#they tie them up and force them to eat like honey or whatever then cook them on the radiator

[neverainy]

AU where Dee and Charlie actually become cannibals

[i-cant-sing]

An Accident

Yeah... you may have seen this before, earlier this week when I accidentally posted it. Anyways, this is a part 2 of the Todoroki clan being obsessed with reader's hair. So, um enjoy.

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Yandere Todoroki Clan:

Rei is obsessed with reader’s hair.

She’s taken such good care of it, and after years of hard work, your hair now reaches just around your butt. Your hair is healthy, thick, luscious, and cut into a smooth, U shape; of course all trims are done by Rei herself because she doesn't even trust professionals. And even though you’ve asked Rei on multiple occasions to cut it short, at least up to the middle of your back, she just wouldn’t, always saying that you’re being unreasonable. But you’re not; you’ve given her multiple valid reasons.

For example, Rei and Fuyumi do your hair themselves. And initially, they would let you choose whatever hairstyle you wanted, but now they pick one for you, saying they know which one will suit your outfit of the day better. Rei likes to do double buns, or ponytails tied with ribbons or just one high pony with a pretty big bow on the top of your head. Fuyumi on the other hand makes super intricate hairstyles, and while they look pretty, only you know how much pain your scalp is in. Fuyumi does your hair as if you’re her doll, yanking and twisting hard, saying that she needs to be this rough to achieve the distinctive braid patterns. Thankfully, Rei usually does your hair most of the time.

One of the main reasons you've begged Rei to let you cut your hair short is how much time she (and you) would safe. Since your hair is so long, it takes a lot of time for Rei to put in hair masks, serums, oils, etc. It takes even longer to wash and dry them out, and then style them as well. But she smiled oh so kindly, and told you that she doesn't mind. She looks forward to taking care of your hair, forcing you to sit between her legs for hours as she applies some expensive magic growth oil, ignoring how you didn't like this.

And even if your hair is curly naturally, like even 4C curly hair, Rei will have it straight as a stick in no time (don't bother telling her that you like it natural). But don't worry, its still quite voluminous.

Of course, Rei washes your hair herself, telling you that you’re simply not capable enough to manage it. (At least she lets you wash your body yourself.) And due to your hair being so long, it takes time to not only wash it, but also dry it. Rei will detangle using a wide tooth comb, starting from the bottom and working her way up. Then she’ll dry it with her cold breath, and if required, call Enji to dry your hair with his heat. You like it when Enji dries your hair, because he does it quickly and your hair becomes far smoother.

And its not just Rei and Fuyumi that are obsessed with your hair, the boys are just as fond of it as well. Enji likes to card his fingers through your hair while he’s working on some papers or listening to news, his warm hands always putting you to sleep in his lap. Its an adorable sight, gives him a sense of peace.

Shotou also likes to run his hands through your long hair, especially after a stressful day. The feeling of his fingers through your smooth, long locks, it calms him. And if he’s feeling extra stressed, then he might braid your hair loosely as well. He always wears a scrunchie on his wrist for you.

You wouldn't ever admit it, but you enjoy it when Natsuo played with your hair. Its like he can sense when you're having a headache. He'll have you sit on the floor while he takes a seat on your bed, and then his fingers will do their magic. He knows exactly where to put pressure on your scalp, and exactly how much force to use. His massages always relieve your migraines, and he always massages with expertise to ensure their is proper blood flow in your scalp.

While you are more than happy to let Natsuo touch your hair, you hate it when Dabi's around. If you didn't know better, you'd think he wants to rip your scalp off. He knows how much it annoys you, always pulling at your ponytails, tugging at your braids, even yanking it a few times when you ignore him. And you've complained to your family, but all of them say that "oh he's just playing around." Or "no, he just misses you. He's only teasing." And when you ask Dabi to stop it, he'll just smile and say "big brother privileges."

He's insufferable.

Everyone gets to play with your hair, but God forbid if you do. Oh no, apparently you'd "destroy it", as if you're not capable of managing your own hair. You're not allowed to open your ponytails because, quoting Rei, "you're yanking your hair. You're going to rip your follicles- baby, stop. Just let me do it." But you know that she does that because she wants to brush your hair with the soft, bristle brush before you go to bed. And somedays, Rei doesn't tie your hair in a bun or something, letting your hair fall, and it gets in your way, and even then you're still not allowed to put it up because "oh honey, your hair needs to breathe too. If you keep it in a pony, the band will leave a mark in it." Honestly, everyone finds it adorable when you're dressed in your little, fluffy skirt paired with a cozy oversized sweater, all mad and pouting, trying to blow the hair strands blocking your field of vision. Like a little baby.

While Rei looks at your hair and sees years of her hards work and patience, all you see is losing control over your own life. And you are. They decide everything for you, from the clothes you wear, the food you eat, and even things you should like and dislike. They choose when you should go out, what you should watch, when its time for bed. They disregard your opinions and feelings, and if you show that you're frustrated, then its means that you're just throwing a "tantrum", and you need to be put to bed like some cranky child. You've told them that they're too overbearing, but they always say that they just love you.

What kind of love is controlling?

They're so lost in their delusions, that they don't even see the deteriorating effects it has on you mentally.

Actually, one person did see them. Dabi.

He saw how much everything was overwhelming you, how you were near tears when they talked over you, made choices for you.

He felt a bit bad for you, just a tad. Mostly, he felt there was another opportunity to mess with you.

When Dabi came to bother you one night, tugging at your hair again, this time a bit harder than usual, he saw you were ready to cry. You didn't even bother saying anything to him anymore, just kept quiet and did your best not to cry. Of course, now he ridiculed you. Called you a little crybaby and used that annoying patronising tone with you. And just as he was about to leave, he said "if your hair bothers you so much, why don't you just cut it, you big baby?"

As if something had finally snapped in you, you let his words echo. Why don't I cut it? What's stopping me?

Was it because you had learned to just give in?

You didn't even realise you had walked to your bathroom until you were holding a pair of scissors. Which surprised you, because you weren't allowed to use scissors unsupervised. It was almost as if a sign from the universe motivating you to do it, and definitely not Dabi who left them on the sink.

Holding the pair of scissors in one hand and a chunk of your hair in the other, you hesitate for a second and wonder what will Rei do. But before you could stop yourself, you cut.

I'll cross that bridge when it comes.

You start low, maybe 2 inches above your hips. It looks okay, but maybe you could cut a little more. And a little more. And a little more. Before you know it, your hair is around shoulder length, in an uneven, chunky bob. Its not perfect, but somehow you feel much better. Like you’ve finally gotten some control back. Wiping your tears away, you ruffle your hair a bit, the cool air on your neck adding to the feeling of freedom. You feel normal, happier, peaceful. Things you haven't felt in years. And all because you had 3 am meltdown.

After you cleaned up the bathroom, you went back to bed, anxious how everyone will react in the morning. Maybe they won't care. You thought. Its only hair. My hair.

Everyone was waiting for you at breakfast the next morning, and to everyone’s surprise, Dabi had joined them as well. Rei was cooking up some eggs, while the kids chatted. Enji was suspicious of the mischievous glint in Dabi’s eyes, and it was filling him with unease. Just as he was about to question him, you walked in.

Everyone went silent.

Then Fuyumi let out an audible gasp, while Dabi chuckled darkly. Natsuo, Shotou and Enji looked at you with their mouths agape.

“Good morning.”you greeted them.

Rei, who was facing away from you, finally turned towards you. “Good mo-”Rei’s breath hitched, eyes blown wide, as the plate of bacon fell from her hands.

Its funny how everyone in the kitchen, including you, had the same thought at that moment.

What the fuck?

Taking a deep breath, you moved to sit in your usual spot between Fuyumi and Rei, but Shotou suddenly pulled you back and pushed you into the seat beside him. He knows his mother is in a better state mentally, but something tells him not to risk it. Fuyumi snapped next, quickly getting up and cleaning the mess on the floor while Enji pulled Rei, who was still staring at you in disbelief, to sit beside him. You remained indifferent to everyone’s stares, quietly eating your food. As soon as you were done, Shotou got up and quickly pulled you out of the room, Dabi following close behind.

They sat in your room as Shotou looked at your hair with worry. “Looking nice, doll.”Dabi chuckled as he plopped down on your bed beside you. “Thanks.” you mumbled. “Y/n how did- why did you- why did you cut your hair?” Shotou asked, still looking at your choppy hair. “Do you not like it?” you asked. “N-no I do. But what will mom say-” “Shotou, its my hair.” you snapped. “Yeah, Shotou.” Dabi mocked. Fuyumi and Natsuo soon joined you guys, worrisome looks on their faces. “Why did you cut it? Oh my god, do you even know how much trouble you’re in?” Fuyumi was freaking out. “Its my hair.” you rolled your eyes. They ignored you. “Okay, okay. Shotou why don't you stick around with Y/n for a couple of days? Fuyumi and dad will try to keep mom away from her.” Before Fuyumi could nod, you stood up. “No.”

Natsuo looked at you confused. “what do you mean “no”?”

“I mean no. I don't need Shotou to babysit me. I can handle myself.” Fuyumi walked towards you, reaching her hands for you but you backed away, “Y/n, sweetie-” You cut her off ,“Stop treating me like a child.”

Shotou spoke this time, “Its for your protection-” “Protection from who? Our mother? Why?”your words dared them to say the truth. To agree that Rei was unstable. They didn't say anything.

A few days had passed by and things were returning to normal. Almost normal. Rei still had this thousand yard stare when she looked at you, but she never said anything. Cutting your hair was the best decision you had made, because not is it only easy to manage, but it also got the family off your back. Rei doesn't wash your hair anymore(although you think she's just not over the shock), Fuyumi doesn't need to do your hair, they dry faster, and all of your brothers (including Dabi) doesn't mess around with them anymore. Enji was the first to adjust to your new cut, he even complimented you one day.

Did you feel guilty because you know how attached Rei was to your hair? A bit, but then realised that you needed this. You need some control over your life, and if this is how they react to your new cut, then maybe you could start taking back reigns over other aspects of your life as well.

You thought that maybe Rei had finally gotten over it a week later, when you were laying in the bathtub, enjoying the hot bath. When you heard her walk in, you were a bit startled. Why was she here- is she finally over it? "Um- hey." She smiled at you. "Why are you here?" She took the bath stool and sat behind the tub. "You know why." She replied and started rolling her sleeves up. Is she here to wash my hair? "Oh, are you here to wash my hair? I don't need help with that anymore now that they're short." Rei smiled again, this one looking forced, before dipping her hand in the tub. "No, silly." And with that, Rei froze the entire the tub in 2 seconds. The ice trapped your limbs, and reached up to your clavicle. The sudden change from hot to cold had you jolt, but you couldn't move due to the frozen ice. "Mom-!" You heard the buzzing sound of a trimmer and then felt Rei entangle her fingers in your hair to yank your head back. "I'm here to complete your haircut." You tried moving your head but her grip on your scalp was unrelenting. She started trimming the right side of your head, moving it slowly as to get every single hair. "Honestly, you should've come to me. I do agree that it'd be a good idea to start again." Tears fell from your eyes, your teeth chattered and you could feel your heart beat slow down as the cold seeped into your bones. "M-mom, I'm col-d. P-please s-stop..." Rei was done with one half of your head. "You know, I read somewhere that your grows thicker if you cut it. I'm sure that after I've shaved your head, your hair will grow even fuller. I've already gotten some new oils and hair masks! Maybe we could do them together." You couldn't hear anything besides the slowing of your own heart beating. Your breath had started to become shallow, you couldn't think about anything except for how painful ice could be. Your lips were turning blue, eyes were getting clouded with black spots, all sensation from your body was losing. Just before you lost consciousness, you heard the bathroom door open and a panicked yell.

You felt warm.

When you came to, your entire body felt warm and weighted, probably due to the heavy blanket spread on you.

Opening your eyes, you found yourself in a dimly lit room. It was...your parents room. Why am I here? You turned your head to look around but your eyes stopped at the large figure sitting on a chair next to your bed.

"Dad?"

The figure's head snapped towards yours. "You're awake." He paused. "How- how are you feeling?" You moved the blanket off you, your body felt dense and ached. "Warm and...sore. What happened? Why am I in your bedroom?" Enji shifted in his seat. "I think its best if you stay here from now on, so that... your mother and I can look after you." Your eyes widened. "What? Why?" You moved to sit up but then a pain shot through your head. "Ah shit." You hissed in pain as you went to massage your temples but your hands halted at the feeling of your hair... or lack there of. You tried to run a finger through your choppy bob cut, but all you felt was your shaved head. Your eyes met Enji's, looking at him in disbelief as you recalled the events that had led up to this. "Darling-" You jumped off the bed and ran towards the vanity mirror, praying that this is just a nightmare. But as you looked at your reflection, you realised that this was the terrifying reality you were living in.

Tears dripped from your eyes as you took in your appearance. Trimmed- no, shaved pink hair. You couldn't see a single bit of hair above the roots, only a baby pink scalp. She had not only trimmed your hair first but then also proceeded to shave your scalp off. Your head looked like it had peach fuzz.

You couldn't bring yourself to look away, not even when Enji placed a hand on your shoulder. "Y/n-" He didn't even what to say. He was still in shock from what would've happened if Fuyumi hadn't yelled for him when Rei was-

Enji shook his head. Now's not the time. You're here and you're fine. You're fine. Enji pulled you towards him, burying your face in his chest as you cried. "You're fine." He repeated, more to himself than to you. "Why- why would she do this?" Your voice was muffled by his chest but he understood. He understood your pain and it tore him apart that he still wouldn't be able to help you.

Enji honestly didn't know what to tell you. He didn't know what words would bring you comfort. "It... it was an accident." His chest rumbled as he spoke. You pushed yourself away from him as you looked at him perplexed.

"What?" Your eyebrows raised, nostrils flared and blood rushed to your face. You were going to blow up.

"An accident? Is that what you said? Oh okay. Was it an accident when she froze the fucking tub? Did the trimmer accidentally fall from her hands to my head?! Oh and did she accidentally pull the razor over my head?!" Angry tears fell from your eyes but you were far too enraged to care.

Enji opened his mouth to say something but he was cut off by the sound of the bedroom door opening. Turning around you saw her.

Rei was standing there with a tray of food and water. Her face turned to shock before turning to happiness. She set the tray on a nearby table before she rushed towards you, her hands reaching for your face.

"Angel, you're awake-" you pushed her hands away roughly as you backed away from her.

"Dont you dare touch me."

The couple, they had never heard your voice such hostility. It wasn't like you. Rei shook her head as she tried to reach for you again, taking another step in your direction. But you smacked her hands away again. "I said don't touch me!" Your yelling had got your siblings to rush in the room, wanting to see what the commotion was about.

Rei's eyes shifted from you to Enji, looking at him for help, before they returned back to you. She took a deep breath before speaking. "Y/n, darling. What's wrong?" You scoffed at her soft tone that tried to quell the storm of negative emotions bubbling inside you. "What's wrong? What's wrong? I don't know, you tell me, Rei. Why the fuck am I bald?!" Your head was pounding with rage, raw unbridled anger.

When Rei didn't say anything, Fuyumi stepped forward to help her out. "Y/n its-"

"Shut up."

Fuyumi's- everyone's eyes widened. Of everyone, you never even rose your voice at your favourite sibling. But to hear your voice turn so cold towards her, it shocked everyone. "Y-Y/n-" she tried again but you cut her off. "I said shut up. I'm not talking to you. I'm talking to Rei and she'll answer for herself."

Enji placed a hand on your shoulder, pulling you back slightly. "Have some respect. She's your mother-" You yanked your shoulder away from his grip. "No, she's not!" You inhaled deeply, trying to stabilise your voice. "No, she's not. You're not my dad. I'm not a part of this family. And I'm so sick of playing this game."

Dabi's eyes narrowed. "Stop being an ungrateful brat. You've been given all the luxuries one could only imagine, spoiled to no end-" You laughed. "Did I ask for anything?" "You never had t-" "And all these luxuries that you're talking about, I didn't get them for free. I had to give up a lot. No, wait-" you laughed again, tears blurring your vision. "I didn't give up anything. You all took it. Yeah, all of you snatched everything away from me. My family, my friends, my privacy, my sanity, everything. And you-" you moved towards Rei, pointing a finger at her. "You have been the most greedy one of them all."

Rei's jaw fell open, as she shook her head. "No-" You shook your head.

"Yes! I gave you everything. I let you dress me up in those god awful clothes, feed me whatever you wanted, stick to your side like glue because you don't like it when I was out of your sight for a more than a few minutes. For fucks sake, I didn't even go to college this year because you weren't ready to see me become an adult!" You ran a frustrated hand through your hair. "I played into your sick little fantasy. I let you treat me like a child, talk to me like I'm some helpless baby. I let you touch me even though it disgusted me to no end. I never even complained when you gave me ice burns because I was throwing a tantrum." You looked at the rest of your family, and they were shocked to hear that last bit. You smiled cruelly at them. "Yeah, you didn't know that did you?"

Rei was crying herself by now, as she reached out for you once again but you moved away. "I let you have everything. All I wanted was this little bit of freedom, for my own sanity. But you couldn't stomach that could you?" Your head hung low, your tears hitting the floor.

"Why do you have to be so selfish?"

Your voice held so much pain and defeat. Rei couldn't help but engulf you in her arms, wrapping herself around you tightly before you could even protest. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" She cried out. "I- I promise I'll fix this! Yes. I-I've already gotten you some new hair oils! They say that they'll help you grow 6 inches in a month! Oh and Natsuo also brought some stuff for hair growth! Some vitamins and- Natsuo whats that spray called? Minoxy? Mi-minoxidil! Yes! He said that'll help you grow your hair in no time! Doesn't that sound nice? You'll have long hair like before!" Rei pushed back to look at you. You couldn't believe it.

"Are you- are you really that delusional?" Your voice was so soft, almost like you would break any moment now. "Are you so blind to see what you're doing to me?" Your eyes held so much pain and confusion. "Sweetie, don't worry- mommy will take such good care-" You pushed Rei away from you, your anger rolling back in full speed. "YOU ARE NOT MY MOTHER!" You shrieked. "Y/n-" Shotou tried to interject. "I'm not a part of your fucking family."

Enji stepped towards you. "Calm down."

You looked at him. "You said that what happened was an accident. What will you do if another one happens? And you're not around this time to save me? Hmm? What will you do? Continue playing house with my dead body?!"

Rei's sobs shook her body. "Shut up. Think before you say stupid shit like that." Dabi spoke this time, moving to stand between you and his mother. "Or what? You're going to hurt me? More the reason why all of you, but especially you-" you pointed at Rei "deserve to be in that nuthouse-!"

You were on the floor before you could even process what had happened. Had you- had you fallen? But when the searing pain of the burn on your cheek came alive and you looked at his hand that had erupted in blue flames, you realised what had happened.

Dabi slapped you.

"Y/n!"

Your cheek felt like someone had placed a hot iron on it, the sting spreading to your entire cheek, but you were far too shocked to care about the pain.

Dabi slapped me.

Shotou, Natsuo and Fuyumi quickly rushed to your side, picking you up and out of the room, while Dabi stood there in stunned as his own hand throbbed. The image of his handprint branded on your scared face wasn't going to leave his mind anytime soon.

Enji hesitated, looking at his wife and son in disbelief, before leaving the room to look for you.

Rei walked towards Dabi and smacked his arm. "What did you do?!" She yelled at him. He opened his mouth to explain but nothing came out.

"She's your little sister, Touya! W-why would you do that?!" Rei scolded him.

He hurt you. Like Enji hurt Rei.

He hurt you.

Rei sighed before closing her eyes and engulfing Dabi in her arms. "Its okay. Its not your fault." She rubbed his back soothingly. "It was an accident, wasn't it?"

Dabi wrapped his arms around his mother, burying his face in her neck, before nodding.

"Yes. It was an accident."

So... how was it?

[thewitchofbooks]

Hiii gorg I love your style of writing 😳👍 can you maybe write about ikepri suitors in the modem world? Just general stuff like what music would they like or what jobs do you see them working? Anything that you find fit tbh

You're amazing, stay safe and well <3

Hi!!!Thank you for the compliments and the request, i really appreciate it!It took me some time to write for all of them, so i apologize!Please, keep in mind that i don’t know everything about the characters and they might be ooc.I hope you like it~

Type: Headcanons, Modern AU

Game: Ikemen Prince

Characters: All characters

Warnings: Spoilery, characters might be ooc, not the best out there, haha, mentions of alcohol (trigger warning), not the best english (especially with many words).

I’ll write their favourite music, dressing style (both casual and formal), their jobs, their hobbies, their favourite type of food and their favourite drink(s).Keep in mind that these are not all real, i just think they would like these.Thank you!

~Clavis Lelouch

Favourite type of music:Clavis hears anything that sounds good.He can go from pop, to rock, to metal and everything in between.Sometimes, he likes to play songs, like twinkle twinkle little star and he sings it in a childish voice, just to annoy his big bro, Chevalier.Chevalier probably threw a vase full of cold water on him.He would have thrown more, but he doesn’t like wasting precious water for the “laughing clown’s” idiocity.

Dressing style (1~casual):Clavis likes to wear fashionable clothes with lots of twists.He probably wears animal printed clothes and accessories, like a leopard printed hat or coats.For a more casual outfit, he wears a white button up shirt tucked in black skinny jeans and he tops it of with a leather biker-style black jacket (if it’s cold).                                                               (2~formal):For formal wear, he chooses a purple stripped button up shirt with a light grey vest and light grey pants.He puts on a grey long coat to finish it up.

Job:Clavis works as a spy for the Cyber Crime Division.He seems like a maniac to his coworkers, but they know how good he is at what he does.Also, he is good at spying his brother and he sees it as exercise.

Hobbies:Clavis’s hobbies are:drinking smoothies, while spying Chevalier, annoying Chevalier (especially when he is tired) and making things (because he is good with his hands).Clavis doesn’t have a lot of time for himself, but when he does, he makes sure to spend it doing all these things.

Favourite type of food:Clavis loves sweets and junk food.It was a rare treat when he was younger, but now he can eat them.At least, he prefers a healthier version like, fruits on top pf his sweets and salads as side dishes for the food.

Favourite drink(s):This man loves starbucks.He doesn’t drink alcohol due to personal reasons, so he buys them everyday.He buys unicorn coloured drinks & sweets and he tries to give some of them to Cheva.It doesn’t work.

~Chevalier Michel

Favourite type of music:Chevalier listens to classical, rock and metal.He likes songs with deep meaning, because it makes him think/daydream in his free time.He also plays the piano and violin, which got him into classical music.Sometimes, he is forced to here Clavis’s loud stereo, so he hears childish songs and he gets mad.

Dressing style (1~casual):Chevalier wears a white turtleneck shirt, black skinny pants and a long black coat.He also wears black reading glasses.He doesn’t like having a lot of strange addings on his clothes, because he likes being fancy, without being too much.                                 (2~formal):Chevalier chooses suits, which fit perfectly on his body.On top of his suits, he likes wearing black or while long coats and a pair of gloves in the same colour.He always has a golden pin with chains on, which keeps his tie straight and neat.

Job:Cheva works as an Army Strategist and as a Defence Minister.All the people trust him, so they voted for him.He was already a strong man before, but now he became even more, to help protect his country and those in need.

Hobbies:Chevalier, naturaly, loves to read romance novels.His mansion has two rooms as libraries.He also keeps shelves of books in his room.Another thing he likes is learning more and more (languages and other things), because he is fast at learning and they might come in handy.

Favourite type of food:Chevalier doesn’t care much, though he prefers eating foods with a lot of protein and vitamins.He is used to eating mostly these types of food, because of his work.He sometimes eats sweets, but never the unicorn ones Clavis tries to feed him.

Favourite drink(s):Cheva is not a big fan of alcohol.Alcohol has a lot of bad sugars for his health and he also doesn’t like getting drunk.Especially when he works.He drinks plenty of water and tea.

~Luke Randolph

Favourite type of music:Luke listens to pop and classical music.If he likes a song that is different, he is going to hear that as well.He doesn’t really care, but he prefers soft and gentle sounds.

Dressing style (1~casual):Luke picks long green t-shirts with V-Neck as a top and dark purple sweatpants as bottoms.On top of all that, he wears an oversized dark grey jacket.He likes those colours, because they remind him of the forest and nature in general.                                                         (2~formal):Luke wears a grey button up shirt in a pair of grey jeans.He tops it off with a stylish but still comfortable grey jean jacket.

Job:This tall gentleman loves honey, so he decided to work as an apriarist.Not only does he help feed and keep safe as many honey bees as he can, he takes the honey away without hurting them or destroying their houses (beehives).

Hobbies:One of Luke’s hobbies is helping and playing with the forest animals.These animals are drawn to him and want his attention.He puts water and food all over the place, so they can find it easily and get ready for the cold weather.

Favourite type of food:Of course, his favourite food is honey.It had to do with a lot of hard things he went through in his past and he doesn’t want to forget.It’s also sweet and healthy, so he prefers it.He also likes homecooked meals, because they are warm and he feels safe.

Favourite drink(s):Luke’s favourite drinks are tea and milk.These drinks are both warm and sweet (he drowns them in honey).They are perfect for a cold day and a hot day.All the stress goes away and he is calm again.

~Leon Dompteur

Favourite type of music:Leon listens to alternative rock and pop.He likes to dance around in his days off, when he is at home.He goes to a lot of concerts with a few of his brothers to enjoy a night out.The music he hars goes well with his personality and he always has fun.

Dressing style: (1~casual):Leon lives for more casual outfits that are different from the stiff clothes he wears at work.He goes for a black t-shirt that shows his abs and black pants that hug his waist.He is naturally warm, so he believes he doesn’t need a jacket.                                            (2~formal):Leon wears a black turtleneck shirt and black or dark grey pants.Sometimes, he puts on a dark grey suit jacket to look even better.

Job:Leon works with Chevalier as an Army Strategist.He gets well with the soldiers and they follow all his commands.He knows his brother is harsh, but he informs the new soldiers how much he cares for their country.

Hobbies:Leon’s hobby is having fun with his loved ones.He’ll prefer social gatherings and talking with people.He is easy to talk to, so his family gets together because of him.He might enjoy dancing, so he could be ready to impress his lover.

Favourite type of food:Yves’s baking/cooking.Not only does the food he makes tastes good, it’s also very fun to tease him.Sometime, he dines outside.If a person he loves makes food, he’ll eat it without much care if it tastes good.He is happy they did it.

Favourite drink(s):Leon can drink nearly everythinng.He can go from drinking alcohol with Jin, to drinking tea and milk with Luke.He doesn’t want to get drunk, because it’s bad for his job and his health, so he doesn’t do it too much.

~Yves Kloss

Favourite type of music:Yves listens to whatever sounds good and has style.He secretly listens to meme cat meowing his favourite songs.He learns the choreography in every song that has one.If his brotherd catch him doing that, he tries to deny it while blushing.

Dressing style (1~casual):Yves wears skinny black jeans with cuts on the knees and a pink oversized sweater.On top, he wears a grey cardigan.His clothes look big on him and it makes him look cuter.                                    (2~formal):He wears a white button up shirt, tucked in grey pants.He wears different coloured ties, but prefers pink, grey or black ones.He also wears a pink suit jacket.He likes being stylish in everything he does.

Job:Yves works at a pet shop.All the pets that live in here love him.The people that want to buy a animal have to watch him trying to put the animals in their (boxes/the things they put them in when they go somewhere).The animals are cuddling him and pawing at his cheeks.Yves is happy they found a home, but he is also sad, because he liked playing with them (even if that meant getting teased by his brothers).Yves secretly works as a stylist and he sketches clothes for women and men.

Hobbies:Yves hobbies have to do with beauty.He changes hairstyles or he goes shopping for clothes and accessories.He is calming down whenever he does that.Yves also enjoys doing new things, like joining art classes (painting, writing, dancing).

Favourite type of food:Yves loves cakes with fruits on top.He likes it when fresh berries are used to make them.They are not too sweet, but they live a nice taste in his mouth.He eats other foods, of course, because he knows that he has to be healthy.He eats for every meal of the day.He scolds Clavis for his choices and is discusted with his eating habits.He also cooks for himself (and some of his brothers).

~Nokto Klein

Favourite type of music:Nokto listens to pop (because most of the explicit songs he likes are pop).His tastes may change, but it also depends on his mood.If he is in a certain mood, being withh his lover and all, he stays with his normal choices.

Dressing style (1~casual):For a more casual look, he braids one side of his hair and it goes up in a high ponytail.He wears grey skinny jeans and a baby blue t-shirt.If it becomes too cold, he’ll get a white jacket.                    (2~formal):Nokto can go from a total white look to a white and baby blue look.He’ll choose a blue tie, with a white button up shirt and white pants.Nokto will take a white suit jacket on his shoulders and it’s kept on it’s place by a silver chain.

Job:I can see most of the brothers working together, so he’ll probably would be a spy for the Army, set by Chevalier himself.He is not scared to do reckless things and get in trouble.He knows how to keep secrets from the others.

Hobbies:Nokto’s hobbies are learning things about other people and most of all, what his lover enjoys.He likes trying new things with his S/O, that both are comfortable with.Another hobby of his is annoying and teasing his brothers that don’t want that don’t want that type of attention.

Favourite type of food:Nokto enjoys sweet, salty and savoury foods.Of course, there are some that make him feel better than others, so he prefers them.He finds some foods amusing, like the rainbow coloured ones and he wants to try them.

Favourite drink(s):If he is not at work, he likes strong liquor, but when it’s work related he’ll drink something softer and give the strong drinks to his enemies.That doesn’t stop him from enjoying drinks like sodas.Nokto tries Clavis’s favourite drinks, but he isn’t the biggest fan.

~Licht Klein

Favourite type of music:To most, Licht seems like a very quiet guy, but the music he likes isn’t always like that.He listens to every type of rock, pop and hip hop music.He is someone that likes the deep meaning every song has and he always remembers their lyrics.

Dressing style (1~casual):Licht has an angelic face and he knows what goes better with that.He wears a white oversized button up shirt with baby blue buttons in the middle and light blue skinny jeans.                                  (2~formal):For formal wear, Licht chooses a blue-grey suit, a yellow bowtie with a red ruby in the middle.On top, he wears a grey cardigan to keep himself warm.

Job:Licht is a soldier, who is not afraid to lose his life.Just like his twin, he doesn’t care about doing reckless things, because he lives for others, mostly.He doesn’t show that he cares for his brothers, but it can be seen.

Hobbies:For Licht, martial arts is the way to relax.Marial arts are not for fighting and killing someone.The first thing you learn is to keep yourself calm and then safe in front of difficult situations.That’s what Licht likes, so he follows it.Other things Licht likes to do is sing lullabies from his childhood and dance hip hop.

Favourite type of food:Licht absolutely loves sweets.Tarts full of chocolate, berries and other fruits are to die for.Sometimes, he secretly wants to eat Yves’s cakes, so he pouts at him, which always works to his favor.

Favourite type of drink(s):He doesn’t drink too much, he prefers water, tea and milk.First of all, it’s easier to drink them when eating.Second of all, he doesn’t want to get drunk (he doesn’t know if he can hold it).

~Sariel Noir

Favourite type of music:Sariel has gone through so much stress, so he just listens to screamo.If he feels better, he’ll hear to classical music while sipping his tea.He won’t say no to a new beat, but he’ll hear it if he can hear the voice clearly (so he can judge).

Dressing style (1~casual):If Sariel has time to go out without having to care for his work (or babysitting the brothers), he’ll wear a black, long sleeved shirt tucked in a nice pair of black pants.                                         (2~formal):He wears a black button up shirt with a silky red tie.He prefers black suits to go with, which have red details on top.He is stylish and he believes that black goes with everything.

Job:Sariel is a babysitter.Just kidding.He works as a Judge.He is amazing and fast.He knows when people feel guilty and it’s easy to find who is at fault.Definitely takes a lot of painkillers for those headaches.

Hobbies:He plays every classical music instruments when he has free time.He learned to play when he was younger and it always calmed him down.He also enjoys reading books (classic literature).

Favourite type of food:Sariel eats healthy most of the time, but he has cheat days.He can relax and eat sweets and junk food, while watching a movie or eating with company.

Favourite drink(s):Sariel drinks alcohol, not until he is completely wasted.He enjoys drinking if the company is good.But he prefers drinking tea and relaxing by his own.

~Rio Ortiz

Favourite type of music:Rio listens to everything.And by everything, i mean everything.He doesn’t care if the voices are clean or good, he is just happy to have something to hear.If his future S/O has a fave, then it’ll become his fave as well.

Dressing style (1~casual):Rio works a lot of hours a day, so he doesn’t dress too casual.If he can choose, then he wears blue jeans and coloured t-shirts.(Or a pair of pjs.)                                                                                (2~formal):Rio wears coloured button up shirts and black or white pants and a matching jacket.He doesn’t care much about his style, but he is forced when he works.

Job:Rio works as a lawyer, next to Sariel.He is clever and witty.When the other lawyers face him, they think they have to do with a child, but he is fast at gathering iinformation and he uses it against them.That’s the only reason Sariel keeps him.

Hobbies:Rio searches information about new people he meets, just for fun.He also has a puppy, but it mostly stays with close friends.When he is at home, they cuddle together and he feed it with it’s favourite treats.

Favourite type of food:Rio knows how to cook special meals, so he enjoys eating them.If he is too tired, he’ll eat pizza and he’ll later have some cookies to make himself feel better.

Favourite drink(s):He drinks a small amount of alcohol (to drown his pain).He likes drinking nearly all kind of drinks, even the crazy ones, especially if he has good company to share them.

~Jin Grandet

Favourite type of music:Jin listens to pop songs and the songs that are heard in bar-clubs.Sometimes, he hears the songs his brothers send him in the messenger app they all have.

Dressing style (1~casual):Jin wears forest green shirts or t-shirts and black pants or blue jeans.He might wear t-shirts with tie stamps on them.   (2~formal):He rarely wears formal clothes.He thinks they are too stiff and it’s not easy to move his body.Sadly, Leon takes him on gatherings, where he is forced to dress up.Jin tries on dark blue suits and green button up shirts.

Job:Jin is a bartender.It wasn’t because he liked those places.Not only, at least.He has women with big chests to work around the place.Sometimes, he stops his work, just to look and flirt.

Hobbies:His favourite hobby is staring at chests and have Clavis next to him, telling him that women with beautiful legs are the best.Another hobby of his is making a chaos in his house and calling Yves, only to laugh while he runs away.

Favourite type of food:Jin eats foods with lots of protein.He likes to eat everything tasty.He is one of those that trick Yves into cooking.

Favourite drink(s):Jin is used to drinking alcohol and he doesn’t get drunk easily.He enjoys cocktails from his bar and juices.He is okay with tea as well.

THE END.

NadiaSilver~

AN:Thank you very much for reading, and i’m sorry for repeating so many words!I hope you enjoyed it!Also, my requests are open to everyone!I write for ikemen revolution, ikemen vampire and ikemen prince!

[alchemy-fic]

DELETED scenes from 88 and 89

The doorbell rang.

  “MARI, who is it?” Eggman called.

“It’s… it’s your mother and she looks very upset.” MARI answered. “Do I enter lockdown mode?”

“Uh, no.” He escorted the Mobians to the operating room to wash up. He ran to Sheptilah and took her hands in his. “Please. Please be nice to Mama. She’s very abrasive but the sooner you meet her the better. It’s like ripping off a scab. She’ll leave on her own when she gets bored.”

“How bad can she be?” Tilly asked.

Eggman pulled her into the elevator and got off on the ground floor. “Just promise me you won’t hurt her and you’ll be patient.”

“Of course, Ivo.” Tilly cocked a brow.

“MARI, I want all the robots to treat Mama with respect. She’s still family so no blasting her, got it? Just keep her happy.”

“Yes, sir.” MARI answered.

Eggman threw open the door.

Before him stood a shorter, heavy set woman with the same luxurious mustache as her son. Her pink and white dress did not match her oversized teal church hat or her black pumps. She had the same black sclera and red irises as her son and spoke with a deep, booming voice. Her lipstick was expertly applied as was her eyeshadow. In her hand she carried an old, beat up suitcase.

“Mama!” He said through a forced smile.

“Why didn’t you invite me to your wedding, you slime bucket!? Just when were you going to tell me you got married!? ” She hollered. “I had to find out in the Mobius Home For Really Bizarre Mothers from some river rat’s bubbie that you got hitched! Is this the girl?” The woman spat.

“Mama, this is Sheptilah, my wife.” He gestured at her.

“Why does she look like Cher but with the colors inverted? Did you marry some dirty hippie? You didn’t even ask my permission to marry someone! How do I know if she’s any bad for you?”

“Mama, you will be pleased to know that Sheptilah is a  queen .”

“Oh, that explains it. You married a  goth  queen. Who else would mix black lipstick, heavy black eyeshadow and  white hair?”

 “I’m wearing kohl.” Tilly crossed her arms. “It’s my custom, I’m not  goth . My people never invaded the Roman empire.”

 “... Not  visigoths , girl.” Mama looked at her with a furrowed expression, one eyebrow cocked. “It’s like you aren’t… from this time. Nobody calls it kohl anymore...”

“She’s a  real queen… It’s a nation near Iran.” Eggman interjected.

 “Oh,  great  . Why haven’t you taken over the world or gone to war? However many goats he traded for you it was  too many, little girl.” She blew past the couple and trudged into the kitchen to fix herself a snack.

Eggman looked at his wife apologetically.

“That is not abrasive.” She hissed under her breath. “That’s  virulent . Also, I’m worth many, many goats.”

“I’m sorry. I love you, but  please handle her until I’m out of surgery. I’ll make it as quick as possible.” He trotted after his mother.

Sheptilah took her time following them.

    “Mama, I’m about to go help perform surgery on someone upstairs. In the meantime my wife and the robots will take care of your needs.”

“I didn’t raise such a wuss. Go, do your  totally real surgery thing. I’m sure it’ll be all your robots and not your own handiwork.” She popped open a soda and guzzled it.

“Mrs. Eggman…” Sheptilah said, watching her husband leave the room.

Ivo winced and broke into a sprint.

“My name is Sylvia Robotnik! My slimeball of a son changed his last name years ago because he was ashamed of our family name.” She tossed the empty can over her shoulder.

“My apologies, Mrs. Robotnik.”

“You, girl, will call me Madam.” She piled on random ingredients to make a giant, disgusting sandwich.

“Right, sorry.”

“So if you’re a queen why do you live here in this dump?” She knocked the refrigerator door closed with her hip, making the appliance rattle.

“Truthfully,” she hesitated, “I am a five thousand year old queen and my kingdom doesn’t really exist anymore.”

“Of course you are. So why would my loser son marry you? Oh, no. Did he knock you up?”

“Ivo is not a loser,” Tilly grit her teeth, “And I am not pregnant.”

“He’s a loser, sweetheart; but you’re avoiding the question. Why would he marry  you? ”

“Because he loves me?”

“Ivo doesn’t know  how to love! I didn’t raise him to be sappy and sentimental! And what’s he trying to pull by being buff now?” She sat down to eat.

Sheptilah picked up the can and put it in the recycling bin.

“How are you even that old?” Sylvia practically ate the entire sandwich in one slobbery bite without chewing.

“I’m a  witch and I was kept in a crystal for five thousand years until Ivo stumbled upon me and brought me home.”

“Oh, I see. You don’t have much experience with men! That’s why you decided to tie the knot with my loser son.”

  “Madam, I think you don’t understand. He’s built himself an empire and controls almost every continent from right here in this lair with his Egg Bosses. He’s a  literal  emperor. He has a base on the  moon . The moon!”

“So? What has he ever done for his mother?”

Tilly groaned in frustration. She balled her fists then relaxed. “Do you just not like me because I’m  brown-skinned ?”

“What? No, I don’t like you because you’re a hippie! Look at you recycling and cleaning and whatever else it is you do. I bet that ugly garden out back was your idea.”

“Hmm…” Sheptilah mulled this over. She switched gears.

“What?”

“I think you would like something to eat, yes? I make great honey cakes.”

“How good of a cook can you be? You are a string bean.” Sylvia looked her over suspiciously.

Sheptilah summoned a plate of piping hot fried dough and a pot of honey. She drizzled the golden liquid over the cakes and slid it toward Sylvia.

“I am a woman of many talents, Madam.” Sheptilah then summoned gold coins into her hands and turned them into brilliantly cut gemstones. “Your son and I have plans for world domination, we are just busy with other things at the moment.”

Sylvia pushed the plate away. “Parlor tricks. Not very impressive. I’m growing bored with you, girl.”

“Well, what do you want to do?”

“I want to level this whole island to build a poorly designed parking lot with a ton of toll booths, for one. Then I want that stupid hedgehog caught and killed.”

“Are you talking about Sonic?”

“Yes! That pest! Always interfered when I tried to help my son get ahead in life. Do I smell cookies?”

“Yes, right this way.” Tilly escorted her to the dining room. “I made this tea myself.”

“Brew a fresh pot! I don’t know how long this has been sitting out here; and I want more cookies!” She practically inhaled the plate of leftover madeleines. “Don’t get any of your gross hair in them, either.”

“Right away,” Tilly left for the kitchen with the teapot. She washed it out and gathered some ingredients for a different brew.

Lavender, bergamot, catnip and lemon balm were added and boiled to extract flavor. As she poured the strained, boiling tea into two cups she whispered into one.

“ This tea as it passes lips, shall cause exhaustion with each sip. Every flavor strong and steep shall

curse the drinker into sleep. ”

Faint sparkles appeared as she blew across the tea. They disappeared and both cups looked identical again. Sheptilah turned the cursed tea cup so that the handle pointed inward and she could tell the difference.

She used magic to summon new cookies and brought them to the table.

    Sheptilah placed the teacups on the table with a click and slid the cursed one to Sylvia.

The woman picked up the warm cup in her hands and inhaled deeply. “Smells awful!”

Sheptilah waited patiently for the woman to sip her tea but Sylvia lingered on her cup. “You’re a witch, right?”

“Yes.”

“Can you read tea leaves? I want you to read my fortune.”

“I can read tea leaves.”

“Well, go get some so you can do that!” Sylvia put her cup down but kept her hands on it.

Sheptilah groaned and got up. She retrieved some tea leaves in a slotted spoon and came back. She tipped the leaves into Sylvia’s cup and set the utensil aside.

“What’s in this junk, anyway?” Sylvia took a sip and yawned. “The aftertaste isn’t bad, at least.”

Sheptilah smirked. “Bergamot, lavender, you know… tea stuff.”

Ivo’s mother rested her elbow on the table and leaned her face against her palm, sloppily swaying the

cup back and forth as if she was aerating wine. She watched the tea leaves spin in the vortex she created.

“Feeling tired?” Tilly asked in a somewhat antagonizing voice. Sheptilah sipped her tea primly.

“Yes, it was a long trip up here.”

“That’s too bad.”

“It is, isn’t it?” Sylvia grinned mischievously and guzzled down the rest of the drink. “You’re too pretty for my son.”

 “Hmm?”

 “You’re too  pretty . You’re outrageously skinny, your hair is too long and you wear nice clothes. You’re too pretty for him.”

 “Do you mean to say I’m too feminine?”

 “Too fragile in looks but not personality.” She shot a pointed look at Sheptilah, a broad and evil smile drawn across her face. “I figured you’d try to poison me.”

Tilly stiffened up. She felt her chest grow warm and her eyes become heavy.

“I’m immune to all that from years of eating hospital food but I switched the cups  just in case .”

Sheptilah’s hands went numb. She dropped the cup and it shattered, spilling its cursed contents on the table. Sylvia stood and walked around toward the prone witch without letting the tea touch her.

“Ivo may be an idiot but he’s  my idiot and I know my idiots. I know he’d never settle for anyone who wasn’t as smart and conniving as him; but I’m disappointed with how weak you are. A garden, recycling, being clean and nice? It’s disgusting in all the wrong ways! If you really knew what you were doing you'd have cursed both cups.”

“I eviscerated Katella.” Sheptilah muttered. "I can and will kill  you , too."

“But you healed her and look what happened.” Sylvia pointed to the missing finger.

 “How do you…”

 “I have access to and read the EggNet, sweetheart.”

“How?” She struggled to stay awake.

“My son is predictable and never changed his passwords.” Sylvia gingerly brushed Sheptilah’s hair out of her face. “Are you dying?” The leaves stuck in her teeth made her smile look all the more menacing.

“No… It’s… sleep...”

“Too bad. Don’t worry,  I  won’t kill you.”

KORin entered the room. “Step away, Sylvia.”

“What the Hell are  you supposed to be?” Mama Robotnik rested her hands on her hips. “Some kind of maid bot?”

“I’m the bouncer. It’s time for you to go.” KORin fixed her eyes on the woman.

“Nah, no thanks.” Sylvia walked up to the robot. “Stand down, tin woman.”

“My orders are to protect the family. I am here to protect the empress. Leave.”

“See, that’s the thing. Who is higher up on the rung? The emperor or the emperor’s mother?”

“KORin… it’s okay.” Sheptilah shut her eyes. “It won’t last… long…”

“Are you sure?” The robot stared at the witch.

“Yessss...” She passed out.

“So? What are you waiting for?” Sylvia stomped her foot. “Let’s move the body and get started on world domination!”

 An hour into the surgery things were well underway and proceeding fine.

“Doctor Eggman?” Smiley looked up from his work when he saw the human move oddly out of the corner of his eye.

    The human swayed on his feet. “Maybe I was not ready to come back…” He sat on the floor away from the operating table and rubbed his temples. “Suddenly I’m exhausted.”

Lourdes jumped down and checked him over. “When did you last eat?”

“Not that long ago.” He answered.

“Stay here for a minute, okay? Until you feel better.” Lourdes went back to monitoring Maw’s vitals.

“This surgery is going to take at least five hours and I need you awake to supervise. Remember, if the cybernetics malfunction we could all get sucked in! That sounds terrible.” Smiley dug around in Maw’s gums.

Eggman shook it off and stood. “I’m fine, I think I just had some kind of blood pressure drop. It only lasted a spell.” He stretched until he heard the joints in his spine pop.

“Neurally mediated hypotension!” Smiley looked up. “You were standing still too long hunched

over and watching us. Walk around the room a bit, you’ll feel better.” The corgi went back to his work.

  “Wakey, wakey… your mother in law is ka-ray-zee.” Scourge shook the witch by the shoulders.

Sheptilah snored loudly.

“For God’s sake, lady! What happened?” He lifted her by her hair and slapped her face.

No reaction.

 “I wish I could sleep like the dead.” Scourge slapped his own forehead. “The living, I wish I could sleep like the living… Oh, fuck.” He noticed the cursed tea twinkled oddly in his vision.

“Fuck! Fuck. How do you break curses… shit.” Scourge wiggled his fingers in her direction. “Abracadabra!”

Nothing.

“Um... what did she fuckin’ say once?” He muttered to himself. “Hex breaking… it was some stupid bullshit…oh! Cayenne pepper! Anything fuckin’ spicy.”

Scourge floated into the pantry and knocked ingredients over haphazardly. When he found the pepper he grinned. Grabbing it, he tried to fly out of the pantry only to get stuck with the pepper not passing through the door.

    “Shit!” He struggled to pull it through, the bottle clanging against the metal. “Come. The. Fuck. On! Why does this work with people but not…”

The plastic bottle pulled through but without the powder inside inside it.

“Pepper. Right… that shit wards off ghosts. There must be no ghosts in fuckin’ Mexico...”

 He calmly opened the pantry and tried to scoop up the pepper but it simply passed through his fingers.

“This is so fucking stupid!” He howled.

He angrily floated to the table and picked up Sylvia’s unbroken teacup and poured it out onto the floor. He then went to the pile of pepper and tried to scoop it into the cup with the same fruitless results.

“Fine, we do this the hard way!” He grabbed Sheptilah by the underarms and dragged her to the pile and dropped her face directly into it.

He glowered when he heard Sheptilah snore loudly. After a second the witch sat up sputtering. She clawed at her face, tears streaming from her eyes and mucus from her nose. She vomited up the sparse contents of her stomach.

Scourge calmly walked to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of milk. He unscrewed the cap and doused Sheptilah over the head.

“What the Hell, Scourge!?” She choked.

“I just saved your ass, Sleeping Beauty. You’re a real idiot for trying to play the evil queen by cursing her tea. You should’ve cursed both cups and not drank from either!”

Sheptilah felt her way to the sink and washed her burning face. “I’m going to become a necromancer just to bring you back to life so I can slap you to death.” She sloshed some water in her mouth before spitting it out.

“The pepper got into my lungs!” She coughed deeply.

“You’ll heal. Listen… your mother in law is nuts! Nuttier than squirrel shit! Kick her out!”

“Scourge, I can’t breathe. I’m tempted to turn my lungs inside out and run them under cold water…”

“Wouldn’t that make you drown?”

“I can give myself gills!” She spat up a huge wad of phlegm straight into the sink and washed it down the drain.

“It’s the only way I was able to break the spell, ya ingrate.” He crossed his transparent arms.

“Thanks.” The burning began to subside. “What’s Sylvia doing?”

“Trashing the place. She’s already bossin’ Orbie and Cubey around and threw around a bunch of furniture; including the sofa.”

“The really big and soft one?”

“Yep.”

“I’ll have her head!” Sheptilah charged off, bumping into things with her eyes red and bleary. “Sylvia!” She called.

“I told you to call me Madam!” The woman shouted back. “I’m in the den, if you could call it that!”

    Sheptilah walked in to see Sylvia moving all the heavy furniture around with one hand.

Holy shit,  she thought.  That woman has the same strength as Ivo!

“So what happened to your kingdom, anyway? If you were a queen we should use this to our advantage.”

“Advantage for what? World domination?” Tilly crossed her arms. Scourge appeared next to her.

 Mama Robotnik let the sofa land with a hard thud. It was moved to the other side of the room blocking an exit.

“Giant parasites we sealed in the moon broke out when your son cracked said moon in half with his nonsense. They’re back and trying to kill everything but especially me. They’re causing all those wild earthquakes.”

“That’s your story?” The woman turned to Sheptilah and stared at her with disbelief.

“It’s true.”

“And how exactly has this prevented you two from taking over the world?”

“Well, we can’t take over a planet if something actively trying to destroy it is in our way. Once we get rid of those things we will decide what we want to do with the empire; but I won’t lie. I am considering expanding it.”

“By how much?” Sylvia cocked a brow.

“I want to convert my pyramid into a base and work on getting a large space station going.” Tilly nodded to herself.

“Small potatoes. Think bigger! Hold the sun for ransom!”

“He tried that once and it didn’t quite work out.”

“Moon for ransom?”

“He already tried that, too.”

“What about all the freshwater for ransom?”

 “Eh, pretty much did that.”

“The planet for ransom!”

“Yep. He did that. That one  almost worked.”

    Sylvia flopped onto the sofa with a disgusted sigh. “But the hedgehog got into the way.”

“Among other things.” Sheptilah stuck out her hip. “Ivo is smart but he often does things without thinking. It’s really not that hard to kill Sonic, he just doesn't want to.”

“See, that’s his problem! He has no killer instinct, but you seem to have a semblance of one.” Sylvia sat up and straightened her hat.

“I have personally executed six people.”

“One of which being the child ghost that is making faces behind your back?” Mama Robotnik smirked.

Sheptilah whipped her head around to see Scourge was acting cute and innocent. She squinted at him before turning back to face Sylvia. “I’m not proud of his death. He’s haunting me.”

“Neener neener nee-nee!” Scourge teased. “Nah, the haunting was revoked forever ago. I’m just here for fun now.”

Mama Robotnik stroked her sizable mustache. “Still, why would my son marry you? More importantly, why wouldn’t he tell me? ”

“Because it was supposed to be a  secret . We eloped. We’re not going public with the marriage until a later date. Trust me, he’d invite the world to come see his splendid wedding and get himself decked out and all that.”

Sheptilah sighed, tapping her upper arm with her fingers.

“We’re on thin ice with GUN because Shadow the hedgehog is my familiar, as you probably know.”

“Shadow? ” Sylvia thought this over. “ Gerald’s  Shadow? I remember when he was this big.” She held her hands apart by about a foot. “He was an ugly baby. He looked like a turd crossed with a raisin.” She grimaced.

Tilly chuckled. “Yes, that Shadow. I guess not everything is on the EggNet.”

“They executed Gerald, his creator, and Shadow works for GUN anyway?” Sylvia grit her teeth and her face turned red with fury.

“Yeah, after they kept him in stasis for fifty years, destroyed his memory and tried to kill him.” Sheptilah shook her head, “I have a feeling he won’t work for them much longer. GUN really, really hates that he’s my familiar but recognizes they can’t do anything about it.”

They stared at each other in silence for a while.

“So who is my son performing surgery on upstairs?”

“Maw the thylacine. He’s one of the Egg Bosses. His jaw is all messed up.”

    “Bah, when will he hire more humans? Who needs animals when you have human beings around? Besides you, of course. You barely count as a human; what with your alien magic nonsense and all that.”

Sheptilah rolled her eyes. “Well, it was nice having you for a visit but now you need to leave. We’re getting ready to bug bomb the place once Ivo’s done with the surgery and no living person can be here.”

“Oh, please! This place is spick and span! Clean as a whistle! It’s disgusting, really.”

“Madam... “

“Take my suitcase.” Sylvia threw it at Sheptilah. She barely caught it, the impact knocking the wind out of her. “And get the master bedroom ready. That’s where I’ll be sleeping. You and my moron of a son can sleep outside in your hippy garden.”

“He is not a moron.”

“He married  you , didn’t he?”

    Tilly adjusted her grip on the suitcase. “Scourge?”

“Yes?” The ghost smirked.

“Take this… and show her to her room.” She handed the spirit the luggage. Scourge understood and grinned at Sylvia.

“Right this way, Your Disgusting-ness!” Scourge bowed in a grand but obviously sarcastic gesture. He grabbed Sylvia with his free hand and dragged her through the walls and out of the lair.

“Don’t let her back in.” Sheptilah instructed MARI. “Please reactivate your and your sister’s bodies.”

“Thank God for you, mom.” MARI chirped.

Scourge came back, very proud of himself.

“Thank you, King Scourge. Fantastic work.”

“I love throwing people out on their asses.” he ‘dusted’ off his hands. “As long as spicy pepper isn’t involved I can do anything I want.”

“You may outgrow that cosmic ‘allergy’ as you get stronger.” Tilly giggled. “But you’ll always be affected by blessed salt.”

“I’m fucked if I ever go into a salt and pepper store.” He gestured like he was hanged with a noose.

 “MARI, how’s the wife doing?” Eggman said.

“She and Scourge just kicked your mom out.”

“It’s nice they’re getting along.” A pause, and then: “Wait, what?”

The lair rumbled.

“Jeepers creepers!” Smiley yelped. “Earthquake?”

“No, that would be my mother.” Eggman sighed. “Finish up with him; I’ll be right back.”

He hurried out of the room.

     “Sylvia!” The witch howled. “Put down the boulder!” She stood in front of MARI and KORin with her arms out protectively.

The hulking woman held the giant chunk of outcrop she broke over her head with little effort.

“No! You will learn some manners!” She broke the boulder in half simply by pulling it apart like stale bread.

“What kind of Mickey Mouse physics is that!? ” MARI cried.

“Girls, go back inside.” Tilly whispered harshly.

“No way!” MARI refused.

“You can’t do anything, MARI. It’s forbidden for you to hurt his family and unfortunately that’s family!”

“But we can still defend you.” KORin said.

“Do so from inside the lair. Maw’s still in surgery and he needs the protection. That’s an order!” Tilly ran in zig-zags, making it hard for Sylvia to aim the rocks. The robots lingered in the doorway before going inside.

    Mama Robotnik threw both stones at the same time, both just barely missing the witch.

Sheptilah looked up at the shadow darkening over her body. It was Mama Robotnik coming in elbow-first with a wrestling slam. Sheptilah, eyes wide, stared up for the split second it took for gravity to pull the massive woman downwards. All at once the air was knocked from Tilly’s lungs and she was seeing stars.

The acrid smell of sweat and cheap perfume was all she could sense. Mama Robotnik stood up and

trotted off to pick another boulder to hurl.

Sheptilah, dazed and unable to focus, was sure she was flattened like a piece of paper. She felt the back of her head, noting her skull was cracked open and chunks of bone floated in brain matter. Warm blood streamed from her nose. She touched her forehead with her fingers, feeling the indent caused by Sylvia’s elbow.

Another shadow descended upon her. She flinched, believing it would be another blow but instead nothing happened.

Small stones fell around her with an almost hollow clatter. She looked up and saw it was her husband who had just punched the boulder to smithereens.

“Mother!” He shouted angrily.

    Shadow teleported in with a massive headache. “Ti-ti! Sorry I’m late; I came as soon as I felt something was off.” He didn’t seem to be too shaken by the image of his witch with her brains out and about. She healed just as quickly on her own.

“Hi, Shads!” She said dreamily.

    “She was rude!” Sylvia said petulantly. “I had to show her who was boss.”

Ivo’s fist throbbed. “You need to leave, Mother.”

Shadow turned to Eggman. “Do you want me to kill her?” He started toward Sylvia.

“Maybe.” Eggman said. “Open a portal to some place far away, if you please.”

    Sylvia protested. Screaming nonsense, she charged at her only son.

Shadow slashed at the air and opened a knot to a mostly deserted beach.

Ivo picked up his mother, held her over his head and unceremoniously tossed her in. He chucked in her suitcase after.

Shadow closed the portal and helped his witch to her feet.

“Where’d you send her?” Ivo asked.

He shook off his headache. “Coney Island, New York.” Shadow smirked.

“This is the second time my brains were on your lawn, Ivo.” Sheptilah frowned.

Ivo looked at his aching fist and saw his glove was torn and bloody. He walked over to his wife and held her tightly. “Why weren’t you fighting back?”

“It’s hard when your brain is trying to reconstruct itself…” She shuddered. “Thank you for… saving my life.” The full horror of what occurred finally hit her and she stumbled.

    He caught her and kissed her cheek. “I’m so sorry I had to leave you with her. I should’ve just kicked her out at first sight. I won’t let her come back ever again. I just couldn’t let the two doctors sit with Maw for that long because the bombs are so delicate sometimes.”

“How did the surgery go?” Sheptilah felt ice cold and shivered.

“Hm? Oh, Maw is in recovery but I don’t care about him right now.” He rubbed her shoulders to warm her up.

“Recovery? Oh, his jaw.” Shadow pretended like he forgot. “You did that today? With your mother here?”

“My mother surprised me.” Ivo huffed. “Had to leave my poor wife with her for four hours…” He rocked her back and forth in his arms.

 “I’m okay, really. The lair is a mess but I can clean it up… I tried to curse her with sleep but ended up being cursed myself and while I was out she was rearranging things.”

“Just rest, honey. I’ll have the robots do that.” He ran his hand over the back of her head and cringed when he felt chunks of brain matter and bone. She was really hurt if the meninges tore that easily… what the Hell did my mother do? He thought. “Actually, I’m going to have Lourdes look you over.”

    “Should I stay?” Shadow asked her.

“Only if you want to, Shads.” She nodded.

“Call me if you need me.” He took a step back and teleported out. A ring of dust was left behind and blew away in the wind.

“I’m so sorry, Tilly.” Ivo hugged her tightly. “I never should have let her stay. I knew something like this would happen.”

“How did you survive your childhood?” Tilly looked up at him.

“I got myself into boarding school and left home at a very young age.”

She buried her face in his chest.

[girlbabyvelez]

I Choose // Christopher Velez

Word Count: 2,457

Warning: None

Note: AHh part two to Now or Never. I hope you gyus like it. I worked so hard on this so I hope yall like it bbys.

You could feel the grass tickle your bare legs and the cool splashes from the water balloons that were being thrown at you. The only thing that was even remotely protecting you from the water balloons was the giggling mess of a friend named Christopher. His arms were wrapped tightly around you as best as they could due to your sitting position as both of you were bombarded by your other friends.

“¡Para! ¡Ya ganaron!” You could hear Chris yell and you could feel the vibration of his voice and laughs because you were hiding your head in the crook of his neck. The boys stopped for a moment and stared at you guys, waiting for you to agree. But before you could open your mouth, Chris’ mom walked over to inform you all that the lunch was ready.

“Chris llévala a secarse y cambiarse. Tú también mijo,” Yenny orders her son. He smiles at her and nods before standing up from the grass, he reaches his hand down to pull you up and you quickly take it, wanting to get rid of these clothes already.

“Good thing you brought a change of clothes,” Christopher whispers as you walk up towards his room, he stops for a moment to grab towels from the closet in the hallway. He gently hands you one and smiles at you with that smile you adored on your best friend.

“Yeah, but did you forget that my shirt got ruined yesterday because of Erick?” You ask him. You were stuck with the wet shirt for today, but at least you had a dry pair of shorts. He takes a moment to remember that Erick bumped into you and got salsa all over your shirt before bursting out into laughter.

“Oh yeah. Don’t worry preciosa, you can wear one of mine.” He tells you. You mumbled a quick thank you and you both quickly get to his room. He immediately goes to the closet to find something for you to wear, he was about to give you a black short sleeve shirt he owned but then he remembered the bonfire you guys were going to later so he picked the tie-dye hoodie instead.

“Chris, a hoodie?” You ask looking down at the hand that he had outstretched with the hoodie.

“Si. We’re going to the beach later and it’ll be cold there at night,” He explains his choice. You bit your lip and just nod before grabbing the soft hoodie. He finishes picking his outfit, grabbing his towel from the spot he had thrown it on the bed.

“I’ll see you downstairs?” He asks, but you grab his arm to stop him from taking a step.

“Sólo cambiate aquí,” You whisper. He looks at you with his eyebrows raised, half in shock and half confused.

“Segura?” He asked you, making sure that it was okay, because if he stayed to change he would see you half-naked, and he didn’t want to invade your privacy like that. You roll your eyes with a light laugh and nod. After that day, he really came to appreciate every part of you, you guys had seen each other half-naked, of course in a different light because you guys were just friends and that’s all you thought it would be.

As soon as you had gotten back to the table, ready for the lunch that your second mom had cooked up for you all. Your mouth was salivating and you were starving. Chris removed his hand from your waist and rushes over to the table, ready to devour the food. He was the hungry boy he had always been and you were surprised that one could eat everything and never get full.

“You need to learn to cook for when you marry him, mija,” Yenny whispers to you. You look over and see her smile at her son before turning to you. You shook your head with a laugh, everyone wanted you to get married. You two were the friends who would always get married in the end, your family was always asking when the wedding was. But every time you guys just shrugged them off and went back to your normal ways.

“Aye Y/N come get your man!” Richard yells at you while Chris is messing around with Erick and both of them drop their food on the ground. And no matter how many times you told the boys that you guys were just friends, they knew there was more to it than that. 

It hurt, it was physically hurting. Your heart felt like it was pounding, begging to escape your chest. Your hands were sweaty and you felt bad for Manuel, the guy you were supposed to be marrying. You looked from your intertwined hands to his hazel brown eyes that were begging you not to leave.

Why? Why now of all days? Christopher couldn’t have said this to you years ago? He just had to wait for you to fall in love and plan a future with another man before he confessed? Those questions flooded your mind while panic flooded your veins. How could you possibly pick between the two men who have shown you what kindness, loyalty, and love is? It was impossible.

You looked over to Chris. He was standing there in the aisle, one hand outreached to you, he wished you would take it. You could see it in his honey brown eyes. You could see the love pour from them, you could see how vulnerable and raw he was being at that moment.

Time seemed to pass slow, you must have only been standing there for a minute but it felt like 5 years. How were you supposed to pick? You should have known right? I mean you were planning to commit your life to Manuel. But Chris was always a part of your life.

“Y/N,” You could hear Manuel whisper, capturing your attention. You felt him squeeze your hand to push you to make your decision. He wanted you to pick him but Chris wanted you to pick him. And you? You wanted to pick…

Manuel wrapped his muscular arm around your shoulder, it was a comforting and familiar gesture. He always did it when you guys were together. The action movie was playing on the tv in front of you both, but you weren’t paying attention. You were so focused on the engagement ring on your finger; it shined brightly in the light and even though you guys got engaged a week ago, you were still shocked. You had dated Manuel for three years and in all three of those years, he never wanted to get married. He always told you “I don’t want to end divorced like my parents' babe.” And you listened because you understood that fear, that’s what happened to your parents. So when he decided to get on one knee for your third anniversary you were confused.

“You like it?” You hear his deep voice ask you. He grabbed your hand and moved it in the light so you could see the ring shine. You moved your eyes from the ring over to his.

“I love it. But why do you wanna get married?” You ask. You were kind of scared to bring the question up because maybe he would change his mind. Maybe he would think you didn’t want to marry him.

“I talked to Christopher and he said ever since you were a child, you dreamed of your wedding and wanting to get married your entire life.” He answered. Christopher was behind this? He was your best friend and of course, you told him about how you were kind of upset about Manuel not wanting to get married, but he was behind all of this?

But is he marrying you because it’s your dream? Or is he marrying you because he wants to? You knew that marriage was always a problem for him, and you didn’t want to force him into something that he didn’t want.

“Manny. Please be honest with me. Do you really want to marry me? Or are you just marrying me because you think it’s what I want?” You seriously ask him. You turned your body to fully face him and you grabbed both of his hands in yours. You were trying to look into his eyes but he refused to meet your graze and he just focused on your guys’ hands.

“Y/N, I have known you for 5 years. And yeah these past years I have been hesitant about marriage. But you’re the one. I want to be your one and only for life.” He told you. You smile at him and remove on of your hands from his and move it to his face, cupping the right side of his face. You forced him to look at you.

“I will always be yours,”

You could hear the voice call you again. This time with more desperation and you could hear the harsh undertones in his voice. You forget about that moment and look up at him, you were still at a loss for words, and your eyes just showed confusion and distress.

You felt a pair of hands rest on your shoulders, you turn your head slightly to see your sister standing there. She looked at you and nodded her head, telling you it was okay to choose whoever or no one. She would support whatever decision you made and pull you out of it.

“Are you okay?” She questioned. Were you okay? No, you would never be okay. Your heart was beating out of your chest, your lungs were refusing to fill with the air you needed, everything you thought was going to be your life, wasn’t. “Who do you pick?” She asks you. And you open your mouth, looking between the two men…

Christopher held the phone in his hand, he unlocked his screen and he was blessed with the image of you both. You were on his back, arms wrapped around his neck while his hands gripped your thighs to make sure you wouldn’t fall. He stood crouched over because even though he was giving you a piggyback ride, you were making him laugh so hard he couldn’t breathe. You had your head thrown back a little., but he still had a view of your face, a smile wide on your face. That picture was his favorite, it was the one that reminded him every day that he was so lucky to have you in his life, that reminded him of why he was so in love with you.

But it was quickly hidden when the screen with of Manuel calling him. He took a moment, he wanted to touch that red button that would reject his call, he could feel the jealousy and the hate radiate off him. But he didn’t. He chose the green button because maybe something happened with you or maybe it was you calling him on your boyfriend’s cellphone.

“Hello?” He speaks into the phone.

“Hey, Christopher. I have a question,” Manuel tells him on the other side. Christopher rolls his eyes at the man’s voice, disappointed that it wasn’t you.

“What’s up?”

“So I think Y/N is going to break up with me because I don’t want to get married. I know she told you. But I need advice man.” Manuel tells him.

“Look, Manuel. I’m going to be 100% honest. Let her go. She has always dreamed of getting married. And you can’t give her that, let her be happy and live that dream.” Christopher bluntly tells him. Christopher wanted everything that was the best for you, and you wanted to get married and build a family. Manuel could obviously not give that to you.

“Alright thank you.” And the phone call ends. And Christopher thought it would be the end of you and Manuel, but that weekend you call him, happily screaming into the phone about how you were getting married to Manuel. The man who always told you that marriage wasn’t worth it.

You looked over at your sister, you were finally ready to give your answer. You take your hands away from Manuel and run them over your dress. It was the most nerve-wracking moment of your life but were you ready?

“Y/N please don’t make a decision you’ll regret,” Manuel whispers. And that made your heart drop. You really hoped you were making the right choice. This decision would affect your future and it would make and break your relationship. Like you did all those months ago, you reached your hand out to cup Manuel’s face.

“Manuel. After all of these years together, I love you and I always will. You will always have that special place in my heart. But I know deep down you don’t want this.” You whisper. You rub a finger over his cheek before pulling it away. You slowly take the ring off your finger, moving the hand from his cheek to one of his hands. You placed the ring in his hand, slowly turning over and walking down the three steps.

Christopher stood there watching everything unfold. Every step you took towards him was a step towards his dream future with you. You pick up the dress so you could walk faster, and you did. You found yourself standing in front of the man you knew your entire life. He was the one who taught you how to sneak out, he was the one who picked up the pieces of your broken heart and mended them together. He was the one who had stolen your heart when you were kids and he never gave it back.

You grabbed his outreached hand, your hand nicely fitting in his. It was all familiar but all new at the same time.

“Christopher. The man who I have known for all of our 23 years of life. The man who has been there for everything, the man who I have seen grown and become the man he has always wanted to be. You… you are the one I choose,” You tell him. And you could see the wide smile break out onto his face. His hand leaves yours and his arms find their way around your body, pulling your body into his and they fell together like a puzzle piece.

“Te amo,” He mumbled against your lips before pulling his lips to yours. And there in front of everyone who was there for your wedding with Manuel, you were in the arms of Christopher and you melted into his kiss. You were now promising your future to the man who owns your heart.

~

Masterlist

[rwbyremnants]

WARNINGS: D/s play, foot worship, fellatio, condom sex, hair-pulling, breath play, female ejaculation.

=Chapter 2

While the eldest of the Schnee daughters was checking the fridge, Qrow Branwen was chuckling to himself as he stood over the toilet, whistling a pleasant tune. What a way to start the morning! No doubt things would be awkward for their next bowling game, but he didn't care. It was just what he'd been craving without even knowing it: a good, hard fuck with no strings attached. Winter had been just the kind of woman he was looking for and she more approached him than he approached her. This was by far the best outcome for this situation.

And it was about to get better. As he flushed and went to splash water over his face, he paused a moment to sniff the air. "I’ll be damned… she’s really doing it," he muttered to himself, quickly helping himself to some mouthwash before he exited. The smell of bacon frying was getting stronger, and stronger.

Glancing over her shoulder from the stove, Winter gave him a level gaze as she brandished the spatula. "Hope you don't mind me borrowing your apron," she said in a smooth tone, eyes still sparkling with the vestiges of lust from before. "Didn't want to get popping grease on my shirt."

"Hey, you know I was kidding, right?" he asked, pacing into the kitchen to observe her handiwork. Sure enough, eggs and bacon, both frying in the pan, sizzling away to perfection. Such a sight was just as pleasant as when he was bent over Winter from earlier, yet it came with some guilt. "Seriously, I didn't actually mean that sexist crap. You know that, don't you?"

Her smile softened. "I assumed as much, but… I'd be lying if I said it wasn't nice to have confirmed." A second later, she turned away to flip the contents of the pan. "Or at the very least, you were only still playing with me when you said it. One way or the other."

Leaning against the worktop nearby, he folded his arms across his bare chest. Even now he had decided against putting on a shirt. "Maybe I was playing with you. That's another thing; how does a super serious businesswoman like you get to like being called a ‘cumslut’?"

The spatula scraped loudly against the pan at the sudden broaching of that word. Her eyes flicked toward him as she paused to consider her options. Then she shrugged, and picked up the plate that was on top of the other, nipping the food onto it with a deft hand.

"You, um, can eat first if you're particularly hungry and want all of this. Then I'll get started on mine." Then she winked. "That is, if you'll allow a dirty girl to eat."

“Yeah, I can handle all this. Thanks.” Taking the plate of food without another word, he nodded, wandering to the drawer of cutlery to at least get them both knives and forks. Seemed the least he could do given the situation. Pushing a set toward Winter's plate, he gave a sly wink. "Who knows? Maybe we can have seconds if we’re still hungry after this."

"Maybe." The double meaning did not escape her, and she was more inclined to partake of the hidden one. Then she tossed another egg and two more strips of bacon into the skillet for her own breakfast.

"So… I noticed something interesting last night. Before you got me a drink."

"Y'did, huh?" Deciding against journeying further into the living room just yet, he leant against the doorway, holding his plate level with one hand, and grabbing the fork with the other. "What was that?"

As the coffee began to brew into the carafe at last, she turned the bacon gently without disturbing the egg just yet. "Oh, a little magazine you had buried under your other magazines. One covering a distinctly… unique topic."

It didn't quite phase the cockerel, who continued to toy with his bacon as he occasionally glanced over. He had to admit, he was surprised she had been through his magazine collection, but it wasn't too shocking considering he left them out. Still, he played with the subject. "Which one? The swimsuits, or the motorbikes?"

"You're still talking about the ones on top, I believe." Pausing to fold her arms and stare at him, she decided to tease him lightly before they furthered the main topic. "So, do you consider yourself a lesbian, or simply enjoy watching two women together?"

“Ohhh, no ya don’t,” he chuckled with a shake of his head. "I tried to use that ‘lesbian in a man’s body’ line before, got the lecture from Yang about how I shouldn't joke about those things. So I'll go with option B."

Winter smiled. It rang true enough that Yang would come down on him for joking about very real trans issues; come to think of it, she probably shouldn't have, either. Turning back to make sure her food cooked evenly, she decided the time had come to be more direct.

"There's probably a lot of lesbian porn out there. I never buy those magazines myself, so I wouldn't know. Still… I find it somewhat interesting you felt drawn to that particular cover. The girl with the collar, her 'owner' sitting on her back. Surely that isn't the typical issue you find in any gas station."

This was beginning to get interesting. Not only was she into “being used”, but she was now talking about one particular thing in his collection. That showed she must be interested, as well.

"I think I got lucky with that one." He placed the fork back down on the plate a moment. "Or more, unlucky. It's got it on the cover so I figured the rest of it would be the same. Only a two page article. Rip off. Still, the chicks on the cover are pretty hot."

"And you were interested in more of that? Chaining a woman by the neck, riding her like some kind of pack mule." Her tone was neutral; she could either be amused, or disgusted, or another emotion altogether. It was impossible to tell with her back turned as she plated her own food.

"Hey, I don't think you have room to judge my fetish, cumslut." He eagerly watched for whatever reaction that would bring. Again, she stiffened. Held perfectly still, mid-action, for several seconds. Then she began to move again, finishing putting everything on her plate before she responded.

"Nobody said I was judging." Then she turned around, and her cheeks were slightly more pink than they had been. And obviously, it was from him speaking that word. "You're just the first person I've come across this randomly who was interested in the community. Even if…" Her tone changed, making it clear she was asking a question rather than assuming. "Even if you haven't explored that before?"

One particular word in her response raised an eyebrow: 'community'. Qrow had always assumed such a fetish was relatively common in porn or daydreams, but rarely practiced. And if it was, it was never talked about. Finally stepping out of the doorway to let her through as well, he replied, "Closest I got was tying some chick's hands behind her back. She wasn't into it. After that, I tried to read that Fifty Shades bull. Couldn't even finish the first chapter.”

"Oh, honey, at least your black ties are nicer than Christian Grey's," she said with light laughter as she set her plate down to get two coffee mugs for them both. Then she paused their conversation to look at him. "How do you take your coffee?"

"Black." Instead of letting her struggle with both the cups and the plates, he instead went to collect her plate, carrying them both into the main room. Aside from being forceful and speaking harshly in their moment of madness, it seemed the rugged Qrow Branwen was rather gentlemanly, after all. Maybe there was hope for Winter to get to know him yet.

That explained the contented look on her face when she appeared with two cups of coffee. His was as requested, black as midnight. Her own was a lighter shade with a spoon in to stir. Then she seated herself on the couch and pulled her plate onto her lap.

"Ow!" she breathed quietly, then picked up one of the sports magazines to shield her bare legs from the heat. "Didn't think about that…"

But that only made Qrow laugh to himself. His plate had significantly cooled down by the time he placed it on his lap, meaning it was unnecessary for him to fetch one for himself. But that didn't stop him. Nor was he about to act embarrassed about the subject that had been brought up, especially since Winter seemed interested. He moved a few of the magazines out of the way, fetching their subject of conversation out, and holding it up.

"So what are you asking me here; which one I'd rather be?"

"Oh, your casual use of the word 'cumslut' would indicate which." Flashing him a wicked smile, she took a sip of her coffee before setting it aside and taking up her fork. "Although I could also see you wanting to be on the bottom. You'd be surprised how many strong, handsome, confident men like to have a woman grinding her high heels into their backs."

"Well those men are more than welcome to it. But that ain't me," he told her rather bluntly, finally tucking into his meal now he had two hands to cut things properly. Picking up a rasher of bacon and holding it up near his mouth, he decided to clarify. "Nah. Call me a typical dude or a narcissist or whatever, but I'd much rather be the one pullin' the chain."

"Would you?"

The question was short and to the point, and she left it hanging there as she raised the bacon to her own mouth with her fingers, biting it with relish. Halfway through chewing his own, he began to raise an eyebrow again. He couldn't deny there was a slight pinkness in his own cheeks growing, mainly from revealing so much to her. Yet, she was still a closed book.

"Alright, alright," he started once he'd finished swallowing. "What about you? Apart from the 'cumslut' thing."

A coarse laugh floated out as she reached for her coffee again. "Oh, no, no, no. That is far too long a conversation. We're still talking about you." After another sip, she asked, "Is it about the power play? Enacting a violent fantasy without any true injury? Shaming, degradation? Or do you just like the look of leather and chains? Again, not here to judge; simply curious what started you thinking about BDSM. There are almost as many reasons as there are people."

"Lil bit of all of 'em." Apparently, Winter was going to remain a closed book until she was ready, it seemed. But he could discover that later. Maybe even on the end of his chain. After chewing through the rest of that bit of bacon, he looked toward her. "Dunno if Tai mentioned or not, but in our old jobs where we met, we didn't exactly meet people that made us feel powerful. I guess that's why I like it. My way of saying a big 'fuck you' to the submission, I guess."

"Hmm…" Her smile had faded. She wanted to ask after that, but didn't feel entitled to do so yet. That would be as bad as him refusing to accept her delay in her own story. "Taking back power that was stolen from you… interesting. And understandable. It can be cathartic, I can tell you." Very quietly, she added, "From experience."

Bingo. Picking up his mug of coffee and taking a quick sip, he looked back toward her, watching the reaction like a hawk. Now he knew for a fact she'd experienced these things. There was a small amount of shame in knowing she had explored more than him, but still, that didn't matter.

"So you're a sub, then?"

Her eyes did not return to him. "Most of the time. The best way I can describe it is… sometimes I need to be a Dom. To work through something, or to reaffirm my confidence. And I don’t mind it at all if I know a sub needs me flogging them senseless." Her tongue flitted over her lips. "But what I crave is being a sub. Does that make sense?"

Raising his eyebrows whilst finishing off the sip, he tilted his head slightly, putting the mug back down on the table. They were both as complicated as each other, and both into this for reasons other than pleasure it seemed.

"I can imagine you with a whip, y'know. With a nice leather corset on, giving the orders." In fact, the thought was even making him stir again, having to shuffle his position to keep his plate still.

"You know, I could be a Dom for you," she told him with a slight smile, eyes finally finding his now that he had not judged her for her confession, had not insinuated she was mentally ill or disgusting. "Put on the show without making you do anything a sub would normally do. Just a little costume party."

Rolling his eyes, he finally resigned to holding the plate properly, and put it back on the table with his coffee. "I don't think I'd make a good sub," he confessed, but that brought a smirk. "I don't take orders well."

That merely prompted a light shrug. "That's up to you. I'm very good in both roles. By now, you ought to have figured out that I excel at whatever I choose to attempt." She punctuated this by sipping her coffee again, gazing at him over the rim of the mug.

"But you enjoy the bottom more. Noted." Electing to ignore the rest of his breakfast temporarily, he leant back on the sofa with one arm, leaning his head against his hand to get the best look at her. By now he could feel himself becoming more ready again for another round, but he didn't put any effort into hiding it any longer.

"So now that I know the basics… how about round two?"

"Oooh," Winter cooed softly, grinning behind her coffee mug. "Well, well, someone is ready to go again." Taking one more sip of coffee, she set the plate and the magazine down alongside the mug, then rolled to straddle his lap in one fluid motion.

"So," she sighed, nose an inch from his, "how are we doing it this time? Any requests? If you don't have another condom, I could just blow you."

Smirking eagerly, his hands moved around to her back. This time, he was going to be that bit more assertive. Starting with a single step, moving his hand under her shirt to caress the skin underneath. No looking, just feeling.

"Like I said, Snowbird…" He continued to grind himself up against her however he could, feeling himself stirring. "I always carry a couple around."

Eyes sliding closed, she simply enjoyed the sensation for a few breaths, grinding right back. Then she whispered, "God, you really weren't kidding about that cock…"

Grinning eagerly back at her, he rested his forehead against hers, delivering a particularly hard thrust upward against her panties. Just enough to feel the girth again. "I'm a lot of things, but I ain't no liar." But then he quickly gazed around. Where would they do it? The sofa wasn't all too comfortable, a night on it told Qrow that it was barely big enough for one. It left one option, one that could fall in her favour. "But you, however… are on top of me right now. Some sub."

"Haven't you ever heard of a 'power bottom'?" But she was laughing breathily. Then she leaned to one side and nipped at his ear with her teeth. "Besides… we haven't established rules of the game. I'm not a sub until that's taken care of."

"Safe words and all that jazz, right?" he asked, unable to help the contented sigh that followed as he was fussed over. Continuing to stroke her back, he laid back to listen. "Alright, lay ‘em on me."

"You…" Her movements stilled, and she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "You want to discuss this now? Are you sure? I could just fuck you senseless and worry about that later…" But her cheeks were flushing slightly. "But… you… want to Dom me. Right here and now. Don't you?"

Leaning himself further back so she could watch him properly, the movements under her shirt stopped and he paused his grinding in addition. All so he could smirk back up at her. "You've already experienced this stuff. Way I see it, I got a lot of catching up to do. No time like the present."

Suddenly, Winter looked very different from he had ever seen her. She looked flustered, like a girl going on her first job interview, or waiting for her prom date to pick her up. Composing herself as best she could, she said in a still-excited voice, "Alright, well, we… first thing is first, I have a few hard limits. No injuries that will be visible outside of my clothing, especially to my face. Nothing that will leave lasting permanent damage without discussing it beforehand - like branding, as an example. Gosh, if I'd known, I would have brought my list…"

"You actually have a list for this stuff?" When that question earned him a slight glare in return, he held his hands up, smiling nervously. "Alright alright, I'm still listening. Anything else major?"

"Hmm," she huffed, already forgetting her momentary irritation. "No scat, ever. No golden showers unless it's in a controlled environment. Anything that goes into any of my openings has to be approved before play begins. If you plan on gagging me, we have to establish a safety signal to take the place of a safety word. And I don't like knives or guns being brought into play, but if you really want them, they have to either be clearly plastic… or I have to check them myself, immediately before play, to make sure they aren't loaded or sharpened."

"Ain't got any of those in the apartment, anyway; I'd say you're pretty safe." This seemed like an awful lot to take in for a first encounter. Perhaps he should have left it after all… Still, not letting himself be deterred, he nodded. "No icky stuff, no danger, safety signal. Got it. I think from the limited things we have in here, that ain't a problem."

She grinned at his overwhelmed expression. "Told you I could just suck you off… but alright, let's try this if you're still game. I can select a safe word, or you can."

Smirking widely, he seemed to have come up with an idea for that. A delightfully evil one. "Alright," he began, folding his arms instead. "It ain't a word, more of an impression…" When that seemed to raise an eyebrow more, he quietly let out a slightly higher pitched sound over and over. It was clear he was doing an impression of a chicken.

Both of her pale eyebrows went up at this notion. "You… can't be serious. You want me to do my best impression of a rooster? Aren't we taking that theme a bit too far?" But then she held up a hand. "No, no… you're the Dom. If I do that and you don't realize what I'm doing and stop, then it's on your head later."

"Well, it’s more to say 'I'm a chicken' than about the rooster thing. Since you can’t take whatever’s goin’ on." Now that was established, seemed the cockerel really did want to get back to business. His hands unfolded and instead he pushed against her shoulders, demanding her to stand. "First thing’s first… If you are a dirty girl, then get on the floor."

However, he seemed to have erred slightly. Winter’s hand reached up and into the back of his hair, grasping hard. A lot harder than the shapely figure and smaller stature would have suggested she was capable of pulling.

“AH!” There was a rather loud yelp from having his hair suddenly pulled, and he found himself having to tilt his head with it to prevent any further pain. But as best he could, he endeavoured to look back into her eyes.

"Let's get something straight, Rooster Boy,” she told him in a low growl. And the seriousness he saw in her flinty eyes really brought it home; this was a huge dealbreaker. “If I call a safety word, it doesn't mean I'm a 'chicken'. It means the pain or suffering that you're causing me is no longer something I can just shake off when play is over. The benefit-cost ratio no longer falls on the benefit side; I’ll feel too crappy later for the high of being dommed to be worth it. And I only use it if I absolutely have to, either because I suddenly know I can’t do this, or because you have breached one of my limits. Just because I'm considering being your cumdumpster doesn't mean I'm signing away all my rights forever. When we’re not playing, I am still a woman who deserves your respect as a fellow human being. Do we have an understanding?"

Qrow swallowed hard, suddenly finding he was even more turned on. This powerful woman was putting herself into his hands, and her words made him appreciate that a lot more starkly than he had a minute ago. "Alright." He finally nodded, making sure there was no amusement or flippancy to his tone whatsoever. "I get it, the safety signal is serious business. I won't fool around anymore."

"I'm a fan of fooling around," she told him, releasing his hair and running her fingers through it to soothe the slight ache she had caused. "Within reason. And I'm sorry if I hurt you, but I had to know you were listening. Now…" Her hands withdrew to lay on his shoulders, and she smirked very slightly, before wiping her face clear of any expression.

"Begin play."

There was a brief pause in that moment while he decided just what to do. Removing clothing wasn't discussed, so he threw that out. Forcefullness wasn't defined, either… but that seemed like the better option he had. Quickly grasping her wrists as he stood up as well, he shoved them off his shoulders, glaring downward as he stood close.

But what could he command of her? Just bending down to take him again seemed like it would waste the chance, and all that preparation. There had to be more. And to see just how far she would go, he eventually released her wrists to make a demand. "Kiss my feet."

"Yes, Master," she replied. Like lightning, no hesitation or misgiving. As she knelt, voice quieter than usual, she asked, "Does Master wish to be called something else?" Then she added in a stage whisper, "Normally I wouldn't ask that during play, but we didn't cover a lot of things before."

If anything, the word made him smirk all the more as he watched everything she was doing, even lifting one of his legs toward her to give easier access. He could certainly get used to that term. "Master is perfect."

Nodding, she immediately reached up and accepted his heel into her hands, drawing her goal higher. Soft lips caressed the tops of his toes, then grazed up toward his ankle to leave another kiss. Her eyes moved up toward him.

"Is this good, Master?"

Eyes half closing in contentment, he smirked downward at her, drawing his heel back out of her hand to rest down on the ground. "Very good… Now this one." Not even a moment's hesitation before he brought his other foot up toward her, to allow her to give the same treatment. However, like her, he had to ask in a whisper, "What do you like to be called in this stage? I'll use your favourite word later."

"W-well…" She left a few kisses on his other foot first to give herself time to find her courage. She seemed vaguely self-conscious to answer, but did it anyway. "The sub-name I liked most was… 'Princess', Master."

"Princess, huh?" For a sub, it wasn't what he was expecting. But regardless, he nodded, eventually bringing that foot back as well once he was satisfied with the attention. The foot-kissing was only a challenge, anyway. An actual demand was about to go forth when he pointed toward his wallet on the table. "Alright, 'Princess', the other condom’s in there. You can get me ready to put it on."

"Yes, of course, Master." And rather than standing up, she crawled the few inches to get the wallet, opening the wallet to retrieve the condom. It was a reputable brand; she approved of his choice. Returning to him, she leaned up and placed her hands on his thighs, the packet between her index and middle fingers.

"Does Master want me to get him ready any special way?"

Already reaching to push his boxer shorts slightly further down, he could feel his body getting itself ready without her actions. Even moreso when he thought about what she was doing earlier with her mouth. He wanted more of that. "Show me what those pretty lips can do, Princess."

With no further questions, not even a confirmation, Winter took him into her lips, tongue swirling around the lingering essence from their last session where it clung behind the head. The moan of pure gratitude and desire was as obscene as it could be, and her back arched as she took him deeper.

Such a moan was echoed through her new master. Gazing upward into the air, he found his hands slivering into her hair while she worked his member with her mouth. It was hardening again in no time, and the tongue that savoured his flavour was getting more and more adventurous over him. What could that tongue do lower down? On that soft sack of his? Maybe she could reach that as they kept going.

Willing to test that theory, his hands grasped handfuls each of hair, using it to keep her going against his member. The encouragement was clear. Her head began to bob harder and harder, taking him deeper with each pass. In no time at all, he was sliding into her throat, her lips brushing the base. Completely enveloping him as she did all the thrusting for both of them.

"Oh yeeeaaaah…" For one particular thrust, he held her firmly against the base, keeping himself nestled inside her for a short period of time. Oh how good it felt… So warm and wet, this time without the covering. It felt different to her entrance, but no less fantastic. In fact, it was probably tighter.

Taking advantage of being held entirely still, she ran her tongue as frequently over the underside of him as she possibly could with it as deep within her as it was. This was not the easiest feat in the world, but she pulled it off, experienced as she was.

"D-Daaaamn… how do you manage to do that without coming up for air?" The instant it came from his mouth, he stopped. That wasn't really something a master would ask. So instead he shook his head, finally easing her off his member instead. Once she was back enough she could breathe, he asked, "That good enough for you, Princess?"

"Yes, Master," she panted wetly, literally gasping for breath. After a few deep inhalations, she pressed her face up against his cock, despite the coating of mingled semen, her own juices, and saliva. "But is it good enough for you?"

Having to calm his own breathing down, he smirked. "I'm rock hard, aren't I?"

When she nodded, it further stirred her own arousal, and she raised up the condom to show him. "Is Master ready for this?" While waiting, she gazed up at him as her lips kissed lower, just barely grazing his soft sack below.

Barely able to speak anymore, he nodded. The sight when he looked down was truly one to die for. "He sure is," he managed to pant. The idea from earlier was starting to return, about where she should go. And the smirk only grew to a devious grin. "Ready to take this dirty girl on the ground, where she belongs."

"Of course, Master." Her fingers shredded the packet with practiced ease, and she barely glanced at it as she began to roll it down along his beautiful example of manhood. From opening it to snugly around him in under ten seconds.

"Pretty good with these things…" He had to compliment that, even if it wasn't all too in character. Still, he could get back into it slightly, and learn a little more about Winter while he was at it. All with a rather sly demand: "So let’s see your favourite position, Princess. I'm waiting."

With a shy smile, she used a carefully deferential tone to tell him, "We do not have the equipment for Princess's favourite position, Master. Though I do also enjoy…"

As Winter's deft hands ran down from his hips to his knees, she slowly eased back onto her haunches. Then the hands vanished and went to behind herself as she lowered herself down, until her back was gracing the carpeting between the table and the couch. Licking her lips, she rubbed up and down her own thighs now, spreading her legs as wide as was possible.

"Is Master satisfied?"

"Master's satisfied with anything. But he's surprised that Princess would go for something that simple." There was no need to be picky, however. Dropping down to his knees, he couldn't help but continue to stare at the sight. Still covered by that meaningless pair of panties, which were more than soaked. She'd need to be borrowing a pair of his before she left if she wanted a comfortable journey back home. Laying his hands on the insides of her legs, he brushed them up and down. Anything to get her excited.

"Ready to take me again?"

"Always, Master." Of course, they both knew that "always" hinged on how well they got along on a long-term basis. But for the purposes of this current session, she was his property, his pet… his cheap diversion. But she wanted to welcome him into her embrace this first time. It was the simplest, and the most easily pleasurable position, tried and true.

Clambering on top of her, this time she'd feel everything close up. The sheer body weight added to the dense muscles in his chest and arms, all lowering themselves on top of her. He had begun to reach a hand down between them, until realising what he could do instead.

"Show me," he commanded. "Guide me in."

Biting her lip, she eagerly reached down between them and grasped him, stroking very briefly to make sure he was still solid as a rock. Then she moved the tip to linger just between her soft petals, asking, "Like this?"

Edging himself further and further forward whilst she held him, it was a joint effort when the head slipped inside of her. One hand made it's way back into her hair, grabbing a handful to pull back. "Perfect." And while she was held back and unsuspecting, he thrusted forward again quickly. Again leaving no time for her to acclimate.

"A-AH!" Winter burst out at the sudden and hard invasion, though she did her level best to keep from crying out. How could it be so huge, and so soon after it last was drained? She would have to redefine how she saw being penetrated purely for this one man. That excited her.

The ever-present smirk was beginning to get bigger. Even more so when he thrust back and forward again. Only this time, he had a new tactic, one equally as exciting as it was frustrating: he went slow. Agonisingly so. He took a good few seconds to linger all the way inside, then a good few more to draw back again. And that continued for a while as he pulled her hair back.

All Winter could do was groan at the pace, but she couldn't cry out, couldn't call him the tease that he was. She wanted to, she yearned to… she wasn't allowed. They were engaged in play, and she did not have that power anymore. So she could do nothing but weather the slow torture of a thick, hot cock driving its way into her and dragging back out again.

"Huh… Wonder how long it would take to finish you off like this," he teased, continuing to slowly torture those tight insides of hers. Occasionally he pulled on her hair harder, watching with a sick glee as her head followed suit, having to follow its direction. When he could, he leant close to her ear, whispering, "Maybe I'll find out… maybe we could be here all day."

"All day…" Swallowing, she breathed quickly and shallowly due to the angle at which her neck had been wrenched, gazing up at him. "I… would love that, if it pleases my master. Whatever Master wants."

"You would, huh?" he purred, leaning in toward her. In a bold risk, and something they were yet to cover by rules, he pressed a kiss against her exposed neck. Then another… then another… over and over again. It made a slight change from the agonising sensation of a thick member going in and out.

There was a pronounced gulp from Winter. One of nerves. More likely than not, he could hear it, but she didn't mean to let it slip through, nervous as that made her. She simply breathed deeply of his heady masculine scent, allowing herself to be lost in the moment.

For a moment he paused those kisses, gazing down toward that perfect throat… There were other things he wanted to do, besides kissing. Things he'd been curious of, but never put into practice. No time like the present.

Leaning in toward her ear, he had to break character again, whispering, "How do you feel about choking?"

"How good are you at it?" she asked back, also in a whisper. "Just remember… I won't be able to use a safe word."

“Haven’t tried…" He was slightly more ashamed to admit. Having forgotten that safety factor as well, he thought of a new tactic, kissing her neck one more time. "If you’re fadin’ out, stomp the ground three times with your left foot, got it?"

She was tempted to point out that either foot would make the same noise, but decided to let it slide. Instead, she slipped back into her role and whispered, "Yes, Master."

Finally backing off to continue their play, the pace of thrusting began to quicken for a moment, speed increasing as he pumped back and forth into her body again, allowing her to get used to the stimulation. The last thing he wanted was too much, too soon. But a hand did leave her hair, and instead went to grasp her throat. There was no tightening just yet, only pinning her down. A threat of what would come, perhaps.

Her eyes widened appropriately, lips parting as she attempted to draw in more breath. It still came easily enough, though she felt a thrill of dread as she considered how soon it would not…

"Does Master… like to see Princess like this?" she breathed, eyes earnest, trusting. Hips still shifting back and forth around his girth.

"Fuck yeah, he does…"

And with that, the hand on her throat began to tighten. Tighter and tighter still until he could tell she struggled to breathe any longer. Only then did he increase the pace even more, forcing himself in and out even quicker, matching the very pace they had at the kitchen. That doubled with what he could see was making the venture more and more exciting, causing him to moan even louder.

Of course, Winter did have to stop moaning. There was no way she could continue to do so if she had no breath. But her face clearly told Qrow that she still loved every second he was pumping in and out of her tightness, forcing her thighs apart.

The way her vision swam, her fingertips and toes tingled from the lack of oxygen, it was something that always excited her. Even If sometimes she wasn't in the mood for it. Luckily, this wasn't one of those times; she had been indifferent to the idea, but that didn't mean she would have no reaction.

He waited until she appeared red in the face, continuing to pump harder and faster, until he finally let her throat go again. Allowing her to regain that valuable air she needed, he tried to contain his moans to ask, "That enough for ya? Or do you want more, you dirty girl?"

As she gasped gratefully at the air, fascinated as always by how much more she could feel compared to a moment ago when her breath was being stopped, she licked her lips and panted, "More, Master."

"More, huh?" Yet again, he tightened his hand, feeling her breathing come to another stop while he pumped in and out quickly and harshly. Everything about this was unbelievable; how attractive Winter was, how eager she was to be trash talked, and how much she was trusting him to never betray her trust. Even if there was a small feeling of guilt that he didn't deserve it, he didn't let it bother him currently, and kept pumping in and out of her.

"You're a glutton for punishment, dirty girl. Think you can come while you're outta breath? If I'll let you, that is."

From experience, she knew the answer to that. Intimately. But she wanted to let him discover that on his own. So she merely continued to squirm beneath his body, hands coming up to weakly caress his sides as he rode her, as he removed her freedom to breathe.

Tilting his head, he decided to keep his hand there for a while longer, truly curious of how long she could last before she'd tell him to stop. It was cruel, perhaps, but certainly not something he would be doing every time they were intimate. Simply a fantasy he'd never acted out before and was curious about.

But she didn't. Her eyes closed as the world began to fade, and her arms fell out to the side, even though her face was still shining with sweat, mouth open as she tried to pant in response to the intensity of pleasure assailing her lower half. As distantly as she could feel it now… it was also the only thing she could still feel. And that was something she craved.

Being able to ignore everything else but pleasure. Even her own demons.

How long has it been? Seconds? Minutes? Qrow was unsure anymore. But she still wasn't telling him to stop. Nor was she making any effort to even express true discomfort. She really was handling it well, continuing to take his length as roughly as it forced its way in over and over, despite the lack of breath, without even one complaint. But he didn't dare leave it forever. After a few particular thrusts that made his legs quiver, he released her neck again, allowing her back to reality.

Winter didn't react right away; her eyes remained slits, and her face slack. Then she took a shaky breath, thrashing from side to side weakly. She could scarcely move. Her eyes were glassy, and darted from side to side before fixating on Qrow's face.

"Am…" Her voice was hoarse, and she coughed, sending spasms through both of them where they were joined. "Did I… please Master?"

Having to slow the pace down a little just to hold on longer, he looked down at her form. His hand left her throat and moved to the ground by her face to support himself upward. Even if it was his goal to be forceful, he couldn't do that to her again; not today.

"Geez, Princess… you really know how to hold your own."

"That's what Master needs from Princess," she whispered. Her hand came up to rest on his side, but the touch was so light it was almost an afterthought. That had been slightly too long; she would have to recover now, rather than bouncing back immediately as she had the first time. So she began that process - taking long, deep breaths that inflated her lungs, sent sensation back into her palms and soles, made her heart thunder in her chest. And…

Made the grinding in and out of her so much more real. Already, it had been glorious, but being able to enjoy it more fully with a mind that was not half-asleep from asphyxiation doubled the sensation.

After grinding a little longer, he gradually leant in again, as though he were about to kiss her neck; though he held off. Unfortunately, he was still rather bad at this, it seemed, as he broke character again to whisper, "Seriously though, you gonna be okay if I go fast again? Or should I let you recover more?"

Though he would never see it, she smiled very slightly at the feeling of his face near hers, and the care within the question. It helped calm the lingering anxiety of their play. What she said was, "I am ready, Master. Do… as you will with my body."

He could have just kissed her in that moment, broken character even more and poured everything into a kiss to try and ease his own worry. But he refrained. In little to no time, he was thrusting as fast as they were in the kitchen, raking in and out of her inner walls with his rock hard member. The moment they had slowed had managed to push back and delay his orgasm, but it wouldn't be long until he'd be filling her again.

"Nnhhhah!" she gusted, head falling back at the brutal pace he set, wrapping her calves around his hips. Drawing him in, yearning for him to go as fast as he might so that they could both reach their end. Hers was building fast, and she wanted him right there with her when the dam broke.

And that would be very soon. But not before Qrow reached his own. And after a few more quick and forceful thrusts, more loud and gruff moans, he met his end. Moaning once more through gritted teeth, he forced himself all the way inside, feeling his member throb over and over again within her as yet another latex coating was filled.

But the speed at which that orgasm came wasn't the only surprise to come. When Winter Schnee came for the second time, moaning out into the ceiling her joy at reaching the end of this session, there was a bit more to it than previously. A warm splash of fluid hit Qrow's pubic area, thin and sudden, and then smashed between them with his last few thrusts. Over and over.

In his lust-filled gaze, Qrow had not noticed the initial outcome of their actions together. But then another few splashes hit, and he was starting to realise what just happened. In that moment, he quickly pushed himself off her, looking down between their bodies.

There was a significant amount of fluid present. It seemed that Winter Schnee really was just as he described. Yet he wasn't disgusted. He only growled, "Well… You really are dirty girl, huh?"

"Yes, Master," she breathed, averting her eyes as her cheeks tinged with pink. No matter how many times that was noticed, it seemed to provoke the same reaction: embarrassment.

Noticing such an unusual reaction, at least compared to everything so far, Qrow was slightly thrown off. She was was embarrassed at what she'd done, perhaps even humiliated. As much as he enjoyed the thrill of feeling so powerful compared to her, he didn't know if he would be pushing any kind of limit in continuing. Even his own. Making someone else cry just seemed to be something he couldn't risk unless he was assured it was part of play, or that she wouldn’t cry at all.

So instead, he lowered his head, letting out the same noise as he did before their play. The chicken safety signal.

At that, Winter blinked several times in complete surprise – then her hand flew to Qrow's face and cupped it, gently but urgently. "What is it? Are you alright?"

Sliding himself back out of her body, he laughed under his breath instead. And once free, he flipped down by her side. One hand had idly landed across her stomach, where he gently stroked over the fabric of her shirt while he caught his breath again.

"Nothing's wrong," he panted, smiling back at her. "Just figured that's how we say 'game over'."

"Oh…" Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly, evenly, and regained some of her composure. "Alright. It's… I'm really glad you were paying attention and everything, but you scared me!" Then she rolled slightly to look at him. "If we come to the natural end of a scene like we just did, we can use a phrase like 'End play' or 'Scene complete'. Using the safe word is… like applying an emergency brake. You didn't do anything wrong, at all, but that's why I was worried; it made me think you were in pain, physically or mentally."

"Oh…" Now he was beginning to understand all the more about things. Safety phrases, phrases to begin and end scenes, the limits that each of them could take. It was all part of the learning curve into a world he was eager to explore. And what a guide he had!

When his hand drifted slightly further down, into the accidental wetness, he quickly looked down again. "And this… is this something you learned to do, or have you always done that when you finish?"

Her blush returned, but not nearly as much as it had before. "Well… it's not something I have control over, if that's what you mean. But it happens from time to time. Hopefully you weren't too disgusted; I'd be more than happy to clean up after myself."

"Do you realise how many guys out there would die for a chick like you who could do that?" he asked rather seriously, unable to help but dip his finger against the moisture that had gathered around the top of her legs, collecting a small amount of it to look. Her shiver said that she enjoyed the attentions, even if only distantly now. "I'm indifferent personally but gotta admit, it's pretty flattering to think I can make a woman squirt."

"Really?" she breathed softly, somewhat surprised. "I'm… well. I haven't had anyone tell me they enjoyed it in a while, but most of the time men think I've… well, wet myself. In the unfortunate way." Then she added a slight chuckle. "Did have one guy who was into that idea, and then was disappointed it wasn't urine. It takes all kinds, I suppose."

"Huh… s’pose so." He nodded, finally bringing his hand back away from her again, beginning to shift to get back up. And to remove the covering from his cock. But as he got up and headed toward the kitchen to dispose of it, he continued to talk as he walked. "Y'know, it's kinda embarrassing to admit you've had way more action than me. But hey, I don't wanna be that guy."

Sitting up carefully, head still lighter than it normally would have been, she took a few breaths before she tried to answer. "It's… nothing to be ashamed of. I'm just glad you aren't calling me a whore for all of my experience." Then the corner of her mouth twitched upward. "Outside of play, I mean."

Arriving back from the kitchen again, this time a few tissues in hand, his own mouth was mirroring hers. A confident smile shone through as he knelt down by her again, dabbing the various areas of the ground where the liquid had landed.

"I say guys who do that are jealous. They're either stuck fifty years in the past, or they're stuck in Mommy's basement. Fuckin’ weak."

"Perhaps you're right. I have very little time for misogynists, myself." As the next tissue dabbed at her thighs, touch gentle and attentive, her words ceased, and she merely watched him with a curious expression on her face. A contemplative one.

The final step was clearing the moisture off his groin, before tucking himself neatly away again. He was unaware Winter was looking, yet still wore a rather satisfied smile. "I might look rough as fuck and seem like some typical skirt-chaser, but I'm honestly the same. It's funny what you can pick up once you get two nieces you feel defensive over."

"And I find that admirable." Then she reached up to caress his neck. "Also, thank you for… wow. You're a really fantastic lay. For a first-timer, you even didn't do too badly with playing out a scene, but just the sex? I'm… going to remember this for a long time, I can tell you that much!"

That got him to look back toward her eyes again, stopping his movements so he could focus on her instead. Running a hand through his hair again in an attempt to neaten it once more, he smiled. "Back at ya', Snowbird. Let's just say I wouldn't mind doing it again sometime, if you're game."

"I'm beginning to agree." Then she used the edge of the couch to push up from the floor, legs like gelatin. "Ooh… good God, that's tight… I'm out of practice, I suppose. Have to get back to my yoga."

"Hey, least you got the bed instead of this crappy sofa," he remarked, collecting the tissues remaining and the condom wrapper to toss them out. But a trip to the kitchen wasn't all. Once deposing of the remains of their play, he walked back to the bedroom again. Even though his motives seemed to be unknown, he continued to speak to her from in the room. "I'm guessing you’d rather your sister or my niece not know you spent the night, right? I can cover for ya if so."

As she slowly approached the bedroom door, she considered this. "Well… yes, I think that might be best. The family will leap to a lot of conclusions about the nature of our relationship, and I would prefer to avoid those." She paused to sigh. "Especially from my father. He still expects me to find a 'nice young man' and get married, birth two-point-five children. Not that he's pushing, exactly, just… pointedly encouraging."

"Let me know if you ever get the point-five kiddo! That’d be something to call Ripley’s about." With a laugh, he pulled open one of the lower drawers in the small desk, picking up something Winter couldn't quite make out. That was until it was thrown at her face by him. A pair of red boxers. Not the most flattering pair, but it did the job.

"Figured you wouldn't wanna go home soaked. Feel free to keep 'em."

"Oh, I wouldn't have minded," she half-chuckled, though she was already sliding her panties down and off. "I've done worse, and would have had my slacks on over the top of them. But… I really do appreciate this." Once she had swapped them out, she glanced at the panties, then at him. "Hmm… would you care to hang onto these as collateral?"

"You want me to do your dirty laundry?" But despite the joke, he accepted the offer, taking the sopping wet pair in exchange. No one could exactly object to such a souvenir from a wonderful partner, especially when the remnants of her play were still on it. However…

"Just don't expect me to be wearing them if we do this again."

As she turned to go back to the kitchen, where her slacks were still somewhere on the floor, she smirked over her shoulder. "We'll see. On both counts."

[kelyon]

Golden Cuffs 30: The Apple

Rumbelle Dark Castle BDSM AU

Read on AO3

The Queens satisfy themselves on Belle 

TRIGGER WARNINGS FOR RAPE AND TORTURE

Specific trigger warnings for: forced orgasms, vaginal rape, being forced to perform sex acts on another person, forced gagging, a whole bunch of pain and misery. And fire and burns.

Also, there is a magic strap-on in this fic and I don't know if the way it's used will trigger anybody's body dysmorphia or come off as transphobic. That's not my intention. There's enough messed up stuff in this chapter, I don't want to add on to it.

The queens did not robe themselves after they took Belle away from the thorns. Both of them were still naked as they laid her on the bed in the Mirror Room. Maleficent had cleaned the blood off of her body, but Belle still felt a thousand tiny thorn-marks on her back and chest. The soft satin coverlet did nothing to ease the pain in her flesh. 

The bed was black wood, the coverlet a lush, royal purple. Belle sunk into a soft feather mattress. The bed was large enough to accommodate the queens for whatever they wanted to do to her for the rest of the night. Looking down at the foot of the bed, she saw an iron ring bolted into the wood. Other rings were fastened into the bedposts and the headboard, the same as the rings and hooks in the walls of this room. All of them wide were enough for chains to be run through them. 

Belle swallowed. Would they chain her again? Would they tie her to the bed and force her to stay there while they worked their evil on her?  

But Regina and Maleficent made no motion to bring over the chains. They allowed Belle enough freedom to lie down on her own power.

Perhaps they knew that she was too exhausted to move, that she hurt too much to do anything but lie there. The shackles at her wrists weighed her down and kept her in place, perhaps that was enough for them. Perhaps the queens thought that they had broken her spirit. Perhaps they were right. 

After the torture with the thorns, all Belle could even want to do was rest her body for as much time as she was given.

Maleficent reached between Belle’s spread legs and touched the hairless flesh that still burned with pain. “Dry as a bone,” she pouted. “What a shame. I thought you would be a good slut for us. What use does Rumple get out of you if you’re never wet?”

Belle said nothing. She wasn’t going to tell these witches that Rumple always found her wet, that it astonished him every time, that he aroused her to no end and that they were nothing like him.

“It isn’t difficult to bottle pleasure.” Regina conjured a glass vial that sparkled with a dark pink liquid. “I’m sure her master keeps her well dosed with this.”  

Belle had never seen that potion in her life. “Do--do you want me to drink it?”

Regina threw her head back in a laugh. “We could do that! We could pour the whole thing down your greedy throat!” She leaned into Belle, purring threats. “You’d go mad with lust, an insensible beast desperate to be filled. You wouldn’t come back to yourself until you’d had every cock in my kingdom inside you. I could give you back to Rumple like that. The twisted little imp would have to fuck you for weeks without stopping before he could satisfy you. Would you like that, you shameless whore?”

“No,” Belle whispered, her eyes wide. “Please don’t do that, Your Majesty. Please!”

“Then keep your stupid mouth shut!” Regina growled. Then she stopped and blinked. A smile curled on her face as she considered Belle. “Actually,” an apple appeared in her hand. Like the roses that had grown from Maleficent’s thorns, the apple was as red as blood. “Actually, open your stupid mouth.” 

Obediently, Belle dropped her jaw as wide as she could. Regina pushed the apple into her mouth, forcing her open. Belle’s teeth broke through the red skin and she tasted the sour-sweet juice on her tongue. After only a moment of having the apple in her mouth, she could feel the juice dripping onto her chin. It mingled with her saliva and made Belle a slobbery mess. 

“And keep it there,” Regina said. “I don’t want to hear anything from you for the rest of the night. Is that clear?”

Stuffed and gagged, Belle nodded. 

Sitting beside her on the bed, Maleficent giggled. “What a cute little piggy she is, all cut up and laid out with an apple in her mouth! She looks good enough to eat!”

“That is the idea,” Regina smirked. “But first, she needs a bit of a marinade.”

The queen set to work. She uncorked the vial and held the bottle under Belle’s nose. Fumes wafted up from the potion, dark pink smoke. The smell of it overpowered even the taste of the apple.

The smoke smelled like flowers. No one type of flower, not just roses or lilies or honeysuckle, but a whole garden in bloom. It smelled hot and redolent, like a sticky summer night when all of nature is alive and desperate to mate before it dies. That desperation lingered in Belle’s nose and worked into her mind. She felt her body as a flower, blossoming in the heat, as though she had petals to spread and coat with nectar, as though she needed to attract every bee that buzzed by. This feeling, this need, was not merely arousal--it was life or death. No matter how beautiful a flower was, its life was brief, and it had only one purpose--to make more flowers. Belle felt that yearning invade her. Her eyes closed and her toes curled and she opened her legs even wider.

“Looks like it’s working already,” Maleficent said, licking her lips.

“I’ll give her a little more,” Regina said. “Rumple’s whore needs to have an appetite.”

Using her longest finger, Regina poked into the neck of the vial. She tipped the bottle over so the potion dripped down to coat her finger. The sticky pink residue clung to her like honey from a spoon. Belle’s hips gave an involuntary jerk when she saw it.

“That’s better,” Regina smiled her red-lipped smile. 

Belle looked at the queen and saw only crimson, saw her luscious lips, open and glistening, inviting her in. It wasn’t her own will, Belle knew, that made her want to join with Regina. The potion made her want to open herself to anyone--anything--that would take her. Already, she wanted to be taken, and she didn’t care who did it or how much it would hurt.

With her potion-drenched finger, Regina drew light circles around Belle’s breasts. Belle’s back arched at the touch, her nipples hardening instantly. The sensation was so powerful it hurt, but in that hurt, she felt only more desire. With her mouth still full of apple, Belle yelped and whimpered with need. 

“Oh,” Maleficent sighed. “Such a good slut.” She sat up by Belle’s head and stroked her cheek. “You know what you want, don’t you, princess?”

Belle looked up at the sorceress, her eyes pleading despite herself. She shouldn’t ask these witches for anything. They were cruel and evil and would only cause her harm, she knew that. But she couldn’t keep herself from begging. Their potion was strong, and her body wanted--wanted--

Her body wanted everything.

Regina trailed her hand down Belle’s stomach. The potion didn’t touch her, but just the feeling of the queen’s nails against her flesh made Belle twist and squirm. To her shame, she wanted more. She knew the queens were going to fuck her, mercilessly, and in that moment she couldn’t wait for it to start. 

  With slow, maddeningly light touches, Regina painted Belle’s lower lips with the lust potion. The liquid wasn’t hot, but it set her flesh aflame. The heat entered through her skin and Belle felt sweat prickle on her brow. Her body quivered and shook with desire. 

Maleficent stayed by Belle’s upper half. She cradled her head in her naked lap and petted her like a kitten. Her hands stroked Belle’s cheeks and hair and she made soft noises of praise. 

Gradually, Maleficent’s touch went down to Belle’s chest. She held her breasts in her hands and lightly teased over her nipples. Belle let out a whine at the feeling--far too much and not nearly enough. Her body jerked toward the touch, silently begging for more, but Regina pulled her by the hips, away from Maleficent, so she could keep dousing her with the potion.

The queen sat between Belle’s splayed legs and used her fingers to spread open her secret places. Belle could feel her wetness as the queen touched her. The potion had done its work, she was drenched in arousal.

“You filthy whore,” Regina sneered. Then her fingers began to move. 

The shock burst through Belle like a bolt of lightning. Regina rubbed furiously, directly on Belle’s pleasure spot. The sensation made her body curl up and tighten like a cooked prawn, but Maleficent held her back onto the bed.

“None of that, little slut,” she whispered sweetly into Belle’s ear. “My queen wants you to feel this.”  

Regina’s eyes were black as she sneered at Belle. Her lips curled, but her fingers never stopped swirling over Belle’s cunt. Maleficent’s arms wrapped around her like a chokehold as Belle writhed and bit against the apple. She knew why she was being restrained: When they made her come they wanted her to have no outlet for her passion, except the one they chose.

Never before had she been forced to orgasm. Rumple always sought her pleasure, but he did it as though it was a gift for both of them. He wanted her to enjoy herself as much as he enjoyed her. Even on that awful night when she had been ill--when she hadn’t wanted to come but he had made her anyway--even then he had not wanted to hurt her. Even then he had only intended the best for her. And ever since then he had stayed well clear of giving her more than she could handle. Rumple never used pleasure as a means of torture. 

But now the queens knew that she didn’t want to come. The lust potion was forcing her to want it, forcing her to be wet, forcing her to whimper and whine in a desire that was no desire. If she weren’t gagged, she would be begging for them to fuck her, pleading for release. That was what her body wanted, what they had drugged her into wanting. 

There were tears on Belle’s cheeks, as her head lay in Maleficent’s lap. Why would the potion allow her to cry? Why would it leave any part of her body still under her own control? Was it cruelty or kindness? Her eyes and her mind remained aware that this was a violation--even as the rest of her throbbed and shook with a frenzied ecstasy.

She cried as she came. Pleasure tore through her body like a demon being exorcised from a helpless victim. Belle convulsed and fought against Maleficent’s unyielding grasp. Her cunt clenched over and over and she wept for how much she hated every jerk. Through half-open eyes, Belle saw Regina glaring as her fingers pressed against her pleasure spot. If it was possible to murder someone through sensation, Regina would have happily done it to her.

It felt like hours before the intensity lessened. Belle’s heart raced in her chest, her insides throbbed with a feeling so strong it might as well have been pain. She tried to breathe around the apple, but her panting did nothing to ease her distress or calm her mind.

Slowly, Regina withdrew her hand from Belle’s cunt. With a look of disgust, she smeared the wetness off on Belle’s thigh.

As Belle felt her body relax, she turned into Maleficent’s embrace, and wept. The sorceress held her gently and rocked her on the bed, murmuring words of praise and comfort.

“You’re so good, little thing, so good. I know why Rumple likes you. You come like the birth of a star, you sweet girl!”

Regina was less impressed. “I hope she’s good for more than just one,” she said. “You want a turn on her too, don’t you?”

“Of course I do.” Maleficent gently pulled Belle off her chest and looked at her. “I want a chance to make fireworks on our little poppet.”

Still gagged by the blood-red apple, Belle nodded through her tears. Of course, they would both want to make her come. Of course, they would take turns and use her over and over.

“It really is the best part about women,” Regina remarked casually as she and Maleficent switched places. “Get a girl going and you never have to worry about them not being able to perform. We won’t need any more magic to keep this slut open for hours.”

Already worn out beyond her endurance, Belle trembled at the thought of hours of more torture.

Maleficent chuckled as she took Belle by the ankles and spread her limp legs. “I think you’re scaring her again.”    

“Good.” Regina pulled Belle up by the shoulders and wedged herself between Belle’s body and a collection of pillows that were piled up by the headboard. As soon as she was comfortable, she yanked Belle backward into her body and started grabbing at her breasts. Belle winced at the feeling, the awful sensation that was pleasure as much as it was pain.

Between Belle’s legs, Maleficent was slower than Regina had been, gentler as she ran her long fingers overheated flesh. She made pleased noises in her throat as she pushed one finger slowly in and out of Belle’s cunt.

Still holding the apple between her teeth, Belle tried to focus on that slowness instead of Regina’s relentless pinching and clawing at her chest. In and out, Maleficent went, slow and steady. As simple as breathing.

Slow, she thought, gentle. When Rumple was slow and deep inside her, that was when she knew he was really enjoying himself. Those were the best times for both of them. Like the first time he had let her see him naked, and then he had asked her to get on top of him. That pleasure had been so slow…

Regina slapped her sharply. “Eyes open, whore. Look at us while we’re fucking you!”

Belle looked up at Regina, then down at Maleficent. They were both smirking. Maleficent was on all fours now, her pointed breasts hanging off her chest. One hand was gripping Belle’s hip and the other was pushing into her cunt. How many fingers what that woman using now? More than one, that was certain. The pace quickened, ever so slightly.

Pressed against Regina’s chest, Belle’s head lay between her breasts. For once, she was glad of the apple gagging her. If her mouth were free, she would surely be expected to use it. Strange that they didn’t want her to suck on Regina, on both of them. Surely the queens knew what a delight that could be. Maybe they had gotten enough use out of her mouth earlier. Maybe they were saving it for later.

Belle thought back to her time with Ariel. She had pleasured a mermaid by sucking on her breasts. Could either of these women make that claim? It had been a joy, then, to have a female body in her mouth. She and Ariel had been strangers, but they had been able to share themselves with one another. They had been kind to each other, pleasured each other. 

There was no kindness here. The only pleasures belonged to the queens. Now, Belle was not a person who could share in anything, but an object that was being shared between the two of them. What else were they going to do to her? How else could they hurt her? What else could they take from her?

Maleficent’s pace increased yet again. She used her whole hand now, thrusting in and out in a crude approximation of a man inside a woman. Belle’s hips rose up from the bed and she heard the women chuckling. As she fucked her, Maleficent leaned over Belle’s body so she was almost laying on top of her. 

“Take the apple out,” Maleficent whispered to Regina. “I want to hear her scream.”

But Belle didn’t scream for her second orgasm. The sound she made was long and low, something between a moan and a sob. Her body pulled up, away from Regina. Maleficent wrapped one arm around her back and held her up as she convulsed. 

Thrashing and clenching and blubbering, Belle came until she couldn’t move. She collapsed onto the bed again, slipping between Regina and Maleficent as the two lovers reached for each other. They kissed like an attack, each of them trying to bite and swallow the other and then defend themselves in a perverse romance.

“That was amazing,” Regina gasped between kisses. “I want you to do that to me.”

“I will,” Maleficent promised. “But first, we should have the little thing make you come. I don’t think she did a good enough job last time.”

“No,” Belle whimpered, still curled into a ball. “No, please.”

Regina laughed. “Do you think the worthless worm is capable?” 

Maleficent held Regina’s hands and kissed her knuckles. “If she isn’t, then we’ll split her open and I’ll get on my knees to worship your cunt while you watch her blood pool on the floor. How about that?”

“Oh, you’re wonderful!” Regina kissed a messy line up and down Maleficent’s neck. When she broke away, there were red marks on her lover’s pale skin. 

Maleficent just laughed and clapped her hands in excitement. While Regina lay back on the pillows, Maleficent pulled Belle up into a sitting position. 

“You heard us, didn’t you, dear?” She titled up Belle’s chin. “My queen has been so sweet to you, you’re going to pay her back.” With her hand on Belle’s jaw, Maleficent made her look at Regina. 

The queen reclined on her bed as regally as on a throne. Nothing they had done that night had made her look disheveled or imperfect. Her black hair hung loose over her shoulders, as magnificent as any crown. Her dark eyes smoldered and her lips quirked into a satisfied grin. She had her legs spread, her bare folds open for Belle to see. In the cold blue light of the magic mirror, Regina’s wetness sparkled like jewels. 

Pressed against Maleficent’s chest, Belle could feel the moment when the other woman’s breathing slowed. 

“Isn’t she beautiful?” Maleficent whispered. “Isn’t my queen the fairest of them all?”

Regina fixed her eyes on Belle. “My beloved asked you a question, whore. Answer her.”

Belle nodded and licked her lips before she could speak. “Very beautiful,” she whispered. 

“Tell me,” Regina leaned forward, pushing her breasts out. “Tell me how lucky you are to get a chance to service me.”

“I can’t believe it, Your Majesty.” They had never ordered her not to lie to them, though Belle was certain that they wouldn’t like it. But she wasn’t lying.

“Tell me you want me.”

“I want to please you now more than I want anything in the world.” That also was not a lie.  

Regina hummed and ran a hand through her hair and over her body. “Do you want me more than you want your Rumple?”

Belle blinked. What game was this witch playing? What did she really want? What could Belle tell her that wasn’t a lie? “There is no comparison, Your Majesty.”

“I didn’t think so,” Regina said, and she waved Belle towards her. Maleficent pushed her into Regina’s arms. “I think I’ve softened to you, pet. I’ve decided to let you kiss me.”

Even under the thrall of the lust potion, there was nothing Belle wanted less than to kiss Regina. Why would Regina want to kiss her? Did they really want her to feign affection?

“That’s a great honor for a good girl like her,” Maleficent hinted.

“Yes,” Belle said in a hushed voice. “W-Where may I kiss you, Your Majesty?”

Regina smirked. “On the lips is traditional. Or doesn’t Rumple let you do that to him?”

Rumpelstiltskin had kissed her lips on the first night they had been together, before he’d even given her the cuffs. He had kissed her the first time he’d found her wet for him.

Belle didn’t say any of that to the queen. Instead, she got on her knees between Regina’s legs and leaned in with her lips pursed. She kept her mouth closed against Regina’s lips and broke away after less than a moment. She sat up on her heels and waited.

Regina snorted. “Hardly passionate, but you’ll get there. We still have you for a while yet.” She turned to Maleficent. “Darling, why don’t you help this stupid girl? I still don’t think she knows what to do with a woman’s body.”

“Including her own, the poor thing.” Maleficent looked at Belle with mock sympathy before she took her by the arm.

 Belle’s golden cuffs were covered by the iron shackles and the shackles were in Maleficent’s grip. She had no choice. She had to do their bidding. Maleficent moved Belle’s hand to Regina’s cunt and kept her hand over Belle’s. She forced her to move at the pace she set, forced her to delve deeply into Regina’s body.   

Belle had never touched a woman with her hands before. Her fingers had never slid through the slick heat of another woman’s arousal. The thought had only rarely come up in her fantasies. But here she was, wrist-deep in Regina’s cunt, Maleficent pulling her hand back and forth, in and out of her lover. 

For her part, Regina threw her head back on the pillows and sighed. “You’re such a good teacher,” she said to Maleficent. “Remember when you taught me?”

“You were such a fast learner,” Maleficent murmured. “So clever, so eager to please.”

Regina jerked under Belle’s hand, but didn’t let it interrupt her conversation.  “Did I please you? Even then, before I knew what I was doing?”

“You were perfect.” With her hand still guiding Belle, Maleficent leaned forward and kissed Regina on the forehead. “You were always perfect.”

Regina looked up at Maleficent. Her eyes were wide and yearning. Her whole face looked open and vulnerable. She looked younger, as though she were innocent and good, as though she were a different person entirely.

“I love you,” she whispered.

Belle started at the raw honesty of those words, the unabashed tenderness of this moment. Was this what Regina had been like before she had been hurt? Before she had started hurting others? Was this what Regina had been when Maleficent had met her? Was that what Maleficent saw when she looked at her, even now?

“I love you too,” Maleficent answered.        

For a moment, they were lost in each others’ gaze, and the only movement in the room was Belle steadily pumping in and out of Regina.

Then Maleficent blinked. Without looking away from Regina, she reached down with her free hand and pulled Belle up by her hair. Maleficent’s other hand stayed on Belle’s wrist, and she guided Belle’s face to Regina’s breasts. 

“Suckle my queen,” Maleficent commanded. “And don’t stop until she comes.”

Belle’s jaw still hurt from holding the apple, but she had no choice. She opened her mouth and closed her lips around the queen’s darkened nipple. Obediently, she sucked in a steady rhythm. Regina’s breasts were so much bigger than Ariel’s had been. 

Maleficent controlled her by the wrist and by the hair now. She pushed Belle’s face into the round expanse of Regina’s breast, squishing her nose into the yielding flesh.

“Lick her,” Maleficent urged. “Worship her like the queen she is.”

In response, Belle flicked her tongue over Regina’s nipple, darting a line over it again and again. Regina’s breath hitched and Belle could feel the shock of pleasure go through the body underneath her. 

“Yes,” Maleficent sighed. “Again.”

Belle could break away long enough to take quick breaths, but she knew she had to stay focused on her task. She had used her mouth on both of them when she had been bound in the thorns and this was not that different. Now, at least, she had Maleficent to help her, to encourage her and teach her.

Regina didn’t speak for most of it. Occasionally, she would let out a deep and throaty moan--and Maleficent would answer with delight. She knew Regina’s body well, well enough to help Belle through the process of making her come.

When it happened, Maleficent was holding Regina, and the force of her passion rolled Belle over in between their bodies. Regina jerked and cried out her pleasure in a high-pitched shriek. Belle pulled her mouth away from the now-red nipple, but kept her hand between the queen’s legs. She felt her pulsing around her fingers. Maleficent covered Regina’s face with kisses as she recovered.

“That was good,” Regina said after a moment. But there was still an edge to her voice. She didn’t yet have the exhausted contentment that Belle knew meant real satisfaction. 

Maleficent seemed to recognize it as well. “You’re not done yet, are you, my love?”

With a hasty kiss, Regina rolled out of the bed and went to the mirror. Curled up on the bed, Belle watched her reflection watch Regina touch a panel on the side of the mirror and pull out a secret compartment from the glass.

“I want this,” Regina said. She took a glowing, purple object from the compartment and held it in two hands. “I want to fuck the Dark One’s whore with this.”

What was that thing? It was shaped like a tapered rod, rounded on one end, the whole thing a little shorter than Belle’s forearm. The glow was surely magic. Was it a wand? But it was thicker around than any wand Belle had seen illustrated. And Regina didn’t hold it like a wand. She wrapped her fingers around the thing as if it were a scepter or a walking staff.

Belle still didn’t understand what she was looking at until Regina placed the object between her legs so that it jutted outward from her hairless mound. With a bright red glow, the purple rod was fastened between Regina’s legs. The queen stood with her hands on her hips and admired her reflection.

In the mirror, Belle saw her mouth drop open. Regina saw it too and laughed. 

“You look as though you’ve never seen a cock before.” She turned away from the mirror, stroking the length of her purple phallus as she came back to the bed. “What does Rumple use you for?”  

 Wordless, Belle shook her head at the sight. The magical thing became a part of Regina’s body. The purple glow joined to her flesh without a seam or any kind of transition. 

“Is it just that I’m so much bigger than he is?” Regina stood by the edge of the bed and 

forced Belle to look at her. Her dark eyes glinted with the reflection of the glowing magic. “Tell me, is Rumple’s cock as stunted and corrupted as the rest of him?”

Belle’s mouth was dry. “You are bigger,” she answered weakly.

And it was true. Rumpelstiltskin fit so neatly inside of Belle, no matter what part of her he entered. His cock was proportionate to his body, and it was the perfect size to pleasure her. 

But this thing affixed to Regina’s body was easily twice that size, longer and wider. Belle couldn’t stop staring at it. How would it possibly fit inside her? How badly would Regina break her when she tried to make it fit?

“Touch my cock, whore,” Regina almost moaned the command.

Belle reached out a hand to the purple thing. It had an odd warmth to it. Not as hot as a real body, but like a rock heated by the sun. It was a warmth that had no life in it, that could only reflect what it was given. The thing was hard, but again, like a stone. Not the strange living hardness of a real cock. It was just an object, but Regina treated it like it was a part of her. 

“Kiss it.” Regina positioned herself on the bed next to Maleficent. 

Belle pressed her lips to the rounded tip.

“Suck it, whore.”

Closing her eyes, Belle opened her mouth around the first inch of the thing. Magic tingled in her mouth, but the object had no taste at all.

Regina threw her head back and moaned. Could she feel what the cock felt? Was the magical object giving her the same sensations that a man would have? What else would she make Belle do to pleasure this thing?

“There is nothing like this,” Regina said to Maleficent. “Are you certain you don’t want me to make you one?”

“You know I only like one kind of prick, darling. But I’m glad it makes you happy.”`

“Do you like it, slut?” Regina jerked her hips and the false cock knocked against Belle’s teeth. “Do you like sucking on me?”

Belle nodded and kept her head bent over the glowing thing. It was the first lie she had told since they had put her on the bed. 

Regina stretched out and told Belle to keep going while she fingered Maleficent. The lovers kissed and touched each other and Belle licked the absurd length of the purple cock. 

“Use your mouth on all of me, whore.” Regina snarled. She spread her legs wide and pushed Belle’s head down to her womanly parts. They were still there, as ordinary as a horse’s head under a unicorn’s horn. 

Belle went back and forth between the magical and the regular pleasure places. She trailed her tongue from the tip of the cock, down the purple hardness, around Regina’s pleasure spot and into her folds of wetness. It almost made her retch to taste Regina again, but Belle pushed through her revulsion. She ran her hands over the shaft and ended the journey by rubbing her fingers in the queen’s flesh, the way Maleficent had taught her. She sucked on the tip of the cock and thrust her fingers inside Regina, both pleasures synchronized. 

It was nothing to serve the queen this way. Belle kept that thought at the forefront of her mind. She wasn’t doing anything wrong. She wasn’t betraying Rumple. He had ordered her to please them. She was only doing what she needed to do to survive her time with them.

Less than three days, she thought. Perhaps less than two, now. She repeated the words  over and over in her mind. It would be over soon.

Above her head, Belle heard Maleficent shriek out her completion. Under Belle’s fingers, Regina pulsed and shuddered, her own arousal building.

“This is perfect,” Maleficent gasped as she twisted onto Regina’s body. “This is everything you deserve, my love.”

“No,” Regina said. “Let me show you what I deserve.”

The queen pushed herself off the bed. Caught up in the tangle of limbs, Belle tumbled off the slick coverlet and onto the stone floor. Regina snorted when she saw her. 

“Stay down there,” she commanded Belle. “I’m going to show you how royalty fucks. You get on your hands and knees like a bitch in heat.”

Belle braced herself on the floor, lifting her hips up so Regina could enter her from behind. Rumple took her this way every once in a while, though more often with her bent over their table than kneeling on the floor.

They were still within sight of the mirror when Regina pushed her glowing cock into Belle. She was slow at first, as if she were savoring the feeling. Rumple often told Belle that she felt good around him, that it felt good for him to be inside her. Would Regina say the same?

As soon as Regina began to move, Belle winced and gasped. The purple cock was too long and too big around to fit inside her. With its unnatural hardness, there was no give to the thing, no flexibility. And Regina had no interest in helping Belle endure this trial. She pushed, rough and sudden, and Belle cried out. There was no fluidity to the queen’s movements, none of the dancer’s tension that Belle had learned to expect when she was joined with Rumpelstiltskin. Regina thrust and if Belle couldn’t handle it, that was none of her concern.

“This is how kings fuck their wives. Did you know that?” Regina’s breath was hot against Belle’s ear. She was bent over her, grinding against her, forcing that monstrous cock into Belle’s unwilling body. “This is the position most conducive for conceiving a child, or so they say. This is how my husband made me a woman. He fucked me this way, every night, for years.”

“I can’t--” Belle couldn’t breathe. “It hurts!”

“It always hurts,” Regina snarled. “Every time, no matter what you do, it always, always, hurts.”

“No, please!” Belle begged. “Please, Your Majesty! Something’s wrong! It’s too big!”

Regina laughed “My husband would have loved to hear that!” She pulled at Belle’s hair like the reins of a horse, jerking her head up backward. She looked into her eyes. “You don’t need to flatter me.”

“I’m not,” Belle whimpered. “Just… please… let me…”

“No!” Regina laughed again, her eyes shining with cruelty. “No, you don’t get any choices here! You don’t have any control over anything. Not even what you feel in your pretty little body.”

With that, Belle felt a jolt of magic run through her. It started in her skull and traveled down her spine and exploded in a white light behind her eyes. She was suddenly numb below the waist. Regina’s glowing cock didn’t hurt anymore. She felt it as a pressure, the hardness pounding against her bones, the length exceeding her capacity--but there was no pain. 

Belle took a shallow breath. She had been reprieved. How long would it last? Had Regina taken away the pain as a kindness or just to keep her from wailing? When the queen was done would all the pain come back at once?

An awful blackness came over her. For a moment, Belle thought it might be the haze that happened when she was in pain, but this was an altogether different feeling. This was not a reaction to being in danger but feeling safe. This was the knowledge that she was in danger and that there was nothing she could do about it. Her mind dulled, as though on the verge of sleep--because no good would come of her being aware of what was happening to her. It was not a trusting submission, but a hopeless collapse. 

Regina picked up her pace, pushing even deeper and faster than before. With every thrust, she jolted Belle up off the ground. In defense, Belle’s body went limp as a rag doll, following her mind in surrender. Sobbing, she covered her head with her arms and let Regina slam her into the stone floor.   

In between one of these jolts, Maleficent caught Belle and kept her up off the ground. With Regina still working in her, all three of them moved onto their knees. Belle slumped forward onto Maleficent while Regina fucked her from behind. 

When Belle looked up tearfully at Maleficent, the woman’s eyes were glowing green. Lavender smoke rose from her mouth. She pushed Belle back against Regina and blew a soft stream of green fire in front of Belle’s breasts.

The feeling was merely warm, but the sight made Belle scream in panic. She backed away from the fire and right into Regina, utterly trapped. Maleficent grinned, her eyes a devilish green. She blew fire again and this time there was pain. Belle threw her arms over her breasts and tried to curl into a ball.

“No, no, no,” Maleficent chided her cheerfully. She grabbed Belle’s throat and held her up by her iron collar. She bent her head down over Belle’s breast, opened her mouth wide enough to swallow it in one bite, and breathed a wall of fire over Belle’s chest.

The flame covered her but didn’t consume her. Belle looked down and saw her body alight in green fire. There was pain, but it was dull and distant. It was not the agony that came from immolation. She wasn’t dying. Her flesh did not char or even blister. She was on fire, but she was still alive.

Maleficent’s expression was dazed. She seemed overcome by the sight in front of her. Suddenly, she grabbed Belle’s wrist and pulled it toward her body. She thrust Belle’s hand between her legs and pushed herself against it. Belle could not resist, but nor could she add any effort to Maleficent’s goal. The sorceress could grind against Belle until the end of the world and Belle would never be able to help her. 

Regina moaned loudly when she saw the fire. She shouted her love for Maleficent, her awe of her powers, her joy that they were sharing this cheap, useless whore. Maleficent responded to these exclamations, her body jerking with the same frenzied speed as Regina’s. 

The queens orgasmed at the same time. Regina pulled the glowing cock out of Belle and yanked her back just before she came. The cock was long enough that it could reach around Belle’s body and spurt a thick, glowing liquid onto her chest. The purple fluid arced up onto the green flames and doused them out with a hiss of black steam.

 Maleficent and Regina collapsed into each other, kissing softly in the wake of their final completion. 

Belle snuck out from between them and tried to assess the damage done to her. She had no strength to get up off the floor. From her collarbone to her stomach, her skin was bright red with burns. Everything below her waist was still numb. Her heart raced. She wiped away tears. Her body shook and trembled.

She could breathe now, though she fought for every breath. It was over, she told herself. For now, at least, it was over. What else could they want from her? What else was it possible for them to do to her?  

Belle felt a hand on her head and almost screamed. 

“No,” she pleaded. “No more.”

“No,” Maleficent gently agreed. “Not tonight anyway.”

When Belle looked up at the sorceress, she saw that she had put on a nightgown. Black silk covered the body that Belle had unwillingly learned so intimately. She looked around the room and saw that Regina was also dressed for sleep, in a gown that matched Maleficent’s but in dark red. Regina stood in front of her mirror, combing out her hair and admiring her reflection. She was smiling, Belle noticed, a true smile, calm and contented.

Maleficent crouched down and picked Belle up off the floor. Belle leaned on the evil woman. It seemed her legs would not support her weight.

 “You’ve tired us out,” Maleficent announced. “Which is something of a rarity. So we’ve decided to give you a treat.”

Belle winced at the thought of what these witches would consider a reward. “Yes?”

Regina turned away from the mirror. “You get to sleep in the bed tonight, with us. At our feet, of course, like an animal. You weren’t as good as all that.”

“But it will be warmer than the floor,” Maleficent smiled. “Aren’t you happy? Aren’t you grateful?”

“Yes, of course,” Belle said automatically. “Thank you, Your Majesty. You are so generous and kind.”

Regina smirked and patted Belle on the cheek. Around the room, candles snuffed themselves out. The queens turned down the coverlet and arranged themselves for sleeping. 

Belle curled up by the footboard, lying perpendicular to the queens. The bed stank of the potion they had used on her, of all the sweat and wetness they had forced from her body or made her take from theirs. Gently, she pulled some blankets up from the mattress so that she might cover herself. She had no pillow, and had to position herself so that she wasn’t likely to be kicked in the night.

For all that Belle was exhausted, thoroughly drained in her body and mind, she could not get herself to rest. Her blood still buzzed with fear, even as she heard Regina snoring. Perhaps the potion was still affecting her. Perhaps she wouldn’t be able to sleep until she had one more orgasm.

Inwardly, Belle groaned at the thought of subjecting her body to yet another burst of forced pleasure. But it was Rumple’s order, wasn’t it? She had touched herself the last time she slept, she was supposed to do it every time. Besides, if it was what she needed, if it would help her sleep, then what could be better?

Mindful of the evil women sleeping above her, Belle spread her legs slightly, just wide enough to fit her hand against her secret places. Feeling was slowly returning to that area. Her cunt was still soaked in wetness, even as it burned in pain. She used only light and tender touches as she soothed her heated flesh. 

Belle sighed and felt her body relax. When she touched herself, she felt like she was her own again. For now, her body was a part of her own pleasure and not an object for the pleasure of someone else. How good it was to have this time to herself, that she might think her own thoughts and feel her own feelings. She understood now why Rumple had ordered her to do this, so long ago. He wanted her to know what real pleasure was, what it was for her. He had wanted her to find out what pleased her, to know her own body even before he did.

That had been a gift, hadn’t it? Even though it was an order. The instruction to touch herself was a gift Rumple made her give herself, and she had never been more grateful for it. The queens could hurt her all they wanted. They could force whatever reaction they could magic out of her body. But they couldn’t truly please her. They could never give her--

“What the hell are you doing?” 

Regina’s voice was tired, but no less furious. Belle pulled her hand away, but not before Regina jabbed at her with her foot. 

“Are you diddling yourself in my bed? What kind of ungrateful brat are you?”

“Darling,” Maleficent murmured out of her sleep. “Stop making noise.”

But Regina only got louder. “Did you feel that useless whore? Do you know what she was doing?”

“Well, chain her up then,” she yawned. “That’ll stop the bitch from doing anything. Then come back to sleep.”

“Good idea.”

In the darkness, Belle saw a flash of blue magic. Then she heard the scraping of chains moving against the stone floor. Iron rattled through the shackles on her wrists, and she found herself pulled up to the footboard. The chains were looped to the ring in the wood, and Belle was bound in the chains.

“Oh, no,” she felt tears in her eyes. “No, please! Your Majesty, I’m s--”

“Shut up,” Regina cut her off. There was another flash of magic light and Belle felt her mouth being forced open. Something round and hard was pushed between her teeth. When Belle bit down, she tasted the sour-sweet juice.

Of course. Why not? The queens wanted quiet, and there was no better way to ensure it than by once again gagging her with an apple. While they slept in each other’s arms, Belle wept in chained silence.         

[quickeningheart]

Sixteen

   Alley almost felt back to normal when she finally entered the small kitchen, where Stoker was in the midst of preparing a meal. He glanced at her and smiled. "Good timing. Food's ready. How ya feelin', kid?"

   "Human," she replied.

   He grinned and nodded at the table. "Have a seat."

   "You know, I really wasn't kidding when I said I wasn't hungry." And she wasn't about to tempt fate and risk a repeat of the past two hours.

   He wordlessly picked up two plates piled with scrambled eggs, toast, sliced oranges, and set them on the table before seating himself. She squeaked in shock when she felt his cold tail against her back, propelling her to a second chair and forcing her into it. He pointed his fork at her plate. "Eat," he commanded sternly, the clear order of a high-ranking official used to being obeyed. She hesitated, wondering what he'd do if she just walked out. Decided he'd probably have no qualms about strapping her to the chair and force-feeding her. She huffed, picked up her fork, and he smiled. "Good girl."

   The food was surprisingly good. A little bland—he didn't bother much with spices or seasoning—but at least it wasn't burnt. Unlike the trio, he seemed to know his way around a kitchen well enough to whip up something edible. Alley managed to finish half the plate before setting down her fork. When he would have protested, she held up a hand. "I can't eat any more. I'm half the size of you. How much food do you expect me to fit in here?"

   He laughed. "No wonder you're so skinny. A little more meat on your bones would do you good. Keep you warm for winter," he teased, taking her plate to finish the remains for her.

   "What am I, a chipmunk?" She stood and moved to the sink, piling dishes and cookware into it and turning on the hot water. "Thanks for breakfast," she added, pouring soap into the water.

   "Anytime, honey." She jumped, looking over her shoulder to find him right behind her, picking up a dish towel. "You wash, I'll dry?" he offered.

   "You cooked. I can clean up. Besides, the whole place needs cleaned today, anyhow."

   "You sure you shouldn't take it easy for a while?"

   She smiled wryly. "Amazingly, your quack remedy seemed to do the trick. Now that all the ickiness and mind-numbing terror is over, I feel a lot better. I suppose I should thank you for coming all the way back here to drop it off. Not that it means I'll be trusting any 'medicine' you try to give me in the future, of course."

   "Of course." He grinned. "I thought you looked unusually frumpy today. Figured you just weren't up for dollin' yourself up like usual."

   She self-consciously glanced down at her ratty overalls with the legs cut off at the knee, worn over an equally ratty T-shirt. She'd pulled her hair back and covered it with a tie-dyed bandana. She hadn't even bothered with makeup. "No sense dressing up if I'm gonna be on my hands and knees scrubbing floors," she mumbled, focusing on scrubbing dried eggs off the skillet.

   "Don't worry, honey. You're a beauty no matter what you're wearin'. Or aren't wearin'."

   She could almost feel his smirk, and her face flamed. She sighed, shaking her head. "And it was going so well, too," she lamented to the brillo pad.

   Stoker blinked down at her. "What was?"

   "You. Me. Talking like … semi-normal people do. A whole ten minutes without a single innuendo. That's some kind of a record."

   "I've been remiss. I'll have to work on that." He winked, and she huffed.

   "It's all jokes with you," she complained. "How am I supposed to take anything you say seriously? Are you physically incapable of speaking to a woman without making some chauvinistic remark? It's not your most endearing quality, you know."

   "Hmmm." He slanted her a sideways glance, one corner of his mouth twitching up. "So, if I started gettin' serious, you wouldn't have a problem?" His tone was all innocence; the look in his eyes was anything but.

   She sputtered for a reply, found that—as usual—he'd managed to knock the wind clean out of her sails. She instead focused on scrubbing the skillet with renewed vigor.

   Stoker wisely backed off, plucking the squeaky-clean pan from her hands. He set it in the dish drainer, before pouring himself a cup of coffee from the new pot sitting on the brewer. He pulled a small pouch out of his pocket and tossed it onto the table. It landed with a heavy clink.

   "What's that?" Alley eyeballed it suspiciously. "Not more of your remedy, I hope."

   "Nope." He chuckled. "It's a gift. Throttle filled me in on what's goin' on around here."

   Alley's brow furrowed. "About … Charley and Vinnie?"

   His grin was slow and he chuckled softly. "Hmmm. Yeah, that, too. 'Bout damned time that punk made a move." He took another sip of coffee, considering. His grin widened. "Although, knowin' our Charley, she's probably the one who got fed up waitin' and made the first move on him."

   Alley shifted uncomfortably, making a show of folding the damp dish towel and draping it over the dish drainer in the sink. She really didn't want to bring up that particular subject again. It was pretty clear that she was the only one who seemed to have any problem with it, and the unease set her stomach to roiling, especially at the thought of Charley being the one to instigate … whatever it was between her and Vinnie. She could feel Stoker's shrewd gaze on her back, patiently waiting for her to speak, and pressed her lips together.

   Not that it'll fool him, she thought. Isn't that how the song goes? Silence speaks a thousand words? She turned slowly, leaning against the counter as she forced herself to meet his eyes. "I'm not … comfortable with the idea. Of them being … together," she hedged, voice laced with unease.

   He nodded at her to continue, expression blank.

   "It's not just because she's interested in a giant talking mouse. It's also because she's interested in a giant talking mouse who possesses the attention span of a doorknob."

   Stoker, in the midst of another swallow of coffee, choked as an unexpected laugh caught him by surprise. He coughed for a few moments to clear his throat, thumping his chest with a fist as he continued to chortle. "'S a good way to put it," he wheezed around his chuckles. "I outta at least try 'n defend the rookie, but I'd be lyin' if I said it wasn't true."

   His amusement was contagious and she found herself trying to suppress a grin. "See? Even you admit it," she huffed. "I don't think a guy as self-obsessed as him is good for anyone. If she had to fall for one of you, why couldn't it have been Throttle, or Modo? At the very least, they're a lot more dependable."

   "Hey, now. I notice you left my name outta there. You sayin' I'm not dependable?" he teased.

   "You yourself admitted you taught Vinnie 'everything he knows'. What do you think?" she deadpanned, earning another laugh. She sighed, amusement fading, and looked down at her hands, idly picking at the chipping polish on her thumb. "I just … don't want it to be like it was before, with Jack," she confessed. "I don't want Charley to end up hurt if something goes wrong. And there is so much that could go horribly wrong if she pursues this."

   She jumped when two big hands came to rest on her shoulders, cupping her neck. Startled, she looked up to meet Stoker's serious gaze, shivering as his thumbs lightly caressed her jawline. "I told you already, it's sweet of you to worry about your cousin, but ultimately useless," he said gently. "She's a grown woman with a good head on her shoulders, and what you need to do is start trustin' that she knows what she's doin'. It ain't like she's goin' into this whole thing blind and deaf. She's as aware of the risks as you are, an' the fact she's choosin' to get involved anyway says a whole lot about how serious she is."

   "Yeah, Throttle already gave me this lecture," she muttered, annoyed. "But that's the whole problem. Charley might be plenty serious, but what about him? He doesn't strike me as the commitment type. He seems a lot more like the love 'em and leave 'em type to me."

   "And maybe at some point he was. But if it makes you feel better, I'm thinkin' he's plenty serious about Charley-girl. She ain't the kind of gal a mouse just tosses aside when he's tired of her." His mouth twitched into a smile. "She can handle a bazooka with the best of 'em, for one thing. Vinnie'd be a fool to piss her off that badly."

   She huffed a short laugh, lips curling, and his expression softened. "There now. That's more like it." One hand slid up to cup her cheek, which warmed noticeably beneath his palm as she flushed, embarrassed by his entirely-too-close proximity. "Don't worry your pretty head about those two," he murmured. "They'll work out their own issues just fine."

   She shifted uncomfortably as he seemed to draw even closer, his head lowering slightly. She found herself caught in his deep gaze; dark, enigmatic eyes the color of cherry wood held hers as warm, coffee-scented breath ghosted across her lips. Her heart thudded loudly as the rich scent of hay and sunshine tickled her senses.

   And her hand curled into a tight fist as the faintest touch of soft fur brushed her mouth…

   Until the moment was shattered as effectively as a brick thrown through a window by the loud, obnoxious clearing of a throat behind them.

   Alley squealed in shock, instinctively shoving an equally-startled Stoker away from her as she tried to bolt in the other direction. Unfortunately, his tail—which had at some point wound itself tightly about her ankle—kept her from getting very far. She found herself sprawling on the hard floor with a pained oomph as what little air remained in her lungs left them in a rush. She lay there for a second, stunned, gasping, wondering what the hell had almost just happened. Then she flipped over to find Charley standing over her, arms crossed, eyebrow cocked, a grin twitching at her lips as her sharp gaze bounced back and forth between them. "Did I disrupt something?" she asked, all innocence.

   "Yep," Stoker snorted, while at the same time Alley yelped, "No!"

   The grin widened. "Well? Which is it?"

   Alley, still flushed, glanced at Stoker and quickly away again, staring instead at her knee, which had started to bleed from a thin slice across the skin. "Band-aid," she muttered, climbing to her feet and bolting for the safety of the bathroom.

   Charley watched her go, then turned back to Stoker and shook her head. "What are you doing to that poor girl?" she sighed, sounding more amused than exasperated.

   He shrugged. "Just tryin' to help out in my own way." He winked. "Showin' her the charms of bein' with a Martian mouse."

   "That's sweet, Stoke, but I don't think she's ready to accept your 'charms' just yet," she replied dryly.

   He shrugged, looking smug. "Seemed pretty receptive to me."

   "Uh-huh." She shot him a droll glance. "From my point of view, it looked more like she was receptively gearin' up to deliver a hard punch to your soft little nose. Good thing I was there to step in and save your ego for you."

   He snorted, clearly disbelieving. She laughed. "I'm tellin' you, don't underestimate her. She dislocated a guy's shoulder once, for gettin' too fresh when she wasn't interested. That takes a certain amount of strength, ya know." She picked up the half-empty mug, took a sip and grimaced, before dumping the cooled contents and pouring fresh coffee into it. "Come to think of it, that's why she got kicked out of the self-defense class she was takin'. Little perv was the star pupil and the teacher's son." She chuckled. "Her mom was horrified. Her dad couldn't have been prouder."

   Stoker raised both eyebrows, grinning. "Well, that just makes it all the more fun."

   "What? Gettin' your clock cleaned by a little girl?" she teased, nudging him in the side as she handed him the cup. She held onto it when he tried to take it, though, meeting his gaze. Her eyes were serious. "Honestly, Stoke. Don't play with her," she warned. "She isn't some bimbo off the streets, she's my cousin. And I don't wanna see her get hurt any more than she wants to see me get hurt. Got it?"

   He smiled, gently ruffling her hair. "Understood, Chief," he replied. "I promise not to go overboard."

   She waited for more, and when nothing else was forthcoming, huffed an exasperated sigh. "And that's all the promise I'm gettin' outta you, isn't it?"

   He chuckled. "What can I say? A mouse knows what he wants when he sees it, an' goes after it with everything he's got. Life's too short to waste holdin' back."

   She studied him. "You really serious about her?"

   He shrugged. "Who knows? But she's certainly got my attention."

   She smirked. "I gotta admit, in the years I've known you, I've never seen you go after a female with this much … enthusiasm before. I was startin' to think your womanizing reputation was a bit undeserved." She winked at him.

   "Oh, I've had my share of flings back in the day," he sniffed, crossing his arms. "One or two of 'em were even gettin' serious, b'fore I pulled the plug. My reputation is rightly earned, thanks very much."

   She rolled her eyes. "That ain't something to be proud of, you know. And it sure won't impress Alley."

   He sighed heavily, offering a helpless shrug. "What can ya do? A planetary war zone's hardly the right place t' settle down and raise a family. B'tween constant off-planet missions, leadin' the Freedom Fighters, knowin' there's someone waitin' for you to come home and wonderin' if this'll be your last mission…" He shrugged again. "Always just seemed more intelligent to cut and run. I never wanted to leave yet another widow behind. There're too many of 'em up there as it is." His eyes took on an unfocused, faraway look, recalling certain memories, and Charley's expression softened. She offered a sympathetic smile and a light caress over his cheek, trying to distract him from his sudden melancholy.

   It worked. He blinked, the sadness clearing from his expression as he straightened and offered a grin that seemed just a bit forced. "Anyway, there's a reason I came back," he told her. "Throttle radioed me and told me the good news 'bout you and Vinnie. I hear some congratulations are in order."

   She squirmed, embarrassed. "It's just … nothing really happened," she mumbled. "We both came to an understanding, is all."

   "Bah." He gave her ear a playful tweak. "You ain't foolin' no one. You're so happy you're about ready to start climbin' the walls."

   She pouted at him. "Stop probin' at me. It ain't polite."

   He chuckled. "I don't have to. Yer practically shoutin' it from the rooftops," he teased. "Anyhow, I come bearing gifts. Thought you could use 'em. And it's traditional to give gifts on such a glad occasion."

   "Really." She eyed him skeptically. "Just for a pair of friends becomin' a couple?"

   "Weeelll…" He waved his hand in a so-so gesture. "There's a bit more involved than that, but we'll just skip a few steps, right?" He nodded at the pouch sitting on the table. "Have a looksee an' tell me if you can use 'em."

   Well, now he had her curiosity piqued. Charley opened the pouch and peered inside, and her eyes went wide as her jaw dropped in astonishment. Stoker grinned at her expression.

   "So. Will they help you out?" he asked, sipping his coffee.

   "Wha—These are—" She pulled out a large gemstone and held it up to the light. It looked like a sapphire, flashing with dark fire. "Jiminy Christmas, is this thing real?"

   He chuckled. "Yep."

   She dug through the bag, eyes wide. "And all these others?"

   "Of course. I figure they're probably valuable. Most of 'em were set in jewelry, but I needed the metal for my … project. Not a lot of diamonds in there, either. I needed most of those, too. Sapphires and rubies, they don't focus energy as well as diamonds so they aren't any help to me."

   She frowned. "You building a super laser or something?"

   "Something like that." His eyes crinkled as he smiled at her. "You can probably sell 'em, right?"

   "Where did you get them?"

   "Found these and a big stash of money in a cave a few years back, when I was scoutin' around further west for new workspace. Think it must've been one of those old outlaw hideouts, like you see in the movies. There was all sorts of stuff in there; old guns, supplies, that sorta thing. Most've it was rotted out, but those jewels just needed a bit of cleanin' up, and they were good as new."

   "How is it nobody else ever stumbled into that cave in all these years?" Charley asked.

   "Cave-in," he grunted. "It was hidden pretty deep in the mountain, and the whole place was closed up. Figured by that point whoever'd left that stuff there wouldn't be needin' it anymore, so I helped myself. Didn't stay in the cave, though. Still too unstable to make a safe work environment."

   Charley sighed, dropping the gemstones back into the bag. "Stoke, this is incredibly generous of you, but there's no way I can accept this gift." She tried to hand the pouch to him, but he pushed it back into her hands.

   "Don't be stubborn," he scolded. "You need these more 'n I do. What am I gonna do with 'em? Not like I can walk into a store and sell 'em. But you can, and you can use that money to get your garage in order."

   Her mouth tightened into a thin line. "Alley been flappin' her gums again?"

   "Nope. Throttle," he replied easily.

   "I don't need charity," she snapped. "I spent ten years building this business. By myself. And I'll keep it goin' just like I always have. By myself. I know you mean well, but please just keep yourselves out of it." She slapped the pouch down on the table and turned to stalk out of the kitchen, heading back to the garage to reopen.

   Stoker sighed, running a hand over his face. "Well, that went about as well as I'd expected," he snorted to himself.

   "I could've told you she wouldn't take 'em."

   He looked up to find Alley peeking around the corner at him, her expression blank. "Don't suppose you could—"

   "Nope. I can't." She smiled a little, moving further around the corner. "She's made it pretty clear she's not interested in anything I have to say about the matter."

   "I don't think it's your opinions that pissed her off. I think it's the fact you voiced 'em in front of the guys. That lady's got far too much pride for her own good. And I guess we all kinda treat her like a delicate little flower sometimes, and that pisses her off, too, because we all know she's anything but."

   Alley hummed, stepping fully into the kitchen and picking up the pouch to riffle through it. She withdrew a pendant on a thick silver chain, set with a large sapphire and ringed in smaller diamonds. "Chris told me his step-mom has ties with the diamond exchange," she said thoughtfully, examining the stones. "She could probably get this stuff appraised. Maybe even find some buyers. The jewelry that's still intact is probably worth even more than the loose gems, just from age alone. Antiques are a big commodity among collectors."

   He shrugged. "Won't do much good if Charley won't accept 'em. Even if you went and sold 'em behind her back, she'd never take the money they bring in."

   "It is a conundrum."

   He raised an eyebrow. "You got any bright ideas?"

   She sighed, dropped the pendant into the pouch and leaned back against the table. "Not really, no. Nothing that wouldn't piss her off even more, anyway." She offered a shrug and the bag of jewels.

   He held out a hand to stop her. "Keep 'em," he told her. "I don't need 'em."

   She blinked, astonished. "What'll I do with them?"

   "Whatever you want. Sell 'em, wear 'em … they're yours now. Anyway, I'd like to stick around longer and talk, but I got some work that needs my attention, so I'll be goin' now."

   "What kind of work do you do down here?" she asked, suspicious. "You're always coming and going, and nobody ever knows where."

   He pressed a finger to his mouth with a wink. "That's a secret."

   "Of course it is." She rolled her eyes. "Well, have fun plotting world domination or whatever. I got plenty of work of my own to do, so … you can see yourself out, I'm sure." She ducked under his hand when he tried to pet her hair, sauntering from the kitchen without a backward glance. He shook his head with a whimsical smile as he watched her go. Two steps forward … and a massive shove back.

   Sometimes the game could be as exasperating as it was fun. But that just made winning it all the more worthwhile in the end.

Next

[floweringthewords]

Untitled pt. 3 - Daily Grind

Sleep came slowly, like a dizzy haze. First it was nothingness, sweet as any dream. But then the reoccurrence came into focus, fading in from the black to the white of morning light, waking up but still in within a dream. It was just the same as I woke up every morning. The movie began to play out with a faint golden silhouette, gold blonde hair framing her face. Her delicate hands run through them as she stretches. I remember thinking her body had more curves than the Nile river. Every time, I could never believe I got to wake up to that each day. A smile graces her lips, half of her face cloaked by the white light. She leans down and presses her mouth to mine. My arms slip around her like a blanket, except she was the one to give me warmth. I run the back of my hand against her smooth back, her skin smoother than velvet. I was always comforted most when I had her in my embrace. She was my drug and my medicine. She was twice the dosage. “Morning,” she hums, her face in my neck. My mouth opens to respond but no sound comes out as I speak. She frowns. “Everything okay?” I swallow and try again, cupping her cheek. Her eyes glisten softly, grinning at me. She rolls and climbs on top of me. “C’mon, speak up. Life gave you a good mouth for a reason.” She smirks before giggling and climbs off. I reach for my throat, trying to cough. I could feel my voice working, but it was like I was mute. Neither of us could hear me and I could feel my panic rising. Ava stands from the bed, staring out the window. “Alright, you coming with, boss?” I get up and reach for her, but my hand goes through her like fog. My fingers felt frail without being able to feel her, and I grasp harder, my hand closing in a fist in hopes that she would become solid. The light gets brighter, the white too much to face. I squint, holding my arm above my eyes to block it off. I try to look at her, but she only melted into the light, walking further as she waited for me to follow, not even looking behind, confident I was already following. The light starts to scorch my skin, then my eyes, and I attempt a scream, the white turning to fire and pouring itself down my throat until the sound finally rips through, her name bellowing out in a piercing, haunting echo.

[amwritingmeta]

Season Thirteen: Candlelight Pt.1

Please read the A/N lest you be confused about the timeline. xx

Previous Snippets:

1. Resurrection (13x04)

Dean’s eyes went to the clock on the kitchen wall, checking to make sure that time hadn’t actually stopped, since it was moving so damn slow. It hadn’t stopped. Last time he’d checked it was two minutes past seven; now the clock showed five minutes past seven. It felt like those three minutes were mocking him, the hands of the clock giving him the proverbial finger and he glared at it, but told himself it was time to ignore the tick-tock of what seemed an eternity and focus on setting the table.

So he did.

He brought over the cutlery, one knife ending up a little askew and, as he corrected it, he almost knocked one of the wine glasses over, grabbing it and balancing it, growing tentative with the coolness of the glass actually against his palm, thinking - again - that maybe the wine was pushing the informality of this setup into something… formal. Something forming. Something that had already formed for him. He let go of the glass, straightening his back, trying to keep his hands from shaking.

It’s fine, he kept thinking. It’s fine, you’ve done this before, and every time it’s been fine.

He ignored the tinge of impatience in his chest at the truth of that last thought, because every time had been fine. Every time he’d cooked Cas dinner had been the same, and every time he seemed set on proving to himself that he was a goddamn coward.

Drawing a slow breath, forcing himself to focus, he eyed the table setting. He’d kept it simple, as every other time. Actually, it was downright nondescript, with plates, cutlery… those glasses… and yes, there happened to be a bunch of wildflowers in a jug, but Cas had picked those himself. All Dean had done was move the jug from the counter to the table, and he could always blame the new placement on Sam. If Cas even noticed. He probably wouldn’t notice. But maybe the flowers should go back on the counter. No, they were staying where they were and enough of this damned indecisiveness already.

But something was missing.

“The wine,” he realised, gnashing his teeth in annoyance.

Fuck.

The red wine he’d gotten was still in the Impala. And the Impala was with Cas because Cas had asked to borrow it. So, now he’d have to text Cas and ask him to bring the wine in from the car, or it would seem weird if Cas had seen the wine in the passenger seat and Dean didn’t ask him to bring it in. If Dean just snuck out and got the wine after Cas had come in and then acted like it was no big deal - that would be weird. And the fact that he hadn’t just texted Cas and told him to bring it in would make the bottle of wine seem exactly like what he didn’t want it to seem like: a big frigging deal. Even to Cas it would. Or maybe not. No, actually, it probably would. Cas had been different lately…

Dean’s hands began to shake again at the memory of Cas lingering in his doorway the other night with that look in his eyes that made Dean feel as though Cas’ hand was branding its print into his shoulder again, no matter the fact that Cas was a wingless, Earthbound human. No matter that. Not that it didn’t matter…

Dean had almost leaned forward, had almost reached out for the tie around Cas’ neck.

The tie was new. And green.

Fuckfuckfuck.

Dean brought out his cell, clearing his head with some effort as he sent Cas a short text, asking him to bring the wine in, and was he almost back? The reply came within moments: two minutes. Dean couldn’t keep the smile off at the perfunctory message. To the point, as always.

Did Cas even like wine? It really was the only noticeable thing that was different this time around, the one thing that veered away from the nondescript, that maybe made it into something more than just sharing some food and talking about stuff. Well, the bottle and possibly the candle. If he was actually going to follow through on this urge and put a candle on the table. Maybe it was a bit of an overkill. He just couldn’t get this plan out of his head, that he’d turn the generator off and then they’d have to have some light source and it wouldn’t seem so forced. It wouldn’t be him turning off the kitchen lights to set some kind of mood. It would be a blackout. Candles were needed during a blackout. They were a goddamn standard issue during a blackout.

His fingers were trembling. He was hot all over.

Fucking fucking fuck.

“Oh, is it Thursday already?” Sam said, walking into the kitchen, eyes roving the table and the pots and pans filled with simmering food on the stove top, eyebrows rising. “That week went by quick.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Dean asked.

“Nothing. Just - well, you’ve gotten into this habit: every Thursday you make Cas dinner,” Sam replied, grabbing an apple and biting into it with too much gusto for Dean’s taste. “Smells good,” Sam added through his mouthful of fruit. “What’s cooking?”

Because of the fact that his brother was being a douche, Dean resisted the urge to ask him to taste everything, suppressing the immediate craving for reassurance that he’d done a good job with the meat and the sauce, because he knew this was what Sam was expecting. They’d gone through variations of this routine for the past five weeks now. That was why Sam was standing there, looking smug, because Dean was keenly aware of how Sam must know exactly how raw Dean was feeling about this whole dinner situation, and why there had never even been a question of whether Sam would be joining them. And now Dean was beginning to quietly seethe at his brother for continuing to be such a dick about it.

Feigning a casual attitude, he ignored Sam and busied himself with cutting up some bread, putting it in a bread basket, Sam eyeing him with interest, eyebrows still raised.

“What?” Dean finally asked.

“Nothing,” Sam shook his head. “Are you going to eat all of that? Because there’s that leftover cheese from the other night and… might as well…”

Dean handed him what was left of the baguette and Sam nodded his thanks with a smile. Dean brought the breadbasket to the table, feeling his brother’s eyes still on him, and before Dean could think twice about it he grabbed those silly wineglasses off the table. Red wine went well with cheese, after all, and Cas would be none the wiser.

Coward.

He paused, steadying himself, turning to Sam, who was frowning at him wonderingly.

“Lamb,” Dean said. “It’s a lamb stew, with - if you must know - a mint sauce. Okay?”

Sam smiled then, with another nod, leaving the kitchen as Dean put the two glasses on the kitchen counter, staring at them with something akin to despair. What the hell was he doing? Everything was good; for the moment everything was stabile. Jack was to the wind, but they’d find him. He was exploring. He was too young not to be curious and he wasn’t as messed up as when he was newborn. It’d be okay, Dean knew it would. It’d taken him awhile, but he could see it now, that the kid was good. Deep, deep down in an almost undiscovered corner good, but good nonetheless. Even so, they did need to track Jack down. So why couldn’t Dean focus on that? And why couldn’t he control this sensation of lifting off the ground the moment Cas walked in the room? It was such a natural high he’d gotten completely addicted to it and with every time they were separated the anticipation for Cas’ return grew into something almost unbearable.

Dean swallowed, closing his eyes, willing himself to calm.

It’s fine.

“You know,” Sam said, walking back in the room and Dean turned to him as he continued: “I wasn’t going to, but… man, you can’t keep doing this. Repeating the same thing over and over, expecting a different result.” Dean raised his eyebrows, but Sam didn’t even pause at the expression. “Cas is the most literal guy we know. Okay, he’s the only literal guy we know. My point being - he won’t get the subtext. You’re gonna have to spell it out for him.”

Sam was holding both hands out, the halved baguette still in one of them, looking as though he was brokering peace, nothing but earnestness on his face as he wasn’t picking a fight or wanting to start an argument, just stating the plain truth. When he left again it was with a meaningful and almost reproachful look.

Dean watched him go while his heart beat was becoming something painful and erratic and nervous, pounding out that plain truth, spreading it to every cell of his body. Of course, he’d been aware of this truth, because Cas being Cas meant that gestures were never going to be enough. They’d never been enough. All the times he’d attempted piercing through Cas’ nonplussed expression over the years, all he’d managed to get for it was that soft frown and a tilt of the head. So, now, right now, here - he was going to have to make a move.

It’s fine.

No. It was anything but fucking fine.

Dean glared at the wine glasses for another moment, then made up his mind and grabbed them, about to bring them back to the table when he was stopped in his tracks by the appearance of Cas in the doorway. His heart leaped, and then it settled, a calm spreading, because Cas was back again and he hadn’t disappeared or gone away or been killed or taken and locked up.

The violence behind that chain of conclusions made Dean, for one split second, wonder if it wouldn’t be better to stop hunting.

They could find a quiet, secluded place off a lake, spend their time watching the bees collecting honey or the flowers turning their faces to the sun or whatever the hell else Cas might want to do. Fish every afternoon for their dinner. Build a fire by the water.

But in the following blink the images of that possible life were gone.

“Hey,” Cas said, putting a grocery bag and the bottle of wine on the counter before sliding the trench coat off and hanging it on one of the pegs by the door, his suit jacket following close behind - he barely seemed to notice Dean’s eyes following him around the room. “So I went and talked with Trinny Abernathy. She doesn’t know anything useful, but she has kittens. Is Sam allergic to cats?” Cas asked, having started to unpack the groceries, putting them away in the cupboards without a pause.

Finally his eyes met Dean’s and Dean blinked, trying to focus on what Cas had just said, rather than the shape of his strong back, and how his shoulder blades moved underneath the fabric of the shirt he was wearing.

“Sorry, what?” Dean said, Cas eyeing him for another moment with a slight frown.

“We could get a cat,” Cas shrugged. “It might be good for Jack to have a pet. When he comes back. Something to be responsible for. A living thing that will feel affection for him without any so called ‘strings’ attached.”

Dean couldn’t keep the smile off, realising he was still just standing there like a proper asshat, holding the two wineglasses. He walked up to the table, placing either glass gingerly where they’d been before, considering how Cas would never even think twice about them being anything more than a couple of glasses, when to Dean they were some sort of declaration of this informally formed mess in his heart.

I’d build fires with you for the rest of my life.

He blinked the thought out of his head.

Make a move. Simple enough. Only nothing was simple. Nothing had ever been simple. The only simple thing was this feeling in his chest and how it had settled there without any hesitation. There had never been any question that it belonged there. All the hesitation and questioning had come from his head; his head had been what had always complicating things - unnecessarily.

He looked over at Cas, watching him for another prolonged moment before asking, as breezily as he could manage:

“You like wine?”

“Oh,” Cas said, eyes going to the wine bottle before meeting Dean’s. “I don’t know,” he replied, a small smile on his mouth that made Dean’s knees grow weak.

“Wanna find out?” Dean asked, returning the smile.

“Sure,” Cas said.

“Alright then,” Dean smirked, walking up to him with a soft thrill in his chest, grabbing the bottle, unable not to linger for a moment, shoulder almost touching Cas’ shoulder, his scent filling Dean’s nostrils and making him force himself away, to the drawer with the bottle opener.

His hands were steady now and they performed the task quickly, but pouring the wine he felt his mouth begin to grow dry with sudden, useless longing, thinking of tasting trace wine on Cas’ tongue, thinking of stubble rasping against his cheek, thinking of loosening that tie…

“This smells nice,” Cas’ voice brought him out of his mounting desire, back into the moment, with a slap of reality.

“Good,” Dean said, immediately annoyed with himself for avoiding eye contact, but starting to not trust himself.

He didn’t want to screw this up, he didn’t want to act rashly, he wanted it to feel right, he needed it to be the right thing to do and kissing Cas out of the blue wasn’t, acting on impulse wasn’t, he had to think logically, he had to act on invitation, if he could manage to get one.

Or you could just tell him how you feel about him.

But that thought sent a wave of such burning heat through him that he had to disregard it. And there should’ve been a goddamn candle on the table, shouldn’t there? Something  more visual to facilitate what he was trying to do here. How do you seduce someone who doesn’t understand the finer points of seduction?

Fuck.

He grabbed the glasses again, bringing one over to Cas, who was closing the fridge door, his task of putting the groceries in their designated place now done, and he accepted the glass with another smile, this one of thanks. He held the glass, pausing as a questioning expression of what to do next widened his blue eyes until Dean thought he was going to lose his goddamn mind if he didn’t break the moment, and so he took the lead in social etiquette, clinked his glass against Cas’ and said:

“Cheers.”

Which sounded every bit as forced as he was feeling, wanting it not to be weird and making it all the weirder. But Cas’ smile returned, this time it was wider and warmer and Dean knew that if he could only spend at least a few minutes a day making sure Cas was wearing it, then everything else would pale, would fade away into something distant and unimportant, and he’d be able to face anything.

And if he could’ve told Cas that; if he could put into words exactly how Cas made him feel then maybe… But he just couldn’t. He couldn’t figure out how to. It was too damn big.

What he could do was return the smile, and something glittered itself into Cas’ eyes that made Dean momentarily lose his ability to breathe, stuck grinning like an idiot.

Then Cas’ smile faltered as he frowned and said:

“Is something burning?”

That broke the moment alright.

“Damnit!” Dean exclaimed, rushing up to the stove, spilling half his wine as he practically chucked the glass onto the counter and began the damage control of their dinner.

“Is it… okay?” Cas wondered, suddenly leaning against Dean’s arm to get a better look at the now lidless pans and Dean felt his eyes catch on Cas’ temple, a few inches away from his nose, before he nudged him away with his elbow saying:

“Yes, it’s okay, it’s fine. Go… over there. And drink your wine.”

“I’m sorry,” Cas said, heading back over to the counter where he’d left his glass, Dean’s eyes on his back until Cas turned around, the movement reminding Dean that there was dinner to salvage. “Do I just drink it?” Cas asked in reference to the wine, and Dean couldn’t keep from snorting out a soft laugh, looking over at him, hoping there wasn’t quite as much affection on his face as what was moving pleasantly through his chest.

“Yeah,” he replied. “It’s a drink. You drink it.”

“But wine…” Cas said thoughtfully. “It’s not just a drink. I watched a YouTube video about wine tasting. And a movie,” Cas added, Dean frowning at him.

“What movie?”

“‘Halfways’.”

Dean went to grab the plates off the table, unable to suppress another wide smile, but Cas didn’t catch the joke, merely smiled back.

“It was a good movie,” Cas stated.

“Yeah, it is a good movie,” Dean agreed, beginning to plate the food. “‘Sideways’,” he added the correct title for it, Cas glancing sideways with a contemplative frown, which made Dean laugh out loud and suddenly Cas was smirking.

Dean got caught in that expression, a soft frown furrowing his brow, Cas completely unaware as he shed the smirk, taking his first sip of the wine, which distracted Dean into focusing back on the plates, adding the sauce, surreptitiously glancing at Cas, who was tasting the wine, keeping it in his mouth before swallowing.

“Not too bad,” Cas said and there was something, Dean could have sworn, there was something different about him lately.

“How’d you know ‘not too bad’?” Dean asked, unable to keep a teasing note out of his tone, bringing the plates over to the table as Cas moved over to take a seat, answering matter-of-factly:

“I didn’t spit it out.”

That made Dean laugh again, Cas smiling broadly, catching Dean’s eyes with his for a moment before he moved his gaze to the food, eyeing it up expectantly, placing the glass by his plate after another mouthful of its contents, mh-ing his approval as Dean took the seat opposite him.

Dean’s eyes lingered on Cas’ face while his mouth still wore a trace smile, enjoying this undercurrent of contentment that made him feel so tense and so at ease all at once.

It had been like this for a while now, though: the tense easement of being near this man. It had been like this before the angel’s untimely death. It had been like this for years. He had been in love with Cas for years. He just didn’t know - he couldn’t tell - had never been able to tell what he meant to Cas, and it hadn’t gotten any easier over the past six months, because there had been an understandable adjustment period for Cas to come to terms with his new reality. For all of them to come to terms, even Dean himself, though he hadn’t quite been able to contemplate the full scope of it at the time. And immortality to mortality was a scope too full to properly contemplate even now, if he was honest.

And if he was even more honest, he knew they shouldn’t be sitting here having dinner, because with everything that was going on somewhere beyond the walls of this place, and with all the research and planning in need of still being done within the walls of this place, they should be snacking on crisps and drinking beer with the rest of the Castoff Crew. But he didn’t care. Because, honestly, all he wanted to do was sit opposite Cas at this table. And the reason was simple enough: it was seven o’clock on a Thursday, and this was what they did at seven o’clock on Thursdays now.

“You know, all I want to do…” he found himself saying out loud, cutting himself short as Cas’ eyes met his. “…is say…” Making it worse. Backtrack. Now. “…that we… that this…” Fuck sake. “…yeah, you know, just… kinda glad you’re alive.”

Hell. This was hell. Right here was hell on Earth.

“Glad?” Cas asked, that sudden glitter in his blue eyes again and Dean’s mouth was drying and his fingers were trembling around the stem of the wineglass and he swallowed with effort, having to glance away, avoiding eye contact again and growing furious with himself for being such a weak, miserable coward.

“Well, yeah, I said kinda,” he tried to joke it away, feeling every word like gravel in his mouth and he took a hurried, deep gulp of wine that made him choke, sending him coughing for his life.

Cas was quietly observing him and once the coughing fit had calmed, once Dean had pulled a hand over his mouth and regained some kind of equilibrium, he found that he could not read the expression on Cas’ face. It was remarkable, almost enticingly so, to realise that however long he’d known this face, however well he’d grown to know every groove of it, those eyes could still startle him with their unfathomable, unreachable maturity.

A thousand years in those eyes. A thousand times a thousand years.

“Alright,” Cas now said, “which type of ‘kinda’?”

The question was followed by a slight head tilt, a familiar gesture that suddenly bordered on intimate, and though Cas was wearing - what Dean had dubbed - his ‘angel face’, which meant he could still look as cooly expressionless as ever, now there was that glitter.

Dean frowned slowly.

Was Cas teasing him?

That’s when the lights suddenly flickered out and the room went pitch black.

[rachelvalente]

Quarantine Life Lately

I think I’ve officially lost track of how long we’ve been self-isolating…and for those of us in NY, there seems to be no end in sight.  I’m so grateful to have a job that I can do from home, but I’d be lying if I said that this virus outbreak hasn’t altered the scope of my work.  While some of you have mentioned that you welcome the distraction of personal style posts & pretty spring fashion, I also realize that we are living in a very different world right now & I want to share content that is both practical & helpful for navigating these circumstances.

So, today’s post is more lifestyle-related & I’m sharing what I’ve been up to lately – including the tastiest meals I’ve made, the workouts I’ve been doing & the best things I’ve purchased since quarantine began.  Hopefully this gives you some new recipes to try, fun activities to do & simple ways to make this time of staying at home a little more enjoyable!

THINGS I’VE BEEN BUYING

All these are exclusively from Target & Amazon because they have the quickest delivery available (so many other retailers have delayed shipping right now).  I love utilizing the order pick-up option at Target & I’ve discovered that many of their items actually have special deals/lower prices when you do it this way – for example, I can get my favorite coffee for $2.00 less!  Here’s the best of what I’ve bought over the last month:

Ribbed Crewneck Tees My t-shirt drawer has been needing a little update, so I was happy to discover these cotton/modal blend tees.  They are so soft & stretchy and the ribbed detail gives them a more refined look (perfect for dressing up or down).  These come in 11 different colors & they’re on sale now – I bought two in blush brown & white (not see-through at all!).  These are a little more fitted than your average tee, so I’d size up if you prefer a looser fit.

Acrylic Stackable Organizer Drawers Quarantine provides the perfect opportunity for organizing…and since we have the added benefit of packing for our upcoming move, we’ve been purging a lot and working to identify what we need to maximize storage space once we’re settled with my parents.  I bought some of these clear drawers, which are ideal holding vitamins, first aid items, toiletries or makeup – you can set them side by side or stack tall & they come in two different size options.

Healthy Snacks Who else feels like they are snacking constantly while stuck at home?  I’ve learned that if we don’t have healthy options on hand, I will end up eating my kids treats (hello, leftover Easter candy).  So I am trying to keep a constant stock of my favorites like this grain-free granola (so good with fresh fruit & yogurt), these roasted pistachios (no shells to hassle with) & these cheddar cheese crisps (pairs very well with red wine!).

Posture Corrector File this under things I should have bought years ago.  I cannot tell you what a difference this has made & how much it’s helped me to stop slouching & hunching over my desk all day long.  It’s comfortable and you can wear it under or over your clothes – I put mine on around 9am & take it off at 3pm.

Reusable Silicone Straws I love that these are color-coded & come with their own carrying case so everyone in the family gets one.  These come with a little cleaning tool, but I usually just throw ours in the dishwasher.  We typically keep these in the car for easy access on-the-go – although we haven’t been going out much lately, I know these will come in handy on our cross-country trip in a few weeks.

Wireless Charger As soon as the kids started doing school from home, we realized that we didn’t have enough chargers for all the devices in the house during the day – and, let’s be honest, we were getting a little tired of hearing them argue over who had a lower battery life and needed it more.  So we bought two of these wireless chargers and put one on the main floor & one upstairs near their bedrooms.  It’s such a great price & is compatible with most devices (works for AirPods too!).

Geometric Earrings + Straw Headband I used to love walking through Target to just browse their new arrivals & try things on…but those days are gone, so now we have to do it all online.  When I was buying the tees mentioned above, I needed a little more to add to my order, so I threw in these fun accessories at the last minute and I couldn’t love them more!  Both of them are 5% off right now when you use Target Circle (sign up for free here).

Adult Coloring Book + Colored Pencils We’ve been trying to get creative with family activities since quarantine started – challenges be an ordeal or an adventure…so we are doing our best to focus on the latter & make fun memories for the kids.  We’ve done outdoor scavenger hunts, game olympics, fitness challenges, and our new favorite: art night.  I ordered coloring books on Amazon for everyone – my son got this Harry Potter coloring book, my daughter got this summer scene coloring book, my husband got this muscle cars coloring book & I chose this street style coloring book for myself.  We turn on some music & sit around the table while we talk, laugh & color together – it’s the perfect activity for those rainy evenings when we can’t go for a family walk.

Core Sliding Discs I’ve definitely been buying more workout equipment over the last month & these are the latest addition – try them for an effective core workout like none other!  These are double-sided so you can use them on hard floors or carpet.  If you don’t already own resistance bands, there’s a great combo pack with sliders here.  This is a great reference sheet for different moves to try with them.

Elastic No-Tie Shoe Laces These are a game changer if you’re like me & have been wearing sneakers more lately.  Just take out your regular laces & replace with these and you’ll have shoes that you can easily slip on & off!  After I bought mine, I ordered some for my mom & dad since they have a harder time bending over now that they’re older.  These come in 22 different colors & would also be great for little kids!

Silicone Stainless Steel Tumbler We’ve been trying to do a family walk after dinner each night when the weather is nice – it’s such a great bonding time and the dog loves it when we’re all walking him together.  Since it’s usually a leisurely stroll around the neighborhood, I’ve started bringing my wine along with me in this sleek tumbler.  It’s vacuum insulated so it’s great for hot or cold drinks + the lid keeps your drink safe from splashing out.

Expressie Nail Polish So many of you have messaged me asking about at-home manicure tips and I think this video is the best tutorial I’ve seen (I use the same techniques when I paint my nails).  I recently picked up these new polishes to try & was amazed by how fast-drying they were!  They have a slightly angled brush, which I think is so much easier to use.  I got the shades Second Hand, First Love and In A Flash Sale (perfect for spring!).  Right now, Target has a promo where you can get a free bottle of nail polish remover when you buy two of these.

Pixi Eye Patches I’ve mentioned these before but I just ordered more on my latest Target order pick-up because I’ve been using them so much.  They really are the best eye patches I’ve ever tried for depuffing and hydrating.  Highly recommend!!

Olly Energy Gummies I don’t know about you, but I’ve had the hardest time with my energy levels lately (probably doesn’t help that we’ve been staying up much later than usual since quarantine began).  I’ve sung the praises of this brand for years so I decided to try these gummies to see if they would help.  I’m chronically low in B12, so it’s a supplement I need anyway + this flavor is so good.  I definitely feel like I’m more motivated to get going & able to focus better throughout the day.

MEALS I’VE BEEN COOKING

If there’s one thing that quarantine has forced us to do, it’s to have more meals at home.  If you’re like me, you’re probably running low on ideas. I’ve been trying out tons of new recipes and, to be honest, there have been some hits & misses.  So I thought I’d share with you the ones that my family has loved & that we’ve now added into regular meal rotation at our house.  These are all gluten-free and most are Whole30 compliant too!

Vegan Creamy Cauliflower Wild Rice Soup Comfort food at its finest – this is so creamy, you won’t believe it’s dairy-free! I serve this with a side salad & these almond flour crackers.

One-Skillet Spinach Artichoke Chicken I made this for the first time when I was in Oregon for Christmas with my family & it was a huge hit!  You can serve it over mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower.

Paleo Fish Tacos This is my Dad’s favorite recipe of all time – he asks for it weekly!  I buy the Siete Almond Flour Tortillas and heat them up in a small pan until they get a little crispy (if you’re not GF, you can use whatever brand you prefer).  I recommend using slightly less sparkling water than is called for, so the batter is thicker.  I serve with homemade guacamole & these chips (also love these for a grain-free option).

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken There’s nothing easier than a good crockpot meal – just throw everything in, set the timer & forget about it!  This is so easy & delicious – I recommend doubling the sauce ingredients so you have extra.  I also modify this a bit and use Coconut Aminos instead of soy sauce & this unsweetened ketchup (you can add more honey if you prefer it a bit sweeter).  I serve with jasmine and/or cauliflower rice & French green beans.

Crispy Zucchini Fries This obviously isn’t a meal in & of itself, but these are such a tasty side dish!  I make them when we have burgers & they get devoured.  I use this ranch dressing (if you’re dairy-free, this is a good alternative).

Mexican Pizza This tastes so similar to the Taco Bell version I grew up eating – definitely a more indulgent (and filling!) meal, but so worth it if you have a craving for Mexican food.  Her sauce recipe is amazing & I’ve ended up using it for homemade enchiladas too!  I double the recipe for our family & use Siete Almond Flour Tortillas for myself and these white corn tortillas for everyone else.

Maple Walnut Crusted Salmon This sounds & looks so fancy, but it couldn’t be more simple.  My kids aren’t huge fans of salmon, but they gobble this up.  If you don’t have walnuts, you can substitute pecans (I did this last week & it was just as delicious).  I serve alongside Japanese sweet potatoes & roasted broccoli.

Black Pepper Chicken This tastes just like Chinese take-out…without the guilt (or MSG)!  And don’t worry if you don’t have fish sauce on hand, it’s just as good without it.  I serve this with jasmine rice and/or cauliflower rice.

Honey Mustard Sheet Pan Chicken & Brussels Sprouts I love this meal because it’s quick & easy and you only have one pan to wash when you’re done!  I recommend cooking the chicken for about 15 minutes before adding the Brussels sprouts (unless yours are very large) – mine were smaller & ended up a little overcooked when I made this the first time.  I also double the sauce to have some extra leftover (trust me, it’s so good!).

WORKOUTS I’VE BEEN TRYING

Active by PopSugar This site has over 500+ workouts & you can join for free!  They have pretty much everything you could want – yoga & pilates, dance, high intensity cardio, low-impact exercises, boxing & barre.  There’s a good range of 20-60 minute workouts & most don’t require any equipment (the 60-minute cardio boxing is my current favorite).

Modern Savvy Run Club My blogging BFF just launched a running club challenge that starts May 1st & I’d love for you to join us!  Just download the Nike Run Club app (it’s free) and request to add Alyson Seligman as a friend.  Once accepted, she will send you the invite to the challenge, which is to complete 30 miles by May 31st.  Even if you’re not a runner, you can jog or walk the miles – it’s a great way to stay motivated to move a little each day & get that accountability that we all need right now!

Madeline Moves I just discovered this sweet girl a couple months ago and, once quarantine began, she started sharing at-home strength training workouts on her Instagram.  I’ve created a workout folder & saved all of them so I can reference them easily – you can choose whatever weight works best for you & I like that she offers modifications for certain moves.  Other Instagram accounts that I like to follow for workouts: Alexia Clark, Cara Loren & Megan Roup.

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