#COMPLICATED

[angelasscribbles]

While not set ON Valentines Day, this was written for a Valentine's Day event using those prompts, so I'm submitting it for the @choicesficwriterscreations Valentine's Day Event as a throwback

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@choicesficwriterscreations

Complicated Couples: Applewood

Series: Hinge. for @choicesholidays Valentine's Prompt Event (Yes, I'm late!)

Fandom: The Royal Romance

Pairings: Various

Rating: Teen

Warnings: none

Wordcount: 4,242

A/N: There are EXTENSIVE author notes for this one and I would recommend reading them unless you've read Complicated recently and remember everything. See the author's note here. 

If you'd like a refresher on Madeleine and Cassie's relationship click here: Madi and Cassie.

Everything else: Master List.

Marco and Callie

The black SUV pulled up and stopped in front of the royal estate of Applewood Manor. Marco oversaw the unloading of Riley’s luggage, instructing that it be taken directly up to the royal suite.

His eyes darted from the butlers stacking suitcases onto the luggage carts to the area surrounding the estate. Tendrils of smoke still curled into the air, the once vibrant apple orchards now charred and decimated.

With the recent attacks, he, and the rest of the guard, were on high alert. He couldn’t let anything happen to their future queen on his watch. Not again.

He was lucky he still had a job after losing her in New York. Not that it had been his fault. He had simply followed orders. When Captain Walker told him to go get the car, he’d gone to get the car. How could he have known that a social media influencer was going to spot her and that Ana De Luca was going to drop that story early?

None of them, not even Captain Walker, not even the king, had seen that catastrophe coming. But all’s well that ends well, and he still had a job. One that he didn’t intend to lose.

“Bruno! Go find Lt. Fitzgerald and see if they need any help securing the perimeter then report back to me!” Marco was determined not to be caught unaware ever again.

He followed the luggage to the room the royal couple was staying in and personally swept it before allowing the butlers to bring the luggage in. Several maids appeared in the room to unpack and put the clothes away.

A familiar voice drew his attention, and his eyes, across the room. His heart skipped a beat when he saw her. It was the girl he’d met on the train the day before he’d left with the engagement tour for New York, “Callie, right?”

“That’s right,” she answered, “And you’re Marco. I remember. I haven’t seen you since the engagement tour left Paris.”

“I know,” he responded, “I was in the states, then there’s been a lot of…turmoil since getting back.”

“Yes, that’s true,” she acknowledged sadly.

He hated seeing her sad, so he changed the subject quickly, “So, are you working the royal wedding?”

“Actually, no,” she giggled, “I have the day off. I’m going as an invited guest!”

“Really?”

“Really!” she confirmed, “Lady Riley invited me!”

“Oh, that’s great! I’ll be working that day.” It was all hands on deck for the royal wedding. Literally, no one in the guard had that day off. Not even Captain Walker. Being the best man situated him perfectly to be up close, covert security for the ceremony.

“Okay,” she gave him a shy smile, “Maybe I’ll see you there.”

She turned to leave, and panic sliced through him, “Wait!”

“Yes?” She turned back toward him expectantly.

“I…uh…I mean…” he rubbed the back of his neck as he silently cursed himself for fumbling this so badly. He had no game. He just knew he couldn’t lose track of her again, “Would you…maybe want to go on a date…with me?”

The smile on her face and the sparkle in her eyes took his breath away as she replied, “Yes, I would like that very much.”

Alec and Max:

“Hey, Max, need help with that?” Alec reached for one of the three suitcases Max was dragging from the trunk of the Beaumont limo.

“Oh…I…uh, sure, thanks!” He had been planning to wait for the Applewood butlers but suddenly found himself with a burning desire to carry his own luggage.

“Are you planning to accompany the king on the rest of the unity tour?” Alec asked as he pulled the front door of the manor open.

“Yeah, Riley needs me there for support. I’m the closest thing to a brother she has. Well, me and Bertrand.” Max answered as he walked through the door and headed for the stairs.

“Right,” Alec nodded, “I’ve noticed that.”

Max’s head snapped up, “You have?”

“Of course,” he replied as they climbed the stairway, “It’s my job to be observant. I see a lot.”

“Oh, yeah, right,” Max pushed away the disappointment that swirled through him. Of course Alec wasn’t noticing him specifically, just things around Liam, because of his job.

“I’m So Good at Yoga” blared out of Max’s phone as they made it to the hallway at the top of the staircase and he tried to juggle the luggage while digging in his pocket.

“Here,” Alec took another one of the suitcases so Max could answer his phone.

“Thanks!” He pulled the phone from his pocket as they resumed walking and glanced down at the missed call then back up at Alec apologetically, “I should probably call back, it’s kind of my boyfriend…”

“Oh…you have a boyfriend?” There was something in his tone that made Max wish he didn’t have a boyfriend.

“Well, I mean, it’s not serious or anything!” Max said hurriedly, “We just went out a couple of times right before I left on the engagement tour.”

“You haven’t seen him since you’ve been back?”

“No, I’ve been…busy,” Max hedged. The truth was that Adam was hot as hell but as it turned out, they had very little in common. “What about you? Do you have a boyfriend? Or a girlfriend?” Max flushed from the tip of his nose down to the tips of his toes. Why would he ask Liam’s smoking hot personal guard about his relationship status?

“Well, it’s….complicated,” Alec answered.

“Isn’t it always?” Max asked rhetorically as he stopped in front of his room, “Well this is me, thanks again for the help.”

“Anytime, Max,” Alec pushed the door open and deposited the suitcases in the room. He hesitated in the doorway for a moment then gave Max a little wave before backing out into the hallway, “See you around.”

Leo and Liv:

“Oh, Leo! I didn’t realize you were here!” Olivia was shocked to find the older Rys brother wandering the halls of the Applewood estate.

“My little brother’s getting married, and my country is under attack! Of course, I came, Liv!” He huffed as if he were offended.

His defensive posture put her on the offense, “Well can you blame me for not knowing? You’re not exactly known for living up to your obligations.”

Leo looked like he’d been slapped, “That’s unfair, Liv! You know why I really left!”

Olivia flushed as she looked anywhere but his face. Liam’s coronation had been the first time she had seen him since the night he had chosen Madeline as his fiancé at the end of his own social season, and he had avoided her the entire night. She’d never gotten the chance to apologize, “Leo…should we talk?”

“What’s there to say, Liv? You walked out on me when I needed you most!” He turned to walk away. The memory of their breakup still stung a little too much.

“What if I wanted to say that I’m sorry? And I was wrong?”

He froze, his feet stuck to the hallway floor as his head turned to her in astonishment, “What?”

“I was wrong! I knew it the moment I walked out your door.” Her voice was almost a whisper.

“What are you saying right now, Liv? And I need you to be very, very clear because my heart can’t take anymore breaking!”

“I’m saying I was wrong…and….I want you back…” She studied the toe of her shoes, knowing and hating that her face was as red as her hair in that moment.

Hope surged in his chest, but he beat it back with logic as his face darkened, “Why? Because my brother is marrying someone else? I don’t want to be your consolation prize, Liv!”

“No, it’s not that!”

“What is it then?”

“Whatever residual feelings I had for Liam are long gone. And before you say it, this isn’t a rebound either! I’ve already done that! Don’t ask. My point is…You’re my best friend, you always make me laugh, and you’re the only one that really gets me, Leo. I…I love you!”

“Liv…I…I don’t know what to say…”

“It’s okay. I don’t expect you to forgive me. I just wanted you to know.” She wiped the tears from her eyes as she turned to hurry back to her room.

“Liv, wait!” He dropped his duffle bag on the floor and raced toward her.

She turned to face him and uttered a surprised, “Oh!” as his body crashed into hers. His arms went around her in a flash, keeping her from falling. She looked up into his sparkling ocean-blue eyes right before his lips crashed into hers.

Madeleine and Cassie:

Cassie walked back and forth in front of Madeleine’s door nervously twisting the butterfly ring on her right hand. Riley had given her the heads up that Madeleine had accepted the position as royal communications director, joined the unity tour, and would be at Applewood with them.

She hadn’t seen her since New York. After news of their separation broke, Madeleine had taken Liam up on his offer to take the royal jet home alone and send it back for the rest of the passengers. She had been in Fydelia licking her wounds in private until the unity tour had shown up on her doorstep.

Before she could work up the courage to knock on the door, it opened and she found herself face-to-face with the woman she had tricked and betrayed.

Madeleine froze as her eyes widened in surprise for a fraction of a second before the practiced haughty expression she used as her mask slammed into place, “What are you doing here?”

“I’ve been staying here since we got back from New York.” Given that the press had been hounding her for a statement about her now nonexistent relationship with the countess of Fydelia, Applewood had seemed like a good spot to stay out of the limelight. Reporters staked out the palace on a regular basis.

“Okay. Why are you skulking outside my door?”

“You haven’t returned any of my calls or texts!”

“Why would I?” Madeleine asked coldly, “You made it very clear the night of my bachelorette party that you were horrified by my behavior and done with me. Then you used my feelings for you to lure me to that restaurant in Paris so you could set me up!”

Cassie blew out a long exhale, “I did do that, Madi, and I’m sorry but-“

The ice princess façade crumbled as fury flashed across her porcelain features, “Don’t call me that! You lost every right to call me that when you conspired with Liam against me!”

“He’s my cousin!” Cassie’s voice rose, “I told you, in the beginning, I was on his side!”

“I wasn’t aware there were sides, Cassie! I was blindsided by that article! Humiliated! Disgraced!”

“Were you though?” Cassie shot back, “That article made you look like fucking Mother Theresa!”

“I…” Madeleine glanced up and down the hallway, “If we’re going to do this, come inside. I don’t broadcast my business to the world!”

Cassie walked past the blond as she held the door to her room open. She turned to face her, “Madi-Madeleine, I did what I did because Liam asked me to and because I knew it was the right thing for him to be able to marry for love! But also because I believed it would be better for you as well, to be free from your father’s expectations and the prospect of a loveless marriage!”

Madeleine slammed the door shut. “You had no right to make such decisions on my behalf! Trying to control what I do and how I live my life makes you no better than my father!”

“You’re right,” Cassie conceded, “that was just an excuse, to justify it to myself. I did what I did for Liam. I’m sorry it hurt you, but I’m not sorry Liam is free to marry the woman he actually loves! And I’m not sorry you’re free to be your true self as well!”

Madeleine stared at her in shock, “You think this is supposed to be my coming out story? That you did me a favor by blowing up my life? Liam and I both could have taken lovers! It’s more or less expected of royalty! Do not try and spin this as being for me in any way!”

“Fine, I won’t. I’m sorry I hurt you, Madi.”

“Whatever. Why are you here?”

“I just wanted to check on you…make sure you’re okay…”

Madeleine made a choking noise of indignation, “Oh, how benevolent of you! I’m fine! Great! Fucking perfect! So, you can get out now!”

“Madi-“

“I told you not to call me that!” She said through clenched teeth as she flung the door open, “Now get out!”

Bertrand and Savannah:

“Savannah, thank you so much for allowing me to see Bartie today,” Bertrand said stiffly as he stood in the grand foyer of the palace. He should probably be at Applewood supporting the king, but he had a date with his son.

“Of course,” Savannah replied, “I wouldn’t keep him from you, you know that!”

He bit down on his lip so hard he drew his own blood.

She noticed, “What?”

“It’s nothing,” he adjusted his suit jacket, “I don’t want to start an argument.”

Savannah crossed her arms and tilted her head to the side, “Just say it, Bert!”

With an exasperated sigh he brought his eyes to hers, “But you did Savannah! You did! You robbed me of the first year and a half of his life! My son doesn’t even know who I am!”

“I…” she faltered at the obvious pain and anger in his eyes and his tone, “I told you why I did that! I thought you didn’t want to be with me!”

“And I told you that’s not true!” he hissed at her, “but even if it were, how does that justify keeping my child a secret from me? People who aren’t together co-parent all the time, Savannah!”

“I…that’s true,” she relented, “I’m sorry, okay? I was hurt and scared, and I needed some time and space to figure things out!”

“Two years though? In two years it never once occurred to you to call me? Text me? Email? Drop a letter in the post? Let Maxwell tell me? My own brother betrayed me in service to your secrets!”

Tears pooled in her eyes, “It occurred to me every single day! I wanted to call you, Bert! So many times! You have no idea!”

His anger abated in the face of her tears, “But you didn’t because you thought I wouldn’t want to hear from you.” They had been having this exact same argument over and over since she had returned from France and taken up residence in her old set of rooms at the palace.

It had ripped his heart out when she told him he had made her feel worthless and unwanted. Not good enough for him.

Bertrand and Bartie were gradually forming a parent-child bond but he wanted more than weekends or the occasional Tuesday in the park. He wanted to be a full-time parent and he wanted the woman he loved back. He wanted it all. He just had no idea how to fix the mess he had made when he’d told her they couldn’t be together.

He’d done it to protect her but it had been the biggest mistake of his life. She still didn’t trust him and he was angrier than he wanted to admit about her running away and keeping his child from him. She claimed it wasn’t, but it certainly felt like a punishment for his apparent rejection of her.

They’d had a few conversations and a lot of arguments in the week or two she’d first been back, then Drake had gotten shot and her focus had been on her brother, as it should. Bertrand had stepped up and taken over parenting duties so Savannah could spend time with Drake at the hospital. They had made progress, but it was slow going.

Now that Drake had left the capital to attend the unity tour as part of the royal entourage, he had hoped they could get back to working on what had gone wrong between them. It wasn’t going well. But he loved her and he felt tremendous guilt over his actions that had set the whole fiasco in motion. “Do you love me, Savannah?”

“What?” She blinked up at him, face wet with tears.

“It’s a simple question. Put everything else to the side for a moment. We can focus on just co-parenting if that’s what you want. I want more than that, I want us to be a family. I want you, Savannah! But I need to know if you want it too, or if I should give it up as a hopeless fantasy. I love you and I’m willing to put in the work. I just need to know I’m not alone in this. Do you even want to fix things between us?”

It was the first time he had ever plainly said how he felt and she felt every wall she had put in place to protect her wounded heart start to crumble as she nodded her head, “Yes, yes, I want that very much!”

Constantine and Regina:

“I should be on that unity tour with Liam!” Constantine struggled to sit up in the queen size hospital bed that had been custom ordered for him. The orchards at Applewood had been burned. Liam was there and would be addressing the nation later today while he was stuck at the palace. He should be there guiding and supporting his son in his new role as king, especially during such turmoil.

The exact thing he’d been trying to prevent when he’d ordered Bastien to sabotage the American suitor. For all the good it had done.

“It’s okay,” Regina soothed as she fluffed his pillows and helped him lean back, “He understands why you can’t be there.”

“He doesn’t trust me anymore.”

“Do you blame him?”

“No,” he sighed in defeat. Constantine had only wanted to spare Liam the heartbreak that marrying a commoner would eventually bring him. At least that’s what he had believed when he’d set his plan in motion. He had made peace with his son and future daughter-in-law but he had regrets. He looked up into the face of his wife as he took her hand, “I’ve done things that I’m ashamed of, I’ve made mistakes, but marrying you wasn’t one of them.”

“I know,” she smiled softly at him as she squeezed his hand, “You know Leo is back.”

“Is he?”

“Yes, he came for the wedding.”

“Is he here now?”

“No, he went straight to Applewood to join Liam and Riley, but I made him promise to come here and see you once the tour leaves for Castelsarreillan.”

“Good, that’s good.” He would get a chance to set things right with his older son before he died, “Thank you, my love.  I don’t deserve you, I know that.”

“Hush,” Regina blinked back her tears as she leaned over to drop a gentle kiss on his lips, “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Logan and Ellie:

Logan and Ellie stepped off the plane in Cordonia. They had flown in on a small, private jet with Rashad Faheem, the lawyer that had helped get Logan’s passport expedited.

Regular flights into and out of the country had been temporarily suspended due to the volatile nature of the current situation. It was the same reason Drake wouldn’t be there to greet them. He was with Liam at a place called Applewood. Some orchards had been burned or something.

Instead, they were approached by a woman with short-cropped dark hair and a dark suit. She was followed by several uniformed guardsmen, “Welcome to Cordonia. You must be Logan and Ellie. I’m Lieutenant Colonel Mara Levidis, I’ll be escorting you to the palace and getting you set up with your credentials.” She motioned to the guards behind her, “Let’s go! Lord Faheem, thank you for delivering them.”

“Not a problem Colonel,” he smiled warmly at her then clapped Logan on the back, “I have to get back to my office now, see you two around!”

Their luggage was taken by two guardsmen and they were escorted to a black SUV. “I can’t believe we’re going to live at a real-life palace!” Ellie whispered to him.

“It’s a whole new adventure,” he whispered back, taking her hand in his, “And I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else! You’re not just my girlfriend, Ellie, you’re my best friend! You know that, right?”

“I know,” she nodded, “and you’re mine.”

She wasn’t just his best friend either. She was his future and now that the charges hanging over his head were gone and there was an ocean between them and her father, he could make good on the plans that he had for them.

Based on the salary he had been offered as Liam’s personal driver, he was sure he could have enough money saved to buy an engagement ring by Valentine’s Day. He released her hand so that he could loop an arm around her as he leaned back into the leather seat and watched the Cordonian countryside fly past his window.

Bastien and Bianca:

“Thank you, Harvey,” Bianca took the bundle of mail from the letter carrier. The mailbox for the ranch was at the end of a two-mile-long private drive and Harvey often drove the mail to her door when there was a lot of it.

She closed the door and walked back into the kitchen, glancing up at the small TV mounted in the corner of the room as she made her way back to the table. She kept it there so she could catch up with the news and weather reports in the morning over breakfast and coffee.

Right now it was tuned to an international news channel. A reporter with a blonde bob stood in front of Applewood, the Rys family estate. Liam was scheduled to make a statement about the recent attacks in Cordonia.

Bianca was worried about her children. Especially Drake. Unrest was bad news for everyone, but her son was more at risk than most due to the nature of his career choices. He was a lot like his father that way.

She knew a lot of people looked down on her for abandoning her children after her husband’s death, but that wasn’t what happened.

Jackson Walker had been the love of her life. She had been there for her children as much as she had been capable of considering she had been drowning in an ocean of her own grief and despair. She’d done what she had to do when she made the decision to come back home. She couldn’t stay in the home she had shared with Jackson, and the ranch had needed her.

Leona had called her in the months following the funeral to tell her the ranch was going to be repossessed so she’d gotten on a plane, thinking at the time that it would be a short trip. Once she’d realized that the ranch needed her to stay, she had begged her children to join her, but they had refused, not wanting to give up the lives they’d built in the only home they’d ever known. Realizing they had already lost enough, she’d eventually relented and let them stay.

She sorted quickly through the mail, her heart stopping at the letter from Cordonia with the familiar slanting script on it. She tore the envelope open and scanned the contents.

She’d already been invited to the royal wedding, by Liam and Riley. She was one of the few people who knew that even though Riley would be walking down that aisle to Liam, she had already pledged her life to both of the men who would be waiting at the altar. There would be a separate, private, unofficial ceremony for Riley and Drake. It wouldn’t be legally binding, but it would be emotionally significant for them. She wanted to be there for that.

What she held in her hands though was not an official invitation to anything, but an impassioned plea to come to Cordonia and attend the royal wedding as Bastien’s plus one. His date.

She had not been completely unaware of Bastien’s unrequited feelings for her when she was married to his best friend and mentor. She was not ungrateful for the way he had stepped up and been there for Drake and Savannah, and for her after Jackson’s death. She also wasn’t without guilt for letting herself fall into his arms in the way of comfort on several of those long, dark nights and she certainly wasn’t without a bit of shame for the way she had ghosted him because of that guilt when she’d decided to stay in Texas.

Jackson Walker had been the love of her life. But Jackson had been gone for a decade and he’d want her to move on and live her life.

She tapped the letter against her palm for a moment before deciding that it was time to stop running from her past. She picked up her phone and dialed a number she hadn’t dialed in nearly ten years.

[theartlockerlocked]

[singersnactors]

Avril Lavigne returned to the location where she shot her debut album cover “Let Go”, the year of its 20th anniversary.

[ky-landfill]

Just listen to me. I’m on your side here, Jason.

[tasavvur-ki-duniya]

loving your mom is like

I love you and I hope I never lose you, please stop talking to me I can't handle it anymore, I don't know how to go on without your support, why won't you just listen to me for once?, oh god I miss you and how do people do it without their moms?, please l just want you to be proud of me, I want to stay at home and pretend I'm still five, you're giving me bone nausea every time you get silently pissed off I need to leave right NOW, I can't imagine when I won't need you in my life, just let me relax for two seconds, please mom, hold my hand and acknowledge my pain without feeling like it's your fault even if some of it is.

[deutschrapfinest]

Mir geht's seit Wochen nicht mehr gut, doch solange du okay bist, ist's in Ordnung.

Complicated - DONDON & Rrotzer

[serenityquest]

[popclture]

Avril Lavigne – Complicated (2002)

[crystalflygeo]

The dragon and the sacrificial lamb ft. eroded!Zhongli + gn!reader

cw/tags: rape/non-con, angst, bad ending, yandere-ish zhongli? feral/eroded zhongli, biting, crying, restraints (courtesy of improper use of geo as usual ehe)

notes: Alright this is a special one get ready. There's two "version" of this story bc I couldn't decide which path I liked more. This one is the dark/bad ending. Both stories are exactly the same at the start, changing a few word here and there but then reach a point where they divert completely in reactions/emotions and the underlying feeling of the stories are very different. They can be read independently ofc so by all means feel free to choose which tags you vibe with more or enjoy picking up the differences between both!

Bittersweet ending version here!!

Once upon a time…

A long, long time ago…

The people of Liyue revered their beloved Archon Rex Lapis. Just and kind, he led his nation for millennia, upholding order and contracts, defeating countless enemies, and defending their safe Harbor.

It is said the Lord of Geo took a human as partner, and fell in love deep and pure.

And his partner loved him just as much.

A love that would tragically become a twisted obsession.

It is said the God understood that even he himself was not immune to erosion, and it would one day be his downfall. So, he made sure his people were ready to live on without him. That his adepti were strong enough to subdue him if the day ever came.

As for his lover… well…

-----

Your bare feet crunch along the soft grass as you run and run, panting, gasping for air, almost tripping and letting out a yelp but quickly regaining balance and scurrying faster, past the falling golden ginkgo leaves, past the soft sound of rushing waters.

The golden sunset is gorgeous, dying the sky pink and orange with pastel hues but you simply ignore it, having grown tired of it, sick even. It is fake, an illusion. Just as everything else in this adeptal abode.

Everything except, of course, you and the beast you are currently fleeing from.

It is useless to try to escape, this you know, and your heart clenches painfully as tears prickle at your eyes. You’ve done this before, played this game many many times. But at least for one moment… just one moment…

A roar turns your blood to ice and against all common sense you look over your shoulder to see a massive long dragon twisting in the air and diving straight towards you.

Your legs tremble and fail you as you fall down, the grass is soft but your body aches, tired, burning. You scramble around frantically to stare at the beast again and your eyes widen in panic as it lands right on top of you, majestic and terrifying, caging you with its serpentine body. The golden claws alone are as long as your forearms, digging on the ground at either side of you.

You whimper.

The dragon lowers his head, growling at you, fangs mere inches apart and you squeeze your eyes shut, tears running down your face.

“Why do you run away from me?”

“Leave me alone!” You scream.

“Are you not happy with me? My mate?”

At the words you only sob harder.

Mate.

Oh, how much joy did that word bring you once. And now you can only feel your heart shatter.

You feel a shift in the wind, in the energy, in the light around you, and when you open your eyes, the massive dragon has faded to a more human appearance. He changes back to the form you’re most used to.

Long strands of dark hair tipped amber, striking golden eyes with stunning red lines that highlight their sharpness, a handsome face and a muscular body with arms died black, and lines of gold… lines that run along his cheek and down his neck. Cracks, like a broken glass, like scars, under his eyes and around his chest, ruining the pristine skin and unable to disappear despite his ability to change forms.

The undeniable marks of erosion.

You snap back to attention when he dips down and starts nosing at your neck, his hands pulling at the robe you’re wearing, the only article of clothing you picked up before scurrying away from the mansion. It parts open easily, revealing your naked body to his eyes, littered in past bruises, hickeys and bite marks. Claims from the dragon.

“W-wait. Stop-!” You try to push him back, panicked, desperately pressing your palms against his broad shoulders, but of course he’s immovable as stone.

You kick and trash until he gets irritated and suddenly your arms are immobilized, held above your head and pressed onto the ground by heavy geo cuffs.

“Submit.” He growls.

You squirm a little more until your body sags into the ground, exhausted, panting. There is no use. Instead, you shudder as his hands grope and rub all over your body, rough and callous.

He spreads your legs and slots between them as your breath catches. His palm presses at a spot on your navel possessively, a glittering geo symbol engraved on your skin there, glowing subtly like his horns. You whine.

Then his touch goes lower and teases at your entrance, circling the hole and dipping in just barely.

“Z-Zhongli-!”

Another growl comes out of his throat, deep and guttural. “You dare speak another man’s name in my presence? In my realm? When you belong to me?!”

Your whole body shakes, with rage, with fear. Your heart about to burst. You grit your teeth and glare at the dragon god with as much venom as you can.

“I don’t belong to you!”

He snarls, eyes widening to serpentine slits.

“Insolent. No matter, I’ll fill you up again and show you.”

The eroded God leans down to bite at your neck and you yelp, sharp fangs break your skin and you cry as you feel the warm blood spill. His claws prick at your thighs as he starts unceremoniously humping against you. The ridges on his draconic cock making your hole twitch and you gasp as he presses in, dipping slightly inside your thigh warmth. No need to prepare your body after so many years of coupling. Your hole already soft and molded to him like a worn-out toy.

“No, please… n-no.” Your voice breaks, tears running down your face.

Everything turns blurry, fuzzy, and your head spins.

How had things ended up like this?

You see no love in his eyes, no recognition. And you don’t recognize him either anymore. This creature, this beast… he is not your lover. He is not Zhongli…

And hasn’t been for who knows how long…

Zhongli raises one of your legs and rests it on his shoulder while straddling the other and pushes further in the slick warmth, ignoring the sounds you make. “Too big! I can’t-!” You scream and it just urges him to slam it in. “No- Ahh!” Sheathed all the way to the hilt, Zhongli groans as you clench around him.

He immediately starts thrusting and you feel the world tilt. It’s all too much, the sound of skin slapping against skin, your walls getting battered by his thick member, his animalistic grunts and groans, and the way your body betrays you… a speck of pleasure mixed in with the pain.

It's so cruel.

“Sto- gh! Stop it! Zhongli, please…!” You sob.

Zhongli hisses, muscles taut and flexing as his hips buck into yours, finally finding that spot that has you choking out a moan, your body shivers, forced to surrender and feel everything, a hot coil building on your lower stomach where the mark of geo glows as he continues to take what he wants from your struggling form. He laps at your skin and nuzzles there, almost lovingly. “Mine.”

Your moans start turning sweeter, previously pained sounds turning to vocalizations of carnal lust, your eyes glassy. You try to fight it, conflicted, but the stimulation is too much.

You come with a raw cry through gritted teeth, tears flowing down your cheeks and your own juices coating your skin causing you to feel dirty in more ways than one. Zhongli continues through your overstimulated state, chasing his own pleasure as his thrust become erratic until finally, he stills deep inside and moans long and low, painting your insides white.

You feel him twitch inside you and groan, absolutely exhausted, overwhelmed with emotions, feeling sick, used and abused. He lowers your leg but doesn’t bother pulling out, keeping you there as he nips at your skin, murmuring soft words. “My mate. All pretty and filled up. All mine. Love you.”

You can’t bear to hear those words, spoken in the voice you continue to love after all this time. It shatters your soul, breaking it to pieces like the corroded dragon’s destroyed mind.

Feeling about to pass out, you close your eyes and your head lolls to the side, sniffling against your own forearm as tears continue to fall. “I love… Zhongli. Miss him. I hate you…”

He dissolves the geo shackles into specks of gold and holds your unconscious body in his arms, satisfied with the claims and scent he’s left on you. His tail swishes slowly, pleased with himself as he carries you back to the abode’s mansion.

Home.

Were he’ll keep you safe, bound to him.

Forever and always.

-----

…It is said that his lover is the key to keep the eroded God confined.

Trapped by the possessive dragon in a sealed realm, to keep him ensnared, enchanted and bound to them.

Until they both turn to dust.

[jvgsjeff]

Life's like this.

[churchyaoi]

spartan Cody and his ai Circ

[mollywog]

Tomorrow

A prequel to Complicated (can be read as a stand alone) Set the night of the 74th Reaping

She’s wandering home when her ears perk at the sound of heavy footfall approaching. Silently slipping into the shadows along the path, a figure appears several paces in the direction of the still buzzing festivities. The light is low but the broad shoulders and blond waves unmistakably belong to Peeta Mellark. She watches with interest as he meanders alone. Though the path is clear and straight, his feet are unsteady.

She frowns: He’s drunk.

It’s not that surprising, half the kids their age are probably worse off than him, it’s the night of the Reaping after all. With her sister’s first reaping safely behind them, even she had stopped by the celebration, though she hadn’t had more than a sip of white liquor.

She and Peeta aren’t friends, they don’t even know each other really, but she still feels a twinge of disappointment at his current state. She’s always held him in higher regard than the other boys at school.

In the next step he stumbles; Unable to correct his footing in time, he tumbles to the ground, grunting as he lands. He rolls to his back and sits up, cursing under his breath as he inspects his knee.

“You alright?” she says, emerging from her hiding spot.

He startles at her voice, eyes widening as he spots her. “oh, Katniss, hey. I didn’t know you were there.” He pulls himself to his feet, wincing when he puts weight on his left leg.

“You okay?” She repeats, looking him over as she approaches; there’s a tear in his pants just below the knee, but she doesn’t see blood and he was able to stand on his own: all good signs.

“Ah, yeah, nothing hurt but my pride.”

“Good thing no one saw you.”

“You saw me.”

The usually confident boy looks bashful, and she wonders why he would care: She is no one, at least to him. “I won’t tell,” she says in reassurance. His lips upturn in a poor imitation of a smile and she scowls. “Promise,” she adds defensively.

At this, he shakes his head and laughs; unlike the smile, it’s genuine, “I believe you, Katniss.”

Her stomach swoops at the sound and she turns her head to conceal her own smile. “Well if you’re okay...” she trails off, not really wanting to leave, but not knowing what else to say.

“Could I walk with you for a bit? Make sure you get home safe?”

“Seems like you might be the one in need of an escort.”

He chuckles, “maybe so, but I can’t go home just yet… not like this.”

She frowns. Her parents would be none too pleased to see her in his state, but their lecture would be nothing compared to the back of Mrs. Mellark's hand. She shrugs her assent before turning towards the path, looking back to ensure that he follows.

It takes him a moment to register her response, when he does he jogs a few paces to catch up, “I don’t usually do this, you know?”

She doesn’t know: It must be written on her face because he continues, “Drink too much... or at all really,

She shrugs despite feeling a small bit relieved.

“Today was my brother’s last reaping; he wanted to celebrate and was feeling generous... I don’t know, I think he thought he was doing me a favor.”

“By giving you a hangover?” she raises a brow.

“Nah, he wanted me to loosen up. Relax enough so I’d talk to someone.”

She snorts.

“Hey, are you laughing at me?”

“I didn’t suppose you’d need help talking to anyone.”

“It’s a girl.”

Her heart sinks, “You talk to plenty a girls.”

“Not like this.”

She looks down at the plumes of dust her boots kick up as she walks. “So, did you? Talk to her?”

He hums an affirmation.

“And how did it go?”

“Not very well I think. I’m pretty sure she thinks I’m a drunk… or an oaf, or a clod… probably all three.”

She frowns. A very small part of her thrills at this; Had he succeeded, he might be off with this girl right now rather than here with her. But the greater part of her feels his disappointment. “I’m sorry.”

He grimaces, “and now she pities me, so definitely not good.”

Her eyes go wide and snap to his as realization dawns.

“I should have known the first time we spoke I’d make a fool of myself,” he adds as if in confirmation.

“Me?” Giddy laughter bubbles up, until a breathy giggle escapes.

He groans, “you’re laughing at me? This keeps getting better.”

“Not at you. I’m just… surprised?”

“You know what; Nevermind. Can we just… forget it?”

But she doesn’t want to forget…

Back when she was eleven, her father had been terribly ill but determined to return to work, her mother disagreed. Her parents had argued that night; they never did that. The fight ended with her mother conceding and making their evening tea. But what her father hadn’t known was that she’d added a double dose of sleep syrup to his cup. He slept straight through his shift, only waking when the siren’s had sounded all across town. A section of the mine had collapsed and a number of his crew had been lost along with it, but thanks to her mother’s deception, her father had not been among them.

She’d watched the families that hadn’t been as lucky as hers struggle that winter: some driven to the bottle, others to Cray, and worse still were the children sent to the community home; their neighbors unable or unwilling to help.

She had been among the helpless crowd until the day she noticed the baker’s youngest son sneaking rolls to the starving children that begged at the merchants’ back doors, despite his mother’s ire.

His kindness had taught her that even at eleven she was not powerless to help. As someone who could depend on two meals at home, she had begun forfeiting her lunches to the children at school who had none. Her father too had taken notice, offering guidance and foraging knowledge to any who dared venture past the fence. It was imperfect but it wasn’t nothing.

Ever since that day, she’s kept an eye on Peeta Mellark with a growing fondness she never imagined he could return.

But he does. She doesn’t doubt his sincerity; those years of watching have only strengthened her certainty of his goodness.

They walk in silence for half a minute as she gathers her courage, “So what was your plan? Before your brother decided to help?”

He sighs, “I don’t know. Offer to walk you home, minus falling on my face. Talk about something other than what a fool I am; like our favorite colors or the best time of year to visit the meadow. And by the time we made it to your door, if all had gone well, ask if you’d want to do it again sometime…”

“That sounds nice.”

“What would you have said?”

“Hmm?”

“What if I had asked you out? If things had gone… better than this, do you think you might have considered it?”

They’ve stopped in front of her porch and she stares up at the house to find it quiet and dark: same as the rest of the street. “One minute. Wait here,” she bids instead of answering his question. Ducking in the house, she silently sorts through her mother’s jars until she finds what she’s looking for, measuring and parceling the herbs with practiced hands, the familiarity helping to steady her nerves.

Reemerging, she’s relieved to find him still there. “Make a tea with this tomorrow,” she says as she hands him the packet, “in the meantime drink plenty of water. It should help the headache that’s coming.”

“Sure thing Doctor Everdeen,” he gives a half hearted smile, “thank you.”

He turns to walk away, but her hand shoots out to stop him, landing on his arm, firm and warm under her fingers. His eyes flit from her hand to her face, holding her stare. Her heart flutters, “What if you ask me tomorrow?”

His brows knit together before shooting to his hairline, “yeah?”

She nods, and because the odds have been in her favor so far today, she pops up to her toes, kissing his cheek, “see ya tomorrow Peeta.”

Complicated | What If

[survivor-of-my-childhood]

I feel

so fat....

So annoying...

so unimportant...

so ugly....

So unlovable...

So disgusting...

so complicated...

so superfluous...

so undesirable...

like a problem....

Okay.

[theorphicallure]

Where is this love? I can't see it, I can't touch it. I can't feel it. I can hear it. I can hear some words, but I can't do anything with your easy words.

Closer (2004)

.

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