#Already working on the next part

[exlwandering]

Finally wrote something for the first time in months. 11.7k words. Don't ask me how I don't fucking know.

This is gonna be a slow burn romance about my ocs Celica and Lemal. Neither are human, Celia is Kinda like a rabbit and Lemal is more akin to a raven. Okay. gonna word dump now. Tried to edit but if it's... weird. or has any typos... You know what to do. Enjoy Chapter one! More may come. hopefully.

Celica

In my dreams, since I was small I have always had a nightmare. Dark feathers wrap around me delicately, silently, rising and falling with the breath of a beast that lays beneath me, it sleeps many hours but it will awaken, my whole life this dream has only gotten that far, me sitting in silent terror of what would happen to me if I awoken such a beast, but last night. It woke up, with no real reason other than it tired of its rest, I put my arms out to stop it but no matter how I fought it was upon me, beak tearing into my flesh, massive claws tearing me apart and breaking bones, teeth finally pulling my flesh out to finally consume me. No matter how quiet I had always been, how soft or sweet, how light I had been on its back, I knew it would wake no matter how hard I prayed. 

I woke up with a jolt. I lay in my bed, soft and plush, the sun rolling into my room through the open window, the curtains blowing in the gentle breeze. Lighting up the floor and  the edge of my bed. For a moment I just sit there breathing in the moist air of new spring, that is of course before I remember the day. Today is the eve of my wedding. 

I stumble out of my room, still in my nightgown, walking past servants and siblings alike, all my brothers and sisters stop to stare at me while I keep walking. Pushing through the dining room doors hoping to find solace in a warm meal. I first spot my Papa, tired eyes and panic lining his face and he turns away from a guest of some sort, his whiskers on end, ears perked in distress, crown lying unworn on the table. This strikes me in my tired state, he never likes to take it off, with so much family people forget who he is to them, it helps to remind them that they should respect him,of course it rarely works with actual family but still. I turn to my mothers spot at the table where she is crying. Crying. My mother is sobbing at the table while turning to me finally. This sobbers me up for a moment as I take a full sweep of the room and  finally notice our guest. 

Tall, much too tall, his feathered head almost reaching the ceiling, or it would had he not been crouched over the table with pen and parchment under his massively large clawed hands. His eyes are black and glossy and pointed totally at me before they glare disapprovingly at me, I remember I'm in my nightdress. 

He lifts his paper for me to see, it’s not in my language but in Scalsy, the written language of the predators of the west, something I learned to read alongside my own language while I was still very little. The paper reads, to my great dread, “It's time to go.”  Four simple words that will leave me dead by tomorrow. But I don't say that. All I say, in as much of a voice that I can muster is, “Alright. I'll get packed,” he seems to wince at this, holding one of his ears, or where his ears would go, in place is a tuft of feathers that just looks like an ear. 

“Hold on,”  Papa starts, “She's not going anywhere!”  Papa has a snear across his face, showing his neck breaker teeth in a promise of violence. The man doesn't respond much other than in annoyance. He turns his head to write again. After a moment filled with scribbling sounds he lifts his paper again. To my father who draws a quick breath in before growling low, “You wouldn’t fucking dare!”  The man then turns the paper to me with small amusement playing at the base of his beek, he’s smiling. The paper reads, “It’s this girl or we take another, your choice.” 

“I'll go, I’ll go!” I put my hands in front of me, he again covers one of his ears and lets out a small growl in my direction, my father looks defeated. The man writes again, “Go get dressed and packed if you aren’t already. Now.”

I run to my room on all fours as fast as I can and start shoving my pants, shirts, books, and many pens in a chest. Once finished with that, I darted out of my nightgown and into a nice dress that had been left in my near empty closet. I turn again to my room for any keepsakes I want to take with me, pictures of family, drawings from my little siblings, my pocket watch, a bag of berry bush seeds, my newish diary, several empty diaries, and a small but bright candle, as well as something to light it. 

Papa came bounding after me and had been saying my name the whole time I was shoving things away, he finally grabbed me by the shoulders, shaking me out of my panic but also shaking small sobs out of me. It takes me a moment to stop them. He hugs me softly. 

“Celica, I had a gift for you,” he let’s me go from the hug I so wish never would end. I look at him and then look down at his hand, small and soft, the pads slightly covered in his brown fur, he’s holding a small locket. He puts it around my neck slowly and lovingly, I hold my hair out of the way, the mess of soft curls getting tangled in the chain.

Once he’s done I open the locket and see the portrait of my great-something-aunt and her husband. I remember hearing her story for the first time, huddled in a soft blanket in my fathers lap. How a predator had butchered her, that only taters of her clothes and blood had been found, the rest of her likely consumed. 

A quick moment of fury filled me, of all days to give me this damned thing. Why today? When I’m to marry the king of the predators? The one who is likely the most vicious?  What the hell would have led my father to hand this over now? I looked up at him in fury and then stopped short, tears pricked his eyes. 

“Don’t forget what they do, how they butcher us. Stay safe.” The last part was a whisper, his tears falling with his voice. 

I hug him again, then whisper back, “Yes Papa.”

…

A loud thump fills my ears while I sit outside next to the carriage. It’s massive yet elegant, but I can't really care about it. I am a bit grateful tho, Mont, as the man reveals his name to be lets me say goodbye to my siblings and even some extended family, this is of course before he knows how many of them there are, after the tenth good bye he scribeles something hastily down, “For fucks sake girl, how much family can one princess have??”  I don't tell him there are many more of them out of fear he'll change his mind. 

Mont pulls me out of my thoughts for a moment, tapping my shoulder with his massive yet rather dull claw. He’s written again. 

“Finally time to hit the road girl, get your father. Then we'll leave.”  He turns to enter the carriage. 

“Alright,” I respond before darting to the other side of the carriage, fathers just staring out into the woods. 

“Hey,” I grab his coat and give it a small tug, “It’s time to go Papa.” I speak softly, I don't really know why other than it might serve to soothe him. He looks at me a moment before finally following me, holding my hand the whole way through. And then I hear my mother talking inside of the coach. 

She’s talking faster than Mont can write about whether she can come, if there are any laws against it, about why he won’t talk, about why he’s so rude. I know what she’s doing and I almost go to stop her but I don't. I want to see if it works. It doesn't help that Mont is a rather slow writer, or that he clearly is running out of paper. Finally he throws his pencil down in rage and motions her to stop talking, after a heart beat he nods in defeat. 

“I'm coming with you, and no one can stop me!” she screams from the coach before a snarl of pain follows, she quickly apologizes before we clamber in the coach ourselves, happy to be able to laugh together one last time.

My mother, as the ride continues, does not stop her questions, my father had long since gotten used to her very… Inquisitive nature, but Mont, with his apparently sensitive ears and being now trapped in a small space with my mother, looks like he's about to chuck her out of the window, so my Papa and I try our best to stop her questions. Now is a time to be quiet. 

There are times however when Mont does accept questions, through writing he told us 1 question each so that he could quote on quote, “give himself some peace”  My mother goes first, after a moment of great thought. 

“Can you really not talk?”

His response, “Of course I can talk, you little things just can’t really hear us, this (writing what he’s saying) is better.(apparently)”

My father has no questions so he gives me his. My first question is: “Why did they send you (a slow writer) to get us (those who can’t even hear you)?

His response: “King Lemal is my best friend, I promised I’d keep you things safe. Wouldn’t want a dead bride now would we?”  

I’m tempted to make my next question: “Or a dead princess? Queen? Or even a dead King?”

But I quickly remembered how little the predators valued us, only being meek and eager “prey.”

So I instead asked: “What is King Lemal Like? As a person not a king.”

His response was rather long and thus took him several minutes, but when he was done: “Lemal is proper and quite respectable, but wild when he wants to be.  He’s pretty smart too, though is more of a smart-ass than anything else.  He’s into reading and hunting, obviously, and he’s a bit creative with his nonsense. I wouldn’t worry about how he’ll treat you given his excitement for you. But he’s king, and you’ll be queen, so what does it really matter what he’s like, it’s not like you have a say either way.”  

While that last part I know is true, it still scares me so I’m silent the whole rest of the ride, resting between my parents one last time. 

I can’t help but think about how this has played out so far, about were it’s going, so quietly, while everyone is asleep i dig into my bag and pull out my pen and diary, going as quietly as i can to not wake anyone but when I look back up with said diary and pen Mont is staring at me clearly pissed, he motions for me to give him my diary. For a moment I’m terrified that he’ll take it but I don't see what choice I have, so I slowly hand both items to him, however instead of digging through them or throwing them out the window or anything else he begins to write inside of it. After a moment he hands both objects back, in large sloppy handwriting he wrote down, “By God am I glad that you're not gonna be my wife. But I’m up now, so write.” I flick my head back up to him but he’s looking out the window, looking annoyed yet passive. 

“Thank you,” I whisper before he waves his hand dismissively at me. 

I pour the whole day into the diary just before the sun breaks through the wood of the branches outside and once I’ve put my diary back into my bag and closed it over the hill I see a massive palace that reaches to nearly the heavens. I have to swallow my scream at just the sight of it. 

The slam of my carrier chest against the gravel of the drive breaks me of my trance, my Mama and Papa are beside me watching Mont try to pick the chest back up before forfeiting to its weight and dropping it again. He give me a look which i take as a pointed question, responding with: “I’m sorry, it’s mostly full of my books.” He gives me another look as if to say “what the fuck is wrong with you?” I responded with another apology. 

Many people are out and about on the drive, one coming to help Mont to pick up my luggage, several carrying other things into the palace (namely benches and decorations) but two are heading right toward my family and I, quickly. Two women by the looks of it, they didn’t have hair on their heads but their feathers were styled very nicely to swoop down and out every few inches making almost a wave effect, their necks were long and elegant holding up their heads and beaks. One of the women was walking straight to us while looking at us but the other was looking right at her, presumably someone of great importance by how she held herself and how she seemed to look down and altogether ignore everyone else, but me that it. 

They stopped right in front of us, presumably continuing a conversation we still couldn't hear no matter how close they got, the more regal one finally snapped her fingers and grabbed someone's attention before pointing down at us, the the man grabbed the arms of my parents, picked them up and started to walk away and before i had any say in the matter, the less regal women grabbed my arm and picked me up, showcasing me to the regal woman. 

The scream was pulled out of me but not of my parents, whom I heard grow more faint and distant as the woman surveyed me, lifting my chin, my arms and even poking my belly in one instance. Finally when she was done inspecting me, the woman holding me started to walk away at an alarming rate towards the palace, and in an instance we were inside. 

Her pace was faster than I could ever run yet she only seemed to be walking carrying me through the halls until finally we walked up to a false wall that opened up to a massive bathroom. She began to rip the dress off of me before dropping its remnants on the ground, leaving the places she pulled against me sore and surely to bruise later. While this happened several other women were preparing soapy water that when I was eventually dropped carelessly into i discovered how cold it was. Shivering to the bone, the women proceeded to dose me in soaps and roughly scrub them into my fur leaving me looking like a massive bubble. When done with the scrubbing the woman who brought me in put her hand on my back, I realized just how large these people were to me as her hand not only covered my entire back but her fingers wrapped around my waist like she was holding a broom handle. She swept my body under the water and no matter how I thrashed I couldn't get out of her grip. Soapy water filled my mouth and nose and lungs, the taste reminding me of the small years of my childhood. Finally, after almost a minute of being held under the water and shaking to remove the soap I was pulled out from the water completely and dropped back in only this time free of the hand. I gulped in the air before lunging for the side of the tub so I would not have to swim in its depths again. As I sat there for a moment one of the bath ladies sat there looking sad for me but only for a moment before she tenderly pulled me out of the freezing water and into the warmth of her towel. That was when I retched. 

It was only water as I hadn't eaten since the morning before but it clearly disturbed the main woman, she glowered at the girl who held me who then resumed the drying process, scrubbing me so hard and fast I likely shocked the next person I touched. 

When the girl released me of my towel drying the woman again dragged me to another room giving a quick moment of reprieve. There I had faint oils rubbed into my back, throat and face, burning my eyes again. They used the oils to try and shape my fur, pushing it downward. In the end when I was pushed in front of a mirror, seeing my naked body almost made me laugh. 

Not only was i still damp with oils, but the way they shaped my fur made me look like I had been doused in water, it also darkened my fur in a very unattractive way, thankfully however my fur has always been bad at keeping a styled shape, it curls at the ends no matter how it's shaped usually destroying the style, something i am now thankful for. Besides, when I’m alone later I can always give it a tussle so the proper shape comes back and I don't look so… Bad. I don’t know how they expect me to marry though. I still have so little air in me that I'll Likely pass out at the altar, my eyes are brilliant red from the soaps and fragrance oils, and they used so much of said oils i look like i haven’t bathed in weeks despite the fresh wash, not to mention how I am barely standing on my own at the moment. 

My break at the mirror is very brief it seems as quickly a new lady has taken to role of manhandling me, showing me in a first much too big bra, likely mistaking my chest fur for breasts, then a much too small bra that won't go over my head, and finally one that, while tight, is still wearable. She jots something down and passes it to me. 

It reads,“We’ll get you more clothes in a few weeks.”

I’m very glad to have brought my own. The sizing process repeats with a pair of underwear that has straps that go around the tops of my thighs. Oh. Oh no. This woman’s fitting me for lingerie, OH HELL NO. I begin to take the bra off but given how tight it is it’s difficult. She catches me and shoves it right back on before grabbing an under dress and throwing that over me and then quickly grabbing a corset. I fucking hate corsets. It was starting to become a trend back home to wear ones but not like this one. This one, in contrast to the ones at home, was full sized and would pull in my stomach and my chest. However this might be my save and grace!

My chest fur wont stay in the corset. The underdress is too low cut to hold it down so everytime she begins to tighten my fur rises. Over and over again. After the fourth time putting it back on I think she's gotten so tired of it she’ll quit. I am very wrong. She instead pushes my fur down, tightens the corset with practiced precision to an extremely tight fit, then shoves what leftover fur pops out when she removes her hand back into the corset. Some relief follows the removal of her hand but very little. I can barely breathe, even less so than before. 

She pays this no mind as she goes about picking a finally piece while I try to remove the corset myself or to at least loosen the damn thing but i can’t, and when she turns to watch as my hands finally fall, as i finally give in, i watch as she smiles at me in the mirror. 

While this corset woman is picking a dress the woman who nearly drowned me comes back in with a smile on her face before it falls when she looks at me. They begin to argue. (or at least it looks like it, this not hearing thing is getting on my last nerve today) Finally the conflict is resolved almost before it can begin when the Nearly-Drowned-Me-Lady (NDM lady until i learn her name) pecks the corset lady right between the eyes drawing blood that shines against her beak. She holds the wound in her hand, crying before nearly running away, back into the bathroom.

I look up at the remaining woman who’s grabbed a small (in her hands) dress and puts it on me. 

Looking at myself  is almost a sad event, oily fur, red eyes, frequent flinching when I breathe, and a dress that consumes me. However she seems quite pleased with her handy work. She points her clawed finger to me I guess to say don’t move a muscle before leaving again. 

I focus on learning to breathe in this thing, as I'll probably be in it for a while, but then I hear steps towards me coming from the bathroom. A woman pokes her head out of the door frame looking around. It takes me a moment to realize she's the woman who toweled me down. She's walking toward me with another towel, much smaller this time, and a small bowl of water. I don’t fight her when she lifts my head and gently pours water in my eyes, catching it with the towel. When she's done both eyes she towels my face down removing excuse oil titering and making soft crow sounds. When she’s done she shakes her head, sits at a nell and puts her hand out which i slowly shake. She sees me wince and looks confused for a moment before her  eyes widen and she unzips the back of my dress and losses the corset, giving me enough room to finally take a full breath. 

“Thank you,” I breathe, relieved to do so. She nods her head then snaps her neck to the door the previous woman left out of, gathering the bowl and towel, patting my head and walking back to the bathroom. 

After a heartbeat the NDM woman walks back into the room, grabbing my hand and dragging me to another event. 

I’d completely zoned out while she pretty much dragged me down the halls, she didn’t want to pick me up again but she didn’t want to stoop down so she could hold my hand, instead she was carrying me like a stuffed toy, my feet hitting the ground ever so often. 

Finally we came to a stop in the middle of a massive hallway with curtains blocking a doorway, after a beat we go inside of it were the first woman who inspected me sits lounging on a cushioned seat, very little has changed of her appearance, in fact only one thing has changed, she’s now wearing a crown. This woman is queen. Or was queen, as Lemal is already King. So either he is going to have two wives in a few hours or this is his mother. The mother angle seems more plausible as she, ever so often in her feathers hints of gray, no doubt dyed away to be forgotten about. 

The women are talking about me while I just stand there, focusing on the ground. Once more I have no way of knowing what they're saying and that fact alone makes me feel like digging a hole and collapsing the entrance while in it. 

I look up at the ex-queen (I think she is anyway, it’s a decent guess) trying to remember her name. I remember her husband’s, He was King Monal  the… either third or fourth, I still can't remember what her name was. Someone however took my mind off of that as she motioned backward to someone behind her, she turned all the way and started to show the person away, Even the NDM lady was stood up from her seat (i don’t know when she sat down, I guess I just didn’t notice) and began to sho the person away as well, they were behind the curtain but I’m fairly certain that it was a man behind it. He pecked in further and the ex-queen was smiling broadly as she put her hand on his chest pulling a smile out of him, looking at his chest it looked like he was laughing with them. (Maybe) Finally he gave a small wave (that might have been pointed at me) before leaving the room. The rest of the time i spent in there was a blur. 

After an hour spent in silence came the part of the day I was most dreading, looking through the windows I can see that the sun is going to set soon, maybe within the hour. 

There is so little sound, all that can be heard is the sound of people sitting, no chatter, nothing. Just me waiting until the doors opened. 

…

How will he kiss me.

It’s such a stupid question but one I have to ask. He has no mouth, only a beak. Hell, I don't even know what he looks like, I know what his species looks like but who knows if he knows what my species looks like, was he given a portrait? Even a description, i sure wasn’t so why should he be given one? Maybe they didn’t want him knowing what I looked like so if they killed me they could… That’s so stupid! This is stupid! 

The doors open, cutting my thoughts away and in perfect clarity the question of what he looks like is swept away.  

He’s tall, even for a predator he’s huge. He stands above the priest who’s standing on a slightly raised step, yet he’s taller than him. He’s also pristine, slicked back feathers, no style to them just straight down and sharp. His clawed and feathered feet hold up his form, dressed in a military uniform almost entirely free of decoration. His tail feathers nearly touch the floor, and he holds himself with pride when I first see him, but when he sees me his posture softens some, not much but some. 

I realize I’m just standing there staring and trying to take the first step forward, I feel stuck to the ground, weighed down in my too large and unflattering dress. But I do it. I take that step. I accept this shitty hand I’ve been dealt, so long as it means my family don’t have to take said hand. His hand.

I feel them all watching and I see my mother and father at the front bench watching my personal demise live, up close and personal. For a moment I regret being born. 

I’m shaking, visibly, but I don't care. I can’t even focus on that. 

He puts his hand out to me. I have to take it but I just stare at it for a moment. My future husband with his massive hand that could snap my neck with one motion, could wrap his hand around my body so tight my ribs break, the claws that, despite their dullness could slit through me like butter. And it would hurt too. And he’d have every legal right to do it. To rip me apart. To devore me like my aunt, like my sister's friend, like I’m his prey. 

…

I take his hand. I’ve stopped shaking too. 

The priest begins his speech

I only know this because I can ever so slightly hear it, it’s so low and quiet I feel like I'm hearing it from another room but I do, in fact, hear it. Mama and Papa probably can’t though. 

For several minutes he rambles about royal lineage which I ignore, but I can't help but listen when he brings my lineage up, the whole reason for this.

“-as this young princess, eldest of her kin joins us as many others like her have done before her, for the predators sacred right to feast, to indulge and laguash in a successful hunt. When this hunt finished many eons ago our people demanded a reward for a war well fought, and today ladies and gentleman, the payment to this king- this new age is paid in the blood and body of our newest queen!” 

I try to forget the blood and body parts as best I can. I can hear my mother weeping behind me. I zone out for a while longer before I hear him ask me “Do you take this man-?” I whisper an “I Do” before I try and stop myself. I hear him ask “Do you take this woman-?” and after a moment Lemal dips his head in a nod and turns to me before kneeling to- not my height, but as low as he can get, before pulling me close, rubbing the side of his beak against the side of my face. The priest then announced that it is done and we are now husband and wife. King and queen of the western predators. 

…

I feel like I'm going to throw up again. 

***

The rest of the night goes by with me either sitting in his lap, in his arms or on his shoulder, he’s laughing with his friends and family over the dinner table. I smell roasted meats fill the air and the mere thought of having to eat it with him fills me with terror. I've never eaten meat before and I do not intend to start now. I skipped that meal. Later courses came filled with large fruits as a type of desert and despite my hunger I eat as little as I’m able to- I don’t know why. I eat plenty of cake in the course afterwards but I don’t know why I don’t eat the fruit. Maybe its juice stains his hand too much like blood. Or maybe I’m just being extra cautious. 

At the end of the night my mother and father are escorted out and I jump out of King Lemals gentle grasp to catch up to them, I have to say goodbye at least, i have to. By the time I do so with King Lemal following at a leisurely pace while I run, I am sobbing, keeled over trying to catch my breath. 

In a moment I am up and jumping for my Papa one last time, to hug him just one last time. He catches me and we bury our faces into each other's necks, dampening them with tears. My mother jumps around both of us pulling her arms as far around the both of us as she can and crying into my scalp. 

After a long moment Papa pulls away but I try so hard to not let go but he’s stronger in his resistance. He puts his hand on the locket I've worn the whole day before kissing my forehead, my mother kissing my cheek and scalp and ear. Then Papa pulls back, bows and begins the walk back to the carriage they arrived with me in, leaving me behind. My mother lingers for longer, continuing to kiss and hug me, before whispering “Be so strong my love, I know you are.”  She has to be picked up but she still fights but not when she actually gets in the carriage itself. 

I sit in the grass and King Lemal and the guards that walked my family away all leave and for a moment I am alone. Completely and utterly. 

But only for a moment. 

Lemal returns. I hear him before I see him. He sits in the grass with me then slides and piece of cake in front of me. I reach for the dessert spoon and as soon as I have taken a bite he pulls my body to his. 

…

The rest of the night passes in a blur. When I start thinking again Lemal has me in his hands cradled to his chest. I start thinking again solely because I know where we’re going, to the bedroom, where he'll no doubt rip this dress off of me and delight in the lingerie they forced on me. I begin to wiggle in his grip, trying to get away but it feels like he just thinks i’m slipping because he holds me tighter when he reaches for the nob of the door, walks in, and shuts it behind him. 

I jump out of his hands and onto the bed like an idiot. He looks at me with an expression that reads excited are we  which I very much am not. I shake my head quickly and say “No! No, I really don’t want to, I-I- I don't even know you your highness!” He raises his hands to calm me, I think. He walks to the dresser, opens it and grabs clothes from it, then gestures to my chest of things, someone must have brought it here just after my arrival. He then walks away to, supposedly, the toilet room. 

As soon as the door closes I jump off of the much too high bed and quickly throw open the chest and grab my clothes before releasing something. I can't take off the corset, not by myself. Which means i cant put on the night dress, fuck. 

He walks out after a moment, in loose night pants and no shirt. It’s all just feather, feather, feather and more feather. Not to even mention his wings that arc up over his head. “No wonder the bed’s so big,” I whisper and I think this made him laugh. “

Hey… could I ask you to do something and you not act on what that action usually means?”  He didn't respond for several seconds until I turned and showed him the still very much tightened corset and still on dress. He raised his hands in protest but after he stopped I just replied with, “...Please?” He seemed to give in at that moment. Gesturing to the bed. 

It took some work, I had to completely flatten my feet to the ground, then bounce for a second to jump as high as the bed, however I was too close and smashed my face into the side of the mattress. I shook my head and turned back for him, looking for help but instead finding him trying so hard not to laugh at me he was holding his beak shut. After a moment passing he breathed clearly and stooped to help me but I was already trying again and I leapt between his arms when he reached me, glaring at him. 

He put his hand on his neck looking like he was about to apologize but I didn’t even want him to try. “Just help me, please.” After a moment, he sat on the bed and did just that, slowly pulling the dress off and undoing the corset until it was just string on the floor. I ripped it off and threw that away too. After jumping to the head of the bed on the opposite side. I slipped off the underdress while he averted his eyes then put on the night gown. And then… He laid down. Got under the blankets and laid down. So I did the same, and tried my absolute best to try and ignore the animal skins everywhere, the fact I was sleeping next to the king of the western predators, the fact that he is now my husband, and that we would do this every night. 

Lemal

“Okay so… what’s wrong with him?”

Father gave me a strange look, like I'm an idiot. “The problem is that your brother doesn't want to marry the prey girl!”

“Okay so why don’t you want the prey girl Cuss? And more importantly why does this affect me?” 

“Lemal! Isn't it obvious??” Father and I just stared at him for a moment waiting for him to say it. I already know, I’m just too tired at the moment. I went on a goose chase last night for barely anything to show for it other than heavy eyes and heavier limbs.

“I want to marry for love! And within my own species. And that just starts the list of why I don't wanna marry the prey girl! I’ve got many other reasons.” Father groaned and I just smiled at his answer.

“Always the helpless romantic brother.”

Balasey from her corner lounge chair piped in with, “He’s an idiot, like any girl could love you.”

“Thank you Balasey, always the optimist, love your input,” I muttered the last part so we could all pretend I didn't say it, of course she didn’t drop it.

“Excuse me you runt what did you say-”

“We haven’t the time for this- AND it's what Cusuma wants! Your little brother wants us to forget the topic at hand!” Father throws himself into his armchair in front of the window, it buckles under his weight and again makes that horrible sound. 

“When are you gonna fix that chair father- and anyways wouldn’t that make Cusuma King to marry that girl? That makes no sense, I am already king number one, number two why can’t I marry the girl, I have no qualms against it, marriage is marriage, you and mother worked out just fine. I mean there’s three of us, one more than needed  so that’s got to say something about how it worked out,” I take a sip of my drink, “so why not huh?”

“Well first,” Balasey chipped in, “they only had three because I’m the middle child and I’m a woman, the breeder is typically a man, so is the king, and then the girl is just an inconvenience.” 

“So you do want me to send you to the monastery?” Father added, Balasey sunk into her seat to avoid answering. “Thank you girl,” he took a sip of his drink. “And I want to teach him responsibility Lemal, the boy needs to learn. And if your sister is right about anything it’s that that boy will never marry, let alone have legitimate heirs on his own, so better to make him the object of the prey things attentions, beside if he really hates her he can kill her and just marry another! She’s dime a dozen, hell, she was born with three other females so we can get one for you too Lemal, if you really want. One wife for fun, one for breeding no problem.”

Balasey got up and left at that. 

“Or we can finally put your sister to work and get her married!!” We both looked at him then, “Oh! Come on boys, you know she needs to contribute to this family, she wasn’t born for no reason!”

Somewhere a door slams so loud I have no doubt that it’s been snapped in two. Father cuckles. 

“Father please don’t make me, I don't want a marriage to be stained with my supposed lover's blood!” 

“And anyway father,” I finally chim back in, “why make things complicated? You’re right, he needs to learn responsibility so why not send him to a soldiers camp, there are much simpler ways.” 

“I don’t wanna do that either!!” 

“OH pipe down you clown!” He swirled his drink thinking for a moment. 

“Besides,” they both looked at me Cuss in anger and father in curiosity, “I do find the things a decent amount attractive, I won’t waste her. Not like he will.” My idiot brother nods at this and father tits at his stupidity, I just laugh softly. 

After a moment of thought Father answers again, “Fine, you’re right Lemal why make this complicated, I can teach him in other ways.” 

“Perfect, solution found!”

Father got up from his chair, downing his drink, “By the way Lemal,” he began to walk out the door, “The wedding’s next week.”

“Sorry?” I stood up in astonishment, my brother whooping in victory in the corner.

***

I wish I didn't have to wake up, this was most days but especially today given I awoke to people running in and out of my room pulling things out here and there until it was almost completely empty. 

“What the hell are they doing? “  I say, groggy from another sleepless night.

“Moving your thing’s to the bridal sweet m’lord,” says my groomer, Ramey.

“Oh. Right, the marriage thing today,” I say, swishing his hand and comb away, he reaches for me again. “My feathers are fine, leave me alone Ram.”

“As you wish, should I get the ladies in the washroom to start your grooming or do you want to hunt first?”

“Hunt? Oh hell no, not today, besides I did enough of that last night. I made it to where only meats that I’ve hunted will be served tonight- of course at the expense of my me but who gives a shit about that?” Ramey is about to say something but I cut him off before he can show any concern, “Yes, please call the ladies to wash me off, also tell them about the new oils you bought. I don't think they know about that yet.”

“Of course,” I walk out of the room and he follows me, “I also bought some oils and soaps for your bride, do you want them to use them today or tonight or?” 

I stop to think about it. “Um, use the same oils on her as you do me so that she already smells like me, the fuckers in the palace get way too handsy. Unless she smells like me they’ll think they can make an early claim to her and I don’t want that. I’d like to keep her flower intact until I can get to her thank you.”  I stop in the main dining room, stretching in front of the window looking out it. Ramey looks with me. Then at me.

“You really should spend the whole night with her, she’ll be scared being in such a new and dangerous place on her own, she should at least have her husband share a bed with her on her first night here. I know how scary the adjustment is.”

I don’t look at him still, thinking for a moment. “Hey Ram,” I put my hands in my pockets, finally looking at him, “completely dose her in the oils I use today.”

After breakfast comes a well needed wash, I lavish in its coldness while the ladies wash out the bad oils and put in the good. 

I wonder what she looks like? She’ll be small, I know that but how small? Like… waste height or smaller?  Ya know, thinking about it i haven’t even seen too much of her species, then again she probably hasn’t seen too much of my own so at least we have that much in common. Heh, maybe we can use that to ‘get to know each other.’  

Right now, snapping out of my trance, I hear my mother titering in the other room, likely waiting for me to get the hell out of the bath. Looking around I realize that the ladies are more or less finished and now are cleaning around me so as to not be an idol. I stand, pulling half the tubs water out with me, and they soon begin drying me. 

“Are you ever going to be finished in there, you girl?” 

“Good morning mother, you can come in, you know.” One of the Ladies passes me my wax and I generously applied it to my beak. “Also you want me to look good on my wedding day don't you?” I say this with a smile getting a small dollop of wax in my mouth that I become preoccupied with getting out of my mouth. Moving to the mirror my mother walks in. 

“Oh cover yourself, you know you have more than one and I don’t wanna see that!” 

“Didn’t you birth me?”

“Yes but that was a long time ago and I didn’t even feed you so stop mocking me already, you'll make your poor mother even more gray!” I wrap a towel around my waste. 

“Oh you are too lovely, gray or not.” She replies with a simple “mh” before moving to the mirror, examining herself. 

“They're late, you know.”

“I don’t really care,” I start.

“Well I do, and it’s because of the boy, the one you’re friends with, the bastard boy. Who knows what he did,” she turns to me, “You don’t think he’s letting her say goodbye to all of those family members do you?”

“Why would that be a problem?” 

“You know why!!” I give her a look of confusion. “UHH! Those things breed like, like, like themselves! They have troves of themselves everywhere!”

“Not here.”

“Only because they are just smart enough to stay away for their own little lives sakes. The poor things. That prey girl thing will be such a pain. Your uncle has one and I don’t know how he does it, every generation, every king. It’s bogus.” 

One of the Ladys comes with my uniform for today and I stand ready for her to put it on me. “Don’t say that Mother,” I pause, “You know Ramey says that I should be nice to the girl, don’t you like him?” 

“I like that he knows how to make this old bag of bones and dust look like a brand new bag, yes! But I don't really value his opinion that much, sorry.”

“Well i think you ought to be nice to her, in fact, can you see to it that she’s treated gently. I want a pampered little pet, no stress or reason to worry at all. How’s that mummy, just like your wedding.”

“Ha! You’re the stupidest one of my children if you really think that my wedding was a happy one, oh I hate your father, he’s so annoying. He’s always been like your brother, it’s why he hates him.”

“Don’t say that mother!”

“It’s true!”

I’m about to say something more but then we hear a carriage pull into the drive. 

“OH, yes, finally!! I can get a look at the thing! Oh- come here, there’s three, come see, come see!!” She’s jumping in excitement looking down and out of the window. I come to join her just in time for the things to climb out. Also just in time to watch Mont fail at picking up a chest for a creature whose things could barely weigh a pound. 

“See?” She says mocking Mont, “Bastard children are runts what do I tell you!” 

“Next you’ll say Cuss is a bastard,” She puts her finger to the tip of her beak and I laugh. 

“I’m going down to see,” she says excitedly, I quickly follow now fully dressed to not only get a look but to help Mont. 

We arrive quick enough, mother and my bride's new lady in waiting head right over to them, I head over to help Mont and ask about my bride. 

Together we pick up the chest and lo and behold it’s one of the heavier chests that I’ve picked up in a while. 

“Shit what’s in this thing??” I Grunt out while we move it to a cart.

“The Girl says ‘mostly books’ as well as ‘sorry.’” Mont says, mocking her.

“Well those are two very important pieces of information, she can read, and well it seems, and she’s got humility.”  Mont laughs and we turn to watch the lady in waiting and my mother get over the family of prey. Two are picked up and likely taken to the altar to be given contractual jobs but one is left behind, she’s picked up and my mother exploded in laughter calling her simple and dainty, Mont and I just laugh at the image of the girl picked up as a pet. 

“Okay well I’ll tell you one thing Lemal.”

“And what is that?”

“I don’t envy you.”

“Neither does my mother, she dreads the very idea of her even being in the palace.”

“Oh i don’t even mean that, the thing writes all hours of the night when she’s stressed”

“Oh, well that makes two non-sleepers,” I begin to walk back into the palace. “Besides, if all goes well she won’t be stressed at all, just like a very spoiled pet, if anything.”

“Are you fucking kidding me? Every one of those wife, pet things that I’ve ever met , and I’ve met the only two still alive, both were stressed all the fucking time, don’t kid yourself if you think she won’t die of it if not by one of us first.”

“Neither of those is happening. I’ll tell you why if you ask.” “...Okay, I’ll bite. Why?”

“I have a plan.”

“Oh do you?”

“Yes, now shut up. I’m gonna find every interest that she could ever be interested in and I’ll do everything that she wants. She wants cake, she’s got it, she wants books, she’s got it, she wants sex, well she’s more than got that.” 

Mont snickers, “your kidding yourself even more if you think that’s all women like-”

“I know that dumbass, but still. Whatever she wants is hers. I just want to say I tamed one of those prey critters and that will bring me fame and acolytes!” 

“More than being king?”

“Oh shut up. I’ve got a fitting to get to so why don’t you do some wine tasting for the both of us huh?”

“You don’t have to tell me twice, but that cake part of the plan’s gonna backfire.” 

“Oh please,” I said walking away, “who doesn't like a fat pet?!” 

Walking into the fitting room everyone begins to fuss at me again and I spend the next hour standing doing nothing so the seam cleaners can also do nothing because they did such a great job last time, all that’s left for me to do is to think really.

I couldn't get a good look at her before but her body was much smaller than I thought it would be. I could fit her in my hands with ease, probably balance her in just one hand. I’ll have to try later. She’s so small just a squeeze would pop her, speaking of that I turn a lot in my sleep, I’ll have to watch myself to make sure I don’t crush her. Maybe a wall of pillows? But I want her to be able to get to me. Don’t want to discourage any fun. How would that even work with her? Would they.. Fit? That’s a dirty thought. Thinking of other things, the kiss is going to be awkward at the actual ceremony, given her lack of a beak. How do prey kiss? Wait no, not prey, southern prey creatures, the… Pami! They have beaks… Small beaks but beaks. So… Compatu. Compatu Prey, how do they kiss? Guess I’ll have to ask her, but she might not know, if everything has gone well with her then she’ll never have done so before but here’s to hoping. I wonder- My father walks in, fumming.

“What’s wrong?” 

“You’re brother, he’s being an idiot again. He got you into this and now wants to pull you out of this because he feels bad, can’t he grow a fucking wing bone already!?”

“Wait, he wants to marry her? Hell no, not now. Why even?”

“Can’t you hear, he ‘feels bad,’  pathetic.”

“Oh please just tell him I’m fine and he’ll get over it.”

“Well I-”

“I don’t even wanna hear this father, just tell him to shut his beak before he tries to pull a stunt like speaking out at the wedding itself and everything will be fine.” I begin to walk away.

“Oh if your brother so much as thinks of doing that!” He begins to scream down the hall that he entered through, “I’ll have his damn pelt lining my coat!!” 

Walking down the halls I hear a familiar voice going on and on about how “This pet creature is just not as much of a beauty as she would have hoped but she’ll have to do!”  So following mothers voice i find her titering on and on with my fiance's new Lady in waiting once again. Mother spots me through the curtains and begins to greet me before changing her mind. 

“Oh my- What are you doing here, you need to finish your fitting, hell i can still see a pin in your shoulder!”

“Oh that’s nothing mother i promise, oh- is that her?”

“Oh your majesty please, leave before your surprise is spoiled!”  The Lady goes on about surprises for a while.

“You act like I don't know I’m getting married my lady but it’s quite the contrary, I promise.”

“Oh, you boy, get out!” Mother puts her hand on my chest, lightly pushing me out of her little “conference room,” I chuckle at her efforts. Before lightly waving to my little bride with a now much clearer look at her. Light brown fur all over her face with white rings around her eyes, nose and mouth, and a small pink nose in the center. But best of all are those eyes, dazzling green eyes that spark her face to life but bring an awfully shy look to her face. So in summary, she’s the most damn adorable thing I’ve ever seen. 

I’m finally pushed out of my mothers room and for a moment I just stumble backwards, she’s just a delight to look at yet still I didn't see her in nearly the right conditions. I'll tell you what she looks like though, she looks right out of a painting. 

Yes, a painting of her surrounded by lovely flowers and berries and fruits, all of the greens of the stems and leaves bringing her eyes to the focal point, captivating and entrancing… I can’t wait to see her down that aisle, the light focused just on her, and she’ll be all for me. Fuck i can’t even handle the thought of that. What am I gonna do when I actually see it happen?

I bump into my brother. I hadn’t even realized I had been walking.

“Oh Lemal I am so sorry! Father won't let me undo my mistake and I really don’t want you to pay for my burden! Honest.”

“What? What burden?”

“Marrying that little thing, I'll tell you what I'll do, we switch places and I just kill it afterwards, and we forget the whole thing, it’ll be like nothing happened!”

I slam him against the wall, growling in his face, “If you even think of hurting her i’ll fucking dimeber you and you know that’s a promise.”  He shudders under my hands, “Understand?”

“Yes brother, I understand!”  His head nodds like his neck is broken and it will be if he doesnt stop being ridiculous. I let go of him.

He reaches for his neck, rubbing it, then his shoulder.

Together we walk into the chapel and we both take our places. He grabs my shoulder and turns me around to face him. “What do you-” He pulls the pins out of my suit, one on my shoulder, the second on my collar, the third somewhere on my chest, he puts each point end up into his pocket, practically doming himself to poke his fingers with the ends at least once when he goes to remove them. 

“Thank you.”

After a moment of thought he looks up at me, for the first time in a while I see him for what he is, a small teenager who has no clue what he’s to do with himself. A no one prince who’s trying his damndest for himself and his brother. I feel the impact of earlier finally reaching my hands and realizing how close I was to actually hurting him. “Are you sure about this? I’ll take her if you really want, not harming her at all, whatever you want, Lemal.”

“Don’t worry,” I pull his head into my chest, “I am… More than fine with this brother.” I want to add a thank you to the end of that but I can't for some reason. 

He breathes into me, “Good because if I do anything Father will actually kill me.”

We both chuckle at that. 

What the hell is taking so long?  It’s all I can think about, why is this taking so damn long. I can feel my tail feathers bouncing in anticipation, Cuss’s nervous energy has finally infected me, as I watch him over and over again click his thumb to his forefinger rapidly, actually no, not rapidly, only every second. So I quite literally have been counting the seconds that have passed that the wedding is supposed to have started by now. But people are still finding their seats, something that kills me. Just sit your asses down, it all you people ever do anyways, all hungry with only one chief in the kitchen i.e. ME.  I’ll strangle the person who sits in their seat last.

With that thought over, quite conveniently, the doors open, slowly but surely she’s revealed. 

Her image at first is comical, a wedding dress with huge shoulder puffs and white fabric covering her arms, the body of the dress being too long for her, she’ll appreciate some nice dresses later, I think. Her actual face and body though…On her little head two round and tiny ears poke through her hair, soft and lightly curled fizzing in just the most adorable way. Her little whiskers, which I couldn’t see in the dark of the last room, stand on end, the end of each being black. And finally those eyes again. For a moment I lose my posture and lose myself, she’s looking entirely at me, not just perceiving me, but staring at me, taking me all in. All her attention right where it belongs. I silently thank my brother for being the idiot he is. A fortune for a loss I suppose.

 She slowly climbs her way to the end of the aisle and as she gets closer the clearer I can hear her heartbeat but it kills me knowing how others can hear it too. She’s right in front of me when I decide to bend down and offer my hand to her. She takes a moment, breathing shallowly, looking at my hand and then right at me. Her eyes pierce me and for a moment I just wanna grab her, Just make others stop looking at her. And then she finally takes my hand. Despite what I would have guessed, the pads to her hands were rough, deeply callused and slightly scared from who knows what. But her fur itself is so soft, and funnily enough just a little bit damp still. 

The priest begins his little sermon but I can't be made to listen despite the absurdly loud volume of his voice. One point does get through to me. “This new age is paid in the blood and body of our newest queen!” I couldn’t have put that part better, it sounds so damn romantic, carnal. After all, every new age is paid for in the blood and bodies of those who bring it about. Then i realize something.  I didn’t even think to ask her fucking name, dumbass, dumbass, dumbass!! How many times were you around people who knew her name? Mont! Her Parents! Father! My Brother for fucks sake!  And then he says it. 

“Celica, do you take this man-” 

My breath hitches in my throat when he barely has finished the sentence and she shouts “YES!” Her voice is like honey.

Moments later I’m asked the same question and I answer with as romantic a voice I can muster and a deep nod. I stop listening again, stoop down to as low as I can get and rub my beak against her cheek, and when my beak is just past her hair I take a deep breath in to smell her, just as I wanted she was totally dosed in the same oils as me, so she smells woody with some mint, but what I wasn’t expecting was a hint of something other, her own smell. She smelled like berries and fresh earth, like morning dew. That moment alone convinced me to stop trying to make her smell like me and instead make myself smell like her. 

I spend the rest of the night promising to hold onto her, both so that i can get the delicious smell on me and also so i dont lose her or worse step on her hehe~ We skip out on the festivities, at first I try to ask her questions but she rarely seems to hear them which, given the sound of the music I couldn’t blame her for, so I am content with just her touch for now. 

When food started to come out, just as I had wanted, only the meats that I had hunted were served as roasts, pies, stews and soups and in almost every piece of food.

“Here my wife, eat.”  I push a bowl of some roast into her hands which she quickly tries to put down to my distress. 

“Please, I can’t.” She says very quickly.

I try again to get her to eat, “No i insist me dear-”

“Please don’t make me. I can’t.”

I finally let her put the bowl down with a quiet, “alright dear.” Though she did eat. A few courses later she began to eat small pieces of fruit, my favorite type as well. Rosen Berries, big meaty berries that fit snugly in my own hand, so I quickly cut some up for her while she sat in my lap and offered her the small pieces while I tore into the rest. In one instance I saw her just watching me eat, her eyes wide with wonder, likely at how I ate it.

Finally when the cake came around she ate a full slice, more than enough for her little body. But from the doorway came a loud pair of yelps, presumably from her parents as they were ordered to leave. I tried to tell the guards that they caused no harm being there but they only confirmed what I likely already knew, mother had ordered them out. They are terribly loud so I can’t blame her too much, but to just try and sweep them away, it made them look terribly rude, but even worse is that it caused my wife Celica to lounge out of my lap and onto the floor where she began to run on all fours. Incredibly unsightly but I can more than excuse it given this will likely be the last time she sees them. The guards tried to pull her off of them for a moment but I ordered them back so they could at least get in a half proper goodbye in. 

She jumps on her father and her mother jumps on them both in an embrace filled with more love than I could probably ever muster up. That’s something i'll need to work on for her. 

Her mother says something strange to her though, “Be so strong my love, I know you are.”  she holds onto her until I finally let the guards pick her up, to take her away to the carriage, where her husband went several minutes before her, where she also stops resisting and begins to cry. I feel terrible for Celica. 

I look down and see her sitting in the grass. I leave her there for a moment thinking for anything that might soothe her. And then an Idea strikes me. 

When I return I bare my offering of cake. Just after sitting, I picked out the most lovely piece left. 

“I brought you something my wife,”  she stares at it for a moment. “I know it’s hard, but it will get better, I promise.”

Finally she reaches for the plate, pulls it close to her and puts the bite into her beautiful mouth. I pull her close to me.

“Good girl Celica. There is hope yet, you need only look for it my darling.”

We sit there for a moment longer. Her head nuzzles into my side. 

“I promise to take care of you,” I whisper, “no harm, physical, mental or emotional shall befall you if I can do something about it. I promise.”

We spend the rest of the reception sitting on the grass watching the stars. 

We retire to our room late into the night, I hold her swaddled to my chest, and I realize I'm so tired I'll soon drop her if I don't focus enough. We enter our room and as soon as the door closes she leaps out of my arms face first into the bed, bum in the air. This greatly catches me off guard.

“Oh! Well someones eager! I can indulge-”

“No! No, I really don’t want to, I-I- I don't even know you, your highness!” 

“Oh, my mistake my dear,” I raise my hands to show I won't reach for her, “we move at your pace I promise.” 

I walk over to the cabinet to fetch some of my sleeping clothes, “Looks like when they moved my things they just moved the whole cabinet, very convenient. Speaking of convenience,” I walk over to her chest of things, “I had this moved here so you actually have something to wear my love, nothing to worry about. I’m going to change, if you don’t mind.” I swiftly head to the toilet room where when I close the door I hear her immediately jump from the bed, walk across the floor and open her chest and swiftly close it again. 

It doesn't take me long to get out of my clothes and into my night pants, and given the warm night and the possibility for great heat I skip out on the night shirt. When I walk out she just looks at me, “Like what you see darling?”  

She doesn't respond, instead saying, “No wonder the bed’s so big.” 

“Hmm, oh the wings! I’m glad you like them.”

“Hey… could I ask you to do something and you not act on what that action usually means?” 

“What do you mean Celica?”

She turned to show me her back. 

“Oh dear no, that’s what your lady in waiting is for, not if we're not going to have- You know, not consummate-”

She just stared for a moment before saying, “...Please?” 

“Uu- Well I-... Alright fine,” I gesture to the bed, “Hop on up Celica.” 

And she does just that, almost. Instead she smashes her face against the mattress side of the bed and no matter how hard I wish to stop myself I let out a loud crowing laugh that’s only muffled by slamming my beak shut, something that is only manually done. She glowers at me but I can’t stop myself. Before I’m done with my fit she gets a determined look on her face and she steps backward to attempt the same. I try to stop her as she’s clearly not a very good shot but when I nearly reach her she’s in the air between my arms and beak. 

She then looked back at me, back to me and said, “Just help me, please.”  and when I was done being impressed i did just that, pulling at the soft fabric of her dress until it was a mop on the floor. 

“Good riddance if you ask me.” 

I then started on pulling the corset laces free, inch by inch she breathed in more deeply, becoming just a little more accessible. Finally, I had her completely free of all string and she quickly took it upon herself to free herself of that corset all together, she then jumped to the other end of the bed, claiming it, before pulling off her underdress. I quickly averted my eyes but it wouldn’t have made a difference, she just as quickly pulled her night gown back on, but to be honest I couldn't help just admire her body for a moment longer. The dress was more like a shirt on her, leaving her legs almost completely bare, save for a strap of white lingerie that attached to her underwear, a nice treat any other time but right now only serving to tease. Her legs themselves were strong though, like she's been running since she was a babe which might very well be true. Her arms are much the same only now revealing small scares up and down each arm. But her coloring was the most interesting to me, a golden brown on the outer sides of her legs and arm but pure white on the insides of her thighs and presumably her belly and chest. 

And with that it was time to go to bed. 

“If we're not going to consummate tonight… I’m going to go to sleep. This’ll be probably the only night that I'll be able to go to bed, I’m not the best sleeper to be honest.” With that I pull down the main blanket and the hides and slip inside myself. Celica quickly follows suit. 

After a moment of her staring at me she turns to her other side and begins to fall asleep. It’s not long before sleep sweeps over me as well. 

I wake up in the very early hours of the morning, the birds are awake but the sun has yet to show itself. I look down and there is Celica, curled up in a ball right beside me. I look around for a moment and find a hide and slip it over her sleeping body and she untenses just a bit. For once it takes me no time at all to fall back to sleep with her wrapped in my arms.   

[missbubblesoda]

2024.10.08

🫧😙 you can support my art or order a commission at ko-fi/missbubblesoda

[remember-the-fanfics]

My writing is off because I had a sugar rush starting and then it went everywhere it wasn't planned to go but I went with it

◇Set before the pilot only because Alastor would kill the man before he came inside because he lacked any manners.♧

-

(Y/n) was arguing with someone who didn't actually wanted to work while under contract, usually would happen in their own territory but the sinner had sought them out while at the hotel.

(Y/n) and Angel Dust was sitting in the lounge, talking about their day until a sinner rushed in, loudly requested to get out of their contract. (Y/n) quickly try to deescalate the situation.

"Look if you want out, join the hotel to better yourself-."

"I ain't doing this rainbow fruity bullshit! You're working me to hard, I want out!"

"You, exactly Timothy Johnson, work less than 32 a week. That's around 6 hour a day for a five day week because you get the weekend off." Said (Y/n), getting stern.

"I just wanted the housin' and free shit."

"You knew what you signed, Timothy. I gave you multiple times to say no, you and I both set up the time for you to work. You have an easy job!"

"Customers are assholes, they ain't being respectful to me!" He said, lying which (Y/n) knew the moment he spoke. The young overlord made sure customer services wasn't a nightmare it was on Earth, sinners that live in (Y/n)'s territory knew to be respectful to each other because (Y/n) would know if someone wasn't.

"Respect goes both ways, Timothy. I know you never worked customer service before but you should atleast know not to try and fight a kid." (Y/n) said, who sat up straight. "I've already have alot of complaints, 5 from that incident alone, I could move you some other job..?"

"I want out of our deal, I don't wanna work for you." Said Timothy crossing his arms, not letting go of the topic.

"I cannot, you still have four years left." (Y/n) said, tired of arguing with the man infront of someone. "It haven't even a month..."

"You said you had a free trail-!"

"The first week was it and You said you were fine then! I checked up on you every two days, making sure everything was fine and it was."

"(Y/n), maybe you should just let him go. He seems like a waste anyway." Said Angel Dust. "He doesn't want your free shit so just drop him."

"N-no! That shit is still mine!" Said Timothy.

"It will be when the contract is over." Said (Y/n). "I made all of this very clear during the whole thing. I explained it and let you read it over before you signed anything." They stood up looking confused at Timothy.

"I must of skimmed over some parts." He said nervously. "I just wanted a place to sleep! Not dealing with a kid, who thinks that they can boss adults around."

"Nothing is for free, you either join the hotel and better yourself or stay under contract." Said (Y/n) before Angel Dust tried to ask.

"What will make him stay at the hotel-."

"Quiet, addict!" Interrupted Timothy pointing at Angel Dust. "No one cares what you say."

"Speak to him like again and no one will ever hear you say anything again." Said (Y/n) before Timothy decided to dig himself a deeper hole with a stupid idea.

"Oh. You actually care for the idiots at the dusty ass shack?" Said Timothy laughing. "I can't believe that!"

(Y/n) just glared at the sinner, they had feeling where this would go if they didn't do anything.

"Listen." They said in a voice they don't usually use, getting closer to Timothy, becoming taller."If you don't leave and go find a hole to die in, I will personally hand your soul off to someone who would find good use for it and it will not be easy like what I've been letting you do."

They were invading his personal space, Timothy swore he saw them everywhere afterwards.

"Understand? Then leave."

With a meek nod of approval, Timothy bolted away. After (Y/n) returned to normal, dusted themself off.

"I keep forgetting that you're actually an Overlord." Said Angel Dust after collecting himself from what (Y/n) just did.

"Yea- uh. Yeah, ugh that voice messes with my throat to much. But I'm sorry that happen infront of you usually sinners would wait till I get back to pester me." Said (Y/n) sitting back down.

"5 dollars he pissed himself."

"You're on."

-

Timothy will return for vengeance later (tomorrow) also lore on how you died because I need to write it.

[hethinkslikeaking]

"omg homophobia :( the lesbian ship i want to kiss didn't kiss in an episode that was obviously going to be the backstory of another main character :( hes EXPLICITLY gay in a MARVEL DISNEY+ show and kisses his boyfriend but its still so homophobic :( the episode wasn't straight out of my headcannon so i hate it :("

do you know how dumb u sound rn

[towerofluin]

C’mon Raph, don’t noogie the elderly

(Or: finally, communication)

[inoreuct]

zosan with abba's super trouper.

is this essentially a pop star au? yes. bear with me anyway.

so the entire vinsmoke family are pop stars and they're perfect in the public eye but actually toxic as HELL, and sanji's sick and tired of it��� so he breaks away from them and joins another agency, and zoro's assigned as his bodyguard.

they fight SO MUCH at first. i'm talking screaming and yelling and throwing things across the room (mostly sanji) and being stubborn and straight-up refusing to talk after a certain point (also mostly sanji) and then apologising with food and gifts and not words (mostly, well, both of them). they're like flint and steel; putting them together is just asking for trouble, but the years pass, and somehow through the endless bickering they end up best friends. who would've thought? their sharp edges have softened just enough and they're both too old and too tired and too busy to have cold wars anymore. they know more about each other than perhaps anyone else, and they care.

(they're also both in love and refuse to admit it. idiots.)

and then sanji goes on tour, and zoro has to leave for a training refresher course thing, and sanji's MISERABLE. luffy's with him as a bodyguard instead and it's fine, he's great, sanji loves him— just not the way he loves zoro. he feels fucking homesick in a way he never has because he's never really had a proper home and he knows, he knows it's because zoro isn't here with him. sanji turns around to tell him something and is met with empty air. he keeps trying to order double portions of food and booze before he catches himself and maybe he's being dramatic, but it feels like he's missing a fucking limb.

nami, his manager, has to yell at him to stop moping because all he's doing is eating chocolate and binging french soap operas in his hotel room and huddling up in the big leather jacket that zoro left behind. he just wants to get back to his tiny apartment and curl up on his shitty couch to eat pizza and watch Mean Girls for the hundredth time as zoro complains and gets invested in the drama all over again anyway.

he's nearly dead on his feet as finishes yet another exhausting show, trying to take comfort in the fact that it's his second last; his shoes are kicked off to the corner, his makeup barely removed, and just when he's about to turn in for the night his phone rings and when he sees the caller ID he SCRAMBLES to pick up.

"hey," zoro says, low and rumbly and so achingly familiar that sanji doesn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"you have no idea how good it is to hear your voice," he breathes, and he means it. he means it more than he even knew he did and it hits him all at once as soon as the words leave his mouth. he misses his best friend, no matter everything else that zoro is to him.

zoro's chuckle is a balm to his soul. "i'm coming to see you tomorrow."

sanji sits bolt upright from where he'd been laid back against the pillows, eyes going wide. "are you serious?" he can't help the hope and excitement that unspools in his gut, the warm rush in his blood as zoro laughs.

"yeah. i'm done with the course. speedran the fucking thing and scored so well they had no choice but to let me go. couldn't miss the last chance i had to see you on tour, could i?" sanji can hear his grin through the phone. "i'm flying in tomorrow morning."

"i'll come pick you up from the airport."

"like hell you will," zoro retorts immediately. "you have a press conference at ten."

shit, he'd forgotten about that. "how'd you know, huh?" sanji counters, faux-petty and reclining back against his plush bedding. god, if there was one good thing about being on tour, it was the fancy hotels.

"been talking to nami," comes the reply, amused and teasing, and sanji groans. "what's this i hear about you acting like a widowed husband?"

"you fucking wish, you moron," he snaps, curling up on his side and hugging a pillow to his chest. the bed is awfully big and awfully cold.

zoro sighs, and there's the sound of something zipping up briskly. "missed you too, curls. look, listen— i gotta get to the airport. see you tomorrow night?"

"...yeah," sanji says, because there's so much he wants to tell zoro and no idea how. he doesn't know where he'd start. he doesn't even know what he wants to say. "yeah, i'll see you. you'll be in the crowd, right?"

"mhm," zoro confirms, accompanied by what sounds like the chirp of an electronic lock. "you just sit tight, curly. i'm coming home."

they exchange a few more words before the line cuts off, but sanji's mind is stuck on three specific words and the possible space for three more after. i'm coming home. but he isn't home right now; he's in a foreign country, in a bed that isn't his, and zoro's flying to him. this isn't home to either of them. unless... and that silence afterwards, like zoro had wanted to say something that would have fit right in. something that would have been a natural end to that string of syllables.

sanji takes a deep breath and does his best to push all thoughts of i love you, spoken or not, to the back of his mind.

still, he can't help but let it all boost him up like a buoy bobbing merrily on the sea. one call from zoro, one short conversation, and he's fucking effervescent; he wakes up smiling and breezes through the press conference with effortless charm. he's bouncing on the toes of his heeled boots even before he steps onto the stage, thrilled by the thought of zoro being in the audience. thousands of eyes on him, thousands of people screaming his name, and he only cares about one. he takes a deep breath as the lights change and the platform he's on begins to rise, fingers tightening around his mic. it's his last night here. he's doing it all for zoro.

it turns out to be the best performance of his life, if he does say so himself. he powers through the entire two hours with ease and hits every note perfectly. he enjoys himself for the first time in a long time, soaks up the glitter and glamour and blinding lights, lets the atmosphere wrap him up and tousle his hair, and he wonders just how it's possible that one person's presence could change so much.

(he doesn't need to wonder. he already knows.)

when he says his final goodbyes for the night he's breathless, heart pounding, anticipatory. the hands patting at his back in congratulation backstage are superficial compared to who he knows is here, and he spares nami a few seconds for a rare squeeze, pausing for a few more when she whispers i'm proud of you in his ear.

and then sanji sees him, and nothing, nothing else fucking matters.

he sprints forward and they crash together and something slams into place inside of him. zoro sweeps him off his feet, squeezing him tight enough that he laughs, bright and merry and real as they spin around and around and he's so dizzy when he's set back down, light-headed and his heart full. he doesn't care where he is, he's home.

zoro takes his weight as easily as anything, tucking sanji to his chest. "god, fuck, you were amazing up there," he says breathlessly, the words pressed into sanji's bejewelled hair. "you were incredible."

the words rumble through his chest and sanji clings tighter, holding zoro desperately around the waist and taking in deep lungfuls of laundry detergent and the fancy pine-and-sandalwood body wash he'd given zoro for christmas. "you're here."

"'course i am," zoro replies, matter-of-fact. "said i'd be here, so i'm here."

his earrings press against sanji's cheek. "can we go get pizza?" he asks meekly.

zoro's answering laugh pours into the horrible aching pit that's been gnawing away at him, fills it up with liquid sunlight as he answers, "we can do whatever the hell you want."

they get pizza. sanji lets zoro pull him around town swearing at the Google Maps on his phone before he finally takes pity and steers them towards the little pizzeria he'd found when he'd snuck out with luffy on their first night here. the tongue-lashing from nami had been worth it, but even so the experience back then had been dull. muted, at best.

now it's like he's seeing the whole world through a whole different lens; the fluorescent sign in the window beams charmingly as the bell above the door chimes, and sanji doesn't even care about the raised eyebrow zoro gives him when he wiggles into the booth seat with undisguised glee. between them they put away a large four-cheese pizza and a frankly massive slice of apple pie à la mode, and sanji's feeling pleasantly stuffed as he finishes up his vanilla milkshake and successfully fends zoro off from stealing sips when he isn't looking. he has plenty of experience with that, after all.

the walk back is filled with comfortable silence. sanji doesn't need anything else— zoro here with him is more than he could ask for. scary dog privilege aside, the man next to him is sanji's best friend, and he loves zoro more than he can, or will, ever say.

zoro drops him off at his room and hugs him goodnight. sanji strips down, blasts the shower as hot as it can go, and scrubs the gel out of his hair along with any of the remaining dregs of emptiness he resolutely tells himself are not there right down the drain.

it can't stop him from thinking, though. of zoro. of compression shirts and cargo pants and worn black boots. of the nights zoro had taught him self-defense and the time sanji nearly broken his jaw with a roundhouse kick neither of them had known he was capable of; the other had grinned up with him with blood all over his teeth, proud and raring to go, barking again! and sanji had glowed. his mind swims with it all even as he towels off and slips into his silk pyjamas— memories of late-night talks with wine and beer, sometimes tea, quips all around, beds shared back-to-back under unspoken agreements when neither of them wanted to sleep alone.

three knocks sound on his door.

sanji hates the way he rushes to the peephole and yanks it open as soon as he confirms who it is. zoro stands there, one hand on the back of his neck, looking bored yet unsettled in his baggy tee with his damp hair sticking up everywhere. "jetlag?" sanji asks, raising an eyebrow as zoro grunts.

"you could say that."

he steps aside in a silent invitation, and zoro looks around as he goes in. sanji topples onto the bed with a sigh of relief and crawls under the blankets, patting the space beside him as he switches on the television. "mean girls?"

"god, i fucking hate you," zoro groans, but he settles in anyways, and sanji grins triumphantly.

it's still not his apartment or his shitty couch— but zoro's here, so it's the next best thing.

they make it through the movie without incident. zoro parrots the dialogue and cheers when regina gets hit by the bus like he does without fail every time. sanji knees him in the thigh for it with a scowl like he always does and it starts a fierce kicking battle under the sheets that results in zoro dangling half off the mattress and sanji laughing so hard he can't breathe.

when they've mostly calmed down, sanji sighs out one final chuckle and sinks back into the pillows. "think you can fall asleep now?" he murmurs, turning to look at where zoro has his head propped in one hand.

"maybe," the other allows, and sanji swallows before he smiles.

"goodnight, marimo."

"goodnight."

the flick of the light switch feels like finality. in regards to what, sanji doesn't know, but now that they're in the darkness and zoro begins to get comfortable behind him he cannot deny that he wants.

he wants those arms around him. wants to sleep even better than he does when they're back to back, wants to fit within the circle of zoro's embrace like he belongs there. wants to belong there. wants zoro as his best friend and everything more. it manifests as a tight ache in the centre of his chest, a knot around his heart that he knows he cannot untangle by himself. sanji curls up into a ball and hugs a pillow to his chest, biting his lip— because zoro is right next to him instead of thousands of miles away, and he's still untouchable all the same.

he's on the cusp of restless sleep when he feels zoro shift, and he prays that the hitch in his breath is unnoticeable. he forces the rise and fall of his chest to stay even as the blankets are smoothed securely around his shoulders, a callused palm brushing his hair away from his face; a soft kiss is pressed to his forehead, a hand cupping his face tenderly and trailing away with the brush of a thumb over his cheekbone. "sweet dreams, curls," zoro whispers, before light cracks in from the hallway as his room door opens and shuts.

the electronic lock beeps, and sanji's eyes fly open. the white ceiling swims as he stares at it, unseeing, and the sheets on the right side of the bed are still warm. there's an indent where zoro's body was and sanji gasps as he drags himself into it, huddling down and pulling the covers over his head until all he can smell is zoro.

his heart stutters, mind racing, fingers tightening in the plush duvet. he's confused, so confused. hopeful. a little mad, if he's being honest, and his next breath trembles out of his lungs. mostly still confused, though, because what the fuck did that mean?

he'll find out, he swears. he will. he'll storm his way to zoro's room and break the damn door down if he has to. but for now, if he hides for a little while until he stops feeling like he's about to cry—

well, that's a secret for his hotel room to keep.

[rcmclachlan]

Trademark: Top-tier Bucktommy writer + generally Cool + getting Buck pregnant

Thank you + thank you + thank you!

[muzzlemouths]

thinking emoji. should i post the Dream-Eater!Moon fic to AO3

[tothechaos]

i need to start carrying around confetti at all times. to add more pizzazz to life. also a tiny broom to clean it up, because it would be rude to leave confetti around

[uygfiug]

turns out i turned the assignment i was stressing over into something a lot more complicated in my head & its actually really simple

[the-woman-upstairs]

Betting on Daniel’s S3 plotline being the gay vampiric version of Almost Famous. No way Lestat’s going on tour without someone to chronicle all the insanity that’ll ensue plus Daniel would absolutely jump at the chance to get Lestat’s side of the story. It’s the perfect setup.

[puppyeared]

if escape rooms as team building exercises became popular im not sure if id be more excited or terrified

[ssreeder]

I'm so looking forward to iroh and zuko properly talking and seeing irohs reaction to zuko being gay.

Like we all know he doesn't agree with the fire nation rn but how will he react?

Will he not support him cause sokkas a guy? Will he not support him because it's SOKKA? Will he accept him? Will he reveal he's known for years zuko was gay?

Especially with everything that happened with zhao, regarding to what jee said to bato on their date. (Which is a very understandable perspective, zuko just got out of this very sexually traumatising situation and almost immediately starts a relationship (his first relationship) with sokka, but then again it is a very unique situation)

One thing I love about some atla fics is how they portray the FNs thoughts on queerness, cause on one hand they were one of the only country's (I think) that treated men and women the same but then again it's also the fucking fire nation.

And I also think zukos whole canon arc can be very comparative to queerness,

His dads an asshole and after speaking out against him he throws him out, and zuko try's for 3 years to regain his father's love and acceptance, and then faced with the opportunity of regaining it takes it immediately regardless of who or what he may hurt (iroh, his own morals etc) but once he makes it back home realises how fucked up everything is and eventually confronts his dad and openly tells him he doesn't agree with him then runs aways.

I also wonder if iroh secretly knows jee is queer it doesn't seem that likely to me but it also is iroh so who knows.

<3

I do think Iroh’s reaction will be a big moment for not only the story but for Zuko’s character development. Right now, Zuko’s technically still a prisoner, holding himself there by assuming Iroh will not understand or judge him when in reality he’ll never know what his uncle is thinking until they TALK ABOUT IT. (Which the FN royal family is just sooo good at healthy communication I don’t understand why this is so hard for them lol?!)

I do agree that the suddenness of the relationship combined with the intensity from both zuko and Sokka is very alarming for people looking at it from the outside (I mean we all totally get it cause we were there but others are like uhhhh hmmmm ok this might be concerning) so I get them gossiping and wondering if this is truly real or what the fucks going on with those boys.

I love Zukos canon arc because there’s just so much about zukos story that can be relatable no matter who you are and I think that’s why he is a fan favorite (it doesn’t explain why we torture him the way we do but ehhhh it’s fine haha)

Hmmmmmm does iroh know Jees gay? Depends on how saucy those music nights got ;)

[daily-whistlepaw]

daily whistlepaw until fae becomes PoV day 1281

Whistlepaw hummed as fae hung the freshly gathered goldenrod. Fae tied a stem when fae heard pawsteps going towards the healers' den. Turning faer head, fae recognized Woodsong. Whistlepaw left the last stems of goldenrod for what they were a hurried to Woodsong.

"Is there something going on?" Whistlepaw asked, looking at Woodsong's constantly lashing tail.

"I guess there is," Woodsong sighed.

[lomlhotchner]

❛ faking it! ❜ … aaron hotchner

↠ the heart wants what it wants masterlist

previous || next

༘♡ ⋆｡˚ SUMMARY : the mission is on, act like a rich loving couple, dig some information, catch the unsub. seem easy enough right?

༘♡ ⋆｡˚ WARNINGS : high tensions 😫 mutual pining, cursing, they’re shy okay, the plot doesn’t really make sense (i tried), english isn’t my first language!

˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ HANA’S NOTES : here we goooo!!!!! thank you so much for yalls patience 😭😭 this is part two to for zipper but you don’t need to read the it to understand this! i am so sorry from the bottom of my heart if this doesnt make sense lmao i dont know what i was going for. hope yall enjoy 💗

“Remember the plan?”

You took a deep breath and nodded your head, “Yeah, go in there, bond with the rich, find the unsub, piss him off so that he’ll take the bait, and then lure him outside so that he can get his ass kicked.” you stated confidently.

Hotch raised his eyebrows at you, amused “When does the ass kicking happen?”

You shrugged your shoulders, a smirk playing on your lips, “Whenever I get the chance.”

He scoffed out a laugh, making you grin at the sound. You arrived at the elevator, sending the elevator operator a warm smile in greeting before stepping inside. He was an old man with grey hair, he had wrinkles and the most comforting smile on his face.

“Where are you two lovebirds headed?” he cheekily asked while looking at the both of you with a knowing look.

If only he knew.

Hotch smiled at Stan—the nametag says, “Dinner.”

Stan nodded his head and press the respected level before sending you a warm smile, "May I say you look stunning in that dress.”

You shyly laughed and lowered your head, but before you could thank him, Hotch’s deep voice cut you off, “Doesn’t she?” he spoke with the softest tone you have ever heard and when you look up at him, he was already looking down at you with the certain look in his eyes that anyone can decipher as fondness.

No, he’s just being in character. Don’t be delusional.

Hotch has been acting different with you since the undercover task began. Although the whole point of it was to make everything up and act, you can’t help but think that he was just showing a part of himself where no one has the privilege to know. In easier words, you think he wasn’t really acting.

So does that mean the almost kiss…. ?

Do you really want to go there?

You weren't sure.

You guys continue to stare at each other not noticing the operator’s grin. He has seen a handful of couples in this part of the job and he knows when he sees fools in love.

The elevator dinged, indicating you arrived at the respected floor. You guys broke from the little staring contest, your cheeks heating up. Sending Stan a smile before walking out of the elevator.

The venue was enchanting, to say the least. Bright elegant chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Beautiful flower arrangements placed on the table. People in gorgeous dresses and suits and suddenly you felt underdressed compared to them. Because this isn’t actually your real lifestyle, but for them, this is just a normal Tuesday.

Hotch interrupted your thoughts by bend down so he was level with your ear, “I didn’t get the chance to say this earlier, but you look absolutely gorgeous.” he whispered before standing up to his full height.

You couldn’t even count how many times you were flustered tonight. Your body was all tingly with excitement as you looked up at him, “Thank you, honey. You don’t look too bad yourself.” you teased.

A smirk formed on his lips. You could see his Adams apple bob at how hard he swallowed and maybe it’s the lights, but you can vividly make out his rosy cheeks after your comment.

He subtly tries to hide his face in the crook of your neck, giving it a soft kiss for the extra effect. “Did you turn on your coms?” he mumbled.

Your eyes widen a little. right, you’re undercover. You move to your ear and click the device resulting in it turning on with a beep.

The audio cracks for a moment before JJ’s voice appeared, “Y/N? Hotch? Can you guys hear us?”

“Yeah, we can hear you JJ.”

“Okay, good. Any signs of the unsub?” she asked.

“No, not yet.” you answered, giving the place a once over for any suspicious acts.

“Nope.” Emily sounded through the coms. Followed by the other’s negative response of the unsub’s whereabouts.

“Alright, everyone be cautious. We know the unsub is unstable, keep an eye out for any weird behaviors.” Hotch ordered as he led you to the ballroom.

He took two champagne glasses and handed you one of them. You sent him a small as gratitude. Your hand was shaking slightly when you bought the glass to your lips.

Hotch took notice of that and rub his hand at the small of your back, “Relax.” he smiled.

You shyly nodded your head as you both moved to one of the tables. Taking a seat that Hotch has gracefully pulled out for you.

"You okay?" Hotch asked, sitting beside you.

"Yeah, kinda excited."

"Excited to catch a murderer?" he raised his eyebrows.

"That, but also this." you gestured to the ballroom you guys are in, "Everything is just so fancy, and pretty! I can't even remember the last time I actually got ready and wear a dress." you chuckled, not realizing that your hand has gravitated to the tip of Hotch's fingers, softly playing with it.

Hotch felt like he was going to melt at how adorable you are, plus the feeling of your hands on his skin? He's a goner. He has always known that you were a touchy person, having to see you hug or link your arms with the rest of the squad except him was not entirely unnoticeable. So when he gets the chance to have this pleasure, he isn’t sure what to do.

As you continued to talk about … —okay, he isn’t entirely paying attention— he has a small smile played on his lips. He just can't tear his eyes away from you. His eye move to your cheeks, your eyes, the flutter of your eyelashes. Have you always been this pretty?

"Hotch? Did you hear what I said?" you tap the inside of his palm, trying to get his attention back to whatever daydream he went.

Hotch could feel his cheeks at getting caught red handed, "Yeah, yeah, sorry just got distracted."

You almost laughed at the absurdity, "By what? Me? You play this part too good Hotch, cause I can almost believe you're in love with me." you eyes widen slightly at your word vomit, you instantly regretted what you said but Hotch surprised you by laughing along.

"Oh honey, you have no idea." he softly chuckled.

God, I hate how he can act so good.

Your eyes move to surveillance the room as a distraction and noticed something, "Okay, don't look right now but the table on our left have been staring at us for the past 5 minutes."

Hotch subtly nodded his head and glanced at the table. It was a group of men in suits staring at you guys.

You. Specifically.

Oh.

He clenched his jaw and protectively wrapped his arms around your waist. Your stomach fluttered at the sudden contact. "We should split up and dig more information. I'm going to those gentlemen, and you can scout out the ladies over there."

You cleared your throat, brushing off your bashfulness, "Yeah, that's- that's a good idea." you stood up and brush the wrinkles of your dress. "See you later, handsome." you boldly left a kiss on his cheek, softly patting his shoulder.

Hotch felt like he was in a daze as he stared at you walking away. His tongue poke his cheek, trying to fight back a smile from forming when you sneak a peek around your shoulder, send him a cheeky smile and a wink.

He composed himself before he trudged to the table, “Evening, gentleman.” he greeted, noticing how they all pretend that they weren’t staring at his date. Fake date. “How are you guys enjoying the event?”

Enjoy drooling at my date? he wanted to add.

On the other side of the room, you have to control yourself from getting overly sheepish at the compliments the girls are giving you guys.

Both of you guys.

You and Hotch. Together.

“How long have you guys been with each other?”

“You guys look so good together."

"The ring is beautiful."

"He's so fine, girl. You are so lucky,"

"Are you joking? He's lucky one. Look at her, she's gorgeous."

The compliments are making you blush, "Thank you, ladies." you smiled, glancing at Hotch absentmindedly.

They were right, he is fine.

You shook your head, remembering the real reason you are here. "So. do you guys know the host personally?"

The girl on your right, —Barbara you think, "Oh no, I just work for them. But this one," she nudged the girl beside her, "works as a personal assistant for the host's mom."

Your eyebrows rose at the new information, "Oh? The pay's probably good huh?"

She chuckled, "I don't want to say much but it is definitely better than working as an accountant. If you exclude the constant bickering between her and her son in law."

That peeked your interest, but before you can dig up more information, Barbara spoke, "Oh my god. Your husband is literally head over heels for you. He won't stop ogling you!"

All of you subconsciously turned your head at the direction she was looking at.

Your eyes meet Hotch's and low and behold, he was already looking at you. And at the sudden addition of eyes his own widened as he shy away from the attention.

The sight made you grin.

The girls giggled and moved their conversation to a different topic. But you can’t help yourself from taking a peak at Hotch again. You both made eye contact, sharing a flustered smile.

Okay. What the fuck’s that about.

Countless of thoughts running through your head. The interaction have caught Emily’s attention as you make eye contact with her. What was that? Her face wearing a shocked, questionable look, as she teasingly smirked.

You subtly shrugged your shoulders. I have no fucking clue.

If this is going on for the whole night, you dont know how much your heart can take.

reblog / tell me what you think for a smooch <3 check out my other works!

[mummer]

decided the novel im not writing should start with a police investigation but i literally forgot i dont know how that works ❤️❤️❤️❤️ and actually i dont know how anything works in the entire world ❤️❤️❤️❤️