Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Water was still a novice in the clergy. The other ghouls helped him get used to their routine, taught him a few things about living on the surface among other ghouls and clergymen, but the new bassist actually felt too shy to ask his bandmates any more questions, for fear that he’d bother them.

The first ghoul with whom Water felt comfortable was Aether. The rhythm guitarist was a kind, cheerful presence and it was hard not to feel at ease when he was around. On the other hand, Water was a bit frightened by the intensity and apparent aggressiveness of Dewdrop, the lead guitarist. Not that the small ghoul had ever directed his rudeness towards Water, they barely talked when they weren’t rehearsing together, but the bassist would rather keep his distance as much as possible since he’d hate to get in trouble.

Breeze and Blizzard, the air ghoulettes, were as new as he was in the band, so they tried to stick together at the beginning, supporting one another. Water felt like they could be very good friends, but after some time he noticed that the two ghoulettes had much more in common with each other and, although they never told him anything about the matter, Water didn’t want to disturb their growing relationship and decided to step away for a while.

There was also the drummer, Earth, a very tall and quiet ghoul who spent most of his time at the greenhouse or sleeping in random places. Water felt like the ghoul was friendly, but he never found a good way to start a proper conversation with him, and sometimes it seemed like Earth would rather stay alone with his plants, so the bassist quit trying for the time being.

The seventh ghoul, Multi, was easygoing, but his presence usually made Water feel too anxious since he found the other so cool and fun, so the bassist didn’t want to annoy him with his shyness or lack of interesting features. They were opposites, Multi being very open and talkative while Water felt like a nervous mess for not being able to make friends like every other ghoul.

Besides that, Aether was usually the one who noticed when Water was feeling insecure or confused about a certain matter, so he tried his best to help the new bassist, which led Water to grow fond of him in no time. Whenever the big ghoul was around, Water felt his heart warm, he knew he could count on the ghoul to answer his questions, so they often spent some time together chatting and exchanging gentle looks and smiles.

However, it took some time for Water to catch the hints of what was going on between Aether and Dewdrop. The two guitarists have known each other for quite some time. They’ve joined the band alongside with Earth before the rest of the current ghouls, thus their bond has been strengthened for a while now. Dewdrop, who played the bass during the papacy of Emeritus III, and Aether had grown very close as the time passed and, despite still fooling around with other ghouls, the two of them had developed some sort of emotional commitment that was not very common among those of their kind.

Knowing about that, Water unconsciously started to avoid Aether since he didn’t want to upset Dewdrop for any misunderstanding of his intentions, especially when he still didn’t know how the dynamic of their relationship worked. Aether didn’t quite understand the change in Water’s behavior at first, then he asked for Dewdrop’s opinion one night.

“Water is so weird lately.” The big ghoul commented, thoughtful.

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know, we were getting along very well until early this week. It feels like he’s avoiding me, but I can’t understand why. I wonder if I did something wrong.”

“Once again you’re putting yourself under unnecessary pressure.” The lead guitarist sighed heavily while shaking his head and crossing his arms over his chest.

“Unnecessary pressure? Wouldn’t you too feel confused if, for instance, I suddenly start avoiding you?” He frowned, looking in the direction of the other.

“Yeah, sure, but maybe it doesn’t have anything to do with you, who knows.” The small ghoul shrugged.

“No, Dew. If you knew him a little you’d know that there’s something wrong, really.” There was a hint of concern in Aether’s voice and it didn’t go unnoticed for Dewdrop.

The small ghoul then realized that he’d never cared enough to pay some attention to the bassist outside of their practices and, now that he knew that Aether was upset about the distance of Water, Dewdrop thought that perhaps it’d be a good idea to get to know the new ghoul and try to understand what the problem between him and Aether was.

Except that Dewdrop wasn’t the most friendly ghoul: he had many social issues. Consequently, his approach to Water felt too blunt at first, even though he genuinely wanted to know more about the bassist. Water immediately thought that Dewdrop was jealous and wanting to confront him, what made him even more nervous and worried when he was around the fire ghoul.

Dewdrop tried his hardest to make a pacific contact with Water, but the bassist always looked uneasy and would wrap his arms around his own body as if he was trying to protect himself from an upcoming attack from the lead guitarist. Water’s defensive behavior hurt Dewdrop at some level and one day he lost patience.

The two ghouls were the only ones in the practice room when that happened. The lead guitarist angrily stepped closer to Water and stopped right in front of him with his hands on his hips, staring directly into the other’s green eyes when he finally asked, “Are you afraid of me?”

Water felt his throat dry and started sweating behind his mask. He didn’t know how to respond the ghoul, at the same time that he wanted to say the truth, that he was frightened by the feral aura that emanated from Dewdrop, deep inside he also wanted to be friends with him but didn’t know how to deal with such incompatible personality.

“D-Dewdrop, I-I… I just-” The bassist averted the other’s eyes and stuttered, feeling his heart pounding hard in his chest once he had been caught off guard by the sudden confrontation.

“Why do you always run away from me? What did I do to you?”

The lead guitarist couldn’t remember a single time he had done anything to upset the ghoul. Their only interactions so far had happened during rehearsal, especially because Dewdrop had played the bass in the previous tour, so it would be only natural for him to assist the new bassist of the band. Despite feeling grateful for the help, Water never felt comfortable talking more than the necessary with Dewdrop.

There was an uncomfortable silence between them for a few moments before a third ghoul entered the room. Water instinctively looked in the direction of the door and widened his eyes in a mix of surprise and apprehension when he saw Aether approaching them. The bassist felt the urge to run away and hide somewhere in fear that he’d have to deal with Dewdrop’s wrath and jealousy.

When Aether stopped beside the lead guitarist he immediately noticed Water’s tension, so he shot a disapproving glance at Dewdrop, who tilted his head back at him in confusion.

“Are you being mean to Water?” The big ghoul asked as he crossed his arms.

“The fuck?!” Dewdrop turned his whole body in the direction of Aether and opened his arms intrigued by the question. “I’m not!”

“Water?” The rhythm guitarist didn’t seem convinced by the small ghoul’s words, so he wanted to check the story from Water’s side.

“I-it’s fine! We’re just chatting.” The bassist hurried to sway his hands in front of his body, talking with a high pitched voice such was his nervousness.

Also not convinced by Water, Aether crossed his arms and his eyes traveled from one ghoul to the other in order to figure out what was going on. “There’s clearly a misunderstanding here and I can’t bear dragging it on any longer. Let’s talk about it.” He said as he sat at the edge of the small stage inside the practice room. The other two followed him and sat on each side of Aether. “What’s wrong, Water?”

“Nothing! It’s all good!”

“Why do you look so anxious?” Aether placed a hand on the ghoul’s shoulder, trying to calm him down.

“I’m not! I swear!” He insisted, wiping the sweat off his hands on his trousers.

“Quit lying, Water. Spill the truth.” Dewdrop said once he couldn’t control his impatience anymore.

“Don’t mind his rudeness,” Aether said, giving an accusatory look to the small ghoul before turning his attention back to Water. “In fact, you should tell us the truth. I can see and feel that you’re not comfortable. Allow us to help you, please.” His tone was kind and peaceful, which gave Water a sense of security.

“I-I… I don’t want to get in trouble...” He finally spoke, his gaze fixed on his hands anxiously folded in his lap.

“With Dewdrop?” Aether assumed and Water hesitantly nodded.

“Me?” The lead guitarist pointed at himself and tilted his head, frowning behind his mask. “Why? You never did anything to me except for running away, which truly upset me.” He was being honest.

“I know you probably heard some rumors about him...” Aether added when he realized that Water was probably being influenced by the gossip going around the Abbey that painted Dewdrop as a monster. “While some of them are true-”

“Most of them are.” The lead guitarist interrupted.

Aether couldn’t deny that fact, but he kept talking. “I should tell you that they don’t reflect who Dewdrop is nowadays.”

The fear wasn’t baseless, Dewdrop held a terrible reputation because of his early years in the Clergy, but he had changed a lot since then, mostly thanks to Aether who saw in the small ghoul a side beyond what most people had a chance to witness.

“Hm…” Dewdrop sounded thoughtful. “It depends on the category of rumors we are talking about.” A mischievous smile was visible through the hole on the mouth of his mask when he looked in the direction of Water. “I certainly won’t tear your throat open or rip your ears off if that’s what you fear.”

Those were part of the gossip about him and Water wasn’t sure whether they were made up or not, so he gulped and didn’t blink, too frightened to move a finger.

“Don’t scare him, Dew.” Aether rolled his eyes and the lead guitarist couldn’t hold back a burst of laughter, clearly amused by the fact that he was only adding to the bassist’s fear. “So, is there anything you’d like to tell us?” The big ghoul sighed and asked Water.

“Uh…” Water considered for a while, he felt a little more relaxed despite Dewdrop’s scary stories, maybe he should be honest with the pair of ghouls after all. “I thought Dewdrop was mad at me because… Because I was getting closer to you, Aether...” His voice was almost inaudible and he wasn’t able to keep eye contact with any of them.

“Oh, Water...” Aether took pity on him. He squeezed the bassist’s shoulder and realized how he had no idea that this was what disturbed the ghoul.

Water didn’t feel comfortable enough facing any of the guitarists, he felt ashamed, but a bit relieved for finally getting that off his chest. He was still afraid of Dewdrop’s reaction though.

“Do you have a crush on my boyfriend?” Dewdrop asked, not sounding angry at all, but curious instead.

“No!!” Water immediately looked up in his direction, shaking his head and hands in an attempt to emphasize the denial.

Surely he enjoyed Aether’s company, sometimes his heart would skip a beat when they were chatting or when the big ghoul flashed a beautiful smile at him, but he didn’t see Aether in any other way, right? He just wanted to be friends and it was hard to ignore the rhythm guitarist when he was being all nice and friendly with him.

“Dew, stop teasing him!” Aether nudged the ghoul on his side, but Dewdrop couldn’t stop laughing.

“Don’t sweat it, dude! You two could start making out right in front of me and I’d not mind. At all.” He said as he came off the stage and stood between the ghouls, placing a hand on Aether’s knee, which was at the level of his face. “In fact, I would like to watch it.” Smirking, he lowered the tone of his voice and winked at Water.

“Well… That’s true.” Aether confirmed and petted the top of Dewdrop’s mask.

Water was petrified and with his mouth hanging open. He didn’t expect to hear that coming from Dewdrop because he truly believed that he was the jealous type. Finding out that he was wrong made the bassist feel stupid and even more embarrassed than he already was. At the same time he was shocked by how open they seemed to be as a couple. Water wasn’t familiar with that concept himself, the few relationships he’d been in were only between him and a partner.

“I think he’s broken.” Dewdrop commented when the bassist didn’t say a word after a long time.

“Uh, Water? Are you alright?” Aether called him, bringing his face closer to his and trying to understand Water’s reaction through his green eyes.

“Y-yes.” Water blinked a few times and nodded. “I’m just… Surprised.”

“Really? You shouldn’t be, it’s pretty common. Most ghoul couples I know have open relationships. Now I’m curious to know how it works in water clans. I didn’t get to stick around my tribe for too long.” Dewdrop sounded genuinely interested to know about that since he was brought to the fire clan when he was still a small ghoul.

“Aether ghouls are usually very open too.” The rhythm guitarist added.

Water thought for a while, he wasn’t sure about how other water ghouls dealt with romantic relationships. He knew that casual sex was common, even though he didn’t feel comfortable doing so, he preferred to open up and get intimate with someone he trusted and who didn’t see him as a one-time thing.

“I don’t know…” He replied at last. Maybe that kind of information was very obvious to others, but not to him.

“You’ve never been in a relationship?” Dewdrop tilted his head in curiosity.

“I have, but I never paid much attention to this kind of social protocol outside my experiences.”

“Are you a virgin?” The lead guitarist’s piercing blue eyes looked into Water’s as if he was trying to see through him, what made the bassist feel exposed and his face heat up. He stuttered and looked away.

“You’re so subtle!” Aether shook his head in disapproval and Dewdrop glanced back at him with a sly smile.

“N-no, I’m not.” Water shyly replied Dewdrop’s question.

“How experienced are you?” The lead guitarist continued.

“Enough, Dew!” Aether called him out once more, pulling him by the shoulders and motioned for him to return to where he was sitting before. “He’s obviously embarrassed.”

“My bad. I just wanted to know more about him.” He shrugged.

“Yeah, very nice of you to overwhelm him with questions about his private life.”

“I’m interested, that’s all.”

“Interested?” Dewdrop’s words caught Water’s attention and the bassist found himself confused.

“What he’s trying to say is that you can join us if you want to.” Aether calmly explained.

“Join you…?”

“Aether always tells me that communication is the key, that’s why I will start to be very clear from now on so there’s no misunderstanding between us.” Dewdrop said and the ghouls turned to face him. “We’re talking about sex.” He made an obscene gesture with his fingers simulating penetration, the naughty smirk never leaving his face. Water felt like vanishing such was his embarrassment at that moment.

Aether groaned, his patience running thin due to Dewdrop’s provocative behaviour. “This conversation has turned into a disaster, but...” He sighed in defeat. “Dewdrop is not lying though.”

Once again Water found himself speechless, not knowing what to do. Just a few minutes ago he was scared of Dewdrop’s reaction about his approach to Aether and now they were inviting him to join them in their intimacy. Was he misinterpreting their words? It couldn’t be, especially after Dewdrop’s explicit clarification of their intentions.

He didn’t know how to respond, as much as he felt curious about it, he didn’t feel confident enough to accept the offer.

“Hey, don’t worry about it, okay?” Aether reassured him when he noticed how long it was taking for him to say anything. “It’s just an invitation, don’t feel forced to do anything.”

“We won’t get mad if you refuse.” Dewdrop said, not wanting to sound intimidating. Despite having fun with Water’s reactions of surprise, deep down the lead guitarist had no intention of making him feel terrified.

“I think it’s… it’s too much for me right now.” Water finally replied after some thinking.

Smiling, Aether nodded at him. “Sure, it’s completely fine!”

“Tell us if you ever change your mind though.” There was a hint of seduction in Dewdrop’s voice, he sounded very fond of the idea of Water joining them. Maybe that could happen in the future, who knows?

“Anyways! Are we good now?” Aether decided to cut the subject before Dewdrop could start making embarrassing questions to the bassist again. Water nodded in confirmation. “Great. I hope we can stay on good terms like this! Please, don’t hesitate to let us know if there’s anything wrong.” He came off the stage and Dewdrop did the same.

“Yeah, you can talk to me too, don’t be afraid.” The lead guitarist assured him.

Water stood up and bowed his head to the ghouls. “Thank you both. I’m glad we came clean about this issue and I’m sorry for making assumptions.”

“It’s fine, dude.” Dewdrop said with a wave of his hand and spun on his heels, Aether following behind after smiling at Water one last time.

The bassist stayed in the room to practice on his own for a little longer, he wished to learn all the setlist for his first tour, which was going to start within a week. He felt a bit more relaxed since he wouldn’t have to worry about keeping distance from Aether now that he knew that Dewdrop wasn’t as bad as he thought he was.

In fact, he would even say that Dewdrop seemed very nice when he wasn’t asking invasive questions, but in the end even his audacity piqued Water’s interest.

***

Surprisingly enough, the trio of ghouls began to spend more time together throughout that week. They’d sit next to each other during masses, eat together and stick around in the practice room for longer than the other band ghouls, so they could prolong their talk. Day after day Water started feeling more comfortable around Dewdrop, who turned out to be very different from the rumors. Of course he was short-tempered and sometimes his reactions were more intense than one would expect, but he could be kind and amusing too.

And flirtatious. Dewdrop made no attempt to hide the fact that he was interested in the bassist, even if it was probably sexual attraction only, but his advances actually didn’t bother Water. Dewdrop knew how to be subtle too, he didn’t want to scare the ghoul, so he’d eventually compliment Water’s performances, or stay very close to him when he was teaching the bassist some of Ghost’s old songs, explaining everything in a low tone, sometimes even making innuendos.

On the other hand, Water would feel goosebumps due to their proximity, his face red behind the mask, which he was grateful for being wearing in occasions like that. It was a strange feeling being attracted to someone like Dewdrop. Water couldn’t be sure but he wondered if the lead guitarist’s feral aura was actually having an impact on him after all, fear was turning into curiosity.

A couple of nights before the tour started, Water had gotten up to get a glass of water in the kitchen, but on his way back to the dorms he heard muffled laughters coming from the common living room. Feeling oddly drawn to find out who was there, Water sneaked into the room, his bare feet quiet enough to not produce any noise when he stepped on the cold floor tiles.

He then saw two figures tangled together on the biggest couch. One of them had his face partially covered by his long light hair and the other person had his face buried in the crook of the blonde’s neck, hugging him tightly. Water noticed two ghoul masks lying on the floor near the couch and, when his brain finally connected the dots, he accidently let out a surprised gasp before covering the eye holes of his mask and turning back to where he had just came.

“Water?!” He heard one of the ghouls calling him, but he kept rushing back to the stairs which led to the dorms.

It was then that he felt a strong hand holding his wrist, making him stop.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to see your faces!” He nervously said still with his eyes shut. He knew that ghouls shouldn’t see other’s faces unless they had permission to.

“Hey, calm down.” Water recognized Aether’s soothing voice. “It was an accident, we get it.”

“Don’t stress it.” He heard Dewdrop saying.

“But-” The bassist tried to insist apologizing, but Aether carefully pulled him by the wrist.

“You can open your eyes, we put on the masks.” The big ghoul explained as he guided Water back to the living room.

The bassist hesitated at first, but soon opened his eyes and saw the other two wearing their masks but without the balaclava, the back of their heads visible to him. He noticed Dewdrop’s long hair reaching the middle of his back and Aether’s short dark hair exposing his nape.

Water couldn’t help but feel bad for violating their privacy, especially when they were getting along so well! Now the ghouls wouldn’t trust him anymore, he had hurt their friendship forever. If there were any chance for them to willingly reveal their faces to each other, it was all ruined now.

Aether motioned for Water to sit on the couch and sat beside him, Dewdrop at the other side of the bassist.

“I’m so sorry...” Water buried his mask into his hands such was his shame.

Dewdrop sighed already tired of the apologies, but at the same time he understood why the bassist reacted like that. “Uh, what did you see?” He calmly asked. Despite liking the ghoul, they were still getting to know each other, he didn’t intend to rush a face reveal.

“Your hair and... ” Water paused while trying to recall what he witnessed. In fact, he couldn’t tell how the ghouls looked like, he mostly saw their hair.  “I think I saw your mouth and cheek too.”

Suppressing a sigh of relief, Aether took Water’s hands in his and rubbed his thumb over the bassist’s knuckles in an attempt to tranquilize him. “It’s okay, Water. Don’t think too much about it.”

“I’m so stupid, I shouldn’t have given in to my curiosity...”

“Listen, you’re not stupid, don’t say that.” Aether gingerly held Water’s chin, making the bassist look up at him and notice the smile on the big ghoul’s face. “Let’s move on, okay?” Water shyly nodded. “What were you going to do before all of this happened?”

“I had just came down for a glass of water, but now I don’t think I can fall asleep anytime soon.” Too bad, he was hoping to have a good night of sleep, but after the previous events his body was all tensed up.

“Me neither.” Dewdrop spoke, sitting back on the couch to feel more comfortable. “Why don’t we just stay here?”

“Uh… doing what...?” Water didn’t want to jump to conclusions, but judging by what he had learned about the ghoul so far, he couldn’t be sure if he had ulterior motives.

“Whatever you want to do.” The suggestiveness of his tone didn’t go unnoticed by Water.

“We can chat.” Aether quickly said, knowing his partner very well to understand what he actually had in mind. Dewdrop just chuckled in response before Aether resumed talking. “I think it’s a good opportunity to kill time before we get sleepy again. What do you say?”

The bassist considered for a moment. He certainly wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep so soon, maybe Aether was right, that could be a good opportunity for them to learn more about one another and distract themselves from that night’s incident.

“Okay.” He nodded at last.

The ghouls accommodated themselves on the couch, Water sitting with his legs crossed and leaning back to rest against the soft backrest. He waited for one of the guitarists to start since he didn’t know what exactly they should talk about.

“So...” Dewdrop was the first one to talk, the other two looking at him and waiting for him to continue, but the small ghoul just kept silent, staring back at Aether. None of them knew how to start that conversation and the silence was getting awkward until Water spoke.

“Eh, what’s your favorite food?” He asked looking down at his feet and feeling abashed by the type of question he asked. That’s why he didn’t want to be the one to initiate the talk, he didn’t want others to think he was silly, so he immediately regretted asking that because of course the ghouls wouldn’t answer.

“Jalapeño poppers!” Dewdrop promptly replied and Water looked at him surprised, he wasn’t expecting him to take his question seriously. “What? I love spicy food.” The small ghoul crossed his arms and said in a harsh tone when he heard Aether making disgusted noises.

“The spice is fine, but the food is gross. It’s greasy and has bacon. Do you know where bacon comes from, Dew?!” Dewdrop simply shrugged it off. Even if the rhythm guitarist was wearing a mask, Water could easily imagine his facial expression judging by the way he talked. “Anyways,” Aether cleared his throat. “I love vegetable pasta.”

“Ew.” Dewdrop imitated Aether’s tone from moments ago.

“What now?” The big ghoul sighed, annoyed.

“You like to eat grass.”

Water bit his bottom lip in an attempt to suppress a sudden snort, amused by the couple’s taunts, only he missed Aether staring daggers at Dewdrop, who had a mischievous grin on his face. “Whatever!” The rhythm guitarist spoke. “What about you, Water? What do you like to eat?” He tried to get the conversation back on track, his voice softer when directed to the bassist.

“Uh, mostly sweets. I love cake.” It didn’t take Water too long to answer since he was a proud sweet lover. “Chocolate cake.”

He smiled to himself recalling the taste of a perfect cake he had tried a few months ago during a special meal at the Abbey. His mouth began to water as the memory came back to his mind and he suddenly felt hungry.

“Aw, that’s nice. I can bake you a cake one of these days if you want.” Aether said and Dewdrop’s gaze fixed on him as he tilted his head, apparently confused by the ghoul’s offer.

“Thank you, but it’s not necessary, Aether!” Water blushed behind his mask and quickly spoke, he didn’t want to trouble the guitarist.

“Let Aether bake you cake.” Dewdrop interrupted them. “I’d love to taste it too since he rarely cooks for me.” He licked his lips while still staring at his boyfriend.

“I thought you didn’t like to eat grass.” Aether retorted with a smirk.

“Cakes aren’t made of grass, though.”

“Uh...” Water watched an apparent tension growing between the two ghouls and he didn’t know what to say or to do, it felt to him as if the situation was not turning out the way they expected and he felt tense being in the middle of them.

But he looked at them in utter confusion when the guitarists bursted out laughing after starting at each other for a few moments. Water glanced from one ghoul to the other trying to understand what he had missed.

“Enough.” Aether shook his head while still laughing. “You’re scaring him, Dew!”

“Sorry, Water.” The lead guitarist playfully patted the ghoul’s arm. “But it’s true that he doesn’t cook for me that often.” Water let out a short nervous laugh escape his mouth when he realized the joke, feeling relieved to know they were not being as serious as he thought.

“You never ask me to.” Aether shrugged.

“Okay, I will ask from now on. And you should do it naked.” Dewdrop said all smug and crossed his arms, leaning back against the backrest of the couch. His words made Water flush once again.

“It doesn’t sound very hygienic.” The rhythm guitarist pointed out.

“You can wear an apron.”

“Alright then.” Aether replied, not actually being averse to the suggestion, which made Dewdrop’s imagination go wild.

“Okay, gossip time.” The small ghoul clasped his hands together ready to spill some poison. “What’s your opinion on the Cardinal?” His attention turned to Water.

“Cardinal Copia?!” The bassist’s eyes widened in surprise, he wasn’t expecting that question and he honestly didn’t have the guts to speak his mind about the frontman in fear that it could have negative consequences. “Uh… I-I can’t say much.”

Truth was that Copia and Water hadn’t interacted much since the ghoul joined the band, especially because they hadn’t even started touring yet, so he couldn’t give them an accurate response. However the bassist had actually had seen some things that made him question the man’s credibility as the leader of the band, which was an important piece in the clergy’s plans.

“I find him kinda disgusting roaming around with all those rats inside his clothes.” Dewdrop spoke first. “He even brings them to official meals.”

“Once a rat tried to crawl up my leg during dinner. Rats are cute, but...” Aether recalled the moment, it happened after an important meeting with Papa Nihil and Sister Imperator when they gathered the ghouls to announce Copia as the new frontman of Ghost.

“Also, I hate when he says he’s gonna tickle the crowd’s taints, I hope he never says it out loud in front of Imperator or the public. It’d be shameful.” Dewdrop shook his head imagining the scenario. He’d rather bury his face in sand if that ever happened publicly.

Water chose to keep his answer to himself, but he mentally agreed with the lead guitarist’s comment on the rats inside Copia’s clothes. Noticing Water’s abstention, Aether decided to move on. “So... Next question?”

The ghouls kept chatting for a while, talking about many things, some interesting, others a little embarrassing, but the outcome was positive nevertheless. Water learned a bit more about his band mates and felt grateful that they took their time to engage in a long conversation with him even after the bassist had ruined their fun earlier that night (at least that’s how Water perceived the event).

But it was getting too late and Water felt his eyelids heavy, his brain fogging and his body sinking in the couch more and more as he felt sleep winning him over. When the guitarists noticed how tired the ghoul was they walked him back to the dorms and wished him good night.

Water removed his mask and collapsed onto his bed, the last thing he remembered before falling asleep completely was how nice it felt to bond with people who seemed to enjoy his company. He smiled to himself and felt his cheeks tingling, burying his face in the soft pillows.

He felt excited to know where the friendship with the guitarists would go.

***

Some time later the tour finally started.

Being the debut of Water, Multi, Blizzard and Breeze, since the other three had already been on the road for longer, the bassist felt incredibly nervous. He knew that he’d feel anxious, but he didn’t expect it to hit him so bad to the point of making him dizzy and nauseous. He tried his best to keep the control of himself on stage to avoid any accidents, but it was not enough to prevent him from slipping in front of the crowd’s eyes right at the start of the tour.

Fortunately that happened during intermission and Aether and Dewdrop came to his rescue as soon as they were on backstage, checking on him to see if he had injured himself. Luckily he didn’t get a single scratch and he had a few minutes to try calming down before returning to the stage.

After that incident the guitarists focused their attentions to distract Water before and during the ritual, so the bassist would not have to worry too much about the crowd since he’d be occupied interacting with the ghouls. Water actually noticed the difference, he really felt a bit more relieved whenever one of the ghouls approached him, which led to some sweet moments between them.

They’d play close to each other while exchanging kind, supportive looks, eventually resting their heads against each other’s shoulders, leaning against each other, fixing their ties… Water started feeling more at ease when he interacted with them, sometimes he’d even feel his heart fluttering and his face reddening in response.

Sometimes he’d feel overwhelmed by their attention, too scared to skip some notes while performing, so Water occasionally would step away from the guitarists, Dewdrop most of the times, and take his time to regain his focus on the role of bassist. Aether and Dewdrop would get the cue and leave the ghoul in peace for a while.

At first Water went unnoticed by many fans due his quiet behaviour on stage, not drawing too much attention as the guitarists would, but after a few gigs he started feeling more comfortable performing in front of so many people, trying to learn from his band mates how to deal with the expectations of the public. Soon his stage presence started to change, he’d allow himself to feel the music and pour his heart into playing, even managing to headbang slightly at his favourite songs.

Weeks had passed and they had just played the last concert from the first leg of their tour when they gathered backstage, ready to return to the Abbey. The three ghouls had been very talkative that day, not missing a single opportunity to spend time together. There was a flirty atmosphere going on between them and it didn’t go unnoticed by the other ghouls, who decided to keep their distance from the trio so they’d not interrupt anything important.

Aether, Dewdrop and Water were chatting together in a corner while the other ghouls prepared to leave, talking about the well deserved rest they’d have for a while. “I can’t wait to be back to my room and enjoy the comfort of my bed.” The lead guitarist stated before a shameless grin was visible through his mask hole when he eyed Aether. “Your bed would do just fine too.”

“Hm, would you like to try?” Aether smiled back at him, Water between them and feeling the tension growing.

“Hell, yeah. What do you say, Water?” Dewdrop glanced at the bassist, who was paying attention to their little teasing.

Although Dewdrop wasn’t expecting the ghoul to accept the offer, he decided to give it a try again. He knew their relationship had strengthened for the past months and sometimes Water acted open to try something else. He observed Water’s green eyes fixed on him for a few seconds, curious about what would be going through the bassist’s mind.

There was something different in his gaze, a hint of interest maybe? Dewdrop couldn’t tell for sure until the ghoul said, “With the two of you?” Realizing the nature of his own question, Water blinked a few times and looked down at his own feet, suddenly feeling too shy to face the ghouls.

“Yes.” Aether calmly replied.

“Uh, actually I...” Water licked his bottom lip while thinking of a reply. Deep inside he knew what he wanted, but would he have the courage to do so?

The bassist felt his heart pounding in his chest, but before he could say anything else, someone from the staff called them all.

“Alright, everyone back to the bus now!”

Feeling like the moment had been ruined by the fuss of people leaving the room, Water couldn’t keep track of his own thoughts and gave the ghouls an apologetic look. Aether softly smiled at him with a nod of his head and Dewdrop squeezed his shoulder showing their understanding. Water sighed in disappointment because he was so close to win against his shame…

They returned to the Abbey late that night and retreated to their respective rooms, but the guitarists’s offer lingered in Water’s mind the whole way back to home.

***

Chapter Text

“Should we even bother getting dressed if we’re gonna get rid of the clothes again in a moment?” Dewdrop asked, impatiently, as he crawled into Aether’s bed wearing a regular black shirt and sweatpants.

“Yeah, I don’t want Water to feel intimidated or anything. Let’s take it easy.” Aether said as he collapsed next to the other ghoul and stretched his body.

“Intimidated by what? Your big cock?” Dewdrop snorted, a playful smirk on his face.

“Nasty. You know what I meant.” Aether shook his head in disapproval, but couldn’t hide an involuntary grin appearing on his face.

“Whatever. Do you really think he’ll come, though?”

“I’m not sure… It’d be nice if he did, but even if he doesn’t come we can have fun together too.” The rhythm guitarist arched an eyebrow suggestively and brought his face closer to Dewdrop’s, pecking his lips.

“Of course. When can we start?”

“If he doesn’t show up within... an hour?” Aether pondered for a moment before suggesting. “What do you say?”

“Hm, so long… What should I do until then?” Pouting, Dewdrop slid his fingers beneath Aether’s shirt, dragging them up and down his torso. The big ghoul turned his face to look at him and found piercing blue eyes shining with lust.

“I don’t know. Meditate?” Aether teased him faking indifference.

“Am I a joke to you? I’m so horny tonight, Aether...” The ghoul purred in his ear and slipped his hand down Aether’s body to touch his groin, using his fingers to trace the outline of Aether’s cock, expecting to elicit any interesting reaction from him. “Should we anticipate our little fun?”

Before the big ghoul could say anything, they heard someone knocking at the door. They glanced in the direction of the door and sat up on the bed.

“Do you think it’s him?” Aether asked and Dewdrop shrugged. They got up and quickly wore their masks on their way to the door.

When they opened it they saw Water fidgeting on his spot and holding his hands in front of his body, clearly anxious.

“Oh, what a pleasant surprise.” Dewdrop was the first one to talk.

“Hi...” Recalling the ghouls’s invitation from when they left the stage earlier, the bassist shyly said. “Hm… I’d like to… join you two if it’s still possible.” His voice was almost inaudible such was his nervousness.

“Sure. We were waiting for you.” Dewdrop stepped aside, giving room for the ghoul to enter the place.

It took Water a few seconds before he finally moved forward, the lead guitarist closing the door behind them. The bassist looked too uneasy, crossing his arms over his chest as his eyes roamed the room, which happened to look pretty much like his, but with Aether’s personal belongings. It was Water’s first time visiting someone else’s bedroom in the Abbey.

“Hey, there’s no need to be all tensed up.” Aether said when he noticed the ghoul’s tension and took the liberty to approach him and place his warm hands on Water’s shoulders, massaging him. “Please, make yourself comfortable.”

Water appreciated the ghoul’s kindness and shyly nodded. He saw the guitarists sitting at the center of the bed and decided to join them there too, sitting with his legs crossed.

“We’re glad you decided to come, but don’t feel pressured to do anything, really. You can stop and leave whenever you want.” Aether explained with a smile on his face, trying his best to make the bassist feel more comfortable.

“Yeah, we actually just want to relax a bit after the ritual, have a good time together...” Dewdrop’s voice trailed off as he talked and laid back, propping himself on his elbows.

“Okay.” Water acknowledged their intentions. He was interested in having that experience with the other two, but he couldn’t help feeling too nervous, it was stronger than him in that moment.

“You’ve never done this before, right?” Dewdrop asked and Water glanced at him. “Being with more than one person at the same time.” Blushing behind his mask, Water shook his head. “Don’t worry. Would you feel more comfortable if you were to order us around?” The small ghoul prompted, but Water wasn’t completely sure he understood the concept.

“What do you mean?”

“Telling us what we should do to you, to each other or to ourselves.” Dewdrop explained.

“Uh, I’m not sure… What if my request is embarrassing?” He feared ruining the mood with some weird suggestion, he still didn’t know the ghouls’s preferences and he honestly felt like some of his own could come across as weird. What would they think of him?!

However, Aether and Dewdrop exchanged a quickly glance and muffled a quiet chuckle. “I doubt it, I’m up to pretty much everything.”

“Plus, we’d never trespass any boundaries, Water.” Aether assured the ghoul. “We will tell you if we don’t want to do something and you should tell us too. Let’s keep things clear, what do you say?”

Water was relieved to know that the guitarists cared about checking on his well-being , it made him feel a little less uneasy. “I think it’s good.”

“Nice.” Dewdrop said. “So...” He crawled towards the bassist, his movements resembling a cat.

He stopped beside him, his blue eyes looking at Water’s green ones with much interest. Dewdrop decided to test the waters and slowly approached his face to the other’s to see how he’d react at that closeness. Water let the ghoul take the first steps since he wasn’t sure of what to do himself. He honestly felt inclined to kiss Dewdrop, even if they were wearing the masks, it was still possible to do so thanks to the hole on their mouths.

Licking his lips, Water hoped the ghoul had caught the hint. He was still feeling too shy to voice his wishes, but he wanted to simply ask for a kiss. “How should we start it?” As if he had read Water’s mind, Dewdrop closed the distance between their mouths and gave him a much desired kiss. The guitarist led a hand to touch the side of the ghoul’s neck and felt him wriggling under the touch, making his sensitive spot obvious.

The kiss was brief, but also deep, their tongues tangled together for a few moments and Water could finally kill the curiosity of how it would feel to kiss Dewdrop. They moved away and Water turned to face Aether, who was watching them with much interest. Recalling Dewdrop’s suggestion of him directing the guitarists, Water attempted giving his first order.

“Would you two… take each other’s shirts off?” He had some difficulty keeping eye contact after such request, but the ghouls looked at him excited. “Is this too much?!” Water quickly asked, not even giving the others a chance to manifest themselves.

“Not at all.” Aether replied and Dewdrop chuckled amused by the bassist’s concern.

They immediately complied and took their shirts off, throwing them away Satan knows where. Water scanned their bodies with his curious eyes, feeling a familiar heat growing on his lower body the longer he observed the ghouls. Aether had a big frame, that Water already knew, but seeing him like that in front of him only made the bassist want to be wrapped by Aether’s strong arms, even more than he already had craved before. Water was surprised by the amount of tattoos on Dewdrop’s skin, his attention also being drawn to the ghoul’s nipple rings.

Feeling like the temperature of the room had suddenly raised, Water decided to remove his own shirt. He didn’t know, but his exposed skin was slightly flushed by then. The bassist didn’t have any cool piercings or tattoos like Dewdrop, nor he had a strong look like Aether, but Water felt comfortable enough showing his body to the other two.

As the guitarists waited for Water’s next request, Dewdrop’s eyes fixed on the bassist, humming in delight at the sight. Nothing and everything came to Water’s mind at the same time, there were so many things he’d like to try, but he didn’t know which one to pick, or maybe he was just afraid, worried once again that his suggestions wouldn’t be taken seriously.

“I’m not very good at giving orders...” He sighed, a bit disappointed at himself for being so undecided.

“I think you’re doing pretty fine so far, but okay.” Aether made sure to tell him. “Do you want to follow the flow?” The bassist nodded. “This way is good too.”

Dewdrop approached Water first, sitting beside him and smoothing his side with his slender fingers, making the bassist feel every hair on his body bristling at the gentle touch. He was surprised by how Dewdrop behaved in that situation since he was actually expecting him to be more intense . No… Water was sure that Dewdrop could be very intense, he emanated a feral aura and the fervency of his gaze only made that clear.

Water’s imagination went wild trying to figure what the small ghoul was capable of. He was not sure if he could handle Dewdrop’s intensity, but he appreciated the fact that the ghoul was keeping things tender for the time being. However, he couldn’t deny that his curiosity had been increased.

Being absorbed in his thoughts, Water didn’t immediately noticed when Aether sat next to him and touched his chin, turning his face and looking him in the eyes. The guitarist then lifted the edge of his mask just a little so they could attempt to kiss properly. Although it was possible to do so with the masks on, it didn’t feel as good as kissing without any barrier, and Water wanted to feel more…

“I have a request.” He said when they stopped to catch their breath and the guitarists expectantly waited for his next words. “I know this one is risky, but I felt like asking anyways. You guys have been so nice to me since we came clean before the tour started, I trust you.”

The ghouls exchanged a hopeful look when they realized where the bassist was trying to get. “That’s sweet, Water.” Aether spoke softly. “We both grew fond of you too.”

“You’re asking about the masks, aren’t you?” Dewdrop guessed.

“Yes. But I understand if you decline! I just thought that I should give it a try considering the occasion.” Water explained his intention. He wasn’t one

“Good.” The lead guitarist flashed him a smile as he quickly took his mask off, letting his long blonde hair fall over his shoulder.

Water looked at him stunned, Dewdrop quietly chuckling when he noticed the bassist’s mouth hanging open. If they had the opportunity earlier, Water certainly would had already shown his face to the guitarists. He felt comfortable enough with them for a while now and, despite it taking some time, he was glad that the moment had finally come. Aether removed his mask next, exposing his nostril and eyebrow piercings. He had a gentle face and short dark hair that looked a bit untidy after taking the mask off.

The guitarists smiled at each other and scooted closer. “This way it’s much better to kiss.” Dewdrop mentioned before wrapping his arms around Aether’s neck and giving him a passionate kiss full of tongue now that they had gotten rid of the annoying barrier. It felt way better to be able to roam their lips over the other’s face, touching the exposed skin.

Water watched them with great interest, feeling horny at the sight. When the ghouls pulled away they turned their attentions back to the bassist, waiting for him to take his mask too.

“Thank you for trusting me.” Water said as he removed the piece of metal and laid it on the nightstand.

He felt shy for a moment, he’d not shown his face to anyone in the band yet. A lock of his dark wavy hair covered his green eyes with long, elegant lashes. Aether and Dewdrop studied his face attentively, memorizing all the details they could see, the oval shape of his jaw, his plump lips and nose with a graceful bump on the bridge.

Dewdrop crawled closer to him, sitting back on his heels and leading a hand to hold the side of Water’s neck. “You’re stunning.” He said and closed the distance between their faces, kissing him deeply and wetly, their tongues exploring every corner of each other’s mouth.

When they paused, Aether didn’t even let him recover his hair properly as he captured Water’s lips between his. Meanwhile, Dewdrop dragged his mouth down Water’s neck and shoulder, his hand going down the bassist’s body as he paid close attention to his facial expressions, waiting for his reaction. The small ghoul played with the brim of Water’s trousers, eventually sliding a digit under the fabric to caress the skin.

Aether broke the kiss and Water looked down at where Dewdrop’s hand lingered. He blushed and nodded, allowing the lead guitarist to take his pants off. When Water was free from all the remaining pieces of clothing, Aether slipped a hand between the bassist’s thighs, smoothing the inside of them and making Water shudder slightly. Dewdrop took that time to get rid of his own pants too and decided to sit straddling one of Water’s thighs, slowly rocking his hips back as he gently grabbed the bassist’s cock and started tugging on it without hurrying.

Water let out a moan by accident and felt his body heating up, but Dewdrop only smirked at him, satisfied by the sound he elicited from the ghoul. Despite the attention he was receiving from the lead guitarist, Water couldn’t help glancing at Aether every now and then, showing interest in the ghoul. Aether had been the first one with whom Water felt comfortable at the clergy and he wouldn’t be able to deny that he felt a certain attraction towards the guitarist. Aether was so kind and fun, he cared enough to make the bassist feel included in the band and Water would be eternally grateful for that.

Noticing the desire in the bassist’s green eyes, Aether smiled at him and softly pressed his lips against his. That moment between the two didn’t go unnoticed by Dewdrop, who paused the handjob and wrapped his arms around Water’s neck.

“I see that you’re interested in Aether.” He whispered in the bassist’s ear before licking it. Water felt self-conscious and feared that he could be pushing the couple’s boundaries. “It’s okay, really.” Dewdrop kissed his face and exchanged looks with Aether, who was already palming himself over his trousers. “Look, he’s getting hard. Maybe you should free him.” He suggested.

Water gasped, surprised by the ghoul’s openness, so he complied. Dewdrop moved away to watch Water carefully zipping down Aether’s trousers, his jaw dropping as soon as the ghoul’s half hard cock bounced out of his pants. Water shyly admired the length for some time and Dewdrop smirked to Aether, both ghouls amused by the bassist’s reaction.

“Do you like what you see?” Dewdrop asked and Water nodded, his gaze never leaving the flesh before him. “Go ahead, then.” The bassist looked up at Aether and saw lust in his eyes.

He brought his skinny hand to touch the cock, feeling turned on by how smooth the skin felt and the weight of it on his hand, his fingers tracing down the veins as he paid close attention to the shaft and felt his mouth starting to water.

“May I?” Water decided to ask, giving in to the temptation. He shyly looked up, his cheeks bright red.

“Please.” Aether nodded.

Water found himself amazed by the positive response, so he decided to not waste any more time and lowered his head, enveloping the tip of Aether’s cock with his moist lips. Water’s mouth feels so good on Aether’s cock that the rhythm guitarist let out a heavy sigh as he enjoyed the warmth and depth of the ghoul’s mouth.

The sight of Water going down on his boyfriend only added to Dewdrop’s arousal, who took the time to jerk himself while watching the other two. Pulling his mouth away for a moment, Water stroked the base of the dick and used his split tongue to play with the head, eagerly lapping at it as he didn’t feel as shy as before, desire finally consuming him.

After a while, Dewdrop let go of his dick and reached behind Water, caressing the outside of his thighs while he pressed his torso against the bassist’s back, who could feel Dewdrop’s hard-on poking his lower back. The lead guitarist slid one hand to stroke Water’s stomach up and down, his nails slightly scratching the bassist’s nipples, who let out a whimper and pulled his mouth away to focus on the stimulation.

“Are you enjoying it, Water? Does it feel good?” Dewdrop asked, a mischievous smile on his face.

“Yes… It does...” Water could only manage to whisper.

Aether gently took Water’s hand off his cock and pulled him to a slow, wet kiss before pushing the ghoul back to sit on Dewdrop’s lap. The guitarists then kissed over Water’s shoulder, the bassist turning his face to see their forked tongues lasciviously wrapping around each other or being thrusted in and out of each other’s mouths. He decided to join them, sticking his own tongue out to lick at the others’s. It was not an easy task, and they actually couldn’t kiss properly like that, not the three of them at the same time, yet it felt delightful.

When they parted, Aether brought his mouth to the bassist’s chest, kissing and sucking on his skin, placing a nipple between the tips of his tongue. In the meantime, Dewdrop kissed Water’s neck, who was enjoying the double pleasure and started rubbing his ass against the lead guitarist’s cock.

“Would you like me to prepare you?” Dewdrop offered with his hands sliding down Water’s back and clutched his butt cheeks.

Water considered the suggestion for a second and came to the conclusion that he’d like to feel more, yes. “Please.” He answered.

Pleased by the ghoul’s response, Dewdrop pushed him forward so Water would be on all fours, hovering over Aether, who was now laid on his back. They kissed while Dewdrop grabbed a bottle of lube, coating a finger with it and spreading Water’s cheeks. He slowly pushed a digit into Water’s entrance, meeting some resistance from the tight ring. He used more lube, adding a finger again and used his free hand to caress the bassist’s cheeks before sliding down to fondle his balls. Water moaned into Aether’s mouth and arched his back, the action making his cock press against Aether’s, so they started rubbing against each other.

Dewdrop then inserted a second finger, being very careful not to hurt the ghoul, but Water was loosening up more easily, the muscles around his fingers now being more relaxed. He dragged his fingers in and out, feeling the warm, tight depth. The small ghoul put on more lube and carefully added a third finger. “Is this okay?” He asked, concerned that Water could be feeling any discomfort, but the bassist only moaned between kisses with Aether at the same time that he pushed his ass back into the fingers. “I will take this as a ‘yes’.”

By that time, Water was already fully hard and his hole well stretched, ready to accomodate a dick. The guitarists only didn’t know who was going to fuck him, so when Dewdrop felt that there was enough preparation he removed his fingers and grabbed Water by the waist, pulling him back to sit on the mattress. The water ghoul complained for separating his mouth from Aether’s, who smirked at him and also sat up.

“Look at yourself.” Dewdrop hummed in contemplation for Water’s hard cock dripping pre-cum. “So hard...” The guitarist touched the swollen flesh and gave it a shallow tug, using his thumb to circle the head before letting go. Water hissed at the touch.

“So, Water,” Aether drew the bassist’s attention to himself. “Who’s gonna be? Dew or me?”

The two guitarists looked at each other before turning back to Water, who had his face flushed and was breathing heavily, a sheen of sweat covering his chest and highlighting his collarbones. Water pushed the fringe off his eye, streaks of wavy hair glued to his forehead and the side of his face.

Eying both ghouls, the bassist tried to decide which one he’d let inside him. He suddenly felt a sting of anxiety when he realized that it was going to be his first time since he had been summoned to the surface and it oddly would happen with a ghoul that already had a partner. He exhaled, seriously thoughtful, he didn’t want to spoil anyone’s relationship. Even if the guitarists had already told him they’d not mind staying with other ghouls, Water still felt uncertain.

“Are you guys sure that this won’t ruin anything between you?” He asked.

“Oh, Water...” Aether frowned, understanding the ghoul’s worries.

“Fuck, you’re adorable.” Dewdrop whispered and let out a heavy sigh, amazed by how much Water seemed to care about their relationship.

“We appreciate your concern,” Aether said, gently rubbing Water’s knee. “But you shouldn’t worry. We’ve done this many times already. I also assure you that it doesn’t matter whoever you choose, it won’t upset any of us.”

“Right, believe in us.” The lead guitarist nodded.

“But it’s completely fine too if you don’t want to go any further. You’re free to decide.”

Water felt relieved by their words and found himself impressed by their synergy. The couple transpired so much confidence in their bond, Water would love to experience that with someone someday. He smiled at them and soon focused again on deciding which ghoul he’d pick.

He couldn’t lie to himself: he’d been attracted to Aether since their early interactions, he couldn’t hide that he felt interested in him. However, Dewdrop also had been treating him so well and behaved way more gentler than he’d expect.

What if he had both? One at a time…

No, he couldn’t be too greedy. They probably would have more opportunities in the future, at least he hoped so. Regardless of that, he wasn’t sure that he had enough stamina to last for too long that night. They had played a ritual a few hours ago, he felt tired, but he also was enjoying a lot that moment.

Nevertheless, his eyes insisted in laying on Aether. He imagined how good the ghoul would feel, his large frame pressed against his, strong arms enveloping him… The bassist mindlessly licked his lips and Dewdrop arched an eyebrow realizing what his choice would be.

“Aether...” Water said in a low tone.

“I figured.” Dewdrop couldn’t help mentioning. He wasn’t bothered at all by the ghoul’s preference, he completely understood his reasons, but he had hopes that Water would let him top him that night. Maybe next time, though.

Aether took Water by his hands, making the bassist raise his torso and walk on his knees to where he was. The big ghoul then held the back of Water’s neck and pulled him into a deep kiss.

“Dew.” Aether called him when they paused for air and Dewdrop got the hint that he was asking for lube.

He took the bottle and approached Aether. “Let me help.”

The small ghoul said as he poured lube onto Aether’s cock, pumping him slowly while maintaining eye contact, both with heavy eyelids. They dropped their gazes to fix on each other’s mouths, their faces getting closer as Dewdrop stroked Aether and rubbed the side of his face against the other’s. Dewdrop licked Aether’s bottom and upper lip at the same time with the split tip of his tongue and the rhythm guitarist darted his own tongue out in seek for more contact. Dewdrop’s lips closed around the flesh and sucked it, his grip on Aether’s cock now more firm.

When they pulled away, the small ghoul looked at Water with a sly smile on his lips, letting go of Aether just to smear his fingers coated in lube over one of Water’s nipple, making the bassist squirm in surprise at the sensation. Dewdrop’s thumb slid easily on the skin, caressing the bud and feeling it hardening under his touch.

“Are you ready?” The lead guitarist asked while blowing Water’s neck, who wriggled in response as he instinctively brought a hand to firmly hold Dewdrop’s hips.

“Yes.” He was able to say between short pants, so Dewdrop moved back on the mattress, waiting for the ghouls to resume.

“How do you wanna do this?” Aether asked referring to the position they should try.

“Honestly, I’ve chosen enough for tonight.” Biting his bottom lip, Water shook his head. “Please, pick this time.”

Aether discreetly chuckled, his dimples showing on his face. “Okay, what if you turn around and let Dewdrop entertain you while I take care of you from behind?” He suggested while nuzzling Water’s hair before dragging his lips down the bassist’s cheeks and gently kissing his lips. “Would you like that?”

“Sounds good.” Water nodded and turned his body, being on all fours, supporting his weight with his elbows.

Dewdrop sensually crawled toward him and sat back on his heels in front of Water, tilting his head as he observed the ghoul’s facial expression changing as Aether carefully penetrated him. Dewdrop saw the moment when Water’s mouth opened to let out a quiet whimper, his eyes closing and his brow furrowing when Aether finally buried his whole cock inside him.

Feeling his own dick twitching at the sight, Dewdrop led a hand to his groin and began stroking himself. Aether gently smoothed the sides of Water’s hips before start moving. “Are you okay?” He asked.

“I am.” Water looked over his shoulder, his swollen reddish lips glistening after he licked them.

Aether smiled at him and started thrusting at a slow pace, enjoying the tightness surrounding his dick. Water turned his face back to Dewdrop and when he noticed the ghoul touching himself he let out an audible gasp, immediately dropping his head down in embarrassment for the sound he had just made.

Dewdrop smirked, amused by the bassist’s reaction. He let go of his cock and held the ghoul’s chin, lifting his face so he could look him in the eyes. “You should see how you look right now,” he whispered while kissing Water’s jawline. “Lovely.” He pressed their foreheads together, locks of their hairs interlacing and providing an interesting contrast between the colours.

Water closed his eyes and kissed Dewdrop’s mouth, gently sucking on his bottom lip, but accidentally bit hard on the ghoul’s lip after Aether thrusted deep into him, pressing his sweet spot. The rhythm guitarist grunted when he felt Water’s insides clenching around his cock now that his pace was quicker. Water felt a metallic taste and pulled away, noticing that Dewdrop’s lips were bleeding a little.

“Oh, my! I’m sorry-, ah, Dewdrop!” He hurried to apologize between pants as Aether focused on hitting his prostate.

Dewdrop just couldn’t hold back a grin as he licked the cut, sucking his own bottom lip to taste more of the blood and to induce a stinging sensation. “It’s fine.” He looked up at Aether and observed his concentrated expression, sometimes closing his eyes for a few seconds and inhaling deeply. “Aether won’t last for too long.” Dewdrop said to Water and the big ghoul heard him, so they locked eyes and Dewdrop smirked at him.

Water curiously watched the lead guitarist crawling to the other side of the bed, or at least he tried to observe when he wasn’t closing his eyes in pleasure due Aether’s long, deep thrusts inside him. Dewdrop opened a drawer of the nightstand and took from there a few toys, sprawling them over the sheets. Water recognized some of them, regular dildos or buttplugs, but there were others that he wasn’t sure of how they worked, despite some having familiar shapes.

“What are… you doing- Oh!” He let out a loud moan this time and reached a hand underneath him to tug at his cock, which was begging for attention.

“Just checking my options for tonight.” Dewdrop replied nonchalantly as he returned to where he was and grabbed the bottle of lube again, coating his fingers in it. He had his back to Water and when the bassist noticed Dewdrop lowering his torso and lifting his hips up in the air he widened his eyes in surprise.

Dewdrop reached back and slipped a finger between his cheeks, pressing a digit over his entrance before inserting it. He slid his slick finger in and out of himself for some time before adding a second one. By this time Water struggled to keep his focus on anything; he tried to pay attention to Dewdrop obscenely stretching his hole in front of him, but at the same time he couldn’t ignore Aether pushing faster inside him. He decided to stop jerking his cock when he felt his orgasm approaching since he would like to last a bit longer, just enough to get to enjoy whatever Dewdrop was going to do after preparing himself.

Water felt Aether’s strong hands grabbing him firmly by the hips and accepted the fact that he’d probably have bruises in that area later. But he actually didn’t care, everything was being worthy that night, the bruises would only remind him of the good time he had with the guitarists.

After hearing a moan leaving Dewdrop’s mouth, Water glanced up again just in time to see the ghoul’s hole gaping as he removed four fingers from himself. The bassist had been so distracted by Aether’s thrusts that he didn’t even see the moment when Dewdrop had added a fourth finger. Aether was observing the small ghoul the whole time, the sight only helping to approach his climax. So when the rhythm guitarist felt that he was close enough, he slowed down the pace and carefully pulled out of Water, who felt confused at the loss of contact, looking over his shoulder to check if everything was fine with the other. Aether smoothed the bassist’s cheeks while he used another hand to tug at his cock, releasing hot streaks of cum over the back of Water’s thigh.

Aether gasped as tension left his body and he started to feel limp, lying back on the mattress and propping on his elbows. Before sitting down, Water brought a hand to touch the cum on his thigh and observed his fingers, considering for a moment if he should just wipe them on the sheets or lick them. He felt his face heating up at the thought. Would that be too much? He didn’t want the other two to think he was gross or anything.

But considering what they had been doing so far… Maybe it’d not be a big deal after all, right?

“Go ahead.” He heard Aether saying, his voice was low and sent shivers down Water’s spine. The bassist timidly turned his face to have a better view of the ghoul and noticed a discreet smile on his lips. “I know you want to taste it.”

Water’s face grew even redder than it already was. Why did he have to be so obvious? He felt the mattress sinking behind him and a hot mouth kissing his neck, making him wriggle in response. Pressing his body against the other’s back, Dewdrop slipped his hands down the length of Water’s arms and gently held one of his wrists, lifting it close to the bassist’s face.

“Don’t be shy.” The lead guitarist whispered in his ear before sucking on his earlobe.

Water felt as if his body would catch fire at any moment, he didn’t expect to be so encouraged by the others, so he finally decided to lead the fingers to his mouth, his forked tongue working between them and savouring the hot, slightly sweet cum.

“He tastes so good, doesn’t it?” Dewdrop chuckled and moved away after Water nodded, returning to where his toys laid on the sheets. “Wanna choose one for me?” He asked to Water.

The bassist’s green eyes roamed over the options, he felt curious about some of them, others not so much, but one specific long, translucent black toy caught his attention and Dewdrop noticed it when he saw Water’s eyes fixed on it. Grinning, the small ghoul grabbed the toy and asked, “Interested in this one?”

“Maybe…? What’s this for?” Water asked back.

“Well, it’s my newest acquisition, but Aether is boring and he doesn’t want to try this one with me.” Dewdrop faked annoyance and rolled his eyes before laying them on Aether on the opposite side of the bed.

“I’ll pass that one.” The rhythm guitarist waved his hand dismissively.

“Anyways, as you can see,” Dewdrop resumed his explanation. “There are two ends.” He handed the toy to the bassist, who too a better look in the object.

It was a 12 inches silicon long shaft of an even texture, the head at both ends was round and smooth, slightly warped up. Water finally realized that each end was for penetration, but he still wasn’t sure how it’d work or what kind of position would be better. Honestly, he wasn’t that familiar with sex toys in general, he’d only seen basic dildos since he joined the clergy, but he never tried one himself. That could be a good opportunity, right? Dewdrop seemed very experienced in the matter, maybe Water could give it a try and the guitarist could guide him through his attempt.

When Water glanced at Dewdrop again he saw him smirking and a hint of expectation in his eyes. “What do you say?” The small ghoul asked.

“I’d like to try this one.” Water replied and Dewdrop pecked his lips in celebration.

“Good choice.”

Dewdrop reached for the bottle of lube once again and poured some on his end of the toy, giving the bottle to Water to smear the content on the other end. The bassist watched the ghoul’s movements, Dewdrop obviously jerking the silicon shaft before lubing up more.

“I think it’s enough.” The lead guitarist said, satisfied with the work. “Come here.”

He gently pulled Water closer by his hand, both ghouls sitting facing each other with their legs straight. Dewdrop threw his legs over Water’s and laid back, lifting his hips and using one elbow to support his weight while he guided the toy inside him with his free hand. Water then imitated him and inserted the dildo, bringing their bodies closer as they buried the silicon shaft inside them.

They intertwined their legs and began to thrust towards each other. At first Water struggled to keep a good pace, the position was new to him and he found himself a bit lost. Noticing the bassist’s discomfort, Dewdrop caressed the side of one of Water’s thighs, making him look up to meet the guitarist’s blue eyes.

“Do you want to stop?” Dewdrop calmly asked, but Water shook his head, he knew that he just needed some time to adjust. The toy being pushed inside him felt nice enough, he wanted to keep trying.

Dewdrop reached for Water’s hand and made him hold the back of his calf for better support and Water actually noticed the difference as it made it easier for him to keep thrusting. He looked down between their bodies and saw Dewdrop’s cock bouncing due to his rhythm and, lowering his gaze a bit more, he observed the dildo sliding in and out of them with a slick sound. The sight, plus the sound of Dewdrop panting, made him feel his cock throbbing. He couldn’t wait any longer, he had already postponed his orgasm that night, Water was seeking for release now.

“Aether,” Dewdrop called and the bassist glanced up, curious to know what role Aether would play at that moment. “Come give us a hand, please.”

The big ghoul gladly complied and scooted closer to where the other two were. On his knees, he positioned himself beside their interlaced legs and reached for their dicks, pumping both ghouls at the same time. Water let out a relieved sigh, he had been feeling frustrated for the lack of friction on his cock, but Aether’s big, strong calloused hands wrapped around him felt marvellous and the bassist was aware that he’d come at any time.

Water felt when Dewdrop quickened his own pace, so he looked at him, paying attention to the guitarist’s moist lips every time he darted his tongue out to lick them, obscene moans escaping his mouth at every tug on his cock. Water couldn’t hold back anymore, giving in to the whole erotic atmosphere and finally coming on Aether’s hand, who helped him drive out his ecstasy.

Throwing his head back, Water let out a heavy sigh in satisfaction and slowly laid back on the mattress without removing the toy, still feeling the other ghoul moving. He felt his whole body relaxing and his head spinning a little, his skin sensitive against the silky sheets of the bed. A few moments later he heard a loud gasp from Dewdrop and propped on an elbow to check the ghoul, seeing the two guitarists intensely locking eyes while Aether continued to stroke him until the small ghoul was completely spent.

Aether ducked his head to place a sweet kiss on Dewdrop’s lips while laying him back on the mattress and helped removing the dildo from the ghouls, stretching his hands to smooth their thighs at the same time. Water flinched at the touch, his system still flooded by the pleasant sensation post orgasm. Aether then caught a clean towel to help cleaning their mess, which Water appreciated since he didn’t have the energy to get up and do it by himself.

When he was doing cleaning, Aether and Dewdrop approached Water and laid each on one side of the bassist, Dewdrop kissing his shoulder and placing a warm hand on his waist while Aether kissed his face, dragging his mouth closer to Water’s and gently pushing the fringe off the ghoul’s forehead. Water almost felt overwhelmed by the double attention since he was still in a sensitive state. He moaned quietly, closing his eyes and accepting the kisses.

“Will you stay tonight?” Aether whispered in his ear.

“Can I?” The night had been so entertaining that he didn’t even had the chance to wonder whether he should sleep with them or not. He wasn’t sure of what the couple’s approach to that matter was and he didn’t want to seem any more intrusive, but if he were being honest with himself, he felt very welcome between the ghouls since the start, despite his initial lack of confidence.

“Of course you can.” Dewdrop replied while giving wet kisses to Water’s sensitive neck.

The bassist sighed in relief and smiled when both ghouls hugged him tightly, Dewdrop accommodating his head in the crook of Water’s neck and Aether placing his chin on the top of the ghoul’s head. Although their bodies had already started to cool down, they still provided a good warmth. Water felt like his bond with the guitarists had been strengthened somehow and he hoped that it was a mutual feeling.

They fell asleep not much longer after.

***

When Water woke up on the next morning he felt a weight on his chest, so he slowly opened his eyes, blinking a few times as he got used to the light coming in through the window. When he glanced down he saw a blonde naked ghoul hugging his side and with a leg thrown over his. He also saw a strong arm crossing his torso and, turning his face to the other side, he was met with Aether’s plump chest.

Recalling the events from the night before made him smile to himself. It was good to know that it had not been a dream after all.

He felt Dewdrop wincing slightly and heard Aether letting out a heavy sigh as both ghouls woke up.

“Good morning.” Water greeted them, his voice low and hoarse from the sleep.

Dewdrop looked up at him and smiled back after stretching himself. “Morning.”

Aether followed next, shifting his position so his face would be at the same level of Water’s. “Did you sleep well?” He asked and the bassist nodded, satisfied.

Something about being between the ghouls and receiving their attention and affection felt… Different. He liked the sensation and it actually boosted his confidence somehow, but at the same time he had some worries about their friendship from then on. So he decided to end the concern once and for all.

“Guys...” He started and the ghouls paid attention to him. “Is everything alright between us?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?” Dewdrop frowned in confusion and tilted his head.

“Are you okay?” Aether asked, lifting his head to have a better view of Water’s face.

“I am. I just wanted to make sure that nothing changed too drastically.” The bassist explained. “I… I like you both... A lot. I’d be disappointed to know that I ruined something...”

Aether and Dewdrop quickly exchanged a worried look before sitting up on the mattress and looking back at Water, trying to understand why the ghoul would feel that way. “Water, you shouldn’t think like that! You didn’t ruin anything, it’s all good.” Aether told him as he held his hand in reassurance.

“Fuck, I’d say that it’s all perfect.” Dewdrop said in a less tender way, but he meant it.

“How do you feel about it, though?” The rhythm guitarist asked concerned that maybe the experience wasn’t as pleasant to Water as it was for him and Dewdrop.

“I had a great time and I feel amazing!” The bassist hurried to make it clear that he didn’t feel bad or anything, he was worried about being the other way around. He remembered that the ghouls had already stated that it was not a problem, but it was on the night before, he feared that their perception would have changed. Fortunately that was not the case.

“Good to know. That’s what matters.” The big ghoul smiled at him and gently squeezed his hand.

“We appreciate the concern, though.” Dewdrop laid down again and cupped the side of Water’s face, turning his head to look him in the eyes. “Like I said last night, you’re adorable.” He softly brushed his lips against Water’s, who smiled, relieved.

“I have a question, though.” Aether said as he got up from the bed and headed to the bathroom. “Are you gonna join us in the shower?” He stood by the door frame, naked and waiting for the ghoul’s reply. Meanwhile, Dewdrop smirked at Water and crawled out of bed, joining Aether.

Water couldn’t hold back a grin, his face flushing at the offer. So far things had been so fun, he was grateful for bonding with the guitarists and he’d love to get to know his other bandmates better soon too. He may be shy and struggle to form social links, but Aether and Dewdrop certainly made him feel like he could have a real family on the surface.

“Sure.” He gladly answered and followed the ghouls.

***