sleepytimejunction | ➵ this time kindness wins

[ Silence. Deafening silence. Every part of him is angry and hateful and scared, but Ashe is none of those things. He can't find it in himself to punish him for that. ]

I'm sorry. Ashe.

Mm. Don't apologize. I'm not angry with you or anything.

It's just... I wish I could help you better with all of the hurt you must have inside of you. So if it's okay, I'd like to keep trying. Even if I can't do much, I'm happy just helping you.

I wish you would not.

[ The last thing he wants really, is to see more of his friends and loved ones suffer. Despite his state of mind, at his core, he knows that. ]

I know I can do little to stop you, though. So do as you please.

[There it is. That piece of Dimitri from five years ago, still surviving somewhere inside of the man he is now. Ashe smiles faintly, even if it is tired and worn.]

I understand.

I'll do my best to not give you more reasons for grief. I intend to see myself alive at the end of this. And I'm going to try to make sure you do, too. ...Even if you end up hating that.

Very well.

[ So they have an odd kind of agreement. Tenuous at best, but it's something. Something to grasp on to, even if it's clouded by resentment.

So Ashe's interactions become something of an anchor for him. Even if it's the barest of acknowledgement of his presence, it's far better than what he affords anyone else. ]

[For a time, it goes like this: Ashe bringing meals regularly despite Dimitri's growling and grumbling, the archer attempting to bring a slice of humanity back to him. It is, in part, successful; Dimitri eats, and will sometimes respond with words instead of grunts and glares.

He hopes one day that he will be a man again.

But that day will be in the future still. They are in a gruesome war, after all. Ashe is used to being off in part by himself to pick off soldiers on the field, to explore a path not yet taken and unlock the way.

That does come with its troubles, of course. An arrow hits his horse in the flank, causing him to rear up and throw Ashe off. With a surprised yell, Ashe tumbles to the dirt, watching Kyphon run off and scared. His first thought is that he hopes he can find his mount and help him.

Then he sees Imperial soldiers approaching. Ashe shakes his head, trying to clear it as he stumbles to his feet, pulling out a knife.

An archer in close quarters is not an excellent strategy.]

[ As they bear down on Ashe, something large bursts from the brush on the side of the open trail, ripping one of the men off their horse with a scream of agony as he's quickly launched with a sickening crack of bones into a tree on the other side.

The others do not fare much better as Dimitri practically eviscerates them with extreme prejudice, crushing limbs in his hands and slicing large, bloody swathes into their bodies with his lance. When everything is quiet again, he stands, red dripping off his armor, cloak and face, breath visible in the air.

And then he turns on Ashe. He's picked up by the collar of his shirt, almost like scruffing a cat- and unceremoniously tossed over Dimitri's shoulder as the man stalks away towards the back lines of their formation. ]

[It's not the first time he's witnessed Dimitri rip through his enemies like they were tissue paper. When the Flame Emperor had been revealed to be Edelgard, that was just the first hint of the darkness inside of Dimitri. Here and now, it almost seems just as personal to his future king as he rips into their enemies, rendering them into corpses gleefully, leaving meat and blood to decorate the battlefield.

It's a horrible, impressive display leaving Ashe feeling cold and hot at the same time. His throat tightens, and he feels like he should say something but he can't. Nothing comes out but an undignified squeak as he's lifted up like it's nothing and thrown over the prince's shoulder.]

Y-your Highness...! I can walk!

[Not that he struggles much, but he's also hoping his coat is adequately covering some of his confusing interest.]

Shut up.

[ That's the only answer Ashe gets as Dimitri stalks his way towards a safer area out of the way before finally leaning Ashe up against a tree. Almost immediately, he's taking off any armor and starting in on Ashe's clothes, not caring weather or not he damages them with the sharpened fingers of his gauntlets. Still, when those same fingers touch his bare skin, he's gentle.

He's examining him for wounds.

Hands travel over him, touching and squeezing for any damage or broken bones. When he finds none there, he unceremoniously tugs down his pants, leaving only his smallclothes to cover his shame. The cold metal of the gauntlets trace down his thighs as he searches, at last when he's satisfied that the man is unharmed, he looks back up at the very obvious other problem. ]

Hmmf. [ There's a dark look. This is a distraction. This is a distraction for both of them, and a glance up at Ashe, as if asking permission as those points finally ghost over the shape of his erection through the thin fabric. He's waiting. ]

Ah--

[For a moment, he thinks about stopping Dimitri, but ultimately finds himself all but clinging onto the tree. Being manhandled and halfway undressed is definitely not helping the growing problem between his legs that he's trying desperately to not think about.

But it gets worse. Of course it gets worse. It isn't just that he'd been alarmingly entranced by Dimitri's sheer strength, but like this he's being-- almost cared for? Despite how rough his behavior is, Dimitri's hands are actually surprisingly careful as he examines him.

And then, of course, Dimitri finds the problem.]

I-I'm sorry. You-- a-ah. [Ashe bites his lower lip and can't help but buck his hips into the lightest bit of contact.]

Y-you don't have to-- you can ignore that!

[Goddess, what a mess. What does this say about him on so many levels? Not just overly impressed by Dimitri's strength, but this is also his future king.]

[ He has very little time or patience for Ashe to be flustered. He simply sits, crossing his legs and pulling the slender man into his lap. That clawed gauntlet splays on his chest a moment, before trailing lower, delving in to pull his length out and wrap around it. While the tops of them are black steel, the inside palms are worn leather and mesh. Not too comfortable to have wrapped around your cock, but not the worst.

He simply starts stroking him, eyes distant as he works, slow at first, and then gaining speed. He isn't looking at Ashe, but there is a hint of softness in his expression. He's trying to treat this like a task and nothing more, but even like this, he's still got those threads of a bleeding heart. ]

Oh...

[Hands tremble as they come to rest on Dimitri's shoulders. He bites his lower lip, squirming a moment in Dimitri's lap before he finally gives up about his own shyness and just lets it happen.

Ashe whines, rolling his hips into Dimitri's hand eagerly, those powerful hands that saved his life. He catches the look on Dimitri's face; even though their eyes aren't meeting, his expression isn't as cold. He hopes that counts for something.]

D-Dimitri--

[ He just works at it, eye shifting away even more when Ashe says his name. No... no. No more Dimitri. Just a monster doing someone a favor. He keeps telling himself that, but he can't pretend like it doesn't affect him.

He makes no moves to satisfy himself though. That isn't for him. Just this is enough. ]

[He feels like he should stop Dimitri. This-- this is inappropriate in all kinds of ways, but Goddess he'd be lying if he said he hasn't thought about his prince more than once. As it is, all he can do is whimper and squirm into the contact, eager to chase after warmth, pressure, and friction.

Hesitantly, he reaches down, curling his hand lightly over the one stroking his cock.]

[ The hand over his own does make him pause, and that one blue eye shifts back to Ashe, finally looking at him. Seeing him. He doesn't look away this time, when he starts moving his hand again with more intent this time. He's watching, and the metal bracing around the collar of his armor shifts when he swallows. He's hard now. Thankfully, Ashe won't feel it. He doesn't need to know. He just needs to come. ]

[When that blue eye looks up at him, it feels as though the gaze is piercing through Ashe to his very soul. Dimitri sees him, less impersonal but now staring. It causes Ashe's breath to catch, and his eyes to widen.

When he comes, he chokes on air and bucks eagerly into their hands, finishing messily with a low whine.]

[ Good. He watches as Ashe comes into his hand, stroking him through it. Once he's finished, he examines the mess on his gauntlet, strings of seed stretched between his digits. Silently turning his hand over before unceremoniously plunging those clawed fingertips into his own mouth and licking himself clean, like it's nothing.

Ashe is lifted to his feet and deposited on the ground as Dimitri turns to leave. ]

[As Dimitri licks off the mess, Ashe is too tired to protest, watching as he catches his breath. It's-- it's filthy, something he'd never ask his prince to do, but Dimitri is cleaning it off without any hesitation. There's something terribly alluring about it that makes him twitch.

Then, just like that, Dimitri puts him back to his feet and goes to leave.]

W-wait-- Dimitri, um-- Your Highness--

[Goddess, he doesn't even know what to call him right now, his mind and tongue all twisted up.]

Isn't there anything I can do in return...?

Don't worry about it.

[ The answer comes after an uncomfortable pause. Honestly, he's just... glad he got there before anything really bad happened to Ashe. ]

Pull your pants up and come on.

[ He's not waiting, either. He just starts walking again, back towards the fighting. ]

Edited 2021-10-14 01:06 (UTC)

If you're sure...

[Despite everything in him wanting to dig for answers, Ashe leaves it be. This moment though... it's definitely going to linger on his mind for the rest of the day.

Swallowing nervously, he puts himself back into sorts, pants up and armor adjusted before he's jogging after Dimitri.

The others are regrouping, and he sees that Sylvain has found Kyphon, leading the horse back while Mercedes tends to healing it. Ashe lets out a sigh of relief. Good, he'd never forgive himself if he lost Kyphon due to his own foolishness.]

[ He SHOULD be able to forget it. He should, he tells himself, after the march back to the monastery and everyone is settled again. Once he's taken up his post by the rubble pile and sitting into the wee hours, haunted by ghosts and now the image of Ashe panting in his lap. Those little sounds he made. His face when he came. The taste of it.

Pathetic. Disgraceful. Dimitri reminds himself that he is unworthy of even touching someone so good. So kind. Not like that, and the shame bites at his heels, even as he can feel his erection straining against the leather lining under his armor. Even as he's palming the codpiece and pressing, just to give himself something. Some pressure or something to rub against. Disgusting. Wretched. Filthy. Pathetic. ]

Your Highness?

[Once again, Ashe is here, quietly calling out to the prince. He has food again, still determined to help and look after him, even though he still thinks about how Dimitri had touched him. How filthy and entrancing it was when he licked off the mess. Goddess, that's a secret he'll take to his grave.

But just like that, Dimitri's left it behind. Of course he had to have, right?]

I brought dinner.

[ Well. It's not every day that the object of your desire walks right in while you're nearly touching yourself to the thought of them.

And yet, here he is. It's both lucky and unlucky all at once. Dimitri doesn't have the wherewithal to stop himself as he turns on his heel and walks towards Ashe with purpose. Taking the tray and while he's tempted to just throw it, there's that human part of him that knows Ashe brought it for him, and he shouldn't. So he doesn't. He sets it aside, grabbing a fistful of Ashe's shirt and dragging him roughly to the closest wall, trapped between two thick arms, and Dimitri standing over him. Breathing hard.

There's an almost apologetic look on his face. Something reminiscent of his younger self. Something guilt-ridden and sad breaking through the anger and hostility. No, not sad. Needy. Those steel claws grasp Ashe's chin so that Dimitri can kiss him, rough and wanton with teeth and tongue. ]

[There's a gasp when he's dragged around before being shoved against the wall. For a moment, he's in that weird space of being both intimidated but also oddly revering his prince for his might. And for a moment, he catches the look in Dimitri's eye, that bit of softness. That bit of him that still makes him a man.

A better person, a noble person might push away Dimitri, or just let him do what he wants. Not engage.

But Ashe is reaching up shyly to touch his cheek. His mouth opens with a whimper.]

[ Ah. That small bit of permission is all he needs. He pants between messy kisses, almost frantic to drink in more and more of them- desperate to slide their tongues together, to suck on Ashe's.

He doesn't even realize he's grinding his hips into Ashe's until he's feeling like the armor he wears is too small for him. One hand moves down, dragging clawtips over the slight body until he can cup between his legs. Feel for the shape of his cock through his pants and grind his palm against it. ]

I want to fuck you. Right now. [ That's the growled phrase that comes out, husky and drenched in need. ]

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