Villain's Second Heart: Trapped in A Fantasy Novel (BL)-Chapter 36: The Morning After

The next morning, Ezra crawled out of bed early. Oberyn was laying face-down on the pillow, drooling - he looked far too comfortable to stir.

He didn't even remember falling asleep, but he was certainly embarrassed - the two young men had shared a bed together, both of them completely naked.

His face was beet-red as he dressed and got ready for the day. He left the room quietly, not wanting to disturb Oberyn, but it seemed the Nephilim was quite a heavy sleeper.

"Had a good night, huh?"

Ezra nearly jumped out of his skin.

"What are you doing over here?" Ezra hissed, trying to keep quiet.

Rav shrugged. "It's MY pagoda, lest you forgot. I go where I please."

The Ferin was dressed well today - an exquisite pale blue haori, trimmed in white. It seemed all of his wardrobe were kimonos.

"I peeked in earlier, my apologies. I didn't mean to interrupt your naked cuddling session. It looked quite comfortable, I had half a mind to join in. Hm."

"Be quiet," Ezra snapped, pushing Rav away from the door. "Nothing happened, you pervert."

Rav stuck his tongue out as Ezra continued to shove him away, and the Ferin's feet skittered along the wooden pagoda walkway.

"Alright, alright," Rav said, slapping Ezra atop the head with his fan.

The Ferin adjusted himself, folding his arms in front of him and trying to make himself seem serious. "I want to talk about what happened last night. Might we?"

Ezra opened his mouth to explain, but was promptly interrupted by Rav, who held a finger up to his mouth. Shoosh.

"Not here, silly boy. Please, join me in the den."

Rav led Ezra through the pagoda toward the back of his estate, where a large building was situated directly behind. This open-air dwelling was what Rav referred to as 'the den', and it's where the Ferin spent most of his time.

As Ezra walked in, a cat darted out - a sleek, black cat with striking yellow eyes. She whipped between his legs, almost tripping him as she sprinted into the garden.

"I didn't notice you had a cat," Ezra remarked, watching the little one dash across the garden like a shadow."

"Hm? Oh, Stella? Yeah. She doesn't like humans. Don't expect you'll see her much."

Inside the den, the lighting is dark and moody, even though it is early morning. The only outdoor lighting is what pours in from the entrance, with the rest of the building windowless.

The faint smell of musk coats the leather furniture, and a segmented seating area dominates the center of the room. All around, the walls are decorated with various trinkets, trophies, and mementos from Rav's life.

Rav strolled to the far corner of the room and started to pour himself a drink - aged bourbon, in a sparkling crystal glass. He filled it up nearly to the brim, sipping it where he stood to prevent any from spilling.

Ezra stood in the center of the room, near the couches. Rav glanced over to him, his tail twitching curiously.

"You want one?" he offered.

"It's a little early to be drinking, isn't it?" Ezra crossed his arms.

"Not for me. I'm retired."

Rav walked carefully, confidently - somewhat cat-like over to the couches, perfectly balanced on his bare feet. He sat directly next to Ezra, taking a sip of his drink before setting it on the table in front of them.

"Alright, level with me. What happened last night?"

"What happened with wh- oh."

Ezra and Rav exchanged a glance right after he used his 'Desire' power. He should have figured the cunning Ferin would have many questions.

"I have a power," Ezra started to explain, before being rudely interrupted.

"You don't say."

Ezra crossed his legs, huffing. "I'm only telling you this because you've been good to me so far."

"I've been GREAT to you, let's be real," Rav interrupted again. "Go on, go on. Don't let me interrupt."

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"Anyway," Ezra scoffed, "It's pretty simple to explain. I can fulfill people's desires, and when I do, I accumulate something called 'Fulfillment Points' - FP, for short. And then I can spend the FP to fulfill my own desires."

"Fascinating," Rav said. "So that's the System the Storyteller gave you, is it?"

"That's what Alcor said."

Rav took another swig from his glass. Ezra assumed the catboy would be totally drunk by the time they finished the conversation.

"Desire. What an interesting...oh," Rav cut himself off, making a realization. "So you must have used it last night to stop Oberyn from attacking me. What did you do, exactly?"

"Well, I shouted at him to stop, and right then, it was like everything in the world froze except me. And then I had this pop-up, and it asked me if I wanted to stop Oberyn...and, well, I said yes."

"And he stopped, just like that," Rav finished the thought. "Yes. There was a moment there where it felt like the world skipped a beat - quite interesting. Quite horrific, too - I'm not used to dealing with powers I have no control over. You'd better not use that on me. I don't love the idea of having my mind tampered with."

"I regret using it on Oberyn, too," Ezra admitted. "I didn't know that's what would happen, I swear. You two are the last two I would ever want to manipulate. You're both so good to me..."

Rav's tail curled into the shape of a heart. "Such a charmer. You're not the 'Harem' type, are you? I would hate to be recruited along for all your wicked desires...unless...?"

"No," Ezra said, shutting the idea down. Rav's ears tilted downward, dejected.

"Can't say I blame you," Rav said, draining the rest of his glass. But with a snap of his fingers, the glass floated over to the drink station and refilled itself, guided by magical clouds.

"I tried it once. It gets exhausting, you know? Suddenly everyone expects to have some one on one time, but there is and can only ever be ONE Rav, you catch my drift?"

"I, uh...yeah," Ezra said. Not that he had any experience with such things - he wasn't exactly 'active' in the dating world in his first life.

"So, what are the limits to this 'Desire' of yours? We talkin' world domination? Or consistent discounts at the general store?"

Ezra opened his mouth to speak, but to his surprise, it's not his own voice that comes out - it's Alcor's.

[The only limits are the ones he sets for himself, Rav. A most delightful power indeed.]