#... how would i even go about describing a loose and elegant style. is that a thing 😔

[snowthornes]

Was going to sleep more than an hour ago. Then got lost in the wilds trying to compile references for my OC's outfits. Now here I stand, at a quarter to six. Hell yea embellishments. lapels. waistcoats. accents. shin guards. capes. tailcoats. dress shirts. archer rings. lapel chains. finger chains.

[multifandom-03]

Like Romeo and Juliet

Word Count: 5270 | Pair: Draco Malfoy x OC | Genre: Angst, sad/bittersweet ending

Warning: Mentions of suicide, pregnancy loss, major characters death

Summary: Their love was forbidden, and a bittersweet ending they had...

A/N: You might have seen this special one-shot either on Wattpad or Inkitt website - I wrote this when I was young, and this was most readers' favourite. So if you see this familiar one-shot - yes, I was the one who wrote it hehe. I'm not going to say my username from Wattpad cuz not gonna lie...I'm a bit shy and embarrassed about what I wrote when I was young haha. But this specific one-shot has a special place in my heart and I wanted to share it here on the Tumblr site~

"Their lives were taken away, just like that dreadful story: Romeo and Juliet." - Lord Voldemort

In the beginning, he was a Slytherin, and she was a Gryffindor. His house hated hers, hers hating his. The houses were sworn enemies, and if either one spoke to the other, there would be chaos. But they wanted to communicate with each other. Their friends and family told them not to, but they did.

And a sad fate they met.

It was during their Fourth Year at the Yule Ball did they met for the very first time.

They had never seen one another during their time at Hogwarts, so they were amazed and curious when they saw one another for the first time.

Draco Malfoy was loitering around the buffet of the bowl, trying to hide from his date who happened to be Pansy Parkinson. He thought having Pansy as a date would be fine; oh how wrong he was…

He was bored. And he hated the attention Harry Potter was getting. Just because he was The Boy Who Lived and got chosen by that stupid goblet…

Coming up with a decision, he went to make his leave back to the Common Room when he saw her. The most beautiful, breathtaking girl he had ever seen.

She was across the hall from him, watching everyone with a small smile on her gorgeous face. She was wearing a beautiful light blue dress with white patterned lace from her shoulders and chest area, her dress was designed corset style for her abdomen but the dress fell loosely, almost like it had a mind of its own and was floating simply around her. (Draco was terrible with describing what she was wearing, too gobsmacked at the sight of someone so gorgeous and elegant.)

Even from such a distance, he can see her eyes shining brightly against the lights, her raven dark hair twisted into an elegant bun with ringlets surrounding her oval-like face. Maybe to some people, she wasn't the prettiest in Hogwarts, but for Draco?

He knew that she was the one.

As soon as that thought crossed his mind, their eyes connected. Grey eyes connected with warm, chocolate brown eyes. It felt like their souls were being connected - like love at first sight.

Simultaneously, they started to make their way to one another. Both yearned to talk and know one another.

Draco merely pushed and shoved his way through, the girl politely excusing people as she shuffled by. They were just a metre away from one another, hands outstretched to touch when they were both taken away at the same time; Draco was pulled away by Pansy and the girl was pulled away by Hermione Granger. Despite the sudden change, they saw who dragged whom, and they knew what they were about to have...it was forbidden.

For she was a Gryffindor, he a Slytherin.

✨✨✨

Days went by when they saw each other again. It was during a weekend when Draco saw her sitting alone at the Black Lake, reading. When no one was looking, he hurriedly made his way over to her. "Hello," he greeted from behind her.

Said girl gasped in surprise, slamming her reading book shut with a snap. She stood up and turned around, ready to yell at whoever was disturbing her reading time only for her mouth to drop open at the sight of the boy. He gave her a shy smile - something uncommon on the boy's face.

"H-Hello," she stuttered out after a few seconds of silence and just gawking at him.

"I'm Draco Malfoy," he introduced, holding a hand out to her.

"Vivienne Moore," she lightly took his hand. And without losing any eye contact, he bent slightly to press a chaste kiss to her knuckles. Her breath hitched at the intimacy of a simple greeting. "You're a Slytherin," she blurted out.

"And you're a Gryffindor," he acknowledged without any malice. "Nice to have that out of the way."

"But, people will find it strange," she murmured.

"Some might find it a truce between our houses," he gave a cheeky smirk.

"Some might find it as betrayal," she looked away from him, pulling her hand away from him.

"You're thinking about the Golden Trio," Draco realised. "That's right, you're friends with Granger."

"They're really nice when you get to know them," she insisted.

"And it's the same with me," he added, "I'm not as cruel as they say, Vivienne."

"I didn't think that at all," she whispered shyly, still not looking into his eyes. They went silent for a few more seconds.

"You looked very beautiful at the Yule Ball," Draco broke the silence. "Took my breath away, really."

"You looked very handsome that night," she quipped back, a blush coating her cheeks. If you looked closely enough, you could see Draco was starting to get pink tainting his pale cheeks as well. "What are we doing?"

"Getting to know each other," he shrugged innocently. "Maybe even fall in love." Why was he acting like this? He never acted sappy and romantic for someone. What was she doing to him?

"It's forbidden," she shook her head.

"Unless we're not caught," he could see he was going to lose her soon from her worries; he was not going to let fear get in the way of their potential love. "Come on, we don't have to tell anyone," he insisted, "It's just between us two. You're telling me you didn't feel the connection that night? That this was all a big hoax?"

"No!" she said automatically. "It was not a hoax, I felt it too." Draco sighed in relief. So he wasn't the only one that felt it. "Alright," she caved in, "But no one can know."

"No one," Draco agreed, a genuine smile crossing his face.

After that day, every evening before curfew the two would meet up in the Room of Requirement - something Vivienne showed him as top secret. There, they got to know one another without any distractions or worries and where they began to fall more in love with each other.

✨✨✨

It lasted until the Fifth Year.

When Dumbledore's Army was created.

Like a loyal Gryffindor, Vivienne attended the lessons - thus, having less quality time with Draco. The more she kept postponing their meetups, the more suspicious Draco got. It wouldn't be a surprise if she was part of the secret army, he thought one day.

But strangely, it still surprised him.

When they knocked down the wall to the Room of Requirement, Draco saw Vivienne near the front, standing in front of a little girl protectively. When they connected eyes across the room, Vivienne could see the hurt and worried look in his eyes, and he could see the look of guilt in hers. And Umbridge saw their small interaction.

"Ah, I see," her high-pitched voice drawled out in the tense room. "You didn't expect to see your secret lover here."

"Secret lover?" Vivienne's eyes went from guilt to betrayal. "You told her?"

"You and Malfoy?" Ron Weasley exclaimed in disbelief. "You're pulling our leg, aren't ya?"

"I'm sorry," Draco murmured. "I thought you were in trouble or something -"

"Well, you thought wrong," Vivienne blinked away her tears. After the small interaction, Umbridge's small army went into action. They grabbed as many Dumbledore's Army people as possible, even Vivienne - though she didn't put up much of a fight. What was worse, none of her friends looked in her direction, thinking that Vivienne had betrayed them.

Nothing was going well.

✨✨✨

Sixth Year came, and it was still the same; getting rejected by her peers and being isolated. At least Draco could tell his house to stop and never mention it. But Vivienne couldn’t. She was stuck all alone. Even though they found out the true culprit who ratted them out, they still chose to ignore Vivienne.

It didn’t help that she was an orphan as well, making her feel lonelier than ever.

Draco tried talking to her, to reconcile, to no avail. She avoided him at all costs. She was not the only one feeling depressed, though, Draco was suffering too. It was all his fault that they were in this situation; he foolishly told Umbridge about his troubles, how she always seemed to have a busy schedule. He foolishly thought that not only was she part of Dumbledore’s Army, but he also had the fear that she would grow tired of him and meet someone else. Oh, how wrong the latter was - the look of hurt and betrayal on her face will forever be imprinted in his mind.

He looked down at the cursed Dark Mark on his arm, grimacing at the sight. He shoved his sleeve down harshly so he didn’t have to look at it any more. That didn’t mean he could feel it, though.

With a heavy heart, he went back to the cabinet he was to fix when suddenly he just collapsed to the floor and cried his heart out. Sounds cowardly, I know. Not only did he lose the love of his life, but he also became something he didn’t want to be and was assigned to bring Death Eaters in and kill Dumbledore. This year just wasn’t going well for him.

“Draco?” a familiar voice called out to him. Wiping his tears away harshly, he turned around on the floor to see whether his thoughts were true. And it was; Vivienne was standing in front of him.

“Vivienne...” Oh, who knew how long it’s been since they were alone. Memories of their time together attacked his mind, along with the heavy assignment he was given. Without another word, he brought the young woman into his arms and cried. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for everything. I missed you so much, and I need you. I need you so much in my life...”

“Draco? You’re scaring me,” Vivienne pulled away to wipe his tears away gently. “What is the problem? This can’t possibly be just from our situation...”

“I-I...” he stuttered, close to having another panic attack that week. “I can’t tell you. You’ll hate me more.” He buried his face in her neck, oblivious to her eyes softening at his statement.

“I don’t hate you,” she revealed, running her hand through his messy hair. “I’m just a little disappointed, and I kind of needed some alone time is all...” She hugged the broken boy closer to her. “Draco, what’s happening? No more secrets.”

And so he told her everything - what more could he lose? It was best if she stayed away from him after this, she would be safer without him in her life…

“Let me help.” Draco was out of her arms in an instant, eyeing her as if she was crazy.

“No!” he automatically refused. “No way, I am not bringing you into this. You should stay away from me like you’ve been doing this year.”

“I’m not losing you again,” she shook her head stubbornly.

“Please,” he begged her, grabbing her by the shoulders. Shivers ran down his spine at the thought of her coming across danger. “He can’t know about you. It’s bad enough that he’s threatening my family. If he caught sight of you -”

“No,” she glared at him. “I am with you until the end. I love you, Draco.”

I love you

Oh, it’s been a while since he last heard her say those three words to him.

Draco smiled softly at her strong confession, leaning his forehead against hers, his arms circling her waist. “I love you too,” he whispered.

“We can always run away,” she suggested weakly. “Away from him, Hogwarts and their judge-filled gazes...”

"Sorry, love," he said sadly, "He'll always find me. With this mark on me, he'll know where I will go." He pressed his lips against her temple in a delicate kiss. "I'm sorry, all we can do is hope for the best."

"And then what?"

"And then..." He looked at her seriously. "And then we fight back. For our love."

✨✨✨

Hogwarts Battle...

Draco fought with his school, knocking out Death Eaters wherever he went. He was trying to find a specific someone he lost sight of.

As he entered the courtyard, he felt himself freeze up when he saw a scary-looking Death Eater fight against the person he was looking for. "Vivienne..." he breathed out. She was no longer fighting one, but two men, and easily defeated them much to Draco's surprise. Sometimes he forgot she trained for these kinds of situations.

His awe wore off though when he remembered why he was looking for her in the first place. He took her to a secret hideout outside Hogwarts before the battle happened, wanting her to stay safe. However, Vivienne ignored his pleas and joined the battle. The reason why he discerned she was no longer at the hideout was because even amongst the battle, he could recognise her voice anywhere. So he went looking for her.

"Vivienne!" he yelled enraged, marching towards her. He grabbed her arm to turn her to him. "Are you crazy? What are you doing here?"

"I came to help," she lifted her chin bravely. He shook his head, exasperated.

"You're going to get you and the little one killed -" they dodged out of the way in time to avoid a spell that was thrown at them. Vivienne turned to the person who threw the spell at them with her wand raised, only for her arm to fall when she connected her eyes with Ginny Weasley.

"Ginny!" Vivienne looked at her old friend in surprise.

"Traitor!" Ginny spat, "After all this, you're still with them?"

"Ginny, it's not like that -" Draco shoved her to the side with him when Ginny tried to throw another curse at them.

"Love, we have to go," Draco told the sad girl. "We can't change her mind. Let's go back to the hideout." Vivienne sent one last sad look to her ginger friend before the two ran away from the battleground.

As they were getting closer to the exit, Bellatrix appeared in front of them with a snap, grabbing Vivienne from Draco's hold. "No!" Draco yelled, reaching an arm out to grab her back. He reeled away when Bellatrix shoved her wand under Vivienne's chin.

"Sorry, nephew!" the crazy woman sneered. "Dark Lord's orders."

"NO!" Draco screamed, the love of his life disappearing before his eyes again.

✨✨✨

“Draco!” Lucius hissed. Everyone turned to Draco, wondering if he was to join the dark side again now that Harry was gone. Some people saw him helping them, while some still thought he was part of the dark side.

But Draco stood there, refusing to move. It was what Vivienne wanted him to do. Where was she? Where did his Aunt take her to? He had to find her as soon as he could -

“Draco!” his mother called out this time, begging. Although he wasn’t as close to his father, his mother he treasured dearly. His face unwillingly twisted to one of conflict.

“Oh, Drakey!” Bellatrix’s voice emerged. She appeared at Voldemort’s side, holding Vivienne in a headlock. Everyone gasped when they saw her struggle to get out of the crazy woman’s grasp, Draco almost choking on his breath. Despite the circumstances, he was glad to see her still alive. “You wouldn’t leave Vivienne here all alone now, would you?” That brought him to his decision.

“Let her go,” he begged, eyes tearing up. “If you let her go then I will join you.”

“NO!” Vivienne panicked, struggling more.

“Shut up!” Bellatrix hissed, jabbing her wand at her face. “Stupid orphan. Come on Draco, choose wisely!”

“Don’t,” Vivienne mouthed to him, a tear escaping her eye. “Stay there,” she said out loud.

“Vivienne -” Draco took a step forward.

“DON’T!” she screeched out desperately. “YOU DON’T BELONG ON THIS SIDE! YOU’RE NOT LIKE THEM!”

“Enough!” Voldemort hissed, growing impatient. “Kill the orphan!”

“No!” Draco yelled, “I’ll join! I’ll join!” He started making his way to them.

“Draco...” He paused midway at the seriousness in his lover’s tone. She looked him in the eyes with determination. “Don’t.” was all she uttered.

His mind and body were feeling like jelly. He wanted to stay on the good side as the two wanted, but at the same time, he wanted to protect her. Both of them.

“I’ll be fine,” she assured him weakly as if hearing his thoughts. “I love you.”

“I-I love you too.” It was the first time they publicly confessed their love for one another.

“So that’s your decision then?” Voldemort mused. “You’d rather do what she says than join me. For her safety. Or your parents.”

Draco didn’t reply. Why was doing the good thing so complicated?

“Very well then,” Voldemort sighed mockingly, pulling out his wand. Draco’s heartbeat started to accelerate from nerves. What was the Dark Lord going to do? “I am very disappointed in you, Draco Malfoy,” Voldemort twirled his wand on his hand as he slowly paced around. “First your Father disappoints me, and then you. For love. Weakness. Disgusting.” He turned his red eyes to Draco with a glare. “You’d risk not only your life but hers and your parents? You’d risk everything for a weak girl like her?”

“She is not weak!” Draco fought back. “She has the biggest heart than anyone I know. She has the heart to love someone like me!”

“Yeah, and betray us!” Ron scoffed. Draco momentarily turned his back on the bad side to glare at Ron so heatedly, that it unnerved them all.

“She didn’t!” Draco defended. “She has done nothing but support you all. You know she never ratted you out to Umbridge! All she has done was be there for me, and love me despite prejudices and my flaws...” He turned back to Voldemort, ignoring the looks of shame on Ron and some people’s faces. “This whole time while people have been isolating her, she has been helping the good side look for reinforcements from around the world. How else do you think some of these wizards from around the world came here to fight?” He threw his arms out towards some foreign wizards who willingly came to fight for justice.

Everyone was surprised when they first came, wondering how people from America, Australia, Japan, China - and so many other countries - came to Hogwarts to help the battle. They simply ignored it, thinking it was the Order or one of the professors who had connections. They never knew they all came from Vivienne who surprisingly had a way with words…

“This whole time you thought Vivienne was some traitor or weak person - well let me tell you, she is not!” He doesn’t know where or why he got this sudden confidence, but he was going to use it. Vivienne went through so much for him, he wanted to help her back. He knew the people’s opinions on her had wounded her, and he wanted to set things straight before it was too late. He loved her. He would do anything for her - even yell in the courtyard in front of everyone including the Dark Lord. “You know what else she did for me? Taught me what was right and wrong, and no way am I joining your side!”

“ENOUGH!” Voldemort yelled, infuriated. He aimed his wand at Draco who lost all confidence and was now a clear target for the wrath of the Dark Lord. “AVADA KEDAVRA-”

“NO!” Vivienne screamed, escaping Bellatrix’s grasp.

To him, everything was in slow motion like the first time they saw each other at the Yule Ball. He watched as Vivienne ran to him, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist, face pressed against his chest, her back to Voldemort. And just like that…

She was hit with the killing curse.

Her limp form slumped against him, Draco catching her immediately before it was too late. “Vivienne?” he called out shakily, his lips wobbling in an attempt trying to hold in his tears.

No response.

“Vivienne?” He shook her lightly, feeling his world shatter. “No...Vivienne!” A second later Draco lifted his head to the sky, releasing a bloodcurdling scream of pure heartbreak.

All this fighting and surviving together…a waste in the end.

“Now you see what happens,” Voldemort hissed, having already expected this scenario. “I will give you this one last chance. Or else your parents will be next.”

Everyone from Hogwarts cried along with Draco at the sight of the fallen girl. Ginny, Hermione, Ron...they all felt guilty for not believing Vivienne and for giving her a hard time. All along she was innocent. And poor Draco…

He sobbed into her hair, his hold on her form tight. She was gone. Right before his eyes. First Dumbledore, then Harry, now Vivienne and…

He rested a gentle hand on her stomach, mourning not for one, but for two people. The child he never got to see grow up…

Near them, Draco spotted an abandoned wand. A plan started to form in his mind…

“Join me, Draco Malfoy, and no harm shall come to you -”

“DRACO, NO!” Narcissa interrupted the Dark Lord for the first time, her face etched out in horror.

Draco had grabbed the fallen wand and placed it underneath his chin, still staring at the love of his life with tears pouring out of his eyes. “I love you,” he whispered to the motionless form. “I’ll see you two, soon.”

“Draco, no!”

“Malfoy!”

“Draco!” Everyone started to scream. Voldemort watched on in shock. This, he did not expect.

They couldn’t get to him; he had cast a silent shield around him and Vivienne before his parents or anyone at Hogwarts could reach them. “Get him!” Narcissa cried to her husband.

“I-I can’t!” Lucius whispered, throwing spell after spell to the invisible shield. “Nothing is working!”

While chaos ensued around the couple, Draco took deep breaths and closed his eyes. “I love you,” he whispered again. “I’ll see you two soon.”

“DRACO!” his parents screamed one last time.

“Avada Kedavra,” he whispered. And just like that…

He was gone.

Everyone was silent, staring in shock at their fallen bodies. Draco Malfoy and Vivienne Moore were dead; Draco’s form was on top of Vivienne like he was protecting her from all dark and evil. One hand laid across her stomach. For their unborn baby.

“How sad,” Voldemort mused with amusement over the cries of many people, “Their lives were taken away, just like that dreadful story: Romeo and Juliet.”

✨✨✨

The battle was over, Voldemort was gone and defeated. Everyone celebrated, but only momentarily. Many lives were gone, especially two people.

They had grabbed their bodies, placing them gently in the middle of the Great Hall on one cot. They made it look like they were just merely sleeping; Vivienne's head resting gently on Draco's chest, his arms wrapped around her protectively - especially in her stomach area. Madam Pomphrey had checked over Vivienne and their suspicions were confirmed. Vivienne was pregnant when she died. It made the whole thing worse; not only did they kill a dear friend, but they also indirectly killed an innocent unborn child. Peace was all the two ever wanted.

Draco's parents stood on one side of the bed, the Golden Trio on the opposite side. They were giving their respects.

Hermione was crying into Ron's chest, heart filled with guilt and heartbreak at the sight before them. Draco's parents were in a similar situation; Narcissa crying into her husband's chest. Lucius stared down at the bodies with an expression of sorrow at the sight of his only son gone.

Looking at them, they never realised how much their situation took a toll on the two teenagers until then. They noticed the sunken eyes, skinniness, the stress lines on their faces...yet despite all that they looked to be in peace.

"No more," Lucius rasped out. Everyone turned to him, even nearby people. "No more of this feud. That's why they're gone. Because of this stupid feud between us."

Harry nodded in agreement. "No more," he acknowledged.

The two were buried alongside Dumbledore as a symbol to everyone; that love was unlimited and powerful, that love conquered all - even at the worst. It was also a symbol of why feuds shouldn't happen.

Draco Malfoy and Vivienne Moore were marked in history by the Wizardry World.

Harry named his third son after Draco, and Hermione and Ron named their third daughter after Vivienne.

There was peace between the Malfoys and the Golden Trio - they would all meet up on the anniversary of their death.

There was peace between Slytherin and Gryffindor for the first time in history.

Draco and Vivienne's story was told worldwide for many years, their story having been written down in diaries the two owned.

Everyone knew the truth in the end.

Vivienne was innocent.

Draco was innocent.

And they were in love.

Like Romeo and Juliet.

Hermione pulled away from the typewriter, blinking away her tears. It was done; she finished writing the story of the star-crossed lovers after 22 years of writing, erasing, writing, editing - until she reached the end. She wanted it to be as real and detailed as possible. It was the least she could do for them.

A knock came on her door, revealing her two best friends - one of them being her husband. They noticed the sad look on her face and the typewriter she sat behind. "It's finished, huh?" Harry mused, the two of them sitting across from her.

"Yeah, it's done," she sighed, closing the two diaries gently and putting them in a safe. "I hope it is as close to the actual memories..."

"I'm sure you did brilliant, Mione," Ron assured her. "They would love it."

"I think it will bring closure to us all," Harry added quietly, "especially to Malfoy's parents."

"After making sure it's correct, the first copy will be sent to them," she announced confidently, gathering the papers and putting them in a safe place on her clean desk. "How are they? It's almost the anniversary..."

"As fine as they can be," Harry sighed, slumping in his chair. "I feel sorry for them all the time. We lost schoolmates when they lost their son...and granddaughter..."

"Poor Vivienne had no one," Ron added miserably. "I can't believe we treated her so harshly..."

"All we can do is move on," Hermione told them shakily. "That's what they would have wanted. That, and the truth which is why I made this book."

"Oh!" Ron perked up at a sudden thought. "There's another reason why we're here!"

"There is?" the Minister of Magic wondered.

"Yup!" the two men nodded.

"It's done," Harry announced. "The painting is done."

✨✨✨

"Mr Malfoy, Mrs Malfoy," Hermione greeted the parents. "It's lovely to see you two again."

"You too," Narcissa said with a weak smile, Lucius giving a small nod.

"I know today is a tough day for all of us," Harry started, "but we hope to help you two get some closure. Which brings us to two gifts."

"Gifts?" Lucius frowned.

"Yes," Hermione nodded. She handed them the wrapped book. "This is the story of Draco and Vivienne - from the first time they saw each other, to..." she trailed off sadly. "Using their diaries, I was able to connect their memories and so I hope through this, you can get some closure and know that despite all this, your son was very happy and in love."

"Thank you," Narcissa sniffed, holding the book to her chest tightly as if it were a newborn. She always wished to be part of Darco’s life when it came to romance, to hear him gush about the lucky girl that caught his heart. She wasn’t able to experience that with her son, but perhaps through this book, she can get a smidge of what her son felt throughout his love life…

"The second gift..." Ron walked to them while levitating a large rectangle-shaped object covered with a cloth. While it was floating in midair, Ron grabbed the cloth and pulled it away to reveal an artwork. An artwork that made them all stifle cries.

It was an artwork with three people; Draco, Vivienne, and their newborn child held gently between the couple. The painting was set in a beautiful field, with the small family sitting on a picnic blanket.

"In their diary," Hermione explained, "Vivienne wrote a dream she had. She had a dream that she was having a beautiful picnic in a field full of flowers and sunshine, and with her was Draco and their newborn baby. Draco gushed about the dream in his diary, and how he hoped it would come true once the battle was over. They knew they were going to have a girl despite the early stages of her pregnancy, and they came up with the name Dariela for their daughter, which means -"

"Beloved," the parents answered. They remember when Draco was a young boy visiting another family’s manor, he came across a book full of baby names - they remembered Draco showing the name Dariela to them, saying how he found it beautiful and hoped to name his daughter that in the future.

"An anonymous painter wanted to create something for us to bring closure," Harry explained to the emotional parents. "With this, we can imagine this as them now, watching us."

"We had a plan of hanging this in Hogwarts," Ron told them, "but at the same time this should go to you since Draco is your son -"

"No," they shook their head.

"You can hang it in Hogwarts," Lucius told them. "It's where it belongs. It’s where…it’s where they met. The beautiful painting doesn’t belong in a dark place like our home."

"Although..." Narcissa hesitated. "If possible...can there be another painting for us to hang? So they can come and go if they wanted..."

"Of course," Hermione nodded quickly. "The painter is working on it already."

"Thank you so much -"

"Hello..." they all gasped when the painting came to life; Draco and Vivienne smiling at them. Narcissa couldn't hold it in and released her sobs.

"Oh, my baby!" she cried. Draco merely smiled at her blissfully. "I'm so sorry..."

"It's okay, it's not your fault," the Draco painting spoke. It made them all shiver with how realistic he sounded. It's been 22 years since they last heard from them…

"Just know that we are happy, and at peace," Vivienne told them, cradling her baby in her arms happily. "We're always watching from above."

"We forgive you," the two chorused. The living people weren't aware of how much they needed to hear that from their lips until that day.

That was the last time the painting spoke. From then on, it was just the two of them smiling and enjoying their time together, something they never got when they were alive. They would silently greet people in Hogwarts, and sometimes visit Malfoy Manor - but everyone knew that it was quite dangerous to have a moving painting of a passed loved one as it could bring one person to madness and unable to move on.

Nonetheless, after that, it was easier for people to move on, to live their lives knowing that everything was okay now, that the small family - wherever they were - was in a happy place.

They never forgot the star-crossed lovers and made sure everyone knew about them and their story. Their story was passed down from generation to generation, proving again that in the end…

Love was unlimited and powerful, and love conquered all.

The End

[mrstepford]

THE TOMBOYS GUIDE TO BECOMING A LADY

Sam was a self-proclaimed nerd and tomboy who loved nothing more than spending her free time writing stories. She wrote a series of stories about a tomboy heroine, and her latest story featured a female villain who was both elegant and deadly.

As she sat at her desk, trying to come up with a description for the villain's outfit, Sam realized that she was out of her depth. She had never been particularly fashion-conscious, and she didn't know the first thing about designing an elegant outfit for a proper lady. Feeling frustrated, she turned to her computer and began to search for inspiration. That's when she stumbled upon an AI writing software that promised to help with creative writing tasks. She was skeptical at first but decided to give it a try.

She typed in the prompt, "Describe an elegant outfit for a proper lady," and hit enter. To her surprise, the AI responded with a detailed description of the outfit in painstaking detail, including the hair, makeup, jewelry, and high heels.

Sam was impressed by the level of detail in the description. She could almost picture the outfit in her mind's eye. But what happened next was even more surprising. Suddenly, her own clothes began to transform, and before she knew it, she was wearing the very outfit that the AI had described.

She looked down at herself in amazement. She had never felt so elegant and sophisticated before. The outfit was a beautiful combination of a fitted, knee-length dress made of rich, deep purple fabric with a daring V-neckline that showed just a hint of cleavage. The dress was accented by a pair of black stilettos that added a few extra inches to her height, giving her a sense of confidence and power.

Her hair was styled in loose, flowing waves that cascaded over her shoulders, and her makeup was subtle and understated, with just a touch of rosy blush on her cheeks and a hint of lipstick on her lips. She couldn't believe the transformation that had taken place. She typed in the prompt, “Change me Back” and The AI responded with “Finish your story. Then I will change you back”

Not knowing what to do Sam sat down to continue writing. As she began to write, her fingers flew across the keyboard as she described the elegant lady that she had envisioned wearing the outfit she now donned. As she wrote, Sam found herself becoming more and more comfortable in her new attire. She stood up and walked around the room, admiring herself in the mirror and enjoying the way the fabric of the dress moved against her skin.

But as she continued to write, something strange began to happen. Sam found herself changing the story in ways she couldn't explain. The elegant lady, who had once been a villain, was now becoming a role model to the tomboy.

In the story, the elegant lady took the tomboy under her wing, showing her how to dress and act like a proper lady. She taught her the importance of poise and grace, and the two became fast friends. Sam was surprised by the direction the story had taken, but she couldn't deny that it felt right. She continued to write, weaving the elegant lady into the fabric of the story in a way that felt natural and effortless.

As she wrote, Sam found that she was changing too. She was becoming more comfortable in her own skin, more confident in her abilities, and more willing to take risks.

Eventually, she finished the story, and as she typed the final words, she felt a strange sense of closure. She had discovered something about herself through the process of writing, and she knew that she would never be the same again.

Suddenly, the AI spoke up again. "You have finished your story," it said. "I will now change you back."

Sam hesitated for a moment, realizing that she didn't want to go back to her old self. She had become attached to the confidence and elegance that came with the outfit and the story she had written. She typed back to the AI, "I don't want to change." The AI responded, "As you wish, Samantha”

Samantha was changed forever by her experience with the AI writing software. She had discovered a new side of herself, one that she had never known existed. She no longer considered herself a tomboy; instead, she had embraced her newfound elegance and sophistication. She began to write a new story, one that would reflect the changes that had taken place within her. In this story, her tomboy character was now a prim and proper lady, just like Samantha.

As she wrote, Samantha poured her heart and soul into the story. She wanted to capture the essence of what it meant to be a proper lady, to convey the poise and grace that she had learned from her experience with the AI.

The words flowed effortlessly from her fingertips as she described the transformation of the tomboy character. The character showed how to dress, walk, speak, and act like a proper lady. She showed the importance of manners, kindness, and standing up for what she believed in. Samantha wrote story after story, each one more compelling than the last. She became known as a talented writer, admired for her ability to capture the essence of what it meant to be a proper lady.

But as her fame grew, Samantha never forgot the lessons that she had learned. She remained humble, kind, and gracious, always striving to be the best version of herself.

In the end, Samantha knew that she had found her true calling. She was a writer, a storyteller, and a champion of elegance and sophistication. And she was proud of who she had become.

[bucky-barnes-diaries]

in my eyes, you’re a work of art

The Five Senses: Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 3 || Part 4 || Part 5

Pairing; Bucky Barnes x Female!Reader

Summary; Bucky explores you with his Five Senses. In this instalment it’s all about Eyesight.

Word Count; 1225

Warnings; NSFW, 18+ Only, Minors DNI, unprotected vaginal sex, pet names, but other than that it’s mostly fluff.

Authors Note; I’m very happy with how this turned out :D Now I just hope I can write the other parts just as good :’)

Main Masterlist || The Five Senses Masterlist

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A work of art.

That's how Bucky would describe you in your entirety.

You were a masterpiece that deserved her place at a grand museum.

The higher beings in the universe took extra time to create you into perfection for his eyes.

All the most affirming words in the world could be used to describe you, but Bucky had a few key ones that justified it best.

————

Bucky paced back and forth in the downstairs hallway. Every few minutes, he would take a look at his watch on his wrist, a worrying expression on his face. Each minute that went by, the later you were going to be for the charity event you and he was attending.

“We’re gonna be late, doll. Are you almost ready?”

“Yeah, coming.”

He looked up from his watch and shifted his gaze to the top of the stairs where you had appeared now.

Time seemed to slow down as you walked graciously down the stair, one hand on the railing to support you.

You were ever so breathtaking this fine evening. His heart stopped in his chest, and the air from his lungs was stolen from your beauty.

The dress you were wearing was an intense deep purple colour that hugged your silhouette to perfection. It was off the shoulder and created the perfect V shape to accentuate your breasts. Your hair was done in a style that fit the look altogether. The makeup was simple yet elegant.

“Bucky?”

You snapped your fingers in front of his face, but he was frozen in place like a statue, his lips parted slightly, as he had been lost in your beauty.

“Hello? Babe?”

He shook his head to snap out from the trance you had put him in.

“Sorry, doll. You look breathtaking tonight. So stunning.”

His hand took yours, and he twirled you around so he could check all of you out up close and personal.

“Beautiful.”

You felt yourself heating up at Bucky's affirmation for you tonight.

“I won't be able to take my eyes off you the entire night, my sweet doll.”

————

Summer was here, so it was a perfect day for a sweet and relaxing picnic in the backyard, just you and Bucky.

A large blanket was spread out underneath an old tree, shading you from the blistering sun and creating a secluding atmosphere.

You both laid comfortably on your sides, facing each other, with a book in hand.

As your eyes read the words on the paper, getting lost in the fantasy about castles, dragons and knights, Bucky was focused on something else entirely.

He was more interested in watching you and getting lost in your majesty and how cute and adorable you looked in your summer attire.

The pale pink summer dress you wore accentuated your appearance. The dress was held up with slim shoulder straps. The fabric was thin, perfect to be worn out in the warm weather. It clung to your torso, hugging your waist, but around the hips, the fabric became loose, making the dress flow around you in the most magical way. Your neckline was visible, droplets of moisture formed on your glowing skin as a result of the scorching sun.

You were barefaced, and your hair was simple. He loved the natural look on you.

The way your face lightly scrunched up when you smiled after reading a passage in your book had his heart explode in butterflies and love for his favourite girl. That smile was his reassurance and safety in his darkest times.

The back of his pointing finger stroked your cheek, pulling you out from the dreamworld in the book.

“What is it, Bucky?”

He shook his head, his sweet smile forming on his lips, his eyes lighting up in adoration.

“Enjoying the gorgeous view in front of me.”

————

The light from the streets below poured into the window, cascading over you and Bucky as you were united in body and soul. Expressing your love for one another through sex.

You were so appealing where you sat on him, your body sinful as you claimed him. There was nothing more bewitching than your naked form.

His hungry eyes took in the way your hips rolled in perfection, in such a perfect rhythm, to bring you and him closer to orgasm and the way your breasts moved in perfect sync so erotically. A thin layer of sweat formed on your skin from the activity, making it glow as the faint light from the window hit you.

His cock twitched in you when he watched you run your hands over your naked body, from your hips, up your waist, until they landed on your breasts, palming them in your grasp.

“That's it, baby, such a pretty girl for me.”

Your face presented pure pleasure as you rode him. Your eyes closed, a slight twitch in them now and again, and your head was tilted back as you concentrated on the euphoric feeling. Your lips were parted to let the sounds come out from you freely.

God, you were so sexy; it was unbelievable. He was in awe, and he felt so blessed that he, and he only, was ever going to see you in this state you were in, so free and vulnerable.

He would save this glorious image of you on top of him, using it when he was away from you and needed it the most.

————

The golden rays from the morning sun sneak through the window blinds of your and Bucky's bedroom.

The light on Bucky's face stirs him awake. You, on the other hand, are still sound asleep beside him, unbothered by the illumination.

Bucky turns to you as you're still sleeping so peacefully without a care in the world. The biggest smile comes across his face when his eyes take you in.

“Look at my girl.”

You look so angelic where you lay, so aesthetic, so immaculate. The way the morning sun cascades across your face enhances your beautiful features. Your eyelashes rest on your cheeks, brushing the skin underneath your eyes, and your lips are parted as they let out deep breaths. He watches with fascination as you take them, your naked chest rising with each one.

There's no evidence of stress or worry in your face, only relaxation. A soft and sweet smile forms on your lips. It makes him smile as well. He's hoping you're dreaming of him, dreaming about the wonderful future you will have together in the years to come.

The duvet is draped across your lower half, shielding your most sensitive parts from him. He wants to pull them off to see the entirety of you, but he doesn't want to wake you up.

He's so in love with you, it hurts. Every moment with you is a blessing and a gift. He can't believe he's been so lucky to have you in his life.

His lips barely graze your forehead so as not to wake you, leaving a delicate kiss on your soft skin.

He loved these early mornings when you were still asleep. He could take all the time in the world to analyse and admire each part of you without disturbance. When you woke up, he would tell you all the love his heart held for you, his work of art.

Thank you for reading💙 Feedback through a comment is highly appreciated! Or let me know through an anonymous ask if that feels more comfortable😊 As well as a reblog to share it with others! It would make me the happiest😇

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[asset35-maya]

Nice Things

Inspired by this spectacular drawing of long-haired Nines by @marndraws

Gavin Reed never had nice things.

Every day was a fight for survival. He studied hard, worked hard and did everything he could to come out on top… but he never had nice things. If he did, they wouldn’t last.

Then the most beautiful creature to walk the planet entered his life.

A sheer scientific miracle. A combined feat of engineering and art. The most advanced android ever built… and the kindest soul the mean city of Detroit had ever seen.

Nines.

Gavin had no idea how to interact with the RK900 in the beginning. If it were any other new partner he’d have been his usual abrasive self, but there was something about the android that left him dumbstruck. No insults came to mind, so Gavin stuck to silent cooperation (and obedience, actually).

The RK900 model was designed to be aesthetically pleasing. There was no doubt about that, but it was how the android carried himself that took things to another level entirely. Poise, elegance and flair touched everything that he said and did.

It extended to the way he transformed his appearance after deviancy. Nines shed his Cyberlife uniform with the harsh turtleneck and stiff jacket in favour of softer, more delicate garments. He still stuck to dark colours, but his clothes were all loose and flowing. He dressed more like an interior decorator than a homicide detective (and it honestly served him well).

Gavin often had to tear his gaze away from the refined fabrics and unconventional styles that Nines wore. Gavin never had nice things… but he certainly had an eye for them.

And then there was Nines’ hair…

When Gavin had first seen the change from the default appearance settings, he had to leave the station, find a quiet alley and focus on bringing his breathing back to normal.

Nines… for some unknown, wild, spectacular, unprecedented, utterly amazing reason… had decided to lengthen his hair and let it hang loose around his shoulders.

The dark tresses were as expressive as the android himself. They danced when he laughed. They whipped the air when he animatedly told a story with his steel blue eyes flashing. They shone in every damn light.

Gavin couldn’t help but stare. He never had nice things… but he was drawn to them.

Not a day went by that he didn’t want to reach out and tuck the fine strands behind Nines’ ear, but he held back from giving in to such insanity.

Nines didn’t hold himself back though.

For all the times Gavin had been looking, so had he. He made his move in the middle of a very boozy Christmas party at the DPD. It didn’t take much of an effort. They left the party together on the flimsy pretext of Nines showing Gavin his Christmas lights at home… and promptly fell into bed together.

Gavin had never had nice things… but he knew exactly what he wanted, and when they were presented to him on a silver platter, he knew how to take them.

Nines’ hair was as soft as he imagined and even silkier than he dreamed. He couldn’t stop running his fingers through the lifelike synthetic fibres and Nines couldn’t seem to get enough of his touch either.

Bliss.

On the third anniversary of the Christmas party, the pair found themselves in very much the same position, only that they didn’t actually make it to the mindless office event this time. The day started and ended in bed.

Fairy lights glittered and tastefully-chosen tinsel framed the snow-laden windows of their loft apartment. The large Christmas tree emanated a warm glow that reached even the bedroom where they lay tangled in the sheets.

Nines was draped over Gavin’s chest, his fingers skimming idly across the warm skin.

“Sweetheart…”

“Nines.”

Gavin’s wary tone of voice made the android laugh. A velvet sound that the human would follow to the ends of the earth.

“What’s the thing you love most about me?”

Gavin exhaled loudly, hugging Nines closer.

“Baby, you know I ain’t good at words and shit.”

“I’m not asking you to write me a poem. Just tell me what you love most about me.”

He sighed and stared at the ceiling.

“Is this a test?”

“I don’t have to test you. I know everything there is to know about you. I can read you like a book even with my analysis software turned off.”

“Uh huh. Then why the inquisition?”

“Because validation is nice.”

Gavin snorted and carded his fingers though Nines’ gorgeous hair.

“Guess I can start by applauding your honesty.”

Nines hummed, rubbing slow circles into Gavin’s pec with his thumb. A few minutes went by and Gavin began to drift off to sleep.

“So what’s more attractive to you? My personality or my looks?”

Gavin’s eyes snapped open in alarm.

“What the ph-”

“There’s no right or wrong answer. Just tell me.”

Nines propped himself up on his elbows and peered into Gavin’s face. It was truly a magnificent sight. Two piercing blue eyes… plush lips curling into a smirk… a cyan LED… and a perfectly arched eyebrow. A pale, angular face… framed by sweeping curtains of dark, glossy hair.

Gavin gulped.

“I can’t choose. You’re the total package.”

“Cop out.”

“Pfffft. You tell me then. What do you like better? My mug or my sharp wit? Hah. Betcha can’t answer that for all the complex calculations your supercomputer brain can do.”

Nines tossed his hair over his shoulder and elevated himself further, pressing his forearms onto Gavin. His fixation with the human’s muscular chest was no secret.

“I can.”

“Huh.”

“You hardly said anything when we first met so I had nothing to go off for your personality-”

“Maybe I was mysterious and aloof and ya just couldn’t resist.”

“No, I actually thought you were kind of slow. All your medals and service awards didn’t make any sense to me.”

“Wowww.”

“So it had to be your body. Why else would anyone keep you around?”

“Is that why you stuck around too?”

“Maybe.”

“You little-”

Gavin reversed their positions on the bed, flipping Nines onto his back and curling huge biceps around his lithe body. Nines tipped his head back to allow Gavin to drag his teeth across his throat and latch onto his collarbone. Some moments passed like that until Nines regained control by hooking a leg over the human’s waist to slow him down.

“Fine. I confess. It was the leather jacket.”

“Seriously?”

Nines dug his heel into Gavin’s coccyx.

“It was everything about your appearance that you had control over… or weren’t born with at least. For instance, your face is conventionally attractive, but it’s all the lines and scars and little things that made me wonder what kind of a life you’d lived… what you might have gone through... how you came out stronger. And yes, your body is a temple, but it’s the work you put into it that I admire. You know how to take care of yourself and that’s…”

“Hot?”

“Hot.”

Nines accepted a rather sloppy kiss with grace. He rubbed his hands up and down his partner’s back.

“So. Tell me. What was it for you? What is it for you?”

Gavin’s right hand subconsciously found its way into Nines’ long hair and caressed his scalp. He sighed into the crook of Nines’ neck and took in the familiar scent that was neither entirely human nor entirely artificial. Everyone expected androids to smell like a new car but the fact was that each of them had their own unique smell. It was impossible to describe in words, but it was one of the many many things Gavin loved about Nines.

“Babe, I think you’re asking a shit ton of questions, but none of them are what you actually wanna ask.”

“Say more.”

“Gavin, do you love me because I look like a Greek god or is it because I’m smart as phck? Gavin, what did you notice first about my sexy android ass? Does the same thing get you off today, or is it something else?

I think… there’s something you already know… or something you think you know… and you’re just trying to get me to say it and dig myself into a giant hole.”

Nines didn’t respond but his LED did. Gavin chuckled and pressed his lips to the spinning yellow light.

“Called it.”

Nines rolled his eyes.

“It’s my hair, isn’t it?”

“Huh?”

“Admit it, you’re obsessed with my hair.”

“And you’re obsessed with my tits. We take turns objectifying each other. First sign of a healthy relationship.”

The android’s sharp nose scrunched up at a particular word and Gavin closed his eyes in resignation. Despite his best efforts he’d walked right into the trap.

“Dammit, babe, I didn’t mean it like that. I would never ever see you as an object-”

“My, my… we’re lying here two years to the day we became…”

“A thing.”

“Yes. And here I am reminiscing about what made you even look at me in the first place… and it turns out the credit goes more to Cyberlife than it does to me.”

Gavin groaned while his lover’s tinkling laughter rang out. He had to think fast if he had to turn the tables.

“So I’m that slow?”

Nines looked back at him, confused.

“You just dragged MY instincts. Like I’m dumb enough to fall for a program written by some geeky little code nerd. Like it was all totally predetermined and I didn’t see you tease and flirt and practically fall over yourself trying to get my attention for months. Huh?”

Gavin tightened his grip and gave his partner an affirmative shake.

“All those outfits and nail colours and pointy shoes and sparkly, shiny things. You saw me looking and you just kept stepping it up.”

He grasped Nines’ jaw and kissed him firmly.

“And your hair, baby… yeah, some genius worked on the tech at some point… but they didn’t tell you how to wear it. They didn’t tell you about the length or cut or angle. They didn’t tell you to walk around looking like a phcking prince. They didn’t tell you to roll the car windows down on the highway so your hair could fly in my face and drive me phcking crazy…”

Gavin thrust his fingers into the dark locks and pulled the android back in for a series of open-mouthed kisses and tantalising swipes of his tongue. Nines started to reciprocate physically, but Gavin swatted his hands away, not wanting to let things go further without making it clear who had gained the upper hand in their ridiculous game. He broke away panting.

“I love you. Don’t ask me why because there isn't one single reason. And I phcking love your hair. Not just ’cause it’s pretty but ’cause you’re the only motherphcker in that precinct who’d show up to the gristliest of crime scenes looking like a runway model.”

They stared at each other. Nines’ LED flickered.

“I… wow, sweetheart… okayyy… I… love you too.”

A moment of silence passed and Gavin rounded things off with his classic double wink.

“You’re welcome.”

Nines smiled, accepting defeat. He reached up and carefully rearranged his hair, letting it fan out on the pillow. Unable to keep the smile off his face, Gavin dipped his head down and returned his lips to Nines’, kissing him under the covers until his LED spun bright blue.

Gavin Reed never had nice things… until he learnt how to take good care of them.

//

Part 2: Red Dress

[stargazer-sims]

Journal Entry #25 (part one)

Victor

The past couple of days have been interesting.

First of all, I grossly underestimated Yuri’s ability to shop. Seriously, set that man loose in a sufficiently large retail area, and there’s no stopping him. He got access to his trust fund when he turned twenty-five, and I guess he figured that since he doesn’t actually need it to support himself, he’d go wild with his first monthly allowance from it.

Today, we came here to the city, and I got dragged all over the place by my very enthusiastic soulmate, who evidently knows where every menswear shop, shoe store and jewelry boutique in Kyoto is located. Mostly, I think my main purpose was either to be arm candy or to carry all his shopping bags. That, and I was there to loiter outside every fitting room and answer the question "Does this make me look too skinny?" a zillion times.

I'm not complaining, though. By the time we were done, he was tired, but he seemed happy and way more relaxed than he'd been over the past week, and I was grateful to see him doing better. Too much stress is bad for his chronic illness, and we'd both prefer that he doesn't get sick again any time soon, so anything that helps him unwind is good in my opinion.

The only thing I bought, other than lunch, was a cute surprise present for Yuri, which I'm sure he'll be pleased to show you later. That's not to say I didn't come out of it with anything for me, however. Yuri bought me a suit, because he said I needed one for our wedding photos.

Now, before anybody gets too worked up, let me just say that we're not actually getting married. With all our joking around about it, we somehow had the idea that it'd be fun to get some couple portraits taken by a professional photographer. We've been referring to them as our wedding photos ever since we decided to do it.

But, let me get back to my new suit for a minute. It was a fairly significant purchase, considering I haven't worn one since my high school prom. Yuri took me to this fancy shop where a sales lady literally did all my measurements before she even let me look at anything. Then, she recommended some colours and styles she thought would work for me, and followed me around to help me choose.

Apparently, this is how it's done in Yuri's world. Yuri is so unpretentious and normal that sometimes I forget he comes from a wealthy family and that rich people do stuff a lot differently than people like me. Last time I bought a suit, my mom took me to a department store, gave me two hundred dollars and basically told me to pick something that fit, in any colour but grey, because it wouldn't look good with my hair.

Turns out, I rock grey suits.

I probably don't need to tell you, this ensemble cost way more than two hundred Canadian dollars. My mom would have a fit if she saw the receipt. I almost did too, but Yuri was using words like 'elegant' and ‘sophisticated’ to describe how I looked in my new suit, and he was gazing at me like he thought the only place it would look better than it did on me would be on the floor of our hotel room, so I stopped worrying too much about the price tag.

Right. Our hotel room. I guess I need to backtrack a bit, to explain what we're doing here in the city in the first place.

You already know what happened between me and Yuri on the weekend. It was pretty awful, but thankfully, we made up on Saturday night.

Yesterday, which was Sunday, we stayed in bed till mid-morning and had a long talk, and then some making up of the nonverbal variety, the intensity of which came as a surprise to both of us. Maybe it was because we were both starved for attention, but we got way more excited than usual, and ended up trying some things that neither of us had ever done before. It was a little scary, maybe more so for Yuri than for me, but it was exhilarating at the same time. Also, it was a great distraction from our current problems.

After another nap, we finally got up and had a bath, and then Yuri took me to the walk-in medical clinic in town in the afternoon. Luckily, my regular GP works in that clinic a couple of weekends a month, and this was one of his weekends. I would've been fine with any doctor, but it was nice to see someone who's already got some idea of the overall state of my health.

I explained to Dr. Sato what had happened, and he examined my shoulder and back. He asked me a bunch of questions about how I was feeling psychologically, and he agreed that I should have a short break from work. He also suggested that I should speak to a counsellor about my experience. I'm still not sure I want to do that, even if it would only be one or two sessions, but Dr. Sato gave me a recommendation anyway, so at least I have the contact information of someone I can make an appointment with, if I change my mind.

After leaving the doctor's office, we went to the fitness center so I could give Dr. Sato's note to Tomiko. She works Wednesday to Sunday, so I knew she'd be there.

I was caught off-guard by how nervous I felt as I walked into the place. It's a good thing Yuri was holding my hand, because I think I might've turned around and left, otherwise.

We found Tomiko in the administration office, and when I handed her my sick note, she didn't seem at all surprised.

"We had a complaint," she said.

"About me?"

"Well, not about you specifically, but it certainly had something to do with you," she said. "it seems we have a very observant custodian. She noticed that you finished your first session on Wednesday morning quite early, and she said it looked like you were limping when you came out. When she went in afterward to clean and disinfect the room, she noticed a crack in the mirror."

At that, I felt as if my stomach dropped. Ren had pushed me against the wall twice, and both had been really forceful shoves, but I hadn't realized he'd pushed me hard enough to crack the mirrored panel on the wall. For some reason, I had an irrational fear that I was about to get fired, or that I was going to be responsible for the damages to the mirror, at the very least.

Yuri must've noticed a change in my expression or posture or something, because he moved his chair closer to me and put his hand on my leg, under the table and out of Tomiko’s view.

"Have you looked into it?" Yuri asked.

"I asked the custodian to fill out a written incident report, but I only just received it yesterday around lunchtime," Tomiko said. "I've forwarded it to the General Manager, and he says he's going to contact our security company to review the camera recording from that room from Wednesday morning."

"That's good," was Yuri's response.

Tomiko fixed me with a serious look. "Is there anything you'd like to tell me about, Victor? Anything I should let the General Manager know before he sees that video?" She flicked her gaze down toward Dr. Sato's letter. "Since your doctor has written that you need to be off work due to a trauma-induced psychological injury, I'm going to assume there's a story.”

"If I tell you, what's going to happen?" I asked.

"That depends on what you tell me," she said.

I glanced at Yuri, maybe hoping he'd say or do something to help me get out of talking about it, but he gave me an encouraging little smile and said quietly, "It's okay. I'm here."

So, I told Tomiko what she and the General Manager would see on the video. It took several minutes to explain, and I cried a little bit. It definitely wasn't easy to talk about, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I'd imagined, and by the time I was done I was amazed to realize I felt kind of relieved.

"You should have reported this immediately," Tomiko said, once I'd finished. "I understand why you didn't, and I respect that, but this isn't the sort of situation you should try to handle on your own."

"I know," I said. "I'm sorry. Am I still going to have a job after this?"

"If everything you've told me is true, then I don't see why you wouldn't. I'll speak to the General Manager tomorrow morning, and once we've reviewed the video, then we'll make a decision."

"Tomorrow's your day off," I said, without thinking.

Tomiko smiled. "Sometimes we do things that are outside our job description," she said. "I know you've only been working here for a couple of months, but I want you to know, you've made a big impression on me and your other co-workers, and we've already gotten some great feedback from a few clients. I'd hate to lose you so soon."

"Thanks," I said.

"I'm going to recommend to the General Manager that we continue to pay you while you're on your medical leave," she said. "If everything you've told me is accurate, I think he'll agree that's the least we can do for you."

"Thank you. I really appreciate that."

"We may want to meet with you, once we've seen the video."

"Okay," I said. "Yuri and I were planning to go away for a while, though."

"That's fine. Just don't leave the country." she said. I knew she was making a joke, but it felt kind of weird to hear her say it, considering that leaving the country was exactly what we'd been planning to do.

Of course that means our hastily-planned trip to Canada is temporarily on hold. We're probably still going, but now we have to wait at least until I receive confirmation that I'm still employed.

When we got back to the house, we packed some stuff anyway, because even though we knew we couldn't go far, we still intended to escape to the city for a few days. I had to show Yuri how, because he's the sort of person who'd bring five suitcases when one suitcase and a backpack would do. I also learned that he’s never packed his own luggage for more than an overnight stay. He hasn’t travelled much since moving out of his parents’ house, and when he lived at home and his family went on longer trips, either his mother or the housekeeper packed for him.

He whined about having to pack light, but I pointed out that I had a sore shoulder and my own stuff to carry, and he was only allowed to bring as many bags as he could manage by himself.

"If you can't carry it from the car to our room, you can't bring it," I said. "Besides, you know we're going to leave with way more stuff than we arrive with, and you're going to have to be responsible for that, too."

He had the grace to look embarrassed. "That's true. I mean, I might want to shop a little."

"Only a little?"

"I'll try to behave myself."

I didn't entirely believe him about the shopping, with good reason as it turned out, but I will give him credit for succeeding in keeping his luggage to one suitcase and one small bag.

Once we'd finished with that, Yuri stayed upstairs and called his mother while I worked on dinner. I don't know what they talked about, but by the time he joined me in the kitchen for some chicken and vegetables and steamed rice, he was looking exceptionally pleased with himself.

That's when he informed me where we were going to be staying.

On Saturday night, when he first suggested we should stay in a hotel, I was picturing something like an EconoLodge, like the sort of low-budget place where my mom and I stayed the few times we visited some old university friends of hers up in Britechester. I was not at all expecting the high-class address he programmed into our car's GPS after we’d concluded our big shopping adventure this afternoon.

When we got there, I thought it was a mistake, until he told me, "Drive up to the curb in front of the entrance and wait."

I wasn't sure what we were supposed to be waiting for, but it didn't take long for me to find out. A guy in a uniform that looked like it was straight out of a film set in the fifties came out and waved for me to roll down my window. I did, and he asked me for the keys.

Slightly panicked, I looked over at Yuri in the passenger's seat. "Why does he want the keys?"

"It's courtesy parking," Yuri said. "He'll bring our luggage in, too."

"Really?"

"Get out of the car, and let him do his job. We can check in, and by the time that's done, our stuff will be inside, and we can get someone to take it up to our room."

"I can carry—“

"Victor, get out," Yuri said, looking amused. "It'll be fine. Trust me."

I hopped out of the driver's seat, and gave Uniform Guy a thumbs up. "Try not to scratch the paint," I said, and grinned at him.

He didn't seem to find me entertaining.

Yuri came around the front of the car and did his best to hustle me away from it and from Uniform Guy. "Come on. You can at least try to be a gentleman and walk me in."

"Uhh... right," I said.

I tried to position my arm like I'd seen men do in movies. It must've been right, because Yuri slipped his own arm under mine and rested his hand on the inside of my elbow.

He smiled up at me. "Very nice. You've been paying attention to all the historical romances we've been enjoying."

"You've been enjoying," I corrected. "I just sit there and watch them with you as an excuse to cuddle."

He laughed. "Why am I not surprised?"

Inside, I had to make a conscious effort not to stand there and gawk at everything like the uncultured idiot I am. If I’d thought the courtesy parking guy looked like he came from a movie, I’d just found the movie set. The place was gorgeous, and every centimetre seemed to exude class. I felt awkward and out of place, not to mention underdressed. People who come to places like this probably don’t wear sneakers and hoodies when they show up.

“Yuri, can we afford this?" I asked, already kind of worried about what the answer would be.

"Us, personally? No, but my parents can. When I explained to Mama that we needed to get away for a few days, she suggested we should stay here, and she said we could put it on the corporate account."

"Really? Is she going to get in trouble for that?"

"I hope not. She's good at circumventing Papa's ridiculous rules, though, so I think it'll be okay,” he said. “By the way, she said she's going to come here and see us before we leave. She wants to talk to us about something.”

"I'm not sure how I feel about that, honestly," I said.

"I still don't understand why you're so afraid of her."

"Because she's scary?"

"Why does everyone think my mother is scary? Seiji and Taka have both said that about her, too."

"I can't speak for them, but for me it's how she looks at me, like she's constantly analyzing me and looking for reasons why she shouldn't like me."

"She does that to everyone," Yuri said. "Don't worry. She likes you."

"She does?”

That was news. I wouldn’t have suspected that Rei Okamoto liked me in the least, if all I had was her demeanour toward me to base it on.

“Mama isn’t always good at showing how she feels,” Yuri said. “But, she does like you. She told me yesterday that she appreciates you for taking care of me. Almost as well as she could, she said, and coming from her, that’s high praise.”

“Wow. That’s… unexpected,” I said, slightly stunned by the revelation.

By that point, the lady at the front desk was finished with the guest ahead of us, and it was our turn to check in. I marvelled at how easily Yuri handled everything, calmly explaining that there should be a reservation made under the corporate account of Okamoto Electronics, his parents’ company. The lady at the desk told him it’d be “the usual room” and handed him a key card. She gave him some information about room service, the pool and fitness facilities, and on-site entertainment, all of which sounded awesome to me.

“Enjoy your stay,” she said

“Thank you. I’m sure we will.”

“You’re not even impressed by this, are you?” I said, once Yuri came back to where I was waiting with our bags, which had been brought in by Uniform Guy, just like he said they would be.

“Maybe not as impressed as you are,” Yuri said. “But, this isn’t exactly an everyday occurrence for me either, you know. Hana and I didn’t always get to travel with our parents like Yuki does. More often than not, we got left behind at home with the housekeeper and our tutor.”

“But, you’ve been here before and you know what to say and do. I didn’t even know about the parking.”

“It’s okay,” he said. “Let’s go to our room, and I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”

“I’m kind of nervous about our room,” I confessed. “Like, I’ll probably be scared to touch anything.”

“I know there’ll be one thing in our room you won’t be scared to touch.” He gave me a cheeky little grin.

“Is someone trying to tell me that he wants to play?”

“Someone might be doing that, yes," he said. "Oh, did I mention our room has a hot tub?”

“An actual hot tub? In our room?”

“Mm-hmm, and I think we should take full advantage of it, don’t you? If we’re going to be hiding out at an expensive hotel, we might as well make the most of it.”

“And you want to play in the hot tub first.”

“I do.” He squeezed my arm. "We can revisit all the spots that made it so much fun yesterday morning, and see if it’s just as fun in water.”

"I want to know what you did with Yuri," I teased him. "My Yuri isn't usually this forward, so you must be somebody else."

"It's definitely me," he said. "I just never realized we could get that result without doing something neither of us is comfortable with. I liked it."

“Judging by the fact that you want to try again so soon, I’d say you more than liked it.”

“What can I say? You obviously have a talent for pleasing me.” He tugged me gently toward the stairs. “Now, come on. You’re not allowed to keep me waiting any longer.”

I laughed. “Okay, Mr. Bossy.”

Our room was every bit as impressive as the lobby, and it did indeed have a hot tub. To me, it was more like an apartment than just a room. Other than our bedroom that opened onto a balcony, there was an en suite bathroom, and another connecting door that led into a space with a kitchenette, table and chairs, and a sitting area with a TV. I was incredibly glad Yuri's parents were going to be getting the bill, because renting this place for four nights would probably cost more than two months' rent for our house.

The first thing we did was to change into something more comfortable, and then I decided I needed to document my experience, so I could prove to my family that I actually stayed in a five-star hotel.

Yuri was laughing at me. "Are you taking a selfie right now?"

"Come here and be in the picture with me," I said. "I need to show this to my mom."

"I'm not sure I want your mom to see me in my robe. It's not exactly appropriate."

It was my turn to laugh. "Weren't you the one who was talking all naughty to me down in the lobby a few minutes ago? And now you're worried about my mom seeing you in a robe?"

"I wasn't naughty," he said. "And it's my choice if I don't want to show off my chest to just anybody."

"Pull your robe closed then," I said. "Once we're done, you can show off your cute chest to me. How about that?"

He was blushing furiously, but he folded his robe more closely around himself and obliged my request for a photo. I have to say, he looked adorable.

I texted the picture to my mom with the caption 'Livin' the good life'. I could hardly wait to tell her all about it the next time I talked with her.

We ordered room service for dinner, or I should say Yuri ordered it, and then we watched TV until our food came. The person who brought it left it on a little wheeled cart outside our door. After we were done, we put all the dishes back on the cart and put it in the hallway again. Yuri said someone would come by and collect it later.

I'm not even joking; I felt like I was in some kind of reality show or something. It was so surreal. This was the first time in my entire life that I'd ever done anything like this, and it felt strange, but I guess that's probably because I'm not used to living in luxury.

I'm not sure I could ever get used to this lifestyle. Yuri, though? It was obvious he was in his element. This was the life he'd been born into, and I wondered if he’d ever regretted his choice to try to make it on his own, or if he resents having to do regular things like vacuuming and grocery shopping and packing suitcases for himself, instead of having household staff to do it.

I've never doubted that he's happy with me, but seeing him fitting into the high-class world so effortlessly, I couldn't help wishing I could give him a better life. Not for the first time, I found myself feeling amazed that he thinks I'm good enough for him. He deserves so much that I can't give him, and yet somehow, he wants me anyway.

"Hey," he said, slipping his arms around me from behind and resting his head against my shoulder. "What's wrong?"

For a moment, I didn’t reply. I closed my eyes, letting myself be comforted by the warmth of his small body tucked against my back, and the sweet, calming scent of sandalwood essential oil that always manages to seem simultaneously delicate and masculine, like him.

"I’m okay," I said at last. I placed one of my hands over his and stroked his thumb with mine. "Don’t worry. I was just thinking."

"It couldn't have been about anything good," he said. "You looked really sad all of a sudden. What were you thinking about?"

"Us," I said.

"What about us?"

"I was thinking, I want to be able to give you the kind of life you deserve," I said. "But, I can't, and I'm sorry."

"I don't deserve anything more than any other person. Love and respect and kindness... you give me all those."

"I know, but I mean this." I gestured around at the room. "This is the world you belong in, and I'm so far from this, I might as well be from another planet."

Yuri carefully turned me around, never once breaking contact. Even though he had both hands on me, it was his gaze that held me in place. "Victor, I want you to listen to me, okay? This is important."

"Okay,” I said.

“Your social class doesn’t matter one bit, as far as I’m concerned. I don’t measure people’s value based on that, and you shouldn’t either. I don’t want you to ever doubt your worth because of the way you grew up.”

“But, I don’t have fancy manners like you, and I don’t know about courtesy parking and tutors and which fork you’re supposed to use for salad. I probably couldn’t even afford the salad you’re supposed to use the special fork for.”

“It doesn’t matter,” he repeated. “You can learn most of those things if you want to, and as for the money, that’s irrelevant.”

“How is it irrelevant?” I asked.

“What’s the point of being wealthy if no one loves you or cares for you?”

“Yeah, I guess, but—“

"Have you ever wondered why I call you my treasure?"

"Because I'm important to you?"

"Because you're the person I wished for my whole life and never thought I'd find," he said. “Do you know, I made a thousand paper cranes, wishing for someone who’d love me the way you do.”

“You did?”

“If you make a thousand of them, they’re supposed to bring you health or prosperity or happiness, whichever is your greatest wish. I finished my thousandth one just before I met you.” He smiled softly. “You're rare and beautiful, and you're worth more to me than anyone or anything else in the world.”

"But, I’m just—“

“You’re not ‘just’ anything. You’re everything,” he said “Yes, I'd like to live the kind of lifestyle I grew up with, but if I have to choose between that life and the life I have with you, then I'm always going to choose you. You’re my wealth and my happiness.”

“But, it’d still be nice to have money, right?”

"Yes, but it’s possible to be happy without it," he said. "I love you, and I know you love me, and no amount of money or social status could change that one way or the other."

[passable-talent]

gn!reader teaching zukie boy how to dance and loosen up n have fun and stuff like the footloose aang episode? hm? perhaps? question mark?👁👁

“footloose episode” is quite possibly the funniest and most accurate way to describe that episode and I am LAUGHing

oh, look at this, the draft i started in july and never finished because i was experiencing ✨depression✨

Firelord Zuko had come a long way since he was banished in terms of ‘comfort’. ‘Confidence’. He hadn’t been this comfortable in his own skin since before his mother disappeared, even as his own country didn’t quite back him, not all the time. 

Still, though, there was evidence of his childhood trauma that weighed down his shoulders, his guard still kept high, even after all this time. He’d learned how to fix this, and his walls disguised themselves as ‘diplomacy’, instead of ‘anger’, as “maturity” instead of “rage”, as they’d been for so long. Every day, around every person, he was the perfect leader instead of being himself, and it was easy to recognize the toll it took on him. 

Even if he didn’t realize how exhausting it was on the day-to-day level, he definitely realized quickly that these walls wouldn’t help him when he was at dinners, parties, as much as they would during meetings and conferences. When he needed, or wanted, to be fun and sociable, he couldn’t be quite the same person he was when negotiating treaties and trades. 

Also, he didn’t know how to dance. That actually turned out to be a problem.

Having been removed from his throne during the years that would have served as his training for things of the like, the ‘proper’ things, he was nervous about the upcoming celebration for Liberation Day, a new holiday to celebrate the end of the Hundred Year War. It had been a year since he took the throne, and until this point had managed to avoid throwing such a celebration, but this party was more than that- it was a fancy soirée to appeal to some of the nobles of the nation and convince them that Zuko was in fact a good ruler. Dancing wasn’t really expected of him, sure, but among the discussion and the drinking it would probably end up happening, especially if he wanted to lead by example and convince his citizens that the days of censorship and suppression were over. 

He didn’t know any traditional noble dances. He’d come across dances in his banishment, but they were earth kingdom or peasant dances, and as elitist as his guests would be, he really wanted to impress with his understanding of Fire Nation nobility. 

That’s where you come in. 

You were a young dance instructor in the colonies, a firebender who was born on the mainland but left home to pursue a dance career with people who were more willing to learn. You were the best in the nation, and you taught ballroom dancing, dancing blended with bending, street styles, you had any skill that anyone could ask to learn. 

Your reputation around the colonies earned you a mention when the Fire Lord sent out a quiet call for a dance instructor. As quick as you could you traveled to the capital city, ready to meet the Fire Lord, but amazed that you had the opportunity to do so. 

You were more nervous than you’d ever been in your life. 

The Kyoshi Warriors checked you over, made sure you weren’t an assassin (apparently), and warned you what you were going to be dealing with. Zuko was always uncomfortable around new people, they said, as awkward as any teenage boy anywhere. Be nice. 

You met him for lunch.

Immediately you could see the reason for his call- he was so stiff. He bowed with precision like he expected his hands to be smacked, if they strayed out of proper position. He smiled, and it looked fairly genuine, but it was quite clearly a charming smile more than a friendly one. 

You discussed expectations, schedule, salary, all of the things one would at such a meeting, and all topics meant to be taken seriously. Still, you wished he’d take that tone out of his voice, that tone that said ‘I don’t know who you are, and I don’t know if I’m allowed to be comfortable.’ 

So you knew your first job. You’d get him to laugh. 

What got him, near the end of the meal, was some silly little joke, some anecdote you were reminded of from your home in the colonies. He hadn’t talked to a colonial in a while, so he was genuinely interested in everything you said about your home- which broke the ice.

There was a little villa in the palace city you were given while you tutored him, which you stayed at after lunch that day, until your first meeting with him, later that evening. When you returned, you wore a very simple outfit- loose pants, loose shirt. Workout clothes. Very casual. 

And he showed up in the entire Firelord Noble Gown Getup. 

“Yeah, that’s not going to work,” you said with a little bit of a chuckle, “You have to change.” Zuko made a little expression of confusion, and considered for a moment before responding. 

“This is what I’ll need to wear to the celebration. I thought I’d need to be prepared to dance in it.” You gave another laugh and approached him, looking over the outfit. 

“Yeah, no. We’ll work up to that, but we’re starting with different stuff today, stuff that you definitely can’t do in that.” You crossed your arms. “Besides. This isn’t that serious. We’re here to train, you don’t have to impress me.” He nodded, and after a moment just looking at you, turned away. 

“I’ll be right back.” When he returned, he was wearing something much better. It was still a little too formal. too firelord-y for your taste, but at least it was looser. 

“Right,” you said with a chuckle, cracking your fingers, “get ready to regret hiring me.” 

That was meant to be a joke, because you started him on a flexibility-oriented warm up. Every man you’ve ever trained moaned and whined when you made them try to touch their toes, or attempt a split, or lift their leg as high as they could. Zuko, though, could do them all- he could bring his foot way up and above his head, where under Agni had he learned that?

So the joke wasn’t so much that he was affected by the warm up, but more that you were astounded every time he successfully did what you asked. You had to resist the urge to throw something crazy at him, just to see if you could stump him. 

By the end of the warm-up he’d relaxed around you, but the stress that you could almost see boiling under his skin certainly hadn’t gone away. And it showed. 

Ballroom dances in the Fire Nation were very formal, very elegant. There were certain steps, certain postures. These, Zuko grasped with no problem. He had the perfect form, but somehow, it just didn’t come together for him. You couldn’t quite figure out what was going wrong, and every time you thought you’d figured it out, it wouldn’t work. It wasn’t until halfway until the celebration was planned that you came to a realization. 

“Again, so I can figure this out,” you said, and he took your hand again, and stepped with you, leading the dance, making that wide circle that this particular dance was known for. This time, you tracked his footfalls, and finally it clicked. 

“Oh!” you said, pulling from him, and he looked a bit more shocked than you expected.

“What?”

“No, uh- just that I figured out what feels wrong.” He lifted his chin, ready for any criticism you would give him. “I should’ve figured it out sooner. You’re just... stiff.” 

“Stiff?”

“Yeah, like you’re plotting out every moment, and doing them in a step-by-step process.” 

“Isn’t that what you told me to do?” You let out a frustrated breath, and tried to find the words.

“Yeah, but-” You lifted your hands, throwing them about in the air as though it would help you find your meaning. “Okay, yeah, but no matter what, this is a dance. A dance isn’t a fight, you can’t think through every single move. You’ve got to flow with it, feel it. I mean, I guess you should do that in a fight, too, but you- do you know what I mean?” Zuko brought a finger to his chin for a moment, before agreeing. 

“Yeah, I think I do.”

“Okay, then let’s try it again.” 

Absolutely nothing changed. 

“Okay, drastic measures,” you said, grabbing him by the shoulders and making him stand straight in front of you. “We’re going to play Bunny.” 

“What’s Bunny?” You took a step back, bringing your feet together. 

“It’s the stupidest game you’ll ever play. First, you gotta jump- but the smallest jump ever. Barely leave the ground.” You gave him an example, and no matter how many times you’ve played this time, the motion never gets any less jarring. “It’ll feel stupid, do it anyway.” 

He knocked some of his hair from his topknot when he did it, but he was laughing.

“Good, that was Small Bunny. Now, we’re going to do Big Bunny. Jump as high as you can in the air.” Since this one hardly needed a demonstration, you did it together- and he was taller, so he got just a bit higher. 

Bunny was as much an icebreaker as it was a game. You’d gotten him to smile- not an instant smile, a flash of one before it disappeared, but a real, long-lasting smile. 

“Okay, good.” You brought one hand up, palm to the sky, and laid the other under its elbow, offering him a dance very popular in the colonies, one you were sure he’d recognize. He did, and lifted his hand, touching his wrist to yours. 

“All we do is circle, right?” He asked, and you gave him a smile.

“Yeah. Just like in a fight.” You lead, guiding him into a rhythm, the steps, the cross steps, a slow motion that he grew used to, and finally he was moving with some grace. 

“You’re friends with a waterbender, right?” You asked him, and he nodded, his eyes jumping between yours and the floor, at your feet. 

“Yeah, Katara.” 

“Then you’ll definitely understand this. Dancing is water, but it’s not waterbending- a waterbender is in ultimate control, and the water does what she wants.” Catching him off guard, you switched hands, and the dance rotated the other way. “A dance is like a river. All of the water is moving in the same direction..” You let the thought hang, slowing him with the indicative press against his wrist, then guiding him from the rotation to a different step. “But it doesn’t all move the same. Your feet don’t move together, and they don’t move the same way your hips do, and your hips don’t move like your shoulders. There’s one river, but a thousand little currents. Take the lead.” You slipped the command in just after the lesson, and waited to see how he’d take it. 

With a bit of a swirl, he guided you toward the center of the room, where he then began a slow circle. He telegraphed his movements to you, just like you’d taught him, but more you were amazed by how his motion was rounded, graceful, more than polygonal and rigid. Something had clicked in him, and he got it.

So you let him go. He lead the dance, and it stopped being a lesson. Just two friends, dancing in the empty ballroom. He changed from the colonial dance you’d started with into the more formal dance you’d prepared him with, so you came closer, fingers interlocked in the lamplight. Now that he was used to the moment, his steps aligned with yours, making it feel as though you were two of the same one mind. He’d stopped looking at your feet- he just looked at you. 

Slow dancing in the middle of the room, you gave him a fond smile. 

“Dare I say, dancing like this, you’ll impress every noble there. You might even impress a future spouse.” He gave back a smile, just the lightest hint of pink coloring his cheeks. 

“Yeah, I think I will.” He pulled from the dance, giving you a bow as you separated, just like you’d taught him. “I want you to come to the dance. I’ll see you get an invite.” 

“No, I couldn’t possibly-” 

“I insist. I wouldn’t be nearly as impressive if it weren’t for you, and besides, it’s fitting that you’re there to watch your hard work pay off.” Unable to force back the smile on your face, you let out a breath. 

“Fine, fine. I’ll be there.” 

-🦌 Roe

want y’all to know that bunny is a thing that me and my friend nick made up in 2010 and I do use it to get people to loosen up in real life. it actually helps 

tag list: @lammello @kittyddandnyla @aangsupremacy @qquell @caitff @coldlilheart @sleeping-with-the-fishes @duh-dobrik @dxcter @babyybesson 

[tiaragqueen]

Alien

✂ Pairing: Yandere! Prince! Rengoku Kyōjurō x Reader

✂ Word Count: 2,8k+

✂ Trigger Warnings: Possessiveness, implied abuse

[Edited]

***

I've seen a lot of people wrote Cinderella au, so I want to try my hands on it.

If you like my writing, please support me on ko-fi!

“I've never had clouds follow me each day. Years of sun that never went away. I lie here awake but I'm not one to pray. Everything's changed and now I'm not okay.” - Bring Me Home [G Flip]

Compared to some people down the streets, your living situation was much better than they could ever wish for. You still had a roof over your head, clothes – regardless of how dirty and rugged they were – to cover your body, food to sate your hunger, and a room to sleep in. You knew that, and that’s why you endeavored to seek a silver lining in your life. Anything to give you hope that miracles did exist, and everything you’d done all this time wasn’t meaningless.

But there were some days where gratitude was hard to practice, and you felt as if the agony you experienced would never end. You wanted to give up, and at the same time, you couldn’t afford to allow pessimism to dominate your life. Today was one of those days, unfortunately, where your stepmother seemed to act crueler and more sadistic than you could handle. Perhaps it was the stress of picking the right dresses for her daughters or the excitement at the prospect of the prince noticing them and the luxury they’d get to experience in the palace.

Nevertheless, your ‘family’ was overjoyed with the invitation despite the – honestly unnecessary – agitation they displayed over the preparation.

“Ma, it’s too tight!”

“Hush, now.” Your stepmother scowled as she proceeded to tighten the corset on Junko's back. “A sacrifice has to be made if you want to attract the prince.”

The younger sister whined again, while the older one, Ryōka, admired her polished appearance in the mirror.

“My, I certainly look ravishing tonight.” she puffed, caressing her sides sensually. “I’m sure I’ll be the one the prince chooses later. I mean, who doesn’t want this kind of body?”

“No! It’ll be me, instead!” Junko interjected vehemently, clenching her fists.

“Be quiet, both of you!” Your stepmother growled as she pinched the bridge of her nose. “If I see any of you causing a ruckus at the party, I swear I’ll spank you.” The sisters fell quiet from the threat, but the older woman ignored their blanched faces and snapped her head towards you. “[Name], don’t just stand there like an idiot. Make yourself useful and clean this mess!”

You hurriedly nodded and scampered to grab the broom. As disheartening as it was to watch them fussing with themselves and chatting excitedly about the party, you still had work to attend to. Work that never ceased and always piled up on an invisible desk. On one hand, you were happy with their departure. You finally had some time left for yourself at home!

On the other hand, however, you wanted to join them, too. You wanted to see the palace from up close. You wanted to see what the prince and his family looked like. You wanted to wear a gorgeous dress and meet new people.

You wanted to… you wanted to be free, for once.

“What’s wrong, dear? You look disgruntled.” A playful voice asked. Looking up, your eyes widened when they landed on a beautiful yet tiny woman with wings fluttering on her back. Black locks that faded to purple flowed behind her, tied into some kind of a unique style. Large, pupil-less eyes that reminded you of an insect's stared down at you patiently. Occasionally, long eyelashes would caress her pale features when she blinked. Despite her overall cute looks, you sensed mischief in her aura. “Hello!”

You blinked in surprise, and hesitantly returned her hearty greeting. “H-hello…” you murmured and glanced around as if hoping someone would explain to you who the heck this woman was and how did she get here without your knowledge. Maybe she managed to slip inside when your stepmother opened the door earlier? But, shouldn’t any of your sisters notice her? It wasn’t every day you got to witness a fairy in person, after all. “Um, who are you? And how did you come here? All the windows are locked, you know?”

The diminutive woman clasped a hand over her rosy lips and chortled. “Worry not, sweetheart, I’m not here to hurt you.” she chirped, effortlessly dodging the questions. You weren’t sure if you wanted to know her answers, either. Her presence was already hard to swallow, anyway. “Believe it or not, I’m here to help you!”

You frowned in bewilderment. “Help me?”

She nodded merrily, beaming. “Yes, I’m here to help you go to the palace and get the prince!”

You sputtered and frantically flailed your hands as though it could change her opinion. “N-no, you got it all wrong! I’m not–” Your cheeks heated up when she leaned forward and hummed in mock questioning, urging you to continue with your nonsensical rambling. “I-I don’t like him that way, alright? I don’t… I don’t even know what he looks like.”

“And that’s why I’m here to realize your dream.” She finally glided back once she had enough teasing you with her knowing stare. “To start it all, you need a beautiful attire to complement your features and body!”

She waved her wand, and immediately, sparkles surrounded your body and changed the rags into the prettiest gown you’d ever seen. The straps hung loosely on your arms, while the bodice hugged your body perfectly and revealed the right amount of cleavage. A silver necklace dangled on your neck, glittering in the dim moonlight that passed through the windows. The color of the dress darkened from bright yellow to fiery orange, whereas your gloves were pearly white. The fairy merely smiled at the confused glance you shot her. It wasn’t as if you disliked the color, but you suspected a hidden motive somewhere.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” she inquired, hands clasped behind her.

You opened your mouth to question her singular choice before sighing. “Yes, it is. Thank you very much… fairy.”

Her amiable smile widened as her eyes narrowed slightly. “You’re welcome~!”

The next few minutes, she completed your looks with a pair of glass shoes and transformed a mere pumpkin into a magnificent carriage. She explained to you that the magic would disappear once the clock struck twelve, and you needed to leave before the predetermined time. Despite the crushing realization that your ‘freedom’ was only temporary, you still heeded her warnings nonetheless. There was no reason for you to disregard the consequences just because she’d helped you. At least, you could try to appreciate her assistance, even if it came out of thin air. And because a simple thank you just wasn’t enough to describe your gratitude.

“Bye, [Name]! I hope you have a delightful night!”

You chose to bite your tongue from asking about how did she know your name when you didn’t remember giving her and waved instead. Slowly, her figure grew smaller and smaller with each distance the carriage took until she was merely a sparkle among the fireflies. You smiled sadly as you rested against the plush couch, musing about how lucky you were to meet such a kind woman. Maybe God finally took pity on you for once? Whatever it was, you thanked her from the bottom of your heart and hoped you could talk to her again.

Hopefully, as a friend.

Unfortunately, your little praying session was cut short when the horse suddenly stopped in front of a humongous building. The coach opened the door to your left and extended a hand. You tentatively accepted his help, unaccustomed with the gentlemanly gesture, and climbed out of the carriage. You gawked at the extravagance, the guards that stationed in every door, and the elegant guests. Gripping the skirt of your dress, you wondered if it wasn’t too late for you to return to your home. You felt so out of place, like an alien. What if someone noticed your ineptitude and kicked you out?

But going home meant wasting the fairy’s hard work, and although you doubted the probability of your second meeting, you refused to disappoint her.

Swallowing the ball of nerves that clogged your throat, you steeled yourself and shakily entered the palace. You thought you caught a couple of guards sending suspicious glances in your direction, but you quickly shook your head to dispel the image. Don’t think about unpleasant things, and you should be fine.

At least, that was what you hoped until someone approached you.

“Hello, hello!” Your heart nearly leaped out of its cage when a trenchant voice boomed. Was it just your suspicion or were you being jumpier and more airheaded today? A tall man with yellow hair and red streaks stood in front of you, smiling widely. “You have a unique dress there, Miss. I like it! It reminds me of my hair color.”

His hair…

Did that meant this person was–?

“T-thank you...!” Almost instinctively, you bowed to hide your flaming cheeks. That cheeky fairy…! She should’ve told you earlier! How would you suppose to act now?! “I’m… I’m glad you like it, Your Highness.”

Oh, great. Now you acted as if you were trying to grab his attention. At this rate, you wouldn’t be much different than your sisters.

The princess laughed exuberantly, but you detected no mockery of your apparent nervousness. Only genuine amusement and… interest? You shook your head and clenched the dress. He must be interested due to your striking garment, not because of who you were. The thought both dismayed and relieved you.

“You’re quite an entertaining one, Miss.” Extending a hand, he beamed. “May I have this dance?”

Dance?! Oh, no. How could you forget about this important detail? Don’t accept, don’t accept, don’t accept –

“… S-sure.”

Darn it. Now you were going to embarrass yourself in front of him, you just knew it. How could you expect an ordinary girl, whose job was housekeeping, to suddenly be able to dance flawlessly?

But it wasn’t too late. You just… you just needed to follow his lead. You were going to make a lot of mistakes, but as long as you appeared to focus on his movements, he’d surely overlook your clumsiness. Hopefully.

The prince ushered you to the center of the ballroom, and only now did you realize that the guests had long stopped doing their activities and were staring at you. The sheer intensity, ranging from envy to curiosity, encumbered you. However, he squeezed your hand gently as a sign of reassurance and smiled cordially.

“Just focus on me,” he whispered as he wrapped an arm around your waist and brought you close to him. You knew it was part of the dance, and yet, you couldn’t help the way your heart thundered at the seemingly intimate gesture. “and you’ll soon forget them.”

You weren’t sure if it was that easy to disregard the plethora of guests standing on the sidelines – you weren’t him who was used to the attention – but you nodded anyway. The fact that the prince of Rengoku had gone out of his way to invite you to dance was flattering enough, so you just had to humor him in return.

“May I know the name of my partner?” he inquired after a short period of adjustment. He chuckled when you accidentally stepped on his foot and dismissed your flustered apologies.

“[N-Name], Your Highness.” you murmured bashfully, the minor flaw mortified you beyond belief.

“Now, now, no need to be so formal. Just call me Kyōjurō.”

You stared into his dilated eyes, mentally inquiring the reason behind the abrupt informality. Wouldn’t it be rude of you to call a prince by his first name? But he didn’t seem to mind, so that should be fine… right?

“Ah, alright… Kyōjurō.”

His already wide smile expanded as he squeezed your hand, satisfied with your immediate albeit reluctant compliance. Kyōjurō knew, the moment he laid his eyes on your skittish figure – so foreign yet precious – you were quite the meek one. The way you constantly looked around, alert at the slightest hint of disturbance, suggested that this was the first time you attended a party. And, probably, his home itself.

Kyōjurō wasn’t a fool. He’d studied too many books about body language to know that you didn’t belong here, that you acted far too nervous for the typical noble. You were probably a peasant that somehow got invited, and regretted coming once you saw the environment.

Though, it didn’t mean that you couldn’t familiarize yourself. Given enough time, he was certain that you’d be accustomed to the royal life and its benefits.

The rest of the night was spent with an impromptu dance lesson, laughter, and small talks. Due to his easy nature, you almost forgot that he was still a prince underneath; someone that you wouldn’t have the courage to talk to otherwise. And, for a moment, you were led to believe that he was some kind of a long-lost friend. The kind of friend that you always wished to have.

Until the clock struck, shattering your fairy tale that he silently weaved with his persona.

“I-I’m sorry, Kyōjurō, but I need to go.” You tried to release your hand from his grasp, but shockingly, he refused to budge. “Kyōjurō, my mother is waiting for me at home.”

No, she didn’t. But a tiny voice told you that something was wrong with him, and of course, your stepmother would definitely blow a fuse once she learned about your disappearance.

“I can send a guard to relay her a message that her daughter has been chosen as my future wife.”

You faltered, and Kyōjurō took this as an opportunity to pull you towards him and hug you as tightly as he could.

“W-what are you talking about, Your Highness?” Perturbed, you’d unknowingly reverted to the formal title, much to his displeasure. “I don’t… I don’t understand! What do you mean by ‘chosen’? I’m not… I’m not going to marry you, am I? That’s just impossible.”

“[Name],” For the first time in his life, Kyōjurō faked a smile. Not that you’d be able to differentiate it from his usual demeanor, though. “don’t you know what the purpose of this party is?” When you shook your head, he grinned knowingly. Every guest knew, except you. And that just proved his theory right. “It’s to find a perfect candidate for my future spouse. And I’ve picked you, among these women.”

You balked at him and attempted to claw his hand had he didn’t catch your wrist.

“No, I refuse! You can’t just… decide something without my permission!” Despite your ardent rejection, your voice wavered as desperate tears gathered in the corner of your eyes. You wondered why nobody rescued you from him, or if his status intimidated them too much. “Your Highness, please…! Let me go. I want to go home, please! Just search someone else instead, please!”

“So you could return to your ordinary life?”

You gaped at him, and you both watched as the dress that flattered your body reverted to its normal rugs. Somewhere in the outside, you could hear the guards shouting about ‘a carriage that turned into a pumpkin’ and ‘a rat’. The events that occurred were too much for you to bear, and for the first time in your life, you broke down publicly.

In the balcony of Rengoku palace, you collapsed right before his eyes and bawled. Your hair was a mess, bruises discolored your body, and your eyes were bloodshot, but you didn’t care. You couldn’t bring yourself to care about anything anymore. Why should you, when you’d revealed to him that you were merely an imposter? An alien that could never fit in this stately environment. A peasant whose skills were only housekeeping and surviving.

No, you sobbed. You really didn’t fit anywhere, did you? Not even your closest family, who instantly rejected you once your father died. Why did he have to die? Why did your parents have to leave you alone at their vicious hands? This was unfair. You wanted to go with them, too.

“Sssh… it’s okay, it’s okay.” Kyōjurō crouched beside you and patted your back as though it’d magically fix everything that ruined you. “Everything’s going to be alright, now.” No, it didn’t, but you couldn’t utter that. The tears had yet to run out, after all. “I’ll ensure that you live comfortably with me.”

You didn’t respond, but the fact that you no longer opposed him and accepted his affection was enough for him. Caging you in his tender embrace, Kyōjurō closed his eyes and relished the proximity.

Searching the culprit to your abuse should be the first step to establish your new life, but he could do that later. For now, he needed to bring you to your shared room so you could have a proper rest. He knew just how exhausting crying could be to your body, and he didn’t want you to fall asleep during your ‘heart-to-heart’ conversation later.

Junko: 順子

Ryōka: 良華

[sinnamonn]

Welcome to Hell Ch2. “Meet Mammon”

Gia meets their new guard demon, “Mammon”. It does not go well. Also because this is my fic and I can do whatever I want Obey me is now in the same universe as It’s Always Sunny.

Word count: 1.7 K

The demon pointed an accusatory finger at the redhead.

Gia resisted the urge to bite it right off.

“Listen up, because I’m only gonna say this once!” He barked, “If you value your life then you’ll hand over all your money now! And anything else of value!”

Was this guy for real!? This bitchass was trying to rob them!? Oh hell no, Gia was not going to get robbed by some twink that still used fucking axe body spray!!

“Otherwise I’ll wipe that—“

“Fuck that and fuck you!” Gia yelled, cutting the demon off mid-threat, “Listen here, asshole, I’m not getting robbed by some twink!”

“Who’re you callin’ a twink!?”

“You, dumbass!”

“You don’t know what you’re dealin’ with, little bitch.” He spat, snarling down at them. Gia only bit back,

“I’m dealin’ with a punkass that’s about to get their shit rocked!”

“Mammon! Shut up or I’ll punch you!” Lucifer snapped, “And Gia, language!”

And then Lucifer just punched Mammon, causing him to stumble back a bit while gripping his head.

“GAH, OW! Hey, what’s the big idea!?” Mammon whined, “I thought you were actually gonna give me a chance to shut up before punching me!”

Satan gestured to his older brother, “Gia, meet Mammon, Avatar of Greed. He oversees all forms of it,” he explained, “whenever he takes a liking to someone they suddenly find themselves awash in money.”

“And he’s a masochist, that part’s important~!” Asmo added, “So I can’t wait to see you put him in his place some more!”

Ok. Ew. Gia didn’t need to know that.

“I didn’t need to know that.” Gia replied flatly.

“And it just so happens I have a job for my masochist of a brother.”Lucifer stated, only to be cut off again by Mammon.

“Quit tellin’ lies! I ain’t asked for that punch and I ain’t a masochist!”

“Mammon, you are going to be charged with seeing to this human’s needs during the exchange.” Lucifer ordered, “I expect your full cooperation.”

“WHAT!?” Both Gia and Mammon yelled at the elder demon.

“Wha!? Why me!?” Mammon exclaimed.

“Yeah, why him!? He literally just tried to rob me!” Gia argued.

“As, lucky you, Mammon! I’m so jealous.” Asmo pouted.

“Then you take them!”

Wait no, Gia got the feeling staying with Asmo might just be worse than Mammon.

“Huh? Hell no. Watching them match your energy is too funny.” He replied quickly.

“You just said you were jealous!” Mammon all but screeched.

“Just give up Mammon. There’s no getting out of this.” Satan looked at though he was holding back laughter, “You know you can’t deny a direct order from Lucifer.”

“But why me!? Why can’t Beel do it?” He whined

“If we hand Gia over to Beel we might as well just tell him to eat them.” Asmo said, now scrolling through his DDD.

“Yeah, I can’t promise I wouldn’t.” Beel agreed.

“...Mammon?” Lucifer asked lowley , his tone was dangerous.

“W-What?”

“Surely you’re not going to tell me you object to this arrangement, are you?”

For the first time, during his introduction, Mammon was quiet. He only held a sour look on his face before loudly groaning, “Ugh, I hate you guys! Fine, I’ll do it, ok!?” His attention turned back to Gia, “As much as I don’t wanna look after you, I’ve got no choice. It’s a huge pain in the ass and I’m too important for this kind of thing.”

Sure buddy, keep telling yourself that.

“But Lucifer told me to do it, so I will. But in return you better not cause me any trouble, got it?!”

Gia took back what she first thought of Mammon. He was worse than the high school boys that got stupidly mad when you didn’t stand for the pledge.

“If you can stay off my dick,” Gia sneered, “we might have a deal.”

“Fine by me, human. Just don’t forget whose boss around here.” Mammon shot back.

“Now that that’s settled,” Lucifer cut in before Gia could say anything else, “Mammon, show them to the house and try not to kill each other.”

‘No promises.’ Gia thought, reluctantly following Mammon out of the hell.

———

That lack of depth perception was really biting Gia in the ass. They felt more like a bird trying to escape a hall of mirrors, bumping into and bouncing off of walls. It also didn’t help that Mammon was practically speedwalking away from them.

“Oi! Human! Would ya pick up the pace, we don’t got all night!” He shouted over his shoulder.

“Oh sorry! Lemme just pop my eye back in and magically gain perfect vision!” They sarcastically called back, “OH WAIT! I can’t!”

Mammon stopped mid-step before turning on his heel and striding over to Gia.

“Wait...you’re missing an eye?” He questioned.

Oh great, was he gonna do that mock-sympathy schick they got more than enough back in their world?

“Damn, Lucifer couldn’t even get a human with all their parts!” He cackled, clenching his gut, as if this were the funniest thing in the world, “He had to grab some broken fucking human! That’s hilarious! ”

Broken....

Did he really just call them BROKEN?

Gia saw red, their lip pulled back into a venomous snarl. How fucking dare he! They were a lot of things but broken was not one of them.

“Oh, I’ll show you broken!”

The redhead kicked the demon’s kneecaps with all this might.

“OW! YOU BITCH!”

Satan and Asmodeus watched as the two left for the House of Lamentation, absolutely transfixed on the two’s interaction. It was like one of Asmodeus’ trashy reality tv shows came to life, neither of them could look away.

“Uh, Lucifer, they’re already fighting.” Satan said, earning a groan from the eldest. Lucifer could feel a migraine coming on, a bad one.

“Oh my god the human just kicked Mammon’s kneecaps!” Asmo laughed, he was recording the entire interaction, “Oh he’s mad!”

“Shit, do I need to intervene?” He asked with only mild concern.

“Hmm, maybe..” Satan watched as Mammon grabbed for Gia, “wait, no he’s just carrying them back to the house.”

————

“PUT ME DOWN!” Gia beat on the demons back, “This is demeaning!”

“Just be happy that the Great Mammon was kind enough to help you!” Mammon shot back, “If you think this is demeaning then imagine how I feel! Why should I have to look after some human !?”

“ Um,bitch, I got isekaied to hell without my consent and now I’m stuck with a bunch of rich boys who reek of ‘I peaked in high school’!”

Mammon gasped, “I did not peak! The Great Mammon only goes up!I’m practically a golden god!”

Why did they feel like they heard that somewhere before? Maybe...back home? Oh shit yeah, Mammon talked exactly like this one guy who owned a bar they’d always go to when they were bored. Wasn’t his name Denny or something?

“And just so we’re clear,” Mammon continued, “it’s not like I can’t say no to Lucifer, okay!?”

Gia didn’t ask.

“I only agreed to babysit you because, um...Well you know, because…...uh…”

“It’s ok, take your time.” Gia said

“Grr! It doesn’t matter! Just don’t go thinking I’m scared of Lucifer or anything! Because I’m not!” He snapped.

“Uh-huh, sure.”

Mammon finally put them down when the two got to the house.

Gia whistled, taking in just how...elegant? No, elegant wasn’t the word they were looking for? A better way to describe the house would probably be maximalist. When they entered they were met with a double stairway accented by two gigantic gargoyle statues. Purple wallpaper clung to the walls littered with paintings of people, Allistar Crowley being the only one Gia recognized.

“This is the House of Lamentation. It’s one of the dorms here at RAD.” Mammon explained, stepping forward, “Well, it's not just one of the dorms. It’s the dorm reserved for student council members….and you I guess.” Mammon prattled on, mostly about himself, “Lucifer, Asmo, and the others take every chance they can get to insult me. Callin’ me scum, sayin’ I’m a money- grabber and stuff…..”

Gia was really only half paying attention, they opted rather to try and figure out who the other people in the photos were. Cultists, perhaps?

“...In other words, I’m a big shot. A real big shot. Like, even other big shots are impressed by—hey are you even listening!?”

“Hm? Sorry, what? I got distracted by the pictures.” Gia gestured loosely to the walls.

Mammon growled, “I was just saying, don’t you go thinkingI’m just some ordinary demon. I’m nothing like those other peons walking the halls here.”

“Ok, cool. Figured as much.” Gia shrugged

“So I suggest-wait what?”

“I figured all of you were pretty powerful, why else would Diavolo leave me with all of you? Demons eat humans, so you put the human with your most powerful and loyal demons as protectors.” Gia elaborated, “So that implies that you’re the most trustworthy and capable of this task, right? Even if you did..try to rob me. But why else would Lucifer and the rest of your brothers leave me in your care?”

Mammon stared wide-eyed down at Gia, they could practically see the gears turning in his head—wait did his cheeks get darker?

He turned around before Gia could really tell, “Well-I’m—I mean!—Duh, of course the Great Mammon is capable!!” He sputtered, “B-But don’t think flattery is getting you anywhere! You’re still just some stupid human!”

“I wasn’t trying to, it’s just logic.”

“SHUT UP. Just-! Let’s just go to your room, OK!?”

Instead of lugging Gia over his shoulder, Mammon instead grabbed their wrist and began dragging them up the stairs, avoiding looking at them.

“Ow! Fine! Lay off the dragging, though!”

Gia’s room was cottagecore as fuck. That was the only way they could best describe it. The room looked like it had been taken out of a fairytale book, it wasn’t exactly Gia’s style but they could appreciate the aesthetic. Objectively, the room was very pretty. That idea was hammered in the more Gia explored it.

It was bigger than the apartment they shared with their mom. In truth, it was more like a closet that somehow fit a bed and dresser.

“Holy shit this bed is soft.” Gia commented once they flopped onto the comforter, “And these pillows! They’re not flat! I forgot they could be fluffy.”

“Oi, human, I got some advice for you,” Mammon leaned over the bed, “ If you wanna survive even a day here in the Devildom, you’d better listen real close to what I’m about to say.”

“Aight.” Gia turned their attention back to the demon.

“If it ever looks like a demon is about to attack you..run. Either that, or die.” Mammon said grimly.

“That’s...Honestly not the worst advice I’ve ever gotten.” They replied.

“How about I vote you to die, Mammon!”

Gia jumped at the new voice, shooting up out of the bed and looking towards the door frame. There stood a pissed off looking guy with purple hair, glaring daggers at Mammon

“AH..! Levi…!” Mammon exclaimed.

[seulgiology]

when you smile | bae joohyun

pairings: wife!irene x wife!female reader

words: 1.1k

genre: a lil angsty fluff

synopsis: “hello! I am craving some massive fluff so can I request a wedding day scenario with irene? Her being nervous and the girls having to calm her down and all that shit? Thanks in advance if you do it <3” ~ request

warnings: cursing, mentions of sex, crying, nervousness, overall a kinda angsty situation 

a/n: yer yer , admin 1 here :3 this is what the dress looks like, scroll on the website to see more references. hey guys, admin 2 is gonna be a lil inactive probably cause she’s working on pink ferrari !

disclaimer: This is a work of fiction from our imagination. It is not intended that the plot, theme, original characters, idols, etc. portray any real-life events/people. Plagiarism is NOT tolerated on this blog. If you believe we have copied an existing authors’ work, please message us privately. Thank you and enjoy :)

—

She gulped down the heavy lump in her throat, trying to stay still as the makeup artist added the sheen champagne-colored eyeshadow.

Her favorite BoA songs were playing in the background. But the only thing playing in her head was the intrusive thoughts she wishes she didn’t have.

Not on her wedding day.

“Irene, I finally found it! You wouldn’t believe who had it.” The perky sound of her bandmate, Sooyoung, could be heard as she stepped inside the cosmetics room.

She looked beautiful in her beige-colored bridesmaid dress. The bride gave her a tight-lipped smile and moved her newly styled hair out of the way so the piece of jewelry could be clasped around her neck.

Sooyoung took a step back and sighed a satisfied sigh. The choker-like necklace had white pearls as the straps with a sparkly pendant situated at the center, giving the perfect vintage look.

But a frown quickly overtook her features as a distressed and troubled look overcame her friend's delicate face.

The bridesmaid gently reached down and squatted face-to-face with the older woman she’s been working with for several years.  Making eye contact with the other, she tried to silence the hiccups that made their way up.

“Joohyun-Unnie, it’s ok to be scared.”

Those were the things she needed to hear for her to begin sniffling.

Someone signaled for everyone to leave the room, leaving only three other women to stay behind.

The rest of her beloved and gorgeous members crowded around to check on their leader. Their youngest brought her up and sat her down in the comfortable chaise towards the back of the room, continuing holding her hand even after they sat down.

“I just- I can’t even describe the love I have for that girl. And there’s nothing more I want then to be with her for the rest of my hectic life.” She started, looking up towards the ceiling to try not to let her tears ruin the quality makeup the artists worked on.

She gave a watery hiccuped that shook her body, thinking about the shit that her wife is going to have to go through. She felt herself being pulled into a group hug by her other members, comforting words being gifted to her in the best way possible.

“The media hates her, my family but my dad disapproves approves of our relationship. I don’t want to put her through it anymore.” The uncontrollable tears began to free fall, the pressure of her love-life taking a toll.

“Joohyun, look at me,” The most stable of all, Seulgi, softly held her chin and tilted it towards her direction.

She was a sight to behold as the tears streaked her face and a hopeless looked shined in her tears eyes.

“Why do you think you’re here right now, honey? That’s because Y/N wants to be with you. She’s willing to face the backlash, the hate, the sacrifices with you.” The whispered words crept in her mind, slowly overlaying her doubts.

She let the words of comfort creep their way through her being, knowing the words being preached to her were right.

“Yeah, and, ReVeluv’s are all for it. The GP might love a controversy here and there, but that’s not what matters right now. What matters is that you’re getting pussy for the rest of your life.” Yerim commented, a humorous smile adorning her face.

Even that one.

“You can always count on Yerim to say some bullshit like that,” Their main vocalist stated as she lightly bumped the youngest.

As she laughed, the tears dried on her cheeks. One of the few genuine smiles she pulled today.

“Ah, there’s that pretty smile. Why were you hiding it for so long huh?” Sooyoung said snapping a quick picture of the candid moment.

The stars couldn’t have aligned for anybody but the five of them to meet as one. — The delicate ivory tulle dress hung loosely on Irene’s body. It’s elegant flow and puffy sleeves design made her feel like a fairy in an enchanted forest.

The people attending to her makeup and hair weren’t as upset and quickly touched it up before she was fitted in her gown.

She took a deep breath, holding tightly onto her father's arm and the peony bouquet in her other arm.

“I’m happy for you, Joohyun-Ah. Let’s hope this marriage isn’t another strict contract.” He jestered playfully.

“You’re really funny you know that?” They chuckled lightly together.

“Don’t forget to smile, okay?”

She never got the chance to smile as the big and ominous doors awaited her destiny.

And there you were, watching the love of your eternity gliding down the aisle like the angel she is. The way the light caught her dress made her look absolutely heavenly. Your cheeks hurt, and your heart burned with an undying love for the woman coming towards you.

She lightly bowed towards her comrades that worked with her. One of her long time friends, Johnny, and his group gave you thumbs up and discreet finger hearts.

When she finally stood in front of you, you really couldn’t breathe. You didn’t believe in that cheesy phrase “as time stood still,” but shit, you wish it did.

Neither of you was the religious type, so instead of a priest speaking, you kindly asked her esteemed friend, Jennie, to do the honors.

It was a hilarious mess when the poor young woman called for any objections, and all of her bandmates declared they loved her first.

“YOU’LL ALWAYS BE OUR PERFECT 10 IRENE!”

If that didn’t make her want to cry of happiness and joy even more, then the end of your vows would surely leave her a sobbing mess.

“I pledge to remain your companion and friend, I promise to be with you always, to care for you, and to love you no matter how far apart we may be. I will always show an interest in the things you do and your ideas. I will be with you in your heart, and keep you safely in mine. When you are happy, I will be happy with you. When you are sad, I will make you smile. I swear it on my soul it’s so beautiful when you smile,”

Her hands tightened in yours as she held back sobs and tried to keep her composure.

“I will encourage you to continue growing as an individual as we work toward our mutual goals. Things are hard right now, but we'll get through this together. It's okay to step back and breathe. I stand with you as your best friend and wife and acknowledge that your choices are valid ones. I promise to give you love, honesty, trust, and commitment, and, in general, keep your life more interesting and chaotic than NCT 127s music, as we grow old and beyond. I love you, Joohyun.”

She trembled in the overwhelming feeling of yearning as she looked into your intense eyes. All she can see is promise and unconditional love.

“You know I love you more, Y/N.”

With the seal of a delicate kiss of plush lips pressed against each other and arms pulling her in tight, dress against dress, she knew she could overcome anything with you by her side.

[putschki1969]

Hi Puts! How would you describe each girl’s fashion style and whose style is the closest to yours?

Hi there!!

Phew, okay, that’s actually a pretty hard question, I will try to do my best and find a few adjectives to describe their style. Throughout the years, their style has undergone some changes of course so I will mostly refer to their current fashion style. Also, I would like to clarify that I am a firm believer in wearing whatever the hell you want. I might not like everything (and occasionally make fun of a certain style - no harm intended) but I definitely do not judge. All right, here we go 〈(•ˇ‿ˇ•)-→

Wakana: Very feminine with strong (sometimes overbearing) patterns/designs (lace, embroidery, frill, florals, prints, crazy and bright colours, volume, etc). Usually quite modest. Her wardrobe consists of lots of long and loose- fitting skirts/dresses/pants that don’t reveal too much of the contours of her body. The only thing she is always happy to show off are her gorgeous arms and shoulders so naturally, there are a lot of sleeveless clothing items in her collection. Occasionally she will go for a look that accentuates her lovely figure by wearing loose high-waisted bottoms and a tight-fitting top. Typically she pairs her clothes with sneakers or converse because comfort is key.

Keiko: A mixture between edgy-rockish, glitzy-glamorous and cute-girly. Her style is definitely the hardest to pin-point since it’s all over the place. We have seen her in variations of denim with oversized printed sweaters/t-shirts/mesh tops looking like a full-blown rocker girl. But then she will also wear questionable animal prints with big fur cardigans and coats which occasionally make her look like a high-class hooker XD. And lastly, there’s a side of her that just wants to look kawaii and girly with lots of lace, embroidery, embellishment and floral patterns. I like her most when she finds a good balance between her rockish and girlish style. Since she is a sucker for high-end brands she can also go for a more sophisticated and elegant look if she wants to but in most cases there will always be an edgy or cute element to her outfit to keep things toned down. Keiko has lovely legs and she likes to show them off so short pants, skirts, dresses and tunic-length-tops are a staple in her wardrobe. Shoe-wise she will either go for crazy high-heels or combat boots.

Hikaru: Edgy, sexy, casual. Like Wakana she likes loose and comfy clothing (especially on top) but whereas Wakana regularly opts for skirts and dresses Hikaru is more likely to choose a (very tight) pair of denim jeans. Her style is a lot more casual and down-to-earth compared to Wakana’s. Monochromes, muted-earthy colours, no crazy patterns. She is also not at all afraid to show a lot of skin which definitely distinguishes her from Wakana. She is a little more consistent with her edgy-rocker look than Keiko because she rarely incorporates frilly or glamorous elements. From time to time she will go for something cute and girly/feminine but more often than not that outfit will be one of Keiko’s hand-me-downs. These days she is never seen without one of her many pairs of Doc Martens.

As for my personal style, it actually does not 100% align with any of theirs. But I guess it has elements of Wakana and Keiko’s style. I am very much into old-fashioned table-cloth-inspired lace and embroidery like Wakana and I am a sucker for floral patterns just like Wakana and Keiko. There is also A LOT of pink in my wardrobe but I am sure that doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone :P

For the most part I can’t relate at all to Hikaru’s style and I am having a hard time pairing her fashion items (the few that I own) with my other outfits. Wakana’s fashion style is an acquired taste. At first I didn’t particularly like the wide and voluminous cuts but I am slowly getting used to them and by now I very much enjoy wearing all those big tops and dresses. I feel cute and feminine in them but never struggle to breathe or feel self-conscious about my body. Overall I probably like Keiko’s style most but sometimes it’s a hit or miss for me. Oh boy, when she misses, she REALLY misses. Some of her fashion choices are just beyond my grasp XD For example, I will never understand her undying love for outrageous puff-sleeves. She has always been into them but these days it’s even worse since she is so inspired by Korean/Chinese idol fashion. But yeah, generally speaking, my favourite Kala-fashion pieces are without a doubt Keiko’s and those can be most easily incorporated in my day-to-day style. Also, whenever I see her in a new outfit, I usually find myself thinking, “yup, I would definitly wear that too, let me find it and pay an unreasonable amount of money for it!” That almost never happens with Hikaru and only sometimes with Wakana.

[stipethom]

I wrote some Cablepool fics some months ago but proofreading is such a bitch, so they were incomplete for now. I’m just gonna post some parts of it and hopefully there are more Cablepool people who loves mpreg as I do.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In summary, Mpreg theme uses pregnancy to describe how women and gender/sex minorities are impregnated with the unspeakable powers of patriarchy. Pregnancy is not just a biological phenomenon; it symbolizes embodied experiences, where women’s body is changed and exploited as it bear the burden of child labor. And by forcing such changes upon male body, it declares that any sex and gender that is seen less than a “man” can thus be a “woman”, and that whoever they are their struggles and pains are similar to that of women’s in this world.

In mpreg fics, there’ll be tears, fight, divorce, and broken hearts. It’s fan-favorite melodrama. It’s barnyard humor. It’s self-service to the writer’s own kink.

It is all of these. Or, it’s none of these.

-

They put all kinds of wires to link Wade with medical equipments. X-rays him, scans him, takes some blood from him. They declares that what’s inside Wade is not a parasite. Not another tumor nor a clog. It is, as the tag suggests, a fetus.

Some other X-students gathers as soon as the word is out: the Deadly mouthy ‘pool’s pregnant. The next session, Wade is unhappy with the amount of audience in the supposed waiting room, looking expectedly at him. From hindsight, it’s better they were there at the time, to spare Wade the horrors of explanation.

Unplanned male pregnancy should have been a comic relief since it’s Deadpool. But when the results indicate that it belongs to a certain Nathan Summers, who recently died, it is no longer a joke.

Cyclops, as his role in any other Cablepool fics, has to be the last one to know it. He learns of the identity of his future grandchild and immediately decides to rushe back to the mansion to confront whatever nightmare awaits him. He briefly talks to Hank, in order to prepare himself before talking to Wade. Eventually, a consultation team that comprises of Cyclops and Beast visits Wade’s at his apartment, who just comes back with discounted pregnancy tests from CVS.

“We must talk about your condition, Wade.” Scott says solemnly.

“Sorry, Grandpaclops, will remember to use protection next time. Guess I should never underestimate dicks from the future.”

Scott clenches his teeth. His expression is hidden under his ruby optics, but Wade can see the tiny creases around his mouth, and he gets the feeling that Scott is anxious. Ans so, so very tired. Hank clears his throat and starts talking about his discoveries. Half of his talk is explaining his daring theory of why life form can be conceived inside a male’s body, which Wade doesn’t listen to. The other half is some warmings on what a pregnant man should not do. Given Wade’s profession and personality, Hank makes 100% sure that Wade listens to him. Scott seems to be holding breath as the other mutant talks with a professional calmness.

The talk ends with “We still don’t know exactly how it happened, but It’s going to be a big responsibility—your responsibility.”

Scott tries again. He keeps his voice strategically even, a little raspy than usual, as if he practiced this conversation in front of a mirror too many times.

“It’s yours, as much as it’s Nathan’s. It’s up to you to ... keep it.”

“Or you can move into the X-mansion—”Hank stops promptly when Wade starts laughing.

“So your guys are what, showing parental support for the guy your son never actually married, and you never even doubt it’s a parasite?”

“We ruled out that possibility.” Hank says, “you know, you don’t have to do this.” He pauses briefly, making sure every sentence is carefully worded. “After what happened, you—in fact, nobody should do this alone. It’s unfair that you have to deal with it on your own.”

Great, now they think of Wade as some mourning ex-lover of Nate’s. He has to find something witty to say, or he’ll just embarrasses himself in front of these two good-intentioned, somewhat guilty-looking X-men. There’s a sorry somewhere that he can reads directly from the thin air, sorry we are so sorry for pushing you away, we are sorry we didn’t accept you—and ignored your feelings— now we are here to make it up for you. No, this ain’t right. They don’t know about him and Nate. All they see is this, which makes them assume all kinds of things about them, about Wade, that Wade doesn’t even want to think about.

He decides to take advantage of their out-of-no-where-guilt because it is better than pity, “OK, wait, is this the part where we hug and cry on each other’s shoulders? I have a feeling there’s always a but. Besides, Hank, you just violated the confidentiality agreement without my consent!”

“I’m truly sorry, it’s an unprecedented situation.” Hank tries not to look shameful. “And, no, no buts. All we’re offering is a place to rest before the, that is, if you want to keep it, It’s very important when it comes to—“

“Nathan’s spawn.” Wade helps him finish the sentence. “That’s why you X-men fucking care. “

Cyclops doesn’t say a word, but he thinks so loud, he is practically radiating sadness and anger, and worst of all, the anger is not even directed at Wade.

Wade snaps.

“Tell you what, I’m gonna fucking keep this little shit till it’s got eyes and fingers and then I’ll fucking abort it! I’ll put it in a filthy jar and sell it to Mister Sinister, and it will be none of your fucking business!”

—

Of course Wade didn’t abort it. And he did move into the X-mansion.

Everyone seems worried. After all, X-men are worried all the time—but they also look slightly relieved. If Wade ignores the eyes they are giving him, the whispers they exchange when they think he is not looking, he almost feels nothing has changed at all.

The big question, after the several years after Nate died, still hangs in the air. Every time someone looks at Wade, there’s a why in their eyes. A mutant like Nate, who is supposed to be a man of proper taste and good integrity, the reasons that he chose to be with Wade is unthinkable.

Any sane human would tell Nate what he did is ridiculous. Like the voice in the back of Wade’s mind. It tells Wade all the time that he cannot possibly believe that him and Nate could last any longer—or long enough to have any consequences.

Being pregnant is not the consequences. It’s the last one of the bad decisions he’s made after all the other ones. He knows the voice is right, and his life sucks mostly because he doesn’t listen to it. This time, he feels a certain remorse satisfaction in disobeying the remaining sense of reason in his head.

Keeping the baby to prove a point is as desperate as it’s poorly intended.

He knows how fucked-up this is.

��

In hindsight, it’s fucking creepy that Wade, Copycat, and Domino all slept with Nate.

Here she is, gonna pop open that can of worms.

Domino has to come to him at his most inconvenience. She knocks three times on the door, each time more curt and determined. She will probably shoot a hole in the wall to make a new door if he doesn’t let her in.

Wade opens the door, grimaces at the way she look at him and meet his eyes. He is a good few inches taller than Dom, but he never feels big in front of her.

She brings in an air of feline elegance and the fresh scent of hair shampoo. It’s endearing for her to allow people to see her like this, yet not entirely unguarded. He catches the innuendo of a more secret, private conversation.

Her eyes touch him lightly, hair flares with the effortless chic style many would be jealous of. There are a hundred things Wade lacks that she owns.

The night is getting dark and the wind is getting wild, he probably should close the window before the storm.

Dom is less of a coward than him, who could barely come up to people and tell them the truth. That he got himself into this long before he understood the true meaning of having someone and then losing them.

She is pretty and deadly as always, not jadded by battles and gunfire. She looks at him with a sadness of someone who think they have the pieces of a puzzle that Wade misses. Or at least they think they know.

“Why do you keep him, the baby—.” She leans against the wall, arms crossed. “He’s not going to be Nate. Nate is not here anymore.“

“Wow, wow, lady, now you’re just projecting too hard.”

“Wade, look. It took me a hell lot of drinking to accept that he’s really gone this time.” She keeps her voice steady and manages to be soft at the same time. “I hear you talk to him like, I don’t know. I don’t think I’m not projecting.”

“Just so you know, I talk to my tummy all the time. Totally healthy habit. Been like this since I’m in my mom’s womb.”

“You’ve been talking to him and you sounded like—never mind.” Now she is just being weird. Wade feels offended that someone dare to outweird him without his royal permission. “The baby—you are drowning him with things he’s not part of.”

“Drowning would be a damn boring way to die.” He comments. “In fact, I’m whispering murder thoughts to him so he can grow up into a killing machine. A cyborg one. Just like his dad.”

“Wade, I’m not trying to take anything from you.”

“Oh sure, you’re here to remind me to invite you for the baby shower, which I am seriously going to reconsider with the guest list.”

A strip of dark hair falls on her cheek as she hesitates.

“You know why I’m here.”

Honestly, Wade’s fed up with this. He didn’t respond, instead, he peels off his mask, challenges her to look directly into his eyes.

She looks flustered, but her thin shoulders are as still as granite. This close, Wade can see how her breast heaves under her loosely-fit shirt. It fucking hurts when he rips through her facade and finds something a lot like the reflection of his own pains. They both had Nate in the past, and now that Nate is the past, they are weirdly equal. They had different Nates, but Wade wants all the Nates.

The voice in his head is so loud that he can barely think his own thoughts. Is that why he came to her after Wade left Providence, for her is smart enough to ask for only what she deserves?

Does she come here to pity Wade, or is she seeking compassion from Wade? He feels an old, dull bitterness creeping up his spine.

Domino backs off a little, “I never liked you.” She says. They both know it, so it’s not really a confess. Something is blown in to the window, making a cracking sound. Both of them shiver. “I couldn’t believe it was you, of all people. “Oh, so she did care. She was not as nonchalant as she pretends to be. “But now you are-you are not just yourself-I don’t want to fight you anymore.”

It stings.

“Does that mean I can finally make your face my new bathroom tiles? Because I love baby poo on black and white.” He quirks a smile. “Oh, And by the way, I reject your nanny application. Bring your broom next time.”

“You hate me for a dead man.” She says dryly, “what does that make you...”

Her voice hitches.

“What does that make us. If we are still loyal to him.”

The wind is loud, and others must be awakened by the noises by now. If wind could talk, it must be full of broken sentences, murmuring and fleeing from the untrimmed trees, circulating in the flying dirt and the waving foliage. Some sleepless mutant girls on the second floor mutters in an annoyed voice.

Dom reaches out to him. Her arms are pale but firm. They are suddenly within the distance of a kiss. He feels his cracked lips nearly brushes hers like a breath.

She jumps back, hitting the nearest surface to her face. The window panes creak from the shockwave, sending the whole room whirls. For a moment they were close enough to dig out each other’s heart. The framed painting falls to the ground in broken pieces behind them. It is relatively intact until Neena steps on it.

“A hard loser, aren’t you.” Wade breathes.

Neena just smiles.

“It’s just you who can’t let go.”

She stubbles on the cracked frame before storming into the bathroom. Wade hears the hot water pours out of the faucet and makes maps of mist on the hanging mirror. Her reflection from the mirror shifts, and from Wade’s angle, he can see her tears.

A small sob sound leaks out of her beautiful mouth. Wade feels envious yet again. He doesn’t understand why it changes how Dom sees him, as if sharing pain with him would be some comfort for both of them. But it doesn’t, he wants to scream, and it shouldn’t. He hears other mutant kids are giggling through the wind, and he is so, so envious of them.

Before he closes his eyes, he feels a light patting on his shoulders, and then all the light runs out with the slapping of the door.

He knows this is fucked-up.

“Nate,“ he murmurs, “If you don’t plan yo come back, I don’t think I can survive this—your too-young-too-be-dad dad, your ex-girlfriend, and your very possessive and angry daughter who refuses to meet me yet—I now understand why you want to elope with me into the future. I’ll forgive you for never asking me to actually run with you, but I know you always wanted to.“

“It’s fucking worse when people try to care. They don’t know you. They don’t know how fucked up you are. All they want is to keep a memoir, and I’m their freaking memoir. What did we have, sweetheart, did we ever agree on anything, huh? Did you even think about what it would be like for us to be together long enough to have consequences?”

“You see, Nate, I’m the one living with the consequences now. Except that you’re not here.”

[thezodiaczone]

Taurus Compatibility

TAURUS + ARIES (MARCH 21 - APRIL 19) The stubborn Bull locks horns with the willful Ram, nostrils flaring, heads bowed in determination. So begins a fierce but fiery courtship, as splashy and menacing as a Pamplona stampede. Aggression, however uncivilized, is part our Darwinian natures. It certainly is for your signs—who possess an arsenal of steamrolling tactics, from doe-eyed charm to old-fashioned philistine strong-arming. No weak-willed mate will survive your natural selection process. Nor should he. Neither one of you feels safe in the arms of a mate who can't protect you. Thus, your initial faceoff is simply a warning shot: Show me your strength so I can trust you. Once the fanfare is over, you make a great team—like British pop royalty Victoria (Aries) and David (Taurus) Beckham.

As tight as two mafiosos, you like to dress up and flaunt your natural superiority over the rest of the animal kingdom. The deal is sweet for both of you. Taurus gets an attractive show pony and a lusty mate to satisfy his Earthy libido. Aries has a lifelong provider and benefactor to supply creative freedom and endless playtime. Issues can arise if Taurus grows too possessive or tries to tame independent Aries. Indulgent Taurus will need to remain active to keep pace with the energetic Ram (read: lay off the nightly steak frites and vino). You both crave attention, but don't go looking for it outside the relationship, unless you want a real showdown. Like two tots in a nursery, you share a favorite word: Mine!

TAURUS + TAURUS (APRIL 20 - MAY 20) Slow and steady wins the race for these two earthy Toros. A pair of contented cows munching clover in the field, you're masters of pleasure and leisure. Ruled by Venus, the goddess of beauty and love, Taurus life is a sun-dappled serenade—when you're not locking horns in a bullfight. Fortunately, the fierce stampedes are rare between you. The most lethal "charging" for your acquisitive sign happens on Black Friday, or at the Barneys shoe sale. You govern the zodiac's second house of material gain, and while you'll work your fingers to the bone, you also adore "stuff." Taurus rules the five senses. You've got the most sharply attuned sense of smell and taste, and an eye for beauty. As a couple, your home is not just your castle, but an art gallery, listening lounge, movie theater and gourmet restaurant. Renovation is your middle name, and you're forever titivating your digs with state-of-the-art fixtures and upgrades. There's always an occasion to celebrate, and you love to invite people into your grand yet cozy salon to feast, imbibe, show off your fineries, and talk about your latest passions. But the heartbeat for this couple is friends and family. Children, grandchildren, parents, siblings—as long as you're on good terms (and even when you're not), they're a tireless topic. In fact, your true nature really shines as a parent. Warning: you're creatures of habit and you can get lazy and indulgent together. Bring on the personal trainers, nutritionists and motivating friends to keep you on top of your game.

TAURUS + GEMINI (MAY 21 - JUNE 20) ♥♥♥♥ Taurus is a traditional, grounded Earth sign, and Gemini is a free-spirited, unconventional Air sign. Despite the doubt gnawing your gut, you insist on forging ahead together. Nine times out of ten, your first instinct was correct: you don't have much more in common than hot, lusty, try-anything-twice sex. For a while, that's enough to satisfy you both. Unfortunately, the post-orgasmic glow only wanes after you've intertwined your lives—often to the point where leaving would get messy. Perhaps there are enough good reasons to stay after all. For one, you make great business partners. Gemini is creative and media-savvy; Taurus has an instinctive knack for sound financial moves and marketing. You're both visual and gifted with color and style. Blend Gemini's clever quirks with Taurus elegance, and you've got a high-end specialty brand in the bag. Want to keep the bedroom hot and business booming? The cardinal rule of this relationship, which will be torturous for you both, is this: never argue. Gemini loves to debate and play devil's advocate, which will threaten Taurus' ego, making the Bull charge with fury. Taurus is a know-it-all who loves to be right, but experimental Gemini doesn't want to hear "I told you so"—especially not from a lover. Can you go against your natures in the name of love? If you want this to last, you'd better learn how. Agree to disagree, hear each other out, and hire a mediator if you must.

TAURUS + CANCER (JUNE 21 - JULY 22) Buy those twin rocking chairs and install them on the porch: You're an old-fashioned throwback, high school sweethearts at any age. No two signs are more traditional, sentimental or family-oriented than yours. Although the sweetness can be cloying, you're a love story for the ages. In fact, you may emulate your own parents (or compensate for their shortcomings), since you share a rather conventional moral compass. Affectionate and nurturing, you crave lifelong security and a comfortable home, and you'll squirrel away a sizeable nest egg together. Not that you don't indulge. Your signs both appreciate art, culture, decorating, music and gourmet food. As parents, you're protective but firm, Taurus doling out tough love in your children's best interest, nurturing Cancer kisses every boo-boo. Framed family pictures creep like urban sprawl through your home. At times, Taurus' booming voice and blunt remarks wound the Crab's tender feelings. Like a bull in a Bernardaud shop, Taurus doesn't realize his own size, strength and intensity. Taurus will need to dial down the volcanic energy—intuitive Cancer doesn't need every point driven home. At the same time, Cancer must overcome insecurities and toughen up, since Taurus doesn't mince words or tiptoe through the tulips for anyone. Sure, there will be tears and misunderstandings, but there's nothing that any recipe calling for heavy cream can't solve. You both love pampering and feasts, and if your waistlines expand along with your joy, c'est la vie.

TAURUS + LEO (JULY 23 - AUGUST 22) This dynamic coupling is as stable as a batch of homemade explosives. Yet, you can't resist mixing those chemicals just to see what happens. The sexual pyrotechnics alone are certainly tempting. You're both proud, fierce and egotistical—two incurable hotheads—and you're attracted to each other's showy flair. When it's good, it's damn good: you get all the affection, doting and hero-worship you crave. You love to glam up like rock star royalty and paint the town together, drawing attention wherever you go. In fact, your shared vanity may keep you together past the relationship's prime. Sex is animalistic and hands-on (keep ointment at the ready for bites and scratches), and best enjoyed in the monogrammed sheets of the finest hotels. With your combined charisma and willpower, you could overthrow a midsized government, or form your own totalitarian regime. Bad days are brutal, though. The Lion assumes he's in charge of everything, but nobody bosses the Bull around. You both dig in your heels and go for the kill. Drama, shouting, and ego showdowns are your favorite weapons of mass destruction, and woe betide the day you turn those on each other. You're both capable of enacting a scene that brings down the house. Security!

TAURUS + VIRGO (AUGUST 23 - SEPTEMBER 22) You're a pair of sophisticated Earth signs who blend like cashmere and wool. Taurus adds the touch of luxe and Virgo is the solid standby. You're what could be described as a "lovely couple," with good taste, social graces and old-fashioned values. Although your earthy natures can also make you hippies at heart, you tend toward the traditional, and you both like possessions of quality. You'll set up a lovely, well-appointed home—though Taurus will have to fight neat-freak Virgo to keep the plastic slipcovers off the sofas and doilies off the appliances. Virgo is ruled by intellectual Mercury, and Taurus by pleasure-loving Venus. As a result, Taurus is more feisty, raw and direct, which can offend Virgo's stuffed-shirt sensibilities. However, the Virgin soon looses up and learns to laugh at himself. It's good to have sensible Virgo around to pull the brake when Taurus overspends, heads up to the buffet for a fourth helping or tips his glass for a refill. Responsible Virgo has far more self-control than the Bull. In private, you're both sensual and erotic, and you can spend hours wrapped contentedly in your Egyptian cotton sheets. You share a judgmental streak, and if you're too intent on fancying yourselves superior to the world, you may limit your horizons. Open your minds, and be willing to try something "lowbrow" or off your beaten paths. It keeps life interesting.

TAURUS + LIBRA (SEPTEMBER 23 - OCTOBER 22) ♥♥♥♥ Your signs are both ruled by Venus, but your disparate elements prevent this from being an ideal match. Taurus is a fixed Earth sign who builds his castle by the sweat of his brow, then lords over its inhabitants. Libra is cardinal Air, a Queen bee who buzzes around, ruling the hive without doing the drone-work. You both want to be in charge, but your clashing leadership styles create a patchwork parliament that can't agree on anything. Taurus is planted on terra firma, and Libra lives in the clouds. Of course, if the Bull is content to be the provider while Libra dresses up and plays charming host, then this can work. You're certainly an attractive pair of aesthetes, and you share high-end tastes in fashion, décor, food and all the Venusian pleasures. Shameless snobbery is a shared affliction, but neither of you cares to be cured. You love to talk about art, literature, politics, everything under the sun—though Taurus may find Libra's values superficial, and moderate Libra will take offense to the Bull's heavy handed opinions. At least your sexual attraction is strong, and that will take you far enough. However, conflict-avoiding Libra will need to build up some backbone to avoid being steamrolled by dominating Taurus. The Bull will need to turn down the volume, and Libra must get better at addressing issues head on, rather than letting them fester.

TAURUS + SCORPIO (OCTOBER 23 - NOVEMBER 21) You're opposite signs who can fall into a real love-hate dynamic, mainly since you both like to run the show. Taurus is the bossy Bull, and Scorpio rules power and control. It's like two mafia kingpins trying to rule the same territory: it works as long as you're loyal, but cross each other and you're getting whacked. Differences can be a turn-on for some signs, but for this pair, they're often a deal breaker. Taurus and Scorpio are both "fixed" signs, gifted at perseverance and holding your ground, terrible at adapting to other people's personalities. This inflexibility can lead to serious power struggles and enmity that burns bright after the relationship ends. If ever a couple needed a prenup, it's you. Better yet, you'll need to be extremely self-aware and conscious of your personal power. If you can avoid arousing the sleeping dragon in each other, there's plenty of rich material here. You both love music, food and sensual delights. You're equally intense about your beliefs and passions, and sex is a lusty, no-holds-barred affair. You'll give each other the attentive listening both of you crave. The Bull's earthy nature can be grounding for watery Scorpio, whose emotions can warp his perspective. Practical Taurus will pull Scorpio out of depressive slumps, and Scorpio will help Taurus look below the surface to see hidden motivations and agendas. You're loyal and protective of each other, so stay off each other's sacred turf and respect your differences.

TAURUS + SAGITTARIUS (NOVEMBER 22 - DECEMBER 21) ♥♥♥♥ This is a curious match that demands adaptation, as you have vastly different temperaments and tastes. You're either wildly attracted to each other or completely repelled, and there's not much middle ground. Taurus is a traditional Earth sign who knows his tastes and sticks to a simple set of beliefs, social circles and experiences. Sagittarius is a wild, adventurous Fire sign whose anything-goes nature invites friends of diverse cultures and backgrounds. The Archer's global embrace can irritate Taurus, who doesn't feel the need to befriend every person he meets, or remain lifelong pals with his exes (though he can certainly rant about them). Jealousy can be an issue on both sides. However, you can make an excellent team if you respect each other's strengths. Taurus is practical and sophisticated, a grounding force that streamlines the Archer's expansive visions. Between the Bull's business acumen and Sag's charisma, you can build an empire—especially with your driven work ethics. You both have a ribald, lusty side to your personalities and misbehaving together can be a blast. With your hot tempers, you can go from zero to sixty fast, and arguments can be explosive. Your peace treaties should always take place at the dinner table. Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter, god of the feast; Taurus by Venus, planet of pleasure and love. Gorging your bottomless appetites awakens a primal instinct in you both—you'll be tearing each other's clothes off before the second course.

TAURUS + CAPRICORN (DECEMBER 22 - JANUARY 19) You're fellow Earth signs who really vibe well together. By day, you're both hard-driving workaholics. Taurus is the plodding Bull, Capricorn the sure-footed Mountain Goat. Any business venture you launch together will thrive, and you share a deep respect for tradition, family and long-term security. You're both shrewd financial planners, though your love of earthly pleasures can break the bank, too. Once you punch out and uncork the Sancerre, you morph into a pair of hedonists. Sleeping and lounging are favorite pastimes, and on weekends, a forklift couldn't pry you off the sofa. However, Capricorn is far more self-disciplined than the indulgent Bull. Taurus is ruled by Venus, the goddess of beauty and pleasure; Capricorn by strict Saturn, the cosmic taskmaster. Where Taurus is a megalomaniac forever humming his own praise song, poor Cappy flogs himself for even the slightest misstep. Saturn's repression also gives Cap an eccentric side; he can fall into melancholy or fatalistic spells that confound Taurus. The Goat is always planning for rainy days—and as karma goes, plan for a downpour, and you'll surely get one. Taurus refuses to pack an umbrella, for he can't fathom worrying about something that hasn't even happened yet, nor shown up on the radar. You both have something to teach each other. The Bull is gifted at savoring the present, while nostalgic Capricorn obsesses over the past and the future. Strive to get your timing right.

TAURUS + AQUARIUS (JANUARY 20 - FEBRUARY 18) ♥♥♥♥ Your signs have so little in common, it's hard to make a go of this. Old-fashioned Taurus craves tradition, order and security. Rebel Aquarius is an oddball who lives to defy rules and convention. Taurus is an Earth sign who plants deep roots; Air sign Aquarius is an adventurous nomad who goes wherever the wind blows. While you may start out fascinated by each other, the magic ends faster than you can say "pixie dust." Taurus will quickly offend Aquarius with his heavy-handed opinions and staunch political views. Free-spirited Aquarius will flee from the Bull's possessive grip, which only clenches tighter the more Aquarius flits about. Then there's the matter of your social circles, which rarely overlap. Aquarius habitually befriends the most eccentric people—the corner wino who's solved the string theory, the local fortune teller, his bus driver. While Taurus may humor these characters in passing, all hell breaks loose when Aquarius invites his tribe of wayward souls to spend the weekend, or to sleep on the couch "until they get their act together." Not on Taurus' leather club chair and alpaca throw pillows! You can try to compromise, but you'll only end up short-changing your natural gifts. Aquarius rules the zodiac's eleventh house of friends and society; he's the unofficial mayor wherever he goes, and is meant to spread himself among the people. Homebody Taurus has much more earthbound goals. Neither of you will get the satisfaction you crave unless you work hard to compromise.

TAURUS + PISCES (FEBRUARY 19 - MARCH 20) This is a lovely match of two pleasure-driven sensualists. Taurus is ruled by beauty planet Venus, and Pisces is governed by enchanting Neptune. You both love gourmet food, wine and culture, and you make a creative couple with sophisticated flair. You never run out of things to discuss, whether it's the latest New Yorker piece, art theory, or the obscure band both of you love. In the bedroom, the lusty Bull is happy to enact any fantasy that Pisces' boundless imagination conjures—and there will be many. Domestic bliss is assured, and your fussy decorating styles will match perfectly, much to your snobbish delight. For the long term, you'll need to regulate your energy with each other, or you can lapse into a master-and-servant dynamic. Passive-aggressive Pisces must become more assertive, and forceful Taurus should relax his domineering ways. At times, Pisces' secretive spells can cause fissures in the foundation, arousing suspicion in possessive Taurus. Even if what Pisces is hiding is inconsequential, the act itself destabilizes the relationship. Emotional manipulation infuriates the Bull, who prefers everything above board, and hates to be blindsided. However, Pisces can't always verbalize his complex feelings as quickly as Taurus demands. Too much forcefulness can intimidate the gentle Fish, sending him swimming into unreachable depths.

[kurowrites]

The Sweetest Admission (Part I)

Ok, have 3k of Wangxian University AU, only they’re both girls, live in the same dorm, and Wei Ying might or might not have a crush.

Also, this is very definitely NSFW.

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Wei Ying knew that she wasn’t exactly what people would describe as the ideal of femininity, but it had never really bothered her before. Sure, she had long black hair that she was rather proud of, and she liked wearing nice skirts and heels from time to time, but in general, she couldn’t really give a damn about what she looked like, or if anyone found her attractive at all. At a time when her female classmates discovered dating and boyfriends, she discovered that she definitely had no interest in that, thankyouverymuch. Flirting was fun, but she didn’t care about the part that came after.

It was fine, she thought. She had her family that she loved, and she had received a full scholarship for the university she had been wanting to go to. She had good friends and would make new friends at university. Who had time for anything else when your life was already so busy? She didn’t care that she had never been confessed to, or that her stepmother sometimes criticized her for not caring about her appearance enough. She had places to go and things to do, and she could do all of that in a t-shirt.

Her thinking changed shortly after she had moved into the on-campus dorm of her university. There were many other girls like her, with similar stances on fashion and dating, but one fateful day, she met an elusive unicorn that happened to live on the same floor as her. Lan Zan was her undoing.

Wei Ying wasn’t joking when she said that she had never met such a beautiful woman in her life. She had long, glossy, perfectly straight hair that nearly reached her buttocks when she wore it open. She had a regal countenance that would a marble statue cry in envy. She had long, slender limbs that moved with incredible poise and elegance. She was always dressed in shades of white and ice blue, the cut of the clothes never revealing, never tight, but suiting her figure so well, that in all honesty, she looked hotter fully dressed than had she strutted around the dorm half-naked.

Wei Ying was insanely jealous on first sight. This was a level of beauty and perfection that she couldn’t possibly hope to achieve, and while a comparison with other girls had never pained her before, it pained her now. God, she was so jealous of Lan Zhan. Lan Zhan was too beautiful for her heart.

It didn’t help that Wei Ying realized quite early in her acquaintance that while Lan Zhan might seem rather cool and distant at first glance, she was actually a very nice person that would go out of her way to help her dormmates. She was strict about the rules, which put her and Wei Ying on opposing sides more than once, but she was interesting. She was incredibly interesting and fun once Wei Ying got to know her, and sometimes had an amazing sense of humour, when Wei Ying managed to tickle her just in the right spot. She was also a talented musician and an excellent student. Wei Ying had thought perfection didn’t exist, but here she lived, three doors down from her.

It was easy, almost irresistible, to keep badgering Lan Zhan into spending time with Wei Ying, since they both lived on the same floor of the same dorm. Wei Ying could hardly ever convince her to come to a party or some other “fun” kind of event, but Lan Zhan would always let Wei Ying into her room if she wanted to study together (even when they were studying different subjects). She would go to art exhibits or concerts with Wei YIng, provided that the concerts weren’t too loud and rowdy. They would go on walks together, and eat in the dining hall together. Whenever Wei Ying came to Lan Zhan’s room, she had some delicious snacks ready to share with Wei Ying.

Lan Zhan was, all in all, an excellent friend.

Wei Ying wanted to do that newly gained friend justice. When she first came to uni, she was fine with existing mostly in black jeans and some kind of shirt, because honestly, who had time for more than that. But the more time she spent with Lan Zhan, the more she started to become conscious of her own appearance. She couldn’t walk around like a rat that crawled out of a sewage tunnel when Lan Zhan was next to her! He couldn’t hope to be on Lan Zhan’s level, ever, but she felt that she had to put a little more effort into her appearance.

So, she dug deeper into her wardrobe and pulled out all the cute clothes that she hadn’t worn for a while, the little gifts she had gotten from her sister Yanli she had never fully appreciated before. She wore short skirts with overknee socks that showed off the nice shape of her legs. She wore loose crop tops together with those high-waisted jeans that looked proper when she sat down but showed off just a little bit of her midriff when she moved around. She wore shorts paired with patterned stockings, and that very cute black fifties-style dress with the red heart-shaped buttons in the front that Yanli had gifted her last year.

Lan Zhan never commented on her looks, but sometimes Wei Ying was almost sure she caught Lan Zhan looking. She kind of liked that, getting Lan Zhan’s attention. Wei Ying could hardly ever take her eyes off Lan Zhan, beautiful and elegant as she was. To catch the attention of such a woman, it was flattering.

It was a Sunday, and Wei Ying and Lan Zhan had originally planned to take a nice walk in the nearby botanical garden, a small break from studying all week. But when morning came, instead of the expected sunshine, heavy rain had greeted Wei Ying when she looked out of her window. They would have to give up on the botanical garden.

When Wei Ying sent Lan Zhan a message that said as much (with a row of sad emojis), Lan Zhan sent her an immediate reply.

If you want to, you can come to my room. We can watch that movie you’ve been wanting to see.

Truly, Lan Zhan was the best! She always knew how to make Wei Ying happy.

Ecstatic, she danced over to her wardrobe and picked out her nicest overknee socks, a short, red pleated skirt with a high waist, and a black crop top that complimented the look. She checked herself in the mirror and declared the look very nice, before she tied her hair in her usual high ponytail and rushed off down the hallway to Lan Zhan’s door.

The door opened almost immediately when she knocked, and she darted into the room, throwing herself onto Lan Zhan’s bed with out hesitation, face first.

“Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, let’s watch!” she giggled into Lan Zhan’s pillow.

“Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan said, and it was her warning tone.

Wei Ying looked up at Lan Zhan, trying to figure out what had made her use that particular tone. Lan Zhan had already moved close, reaching out to fix Wei Ying’s skirt that had slipped up and nearly exposed her underwear.

Wei Ying laughed. “Lan Zhan, always so proper! It’s fine, we’re in your room, it’s only you here! I don’t mind you seeing my underwear!”

Lan Zhan’s ears turned red at that, and Wei Ying laughed again. Lan Zhan was always perfectly put together, so it must bother her to see Wei Ying being her opposite in all aspects. But ever since he had been wearing more skirts again, she had also bought new underwear, cute slips and frilly bralettes that she didn’t mind Lan Zhan seeing. She might want Lan Zhan to see them. She might be a little bit of an exhibitionist, but after she had spent so much money that she didn’t really have on unnecessary things…

“Don’t worry,” she said, turning around until she was facing Lan Zhan looking down at her. “I wouldn’t do that with anyone else. But Lan Zhan is Lan Zhan, so it’s fine.”

Lan Zhan sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed, an impossibly elegant movement that made Wei Ying want to reach out and touch her, to assure herself that she was really real. She still didn’t know how she had managed to convince Lan Zhan to be her friend.

“Perhaps you should be worried,” Lan Zhan said in a quiet voice.

Wei Ying tilted her head in confusion.

“What? Why?”

Lan Zhan’s eyelashes fluttered for a moment before she closed her eyes. “Because I have always liked girls.”

The room seemed suddenly devoid of oxygen. Lan Zhan liked girls? Girls? Perfect, competent, controlled Lan Zhan had an interest in someone?

“Oh.”

Lan Zhan was quiet and still.

“Lan Zhan… am I a bother?”

With an expression of confusion on her face, Lan Zhan turned around to look at Wei Ying.

“I mean… I’m always hanging around you,” Wei Ying stuttered, her heart pounding painfully in her chest. She clutched the sheets underneath her hands. “And uh… if you want a girlfriend, then I must be… an annoyance, because, uh…”

“I understand, Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan said, her voice distant as she turned away and got up from the bed.

“What do you understand?” Wei Ying asked, sitting up. She felt upset, but she wasn’t quite sure what was happening right now. Lan Zhan liked girls. Lan Zhan might want a girlfriend. Lan Zhan might not want to spend time with Wei Ying anymore. It hurt. “If you don’t want to hang out with me because you’re interested in someone else, then just tell me that! I don’t know what you’re thinking if you don’t tell me, and as long as you don’t reject me, I will always want to spend time with Lan Zhan!”

Lan Zhan turned back to Wei Ying, a minute frown on her face. “Interested in someone else?”

“Yes, why else are you telling me all this?” Wei Ying shouted. “I mean, it couldn’t be– it could never be me, the person that Lan Zhan likes!”

Oh god, she thought to herself, panicking. What am I saying? What am I doing? I’m destroying the best friendship I’ve ever had.

Suddenly, Lan Zhan was in her space, back on the edge of the bed. A hand found its way under her skirt, clever fingertips wandering up her thigh, and suddenly, there was Lan Zhan’s voice, murmuring in her ear.

“You don’t even know,” she said with a voice that went straight down Wei Ying’s spine, making her entire body erupt into electric tingles, “the things I want to do to you.”

There was a sudden heat between Wei Ying’s legs that was so overpowering, she might have gasped. She couldn’t be sure, however, since she felt like she had just lost all control over her bodily functions.

God, she felt so hot. And Lan Zhan was so close. And she was looking at her like that. And her hand was up Wei Ying’s skirt.

“Lan Zhan,” she whined in her distress.

She didn’t know what she wanted, but she wanted Lan Zhan closer. Closer. She swayed closer to her, pressing herself to Lan Zhan’s body, delighted when Lan Zhan’s hands moved to close around her waist, pull her onto Lan Zhan’s lap.

“Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan whispered. “It’s always been you.”

Long fingers found their way under her top, stroking her breasts and nipples over her bralette.

“Oh my god, Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying groaned. She thought she might be going out of her mind. “Please, kiss me.”

Lan Zhan did exactly that. Her first kisses were hesitant, small pecks peppered over her nose and cheeks. Then her lips found Wei Ying’s, and soft, gentle presses quickly escalated into deep, drawn out kisses that left both of them gasping. At some point, Wei Ying couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment, Lan Zhan had laid her down onto the bed, pressing her into the soft, silky sheets, one hand still exploring her sensitive breasts.

With a sudden bout of clarity, she realized that she had spread her legs, almost rubbing herself on one of Lan Zhan’s thighs, begging to be touched. She blushed with an intensity she hadn’t thought possible, and tried to get her body to stop embarrassing her.

Lan Zhan’s hand removed itself from under her shirt as she gently bit Wei Ying’s swollen lips. Her hand wandered lower, dipping under her skirt, feathering over the inner side of her thigh, making Wei Ying gasp and spread her thighs further almost against her will. The fingers halted just at the seam of her underwear.

“Do you want me to?” Lan Zhan asked.

“Oh god,” Wei Ying gasped, unable to control herself as Lan Zhan’s finger brushed along the seam of her panties. “Oh god, Lan Zhan, oh, I– I want it so bad, Lan Zhan, please, please, please touch me.”

Lan Zhan hummed in a way that sounded like approval, but Wei Ying couldn’t concentrate on that right now because Lan Zhan was slowly peeling off her underwear, and oh god, she felt so wet down there, she might have never been so wet in her entire life.

Was that normal?

She was going out of her mind.

With her usual infinite care, Lan Zan pulled Wei Ying’s panties down her legs, removing them carefully, taking care not to damage them, leaving her overknee socks exactly where they were. Wei Ying couldn’t stop looking, because it was so, so hot. Lan Zhan might be the most erotic person she had ever seen.

Then, with Lan Zhan’s hands still on her feet, Wei Ying lay exposed in front of Lan Zhan, her rucked up skirt only providing a modicum of modesty. Lan Zhan’s fingers travelled up her legs again, stroking her calves, her thighs, and Wei Ying thought her heart would beat out of her chest at any moment. Every movement of Lan Zhan added to the tension. She was more nervous than she had ever been in her life, but she couldn’t move. She could only lie there and wait for Lan Zhan’s next action.

This time, the fingers didn’t stop as they had before. They travelled over her labia, stroking her exposed skin gently, and the feeling was already too much. They hadn’t even started yet, and it was too much.

“Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying sobbed in desperation.

Lan Zhan’s fingers found the way into her soft flesh, light and seeking at first, and then pressing down with more intent, making a few experimental, circling strokes. Wei Ying shook so hard, he nearly fell off the bed.

With the same small frown with which she usually attacked a complicated problem in her homework, Lan Zhan repositioned herself, moved Wei Ying’s legs until Wei Ying was completely exposed to Lan Zhan’s intent gaze, and then, holding one of her legs to keep her in that position, touched her again. The small rubbing motions were pure torture and agony. Lan Zhan moved up and down, varying her pace and position, checking for Wei Ying’s reactions.

Wei Ying didn’t care what Lan Zhan did; she was already gone. Every stroke of Lan Zhan’s fingers shook her to the core, had her gasp and moan and beg in the lewdest manner, her body jerking as if it was possessed. If she had been of sound mind, she would have been mortified. Luckily, Lan Zhan’s fingers made it impossible to form a single rational thought.

With a litany of “Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan” on her lips, she came so hard that she whited out for several moments, a strange sound ringing in her ears.

When he came back to herself, she was breathing heavily, gasping for air. Lan Zhan was looking down at her, something not unlike satisfaction in her gaze.

When rational though finally set in again, Wei Ying covered her face in embarrassment.

“I will never be able to look you in the eye again,” he mumbled from behind the shield of her hands.

“Wei Ying is beautiful.”

He felt soft lips press a kiss onto her knee.

“Perfect.”

Another one, on her thigh.

“Shouldn’t be ashamed.”

The inside of her thigh.

Wei Ying struggled for breath. Lan Zhan wasn’t going to– she wasn’t going to–

Lan Zhan’s lips brushed her pubic mound.

“Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying gasped in desperation. “Lan Zhan, I’m going to die.”

“Mmh,” Lan Zhan replied, and licked her clitoris.

Wei Ying had no idea what was happening to her anymore. She could only hope that the other girls on the floor had gone out today, because whatever was happening in this room right now, it wasn’t happening quietly.

Her flesh was already oversensitive, and she had never had anyone go down on her before in her life. She saw stars, was sure that she saw the beginning of the universe. Lan Zhan’s tongue diving into her innermost parts had her sob and beg like she hadn’t been able to believe just a minute ago. When she came the second time, much faster this time, she collapsed onto the bed like a puppet with its strings cut.

She wouldn’t be able to move if she wanted to. She couldn’t feel her extremities, and her muscles were jittery and weak.

“’m sorry,” she eventually croaked, trying to get some feeling in her fingers again. “I don’t think I can return the favour right now.”

“No need,” Lan Zhan replied, and kissed her brow. Then she conjured forth a wet towel from somewhere and cleaned Wei Ying up. She carefully slipped Wei Ying’s panties on her again and fixed her skirt, moving it down until it covered her upper thighs properly.

Wei Ying’s heart felt full to bursting. Lan Zhan was so good to her. She couldn’t believe that Lan Zhan was… fuck.

Lan Zhan had just utterly destroyed her. She would have to quit university, because she was pretty sure that all her sense had fled the building. She would be stupid for the rest of her life.  

Lan Zhan made a movement as if trying to get up from the bed, but Wei Ying grabbed the sleeve of her shirt before she could pull away.

“Lan Zhan,” she begged. “Stay with me.”

There was a moment of silence, and Wei Ying feared she had made a grave mistake. But then, Lan Zhan laid down next to her, wrapping an arm around her waist, pulling Wei Ying to her chest. She was so soft, and so good, and so beautiful. Wei Ying thought she might die.

“Mh,” Lan Zhan agreed softly, and Wei Ying could see the faintest smile lifting the corners of her mouth. “I will.”

[shenlongshao]

GGS Redesign Analysis: Millia Rage

This is super long overdue, but welcome to another part of the GGStrive redesign analysis! Last time, I did Zato, which can be found here.  Now it’s time to do Millia Rage!^_^ MILLIA RAGE ------------------- “How is it possible she keeps getting prettier?!” and “She looks so gorgeous!” is what the majority of people said after seeing Millia’s reveal trailer. Since she has a few designs in the past, I’ll be talking about each one starting with her look in Guilty Gear: The Missing Link.

(Here’s a direct link to see it bigger https://i.imgur.com/dR9DBod.jpg) Millia’s initial design has a simple, yet unique and retro type style. The height and width of her collar conveys the traits of being mysterious, distant, and reserved. The short bubble sleeves of her form-fitting, white leotard displays a hint of her feminine and elegant side. Layered over the leotard is a sleeveless, short blue overalls dress with hip-high slits. On her arms is long, fingerless gloves with double metal plates. On her feet is ankle-length boots with blue frontal metal plating. Sometimes, she would try to conceal herself with a long, beige cloak when venturing in public. The primary aspect of her design is her blonde hair, which the majority of it is her Forbidden Beast called Angra. And lastly, there’s a thick, blue headband to compliment her look. Before the events of the 1st game, Millia was an orphan until being raised by the Assassin’s Guild and forcefully given Angra(it hasn’t be directly stated what she lost in exchange, but there’s some implications on what it might be). The style of her black gloves shows she’s combat ready while the style of her clothing tells of her valuing the aspect of able to move freely. Although the training and traits of an assassin has been instilled in her, the blue and white color scheme conveys how much she wanted to get away from that lifestyle. I think this design was good for its time, but I’m glad it was improved in Guilty Gear X. Next is what was her iconic look.

The concept of Millia’s original design has been kept and updated rather than a complete change. Her long, black fingerless gloves and her ankle-length boots is the same. However, one of the changes is she wears a black leotard underneath instead of white. There’s also the design of her high-collared, short-sleeved dress. It has two buckle straps within her bustline and at the helms along with blue trim. I notice how white is the dominant color this time instead of blue, so l’ll be gathering the color personality traits that fit Millia. Color Personality of White:  https://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/personality-color-white.html Having a personality color white means you are neat and immaculate in your appearance, in the presentation of your home and in your car, almost to the point of being fanatical.  You are well-balanced, sensible, discreet and wise. With a personality color white, you are cautious, practical and careful with money. You think carefully before acting - you are definitely not prone to impulsive behavior. You tend to have a great deal of self control.

You are confident, poised and self-assured when at your most positive, but can also be very choosy and fastidious when the mood strikes. You can be very critical of yourself and others (in your need for perfection) - but you try to be fair and impartial as well. You are self-sufficient and a loner - you don't want or need help from anyone. However, you may also experience times of loneliness because of this trait. You may be wishing to create simplicity in your life - perhaps a wish to re-create your childhood, lost youth and happier times in your past life.

You can be quite sexually prudish with your need for self-control and perfection. You hide your flaws from others to give an impression of perfection. You may appear to be shy, but you do have strong beliefs about most things and love the opportunity to air those beliefs. The challenge for you is to be open-minded and flexible and to communicate your needs and desires. Color Personality of Blue: https://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/personality-color-blue.html You are conservative, reliable and trustworthy - you are quite trusting of others although you are very wary in the beginning until you are sure of the other person. At the same time, you also have a deep need to be trusted. You are not impulsive or spontaneous - you always think before you speak and act and do everything at your own pace in your own time. You take time to process and share your feelings. You are genuine and sincere, and you take your responsibilities seriously. Having a personality color blue means you have a deep need for peace and harmony in your everyday life - you don't like having your feathers ruffled. You would benefit from daily meditation and quiet time for reflection, introspection and self-discovery. You appear to be confident and self-controlled, but may be hiding your vulnerable side. Being a personality color blue means you are generally fairly even-tempered, unless your emotions take over - then you can become either moody and over-emotional, or cool and indifferent.

You can be rigid - you like to stick to what is familiar to you and it is hard to sway you from your path - you stubbornly do things your way even if there is a better way. You need to have direction & order in your living and work spaces - untidiness and unpredictability overwhelm you. You don't like to draw attention to yourself - you prefer to be in the background. Color Personality of Black: https://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/color-black.html You are independent, strong-willed and determined and like to be in control of yourself and situations. With black as your personality color, you may be too serious for your own good - bring some colour into your life to lighten you up - life should be fun. With a personality color black, you may be looking for protection from any negativity that surrounds you. You may wish to create an aura of mystery and intrigue, as in the sexy black negligee. You may be going through a stage of self-denial, not allowing pleasure and joy into your life. You hold things inside and are not good at sharing yourself with others, possibly out of fear. You are methodical in your work, making sure everything is completed as required, down to the last detail. You may have lost sight of your direction in life and are going through a very negative phase. These perfectly describe Millia and like the improvements to her design. Story-wise, Millia was still on the path of severing ties with her teacher/lover Zato and the Guild. But she wasn’t able to fully live peacefully due to Zato’s body got taken over by Eddie. The biggest change is how Zato got revived by the Conclave, which stirs the mixed feelings she has for him and forces her to deal with her feelings and what to do with her life; meaning a change in her design.

This is the first redesign of Millia’s look that really accentuates her feminine nature and hint of Russian heritage. The style of her hair is different with side-swept bangs and layers extending beyond her cheeks(without Angra, her hair grew to her shoulders). There’s still hints of her previous look with the style of the long-sleeved coat dress she wears. It now has the added detail of decorative button within the orange tie saying “Curiosity killed the cat”(she likes cats and chasing them). She still has the high collar and how there’s a single buckle with a loose strap wrapped around her lower shoulders. There’s two buttons near the black cuffs of her sleeves and helms of her coat dress. Her gloves are much shorter and this time, is white with orange trim. The black leggings and the white, ballerina-inspired shoes displays her elegant side. The Russian style hat has the labels Z1-28 and 13; Z for Zato and 1-28 referring to his birthday and 13 for the years they were together. The most interesting part of of her look is the main color is golden yellow. There’s also some hint of orange, so let’s see what it means for her. Color Personality of Yellow: https://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/personality-color-yellow.html You analyze everything, all the time, and are methodical in your thinking. You have a strong independent streak in you, and are selective with your choice of friends, keeping a small group of close and like-minded friends rather than being involved in team events or large social gatherings. You communicate well on a mental level with like-minded people, but can become bitter and sharp-tongued if crossed. With a personality color yellow, you can be stubborn but dislike pettiness and spitefulness of all kinds. You like to think you are intelligent and well educated, with knowledge about many topics. You are a smart dresser and always dress to impress. Color Personality of Orange: https://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/personality-color-orange.html You are friendly, good-natured and a generally agreeable person. You are tolerant and accepting of others just the way they are. You enjoy being physically active, particularly in the outdoors, whether it's simply going for a walk, or competing in high level sporting competitions. I love this design for her because of how well it shows her style and personality. My only complaint is it’s way too much yellow, XD. But Millia has went through a major character development with the realization there is some good moments during her time in the Guild, such as people she formed connections with(Zato, Slayer, and Venom). That instead of running from the Guild, she decides to return and vows to be the next leader to reform it. She concludes that a simple, normal life is not what’s meant to be. It’s really basically a poor excuse for her to keep appearing in future games, lol. Thus, it’s time for to have another redesign, which I’ll begin with her face.

The structure of Millia’s face looks softer with slightly rounder cheeks and smoother chin to emphasize her femininity. I notice how she’s given a distinctive nose shape rather than giving her a standard female nose. The tip is smoother and the bridge of her nose has a elongated curve. The most pronounced feature of her face is her eyes. Not only is it similar to style of the older GG games(like X2), but her eyelashes are thicker. It conveys of her being mature, elegant, and confident. Another thing I noticed about her eyes isn’t the same shade of blue like Ky’s in the previous games. Lighting does have a huge effect on how a color appears, so I did looked at Ky’s under the same lighting and stage; Ky’s is pure blue compared to Millia’s. Next is seeing the rest of her upper body.

(Link to see it bigger https://i.imgur.com/19919qD.png) There’s some things kept from her Xrd SIGN design like the button that says “Curiosity kills the cat”  and “Z1-28″ and “13″ on her hat. The material of her Russian hat is fur like a traditional one, once again wanting to highlight her nationality. The style of her clothes is drastically different with wearing a formal black blouse with orange trim and the details on her new, form-fitting dress coat. Below the bust area, the printed words on it says “Ivy Traditional”, which is mostly like the name of the clothing brand she’s wearing. There’s buttons from the front beginning from her stomach downward and buckle straps around the sleeves and the outer center on the upper part of the coat. Accenting the look is a orange scarf attached and wrapped around her shoulders. An interesting detail around one of her sleeves is the strap with the tag “P.W.A.B.”(I circled it in the picture). Considering what happened in Revelator(1 and 2), it must be relating to what Millia’s goal is and has a high position. Surprisingly, there’s no full picture of her yet so I’ll have to show a screenshot instead.

She also seems to have kept her black leggings, but have different shoes. Now she wears high boots with orange trim at the bottom. Millia’s primary color is French beige this time, so let’s look at the color personality.(I had to go to a different site) Color Personality for Beige: https://colorogy.com/beige-color-meaning.html You are modest about your achievements. You can keep secrets and confidences. Your understated and low key persona can fascinate and intrigue other people. You come across as enigmatic as you say little and leave a lot unsaid. You keep your cool even in difficult situations. People are drawn to your calmness and inherent tranquility. You have an indefinable quality that adds to your allure and this can mean you are always or frequently surrounded by admirers. You prefer to play by the rules and being ethical is one of your priorities. You are a true friend and a loyal partner in your relationships. When it comes to friendship, it is not a hectic social life and a long list of friends that you look for or want for yourself. You are happy and content with a small, trusted group of friends. Loyalty is something that comes naturally to you. You are loyal and expect the same in return. You have the ability to grasp new ideas and concepts quickly. You amass knowledge for wisdom and for knowledge’s sake. You are interested in everything that goes on in the world and in your areas of interest. You are much in tune with all that occurs in your immediate environment. You are responsible and dependable. You are introspective and enjoy discovering meaning to your beliefs and way of thinking. When you start something new your intention is always to take it to a logical conclusion. When you become interested in something you burn with ideas and energy to get what you want. You are protective about your loved ones. You are even protective about the welfare of perfect strangers. You may take up a cause that inspires you and quietly do your bit without mentioning it to anyone. Seeing someone else miserable or suffering in some way can cause you emotional distress and take the shine off your day. Refined and sophisticated define your personality perfectly. This reflects in every aspect of your life, your fashion sense, your lifestyle, your behavior and your choices. Even when you encounter difficult, irate or rude people, you may not retaliate, as you believe undignified behavior is below your dignity. You get content with the way your life is and resist major change. You enjoy being in your comfort zone and are reluctant to step out of it to face the unknown and have different kind of experiences. You think of and plan for tomorrow. You have goals and ambitions that you plan to achieve and have a concrete plan in place. The efforts you put in towards achieving all that you want in life are consistent. You don’t back down; come what may, when you really want something. With Millia taking on a high position role and how she wishes to make a positive change in the Guild, wanting to be with her allies, etc. The color beige definitely fits her, especially since it also describes traits she has since the beginning. There’s Venom, whom they used to not get along, but have learned to put the past behind them. Zato, her mentor and the one she loved, whom she still deeply cares for, etc. It’ll be interesting to see how her story unfolds and how she takes on this role. All of Millia’s designs have been great in their own way and love how her Strive design takes it a step further. She’s more beautiful than before(which I didn’t think was possible, lol), her professional and elegant style highlights her personality and growth as a person, and love her striking eyes. I’m really glad yellow isn’t her main color anymore because I felt it was too overpowering, especially with her hair being also yellow. Beige is a much better color and compliments very well. Rating: S + + +  (Gorgeous~!) 

[violet-knox]

The Yule Ball

Year 6 - Chapter 37

Summary: The night of the Yule Ball finally arrives and you have the time of your life dancing with Severus. Once the night comes to an end, Severus asks you to go for a walk with him, leading you to the little surprise he planned, further extending your lovely night together.

Word count: 6175

Warnings: ....mmmm angst... I swear most if it is fluff though, partial nudity as well, wouldn’t say its smutty but it’s for sure NSFW

Previous Chapter - Chapter 1

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(Y/F/F) = your favorite food

(Y/F/D) = your favorite dessert 

~

Agreeing to go to the Yule Ball with Severus opened up a whole new world for you and you finally began to understand why the rest of your dormmates couldn’t stop talking about how excited they were. They couldn’t stop talking about it, and you couldn’t stop thinking about it. You were hoping that this day would finally let you to take the next step with Severus and bind you together in an eternal coupling. You had come so far, from fighting, to becoming friends, to falling in love with him. He had finally shown you that he returned your feelings and you didn’t want to let him go. 

You wanted this day to be perfect and you did everything you could to assure that it would be. Every day you would look at your dress and end up altering it using some charm you found amongst the endless stack of books in the library. Eventually you moved on to your heels before you began worrying about your hair. When did you become a girl who would worry so much about appearance? As a Quidditch player, the way you looked was always the least of your concern. But it seemed the idea of this Ball had completely warped your mindset and you could no longer recognize the girl blinded by love staring back at you each time you looked in the mirror, nitpicking all your imperfections. The nervousness slowly turned into endless insecurities you had never noticed until now, hoping they wouldn’t stop you from looking the part of the elegant date any guy would love to have at the Ball. 

Severus was just as skittish, not wanting to mess this up again. The little surprise he had planned turned out a lot better than he had initially expected and he hoped that it would make up for the way he had treated you in the past. It had been so difficult to keep this secret from you and he was anxious to see how you would react when you finally found out what he was up to each time he cancelled meetings with you. 

At first, you thought he was avoiding you, trying to come up with the words to tell you he no longer wanted to date you, but he quickly reassured you that was not the case. You genuinely had no idea what he was up to, but you had your suspicions when you caught him stuffing a letter you knew was from Professor Slughorn in his bag as you snuck up on him one day. The blush splattered across his face told you it was something he wanted to keep hidden from you, so you didn’t pry. 

The day finally rolled around, and excitement filled the entire castle from every fourth, fifth, six and seventh year of each house. You were the first of the Gryffindors to get ready as you had promised Severus you’d meet him a little earlier so you could have a moment alone before you walked in together. You checked yourself in the mirror a third time before you finally reached for your dress. You had done your hair in a quick loose updo, a few strangling strands to frame your face and your makeup was simple as you were never one for vibrant colors or heavy creams. You focused most of your attention on your eyes and had picked a style that made them pop. The thin layer of mascara is what really brought the look together as it lifted your eyelashes, elongating them enough to soften the glimmer in your eyes. Most of your makeup were from cheap muggle drug stores, but when you saw the mascara being sold in Diagon Alley, you just had to buy it and its magical properties completely exceeded your expectations. It had instructions on the various types of looks you could do with it and with one simple flick, you were able to accomplish such a natural look. If you didn’t know what your eyelashes had looked like prior, you would never have thought you had mascara on. 

You stepped into your dress and slowly zipped it up, watching it take form around your body. You smiled as you ran your hands over the black fabric, loving how glamorous you looked. Twisting your body, you admired the subtle shine it emitted. It took you so long to charm it, you felt proud of yourself for accomplishing such a vigorous spell and it turned out to be so worth it as it complimented your silhouette so well. Your fingers grazed the soft lace of the sleeves that blended so elegantly into the rest of the dress. It was a bit old fashioned, you couldn’t lie, but it just looked so good on you, and more importantly, it made you feel like the most stunning woman to ever walk down the halls of Hogwarts. 

The long-anticipated moment had finally come, and you couldn’t have been happier. You walked back to your bed and put on your glamorous silver heels that complimented your light cherry colored lips. As you finished, you felt your nerves slowly creeping back and you struggled to stand up. You had no idea why you felt this way as you knew Severus would be happy however you looked, but there was something else that etched its way to your mind, causing you to wonder if going as a couple was a good idea. You had never publicly displayed any sign of your affection to one another, and this Ball was as public as it would get. In fact, because you had been spending so much time together, you rarely ever saw anyone else and each time you would near the population of the school, you both sprang apart like children caught stealing candy. What would everyone think? Would the comments about being a traitor return? You shook your head, trying to rid yourself of such horrible thoughts and made your way to the common room. 

You gathered yourself, banishing any negative emotions from your mind and enthusiastically made your way to meet Severus outside of Gryffindor Tower. You couldn’t wait to see him in his dress robes as well his reaction to your own outfit.

“(Y/N),” Severus ogled you as he took in the stunning sight before him. He’d always thought you were rather attractive, though that feeling greatly increased a few months ago, but tonight, tonight you looked so dazzling, he found no word in the entire English language worthy enough to describe you.

You giggled at his expression, “How do I look?” you said softly as you examined him. You had never seen Severus look as handsome as he does now. He had thoroughly washed his hair, removing any sign of grease, giving it a little volume as if he’d blown it out. It looked soft to the touch and you had to resist the urge to run your fingers through it and ruin all the hard work he’d put into it. As you got closer, you could smell the light lavender smelling shampoo he used atop the musk of cologne he wore. His dress robes were nice and simple, obviously second hand, but you had noticed that he altered it as you did your dress. His ascot was as black as the rest of his attire and you wondered how much he had to spend on it as it appeared newer than his dress robes. All in all, he looked perfect to you and you were ecstatic that he was your date. 

“You look,” he started, looking you up and down, “stunning,” he ended as he pulled you in by your waist. You wrapped your arms around his neck and smiled. 

“As do you,” you whispered as you leaned in to close the distance. “My Prince,” he kissed you deeply, holding you close to himself. He had gotten so used to your little nickname for him, he no longer repulsed at the word. In fact, he had even begun to think of you as his princess in return. You gently slide your hand through his hair at the nape of his neck and confirmed that it indeed was a lot softer than usual. Once you parted, you stood there admiring each other, wishing every moment of your lives would be spent in the luxury you felt right now. 

“Shall we?” he asked.

“Lead the way,” you said, taking the arm he offered. 

You walked into the ballroom arm in arm as Severus lead you to an empty corner table, closer to a group of Ravenclaws, away from most of the Slytherins and Gryffindors. You and Severus chatted as everyone else began to settle into their seats. Finally. Finally, you were able to sit down at the same table together, and it was probably best you did so away from your own houses to avoid any unwanted glares. Only five minutes had passed, and you were already so pleased with the night. It felt so good to be talking to Severus so freely surrounded by all your school accountancies, no dumb boundaries about house segregation keeping you apart. 

Only two other couples joined your table; the first were a pair of Ravenclaws while the other, a Ravenclaw boy accompanying a Hufflepuff girl. You didn’t recognize any of them but offered a friendly smile nonetheless as they sat with you. You took a quick scan of the room and admired how nicely everyone was dressed. It was interesting to see everyone’s taste now that they were no longer restricted to their school uniform. The sea of colorful dresses spread throughout the room was a sight to behold. You could no longer distinguish houses or schools from one another, and it filled you up with joy to see the change in demeanor the school held. For a brief moment, it seemed everyone had let go of any rivalries whether it be between houses or blood status. The room, instead, was full of friends chatting, couples bonding and new relationships forming. 

Eventually, Professor Dumbledore grabbed everyone's attention as he introduced the champions. The doors flung open as everyone’s attention turned in anticipation to see the stars of the night walk up to their tables. You watched happily as they entered the room one by one, accompanied by their date. 

“Wow,” you heard Severus whisper to himself. You looked in the direction where his eyes were locked and saw Andrei accompanied by a beautiful girl who you couldn’t quiet place but looked awfully familiar to you. Your eyes widened and your heart began thumping against your chest as you realized that the girl Severus couldn’t take his eyes off was Lily Evans. 

You sank in your chair feeling agitated that he was now paying her more attention than you. Severus looked back at you as the Champions took their seats and he noticed your change in mood as you hung your head, slouching your shoulders.

“What’s wrong?” he asked you, worried that perhaps you regretted declining Andrei’s invitation to be his date. The Bulgarian was quite a handsome young man and Severus never understood why you chose him over such a dazzling date.

“Nothing,” you mumbled as you avoided his gaze. 

Severus was about to object to your answer, but Dumbeldore had once again asked for everyone’s attention as he made his speech and called for dinner to begin. The most glamorous food suddenly appeared in front of you, accompanied by beautifully designed plates and cutlery. A small smile formed on the corner of your lips as you admired the table and its contents. You had never seen such elegance put into a meal before and it made you feel enchanted. The variety was astounding, and you wondered just how much harder the house elves had to work to prepare all this food for such a big event.

Deciding not to pry, Severus reached for a dish of (Y/F/F) and offered it to you. You gladly accepted, appreciating chivalry. Humming in delight, you commented on how good the food was and Severus used this as an opportunity to continue conversing with you. You chat and ate until it was time for the Champions to take their dates out onto the dancefloor. 

Your smile slowly disappeared as you watched Andrei and Lily glide gracefully to the rhythm of the music. Feeling jealous and angry, you didn’t notice Severus looking at you with worry. Once other students joined the dancing couples, Severus took your hand, bringing your attention back to him.

“Care to dance?” he asked. You smiled at him as you nodded and watched as he removed himself from his seat. He gently took your hand, dragging it towards himself and you stood up, allowing him to lead you to the dancefloor. 

Once you reached a clear spot, Severus placed his free hand on your waist, inviting you to place yours on his shoulder. He elegantly guided you, as you both joined the rest of the party dancing in unison. You looked up at him, staring into his eyes as the world around you disappeared. Severus kept his gaze on you as he enjoyed watching the smile on your face grow. Your feet moved so easily as you had both practiced this dance in the astronomy tower so many times, it had become second nature to you. 

The dancefloor soon filled up completely as the entire room had paired up, hand in hand, dancing to the rhythm of the music. You were glad Severus had such a tight grip on you as you felt yourself lighten by how gracious he was and how well you moved together. The song was nearly half way through when you felt the acoustics rumble beneath your feet. It was perfect. This moment was worth waiting for and you prayed it would never end. 

Your heart skipped a beat as you felt Severus tighten his grip on your waist with both hands and lift you up in the air just in time with the melody. You held onto his shoulders as he spun half a circle in sync with all the other couples on the floor before setting you down gently. You felt his chest pressed against your stomach as he lowered you down and you kept your hands firmly on his shoulders. When your feet landed back on the floor, you noticed that your bodies were now pressed together, chests intertwining you and your arm stretch all the way around his neck. One of his hands had now rested on your lower back while the other had gone back to recapture your own hand. Severus gave a small smirk loving how close you were to him as he continued at a slower pace than before.

Everyone had been admiring the Champions and their dates over the last few months, saying they were so fortunate for the positions they held tonight, but Severus felt he was the one to be so lucky as to have the privilege of being with you. He had the most beautiful girl in the room in his arms and he was beyond grateful that you would ever accept such an invitation from him.

Severus regrettably loosened his grip on you and let go of your waist only to slowly spin you in place, watching the bottom of your dress follow your movements as it flared out. Your dress sparkled as you spun back around, facing him. As you placed your hand back on his shoulder, he flicked his hair away from his face and revealed the grin on his face. You were surprised to see such a big smile and as you examined him further, you realized his eyes actually shined. He was looking at you with such lust, you could hardly believe that he would allow himself to show such emotion in front of so many people. 

To your disappointment, the song ended, but you couldn’t look away from your date, your eyes locked on one another. Another slow song began, and he asked you if you wished to continue, to which you eagerly agreed. 

This time, the couples on the dancefloor kept to a simple sway as they continued moving clockwise around the dancefloor together. Severus took this opportunity to pull you in close again as he wrapped his hands around your waist and hoped you would warp yours around his neck. But, to his disappointment, you placed your hands on his chest instead, pushing you a bit further from him than he would have liked. You smiled up at him as you felt your heart flutter with amour. This had to be the best night you’d ever had. 

“You look beautiful tonight,” he whispered to you. “Thank you for coming with me.”

“There’s no one else I would have rather gone with,” you replied softly with a smile. 

Severus continued courting you in the hopes that you would want to press yourself closer to him.

“Then you have made me the luckiest person in this room,” he said and immediately got the reaction he was looking for as you giggled and moved your hands to the nape of his neck. 

“You’re wrong,” you said smugly, “I believe I have the honor of holding that title.” He was flustered by your compliment, but that feeling was slowly replaced with delight as you hugged him, resting your head on his shoulder. 

You felt his nose press into the crook of your neck as he buried his face into your shoulder, returning your embrace by snaking his hands on your back and gently pushing you deeper into his chest. He closed his eyes and took in your sweet scent, resisting the urge to kiss you everywhere he could reach as he felt it highly inappropriate to do so in front of so many people. If only they would all disappear and leave him to relish in your company comfortably. 

As you looked to your side, all the happy thoughts running through your head slowly began to fade as you had caught a glimpse of Lily looking more stunning than before. As she slowly turned, Andrei glanced over in your direction and caught your eye. You felt your heart momentarily stop in surprise as he gave you a small wink before bringing his attention back to his date. 

His flirtatious demeanor had you shifting in your place uncomfortably and led Severus to notice your change in aura. You thought he would stop when he realized you weren’t interested in being his date, but clearly, the Champion had no intention of giving up so easily. Severus lifted his head from where it hung and saw the sad expression on your face. Your eyes had begun to water and your hands shook ever so slightly. The small frown on your face broke his heart and he couldn’t stand to see you so upset.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Mhum,” you said as you pulled him closer and shut your eyes. 

“(Y/N), what is it?” he said, remembering the expression on your face at the beginning of the night.  

“It’s nothing,” you whispered, “Really.” But Severus was not convinced. He knew something was on your mind. He pulled you back from him to look at you as he tried again. 

“I know something is bothering you,” he said, “you have that look on your face.” Oh, he knew you so well. He could tell something was troubling you since the night began and you weren’t sure just how long you would be able to bottle up these feelings.

“Severus-”

“Tell me,” he demanded, but in a much softer tone than he would normally give in times like these. Perhaps it was better for you to tell him before he somehow found out on his own; better to be honest than to let these thoughts burn in the back of your mind, right? 

You sighed before you decided to confide in him. “It’s just… I saw the way you looked at Lily tonight and I know how you feel about her and Andrei has been occasionally flirting with me and-”

“What?” he said in shock as his head snapped in the direction of Andrei in anger. When you saw his gears turn in his head, you knew exactly what he was thinking and began to fear the worst. You didn’t want him to have a rivalry with the Champion like he did with James. It was bad enough he created that horrible spell to use against James last year, what if he decided to use it on the foreigner? The entire point of the Triwizard tournament was to make friends with the international wizards, not have them as enemies. 

“Severus, don’t, it’ll only make things worse,” you said, placing a hand on his cheek to grab his attention. 

“Wait,” he said, shaking his head as he remembered what you had started your little rant with, “W-what do you mean how I feel about Lily?”

You paused for a second, not really wanting to have this conversation. “Well, it’s just, you always used to talk about her before she stopped talking to you and the way you look at her...” you trailed off not knowing what to say. You felt your cheeks heat up as you looked away from him, letting your hands slip to his elbows. 

Severus looked at you in awe before he reached to tilt your chin towards him, searching your eyes before deciding to gently press his lips to yours. It was a quick kiss, but when he pulled away and saw the wide eyes staring back at him, he couldn’t help but pull you closer to him. You were astounded by the simple gesture, showing everyone in the room you were more than just a date to him. Never in a million years did you think him capable of showing such affection in public. He’d always been so hesitant each time you walked in the halls of the castle side by side, not daring to reach for your hand, but here he was, kissing you for the world to see. 

“(Y/N), I-I care about Lily. We were friends for a long time and… and that’s not something I can so easily forget. But it’s you I’m here with. I asked you to the Ball, not her. I want to be with you,” he said, trying to reassure you. “I… (Y/N), I-,” he stumbled as he so badly wanted to tell you exactly how he felt. “I love you,” he finally said looking at you with nothing but truth scribbled across his face.

Your heart fluttered as you couldn’t help but smile at him, hoping that what he was saying was true. You felt your mind go into overdrive, wondering if you had indeed heard him correctly. But the soft smile he gave you was more than enough to tell you he truly meant what he just said, and it caused your heart to swell in love. You never thought you would hear those words from him, let alone only a few months into dating. He’d never even called you his girlfriend, but then again, Severus wasn’t the type to care for such titles. 

He asked if you wanted to finish the dance to which you nodded your head as you wrapped your hands back around his neck and resumed swaying in his arms. 

You kept your eyes on him as your mind filled with all the lovely moments you had spent together. It wasn’t long before the music stopped and a louder, more upbeat song began. Severus lead you back to your table as neither of you had any interest in joining the jumping crowd. After chatting for a while, Severus held out his hand and asked you to join him for a walk. You gladly accepted, hoping for a bit of quiet as the music was getting quite loud.

Hand in hand, he led you outside the Ball and out into the courtyard. He was clearly heading somewhere, but you weren’t sure what destination he had in mind. The black lake perhaps? 

“Where are we going?” you asked curiously as Severus turned a corner, away from the lake. 

“It’s a surprise,” he said, shooting you a quick smirk. You blushed, anxious to see what Severus had in store for you. He’d been acting so mysterious ever since your first kiss, and you’d hardly even seen him the days leading up to the Ball. It became clear to you that he had been planning something, but what could he possibly have been up to? Finally, you made it to the astronomy tower and Severus held out his hand, gesturing for you to climb up the stairs.

“Some surprise,” you said to him sarcastically as you picked up your dress and held onto the railing making your way to the top. Severus scoffed in response, but you could see the small smirk tugging on the corner of his lips. You could feel the tail of the dress drag behind you, most likely capturing the dirt scattered across the stairs, but you didn’t care. Your only focus was Severus and his little surprise. He jumped a few steps ahead of you just as you neared the top and walked in front of you to hold the door open. 

You smiled at him as you walked in and immediately froze when Severus took out his wand and silently lit what looked to be about a hundred candles floating near the ceiling and around the parameter of the room. They had the exact same design as the candles that lit the Great Hall only shorter, more worn out. 

“Severus,” you whispered as your eyes landed on the beautiful layout Severus had prepared. A navy blue and silver carpet rested on the floor accompanied by several pillows, matching its design. In the center, you saw your favorite dessert, presented so elegantly, you couldn’t believe Severus did this all on his own. 

“I-I know it’s not much but-” he said nervously as he walked up behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist and resting his chin on your shoulder. 

“I love it,” you whispered, turning around to pull him into a passionate kiss. You tangled your fingers in his hair as you wanted to show him just how much you appreciated the gift. As your lips moved in sync, he slipped his tongue into your mouth and you arch your back in pleasure, pushing your chest against his. You only parted when the need for air was too great and as you did, Severus took your hand and walked you over to the carpet. 

“Where did you get all this?” you asked curiously. As you approached the set up, you realized just how intricate the design was. It was an old style, but the detail was astonishing. It had clearly been preserved well as its condition was near perfection. 

You both removed your shoes and sat side-by-side on the soft pillows he had laid out. You were surprised at just how comfortable the seating area was. Normally you hated sitting on the floor, but the carpet felt like a soft mattress. No doubt Severus charmed it, you thought.  

“Funny thing actually, I was walking in the castle on my way to the dungeons, when I saw this strange looking door. I’d never seen it before, so I thought I’d take a look and it contained all these old carpets and pillows, some used candles as well,” he replied as he offered a hand as you leaned in to cuddle next to him. “I didn’t know if I’d find the room again so I took what I could.”

Took what he could, you mentally laughed at this as he had clearly taken more than just a few candles. It must have taken a lot of concentration to levitate this all back to his room. Where did he even hide all this? You still had so many questions and the more you looked around the room, the more your appreciation grew for him. He did all this for you. He went through all this trouble for you.

“And the (Y/F/D)?” you asked.

“I bribed Slughorn,” he responded simply.

You chuckled as you leaned back, resting your head against his chest and suddenly remembered him frantically writing something during Potions the same day you first danced together. Was that part of it? You had guessed he was working on a potion, perhaps that was what he was doing. “What did you give him in return?”

“I offered him a recipe for Felix Felicious that lasts twice as long as the one given in the textbook. I had to brew a batch just so he knew I wasn’t trying to deceive him,” he responded as he gently placed a hand on your waist.

Liquid Luck was a hard potion to make, you knew that, though it didn’t surprise you that he was able to not only brew it but extend its effects as well. How much time had he spent putting all this together? He must really have meant what he said when he told you he loves you if he was willing to work so hard just to please you. “That must have taken a while!”

“Yeah, but it was worth it,” he whispered as he tightened his hold on you and began leaving soft kisses along your neck. You closed your eyes and leaned in further feeling his hair graze your cheek as he continued trailing his lips along your jawline. A smile grew across your face as he wrapped his arm around your stomach, holding you close to his heart. Slowly, you adjusted your position and twisting your body, wanting to kiss him. You lifted your head up as your hand went to cup his cheek. 

“Thank you,” you whispered before pressing your lips to his. He smiled as you sat back, and he kissed the top of your head before leaning over to bring a plate of (Y/F/D) to you. He fed you your first bite before you helped yourself. The room filled with silence as you ate, enjoying the twinkling stars beaming down on you from the skylight above. 

“How is it?” he asked. 

“Perfect,” you replied as you picked up another piece. “Thank you Sev, for everything.” He smiled at you in relief, glad to see the joyful expression across your face. He knew what he had done wasn’t much, but as his budget didn’t allow for any splurging, he had to make do and hope you would appreciate it nonetheless. All that work, all those extra hours spent in the Potions classroom was worth it to see the look on your face right now, and he would gladly do it again if it meant seeing you smile like that every day.

Moments passed and you found yourself turned towards him, lips locked together and tongues dancing in your mouths. You had both hands tangled in his hair, completely disregarding all that effort he had clearly put in making it look so perfect, but neither of you cared as you only wanted to feel more of one another. He slowly moved one hand to your thigh as his grip on you tightened and he quickly pulled you into his lap. Gasping at the sudden movement, you wrapped your arm around him and continued kissing him, placing your other hand on his chest. 

After you parted, he attached himself to your neck and began leaving soft love marks, making his way up to your jaw as he slowly leaned you back onto the pillows beside him. He hovered over you, connecting your lips again as your head gently landed on the soft fabric beneath you. You found your hands roaming, wanting to feel more of him, ripping at his dress robes. He helped you take them off until a white button up was all that kept your fingers from feeling his pale skin. You unbuttoned his shirt and ran your hands up his bare chest and he moaned into your mouth in return which only splurged you on more. He felt sparks tingle everywhere your fingers touched, a blessing in disguise.

Severus went to tangle his hand in your hair, keeping the other on your hip, only to struggle with the updo you had done. He gave up and rested his palm beside your head as you parted. Giggling, you took out a pin and ruffled your hair, discarding whatever trinkets you’d used to keep it in place before pulling him closer and reconnecting your lips. His fingers finally swam in your hair freely and you felt him guide your head to the side to deepen the kiss further. You very slowly moved your hands all along his arms until they reached his round shoulders. His skin was a lot softer than you’d imagine and it felt so good to feel so much of him all at once like this. Your fingers traced small shapes over his chest, loving the new texture that had your heart pumping feverishly fast. Feeling your hands exploring his body made him want to do the same. He moved his lips down to your collarbone and kissed all around your neckline, eventually making his way to your chest, placing light, cautious kisses over your clothed breasts. 

You closed your eyes as your breathing hitched and you pressed your chest to him, wanting more. Deciding you were comfortable enough with him to take it a step further, you pulled him off you and asked him to unzip your dress.

“Are you sure (Y/N)?” he asked after pausing to see how serious you were. You lifted yourself up as he pulled himself off you. You looked into his eyes, showing nothing but love. He’d more than proven tonight that you could trust him and that’s exactly how you felt.

“I love you Severus,” you said as you nodded, gesturing for him to continue. He slowly unzipped your dress and began pulling down your sleeves, kissing every new piece of skin that was exposed to him. Once your hands were freed and your bra presented itself completely to him, you leaned back down on the comfort of the soft fabric beneath you and enjoyed his soft touches. 

Severus began to suck on the skin above one of your cups while he messaged your other breast over your bra. Your eyes were wired shut as your hands tugged on his soft locks. Your breathing hitched and you whispered his name as he continued his trail down to the center of your chest. He felt his pants tighten when he heard you plead for him. Wanting more, he sat up and looked into your eyes with so much lust, trying to determine how far you were thinking of going tonight. You looked back at him as you sat up. You could feel your heart pounding against your ribs and wondered if he could hear it. You searched his eyes and prayed he was okay with continuing your frantic sexual advancements. You were no longer able to contain your urges and he watched as you quickly hiked up your dress, straddled him and reconnected your lips, letting your hands exhibit your excitement as you roughly pushed his shirt off his shoulders. 

Once you parted, you began to kiss his jaw, eventually attaching yourself to his neck, leaving as many love marks as you could. You pushed on his chest, silently telling him that it was his turn to lean back, to which he gladly obliged. He placed his hands on your shoulder and allowed you to move as you pleased. You locked eyes with him as you began kissing down the middle of his chest, slowly making your way down, making sure not to leave any skin untouched between kisses. His chest heaved and he closed his eyes as his head tilted back, enjoying the feeling of your soft lips pressed against his boney figure. You left your hands over his chest as you passed his stomach, allowing him to tangle your fingers with his. You could feel his heart pump faster under your palm, matching the rhythm your own heart made. It was such a magical moment, you felt nothing could possibly challenge this wonderful night with all its perfections. 

Severus was in such bliss, and he felt his mind blur as you began kissing right above his belt line. His eyes rolled back as his head fell on the pillows behind him. He’d never felt this fuzzy before, but it was a feeling he rather enjoyed. He was so high on pleasure, he couldn’t help the next word that slipped his lips as he felt you kissing atop his pants, heading towards to bulge that had made itself quite apparent. A word that would surely seal your fate as a couple and undo every moment you had spent together over the last two years. 

“Lily.”

~

Next Chapter

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A/N: I’m sorry. 😭😭😭 *Hides under covers* *Sobs into pillow*

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