“He will. For our yshain? He will. And you know he owes me a favor…”
***
“Asher, I-I know you can’t understand me right now, but there’s a Dresht coming to see you who will help with that. He’s just going to give you a small prick and then you’ll go to sleep while he fixes your implant. We’ll be right there with you the whole time, little love.”
“And we’re so, so sorry we didn’t realize sooner.”
***
Asher groaned as his consciousness swam to the surface. His head was pounding, and there was a spot behind his right ear that felt sore. On instinct, he tried to bring his hand up to touch it, but his arms were—stuck. Bound together.
Right.
Keeping his eyes closed, Asher took stock of himself. Shifting his hips minutely, he could feel something inside him. But his stomach didn’t feel swollen withvenigash.And the thing inside him wasn’t Trenet’s thick cock, or Vrayl’s devastatingly long one.
What did they call those insertions? Asenchr.That was it.
So his arms were still bound and he had asenchr. It… didn’t feel like there was anything covering his eyes though. And—Asher swallowed reflexively, then opened and closed his mouth, working his jaw. He didn’t have the gag in? But Trenet and Vrayl had only ever taken it out for meals.
What did that mean?
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps. Asher kept his eyes closed. Maybe if they thought he was asleep, he’d get some answers.
“Vitals say he’s awake,” he heard then, hushed. Heard andunderstood.It was still somehow Trenet’s low growl, but Asher could understand his speech! “Asher? Little love, are you awake?”
Little love?The words shocked Asher into opening his eyes.
The room he was in was dimly lit, and he was grateful for it because his head still hurt. But even in the light of the room, he could make out Vrayl and Trenet, big and blue and as otherworldly beautiful as ever.
Asher had struggled with the blindfold the entire time he’d worn it, but he hadn’t realized just how hard it had been not to be able to see anything until that moment, getting to see his Dresht again.
“Hello sweetling,” Vrayl said, voice soft. “Can you understand us?”
Mute with surprise from the fact that hecould, Asher simply nodded.
The surprise wasn’t alleviated by the pure relief that painted Trenet and Vrayl’s features. “I’m so glad,” Vrayl said. “And we’re so sorry, dear heart. We’re so sorry we didn’t know you couldn’t understand.”
Dear heart?Asher incredulously repeated in his head.
Trenet came closer, sitting next to Asher on the bed and brushing the hair out of Asher’s face with big, gentle fingers. The act felt shockingly tender. “You might have a headache for a little while as your new translation implant integrates, but it should pass soon. And we’re sorry we had to remove your jahin, little love, but it just wasn’t safe for you to wear your kanto and humshus while we got your implant fixed.”
Blindfold,Asher’s translator supplied.Gag. Subvocalization: pleasurable.
Jahin. Comforts.
Asher swallowed again. Comforts?
What…?
“Do you think you could eat something?” Vrayl asked, sounding hopeful. “It would be so good for you if you ate. We’d give you your humshus back as soon as you were finished.”
“And then a bath,” Trenet said. “A nice relaxing bath? So we could tend to you.” Trenet reached out again, cupping Asher’s cheek. “We’d make you feel so good, little love.”
Asher blinked at them both, fully taken aback. They were… asking? Offering? Not… not forcing. They actually seemed tocare. Care about what Asher wanted.
Had… had they always?
“I could eat,” Asher said quietly. He had never been a loud talker to begin with, but also his head ached. “Maybe more berries?” He asked hopefully. He’d liked those a lot.
