#*(and it doesn’t feel like a genuine innocent/non-malicious question anymore)

[rocorambles]

Know Your Place

Pairing: Naoya x Reader

Genre/Warnings: Yandere, NSFW, Misogyny, Abuse, Rape/Non-Con, Humiliation, Degradation, Feet Stepping

Summary: You should have known better than to believe that Toji could protect you from the Zenin forever. Once a Zenin woman, always a Zenin woman and Naoya intends to make sure you fully understand that.

Growing up as a female in the Zenin clan means you’re always expected to serve, to look beautiful. Never speak unless requested to. Never look any of the men in the eyes. Obey. Be submissive and demure.

There are thousands of rules and dozens of leering eyes ready to punish you for a single minor infraction. So as much as you hate the life you’ve been born into, you know better than to act out and bring attention to yourself, knowing full well especially now as an adult woman that the price of transgressions are too high to pay.

You’d be incredibly fortunate for the usual heavy backhands Naobito and Ogi Zenin would grace your face with when you were still a minor, for the cruel condescending words Naoya would sneer at you. Those were child’s play compared to what’s in store for you now and you shudder when you remember the images of fellow female servants who had attempted to escape only to be easily captured, clothes stripped and body laid bare for the entire clan to see. You remember the fear that would make you tremble as the men howled in laughter and jeers as they took turns smacking their victim’s ass, pawing and groping her body. You remember sobbing when you were forced to watch as fists, cocks, objects that you thought were far too large were shoved between flailing legs.

But nothing keeps you in line more than the cold dread you’d feel heavy in your chest when you’d be forced to clean out the room of one of your ex-maids, preparing the room for the next poor soul born into a never ending life of servitude. As much as you hate this life, it’s still better than being tied up and forced to be nothing more than a Zenin sex doll, used by every man in the clan until there’s nothing left but an empty husk of skin.

So you keep your head down, ignoring the cruel words and predatory gazes that follow you. You enjoy the few moments you have in the servant quarters alone with your fellow maids, giggling and whispering to each other, pretending that you’re just normal women. Those friendships you form warm your heart and you take solace in the sympathetic glances and warm brief squeezes of hands when a Zenin man is particularly harsh in their treatment of you.

Maybe that’s why you can’t keep your body still when the woman who shares the same room as you accidentally spills hot tea all over Zenin Toji. And despite how terrified you are of Toji’s hulking figure and blood-stained reputation, you throw your body in between him and your friend, creating a feeble physical shield for her from his wrath.

A part of you is together enough to vaguely acknowledge how strange it is that Toji hasn’t roared a single word yet, hasn’t laid a hand on you. But you’re not foolish enough to think this is over and you throw yourself to the floor in a degrading groveling bow, begging him to forgive your friend, to have mercy on the both of you.

You know exactly who Zenin Toji is and you prepare yourself for the feeling of his infamous sword slicing through your neck. What you aren’t prepared for is the way he lets out a boisterous laugh, green eyes glimmering in amusement when he sees the bewildered look on your face as you tentatively peek up at him.

“You’ve got guts. Tell you what. I’ll forgive you and your clumsy friend if you become my personal maid. Deal?”

It’s a rhetorical question and you stiffly nod your head, tears forming in your eyes as you imagine the rest of your life chained to Toji’s bed, stuck in the lair of a beast.

Except your life isn’t anything like you had imagined and you’re stunned when Toji barks at you to go retire to your own room and get some rest so you’re ready to keep up with tomorrow.

Life is...surprisingly normal. Well as normal as it can be in the household of one of the top Jujutsu sorcerer clans in the world. You scowl at Toji as he teasingly throws a pile of sweat stained clothes and towels on top of your head as he walks out of the bath.

“You’re getting a little stronger, little lady. I almost even felt the punch you threw at me in training today.”

You roll your eyes, but you can’t help the slight quirk of your lips and swell of pride at his backhanded compliment.

Toji isn’t anything like the rest of his clan and it goes deeper than just his lack of cursed energy or his supernatural strength. He’s kind. Okay, maybe that’s a stretch, but you genuinely believe he has a good heart. Not once has he ever spoken maliciously to you. Not once has he ever laid a hand even borderline inappropriate or suggestive on you. And sure, you don’t necessarily enjoy doing his dirty laundry, cleaning his room, and making his bed every day and night, but he makes it easy to forget that you’re just a lowly maid.

He talks to you as if you’re his equal, carefully listening to you, acknowledging your points (even if he mocks you when you do say something silly or that he disagrees with). He invites you to eat meals with him. He trains you deeming you too wimpy to last long without at least some basic defense skills. Your time with Toji is one of the few moments of happiness you know and you greedily indulge.

But unknown to you, your new proximity to the black wolf of the Zenin clan has more than one eye looking at you in interest and above all, Zenin Naoya can’t stop fixating on you.

Naoya has always had a strange mix of respect, disdain, and jealousy towards the older man and he can’t help himself from wanting what Toji has, especially when the both of you look so irritatingly happy chattering away with each other as if you have no cares in the world. How dare a lowly Zenin servant look so carefree. How dare curse-less Toji make a mockery of the rest of the clan by living a shame-free life despite how hard they try to humiliate him for it.

Has Naoya ever been happy? Ever been relaxed?

He can’t remember ever laughing as hard as Toji is now in response to something you’ve said or done. He can’t remember smiling so freely like you are as you playfully slap Toji and try to get him to stop teasing you. A green eyed monster slithers inside of him and before he realizes what he’s doing, he’s making his way towards the both of you.

“Aren’t you two as unseemly as usual. I know you don’t care for our clan’s reputation or rules, but really? Parading your slut around so shamelessly? That’s a new low even for you.”

It’s adorable how you scurry away, cowering behind Toji’s broad figure, fear written all over your face. And although Naoya had done this to get under Toji’s skin, he can’t help but wish the older man would storm off and leave you behind in his clutches. He wonders if you’d be this scared and docile underneath him, wonders how tight you’d be while you tremble in fear while he sinks inside of you…

His thoughts are abruptly interrupted as Toji snorts, slinging a muscular arm over your shoulder and dragging you off with him, subtly tucking you safely into his side and away from Naoya’s hungry gaze.

Usually being ignored and dismissed would rile him up more, but as he watches the two of you amble away and sees your innocent and confused face, unsure what had just happened and what’s causing Toji’s strangely touchy behavior, his appetite is whetted and you’re what he’s craving.

What he hadn’t accounted for is how protective Toji is of you. So strange for a man who doesn’t seem to care about anyone except himself. But Naoya supposes that’s just a testament for how good you must be in bed. He can’t think of any other reason why Toji would waste his time and efforts on an insignificant woman like you.

You’re never left alone long enough for him to corner. Just when he sees you by yourself and swoops in to shove you in a spare room, Toji suddenly looms beside you, green eyes sternly pinning Naoya down with a warning. And as much as Naoya would love to rise to the challenge, he knows that he doesn’t stand a chance against Toji, so he slinks away in defeat, again and again.

It only makes him want you more and he grits his teeth as he slams into one of the whores in his bed who vaguely reminded him of you if he squints in just the right way.

He supposes he should be more remorseful as the news of Toji’s death spreads like wildfire through the Zenin household. But all he can see is a light at the end of the tunnel. It takes every last bit of restraint in him not to immediately hunt you down and devour you, but he bides his time. After all the teasing and taunting you’ve put him through just one taste isn’t going to satisfy him anymore.

No, he won’t just ruin you and throw you away after a single night. He plans on dragging this out, using you, tasting you until it fully sinks in that this is all you’re good for, that he owns every part of you inside and out.

His cock twitches at your swollen face covered in salty tear streaks. You look so pathetic, so scared when he takes his time strolling into your room, kicking your roommate out and locking the door behind him. It’s just the two of you and he feels the rush of power thrumming through his veins at how you tremble and cower before him. If only you were naked and not in those dreary mourning clothes…

But he has ample time for that and he wants to enjoy corrupting you, take his time watching your downfall.

“You’re my maid starting now.”

You mutely nod, but make no move and Naoya scoffs.

“I know Toji was soft with you, but let me set expectations straight. I’m nothing like him. Now get moving.”

“But this is my room-”

You yelp in fright as Naoya’s hand grips the front of your shirt and hauls your body until you’re forced to press against his body, feeling his breath against your face as he sneers at you.

“Sluts don’t get the luxury of their own room or bed. Toji spoiled you. Now move your stuff to my quarters. The only place you’ll be sleeping from now on is my floor or my bed. Understood?”

It’s a rhetorical question and all you can do is crumple to the ground when he lets go, staring unseeingly at Naoya’s retreating back as he exits your room, the weight of your new reality crashing down on you.

Sleeping on the floor is humiliating and uncomfortable. Naoya makes it a point to “accidentally” step on you when he gets on and off the bed, rudely nudging you awake with his feet, resting his soles on your face until you’re flailing around to breathe. But it isn’t as bad as wondering when the worst is to come.

At least you’re clothed. At least your innocence is still intact. So as much as you feel like nothing more than a dog, you take it. After all, your new life isn’t so different from your life before Toji aside from your new sleeping arrangements and the headache of being in close proximity to Zenin Naoya.

It’s entertaining enough in the beginning, watching you curl up on the floor like an obedient puppy, admiring how you never talk or lash out when he literally walks all over you. He even buys you a pretty new collar with his name engraved on it linked to a leash he holds in his hand or leaves tied to his bed.

But unlike a real pet you never warm up to him, always looking at him warily, body tense and nervous in his presence. Not once do you look at him with even the slightest hint of affection or fondness you used to stare at Toji with. He supposes that can’t be helped and he doesn’t care for anything disgusting like your love. But you don’t even seem remotely attracted to him as a man and that’s something his ego won’t allow for.

He knows women can’t stand his attitude. But he also knows that at their base, all women are sluts easily swayed by his good looks. He can’t even count the number of women who’ve insulted him to his face only to end up in his bed, moaning and screaming his name and their love for his cock.

You were supposed to be no different. But your continued disinterest in him infuriates him to the point where petty humiliation isn’t enough to sate his hurt pride.

“Strip and get in bed.”

You’re frozen stiff and he sneers at you while you’re on the verge of terrified tears.

“What? I’m not good enough for you? Don’t act like you aren’t used to this. I’m sure your old master had you warming his bed all the time-”

“Toji would never!”

Even he’s stunned by the weight of his backhand hit as it makes contact with your face, by the venom in his voice as he spits out his next words.

“Don’t you ever say that name in my presence again.”

He takes a few seconds to calm his breath, the crimson of the blood trickling from your nose grounding him as he finds his center once more. But then a thought crosses his mind as that red river finds its way to your lips.

“As punishment, let’s make sure you know what your mouth’s purpose is from now on. Words are wasted on a dumb whore like you anyway. Kneel and open wide.”

It’s oddly arousing watching your tears and blood stream down your face as you choke on his cock. Your efforts are half-hearted at best, but he doesn’t mind. Not when the instinctual way your throat flutters around him as he roughly thrusts his hips into your tight mouth suffices. He can see why Toji kept you around and he groans as his hand slips behind your head and pushes you until your face is squished against his abdomen.

Your mouth feels amazing and your muffled screams for air only add to the vibrations around his shaft. It’s enough to have him spilling down your throat and he keeps you tightly pressed against him, forcing you to drink every last drop he gifts you with. And only when your throat finally stops its forced swallowing does he release you, leering down at your pitiful form heaving for breath.

The bitter taste of his seed is all you can taste, all you can focus on as you greedily inhale much needed oxygen. You pray that he’s done, but you whimper when a strong hand easily pulls you up and begins to pull off your clothing. Instinctively you try to push the invasive appendages away from you, but you freeze at Naoya’s growled threat.

“Don’t make me hurt you any more than I have to.”

You know it’s not an empty threat. You’ve seen the quite literally broken bodies of women who had resisted too much against the Zenin men, against Naoya specifically. So you limply drop your arms to your side and stay still as he humiliatingly gropes and examines you like merchandise.

All you can do is clench your eyes shut as Naoya’s hands grab your breasts, kneading and weighing them in his hands, cruelly prodding and pinching your nipples to see your reactions. All you can do is bite back a muffled yelp when he forces you onto your knees and forearms on the bed, squeezing and smacking your ass, spreading apart your cheeks to closely look at your fluttering holes. All you can do is cry into the sheets as he fingers you open, breaching both untouched openings, his thick digits stretching your tight walls apart and taking their time to thoroughly defile you, using your own slick to loosen your ass.

You try to disassociate, try to imagine that this is just a medical examination. But your fantasies are shattered when something hard and thick slaps against your inner thigh as Naoya rearranges himself behind you, rubbing the head of his cock back and forth against your dripping entrance, coating his shaft with your juices.

“Naoya! Sir, please. I’ve never...You can’t-”

Your pleas are cut short as his hand painfully strikes your ass.

“Shut the fuck up. You’re ruining the mood with your sniveling voice. Remember what I taught you? Sluts don’t get to speak freely. They only get to moan and thank their masters.”

You don’t even know if you can speak even if you wanted to, not when his cock is forced into you in one go, the thick and lengthy shaft ruthlessly tearing you apart. It fills you, stuffing you full, and you don’t think there’s even room left in your body for words. The only thing you can release is a strangled scream, eyes and mouth blown wide open, fingers clawing at the sheets as you try to remotely ground yourself as the foreign sensation overwhelms you.

But Naoya has never been a patient man and there’s a certain sense of entertainment from watching you struggle and writhe underneath him. He begins a relentless pace before you can adjust to the feeling of him inside of you, hips slamming in and out of you, heavy balls bouncing against you.

You’re so tight, so hot, so wet and he can feel a rush of power from the confusion he begins to see setting on your face as forced pleasure begins to mix in with your fear and pain. Moans and high-pitched keens are finding their way in between distressed cries and he smirks at the way your eyes begin to roll back in your head, the way your hips begin to meet him halfway, greedily pushing back against him when he teasingly slows down his pace.

He laughs at the humiliation and embarrassment running rampant on your face when you whine as he abruptly stops

“Wow you really are a slut. You fucking love my cock, don’t you?”

He rolls his eyes as you adamantly shake your head in denial, bored by your playing hard to get act. But as he admires the way your pussy lips obscenely envelop his cock, your pretty puckered hole beckons to him.

“You’re fucking filthy, clamping down on me like a bitch in heat from just a thumb in your ass. You like that? Like having all your holes filled? Maybe when I break you in, I’ll share you with the rest of the clan. Bet you’d love that. Love having cocks in every hole, using every inch of you.”

Your orgasm takes the both of you by surprise in its speed and intensity and Naoya howls in laughter as he resumes fucking you, chasing his own high with his thumb still lodged in your ass, groaning in pleasure at how he can feel the tremors of your orgasm, the way your body convulses in the aftershocks of pleasure and onset of overstimulation.

You’re breathtaking like this, fucked silly, delirious, just a warm body and toy for him to do with as he pleases and it doesn’t take long for him to join you over the edge and add to the sticky mess already inside of you.

With a lewd pop he retracts his thumb from your now lewdly fluttering hole, shoving it into your mouth for you to clean and he smiles at how mindlessly obedient you are as you suck and lick the digit clean like it's your favorite lollipop.

You grimace when he finally pulls out, already feeling his cum beginning to leak out of you and you try and find the strength in your trembling and used body to push yourself off the bed. It’s time to retreat with your tail between your legs and you want nothing more than to spend the rest of the evening in the shower, harshly scrubbing every evidence of your utter defeat and conquest under boiling hot water.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

You open your mouth to speak, only to quickly clamp it back shut, remembering how your words only seemed to dig you deeper and deeper into trouble.

“You’re going to wash me and yourself and once we’re clean, you’re going to remain naked and in my bed until I’m ready to use you again. Think of it as a promotion. No more worrying your stupid little head about cleaning and laundry anymore. You’re being upgraded to my personal sex slave and bed warmer. Come on, I don’t have all day.”

You wonder if this is what it feels like to walk the plank, to approach your own death sentence as you robotically trail after Naoya’s figure towards his lavish bathroom. And as you lay in his bed that night, pristine and bare like a glorified sex doll, his broad arm possessively slung around your waist and forcing your bodies to mold together, you bid farewell to your past life, dreading what the future has in store for you.

[yaz-the-spaz]

I wasn't policing you... Like at all? As I stated multiple times, my question wasn't an attack on you or your blog, it was a genuine question as to how those two stories connected. Janelle was there to perform a song, which she did. How were they supposed to know that she wanted to make a speech if it was randomly attached at the end? And as for the kid, this is the today show getting scared because he's suing certain people and news outlets for defamation. They're giving the kid a platform...

… Because he was wrongfully villianised by the media for a whole week and had death threats sent to him and his family, as well as bomb threats to his school. The difference between the two was the fact that he was scheduled for an interview and she wasn’t. Still, honestly not trying to attack you, rather giving the situation a little more perspective. I wasn’t asking that question out of malice and I apologise if it came off that way.

i didn’t make the post? if you can’t see any connection then whatever, but idk why i should be the one to explain that to you, maybe ask the original poster? not me? as i said i mostly reblogged for the quote and when you come to someone’s blog criticizing what they choose to post that’s…kinda policing

like if you had just asked ‘why did you post such and such’ that would be one thing. that would have come off as more of an innocent and ‘genuine’ question. but when you come to someone asking why they posted something and then proceed to list all the reasons why you disagree with said post or the message behind it, you’re essentially saying ‘i don’t like that you reblogged this post/you shouldn’t have reblogged this post and here’s why’…and that’s essentially policing*

and like i get that you said you weren’t trying to be rude but…i’m not sure how else you expect it to be taken when you come to a blog and make a whole big thing out of a reblog? esp when you could have just as easily just ignored the post or even unfollowed me. like…personally i’ve never gone to another blog (on anon or otherwise) to go on a whole tirade about a post i don’t like or don’t agree with, b/c it’s not my blog and it’s just unnecessary. i either just ignore the posts or unfollow the person, it’s that simple. so to me having someone come here and go on and on and start all this about the meaning behind a reblog, even though you said it wasn’t meant to be malicious, feels a bit malicious to me cause like i just don’t see the point otherwise? i reblogged something, you disagreed with it, and for whatever reason you decided to make your dislike known by sending in four asks about it when you could have just kept scrolling? if you really, truly, genuinely didn’t understand the connection and this all was actually just innocent curiosity (which considering how long you’ve gone on about it and everything behind it it doesn’t feel like it was) but if that’s really all you were coming here to ask about then idk how i can help you, cause again i didn’t make the post and didn’t choose to put those two images/headlines together, i simply saw something meaningful in it and reblogged, and that’s all there is to it

(and as for the other stuff i’m not saying i expected them to know janelle was gonna make a speech but like…generally when they have those performances the host and the crew are watching along with the performance as it happens [and presumably would’ve seen her start to make the speech] and they do have the power to extend air time/delay commercial breaks cause they do that all the time when they want to for certain stories, and as i said if they felt it was important enough they could’ve done that or they even still could’ve circled back after the break and given a quick interview with janelle re-hashing what she said or replayed the footage of the speech in its entirety later which are all things they’ve done with other stories they deem important enough but they didn’t do any of that and to me when you see them taking the time out to do that for other stories that they deem important enough to do it for and not this one it hurts on a personal level b/c this is something that affects my community and it feels like they don’t feel this was important to do that for and that hurts and makes me feel some type of way about media and media focus/portrayal, as for the boy that’s a whole other can of worms that i won’t get into rn cause i just don’t have the energy and this has already gone on long enough…could the op have chosen better examples for the post? sure. but again i didn’t make it and i shouldn’t be the one to have to explain the meaning behind it or why i chose to reblog it to you, a faceless blob on anon)

[ghostie-hoe]

THE PERFECTIONISTS 1x09 ‘LIE TOGETHER, DIE TOGETHER’ THOUGHTS & THEORIES

THIS EPISODE IS MY FAVOURITE. ITS AMAZING

- Jeremy is giving me full on Mona A vibes when she revealed herself to Spencer. If this is the reveal then I’m wholeheartedly proud of Marlene for not dragging out the mystery even though that gave us a lot of time to create theories which was excited all of the mysteries were dragged out and there way too much filler. I suspected Jeremy from the beginning and his wording is enough to FULLY speculate him. “I’m leaving tonight. Come with me and I’ll promise to tell you everything I did’ ‘You wanted him gone too Cait’

- If Alison trusts Taylor, that’s my warning sign that Taylor isn’t trustable. Alison doesn’t have the best track record for trusting reliable people and this newer version of Alison tries to see the good in everyone and therefore Taylor working against them but with them on the inside makes her untrustworthy and unreliable.

- Claire Hotchkiss is as sketchy as Jessica Dilaurentis. How can Claire be so certain that one of the perfectionists was responsible for Nolan’s death and that Dana is the most reliable person to find that information. A grieving mother would take that evidence against Dana as confirmation to remove her from the case but nope Claire Hotchkiss is SURE that Dana and her tactics are the right option. (Claire is still a suspect in my eyes, but I’m leaning more towards Jeremy at this point)

- “Keep a out of it.” Mona is the absolute best and Marlene has used so many FABULOUS one liners with Mona’s character this season. But Marlene, Mona is speaking on behalf of all of us, keep a out of the perfectionists. This show would be more successful if it was to stand alone without PRETTY LITTLE LIARS being in the title. Let’s stop recycling storylines and not refer to our killer as ‘The New A’.

- Dana is the head of security and that’s all. She isn’t part of the FBI anymore. So this raises an important question for me. Why is Claire solely relying on Dana to find Nolan’s killer and not the police whose JOB is to deal with murder investigations? Why specifically Dana whose no longer working with the FBI.

- Dylan taking full responsibility for his actions is such a positive and healthy message for the younger audience. I love that Marlene and the other writers have portrayed this message in light of all the other things going on in the show.

- it just can’t be a coincidence that at one point Claire lost her husband, her daughter and her son in all a similar timeframe. That just can’t be a coincidence as there are afterall ‘No coincidences in Rosewood’ and therefore no coincidences in a Marlene show

- Dana is so malicious towards Ava. AGAIN DANA YOU WORK AT A UNIVERSITY NOT IN LAW

- :( My heart breaks when people hear Ava’s surname and treat her as a criminal. She treats everyone she comes into contact with respect and radiates sunshine but that’s not what she gets back. Ava is separate from her father, her father is the fugitive, Ava is innocent in that situation and her father shouldn’t reflect on her.

- The fact that I’ve seen Mona and Mason, two consenting legal adults being compared to Ezria. See, the full on difference here is that Ezria was toxic from the beginning. Ezra knew who Aria was that day he saw her at the bar, underaged. He knew her age and still proceeded to see her. He took advantage of her and there was a power imbalance. Mona has no power or authority really over Mason because university is different from high school. They are legal and consenting. There’s no imbalance of power. ALSO MONA LOOKS SO HOT IN THAT DRESS.

- Andrew just sat there admiring Dylan like ‘That’s my man. So in love with you’

- Ava must’ve in some way doubted Nolan’s feelings for her because she seemed shocked by the news that Nolan genuinely loved her. I believe that Ava was Nolan’s escape from the standards of his mother and his whole world and the Nolan we saw in the flashback last week is the real Nolan Hotchkiss, not the manipulative fuck boy we’ve come to know him as.

- it’s confirmed that Jeremy disabled the system and was tracked by Taylor’s software to being at the place of Nolan’s murder before it happened and that he’d been stalking Nolan obsessively. I knew I was right to suspect Jeremy weeks ago

- Caitlin please don’t hold onto that love and meet Jeremy, trap him. Please trap him. Bring a recording device and let the relevant people know. Not Dana. Though she’d just merge from the shadows uninvited

- I KNEW MY BABY CAITLIN WOULD TRAP HIM. I’m so proud. ‘Act normal birches’ is so on brand with PLL. See this is how you hold onto the old audience whilst bringing the new one in Marlene. With subtle quirky dialogue like that. Not by recycling the dead now alive blonde girl trope.

- Yes Claire, people do express grief differently but you seem to express it in the most non-emotional, sketchy suspicious manner

- Creepy Beacon Guard is Yet again using its advanced technology to link personality traits

Alison

Caitlin

Taylor

Dylan

Ava

Ray

Mona

- ‘I just found out that a member of my staff is having an inappropriate relationship with a student’ This isn’t Ezria. Where’s the inappropriate relationship between two legal consenting adults?

- OMG OMG I LOVED THAT CLOSING SCENE WHERE TAYLOR SHOOTS JEREMY BUT THEN CAITLIN STARTS SHOUTING HES ALIVE

[overx]

Flashback, Rock : D

“Just for tonight,” Rock insisted tiredly, his lack of energy downplaying the desperation of the statement. Nothing about this could be subtle, and they both knew it. Never once had the DLN stayed after one of their… rendezvous. There isn’t enough trust in this world or any other to make him think letting his guard down around someone– but especially MZ– was going to end well.

Still, he was determined to play out this casual farce. To act as if the wall of fake indifference would be enough to hide his vulnerability. As if the killer whose bed he shared couldn’t smell it a mile away.

“…I suppose, Hündchen,” comes an easy answer. It’s not like MZ minded, really. He’d observed Rock's… off demeanor since his arrival. Normally these things sorted themselves out, or at least faded with certain… distractions. Today was different. Different would either become interesting or annoying with time.

Rock isn’t sure if he’s relieved or perturbed. Both perhaps. He tugs the covers up around his bare chest, visibly but silently chiding the cold of this damn facility. If you try to kill me in my fuckin’ sleep, at least I won’t be so damn cold and miserable anymore.

It’s almost a comforting thought, interrupted by the taller man slipping back onto the mattress beside him. “I assume you are hesitant to tell me why, mm, Herzchen?” MZ’s expression was unreadable, like always. No concern, no sign of malicious machinations, either.  

The question had to be curiosity at best, or so Rock had decided on.

As if you actually give two shits. He nodded, attempting to look appreciative of the offer. Maybe he could pretend he thought it was genuine. “…Just want some company,” Rock muttered. Against his better judgement, he snuggled up to the warm body beside him, hoping he didn’t look too needy.

He did.

“…I see.” More than Rock had wanted him too, likely. Even so, he merely hooked his arm around the Light-bot, pulling him closer. It’s plain as day what’s going on, Rock was upset about something and being stubborn as always. The question was… what happened that needs my comfort?

It’s done almost absentmindedly, and Rock thought it was a jab at him for failing to come off as nonchalantly as he’d hoped to. Typical. He doesn’t comment.

“Why me, then?” It’s an honest question. MZ had little intention of prodding the real problem just yet. His puppy would come to that on his own. “There are… others, you could go to.”

“Of course.” Right. Yes. Because Rock was such an open book with anyone. None of them had seen through him so far, why start now? He could talk about the obvious things, and that had to be enough. Everything else was… “Don’t worry about it,” he curled up more, obstinate refusal to continue. Covered always by sharp wit and a cocky tone: “Not that you worry.”

No of course not, but… “…you came to me, and expect me not to be curious?” Either Rock hadn’t been thinking, or he’d been hoping MZ wouldn’t notice (as if he wouldn’t). The vamploid was willing to bet on the first. “So. Talk.”

That makes Rock sit back up, eyes scanning MZ’s face. There was nothing to be gleaned, no, but the air had shifted and the DLN could feel it. No longer was it the light crooning of curiosity, but that blunt, intimidating tone. The one MZ used when he wanted things to get to the point. Rock almost missed the near constant flirting. “…I…” what, want to be here? Like that wasn’t incriminating enough.

There’s an expectant look on MZ’s face, though he doesn’t sit up with his puppy. No, chasing Rock would only make him run further, that much the vampire had pieced together a long time ago. It’s why the Light-bot kept coming back, after all. One of the reasons, at any rate. MZ watched Rock’s gaze shift away, quirking one eyebrow. 

“…I… feel… safe, here.“ Is muttered reluctantly. It’s not the whole truth, but a truth. For that much Rock settles back in, eyes not meeting the form next to his. Stupid, that was a stupid thing to admit to him. 

And Rock is rewarded with arms around him once more, cuddling him close. See what a little honesty will get you, Hündchen~? That’s not everything, MZ was quite aware, but he’d take the little victory for the moment. “Then stay.” A simple enough solution, though he knew Rock would reject him. “You don’t ever have to leave… if you don’t want to.” Poor predictable puppy.

A quiet scoff. “…I can’t do that.” It’s impossible. Even if he… could want such a thing, it wouldn’t happen. It just wasn’t in the stars for him, and Rock knew it. Had known it most of his life. That’s what made him so different from MZ, it’s what the Maverick didn’t understand.

No, MZ had free will.

“Mm, why not?” It’d be nice to get an honest answer, but they weren’t there yet, were they? A pity. MZ allowed some casualness to return to his voice, though it’s far from playful.

“…I can’t.” Rock answered defensively, finding himself sitting up once again. Couldn’t. As in, programmed not to. 

“Why?” Innocent enough to ask, isn’t it? Everything was hypothetical now.

“I can’t.” As in, too afraid of the consequence to try. 

“But why?” MZ leaned up for the first time since the conversation stated. He wanted something new, not the same walled off non-answer. Rock himself said he felt safe here, so what was his reasoning? What petty objections could he possibly have? Lack of trust? Some falsified moral high ground they both knew he didn’t have?  

“I can’t.” As in just the idea was starting to stack errors in his head. He could feel the tension rising in his synthetic muscles, anxiety tainting his voice. “I just fucking can’t, okay?!“

“Oh come on, Herzchen–“ a pause, as the vamploid observed the change in Rock’s expression. This one was different, real distress manifesting from behind the Light-bot’s carefully constructed mask. That was not the point of this line of questioning. “Mm… we should stop talking about this.” Rock is given an affectionate nuzzle for his efforts. Curious as MZ was, he knew a dead end when he saw one. This was something he’d have to find out for himself, it wasn’t worth burning what trust they had.

“…yeah… ‘m… tired anyway…“ the Light-bot forced himself to relax, leaning slowly against MZ’s shoulder. There’s not enough fight in him for this today, that was why he’d come. He sought asylum from his Master with his… whatever the two of them were. He just wanted to lay here, to forget what….

MZ pulled Rock closer. The Maverick briefly buried his face in that soft black hair, before easing them both down. “…get some rest, Hündchen…”