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“I will,” Itori promised.

“Then…” Will slipped his fingers free and reached for Itori’s hand that was holding his cock inside. The moment Will moved it, Itori’s cock was pushed out, slick and ready. Will was already half hard himself. “Let’s make you stronger,” Will said, feeling bold as he wrapped his own hand around himself, beginning to stroke with the slick.

They went another two rounds after that, Itori moving from exhausted to energized as Will grew sleepier and the pleasure softened all his edges.

Eventually, Will couldn’t keep in his yawns. He tucked himself to Itori’s chest, sweaty and sated.

“If I fall asleep… keep going,” Will mumbled. “Take… take all the energy you need, okay?” Will nuzzled into him. Claws roved up and down his back, sparking easy pleasure.

Itori nuzzled him back with a sweet, rumbling hiss. “I think you have exhausted yourself tonight, dear heart.”

“No,” Will slurred, his mouth beginning to struggle with words. “We have to… do more. You have to… be strong…”

“I am stronger,” Itori said. “But this will not be enough for what the humans are doing. I think… but I cannot ask this of you. I cannot ask…”

There were more words after that, but Will lost them. His eyes drifted closed, lulled by Itori’s hands and the deep, smooth way he spoke.

He followed the words down into a lake of dreams. They curled around him, covering his body as he sank.

He wasn’t afraid. There beside him was Itori, hand tight in his. He coaxed Will deeper, down into the waters. The cold was jarring, but then Itori was there, his heat vibrant and alive.

They swam through the waters and emerged where the gray, metal trees lived. Will hated those trees, could feel through Itori how they reeked even sitting there on sandy banks. They were misshapen, poisonous growths that needed to be removed before they killed everything.

We must remove the roots, Will said. His own voice sounded far away. Or maybe it was too close, in his head.

How?

Will let go of Itori’s hand as he drifted toward the bank. He got feet under himself and stepped out of the water, toward the trees. Itori stayed behind.

The trees would be yellow in daytime, but even in grayscale the colors were all wrong. They were cold to the touch and radiated malice. Will stepped up to one, grabbing one of the low branches. He hoisted himself up.

The bark was cold and smooth under his hands. He grunted as he scaled it until he found the crack in the smooth surface. A crevice he could pry open.

It opens here, he said. He had a ring of metal in his other hand, had been carrying it a while. Where had he gotten it from…?

He couldn’t remember. It didn’t matter.

He took one of the metal keys and drove its teeth into the slot. It turned easily, opening a panel.

Inside was pitch-black, but with Itori he could see better. The cavern was full of roots.

Did it matter which ones he pulled?

It was best to be thorough.

Will stuck his hand in, grabbed a handful of coiled roots, and began to pull.

###

The entire Five Springs police force was at the grocery store when Will got to work the next morning. Adrián was speaking to them in the lot when Will walked up. He gave the whole thing a wide berth as he circled around to the back of the grocery to let himself in.

“What’s with all the cops?” Will asked when he found Becky inside, setting up the register for the day.

She snorted. “They were asking for security footage again. I think something went down at the construction site.” Her eyes flicked up to him.

Will froze. Something had happened? When? “Oh, uh.”

Then Becky turned back to where she was putting new plastic bags on the bagging rungs. “But don’t worry, nobody around here is a rat. Not like those pigs have been protecting and serving the community that funds them. No, they only seem to show up when there’s an issue the suits need handled. Pigs and shit just go together,” she sneered.