#Chapters 22 and 23 are available on AO3

[canonicallyobserving911]

WIP Wednesday

Fanonwriter2023 on AO3

Where CANON and FANON collide!

This is an EPIC LOVE STORY!

Season 7 FANON Speculation: Buddie Multi-Chapter Fanfic - Hiatus Reading: “I’m still in love with you but... I needed to learn how to love myself too!”

Chapters 22 & 23 are now available on AO3 and Chapter 24 will be posted soon.

Buck and Eddie got married and Buck's officially Chris' second dad!

Currently 23 chapters completed: 893.1K Words; Rated: Mature

One chapter will be posted at a time.

____________

I'm excited to finish writing Chapter 24 because Buck and Eddie are married and the Diaz family is starting the second half of their two-week long European family adventure. For anyone who hasn't read Chapters 22 and 23, here's a brief overview. In Chapter 22, Buck and Eddie got married, Chris was their best man and Eddie successfully surprised Buck with all the things he had planned for him including a three-tier wedding cake. Their honeymoon started that night and they had an important conversation before they consummated their marriage. In Chapter 23, they left Rome the day after their wedding and proceeded to visit 5 other cities for the remainder of their time in Italy. By the end of it, they agreed to continue speaking Italian even after they return to the U.S. because while they were in San Gimignano, they made a decision that could affect the course of their family's lives forever. What was the decision? 👀

They departed Rome at the end of the chapter and they landed in London on Christmas Eve to start the second half of their family adventure. What else are they going to do while they're still in Europe? Will Buck meet his biological father? 🤷🏽‍♀️

___________

Here's a snippet from Chapter 24 of Buck and Eddie being romantically fluffy and completely head over heels in love with each other early Christmas morning.

_________

The clock on the nightstand reads 5:18AM and the room is almost pitch black since the curtains are drawn.  Even though the lights with a hot pinkish hue that are shining from the London Eye aren’t beaming into the room, they can still see each other because the numbers on the clock are vibrant neon red and they’re illuminating enough of the space for them to see.

Since it’s 29 degrees Fahrenheit outside and it’s frigidly cold, Buck turned the thermostat up to 75 degrees before they went to bed last night so the suite would remain warm and cozy.  They’re gloriously naked but they’re not cold at all; in fact everything is steamy and hot for them since they’re underneath the covers and their bodies are dripping with sweat.  Currently they’re so gone on each other that they’re entering a place called ecstasy.

Eddie’s deep inside of Buck, he’s thrusting his hips just the way his husband likes it, his right hand is wrapped around Buck’s hard length and he’s stroking him all while passionately tongue kissing him.  He’s making love to him and he has been for the past several minutes but the more he thrusts his hips, the closer both of them get to the edge.

Buck moans into the kiss and he makes that high pitched noise in the back of his throat Eddie loves to hear.  Since he wants to hear it again, he slightly adjusts the angle of his hips so he can hit Buck’s prostate again and after he pulls almost all the way out and pushes all the way in as deep as he can go, Buck makes the noise once more but this time it’s followed by an obscene moan.

He breaks the kiss but he doesn’t lose his rhythm and after he pulls back, he presses his cheek against Buck’s and whispers, “Amore mio… ti amo co—si… tan—to!”  [My love… I love you so much!”]

As he continues to match everyone of Eddie’s downward thrusts with an upward one of his own, he replies, “Ti amo… con tut—to il cuore!” [“I love you… with all my heart.”]

As of this very moment, they’ve been married for 1 week, 14 hours and 18 minutes.  They’re still on their honeymoon and every second of every day, they fall even deeper in love.

They’re lost in a haze of love making, they entered ecstasy a long time ago and they’re so close to the edge that they both know they won’t be able to hold on much longer.

He lifts his head to meet his husband’s eyes and says, “My love… come with me!  Let’s do it tog—ether just—just like we did on our wedding night”.

And that’s all it takes for them to climax together.

Eddie collapses on top of him and after they come down from their euphoric high, Buck kisses his cheek and when Eddie moves his head so their faces are in front of each other’s again, he kisses his husband long, deep and slow.

Once he breaks the kiss, he talks against his lips and whispers, “Merry Christmas, my love”.

With his legs still wrapped around Eddie’s waist, his million-dollar Eddie smile graces his lips and he replies, “Merry Christmas to you too and just so you know… I want you to wake me up like this every Christmas morning for the rest of our lives”.

“Oh yeah?”

He nods and says, “I sure do so uh… promise me that we’ll always make love on Christmas morning”.

Eddie places a soft kiss onto his lips, returns a beaming smile and asks, “Even when we’re old and gray?”

“Even then… I—I mean uh… as long as our hips still work.”

Eddie bursts out laughing but he buries his face in between Buck’s neck and shoulder to hide the sound and Buck laughs too and he does the same.  They’re trying to be quiet because Chris is still sleeping and even though his bedroom is on the other side of the suite, they don't want to wake him.

What is Eddie going to say next?

___________

This is an EPIC LOVE STORY!

Fic Summary: Months after Buck and Eddie were hit by the same lightning strike; they’re still struggling with the aftermath of it.  But before they make their love confessions, they’ll spend time getting to know themselves as individuals first. Eddie learns to enjoy the simple things in life as he participates in activities on his own and with new friends while Buck learns the rest of the 31-year-old deep dark family secret about his conception and birth. Their journey to forever is still a work in progress but once they finally admit they’re in love with each other, everything that follows their love confessions will be cataclysmic.

__________

Chapter Summaries

Chapter 1 - Eddie makes a new friend while Buck receives devastating news regarding the sperm donation he made for Connor and Kameron.

Chapter 2 - Buck does a lot of research to learn more about the abnormalities found in his red blood cells and Eddie starts a new therapy journey that’s all about him and not the traumas he’s experienced.

Chapter 3 - After more than a month, Buck and Eddie finally spend time together outside of work but it doesn’t end well and they part with a lot of uncertainty regarding their places in each other’s lives.

Chapter 4 - Eddie has a few realizations about his life which causes him to consider moving back to El Paso, TX while Buck continues to be reminded of his past which causes him to take an impromptu road trip across America.

Chapter 5 - Both Buck and Eddie have difficult conversations with their parents and Buck finally learns the truth behind the reason why his mother despised him while Eddie finally tells his mother about the way she tries to control him.

Chapter 6 - More than two weeks after Buck pushed Eddie away after suggesting they needed a break; Eddie decides to try again. Eddie’s there for Buck when he’s at his worst just like Buck was there for him when he was at his worst and he won’t let Buck give up.

Chapter 7 - After Buck’s mental breakdown, Eddie has his back the same way Buck had his when he had his own breakdown more than a year ago. ��They share several vulnerable and emotionally intimate moments with one another and they begin to realize their small, sweet and caring gestures matter just as much if not more than any grand gesture ever could because these are the foundations of a long-lasting love relationship.

Chapter 8 - Buck, Eddie and Chris all have their own therapists and during their sessions, they reflect on their pasts while they’re in the present so they can prepare for their future together as a family.

Chapter 9 - Buck and Eddie are there for each other when Buck has to testify as a witness during the trial.  But by the end of it, they’ll both realize their individual and shared traumas are going to keep resurfacing until they talk about them, deal with the fact that they’re in love with one another and face the fact that they can’t live without each other.

Chapter 10 - As Buck and Eddie finally begin to confront their past traumas, they realize how much they need each other to fill in the gaps of their memories.  Additionally, the universe screams at them for what appears to be the one hundredth time so Buck can realize he doesn’t have to ‘find it’ because he already ‘made it’ and Eddie’s reminded tomorrow isn’t promised and he doesn’t have to die alone if he doesn’t want to.

Chapter 11 - A “virga” or dry thunderstorm is in the forecast but once the rain starts, the thunderstorm happening outside won’t be able to match the storm brewing inside between Buck and Eddie.  It’s the universe’s final scream and when the tumultuous winds begin to blow, they’ll have one last chance to hold onto everything they’ve built over the last six years or they’ll lose it all forever.

Chapter 12 - Buck and Eddie have always shared a deep physical attraction and an emotional intimacy that’s unmatched but now that they’re in a relationship, they’re learning how to navigate the romantic intimacy they’ve been waiting for six years to explore. The love they have for each other is a once in a lifetime, soulmate, love of their lives type of love that transcends space and time.

Chapter 13 - While navigating the newness of their romantic relationship, Buck and Eddie take advantage of every moment they spend together. As their individual lives, people from their pasts, time constraints and the possibility of losing each other again make attempts to interrupt and interfere with their journey to forever, they love, care for, support and hold onto each other even tighter to withstand it all.

Chapter 14 - Buck and Eddie can see the lights at the end of the tunnels regarding the results of Buck’s Cancer Screening along with everything else they’re dealing with. But are the lights they see exits to the tunnels or are they headlights on different runaway trains that are speeding towards them in an effort to interrupt their forever?

Chapter 15 - Buck and Eddie have known they were exactly who the other one wanted in a partner since they met six years ago when they agreed to have each other’s backs. They’re in a romantic relationship, they’re both preparing to ask the other one to spend forever with them and by the end of the seventh week into their relationship, together they will plan their most important and greatest adventure for their future.

Chapter 16 - As Buck and Eddie begin to prepare for their marriage ceremony that will take place in Rome, Italy in December 2023, they start planning their first international adventure as a romantic couple. Even though Chris is still the only person they’ve told about their relationship, several people who know them have already witnessed the love they share and as the days continue, others will witness it too.

Chapter 17 - As Buck and Eddie get closer to departing Los Angeles for their international adventure, a moment in time will remind them; life is fragile, tomorrow isn’t promised and every second of everyday should be cherished because everything can change in an instant. The result of that realization will cause them to hold onto each other even more.

Chapter 18 - As Buck, Eddie and Chris prepare for family gatherings before and during the Thanksgiving holiday, the “Santa Ana Winds” start to blow and all sorts of expected and unexpected familial drama ensues.

Chapter 19 - As Buck and Eddie get closer to their wedding day, the universe begins to align everything so that some of their parent and children's relationships are strengthened while others come to an abrupt end.

Chapter 20 - With only 14 days remaining until Buck, Eddie and Chris depart Los Angeles, CA traveling to Rome, Italy, for their first family adventure, an early morning conversation about “tying up loose ends” helps Buck and Eddie realize there are still several things left unfinished on their ‘To Do’ lists. The question is will there be enough time to complete all of them?

Chapter 21 - Buck, Eddie and Chris are finalizing their ‘To Do’ Lists, double checking their itineraries and packing their suitcases in preparation for their trip to Europe so they can board their flight that departs Los Angeles, CA on Friday, December 15, 2023 at 3:25PM.

Chapter 22 - While Buck, Eddie and Chris spend the first 8 days of their European family adventure in Italy, their primary reason for going will be fulfilled as well as several others they hadn’t considered or anticipated.

Chapter 23 - As the Diaz Family continues their Italian family adventure, they’ll say, “Ciao” or hello and goodbye to a lot of things almost immediately after they become an official and legal family.

Chapter 24 - Will be posted soon.

__________

Read chapters 1-23 are available on AO3.

Continue reading on AO3

Chapter 24 will be posted soon.

[stormz369]

My Writing Masterlist

Find me on AO3

If you have a fanfic request, please include a preferred rating (AO3's rating system is ideal), as well as a key word or two (ie; fluff, angst, smut, hurt/comfort, etc). Characters I already write for will be given priority, but I'm theoretically open to writing for other characters in my fandoms if there's interest!

Fandoms I have written for:

DC (BatFam specifically and Jason Todd in particular)

Good Omens (available on AO3)

Hazbin Hotel/Helluva Boss (particularly Lucifer)

Other fandoms I'm in (and could probably be convinced to write for, given a compelling enough request):

Doctor Who

Marvel

Star Trek

Hetalia

Existing Works (by fandom):

DC: 

☕💖 Can I Get Your Number? ☕💖

Jason Todd x (f)Chubby!Reader (fem) (fluff, hurt/comfort, multi chapter, eventual NSFW)

Ch 1 Ch 2 Ch 3 Ch 4 Ch 5 Ch 6 Ch 7 Ch 8 Ch 9 Ch 10 Ch 11 Ch 12 Ch 13 Ch 14 Ch 15 Ch 16 Ch 17 Ch 18 Ch 19 Ch 20 Ch 21 Ch 22 Ch 23 Ch 24 Ch 25 Ch 26 Ch 27 Ch 28 Ch 29 Ch 30

Ruby

Jason Todd x Stripper!Reader(f) (sexually suggestive - the story is set in a strip club after all)

Autumn Scents

Jason Todd x (f)Reader (reader's perfume choices change in the fall) (fluff)

Hellaverse:

The King of Hell and Me (Chapter Guide)

Lucifer x Reader (NSFW, one-shot collection, more tags in the chapter guide)

To Build A Dream (on hold)

Lucifer x fem Angel! OC (NSFW, soulmate AU, includes depictions of SA and mental abuse)

[kikyoupdates]

⭑˚🔮⭑ yandere!jjk x f!reader

yandere, reverse harem, isekai, jujutsu kaisen x fem!reader, slowburn, slowburn yandere

You don't know how or why, but you've been isekai'd into the world of Jujutsu Kaisen. Although your first instinct is to stay away from the plot, you've been blessed with an abnormal amount of cursed energy, and for better or worse, you find yourself sucked into the storyline. You decide that you may as well use your newfound powers for the greater good, and if you're lucky, you might succeed in rewriting some of the characters' fates. But it turns out that your presence in this world is an even bigger deal than you first thought, and soon, everyone wants to make you theirs.

00 — prologue 01 — budding friendship 02 — a sudden encounter 03 — set in motion 04 — fateful beginning 05 — anomaly 06 — what lies ahead 07 — moving in 08 — the last member 09 — teacher’s pet 10 — facing the future 11 — on the brink of death 12 — claimed 13 — in mourning 14 — entrusted with a secret 15 — long time no see 16 — memories erased 17 — rude intrusion 18 — someone dearly beloved 19 — a happy day 20 — seize the opportunity 21 — best friends 22 — everyone's favorite 23 — hand in hand 24 — foreboding 25 — cursed place

More chapters are available on Quotev and Ao3!

⊱.⋅follow + post notifications on for story update announcements or join the author's discord!⋅.⊰

🔮 main masterlist ♡ oneshot masterlist

[whatswrongwithblue]

Artowrk by inuhalfdemon

Series Masterlist

Summary:

He took her face between his clawed hands and kissed her, hard and quick.

“So now that I have you back,” as he spoke, his voice crackled and lowered several octaves, and the room darkened as he allowed his power to slip out just enough to make reality around them go fuzzy. “I’m not letting you go.”

In the 1950's, Alastor met the woman he would eventually marry but unfortunately his Radio Demon persona went for her soul rather than her hand. He has to learn what it means to love, and cherish, without possessing and he does. Their relationship is beautiful, strong, unbreakable . . . but he carries a dark secret through their marriage for decades until eventually he has to face the consequences of that secret and leave her, without warning, for seven years. He returns, finding her at the Hazbin Hotel, and has to convince her to forgive him, while being literally bound to secrecy, unable to tell her any of things he now is desperate to explain to her.

(This is a duel timeline fic, timestamps will be a the top of every chapter.)

TW: canon typical violence, language, character behavior. recreational drug use. body image issues. references to self harm. OC has ptsd from sexual trauma and spousal abuse - not from Alastor! cannibalism. gun violence. slow burn. alastor is an ass and alastor is also soft. the smut will eventually include: p&v, fingering, oral - both receiving. biting, scratching, blood play. occasional shadow tentacle and sex toy usage. Anal play. Nun Alastor makes an appearance later on. Breeding kinks - both Alastor and OC deal with breeding cycles. Touch adverse Alastor. Ace-spectrum Alastor.

Also available on AO3 .

Chapter 1 - The Pilot: Alastor returns to Hell. Basically the events of the Pilot, but rewritten with Mina present.

Part 1

Chapter 2 - Reflections. The short story of Mina's life and death.

Chapter 3 - Overture. Events of Episode 1 as well as what happened during the Extermination the day before.

Part 2

Chapter 4 - Terminally Dispelled. Mina arrives in Hell.

Chapter 5 - Radio Killed the Video Star. Events of Episode 2. Alastor is a simping show-off but still not good at processing emotions.

Part 3

Chapter 6 - Little Sunshine. - Mina's POV from the end of last chapter.

Chapter 7 - Ashes in My Wake. - Alastor handle's being smitten really, really badly.

Chapter 8 - Scrambled Eggs. - Alastor finds out someone has hurt his wife.

Part 4

Chapter 9 - Wretched and Joyful. - "First time" smut

Chapter 10 - Masquerade. - Events of Episode 4. Angst ahead!

Chapter 11 - Stitches. - Angst & post-fight make-up smut

Part 5

Chapter 12 - Drunk on Life. - extra fluff & smut

Chapter 13 - Dad Beat Dad. - Events of Episode 5 w/ smut.

Part 6 - Alastor in rut smut but also lots of dark themes. Please mind the tags of these chapters.

Chapter 14 - Welcome to Heaven.

Chapter 15 - Tainted.

Chapter 16 - Possessed.

Chapter 17 - The Prophetess vs. The Nun.

Chapter 18 - Welcome (Back) to Heaven.

Part 7

Chapter 19 - A Fate that Befell Him. - proposal & wedding day

Chapter 20 - The Silence in Between. - honeymoon smut

Chapter 21 - Hello Abaddon. - recruitment for the hotel battle

Chapter 22 - House on Fire - smut rather than dealing with feelings.

Everything below is finished, only unpublished because I need to proof read!

Part 8

Chapter 23 - Don't Take That Sinner From Me. - the day alastor left

Chapter 24 - Just Pretend. - have some more angst. as a treat.

Chapter 25 - A Place to Put Your Pain. - surprise! more smut

Chapter 26 - The Show Must Go On. - the battle

Bonus Chapters

Chapter 1 - The Library - bonus smut

Chapter 2 - Poppin' Molly - Alastor on drugs, enough said

[pastafossa]

🌊TUNA-TOBER🌊 PROMPT CHALLENGE 2024 🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟

Hello friends! So last month I realized that one of the reasons I'm struggling to get my writing back up to my old speed is I am seriously out of practice since Dec/Jan when shit went down and I stopped writing for a while. After some thought, I decided I was gonna set up a little prompt challenge for myself, just a general, 'here's a prompt a day' thing for about a month. And I tossed this idea out onto my fave Daredevil discord server to see if anyone would want to join. And I'm happy to say there were takers, including some of my favorite writers in the fandom! So I've set up a delicious prompt challenge for all of us, and for anyone else who wants to take part.

For each day in October, there are three prompts: an 🌧️angst/whump prompt🌧️, a 🌻fluff prompt🌻, and a 🔥kink prompt🔥. Participants are free to choose which one of the prompts they want to write or make art of, or they can try to incorporate two, or even all three prompts into a single fic or art piece. They can write a short fic/make art every day, or just on whichever days they feel like (personally I'm going to shoot for one fic a day, but we'll see), or even incorporate those prompts into the chapters of longer fics. There are also four 'backup' prompt options for each category in case anyone hits a day or prompt where they aren't really feeling what's available on the chosen day. If any of these prompts inspire you, you can feel free to take on the Tuna-Tober challenge even if you're not in the server! This challenge is also not fandom-specific (although I have a feeling I'm mostly gonna write Charlie Cox characters, a surprise to precisely zero people, but again, we'll see).

Sometime this week, I'll be setting up a sideblog specifically for Tuna-Tober. That sideblog blog will reblog any Tuna-Tober fics/art or link to those fics that are posted on Ao3 so they'll all be easy to find. That blog will also have instructions for how to tag your Tuna-Tober fics and/or art pieces. If you'd like to be notified when that sideblog is up so you can follow it, let me know in the comments.

Without further ado: our Tuna-Tober prompts!

🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟

Day 1: Falling Asleep In A Hospital Room ⚜ Reading To Each Other ⚜ Somnophilia

Day 2: “Why? Why do you love me?” ⚜ Flower Crowns ⚜ Mutual Masturbation

Day 3: Broken ⚜ “I feel real when i’m with you.” ⚜ Role Reversal

Day 4: “This isn’t you.” ⚜ “Are you blushing?” ⚜ Sixty-Nine

Day 5: Self-Loathing �� Watergun Fight ⚜ Begging

Day 6: "Shh, I've got you now. I'm here." ⚜ Love Bites ⚜ “Spread your legs for me.”

Day 7: Nightmare ⚜ Honest Apology ⚜ Nothing Underneath

Day 8: Shaking ⚜ “You can sleep here tonight.” ⚜ Overstimulation

Day 9: Anxiety ⚜ “You don’t need to do that.” “I want to.” ⚜ “Open your mouth.”

Day 10: "I'm not good enough." ⚜ A Hug That Lasts A Little Too Long ⚜ Strap-on/Pegging

Day 11: Tears ⚜ “I’d be lost without you.” ⚜ Breast Worship

Day 12: "I did it for you.” ⚜ “You remembered?” ⚜ Deep-Throating

Day 13: Loneliness ⚜ Playful Kiss ⚜ “Beg me for it.”

Day 14: "Please look at me." ⚜ Sleep Talking ⚜ Accidental Stimulation

Day 15: Hiding An Injury ⚜ “Are you jealous?” ⚜ Threesome

Day 16: Exhaustion ⚜ Accidental Kiss ⚜ Against A Window

Day 17: "I'm not leaving you." ⚜ Tickling ⚜ “Touch yourself for me.”

Day 18: Scars ⚜ Pillow Fort ⚜ “I’m so proud of you, you’re taking me so well.”

Day 19: Touch starved ⚜ “I’ll always be there for you.” ⚜ Gags

Day 20: "Who did this to you?" ⚜ There Was Only One Bed ⚜ “You were made for me, weren’t you?”

Day 21: Fainting/Collapsing ⚜ Flustered ⚜ “Was that an order?”

Day 22: "You haven't done anything wrong." ⚜ Breathless Kiss ⚜ Aphrodisiacs

Day 23: Father ⚜ “If you won’t take care of yourself, I will.” ⚜ Toys

Day 24: Drugged ⚜ Drunken Confession ⚜ “Shh, do you want them to hear us?”

Day 25: "What's Wrong?" ⚜ Playing With Their Hair ⚜ “Did I say you could do that?”

Day 26: "You're not fine." ⚜ “Shut up and kiss me.” ⚜ Under The Desk

Day 27: Near Death Experience ⚜ Overheard Confession ⚜ “Let me see what that pretty mouth can do.”

Day 28: Chronic Pain ⚜ Sharing An Umbrella ⚜ Hair Pulling

Day 29: "Talk to me, please." ⚜ Forehead Kiss ⚜ Restraints

Day 30: Healing ⚜ Road Trip ⚜ “Take it off. Slowly.”

Day 31: "Why wasn't I enough?" ⚜ Blanket Hog ⚜ Stockings/Thigh Highs

🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟

🌊Tuna-Tober🌊 Backup Prompts:

Bound/Chained ⚜ Moving In Together ⚜ Almost Getting Caught

"Take me instead." ⚜ “I’m in love with you, and that scares me.” ⚜ High Heels

Insomnia ⚜ Adopting A Pet ⚜ Scent Marking

"You're not alone." ⚜ Playing A Game Together ⚜ Ass Worship

🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟

[astarionancuntnin]

Die For You Masterlist

summary:

the ascension changed the person Astarion was, or so you believed. you broke up and parted ways after defeating the netherbrain, thinking it was for the best, but when you see him again six months later at the reunion, you realize you never truly moved on. and neither did he.

current state: COMPLETED SERIES

word count: 50k~

pairing: astarion x fem!reader (implied fighter!tav (slight body description) with noble background). contains some shadowheart x fem!reader

rating: explicit (but a few of the first chapters are tame, those rated E for smut and graphic violence will be highlighted on the list below)

major tags/cw: 18+. angst, smut, lovers to exes to lovers, hurt/comfort, assault, possessive behaviour/sex, progressively soft!ascended astarion, blood/vampire bites, graphic depiction of violence, noncon, good ending. full list available on ao3.

read on ao3

back to writing masterlist

read on tumblr:

Prologue/Chapter 1 - The Reunion (rated E)

Chapter 2 - The Meal

Chapter 3 - The Invitation

Chapter 4 - The Ball (tw: attempted r@pe)

Chapter 5 - The Aftermath (rated E)

Chapter 6 - The Plan (rated E)

Chapter 7 - The Afterlife (rated E)

Chapter 8 - Retalation (rated E)

Chapter 9 - The End Of All Things (rated E tw: rape & torture)

Chapter 10 - Reconsideration

Epilogue - Forever After (rated E)

playlist below the cut~

the playlist:

prologue: track 1 - 10

chapter 1: track 11 - 22

chapter 2: track 23 - 28

chapter 3: track 29 - 36

chapter 4: track 37 - 40

chapter 5: track 41 - 48

chapter 6: track 49 - 55

chapter 7: track 56 - 65

chapter 8: track 66 - 74

chapter 9: track 75 - 80

chapter 10: track 81 - 84

epilogue: track 85 - 91

[modern-day-bard]

Masterlist

Other Duties As Assigned: A Joel Miller Fanfiction

Summary:

Guinevere Russell is the sole heir to the multimedia conglomerate, Russell Corp. After obtaining her MBA and moving home to New York City, she’s been forced to return to a tumultuous relationship with her father and the rest of the board. Gwen would prefer to run off with her friends and see just how far she can take a distraction, and she’s perfectly happy doing so. That is, until her father hires a bodyguard to keep a watchful eye on her. She just can’t figure out if he was hired for her safety, or to uncover the secrets no one else knows she possesses…

Joel Miller is a personal security officer on leave from his last assignment, where he worked abroad for a U.S. embassy. He has avoided private security detail for years after a life-changing accident, but when he gets this call, the money is too good to pass up. But Joel has never met a client with such an aversion to being protected. Regardless of the paycheck, Joel will soon realize this is his biggest challenge yet, but not for the reason he thinks…

When their secrets, both past and present, collide in a mixture of tension and new-found feelings, the results can be catastrophic. Now, Gwen’s safety is put at risk more than ever before, and the two of them have to get to the bottom of the mystery, and what they mean to each other, before it’s too late.

Content Warning: 18+ This story includes mature themes such as drinking, stalking, violence, and explicit smut. Minors, do not interact.

a/n: This is a WIP! I’m writing more chapters while editing before I post. I hope to post on a consistent basis. I’m also posting this story on ao3 and Wattpad. Tumblr tends to take me the longest to post from, but I’m determined to make it happen!

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Worth The Feeling: A Javi Gutierrez Fanfiction

Summary: Ava Cohen is a 26-year-old production assistant working tirelessly to achieve her dream of one day becoming a film director. As hiatus from her last project comes to a close, she returns to set with Norwick Productions, whom she has worked with for the past four years. After a major fo paux on the first day of work, Ava is worried she has offended the star of this next production: Javi Gutierrez. She will soon come to realize, this couldn’t be further from the truth. When the cast and crew travel to Italy to film on location, the seriousness of what Ava is feeling becomes all too real, just as a new career opportunity lands in her lap. As tensions run high, watchful eyes set in, and her career is put at stake, can all of this be worth it in the end?

Content Warning: 18+

This story includes explicit smut, intimidation, and an age gap relationship (MC is 26, Javi is in his 40s). Minors, do not interact.

a/n: The full story is available on AO3 and on Wattpad as well for anyone who is interested. Thank you to anyone who reads my story! 🤍

Total word count: 93,547

Pairing: javi gutierrez x f!reader. No physical descriptors of the MC, except for her being shorter than Javi.

Pairing Disclaimer: the original pairing was Pedro x reader but after everything was released I felt very uncomfortable with that. If I was a celebrity, I wouldn’t want people to write that about me. I was creating a character as I wrote this story that was separate to Pedro, and after posting, I regretted my choice. I have edited all chapters to reflect this, as Javi’s love of movies and cheerful disposition makes sense for the character I created. Reblogged posts may still have the original pairing, as I’m unable to update them. Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Epilogue

[azuramarigold]

"Cursed Vessel" - a Jujutsu Kaisen fanfic

Reposting this for some extra flair I guess since I got information about dividers.

CONTENT WARNING: Work contains depictions of violence and gore, use of swearing, smoking of tobacco, and alcohol.

Each chapter has trigger warnings in the beginning notes due to the nature of the chapter.

Banner credit to https://saradika.tumblr.com/

Cursed Energy gif credit to https://ko-fi.com/setermd/shop

Master list - All available on AO3 Chapter 1: The Beginning of the End Chapter 2: The Mean Voice Chapter 3: Mission Start Chapter 4: Brat and Kuna Chapter 5: Seven to Three Chapter 6: Incarnation Chapter 7: To Kyoto Chapter 8: What is Being Evil? Chapter 9: A Child of Potential Calamity - pending Chapter 10: Bingo - pending Chapter 11: Meet Up - pending Chapter 12: Bad and Good Luck - pending Chapter 13: Welcome Home - pending Chapter 14: Realization - pending Chapter 15: Probability - pending Chapter 16: The Siblings - pending Chapter 17: Yoshinaga and Co. - pending Chapter 18: The Monk and Their King - pending Chapter 19: Tracking Yuji - pending Chapter 20: Clear Evidence - pending Chapter 21: Sickening - pending Chapter 22: Proposition - pending Chapter 23: Gone - pending Chapter 24: The Plan - pending

Summary:

Even at the age of five Yuji Itadori knew something was wrong - he woke up with horrible nightmares and terrible burning sensations all over his body, and there was always a "mean voice" in his head that won't go away. His grandfather decided it was time to take him to an old friend that could possibly help him with this new issue. Kento Nanami was extremely disinterested with the Jujutsu world after his best friend was killed during a mission the year prior. When a new mission came up for rescuing a little boy who happens to be the vessel of "The King of Curses", Ryomen Sukuna, Nanami was forced to go on the mission.

TLDR: Basically the story is that Yuji becomes Sukuna's vessel at a younger age and his relation to him is more known, so Jujutsu High has to protect him/save him from weirdos. Nanami is the main caretaker. Gojo likes to be there because he's Gojo. Takes place Spring 2008, so it's after Hidden Inventory/Premature Death.

Special thanks to my Ko-fi supporters!

Basic Tier

Aostrele

Draconic Hermit

JadEDU

Jaune Arc

Zippy

Middle Tier

@genderfluidsgetguns AKA IdoInFactLikeDogs

[mostthingskenobi]

CASSIAN’S RECKONING - Chapter 26: The Beginning

CHAPTER SUMMARY: Here's a little present to say thank you for reading. Prepare for incoming fluff!!

It breaks my heart to post this chapter because it means it's over. However!!! I have something exciting to go with it...at least it will be available soon. I'm in the process of created a downloadable PDF of this fic, laid out like a real novel, complete with beautiful illustrations!!! It will be totally free and available to everyone. I'll announce it on my social media when it's ready. But for now, here's a sample so you can get a little taste (I'm so sorry there are ads on the sample...I can't afford to pay to have them removed, but you can skip them like you can a YouTube ad).

__________

READ IT ON AO3- Kudos and Comments Welcome :-)

READ CHAPTER 1 “The Razor”

READ CHAPTER 2 “The Scythe”

READ CHAPTER 3 “The Cold”

READ CHAPTER 4 “The Expendable”

READ CHAPTER 5 “The Truth”

READ CHAPTER 6 “The Detritus”

READ CHAPTER 7 “The Salt”

READ CHAPTER 8 “The Power”

READ CHAPTER 9 “The Betrayal”

REACH CHAPTER 10 “The Ruse”

READ CHAPTER 11 “The Reprieve”

READ CHAPTER 12 “The Ghosts”

READ CHAPTER 13 “The Redemption”

READ CHAPTER 14 “The Spoils”

READ CHAPTER 15 “The Interrogation”

READ CHAPTER 16 “The Rogues”

READ CHAPTER 17 “The Absolution”

READ CHAPTER 18 “The Reach”

READ CHAPTER 19 “The Hologram”

READ CHAPTER 20 “The Divide”

READ CHAPTER 21 “The Cost”

READ CHAPTER 22 “The Fallout”

READ CHAPTER 23 “The Wounds”

READ CHAPTER 24 “The Hand”

READ CHAPTER 25 “The Heart”

READ CHAPTER 26 "The Beginning"

[itsgrimeytime]

Magnolia in May (Part Twenty Four) || Rick Grimes (TWD) x Greene!f!reader Regency AU

Parts 1-20, 21, 22, 23...

Taglist: @loliakeoghan23 @curlycarley @queenie32 @mgparker

rick grimes taglist: @golden-hoax @mgparker

AVAILABLE ON AO3

Inspiration (in honor of Speak Now Taylor's Version): Enchanted by Taylor Swift.

Summary: Your town was small, not the smallest you knew, but anyone of high fortune was the gossip of the week. Predictably, Richard Grimes was a thing of whispers -rumors of a search for marriage among the grassy hills. You weren't one to buy into town gossip, but something about him... just seemed a little too intriguing.

TW: a lil ✨️steamy✨️, but nothing past making out.

[[A/N: Did I just make a whole chapter about kissing??? Maybe I did. 🤭 Thanks for reading !!! ]]

You hadn't been alone with Mr. Grimes since the ball.

Not that you were noticing or anything, it was just a spare thought. After the success of such an announcement (other than a few gasps of more established audience), Mr. Grimes had been whisked away by the crowd and so had you. So, you hadn't been alone with him since then.

Not that you were-

Maggie stared at you, watching your hands twitch and you stare off into space, "What's wrong with you?"

When you didn't answer, she threw a pillow at your head.

You were in the safety of your bedroom, door closed and the early morning birds chirping -your Headmistress had slept in, by the grace of god. And your sisters had occupied your space, as you waited for the to-do list to generate -or Headmistress to wake up.

It was normally a wonderful thing, these early mornings with your sisters, Maggie making conversation and Beth nose-deep in a book -she wouldn't tell you what it was about if you asked.

"What?" You questioned, blinking away your trance.

"I said," she scooted closer to you on the bed, "-what is wrong with you?"

"Nothing," you answered, quickly -too quickly.

"Liar," she tsked, and now Beth looked up, intrigued, "-something happened, I can tell. You look... You look like a lost puppy-"

"Certainly not," you laughed, looking to Beth.

"No," she answered, matter-of-factly, "-you do. She's right."

"Are you really yearning for Mr. Grimes so badly?"

"No," you echoed, but it sounded sort of hollow, "-it's just been a wondrous few days, so I... I just wished to sit and think of them."

Maggie paused, before looking at you thoughtfully, "You're such a liar, something happened!"

Beth now had jumped up onto the bed, blond curls recklessly out of place and book tossed to the side, she was now at full attention, "Was it the ball? He planned it all out for you, Father told him-"

"I know," you smiled, something far away in your eyes again.

"There it is again!" Maggie retorted, slapping your arm, "-Something happened at the ball-"

"Nothing you don't know about," you swiftly lied, turning a touch crimson at the assumption.

"Was it the dancing?" Beth asked, innocently.

"The whole ball was just delightful," you remarked, genuinely, because it was. You didn't have to lie about that.

Maybe you liked some parts better than others but that was-

"Again!" Maggie spoke, "-Again, it's not the dancing, or the ball itself. What happened? I must know-"

"I don't have to tell you everything," you laughed, it slipped out of your tongue before you could stop it.

"Something did happen!"

"Tell us, tell us-"

"I... I can't," you answered, honestly.

But then, Maggie looked at you, green eyes matching your own. And whether it was the twitch or your lips, or the slight twinkle in your eye, you'd never know but something told her.

"He kissed you," she finished, in a whispered sort of yelling tone. Despite her being fast asleep, the three of you took no chances. Especially now.

"No-" you sputtered.

"He kissed you and you want to kiss him more!" Maggie retorted in the same tone, nearly tackling you into the bed -the tips of your ears were burning, "-How many times?"

"This is ridiculous, he's a gentleman-"

"More than once," she gathered, you have no idea where from, "-How many times, sister?"

You sighed, covering your face with your hands, "I don't know-"

"He kissed you," Maggie relented, falling back onto the bed with a bump, "-and you don't know how many times? How scandalous-"

"It truly wasn't!" you echoed, "-I was just... I was telling him how much I loved him because, well, he didn't believe me-"

"And he kissed you?" Beth asked, inquisitively, like she was looking at a new type of flower.

"Yes," you finally answered, fidgeting with the blanket underneath your fingertips, "-I don't know how many times, I didn't count-"

Maggie and Beth watched on.

"-when it's happening, you don't... you don't think to count. You don't think at all. I just-"

"You want to kiss him again," Maggie spoke, knowingly.

You sighed, not meeting their eyes -defeated, "I do. So greatly."

"What was it like?" Beth asked, fidgeting with the pillow that hit your head moments before.

"I don't-" you started, before softening, she was just curious.

"It was like everything all at once. I felt... I felt what he wanted me to feel, and you're both impossibly close but you wish to be closer-"

The girls watched on in silence, listening to every word like it was wisdom.

"-I..." you exhaled, delightfully crimson, "-I believe that's the best way to explain it. But I can't quite explain why I want more... I... I just want it."

"So, go kiss him then!" Beth exclaimed, and suddenly the room fell very quiet. Everyone waited for the telltale footsteps up the stairs but it remained silent.

"She's not wrong," Maggie asserted, "-Mr. Grimes would do anything for you. If you asked-"

"It's improper," you reiterated, "-as a lady, I shouldn't-"

"You're courting," Beth pointed out.

"And you should be allowed to kiss when you want to," Maggie added, "-he's had his turn, where's yours?"

"I just- I can't just ask him-"

"He loves you," Maggie said, heartfully, "-there's nothing you can do to scare him away, especially ask for a kiss. Men like that kind of thing, you know."

"Mr. Grimes is an honorable man," you spoke, "-I cannot soil such reputation just because I want to."

"You didn't get caught the first time," Maggie responded, dryly.

"Well, the ball was going on," you echoed, "-everyone was distracted-"

"You want a distraction?" Maggie grinned, "I can give you a distraction."

That's how you wound up at the Grimes's estate at the hour of lunch, Headmistress had woken up then but had merely rejoiced in going to visit Mr. Grimes again. She was key to Maggie's plan anyway, so her attendance was integral.

"Headmistress," you remarked, nervously, "-I believe I forgot my fan at home, I should run and grab it-"

"Darling," she laughed, "-I'm certain they have fans here if you request it."

"Well, it's an important fan-"

"It's just one visit, Y/N," she echoed raising a brow at you, "-is everything alright, dear? Did you have another spat?"

"Everything's fine, Headmistress," you smiled, but it was far too strained, "-I'm just a little antsy. This is the first time I've-"

"Seen him since the announcement, I know," Headmistress interrupted, smiling brightly, "-it's such a darling day too. So romantic."

You'd felt kind of bad that you were showing up out of the blue, something in your stomach twisting about him being unprepared to deal with Headmistress. But something in your chest was delighted to see him once more. And maybe, even-

"Ladies," he spoke, shaking you out of your stupor, "-lovely to see you all today. Is there any special occasion?"

Your eyes dusted along his figure, he was again wearing an undershirt sprinkled with dirt. His hair was slicked back with sweat and his eyes a dazzling sort of blue that made your heart pick up the pace for a moment. You watched a bead of sweat run down his nose with eager eyes, derailing to his lips-

"She just wished to visit you," Headmistress concurred, "-it has been quite a few days."

"I do apologize for that," he hummed to you and Headmistress, "-Judith grew sick and I was very much occupied."

"Oh," you spoke, softly, concerned, "-do we need to leave? I'd hate to intrude on such a sensitive time."

His eyes flicked to you and you saw something soften -your heart stuttered in your chest, "That's kind of you, Ms. Greene. But, she's well now, and I'd been delighted to be in your company. All of your company."

"Oh, please," Headmistress echoed, "-don't let us intrude, I assumed you'd much prefer the eldest. Take her as you wish."

You blushed crimson at the intentions she did not know of. His eyes dipped to your cheeks with a smile, it only bloomed further along the bridge of your nose and tips of your ears -his grin grew brighter in response.

"Okay," he smiled eyes flickering to you, and lingering -you thought you might know where, "-all of you feel free to do as you wish. If you have any problems, consult with the staff."

And then, as if out of thin air, Daryl appeared and Rick motioned to him to guide them inside, be at their side until further notice.

Which left you and Mr. Grimes. Alone. With a few workers trimming the hedges and sweeping the patio, you should say.

"Hello," you said, sweetly, turning a touch crimson -not sure what to say.

"Hello," he laughed, smiling so bright you almost had to look away before he faltered -something serious flickering through his face, "-is everything alright?"

"What? Yes," you sputtered out, "-everything is fine."

"No," he echoed, soft and careful, "-something's bothering you, I can tell. Was it at your home? Did something happen?"

"No, I didn't- I wasn't-" you sighed, rubbing your eyes -this was exhausting.

"What?"

You sighed again, and merely looked at him -something heavy in your eyes. You tried to speak without speaking because you wouldn't say it-

It was so improper-

He tilted his head and something passed through his face -filtering through seriousness. Something faltering in his blue eyes.

"Oh," he echoed, "-oh."

"Don't-" you started, sputtering out, "-I..."

He frowned, leaning his hand forward -fingers stretching like he wished to touch you. You tilted toward such a touch, but he resisted.

Something was wrong. You could tell.

"Are you alright?"

Mr. Grimes extended his arm forward, held out for your hand -something in you turned a wonderful sort of crimson. He had just expected you to take to his side, like... like you belonged there.

You blushed just a little more at such assumptions.

"Let's walk," he hummed, far too serious for the moment, "-I have something to show you."

It was his garden, his wondrous garden, all trimmed and proper. If you looked down to the fine details, it's quite messy but nature was messy-

You were happy to see the sprouts and the cherry red tomatoes already peaking out such a red. It was interesting, something you'd never quite seen before.

And you were certain you never would have if you hadn't met Mr. Grimes.

You crouched down to hold a tomato between your fingers, gently so as to not heed its progress. But to feel his work between your fingers, to know what he worked so hard for. "This is all your work, then?"

"All mine," he echoed, crouching down by your side -his side brushed against yours and you almost leaned into it, "-'Should be done before winter."

"That's amazing," you smiled, dropping it from your fingers and raising to your feet -looking along the entire patch, "-you work hard, I can tell."

"I love it," he hummed, something off about his tone, "-Speakin' of, I... wanted to talk to you."

You looked around, apparently, this was his place where no one disturbed him as there was not a soul in sight. Not even trimming the nearby hedges. Your heart sped up in your chest, you were-

"Alone," he spoke, echoing out into the fresh air.

"Alone," you echoed, swallowing.

"I just," he cleared his throat, you watched the bob of his throat, "-at the ball..."

Your eyes filled with pictures of him, rosy red lips and twinkle in his eye. Close, close, close-

"I wanted to apologize."

Your mind halted.

"I shouldn't've-" his accent spilled out, as he rubbed his face, "-You deserve much better. I didn't want- I want everythin' to be perfect, to be, uh... right."

"Mr. Grimes-"

"I want to court ya," he spoke, "-properly. And I... I should've held back such... such instincts."

"Rick-"

"I don't want you to feel as you do," he started, "-you deserve something much more special than-"

"Rick," you held his face -tilting his eyes to yours, "-I do not... That's not how I feel. You're making an assumption."

"Then, what-"

"Rick," you sighed, dropping your hands -your cheeks blooming as you shut your eyes, "-I came here for... for more."

"You, what?" He questioned genuinely, and you couldn't see his face but, you could see his head tilting in your head.

You pushed your hands into your eyes, you couldn't just say it, "For more... For more-"

"Kisses," he whispered, tilted down in front of your face, his hands peeling back your own, "-You want to kiss me?"

"Rick-" you sighed, "-I can't-"

He tilted your head up, finger underneath your chin -blue eyes matching yours, a breath away from your face. Your eyes dipped to his lips, just for a spare moment. He watched such a movement with his blue, blue eyes.

"All you have to do is ask, darlin'."

"I..." you spoke a little uselessly, eyes darting along his face -he looked at you reverently, like he couldn't believe you sat in front of him, asking, "-Kiss me, please."

Your voice was quiet, a little ashamed, but he heard every word -carefully leaning forward with the slow, tender sort of speed that had your hands flinching to grab at him. It's not that such speed was unsavory, you just wanted him so, so close-

"Anythin' for you," he whispered, it fanned across your lips -something in you snapped.

You crashed into him without so much as a regret, he startled for a spare moment -stiffening as your fingers landed on his his shirt, pulling him closer. You wanted to feel his heartbeat on yours, feel the grit of his stubble on your cheeks, feel his hands on your face-

As if on cue, his hands went up to cradle your cheeks, softly, still caring for you despite the speed. Despite the passion that built up in your chest, he was still so soft with you -so tender.

You pulled back for a moment, just to see him -all lidded eyes and rosy red lips, all for you. Anything for you-

"I love you," you spilled out like your heart was in the words -laying on the dirt for him to see, for him to have.

It was just the way he looked then, so dazed; it made your heart flutter, you couldn't help it.

You pushed forward, pressing and pressing until you were the one to open your mouth -gasping for air, maybe, you couldn't remember. It didn't matter-

And suddenly you wanted him closer-

His mouth met yours intimately, tongue hesitant but present and suddenly your head was spinning -it was dizzying. Your knees buckled, but he held you there, hand pressed gently to your waist and something in you tingled at such a grasp. It was improper, you knew that-

But why did it feel so good?

"Mr. Grimes," you whispered between presses of your lips -over and over again, "-Rick-"

He stopped, all lips bruised and eyes heavy -you could barely breathe at such a sight. That was all you. But you remembered why you'd stopped because you'd... you'd opened your mouth and you weren't sure if- If he had been so keen on going so far. It was already improper-

Your heart was in your throat now, as you spoke, "Was that okay? Are you- I didn't mean to force anything-"

And then he looked at you, really looked at you -blue eyes swimming over your face, watching you. A smile bit onto his lips, his rosy red lips (you'd kissed him that way-) and he spoke.

"Marry me."

[discar]

HZD Terraforming Base-001 Text Communications Network

A masterpost for all my #HZDBaseChat chapters. Also available on AO3.

GAIA set up a communications network for Aloy and her friends. Aloy had no idea what they were getting into. Or: I realized that a groupchat fic actually makes PERFECT SENSE in Forbidden West. Uploading this to Tumblr in celebration of Forbidden West being released on PC. There will be one chapter daily until they’re all up.

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5

Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10

Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15

Chapter 16 | Chapter 17 | Chapter 18 | Chapter 19 | Chapter 20

Chapter 21 | Chapter 22 | Chapter 23 | Chapter 24 | Chapter 25

Chapter 26 | Chapter 27 | Chapter 28 | Chapter 29 | Chapter 30

Chapter 31 | Chapter 32 | Chapter 33 | Chapter 34 | Chapter 35

Chapter 36 | Chapter 37 | Chapter 38 | Chapter 39 | Chapter 40

Chapter 41 | Chapter 42 | Chapter 43 | Chapter 44 | Chapter 45

Chapter 46 | Chapter 47 | Chapter 48 | Chapter 49 | Chapter 50

[canonicallyobserving911]

“I’m still in love with you but... I needed to learn how to love myself too!”

Fanonwriter2023 on AO3

Where CANON and FANON collide!

Season 7 FANON Speculation: Buddie Multi-Chapter Fanfic - Hiatus Reading: “I’m still in love with you but... I needed to learn how to love myself too!”

Chapters 22 & 23 are now available on AO3.

Please note: Chapter 22 was too large to be added to AO3 as one chapter, therefore it has been divided into two and they're both available on AO3.

This is an EPIC LOVE STORY!

“I’m still in love with you but... I needed to learn how to love myself too!”

Currently 23 chapters completed: 893.1K Words; Rated: Mature

One chapter will be posted at a time.

___________

Two snippets are included below, one from Chapter 22 and one from Chapter 23. Both chapters are available on AO3.

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Here's a snippet from Buck and Eddie's marriage ceremony in Chapter 22 and it's romantically fluffy.

___________

Mayor: “Vuole, Signor Edmundo M. Diaz prendere quest’uomo, Signor Evan M. Buckley como suo legittimo marito?”

Antonio: “Do you Mr. Edmundo M. Diaz take this man Mr. Evan M. Buckley to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

“Lo faccio.” [“I do.”] Eddie admits with a huge smile.

~~~

Mayor: “Vuole, Signor Evan M. Buckley, prendere quest’uomo Signor Edmundo M. Diaz como suo legittimo marito?”

Antonio: “Do you Mr. Evan M. Buckley take this man Mr. Edmundo M. Diaz to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

“Lo faccio.” [“I do.”] Buck admits while his signature Eddie smile graces his lips.

~~~

Mayor: “Gli anelli, per favore.” Amerigo: “The rings please.”

It's their marriage ceremony but what's going to happen next?

___________

Here's a snippet from Chapter 23 of an emotionally angsty discussion happening between the newlyweds, Buck and Eddie.

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Buck says, “But babe… I don’t want it if we’d lose you in the process.”

Eddie furrows his eyebrows because he’s confused. “I don’t understand because I’m not going anywhere.”

“About two weeks ago we talked about how we were going to make decisions for this family together. We said some would be unilateral and some would have to be jointly discussed… do you remember that?”

The memory of that conversation slams into the front of Eddie’s mind like a tidal wave because he not only remembers it; he knows he was the one who suggested they talk about it. “Yes, I remember.”

“And about two months ago, we had two conversations… one happened the morning after we got engaged and the other one happened several days later. We uh, agreed we’re equals in this relationship and the money we have and earn is for our family.”

Eddie nods his head in agreement because they discussed those things too.

“EDDIE, ME AND CHRIS NEED YOU!” Buck whisper shouts with tears in his eyes.

Why is Buck upset and whisper shouting at Eddie when they've only been married for four days? 🤷🏽‍♀️

This is an EPIC LOVE STORY!

Fic Summary: Months after Buck and Eddie were hit by the same lightning strike; they’re still struggling with the aftermath of it.  But before they make their love confessions, they’ll spend time getting to know themselves as individuals first. Eddie learns to enjoy the simple things in life as he participates in activities on his own and with new friends while Buck learns the rest of the 31-year-old deep dark family secret about his conception and birth. Their journey to forever is still a work in progress but once they finally admit they’re in love with each other, everything that follows their love confessions will be cataclysmic.

__________

Chapter Summaries

Chapter 1 - Eddie makes a new friend while Buck receives devastating news regarding the sperm donation he made for Connor and Kameron.

Chapter 2 - Buck does a lot of research to learn more about the abnormalities found in his red blood cells and Eddie starts a new therapy journey that’s all about him and not the traumas he’s experienced.

Chapter 3 - After more than a month, Buck and Eddie finally spend time together outside of work but it doesn’t end well and they part with a lot of uncertainty regarding their places in each other’s lives.

Chapter 4 - Eddie has a few realizations about his life which causes him to consider moving back to El Paso, TX while Buck continues to be reminded of his past which causes him to take an impromptu road trip across America.

Chapter 5 - Both Buck and Eddie have difficult conversations with their parents and Buck finally learns the truth behind the reason why his mother despised him while Eddie finally tells his mother about the way she tries to control him.

Chapter 6 - More than two weeks after Buck pushed Eddie away after suggesting they needed a break; Eddie decides to try again. Eddie’s there for Buck when he’s at his worst just like Buck was there for him when he was at his worst and he won’t let Buck give up.

Chapter 7 - After Buck’s mental breakdown, Eddie has his back the same way Buck had his when he had his own breakdown more than a year ago.  They share several vulnerable and emotionally intimate moments with one another and they begin to realize their small, sweet and caring gestures matter just as much if not more than any grand gesture ever could because these are the foundations of a long-lasting love relationship.

Chapter 8 - Buck, Eddie and Chris all have their own therapists and during their sessions, they reflect on their pasts while they’re in the present so they can prepare for their future together as a family.

Chapter 9 - Buck and Eddie are there for each other when Buck has to testify as a witness during the trial.  But by the end of it, they’ll both realize their individual and shared traumas are going to keep resurfacing until they talk about them, deal with the fact that they’re in love with one another and face the fact that they can’t live without each other.

Chapter 10 - As Buck and Eddie finally begin to confront their past traumas, they realize how much they need each other to fill in the gaps of their memories.  Additionally, the universe screams at them for what appears to be the one hundredth time so Buck can realize he doesn’t have to ‘find it’ because he already ‘made it’ and Eddie’s reminded tomorrow isn’t promised and he doesn’t have to die alone if he doesn’t want to.

Chapter 11 - A “virga” or dry thunderstorm is in the forecast but once the rain starts, the thunderstorm happening outside won’t be able to match the storm brewing inside between Buck and Eddie.  It’s the universe’s final scream and when the tumultuous winds begin to blow, they’ll have one last chance to hold onto everything they’ve built over the last six years or they’ll lose it all forever.

Chapter 12 - Buck and Eddie have always shared a deep physical attraction and an emotional intimacy that’s unmatched but now that they’re in a relationship, they’re learning how to navigate the romantic intimacy they’ve been waiting for six years to explore. The love they have for each other is a once in a lifetime, soulmate, love of their lives type of love that transcends space and time.

Chapter 13 - While navigating the newness of their romantic relationship, Buck and Eddie take advantage of every moment they spend together. As their individual lives, people from their pasts, time constraints and the possibility of losing each other again make attempts to interrupt and interfere with their journey to forever, they love, care for, support and hold onto each other even tighter to withstand it all.

Chapter 14 - Buck and Eddie can see the lights at the end of the tunnels regarding the results of Buck’s Cancer Screening along with everything else they’re dealing with. But are the lights they see exits to the tunnels or are they headlights on different runaway trains that are speeding towards them in an effort to interrupt their forever?

Chapter 15 - Buck and Eddie have known they were exactly who the other one wanted in a partner since they met six years ago when they agreed to have each other’s backs. They’re in a romantic relationship, they’re both preparing to ask the other one to spend forever with them and by the end of the seventh week into their relationship, together they will plan their most important and greatest adventure for their future.

Chapter 16 - As Buck and Eddie begin to prepare for their marriage ceremony that will take place in Rome, Italy in December 2023, they start planning their first international adventure as a romantic couple. Even though Chris is still the only person they’ve told about their relationship, several people who know them have already witnessed the love they share and as the days continue, others will witness it too.

Chapter 17 - As Buck and Eddie get closer to departing Los Angeles for their international adventure, a moment in time will remind them; life is fragile, tomorrow isn’t promised and every second of everyday should be cherished because everything can change in an instant. The result of that realization will cause them to hold onto each other even more.

Chapter 18 - As Buck, Eddie and Chris prepare for family gatherings before and during the Thanksgiving holiday, the “Santa Ana Winds” start to blow and all sorts of expected and unexpected familial drama ensues.

Chapter 19 - As Buck and Eddie get closer to their wedding day, the universe begins to align everything so that some of their parent and children's relationships are strengthened while others come to an abrupt end.

Chapter 20 - With only 14 days remaining until Buck, Eddie and Chris depart Los Angeles, CA traveling to Rome, Italy, for their first family adventure, an early morning conversation about “tying up loose ends” helps Buck and Eddie realize there are still several things left unfinished on their ‘To Do’ lists. The question is will there be enough time to complete all of them?

Chapter 21 - Buck, Eddie and Chris are finalizing their ‘To Do’ Lists, double checking their itineraries and packing their suitcases in preparation for their trip to Europe so they can board their flight that departs Los Angeles, CA on Friday, December 15, 2023 at 3:25PM.

Chapter 22 - While Buck, Eddie and Chris spend the first 8 days of their European family adventure in Italy, their primary reason for going will be fulfilled as well as several others they hadn’t considered or anticipated.

Chapter 23 - As the Diaz Family continues their Italian family adventure, they’ll say, “Ciao” or hello and goodbye to a lot of things almost immediately after they become an official and legal family.

Chapter 24 - Will be posted soon.

__________

Read chapters 1-23 are available on AO3.

Continue reading on AO3

[verai-marcel]

Your Hearth Is My Home (BG3 Fanfic, Astarion x Female Reader, Part 24 of 28)

Summary, Notes, Tags, & Part 1 are here.

Act I - Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12

Act II - Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | 

Act III - Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 (18+) | Part 28 (END)

AO3 Link is here, my sweet.

Word Count: 4,380

Act III, Chapter 3 - The Torment

The next morning started off like any other. However, you were surprised when Wyll, Karlach, and Jaheira came back in the late afternoon with a tall, muscular, and bald man with a small rodent on his shoulder. Karlach and Wyll were following the other two with expressions of awe.

I wonder if he’s an associate of Jaheira’s… that would explain why Karlach and Wyll are fawning so hard.

The man saw you and grinned broadly, waving cheerfully at you. Your seal pulsed strongly in return.

Who exactly is this man?

Coming up to the group, you smiled warmly. “Welcome back, everyone. Who’s our new friend?”

“I am Minsc!” Then he held out his hand for the little rodent to hop onto his palm and held him out to you. “And this is Boo, the mighty miniature giant space hamster.”

When the hamster looked at you, your seal pulsed again, sending heat waves through your blood. You looked back up at Minsc, and the power ebbed away.

What. No way. It was the hamster that is the powerful one here?

Boo chittered, and while everyone else was looking at the creature, you noticed that Minsc was listening intently as if he understood every little squeak.

“Oh, yes, of course,” he mumbled. Then he gingerly brought Boo back to his shoulder. “Boo is looking forward to sampling your fine dishes and to hear your singing. Karlach and Wyll have been praising your talents!”

You blinked. “Um, alright, I’ll do my best,” you said, directing your reply to the little hamster. Looking into its eyes, you suspected you saw understanding, and even more, satisfaction.

Welp, that was strange.

You learned from the others that the underground guild in the city and Jaheira had made a deal: she got help finding Minsc, and in exchange, they had chased the Zhentarim out of the city. You breathed a sigh of relief.

So I didn’t need to worry about them after all. Thank the gods. Or rather, thank Jaheira.

Karlach patted your back. “I’m relieved. One crime group is enough for this city, hah!”

You laughed, hiding your nerves. “Yup, good riddance.” And now they’ll never know.

Leading the others to the campfire, you served them some drinks and some snacks and listened to them regaling you with their adventure, which had taken them all across the city, even to the deepest bank vaults. They had even found Mol and a couple other tiefling children in the Guild, running their business, and doing quite well for themselves.

“Oh good, I’d like to go back to the other tiefling children and let them know Mol is safe,” you said.

“I can do it,” Karlach said with a smile. “I’m sure Wyll would want to see them again too.”

Wyll nodded, and you caught his soft look as he watched Karlach.

Oh ho, his love grows.

After their story, you rooted around through the pile of loot for any extra bedrolls or fabric to make a tent for the newcomer. Just as you had managed to find enough rags to weave together, you heard the alarm bells on your belt chime softly.

Turning toward the entrance, the others had arrived looking a bit worn out. As they joined the group at the campfire, Shadowheart relayed what had happened.

“We literally went to hell and back. But now Lae’zel has a way to free Orpheus.”

The githyanki nodded with a slight smirk. Oh, she’s quite pleased.

“And we may have a change of accommodations,” Gale said. “The Elfsong has an upper floor penthouse available if we wish to use it, for a discounted fee.”

“Are there enough beds for everyone?” you asked, sweeping your hand towards everyone, including Shadowheart’s parents, Isobel, and Aylin, who were hanging back, listening in.

“Plenty of beds,” Gale replied.

“And why the discount?” you questioned. Inns don’t give discounts unless…

“There might have been a murder on that floor, and that might be scaring off the guests.”

Everyone looked at Gale.

“Look, just because one person died there doesn’t mean we should stay out in the open for the remainder of our time here.”

After some thought, the group began to mumble agreement.

Wait. Then that means…

“So you won’t be needing me any further,” you quietly said.

All eyes turned to you.

“Well, of course we need you, darling.” Astarion walked up to you and patted your head. “You still have to feed me.” He gestured towards everyone else. “And these fools couldn’t clean worth a damn.”

You glanced at everyone else, who were mostly shrugging sheepishly.

“And who’s going to take care of the giant pile of souvenirs that Karlach and Astarion keep pilfering?” Wyll joked.

“Some of those are from you too!” Karlach shot back, lightly shoving Wyll, who only laughed.

“The point is, you’re part of the team,” Gale said softly. “We need you just as much as anyone else.”

You turned back to Astarion, who nodded and took your hand, holding it gently, his thumb rubbing circles over your knuckles. Leaning closer, he whispered in your ear, “Besides, you promised you would stay with me, didn’t you?”

You nodded.

“Good girl,” he murmured before pulling back. Turning to everyone else, he shot them all a triumphant grin. “So, shall we upgrade our accommodations?”

***

By the time you all had finished packing and moving everyone’s things out of the harbor and to the Elfsong, the sun had just dipped below the horizon. Yet the tavern was already loud and lively, full of music and drinkers. Gale went to the front desk and paid for the new lodgings, holding up a key triumphantly to everyone before leading the group upstairs.

“Probably best if I keep a low profile. They used to know me all too well in here,” Astarion muttered to you as he helped take the packs up the stairs, attempting to blend in with the others. You watched his back as he went up the stairs, walking closely to the floating disc as it hovered behind Gale. Your eyes wandered down the line of Astarion’s body, down his back, his hips, his—

Gods, what am I doing?

You shook your head and re-focused on the back of his head, but he had already caught you staring, as he looked back at you with a knowing smirk.

“Admire all you like, darling.”

You immediately looked away and huffed.

His sly grin stayed on his face throughout the rest of the unpacking.

***

Since you didn’t need to cast warming cantrips any longer, you could spend your time sorting the loot pile and going out to the market to sell whatever you could, and buying fresh groceries. You were actually excited to see what kind of fresh vegetables and herbs you could get, now that you were in a large city.

“You’re sounding happy,” Shadowheart said as she approached, kneeling down next to you while you polished some of the tarnished jewelry with a rag.

You stopped humming and smiled up at her. “Well, I can finally catch up on some inventory management,” you said, pointing at the rather large pile of knick knacks and herbs. “You lot seem to have sticky fingers.”

“It’s how I grew up,” Karlach said as she joined the two of you, sitting cross legged on the other side of you. “Take everything of value and sort it out later for pocket change.”

You nodded. “That’s fair. I just haven’t had much of a chance to go through it all lately, and it seems like everyday you come back with more.”

Gale suddenly came up and tapped Shadowheart’s shoulder. With one look, her eyebrows furrowed and she got up. 

“We’re going to plan our next trip into the Undercity. We’ll probably need to split up if we want to stop the murders and find where Orin is hiding.”

You nodded and watched as everyone gathered around the table in the main sitting room on the upper level. Remaining in the lower area near the fireplace, you continued to sort through everything, catching bits and pieces of their conversation.

“...have to find where the Bhaalspawn…”

“...Orin’s base might be…”

You finished sorting what you could, and pulled together all the random coins you had found. There was a significant amount, so you didn’t feel bad about ordering room service tonight.

“I’m going downstairs to order us a meal to be brought up, are there any requests?”

***

As you came downstairs with a long piece of paper full of meal requests, you ran into a familiar face.

“Lakrissa!” you said with a bright smile.

She called your name excitedly and gave you a hug. “What are you doing here?”

“We got a room upstairs, at a discounted rate.”

“Oh, the murder room. Well, I suppose that wouldn’t bother your group much, would it?”

You laughed. “Nope, not after what they’ve seen. Oh, I need to put their supper order in.”

Lakrissa smiled and took your order for you, telling you to wait by the stairs for her while she gave it to the kitchen. When she returned, she gave you a wide grin.

“Follow me,” she said quietly as she nodded toward the back staircase. 

She snuck you up to the rooftop, where you heard a soft lute and a familiar voice.

You smiled, afraid to stop Alfira’s singing. She was swaying softly to her song, her back to you and Lakrissa, the gibbous moon shining brightly above her head. The two of you enjoyed her song until the end, applauding her just as she turned around.

The bard smiled, pleasantly surprised to see you. You hugged, and the three of you caught up on each other’s lives since the Last Light Inn.

“Would you join me for a song?” Alfira asked. “If you have time, that is.”

You turned to Lakrissa. She nodded. “You’ll have time. With the amount of orders you put in, you could sing out here for a half hour and it wouldn’t be done.”

The two of you figured out a song you both knew, and while she played and sang harmony, you took the lead, letting your voice carry on the rooftop, and letting the tingling feeling on your spine travel through your body, through your lungs, through your throat. You felt almost as if you could layer your voice if you pushed your power through yourself hard enough.

On the last lyric, you let your vibrato go longer and harder than you ever had, leaving just enough breath to end the song on a delicate sigh.

A raucous applause startled you, and you turned to see all of your companions standing behind Lakrissa, who was wearing a sly grin.

“You cheeky woman!” Alfira said to her as Lakrissa came up and placed her hand on the small of her back.

You were distracted from their cute banter by everyone else’s compliments. You shyly bowed.

“Boo says that was a most wonderful performance, rivaling the great opera singers from Waterdeep!”

You flinched involuntarily at the mention of Waterdeep, but you acted as if you didn’t. “You’re too kind,” you said with a smile. 

Lakrissa tapped your shoulder. “I can go check if your food is ready, but would you all want to eat up here? It’s a beautiful moonlit night!”

You turned to everyone else, who seemed to be enjoying themselves, catching up with Alfira and admiring the view.

“That sounds lovely.”

As she went downstairs, you spotted some tables and chairs scattered around the rooftop and had an idea. You took a deep breath and began to hum, walking to the furniture and tapping them lightly. As if they suddenly gained sentience, they hopped and began to follow you, arranging themselves into a nice group formation.

Everyone had gone silent, watching you work. You paid them no mind, singing a song about faerie lights, touching the leaves and vines around the area, making them glow orange and pink and purple. Lost in the sensation of the magic and the music flowing through your body, you spun around and swayed your arms, letting the lights glow brighter as your power pulsed against your skin.

Suddenly Astarion was standing next to you, his hand on the small of your back, pressing on your seal. He kissed your cheek and pulled you close, interrupting your song.

“I couldn’t help myself darling,” he said a bit too loudly as he dragged you away from everyone else. Karlach tried to peek, but Shadowheart shooed her and the other onlookers back to the tables to wait for their food.

Away from the crowd, Astarion whispered into your ear. “Your seal was glowing brightly through your clothes.” His hand pressed harder against your back. “Be careful.”

You looked up at him, surprised at his look of concern. “Oh. Thank you,” you murmured. It didn’t feel like burning this time, though. It felt… powerful. 

He guided you back to the tables just in time for Lakrissa and another worker to bring the trays of food for everyone. Using your party as an excuse, she stayed behind and ate with you, along with Alfira, who entertained you all with music through the rest of dinner.

It was a wonderful evening, and you treasured it.

***

The next morning, the others left, but came back within an hour to talk to Dame Aylin. You overheard something about a tower and a wizard who had put a price on her head, and she immediately charged out the doors. Isobel followed the group out to follow her.

You turned to Shadowheart’s parents. “Erm, well, I was about to go out and get groceries. I should be back soon.”

They nodded and told you that they would let the others know if they came back before you did.

Out in the city, you felt relatively safe, anonymous in the large crowds. You walked over to a jeweler and bartered away some of the found gems and trinkets for a great price, adding to your coin pouch. Heading down to the marketplace, you managed to get an excellent cut of venison from the butcher and some fresh herbs and vegetables. Holding the bag in your arms, you headed back to the Elfsong.

Halfway there, your seal pulsed. You immediately looked around.

A man, with a patch over his eye and a large sword at his side, scratched his arm, his sleeve lifting up to reveal a tattoo of a legless dragon in flight. It was a tattoo you recognized with ease.

A Zhent!

You quickly began to walk away, turning a corner beyond the Elfsong, unwilling to make the mistake of leading someone straight to your home base. Instead, you walked through the graveyard, then past the tombmaker’s shop. Just as you were rounding the corner to make a loop back home, you heard a familiar voice calling your name.

Turning around, you were met with Gale, smiling and waving his hand to you.

“Can you follow me for a moment? I have something to show you,” he said, gesturing for you to follow.

Your seal pulsed with a stinging heat.

“Um, let me put these groceries away first.”

“We haven’t the time,” he insisted, coming closer to you.

Gale would have offered to carry my groceries for me by now. This isn’t him! 

Without another word, you turned to run.

The doppelganger grabbed the collar of your shirt and pulled hard, choking you. Dropping your bag of groceries, you pulled at your collar, trying to get some air, but they were strong. One arm wrapped around your mouth.

“You’ve got wits, but no power. Pity,” a woman’s voice hissed in your ear.

You felt a sharp pain to your temple, and then you felt nothing at all as everything went black.

***

Astarion and the others returned to their room in the Elfsong, ready for a long rest. Upon entering the room, however, he smelled something distinctly… vile.

“Welcome back,” said the creature posing as his hearth witch. Though she looked like her, she definitely didn’t sound like her. The soothing warm tone of her voice could not be replicated by any other.

“You’re not her.” Astarion glared at the shapeshifter, disgusted that she would take the form of his beloved.

Orin pouted. “How could you tell so quickly?”

“I could smell your stench a mile away.”

Everyone looked on in horror as a crazed, maniacal grin grew on their hearth witch’s face. And when she twisted back to her usual form, everyone felt a fear and anger that they could not swallow down.

“If you want your precious friend, then kill Gortash for me and bring me his netherstone.” She disappeared in a burst of pink petals, her insane laughter bleeding away.

Astarion could barely contain his rage. “We don’t have time, we have to find her now,” he snarled.

The others agreed. 

“Don’t worry Astarion, we’ll find her,” Wyll said, clapping a hand on his shoulder. “Orin won’t get away with this.”

He nodded as he tried to keep a level head. But it was so, so hard.

If Orin touches her… she’ll feel her madness. She’ll feel everything.

***

You woke up to a world of pain, your entire body feeling as if it was on fire. You shifted and gasped in agony.

Then your memories of the last 24 hours returned, and you nearly vomited. You had so, so many cuts across your body. Your clothes had been sliced to shreds, and your skin along with it.

The crazed cackle of your captor drew your attention. Orin licked her knife with glee. “Your blood is the sweetest,” she murmured. 

And then she wrapped her hand around your neck. You let out a hoarse cry of agony as her madness seeped into you. No amount of mental guarding could keep out the intensity of her insanity.

c̵̝̽u̵̩͌t̵͇͛ ̷̗̕c̵͉͌ṵ̵͝t̴̝̓ ̵̫͋m̸͙̚a̶̧̾i̴͈͋m̴̱̀ ̷̳̔m̸͇͛a̸̢͝i̸̗͗m̴͎͝ ̴̡̒m̷͍̈́ṵ̶͗r̵̝̾d̷̜̄e̸̤͋r̵̹͝ ̷̮̓m̸̳̊���̵͚r̸̖͑d̷͈̿e̴̞̐r̸̻͋k̶̜̋i̷̪͊l̶̝̔l̸͚̀k̴̫̃i̶͈̓l̴͇̀ĺ̶͙K̴͉̍Ȋ̶͜L̸͈͛L̵̫͌ ̴̢̀K̸̯̈I̸͍̿L̸̘̍Ľ̶̪ ̶̘̈K̴͇͘I̴̬͐L̶͚̀L̶̤̓—̸̟̀ ̵͉̏

You squeezed your eyes shut to drown out the voices in your head.

“Who knew you would be so sensitive to just my mere touch! Such a delight to torture.”

You could barely hear her words beyond the pounding of blood in your ears. Is this what she constantly felt? Wave after wave of darkness, followed by an alternating current of rage, a frenzied, frenetic need to hurt, to kill. 

It was so dissonant from your usual emotions that you were having a physical reaction. Your blood pumped harder, spilling more from your wounds. You were weakening, your limbs feeling heavier with each passing moment.

“Let go of me!” you cried, your hands wet with your blood as you tugged weakly at Orin's arm. 

She only laughed. “Why should I? Your agony is the sweetest candy on my tongue.” Grabbing your wrist and twisting it painfully, she brought the inside of your arm to her mouth. While she stared at you with her crazed glare, she licked your blood, savoring it, smearing it all over her lips. 

“No!” You shrieked, trying to jerk your arm away. It was a useless endeavor; she was far stronger than you could ever be. “That blood is not for you!” 

You tugged harder, the blood making your skin slippery. Her grip tightened until you felt your bones begin to yield, the pain making you keen. 

“You make the most lovely sounds when in pain,” she murmured, letting go of your wrist and your throat. Placing the tip of her knife at your collarbone, she grinned maniacally. The sharp tip pierced your skin, the slow, burning sting making you whimper in pain. 

“Let me hear you sing in agony once more—“

“My lady!” 

Orin immediately grabbed the servant by the throat. “How. Dare. You. Interrupt me!” 

“There��. are… intruders…” the servant gurgled.

You looked up, grateful for any distraction that kept Orin’s knife away from your collarbone. In the distance, you could see your companions as they charged down the stairs. A sense of relief flooded you. 

Your friends. They were here. Thank the gods. 

All of the stress and the injuries suddenly overwhelmed you, and your vision blurred. Did Orin just transform into a beastly creature? The party threw themselves into the fray, fighting off the other cultists while Karlach and Lae'zel focused on Orin. 

The last thing you saw was Astarion rushing past the beast towards you, calling out your name. 

***

It had been a hell of a battle, and Astarion barely remembered it. Once he had secured his beloved in a safe corner, he had lashed out, stabbing Orin until she screamed in agony. Then he sprinted back, picked up his little hearth witch in his arms and brought her to Shadowheart, who immediately healed her wounds. Her clothes were shredded to tatters, and even after her wounds had closed, she was still out cold.

“She may be mentally overwhelmed,” Shadowheart said.

He only nodded before setting off at a hurried pace to get back to the Elfsong, cradling her closely.

After they got out of the Undercity, she finally spoke to him again. “I'm surprised by how far you've come, Astarion. I didn't think you'd ever care so deeply about anyone.”

“I didn’t think so either,” he replied carefully. “But she managed to weasel her way in.”

“It's funny how the little things do so much. A warm meal, a soft touch, a gentle smile. She's brought us all out of our shells, made us feel safe.”

“Yes…” He looked down at his love. “She feels like home.”

Shadowheart didn’t miss the softness in his eyes as he spoke, gazing at his witch.

***

“Seems strange, doesn't it?” Shadowheart mused while she sat with the other around the communal table, snacking on some cheese. 

“Well, they're lovers now, right? I wouldn't let anyone touch you either.”

Shadowheart frowned, even though she felt a bit tickled by Gale's protective comment. “That's fair. But he barely let me finish healing her before snatching her away.”

Gale shrugged. “Some people go a little crazy when they fall in love. I certainly don't blame him for acting this way. She's been kidnapped twice now, right under our noses.”

Nodding, Shadowheart grew quiet for a moment. “What do you think he meant when he said her skin was sensitive?”

Karlach suddenly lifted her head. “I asked her about why she wore gloves all the time and she said it was a secret. Maybe she just has super sensitive skin!” 

The others just accepted that conclusion and moved on to other topics, but Shadowheart kept chewing on the thought.

What if…?

***

You regained consciousness as Astarion was lifting you in his arms. You felt his worry for you through your bare skin before you realized that he had taken his shirt off, and you were fully naked.

“What’s going on?” you mumbled.

“We rescued you,” he answered, his voice soft. “And now I’m giving you a bath. You’re covered in blood.”

“Oh.”

Astarion slowly lowered you into the tub, the water immediately turning red as the dried blood on your skin was washed away. The warmth was soothing against your freshly healed body and you started to relax. But the moment Astarion let go of you, the pain from before came rolling back. When Orin had held you down, her madness had borne down on you, unrelenting, and it returned now in ripples of mania.

You struggled to stay alert, but you could feel your mind slowly dissociating. Your consciousness faded as you battled the memories. 

b̸̫̅͆ͅl̴̛̼̳̎ǒ̶̭́͜o̵̢̔ḋ̵̘̈́ ̷̢̬͌͘b̸̮͖̔l̸̙̬͘o̷͕̩̿̊o̸̬̐d̶̛͉ ̷̙̰̔c̷̢̩̈́ų̵̰͝t̶̖̲͆̿ ̷̭̬͝c̴̬̙̃u̴̱͋́t̶͆̆ͅ

“Darling?” 

s̷̖̍l̵͕͋i̵̗͒̾c̴̻̫̔̀ē̶̝ ̴͉͝͝s̵̝̋̅l̸̠̏́i̴̳̚c̷͚̎̒e̸̜̜̒ ̵̹͂̎ͅh̵̤̋̐ư̶̥͌r̵̖͚̆t̶̡̬̋ ̸̤͓̌h̵̗͑̓ų̵̙̾͊r̸͖̍̀t̶̼̎͘ ̸̙̐̍m̷͈͝a̷̘͎͗̊i̵̩̦̊̌m̷̳̗̿̈ ̵̞̂m̶͚͍͒͠a̵̠͚̚i̴̭͋̏m̶̹͖͊̓

Suddenly your mind went blank as Astarion pulled you out of the tub and into his embrace. You wanted to chide him about getting his pants dirty with the bloody water, that you were naked, that this was wholly inappropriate… 

But when you felt the overwhelming feeling of love and protection around you, it silenced everything else. The echoes of Orin's insanity, the screams of your own mental state, everything. 

All you felt was Astarion's love for you, and it brought you back to the present. 

And you cried. 

“I've got you, my sweet. I've got you,” he murmured as you shook uncontrollably.

“I hate this!” you cried. “I…I'm weak. I'm helpless. I didn't… I didn't want to be a burden!”

Astarion hushed you gently, nuzzling your cheek with the tip of his nose. “What's that irritating thing that Gale always says about burdens?”

It took you a moment to remember. “A burden shared is a burden halved?” 

“Yes. That.” He guided your chin up to look at him. “We both have our share of burdens. I accept yours, just as you accepted mine.”

“So you can say nice things,” you teased through your tears. “You won't abandon me?” you asked quietly. 

“You're the heart I thought I had lost,” he quietly confessed. “So don't even think for a moment that I'd ever let you go.” He held you tighter. “You're mine, burdens and all.”

He coaxed you back into the tub, and kept at least one hand on your skin as he helped you get clean. While you knew you were healed, you sometimes saw the cuts that Orin had inflicted as an afterimage on your skin. You had to shake your head and force the vision away from your mind.

While you were fighting the demons in your head, Astarion bathed you, dried you off, and took you to bed, wrapping you up in his arms, against his bare chest. 

“Will you be alright?” he asked softly, his gaze full of concern.

You took a deep breath. Would you? Orin did a hell of a number on you. It was unlike anything you had ever experienced, and you had seen some strange things in Waterdeep. Hells, you had faced a vampire lord and survived.

And yet…

“I’ll be alright,” you finally said.

He raised an eyebrow.

“I really will,” you insisted. “It may take some time, but you’ll be here to help, won’t you?”

His eyes softened. “Of course, darling.”

It wasn’t until you were mostly asleep that you realized that you were still naked, skin against skin with Astarion.

And yet, it was the most comfortable you had ever been with him, his arms wrapped protectively around you.

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

Act III, Chapter 3 End notes: Sorry for the lateness, had to work double digit hours every day this week at work, but finally got some time to edit and post this chapter! I’m really leaning into that hurt/comfort trope here and I regret nothing. But I think this will be about as much as I can write in terms of injuries, because honestly, our dear little witch needs to catch a break.

Also a bit of behind the scenes here: I absolutely killed that Zhentarim plotline, because it wasn’t working for me and it does get conveniently taken care of by Jaheira in the game. And I was thinking that HW was being a bit paranoid; she hasn’t seen a Zhent in years since the last time she was in the Gate. Also, the masked lord has basically forgotten about her, but she doesn’t know that.

Please leave me a comment and let me know what you thought of this chapter!

Tags List: @numblytemporary @xalphafox @avitute @stormyjane7 @kmoon21

[kikyoupdates]

⭑˚🧪⭑ bnha x f!reader

reverse harem, isekai, my hero academia x fem!reader, slowburn

You didn’t accomplish anything in your previous life. Looking back on it, you feel nothing but regret, and you yearn for the chance to do things differently. As it turns out, your wish is answered, and you are reborn into your favorite fictional world. This time, you resolve to make a change, and you have the means to do it. You won’t be content with just sitting on the sidelines and letting life pass you by. You will live boldly and vibrantly, as if every moment is your last. No matter what it takes, you are going to leave your mark.

01 — no more regrets 02 — new family 03 — manifestation 04 — protective big brother 05 — beloved 06 — natural progression 07 — outburst 08 — backstabbing 09 — unchangeable 10 — goodbye for now 11 — mutual understanding 12 — boy meets girl (Idiot) 13 — troublesome trio 14 — home letter 15 — the cutest girl 16 — diseased 17 — symbol of hope 18 — rescued 19 — best gift of all 20 — meltdown 21 — a justified betrayal 22 — it’s never over 23 — unlikely confidant 24 — his best friend 25 — Choosing to Believe 26 — at his wits’ end 27 — resolution 28 — coming home 29 — fate will change 30 — the future awaits 31 — new outcomes 32 — on fate’s doorstep 33 — the will to believe

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[the-tmnt-ficfinder]

Ficfinder finds: The Lemonade Leak

Chapter 5: The Witness

Chapter 5 Summary: Leo sees something he shouldn't have.

The Witness: Appraisal and Ratings

(Don't know what fanfic "Appraisal and Ratings" means? Check out my explanation on my Main Masterpost! Looking for a different fanfic to read? Head on over to my Fanfic List Masterpost!)

Disclaimer: This fanfic is only available to those who have an Ao3 profile. This fanfic is written by @turtleinsoup, so go show them some love and support!!

The fanfic ratings are not based on quality, favoritism, or how good I think it is, but rather, how intense a subject may be. Like a movie review, or the tags on Ao3, letting the readers know what to expect.

Plot: 💛💛💛🖤🖤

"Plot is three out of five!! To start off, this chapter starts out right in the action, and ends leaving the reader only with more and more questions."

Suspense/Mystery: 💛💛💛💛💛

"Suspense/Mystery is five out of five!! Gosh, this chapter is filled with so many unanswered questions!! The whys, the who's, the how's... Each chapter is only getting more and more confusing ^^"

Angst/Hurt: 💛💛💛🖤🖤

"Angst/Hurt is three out of five! The way the angst is written, is so subtle, yet so powerful. Unsaid words, glances, pangs in deep-seated wounds. Literally ouch."

Fluff/Comfort: 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

"Fluff/Comfort is zero out of five! Some comfort is attempted, but is completely brushed away, which hurts even more than if comfort didn't happen."

Emotions Conveyed: 💛💛💛🖤🖤

"Emotions Conveyed is three out of five!! While I read this chapter, I felt how thick the tension levels were. My eyes blew wide, and my expression froze as I attempted to understand what was going on. The levels of mystery and suspense is excellent."

Drama/Tension Level: 💛💛💛💛💛

"Drama/Tension Level is five out of five!! The distrust, along with the subtle arguing really made for high tension levels."

Triggers: 💛💛💛🖤🖤

"Triggers for this chapter are three out of five. As stated in the beginning notes of the chapter, it contains Physical Violence, Blood, and Minor Self Harm. Nothing super triggering, but it is there."

Legibility (Reading): 💛💛💛💛🖤

"Legibility (Reading) is four out of five!! As always, the chapters of The Lemonade Leak are very fun to read! The complexity of the chapters make for a tasty eye treat."

Legibility (Audio): 💛💛💛💛💛

"Legibility (Audio) is five out of five! I really liked listening to this chapter!! I prefer to keep busy while reading suspenseful chapters, and this chapter definitely qualifies as a suspenseful one."

Length: 💛💛💛🖤🖤

"Length is three out of five!! Chapter 5 of The lemonade Leak takes about 22-23 minutes to listen to!!"

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The Lemonade Leak: Story Ratings and Chapter List

Personal thoughts on chapter below cut (Contains Spoilers)

Maybe Mikey’s thin-throated, gold-freckled neck felt too tight for air.

You ever imagine the freckles to look like gold flakes? Or like the gold leaf you see on cakes, fancy drinks, and delicacies. The kind that are small, sweet, yet so rich. When I first read this sentence, I accidently read "gold-flecked" rather than "gold-freckled" which is how I came upon this conclusion. Regardless, its a fun thing to imagine.

Raph balled his fists and looked away. Then he swallowed and dared to rest his hand on Mikey’s shoulder. The one that wasn’t littered with scars of Leo’s fingernails. The movement, like all motions Raph made, flexed steel-threaded muscles under touch-traced skin.

This is something I hadn't taken the time to really think about before. How when Raph choked his brother, how Leo may have scrabbled for a grip of some sort. How in his oxygen-deprived state, Leo would have dug his fingers into the first thing he could hold onto, gasping desperately for relief. How now whenever Raph sees the thin scars across his hand, he feels guilty.

“Double cheeseburger with fries and apple slices,” Leo said. “Now that we’ve all said what we want,” he leaned over the edge of the pipe, “We can all agree to just collapse the tunnel. They’ll be buried for good. – It’s both ‘not physical fighting’ and ‘not leaving parasites alive’. And then we ditch this dump and go grab lunch. Everyone on board?”

Literally this is hilarious!! This is such a sibling answer!! Lol "Now that we’ve all said what we want," he apparently wanted a cheeseburger.

It felt sickeningly good. Killing his mistakes with a cut and a spin. God, I’m disgusting. He felt the flesh give away to his swords and it cried. The parasite or the human? He couldn’t tell and he couldn’t risk wondering.

Since visiting Draxum, Leo has begun to ponder over what he said. Rather than just dwell on how good it felt to fight, Leo's following thought is on how disgusting that makes him. That he's a being built and designed to enjoy killing.

Not that those people deserved to be killed by him a second time. Not that his brothers should be cleaning up after him. It wasn't their job to compensate for his-. I should protect them, but keep dragging them along. I keep using them for myself. Is this my ‘love’?! God, I do need them.

Leo continues thinking about it, then realizes that Draxum was right, and that he does physically need his brothers. Its after this that Leo starts actually taking what Draxum said seriously, thinking on a deeper level about what was said regarding his twin.

And as Leo stood there, trying to understand what he’d just seen, he felt a sense of wrong expand in his chest. His heart hammered. He swallowed, blinked. Then his grip around the katana tightened and he turned to follow the sharp line of Donnie’s figure back into the light.

Here's right when Leo realized that Draxum may have been right. The biggest give away, was how easily Donnie reacted to being caught, and how smoothy he responded. If we know anything about Donnie, its that he's a horrible liar, and terrible at cover-ups.

Leo cleaned the dust and blood off his arm and hurried to sew it shut. Dang, I’m leaking all over the floor. He worked the needle too slowly, wasting his time while Raph needed him and Donnie wasn’t here to help.

Leaking, like the lemonade pouring out of his head. With every new discovery, with every new worry, is a puncture in his skull. The Lemonade is leaking out, and nothing is being done to plug the holes.

“He isn’t a machine, Leo,” Raph growled but winced at his own volume, before he looked away. As if seeing Leo kneeling at his feet was suddenly, for some reason, unbearable. Leo’s chest warmed, because it was the first time ever, since his fuck up that Raph had growled at him again! So his urge to defend our little brothers is stronger than whatever dumb restraint he forces onto himself.

The opposing perspectives right here are very powerful. Raph growls at Leo, then is immediately regretful of it. Last time he growled at his brother, he tried to sacrifice himself, and then quite literally died. The last time he growled at Leo, everything went to hell. Now, for Leo, the last time he was growled at, was his last normal moment. His last time being treated like a brother rather than glass. Leo is grateful for the anger, because in his mind, its proof that the chemicals and triggers in their minds don't have full control. Because, earlier, he though to himself that he really did have no control. He used his brothers like objects under the guise of love. To him, Raph's little angered outburst proves him wrong.

Leo froze. An Order. Oh, how long had it been?! He wanted to follow this dumb thing, so badly. Leo turned to see Raphael actually looking at him. Like a leader should.

Leo, despite being designated leader, still craves following orders. Just as how Raph, despite hating that Leo is now leader, follows his orders, and doesn't go against him. Because neither of them were built to be leaders. They we're built to be followers, following Draxum.

Raph gave him a warning look at the swear word, but Mikey didn’t see it, wiping across his face again. Sometimes their youngest had an ocean in his head, leaking through his eyes.

This could go two ways. Mikey has ocean eyes, meaning that there is more to him than meets the eye. Bright, reflective, and welcoming on the surface, but deep down is where the dangers and horrors lurk in the dark. Mikey has an ocean in his eyes, so vast, and filled with things still not understood. The ocean is like a concoction of wild emotions, sometimes calm, sometimes playful, sometimes raging with wild waves, and when the waves grow to strong, the water leaks out as tears. Always tears for his family, for his loved ones.

Leo forced himself to take in every line of his living breathing baby brother. Mikey. So wise and foolish and kind and powerful and fragile, fragile, fragile. The main pillar of his family, shaped like a wiry 4'7" kid.

Raph is the bomb shell, Donnie is the wiring, Leo is who aims the bomb, and Mikey keeps it intact.

And next to him hunched Raph. His hero, who had taught him how to walk, how to not eat sewer-trash, how to talk – the latter with eventual regret, Leo assumed. Raphael, who was toughed up and delicate and too forgiving with everyone but himself. Cannibalistic in his very nature, Eating his own self when no one needed him wholly.

Snapping turtles are cannibalistic. They eat other turtles, and even eat their own kind. Since Raph was quite literally built to be the shell for the other three, it goes against his very being to be against his brothers, instead turning on himself.

Now, one last thought, and this one has a TW for drugs. The name "Lemonade Leak" is actually really insightful. The deeper you look into the meaning, the more and more you learn. Lemonade can be used as slang for weak drugs, typically heroin. Now, heroin works as a narcotic, making your brain all sleepy and calm. The effect the boys have on each other, is similar to the effect of drugs. The chemical reactions in their minds, along with the triggers they have, are similar to drugs, such as heroin. They calm each other, keep each other from going crazy, and quiet each others wild violent thoughts. Now, what I find interesting, is that as the lemonade leaks out of Leo's head, he grows more and more wild and anxious. Just as an addict would when cut off from their supply. When Donnie told Leo that Leo was simply addicted to the idea of him, rather than him as a person, he was right. The further Donnie gets from Leo, and the more Leo learns about his twin, the faster the lemonade leaks out, and the wilder he becomes. Just some thoughts to dwell upon.

[dragons-and-dwarves-are-nice]

To the Shadows that Cry Witch /// Chapter 23

WELCOME TO PART 3!! AHHHH I'm so excited that we've finally reached the actual hobbit storyline. It's been almost 3 months since I uploaded the last chapter, but I've made it worth it by returning with a double chapter package, so I hope you're around this weekend for when I post chapter 24! Enjoy! <3

Summary: When two girls fell into Middle Earth, excited at the prospects of living through their all time favourite novel, they find things are not as they seem. Something is watching them, as if they're being dared to reveal their secrets. How will they survive the challenges of the journey, dealing with the darkness that follows them, alongside certain two princes who are fascinated at everything they do, and a brooding, grumpy king who begins to suspect that they aren't telling the whole truth.

Where were they from, really? They did take the rabbit hole down, after all.

Tags: Kili x oc/reader - Fili x oc (POV to be written soon) - Thorin's company × ocs/reader (platonic) - fluff - angst - EXTREME slow burn - crack - Bagginshield

Word Count: 4542

Warnings: Swearing.

Taglist - comment or message to be added!

Want some background music? Check out my Soundtrack Playlist!

Now available on Wattpad and AO3 (please let me know if links aren't working)

< Chapter 22 // Chapter 23 // Chapter 24 >

Part 3: Chapter 23 -

The Shaquille O’Neal of Improvisation.

Oneirataxia (Definition): The inability to distinguish between fantasy and reality.

(Noun / Origin: Derived from the Greek word 'oneiros', meaning dream and 'taxis' meaning arrangement / one-er-tax-ea)

Bag End, Hobbiton, The Shire – T.A. Monday, 25th April 2941 of the Third Age (Monday, 5th Thrimidge, 1341 in Shire-reckoning)

Our eyes widened, a silence falling over the both of us as we stilled. Staring at each other, we remained frozen like statues, listening for the words we had been desperately anticipating for the past 19 months.

And just like that, our prayers were answered.

“What do you mean?” Grumbled an oh-so familiar voice, and I felt the hairs on my arms stand on end. “Do you mean to wish me a good morning, or do you mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not?” The two of us practically scrambled onto our hands and knees, hovering our ears near the bush to catch every word. “Or, perhaps you mean to say that you feel good on this particular morning, or are you simply stating that this is a morning to be good on?”

I leant up on my knees, ignoring the sharp sting of a random thistle that Bilbo had forgotten to meticulously weed out. Grasping Kay’s shoulder, I held my breath, preparing for what was about to be revealed in front of us. Something we had been waiting an eternity for.

Slowly raising my head, my eyes immediately locked onto the tip of a pointy, grey hat, and I felt my heart drop to my stomach in nerves and excitement as I rose up further, the hat entering my view inch by inch until it revealed the person wearing it beneath.

Kay grasped my wrist that was still latched onto her shoulder, and I felt myself practically shaking as Gandalf the Grey himself finally came into view. I was almost back in my living room, watching the original scene play out, the shot from the TV coincidentally lining up with the view that was in front of me.

My eyes darted between Bilbo and the tall wizard in front of him, and I felt a tiny bit of relief at the sight of someone taller than me for once. But that didn’t last much longer as the initial shock silenced my spinning mind, taking in the two once-fictional characters with rigorous intensity. Kay and I refused to budge an inch, determined to catch and absorb every second of this moment and keep it seared into our minds for the rest of eternity.

Eyes as wide as owls, our gazes flicked to Bilbo as he squinted up at Gandalf.

“All of them at once, I suppose?” he muttered, waving his wooden pipe around slightly to emphasise.

At this point I could practically hear the soundtrack, the happy Shire tune shifting to one of uncertainty. Gandalf’s expression morphed slightly as he grasped his staff with both hands. Furrowing his brows at the hobbit, he regarded him with a disapproving look, a grumbling hum of unsatisfaction escaping his throat as Bilbo continued to stare up at him in bewilderment.

A moment of silence passed as the two continued their glaring contest, until Bilbo’s usual lack of patience for odd manners got the better of him and broke the quiet.

“I’m sorry, can I help you?” He sputtered out, blinking profusely as if that would help him grasp the situation.

Gandalf’s expression and stance hardly changed as he replied. “That remains to be seen.” He half-muttered, his cryptic wording confusing the poor hobbit further. “I’m looking for someone to share in an adventure.” He explained slowly, and we waited patiently for Bilbo’s reply. That was, until Gandalf’s piercing eyes snapped over to where our heads were peeking over the bush, sending a jolt up our spines. “And it’s been rather difficult to find anyone.” He exclaimed, voice raising slightly, almost causing us to cower.

Bilbo continued to squint up at Gandalf, his pipe dropping from his half-open mouth as his brain caught up with what was said. Soon enough, he noticed Gandalf’s gaze had wandered elsewhere, and he glanced over his shoulder, his eyes landing on us. “An – an adventure?” He guffawed, turning back to Gandalf, and his toned shifted to a rather snarky one. “Now, I don’t imagine anyone west of Bree would have much interest in adventures.” Desperate to do something that would get himself further from the wizard and closer to us, he stood up from the bench and stepped over to the letterbox. “Nasty, disturbing –” He reached inside, grasping the letters. “– uncomfortable things. Make you late for dinner! I can’t think what anybody sees in them.” He exclaimed before shoving his pipe between his teeth, absentmindedly sorting through the letters and envelopes in his hands as he made some odd noises to try and convince the wizard his interests were elsewhere. He spared Gandalf a brief glance – though it was more of a glare – and noticed the wizard’s eyes were still on us, observing without saying a word. Stepping in front in an attempt to block his view, Bilbo stuck his thumb behind his braces, opened his mouth to continue, but hesitated, instead giving a curt “Good morning.”, and quickly turned towards the door, where he motioned stiffly with his arm for us to follow suit.

Kay and I glanced hesitantly at each other, before rising to our full heights. I found myself unable to move, continuing to stare at the robed figure stood tall at the tiny gate as he returned it with his own scrutinising and wholly unsettling gaze. Though it barely lasted a second as his gaze shifted to one of frustration as he looked over at Bilbo’s retreating figure.

“To think that I should have lived to be good-morninged by Belladonna Took’s son,” he called out, raising his voice. “as if I were selling buttons at the door.”

Bilbo’s head swivelled round, his body following not long after with a startled look upon his face. “Beg your pardon?” he sputtered.

Gandalf let out a huff, switching his staff to rest in one hand as he spoke. “You’ve changed,” he breathed, a reprimanding tone of disappointment underlining his words. “and not entirely for the better, Bilbo Baggins.”

Bilbo’s brows furrowed, leaning forward slightly as he seemed to properly take in the wizard’s appearance for the first time. “I’m sorry do I know you?”

I felt quite awkward, standing by the door fiddling with my hands whilst witnessing the exchange, watching with bated breath as Bilbo desperately tried to end the conversation, then also for one to say something that would set the other off. And if my guesses were correct, that was going to happen relatively soon.

At this point Gandalf’s demeanour had shifted from quiet, obvious frustration to one of exasperated amusement. “ Well, you know my name, although you don’t remember I belong to it. I’m Gandalf!” He practically cried. “And Gandalf means…” he gave the hobbit a small but endearing smile. “..me!”

Recognition flashed across Bilbo’s face as his eyes flickered over the tall wizard, and a smile slowly grew on his face. “Not… Gandalf, the wandering wizard who made such excellent fireworks! I remember those! They used to go up like great lilies and snapdragons and laburnums of fire and hang in the twilight all evening!” He emphasised with a few friendly jabs of his finger. “Hah! Old Took used to have them on Mid-Summer’s Eve!”

From where he was stood almost next to me, I watched as he paused, looking Gandalf up and down. Realising what he was about to say next, I side-eyed him with a warning glare, but he took no notice, his attention far too fixated on the wizard.

“I had no idea you were still in business.” He regarded with a frown, and I let out a small sigh of disappointment. Looking off into the distance for a moment to spare myself the second-hand embarrassment of the exchange to come, I glanced back at Gandalf, only to find he had been staring at me the whole time. My eyes widened, and I suddenly found the grass under my feet extremely interesting.

Feeling the burning intensity of Gandalf’s eyes shift elsewhere, I looked back up to find him giving Bilbo a rather scathing look. “And where else should I be?” He demanded, giving the hobbit a small fright with his tone.

Bilbo stiffened. “Well…” he sputtered, blabbering a few more half-words as he gestured around him with his pipe awkwardly, eyes wide. Trailing off, he decided to instead stuff the pipe back in his mouth, finishing his sheepish parade of sounds with a loud clearing of his throat, taking a deep heave from the smoke.

“Well, I’m pleased to find you remember something about me,” Gandalf regarded with another sigh. “even if it’s only my fireworks.” His expression shifted as swiftly as he passed his staff between his hands. “Well then, that’s decided. It will be very good for you all!” he exclaimed with a grin, wagging his finger at us and the rapidly paling hobbit. “And most amusing for me. I shall inform the others.” He concluded with a small, amused bow of his head.

“Wait, us-?!”  I exclaimed, almost stepping forwards in shock.

“– Inform the who? What? No! No, no!” Bilbo interrupted my sudden exclamation, storming back up the steps to the circular door. “We do not want any adventures here, thank you!” he cried, jabbing at the ground with a thunderous look. “Not today! I suggest you try somewhere over the hill, or across the water!” He continued, waving his finger in every direction that would take the old man far away from his home. Grasping the golden door knob, he swung around, about to yell something else, before deciding to end his tirade early. “Good morning!” He half-cried, and he stormed into the house.

Apart from the usual sounds of the birds and rustling leaves, silence blanketed the front steps of Bag End. Kay and I were leaning forwards slightly, having bent over to watch the hobbit storm through the doorway. However, the noise of someone clearing their throat had the two of us shooting up, straightening our backs as we turned to the wizard still stood expectantly by the gate.

“And here I was wondering about the day I would come across the two of you.” He proclaimed, settling where he stood as he finally spoke to us.

As if waking from a trance, I let out a loud “HUH?”. All Kay could do was lightly whack me on the shoulder as Gandalf blinked in surprise.

“Though…” he trailed off, flickering his grey-blue eyes between us. “You are not entirely what I expected.”

It was Kay’s turn to act confused as she made an odd noise in the back of her throat, and Gandalf swiftly went to reply.

“You look at me as if I am as familiar as an old cousin, yet I only recognise you by your faces alone.” He began, changing the subject. We only got more confused.

“Have you seen us walking around or something?” I blurted whilst my face scrunched in bafflement. Unconsciously, I took a glance around, as if I was about to spot a hiding place that the wizard could have sprung out of.

“No, no.” He chortled, taking his time to admire the scenery around him with a fond eye. “I haven’t been here in quite some time, I’m afraid. But it seems you both have certainly settled in.” He gestured up and down at us. “The last time I experienced a dream where you were present, you were wearing some awfully odd clothes.” We both glanced with wide eyes at each other, and Gandalf raised a brow. “Sometimes you were here, other times in a very strange place – otherworldly, in my opinion.”

All I could do was stare. There was a weird mix of emotions floating around inside me – a mixture of shock, excitement and suspicion. The latter not so much, because this was Gandalf we were talking about here. Except for the dream part, that weirded me out a little. In the end I barely managed a small shrug. I was at a loss for words.

Though that was broken when Kay piped up next to me. “… Youuu could say that.” She replied with a few light nods. Suddenly her face contorted to one of alarm. “Wait, you dreamt about us?!?!”

At this reveal, Gandalf narrowed his eyes. “Why are you here? If I may ask.” He interrogated firmly, avoiding Kay’s question.

I took a moment to consider my next words – and figured only the truth was the best way. “…Honestly? We could ask you the same thing.” I answered, albeit the nervousness in my voice was quite prominent as I wondering if I had done the right thing. “We didn’t really have a choice, nor did we know this would happen. We just, you know, appeared out the blue from the sky.”

“Out of the blue?” Gandalf repeated amusedly, then glanced up at the cerulean sky. “Quite literally, I take it.” He hummed, and gestured to the door with his staff. “Does he know?”

“He does.” I replied, nodding firmly. “We figured it would be a bit unfair hiding things from the one person who kept us alive and has looked after us this whole time. We kinda owe him our lives.”

Nodding with a low hum, Gandalf seemed satisfied. “And what do you know?”

That caught us off guard.

“What do you mean?” Kay questioned, puzzled but wary.

He tilted his head as he looked at us. “You know who I am, despite us having never met in person. And I am yet to reveal what this journey entails, yet you seem calm and I dare say prepared for this. And along with the vague visions that were conjured as I dreamt, I am therefore led to believe,” He levelled us with a look. “that you may know more than you let on.”

My mouth bobbed open and shut, not to similar to a fish as I absorbed the reality of Gandalf’s statement. ‘He knows.’ Was all my mind managed to conjure. ‘Of course he knows, he’s Gandalf, for Christ’s sake!’

Blinking, a moment passed as I attempted to get a word out, until my throat decided to conjure the oddest sounds as I tried to put together the words. “Mmmmmmmnnyyeeeaaaaahummmhaaawwww-HURK!!!” Kay had elbowed me in the ribs – hard.

“The answer isn’t hum and haw, though we may have an overall idea.” Kay stated as I keeled over with a groan. “But we can’t say much without our throats literally closing up.”

Gandalf squinted at her, his free hand reaching up to absentmindedly stroke at his beard. “You cannot say a word?”

“Barely.” I wheezed with a cough, attempting to straighten up despite the protests of my now-sore ribs. “I mean, we’ve managed to say a few things, but most of the time we can say it as long as we don’t think about it too much – if we prepare to tell anyone, it seems to alert something that doesn’t want us saying anything that might change things. But it’s really random and hard to explain without it sounding like there’s a thousand plot holes.” My mouth was moving a mile a minute as the words tumbled out.

At this point I was practically ready to tell Gandalf everything, the words explaining my theories having been ready to spill out of my mouth for months.

“We keep seeing things.” I carried on without a thought, almost relieved at the fact that I could tell someone who had the ability to possibly understand whatever the hell we were saying. “Getting chased by weird creatures, I threw a pillow at a literal shadow creature – that’s appearing more often than not lately – an-and I just want to know what’s going on.” I pleaded, shoulders slumped as I felt the exhaustion of dealing with the last year and a half’s events catch up with me.

The wizard stared. “Intriguing.” He muttered. “You truly haven’t got a clue?”

“No!” I groaned, the frustration of everything flowing over. “And we want to find out why.”

He continued to stroke his beard with a low grumble. “I must say, this is something I cannot leave behind.” He stated, seemingly almost speaking to himself. “But whether I’ll be allowed to take you both with me to figure out why, is an answer we must leave until tomorrow.” He explained with a pointed look, that I thought I somewhat understood.

From deep within Bag End, Kay and I heard our names echo throughout, reaching our ears to the still-open front door. Cringing slightly, we both looked inside at the sound of footsteps drawing closer.

“Well I must be off.” Gandalf announced, and we turned back to watch him readjust the front top of his robe slightly, before gripping his staff. “We’ll see what happens soon enough.” He suggested cryptically, before Bilbo’s frustrated face appeared at the other end of the hallway.

Desperate, I quickly spun towards the wizard. “Can we come?” I breathed, the words escaping quicker than I could think. “We’re not useless despite what they’ll think! There’s a lot we could bring to the table if you just give us a chance?” I pleaded.

Hissing our names, the hobbit strode forward, grasping the door as he hurriedly beckoned us in whilst regarding the wizard with a wary but thunderous look. The wizard paid him no mind, deeply furrowing his brows as he regarded my words with a suspicious glint in his eye.

“We shall see.” Was all I got in response before a raging hobbit seethed my name, Kay already having retreated to his side.

Seeing that this was a battle that wasn’t going to be won, I reluctantly followed, disappointedly glancing at Gandalf before turning our backs. Bilbo called out about the wizard coming for dinner some other time – the two of us figured he was barely aware that he was doing so, and with that, the green door swiftly slammed shut. Bilbo fumbled with the bolt as he slid it into place with a snap. Finally achieving so, he turned to rest his back against the wood, eyes closing with a relieved sigh whilst he leant his head back.

A moment of silence passed, the hobbit settling as he seemed to be in the clear, until a muffled scraping noise near his feet filled the quiet hallway. Moment disturbed, Bilbo’s eyes immediately snapped back open, the tenseness straightening his spine once again. He jerked away from the door, almost like he had been prodded with a hot iron, as he stared down at the source of the jarring noise.

Ears wiggling slightly, he leant over, his back to us, before he shot back up with a furious glimmer morphing over his features. Storming over to the small circular window to the right of the door, he stood up on his toes, peering through the panes to try and catch a glimpse of the assailant.

He got his answer soon enough, when the silhouette of Gandalf sprang into view, casting a shadow into the hobbit hole. Stumbling back in surprise, Bilbo was caught in the arms of Kay before he would send himself sprawling onto the floor. All three of us stared at the window, a hush washing over us as we peered at the distorted image of Gandalf’s face as his gaze glowered through the glass. His eye twitched once, and with a flurry of robes, he vanished from view.

Scrambling to his feet, Bilbo dashed into the parlour over to the larger window, the two of us following suit, bending over to squish our heads together as we all tried to peer out at the wizards retreating back. His humming flowed through the air as he leant down to swing the miniature gate open, strolling down the path with a happy tune, until the edge of his cloak and the point of his hat disappeared round the bend.

I backed up until the ceiling was high enough, and stood to my full height, the events of the last five minutes hitting me full force as I stared blankly at the chandelier hanging in front of my face. Kay was the same, and we watched as Bilbo stared at the windowsill, scrunch his nose up with a loud sniff, then storm off into the kitchen without a word.

As soon as he disappeared, I practically deflated. With a roll of her shoulders and a few clicks of her back, Kay shuffled over to the armchairs that sat by the unlit fireplace, flopping down on it with a loud huff.

“I think I need to lie down.” She half muttered with a groan, barely glancing up at me as I collapsed on the chair opposite. “I cant believe we just met Gandalf.”

Nodding, I remained silent, staring at the small fraying threads of the rug beneath my feet as my mind raced through what just happened. I felt Kay’s eyes on me at my lack of an answer.

“What is it?” She questioned, and I figured she had seen my face cringing at the floor.

Glancing up at her, my eyes filled with worry. “Do you think he heard those weird noises I made?” I asked apprehensively.

She deadpanned. “Yes.” She stated. “I’m pretty sure the most prominent thing he’ll remember from our first meeting is you attempting to sound like every animal on Old McDonald’s farm.”

I groaned loudly, my whole body cringing as I brought my knees up, shoving my face into them as I slapped at my head.

“I mean, you could always Obliviate him once you learn how to?” She offered jokingly.

“I can’t do thatttt.” I whined, voice muffled as I shoved my face further into my knees, not caring if the pressure would leave my face red for the next few minutes. “What if the Middle Earth equivalent of Jesus appears and puts me in Jesus-prison for accidentally completely wiping the memories of one of their mini-gods??”

Kay huffed, unable to contain her laughter as she chucked a cushion at me, the object bouncing off the top of my head as I raised it, watching the projectile ricochet onto the floor.

Hair ruffled and sticking about after being assaulted by the cushion, I squinted with bleary eyes at Kay as weird shapes danced in my vision after being pressed to the bones of my knees. A thought came to mind, and I opened my mouth, before the thuds of large feet sounded through the wooden floor, Bilbo storming through the archway from the kitchen not a moment later.

“…nd what on Earth did I ask him to tea for!” he muttered to himself as he stared at the floor, flushed cheeks puffed out slightly as he chowed down on a seed-cake. Stopping in the middle of the room in front of us, he scoured the room, not acknowledging us in the slightest as he twisted and turned on the spot.

Darting his eyes across our forms, he flinched slightly as he seemed to only then notice our presence, before continuing on his search.

“You haven’t seen my Engagement Tablet anywhere, have you?” He asked, headspace still elsewhere as he marched into the entrance hall. “I need to write everything down before I forget.”

“Can’t you just use the calendar?” I called out, leaning over the arm of my chair as I tried to spot the hobbit behind me. My eyes landed on him, observing as he stopped in his tracks to swivel towards the calendar we had him nail to the wall when we had found it just this morning.

He flailed a bit, raising his arm up and down whilst pointing a finger at it, scanning the paper rapidly before shaking his head distractedly. “No, no.” He muttered, turning away to stride back into the parlour whilst taking another ferocious bite out of the seedcake. “All plans are on my tablet, I need my tablet.” He rambled to himself as he entered the kitchen. Coming to a stop in front of the straw basket that he was yet to empty, he let out a grunt. “Oh, for Yavanna’s sake I forgot the fish! Forget it I’ll go tomorrow. My head’s far too full to run into that damned wizard again.”

Once again, Bilbo frantically disappeared as he ranted to himself, going further this time – presumably to his bedroom, where the sounds of rustling, thuds of things being dropped and drawers being pulled open vibrated through the walls, along with frustrated complaints about Gandalf thrown about as he continued his search.

Kay and I looked at each other, and a moment passed between us, before we scrambled to our feet. Stumbling into the middle of the room, I tried not to trip over the cushion that still laid on the floor. Facing Kay, we both nodded at each other, and swiftly vanished to our respective bedrooms.

Swinging the door shut behind me, I grabbed the last few remains of my belongings that I had left out as to not rouse any suspicion from Bilbo as to why it looked like we were spontaneously moving out. Hauling out the large backpack that I had shoved to the back of my wardrobe, I swung it onto the floor, unclasped the straps and lifted the lid open, loosening the leather drawstring holding the opening together wide enough for me to fit down the steps that looked like they led into the floor.

Once fully opened, I clambered to my feet, and began pulling the clothes the bag had been hidden behind from the hangers, their wooden edges clattering against the back panel of the wardrobe they swung against as I speedily pulled each piece from them, before chucking it all into the awaiting entrance of my bag.

After hearing the thump of the final piece hit the bottom of the steps, I proceeded to scour my room, pulling open drawers and using my wand to light up the underneath of any furniture that something could have rolled or been stored under.

Satisfied that everything had been packed, I climbed down into the bag, hopping over the pile of clothes and random objects that had been thrown on top. The next thirty minutes was spent reorganising, making sure everything had its place.

Just as I was about to hang up the last skirt I had laying around, I jumped slightly at the sound of my name being called. Peering out of the tiny hallway leading to the two tiny rooms, I looked up to see Kay, who signalled with a thumbs-up that she was done and ready.

Giving everything a once-over, I returned the thumbs-up with my own, and held my hands out, catching the bag she chucked down, storing it in the corner of the main room for tomorrow.

Clambering up the ladder and out onto the floor, I sealed my own bag back up, before shoving it back into the corner of my now-barren wardrobe. With a final scan, I turned to Kay, and let out a breath as I gave her a nod. We were ready for tomorrow.

And honestly? I was fucking terrified.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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