Marvel: The Devil’s Reign

"Rogers."

JM's voice echoed through the dimly lit room, carrying a weight of authority that sent a shiver down Steve's spine.

[Host, be cautious. Your actions might decrease Steve Rogers' favorability!]

The system's warning popped up in JM's mind, but he dismissed it with a smirk. The numbers fluctuating wildly in the system's interface amused him. He was playing a dangerous game, and he knew exactly what he was doing.

"Relax," JM drawled, crossing his arms. 

Steve, standing rigid, glared at him.

He was a man out of time, but hearing it so bluntly struck a nerve. He wasn't sure what was more frustrating—JM's attitude or the undeniable amusement in his golden eyes.

Their relationship had always been a complex battlefield of tension and unspoken words. JM, the enigmatic leader of the Obsidian Order, wielded power that defied logic. The system he possessed granted him abilities that even the greatest minds of the universe could not fully comprehend. And Steve—righteous, stubborn, and bound by ideals—was irresistibly drawn to the chaos JM embodied.

Steve exhaled sharply. "You're different tonight."

JM's gaze darkened. "Am I?"

"You're playing games with me." Steve narrowed his eyes. "What do you want?"

JM stepped forward, his presence consuming the space between them. "A reward."

Steve stiffened. "A reward?"

"I trust you, Captain." JM's voice lowered, his fingers grazing Steve's wrist. "Doesn't that deserve something?"

Steve's breath hitched. He had faced gods, titans, and cosmic horrors, yet standing before JM in this moment felt like his most dangerous battle yet.

"What kind of reward?" he asked cautiously.

JM leaned in, his breath ghosting against Steve's ear. "A hug."

Steve's brain short-circuited. "What?"

JM smirked. "A simple hug, Captain. Nothing more."

Steve swallowed hard. This man was unpredictable. Dangerous. Infuriating. And yet, something in his piercing gaze held Steve captive.

He hesitated. Every instinct screamed at him to retreat—to keep his distance. But another part of him, the part that had spent too long fighting, too long holding himself back, whispered something else.

Just this once.

With a sigh, Steve nodded. "Fine."

JM didn't wait. He pulled Steve into his arms, their bodies pressing together, heat seeping through the fabric of their clothes. It was grounding, intoxicating. Steve could hear the steady rhythm of JM's heart, feel the strength in his hold.

JM's fingers traced lazy patterns on Steve's back. "Promise me something, Rogers."

Steve swallowed. "What?"

JM's voice was velvet-soft, dangerous in its sincerity. "Take care of yourself. No reckless heroics. You're not invincible."

Steve's fingers curled into JM's coat, a reluctant smile ghosting his lips. "I could say the same to you."

JM chuckled. "Touché."

The system dinged in JM's mind.

[Ding! Favorability +5. Current total favorability: 30%.]

JM smirked. Progress.