Warm And Fuzzy (1/5)
I don't have anything holiday-themed in mind this year, so instead, let's wind down the year with something a bit fluffier.
Ah, the tragedies of time. This is an old, old prompt, inspired by some Charmeleon/Zangoose pics I saw ages ago, some of which were risqué and some of which were just fluffy and adorable. AND I CAN'T FIND THEM ANYMORE! At least, not more than a couple of them, definitely not the ones I was looking for most! I never had an artist's name tied to them and what little I can find just says "unknown artist" so I'm pretty much sunk trying to hunt for them, especially with how long ago it was that I first saw them. But at least I remember enough to try to invoke the ideas that were tied to those images!
This is a somewhat slow burn of a fic, meant to be cute and romantic as well as sexy, so it's long, and going to be broken into a few parts. It proved to be a bit awkward to separate out, the main scene is big enough to kind of have to stand on its own so some of the parts will seem a little short, but I think I found the most sensible break points. It's a bit of a departure from my norm, but I really enjoyed writing it.
OBLIGATORY CONTENT WARNING: The overall story will contain sexual acts between multiple males, rough sex, rape, gentle sex, cuteness, and very one-sided inner conflicts. Not all of these will be present in every part, so check the tags for what will! Also, not every part will have spicy stuff, just so you're aware.
It was a strange place where two environments converged. On one side, a lush, fertile forest and grassland, green and bountiful, as pleasant a place as most could hope to ever encounter. On the other side, a harsh, dry, rocky landscape with steam venting, spares trees and shrubs with a distinctly fiery appearance, flames bursting out of the ground here and there, and pits of bubbling lava-like liquid. To most, it looked like hell; to Fire-type Pokémon, it was more like heaven, and thus they were the ones who had dominion over this land that no one else had any real interest in.
Only one group lived right near the border, though: a troop of Charmeleons who made dens near where the grassland met the fire fields, their own little private refuge from everyone else. They were collected from various areas within the fire fields, all converging to assert their independence and prove themselves tough enough to handle anything, as hot-headed lizards were apt to do. Almost all males, as tended to be the norm for their kind, so there was plenty of boiling testosterone to be found, a lot of spats and brawls, plenty of dominance assertions, just everyone trying to prove themselves rough and rowdy and powerful.
And there were none rougher and stronger than Drez. Or so he liked to think.
Drez had a lot going for him. He was a touch darker than most Charmeleons, which helped him stand out from the rest. He had a couple inches on all but a few of the residents of their little community, and a fair bit more muscle than all but a few others. His claws were well-honed, and his attitude was even sharper. And he rarely came out second-best in a fight, having both the swiftness and power to outdo most anyone on a good day. He was always looking for challenges, most of which came from the grasslands nearby - Pokémon from that side looking for their own challenge, as it was - and in those he also won more often than not, and if he wasn't winning neither was anyone else. Could he say with absolute certainty that he was the best of the best? No, but he would anyway, because having a cocksure attitude was also part of the norm - everyone bragged, boasted, crowed, and jibed, and he was no different.
Not that he didn't get shit. But they all got shit, and they all gave it. Probably his biggest rival was Pacon, a Charmeleon was a bit smaller than average height but quite well-built nonetheless, he was probably as close a match to Drez's strength as anyone else. Nino was another, scrawnier but scrappy, he tended to get beat up most often but talked the most shit and didn't let any defeat shake him. And there was also Greton, an otherwise low-status Charmeleon whose flames were especially potent, even Drez had to admit he was second in that regard, though never to anyone else. Those three were all laying down challenges to Drez more than anyone, and while he pretty consistently proved himself, he knew that would never stop them, and he would just have to keep going until they gave up, or took him down. Sure, the three together probably would have been more than a match, but you didn't gang up on anyone here - your status was based on your own wins, there was no pride in a numbers mismatch.
So Drez had a lot going for him. His status was among the tops in the community, he had plenty to be proud of, and nothing seemed to be standing in the way of him reigning supreme for a long time.
He never could have imagined that his fall would be at the hands of one who 'defeated' him without so much as leaving a scratch - or that it would be a plunge that he would take entirely of his own volition.
The day that changed things was not precisely an 'ordinary' day, but not one that was particularly unusual either. Drez was merely yapping back and forth with a couple other Chars, including Nino, who seemed to be particularly keen on getting his goat that day - and not getting far, at that - when he heard a shout. It was the 'scout' - one of the low Chars on the totem pole, usually the newest members who hadn't proven themselves and needed to toughen up, and were given watch duty for when Pokémon on the grassy side were looking to cause trouble. Naturally, a bunch of them ran to see what was out there, eager to see if it was something they could use to show off their stuff.
The grassland side had a lot of Pokémon of various types, including a fair number that one wouldn't expect. It was just such a bounteous region, lots of food and water and a climate that appealed to many - even Drez had to admit that, while it wasn't as suited for him as the fire fields, he couldn't imagine he'd have many complaints if he lived there instead. It was said that a fair few Pokémon who had been released from their trainers, or who had run from them, made their homes there, and that's why there were plenty of strong ones. But even considering all that, none of them were prepared for a Hydreigon. The three-headed dragon was among the most powerful and daunting of foes, and were known to have tempers that were not easily quelled. Most of the others were backing off, not wanting to engage something so dangerous - that Hydreigon could easily have come in and wreaked havoc in their little community, and even impetuous little firebrands could see that the reward wasn't worth that risk.
Drez had actually felt the same way...right up until he saw the fuzzy white creature that was trembling under the vicious gaze of the Hydreigon. A Zangoose, from the woods most likely, and it was either hurt or too scared to move. And it wouldn't be long at all before it got a lot worse than a nasty look, for sure...
Drez was not a 'noble' sort. He figured it was best to let things sort themselves out, and not to get too wrapped up in things that weren't really to his own benefit. So he wasn't really sure what possessed him, that day, to charge forward and draw the Hydreigon's attention, diverting him away from the fluffy would-be victim and putting himself in three sets of crosshairs. It didn't really matter - all that mattered was that he DID engage, and now he had to back it up or else things could get very bad.
The battle was fierce, but not long. The Hydreigon punished him for his insolence, the worst blow being a Dragon Pulse that blasted him backwards at close range, leaving him to hit the ground hard and earning him a few cuts and bruises. But Drez showed no quit, making sure the Hydreigon felt some pain of his own with a potent Dragon Breath, as well as a forceful Flame Charge and Brick Break. It was the Will-O-Wisp that put the threat down, though - Drez was surprised to see it turn tail and fly back into the woods, it certainly wasn't out of energy by a long shot, probably had far more than Drez did, but it seemed that it wasn't as interested in prey that put up a fight as it had been the cowering fuzzball it had been threatening before. It almost annoyed Drez, he could call it a win over the Hydreigon but he hadn't truly bested the creature, and he'd probably get some shit if he tried to play it up at all. Sighing, he figured he might as well check on the Zangoose while he was here - it didn't really matter much, but maybe he could play up the hero angle, even if it was mostly just for his own accolades.
He stepped over to the Zangoose, who had uncoiled slightly. The cat ferret was something of a peculiarity - smaller than most he saw, Drez in fact was larger than it, and with a leaner look to it...it definitely didn't seem like a battler. It seemed...fuzzy. That was a term that his kind used fairly derisively, to describe forest mons that were soft and weak, and looked overly groomed for the wild. Definitely not the kind that could have stood up to a Hydreigon. "Hey, bad guy's all gone. You can relax now. Lucky you, you had an alpha Charmeleon to take care of you, eh?"
The Zangoose merely looked at him for a moment as he offered his hand to it. And then...it happened in a flash, the Zangoose suddenly leapt at him, catching him so off-guard that he had no time to react properly. The pounce carried him to the ground on his back, under the furry body that was on top of him. Drez, in a moment he at first would have liked to have had back, found himself frozen in panic...and then, before his brain snapped into gear to counterattack, he realized that it wasn't an attack at all. No, the fuzzy white furball was nuzzling him.
"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! You saved me! I don't even know what I did, he like came out of nowhere, I just asked who he was and he started coming at me! I thought I was gonna be dragon food, but then you showed up, and you just...you were amazing, you're so strong, and so brave, and so fantastic! I've always wanted to see you up close, you always looked so handsome and incredible, but I didn't want to bother you, I know you guys have your things that you do and all that-"
"All right, all right!" Drez finally managed to get something out, and it couldn't have made him sound as tough as he wanted to. The Zangoose apparently wasn't a total stranger to them, at least, he - Drez assumed, the scent was masculine, though not exactly brimming with manliness, and the voice had a higher tone to it, he might have mistaken it for feminine if other things didn't counter that - had been observing them, from afar no doubt. "I, uh, I appreciate your appreciation, but I'd like to get back up now." He could have just shoved the Zangoose off, but...something about that didn't feel right, for some reason.
"Oh, right! Gosh, I'm so sorry, I just...I kinda went a little overboard." The Zangoose scrambled off of him, allowing Drez to get back to his feet and brush himself off. He would need a bit more than that, as he looked himself over and saw the cuts. "Oh! D-do you want help with that? I can help patch you up, I know some plants that'll mend you nice and quick!"
"Ah, that's...that's fine, it's nothing, I've had worse. I've got some stuff at home that'll take care of it." Not entirely untrue, but they wouldn't be as nice and easy as what grew in the woods...but you had to be able to tough out a few wounds if you wanted to be the toughest of the bunch. "You should probably run along now, if that Hydreigon's anger flares up again it'll probably be at us, and you wanna be as far from that as possible."
"You're right...but thank you again!" The Zangoose suddenly pitched forward, hugging Drez tightly before backing off with a giggle. "Hopefully I'll see you around again! Oh, sorry, my name's Villo, I know you're Drez but I should have said mine! I, uh, I wanna thank you more if I can, I'll try to think of something!" And with that Villo rushed back off into the woods, leaving behind only an unasked-for name and a very confused Charmeleon.
And the confusion wasn't just at the somewhat odd behavior of Villo...it was at the weird heat he was feeling in his face. He didn't know what THAT was, it felt weird, and uncomfortable...though, not entirely uncomfortable, for some reason. He felt like he should have been more annoyed, all those nuzzles and hugs, that wasn't stuff for a rough and rowdy guy like him. Affection wasn't a thing for any of the Charmeleons, that was for other people who weren't trying to prove anything. Yet, he was finding it a bit hard to be angry over it...shaking his head, he put that out of mind, and headed back home, where he'd no doubt be faced with a lot of mixed responses over his 'victory.'
Several hours passed, and the tension had faded. Drez, as expected, got both awe at being willing to take on a Hydreigon of all creatures and some heat from those who were scared of reprisal. Perhaps the weird feelings he'd had were making him front a bit more than usual, but Drez took them to task for their anxiety, telling them that they had the numbers advantage and if they were too wimpy to stand up for their community they could take a hike. It ended up being a moot point; the Hydreigon hadn't returned, and while the dragons were temperamental, once you were past their angry phase you were unlikely to get anything more from them. It seemed they were out of the woods, and a collective sigh of relief had been breathed - after which they of course all claimed it was just them being disappointed that they didn't have a chance to confront the raging dragon themselves.
Drez's, though, was actual relief. Bringing the hammer down on them all would have likely gotten him cast out if things had gone really badly, maybe even if they'd gone well. Whatever his status was, it could turn against you if you fucked up bad enough. So he was perfectly happy not to have a repeat performance, and he could put the whole thing out of his head...
He was regaling a few of the others with his performance, talking himself up quite a bit and making a point of the patched-up wounds on his body, when his attention was drawn by others expressing some confusion and astonishment. As he turned, his heart skipped a beat - Villo was walking towards him, straight through the den village, looking shy and nervous and with his hands behind his back. Drez was momentarily dumbstruck - what the hell was that Zangoose doing here? It surely couldn't have been comfortable for him, the heat alone for a furry creature not attuned for it...and then his second thought was why the hell he was concerned about Villo's comfort, rather than the intrusion? All of this kept him from speaking until Villo was within a few paces of him. Finally, he managed to get a few words out. "What...what are you...doing here?"
Villo paused, looking down and away, an expression of sincere embarrassment on his face even Drez couldn't miss...and then, just like before, a very sudden rush, and Villo had thrown something over his neck, faster than Drez could have reacted even if he wasn't frozen. "THISISFORYOUIKNOWITISN'TMUCHBUTICOULDN'TTHINKOFANYTHINGELSEANDIREALLYWANTEDTOTHANKYOUSOMEHOWPLEASEDON'TBEANGRYANDIHOPEISEEYOUAGAINSOON!" There was a beat, and then Villo brought his head up and gave a tiny, delicate kiss onto the front of Drez's snout, then he whirled around in a rush, shooting off like a bullet with his hands over his face. Though, Drez noticed that all the eyes were on him now...and as he looked down, he felt a bit of a lurch in his stomach.
A flower wreath. A FUCKING FLOWER WREATH.
Laughter busted out from the Chars around him - some purely mirthful, some with a more derisive tone. And Drez could only stand there, his face burning as hot as he'd ever felt it. You could be the biggest badass in the universe, there was no way you could look it with a fucking flower wreath around your neck. It was a black mark across the image he'd tried to cultivate for so long, there was no way they weren't going to remember the sight of it...
And the worst part was, some part of him still LIKED it.
"Well, well!" His head turned, and of course it was Pacon, the last person he wanted to see when things were like this. The other Char was grinning to cross the continent, eyes on the flowered Drez with gleeful contempt. "Someone got his little prize for his rescue, did he? Looks good on you...suits a warm boy like you."
Anger flared in Drez. 'Warm' was a slur among them...pretty much meaning the same thing for Chars as 'fuzzy' meant for fuzzballs like Villo. "Sh-shut up! It's not like I asked him for this, he ambushed me with it!"
"Yeah, sure. Gonna go decorate it with some others? Add a few more cutesy blossoms to it? Get some more kisses from your fuzzy boyfriend?"
Drez was close to losing it...but something was keeping him from actually attacking. He wasn't sure what it was...maybe just all the embarrassment. But he was going to get his parting shot. "Better watch your mouth, or I'll go out there and see if that Hydreigon wants a rematch and lead him back here. See if he can find you after you ran off like a little BITCH before. Don't act tough if you can't back it up." He stomped off, certain he'd left a little mark on Pacon, but probably not as much as he was still taking himself.
A minute later he was in his den, away from anyone's eyes. Taking deep breaths to try to calm himself, trying not to let it all get to him. He pulled the flower wreath off, glowering at it. This stupid thing...no one told him to make it for me. Why'd he have to go and do that? In front of everyone? I should...I should just torch it, it's not like it's gonna last long in this heat anyway...and then it'll be all done, I won't have to think about it again...
He stood there. It hung in his hands. A little burst of fire. That was all it would take. All he needed to be rid of that humiliation, to take back a bit of his pride and push his tough-guy image back into the forefront.
...He couldn't do it.
He didn't know WHY he couldn't do it. But the thought of turning that gift to ashes...it made him uncomfortable in the pit of his stomach. Somehow, it just seemed...wrong. What would Villo think? Why should he care what Villo thought? Why DID he care what Villo thought? Why couldn't he get the stupid Zangoose's adorable face out of his head? What was going on with him?
Drez didn't know. All he knew was that the thought of destroying Villo's gift mad him feel...bad. And as confused as he was, Drez had always trusted his instincts; if they were telling him something, that had to mean something. Carefully, he brought the flower wreath over to an empty shelf and set it down on it, making sure not to damage the delicate thing too much. After a moment of thought, he went over and pulled out a small spray bottle, and lightly misted over it. The bottle had a special mix in it that helped heat-sensitive things weather the heat better - it was mostly used to keep berries from spoiling, Drez never imagined he'd be using it for anything else, but...he felt better as he coated the flowers with the stuff, maybe it wouldn't keep forever but it would at least survive longer this way.
He still didn't know why he wanted it to. But his choice had been made. Sighing, he put the bottle away and laid down on his bed, staring at the ceiling. It had been such a confusing day for him, so much he didn't understand, and too much of it was about himself...but maybe a good sleep would get it all out of his system and his mind would be right tomorrow.