#4k IR

[olaitapetininga]

Capital da Música Paulista: conheça Tatuí, cidade que possui o maior conservatório da América Latina

Uma cidade que respira música e é reconhecida por isso. Essa é Tatuí, declarada Capital da Música Paulista, por meio da Lei 12.544/2007, aprovada na Assembleia Legislativa do Estado de São Paulo e sancionada pelo então governador José Serra. Com cerca de 122 mil habitantes, Tatuí possui uma relação histórica profunda com as artes, mas o fato que mais se destaca é a existência do Conservatório…

[the-cooler-king]

Car insurance: $546

Me: yikes I haven't been working a lot and I still gotta pay my credit card bill... I got time why don't I finally do my tax return (I have 3 w-2 forms)

Federal tax return: $4500

Me: NICE... and the state?

State tax return: $8

[oepionie]

—"PRINCE CHARMING'S KISS" dormleaders

💭masterlist | 💬ao3 link

synopsis: a potionology accident involving the adeuce duo leads to the prefect falling into a deep sleep. only an act of true love's kiss can save them and it seems that ace and deuce picked a certain boy to play prince charming.

⊹ [ cw ] — none◞

⊹ [ tags ] — FLUFF.GN! READER | papa crewel doesn't seem too happy, cauldrons, tomato riddle, azul tries to get engaged, kalim bawling his eyes out, soft vil, idia is about to pop a vein, malleus throws a lamp at lilia and it's deserved◞

⊹ [ w.c ] — 4k+◞

"I SUMMON THEE, CAULDRON!"

"Deuce! No! I asked you to grab one not-" Before you could stop him, the cauldron already smashed against the pot atop your desk, flinging all the contents of the pink bubbling potion all over you.

"You dumbass! They said grab one, not summon one!" Ace hissed, throwing a towel over your soaked form. "Shit. We need to get them to Professor Crewel and — Oi, Prefect!?"

You fell forward, falling limp in Ace's arms as you both tumbled to the floor. Panicked, Ace was quick to push you onto your back, slapping your cheek and shaking you furiously. "Wake up!"

"W-What happened?" Deuce ran towards you two, guilt pooling in his stomach. His blood ran cold with fear once he saw just how pale and cold your face had turned. "Are they dead?!"

"No. It's not that strong of a potion." Crewel sighed, striding towards the two morons with a venomous scowl on his lips.

Leaning down, your adoptive-father gingerly tucked a loose strand of hair behind your ear. All previous ire he exhibited seemingly melting away. "Oh darling, I have no idea why you chose these two strays as friends…"

"Once again, you've brought my pup to harm with your incompetence." The professor stood up straight once again, his stern gaze fixed on the two youngsters.

"Nonetheless, I think this will be a valuable learning experience for the two of you." Crewel said, grabbing a thick aged book from a nearby shelf and thrusting it into Ace's arms.

"That book there contains the instructions to brew the cure."

"D-Do we have to make the- uff-" Deuce coughed, unintentionally breathing in a cloud of dust released by the old book. "-cure ourselves?"

Crewel drew his eyebrows up to his hairline, jaw dropped in disbelief. "Seven's no! I'll be making the cure myself; I have zero faith in you two."

"You two are to write a 10,000 word long report about the potion and I expect it on my desk by tomorrow." The professor pressed a boney finger against the cover, a wicked grin spreading across his face.

"Oh, and I trust that you'll keep my pup safe. You know the consequences if I find even a single hair missing from their head." The two watched helplessly as Crewel walked away, his sharp heels clicking against the floor.

"Man. What's with him." Ace grumbled, flinging the book at Deuce who easily caught it with one hand.

"Deuce, what'cha say we just head to Ramshackle?" Ace hummed, nudging your unconscious form with his foot. He hadn't even bothered with picking you up. Opting to just leave you sprawled out on the cold tiles.

Ace was truly the most friend ever.

"Interesting…" Deuce muttered, clasping a hand around his chin. Ace raised his brow, peeking over his friend's shoulder to read the text on the yellowed pages.

"One of the cures listed here is…"

✩—RIDDLE ROSEHEARTS:

"A True Love's Kiss…?" Riddle trailed off before scowling at his two dorm members. Just what sort of shenanigans were they pulling now?

He lowered his teacup slowly while frowning and blinking incoherently. "Could this be another one of your pitiful attempts at a joke?"

"Why the hell would we joke about his?" Ace whined.

Riddle shook his head, walking over to your unconscious form draped over Deuce's shoulder like a stack of potatoes. Checking your temperature, he pressed his hand against your forehead and tsk'd at the heat.

For a split second, his eyes briefly wandered over to your lips.

What if…

Snapping out of it, Riddle stepped back with his burning pink cheeks.

"What utter nonsense. Hand me that book, I can brew the potion myself." Riddle said, pulling his gloves off before he then motioned for Deuce to pass him the book.

"Ah yeah…about that-" Ace chuckled, folding his arms behind his head. "Crewel didn't allow any of us to make the cure…so you're kinda our only hope."

The part where Crewel promised to produce the cure was purposefully left out by Ace. In truth, there really was no reason for Riddle to kiss you other than to serve as Ace's entertainment but hush now Riddle didn't have to know that.

"Well them, pray tell, what makes you think I should take the role of Prince Charming? "

"You get that disgusting dopey look on your face when you see them." Ace smirked.

"I-I do not!" Riddle shouted, face turning a deep cherry-red. Ace laughed, pointing at Riddle's flushed cheeks. "See?! You're turning into a tomato!"

"How are we certain that they even like me back?!"

"Ugh! Stop being a coward! You'll never know if you don't try!"

They began arguing anew, flinging insult after insult at one other. Deuce sighs and places you down on the couch in the lounge. He knew that if they continued their screaming, nothing would be done. It's was time he took things into his own hands.

Deuce grabs Riddle by the arm, dragging him towards you. The redhead turns to him, demanding the first-year to let go but Deuce only shakes his head. "I'm sorry house warden, I'll bear the brunt of your punishment later but I need to fix what I did."

"No-! W-Wait-" Riddle sputters, digging his feet into the ground. "I-I can't possibly-How unconsensual!-"

"Whoops!" Ace seizes the opportunity to shove the redhead forward, causing his lips to meet with yours.

"?!" Riddle stills for a few seconds, his calloused palms resting on your cheeks. Peering at you through shaky lashes, Riddle snaps out of his lovesick stupor and jolts back. His face blooming into an even deeper red than thought possible.

"R..iddle…?" His heart hammers against his ribcage as you flutter your eyes open, blinking up at him. The press and warmth of your lips still remained and a million of thoughts raced through his head. One of them seemed to echo louder than the rest.

At his lips’ touch you blossomed like a rose and the cure was complete, bringing the enchantment to an end. He was your 'True Love'?

Riddle hesitantly cradled your body, assisting you in sitting up. He coughed, averting his eyes to the ground, unable to meet yours.

"I apologize for the unsolicited kiss however, seeing as how my feelings are returned." He turned to you, clasping your hand tight in his. "I would like to court you properly. H-How does lunch tomorrow at noon sound?"

✩— LEONA KINGSCHOLAR:

"…so that's why I dumped them onto ya' bed." Ruggie yawned, extending his arms over his head.

There you were, curled up against Leona's king-sized bed, clutching one of his pillows tight in your arms. Blissfully oblivious to the fact that your friends abandoned you, placing you in the clutches of a hyena and at the mercy of a lion.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"So, since Leona's a prince and all, that 'True Love Kiss' stuff could totally work with him, right?" Ace grinned, placing his hands on his hips. "I've read 'bout it in fairy tales all the time! The prince kisses the girl and boom!"

"How'd desperate are ya' to go running to Leona for help?" Ruggie sniggered, grabbing a handful of dry clothes off of the clothesline.

Really, it was both pitiful and humorous at the same time. The two chose to cast the irritable, hot-headed lion as the Prince Charming in their decrepit fairy tale.

Let's be honest, when you hear the term "charming," the first thing that came to mind was not Leona Kingscholar.

Adjusting the laundry basket, he propped it against his hip, Ruggie tapped his chin and pondered. "I can help but it'll come with a price…"

Deuce rushed forward, shoving a box of donuts into Ruggie's free hand. "Will this cover it?!"

Whistling, Ruggie flicked the box open. His eyes gleamed seeing all the tooth-rotting pastries heaped atop each other.

A sly grin stretched across his face.

"Deal."

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

After Ace and Deuce handed you over to Ruggie, the hyena unceremoniously barged into Leona's room and all but threw you onto the bed.

"True Love's Kiss? Do those things even exist?" Leona scoffed, tossing a blanket over your form. Ruggie shrugged, heading out of Leona's room. "Dunno but since you two like each other, I figured you would wanna help."

Leona rolled his eyes, glancing at you. Your face was shoved against the pillow, a leg hooked over it. Well, by the looks of it, you seemed pretty comfortable. There was no harm in letting you stay for a bit.

"Shihshishi good luck on your love life." Ruggie grinned, sending Leona a thumbs up before slamming the door close.

"Damn hyena…" Leona grumbled, plopping down next to your sleeping body. His gaze poured over your skin, gliding across the contour of your jawline before settling on your lips. Leona softly pushed down on your lips with his thumb, parting them ever so slightly.

"So, you need a True Love's Kiss…" Leona whispered, leaning in, eyes fluttering close. "I better be the only one, herbivore."

His lips pressed firmly against yours, a hand propped under your chin to keep your head up. The kiss was unusually delicate and tender for someone of his nature, such a stark contrast to his gruff personality. Leona moved closer and his hair fell over his shoulders, chestnut locks draping across your chest. Within a few minutes, Leona drew back to see if you had awakened.

You stirred, bleary eyes blinking open and he smirked. Pride swelled in his chest as he leaned down to kiss you again, his tail curling around your waist.

"You're all mine, huh?"

✩— AZUL ASHENGROTTO:

"Man, just how strong are you eels?!" Ace growled, banging his fists against Floyd's back. Both of the Heartslabyul boys were slung over Floyd's shoulder, his grip on them tight and unfaltering.

Beside him, Deuce was kicking around, trying (and failing) to get the merman's grip on him to loosen. Suddenly, one of Deuce's kicks hit Floyd square in the jaw and the eel growled.

"Neh~ Squirm around some more and I'll snap both of your legs off." Floyd grinned, his bright sharp teeth on full display. Although hesitant, the threat seemed to work as the two boys stilled, not wishing to lose their ability to walk any time soon.

"Now, Floyd, there's no need for such aggression." Jade chuckled as he approached the group with you in his arms. Unlike Floyd's manhandling, you were carried in a firm bridal carry, treated as if you were a precious piece of china or rather…an offering.

"We just got word on the prefect's condition." Jade shut his eyes, placing a hand against his chest in faux sympathy. "How unfortunate that they've succumbed to such a fate. However, lucky for you we found a solution."

"Ya need a Prince Charming right~? Well, let's have Azul do it!" Floyd cheered, slamming the two boys down onto the ground. Ace groaned, cradling his back and squinting at the tweels. "You think you can drag me into another one of those contracts?! I'm not stupid!"

"Oh, you're mistaken. This one is free of charge, no strings attached." Jade chuckled.

"Yeah…I don't really believe that." Deuce muttered.

"Why're you so damn stubborn?! Can't we just hand shrimpy to Azul? I'm sick of seeing him makin' those dumb goo goo eyes." Floyd whined.

The eel yanked you from Jade's arms and stomped up to Azul's office. He kicked the door down, nearly knocking it off its hinges.

Jolting, Azul accidentally spilled ink all over his papers. The delicate fine print he spent hours painstakingy writing by hand dissolved into large blots of ink. His eye twitched as he grit his teeth, snapping his head up to meet Floyd's gaze.

"Floyd. What in the great seven's are you—?!" Azul was cut off when the eel plopped your dozing body onto his lap. It took the octo-mer a few seconds before he registered just what happened, cheeks burning a bright crimson when he realized you were pressed up snug against his chest.

"It's your lucky day, Azul~! You get to play Prince Charming!" Floyd sang as he made his way to the door. "Shrimpy here got cursed because of Mackerel and Crab so now you have to kiss them!"

Kiss…? Azul's mind went haywire but before he could speak any further, Floyd slithered out of the room and slammed the door shut.

It's not that he doesn't believe in the cure; love is a strong thing, and he's read that it can break even the most powerful curses. Even so, how could he promise that you'd wake up?

Azul pressed a hand behind your head, trying to calm his beating heart. Did you even acknowledge his feelings?

"True Love's kiss…Well, it wouldn't hurt to try." He murmurs, raising a trembling hand to rest against your cheek. He leans down and lightly presses his lips against yours, ever so clumsy, before checking for any reactions.

Azul stares down on your drowsy body as your eyes flicker open. He stares at you owlishly before breaking into a giddy grin.

"Prefect, s-seeing as how I'm your True Love-" Azul hastily unlocked his top desk drawer, pulling out a fancy piece of paper and handing it to you. "Let's make it official with a contract."

"..."

Blinking, you looked down and read the text on the paper. Azul smiled at you expectantly, nudging a pen towards your direction.

"Azul, this is an engagement contract…?"

"Precisely."

✩— KALIM AL ASIM:

Jamil peered at Kalim through a crack in the slightly-ajar door. Seeing the poster boy for the golden-retriever personality sulking was truly a rare sight. Kalim had his head buried in his hands, kneeling by his bed which had your sleeping form atop it.

"What did you tell him?!" Jamil hissed, whipping his head around to glare at both Ace and Deuce.

"W-We just told him how we needed a Prince Charming's kiss to break the spell…" Deuce trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck. "…we figured since he was related to royalty, he could break it."

"He must have misunderstood it then." Jamil sighed, slipping into the dark room. So dark in fact that he could barely make out the silhouette of his dorm leader. Kalim had shut the drapes so tightly that not a single ray of sunshine could strike through his bedroom. How…dramatic.

"Kalim, what's the matter…?" Jamil approached the young boy, placing his hand atop Kalim's shoulder. He didn't miss the sight of the pure gold jewelry hastily draped across your neck or the iris bouquet in your hands. Well…it was evident who all those were from. You looked like you came straight out of a Scarabian version of Snow White.

"J-Jamil!" Kalim wailed, screwing his eyes shut as thick globs of tears ran down his flushed puffy face. The vice dorm leader sighed and reached for a tissue box, which he handed to the distraught boy. Kalim snatched a fistful of tissues and blew his nose loudly.

"The prefect is cursed to sleep forever-! A-And I couldn't find the cure!" He cried out in anguish. Jamil squinted his eyes. "Kalim, in case you forgot, the cure is-"

"I know! Prince Charming's kiss!" Kalim interrupted, wiping away his tears with the back of his arm making Jamil grimace. "I sent out hundreds of search parties but he hasn't been found!"

Jamil paused.

Ah. In foresight, he really should have seen this coming…

Jamil pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath to get his irritation under control. He reached for the hood of Kalim's shirt and yanked him back. Hissing into his ear, the snake spat. "Kalim, the Prince Charming is you."

"Wh-Whgat?" Kalim sniffed, his voice muffled and hoarse from his crying.

"You. You're the prince charming." Jamil groaned, running a hand over his face.

Kalim started at Jamil for a minute or two, processing what his friend just said. Eventually, he broke out into a wide smile and happy laughter.

Wasting no time, he was quick to swoop you into his arms, drawing you into a clumsy yet endearing kiss. It only took a few seconds before your eyes blinked open. He pulled away but not before pressing another quick peck on your cheek.

"So, I'm your prince charming, huh?" Kalim beamed, sending a you a silly toothy grin. He leaned down and peppered your flushed face with kisses once more, making you feel like your head was about to explode.

"Y-Yeah-" You shot him a bashful yet thankful smile.

Filled with happiness, the teen jumped to his feet and drew you into his arms. He lifted you up by the waist and spun you around, his loud laughter echoing out through the room.

"I'm so glad! Ah! But I still have to cancel all those search parties though…"

✩—VIL SCHOENHEIT:

"Tsk. This is what I said about hanging out with those hooligans potato." Vil scowled, seething in rage and looking as if he was just about to hex both Ace and Deuce for this accident. "It'll only bring you trouble."

After he was informed of the incident by Rook, he wasted no time in whisking you away from your two incompetent friends and claiming he would care for you himself. Like hell he was letting you stay in that shabby dorm of yours.

Vil eased you into a luxurious bed in one of Pomefiore's spare rooms, draping a delicate lilac blanket around your torso. His palms brushed up against your brow, softly smoothing out the creases along your brow line.

Dspite the color vanishing from your cheeks and the once bright visage that made you look so vibrant losing it's glow, Vil believed you to be ethereal.

"True Love's Kiss can wake her from the spell." Vil murmured, reading off of a page in the book Deuce handed to him.

"Hmph, if I had a Madol for everytime that was listed as a cure." This wasn't the first time he'd heard of such a thing. Vil has spend hours pouring over potionology books and you'd be surprised at just how many spells and curses have it mentioned. A tad bit overrated if you asked him.

"Though there will be no need for a Prince Charming, potato." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small vial filled with a glimmering silver liquid.

The liquid swished around in the bottle, sparkling brightly. As you've probably guessed, this was the cure. Vil wasn't appointed Pomefiore's dorm leader for nothing. If he could make one of the most potent poisons this campus has ever seen then he surely knew how to make a cure as simple as this. It was mere child's play.

"The potion will suffice. Even a single drop is enough to wake you." He twisted the bottle open, gently grabbing a hold of your jaw to part your lips. He leaned down, holding the bottle over your face before pausing.

"As if I'd need True Love's Kiss to prove myself." Vil scoffed, eyes latching onto your face, his gaze intense yet warm. He tipped the bottle down, allowing a single drop to fall into your mouth before capturing your lips with his in a tender yet feverish kiss.

Vil eventually pulled away and hummed seeing the color and flush return to your skin. His fingers combed through your disheveled hair, undoing any knots. Your eyes fluttered open and Vil huffed, gliding his fingers along your flushed cheeks.

"Your skin is far too puffy, an unfortunate side effect of the cure. Worry not, I'll go grab a facemask for you." Vil pushed himself off of the bed, heels clicking against the floor as he marched out of the room. "A spa day is just what you need after another incident, potato."

It was all thanks to his potion that were you able to wake, he tells himself. Vil Schoenheit was not one for fairytales or wishing. He knew that he didn't need some magical curse or wish to win you over. No, he was confident he could accomplish it on his own.

As Vil eases the translucent mask onto your face, you smile brightly at him and his chest blooms in a sudden warmth.

Yes, it was definitely the potion.

✩—IDIA SHROUD:

"S-seriously, w-wh-hy me? Do I look like a Prince Charming to y-you?" Idia groaned, trying to shut the door but Ace stuck his foot through the opening. "Knock it off with the grin, geez… Weirdo…"

"We know you both have romantic feelings for each other!" Deuce shouted, holding you in his arms. "We really need your help!"

Idia shrieked, hair burning up slightly. He could barely hold eye contact with you for 3 seconds, what makes these two think that he could even survive kissing you? The poor boy would end up melting into a puddle of sad gooey awkwardness.

"J-Just wait until C-Crewel finishes the potion!" Idia shouted, shoving Ace away and slamming the door shut. His chest heaved up and down as he pressed his back against the door, arms awkwardly splayed to his sides, scrambling to keep the door shut.

His eyes ripped wide in panic when Ace continued to pound at the door, calling his name. "C'mon, Idia! Most people would take this as a great opportunity to win their crush over you know!"

"NOPE, NOPE, NOPE. COUNT ME OUT. I'M NOT GOING DOWN THE ROMANCE ROUTE." Idia vehemently shook his head, burying his face into the fabric of his shirt.

Ortho laughed silently, heading over to his distressed brother who looked like he was about to pop a vein. Scratch that, he probably already has.

"Big brother, didn't you and the prefect already go on a date?" Orthro said, tilting his head up to meet Idia's shaky gaze. "Why the big deal? It's just a small kiss."

"Th-That was different! I-I-It was a gaming session through a screen!" Idia sinked to the floor, curling up into a ball. He sobbed pathetically. "I could barely even keep my composure-No way am I surviving IRL."

"Yeah but they need you right now. You may not be Prince Charming but I'm sure the prefect would prefer you over any other." Ortho whispered, placing a hand atop Idia's own. The dorm leader's lip quivered, newfound courage blooming in his chest. He shakily stood up, knees wobbling from his nerves.

"…They need me."

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"I'm telling you Deuce, this guy's hopeless." Ace sighed, lips drawn into a thin line as he casually leaned against the door. Deuce frowned, lightly kicking Ace's shin. "Don't say such things about our senior!"

"Oh yeah? But he's-Argh! " Ace yelped falling backwards as the door abruptly opened. With a grunt, he landed on his back and found himself staring up at Idia's flushed face.

"Alright, n-normies. I-I-I'll d-d-do it."

Idia stepped aside and let Deuce enter his room. Anxiously fiddling with his hands, Idia watched the first-year carefully set you on his bed before stepping out of the room.

"We'll leave everything to you!" The two scurried away and Ortho also excused himself, leaving to give you two privacy. Idia stood in the middle of his room, a great distance away from you.

Alright, he could do this. It was just a simple little kiss, no biggie.

Hovering his shaky hands over your cheeks, Idia leaned over your form. His breath fanning across your face as he moved in, delicately brushing his lips against yours.

Your hands snaked around his neck, drawing him in deeper making the boy squeak. Pulling away, Idia averted his gaze, voice small and meek.

"H-Hey you. You're finally awake…"

✩—MALLEUS DRACONIA:

In a tall tower atop Diasomnia, an ominious green glow was emanating from an open window. Thick towering brambles, thorns, and vines wrapped itself around the brooding dorm. In the sky, claps of lightning and thunder flashed amongst the darkening clouds.

"Ah…we lost the prefect." Deuce deadpanned, his gaze fixed on the overgrown thick shrubs in front of them. Ace reached for a thorn, hissing as the tip of his finger was cut.

"Yeah..it's best if we leave them to Malleus, I don't think we can even get past all of…this."

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Lilia stood in the corner watching as Malleus tenderly placed you onto the bed, the dragon fae handling you as if you were a delicate piece of glass that could break at any second.

"Ah~ Are you going to be their Prince Charming? Khee hee, how ador—"

"Lillia, we need more pillows. There's hardly enough here." Malleus abruptly cut in, a stern look on his face.

Lilia blinked, gaze drawn over to the bed already filled to the brim with pillows of all shapes and sizes, so much so that some of them began pooling around the floor. All evidence of Malleus' nesting instinct.

"What a tragedy. There is to be a pillow scarcity in Diasomnia because of the devastation lay upon the prefect." Lilia replied, a dramatic theatrical sigh leaving his lips. He hurried out the door to meet Malleus' requests before the storm outside worsened. The dragon fae was already aggrevated, there was no need to make things worse.

Malleus' gaze was drawn to your serene expression, his aching heart plummeting to his stomach. Bending down, he softly cradled you in his arms. "Oh, my treasure, if only I could have prevented this."

He buried his face into the crook of your neck, pressing kisses amongst your skin before trailing them up to your lips. Fluttering his eyes shut, Malleus wrapped his arms around your waist, lifting you off the bed as he pressed his lips firmly against yours.

Malleus drew back to see you ogle at him with with wide eyes, your fingers having immediately shot up touch your tingling lips. Chuckling, he bent down once more to press his lips against yours. You two exchanged kisses for what seemed like hours, the press of his lips against yours leaving your lungs burning and heaving for air. At some point he slipped into bed with you, holding himself above your body with his elbows.

"Khee hee, You two know it's supposed to be a 'True Love's Kiss' not 'Kisses', right?" Lilia barged into the room, a comically large pile of pillows in his arms. Malleus growled and tossed a lamp his way, one which Lillia dodged easily. The lamp shattered against the wall behind him, scattering into fragments across the floor.

"Ah ah, there's no need to be so furious. Let me just drop these off and I'll be on my merry way." Lilia cheered, dropping the pillows by the foot of the bed. He reached into his pocket and pulled out an old bulky camera. "Might as well take pictures!"

Snarling, Malleus drew his hand back to reach for the large painting sitting above the bed. You snaked a hand around his wrist, silently begging him to not hurl another object at his bat-dad.

"My baby boy is in love-OW!"

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

✩— EXTRA:

"What did I say about keeping them out of harms way." Crewel snarled through clenched teeth, sitting in the detention room with both Ace and Deuce. Ace chuckled awkwardly, shrugging his shoulders.

"Well if you look on the bright side, your kid finally has a love life, so there's that!"

Likes and Reblogs are greatly appreciated and really motivating on my end!

Taglist: @keedas , @spadecentral

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[godjo]

✮ — ptolemaea.

you poor thing sweet, mourning lamb there’s nothing you can do it’s already been done

tags — wriothesley x afab!reader. 4k wc. yandere. noncon. non-explicit smut with allusions to oral sex (both receiving), rough sex, creampie, doggy style. minors, blank, and ageless blogs dni. 

from hunter — this is a repost. i listened religiously to ethel cain’s ptolemaea while writing this piece.  ✮

“step onto the platform, please.”

your stomach churns; what little you consumed that day threatens to spill from your mouth. there’s a continuous eddy in your mind, the headache affecting the strength of your bones. 

would you ever be prepared to face this kind of dilemma?

you have been given no chance to contemplate before the security in charge pushes the small of your back. you stagger towards the middle of the platform that will bring you down several feet underwater. as it starts to descend, you inhale whatever amount of fresh air you can, dreading that it’d probably take time before you could see the outside again. 

it’s just for a few months. all you have to do is endure your sentence, and you’ll be free. 

the air slowly turns scant the deeper you descend, as though you’re being submerged even in the absence of water. it doesn’t help that all you’ve seen so far is an endless stretch of metal, closing in on you, augmenting your anxiety. after what seems like forever, the elevator halts, hinting at your arrival, and there you struggle not to marvel at the magnificent view of the water outside. 

however, the security standing by your side tugs at your arm. another wave of nausea fills your throat with acid as the receptionist registers your information and recites the crime you’ve committed. sealing your fate as a prisoner is a quick mugshot before you’re brought to the administrative area. 

your wild eyes scan the area, noticing other newcomers lining up horizontally before a huge metallic door. they are stricken with the same anxiety as you, evident in how their throats are bobbing, their eyes burning holes in the ground.

“stand up straight. the duke is here,” the security announces as the gigantic door creaks open. 

“he’s here; we’re going to die,” the man beside you whispers in hysterics. 

his apprehension is a contagious disease, crawling to stick onto your skin, corrupting what little courage remains in your spine. 

your breath becomes strained and like everybody else, you’ve done your best to make your presence smaller. what is it about the duke that triggers this kind of paranoia?

“ah, here are the flock of lambs,” a strong voice dripping in confidence pronounces, causing the rest of the prisoners to shrink in size, as though all they’ve wanted is to disappear. “should i say ‘welcome’? or you’d rather we skip the pleasantries and go straight to business?”

looking at him now, you understand why the mere mention of his name evokes such palpable horror. he’s a man of tall stature and rough demeanor. his hair, unkempt yet strangely glossy, adds to the unnatural charm he possesses. it’s dark like a raven’s feathers, interspersed with strands of gray that somehow enhance his roguish appearance. 

he starts his scrutiny at the other end of the line, saving you for last. as he scans the prisoners, his mouth remains in a tight line, with an occasional cock of the brow or twitch of the lips. 

“and for the last one…” his tone tilts between authority and mischief, leaving no room for defiance. 

your heart hammers against your ribs, but fear holds your gaze down. mentally cursing yourself for potentially igniting the duke’s ire, you flinch when his warm fingers swiftly lift your chin. 

you suck in a sharp breath, expecting to be greeted by annoyance. what’s painted on his face is an expression you cannot quite name. his pale gray eyes are blown wide, penetrating you straight to the soul. lips slightly agape, he displays an image of someone utterly surprised. it hasn’t taken long for colors to flood his face again, delivered by his conscious recognition of the prisoners’ gawking stares. 

the duke clears his throat, summoning back his menacing aura. he motions for the nearest securities, instructing that they discuss the rules and send the prisoners to their respective bunkers. 

however, he finds your eyes again just as you’re preparing to follow the throng. 

“you. follow me,” declares the duke. 

it couldn’t have been anyone else, even though you turn around to see if he’s speaking to someone other than you. realizing the weight of the command, your heart lurches in your throat. how much anxiety can you handle for a day? and what could possibly compel him to seek a private audience with you?

behind the gargantuan doors, you find yourself yet again inside an unsettling chamber. the aged yet robust metal dominates the space, boasting the formidable reputation of the fortress of meropide. once or twice you have envisioned yourself barred in this place, courtesy of your way of living, but nothing can size up the fear of being here in flesh and bone. 

“i’m over here,” the duke echoes from above.

cut away from your reverie, you ascend the stairs upwards to the third level. the metal sculptures of three-headed wolves catch your eye, their craftsmanship a marvel, set amidst numerous bookshelves filled with various genres. in the center of the room sits a spacious table piled with papers, while another stands to your right, equally laden with documents.

“you’re probably wondering why you’re here,” he begins, reclining the back of his lower body against the table, strong arms crossed over his chest. “don’t worry, i’m not gonna hurt you. i’d merely like to ask you a few questions.”

through your parched throat, you respond, “ask away, your… your grace.”

to your surprise, the duke’s shoulders shake as his mouth echoes a merry laughter. 

“c’mon! loosen up. don’t you remember who i am?” he asks in between full-throated chuckles. “have i changed that drastically?” 

don’t you remember who i am? 

now that he’s mentioned it, there’s a wriggling part of your brain that finds him familiar. however, try as you might to fish for a particular memory involving him, you can only grasp at nothing. he remains just a figure you likely crossed paths with on a street somewhere.

“i… i can’t remember—”

he spreads his arms in glee, closing the distance between you without respect for personal space. large hands capture your shoulders, then, shaking you with undeniable enthusiasm. 

“it’s me! wriothesley! the boy from the orphanage. remember?”

memories flood your mind: blurred recollections of a boy with raven-like hair and pale gray eyes, scenes of a brawl in the yard where his fists repeatedly struck another orphan’s jaw. more images rush in: him behind bars, and you offering a piece of bread to his bloodied hands.

“wrio? is that really you?” you ask breathlessly. your hands have found their way on his shoulders, too. 

“yes, it’s me! it’s been a while, hasn’t it? how are you?” he looks like he’d seen a ghost, but there’s no trickle of terror in the planes of his face. only wonderment and utter euphoria. before you can respond, he raises a finger and dialed the nearest telephone, commanding whoever is at the end of the line to bring refreshments inside his office. 

he leads the both of you to the lone sofa before repeating his question. 

“well i… i tried to get by after the adoption,” you tell him, pursing your lips at the memory. “it wasn’t so dreadful, being in that house, but i wouldn’t claim that it had been easy. how about you?” your eyes wander at the expanse of the room. “you govern the fortress now? what even happened to you?” 

wriothesley’s lips stretch to a smile. “yeah. who would’ve thought that a rascal like me can do it, right?”

you playfully punch his shoulder. “you’ve always had that command in you, wrio. even when we were in the orphanage. you stood tall and lived by your principles. no wonder papa and mama liked you so much back then. speaking of which, do you know where they are now?” 

after your adoption, you haven’t had the ability to contact the orphanage and ask about everyone’s well-being. since you have been living by scraps, you’ve focused instead on surviving without any spare time to visit the orphanage. 

“papa and mama, huh?” an overcast went over his eyes. his words have a bite to them that you cannot decipher. when he looks back at you, there’s a cloud on his face as he mutters, “i killed them.”

the confession immediately turns your veins cold. he looks dead serious.

“what?” a nervous chuckle reverberates from you. “that’s a bad joke.”

his eyes are the most unsettling gray you have ever witnessed. 

“i know you haven’t had the best experience with your adoptive parents. none of the adopted children had. papa and mama took care of us, just so they could sell us. do you know that some of the children even died after being adopted? i did the right thing killing those fuckers,” he confesses without a trace of remorse for the gravity of what he’s done.

this is too much to take in one sitting. your head throbs again with a new intensity. perhaps it’s the years that you’ve been gone that exacerbates his revelation. you vividly recall the day you parted ways with the orphanage owner, tears in their eyes as they reluctantly let you go to your new foster parents. it was a poignant farewell, etched as your last memory of them. now you wonder, was it all a facade?

before you can bombard him with a set of questions, the arrival of refreshments completely dismisses the whole tête-à-tête. the security who’s placed the glasses on the table bestows you a questioning look; one that you would’ve missed had you the heart meet wriothesley’s gaze. through his dubious disposition, you realize how bizarre the scene might have looked like for an outsider. 

wriothesley overlooks the whole fortress, and you are a prisoner meant to serve your time. why are you drinking with the duke?

shame has found its way to settle in the pit of your stomach. you feel self-conscious about your appearance; a full day without bathing since your capture is not how you wished to present yourself to your old acquaintance. he’s climbed his way up as one of the authorities in fontaine, while you remain at the bottom of the food chain. things are not the same. 

“i should probably go to my bunker,” you voice after the security’s departure. “it doesn’t look good that you have a prisoner here.”

“nonsense,” wriothesley counters. “you’re not a stranger. and i don’t care whatever crime you’ve committed on the surface: you are my visitor here.”

you shake your head. despite the multiple stealing you’ve done until now, you still harbor a sense of dignity. it’s just as they say: you do the crime, you do the time. 

“no, wrio. i’m here as a prisoner. i’ll do whatever is required of me. it’s my punishment.” 

wriothesley sighs in defeat; an action you haven’t expected to come easily from him. 

“alright, then. you win.” he reaches for your hand and grasps. “you won’t deny me the occasional meals, though? you’re still my friend and it’s the least i could do for you.”

that marks the highlight of your first day inside the fortress. 

never in your wildest dreams could you have anticipated such a twist of fate, yet you can’t deny the comfort of seeing a familiar face in this bleak environment.

as the days of your imprisonment tick by, you’ve adapted to the routine within the prison walls. you’ve learned the importance of coupons and how to obtain them to survive. unlike most inmates who are tasked with heavy labor, you find yourself often idle. this is not due to any sloth on your part, as you’re eager to earn your keep, but it would seem as though the rest of the administrators have no job to assign you. which is peculiar in a sense that everybody has something on their hands. 

“how are you coping?” wriothesley asks during lunch. it’s one of those days when he’d summon you to eat with him. 

you fork the food on your plate, too conscious to wolf them down. the cafeteria’s open layout exposes the generous hospitality being extended to you, making you acutely aware of the conspicuous display. somehow, it gets to your skin, as though you have no more face to save. 

“everybody’s nice,” you reveal. they really are; there’s no lie in the statement. truth be told, the fortress is like a community where you work and earn a living. however, by definition, it remains a huge cage for wrongdoers like you. “but i can’t wait to go out.”

the cafeteria holds its breath when wrio’s utensils clatter against his plate. eyes turn towards your table, speculation rife that an argument is brewing. you glance around nervously, aware of the attention drawn by his prolonged silence.

“a… are you alright?” you stammer. 

“yeah,” he answers before lifting his head and displaying a smile that does not reach the eyes. “there was a weird taste in my mouth. what were you saying again?”

“oh… forget it,” you answer, wanting to dismiss the whole conversation as quickly as possible. “it’s nothing important.”

“i thought so,” he whispers without erasing his uncanny smile. 

at first, you conjectured that the source of wriothesley’s hospitality stemmed from his time at the orphanage, when he was punished for misconduct. unaware of the rules as a newcomer, and traumatized by the sudden upheaval in his life, he was quick to lash at the other kids. there had been a time that he would’ve beaten another orphan to death had no one interfered. it was only by the grace of the owners that he wasn’t kicked out.

in contrast, you had strived to keep a low profile during your orphanage days, knowing that well-behaved children stood a better chance of adoption. only once did you veer to the path of disobedience, and that had been the time when you stole bread for wriothesley. 

that first and last encounter had been brief and quickly forgotten over time, only resurfacing now upon your unexpected reunion.

you wouldn’t have expected that such a simple act of charity would help you tremendously during your life’s biggest disaster.

from the bottom of your heart, you acknowledge that life in meropide would have been harder without him. the depth of your gratitude for his companionship transcends words. and you swear by all the archons, you appreciate all that he’s done for you. 

that’s why it doesn’t make you feel good— not at all — to betray such munificence with doubt and a feeling of disquiet. 

have you gone paranoid? can you trust your guts? or are you simply unaccustomed to kindness?

but it’s not any of those things, is it? 

you wrestle with the idea that your paranoia might be justified. there’s validity in a way that your heart hasn’t been tranquil ever since the repudiation of your release. such holdup hinges on your distant aunt’s failure to communicate with the administrators of the prison. they refuse to issue your release without her signature. 

at first, you dismissed the dreadful news with masked disappointment. she lives miles away from the fortress. a little patience is all you need. yet, the absurdity gnaws at you—why should an orphaned adult still require the consent of a relative who never cared? 

for months you mingled with the rest of the prisoners without trouble. what harm could a few more days bring? and it would’ve been easy except for one thing. 

together with the anticipation of freedom there springs wriothesley’s unnatural behavior. certainly, you have been accustomed to his magnanimous nature, but not to his seemingly obsessed disposition. 

for one, he wouldn’t let you out of his sight. on the night before your release, you’ve woken up just to see him inside your bunker, sitting with arms hugging his knees at the edge of your bed, head tilted downward. the pounding of your heart drowned out all other sounds, making sleep elusive and confrontation daunting. convinced he would offer an explanation in due time, you pretended that nothing happened the next day. 

how many times has he sat there, barging in your bunker unannounced while guarding your sleep? you shudder at the thought. but it’s time you put an end to your suspicions. it’s time that you go up there, in his office, and find the answers you seek. 

“i’m sorry, but as per the duke’s order, no one is allowed inside until his return,” the security standing guard outside wriothesley’s office announces. 

“i told you; i was ordered to clean his office,” you insist for what seems like the thousandth time. of course, it’s a lie. however, you are not going to pass up the opportunity of sleuthing, especially with wriothesley’s absence. 

“the answer is no. it’s a strict rule from the duke himself,” he repeats. 

you swallow the bitter reality of what you’re about to do. you have never thought of weaponizing wriothesley’s treatment of you, but he leaves you with no choice.

“so, if he comes back and finds his office in disarray, i only need to mention that a certain guard wouldn’t let me in, right?” at your words, the security blinks frantically. “do you know how much wrio favors me? or do you need proof? but i’m telling you, right now: the proof wouldn’t be as pleasant for you.”

as you stand inside the room, your eyes sweep across its vast expanse, searching without a clear idea of what evidence you seek. yet, an instinctive feeling drives you—the conviction that the reason behind the prolonged delay of your release lies hidden somewhere within these walls. relying on your years of stealth and skill as a thief, your confidence grows in your ability to navigate this risky venture unscathed.

this is a bold move, facing potential consequences, and you know better than to underestimate wriothesley.

to summon a leveled head, you breathe, in and out, while fishing for the lock pick tucked inside your back pocket. 

you waste no time climbing the stairs to his desk. all proceedings certainly go through him before anyone else. perhaps you can find your release paper, already signed, among this endless heap of legal documents.

no, if he intends to keep it, he wouldn’t have it openly displayed. though the reasons for wriothesley’s denial of your freedom elude you, instinct alone guides your courage. abandoning your sleuth, you move on to open the drawers instead. beads of sweat dots your forehead, heart refusing to calm down as the lock pick you fashioned from a scrap metal jammed into the keyhole.

there’s nothing inside but another stack of paper containing the fortress’ mundane transactions. the weight of uncertainty bears down upon you like a relentless specter, your eyes flickering towards the staircase with a mix of fear and urgency. moored by the bookshelves, you grasp a volume, its hard cover yielding warmth against your palm. pages are turned in rapid succession, driven by your inexorable desperation to find something.

it has to be here. it has to be. 

“where is it? where is it? where is it?”

quick! where else would he keep it? think, think, think! 

“found what you’re looking for?”

hearing his voice feels as though you’ve pummeled down from the steepest cliff; that your innards have been hammered to smithereens; that your heart has been taken right from your ribcage. your veins turn to ice, knees threatening to buckle beneath you. 

“w… wrio…” you frenziedly grapple for reasons; anything that’d validate your suspicious presence in his office. “i was… i was just tidying up the space.”

“for what?” his eyes roam around the room that looks rather polished before settling on the book you clutch in your hands. “i didn’t know you’re interested in gardening.”

taking a gander at the book in your hands, you force a sheepish smile upon seeing its title. a comprehensive guide in gardening across different topographies in fontaine.

“if it’s not too much to ask, i’d like to borrow this book.” you steel your facade, refusing to give him an inch. it’s futile, knowing you’re crumbling inside, wishing to vanish into thin air to evade his palpable vexation.

“you see…” wriothesley begins, licking the inside of his cheek. “as far as i can remember, i told the guards not to let anyone in.”

you open your mouth to speak, but the grievous solemnity of his demeanor stops your words.  

“what are you doing here?”

“i told you, i was just—”

“what are you doing here?”

he already knows the answer; you just have to say it. like a feeble insect trapped in a spider’s web, you see no chances of escaping. the only thing you could do is to shackle your suspicions and hope that wriothesley somehow disproves them. 

“i was wondering about my release. it has been days and i…”

“grow suspicious of me?” he finishes. “thinking that i have something to do with it?” 

each step he takes brings your back closer to the bookshelves. until he has you trapped with his overwhelming presence. he’s so close you can smell a whiff of his perfume; even that exudes his unquestionable authority. 

“i just want to know the truth,” is your helpless whisper. you feel like a little lamb caught between the sharp claws of the wolf. 

with one hand, he takes the book from your hands, eyes never leaving your face, as he places it back to where it belongs. 

“oh, you’d never like it,” he divulges. 

mustering up the courage to flee from his entrapment, the thorns in your throat intensified after putting all your might to push him away only to suffer in vain. 

“please, wrio, let me go,” you huff, fighting back tears. 

your plea goes through deaf ears. not even a sliver of interest or acknowledgment can be seen in the depths of his eyes. 

“your aunt and her whole family left fontaine before she had to sign your papers. i had my men standing guard on her house just in case she comes back, but it’d seem she’s sold the whole lot to never come back,” he discloses. 

“what?” all the remaining hope stings you like betrayal. but of course, you should’ve expected less from a relative you’ve never even met before. 

wriothesley relaxes, but his body remains as overpowering before you. 

“i know what it feels like to not have someone, that’s why i didn’t know how to tell you,” he says, each word threaded carefully as if he refuses to shatter the delicate thing in front of him any further. 

to think that you’ve doubted him despite his keen interest in your well-being is more than enough to cause you unutterable shame. 

“i’m sorry, wrio. i… i didn’t know,” you admit shamefully. 

hand on his hip, he sighs, “i just can’t understand. after everything i’ve done for you, this is what i get in return?”

panic grips you in its cruel embrace. you shake your head, reaching for him. 

“it’s not my intention to hurt nor dismiss your kindness, i swear. i just… i’ll make it up to you.”

wriothesley perks up at the statement. it’s eerily noticeable how his grim bearing changes to that of a curious one. “you’ll do anything, then?” 

what accursed territory have you placed yourself in?

“anything.”

“then, kneel,” he commands after a heartbeat. 

there are two directions where your obedience can possibly turn to, and yet both choices cause your stomach to double over. in spite of your fear, you’ve acknowledged with terror that the point of return has already been barred. your knees buckle. 

fat tears dot the corner of your eyes, like crystal jewels of insurmountable value, as he unravels himself, and you take him in your mouth. he moves at first with delicacy, as though he fears of shattering such bliss. the warm flesh of your mouth, velvet-soft around him. you’re raw from shame; he’s rawed out from pleasure. 

diabolical desire urges that he push himself deeper, further, make you gag with guilt and watch your mouth reach him to the hilt. like dust of stars, tears now cling to your lashes, as your lips harvest the seed of his gluttony. 

in rapid succession he buries himself down your throat, reaching places no one else has trespassed in. your nails carve crescent moons on his pale skin, roguish marks to prove the existence of a fight, no matter how pathetic. 

he hungers, and hungers, and hungers. until his bones ached from his greed, and pleasure carves the pinnacle of release. beneath the ache in his incessant breath, he wells inside your mouth. when all sensibility has left, he taints your tongue with rife and thick globules, begging to be swallowed. 

tenderly he holds you, like his touches can heal your rotten sinews. at the end of his fingertips, your skin burns and he sinks you deeper into his pit. this place drowns in sweltering heat, from the shame, from the pain, from the guilt. the planes of your back settle on the oak table, etching the tale of his devouring. he peels you open with every lick; a fruit he wouldn’t mind the consequences of eating.

what is this, you think, the betrayal of the body? you despair how you shiver from his tongue; how you reek of humiliation when his fingers push into your dripping flesh. fog over your head, the clouds somber, the cruel zenith warm on your stomach, exploding in shades of red. since when did pleasure and poison start tasting the same?

“on your stomach,” he whispers, eyes dilated with barbarism.

the hunger continues. another triumph, another defeat. fingernails raking the wood, another tale of wrath unheard, of innocence gone. he lodges between your legs, pushing himself through the fluttering folds, tarnishing the flesh. your throat burns but you will not scream. 

he fucks you with absolute abandon. he fucks you with an appetite of a man deprived. 

lips between your teeth, crimson trails down your chin. he wants to turn your insides into pulp; to rattle both your bones and knit them together. with increasing greed, his movement turns rabid. your eyes glossy, your tears silent, as you swallow the vile reality of fulfilling his need. 

“i’m so close,” he grunts, the sound of his voice coming from deep within. 

your silence is a rebellion against your traitorous body. shrouded with mortification, you flare around his length, and he revels at the feeling. he concedes to the tight sensation, spilling every fiber of his being inside the warmth of your flesh. there’s too much of him inside you, that he leaks like liquid ivory from the wet and abused hole, trailing languorously between your shaking legs. 

you run to the abyss, to the sweet caress of sleep, hoping that once you wake up, you’re whole again. 

wriothesley observed your countenance as you slept upon the couch, noting with curiosity the weariness etched upon your features even in repose. he gently draws the silk sheet to cover you fully, then rises from his seat. proceeding to the telephone, he summons a meal, foreseeing your imminent awakening and the hunger it will bring.

now, he proceeds to one of the bookshelves, retrieving a particular book. a comprehensive guide in gardening across different topographies in fontaine. to think that you’ve been this close to knowing the truth. 

he opens the book, flipping through its final pages until he locates the concealed folded paper. despite the creases marring its surface, the parchment appears new. unfolding it has given him a sense of relief, like an anchor to his sanity. 

it reveals the deed to your aunt’s estate, which he acquired shortly before your release. now, the elderly woman resides a great distance away, forever barred from returning.

they would be foolish to return, especially with their lives at stake.

wriothesley’s lips curl in a bitter twist. believe him when he says he never intended for you to endure the same fate as he did. yet, endure it you must, just as he once did, for he is not so benevolent as to set you free.

[preeningpisces]

Report - Kenjaku x F!Reader

Kenjaku shows up unannounced, and makes himself all too comfortable in your apartment. Pwp, 4k, Crossposted on AO3

A/N: At first I referred to him as Geto in this, as I found it unlikely YN would know his real name, but then figured this has no plot and there isn't many Kenjaku x reader fics without Geto & swapped it to Kenjaku ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Shoutout to this lovely anon for giving me a reason/the drive to write something for my favorite hoe 💚

Content: p-in-v, m!oral, sex toys, size kink, unprepped sex, edging, choking, biting, spit/cum stuff, degradation--personally I think this is more tame than it sounds

18+ content below, mdni, implied chubby!reader, enjoooy!

The figure seated at your dinner table makes your soul leap from your body.

Tonight you planned a date with a hot shower, your favorite snacks, and three seasons’ worth of TV to binge. You’d only completed step one, so recently that your skin hasn’t finished absorbing the lotion, leaving your calves and thighs tacky.

His back is to you, but you know he’s aware of your presence. For once, he isn’t wearing his signature robes, and instead sports simple black clothing. Seeing him dressed down is comforting, makes him seem less untouchable, and more like a regular person.

You lament the change in your evening plans, knowing your guest will occupy a decent portion of your time. 

“You take awfully long showers,” he says without turning. “I’ve been here for over an hour.” 

Springing up at random isn’t out of the ordinary for Kenjaku, though it’s more common for him to send messages from unknown numbers or ‘coincidentally’ run into you. He’s never showed up at your apartment before, let alone at such an odd hour of the night. Briefly you wonder how he knows where you live, but then dismiss this as a foolish thought—of course he knows.

“I’m just thorough,” you say as you round the table and sit across from him where he reads one of your books. A silly romance that was popular online; hardly revolutionary or life-altering, but it was a sweet, endearing story and you enjoyed it quite a bit. With how far he’s in, you wonder if he picked a random spot or simply reads that quickly.

“That you are.” He glances up, and a shift in his eye tells you he wasn’t expecting the cotton bathrobe with matching shorts. It’s a favorite that you got off a discount rack, lying somewhere between the lines of sensual and comfortable. Flattering, but hardly scandalous; you don’t feel indecent in his presence. 

“I’m surprised you enjoy this drivel,” he says, judgment evident. “You seemed more intelligent than that.” 

“They’re just for fun. Sometimes it’s nice to read something simple,” you reach for the book, beginning to feel defensive. 

He leans back, now flipping through its contents. It reminds you of a schoolyard bully holding your belongings above you and taunting you for being too short. 

“Are you here to antagonize me, or are you here for something actually important?” As soon as you say this, you know you made a mistake: the ire in your voice will only encourage his pestering.

“I came for your report, but now I’m more interested in your terrible taste.” He gestures to your bookshelf—small, and housing a modest collection of varying genres with the occasional knick knack. “I’ve gone through several already, but saved what I suspect to be the worst for last.”

“Then you can follow me on Goodreads, if you’re so curious. Now give that back,” you hold out your hand, growing agitated. The light catches the ridge of his scar, and taunts you to tug on one of those stitches, which look much less secure than they should. 

“Embarrassed?” He smiles, and makes no move to relinquish the book. 

“If I say yes, will you give it back?” 

A snide puff.

“No.” 

Knowing how fickle he is, you relent; he’ll grow bored with the book soon enough and move on. But minutes of his skimming pass, wholly ignoring your crossed arms and impatient tapping.

“Ah, I see. Is this why you’re so fond of these?” He turns the book for you to read: it’s one of the few sex scenes, and his finger points to a questionable line of dialogue. 

You can’t resist the bait, and indignation rises in your chest. You spring forward in your seat, aiming for the book. Unfazed by your aggression, he avoids you with ease and an infuriating smirk. It only provokes you further, now motivating you to one-up him.

There is a sudden pause in his movements that allows you to snatch the book. As you look at him triumphantly, you notice his eyes aren’t directed at your face; instead, they’re fixed on your chest. Following his gaze, your heart sinks when you discover your robe hanging open, revealing your right breast. 

When you look at him again, his eyes are on yours. Heavy and lidded, they freeze you in place with their weight. The playful energy from before halts, as if the room itself is holding its breath. Without breaking eye contact, he slides his hand in the opening, and cups your breast.

Shocked, you drop the book with a muted thud, more from his boldness than the sensation. A gasp escapes you when he pinches your nipple, rolling it slowly, and your hands fly to his shoulders, not wanting to topple over from the awkward position.

His other hand joins and teases your unexposed breast through the cloth; you fall against him, and a soft noise warms his ear before tracing the stretched lobe with your lower lip. Whether it’s ticklish or it’s your interest in his ear that entertains him, his shoulders thrum with amusement. The plastic clacks between your teeth as you toy with the plug, seeing how far you can rotate it before he becomes irritated.

It doesn’t take long, because a hand winds itself in your hair and pulls you forward, but the table creaks in protest under your weight. 

“Not here,” you say, husk already tinting your voice. “It’s a shitty table.” 

He releases you and follows you down the hallway to your bedroom. You don’t even have time to flick on the light before he pulls you backward, connecting your ass to his groin with his large hands fondling your breasts.

The eager touch surprises you—he hadn’t seemed at all bothered when you stopped him before. You can’t help but shiver when he sucks on your neck, fixing it with hickeys and bites. A renewed focus on your nipples makes you whimper and squeeze at his forearms. 

“Sensitive here, or are you just desperate?” He punctuates with a pull of your left nipple. 

“A bit of both,” you say, and press your ass against him. It’s been some time since you’ve felt this kind of touch, let alone by someone as attractive as him. 

“Cute,” he hums, and grinds his forming erection against you. 

Cool palms slide beneath the robe again, making your nipples so peaked they sting. Deft fingers are quick to melt the cold with slow rolls that morph into pinching and dragging from areola to tip. The attention makes you squirm in his hold and rest your head against his shoulder, weaving your fingers through his glorious hair—which is every bit as silky as it appears. Needing an outlet for your rising desire, you detach him from your neck and angle his head so you can force your lips together. 

The kiss is more passionate than you expected, and it only makes you melt further in his hands. You scratch his scalp and earn a surprised moan. His right hand trails upward, wrapping around a considerable portion of your neck. Air isn’t cut or restricted, but he squeezes enough for your pulse to quicken and make your head fuzzy.

A twist of your nipple makes you arch your back, and he sucks your lower lip until it bruises. Teeth scrape it briefly, before he pushes his tongue into your open mouth and greets yours unabashedly. 

Kenjaku has an air of grace to him, of superiority; you’d think him above such things as these. But he doesn’t flinch or show any disgust when drool pools from the messy kiss—he even licks the bit that trickles down your chin. He breaks the kiss, parting slowly to appreciate the strand that connects your mouths. 

A tug of the simple knot at your waist peels your robe open, and you help him by shrugging your shoulders free. The hold on your neck tightens, and he feels down your stomach, dipping below the waistband of your shorts. Your skin prickles with embarrassment when he squeezes the full softness above your pussy. A pleased noise comes from the back of his throat when he realizes you have no underwear and finds slippery arousal. 

“Look at me.”

You feel how heavy your eyes are, how blatant lust must be on your face. His middle finger finds your clit and traces a single rough, short line, making you flinch. Almost imperceptible circles soothe the rough sensation, leading you to loosen your grip on his hair and hold his wrist. The featherlike strokes feel like static, and every tingle of your flesh touching makes you wetter. 

When your eyes shut, he squeezes your neck again, demanding you keep your focus on him. Even in moments like this, his eyes are full of condescension and superiority; the lowliness you feel in his presence only stirs your need. 

Awkwardly, you feel around behind you for his cock and rub your palm over it as best you can. Despite the clumsy touch, his breath hitches, and his clever fingers pause. Thrill dances in your chest and you stroke him more firmly.

His hand flexes around your neck, and you can’t tell if it’s a warning or a green light. Whichever he intends doesn’t matter to you, because you squeeze his bulge. The firm tap of his finger on your clit reads as chastisement, but you ignore it, already deciding your next move. 

“I want to suck your dick,” you say. You aren’t too prideful to kowtow to his desire for control. “Can I?” 

Dark eyes shelter his thoughts as he considers your offer, and for a moment you think he’s going to turn you down, but he dips his finger in your hole and briefly skims the edge before swiping back up to your clit. A small noise comes out, and your face must be comical because he looks more amused than before. 

“How polite.” The lack of heat and touch as he steps away are disappointing, but the sounds of his belt and zipper more than make up for their loss. “I suppose I’ll let you.”

“Let me,” you snort as you watch him undress. “As if you didn’t start this.”

A broad hand presses down on your shoulder, urging you to kneel—which you do eagerly, not minding the cheap carpet scratching your knees.

“I did, and now you’re exactly where I want you,” he removes his sweater, bearing the impressive muscles of his abdomen. You wonder if this was his true intention coming here tonight and that he played you like a fiddle.

These thoughts disappear when he pulls his trousers and underwear down; you can’t help when your face twists in shock: his cock is huge.

“No wonder you’re so full of yourself.” 

He smirks, and you dread what this affair will do to his already inflated ego.

You scoot forward, assessing the beast, and idly rotate your jaw to prepare for the task at hand. Despite most of his head being exposed and dripping with pre-cum, you push back the remaining foreskin to fully reveal the dark head. You lean forward for a kiss, but land it on his groin instead. 

The click of his tongue and the twitch beneath you is reward enough for the entire night; you’re confident he would never beg for anything from you, but this disappointment feels close enough to claim the satisfaction all the same. 

Still positioned at his tip, your thumbs softly stroke the sides, more soothing than pleasurable as you continue to mouth everywhere but his cock. Fed up, he grips your hair and pulls you back. You get the message, and eagerly suck his head in your mouth, where you set your lips and tongue to work; it’s difficult with his girth, but you manage. He grunts and loosens his hold, allowing you to do as you please. 

To show your gratitude, you plunge him deeper, tongue now rubbing along the seam of his cock as you flex and contract your lips. The muscles in his thighs jolt, and you feel energy rolling off him—the urge to do something, to react.

Steeling your resolve, you slide him further in and pull back, never stopping the pulse of your lips or tongue. It’s then that you suck around him, creating the wet sounds of suction that fill your small bedroom.

The light from the hallway glows behind him, making him radiant; like he’s a god, and this is your offering.

You cup his balls gently and rub a thumb over them to test the waters. Your curiosity is rewarded when the single hand in your hair becomes two, and he moves your head for you.

They cover your ears, cutting out all sound. Whether this is intentional, you can’t say. All you can hear is the wet sounds of your mouth molding around his cock. It’s as if this is your entire world, that this is the only thing you’re good for, and the thought makes you drip. 

Lewdly, you hum and moan your prayer around him. Noises of his own join yours, but you are not worthy of hearing them. Overeager, he pulls you down further on his cock, poking dangerously close to your gag reflex. Your second unoccupied hand wraps around the portion not in your mouth preemptively, and stroke him in time with your mouth. Seeing right through your attempt, he holds your head still and begins fucking your mouth.

It takes only a few thrusts for him to push deeper than before, making you gag softly, which causes him to throw his head back and continue the deep thrusts. It’s uncomfortable, but not so much that you feel the need to stop him. Watching him loosen up is so hypnotic you don’t register how worryingly deep he is in your throat. Until he surges himself all the way forward, forcing your nose to meet his groin. 

When you choke, he groans deeply, and rolls against your face as your throat convulses around him sporadically. You’re about to beat at his thigh, but he pulls you off his cock entirely.

Quickly, you recover and recapture him despite the pull on your hair, doubling down with a soft mouth, tonguing all the sensitive spots you found. And to your surprise, hot cum spurts down your throat with a low groan. You drink it all until he pulls your head back and strokes his cock, shooting the remaining spurts on your face.

You didn’t think he’d be so quick to cum, and it seems, neither did he.

A painful yank of your hair forces you to stand before you can comment, and full of surprises, he licks a line of cum from your chin and smears it over your tongue with his own. The dirtiness of it makes a raw noise come from your abused throat.

Not breaking the kiss, he walks you to your bed and pushes you back; you scoot yourself to the headboard and barely shimmy your shorts off before he crawls atop you, flaccid cock in hand. With a surge of reversed cursed energy, he urges it to re-harden. 

“Is this the difference between special grades and the rest of us?” 

He doesn’t acknowledge your taunt, and after two pumps, positions his cock at your hole. Unprepped, his tip presses against the ring of muscle for several moments, unable to breech despite ample lubrication.

“The Viagra tech-”

Your pussy finally yields, and his cock spears itself to the hilt.

“Fuck!” 

Mercifully, he doesn’t rail you, and instead rolls his hips, stroking your most receptive spots. It aches, his cock stretching you to what feels like your capacity, but it’s the sort of ache that makes you crave more. You meet his hips with your own, desperately chasing more of the electric feeling. He grabs the underside of your knees and leans forward, putting his weight on them. The position angles his cock upward and fucks you with more fervor. 

“Jesus, it’s so big,” you say, legs trembling in his hold. 

Needing a distraction, you cup the back of his head and pull him as close as your breasts and stomach allow. You kiss at whatever flesh you can reach, starting at his damp hairline, and following up immediately with the seam on his forehead. The simple kiss earns you a sharp cant of his hips and a hiss, tempting you to fixate on the scar.

Your tongue traces the divot faintly, careful not to press too hard and minding the sutures. The effect is immediate, as he ruts into you, slow, deep, and hard, surprisingly loud moans spilling from his pretty lips. Even his moans are rough, as if they scrape his throat on their way out. Like his vocal chords haven’t made such sounds in some time. 

“Sensitive?” You murmur your tease against the raised flesh. 

“Wounds tend to be, yes.” He kisses you tenderly, and when you sigh, bites your lower lip with a crunch. Teeth pierce, and copper flavors the kiss. You part with a hiss, and his thumb swipes at the puncture. “See? Or do you need further demonstration.”

“You’re such a dick,” you mutter, batting his hand away from your sore lip.

His attention falters, and you follow his eyes to your nightstand. You live alone and have no need for secrecy, so your vibrator charges in plain sight. Owning sex toys is something you’ve never thought twice about, let alone felt any shame towards, but you become flustered when Kenjaku leans over and unplugs it.

Excitement overpowers your embarrassment when he turns it on. To your surprise, he doesn’t place it on your clit, and instead keeps it in a low setting and traces it along your labia. His hips slow, but they maintain a steady pace. Your body tenses with anticipation anytime it nears your clit, but it still doesn’t touch you. The stretch of his cock feels amazing, but your clit practically burns with need, swollen and begging to be touched.

“Now, what do you have for me this week?” he asks, full of mischief.

“What?”

He pushes your chubby mound upward and finally places the toy on your clit—you gasp. 

“Your report. It’s what I came here for, after all.” 

He circles the vibrator around your clit in time with his hips, looking all too amused when you struggle to respond. You ignore his question, and instead squeeze your eyes shut as your orgasm approaches at an alarming rate. You’ve waited so long, you’ve been so pent up, you just need—

“Ah, ah, you’ve got a job to do. Stay focused,” he tuts, and lifts the vibrator. You swear loudly, and your hips chase the toy, but he pins you with a hand on your hip. 

“T-the first year,” you begin, legs trembling with pent up anticipation, “students–” you whimper when the vibrator returns. 

“Go on,” he coos. 

“They-they…” you trail off when a slow and delicious drag of his cock steals your mind. The vibrator moves, and you throw your head back. “Theywentto–fuck!” 

“Speak clearly; this is vital information.” He presses it on fully, directly, gleefully watching you struggle. 

“They wen-went to Ro-oooh,” with a click, he turns it up a notch. “Fuck, you’re–” he nestles it between your lips and rotates it teasingly. Only a few hums more and he removes it again. 

“Please, please don’t stop.” Your voice warbles pathetically, “please let me cum. I need it–”

“And I need your report,” he smiles, as if he isn’t torturing you. 

The hopeless look you give him must spur him on, because he fucks you with the most vigor he’s showed thus far. Ripples roll across your soft stomach and thighs, and your breasts bounce wildly, but you’re too far gone to pay them any mind. 

“They went to R-roppongi!” You manage, and before he can torment you, add, “it was just—third-grade curses.” 

Even now, as he fucks you hard and fast, he doesn’t pull out much, and instead focuses on stroking your all of your sensitive areas relentlessly. It’s so different from what you’re used to, and so, so much better. You don’t know if you’ll be satisfied getting fucked any other way now. 

“And what of Satoru Gojo?” he grunts when you squeeze him particularly hard.

“A meeting–he had a meeting,” you breathe heavily, trying to catch your breath. The pause must displease Kenjaku, because he slaps your wet clit with the buzzing toy, making you jerk beneath him. 

“Wednesday!” you yell. “The Higher uh-” you’re cut off with a kiss that’s more teeth and tongue, agitating your bloody lip. 

“No need to shout, I’m right here,” he says cheekily, and grips your jaw, demanding your attention. “I’m sure you’re eager for your reward.” You nod the best you can.

A large palm spans your lower belly, pressing the plump flesh down to meet his upward thrusts. It feels like you’re even fuller, even more sensitive; your eyes bulge when a deep pressure builds. 

“Can you feel it?” His eyes look wild, more unhinged than before, and it makes you squeeze him in apprehension. “How large this cock is—incredible, isn’t it?” 

If you weren’t on the verge of exploding, the way he marvels at his own dick would make you roll your eyes. 

“Hmm?” He pulls all the way out for the first time, and sharply thrusts back in, meanly stabbing your deepest, most tender area.

“Yes, yes—I feel it!” He repeats the motion, aiming higher. “It feels so fucking good!”

He chuckles and ups the vibrator’s setting, rocking into you faster. All you can do is hold on to him, your mind too scattered and pliant for anything more. With each powerful thrust, he hits the spot near your cervix, causing your pussy to clench around him and draw melodic sounds. You force your eyes to stay open, fully aware that this is a sight you’ll never forget. His disheveled hair clung to his sweaty skin, with most of the strands of his top knot undone. Pink tinges his cheeks, and his brows crease ever so slightly. The sight causes a sudden leap of pleasure, and you feel yourself dancing at the edge.

“Are you ready to come?” He asks, as if sensing the sudden development.

“Oh, god yes!”

A smile is the only warning you're given before he withdraws the vibrator again. The cruelty almost makes you cry. Before you can plead, he pushes the hood of your clit back and the vibrator returns.

“Then come.”

Everything you held onto breaks as you come, abdomen convulsing deeply, and mouth wide open. You soar so high you forget he’s with you for a moment. Your pussy gushes, and clenches him so hard it feels like it’s trying to push his cock out along with your release. The euphoric sensations quickly become a sting as the vibrator doesn’t falter, and you claw at his back and wail.

With a click, he turns off the toy as he tosses it aside, and traps you in his arms with his head nestled in the junction of your neck and shoulder. Teeth sink into the flesh hard enough to draw blood and a shout. Only four pumps more and he fills you as deep as he can reach, as if his cum seeps directly into your womb.

He lies on you for several moments, his cock softening and twitching occasionally. It’s pleasant, and oddly domestic, feeling skin against your own and listening to the sounds of each other’s breathing. Eventually, he slides free, and you’re reminded that he came inside you when it trickles down your ass. 

“I’m not on birth control, you know.” You eye him as he flops next to you, making himself comfortable, as if this is his bed and you’re the guest. “Unless you want some kid of yours running around, you owe me a Plan B.”

He shrugs.

“Makes no difference to me. It wouldn’t be my first child or my last.” 

“Ha, right,” you stretch your legs, sore from being bent for so long. After a pause, you turn to him again.

“Wait, really?”

[louismyfather]

Dick 2

"Naquela noite, Harry queria ser de Louis. Desejava o garoto profundamente, e por mais que ainda sentisse um pouco de vergonha de ficar nu na frente de outra pessoa, não deixaria que isso o atrapalhasse de se entregar ao namorado como há tempos sonhava acordado fazer."

Tags: Larry tradicional, Harry bottom, Louis Tops, Harry virgem, fic onde eles estão na banda (4k de palavras)

Harry já esteve em vários lugares imaginando estar em outros, sempre teve uma imaginação muito fértil, então facilmente se perdia em seus próprios pensamentos e se imaginava em uma realidade com acontecimentos ideais e igualmente irreais.

Até que conheceu Louis.

Louis era a pessoa ideal no lugar ideal, sempre ao seu lado em todas as entrevistas, ensaios, desde o dia que se conheceram em diante compartilhavam essa experiência. 

Naquela noite, Harry não se imaginava em outro lugar senão naquele quarto com Louis. Era a primeira noite dos dois no apartamento que decidiram começar a dividir. 

Dividir um apartamento não foi uma decisão tomada por impulso, pensaram muito sobre, mas no fundo só sentiam que não conseguiam passar tempo suficiente juntos, nem tinham privacidade o suficiente. 

O que os levava ao ponto principal da noite, quando escolheram o dia da mudança, Harry disse para Louis que estava pronto para dar o último passo de intimidade no relacionamento deles. 

Eles finalmente trasariam, fariam sexo, ou amor, como Harry gostava de dizer, desde que começou a gostar de Louis, ele começou ter ideias mais românticas sobre o ato que anteriormente nunca deu muita importância, e não por falta de chances de explorar esse lado, Harry chegou a ter um namoradinho na época da escola, no início do ensino médio, mas nunca passaram de selinhos e beijos quase inocentes.

Então sim, Harry era virgem, mas ele nunca viu problema nisso, nunca sentiu muita vontade de deixar de ser, e até depois de encontrar alguém com quem sentiu uma genuína vontade de ir até o final, não se sentiu pronto. Até aquela noite. 

Naquela noite, Harry queria ser de Louis. Desejava o garoto profundamente, e por mais que ainda sentisse um pouco de vergonha de ficar nu na frente de outra pessoa, não deixaria que isso o atrapalhasse de se entregar ao namorado como há tempos sonhava acordado fazer. 

O garoto foi despertado de seus devaneios quando escutou a porta do banheiro da suíte abrir, revelando Louis com os cabelos úmidos penteados em uma franja e usando uma camisa cinza acompanhada de uma calça vermelha com pernas folgadas e elástico na cintura. 

Harry sorriu meigo para ele sem sair de perto da janela, e Louis caminhou calmamente em sua direção, tocou o ombro dele no seu ao ficar ao seu lado e sorriu. 

O cacheado ficou de frente para Louis, que fez o mesmo ao ver sua ação e apenas correspondeu quando foi beijado calmamente como se o tempo pertencesse ao casal, e naquele momento pertenceria se eles quisessem. 

Louis colocou sua mão sobre o braço de Harry, mas ele a segurou e a levou para sua cintura. Massageou a pele por um tempo até separar o beijo para encarar os olhinhos verdes tão brilhantes. 

⸺ Você não precisa fazer isso se não quiser. Posso esperar o tempo que precisar. 

Harry sorriu pelo carinho na voz de Louis, mas não hesitou em negar que precisava de mais tempo, ele queria, e queria naquela noite, estavam sozinhos em um lugar que pertencia a eles, não poderia existir ocasião mais especial que essa.

⸺ Eu quero, Lou. ⸺ Respondeu baixo, um pouco tímido por assumir isso. ⸺ Me sinto pronto e seguro com você. 

⸺ Oh, amor… ⸺ Louis colocou suas mãos sobre o rostinho macio, sentindo sua textura. ⸺ Me sinto honrado em poder ser o seu primeiro. 

Harry mordeu os lábios para não sorrir e beijou Louis novamente, dessa vez sentindo as mãos dele em sua cintura voluntariamente, ele o puxou para que seus corpos ficassem o mais próximos possível e só afastou seus rostos quando o fôlego faltou. Harry ergueu a cabeça para cima, deixando seu pescoço livre e visível para Louis distribuir beijos por toda a região branca e intocada. 

O cacheado segurou um gemidinho satisfeito que quis deixar seus lábios quando Louis apertou sua cintura e mordeu a pele do início de seu ombro. Ele se afastou para ver sua feição afetada e segurou em sua mão para caminharem em direção a cama. 

⸺ Posso? ⸺ Louis perguntou sobre tirar a camisa que Harry vestia, ele assentiu com a cabeça, balançando seus cachos curtos, e sentou na cama para Louis realizar a ação, sentiu sua pele arrepiar quando teve o torso exposto, mas ficou confortável quando logo em seguida Louis deu o mesmo fim a sua própria camisa, ambos estavam nus da cintura para cima, seus corpos eram parecidos por serem magros e sem nenhum pelo, mas Harry se perguntou se Louis era tão sensível em seus mamilos quanto descobriu ser no instante que foi tocado ali, os pontinhos rosados se eriçaram e o garoto mais velho não demorou a deitar seu corpo sobre a cama e ficar por cima, tomando um de seus mamilos na boca.

⸺ Louis! ⸺ Harry quis gritar, mas soou como um sussurro, suas pernas prenderam Louis entre elas, e ele se esfregou contra a coxa coberta pela calça, Harry mordeu os lábios ao senti-lo duro sobre si.

Louis brincou com os mamilos de Harry pelo tempo que quis, o cacheado estava se deleitando com toques, para si foi como se tivesse passado segundos, mas foram minutos. Louis outra vez pediu permissão para despir Harry, dessa vez de sua calça, e o garoto assentiu apesar de um pouco inseguro. 

Harry teve a reação automática de se cobrir com suas mãos quando ficou nu, mas Louis se aproximou de seu rosto, beijando ele todo, e iniciou uma "tour" de beijos do pescoço até o fim de seu abdômen, onde suas mãos começavam a cobrir seu corpo. 

O cacheado respirou, afastando as mãos e as colocando ao lado do quadril. Louis deu uma breve olhada e se abaixou para selar suas coxas fartas. 

⸺ Você é lindo. ⸺ Beijou a parte inferior da coxa esquerda. ⸺ O garoto mais lindo que eu já vi em minha vida. ⸺ Beijou a direita.

Harry não teve tempo de ficar emotivo pelos elogios, pois teve que se segurar para não gemer quando rapidamente Louis estava tocando sua glande inchada, espalhando todo o pré gozo já expelido ao redor da pele rubra.

Louis sorriu como um cafajeste ao assistir a reação de Harry, se encantando cada vez mais ao perceber o quão sensível ele era, primeiro em seus mamilos e agora em seu pau, mas abaixou os dedos um pouco mais, encontrando a região que ansiava tocar.

Seus dedos encontraram a entrada pequena e intocada, sentiu ela piscar quando seu dedo médio encostou, e ansiou pelo momento que a alargaria com seu pau, mas no mesmo instante voltou a ter em mente que ainda haveria um grande processo até esse momento chegar, mas enquanto ele não chegava, poderia dedicar um pouco de tempo em provocar seu garoto.

⸺ Você já se tocou aqui? ⸺ Louis perguntou massageando a pele sensível com os dedos. Se surpreendeu quando Harry assentiu devagar a sua pergunta. ⸺ Oh, e quantos dedos você usou para se divertir? ⸺ Indagou, vendo o cacheado corar ao invés de responder. ⸺ Quero que fale comigo, amor.

Harry mordeu os lábios outra vez antes de responder com uma voz baixa. ⸺ Eu nunca… coloquei meus dedos… só toquei como você está tocando e imaginei como seria a sensação.

⸺ E porque você nunca foi além?

Harry demorou alguns segundos para responder.

⸺ Porque eu queria que você fosse o primeiro a fazer.

Mesmo falando de forma tímida, Harry conseguia deixar Louis completamente afetado, tirando o seu fôlego.

⸺ Bom, então não vamos mais adiar esse momento. ⸺ Falou, levantando da cama apenas para buscar um potinho de lubrificante que já deixou separado para esse momento. Voltou a se posicionar entre as pernas de Harry, destampando o lacre e despejando uma boa quantidade em seu dedo. Tocou a pequena entrada com o indicador e espalhou o lubrificante sobre ela por alguns segundos, até sentir Harry relaxado o suficiente para ser penetrado. 

O interior de Harry era sufocante, terminou de introduzir o dedo acompanhando suas reações, viu ele relaxado, mas não completamente, concluiu ao tentar mover o dedo e não obter muito sucesso pela pressão ao redor dele, acabou retirando-o. 

⸺ Porque você… ⸺ Harry deixou que seu primeiro gemido daquela noite saísse livre assim que sentiu a língua de Louis em sua entrada, não o acompanhou abaixando o rosto entre suas pernas, apenas sentiu quando ele removeu o dedo de seu interior, perguntaria o porquê da ação e pediria para ele continuar tentando, mas Louis agiu mais rápido. 

As mãos de Harry fizeram caminho para o cabelo liso de Louis quando ele começou a lamber sua entrada, e agarrou o couro cabeludo quando ele forçou a ponta do músculo para dentro.

Louis sentiu Harry relaxar com o seu toque e começou a fazer pequenos movimentos de ir e vir com a língua na borda apertada. Após alguns minutos estimulando-o dessa forma lenta, Louis levou o indicador novamente, conseguindo penetrá-lo sem resistência dessa vez, moveu o dedo algumas vezes, acompanhando as feições prazerosas de Harry, mas mesmo com a recepção positiva, só adicionou outro dedo quando Harry pediu, e o fez estimulando sua glande com os dedos da mão livre.

⸺ Tão bom… ⸺ Harry murmurou baixo, como se comentasse consigo mesmo, mas Louis escutou. 

⸺ O que é bom, amor? ⸺ Louis perguntou, vendo Harry se esforçar para manter os olhos abertos quando o fodia rápido com seus dedos. 

⸺ V-você. ⸺ Ele disse, antes de deixar a cabeça cair contra o travesseiro, mas teve poucos segundos com o corpo relaxado no colchão, pois segundos depois sua coluna estava se arqueando e seu abdômen contraindo quando Louis encontrou sua próstata.

⸺ Eu achei? ⸺ Louis perguntou, mesmo sabendo que sim.

⸺ P-por favor Lou… faz de novo. ⸺  Harry respondeu indiretamente, mas foi o suficiente para Louis, que voltou a acertar o mesmo ponto enquanto seus dedos ainda estavam sobre ele. Adicionou um terceiro dedo em uma das vezes que retirava os dois que usava por completo e voltava com tudo. Sentiu Harry ainda mais apertado ao seu redor, mas fez os movimentos repetitivos, até eles deslizarem rápido como se fizessem aquilo todos os dias. 

⸺ Lou?

Louis escutou Harry chamá-lo em cima e imediatamente retirou seus dedos antes de levantar a cabeça para encará-lo.

⸺ Sim?

⸺ Eu estou pronto. ⸺ Disse, sentindo-se ansioso.

Louis relutou.

⸺ Você tem certeza, querido? Acho que ainda posso abrir você mais um pouco, eu não quero que você sinta nenhum incômodo, eu…

⸺ Louis ⸺ Harry sentou na cama, até seu rosto estar de frente o do namorado. ⸺ Eu só preciso de você. Quero ser seu.

O garoto mais velho sentiu sua pele arrepiar quando o cacheado colocou a mão em sua nuca e o puxou para um beijo quente, a sua achou lugar em seus cachos bonitos e as borboletas em seu estômago dançaram, Deus, Harry não fazia ideia do quanto Louis o amava. 

⸺ Bom… vamos lá então. ⸺ Louis falou, sem nenhuma necessidade de fazê-lo, antes de levantar da cama para se despir, não fazia a menor ideia de qual seria a reação de Harry ao vê-lo nu pela primeira vez, mas estava prestes a descobrir.

Rodeou o elástico de sua calça entre os dedos e o desceu até os pés, Harry lambeu os lábios ao ver de perto o contorno marcado e grande na cueca de Louis, e seus olhos brilharam como se pedisse que ele se livrasse daquela peça de roupa de uma vez por todas. 

Louis a retirou. Se abaixou para tirá-la de seu corpo e, quando se ergueu, olhou na direção de Harry, não sabendo se temia pela sua reação ou a achava adorável. 

Harry corou como nunca antes, suas bochechas ficaram muito vermelhas e seus olhinhos encararam o comprimento de Louis antes de desviar a atenção para seus dedos sobre suas coxas. 

⸺ É bem maior do que eu imaginava. ⸺ Harry falou, queimando de vergonha por dizer isso, mas achou que devia uma resposta para Louis depois de ter a reação que teve, como se não tivesse se agradado, quando o contrário tinha acontecido, só era muito tímido para admitir isso. 

⸺ Eu… ⸺ Louis não sabia exatamente o que responder àquele comentário, não era a primeira vez que um parceiro seu tinha uma reação adversa ao ver esse seu não tão pequeno detalhe, normalmente ele perguntava se a pessoa queria continuar e se dissesse que não, ele apenas bufava e voltava a se vestir, mas ali em sua frente naquela noite estava Harry, o seu doce e adorável Harry, se ele não quisesse continuar, tudo o que faria era abaixar o rosto entre suas pernas e só se ergueria de novo quando desse a ele o orgasmo mais intenso que ele teve em sua vida. ⸺ Eu vou entender se não quiser continuar dessa forma.

Harry arregalou os olhos. ⸺ Eu quero! Quero muito! ⸺ Afirmou veemente deixando a timidez de lado e voltando a se cobrir com ela com o questionamento que fez para si mesmo em seguida e acabou externalizando para Louis. ⸺ Mas… será que vai caber?

⸺ Vai sim. ⸺ Louis sorriu pela inocência alheia. ⸺ Quer tentar agora? ⸺ Harry assentiu. ⸺ Preciso escutar sua voz.

⸺ Eu quero, Lou. ⸺ Harry afirmou sem hesitar. ⸺ Me faça seu. 

Louis respirou fundo, se preparando internamente para o momento que a tanto tempo esperava chegar. Seus joelhos tocaram a cama, enquanto os de Harry, que já estavam curvados, se separaram para abrigá-lo entre eles. O cacheado ergueu um pouco sua cabeça repousada no travesseiro para assistir Louis colocar uma generosa quantidade de lubrificante em seu pau e estimulá-lo por alguns segundos para espalhá-lo, engoliu em seco ao fitar seu tamanho mais uma vez, mas parte do seu nervosismo passou quando o corpo de Louis cobriu o seu.

Suas bocas se juntaram, se separando somente para Harry abrir a sua em um gemido mudo quando a glande o penetrou e ele sentiu uma gostosa sensação de alargamento, infelizmente o mesmo não pôde ser dito do restante do comprimento. Ao ver a reação positiva de Harry ao sentir a ponta de seu pau em sua entrada virgem, Louis introduziu devagar alguns poucos centímetros, parando no instante que viu o incômodo em seu rostinho angelical. 

⸺ P-porque você parou? ⸺ Harry perguntou, mas sua voz quase não saiu.

⸺ Porque não está bom pra você. ⸺ Foi direto.

⸺ Está sim, pode continuar. ⸺ Pediu, não podia negar, estava doendo, mas imaginou que por ser virgem seria inevitável, acreditava que ficaria bom em algum momento, e se não ficasse, poderia tentar sentir prazer em uma segunda vez. Outro cara teria seguido em frente, usado esse consentimento tão falsamente interpretado para focar apenas em seu próprio prazer, mas Louis não, ele se retirou com cuidado de Harry, que sentiu seu coração apertar acreditando que o namorado tinha desistido de fazer amor com ele e que tinha estragado a noite. 

Foi quando sentiu a língua de Louis em sua entrada novamente, ele lambeu ao redor, sentindo-a pulsar, até que enfiou o músculo como conseguia, voltou a dedar Harry depois disso, fez com que ele levasse dois dedos por minutos, até que o cacheado pedisse pelo terceiro que lhe foi dado com estocadas lentas e pacientes, mas aumentando a velocidade gradativamente à medida que sentia Harry relaxado e que seu pau, que havia amolecido um pouco, voltava a ficar rígido, vazando pré gozo em sua ponta. 

Assim que Harry estava devidamente alargado com os três dedos, Louis adicionou um quatro, sentindo o cacheado apertá-lo, mas não de incômodo, de prazer por ter sua próstata pressionada de forma tão gostosa, apesar de não fazer pressão o suficiente, para ficar cem por cento satisfeito precisava de algo maior.

⸺ Louis ⸺ Harry gemeu o nome do namorado, clamando por sua atenção.

⸺ Sim? ⸺ Respondeu seu garoto em um tom casual, como se não estivesse com quatro profundamente enfiados em seu interior.

⸺ Eu preciso de você. Por favor. 

⸺ Tem certeza? Posso ficar aqui o tempo que precisar, a vista é privilegiada. ⸺ Observou seus dedos alargando a entradinha rosada tão pequena minutos atrás, não conseguia parar de pensar em como ela ficaria depois de receber o seu pau. 

⸺ Não me faça implorar… sabe que sou muito tímido para isso. 

Louis sorriu de canto, removendo os dedos e subindo seu corpo até está de frente ao rosto corado de Harry. ⸺ Um dia ainda foder toda essa sua timidez para fora e ver você implorar pelo meu pau.

O ar de Harry cortou ao escutar as palavras sujas, não deveria ter gostado tanto de escutá-las, mas apenas sentiu mais necessidade de receber Louis, tanto que rodeou suas pernas ao redor do quadril dele e pediu.

⸺ Por favor.

Louis acariciou os lábios macios do cacheado.

⸺ Mas você vai me falar se estiver doendo, não minta, mas de qualquer maneira, eu vou saber se fingir.

⸺ Eu prometo falar. 

Louis deu uma última boa olhada no rosto angelical que lhe tirava o juízo e abaixou a cabeça para alinhar seu pau à entrada de Harry. Penetrou a glande, e o cacheado colocou uma das mãos atrás de suas costas indicando que poderia continuar, reiniciou o processo de se colocar devagar, assistindo a cada microexpressão de Harry, quando metade já estava dentro, Louis acariciou o rosto do namorado, que pediu que ele continuasse enquanto rodeava os braços ao redor de seu pescoço, sentiu o pau dele incrivelmente duro e molhado entre suas barrigas e não teve dúvidas que era isso que ele queria. 

Quando a virilha de Louis encontrou a bunda de Harry, o cacheado se segurou para não gemer alto pela pressão quase insuportável de tão boa sobre sua próstata, suas pernas tremeram e ele gostaria de implorar para ser fodido, quase chorou em agradecimento quando um Louis claramente afetado pelo aperto delirante ao seu redor perguntou se poderia se mexer, Harry afirmou que sim e tudo dali em diante se tornou uma bagunça de sons molhados e sussurros prazerosos.

⸺ Tão fundo… ⸺ Harry gemeu, apertando os cabelos da nuca de Louis. ⸺ Mais…

E foi tudo o que Louis precisou ouvir para aumentar a velocidade de seus movimentos, o restante do tempo naquela posição teve estocadas certeiras que faziam Harry ver estrelas pela maneira como revirava os olhos e apertava a cintura de Louis com suas coxas e o pau dele em sua entrada.

De repente, Louis saiu com cuidado de dentro de Harry e se deitou ao seu lado. Harry ficou confuso sem entender o porquê de Louis ter se afastado quando ambos não haviam gozado ainda, mas antes que abrisse a boca para perguntar o propósito, Louis respondeu.

⸺ Quero que você cavalgue. 

Harry se afetou apenas com a ideia de ficar por cima, montando, mas ao mesmo tempo a insegurança o tomou, aquela era a sua primeira vez, mas não a de Louis, ele já teve outras pessoas fazendo isso por ele, e se não conseguisse fazer aquilo bem?

 ⸺ Lou, eu não sei como…

⸺ Eu guio você.

O cacheado mordeu os lábios, se sentindo tentado, em parte por curiosidade, ainda era tão inocente em alguns aspectos que não entendeu exatamente como Louis o ajudaria, foi quando ele segurou sua cintura e o ajudou a atravessar uma das pernas sobre seu corpo e sentar em seu colo. Harry timidamente tocou o pau de Louis ainda tão duro quanto o seu, e se levantou o suficiente para que a ponta se alinhasse à sua entrada já um pouco inchada.

Ele desceu lentamente pelo comprimento, sentindo cada centímetro o invadir e quando sua bunda tocou as coxas de Louis, ele firmou os dedos na pele de sua cintura e o incentivou a rebolar primeiro para frente e para trás, Harry começou a mexer o quadril em círculos, sentindo como Louis o preenchia bem, a ideia de se mover para cima e para baixo foi sua, o fez subindo até a metade e descendo devagar, repetiu esse movimento até pegar um ritmo constante, as mãos de Louis voltaram a auxiliá-lo, ajudando seu quadril a sumir e puxando para baixo. Harry subiu até ter apenas a glande em seu interior e desceu com tudo, se segurou para soltar apenas um grunhido baixinho, pois se se soltasse sabia que seria capaz de fazer um escândalo, porque sentir Louis dentro de si era tão bom que gostaria de poder expor isso para o mundo, gritar o quão Louis era bom e sabia o satisfazer perfeitamente bem, como ninguém mais poderia.

Harry se moveu de forma frenética depois disso, o suor pingava em sua pele e suas pernas ameaçaram falhar, começou a se mover cada vez mais devagar, da mesma forma intensa com um pouco menos de velocidade. Louis percebeu o cansaço de seu garoto e o puxou para deitar sobre seu peito, ele o fez sem entender muito o propósito, até sentir as mãos do namorado descerem por suas curvas sutis e encontrarem os dois lados de sua bunda, quase se escandalizou quando ele as separou, deixando-o aberto, ainda mais aberto, e começou a fode-lo, metendo seu pau rápido e fundo, acabando com sua sanidade.

⸺ E-eu vou gozar. ⸺ Harry praticamente gemeu no ouvido de Louis.

⸺ Acha que pode vir sem se tocar, bebê? ⸺ Louis perguntou, apertando a bunda de Harry enquanto metia ainda rápido. 

A resposta de Harry veio em forma do jato que manchou seu abdômen e o de Louis, que sentiu o líquido quente em sua pele e gozou só de saber que fez seu garoto chegar ao ápice apenas sentindo o seu pau. 

Seus corpos pareciam ter corrido uma maratona, Harry não teve forças para sair de cima do namorado quando os dois gozaram, somente quando a respiração de Louis voltou ao seu ritmo normal e sua mente saiu da névoa de prazer que planava, avisou ao cacheado que sairia de seu interior e se retirou com cuidado, sentindo seu coração apertar quando o garoto reclamou da sensibilidade, deitou ele delicadamente ao seu lado, tentando não olhar com malícia o seu estado deplorável.

Os cachinhos normalmente bem modelados estavam desfeitos quase por completo pelo suor que descia em sua testa e seu pescoço, sua pele estava corada desde as bochechas ao colo, seus mamilos ainda estavam eriçados, o gozo em seu abdômen deixava a pele brilhosa de maneira pecaminosa, e sua entrada… 

A entradinha no início da noite apertada e virgem, se contraia no nada vazando sua porra, a cor esbranquiçada contrastando com o tom avermelhado da pele lisinha e sensível, e se Louis continuasse a olhar por mais tempo ficaria de pau duro outra vez, mas antes de desviar o olhar e se deitar na cama, encarou a cena pecaminosa mais uma vez, desejando em seus pensamentos que nunca cometesse nenhuma besteira com Harry para poder ter a garantia de ter aquela visão mais vezes.

Louis caiu exausto no colchão, recebendo Harry em seus braços, se aconchegando e sentindo o seu calor. 

⸺ Obrigado. ⸺ O cacheado disse, baixinho.

⸺ Pelo o que? ⸺ Louis perguntou, tocando a bochecha macia que afundou uma covinha sob seu toque, graças a um sorriso doce.

⸺ Por ter me dado a melhor primeira vez que eu poderia ter. ⸺ Levantou a cabeça, encontrando os olhos azuis que sempre se perdia.

⸺ Eu que agradeço, na verdade, me sinto honrado por você ter confiado em mim. ⸺ admirou os olhinhos verdes que adorava se perder. 

⸺ Eu só não sei como vou fazer aquele ensaio que temos marcado para amanhã. ⸺ Harry disse, realmente preocupado. ⸺ Eu não sinto minhas pernas.

Louis riu da preocupação alheia, em seguida se compadecendo. ⸺ Desculpe, bebê. 

⸺ Mal posso esperar pela próxima vez. ⸺ Harry falou, pela primeira vez alto e em bom som, abrindo um sorriso malicioso, que durou segundos, pois logo estava escondendo o rosto no pescoço de Louis, envergonhado com a própria ousadia.

Louis sorriu apaixonado e abraçou seu garoto mais forte, com o pressentimento de que aquele era o começo de uma longa história. 

[tacitoru]

pleaser (2) - gojo satoru ; geto suguru

pairing: gojo satoru/reader/geto suguru

summary: You wish someone would have told you how lonely college would be. Classmates and other students outside the newspaper staff keep you at arm's length. People tend to give you a wide berth. It's no big deal - for a journalist, you are laughably not a people person. Small talk makes you want to crawl out of your skin. Relationships are tedious. People are finicky and prone to lying. Unreliable. Getting close to the star players on the university's basketball team was only supposed to be a means to an end. And then it's a little more than that.

rating: explicit (eventual smut)

tw: basketball!au, enemies to lovers, journalism

wc: 4k

ch: 2/5

read on ao3

Then

“Your eyes will get stuck like that.” 

Your editor-in-chief is not at all surprised to find you sulking. Shoulders slumped, arms crossed as you glare petulantly across the foyer of the student union. You don’t play aloof very well.

She stands shoulder to shoulder with you and follows your gaze. 

In the distance, two basketball players donning signature sky blue jerseys draw a crowd near the student government office. They stand out among the sea of milling students like skyscrapers. The swath of unnaturally white - surely he wasn’t born like that? - hair on the tallest one is even less helpful in helping him blend in. A few passerby stutter in their steps trying to catch a glimpse of their faces. The young men have their backs to where the pair of you observe, in the middle of addressing the small audience. A mix of student government and faculty, the source of your ire stands amongst them. Kento Nanami stands at the head of the crowd with his smartphone in one hand and a tape recorder in the other held just slightly above the sea of heads. His blond hair and crisp blue button-up make him easy to pick out from the gang of suits. 

When snark doesn’t draw your full attention, Utahime calls your name instead. “You look like you’re about to cry.”

Furrowing your lips, your frown deepens. “Who the fuck even carries around a real tape recorder anymore? Does he not have the app on his phone?”

Your pseudo-boss shoulder checks you. Never one to miss an opportunity to play morality police. “Don’t be obnoxious,” she admonishes in what you think she thinks is her gentlest tone. “Not everybody has a smartphone.”

“He’s holding one, Utahime,” you snark back. 

The animosity catches you both off guard. You’re not typically one to be confrontational. In all of your years on the university’s newspaper staff, you’d suppose you’re akin to a fly on the wall. A floater, you’ve moved from section to section at the dismissal of the lead editors each year. It wasn’t that you were an incompetent writer so much as it was that no topic seemed to really stick with you. Student leadership wouldn’t let you go if they could help it - it was easier to keep and train staff members than to recruit. But they would never promote you - there was always somebody who fit the bill just a little bit better, who wrote with a little more flare. You were nearing the end of your senior year anyway. It was too late to even consider.

You’ve never really minded - never minded anything at all, really. The fact that almost all of the leadership was a year younger than you. Or the fact that you were consistently assigned fluff writing. That you had been skipped time and time again for any chance at covering anything more important than the carpets in the library being updated from green to gray, or minor changes to a dining hall’s dietary restrictions.

A perfect passive participant on staff, you follow all the rules. Do every story they assign you. More often than not, it’s the ones nobody else wants to bother with. They offer you some sort of loose camaraderie in return; a pat on the shoulder, a lukewarm invite to be a plus one to a holiday party. All of the necessary tools for social survival in college.  The news, cultures, and opinion columns shuffled you around semester by semester like a cumbersome stage prop. Comfortably standing in the shadow of your peers. You never ask for anything.

So you decide to be a little nicer to Utahime, to whom all this attitude must be coming out of left field.  

Never taking your eyes off the crowd, you ask with a little less bite, “Did they tell you when the press conference is yet?”

They , as in the athletics department, had been keeping zip tight on the details of the university basketball team’s newest arrivals since they had touched down in the States over the weekend. The pair of you watch as the shorter one, a young man (albeit still a full head taller than most of his audience) with black gauges and his hair pulled into a bun, delivers a short comment that causes a laugh to ripple through their onlookers. You think you see even Nanami, of all people, crack a smile. It’s hard to tell for sure from this distance.

It wasn’t unusual for the staff on the student newspaper to share tips and ideas or track events on campus together, but it’s irregular for you to be among them. There was no need to ask for help when your stories were practically written out for you. Today however, you had kept a keen eye out for your fellow writers on campus, ear to the ground all morning as you sought out some kind of - any kind of - hook that could solidify your claim to what was sure to be one of the most memorable feature story of the year: the athletics department's annual exchange student program.

“Do they allow players to wear gauges on the court?”

“You’re asking me a lot of questions for somebody that’s not assigned to this beat.” Utahime sighs. The awkward moment rolls off her shoulders with an ease you’re becoming familiar with. “I’m not giving you a press pass.”

“I - okay?” You wilt a little, shoulders slumped as Utahime takes the next question right out of your mouth. “I didn’t even say anything. That’s not even what I asked.”

“You didn’t have to. I can see it all over your face-,” You duck the graze of her knuckle as she moves to brush a faux tear, but the unimpressed look on her face remains. “But no. I haven’t heard anything from the coaches yet.”

You try and fail to hide your disappointment. You refuse to pout in front of your boss. Utahime had a softer spot for you than most of your fellow staff members - as a writer who had been on staff for so long with little to no promotion or department to call home in all four years of your college career, whispers of questions around the validity of keeping you on staff started to circulate well into the winter semester.

“Why were you so interested in doing this feature anyway? I got the feeling you didn’t like writing for this kind of stuff.” You never ask for favors; she tells you as much. “I’m just surprised, is all.” 

From your peripheral, Utahime looks at you curiously, a hand on her chin. Maybe it was because she was a year younger than you, and pitied the disposition she found you in after being elected into the chief position. But even that softness only went so far.

You shake your head, still watching the crowd from across the lobby. The taller basketball player, the white-haired guy, sticks out among the crowd like a dandelion, bending and swaying to an invisible breeze while he crowds into the space of his teammate. You crinkle your nose - his posture is surprisingly terrible.

“Kind of stuff?”

“Y’know, just - sports? Your strong suits have been more like…like, what kinds of water bottles have been popular on campus! Oh, or that listicle you did of all of the best fall-themed soundtracks-,”

“-that we published in the spring -,” 

Utahime waves you off. “That’s not the point.” 

She launches into a reassuring ramble, throwing a hand up when you don’t start to look any more appeased. The motion seems to catch Nanami’s attention from across the foyer’s open floor. He doesn’t crack a smile, but waves at the pair of you with his phone-holding hand, polite as ever. You wave back. When he turns away, your pout melts into a grimace. Tuning Utahime out, your eyes wander back to the head of the crowd, only to choke on your gasp. You’ve also inadvertently caught the attention of one of the exchange students - and he looks pissed . 

From where he stands, the white-haired wonder boy has twisted the whole top half of his body to bless you with the ugliest look of contempt you’ve ever had the displeasure of witnessing in your short life. He only rights himself when his dark-haired teammate corrals his focus back to the congregation ahead of them with a gentle hand on his shoulder. It’s enough of an interruption to make you turn your whole back on the entire debacle in embarrassment.

Utahima continues to do her best impression of placating you, hands folded above her chest as she pleads. “- And, you know, it would just be a lot easier for everybody, really, to give this to somebody who already knows if players are allowed to wear gauges on the court, and other frivolous shit like that instead of wasting time asking me.”

You make a noise like a laugh through your nose, thinking of what she considers your strong suits. “Okay.”

Out of the corner of your eye, you see the objects of your interest begin to make their way out of the front of the building, enticing their crowd of university staff and students along with them. An underclassman tries to give the white-haired man a high-five in passing. He dismisses him with a shrug. Your resolve wavers. You follow all the rules. You never ask for anything.

“Look,” Utahime begins in a tone that makes you think uh oh. “It’s not that I don’t think you’re a capable writer. I hated turning you down so publicly at the staff meeting, and there’s no doubt that your contributions to the paper have been -,” she searches for a word “- impactful to our student body. But I need somebody who’s going to do this feature, um, quietly. I mean look how much attention those two are drawing and it’s not even time for lunch yet.” 

Two girls run straight into each other, phones clattering to the ground, their eyes glued to the spectacle making its way out of the building. You can’t help but snicker, a little less forlorn. Requesting to cover the feature story for the exchange students had been the first time you had stuck your neck out for yourself, only to be succinctly rejected in front of your peers. Utahime hadn’t even the decency to pretend to hesitate. At least you’re not the only one making a fool of yourself today.

Utahime fixes you with a look that makes you straighten up a little, all business.

“I want to get this right the first time, and it’s already going to be hard between the fangirls, the fanboys , and the limited press access during the season. Can you promise me that you won’t try to butt in?”

In lieu of answering Utahime’s question, you ask, “You’ll let me know when they do, right? When you hear back from them.”

Somehow, she manages to glare harder.

You suck your teeth, sigh, and relent, “I promise.”

The editor-in-chief doesn't look entirely convinced, but the severe expression on her face relaxes nonetheless. “There’s no need to worry,” Utahime’s phone buzzes in her pocket and she turns on her heels as she checks the notification, effectively closing the conversation. “Nanami will do this piece justice.”

The two exchange students stride towards the exit, seemingly now caught up in their own little world as they chuckle amongst themselves, hardly minding the entourage that follows. The afternoon sun floods the glass double doors with a bright light, and you watch after them as they push through. 

“But that’s what I’m worried about,” you mumble, resign, and follow her into the office.

You wish someone would have told you how lonely college would be. 

Classmates and people outside of the newspaper staff tended to keep you at arm's length once they learned of your extracurriculars, mostly for fear of one day seeing themselves among the crisp pages of the biweekly print. It was all in vain; in your four years being juggled between columns, you had never aired out anyone’s dirty laundry. You were diligent in your moral code, however gray. People tended to give you a wide berth nonetheless.

It was no sweat off your back - for a journalist you are laughably not a people person. Small talk made you want to crawl out of your skin. Relationships were tedious. People were finicky and prone to lying. Unreliable. Their stories, however - actually, maybe just as much so, but that was an entirely different thrill. And yet as graduation crept closer, your lackluster portfolio mocked you far worse than your meager contacts list. Submitting job applications felt like shooting blanks at a target while blindfolded. You needed a miracle - and fast. 

It’s just your luck that the evening you are the last to lock up the student newspaper office, two miraculous things happen at once: the lead sports editor forgets his press pass at his desk just as two of Japan’s highest-ranking athletes in men’s college basketball officially announce their transfer to your institution as part of some long-running good-will exchange program.

The first anomaly is sports editor Kento Nanami’s sudden bout of forgetfulness. In his rush to make it to the press conference early, he had left the badge on his desk. You’re nice enough to promise to drop by the auditorium where it’s being held, telling him as much over text. Your peer responds with the same level of dryness you’ve come to associate with him.

Thanks. Read 6:46 PM.

The whole thing already felt like a bad omen.

Enter anomaly number two, the two Japanese exchange students joining your school’s record-holding Division One basketball team for the year. The news had spread like wildfire across the campus of your large liberal arts college before it had even reached the newspaper. It was never a matter of why the exchange program was happening.

The university boasted an extremely impressive men’s basketball team that dominated the American college league in every sense of the word. Armed with a history of individuals who went on to become some of the highest-paid athletes in the NBA and a team of coaches with a tremendous wealth of experience, your sleepy liberal arts school has made a name for itself in the world of college-level athletics. It was inevitable that other institutions would want a piece of the pie, and Tokyo University had long established their in.

It was never a matter of why, but who.

They’re gorgeous. Inarguably so. A pair of athletes in a league of their own amongst their peers both in the States and on their home turf, both parties of which you’ve witnessed trip over themselves in a clumsy dichotomy of disdainful and overbearing eagerness already in the short time you’ve spent observing the team. Youthful, dripping raw athleticism, handsome beyond words, and worst of all, they know it - the smarmy one with shocking white hair tells you as much when you meet for the first time in the elevator.

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer.”

Satoru Gojo had every right to be brash and vainglorious. More popularly referred to by his last name, the famed shooting guard from Kyoto boasts an impressive track record under his belt, stats that put even the shiniest American college basketball players to shame. His inhuman height and athleticism make him a living nightmare to oppose. The strongest , the tabloids and play-by-play sports podcasts had labeled him. Even Nanami, of all people, had described him as a monster on the court. The lead sports editor is not the type to give compliments lightly - if that could even be considered one. But if Satoru Gojo is scary on paper, he’s fucking terrifying in person.

Heat crawls up your neck, and spills onto your cheeks, your gaze quickly returns to the floor. “Sorry,” you mumble, embarrassed. Without even having introduced yourself, you’ve somehow managed to tick him off twice in the span of a few days. 

It seems as though the universe has a sense of humor tonight. You had rushed across campus to the auditorium, press pass held in your iron-fisted grip in an attempt to beat the clock. Only to end up in the elevator crammed between the very two people you’d been hoping to catch a glimpse of on your way out. While you had been hoping for some sort of miracle to be tossed your way, this..this was…

Caught off guard and underprepared, you feel brittle like a leaf in the wind under the shared weight of their gaze. Later, when you playback the recording on your phone in your pocket, you pretend not to notice when you hear your voice shake.

Suguru Getou, the other exchange student and equally formidable athlete, admonishes his teammate softly. The one who, now that you’re standing close enough to confirm, does indeed wear black gauges. His hair is loose from its bun today, inky locks tossed carelessly over one shoulder.  They both don the university’s signature jerseys once again, the cleanest they’ll probably be all season. “Satoru, please.” 

Satoru . You make note of the use of his given name, spoken gently and laced with amusement, like a parent scolding a wayward child.

You might almost believe Suguru to be sympathetic if he also didn’t look one slick comment away from laughing at your discomfort. 

“What?” His teammate flat-out whines, having complete disregard for politeness - and personal space, apparently. He reaches over and flicks the piece of plastic clutched in your hand suddenly enough that it makes you flinch.

“Ain’t this a press pass? I’m just sayin’. They’ve got, like, a whole hour to do this shit.” Gojo gripes, scratching his head. In perfect English, they talk around you. Over you, like you’re just some physical inconvenience in the middle of a conversation they were already having. You probably are. Recognizing this doesn’t make your heart race any slower.

Out of the corner of your eye, the elevator ticks closer to the mezzanine floor, where you know Kento is waiting for you. This is your chance, this is your chance!

Like an idiot, you stumble over your words, trying for something between a convincing protest and solid introduction, quickly shoving the pass into the pocket that’s empty. “No, not all! Um, actually, I did have a few-,”

The elevator dings, announcing your arrival. Internally, you swear. Twice your build and stature, Gojo shoulders you on the way out without a second glance, nearly rocking you off of your feet.  Over his shoulder, he wags his finger at you. “Ah, ah, no head starts.”

Suguru is at least polite enough to offer a smile, albeit one you can’t determine if it's sympathetic or pitiful. He gives you a once over, so quickly you might have imagined it. “Good luck out there.”

Stepping out into the hall, you watch half-stunned as the two teammates swagger in the opposite direction of your destination, off to where you assume their coach and athletic staff await. 

Could you have possibly fumbled the ball any harder? You fiddle with your phone on the way to where Kento said he was last sitting, pausing your recording.  Fumble? No, that’s football. What’s the basketball equivalent..?

Your colleague paces anxiously in the top row of the mezzanine, waiting for you to pass off his badge. If you had been paying close enough attention, you might even say he was nervous for once. Any other day, that’d be something you’d revel in. But tonight, caught up in your train of thought, you miss the look that crosses his face when you hand him the press pass without so much as a greeting. 

“Are you okay?” He asks warily, more so out of obligation than kindness. You remember with stark clarity where he had been sitting at the staff meeting when Utahime rejected your request to cover the story - his stoic, unflinching expression when she announced it had been assigned to him. You had hardly been able to look him in the eye since. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“What do you call a fumble in basketball?”

Kento goes from overly cautious to puzzled. “...A fumble?”

“Ah.”

From where the pair of you stand at the height of the auditorium, the press gathered on the lower level look like a hungry, writhing mob. You observe them as they prepare for your esteemed guests, each armed with microphones and totting cameras with flash attachments the size of your fist. They face a backdrop littered with sponsorship logos, two seats, and an unimpressive table decorated in your school’s colors and laden with more microphones.

Kento moves to head to the elevator, only to hesitate at your contemplative look.

“Does this…” he sighs and starts over, fiddling with the pass slung around his neck. “I can’t bring you with me down there.”

“I know.”

“Or to any of the games.”

“I know.”

“Or interviews.”

You glance up, facing him full-on for the first time in days. Scanning his features for any sign of mockery. “...Okay.”

“But between this and the rest of the sports for this season, I’ve got my hands full.” On stage, the head coach appears to greet the slew of reporters, thanking them for coming out tonight. He begins to say a few words about the exchange students and the history of the exchange program. Kento’s eye twitches - you can feel him getting antsy. “I’m fine taking notes, but I could use some help with the drafting.”

A feeling wells up inside your chest. Amid all of the dejection, the disappointment, the worry - a glimmer of hope had appeared. Somebody was finally giving you a chance.

He offers his hand but you’re slow to take it. Eyes narrowed, you tell him rather than ask, “And I get credit.”

“Partial,” he acquiesces. “And we’ll be on the front page.”

The clamor beneath you begins to grow louder, and your colleague lurches back like he’ll jump over the balcony if that's what it will take to make it down there on time. Steel-eyed, you snatch Kento’s hand in yours before he can take anything back. 

“Deal.”

The crowd below you erupts into a thunderous roar of cheers. 

<< prev.

[aethon-recs]

Themed Rec List | Voldemort-Raises-Harry Tomarrymort Recs

One of my favorite Tomarrymort themes is when Voldemort decides to raise Harry (perhaps to thwart the prophecy, or perhaps for other in-universe reasons, such as having shared soulmarks). Below is a selection of beloved fics where Voldemort is Harry's primary caretaker for some or all points during his childhood.

As always, please read the tags before reading any of these fics. There are some fluff and crack fics in this selection, but some of these do cover darker themes.

The flip side of Voldemort raising Harry is when Harry decides to raise Tom Riddle, so that will be the next batch of recs to accompany this one 🤍

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Voldemort-Raises-Harry Tomarrymort Recs

Antedate by @duplicitywrites (T, 6k, complete)

From infancy, Tom Riddle had a habit of touching his left forearm. Just below the inside of the wrist, fingers trailing down the pale, sensitive skin, brushing along the visible veins right down to the ever-flickering black ink that signified— Signified what, exactly, Tom did not know, and by the time he was old enough to question it, he was also old enough to know better than to ask.

As Portioned from a Whole by @cannibalinc (E, 24k, WIP)

In which Lord Voldemort undermines the Prophecy and raises the infant Harry Potter as His; in all aspects.

Daddy Dearest by @katsitting (E, 24k, complete)

“But daddy, doesn’t it make you uncomfortable? Is that not the first thing you said when I walked in?” Harry began, leaning forward to plant his hands on either side of the desk.

Eulogy by @meles-merrivale (E, 6k, complete)

You run through the things you have to do for the day. It is, admittedly, a very short list. Wake up. Be clean. Be ready. An empty life, some might call it. You don’t. It is the life He has given you, and so it is what you deserve.

Exegesis by liquoricepantomime (M, 38k, WIP)

In exchange for peace, Voldemort asks for Harry Potter. And so, there is a new legacy that forms—of The-Boy-Who-Was-Sold, and his childhood spent in a castle, with a man who has killed his parents. A man who is mad, and whose ire reigns fiery hell. A man he will marry, and yet knows nothing about.

File A by Kushimani (E, 7k, complete)

In a different universe, one in which Voldemort wins, Voldemort finds eight-year-old Harry Potter in the basement of Fenrir Greyback and takes him in, not wanting Harry to go through what he himself had at the orphanage. Perhaps sending Harry there might have been for the best, as Voldemort finds himself having sinful dreams about the boy and terrible urges that he eventually cannot ignore any longer.

In Death, Standby by Sophisme (M, 94k, WIP)

After the infamous massacre of the Potters, young Harry Potter went missing. It doesn't really help that years later he turns up again, a bit darker, stranger and more erratic than anyone had hoped for. But Harry hardly cares, since in the end it's his decision on which side he will fight; Dark, Light or no side at all.

Like My Very Own Blood by @monsieurclavier (E, 13k, WIP)

Minister Riddle won his election in part because he took the extremely charitable path of adopting a war orphan—Harry Potter, the child of a historically Light family—and raising the boy as his own. It was an investment worth making... or it had been, until his quiet, clever son grew into a brilliant, scheming Omega determined to seduce his adoptive father by any means necessary.

Local Dark Lord Upstart Opens Bank Account, Inherits Millions by @duplicitywrites (T, 4k, complete)

A seventeen-year-old Tom Marvolo Riddle walks into Gringotts to open a bank account. The goblin teller says he needs to take an inheritance test before his coffers can flow with gold and his enemies can tremble before him...

Pale Shadow by @crowcrowcrowthing (E, 5k, complete)

Harry was seven years old, so he was much too old to be afraid of monsters. Especially when those monsters were nice and probably just wanted a friend.

The Cherished One by @acciotomriddle (E, 1.5k, complete)

Voldemort chose not to kill Harry that night in Godric’s Hollow, and decided to raise him instead.

They, of Riddle Manor by riddlereading (M, 16k, complete)

Tom Marvolo Riddle shows up at the front door of Riddle Manor, and Cecilia Riddle answers. It changes how Halloween 1981 normally plays out at the Potter house and the fate of the wizarding world as we know it.

This Is Why You Don't Summon Demons, Harry by Kushimani (E, 59k, complete)

Harry Potter is seven when he's left at the nearby church by Petunia to get an exorcism. He becomes curious about a book on the nearby bookshelf, and opens it. That leads to him summoning a demon that he makes a deal with. The demon, Voldemort, will protect him, and in return the demon will devour his soul when it is ripe.

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[01hmyself]

oi !

check antes do meu celular bloquear !!! <3

bebi pouca água masok

e andei 4K!!!

comi comi comi pq tava chei di fome mas enfim pelo menos consegui fzr exercicios ! fazia tempo que nao fazia, la no postinho de saúde que fui hoje com mamãe tinha coisa de academia ao ar livre, e fiz quase 30min de exercícios lá enquanto aguardava ser chamado!! foi legal ! amanhã decidi melhor não ir pro passeio :( mas vou fzr faxinao em casa, com direito a limpar geladeira i esfregar parede 💥💥

[dreamwithlost]

...KIM MINJI É MEU GRANDE AMOR

Jiu x Fem!Reader

Gênero: Friends to lovers, sáficozinho lindo, agnst

W.C: 4K (VALE A PENA EU JURO)

ᏪNotas: Ultimamente tá sendo difícil escrever KKKKK (ovo ir de camisa de saudade eterna) masss eu lembrei dessa aqui que escrevi a um tempo atrás para o spirit, e como AMO ela, resolvi que seria uma boa hora para traze-la para cá também!!! Espero muito que gostem, e uma boa leitura meus amores ♡

Ps: Obrigada Evelyn Hugo que me deu inspiração para essa história ♡

Ps²: Escutem dreamcatcher.

Você sempre hesitava em tomar seu cappuccino toda vez que a garçonete o depositava sobre sua mesa, seus dedos deslizavam pela alça de cerâmica, girando a pequena xícara branca, o barulho do atrito sobre o pires da peça ocultado pelo falatório animado de Nabi a sua frente. Você permaneceu focada na conversa com a amiga, um sorriso sincero estampando seu rosto vez ou outra, por mais que estivesse exausta dos ensaios da coreografia de mais cedo.

— Daí eu reencontrei ele! — Nabi contava animada sobre o garoto qual reencontrou na estação de trem, a jovem fez uma careta após bebericar seu café ainda extremamente quente, o seu oposto.

Talvez você sempre hesitasse demais, e Nabi, de menos.

— Eu não acredito — Você riu levando uma das mãos até a boca, se afastando de seu cappuccino — Parece cena de filme — Apesar da fama de suas músicas, era sempre a vida agitada de sua amiga e empresária que lhe animava, saciando qualquer desejo de histórias românticas que pudesse vir a ter.

Talvez você fosse ótima em ouvir histórias de amor, e Nabi, de vivê-las.

— E você? — Murmurou Nabi, apoiando os cotovelos sobre a mesa, seus cabelos loiros balançando em sentido da brisa fresca que entrava na cafeteria favorita da dupla, singela, discreta, rústica, tudo que precisavam em meio a agitação da rotina — Nada para me contar? Eu sei, eu sei — Interveio antes que pudesse dizer qualquer coisa — Você é uma artista, não pode ter relações amorosas no momento, precisa focar na carreira solo e blá-blá-blá — Ela se afastou novamente — Mas não acha que isso pode ser por conta do Taewoo, hm? Ficou com o coração partido sem o seu grande amor — Nabi sussurrou em lamentos, fantasiando a trágica história de sua amiga e seu primeiro namorado.

Que, na verdade, não havia nada de tão trágico assim.

Que, na verdade, nem ao menos era o seu grande amor.

Finalmente levantou sua xícara, sentindo o gosto forte e adocicado da bebida escura descer por sua garganta, você já havia escutado dizer que as pessoas podiam começar a diminuir os níveis de açúcar no café conforme os anos avançavam, mas igual a ti, qual cada vez mais doce desejava a bebida, era novidade para muitos. Você observou o desenho bagunçado na superfície do cappuccino por algum tempo, raciocinando o discurso proferido pela amiga a sua frente, suas mãos não tremiam e seus lábios ainda estavam úmidos, mas mesmo assim sentiu a necessidade de colocar a xícara novamente sobre um local seguro.

Você não era apenas hesitante quanto acabar ou não com trabalhos feitos em bebidas, mas também sobre seus sentimentos. A "solista" esperava que os ignorando pudesse mantê-los escondidos, intactos, como o desenho florido no café, mas, no fundo sabia que o líquido uma hora esfriaria, mesmo que demorasse, uma hora se tornaria inconsumível, estragado, e alguém precisaria fazer algo.

Uma hora seus sentimentos transbordariam, e você precisaria fazer algo.

Você tinha medo deles já terem transbordado há muito tempo, e não ter sido capaz nem ao menos de reserva-los em outro recipiente.

— Nabi — Chamou delicadamente.

Não era a primeira vez que a amiga de longa data tentava entrar naquele assunto, e também não era a primeira vez que se sentia incomodada com aquilo, na verdade, talvez aquela ferida fosse cutucada tão profundamente que já havia até mesmo deixado de ser um incômodo e tivesse se tornado alguma outra coisa. Toda vez que Nabi tentava adentrar o seu passado, você se sentia mais e mais frustrada pelas escolhas que tomou em sua vida, não arrependida, afinal, foram suas decisões que lhe fizeram ter o grande nome qual tinha hoje em dia, mas de fato, frustrada.

Você podia ter tentado um pouco mais, podia ter procurado outros meios, podia ter falado alguma outra coisa.

Podia ter falado algo.

O café ainda estava mais quente do que deveria quando você deu o segundo gole, uma novidade para acompanhar a nova motivação que a cada dia que passava crescia mais sobre o peito, como o nível de açúcar em suas bebidas amargas. Seu peito subiu e desceu em um suspiro profundo, apesar de não estar de fato nervosa com a situação, e se inclinou para a frente, suas madeixas tentando se soltar de trás de sua orelha, atraída pela mesma brisa qual tocou Nabi minutos atrás.

— Taewoo não é meu grande amor.

Taewoo era sem dúvidas o seu primeiro amor, mas não o maior deles, e diferente do que imaginaria que sentiria ao confessar aquilo para alguém, seu peito foi atingido com uma sensação extremamente leve com o início da revelação.

— Então quem é? — Nabi questionou surpresa, também se inclinando para a frente, como quem estivesse assistindo o maior filme de suspense de todos os tempos — Quem foi seu grande amor?

Talvez o sorriso mais bonito que você já tenha dado, e irá dar em toda sua vida, tivesse surgido naquele momento.

Pela primeira vez gostou do medo que cresceu em sua barriga, e desejou até mesmo gritar aquela informação.

— Kim MinJi — Respondeu sem enrolação, desejando tirar o atraso de anos qual já havia tido — Kim MinJi foi meu grande amor.

Fora impossível que as lembranças, tão bem guardadas no fundo, de seu cérebro, invadissem sua mente naquele momento.

O chão gélido de metal da escadaria sem dúvidas não era o local mais confortável o qual poderia ter escolhido para se sentar, considerando que o seu dormitório ficava literalmente um lance de escadas acima. Já era tarde, as luzes do prédio haviam sido apagadas como de costume, pela pequena janela atrás de si, na plataforma de curva da escada, apenas um pequeno vislumbre da luz da lua iluminava suas mãos. Você observou o líquido amarelado na garrafa de vidro que carregava, sua cabeça encostada de maneira desconfortável do corrimão metálico ao seu lado, a dança descompassada que a bebida fazia contida em suas amarras transparentes prendendo toda sua atenção. Você sentia que sempre soube o que queria fazer com a sua vida, determinada no sonho de se tornar uma cantora de sucesso, assim como as diversas idols que, por qualquer tela a qual ela tivesse a disponibilidade de utilizar, acabavam com seus dias nublados, dando um rumo para o destino incerto da jovem solitária, sabia que não precisava de mais nada a não ser o conforto que a conquista poderia lhe trazer, apesar de vez ou outra dar espaço para algum outro sentimento lhe dominar. Entretanto, naquele momento, quando a coisa mais bela que conseguiu enxergar foi o reluzir da noite diante o vidro espesso em suas mãos, já não teve mais tanta certeza daquilo.

Sabia mesmo o que queria fazer com a sua vida?

— Ei — Uma voz ecoou pelo vazio da entrada, os passos aproximando-se lentamente, sutis, quase como se tivessem medo de poder ser ouvidos, apesar da dona daquela ação sem dúvidas não possuir tal medo.

— MinJi — Você respondeu brincando com a sonoridade do nome em sua boca.

— O que você está fazendo? — A morena questionou, sentando-se ao seu lado, que permanecia com sua cabeça repousada no corrimão, suas madeixas vez ou outra balançavam pelos leves movimentos feitos.

— Eu estou na fossa — Explicou simplista, finalmente arrumando sua postura, suas pernas levemente separadas, a mão que ainda segurava a cerveja suspensa entre elas — Acho que é isso que se faz quando se termina.

Ela não havia certeza se queria fazer aquilo.

— Você e o Taewoo terminaram? — MinJi questionou, levando uma das mãos até a boca, em uma resposta exagerada.

Você apenas balançou sua cabeça positivamente em resposta.

— Por quê? — A jovem indagou novamente.

Por que você estava confusa.

— Porque não posso namorar agora, se quiser crescer nessa empresa — A resposta pareceu perfeitamente correta ao sair pelos seus lábios dentristecidos, apesar de, no fundo, um aperto no peito continuar lhe incomodando, como se desejasse buscar o real motivo daquilo.

Sua carreira seria o único motivo?

Você sempre soube tudo que queria, mas agora, sentia como se não soubesse mais nada.

Nem sabia se estava realmente triste por terminar.

— Oh — A jovem exclamou, não achando melhores palavras para dizer. Você viu de soslaio quando seus olhos desceram até a garrafa em suas mãos — Olha, eu não acho que encher a cara vai resolver alguma coisa, além de que se te pegarem...

— Eu não bebo — Você retrucou novamente, fazendo com que agora uma feição confusa fosse posta em sua direção.

Ousou, após todo aquele tempo de diálogo, olhar para a amiga de longa data preocupada ao seu lado, apesar de uma ação simplista, sentiu como se tivesse levado anos até o momento que seus olhos cruzaram-se com os dela, sentiu seu coração bater mais forte uma única vez, quase deixando escapar o restante de sua fala para um lugar longe demais para que pudesse alcançar novamente.

— Não tem álcool — Explicou levantando a cerveja em mãos — Eu não bebo nada alcoólico — Aquela expressão de confusão insistiu em permanecer sobre a jovem ao seu lado — É sério! — Confirmou novamente — Experimenta — Pediu estendendo a garrafa de vidro para a amiga, que apenas começou a rir com a ação.

— Eu acredito em você — Confessou em meio a um riso, baixo, delicado, mas, ao mesmo tempo, tão cheio de vida que até mesmo as paredes quiseram se aproximar para desfrutar melhor daquilo — Você sabe que não precisa me provar nada.

Você não sabia fazer aquilo, a vida inteira teve que provar algo para as pessoas.

Mas realmente, nunca precisou provar nada para MinJi.

Logo a mais alta cessou seu riso, olhando gentilmente para a garota apática ao lado, ela inclinou seu corpo levemente para frente, pegando a garrafa de suas mãos. O silêncio adentrou o ambiente lentamente, sendo depositado em um pedido da noite escura e densa que cercava os dormitórios, totalmente acatado apenas no momento em que os dedos de MinJi esbarraram sutilmente nos seus, disparando um arrepio que, apesar de não poder ler mentes, soube que havia afetado ambas. Vocês não sabiam dizer em que ponto aquilo havia começado, talvez sempre houvesse sido difícil dizer o que acontecia entre as duas, entre aquela sensação tão confortável e íntima que lhes carregava, chegando a ser assustadora.

A questão era que tanto você quanto MinJi eram ótimas em ignorar certas coisas.

— Vem, vamos subir — Chamou MinJi, levantando-se em um pulo, seu rosto marcado pelo sorriso amigável que normalmente trazia consigo — Já está tarde — Informou, estendendo sua mão.

Você não aceitou aquele ato gentil, ignorando a mão a sua frente quando se levantou com a ajuda da firmeza do corrimão, seu toque ecoou pelo objeto metálico, e o som do líquido escorrendo pela garrafa de vidro foi audível pela última vez segundos depois, quando a garota ignorada lhe tomou de suas mãos e deu o último gole que restava.

— Não entendo o sentido de tomar cerveja sendo que nem o álcool tem — Comentou, seu pé alcançando o primeiro degrau, acompanhando o seu — Ela só fica amarga.

— É só para ter um foco — Confessou, distraída pelos degraus abaixo de si, você sempre teve medo de tropeçar naquela escadaria.

Você sempre teve medo de cair.

— Então... — MinJi começou, sua voz abaixando uma oitava conforme se aproximavam dos quartos — Como foi, sabe, o papo entre você e o Taewoo?

— Foi tranquilo — Respondeu, sentindo pela primeira vez cem por cento de verdade em sua fala — A gente tá de boa.

Taewoo continuaria ocupando um espaço sobre seu peito, aquilo era verídico, o garoto havia sido seu primeiro amor, e acima disso tudo, um amigo qual pode contar. Talvez por isso não estivesse tão entristecida pelo fato de terem se separado.

— Entendi — Murmurou MinJi.

Seus pés finalmente alcançaram o andar superior, o qual após uma pequena curva, logo revelou um longo corredor branco, suas paredes em um tom gélido, apesar das luzes apagadas. As portas metálicas como o corrimão, pintadas no mesmo tom claro do resto do ambiente, fechadas, silenciadas pelo cansaço das demais trainees do local.

O resto da curta caminhada não lhes causou mais nenhum diálogo, confortadas pelo sossego do momento enquanto se dirigiam em direção a seus aposentos. O seu quarto ficava quase ao final do corredor, sendo ultrapassado apenas por de sua amiga, que se encontrava na última porta.

— Ah! — Um grito imprevisível foi solto por MinJi quando chegaram em seu destino.

O som rápido não parecia ter feito grande efeito no local, apesar da mais baixa ter dado um pulo tão involuntário quanto o ato. Fora o tilintar do vidro se chocando com o chão que pareceu ressoar por mais tempo, adentrando os ouvidos das duas de maneira incômoda.

Você se abaixou agilmente, sentindo sua visão ficar turva por alguns segundos com a ação, coisa a qual ignorou, buscando apenas parar a estridência da garrafa, ato o qual MinJi também teve a ideia, descendo seu corpo sincronizadamente com a amiga, suas mãos tocaram-se sobre o material gélido, o choque de mais cedo multiplicando-se em uma quantidade impossível de se contar.

— O que foi? — Você questionou, preocupada demais com a garota a sua frente para notar qualquer outra coisa.

— Barata — Foi tudo o que ela respondeu.

— Barata? — Perguntou novamente, olhando rapidamente para trás de si, em busca do tal inseto em meio a escuridão.

— Sim! — Choramingou, relembrando a cena de segundos atrás, quase como se pudesse senti-lá — Ela entrou no quarto do lado.

— Eu sabia que esse lugar não era um dos mais luxuosos — Comentou, agora levando seu olhar até a porta mostrada por MinJi — Bem, acho que uma das garotas daqui vai ter uma surpresa quando acordar.

Foi impossível para você evitar que um riso soprado escapasse de seus lábios ao imaginar a cena, coisa a qual desencadeou na amiga ao lado uma nova sequência de risos, contagiando todo o seu corpo que se controlava para segurar a risada também. Você voltou a encarar a jovem a sua frente, seu corpo finalmente recobrando os sentidos, apreciando a macieis de seu toque sobre sua mão, que permanecia imóvel acima do objeto vazio, um toque tão suave que parecia até mesmo estar sendo tocada pelas nuvens, apesar de ser apenas ao observar o rosto de MinJi que realmente se sentisse estar ao alcance de alguma delas, seus olhos levemente fechados devido ao grande sorriso posto em seus lábios, seus cabelos longos balançando vez ou outra pela forma como seu corpo tremia pela risada descontrolada, talvez se você pudesse escolher qualquer lugar existente na fase da terra para morar, escolhesse morar exatamente naquela expressão da jovem, tão alegre quanto se não possuísse nenhum problema em sua vida.

O corpo de MinJi pareceu sofrer do mesmo choque de sentidos que o seu, segundos depois, o sorriso tão hipnotizante lentamente sumindo de seu rosto, seus olhos voltando a se abrir, mostrando suas íris acastanhadas, a imensidão do tom de café forte recebendo um brilho distante, apesar de sua face agora possuir uma feição seria, focada na garota a sua frente.

Ela chamou por você, sua voz doce, arrastada, o nome escapando de seus lábios como uma das melhores melodias que já havia escutado, impossível de se encontrar alguém que pudesse pronuncia-lo tão perfeitamente.

— Sim? — Você murmurou em reflexo, sua voz quase não conseguindo sair de suas cordas vocais.

— Tem outro jeito de achar outra coisa para pensar — MinJi informou em um sussurro, citando a conversa que tiveram minutos atrás.

Fora impossível impedir que seu corpo se inclinasse para frente após aquele comentário, seus olhos tão fixos nos da morena agora intercalando entre ele e seus lábios avermelhados, a sombra da noite não sendo o suficiente para impedir que pudesse decorar cada pequeno detalhe.

Talvez houvesse uma coisa a qual tivesse certeza que queria no momento.

Você queria muito ela.

— Me mostra então — Pediu no mesmo tom anasalado que a garota, sua respiração misturando-se lentamente com a dela, a medida que também inclinou-se para frente.

Não houve muito tempo para se pensar após aquela abertura, MinJi apenas tratou de romper os poucos centímetros que as separavam, nem ao menos questionando o fato de estarem do lado de fora dos dormitórios, aquilo não importava, nada era capaz de ser importante o suficiente para superar o desejo que foi cessado quando seus lábios se tocaram. Você retirou sua mão de cima da garrafa, arrastando-a até o pescoço da garota, ela sentiu o corpo dela se arrepiar quando a deslizou dali até seu rosto, acariciando sua bochecha, garantindo de maneira sutil que não iria se afastar. Uma das mãos de MinJi também quiseram ter aquela certeza, agarrando-se a sua nuca, brincando com seus cabelos levemente emaranhados. Os joelhos de ambas repousavam sobre o chão gélido do corredor, mas quando o seu corpo avançou um pouco mais para frente, o contato foi ainda mais forte, entregando-se ao beijo lento e demorado.

Os lábios de MinJi eram macios, sedosos, como se sua boca estivesse tocando uma pétala de rosa recém colhida, talvez a garota fosse realmente como a flor, qual você tinha medo de se ferir nos espinhos, mas estava hipnotizada demais em sua beleza para negar o encontro.

MinJi era bela por dentro e por fora, enquanto você talvez fosse um mero cravo que crescia escondido no canteiro florido.

Você inclinou sua cabeça, a mão da garota repousando próxima a sua orelha, lhe chamando para mais perto, lhe implorando para se aproximar mais, apesar da física não permitir tal ação. Era difícil desvendar o sabor de seus lábios, uma mistura que brincava como as diversas cores as quais uma flor poderia ter, quando suas bocas se afastaram suavemente, recuperando o ar que nem ao menos parecia importar no momento, você precisou, após alguns segundos lhe provar novamente, suas línguas em uma dança coreografada como as sementes que voavam com o vento, procurando um novo lugar para florescer. Também sentiu algo florescer dentro de si quando encontrou o sabor de morango perdido entre tantos outros, era isso, não eram cerejas, tutti-frutti, hortelã, seus lábios tinham um gosto suave de morango, não daqueles do mercado, mas os colhidos na hora nas plantações, um sabor refrescante, viciante. O perfume adocicado de MinJi entrou por suas narinas quando também elevou seu corpo, o toque da garota agora passando por sua cintura, sua mão apertando levemente a região, lhe prendendo junto a si. Mais uma vez, sentiu medo de se machucar com os espinhos quando seu corpo arrepiou-se com o toque.

Você nunca havia beijado uma garota antes, e não era naquele momento que chegaria naquela conclusão, mas logo teria tempo para descrever tal ato. Era diferente do toque dos homens os quais já se envolveu, apesar de considerar ambos bons, o toque feminino, o toque de MinJi, lhe deixava nas nuvens, suas mãos eram tão macias em seu corpo, seu chamado, apesar de firme, era gentil, frágil, quase como se tivesse medo de machucar alguma de suas pétalas, seu beijo se encaixava perfeitamente no dela.

Apesar da demora daquela ação, daquelas carícias, quando se separaram, você encarou a amiga como se não tivesse tido tempo suficiente, quase como se aqueles minutos tivessem tido a velocidade de apenas alguns segundos, a duração curta demais para percorrer todo aquele novo jardim.

Apesar da rapidez daquela ação, daquelas carícias, em uma velocidade mais lenta o seu cérebro finalmente processou tudo que havia acontecido, o seu olhar sobre a garota a sua frente, de tão entregue perante a rosa se tornou surpreso, assustado, percebendo os espinhos quais havia se enfiado.

Você havia acabado de beijar uma garota, havia acabado de beijar a garota qual estava lhe deixando tão confusa ultimamente, e diferente do que queria que acontecesse, havia gostado.

Estava amarrada pelas voltas que aquele caule dava em torno de si. Estava em um belíssimo apuro, sem precedentes do que viria para o futuro.

Quando você pareceu recobrar a consciência, com seu corpo voltando a sentir o ambiente a seu redor, seu cérebro retornando lentamente ao presente, como quem acabava de descer de um voo, a expressão cômica de Nabi foi a primeira coisa a lhe trazer verdadeiramente para o presente, seus lábios boquiabertos, as sobrancelhas levemente erguidas, os olhos arregalados, em um grande exagero. Sabia que Nabi não a julgaria, sabia que, apesar da mulher amar qualificar qualquer coisa a sua frente, quando se tratava de seus sentimentos, ela jamais faria aquilo.

Nabi apenas garantia que você jamais guardasse para si coisas que a machucassem, e considerando o brilho nos olhos os quais a morena tinha após se lembrar de seu grande amor, estava óbvio que MinJi não era uma delas.

Na verdade, talvez fosse você que machucasse MinJi.

— Eu não acredito — Nabi exclamou após algum tempo, suas mãos agora sobre a mesa a sua frente, pressionadas sobre o material, como se estivesse prestes a embarcar em uma aventura de uma montanha-russa — E então? O que aconteceu? — Questionou afobada — Pelo que eu saiba, você e a “Jiu”, em uma época, sempre eram vistas juntas, como melhores amigas, mas já faz — A garota ponderou um pouco — Uns quatro anos? Que estão afastadas — As palavras saiam rapidamente de sua boca, repassando em sua mente toda a história da amiga, como se dizer aqueles murmúrios fosse mera penalidade pela agilidade de seus pensamentos — O que aconteceu?

Você não teve coragem de amá-la.

Você apenas tinha coragem para ser egoísta.

— Eu não tive coragem de amar ela — Suas cordas vocais pronunciaram pela primeira vez, talvez em sua vida toda, a verdade oculta em sua mente.

— E agora?

— Agora eu tenho — Informou, seus olhos deslizando lentamente para o celular a sua frente. Ela desbloqueou a tela do dispositivo, buscando sua lista telefônica, a qual rapidamente encontrou o número de MinJi ainda guardado da mesma maneira, o coração flutuando a sua frente, como se nunca tivesse tido forças o suficiente para retira-lo, apesar de não saber nem ao menos se ela ainda utilizava tal contato.

— Então o que vai fazer? — Nabi questionou novamente, sua fala ansiosa, diante, do que considerou, a maior obra literária que já viu em sua vida.

Nabi adorava dramas em um romance, enquanto você detestava o gênero, de qualquer forma.

— Eu não sei — Confessou, uma surpresa para as duas garotas solitárias na grande cafeteria, você sempre sabia o que fazer.

Mas nunca soube o que fazer quando se tratava de MinJi.

— Ter coragem não é o suficiente às vezes — Você prosseguiu — Amar — Uma risada sem humor saiu soprada pelos seus lábios — Amar sem dúvidas não é o suficiente — Seus olhos se estristeceram, ainda fixos nos dígitos do contato em seu celular — Eu apenas baguncei a vida dela Nabi, e depois dei o fora.

Você não havia certeza se conseguiria completar aquela frase.

— Às vezes, o melhor que podemos fazer é ficar longe. MinJi está melhor longe de mim.

MinJi estava melhor sem você.

— M-mas — Nabi gaguejou, preocupada, e talvez até mesmo levemente indignada — Amor e coragem são o primeiro passo de muita coisa, não acha? — Questionou — Quer dizer, eles não são tudo, é verdade, mas te fazem... Tentar — Incentivou a amiga — Então, o que você vai fazer?

Você não conseguiria lhe responder aquilo agora.

— Bem — Murmurou, sorrindo para a loira a sua frente, seus olhos finalmente desprendendo-se da tela do celular, um sorriso gentil surgindo em seus lábios, apesar da tristeza que carregava consigo — Vou terminar de tomar o meu café — Completou, fazendo a amiga jogar seu corpo, antes tão atento, quase deitado sobre a mesa, para trás, repousando novamente para sobre o encosto da cadeira.

Agora o seu cappuccino já estava frio demais.

[cellythefloshie]

;; What My World Spins Around

Dedicated to @ladylooch for @wyattjohnston 's winter fic exchange 2k24

Summary: Christmas day sparks a series of unexpected gifts that lead you and Timo to face a question the two of you had been avoiding since his trade to the New Jersey Devils almost a whole year ago. What will your future hold, and will you be spending it together?

Tropes & TW: Brother's Teammate, Exes To Lovers, Friends with Benefits to Lovers, "we were on a break", gift giving, reader wears glasses, trade angst, - there is no smut in this fic - Injured Timo - written as if he will remain on IR until mid/late February.

Word Count: 4k+

A/N:  I was getting a little worried as the January days have been passing like falling dominos! But alas! My 2k24 Winter Fic Exchange entry is complete! A huge thank you to @wyattjohnston for organising the event and being so supportive when I ended up in your messages feeling like I was never going to be able to write a proper story again after months of not really writing because of my new job. And another huge thank you to @matthewtkachuk for letting me jump into their messages for the same reasons, and when I needed a little help to gain my confidence with Timo. I very much appreciate it! Now, for my lovely recipient, @ladylooch ! Thank you for giving me an opportunity to explore a player that I have only really admired from a far! It was so much fun doing the research and uncovering his career through the NHL in the last 7 seasons! I hope that I was able to touch on all the things you love about Timo and expected from this fic every time I dropped into your anons to ask questions. Enjoy!

There was only a single moment of calm on Christmas morning, and it could only come after gifts had been opened and breakfast had been eaten, and you intended to take advantage of it. The children could be heard in the family room, preoccupied with one of the many toys they had been spoiled with from their parents, Santa, and naturally, yourself. Being the fun live-in aunt came with a cost, not that you minded. You loved your family and your matching Christmas pajamas that would be plastered all over your family’s Instagram page for the coming weeks. And with the children distracted, you used your rare moment alone to enjoy your own gifts. 

Curled up in an armchair by the tree, you held your new book in your hands, your fingers holding each side carefully as you did your best not to crease the binding of the paperback romance novel. You had only been sitting there thirty minutes at most, but you were a quarter of the way done when you heard a pair of footsteps shuffle into the room. You didn’t have to look up to know who they belonged to. You had been hearing them her entire life. The slow, heavy step of slipper clad feet over hard wood could only belong to your brother. 

You had half expected him to be sleeping in front of the television with a Christmas movie playing on repeat for the kids already, but you could hear him shuffling around the Christmas tree just over your shoulder. The scratch of his slipper was harsh against your ears. 

“Making all that noise, you better be taking that tree down–” you finally spoke when the noise was becoming too much, all without looking up from the pages of your book. 

The tree never came down until after the new year, but in your mind, there was no other excuse he could have for making so much noise. 

“There’s still a present back here for you,” he claimed, and you peaked over the edge of the pages. 

“What is it?”

“Don’t know, but it’s not from me,” he told you, and his hand came into view in front of you. 

In it, he held a deep red envelope with your name written across it in an elegant cursive. It was unlike any you had seen before. It wasn’t your brother’s hand, or your sister in laws. Nor was it your mothers. The unfamiliarity of each letter left your brows to furrow as you placed your book down in your lap and took it from your brother’s hand. 

You opened it slowly, careful not to rip the pretty envelope as you pulled out what looked like a basic Christmas card. It was only when you opened it that you realized the magnitude of the gift: dinner reservations at your favorite restaurant in San Jose. 

It was the one restaurant where you spent every special occasion. Your birthday, anniversaries, celebrating your brother’s milestones, had all been spent there at the same table since your brother had been traded to San Jose almost a decade ago. But it was also a restaurant you had been avoiding since your own boyfriend had been traded from the team - giving you very little to celebrate as the status of their relationship had been called into question when he left. 

Were you single? You wouldn’t say so. 

Were you taken? You didn’t know the answer to that question either. 

You hadn’t broken up, but you were on a break. 

It was easier, or so that was what you both claimed, when there was a whole country between them. Timo was on the East Coast playing with the New Jersey Devils now, and you were on the West helping your sister-in-law raise her two children while your brother was busy in net for the San Jose Barracuda and the San Jose Sharks on the rare occasion. 

You could have gone with him, but that was a reality you chose to ignore. You couldn’t justify going to Jersey with him, not even when he asked. Your entire life was in San Jose, and uprooting it for someone who struggled to commit until your brother had found out you were sneaking around together, and hadn’t even thought about proposing in the five years you were officially together. 

Seeing the reservation sent memories of Timo flooding through your mind, your stomach feeling as if it were suddenly tied into knots as you looked up at your brother with a sad smile. 

“This isn’t from you?” You asked slowly, your voice on the verge of breaking. 

His large shoulders shrugged. “Not from us, but you should go. I don’t think you’ll regret it.”

***

Your dinner reservation wasn’t until the new year after the chaos of gift giving and family events were over. That also meant the restaurant scene was quieter. There was no waiting in line just to tell the hostess you had a reservation while they were turning others away on a thirty minutes or more waitlist. It also brought a certain peace. One that was laced with the gentle melody of classical restaurant music, the gentle clink of cutlery against fine china, and the subtle sound of wine being poured into your glass as you eyed up the menu you practically had memorized. 

“I didn’t order any wine,” you spoke, your gaze rising from the menu as one hand left the leather cover to push your glasses back up the bridge of your nose. 

The server didn’t stop his pour until he was satisfied with the fullness of the deep red wine in the glass. He then offered you a soft smile and displayed the label of the bottle to you. The wine was your favorite. The same one you had ordered every time you had dined in their establishment - which, in reality, was only two or three times a year. There was no way they would have remembered.

Lowering your menu further to place it down on the tabletop, you turned in your seat. You looked one way, and then the next looking for a familiar face. Your brother. Your sister-in-law. Timo. Anyone. But the surrounding faces in the restaurant were those of strangers, and the seat across from you at the table remained empty. You were alone, and would spend the remainder of your evening alone, too. 

Through the three courses of an appetizer, main course and dessert, you enjoyed it alone. The wine, and your favorite dishes, should have been enough to keep you distracted, but your mind found no peace as you stared at the glass of red wine. It became closer and closer to empty with each sip, but it couldn’t answer the question that haunted you in the back of your mind. 

Who had gone out of their way to make this reservation for you? 

Your questions were only fueled further when the bill was delivered to the table. You reached into the depths of your purse and pulled out your wallet, but you were met by the same smile he had when you had questioned the wine. The bill had  already been paid for. 

***

Dinner was just the first gift of many that you would receive in the month of January. The second came in the mail one day – the date one you couldn’t quite remember. It was a package among junk mail, its stiff cardboard box sandwiched between color flyers. You hadn’t expected a delivery, so you were going to leave it resting on the table for your brother, or his wife, but with a clumsy step you had walked into the table. It sent the flyers fluttering to the floor and your name became all too clear on the shipping label. 

You carried it with you up to the privacy of your bedroom before you opened it. The shock of the gift sending it to fall from your lap to lay open on the bed. Inside, a book. But not just any book, your favorite book. A special edition, signed by the author. 

Pushing up from your bed, you rushed down the hallway to the children’s room where your sister-in-law was with the kids. Their laughter was a pleasant sound to your ears, coaxing a smile as the question slipped from your lips without a proper announcement that you had come home, “that book that was on the table downstairs, that from you?”

She looked up from the children with a smile, her hair falling into her face before she could push it back with a single hand. “No, that wasn’t us,” she said, her smile knowing. She knew just who had sent you the book, but she wasn’t about to tell you. 

The next gift came on Valentine's Day. You were at the part-time job you balanced with helping with the child care of your brother’s kids. It was there you received a bouquet of flowers, your favorite flowers. They came with no card. It came with teases of having a secret admirer from your colleague, your brother when she arrived home, and the children. But now, you had an idea of who had been sending you all the gifts, but had yet to receive any confirmation. 

All your speculations were put to rest when you received one final gift box on the 20th of February. It was a large black box with a teal ribbon that sprawled halfway across the dinner table. You stared at it for a long moment, your hands sweating as they came together to nervously rub at each other. Teeth bit at your lower lip, and your lungs struggled to take a single breath as you reached out and tugged at a single strand of ribbon that made up the bow. It fell so fluidly away from the box it almost left you in awe as it draped over the table top but your eyes could only fixate on it for so long before your hands were lifting off the top of the box revealing bright red tissue paper inside. 

It was a harsh contrast from the cool hues of the teal to the heat of the red tissue paper - or maybe that was just the raise in her body temperature as you stood at the head of the table as you finally realized who had been sending you all the gifts since the holiday season. The box was stuffed with New Jersey Devils' merchandise. Everything from hats to t-shirts, to pucks and photographs. The box was filled with everything shot of a hockey stick and a set of hockey equipment – but what it did have was a hockey jersey. Black and red, and gorgeous with a 96 on the back and on the sleeves. And across the back, the name of your admirer, your boyfriend, your ex-boyfriend, whatever it was. Meier. 

You lifted it out of the box slowly, sighing as beneath it another gift came into view. A single ticket to the game against the San Jose Sharks in seven days. He wanted you to go, but could you? You had both been apart for so long already that the closure it would give you would do more harm than good. It left you to wonder that maybe it would just be easier to move on–

***

The San Jose Sharks had become a team that struggled to fill their seats beyond an 80% capacity most nights. They were falling back into a rebuild with fan favorites and rookies alike, getting traded away for draft picks to bolster the Sharks' future. But it came with a cost. Fan loyalty wavered, their faith in management wore thin. But on February 27th when Timo Meier returned to SAP Center, the fans followed. His name was on the backs of many and slid off the tongue of all. Some cursed him for leaving, others were excited to welcome him back if only for one night, and you were lost, silent among them. 

You walked with your head down, the large New Jersey Devils jersey hanging off your shoulders as you wound your way through the crowd to get to your seat. It was high up in the area, but not so high that you felt like you were in the ceiling. You could see the ice, but from down there, you were sure Timo wouldn’t be able to see you. The thought left you nervous. 

Going to the game had been a tough decision, but the thought of going and there being an empty seat left you felt guilty. Your attendance wasn’t a hard set decision on what your course of action with Timo would be. You could attend and decide that it was over - or it could reach the end of the game and you could decide that you wanted to try again. Or Maybe, he had decided it all for you. You could decide you wanted him, but the gifts had been a thank you for putting up with him, and a goodbye. At least then, after you were done crying, you might make a couple of bucks after selling it on eBay. 

You sat in your seat with your stomach in your throat, your eyes fell on your phone one minute, and then the next. Every second felt like hours, but then time seemed to freeze as the players flooded the ice to warm up. You held your breath, reading the backs of every single player that took to the ice until the parade from the tunnel was over. You sat there for a moment, your hands curled into fists in your lap and your nails pressing into your palms. Timo wasn’t among them. He wasn’t skating in circles, shooting a puck on the net, or talking up the trainer. He wasn’t on the ice at all. 

You stood up slowly, your eyes squinting as if you had just happened to miss him. You pressed up on your toes even, giving yourself an extra inch to see him, and yet, you still could not see him. 

In a breath from your lips, you cursed so quietly that even your own ears couldn’t hear it. He invited you all the way down there, to what? Not even play? You huffed out an exaggerated breath as you stepped back so that your legs were pressed into the seat of your chair. One hand reached back to lower it for you to sit, but before you could, you felt the warmth of a large hand on your shoulder. 

Turning in place, you saw the back wall first, the number of the section in bold a few seats away, but above you, as you tilted your head back, you saw the edge of one suite. Reaching past it was a single arm clad in a suit you knew could only belong to one person. 

“Timo,” his name was a whisper on your lips as your gaze found his. 

You were breathless as you stared at him. You had almost forgotten just what shade of blue his eyes were. Not too blue that they looked cold or harsh. They were soft and bright but had an almost gray tone, like the sky as a storm rolled in. Your lip quivered as you took in the color, as if you were seeing them for the first time. And if they hadn’t been enough to captivate you so fully you had forgotten about the tens of thousands of fans that gathered for the hockey game, Timo also wore that soft smile of his that had always left you smitten with him. 

“You made it,” he spoke as he leaned over the edge just to get a little closer to you. 

“I wasn’t going to miss this,” you told him with a smile, “but I thought you’d be out there.”

Your head cocked as you pointed back over your shoulder with a thumb towards the ice where his teammates were warming up from the game. 

Timo shrugged in response, his smile wavering and his eyes shifting away from yours for a moment. He was disappointed that much was clear. Had he been expecting you to be keeping tabs on him? “Been on IR since December-”

That’s right! You remembered seeing that headline circulating your social media pages months ago. You had even skimmed one article for the reason - a mid-body injury - and you had assumed that he had healed up and been back in the roster by now. But you were wrong. 

Worst of all, you just should have called. Or texted. Anything. You should have reached out, wished him well. You should have made sure that he was okay. Maybe then the two of you could have figured out just what was going on between the two of you. Yet, you stood before him not knowing his intent, or your own, but happy to see him. 

“That’s right, but then why fly all the way out here?”

“Or you,” he said your name with a smile as he pulled back just enough to find his seat. He was just behind you, just slightly elevated. When he sat all the way back, you couldn’t see him, but as the light went dim, Timo leaned forward, keeping his arm reaching out just enough that his hand could rest on your shoulder for the duration of the game. You could feel the warmth of his touch on your shoulder throughout the night, it only left you when Timo had gotten up throughout the game – including when he stood and waved to the crowd after they played a tribute to his time on the team high above on the screens.

It was a tribute that left you in tears. 

Image by image, one video clip after the next, you were forced through the years you spent with Timo. You weren’t in a single shot, no one else in the arena knew you existed - but you could fill the gaps between each game, between each milestone because you were there for every single one. You were just sneaking around when he took his rookie lap, but you were his girlfriend by the time he scored 5 goals in two periods and everything in between - right until the trade when you felt more like an ex-girlfriend than his partner. Yet, even after so much time apart, you loved him. You could feel it then and there as you sat surrounded by people who applauded him. You could feel it from your head to the very tips of your toes. 

You wanted nothing more to turn around in place and yell it at him. To proclaim it there as the crowd roared along with the game, yet you watched in silence, and welcomed the warmth of Timo’s touch again as he settled to watch the rest of the game with you. 

The two of you remained there long after the game was over and the stands were left empty. You stared down at the empty ice, his hand giving your shoulder a careful squeeze before he spoke out, “get your ass up here.”

“They aren’t waiting for you-”

“We’re in town for the night. I can get a car back to the hotel… com’on, I should be able to help you up,” Timo assured, his arm training outstretched to you as you stood. 

You took his offer carefully, your one hand collapsing with his as the other gripped at the edge of the suite. With his help, you climbed up and over the side, before you settled in the hold of his embrace. 

“I’ve been wanting to do that all night,” he whispered into your hair, and your grip on him grew a little tighter. “I’ve missed you.”

You choked back a sob, “I’ve missed you too. So much.” More than you had realized, “but you like New Jersey?”

“Love it,” he sighed, “but-”

“But?” you asked weakly. 

“You aren’t there,” you felt his entire body rise and fall in a heavy sigh, and then came the cold of the arena to creep up on you as he pulled away. But he didn’t go far. He moved just far enough away to dip a hand into his pocket. Then, he offered you one final gift. 

Timo dropped a square velvet box down into your palm. It was small, but it felt like the weight of the world in your hands as your neck snapped back to look up at him. 

“Don’t worry,” he half chuckled, “I'm not proposing, but it is a promise.”

Lifting your hand up, you pushed open the box and let your eyes all on a dainty gold ring with a large ruby accompanying an equally beautiful diamond that glimmered in the light. 

“We were still so young when we first met, you remember?” He asked slowly, one hand finding your hip to draw you back in while the other found your cheek and stroked your hair from your face. 

You nodded, your eyes still fixated on the ring. 

“We still had so much growing up to do, and we did a lot of that together. Two kids screwing around, and even as things got more serious, it didn’t feel like much more than that,” but he didn’t need to tell you that. What he had felt, were the very things you had been feeling, but while you were scared he had been feeling trapped and was using the trade to get away from you, you had been hoping it would have finally been enough to commit to you. 

Almost a year later, you were finally getting your answer. 

“But it should have been. I should have proposed. Two, maybe three years in. Before the trade happened. So long ago,” he said your name like it was a curse, his eyes staring up at the ceiling, trying to hide the emotion that crept up on him as he spoke. “I owed you so much more, and I’ve wasted so much of our time growing up. But I needed it. I needed that time to realize what I had, what I had lost - what I can’t afford to lose, and it’s you. It’s always been you."

“I understand that after all this time, it's too late. That you’ve moved on - or maybe you haven’t, but you want to. You don’t have to say yes, because after what I’ve done I’d be surprised if you’d even say yes to a date with me but not promising to you was the greatest regret I’ve ever had and I’d like to try and make that right, if you’d let me.”

You stared at the ring for a long time in silence. Your eyes flickered from one glimmering gemstone to the other. It was flashy for a promise ring. Expensive. One you would wear on her right finger and not her left  - because the offer required no thought. You were going to accept. 

You loved Timo, and it was clear that he loved you, too. 

“As much as I would love to see you grovel,” you grinned a little too wide as you held out your right hand. It was bare, waiting. 

“There will be so much more time for that.” His words were a playful promise as he reached out for the ring and slid it down into its place on your finger. It was perfect. 

Tears burned as they built up in your eyes at the feeling of the ring around your finger. It was one you would have to get used to, but felt right. This was the way it was meant to be. You and Timo, and you hated how long it took for you both to reach that conclusion, but you were grateful you were finally there. Pressing up onto your toes, you threw your arms around Timo. You welcomed the strength of his arms around your body, and then you welcomed his kiss. Your stomach became giddy with butterflies as if it were the very first time and you smiled, knowing it wouldn’t be the last.

[joehills]

My latest #hermitcraft vid is live!

Ir's got my first 4 matches of the HermitCraft TCG Season 2 tourney, against xB, iJevin, Grian, and Cubfan135—plus some scoreboard and game-tracking construction with Cleo!

I spent extra time to render the replaymod POVs in 4k, please try that if you have the right kind of screens to enjoy it! I think it really helps show the detail of the TCG cards!

[tracingpatternswrites]

Fic rec time!

In honour of @heartofspells' birthday, and because my gift is late, I'm going to do a little fic rec list with my favourite fics of hers in the past year.

Please go read and drop her a comment because she deserves the world. Harry thinks his dad is lonely and decides to find Sirius a boyfriend.

Wolfstar

Multiplying Parents - T - 23k

This fic is SO CUTE, entirely told from nearly 8 year old Harry's POV. Harry thinks that his dad seems lonely, and he decides to find him a boyfriend.

"This isn't a date," he bites out, mostly due to confusion without any true ire. He turns to Remus, his face set into deep lines. "I don't have dinner." Remus takes a step backwards, and Sirius only then seems to realize the tone of his voice. "Shit. Sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't mean – " "No, I'm sorry," breaks in Remus, shaking his head, taking another step back, moving away from the door. "I should have known. Harry said – " "Harry," groans Sirius, his head tipping backwards over his shoulders, eyes rolling to the ceiling. Andromeda turns, hiding a snicker. She catches sight of Harry peeking through the door and passes him a delightful grin.

Don't say sheep - T - 4k

Holli wrote this for my birthday and it's an entirely ridiculous little thing but it's so cute and so funny. Sirius and Remus are sheep farmers and Harry loves the sheep.

In hindsight, they probably should have thrown out the sheep costume.

Devil in the kitchen - T - 5k

I LOVE THIS. It's inspired by Rob Pattinson insane GQ interview during the pandemic and it's just so fucking funny.

Lily thinks James can't do anything without magic. She's right, of course, but it's not Sirius' place to agree with her, and at least he's entertained.

This Way We Fall - E - 81k

Holli's wonderful Big Bang fic from last year. It's so, so, so good and it deserves so much more. It's angsty and sad but has so much hope and Harry in this is just a fucking delight. Sirius' and Remus' relationship is so hard but also beautiful. This fic deserves so much more attention, please go read it and send it some love!

All he'd wanted was some time. Just a bit of time to get his head back on straight. But time had turned into two dead friends, twelve months spent in Azkaban that had felt like years, and a head more damaged than when he'd started. Blinded by distrust and grief, Sirius had turned his back on Remus, thinking it would cost him nothing while it had cost him everything. Now, five years later, drowning in his own fog of terrible days and worse actions, Sirius stands a small chance of gaining back some of what he's lost in the form of his godson once thought gone. The only thing that stands in his way is the man currently raising Harry; the man Sirius cast out of his life like broken shards of glass. Remus doesn't trust Sirius, but Sirius is determined to claw his way back and mend what once was broken by his own foolish hands.

Prongsfoot

CRuSH - E - 130k

This is a deliciously angsty Prongsfoot. The boy are such a mess and James is very different, but it works so perfectly. And everything just beautifully written.

After travelling around the world as a Healer for four years, Sirius thinks it should be simple to return home to aid his best friend through his divorce. James needs him, and Sirius misses his family. With their history locked away inside dorm room beds and dark corners of a castle once called home, Sirius is determined to move forward, convinced James barely remembers it at all. Attempting to reestablish the friendship they'd always had, Sirius is set on pretending it never happened, at least until he realizes the years away haven't changed the weight of the powerful spell James holds over him.

Anyway, that was it. Go, read, leave a comment or a kudo.

Happy Birthday, Holli!

[hp-fanfic-archive]

Severitus Angst Masterlist | Works With Less Than 5k Words

find the masterlist directory here

last updated: 07/29/24 | links last checked: 07/29/24

*Cheer and Goodwill and All That Bollocks by ForgottenChesire [G, 3k]

There are memories that he'd rather forget associated with this season. His father's drinking. His mother's ire. Neither took a break during this time, instead, they seemed to increase. Harry makes a sound that could almost be a word. Being a year and five months old he should be saying mum and da or maybe speaking in two to four-word sentences… if the nattering, disapproving mothers he's had the misfortune to run into are to be believed. "Lupin says that we need to make this special. I doubt that you will remember any of this." He doesn't think about why he doesn't push the werewolf out of his life. Doesn't like thinking about the sinking loneliness. It is Christmas time after all. So he lets the smile that has been on the very edge spread. Long fingers reaching up and poking the very tip of Harry's nose. The toddler laughs, mouth open wide and little hands reaching up to grab his hand. He does not like Christmas but Lily had loved it.

*Claustrophobic by Annie1025 [T, 4k]

Despite Voldemort's return, Harry spends his summer at Spinner's End. Everything takes a turn for the worse when Death Eaters decide to pay an unexpected visit to Severus. In a bid to maintain their cover, Harry is compelled to hide in a wardrobe. However, the confined space triggers his hidden trauma, unravelling a series of events that explore his relationship with Severus. OR: Harry has claustrophobia and is forced to hide in a confined space. Panic attack ensures. Snape is not happy. Set in the summer after 4th year.

*Henoch-Schölein Purpura by Lukenthius [G, 2k]

When Chemistry Professor Severus Snape goes to pick his six-year-old son up from school, it is clear the boy is not well.

I'm Sorry! by lastcrazyhorn [T, 1k]

Little Harry was rescued from the Dursleys by his Daddy, but not all of their lessons are easily forgotten. Entry in the P&S 2012 Prompt Fest. Prompts: It slipped from his grasp and shattered, Fight or flight.

*Of Potions and Phobias by tt22123 [G, 1k]

Severitus story with nightmares (pdf & e-book files available)

Reflective by FancifulRivers [T, 1k]

Harry Potter brings home his report card.

*Until The End by boredomsMuse [Not Rated, 1k, James/Lily/Severus]

I Open At The End. A rewrite of that scene with a Severitus spin.

*denotes personal favorite

[sitp-recs]

Hey! I recently read 'O Come, All Ye faithful' by toomuchplor which was truly amazing. Do you maybe know of more Darry fics that deal with religion/spirituality? It doesn't have to be positive as this fic was, I’m just interested as I don't see it explored often, or at all.

Thanks in advance and have a great day <3

Hi there! I’m so happy to see O Come, All Ye Faithful getting the appreciation it deserves. It is truly a brilliant moving read and toomuchplor is a fantastic author, I highly recommend going through their full catalogue. I love Drarry fics with religious themes, here are some of my favourites:

No Absolutes by @shealwaysreads (M, 400 words)

Pilgrimage by greattemptation (E, 400 words)

A meditation on sex as worship and orgasm as absolution.

In the glass I come to you by triggerlil (G, 700 words)

Draco spends a moment in an abandoned church, sees a Saint, and lights a candle. All so he can continue on a journey where he doesn't know the destination.

Amazing Grace by @potteresque-ire (G, 2.5k)

In the church at Godric's Hollow, Harry & Draco found themselves in a quest of love and belief.

For God is love by @teacup-tai (M, 3k)

1 John 4:8 But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

by which we must be saved by @hogwartsfirebolt (G, 3k)

What happened was this: the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord was born as the seventh month died. Or: the one where Harry Potter knew his whole life that he was meant to be a savior, and Draco Malfoy joined him along the way.

Absolution by @lazywonderlvnd (E, 4k)

Draco wants absolution. Harry gives it to him.

in His name by @bonesliketambourines (E, 6.6k)

Something Dark is gathering along the Camino di Francesco, and Draco Malfoy is the only one qualified to deal with it. He insists on Potter coming along. For protection, of course, no other motive—why do you ask?

Tidings of Comfort by @blamebrampton (G, 10k)

When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life. Luckily for Draco Malfoy, London has places where the tired can rest and recover.

Good Will Towards Men by @lastontheboat (T, 16k)

Harry slowly falling for his partner? Approved. Stuck in a small room together over Christmas filling out paperwork? Approved. Having an honest conversation about his feelings? Request denied.

A Multitude of Sins by cryptonym (E, 41k)

Peter 4:8 - Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

Modern Love by @tackytigerfic (E, 61k)

Harry Potter, of all people, knows that life isn’t always fair. And no one gets to be happy all of the time. But surely there’s something more—something better—than a rubbish Ministry job, and a lonely old house, and that feeling that everyone out there is doing a better job of living than Harry is.

At the End of All Things by @quicksilvermaid (E, WIP)

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are real and Harry starts dreaming of them.

Bonus:

this glorious artwork by @dragontamerdame and another one by @babooshkart, you’re welcome 😉

[thiefbird]

platonic renown trio, “but I know being reckless and young is not how the damage gets done” from your list?

Ooooooooohhh this is so good

(also might be a little bit more pre-slash than purely platonic because Bush has complex feelings about Hornblower just. canonically) have some William Bush character study my friend; i listened to Damage Gets Done on repeat almost the entire time i wrote this, other than the bits where i rewatched Mutiny and Retribution for Research Purposes

(under a cut bc it got long - and possibly not entirely connected to its prompt; Bush decided to instead just dwell on his junior lieutenants a bunch in general)

Should I write a sequel to this? Maybe touching on how Horatio's mood might effect the infamous Kingston Debauch in a Dead Kennedy universe? I have Thoughts but this ended up near to 4k words and I needed to end it.

damage gets done (on ao3)

Stepping on board the Renown for the first time, Lieutenant William Bush had had no idea that he would be a different person by the time he reached Jamaica. He had been the same person, more or less, for the entire thirty-five years of his life so far; expecting to continue as he had was only reasonable.

But that was before he had met Hornblower: being dashed to the deck by a total stranger had not seemed like a likely catalyst for personal change at the time, unless caused by a knock on the head; looking back now, he felt he ought to have known, ought to have guessed. But instead he had been ruffled by Hornblower's oddities, peevish towards Mr Kennedy's facetiousness, and fully cemented himself into the role of outsider he so resented those first months.

They were an unlikely pair on the outside, Hornblower and Kennedy. Hornblower was an awkward, serious sort of man, private and reserved to a fault - and Bush had indeed seen it as a fault - where Kennedy was quite the opposite; Bush didn't think he heard a single earnest word from the fourth lieutenant's lips before he'd been on the Renown a month, unless the captain was present. And yet in practice they were as well together as any two men Bush had served with - he was unsurprised to learn they had been mids together at the start of the war, and shared most of their postings since.

He had been obscurely envious of such a friendship - coming up before the mast as he had created a gap between him and the other officers, one that he'd done his best to hide in his years as lieutenant, but one that he felt sorely - and had resolved to look down on the younger officers. Lieutenant Buckland made for poor company, too harassed by his rank, and Bush had resigned himself to a dull, lonely assignment within a week of coming aboard Renown.

Even now, many months later, he almost regretted that he had been wrong. But Captain Sawyer had proven to be a shell of himself, and he had somehow found himself in the unenviable position of plotting mutiny alongside an incompetent premier and the reckless youth of lieutenants Hornblower and Kennedy.

Reckless was perhaps putting it a little strong; Kennedy, certainly, was impetuous and excitable, a gleam in his eyes that drew Captain Sawyer's ire with a consistency unmatched by the finest timepiece, but Hornblower was anything but. Calculating, conniving, manipulative even, especially in his handling of Lieutenant Buckland; too clever by half, even half dead from keeping continual watch.

He had made a pitiful sight, gaunt and hollow-cheeked, bruises deep under his piercing brown eyes making them appear preternaturally large from under the brown curls of his queue. Compared to Kennedy Bush had thought he looked near corpse-like by the time their plot succeeded, and yet the spark of genius had never burnt low.

Samaná had been the true turning point, where he had gone from outside observer to- perhaps not an equal member, but a close orbiting body of the binary star that made up Hornblower and Kennedy. He had been mistaken, to take Buckland's side against Hornblower's plan, he had seen that almost immediately, and admitting the fault had done much to repair his fellow lieutentants' opinion of him; the desertion of some thirty-odd men had been the perfect opportunity for Hornblower's expert machinations, and Buckland had folded like so many decks of cards in Hornblower's hands.

Kennedy's lascivious grin, the puff of his breath as he laughed at the Spanish solider's importunity, Hornblower's poorly suppressed answering smile - all were the badges of friendship earned, and he had treasured them as he received them lying near prone on a hilltop. They had felt the same pang of hopes dashed as some damned folly aboard Renown - Buckland had never been clear when he explained the mishap - ruined their chance of surprise, and he had felt a similar pang alone when Hornblower and Kennedy had run clear away without explanation: once again he was on the outside of their insular attachment, and he had felt a queer turn at it, one that he could hardly name.

"If you live to see Mr Hornblower-" he'd told Stiles, though he knew not what he had meant to convey before those bitter words had slipped out; "tell him he'll hang from the yardarm," had not been his intention when he started to speak.

The fort had fallen, the Spaniards offered a deal - and predictable as clockwork, Hornblower had seen through it and conceived a counter before the words had left their commander's mouth. And now-

"Alright, are you, Horatio?"

Hornblower's expression was a strange blend of terror and derision when he turned back, Kennedy's mouth fighting to remain bland. "Yes, thank you, Archie." He turned back to the block and tackle hanging over the cliff, and Bush could see how tight his jaw was set from behind.

"I remember when you used to be scared of heights, Mr Hornblower!" Kennedy pronounced, as if an actor in one of the plays he would read aloud in the ward room, despite constant protest. He glanced aside to Bush, laughter clear in his eyes, and Bush felt a smile form despite himself.

Hornblower, too, was smiling regardless of his fear when he turned back once more. "Nothing has changed, Mr Kennedy," he admitted, playing along with his friend's formality. Bush caught his eye and felt a surge of affection for the young man - for he and Kennedy were so very young, if not in years (for Bush had less than ten years on them), then in spirit, a playful exuberance that he could only account to their friendship.

That affection, that long-held desire to be admitted into their intimacy, must have been what sparked his playing along. As Hornblower grasped the hawser and prepared to rappel down to young Wellard's rescue, Bush nudged Kennedy's shoulder with his own and called out. "They say one should always do what one dislikes!" he advised.

"Oh yes?" was the only response Hornblower deigned to give.

Kennedy's grin was in full force now, delighted to have a compatriot in his torment of Hornblower, and Bush knew his was not far behind as he was swept off his feet by his contagious high spirits; he deliberately did not allow his gaze to land on either Hornblower or Kennedy as he spoke. "As a boy, I had to eat turnips."

Hornblower warily began to lower himself down. "Eat them now, do you?" he asked, his voice resigned - but the anxious pitch of it was gone, and some strange tension Bush had not noted in Kennedy before suddenly faded as Hornblower disappeared below the edge of the cliff, replaced by some sort of exhaustion.

"Never touch 'em," Bush said, his voice too low to carry further than Kennedy's ears. Kennedy looked back to him, his face strangely inscrutable until Bush gave up his attempt at controlling his smile; then Kennedy clapped his shoulder, the apparent fatigue entirely absent once more. Bush felt as if he'd passed some obscure test in that moment, and he directed the reassembly of the gun in its carriage with a lighter heart than he'd felt since Captain Sawyer had stepped on board Renown.

The Dons struck, the rebellion attacked, and the fort was to be abandoned the moment it was clear - and Hornblower, the proud, reckless creature, volunteered to set the charges to send the fort to kingdom come. Bush saw Kennedy's face as his friend - their friend? - said the words, and knew his own face echoed that same dawning realization. Kennedy's throwing himself in with Hornblower was instinctive, automatic, and Bush's hardly less so. But Buckland preferred, if preferred was the word to use for so damning a mission and that cold look in their premier's eyes, Hornblower, and Bush felt a shade of Kennedy's palpable terror at the parting; the boy's voice trembled as they shook hands, and not for the first time Bush wondered just how deep their friendship went.

There was a strange moment, as Hornblower turned back to the fort, where Bush felt some strange, foreign urge to touch him, to reassure himself of Hornblower's reality - an urge so strong and strange that he could not resist it: his hand came up of its own volition and brushed the younger man's narrow shoulder as he passed, and he stared dumbly after Hornblower's retreating form until Buckland cleared his throat, giving both him and Kennedy a queer, questioning look. "Well, we had better get this whole... this whole mess cleared away. Bush, Kennedy - you know your duties."

Back on board Renown, they threw themselves into the organising of prisoners with as much appearance of zeal as they could muster, setting men to clear sections of the hold for the carpenter's crew to erect bulkheads. Bush had to reprimand both himself and Kennedy on multiple occasions within those first minutes for near criminal distraction, and he knew they had both caught the cold, hateful look in Buckland's eyes as he shook Hornblower's hand. Finally, in a lull, Kennedy grasped his arm in a desperately tight grip.

"What is it, Mr Kennedy?" Bush asked, and then, feeling his tone had been a little harsh, added with more kindness, "Tell me your mind."

"The men know their work, sir - we would only be in the way, were we to stay below." Kennedy's fingers were still tight around his upper arm.

"You may have a point there. You there! Keep to your tasks, men!" he ordered, and allowed Kennedy to pull him to the companion and then further, into the wardroom. "Now, Kennedy, no more of this - you will tell me what is the matter," he said in a low voice, his ear turned towards the door.

"You know as well as I Buckland will leave him on the island if we give him half a chance. I don't know who has his ear - if the damned fool has been listening to Sawyer or just to that lush of a doctor - but-"

"That is a harsh accusation to make, Mr Kennedy," Bush said, not in reproach, but in warning. Kennedy's mouth opened, the confiding expression wiped away and replaced with a hot, reckless anger, but Bush raised his voice as loud as he dared and continued over his protestations. "But I will concede the point that our acting captain may have his hands too full to spare men to row back. And as we find ourselves at loose ends-"

The tension holding Kennedy in a rigid, spiteful posture dissolved as if strings cut away, and he drooped against the bulkhead. "Thank you, sir," he said quietly, staring down at his hands; they shook like leaves in a gale as they stood in silence for the space of a few dozen breaths. Finally they stilled, and Kennedy looked up, his eyes flashing with that same reckless enthusiasm Bush had once condemned. "Well, what are you waiting for? There's not a moment to lose, if we don't want our acting captain to catch on!"

They walked out as if they were on an important mission, using the natural deference of the hands to have the smallest skiff lowered down the shoreward side of the ship. "That'll be all, Norris, thank you," Bush said dismissively as he climbed over the railing and dropped into the flimsy craft, Kennedy following after and fending them off of Renown's side. Bush took the oars himself, wordlessly indicating for Kennedy to man the tiller, and watched as the great mass of their ship steadily shrank away from them.

"Mr Bush, sir, I wanted to-"

"Do not thank me, Mr Kennedy; I saw that same look. And I think-" Here he hesitated: he worked hard to maintain his rank, had nearly eradicated all traces of his broad accent; to offer such liberties to a junior - and a junior as irreverent as Kennedy, no less - was a risk to all that work. And yet... "I think, while we are risking our necks together a second time, Mr Kennedy, that you may call me William."

Kennedy looked surprised, astonished, at being offered such, and he took a moment to gather himself. Then, with a touch of colour on his cheeks, he inclined his head. "In that case, Will, you-"

"I am warning you, Mr Kennedy-" Bush growled; Kennedy took no notice.

"You may call me Archie," he said, that bright smile firmly in place. "No one calls me Archibald, and if you may use a short form it is only fair I may, too. No need for entire names while we row towards our deaths, now, is there?"

Bush feigned a sigh of disapproval, though he was certain Kennedy- was certain Archie knew better than to be fooled by his attempts by now. "Very well. Archie."

The Renown was only a short distance from the fort's docks, and Archie leaped across to tie the skiff up what felt like mere moments later, offering Bush a hand up as he beamed down. "Sir," he said in a mockery of the white-gloved sideboys as Bush fought with the desire to pull Archie down into the boat in retribution.

"The cheek on you," he muttered as he batted away the offered hand and stepped onto the dock unassisted. "As you said, Archie - no time to lose; we must find Mr Hornblower and lend him our expertise."

"Expertise, Will? I only meant to offer him a boatride," Archie said over his shoulder as he took the stairs towards the fort two at a time.

"Archie! Are you out of your mind?" Bush heard Hornblower shout as he followed Archie up the stairs to where he could hear the fizzling of slow match.

"Very possibly, but we thought you could use the company!" Archie agreed in his play-reading voice. Bush quickly took in the room: barrels of powder stacked, lengths of match trailing from them, and on the other side of the barrels, as Hornblower began lighting another length- He aimed, fired; the revolutionary fell, and he fumbled with his kit to reload.

"Well you've clearly lost your wits, the both of you," Hornblower said brusquely; Archie fired into the smoke and another man fell, barely visible through the acrid cloud.

"I suggest we make our move, gentlemen; it's getting rather warm down here." Bush slipped his reloaded pistol into his gunbelt and gripped Hornblower's elbow momentarily to encourage him to follow.

Together, they ran through the fort and down into the connecting tunnels. The first breath Bush drew of fresh air as Archie helped him climb onto the grass was heaven-sent, and as soon as he gained his feet he was reaching into the smoke-scented pit to grab at Hornblower and heave him out into the sun, just in time for the first rounds to go off. The earth bucked and heaved under their feet with each following explosion, and they ran to the edge of the cliff to hail Renown, eager to escape before they were found and shot.

"She's sailing away!" Hornblower cried, the first to reach the summit.

Bush slowed his sprint as he came up, wary of the cliff's edge, and watched the four ships turn away for the open ocean. "Well..." he began, glancing back at Archie. "Looks like that's it, gentlemen."

He did not regret it, now that the end was in sight. Not the mutiny, not his encouraging of Hornblower's manipulation of Buckland. Certainly not this second mutiny that seemed now to promise their death; he cursed Buckland for a jealous fool, but he was happy to face his death alongside these two brave, bright men. They may not have saved Hornblower, but he at least would not die alone.

"No it isn't, Mr Bush," Hornblower said, his hands on his knees as he gasped against the effects of his run. Then he straightened up, a rare smile, the twin to Archie's near constant smirk, firmly in place. Bush had a momentary feeling of apprehension as he spoke. "Archie?"

Archie's smile was consistently amused; now it looked incredibly fond, as well, as he looked at Hornblower. "I am afraid I think you're right," he said with a disbelieving chuckle, his gaze flickering between Hornblower's face and Bush's own.

"What?" Bush demanded as his apprehension grew into a queer, queasy terror.

Hornblower's dark eyes flashed with excitement as he looked at Bush. "We're gonna jump." His voice was as gleeful as a skylarking midshipman, and Bush wondered at it, that he could not imagine a worse plan, and yet Hornblower had never seemed more alive - more pleased to be alive.

He and Archie jogged a few fathoms away from the cliff's face as Bush mastered himself and peered over the sickening drop to the churning sea below. "Well now who's out of his mind?!"

When he turned back, the other two were stripping down to their shirtsleeves, tossing aside their swords and guns. "See for yourself, Will!" Archie called over the dull roar of the ocean beneath them. "It's only water, you won't break anything!"

"Really..." He turned to join them, hoping to convince them of literally any other mad scheme to escape than this certain death by drowning.

Hornblower beckoned him closer encouragingly. "Come, easier than eating turnips," he said as Bush approached. And then: "Mr Kennedy?"

Before Bush could protest, Archie had him in his arms, spinning him bodily around until Hornblower could grab him by the other elbow, flashing a maniacally beautiful grin. Bush twisted fruitlessly between them, unable to escape. "No, no, gentlemen, I'm sorry, but-"

"On the count of three!" Hornblower said to Archie over Bush's head, ignoring his protests.

"One!"

"No, we're not going to jump-"

Archie continued his count, tensing to start the run up. "Two!"

His grip on Bush's forearm was firm and solid, but Hornblower seemed to think better of his hold, releasing Bush's arm and instead gripping Bush's thick, work-worn hand in his own, long and strangely delicate fingers wrapping around Bush's calloused ones, and effectively extinguishing all Bush's escape attempts out of sheer shock: he did not think his hand had been held since he went to sea - no, Nora had held it when she was small, but that hardly counted. Hornblower gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

Despite his bewildered reaction to the almost affectionate hold, he still was capable of putting up some level of protest. "We will not jump, and that's my final word!" he demanded, just as Archie shouted "And three-"

Another charge exploded behind them. " And jump!" Hornblower and Archie said in unison, and charged forwards, dragging Bush between them as they cheered wordlessly.

They cleared the cliff edge and released him to plummet alone, and he felt the loss keenly. "I can't swim!" he yelled, all attempts at dignity gone in the rush of terror as the water rose up to meet him.

Hitting the water shocked him almost insensible, not from the impact but from the strangeness of it; he sank thoughtlessly for a moment before the panic set in and he thrashed ineffectually for the surface. Then two sets of strong arms were around him, supporting him, and he broke the surface gasping. "I can't swim," he repeated as Hornblower and Archie laughed giddily, keeping him afloat as easily as they did themselves - Bush was certain if they did not feel themselves responsible for him they should be playing like mids, splashing and dunking each other in between hails to the ship.

A boat was rowed out to them, and Archie lifted himself in, leaving Hornblower to support Bush on his own while he and the men situated themselves to make more space. "I wanted to say," he started in a strange voice, his arm warm around Bush's waist in the surprising cool of the Caribbean waters. "I wanted to say, sir - thank you. It was good of you to- to keep Mr Kennedy from making an ass of himself."

"Nonsense, Mr Hornblower; Ar-" he cut himself off; the implicit limitations of his granting Mr Kennedy the liberty of his name had ended with their return to the ship - or at least the ship's boat - and he would not do Mr Kennedy the disservice of using such intimate address when he had not extended the offer. "Mr Kennedy only prompted me to do what was right. You should not have been left alone in such circumstances."

Hornblower seemed surprised by Bush's words, and not for the first time Bush felt a pang of regret at his initial behaviour towards the junior lieutenants of Renown; had he been more personable, less concerned with propriety and rank, could he have had these friendships sooner? But before Hornblower could seem to make his mind up to speak, Mr Kennedy was leaning out of the boat and grinning at them. "Pass me Will, would you, Horatio?"

Hornblower blinked at the casual address, but pushed Bush forward until Archie - for if he would not respect the time limits of their intimacy, neither would Bush - could grip him under the armpits and heave him aboard. Bush, still grappling with the remnants of the terror of their plunge, did not allow himself to lie gasping in the bottom of the boat as his instincts demanded; the moment he felt stable he turned to assist Archie in lifting Hornblower's light frame into the narrow gig.

Once they were underway, dripping uncomfortably in the sternsheets, Hornblower turned towards Archie, high spirits still playing about his face and making him look far younger than his twenty-seven years. "'Will', is it? I did not know you and our second lieutenant were such intimates, Archie."

Bush was uncertain how to respond to such a strange manner of address: Hornblower's eyes were fixed firmly upon his face as he spoke, despite ostensibly directing his words to Mr Kennedy. A glance towards Archie, at his left, showed him in a remarkable mimicry of Hornblower's posture, leaning so against the cutter's hull that they were both twisted back and looking at him with an intense humour. "Oh, yes - he granted me the privilege while he rowed me back to save your sorrow soul, 'ratio."

"Hmm." Hornblower did his best to look serious, contemplative, but strong and sincere amusement was such a rare expression on him that Bush caught it at once, and could not believe him. "Well then, Mr Bush; it seems only fair to grant you my own given name - though I beg you will not shorten it so." He threw Archie a glare that seemed only partly in jest.

"Oh, I am sorry, sir - should you prefer 'Horry'?" Archie asked archly, and Hornblower twitched as if he should like to throw himself over Bush to swat at him in retaliation.

Bush felt his lips curling into a small, secret smile of fulfilled desire to be admitted into such confidences - a week ago Horatio would never have let his guard down enough for even so small a betrayal of self, were he in the room. "I would be honoured for you to call me William, then, both of you," he said, adding, "At least when we are not in company, of course; discipline must be maintained amongst the men," in a perfectly bland tone.

Archie huffed, seemingly put out before he caught the sardonic note, and then chuckled. As the boat pulled alongside Renown, he looked more somber. "Well, gentlemen, it is time to face the music."

Buckland's persecution of Hornblower continued from there; he was set to captain all three of the Spanish ships alone, and Bush intervened his apology to their acting captain; as the superior officer, the fault for disobeying orders lay with him - Hornblower had not, in fact, disobeyed any at all.

"It was true to form, if nothing else," Buckland said, his voice strange and frail. "You three: you are so full of yourselves, and of each other... You think me a fool."

It was true, and more true perhaps of Horatio than of any of them, from his position of genius; Bush pitied him, Archie looked down on him, but Horatio? Bush did not think Horatio thought of him at all, except to maneuver around him in order to stay on course, as if he were an inconveniently placed bit of shoal. Buckland was as dangerous, too, as sudden shallows were to the safety of the ship - though not so dangerous as Sawyer's erratic moods had been, like an malignant squall; whatever damage had been done to Renown, to her crew's morale, was not the sin of youthful recklessness, but of frail and unfit officers.

"No one pretends command is easy, sir," Bush said after a pause - damning Buckland by faint praise; he knew Buckland felt the insult keenly, but could not bring himself to any further show of comradery after his treatment of Hornblower.

"I never expected it to be easy." Buckland's voice was mournful, and Bush gave him a shallow bow and excused himself to see to the transfer of stores to the Spanish prizes; Hornblower would have enough on his plate.