Violet cradled Rocket in her arms with the kind of warmth only a mother could master. I swear, we treat that kitten like our own child, and in many ways, he is. She always seems to understand him better than I do, like she's fluent in some secret feline language only they share.
Right now, he was climbing her like a tree, balancing on her shoulder as if it were the safest branch in the world. She passed him to me, and the second she did, he lost his mind, screaming like he'd been betrayed, paws flailing as he clung to my shirt for dear life.
"He wants you to pick him up, dumbass," Violet said, chuckling as she adjusted him on my shoulder. Like magic, his yowling stopped.
"He wouldn't let me when I tried!" I protested. Honestly, I still can't tell if Rocket even likes me.
I lifted him above my head dramatically. "What do you want from meee~" I groaned, shaking him gently before setting him down. He bolted into some corner like his name was being called by the void itself.
"Alright, Snow White, what's he off to do now?" I teased.
"Probably off to roll in one of your shirts again," she said without missing a beat.
I chuckled. "Sounds like someone I know."
She shot me a playful eye-roll as she walked toward the fridge. "He just takes what I do to another level."
As she bent over, her hips began to sway slightly, maybe unconsciously, maybe not, but either way, the effect on me was immediate. The way my boxers hugged her tight curved form made it impossible to look away. Each subtle movement dragged my mind deeper into degeneracy, waking up a hunger in me that had nothing to do with food.
I couldn't stop myself.
I dropped behind her, hands finding their home on each cheek as I leaned in, burying my face into her through the soft fabric. Even through the cotton, the sensation was drunkening, like some divine force was reaching out to meet me. She let out a soft moan, breath catching in her throat. Encouraged, I tightened my grip as my tongue found its path upward, deliberate and slow.
It felt like biting into the fruit of knowledge for the first time, something ancient, forbidden, and perfect. Every taste filled me in ways I didn't know I needed. She grabbed the back of my head, pulling me closer until I could barely breathe, her scent wrapping around me like silk soaked in lightning.
I didn't care. I didn't want air, I just wanted her.
"Fuck, Roseee~" she moaned, breath heavy, head tipping back.
Her voice made me ravenous. Each lick grew more purposeful, each kiss more passionate. My boxers on her were damp, soaked from the intensity of us, from her, from me, some blend of lust and devotion manifesting through every fiber of my being.
Her thighs quivered. Her legs faltered, barely able to support her as she braced herself against the open fridge. Looking back at me, she bit her lip, her eyes hazy and full of need.
"Fuckk, I can't~" she whimpered, her ass pushing harder against my face.
She was right there, on the precipice, and I wanted to see her fall.
I focused on the spots I knew she loved, coaxing her over the edge with every practiced stroke of my tongue, every kiss drawn out like a promise.
"I'm gonna-" she started, voice cracking.
She didn't need to finish.
I gave her everything, every ounce of pressure, every flick, every moan rising from my throat until her cry broke through the house, her body trembling as she collapsed to her knees, gasping for breath like she'd run straight through her soul.
"You dickhead… What was that for~" she mumbled, still breathless, barely able to lift her head.
I laughed softly, wiping the glisten from my lips. "Couldn't help myself."
Scooping her into my arms, I carried her to the bedroom, setting her gently onto the bed before sinking down beside her. She landed on my chest with the weight of someone finally at peace, her breaths still heavy, like distant thunder.
"What made you so eager?" she asked between laughs, voice hoarse but sweet. "That was… different than usual."
I stroked her locs slowly, letting my hand trail the length of her spine before starting again. "It's been a while," I said with a grin. "Had to prove I still had it."
She giggled, her smile brighter than the sun through our curtains.
"Well you clearly do, baby~" she purred, snuggling closer into my chest.
Rocket leapt onto the bed a moment later, curling into a chaotic little loaf at our feet.
And just like that, everything was perfect again.
Until.
She looked up at me, something different already blooming in her expression, quieter, more thoughtful.
"Why do you think we can both move… when one of us stops time?"
The question caught me off guard. I'll admit it, I didn't expect her to bring that up again.
"I mean…" I started, eyes drifting to the ceiling, "I guess it's 'cause we're connected. We can sort of feel it when one of us does something. Like… a link."
She hummed in thought, and I could feel something else, like a note hanging in the air, her next question forming before she even spoke.
"Did you feel that?" she asked, a sly curl at the corner of her lips.
I chuckled and nudged time on again like a gentle push on a swing. "And did you feel that one?"
She sucked in her lower lip, smiling like a kid hiding a secret they wanted to be caught with. "Yeah, I did," she beamed through her grin, eyes shining like morning sun on water.
A thought came to me like a slow dance.
"Remember when you fast-forwarded time?"
She nodded, already knowing where this was going. "Wanna see if I can do it again?"
She slipped off my chest and out of the bed, her oversized shirt falling like a curtain around her. The hem almost brushed her knees, and I could see her tug at her still-damp boxers from before, before padding toward the window, pausing mid-step as another idea seemed to spark in her.
She stepped out of the room for just a moment and returned with a water bottle in hand. Without a word, she walked to Yggdrasil and gave it a drink, then turned to gaze out the window again. I followed, standing beside her.
At first, it was subtle.
The sunlight shifted. The wind bent tree branches faster. A bird zipped past like it was caught in a time-lapse. Rocket blurred, scaling furniture, sprinting in circles, napping, waking, then doing it all again in a blink.
Time was speeding up.
And it didn't stop.
Violet's brow furrowed, the concern creeping into her face like a crack spreading across glass. I could tell, she couldn't stop it.
I reached inside myself, like diving into a deep, dark ocean, searching for something to grab hold of. I wasn't looking to speed up time like she did, I was chasing the opposite. Something slow. Something still.
Days passed in moments, rain, sunlight, and wind all flickering like a reel of film unraveling too fast.
Then I found it.
Some hidden lever in my soul. The counterweight. And I pulled it.
The sun began to slow.
And then… reverse.
Violet gasped, watching the sky roll backward. Flowers closed their petals. Trees unbent in the wind. Birdsong reversed into strange melodic echoes. Even Rocket, already a blur in real time, rewound his chaos, untumbling himself across the furniture.
We stood together in silence, watching our world dance backward.
Then, as it returned to the present, just now, our now, everything stopped. Settled.
We both exhaled like we'd been holding our breath underwater. A shared sigh of deep, bone-deep relief.
I didn't feel drained like before, not like when we flickered through time's current recklessly. This felt… cleaner. Balanced.
"Y-You did that, right?" she said, still catching her breath, her eyes wide and glazed with awe.
"I'm pretty sure," I said, a nervous laugh slipping out.
It's all so strange. We're just… us. And suddenly, we're bending time like it's made of clay. What else can we do? What else haven't we tried?
"Does this make us, like… gods or something?" she asked. Her voice wasn't confident, it was small, almost afraid to believe it.
I shrugged, lips quirking up. "I mean, if we're the only ones with these powers… I guess so."
We both laughed, nervously, wide-eyed, still staring at each other like the world might crack open any second.
The evening rolled in on a quiet breeze.
We didn't talk, not because there was nothing to say, but because everything felt too big for words. When you realize you and the love of your life might be bound together by a bonsai tree that could be feeding you power… it kind of clears the table of all other thoughts.
Violet was crouched with her knees to her chest, watching Rocket groom himself. Her expression was blank, not empty, just distant. The kind of look that worried me, because it wasn't her. But I had no idea what to say to reach her.
"...Violet?" I finally asked, softly.
She looked up, startled, like she'd forgotten I was there. Her eyes caught the light just enough to remind me she was still in there.
"Can I do your hair tonight?" I offered.
Her eyebrows lifted in surprise. She'd had her locs longer than me, years longer, and I knew how much the maintenance wore her down. Anytime someone offered, she was quick to say yes.
And sure enough, her face lit up, nodding fast. That smile… I'd do anything to keep it.
As the night fell, I asked her to stay out of the room for a bit while I set something up, something small but hers. Her favorite candle burning low. Lights dimmed, not off. Soft jazz curling through the air like smoke.
When I was done, I led her in with my hands over her eyes.
I sat her in front of the bed and pulled my hands away.
She blinked around the room, her eyes wide with quiet awe. That look made my chest ache in the best way.
"Thank you, Rose!" she said, practically throwing herself into my arms.
I held her tight.
"I love you, Violet."