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riseofamoonycake · 11 months

Note

Ciao Luna! Can I request something NSFW for Rudra x fem!Reader x Shiva? 👀

It took forever but I wanted to do my best for this request and the characters involved. How could it be otherwise? So, here is something that I hope you will love as much as I did. I cried for a long time while writing, I put my whole heart into it.

Desert Dance

🔶Pairing: Shiva x Female!reader x Rudra

🔶Warnings: mention of restraints, nudity, violence, angst

🔶

«More than the sun, there is always the moon in our path. What do you say, Shiva?»

Following Rudra’s words, the God of Destruction interrupts his march and looks up to meet the silver hook hanging from the completely black vault: a jewel set in the dark cloth of the sky, cleaned of the stains of the clouds and also free of the glitter of the stars, intense in its depth, soft as silk. The wind barely blows, a sigh that crosses the huge expanse of sand under the feet of both and seems to lead forward, towards the shadow of the dunes that stirs in the darkness and calls to itself with a rustling, enchanting voice. The desert has just begun, and its body is already enveloping them in a deep embrace.

«Well… I’m saying we probably don’t have the slightest idea where we are. For the fourth time since the beginning of the journey.» At this statement, both deities smile in the dark, not at all worried about it or agitated: there is no hurry, because there is no real goal to reach.

All the time in the world is enclosed in their hands now.

🔶

More than the sun, there is always the moon in our path.

How many days, how many centuries have passed since he last heard that sentence before tonight? Shiva would never be able to count them, yet he keeps every memory of that time like a treasure: immersed in the continuous flow of moments and sensations, the god sees himself as if in front of a lake with a placid surface, under which all the past stirs and flickers, and he never let it go ― least of all now that Rudra is back, and is by his side, still smiling at him.

The moon in our path. Who had said it first, during one of the many nights in which neither of them was able to rest and then the journey continued, in words, in laughter, in counting the stars which, invariably, managed to escape them and hid behind the silent Svarga? Who spoke up to make it known that no matter which way the sky turned, a light would always be above their head and shine even if they didn’t notice it… continuing to do so for both of them despite the fact that, perhaps, one day, something would happen and, after the storm, they would no longer be the same as before, nor side by side? It is not easy to go back so far: no power, no royalty, not even pride can fill certain silences or returns. You can wait for them for years, indefinitely, and in any case they will come unexpected, stronger than surrender, more destructive than stubbornness and resignation; and as much as Shiva is really trying, the words he has in his throat since he saw the Lord of Storms in front of him just don’t want to come out, as if, despite the passing of millennia, it was not yet the right time...

As if they couldn’t walk together again even if they wanted to, despite their efforts.

«Rudra…»

At that little more than a whisper, the tattooed face of the deity turns in the direction of Shiva and a pair of elongated eyes peers at him in the darkness, he realizes this despite the gaze being fixed on his four hands: completely regrown hands and arms, thanks to the healing received after the Fifth Fight of the Ragnarok, but to be honest completely new; the fingers crossed by symbols and signs seem so different from those that centuries before were loaded with promises, hopes and melancholy… these fingers have not yet had the courage to embrace the friend of an entire existence. «Let’s stop here for tonight», the God of Destruction continues at the end, his voice even deeper than usual and his tone slightly tired, «even if we can see in the dark, as soon as the sun rises we will have a better chance of understanding where we are going.»

«… Don’t tell me you already regret your choice, Chief!»

The companion’s voice is clear as a bell in the silence of the place and contains sprouts of joy, and despite everything Shiva can only smile when hearing it. «To be honest, after all the walking you’ve been making me do the thought can arise; but unfortunately for you I am not going to give up, not after you almost begged me to accompany you on your wanderings.» The god stiffens one instant as he hears Rudra’s footsteps approaching him, and the next moment a warm hand rests on his shoulder, holding him in place gently but firmly. «And you don’t know how glad I am that you accepted, Shiva», Rudra replies, before a second hand pulls his companion down, to push him to sit on the wind-cooled sand, soft and inviting.

So you too missed those moments…, thinks the head of the Hindu Pantheon with an instinctive feeling, obeying his friend’s request and sitting cross-legged in the heart of the desert, among the dunes that never stop. On another occasion he would have danced with them without a moment’s thought, following and chasing them in their coming and going; but this time he doesn’t feel like it. And it is been since the Fifth Fight that he hasn’t moved a dance step, just as he hasn’t been able to make a proper speech with the person to whom he owes everything, despite the fact that they have been on a journey for almost two weeks towards nowhere and everything, and have had more than one occasion to speak; despite having agreed to follow Rudra as soon as he asked, on the threshold of the infirmary from which he had just been discharged, even before realizing that his friend’s presence had not, after all, been just a nice dream.

Beside him, the Storm God remains silent and closes his eyes to the darkness. Everyone realizes that he would like to say something: Shiva, the desert itself, everything that surrounds them suddenly quiets down as if to entice him to speak; yet, not a word leaves the lips of the god.. It’s not time. «Tonight there are no stars… but before reaching the Arena to come and watch my best friend’s battle, I contemplated the most beautiful starry sky I’ve ever had the opportunity to see. And to think that they are the stars that shone upon us when we were only two divinities that no one knew…»

But we too, perhaps and deep down, have remained the same. You came back. Shiva isn’t sure if he really said it or if even these words got stuck in his mind, but he watches Rudra shake and stare at him, and that means yes, something escaped his mouth. But to be honest, what to say? What to regret, what to blame? If for millennia everything has remained silent, why bring it to light now and why feel the emptiness in the heart still echoing even after that important return? What is not working? You are afraid, Shiva. Now that he’s here with you, you fear losing him again. You’re not enjoying his warmth at all, because you fear he’s not real… and that he’s not for you.

«Damn…», Rudra continues, his tone suddenly sharpening, «I promised to take you to see the world I saw… and look here.»

«Well, neither of us is in a hurry. Don’t worry, everyone gets it wrong, even the ever-perfect Rudra.» Thanks to the foothold that his companion has offered him, the God of Destruction recovers energetically and removes from himself the bites of the senseless bitterness that is torturing him mercilessly. His tone becomes more mischievous and cheerful as soon as he decides to react without letting himself be devoured by tonight’s thoughts: he has had enough of them and deep inside he is afraid, afraid, so he punches his friend’s shoulder lightly and giggles. «For once, I’m not the one who failed at something…»

«And yet I know the way ahead, and I can’t understand why we ended up here… it shouldn’t even have been there, this desert.»

«Relax for a moment, I’m not really blaming you! Come on, take off that pout, I would see it even if I were completely blind», Shiva snaps up, raising his voice a little, then crouching down and leaping on the God of Storms and starting to tease his sides and belly, «and beyond everything, you know that one cannot be sad and thoughtful in my presence⁓»

«Shiva! But does it seem to you-» Among cries and laughter, Rudra manages to save himself from the hands of the other, but only to throw himself on him with the intention of responding blow by blow to the affronts perpetrated against him; and suddenly the thoughts of before seem so far, left behind with the sand slipping away under their feet as they start running after each other, oblivious to the fact that they have nowhere to go at all: two young gods who have always remained so, while everything, around them, has changed.

Who knows, who knows what the truth is.

Unbeknownst to them, the desert silently observes and drinks in all their sensations and words, every step further, every whisper towards its heart; holds back the many, heavy traces they leave behind and passes them on to you, who until now have waited without making a sound, wrapped in darkness like a pulsating shroud and completely invisible to the eyes of both, despite the short distance between them and you; and you chase them, silently gliding alongside them. Before he can even imagine it, Shiva almost brushes you with a hand as he hurtles past you; and you sink in your dark veils, one more moment, just one more moment…

«Come on, Chief! Are you tired yet?» Rudra’s voice is melodious like that of a siren and Shiva follows it without delay, intoxicated by the sound of those laughters; and does not notice the void that suddenly opens up in front of him and his companion, which swallows the latter’s surprised scream and make them roll down a dune higher than the others, along its soft and deceptive side, straight on to cooler sand.

For a few moments silence reigns everywhere and the stars manage to cast an eye on the world, before disappearing again into the darkness; then, Shiva’s laments are heard: «Ouch, this was hard… hey, Rudra! Are you ok? Rudra, answer!» The god looks for his friend with two hands, while with the others he tries to orient himself: the roll has upset him and his head continues to spin, leaving him confused, while his mouth repeatedly spits sand. Rudra’s cough a short distance from him heartens him, then the God of Storms takes a breath with difficulty and, who knows how, even manages to laugh while looking at the black sky belly up. «Don’t worry, I’m fine, I’m here», he murmurs before turning onto his stomach, getting on all fours and approaching Shiva. Clinging to each other, the two calmly get up and, apart from a few small bruises that resound deeply and mark the legs and the side, check that they have not brought back any other gift from the fall; but this is only the beginning, and they don’t know it.

You, you know.

«Come on, let’s see if we can go on at least a little― uh? But… is it day yet?»

Gazing straight ahead, Rudra is the first to notice the subtle glow that has suddenly appeared on the horizon, setting it on fire along its entire length, to then shiver and lower his head to cover his eyes from the sand: the wind has become more violent and, now, between one gust and another, it also brings with it a slight noise… a sound, a music. Somewhere near them, someone is singing.

Now it is Shiva who raises his face, the attention aroused by what is becoming an ever stronger rhythm: drums and flutes take turns and blend in a melody that has no equal, sinuous like a snake and bewitching like the promises exchanged in the heart of the night, and are accompanied by the most sensual and warm voice that the god has ever heard. In the meantime, the light is getting closer and closer, spreading out like a brushstroke of orange that cuts through and cancels out the total black. Rudra is right: the day is rising from the body of the dunes, the whole desert now dances around both of them more and more clearly… but this shouldn’t be. And as much as they are fascinated by the melody, the deities perceive that something strange is happening and are alert, almost instinctively placing themselves back to back.

Staring at them without them being able to do the same, you smile expertly and close your eyes under the protection of your veils, gathering all the light around you like a sun: because you are the sun in this world.

And after a last moment of immobility you finally appear.

Shiva widens his eyes and remains petrified with surprise when he sees one of the dunes flaking like a pile of feathers in a storm and you appear, throwing part of your veils around and letting the light flow in every corner, whirling with supreme mastery and dictating the movement to the desert; Rudra, on the other hand, frowns and takes a step back, immediately feeling the shivers of danger run down his back, his heart racing and large drops of sweat wetting his face as he tries to move his gaze from your body, from what of the face can be glimpsed under the clothes and fabrics that almost completely hide you. Who are you to give him such a feeling? Who are you and what do you want, what are you looking for from them? «Shiva…», he tries to murmur, reaching out with difficulty a hand and resting it lightly on his friend’s shoulder, «Shiva, it’s not good at all… we have to leave. Run.»

The God of Destruction doesn’t listen, because he can’t hear anything anymore: your song has wrapped him up, your dance is bending him, all his energy is in your hand. You won him.

«Shiva…», Rudra repeats, also feeling his own strength decrease as he looks at you: shadows and white waves enter his vision, his head begins to wobble and the body no longer responds to the mind. Slower than with Shiva but steadily, with every twist you make and whirlwind you create you rob the God of Storms of the ability to escape. Your feet, hips and belly play with the sun: the fireball follows every sway and shape that your legs and arms make, then glides gently over you when, with extreme slowness and cruelty and always turning on yourself, you begin to take off the last layers of clothing that cover you and a tornado of colors blends with the wind, making your body even more graceful.

«Rudra, look at her… please, look at her.»

The Lord of the Storms feels despair invading him and penetrating deeper and deeper as he listens to Shiva’s voice getting weaker and yours louder, and there’s no point in trying to close his eyes: by now he can see almost nothing, only shadows and waves, shadows and waves.

«Please take a good look at her. Rudra, she has… she has…»

Eight Arms. You, the Sun Dancer, the beautiful girl treasured by the desert until a few minutes before, have just shed all your clothes and, in addition to total nudity, have revealed your secret to the divinities: eight arms, which are arranged around to your figure like the rays of the daytime star and each one moves in a different direction, calling all the dunes to herself and keeping them at bay. Now you could throw the whole desert at them, and they would choke without lifting a finger in defense: but that is not what you want, oh no, many other projects await both. The golden tattoos that cover your face and chest move with every smile you make, your eyes shine brightly, more and more: from instant to instant, the music and singing increase in intensity, until they become terrible and reach the limit of endurance.

With a final roll of drums, now devoid of all resistance and energy, the gods lose consciousness and collapse on the dunes without a cry, two broken dolls in your power; at that point, you stop and the desert calms down in turn, becoming only a rustle similar to a sigh.

You approach the two and bend down just to take a good look at them and move away from them the light sand that has covered them, then you caress their faces and your smile gets wider, until it becomes a crazy grin.

Now the fun begins.

🔶

The first to wake up, after hours of unconsciousness and deep cold, is Rudra. One by one the shadows that enveloped him unravel and, as he regains his senses and thoughts take shape, his eyes linger on the reality he sees before him, one fragment at a time.

The temple in which he is, if such it is, is small, but elegant and full of light: arches and openings follow each other in rapid succession, so much so that it looks like a structure composed only of elegantly juxtaposed windows, and the robust walls are painted with the colors of the sun: shades of orange, ochre, gold and a gentle red, which lack the violence of blood, blend together or emerge from the solid color to create intricate lines that chase each other from the ceiling to the floor and here they mix to create flowers with splendid petals, radiant suns, waves and discs with jagged or lanceolate edges, which somehow recall the peaceful mandalas. From the openings the rustling desert with its dancing dunes looks out, but not a grain of sand penetrates inside: it is truly a sacred place, accessed only by those accepted by the divinity or brought here by it. A place purified of worldly forces, yes… and yet, Rudra realizes as he peers into every corner and frowns, not benevolent at all. Although painted in reassuring and pleasant colors, the walls exude menace and danger, as if invisible snakes were crawling on them, hissing and ready to strike at the first movement; instead, from the floor rises such a boil that makes impossible to place the soles of the feet on it, while on closer inspection the drawings seem to ooze and drip a crimson liquid. Whatever happened in this place, Death has seen it and repeatedly been invited to enter.

Shiva. Shiva… where is he? Where am I?

Completely freed from the veils of sleep, the thought hits him like a slap in the face and makes his eyes widen; instinctively, the God of Storm lunges forward… but doesn’t move an inch. This is how he realizes that he is not free to move: the wrists of all four hands and the ankles are well tied to the chair he is sitting on, and he cannot see it because his head is also blocked, so that the eyes can only wander ahead. The second thought makes him realize that he is completely naked; the third, that he is not alone at all.

«Oh, good morning!»

As if having evoked it, one of the openings of the temple is occupied by a dark shadow, which stops for an instant in perfect immobility; then it jumps and assumes a certain figure, and you land in front of the god with a light and measured thud, to then get up and bow elegantly in front of him with a dance step, and finally resume the upright posture. «What a surprise! I was sure the other prince would wake up first… well, never mind, welcome back to me.»

Rudra stares at you without saying a word, he couldn’t even if he wanted to, and swallows hard as his breathing quickens. His feline eyes are darkened with a growing anger, the whole situation irritates him so much that anyone in their right mind would stay away from him; but, although you may not be considered crazy, only very hungry, you still cannot let him go… and furthermore, however much he does, the deity is powerless within these walls. But you can always do something for him.

«Wait, let’s at least remove this… is it better this way? Something hurts?» Your hands are delicate as they free Rudra from the bonds that bind his head and mouth, and you are quick to retract and jump back as he lunges forward again with his full face and chest. «Where is Shiva?», he roars in a terrible tone, roaring like thunder and full of menace, to then look around and calm down a little in noticing the sleeping body of his friend a short distance from him and in his own conditions, including restraints and nudity, «indeed, where are we?»

«In my opinion, this is not the most important question, considering the state you are in. Let’s see if we can find it together», you reply with apparent and unperturbed calm, approaching again and, under his burning gaze, caressing and testing his shoulders, arms and upper chest with all your hands while a slight blush covers your cheeks and eyes fill with an excited gleam. «You are both so handsome, and young… and manly… and you have four arms! Isn’t it cute? I have eight!», you exclaim, moving a hand under his chin and scratching it lightly, forcing him to throw his head back as a low growl leaves his lips and he tries in vain to escape your fingers, «and with them I can make you anything I want⁓ or that you desire!»

The god doesn’t answer, but inside himself the questions add up one after the other, bottled up in his throat while the tension stiffens his body: who are you, where are we, why did you do and are you doing all this? Is someone forcing you? The words just emerged in the mind that a shiver shakes the air, as if something, someone, impalpable and invisible but present had shaken in perceiving it; and a slight grin appears on Rudra’s face as soon as he notices it. «It’s not just the three of us here… is it, my lady? Someone else is here to enjoy what will happen…»

You stop all the caresses for a moment, eyes widening in surprise, then a twinkle to Rudra’s grimace appears on your face and is followed by a laugh. Chaos and turmoil bubble up within you, but not a drop of it escapes from your body. «And if so, heartthrob? Everything will depend on you, on how you react to what I do.»

«Hmmm…» Rudra’s tone becomes lower as he peers at you without letting go of the grin, and you grin as your hands start brushing and probing him again, and you feel his breathing pick up little by little as he purses his lips. Your fingertips are as hot as the desert sun, they burn like torches and cause the most varied but always intense sensations; for some time you watch with interest every change of expression in the god’s face, tensing yours and blowing your breath against his lips. «What do you say, can we start getting to know each other a little more?», you murmur, patiently waiting for his words before going down his body and exploring him well.

«My, my… are you so needy of my flesh? Can you not control yourself a little bit?», it is the god’s replies while he is the one who stares at your every expression, this time, and laughs with slight scorn, «come on, let’s talk again, before you devour me… and why not dance a little? Or were those beautiful movements just an illusion, left behind along with your clothes?»

What you hide inside you stirs and moves with greater force, and you feel a violent shiver as you frown and you don’t know how to respond immediately to Rudra’s light but unsettling teasing; You wet your lips, suddenly uncomfortable and caught off guard, then breathe hard. «Whatever you want, I―»

«Naaaah, Rudra, how ruthless you are! Look, you made her feel bad! Don’t listen to him, dear… talk to me instead.»

Both you and the God of Storms turn to meet Shiva’s smiling face staring back at you, eyes narrowed and a strong heat coming from his skin, as intense as that rising from the floor. With dismay, you realize that he is moving his head freely: how did he free it from the chains? Did he melt them?

The God of Destruction follows your concerned gaze and smiles more when he sees you checking that his wrists and ankles are tied, then looks at his own nakedness and yours, snorting. «If you had asked me, I would have undressed by myself… or rather, you could have done it, but with me conscious. But I had to wake up like this, naked and tied up without my consent.»

«It seems clear to me that you aren’t in control, here», you murmur, approaching Shiva and standing before him with ostentatious assurance, «and don’t worry too much, these chains have held stronger men than you; don’t waste your strength.»

«Oh…and what is all my energy supposed to be for, then? Hmm?»

Look at these two, they really like making fun of you. These filthy men, these offerings have the audacity to flout you... And you allow them to? Now it is you who is irritated, and also intimidated and confused: things don’t go as they should, because neither of them is afraid and they even find time to look down on you, not to mention the menacing aura that emanates from their bodies and the way they stare at you. Who are they to attempt such resistance? Before, when you caught them, they weren’t so ready to fight...

You have to react. You have to take matters into your own hands, be cruel and ruthless. «I think you can guess it, prince», you murmur then, unleashing a winking grimace the immediately following instant, more to give grit to yourself than for anything else.

«Shiva», Rudra calls, his tone firm and peremptory: an invitation to caution, not to fall into any traps. But the other doesn’t listen, preferring to keep their attention completely focused on you and completely attracting yours. «Yeah, I think I guessed it right… but why don’t you come closer? Don’t be shy, I won’t eat you.»

Initially you don’t move a step: not as Shiva’s eyes observe you, now wide open, and the shadow that has descended on his face promises you everything except what you had in mind for him. Then, from within you comes the push you expected, and you find yourself forced to advance towards the throne to which you have tied him and climb into his lap, your gaze trapped by his and your lips trembling with tension and hatred. He can’t dare so much… he can’t…

The god looks at you without saying a word, studying you for a moment, and stretches his face towards yours kissing you gently on the mouth, then bites it with his teeth as soon as you deepen the contact; after this, he slowly moves backwards, forcing you to follow his movements to ensure that the lips are not torn and to lean your body on his. Two of the hands involuntarily touch Shiva's and, despite the chains, he manages to close his fingers around your wrists and squeeze them with an iron grip, while the others press against his chest or on the back of the throne, on the sides of his head, and sink into the hair. After a few moments, the god loosens his grip only to give you a sweeter kiss, launching himself into a long round of dance with your tongue, to then escape and attack your neck by repeatedly sinking his teeth into it, biting and sucking, licking the soft skin and every mark he leaves on it; and you both feel his intimacy harden and poke yours, but he doesn’t proceed and you do nothing to entice him to. In fact, as if transformed into a statue, you can’t do anything except sigh loudly: the more you feel his red-hot skin under your hands, much hotter than your fingers, the more you want to escape; and his golden eyes worry you, because they dig inside you and follow all the movements of your face and every sob that leaves your lips, putting you to test. «But how, just a moment before you seemed so resolute and determined to dominate me… what happened? Aren’t you feeling good?»

Taking advantage of the little break he has granted you, you squint to have a chance to keep him at bay and command him, to delude yourself that you can do it, and grit your teeth tightly so as not to reveal what you feel. It was a mistake to capture him and the other, the thought opens up in your mind like a cursed flower and poisons your breath; and even more wrong, you let yourself be led where they wanted, falling into one trap after another. Now you must try to fight with everything you have, and do it well; and hope that, afterwards, a punishment does not follow.

And that, in the meantime, the fire you feel around you doesn’t eat you to the bone.

🔶

Shiva is proud, sometimes even arrogant, and has great confidence in his abilities; but everyone knows that he is a kind and spontaneous god, more attentive to others than he seems, and that he would never force someone to do what is not wanted. He hates abuse… while he absolutely cannot hate the abused, nor turn a blind eye if he meets one.

So, after kissing you and feeling reluctance and fear arise in you, changing or revealing your true idea, he stops and listens attentively to your hoarse breathing, stares at your trembling body and confirms what Rudra also thought and said: you are not in you. Something, someone, is playing with you and forcing you to do what you don’t want, upsetting your mind and speaking, acting, for you. He understood it right away: since you arrived in the temple and he woke up but, pretending to be asleep, he observed your behavior; he noticed it in the different, contradictory emotions that alternated on your face while you tormented Rudra and in the vibration of the air behind you, where was the entity that is making you move: probably the one to which the structure was raised, the hostile force that his eyes seek inside and outside of you. You are completely different from the creature that enchanted him in the desert, you probably never were; if only the real culprit were to reveal himself openly, and face him…

«Shiva», Rudra calls him a second time; now, the God of Destruction turns in his direction and the two stare at each other, exchanging information without saying a word, and then Shiva looks at you again and leans his face towards yours, bringing his mouth close to your ear. «What’s wrong, little flower? Tell me, go on…» Silently he observes the tremors that shake you and how you dig your nails into his chest, and the gusts of air behind you; he sighs because there is only one way to free yourself from your cage, then he closes his eyes and apologizes to you with thoughts and words: «Forgive me, this will hurt. But it will help, I promise.»

You scream in pain when his teeth bite into your throat again, and even more when his fingers interlock yours and start squeezing them with all the strength he has, as the heat of his skin rises and you start to burn. The other hands can’t get off his chest and they too burn as if they had been placed on the living flame, the torture is unbearable and you wriggle like a possessed while you scream and cry, unable to formulate a single word; but all this lasts a very short time, because Shiva wants neither your death nor to drive you insane, so suddenly he lets go of your wrists and throat and you fall down from his lap.

The floor cools as soon as your body touches it: the heat rising from it disappears and you rest your palms against it, seeking relief from the excruciating pain as you sob terribly, curling up completely while a kind of retching reaches your mouth and, immediately after, a deep sigh escapes your lips; out of the corner of your eye you see movements around you, like a whirlpool, but you are too exhausted to pay attention to them.

«Finally!» Through the half-closed eyelids, you can’t help but notice Shiva stand up and what remains of the chains fall to the ground: you were right, the heat emanating from his skin has melted those that held his head and the rise in temperature did the same with the others, despite the curses that made them strong as diamond. The fire purified them too.

As upset as you are, the vortex moves, flees out of the temple and throws itself into the desert, abandoning you to your fate; only you are missing to punish. «No…», you plead as you watch Shiva release Rudra and notice every look and nod they exchange, then turn their attention back to you, «no… stop…» You want to scream again and shed all the tears you have as you try to drag you away from them, out of that cursed place, at the cost of skinning your stomach and hands; but the shadow of the gods is already upon you, hands are stretched out to seize you and you close your eyes, preparing yourself for a wave of pain so atrocious it will break you in two, and―

«Everything is fine; calm down, we don’t want to hurt you.» Rudra is as delicate and gentle as possible as he caresses your shoulders and belly, waiting for you to calm down and stop wriggling and then lifting you off the ground to hug you. You hide your hands against your chest and release the last few sobs as you look up at him and Shiva: you feel somehow lighter, with a huge emptiness in your belly and a sense of estrangement in your mind, as if you had been asleep for years, or in any case without full control of yourself; and you are not afraid when the God of Destruction strokes your forehead and hair, and gently lifts your face to meet your (e/c) eyes. «Yes, now I can really see you, pretty girl…»

You don’t reply in any way, preferring to let your gaze do the talking: you get lost and find yourself in the warm gold of Shiva’s eyes, you cling to the smile with which he welcomes you and barely whisper when he gently takes your hands to lightly kiss their backs and palms, not feeling the boil that almost killed you earlier. Your heart only accelerates when he detaches himself from you, gives you one last pat on the head and his mouth speaks, and you can’t hold back a sob.

«Rudra, stay with her and take care of her wounds. And if she wants to answer you, ask her how we can get out of here. I’ll be back soon.»

Both you and the God of Storms widen your eyes in surprise, then Rudra shadows his gaze and you feel his skin vibrate. «Shiva… be careful, we don’t know his powers yet. Don’t rush.»

The latter has already passed you and is heading towards the nearest opening to face the desert; when he turns around, the most resolute and serious expression you have ever seen dances on his face. «If I don’t deal with that thing and destroy it, it will come back for our new friend. It won’t give her peace, when I think she’s had enough of being a puppet, hasn’t you, pretty girl?» A pause, the time to smile at Rudra and give him a nod full of meanings, understanding, and promises. «And you… don’t run away, we have a journey to continue. I told you, I’ll be back soon; you leave me no other choice.»

You shake your head, at a loss for words, then swallow and try to answer: «He’s a god, he’s not like us humans… he’s not easy to defeat…»

For a few moments, stillness and silence fall over all of you like a veil; then both deities burst out laughing loudly, and in front of your drawn expression Shiva completely lights up, filling himself with enthusiasm. «Am I going to collide with a god? Awesome! It will be a beautiful fight, then, and I won’t have to hold back at all!»

You freeze and frown, not at all sure you have got it right. How does he rejoice at such news? Why? «What are you saying? He no longer holds me in his power and he won’t be able to enchant you, but he has other weapons, he is dangerous! Do not go―»

The last thing you see of Shiva is his arm raised in greeting: he proceeds further and further without listening to you, a confident grin as a shield, and in the end the desert welcomes him in its sands, swallowing him up and making him disappear from your gaze.

You sink into Rudra’s arms, trembling with nervousness and fear, as you shake your head and a deep pallor covers you. «I’m sorry, I’m really sorry…it’s all my fault. We will never see him again.»

«I wouldn’t be so sure.» In front of your questioning gaze, Rudra takes a deep breath, his gaze fixed on the spot where Shiva has disappeared. «Only he can do it now… and he will. For now we can only wait; and you and I have a lot to talk about.»

You nod automatically like a child who hasn’t really understood what is being asked, then you press yourself closer against his chest and close your eyes. Beneath the flesh you feel the god’s heart beating quietly, a rhythmic and soothing sound, and you rub your cheek against the skin as if to seek shelter within it. «I have to trust you, then», you murmur with slight apprehension, not entirely convinced but hopeful nonetheless, «there’s nothing else I can do, after all.»

🔶

«So, tell me if I’ve understood correctly… today I faced a malevolent desert deity whose only hobby was to ensnare girls with promises of love, all in order to enslave them with curses and pacts and force them to obey him. He continually needed the life energies of other deities and humans and so used his captives as bait, enchanting their song and dance, and caused their victims to drag themselves into this temple, where…»

“… Where they were practically drained of all energy by being ridden and imprisoned here until they died. Furthermore, the desert was an emanation of the god: it never existed in a stable place, it appeared where he felt the presence of souls and anyone could get lost in it.»

«And that is why you, Rudra, did not remember meeting it before, even though you had already walked the path that brought us here. But the real victims have always been the girls he exploited, possessed by his power. You, Y/N, were the latest in a long line of unlucky girls.»

«But now, since you’ve eliminated the problem, she can make a new life for herself. And you forgot to mention that the eight arms were not given to her by the god, but that she was born with them.»

«Seriously, Rudra?! I was getting there!»

You smile at such a quick but quite effective summary of your story and how you came to meet the two gods before you, then burst out laughing at their bickering. Your eyes have been weeping for hours: you never stopped crying for all the time you told Rudra everything he wanted, while the latter wrapped you in his cloak, took care of your burns and bandaged them; to then continue and even double the tears when, after a time that seemed infinite, Shiva returned to you, covered from head to foot in sand and fluids of all kinds, one cheek marked by a shallow cut and his proud, triumphant expression to light his face… and you can’t stop even now, as you watch the two and listen to them relate like the old friends they are, and along with that you can’t help but smile. How long has it been since you laughed like this and didn’t feel like this... like you.

«And now?»

Before answering, all three of you cast a glance out of the temple in which you have remained, at the desert which is slowly receding and vanishing as if it had always been an illusion; the structure has lost none of its light, but the menacing aura is completely gone, annihilated together with its creator, and by now it has become a place without protection and purpose. «And now… now I think it’s time for me to go home, to my city. Let’s see if I can find the road that leads to it again…», you finally answer, squeezing yourself thoughtfully in your arms and bowing your head. It almost seems like a dream to be able to say it with such tranquility and really believe it: home… who loved you will be remembering you? Will everything be like before? It has been years since you fell into the trap of divinity and disappeared; how many you can’t count, but enough to bring sadness and homesickness.

«Unless Rudra and I bring you to justice to be punished for your crimes!»

You chuckle at Shiva’s obvious teasing and shake your head. «Then you two must punish me, because since I became that bastard’s doll, you’ve been the first wanderers I’ve enchanted. A short career, mine!»

Rudra and Shiva look at each other, so they both smile. «What an honor», they murmur to one voice, then the God of Destruction clears his throat, «And I suppose your dancing skills were also from that god…»

At these words your gaze becomes sharper, and now it is your turn to show a grimace of pride and puff out your chest in defiance. «Absolutely not! Only singing, yes; but I’ve always been very good at dancing, one of the best in the city. Do you want to see?»

Shiva closes his eyes, his gaze full of feline seduction and his chin lifted, and intertwines two of his hands behind his head, while crossing his other arms on his chest. «You couldn’t make me happier, little flower. Go.»

If it is a provocation, you accept it; if it is another trap, you fall into it, because you know that what you have suffered up to now is gone and won’t come back, that if they ask you for something it will be very different ― and you will accept it willingly. You obey the god’s request without wasting time: your feet begin to move by themselves and soon drag you into a free and at the same time elegant, controlled and refined dance, a prayer, a hymn for the person who most needs it: yourself, who finally returns to being, to exist. And you close your eyes, following the music you hear in your mind, and let yourself be carried away by your sensations; if you stop, if you advance, if you swirl or stand on tiptoe it is because you want it and you choose it, no one else guides you and imposes anything on you, now there is no hand that keeps you imprisoned. Slowly, every part of you will convince itself not to be afraid anymore, and meanwhile you can start from here, one step after another.

Contemplating you in pure rapture, moved by your high skills, Shiva leans towards Rudra without taking his eyes off you, then gives him a gentle nudge. «Look at her… isn’t she just gorgeous? She’s the most beautiful creature I’ve seen in years. And she also has eight arms!»

«Not as beautiful as me, though», the God of Storms replies jokingly, and they both can’t help but burst out laughing. After that, Shiva remains silent for a while, then his gaze softens and he turns it totally to his friend, because this moment is just for the two of them. It is the right time. «You know, Rudra, I thought it wasn’t so easy to fill millennia of emptiness and melancholy in a short time... and I still believe it in part. Yet these days with you are testing that conviction.» A pause; finally, the words flow clear and fast, and with the right depth. «The truth is that I never wanted to leave you, even if I understood and respected your wishes and let you go, because it was what you wanted and it made you happy. But now that you are here, that you’ve returned, how can I not allow myself a little selfishness, and try to hold you back for a moment? Forgive me… but I would like you to stay with me, now, and for a long time.»

Rudra narrows his elongated eyes and smiles affectionately, then two of his arms tighten around Shiva’s shoulders and the god rests his forehead against his friend’s, gaze to gaze. «Perhaps you forget that it was I who asked you to follow me… I guess it’s me truly holding you back. And even if now you have your duties, royalty and power, and I have decided to get to know as much as possible what surrounds me… I confirm that the world is better, when seen in two ― when seen together with you. As long as you don’t throw yourself into dangerous and unknown undertakings by yourself, like today... why didn’t you let me come with you? We could have fought the enemy together, I too had my reasons for putting him in his place.»

Shiva does not resent his friend’s tone, now slightly bitter and full of reproach, and once again turns his gaze to you and to your happy, serene face, radiant with light and free from all thoughts. «I did it for her», she then replies with sincerity and honesty, «so that she was completely free. If something had happened to me, if I had failed, you would have known and saved her in time: I left her to you because you are the one who would have protected and given her an escape route. I wasn’t sure I could make it, and she and you had to be safe; that’s why I wanted to face that god alone… entrusting Y/N to you, I went into battle with the certainty that at least one of us would be saved, and therefore I had no thought to worry and nothing to fear.»

Rudra listens with a surprised expression, then his face relaxes and his eyes light up. «You would never have talked like that about a human being, before the Ragnarok», he whispers admiringly, and then looks at you in turn, «but this is only a change that makes you better. And for her… all right, for once I accept that I was set aside, for Y/N.»

«But you’ll never be set aside, you know that!»

The God of Storms first laughs with a slight mockery, then he is the first to give his friend a tight hug. «I really missed you, hothead. Now I really want to see how you will get rid of me», he exclaims, and Shiva does not answer immediately, because he lets a tear furrow his cheeks and it reveals his heart; then all four arms reach out and hold Rudra in a very strong embrace, the fingers sink into his back and cling to it, and inside him another part of himself finds peace. «And whoever wants to get rid of you… you never leave me any choice but to stay by your side.» Those hands have not changed at all: they have held all of the millennia spent together, and now they are ready to experience more and more, in the eternal company of the god who most deserves to hold them. Even if... even if, there is someone else who will have this privilege, if they want it.

«Hey, Y/N! I’d say that’s enough, stop and let’s talk for a moment!»

Your silvery laugh covers the echo of Shiva’s words, and you don’t obey: you continue to dance without stopping, and this pushes Shiva to reach you and gently take you by the shoulders, holding you back. «What happens? Does my dance frighten the great Shiva?», you flute then with an excited look, your chest rising and falling under the quickened breathing and all your hands leaning against the god’s shoulders, keeping it at a short distance. The heat in the room suddenly rises as an unmistakable grin spreads across Shiva’s face, and you blush instinctively, though you don’t mind it at all.

«I wouldn’t say it… and besides, why let you dance alone? Can I join you?»

You twist your mouth into a grin and start to answer, but you stiffen when the hands of the god take your wrists and caress them in slow circular movements, to then travel the length of your arm and squeeze you under the armpits. Shiva couldn’t choose a more sensitive spot to touch you, and in fact you jump visibly and purse your lips to keep from moaning; and yet you do not push him away.

«Come on, answer me: can I join you?», repeats Shiva, taking a step forward and shortening the distance; and as you watch him tilt his face towards yours, you know that your eight arms won’t be able to keep him at bay for long… especially if Rudra joins you too, who, you notice out of the corner of your eye, observes everything with interest, waiting to see what you will do.

«Yes», you finally say decisively, and then smile with the same impudence of the God of Destruction, «you can… but let’s see if you can keep up with me.»

«You really aren’t afraid of appearing disrespectful at all, eh… and that’s fine, princess», Shiva replies while he grabs your hands firmly and pulls you closer to him, «let’s see how long you can resist. And get ready, my dear, for the night is still long⁓»

And if you should have any doubts about his words, the first kiss that the god gives you will take care of it.

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