Archive of Our Own

The knock on the door was, as much as Varka pretended it wasn't, very much expected.

There was a reason he went home instead of his office, where piles upon piles of paperwork still sat waiting to be completed. There was a reason he left the Cat's Tail alone and wandered the quieter alleys for a few extra minutes before making his way home. There was a reason he kept the light on, even though he'd like nothing better than to go to bed, pass out asleep, and leave all the hard work for tomorrow.

Not many people even knew he even had a proper house in the city, and Varka wouldn't fault them for thinking so. He barely ever used it — more often than not, he borrowed space at the Favonius Headquarters to rest his eyes, or spent the odd night camping, especially after being gone for so long. It wasn't just Varka; returning home was a difficult adjustment for many of the knights.

Tonight, however, was not something that could be done in a place like the headquarters, and so Varka returned home, weary and uncertain if his choice was the right one.

He had drunk those very particular drinks for a reason, and now that reason was knocking on the door, short and demure, as if it was a gentle reminder of their presence and not an ominous warning of what was to come. If Varka was a more honourable man, he would let it ring out, pretending he had passed out already, if only as a polite refusal to the unspoken request that echoed with every knock.

But Varka now knew that he was not that strong, and if he retreated now, Lohen would hound him for his cowardice the very next morning, no matter how justifiable his actions were.

With a deep exhale, Varka opened the door and stared down at the young man in front of him. Lohen looked almost as calm as he did when Varka saw him earlier today — a reserved smile, polite and seemingly innocent of what Varka knew to be dubious intent.

That very intent had already made its move, hours earlier in the tavern. It was only now, flushed and with a growing heat simmering under his skin, that Varka knew it had started to take effect. Whatever Lohen put in his drink, Varka hadn't experienced it before. It's effect was new, potent, and not entirely unwanted. But Varka's senses were sharper than the usual man's, and it was because of this that he was aware that the liquid in his tankard was tampered with as soon as it touched his lips. Varka should be worried about it, but Lohen's eyes were piercing and left him no room to consider it any further. It was done now.

He had drunk it, again and again. Against his better judgment, Varka willingly submitted to Lohen's whims, and now they were here.

"Grand Master," Lohen purred, looking up at him. With a closer look under the lamplight, his skin was flushed and his lips were bitten-red, and his eyes were half-lidded and his voice low and sultry. But, Lohen never drank alcohol. Either this was a special occasion (it wasn't, Varka insisted to himself, because to think such a way about this was, itself, quite horrible enough), or Lohen had done something terrible to himself before coming here.

Either way, this was a bad idea.

"Go home, Lohen."

Lohen pushed his way past Varka with barely an acknowledgement at the command. Even outside of formal settings, many knights would be reluctant to show anything that could be considered insolence, but it came to Lohen as naturally as a duck did to water. He could take a command just fine, but a suggestion fell on deaf ears. Evidently, he thought of Varka's words to be as such. A mere suggestion to stop, rather than what it actually was: Varka's last shred of effort to try and prevent the inevitable.

"It's a nice place you have here," Lohen commented, looking around, feigning obliviousness at their current predicament. Varka could hear the impatience in his voice, as much as he knew the boy was trying to hide it. Varka's home was modest; Lohen already started to linger near the bedroom, too obvious with his intentions, shifting from foot to foot.

"It's a bit late for you to be around here, don't you think?" Varka said carefully. Instead of following Lohen to his silent request, he retreated back to the kitchen, grabbing a glass and a water pitcher. If anything, it would at least help him with the hangover that he'll have tomorrow. "I'm surprised that you tracked down where I lived."

"Are you really that surprised?" Lohen asked, following him. Varka wanted to chuckle at the immediate interest he took in his knife board, eyes zoning in with a focus that was familiar on the battlefield but rarely seen in domestic downtime.

"Hah, not really."

"Good, that's good," Lohen said distractedly. He picked up a knife, testing its weight.

Varka worried that if he waited any longer, Lohen might want to make use of his blades, but he wasn't quite ready for that kind of entertainment — both for Lohen and for himself. Varka wasn't even entirely convinced that he wanted Lohen here at all, though the growing sensation of arousal was telling him otherwise. Tension was building; Varka felt the effects of the drug grow stronger with every passing moment.

He only took a small sip of water before he left to his couch, with Lohen trailing him like a hound, knife still in hand. Varka wanted the distance to clear his mind, and he sat down with a sigh, torn between attempting again at sending Lohen away, or to follow through with what was clearly planned as soon as they entered the Cat's Tail.

Lohen offered no space for reprieve, however; he followed Varka without hesitation, and when he sat down, Lohen followed again, this time right on to his lap as if he had done it a million times before. His presence was suffocating. He was doing it on purpose.

"You know, you'd be surprised at what something as simple as valberries can cover up these days," Lohen said idly, tossing the kitchen knife up and catching it like it was one of his daggers. It was dangerously close to Varka, too, but he did not flinch, even when he could feel the motion in the air inches from his face.

Varka exhaled heavily, looking up at Lohen, but he made no effort to move.

"You drugged me."

It was not a question.

"I did," Lohen admitted easily, catching the knife a final time and tossing it to the side. "You didn't notice?"

Varka's silence was not an affirmation. He knew exactly when the drug started to take effect. The fifth drink, to be exact — there was a more prominent tang to it that would typically go unnoticed, especially that early on in the night, but Varka caught the eagle-eyed look from Lohen three tables across, hidden in the shadows like he was a predator waiting for his prey, and so Varka knew then and there exactly what Lohen did, and how he wanted it to go. Tasteless it may be, the valberries did not entirely mask the scent of the poison. He knew that from the beginning.

Varka drank it all anyway. He made an effort to avoid Lohen's eyes for the rest of the night.

But, Lohen was too smart for his own good. Varka watched silently as Lohen's eyes scanned his own, analysing, until they widened ever so slightly as a sly grin slid its way onto his face. "You did notice," he said, elation growing with every whispered word. "You noticed and you drank it anyway. Do you trust me that much, Varka?"

Varka did, and perhaps he shouldn't.

"I trust you not to assassinate the Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius in the middle of one of Mondstadt's most popular bars," he said. "Even you wouldn't be able to worm your way out of that. Especially not after we had just sung the Fifth Company's praises. You're getting quite popular, you know. A promotion is on the way, after all."

"Hmm, not as popular as you," Lohen said, "I don't need high praises anyway, unless it leads me to a better fight."

"Hard to find now that we're back home," Varka pointed out.

Lohen leaned back a bit with a troubled, dejected look on his face. "Yeah," he said, though to Varka it sounded more like a grumble, "hard to find. Right."

It wasn't until then that Varka realised why this was all happening now, of all times.

He was aware of Lohen's fixation on him ever since he joined the Knights of Favonius. He knew of every attempt Lohen made on his wellbeing, both dangerous and not. In the beginning, Varka had thought it was simply because of his own strength and standing, and perhaps that was all it took for him to be a target. It wouldn't have been the first time an ally had simultaneously sought to beat him in combat. But Adorno had hinted at more, once, about Eroch, not long after Lohen was recruited; Lohen's determination was more understandable after that, and after their first encounters, Varka was more intrigued as well.

But the interest turned into something more in Nod-Krai. Varka only realised this towards the end of their expedition, before Lohen was felled by Rerir, though it wasn't until this evening that Varka truly realised the extent of this fixation for the both of them. He thought it would pass — it did for many knights who found themselves allured by the Grand Master. That, too, was not uncommon. Varka was used to diverting and respectfully declining their attractions.

It seemed it had only grown worse for Lohen, however.

What was even worse was that Varka was drawn to him too. Perhaps not quite like this, in the beginning. Varka couldn't quite pinpoint just when this interest had turned into something more intimate, but it wasn't until earlier tonight at the Cat's Tail that he truly acknowledged his own feelings towards the Vice Captain, even if they were present before the expedition even came back to Mondstadt.

There was a distinction between acknowledgement and acting on it, however. Though by now, they may as well be the same thing with how soon Varka has played into this. It may have been the same for Lohen, too, now that Varka considered it: perhaps the domesticity and dormancy of Mondstadt assignments has driven them both to act rashly.

"It's a hard adjustment, isn't it?" Varka said gently. It was a delicate moment to understand more of Lohen by his own volition, and so Varka carefully brought his hands up to rest against Lohen's thighs, stretched across his own. He kept them low enough as to not suggest anything too intimate — just comfort.

"I know what you're doing, Varka," Lohen said immediately. There was a pout on his face that appealed to Varka more than it should. "I didn't come here for a therapy session."

"And what did you come here for?" Varka asked quietly.

"You know what."

"Do I?"

"It's not like you to be coy, Grand Master," Lohen said, his usual smirk reemerging.

"No," Varka agreed, "and I could say the same about you."

Shuffling forward in his lap slightly, Lohen spoke with a lilt, "No? I can be, if you like. Tell me, Grand Master — do you like innocence? Or something more… promiscuous?"

Varka bit back a groan as Lohen rolled his hips. They were dangerously close — he couldn't tell if the heat he could feel through their clothes was real or if it was just his imagination, but Varka was not able to completely stop the reciprocal thrust of his hips.

Lohen's grin widened. "Ah. I get it."

"Lohen—"

But Lohen pressed closer, chest to chest with Varka, and leaned forward to ghost his lips over the column of Varka's throat, who bared it without any resistance. Dressing down earlier to only his shirt may have helped in alleviating the growing heat from the drug, but it did little in protecting him from the heat of Lohen's breath, which was also deceptively steady as he began to mouth at the skin near Varka's jugular.

"We can make this fun," Lohen whispered, a gentle graze of teeth nipping at his skin. Varka felt a hand snake down his front to palm at the growing tent in his trousers. He was even more overwhelming this close; Varka feared his own composure may not last long enough to ensure they have a mutual understanding. "Whatever you like— I can do anything."

"No, Lohen," Varka cut him off, pushing down a groan at Lohen's insistent movements, which he halted with a hand at Lohen's wrist. He closed his eyes with a sigh, the admission falling out much easier than he wished. "I don't need an act. I just need you."

Lohen's eyes widened at his words, the slightest twitch in his expression betraying his surprise. Now that he had spoken, Varka thought there was nothing surprising about it. Lohen was quite the unique individual. Moreover, he was an incredibly observant person, who had followed Varka for years now — did he truly expect Varka to only act under the pretence of Lohen's play of promiscuity?

"Me," Lohen repeated, pausing, as if the word tasted strange on his tongue.

Then, his head fell, a quiet laugh escaping his lips until his breath caught as if the controlled breathing had finally run out, before he finally looked up again at Varka with a reinvigorated light in his eyes, only this time, Varka saw a look that was more raw and honest. "Heh, alright. Well, you have me, Varka."

Varka raised a hand to circle Lohen's neck near his choker, looping his forefinger and thumb under the leather. He didn't apply any pressure, instead gently stroking the skin at his pulse. Despite Lohen's recomposed demeanour, Varka could feel that his heart was racing, and his skin was hot to touch. What Lohen had done before arriving here was having quite the physical effect. Varka almost worried for him.

"Are you doing this because you want to?" Varka asked quietly.

"Because I— of course I am, why would I go through all this effort otherwise?" Lohen hissed. His unrestrained hand moved instantly to Varka's hair, tangling his fingers into blond strands as he added, "Come on, Varka, you know me. And— now you have me."

His determination was admirable, Varka would give him that much. But from the way he swayed when approaching Varka earlier, eyes narrowed and stalking towards him like a prowler, Varka was only reminded of how much youth he still had — how much of Lohen's life should be lived without chasing after a legend that was passing his heydays. Despite his unusual tactics, unique personality, and his somewhat unconventional practice of being a knight, Lohen still had the time to grow into himself — into a truly impressive knight of Mondstadt. Perhaps he could even become more of a legend than Varka himself, even if it wasn't glory he sought.

However, Varka knew it was also partly his responsibility that Lohen had the opportunity to grow. Even if they were, on occasion, attempts on his life, Varka found pleasure in Lohen's antics, though it was probably not for the best. Lohen got away with a lot these days, but Varka couldn't help it. He often found himself conceding before he even realised it.

Like now — Lohen was straddled across his lap effortlessly, as if he had practiced many times before, and for no plausible reason, Varka widened his own legs, further pushing Lohen to spread his own. Varka's eyes were unwillingly drawn to the strain of Lohen's hips and thighs, and his ears instantly honed in on the almost silent wince of effort from Lohen's throat. He barely felt the slight tug in his hair. Still, he did not object to their new position.

Like this, Varka was reminded of Lohen's stature. He was small in comparison to Varka's bulk. Lithe, with the flexibility of an agile animal. If Varka were to…

… If Varka hadn't known Barbatos personally, he would be praying to the Anemo Archon to forgive his perversion.

I'm going to ruin him.

The thought should have horrified him more than it excited him. Varka didn't know whether the fault was with him or Lohen's aphrodisiac running through his system, but the thought was there nonetheless, compelling and insistent and at the forefront of his mind.

Still, he had to be sure.

"You don't want an old wolf like me," Varka huffed with a jested smile, his hand that had grabbed Lohen's wrist now dropping to rest at his waist with the other. Unlike Varka, Lohen still retained most of his layers, but Varka could still feel the dip of his waist beneath, and it took immense effort to keep his hands still.

But Lohen did not waver.

"Don't tell me what I can and can't want," Lohen whispered. He was close again, and his breath was warm against Varka's skin. His hand's grip in Varka's hair tightened, enough for a dull throb to start at the base of his skull. "I'm exactly where I want to be."

"You're intoxicated," Varka reprimanded him quietly, though he couldn't bring himself to pull the boy off. Instead, his hands against his waist slid lower, stopping at Lohen's hips, dangerously close to his rear. "I am too," he added, as if it would make any difference.

Lohen laughed. "Am I? Hm. Then we're even, right? But, you're not quite right. I don't drink, you know that. I didn't tonight, either."

Varka didn't think there was anything even about this. Nevertheless, he tried again. "Lohen," he said, "I—"

"—want this as much as I do," Lohen murmured. "You know how much I see. You're not as subtle as you think. It's been like this for a long time, hasn't it? Dancing away from me. I was fond of the chase, I'll admit. You put up a good fight, Mr. Grand Master."

"Varka," Varka corrected automatically. He liked Lohen's frequent informality and the way his name always fell from the younger man's mouth with a lilt.

Lohen's grin widened. "Varka," he said, before pressing his lips to the lower side of Varka's jaw, a mockery of a soft kiss against his skin as he whispered, "You've warmed up to me."

It's an innuendo coming from Lohen's mouth, he's sure — the roll of his hips into Varka's crotch attested to that — but Varka cannot help but reflect on the words as the are.

He warmed up to Lohen long ago, even when he was doubted by the knights. Many feared what was, in all honesty, a blatant rejection of chivalry walking through the halls of their headquarters as if he alone had the privilege of skipping every and all kinds of initiation. That was how the rumours were, though Varka knew it was more complicated than that, even if the process was unconventional compared to regular knights. Lohen was a special case, even if he passed his exam like all the rest. It didn't take too long for him to earn respect so soon after achieving his vice captaincy, even if it was often paired with apprehension for his unorthodox way of doing things. It brought warmth to Varka's chest, knowing that the Ranged Company admired Lohen to such a degree.

He was special in more ways than one, Varka thought to himself, as Lohen trailed his jaw, leaving a mark with a small nip of his teeth. Varka only barely disguised his flinch at the suddenness of it, but Lohen merely licked gently at the same spot before moving to the next, alternating between the sharpness of his teeth and the soothing balm of his tongue.

Remaining on the couch was becoming less and less appealing, but there was one final hurdle in Varka's path. With a deep breath, he asked, "I'm not doing anything until you tell me what you've done, Lohen."

A click of his tongue gave away his annoyance, but Lohen was compliant with Varka's request. The pout was evident in his voice as he muttered, "Well, you already figured it out, haven't you? You don't think you're the only one I laced, right?"

"You drugged yourself?" Varka said, frowning.

"I tried it on myself," he clarified. "I had to make sure it worked as intended, didn't I?"

"I didn't realise you tested all of your poisons," Varka asked, genuine curiosity smothered under the erotic roughness of his voice. It was difficult to hide now — Lohen's not-so-subtle grinding of his hips into his hardening erection made Varka's breathing grow more laboured by the second.

His mind was starting to drift now, slowly losing himself to the sensation, but he held on to Lohen's words like they were a reprieve to the oncoming haze. "Not always, no," he said, voice closer to Varka's ear, "but—mm—I made an exception this time. Thought it would be exciting."

Exciting.

Varka could track the progression of the drug in himself well enough. Lohen, on the other hand, was becoming increasingly hot, and his words have progressively become a little more drawn out, and his voice more breathless. It was clear that he was more affected, but Varka was reluctant to point it out; he knew Lohen liked to test his limits, even more so when those limits concerned Varka, and so he bit his tongue to suppress his concern. Varka could control himself. He could watch Lohen, and catch him when he could no longer catch himself.

Quietly, Varka said, "Exciting, huh? Just tell me when it becomes too much."

"Oh, I'm counting on it," Lohen said, before pressing his lips against Varka's own.

Despite his impatient lust, Lohen kissed him slowly and carefully, as if he were savouring the sensation of having Varka under him, like Varka could vanish if he moved too quickly. Varka could taste the sweetness on his lips; it was more noticeable than what he tasted in his drink, and yet it was less intoxicating that the taste of Lohen himself.

Varka didn't realise his absence of breath until Lohen pulled back with a sigh, only barely managing to whisper, "Lay me down and I'm all yours, Knight of Boreas," before kissing him again, this time more insistently.

When Varka stood, Lohen's legs wrapped around him immediately. He was light and easy to hold, and was pressing against him with such need that Varka could barely concentrate enough to walk straight.

He managed to get them to the bedroom without issue — aside from bumping into the doorframe once, which earned him a very amused laugh from Lohen, muffled against his lips.

"Can't walk straight?"

"Shut up."

Lohen's laugh was interrupted with a hitch when Varka dropped on the bed unceremoniously, hands quickly removing the now-stifling fabric of his shirt.

He did not miss the way that Lohen's eyes grazed over him hungrily, nor the urgency in the boy's hands when he crawled over and pawed at Varka's belt and pants with a hushed, "Come on, old man, you're taking your time."

But Varka shoved him back as soon as he managed to loop his belt free, crowding over Lohen and forcing him to shuffle backwards until he lay flat with Varka towering over him.

"You're not getting it that easily," he said, smiling when Lohen pouted dramatically at his words, quietly muttering, "Worth a shot," under his breath, before Varka was leaning down and kissing him again, drowning away Lohen's supposed disappointment with a gentle lick at his lips.

It was not long before before Lohen pushed for more, kissing him with an almost feverish urgency, quiet moans escaping him as his body started to shift. But, he still made no effort to escalate, and soon enough he slowed, drifting back into an almost dormant state and seemingly content with the slower pace Varka was setting.

Varka was no fool — there was no chance that Lohen would lie down and take this so easily. There was a catch to it all, and so Varka paid special attention to Lohen's small movements for when the boy decided to strike. He was good, a convincing deceiver, but Varka was better, and when he felt the slightest twitch at his waist, he was prepared.

Lohen bit at Varka's lip gently, breathing a quiet and satisfied hum, before he pulled his knees up to closer to his chest, as if he was already ready to open his thighs and offer himself freely. Varka even felt him lightly twirl a finger through his hair. It was all such a saccharine display of arousal that Varka couldn't resist calling him out early.

"You little minx," Varka whispered as they broke away.

He only had half a second to register the sly expression on Lohen's face before he suddenly kicked out with lightning speed. It barely connected with Varka's gut before he managed to stop Lohen's attack halfway with a tight grip, yanking his leg to the side and earning a yelp of surprise, but then Lohen tried again with the other leg, which Varka caught just as easily.

For short moment Varka feared Lohen had rejected him, attempting to push him off, perhaps realising he didn't want to do this after all. But as soon as Varka's eyes landed on Lohen's face and he saw the crazed look in his eyes, the small, open mouth grin on his lips, and the quickened rise and fall of his chest, Varka couldn't help but smirk; he knew immediately knew what kind of game Lohen wanted to play.

"So that's how it's gonna be, huh?"

Quiet, almost like a whisper, Lohen grinned wider and said, "That's how it's gonna be."

Varka was many things, but he did not believe himself to be a liar, so he would not lie and think that Lohen's little game wasn't exhilarating in its own way. Lohen was elusive like the foxes in the woods, slipping and wriggling from Varka's grip like his life depending on it. When he chanced to get on top of Varka, he rarely had much time before Varka flipped them again, but any article of clothing Varka managed to grab hold of — his jacket, his overcoat, even a damned sock — Lohen managed to simultaneously undress and slip free in the blink of an eye, all the while giggling and delivering a jab or two at Varka in the process.

Varka wouldn't be surprised if he himself woke up tomorrow with some bruises here and there.

Then, when Varka caught Lohen by the calf, Lohen twisted and turned and, although the buttons were undone already, shed his trousers with a deftness that genuinely surprised Varka, enough for him to completely lose his hold on Lohen, empty fabric held loosely in his hands.

When Lohen caught sight of Varka's expression, he laughed.

"Gonna have to try harder than that," Lohen sung.

But Varka was now entirely caught off guard by Lohen's present appearance: completely bare, aside from the open, loose white shirt that still hung on his frame, and that damned choker that has been growing on Varka throughout the night. There was a faint sheen of sweat across Lohen's skin that slightly dampened the fabric of his shirt, but as enticing as it was, Varka's eyes were drawn lower, down to his semi-hard cock, now entirely unobscured.

He hasn't realised he paused for so long until Lohen spoke in a low tone, "See something you like?"

Varka's eyes quickly shot up to Lohen's face. He wore a devious expression, no doubt finding joy at Varka's reaction to his nudity.

"I—" Varka tried, but he stopped, feeling ridiculous. Both of them had seen each other naked before, alongside many other knights. It wasn't new, even if this was.

Instead, Varka laughed at his own embarrassment. "Well played. You've got all kinds of tricks, don't you?"

Lohen only responded with a devious smile as he shrugged off his shirt. When Varka watched him run his tongue across his teeth in anticipation, he could stop himself from rushing him again, intent on having Lohen — now entirely vulnerable — underneath him as soon as possible.

Another scuffle ensued, though this time Lohen had no leverage against him, instead resorting to more physical means of escape, but Varka only huffed at most of his efforts; for now, it seemed Lohen was more into the idea of fighting rather than landing any actual hits on Varka.

One day, though, that may change. Varka only prayed he'd have enough strength to keep up with Lohen, if such a day ever came. That boy could hit hard.

He managed to pin one of Lohen's thighs against the bed with his knee while one hand grabbed both of his wrists and slammed them above his head. Lohen struggled, but he didn't budge. Varka's free hand caught his other leg — the threat of another kick imminent — and practically yanked it away, grip slipping lower to hold Lohen by the ankle, forcing his legs open. Lohen struggled again as he did, instinctively trying to hide his vulnerability, but Varka was strong, and he did not yield.

Finally, the struggling ceased, exhaustion winning over. Here, like this, Varka admired Lohen as he was — open, vulnerable, breathless, his chest rising and falling in short, rapid movements, his cock now flushed hard and pink, a bead of pre-cum at the tip. He was already a mess, but it was the look in Lohen's eyes that revealed just how much enjoyment he was feeling. His pupils were blown wide, the cerulean blue of his irises almost entirely overwhelmed by a ruby-tinged darkness.

"Finished yet?" Varka asked.

Lohen shook his head, eyes still dazed. "I could do this all day," he said, though he made no effort to move.

Releasing Lohen's wrists and legs, Varka leaned back to admire him further, now draped open across the sheets, looking up at Varka, wanting.

Briefly, Varka then assessed himself, and realised with a dawning horror that the drug Lohen had delivered him — the very same he took himself — had become a lot more intense. A physical tumble here and there wasn't usually enough to even get him heated, but now…

Now he felt outright ravenous, and painfully hard. He was breathing heavily, too, just like Lohen.

"This is—" Varka blinked. "This is… quite the stuff."

Lying there, Lohen said almost deliriously, "Isn't it? Hah. I feel so hot. Can you fuck me now?"

"Straight to the point, huh?" Varka chuckled.

When Varka finally removed his remaining clothing, he could feel Lohen's eyes on him. He even caught him whispering quietly to himself, "Finally, I can't wait."

Lohen quickly crawled his way on top of him, but Varka had to wrestle him into position into his lap; at least now, partially propped up at the head of the bed, Varka could grasp some semblance of control — though Lohen's rutting against him only worked harder to loosen his hold.

"Don't you look happy," Varka commented, smirking at Lohen's affirming grin.

"Who wouldn't be? I have the Knight of Boreas and Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius lying so docile beneath me," Lohen said, palming gently at the wolf pendant that lay at Varka's breast. In truth, he had forgotten to remove it — much too occupied with the constraint of his trousers — but when Lohen smiled and said, "Look, we match," as his other hand ghosted over his choker, Varka seized the chance to follow, slipping a hand behind Lohen's neck and pulling him down for another kiss.

Varka felt drunk all over again. The way that the dim light haloed Lohen's figure and the sweet sounds he moaned made everything feel like it came out of one of Varka's dreams. His hands wandered without restraint, mapping every inch of skin he could find. Like him, Lohen had a lot scars, though not many of them were as large and old as some of Varka's own. He both loved and loathed every mark he found; on one hand, he adored them as symbols of Lohen's selflessness and strength. On the other hand, however, the thought of Lohen getting battered and beaten on the frontlines made his heart clench with agony.

It was a feeling he had become forced to accept very early in life. Varka knew casualties were unavoidable in battle, and his heart mourned every loss. Lohen was not inherently different to Varka's other knights, and yet that familiar feeling from his early days — the overwhelming despair of losing someone — began to quietly crawl it's way back into his chest whenever Lohen was concerned.

For knights like them, however, mortality was inevitable.

Lost in his own lust, Varka almost missed the way Lohen had started to shake. When he paused for breath, he saw the almost pained expression on Lohen's face, and asked with concern, "Lohen?"

"I'm— good," he stuttered, before swallowing and saying more clearly, "but, I'm, ah, really feeling it right now."

He wasn't entirely convinced that sex was the only option to relieve Lohen from the effects of the aphrodisiac, but who was he to deny them both now?

"I'll take care of you," he murmured, pressing another kiss against Lohen's collarbone as his hands slipped down his body.

He only barely managed to catch Lohen's amused mutter of, "Oh, how sweet of you."

When Varka's hand ghosted over his rim, however, he stopped.

Lohen, it seemed, had already prepared himself well ahead of time.

"You were planning this all night, weren't you?" Varka said, awed. He palmed gently at Lohen's ass before slipping his fingers lower, teasing at his perineum, earning a melodic sigh in response.

"What gave it away?" Lohen asked sarcastically. With an encouraging nudge of his hips, he added, "I went through all the effort of getting us here, of course I planned ahead."

The thought of Lohen waiting all evening at the Cat's Tail, speaking and pretending all was well, when he had really been lying in wait in such a state…

The lewdness of it all was driving Varka utterly insane.

"You never fail to surprise me," Varka muttered to himself quietly.

"Careful, or else you might start driving up my ego," Lohen said, though they both knew it to be false. Reckless as Lohen may be, egotistical was one of the last qualities Varka would ascribe to him.

"Sounds like the last thing I need," Varka joked regardless, pressing a kiss to Lohen's neck.

He started carefully, teasing at Lohen with a finger, testing him, and although Lohen had prepared in advance, he was still tight — impossibly tight for Varka. The thought spiralled in his mind, and further thoughts of bending Lohen over and taking him as he was raced through his mind, but as tempting as it may be, Varka pushed the urge away. As much as Lohen may want it otherwise, Varka needed him to have as much control as possible.

Varka had wanted to give Lohen some extra time, but with an impatient roll of his hips and a whispered, "Don't be shy, Grand Master," in his ear, Varka committed to giving him more. If Lohen wanted more, Varka wouldn't deny themselves both the pleasure.

As soon as Varka pressed in with two fingers, he felt Lohen tense against him, burying his head in his shoulder with a cut-off groan.

"Ah—"

"More than you were expecting?" Varka asked, a sly smirk finding its way onto his face. He was careful in preparing Lohen, but he couldn't stop himself from curling his fingers in such a way that had Lohen shuddering, a long, drawn out moan failing to be suppressed against his shoulder. "I'm sure you know that—"

"Yes, yes, you're huge," Lohen said quickly, voice strained. Each time Varka rubbed against that certain spot, his voice caught, and his body writhed. Varka found it terribly endearing when his leg twitched in an aborted kick when he added another, gently fucking him with three fingers, taking in every movement and sound he made.

After a moment, Lohen's hand that was buried in his hair — which was sure to be tangled horribly now, with how long Lohen had been pulling at it — suddenly tugged harshly. Varka followed his gesture, tilting his head back just as Lohen pulled back from his shoulder. He looked down at him with an expression Varka could only describe as a mix between intense arousal and mild apprehension, a look that was very different to his usual smirk.

"Getting cold feet?" Varka teased, though he adjusted his movements, instead focusing on making sure Lohen could accommodate him as easily as possible.

Blinking, Lohen's eye narrowed, the familiar smile returning to his face as he said, "Hn— course not, are you? Maybe I wanna speed things up. I don't need to be coddled."

"You call this 'coddling', huh?"

"I call it being slow," Lohen jabbed. "What? Is age creeping up on you, old man?"

He leaned back then, watching Varka with a mocking gaze as Varka released him with a defeated sigh. He was going to answer, but then, Lohen tauntingly rubbed back against Varka's painfully hard cock with a hum, murmuring, "Ah. Apparently not. Now who's impatient, hm? You must be feeling desperate now. Your resistance is good, so I made sure to really amp it up, you know?"

Oh, Varka knew. The feeling of Lohen rubbing his ass against him was already heavenly, but the sight of him doing it made it even better. He didn't think he's ever been this hard in his life.

"I can feel it," Lohen added with a smile, "right here."

Varka hissed when he reached back, lightly stroking the length of Varka's cock, before grabbing it to position under himself.

"Quite the mouth on you," Varka managed to say. Then, with minor concern, he added, "But—"

But Lohen silenced him with a hushed, "Shh, I can handle it."

Varka wasn't convinced it was enough, but Lohen was not dissuaded in the slightest — without hesitation, and with some added saliva, Lohen lined up and sunk down on him smoothly, pausing slightly halfway with a pained moan.

It was unbearable — Lohen's wet heat was almost overwhelming, addictive in a way that Varka hadn't felt in years. It took all of his willpower not to grab Lohen and force him down, instead settling for clenching his fist tightly with a groan. He could not stop his other hand from grabbing harshly at Lohen's waist, who did not seem to pay any mind to it; rather, Lohen look debauched already, gnawing slightly at his lip as he gently working himself down and up in small motions, until he gradually managed to take all of him, pausing only briefly before rising again.

Varka felt delirious at the sight; Lohen riding him with light moans, slowly until his confidence grew and the pain subsided, his own hard cock bouncing slightly with each movement. Lohen's drug, too, made it all the more dizzying, as Varka could feel the familiar buildup of an orgasm tangled within the constant, heated pleasure, but it was slow, gradual in a way that was teasing, release still far from reach. It would take longer for him get there — and that meant the same for Lohen, too.

Varka did not show any outward reaction to the realisation, but from the look in Lohen's lust-riddled eyes, he may have realised it too.

When Lohen angled himself in a particular way, his eyes widened and he cried out, stuttering in his movements. Varka grabbed him by the hips, intent on steadying him, but when Lohen did it again, he clenched at him so tightly that Varka almost saw stars. He started to thrust up into him more noticeably, which made Lohen start to whimper.

"There, huh?" he said. He made an effort to keep brushing at that same spot, even if the way Lohen tightened each time risked him finishing too early.

His eyes caught the hint of perspiration at Lohen's forehead. He looked utterly ruined, but his movements did not cease; even as his thighs trembled, Lohen continued to ride him, his short, quiet sighs interrupted by strained gasps as his prostate was abused.

Varka slipped a hand to his head, pushing back the damp strands of Lohen's hair as he said quietly, "You're starting to burn up."

Lohen didn't reply immediately. A small smile was his only acknowledgement of Varka's words, voice still lost in broken, breathy moans. The sounds went straight to Varka's cock, and he had to restrain himself from grabbing Lohen by the waist with both hands and ramming up into him ever harder. He only barely managed to loosen his hold of his hips, attempting to aid Lohen rather than pulling him back down. It wasn't until moments later, when Lohen paused, thighs shaking even more violently from exhaustion, that he mumbled with a weak voice, "Feels good— it feels good."

Groaning at the loss of Lohen's addictive movements, Varka hand rubbed comfortingly at his hip. "Are you sure you aren't overdoing it?" he asked, voice feeling somewhat gravelly.

Before he could reply, Lohen immediately collapsed forward, legs and arms giving out as he dropped straight into Varka's chest. He lifted his head enough to rest his cheek against one of Varka's pecs as he stared up at him through half lidded eyes. Varka had to bit his lip to suppress a moan at the near-painful throb he felt from the sight. Lohen looked thoroughly fucked out.

Oblivious of his own eroticism, Lohen let out an exhausted laugh in response. His body was now draped over Varka's, boneless and fatigued, and Varka knew from the slight attempts of movement he felt and the still hard press of his cock at Varka's stomach that Lohen was, despite the heady expression on his face, mildly frustrated at his lack of release.

Varka could hear these mixed feelings when Lohen sighed loudly as he said, "I'm close. Varka, I'm close, please."

His plea did not fall on deaf ears. Slowly, Varka's hands found themselves at Lohen's waist, but he made no move to move them from this position, despite his own body's aching protest, and the torture it was to still be inside him. He wanted nothing more than to flip Lohen over and fuck him into the mattress, but he decided Lohen's bratty nature deserved a bit more effort. Patience — if only for him to gather his own bearings.

Lohen noticed Varka's hesitance, and with a quiet growl of annoyance he bit down at Varka's chest, dangerously close to his nipple and hard enough to make Varka hiss; it will definitely leave a mark, just as dark as the rest. Voice slightly muffled, Lohen said insistently, "Varka."

But Varka only had so much strength himself, and as much as he'd love to tease Lohen more, his own cock felt heavy and hard, aching to thrust into Lohen at any cost, the urge relinquishing any further restraint that Varka was holding on to. He surprised himself at his self control so far, but Varka could still feel the threatening hold Lohen's drug has on him. it was near overwhelming now, with only Varka's own willpower holding it at bay.

However, that willpower was almost entirely spent.

"You've done well," he said, voice rough yet deceptively calm, one hand leaving Lohen's waist to push himself up. "Let me take care of the rest."

Lohen chuckled, likely finding some amusement at Varka's choice of words. Slowly, Varka manoeuvred Lohen onto his back, taking care to ensure he had a pillow beneath him — much to Lohen's amusement, if his second exhale of a laugh was anything to go by — but Varka feared he'd need all the comfort he could afford.

Lohen's body was pliant, his legs falling wide, revealing himself so easily. His breathing was still heavy and his eyes were lidded; that small smirk on his face amplified the bestial urge of want that was building in Varka's veins. He wasn't sure how long he could hold out. In fact, he didn't have any intentions of holding back now. Varka knew Lohen was counting on it, too, judging by his tired but taunting look. He draped an arm over his head, almost obscuring his eyes as he stared at Varka and said, "Come on. Where's that strong Knight everyone loves?"

Well, he needed no further invite.

Varka made quick work of thrusting back into Lohen, who sighed pleasantly at being filled again. He pulled Varka down for another messy kiss as he set a steady pace that immediately pulled muffled moans from Lohen's throat.

It did not take long for Varka to fuck into him harder, distracted as he was with Lohen's tongue. He relished in the way Lohen grabbed at him haphazardly when they broke away, writhing in a way that suggested he was close.

"You've—hn—you've sure got some stamina, Grand Mast—ah, Varka…"

"I think you're partly to blame for that," Varka groaned.

"Me? Or the—Hah!"

He gave in so easily, impossibly warm and clenching at him in such a way that Varka could only growl at the sensation, mind filling with visions of filling him up, pressing so deeply inside Lohen that he could claim him entirely, body and soul—

Lohen's cries in his ear only fuelled his fantasies as Varka's paced picked up, pushing forward, lifting Lohen's hips a little higher so he can fuck into him deeper, the sounds growing impossibly more obscene. The bed creaked from his force. If Varka's neighbours were asleep, there was a high chance they wouldn't be now. He couldn't help it, not with the way that Lohen was clinging to him, scratching at whatever expanse of skin his fingers could find, his moaning growing louder and more erratic the more Varka brushed against his prostate.

Whatever words Lohen may have wanted to say were utterly lost now. Varka couldn't stop if tried; with a growl, he pressed down at Lohen more, whose legs were now locked around him, forcing him closer and deeper. He had the sudden overwhelming urge to bite at Lohen's shoulder to muffle his groans, but stopped at the last minute with a graze of his teeth against Lohen's choker. Lohen made a similar attempt as he shoved his face into Varka's neck, biting clumsily to muffle his cries.

He could feel when Lohen came hard underneath him. His teeth sunk down into Varka's neck and his nails raked lines down his shoulders and back, a scream that sounded like an amalgamation of pleasure and pain muffled into his skin. The small spasms of his body were overwhelmed by Varka's continued thrusts.

Varka did not stop, but he did gradually slow. He blinked through the haze in his mind, trying to listen to Lohen's strained sounds for any indication that he was too overstimulated and wanted to stop, even if Varka could not entirely stop the movements of his own hips gently grinding into Lohen with long, deep thrusts.

Varka pressed a clumsy kiss against Lohen's temple, a silent question, but to his surprise, Lohen — voice incredibly hoarse — said with a shudder, "I can— more. Please, more."

He repeated himself quietly, a weak tug at Varka's hair accompanying his pleas. "Come on," Lohen insisted, words breathless and voice rushed. "It hurts, I don't care, I want more."

Varka pulled out from him, earning a small whine of protest.

"Varka," Lohen complained, only to yelp as he was flipped onto his front.

Varka pushed Lohen down harshly with a hand at his shoulder until he lay almost flat. When Lohen instinctively tried to lift himself up, Varka grabbed his wrist instead, slamming it back down. He wasted no time thrusting back into Lohen, who cried out, "Ah—! Yes!"

Lohen tried to press back against Varka immediately, still shaking from his orgasm, but no less eager in his hunger. He did not let Varka's manhandling prevent him from his own seeking of further pleasure, as even with Varka's tight hold and his overwhelming presence pushing him into the bed, Lohen still egged him on with quiet pleas partially muffled into the fabric.

In brief moment of clarity, Varka realised his grip must have been bordering on painful, and so he released Lohen's wrist to clench tightly at the space next to his head. His hand ghosted near Lohen's own, but he did not grasp it. As much as his heart ached for it, he feared he would break some of Lohen's bones if he did. Instead, he covered Lohen's neck, shoulders and back —anywhere he could reach — in haphazard kisses and marks as means of apology.

Then, as he slipped his other arm around Lohen's stomach, intent on both supporting him and holding him closer to his body, Varka felt it: the slightest swell at his abdomen. When he pressed a little harder, he realised—

"You can feel me, can't you?" he heard himself murmuring through kisses. "Right here."

"Mm— yes!"

His hips were slamming against Lohen's ass with such feverish intensity that Varka feared he would break him, but Lohen gave no indication that the pain bothered him; Varka could feel him still trying to move underneath him, his feeble attempts at raising himself back to meet his thrusts ultimately useless with the weakness in his limbs. After a point he stopped moving altogether, and Lohen could only lie there and take it with little more than desperate whines and weak grasps at the pillow beneath him.

The sight and sound of Lohen was enough to bring Varka over the edge. With a groan of effort, he only barely managed to stop himself from burying deep, mind intent on filling and claiming Lohen as thoroughly as possible, instead spilling across Lohen's lower body. Whether Lohen complained about it later was inconsequential — Varka knew they'd have plenty of opportunity, if the still lingering arousal in his groin was anything to go by. Varka was almost exasperated at this somewhat enhanced stamina.

Lohen, on the other hand, now looked utterly filthy.

His body was heaving with laboured breaths — and with mild horror Varka realised he must've came a second time — and his lower back and rear were painted in (admittedly, rather copious) ropes of cum. Reddened skin littered his shoulders and back, some of which were dangerously close to resembling bite marks. Varka could feel warmth at his cheeks that had nothing to do with the aphrodisiacs.

He hadn't meant to do that much harm.

"Hey," he gently prompted, reaching for Lohen's face, which was still partially buried in the pillow. "Are you—"

With a drawn out exhale, Lohen looked up at him.

Despite his battered appearance, clear exhaustion and still heated skin, Lohen looked incredibly, incredibly pleased, as if he had experienced some kind of euphoria. In a way, Varka supposed he had, though he never expected it to be so… intense.

Had they both not been compromised, Varka would've taken him again then and there from that expression alone, but as tantalising as it was, Lohen's condition was a concern, and Varka needed to cool off a bit himself.

He shuffled closer to Lohen, slipping a hand to the boy's forehead to to test his temperature again. His skin still radiated a warmth that was unusual for him, as he had a tendency to run on the cooler side (and, Varka thought, his Cryo vision did not help in that regard), however it seemed to be abated for now. If it rose again, that would be a problem, but they'd cross that bridge when they get to it, though Varka dreaded the prospect of having to track down some sort of cure if worst came to worst. He had faith Lohen knew what he was doing with this, but on the off-chance he went to far? Varka could imagine it now: explaining to someone like Albedo how Lohen was infected with a self-admitted sex drug of some kind — that would be embarrassing.

Now that he could get a proper, closer look at him, Varka noticed that Lohen's eyes were slightly puffy from tears, one of which was still caught in his bottom eyelash. Mindlessly, Varka reached down and wiped it away with a thumb, then lingering at the mark below his eye. He rubbed at it as he quietly said to him, "You know, if you were that eager to get into bed with me, you could've just asked. I wouldn't have turned you away."

Varka may believe his own words now, but had it been any earlier, perhaps not.

Lohen, who was watching him through tired, narrowed eyes, slowly closed them, humming slightly at Varka's gentle touch before he murmured with a broken voice, "Maybe. I'm not so sure. I did think this would be fun, but I also… hm, wanted to be really sure."

A test, then.

Had he not willingly drank tonight, Lohen probably wouldn't not have pursued him in this manner any further. The thought of it made something twist in Varka, something that he did not recognise for a few moments. Possessiveness, or something like it. Discontent at the thought of Lohen giving up on his desire without protest. It wouldn't have limited the frequent ambushes, he knew, but the potential for— well, for more.

Varka laughed, still lightly massaging underneath Lohen's eye. "I should've expected you'd have a funny way of asking. Pretty creative, now that I think about it — managing to get it only into my drinks must've been quite the task! And that's not to mention the amount, too — it takes a lot to get to me! Ah, but you'll have to tell me about that one, considering the state you're in."

"I will," Lohen said, eyes opening to a frown, "but first, could you—"

He jerked his head, gesturing to his back.

"Could I— Oh, yep, yes—"

A few minutes later Lohen lay on his back much cleaner than before, watching Varka attempt to treat the scratches he could reach. Lohen had told him he didn't hold back, and so some scratches were deep and needed attention, and while Varka was sceptical, he decided to give Lohen a view of him wincing at the application of alcohol anyway, even if he could only reach his sides, arms and neck. Lohen looked pleased enough watching. Varka was sure he was giving a comical show at trying to reach some anyway.

"You got it from Albedo, didn't you?" Varka asked with a sigh, prodding at the bite mark at his neck. That was perhaps the worst of them. It felt tender, and when Varka pressed at it, his fingertips came away slightly tinged with blood. "Unless you have some questionable sources lurking around in Dornman Port, I don't think anyone around here would be able to deliver such specific stuff."

"I asked him how much it would take to sufficiently affect a male with—ah—significantly more muscle mass than the average," Lohen said, rolling onto his side with a wince, "and then some."

"You didn't mention you'd be using it on yourself, did you?"

"I didn't," Lohen admitted, but he did not look guilty at all. "I estimated that part. I think it turned out quite well, all things considered."

Quite well, he said — though even from a look Varka could tell he was still in throes of the the drug's effect, as he was still half-hard, but aside from the odd hum of both discomfort and arousal, Lohen made no effort to initiate more, even if Varka knew it was coming. He could feel himself still affected, too; the familiar thrum of arousal was reigniting in both his mind and groin, but he pressed the urge down.

Varka broke the quiet discussion with a loud laugh, accompanied with a much more exhausted one from Lohen. "A shameless request, but I have asked Albedo for stranger things."

That earned an intrigued look from Lohen. "Oh? I'd love to know what sinful activities our Grand Master has been up to."

"I'll tell you sometime," Varka promised. "Nothing so nefarious, though. But for now, get some rest, you hear?"

"Yes, Grand Master, of course, Grand Master," Lohen chanted quietly, rolling onto his front and shoving his face into the pillow.

"Hey, I mean it. If you're temperature doesn't go down by the morning, I'll have to lug you all the way up to the cathedral, looking like… well, like this."

He received only a dissatisfied grumble in response.

Their conversation fell silent as Lohen drifted off into a half-sleep. By the time Varka left and returned with another cloth, he hadn't moved. He looked calm, in a way that Varka didn't see often when he was awake. The bed was completely ruined, but he pulled up a discarded blanket to cover half of Lohen's body anyway.

Energy still lingered through Varka's muscles, so he had forgone any attempt to sleep, instead opting to sit beside Lohen on the bed silently. He looked out of the partially covered window, where the curtains frame the moon like a quaint illustration. Without the thrill of Lohen's cries, Varka found the night to be quiet and peaceful, a stark contrast to the carnal energy that permeated the room mere minutes ago. There was no divine being coming to strike him down, and for that Varka was relieved, though he knew such a thing was never going to happen anyway. As much as he wanted Lohen safe, his decisions were his own.

As were Varka's.

Idly, he stroked his fingers down Lohen's spine as he watched the night sky. It would be well past midnight. Varka couldn't send him back to his dormitory now, or even in the morning. It dawned on him as he watched the slow turn of the windmill outside that he didn't actually want to send him back at all.

Some time later, next to him, Lohen stirred.

"Let's do it again," he said suddenly.

Varka looked down at his prone form, no longer damp from sweat or other fluids, but still reddened and battered. His eyes were barely visible from under his eyelashes, but Varka could see the reformed lust in his gaze, eyes drifting down to the wolf pendant that still hung at his neck before looking back up.

Varka slapped a hand down on his covered rear, earning a surprised, cut-off cry from Lohen.

"Be careful what you ask for," Varka said, fondling at Lohen's ass through the fabric. There were already bruises forming. More were certain to follow. By the state of him already, Varka knew that Lohen was going to have trouble walking tomorrow. If it wasn't the drug itself, it would be Varka's own rough treatment.

Lohen's grin widened, lifting his head higher, the familiar, hungry look in his eyes as potent as it was when he first arrived at the front door. "I'm not asking, Varka."