-

"Nothing," Rue grinned, and scratched the side of her cheek, in shock that he was being sweet.And that had her belly growing warm, a spill of something within her that had her rushing to stand. "Thanks for being honest, I don't need your protection, nor do I need your collection of dicks. I've got my own but thank you anyway. I'm going to just use the bathroom and go to bed. It's," she feigned a loud yawn, "been a long, long day. Thanks."

"Rue—"

She grabbed her bag and slammed the bathroom door shut, collapsing weakly onto the rim of the toilet bowl.

The menstrual cup lodged deep inside of her was full when she pulled it out. Slick dribbling thick and wet out of her spilling like piss and Rue quivered, misting the bathroom with another heavy whiff of blockers.

For fuck's sake, school was proving to be harder than she thought it would be.

*

It was important that she wasn't close to Halcyon.

Close meant friendship, and friendship meant hands slapping her ass, dick-size competitions, nudity and wanking together at night. Close meant secrets shared, friendship bracelets, potential blackmail and backstabbing.

But that didn't mean she wanted to be mean to Halcyon. For an amicable relationship would also mean a certain form of respect. Respect that would ensure that the artemis wouldn't rummage through her belongings and look in her drawers. She'd pissed off enough Alphas to know that getting on the good side of one so close to her prone body at night would be a good idea.

Sleep didn't come easy that night with a knife under her pillow and the threat of him wedged thick in her throat. She slept in full gear, double the clothes, pants with too many buckles. But the sheets were heavenly, and the bed was so soft it was as if she were sinking in the clouds.

Rue was asleep before she knew it, and then her eyes snapped wide open to the glow of dawn. Waking to the yolk of the sun on a bed of blue and the cry of birdsong, she'd grabbed her knife, eyes trained on the door.

The shower was running, a low hum twisting in the air. The humidity wafted free when he pushed open the door, steam billowing and turning the room balmy, as he towelled dry his hair with the most brilliant of smiles. His teeth sparkled when he greeted her, so utterly joyful that it made her sleep-addled soul weep.

"Good morning," his voice was husky with morning, with sleep and she hated that she found it so damn fucking attractive it hurt to listen.

And then her eyes snapped down to pierced beads on puffy pink nipples and then the pretty monster between his legs, sticky-tipped, sweet pink and lined with bars of fucking silver. He had a phallus worthy of porn in its decoration of thick veins, of blue-purple blood. The length of it was riddled with piercings with a stupidly thick ring at the head of velvety foreskin. It swung and her eyes snapped upwards, struggling to hold it all in.

Holy fuck.

He pierced his fucking dick.

He must be goddamn crazy and addicted to pain.

Her eyes bore into his back, flickering down and up, and down and up.

He turned, wardrobe pulled open, didn't give a damn that she was staring, and he was naked. And she didn't ask about the piercings even though she wanted to because the conversation could not go to his dick. Rue hissed, trying to remind herself that they were bros and bros were fine with dicks.

Even pierced ones.

"I've looked at your classes," Halcyon drawled. "Switched a couple of mine so I'd show up to some of your classes, the ones for guides and espers. But there are others where I'd have to sneak in somehow."

He bent down giving her the perfect view of his ass crack, the rosebud of it disgustingly perfect, awfully pretty for an asshole. The perk of his ass jiggling. The dip of his waist was thin and slanting. And God, he had to take his time choosing his outfit, to allow her plenty of time to observe the Venus dimples on his back, the broad ripple of muscle, the tattoos that danced over his skin blood red and ink.

He stood, turned and his balls swung, oddly sensual. She hated herself for looking, and her eyes danced everywhere. The need for sleep was gone, replaced by a thrill that pulsed between her legs. "But I've talked to the professors, and they don't mind an extra sitting in."

"What about your classes?" she protested numbly, watching as he pulled on boxers that were far too fucking sheer and made his dick press snug, long and chubby against his thigh. Her gaze snapped up to him when he turned to give her a smile, pulling up his jeans.

He knew she was looking.

She blushed like an idiot, as he bent to zip up, top unbuttoned like a damn underwear ad. And she had to notice the deep lines that led to his crotch, the veins that vined down his abdomen. And the fuzz of a happy trail that ran from his belly to his cock. The tattoos danced, a dragon roaring across his back, and a phoenix soaring up his arm. Sexy, fucking sexy.

"I've made arrangements," he explained mysteriously.

"You're not following me forever," she interrupted quickly, grateful for the change in topic. "That's crazy."

"Just until I'm sure you're safe," he pointed out to her, with a low sigh. "I'll tag along. Power in groups. It'll be like high school," he shrugged. "Nothing will change, and they won't be able to touch you."

"You don't take my classes, Hal."

"I know what it's like to worry, to be concerned for your safety every minute of the day," he stated softly, voice dropping an octave, a low sexy rumble that startled her awake. "I know what it's like to hurt. And I don't want that for you, not when you've done everything for me."

And this time she looked at him, really looked at brown eyes that were soft and warm. And remembered how she'd first found him shivering and wet in that stall with his bunny ears loopy and soaked, and his cheeks red.

The bruises had felt wrong.

Her insides squeezed at the sight of pain in his quivering frame, and then with it came the rage. It'd been hot, heavy and thick dripped with an insanity that she didn't know she had. And she'd done things that could have jeopardised her safety, picked battles and fights with potential tutees with rich parents. But she didn't regret it, had left with a smile because the bunny in tears had been giggling.

Rue sighed.

"Besides it's temporary," Halcyon told her shirt pulled over his head. "Until I'm sure that you can protect yourself." She laughed like he was lying, and he sniffed the air. "Do you smell that?" And Rue grew hot, rushing to the bathroom with a slam.

She couldn't let down her guard, not even with Halcyon.

*

Halcyon

Rue wore panties.

It was a fact that had Halcyon colliding with the sink in the morning, desperate to escape the clutches of sleeping, Rue. His eyes had been glued on the scrap of lacy pink peaking from the wedge of his hip when the little Alpha had tossed on the bed, shirt rising to reveal the sides of it on his hip.

Panties.

It had his mind conjuring the nastiest of dreams, and heat rising up his cheeks. Rue scantily clad on his knees, with his dick caught in see-through lace, so wet that the head of his leaking tip would turn the fabric invisible. The thin fabric barely covering the hard, swollen shaft— Halcyon had spluttered, head under cold running water.

Sleep did not come easy with the biggest crush of his life in the same room. And Halcyon had barely caught a wink of it, had woken up so fucking hard he had to jack off in the bathroom like a prepubescent teen. And he might as well have been with his first love in the room.

The bathroom did not smell of Rue much to his chagrin, but the thought of him was enough. His palms had been rough, dry and aching over his length. And then it'd been slippery and wet in seconds, cock bruised and soaked in pre-cum that overflowed and spilt like piss. His toes had curled, back arched, biting down the stutter of Rue's name repeated on his tongue in muffled, glazed moans.

And it'd be Rue's eyes that he'd imagine, his lips on his. His moon, dripping, ordering, speaking. He could see him then, looming over him with a smile. 'Fuck you Halcyon,' he'd say with that annoying lilt in his voice. His teeth would drag over his throat, tongue over hot skin, pinkie over the eye of his cock.

Halcyon came spraying so much it looked as if he'd doused himself in cream, his clothes caught in the friendly fire. And there was no choice but to shower—a decision he was thankful for because Rue could not keep his eyes off his naked body, or his dick.

The piercings were a custom for ares emperors. Each represented an animal he could transform into, and it was made of metal that would aid his control. And the ones on his cock represented the mythical, creatures of legends. And he had so many.

His Alpha had been pleased, pleased with how Rue had stared. And behind his back, he'd pumped a fist knowing that he was one step closer to being the person Rue might spend his Rut with instead of an Omega.

The bed wasn't a lie, he did enjoy the fabrics that were meant for an Omega's softer skin. And to be honest, he did have a soft spot for the soft toys that sat on his bed. Truth be told, the bunnies were his, and the room had been custom-made to be small, to end all distractions and keep their burrow cosy.

Halcyon supposed it was his bunny side begging for the space, he just didn't anticipate being called poor. His teeth had snagged his lip then, laugh almost bubbling free. Him? The future emperor of Planet 4, poor? It was blasphemy.

Rue was like a fish that needed to be reeled in, and he'd trotted to the kitchen with a yawn. His mate had been there, wide-eyed and jumpy as if Halcyon had caught him in the act. He was thankful that Seraphim was more than willing to make extras for Rue, with a whiny complaint that held no truth.

Seraphim wanted to make breakfast for Rue.

He'd scrambled to do it, fingers pounding flour and dusting meat with a tenderness that confused Halcyon. He'd stared at the elder when he held out bread stuffed with meat far too luxurious for the morning, and then the coffee that'd been made with the best, Seraphim's secret stash.

The eldest had stared back almost daring him to make that comment, but he didn't. There wasn't any time for the interrogation, not when he had his moon waiting and eager to run. He had sandwiches in one hand and coffee in the other when Rue stepped out of the dormitory.

The little Alpha groaned when he saw him with them, jogging up to him with an eagerness Halcyon hadn't seen in their room.

Rue had slept bone straight in the bed and plastered to the wall as far away from Halcyon as he could be. But the Alpha had sank into sleep minutes after, grip loosening on the knife under his pillow, and breath slowing into the cutest purrs that vibrated through the air like his own personal lullaby. Halcyon had buzzed with happiness at the sound, his Alpha loving how they had made Rue feel.

"God you're good," Rue moaned teeth digging into soft bread, and Halcyon burned. "Attacking my weakness is foul play."

"Thought you'd be hungry," he beamed. He was glad that Seraphim had destroyed his chances to be with Rue, or else the chef would be tough competition.

"Guess Seirios's not here today," Rue stated, eyeing the gates at the corner with a grin. "It's a nice change to all the noise."

"Seirios?" Halcyon asked, voice pitching higher. "You know of them?"

"Who doesn't?" Rue stared at him then shrugged. "Truth is? Nope. Learnt about them from Theo. I couldn't care less about them. I don't keep up with celebrity gossip, and I don't plan to anytime soon."

"But they are the future emperors," Halcyon stated, hands fisted in his jacket.

"Yeah, well, we'll get to them later, right?" Rue pointed out. "I've got things to worry about in life."

"So, you've never seen a picture?" Halcyon asked and Rue nodded. "Not even a name?"

"In passing? Maybe?" Rue scrunched his nose, and Halcyon smiled wildly. He had his guesses that the Alpha hadn't known of his identity. But knowing now that he didn't know shit made laughter bubble in his chest, and a snort did escape one that seemed to offend his moon. "Well, I'm so sorry for not keeping up with the latest trends."

"I heard that the artemis is really good-looking," he pointed out with a cheeky grin. "You could check him out."

"Are you a fanboy too?"

"What?" He opened his mouth and closed it with a snap. "Not for him." Not for himself.