⚠️ W A R N I N G ⚠️
This chapter gets a bit steamy! Nothing too vulgar, though!
•••
When Aries asked Sagittarius to stay, he honesty didn't expect her to. Not this long anyway. She never went home after Aries reawakened, and it's been some of the most fun he's had in years.
Dance-offs. Movie marathons. Testing out Aries' powers. Calling Leo - and freaking out when he didn't answer. Falling asleep on the couch together. Falling asleep in Aries's bed. Steamy make-out sessions.
Today was Sag's reawakening, and to say they were both excited was an understatement. They both woke up early and got dressed quickly - Sag wearing one of Aries' shirts and Aries not wearing a shirt at all - before heading straight into Aries's backyard.
"Alright, universe!" Sag shouted to the morning air. Aries looked up to try and see who the hell she was talking to. "Gimme some powers, but hold off on the pain, please!"
"Babe," Aries said, nudging her with his elbow. "I don't think that's how that works."
"Oh yeah?" She glared at him, putting her hands on her hips. "How's it supposed to go, genius?"
Aries bit his lip, taking in the way she looked. How adorably small she was to him now, and even more so in his shirt. Her hair was a mess and her skin was a perfect chestnut brown. He could stare at her all day if she let him.
And of course, she doesn't. "Earth to Lizard Boy!" Aries blinked, finally noticed that Sag was snapping in his face.
He sucked his teeth and grabbed her hand scowling down at her. Dios, esta linda. "What?" He asked, trying to keep on his scowl.
"Show me how to get this over with!" Aries couldn't pinpoint when these sudden feelings for her came from. Nor could he understand why said feelings didn't go away after he slept with her. Twice. She wasn't anyone special, just Sagittarius. A close friend. A very pretty, very sexy, close friend. "Tell me how to summon my inner Zodiac!"
"Like hell if I know." Aries shrugged as he responded. "It just... happened."
He didn't want to think much of it. If he were to tell Sag the truth, the entire experience was terrifying and painful beyond words. Sag had softened, hugging him tightly. "We can take it slow, okay? I know it was scary for you."
Take what slow? Aries didn't want to know if it was either their relationship or her reawakening that she wanted to take slowly. He wasn't a slow person, neither was she. How would we even work? Would we work? Fuck...
"Spacing out on me again, huh, Lizard Boy?" Sag rolled her eyes before turning her attention back at the sky. "What's taking so long, Gods?"
"Babe," Aries started, his sigh turning into a laugh. "That's not how it goes."
"Oh yeah?" Sag raised an eyebrow. "Then gimme some tips, Lizard Boy."
"You know I don't have any. And stop calling me Lizard Boy."
"I will when you stop being a lizard, Lizard Boy." She poked his chest, smirking up at him. Aries bit the inside of his cheek, contemplating on whether kissing her would be a good idea. Knowing her it probably wasn't. "And don't think I haven't noticed you staring at me. Like what you see?"
Aries forced himself to not nod like an idiot. Instead, he sucked his teeth and walked back into his house. Sag followed, complaining and trying - and failing - to get his attention.
A tug on his arm got him to stop. He looked down to see her small frame clinging to him. She was pouting. It was adorable. Aries sucked his teeth again. "Sag. Let go."
"Not until you show me how to get my powers."
Sighing, Aries huffed. "Fine. Follow me, sidekick." He chimed, strutting back outside into his spacious backyard. "You want some pointers? I'll give you some."
"Sidekick?!" Sag yelled, running after him. She threw a punch and Aries caught it easily. "I'm not your damn sidekick, Lizard Boy."
"Oh yeah?" Aries returned the wicked smirk Sag sent his way. He knew his fangs were showing but he didn't care. "I'm on top, baby. And stop fucking calling me Lizard Boy. I'm a dragon."
"Bitch, you got scales. So do lizards. The nickname writes itself." Sag pried herald free, shrugging. "And who said you were on top of anything, big guy?" She poked his bare chest again, a cute eyebrow raised.
Aries grabbed her hand and leaned down, kissing her quickly on the lips. Sag got the message, grabbing his face and kissing him back. When Aries grabbed onto her pants, she pulled away, smirking. "Oh no, Lizard Boy. You gotta earn that. Now come on, let's go for a fly! Maybe the wind'll rejuvenate my senses or something."
Aries didn't think so, but he'd take any excuse to hold her. She skipped away from him, before Aries playfully tackled her and spread his wings. It was much easier now, his wingspan stretching in a single, fluid motion. Nothing like the first day he changed. In seconds, he was soaring in the air, Sagittarius laughing in his arms.
Flying was one of the first things they practiced together. Sag said she wanted to fly, and Aries made damn sure he learned it for her. He practiced for hours, slamming into trees so hard he knocked them down. Now, he's still a little shaky, but much more stable. Sag isn't holding on as tightly as the other day.
They zipped between the trees, their laughter filling the air. Aries had a large wingspan, but he was getting used to bending and twisting his wings to maneuver himself through the woods. Until he hit a branch, making him and Sag both crash to the ground.
They tumbled, Aries clutching Sag so he took the force of the fall. When they landed, Sag was in his lap and they were both breathlessly laughing still. Aries's hair was in his face and Sag was laying on his chest. She smelled so nice, her natural forrest scent mixed in with his body wash. It was heavenly.
"Don't die on me, Lizard Boy!" Sag lightly slapped his face. She was straddling him now, smirking down, inches away from his face. "You good?"
"Pinche infiemro..." Aries mumbled.
"The fuck is that supposed to mean?"
Aries smirked. I love being bilingual. "This." Aries grabbed her shirt and pulled her face down to meet his lips again. This time, she didn't stop him from grabbing onto her thighs.
Of course, everything heats up quickly. Aries' pants are barely riding on his waist, and Sag isn't wasting any time trying to pulling them all the way off. His sweaty arousal almost distracts him from the sudden, harsh pain in his neck. Almost.
He let himself glance down. Sag was sucking on his neck. She's gonna give me a hickey, sick. Weariness was hitting Aries, his horniness slowly morphing into worry. That's when he also notices that there's blood running down his neck. Sangre?!
"S-Sag..." Aries grunted, trying to push her off of him gently. When she didn't budge, burying her hard teeth into him, he let out a mangled cry, shoving her off of him and into a nearby tree. She slammed into it so hard, the tree broke inward.
Aries snapped up, panting and dizzy. Mierda, mierda, mierda! Sag was slumping and shaking against the tree. After pulling up his pants again, Aries forced himself to rush to her, ignoring the feeling of whiplash. Por favor, déjela ser bien...
His world was swirling. Maybe he was losing too much blood. Maybe this was it. Aries felt like he deserved it. "Sag!" He called, still wanting to try. "Lo siento! No quería lastimarte! Sag?!"
He was on top of her, eyes full of burning tears and burning neck pain. Sag didn't flinch when Aries grabbed her face. He was the one to flinch when he finally took in her appearance.
Sag's ears were pointed, even more than Taurus's. She had fresh, pearly fangs, coated in dark blood - Aries's blood. Her teary eyes matched the blood on her teeth. She reawakened. "I'm sorry!" She gasped, shaking in Aries's hold. "I'm so sorry... I... I didn't mean it, I'm sorry."
"Hey, hey." Aries tried to lower his voice. He held her to his chest, biting the inside of his cheek. Sag was clearly distressed, and that mattered more to Aries than some bloody neck wound. His pain can wait. "Sag, I'm fine. Did I hurt you?"
"No... but I hurt you."
"I'll live." He chuckled, shrugging. His neck muscles flexed and it send another surge of pain Aries ignored. "I've been banged up before, it's nothin' your Lizard Boy can't handle."
She laughed, pushing herself back towards the tree. There was a pang of jealousy, she looked fine. No shattered bones. If anything, she just looked even more gorgeous. "Just... stay back, okay? I might go in for seconds." Aries gave her some space, and she let out a breath. "Holy shit.."
Sag sat up, her right ear flicking. Aries didn't move when she shook, vibrated. Standing up, she tried to step forward but was an instant blur. Aries blinked, thinking he missed her movements. Or... "Super speed!" Aries exclaimed, using his wings to lift himself off the ground. "That's fuckin' sick, Babe!"
"I know right!" She zipped around him, her laughter filling the air again. Aries sighed with relief. She'll be okay. "This rocks! Thank you, Universe!" Digging her heels in the dirt, she stopped, and jumped. She went a lot higher than Aries expected - and didn't come down.
Sag squealed when she wobbled and awkwardly swayed in the air. "I can fly!" She yelled, twirling and trying to regain her balance in the air. Aries had no clue how she was doing it, but, with a silent smile, he spread his wings and held onto her waist.
"Steady yourself." He told her as gentle as he could make himself sound. Taurus makes it look so easy. He let her go and she wobbled a bit more, before being still in the air. "That's it!"
"This is so weird!" She was still yelling, quickly getting the hang of it. Loops and flips came easy, as if she hadn't just gotten the ability. "But... it feels so natural... hey, Leo's close by, wanna show him?"
"Sure." Aries shrugged as he landed. He wasn't too worried about his friend. Leo was a tough guy, he was probably enjoying his alone time with Libra.
Aries knew the way to his best friend's house from here. He casually led the way, Sag effortlessly floating behind him. The fence wasn't hard to jump - or float - over, Aries and Sag crossed his backyard. Aries didn't mention the dried blood he saw before he went inside.
"Leo?" Sag called out, floating into his house. Aries followed, still slightly dazed. She had just reawakened and was perfectly fine, other than nearly killing him. Plus, his neck still throbbed. "Buddy? Come on out, I got something to show ya!"
"Maybe he isn't here..." Aries mumbled, finding his way into a bathroom for some bandages. He knew how to patch himself up, quickly cleaning his neck with alcohol and wrapping it up. It was almost automatic; he'd done it with his knuckles so many times before. "He could have gone to Libra's."
"No he's here." Sag told him, still not landing. "I smell him."
"You smell him?"
"Yeah." Sag answered slowly. "You, too."
Aries smirked, following the girl up to Leo's room. "You like my scent, Bat Girl?"
Sag lightly hit him. "Shut up and keep looking." They made their way upstairs, into Leo's extravagant hallway. Aries had snuck in so many times, this was nothing new.
"Go away..." Aries heard a low mumble. He recognized the voice easily. "Please."
"The bedroom." Sag said. Aries was already making his was into Leo's room. The door was locked, but locks never stopped Aries. With a hard twist, the lock was broken and the door was forced open.
Leo sat in the corner of his large room, curled into a tight ball. He had fluffy black ears and a tail to match. When he noticed Leo was shaking, Aries stopped Sag from rocketing towards him. "Hang on." He whispered to her. "Something's wrong."
"Just go away..." Leo said again. As if he was begging. Sag landed for the first time since she gained the ability. "I know... I know you want to help, but you can't..."
"Leo.." Sag pouted, ducking under Aries's arm. She took slow steps, but Aries could tell she was struggling to control her newfound speed. Her hands were shaking, her long ears twitching. "Come on, you just had a reawakening, you're fine!"
"No I'm not."
"How so?"
"I... can't explain."
"And why is that, Cat Boy?"
"I just can't!" Leo growled. He shot a glare at her, his eyes golden and piercing. "Now, I asked you two nicely to leave me the fuck alone, don't make me ask again."
The next thing Sag did surprised Aries. She marched towards Leo, baring her new fangs. "Listen her, Bitch Boy. Aries and I want to check on our friend. So you better shut up and accept our help."
"Sag, I'm only telling you to leave for your own good-"
"And I'm telling you that I don't buy that shit for a second." Aries grabbed onto her arm before she took a step closer. "Leo, I almost killed Aries this morning, you think I'm afraid of you?"
"What...?" Leo backed away, his ears pressing down with worry. Then he saw Aries's makeshift bandages.
It had dawned on Aries that Leo hadn't see him since before all of the Zodiac events started happening. Leo wasn't looking him up and down because Aries could have been hurt, but rather because he looked just as monstrous as Leo did. "Holy shit, Sag... what the hell did you do?"
"Had a snack." She said before forcing her way out of Aries's grip to sit in front of Leo. This time, he didn't flinch away. Aries noticed the bags under his eyes. "Now what the fuck happened to you? You don't call, don't visit, what the hell?"
"I... had to distance myself for a bit."
"Why?" Aries asked, finally getting closer, too.
"My reawakening..." Leo hesitated. He smiled weakly, rubbing his bruised arms. "It turned me into a monster, but I guess that's the deal with everyone." He laughed, but it didn't sound like one. To Aries, it was hollow.
"Well, duh!" Sag flicked him on the head. Leo laughed again, a bit of color returning to his voice. "We all have sharp teeth, and razor claws. But, let's get this one thing straight. We aren't monsters."
"Sag."
"No, no. Don't argue with me, Cat Boy." Leo shut up instantly. "We may change on the outside, but we're still us! And no Gods or other magical crazy shit can take that away, alright?"
Aries smiled, sitting down next to her and pulling them both into a big hug. They all couldn't help but laugh, and Aries shamelessly kissed Sag's forehead.
"Wait!" Sag suddenly said, zipping out of the boys's grip. Leo blinked, not able to wrap his head around her new speed."Leo, you need to call Libra!"
"I did-"
"Do it again, asshole!"
"Alright, Alright!" Leo sighed. Aries let him go and he slowly walked to his phone across the room. Sitting down in between his two friends, he pressed the familiar numbers.
It rang once before there was a frantic, "Hello?! Leo?!"
"Baby, baby, relax... deep breaths." Aries was amazed how quickly Leo was falling into himself again. Maybe it was Libra. Maybe Aries could have that same affect on Sag. "I'm okay. What about you?"
"I have wings now!" Libra shouted. "Leo it was so crazy... I... I think I killed someone."
"What?!" All three friends on the receiving end exclaimed. Sag and Aries wore smiles of intrigue, Leo's face was clouded with something else, Aries couldn't tell.
It wasn't what any of them expected, that was for sure. Libra was easily one of the most kind and harmless of their friend group, second only to Pisces. It would make sense had she said Scorpio, Aries, or even Gemini had killed someone but herself? It was almost impossible to believe. Almost. "When?" Leo asked, his voice cautious.
"When I was reawakening... this man showed up and he called me a whore, but... before he could attack me, I stabbed him with the knife I made all glowy. Don't worry, I'm okay."
Sag looked down at her hands and flexed them. No glow. Aries tried at his own hands. Still no glow. Libra was lucky, Aries wanted to make things glow too. All he could do was breath fire, and loosely resemble a lizard.
"Are you sure?" Leo asked, leaning into the phone. "I can bring Aries and Sag and we-"
"No, I'm good. Gem's with me." She sounded so firm. Aries could barely tell it was her speaking. "Don't worry, baby. We're all going to be okay."
Leo swallowed. Aries and Sag were both looking at him fondly. This was exactly what he needed to hear. "I love you." He whispered.
"I love you, too." And the line goes dead. Leo lets his arm drop to his side. That familiar, warm smile replaced Leo's initial scowl. His fangs were showing and Aries doubted Leo cared anymore.
"She's right." Leo said. He looked down at Sag, then looked at Aries. He didn't meet Aries's eyes at first, not being used to looking up at his friend. But when their eyes met, Aries knew Leo was back to normal.
Almost. Aries could sense something. It was faint, and yet, so menacing, he couldn't even begin to understand what it was. Something... was inside of Leo, something cursed and evil. Before Aries could ask, Leo gave him a smile. A forced, sad smile. He knows. Aries gave a nod. He wouldn't bring it up.
Looking back at his phone, Leo was still smiling. Sag clung to his arm. "We're gonna be okay."
•••
I'm sorry this took so long! This chapter turned out a lot longer than I expected, but I'm satisfied with it! Juggling online classes, and another book was a bit more than I bargained for, but I'm still gonna keep going!
Stay Starry! 💫