"Bruh, I can't keep doing math like this," Tommy said, holding the sides of his head.
"It does it for you!" Dave's voice strained.
It had been a while since they'd gotten together for a family game night like this: Phil, Dave, Wilbur, Tommy, and now Tubbo and Clay were joining on the chaos. Dave and Tommy were always very competitive with each other while Phil simply enjoyed the company and tried to keep things civil. Wilbur—well, Wilbur liked egging Dave and Tommy on the whole time.
"Well, I can't keep looking at numbers like this!" Tommy corrected.
Phil laughed, "Tommy, c'mon bud, it's not that bad."
"I hate Monopoly," Tommy muttered.
"It's my turn!" Tubbo cheered as the TV blared the typical jazzy sax and piano music that Tommy was growing to hate.
"If Tubbo wins, I'm setting this whole thing on fire," Wilbur said.
"Please don't try to start a fire in my house again, you know you can't," Dave deadpanned.
"Again?" Clay whispered to himself as Tubbo's dice rolled across the screen.
"I have no idea what I'm doing, to be honest," Tubbo confessed.
"What?!" Tommy exclaimed.
"You're in second place! What do you mean you don't know what you're doing?" Phil said between laughs.
"I've just been making random decisions! Your turn now, Dave."
The corners of Dave's lips threatened to flicker up into a smile, but he forced it back. Hearing somebody call him by his real name, Tubbo in this case, without feeling sick to his stomach from thinking about Skoal was such a gratifying feeling.
Nearly a week had passed since Dave spilled his life story to Clay and, while he felt relieved, he found himself thinking a lot about it—not bitterly, but rather apathetically if he was to be honest. Dave had been reflecting a lot about his childhood, his mother, and his father. He'd repressed so much for so long and after opening up that door, he couldn't just shut it like nothing happened. Now, he realized that this was his real family and had been this whole time. The people in this room were who he belonged with—the people he could count on and be counted on by. Every single one of them, from Phil all the way down to Tubbo, had helped Dave learn to trust again, to accept love and empathy from others and show how he felt in return. Clay had been the one to make the final blow, but if it weren't for the rest of them, Dave was certain Clay would have made little to no progress.
"Dave! It's your turn," Tubbo's voice snapped Dave out of his short daze.
"Oh, sorry," he said, pressing the button prompt shown on screen and watching the dice roll.
"I wish Judith was here," Tubbo said wistfully.
"Oh, enough about the mantis!" Tommy barked.
"You named your mantis Judith?" Clay asked.
"I think it suits her perfectly!" Tubbo beamed.
"I'm surprised the poor bug is still alive," Wilbur murmured.
Phil hummed with curiosity, "How long do they live on average, again?"
"Smaller ones like Judith are supposed to only live four to eight weeks. I'm not sure how old she was when I actually found her in the garden but I'm pretty sure she's outlived the usual limit. I've been trying to take really good care of her..."
Tommy smiled; he couldn't even be upset about it anymore. Tubbo could be silly at times and fixate on odd things but it was just nice to see one's friend so happy and passionate about anything. Tubbo always had a love for small insects and animals in general, but it often surprised other people how much research he did and the intelligent conversations he could hold on topics he truly found interesting.
Days like these were ones that Dave always cherished, remembering every detail of the moments he spent with his loved ones. At the end of the day, they'd all—aside from him and Clay—be sleeping in beds miles upon miles apart, but it didn't matter to any of them. No matter how mundane it was, like just playing Monopoly, or how exciting, like when Wilbur tried starting a house fire in a magic-proofed house, Dave would never live any of it down. He wondered if it mattered as much to the rest of them—if they also took note of even the tiniest things whenever they were truly happy.
"Alright, lemme just check something here," Tommy said, "Because according to the screen right now, Tubbo is in first place now?"
"He's just following his instincts, I guess. Maybe he's a businessman at heart," Clay laughed.
"I've been selling copious amounts of drugs! That's where all the money's come from. Laws are for broke people—you know they call me Big Crime on the streets, after all."
"Where do the drugs come from?" Wilbur asked.
"Oh, Jesus-" Phil held his head in his hands.
"Judith supplies them, she's my partner in crime."
Tommy's jaw went slack with offense, "I was replaced by a mantis?! And a woman?!"
The mantis can't snitch," Clay asserted.
Dave nodded, "He's got a point."
"We came here today to have a good time playing Monopoly-" Tommy began.
"Dad, make the child stop," Wilbur pleaded as Tommy continued complaining, "My ears burn, it's like if I was crunching sand between my teeth."
After Tommy started to rant, with seemingly no end in sight, all of them descended into chaos too.
They weren't even really playing the game anymore.
This was what family really meant.
~~~
"I think I might've passed away during that," Wilbur said quietly, eyes drained of all life at this point, "I'm but a husk of my former self..."
They all mutually decided to just quit but Tubbo was still in the lead at that point and therefore technically the winner.
"...No fire?" Dave checked quietly.
Wilbur groaned, "I don't have the energy."
Phil stretched his arms above his head, joints popping, "All in favor of never, ever playing Monopoly again?"
Every single one of them chimed in—even Tubbo.
"You all wanna stay for dinner?" Dave asked somewhat timidly, used to most of them needing to get home and do something. It was a Friday, so he knew that Tommy and Tubbo didn't have school the next day at least.
"I can stay," Wilbur said first.
Tommy stuck close to his older brother, "Me too."
"I'll text my mom!" Tubbo went next.
All they needed was Phil.
"I'm fuckin' starving," the oldest of them all uttered.
"Go ahead into the dinin' room then, I'll be there after I clean up."
After the other four had left, Clay lowered his voice, "You've been keeping Tubbo's mantis alive with magic, haven't you?"
"Maybe..." the pig blushed.
Clay laughed, "You're cute."
"I-I'm-! Not cute, I... He likes it, so I want him to have it for longer, that's all."
"A lot of effort to go through though, isn't it?"
"It's a tiny little thing, it's not much effort at all."
"Such a big softie," Clay said quietly, gently pulling Dave into a hug, "I love you."
Dave smiled, "I love you too."
They both started to put everything away, tidying up the room. Dave knew the servants had no problem doing it for them, but he preferred they used their time on more important things than a messy living room after a chaotic family game night.
"Tommy's sword is finished and I'm supposed to pick it up tomorrow," Dave said.
"Really?" Clay looked up, "They seriously finished it just in time. Are you gonna wrap it like a gift?" he chuckled.
"I mean... I guess I could wrap it. Golden Crucible started includin' these fancy cases with their swords, so I wouldn't even need to find a box."
"He's really gonna like it then," Clay grinned, "I can wrap it for you, if you want."
Dave laughed softly, "That'll probably work out better, I'm terrible with that sorta thing."
~~~
"What took you both so long?" Phil asked as Dave and Clay sat at the table with everyone else; it was already set and they were just beginning to eat.
Dave groaned, "Tommy left candy wrappers everywhere—we should've checked under the damn floorboards if we really wanted to be thorough."
"You are so mean," Tommy garbled with a mouth full of food.
"Don't talk with your mouth full, that's disgusting," Wilbur grimaced.
"Who even are you anymore? Phil?"
"Don't talk with your mouth full, Tommy," Phil parroted, "You're sixteen."
Tommy slumped down in his chair, silently chewing his food.
"Yeah, and you've got your competition next week," Dave said, "Give it your all, okay?"
"I will, Tec—uh, D-Dave," Tommy quickly corrected himself, not yet used to calling the pig by his real name.
"Hey, why don't we take a little family picture after dinner?" Clay pondered.
"Now that you say it, I don't think we've ever taken one before," Phil murmured.
Tubbo's face lit up, "Does that mean I'm family, then?!"
"Yes, Tubbo," Wilbur smiled.
"You've always been family," Phil affirmed.
Dave's eyes shifted to Phil but quickly darted back to facing forward.
Tubbo cheered, raising his hands into the air, "And we can take another picture after we win Simon's Juniors Tournament!"
"Me and Tubbs have been practicing with some other kids in the gym after school, like, every other day. I think we've gotten really, really good."
"Workin' hard, huh?" Phil asked.
"It's really exhausting..." Tubbo said quietly.
"Please don't work your friend to death, Tommy," Dave tittered.
"He gets breaks!"
"You mean like the water fountain breaks they gave us in gym in primary school? Those refreshing, thirty second long breaks?" Wilbur asked tauntingly.
"I took Judith to school with me yesterday to try and cull the fly population in our cafeteria," Tubbo blurted out, "I don't know if it actually made a difference or not though."
"Keep trying, buddy," Tommy laughed.
Phil missed these dinners; he felt terrible that it had been so long since he sat down with them all like this. Family nights in general were something he was trying to partake in and arrange more, but it continually slipped his mind—not to mention the fact that each of them still had their own home lives to live. Everyone at the table looked so happy and worry-free—Dave, especially. His posture was still as straight and perfect as ever, that would never change, but his demeanor was so relaxed and he was quietly laughing along with them the whole time. He was sure that something had to have happened for Dave to be so care-free but knew it wasn't necessarily his business to ask. If Dave wanted to say something about whatever it was, he could, but he liked his space and Phil knew that.
Phil had an inkling that Dave would be rather excited to talk about whatever event led to the change though—parental intuition, it would seem.
"It's sort of weird having a second family," Tubbo began, "Cause I do a lot of the same stuff with you guys but obviously we don't all live together. But I like it, you guys are nice—and Dave has taught me a lot."
"Dave's taught you a lot?" Phil asked.
"Well, I guess a better way to say it is that he's given me a lot of tools to learn. Books and stuff like that, where to go to find more. I think that blacksmithing is really interesting and I wouldn't have ever discovered that about myself if it weren't for Dave and everything he's taught me about swords."
"He's always valued knowledge and experience," Wilbur said.
"It's important to becomin' who you are, otherwise you have no real identity," Dave explained simply.
"Can we not get all philosophical at dinner?" Tommy asked, "I get enough of that at school."
"Sorry, Tommy," the boar apologized.
They keep on piling on so much homework but I just wanna train... How am I supposed to get signed onto Hypixel or 2b2t if I'm stuck at a desk writing essays and shit?"
"You do not wanna get signed onto 2b2t," Dave chuckled grimly, "Hypixel is fine though."
"You're with Hypixel though! They have such high standards, I'll never make it," Tommy said sadly.
"I think you're pretty good!" Tubbo said, "If Hypixel doesn't want you then that's their loss, not yours. You'll just find some other network and be just as successful."
"You've gotten great at archery and you were already amazing when it came to swordfighting, there's value in having a diverse skill set, I'm sure Hypixel would consider you. It's better to join a network when you're eighteen though, otherwise you have to jump through a lot of hoops and you won't make as much money," Clay explained.
"Tommy, why don't you think Hypixel would want you?" Wilbur asked, "If anything, the fact that Dave and Clay are your trainers will help you out a lot with getting onto Hypixel—they can make recommendations for you."
Tommy looked down solemnly, "I... I don't know why. I guess, recently, I feel like I've stagnated. I'm not really getting better—it's like I've reached my peak and this is as far as I can go. Hypixel wants people who are capable of pushing and pushing and forever getting better, somehow. I don't know if I'm cut out for it."
"Hypixel has a lot of positions Tommy, you don't have to be in one like mine," Dave said strongly, "There's a reason I'm only the third duelist since Hypixel was founded to take on the role I have. It's not for everyone. Even if someone is physically ready for it, most can't take it mentally. Don't put so much strain on yourself, you still have plenty of time to figure out what you want to do. We'll be helpin' you too."
"He's speaking from experience," Phil said, "Dave knows his shit, he'll guide you through it—we all will."
"Yeah..." Tommy murmured.
~~~
"Scooch just a little to the left, Phil... Yeah, that's better. Alright!" A servant clapped his hands together, bringing up the camera on Phil's phone as another positioned an actual camera that Tommy quickly fetched from Wilbur's house.
"Everyone smile!"
Thankfully the entrance hall had great lighting, so no blinding flash was needed to get a proper photo.
"Wait!" Tubbo said, causing both servants and everyone else in frame to freeze.
He trotted over to Dave who swiftly leaned down for the boy, listening intently to his whispered request.
"Give me one minute," Dave said, quickly walking off somewhere.
"What did you ask for?" Tommy inquired.
"You'll see!" Tubbo smiled.
Dave returned with the flower crown that Tubbo had made months ago now, the flowers still as vibrant and alive as ever. The pig hadn't forgotten about Tubbo's creation, making sure to keep every single leaf, stem, and petal perfectly preserved with his magic.
"Flower Boy over here," Tommy teased, tugging lightly on Tubbo's ear.
"And I look great as one!" Tubbo said as Dave carefully laid the crown onto his hair, adjusting a few of its flowers, "I'm ready now."
"Everybody smile on three! One... Two... Three!"
"I look stupid," Tommy grumbled, peering at the photo.
"No, you don't," Phil assured.
"You're just smiling, how do you look stupid?" Wilbur asked.
"We all look happy, not stupid! Even Dave looks really happy, look at his little smile!" Tubbo chirped happily.
"You don't look stupid, Tommy. It's good to smile," Clay said as he gently nudged the boy with his elbow.
His green eyes quickly honed in on Dave in the photograph—he really did look genuinely happy. His smile didn't show any teeth, but the soft upward line across his lips showed a type of bliss rarely seen on the pig. If anything, it almost seemed like this more subtle smile was happier than a big full one. Dave's arm was draped around Clay's waist in the photo, his other hand resting on Wilbur's shoulder to his right side.
Clay was on the right most side of the frame, followed by Dave and Wilbur to the left of him with Phil standing almost center, Tommy and Tubbo on the left most side.
"It's nice to have a family picture finally," Dave murmured quietly, "I'll get some copies framed so we all have one."
"That'll be nice, Dave," Phil said.
~~~
Dave breathed a long sigh of relief as he collapsed into the living room sofa, propping his feet up onto the coffee table. Clay pecked Dave's cheek and leaned his head onto the hog's shoulder, sitting himself down next to the pig.
"Exhausting day, huh?"
"Very," Dave mumbled, "I love them but it's always so drainin' to have people with so much energy around you, y'know?"
Dave noticed the more somber, thoughtful expression on his lover's face and immediately asked about it, "You look like you've got something on your mind."
Clay took in a sharp breath, "I just, um... I wanted to apologize for something. It's kind of been eating me up, all this family time and the fact that you've pushed yourself to even let them call you by your first name—I feel so guilty," the blonde said softly.
Dave's brows scrunched in confusion, "You haven't done anything though."
"Not directly—which is even worse because you had no idea. When I was at the mall with George and Nick, we went to this psychic and when the woman was reading me, she said that... she could read you through me, so I told her to do it. I'm sure you already knew though since you severed whatever connection she'd made..." Clay trailed off, a feeling of iniquity scratching at his heart.
Dave chuckled, "It's sorta just become instinct to do if I don't know exactly who's tryin' to reach out to me. It doesn't happen out of the blue that often but I've made so many enemies," he frowned, "that it's only natural to expect once in a blue moon. I wasn't angry or upset at all and I'm not now either."
"I'm really sorry, Dave."
"You don't need to-"
"I do need to apologize. I shouldn't have invaded your privacy like that. I could have just gone back another time with you if you were actually interested and okay with it but I didn't bother to check with you first. I just get excited when I get to know more about you because that means I have more to go off of to help you, I guess. My intention still doesn't justify what I did though. I'm sorry."
"Clay, it's really alright—it's like you said before, we can't change what we've already done. It doesn't really bother me that badly, I just wasn't too sure what was goin' on. I'm... tired of hidin' shit from people, especially you. I don't care what you find out anymore so long as it's true; soul reads don't tell lies. Even if I don't know about it, it's not all that different from Tommy or Wilbur tellin' you stuff about me."
Clay leaned in for a quick hug, "I know you don't care and I'm glad that I didn't hurt you in any way but the point is that I could have. I didn't ask you about boundaries on that sort of thing first and I should," the shorter man murmured.
"Baby, everyone fucks up. It was a simple and honest mistake. I know I have a lot of issues so there's definitely ways that things like that could go wrong but this is the first time you encountered a situation like that," Dave soothed, gently petting Clay's hair, "There's no reason to feel so awful for it, you didn't try to do anything bad and you've clearly learned from this."
"Everything's just been going so well between us, I'm scared of making any kind of mistake and doing anything wrong and upsetting you or hurting you by accident-" Clay spluttered before being interrupted.
"By accident. If you didn't mean to upset me, it's not fair that I'd direct my anger at you. Everyone is gonna do things that the other doesn't like and that's okay. They're tiny parts of a much bigger picture and those imperfections get lost when you see the whole piece. This isn't worth freakin' out over, I promise."
"Thank you, Dave," Clay whispered, sitting still in their embrace for a minute or so before the pig broke the silence.
"So what exactly did she say, anyway?" Dave asked, "The psychic."
"Oh, well... I don't remember exactly how she phrased it but apparently your soul is, like, older than you? She said that our souls are really closely tied and fate... brought us together..." Clay's speech slowed as the implication of those words finally clicked for him.
"Dave, I think we might be-"
"Soulmates?" Dave cracked a tiny smile, "I figured that was the case; it clicked for me a while ago but I didn't want to bring it up without bein' certain."
Clay froze, staring wide-eyed at Dave for a second before pouncing on him, slamming their lips together and pushing Dave back. The pig clammed up, trying to get in some bigger breaths between Clay's brutally passionate kisses. To say Clay was smothering the pig with his affection would be an understatement; the blonde had become a ball of feelings, even starting to cry.
Dave finally managed to gently push Clay off of him, panting with red cheeks. When it came to this romantic, affectionate side of relationships, he was still very new.
"Clay, relax plea..." he trailed off, noticing Clay's wet cheeks, "Are you okay? Is anything wrong?" Dave asked, gently holding onto Clay's biceps comfortingly.
"No," Clay chuckled, sniffling, "Everything is really right, actually. I feel so happy right now, I can't even explain it. I believed this whole time that I made—I made all the right choices throughout all of this but to know that it's, like... meant to be, that I'm not stupid for following my gut—it's nice to have that reassurance.
"What does this mean for us? Being soulmates?" Clay asked, "It has to do with reincarnation somehow, doesn't it? Can we take away your curse?"
"I'm... There's no way to reverse any of the changes that I've already undergone," Dave said sadly, hands falling to a lower position on Clay's arms. Dave's heart was still warmed by the fact that Clay's mind immediately went to helping Dave rather than anything else.
"This all finally explains why I was feeling the way I was..." Clay whispered, "I couldn't figure out what I was chasing after so hard when this started, I just knew that it was with you. And now I know exactly what was going on and I..." Clay stopped, leaning into Dave's chest and hiding his gleeful smile.
Dave blushed, hugging Clay tightly.
"I could feel that same tug you did," Dave said quietly, "drawin' us together. Obviously, I thought you were attractive—intelligent, strong-willed, successful and determined—but there was always more that made me want you. Soulmates was—I knew it was a possibility from the beginnin' but I just couldn't believe it was really the case that early on. Now, though...."
Clay titled his head up and pecked Dave's lips, letting his grin show in full view, "I'm glad that, if my soul has to be bound to anyone else's, it's yours. I really love you, Dave."
Dave's cheeks grew even hotter as his ears shifted back and forth between being angled back and simply lowered.
"I love you too—so much. I... still regret-"
Clay interrupted, not wanting Dave to have to be reminded even more of it by saying it out loud, "It's okay. I know you're sorry and I'm never going to hold anything like that against you. Don't feel guilty for something you didn't do," he looked into the man's eyes with empathy.
"I still thought it and it was even more than just thoughts—it was my full intention. It's just... What if I had gone through with it? I would've killed my soulmate... That's irredeemable," Dave said quietly, avoiding Clay's gaze.
"You can't spend forever questioning what could've been. There's so much good going for you right now," Clay said, hugging the pig, "You need to keep up your spirit if you want the good to continue."
Dave's lips slowly curled up into a tiny smile, hugging his lover back as gently as possible. It was becoming easier and easier for Clay to reassure Dave of things. The pig was beginning to accept his own self worth since realizing his view of himself had been twisted and warped for so long, happy to take Clay's love and give love back in return without much hesitance anymore.
"Thank you for keepin' my head straightened out."
"Most of the time I'm keeping it the opposite of straight," Clay joked.
"Oh my—shut up," Dave laughed.
"You love me~," Clay sang.
The boar chuckled, "Forever and always."
Dave hugged Clay close, laying both of themselves down onto the couch with Clay underneath him. With a subtle smile, he left gentle pecks all over Clay's neck, cheeks, forehead, and hairline. The pig couldn't help but chuckle at Clay's quiet but contagious laughter. It wasn't all that apparent—very light and breathy—but Dave always found himself unable to not laugh too. Clay's arms held onto Dave's neck, toying with his pink hair as some of the pieces in the front tickled his face.
"God, I love you."
"Is God an exclamation or my name in this context?" Dave asked smugly.
"Asshole," Clay chuckled, pushing him back slightly.
They moved so Dave was sitting up with Clay straddling hips, sitting on his lap with his hands on the pig's broad shoulders.
"I'd say you make a pretty good God though."
"It's not healthy to feed my ego like this," Dave laughed lightly.
"We do a lot of unhealthy things, I'm sure you can let this slide too," Clay grinned, leaning in for another deep kiss.
Sighs left their noses as they let their lips work on their own, mindlessly melting together as Clay curled his fingers through Dave's pink locks, moaning when Dave squeezed his waist in just the right way. Shivers ran down his spine as Dave's hands slid further and further down to his thighs, cupping them in his palms that made Clay feel secure. They silently agreed this is exactly how they wanted the moment to stay, not escalating anything further. Dave already had Clay bent over this couch—and several others—plenty of times already.
Clay bit down softly on Dave's bottom lip, realizing that the boar was in the process of taking his collar off. Dave finally pulled away, leaving Clay panting as he went right for his neck. Clay could barely keep his eyes open, the feeling of Dave sucking and nibbling on his neck too hypnotic to ignore or completely focus on, leaving him in a daze. Dave groaned almost silently when Clay tugged on his hair, sighing happily.
"You just love it when I have to go into a shoot and pretend like everything's fine while the makeup artists cover up all your bite marks, don't you?"
"I definitely do," Dave mumbled into his skin, his hot breath making the area tingle, "You're lucky my favorite spot is where nobody else gets to see."
"You're lucky I don't ever do sex scenes," Clay retorted smugly.
"Not on set you don't. You're my personal performer."
Clay laughed into their next kiss, forceful but not too pushy. He loved the feeling of Dave's hands all over him, squeezing his waist as they ran up his back and down again. The pig was totally relaxed, moaning softly each time Clay messed with his ears. They had completely dissolved into their own little world together, suddenly snapping back to reality when they finally pulled away from each other while desperately catching their breath.
The blonde felt around the couch for his collar, looking down at his hand when he felt the leather. He thought his eyes must've been playing tricks on him: the symbol on his wrist seemed different. For now he just ignored it and moved it to the coffee table, going right back to cuddling with Dave in an instant. Clay adored the man and the ability to be so close to him whenever he wanted, his entrenched feelings running deeper than he could've ever imagined.
"I love you so much, Dave."
Dave hugged him even tighter, pushing one leg between Clay's as they laid there together like they did so often now.
"I love you too."
They said it so much now but every time they meant it more than the last. They were soulmates, and they'd never let anything tear them apart.
~~~
"I want you to whip me again, just... no lower back this time. My upper back should be fine, though, it's not that sensitive."
"Are you sure?" Dave asked.
"Yeah, I'm sure. Last time was nice until you got to that one little spot."
"I can always try a different whip if you'd like that."
"The bullwhip is fine, I like the sting. We can experiment with different ones later."
"Whatever you want, Darlin'."
Clay's stomach had never felt tighter than right now. Red ropes bound his arms across his chest in a mummy-like fashion while he laid across his and Dave's large canopy bed, gagged and blindfolded, with the remote to his collar in his right hand. The bed's sheer, red curtains were closed, casting a faint red hue on both men and complementing the vinous sheets. The duvet was peeled back again to avoid a mess, fresh sheets resting nearby on the dresser. Even if he couldn't see, Clay could still feel the Blood God's presence all around him, eating away at the rest of his senses and dominating the room's atmosphere.
Considering they had no neighbors and were quite high up, the curtains to the room were completely open, letting in a heap of sunlight. Dave specifically waited until this time of day when the sun would be on the correct side of the house, glazing the entire room in orange and gold hues. It illuminated the space—and Clay—in an ethereal way that made it feel like they were in heaven.
Dave could see his insignia on Clay's wrist quite well from the way his hands were positioned—it was warped slightly. All that soulmate talk must've flared Dave's emotions up a little too much. Maybe he could manage to revert it if he was quick enough.
Clay's skin prickled as Dave's soft hands rolled him onto his stomach, moving Clay so his upper half laid across the bed and his legs were still on the floor, forcing him into doggy. Dave generously placed a pillow beneath his knees, not wanting to wear out Clay's joints so soon. So much adrenaline was rushing through Clay's veins, an arousing fear drilling into his bones as his sensitive ears just barely picked up on the sound of Dave's caressing a whip. Unable to speak, unable to move, unable to see, unable to properly experience anything but Dave and his mercy in this situation, Clay was ecstatic. The pig had been holding back less and less, fucking Clay harder, for longer, leaving him more sore from wild positions and bruising his neck with the man's own collar.
"Remember that you asked for this," Dave said.
Clay would've said "yes sir" if he could.
A quiet, muffled whimper managed to escape even through the ball gag as Dave struck the whip down against Clay's ass, watching the fat bounce from the impact and the skin quickly welt up, red and irritated.
"I want you to count in your head for me so you can tell me how many times I whipped you when we're done."
It wasn't a request; it was a demand. Clay nodded, humming as best he could in agreement. He wasn't fully convinced he could even concentrate enough to keep track, but he'd sure as Hell try as hard as he could.
Another crack, and then another, a familiar and dearly missed ripening sting inching up Clay's thighs like he fell into some nettles. Something akin to a growl left Clay's throat, urging Dave to smack him down harder, to make him bleed. If blood wasn't running down his legs, was it even worth it? The sound of the fine leather bullwhip meeting Clay's skin echoed in the room, loud and sharp. Clay panted, heaving deep breaths in pain, pleasure seeping in and balancing things out. Dave was close to breaking skin.
A flurry of whimpers came with every lash of the whip, finally ripping through Clay's most important organ. Quiet mewls snuck their way through the gag in his mouth as he could feel warm blood slowly seeping out of the thin lines across his thighs. Each droplet was small enough to dry out before it could threaten to touch the pillows underneath him. Dave spread Clay's legs further apart, now able to make fresher marks across his inner thighs, making sure to flip back and forth between his inner thighs, outer thighs, and each ass cheek. Dave could feel arousal stirring in the pit of his stomach as he watched Clay's legs twitch, covered in streaks and smears of beautiful crimson. His ass was all propped up, ready to be pounded into, every inch of him ready to be touched, squeezed, and cut.
They were on twenty-three lashes; Clay had managed to keep count so far. As the intensity grew, so did the frequency, so it didn't take long for the number to grow high.
"What a trooper," Dave said, swiping his finger up one of the cuts and licking the blood off, "You still taste just as good as the first time."
Clay moaned quietly, subtly rocking his hips side to side. He felt hot; sweat poured across his body as if he was in a desert.
"I hope you're keepin' track of these because I certainly am."
'Oh, I'm keeping fucking track.'
Clay arched his back as another line of delicate skin broke, going right across the scar on his thigh. Clay wanted to speak, he wanted so badly to beg Dave for every possible thing that he could be subjected to, but he didn't want to lose count of the lashes while Dave was taking out his ball gag. The pig, on the other hand, wanted to make things a bit more challenging for Clay. From his vast collection, he brought out a nice little toy that was similar to a butt plug but had an extension coming off the base that curled back to vibrate against Clay's balls. Clay knew what Dave was trying to do as soon as he felt the lubed up silicone enter him, reminding himself to stay focused on what number he was on.
Clicking its small button twice, Dave put the toy on its medium setting, bringing the bullwhip back into his hands. Clay writhed and groaned beneath him, curling his toes and trying to fight the urge to squirm in pleasure. Clay had spent enough time with Dave to know that if he answered the number of lashes correctly, he'd be rewarded to no end—Dave loved spoiling his beloved, but he also liked to make him work for it at times.
"You look like a slutty mess right now."
Clay grunted, trying to block out Dave's words as the leather he held decimated his lower half, leaving his skin blotchy, red, welted, and bleeding. The pig's voice was so mesmerizing it was difficult to ignore.
"With your ass held up in the air, puttin' on a show for me every time I whip you. Your entire body reacts like you haven't been touched in months but we know it hasn't been that long. Nothing's ever enough to truly satisfy a libidinous little whore like you, is it? How hard do I have to fuck your puny body before you've finally had your fix?" Dave uttered gruffly.
Clay's organs twisted in knots at that, nearly losing track of the lashes—they were on forty-three now. His backside must have looked terrible, but to them, it was great. Harsh breaths escaped Clay's throat as Dave set the toy as high as it could go, giving the smaller man a few more lashes for good measure. He finally turned the toy off completely and pulled it out of Clay's asshole as he watched precum drip down the man's cock, still only half-hard. Even though Clay found it hot, impact play was never something that really got his dick up, no matter how much pleasure he found in it or how much it got him off after he was already fully erect.
Without the toy inside him anymore, Clay could really start to feel the burn on his thighs and ass. He said his upper back was fine when they discussed it before, but it was no secret that Dave had a preference for specific areas of Clay's body.
Dave gently picked Clay's legs up so he was fully on the bed, removing the ball gag from his mouth. It was covered in more spit than he even thought possible.
"Fifty-seven!" Clay blurted weakly, panting, "Y-You whipped me... fifty-seven times."
Clay leaned his head into Dave's palm as the pig pet his hair, giving Clay's lips a soft kiss.
"I knew you'd do it, my good boy. Do you feel okay after everything I said? Did any of it bother you?" he asked quietly, rubbing his palms over Clay's bound hands.
"Yeah, I'm okay. Thank you for always checking..." Clay murmured, holding the remote for his collar tightly within his fingers.
"Do you want your blindfold off?"
"Keep it on."
"I have a suspicion about this lower back of yours," Dave began, carefully putting Clay on his stomach. He slid some pillows underneath him for a little extra support, sitting with his knees planted either side of Clay's, "I think it's an erogenous zone for you, so whipping it so harshly overstimulates you to the point of serious pain. A more gentle approach there is probably what would feel best."
Clay wiggled his shoulders some, rather comfortable in his tight confines. Even if he couldn't move, it wasn't unpleasant. It was quite soothing when he gave it deeper thought, knowing he could trust Dave while in this state completely. It was euphoric, as if nothing bad could happen to him when Dave had him beautifully tied up in his care.
"Do you mind if I try something with it?" Dave asked.
Clay spoke gently, "Go ahead."
He silently breathed out his nose as Dave's fingers gingerly ghosted down his back, stopping at his back dimples. It was so calming and reassuring to him. He moaned quietly when Dave applied a small amount of pressure with his thumbs, sweeping them back and forth. Clay's cock started to stiffen when Dave's thumbs stopped right in the divots of his back dimples, rubbing circles a little harder. In only mere minutes, Dave had started to use his whole hand, massaging and pressing the area as Clay wriggled around, gasping and moaning. Embarrassingly loud and uncontrolled whimpers flew out of his mouth the more Dave worked his hands into the area, using the sound to find all the right little pressure points on the man.
"Fuck, ah—mhng~," Clay whined in disbelief at how hard he was getting because of this. It was just his lower back, after all, he never expected much to come of it.
"Y-You cheater!" Clay stammered in a moan as tingles broke out across the area, a telltale sign that his collar was in use.
"You're the one who hasn't turned it off," Dave grinned, focusing his magic around Clay's tailbone, wails of ecstasy dripping off the man's tongue, "I'm just usin' what you give me."
It was true, Clay had the ability to switch the collar off completely and Dave wouldn't be able to use it anymore—the remote was in his hands.
"I wonder if I can make you cum just doin' this," Dave thought aloud.
Clay bit his lower lip, legs too weak from pleasure to bring them up or do anything other than lay there. The pleasant burn-like sensation faded from his back and reappeared at his cock. The new feeling was almost identical to a handjob, only a lack of actually feeling any hands themselves. His guts were somehow getting even tighter, curling into themselves and rumbling beneath his flesh. Clay had little control over any of his muscles, their only movements involuntary twitches and jolts from how intense the gratification he was experiencing was.
"Dave~! God, fuck...~" he rasped.
His groans turned from whiny to guttural fast, cock swollen and throbbing with blood, more sensitive than ever to actual touch since Dave was abusing his power with the collar. An egregious wail erupted from Clay's throat at the simple slide of Dave's finger down his girth, just barely grazing it. A few idiots at some point had probably wondered what it was like to get two handjobs at once but Clay was probably the only person in existence to actually have that question answered. Dave wrapped his whole hand around Clay's cock, jacking him off while he continued using the collar to pump pleasure through him, his other hand still digging into Clay's sensitive lower back.
Clay panted wildly, unable to choke out any words at all between gasps for precious air and moans that he couldn't contain. It didn't take Dave much effort to get Clay to break, feeling cum running down his fingers from the slit of his lover's cock with a long, obstreperous moan. He screamed out Dave's name between slurred swears as the magic through the collar finally subsided. Dave retracted his hand and gave Clay a few minutes to breathe, rolling him to his side to make it easier on him.
Clay's mouth hung open with drool spilling out over his pouty, pink lips. His blonde hair was a mess, pieces sticking up from his scalp in random spots while other areas had been combed down with sweat. Dave carefully removed the cum-stained pillow from beneath him as he panted, ditching its silk case and throwing both to the floor.
"Y-You're gonna fuck me, right?" Clay asked between breaths, "That's not it, right?"
He was so desperate for more—always.
"Do I ever stop here?" Dave asked rhetorically, reassuring Clay.
"Take the blindfold off," Clay instructed.
He squinted, blinking a few times as light finally met his pupils again. He was greeted with delicate pools of brown, like caramel candies, full of everlasting love.
"Anything else?" Dave asked as he ran his hand down Clay's cheek.
"No, that's it. You can leave me tied up."
Satisfied with that, Dave propped Clay up onto his knees and retrieved the red leash that went to the man's collar, snapping it onto the jump ring at the collar's front. He tied the other end up to the center of the canopy rail that connected the two tall posts of the headboard up top, forcing Clay's head to be up with his posture straight, otherwise it'd choke him. A meek whimper graced Clay's throat as Dave groped his ass, squeezing it in his hands as he put his chin into Clay's neck.
"You're so pretty when you're tied up," Dave purred.
"How do I look when I'm not tied up?"
"Perfect. Nothing ever changes, I just like the red on you," Dave said back as he smoothed his fingers over Clay's nipples, rubbing circles around them.
Clay blushed, leaning back against Dave's chest as he licked his long fingers and pushed them inside of Clay.
"M-Maybe I'll wear red more often for you," Clay stammered, feeling flustered.
"I'll just rip it off anyway, wear whatever you like."
Clay sighed longingly, imagining the scene in his mind as Dave stretched him out, arching his back to put less strain on his neck. Dave put one hand under Clay's chin to help hold his head up, sneaking two of his fingers past Clay's lips and across his tongue. Clay gulped, his confines soft against his skin as he squirmed his arms around in pleasure, barely keeping his eyes open while he carefully explored Dave's fingers. He started to gag a tiny bit as they reached the back of his throat, but Dave pulled them back just enough that Clay wasn't choking.
He was testing the waters, and Clay knew it.
Clay eagerly sucked on Dave's fingers, pushing his hips back against Dave's and groaning at the friction.
"Just look at that, so obedient when you start gettin' desperate—not that you're not already a spoiled, bratty, little pushover, takin' me night after night, with no complaints, like the good little dog you are," Dave said, a sly smile adorning his lips.
Clay whined, working his tongue around the two digits that were stuffed in his mouth. Dave's thumb squished into Clay's cheek, practically fucking Clay's face with just his fingers as he started to position his cock at Clay's asshole. Clay hummed a little, signaling that he needed to speak. Dave removed his fingers, keeping his cock perched at Clay's entrance.
"After you finish fucking me like this, will you," he panted, "w-will you fuck me again? O-On my back, so I can see youu~," he slurred.
"I'll fuck you as many times in as many ways as you want."
"I love you," Clay whispered.
"I love you too," Dave said back, lips caressing Clay's neck.
Clay groaned harshly as Dave slowly sunk his cock inside him, holding one thigh back while he kept Clay's chin up. It was an easy glide in between his spit, the position, and Clay's anatomy in general. It was as if Clay was built for this—he was incredibly sturdy for being so small in comparison to the giant hog. Dave had gotten used to his partners needing much more time to adjust and breathe as their organs were sloshed around, but Clay barely needed anything other than lube and some initial stretching.
"Fuck, you take my cock so well," Dave praised.
Clay moaned, arching his back harder, "Cause we're meant to be together."
Dave felt his cheeks burning as he slammed his hips up, bouncing Clay up some. Clay squealed quietly as he landed back down right onto Dave's thick cock, feeling it push past his prostate with such force and pressure.
"Do that again," Clay whined.
"Don't be a brat—beg your God to give you what you crave."
"God, I—I love the way you make me feel, I love how it feels to have your giant cock inside me, pounding into me and leaving me sore. Yours is the only one I want—you're all I want, a-all the time. Nothing else can satisfy me anymore but you! Nothing else, nobody else, is good enough! I-I have to have something divine, the blessing of God, to feel good! I need you to feel alive, God!"
Clay wailed, his high-pitched screams and moans coated with ecstasy as Dave roughly thrusted upwards over and over again, bouncing Clay up and down on his girth.
Their skin glistened with sweat, lines of it clearing away dried blood down Clay's thighs and ass. Dave gave up on supporting Clay's head, choosing to instead hold onto his legs just above the knees to better control him. It gave Clay more air time as Dave pushed him up higher by his legs, letting him drop down even harder, cock slamming inside of him with no mercy. There was just barely enough slack on the leash that it didn't tug on Clay's neck through the process so long as he kept his head pushed forward.
Clay went to reach back and put his arms around Dave's neck, forgetting that his hands were tied up. He decided to ditch the remote, dropping it since he didn't have a gag in anymore and really had no reason or want to disable the collar's magic. His stomach bubbled and his prostate was screaming at him with joy, every nerve in his body sending pulses of happiness and delight to his brain, engulfed in endorphins and getting high off his own hormones. The scent of salty sweat permeated the room with an underlying floral aroma, no doubt from the roses on their dresser and all the other bouquets and vases of flowers that filled the space.
Dave bit down into Clay's neck, slowing down his thrusts a little but keeping them just as hard and forceful. His ears twitched at every little whimper and breath that left Clay's mouth, eager to every possible sound that he could make. Dave's canines broke skin—just barely, the tiny bit of blood the two little marks made easily licked up by the pig. The metallic, salty taste never got old, and Clay had only been tasting better since his diet changed when he moved in.
Clay could feel his stomach moving to accommodate Dave, something that actually hadn't happened before—was he somehow even bigger than usual? Was it the position? Had Clay's organs shifted out of place from constantly being fucked so hard? He wasn't in any pain, so any questions Clay had quickly vacated his mind, washed away by euphoria, lust, and ardor.
Who else could possibly say they'd been fucked like this by their soulmate? Dave really loved Clay and he always showed it, without even knowing it sometimes.
"You feel bigger tonight, I don't know what it is," Clay panted.
"Is it uncomfortable?" Dave asked, somewhat worried.
"N-No! Aaha~! Th-this is the best I've ever felt!" Clay uttered as he pulled his head back some, accidentally choking himself with his collar for a split second.
Spit ran down Clay's chin but he didn't care, knowing that Dave would cum soon and then flip him over just to brutalize him again. Dave didn't care how stupid he looked, how messy things got, or anything like that, and Clay appreciated it. Dave's cock was beginning to swell and he could feel his stomach drop, knowing he was just at the cusp of climaxing. He was fully aware that Clay knew he was close too—his bratty sub was bucking his hips back hard, purposely moaning louder and louder.
"Is my cumslut that desperate for his next hit? Is this like a drug for you?"
"A little bit," Clay teased back.
"You're gonna fuckin' overdose right now then."
Clay almost choked on his tongue this time, not expecting that response in the slightest—he actually felt a tiny bit nervous now.
Dave managed to keep a steady rhythm all the way through, picking Clay up by his waist to pull him even closer. Clay's legs shook with a mix of fear and excitement, unable to support his weight anymore. Dave finally came with a long, deep moan, hot cum spilling into Clay at an alarming rate. Dave's fingers dug into the fat of Clay's hips, his nails nearly piercing the skin; he had a death grip on the smaller man. Clay squeaked and whimpered, squirming his hips around at the sensation. He could feel it going up and inside him, sticking to the walls of his intestines all hot and thick. It didn't seem to ever stop, more and more being pumped into him constantly. He loved the feeling but it was different from normal.
"D-Dave, why is there—eeah~ s-so much-?"
"Do you need me to pull out?"
"No! I can take it, I can take it all-!"
Dave groaned, still in the middle of an orgasm as he spoke, "C-Clay, honey-"
"I want every fucking drop inside of me—that's where it belongs," Clay spluttered as sternly as he could.
As Dave finally finished, he slowly pulled his cock out of Clay with a quiet grunt, panting.
"Holy shit," he said under his breath, watching an unsightly amount of semen splatter onto the sheets, the shaft of his cock coated with it as well.
Dave unclasped the leash from Clay's collar as he caught his breath, the blonde doing the same, collapsing down onto the bed. Clay barely got himself onto his back, staring up at an absolute mess of a man. Dave leaned over Clay with half lidded eyes, both of them still panting as cum continued leaking out of Clay.
"Are you really sure you wanna get fucked twice in a row?"
"I want to push myself as far as I can for you," Clay admitted quietly.
"You don't have to do that, darlin'. Be honest—can you physically go another round?"
"Please untie my arms."
"Okay," Dave said simply and quietly, quickly loosening the major knots and tossing the rope away in a heap.
000"I'm not cummin' inside you again."
"Why not?" Clay whined.
"That's already as much as you can take, it's spillin' out."
Dave cupped Clay's cheek in his hand, "I don't want to hurt you," he said softly.
"I'll be okay," Clay smiled, running his hands down Dave's chest.
Clay quietly huffed out a gasp as Dave pushed his legs back and slowly plunged his cock into him again, cum gushing out accompanied by familiar, sloppy squelches. Clay was quieter now, basking in the attention Dave's hands offered his body, squeezing his waist and caressing the spaces between his ribs. Tiny moans trailed out, one after the other, as Dave carefully slotted his lips between Clay's. He draped his legs around Dave's torso and threw his arms over his neck, hanging onto him like he'd fall if he ever let go.
The warmth inside him was intoxicating, still blooming larger and filling him with euphoric rapture. Clay could faintly taste his own blood on Dave's tongue as he licked Clay's teeth, his thicker saliva coating each tooth. A line of spit still connected their mouths when Dave pulled away. The soft satin sheets underneath him soothed Clay's aching skin, feeling cool and soft against it. The smaller man moaned sonorously as his cock rubbed against Dave's stomach, a symptom of their position. Every thrust put friction against his shaft, both men panting and groaning wildly with delight. Dave always loved the way Clay's body twitched and writhed uncontrollably, devouring the sight of Clay's head thrown back against the pillows as he screamed and wailed with tears at the corners of his bright jade eyes, which were barely visible.
Clay's legs were so sore from the lashings but he didn't dare tell Dave to stop, taking the pain with the pleasure as he said he always would. He clawed at Dave's scarred back, knowing his throat would be sore later from all the screaming he was doing. He didn't care though, not trying to hold anything back and letting everything out.
"You just can't help yourself can you?" Dave panted quietly, his voice obscured by all of Clay's cries and mewls of pleasure.
Clay arched his back, whining shrilly as he tightened his grip even harder on the boar's back—his shoulder blades, specifically. His body burned, his fingers and toes especially. Clay could feel every subtle movement of Dave's cock, smearing cum deeper inside of him and working against his prostate nonstop. Dave swiped Clay's tears off his cheeks, face drifting closer to the blonde's until it went to one side, swirling his tongue on the shell of Clay's ear.
Their bodies were so close, so hot, drenched in sweat with minds that were clouded with desire. Clay turned his head to one side, giving Dave a better angle, which the pig gladly took advantage of. Clay's hands trailed from Dave's neck to his back and down his shoulders, biting the insides of his cheeks as he garishly bucked his hips.
"I-I don't understand how you have this much—nghh~ th-this much s-stamina," Clay stuttered between frantic breaths.
"What else can you expect from God?" Dave mumbled against Clay's ear, his warm breath making the other man's skin prickle.
Narcissism isn't typically thought to be hot but it's different when it's someone like Dave. Clay groaned as Dave's abs slid up and down against his cock, Dave's own girth filling Clay up like never up before. Dave reached for Clay's hands which rested on his arms, dragging them up above Clay's head and pinning down his wrists, retracting his face from the other's ear.
"I can expect seconds, I guess," Clay said smugly after a few seconds.
"Don't make me break your spine," Dave said harshly, keeping one hand on his wrists and snatching Clay's face with the other, squeezing his cheeks, "You only live because I allow you to—be glad your God is generous."
Dave's hands slid down to Clay's neck, tugging on his collar.
A stupid grin emerged on Clay's lips, "You're always so scary but it only turns me on more," he gasped.
Watching the pinkette loom over him with his hair a complete mess, staring him down with savage, bloodthirsty eyes left a pit in Clay's stomach that shifted with Dave's cock ramming in and out of him. Clay's dick felt so stiff and throbbed with blood, just begging for that one little touch to finally send him over the edge—but nothing felt better than being Dave's and knowing no one else could have either of them.
Clay's throat was starting to get a little scratchy now but he ignored it, focused on Dave's clear eyes and chiseled face, with stern, focused brows and petal-soft lips that parted to gasp in heavy but quiet breaths. Dave was a masterpiece in Clay's eyes, perfectly sculpted to lure in anybody that caught the mutt's attention. Behind the looks laid what Clay thought of as an incredible and complex mind, one that needed constant nurturing. Dave was always learning, reading, practicing something, he busied himself as much as he could. He was a hard worker in all aspects, bedroom included.
While Dave was being examined and admired, he stayed enamored by Clay's unrivaled beauty, both inside and out. He found Clay's attitude so lovely, his optimistic but real approach to everything was a stark contrast to the cynical pig's own rule of thought. Clay's vibrant gaze and loose, relaxed posture always made Dave feel so much more comfortable knowing that his lover was comfortable too. His carefree and determined nature had such a positive effect on Dave that had become so great everybody could tell.
Both of them knew Clay would be a mutt next life. It went unspoken between them, but there was no denying that Clay had given into lust. Regardless of if they were soulmates, Clay wasn't going after Dave's heart initially. The criteria for who was truly considered a sinner was quite foggy, but it wasn't a rare achievement by any means.
They only worried about this life though. Clay taught Dave to live in the moment and worry about their current, living, breathing selves. Pure gratification is all that ran through Clay and Dave's heads as they both finished in unison on Clay's stomach. He was covered in translucent gunk all over, mostly from Dave, not that he really cared. It would take forever to clean himself out after this.
Dave's posture dropped and his face lowered to be much closer to Clay's as his chest heaved deep breaths. Dave pushed his tousled hair out of his eyes, leaning their foreheads together. Clay happily grabbed Dave's cheeks and gave him a quick peck on the lips.
"I wish there were more ways to tell someone you love them," Clay said tiredly, "I don't want you to get sick of hearing a million 'I love you's every day.
"I could never get sick of hearin' you say anything."
"You're just so fucking amazing, I don't know what else to even say."
Dave blushed as he sat up, still straddling an exhausted Clay.
"You don't have to say anything when you show everything as much as you do. I get silent 'I love you's constantly and they're something I look forward to."
Clay closed his eyes and smiled in silence, the room falling quiet. The sun was much lower in the sky now, casting the room's upper half to the ceilings in its warm, golden tendrils. Dave let his head fall to Clay's sternum for a few minutes, listening to the birds chirp outside as Clay gently stroked his hair. With a quiet sigh, Dave sat up again and got off the man, sitting on the edge of the bed.
He may have been railed out of his mind, but Clay always retained the capacity for observation. Dave's back, which Clay didn't see that often, had lots of scars layered together. In particular, some jagged, vertical lines all along his upper back. The blonde reached out to hold Dave's hand, weakly grasping his fingers as his bracelet fell down his skinny wrist.
This was the beginning of a whole new chapter of their lives—as soulmates.