Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Caleb was fed up.

Abstinence had been good, well not good but fine. Tolerable. He’d been used to it and knew how to deal with it. But now?

It was like a recovering alcoholic falling off the wagon. Every time he looked at Fjord he remembered the smell of him, the taste, the feeling of coming down the man’s throat. Those broad, calloused hands, that single, burning kiss... he felt like he was back in his teens, experiencing pleasure for the first time and wanting to drown in it.

 Appropriate, then, that he wanted to drown himself in Fjord, an ex-sailor with a barnacle blade who sometimes coughed up seawater. When he thought about it that way, Caleb really did have strange taste, but there was nothing normal in his life anymore.

“Copper for your thoughts?” Molly asked, purple fingers darting through Caleb’s hair as he braided it with fake costume pearls and shiny gold ribbon.

“I think,” Caleb muttered, “I would like this to be over.”

Because of course, the other bad decision that night had also come back to haunt him. When the rest of the Nein heard of the bet (which Caleb had so hoped would be forgotten), Molly had insisted on taking a few days to “purchase and prepare”. The wizard had even seen him and Jester with sewing kits and identical mischievous grins the previous day, filling him with dread.

“Don’t worry,” Jester said, passing Molly more ribbon, “You’ll be perfectly dressed for Harvest Close!”

“If you think I’m leaving the room in this getup,” Caleb deadpanned, “you have another think coming.”

Jester giggled while Molly finished the braid with a large, fancy bow. Caleb glowered as he could feel something being attached to the top of his head.

“Aaaand... done!” Molly said, triumphantly, stepping back with arms spread. He walked around to Caleb’s front, grinning like a maniac. “You look great!”

The wizard muttered curses under his breath, shoulders hunched. He wanted to curl up with his cat and hiss at anyone who came close.

“Do you want to see what you look like?” Jester asked, bouncing with excitement. Caleb was torn between denial and morbid curiosity, but of course the cleric didn’t wait for him to reply. With a word and a gesture, she transformed herself into a mirror image of him, and Caleb nearly choked in horror.

There were feathers. There were sequins. There were bangles and baubles and swirling, eye-searing patterns... but worst of all, it was a clear  parody of his usual outfit. His scarf was replaced by a feather boa, his coat by one of a similar cut, only patterned in orange and gold stripes. There were bells on his crimson boots, and his shirt was open FAR too low. There were orange and white patterns painted on his cheeks and a black spot on his nose. The only part of his costume that wasn’t nightmare shiny-Caleb was the pair of cat ears on his head.

“See?” Jester said, the high-pitched voice incongruous coming out of his own mirrored mouth. “You’re Frumpkin!” 

She spun around to show him the back of the costume and sure enough, there was a gods-damned tail attached to the back, which Jester wiggled cheekily in his direction.

Caleb had been expecting to be dressed up like Molly, but this was worse... this was Molly deliberately causing pain, Molly with a budget and a crazy trickster cleric egging him on. Caleb’s social anxiety was rising higher and higher, but the worst was yet to come.

“Oh Mighty Neiiiiiiin!” Jester sing-songed, poking her head into the hallway, “We’re reaaaaady!”

“Gods give me strength,” Caleb muttered, longing to sink through the floor and die.

“You know,” Molly said, leaning close. There was an almost sympathetic look in his crimson eyes, a mix of mirth and mercy. “The bet was just that we dress you up, right? Technically you don’t have to let the others see you... Jester’s probably enough for them to laugh at.”

Caleb’s eyes widened. Molly gave him a wink and a pat on the cheek, before moving towards the door to greet the others.

The wizard didn’t hesitate after that. A few words of power and a gesture cloaked him in an illusion of his normal appearance, with an extra-thick layer of dirt and grime. The spell settled over him right before the rest of the Nein came through the door.

Luckily, the others didn’t seem to care that much. They howled with laughter as Jester posed and cavorted, wiggling her tail and making silly faces... with Caleb’s face, which was just plain disturbing. A bit of ribbing did come the wizard’s  way, but it was easier to ignore when he wasn’t visibly covered in sequins. Even Yasha was wiping away tears as Jester walked around on her hands, waving Caleb’s illusionary legs in the air before falling on her face.

The only ones not laughing were Caleb and Fjord. The half-orc seemed amused, yes, but there was an air of discomfort too, and awkward glance over at Caleb every minute or so. The wizard supposed he must feel bad.

Well, good! Fjord should feel bad after all this bullshit. Making that bet, making him a laughingstock... making him want.

Caleb groaned internally. Here he was, dressed like a circus cat, surrounded by giggling idiots, miserable and mortified and still so fucking horny! He looked at Fjord, trying his hardest to make it a glare, and not something more longing, more hungry.

Fjord raised a brow, looking even more concerned, the same look he’d had after he came all over Caleb’s face, only without the sweat, the blush, the disheveled hair... but Caleb’s imagination could easily add those details.

Fuck this was too much.

Caleb stormed towards the door and nobody stopped him, although a few words of query fell on his deaf ears. The wizard made it to his own room in double time, slamming the door and hurling those ridiculous cat ears as far from himself as possible.

The rest of the costume followed, boots thudding against the wall as he ripped at the clothing in a frenzy, swearing to himself that he’d burn every piece to ash the moment he was free. He must’ve been making quite the racket, because a moment later he heard a tentative knock on the door.

“Caleb?” Nott’s voice was muffled by the wood and tinged with concern. “You-“

“Go away!” Caleb snapped, then winced. He’d never been so rude with Nott, never raised his voice to her... but then, she’d been doubled over with laughter a few minutes ago, hardly able to breathe.

“We’re sorry Caleb,” Jester’s voice said with what sounded like genuine remorse. “I didn’t know it would make you so angry...”

“I’m not- I just-“ Caleb gritted his teeth. He was angry, just not at them... well, maybe a little bit at Jester. “Just leave me alone...”

There was a whispered conversation on the other side of the door, although Caleb could make out the words “my fault” in Fjord’s deep, drawling voice. He was down to his small-clothes and rubbing the makeup off his face with a cloth when another knock came on the door.

“Was?” Caleb snapped, not in the mood.

“Caleb, I’m...” Fjord’s voice was soft, hesitant, genuinely remorseful. “I am sorry. The bet... I shouldn’t have held you to that. I really didn’t know it would upset you this much.”

Caleb sighed. Why did the other man have to be like this? In retrospect, Fjord really hadn’t known, had no idea why Caleb was so keen to avoid attention. The half-orc might recognize some of the wizard’s social insecurities, but there was no way he could realize how deep those wounds ran.

“It’s...” Caleb swallowed. “Apology accepted.”

He wanted to hate Fjord, he really did... stupid emotions, muddling up his brain. He didn’t need friends, he didn’t need sex, he didn’t need complications and yet...

“May I come in?” Fjord asked, voice quiet.

“Ja,” Caleb said softly, so softly he thought the warlock might not hear it... but the handle turned and the door opened just barely wide enough for Fjord to slip inside.

“You ok?” The half-orc asked, shutting the door behind him. He looked as handsome as ever, damn him, eyes shining with concern.

Caleb shrugged, not meeting Fjord’s gaze. He felt angry, betrayed, confused, aroused... a hot, bubbling cocktail of emotions.

“There anythin’ I can do?” Fjord asked, cautiously stepping forward. He gingerly picked his way between discarded jingle bracelets and glass pearls, until he was standing four feet away, carefully outside Caleb’s usual personal bubble.

“I-“ Caleb started, before the realization hit him. In spite of the illusion, the wizard was standing in nothing but his small-clothes, a few feet away from Fjord... a few feet away from that dick that had been in his mouth so recently, the hands that had touched him, the mouth that had kissed him. Did the half-orc realize it? Had he looked around the room, seen the discarded clothes and put two and two together?

“You...” Fjord prodded, “Come on, Caleb, tell me and I’ll make it up to you.”

It was too easy, too tempting.

“I...” Caleb repeated, fighting with himself. Once was a mistake, but twice would be a pattern.

“Yeah?” Fjord asked, taking another step forward. He seemed to be genuinely unaware of what was happening to Caleb’s mind and body, unconsciously pushing button after button. “Tell me what you need.”

“I... I am very angry at you, Fjord,” Caleb said, half-trying to convince himself. He steeled his will and met the warlock’s eyes, hands shaking as he balled them into fists. He had to do something to deal with the tension building inside of him, something drastic. “So... so come over here and f-fuck it out of me!”

“What?” Fjord asked, blinking.

“You heard me,” Caleb said, not willing to repeat the words. 

“Soooo...” Fjord looked like he’d been hit in the face by a coin-purse... surprised, confused, but  hopeful and pleased. “So, what, you want angry sex?”

“Yes I want angry sex!” Caleb cried far too loudly, throwing his hands up in the air. He dropped the illusion, letting Fjord see his true appearance, all wild hair and flushed, bare skin. He was panting, and there was a definite tent in his briefs. “This is your damn mess, so fix it!”

“Okay then,” Fjord said, raking wide eyes down Caleb’s body. That tiny pink tongue peeked out to wet his lips again, a teasing glimpse that promised more... but then Fjord was backing up, turning towards the door.

“What are you-“ Caleb said, confused and bereft, before he heard the click of the lock.

“Don’t want any visitors, right?” Fjord said as he turned back to Caleb. “Folks ‘round here don’t always knock.”

“Well,” Caleb said, wondering if it was a jab at him regarding their last encounter. “People around here don’t always lock their doors, now do they?”

“Fair point,” Fjord said, striding back up to Caleb and looming over him, mere inches away. “How do you wanna do this?”

Caleb didn’t want to talk, didn’t want to waste any more time before killing this burning ache inside him. He grabbed Fjord by the straps of his armor, pulling the half-orc into a sloppy, biting kiss. Fjord kissed back, but not as hard, not as hard as Caleb wanted, needed, not hard enough to make him forget.

“I want you to fuck me,” Caleb snarled before he could lose his nerve. “Really fuck me. Don’t hold anything back, you hear me?”

“Understood,” Fjord said, shoving Caleb back into the bed. He crawled on top of the smaller man, pulling at the buckles of his own armor, tossing the pieces haphazardly aside. The wizard helped, deft fingers ranging over straps and belts, desperately trying to reach that hot, green skin.

They kissed again and again, teeth bumping and tongues searching, forced to back off whenever Fjord pulled something over his head. Breastplate, undershirt, too many layers, until finally his torso was bare. Caleb immediately bit down on a nipple, making Fjord muffle a curse as he kicked off his boots and trousers. At last he was naked, looming over Caleb, all broad shoulders and slim hips and hard, massive cock. It was gratifying to see that last one, to know that Fjord really was into this.

“You can still tell me to stop, if-” Fjord said, pausing as he looked down at Caleb. “If it hurts, or if you don’t want it anymore.”

Caleb blinked up at him, touched... but he didn’t want to be touched, not that way. Fjord wasn’t supposed to be messing with his feelings, just his body!

“Understood,” Caleb said, trying to keep that rough, hard edge to his voice. He rolled over, raising his hips and bracing his hands and knees against the mattress. 

“Got any oil?” Fjord asked, palming Caleb’s ass cheeks and parting them. A large, rough thumb rubbed at Caleb’s hole, making the wizard’s knees go weak.

“Nightstand,” Caleb gasped, not mentioning that he’d only picked it up a few days ago, the morning after they’d traded blowjobs. The vial was already half-empty, and there were things Fjord didn’t need to know.

“Got it,” Fjord said after a few seconds of rummaging. Caleb expected to hear the stopper, feel the brush of cool, slick fingers, but instead he heard Fjord shifting on the mattress and felt warm breath against his ass.

“What are y-aaaaah!” Caleb didn’t even have time to finish his sentence before a tongue delved between his cheeks, lapping over the skin and teasing at his asshole. This... this... he’d read about it, but never in his wildest dreams thought it would happen!

Caleb swore loudly in Zemnian, too loudly. He bit down on the pillow to muffle the noise, so the only sounds he could hear were his own harsh breathing and the obscene lapping and sucking of Fjord eating out his ass.

The pointed tip of Fjord’s tongue started pressing against his tight little pucker, prodding and teasing and easing it open. When it slipped in, the first intrusion there aside from Caleb’s fingers in sixteen years, the feeling was strange and glorious and made him ache for more. 

“Bitte... Bitte...” Caleb whined, rocking back against Fjord’s tongue.

“What was that?” Fjord asked, voice muffled by Caleb’s cheeks but unmistakably smug. The wizard cursed internally. At least the words had been in Zemnian, but the tone was unmistakably pleading.

“Shut up,” Caleb muttered, shoving his hips back.

“As you like,” Fjord said, still a little smug, before turning his head and sinking his teeth into Caleb’s ass cheek. It wasn’t hard enough to leave a mark, but it was just what Caleb needed, sending sparks bursting in the wizard’s brain.

“Yes!” Caleb whined, hips jolting as a shiver ran up his spine. “Just like that!”

Fjord chuckled against his skin, before moving over to bite the other ass cheek. Nips were interspersed with slaps, working up and down Caleb’s petite ass and pale, slender thighs. A tongue laved over hot, red skin and Caleb shuddered, cock twitching with need.

He wasn’t sure when Fjord unstoppered the vial of oil, but Caleb felt it when a slick, broad finger pressed against his hole. It wasn’t as cold as he’d expected... apparently Fjord hadn’t just been stalling, but had used his body heat to warm the vial.

And what body heat! The finger inside Caleb, so much bigger and rougher than his own, was radiating a warmth that made the wizard nearly giddy. There was also the burn, the stretch... Caleb had fingered himself during the last few evenings when Nott wasn’t in the room, but the feeling was nothing compared to this. Fjord’s finger was big enough to reach into places Caleb simply couldn’t touch, and that was before the half-orc found his  prostate.

Caleb moaned, shoving his hips back into Fjord, and the larger man chuckled.

“Easy there,” he said, like he was calming a skittish horse. “Gotta open you up properly.”

“Then get a move on!” Caleb groaned. This felt good, too good, but it wasn’t what he needed, wasn’t enough. “I want to come on your cock, verdammt!”

“Fuck, Caleb,” Fjord said, stopping his movements... the exact opposite of what the wizard wanted.

“That’s the idea,” Caleb said, gritting his teeth. “So stop making me wait!”

There was an audible gulp from behind Caleb, then that finger pulled out. He almost sobbed with frustration before two fingers shoved into him. The wizard whined as he was breached, and Fjord used his free hand to grab Caleb’s hip in a firm grasp.

There was nothing tentative about Fjord now. The warlock was still gentle, but his fingers moved with purpose, avoiding the human’s prostate in favor of scissoring and stretching. A third finger soon joined in, enough to make Caleb hiss in a breath through his teeth.

“Ok?” Fjord asked, voice rough.

“Ist gut...” Caleb groaned, panting into the pillows. “Zer gut...”

“Does that mean yes?” Fjord said, although he probably knew the answer anyway.

“It means,” Caleb said, “that I’m ready.”

“You sure?” Fjord asked, stilling his fingers. “It usually takes four-“

“Verdammt don’t make me beg,” Caleb moaned. This wasn’t going how it was supposed to go. What he needed was a quick, hard fuck to clear his mind, not this gentle treatment that filled his head with Fjord, Fjord, Fjord.

The man in question made a noise somewhere between a whine and a growl, before suddenly flipping the wizard onto his back. The half-orc pressed himself down, slipping between Caleb’s spread thighs and bracketing his head with those large, calloused hands.

Their lips met, and it was better this time. The kiss was rougher, more demanding as Fjord claimed Caleb’s mouth with teeth and tongue. He bit down gently on the human’s lower lip, and Caleb could once more feel those blunt, short tusks that had so riled his curiosity.

“You really want it?” Fjord whispered, panting against Caleb’s mouth, “it’s gonna hurt-“

“Please, Fjord,” Caleb whined, dignity completely abandoned.

The half-orc nodded, then sat back on his heels. He took a moment to shove a pillow under Caleb’s hips, then another to empty the rest of the vial over his huge, hard cock. Three strokes to make sure he was covered, then he grabbed Caleb’s thighs, folding the wizard nearly in two.

The moment Caleb felt Fjord’s cockhead pressing inside him, he let out a low, desperate moan. This was it, this was it! The penetration came in slow, deliberate strokes, each thrust going deeper and deeper. Inch by thick, hard inch pressed inside Caleb, filling him to the brim... then more, more, more then he’d ever thought he could take.

Fjord was right, it hurt... but the pain was singing through Caleb’s bones, mixing with a pleasure that shoved everything else aside. In that moment there was nothing, nothing but the feeling. Even when he was getting regular sex, so many years ago, it hadn’t felt like this.

“Scheiße, Fjord,” Caleb groaned when the half-orc was seated fully inside him, “you really are a monster!”

It was the wrong thing to say.

Fjord froze, every muscle tensing, hands tightening on Caleb’s thighs. The wizard looked up at his comrade, about to ask what was wrong, but the words died in his throat when he saw the other man’s face.

Hurt. Betrayal. Resignation... all mixed together for a split second before Fjord’s head fell forward, hiding his face from Caleb.

“So,” Fjord said with a mirthless chuckle. He started to pull back, withdrawing his cock. “That’s it, huh? Ok then...”

“Wha-“ Caleb began, before the air was punched out of his lungs. Fjord had snapped his hips forward with none of his previous gentleness, spearing Caleb open. The smaller man cried out, pain and pleasure surging through his veins as he arched, shaking and shuddering.

Fjord gave him no time to recover, slamming into Caleb again and again. Each thrust felt somehow deeper then the last, harder, faster. The half-orc changed his grip to the wizard’s ankles without even slowing his pace, using the better leverage to fuck Caleb breathless.

The human moaned and shuddered, hands scrabbling at the sheets for purchase, for something, anything to ground him. Sensation crashed over him in waves, indescribable and undeniable. The tiny fraction of his brain that was still functioning wondered what in the Hells was going on, and he struggled to focus on Fjord’s face.

Pain was there. So was anger. At first Caleb thought it might be some orcish instinct, a repressed berserker fury... but no. This was something Caleb recognized, hurt and self-loathing redirected into rage. Caleb had touched a nerve, and he wasn’t sure whether to apologize or beg for more.

The question was moot in any case. Caleb couldn’t form a coherent word, let alone a sentence. His mouth was moving beyond his control, gasping out half-formed pleas and oaths and cries. Few of them were in Common, and none of them were comprehensible.

Caleb could feel heat building in his stomach, orgasm rushing towards him like a tidal wave. A second later it was on him, blotting all thought from his mind as he arched his back and screamed in pleasure, giving no thought to the inn’s other occupants.

Fjord let out a huff of breath as Caleb spasmed and jerked, coming dry without a single touch on his cock.

“Like that?” Fjord said, brushing a lock of hair from his own forehead. The warlock’s voice and eyes were hard, not to mention the cock still buried inside Caleb, “Got what you wanted?”

“F-“ Caleb tried to say something, he wasn’t sure what, but he couldn’t get his brain to give him the words. “Fjord, Ich-“

But Fjord wasn’t listening, pupils still blown and teeth still bared. He flipped Caleb over, forcing his shoulders down and his ass up. The wizard could’ve fought, Fjord wasn’t that much stronger than him, but he didn’t want to. It felt too good to even think of stopping, no matter the reason.

“That’s it,” Fjord growled, grabbing Caleb by the hair and the hip, nails digging into smooth, pink skin, “you wanted it all, right? Nothing held back!”

He shoved his cock back into Caleb without warning, making the wizard wail. It was too big, too hot, too much in his raw, sensitive ass; it was just what he wanted. The pleasure-pain burned through his body, searing away every thought and feeling and memory, except the here and now. 

Fjord didn’t wait for Caleb to adjust, setting a punishing pace that made the bed frame slam against the wall. He didn’t seem to care about the noise, about the human’s desperate, broken cries. In fact they seemed to spur him on, growling as he fucked the wizard hard and deep. Caleb could feel those black nails digging into his hip, and knew there would be crescent-marks and finger-shaped bruises for days to come.

Good. He wanted to remember this, because given Fjord’s expression it would never happen again.

The thought hurt more than the stretch, and Caleb thrust back against the warlock, trying to kill the feeling. The movement shoved Fjord in deeper, so deep the wizard imagined he could feel it in his throat. Caleb whined, babbling in Zemnian as the other man took him apart.

“Ja, ja Fjord...” he gasped “Gib's mir, härter, fick mich hart!”

The half-orc growled behind him, angry and pleased and nearly feral. The hand in Caleb’s hair twisted, hard and merciless, making the wizard let out a hiccuping sob. 

“This is what you wanted, huh?” Fjord snarled. His voice was somehow different, but Caleb was too overwhelmed to care. “This is what gets you off? Do it then!”

Caleb slid a hand under himself, too dry and shaking. He jerked off fast and rough, all technique fucked out of him. It seemed like no time at all before his muscles went tight for the second time, moaning loudly as he painted the sheets with come.

Fjord was quick to follow, burying his cock deep and filling Caleb with hot seed. The wizard could feel the twitching and pulsing of that huge cock inside him, until his knees gave way and he collapsed onto the sticky mattress. 

He must be such a sight, tangled hair and flushed skin, ass red with bites and slaps. How wide must his hole be gaping now? How red must it be, semen dripping down to stain his balls...

Caleb lost track of things for a while after that.

Chapter Text

Caleb stirred back to consciousness, his faultless internal clock informing him that he’d been out for twenty-three minutes and seven seconds. It was certainly long enough for the come on his stomach and thighs to cool, for Caleb’s breathing and heart to slow back down. He took a few moments to take stock, remember what had happened...

It crashed in on him like falling, blazing timbers. The costume and the bet were ash-gray memories, nothing compared to what came after. The passion, the desire, the pain on Fjord's face. He’d managed to stab the half-orc to the heart with a single word, and now he was no longer sex-drunk his mistake was obvious.

No, that was only the beginning of Caleb’s transgressions. He’d hit the warlock where it hurt and then taken his pleasure from the aftermath. Caleb wasn’t sure if he’d have been able to stop or calm Fjord down even if he’d wanted to... but that was the thing, he hadn’t wanted to. All he’d been able to think of was the cock in his ass and the large, calloused hands holding him down.

Caleb gingerly sat up, looking around the room.  He expected, deserved to be alone, but he wasn't. Fjord was sitting on Nott’s bed, staring at Caleb. The half-orc was fully dressed and armored, the only physical sign of their encounter being his sweat-stained hair, standing up at odd angles. His feet were on the floor and his elbows on his knees, hands clenched together before him. His face was impassive, golden eyes betraying no emotion at all, but his knuckles were bone-white from clenching. 

“You injured?” Fjord asked, voice carefully neutral.

Caleb slid a hand between his legs to check. His asshole was sore, but his fingers came back free of blood (though white with come). The wizard’s thighs ached like he’d run a marathon and his throat was rough from screaming, but there was no real damage. If anything he felt fantastic, his limbs loose and relaxed from a good, hard fucking.

“Nein,” Caleb said. “But-“

“Good,” Fjord said tersely, cutting the wizard off. He stood, posture stiff as he turned towards the door. The warlock was practically radiating misery, no matter how much he tried to hide it.

“Warte!” Caleb cried. He stumbled out of bed, grabbing the half-orc’s bicep. The larger man flinched but didn’t shake him off, which was something at least. “Fjord, let me explain-“

“No need,” Fjord snapped. “You’re hardly the first to come lookin’ for a bit of the rough and green.”

Well, shit, that made too much sense. Was that why the handsome half-orc seemed so uncomfortable when people flirted with him? Was he uncertain whether the interest was genuine or just a fetish? This was what Caleb got for taking dirty talk from his edubation material. 

“Fjord...” the wizard said, unsure of what to say.

The warlock didn’t answer, just moved to wrench his arm away. The human grabbed it with both hands, desperate to stop him. If Fjord didn’t listen, if the others found out about Caleb’s transgression, it would break the Nein. These people—not friends, friends were open wounds ready to be stabbed—were the wizard’s only chance to achieve his goals. They were strange and often foolish, but he needed them...

He needed Fjord to look at him, to stop sounding like something inside him had died. Caleb had hurt too many people in his life, left a trail of ashes and blood that showed no sign of ending, but the warlock would not be another victim if he could help it.

“I just-“ the half-orc choked out, emotion finally slipping into his words. “I just thought you were better’n that.”

That was Fjord’s mistake. Thinking well of Caleb, trusting him... friendship led to pain, especially when it involved the wizard.

“Wait, it’s not-” the human said.

“Not what?” The half-orc spat, finally turning to look at Caleb, golden eyes hard and fierce and just a little wet. He curled his lip a little and the wizard noticed a tiny drop of blood on the corner of his lip and a fresh chip in one short tusk. “You got what you wanted, the full monster experience!”

The word sparked something in Caleb’s mind, something that might get through to the half-orc.

“No,” the wizard said. “Nott, our little goblin Nott. Do you really think I would be friends with her if I was like that?”

“Oh.” Fjord said, visibly deflating. His eyes went wide, staring at Caleb like he was seeing the human for the first time. “But you said-“

“I don’t know much Common dirty talk,” Caleb admitted. “I was trying to say that you had a big dick... Einen großen Schwanz, ja?”

“Oh,” Fjord muttered. “That... that makes sense.”

“I am sorry,” Caleb said. “I did not mean to hurt you.”

“I hurt you too,” Fjord said. His eyes swept down Caleb’s body, the sweat and cooling come, the purpling marks on his hip. That handsome face twisted in clear remorse. “Gods, I assaulted you-“

“Nien,” the wizard shook his head, “I mean... I liked it.”

His voice was soft on the last words, his head falling guiltily forward. He might not have done this on purpose, but he had selfishly laid back and enjoyed the results. He’d taken advantage of the warlock, and loved every second of it.

“You... liked it?” Fjord asked cautiously.

“I... ja,” Caleb muttered. “I kind of like it rough.”

The wizard suddenly realized he was still holding the other man’s bicep. He released it quickly, shuffling in sudden awkwardness. Now that the immediate crisis had passed, he was suddenly aware of his condition: naked, fucked-out, covered in sweat and come... and there was Fjord, clothed and composed and unfairly handsome.

“Is that right?” the warlock looked at Caleb in consideration, tilting his head a little. “I suppose that makes sense, what with the screaming and all...”

“Ja,” Caleb said. His face was burning, probably redder than his hair by now. Truth to tell, it had been the best sex of his life.

A slow smile spread across Fjord’s face, making the wizard’s stomach do flip-flops. Damn him for being so sexy!

“I thought ‘fick mitck hard’ sounded familiar,” the warlock said. There was a smug edge to his voice now, mildly irritating and deeply arousing.

“It’s an easy translation,” Caleb replied, ignoring the warlock’s terrible accent.

“You’ll have to tell me what the rest means next time,” Fjord said.

The wizard blinked up at the brunette in surprise. He couldn’t be hearing that right. The half-orc must’ve fucked his brain out or fried it with his smile.

“N-next time?” He asked. “You would... even after..?”

“I mean,” Fjord ducked his head a little, scratching the back of his neck. “If there’s anythin’ I’ve learned about this group, it’s that we fuck up. A lot. But then we keep goin’... if you want to, that is.”

“That sounds… ja. That sounds good,” Caleb said, licking his lips. “I mean, as long as there’s no ropes attached?”

“No strings?” Fjord asked, “or do you mean bondage is off the table?”

Caleb went crimson, swallowing hard. The idea of being bound at the warlock’s mercy was both terrifying and arousing, making his spent cock twitch in an attempt to rise.

“No strings,” Caleb said. “Just... just sex, ja?”

“Yeah,” Fjord said, nodding. “Just two fellas blowin’ off steam.”

Caleb nodded, back, swallowing hard. The conversation had gone on as long as it needed to, and his social anxiety was rearing its ugly head. He turned to the scattering of gaudy clothes on the floor, picking up one particularly offensive article to wipe himself clean.

“We should get downstairs before dinner service is over,” he said, trying for brisk.

“Yeah,” Fjord said, “I don’t know about you but I worked up quite an appetite.”

———

Their appearance downstairs was met with a lot of glances from the other occupants of the inn, just short of open staring. The Mighty Nein, however, didn’t bother being polite. Yasha was blushing crimson, Nott grinning proudly, and the other three had massive shit-eating grins. Caleb caught just a glimpse of Jester’s sketchbook, seeing one green shape and another with suspiciously coppery hair.

The wizard felt his stomach plummet, while Fjord buried his face in his hands.

“So,” Molly said, looking like a cat who’d got the cream. “I hear you two made up, huh?”