him harder with every movement of his body, a different breathless cry falling off his lips, his nails biting into Scythe’s skin harshly. Scythe couldn’t help but love the sounds he made, they were so cute, even as he tried to muffle them into Scythe’s skin. He couldn’t be sure it was working, to be honest, it sounded really loud to Scythe.

Scythe’s body seemingly moving on its own, off instinct alone. He didn’t begin to know what he was doing, but that didn’t really seem to matter because Dvyuh-Dyá was responding to it anyway. Curious, Scythe pushed himself back from Dvyuh-Dyá’s grasp, looking down at him.

He looked even more beautiful and disheveled than he did before, the sight alone making Scythe feel something. Some strands of his hair were matted to his forehead while others fell back over his head and combined with the rest, his light blue eyes were hooded, darkened, and pupils dilated. Tears trekked down his cheeks, his mouth dampened with spit, lips parted and a little swollen.

Scythe wasn’t exactly sure how to take the gaze he was locked in, either—Dvyuh-Dyá looked so vulnerable and affectionate right now that Scythe felt dizzy. He couldn’t help but wonder how many other people had seen him this way and had been allowed to revel in such open and honest affection. Unlike Scythe, he clearly had experience with this stuff, so it only made sense that he’d have let others touch him this way.

Scythe didn’t know why, but the thought of anyone else seeing Dvyuh-Dyá like this irritated him. Dvyuh-Dyá… was Scythe’s. Scythe’s to hold, touch, and protect, he had made that vow when he kissed him. He doubted Dvyuh-Dyá was aware of the significance, Tomás-Dzhø had been rather stumped by it when he’d explained it to him, but… Scythe’s mother had explained it to him.

In their culture, you only kiss the person you are engaged to or have married, respectively. Scythe had seen his mother and father together before coming here, he knew basically what marriage was. In this situation, he didn’t think all the complexities that had flown above his head as a child really mattered, he got the gist. He was supposed to protect Dvyuh-Dyá, provide for him, take care of him, and ensure he was happy, and in return, Dvyuh-Dyá would stay with him.

At first, he’d been resistant to the idea of teaming up with someone, the fear of losing someone else was terrifying to him. Everyone who promised to stay by his side, whether as family in the case of Tomás-Dzhø or friends in the case of others, had all died. While on a logical level, he knew that wasn’t the individual’s fault, after a while it began to feel like a blatant lie. Not for nothing, but it’s easy to die when you just… give up. Why make such an unsustainable promise in the first place?

Scythe had asked Dvyuh-Dyá not to give up, even if he was on the brink of death. In return, Scythe would do everything within his power to ensure he was happy, healthy, and protected until he breathed his final breath. He would take care of him, and give him everything he possibly could to make up for everything he deserved that he couldn’t have anymore.

“S-Scythe, fhuck,” Dvyuh-Dyá gasped, his voice sounding punched, desperate. Scythe was aware that normally these days, Dvyuh-Dyá wasn’t supposed to call him Scythe, but he figured he probably had other things on his mind at the present moment.

“Do you need something?” Scythe answered, not really sure how he should respond. “Tell me if so, I don’t want to hurt you.” Dvyuh-Dyá looked up at him through eyes so vulnerable and open that it made his heart tug in his chest. He didn’t know what he’d done, but at this present moment, he regretted it… or, felt something for it that made his heart clench in a similar enough way to have him confused. He couldn’t exactly pinpoint the exact cause of any of the emotions he had presently.

“C-Come back,” He pled, “It’s em-embarrassing,” Scythe realized then that he’d been staring at his face the entire time, his eyes roaming down Dvyuh-Dyá’s body, his eyes settling on his cock. Dvyuh-Dyá let out a squeak as he realized where Scythe had adverted his gaze, his hands moving to cover himself. “Th-That’s worse! S-So much worse!” Scythe caught his hands in one of his, shaking his head.

“I like to look at you,” Scythe admitted, his cheeks heating a little as his hips stopped moving, earning him a whine from Dvyuh-Dyá. “You’re… You’re pretty.” Dvyuh-Dyá shuddered a bit as Scythe pressed his wrists to his chest, shaking his head. “You’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen.” Dvyuh-Dyá flushed brightly, his eyelashes fluttering as he let himself fall limp against the ground beneath him.

“F-Fine,” He agreed shyly, “B-But please d-don’t just stare…” Scythe nodded his head, deciding that was an amendable request. He reached his hand down, wrapping his hand around the length of his cock, fighting the urge to wince. Dvyuh-Dyá’s touch felt good because it was soft, but his hands… he felt kind of embarrassed. Still, he didn’t want him to stare so he had to do busy work with his hands, and this was all he had the skill to manage at the moment.

“F-Fuck,” Dvyuh-Dyá gasped, his hips wiggling as he tried to rock himself up into Scythe’s hand or something—it seemed like he’d normally be more coordinated than this, but Scythe couldn’t think about that. “N-Ngh… m-move,” He pled, his voice shaky. Scythe realized then, what he was doing. He was trying to move in two different directions.

Scythe started thrusting his hips again, using the grip on Dvyuh-Dyá’s wrists to gain leverage to move faster and harder. This position made Dvyuh-Dyá’s already vice-tight hole feel even tighter, his muscles tensing as he felt pleasure rush through him once again. He’d been fairly preoccupied before, but now that he was moving again, he felt like he was going to lose his mind.

He wanted, more than anything, to chase his pleasure to the highest point he could. He felt as though he was on the brink of something, and every movement of his hips only drew him in closer. He had come to recognize the feeling, he’d felt it a couple of times now, once when he’d been like this with Dvyuh-Dyá before, once when Dvyuh-Dyá had his cock in his mouth, and once when Dvyuh-Dyá had touched him… it spelled the end of this and Scythe wasn’t ready for that eventuality. He wanted more, wanted to lose himself in Dvyuh-Dyá’s body until the sun rose and they had to begin their trek to the next location.

“F-Fuck I-I’m so close,” Dvyuh-Dyá moaned, his head shaking wildly back and forth. “I-I can’t again, f-fuck, I-I can’t—!” He broke off with a sob as Scythe’s hand twisted as he pulled it up, copying something he’d felt Dvyuh-Dyá do to him before. “Y-You’re so meaaaan,” Dvyuh-Dyá whined, his cock pulsing out a line of cum onto his fingers.

Scythe ran his thumb along the head of his cock, circling the leaking slit at the tip of it, delighting in the jolt and shudder Dvyuh-Dyá gave him in response. Wanting to push him farther, Scythe let his thumb trail along the slit, too inexperienced to do anything too fancy.

“Nghaaaa! S-Scytheeee!” Dvyuh-Dyá cried out, his voice hitting a higher pitch than Scythe had ever heard it as he trembled and shook, his legs reaching up to curl around Scythe’s waist, holding him in place so he could no longer thrust his hips. His hole clenched and tightened around Scythe’s cock, spasming in sync with the spasms of Dvyuh-Dyá’s body, the sensation enough to have Scythe’s head spinning.

Scythe couldn’t help grunting, his hips canting forward once, twice, everything fizzling away from him as he felt Dvyuh-Dyá’s cock pulsing in his hand. Scythe couldn’t think, the sensation of Dvyuh-Dyá’s hole tightening around him was enough to make his body tense. Unable to help himself, he couldn’t help keeping his hips rocking, shuddering as he felt Dvyuh-Dyá’s warm hole grinding along the length of his cock.

Dvyuh-Dyá felt so pliant beneath him, his body lax in his grasp, letting Scythe lead entirely. Noises left his mouth, little pleading whines and whimpers, gasps, moans—a litany of noises that Scythe wished he could tattoo on his eardrums so he could listen to them forever. Scythe’s cock ached, pinpricks rushing through him but he ignored them, relishing in the way Dvyuh-Dyá clenched up and gasped as he fought to arch his back.

“S-Scythe—S-Scythe! NNgnnn… Y-You ca-came already!” Dvyuh-Dyá cried, his eyes rolling back into his head as he trembled. Scythe let out a groan, his head nodding. “You’re not done yet?!” Dvyuh-Dyá exclaimed as if his stutter had suddenly fled in the face of his astonishment. Scythe shook his head.

“Do I have to be?” Scythe asked, curious, stalling his body’s movements. Dvyuh-Dyá bit down on his bottom lip, his body still trembling as he lay beneath him, clearly tossing the question around in his head.

“N-No,” Dvyuh-Dyá whispered, “B-But I’m s-sensitive, I-I’ve cum four ti-times…” Scythe raised his eyebrow, not really following his train of thought. “S-So be gentle th-this time?” He requested, his voice sounding somewhat cute, almost as if he were scolding him. Scythe couldn’t help chuckling, nodding his head as he began moving his hips much more slowly this time.

“Then I’ll be more careful,” Scythe answered breathlessly, not ready for the end of this. He wanted more. More of Dvyuh-Dyá, his touch, his taste, his body… he didn’t think he’d ever get enough of him truthfully, but tonight he’d have to settle for when exhaustion took over.

ᨒᨔ෴⦁ᨖ⦁෴ᨔᨒ

⦁⚞【⎗ 𝙱𝚊𝚌𝚔】【𝙽𝚎𝚡𝚝⎘】⚟⦁

【🖫】【🖬】【🗐】

⊶»﴾ 𝟷𝟸. 𝙳𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚕𝚘𝚙 ﴿«⊷

・⥋【𝐃 𝐄 𝐕 𝐘 𝐍 𝐍】⥋・

・ ⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟸𝟺 】【 𝟸𝟹:𝟶𝟼:𝟺𝟻:𝟷𝟻 】⥋

When Devynn had gone to sleep the night before, the sun was just beginning to come up over the horizon. He had no idea what time it was, but both he and Scythe had passed out lying in front of the hot spring without having actually gotten in. When they woke up, it was fully daylight outside. Devynn was still tired, but Scythe had pulled him to the hot spring, which had admittedly gotten him up.

The warmth of the water was soothing on his aching muscles, and the air around him and Scythe had been comfortable for a few days now. Scythe had been so great the night before, he’d literally fucked him until his brain had ceased function entirely. Scythe had also been gentle with him, after the first time, which had its pros and cons. Devynn really preferred when Scythe was fucking him with nothing but pure instinct, he loved the desperation it incited… he’d cum four times from it. Still, multiple times in a row like that… Devynn too had limits, even if he was a fan of pushing them.

He was really comfortable at the moment, unwilling to part with the warmth of the hot spring. He wished they could stay right there, the moment felt so quaint and domestic he didn’t know what to do with himself.

“Dvyuh-Dyá,” Scythe called, making Devynn glance back over his shoulder, “Do you want me to wash your hair for you? Like you do mine?” He asked. Devynn flushed brightly, nodding his head, unable to help feeling bashful. Scythe was being… strangely… something. He wasn’t sure what’d inspired Scythe to do a one-eighty lately, but he kind of… liked it.

Scythe reached out and grabbed his wrist, tugging him closer and reaching his hands up to run them through Devynn’s hair. Devynn let out a sigh, his head lulling backward as Scythe worked his wet fingers through his hair. Devynn couldn’t help feeling a bit pampered, wanting to revel in the attention and open affection as long as he could before Scythe went back to being Scythe. He wasn’t sure what had inspired him to be so open, but Devynn wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Scythe took his time brushing out his hair with his fingers, copying how Devynn usually did Scythe’s hair. This wasn’t the first thing that he’d done that seemed almost like a perfect copy of something Devynn had done, Devynn realized, his brain flooding with memories from the night before. Scythe had taken control without Devynn having to tell him to do anything . If anything, Devynn had been doing exactly what he wanted—taking whatever Scythe gave him. Still, he couldn’t help but notice that he picked up on things way quicker than anyone Devynn had ever met before.

“You’re a f-fast learner,” Devynn teased. Scythe just made a noise of acknowledgment in response, making Devynn pout a little. “It’s j-just amazing to me, I g-guess,” Devynn explained, “I’ve always b-been a slow learner or r-rather… it’s hard for m-me to learn from tr-traditional ways, and it’s e-even worse if I don’t g-give a shit about what I’m l-learning.” Scythe hummed.

“Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses,” Scythe answered, “You do a lot of things that I could never do. Making food taste, well, edible, for one.” He pointed out. Devynn couldn’t help his eyes widening a little, his heart skipping a beat. Was… was he… trying to comfort him? He hadn’t really been talking badly about himself, he wasn’t upset by what he said in the slightest, it just was what it was.

“You’re right,” Devynn giggled, shifting his weight with a quiet hiss. Scythe had fucked him senseless last night, they might’ve gone a little overboard considering he had to walk all day today.

“You okay?” Scythe asked, his fingers pausing where they were combing through Devynn’s dirt-matted hair. Devynn nodded his head, glancing up over his shoulder to peek at Scythe curiously. He wanted to see what kind of an expression he was making, maybe that’d help him decipher the weird behavior.

“Yeah,” Devynn responded, slightly disappointed to see it didn’t help at all, “W-We just fucked a lot l-last night, so I’m sort of s-sore,” Devynn explained. “It’d be a lot b-better if we had a decent l-lubricant.” He griped, making Scythe hum.

“Slippery stuff?” Scythe questioned, and Devynn nodded.

“Yeah… it’s the s-same viscosity as cum, al-almost,” Devynn explained, “It makes anal a lot easier, ph-physically speaking.” Scythe nodded before tilting his head, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. “D-Do you have an idea?” Devynn asked excitedly, his heart stuttering in his chest. If he did, that meant he could take his dick more frequently and more comfortably! That’d be fucking fantastic, Devynn wanted to be a drooling mess in the dirt like last night every night.

“Well,” Scythe said, pausing for a moment as he hummed, “It’s not like cum, though.” The bluntness of his words, paired with the fact that he hadn’t even known what cum was a few hours ago made Devynn’s cheeks heat up.

“How… i-isn’t it?” Devynn asked curiously.

“Well, it’s thicker,” Scythe said, “but… that isn’t the only difference. It’s used for treatment of external injuries… it kind of numbs them a little. It also speeds up the healing process, according to—” Scythe broke off there, leaving Devynn reeling. Who ? According to who? Devynn wasn’t jealous, he was just curious. Scythe breaking off there just made him want to know more. He wasn’t jealous.

He wanted to inquire deeper, but he knew without even trying that Scythe wouldn’t answer if he didn’t want him to know, and if he wanted him to know, he would’ve just come out with it.

“That a-actually sounds perfect,” Devynn said, biting his bottom lip. “How much d-does it numb though?” Devynn asked. Scythe shrugged.

“It’s… a little?” He said, his hands falling from Devynn’s hair. “Dip your head,” Devynn reached his hand up, plugging his nose before dropping himself beneath the water and raising back up in one smooth motion, feeling the water dripping all down his body. It was so warm, it made the air outside of it feel cool in comparison.

“So not enough f-for me not to be able to t-tell if you hurt me?” Devynn asked, and Scythe nodded. “Then that’d work… wh-where would we get it?” Scythe frowned a bit, his hand reaching up to rest on his chin.

“We’ll have to go a little out of the way no matter which place we go to acquire it,” Scythe said, “But when we head out today, instead of going straight to the next campsite, we’ll head to one of the few places they grow,” Scythe said, making Devynn nod.

“W-Will it put us too far behind sch-schedule?” Scythe shook his head.

“Shouldn’t,” Scythe responded, “Just let me know if you need me to carry you. I’ll carry Röfyenlyi-Dyá until you need me to so she can handle the rest of the walk.” Devynn nodded his head, smiling a bit to himself.

“Sir, yes, sir,” Devynn said playfully, giggling. The joke was clearly lost on Scythe, who didn’t laugh, but Devynn was in high enough spirits that it didn’t matter. “Wh-When do we have to h-head out?”

“Soon, to get Röfyenlyi-Dyá,” Scythe answered, making Devynn nod. “Let me finish your hair first, though,” Scythe grumbled as if Devynn was rushing him when usually it was the other way around. He wasn’t bothered, though, perfectly content to revel in Scythe’s affection and attention as long as he’d provide it to him.

・⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟸𝟺 】【 𝟸𝟹:𝟷𝟸:𝟹𝟶:𝟺𝟽 】⥋・

By the time Scythe slowed to a stop in a tiny nook filled with strange plants Devynn had never seen before, Devynn was exhausted. His body was aching and sore, tired from all of the walking, and he was hungry to top it off so he felt like he was riding the struggle bus harder than usual. He managed to keep up with Scythe, though he could only assume Scythe was slowing himself down to keep from overwhelming him, combined with holding Röfyenlyi which might’ve slowed him down.

“Ṇà erj zhøṇ?” Röfyenlyi questioned, looking up at Scythe as he sat her down on her feet. Scythe hummed in response, putting his hand on her head.

“Zhøṇ erj wéi Dversæjla, Röfyenlyi-Dyá,” Scythe said, ruffling her hair affectionately. Röfyenlyi giggled and reached her hand up, batting at his hand in an attempt to shake it off. Scythe released her easily, and she shook her head, making her wavy brunette hair go in multiple different directions.

“Gå vâk se̊r pénshso Ûn,” She responded in a say-so tone, making Scythe raise his eyebrow and narrow his eyes. “Gå pénshso Ûn frawü,” Scythe shook his head.

“Dyü,” Scythe said firmly, “Zhøṇ dro̊r rànchyyöṇ rësï, psàngdam̌ myä,” Röfyenlyi pouted to herself, crossing her arms over her chest. Devynn couldn’t help watching the pair of them, amused, wishing he could understand them the way they could understand each other. He wished that he was a quicker learner, wished that he could just hear what they were saying and copy it exactly, and have Scythe explain to him what things meant. But he was sure that’d end up being more confusing than Scythe just sliding in a few words randomly.

“Wait here with Röfyenlyi-Dyá,” Scythe said to Devynn, “The plant is a little farther into the woods here, but it’s safer for me to go alone. Some of the plants where it is are prone to attack. If you or Röfyenlyi-Dyá got attacked, there’s not much I can do if I’m grabbing what we need.” Scythe explained. Devynn nodded his head.

“Okay, Aksyě-Dhà,” Devynn answered, “I’ll k-keep an eye out while you’re g-gone.”

“If you need to tell her to stop something, say ‘Kvuh’ which means stop. “ Scythe explained, “If she asks you something, say ‘Dyü’ because you can’t understand her to give her a yes or no to what she’s asking. When I return, tell me she asked you something and I’ll ask her myself in case she needs to use the bathroom again.” Devynn nodded.

“I understand,” Devynn said, copying the words he’d said aloud a couple of times to get the hang of the pronunciation to himself as Scythe glanced around them, obviously checking the areas around them to see if he could see anything. Once he decided they were safe, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his pocket knife.

“I know that you don’t want to hurt anything,” Scythe said, “But if worse comes to worse, do what you have to do to survive. It’s not just you that you are protecting, it is a child who cannot protect herself.” Scythe stated. It sounded, if you took his words at face value like he was pressuring Devynn, but Devynn knew what he was doing. He was giving him an excuse, a justification, he could use if he had to. He was setting that thought in place before something could happen, so that if he was to have to protect them, he’d be able to deal with it after without totally shutting down.

Devynn appreciated it.

“I-I understand, Aksyě-Dhà,” Devynn answered, feeling a bit like a broken record, “I w-will do my best. I-I won’t give up.” Devynn promised, making Scythe nod, reaching up to ruffle his hair.

“Chyyà èrgæ,” Scythe answered, turning around on his heels before Devynn could ask him what exactly he’d said. Chyyà means good, right? But what about èrgæ? Devynn wanted to know, he practically needed to. There was some part of his brain that wanted to hear the words spoken to him in English so that he’d never have to second guess himself. What if he was saying something like ‘Good idiot’ or something?!

Devynn would be humiliated if he got excited over something like that. Oh holy Macaroni, he needed to know what Scythe had said. Devynn watched as Scythe retreated, heading in the opposite direction from which they’d come. Devynn wasn’t ready for Scythe to leave him alone with Röfyenlyi, he was nervous. What if she really had to go to the bathroom and he told her no? What if something bit her and she was trying to tell him, and once again, he said no?

Devynn didn’t stop him, even if he was nervous, letting his eyes slide from Röfyenlyi to Happy, and then back again. He was tired and sore from the night before and was honestly a little glad he had time to rest in the middle of this trek. He was only going to get more tired as the day droned on. He knew he needed to take longer than a five-minute break, he probably should have Scythe carry him at least for a little while, but he felt bad.

He felt like a burden on Scythe. He didn’t want to slow him down even more, and he was already holding him back a shit ton just by things he’d done without permission.

He’d brought back the Ngkǎntmúngx, and even when Scythe had told him not to, he kept it. Happy was still dutifully following him to this day, not bothered by him being much more busy with Röfyenlyi, probably because Devynn still made time to feed him and he got his energy out during traveling now. He’d gone off on his own, disobeyed Scythe’s instructions, and wandered deeper into the woods than he was supposed to and came back with a child! That’s a task even some parents aren’t capable of handling on their best days, and Devynn had just shown up and expected him to help.

Devynn’s moral compass saying something was the right or wrong thing to do didn’t seem to apply here, in any way, and that made life here difficult. Had he dammed them by bringing her? Or had he done the right thing in the long run? He had no way of knowing. That was terrifying. When he was at home, there was a certain amount of… well, certainty, that came from any decision he made.

He could assess the possible outcomes, decide which was most probable based on his actions, and go by that… but with so many unknowns here, he felt like a fish out of water or an elephant at the bottom of the ocean.

Scythe had a whole thing going when Devynn showed up. He was by himself, but he didn’t seem to mind the seclusion entirely, and he had survived a hell of a long time on his own. Even if others came and went, Scythe didn’t. Scythe was strong, unwaveringly so, it felt like his will alone was what kept him going, rather than food or water.

Devynn admired that, honestly. He’d always been rather easy to stress and overwhelm, leading to him trying his hardest to stay under the radar as much as possible because it was just easier than being smart and popular. He had always been a little jealous of people who weren’t so anxious internally, wishing he could feel as untouchable as everyone else looked to him. From his perspective, he was everything Scythe wasn’t. Scythe was everything he wasn’t.

Devynn found that attractive about Scythe, honestly. Some days, it felt like Devynn was way over his head and like the world around him was too scary and he’d rather not exist in it anymore, but whenever he looked over at Scythe he… he wanted to keep going. He wanted to survive if only to show Scythe that someone would be by his side until the end. If he died… well, he couldn’t stop that. But he could do everything he could to prevent it.

“Dvyuh-Dyá,” Röfyenlyi called, drawing his attention to her. “Gå ǐb̥ chimch b̮ûz chywï Ûn frawü.” She rambled, blinking up at him expectantly after a moment of silence passed between them. Devynn hesitated a little, opening his mouth but unsure what should come out of it. Scythe had told him what to do if he needed to stop her, and what to do if she asked him a question, but he hadn’t told him what to do if she tried to talk to him.

“I-I’m sorry, I don’t understand,” Devynn said, kneeling down in front of her. “Do you want something to do?” She couldn’t possibly understand him, and her bewildered expression proved as much, but Devynn couldn’t help trying.

“Gå ǐb̥ chimch,” She reiterated as if the problem was that Devynn just hadn’t heard her properly, “Frawü ol e,” She demanded, making Devynn frown a bit to himself, unsure if she was trying to tell him something important or not. What if she knew something he didn’t know and he blew her off? Oh Holy Macaroni, he wasn’t sure Scythe had prepared him enough for this.

“Try feeding Happy,” Devynn suggested, reaching into his bag to pull out a handful of berries, offering Happy one to show her him getting excited and playful. As expected of him, he took the berry and munched on it, eating it all before beginning to buzz around in circles around Devynn, excitedly clicking as he went. Röfyenlyi looked amazed, reaching her hands out for the berries. Devynn let her take them, watching as Happy followed them with his eyes.

She took one between her fingers, experimentally holding it how Devynn had, before holding it out for Happy. He hesitated a little, looking from Röfyenlyi to Devynn, then the berry, and back again, clearly unsure. Devynn wasn’t too worried, though, because he knew Happy would follow the fruit if she held it in place.

It took a minute, but sure enough, Happy began to fly forward, going to Röfyenlyi and trying to take the fruit from her. She didn’t seem to understand initially that she was supposed to release it so that he could take it, so Devynn made the motion of opening his fingers at her in an attempt to show her that she had to open her fingers to give it to him. She did, copying him, making him smile to himself.

Röfyenlyi giggled as she watched Happy take the berry from between her fingers and begin to nibble on it, happily clicking as he did so. The rest of the time was spent like that, Devynn monitoring while Röfyenlyi fed Happy. When Scythe returned with two bulb-shaped plants, one in each hand, he paused for a split second to take in the sight of Röfyenlyi feeding Happy, and then looked up at Devynn, smiling a bit.

As if he realized he was caught smiling, his eyes meeting Devynn’s as they widened a bit, his smile dropping a bit. Devynn just gave him a smile, looking up at Scythe through his lashes. He felt so happy, honestly. He wanted to hug Scythe, though he knew now wasn’t really a good time to be clinging onto him really close.

“Put these in your bag and get on,” Scythe instructed, handing the fruit things to Devynn as he motioned to his back. He took them, sliding them into his over-the-shoulder bag before he walked around Scythe, jumping up onto his back. Scythe barely reacted other than grabbing him, motioning for Röfyenlyi to follow them. “Brï,” He commanded.

Röfyenlyi nodded her head, beginning to ramble to him as she skipped up to his side, crossing her arms over her chest. Scythe occasionally would answer her, but for the most part, he remained silent, letting her prattle away as they walked. Devynn couldn’t resist the urge to tighten the grip of his arms around Scythe’s neck, nuzzling into his neck.

・⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟸𝟺 】【 𝟸𝟹:𝟷𝟿:𝟻𝟶:𝟹𝟺 】⥋・

By the time that Scythe finally came to a stop, the sun was beginning to fall behind the horizon. The ground beneath their feet had changed about halfway through from forest to sand, the temperature had risen to the point that even doing nothing, Devynn was sweaty and gross. Scythe was coated in sweat when he put Devynn down on his feet in the sand beside a small pool of crystal-clear white water. It was clearer than even the bluest water Devynn had ever seen, without an ounce of color at all.

The sand beneath the water looked white, too, brighter than the off-ash brown sand that surrounded it. Palm trees surrounded it as well as shrubbery-like plants that looked like cacti, ferns, and different flowers. It was… an oasis. It was beautiful, hot, but beautiful. Devynn had never been to one before, but he always had thought they looked nice. The whole ‘traveling through—or to —the desert’ thing was kind of a turn-off, though.

“Wh-Where are we?” Devynn asked curiously, flushing a little as he looked up at Scythe through his lashes, watching Röfyenlyi out of the corner of his eye as she ran up to the edge of the water and leaned over, sticking her hand into it.

“Dversæjla,” Scythe answered, his eyes darting from Devynn to Röfyenlyi, “It is a decent place to rest, and it has water,” Scythe muttered, letting his eyes roam over the area. “There are sand monsters here, B̮e̊zh Tmødsü, or sandworms.” He explained. “Furthermore, there are Vyægttû, dreadbugs… well, you’re probably more familiar with scorpion. Röfyenlyi-Dyá will know them by dreadbugs, though.” Devynn nodded his head. “Also, a crossbreed of Hyaftwe̊sh, lizardmen, and the B̮e̊zh Tmødsü—Znòghmëchgánd. Snakemen.”

“I… have n-never been more disgusted in my l-life,” Devynn responded, trying desperately to keep his disdain from showing on his face as he pictured the creepy lizard people that they’d encountered before sleeping with the sandworm thingies. He’d never even seen one before, but just the name painted a picture in Devynn’s head that he didn’t like.

“Well, just wait until you encounter the bugs, “ Scythe muttered. “You’ll wish we all were dead. It’s terrible. Thankfully, fire repels most of them, so I need to get started on that before they catch the scent of our blood in the air.” Scythe continued, crossing his arms over his chest, “Be careful in the water, but you can go in. Just don’t go deep. Too deep, you’ll risk getting bit by Kẅalwäx… leeches. We will be fishing for dinner tonight, though.”

“Erm… Kw-Kwallax… leeches?” Devynn cried, moving to chase after Röfyenlyi. Scythe wrapped his hand around Devynn’s forearm, halting him as he jerked his other hand in her direction.

“See her?” Scythe asked, making Devynn nod, watching as she splashed around in the edges of the water. “Your job for this afternoon is playing with her on the edges of the water. You can go as far as thigh-deep. Since she is with you, you shouldn’t make it to that point. Understand?” Scythe questioned, making Devynn nod his head, a shiver running down his spine. Maybe he was losing his damn mind, but it really turned him on when Scythe acted like this.

“Y-Yes, Aksyě-Dhà,” Devynn managed to get out around the lump of arousal in his throat. “What if she asks me questions, or wants something?” Scythe shook his head.

“The answer to any question should be ‘Fǒk Aksyě-Dhà,’” Scythe answered, making Devynn’s eyes widen a little. He knew the pronunciation was different, it wasn’t fuck it was fook , like the word book . But. Devynn was immature. He couldn’t help giggling a little. “What’s funny?” Devynn giggled more, unable to fight it back now that Scythe was asking about it.

“It sounds like f-fuck ,” Devynn giggled, making Scythe raise an eyebrow.

“That’s a different word,” Scythe answered dryly, making Devynn raise an eyebrow curiously.

“What is it?” Devynn questioned, an evil idea beginning to form in his brain. If he could memorize the word, the next time Scythe fucked him, he could use it.

“ïsksilkyuh,” Scythe answered without hesitation. Devynn hummed, smirking a bit to himself as he tried to visualize the pronunciation of the word in his head without Scythe repeating it. He felt like he had a pretty good idea of it, isk-silk-ee-yah , but he felt like hearing it a second time might make it easier and less embarrassing. He could only imagine how much of a mood killer it’d be if he mispronounced it during sex.

He could practically picture Scythe stopping to help him pronounce it, which was kind of arousing to think about, he couldn’t lie… but it sounded irritating, too. He wanted to have it memorized by the time that Scythe fucked him next. He’d just have to use it instead of fuck when he was by himself in preparation for using it during sex.

“That’s a really l-long word,” Devynn mumbled, “Can you re-repeat it?”

“ïsksilkyuh,” Scythe repeated, “Isk-silk-ee-yuh,” he sounded it out for him, making Devynn flush a little. “It’s only half as hard as you currently think it is.” Scythe assured him. Devynn giggled, unable to help himself.

“D-Do you need me to help with that, t-then?” Devynn asked teasingly, earning him a narrowed look from Scythe.

“Tonight, probably,” Scythe answered, his eyes roaming over Devynn, dark and heated. Devynn couldn’t help shivering a little in excitement, the ache in his body from all of the movement today having dimmed from the time Scythe carried him. He’d been kept so comfortable it was insane, honestly, he’d barely even shifted… plus there’s the new thing they’re going to be using for lubrication—Devynn was excited.

“G-Gotcha, gotcha,” Devynn answered, “Is there anything I n-need to do to be able to u-use this…” Scythe hummed.

“Well, I brought two in case you wanted to experiment with it,” Scythe said, “You might need to thin it or thicken it, I’m not sure the exact texture you’re going for.” Devynn nodded. He didn’t bother correcting Scythe—it wasn’t texture , it was viscosity , but he was sure that was a translation error, not miseducation.

“Okay, I’ll w-work on it while I watch Röfyenlyi,” Devynn answered. Scythe nodded.

“I’ll get our shelter for the evening built, as well as the fire. If it goes well today, we might stay a day longer.” Scythe said, running his eyes around the area. “Keep an eye out, like I said.” Devynn nodded, unable to help feeling a bit bashful as Scythe turned his attention back to him once again. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

Scythe was obviously concerned about Devynn and Röfyenlyi, but all Devynn could think about is teasing him, honestly. He wanted to say and what if I do? But, he knew the tease would be lost on Scythe and would only make him worry, so he bit his inner cheek to bite back the comment and promised he wouldn’t, knowing that would ease Scythe’s worry.

He could tease him later. And he fully planned to. Devynn felt all kinds of aroused right now, just thinking about having something to make sex easier… he couldn’t wait for Scythe to have his way with him next, whether that was tonight, tomorrow, or the next night.

・⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟸𝟻 】【 𝟸𝟺:𝟶𝟷:𝟸𝟾:𝟺𝟹 】⥋・

Devynn had problems getting Röfyenlyi to sleep, so Scythe had taken over about ten minutes before, leaving Devynn with his first alone time all day. He was worn out from playing with Röfyenlyi, and he felt like he’d been going since sunrise— he had —and like his body was on the verge of collapse. Feeding everyone had been no small task, fishing hadn’t worked as well as Scythe wanted it to, and despite that they had ended up with enough fish for all of them, it hadn’t been as good as Devynn hoped it would be.

They had much less meat than expected, at least… usable meat. He had been hard-pressed to find much in the way of seasoning replacements, but there were quite a few different fruits around, so he had tested out their flavors and that made a slight difference. He felt like it would’ve been better if it was saltier, but he didn’t know where to find a substitute for something like that.

He needed to take a minute and work on the lubricant, currently. He’d been working on saying ïsksilkyuh whenever Röfyenlyi was out of earshot, not wanting her to understand what he was saying. Still, he felt unprepared for tonight, despite how excited he was. His impatience didn’t allow for him sit and anticipate something, so he didn’t know if he could keep working on the pronunciation without letting it slip that he was doing so.

He let out a quiet hum, reaching into his bag to pull out the fruit they had made the pit stop for, accessing it curiously. He was uncertain where the liquid was in it, honestly. Devynn jumped and squeaked as a hand landed on his shoulder, his cheeks heating up as he jerked his head around to see Scythe looking down at him.

“Are you okay?” Scythe asked, looking down at Devynn through narrowed eyes.

“Yes, Aksyě-Dhà,” Devynn answered easily, “I was just th-thinking—I don’t know h-how to get the liquid.” Scythe nodded, taking it from him and sitting down beside him on the sandy bank, his eyes settling on the water in front of them.

“It’s pretty easy, you just cut the top off,” Scythe explained, grabbing his pocketknife from his pocket and beginning to saw at the ‘top’ of it. Devynn didn’t really know how to deduce which end was the top, to be honest, the side he was cutting looked like the bottom to him. It was thicker, rounder, fuller, than the ‘bottom’ to Scythe, which was thinner and looked like it would be where the stem was if it was a hanging fruit.

It reminded him of a squash, almost, honestly. But if it had a liquid inside of it, it couldn’t be farther from that of a squash.

“Ohh,” Devynn answered, watching Scythe with rapt attention, his eyes roaming over him as he cut into the plant. “I was worried about p-puncturing it,” He explained, “Didn’t know if it’d start to le-leak out or not,” Devynn explained. Scythe nodded.

“That’s smart,” Scythe said, “If it leaked everything out, it’d be a waste. It’s not thin enough to leak like that, though… you’d have time to catch it before it dripped out.” Devynn nodded, way too enthused with watching Scythe’s hands. They really turned him on, he couldn’t help himself at all. The memory of those hands on his body was enough to make him want to tremble, impatience making itself known as his body tingled from the close proximity to Scythe.

He was sweaty, Devynn could smell it, and while that really should’ve been off-putting, he couldn’t help finding it attractive. It wasn’t really the sweat for him, though… he thought it was more about Scythe working so hard to provide for them. He couldn’t really know for sure, but it seemed right, honestly. He seemed to have a kink regarding this kind of dynamic that he’d never noticed because he had never been in a situation to experience it. Maybe it was just circumstance as well, he’d never been in a survival situation like this before. It was really turning him on, though.

“Now you’re staring,” Scythe grumbled after a couple of moments of silence passed, and Devynn flushed a little, averting his eyes quickly away and then back to him— hopefully , more discreetly this time. “Done,” Scythe said as he finished sawing the top of the fruit, the piece of it he’d sliced off falling down onto the sand between his legs. “This about right?” He asked, holding it out for Devynn.

Devynn reached his hand out, sinking two fingers into the center of it. Devynn couldn’t hold back the gasp that left his lips, feeling it as it wrapped around the fingers he’d stuck inside of it, a bit mystified. It was cool to the touch and almost felt a little like lidocaine without the intense… sensation that followed it. He could feel the slight bit of numbing from it, just enough to make his nerve endings tingle. All that he could think about as he felt it, was how amazing it would feel if it was inside of him.

It was, however, thicker, than Devynn thought it needed to be. It was good, though, if they could just thin it out somehow. He wasn’t sure how. Perhaps heating it? But what if it solidified after cooling? Devynn hummed a little, unsure. He supposed the only way to really know would be to try it… They could assess it after seeing how it functioned in use.

“What do you think?” Scythe asked, making Devynn glance up at him, pulling his fingers out. “Is it good enough? Need work?” Devynn couldn’t help giggling a little as he looked up at Scythe, feeling a bit mischievous.

“Well,” Devynn drawled, “W-We’ll have to test it out to s-see.” Scythe, to his credit, attempted to hide the excitement that Devynn could practically feel leaking out of him at his words. Scythe was so eager to touch him lately that it made him feel a bit dizzy. And turned on. Very turned on.

“Gotcha,” Scythe answered, clearly trying to measure his reaction, “So… where?” Scythe asked, glancing around them for a discreet place they could fool around. They had to be careful or Röfyenlyi could see or hear them, which wasn’t something that either of them wanted to deal with. Devynn wasn’t exactly sure where they could fool around, but he wanted them to find a place.

“Well, what’s the likelihood of R-Röfyenlyi waking?” Devynn questioned, making Scythe shrug.

“How am I supposed to know?” He asked, and while the wording came off as rude, he could tell that Scythe was genuinely asking. Devynn wasn’t really sure how his mom always knew, he thought maybe it was just a skill that competence bred.

“I’m not sure,” Devynn answered, “M-Maybe did she seem tired? Like really tired?” Devynn questioned, trying to piece together an explanation. He didn’t really know, but at the same time, it almost felt like he was getting somewhere with this.

“Yeah, she didn’t want to go to sleep but when I made her lay still and refused to engage with her questions, she went right to sleep,” Scythe explained. “I think that means she was tired, right?” Devynn hummed. He’d had the suspicion that she was overtired based on how she had been acting when he tried to put her to bed, so it seemed like Scythe was corroborating his theory now.

“Then she probably w-won’t wake up,” Devynn said, glancing back over his shoulder at the shelter where Röfyenlyi was currently sleeping. “Let’s move o-over to the edge of the water there,” Devynn said, pointing to the farthest edge of the shore where they’d be too far away for her to make them out if she did happen to get up. “It seems like it’d be far enough for her not to be a-able to see anything.”

“Okay,” Scythe answered without hesitation, standing up. “We should probably dip in the water to clean off first, too. It’s hotter here, I feel gross.” Devynn nodded his head, giggling a little as Scythe offered him his hand to help him up off of the ground. Devynn took it, letting Scythe hoist him up off of the ground and onto his feet, his cheeks heating up.

“Then, let’s go. We’ll try it out, see how it works, and if it’s good enough as it is or if we need to do something to make it right.” Devynn nodded, giggling a little as Scythe put his hand on his lower back, seemingly trying to guide him forward. Devynn let him, his head lulling to rest on Scythe’s bicep. Scythe didn’t seem phased by his open affection at all, leading him forward without a second of hesitation.

The sand beneath his shoes shifted with each step he took, much looser than any sand he’d ever walked on—which is saying something, considering it’s already hard to walk in the sand anyway. It’d taken about all afternoon for him to adjust to it, but now he barely even was thinking about it. That was how a lot of things felt now, honestly.

At first, all he could think about was how uncomfortable he was, how they didn’t have a house, and always had to move. The food sucked, the water sucked, everything sucked. But now, he didn’t really think about it. This had become routine, and even if it was tiring, he didn’t even think about it like he used to. He was slowly becoming accustomed to being here, to the way things worked and flowed here. He wouldn’t say it was comfortable, but… it was becoming something he could live with.

“How was Röfyenlyi today?” Scythe asked, “Did she cause too many problems? You didn’t come to me for assistance at all.” Devynn smiled a bit, reaching his hand over to curl his finger through the loop of the tattered jeans Scythe wore.

“Sh-She was really good,” Devynn explained, “She never causes problems, and I didn’t r-really need any assistance.” Though there was a communication boundary, he seemed to be able to figure out what she wanted or needed by guessing, which helped things a lot. He wasn’t sure where he was getting the ideas he had about what she wanted came from, but he was doing pretty well with her so far.

“Well that’s good,” Scythe said, nodding. “I’m glad she was good for you, I just worried you didn’t come to me because you didn’t want to interrupt me. Finishing the shelter is important, but…” Scythe trailed off, reaching his other arm up to scratch at the back of his head, averting his eyes.

“I-I try not to,” Devynn interjected, “But that’s mostly because life is easier if we have a shelter.” Scythe nodded. “I d-don’t feel like I… can’t come to you if I-I need help.” Devynn assured, “I k-know if I need something, I can come to you, I mean.”

“Good,” Scythe answered. It was a simple answer, not revealing anything to Devynn about what he was thinking. He wanted to know what he was thinking right now. He’d been acting so differently lately, Devynn didn’t know what to do. He hadn’t been exactly affectionate, but closer to it… Devynn wanted to know what had gotten into him. He wanted to believe that Scythe was just opening up to him a little, but he didn’t want to be too optimistic, either… Sex could deepen a pre-existing connection, but he doubted it would spring one from nowhere. He would be naive to read too much into anything.

Still, Devynn couldn’t help thinking about it, his mind running away from him as he tried to put the pieces together in his head to make it make sense.

A couple more minutes of walking and they reached their destination, and Devynn found himself being pulled closer, Scythe’s lips descending on his. He didn’t even have time to withdraw himself from his thoughts before Scythe was wrapping his arms around his waist, pulling him closer, and holding him steady.

His inexperience was clear, but even with that, Devynn found himself sinking into the kiss and letting Scythe lead. He could feel the surge of excitement as it engulfed him, his knees feeling weak, arousal blurring the world around him. Devynn was sinking, yielding, to Scythe’s whims, warmth flooding through him and making him feel limp as Scythe’s lips moved against his.

It was clear he was uncertain about what to do now, but Devynn was content to let him do whatever he wanted to do next, to let him experiment how he wanted. He had no idea what to expect from Scythe in the way of experimentation, but he wasn’t too worried about it either, honestly. He was fine with Scythe trying whatever out on him—if he didn’t like it, he could always stop him.

“Dvyuh-Dyá,” Scythe whispered as he broke the kiss, making Devynn blink open his eyes, a bit caught out. He couldn’t quite figure out how to move his tongue at the moment, honestly. He had been expecting Scythe to deepen the kiss without even realizing it.

“S-Sorry,” Devynn stammered out, his cheeks heating up as he looked up into Scythe’s eyes. He didn’t really know what else to say, honestly. He felt a little humiliated, but it was kind of arousing if he were being honest about things.

“It’s fine, I… just felt like I needed to do something, but I wasn’t sure what,” Scythe answered. “Eh, anyway… I think it’d be better if we bathe before things escalate further.” Scythe was quick to change the subject, leaving Devynn reeling a little. He wasn’t ready to bathe, he wanted to make out more. Or rather, actually make out, given he’d yet to feel Scythe’s tongue in his mouth.

He figured they could go back to doing that after bathing, though—at least, he hoped. He didn’t really know, to be honest. He couldn’t be sure at all with Scythe, and he liked the spontaneity… but he also wished that he could understand his actions more.

“W-What’s the plan for tomorrow?” Devynn asked curiously, glancing up at Scythe as he pushed his shorts and underwear down, letting them pool in the sand, unsure what else he could do with them. He wasn’t really in a position to keep them from getting sandy, they were already sandy as is. He had no choice other than to go with it.

“We’ll be staying,” Scythe said, motioning toward the water. “We didn’t see a single monster on the walk, or while we were here. That means the monsters are still in hiding.” Devynn nodded.

“Th-These monsters don’t migrate?” Scythe shook his head.

“They don’t follow the migration patterns the other monsters do,” Scythe confirmed, “These ones are forced to stay in this arid area, where they won’t overhydrate,” Scythe explained. Devynn nodded, somewhat interested.

“Then w-why do you stop here?” Devynn asked, genuinely curious. Why stop somewhere there are definitely monsters? He always seemed to avoid them.

“Bluntly?” Scythe said, “It’s easier.”

“Easier?” Devynn echoed, prompting a nod from Scythe as he pulled his shirt off.

“I learned a while back,” Scythe said, “It’s easier to cut across the most mountainous areas by going through the desert. It’s just hotter and harder to traverse for anyone not in peak physical condition.” Devynn nodded, a little confused about what Scythe’s standard for ‘peak physical condition’ was, because he was certainly not that.

Devynn was weak and rather easy to overheat, and Röfyenlyi was a child—they certainly were not what Devynn would picture as good candidates for wandering in the desert. Granted, he wasn’t sure anyone was.

“I-I didn’t realize I was that,” Devynn said, making Scythe hum.

“Well, I use that to prevent insulting an elder,” Scythe said, pushing his pants down and toeing out of his shoes all at one time, stepping into the water. Devynn nodded, his mouth dropping open. Had… Had one of Scythe’s parents been here, too? Oh… Holy Macaroni… Devynn didn’t like the thought of that.

“Ummm…” Devynn tried to come up with the words to question him, wanting more than anything to know what had happened. He didn’t know how to use his words, currently, though.

“Are you coming?” Scythe asked before Devynn could work out something to say, and he kind of felt a little relieved. He didn’t know how to approach that topic, and it was evident that Scythe didn’t want to talk about it so asking… felt improper. He wanted to let Scythe come to him about stuff when he was upset… he just couldn’t help but worry that he never would.

Scythe was Devynn’s safety, that much was a given… but Devynn was not Scythe’s safety. He didn’t confide in him, he didn’t talk to him, he didn’t… he didn’t love him. He had no reason to. And Devynn definitely didn’t love Scythe either. He didn’t. He just… had feelings for him, kind of. Maybe. Definitely.

He had been somewhat enamored with him from the very beginning, attracted to him because of his appearance, his strength, and his aura. Devynn didn’t really know how to describe it, honestly. Scythe had this air about him that made Devynn feel safe, even if he was a little cold and condescending sometimes. He seemed above it all, as if the stress around him didn’t affect him at all. He seemed… he seemed more than human to Devynn.

Still, crazy musings aside… Scythe was a human. He bled when he got injured, he needed food and water to survive, and he craved human interaction even if he ran away from it—or tried to deny it either way. Scythe was still soft and warm, seeking the same kind of emotional things Devynn did, even if they presented in very different ways. Devynn wanted to be for Scythe what Scythe was to him. Would he ever be?

“Yeah,” Devynn answered, trying to shake off his thoughts. He didn’t want to waste too much time thinking right now, he just wanted to get to playing around with Scythe. He followed after Scythe, tossing his shirt onto the ground before he got into the water behind him, following him deeper into the water without thinking.

He knew he’d be fine if Scythe was with him.

・⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟸𝟻 】【 𝟸𝟺:𝟷𝟸:𝟺𝟻:𝟹𝟼 】⥋・

After bathing, Scythe had led him out of the water and they got started… only for a hideous bug that was like thirty times the size it should’ve been to come waltzing out of the woods and toward them. They’d ended up having to abandon their plans for the night before. Not entirely a bad thing, honestly. Devynn was feeling some type of way today, maybe just emotional or something, he wasn’t really sure. He just felt really deflated, and sad.

He tried to keep his usual energy up, but even Happy was noticing and trying to cheer him up. Röfyenlyi had brought him different rocks she found on the edge of the oasis, and brought him flowers when his reaction wasn’t bright enough for her. Even Scythe was doting on him today, kept touching him for seemingly no real reason—but Devynn knew what it was.

He wasn’t trying to make a move on him, despite their interrupted time the night before. He was trying to give Devynn comfort, but Devynn thought it was honestly making it worse. Making him feel worse. All he could think about was how Scythe was trying so hard to accommodate him all the time, and that made him feel bad too.

All he wanted was a hug, but also for Scythe and Röfyenlyi to go the hell away. They were stressing him out, merely by being so nice. He couldn’t help but want to be snappy in the moment, his brain doing a hundred and fifty things all at once and he needed to slow everything down.

Scythe and Röfyenlyi were fishing together currently, but Devynn couldn’t miss Scythe’s eyes as they darted over to check on him every few minutes. It made him feel edgy and nervous, his body and mind struggling to connect in the center. He didn’t understand why he felt like this, everything should be fine today. Nothing had happened, even though they were interrupted by that beetle, they hadn’t been attacked.

Scythe had ended it because he said more would follow it and it’d be a pain, but Devynn hadn’t really wanted it to end. He hadn’t even gotten to touch Scythe. That was what he’d spent the entire day looking forward to! They finally had something they could use as lubricant, too, so it’d definitely feel better than normal…

“Dvyuh-Dyá,” Scythe said, his voice cutting through Devynn’s thoughts and making him jump as he realized how close he was all of a sudden. When the hell did he close the distance between them?! He’d been FISHING before. With Röfyenlyi. “Tonight, when Röfyenlyi is in bed, we should try again…” He muttered, his eyes darting over to watch the little girl as she ran around in the shallowest part of the water.

“T-Tonight??” Devynn asked, his heart stuttering in his chest. He was torn between being excited about a try-over and being terrified that if it didn’t turn out well a second time, Scythe would get tired of trying. He couldn’t really blame him, either, it wasn’t like this was something that Scythe had initiated himself… Scythe nodded.

“Yeah. Since they migrated from one side to the other last night, no more should be there to interrupt… and even if they are, I think I’ll just kill them.” Scythe said evenly, crossing his arms over his chest. “Is that cool? Do you want to?” Devynn nodded.

“Y-Yes!” He answered quickly, “I-I really want to. When?”

“When I get Röfyenlyi to bed tonight,” Scythe answered easily. Devynn nodded his head, his heart stuttering in his chest. “I also… would like to eat dinner just us, before.” Devynn couldn’t help drawing his eyebrows together, confused.

“Y-You don’t want us to eat dinner with Röfyenlyi?” Devynn asked, somewhat confused. Scythe nodded.

“I… thought maybe it’d be fine if we ate later, alone,” Scythe answered, sounding somewhat hesitant himself now. Devynn couldn’t help but feel like that felt like… a date. Almost… maybe… He wasn’t sure what to make of it exactly, but he… liked the sound of it. “It might be a hassle to cook twice, I know, but I can help with the second meal.” Devynn shook his head, his heart fluttering in his chest.

“I-I will handle it! W-What did you want for dinner tonight?” Devynn asked excitedly. He still felt like shit, honestly, his energy felt like it’d been sucked out with a vacuum, but this gave him something to do to get his mind off it— and something to look forward to.

“Hmm, well I got us a different fish than the one I got for Röfyenlyi-Dyá, as I wanted us to eat separately… our fish is bigger because it’s meant for two.” Scythe explained, “Whatever you make of it will be fine with me, sure as hell can’t make it taste as awful as I do.” He shrugged.

“Gotcha… I-I’ll do my best!” Devynn answered, unable to fight back the smile trying to tug up the corners of his lips. He was at least a little less miserable, and while he had no idea how long that’d last, he was willing to take the win while he had it.

ᨒᨔ෴⦁ᨖ⦁෴ᨔᨒ

⦁⚞【⎗ 𝙱𝚊𝚌𝚔】【𝙽𝚎𝚡𝚝⎘】⚟⦁

【🖫】【🖬】【🗐】

⊶»﴾ 𝟷𝟹. 𝙲𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚡 ﴿«⊷

・⥋【𝐃 𝐄 𝐕 𝐘 𝐍 𝐍】⥋・

・⥋ 【 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟸𝟼 】【 𝟸𝟻:𝟶𝟷:𝟶𝟻:𝟷𝟾 】⥋・

Devynn was finished cooking dinner, and was perched at the treestump Scythe told him to set up like a table, ass resting on a different log that was turned over beside it. The stump was a pretty decent size, though it didn’t look anything like the other tree stumps that surrounded it. Devynn had carefully peeled some of the bark from a fallen tree to make makeshift plates for their fish, so they even had plates. Utensils were harder to manage, so they still didn’t have any. Devynn had even gone through the effort of using sticks like candles.

The sticks here burned slower than the sticks they burned elsewhere, and Scythe had explained to him earlier when he was cooking for Röfyenlyi that it was because the trees had a weird sap inside of them that made them slow burn. It was great for Devynn, who’d spent the rest of the afternoon lighting spare sticks on fire to watch how they burned. It was more like an incense than a candle, honestly, but it was the closest thing he had to set the mood. Or what he thought the mood was.

Since everything was ready, Devynn was fooling around with the cell phone he’d found a while back. He thought he finally managed to reset it to factory settings, but with the weird almost Russian but definitely not text on the phone, Devynn didn’t know how he’d managed. Still, it was open, the image that’d been on the screensaver gone, and just as Scythe had said, the time and date hadn’t moved at all.

It felt creepy to him, even though he didn’t begin to know what the date was supposed to be. It seemed to be stuck on like 2019, which couldn’t be right because it’d been 2024 when he came here. Had the phone really been alive with 63% battery for all this time? That seemed illogical, based on what he knew about smartphones. Unless the bitch was powered by uranium or something insane like that, but even that seemed more illogical than the phone having lasted 5 years on one charge.

Still, with it opened, that meant that he could dig around on it and see what apps were on it and which ones functioned. Out of curiosity, he tested out the base apps first: The flashlight, calculator, photo gallery, camera, and notes app. All worked, but the photo gallery gave him an annoying notification about not being connected to the internet about three times before he figured out how to turn off the notification and make it stop returning.

He could only tell it was about the internet or service because it had a symbol that was unmistakable—a wifi symbol with a line through it. It was an admittedly strange symbol to him, looking nothing like the one he’d come to know at home, but it was clear what it was regardless. He found that somewhat interesting. After that, he checked the messages, which were completely empty, and since there were no phone numbers he could try, he didn’t have a way to check the functionality of it.

On down the list of apps, Devynn noticed a little symbol that looked like a radio, almost—no a handheld radio, maybe? Devynn was curious so he clicked on it, and was surprised to see that it was a walkie-talkie app. He couldn’t be sure it’d even work, but if Scythe had another phone like this one, they could test that app out and see if they could communicate back and forth. It didn’t notify him that he couldn’t use it immediately upon opening it up, so that was promising, at least.

He opened up the internet browser, pretty certain it wouldn’t work. To his surprise, something loaded, but he really couldn’t be sure what it was. It looked like a logo for something, but it was in a different language that Devynn couldn’t understand and he had no idea how to begin reading it. The language was so strange to him, that he wished he could change it to one he’d better understand.

“Dvyuh-Dyá,” Scythe called, and Devynn glanced up from what he was doing on the phone, smiling as he took in the sight of Scythe walking toward him. “I apologize, Röfyenlyi-Dyá didn’t want to sleep tonight,” Scythe said as he came to a stop beside him, looking down at Devynn from across the stump.

“I-It’s fine,” Devynn promised, waving the phone at Scythe, “I managed to factory data re-reset it! I can use it now.” He explained, showing Scythe the screen of the phone. Scythe’s eyes widened as they took in the picture on the phone, the logo, his eyes darkening a minuscule amount. “D-Do you know what this is?” Devynn asked curiously.

Scythe hesitated for a moment, his arms crossing over his chest as he sat down across from Devynn, nodding his head.

“C-Can you tell me about them?” Devynn asked, “Why is it that their page works h-here, but when I can go to any other page, it won’t?” Scythe shrugged a bit, looking over at him skeptically.

“The organization is AERO,” Scythe answered, “TAERO, maybe, depending on your timeline.” Devynn’s eyes widened a bit, the name ringing a bell in the back of his mind. He couldn’t place where he’d heard of it before, though.

“What do th-they have to do with this place?” Devynn dared to ask, curious. Scythe sighed a bit, worry crossing his expression as he looked over at Devynn.

“Pretty much everything,” Scythe said, shrugging. “They’re the ones who throw us in here. They’re the ones who keep the whole thing low-key, hidden .” Scythe explained. “The only thing they can’t control is the place being here, and needing to throw people here.” Scythe continued, making Devynn frown.

“B-But that means…” He trailed off.

“You didn’t show up here by some freak accident,” Scythe answered, his voice monotonous, “You were brought here, same as me.” Devynn felt his heart clench in his chest, uncertain what to make of that.

“I-If they brought us here, c-can they bring us home?” Devynn dared to ask, making Scythe shake his head.

“I’ve never heard of them letting anyone out of here alive,” Scythe answered, “But this is all I really know about the company, anyway.” Scythe finished, shrugging his shoulders. “You shouldn’t dig too deep on this matter, I’ve not and I’ve survived. I’m not saying they kill people for looking into shit, but it’s a possibility. We’re already cattle waiting for slaughter, what’s the difference?” Scythe asked, making Devynn frown.

Scythe did have a point, there. They could be killed for looking into it, but if they were already waiting for death, was that really a problem? He didn’t know about Scythe, but he wanted to go home, and he wanted Scythe to come with him. He wanted to take Scythe home with him, just in case he didn’t have a home to return to at this point. He wanted to show Scythe a life that wasn’t this… it couldn’t be a happy life, could it? Every indicator Devynn had seen pointed to Scythe having had it hard here, from the start.

“W-Well, if we got out, wouldn’t the difference be life?” Devynn asked, and Scythe shook his head.

“In theory, yes,” Scythe said, “But, that’s only a theory. You know what I can be certain of?” Scythe asked, making Devynn blink, looking up into his eyes curiously. “If you don’t poke around with this, I can keep you safe. I know the monsters you’ll face here. I… don’t know what you’ll face if you pull this string, or if I’ll be enough to prevent you from getting hurt.”

“D-Do you really think th-they’d…” Devynn broke off, swallowing around the lump in his throat as the words he was about to utter really registered in his head. About people, not monsters, wanting to kill him. Somehow, that felt worse, undoubtedly. Humans could be clever and cruel, and Devynn could see exactly what Scythe was saying.

“I don’t know,” Scythe answered honestly, “But I’d rather not risk it.” Devynn nodded his head after a moment of contemplation, his heart stuttering in his chest. There was just something in the way Scythe’s voice sounded as he said it that made Devynn feel like there was a piece to this puzzle he still didn’t have.

“I d-don’t remember how I got here,” Devynn stated, “D-Do you remember how you got here? Since you knew AERO was th-the ones responsible for transporting us?” Devynn questioned nervously, making Scythe flinch visibly. He hesitated a moment, his eyes lowering a bit as he sat down across from Devynn.

“Yes, I remember how I got here,” Scythe answered after a second as if he wished he could say otherwise.

“C-Can you tell me? A-About it?” Devynn asked. Scythe hesitated again, but nodded after a moment.

“I grew up waiting on it to happen,” Scythe explained, “My parents told me from the beginning.” Devynn’s eyes widened a little, his heart clenching in his chest as he realized what that meant. Or rather, could mean. “I was never allowed schooling, my dad said it was a waste of time. I grew up fully prepared to die the moment my feet touched the soil here. But I never knew when it’d be my turn. There was a waiting list.” Scythe sighed a bit.

“A-A waiting list?” Devynn questioned, confused. That made it sound like a medical procedure or something! Like something he’d signed himself up for, rather than… this.

“I was seven when they showed up to get me,” Scythe explained. “Eight when they finally dropped me in here.” Devynn’s eyes widened a little, having never imagined he’d been that young when he was brought here. “I spent a year in the AERO facility, they called it processing time, but it…” Scythe trailed off, “Well, I went through blood tests, painful experiments, inspections, I was under constant surveillance—as if I were a criminal. It was a year of hell, and by the time I finally made it here, it felt like a mercy to be dropped to my presumed death.”

“O-Oh Holy Macaroni,” Devynn said, his chest tightening, “T-That’s awful. You were just a little kid then!”

“That’s not even the half of it, that is just the short version of events.” Scythe stated, then paused, “I can’t say for sure the same thing would happen to you. Different timelines have different AERO’s, I’ve no idea who has jurisdiction here…” Scythe trailed off, “I know that my AERO chipped me, though. They had the intention to return to gather my remains if I were to croak. So they have permission to access the ground here, if nothing else.”

“Oh my God, that’s awful!” Devynn gasped.

“I had help digging it out,” Scythe said, shifting his head to the side and pulling his hair out of the way, giving Devynn the view of a scar that disappeared into his hairline.

“You let someone dig it out of your skull?!” Devynn gasped incredulously, his heart stalling in his chest. “W-What if they had killed you? Heads bleed more than the rest of the body!”

“I didn’t care, as long as that thing was out of me,” Scythe grumbled, “As long as it was inside of me, they’d know I was alive. It felt like I was waiting for them to show up and take me back.”

“I-I’m so sorry,” Devynn said, unable to help getting up and walking around the stump, wrapping his arms around Scythe’s neck. He was sure this wasn’t exactly what Scythe was expecting, but all Devynn really wanted to do was comfort him. Scythe was certainly a master at hiding his emotions behind a wall, but this was just common sense.

“You didn’t do it,” Scythe answered as if that changed anything. It didn’t. Devynn wanted him to know that he didn’t deserve that. He couldn’t imagine something like that happening to him—had his AERO been different? He didn’t know, he just woke up here… he wasn’t sure what really happened. He remembered going to sleep at home in bed and waking up here. Everything else was gone as if his memory had been wiped clean.

“That doesn’t matter,” Devynn responded, making Scythe hum.

“Then I’m so sorry too,” Scythe murmured, “You shouldn’t be here.” Devynn shook his head. Neither of them really should be there, that much was obvious to him. He wished there was something he could do to rewrite the past, to take Scythe and let him be free and happy, to let him live a life that wasn’t painted red with conflict.

“I was lucky, in comparison,” Devynn said, making Scythe shake his head, a frown marring his lips. “I have no b-bad memories before coming here, I went to sleep at home in bed and woke up h-here. I didn’t know what happened. You… you grew up waiting to be k-k…” Devynn broke off, unable to get the words to leave his mouth.

“That’s… a way to look at it,” Scythe grumbled, “The other way to look at it is that someone thought your life meant so little in the grand scheme of things that they didn’t even plan to give you a fighting chance.”

“That isn’t how I’d look at it,” Devynn said, “It… It was probably merciful in their eyes. Not… intentionally cruel.” Scythe shrugged.

“Merciful or not,” Scythe responded, his voice sounding deep, almost cynical, “This world punishes mercy harder than any timeline you could ever come from.” Devynn understood that, definitely. He wasn’t debating whether or not what they had done was right or wrong, he just… felt a little like he might understand where they were coming from.

“Aksyě-Dhà?” Devynn questioned after a moment of silence, making Scythe hum. “What is this place?” Scythe sighed heavily.

“You remember the stories I told you in the beginning? When it was storming and you couldn’t sleep, about the gods and goddesses?” Scythe asked, making Devynn nod. “This world was built to contain one of them. The Goddess of Devastation. Later, they called her the Goddess of Death.” He explained.

“T-Then why are we here?” Devynn asked, confused, “If it’s a prison world thing, why are we even necessary?! She’s contained, right?” Scythe shook his head.

“It’s not so simple as that,” Scythe said, “It took all of the gods and goddess’s powers throughout the timelines to create this place and to push her into one form instead of many. It took everything they had to contain her. If she ever struggled, they’d be unable.” Scythe murmured, “As such, in order to appease her quest for violence and devastation, they send us here.”

“But she’s just o-one god,” Devynn tried to rationalize, “Surely an army of gods could take her down, r-right?” Scythe shook his head.

“The Goddess of Devastation has the ability to create an entire army,” Scythe said, motioning around them. “All of the beings here are of her invention. She created them. Some are weak enough to be contained, but killing them doesn’t affect her in any way. She could sit back and keep creating life until the other gods died or ran out of power.” Devynn blinked a couple of times, confused.

“It seems like creating l-life would take much more power than fighting,” Devynn said, raising an eyebrow.

“It does seem that way, I agree,” Scythe said, shrugging, “But it’s not necessarily that it’s using less energy, it’s more that it takes significantly less over time. Think of it like this, each enemy is essentially another minute of time to replenish energy even if they died immediately when most wouldn’t,” Scythe paused for a moment, considerately, “And she could raise thousands at once. The other gods would have to use energy endlessly to defeat the enemies being thrown at them.”

“G-Gotcha,” Devynn said. “Then… We… Are stuck?” Scythe nodded his head. “Why didn’t you tell me this?! In the beginning, when I asked w-where we were! W-Why did you lie to me?” Devynn demanded, not really sure if he felt betrayed, lied to, or angry. He wasn’t mad at Scythe, not really… so he guessed that anger wasn’t what he felt.

“Because I thought that it would be harder on you,” Scythe answered, sounding almost hesitant. “I worried that if you knew the truth, knowing that your timeline had just discarded you as if you were nothing… that you might stop trying.” Devynn’s eyes widened a little, his head nodding after a moment of hesitation and uncertainty. He didn’t know what to think, honestly, but… he wasn’t mad .

“I… understand,” Devynn answered. “I… really wish that you wouldn’t h-have lied to me, but… I do understand.” Devynn said, shaking his head. “B-But I don’t want you to lie to me to p-protect me. Th-That isn’t what I want.” Devynn continued because while he could admit the idea of Scythe thinking about him like that made him happy, he didn’t want that specific behavior to become a habit.

While it was easier to be blissfully unaware, he didn’t want to be sheltered that way. He didn’t want to live his life in a delusion of safety, not if the exact opposite was true. He’d much rather fear something if it was coming, he felt that was only fair. It gave him a sense of choice, perhaps a false one, but still.

“Then what do you want?” Scythe asked, surprising Devynn. Devynn blinked a time or two, unsure how to answer that. He knew the baseline of what he wanted— a relationship with him. But he was uncertain what he was actually looking for from him. The sex was great, and he really wanted to keep it going. He also liked spending time with Scythe, and the way they talked was nice. He really kind of just… liked the way things were. Granted there was something appealing about Scythe recognizing him as more than just a stranger. But he didn’t want to ask for that, it’d take away from it.

“I-I…” Devynn stammered, “I don’t know,” He admitted, “I like what w-we’re doing, fucking, I mean.” Scythe nodded his head.

“It feels good,” Scythe agreed. “But I was thinking more about how I can better accommodate you. Do you want to try to find a few places to settle down?” Devynn blinked a couple of times. “We can’t stay in one place all the time, but if we had more permanent structures then we could travel less frequently,” Scythe explained, meeting Devynn’s eyes. It took Devynn a minute to really understand what he was saying to him, what the words meant.

“Y-You mean…” Devynn trailed off, unsure how to ask what he was trying. “You want to make me comfortable?” Scythe nodded. “I am comfortable,” Devynn insisted. “I don’t care where we are, I’m just happy to be with you and not alone.” Scythe smiled a little, nodding his head. “I-I really like being with you. Y-You make me feel safe.”

“I’m glad,” Scythe said, “I don’t want you to be upset or unhappy. You’re my partner. Whatever you want or need from me, you just have to tell me.” Devynn’s cheeks heated up, his heart thumping against his ribcage as the words caressed his eardrums. My partner, Scythe said, and the words made Devynn feel like he had died and gone to heaven. He was sure that Scythe didn’t know the relevance, didn’t know what it really meant … even still.

“I-I will,” Devynn answered shyly. “If there’s anything you want or need from me, th-then you tell me,” Devynn said. Scythe nodded.

“I need you to tell me how I can help you if you’re having a bad time,” Scythe responded. “It’s really hard for me to figure out what I’m supposed to do if you’re upset. I want to make it better immediately, and I don’t know how to do that… without you telling me, I won’t be able to figure out what I need to do to make you feel better.” Devynn nodded his head.

“I-I will try to be more open,” Devynn agreed. “I have a hard time because it’s kind of embarrassing,” Devynn admitted, “but as long as you’re patient th-then…” Scythe nodded his head.

“I don’t figure anything will immediately happen,” Scythe replied, “But… if the effort is there, then we can meet halfway. It seems easier than trying to figure it out alone.” Devynn nodded his agreement, his eyes roaming over Scythe’s face for a moment before he let them drop to the ground. Something about making eye contact with Scythe made him nervous, it felt disrespectful, though he felt that was pretty certain to be a crazy over-exaggeration.

“I will m-meet you halfway,” Devynn promised, making Scythe nod his head.

“Good, then,” Scythe responded, his eyes glancing down at the fish that Devynn had prepared for them. “It looks really good,” He said, motioning toward it. “It smells good, too. What’d you use to change the taste or whatever?”

“Oh, I had some herbs leftover from the last couple of foraging and I thought I’d use them for the fish tonight,” Devynn explained. Scythe nodded his head, interest sparking in his eyes. “I wish we had tableware. Like plates and forks, it’d be easier to eat.” Scythe nodded.

“I’m unfamiliar with the term,” Scythe responded, “Still, it looks delicious as it is.” Devynn blinked a couple of times, surprised, but shook it off. He didn’t have to question it now to deduce why he wouldn’t know, he could just assume it was because he’d been here so long, on top of the language barrier. While Scythe was fluent in English from what he could tell, there were bound to be things he couldn’t say or didn’t know. There was a lot Devynn didn’t even know, and he’d grown up speaking it.

“I’m glad! You want to try it first?” Devynn offered excitedly. Scythe nodded, reaching his hand out to pull a piece of the fish off of the bone, popping it into his mouth. Scythe chewed for a moment, his expression pretty much unreadable as nervousness swirled through Devynn. He wanted to know what Scythe was thinking, he needed to know. He wanted to make his food better, wanted Scythe to actually enjoy it—though he didn’t know how to get actual, useful feedback over the taste.

“I-Is it good?” Devynn dared to ask. Scythe nodded his head, reaching out to tear off another piece of it to eat, “W-What can I do to make it better?” Devynn asked, and Scythe shrugged. Helpful , Devynn thought. “N-No, like… is it… missing something? Do you like it? W-What flavor do you want?” Scythe blinked, clearly confused.

“I like it, yeah,” Scythe nodded, “I… It tastes really good. Did you use a fruit or something as well?” Devynn nodded. “It… I don’t know how to explain it. It doesn’t really feel like it’s missing something.” Devynn reached out and tore off a bite for himself, chewing it as he tried to focus on the flavor profile.

It felt right, just like he remembered fish to feel in his mouth, not that he’d ever really cared for it. Still, it didn’t taste bad. He could stomach it. It actually tasted less bad than most of the meat they ate, which was saying something. Most of it tasted rancid before he’d started experimenting around with the different flavors he could make. Still, something was missing. Salt, definitely. He wondered if he could make salt using the water. Would it be safe for him to taste it?

If it was salt water, he could boil the water out! But what if the salt water tasted weird like the drinking water? Everything tasted slightly different, and nothing tasted especially good here anyway… maybe he was trying too hard? Still, Scythe worked really hard to provide for them, both of them, as well as Röfyenlyi… he deserved yummy food.

Furthermore, Devynn was realizing this was his kink. Fetish. Um, well, he’d probably need to do more thinking to know which category this fell under. Regardless, Devynn was silently assuming all of the duties that he felt were ‘wife’ activities, getting off on the idea of the role he was taking. Scythe didn’t really need to know that, right? Devynn was embarrassed just imagining trying to explain it to Scythe. Scythe already had no sexual education, he couldn’t imagine kinks, fetishes, and the like would be easy to comprehend to someone who just learned what jizz is.

“It’s not bad,” Devynn said, glancing up at Scythe and then back down, “But it needs salt, so it’s less… sweet, but overall…” Devynn trailed off, uncertain. He felt like if he was sitting in the kitchen at home, he’d have more to say. More to add. But, he was pulling up a blank. And without his phone to research everything, he really didn’t know.

“Salt,” Scythe echoed, sounding as if he’d never heard the word before, “Interesting.”

“It’s a seasoning,” Devynn explained, “It helps to balance out sweetness and helps suppress bitter flavors, as well. It’d b-bring out the savory notes in dishes, as well.” Scythe nodded, looking quite interested with his boring rambling. “Can I drink the water?”

“It tastes like sweat,” Scythe offered. “It’s nasty, and when you try to boil it, it just tastes worse.” Devynn nodded his head. So it was salt water, then. It probably tasted worse because he’d boiled out some of the water, which left more salt in the water than before. It’d take forever to get a decent amount of salt doing it that way… but still, Devynn wanted to try.

“I-It’s salt water,” Devynn supplied, “It doesn’t taste good because there’s s-salt in it. A lot, I’d presume.” Scythe nodded his head in understanding.

“But it’ll make the food taste better?” Devynn nodded in response to Scythe’s question. “Interesting. But, how do you get the salt out of it?”

“I’ll have to boil the water until all of it evaporates,” Devynn explained, “I could probably s-start it tonight before we go to bed, and leave it on the fire overnight… what time are we leaving in the morning?” Scythe shrugged.

“There’s less of a rush to head out, there’s monsters where we’re heading regardless. They’re irritating, but not too hard to defeat. We’ll be fine to head out whenever.” Scythe stated, “Though before the sun reaches its peak is ideal.” Devynn nodded. Midday, then. He could try his best. If there was some water still left, he’d just carry it with them to the next campsite and continue boiling it there.

“How long i-is the walk going to be?” Devynn questioned.

“Four hours, depending on how fast we walk, maybe five,” Scythe replied, taking another bite of food. Devynn nodded his head excitedly. That was much shorter than usual, he thought at least. He was somewhat relieved. That meant fucking tonight should be no problem!

“A-Are we still going to…” Devynn trailed off, somewhat shy and afraid Scythe would say no. Scythe nodded his head.

“It’s been a day or two,” Scythe said as if he needed an explanation. Devynn didn’t. Devynn himself was touch-starved and over-affectionate, he didn’t need much encouragement… Scythe, well, maybe he needed an explanation for it, though Devynn wasn’t sure why. He had done pretty well surmising what Scythe’s thought process might be, but he really didn’t know anything for sure. All he could do was surmise, and hope he was in the right ballpark, at least.

“You don’t gotta explain yourself t-to me,” Devynn giggled shyly, his cheeks heating up a little. Scythe was so unbothered by everything, it was a little dizzying. Still, he wanted Scythe to be comfortable with him. And using his body, mostly, because oh Holy Macaroni, it felt good.

“Well, it’s less about explaining, I think I just like to know we’re on the same page,” Scythe stated. “I don’t want to upset or hurt you. You’re smaller than I am, and undoubtedly less physically strong. In other words, I don’t want to push you beyond your limits.” As much as Devynn loved when Scythe pushed him, when he fucked him without care or concern as if Devynn was nothing but a hole… there was something about him worrying about hurting him that he couldn’t help finding attractive.

“I really appreciate that,” Devynn responded, “But I’ll tell you if you do something that doesn’t feel good, especially if it’s something that hurts, “ Devynn assured him.

“Will you really be able to tell?” Scythe questioned, “When we’re doing it, you seem different. Less confrontational, or like, less… you? I don’t know.” Scythe shook his head. “I just can’t accurately read you,” Devynn hummed.

“I can definitely tell,” Devynn said, “Like the last time we did it… After the first round, I told you to slow down and be more careful. Even as… like, out of it as I get, I still can tell you to stop or slow down.” Scythe nodded.

“It is preferable for me that you communicate that kind of thing very openly,” Scythe followed up with, “It feels good, but I don’t want to get lost in that feeling and disregard you.” Devynn nodded.

“I… k-kinda like it when you do,” Devynn admitted, “Get lost in the feelings and disregard me, I mean.” Devynn giggled shyly, averting his eyes as embarrassment washed over him. He really didn’t want to say that aloud.

“Is that so?” Scythe asked, humming quietly as he brought his hand up to his chin, clearly contemplating something. “That is feasible, as long as you communicate when you want things to stop or slow down, respectively. But if you seem to be in pain, discomfort, or anything like that, I will stop and make sure you are okay.” Devynn nodded his head in understanding. Even if he hated it, he could understand it.

“I understand, Aksyě-Dhà,” Devynn agreed. “I will make sure that I communicate things to you. But if I don’t say anything, and I’m in a little p-pain, that doesn’t a-automatically mean I’m holding back from stopping you. I… do kinda l-like it… when it hurts a little…” Devynn trailed off, his voice going smaller.

“So pain doesn’t hurt you?” Scythe asked, sounding confused. Devynn shook his head.

“Pain is still pain,” He affirmed, “It just… isn’t as black and white. There’s a difference between g-good pain and bad pain.” Devynn struggled slightly, his eyes locking onto the fish he’d cooked. If they were going to continue this talk, Devynn thought he needed some alcohol to loosen his lips or remove his reservations, one or the other. He wasn’t sure which was preferable, but at the moment he wanted both .

“Oh,” Scythe answered, “Can you elaborate more on that? Good pain? I’ve never felt good pain, so I want to understand what you’re getting at.” Devynn let out a quiet breath, his cheeks heating up. This was going to take a while, he could already tell. 

ᨒᨔ෴⦁ᨖ⦁෴ᨔᨒ

⦁⚞【⎗ 𝙱𝚊𝚌𝚔】【𝙽𝚎𝚡𝚝⎘】⚟

⦁

【🖫】【🖬】【🗐】

⊶»﴾ 𝟷𝟺. 𝙸𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚜𝚎 ﴿«⊷

・⥋【𝐃 𝐄 𝐕 𝐘 𝐍 𝐍】⥋・ ・⥋ 【𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟸𝟼】【𝟸𝟻:𝟶𝟷:𝟶𝟻:𝟷𝟾】⥋・

Devynn was more than just relieved when he finally managed to get Scythe to understand what he meant by ‘Good Pain’ and ‘Bad Pain’ respectively. He had a difficult time because suddenly, Scythe seemed to not know how English. Well, that wasn’t exactly true. He still knew it, just not the examples Devynn was using to describe it. He’d finally broken down and been like ‘Punching my face is bad pain, smacking my ass is good pain’ as embarrassing as it’d been.

He’d hoped the ground would open up and swallow him whole, but Scythe had finally gotten the point, so he guessed it wasn’t all bad. Still, he felt really embarrassed. But, now maybe Scythe would smack his ass while fucking him? So he was choosing to look at it from the bright side. He didn’t know if that was a good way to look at things, but that’s what he was going with at the present moment.

Furthermore, he’d gone ahead and given Scythe the ‘talk’ because he didn’t figure anyone else was going to magically appear to do it for him. It was awkward, especially because he’d tried very hard to just go by the textbook and be like ‘Sex is for reproduction and stuff, but it feels good so people do it for that reason too’ in an attempt to sum it up in the most unembarrassing way possible. Scythe had asked him, very seriously, if he—as in Devynn—was pregnant. Devynn really should’ve seen that one coming. He walked right into it, even. He couldn’t even be mad, just throw himself into the calm waters of humiliated acceptance and explain.

With dinner eaten, and the multiple conversations behind them, finally, Devynn could get fucked again. He was ready, horny, and now that they’d talked about things more, maybe things would go more smoothly. Not that the last time had been bad, or had even been difficult. Scythe seemed effortlessly good at things, which honestly freaked Devynn out if he sat down and thought about it so he tried not to. This gave him a justification for improving, so he’d use it since he didn’t have another explanation.

Devynn was impatient at the moment, waiting on Scythe to finish rinsing the sweat off of him so they could fool around before bed. They’d need to head off to sleep soon, and they absolutely couldn’t pass out naked on the beach tonight. If by some chance Röfyenlyi woke up before they did, that wouldn’t be good. Besides, she really didn’t need to be alone all night, even if she was technically fine.

While Scythe was bathing in the oasis’s water, Devynn was sitting on the shore of it, letting the water rush over his skin. The sand beneath him was damp, clinging onto his skin—he’d definitely need to go into the water to get it off of him before they had sex… but he was enjoying the feeling of the water rushing his skin, and this gave him the perfect view of Scythe as he washed off.

He was only a little over knee deep in the water, giving Devynn perfect view of his muscular chest and his fully bared body. He looked so good, it was honestly hard to tear his eyes away. He was so well built, like absolute perfection. He was strong, too, Devynn noted to himself as his gaze trailed over his biceps. Geez, he’s almost too well-built.

Devynn had seen bodybuilders before who were less muscular than Scythe… but somehow he didn’t look like that. He wasn’t covered with visible veins, bulging as if there wasn’t room in his body for them still—no, Scythe looked perfect. He didn’t know what the hell the difference was, but there had to be one. Was Scythe a fucking god or something? He was really goddamn smart… but Devynn found that hard to believe or fathom.

While Scythe was smart, he wasn’t all-knowing. He was definitely a quick learner, but it wasn’t inhuman speeds that he learned at—just speeds that were impressive. He knew Scythe could just be playing stupid, but why would he? It just didn’t make sense. Scythe was just different from him… they were from different timelines, Scythe had said. Given that Devynn had never heard of Zhézviwian, that indicated to him that he wasn’t lying. Devynn just didn’t know what the difference was from the worlds they came from. The timelines they came from.

Devynn wanted to know more, he wanted to find out everything he could about the world Scythe had come from—but he couldn’t really do that. He’d never heard of timelines before, so he didn’t even know what his timeline was. Were there names for them? What made them different? Was it big differences or small ones or mixed? He had so many questions, and he honestly didn’t know if Scythe could even begin to answer them. He might could answer some of them, it wasn’t like he wanted the full details of everything to be satisfied… but still.

He had asked Scythe a lot of questions already, and Scythe had answered. He just hadn’t thought of everything all at once. Now more and more questions were beginning to trickle into his brain as he spent time sitting there. He just wanted to jump Scythe’s bones and turn his brain off.

Why does everything have to be so hard?

“Dvyuh-Dyá,” Scythe called, pulling Devynn from his thoughts. Devynn blinked a couple of times, making an inquisitive squeaking noise. “Come in, the waters nice.” Devynn hesitated a bit before standing up off of the sand and brushing the ass of his shorts off before sliding them down his legs and tossing them down onto the sand. He’d not really planned to get in before they had sex, but he wasn’t going to turn it down, either.

“Coming, A-Aksyě-Dhà,” Devynn replied, heading straight toward him. Walking through the water was a little difficult, he couldn’t lie, but when he reached Scythe, he found himself immediately pulled forward into a passionate kiss. Caught out and unexpecting, Devynn couldn’t help but whimper, his body melting forward into Scythe’s chest.

He was naked and so was Scythe, he could feel complete skin-to-skin contact like this, and it was dizzying. He felt like he’d stepped into an alternate reality—funny because he kind of had, hadn’t he?—where Scythe was somehow skilled enough to catch him off guard. He was surprised when he felt Scythe’s tongue experimentally slip out to press against his lip. Devynn didn’t think, he just dropped his mouth open, his head tilting back more as he felt Scythe’s tongue slink inside of his mouth.

Scythe’s tongue was sloppy as it explored his mouth, curious, but with a certain amount of confidence behind it. It wasn’t that Scythe knew what he was doing, he just was aware of his shortcomings and confident enough not to care… Devynn could never. But he found Scythe’s confidence attractive. He’d follow him into a flaming inferno, to be honest, merely because he was so unwaveringly confident in his decisions. Certain death, maybe—but if Scythe was confident it wasn’t, then Devynn could be persuaded.

Devynn whimpered as Scythe’s tongue ran along his, taking the initiative to tangle their tongues together. At first, it was uncoordinated, but it didn’t take Scythe long to begin copying what he did with his tongue, and when that happened, Devynn felt a little weak in the knees. Scythe didn’t have any experience with it, Devynn wasn’t expecting him to be able to knock his socks off with his abilities but Holy Macaroni maybe he could in a weird way.

It wasn’t that he was doing anything special, maybe Devynn was just wearing rose-colored glasses, but he couldn’t help melting into the kiss. His blood rushed through his veins so fast he could hear it, his heart pounding from excitement. He’d been reeling last time, wanting this, and now he had it and it was more than he expected and—he didn’t know. He was rambling, he knew, but he just didn’t know. It felt so good, he’d never wanted someone as much as he fucking craved Scythe.

Unable to help himself, Devynn tangled his fingers in Scythe’s hair, pulling him closer as he pushed himself up onto his tip-toes. It felt like Scythe was trying to consume him, devour him, and Devynn had never been more happy to surrender into it.

“A-Aksyě-Dhà,” Devynn gasped, breaking the kiss as Scythe’s hands gripped his ass, lifting him up off of his feet. Scythe met his scandalized look with a level, decisive expression on his face.

“Áktshü,” Scythe responded, making him squeak in confusion, “My name is Áktshü, Dvyuh-Dhá.” Devynn blinked, nodding his head, but still not really certain now was a good time to drop that one on him—what if he couldn’t say it?! He was so focused on Scythe telling him his name that he didn’t even notice him swap from using -Dyá at the end of his name to using -Dhá instead.

“Ect-shil?” Devynn attempted, making Scythe shake his head.

“Ahk-CHEE, Stress the final syllable more, but make sure you do the ‘t’ sound for a split second,” Scythe explained—er, Áktshü explained. That was going to take some adjusting, Devynn knew.

“Áktshü-Dhá,” Devynn attempted, and this time, he could tell he’d said it right just from how it sounded to his own ears. He felt like he was unlocking something, actually… The way it felt to pronounce the words was slightly different, Áktshü said to stress the final syllable more, but Devynn thought it was more the way he used his tongue to stress the final syllable. He knew there were different, like, motions(?) that tongues made depending on the language—like, in Spanish r’s can be rolled, an apical-alveolar trill, whereas in English the r is a rhotic consonant. He thought it might be something similar to that, though he wasn’t sure exactly how because it was just how he annunciated the final syllable of the word rather than a specific letter in the word.

If it worked for him, it worked, he might just be a little crazy—that was fine with him.

“Perfect, Dvyuh-Dhá,” Áktshü answered, “Perfect,” and then he was kissing him again, deeper still. It felt impossible, but somehow Áktshü managed to make him feel like he was the inexperienced one with how certain of himself Áktshü was. Áktshü pushed him back slightly, leading him back.

Devynn didn’t hesitate to let him lead him backward, assuming he’d be led down toward the beach again. He was wrong. Áktshü’s hands slid down beneath his ass, lifting him up after a moment, and then Devynn found himself sitting down on something—sand. Well, more like the sand beneath their feet, almost akin to a mountain or something, just underwater and made of sand. Devynn didn’t know if that existed in his world or not, but even if it did, it was astounding to him how it could.

Devynn worried briefly that the sand would collapse beneath his weight, but he pushed the thought aside as Áktshü leaned over him, resting the weight of his body over his. Devynn shuddered a little, his head spinning slightly as he felt his lungs burning. He couldn’t stand the thought of breaking the kiss, though, not for anything… Even oxygen. Devynn was faintly aware of the feeling of the slight stubble rubbing against his skin, but he just didn’t care.

“Dvyuh-Dhà,” Áktshü murmured as he broke the kiss, his hips shifting forward more, the head of his cock trailing along Devynn’s hip. “I want to touch you.” Devynn flushed brightly, his head nodding. He couldn’t help but feel bashful under the gaze Áktshü had him pinned beneath. He had said the same thing the last time they had sex, and Devynn didn’t know if he was prepared to be stared at that intensely again… still, though, he wasn’t about to say no either. He wanted to be touched by Scythe… no, Áktshü. Holy Macaroni, it’s hard to adjust to that.

What was with him, lately? Hadn’t he been too affectionate as per his usual put-out stand-offish-ness? Devynn didn’t know what to make of it before, and now he’d told him his name… Surely that wasn’t just him making a big deal of nothing, right? Even when Devynn had told him his name, he’d insisted that names didn’t matter here… Devynn couldn’t help thinking that Áktshü maybe had another reason for withholding the name in the first place.

Maybe feeling familiar was scary for him? Devynn was no psychologist, or anything even remotely close, but it could maybe stem from his very apparent fear of losing people. Devynn could see that much from a mile away—he’d stepped on a landmine with that one already once, saying he’d rather die. He’d been thoughtless at the time, not thinking about what his comment would do to Áktshü because he’d thought he didn’t care. It was becoming obvious to him that Áktshü did care, though. He just wasn’t sure in what way.

Could Áktshü have… feelings for him? It felt so unrealistic, even unimaginable, honestly, that Devynn felt a little crazy just thinking it to himself.

“T-Touch me,” Devynn answered shyly, his teeth sinking down into his bottom lip. He wanted to feel Áktshü’s hands on him, no matter where he decided to touch him. He would prefer his cock to get the attention this time, but with Áktshü… well, Devynn didn’t know what to expect. He was a total wild card, he could really think of doing anything at any time, because Devynn wasn’t sure where his ideas would spawn from.

Curiosity, maybe… but even then, what would inspire the curiosity if it wasn’t Devynn himself? He couldn’t get his ideas from porn, they didn’t have the internet. Maybe he could, like, read something, but Devynn didn’t really know what he would read. They didn’t exactly have plentiful books.

Áktshü didn’t need more prompting than that, thankfully, because Devynn was so ready. Scythe’s hands slid along his lower back, trailing his sides before he began to run them over Devynn’s abdomen. Devynn couldn’t hold back the shuddery breath he released as Scythe’s hands trailed upwards, toward his chest. Devynn practically choked on his tongue when Áktshü’s thumbs ran along his rib, just below his pectorals.

It was sudden, catching him off guard, and he was surprised to note the trail of tingles that followed in the wake of Áktshü’s fingertips. He hadn’t felt such a fleeting but pleasant sensation like this before, ever. He wasn’t sure what it was that made it feel good—just that Scythe was doing it? That felt so extra and stupid, Holy Macaroni. To be honest though, he didn’t think anyone other than Scythe had ever touched him quite the same way Scythe did.

“You’re small,” Áktshü commented, making Devynn flush and shake his head. He wasn’t, he swore. He was five foot eight, and Áktshü was just a fucking mastodon giant in comparison. He had to be at least six foot two, if not more… Of course Devynn looked like nothing in comparison. Devynn also was gaining some muscle mass, more than he had before.

“I’m n-not,” Devynn denied shyly, “You’re just huge in comparison…” Áktshü chuckled and nodded, rolling his eyes.

“Still, you’re small,” Áktshü reiterated, not giving him a chance to retort anything, before his hands slid up more, cupping Devynn’s chest on either side. Devynn squeaked, Scythe’s fingertips sliding dangerously close to his armpits as he ran his fingers over his nipples. The combining ticklish sensation and the pleasure from having his nipples played with was enough to have him shivering and letting out a quiet moan. Áktshü’s eyes sparked with excitement and then he ran his thumb along his nipple again.

Devynn couldn’t help moaning, his head lulling back as his eyes slid shut. It wasn’t nearly enough for him, he wanted more, but it did feel good. He just wanted Áktshü’s cock right now, truthfully. It had been a couple of days, and Devynn had been anticipating it the entire time. He’d been cock blocked so many times that he almost felt irritated, and all he wanted was more. More stimulation, touching, more of Scythe—fuck, Áktshü, he swore he’d get it eventually.

“Does that feel good?” Áktshü questioned, making Devynn nod his head. Áktshü nodded, his hands moving then, fingers clamping around his nipples. Devynn squeaked, the sting of pain and pleasure as it surged through him making his head feel light. Damn, he was sensitive now. More so in the places that hadn’t been touched much since being here… like his nipples. He hadn’t thought of touching them until now, at least not since being here.

“D-Don’t squeeze so much,” Devynn squeaked out, a little horrified as he felt his cock rubbing against Scythe’s abdomen beneath the water. It’d been there for a while technically and he’d not noticed it, but suddenly, Devynn felt like he was teetering on the edge of an orgasm already.

“You seem to like it, though,” Áktshü pointed out, rolling his nipples between his fingers as if to prove his point, making Devynn whine. Áktshü was right, he did like it. It just felt too good right now, he didn’t want to cum before Áktshü had done anything to him. He knew last time he’d cum like four times before Áktshü came once. He need to work on his endurance, but it was really hard to do that when Áktshü was so unintentionally good at working him up.

“B-But I don’t wanna cum too quick,” Devynn explained breathlessly, his head swimming with sensation as Áktshü hummed, his fingers still squeezing and twisting slightly. He looked like he was deliberating something before he shook his head.

“I want you to cum,” Áktshü stated bluntly, he still didn’t know how to talk dirty. He just said what he was thinking—which arguably, Devynn thought he found more attractive than the overly thought-out dirty talk he’d experienced before. It always felt too much like roleplay to him, things always felt too thought out and rehearsed. Probably because Áktshü had never watched porn, but Devynn preferred his blunt, non-eroticism in comparison to what felt like people trying too hard.

“Then… m-make me?” Devynn dared to snark because he still wasn’t ready to surrender, but he wouldn’t be opposed to Scythe making him. He liked Áktshü using him for his pleasure, a big part of his fantasy is surrounding Áktshü treating him like he was just a hole to fuck. That doesn’t mean he has to always give in without push-back… the mere idea of Áktshü making him submit turned him on more than he liked to admit.

He knew it was a little silly, he already submitted so readily all the time, what was the point of being made to submit? He didn’t really need to be made to do it… but still. It felt more fun if he made him work for it a little, at least sometimes. Maybe he was searching for justification where he didn’t need it.

“Okay,” Áktshü responded as if he missed the snark in his tone and just thought he was challenging him. Still, it spurred him to action almost immediately. One of Áktshü’s hands left Devynn’s nipple, dropping down to teasingly run along the length of his cock beneath the water, fingers circling it after a moment. Devynn couldn’t help gasping at the direct stimulation, fighting the urge to push forward into his hand.

Holy Macaroni, he was just going for it tonight. Granted, he hadn’t exactly just jumped right in every time. It was hard to know if Devynn was imagining the fact that it seemed like he wasn’t wasting time tonight or not—was he as eager for this as Devynn had been this entire time? Devynn was going a little mental himself, but Áktshü always seemed so composed and unbothered, it was really hard to know if he was feeling the distance as much as Devynn was.

Áktshü immediately began stroking him off, the water holding the pace of it to one that wasn’t going to push Devynn over the edge almost immediately… though there was a good chance that it would if he was left unchecked for too long. Devynn wasn’t going to stop him, though—no way in hell. It felt good, the pressure of his grip was perfect, and each upward stroke had precum leaking from the tip of his cock. He could feel it, even though it was mixing with the water almost immediately. It just—oh god, Áktshü was too good at playing with him. He felt like he might lose his mind.

Devynn squirmed a little, his hand reaching down to wrap around Áktshü’s cock, his hand squeezing around the base a little as he gulped slightly. Somehow, Devynn just couldn’t wrap his head around the size of his cock. It would honestly be embarrassing if they were gonna sit down and compare them, but all he could do like this is marvel at it.

“I-I wanna—” Devynn broke off with a choked whine as Áktshü’s fingers squeezed his nipple and rolled it in time with an upwards stroke of his cock, “I want you t-to fuck my face,” Devynn pled, remembering how it felt to have his hands on the back of his head and his cock on his tongue.

“No,” Áktshü responded, leaning down to capture his lips in a kiss before Devynn could press more. Devynn let out a moan into the kiss, his eyes fluttering shut as his brain centered in on the feeling of Áktshü’s touch, his mind centering in on the feeling of Áktshü’s hands. The one around his cock was moving so fast it was dizzying, and he just couldn’t help pushing his hips up into it. He couldn’t match Áktshü’s pace at all, his movements were uncoordinated at best, probably hindering things more than helping but he just couldn’t help himself.

The fingers that were teasing and tugging his nipples were almost too rough, but it was teetering just at the fine line between good and bad, keeping Devynn mostly compliant though unable to hold back the moans and whines that tried to escape him in response. Most of them were muffled in Áktshü’s mouth, the kiss preventing the noise from carrying.

Their tongues were tangled together, Áktshü completely controlling the pace and speed, his tongue leading Devynn’s in the kiss entirely. He was practically silenced, he couldn’t find words nor could he even attempt to because he’s got Áktshü’s tongue in his mouth.

“G-Gotta b-breathe,” Devynn gasped out between kisses, prompting Áktshü to pull back just enough to let him breathe. Devynn let his eyes blink open, his heart hammering in his chest as he tried to suck in as much oxygen as he could, meeting Áktshü’s gaze shyly. He didn’t know exactly why, but he felt so exposed this time. Maybe it was just because Áktshü knew they were having sex now? Explaining things made Devynn even more hyperaware of what Áktshü might be thinking.

He’d said last time that Devynn was soft, and pretty—he’d gone further to say that he was beautiful… he’d stared at him the entire time, which was really embarrassing. But… Devynn liked the way it felt to be held under his scrutinous gaze. He just wasn’t sure how to react under the gaze. He wanted to know what was actually on his mind.

“Ôtké, I want to…” Áktshü trailed off, seemingly uncertain what to say, “How do we use the anesthetic as a lubricant? You said you wanted to test it, right?” Áktshü asked. Devynn nodded, motioning toward the beach where he’d been sitting.

“I left it o-over there,” He explained, flushing brightly. He’d not expected Áktshü to jump his bones right off the bat or he would’ve brought it with him. Still, he was far from disappointed. He wanted to get to the point as badly as Áktshü did, honestly.

“Then come on,” Áktshü grumbled, lifting him up off of the little sand ledge he’d been resting on, and carrying him over to the beach. Devynn was impatient, he’d never stopped being impatient, and right now, all he wanted was to feel Áktshü touch him. He’d been so desperate for Áktshü to touch him for the past two days that the promise of him actually doing it had his hole twitching slightly.

Áktshü wasted no time at all carrying him over to the shore where he had been before, dropping down to his knees. Áktshü was careful as he leaned over, lying Devynn down on his back. He couldn’t help feeling a bit dizzy.

“H-Here?” Devynn whispered, feeling a little shy beneath the intense gaze Áktshü had him trapped in. Áktshü nodded his head, his eyes roaming over Devynn’s bared body, gaze lingering on his cock. Devynn’s eyes darted down to peek at Áktshü’s cock, his face burning brighter. Oh, Holy Macaroni, he’d always known it, but somehow with Áktshü’s attention on his cock, he was suddenly way more aware of how much smaller his cock was in comparison. It wasn’t embarrassing exactly, but he didn’t really know what he’d call it…

Arousing, maybe. Seeing the difference in their physical size was one thing that kind of drove him crazy already. He’d only managed to fit himself into this fantasy because of the drastic difference—Áktshü being bigger than him was just… oooh. He loved it. Feeling small and overpowered, like a toy, being manhandled and used. Seeing Áktshü’s cock hang down over him like a weapon of mass destruction might’ve played into that just a little. A little.

“Dvyuh-Dhà,” Áktshü murmured, “How do I use it?” Devynn shivered a little, his eyes lowering as he tried to figure out how to put this into words.

“Th-The same way you used it l-last time,” Devynn replied, “Just… stick your fingers in it then…” Áktshü nodded his head in response and then jumped to action, his fingers sinking into the cut-open end of the fruit, taking some of the liquid onto his fingers and bringing them over to Devynn. Devynn couldn’t help shivering a little, the idea of Áktshü’s hands on him made his body react. He wanted to feel—

Áktshü’s hand wrapped around the length of Devynn’s cock, his heart stuttering as pleasure rushed through him. He couldn’t help wanting to push his hips forward into Áktshü’s hand, his teeth sinking into his bottom lip in an attempt to fight back the urge. He had to mediate his desire somehow, his entire body was screaming for more… still, he didn’t want to rush Áktshü and whatever he wanted from him.

“You’re so pretty,” Áktshü murmured, his hand dragging along the length of Devynn’s cock, pulling a moan from his lips. Devynn couldn’t help the flush staining his cheeks from the admission, his heart skipping a beat in his chest. Áktshü’s head dipped down, taking the length of Devynn’s cock into his mouth rather suddenly. Devynn squeaked, his hands darting down to grab at Áktshü’s head, pleasure coursing through him as the feeling of warmth and wetness surrounded him.

He hadn’t had his dick sucked in so long he could barely process it at first, his brain practically short-circuiting. Scythe… SCYTHE was sucking his cock and somehow that felt far-fetched, even to himself as he experienced it. He couldn’t help but wonder if he was dreaming. Had he fallen asleep under the sun and had a heat stroke? Could that cause him to imagine this? But it felt so real… Áktshü curiously swirled his tongue around the head of Devynn’s cock, pulling a moan from Devynn’s lips.

Áktshü wasn’t magically great at sucking dick, actually, he was kind of bad at it, but Devynn just couldn’t think about that. Not when it was Áktshü, Scythe, doing it. Even in a position that should’ve given Devynn the power hypothetically, Áktshü was still entirely in control, holding him in place with nothing more than a heated gaze that would occasionally meet his. It was a lot different from anything that Devynn had ever experienced. He didn’t know how he should act, but it made him feel fuzzy and desperate.

Áktshü’s tongue circled around the length of his cock, somehow not gagging despite how Devynn could feel the head of his cock going deep enough that he would’ve gagged if roles were reversed. Did he not have a gag reflex or something? As hot as that was, Devynn felt like it was lost on him at the moment because he couldn’t focus on anything but the pleasure that coursed through him in response.

Even as inexperienced as he was, Devynn found it hard to mediate the pleasure and fight back his orgasm. He could feel it creeping closer and closer with every uncoordinated bob of Áktshü’s head. He was barely doing anything, and yet… he was fighting it really hard and was still managing to feel like he was losing the battle.

Devynn, somewhat embarrassed and afraid he might cum too quickly, pulled at Áktshü’s hair somewhat desperately. He needed Áktshü to release him or else—fuck, Devynn sobbed as Áktshü let his head drop down, taking his cock all the way to the base inside of his mouth and that was it. All it took.

“N-No!” Devynn couldn’t help crying out, his eyes slamming shut as he felt his orgasm rushing through him. He couldn’t fight back the tremors that rocked through his body, shaking him wholly to the core, as his back arched up. He couldn’t help pulling at Scythe’s hair desperately, wanting him to release or—or something. He didn’t rightfully know what he wanted at the moment, but he wanted it. He wanted something. Áktshü pulled his head up after a moment, his eyes meeting Devynn’s.

Devynn couldn’t help shuddering a little as he looked up at Áktshü through his lashes, his heart hammering against his ribcage, uncertain if Áktshü had swallowed or if he was holding it in his mouth. He was embarrassed, waiting edgily for Áktshü to make a comment, to say something in response, so he didn’t have to try to figure out what he should say. He didn’t know, should he apologize? Tell him to spit it out? He hadn’t spit it out when he sucked Áktshü off, so Áktshü might not know he could just spit it out if he didn’t want to swallow it…

“Did that feel good?” Áktshü asked curiously, answering multiple of Devynn’s questions all at once and still leaving him grappling for words as he nodded his head. “It wasn’t uncomfortable, but you didn’t hold my head in place,” Scythe noted, and Devynn nodded. He was only half listening, truthfully, caught somewhere between the pleasure still buzzing through him and the humiliation he was feeling for seemingly little to no reason at all.

“I-It’s different,” Devynn managed to get out, “When I do it for you, I-I want you to hold my head in place. B-But, I… don’t want to be in control of you.” Devynn explained shakily, “I-I want to take what you g-give me, and for you to control what I get…” Devynn thought he was going to explode from the embarrassment he was facing, truthfully. He didn’t love talking about what he wanted sexually, that’s why he’d never gotten it up until now. He… well, he made allowances to explain stuff to Áktshü because he knew there was no way he’d ever just guess it.

“Oh,” Áktshü answered, sounding a bit curious, “You cried last time.” Devynn shook his head, his cheeks flushing.

“It wasn’t from pain, th-though,” Devynn answered, reaching his hand down between their bodies to wrap it around the length of Áktshü’s cock. Áktshü let out a quiet groan, his hips pushing forward into Devynn’s hand. “It’s because I kept gagging so much,” he explained breathily, shivering a little as Áktshü’s hand skimmed along his side, the touch gentle enough to have giggles trying to escape him. “I’d tell you if you hurt me,” Devynn assured, making Áktshü nod.

Devynn fought back the giggles, focusing instead on moving his hand along the length of Áktshü’s cock, the feeling of it trailing against his palm and fingers. He could faintly feel it throbbing, almost taunting him—he wanted it buried inside of him. It wasn’t enough to merely touch, nor to feel, no, he needed it so deep inside of him that he couldn’t tell where Áktshü ended and he began.

“D-Do you want to put it in-inside me?” Devynn questioned after a moment of stroking his cock, prompting a shake of Áktshü’s head.

“I still want to touch you,” Áktshü answered, his eyes glimmering with passion and arousal. He was way too determined to make Devynn cum himself into a stupor. Devynn was pretty sure he’d lose his mind if Áktshü insisted on making him cum buckets before even getting inside of him. Still… he wasn’t exactly against losing his mind.

“Okay,” Devynn replied, flushing a little, his heart stuttering in his chest as Áktshü pulled back a little and trailed his eyes over Devynn’s body, his eyes settling on his cock, before dipping lower, toward his ass. “D-Do you want me to… open my legs more?” Devynn murmured shyly. Áktshü nodded his head, so Devynn was quick to spread his legs more despite the embarrassment that washed through him from being fully exposed like this.

He’d never felt so bared before, and underneath Áktshü’s scrutinizing gaze it was only that much worse. He both wanted to cover himself, and sink back against the sandy shore he was resting on and let Scythe take him over and consume him. He didn’t really care if he was embarrassed or anything, as long as he was getting his rocks off in the end. Honestly, it only made his orgasms feel better, somehow.

Áktshü dipped his fingers into the fruit again, and this time when he touched him, his fingers slid down along the rim of Devynn’s hole. Devynn let out a whimper, his heart thudding in his chest as he felt the tip of it slide into him without resistance. Unable to hold back the whimper that bubbled up from his lips, Devynn fought the urge to wiggle himself back in an attempt to take his finger deeper.

Holy Macaroni, just having something to smooth the way made a huge difference. Spit worked, but it didn’t work this well. Hell, he was halfway wondering if it wasn’t better than lube. It was thicker than lube, that much was certain, but something about it felt almost like the silicone-based lubricants from home. It was much more comfortable than using spit, too—God, he wanted Scythe’s cock inside of him. Damn, he was still fucking up Áktshü’s name. It was so hard to remember though—especially since it didn’t sound anywhere near an English name. It was hard to say it, but at least his mind could hear Scythe’s pronunciation instead of his own.

“F-Fuck,” Devynn gasped, pleasure sparking behind his eyes as Áktshü’s finger quirked, expertly locating his prostate as if he had already memorized where it was. Áktshü’s eyes darted up to meet Devynn’s, his lips pulling up into a smirk. Áktshü replicated the action again, his forefinger circling directly over his prostate.

Devynn couldn’t help but shudder with the movement, the pleasure from it making his head spin. Scythe really loved to play with his prostate, and it wasn’t like Devynn was complaining… but still, he couldn’t help but want so much more than just his fingers inside of him. He was impatient after days, and while it was fun for Áktshü to tease and play with him, it just didn’t feel like enough right now. Maybe it was because he’d already jizzed once, but he wanted more than foreplay now.

Áktshü pressed his thumb against Devynn’s perineum, pushing a cry from his mouth before he could hold it back. Áktshü’s eyes darted up to scan Devynn’s face, confusion written across his expression.

“Did that hurt?” Áktshü queried, prompting Devynn to shake his head desperately. It felt so good, Devynn didn’t know how to put his thoughts to words. Áktshü applied more pressure to his perineum as his finger pressed firmly against his inner walls, effectively squeezing his prostate between his pointer finger and his thumb. Devynn found himself squeaking, his eyes rolling back as Áktshü applied more pressure.

Liquid fire raced up his spine, sparks dancing behind his eyes as pleasure burst through him. Fuck, fuck, it was so strong he could hardly function with the pressure on both sides of his prostate. It felt so good and intense that he couldn’t form a single thought in his brain, everything was blurring together around the edges. He felt, Holy Macaroni, he felt close again but he couldn’t cum again this soon. He could… physically speaking at least… but it was too soon. He was too sensitive, but god did it feel amazing.

“Áktshü-Dhà I-I’m—!” Devynn broke off with a cry as Áktshü squeezed again, more this time, enough to make Devynn’s entire body jolt. He felt like he might cum again, fuck, “I-I…” Devynn stammered, his body tensing as he felt his orgasm speeding closer to him. Not again, not yet at least, fuck he wasn’t ready, but Holy Macaroni he wanted it at the same time. He was torn somewhere between blissful overstimulation and desperation for this to last as long as possible. It’d felt so good the last time when he’d been so—just thinking about it was enough to have him shivering.

“Are you going to cum?” Áktshü questioned, a pleased smile stretching across his face as his eyes scanned over Devynn’s body hungrily. Devynn nodded, too breathless and hazed to think of a verbal response to his words, his hands reaching up to grasp at Áktshü’s shoulders in a shaky attempt to steady himself for the eventual fall. “Good,” Áktshü said, nodding his head, rather self-satisfied. Devynn let out a whimper, his back arching as Áktshü’s fingers applied just a little more pressure on either side.

Devynn let out a loud, needy whine, his eyes slamming shut as he trembled, cum practically spewing from the head of his cock as it painted his chest. Shaken to the core and still uncertain what exactly happened, Devynn panted and shook, pleasure zinging through his body. He could hardly contain himself, the overstimulation was biting into him and making his head feel light. All he could think about was getting Scythe’s cock inside of him. Holy Macaroni, he wanted it so much.

“P-Please,” Devynn pled shakily, “I-I want your cock inside of me.” He had to sound crazy, his brain was a mess of need and desire, and his hands clinging to his shoulders desperately. Áktshü let out a groan as Devynn’s nails bit into his skin, his eyes darkening. “I need it, p-please,” Devynn begged, his eyes darting down to Áktshü’s cock, his heart thumping against his ribcage desperately.

“I haven’t stretched you enough yet,” Áktshü stated, “Every time it’s taken longer than this,” Devynn whined and shook his head.

“It doesn’t have to take long,” Devynn answered, “As long as m-multiple fingers go inside me first…” He trailed off, realizing already that he had assured this would take longer than it already had, but honestly, there was something a little fun about the desperate need he was feeling being denied by Áktshü.

“Be patient,” Áktshü stated firmly, “I’ll give you what you want because I also want it, too.” Devynn knew it was silly, but there was something kind of hot about the way Áktshü said that. He knew it was to assure him that he’d get fucked soon, but the whole ‘because I also want it’ thing was enough to have Devynn’s head spinning. Logically speaking, that was the case with every person he’d had sex with, but no one had ever said it in such a straightforward manner before. It felt somewhat objectifying, maybe—Devynn wasn’t certain exactly, but Holy Macaroni did he like it.

“Y-Yes, Áktshü-Dhà,” Devynn replied, somewhat shakily, his eyes widening slightly as he looked up at Áktshü. Áktshü leaned over him, pressing his lips to Devynn’s forehead as he slipped a second finger inside his hole. Devynn was surprised at how lubricant-like the fruit’s inside was—the sap-like liquid was thick, so thick Devynn had thought they’d have to thin it out, but it worked surprisingly as is without struggle.

It was more effective than the silicone-based ones Devynn had used most frequently at home, to his surprise… He couldn’t even feel the stretch, though that might be because this also had slight numbing properties. He’d been a little worried that it’d burn going inside of him because he couldn’t imagine something like lidocaine going up his ass being pleasant… but this was kind of amazing. Any traces of discomfort were completely erased, and while it should’ve lessened the amount of sensation he was feeling, somehow it only increased the pleasurable parts of this.

“Does it hurt?” Áktshü asked curiously, “Can you feel it?” Devynn nodded. Holy Macaroni, he didn’t know why Áktshü even felt the need to ask that when he’d just cum from it. Well, not from him adding the finger…

“Y-Yes I can feel it, no it doesn’t h-hurt,” Devynn managed to get out, his hands coming down to hook behind his knees in an attempt to hold himself open for Scythe more, “K-Keep going, please,” Devynn pled, his cheeks flushing. He couldn’t wait to feel what Áktshü’s cock felt like if his fingers felt this good. Was this like, an aphrodisiac kind of effect? Or was the lack of pain at all simply heightening the amount of focus he paid to the pleasure? He genuinely couldn’t tell, hell it could’ve been a mix of the two in some weird way, but it was awe-inspiring.

“Hm,” Áktshü hummed thoughtfully, “It’s much, much easier to push my fingers in.” He noted. Devynn nodded. Honestly, he thought with this stuff involved, two might be enough. Granted, he didn’t want to test his luck and rip his fucking asshole, he didn’t have access to medical attention here. He had a strong feeling that if something like that ever did happen, Áktshü might never touch him again because he’d fear hurting him.

“F-Feels so good,” Devynn answered, his hands balling into fists as he tried to focus on literally anything but the pleasure decimating his thought process. He didn’t want to cum again until Áktshü was pushing inside of him. He steeled his will and readied himself for a battle because he knew it wouldn’t take long for Áktshü to have his orgasm trying to claim him. Devynn was honestly a little flabbergasted, he was totally new to this and yet he was managing to knock Devynn off his feet.

Devynn couldn’t have been happier with the outcome, truthfully. He’d gone into this expecting Áktshü to have experience anyway. However, the fact that he didn’t and could still have Devynn shaking in his boots (metaphorically) meant Devynn really couldn’t wait for him to have experience. He would volunteer as tribute, Scythe could do just about anything he wanted to him and Devynn wouldn’t have a complaint.

“Dvyuh-Dhà,” Áktshü murmured, “Can I do the third? Is it too soon?” He wasn’t asking for permission, it was more or less a check-in, and Devynn was quick to nod his head. He wasn’t worried about the foreplay anymore at this point, but he knew Áktshü would be hard to convince and didn’t want to waste his breath. He was too strung out on the pleasure he’d received already, there was nothing more he could do at the present moment other than try to hold his voice in enough to keep from drawing monsters, or Röfyenlyi’s attention to them.

“Fuuuck,” Devynn whined, his head lulling back into the sand. His hair would need to be washed after this but he just couldn’t summon the energy to give a fuck. The feeling of Áktshü’s finger stretching the rim of his hole was there, this time, the faintest hint of burn seeping past the sap-like anesthetic.

“Did that hurt?” Áktshü asked, and Devynn shook his head. It didn’t hurt—what little he could feel in the way of discomfort only added to the experience. Fuck, he just wanted to be fucked. “Feel good?” Devynn nodded, his hands falling down to the sand as he looked up at Áktshü desperately.

“Y-Yes, Áktshü-Dhà, please,” Devynn pled, “I-I want your cock inside me, pl-please, I just can’t take it anymore, please, please—!” Devynn was cut off by a squeak that escaped him as Áktshü quirked his fingers, firmly applying pressure to his prostate.

“You are so impatient,” Áktshü scolded him, “I will give you what you want soon enough. For the time being, hush,” Devynn whimpered, nodding his head as Áktshü began to scissor his fingers, the feeling of them lightly stretching the rim of this hole was absolutely amazing. All he wanted to do was feel the way Áktshü’s cock would stretch him out, fill him up.

Still, the pleasure was very present and hard to ignore—all he could focus on is the way Áktshü’s fingers felt as they pulled and pressed against the walls of his hole. The lack of experience was less notable this time, he seemed overall more certain, his fingers aiming with more confidence than they ever had before. Devynn was completely lost in the sensation, the feelings coursing through his body were enough to have him dazed and slightly blissed. Fuck he wanted everything . To be full, to be fucked, for Áktshü to fucking wreck him the way Devynn knew he would.

Áktshü’s fingers moved with a sort of finesse Devynn had never managed to accomplish and it wouldn’t be his first attempt if he were to do it—Áktshü just seemed so capable. He was good at everything, it was kind of dizzying. Devynn found it hot, honestly. It fed into his fantasy a lot that Áktshü could do anything necessary to take care of him. He guessed that was a little egotistical, but he chose to look at it more like wanting a 1950s housewife dynamic. Without the house part, but he digressed.

He would look really cute in something feminine and cutesy, letting Áktshü peel the layers off of him while he played coy and shy. Fuck, the mere idea of that had his cock twitching and leaking where it rested on his lower abdomen. He’d never thought about it much before, but he’d definitely heard of cross-dressing and had seen ample amounts of porn with it involved, but he’d never let himself consider himself as the one wearing the outfits.

But now, he could see it so clearly, something lacy and tight, that’d cup his cock and his ass, maybe a pretty negligee, or just some lacy thigh highs? Both together?

As lost in his own thoughts and sensations as he was, Devynn almost missed the feeling of Áktshü’s fingers pulling out of him. Almost. He hadn’t, not entirely. When he suddenly felt them pull from him, Devynn let out a desperate, needy moan of impatience. He wasn’t ready for Áktshü to pull out his fingers, even though he wanted his cock more than anything. It’d caught him off guard, and his brain was too laggy to catch up.

“How do I…?” Áktshü muttered, his eyes darting over to the fruit lying beside them. “Do I just scoop it?” Too hazed to form a sentence, Devynn just nodded his head and let out a shuddery breath as he watched Áktshü’s fingers as they dipped into the fruit, getting more of the sap-like anesthetic on his fingers. Áktshü brought his fingers down to his cock, quickly stroking himself to spread it around before the head of his cock was pressing against the rim of Devynn’s hole.

“Y-Yeshhh,” Devynn moaned, his hands gripping into the sand desperately, feeling it crumble in his grip as Áktshü tipped his hips forward. The length of his cock slid inside of him, the pressure as it rubbed against his sensitive inner walls had Devynn shivering, his entire body shaking.

“Fuck,” Áktshü groaned, his head lulling forward, hair falling down over his shoulders. “It feels better than usual,” he muttered, almost as if it were an afterthought, his hips immediately beginning to move. He rutted his hips forward, his body falling down over Devynn’s his elbows digging down into the sand on either side of Devynn’s head as he captured his lips in a kiss.

Devynn lost himself in the kiss, in the feeling of fullness as Áktshü thrust his hips forward in short tight movements. It was barely enough to really be called movements, but still, somehow, Devynn was so far gone that it didn’t even matter. The movement was movement, even if it was just enough to drive him delirious with need. He’d deal with that when he needed to, but in the meantime… all he felt like doing was lying there and taking it.

Áktshü’s tongue moved against his in an elegant movement that made him shudder, the sensation of their tongues rubbing against each other was dizzying, arousing. He could faintly taste his own cum on Áktshü’s tongue, salty, he’d always hated the taste of his own—but like this, he couldn’t help but let his mind run away from him. In the moment, the taste didn’t matter, the fact that Áktshü tasted like him was enough to outweigh the displeasure from something as trivial as flavor.

Áktshü had him pinned down into the sand, holding him firmly in place where he wanted him, and it made Devynn feel a rush of helplessness. It was intoxicating, the feeling of being helpless, and useless, the urge to sink and yield to Áktshü’s whims overpowering everything else.

“Dvyuh-Dhà,” Áktshü groaned, breaking the kiss and allowing him to gasp in a breath. Devynn found himself a little more breathless than he thought he was, his lungs burning from the lack of oxygen. He was dizzy and aroused, the world spinning around him like he was spinning in circles. His sandy hands darted up to cling onto Áktshü, desperate for stability in a dizzied, swaying world. “I’m going to move faster.”

The words hit Devynn’s brain, sending liquid fire racing through his nerve endings, evoking a surge of warmth that made Devynn’s head feel light. He nodded his head, his lips parting as he pulled his eyes open to look up at Áktshü through his lashes, pleasure racing through him as he began to move. Áktshü hadn’t been kidding when he said he was going to move faster, he went from barely moving at all to thrusting roughly and deeply into him without hesitation or reluctance at all, quiet grunts and moans leaving his mouth with his movements.

Every movement of Áktshü’s hips grew with a swift gradation of intensity; the strength and speed of the thrusts punched breathless moans from Devynn’s mouth. He did his very best to keep the sound to a minimum but with Áktshü’s thrusting, Devynn wasn’t doing a good job. He just couldn’t help it when every move of Scythe’s cock inside of him was bashing his prostate. He could barely even think to hold himself quiet, with the pleasure wreaking havoc within his body.

“Áktshü-Dhà,” Devynn whined, halfway desperate, “I-It feels s-so good, please go h-ha… harder…” He was panting so much, just trying to catch his breath as the forward momentum from every thrust practically punched the breath from his lungs in tandem with the noises. He was so fuzzy, so warm, Áktshü felt so fucking good inside of him. He felt so blissed out and satisfied, the corners and edges of his mind almost feeling as if they were cotton coated.

Everything felt so far away from him like this as if he were untouchable as long as Áktshü was holding him.

“Ësh ïsksilkyuh ëlzh, you’re high maintenance,” Áktshü grumbled, his voice sounded punched and deep, arousal thickening it. There was a hint of a growl behind his words, rather that was arousal or annoyance Devynn wasn’t sure, but damn did it make his body throb. Áktshü brought his fingers down to Devynn’s mouth, pushing them inside of it to silence him. “You said earlier you want to take what I give you, and for me to control what you get… so for the time being, shut up.” Devynn squeaked as Áktshü’s hips pistoned forward harder, his eyes rolling back instantly from the direct contact with his prostate, the taste of something sweet blossoming on his tongue.

Devynn would’ve been snarky back, were he not a little too preoccupied with the feeling of Áktshü’s cock moving inside of him combining with him telling him to shut up and forcibly gagging him. Unable to help himself, he moaned around the fingers holding his tongue down so he couldn’t speak, panting around them. His brain was a jumbled mess, fried beyond belief, he’d seen computers from the 1900s work better than his brain was at the present moment and that was saying something.

Áktshü was so good at taking him apart like this, it was honestly somewhat dizzying.

“Pl-Plesh,” Devynn tried to beg after a moment, but even he couldn’t understand himself so he was sure that Áktshü couldn’t either. He hadn’t intended to speak, honestly, but his brain and tongue were currently not on the same page and all he could do is what he could do. Even at the cost of disobeying orders, he just couldn’t help himself.

“You’re so pretty, Dvyuh-Dhà,” Áktshü murmured, “Even prettier when you can’t run your mouth. You look so desperate right now, even more so than when you don’t stop running this.” As if to illustrate his point, Áktshü pressed his fingers down on Devynn’s tongue more. Up until that, he’d been coasting right at the peak of pleasure, never tipping toward his release, but the words flowing out of Áktshü’s mouth were enough to make his head swim and brain foggy.

“Gnma cmmm,” Devynn tried to get out, tried to warn him that he was suddenly really close and speeding closer, but he was mostly unsuccessful. Holy Macaroni, it felt so good, like he was losing his damn mind. He wanted so much, and all at one time. He didn’t know what to do with himself, he just— God, he loved this. Áktshü’s eyes sparked with excitement, and realization, his gaze seeming to burn hotter as he stared straight into Devynn’s eyes.

“Sorry, I couldn’t quite make that out,” Áktshü taunted, the pads of his fingers pushing farther into Devynn’s mouth. Devynn couldn’t help gagging around them, tears prickling at the corners of his eyes, his cock throbbing in time with his heart rate as he stared helplessly up at Áktshü through hooded and watery eyes. Devynn really hated that Áktshü could see right through him, but on the other hand, he wanted nothing more than to be teased and taunted relentlessly.

“Cmmmng,” Devynn tried again, humiliation washing through him as Áktshü chuckled in response. Fuck, he really couldn’t understand him. Still, it was hot as hell. His tongue felt the slightest bit tingly and numb, he realized, the anesthetic stuff they were using as a lubricant was affecting him in numerous ways, and it was so much, so pleasurable.

The slickness of the sap-like anesthetic they were using was next level, despite how viscous it felt, and the slight numbing properties made the entire thing nothing but pleasurable. He could feel Áktshü’s cock as it moved within him, so well that it made him dizzy. It also was making his tongue slightly numb, just enough that with Áktshü’s fingers on his tongue, he couldn’t articulate shit. It felt like Oragel, honestly, and it felt really pleasant with the haze coating his brain.

“F-Felsh ghoode?” Devynn managed to get out, curious, wanting to hear Áktshü’s words. He needed to hear Áktshü’s words of praise murmured into his ear. He wouldn’t be satisfied until he’d heard them.

“Shhh,” Áktshü quieted him, “You feel good?” Devynn let out a whine, nodding his head in a daze, his brain lagging as he tried to focus his brain on what he was trying to accomplish. After a moment, Devynn shook his head, not because he didn’t feel good, but because that wasn’t what he was saying. “Do I feel good?” Áktshü tried again. Devynn nodded his head, a moan slipping from between his lips, vibrating Áktshü’s fingers.

“It feels so fucking good,” Áktshü responded, “ You feel good, really tight still, but—it’s easier?“ He sounded almost a little confused, a little strained, his eyes darkened with arousal as he ran them over Devynn’s face. Devynn couldn’t satiate his curiosity at the moment, so he just let out a moan of acceptance, not able to verbalize anything sufficiently enough even if Áktshü’s fingers pulled out of his mouth.

The praise was enough to have Devynn’s body trembling, excitement bursting through him. Fuck, he really loved that. He wanted to hear more, but he also wanted Áktshü to be a dick to him. He didn’t know what the true answer to ‘what he actually wanted’ was anymore, but it didn’t matter at the moment.

This wasn’t about him, it was about Áktshü .

Devynn lost himself to his orgasm with the next forward thrust of Áktshü’s hips, his body wringing with pleasure as his mind blanked out. If he hadn’t completely lost his sense with his orgasm, he might’ve been embarrassed about having cum merely from thinking Áktshü using his body for his own relief and disregarding Devynn’s. As humiliating as that was, or should’ve been, all Devynn felt was deliciously pleasured.

Sensation vibrated beneath his skin, every cell and synapse of his body alive with it as liquid fire raced his nerve endings, the world around him blurred and hazed. He could feel everything, his overstimulated body was practically burning from it, and he could’ve drown in that feeling happily. The breeze was faint, almost nonexistent, but the way it caressed his over-sensitive flesh was comforting to some extent or another.

“Ôtké, I can’t get enough of you,” Áktshü murmured, “I want to be deeper.” Áktshü definitely didn’t know how to accomplish that, but Devynn thought he might be able to help anyway. Devynn pushed Scythe up, and Áktshü let him so that he was no longer pinning him to the ground before he pulled his legs up toward his chest, his arms wrapping around them so that he could hold them in place.

“T-Try thss,” Devynn managed to get out around Áktshü’s fingers. Áktshü didn’t waste a moment, his eyes running along Devynn’s skin like a man starved, his hips beginning to piston forward once again. Áktshü let out a deep groan, his eyes sliding shut as he sank into Devynn deeper, even if it was just a slight difference. Devynn moaned, his eyes roaming over Áktshü’s face, heat flooding through him.

Áktshü was so good-looking—Devynn knew he sounded like a broken record at this point, but it was really hard to think about anything else looking at him like this. Seeing him like this, with his handsome face contorted in pleasure, the slight flush Devynn could faintly make out in the dark, and the way his eyebrows drew together. His lips were parted, the noises slipping between them only fueling the fire within Devynn. It was so good this time, and he couldn’t really be sure why.

Some of it was the addition of a lubricating agent, that much was certain, but that seemed to just be the catalyst. Áktshü had said it was easier, probably to move, but it definitely was making it feel better for him too. Áktshü seemed so much more affected tonight, too, just like Devynn was. It could’ve been all in his head, but Áktshü was actually making noise, steadily, fluidly, as much as Devynn was and that was saying something because Áktshü was usually so quiet.

Áktshü pulled his eyes open, meeting Devynn’s, his gaze full of fiery passion and desire. It made Devynn’s breath catch in his throat, his heart skipping a beat. His mind was a hazy, blissed-out mess, his vision blurring around the edges. Áktshü looked like a god towering over him, and all that Devynn could think about was how he was looking at him .

Every thrust of Áktshü’s hips had Devynn shivering and shaking, the force of each thrust pushing Devynn into the sand a little but it just didn’t matter. With every movement of Áktshü’s body, he was pounding into his prostate with the strength of a battering ram. It had pleasure washing through his body, crashing down over him and making his body vibrate with all of the overwhelming sensation.

As if to protest its lack of attention, his cock pulsed where it was trapped between Devynn’s thighs and his lower abdomen, pleading for attention. Devynn didn’t have the thought process necessary not to act on impulse, currently. The reminder of his neglected cock had him moving to touch it immediately, his legs parting as his arms released them, one of his hands dropping to wrap around it almost desperately. Before he could move it, though, Áktshü’s hand batted it away. Devynn let out a whine, desperate and needy.

“H-Heysh!” Devynn tried to protest around the fingers in his mouth, but his attempt was rendered useless and pointless when Áktshü’s fingers pulled from his mouth and moved down to wrap around his cock. “F-Fuckkk,” Devynn moaned, his back arching as he felt Áktshü’s hand run along the length of his cock, combining with a forward thrust of Áktshü’s hips. Áktshü ran his hungry eyes over Devynn’s exposed flesh, his eyes darkening with arousal as they took in the sight of him below him.

It made Devynn’s head feel light, the combination of pleasure from the different stimuli that Áktshü was providing. It was intense, hard to mediate, and all he wanted is to cum again. It would happen, undoubtedly, but when was the real question? The building pleasure was only sure to grow more, as he couldn’t feel his orgasm trying to claim him yet, and the anticipation for it was only spurring on his need and desire. He wanted so much more, wanted to make Áktshü cum, wanted to feel so much he couldn’t take it anymore— God, he felt like he was losing it.

“G-Good, fucking good,” Devynn gasped as Áktshü’s hand tightened on the next upward movement of it, the movement was not in sync with the thrusts of his hips but fuck if Devynn could complain. He just couldn’t. He loved it so fucking much, he felt so out of it and blissed beyond compare. He’d never felt this good before in his life.

“Shit,” Áktshü groaned, his head lulling forward, the ends of his hair brushing against Devynn’s cheeks as his hips thrust forward once, twice, and then Devynn felt the first wave of cum flood his inner walls. It was surprising, he’d not anticipated it at all, and it seemed to have caught Áktshü equally as off guard as it had caught Devynn. He panted heavily, his hand squeezing around Devynn’s cock, his eyes narrowing in determination.

“I want to go again,” Áktshü said as soon as he caught his breath, his eyes scanning over Devynn’s body, “I’ll carry you tomorrow when we head out.” Devynn nodded his head eagerly, his cock throbbing in Áktshü’s grip. He’d do about anything to cum again, right now, and even as overstimulated as he already was, nothing sounded more appealing than letting Áktshü absolutely wreck him.

“Go a-again,” Devynn replied, “Don’t slow down until I c-cum again,” Devynn pled, “If you’re going to carry me anyway, combined with th-the lubricant it doesn’t matter as much. So, please…” Áktshü nodded his head agreeably.

“Before we keep going… Is this position comfortable for you?” Áktshü asked, and Devynn nodded. It actually was pretty standard at this point, they’d fallen mostly into missionary, though Devynn had his legs open more so that there was plenty of room for Áktshü’s muscular arm to fit between them. With him hunched over, it was a little tight for his arm, but that didn’t impact Devynn at all, whatsoever.

“Yes it’s comfortable,” Devynn answered, his heart thudding a little. He knew it was silly, but the little ways that Áktshü was checking up on him was way more arousing than he liked to admit. All along, he’d wanted Áktshü to want him in an emotional way… When he was checking in on him and being sweet like this, it was easy to imagine that he wasn’t just a hole to fuck (despite him fantasizing about being just that) and that Áktshü felt the same way he did.

Devynn shivered as Áktshü’s hand started stroking him off once again, his hips thrusting forward once again, going from zero to a hundred really quick, with little to no refractory period in between. Devynn felt a little breathless. His grip felt exploratory, the pace of his hands, the way his hips moved—he seemed to be focused on learning how to pleasure him, he’d been touching him more, communicating more, his grip even felt somewhat different though Devynn didn’t know how to put it to words.

Devynn had spent a lot of time fucking, even more time jerking off over the years, but he’d never taken the time to try out different grips and speeds, he’d never tried to figure out his body the way Áktshü seemed to be trying to. It felt amazing, how couldn’t it? But, the focus that Áktshü was putting into it had him feeling shy and exposed.

Everything felt so intense, under Áktshü’s gaze he felt like he might melt. It felt like Áktshü was looking at him, seeing him, not just a hole, not just the only option he had, but because he wanted Devynn . It was hard to fathom this many orgasms in, but Devynn really hoped this lasted until the sun began to rise.

Honestly, he wouldn’t even mind it if Áktshü fucked him right to sleep tonight.

ᨒᨔ෴⦁ᨖ⦁෴ᨔᨒ

⦁⚞【⎗ 𝙱𝚊𝚌𝚔】【𝙽𝚎𝚡𝚝⎘】⚟

⦁

【🖫】【🖬】【🗐】

A/N: I finished this just a minute ago and do not have time to proofread it before I go to work. Sorry for any mistakes that are in it, I’ll get around to editing it when I can. Thanks for reading!

⊶»﴾ 𝟷𝟻. 𝙲𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 ﴿«⊷

・⥋【𝐃 𝐄 𝐕 𝐘 𝐍 𝐍】⥋・ ・⥋ 【𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟸𝟽】【𝟸𝟼:𝟷𝟸:𝟺𝟽:𝟻𝟺】⥋・

When Devynn woke up in the morning, he found himself half-dressed and lying in the shelter that Áktshü had built for them and Röfyenlyi, clinging onto Áktshü’s tee shirt. The sand had been somewhat carved into a little hole, allowing him to curl himself up comfortably with as much of a pillow to rest his head on as possible. He was ultimately pretty comfortable, despite the lack of Áktshü’s warmth behind him. It was so hot that a layer of sweat was clinging to Devynn’s skin.

Happy was curled up with him, staying in the shade beneath the makeshift roof of the shelter, hiding in the shadows as much as possible. He’d been way less active since they had been at the oasis, and it brought the conversation he and Áktshü had discussed when he’d first come to stay with them to mind—that he wasn’t even supposed to be out in the sun. Devynn couldn’t help worrying that the climate might be affecting him.

“Áktshü-Dhà?” Devynn called, his head poking up off of the sand and glancing around. He had managed to make it through three rounds before Áktshü finally called it quits, and then he’d fallen asleep while he was bathing him or something because the last thing he remembered was Áktshü being affectionate and washing him.

He had felt so good after making Áktshü cum three times, his brain had turned to mush and his body felt loose and pliant, malleable. Áktshü had seemed so much sweeter in the afterglow, as well… so much so that Devynn couldn’t really tell if it was his imagination or not.

Today he’d woken up deliciously sore, he could feel the littered bite marks on his neck from the final round when the overstimulation began to affect Áktshü as well. Holy Macaroni, just thinking about it had his stomach doing somersaults.

“Dvyuh-Dhà, you are awake early,” Áktshü called, catching his attention from where he was kneeling by the water with Röfyenlyi, seemingly showing her how to wash her hands. Devynn blinked a couple of times as his eyes settled on the pair of them, his eyes taking a moment to adjust to the sheer brightness hidden just outside of the shelter. There wasn’t even a wall on the inner side of the shelter, and it was a significant difference just staying within the shelter all day.

He wondered how late he slept. It had to be at least eleven, if not later. It was never this bright in the early morning hours. Devynn shook his head in an attempt to clear the sleep from his brain, his body aching lightly as he shifted upwards more, sitting up despite the slight jab of pain that rocked up his spine. Yikes. He hurt. But not nearly as badly! Progress.

It wasn’t pain like the pain he would have felt if he had hurt himself last night, but he definitely was sore. Probably because they went three fucking times in a row with no intermission or refractory period whatsoever. Still, the lubricant worked. It’d done exactly what Devynn wanted and more.

Áktshü stood up and walked toward him, kneeling down at the entrance of the shelter, his eyes scanning over Devynn as if he could ascertain the answer to whatever question he was tossing around in his head without asking it. Devynn hoped he could, honestly. He had a feeling whatever he wanted to ask would probably be embarrassing.

“Is it a-almost time to head out?” Devynn asked when Áktshü didn’t immediately start speaking. He nodded his head, his grey eyes softening a little as they met Devynn’s.

“Yeah. About twenty minutes. I got everything ready to go, and Röfyenlyi-Dyá is prepared for the walk.” Áktshü explained, “I was going to let you sleep until it was time to head out, but you seem to always wake up before then.” Devynn giggled, nodding his head.

“I can’t help it, it is so bright here, even if I-I wanted to sleep from sun-up to sun-down, I don’t think I could,” Devynn answered. “But the attempt is appreciated,” Devynn winked playfully, leaning forward a bit. “I’m not as sore as I would’ve been, usually.” He admitted.

“Good,” Áktshü replied, “But, don’t push yourself to do too much. We can eat later this afternoon, I’ll have to hunt before we eat. You’ll have plenty of time to rest before dinner.” Devynn nodded his head, giggling again. He couldn’t help himself.

He liked how at first, he’d had to beg for Áktshü to let him cook, but now it had just become his responsibility entirely. Áktshü was a product of the environment he grew up in, and Devynn couldn’t really fault him for that knowing what he knew now. Áktshü felt like he couldn’t rely on anyone else for anything, and his abrasiveness toward Devynn weaning was proof of that… slowly, he was beginning to rely on Devynn the way Devynn definitely relied on him, and that made Devynn happy beyond belief.

“I’ll be fine to cook for sure,” Devynn said, “Walking for hours wouldn’t be a great decision, but cooking is easy enough. Leave it to me.” Áktshü nodded his head.

“Understood,” Áktshü answered, glancing back over his shoulder at Röfyenlyi as she kneeled down in front of the edge of the water, splashing her hands in it. “She has been resting today to get ready for the walk.” Devynn nodded his head, curiosity piquing.

“How’d you manage to keep her from running around?” Devynn asked. Áktshü shrugged his shoulders.

“I just told her to sit down and be quiet, then played with her in various ways to keep her entertained.” He elaborated, “We drew stuff in the sand with sticks, talked about her sister a bit, and then she wanted to build in the sand… so I let her, and then when you woke up, I was showing her how to wash her hands without flowing water.” Devynn nodded his head.

“I wish I could talk to her like you can,” Devynn pouted. Áktshü laughed, nodding his head.

“I will teach her to speak some… what is it you called it? Engwhish?” Devynn burst out laughing, unable to help himself.

“English,” He answered, “But that was so much better, honestly, and the way your accent makes words sound is hilarious if you mispronounce them.” Devynn rambled. Áktshü just rolled his eyes, glancing back over at Röfyenlyi.

“Zhézviw and English have very few similarities if any at all,” Áktshü said blankly, “It is a complicated language, as I said, and thus, it is a pain to learn. English was quite simple in comparison,” he continued.

“I still want to l-learn it though,” Devynn pouted, making Áktshü nod his head.

“I do not plan to let you off the hook for that,” Áktshü stated, “But it will be easier for her to learn English than for you to learn Zhézviw… especially if you are trying to rush.” Devynn nodded his head. “It would be easier for you to care for her if she could communicate at least her basic needs, regardless.”

“You’re right,” Devynn agreed. “I just hate that I’m not as effortlessly good at everything as you are.” Scythe’s eyes widened a bit, something flickering in the depths of his eyes as he glanced away from him and back to Röfyenlyi, then to Happy.

“There is much that I cannot do, that you more than likely can,” Áktshü replied.

“Like what?” Devynn asked, “I mean, you learn everything so quickly that it feels hard to believe that you wouldn’t be able to do anything you put your mind to.”

“Read,” Áktshü answered, “I cannot read. Not in either language that I can speak. I know you can do that because you did it earlier. When we were in the stone shelter.” Devynn’s eyes widened a little bit, his heart stalling in his chest.

“No one taught you?” Devynn questioned. Áktshü shook his head. “Well, I can’t read in Zhézviw, but I can teach you to read in English,” Devynn offered. “When we go back to the stone shelter, I mean… if you want me to, I can. I don’t have to. If you don’t want me to, I-I mean.”

“I would like to learn.” Áktshü said, “I would accept the assistance, as I cannot do it on my own. I don’t know the Alphabet.”

“English’s Alphabet is pretty easy. There’s a kids song for it that I think everyone knows from where I live. I can teach you that now, then when we get back to that shelter, I can show you all the letters so you know what they look like!” Devynn said excitedly, watching the corners of Áktshü’s lips pull up into a tiny smile as he nodded his head.

“Sounds like a plan,” Áktshü said, letting his eyes meet Devynn’s once again. “We should probably head out soon.” Devynn nodded his head agreeably. He honestly didn’t have a complaint about that. He was ready for a change of scenery at this point. He was not prepared for more bugs to migrate, the heat sucked, and the water was uber salty.

“Before we go, I need to grab some of the water!” Devynn exclaimed, “I want to boil the water out of it and see if I can get some salt.” Áktshü nodded.

“I will grab some in the water jar. It’s a short walk, and there’s a water source where we’re going, so it won’t be too bad if we drink what’s in the jar before we head out.” Devynn nodded his head. “Well, I’m… I’ll go get Röfyenlyi to drink some, and we’ll wait on you over there.” Devynn nodded his head.

・⥋ 【𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟸𝟽】【𝟸𝟼:𝟷𝟽:𝟷𝟻:𝟶𝟺】⥋・

It didn’t take them long at all to make it to the new campsite, which was… was definitely a water source. They were positioned at the very edge of a lake that was comparable to the Great Lakes in size, though there wasn’t a single sign of plants or fish or anything in the water. It felt weird that the Oasis had a shit ton of different fish in the water there, but there didn’t seem to be a single one in the water here.

Furthermore, there was an abundance of mosquito-like bugs that were fucking huge! Devynn was practically mosquito bait back home, he couldn’t imagine it being much better here where everything wanted to eat him alive! He knew that crane flies back home didn’t bite, but up until this point, his ‘back home’ information had been mostly useless, save for the bit he knew about random shit he’d thought was useless knowledge he’d never need.

He didn’t really cook much back home, so that kind of fell into the ‘useless’ category—at least for the time being. If he had managed to move out or something it might’ve been moved to useful, but even then—he knew pointless stuff about that, like the actual chemical changes the food goes through while it is cooked. He was a closet nerd, what could he say? Learning was fun, at least when it was stuff Devynn actually cared about.

Áktshü had sat him down and told him to rest while he got their campsite built, and he’d kept Röfyenlyi busy by having her help him in minuscule ways so Devynn didn’t have to bother watching her, either. All in all, Devynn was pretty much free to do whatever he wanted to do… so Devynn perched himself on the ground with his back resting against a rock, and watched as Röfyenlyi and Áktshü worked.

Áktshü had told him to rest, so he planned to do just that. He was going to cook once Áktshü returned from hunting later, and he’d have to watch Röfyenlyi while Áktshü was busy hunting. He wanted to learn to communicate with her so much. He knew that it would take time either way, but he was impatient and didn’t want to wait any longer.

Still, there wasn’t much that he could do to hurry the process along. He didn’t want to rush Röfyenlyi, and he couldn’t speed up learning Zhézviw—it was too hard of a language to try to speed through learning. It’d taken him years to learn English fluently, so he could only imagine that this would probably take similarly as long.

Devynn let out a yawn, his eyes trailing over Áktshü and Röfyenlyi, taking in the sight of him showing her how to stack the wood in the firepit. If she was anywhere near as smart as Áktshü was, then maybe it wouldn’t take as long as Devynn’s brain was trying to convince him it would. He felt like he might be able to take a nap right now…. He probably should, honestly… he needed to recuperate as much of his strength as he could before they had to really travel between places.

He’d gotten pretty lucky the last two times, with minimal travel, but Devynn had no doubt that a lot of that was probably because Áktshü was going out of his way to shorten the distance they had to travel at one time now that they were bringing Röfyenlyi with them. Once he didn’t have to carry Devynn anymore, he could carry Röfyenlyi, and that’d make traveling a longer distance possible.

Honestly, Devynn had never experienced gender envy before until now. He had an inkling that the whole arrangement would’ve been easier for them to manage if he were a girl, given they didn’t have access to accommodations like showers, condoms, lube—all of the actually important stuff. There’d be less prep time, Devynn wouldn’t be basically incapacitated afterward, and life would be easier… but then pregnancy would be a concern when it wasn’t now.

He’d take that as a win, he guessed, but still—fuck women and their ability to walk after being railed into a drooling puddle. He felt like he needed to walk through it, honestly, to make himself get familiar with the pain of it, so it didn’t keep him stuck in one place. If they got attacked right now, they’d be fucked—or at the very least, he’d be fucked. More likely, dead. Still.

He felt like as long as Áktshü was with him, he’d be fine. Maybe that was stupid or naive, he wasn’t sure… but he felt certain that Áktshü would protect him and Röfyenlyi. Another yawn escaped his mouth, and Devynn scooted down more, resting his head on the rock he’d been resting his back against, letting his eyes slip shut. He was too tired to keep thinking, and he had to cook later. He needed to rest like Áktshü had told him to before it got too late and he couldn’t sleep anymore because he had to watch Röfyenlyi later… and then cook up whatever Áktshü brought back from his hunting trip.

Devynn was excited. He hoped after a nap he’d feel like going foraging, but even if he didn’t, it could be a task for another day.

・⥋ 【𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟸𝟾】【𝟸𝟽:𝟷𝟷:𝟺𝟻:𝟸𝟼】⥋・

Devynn managed to get up before both Áktshü and Röfyenlyi had, so he got up and fed Happy. Today, unlike the day before, Happy had been much more active, which alleviated Devynn’s worries about his health. He supposed that the heat was probably to blame for his lack of activity, but it also could’ve been the super bright, intense light. Since Happy’s species was mostly nocturnal, maybe the light hurt them somehow.

Of course, that was only speculation, Devynn couldn’t be certain… but there was a chance he was right. He’d need to spend more time observing Happy in hot temperatures and such. The Oasis had been the only place that was that bright and that hot, so if the rainforest area didn’t make him behave the same way then it stood to reason it was the light. If it did, it could be the heat. Or both. Devynn would have to keep an eye on the situation.

Since Happy was fine, it took a lot of stress off of Devynn. He really cared about him, and while the Ngkǎntmúngx wasn’t technically supposed to be, Devynn considered him to be a friend. Maybe Devynn was weird for making friends with an oversized mutant moth, but he wasn’t really in a position to be picky about friends. All the other monsters were kind of scary, but the Ngkǎntmúngx wasn’t.

He figured it had been at first, at least a little, but now he didn’t really feel any sort of fear around it at all. It seemed like even Áktshü had grown to appreciate the little fella and Röfyenlyi found him fun to play with so Devynn felt like he was a little part of their family, just like the pets that he’d had back home. A set of Balinese cats named Cassius and Lucius… Devynn hadn’t named them, exactly, but he’d prevented his sister from calling them something stupid by having his dad name them.

He wasn’t sure he liked the names as cat names, but hey, he was just a dumbass teenager at the time, so he had just been glad he didn’t have to try to remember some long and hard-to-remember name, that probably consisted of numerous different words. She had a pet fish named Leonardo-The-Great-and-Sparkly-Bottom-Feeder because it was a bottom feeder, and she thought it was sparkly. Maybe Devynn was the problem, but he’d thought it was the dumbest name ever. For anything. The poor fish didn’t ask for that.

He guessed he really wasn’t one to judge, he’d named his pet Ngkǎntmúngx ‘Happy’… but he thought it was a pretty decent name considering his personality. The Ngkǎntmúngx’s, not his. Wait, the Ngkǎntmúngx… he’d been saying it wrong the whole time right? The x at the end of words from Zhézviw made them plural… so this entire time he’d been wrongly referring to it. Devynn let out a disappointed sigh, somewhat disappointed he’d not figured out sooner that he was wrong.

Ngkǎntmúng, he would correct himself until he remembered. It couldn’t be too hard, right? He’d gotten the hang of referring to Áktshü as Áktshü instead of Scythe pretty quickly. Scythe was so much easier to say, though. He wished that he could just learn Zhézviw without working at it so much. He knew that was wishful thinking, but patience is a virtue Devynn was born without.

“Dvyuh-Dhà,” Áktshü asked, his voice cutting through Devynn’s thoughts and recentering him. He had been watching Áktshü and Röfyenlyi play at the water’s edge while Devynn cooked, but he’d gotten lost in thought and had stopped looking at some point he supposed. “Röfyenlyi wanted to know ‘how many minutes until dinner is finished,’” Áktshü stated. Devynn giggled a little, nodding his head.

“A few more. Like 15,” Devynn said, using the stick to stir the stew around in the pot, “It’s been boiling for a while, so we should be able to eat soon. Can you get her hands washed?” Devynn questioned. Áktshü nodded his head.

“No big deal,” Áktshü responded, “There’s no need to rush, though—take your time. I’ll keep her entertained. I just thought she’d be more likely to wait if she saw me ask you how long.” Áktshü explained. Devynn nodded.

“I know you guys have to be hungry after playing all day,” Devynn teased, “I just don’t know how I’ll dish up the stew. Maybe you guys can look for something bowl-like?” Devynn motioned toward the pot the sew was in.

“I can get us something to use to put the food on,” Áktshü confirmed, “However I doubt it’ll be what you’re looking for.” Devynn nodded. He’d take whatever honestly, if they couldn’t use the broth, he’d have Áktshü drink it. He could totally do that, and then there was no waste. Devynn liked the idea of that. “Alright, we’ll be right back then,” Áktshü stated. “Be careful. Stay as far away from the water as you can when you’re alone.”

“Um, why?” Devynn questioned, hesitantly. He wasn’t sure he really wanted to know the answer to that. He needed to know, though.

“Lake monster, only attacks when you’re unprepared and alone. You are about to be both. Stay away from the edge, and don’t follow any noises you hear.” Áktshü stated. “Especially if they lead toward the water, but just in general it’s best not to. The majority of the monsters here are luring monsters, they’ll try to lure you to them rather than outright attack you.”

“I understand, Áktshü-Dhà,” Devynn nodded his head. He wouldn’t head toward any noises, especially now that he knew it’d probably be a trap. “Both of you be careful too.” Áktshü nodded, calling for Röfyenlyi as he headed toward the distant forest. Devynn could see it, but only just.

He didn’t know how long they’d be, but given they were walking so far, he was certain dinner would be ready when they returned. Devynn smiled to himself, glancing up to see Áktshü and Röfyenlyi as they walked off into the distance, holding hands so that Áktshü didn’t lose her. It was smart, but Devynn found it cute how paternal Áktshü could be.

・⥋ 【𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟸𝟿】【𝟸𝟾:𝟸𝟹:𝟹𝟷:𝟺𝟸】⥋・

Áktshü was in the process of putting Röfyenlyi to bed, so Devynn was sitting by the fire, watching the flames dance. It was pretty late, Devynn could tell, but without a clock, he was mostly just guessing based on where the sun or moon was in the sky to determine a roundabout time. He felt like he was pretty near accurate—though he never tried to pinpoint the minutes exactly. He felt like it was probably a little after midnight, though, if he had his guesses. He was probably wrong. Definitely.

He wasn’t Theodosius of Bithynia, and he definitely couldn’t figure out how to make an accurate sundial out here. He had no idea how that’d work here. It worked in his world, but only accurately if you account for both time of year and latitude, and Devynn didn’t know how to do that here.

“Dvyuh-Dhà,” Áktshü said as he came to sit beside him at the fire, “Röfyenlyi-Dyá is asleep,” Devynn nodded in response, chancing a glance up at Áktshü. “We need to move again tomorrow,” Áktshü explained, “I know it’s been a couple of days of peace, but we can’t expect this to last. So far, nothing has happened, but that’s been pretty surprising, honestly.”

“It isn’t always like this?” Devynn asked, almost sounding confused. “But it’s so stressful just knowing there are monsters out there that want to eat us.” Áktshü nodded and shrugged.

“It’s not like this,” Áktshü reaffirmed, “It’s kind of alarming. There are usually monsters all around here, but I’ve had to actually look for them, even when hunting and intentionally trying to draw one in. In theory, they should be more active because Röfyenlyi isn’t exactly a quiet child.”

“I have… kind of noticed we’ve had really good luck recently.” Devynn admitted after a moment of consideration, “We were interrupted by those bug things, but… we’ve not really seen any monsters.”

“We’ve also not been attacked,” Áktshü explained, “I don’t want us to be attacked. But merely the fact that we haven’t is… making me question things. The population of monsters has never weaned, since I got here.” Áktshü contemplated aloud, “That tells me that I haven’t slowly picked ’em off over the years. I’d notice the population of them slowly declining. If you ain’t mass killing them, and I haven’t picked ’em off, something weird is going on.”

“Weird how?” Devynn asked worriedly. “Is… I’m confused, honestly.”

“It’s confusing,” Áktshü reaffirmed. “It could just be a coincidence, as well. Maybe we have just had ‘good luck’ as you put it.” Áktshü shook his head, “But I’ve never gone this long without monsters stumbling upon me.”

“I feel like you’re going to jinx us, now,” Devynn muttered, his eyes darting around behind them as if something would come for them merely from Áktshü mentioning them having not been bothered recently.

“Jinx? Is that good?” Áktshü asked, making Devynn shake his head.

“Jinxing us is the o-opposite of what either of us wants!” Devynn exclaimed, “It means basically bringing bad luck to us.” Devynn explained, “I suppose you’ve never heard of it… I thought it was a common thing.”

“Oh,” Áktshü said, frowning a bit. “I didn’t realize you were superstitious. Well, I’ve never had that happen. I don’t think you can really speak something like chance into existence… still, this is something to worry about. Regardless of why you are worried.” Devynn nodded his head. He’d never been superstitious before he’d come here, but he felt like now it almost made more sense to be. He was in a totally new world that was purely built by, from Devynn’s understanding, Gods , and thusly, magic. If magic exists, superstition must too, right?

“Why are you worried?” Devynn asked curiously. He couldn’t really fathom why monsters not attacking them was a problem or something to worry about.

“I find it alarming that all of a sudden, years worth of behavioral patterns have changed,” Áktshü clarified, “Years worth, not just a few months… these monsters were incredibly active before… now they aren’t. I can’t help but wonder why?” Devynn hummed quietly, nodding his head.

“It’s weird,” Devynn acknowledged, “But maybe we should just take the win for the moment? We can’t really do anything e-else…” Áktshü nodded his head, agreeing… but Devynn could tell just by the look in his eyes that he wasn’t done worrying about this. He wished he knew how to answer the questions that Áktshü had so that he could make him stop worrying.

“Maybe… Well, we should probably rest some before morning. The walk to the next place is pretty long.” Áktshü muttered, sounding almost a little disappointed.

“Did you want…” Devynn broke off, flushing a little as his eyes darted down to Áktshü’s cock. Áktshü shook his head, his tongue running along his bottom lip as his gaze contemplative as it ran over Devynn’s body, before glancing away.

“We shouldn’t,” He said, “The walk will be tough for you, and I don’t think Röfyenlyi-Dyá will be able to walk the whole way this time,” Áktshü explained. Devynn shook his head.

“We don’t have to fuck to f-fool around,” Devynn said, his lips pulling up into a teasing smile, “We can do all kinds of fun things… without y-your cock ever going inside of me,” Devynn explained, making Áktshü hum curiously. “You fucking my f-face is one way, touching your cock is another… but you can fuck my thighs, we can put our c-cocks together and jerk off…” Devynn trailed off shyly.

“Wouldn’t it create a lot of friction if my cock was moving rapidly between your legs?” Áktshü asked worriedly, and Devynn shook his head.

“That’s what the lubricant is for,” He explained, “It will keep the friction at bay…” He explained, his heart skipping a beat in his chest as he looked at Áktshü through his lashes, blinking coquettishly up at him. Áktshü hummed, his teeth biting down into his bottom lip. He looked interested, at the very least. Devynn had seen him eyeing his thighs before, he knew that Áktshü liked them…This felt like it should be an easy enough sell.

“Okay,” Áktshü answered, nodding his head. “We’ll do it once. Then, we will go to sleep to prepare for our walk tomorrow.” Devynn giggled, nodding his head in compliance. He didn’t know if Áktshü would manage to hold himself to only once with the way they’d been fucking, but maybe he would tonight given they’d just done it a couple of days ago. Devynn genuinely wouldn’t mind having to hobble to the next location if he did give in and decide to do more.

“Okay,” Devynn responded, unable to help giggling a little. He loved the way Áktshü’s eyes clung onto him, to his moves, face, and body—even as embarrassed as it made him. His staring eventually got to him and he’d say something, but until then he’d relish in the embarrassed excitement that buzzed through his bloodstream. “I will go grab the fruit from where we stored it,” Devynn said, making Áktshü shake his head.

“I’d prefer to grab it,” Áktshü stated, “We stored it by the rocks and the water, to keep Röfyenlyi from getting it… but I don’t want you that close to the water by yourself.” Devynn nodded his head, having completely forgotten at the moment about the water being dangerous to them. “Sit here, I’ll be right back.” Devynn nodded his head compliantly, his cheeks darkening as he watched Áktshü stand up and head for the fruit. He was so unfairly excited. He really hoped he wasn’t the only one.

As Áktshü went to get the fruit, Devynn took off his clothes except for his underwear, and leaned back, looking up at the abyss-black sky overhead. There were no stars, or clouds in the sky either one. There wasn’t a breeze, the air was unnaturally calm… but it wasn’t alarming in any way. Devynn had realized over the course of the day that there just wasn’t wind here. Maybe it was blocked by the mountains that Áktshü had mentioned when they went to Dversæjla? Devynn didn’t know, but it was interesting.

As scary as everything here was, unsettling , too, it was all so interesting. The differences between here and home were insanely apparent, everything felt uncanny, but it was still… so beautiful in a weird kind of way.

“Dvyuh-Dhà,” Áktshü said, leaning over his shoulder, “Hold this,” he handed the fruit to Devynn. Devynn took it, cradling it in his hand, his head turning to glance up at Áktshü as he worked the button of his tattered jeans, pushing them down. “What?” Áktshü asked curiously, his eyes darting up to meet Devynn’s.

“I’m just e-excited,” Devynn murmured, his cheeks darkening as he carefully placed the fruit on the ground beside him, positioning it so it was propped against a rock. After he’d done that, he got up onto his knees and crawled toward Áktshü, his eyes widening as he looked up at him through his lashes.

“Yeah?” Áktshü murmured, his eyes roaming over Devynn’s face as he kneeled below him, his gaze practically burning Devynn’s skin with the heat reflected in them. He could see him so much better thanks to the fire, and it was making Devynn’s heart race. If he could see Áktshü better, he had a feeling Áktshü could see him better too. It made him feel shy but so aroused he couldn’t help himself anymore.

“C-Can I?” Devynn asked bashfully, his fingers moving to run along the hem of Áktshü’s underwear. Áktshü nodded his head in agreeance, his eyes narrowing the slightest bit as he watched Devynn hook his fingers in the band, pulling them down and releasing his cock. Devynn leaned forward, pressing his lips against the head of it, a little dazed with excitement. He’d only intended to help Áktshü undress, and maybe tease him a little, but now that he was here already, he couldn’t fight temptation.

He’d done this to Áktshü once, maybe twice, he couldn’t really remember but the way Áktshü towering over him made his brain lag and made him want to continue. Áktshü’s cock was nice, long, and thick, and the slight scent of sweat clinging to his skin made him feel lightheaded. He really couldn’t get enough of the way Áktshü made him feel. It was intoxicating, the feeling of being below him, used by him—he just… Fuck, he wanted more of it. He couldn’t help wondering why he’d waited so long to do this, to submit to someone fully.

He’d always considered it, but he’d never entertained it. It was nothing but fleeting thoughts that didn’t amount to anything in the grand scheme of things. This though—this made him wish he’d done so sooner. The sheer amount of calmness that radiated through him during, and after , made him acutely aware of all the times these feelings would’ve helped him relax when he was overwhelmed with life…

“Dvyuh-Dhà, what are you…?” Áktshü murmured, his eyes running over Devynn hungrily. He looked like he was ravenous at the moment, all of the unintentional teasing clearly impacting him. Devynn let his tongue slip out, running along the slit at the tip of his erection, letting out a whimper when he tasted the faint saltiness of precum.

Fuck, he really liked the taste of Áktshü’s cum. It was a little salty, but… it wasn’t bad in comparison to even his own cum. He couldn’t stand the taste of it, honestly. But Áktshü’s… he partially wished that he could suck him dry once a day.

“Fuck,” Áktshü grunted as Devynn took the head of his cock into his mouth, his lips forming a tight seal around the head of Áktshü’s cock. Áktshü moaned as Devynn dipped his head down more, taking his cock into his mouth more. It hit the back of his throat, immediately making him gag, his head swimming as arousal blazed through him. He fought to breathe through his nose, his eyes darting up to meet Áktshü’s gaze.

He was hoping Áktshü would answer his silent plea, hopeful that he’d take the back of his head in hand, and fuck his face until he filled his throat with cum. It probably should’ve been not very comfortable, but when considering everything that they had done up until this point, all Devynn felt was calmness—and arousal.

“Tch,” Áktshü scoffed, “You’re supposed to use your words to say you want something.” Without hesitation or reluctance, Áktshü used one hand to force his cock as deep in his mouth as he could get it, holding his head in place. Devynn shuddered, gagging more as the head of Áktshü’s cock hit harder on the back of his throat. Fuck, fuck. He felt dizzy and it wasn’t from oxygen deprivation so he didn’t know what that was about. There was something different about Áktshü today, though—his touch felt different.

Devynn didn’t know what it was, confidence, maybe—but it was driving him crazy. He loved the way Áktshü seemed to adapt and meet him halfway with everything, even when he wasn’t sure how he managed to figure it out.

Áktshü humored him for a couple of minutes, or maybe he just plain couldn’t resist the pleasure, and let him keep going. There were so many possibilities over why Áktshü would let him suck his cock—er, well, at this point it was more face fucking than that… still. Devynn couldn’t be fucked enough to figure out which was the right one. The only thing he cared about was the feeling of Áktshü’s cock as it moved between his lips, the weight of it heavy on his tongue.

Thanks to the haze consuming him, everything felt so much more… just more, because Devynn couldn’t think well enough to be eloquent about things.

Áktshü’s fingers tangled in his hair, yanking his head back to stop his movements rather abruptly, panting heavily as he looked down at Devynn through desire-darkened eyes. Devynn felt like he might burn in the heat reflected in them, his head too fuzzy to really know how long they’d even been going. It didn’t feel long, but at the same time, the hunger in Áktshü’s gaze wouldn’t be this intense if it’d only been a few minutes.

His head was so fuzzy. Holy Macaroni, he wanted to suck his cock more.

“S-Sorry,” Devynn breathed out in response to his earlier statement, a little breathless as he tried to meet Áktshü’s eyes. He knew he’d started one thing, then went to another really quickly… it was just incredibly easy for Devynn to give in to temptation. “Can I keep…” Áktshü’s eyes narrowed as Devynn spoke, causing him to trail off, his heart thumping in his chest.

“You mentioned something about your thighs?” Áktshü questioned, his eyes darting down to run over Devynn’s parted legs hungrily. Devynn shivered a little, excited, his heart thudding in his chest as he nodded his head. “How?”

“Between them,” Devynn answered quickly, excitement coloring his tone, “Use the lubricant, and put your cock b-between them…” Devynn explained, trying to keep from getting too excited. He didn’t want to work himself up too much, cum in five seconds, and then be overstimulated all to hell and back… or maybe he kind of did, but at least wanted to make it seem like he wasn’t easy as hell.

Even though he definitely was.

“Then lay back,” Áktshü instructed, his gaze roaming over Devynn’s skin hungrily. Devynn nodded his head, his cheeks heating up as he shifted his body around, resting his back against the grass, his legs pulling up and closing in anticipation. His body seemed unaware that he couldn’t stick his bare cock between his legs, but he’d already instructed Áktshü on how to do it anyway so it didn’t matter.

“Spread them,” Áktshü demanded, pushing his way between Devynn’s legs with a groan as his cock settled on Devynn’s lower abdomen. “Where do I put it?” He asked, his fingers dipping into the fruit as his eyes met Devynn’s.

“My thighs,” Devynn answered, “Th-The insides, so they’re slippery…” Áktshü nodded his head, his eyes practically devouring the sight of Devynn’s thighs as his slippery fingers moved down to run over them. Devynn couldn’t help moaning softly as Áktshü’s fingers gripped into his thighs, sliding along his slick skin the slightest bit. It made him shudder, his body buzzing with excitement.

When Devynn had been seducing Áktshü, he’d used his thighs to do it partially, because he’d noticed Áktshü staring at them. Now, his eyes were practically glued to them, his hands roaming rather freely as he spread the sap-like lubricant around. He looked a little mesmerized, and it had Devynn feeling shy and embarrassed, albeit aroused.

“Now?” Áktshü asked, sounding almost a little breathless, and Devynn nodded his head. This didn’t take the same amount of preparation that Áktshü fucking him gave him, luckily for Áktshü… Devynn too, but he didn’t really know how much he’d get from this experience. He’d never actually let someone fuck his thighs, he just knew about it, and it was pretty easy to get the gist of how to perform it without ever attempting it in any capacity.

Devynn shivered when he felt Áktshü’s fingers curl around his legs, pushing them together before letting the head of his cock press between them. Devynn couldn’t help shivering again as he felt the slickness of his thighs parting around the length of Áktshü’s cock. It was hard, thick, practically pulsing where it rested, teasing him with just enough sensation to drive him insane. Maybe he’d overestimated his self-control. Maybe. It felt like it, honestly.

Holy Macaroni, he wanted Áktshü’s cock inside of him and he’d not even started moving yet.

“Okay?” Áktshü breathed, his voice sounding a bit punched. Devynn nodded breathlessly, too lost in thought to vocalize anything further, wanting to feel Áktshü’s cock as it moved between his thighs if not inside of him. He wanted the latter, but he’d take the former right now. He couldn’t lie, he was a little pleasured just by the look on Áktshü’s face.

Áktshü was quick to thrust his hips, his head falling back as his cock moved between Devynn’s thighs. Áktshü looked so hot looming over him, his hands holding Devynn’s thighs in place with a firm, strong grip. It was enough to make his head spin with arousal and pleasure. All he wanted to do was pleasure Áktshü, and let him use his body how he wanted. Granted he’d been the one to suggest this, but that’s only because he didn’t think that Áktshü would have thought of this on his own given his lack of knowledge when it came to sex.

He’d thought he’d gotten Devynn pregnant, so he definitely couldn’t come up with this on his own… Or rather, he might not know that he could actually do it. Devynn knew he liked his thighs already, but he barely touched them despite all the staring… he seemed not to know he could. Devynn didn’t want to sit down and explain in detail that Áktshü was able to touch him wherever. He didn’t think he could take the embarrassment of that conversation. At least not yet.

Áktshü quickly lost himself in the pleasure, his hips thrusting forward with confidence, but no precision. Devynn wasn’t getting much stimulation from this, he realized, but there was something about it that made him feel hazed and aroused to feel like he was just a toy for Áktshü to use to pleasure himself. Devynn wasn’t getting physical stimulation, not at all, but mentally , he felt like he was being fucked. Owned . Claimed.

Like a pretty object, something Áktshü wanted to protect and take care of forever.

“Ôtké, Dvyuh-Dhà,” Áktshü groaned, his eyes pulling open to gleam down at him. Devynn shuddered slightly under the heat and arousal that was reflected back at him, his head spinning. Fuck, fuck . “You’re so soft,” Devynn shook his head, too hazed to come up with a response to that at the moment. All he could think about was how hard Áktshü’s cock was between his thighs, and how much he really, really wanted to feel Áktshü’s cum painting his skin.

He felt like he might be delirious, or losing his mind, one. Still, the way Áktshü stared at him made him feel fuzzy and warm. He hung off of Áktshü’s words like they were written in gold, but the way Áktshü looked at him was on that same level. He felt shy beneath the gaze at first, but now he wasn’t sure if it was shyness or if it was something else entirely.

Áktshü staring had shaken him at first, he couldn’t deny that, but the more he looked into his eyes the more he felt like he was able to read his mind. At least when it came to this —his emotions seemed so clear on his face when he was feeling pleasure. It was like the walls around him shattered to pieces and Devynn got to feel what Áktshü was thinking and feeling, rather than him having to guess.

Devynn could feel the length of Áktshü’s cock as it dragged along the inside of his thighs, his body burning with desire as he fought the urge to shift around. Áktshü’s cock wasn’t rubbing against his, the only sensation he was feeling was the brushing of the head against his thighs when Áktshü leveraged his weight a bit more forcefully during thrusts. It wasn’t an every-time thing, Devynn knew, so this was driving him just a little insane. All he could think about was how close Áktshü’s cock was to his hole, despite being denied taking it.

Holy Macaroni, it was maddening. He didn’t know if he loved or hated it, maybe a mix of both—he was too distracted to understand what his brain was doing. Furthermore, his cock pulsed and throbbed between his legs, desperate for some stimulation of any kind and Devynn’s resolve crumbled under the weight of his desire. He couldn’t help himself anymore. His cock was screaming for attention.

“C-Can I touch my cock?” Devynn asked, desperately, his voice shaky. He was surprised he even managed to get the words out, let alone that he’d asked for permission, but the haze coating everything made him deliciously pliant, yielding. He was melting beneath Áktshü, his entire body sizzling in the heat that originated from Áktshü’s gaze. God, fuck .

“No,” Áktshü grumbled, “Be still. Don’t move.” Áktshü demanded, his body shifting over Devynn as he changed their positions, his arm sliding around Devynn’s thighs to hold him in place. The other hand dropped down to curl around Devynn’s cock, squeezing it lightly. Devynn whimpered, his eyes fluttering shut as his hips tried to rock upwards. Áktshü’s grip prevented it, but Devynn couldn’t hold himself back if he had a gun to his head right now.

Áktshü’s hand around his cock was dizzying, and arousing, his brain was a fuzzy mess as pleasure rocked through him. The feeling of his cock being stroked as Áktshü’s cock moved between his thighs had him trembling, his thighs squeezing together slightly on accident. Áktshü groaned, his head lulling forward, throwing Devynn’s legs over his shoulder to lean over him more.

“So pretty, Dvyuh-Dhà,” Áktshü praised, his head dipping down to press his lips against Devynn’s forehead. As fucked out as he felt, Devynn could only vocalize his response as a moan, his head nodding though he didn’t think it was an appropriate response to whatever Áktshü had said.

Truthfully, he couldn’t focus on whatever was coming out of Áktshü’s mouth at the moment. Not with the pleasure dimming his senses and making everything a deliciously warm haze, enveloping him in safety and softness. He felt like he was drowning in pleasure and Áktshü was barely doing anything to him in comparison to other days. He just felt so much, so strongly. He wanted to feel closer to Áktshü, closer than this, closer than ever. Everything was so mind-bogglingly intense that it made his head spin.

“Feel good?” Áktshü asked, his voice sounding hoarse, punched. Devynn nodded his head desperately, his arms reaching up to curl around Áktshü’s neck, pulling him down closer. Áktshü let him lead him down, stopping only to let Devynn’s legs slide from his shoulder to rest on the ground, twisting him in a way that made his muscles pull slightly, as his body bent over Devynn more—effectively pinning him in place.

“You’re so high-maintenance,” Áktshü grunted, his hand squeezing around Devynn’s cock on the next upward jerk of his hand. The movement was more restricted this time thanks to the position, but Devynn was just so glad for them to be closer to each other that he felt dizzy from the relief.

“F-Feel good?” Devynn queried, his brain lagging behind him as his heavy tongue managed to put his thoughts to words before his brain could react. It felt like a habit to ask him, now, because he never told Devynn it felt good—Devynn figured there was a logical explanation behind it… ie, not knowing he should … still, he wanted to know if it felt as good for Áktshü as it did for him.

“So good,” Áktshü sighed, “You feel so soft, you’re so pretty,” Devynn flushed, his head nodding as he tried to form an adequate response to something so blunt and affectionate from Áktshü. He should be used to this, after this long, but he just couldn’t shake the sensation of it being out of character for Áktshü to be so open about what he was thinking and feeling.

Devynn didn’t manage to figure out what to say before Áktshü leaned down farther and captured his lips in a kiss, leaving him breathless as their lips moved against each other. He was beyond lost in the pleasure, in the sensation, his entire body was buzzing. God, he wanted more . So much more.

“Fuckk,” Devynn whined into the kiss, his hips rocking up into Áktshü’s hand desperately. The knowledge that Áktshü was using his body to pleasure himself was enough to make Devynn feel like he might dissolve entirely, his blood simmering in his veins from the heat surrounding them. He couldn’t tell if the dizziness was from pleasure, the heat, or asphyxiation, but he’d be damned if he stopped to figure that out right now. All he wanted was to drown in the feelings washing over him.

Áktshü didn’t break the kiss or acknowledge Devynn either way, his hips pistoning forward quicker. Devynn couldn’t fight back the gasp that forced its way from his throat as he felt the friction, his body tensing again, his thighs gripping tighter. Áktshü let out a hoarse moan, his eyebrows threading together as he pulled his head back from Devynn’s, his grey eyes hooded as they stared into Devynn’s.

“W-What?” Devynn asked breathlessly, his head spinning from the sudden shift, not exactly ready to have the kiss broken.

“When you do that…” Áktshü muttered, “It’s… more intense.” Devynn blinked a time or two, feeling a little embarrassed that he’d not been the one to figure that out. Áktshü liked it when he squeezed them, he realized, so… Devynn made the conscious effort to squeeze his thighs together more, relishing in the grunt that left Áktshü’s mouth almost immediately in response.

“Fuck,” Áktshü groaned, his hips pressing forward more, beginning to fuck his thighs much more insistently as his eyes narrowed. “I was trying to hold back,” He didn’t sound dissatisfied though, so Devynn felt little to no guilt as he tensed his thighs around Áktshü’s cock.

“D-Don’t,” Devynn breathed, “Cum all over me,” He practically pled, his body twitching, throbbing—Holy Macaroni, he wanted to feel the warmth of it clinging onto his skin. He also was curious… when Áktshü came inside of him it always felt like so much… he wanted to know how much. There was another part of him that really wanted to say fuck it all and take his cock regardless.

He had always taken it for granted when he could get himself off over and over at home, the luxuries he’d never realized were luxuries until he lost them all—a shower, a toilet, a television, books to read, water to drink, food to eat, a house… In his opinion, they shouldn’t be luxuries, but after living here for however long that’s what they felt like. He missed them, now, though, when he could be getting fucked senseless nightly instead of whenever it’s possible.

“Ësh ïsksilkyuh ëlzh,” Áktshü grumbled, “I want to put it in,” He groaned, shaking his head as his eyes ran over Devynn’s thighs where his cock was nestled warmly between them. Devynn moaned, his mind a delicious haze as he nodded his head desperately. He wanted that too much for him to deny Áktshü right now. He… He just wanted so much more. More pleasure, more of Áktshü… this was nowhere near enough to whet his appetite.

“Do it,” Devynn pled shakily, his hands gripping desperately at Áktshü’s hair as he tried to pull his legs up to open himself up more. Áktshü shook his head, his eyes darkening with determination and arousal as they met Devynn’s.

“No,” Áktshü insisted, “Stop begging like that, I can’t resist it. Just… close your eyes and shut your mouth.” Áktshü demanded, making Devynn whine desperately despite him letting his eyes slip shut at Áktshü’s command. Áktshü’s hips started thrusting faster, a quiet noise leaving his mouth with each movement.

Excitement and arousal buzzed through Devynn as he watched Áktshü’s face contort with pleasure, watching him slowly give himself over to instinct. Devynn felt pride swelling within him, his body falling mostly lax beneath Áktshü as he focused on Áktshü. Áktshü’s pleasure , specifically. This entire time he’d wanted exactly this, and he’d been so worked up and desperate to be fucked that he’d barely taken a moment to enjoy it.

The sensation of serving him, of getting fuck-all out of it, but doing it because it made Áktshü feel good—it made him feel deliciously pliant. He felt like he was floating at the moment, sensation echoing through him from the feeling of Áktshü’s fingers jacking him off sloppily. Nothing was coordinated or in sync, but Devynn felt so good he didn’t care.

“Dvyuh-Dhà,” Áktshü groaned, leaning over him to bite down into Devynn’s neck, his pace going unhinged as his fingers squeezed around Devynn’s cock. Devynn let out a pained squeak, his eyes rolling back as his body screamed with sensation. It hurt, so much it brought tears to his eyes, but pleasure swirled through his body in combination with the pain and it made him spasm.

The feeling of Áktshü’s cum painting his inner thighs and lower abdomen had Devynn’s head spinning, everything shattering apart into pieces as the pleasure consumed him. He didn’t cum, he knew he didn’t because nothing came out, but the feeling was definitely on par. He could feel his prostate burning, still, even, full despite what had to have been an orgasm.

Áktshü’s hand released his cock before he could regain the use of his tongue, pulling his cock from between Devynn’s thighs with a quiet hiss before pulling away entirely. Devynn let himself lay in the position Áktshü left him in, his body twitching as his chest heaved, trying desperately to collect himself as the aftershocks of pleasure zinged through his body.

He felt a confusing mix of satisfaction, and dissatisfaction all at one time, his mind a muddled mess as he lay there and tried to pull himself back together. He felt so fucked out and he’d not even cum right! God, he was a mess. He needed a bath.

Shakily, Devynn managed to bring his fingers down to run through the puddles of cum on his lower abdomen, delighting in the feeling of it beneath the pads of his fingers. Devynn couldn’t help himself as he brought his fingers up to his mouth, going to suck the cum off of them. Before he could, Áktshü’s fingers caught his wrist.

“H-Hey,” Devynn muttered hoarsely, his eyes widening as he looked up at Áktshü through his lashes. Áktshü raised an eyebrow in response, clearly waiting for Devynn to follow up with something else, but when he never did, his eyes flickered over Devynn’s face worriedly.

“Are you okay?” Devynn nodded in response to Áktshü’s question, his cheeks heating up a bit from embarrassment. “I’ll clean you up, don’t—you don’t have to do that.” Devynn realized then that Áktshü thought he was trying to clean himself up, but he was too far gone to communicate that he wasn’t. He’d just wanted to lick his cum up.

“I-I know,” Devynn managed to mutter, his heart thudding in his chest as he looked up at Áktshü through his lashes.

“Good. Then just lay still and leave the rest to me.” Devynn moaned in response, his head nodding as he let his eyes slip shut. Devynn let out a quiet noise of confusion as he felt a wet piece of something cloth hit his skin—probably his shirt that they cut up to use as bandages, but he was too out of it to look and check at the moment. The water was cool against his skin, and as much as he wanted to lick the cum up off of his fingers, the quiet shhing from Áktshü was enough to have him complacent and silent as he cleaned him up.

ᨒᨔ෴⦁ᨖ⦁෴ᨔᨒ

⦁⚞【⎗ 𝙱𝚊𝚌𝚔】【𝙽𝚎𝚡𝚝⎘】⚟

⦁

【🖫】【🖬】【🗐】

⊶»﴾ 𝟷𝟼. 𝙰𝚣𝚒𝚖𝚞𝚝𝚑 ﴿«⊷

・⥋【𝐃 𝐄 𝐕 𝐘 𝐍 𝐍】⥋・ ・⥋ 【𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟹𝟶】【𝟸𝟿:𝟶𝟿:𝟹𝟹:𝟷𝟻】⥋・

Devynn was awoken by the sound of footsteps that were unfamiliar to him. To be quite honest, he’d never noticed it before hearing these footsteps, he even knew what the sound of Áktshü’s walking. He was certain that it wasn’t Röfyenlyi’s either—she was only a child, and as such, was pretty light and didn’t have this heavy of a footfall. Surprised that he was the one awoken by the noise instead of Áktshü, Devynn’s eyes popped open and he glanced around, noticing he was alone.

So both Áktshü and Röfyenlyi are up earlier than him all the time. That could be good, Devynn thought, peeking out of the shelter Áktshü had built for them. He thought he might catch sight of a monster, more than likely, but instead… he came face to face with a man. His hair was rugged and messy, muddy, his eyes light green, and his teeth were chipped.

He was shirtless and muscular, tattoos covering his arms and upper chest, but they didn’t look… they didn’t look good . They looked like everything else here did—sickly, uncanny, strange. Devynn didn’t know how to describe it. There was a hunting knife tucked into the waistband of the pants he was wearing, and while it looked hand-crafted, it looked much more intricate than the stuff that Áktshü managed to make himself.

“Hey… Hey there,” The guy said, his English sounding—if nothing else—like he was focusing all of his attention on formulating the words he was trying to say. It almost felt as if he were using a mental dictionary to find the words he needed to say. Creepy. “Are you lost?”

“N-No,” Devynn answered cautiously, glancing around for Happy. He was slightly relieved to see him curled up in the corner of the shelter sleeping still, but only just. He was on guard from the first moment that he’d seen the man, and he wasn’t sure if it was just paranoia or not, but he didn’t trust this for a goddamn second.

“I was looking for someone,” The man said, casually, strolling deeper into the camp and subsequently, closer to Devynn. Devynn frowned, shifting a little as if the shelter would be enough to protect him from an attack. It wouldn’t, it barely protected them from the elements. He was fucked. Áktshü, he needed Áktshü but he couldn’t get in touch with him at the moment. He didn’t even know where he was.

“W-Who? I s-seriously doubt th-that they’re al-alive still,” Devynn answered bleakly, a little uncomfortable but still empathetic. The man shook his head, a smirk crossing his face as his eyes roamed over Devynn.

“Oh no, she’s well and fine,” The man said, his eyes glinting evilly as he knelt down in front of the entrance to the shelter. Devynn glanced up at him fearfully, his heart stalling in his chest as he took in the sight of him. He barely even looked human anymore, it was unsettling. Devynn couldn’t help but worry that he might find himself looking just as terrifying if he wasn’t careful.

Áktshü had been here so long, though, and this man… he was different from Áktshü. He didn’t have the same energy. The same expertise. He seemed like a loaded cannon, not really being aimed, but being fired. Devynn just wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with—if he was reading the situation accurately enough—Röfyenlyi. She was only a child, and Devynn would beat this man seven ways to Sunday if he was—

“W…Well… I’m g-glad you’re sure,” Devynn answered, crossing his arms over his chest as he sat up entirely.

“This is a pretty big camp for just one person, hm?” The guy noted, his eyes roaming over the camp scrutinously. “Are you alone out here? With no weapons?” Devynn’s heart stalled in his chest, his mind racing as he tried to figure out how to answer that. The truth was, he didn’t have a weapon except for a shitty knife he used when foraging that Áktshü gave him. Still, this guy was creepy. He didn’t really know if he was talking about Röfyenlyi, but alarm bells were flying.

He’d seen enough horror movies to know that in this situation, he was fucked. He needed Áktshü but he didn’t begin to know how to call for him. Damn. He didn’t know if he should tell him that he wasn’t alone, or if he should lie and say he had a weapon. Both at the moment felt alarming. How was this guy alive? Áktshü had seemed pretty certain there weren’t many survivors here, and Devynn was more likely to believe there was something up here than that Áktshü was being dishonest with him.

“I have a weapon,” Devynn answered, leaving out the fact that it was mostly just a knife used for foraging. And that he definitely didn’t know how to use it in a self-defense manner. “Who are you looking for?” Devynn asked again, slower this time.

“She’s about this tall,” The man stated, motioning to about the height of Röfyenlyi, “Blonde, blue eyes.” Devynn couldn’t help glaring a little, his brain racing a little. He didn’t get a good feeling from this at all—he could practically see the red flags flying. He really wanted to figure out what to do, but he really wasn’t sure. Could he even feasibly do anything? This guy was about the same size as Áktshü, which meant he probably, definitely, couldn’t.

“Is there a problem here?” Áktshü’s voice came from behind the shelter, and Devynn felt an immediate surge of relief flood through him. Even if he didn’t have a damn clue what to do, Áktshü would.

“I thought you were alone, hm?” The guy snarked, glaring at Devynn before standing up, his arms crossing over his chest. When the guy met eyes with Áktshü, his face paled and he stepped back a bit, almost protectively.

“Dvyuh-Dhà,” Áktshü said, the sound of his footsteps getting closer. “Stay in the shelter.” Devynn had no plan to get out of the shelter. He didn’t figure he’d have much of an advantage out here, honestly. He’d get lost and get eaten by a monster if he tried to run away, or the guy could easily outmaneuver him. He wasn’t exactly skilled at parkour.

“What is your business here?” Áktshü demanded, taking a similar stance to the other man. “If you don’t talk, you leave.” The guy laughed, waving his hand.

“I’m doing that anyway,” He said flippantly, “Devin should be able to explain things easily enough. I’ll… Catch ya later.” He looked down at Devynn, winking at him as if Devynn was somehow in on what was going on. He wasn’t—truthfully, he was so scared and angry, he didn’t know what to do. The guy turned on his heels and headed toward the treeline, leaving Devynn and Áktshü alone together.

“Where is Röfyenlyi?” Devynn asked worriedly, keeping his voice down so that if the guy was still able to hear them, he wouldn’t be able to hear this.

“I left her a little farther back, in a tree. We need to go, now .” Áktshü said, motioning Devyn to get up and move. “We’ve got to go literally anywhere but here, now.” Devynn felt his heart skip a beat, panic surging through him.

“W-Why?” Devynn asked, jumping to movement and beginning to help Áktshü as he began gathering up the things they’d brought with them to the campsite.

“Running into other survivors here is never a good sign,” Áktshü said, “He found the camp when you were alone. He was planning on robbing you, at the least. My presence complicated things, but—” Devynn shook his head.

“He implied he was looking for someone,” Devynn said, “A girl, about the size of…” Devynn trailed off. Áktshü nodded.

“Even worse, he’s been following us prior to this. He chose this time to access the situation because he’s singled you out as the weakest,” Devynn flushed brightly, a little caught out at being called ‘weakest’ when the other party in question was a literal child. “There’s something strange about Röfyenlyi. While she acts like a typical child, I can’t help but get the feeling… There’s something not normal about her.”

“She’s just a kid,” Devynn said, and Áktshü shook his head.

“Yes, she is a child. But… I took her with me today, hunting, and I couldn’t find a single monster. Not one.” Áktshü said, “I put her up in the tree, walked about 50 feet from her, and immediately had monsters I could hunt. Furthermore… Since she’s been with us, I’ve had the feeling that… someone is watching us. Now it seems to be a person but… it felt a lot different than just being stalked.”

Devynn blinked a couple of times, his heart stalling in his chest. He didn’t think he understood what all of that meant, truthfully. He felt a little confused, not sure exactly what Áktshü was getting at.

“I-I don’t understand,” Devynn admitted bashfully, his cheeks flushing with color.

“Something is protecting her,” Áktshü explained, “Someone, perhaps.”

“W-What would be protecting her?” Devynn asked curiously, “Who? How? She’s been with u-us…” Devynn murmured. Áktshü shrugged his shoulders.

“I don’t really know the answer to that, truthfully. But I don’t think that it matters at this precise moment, either.” Áktshü said, frowning a bit. “Right now, we need to get moving before that guy comes back. See if we can get somewhere where he can’t find us.” Devynn hummed quietly, his eyes scanning the campsite carefully.

“W-What if he just follows us?” He asked worriedly, prompting Áktshü to shrug again.

“If he becomes a danger, I’ll handle it,” Áktshü said, his voice firm and certain. “He should be unable to follow where we are going to head, though… It’s difficult to navigate this path alone, especially if you’re trying to keep your distance and not get separated. He’ll need to be in constant sight of us to follow, the weather won’t allow anything else.”

“H-How so?” Devynn questioned worriedly. “Is it… D-Dangerous?” Áktshü nodded.

“It is if you get lost. You won’t though, because I’ll be with you. I know the path well, and I can navigate even with low visibility. All you have to do is keep close enough to see me.” Devynn nodded and glanced down at the ground, his mind racing.

“W-What if I lose sight of you though?” Devynn asked worriedly. “What if we lose sight of Röfyenlyi? C-Can she be trusted not to run off into it?” Áktshü shrugged his shoulders.

“I’m gonna carry her.” He said calmly. “It’s too big of a risk to let her run free on this trip. That just means you have to keep close. If we do happen to get separated, yell, and do not stop until I find you. Normally that’d be ill-advised, but staying in one place and not being able to see twenty feet ahead of you will be more dangerous than screaming for me.”

“H-How, though?” Devynn asked, not trying to be annoying or grilling him, he just wasn’t sure how not being able to see well would be less safe than making a bunch of noise and possibly attracting monsters to himself.

“Simply put, if the visibility is a problem for us, it is for the monsters as well,” Áktshü explained, “But their hearing is better than mine—and that’s to their detriment. Have you ever been really close to a really loud sound?” Devynn nodded. “Sometimes it can be so loud you can’t even determine where it is coming from. All you can register is the sound. Your yelling would be enough to confuse their sense of direction, but help mine.”

“A-Alright,” Devynn answered, nodding his head. “I’ll trust you on this.”

“Good, then. Let’s gather our stuff, we need to head back for Röfyenlyi-Dyá,” Áktshü said. Devynn nodded and quickly began to help Áktshü pack up their campsite.

・⥋ 【𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟹𝟶】【𝟸𝟿:𝟷𝟺:𝟸𝟹:𝟷𝟸】⥋・

When they got near the spot where they were going to camp for the night, Devynn could immediately tell what Áktshü was talking about. Devynn really couldn’t see more than twenty feet ahead of him, if even that. The whole area was blanketed in fog, the air feeling cool and wet, it almost felt uncomfortable. The wind was atrocious, so bitterly cold and biting against any exposed flesh he had. He was cold-sweating, something he had only ever done when sick, and that only made the wind worse as it caressed his skin.

Furthermore, it almost felt as if the wind was fighting against him, making it so hard to walk that he almost wished Áktshü could carry both him and Röfyenlyi as irrational as that might be. Every step forward was hard, though, akin to walking up a huge hill he couldn’t even see the top of it through the snow. It was as uncanny as it sounded, and he was certain that this walk was the hardest one yet—and they’d climbed mountains before.

“Dvyuh-Dhà, are you keeping up?” Áktshü called, barely two feet ahead of him. “Do I need to slow down?” Devynn nodded.

“I-I’m keeping up, but it’s hard,” He admitted. “What is making it so hard to walk?”

“The wind, it’s almost like it’s trying to push you backward.” Devynn could agree with that. “If you need a break, let me know.” Áktshü offered.

“Okay, Áktshü-Dhà,” Devynn agreed, “Do you think taking one would be… o-okay? We aren’t inviting him to catch up are we?” Áktshü shook his head.

“There is no way he’s managed to keep up with us,” Áktshü said as if he were stating a simple fact. “He would have to follow our voices in order to do that without being close enough to see us, and we’ve been mostly silent up until now. Do you need to rest?”

“Yes,” Devynn answered, almost feeling a little guilty. If they did get caught by this creep, just because they stopped for him to rest, then it’d be his fault. He knew that was a stretch, and wasn’t really fair to himself… but he couldn’t help it. He felt this sense of urgency to protect both Áktshü and Röfyenlyi, if for no other reason than just caring about them, and he wasn’t able to do that and it upset him.

He wanted to be stronger, better—he needed to be, and yet, his slight frame was absolutely demolishing his abilities. He’d always considered himself fit, not really muscular or strong by any means of the words, however… he never thought he’d struggle this much with just keeping up.

“Jï bnû cháché, Aksyě-Dhà,” Röfyenlyi said softly, her arms wrapping tightly around his neck as he shifted her weight around from his back to his chest. He nodded his head, “M̈er gå attsò e̊tduh?” She questioned, and he nodded.

“Myú zà pyagzå nû lundshè dzů ïkse̊ hyêr pêryéx, Röfyenlyi-Dyá,” Áktshü stated as he sat her down. She nodded her head and reached her hand up to wrap it around Áktshü’s. “She wanted down,” He elaborated, “But I told her to stay close to me at all times,” Devynn nodded.

“It sounds so natural when you s-speak in Z-Zhézviw… I guess it makes sense, I just wish I could communicate with you the same way.” Devynn said, frowning a bit to himself.

“We haven’t worked on it much lately, we’ve been… preoccupied with other matters.” Áktshü stated, “Don’t be too hard on yourself. You’ll get it, probably later than sooner, but that doesn’t really matter right now.”

“It feels like it does,” Devynn said, biting into his lip. “I felt like I w-was making progress… but now that I haven’t learned anything new in a while, and I still can’t c-communicate with Röfyenlyi the way you can…” He trailed off and shook his head. “Sorry, it’s stupid.”

“It isn’t,” Áktshü said, leaving no room for negotiation. “You will learn in time. Most children who grow up speaking Zhézviwian pick up on it fast, I could speak fluently by age four.” He paused for a moment, “You, however, are not a child and you have to learn to speak it from the perspective of someone who already knows how to speak in one specific way—which is far from the way that we speak Zhézviw. You will struggle more than I or she did. There is no shame in that.”

“How do you know?” Devynn questioned, feeling certain Áktshü was only trying to guard his emotions and make him feel better.

“I tried to teach someone much older than you once,” Áktshü stated vaguely. “He never could get the pronunciation down. It’s a complicated language. You just have to keep trying until you get where you want to be with it.” Devynn nodded, biting into his bottom lip.

“I don’t plan to give up,” Devynn said, making Áktshü smile.

“Then I’ll work with you on it until you pick it up,” Áktshü stated. Devynn giggled a little, nodding his head as warmth flooded through him. Unable to help himself he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Áktshü’s neck. Áktshü huffed quietly, as if caught out at the sudden movement, but didn’t comment, wrapping his arm around Devynn’s back—this time, only a little awkwardly and uncertainly, as if he just wasn’t sure how to reciprocate.

Devynn didn’t really care, though—it just felt nice to be hugged.

・⥋ 【𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟹𝟶】【𝟸𝟿:𝟸𝟷:𝟹𝟾:𝟺𝟽】⥋・

By the time Áktshü, Röfyenlyi, and Deynn got to the new campsite, it was erring on dark. When they finished setting it up, it was dark. There was so much they still needed to do, but it was so dark that they could barely do anything. It took Áktshü over two hours to get a fire started because of how moist the air was, and even with the fire it was hard to see. Áktshü kept both Devynn and Röfyenlyi right by the fire at all times, refusing to let them venture without taking the whole group.

He said it’d be easier and safer, but Devynn felt it might be the opposite at least for Röfyenlyi, who was too small to really get the danger. Still, staying right there by the campfire was pretty easy because they didn’t have to venture far to go to the bathroom with complete privacy. Food was a complexity, but there wasn’t much more that he could do about that right now. Hunting wasn’t safe for Áktshü at the moment, and Devynn couldn’t communicate with Röfyenlyi well enough to be able to keep her still if Áktshü wasn’t right there.

She could be good, but on the other hand, if she wasn’t… well, they could easily misplace her in the fog. It wasn’t ideal for even spending a single night, but they were somewhat limited in options. Having to leave their campsite early definitely didn’t help them with planning for the trip, they hadn’t had time to gather food or anything—this was all so rushed it felt hectic and nerve-wracking.

Devynn also felt a little nervous, despite Áktshü’s certainty that the man hadn’t been able to follow them. That felt a little too good to be true, given what he already knew. Sure it was a possibility, but if he’d been in this place as long as Áktshü had been, then why couldn’t he? He might not be able to keep an eye on them from a distance, but that didn’t mean anything if he was truly determined to keep up with them.

Devynn knew he was a bit paranoid, but at this point, didn’t he have a right to be? Things were beyond complicated on a normal day, and now this? A person, just a normal person, posed a threat to their safety—if for no other reason than wanting to loot their campsite. It was stressful for him, because if he couldn’t even stomach the monsters getting hurt, how was he supposed to stomach them having to protect themselves against a human if it came to that?

Devynn felt restless, a bit uncomfortable. He couldn’t help the feeling of being watched, even if he was pretty certain he was imagining it. He was hungry, tired from the long walk, and unsettled about the situation. They didn’t know anything about the guy who was trying to—Devynn didn’t even know what. Áktshü seemed convinced that he just wanted to take their stuff, but Devynn had a bad feeling about it. One that was telling him it wasn’t quite so cut and dry. He felt like this was too weird for the guy to just want the spear Áktshü fought with, their self-made bottles, and the stone pan they used to cook in. That just didn’t seem feasible.

On top of it all, he’d mentioned Röfyenlyi, not by name but by appearance. That led him to wonder if she wasn’t what the man was looking for, as weird as it seemed. She’d been adamant about her having a sister, but if not family then who was this man? Just a creep? Devynn didn’t like that thought at all, honestly. There were no real laws or rules, only one’s own morals could determine what was and wasn’t right, and that left so much up for question.

If it was Röfyenlyi that the man was after, what was the purpose? Why? Devynn refused to let him take her if that’s what he wanted. As aversive to fighting as he was, that’s one thing he was sure of… he’d fight to protect her. Or Áktshü, either one. He’d probably lose , but that wasn’t really the point.

“Devynn, are you still awake?” Áktshü’s voice came from behind him, and Devynn turned his head to meet his eyes. “You should probably sleep for the walk in the morning.” Devynn knew that logically, but his brain was moving at superspeed, and practically leaving him behind. He didn’t think he’d be able to sleep if someone knocked him out, honestly.

“I’m wide awake,” He muttered, his eyes darting over to the little girl sleeping down at their feet. “I’m worried.” He admitted after a moment.

“Do not be,” Áktshü said firmly, “I know how to protect us, regardless of the enemy type.” Devynn knew that logically as well, but it didn’t really soothe his worries for the night, or the girl. “I plan to stay awake and keep a lookout,” Áktshü explained, one of his hands falling down to rub at Devynn’s head affectionately. Devynn hummed, nuzzling into the hand on his head, relishing in the feeling of his rough fingers carding through his hair lightly.

It was longer, now, needed to be cut probably, but there was nothing they could do about that at the present moment. Devynn wasn’t even sure he minded it, honestly, if it meant that Áktshü would keep petting him and playing with it. The only problem he could potentially see with it would be if he had a hard time keeping it clean out here, but so far they’d mostly stuck to places with water near them so they could comfortably have sex and bathe off afterward. He would just have to be extra careful to keep it brushed out with his fingers in the interim, because oh, holy macaroni, every time Áktshü’s fingernails scratched against his scalp it made his entire body shiver.

“That feels good,” Devynn murmured, careful not to move too much so as not to chase the touch away. As long as he was still and didn’t interrupt it, Áktshü might continue. Áktshü chuckled, his head nodding.

“Good, take a nap while I do it,” Áktshü stated, his voice sounding almost a little warm, sweet like honey. “I’ll protect you,” Devynn couldn’t fight back the yawn that forced its way up the back of his throat, one of his hands coming up to grasp at Áktshü’s tattered jeans.

“I don’t wanna,” Devynn whined, pouting up at him through his lashes as much as he could without moving too much. He wanted to stay awake and protect Röfyenlyi, he wanted to keep relishing in the affection Áktshü was giving him, as well as the soft and gentle words. He knew it was immature to cling onto it like this, but… he really liked the way Áktshü’s voice sounded when he was being nice.

Intentionally nice, Devynn knew it was a weird distinction, but Áktshü didn’t really seem to pick up on social cues often. It felt nice to be touched so softly and with so much thought by a man who didn’t really know what it meant—he knew it wasn’t manipulative, nor was he just trying to appease him, it was a genuine effort to soothe him when he really wasn’t sure how to. That made it mean so much more than any other touch he’d ever received.

“You don’t sound like you’ll have much of an option,” Áktshü teased, “You look like you’re drifting off as we speak. Just rest, leave the rest to me.” Devynn let out a helpless sigh, his eyes fluttering shut as he muttered fine. He was actually tired, and it was hard to fight against it when Áktshü was soothing him to sleep like this. It was so comforting that Devynn didn’t know how to do anything other than give in to the urge to obey him.

・⥋【𝐒 𝐂 𝐘 𝐓 𝐇 𝐄】⥋・

Áktshü could tell the moment that Dvyuh-Dhà went to sleep, and he waited a moment or two before separating from him and standing up, his gaze roaming around the foggy darkness. He could feel eyes on him, on them , and he was prepared and ready to fight if he needed to. Whether it be a monster, or that human from before, he really didn’t care as long as it meant keeping Dvyuh-Dhà and Röfyenlyi-Dyá safe from harm.

Áktshü stepped away from the camp, keeping note of the direction he walked in so as to be able to return without trouble. He’d stayed in this area before, he could navigate it better than Dvyuh-Dhà and Röfyenlyi-Dyá could. It wouldn’t be hard for him to return to them, but if they were to venture out on their own, it’d be impossible for them to navigate their way back. As Áktshü took another step forward, he heard the sound of a tree limb snapping beneath the weight of someone’s foot. He could tell it was not a monster based on the sound of the snap.

“If you are out here, you better show yourself,” Áktshü demanded, hearing a chuckle in response.

“So you are more perceptive than I gave you credit for,” The guy responded, stepping forward slightly, but only just enough for Áktshü to make out the shape of him through the fog. Áktshü was not interested in playing a game of back-and-forth with the guy, he just wanted to know if he needed to kill him to protect the others or not.

“What is your business with my camp?” Áktshü demanded, not giving him even the slightest bit of a retort or any acknowledgment of his comment at all.

“It’s pretty simple, really,” The man said, “You have found a rare treasure that I wish to make use of.” Áktshü frowned and raised an eyebrow, uncertain what he could be talking about. Unless he was talking about one of his companions, he didn’t know—and if he were talking about one of them, Áktshü would have to put an end to that immediately.

“Excuse me?” Áktshü said, “There’s nothing here that I will allow you to ‘make use of’ no matter how rare or how much you treasure it. Get lost.” The man shook his head.

“I just found my ticket out of this hellhole, and you think I’m going to let you chase me off? Fuck that,” The man said, laughing. Áktshü glanced back over his shoulder worriedly, hoping the bastard didn’t get loud enough to wake up Dvyuh-Dhà because the last thing he needed was him to wake up and witness something that’d scare him needlessly. He didn’t know what this idiot was thinking, but there was nothing here that’d get him home.

“You’ll either run off with your tail between your legs, or I’ll kill you to protect my camp.” Áktshü stated, crossing his arms over his chest.

“At least one person at this camp doesn’t need you to protect them,” The man said vaguely.

“I’m uncertain I understand what you are getting at,” Áktshü stated, shaking his head. Dvyuh-Dhà couldn’t protect himself, he couldn’t even hunt for food other than foraging. He needed him, for survival purposes, and protection alike. Röfyenlyi-Dyá… well he had suspicions about her, but she was still a child. She needed protection just as much as Dvyuh-Dhà did, if not more.

“And here I was, thinking you were observant.” The man chided, “Haven’t you noticed something odd lately? The girl plays and acts normal as if she’s never witnessed the horrors this world has to offer… and yet she seems perfectly capable of navigating the difficult terrain as if it is nothing.” The man paused as if to give him a moment to process the information being told to him. “Furthermore, she is loud, how do you think I managed to find your camp in the first place? Though… no monsters even are drawn to the noise, are they?”

“Your point is?” Áktshü questioned. “It is strange, yes, but that doesn’t mean a damn thing. Some kids are able to bounce back without ever showing signs of having been troubled.”

“That doesn’t explain the monsters, hm?” The man chided, “Come on now, you’re smarter than this—you’ve survived for years here, haven’t you? Doesn’t that strike you as a little odd?”

“I don’t care why the monsters aren’t coming, I’m just relieved my companions are safe,” Áktshü stated.

“You think so?” The man queried, “What if I told you that little girl is the goddess of death’s companion? The one she cherishes more than anything?” Áktshü was surprised to hear the accusation but he couldn’t help but laugh in response to it. Even if it was true, it was ridiculous to think about. And furthermore, if he were being truthful, then kidnapping her would surely only lead to his destruction.

“Then I would tell you you’re delusional,” Áktshü responded. “The girl is nothing more than a girl, and even if by some chance you are correct, kidnapping her from the safe place she is at would be stupid, and would only incur the goddess’s wrath.”

“You might be right,” The man stated, “But I’d rather have a twenty-five percent chance of escaping than a twenty-five percent chance of surviving here until I’m viciously murdered by one of these monsters. Now… give me the girl, or you’ll die.”

“I have no intention of giving you a child when I can come to conclusions on what you plan to do with her,” Áktshü stated. “If you are ready to fight for her, then we can fight. I’m certain I won’t lose, as I have fought much bigger monsters and I doubt you pack half the punch that I do. If you know what is good for you, you’ll back away now and leave my companions alone.”

“Oh, I know all about you, as well,” The man said, “You are strong and fast, agile, with great instincts. You’ve survived here longer than anyone else ever has. But you’ve never faced a human before, have you? It’s a lot harder to kill one than it is to kill a monster.”

“I’ve watched plenty die that I cared about,” Áktshü answered stoically, “You, I couldn’t care less about. To further prove my point, I would die to protect both of my companions, but if you’re the obstacle then I don’t even have to consider that a possibility. In short, I will not care either way if it is a human or a monster if it comes to saving them.”

“So heroic, chivalrous, even…” The man snarked, “Too bad you won’t live long enough for them to know about it. Perhaps I’ll just tell them you ran off and left, that way they’ll have to rely on me—” Before he could finish his statement, Áktshü punched him in the face as hard as he could. To his surprise, despite talking such a big game, the man collapsed into a pile on the ground, motionless, with blood running down from his nose.

He waited a minute or two to make sure the man wasn’t just playing knocked out before turning and heading back to the camp, planning to wake both Dvyuh-Dhà and Röfyenlyi-Dyá up and moving them before the man awakened. While he could kill him now, if he wanted to, it felt unnecessary. The man would probably be taken care of by some monsters given how weak he was.

It was honestly comical how easy he’d been to fight, in hindsight. While his fist did hurt slightly from the impact, it was honestly nothing in comparison to what it would’ve been had the man been a monster. Áktshü paused for a moment once reaching the camp, relieved to see Dvyuh-Dhà still asleep. He knew he’d have to wake him now, but even so… the peace on his face was something that Áktshü cherished every time he got to see it.

He hated to wake both of them up after they’d already walked so far the day before, but there was no helping it. Still, he’d quickly pack everything up while they slept so at least they were a little less uncomfortable than he would be during the walk. It was pure luck that he’d managed to knock the guy unconscious, he’d do well to not waste any unnecessary time lingering around. He needed to put as much distance between them and the guy as he possibly could before the guy woke up. He’d be disoriented, but if he managed to find them through the fog once, Áktshü didn’t want to risk it a second time.

ᨒᨔ෴⦁ᨖ⦁෴ᨔᨒ

⦁⚞【⎗ 𝙱𝚊𝚌𝚔】【𝙽𝚎𝚡𝚝⎘】⚟⦁

【🖫】【🖬】【🗐】