i'm swimming in a mirror;

[ tighnari plans most things in his life vary carefully, and his heat is no exception.
past years he has dealt with it alone, but past years he has also lived quite far from civilization, so the all-consuming desire to seek out a mate was easily quelled by the fact that there was simply no one suitable within a reasonable distance. it was maddeningly frustrating, but it worked. since moving to the city, however.. things have been more difficult. the first two years he'd managed to control himself, but as he ages his heats grow in strength and intensity, and the year previous he'd very nearly done something he knows he would have regretted - it started via a text, progressed to phone sex, and ended with tighnari at the foot of a stranger's door, so eager and hungry that he'd been prepared to throw himself at some nameless, faceless body he'd found on the internet in order to slake his impossible thirst. thankfully, once they'd answered the door, he'd gotten ahold of himself and declined, but it was a very narrow thing. casual sex simply isn't something that tighnari does. not with strangers.
which is exactly why he has a different plan, this year. he'd considered taking a vacation to somewhere distant again, to tough it out alone, but unfortunately that's simply not financially feasible at this juncture, so he'd had to give up on that idea. the next best thing, he'd thought, would be to simply.. find someone he trusts enough to spend his heat with, someone he knows well enough to admit his needs to, but not so well that it'd potentially ruin a long-standing relationship. collei was out of the question, she's always felt more like a sister to him. he'd considered cyno for awhile, but they've been so close for so long that tighnari couldn't bring himself to risk their relationship for something so fleeting. everyone else that he knows is a colleague, and that's entirely out of the question, he'd never be able to show his face in the akademiya again.
but aki.. aki fit the bill perfectly. he's certainly good looking. they don't work together, they're not as intimately close as he is with cyno, but close enough that tighnari trusts him, that he thinks that aki won't find it particularly weird or off-putting. this is a biological imperative, after all, it's not something that tighnari can control. even still, he'd been incredibly nervous to extend the offer.. having prepared for the worst, but finding himself instead surprised by the acceptance.
after that, all that was left was to take paid leave from work, and preparation. he'd spent two days cleaning his apartment and tending to his plants, as well as stocking up on plenty of snacks and sports drinks, fruits and granola bars and things that are easy to grab, that also provide good energy. he's premade his meals for the week and stocked them in the freezer, finished all of his laundry, and rearranged the living space, pushing the furniture toward the walls to build a comfortable nest of cushions and blankets in the middle of the room. finally, the night before he'd taken a long, luxurious bath to calm his nerves, and gone to sleep.
when he wakes, it's late into the night, moonlight streaming through the gauzy curtains pulled before the common room windows, and across the glass doors. he's hot all over, deeply uncomfortable, and so slick between the thighs that he's dampened his boxer briefs and sleeping shorts both. tighnari groans, rubbing both hands over his face. it's too early. aki isn't here yet, he's probably still asleep, but tighnari's body is positively aching all over, deep frustration setting into his bones. his scent is thick and cloying, sweet like honey and crisp like morning dew, and it permeates the space, making him dizzy. he thrusts a hand down the front of his shorts, rubbing his clit and fucking himself hard on his fingers, but it isn't enough, gods, it isn't enough. two unfulfilling orgasms later he's rolling onto his side and grabbing for his phone, typing out a hasty text, deleting it, typing it again. ]
Are you awake? Started early. Please.

no subject
but right now, tighnari isn't thinking about that. he doesn't care. all he's thinking about is aki's cock buried deep in his body, all he's feeling is the sudden sinful burst of heat as he comes. ]
Gods -
[ tighnari whines, squirms, that rush of heat inside of him enough to make his stomach clench up tightly, but aki continues to fuck him through it all, snapping his hips upward to meet every one of tighnari's downward thrusts. he's close, he's so close, aki's spend trickling out of his body and down against his lap - tighnari hisses, slamming downward, grinding his clit against aki's belly until at last it hits him hard, like a punch to the gut. tighnari comes hard and trembling, his back arching and his tail bristling, a sharp cry in his throat, his delicate expression all twisted up with abject pleasure.
collapsing forward, tighnari folds into aki's embrace, into his kiss, parting his lips to lick into aki's mouth, humming and purring his pleasure, both hands clasping at his lover's jaw. ]
no subject
As Tighnari kisses him, Aki exhales long and deep against his mouth, tongue grazing and tasting his partner's. ]
Mm...sure you're not sore yet?
[ They've been at this a lot today...even more than the day before, and the day before that. Aki doesn't question whether each of these encounters are necessary for Tighnari's wellbeing. He doesn't need to know the answer, when he's enjoying himself this much. When they both are.
He gathers Tighnari up in his arms, holding his close against him as the pleasure begins to ebb from them both. This, too, has gotten easier, craving contact in the afterglow. ]
no subject
Just a little..
[ they've absolutely been fucking like rabbits these past few days, even moreso today as his heat crests, spiraling in its intensity, making him needier, greedier, unable to resist the appeal of aki's spend flooding into him. it pleases the deep, instinctive urge inside of him to be filled up so fully, to be mated, and bred. it's a risk, he knows - tighnari is absolutely on the pill, he saw to that before his heat began, but it's still dangerous, still risky.
but tighnari isn't worried about that right now. humming, purring, tighnari continues to kiss him, showering him with affection, sharp teeth nibbling at his lower lip. ]
Why, are you? Starting to regret agreeing to help me?
no subject
[ At the end of the day, Aki is only a man - there's only so much he can deny the pleasure of sex. But even if that's all there was to it, he wouldn't be enjoying himself this week nearly as much as he is. He and Tighnari just seem well matched as partners. He realized it from the first, and he can no longer deny the chemistry they have, physically and emotionally.
What he does with that realization is another matter, but he isn't thinking about that right now either. How could he, when it feels so good to hold Tighnari in his arms like this, the both of them spent and sticky with sweat and sex? Few things have reminded him how alive and real he is before this week. ]
Just wanted to make sure you can keep up.
[ A soft tease on his voice - he's gotten far more comfortable with that this week as well. It takes a lot for his guard to come down, but in a situation as unique as this, it was inevitable, wasn't it?
His palms smooth gently over Tighnari's shoulders in apology of the welts he left their earlier. ]
That was good.
no subject
this is a habit for tighnari, apparently..
but he'll think over these difficult thoughts later. he wants to enjoy himself for now, and embrace the freedom that comes along with satisfying his heat for once in his life. he's spent so many years denying it, tamping it down, but this week has taught him that perhaps it isn't so terrible, allowing himself to experience his baser impulses, rather than attempting to rise above them. and he thinks aki is enjoying himself too, he's certainly not yet had any problems in.. ahem, rising to the occasion, and their time together has been nice, not awkward or strained, from the moment aki stepped into his apartment and fucked him against the door. ]
Please. I'm not the one with the refractory period, here.
[ he says through a smirk, nudging his nose affectionately alongside aki's, tugging his lower lip between his teeth before he sits back a little, crossing his arms over aki's chest and resting his chin upon them, so he can look up into his face. ]
And yes, it was. You like me on top, hmm?
no subject
Is that such a surprise?
[ Aki likes to take charge, but so does Tighnari. They're both excellent switches, which has done great things to keep things fresh and interesting while they've been together this week. Never a dull moment when neither of them can be sure which position they will end up taking when they come together. ]
I've been told I'm a pushover at heart.
[ Underneath it all, he's still too soft, for better or for worse. It's why he can't deny himself the feelings he's having, even though he should. Even though it could be risking everything to allow himself to indulge in this easy affection. And it is so easy, to touch and kiss Tighnari like this. He doesn't even have to think about what he's doing anymore. ]
no subject
You absolutely are.
[ his mouth pulls into a half-smile, and he lifts one hand to smooth it through aki's loose hair, threading his fingers through it, his gaze fond. perhaps too fond. ]
But there's nothing wrong with that, you know.
[ it's still quite phenomenal, he thinks, that aki can retain that despite his past, despite his job - he's still soft, still warm, not unlike cyno, who suffers in much the same ways. he worries about them both so deeply, so fully that it feels like an ache in his chest. any day he could get word that either of them are injured. that either of them are dead. gone. slipped between his fingers like so much sand.
tighnari pushes that thought away, swallowing his anxiety, dragging the pad of his thumb along aki's cheek. ]
no subject
Whether or not he'll need to reevaluate that is something that simply hasn't entered his mind yet, but there is a reason he can barely admit to himself that he might have feelings for Tighnari that extend beyond platonic, and have nothing to do with this week of incredible sex.
(Though the week of incredible sex certainly hasn't hurt.)
Leaning his head into Tighnari's touch, Aki's eyes flutter shut, a long exhale escaping him. His touch is wonderful, tender. It offers Aki a gentleness he scarcely knows. ]
You don't think so?
[ There's something soft and vulnerable in his voice. He has come to care about Tighnari's thoughts and opinions a lot, and though it surprises him too, this is something that Aki would like to hear his thoughts on. Is it...alright to feel as much as he does, in the line of work he's in? ]
no subject
Not at all.
[ the gentle vulnerability in aki's voice is enough to make tighnari smile, as he drags his knuckles back and forth along his lover's jawline. their first day together he would have never been so openly affectionate - like as not he would have already rolled off of aki to begin cleaning up. but now here they are, lying together, their bodies still locked, touching tenderly.. it should frighten him away, but tighnari finds that he likes it. perhaps a little too much. ]
There's nothing wrong with being tenderhearted. In fact, I think the world could absolutely use more people like you. It would be a better place.
no subject
Damn Tighnari's unapologetic honesty, because Aki knows he means that, completely and fully. It isn't often that Aki worries about things like his own confidence or self-esteem - for so long, he's focused only on his needs and his mission, his heart a terribly tender thing that attaches whether he likes it or not. His lifestyle cut down on those risks, minimized the likelihood that he might hurt someone, but there's only so much of that he can do. He still gets attached, and he winds up getting hurt instead.
Is it better that he is this way, than someone with a harder edge? Is it better that he feels so much, even if it means it might someday break him?
He suddenly feels very tired, weary, and tips his head forward against the crook of Tighnari's neck, breathing out soft and low. ]
...Glad you think so.
[ He's not sure he can agree, but it means a lot that Tighnari would say so. ]
no subject
it's astounding, really, and no doubt difficult. aki has lost a lot of people. his tender heart has suffered.
tighnari shifts against aki's body, unfolding his arms to wind them around aki's neck, and dipping his head to find his mouth, to kiss him again, slow and languid and sweet. it's not a necessary kiss, his heat isn't calling for it, but in the moment it feels right and good, he wants to bring aki a little comfort, to make him feel safe and protected in this space. and gods, it's stupid to indulge himself in this, to make this into anything more than what it was meant to be, but.. how can he possibly help it?
tighnari's hands slip into aki's loose, dark hair, his lips parting as he exhales against aki's mouth, curling his tongue past his lips and drawing it against aki's own. he hums, soft and soothing, the quiet space filled with the sounds of their kissing as the last of the sunset begins to bleed away. ]
no subject
It shouldn't mean anything - can't mean anything. And yet in that moment, Aki finds, unexpectedly, that he so desperately wants it to, that his heart cries out for this intimacy to be real and meaningful. Maybe it already is. He doesn't know, but it shouldn't be.
A soft sound moves in his throat, tears stinging in the corners of his eyes as he lifts his hands to cradle Tighnari's face. His thumbs crest over his cheekbones, gentle and adoring.
This is not the same thing as it was when they began only a few days ago. ]
Nari, I-I...
[ He isn't even sure what he wants to say. What he should say. So instead, he continues to kiss his lover, tasting his mouth and exploring his lips, the taste of him all around him. ]
no subject
it would be a lie to say that he wasn't attracted to aki before he asked him to do this - of course he was, finding your partner attractive is important - but he still hadn't expected.. ah, maybe that was foolish. maybe he was asking too much of himself, of both of them, to do this thing together without forming a deeper attachment when it's just so easy to kiss and touch and hold each other.
they should talk about it. they should sort this out. but all tighnari can say is - ]
It's all right.
[ another kiss, another, tighnari's head tilting, his tail lashing, his thighs grasping tightly at aki's narrow hips; he can still feel aki's softened cock in his body, they're linked intimately still. it satisfies tighnari deeply, to remain filled even long after his orgasm - aki might lack a knot to keep him in place, but it still feels good, scratches a deep itch. breathing a low, soft sound, he smooths both hands over aki's bare chest, thumbs tracing the rise of his collarbones. ]
I'm here.
no subject
What a terrifying, yet wonderful realization to have.
Tighnari stays where he is, seated fully in his lap, even though Aki has gone soft inside of him, neither of them want to break that contact, that physical connection. Is there anything else that even needs to be said?
No, not right now. Instead, Aki continues to simply hold him and kiss him until he is breathless and senseless, until his lips have swollen and begin to tingle, and he can no longer distinguish the brush of Tighnari's tongue from his own. By the time that point comes, he has spent his silent tears, and let them dry without bringing further attention to them. ]
no subject
so it doesn't. they kiss, and they kiss, until their lips are sore and they're entirely breathless, until tighnari's head is swimming with fondness and warmth, until he can't feel anything but the touch of aki's mouth.
by the time they break apart, tighnari's pulse has quickened and his breath is rapid, his face flushed warm, his fingertips tingling. his mouth drops, dragging along aki's jawline, his hands smoothing over the frets of his ribs, counting them with his thumbs. tighnari is trying not to think about all of the implications of the tightness in his chest, but he can't help it, his thoughts are stuck on it, he can barely breathe for the intensity of it. drawing back, tighnari looks down into aki's face, his lips wet and parted, his cheeks flushed a soft pink, his eyes hazy, the darkness of his pupil eclipsing heterochromatic irises. ]
Aki -
[ this should wait. it should wait until his heat has passed, until his head is on straight again.. instead, tighnari is touching his face tenderly, drawing the pads of his fingers along aki's cheek. ]
You're.. this is..
no subject
Aki keeps his unrelenting gaze locked upon Tighnari's eyes, gazing into them deep, never wanting to break away, for how connected it makes him feel to his lover, like he could crawl into his very heart and curl up there, safe and sound forever.
Safe and sound isn't something he really ever finds himself yearning for, but now...now it's the only thing in the world he wants. To be safe and sound alongside Tighnari. He's been a fool. ]
I know.
[ He murmurs softly, giving himself a moment to collect his thoughts by pressing another lingering kiss to Tighnari's soft, swollen lips. ]
I don't want this to end.
[ How could things possibly go back to the way they were before? It's painful to even consider. ]
no subject
the words come immediately to mind, and he very nearly gives them voice, but he hesitates. even now he's pragmatic, and he can't trust that what his heart is telling him is legitimate, that it isn't just his heat talking, urging him to take a mate. to settle down with someone. he doesn't want to make a promise that he cannot keep, fueled by hormones and lust - it would only hurt them both in the end, but aki especially, and he does not deserve that, he deserves only love and goodness in his life, for all that he has been through.
so tighnari does not answer at all, only offers a soft, plaintive noise, his expression softened, pained, something cold twisting in his chest.
they kiss again, and tighnari breathes him in, sinking his teeth against aki's lower lip, tugging gently. his hands slip over aki's skin, questing over his chest and shoulders, thumbs gliding against the sides of his throat, over the ridges of his collarbone, touching, feeling, memorizing. ]
Make love to me again.
[ he murmurs, low against aki's mouth, shifting their bodies together. he doesn't want to think anymore, he only wants to feel. ]
no subject
...It isn't anymore.
That is a realization that will take a great deal of reckoning, and one he is not willing to fall into right now. Not when Tighnari makes that request of him, kissing him, touching him. Better to give himself over to that impulse, to make love as Tighnari asks him to, instead of grappling with the weight of those realizations in his mind.
Instead, he winds his arms around Tighnari's waist, pressing up and arching into his warm skin, already tacky with sweat, before rolling him onto his back, pinned between Tighnari's slender, milky thighs. ]
Nari...
[ He murmurs, teeth grazing along the length of Tighnari's slender neck, one hand reaching for his ear, thumbing over soft fur that Aki has learned well these past days. ]
no subject
how long until the news comes that they are gone? gone forever. torn from his life and from his heart, leaving him raw and bleeding.
it's one of the many reasons he hasn't acted on the fluttering feelings he has for cyno, why he shouldn't act on what he is feeling for aki. valuka shuna mate for life. he can't imagine the searing pain of choosing a mate, only to have them pulled away, leaving an empty hole behind that he can never, ever fill again, and a grief that will never heal. but for now.. for now, he doesn't need to think about that. all he needs to think about is aki's arms around him, and the strength in his body as aki rolls him over, pinning him back against the blankets.
tighnari groans, arching, panting, lifting his hips up to meet aki's, the heat in his belly already beginning to build. ]
Aki -
[ he calls, dragging his clawed hands down the bare expanse of aki's back, squirming beneath him, eager and wanting. ]
no subject
He kisses Tighnari for a moment longer, before his hands slip away from Tighnari's ears, smoothing down the front of Tighnari's body. He has touched and kissed every square inch of his skin at this rate, he must have, and yet Aki still hungers to do it all again, to learn him anew, to fuck him in every possible way he can.
He is a hunter at heart, after all. He enjoys pulling apart his prey.
As his palms move down over Tighnari's chest and abdomen, his mouth moves after them, kissing a hot trail along Tighnari's already smoldering body. At his nipple, at the sensitive skin beneath his sternum. At the rise of his hip, and then the dip of his thigh. Each place he kisses and teases with his teeth, until he has slithered back fully, slinging Tighnari's thigh over his shoulder like a sash.
He won't tease Tighnari too much, but he can't help but do so just a little, as he drags his tongue over the crease of his lover's thigh, pinching skin between his teeth. ]
no subject
but there's nothing to be done for it now, when he's so deep in his heat he can hardly tell up from down, nor trust the things his heart and instincts are telling him. all he can do is wait for the heat to pass, to return to sanity and hope he can sort out his heart once it has gone. he doesn't regret this. he wouldn't take these days back for anything, and he won't cut their time short, despite the fact that it might be a good idea to do just that - but this is all for tighnari to deal with later.
so for now he lies comfortably back while aki peppers his body with kisses, making his intent known as his mouth drags lower and lower down tighnari's body. sweet tension bunches up in his belly, and his thighs spread willingly as aki slides down between them. tighnari is absolutely filthy, wet with his own slick and aki's come still dripping from his core, but he doesn't care, and aki clearly doesn't, either.
that teasing tongue makes him whine and twist, one hand dropping to sink into aki's hair, short claws digging into his scalp; tighnari isn't shy about showing him what he wants, either. grasping aki's hair, tighnari tugs his head forward and down just as he arches his hips upward, pushing aki's face and mouth against his waiting cunt, his clit throbbing, aching for attention. ]
Aki - [ he pants the name, arching. ] Please..
no subject
So he doesn't make either of them wait. His lips part in a kiss over Tighnari's clit, his tongue laving over it in a decadent, drawn-out motion, the tangy taste of him flooding into his mouth. It's a flavor he's grown familiar with, grow to love and crave. ]
Hmm...
[ He hums against Tighnari's core, the timbre of his low, needful voice buzzing into his partner's body as his mouth drags down his wet folds with an obscenely wet sound. He can taste himself, too, and while it doesn't taste as sweet as he does to his tongue, it's nevertheless exciting, thrilling, the reminder of how recently he was able to come inside him, and how fucking good it felt to fill Tighnari up with his seed.
He's gotten more into this mating thing than he expected to. ]
no subject
he doesn't seem to mind tighnari's roughness either, reacting perfectly well when tighnari yanks him hard by the hair, and those wicked lips press against his oversensitive clit, the heat of aki's mouth against his core almost too much. they've been at this for so long that he's so sensitive, so swollen, but he can't deny the hunger churning in his stomach, and the wet, soft pressure of aki's tongue is like a balm against his sore cunt. ]
Gods, please..
[ tighnari whispers harshly, his thighs spreading further still, his hips beginning to rock upward against that perfect wet heat. aki is good with his tongue, and a sweet, attentive lover, he knows just what tighnari wants, just where to touch and lick and suck, and the vibration of his hum draws a keening whine from tighnari's lips.
with one hand tight in aki's hair, the other snags his shoulder, claws sinking against his skin, leaving red welts as he rolls his hips again, grinding against aki's face, the warm, wet friction bringing pleasure rolling along his body. ]
Aki..
no subject
Especially with what they were on the precipice of discussing, his heart burgeoning with a terrifying warmth and affection. Being close to people like this is such a rare privilege for him, and who knows when he may lose Tighnari, too? It will come to an end, soon enough. So he'll make this count while he can.
Then, when it's over and down, he can at least remember this kernel of warmth in his chest that Tighnari now occupies, and the way that he felt, the way that he tastes against his tongue.
Drawing his tongue over his clit again, Aki reaches between Tighnari's thighs, one finger sinking fully into his already slick and filthy cunt. The way is so deliriously smooth that his stomach clenches in response, and another groan escapes him against Tighnari's folds. ]
Mm...good?
[ He knows it's good. But still. ]
no subject
for the moment, he must forget the lingering ache of their conversation, how it made tighnari's chest tighten painfully, something like fear roiling in his gut. he wants to make these days last, stretch them out into infinity so they never need worry about anything but the physical pleasure of one another's company ever again. in the moment, he can live that fantasy. he can pretend that it's real. ]
Yes, yes..
[ he groans, seizing aki's hair hard, snapping his hips upward, and when that finger slips into his body tighnari whines again, the sound catching roughly in his throat, twisting on the way out. pleasure and satisfaction both flood his body, and tighnari bites down hard on his lower lip, his teeth sharp enough to hurt, his body tightening up so sweetly, heat gathering in his loins. aki's finger feels so slim, not enough at all in comparison with the thick warmth of his cock, and it isn't long before tighnari is squirming, thrusting himself downward, seeking, greedy. ]
More..
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)