Rian

"You're pulling your punches." I grunted out as I managed to duck another one of his almost pathetic swings.

Whatever had gone down behind the scenes usually wouldn't bother me, I didn't care. But when it affected how he fought it irritated me to the point where I became curious.

"Or maybe I don't wanna break my new sparring partner." He volleyed back. Even with an annoyed scowl he still buzzed with an annoying energy.

Maybe enlisting Remus as said sparring partner was a bad idea. He wouldn't focus even if it meant his life was on the line.

"Sure, sure." I brushed off before sculling down half my water bottle. Even if his tactics were lacking today it did become strenuous to stop after every hit to yell at him.

I soon realised I needed to provoke him in a way that really aggravated him. Something that would set the all mighty Remus Slade off. After some thought and consideration, something clicked and I had divulged the most devious plan to release the beast.

"Hey, buddy, look." I snapped my fingers in his face. He had his lips around a water bottle and his head to the side but his cool blue eyes flicked to face mine. "This, right here," I pointed to the floor.

"It's a burrow. A bunny burrow!"

That really got his attention. He spun around and looked at the ground where my heavy boot lay. Confusion yet mild anticipation had captured his full attention.

"Yeah- and I'm fucking stepping on them!" I cheered. Bringing my foot up slamming my boot hard down on the wooden floor. I did this about several more times and watched as horror nestled into his features with each slam and horrifying gasp

"Stop!" He ordered but I ignored his request and kept marking the hardwood floor.

"What you gonna do about it, huh?" I challenged and watched as his horror turned to something else, something more desirable. Pure, hot rage.

He set his water bottle down and clenched his fists into hard balls on either side. He titled his neck and I heard an audible crack, before he set his jaw and tensed it. He had finally assumed his role everyone had relayed to me.

Others spoke of Remus Slade as this shadowy figure, someone who showed no mercy and who harboured nothing but rage within him. Only now was I getting to see some semblance of the legends.

Without warning he lunged at me and was quick to mask and neutralise his features, leaving nothing to decipher. Jeez, he was good at that. He displayed no signs of his next move which made his next move harder to guess.

His fist came flying to my right and I just barely managed to dodge it. He took advantage of this small window of shock and swung with his left, effectively landing one right on my chest. With the wind knocked out of me, I stumbled back and tried my best to retake my stance.

This time I was gonna be the one to catch him off guard, and in attempt to uppercut that stupid smirk off of his face, he caught my balled fist perfectly. With one- admittedly graceful- motion he used my own attack against me and twisted my hand in a painful manner, driving it down to the flesh of my stomach.

The pain shot in all directions, the wind officially knocked all the way out of me. I even wobbled on my knees which apparently wasn't enough for him. With his hand still clutching mine he spun on one foot and before I could register what just happened, the fucker donkey kicked me in the chest. I was knocked on my ass before I had a chance to tell him to fuck off.

My chest heaved with every deep intake of air I took, serving as a reminder that I had just had my ass handed to me. The impact sent a painful flare up my spine that continued to bother me even after I accepted defeat.

Reminder to self: never piss off Remus.

"You humbled yet?" He asked with that stupid shit eating grin still plastered on his face. I snarled at him but that still didn't deter him from extending an arm down for me. I reluctantly took it and he hoisted me up.

I rolled my arm, groaning because of how tight my muscles had become. I limped over to my bottle and swallowed down the rest, ignoring his stupid boisterous laughter.

"God- you really were holding back." I groaned, settling down on a cushioned seat. It didn't do anything to help with the pain.

Remus snickered, using a towel to wipe the sweat away from his face. I wouldn't have believed you if you told me I'd be sparring partners with Remus Slade, shirtless together in an empty meeting room.

He rolled his eyes, took his own bottle and began to drink. He acted as if he hadn't just wounded me and my ego.

"Forgive me for prying- or whatever.." I started, which had his icy orbs pinned on me straight away. "But what had you so... aloof?"

I rolled my eyes at my own wording. I probably could've said that a little more smoothly but I was genuinely getting curious as to what had occupied his mind other than me- I mean, our fight.

His brows knitted together as we sat in silence and contemplation. Obviously whatever it was, it wasn't a simple answer and I was already regretting my initial question. I really didn't want to sit here for another hour while he ranted.

"I- uhh... I kissed someone and I can't get it off my mind." He said quietly, so quietly that I almost didn't catch it the first time. When I finally did decipher what he said, I refrained from laughing.

I didn't want to laugh. Laughing would be bad and it would most definitely offend Remus and I didn't want to set him off again. I wasn't ready for round two with a pissed off Remus.

"Wow-" My cheeks puffed out, my laughter trying it's darn hardest to escape. "That's really uh, something!"

Remus caught on and he rolled his eyes with a frown. Ah shit.

"Hey wait I'm actually uh, happy for you! Who was the lucky girl?" I tried my best to promote my interest. I wasn't the best when it came to these kinds of subjects and in fact I liked to avoid them. But I guess I would make an effort for Remus.

"Guy." He corrected with a deadpan look.

I didn't comment, only forming an 'o' with my mouth. I wasn't really expecting that from Remus. He didn't really present himself as... liking other dudes.

"Wow okay. Uhm... that's cool man." I stammered out. Fuck! This was so awkward. "I-I mean that's cool by me I don't have a prob-"

"I get it, Rian. Don't shit yourself." Remus brushed off, his face showing some hints of colour. We were both blushing.

A dreaded interlude of silence passed us and I had to distract myself before I was driven insane. I felt like a school boy, twiddling his thumbs and tabbing my shoes together while I waited outside the teacher's office. It was incredibly awkward.

I opened my mouth to speak but he beat me to it.

"Florence. It was Florence."

My heart came to a screeching halt at the mere mention of his name. My mind reeled so fast I could barely keep up with it, too many thoughts and too many emotions came crashing down with imminent collision. It was like a fucking supernova inside of me, one big clusterfuck of bullshit!

"What?" I managed to get out through the calamity that was my brain. I clutched my chair so tight I'm pretty sure I felt the sting of splinters.

"I kissed Florence." He stated again, confused that I asked him to clarify. I had heard perfectly well but I just needed confirmation that Remus kissed Florence!

I was confused, shocked and in awe! When did this happen? How did this happen? Why did this happen?!

I wanted answers but I didn't want details. I wanted to know why I felt so... hurt by this sudden realisation. It made me feel all queasy inside to know Florence... kissed someone. To know that Florence kissed Remus!

"I took him on a date and one thing led to another and we... kissed. It was magical and probably better than I thought a kiss could ever be! He was just so delicate and-"

"Remus, please." I said, closing my eyes and taking deep breaths. I felt like I was going to be sick. Never had I experienced this many emotions at once and it was giving me a fucking migraine.

The room fell into a deep silence once again, only this time I was thankful. Thankful to have even the smallest moment of calm. God, this turned sour so quickly.

"Did I do something wrong?" Remus asked, his tone careful. I peeked at him and he had a look of genuine fear worrying his features.

I didn't want to hurt him further, because I stood on no grounds to even be mad at him. But, I still couldn't feel this dangerous feeling that was slowly filling me up and threatened to spill in dangerous ways.

I shook my head and looked away again, just to help put a cap on these weird feelings. Normally I would open the floodgates and allow whatever was on my mind but I felt I couldn't do that with him. Not anymore, at least.

"No, no, no. I-I just need some air." I quickly stated. I quickly shot up, collected my stuff and left the room without giving Remus a chance to get so much as a word in.

I didn't have any right to be hurt but the news felt like it had reached deep inside my chest and sucker punched my aching heart. I had to get out of here and do something to distract me from this horrible feeling.

...and to keep my mind occupied on something other than the unsavoury mental images that refused to leave me alone. I did not need my brain stuffed full of images of Remus and Florence kissing.

I didn't stop by guards to check in with them like I was supposed to which would deeply upset my grandmother. Instead, I rushed to the elevator and spammed the buttons. I could already hear the oncoming argument I was going to have with the old hag.

It didn't take long before I was throwing my door open and rushing inside, throwing everything down on the couch before making a break for the bathroom. Of course, Aubrey decided she'd be a pain in ass- as per usual- and block the way with her frail body.

"Where have you been?" She asked, her voice nagging and annoying. It was akin to nails on a chalkboard.

"What's it to you?" I gritted out, avoiding her prying eyes by staring hard at the door frame just above her head. I really didn't need this right now, not when my mind was still occupied with Florence.

She huffed before bringing the phone to her ear and barking something at whoever was on the other end. It took me a while to guess who she was talking to but when I did I contemplated jumping right through that window over there.

There was only one person other than me that she would willingly drop her facade and go full psycho at. Someone who I get compared to, way too much.

I snatched the phone away from her and held it up to my ear.

"What do you want, dad?" I asked snidely. I really didn't need this right now.

I rolled my eyes while my ears were practically assaulted with his loud yelling. I could barely understand what the hell he was saying, something about guards, my rotational systems being flawed- everything that I could care less about right now. I hung on him, mid scream. I owed it to my ears.

"Take it and leave me alone. I don't have time to deal with this shit." I grumbled before attempting to move passed her. However, like the stubborn bat she was, she stayed rooted to the spot like some dying tree.

"Watch that tongue, Rian." The old crone threatened, pointing one long, boney finger in my direction. I instinctively stepped back, my upbringing coming forth in the worst ways possible. "You may be an adult and I may be an old lady but I will not hesitate to cut out that tongue!"

My mouth dried up and I craned my neck to the side, scratching my nape in awkward manor. I hated the feeling of not saying anything- not being able to say something! Years of being spoken down to, of having it drilled into me that I shouldn't speak unless spoken to resurfaced all at once, overwhelming me. Even with a position of power, a position that I never even wanted, I was still treated like a child!

"Well, y-you can tell father to g-go fuck himself." I gritted out, swallowing thickly as my stutter decided to make a comeback as well. My face was engulfed in a certain heat that could only mean my body was betraying me and giving off a glow.

Things fell silent and it was only then did I realise how ragged my breathing was. While my chest rose and fell in strong movements, Aubrey simply clicked her tongue and pouted.She reached out, a frail hand against my warm cheek and for a split second I could feel the embers of her motherly touch.

"Poor Rian," she cooed. "I figured your father would've beat that stutter out of you a long time ago."

My face fell and my chest constricted in tight knots. She didn't fail to notice how her words affected me, even if she only saw the surface-level stuff. Of course Aubrey would stoop this low.

I bit down on my tongue in an attempt to stay quiet but I only ended up drawing the metallic taste of blood. Jaws set tight, arms locked at my side and my fingernails digging into my palms. I couldn't do much other than offer her exactly what she wanted; My silence.

She patted me on the cheek before shuffling passed. I waited until her footsteps receded far enough before allowing my body to relax and my breathing return to normal. It was like everything inside me was coming undone once and I felt so tired. Usually I'd feel this undying rage build up inside until it became too much, even for me, and I exploded or it billowed out in ways too violent to describe. But if anything, I felt unmotivated and only slightly bothered.

Maybe it was having bad memories brought up, maybe it was the fact that I had my ass kicked earlier today- it was anyone's guess. Perhaps it was the idea of Remus and Florence kissing looming over me.

I roughly ran a hand down my face, staring at the bathroom door for another minute or two before running in and locking the door behind me. Here, and only here, would I allow myself to completely unravel and shed a tear. I gripped my hair and tried not to pull too hard in hopes that it would make me forget about how pathetic it was to be crying in a hotel bathroom.

The day had started off on such a light note, what the hell happened?

I didn't dare look at myself which saved the mirror from my first. Instead, I ran a bath and waited until the small ripples lapped at the edge of the tub and threatened to spill. With the steam billowing up against my face, I felt somewhat at ease, but I knew that it wouldn't last. As I stripped my clothing and felt the water for its temperature I openly cussed the hotel for the temperature regulations and how the water was nowhere near scalding.

Instead of complaining further, I allowed my core to warm up and focused on directing the heat to my fist. I felt the calming sensation of the inhuman heat flow through my veins as it quite literally worked its magic and relaxed me some, my muscles easing and making my rigid back loosen. God it felt good.

My first glowed pink shortly before growing into a sizzling red hue and slowly heating the water up. I didn't enjoy using my abilities for something as... childish as this but I wasn't about to soak myself in lukewarm water!

Only when a few bubbles slid off my closed fist did I remove my hand and quickly hop in, groaning out of pure delight as the hot water eased my stiff body. Baths like this not only rid me of the day's grime and dirt but also soothed my mind, washing away whatever bad thoughts I had conjured up. Long gone was my mounting responsibilities, my nagging father, Remus' sudden announcement and finally, Florence.

Well, that was a lie. Florence was probably the only thought I had that couldn't be kept at bay with a reassuring bath. Ever since the sleepover- or rather the festival- actually, no, the day I first laid eyes on him, he had been on my mind! Either in the forefront, distracting me with that perfect smile and his cute dimples or in the recesses of my brain, teasing me after every other thought. Right now was no exception.

Before I could distract myself, my mind was betraying me with sweet thoughts of the guy. I was very much aware that guys- friends weren't supposed to think of each other like this but I couldn't help myself. I pictured Florence here, the source of my comfort. His hands replaced the warmth of the water, caressing every inch of my body in uttermost care- a way I believed only Florence could give. I let my head hang back, eyes closed and giving me more space to work with as darkness engulfed me.

His delicate fingers would glide along my bare thighs, causing me to suck in a breath and snarl. He would pause, asking if it was okay for him to be doing this and ask me if I wanted to stop. The thought made me huff out a chuckle. Florence would totally be that guy.

I felt my face grow considerably warm. That guy. Ignoring the straying thought, I tried my best to focus on the bar of soap I had decided to roughly lather against my skin but even with the bubbly suds sticking to the hairs on my arm I couldn't stop myself.

Soap against skin turned to skin against skin, with Florence edging ever so closer to my cock. Heat exploded across various areas as the idea of Florence purposefully teasing me came to light. I bit down on my tongue as I came to the realisation that there was no use in denying myself this.

I would tell him that I was fine and that I wanted him to continue. He'd smile sheepishly before continuing his craft, permitting himself to further explore my body with such intimacy. His hands would eventually- but reluctantly- leave my thighs, avoiding what I really wanted him to pay attention to, and move to my chest, ghosting over the series of muscles and abs. I could practically see his face burning a bright red.

My breathing hitched when I dared myself to push further, picturing him pushed up against me, exploring with more than just his hands. We wouldn't have to worry about the movement of our bodies or the way we disrupted the water and had some spill over, only each other. I was caught up in the way his cheeks would flush, the formation of his dimples when he'd suck in a breath or how his mouth formed the perfect 'o' when pushed to his limits.

I groaned, swallowing thickly before deciding to do something about my growing problem. I kept up with my world of fantasies as they sped up to accommodate my climbing climax. With more and more lewd thoughts of Florence plagued my mind in the best way possible, it wasn't long before lust had me stroking my shaft with a vengeance. Florence was so, so beautiful and the thought of having him here with me had my eyes rolling back.

In my head, his touch held no firmness but wielded an insane amount of carnal knowledge. He'd know exactly which areas to pay attention to and how well to work them, how to properly utilise those hips and- god, how blissful our shared warmth would be.

I bit my lip in order to save myself from a deep, guttural moan before that sweet blissful feeling climbed up my thighs and exploded like a wayward firework throughout the entirety of my body. The sensation was so powerful that I gripped the side of the bath and enjoyed the way my muscles contracted before letting loose in the best ways possible.

Grunts and other, more animalistic noises, flew past my lips despite my attempts to keep quiet. I shuddered a couple times from the mere intensity of my orgasm, 'fireworks' still setting off within me as I came down from that blissful , stroking myself a couple more times until I truly felt myself unravel.

While I calmed down and quietly panted I thanked myself for choosing to take a bath. I had been pent up for some time now and judging by the intensity of my orgasm, my... release would've been an annoying mess to clean up.

Despite my past thoughts and worries of regretting it, I found that I felt nothing of the sort. In fact, I was left with a cozy buzzing feeling all over my body.

I left the warmth of the bath soon after, having no interest in sitting in the aftermath of my delightful self-indulgence. I drained the bath before sneaking a glance at myself in the fogged mirror. I was happy not to feel any resentment and no urge to shatter the mirror but instead I felt the stirrings of determination.

Before I could even figure out what I was determined for, I was moving, wrapping a towel around my waist and heading straight for my room. I didn't bother getting changed, only grabbing my phone and tapping away fervently. I chewed the inside of my cheek when the results I earned weren't what I was looking for.

'Places to take your date?'

'Ideal first date destinations?'

'Miradel date hot-spots'

'Where do I take a guy you just recently found out you liked in a not-so-straight way?'

Yeah, I'll admit, that last one was a bit of a stretch. However, it was actually what gave me a somewhat desirable result. It was an article with a title of something along the lines of 'Some Not-So-Straight Date Suggestions'. I scrolled down until I came across a decent looking restaurant of some sorts. It was designed after those early eighties diners and the whole appeal of the bright lights reminded me of Florence. This would be so perfect for him.

I smiled inwardly at the idea of bringing Florence here and revealing that I had him in mind. I noted the details for the diner before taking it from there. It was located on the boardwalk which had all sorts of attractions overlooking the beach- honestly, it was like everything was coming together. With an arcade nearby and multiple ice cream parlours littered across the seaside I was practically set to go.

I continued to plan further, from specific times to even the booth we were going to sit at. I made sure to call the diner and reserve a spot just in case it was overbooked and checked the opening times for the arcade. I had to stop myself from drafting my conversation with Florence because I did have limits and as much as I valued my pride, I was reminding myself a little too much of a Wyvern.

Some time had passed, my tingling from being left out in the cold air and my hair beginning to dry. I had ditched my phone on the bed and paced around the small confines of my room, stressing over whether or not to ask Florence now. Nip it in the bud- get it over and done with! I had no idea what I was gonna say, how I was gonna say them and whether or not I should even go through with it! It took myself a lot of reasoning and a constant reminder that I had already booked our place at the diner before I let loose and snatched up my phone, dialing Florence's number and waiting.

I eagerly waited, my heart stopping after every ring. I hated the feeling of my chest constricting, waiting for him to pick up, only to hype myself up all over again as the line fell silent. I let the anticipation build up for the next ring, no response. It rung again and I was starting to regret my over-eagerness.

"Hey.." Florence's voice greeted my ears, his voice acting like a graceful melody. I smiled despite my mouth drying and my throat closing up.

"Florence! Hi! I.. wanted to ask-"

"You've reached me at a bad time, sorry! Feel free to uhh- leave a message after the beep?"

I felt a pang in my chest and I cussed loudly. I wanted to kick myself for being so stupid and making a fool of myself, even if I was my only witness. However, the small laugh at the end of his message made me feel a little better.

"This is so stupid, Josh-" There was a sudden beep and I quickly hung up.

Why hadn't he picked up? Was it because he didn't recognise my number? Had he not saved it when I had called him a few weeks ago? What did that say about our relationship? Maybe this thing wasn't going to work out and I was only fooling myself into thinking Florence would be interested in me, or that we could ever work out! God, I was so stupid-

My phone pinged and my eyes caught onto the glowing numbers present on my lock-screen. It read 2:15 AM. He was most likely asleep!

Safe to say my nerves were put at ease but my ego certainly wasn't. How the fuck had so much time passed? I was so caught up in my own world of planning dreamy dates that I hadn't thought to track time. Apparently being sappy made me ditzy.

I chuckled to myself, finally feeling the effects of fatigue weigh down on me. It was certainly time to go to bed, recharge and then work up the courage to ask Florence on a date. Jeez, a proper date with Florence. My head swirled and my stomach fluttered with the thought. Only when I had changed into my boxers and settled into the comfort of my bed did I spare a thought for Remus.

How could I forget? Remus had taken a Florence out before me, they had shared a wonderful moment and an intimate one. Something hurt but I couldn't place my finger on it. It pestered me, causing a dark emptiness to take place within my stomach. I figured it would be jealousy, something I had only experienced a few times but it wasn't that, it didn't feel right to label it as just jealousy. The concoction of mysterious emotions pestered me and had me rolling around in my sheets, irritated that I couldn't figure myself out after I had just come to terms with the fact that I like Florence.

What felt like hours passed until a sudden thought popped up and I felt like I could finally label it as something.

I was jealous, of course, but that was only a small part in a bigger fuck-up of emotions. I realised I was upset over missing out. I wasn't there to experience what they had, the intimacy and all. I thought back to my previous fantasies of Florence and suddenly Remus was right there with us.

The previously dark room lit up with the soft glow of my cheeks as I prepared for my bed to go up in smoke. Luckily it didn't and I was left with another scenario to torment myself over. I looked at the clock on my nightstand and grimaced when I read 3:45 AM.

I can't seem to catch a break, can I?

Ah, nothing like the post-nut clarity to help our boy Rian out!

Anyways- hi, been awhile huh? I honestly can't say sorry enough so I'm just going to give y'all this steamy chapter and hope it's enough to buy your forgiveness.

In regards to the... bath... scene, I really contemplated writing it! I always had some smut in mind when I first wrote this book but after not writing any for so long I figured I wouldn't go into detail but I kinda proved myself wrong. Sorry if it sounds odd, I'm a bit rusty!

How are we feeling about Rian after his unique way of relaxing? Any ideas on how Rian feels towards Remus?

Thoughts and predictions are always welcome!