An Axe to Grind

The Haxorus turned his head toward her a little more. He put his hands apart, holding them parallel. "So a long while?" Charli asked. He nodded. Guy must have some killer patience if he never brought it up before. "Even before the accident?" she asked suddenly. Labrys opened his mouth then shut it closed along with another nod. Damnit. There was that little prick of pain in her chest. Not a single word during all that time. She rapped her fingers along the chair then turned around and slumped back. Was she the dick in this scenario? Must've been like breaking down a dam with how she acted. "Sorry," she said plainly.

The blank screen in front of Charli stared back. Those troubles seemed hardly worth mentioning now. Her job was probably a fad anyways, so who knew how long it would've lasted. Labrys, however, was going to be around for just about forever. God, what a dorky thing to think. Maybe you're actually in love with him too, idiot. She sighed and slumped further down. Though, as petty as it was, she sure as hell didn't want that to be the last of her 'professional' career. Two armored hands came down beside her. She looked up to see Labrys looking down at her. "Sup?" His hands shifted over to her shoulders and he sighed. "Yeah, I know. I'm the bastard in this equation." He shook his head. "You're still too sweet, you know?" Charli reached up and rubbed the underside of his neck, where his plating thinned out, prompting a low groan of delight.

"So what're we gonna do for the rest of the day, huh?" Charli asked in exasperation. Labrys snapped his mouth shut repeatedly. "Nah, I kinda lost my appetite." Probably for a good while at that. Labrys responded by wrapping his arms around her from behind. "Guess we're just sitting here then, huh?" Fair enough, she figured. Hopefully he wasn't secretly getting off on it. Oh shut up.

_

The rest of the day managed to go on without too much of a hitch. Charli had largely ignored her computer and instead spent most of her time uneasily switching from watching television and playing videogames. It felt like there was something else she should've been doing with her time. Maybe that was underlying guilt or a desperate need to escape from her situation, she couldn't quite tell. Labrys kept his distance for the most part, only rarely coming up to her for some scarce amount of attention before withdrawing. It was a good reminder that she had to give him a real answer eventually. Eventually could be forever at this rate, though.

And forever marched on. Night came swiftly. It was just when she had shut off her television that Charli realized her room was bathed in darkness, aside from the gaudy LEDs that decorated her PC. She digged her phone out of her pocket and winced as its full brightness blasted her. Eleven already? She rubbed her eyes and looked over to her right. Labrys was already snuggled up, asleep. That bought her a little more time for her decision. If it was even a decision at this point. You're not actually gonna say anything. You're just gonna hide from the problem and hope he drops it. She couldn't say no, of course. Breaking his heart into a million pieces wasn't something she could bring herself to do. There wasn't a chance she could settle that unrequited love that lasted that long. You won't say yes either because it's wrong, right?

It's not like Labrys was gross. He was practically the epitome of cool, with his sharp edges and deep red eyes that always looked fierce. He had a bit of a hunch to his posture like the rest of his species, but could easily stand up straight to tower over everyone else. The only thing holding her back was herself. That little voice in the back of her head telling her it was the worst idea in the world. And the anatomy, maybe. Her gaze wandered over to his hips before she clenched her eyes shut and shook her head. While she wouldn't look, her mind was stuck thinking what his member would look like. Spiny? Smooth? Maybe he had two.

Think about anything else, please. Charli stood up and gave one final stretch before crawling into bed. She pulled her shirt off and flung it at her desk chair, where it quickly fell onto the floor. Whatever. Charli buried herself under the sheets, bringing them all the way up to her neck. The soft protection did little to assuage that feeling of forgetting something. She again looked back to Labrys, who was still calmly sleeping away the time. In the morning. She would say something in the morning, she assured herself. Only problem was, she didn't trust herself.

_

Charli awoke with her face half-buried in pillow. She opened one lazy eye and looked about the room, until she found the reptilian figure standing next to her. Yeah, that was Labrys. She blinked, trying to wake herself up more. She turned over slowly, wincing as she felt her numb arm tingle with blood flow. "Hey Labrys," she said with a yawn. He took a step back and waved. She shook her arm, working the blood back into it. "Something up?" The alarm went off a second later, which Charli shut off. Labrys stepped forward again and set his hands on the bed. He looked to her for confirmation. "Oh, sure, sure, yeah." How polite of him. Labrys gently picked her up, settling her into that bridal carry.

As Charli's brain kicked back into gear and she remembered yesterday, a burning sense of embarrassment worked its way into her nerves. Here she was, nearly in the nude, being carried by the thing-- person that wants to mate with her. She swallowed the lump in her throat. "I'm awake now, no need to carry me," Charli said sheepishly. Labrys nodded then paused. It was a strange feeling, being held so tenderly. His fingers splayed out across her skin. He leaned down and gave her a peck on the forehead before setting her down. There was a pressure on her chest as Charli stood up. Labrys placed a hand on her shoulder. "Uh"--Charli looked to the floor--"thanks?" His other hand came down on her shoulder, pulling her attention back up to him.

Labrys gazed into her for a moment. She felt vulnerable, though not entirely in a bad way. Uncertainty plagued his expression, subtly shown with a flick of the gaze and a part of the lips. Then he pulled her into a kiss proper. Her body went slack as she relaxed into it. He had a hard beak, but a soft tongue that eased into her lips. Her tongue pushed back, sampling a bit of him. Then it was gone. Charli was left in a daze and her heart uneasy. "Haven't... Haven't got an answer for you yet," Charli said, looking straight into Labrys's chest. His hands slipped away from her, but he nodded. "Gonna go take a shower now, alright?" Charli moved her head to look up at him, but her eyes didn't follow. He nodded again. Charli whipped around, pulled her towel off the bed, and ran off into the bathroom.

She stared at herself in the mirror for a moment, then wiped her mouth off with the back of her hand. That made two. Charli pressed against her chest and slowed her breath to stop that damn beat. Damnit, damnit, damnit. Why didn't you say no? He would've listened. "When's the last time you had a boyfriend?" she mocked. Lonely bitch, get your head on right. For all she knew, maybe her head was on right. That kiss didn't spark any anger or hate, just plain and simple curiosity. No, she really didn't hate it, did she? Almost as if she liked it. She huffed and stepped into the shower after peeling off her clothes. The cold water hit her fast, causing her to gasp and properly shocking her awake. Forgot to flip the tab, of course. She had to stop doing that. She started washing herself and thinking of the pain she was going to have to put up with.

At least this time she had a little more preparation. Certainly more-- What would the word be. Romantic? Romantic kiss from a dragon? Sure, yeah, whatever. That chastising voice in her mind was a little quieter. It was clear he wanted this to be serious. Charli wasn't sure whether she should be happy or sad about that. He was a guy, of course he'd get horny for the only girl figure in his life, but now it was proper love. Serious love. The kind you see in movies and get sick from. What could she do now? She didn't want to be chained to a guy she... couldn't... go out into... She already was chained to him. In fact, that chain probably kept her sane and happy for a long time. Fuck, it all comes back to him, huh?

Something wormed through her chest. A gross sense of acceptance and disgust writhing about inside of her. Or at least that's what she told herself. Disgust was quickly replaced with warmth. It was comforting. No, that wasn't happening. She shook her head. It just couldn't. It. Was. Still. Wrong. But she had to do something. At least something for all the time he's spent with her. He deserved it, right? What, the kisses weren't enough? Charli grumbled. She was more familiar with his tongue than ever before. Nothing stopped her from saying no. Except herself, again. Can't get with him, can't refuse him either. You're just a walking conundrum now.

Charli finished up her shower far quicker than she wanted. What was she even going to do today? A phone call interrupted her panic. "Yeah?" Charli said, picking up the phone.

"Hey, Charli!" a giddy voice replied. "So happy to hear your voice again!" That wasn't Judy.

"Hey, Trina, hi." Charli furrowed her brow. "What's up?"

"Just calling in to see if you're gonna stream my battle today!"

Oh shit. "Yeah! Yeah... I will, Trina."

She smacked her lips. "Okaaaaay. Just wondering 'cause you left a little early yesterday!"

"Yeah that was sudden. I just-- You know it's kinda embarrassing to have that happen on stream."

"Don't worry! That was like, hours ago. So no one really cares."

"You sure? I don't think kissing on stream just disappears like that." Charli leaned up against the bathroom counter. "Already seen some nasty stuff about it."

"Gone in a day, believe me." Trina giggled. "But I mean, if you're OK with that, you can stop streaming."

"What?"

"You don't know?" She burst out laughing. "Oh, wow, Charli. You're missing out!"

"What do you mean, Trina?"

"That stuff pays out soooooo much. They go crazy for it."

Charli rolled her eyes. "What stuff, Trina?"

"Well you know, porn-- Not like, official stuff or anything, just home stuff. Just a pic of like, a blowie is enough for rent."

Charli should have been surprised, but after speaking with Judith, she was more annoyed. "You do that with Aegis?"

"Well, duh. I think he's my most popular guy." Trina lowered her voice. "He's got two of them."

Charli shut her eyes and held her tongue. "Alright, Trina. I'm gonna get ready for the event. You just do your best, OK? Let Aegis know I said hi."

"'Kay. Love ya, Charli."

"Yeah, bye."

Everyone did it. Never expected it, but she was the odd one out. Nothing she could do about it, as badly as she wanted to. With Aegis? Really? She shouldn't have ever given him to Trina. Charli deserved him way more than her. God, and for money too.

Charli dressed herself and walked out back into the hall. There was Labrys, waiting off to the side. "No, sorry, no answer for you yet," Charli said instantly. She quickly grabbed something to eat, before heading to her room. She set aside her meal, dug into her closet, and pulled out any old thing. Her reputation was already in the dirt, so no real need to pick. Though if Trina was still popular even while sucking dick, it probably couldn't have been all bad. Hell, she was paid for it too. Charli sat down and glanced at Labrys, who perked up upon seeing her gaze. "Hope today will go well," she said. Labrys walked over to her side and gave an encouraging nod. Charli considered protesting him being so close to her, as bad as that sounded. He didn't need salt on the wound.

Reluctantly, Charli went through her usual routine of setting up a stream. If it weren't for Trina she wouldn't have even bothered. Actually, she shouldn't have even bothered, but a promise was a promise, even if it was to a purple-haired ditz. Microphone, headphones, will to live, streaming site, all a go. Surprisingly, or maybe unsurprisingly, her viewerbase was a little larger than last time. Charli prepared herself for the worst, gave Labrys a nod, and turned on the stream. "Hey, Charlie-Deltas," she said with a wave. "How's it going?" Instantly the little box was flooded with greetings, with only hardly a mention of 'knowing'. She lolled her head to one side. "I know I kinda cut out early yesterday, but hopefully we can make up for it today." She looked at Labrys out of the corner of her eye. He wasn't planning anything.

"Look, Labrys is right here," Charli said. He stepped into view briefly, gave a wave, and stepped out. That prompted more inane comments among the happy ones. Not as terrible as she expected. "Today's event is an actual battle. No pageant contest stuff. Just raw hitting and the elements." She paused. "OK, yeah, the pageant was kinda cool, but can you really compare it to vigorous routines?" She closely read chat. "They spend how long on that?" Charli furrowed her brow. "Damn, OK, still, not as blood pumping, you know?" Blood pumping. Shouldn't have phrased it like that."You can get back to me when you're rocketing the competition across the stadium."

Every so often there would be a simple comment with the word 'kiss' in it. And just like that, that feeling of kissing Labrys came rushing back. How the hell did one word have so much power over her? Charli didn't bother shutting them out. The Internet may have been somewhat alien to her, but she knew that disallowing something only made it prevalent. The last thing she needed was for the chatbox to get flooded with pictures of her taking lizard tongue. "You all remember my buddy Trina, right?" Hardly. She brought up an image of her standing next to her lineup. Of course she just had to have her arm wrapped around Aegis, who was a Kommo-o. Did he really have two of them? "And I hope you all remember Aegis too. You better. He got me through more problems than I can count." She circled her cursor around him. If only she could yank him out of that picture.

"Yeah, Aegis is a dragon-fighting type guy. Dragon claw knocked out every sucker we went up against." Labrys shook her shoulder. "OK, yes, Labrys, you were definitely a star, but c'mon this isn't your battle." He ducked down low and headbutted the air to prove a point. "Alright, your giga impact is cool too." She patted him on the side, much to his smug satisfaction with a wag of the tail. "I wonder how you guys would match up nowadays." Charli knocked on him. "You keeping in shape, buddy?" He huffed, placing his hands on his hips. "Never know when we might hit the field again." Or if she ever could.

The chat wasn't a stranger to Trina's popularity, on the battleground and in the bedroom. A few of the sneaky bastards posted spaced out links to get around the spam filter. They weren't explicitly marked or anything, but Charli instantly knew what they were. How couldn't she? Pokephilia of course. At first, she ignored it, going over every party member that Trina had scrounged up from other people. Then who she was going up against. There was that link again, flying by her peripheral vision. Charli went over moves and typing. - There it goes. Trina sucking off an old friend of yours. - Type matchups. - I bet she swallows too. - The stadium terrain. - Two of them. C'mon. - History of the field. - They probably do it too.

Charli quietly snapped and copied the link, opening it up in a new window she made sure was off the recording. There it was, in a scummy hosting site. That purple haired bitch getting a facial, breasts out. Those were definitely fake. No way they were that big when they went out to train. Probably paid for with the cash made from this crap. Charli scrolled through mindlessly. Occasionally she would mutter some random tidbit about the match to make it seem like she wasn't indulging in pornography. Unfortunately, her mind didn't register Labrys standing right next to her, also eating up every image that scrolled by. How dumb are you? Too late to go back now, right? The damage was done, and morbid curiousity kept her scrolling on.

It seemed like every image just got worse and worse. Aegis's face was always completely out of frame, focusing solely on Trina's less than ladylike expressions as she jerked off the cocks in front of her. Then it turned into full-on penetration. Slowly at first. Teasing with a shot of a dick resting on her thigh, then agonizingly close to her folds. A head pressed against her entrance. Then it was in by the next image. Of course, Trina wasn't done there. No, of course she wasn't, she just had to one up herself like she always did. The next shot was of her bent over, each of Aegis's erections lodged in one of her holes, a shocked expression plastered across her face. Yeah, like you don't do that every day. Probably stretched out wider than a goddamned Cloyster.

Labrys's mouth was slightly open, head tilted and eyes narrowed. Shocked, surprisingly. Charli half expected him to be more riled up than ever, but it made sense. He and Aegis were good friends too, so watching him fuck a stranger was probably more bizarre. After much staring, Labrys eventually walked off, and Charli closed the window. She stifled a sigh. "I'm not sure what the opponent is doing not bringing a dragon. Not even a psychic type. You ask me, this is over before it starts," she said. The match was about to start.

The match wasn't the biggest thing ever, but Charli still felt that pang of jealousy the second Trina stepped out onto the field to raucous applause. Panging turned to stabbing as Aegis sidled up alongside her. It didn't help that he was the only one out of his ball, like he was her favorite. Trina looked properly serious about the match, which conflicted horribly with her purple hair and no doubt semen soaked skin. The battle began and went by in a flash. Charli would occasionally 'ooh' and 'ahh' along with some snide remarks, though her mind was completely elsewhere at the time. She silenced any possible anger by munching away at her meal. Labrys peeked in after some time too. As expected, Trina won handily. Charli wasn't sure if it was skill or Aegis being used as a crutch. Still, it was good to see that Aegis could continue doing what he was good at.

"Look, what'd I say?" Charli exaggerated a shrug. The chatbox filled with little pictures of shields, filling Charli up with a smug joy. "Dragons are just top tier. Now, the other guy could've exploited dual typing, but I guess he was just hoping raw force'd take care of it." That was her victory, really. Trina wouldn't have gotten that far without her. "Make sure to cheer Aegis on in the next battle, or I'll know." She mimed a gun and fired at the camera. "Alright, comment time." Charli somewhat rushed through these. She could already see the heaps of sexual jokes directed at Trina, and some at herself. Money was money, at least.

"And that's all! Thanks Charlie-Deltas. See you next time!" Charli waved both of her hands, and Labrys joined in too. Click. Just like that, it was over. "Better than expected," Charli said to herself, rubbing her neck. Labrys nodded and proudly patted her on the back. She stared at the screen for a while longer. Those images still tumbled around in her thoughts. Without a second thought, Charli picked up her phone, went through her call history, and called back Trina. The line picked up. "Hey, Trina, how's it going?" Charli blurted out.

"Great! Great! You saw me win, right? Was I good? I spent like an hour making sure my hair was bright for the cameras."

"Yeah, yeah, I could definitely spot you from space. Good work." She tapped on the desk. "Hey, you mind if you put Aegis on the phone for a second?"

"Oh! Yeah, sure, he's in the car with me. Here." There was a gravelly bark.