I spent the entire trip back to the Boar Hat weakly punching Ban in the upper back, kicking my legs as much as they could as they stuck out over his front. I didn't enjoy being carried like a trophy kill, nor did I appreciate the way his hand was almost grasping my behind.

"Ban, could ya just put me down?! You're too damn tall, I'm getting vertigo!" I complained loudly, a long groan following as I slumped. Ban snickered as he kicked the door open, coming close to conking my head on the frame when he stepped inside.
"That'd be the alcohol, not me~" Instead of placing me on the ground, he began to ascend the stairs, whistling a peppy tune.

Ugh, his muscles are so defined, I can't cope!

Into the room, my eyes were unadjusted to the dark, and I was positive I would have looked like a deranged ragdoll as he flipped me onto the bed. After bouncing two or so time, I shot up to a seated position, nose crinkled in absolute annoyance.
"Do you seriously go around doing whatever the hell you want to people?! You're so..so..!" I trailed off into a series of disgruntled noises, throwing myself back into the mattress. "We left my barrel back at the barracks..."

"Quit whining. You got a free ride." Ban kicked off his boots, crouching down to pull mine off once he had nudged them to the side. "They don't usually come cheap, but your little sob story touched me right in the chest cavity, so I thought I'd play nice, just this once." Propping myself up on my elbows, I tried to watch him delicately unlace my right boot, but all I could make out was a dark blob.
"Just this once..? See, that's where I'm getting confused. You seem to be pretty damn nice to me sometimes..."

Majorly confused...And I don't like it one bit...

The sharp click of his tongue sent a shiver down my spine, and I continued to gaze into the shadowy room as I felt him stand up.
"Is that so? Can't say I've noticed." The metallic clicks and clacks of buttons popping sent my head into a tizzy, but I remained perfectly still.
"You saved me, for starters..." I pointed out, holding my breath when I heard the sound of something light being thrown to the floor. "You feed me, you comforted me more than once, and now you're apparently looking after me. I'd say that counts as nice."

"Well, ya don't look after yourself, so somebody had to pick up the slack." Ban responded, the blobby shadow of his body now lacking the red tinge it had when we had first arrived in the room. My head was beginning to spin again, but I wasn't sure if it was due to the alcohol rushing through my system. I didn't even feel all that drunk anymore.

"Well, I'm back, safe in bed, so you can just-" My words stopped dead as I bounced on the bed, Ban having flopped down beside me without so much as a warning.
"Just make myself comfortable? In my bed? Gee, thanks!" Amused sarcasm swelled in his tone as he rolled onto his side to face me, now looking much clearer thanks to his close proximity.

Oh my fuck, he's...

Curling in on myself a little, I couldn't help but study his features again, even though they were harder to see in the dark. The scar along the side of his face and jaw was the most intriguing, especially since it trailed off down his neck to his chest, where he no longer wore a thing.

"Y..you're too close..." I muttered bitterly, hoping I sounded harsher than I thought I had. Snorting, Ban sat up a tad, resting his chin in his hand, looking down at me with a smug expression.
"What? Am I making you nervous?" He was. He knew he was. I knew he was.
"No shit..." Huffing, I couldn't bring myself to drag my eyes away from him, opting to use my hand to push into his chest. "The last time we were like this you kissed me, you asshole..."

My pushing did absolutely nothing, which didn't come as a surprise. What did shock me, however, was that he placed his own hand over mine, pulling it away slightly but not letting go.
"Hey, you must've liked it, cuz I don't recall you telling me to stop~" He purred, causing the baby hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end.

"Y..you're a dickhead!" I barked, unable to free my hand from his hold. "I was drunk, a..and I didn't want to hurt your feelings!" What came next nearly made my heart shut down completely. In one swift movement, Ban was looming over me, pinning the hand he held above my head, the other one planted by the side.
"Oh? Is that right? So, you're telling me that you don't want me to do it again..?"

Shit.

I was positive that I looked a right mess. My mouth was agape, and my (E/C) eyes were so wide I was surprised that they hadn't popped right out of my skull.
"I to..told you...Kissing someone is a sh..shitty way to cheer them up..." I stammered, mortified that he was kneeling between my open legs. "You think you're hot shit...b..but...you're just shit..."

Unphased by my insult, Ban didn't budge, looking down at me with those unreadable eyes of crimson.
"Who said anything about cheering you up? I'm just curious, nothing more. You're a little bit cute like this, I gotta say. Less bite than usual." He replied casually, which wasn't doing a thing for my nerves. I could feel my heartbeat in every inch of my body, and I was sure he could feel it too.

"Ban..." My utterance of his name was pitiful, and I didn't mean to sound so scared. Sure, I was, but only because I wanted him to kiss me. Feelings were swelling, and there was nothing I could do to stop them. What type of attraction was worse than one that was doomed from the start? He didn't want anything more than physicality, and I understood that, but that wasn't enough to stunt any growing emotions.

"Your call, sweetheart. I ain't the type to take what's not offered to me." He said in all seriousness, glancing off to the side. "At least not when it's a woman..." He was giving me every chance to end it then and there, and I knew that I should have. I was well aware of my abandonment issues, but surely that wouldn't be a problem with Ban, right?

Besides...it would be nice to make a decision like this for myself for once...

"I'm...not gonna screw you..." I mumbled, trying to keep my chin lifted from my chest, failing to act like I was completely in control of the situation.
"Who said anything about a fuck?" Ban clicked his tongue, allowing his upper half to sink closer to me. "All I'm suggestin' is a little taste..."

My mind was boiling inside my skull as I stared up at him, my pulse so quick that it was just a steady vibration in my veins.
"How...can I trust that..? You're the e..embodiment of greed..." My skepticism only seemed to egg him on, his scent overwhelming me the closer he got.
"Hows about...everything from the waist up is fair game? I mean, it's not like I care if you say yes or not. It'd be your loss. I just thought we could make our own fun while the others are getting shit faced..."

If you don't care...then why are you trying so hard to convince me..?

"Fine..." My mind had already been made up the moment he had laid the offer on the table, but I would have seemed desperate. "B..by all means, have your fun..." Ban's tongue slithered out to wet his lips, cuspids looking much more intimidating as he stared down at me, my body tingling all over.

"Good choice..." The way he captured me in a kiss wasn't as aggressive as I had originally anticipated. It was a slow connection, as though he was giving me one final chance to back out. They were almost lazy. Languorous, open mouthed kisses, the pace a welcomed surprise as the hand he wasn't using to hold my wrist edged in to meld with my (H/C) hair.

It was pleasant. No sparks or flaming explosions, but a comfortable warmth swelled within my chest, urging me to reciprocate in kind. I reached up to place a hand upon his chest, almost scared to put too much pressure in case he thought I was trying to push him away.

He...kind of tastes like roasted meat...

When Ban's tongue came into play, I melted completely. Just like his personality, it teased the inside of my mouth, eliciting a faint whimper from my throat. He pulled back at the sound, his sharp eyes narrowed, which definitely had me nervous.
"U..uh...what..?" I searched his expression for any sign of disgust, but he wasn't giving anything away.

"Nothin'..." He muttered quickly, returning to my lips. He felt almost passionate now, with his tongue dipping in and out, devouring instead of just tasting. The second he released my wrist, my arms flew up to curl around the back of his neck, pulling him closer. His far greater size laid down on top of me, placing his freed hand upon the side of my waist.

This is bad...I'm wanting more...

We continued at that pace for the longest time, the only sounds filling the room being faint huffs and the wet smacking of our kisses, but eventually Ban pulled away, trailing down to the side of my neck.
"H..hah...shit..." I gasped under my breath as he bit down, not hard enough to leave a lasting mark, but enough to get me far too excited. Enough to scare me.

"Oh, is someone a little bit of a masochist..?" Ban snickered softly, tracing my jugular with the tips of his tongue and teeth.
"Fu..fuck off...It didn't hurt..." I denied, raising a knee to try to get my blood pumping further down than my pelvic region. When he did it again, I became worried. It was too good. I was beginning to want it too much. My instincts took over.

Ban flinched when I activated my power. It was understandable, that kind of sudden barrage of extra sensitivity would be startling, I was sure. He paused at the other side of my neck, and whilst I was aware of his heavy breathing, I couldn't feel the warmth of it.
"The fuck are you doing..?"

Protecting myself...

Without a word, I reached for the hand he had twined in my (H/C) hair, dragging it down until it rested over my chest. It was so large that it seemed to almost swallow my breast whole.
"G..go on...try it out..." I urged him, feeling myself falling back into old routines. Uncertain, he hesitated, but eventually those large fingers closed in, and I could feel the pressure of his touch.

"Shit..." I could feel the shiver that rolled through his body as he pinched and squeezed, returning to steal my breath away, true to his name. I missed the tingling of his touch being my own, but it was better this way. It was easier than catching that disease known as feelings.

With my hold on him, I could let him see stars. My body was connected to his, not only via lips and hands, which gave me complete power. Ban's attention was rougher now, and whilst he was distracted by the doubled sensations I was providing him with, I decided to take a chance and give him something I was sure would satisfy.

Slowly, carefully, my hand crept down the length of my body, creeping inch by inch until I could easily slip it between our hips, beneath the fabric of my pants. Ban's hiss was strident as he pulled away, sitting back on his heels as he grabbed at the waistband of his red leather bottoms.
"Oi, I said no-"
"I'm not touching you below the waist." I cut him off, not exactly confidently, but still firm.

This was obviously all for your own benefit...so why not just accept this?

It was crystal clear that he wanted the pleasure to continue. His face was a lot rosier than it had been, and his lip was being abused by his teeth. Eventually, however, he let out a low growl, my hand ripping from my body into his, which was outstretched. He had used snatch to stop me.
"If ya wanted me to back off, all ya had to do was say so, idiot..." He mumbled, shoulders rigid. He didn't seem all that mad, just disappointed, in both me and the situation.

"Who said I wanted to stop?" I replied, mimicking his expression, albeit with a little more spite. "You wanted a taste of me, and this is what I am. You don't like my generosity, Fox Sin of Greed?"

Why am I being such a bitch all of a sudden?

I half expected him to start biting back, but instead, he relaxed, jaw unclenching and hand releasing my own, letting it drop back to my side.
"Look, that little trick may be useful for battle, but it ain't meant for shit like this." He sighed, moving to lay down beside me. "This was a mistake. I shouldn't've cracked onto you..."

That detail had been something I had expected. Even so, it made me feel sick. Before I knew it, my eyes began to water, and I groaned, rubbing at them with the balls of my palms.
"Yep. A mistake. Absolutely..." Hearing him curse under his breath, I tried to squirm away as I was pulled into his arms, becoming his spoon for yet another evening.
"I meant cuz you're pin-eyed, you dummy..." He corrected himself, slinging a leg over the top of mine to weigh me down.

Why am I upset over this shit? I must be drunker than I thought...Fuck...

"Y..you're pin-eyed..." I snarked, unable to think of anything to say back to him that was even somewhat mature. Snorting a little, Ban rested his chin on top of my head, the hand that came out from under the side of my neck fiddling with a strand of my hair.
"No, I'm sober. You're the one that's juiced."

Biting down on my lip, I curled in on myself, away from Ban, only to be dragged back in again.
"Then why..? If you're not drunk, then why do this..? We talked about shit like this..." I asked in a cracking whisper, hating that I was so comfortable in his arms.
"I don't fuckin' know..." He replied with a yawn, which infected me, too. "I'm greedy. When I feel like I want something I don't really think about it. I just take it."

I'm not letting you take me...

"You're an asshole..." I whimpered, a wave of exhaustion crashing over me like a wave.
"Pretty sure we established that on day one, but glad it's sticking." The pearlet chuckled, but amusement didn't quite reach his tone. "Go to sleep. I'm comfortable, so I'm just gonna stay here until I feel like gettin' up, if ya don't mind."

Shrugging, I stared off into the pitch black, trying to figure out where my head was at. Even when I felt Ban's breathing level out, I couldn't bring myself to succumb to sleep. I liked his embrace too much. I liked the way he spoke to me too much. I liked his entire existence too much. It was all just far too much.

Dammit...you've already got me, don't you..?

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***I hate this ugh.

BEAUTIFUL BAN WAS DRAWN BY MY LORD AND SAVIOUR pseudo_eternity - please check out their Denki x Reader, REDINTEGRATION!

Next time: What's in a name?***