Work Text:
John Price has learnt a lot of things in his life, and when it comes to Phillip Graves, there is one trait that he is aware of when they're together.
Graves love to bite.
Not just in the kinky way, mind you. Price doesn’t question it.
He just likes to bite him.
Like a piranha.
No matter any surface of his body, as long as a piece of him was exposed, Graves would bite on it and leave a bite mark for the rest of the world to see.
Arm, leg, neck, cheek; you name it, Graves has already bitten it.
And it fucking hurts!
And the worst part is, it's always at the time he least expects it.
Like last time, when they’re in the helicopter on their way back to base after a mission well done, they are sitting side by side with their shoulders touching each other.
And all of the sudden, Graves leans to the side and bites his clothed shoulder. The sudden action made the Brit yelp loudly in pain, jumping on his seat in shock and surprising the rest of the squadron.
Everyone else had a laugh when they saw Price trying to shake off his lover who is still stubbornly clinging onto his shoulder.
He started calling those urges as his 'Piranha Tendencies'.
It did not help that Graves also has sharp cat-like fangs.
But that also reminded him of a joke that was once said by Declan O’Connor during a drink.
How the smallest creatures have the sharpest teeth.
And that shit is true, after that one time there was a triple spar between Horangi, Soap and Graves. Price, the fool he was back then, tried to pry them apart only to get beaten, bruised, scratched and bitten apart by the three kittens as a result.
Right now, they're casually lounging on their bed in their shared quarters. Price is reading a novel that he has been putting off aside for some time while stroking Graves's hair while said man is lying on his thigh scrolling through something on his iPad.
Their legs are entwined together, the rain is pouring down outside hitting the window like a calming lullaby.
Price was so comfortably in-tuned that he suddenly yelled out in pain from a sudden-yet-familiar pain coming from his leg, only to find his lover just went into one of his 'Piranha Tendencies', seeing his sharp teeth biting on the flesh of his left thigh.
"Ack - Phillip!" He yells and John Price does not, and never will, pout at the man.
Said man just simply laughed in amusement while still biting at his thigh only to let go for a second to lick the bite mark before biting it again.
Like a cat that caught the canary.
And for some unknown reason, he had the urge to ask Graves. “Why are you so obsessed with biting me, love?”
Blue eyes peering at his dark browns without moving away from his spot, Graves slowly let go of the flesh, licking his lips before answering.
“I don’t know. It just felt right," he truthfully answers.
Now curious, he puts his book aside to fully focus at his lover. "You don't know…why?"
He shakes his head, making a rejected sound with his voice without speaking out.
"And it's not your way to initiate sex?"
Graves scoffs with a laugh. "Darlin, if I'm asking you to fuck me, you know I'll beg for ya nicely…" he asks as he crawls slowly onto his lap, his lips in a smug smirk.
Price could only make a fake cough as he looked away, trying to dim down the reddening cheeks. "No, not really…"
"I'm pulling your leg, calm down sugar," Graves laughs at his lover's expressive response as he flops down upon his chest.
“Does it make you happy?”
Graves nods quickly.
Price couldn't help but smile at it, tracing his fingers across Graves's face, especially behind his ears. It is his favorite spot to make the other man melt.
"So…the next time you have the urge to bite me, warn me first about it, is that alright?" Price explains to Graves, gently guiding the man's head to face him.
"Like a callsign?" He asks with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, somewhat like that," said Price, pulling his body closer. "You choose the word, it's your instinct."
He watched the blonde lean his head to the side while he thought. "Nom?"
The Brit nods in reply. "Nom."
"Okay," and Graves leans forward to kiss him.
The pair spend a few minutes gently kissing one another in the comfort of their room at their own languid pace, before pulling away.
Graves was the first person to break away from the blissful bubble, pulling away from the other body to crawl out from their shared mattress and stretching like a rabbit. "Well, I'm gonna take a bath. Gotta train with my baby Shadows how to escape a chokehold."
Price hummed in response, and closed his eyes when he felt his lover kiss the back of his head.
Which then led him to yelling out in pain when he felt teeth next.
“STOP THAT! WHAT DID WE JUST DISCUSSED!!?"
Bonus:
The surprise biting never fades away after they tie the knot, no, the biting intensifies.
Especially after having little Aurora, their sunshine.
Ever since she was born, Phillip has developed a habit of playfully nomming her tiny hands, feet, cheeks and belly occasionally.
He should be afraid of that one time he saw Phillip nom on her entire head when she was a few weeks old, but like her odd parent she finds it amusing and would just laugh at it instead.
He thinks that trait is genetic, since their daughter is now also gnawing at his fingers and shoulders at times. But he lets it slide as she is also at the teething stage.
Right now, John is watching Phillip giving kisses to Aurora's chubby cheeks on the sofa, his body lounging casually over the furniture like a relaxed feline. John is sitting opposite them from his own chair, a book by the hand, smiling happily and at ease.
And once again, he suddenly noms on her soft, chubby cheeks with his lips, making the baby shriek in laughter. John couldn't help it but also found it endearing, watching him bond with their daughter is the best thing he could ever ask for.
Reaching forwards for his phone to take a quick picture of the pair, he suddenly remembers what had happened before this.
While at an online meeting discussing preparations for the next mission, John spoke to Laswell about Phillip's 'piranha tendencies', wanting to know about her inputs.
According to some answers he received when asking other married recruits (both male and female), they simply answered that it was just a womanly instinct that had to be done. Before leaving him more dumbfounded when they left the more confused superior giggling with one another.
And Laswell, though a saint from afar, could only laugh for a long full minute before giving the man his answer.
"Did you try Googling it? Instead of asking around why?"
At times like this, he has to hit himself for forgetting that the internet exists. But cut a man some slack, he's been deployed for so long he doesn't have the time to go internet surfing like the rest.
But that sounds so hypocritical because Phillip also has his own private accounts he scrolls through when bored.
Since when did he become old-school like his ol' mentor Maggie?
With a quick type on his smartphone, he types out the very question that has been haunting him for a while.
Why does my partner want to bite me for no reason?
And after a few seconds of scrolling, he finally found his answer.
Cute Aggression.
A natural urge to squeeze, bite, or act aggressively toward something cute. It's a way to deal with the overwhelming emotions when one sees something adorable.
"Huh," John hums.
And then his cheeks began to redden and his head spinning.
John continues the rest of his day in a blushing daze, continuing on in his sweet bliss, ignoring anything else but Phillip and their little sunshine.
Because in his mind, there is only one thought that keeps playing on repeat.
His husband sees him as cute.