The tanned devil temptation. {R17}

Alone now, Natalia let out a shaky breath. Her fingers trembled as she began to peel off her damp, bloodstained clothes. The faint glow of the old light bulb above cast a soft, golden hue over her pale skin, the freckles on her shoulders catching the light like tiny constellations.

For a moment, she stood there, vulnerable yet resilient, the weight of the day pressing down on her.

Her thoughts drifted to her father, and her chest tightened.

{If he finds out what happened… if he knows how I ended up here… She swallowed hard, her vision blurring as tears welled up in her eyes. He'll ground me for life. I should've listened to him. He was right... I wasn't made for the military.}

She wiped the tears away with the back of her hand.

Suddenly then a knock on the door shattered the silence, and Natalia's heart skipped a beat. "Hey Cheeto, are you done changing? I also need to remove my wet clothes and I really want to sleep right now," Alexius called out, his deep voice sending a shiver down her spine.

She hastened to dry herself and slip into her clothes, her fingers fumbling with the fabric as she tried to cover herself. "In a minute!" she replied while trying to sound calm despite the turmoil brewing inside her.

Finally, she called out, "Okay, I'm done; you can come in!" The door creaked open, and Alexius strode in, his eyes locking onto hers with an unnerving intensity.

As he closed the door behind him, Natalia felt a flutter in her chest. Alexius began to remove his boots and weapons, placing them on the table with a deliberate slowness that made her skin prickle.

His gaze never left hers as he said, "Mmm? I didn't think you were so small; those clothes look too big for you. Anyway, you will have to deal with it today since there's nothing more you can use this time." The way he looked at her made Natalia feel like he was stripping away more than just his own clothes.

As Alexius started to remove his shirt, Natalia's face flushed a deep crimson. She couldn't help but stare at the expanse of tan skin and muscles unfolding before her eyes. Her mouth went dry as she tried to speak, but all that came out was a stuttered "I-I..." before she trailed off.

"W-w-w-what do you think you're doing!?" She shouted instead, covering her eyes with her hands as if that could block out the sight of him.

Alexius chuckled low in his throat as he continued to undress. "Mmm? What else will I be doing? I'm removing my clothes since I'm all wet from running here without my coat." His words dripped with innocence, but the devilish glint in his eye told a different story.

As he stepped closer to Natalia, his warm breath caressed her ear. "Oho? I wonder why the stubborn cheeto is now so red." His hands settled on her hips like hot brands searing into skin that felt far too sensitive.

Natalia's small hands pushed against him ineffectually, as if trying to hold back a tide of desire that threatened to engulf them both whole. Still, she could feel each muscle ripple beneath her fingertips, leaving an even deeper wellspringing desire further driving awkwardness between them two until...

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Alexius whispered into Natalia's ear; every word trembled through all her body as the air of his mouth tickled her ear.

Before she could respond, Alexius lifted her effortlessly and placed his hands on her butt. The sudden movement sent shockwaves through Natalia's body.

"W-wait no! What do you think, Yo―" But before she could finish talking, Rex threw her or rather gently placed her, onto the small bed ending on top of her. This situation made Natalia's heart almost jump out of her chest

"Well then, lets sleep We have the first hour tomorrow so let's get all the rest we can, Alexius said while covering Natalia with the stinky blanket. 

"Wait!" Natalia's voice cracked as she sat up abruptly, her hands gripping the edge of the bed. "Are we seriously going to sleep on the same bed?" Her eyes darted around the cramped room, searching for an alternative that didn't exist.

Alexius shrugged, already pulling off his boots with a nonchalance that made Natalia's stomach twist. "Of course. Unless you see another bed lying around here?" He gestured vaguely to the barren room, his tone teasing. "You're welcome to sleep on the floor, though. Just a heads-up... it's roach territory. Big, black, crunchy ones. Your call."

Natalia froze, her skin crawling at the mere thought. "R-roaches?" she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Yep," Alexius said as he flopped onto the bed, the springs creaking under his weight. "Big, scary, and they love crawling over sleeping people. Now, let's get some rest." Before Natalia could protest further, he reached out, yanked her down, and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close like a human body pillow.

"H-hey! What do you think you're doing?!" She shrieked, squirming in his grasp. But it was no use. Alexius was already out, his deep, rhythmic snoring filling the room. Growing up next to the relentless clatter of steam machinery near his aunt's bar had made him immune to noise.

To him, Natalia's protests were nothing more than the faint chirping of a bird, barely noticeable, easily ignored.

Natalia huffed, her cheeks burning as she tried to wriggle free. But Alexius's grip was unyielding; his strong arm locked around her hips like a vice. She was trapped; her fate sealed the moment he decided she was his makeshift teddy bear for the night.

{What does he think he's doing? Does he think he can just do whatever he wants because he's… handsome? And has that… nice body? And that stupidly sexy tan…}

Her thoughts trailed off, and she immediately regretted them. Her face flushed a deep crimson, the heat spreading to the tips of her ears. She groaned internally, burying her face in her hands.

{Great. Just great. There's no way I'm sleeping tonight.}

But Natalia didn't realize just how exhausted she truly was. Her body might have been holding up, but her mind was a different story. The emotional toll of the day... the fear, the adrenaline, the sheer absurdity of it all had left her mentally drained.

And despite her protests, there was something oddly comforting about the warmth of Alexius's body, the steady rise and fall of his chest, and even the low rumble of his snoring. It was like a lullaby she didn't know she needed.

Before she could stop herself, her hands drifted to his chest, her fingers brushing against the firm muscles. Her eyelids grew heavy, and despite her best efforts to stay awake, she succumbed to the pull of sleep, her head resting gently against him.

The early hours of the underworld market were alive with chaos of vendors hawking their wares, the clang of weapons, and the murmur of shady deals being struck. The noise seeped into the room, pulling Alexius from his slumber. He blinked groggily, the first rays of dim light filtering through the cracks in the walls. And there she was.

Natalia lay curled against him, her fiery orange hair spilling across his chest like a cascade of embers. A few strands clung to her face, framing her peaceful expression as she breathed softly, completely unaware of the world outside.

For a moment, Alexius just stared at her with his usual gruff demeanor softening as he watched her sleep. She looked… different like this... Vulnerable.... Beautiful.

He didn't move, not wanting to wake her. Instead, he let out a quiet sigh, his fingers brushing stray locks of hair from her face. The noise of the market outside faded into the background.

The noise from the bustling underworld market outside finally seeped into Natalia's consciousness, pulling her from the depths of sleep. Her eyelids fluttered open, and the first thing she saw was Alexius's face hovering above hers, his lips curled into that infuriatingly confident smirk.

Her breath hitched as their eyes met... her oceanic blues locked with his warm, olive gaze. For a moment, time seemed to stand still. She was frozen, caught in the intensity of his stare, her mind blank, her heart racing.

Alexius, ever the opportunist, took advantage of her dazed state. He reached out, his calloused fingers gently tilting her chin upward. Slowly, deliberately, he began to close the distance between them, his eyes never leaving hers.

Natalia's pulse quickened, her lips parting slightly as if caught in a trance. The world outside faded away, leaving only the two of them in that dimly lit room.

But just as their lips were about to meet, the moment shattered.

The sound of someone violently kicking the old wooden door echoed through the room, followed by a slurred, angry voice.

"Who the fuck's in there?! Open up already! I want to fuck this whore!" A woman's muffled scream followed, her cries desperate and panicked. From the sound of it, the man was hopped up on something like drugs, alcohol, or both.

Natalia's eyes widened, the spell broken. She jerked back, sitting upright on the bed, her face flushed with a mix of embarrassment and alarm. Alexius, on the other hand, let out a low growl of frustration, his eyes narrowing as he glared at the door. Without a word, he reached for his handgun, his movements calm but deliberate.

The door burst open with a splintering crash, and a woman was thrown into the room by her hair, collapsing onto the floor with a whimper. The man stumbled in after her, his bloodshot eyes wild, his movements erratic.

He opened his mouth to spew more obscenities, but he never got the chance...

BANG!