The house we’d been squatting in for the past two nights creaked with the wind outside, the quiet sound of dripping water echoing through the hollow structure. The air carried a damp chill, but it was better than the frost-laden streets. A single beam of sunlight filtered through a crack in the boarded-up window, falling across the makeshift bed where Vivi lounged.

Their dark hair was messy, splayed out against the threadbare pillow they’d scavenged a few nights back. One arm rested behind their head, their other hand hidden under a thin blanket pulled halfway up their stomach. The smile on their lips widened as I walked in, my boots scuffing against the warped floorboards.

“Took you long enough,” Vivi teased, their sharp eyes glinting with something playful.

I rolled my eyes, dropping my scavenged backpack onto the floor by the foot of the bed with a soft thud. “Sorry, next time I’ll ask the rats to move aside faster,” I shot back, crouching down to unzip the bag. “You want dinner, or should I just eat it all myself?”

“Oh, I’m starving,” Vivi drawled, their voice dipping into mock seriousness. “I want a snack first, though.”

I paused, glancing up at them. Their smirk deepened as their foot slid out from under the blanket, toes flexing slightly before tapping lightly against my nose. “Miss me?”

“Well I see you certainly missed me enough for... whatever it is you’re doing under there,” I tactfully replied, swatting their foot away with a grin, knowing full-well what they’d been doing.

“Bold of you to assume I didn’t start because you were gone,” they said, their voice dripping with teasing confidence. They shifted slightly, the blanket slipping lower to reveal the curve of their hip. Their legs, dark and bare before me, stretched out languidly as they tilted their head to watch me.

I felt a flush creep up my neck, but I refused to take the bait. Instead, I focused on pulling items from the bag—cans of food, a roll of bandages, a battered flashlight. “If you’re trying to distract me, it’s not working,” I said lightly.

“Sure it isn’t,” Vivi replied, their foot brushing against my shoulder before trailing lower. The touch was light at first, almost incidental, but it lingered just enough to send a shiver racing through me. “You’re always so focused, Rak’. It’s kind of cute.”

“Vivi,” I said, a warning in my tone that lacked any real heat.

“Hmm?” They tilted their head, feigning innocence as their foot pressed more firmly against my thigh. “You seem tense. Want me to help you relax?”

I set the flashlight down carefully, my hands steady despite the growing tension between us. “What are you up to?”

“Nothing,” they said, their voice a purr. Their foot slid higher, brushing against the seam of my pants with deliberate slowness. “Just stretching. Been a long day, you know.”

I caught their ankle, holding it firmly as I looked up at them. “Long day? You spent all day in bed, lounging around." I scoffed, "Long day. my ass. You’re impossible, Vivs.”

“And yet, you’re not letting go,” Vivi said, their smirk widening. Their other foot joined in, brushing lightly against my side before trailing downward. “Come on, Rak’. You’ve been out all day, working so hard. Don’t you deserve a little distraction?”

Their teasing touch and the heat in their gaze were almost too much. I let out a low sigh, releasing their ankle and leaning forward, my hands sliding up their calves. “You know exactly how to get me going,” I murmured.

“Guilty,” they replied, their smirk softening just enough to reveal something more genuine beneath the teasing. They leaned back, their hands sliding behind their head again as they watched me. “But you like it.”

“Maybe,” I admitted, my hands trailing higher as I leaned in. “But you’re still a pain in the ass.”

They laughed softly, the sound low and warm, as they pulled the blanket away entirely. “Then shut me up.”

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The blanket hit the floor with a soft thud, and before I could even process what was happening, Vivi shifted, sliding their hips closer to the edge of the makeshift bed. Their smirk stayed firmly in place as they propped themselves up on their elbows, watching me with a glint of mischief in their sharp eyes.

“Well?” they asked, their voice low, almost challenging.

I didn’t bother with a reply. My hands slid down their calves, fingers curling firmly around their ankle as I pulled them closer. Their legs parted easily, their bare skin warm under my touch despite the chill in the room. My breath hitched as my eyes roamed over them—messy, beautiful, and utterly infuriating.

“You’re impossible,” I repeated, leaning down and pressing my lips against the soft skin of their inner thigh.

“And yet,” Vivi murmured, their voice hitching faintly as I bit down lightly, “you’re not stopping.”

“Shut up,” I growled, but there was no bite to it.

Vivi stayed quiet as my mouth moved lower, my lips brushing against the slick heat between their thighs. I could feel their breath hitch above me, their body shifting against the creaking mattress as my tongue darted out, tasting them.

The soft, breathless sound that spilled from their lips sent a jolt of heat racing through me, but I didn’t stop. My tongue worked slowly, deliberately, teasing the sensitive flesh beneath me as their leg trembled faintly in my grasp.

Vivi’s foot flexed slightly, the cool press of their toes brushing against my stomach before sliding lower. I barely registered it at first, too focused on the way their body moved under my mouth, but then their foot brushed against the waistband of my pants, their toes hooking under it.

I let out a muffled sound of surprise as they tugged, their foot sliding against the now bare skin of my hip before trailing lower. My cock, already painfully hard from the teasing, jerked at the faint contact, and I groaned against them, glaring at them without stopping my ministrations.

“Something wrong, Rak’?” Vivi asked, their voice breathy but still laced with that infuriating confidence. “Something you wanna complain about?”

I didn’t bother responding, my tongue pressing harder against them as my free hand slid up their thigh, holding them steady as I worked. But Vivi wasn’t letting up either. Their foot moved with deliberate slowness, brushing against the sensitive length of me, their toes curling lightly as they applied just enough pressure to make my breath hitch.

“Gods,” I muttered against them, my voice muffled.

“Don’t stop now,” Vivi teased, their smirk audible in their tone as their foot pressed more firmly, sliding up and down with a rhythm that made my hips jerk involuntarily. “You’re doing such a good job.”

Stolen novel; please report.

I growled softly, my nails digging into their skin as my tongue moved faster, flicking over the sensitive bundle of nerves that made their thighs quiver. The taste of them, the way their body arched under my touch—it was almost enough to make me forget the maddening, deliberate motion of their foot against me. Almost.

Their breathing grew heavier, their smirk faltering slightly as their hips bucked against my mouth, but their foot never stopped moving. Every brush of their toes, every deliberate press of their arch, sent another jolt of pleasure through me, my own movements growing increasingly frantic as I tried to keep up.

“Rak’,” Vivi murmured, their voice breaking into a soft gasp as their body tensed beneath me.

I could feel them trembling, their release building as my tongue pressed harder, flicking and swirling with every movement. All the while, their foot continued its maddening rhythm.

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When they came, it was with a sharp, breathless cry, their body arching off the bed as their thighs clenched around me. I didn’t stop, my tongue moving slower now, teasing and drawing out every shudder and whimper that spilled from their lips.

Their foot pressed harder against me, the movement unsteady but still deliberate as I groaned, my own release building dangerously fast under their teasing.

“You’re close, aren’t you?” Vivi whispered, their voice shaky but triumphant as they tilted their head to look down at me. “Good. Let’s see if you can keep going after you—”

Their words cut off as I growled softly against them, my hands gripping their hips to steady them as they quivered in my grasp. But they weren’t done. Their foot pressed harder, the arch sliding up and down my length with a rhythm that sent shocks of heat through my body.

I pulled back, my breath ragged as I wiped my face with the back of my hand. Their smirk was waiting for me, unrelenting as always, their sharp eyes gleaming in the dim light of the room.

“Vivi,” I muttered, my voice low and strained as I leaned back on my knees.

“Hmm?” they hummed, feigning innocence as their foot slid against me again, the deliberate motion making my hips jerk despite my attempts to keep steady.

Without a word, I pushed myself up, climbing onto the bed and hovering above them, my hands planted on either side of their head. The bed creaked under our combined weight, the warped wood beneath the thin mattress groaning softly as I leaned closer.

Their smirk widened, their dark hair splayed out around them like a halo as they looked up at me, utterly unbothered. “Giving up already?” they teased, their tone dripping with amusement.

“Did you find or steal any condoms while scavenging?” I asked, my voice low and breathless, my arms trembling faintly as I tried to hold myself steady above them.

Their lips curled into a mischievous grin, their foot still brushing against me in slow, torturous strokes. “No,” they replied, their voice a soft purr. “Didn’t think to look. Did you?”

I let out a shaky breath, my chest heaving as I shook my head. “No,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Well,” they murmured, their smirk softening into something almost affectionate. “Guess hands will have to do then.”

Before I could respond, their hand slid down between us, their fingers curling around me with a firm, confident grip. The heat of their touch sent a shudder through my body, my arms nearly giving out as they began to stroke me with deliberate precision.

My breath caught, my head dropping as I leaned closer, my forehead brushing against theirs. Their other hand slid up to rest on my chest, their fingers splayed against my damp skin as they worked me with steady, unrelenting movements.

The tension coiling low in my stomach grew tighter with every stroke, the friction of their hand combined with the faint teasing of their foot enough to leave me trembling above them.

“Look at you,” Vivi murmured, their voice soft but teasing as their thumb brushed over the sensitive tip, drawing a sharp gasp from me. “You’re shaking.”

“Vivi,” I muttered, my voice cracking as my hips jerked against their hand.

“Hmm?” they replied, their smirk widening as their pace quickened, their grip tightening slightly. “Don’t hold back, Rak’. I want to see you let go.”

The words sent me over the edge.

The tension snapped, my body arching above them as a sharp, guttural sound tore from my throat. My release spilled from me in hot, thick streams, streaking across their dark skin. Vivi didn’t falter, their hand stroking me through it, milking every last drop as I shuddered above them, my breath coming in short, ragged bursts.

When it was over, I collapsed onto the bed beside them, my chest heaving as I struggled to catch my breath. Vivi’s hand lingered for a moment before they finally let go, glancing down at the mess splattered across their stomach and chest.

“Messy,” they remarked, their voice light and amused as they swiped a finger through it, holding it up like they were inspecting the quality of their work.

I groaned softly, covering my face with one hand as I tried to regain my composure. “You’re impossible,” I muttered for a third time since getting back, though the words lacked any real heat.

“And you love it,” they shot back, their grin sharper than ever as they leaned back against the mattress, utterly unbothered by the mess.

I let out a soft laugh, shaking my head as I turned to look at them. “Maybe I do.”

They smiled, their expression softening just enough to reveal the affection beneath their teasing. “Then we’re even,” they said simply, their voice warm as they stretched out beside me, their body still damp and glowing faintly in the dim light.

The house creaked softly in the wind, the chill creeping back in as the heat of the moment faded. I reached out, pulling the blanket over us after quickly cleaning them with a nearby towel .

“Thanks,” I said softly, my voice barely audible.

“For what?” Vivi asked, their tone light but curious.

“For being here,” I replied, my hand finding theirs beneath the blanket. “For making this feel like home.”

The sleepy half-devil squeezed my hand gently. “Always, Rak’. Always.”

For a long moment, neither of us spoke. The silence wasn’t heavy or uncomfortable; it was filled with the steady rhythm of our breathing, the faint rustling of sheets beneath us, and the occasional creak of the house as the wind pushed against it.

Vivi shifted first, propping themselves up on one elbow to glance down at me. Their smirk, ever-present but now softened, tugged at their lips as they reached out to flick a strand of hair away from my face. “You look like you just ran a marathon,” they teased, their voice light but fond.

I snorted softly, turning my head to meet their gaze. “Says the one who made all the mess.”

“Guilty,” they said, unrepentant. Their sharp eyes glinted with humor as they sat up. “Alright, superhero. What’d you bring back from your scavenger hunt for me to eat?”

I rolled my eyes, sitting up as well and reaching for the discarded backpack. “You’re lucky I even bother to bring you anything,” I muttered, though there was no real bite in my tone. I pulled the bag I'd discarded earlier closer, unzipping the other pocket to reveal the modest haul of canned goods, bandages, and other essentials I’d managed to scrape together.

Vivi leaned over, their interest piqued as they peered inside. “Hmm. Let’s see… we’ve got mystery meat, probably-not-beans, and oh, look—suspiciously dented tomato soup. What a feast.”

“You’re welcome,” I replied dryly, tossing one of the cans into their lap. “Hope you enjoy the culinary experience.”

They laughed, the sound low and warm, as they caught the can and examined it .I dug into the bag again, pulling out a can opener and handing it to them. “This is better than that old knife we always use. Just don’t hurt yourself trying to figure out how to use this.”

“Ha-ha,” they said, mimicking a laugh as they took the can opener and set to work. The sound of metal puncturing metal filled the quiet house, followed by the vaguely metallic smell of preserved food.

Once the can was open, Vivi held it up, inspecting the contents with exaggerated scrutiny. “Well, it’s not poison. That’s a start.”

I laughed softly, shaking my head as I reached for another can. “Don’t get too picky. It’s this or starving another day.”

We sat together on the blanket, sharing the canned food with the ease of familiarity. The food was cold, the taste bland and slightly metallic, but it didn’t matter. What mattered was the warmth of Vivi’s shoulder against mine, the sound of their laughter, and the way the world outside felt so far away when it was just the two of us.

“You know,” Vivi said between bites, their tone thoughtful, “for all the complaining I do, I think I’d starve without you.”

“You’re not wrong,” I replied, smirking as I took a bite from my own can. “But at least you’d be dramatic about it. I can already picture the epitaph: ‘Here lies Vivarian Vee. Starved to death because they were too picky to eat canned soup.’”

“Hey,” they said, nudging me with their elbow. “I'd make sure my headstone would not have my full name on it. Also I’d have a way cooler epitaph than that.”

“Alright, what would it be?” I asked, leaning back slightly to look at them.

They tilted their head, their sharp green eyes glinting with mischief as they considered the question. “Hmm. How about… ‘Vivi: Master of Sass, Slayer of Boredom, Gone Too Soon.’”

I sneered, hiding a laugh while shaking my head. “Cheesy.”

We finished the rest of the food in companionable silence, the warmth between us feeling like yet another blanket. When the cans were empty, I leaned back against the makeshift bed, letting out a content sigh as my friend stretched out beside me.

The house creaked again as the wind pushed against its weathered walls, but inside, everything felt still. Warm. Safe.