Hi Moony!

The poll spoke loudly. Y’all really ship Phantom / Aeon with Swiss, but Aether was a close 2nd which was surprising. Using Phantom as the name today… Special mention of Sunshine bc I forgot her in my poll.

Adult themes; but no actual smut (sorry!) However, I could be persuaded for a part two…

Phantom’s first time - below the cut:

Garden of Eden

The need is there. Held tight beneath layers of sinew and skin. Burning deep inside, begging for release.

He can feel their gaze upon him.

Hungry. Wanting.

He knows he’s fresh from the pit, the shiny new toy topside. He’s also young. Younger than the others, but by no means inexperienced in the grand sense.

He’s aware that they are all together. It’s ghoulish nature to fornicate. But what he is surprised to find here is the closeness they all share. Dew and Rain are together more often than not. Cumulus and Cirrus don’t stray far from each other, with the exceptions being for Mountain and Sunshine. He knows they’d gladly welcome him but his thoughts are drawn elsewhere.

Aurora has had her time occupied with Swiss which doesn’t bother him at all. He huffs at himself for even being the slightest bit jealous. The big ghoul with his broad shoulders and warm skin, stretched tight across his back and arms. And his hips.. the way those lines disappear into his pants when he’s shirtless in the den.

He’s been caught looking and flushes straight to the tips of his pointed ears every time. Making excuses and fleeing the room.

He spends most of his time with Aether. The older Quintessence ghoul providing him education and a safe space to learn. Leaning over him to point out a line in the text or to show him a tricky bridge in one of the songs. His large chest pressed against Phantom’s back, with a warmth he can’t help but sink into.

It’s comforting and he can’t help but imagine what it would feel like to let him in. To let Aether be his first, to be encircled in those strong arms, pinned underneath.

“Ahem…” Aether clears his throat. Smirking at the daydreaming ghoul before him. Caught and blushing. Cute, he thinks.

“Did you want to finish this later? We could go watch a movie instead? I know it’s been a long day.” Aether prods. Violet eyes glittering, a tiny quirk of his lip bares the slightest hint of fang. Sliver capped and glinting in the light.

He shivers imagining what that feels like.

“Sure” he gulps as he swallows, sure this is it. The moment he’s been waiting for. Finally ready to experience all the earthly pleasures that await him. They exit the practice room and head back towards the den.

“I’ll go grab some snacks - why don’t you wait in my room? I’ll grab us some drinks too.” Aether veers off towards the kitchen, indicating his room down the hall.

Phantom enters, turning the knob, and pushing the door open, ignoring the tremble in his hand.

Catching a glimpse of himself in the mirror - pale and wild eyed.. he’s got to get a grip. It’s just sex, but what if Aether didn’t like him like that? What if he just wants to watch a movie?

He hesitated before taking a seat on the end of the bed. Toeing off his shoes as Aether enters. He smiles at Phantom finding him perched on the very edge the bed.

“Come on, let’s get comfy..” he prods, climbing onto the mattress and flopping on his side to face Phantom.

“What movie are we going to watch?” Phantom asks, glancing around and realizing that there’s no tv visible.

“Actually, I’ve got something better in mind.” Aether grins, as Swiss slips through the door. The click as it closes makes Phantom gasp, head cranked around and eyes wide as he realizes he’s caught between the two ghouls.

Swiss steps forward, his warm golden eyes luminous as he smiles, predatory at Phantom.

“I bet we can put on a show of our own, don’t you think Aeth?” He chuckles.

“What do you say, bug? Do you want to play with us?”

“Both of you?” He stammers. He’d never even considered this possibility and no way was it happening right now.

“We’ve seen you watching us. Thought you might want this.” Swiss purrs.

Swiss steps closer, nearly between Phantom’s knees, putting his hand on the side of Phantom’s face, thumb brushing across his cheek and dragging down his bottom lip.

Subconsciously, his tongue darts out to chase it, and Swiss rumbles something that ends in a low growl.

His eyes widen as he looks up at Swiss, his pupils dark, hungry. His magic tingles in his veins, considering the world of unknowns and a universe of possibilities.

He feels the heat of Aether against his back, suddenly on his knees behind him, arms slipping around to caress his chest, his warm breath on Phantom’s neck.

He shivers involuntarily as he steels himself, considering his options before uttering a single word.

“Please…”

A Lack of Engagement Pt. 3: It Gets Worse

[Previous Chapter: Here. Morning regrets, and a search for dick... That's what we're working with here, expect no less.] Below the cut.

There's something uniquely mortifying about being caught jacking it, even if they are ghouls and they're all pretty open about their sexual escapades, this is a little different.

Rain can feel the building of his orgasm, much to his own horror, continue in spite of Dew standing in the doorway, staring!

He's just frozen there, eyeing Rain's dick with an expression he can't quite read, and then he opens his mouth and-

"Why is it blue...?"

-Rain gives a noise of distress, wanting to curl into himself and perish on the spot, but he can't stop himself from giving his cock one more tug, and somehow that's the one that does it.

He has to grip the counter to stop himself from toppling forward with the force of it, and Dew is definitely going to kill him for cumming in front of him like that!

Except he doesn't.

Dew doesn't make a move towards or away from him.

He lingers, and as Rain comes down from his high, he can see the other man's face growing pinker and pinker.

At some point, Dew holds his hands up, face beet red.

Rain tries to speak, but he's still reeling from his orgasm, and trying to breathe normally.

"Fuck..." he manages, "'m sorry..."

"...Your... Your..." Dew swallows, "I..."

They both stand there for a moment before Dew does something that makes Rain gape at him like a fish.

He shuts the door.

Closing them both inside the room.

Rain isn't sure what's about to happen, but the energy in the room has shifted in a strange way, and either Dew is really going to murder him or-

"...I mean, it's fine, right?" he says finally, "We're... married, so... We've probably..."

The kraken stirs.

"Dew, I don't-" Rain coughs, "-I don't think... Um... What're you doing?"

Dew has his thumbs hooked into his boxers.

"E-Eye for an eye, yeah?"

Rain wants to stop him, wants to grab his hands and stop him, but about partway through that thought, he dares a glance at Dew's crotch, and, well-

"...Oh my fucking god."

He's not sure what he expected to see Dew whip out, but this was not it.

It's about four inches long, flaccid, but wriggling with some interest as Dew takes it in hand.

"That's..."

A knock sounds on their bedroom door and Dew hastily packs himself away while Rain does similar, wiping his hands off on a nearby towel.

"Oi, lovebirds! You're gonna miss breakfast if you don't get your asses up!" Cirrus calls, then, after a pause, "...Don't hurry too fast though, Aether's teacing Aeon how to make pancakes, and I think I smell burning."

Rain and Dew share a look, considering.

Okay.

Okay, okay, okay...

"We're gonna pretend that didn't happen." Rain says finally, and Dew nods, "We've gotta... We've gotta focus up and figure out how to turn things back to normal and find the... giant metal penis."

Dew frowns, but nods his head regardless.

There it is again, that strange hesitance.

Rain wants to say something about it, but he also doesn't want to risk making Dew uncomfortable, although-

"I'm... I'm sorry you had to see my dick." Rain apologizes.

"No, no, I'm sorry I showed you mine!" Dew trills awkwardly, "Don't even... Like you said, let's pretend this all didn't happen."

"Right..."

Breakfast is... tense.

Tense, and burnt.

Aeon tried his best, but even with Aether's help, half the pancakes could be classified as briquettes, and Rain isn't sure if he can drown them in enough syrup to make them palatable.

Dew is struggling in his own way, trying to scoop up a wayward strawberry with his fork and failing miserably, until Rain jabs his fork into it and holds it up to his face.

"So, what's on the agenda for today?" he asks the rest of the pack nonchalantly as Dew considers his angle of attack, popping the fruit into his mouth before going back to carving at one of his pancakes, which basically snaps under pressure from his knife.

"Ehn, there's a meeting going on with Copia and the rest of the clergy, something about changes to the hierarchy, but nothing that involves any of us at the moment." Aether explains, "Aside from our regular duties, our schedules are all fairly free for the next week or so until they get everything straightened out."

Rain hums and pokes at his breakfast.

"Maybe we could all watch a movie together??" Aurora suggests, the only ghoul actively crunching on the burnt pancakes, giving Aeon a thumbs up when he deposits more of his charcoal bits onto her plate, looking embarrassed, but proud, "Something scary!"

As others chime in with their assent, Dew nudges Rain under the table with his knee, prompting the water ghoul to give a little push back, the two bump each other back and forth for a bit before Rain notices their packmates looking back at them.

"What about you two?" Aurora asks, propping her head up on the back of her hands, "Unless you have other plans...?"

Dew opens his mouth, but finds himself at a loss for words, looking over at Rain, who thinks for a moment before shaking his head.

"We have a, uh," Rain rolls the word 'date' on his tongue, then eyes Dew.

"I don't want to ruin the surprise." he says finally, "He's been hounding me all morning about it, even broke into the bathroom to interrogate me about what I have planned!"

"I DID NO-" Dew balks, then remembers, flushing bright red, "...actually, yeah, I did..."

The table erupts into laughter, save for Rain, who silently thanks Dew for going along with what he said, because, well, it is the truth, albeit not all of it.

"Ohh~? Loverboy is finally making up for forgetting his hubby's birthday?" Swiss teases, pointing his fork at Rain, "Trying to win back those brownie points, huh?"

Rain blinks, sitting up straight.

"I did not forget Dew's birthday." he says, sounding very offended, "I took him t-"

He stops midsentence, slapping a hand over his mouth as he recalls how the two of them spent Dew's birthday this year.

It had been a special request from his friend that they not tell the others what they were getting up to that day, even if it wasn't anything outright embarrassing, Dew had been adamant that no one else know what their plans were for his birthday.

They'd gone to the aquarium, and had spent the entire day joking about which sea creatures they'd eat or had eaten, and at the end of the day, Rain had gifted Dew a marine biology textbook, since he'd been aching to learn more on a scientific level about the creatures they'd encountered.

Rain himself had purchased an octopus plush for himself, which was absurdly large and difficult to smuggle past the other ghouls to avoid suspicion, but worth it in the end, because it really did bring his room together...

"You took him where?" Swiss probes, watching Rain squirm under the attention.

He coughs into his fist and shrugs.

"Nothing." he says, "Just saying I didn't forget is all."

"Secrets, secrets are no fun, unless you sha-" Swiss starts to chant, but Dew shuts down the nonsense by scooting away from the table and standing up.

"Bathroom."

Rain blinks at him, "Oh, uh, alright-"

"You, too." he adds, grabbing him by the scruff.

"OOOOOOH~!" the other ghouls laugh, "Someone's in trouble~"

"...Shut up." Rain mumbles, letting himself be dragged away by the shorter man.

.

.

.

"So... *come* here often?" Dew jokes, and Rain almost chokes on his spit.

They're standing in Rain's on suite again, having decided, for whatever reason, that talking behind a door that literally does not work is better than standing directly in his -their- bedroom.

"Sorry, that was... Anyway, I wanted to discuss our game plan." he says after helping pat Rain on the back, "We have all week to work unimpeded looking for that statue, after that, it'll be difficult to find a spare moment where both of us can look for it together."

"Right... Even if we could look for it by ourselves, the magic only works if there's more than one person present... at least that's the theory we have going, yeah?" Rain concludes, and Dew nods, "That being said, so far, nothing seems out of place aside from, well, us."

"Us being a couple is a significant change, especially since, based on what I've seen on my phone, we've been together for a while now. Like, years." Dew says, slipping his phone out of his pants pocket, "...It'd be one thing if the statue bound us together with some stupid spell, but this is going too far..."

"I'm sorry." Rain apologizes, "I know being married to me is-"

"I mean, it's one thing to mess with our friends' heads and implant memories of a wedding that never happened, but, like, c'mon, let me remember this stuff, too!" Dew complains, startling Rain, who was not expecting this conclusion, "I kept looking through the pictures on my phone and I don't remember any of this, it's not fair, man!"

Rain tilts his head.

"You... want to remember... or, rather, you'd want the spell to make you think we've been married?" he tries, pursing his lips, "What?"

Dew freezes.

"I... Yeah... Maybe..." he rubs his arm, "It just feels... off... otherwise."

Rain feels an ache in his chest.

"Dew, do you... Are you saying..." he pulls back and sighs deeply, "Dew, you're my best friend. I love you, but I'm not in love with you."

"...Same... Same here." Dew replies, but he can't hide the brokenness in his voice, and Rain remembers then Dew's insistence on trying the statue again.

How he'd said they had to be serious.

...How the spell supposedly only worked if the pair before it were lovers.

But it had worked with them!

It had worked, and the statue had even called them out on it!

So...

Rain watches Dew wipe the corners of his eyes, trying to hide the hurt spilling from them.

...could it have worked because of something one-sided?

"I'm so sorry." Dew whispers, "I didn't... didn't want you finding out like this. Sorry, I... I'm sorry, this is how I feel."

"...I'm sorry, too."

.

.

.

The search for the statue is an awkward one.

Dew is still reeling from having his feelings exposed so easily, and Rain is in the midst of processing this new information, trying to figure out how he could have possibly lead the other on.

It's not that he doesn't find Dew attractive, or that they don't get along -they get along very well- and, sure, Rain did jack off to him this morn-

Rain feels a stirring inside of him again.

Goddammit, he thinks, is this part of the spell?

But...

As they browse the abbey's art collection for signs of one large dick, Rain finds himself thinking back on a lot of things.

This isn't the first time he's thought about Dew like that, but he's always managed to push those feelings down pretty well.

Somehow, it doesn't feel right that he's ONLY interested in Dew's body like that.

He likes Dew, he loves the guy, but... not romantically.

Does he very much want to fuck him though?

Yes.

And that's what has him shoving it all into the back of his mind.

Trying to at least.

It doesn't feel right that Dew LIKES him and that he just... he can't reciprocate it.

If he only wants Dew for his body, that's like a whole new level of leading him on.

Yeah, they're ghouls, they fuck around and move on, but things can get messy when feelings are involved.

Cirrus and Cumulus are a fine example of just that.

He cringes at the memories of their fights when they were together, how hard it had been for them to navigate the balance between the sexual freedom they both craved while being devoted to one another emotionally.

It was all a giant shitfest, until they stepped back and actually talked about what they wanted and realized they didn't click as well as they initially thought, and while they're happier than ever now... Rain can't put Dew through that.

But then again, who says monogamy is what the guy even wants?

They probably talked about all of this at some point, given their relationship status in this version of their reality, but it probably didn't happen over text, so fishing through his phone some more isn't going to help their situation.

He has to find that stupid fucking statue!

But...

Rain looks around the room, searching for Dew amongst the various artworks on display and comes up empty.

He feels a mild panic coming on when he sweeps his gaze over the room and, again, finds nothing.

"Dew??"

He looks left and right.

"Hey, hey, Dew, where are you??"

...He's gone.

Shit, shit, shit-

"I'm right next to you, you jerk." A familiar voice grumbles from beside him, and, upon looking down, Rain meets the disgruntled gaze of a very annoyed ghoul.

"Oh, shit, I-I didn't realize you were there-"

"Yeah, sure. Whatever. Let's just keep looking." Dew mutters, clearly unhappy, "Let's get this over with already."

"I..."

"...When we get back..." Dew says, "Don't talk to me."

"...For how long?" Rain frets.

"Forever if you want." he replies, hands in his pockets, "Since you're so tweaked out about shit, and this isn't something you get over in a day, or a week, or a year or whatever..."

"I can't just stop talking to you, you're my f-" Rain starts, but Dew cuts him off.

"Yeah, you're my friend, but you're already looking at me like I'm a freak because of how I feel, and I don't think I can come back from that, Rain." he places a hand on his chest, "Shit fucking hurts..."

"Dew..."

For the make 'em swoon prompts: a hug that gets deeper or "hi" *raspy voice* with Dewther maybe?

i saw this ask and went "both. both is good." I don't think I've had a fic jump out at me this quickly in a while. Hope you enjoy!

prompts from this list

divider by @ghuleh-recs

He thinks about coming home more than he'd like to admit. Even as he devotes himself to his work, the music, his unholy purpose, Dew imagines the moment he steps foot back into the Abbey more times than he can count.

He's fallen asleep to the fantasy countless times, the bus swaying like a cradle as the rest of his packmates sleep. It's hard. It's really fucking hard being halfway across the world without Aether. Dew's never had to be away from his side for more than a few days. It feels insurmountable, even with human technology that lets them call and text and talk.

It's hard to sleep in a bunk that feels too big. Too quiet. Too empty. He imagines stepping off of the bus, Aether there waiting in the double doors, Sunny peering over his shoulder while she waits for her girls, her multi.

Dew's the first one off of the bus, and because this is in his mind, there's no shame in the way he imagines dropping his bags, guitar be fucking damned, and sprinting up the gravel driveway. He barrels into Aether with enough force to make him take a few steps back, all of the breath leaving his lungs.

He'd be quick to wrap him up in his big arms, rearing back so just the tips of his boots touch the ground. "Oh, my darling," he would laugh, spinning them around like they're on the cover of some human pulp novel. Dew knows he would grumble at it, protest for Aether to put him back on the ground, he's not an air ghoul.

And Aether would squeeze him tighter before setting him down, that stupid fond look in his eye. Dew'd grab his collar and pull him down into a deep kiss to hide the way he'd be tearing up-

He takes a deep breath, staring up at the ceiling of his bunk, listening to the steady sound of Swiss's snoring. Dew silently wipes his face with the corner of his blanket, rolling onto his side and putting his back to the privacy curtain. He reaches up and pets at the crook of his neck, feeling the texture of scar tissue in the shape of his mate's teeth. His phone's in the cubby, and it's so fucking tempting. Taunting him. Aether's only a call away.

But it's mid morning back at the Abbey, and Aether's working. He'd stayed behind to help with an influx of infirmary work, taking time to rest after his entire time Up Top spent touring. And as much as Dew knows Aether would drop just about anything to talk to him, he'd rather not do that to his mate.

So, instead, he curls up around his pillow, burying his face in it in an attempt to breathe in Aether's scent, the pillowcase replaced with one of several shirts Dew had smuggled into his luggage. Thankfully for him and his packmates and techs, it's enough to lull him to sleep, his cheeks still damp with tears.

The tour drags on, as they always seem to do, and it's over in an instant, as they always do.

The next thing Dew knows he's on a plane back to Sweden, and he grumbles to himself that they always end the tours so far away from home. Eventually they make it back to solid ground. But it's not over yet.

There's a several hour long bus ride left, because the Abbey's in the middle of nowhere. Dew tries to sleep, exhausted and miserable and sore and so fucking close. Mountain sits next to him, guides his head down against his shoulder and hums, petting through his hair as he dozes.

It's late in the afternoon when the bus pulls into the long driveway, and Dew jolts awake as they cross the threshold into the Abbey proper. He's still a little disoriented, but he can feel the way the mate bond sparks back to life now that they're close enough that the magick can actually work the way it's meant to..

He can almost feel the way Aether rushes through the last of his paperwork, scrambling out of the infirmary to find Sunshine and run out to meet them. Dew's excited, he swears he is, but the exhaustion is bone deep and so fucking heavy. He gets to his feet slowly, swaying as he grabs his go-bag from the overhead. Some of the Abbey ghouls and Siblings will take care of unloading the bus itself.

Normally, when it comes to his luggage and his guitars, Dew's incredibly picky, preferring that he's the one who takes care of it. But he's just so tired, and so ready to be home, and so ready to be back with his mate that he can't bring himself to give a shit.

Dew stumbles off the bus, boots scuffing on the gravel. He looks up and he's there. Still in his scrubs, eyes shining even from across the courtyard. Aether smiles and the world is right again.

He's too tired to run, but Aether walks out and meets him halfway. The fountain in the center of the circle drive rushes, and Dew doesn't have the energy to barrel into him the way he imagined.

Aether steps in front of him, and Dew blinks blearily up at him. "Hi," he says, voice raspy from sleep. Aether just grins, big and wide enough to rival Swiss's. His gold tooth glints in the afternoon light.

"Hi, my darling," Aether says, his hands curling gently around Dew's biceps. "I missed you." He pulls him into a gentle hug. Dew's head spins as, after months of the fading scent on fabric, Aether's ozone-fresh air scent slams into him full force.

"Missed you too," Dew chokes out, not caring that the rest of the pack is watching as they file off of the bus. He grabs the front of Aether's scrubs, fingers curling into the fabric as he clings as tight as he can to his mate.

Aether nuzzles into Dew's hair, chuffing happily as he pulls Dew in tighter and tighter until he can barely breathe with it. He curls his tail around his mate's calf, and feels Aether's wrap around his waist. "I really fucking missed you, starshine," Dew whispers again, feeling the beat of his heart against his cheek.

Aether chuckles, hand solid and warm where it rests between Dew's shoulderblades. "Welcome home, my darling." He leans in, whispers so quietly Dew almost thinks he imagines it. "Your scent's just about gone from the hearth, Dew. Makes it so hard to sleep. Come home with me so we can make it right?"

Dew laughs so hard he cries. "Yeah, Aeth. Take me home."

Mushy May Day 6

"You're blushing"

Pairing; Aether/Rain

just a shorty today!

“You’re blushing.”

Aether blinked and sat up in his seat at the table, eyes landing to meet with Swiss’. The multi was looking back with amusement hidden behind a grin.

“What?” Aether dumbly asked. He touched his cheek with the backside of his hand with a frown.

“You’re blushing. Hard.” Swiss stated matter of factly. He turned to eye what Aether was staring at and chuckled. "Water boy's got your tongue?"

Aether couldn’t help himself in looking back at the scene, Rain in the common’s room playing some game with Dew. He wasn’t sure which game, possibly a racing game, possibly a fighting game. Whatever it was, Rain was winning at, and the smile the water ghoul sported was divinity. If Rain was a Siren of some sort, Aether wouldn’t doubt it even for a moment. The dimples that showed when they were grinning, those cerulean eyes that practically sparkled, the way they celebrated by loudly boasting to Dew, arms high in the air, it was so endearing to-

“Aether,” Swiss snapped his fingers in front of his face and he blinked once more, “You okay there, lover boy?”

“Uh,” Aether glanced over before he cleared his throat and pushed away from the table. “I think I left my…” he pointed towards the commons room, never finishing his statement before heading over to be with the water ghoul. Swiss rolled his eyes with a laugh and watch as the quint began trying to woo Rain over. Silly ghoul.

You idiot

Swiss loves the winter and Mountain is the reason.

Characters: Swiss, Mountain Word count: 446

Swiss loved winter; he just loved it. And the reason for that was a certain earth ghoul, who was currently snuggled up to him, snoring softly. The sun wasn’t up yet, and the multi was lucky that he could turn up his body heat, as it was freezing cold outside. Under the blanket, it was cosy, to say the least. Swiss had his tail wrapped around Mountain's waist, one leg tossed over Mountain's, clinging to him. Unfortunately, the tall ghoul was wearing a shirt, so Swiss couldn’t simply admire his soft skin. And the freckles on his shoulder were also nearly completely gone, which was kind of sad, Swiss thought so at least.

There was the best part of winter, though: Mountain's paunch. How his lover grew from slim to chubby every winter never failed to amaze Swiss. He loved that tummy, trailing his fingers over the ghoul's happy trail, pinching the soft skin. The way it wiggled when Swiss savoured him, how he could hold onto it, sinking his fingers into that bit of fat...

One of his hands found its way under the hem of the drummer's shirt, caressing his gut.

“What ya doin’?” the earth ghoul grunted softly without opening his eyes, his voice thick with sleep.

“Admiring you,” he answered with a grin.

Mountain snorted and cracked an eye open, watching the other.

“You idiot,” he mumbled quietly, but the smile on his lips spoke for itself.

Swiss squeezed the gut and chuckled at Mountain's reaction, who wiggled a bit. So the multi repeated the motion until the taller ghoul had enough and slipped his hands under the blanket, pulling the other's arms away and rolling them so he could press Swiss into the mattress.

Now it was Swiss's turn to laugh his lungs out, as Mountain knew exactly where to tickle him. And while his hands had Swiss's arms pinned away, his tail was free and attacked the multi's side, making him squirm and laugh.

“Stop! Mount-”

It was hard to form a sentence when you couldn’t really breathe, something Swiss knew from experience; and Mountain did too. He let the other suffer until the only thing coming from him were faint pleas to stop.

“So? Will you be a good boy now?” he asked with a grin, still holding the other's arms. And to his surprise, Swiss nodded, his cheeks completely flushed, chest rising fast.

What Mountain didn’t realize was that Swiss got what he wanted: the earth ghoul grounding him, showing how much winter affected his body and how soft he got. So even with the “torture” he had to go through, the multi counted it as a win. _______________

let me tag you here @icechippies

Dewther tattoos and constellations 🤷🏻‍♀️

This was sitting in my drafts for 5000 years so I'm just chucking it out into the light of day.

Aether shakes his head with a small smile as he walks quietly down the hall towards Dew's room after finishing up in the infirmary. He's tired but not the bone deep heavy kind, something light and soft dancing against his eyelids, weighing them slowly. The promise of Dew's warm body and soft bed are the only thing keeping him fully awake.

He laughs quietly when he thinks back to Aeon's shocked but pleased expression when he finally caught a glimpse, how he'd snapped his fingers and grabbed hold of Aether's shirt, tugging it down a little further for a better look.

"I knew it! I knew you had one!"

"It wasn't really a secret." It was just usually hidden behind thick hair but that didn't matter, he knew it was there and more importantly, Dew knew it was there.

Aeon's big hazy purple eyes had studied it, head cocked just slightly. "Hydra?"

"I'll tell you about it another day." He pressed a kiss to his lips softly. "Have a good shift."

He tiptoes into the room and his breath catches the way it always does when he sees Dew asleep, curled up with his hair fanned out on the pillow, face pressed into one of Aether's discarded t-shirts as he sleeps without him.

He's soft like this, a sweetness Aether has never been able to find strong enough words for. Walls down and vulnerable, and Aether would dare anything to try to get through him to touch Dewdrop.

He lets the tips of his fingers kiss Dew's cheek, brushing back his hair with the whisper of a touch so he doesn't wake but some part of him still knowing Aether is there. His lips part over a tiny breath, turning a fraction into the touch.

It's a struggle to get his feet moving to the bathroom, needing to shower before he slots in beside Dew but he just wants to crawl up beside him, wrap him up in his arms and bury his face in his hair, breathing in the scent that he knows by heart.

The water is hot as he can stand it, groaning as it eases tension away and carries it down the drain. His fingers linger on his chest as he washes himself, pressing against where the ink had entered and left a permanent declaration that Dew always had been and always would he his.

He dries off quick, foregoing clothes, wanting nothing between himself and Dew, knowing that under the blanket Dew lays bare waiting for him.

He slips softly like fog under the covers, getting his arms around Dew when he moves instinctively closer in his sleep, a little star knowing its orbit without question. Aether smiles when his hand comes to rest on his chest, fingers pressed against the tattoo Aeon had been so excited to finally catch a glimpse of. Dew touches it like a pulse when he needs a reminder.

His mind drifts back once Dew's securely in his arms where he belongs, Aether's lips pressed against his hair. He remembers the night he was summoned like it was yesterday, a chilly rainy night but he'd looked up at the sky on his way to the chapel, mostly out of habit but he'd paused when he saw just how vivid Hydra was that night despite the rain.

It struck him odd until the little water ghoul was pulled into the circle, dripping wet and shaking, Aether's eyes the first he found.

It was like a tidal wave slamming into him and he knew in that moment that that little water ghoul was his.

Hed draped a blanket around him and lifted him to his feet, keeping his arms around him to keep him warm, safe, quietly staking a claim before he even fully realized it himself.

When he gave his name Aether's knees shook, he never knew a single word could feel like home but his name did.

He didn't hesitate to run to Omega later, to have him mark his skin with the stars that brought Dew to him, etched into his skin, promising forever before even ever really talking to him. Even if Dew didn't ever feel the same, Aether always would and that was enough.

Over time Dew did love him, fell into his arms and stayed, confessed feelings he didn't really understand right away but desperately wanted to share regardless. Aether marked a constellation behind Dews ear, the one he saw when he first told Aether he loved him.

When Dew gave up his water Aether stayed for each painful, breathless second, sobbing as Dew screamed himself mute, choking on flames and smoke and ash as the fire made a home in his veins, making a dessert where there had once been a softly flowing river.

He stayed and he waited, guts twisting and his heart too scared to beat as Dews stuttered and struggled behind his ribs. When they moved him to the recovery room Aether was sure this was it, this was goodbye, a tragically short lived forever.

His eyes had turned to the window, so dark it didn't feel like night, felt more like the caverns in the pit, endlessly inky, winding nightmares.

But then he saw it. Dew's stars were still there, brighter than they should be and he knew it wasn't over.

And his heart kept beating.

Aether blinks himself back into the present, feels Dews fingers on the tattoo and his steady breaths across his chest. He brushes his hair back to see the one he'd given Dew, Aquila tucked behind his ear, a secret just for them.

He kisses the top of his head, eyes turning to the window and glancing at the sky, smiling when Hydra once again fills the night, bright and beautiful.

Reminding him of forever.

Mushy May Day 14: "Shut Up, I'm Taking Care Of You"

Mountain makes Cumulus tea when she's coming down with a bug.

Thank you to @forlorn-crows for putting Mushy May together, and thank you to @ghuleh-recs for making dividers for us <3

Another bonus prompt today!

It's early, sky starting to shift from black to blue, the promise of a new day. Mountain pads into the kitchen, having already been up for a while, still. There's a basket of vegetables fresh harvested from the greenhouse tucked under his arm. He heads to the sink, washing them before setting them aside to dry.

Mountain whips to face the door when he hears a hacking, wet cough behind him. He thought he was the only ghoul awake, sun just barely beginning to peek out from over the horizon, but he was wrong. As he turns, he finds Cumulus, hair tied back and deep circles under her eyes.

"Hey, hummingbird," he says cautiously, shutting off the sink. "What're you doing up so early?"

She shrugs with one shoulder, rubbing her eyes under her glasses. "Couldn't sleep." Her voice is stuffy, and she sounds miserable.

Mountain hums, taking the kettle off of its element and filling it with water. "You don't sound so good, Cue. I know you don't like tea that much, but it might make you feel better."

She mumbles something under her breath, coughing again, before sitting at the kitchen table, covering her face with her hands.

"What was that?" Mountain asks, not turning to face her as he sets the kettle to boil, digging through one of the cabinets for a specific jar of loose leaf tea, one of his own blends.

"Said you don't need to stop what you're doing to make tea, Mount. You know I prefer-" She freezes as Mountain peers over his shoulder, an emerald green eye meeting hers, eyebrow raised

"Maybe I wanted tea," he teases, grabbing mugs and the diffusers he likes to use. "No, but seriously, hummingbird, I love you. You sound like shit. Let me make you a cup."

"Mount-"

"Cumulus, shut up, I'm taking care of you," Mountain interjects, firmly but kindly. "Let me make you tea, it sounds like your throat hurts something awful."

"It does," Cumulus sighs, slumping exhausted into the kitchen chair. "I think it's why I couldn't sleep." She coughs with a wince. Mountain nods, reaching for one of the honey jars.

"I'd imagine," Mountain says, humming low in his throat in sympathy as he spoons the tea leaves and herbs into one of the diffusers. The kettle whistles, and Cumulus jolts in her chair, laughing weakly at herself for startling. Mountain takes it off of the element, pouring the boiling water into Cumulus's favorite mug and leaving it to steep.

"Now, I'm no Aether," he says, bringing the mug over to the kitchen table, setting it in front of her. "But I think breathing in the steam while it steeps might help some."

"Thank you, Mounty." Cumulus carefully takes the mug, the long sleeves of her sleep shirt pulled up over her hands as a makeshift potholder. She takes as deep a breath through her nose that her sinuses will allow, eyes flickering shut as she smells the ginger and peppermint of this particular blend.

He pours water into his own mug, his preferred green tea in his. He lets it steep, watching Cumulus fondly as she sticks her face closer to the steam. "Of course, hummingbird. Once that steeps, I'll put some honey in it. Know you like it sweet." He hipchecks her chair gently, boyishly grinning ear to ear.

"Mount," she whines, still stuffy but she's laughing, and that's all Mountain could ask for.

"Is the steam helping?" Mountain says, eyes glancing at the clock on the stove, keeping track of how long their teas have been steeping. He rummages through one of the drawers for a spoon, opening the jar of honey.

"Think so," Cumulus says. "Though it's fogging up my glasses something awful."

"Yeah, makes you look real dorky," he says, carefully taking the mug from her and pulling out the diffuser. He stirs in a large spoonful of honey and passes her the mug back.

"Mount." She laughs, blowing softly at the mug, and Mountain can feel the tingle in the base of his skull that means she's using her magick to cool it. Cumulus takes a long sip, shutting her eyes. "Thank you."

Mountain smiles a little wider as he takes a sip from his own mug. "Any time, hummingbird."

For the anon who requested something with Swiss and loss. I'm not sure this is exactly what you were hoping for but it's what decided to happen. I hope it's ok 🩷

Cw: newly summoned Swiss, mentions of him being alone, scared Swiss, mentions of Cirrus not being sure about him at first, Rain hurting, but comfort I promise!

When Swiss was first summoned, he was a force to be reckoned with. He was loud, over the top, brash. He only let the pack close on his terms and he never let them stay long.

Mountain noticed, the grounded earth ghoul quickly learning what it meant because he'd been afraid too. He remembered how unsure he'd been when he was summoned, how letting anyone close felt dangerous. He felt Swiss’ fear quickly because it mirrored his own.

The others didn't push, his anger was too similar to Rain's so they butt heads too often, Dew was good under pressure but it was still so close to his transition that he wasn't always up for trying to crack through the rock hard layers the multi ghoul had put up around himself. Cirrus didn't trust him right away, keeping her guard up, keeping Lus away from the short fused new ghoul. Aether was a gentle guide, he was the one who got Mountain to trust them but he was busy more often than not…

So Mountain stepped in.

He was met with resistance at first, a new summon still used to baring his teeth and snapping his jaws, but a little posturing didn't bother the giant, though he was a gentle soul he'd never been one to shy from a fight. He stood his ground with patience, speaking softly until he was sure Swiss actually heard him. He kept it simple at first, no commands, no questions.

“My rooms at the end of the hall. Sleep well.” And he left it at that, left the multi alone with his words and left his door unlocked.

He wasn't surprised when the new ghoul stayed away but he could feel him watching from a distance. He doesn't change his routine, he does his job, he engages with the pack, the only time he hides away from Swiss is when he has Dew, the baby shaking from nightmares and lost to his memories.

He knows Swiss had to have seen regression in the pits, at least to some extent, but he's protective of the baby and he doesn't like how quick to anger Swiss still is. But he finds him later when Dew is back to himself or sleeping soundly in Aether's arms. He knows he has questions but the multi won't ask, still keeping himself to himself.

“Did you eat dinner?”

“I'll eat when I want.”

Mountain bites his tongue at the petulant response, how he sounds like the moody teens he's heard through the Abbey and simply shrugs. “Ok.”

It doesn't take Swiss long to peek into the kitchen while Mountain grabs out the leftovers from the fridge, smiling at the little note Cumulus left on top.

He doesn't look up at the other ghoul, just moving as casually as he can. “Want me to heat some up for you? I'm already over here.”

“It's…” Swiss carefully moves closer to Mountain, eyes still nervously dancing around the kitchen. “It's not mine. Didn't do anything to earn it.”

Mountain turns to face him. “You're here. That's all you have to do.” He remembers when Aether had shown him the kitchen the first time and how overwhelming it had been. “Everything here is for all of us, you're included in that. Whatever you want, Swiss.”

“But…” His stomach growls and he glares down at his own body for snitching on his hunger.

Mountain laughs quietly. “Let me heat up some of you. You can eat here with me or you can go wherever you feel comfortable. Up to you.”

Swiss doesn't answer and mountain doesn't make him, he just heats the food up until both plates are ready. He hands one to Swiss and heads to the table to eat, not paying attention until the other ghoul finally sits beside him. He's tense as he eats but it's a start and Mountain smiles.

He starts getting closer to the earth ghoul, letting his walls down just a bit, seeking him out when something is clearly bothering him.

Something shifts after he sees Rain little, the little water ghoul peeking around Cirrus to look at Swiss. The multi ghoul smiles and waves, wiggling his fingers until the little ghoul steps out from behind Cirrus and wanders over to his art table.

He draws Swiss a picture, one with the pack excitedly welcoming the new summon, but later that night Rain cries in pain, tears seemingly endless as Aether soothes the ache as best as he can. Mountain sees the second something snaps and Swiss sprints away, slamming the door to his room hard enough that Dew jumps and has to take a few deep breaths to stay present for Rain.

Mountain follows after a few minutes, knocking gently and fully expecting Swiss to scream at him to leave. But he's greeted with silence and that's worse. He opens the door a crack and peeks in, finding the multi ghoul curled on his side on the bed, pulling his knees up as tight as he can, his hands pressed tight over his ears.

He quietly shuts the door and moves to the side that Swiss is facing, sighing at the pinched expression on his face.

“Swiss?”

He flinches and Mountain kneels, trying not to loom over him. He sets his hand on the bed but he doesn't touch him, just leaves it as an offering.

“What's wrong with him?” He doesn't say it like an accusation, Mountain can hear the genuine panic and the way his tone has shifted.

“It's just something that happens with him unfortunately. Some days he's ok, others aren't so great. Aether helps a lot, Dew does too.”

“Is-is he dying?”

“No! No of course he's not…why-” He swallows the rest of his words and moves to take his hand. “He's not going anywhere. None of us are.”

Swiss grabs his blanket and pulls it up over himself, hiding so Mountain can't see him. It doesn't take him long to put the pieces together.

“You don't have to hide, Spark.” He glances around, searching for any comfort item Swiss might have, frowning when he sees…nothing. Nothing that even speaks of the ghoul living in this room. “I'm just going to go grab something really quick, I'll be right back.”

Swiss doesn't respond and Mountain goes as fast as he can, returning to Swiss as quick as possible. He sits back on the floor beside the bed.

He sees two gold eyes peek out of the blanket and he smiles, turning the bunny in his hands for the little ghoul to see.

“This is Jürgen, Dew got him for me. He's pretty good at making me feel better.” He sets the bunny against the blanket, watching Swiss slowly pull him under the blanket to hold onto. “Do you want to talk about what you're thinking?”

He can hear him sniffle under the blanket and he moves carefully, sitting on the edge of the bed. Eventually Swiss' need for contact wins and he wiggles over, still fully under his blanket, and flops into Mountain's arms. The earth ghoul holds him, rocking just a bit.

“M’not like Rain…”

“That's ok. You don't have to be.”

Rain wails again down the hall and Swiss whimpers. “I…I've never had anything to lose…I didn't have anyone…”

It's like ice being poured over him and Mountain holds Swiss tighter. “You have us.”

“What if m’not good enough or…or I'm mean! I don't….” He peeks up at Mountain, big gold eyes full of tears. “I don't wanna be by myself again.”

“You won't be. That's not how it is with packs. We are with you, always. No matter what.”

“I wasn't nice when I got here!”

“You were scared. We get it, Spark. It takes time and everyone wanted to give you space to adjust. I wasn't very nice right away.”

“Really?”

“Mhm. Took Aether a while to get me to even come inside. But they did it, they took the time to do it because that's what packs do.”

He watches Swiss' fingers play with the bunny's ears under the blanket while he thinks about everything. “Rain's really going to be ok?”

“Yes.” His phone bings and he reads the text, smiling a bit. “Rain is requesting a movie night…which really just means he wants a ghoul pile.”

“What's that?”

“We all go into the den and just…cuddle really. It's just a way to be close to everyone. We don't have to if you're not ready.”

“But I'm…”

“You're you.”

“You'll stay with me?”

“I can carry you like this if you want.”

Swiss snorts a little, smiling despite himself. “I can walk…but…just…”

“I'll be right beside you, and you can hold onto Jürgen.”

He stands up from Mountain's lap, letting the blanket fall but he pulls his hoodie on and keeps the hood up. He takes Mountain's hand and hesitantly follows down to the den.

Mountain sits beside Dew who has Rain on his lap, helping keep him comfortable. Dew smiles over when he sees Swiss holding the bunny.

Swiss watches as everyone finds a spot, watches how they all manage to find a way to be in contact with everyone else. Aether delivers big bowls of popcorn and Swiss is hesitant to try it until Rain does, giggling when he takes a piece from Dew's hand with his tongue.

“Are you a lizard now?”

Swiss laughs as he watches, not noticing the way the others smile at his unguarded happiness.

Rain giggles again. “Swiss try! It sticks to your tongue!”

He glances at Mountain, waiting for him to nod, confirmation that it's ok and he does it. Rain beams at him, sticking another piece to his tongue again.

They settle as the movie plays and Rain falls asleep quickly. Swiss looks around again, he's still unsure, still scared of what it means to have people to care about…to have people that care about him in return.

“Ok spark?” Mountain whispers, squeezing his hand.

He catches Aether's eyes, relaxing a little as a warm feeling settles over him. He smiles and leans against Mountain's chest.

“Yeah…m’ok.”

The last 30 days have been expensive between this and Ghost tickets!

I need to read this!

Dew getting pregnant (completely by accident) and the kit is absolutely tiny. Nobody knows who the other parent is.

Ghouls normally have litters, a minimum of three, a maximum of around ten. Dew has one singular kit. A runt in a litter of one.

They're so tiny that they were nearly missed. Dew never had a bump (he just looked like he'd had a big meal once further along), and the scan didn't pick the kit up the first time.

It was the pack's insistent noses, able to pick up the scent of a kit on Dew, that really told them that Dew was expecting.

They're not a very healthy kit, and Dew ends up delivering early.

It's the tiniest kit Aether's ever seen. He's the one who delivers them, on the bathroom floor in Dew's en suite.

The ghouls all crowd around the bathroom door, and they all agree in that moment to protect that tiny kit with their lives.