Opossum Seventeen

(Evidently bad storms can cause dogs to feel static and most shower tiles don't conduct electricity, so Racket decided it was shower time... at midnight.)

It was strangely quiet.

After dealing with his obnoxious opossum his entire life, having peace and quiet in his mind was something Grim wasn't used to at all.

Settling back down in his chair, he licked his slightly swollen lips, then rubbed at them with the back of his hand... before realizing that he was sitting in front of his streaming camera.

The same streaming camera that was currently streaming him to the thousands of people who had just watched their match and were now waiting for the final interview!

Fuck me.

"Um, w-welcome back, Grim! Are you ready for your interview now or do you need another minute?" the MC asked, clearly reading between the lines.

Pushing aside his internal frustration, Grim sat up a little straighter in his seat and smirked as he turned his mic back on.

"Of course I'm ready. What are your questions?"

As he asked that, he could hear his chat going crazy, prompting him to glance sideways at the chat log.

Err...

HabaneroCondom: I... I love your filthy mouth, but why is it bruised right now?

SimpleSimp: Where is our Ren? Why are your lips puffy?

ClaustrophobicCashew: Where is our Ren baby?! Are you cheating on that beautiful man?!

Cheating? We aren't even together!

Rencat hissed in his mind, making Grim internally roll his eyes.

Be quiet, you know we aren't together, either.

It didn't seem happy with his response, because it was soon pawing at the back of his eyes, making him wince and growl out his own warning.

"The hell are you guys going on about? I'm not cheating on anyone, because I'm not going out with anyone!" he snarled, earning a nervous laugh from the MC as he awkwardly got the interview going.

Renegade was nowhere to be seen for the first part of it, leaving quite a few people to continue questioning his whereabouts.

Thankfully, around the five minute mark Grim heard his mic become unmuted.

"Hello guys, sorry I'm late. I was trying to fix my camera but it looks like it might take a bit more time so I hope you don't mind if I just do the interview without it tonight," he said, sounding perfectly apologetic.

Grim gave an internal sigh of relief that Ren's likely-bleeding lips wouldn't be on display, but at the same time, he was annoyed for that very reason, too.

The fuck is wrong with me?

"Of course not! It's totally fine!" the MC said, clearly happy to see that Renegade had returned to even things out.

Of course, that didn't stop the chat from going crazy, and immediately letting Ren know that Grim was cheating on him with someone else.

His man simply chuckled and dismissed the accusations, because they obviously weren't true.

"There you go. He says I'm not cheating," Grim said as he then quickly turned the discussion back to the game.

The chat still didn't seem to believe him, but he just decided to ignore it since Ian was calmly chiming in here and there, not minding their viewer's words in the least.

In fact, at one point he even told them to behave and stop typing such mean things to the man he loved.

His words made Grim want to gag, but at the same time, they made his heart itch, too. Ren gave a content purr as he paced behind his eyes as well, glancing out every few moments, curious.

By the time the interview was over, he was a fidgety mess and immediately turned his camera off the second they were dismissed. Another moment later and he had flopped down onto his bed with a frustrated groan.

My mouth hurts.

Ren settled down in his mind and went back to cleaning his paws, leaving it far quieter than he was used to.

It was so calm and quiet, in fact, that his body actually began to relax against his blankets as he nuzzled his face into the soft fabric.

Pretty soon he was rolling around like an attentive feline, messing up his blankets more and more as Ren began to purr through his slightly parted lips.

For some reason, though, the activity wasn't really doing it for him. He was enjoying it more than he thought he would, but something still felt off.

Stopping on his belly, he pawed at the blankets for a moment before promptly hopping out of his bed and walking across the hall into Ian's room.

The young man noticed him immediately from where he still sat at his computer, but then did a double take before spinning his chair around to follow Grim's movement until he jumped into his bed and began rolling around like a cat on cat nip!

H-he's too cute!

The thought made Grim's eyebrow twitch but he couldn't stop himself. Ren seemed to not really care about the situation, but it was obvious that the cat was the mastermind as it continued to nonchalantly clean its paws.

You little shit! Knock this off right now! I know you're making me act like a pussy on purpose!

No matter how much he yelled at it, his words seemed to go in one fuzzy ear and out the other.

It didn't help that his sense of smell had suddenly been amplified since Ren had joined him, allowing him to take in Ian's clean scent as he rolled amongst his blankets and within moments, sheets.

The guy's poor bed was beginning to look like it had witnessed a wild night of debauchery, but unfortunately for Ian, the only crazy thing messing it up was him.

Sooooooo cute!

Grim groaned internally at Ian's thought, but he honestly couldn't blame the man. He was obsessed with him, after all, so it was only natural to think that he was being cute... especially when he was rolling around in his bed.

Thank god he's not an aggressive dom or I might be in trouble.

He'd heard stories, and knew several doms who wouldn't hesitate to take advantage of such a situation. Harrison immediately came to mind on that train of thought, but he quickly dismissed grouping him with them.

He was stereotyping him without really knowing him all that well. Not that he wanted to know him at all, but the guy didn't seem nearly as pushy as some doms he'd met. He'd only asked Ammo for his number once, and was declined but not outright told to leave him alone. So, the two have talked a little while at the gym, but he at least wasn't shoving himself into his personal space or anything, no matter how much he seemed to want to.

Of course, he wasn't sure if he wasn't doing that just because he already had Grim watching out for him, but either way, Ammo wasn't going to be an easy score for anyone so long as he was around.

Refocusing on his current situation, Grim realized that something else had happened, courtesy of his new hitchhiker.

Jesus Christ, I'm purring.

And not just purring. He sounded like a motor boat as he nuzzled the side of his face against Ian's pillow just like a cat would if it were scent marking or showing affection.

I want to take a picture. I want to pet his hair.

Grim stared at the man looking back at him as he hugged his computer chair. He looked to be about ready to cry with joy.

You like me that much? Even though I'm acting like an idiot right now?

The literal stars in the guy's eyes were telling him that, indeed, he was liked that much.

Fuck it.

Forcing himself into a sitting position, Grim held some of his weight up with his hand as he licked the other one once, then shook it out so that he didn't rub it against his hair.

Can you chill for five seconds?!

Ren looked deeply offended as he slowly lowered the paw he'd been cleaning and twitched his whiskers.

Once he felt the feline's control slip away a bit, Grim refocused on Ian and nodded towards the expanse of bed in front of him.

"Come here."

He was going to add you little shit to the end of his words but cut himself off when he realized that the true little shit was sitting in his mind, nonchalantly driving him nuts.

Ian seemed hesitant, at first. Instead of doing as told right away, he hugged his chair a little tighter and pressed his cheek to the side of the headrest.

"Are you okay? It's alright if I just sit here. I don't need to get in bed right now."

You...

Feeling his invisible hackles bristle, Grim stalked forward on his hands and knees, much like an annoyed cat would. When he sat down again, much closer to the edge of the bed this time, it was clear that his patience was wearing thin.

"Ian, come here."

Ian did as told immediately this time and got himself situated at the very edge of the bed. He couldn't bring himself to look him in the eyes, and was fiddling with his hands in his lap, but at least he'd listened.

Tilting his head quizzically, Grim inched closer until he was right in front of him.

"Ian?" he questioned in a commanding tone.

The man responded immediately and straightened his back, as well as lifted his head. When his warm brown eyes met his own, Grim grinned.

"Who do you belong to?" he asked now that he had his full attention again.

Ian immediately perked up.

"You! I belong to Grim!"

There's that cute smile.

"How is my useless shift doing?" he asked, trying to keep his hands to himself as he felt Ren try to nudge him to practically roll all over the guy in front of him.

"Ah, he's doing well! He's taking a nap right now so it's calm and quiet," Ian said, surprising Grim.

"A nap? As in, not screaming? Not even a squeaking nightmare?" he asked, confused.

Ian quickly nodded, his smile widening a little as his eyes squinted.

"Mhm! It took a bit, but he went to take a nap before our match and is still curled up in the back of my mind."

Leaning closer, Grim let Ren's purr slip from between his lips as his enhanced nose took in his scent.

Ian tensed in response, but didn't dare move a muscle besides that.

Smells good.

He smelled like his soap, since he'd been using it ever since he'd moved in, but he also smelled like Ian, too. It was a light scent settled just beneath the clean smell. It reminded him of a pine forest in winter.

Leaning away after a few moments, Grim ignored Ian's bright red face and reached up to rub his thumb over a healing bite mark.

I guess I went a bit too hard earlier.

Heck, he'd tasted blood in his own mouth, too.

I really need to just go get laid.

Tugging gently on Ian's lip, Grim pursed his own.

I bet he'd let me do anything I want to him, but I don't want to take advantage.

He was just wondering why no one had bothered to try their luck with Ian at the gym when he realized his own stupidity.

I've been chasing away anyone who even looks his way.

Lowering his gaze, Grim stared at the collar he'd put around Ian's neck a while ago.

I should take it off.

His hand slowly lowered towards it, but before his fingers could grasp the smooth leather, he sighed and withdrew it.

"I wanna watch a movie," he said instead as he scooted back until he was leaning against the stack of pillows he'd bought the guy.

Ian seemed confused, which was no surprise. He wasn't really a movie kind of guy and rarely even paid attention to what was coming out, let alone watching anything at home.

After getting himself situated, Grim patted the spot beside himself.

Ian hesitated, but slowly crawled across the messy blankets to settle next to him... at a reasonable distance away.

The hell?

Ren shook out his coat in his mind before beginning to pace behind his eyes, his actions finally lining up with how Grim was feeling.

"Your husband asks you to join him in bed for a movie and that's where you want to lie?"

He watched as Ian's expression went through a wide range of emotions, honestly curious what the man would eventually decide to do.

When he did make a choice, Grim was pleasantly surprised.

He watched in silence as the young man inched closer and closer, then hesitated for another moment before carefully climbing partially overtop his right side.

When he wasn't reprimanded, Ian excitedly settled down, getting comfortable with his head against Grim's shoulder and one hand on his chest, its fingers slowly curling in and out as if his cat was still influencing his actions.

"Making biscuits for me already, babe?" Grim teased as he got the television above the computer area turned on with the remote, then reached up to gently take Ian's hand in his own.

He wanted to play with those warm fingers.

"Won't you purr for me, too?" he asked as a random movie began to play from the recommended section.

Ian was all too-eager to oblige and quickly snuggled his face into the crook of Grim's neck as he began purring. It was honestly a bit surprising, considering that he currently had Ian's cat.

I guess it became a habit.

He felt the need to purr well up in the back of his own throat as Ian's content sound vibrated through his chest, but he managed to hold himself back... but just barely.

What he was struggling to restrain, however, was his left hand.

While his right arm lazily held Ian against his side with that hand settled comfortably on the man's waist, his left one was left free to explore, and it was going a bit further south than he wanted it to.

Thankfully, it stopped just short of grabbing the guy's ass... because he literally just couldn't reach.

I don't think I've ever been glad that someone was taller than me before...

That thought was immediately brushed away when Ian got himself a bit more comfortable... and lifted his right leg to partially settle overtop Grim's waist. That affectively slid one soft portion of his backside right into Grim's waiting hand.

His self control went right out the window as he eagerly squeezed the warm flesh now between his fingers, internally reveling at the sensation of feeling a decent bit of muscle beneath the thin fabric of the shorts Ian was wearing.

The gym was doing wonders for him.

In fact, he could feel a good bit of meat beneath his other hand where it gripped his right side, too.

Glad I got him eating some more protein as well.

"Mm, you're off tomorrow, yeah?" he questioned a few moments later as his fingers continued to kneed the guy's backside calmly.

Ian quickly responded with a nuzzle and a "yes sir."

Grim was full-on making biscuits out of Ian's ass as he replied.

"Let's wake up early and go get some breakfast, then take a run in the park instead of working out at the gym."

Ian happily nodded and made a sound of agreement, but then flinched a tiny fraction.

Grim immediately relaxed his hand. He was used to people who liked a bit of pain with their attention, but getting used to Ian's complete disinterest in it was taking some getting used to.

When he relaxed his grip, however, the man's purring grew quite a bit louder.

Such a simple little... brat.

For once, saying shit or simp just didn't feel right to him. Not even fuck crossed his mind right then.

Finally relinquishing Ian's backside, Grim allowed his fingers to trail up along the man's now-wrinkled dress shirt until they slipped beneath the smooth leather of the collar he'd put around his neck a while ago. He then tugged on it gently, a grin slowly forming across his lips.

"I should take this off since I currently have your Ren..." he mused aloud, curious about how Ian would react.

He felt the man quickly snuggle in even closer, the action making his fingers slip a little more snuggly beneath the collar.

"It makes sense, right?" Grim added, prodding him a little with his words as his grin grew.

Ian moved again, trying to press his face somehow further against his neck, though there was no more room for him to advance. When he seemed to realize that, he gave out a quiet, pathetic whine, shook his head, and gripped Grim's shirt where his hand had been resting against his chest.

He wanted to chuckle at the man's frustration, but decided against teasing him in such a way. He had no doubt that Ian wouldn't say anything if he laughed at his response, but at the same time, he was starting to feel a little less comfortable mocking the other man.

I blame you. Turning me into a pussy, he grumbled at Ren-cat, even though the feline had already walked off to explore the worthless recesses of his mind, clearly no longer interested in what was going on.

Rolling his eyes up at the ceiling, he watched the fan spin for a few moments before gently tugging on the collar.

"You know what this means to most people, babe?" he asked, then continued before Ian could respond.

"It means that you belong to me."

I want to belong to you.

The thought was expected.

Releasing the collar, he raised his hand up to pat Ian's soft hair, earning another snuggle, as well as a content sigh.

It's so quiet.

Without his opossum screaming every hour of the day, he was oddly feeling much less volatile.

"You goofball. How are you supposed to get a real husband if you stick to me so much?" he asked, though he knew that he hadn't really given the guy much free time to run around, either.

Ever since he'd moved in they'd been working, working out, looking after Ammo, and gaming. There really hadn't been much time for Ian to look out for a partner...

The thought to find him someone in the BDSM community resurfaced in his mind, along with the idea of setting him up with Ammo, but he quickly dismissed both of those ideas as he heard Bubba slowly wander out of the room.

I don't think he needs a dom so much as someone who will treat him well.

And Ammo might have been a switch, but he just felt off-limits.

Of course, he could tell that Ian was extremely submissive, but the guy could also stand up for himself fine. He also wasn't a fan of pain, which would remove half the people he knew right off the bat.

"What am I going to do with you?" he eventually mumbled as the television began some sort of action scene that neither of them cared about.

Marry me, Ian thought without a second's hesitation.

Grim abruptly rolled overtop him, pinning his body with his own as he crossed his arms over the man's chest and grinned down at his flushed face.

"What are you thinking, you dirty boy?"

Of course, he knew exactly what he was thinking. Or, at least, what he was hearing of it, but he wanted to see what his hubby would say.

The guy looked about ready to pass out from embarrassment, but to Grim's surprise, he answered honestly.

"I-I'm thinking that you sh-should marry me."

Reaching up, he grabbed Ian's cheek and tugged.

"Me, marry you?" he teased playfully, enjoying watching the young man struggle to hold his gaze.

"Why would I marry you?" he asked when Ian failed to respond to his own question.

It honestly looked like the poor guy might really pass out, though, so after a minute Grim opened his mouth to tell him not to worry about it, but before he could get the words out, Ian finally replied.

"B-because you buy me things."

Grim raised an eyebrow.

He'd bought several people things in his lifetime.

"Y-you also help me whenever I need you," Ian continued.

Cause I'm not an ass?

To him, at least.

"You also cook for me a-and don't seem to mind being close to me."

I'm comfortable in my own skin and know you won't do anything I don't want you to.

"Is that all you've got?" Grim finally asked as he settled his chin on his crossed arms, a smirk on his lips.

Ian nervously gave his head a little shake on the pillow it was settled on, making Grim lean a little closer, putting their faces within inches of each other.

"I-I think you should marry me..." Ian licked his bruised lips, then continued in a quieter tone, "b-because you like me."