My eyes shoot open as I hear murmurs followed by panicked breathing. I sit up and look around. Trigger is shaking, his breathing picking up. With my sensitive hearing, I can even hear his heart pounding from across the room. I slip out of bed, worried. I whisper his name, and he doesn’t respond. I put my hand out, touching his shoulder, but he doesn’t seem to feel it. I can’t tell what’s wrong with him, it seems like a nightmare, but he’s not waking up. I reach down again and start shaking his shoulder gently, then harder. It takes a few moments, but his body relaxes and his eyes open, looking up at me.

“Are you ok?” I ask. It seems kinda stupid, but what else do I say?

He sits up, looking confused and out of it. “I… I don’t know? I think I had a vision, but whether it was of my past or my future, I have no idea.” He says. I blink, then sit down on his bed.

“What happened in it? You were shaking and breathing really fast.” I say, rather worried.

“Well...it has to do with one of my blessings, it's the blessing of Judgment. I was riding onto a planet and for whatever reason, I judged it, and found it needed smiting, the horrors I committed……” He shudders. His voice sounds thick, with sleep or emotion I can’t tell. I’m almost afraid to ask, but I need to know. I watch his face in the darkness.

“What is the blessing of judgment?”

He hangs his head, “It is the ability to spawn pests, plagues, and sentient, customizable viruses onto a world, it allows for local eclipses, killing of nearby plant life, the turning of water into a blood-like substance, and once a year, a major city can be turned into salt.”

I stare at him for a moment. I want to ask if I heard right, if this is just my dream and not real life, but I can tell from his eyes that I heard him correctly, planetary annihilation, at will.

“You can do all that?” My voice shakes. I try to steady it. It’s still Trigger, just… with a lot more power than he’s let on.

“I can, and, based on the fact I looked different in my vision, I have done so.” He says. I curl up and think. I’m ashamed to admit it, but I’m a little relieved it happened in a past life, not something that he is planning on doing. I stare at the window across the cabin. So, Trigger is not just a vampire, he’s a vampire that can kill entire worlds if they annoy him too much.

“You really were going easy on me,” I say finally, trying to make it sound like a joke.

“I never plan on using that power, unless I am given a reason to hate an entire world.” He states firmly. I lay down on him, the blankets between us. I don’t really want him to see my face as I process all this, but I don’t want him to think I’m mad at him either.

“Why did you hate the world you killed in your vision?” I ask quietly. Maybe, just maybe, he had a good reason for it. Maybe there was something that made it right.

“I don’t know….. Alastor mentioned yesterday that I have the qualifications to be an intergalactic mobster, so I may have been ordered to do it.” He says. I think about this for a moment. Intergalactic mobster. I never saw him as such, but… He’s right, he could be, if he wanted.

“What are you thinking?” He asks me when I don’t say anything.

“Just, wondering if that’s what you’ll do again, once you are powerful enough.” I say slowly. I don’t want to sound terrified of that possibility, even if I am a little.

“I don’t know, I never plan on it, but we do live forever, I cannot promise that I never will.” Trigger says, then pauses. “I know that isn’t a great promise, but it's the best I can do, that this version of me will, to the best of my ability, choose to refrain from this power.”

“Ok,” I say. I wait a few moments, then sigh quietly. “I suppose I should let you go do whatever you do?” I ask, but don’t sit up yet. I’m enjoying his heartbeat a little too much, even if he did just tell me that he can do, well, pretty much anything he wants.

“I don’t need any more sleep, but I also don’t want to go do something today. So... If you want to stay here with me until morning, that is fine by me.” He says. I smile a little at that, nodding sleepily. I need to think about this, but I’m too tired to do it right now, and I still rather want to snuggle with him.

“You can join me under these blankets if you prefer.” I can hear the tender smile in his voice, but I’m maybe only imagining the nervousness accompanying the offer.

“Tanks,” I say, crawling under the blankets and laying next to him, close, but not too close.

“Boom.” He responds with a smile.

“You know what I meant..” I bat at his face playfully, and he pulls me in close to him. I tuck my head under his chin and relax. It takes a few minutes, but I soon fall asleep in his arms.

I wake up in Trigger's arms, feeling warm and safe. I stir a bit, tilting my head up to see him.

“Hi,” I whisper.

“Hi.” He whispers back. I smile a tiny bit.

“How was your night, after… you know. Your vision.” I ask.

“Not too bad, you helped me process and get comfortable after it.” He smiles at me. I smile back, kinda shy, just fully realizing that we’re tangled up in bed together.

He kisses the top of my head, “So… Do you want to get out, or are you good here?” He asks. I cuddle closer to him in answer, glancing over to see if Twila is up yet. She doesn't seem to be, so I nuzzle in even closer. I pause, feeling shy, then slowly turn my head to rub my nose against his neck. He leans over and kisses my lips firmly.

“Thank you for staying with me, I appreciate it,” He whispers. I smile and nod, kissing him back. He places his hand behind my head, holding the kiss. I melt into him, happy, content, and excited from waking up in his arms. I finally pull back a bit, snuggling deeper into his arms, but no longer kissing. Our legs brush under the blankets and I feel myself blush as my temperature seems to soar, getting very hot very fast. I’m only wearing underwear and a long t-shirt, and he has shorts on. I can barely dare to glance up at him, but I want to know what he’s thinking… I shyly glance up from under my lashes.

He smiles down at me. He seems maybe a little embarrassed, which makes me feel a bit better, but he mostly seems to be enjoying it. I debate trying to make an excuse and leave his bed, but… I like being held by him. My cheeks still feel warm, but I slowly relax again. I glance up again and see him staring at me… He seems lost for a moment, gazing at me, then looks away.

“Sorry.” He says. I smile and nuzzle his neck. I feel his hand rubbing my lower back, below my wings, and I want him to continue touching me… I place my hands on his chest and shyly look into his eyes,

“Please don’t stop…” I whisper. “Your hands feel really good on me…” He smiles and I feel his hands move to my bare legs. I tense for a moment, then relax, trusting him. He strokes my legs, then wraps his arms around me in a hug.

“We should get up…” He says, and I reluctantly nod.

“Probably…” I reach up and slide my hands around his neck, leaning in for a kiss. He kisses my mouth tenderly and I return it for a few seconds before pulling away, sighing. I slip out of bed, and he follows. Twila rolls over and winks at me when Trigger isn’t looking, and I blush deep red, then morph my clothes into a thin cotton t-shirt and shorts. Trigger changes from shorts into his day clothes of long-sleeve shirt and pants as I call for breakfast from the replicator, and he ducks outside, presumably for his own breakfast. I watch him go, slightly wistful, mostly high from his embrace, then hear Twila in my head.

‘What happened last night?’ She asks curiously, a little teasing.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

‘He had a… vision or nightmare or something. Of a past life. I don’t want to say more than he wants to tell you, but he was pretty shaken, I think. I woke up and went to see what was wrong, and then we held each other and I fell asleep again.’ I say.

Twila nods slowly, “Did you like being held?’ She asks. She sounds a little wistful, but I could be imagining it… I think for a moment, then hold my arms and wings out to her. She approaches and sits on my bed with me, leaning against me. I hug her tightly.

“I did,” I tell her. I hesitate. “Umm… Do you want Trigger to hug you? I’m sure he would…” I say softly.

She hesitates, “Are you sure? I know about Chris…” I shrug.

“I don’t mind. Just, don’t try to steal him from me. Besides, you are bonded with my soul, so…” I smile at her, and she giggles a bit.

Twila cheers up at that and hugs me back.

“I promise to not steal him, I just miss… you know. Stuff.” She winks at me and I grin.

‘Stuff, so… sex?’ I tease. She blushes, the first time I remember seeing it on her. It’s kinda cute, to be honest. I squeeze her and then stand up.

“Want breakfast?” I ask. She nods excitedly.

“It’s nice to have a physical form and being able to actually experience stuff, like food, smells, and the views are simply awesome.” She says, a little lost in thought over her physical form. I smile happily at her.

“I've never not had one, so I can’t really relate…”

“Not within your memory,” Twila says thoughtfully. I blink at her in surprise, then turn away. Both Twila and the alien creature told me that finding out too much about my past lives would be too much for me, and I’m not sure I want to know anyways. I make us oatmeal with plenty of sugar for breakfast, and we’re just sitting down on Twila’s bed, shoulder to shoulder, when Trigger comes back in.

“Good morning.” He says cheerily.

“Good morning,” I say in return. I smile at him, then motion him over to the bed. “Group hug?” I ask. Trigger smiles and opens his arms wide. I poke Twila, urging her to get up. She stands up and hugs Trigger, and I join a second later, sandwiching her between us. I hold the hug for several minutes, then I let the other two go. Twila holds on to Trigger for a couple more moments, then sits down on the bed and smiles up at Trigger

“Thank you.” She says, He nods, smiling at us. I smile back. ‘She misses touch.’ I think to him.

‘Good to know, I’m good for hugs at any point, if you want to let her know…’ I nod slightly, turning back to my oatmeal.

“You can hug Trigger any time you want.” I stage-whisper to Twila. Trigger snorts, but smiles at Twila.

Twila ducks her head, but quietly says, “Thank you.” We finish our breakfast in silence, then we all go outside to bask in the sun. Well, Trigger maybe not to bask, but he at least comes with us. We sit there and talk about what we want to do to this place to clean it up and get it secured against future times. Twila is happier now, and she’s back to making the occasional comment about me and Trigger, but I don’t mind that much, especially when Trigger smiles and pulls me into his side, cuddling me. We rest there for a while, just enjoying the day, Trigger starts counting and adding in his head, then announces that I should be ready to jump in 18 hours or so. I smile and nod.

“So, should I bless myself before I do?” I ask, remembering the probability magic Twala told me was useful.

Twila nods, “It’ll boost your luck even further, and eventually, you’ll just stay blessed, so you might as well practice it on yourself. No need to do it yet though, right now, it only lasts a few hours.” I nod.

“Sounds good.” I say, “Does it just affect luck in general or is it a blessing that’s specific to a certain thing?”

“It affects the luck of the person selected. It will, of course, have a negative effect on other people, say if you were gambling and boosted your luck, the casino must necessarily lose.”

I think about that for a minute. “So, will boosting my luck to jump do something bad somewhere else?” I ask

“Not in this instance, you having good luck here doesn’t require someone else having bad luck.” Twila says after a moment of looking off to the distance, presumably searching for the information. I nod happily.

Trigger squeezes my shoulders and leans his head on mine.

We sit there and loaf about the cabin for the rest of the day, getting a few projects done, like a ditch with a small dirt wall inside it, to discourage the creatures Trigger saw the other day, built around the cabin, and all of us get plenty of hugs throughout the day. As the sun sets, Trigger starts a fire inside, and we all curl up around it, and him. I smile at Twila as she snuggles up to Trigger's other side, not as close as I am to him, but definitely next to him. She smiles back, raising her eyebrows.

‘Is this ok?’ She asks me. I nod, and she gently touches her head to his arm. He places his arms around both of us and squeezes. Twila’s mouth twitches as I hear her talk to me. ‘You should sit in his lap.’ She says.

I raise my eyebrows. ‘I mean, I’d like to, but is he ok with it?’

‘You really think he’d mind?’ She teases.

I feel Trigger move, his arms wrapping around me and moving me to his lap, Twila snuggles up to him as I adjust myself there.

‘See?’ She comments. I smile and snuggle into Trigger.

‘You talked to him, didn’t you?’ I ask Twila.

‘Maybe, but I don’t see you complaining.’ I smile at her, then lay my head onto Trigger’s shoulder. He holds me tightly and I smile. After a bit, Twila hops up.

“We can’t leave until we fix the beds.” She says. I blink at her, confused. My bed was just fine last night when I slept in it… And so was Trigger’s, come to think of it, I spent most of the night there. It was maybe a little small for the both of us, but… Twila motions to my bed.

“This,” She says, “Belongs over there.” She points to Trigger’s bed. “They should be pressed together so you have plenty of room to… ‘sleep’.” The way Twila says the last part indicates she may not be thinking of just sleeping while we’re in there. I blush and hide my face in Trigger’s neck. He doesn't make a comment, but I see a slight smile on his lips before I hide, and he brushes his hand lightly against my lower back. He teases up my sweatshirt hem, his hand hidden by my wings, and gently grazes my bare skin with his hand. I melt right there, perfectly content to let him do anything he would like. I make my bed lighter for Twila without looking up. She easily pushes it over to Trigger’s and secures the two beds together with some vines, then curls up next to Trigger again. Another hour passes, then Twila messages me ‘If you want, I can go back to the pact dimension for the night so you two have the cabin to yourselves.’ I hear a laugh along with the thought, and I flush. ‘If you would, I’ll let you know when it's morning.’ I offer. She sends a mental affirmation and then stretches.

“I think I’ll head to the pact dimension tonight.” She says, bumping her shoulder against Trigger. “I’m sure you two have lots to ‘discuss,’ before we leave this planet.”

“We will.” Trigger smiles at me, then stands up, carrying me over to the double bed. Twila grins and vanishes with a blink of light, and I look up at Trigger.

“Discussing?” I tease. He nods, and morphs his clothes into a pair of shorts. I giggle. “That’s the attire you usually discuss things in?” I ask, morphing my clothes into the long t-shirt from last night, leaving out the underwear.

“It seems to work on certain people, you included.” He winks. I blush and snuggle closer to him. He smiles and sets me on the bed, then lays down next to me.

“I mean, Twila seems to have set all this up already, but… We don’t know what we’ll find on the next planet, and if we decide to go separate ways, well, let's face that when we get to it, but tonight… I think I want, I mean…” I blush.

“I can set that aside, but I can tell you, short of death, I'll stick with you, if you’ll have me. In any case, let's start the ‘discussion’.”

Trigger starts by kissing me squarely, passionately on the lips, and all my doubts and questions vanish with the rest of my thoughts. I kiss him back, pulling him in closer to me, then pause to demorph my wings. His hands caress my chest, then push my shirt off of me. My breath comes faster, and I glance at his face, wondering what he thinks of my body. He smiles approvingly, then starts kissing and sucking my nipples. I let a small whimper escape my lips, brushing my fingers through his hair gently. His hands stroke my sides, pulling at my breasts as he kisses and licks up my neck. I spread my legs, wrapping them around his waist possessively, instinctively. I realize he still has his shorts on, and glance at him as I move my hands to his hips, pushing them down slightly, waiting for his ok. His hands cover mine, and push his shorts off, and I realize Twila’s comment was truer than she knew when she said he’d be good in bed, as he pushes me back down and slips his fingers into me. I gasp and moan as he fingers me to near orgasm, then slips himself into me slowly, letting me say no, even at this last point, as if I could refuse him anything now… I nod eagerly and he begins thrusting into me, over and over, his body filling mine, and overwhelming me with pleasure until we both orgasm. He then pulls out of me and cuddles around me, using one of the strips he made me to clean up the mess. I shiver in pleasure, then snuggle into him. He wraps his arms around me, and his breathing slows.

“Thank you…” I whisper softly, laying my head on his chest.

“I do my best.” He says gently. I smile and cuddle closer, happy to be in his arms. He pushes me away, and opens the covers, then pulls me into an even better snuggle. I smile at him and slip my leg over his, enjoying every second of contact… He kisses me and snuggles with me, his hands stroking my back. I fall asleep to the memory of his fingers in me, and everything that came after…