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He’s screwed. He’s so screwed.
The entire team of espers had already been wiped out, leaving him alone in the middle of a dungeon. He was lucky enough to slip away without monsters pursuing him, with those violent beasts assuming that they had already annihilated the intruders (which wasn’t wrong, because what can a guide do alone?). Now, he just had one small issue: How the hell is he supposed to get out now?
It wasn’t like he could try wandering around; he wasn’t stuck in some open area, he was stuck in an abandoned subway tunnel. He'd be lucky to even survive another half an hour in this cursed dungeon, let alone getting out alive. If only someone would come… how wonderful that would be. He was well aware that no one would save them– save him.
What options does he even have right now, apart from being the monsters’ next meal?
Click, clack.
Suddenly, he could hear footsteps, and the sole surviving guide’s instincts went into overdrive. He looked around in an attempt to locate the source of the sound–
“Found you.”
Was he hallucinating, or did someone speak? It was very faint, but he definitely heard a voice. While he might not be able to make out what they said, figuring out the direction was no problem. Was it from the left? It sounded like it.
He whipped around, and unfortunately, he only saw a crowd of monsters closing in on him. Raising his pistol, he fired at the beasts at the forefront of the formation. He shot down a few, gunshots reverberating in the tunnel.
As he realized he might have more of a chance than he thought, he reached into his pocket for another magazine as he whispered, “alright, come at me– fuck.”
He ran out of bullets. And, almost miraculously, the winds picked up right on time as a monster lunged at him. Soon, the drooling creatures looking for dinner stopped moving altogether–
In the blink of an eye, all the monsters crumpled to the ground as they burst into pieces.
Click, clack.
The sound of footsteps got closer, causing the guide to turn his head in alarm while pointing his gun at the approaching figure. “Who’s there!?”
“Hm? What do we have here?” The esper childishly tilted his head, walking up to the guide with an innocent face. “Honey, are you alone?”
“A person…?” He squinted at the esper and slowly lowered his gun, adrenaline slowly subsiding as the tension from earlier left his body. “Oh… thank god.”
“Name’s Layden. What’s yours, honey?” The mysterious blond man smiled as he leaned down, staring intensely at the guide.
“What’s with you!?” The guide took a step backwards, expression filled with confusion mixed with concern and a dash of fear. “Ryu. And don’t call me honey.”
“Got it, honey.” Layden nodded as he crossed his arms. “You haven’t answered my question yet. Are you alone?”
“Did you not hear me? Don’t call me honey.” Ryu side-eyed the esper who pointedly ignored what he just said. He sighed, then answered, “I am now.”
“Oh?” The esper raised a brow. “You poor thing, you’re a guide?”
“Yes…” He trailed off, looking down. “And thank you.”
Layden’s sudden smirk didn’t go unnoticed. “In that case…” He offered Ryu a hand, and in the most tempting voice possible, said, “come with me.”
“Why would I?” The guide asked, placing a hand on his hip. He could smell the fishiness from a mile away. “You’ve just cleared out the monsters, so the way out wouldn’t be dangerous,” he said, “and it’s not like you have any reason to help me.”
“Come with me when I’m still asking nicely.” Layden’s lips curved in a pleasant smile that didn’t reach his eyes as he grabbed Ryu by his arm. “It’s not a choice.”
“Ugh, let go!” The guide struggled, slapping the esper’s hand and trying to push it off of him. “I don’t fucking need you to save me!”
Oddly enough, that seemed to flip a switch in the esper. “So you’re the feisty type, huh?” His burning gaze was suddenly alight with a different kind of fire as he watched Ryu escape, a grin tugging at his lips. “That’s fine. It’s more fun this way.”
After a few minutes, the guide returned, running with several monsters on his tail.
“Oh my god!” He cried, making a beeline for Layden. “How the hell did you get in here without killing them!?”
“You’re back, honey?” The esper hooked an arm over Ryu’s shoulder and pulled him in as he pointed at the wolf-like creatures chasing him. “And you’ve brought company, I see.”
“It’s more your fault for not seeing them!” The guide retorted, glaring daggers at the hand touching him. “They were literally at the entrance!”
“Yes, yes, I’m sorry.” Layden half-heartedly replied as he snapped his fingers, sending sharp winds towards the monsters and cutting them into pieces. “Well? Do you feel like coming with me now?”
“Fuck you!” Ryu growled as he shrugged the esper’s arm off of him. “I can–”
A low rumble from the distance promptly cut him off. He narrowed his eyes in an attempt to see better, and he seriously wished he didn’t. There were dozens of ominous crimson eyes glowing in the dark.
He weighed his options, and there really wasn’t much of a choice outside of asking the esper for help. It was shady as hell, sure, but he didn’t have another way out. Carefully, he glanced at the taller man next to him who only stared at him, patiently waiting. Goddammit, if only he could punch that annoying grin off of that stupidly handsome face!
“Take me with you,” Ryu quietly hissed, irritatedly averting his eyes as he lowered his head, clinging onto the corner of the esper’s sleeve. After an awkward silence, he hesitantly added, “please.”
Layden chuckled as he wrapped an arm around the guide again. “Good choice, honey.” He smiled, emerald eyes crinkling at the corners, “but on one condition–”
“Guide me, right here and now.” The esper smirked, tilting the guide’s face up and violently pressing their lips together.
Ryu yelped in surprise, “mmph…! Shit–”
Esp swirled around the two of them as Ryu began guiding Layden through the kiss. As the esper felt the darkness inside him begin to subside, he slid a hand into his guide’s hair and tugged slightly, pushing his tongue deeper into his mouth. For the first time, guiding wasn’t cripplingly painful. For the first time, it didn’t feel like nails scraping against a blackboard.
For the first time, guiding didn’t feel like his entire existence was being torn apart.
“Haa… we could’ve just held hands– ngh–”
Despite all the strength Ryu mustered to shove the esper off of him, Layden only restrained his wrists with one hand and molded their lips together in another relentless kiss.
They didn’t pull away until the guide had to catch his breath, and even then, Layden was still trying to get in Ryu’s face. It was the first time he had felt this good in a guiding session. The taste of his guide’s lips against his own… It was like salvation. An ambrosia so sweet that he’s hooked on the first try. His ambrosia.
Ah, his face… red and flustered from the lack of oxygen, their mixed saliva dripping down the corner of his mouth as he panted, and his obsidian eyes hazy with lust and desire…
How deliciously adorable. He’d be insane if he didn’t want to claim the guide as his own.
“You… crazy bastard,” Ryu hissed as his legs gave out under him. “There. Happy?”
Layden caught the guide just as he collapsed, smirking as his eyelids slowly fell shut. “Very,” the esper whispered, leaning down and gently biting his ear, “haha, honey… you’re mine now.”