The world around me seemed to settle into a surreal haze, the aftermath of our intimacy leaving an echo of heat in the small, ravaged quarters. She remained in my lap, her body draped over mine, her breaths soft and uneven against my neck as she hummed softly. Her hands rested on my arms, the tension in them gone, replaced by the languid calm of someone entirely sated.

The room was heavy with the scent of sweat, magic, and the faint, metallic tang of blood from my back. Her claws had cut deeper than I realized, deeper than they should have given what I was, though the sting of the wounds was secondary to the knot tightening in my chest. What had I just done?

This wasn’t a battlefield decision. There were no orders to follow, no strategy to execute. This was personal. Too personal, maybe. And yet, looking down at her, her eyes half-lidded and dreamy, I couldn’t bring myself to regret it—not truly.

Her tail curled lazily around my leg, her fingers curling and uncurling as if to keep her grounded. She looked... content, and there was a softness to her gaze now, one that made my chest ache with its intensity.

“You’re... okay?” I asked, my voice barely more than a whisper. Not that I could manage more in the moment. She hummed dreamily in response, which I took as a yes.

I swallowed hard, the weight of the situation crashing back in. Despite some back and fourth I managed to stand after setting the complaining succubus down on the remains of the blanket, my back protesting as the motion pulled at the fresh scratches trailing down my skin. Glancing at the room, I winced at the state of it. The cot was warped, the thin metal frame bent and twisted where her claws had gripped it earlier. The bedding was shredded beyond recognition, scattered across the floor in uneven clumps. The desk bore deep gouges, and the wallpaper hung in tattered strips from the walls.

“Stay here,” I said softly, looking back down at the succubus. “And put your clothes back on, we have to fix this.” She let out another complaining whine, followed by low hum that sounded like a cross between contentment and protest, her tail almost wagging behind her.

I ran a hand through my hair, exhaling slowly. “Alright, let’s... figure this out.”

I dug through my storage locker, grabbing a clean shirt. I pulled it on, the fabric catching slightly on the raw scratches, making me wince.

When I turned back, she was closer, crawling on the ground until she nearly touched me again.

“You’re really sticking close now, huh?” I muttered, crouching slightly to meet her gaze.

She tilted her head, her eyes locking onto mine, her claws twitching faintly before retracting again.

“I get it,” I said softly. “I do. But we need to talk about this.”

Her ears flicked, and she let out a low, questioning hum.

“What just happened,” I continued, my voice steady despite the heat rising in my face. “That was... a lot. For both of us.” She just continued staring at me dreamily, but her faint nod told me everything I needed to know. I sighed.

“We need to clean this up,” I muttered to myself, surveying the room again. “Discreetly.”

That meant I needed help. Someone I trusted. I grabbed my comm and hesitated, my finger hovering over the contact list. There was only one person I could call. The line connected almost immediately.

“Viv,” I said, keeping my voice low. “I need you to come by my quarters. Discreetly.”

There was a pause, and then Viper’s familiar, amused tone crackled through. “Oh, so it’s one of those days, huh? Want me to wear anything specific? That corset you like on me so much, maybe?"

I groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose. “It’s not like that. I just need your help.”

“With what? Cleaning up your wild night?”

I hesitated, glancing back at the succubus. She was watching me with an almost curious tilt to her head, her tail swaying lazily behind her.

“Something like that,” I admitted.

“Oh my gods, I was joking!” Viper exclaimed, their laughter echoing through the comm. “What the hell did you do?”

“I’ll explain when you get here,” I said, cutting them off before they could spiral into more teasing. “Just hurry.”

Fifteen minutes later, there was a sharp knock at the door. I'd just finished helping the succubus get dressed again and turned to the door, hitting the keypad. The door slid open with a hiss and Viper slipped past me into the room. I closed the door again and turned around to face my best friend. Their sharp eyes immediately swept over the room, taking in the destruction.

“Damn, Raku,” they said, their tone hovering somewhere between impressed and horrified. “What happened here? Did Succupuss there throw a tantrum, or was she that good?”

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I flushed, heat rising to my face as I turned away. “Ah fuck off!”

“Oh my gods, I’m right, aren’t I?” Viper said, their grin practically splitting their pierced face. “And look at the magic flooding the room! You lit up like a bonfire, didn’t you?”

“Vivi!” I snapped, my voice low and warning.

They grinned, clearly enjoying themselves. “No, seriously. Look at her. She’s glowing. Did you two light this room up, or am I imagining things?”

“She’s not glowing,” I muttered, though I didn’t miss the faint shimmer of magic that still lingered in the air, nor how her eyes lingered on me and me alone.

“She might as well be,” Viper countered, crouching slightly to study the succubus more closely. “You see this, right? The magic you saturated the room with. The way she’s looking at you? She’s bonded, Raku. Full-on mate-bonded. Gotta be.”

“What does that even mean?” I asked, my voice sharper than I intended.

Viper stood, brushing off their hands. “It means you’re stuck with her. For life. Or until one of you breaks it—which, spoiler, isn’t likely with her kind.” They shrugged. "'cept if she kills you, maybe."

Viper clapped me on the shoulder, their usual grin plastered on their face. “Congrats to monogamy, Raku. You’ve officially crossed into supernatural relationship territory. Better start learning the rules.” I could tell how hard it was for them to hold back laughter.

I just stared at them wide-eyed, trying to make sense of their words. It couldn't be, could it? I shook my head and muttered "How'd I go from a simple house raid to being essentially married in under a week?"

Viper hugged me quickly and mock-whispered "'bout time you settled. Thought you'd make me come over forever, not that I'd have minded. You think she's into cheating roleplay?"

I pushed them away. "Oh shut up, Viv. I could've long been in a steady monogamous relationship if I'd wanted something lasting before."

They grinned back at me. "You had to be soul-bonded to a traumatized girl from beyond the veil who's not guaranteed to ever be entirely 'human' again"— we both rolled our eyes at that expression—"whom you've known for a few days only. That's what it took to get you settled."

I threw a lazy punch in their direction, which they dodged effortlessly. They held up their hands in mock surrender, their grin never fading. “Okay, okay, seriously though. What do you need?”

I gestured vaguely to the room. “This... needs to disappear. The bed, the chair, the shredded sheets—all of it. I can’t have anyone seeing this when the inspectors come through. I don't care about a pay dock for the table or the walls, but everything else is an issue.”

Viper arched an eyebrow, crossing their arms. “You’re asking me to be your cleanup crew? I’m flattered, really. But you know this is going to cost you.”

“Viv,” I said, exhaling sharply. “I’m serious. Can you help or not?”

They studied me for a moment, their expression softening slightly. “Alright, alright. Let’s see what we’re working with.”

Viper straightened, rolling up their sleeves. “First, we’ll need replacements for all this—bed, mattress, chair, sheets. Anything salvageable?”

“Not much,” I admitted, gesturing to the pile of shredded fabric. "Bed could maybe be bent back into a somewhat workable shape, but I don't trust either of us to get that done."

“Figures. Storage has extras, though. We can grab replacements without anyone noticing—if we’re quick about it.”

“What about the magic?” I asked, lowering my voice. “The room feels... different. Like it’s charged.”

Viper smirked. “Well, duh. Whatever you two got up to left a nice little magical afterglow. It’ll fade, eventually. Unless she’s planning on marking her territory again anytime soon with a catalyst like you, human-ish magical battery that you are.”

I shot them a glare, but they just laughed, clapping me on the shoulder again.

“Relax, Rak'. I’ve got this. You just focus on keeping her calm while I handle the heavy lifting.”

----------------------------------------

The next hour was a blur of hushed movements and whispered instructions. Viper slipped in and out of the room with an efficiency that reminded me why they were one of the best mages and also the best assassin in Crimson Reverie. They returned with a new bedframe, a chair, and a stack of fresh bedding, all pilfered from storage without raising any alarms.

While they worked, I focused on the succubus. She stayed close, her hands and tail occasionally brushing against me as if to remind herself I was still there.

“I know it’s a mess,” I murmured, crouching beside her. “But we’ll fix it. You’re not in trouble, okay?”

She tilted her head, her gaze flicking between me and the broken furniture.

“I know it wasn’t your fault,” I added. “It was a stress reaction. You didn’t mean to. We’ll figure this out together.”

Her tail flicked once, brushing against my leg. It wasn’t quite an acknowledgment, but it was enough to ease the knot of tension in my chest.

By the time Viper finished, the room looked almost normal. The new bed was in place, the shredded sheets replaced with fresh ones, and the broken chair had been swapped out for a functional—if slightly mismatched—replacement.

“Not bad, huh?” Viper said, dusting off their hands.

“Thanks,” I said, meaning it.

“Don’t mention it,” they replied, their tone softer than usual. “Seriously. Don’t mention it. You'd do the same for me. Hell, you have.”

As Viper gathered the remnants of the destroyed furniture to dispose of discreetly, they paused, their sharp eyes flicking to me.

“There’s a place,” they said slowly. “A spot in the old quarter. It’s... not official, but they know things. About her kind. If you’re serious about taking care of her, you should check it out.”

I frowned. “Where?”

Viper rattled off an address, their tone uncharacteristically serious. “They don’t take just anyone. But if you tell them Vivi Vee sent you, they’ll listen. Probably. If not, I'll just come with you.”

“Thanks, Viv,” I said, my voice quiet.

They grinned, their usual irreverence returning. “Don’t thank me yet. You’ve got a lot of work ahead of you.”

Once Viper left, the room felt quieter, almost too quiet. I turned to the succubus, who had climbed onto the new bed, her tail coiling loosely around her legs.

“You okay?” I asked softly.

She tilted her head, her eyes glowing a gentle pink in the dim light.

I moved closer, sitting beside her on the edge of the cot. “You know,” I began, my voice faltering slightly, “I didn’t expect any of this. But... I’m not going anywhere. We’ll figure it out.” I didn't know which one of us those words were for.

Her hand found mine, and she leaned in suddenly, pressing her lips to mine in a searing kiss, as if afraid I'd changed my mind after all.

Her tail coiled around my leg, holding me close as her breathing hitched. There was a rawness to her movements, a pleading edge that made my heart ache.

When she finally pulled back, her gaze shimmered with unshed tears, and her fingers tightened against mine.

“You’re safe,” I murmured, resting my forehead against hers. "I'm not going anywhere."