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The second that Esquie had dropped them off near the trains, Gustave had noticed the way Verso had gone tense in anticipation. There was a smile lingering at his lips that wasn't often there and he kept his hand on the handle of his sword, as though he were waiting to draw it at any moment as they explored the trains, all around the mountain, and eventually began to make their way back to Monoco's Station.
Except... the longer the afternoon went on, the more worried Verso got. The tension shifted to the bad kind, and Gustave didn't ask... he knew better than to ask, but Verso was looking around himself constantly, as though he were being hunted, then surprised when there was nothing there.
By the time it was dark and they had finally reached Monoco's Station, Verso had barely said a word before charging into the building, standing in the middle of it, his sword out, looking around him, waiting. Waiting for an attack, or something else...?
Gustave walked closer to him, making sure to make enough noise that Verso heard him coming. "Verso?"
Verso turned to look at Gustave, his sword fading away from his grip. "Gustave?"
Gustave's heart jumped into his throat. He could count on one hand the number of times that he had seen Verso scared. He stepped closer. "What's wrong?"
Verso looked around. "Monoco's not here."
Gustave swallowed and followed Verso's gaze. "Could he be somewhere else? Maybe in the Gestral Village, or-"
"No!" Verso snapped, shaking his head. "Esquie would have gone to get him. He's here, he should be here, but he isn't!"
The fear was clearly boiling over into franticness and Gustave reached out to touch his arm. "We'll find him," he promised, meeting Verso's eyes. "We'll find him." That was enough to calm some of the anger. "Talk to the grandis and see what they know? And we'll find him."
Gustave watched Verso stalk off and took the time to look around Monoco's Station and found evidence of Verso and Monoco everywhere he looked. He smiled, because Verso had been telling him about their adventures for months, but seeing it now was a different thing.
When Verso came back, long after dark, his expression dark and something that had Gustave sitting up in concern, watching him as he paced like a caged tiger, Gustave knew something was wrong. Something was wrong. "Verso, what-"
"They haven't seen him for a week!" Verso said, pacing frantically, combing his fingers through his hair. "They, they said there was an avalanche, and they haven't seen him since!"
Gustave sucked in a hard breath and watched Verso pace, faster and faster, panic making his movements jerky and terrified. "Verso," he stood up and reached for Verso's arms, pulling him to a stop. "Verso, look at me."
"I have to find him, Gustave, I have to find him, what if he's hurt, what if he's-"
"Verso," Gustave snapped, looking at him. "We're going to find him. We're going to go look for him right now. Even though it's dark, and it's the middle of the night, we are going to go look for him, and we are going to find him." The words, at least, were enough to make Verso settle and lose some of the frantic energy. "Did the Grandis tell you where the avalanche was?"
Verso nodded and swallowed. "Yeah."
Gustave nodded. "Then let's head there. Now."
"Right," Verso said, turning to look out at the snow. "Right. Yeah."
Gustave reached out to take Verso's hand, squeezing it pointedly, and started to walk. It was dark, but they managed, using small flares of chroma and Verso's knowledge of the terrain to make it to where the mountainside had caved in. Both of them stared at the massive displaced pile of snow and shared a look with each other. He could feel the fear vibrating to the surface with Verso again, the way he started to shake and tremble.
"Gustave, what if he's..."
"We will find him," Gustave promised, looking at Verso. "We will find him."
They began to dig.
--
Dawn made the digging easier, made it easier for them to plan a path as they searched, but their progress was desperately slow, even when Verso called Esquie to help, it was still too slow. Gustave could see how desperate and frantic Verso was getting, the way he kept wiping his eyes, claiming it was sweat, but they were too red-rimmed to be anything else.
Gustave was about to suggest they move to another part of the avalanche to dig now that the sun was fully up and helping to melt the snow, making their job both harder (the snow was heavier, tougher to move quickly and uncover anything beneath it), and easier (the snow was melting and leaving deep rivers in it from the water), and both of them were exhausted and beginning to slow down, despite their best efforts.
"Verso!" Gustave called, watching Verso nearly stumble as he stood up. "We need to rest!"
Verso shook his head stubbornly. "He, he wouldn't rest if it was me. I'm not going to, not going to rest until I find him!"
Gustave's heart broke and he stepped forward and his foot sank knee-deep into the snow, making him grunt. He found footing against something hard and pushed himself back, looking down. Something dark with familiar paint made Gustave scramble to dig. "Verso! Verso there's something here!"
Verso crashed down beside him and both of them dug, throwing snow behind them until at last Gustave managed to close his fingers around the belt, unearthing it slowly, until it came free in his fingers. It was Monoco's, and there was no sign of Monoco. Gustave met Verso's eyes and watched them fill with horror, followed swiftly by fear.
"Monoco!" Verso shouted. "Monoco!"
Gustave kept a wary eye on the mountain, but there was no snow left to fall that he could see, but he stumbled back and out of the pit they'd dug. "Verso, we have to-"
"Gustave get out of the way," Verso snarled. "Now!"
There was a reverberation to Verso's voice that wasn't normally there, and Gustave's attention snapped to his lover and froze at the sight of golden chroma curling around him. "Verso, what are you-"
Verso's hand lashed down, erasing a swath of snow into a flurry of golden petals. "Monoco!"
Too late, Gustave realized what Verso was doing, saw the faint outline of a paintbrush in his fingertips as he brought his arm down again and again, chroma sweeping across the piles of snow, erasing them, as though they'd never been there in the first place. "Verso, Verso, stop, you can't-"
"Monoco!" Verso shouted, swiping his arm again, wiping away the blood coming out of his nose. "Monoco, you bastard, answer me!"
There was a roar echoing in the mountains, and Gustave didn't know if that was another avalanche or the painting responding to what Verso was doing, and the power he was using to erase the snow in front of them. Two more violent swipes were enough, and Gustave saw Verso stumble forward first to the figure still half-buried in snow. "Verso, wait!"
Gustave tried to run through the knee-deep snow after Verso, and managed to get there a minute after Verso, helping to get him the rest of the way unburied, doing his best to ignore the heart-wrenching sobs escaping Verso as they finally managed to get him the rest of the way out of the snow.
"Monoco, Monoco, please," Verso begged. "Please, mon vieux, please. Answer me, please."
Verso was swaying, with blood leaking out of his ears and his nose in a way that was not good, and Gustave couldn't see Monoco moving either, water from the melting snow clearly soaking him all of the way through and posing a danger to them all. Gustave watched Verso slump down over Monoco, still sobbing his name and stood up, shouting for Esquie. He had to get both of them to safety, and he had to do it NOW.
--
Monoco woke up to the sound of a fire... and sighed.
Could have had the decency to leave him there for a decade, at least. Rather than the pathetic week he'd managed.
"Verso's on your right. He's closest to the fire. He wouldn't be parted from you. Not that I would have made him. But I'm still drying your joints and making sure none of your wood is rotted, so do me a favor and don't move."
Monoco felt his legs shift, and the swipe of a warm cloth, a towel, wiping the moisture away and testing the articulation of his legs.
Pathetic. He was fine. A mere avalanche couldn't stop him.
Not that quickly.
Gustave sighed and focused on Monoco's hand, cleaning the water off the metal as best he could, before holding Monoco's hand up to the fire, making sure that it was as dry as he could get it. "Verso's going to be recovering for a couple of days. Maybe longer. I don't know."
Monoco tensed, and now that Gustave, despicable, perfect-for-Verso Gustave had said that, he could feel it. The way Verso was breathing shallower than it should be. The way he was trembling. He grunted and nudged Verso closer to the fire with his legs. Stupid humans and their inability to stay warm.
"He was really worried about you," Gustave added, and though Monoco hadn't turned to look at him, he could tell that Monoco was listening, at least. "Scared."
Monoco scoffed. Verso knew how strong he was. There was nothing to be scared of. Not anymore. "As though I'd be defeated by something as measly as snow."
Gustave relaxed when Monoco's voice, quieter than usual, but at least THERE, came a moment later. "Well. He was scared. He used... he used Painter Chroma, to get you out. Erased the snow. Collapsed once we'd gotten you out."
Monoco sighed. "Idiot," he grumbled.
Gustave slowly released Monoco's hand, wrapping his arm around Verso, who was huddled under a large pile of blankets and moved on to Monoco's legs. "Well," he said, shrugging as he started his process all over again. "He wasn't the one who got himself caught and buried in an avalanche."
Monoco tensed. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Gustave hummed and kept up the slow cleaning of Monoco's joints. He let out a rough breath and wiped at his eyes. "I've never seen him so scared, Monoco. So just... do us all a favor and hold onto him and don't let go for a little while. He needs it."
"I know what he needs," Monoco grumbled, but tightened his arm around Verso, holding onto him tightly.
"Thanks," Gustave said, and went back to work.
Monoco held onto Verso tighter, even when he started to tremble and shake under the blankets that he was tucked into. Verso's human, Gustave, made sure he drank water and cleaned the blood from his face, but he didn't say anything, and slept on the other side of the fire, watching him. Monoco glared at him, because Verso needed his mate and was, was, was very happy with him.
Gustave tried not to panic as Verso stayed right where he was, curled up in front of the fire, too pale, and clearly exhausted, with Monoco wrapped around him in a way that had clearly been settled over the decades. By the time it had been two days, and Verso hadn't woken up, and Monoco had said nothing, only held onto Verso tighter as the days had gone by, several things were starting to make a lot more sense than they had before.
"He misses you," Gustave said, sitting on the other side of the fire, watching Verso and Monoco, eating the soup that he'd managed to scrape together for himself, that Verso had taken a few small sips of. "He looks for you. All the time."
"He has you," Monoco answered gruffly. "He has what he needs."
Gustave looked at the way Monoco's arm was still wrapped around Verso, holding him carefully, pointedly, safely. "He needs you too."
Monoco scoffed. "No."
Gustave winced, because the pain in that one, singular word was all too familiar, and all too real. Whether Monoco realized it or not, he'd given everything away with that single word. Or at least the parts that Gustave could see much more clearly now.
"Do Gestrals love, Monoco?" Gustave asked, and watched Monoco's fur bristle all over, even though he didn't move.
"A Gestral would never be so weak as to catch human feelings. Especially not one as strong as me," Monoco said.
Gustave took a sip of the soup in his hands and looked at the fire. "Then why were you running away from him?"
"I was not running away," Monoco growled. "I should challenge you to a duel for the implication!"
Gustave's lips twitched. "Okay. Let's go duel, right now."
Monoco didn't move.
Gustave smiled sadly and looked down into the soup and took another long sip of it. "You can't bring yourself to let go, because then you'll have to let go of him. Right?"
"I think I preferred you quiet and bleeding out," Monoco grumbled. "I am protecting him while he recovers. This is what best friends do for each other."
Gustave watched Monoco and knew that he was being scrutinized just as closely. "I know he'll feel safer waking up with you, than he would with me."
Monoco scoffed. "Foolish human. Not knowing-"
"No," Gustave interrupted. "I do know. That's why you're with him and not me. I know that if I was curled around him I would wake with a knife to my throat. He would apologize, and be upset about it, and think I should be angry with him." He stroked his thumbs along the side of the cup in his hands. "With you holding him? He will wake up gently. Safe. Protected, and secure. Exactly what I want for him."
Monoco was silent for a long... long moment. "Perhaps you do know him. A little."
Gustave smiled sadly. "Not as well as you do."
Monoco shifted a fraction, looking down at Verso, who was breathing steadier, at last. "He's happy with you. And, and in love, and he wants to live." He spat the words out, still refusing to move. "Everything I ever wanted for him."
"Except for the fact that somewhere along the line... you wanted him to be those things with you," Gustave guessed. Monoco's arm creaked as he adjusted himself a fraction. "To find those things with you."
"Foolish patate."
Gustave finished off his soup and put his cup to the side, stretching out on his blankets, meeting what felt like Monoco's gaze from his mask. "I don't think it's foolish," he said quietly. "I don't think loving someone is ever foolish."
"He is happy." Monoco stated. "With you."
Gustave was quiet for a long time, watching the fire. "I think he is pretending to be happy with me." He watched Monoco bristle and held up a hand. "With me, yes, but not in Lumiere. Not in the life I lead there. It's suffocating him. It's why we came out here. To you."
Monoco huffed.
"He still needs you," Gustave said, his voice soft. "Monoco, he's always going to need you, and he's terrified of losing you. Just because Verso and I are together doesn't mean he doesn't still need you. Or care about you."
"Quiet now. Verso needs rest," Monoco ordered.
Gustave smiled faintly and nodded, tucking the covers up and around him. "Good night, Monoco."
Monoco stood watch over the two stupid humans who needed sleep, and rest, and someone to watch their backs, and someone to keep them safe. While they slept.
Gustave shivered.
Monoco looked at him, and watched him huddle deeper under the blankets and sighed, tugging Verso carefully backward. He reached for one of the small gears that were scattered in the corner of the train cabin and threw one at Gustave, hitting him on the cheek, waking him instantly.
"Monoco, what...?"
"Come here," Monoco ordered, gesturing to the spot in front of Verso. "Now."
Gustave stared at Monoco for a long moment, but then didn't question it, moving his blankets in front of Verso, curling up next to him, carefully tucking some of Verso's hair out of his face, as he settled down again. "Monoco-"
"I'll keep watch. Sleep."
Gustave reached out and touched Monoco's wooden fingers. "Thank you," he whispered.
Monoco did not stay up all night while the two humans slept, remembering how strong Gustave's hands had been while they carefully cleaned and dried his joints. He did not remember how Gustave didn't demand he move, or release Verso, or that he make room. He did not reach out and tug Gustave closer, making sure Verso was properly encased in warmth, or notice that Verso seemed to relax and breathe even deeper and easier than he had before. He did not notice that Gustave seemed to sleep properly for the first time in days. And he most certainly, did not reach out to touch the Lumina Converter that was hanging off of Gustave's belt in curious consideration as they both slept.
No. That would have been foolish. He was not foolish.
--
Gustave woke up, blinking himself awake slowly, taking a moment to listen to Verso's heartbeat and how it was still steady and exactly as it had been for days. He shifted a little, and a hand, a much larger hand that he was not familiar with, tightened on his waist. Gustave stared straight ahead, breathing slowly, forcing himself to stay calm, because Monoco had been holding onto Verso.
"We need more firewood. You need more food. Wait here."
Gustave blinked and watched Monoco reluctantly pull his arm away and stand up, before making his way out of the train car. He remained huddled against Verso, waiting, his heart pounding, because if Monoco left and never came back, Verso would... Verso would never be the same.
But a matter of minutes later, Monoco returned, his arms full of fresh firewood that he carefully laid in the corner, and it was another trip before he came back with far more provisions than Gustave would have expected him to have handy. Except... Verso. So of course it made sense.
Monoco settled in behind Verso again and wrapped his arm around both of the stupidly squishy humans. Gustave had tensed again, but had not moved, and had stayed right where he was, and began to relax after a few minutes.
"Have you ever seen him like this before?" Gustave asked. "I don't... I don't know what to do to help him. Do you?"
Monoco shifted closer. "Only once before." He paused. "He doesn't know how long he was unconscious for. I only found him after. Too long after."
Gustave swallowed hard and nodded, cuddling closer to Verso again. "Then we'll keep watch over him and keep him safe until he wakes up again."
Monoco grunted. "Yes. We will." He paused and felt Gustave relax, before he reached out to tap against the Lumina Converter. "Tell me how this works."
"Why?" Gustave tipped his head back and looked up at Monoco where he was being watched over Verso's shoulder.
Monoco shifted, and reached up to tap a finger against Gustave's temple. "You get too in your head. Just like Verso. You need a distraction. Tell me about your converter."
Gustave huffed, but acknowledged the point, shifting a little so he could reach around Verso to slowly stroke his fingers along the soft wood of Monoco's side. "It was an idea I'd had as a boy..." he started, and felt Monoco's hand settle on his side once more.
~!~
It was hard not to worry about Verso, but after a week, when he still hadn't woken up, or showed any signs of waking up, Gustave had made an executive decision.
"I need to go back to Lumiere," he said as he settled down in one had become one of their other cuddling positions, where Verso was cradled in Monoco's lap, so Gustave could sit side by side with Monoco and have one long arm wrapped around him as well. (It was more comforting than he wanted to admit, and Monoco's fur was soft.)
Monoco tensed.
"Not, not forever, hell, not even for long," Gustave said, taking a deep breath. "But I need to tell my sister I'm all right. Pick up more provisions. Talk to my apprentices, let them know I'm going to be gone for a while. Give them instructions. Then come back." He leaned against Monoco a little more pointedly. "With the intent of staying here until he wakes up."
Monoco... tilted his head a fraction.
Gustave fidgeted and waited for Monoco to say anything. He'd learned that sometimes he needed to let Monoco think through things to understand them, or to fit them into his frame of understanding.
"You need to tell your patates and family you are staying here for a while," Monoco said. "And replace provisions."
Gustave nodded. "Yes. I'll take Esquie. I might be gone a day. At most two."
"After you return." Monoco paused. "I would like to go visit Noco. For a day."
Gustave's heart leapt, and his stomach went tight and hot, because... they both loved Verso enough to try to make whatever this future of theirs was work. He nodded once. "Perhaps... we schedule time. A trip every few weeks for me, for provisions, and one for you to visit Noco."
Monoco grunted and tightened his arm around Gustave. "Yes. That is wise." He paused. "You will go tomorrow. You are out of coffee."
Gustave laughed, his head falling back against Monoco's arm, before he gave the wooden body an elbow. "Are you calling me grumpy without my coffee?"
Monoco didn't hesitate. "Yes. Verso would agree with me, I'm sure."
Gustave smiled. "You're right. He would." He chuckled. "I'll make sure to get coffee."
"Bring things for your mind. More things to teach me. Like trains," Monoco added. "You and Verso like trains. Teach me about trains."
"I can do that," Gustave promised. "Maybe you could ask Noco to visit, if he's feeling up to it? I'd like to see him again."
"He would like that," Monoco agreed, combing his fingers through Verso's hair carefully. "Be careful. I won't be there to keep watch."
Gustave tipped his head up to look at Monoco and reached out to cover Monoco's hand with his metal one, something in his heart clenching at the sight of wood and metal, side by side. Each of them, lacking the softness of skin. "I'll be careful," he promised. He closed his eyes and leaned in against Monoco's fur again. "I'll call Esquie in the morning."
Monoco lifted his arm from around Verso and carefully adjusted the blanket so it covered both Verso and Gustave. "Then rest," he ordered.
Gustave chuckled and nodded, yawning as he settled comfortably under the blanket against Monoco.
--
Another week passed. Then a third.
Monoco moved them into another train car, a larger one that Gustave and Monoco had taken turns repairing to make comfortable. The primary feature, and appeal, had been the bed, and they had cleaned and fixed the rest of the room around it. Verso deserved to be comfortable while he recovered, or at least that's the excuse Gustave had agreed to when Monoco had complained about the effort. And time. And repairs.
But...
Gustave was learning that his complaints were... not actual complaints. It was teasing. Gentle mocking made friendly. And it was something Gustave had only ever seen Monoco do with Verso, before.
It made his heart ache, especially as Verso slept, and slept, and slept.
At night, with the fire crackling in the hearth of the new train car they'd moved into, all three of them curled in an increasing variety of positions, Gustave taught Monoco about trains, and engineering, and everything that he could manage to bring in small sets of books to their little makeshift home. Whether or not Monoco understood complex engineering at all didn't... didn't really matter. It's something he could focus on, something that they both knew Verso loves, so they could pretend it's for Verso, not just for them.
(But it was for them. Just like the hand-crafted arm guard that Monoco handed him one day that matched Verso's and made Gustave need to take a walk so he could cry and curse himself in private for coming between what Verso had never realized he'd had with Monoco, because it was so clear that Monoco loved, so fiercely, even if he would never admit it.)
Verso had chosen well.
Whether that made it worse, or better, Monoco did not know.
He had not had to fight a Stalact since Gustave and Verso had arrived.
He had heard them approaching, of course, had readied himself, only to never see the creatures emerge, and instead for Gustave to return, drinking a Healing Tint, his arm giving off heat and electricity that spoke of recent use. Monoco waited for him to gloat, to tease and mock as Verso did, but he merely smiled and... kept doing it.
Which made all of these feelings even worse. He was... was not jealous of Verso. Or Gustave. They had each other. They were well-matched. Gustave was strong, and protective, and smart. He understood Verso. Better than he'd realized.
But Verso was... was Verso. His Verso. Verso had always been his Verso. Both of them. He'd never not been his Verso. But Verso had... had never. Never wanted. Loved him, but had never loved him, and it was Good. It was Fine. He had Gustave. Perfect human mate who-
"Have you ever tried to turn into a human?"
Monoco turned to look at Gustave. "What."
Gustave gestured to the nevron foot collection that he was steadily helping polish. "You transform with nevron feet. Have you ever tried to transform into a human?"
"No," Monoco answered. He had thought about it. Dreamed about it. Thought about it more. Imagined feeling Verso's fingers against his skin. Imagined feeling them the way Verso felt things.
Gustave hummed and picked up another foot. "Do you want to try?"
Monoco stilled.
Verso's human was smart. Smarter than Verso. Smarter than almost any other Expeditioner Monoco had ever met. If he was asking the question, it was because he knew the answer, and knew the answer behind the answer. Sneaky, smart human.
"No," Monoco lied. He wanted to try. He had always wanted to try. To be what Verso wanted. Needed. Before Gustave. Before he'd found his mate, and his reason for living. Before he'd found what he needed that was not him.
"Verso ever tell you that you're a bad liar?" Gustave asked, shifting against Verso on the bed, picking up another Nevron foot.
Monoco glared at the nevron foot and polished it more aggressively before putting it off to the side, before picking up another. "Yes," he admitted.
Gustave smiled faintly and looked down at the nevron feet. "Why don't you want to try?"
"I'm not human," Monoco answered. "Pretending to be one changes nothing."
Gustave chuckled. "Except that it could change everything. Right?"
Monoco growled. "The answer is no. It's too much chroma, it's... I'd need a human who, who I could pull that chroma out of, and I'm not about to carry around an Expeditioner corpse-"
"You could pull Chroma from me, if I stored excess in the Lumina converter. Though I'm assuming you don't actually need my foot cut off, and that it's actually just easier for you to channel their residual chroma with a piece of them. Though we could try my arm, if that was the case," Gustave offered.
Monoco stilled again. "You've thought about this." He paused. "Often."
"Extensively would be the correct word," Gustave said, glancing at Monoco, Verso asleep on the bed between them. "I've seen you watching me, sometimes. You're curious. You want to know, certain things."
Monoco tightened his hand on the nevron foot he was holding. "Enough."
Gustave leaned back against the bed. "What if I promise to answer what question you have? Any of them. Anything."
Monoco... paused. "Anything?"
Gustave looked over at him and grinned. "Anything," he agreed.
"What's a cock? Why does it need to be big?" Monoco blurted, the question bursting out of him because he had always wondered, and he couldn't ask Verso again because. Because it was Verso. And he'd laughed the first time he'd asked, making a joke of it.
Gustave lifted up the lumina converter and raised an eyebrow at Monoco. "Want to find out? One of those things that's better to experience than me telling you, I think."
Monoco stared at the Lumina Converter for a long, long moment. "I need to be touching you to draw the chroma out of you."
Gustave climbed up off the bed and went over to Monoco's side, settling into the bed beside him, offering up his right hand. "Unless you'd prefer my foot?" he asked.
Monoco... considered.
Gustave laughed again and stood up, shedding the pants he was wearing, and his jacket. "All right." He settled facing Monoco and carefully lifted his leg and dropped his foot into Monoco's held out hand. A long wooden finger stroked along the side of his foot, over the ball of his ankle.
"I don't want to hurt you," Monoco said. "If it hurts, I will stop."
Gustave swallowed, but he reached out and touched Monoco's leg. "I'll tell you if it hurts," he promised. "But I trust you not to hurt me, Monoco." He stared, and watched Monoco's fur all rustle before Monoco shifted his hold on his foot.
Monoco didn't need to breathe, so Gustave didn't know that Monoco was pulling his chroma until he saw a swirl of it around Monoco's hand. He felt Monoco's attention shift and he shook his head. "It doesn't hurt," he answered, shifting his hand into Monoco's hold easier. "It feels a bit like you're tickling me."
Gustave didn't look away from Monoco and watched more and more chroma swirl around him until there was a pointed displacement of air. His breath caught and he sat up a little, staring at Monoco and the dark red eyes that were staring at him in shock. "Hello Monoco."
Monoco looked down at himself, frowning, reaching out to touch the skin of his arms, then his hands, before turning to look at Verso sitting beside him.
Gustave pulled his foot back and watched as Monoco reached out and trailed his fingers through Verso's hair, his heart aching at the sight of it, and the way Monoco's eyes fluttered, and his breath left him in a rush, as though it had been punched out of him. "Soft, isn't it?" he whispered, and met Monoco's eyes when they darted to him.
Monoco stroked his fingers down Verso's beard, along his cheek, and back into his hair again, before pulling his hand away. "Yes," he agreed, clenching his hand into a fist. He had stolen something that wasn't his to take, he should not have done that without Verso there. "I should-"
"Hey," Gustave interrupted, shifting closer to him, reaching out to touch Monoco's thigh, watching it jump under his fingertips. He smiled faintly. "You're okay. There's a lot, isn't there?"
Monoco swallowed and scowled at the sensation of the lump in his throat, reaching up to touch it, but there was nothing there, just. The feeling. He looked to Gustave. "Do I look wrong?"
Gustave shook his head. "No. Not at all. You look very handsome." He shifted closer, sitting on the edge of the bed, reaching for Monoco's hand. "You're tall. Just like you are as a Gestral. Taller than us both. Strong. Broader than Verso and I." He pressed their palms together and held it up for Monoco to see. "Handsome."
"Handsome," Monoco repeated, frowning, looking at how much larger his hand was than Gustave's, before taking Gustave's hand, stroking over the calluses on his fingers, before trailing up to the hair on his arm.
"Handsome," Gustave repeated, shifting closer, but not taking his hand away from Monoco so he could keep stroking up and down the length of his fingers. "Your beard and your hair are the same color as your fur. Your eyes, the same color as the markings on your mask." He reached up and twirled a lock of Monoco's hair around his finger, smiling at him. "Your hair is thicker than Verso's, and mine."
Monoco reached up to touch the curls, but stopped when Gustave's expression shifted.
"No, go ahead," Gustave said, bringing Monoco's fingers up to his curls. He watched Monoco's eyes flutter shut and those long, thick fingers sink into his hair, rubbing against his scalp. He swallowed, his stomach tightening. "Curls feel differently than Verso's hair. See?"
"Yours are softer," Monoco said, pulling his fingers back, watching as one curl wrapped around his finger, staring at it.
Gustave laughed a little. "I take better care of my hair than Verso does. He takes better care of his beard. We've laughed about it." He took Monoco's hand where it was hovering and held it between them. "How does it feel?"
"Do you..." Monoco frowned. "There's so much." He pressed his hand to his stomach and then poked at it. "I feel tense, here?"
Gustave reminded himself that he'd promised. "Could be hungry," he offered. "But if you want to know what a cock is, press your hand between your legs. Top of your thighs."
Monoco's eyes widened and he slid his hand under the now loose-belt and cupped his fingers around soft, warm flesh. It twitched and a broken sound escaped him, and he stared at Gustave. "What..."
"Yeah," Gustave whispered. "How you can pleasure yourself. If you keep touching it, it will get hard, and if you touch it enough, you'll come."
Monoco's nose wrinkled. "Sex."
Gustave smiled, despite himself. "Masturbation, in this case. But yes, this is what humans waste a great deal of time doing." He swallowed hard when Monoco's eyes fluttered and he watched Monoco's hand clearly flex around himself.
"Am I big?" Monoco asked, frowning down at his hand under the belt. "I feel small in my hand."
Gustave bit down on the inside of his cheek until he was not going to react and cleared his throat. "Your hands are large, and the rest of you is big. I would be surprised if you weren't." He dropped his hand to the buckle of Monoco's belt that was keeping him hidden. "Do you want me to tell you?"
Monoco hesitated. "Are you-"
"I promised to answer your questions," Gustave said. "I did figure this topic would come up." He gave Monoco a nod. "Go ahead." Two quick jerks of Monoco's free hand and the belt was gone and Gustave had an unobstructed view of Monoco's cock, and his hand wrapped around it.
"You're big," Gustave said, immediately. "Larger than both Verso and I." He slapped his metal hand over his mouth, groaning in embarrassment because he had not meant to say that.
"I am?" Monoco asked and frowned. "Why did my voice change?"
Gustave swallowed and took a deep breath. "Because you're aroused. Humans can sound a little different when we're aroused. For you, your voice lowers."
"How do I sex?" Monoco looked down at himself. "Isn't something supposed to happen?"
"Right," Gustave said weakly. "Normally I would offer a practical demonstration-"
"Yes, a demonstration," Monoco demanded. "Teach me."
Gustave trailed off and stared at Monoco, his heart pounding. "Monoco, that's not..." He trailed off. If he didn't show Monoco, maybe someone else would, and Gustave wished he was a stronger man who wouldn't take advantage, because he was. He was. And he shouldn't. "Alright. Move your legs."
Gustave unzipped his pants and pushed them down and off his hips, and then all of the way off, so at least he and Monoco were on even footing, and sat down on the bed, shivering under the intent gaze from the Gestral-turned-human across from him. Doing this with Verso right next to them was... was illicit and horrible, but they weren't touching each other, he was, he was only teaching Monoco, like he'd asked.
"Everyone likes things a little different," Gustave started, lifting his hand to his mouth to lick his palm. He watched Monoco mimic him and had to fight down a groan. "And some men will get wet. You'll have to see what you like."
"What do you like?" Monoco asked, wrapping his hand back around his cock, a sound escaping him as he did. He squeezed tighter and moved his hand, and his whole body trembled.
"Merde," Gustave whispered, watching as Monoco's eyes fluttered and he stroked himself again, clearly savoring every single one of the motions. "I, I like it slow," he said, shivering as he stroked himself slowly. "I like to tease. Take my time. I like being patient."
Monoco shook his head, his hair flying everywhere as he stroked his hand again. "It's... it feels tight. Hot."
"Yeah, that's normal," Gustave breathed, watching as Monoco shuddered and strained as he fucked up and into his palm. "Stop moving your hand." He watched Monoco's entire body flex, and dark red eyes meet his. "Breathe. Wait. It will feel better if you go slow." His lips twitched when Monoco growled. "Verso's impatient too."
Monoco's breath caught, and he stared at Gustave. "He is?"
"He is," Gustave whispered. "He whines a lot. Demands more. He likes it hard and fast, so I tease him."
Monoco shuddered, clenching his hand around his cock. "You tease him?"
Gustave nodded. "I do. I make him go slow. Just like you." He stroked himself slowly, teasing himself, and watched Monoco mimic the rhythm, even though his chest was heaving with every breath. "Like that. How's it feel?"
"Want more," Monoco demanded. "What is more?"
Gustave chuckled. "Greedy. Just like Verso." That prompted another cry from Monoco and Gustave watched that big hand speed up on that bigger cock. "More can be many things," he answered, watching Monoco's eyes meet his again. "Could be my hand on you, forcing you to go slow. Could be my mouth." Another punched out moan, and Monoco was leaking steadily, letting him stroke faster.
"Why, why does it feel... like there's..." Monoco's hand stuttered.
Gustave gave up on stroking himself and shifted closer to Monoco, reaching out to touch his thigh, resting his hand there, watching Monoco cry out again. "It means you're close to an orgasm. Keep going. The tip is the most sensitive. Use the calluses on your fingers there."
"Gustave, it, why's it, I can't-" Monoco gasped, throwing his head back against the pillows, a broken moan escaping him as pleasure suddenly became all he could think, and feel.
Gustave devoured the sight of Monoco experiencing his first ever orgasm, his whole body arching and straining as he came, and came, until he'd sunk back against the pillows, his chest still heaving. He trembled and forced himself to look away and stood up from the bed, forcing his legs into his pants, before gathering tissues to carefully wipe Monoco clean, watching his breathing even out slowly.
"Is it always like that?" Monoco asked, staring at the ceiling.
Gustave nodded. "It can be."
Monoco snorted. "No wonder you humans are obsessed with it."
Gustave smiled and reached out to adjust the blanket up and over Monoco's legs. "It does feel good." He reached out and took Monoco's hand, also wiping it clean, before he smiled at him. "I need to go for a walk. Stay with Verso. Touch his hair again. You know how much he loves that."
Monoco frowned, but Gustave was gone an instant later, the door shutting behind him. He reached out and gently stroked Verso's hair again. Soft. So soft.
Gustave barely made it to one of the other train cars for privacy before he was shoving his hand down his pants, stroking himself rough and desperate, muffling his moans into his hand as he came, almost immediately, sagging back against the cold metal. He muffled a sob into his fist and sank down on one of the broken benches, tears gathering in his eyes. What was he doing, what the hell was he doing?
He couldn't let that happen again. He wouldn't let that happen again. Monoco didn't know better, he did. And if Verso found out...
Gustave clenched his eyes shut, a sob building in his throat as he did his best to erase the evidence of what he'd done, wiping at his eyes before he shoved his hands into his pockets and stepped out of the Station and into the familiar frigid air of the mountain. A freezing cold, wet walk was precisely what he needed to get his head right.
--
By the time Gustave made it back to the train compartment they'd made into a home, Monoco was back in his Gestral form, with his fingers still buried in Verso's hair. Gustave was glad he'd cried himself out, because he was certain that he would have cried all over again, seeing that. He climbed into bed on Verso's other side and pressed as close as he could without touching Verso. He'd lost that right after what he'd done.
Instead, he focused on refilling the Lumina Converter, ignoring the way that Monoco watched him, and didn't argue with his need to patrol around the Station. Monoco would... would want to try being human again, he had no doubt. Especially with the way he'd looked touching Verso's hair. The broken open adoration and love on his face was... he'd felt honored to even bear witness to it, and it confirmed what he'd always known, that Monoco loved Verso so much more than he could ever properly articulate.
Monoco kept trying to... perhaps start a conversation with him about what had happened, but the benefit of weeks together meant that Gustave could duck out of it when he needed to. Especially when he had the excuse of picking up a package for Lune from the Gestral Village before he came back with more supplies.
"I'll tell him that you're going to visit soon," Gustave added, tugging his jacket on, even though Monoco was watching him, his gaze heavy and intent the way it had been, near constantly, since the evening he'd made the mistake. "I know that'll make him happy and-"
"Are you hurting?"
Gustave stopped, frozen, half turned toward the door, and half toward where he'd tucked Monoco's favorite blanket around him, even if he didn't need it. The question was a very Gestral-who'd-lived-with-humans question. Not a 'are you hurt?' because that could be brushed off. It was a question someone who had spent decades living with Verso had learned to ask, because it was perhaps one of the only ways to get the truth out of him when he didn't want to say it.
"A little," Gustave admitted, glancing at Monoco. "But I'll be all right."
"Because of what I did."
Gustave took a deep breath and turned to face Monoco, his eyes drifting to Verso briefly before he brought them back to the Gestral. "No. You didn't do anything wrong, Monoco. I shouldn't have..." he sighed and closed his eyes. "I should not have said some of the things I did. About Verso. Knowing how you feel about him. I should not have done that. It was wrong. And it'll..." he shook his head. "It will only make things hurt more, later."
Monoco frowned as Gustave turned and let himself out of the train car, shutting the door behind him, firmly. He heard Gustave call for Esquie a few moments later, and then the familiar loud cry of his friend. He turned back to Verso and settled against him properly.
"You need to wake up," he ordered. "Your mate is hurting. He needs you. No more delays. You need to wake, Verso."
--
Gustave was grateful, beyond grateful, for the distraction that the Gestral Village offered. He stopped to see the patates, promised that he would bring his own patates to visit soon (a terrifying and exciting prospect, he'd have to walk to Monoco about that), and headed to find Noco's shop, buried in the back of the Village, stepping through the leather curtain. "Noco, you home!"
"There you are! Took you long enough! You're late!"
Gustave laughed as Noco came bustling out and hopped up onto the table in an instant, only to still, staring at him for a long moment before he began stomping his feet in anger, all around his desk.
"Not fair, not fair, not fair! How come he gets two humans! How come!"
Gustave blinked, confused. "Noco, what are you-"
"This!" Noco whacked the arm guard. "How come he gets to make two?! I wanted to claim you!"
"Claim me?" Gustave blinked and looked down at the arm guard. "Monoco made this for me, what do you mean claim?"
"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuugh!" Noco stomped his feet angrily again. "Gestrals like fighting!"
"Yes?"
"Arm guard for weak side!"
Gustave tilted his head. "Yes...?"
"Arm guard to protect weak side for mate when Gestral not there to do protecting!" Noco stomped his feet angrily. "Monoco already claimed Verso, how come he get metal man too? Not fair, not fair!"
Gustave blinked, staring at the tantrum Noco continued to throw, even as he picked up the package he could see was labeled for Lune. "I'll... I'll see you later, Noco."
"Tell Dad, very angry! Very mean! Very greedy!" Noco shouted, kicking one of his wrenches off his desk. "I am going to invade his Station with Sakapatates!"
Gustave wandered out of Noco's hut and out of the village slowly, his mind in a fog. Everywhere he looked, now. He could see some Gestrals wearing the arm guards. Proudly displayed. Just like his was. Just like Verso's was. A claim. A claim for mates.
The thought would not stop spinning in his mind as he made his trip to Lumiere, checked in with his siter, with his apprentices, Lune, and Sciel. But if Monoco had already given an arm guard to Verso, why had... why had he made a second one? And why the hell had he given it to him?
He waved off Emma's concern about his head being in the clouds, and headed to the docks to meet Esquie, flying back to the Station, his mind still racing, even as he put the rations away and headed toward their train car. He knocked and let himself in, taking off his jacket to store it in a picto, sighing in relief at the familiar wave of warmth as he removed his boots and socks, giving Monoco a brief smile.
It wasn't until he went to remove the arm guard that he remembered, and Gustave hesitated, turning to Monoco with his fingertips pressed to it. "Monoco?"
"Yes?" He paused. "Is something wrong with your guard?" Monoco sat up. "Show me."
Gustave walked closer and shook his head. "No, nothing is wrong with it, but. Noco saw it. He said it was... is a claim?"
Monoco stilled, his fingertips pressed to the markings on it.
"It's a marriage proposal, for Gestrals."
Monoco and Gustave spun to the bed, only to find Verso blinking in exhaustion at them.
"Verso!" Gustave surged forward, but Monoco was still sitting, frozen, next to Verso on the bed.
"You knew?" Monoco asked.
Gustave looked at the confusion on Verso's face, and the absolute stillness of Monoco and realized, seconds too late, what was about to transpire.
"Of course," Verso said. "But you didn't mean it like that, so I assumed it as some sort of honored brotherhood gift, and I've always worn it ever since!"
Gustave saw the faint tremble that went through Monoco before the Gestral forced himself into stillness again. "Monoco-"
"You knew," Monoco repeated.
Verso looked between them, frowning. "What's... what's going on? I don't understand."
"Nothing," Monoco snapped. "Welcome back to the land of the living. Enjoy celebrating with your mate."
Gustave felt Monoco brush past him, headed for the door, and spun around, grabbing Monoco's arm, heaving with all of his strength to throw him onto the bed, even though Verso shouted in protest when Monoco hit his legs.
"You are both impossibly stupid!" he snarled, glaring at them. Gustave gestured to Monoco. "Verso, he asked you to marry him! The way a Gestral does! And you accepted!"
"And you!" Gustave growled, glaring at Monoco, and felt the full weight of that mask leveled at him. "Did you tell him it was? Did you ever take a moment to correct him, so he understood? Did you ever make sure that he understood, Monoco?" He threw his hands up. "No, of course not!"
Gustave glared at them both. "Congratulations, you've been married for decades! Glad you could finally clear that up!" He walked to the dresser and grabbed the Lumina Converter, bringing it over to Monoco, shoving it into his hand. "Be happy!" he ordered, pointing a finger at both of them. "Be happy, because you both deserve it, you absolute idiots!"
"Gustave-"
"Don't," Gustave breathed, holding up a hand to forestall whatever Verso had been about to say. "Please don't," he whispered. "It's all right. It's..." he took a deep breath. "You're happier here. Out here. With him. It's where you're meant to be. I... I'm sorry it took me so long to see that." Gustave took another deep breath and glanced at Monoco. "Verso knows how to use it," he said softly. "Consider it a gift."
Gustave nodded once and turned away from them both, letting himself out of the train cabin that he'd built and slowly turned into a home with Monoco and started to run, because if he didn't get away, those two idiots would do something stupid like come after him. He'd call Esquie as soon as he was far enough away. And... and go. Somewhere. Far away. Somewhere where he could nurse a broken heart.
(He ignored the quietly stubborn voice that was telling him he was nursing a broken heart twice over. But it didn't matter. He would be happy for them. He would. They'd been together for so long, and he'd... he'd had Verso for a little while. That was more than he'd ever expected to have, after all.)
Gustave called for Esquie, wiped his tears and accepted the tight hug Esquie offered before he climbed on his back and asked to be taken far, far away from Monoco's Station.
At least the wind in his face would dry his tears.
--
Verso wanted to race after Gustave, wanted to stop him, but he had no doubt that by the time he got out of bed and dressed, he would be far enough away that, fuck, that he would have to hunt him down later. Right now, at least, he could deal with the Gestral still sprawled on top of his legs. His best friend who'd... who'd, fuck, proposed to him almost fifty years ago.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Verso asked, watching Monoco hunch his shoulders and turn away from him, sitting on the edge of the bed.
Monoco was silent, staring at the Lumina Converter in his hand.
"Monoco," Verso growled, forcing himself upright with a grunt, his whole body feeling like it weighed several hundred pounds more than it did.
"You told me what you wanted. How you saw us. I honored that." Monoco looked down at the Lumina Converter. "I have honored how you see us from that moment, Verso. I always will."
Verso swallowed hard, watching the way Monoco's shoulders hunched. "What changed?"
Monoco rolled the small device in his fingertips. "You fell in love. I had thought you could not, after Julie. And that was why you declared us brothers." He paused. "How wrong I was."
Verso dropped his hand to the bed, staring at Monoco. There was nothing he could say, nothing he could... offer Monoco. He had done nothing but hurt him for years upon years. "I, I didn't think... you could fall in love with a human. I didn't know. You didn't, you didn't tell me, Monoco!"
Monoco lifted his head and looked at Verso. "Would it have mattered?"
Verso clenched his hands in the sheets. "Of course it would have mattered!"
Monoco scoffed. "Don't waste your time lying to me, Verso. You have a mate to go after."
Verso looked at the door that Gustave had walked out of and flinched staring down at the bed. "No, I don't. You heard what he said."
"He's hurt," Monoco said. "He'll still welcome you."
Verso looked at the flash of something gold in Monoco's fingertips. What gift had Gustave given him? "You're hurting too, mon vieux," he said, his voice soft. "And I'm... I'm not in a position to be running after anyone this second. I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to be conscious, actually." The world was starting to sway in a very worrying fashion.
Monoco's mask snapped up and he scrambled to catch Verso as he started to sway and nearly fell off the bed, cursing as he carefully placed Verso back on the pillows, staring down at him for a long moment before he cursed again and went to make soup. They would have to wait for Verso to recover and then he would bring these two idiot patates together and let them be happy.
--
Verso woke to the smell of soup, and the sight of Monoco bent over the pot, stirring it studiously was so familiar, that for a few moments, he didn't remember what had happened. Right up until he caught sight of a scarf that he knew belonged to Gustave on the dresser and then everything came rushing back and tears flooded into his eyes and he curled up, burying a sob in his knees.
He'd lost them both. But Monoco was loyal above all things and wouldn't let him starve. Because that's just what Monoco did. Because Monoco loved him, and had proposed to him decades ago, and had just... kept being who he was.
The bed depressed beside him, and the scent of soup grew stronger, but the last thing Verso wanted to do was face Monoco, face the monument of his fuck ups. He'd be left alone, exactly as he deserved.
"You need to eat."
Verso's stomach grumbled and he grit his teeth, carefully reaching out for the bowl, spooning it into his mouth. Potato and leek. His favorite comfort soup. One of the two that Monoco had bothered to learn how to cook. A tear slid down his cheek, and then another. And another. He'd been so blind for so long.
"When you came back. When it had been twelve years of following you without following you to make sure another Expedition did not hurt you, did not leave you again, and so you did not end up in the crater of a battlefield, drowning on blood for months before I found you..." Monoco paused. "I never wanted to leave your side again. Ever. It was your side I wished to remain by, Verso. It was always you. But I thought you... could not. So you offered what you could, and it was enough. It was always enough."
Verso clenched the sides of the bowl tighter, a sob building in his chest. "When we were trying to find you. You'd been caught in an avalanche. I panicked. I didn't know if it the pressure, or the water, or any of it could kill you. But I panicked. All I could think about was finding you." He wiped at his eyes and sniffled, pointedly. "I couldn't bear the thought of losing you. It'd be like losing part of my soul."
Monoco sighed. "You love Gustave."
"Do you think I don't love you?" Verso snapped, glaring at Monoco.
"Not like him," Monoco said, his voice gentle.
"That's not fair," Verso's voice cracked. "I didn't, I didn't know I was allowed to love you like that."
"It's all right," Monoco soothed. "He is a good mate. Worthy." He paused and smirked. "Did you see the way he threw me onto the bed?"
Verso laughed weakly. "If I wasn't heartbroken, I would have been extremely turned on by that."
Monoco tilted his head. "Is that... aroused?"
Verso blinked at Monoco. "How do you know what... aroused is, Monoco?"
"Ah."
Verso put the bowl of soup on the side table and looked at Monoco, who was no longer looking at him, and was pointedly looking away from him. "Monoco."
"Your mate said you would be angry."
Verso swallowed and his mind raced, spinning a thousand miles as Monoco stayed facing away from him. "Did you... you touch each other?" (He would deal with how much he liked the thought of that, later. Much later. Maybe never, in fact.)
"No."
Verso didn't know if he was relieved or upset with that answer. "Then what happened?"
Monoco hesitated before answering. "I used his chroma, and the excess from the Lumina Converter. To turn into a human."
Verso inhaled sharply, his gut twisting. "You can do that?"
Monoco nodded once. "Gustave challenged me to do that. Promised to answer questions." He glanced at Verso and huffed. "He promised to tell me what a cock was."
Verso choked on his next breath of air, coughing hard. "He, he what?"
"Mine is bigger than yours. And his. He said so."
"Wait," Verso held up his hands, because there was so much to unpack in those last three sentences, none of which he felt emotionally equipped, or prepared to ask. "So you became human and what? Measured yourselves?"
"I touched your hair," Monoco admitted, looking at Verso. "I wanted to know if it was as soft as it had always looked. Your beard is scratchy. Your skin is soft, and warm."
Verso stared at Monoco, a soft noise escaping him before he snapped his mouth shut. "Monoco."
"I'd always wondered," Monoco continued. "It looked soft. And it was."
Verso swallowed and reached out and touched Monoco's shoulder, tugging impatiently on him, until Monoco was sitting on the bed beside him. "Lie down," he demanded, sniffling.
"Verso."
"Lie down or I am going to tackle you to the bed!" Verso demanded, his eyes still filled with tears.
Monoco considered. "You are still too exhausted to be tackling anything."
"Then lie down," Verso demanded, and when Monoco had, he immediately draped himself on top of Monoco and buried his face in Monoco's fur and held onto him tighter, glad when Monoco slowly wrapped his arms around him to hold him tight. "Tell me the rest."
"He had me touch my cock. To show me. We looked at it. It felt good. Gustave showed me how to touch myself." Monoco paused. "He told me things you liked. That felt even better. I liked that even more. He said it was wrong, after. But it felt good. To know what you liked. That I might like the same."
Verso trembled and let out a rough breath and nodded. "It felt good?"
"Yes." Monoco reached up and combed his fingers through Verso's hair. "I thought of you. Of touching your hair. Your hands. Gustave's laugh. Then it all felt too good and I couldn't think anymore. Gustave told me to hold you, after. He made sure I was clean."
Verso clung tighter to Monoco and was glad when he didn't let go. "Did he kiss you?"
"No. He, he touched my thigh. But nothing else," Monoco said. "Then he left." He held onto Verso tighter. "He was hurting."
Verso sighed and closed his eyes. "Monoco?"
"Yes?"
"Do you still love me?" Verso tried not to shake as he clung to Monoco, waiting for the answer, the acknowledgment that he'd lost not only Gustave, but Monoco, because it was clear there was something there.
Monoco continued to pet Verso's hair. "Yes."
Verso let out a desperate sigh of relief, but he had to know. He had to ask, he had to... to know. To understand. "Do you love Gustave like you love me?"
Monoco's silence was much longer, the fire crackling in the background behind them.
Verso waited, breathing slowly, because he needed to know. How much had happened while he was out? How long had he been out for? What had happened between them.
"I made him an arm guard. Because he was yours. And because he taught me how to love trains, like you love them," Monoco answered. "He's yours."
Verso laughed weakly and lifted his head to meet Monoco's eyes, leaning up to press his forehead against the mask, his eyes fluttering shut. "Mon vieux, I hate to break it to you. I think he's a bit yours, too."
Monoco grunted, leaning back against the pillows with Verso pillowed against his chest. "He was very attractive when he threw me on the bed."
Verso started to grin. "Right?"
"He is very strong. He has been fighting all of the stalacts for me."
Verso swallowed, his throat going tight as he thought about Gustave, and the quiet, steady way that he loved everyone around him, always. "He is."
"I believe I am very aroused by how strong he is."
Verso laughed and lifted his head to look at Monoco again and leaned up to gently kiss the mask, where Monoco's mouth would be if he had one and exhaled gently. "Me too. We're going to find him and tell him that."
Monoco grunted. "You need more food first. And sleep."
"A good idea," Verso agreed, nuzzling into Monoco's fur. "Did you give good hugs as a human?"
"I don't know," Monoco answered. "Gustave said I was big everywhere."
Verso smiled. "You'll have to show me when we find him again."
Monoco hummed. "I would like to show both of you."
Verso closed his eyes and shifted, pointedly, against Monoco. "Monoco?"
"Yes, Verso?"
"I'm very aroused thinking of you doing that to both of us."
Monoco hummed consideringly. "I see."
Verso buried a smile in Monoco's fur. He didn't see, not really, not quite yet. But he would. Maybe if they could find Gustave and talk to him, maybe... maybe he and Gustave could both show Monoco.
--
It took a week for Verso to build up enough strength to be able to get out of bed and stay upright for more than a few minutes at a time. Monoco hadn't left him for more than a few minutes at a time (though Verso had caught him grumbling, more than once, about how much he missed Gustave), and Verso had... had let himself see every single part of his... his best friend, and husband, that he hadn't been paying attention to, for years.
Seen the way that Monoco's eyes lingered on his arm guard when he wore it, when he used it in battle. The way his gaze got heavy when they sparred, no matter who won. The way Monoco held onto him tightly, like he was something precious, as Monoco curled around him, keeping him safe.
(Verso did notice that Monoco had seemingly gotten in the habit of reaching beyond him when wrapping an arm around him, as though there should be someone else that he was holding, and it made his heart do embarrassing summersaults.)
Verso learned just how long he had been unconscious, the way that Gustave and Monoco had taken care of him, all of the things that Gustave had taught Monoco (and Verso had to fight down the surge of jealousy that Gustave had been the one to teach Monoco about the trains), and how much it was clear that Monoco cared about Gustave just as much as he did.
Of course, there was one small thing that Verso was going to steal for himself, but he had a feeling it would make Gustave feel better if he did. They were going to depart in the morning, to head straight for Lumiere, but they were spending one more night in the train car that Gustave and Monoco had built and refined together.
Verso finished packing the last of their things and smiled at Monoco when he came in with fresh firewood, stocking the train car up for whenever they returned, and adding two logs to the fire. Which meant that it was now or never. If he wanted this, if he wanted to convince Monoco that... he wanted so much more than he had before, tonight was the night to do it.
"You're looking spry."
"Someone was taking good care of me, and making my favorite soup," Verso said, watching Monoco puff up in pride, his heart clenching tighter in his chest. "But I wanted to ask you for something. Before we leave. I think it will make Gustave feel better."
Monoco turned to look at Verso, curious. "What?"
Verso picked up the Lumina Converter off the table and walked over to Monco with it, holding it out. "I want you to transform with me tonight. I want to teach you how to kiss. I want to be the first person to kiss you. I want to show you how good it feels."
Monoco trembled. "Verso."
"You don't have to," Verso added, glancing up at him. "You don't have to do anything. If you don't want to do that, we're going to do some experimenting with your fingers." Another full-body tremble went through Monoco and he waited. "What do you want?"
"I want to kiss you," Monoco demanded. "Teach me to kiss you."
Verso grinned and pressed a kiss to Monoco's mask. "Tell me what you need to transform."
"Your foot, and your chroma. Gustave said it didn't hurt," Monoco said, and watched Verso hurriedly remove his shirt and his pants, leaving him bare save for his underwear, his whole body feeling hot as he stared at him. He knelt down on the bed beside Verso's feet and lifted one, tucking it into his lap, stroking along the side of it.
Verso shivered and swallowed, his head falling back into the pillows. "Even if it hurt, I wouldn't care." He held the Lumina Converter and breathed deep as he felt Monoco begin to tug at his chroma. "It, it doesn't hurt you, does it?"
"No," Monoco admitted, his voice soft. "It doesn't hurt me, Verso." He tugged more of his chroma, gently, steadily, the soft tinges of gold (compared to the beautiful ebony of Gustave's) swirling around him until at last he had enough and he let the change wash over him.
Verso inhaled sharply, staring at Monoco, his eyes wide.
Monoco kept stroking the side of Verso's foot, but when he didn't say anything, he tensed. "Verso? Is... anything wrong?"
Verso swallowed and laughed, covering his face with a groan. "I do not know how Gustave did not jump you immediately." He carefully tugged his foot away from Monoco and pushed himself upright and walked over to where Monoco was still sitting on the edge of the bed, miles of skin bare for him, and an awestruck expression on his face.
Verso straddled Monoco's legs, wrapping his arms around Monoco's shoulders, reaching out to tangle his fingers in Monoco's hair, watching his eyes flutter, and his mouth drop open. "You, mon vieux, are gorgeous." He leaned in and pressed a kiss to Monoco's cheek, lingering against his skin. "Put your hands on my hips."
Monoco lowered his hands to Verso's hips and felt him groan against his cheek. "Am I holding you too tight?"
Verso shook his head and swallowed, pulling back to look at Monoco. "You are arousing me, with how big your hands are," he said, watching Monoco's eyes dilate and his breath catch. "If I wasn't determined to wait to show you everything until Gustave was with us, I would take you apart right here." He leaned in and pressed a gentle, soft kiss to the corner of Monoco's lips.
"Gently," Verso coached, carefully and slowly coaxing gentle kiss after kiss out of Monoco, watching him melt under the touches until each of their kisses grew longer and dirtier, until he could feel Monoco trembling and hard, pressed up against him.
"Verso," Monoco said, staring at him. "It's, I want..."
Verso stared at Monoco and licked his lips. "Touch yourself. Show me what you showed Gustave. Let me see."
Monoco shuddered and wrapped a hand around his cock, gasping, his head dropping onto Verso's shoulder, nuzzling into his neck. "Verso."
"That's it," Verso breathed, watching Monoco stroke himself, rough and eager, smearing pre-come down the length of his cock. "Gustave was right, you are bigger than both of us. How fun. We'll make proper use of that later." He felt Monoco shudder again.
"Verso, I can't, it's-"
"Tell me how it feels," Verso demanded, watching Monoco's head fall back as he panted.
"It's hot, and tight, and I can feel your, your thighs, and you, and your, your cock, and-hnngh!" Monoco went tense, holding onto his cock tighter as he came, making a mess of his belly and his hand, trembling as he sagged against Verso, panting.
"Gorgeous," Verso praised, and watched all of Monoco shiver, again. "There. Now neither you or Gustave have anything to feel guilty about." He smirked and lifted Monoco's fingers and licked it clean in slow swipes of his tongue, feeling Monoco tremble, before he stood up and reached for tissues to wipe Monoco clean.
Once they were both curled in bed, and Monoco had let the transformation at last fade away until he was wrapped back around the Gestral who was his husband, the stubborn, ridiculous, bastard, Verso let himself hope against all hopes that... they could find a way to convince Gustave that he was wanted. By both of them.
--
Unfortunately, as they discovered, the following morning, Gustave had not gone back to Lumiere. Gustave had not been back to Lumiere in two weeks, and everyone was surprised to see him, and not Gustave.
The pit in Verso's stomach grew larger, and he promised Emma that he would find her brother, and that he hadn't... fucked up, precisely, there'd just been confusion that they needed to fix, and he was going to go do that right now.
Unfortunately that had left he and Monoco with no idea of where to go, with the entire Continent in front of them, and the sinking feeling was back in the pit of his stomach.
"Where would he have gone if he hadn't gone home?" Verso asked, stepping onto Esquie's back. "Where, where do we start?"
Monoco wrapped an arm around Verso and pulled him close. "The Village. We go there first. See who has seen him. Then we proceed from there."
Verso nodded, but the pit in his stomach was growing heavier and heavier. Where would Gustave have gone?
"We'll find him," Monoco promised. "We will find him."
Except, no one at the Village had seen Gustave since his last trip to pick up Lune's package, and Verso was trying very, very hard no to panic as he made his way back to where Monoco had made camp. There were thousands of places across the Continent that Gustave could have run to, nooks and crannies that he had discovered once, but never revisited, and now-
"Stop panicking. We will search. I've asked Noco and the other Merchants to keep an eye out for him."
Verso relaxed a fraction and nodded once. That, at least, was a sizeable network. If someone had seen Gustave, they would know.
--
Two days and three false sightings (or real sightings, but no sign of an immediately present Gustave) later, Verso could feel that even Monoco's patience was wearing thin, and the growing need to find out where Gustave was and to stop him from running was wearing them both down.
"Maybe we should go back to the Station," Verso suggested, not for the first time as they at last left the Reacher. There had been another Gustave sighting, a recent one (the day before), but Gustave was long-gone now, and they were left with no leads, and nothing but exhaustion. They were worn down, and out of ideas.
"Momo, Verver, there you are!"
Verso turned to Esquie with a forced smile. "Hello, mon ami. How have your travels been?"
"Busy!" Esquie announced. "But, I had to find Verver and Momo immediately, because I found Gusgus!"
Monoco and Verso snapped their full attention to Esquie.
"You found him?" Verso demanded. "Where?"
"I think he is feeling very woooooooo, he is at the Cliffs, where you first met them, Verver!"
Monoco and Verso did not hesitate, jumping onto Esquie's back. "Take us there, as quickly as you can, Esquie, please?" Verso begged, and then they were off, racing through the sky.
There was a trail of dead nevrons, and even though the Lampmaster was gone, defeated and dead, Verso couldn't help the feeling of dread that grew by the moment as he raced toward the Cliffs where he had, at the last second, intervened and saved Gustave. Verso was panting, exhausted from the race through the caves when they finally broke out onto the Cliffs, and there Gustave was, sitting on the edge, his legs dangling over the side.
Verso froze, glancing around out of panicked habit, but there was no sign of his father, no sign of anything that could have attacked them. It was just the cliffs, and Gustave, sitting on them, staring out at the ocean. He shared a look with Monoco and began to walk towards Gustave, clearing his throat to make sure Gustave wasn't startled.
Monoco shared a look with Verso, and sat down on Gustave's left side, while Verso sat on his right, sandwiching the man between them. His eyes were red rimmed, and he was still watching the ocean, and he hadn't looked at either of them, and was stroking his fingers over his arm guard.
"Gustave," Verso breathed.
"Hello Verso, Monoco," Gustave said, sighing.
"You sent us on quite the hunt."
"You didn't have to come after me," Gustave corrected. "There was no need for a hunt. I told you. You're married and-"
"And how I feel about you suddenly doesn't matter?" Verso snapped. "Or how Monoco feels, for that matter?"
Gustave tightened his hold on the arm guard. "You have each other, Verso, you've had each other for so long, you deserve to be happy. I told you. Be happy. That's all I want."
Monoco grunted. "Worse liar than I am."
"Monoco," Gustave snapped. "Don't-"
"Don't what?" Verso demanded. "Call you a liar? You are lying."
Gustave took a deep breath and shook his head. "Please. Don't... just take your chance at being happy. You have it now. You don't, you don't need someone else in the way."
"Is that what you think you are?" Monoco asked. "In the way?"
"That's what I am," Gustave said, looking at the arm guard. "You've been had each other for decades."
Verso scoffed. "Yeah, look how well we managed that until you smacked sense into us, Gustave."
Gustave sighed and shook his head. "You'll be fine now. You don't need me."
Monoco grunted.
Verso sighed.
"You never needed me," Gustave added. "Not really."
"Monoco," Verso ordered. "Plan B."
"I do like Plan B better than your Plan A."
Monoco stood up and reached down and picked Gustave up, throwing him up and over his shoulder.
Gustave flailed. "Monoco! Put me down!"
Verso stood up as well and looked at where Gustave was thrashing over Monoco's shoulder as they made their way to Esquie, who was floating up to meet them. "Nope, if you're not listening to us, we're kidnapping you to a place where you will listen to us."
"You can't kidnap me!" Gustave protested. "Verso! Monoco!"
"We can and we are," Monoco corrected. "Plan B should have been Plan A."
"Agreed. We'll remember that for the future," Verso said.
Verso watched Gustave kick out at Monoco twice more, but since he really didn't want to hurt Monoco, he eventually went limp, sighing. He reached out and rubbed Gustave's back, trying to offer what comforts he could until they were right back where they all needed to be.
Gustave tensed as Esquie flew them almost straight to Monoco's Station, and even still, he wasn't put down. Instead, he was carried straight to their train car, into the bedroom, and finally, at last deposited on his feet. "What the hell do you two think-"
"Nope, not yet," Verso interrupted, stripping off his jacket, his shirt, and his pants. "Strip off your outerwear. We are having this discussion in bed."
"There's no discussion," Gustave snapped, even as Monoco began doing exactly as Verso had asked, stripping him of his outerwear, leaving him in nothing but his boxers and a thin undershirt. "There's nothing left for us to-"
"Gustave."
Gustave shut his mouth and glared at Monoco as he was tossed on the bed, and watched Verso and the Gestral crawl up and onto it, on either side of him. Two possessive arms were wrapped around his middle and he was pinned in place, pointedly. He sighed, exhausted. "What are we doing?" he asked, weakly, tired of fighting them both.
"You are going to stop, and listen," Monoco ordered, scooting closer until he could wrap his arm around both Gustave and Verso. "Properly listen. And stop trying to run."
"I'm not-"
"Let's remember that I am an expert in it, and that you are not able to lie to me about this," Verso interrupted. "You were running. From us."
Gustave trembled. "Verso, please. I can't... I can't..."
"Listen," Monoco ordered, cutting Gustave off. "You left minutes after Verso woke. He deserves you listening."
Gustave winced, but Monoco was right, and he nodded. "All right. Say whatever you have to say."
Verso took a deep breath and reached out to touch Monoco's side, grounding himself in the familiar smooth wood. "I am in love with you." Verso stated, softly. "Gustave, I love you. You made me want to live, again. You reminded me what joy felt like."
Gustave bit down on his lip until he tasted blood, tears flooding his eyes. "I love you too," he whispered.
"My loving you," Verso started. "Does not change how I feel about Monoco. I love him, too."
Monoco reached out and gently traced a curl with a wooden fingertip. "I made you an arm guard."
Gustave blinked through the tears. "You made me that because I was Verso's."
Monoco grunted. "No. Noco knew what it meant. You believed that lie. But it was always for you." He paused, and continued. "You love Verso like I love him. You understood him. You fought the stalacts for me. You let me hold him for three straight days when I could not let go."
Gustave inhaled sharply, another tear streaking down his cheek. "Monoco."
"You touched me with your words. You told me I was like Verso. You made me feel like yours, just like Verso was yours." Monoco tightened his hold on Gustave. "You taught me what wanting means, for you, for Verso. I want you. I want Verso. Verso wants you." He paused. "Gustave. We want you."
"Please say you want us back," Verso begged softly. "Please, Gustave."
Gustave trembled and swallowed, turning to press his face against Verso, curling toward him, feeling Monoco press up behind him, still holding him tightly. The inversion of that very first way they'd laid together, weeks ago. "I've been trying so hard not to want, so I don't hurt you, Verso," he admitted, clinging to him. "But Monoco loves you so much, and you deserve that love."
"So do you," Monoco said, softly. "How could I not love you, when you love Verso the way you do? When you offered to teach me about trains, so I could understand what you both loved?"
"Monoco," Gustave begged. "I can't take him from you. I can't."
Verso reached up and tucked some of Gustave's hair behind his ear, meeting wet, teary eyes. "You aren't. You're joining us. Exactly where we want you."
"Precisely where we want you," Monoco agreed. "Though Verso has recommended I be in the middle for the first time we properly sex."
"Have sex," Verso and Gustave corrected, in unison.
"Yes, yes, have sex. Messy humans," Monoco huffed. "Need someone to watch your backs all the time while you sleep."
"You're not allowed to call us messy when you dropped an avalanche on yourself to hide from your feelings," Gustave grumbled.
"You what?" Verso snapped, sitting up.
Monoco grunted. "Sneaky smart human."
Gustave smirked and settled back into his arms. "I'll teach you how to make it up to Verso tomorrow." He yawned and tucked Verso into his arms again. "Sleep, first?"
"We're talking about that tomorrow," Verso grumbled. "Dropping an avalanche on yourself, talk about the stupidest-"
"You killed all the strong nevrons, what was I supposed to do!" Monoco grumbled.
Gustave closed his eyes and smiled, listening to Monoco and Verso bicker in that way that they did, that was more familiar than anything else, and let it soothe him to sleep. He'd yell at both of them properly in the morning, and then they could spend the rest of the day teaching Monoco the concept of make up sex in return.
~!~
Gustave woke, comfortable, and what actually felt like well-rested for the first time in days.
Monoco was still wrapped solidly around him, holding him close, and Verso was still snoring into his shoulder, and there were two very pointed, possessive arms wrapped around his waist. Gustave let out a soft sigh and pressed his face to Verso's hair again, tightening his hold on him, even as he felt Monoco shift behind him.
"You're awake."
He and Monoco being awake while Verso slept was so familiar it made his heart ache and Gustave nodded once. "Yeah," he said, reaching up to carefully tug some of Verso's hair out of his face, smiling at him.
Monoco grunted. "Are you finished being dumb?"
Gustave smiled and leaned back pointedly against the Gestral behind him. "I'm done being dumb," he agreed. He could feel Monoco relax, even though he didn't move at all, the air around him relaxed. "Though I am starving, so you're going to need to let me up so I can cook for Verso and I."
Monoco grumbled, but carefully shifted Verso so Gustave could climb out of bed, scooting closer to tug Verso close, a dance that they were all too familiar with. Gustave did not appear to still be upset, pulling on nothing more than pants out of deference for the cold outside rather than a desire for clothing.
"How did you figure out the avalanche?" Monoco asked as Gustave went about making eggs, cooking them quietly over the fire.
Gustave glanced over at Monoco on the bed and then back to the eggs. "I've fought more than a dozen stalact in the mountains. No matter how hard we fought - there were no avalanches. I purposefully attempted to trigger at least three more. Succeeded on the third one." He flipped the eggs over and added a dash of cream. Verso preferred his eggs fluffier and they could make a trip back to Lumiere for more soon enough. "You would have had to do it purposefully. It was too difficult to do on accident."
Monoco grunted and nodded. "Smart."
Gustave's lips quirked and he glanced at Monoco. "Smarter than you give me credit for, sometimes." He looked at Verso and the way his face was relaxed and happy and let the eggs cook for a minute. He tapped his metal fingers against the pan, feeling the heat, but not letting it linger, tapping it again and again.
"You're thinking too hard," Monoco said. "What about?"
Gustave took a deep breath and sighed. "Going back to Lumiere," he admitted. "I don't think I can live here forever, Monoco. I miss my sister. I miss my apprentices, my patates. And they miss me." He glanced over at them on the bed and smiled sadly. "But I know how much happier the two of you are here. I can see it."
Monoco hummed. "That is a problem," he agreed.
"Yeah, it is," Gustave agreed with a sigh. "One I don't know how to fix yet. I'll think about it."
"We have Esquie," Verso offered, yawning against where his face was still half-buried in Monoco's fur. "Why don't we just alternate where we live? Few months there, few months here, few months in the village, few months traveling."
Gustave blinked and turned to look at Verso, who was smiling at him in that sleepy, comfortable way that he'd missed so badly over the past couple of months. Pulling their food off the heat, he turned and climbed onto the bed, leaning down to steal a sleepy kiss, because he'd MISSED Verso, missed kissing him, and it felt so good to melt against him with a small sigh. Especially when Monoco shifted to easily wrap an arm around both of them.
Gustave reached down and stroked Verso's cheek, watching him smile, and leaned down to kiss him again, softly. "I know you two would have fun getting good and lost in the canvas for a few months at a time." He looked up at Monoco and shifted, pressing a kiss to the mask, where he imagined Monoco's cheek would have been and felt him tremble, his arm tightening around them. "I think that sounds like a rather brilliant idea. Monoco?"
Monoco considered, stroking his fingers down Verso's side, and then down Gustave's side. "That will give you what you need? Gustave?" He stopped. "You are not… not trying to leave again?"
"Oh!" Gustave brought his full attention to Monoco from where he was half-draped on top of Verso and smiled at him. "Of course I'd rather be with you than apart. As often as possible. But being… in a relationship, or, well. Since I have an armguard. Married, then. Being married, means compromise. It means giving us what we all need."
Gustave reached out and touched Monoco, trailed his fingers through Monoco's soft fur and smiled at him, felt the full weight of his attention and gaze. "All of us," he reiterated. "Me having time with my family in the city. You having your time here. You and Verso traveling the Continent together. Verso and I working on the Dome together. All three of us together here, or traveling when we can, or being in the Village together."
"Gustave," Verso said, lifting his head to look at him. "Why are you proposing something that sounds suspiciously like joint custody over me?"
Gustave grinned. "Am I wrong, though?"
Verso opened his mouth and then paused, considered, and turned to Monoco, reaching out to tug him down to bring his mask within range of his mouth, pressing kisses to it. "You're going to get over your dislike of visiting Lumiere. I refuse to be without both of my husbands as often as I can."
Gustave's breath caught and he shivered, catching Verso's eyes, before he started to settle against Verso again, humming. "I like the sound of that." He paused, looking up at Monoco before he realized something, sitting up in a flurry. "Where's my notebook?!"
Monoco looked at Verso as Gustave began searching all over the room for his notebook, muttering to himself, and brought breakfast to Verso and put Gustave's to the side for when he finished his frantic search for whatever it was-
"Aha!" Gustave held up the notebook triumphantly and climbed back into bed and immediately snuggled up against Verso, holding it out to him as he sketched, quietly. "We," he stated, giving Verso a poke with his pen. "Have to make an arm guard for Monoco. That is tremendously long overdue. I can help design one that flexes with his transformations, so that way it never breaks, we can use a material I have back in Lumiere, it contracts and expands with chroma flow and-"
Verso looked up at Monoco, where he'd gone unnaturally still, watching both of them and hid his smile against Gustave's hair, watching Gustave sketch for a few seconds longer, before he felt Monoco pull away abruptly.
Gustave stopped in his drawing, looking up at Monoco worriedly. "Monoco if you don't want me to-"
Monoco turned with the Lumina Converter in his hand, holding it out to them, the small device nearly trembling in his hands. "Please."
Gustave lowered his pen to his notebook and looked at Verso, who was sitting up as well. He started to grin and realized precisely what had happened. "Monoco…" he watched Verso take the Lumina Converter and gestured to the bed where Monoco was already reaching out to touch Verso's foot. He put the notebook to the side as he watched Monoco start to pull the chroma from Verso. "Are you…" he glanced to Verso, and then to Monoco again. "Monoco, did that… did that turn you on?"
Monoco tugged just enough chroma from Verso to force the transformation and stared at Gustave. He lifted Verso's leg and pressed a kiss to his ankle before lowering it. The look of delight spreading across Gustave's face made his stomach go tight and his heart pound, especially when Verso laughed, his real laugh, the one that was loud and happy, echoed a moment later.
"Go get him, mon vieux!" Verso cheered, watching as Monoco crawled up the bed and forced Gustave to lean back, pinning him to the pillows. He flipped himself around and stretched out beside them, watching as Monoco leaned, staring down at Gustave intently. "Remember," he said, catching Monoco's eyes when they darted to him. "Slow, at first."
Gustave's breath caught and he met Monoco's eyes and shivered, reaching up to touch Monoco's sides, holding onto him carefully. "Monoco, I-"
Monoco leaned down and kissed him, pressing their lips together, shivering at the way Gustave's hands tightened on his lips. He pulled back from the kiss and repeated it, just like he remembered Verso telling him.
"That's it," Verso breathed, biting down a groan. "Use your tongue now. Slowly. Like I did to you."
Gustave groaned, pressing up and into the kiss, opening his mouth for Monoco to kiss him deeper, unable to keep from moaning around every desperately panted breath. Monoco kissed him until he was lightheaded, and he realized he was grinding against the firm press of Monoco's thigh between his legs, and that if he wanted anything else, he was going to need to take a moment or seven.
"Good?" Monoco asked, glancing from Gustave to Verso.
Gustave laughed, his head falling back to the pillows. "So good that any better might kill me," he agreed, stroking his hands over Monoco's sides, before he looked at Verso. "You taught him how to kiss?"
Verso's eyes glittered. "You taught him how I liked to be jerked off."
"And you both like how big I am," Monoco said, shivering under the look from both of them, especially when Verso moved closer and reached up to pull him down for a kiss by his hair. He shivered and felt Gustave hold onto him tighter, making his hips buck.
"I do," Gustave agreed, unable to keep from shivering when that brought Monoco's full attention back to him. "Which is why I'm going to tell you that the first time you fuck someone…" he released Monoco's hip with his right hand and tugged his belt pointedly out of the way to wrap a hand around his cock, watching him moan. "It's going to be Verso. Because I guarantee he's been thinking about it. A lot."
"I have," Verso said, shifting closer so he could finish undoing Monoco's belt, tugging it off of him, throwing it to the side of the bed. Monoco was fucking eagerly into Gustave's hand, panting hard, and he was gorgeous. He'd also made the mistake of letting Gustave be the one to touch him. "Pinning me down and fucking me, so I can feel you? Every inch of you?"
Monoco moaned, shuddering and fucking harder into Gustave's hand. "What, what about you?"
Gustave smirked, and right as he felt Monoco start to shake harder, he dropped his hand and wrapped his fingers around the base of his cock, holding him tight, preventing his orgasm, watching Monoco stare down at him in confusion. "I," he said, teasing his fingers up the length of Monoco's cock. "Will be the one telling you how to fuck him properly. What he likes, how he likes it. So you can make him feel the best he's ever felt."
"Then," Verso purred, reaching up to add his hand to Gustave's, both of them teasing and stroking Monoco, making him buck and moan, his whole body shaking. "We spend time taking Gustave apart, until he's begging for us to touch him, and give him everything he wants."
Monoco trembled, digging his fingers into the blankets. "Yes. Good. I want, I want that. All of it. More, until you both have everything you want. And need."
"What I need right now," Gustave said, his voice soft, feeling Monoco tremble. "Is for you to let go when I tell you to. Can you do that for me, Monoco? Can you wait until I tell you to? Just like Verso does?" He gave another slow stroke of Monoco's cock.
"You can," Verso breathed, nuzzling into Monoco's neck, releasing him before tipping Monoco's face toward him to steal a soft kiss. "You can do it. He won't make you wait too long. And it will feel so good when he's done. Besides. His hand feels good, doesn't it? So much better than yours?"
Monoco nodded. "Does. How, how… fuck." He shook and tried to breathe, but there wasn't enough air in the room, his head was spinning, even as Gustave kept touching him, kept stroking him, slow and teasing. "You'll, you'll teach me how to do this?"
"I will," Gustave promised, watching Verso shiver. "I'll teach you how to take Verso apart. Piece by piece. Until all he can think about is your cock in him, and your hand around him. Until he begs you to move, to touch him, to give him just a little bit more."
Verso laughed and nodded, nuzzling into Monoco's neck, feeling him pant harder, his whole body tense as he tried to hold himself back, on the razor's edge. "And I'll," he promised, feeling Monoco shudder once more, a moan breaking free, sweat gathering on his brow as he tried to breathe. "Teach you to tease. How to make Gustave hard with nothing more than a look. How to torment him and lead him on a merry chase. Gustave likes to talk. To tell you what he likes. I like to touch. Torment."
Monoco stared at Gustave desperately, even as his hand slid over his cock again and again, and again, the slide slick and smooth now, and all he wanted was it tighter, just a little more. "Verso… Gustave… I can't…"
"But the best part," Gustave breathed, reaching up to cup Monoco's neck in his hand, pulling him closer, speeding up his strokes to watch Monoco's mouth fall open, his whole expression and body twisted in pleasure. "Do you know what the very best part of this is?"
Monoco shook his head, shaking, panting, trying to breathe, but it was impossible, and he still wanted more, needed more. "What's the… what's the best part?"
Verso grinned and leaned up to suck a mark into Monoco's neck. "We get to figure out what you like-"
"Together," Gustave finished, tightening his hand around Monoco's cock, watching his eyes slam wide as he abruptly lost control and came, his whole body shaking as he fucked, rough and desperate through the aftershocks into Gustave's hand before he slumped forward, half on top of Gustave, half off, still shaking.
"Just breathe," Verso promised, wrapping an arm around Monoco, nuzzling into his shoulder, holding him close. "Breathe, mon vieux. We've got you. We've got you. We're right here." He met Gustave's eyes, both of them holding Monoco tight as he trembled and caught his breath, his breathing eventually evening out between them. "Good, huh?"
"It's no wonder humans are obsessed with this," Monoco muttered. He burrowed his face against Gustave and reached out for Verso's arm, pulling it close. "How do you do anything else when it feels this good?"
Gustave chuckled and reached out to comb his fingers through Monoco's hair, feeling him melt, immediately. "Practice, mostly. And I don't know about Verso, but I went through a period where I am reasonably sure I spent more time with my hand on my cock than I did any projects I was working on."
Verso barked out a laugh and shook his head. "And you call me crude."
Monoco huffed and trailed his fingers along Gustave's side, feeling the soft skin under his fingertips. "What about you? Both of you?"
Gustave hummed and reached out to tap Verso's wrist in consideration. "You liked it when I gave you a demonstration."
Monoco nodded. "Yes."
Gustave grinned and tipped his head back to look at Monoco, raising his eyebrows. "Then would you like to watch me fuck Verso?" The twin sharp inhales from both his husbands made him grin and he smirked. "I'll take that as a yes."
Verso laughed and pressed his forehead against Monoco's shoulder. "You might just kill him, Gustave."
Gustave scoffed, rolling his eyes. "As though a warrior as strong as Monoco would ever be defeated by something as simple as watching his husband get taken apart."
Monoco growled and reached out to tangle his fingers in Gustave's hair, before pulling him into another kiss, trying to remember everything Verso had said about kissing.
Verso gave Gustave a smug look over Monoco's shoulder. "I think he likes it when we call him husband."
Gustave heaved in a breath when Monoco pulled back from the kiss and smiled up at him, reaching up to stroke at his cheek. "Do you?"
Monoco nodded. "Yes."
Verso kissed Monoco's shoulder, pointedly, and hugged him tight. "Good," he muttered. "Because I don't plan on stopping. Ever."
"Me neither," Gustave said idly before he grinned and gave Monoco a shove back to the bed. "Now make yourself comfortable, husband. And pay attention. We'll be expecting you to do this to both of us."
"I will. Whenever you like," Monoco promised.
"As a Gestral, too," Verso said, conversational. "We'll talk more about that later. But we want you, Monoco."
Gustave shivered and stared down at Verso as he settled between his legs. "His hands," he muttered, looking at Verso.
Verso nodded. "His hands," he agreed.
Monoco paused. Considered. Smirked. "Big hands."
Verso and Gustave broke into laughter and grinned at their stupidly proud Gestral husband.
"Big everything," Gustave confirmed again, sending both of his husbands into loud, racouous laughter. He grinned, desperately in love with them both. If this was what happily ever after looked like… he was going to hold on and refuse to let go.