Have You Considered: Mountain/Aether Strength Kink

Anything Swissalps please!!

Rubs my grimey little hands together

(obligatory tag for @hypnoneghoul !)

Mountain doesn't really like the caterpillars and worms on his plants in the room, but knows they're very much needed. He's started to get used to them more bc Swiss names them and it's kinda their thing.

"Martin is fuckin' chowing down on this vera right now..."

"I thought Martin eats the peonies?"

"No that's his twin brother Jake."

"Oh.."

Speaking of the plants!!! Swiss is VERY accustomed to them. His stand in Mountain when they aren't there. Always super reactive and love Swiss so so so much. They love holding him, helping him with tasks in the room, and just making sure he's okay. Swiss used them for... Self pleasuring reasons and literally only a minute in before Mountain stumbled in with the biggest hard on ever. He then learned that day that, yes, Mountain can feel and know everything the vines are doing/receiving.

Mountain who courts Swiss with wreaths and bones, flowers delicately picked and meaningful, and even down to foraging for him. Swiss who doesn't know how to court besides quintessence, but it just doesn't feel right. So he does what he does best!! Makes a song for Mountain!! It's kinda an air/water thing, but it's so specifically him that it doesn't really need an elemental label.

I'm sharing part of my hibernation Mountain propaganda and y'all are dealing with it. Mountain is GONE during the winter and Swiss is his hibernation mate even tho he doesn't really sleep like Mounty does. Lottt of grooming, breeding, and feeding as Mountain is running purely on instincts and can't really form coherent thoughts outside of those instincts. He just knows "my mate needs to eat." "my mate doesn't smell like me and I need to fix that internally and externally." Swiss doesn't mind it as he's still able to get up and move around, sometimes leave the room for quick trips to the kitchen and back. Swiss usually curls up on Mountain's torso and he's held sooo tenderly by this big furry beast. He LOVES it.

Mountain wears glasses but he loses them a LOT. Swiss always has an extra pair on him just in case which has come in handy multiple times. Swiss always demands them back once Mountain is done using them. "I'm not letting you lose the only backup pair you have, dork."

Big boy is embarrassed about wanting to be topped, but ohhh Swiss knows. He knows. Loves putting Mountain in the most submissive positions like doggy, missionary, or a mating press, but fuck does Mountain love it. He loves feeling smaller for once, loves watching his yin on top of him just whispering the most embarrassing things you could ever think of.

I've talked about Mistress Judas a few times, Swiss' bdsm persona, but... With Mountain? Ohh at her feet for anything she says. She makes him feel stupid. Weak. Lower. Small. It's what he wants and needs, and she's more than happy to provide. Big on breath play, boot play, and her whip. Best aftercare in the world, and Mountain wouldn't have it any different as he's massaged and given such tender kisses, words, and affections.

Mountain who sees Swiss as his art form—as art itself. As yin and yang. As everything right in the world. Something something, he's so dumb in love he can't think and just writes all of his love frustration on paper and hands it to Swiss who keeps them safe in a folder he reads through a lot.

Something something they're so in love it's sickening.

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This user believes in “ship and let ship”

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Today, tomorrow... probably next week

MAJESTY, live. Send tweet.

Fuck him and his magnificent back tattoo. And the open hair too. People died.....

Waiting for the storms to make their way into Kansas out of Oklahoma and these storms are producing tornadoes as they travel. It's midnight and way past my bedtime.

Heya hun! So, one of my thoughts - bit angsty ish- But Dew fearing that even though he went from water to fire, they Clergy would want to switch him back to water if something happened to Rain. (Of course, it wouldn't happen - not with Copia to save the day.. But it always lingers in the back of Dew's mind. He hates that it does. He hates always fearing what Saltarian and Sister Imperator and the other high clergy members could do to him and his pack.

-🐊

Okay, so the timeline for this is kind of messy but I hope you like it. Some Raindrop hurt/comfort just for you. Dew gets stuck in his feelings but his pack is there to protect him always. RHRN spoilers kind of if you squint.

(Also first time writing smut in like 8 months lol)

WC 3007

Cw: Dew trying to use sex as a way to avoid his emotions, anxiety

Things That Change

The doors to the bus open and Dewdrop bursts through them, eyes roving the Abbey courtyard as Siblings and Abbey ghouls file through the various archways to meet the band. People surround the bus, but the noise of cheers and welcomes do nothing to drown out the buzzing in his mind. It’s been this way since the last show, since those last chords rang through the arena and the crowd erupted into screams.

He hasn’t done a good job of hiding it, he knows that the other ghouls have sensed his restlessness since they started their journey back home. He can’t help it; he’s tried to squish down that tightness in his chest, that sense of foreboding that’s settled in the back of his mind since Papa announced in Brisbane that that show was going to be his last. Papa is retiring. He's stepping down from the papacy. Change is coming. Even though Dew knows that Copia isn't Terzo, he knows that things are different now, his mind won't stop berating him. What happened before is going to happen again. Despite Dew’s best efforts, it’s continued to linger, refusing to be ignored. One by one the pack have all tried to ask him what’s going on, why his scent smells so weird. Each time he's just shrugged and said its nothing. He’s just anxious to get home. He can feel his heat coming, or something like that, he hates going through heat while on the road. Yeah, just his heat. That’s all. One by one they all acquiesce, leaving himself to his thoughts and his pacing. It’s just Dew being Dew. He’s intense sometimes, it’s just how he is, his fickle fire ghoul nature and all.

“Hey, you alright?” A voice behind Dew startles him, and he whirls around. Curly black hair and concerned blue eyes meet his amber ones as Rain emerges behind him, taking that last step from the bus stairs to the gravel below.

Dew huffs a breath and shakes his head, turning back to the crowd that’s encroaching on the bus. He reaches behind him, grabbing Rain’s hand and pulling him forward, “C’mon, want some alone time.”

“Hold on, we need to get–”

“We can get our stuff later! Just—please, need you.” Dew’s tail whips behind him and his scent flares that of campfire smoke as he looks back at Rain with exasperation in his eyes.

Rain nods, knowing better than to try and push when Dew gets this way.

Dew runs, dragging the water ghoul behind him, he makes his way up the stairs and through the grand entryway leaving the crowd behind. Doorways pass by in a blur as the two ghouls wind their way through the hallways. Dew isn’t even paying attention to where they are. He could find the Ghouls’ Wing in his sleep and right now his body is on autopilot, his brain just screaming go, go, go!

His door with the familiar elemental fire symbol carved into the frame finally comes into view around the corner. Dew grabs the handle, wrenches the door open and ushers Rain through, slamming it behind them. He whirls around, not even bothering to take in the familiarity of his room before grabbing Rain by the waist and crowding the water ghoul back against the door. He reaches up on his tiptoes, shoving his nose into Rain’s neck and inhaling deeply, letting the scent of storms and salt invade his senses. Lithe hands rest on his shoulders and he hears Rain gasp softly as Dew presses his hips into Rain’s and lets his hands travel from Rain’s waist to his chest, grabbing handfuls of fabric and fingering the buttons on his uniform vest. Dew growls low in his throat and presses his lips to Rain’s neck, feeling the water ghoul’s head fall back to thump against the door and his body respond to Dew's advances. He feels Rain’s tail wrapping tightly around his thigh and he moans when he feels the other shudder at the feeling of teeth and tongue teasing and playing with the gills on his graceful neck.

Long fingers weave their way through Dew's long golden hair and grip firmly, tipping his head back and away from the soft skin he is worrying a mark into. Rain looks down at him, eyes clouded and stormy, breaths coming in panting huffs. Dew surges up, capturing his ghoul’s lips in a kiss, urgency filling the space between them and Rain responds, their mouths open and tongues dancing.

“Want you,” Dew whispers against Rain’s lips, bringing his hips forward to grind against the taller ghoul, pressing him into the time-worn wood at his back.

“Uhuh,” Rain groans, quickly giving in and falling with the fire ghoul into Dew’s intensity as the scents of smoke and thunder over the sea mingle and fill the room in an intoxicating haze.

Their lips meet again, all tongues and teeth, licking into each other’s mouths and claiming one another. Rain captures Dew’s lower lip between his own, drawing it in and sucking on it gently, teasingly. Dew feels Rain’s cock filling out between them and he leans into the pressure, willing his own to respond in kind, to distract him from the thoughts that the promise of sex is fighting to keep at bay. Rain moans as he feels Dew’s cock begin to stir and press against his own and Dew shivers at the sound of his lover’s pleasure wrapping itself around his mind, drowning out the doubts,

“You feel so good,” Rain murmurs. He brings his hands down and Dew whines as claws grip the small globes of his ass, trying to draw him in impossibly closer, “What do you want, love?”

Dew’s mind swims, trying to stay in the moment. There’s pressure and pheromones, wandering hands and tongues, and it feels so good…

“Haven’t felt you like this since the night of that last show,” Rain brings his head down, inhaling deeply at Dew’s scent gland, now fully immersed in the moment.

Tonight will be my last show…

Dew screws his eyes shut, a whimper escaping his throat. No no no…he doesn’t want to think about this right now. Rain is here, there’s only Rain right now…

His scent sours and his hands falter, just for a moment. Dew chuffs and presses in closer, trying to shove the thoughts from his mind. His tail weaves its way between their bodies to graze against the bulge in Rain’s pants as he desperately prays to all the Lords below that the water ghoul didn’t notice his split second of hesitation. Unfortunately for him in this moment, Rain knows him and his soul better than anyone, and the pause is not missed. The hands on Dew's ass still, their touch becoming less possessive and more gentle.

“Hey, hey…what's up?” Rain peers down at him through the curls spilling across his face, cheeks flushed.

“Nothing, I'm fine,” Dew huffs and shakes his head, trying to press back into Rain’s chest but the water ghoul isn't having it.

He releases Dew's ass and raises his hands slowly, one resting on Dew's shoulder and the other cupping his cheek, “Love.”

“I said I'm fine, Rain. I just–I need you, please,” Dew rips Rain's hands away, trying to place them back on his ass.

But it's too late. The thoughts are there and they won't leave. Dew’s heart races and his breaths come in pants as memories of the past begin to swirl through his mind. A man in black and white face paint being dragged from the stage, a woman with sharp gray eyes and a severely tight bun, a reflection of another version of himself from another life bursting into flames.

“Love? Firefly, what's wrong?”

He hears Rain's voice trying to rise above the storm, concerned for his fire ghoul. Dew whines low in his throat and claps his hands over his ears pressed low against his head. His breathing comes in rapid gasps and he shakes his head again, golden hair falling into his watering eyes and covering his face. He hides behind it, shrinking away from Rain as he tries to reach towards the shaking fire ghoul before pushing him aside and ripping the door open.

“Dew, wait!”

He ignores Rain’s worried cries, stumbling through the doorway and sprinting down the hallway, disappearing around the corner and leaving only the acrid smell of char and gasoline in the air.

***

Mountain stands by his window, surveying the shelves of potted plants thriving happily in the sunlight filtering through the trees outside in the courtyard. Aether had done a good job of taking care of them while he had been away with the band on this last tour, and Mountain smiled at the memories of the weekly, sometimes daily, photos the quintessence ghoul had sent him over the last few months to prove that he was taking good, attentive care of his plant babies. He turns away from the windowsill, humming contentedly to himself as he pads back to his bed and the partially unpacked bags sitting among the various piles of clothing and personal items. Some of the ghouls often left their tour luggage sitting for days, or even weeks in Swiss’s and Cirrus’s cases, before they put it away, wanting to just sleep and decompress in private after spending so much time all crammed together. Mountain, however, detested messiness and disorder and preferred to unpack his luggage first thing, finding it easier to relax once everything was put away in its rightful place.

“Mountain? Can I come in please?”

His ear flicks towards the door as a quiet knock interrupts his flow of focus. He sighs, placing the shirt he was folding back onto the bed and padding towards the door. He twists the knob and opens the heavy oak door to reveal Rain standing in the hallway. To put it mildly, Rain looks like a mess. He’s sweaty, out of breath with his curls plastered to his forehead, shifting from one foot to the other and anxiously wringing his hands as he looks tearfully up at Mountain, sniffling quietly. Mountain blinks back down at him, more surprised than anything. Rain is graceful, composed, calculated. He’s never a mess.

“Hey Mount…can–can I come in?”

Mountain wraps an arm around Rain’s shoulders and brings him into his room, closing the door softly behind him, “Rainy, what’s the matter? Are you hurt?”

Rain trudges over to Mountain’s bed and plops down, a glum look on his face. Mountain kneels down in front of him, taking the water ghoul’s hands in his large paws and rubbing his thumbs soothingly over Rain’s knuckles. He waits, watching Rain’s face closely.

“It’s just…” Rain sighs, “It’s Dew.”

Mountain nods, waiting patiently for Rain to continue.

“You know how he’s been acting so weird since our last show? We were in his room, we were kissing. All of a sudden he just…freaked out. He ran away…I–I don’t know what I did wrong,” Rain sniffs, accepting the handkerchief Mountain pulled from his pocket and wiping his nose.

“I’ve been looking for him all over, and I can’t find him anywhere. He’s not in any of his usual spots.”

Mountain hums, squeezing Rain’s hand gently. He’s known Dew a long time, longer than any of the current touring ghouls. He and the fire ghoul have been through so much together. He’d watched Dew as the band progressed through this last tour, watched the small ghoul grow more antsy and anxious as the dates drew closer to that last Australian show. He’d known why Dew was behaving the way he was, but also knew better in the moment than to try and confront Dew on the issue. Mountain lets go of Rain’s hands to rise and seat himself next to the water ghoul on the bed.

“This isn’t because of anything you did or could have done, Rainbow. Dew has…really complicated feelings about being home. About Papa retiring.”

Rain peers at him through wet eyes, moving his hair out of his face to see Mountain better.

“This is about…Papa?”

Mountain nods, “Do you remember the stories me and Aeth told you, Swiss and the girls about the state of things here right before you were all summoned?”

Rain nods, sniffling again.

“We were all kind of…lost. Our previous Papa was dead, a bunch of our pack disappeared and never came back. Dew went through his…his ritual,” Mountain winced inwardly at the memories, “All of that started because Terzo was ‘retired’ by Sister and Saltarian at our final show of that tour we had been on.”

“But Copia isn’t dead. He retired of his own choice. If anything, he’s going to be around for a long time now that he’s Frater instead of Papa, and Sister is gone.” Rain says quietly, looking at his hands.

Mountain hums in agreement, “Yeah, but Dew has always held on to this fear that because he is the smallest, the weakest, of all of us, he is the most likely to be targeted for rituals such as the one that made him a fire ghoul. Rituals that in the past only happen during times of great change.”

Rain’s head snaps back up, “Dew isn’t weak!” he cries fiercely, tail snapping behind him.

“No, of course he’s not. But he sacrificed a lot before in order to help keep me and Aeth safe, and he’s terrified that failing those expectations that were placed on him after he changed will cause history to repeat itself. Except now it’s not just me and Aether. It’s Swiss and Phantom and the girls…and especially you.”

Mountain stands, pulling Rain up with him. He bends down and places a gentle kiss on the smaller ghoul’s forehead, “I think I know where he might be, go find him and talk to him about it. You can help him.”

***

Dew curls into himself on the mossy ground, drawing his knees against his chest and wrapping his tail around his arm as he hugs himself tightly. He’s so fucking stupid, freaking out in front of Rain like that. Nothing is gonna happen with the band being home. Everything is…fine. He groans in frustration, the doubt eclipsing his attempts at reasoning with himself. He can’t go through this again. If anything happened to any of his family, if anything happened to Rain…

He bangs his forehead softly against his knees. Stupid.

The sound of rustling leaves brings Dew’s head whipping up, nerves on high alert. He breathes out a sigh of relief when he sees Rain emerging from the tree branches draping the ground. That relief is quickly replaced by embarrassment and shame at the fact that he had run away from the most important ghoul of his life, that Rain is now seeing him like this. Small, vulnerable, weak.

Rain steps around the slippery, moss-covered stones on the ground, slowly approaching Dew. The cove where the fire ghoul has been hiding is just a small inlet of the Abbey lake protected and covered by a great Weeping Willow tree, acting as a curtain around the inlet and creating a quiet little cave of muted light and green foliage, the water gently lapping the lake’s edge from under the boundary of the tree’s graceful, drooping branches.

Dew scooches over to make room as Rain sinks to the ground next to him and crosses his long legs, leaning back on his hands. He waits for the water ghoul to speak, not trusting himself or his own voice at this particular moment. He places his forehead back to his knees and closes his eyes, listening to Rain’s slow intake of breath.

“You know, I’ve explored every inch of this lake, and I never knew that this was here,” Rain says musingly above Dew’s head.

“Yeah…I found this place…well…before.” Dew mutters into his knees.

Rain hums in acknowledgment, quietly taking in his surroundings.

Dew lifts his head, turning his face to the side to face Rain and resting his cheek on his kneecap, “M’sorry, Rainy…” he mumbles, miserably.

Rain scooches closer and lays his head gently on top of Dew’s. Dew breathes in the scent of petrichor and sea salt, his heart rate slowing with the comforting smell and the warm proximity of his ghoul.

“Oh, my love…it’s okay, there’s nothing to be sorry about.”

Dew sniffles, wiping his nose on his sleeve. The two ghouls sit in silence, watching the willow branches over the water sway with the breeze blowing in from the lake. Rain breaks the silence first.

“I couldn’t find you after you left, so I tried asking Mountain for help. He told me about…about what you’ve been going through with the end of tour.”

Dew stays silent. He hears Rain sigh, pressing in closer.

“Dew…I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, I had no idea that this has been bothering you. Why didn’t you say anything?

“Didn’t…sniff…didn’t wanna worry anyone. I know s’not real…”

He feels Rain lift his head and shift away. His heart drops for a moment, but breathes a small sigh as Rain wraps an arm around his thin shoulders and draws him in close. His throat aches with unshed tears and he shakes his head, unable to offer any more words.

“Dew, we’re going to be okay. This isn’t like last time. Even though Copia isn’t our Papa anymore, he would never let anything happen to us.”

“You were placed in an impossible position before I came here, before I knew you. You are the strongest, bravest ghoul I know, having gone through what you did, so willingly and selflessly, no less. You are valid for feeling afraid, I know that the past can be so hard to escape sometimes.”

Rain lifts Dew’s head up with a hand under his chin and gives him a soft peck on the nose.

“Nothing is going to happen to me, or any of the others. We’re going to be together for a long, long time. We are safe, and so are you.”

hiii how about size kink but make it double? Dew losing it cus Aether and Mountain can lift and hold him between them like he weighs nothing. he definitely asked for more than he can handle and it's so much he's a whimpering mess (I'm willing to offer you my first-born if they're really nice to him, almost cooing and telling him how good he is)

"Look at you," Aether purrs, mouth right up against Dew's ear. Warm breath fanning out over Dew's skin. He dips his head, mouths at the fluttering gills along Dew's throat and Dew keens.

Dew's beyond words. Brain empty. All that's left is sensation. The feeling of Mountain and Aether's counter thrusts. The way they push and pull him. His head is dipped forward onto Mountain's collar bone. Toes dangling feet off the ground as Mountain and Aether cradle him between them. Knees bracketing Mountain's hips. Two sets of strong arms holding him in place while they fuck him.

Dew can barely keep his eyes open. He's dimly aware that the desperate whimpers are his. High pitched and needy. He's begging--but he isn't sure what for. He digs his fingers into the meat of Mountain's shoulder as Aether drives his hips forward. It's a sharp thrust, one that drives the head of Aether's cock over Dew's prostate and makes him feel like he's going to black out. He's wet, dripping even. His thighs are dreched in pre and slick. Mountain's happy trail is a matted mess from where Dew's cock has been rubbing. Dew could reach down and touch himself--he doesn't have to hold on. But any intention movement feels impossible. He can only loop his arms around Mountain's neck and hold on as they both start to pick up the pace. "Taking us both so well, firefly--shit," Mountain whispers, nuzzling his face against Dew's hair. Pressing soft kisses against his temple between pleasured grunts. "So fucking tight." Dew's body feels like a livewire. An exposed nerve in the best way possible. Each thrust is an electric shock. He twitches with it. Overstimulated despite not having cum--at least he doesn't think he has. It's all so wet, and it all feels so good he's not sure he would actually know at this point. Not with the soup his brain has become. The praise barely lands. Just enough to make him trill a little. He is doing so good. He clenches down and both Mountain and Aether swear under their breath. Aether's low drawn out groan is all Dew needs to know. He's close. "Please," Dew mumbles, mouth moving over Mountain's overheated skin.

"Please what, droplet?" Aether's voice is strained. Dew can feel his fingers digging bruises into Dew's hips. He feels himself being moved now, lifted and sat back down on both cocks. Stretching him even further, driving pleasure up his spine faster and faster. Dew swallows, mouth dry, trying to find the right words in his muddled brain. Mountain makes a surprised gurgling noise when Aether starts to push and pull Dew up and down on them. Driving the heads of their cocks together. Dew wants to live inside that noise. "Words, firefly, c'mon. Tell us what you want. Anything. You can have it," Mountain prompts, voice shaking on the edges. Dew closes his eyes, tries again. "Fuckin'--shit--do it. Fill me up. Make me drip." It's Aether's turn to sound wounded. It never fails to amaze Dew how easily he can be mainuplated when that's what his partner's want. He feels helpless like that, impaled over and over again, stretched wide. Body screaming for more, for less. He could cum, one firm touch would probably do it. But god it's so much better if he waits it out. Lets them use him. He lets his head roll back onto Aether's shoulder. Head sweaty, lips swollen. Incoherent babbling falling from his mouth and both Mountain and Aether start to unravel around him. He'll be sore for days. It'll be worth it. "So fucking good for us," Aether mumbles. "So fucking good baby, you know that?" Dew nods. Of course he does. He's always good.

minding my own business…

*opening a word doc*

Mushy May Day 16

(bonus prompt 10) "shut up i'm taking care of you"

Cw's: mental health problems. isolation, self deprecation, issues eating, non-sexual nudity (showering together). but it is a mushy prompts list, so all ends well!

notes; this one was like a mind flayer and took control over my hands and suddenly there 1,2k words of hurt/comfort, my fave. thanks as always to @forlorn-crows for putting together the prompts!

Rain didn’t… know what happened. The day before, everything was fine. Normal even. They ate their dinner with the pack, played on their acoustic with Dew, and then went to bed. It was an easy, simple night. They laid in their bed, exhaustion heavy in their muscles, but their mind raced.

They knew they were okay. Logically they knew the pack cared so deeply about them. Logic, unfortunately, was not winning the battle tonight. They felt the first round of tears sting and scrubbed viciously at their eyes, their breathing shaky. Their mind screamed at them to hide away, isolate from their pack until they were nothing more than a nameless ghoul. No one would notice, they figured. 

But, logically, everyone would notice. They knew logically. 

It started with a quiet knock in the morning. A little later than when they usually woke up, but a sleepless night forced the exhaustion to seep further down into their bones. The knock wasn’t persistent, just someone coming to wake them up for breakfast. Judging from the footfall after they knocked, it was most likely either Aurora or Cirrus. Rain opted with Cirrus.

Twenty minutes went by before the next round of knocking started, followed by Aether’s soft voice. He mentioned that they left a plate for them in the oven, and that he was there for them if they wanted to talk. That they all were. They curled into themselves further, throwing the blanket over their eyes to hide even farther. Had they really done this so much that the pack knew their patterns? It hadn’t even been an hour and already they were being a nuisance to their pack. 

The day wasted away. They only got up to use the bathroom before crawling back to their bed. The bedding felt heavy against their skin, the pillow somehow greasy, but it was all they had in the moment. It felt like they were in fight or flight, and their body and mind couldn’t pick an option. 

A few others came by throughout the morning and into the afternoon. Most would knock, call out, and then leave when they got no response. They heard Phantom walk by at some point, and the young quint didn’t knock nor call out. Rain thought they had left quietly before they quietly sighed, just barely loud enough that Rain could hear, before finally walking away. They felt a fresh batch of tears well in their eyes at the disappointment obvious in the quint.

It was nearing the evening of the day. Rain stayed in their fetal position most of the day, their body aching in ways that were comforting but ultimately awful. They felt cold, a type that couldn’t be fixed with blankets. Their stomach groaned in need of food but they felt nauseous at the thought of eating or drinking anything. They had flitted in and out of sleep for most of the day, but the exhaustion made its way down through their bones and into their core. 

They were woken up from their nth nap of the day by the doorknob turning and the door opening. They smelt before they heard Mountain enter, the earthy smell of sage and rosemary flooding their room. They held their breath and kept their body stone still, scared of what he was here to do. They felt guilt immediately for assuming the worst in the gentle giant, but kept still. 

Instead of anything malicious, he sat down at the end of the bed and placed his hand against their calf. He messaged at the skin. It was so warm. Their eyes stared directly ahead of them to the blank wall, not daring to look at him.

“Rain,” he quietly called out. They didn’t respond. 

He sighed and took his hand away to stand. They violently flinched when he scooped his arms under them and picked them up bridal style. They shut their eyes tight.

“We’re going to wash up,” Mountain pulled the mounds of blankets off and away from them, the dull thud as they fell sharp against their ears, “and then try and get some food into you. Does that sound good, starfish?” 

Rain kept their eyes shut. Mountain took it as a yes and walked towards the bathroom. 

He sat them on the toilet and they slouched heavily until their head hit his stomach. He twisted to turn the water on before he focused his attention back towards them. With a bit of maneuvering, the two managed to get their clothes off, Rain being very little help. Mountain said nothing as he lowered Rain onto their shower seat, the spray of the water forcing a heavy sigh out of them. He shucked his shirt to the ground and stepped in himself, just to the side of them. They hesitated every movement as he helped get them clean; fingers twitching when he asked for them to lift their arm, head locked in place when he pointed the sprayer towards their hair. Everything built up higher and higher in their small body until it came crumbling down when he massaged the shampoo into their curls, his blunt fingers rubbing soothing circles into their scalp. Their face, deadpan and void of emotion before, broke into a deep frown as the tears that teased them all day finally fell down their face, an ugly sob coming deep from their chest. They held their head in their hands while Mountain continued to lather the soap through their hair. They leaned into his touch, suds spreading to his abdomen. He kicked up a purr that vibrated through their ears to their brain. They sobbed harder, loud whines and hiccups and guttural cries.

“I’m-” they sucked in a harsh breath, “I’m sor- sorry-”

“None of that,” Mountain spoke softly but firm, voice unwavering. 

“I was being- being so selfish.” They argued. 

He shook his head. “It happens, starfish.”

“And now I’m f-forcing you to deal with me-” they were interrupted by him leaning down, just enough for them to see him through tears, and his smile was so gentle, so caring. So genuine. It made them fall harder into him.

“None of that.” Mountain stood back up and leaned over to grab the spray. They let his firm hand tip their head back as he began washing the suds out of their hair. “I’m taking care of you.”

The rest of the shower consisted of Mountain rubbing conditioner through their hair as their sobbing died down into something quiet. He helped them dry off and put into clean clothing, boxers and a shirt that was definitely not theirs. He opened the bathroom door and their nose twitched. It led them to their nightstand, where a bowl of oatmeal sat. Mountain sat them on their bed, the covers and pillows no longer feeling heavy but warm and comfortable, and crawled in himself. He whispered kind words as they carefully ate, the bowl warm against their thighs. They set the bowl back down after a few bites, stomach still upset from their mental turmoil of the day. Mountain didn’t complain, though. He praised them as he tucked the two of them in.

Rain hid themselves away into his chest, arms cautiously wrapped around his waist. He purred loud enough for the next room over to hear. They rubbed their head against him in an attempt to scent him, his scent lulling them into a soft mindset and heavy eyes.

“Mount,” they slurred into his skin. He hummed in question.

“Thank you.” 

He shifted a hand to their still damp hair and began scratching at their horns. They began to purr as well.