Commissioned [completed]

Chapter 30 - just a nice way to wake up

Your fingers were wrapped in the curls of his chest. He ran hot, snaked around you, and smelled like sweet vape again. Your mouth tasted of it. You felt the rise and fall of his chest, your ear to his collarbone. It was comfortable.

You stretched lightly and squinted in the morning light, taking in the night's aftermath. It was only you and him on the fold-out. His dark dress shirt was open, and your top was discarded, leaving you in a sports bra as if you were in the midst of something. Something about the amount of near-death experiences was having an effect on your ability to feel shame. You'd hit your lowest. Triggered beyond repair. You did not care—or perhaps, you'd shut down and could not care.

"Morning, Sweetheart," Swiss croaked up at you and flashed a tired smile.

You kissed him. You did it because you could, it didn't matter, and because, Lord, he was attractive. One arm stabilised you above him, and the other ran knuckles over his curls. He tensed, confused, then eager, and he seized your jawline. He tasted like black ice vapes. When his other hand gripped your waist, you pulled back.

"Sorry," you weren't entirely sure what for; maybe it was kissing him without notice.

A sound caught in his throat—his lips kissed pink. "No, no.. wish I was woken up like that every morning." You felt his thumb brush the skin of your hip.

"Last night we didn't...?"

"No, I would make you remember it, Sweetheart," he promised with a smirk.

You ran your eyes over him, considering...but also noticed other sleeping bodies around the room. There was a puddle of Aether towards the door. It was like he wanted to be stepped on. You remembered Terzo's portrait pose—perhaps he really did. Then there, on a bar stool by the kitchenette, eating some morning jerky, was the jerk himself; Sodo, just... watching.

"Perhaps when we have less of an audience," you grumbled.

Swiss peeked across, Sodo munched as if the meat were popcorn, and you were one of his favourite gore series. Swiss rolled his eyes. "Very much understood, Sweetheart."

Somewhere there was a buzzing; you huffed; it had to be your phone. "Where...?"

Swiss raised his hips, near meeting yours and scooted a phone from his behind. He looked at the screen warily. "Looks like it's the other one," he passed over your phone. You had a text message from Terzo; you felt Swiss's eyes on you as you smacked back a reply.

Terzo 😈

We have a very strict schedule Pittore

We have bowling to get to

I am afraid Swiss is a very hard person to get away from

You are not wrong

Thought I'd give you a little extra time

Not still limping after dealing with someone's anger issues, are we?

Spending a little bit too much time thinking of my limping Pittore

Sure I am

Room in that closet for me Terzo?

You're an ass

So I have been told

Get here now or perhaps I will paint myself.

Coming now

More to watch you paint yourself than anything

Shall I paint a nude for you?

You have 15 mins

I expect a masterpiece

You gained a vacant expression. What would it be like to paint Papa like a French girl? You shook your head and frowned at the phone, putting it down and very much away from you. You finally looked up; those dark eyes still sketched your skin, and you felt a tail brush your calf.

"You need to go to work, Sweetheart?"

"Yeah," you grimaced. "Maybe next time, Swissamy."

"I look forward to it; my den's always open to you," he gave another wicked grin.

Swiss was easy company; you knew little to nothing about him. Seemed like a good place to release some frustrations. No strings. You didn't know when, but the other ghoul, still sitting at the kitchenette, watching with the cocked head, had become one sticky cobweb.

As you stepped, you dodged several ghouls, noting that the ghoulettes were again vacant. Rain was tucked snuggly beside Mountain on an armchair that honestly shouldn't have held a Mountain. You got to your luggage and tugged off the useless bandages before pulling on a clean shirt and reassembling your overalls. You turned and jumped backwards. "You little shit!" You said in reflex and held your heart.

Sodo had a quiet amusement standing far too close.

"What?"

"Don't forget this," he offered something dagger-shaped in a tea towel.

"Sodo," you snatched it out of his hand, then went over his hand with yours, checking. "You could have burnt yourself, idiot," you scowled.

Sodo looked a little stunned momentarily, caught up in the antics of being a creepy weirdo.

You looked down at his hands in yours, back up to him, and immediately let go. "I'll see you around, stranger," you bustled past him, and he stood motionless as you petted Swiss's leg and Aether's head goodbye.