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They were all resting, preparing for the journey ahead to Motherhorn, the confrontation with Endelyn that was sure to come, but surprisingly, sleep was eluding Atlas. They let their gaze wander over their resting companions, all asleep save Henrietta, who had offered to keep watch, and was leaning a small distance away, her piercing red eyes scanning the terrain.
So Atlas lay there eyes half closed, wide awake and feeling increasingly restless. There was a strange sort of agitation simmering under their skin, like a moth caught in a jar, desperately trying to escape.
They lay there for a while longer, desperately trying to guide their body towards sleep, but the feeling only worsened, and when they felt like they would vibrate out of their skin, they rose, as softly and carefully as they could manage, taking care to ensure they did not disturb their sleeping companions.
They wandered just out of sight of where they’d made camp, looking back once to ensure no one had noticed their departure. Everything looked the same, calm and peaceful as everyone rested.
Turning away, they pressed their hand to the amulet around their neck, enjoying the soft thrum of it, letting it soothe their agitation. It helped, some, but there was still something there, squirming under their skin, restless. A strange longing of sorts that they could not place.
With a sigh, they sent a question through the pendant, asking to be pulled through to the grove. They lacked the power to travel there themselves, at least for now.
The answering pulse came a moment later, and they felt the pull of Oberon’s magic like a hook in their navel. They arrived at the edge of the grove, as they always did, to the soft blue shades of twilight dusk. To their surprise though, Oberon was in the grove as well, sat below a willow tree with a book in his hand.
A bright smile spread across his face when their eyes met, and he beckoned them over with an elegant wave of his hand. It made a small smile of their own tug at their lips as they walked the short distance to where Oberon sat.
The buzz under their skin had lessened some as soon as they’d set foot into the grove, the calm atmosphere of evening settling over them like a cloak spun from moonlight and mist. Finally, they felt like they could breathe calmly again.
“Hello, deerheart”, Oberon greeted with a smile, the greeting familiar by now. After a second though, his expression turned contemplative, looking Atlas over once more. They felt strangely exposed under that gaze, suddenly, as if their body was made of glass, their organs on display for all to see.
Averting their gaze, they sat down next to Oberon, murmuring out a greeting in return. The buzz under their skin had returned with a vengeance, suddenly, and they ran their fingers though the ends of their hair in agitation, tugging one of their braids, to try and calm the feeling. They could not keep their eyes from Oberon entirely though, felt them pulled to him periodically, stealing glances.
Oberon was frowning now, clearly able to see the thing crouched under their skin like a trapped animal.
They sat in silence for a few long moments, dusk slowly creeping closer to true night, before Oberon spoke again, softly reaching out to catch Atlas’s jaw, coaxing them to meet his eye.
His eyes were sharp, something almost calculating in them. They fought the urge to look away again, to try and escape those searching eyes. When he leaned in closer, their breath caught, had them still like a deer in the sights of a predator.
“Something is bothering you.” It was a statement or fact more than a question. “Would you like to talk about it, Atlas?”, he asked, his voice soft, though his gaze still held that same, keen sharpness.
Their mouth opened, though no answer came fourth, their mind suddenly drawing a blank, the words caught in their throat. Still, they caught Oberon’s gaze flit down to their mouth for a split second, before drawing up again. For a moment, they thought they were mistaken, but then Oberon’s hand slid up from their jaw, softly resting his thumb on the corner of their mouth.
Altas inhaled sharply, startled into breath again. The thing trapped under their skin sent their heart skittering and their head spinning as Oberon tapped his thumb softly, humming in contemplation.
Their nerves felt alight with electricity where Oberon touched them, all their focus pulled there. It was dangerous, fraying their composure further.
“It’s nothing”, they finally pressed out in a rush, drawing away, trying to tamp down the steadily growing part of them that longed to lean further into the touch.
It did not sound very convincing, even to their own ears, and Oberon’s face conveyed it was obvious to him as well.
His eyes seemed to shutter just a smidge, his lips pressing together as his hand dropped back to his side. He leaned back against the trunk of the willow tree behind him, the long branches brushing his shoulders.
With a sigh, he closed the book that had laid open in the grass, taking his eyes off Atlas. It made them want to squirm out of their skin, made the words spill out like water from an open spout.
Strange, considering it was the intensity of his attention that had them further worked up in the first place.
“I couldn’t sleep, that’s all”, they said, eyes darting away again for a second. “I felt so restless, and this place usually brings me calm.”
Oberon nodded in understanding, motioning for them to go on. They hesitated for a second, then, before going on.
“It’s like a buzz, just under my skin, like in the moments before my shape changes into that of a beast, but it persists, and-” they cut off abruptly, the words halting as fast as they had started. Oberon had shifted closer again as they were speaking, his eyes back on them, and when they paused, he reached for them once more, gently pulling them closer by the wrist, only stopping when they were almost sitting in his lap.
"It feels like I might fall apart", they finished, voice a hoarse whisper.
Gently brushing his thumb over their pulse, Oberon just looked at them for a moment, before wrapping his free arm around their waist and lifting them fully into his lap.
Atlas found themselves speechless for a moment, their face heating until they could feel a hot flush reach all the way down to their collarbones and up in the tips of their ears.
It made them feel like caught prey, vulnerable in a way they had not let themselves be in a long while. Oberon’s grip was gentle and a part of them knew they’d be able to slip away and should they truly wish it, Oberon would release them in an instant.
The moment Oberon had given them to collect themself was apparently over, as he pulled their wrist up to press his lips to the inside of their wrist, eyes glinting sharply with a heat they had not noticed before.
“I can help you with this, if you wish it”, he breathed into the scant space between them. “I could hold you fast in your skin, deerheart.”
Night had fallen fully now, and Oberon’s eyes were almost luminous in the dark.
“Would it help, if you were unable to move?”
Atlas’s breath left them in a shuddering exhale, the words echoing inside their head like the sound of a bell. The idea was so very tempting, and the look in Oberon’s eyes almost dared them to agree, to let themselves be held in place long enough for the agitation under their skin to dissipate.
“I- “ they swallowed, taking a breath. “Please.”
Oberon's grip on them tightened, and they felt themselves relax like their strings had been cut. There was something dangerous in his eyes, now.
"Such a lovely favour you offer me, deerheart", he murmured against the thin skin of their wrist.
A soft sound escaped them, when he caught it just slightly between his teeth. They swayed forward, unable to help the need to get just a little bit closer.
With a smile, Oberon reached for Atlas’s face again, gently drawing his knuckles over their cheekbones. Leaning in as well, his gaze flicked down to their lips once more, a questioning air about him.
Exhaling a gust of air, Atlas leaned the rest of the way in, bringing their lips together in a gentle brush. Humming softly, Oberon leaned in further, deepening the kiss, carefully coaxing Atlas closer.
He pulled away a moment later, leaving Atlas feeling dizzy, the buzz under their skin throwing them off balance, blood pounding in their ears, their eyes still half shut. Oberon was looking down at them, close enough that Atlas could feel his breath ghosting over their lips.
After a moment that felt like an eternity, he leaned in again, capturing Atlas’s mouth. He was gentle, still, but there was the occasional playful nip, his tongue licking into Atlas’s mouth, leaving them feeling strung out, pulled taut like a string about to snap.
The hand settled on their waist that had deposited them so easily into Oberon’s lap slowly started to move upwards, tracing their spine. It made a shudder ripple through them, followed by a whine when Oberon reached the back of their head, gripping their hair and slowly, gently, pulled their head back.
Atlas's whole body bent to follow the motion, their mouth opening to breathe a silent sigh into the quiet air around them. He held them there for a long moment, and just as they were starting to feel restless, the need to squirm in place getting stronger again, Oberon moved, tightening his grip for a split second, pulling taut. Then, leaning down, he put his teeth to their throat, just resting there.
They froze, holding almost impossible still, animal instinct screaming danger, as Oberon slowly, ever so slowly, scraped his teeth over their throat. He did not bite down, but there was a part of Atlas that suddenly, desperately wanted him to.
He drew back, though, pressing a soft kiss to the place his teeth had just occupied, a wordless apology, the grip on their hair loosening.
They went almost boneless with the release of tension, held up entirely by Oberon’s hands for a second. They focused their gaze on Oberon once more, and found his eyes a storm of emotion, tightly controlled. It was dizzying to look at, made them suddenly aware of the swirl of wild magic in the air, pressing down around them like a heavy blanket.
“Alright?”, Oberon asked, leaning in to brush his lips over their cheekbone. It made their skin prickle with sensation, and they simply nodded shakily.
Chuckling, Oberon moved his mouth to their ear, biting down gently.
“Words, deerheart”, he teased.
Dropping their head back to look up at the canopy above them, they let out a shuddering breath, attempting to collect themselves.
Oberon didn’t quite let them, though, continuing to run his lips over the sensitive skin of their ear, hot gusts of breath threatening to unravel them bit by tiny bit.
“Alright”, they echoed, swallowing heavily.
Oberon let out a pleased hum and pressed a soft kiss under their ear.
“I’ll take care of you, sweet thing”, he whispered, voice a soft caress, like silk against bare skin. “Now, that little favour you owe”
They tensed almost imperceptibly at the words, their breath catching on an inhale. With a soft laugh, Oberon pressed a hand over their chest, shifting so they were eye to eye once more.
“Nothing that would harm you, deerheart, no need to fear”, there was a knowing glint in his eyes. “Unless you ask me for it, of course.” Atlas could feel themselves flush red at that, squirming in place.
“Now, I want you to hold still for me”, Oberon continued, “and I want you to let me know if you wish for me to stop.” He did look quite serious at that. “Oh, and these need to come off”, he finished, tugging gently at the collar of their robe.
They’d almost frozen in place as soon as the words had left Oberon’s mouth, lips parted, their breath coming faster now. Their blood raced in trepidation and excitement alike, almost entirely drowning out the frustration from before. The unspoken promise of chasing it away entirely echoed in their head, and they found themselves craving it with a sudden, breathtaking clarity.
Hesitating, they reached to undo the clasps holding their dress together. Oberon simply motioned for them to continue, and then the almost translucent fabric was falling off their shoulders, pooling in their lap.
Oberon pressed his hand to their now naked chest once more, covering his amulet, pressing it gently into their chest. It sent the pleasant thrum of it rippling through them, more intense than it had ever been before, leaving them shuddering slightly. A quiet gasp escaped them, swallowed by Oberon’s lips meeting theirs in a heated kiss.
Their hands trembled at their side, clenched tightly in an effort to hold still, unable to reach out, held in place by words alone, as Oberon softly bit their lip. Tiny whines and gasps were swallowed up greedily as Oberon pressed deeper with a clever tongue and sharp teeth.
When Oberon finally drew back, they were gasping for air, an urgency burning under their skin now. When Oberon reached for the belt holding the rest of their clothing in place, they let out a soft, wounded noise.
Hushing them gently, Oberon undid the rest of their clothes, sliding them carefully to the side and dropping it into the grass next to them.
His hands came to rest on their thighs as he raked his eyes over them. Anticipation fluttered through their stomach, as he squeezed them gently, before drawing them up.
He stopped at their waist, fingers splayed against their stomach, running teasing fingers over sensitive skin.
Eventually though, he did move on, drawing further up over their torso, leaving them trembling softly, struggling to stay in place. His hands eventually settled on their neck, drawing tiny circles into sensitive skin under their jaw.
They felt it before they saw it, then, vines of red and green snaking their way up their thighs and ankles, binding them together, loosely at first. A punched out gasp escaped them as they felt the reassuring pressure curl around them, a wave of static flowing through their mind, as they tightened, then loosened again.
Oberon’s gaze was heavy as he pressed his thumb to the hinge of their jaw, tracing the edge of their open mouth.
“There you go, beautiful. Just like that”, he whispered, leaning in close.
Atlas’s breath was coming in uneven little gasps now as the vines slowly climbed higher, winding themselves around their body in intricate patterns, holding them in place. They felt the tension in their body unspool slowly, and soon it felt like the vines and Oberon’s hands were the only thing holding them up.
All thoughts of embarrassment were long gone, as they caught the thumb resting against their mouth with their teeth, gently holding it there for a moment. Opening their eyes, they caught a wicked little glint in Oberon’s eyes, as he hummed, pressing his thumb down slowly, giving them a moment to draw away.
When they didn’t, he pressed in further, tracing the roof of their mouth, leaving them quivering in place as the vines climbed up their arms, binding them together behind their back.
“Such sharp teeth for someone so sweet looking.” His thumb pressed on one of their canines then, not hard enough to draw blood, and they whined, unsure what more they even wanted at this point.
He shushed them gently, withdrawing from their mouth to run soothing hands over their body. The vines had reached their chest now, smoothing softly over them as Oberon traced them with a finger, brushing along their skin. They finished with a loop around their neck, just tight enough to be felt, settling along their skin with soft pulses of pressure.
They were entirely bound now, their thighs held to their calves by tight loops, criss-crossing over their torso and holding their arms bound behind their back, deep red and soft green over pale skin.
They let their entire body be held up by only the vines, eyes closed as they started to drift, their mind slowly succumbing to those lovely little bursts of static.
Faintly, they registered Oberon whispering praise against their skin, felt the words wash over them like the gentle pulsing undulation of the vines. Occasionally, they felt the soft brush of lips over skin as Oberon pressed gentle kisses to them, interrupted by a hint of teeth every now and then.
They floated like that for a while, tension drained from their body, held still and secure.
Eventually though, the soft tap of fingers against their cheek started to draw them back slowly. Blinking, they attempted to draw their focus back together, a confused little whine escaping them.
They felt a soft kiss press to their lips.
“You’re alright, deerheart, you just seemed a little bit lost. Slowly now, just focus on my voice”, Oberon said, running a hand through their hair.
They pressed closer without a thought, nuzzling into the hand, mind still pleasant, fuzzy static. Laughing softly, Oberon continued his ministrations as they slowly let the world drift back to them.
After a while, they started squirming in place, the constriction slowly starting to dip into too much.
“Time for these to go, I think”, Oberon hummed, ever perceptive. The vines began to retract, then, slowly drawing back, Oberon’s hands brushing soft hands over the skin they left exposed in their wake, leaving shudders in their wake.
With the vines gone though, they were no longer held up, and they tipped forward before they could catch themselves. They were caught by warm hands, pressing them against a firm chest.
They could feel themselves be lifted as the last of the vines retreated, their eyes drifting closed again.
When they opened them again, they were lying on a soft heap of pillows in a small gazebo grown of the grove itself, the soft splashing of water stronger now.
Beneath them, there was the soft movement of someone breathing, their head resting against a chest. They shifted slowly, looking up at Oberon, finding him with his eyes closed, though they opened as soon as Atlas’s gaze landed upon him.
“There you are, deerheart”, he said, smiling. “I hope that wasn’t too much?”
They let themselves sink against his chest, burying their face in warm skin and soft silk. Their mind was still just a little too far adrift to be embarrassed about it, though.
“No”, they mumbled, “it was perfect. I needed that, I think.” They felt a soft kiss pressed to the crown of their head in answer.
“Of course. Rest for now, hmm?”, he spoke softly against their hair.
They nodded, pressing closer, drifting back off gently, held secure.