Little Pink Starfish

One by one, Theodore pressed soft kisses onto Asher’s wounds, his warm tongue gently tracing over each injury.

His touch was careful, yet his lips and tongue burned against Asher’s skin.

“Ah…!”

A slight sting ran through him, but it faded almost instantly, replaced by a soothing warmth.

This… this is just to heal me…
There’s nothing strange about it… Nothing…!
And yet—!

Each time Theodore’s lips touched him, Asher’s body trembled involuntarily, his breath catching in his throat.

Shame washed over him as he glanced down—only to see undeniable proof of his own reaction. His genitals were leaking, staining his thighs.

His body overheated instantly.

Humiliation struck him like a wave.

“S-stop… Theodore… I—!”

It was too much—mentally, physically.

Desperate to hide himself, Asher covered his erection with his own hand—only to jolt as an unbearable sensation shot through him.

“Ugh… nnh…!”

The urge to relieve the tension was overwhelming, but Theodore’s presence kept him frozen.

Panting heavily, Asher curled in on himself, putting distance between them.

“…P-please… don’t… look at me… just… leave me alone…”

His voice cracked as he pressed his forehead against the bedding, squeezing his eyes shut in shame.

The bedsheets rustled.

Asher felt warm breath ghost over his back—followed by the gentle press of Theodore’s lips.

“…Then, I’ll close my eyes.”

“T-that’s not what I—ah…!”

A wet sound filled the air as Theodore’s tongue slid over one of the deeper wounds.

Asher’s body spasmed violently.

“N-no… stop…”

The dull sting blurred into something else—something far too overwhelming.

His fingers twitched.

He could feel his body betraying him.

His hand trembled over his erection, gripping it just barely—

Only for another hand to cover his.

“…!”

A calloused, firm grip—Theodore’s.

Large, warm, inescapable.

“D-don’t…”

“It’s alright… I won’t look,” Theodore murmured.

His voice was steady, yet strangely gentle.

Asher tried to pry his hand away, but his strength was nonexistent.

Instead of resisting, Theodore pressed a tender kiss against his back.

“Aah—!”

His mind blanked.

Theodore’s touch was unbearably slow, gliding over his genitals with deliberate care. The friction was slick, obscene.

“N-no, no—ah… ahh!”

The fight drained from his limbs.

His trembling hands dropped to the sheets, useless.

His breath hitched as Theodore’s movements quickened, drawing out every suppressed sound from his lips.

“I-I… ahh…!”

Heat pooled low in his stomach, tightening—spiraling—until he couldn’t take it anymore.

His back arched.

A strangled cry left his lips as he ejaculated over Theodore’s hand, staining the sheets beneath them.

His body quivered in the aftermath.

The fever still simmered inside him, but the worst of it had eased.

As the haze lifted, realization crashed over him—

And with it, unbearable shame.

“I… I-I’m so—”

Before he could finish, Theodore suddenly flipped him onto his back.

“…Eh?”

Asher’s breath caught.

Above him, Theodore loomed, his face unreadable.

His golden eyes, usually sharp and unwavering, were clouded—yet locked onto something below.

Something Asher couldn’t see.

“T-Theodore…?”

He shifted uncomfortably, but Theodore didn’t react.

Slowly, he reached down—

And parted Asher’s legs.

A cold shudder ran through him.

“W-wait, no—!”

Panic flared inside him.

Theodore wasn’t looking at his face.

He was staring lower.

He was moving lower.

Realization struck like lightning.

“NO! STOP!!”

Asher kicked out wildly, his foot slamming into Theodore’s shoulder—

But he didn’t even flinch.

“Don’t—! You can’t—!”

“…I need to heal it,” Theodore murmured.

His voice was steady.

As if stating a simple fact.

As if what he was about to do wasn’t utterly unthinkable.

“No, no, no—! I’m fine! It’s fine!”

“…I made it in time before that man could do anything irreversible,” Theodore said quietly.

His words should have been comforting.

They weren’t.

“…But he still touched you.”

Asher froze.

His breathing turned ragged.

“…And there’s… slight redness. Swelling.”

The moment the words left Theodore’s lips, his hands moved again—

Spreading Asher’s legs apart.

His entire body locked up.

Terror gripped his chest.

His mind flashed back.

To rough hands.

To a looming shadow.

To something forcing its way between his thighs.

“A-ah…!”

The memory sent him spiraling.

The air turned suffocating.

His vision blurred—

And before he could stop it—

Tears poured down his cheeks.

“I… I’m scared…!”

His voice cracked into a sob.

“Uwah… uwaaahh…!”

He broke down completely, crying like a child.

The moment the first sob escaped, Theodore’s body went rigid.

His eyes widened.

He had been so focused on erasing every last trace of that man’s touch—

That he hadn’t realized.

That he was scaring Asher, too.

Theodore let go.

Asher curled in on himself, trembling violently.

Tears dripped down his cheeks, wetting the sheets beneath him.

Theodore hesitated—then, slowly, reached out.

His hand hovered—before finally, gently, pulling Asher into his arms.

“…I’m sorry.”

Asher buried his face against Theodore’s chest, clutching onto him like a lifeline.

Theodore held him close, his grip steady but careful, as if afraid Asher might break.

Even after Asher’s sobs quieted into exhausted sniffles, Theodore didn’t let go.

He simply held him.

Gently.

Wordlessly.

Until sleep finally claimed him.

---

White leaves fluttered through the air before settling on the ground. The pure white leaves that had fallen almost looked like snow.

The towering Notovis tree in the middle of the forest transformed the space into something surreal, filling it with an unearthly atmosphere.

Despite the overwhelming scent, Theodore gazed at the sight in silence.

A faint noise came from behind him, and the horse that had been tied nearby restlessly stomped its hooves.

“…You made it out safely.”

“…So you noticed after all.”

Emerging from behind a tree, the forest dweller approached with a grin, his boots crunching loudly against the scattered Notovis leaves.

“I was able to meet with Lord Samuel right after that… The beast bandits are probably pale with fear by now. That man is sharp—memorizing the entire layout of the fortress and taking it down is nothing but a morning warm-up for him. Not a single one of them is getting away.”

“…I see.”

“The kidnapping was something those fools decided to do on their own. Even Art wouldn’t have been able to deal with the unexpected mess they made… They’re nothing but lowly bandits in the end.”

“What about Clark…?”

“…I told you, Lord Samuel is leading the operation. Not a single one will escape.”

The forest dweller let out a short huff of laughter and reached for the door of the cabin—only for Theodore to grab his arm.

“…What?”

“……”

“Is he still suffering from the effects of the drug? …Don’t tell me you didn’t sleep with him?”

“There’s no way I would.”

“What? I heard the beastmen making a fuss. So it’s true—you’re mates, huh? Well, your mate is a prince. You won’t be able to formally be together… but you could be his lover or whatever. I don’t know what kind of drug he was given, but you should’ve just taken him.”

“…Shut up.”

“Hah!! And yet—have you even looked at yourself down there? You’re standing at full attention and still talking like that?!”

“I told you to shut up!! Don’t disgrace His Highness with your filthy thoughts!!”

“Hah? Then what? You’re saying it’s not filthy that you got hard from seeing poor little Asher like that?!”

“……!! T-that’s…”

Weighed down with guilt, Theodore hung his head.

Seeing him like that, the woodsman tilted his head.

“What’s wrong with you?”

“…You’re right… The filthy one is me.”

As Theodore fell silent, the forest dweller narrowed his eyes and studied him closely. Scratching at his cheek, he sighed and said,

“…You’re an idiot, aren’t you?”

“……”

“I mean, I’m not a beastman, so I don’t really get all this ‘mate’ stuff. But isn’t it normal to get turned on when you see someone you like naked?”

His voice, now gentle, was a stark contrast to before. Even so, Theodore remained silent.

With another sigh, the woodsman sat down on the thick root of a Notovis tree.

Theodore stood in front of the cabin’s door, staring at his back.

“Well, I wouldn’t be into getting turned on by someone all bloodied up like that, though.”

“…I have no such taste…”

“Hm… Wait, wait, wait—hold on!! What the hell is with that face?!”

As the forest dweller turned to look at him, he was taken aback.

Theodore’s expression was filled with such deep despair, it was as if he were about to die.

“…He’s more important than anything… and yet…”

“Hey, get a grip. You made it out safely, didn’t you?”

Gritting his teeth, Theodore closed his eyes as if trying to suppress something.

“I… did something terrible…”

He couldn’t forget the look in Asher’s eyes—so full of fear.

And yet, he hadn’t been able to stand it.

His mate’s body had been defiled by another male’s scent—another male’s saliva.

It had made his insides churn with rage.

Grinding his teeth, he had desperately tried to erase those traces, covering them up one by one.

He had touched Asher with gentle hands, pretending to soothe him, but in reality, his heart had been filled with nothing but seething jealousy.

Asher hadn’t been violated. He knew that.

But when he saw how red and swollen that place had become, the rage he had barely been holding back exploded, and his vision turned red.

The thought that another man had touched his mate’s most intimate place burned through him, scorching his throat.

He couldn’t stand it.
He couldn’t forgive it.
He couldn’t breathe.

His mate had been touched—played with—by another male.

Driven by rage, Theodore had wanted to claim him, to make him his right then and there.

But once again, it was Asher who had stopped him.

The moment Asher started crying like a helpless child, Theodore snapped back to his senses.

And he realized, with crushing horror, what he had nearly done.

His mate—already so terrified, so broken—
And yet, he had…

The rage vanished in an instant, replaced by overwhelming despair.

He had nearly committed the very same sin.

He had been about to take advantage of his mate’s helplessness.

Instead, he had wrapped his arms around Asher’s trembling form, holding him close.

Despite everything, despite what he had nearly done, Asher had clung to him.

Desperate for comfort.

He was supposed to protect him.

And yet…

“……I’m his mate… and yet…”

Why hadn’t he tried harder to escape before being captured?

Why, even after realizing they were mates, had he tried to push Asher away?

Why hadn’t he realized it sooner?

Why hadn’t he been able to save Asher from Clark’s control?

The thoughts wouldn’t stop.

Learning the truth—that Asher had been used since childhood—crushed him.

The forest dweller, watching Theodore’s trembling form, ran a hand over his unshaven face before turning his gaze to the Notovis tree.

“This whole ‘mate’ thing… Beastmen sure have it rough. I’d never wanna be tied down like that.”

Theodore didn’t respond.

The wind blew.

White leaves fluttered through the air, coating the ground like fallen snow.

Amidst the eerie beauty of the Notovis forest, a single droplet fell, staining the earth beneath it.

With his back turned to the forest dweller, Theodore bit his lip, shoulders trembling.

Silently, a single tear rolled down his cheek.

---

Pinky says: No freaking way! Someone finally wrote a semi-realistic reaction to being almost r*ped! This is progress people. By the way, let me know if the format is super annoying, having only one sentence per line. I’ll change it if it hurts your eyes, this is just how the author arranged it.