#However it is important to note that he too can be bought with treats

[shannonsketches]

lays on the floor i am once again thinking about the goku geets foil in terms of their experience and perspective and parenting

tl;dr: Goku sees letting his child do serious battle as a gift, and Vegeta sees it as a failure.

a lot of the 'goku's a bad father' discourse comes from how he trains/puts Gohan into fights and either doesn't know or doesn't realize that Gohan wants to be a scholar and not a warrior; the reason Gohan keeps joining the fray is because he doesn't want to see people he loves get hurt, right, because that's been his entire experience since Raditz showed up (and remains so until Cell dies).

The discourse re: The Cell Games is interesting though, examining the 'how could Goku not know/how could Goku volunteer his child so blithely' etc and his similar attitude toward the kids fighting in Super('s manga), and it's part of why I say/write/read Goku as deeply inconsiderate but never malicious (and this does tie into the foil with Geets lemme just); Goku's experience with serious combat is fun, and exciting.

Goku volunteering Gohan to fight Cell was something Goku considered a gift to Gohan, to be able to flex his power and go all out on an enemy that could handle it/required it -- that's something Goku wishes he had the power to do, especially at Gohan's age! That's super exciting to Goku. It's not pageant mom forcing her kid to do what she wanted energy, it's Goku being sweet and pure and sharing something he thinks he has in common with his kid. Vegeta says Saiyans live to fight! Goku's entire life has been spent bonding with competitive martial artists! It never occurred to him that someone so naturally powerful and talented wouldn't enjoy fighting.

And Goku does not read subtext, that's not a skill he has, so by the time Piccolo spells it out for him, he's genuinely sorry to have put Gohan in that position.

But in Super('s manga), the larger picture of Don't Put Children in Traumatic Situations still doesn't really occur to Goku, because he doesn't consider battle traumatic, no matter how emotionally intense it gets. Goku doesn't hold onto things. Goku lives and lets live, as long as he doesn't have to kill you. That's his super power. It's why he can be friends with all of these people who have done him and his loved ones and his planet so much harm. He consistently ends earth-shattering battles with, 'that was fun, let's do it again sometime'

Vegeta, on the other hand (see I told you I'd get here, I promised), has had the complete opposite experience. Vegeta considers others heavily, it's what made him very good at being malicious. Vegeta does this for survival. Vegeta's climb to the top is for the vantage point, not the view. He's not looking to the stars dreaming about what else it out there. He's squinting at the dark trying to kill whatever it is before it kills him and his home and his family. again.

Vegeta is a child soldier, who has distinct recollection of his culture being built on the rearing of child soldiers. By the times the cell games come around he is experiencing having a child for the first time, and after seeing (a future version of) that child die in battle, he seems to take on a much different opinion on letting kids fight.

Vegeta comes from a culture in which you send your child off-world to conquer a planet, alone, once they're old enough to walk. The stronger kids go into war zones. Vegeta was giving strategic orders to fellow elites by the time he was five. He was treating Gohan like a soldier when he was five.

But, by the Buu saga, Bulma tells Gohan that Vegeta says Trunks is old enough now to start proper training -- when Trunks is eight years old. Even then, Vegeta's telling Trunks not to push himself too hard in the gravity room, to stop and leave when it's too much for him to handle. Vegeta kills himself trying to prevent Trunks and Goten having to fight Buu. He jumps in to protect the kids when the fight gets too intense in Yo! Son Goku and Friends Return. He begs the kids not to fight Beerus in Battle of the Gods when he's barely conscious. He snaps at Goku any time he suggests them for intense battle in Super('s manga).

Vegeta sees it as not being strong enough to handle a problem, Which totally definitely doesn't have anything to do with some kind of deep-rooted trauma about placing the responsibility of making up for your weakness on your children that Vegeta's had to deal with since becoming a father and he for sure doesn't take it personally when a parent volunteers children to solve problems they had nothing to do with. He's fine! It's fine.

He does not want Trunks or Goten anywhere near a real battlefield (Bulma and/or the other adults seem to be helping to enforce this; in Res F, Trunks and Goten are not invited to go to the Freeza fight, and in the Moro arc both of them were asked to go be rangers in 17's absence again, complaining that nobody told them there was a fight happening at all), because it's got nothing to do with them. They shouldn't have to fight for their -- or anyone else's -- lives. That's the adults' job. That's his job.

Because to Vegeta, it is a job. Soldier, guardian, prince, lord, whatever. It's a role he has to fulfill, and his pride (and a whole lot of trauma-informed necessity) drives him to be the best at it, period, the end. It's an obligation that he must fulfill, because he's decided he's personally responsible for [gestures to the earth] all of this and its survival. It's where he keeps all his stuff!

For Goku, it's a game. He just wants to fight the strongest guys, and it's his understanding that everyone else wants that too. If he's not the best, GREAT! That's more to look forward to. A whole new rabbit to chase to who knows where. It's adventure! It's exciting! So of course the kids would want to get in on it! He LOVED doing this kind of stuff when he was a kid.

Goku has two hands! ...for former villains Vegeta and Piccolo to try to wrestle away from all the other, much worse villains who do not want to play with him.

[schrijverr]

Do They Know They Have Shared Custody?

Chimney and Hen can’t help but observe Buck be parental towards Chris, acting as his second dad. The question, however, becomes; does he know? And does Eddie know? A thrilling case that get concluded when Chris gets in trouble at school.

On AO3.

Ships: Buck/Eddie

Warnings: none

~~~

Buck and Eddie have become BuckandEddie almost immediately at the end of their first shift, speedrunning their way to becoming friends and solidifying themselves as a team during the earthquake.

The 118 is happy to see the two get along so well. They’re all family, but having a partner in the field that you are that close with is a good way to stay alive, something both can use, since they’re prone to running into danger. At least now they’re doing it with backup.

They also know that their friendship extends out the firehouse. All of them see each other off the clock with family dinners and big hangs out being organized regularly, but much like Hen hangs out with Chimney and Athena separately, Buck and Eddie hang out alone too. It’s impossible not to know that, despite Eddie’s reserved nature, because Buck will tell everyone what he’s been doing at any given point in time, no matter how embarrassing or unasked for.

Not that the 118 will ever ask him to stop, Buck oversharing is one of the foundational pieces of them as a team. Everyone knows that. Even Eddie, who always looks over fondly when Buck recounts movie night or what he and Chris did that weekend. It keeps them all sane, fills the silence and ensures they keep going.

So, yeah, all of them know how close Buck and Eddie are, how close Buck is with Christopher. The three of them are a little unit, despite of what else might be happening in their lives.

However, because Buck shares everything and Eddie lets him, even when whatever story Buck is telling embarrasses or implicates him as well, it comes as a shock when it seems that there is more to the Buckley-Diaz connection than they’ve been privy too.

It starts with Buck bringing a bunch of cookies to the firehouse. That in itself is a little unusual, but no one is going to question baked treats.

Well, no one was going to question baked treats, until Buck starts grilling them about them, asking them which they liked best and which one looked the best and, hey, these are the same but a day old, do they still taste good, or bad, or better?

“Okay, what is happening?” Hen asks when Buck is practically taking notes on her answers.

Surprisingly – or unsurprisingly really now that they think about it – it’s Eddie who answers. “Chris has a bake sale next week, this idiot made us sign up to provide cookies to sell. He and Chris have turned it into a whole mission.”

“You can’t show up at a bake sale with store bought cookies, Eddie. Everybody knows that,” Buck huffs in a way that indicates this is not the first time they’ve had this argument.

“No one is going to care, they know we’re busy as firefighters and don’t always have time,” Eddie argues.

“Yes, which is why it’s extra important to do this right,” Buck points out. “With our schedules we can’t promise being available for anything else, but this can be done in advance. Your parent participation standing is very low with the PTA, you can use the boost this gives you.”

“Okay, if it is for Eddie’s social standing with the other parents, why are you baking cookies?” Chimney asks, taking another bite from his cookie.

“Have you seen this man in a kitchen?” Buck scoffs. “He can’t cook or bake to save his life.”

“Hey, I can cook,” Eddie protests, though it’s more a token protest that dies out pretty soon after Buck gives him a disbelieving look.

“I think it’s sweet that you’re helping,” Hen says. “God know how difficult parent participation can be, I don’t know where I’d be without Karen.”

None of them catch the implication of comparing Buck to Karen, the partnership of BuckandEddie too normal for them to do so. Instead, Buck just crows: “See, I told you.”

“I know, I just think you’re doing a lot and it’s sweet, but don’t feel obligated,” Eddie humpfs, partially giving away what he really feels; guilt.

Naturally, Buck catches on immediately, sending him a big smile as he says: “Hey, I’m not doing anything I don’t want to. Baking is fun. I’m actually teaching Chris so he might survive on his own when he ever moves out.”

“Oh god, don’t talk about Chris moving out,” Eddie replies, sounding horrified at the thought of his son being old enough to fly the nest.

Everyone laughs at him and continues to rib him for becoming old. The whole incident partially forgotten until the next one occurs a few weeks later.

Both Buck and Eddie are requesting the same night off, leaving it a hassle to get the right shifts switched around to make it happen. Chimney complains: “The A shift without you two is going to be so boring and the whole dynamic is going to be thrown off. What are you guys even doing that’s so important anyway?”

“It’s parent-teacher night at Chris’s school,” Buck explains easily.

“And you need time off for that because…?” Chimney asks.

“Well, tía Pepa is watching Chris and last time Carla went with him, but she already has a thing then, so I’m going as backup instead. Two remember more than one,” Buck answers, like it’s the most natural thing in the world. “I already know some of the teachers from pick-up. Plus, we helped at the bake sale. It’s not like I’m a new face.”

“You can do that?” Chimney sounds surprised. “Just bring whoever?”

“I mean, they’re going to ask who you are and judge you about it, yeah, but it’s not illegal to bring someone if they have a connection to the child,” Buck shrugs.

It says a lot about who they are that Chimney doesn’t even think to question whether or not Buck has a connection to the child and whether or not Buck will get a negative judgment when introduced or that it’ll be a weird introduction. He’s Buck, of course it’s normal for him to go to parent-teacher night.

In fact, Chimney doesn’t even question it until the shift is there and the people from the B shift that are filling in ask where the two usuals are, giving Chim a weird look when he relays the information.

Still, they don’t actively start questioning it, until the third time it happens. Eddie is working out, while Chimney and Hen are restocking the ambulance, when Buck, who is helping Bobby with dinner, suddenly appears at the banister and calls down: “Hey, Eddie! It’s gonna be just us today, Chris is hanging out with his friends, he’s eating dinner with the Walters tonight.”

Eddie just nods and calls back: “We should get burgers then.”

Buck throws his head back as he laughs, before grinning down: “At some point he’s gonna figure out we eat unhealthy when he’s not there, you know.”

“But until then…?” Eddie asks with a mischievous look.

“Until then we’re definitely getting burgers,” Buck replies matching his look.

“Okay, what’s happening?” Hen asks, poking her head out from the ambulance, sharing a confused look with Chimney that seemingly flies over both Buck’s and Eddie’s head.

“Oh, Eddie is a dumbass,” “Oi!” “who leaves his phone upstairs when he works out. I saw it was Chris calling, so I picked up and told him he could go.”

“And you’re okay with that?” Hen asks Eddie, eyebrows raised. She knows very well that no one other than Karen could ever give Denny permission to go anywhere and there’d be hell to pay for anyone who tried. Even if it were Chim.

However, Eddie doesn’t seem to share that apprehension, giving her a weird look as he says: “Of course. He’s Buck. He knows what Chris is and isn’t allowed.”

He’s Buck.

He’s Buck.

The phrasing of that sticks to Hen’s brain as she nods as if she gets it and in a way, she does. He’s Buck, he’s Eddie’s Buck. The Buck of BuckandEddie. They’ve always been close, Buck has always been close to Christopher too. The three are a unit. Hen almost feels silly for questioning it, then she starts questioning why that is.

With Hen questioning it, Chimney also starts questioning it. The two gossip like it’s their job and theorizing about it is half the fun. So, when they’re in the ambulance together, checking everything, she asks: “Do you think anything is up with Buck and Eddie?”

“Yes!” Chimney bursts out, relieved that she brought it up first so he can talk about it. “I mean, Chris is a good kid and I’ll babysit him if Eddie asks, but Buck… Buck seems…”

Chimney trails off and Hen finishes for him: “Overly involved?”

“So, it’s not just me,” Chimney sighs relieved. “I know I don’t have a kid, so I couldn’t tell if that is a normal thing to do, but you never asked me to any of that with Denny, but you had Karen and then that got me thinking.”

“Because Buck is kind of Eddie’s Karen,” Hen nods, summarizing what Chim said, because they’re on the same page as always.

“Exactly,” Chimney nods back.

“Think they’re secretly dating?” Hen asks.

“I don’t know. If it were anyone but them I would’ve said yes, but I don’t think Buck could keep that a secret to save his life.”

“No, but Eddie could and Buck would probably do anything for him.”

“True.”

They both fall silent for a second, thinking. Chimney is the one that breaks it, asking: “Do you think they’re in love?”

“Probably, but if they are, they don’t know it,” Hen responds. “Hell, I don’t think they even know they’re co-parenting Christopher.”

Chimney’s eyes light up and he says: “30 dollars Eddie knows.” Hen gives him a look and he says: “Oh come on, he’s Chris’s parent, he has parented with someone else before. There is no way he doesn’t know what’s happening.”

“I don’t know, he has a lot of people that help with Christopher, he might not realize,” Hen says. “Plus, it’s not as if Buck has shared custody of Christopher. All we’ve seen are weirdly close, but nothing too big. I say, neither of them realize.”

“Willing to put money on that, Henrietta?” Chim asks mischievously, quirking his brows.

“Don’t call me Henrietta and, yes, I’ll match your 30,” Hen says, before pushing him away.

Now that they have a bet going on, the right to interfere has been revoked, but their need to observe has grown tenfold. And boy, do they observe.

Not even three days later Buck comes into work, casually bumping his hip against Eddie’s, who is pouring him a coffee, as he says: “I got the supplies for Chris’s science fair project, so we can start after we get off shift.”

“Chris is really excited, hasn’t been able to shut up about it all week,” Eddie snorts. “I’m glad you’re willing to do it with him.”

“Course, I’ll never pass a chance to hang out with my little man, especially when he’s doing something fun,” Buck grins, eyes crinkling. Neither notice the possessive claim he stakes on Chris, both of them allowing it as normal.

Eddie laughs again: “I should’ve known, you’re just as excited as he is, aren’t you?”

“What can I say, volcanoes are cool,” Buck enthuses. “Did you know there are 10 tot 20 volcanic eruptions per day on earth. Most of them are under the sea. That’s pretty cool!”

“Yeah, Buck, that is pretty cool,” Eddie agrees fondly, before the conversation drifts to other topics, while Chimney and Hen share a look in the background.

Then later, they’re on a call. No one is seriously hurt, but people are trapped and Eddie drew the short stick, so he’s in the sewer wading through god knows what, while Buck mans the wench, calling out encouragements with a shit-eating grin, as Eddie grumbles and Chimney waits so he can check over the people that are brought up.

However, Buck is distracted by his phone ringing. He takes a quick glance at the screen, frowning when he sees, who it is, he quickly calls Chim to take over and swiftly picking up: “Hi, Evan Buckley speaking. Is Chris okay?”

This catches all their attention, not just because Buck never picks up with his full name, but also because he mentions Chris. How did he know the call was about him before he even picked up?

They watch as Buck listens to whatever is being said on the other side of the line, shoulders relaxing slightly as the person on the other side of the line talks. He nods along, then says: “Yeah, of course Chris can go. His permission slip is supposed to be in the yellow folder.”

A beat, then an amused huff as Buck’s voice raises a pitch: “Oh, really?” Then he continues normally: “Well, of course he’s allowed to go. Eddie probably forgot to pack it, I probably should’ve told Chris where I put it instead of him,” he laughs, then says his goodbyes.

Soon after Eddie returns with one of the victims, attaching her to the rope Chimney lowers, before turning to take off again.

However, before he can, Buck calls out: “Hey, Eddie, think you forgot something this morning?”

Eddie looks confused as he frowns up at Buck. “No, I didn’t forget anything,” he answers, full confidence. A beat passes and the a little less secure in that answer, he asks: “Did I?”

“Chris’s yellow folder,” Buck reminds him. “With the permission slip?”

Understanding dawns on Eddie’s face and he curses. “Fuck, that’s today, isn’t it. Shit, Chris is gonna be pissed.”

“Nah,” Buck assures him before he can spiral. “School just called, I told them he can go. He’ll probably bully you for it when you get home, though.”

“Better than getting the cold shoulder,” Eddie grins back. “I am not looking forward to those teen years, let me tell you.”

And with that, he takes off again, pretending he isn’t laughing when Buck yells after: “Can’t be more shitty than this.”

As Eddie disappears from view, Chimney fails at a conversational tone as he asks: “I take it that was Chris’s school?”

Buck doesn’t appear to notice as he answers: “Yeah, Eddie forgot to pack Chris’s permission slip for the field trip today, so they called to check it’s okay. Eddie clearly can’t answer right now, so they called me.”

“And that is normal?” Chimney calls.

“Well, yeah, it’s nice to have a backup in case a parent doesn’t pick up,” Buck says.

Chimney sends Hen a look for confirmation, who is just finishing checking over the woman Eddie rescued earlier. Hen points out: “I mean, yeah, they always call Karen first, because with my job I can’t always pick up, but you and Eddie are almost always busy at the same times. You work the same shifts.”

“Yeah, course, but seven times out of ten if Eddie doesn’t pick up it’s because he forgot his phone, like a dumbass, but if we’re truly busy they’ll call Carla,” Buck shrugs, switching back in with Chim so two paramedics are available for the next people.

“Oh, so Carla is number 3 on the list,” Hen repeats in a tone that signals to Chimney that that is interesting. Because it is. Carla has literally been hired to take care of Chris when Eddie can’t due to work. It’s her job. But she isn’t number 2, no that is Buck. It somehow does and doesn’t make any sense.

Oblivious to it all, Buck nods enthusiastically: “Yeah. Works out best this way. I hope Chris has fun, they’re going to the aquarium. I really wanted to chaperon, but I guess we’re gonna have to go to the aquarium together some other day. Maybe Chris learns some things that aren’t on the signs from a tour guide and he’ll tell me.”

He looks so excited about it that they don’t even have the heart to tease him about being a big kid himself. Hen sometimes thinks he is living a second, better childhood through caring for Christopher and trying to imagine why he’d need to do so makes her heart ache. So, she lets him be excited and focuses on checking the next patient Eddie brings her way.

When they have a call a few weeks later that involves a squid and Buck has a bunch of fish and cephalopod facts ready to go, everyone knows it’s because he took Chris to the aquarium. Eddie even informs them off it when Buck starts.

After that, they watch as Buck and Eddie coordinate pick ups when their schedules are thrown out of whack for a few weeks due to a big emergency, as well as them dividing getting supplies for projects and arguing how best to help Chris with his homework.

Hen and Chim keep trying to figure out if they know what they’re doing, but Buck just keeps calling Chris his best friend, nothing else, and Eddie is no help in the opening up department.

It’s all so domestic and they want to tear their hair out, because while the bet is about the parenting, neither can forget about how they thought they were maybe dating and definitely in love.

All their interactions are so fond, so familiar. They’re a family – part of the bigger 118 family of course, but a unit in their own right – and both deserve having that so much. However, it doesn’t seem like they know that and they want to push, to meddle, but Hen knows how scary it can be, especially if you aren’t out (and neither Buck nor Eddie ever mentioned being into men) and she doesn’t want that fear for them, knows you can’t rush that. So, they just have to watch it happen.

They have to watch as Buck picks up his phone with a big smile, grinning: “Hey, Superman. What’s this all about? Miss me already?”

Chris – because there is only one person Buck can be talking to after that greeting – must say something particular, because Buck’s eyebrows are creeping towards his hairline. In a voice that mixes surprise and amusement, he asks: “Oh, and are you going to tell me what you did, or are you just informing me of that?”

“And by some you mean all, don’t you?” Buck says fondly when Chris explains further.

“Of course,” he snorts at whatever Chris replied to that, before adding: “So, can I ask why you’re calling me to tell me about it?”

“Oh, I see how it is, Mister,” Buck laughs, eyes twinkling with amusement. “You’re trying to get yourself out of trouble, is that it?”

They can’t make out what Christopher says, but they can hear traces of his giggles coming out of the speaker.

It’s just Hen and Chimney who are there with Buck. Bobby is working on dinner and Eddie is catching up on some sleep downstairs, while they’re all hanging around on the couch. As they watch Buck talk with Chris, they keep sending each other looks, both trying to piece together what the conversation is about.

At Chris’s reply, Buck puffs up, even when the other can’t see him. Playing at magnanimous Buck answers: “Well, luckily for you, I am in a helping mood. So, if you promise to do all your homework before your dad gets home, I’ll try and work out a deal for you. How does that sound?”

Hen and Chimney can tell him how that sounds, it sounds parental. However, they can’t discern if Buck also knows it. Neither of them have bet on Buck knowing, but they can’t help but squint their eyes at him, wondering if he does know and isn’t as oblivious as he seems.

That wondering is exacerbated when Buck hangs up with a happy: “I’m glad you think so, Superman. Now be good and expect a call from dad, yeah?”

Once he has hung up, Chimney jumps on it first, asking: “So, what was that about?”

“Chris is trying to get out of trouble and has apparently learned the skill calling in a favor,” Buck explains.

“I hope you know you’re the one who taught him that with all your negotiating,” Eddie suddenly speaks up behind them, having only caught the tail end of the conversation. He looks sleep rumpled, but awake. Likely set an alarm for lunch.

Hen raises her eyebrows at Eddie’s comment, unable to help herself. Mentally, she grudgingly gives a point to Chimney, that does sound like Eddie knows.

She is now also truly lost about whether Buck realizes when he guffaws offendedly: “Excuse you, I don’t hear you complaining when he actually gets in bed on time during movie night.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. It’s only because you’re the good cop,” Eddie complains.

“That’s the benefit of being Buck instead of being dad,” Buck grins and Eddie doesn’t protest the statement. Okay, so neither of them know. Probably. Right?

“I guess,” Eddie pouts, shrouding the situation in doubt again. “Just tell me why he was calling in a favor with you. Or is it a secret?”

“Nah, our little man decided to eat a bunch of ice cream while Carla was taking a call,” Buck says, neither of them noting the ‘our’ there, while Chimney and Hen definitely do.

“What?” Eddie exclaims with a frown. “Oh, he’s in trouble.”

“And he knows that,” Buck says. “Hence the call. I’m here to negotiate on Chris’s behalf. He has promised to do all his homework before you get home and he has acknowledged that what he did was against the rules and fessed up. So, he deserves some credit there.”

Eddie frowns more, crossing his arms now too. He doesn’t look pleased at all.

When he doesn’t say anything, Buck continues: “Come on, Eddie. I know it’s not healthy and Carla is probably regretting taking her eyes of him with that sugar high, but it’s normal for kids to do naughty things sometimes, to break the rules.”

“Sure, this was a harmless one, overall,” Eddie agrees. “But what if next time it’s a more dangerous thing he does. A rule that’s there to keep him safe, instead of just preventing a sugar rush and cavities? He needs to know it’s not okay, that the rules are there for a reason.”

Buck looks thoughtful at that, trying to come up with a reply. Hen is about to offer her advice as a parent – having gone unacknowledged thus far – when Buck does it first. “Then tell him that.”

“What?”

“Just tell him,” Buck shrugs. “Chris is a smart kid. You can explain that this rule is to keep him healthy, but other rules are there to keep him safe and it is important that he follows those rules, because they’re not there to be annoying, but to protect him. I’m sure he’ll get it. Then maybe no ice cream for a week or something as punishment, I don’t know.”

Eddie pauses for a second, then grins: “That’s actually good advice. When did you get so wise, man?”

Buck blushes and doesn’t meet their eyes, muttering: “It might have been what Bobby did to me after I was being a dumbass during my probie time,” causing everyone to laugh a little at his expense, which he takes graciously.

The conversation as a whole sticks with Chimney and Hen, who argue about it relentlessly, trying to figure out what it means and who is right. Chimney is perfectly ready to accept his winnings, but Hen refuses to give him the satisfaction of being right and has enough arguments to back herself up to not feel too petty about it.

Before they can settle it, they get their answers.

Eddie gets a call from school saying that Chris got in trouble and gets permission to go from Bobby so he can settle this. While he’s gone, Buck paces a little, wondering how Chris got in trouble, because he’s usually such a good student and he loves school and he knows all of the teachers like him. Well, all of them except Mrs. Smith, who sucks.

Soon Eddie returns to the station alongside Chris, because they have to wait until Carla can come pick him up. Eddie looks a little dazed, but Chris looks angry, a little storm cloud above his head.

Buck has been waiting anxiously for them the entire time, so he’s there in no time. “Hey, Superman, what got you all upset?”

Chris’s face is puffed up in indignant upset and anger, it’s kind of cute, but no one is going to tell him that when he exclaims: “Mrs. Smith told me off for lying even though I totally wasn’t and for calling Mike an asshole even though he totally was. And dad didn’t back me up for any of it.”

That gives all of them a pause. Eddie might not back Chris calling anyone an asshole, no matter how deserved, but he would always back Chris if he is falsely accused of lying.

They look over to Eddie, who is standing there, looking a bit helpless and out of his depth, as if he has no clue what he is supposed to do now. When he meets Buck’s questioning gaze, he flushes and looks away, making Buck frown. Hen and Chimney decide to stay in the background, see how this plays out and if they can finally settle that bet.

Buck seems uncertain, especially with Eddie avoids his gaze, so he is cautious when he asks: “And what makes you say that? Your dad wouldn’t just leave you hanging, you know that, Chris.”

“I know, but we had to give a presentation about our families and I told them I have two dads and Mrs. Smith told me off in front of everyone and then Mike call you a bad word, so I called him an asshole and then she send me to the principle’s office and it’s not fair,” Chris says loudly.

All the adults there become very still at those words. After so long the unspoken has become spoken.

Chris is oblivious to it, continuing his rant: “And then dad came in and he backed them. They told him to explain to me to avoid confusion, like I’m stupid. I’m not stupid! I know you and dad don’t do the gross stuff like kissing or holding hands, but you’re still my dad. You cook for us, you help me with the homework and you went to parent-teacher night. I wasn’t lying and Mike had no right to call you that word. He should be suspended for a day too.”

Buck looks as if he’s been slapped, yet as if it’s the best day in his life at the same time. He is clearly at a loss for words and equally overwhelmed as Eddie. He just gapes at Chris, before his eyes flick between Eddie and Chris, searching for something that Eddie doesn’t appear capable of giving him right now.

When both stay silent, Chris draws back slightly from where he’d been orbiting in Buck’s space, voice hurt as he asks: “I mean, you’re also my dad, right, Buck?”

Jolted into action by Chris’s tone, Buck goes down on a knee to be at his level, pulling him into a hug as he says: “I’ll always be your Buck. I’m here for you and I won’t go.” Then he pulls away slightly, cupping Chris’s cheek in a manner similar to how Eddie does. “But you already have a dad, I don’t want to push into that space, yeah. It’s not up to me.”

“But Denny has two moms and Harry has three dads, why do they get to have more parents and I don’t?” Chris cries, his upset growing more.

Eddie is also moving, crouching down on Chris’s other side and carding a hand through his hair and pulling him close: “Oh, mijo, I’m sorry. I- I didn’t mean to pick their side.” He looks over Chris’s head at Buck, eyes wide as if to try and silently communicate about what to do.

Buck returns his gaze with equally wide eyes, before swallowing thickly. He nods at Chris, then looks down at himself, before giving Eddie an apologetic grimace.

Eddie glares at him, frowning as he shakes his head, before nodding sharply at Buck, then at Chris.

Now Buck’s eyes grow wide again, this time in joyous disbelief, which turns into an ‘are you sure?’-expression.

At that Eddie gives him a flat look. However, before the silent conversation can continue, Chris sadly says: “But you did pick their side.”

Immediately Eddie’s attention is on his son entirely, taking over from Buck, so he can cup his face and have Chris look in his eyes, so he knows he means it: “And I’m very sorry for that, Chris. You were right to stand up for your friend and you do have a dad in Buck.” He sends over an insecure look to Buck at the last part, voice a little softer, as if he hopes Buck won’t hear him.

Fortunately, he doesn’t have to worry, because at the confirmation Buck’s face lights up in the brightest smile they’ve seen from him yet.

Chris also smiles at that, before he frowns: “Why didn’t you tell Mrs. Smith or the Principal that? Now they think they’re right.”

The others might not know this, but Buck is the one that talks to Chris, so when Eddie flounders again, he starts up easily. “Well, Superman, your dad was probably a little confused, because often having two parents, means those two parents do all the gross stuff like kissing and holding hands and that’s what Mrs. Smith and the Principal thought you meant, so your dad agreed with them that that isn’t true.”

Right now Chris is standing between the two, looking at Buck while Buck looks at him. Neither notice Eddie, who is looking at both with an incredibly fond yet heartbroken look on his face.

If Hen dared to do more than breathe in that moment, she would’ve bet a lot of money that he only now realized what he could have, right as Buck is apparently ripping it up in front of his face. By the lord, both of them are a little stupid.

Buck continues on: “It was just a misunderstanding between everyone, because usually when a kid has an extra parent they’re not related to, it’s because that person is dating a parent the kid is related to. Now I’m bi so I like more genders, so also men, but you dad doesn’t, so-”

“Who said I don’t,” Eddie interrupts, looking as if he did not intent to blurt that out.

“You do?” Buck asks, surprised, gaze turning to Eddie.

Eddie is flushed bright red and he looks away, muttering: “Uhm, yeah, I’m- I’m gay.” By the way he says it, nervous and voice small, Hen guesses he hasn’t come out often. Not surprising, since he is ex-military.

Buck seems dumbstruck by the revelation and Hen can quickly see this go south. So, she steps in, giving Eddie a quick side hug, pulling him into her stomach, since he’s still on the ground. She says: “I’m so proud of you, Eddie.”

Then she holds out a hand for Chris to take as she says: “I think your dads need to figure this all out for a moment, get on the same page. Why don’t we go and ask Cap if he can make you some more of those grilled cheese sandwiches you liked so much last time.”

“Okay,” Chris agrees, easily swayed by the promise of grilled cheese sandwiches and a nod from one of his dads.

As she leads him away, she sends Chim a look that clearly says ‘you better stay here and report back on all developments’. Going off the look he returns, the message gets across.

Bobby can indeed be convinced to make Chris some grilled cheese sandwiches, though he demands that Hen softly fills him in on what’s happening. He claims to be above gossip, but Hen knows better, she sees right through him.

When Chris is happily munching on his grilled cheese, Chimney comes up the stairs. There is no Buck or Eddie behind him and both Bobby and Hen give him a questioning look, but it is Chris, who asks: “Where are dad and Buck?”

“They’re, uhm,” Chimney clears his throat, “continuing their conversation for a bit more. Enthusiastically.” He ruffles Chris’s hair and says: “I think your dads are gonna do gross stuff like kissing and holding hands from now on, kiddo.”

“Iew,” Chris complains, before he perks up and asks: “Does that mean Buck will have more sleep overs now?” which makes everyone laugh.

Hen smiles: ‘It probably does, Chris, it probably does,” before holding out her hand to Chimney, who begrudgingly hands her her 30 dollars.

~~

A/N:

The full Chris-Buck convo:

“Hey, Superman. What’s this all about? Miss me already?”

“I did something naughty.”

“Oh, and are you going to tell me what you did or are you just informing me of that?”

“I ate some of the ice cream while Carla was taking a call.”

“And by some you mean all of it, don’t you.”

“Maybe.”

“Of course. So, can I ask why you’re calling me to tell me about it?”

“Because if you tell dad, then he won’t just find out and then he’ll have time to know about it, before he comes home and then I’ll be in less trouble.”

“Oh, I see how it is, Mister. You’re trying to get yourself out of trouble, is that it.”

“Maybe.”

“Well, luckily for you, I am in a helping mood. So, if you promise to do all your homework before your dad gets home, I’ll try and work out a deal for you. How does that sound?”

“Good! You’re the best, Buck.”

“I’m glad you think so, Superman. Now be good and expect a call from dad, yeah?”

[cyeli-no]

Headcanon: Love Languages (pt. 2) [Cyno Relationships]

Continuation of this post

─── ⋅ ⋅ ∘ ☽ ༓ ☾ ∘ ⋅ ⋅ ───

Showing Love

Acts of Service

Dehya is not always the biggest fan of receiving unnecessary help, but she enjoys having company during some of her missions. More often than not, though, he helps in the background by "authorizing" expeditions she wants to go on or providing unclassified information that will help her on some jobs. He is always the first to offer his time to guard Aaru Village in case Candace wants time for herself. If she ever needs a break, a much-deserved vacation, he is more than willing to clear his schedule. She doesn't usually take up that offer and he understands because of his similar dedication to his duty. Still, when he is in the area or hears something is amiss, he does try to clean things up without anyone noticing. Helping Tighnari is like second nature. There is nothing he is unwilling to do to help him, even losing his job and disappearing into the desert at his request. He treats Collei similarly, despite how she barely requests anything. His presence can stress her out, so his help is usually from a distance. He cooks food for her whenever he visits or take care of some house chores before leaving. However, he will only interfere with her work when she asks because it feels disrespectful to how hard she has worked to step in when she believes she can accomplish it. It is bad for his heart because he worries, but he will respect her silent wishes. He cannot offer funding to Kaveh directly, but his signature is enough to speed up the process. He is always thorough with looking over the papers and it usually ends with his approval. After overthrowing the government, his signature is enough to be considered approval. It does mean he gets more paperwork to fill for a scribe position being opened, but he is happy to help Kaveh. Overthrowing the government and giving Al-Haitham more work makes it easy for Cyno to show acts of service. He has a habit of putting more pressure and work on himself. But, it is easy to lessen Al-Haitham's stress when the man just wants to do the necessary work. If it isn't important enough for the Acting Grand Sage, Cyno will take it off him.

Gift Giving

He bought Tighnari's earring and flower pin, Collei's hairclip and earring, and Kaveh's hair pins. He also buys snacks from the desert to send back to Gandharva Ville and ships expensive alcohols from Mondstadt and Liyue to Kaveh during celebrations. If there is a book Collei wants or foreign plants Tighnari is interested in studying, he will find a way to get it for them. Candace cannot leave Aaru Village, so he often buys small "souvenirs" from his travels for her specifically. He also buys books and supplies for the children, knowing it would be helpful to her and ease her worries. He sometimes slips in a Genius Invokation TCG card in case she wants to play for fun. He buys a lot for the kids, too. Nilou receives flowers or jewelry if he finds anything that he assumes she might like. However, she appreciates the flowers he brings her. So, he often brings her flowers from the desert or special flowers after her performances. Dehya doesn't really accept many gifts. It isn't until he shows her his book of jokes that she decides that's what she likes receiving. Rather than anything bought, she wants his jokes because he is sharing something personal with her. She accepts his excited grin as a gift. He is more perceptive than people give him credit form, but he makes notes of the types of books Al-Haitham enjoys and will buy him books of a similar type as gifts. He also buys books from other nations, usually Mondstadt. Foreign storybooks, interesting trinkets, pictures and paintings of different places are all given to Nahida. He thought them callous at first, as if taunting her for a world she did not get to experience, but she eagerly accepts them. They are like an itinerary, she tells him, for all the places she will experience from now on.

Quality Time

Candace and Cyno will often sit at the outskirts of Aaru Village. Neither is the best at leaving their responsibilities behind, so when they need a moment of reprieve, they join the other for a bit. They're close enough to act if something happens and that allows them to truly relax. [TBA]

TBA: Physical Touch, Words of Affirmation

─── ⋅ ⋅ ∘ ☽ ༓ ☾ ∘ ⋅ ⋅ ───

Receiving Love

Words of Affirmation

Al-Haitham calls Cyno "Mein Mahamatra", using it often especially after becoming the Acting Grand Sage. It throws Cyno off kilter when he first hears it, but he has come to expect it. Sometimes, Al-Haitham will call him that in public to indirectly warn scholars who are flying too close to the sun. After all, are they sure they want to mess with his general? Sometimes, Al-Haitham will remind Cyno that he alone has the power to judge him. After all, as much as Cyno is his general, he is Cyno's Grand Sage. Cyno considers Tighnari calling him a lummox and a fool as affectionate words. It is a sign that Tighnari cares about him, that he is worth being cared about. He hears Tighnari call him his best friend when talking to Kaveh a few times. He doesn't hear Tighnari call him that often, but just once would be enough for Cyno to know he is loved. Lisa is calls him a sweetheart or sweet boy at every opportunity. It started off as a slight joke, referencing how ignorant Cyno could be of social norms and beliefs despite having the best intentions. Eventually, she calls him that as a term of endearment. She also teasingly calls him her baby brother. He does get embarrassed by all of her nicknames, but appreciates what it implies. [TBA]

TBA: Acts of Service, Receiving Gifts, Physical Touch, Quality Time

[impossiblemakerfire]

Robin Hall Piano for all Review - Pianoforall App Reddit | Piano For All Pdf Free Download

It's not a surprise that online piano lessons are becoming more and more popular. After all, it's a simple and inexpensive way to learn how to play the piano or to learn more about music. From fun piano apps to guided video lessons, there are so many options that it's easy to get lost in them. But having different options is a big deal! Pianoforall offers a completely new way for people who want to teach themselves how to play the piano to do so. He shares his ideas through a variety of media and teaches music and music theory. There should be a section of statistics at the beginning of the piano book where you can learn about the piano and all of its parts even before you start gambling. This information will not only help you learn how to play the piano, but it will also give you more information about this wonderful instrument. When you buy your first piano manual, pay attention to the following sections: About the piano, how it works, and the different kinds of pianos. I liked learning how the piano works the most. Did you know that small hammers are what make the sounds of a piano? Inside the piano, these hammers hit different-sized strings. The thickness of these strings is what makes the high and low tones. pianoforall reviews,Have you ever thought about how the pedals on a piano change the sound? udemy pianoforall,This is explained in detail in the section called "At the piano." I found out that the right pedal, which is also called a "hold" pedal, does just that. It keeps the notes for a longer time than usual. People usually think that this pedal makes the sound louder, but it actually makes the sound last longer. You need a good piano guide to figure out what the other pedals are for. You will no longer only need to learn something about the piano, but you will also need to learn how to take care of it. Why spend so much money on a good tool if you're just going to break it because you don't know how to use it? In the piano book I sold, the section called "Preserving the Piano" explained how to check if the piano is in good shape and how to play a piano with broken parts. This book says that learning to play the piano can start as long as all of the middle keys work, but broken keys need to be fixed in order to enjoy great music while getting better at the instrument.  START YOUR JOURNEY WITH PIANOFORALL HERE!  A real piano guide should also show you how to tune your instrument, or how to find the right sound for your piano. I discovered that a piano ought to be tuned in "chamber tuning fork" and that it must be tuned a minimum of two times a 12 months, or even 3 instances for excellent circumstances. udemy pianoforall login - pianoforall app reddit | piano for all pdf free download,If you don't know these items, you may be deceived by way of someone you realize who does not realize whatever about your instrument. It can be incorrect or worse that it'll fee you more money for additional and useless humors. After you've tuned your piano and fixed anything that needs to be fixed, you should learn how to treat it nicely. In the piano manual I bought, I learned how to clean my piano the right way. For instance, do now not use silicone wax to polish the piano cupboard or frame, because it can't be removed later if the piano is repainted. I learned something very important about where I live. Did you already know that your strings can get damaged by too much humidity? I had no idea I'd need a dehumidifier for a piano from Florida. Or even if you live in a place where the weather changes quickly. robin hall piano for all review, Tips like this can save a lot of money on repairs, which is all the more reason to find a good piano guide. Even if you are planning to buy a piano, you need to find a good piano manual that tells you these things. I was going to learn about my grandmother, so I didn't need to buy a new piano just yet. However, the piano guide I gave them had 6 pages of information about how to find a good piano at a good price and what to keep in mind when inspecting a possible piano. Now that you know a lot about the piano and how to get one, it's time to find a piano guide that will help you learn how to play well. I can't vouch for every e book available on the market, however all piano manuals have one element in common: they contain pix. Some are better than others, and some are written for kids and have pictures. I like the pictures, but I don't want a piano book that makes me feel like a child or makes me feel like people are staring at me when I look at it. Depending on how old you are, you should look for an adult piano book. If you did what I said above, any book with the above information is likely for individual beginners. A child's piano book doesn't go into as much detail (as above) as an individual book. What should a good piano guide have to teach someone how to start playing? Good question! The book I found also talks about how to hold your hands and stand up straight. You need a stool at the right height so that your forearms are flat over the keys. There are no drawings in my piano book. Instead, there are photos. Now that you know your posture, it will be easy to find a book that teaches the hand. This is because it's so important and is taught in all piano books. In addition to teaching you how to play in the right role, your piano textbook should teach you how to play melodies with all of your hands, read notes, and play chords. I liked the parts where you learn how to play different games with each hand. This part was hard to learn because the hand you use to write with also needs to be the dominant hand when you play the piano. One thing I thought was very important was how to practice. If you've never played an instrument before,robin hall piano for all review,  you don't know how long to practice, what to practice, or if you're practicing well. You can learn all of this from a good piano manual.

Here are some suggestions I discovered when I started gambling the piano.

1). Find something that motivates you to maintain going. There could be a lot of days when the piano falls through. If it happens too often, he stops being interested and can't learn. So find a source of motivation, an upcoming gig or expertise display, a pal, something. Second. Plan when you will practice. If you make it a habit to gamble on the piano, you will do better. If you put time into learning to play the piano, it will become an important part of your life. 3rd. Give each lesson the time it needs. My piano book has special instructions for how to practice. If you aren't happy with what you've learned, you can try again on the next scheduled exercise. If I learned one from my piano book, it's because each lesson builds on the one before it. If you don't master a previous lesson, you might not grasp destiny classes. In the end, you might have bad things happen or grow tired of playing the piano.

Now that you know how to play, how do you stay in the game?

The piano book I sold has a whole section with tips on how to become a better piano player or piano player. After you've learned the basics, your favorite piano book should also have more advanced songs. The author of my piano book even tells me how to read sheet music to find songs I like to play when I work out. This will keep you from having to buy another piano book and practice boring songs. There are many online resources that can give you all the information you would find in a good piano guide. Pianoforall is a well-known online course that has helped more than 300,000 students around the world get better at playing the piano. So why is Pianoforall one of the best piano lessons you can take online? On this Pianoforall test file, we show you the most important parts of this system and explain how it teaches. This will help you get closer to the answer.

HERE IS WHERE YOU BEGIN YOUR JOURNEY WITH PIANOFORALL!

Piano for the whole summary List of what's inside Pianoforall is an online course that teaches people how to play the piano. The platform lets you share your content through e-books, video classes, audio files, and physical activities. You can improve every day if you take small, step-by-step piano lessons. Take between 20 and 30 minutes a day, as suggested. One of the benefits of online music classes is that you can learn at your own pace and take in as much information as you want each day. In fact, Pianoforall has many benefits, from clear and easy-to-understand lessons to a full software that focuses on both the theory of music and how to play it. You will definitely know a lot about music when you finish the course. The course also mixes different types of music, so you can learn a lot about ballads, jazz, and dad pieces in a short amount of time. How does Pianoforall make art?

How do you use Pianforall?

To get full access to Pianoforall instructions, you have to buy the course from the Pianoforall website. The average price is $79, but you should look for discounts. The best thing about Pianoforall is that you only have to pay for it once. pianoforall reviews, Once you've paid for the course, you'll have access to all of the materials for life. This is great if you don't know how much time you'll have for the courses and don't want to feel rushed. udemy pianoforall login - pianoforall app reddit | piano for all pdf free download, You can finish the course in much less than a month. udemy pianoforall, You can get 9 interactive e-books, 500 audio lessons, and 200 video lessons when you buy. Pianoforall is also always being updated, so you can always find new content. The platform also has a 60-day money-back guarantee.

Requirements for all pianos

All you have to do is connect your tool and a piano or keyboard to Pianoforall's lessons. Pianoforall e-books can be used on Windows PCs, Macs, iPhones, iPads, and Android devices. If you're using a PC or a Mac, you'll need Adobe Reader and Flash Player to watch the videos and listen to the audio lessons. You want to get the iOS app for Rectle Documents.pianoforall pdf download, If you have an Android device, you need the $1 EZPDF Reader lite app. pianoforall download, Once you've downloaded the program, you can use it any time, any place, even when you're not online. Offline access is a feature that anyone can use, even though it is not so common. There is also the chance of getting a free 7-day mini-guide for free. pianoforall coupon,All you have to do to get your free courses is order them, and they will be sent to you by email. Find your teacher Robin Hall, a well-known cartoonist and talented pianist, made Pianoforall and teaches people how to play the piano with it. He began his training online in 2006, and since then, he has been a full-time piano teacher. He plays both the keyboard and the grand piano. This means that in his training, he uses both the classical piano and the keyboard to play melodies. In his video classes, he talks about music in a calm way and in a way that is easy to understand. Hall doesn't go over all the music theory you would learn in a traditional piano school, but he doesn't avoid it either. We'll talk more about the program's content in the near future.

Method for All Pianos

The Piano for All method is based on two important parts of learning to play the piano. The rhythm piano is one of them. robin hall pianoforall, At the beginning of the class, Robin Hall tries to teach simple rhythmic patterns. As the class goes on, you'll learn more complicated rhythms. Hall also pays special attention to how the chords change over time. If you learn chords and chord sequences, you'll be able to play familiar songs quickly. By learning rhythm and chords, you'll be able to play the piano quickly and use it to play many songs, including your own. But the program no longer ignores notation, which is important if you want to learn to play a good piano. If you can look at the notes and read the sheet, you can play what you want. Piano and reading music. Pianoforall uses a unique and effective mix of keyboards, written music, audio, and video to teach you how to read music notes. This is a type of research called "visual association." First, you look at the notes with diagrams, and then you see what they look like in notation. With Pianoforall, you can learn to play by both listening to the music and looking at the notes. It's a great way to learn to play the piano quickly and well. Training through audio and video. You can call up 200 video and audio lessons through the interactive e-books that come with the Pianoforall course. You can almost click on the audio lesson to listen to what you are studying. In the movies, Hall played a role and talked about the hardware. As he shows you how to use the strategies, you may notice that he can copy standard hand positions, fingerings, and movements. There are 500 audio clips and games in the course, which is a lot of material to learn from. There are a lot of short sports events that are great for testing what you have learned. Everyone is studying on the floor. How about digital books? As has already been said, e-books are written versions of audio or video lessons. They are great for people who learn best through reading. You'll get nine e-books, and you have to read them in order because the information gets more complicated with each one. You could start with the basics of direction. After telling you what to expect from the route, Hall shows you the notes, keys, and other parts of the keyboard. You'll learn about a simple three-part chord, how to read music notation, and a simple rhythm. As you get better, you'll learn chords and rhythms that are more complicated. You will learn about pedaling, scales, melodic patterns, triads, and cluster chords. All e-books have piano music.pianoforall review reddit, By the end of the last book, you know a lot about music and can play the piano well enough to get by. You'll know all the basics and be able to think of some well-known songs. By the way, one of the trainings will teach you useful memory tricks that will help you remember each piece faster. You can also get the bonus book if you buy the Pianoforall package. It teaches you about being mindful and creative, and it talks about good ways to improve your ability to focus. All units, including vocals, can benefit from these extra lessons. They'll help you get into "glide mode" and get better results in less time. With Pianoforall, you can learn to play different types of music and songs. In truth, your on-line piano instructor will start coaching songs nearly right now. He teaches how to read sheet music and understand music by using songs. All of the songs are well-known and popular, and they are all different types of music. For example, the first book ends with a well-known piece. review pianoforall, The second book, on the other hand, is all about blues chords. In the fourth book, you will laugh and play your songs in the style of the Beatles. In the fifth book, you can look into the ballad's art. You will not only learn to play well-known ballads, but you will also learn a step-by-step process for writing your own ballad-style songs. In the sixth e-book, you learn about jazz and blues. You will learn about four different jazz and blues keys and ways to play them. Jazz wouldn't work without improvisation, so you'll also learn how to do that. If you look at book 8, you must understand the notation. You will learn to repeat keys, symbols, and musical language, which will help you understand it better. Since this book is mostly about reading notes, you'll be playing well-known pieces. Chopin, Bach, and Beethoven's classics are required in most schools, so it's good to see that these online guides don't leave them out. pianoforall reviews,As you can see, Pianoforall covers many different types of music to help you improve your piano skills and learn more about music. Even though it's fun to learn about popular songs, you'll get a lot more out of learning about other styles, including classical music. Beethoven's notes. The Pianoforall classes are easy to find and use, but if you have any questions or problems, you can contact the support group and get a good answer. Not every answer from the team is as valuable as one from Robin Hall. Unfortunately, Pianoforall is not one of the apps that has this kind of feature. Pros and cons of Pianoforall If you're still not sure if the Pianoforall online course is right for you, we've put together a list of the pros and cons. Specialists Different ways to learn: Pianoforall's content is available as e-books, video lessons, and audio clips. This is good because different people learn in different ways. One person learns faster by reading, while another learns faster by listening. We suggest that you use all of these sources so that you can learn the information well.

Rounded Curriculum: Learn about musical standards and notation as you learn to play familiar songs.

Even though Pianoforall doesn't cover all of these things, it does teach you a lot about music theory and how to play songs from different genres. Read the full article

[bluandtherestlesshands]

Heartstrings

Chapter Five: Make Way for the Queen

For Mature Audiences

CW: None needed. Aizen is a big red flag really

“Did anyone get a brief on what this is about?”

”You should have received it yesterday. You must’ve forgot.”

”Whatever this is, it better hurry up.”

Off in a back area to the throne room, Chisei found herself getting more and more nervous. Though she didn’t show it much on her face, the brunette still fidgeted with her hands. Aizen was beside her, and letting her try to decompress on her own, but after a few moments he reached over with one hand and placed it over hers.

”Relax. Everything is going to plan.” He smiled to her, which seemed to calm her some.

”I’m sorry. This is a big step…” She trailed off, looking back up at him when he gave her hand a comforting squeeze.

After a short pause, Aizen added, “You look beautiful, by the way.” He left a chaste kiss on her temple. Once he did that, he offered the crook of his arm to the woman. “Come. We need to address my Espada. Are you ready?”

Chisei gave a nod and held onto him with both hands, taking a shaky breath. “As much as I can be.” Her joke landed, and he chuckled quietly as he started to walk her towards the throne. The same room where she was bought half a day before.

”Good morning, my dear Espada.” Aizen spoke, as they neared the edge. Chisei did her best to hold her gaze forward, but there were occasional glances to the various Arancar below her. “I’m pleased that all of you took time out of your day for this announcement. This one is very important, and on a more personal note. Some of you are aware of my intention to bring a woman from the human world here. What you may not have noticed was that there were two women.

”The other will be here at a later time, as her power is vital to my plans. This woman here…” Aizen looked down to Chisei, offering her another smile, “…Is my new wife. A Quincy woman I’ve grown quite fond of.”

There was some small commotion amongst everyone, Chisei overheard small murmurs about her physicality, if she was strong enough to be considered his wife, and more… Colorful language she chose to block out. Stay calm… Stay calm.

”This is Lady Chisei, your new queen. I expect all of you to treat her with the same respect you would show me.” He stated. “As with the rest of you, she will continue training here until we are prepared… That being said, I am prohibiting use of her powers outside of training.”

Another commotion, this time it was more loud. Upset. Frustration from the masses as to why she was barred from battle. The woman blinked in surprise and looked up as if she wanted to say something.

”Chisei will be allowed to protect herself if need be, but whoever is found to have provoked that reaction will be receiving swift punishment. I do not want her drawing her weapon in Las Noches unnecessarily.” Aizen glanced over to one of the Espada, the blue-haired man with an exposed chest and a wild look in his eyes. “Grimmjow. You’ve met Chisei before, haven’t you?”

”Tch.” The man scoffed as he stood, “Yeah, I remember her. She got pissed after I tried to attack some humans.” Grimmjow said, not expecting her to snap back so quickly-

“My brother.” Chisei said sternly, letting go of Aizen’s arm. “My human brother who didn’t have a chance to dodge.”

”Not my problem. That town’s about to become a battlefield anyway.”

”They weren’t your opponent, never mind they couldn’t see you.” The woman spat, “After that, you didn’t take me seriously because you were too busy chasing Ichigo.”

”Chisei, how about a demonstration?” Aizen suggested. This wasn’t new, she had become enraged before and he had seen it. However, this was her first time using that anger in a place of power over someone. That fact excited him greatly.

”Fine.” Chisei stepped closer, almost to the edge as her bracelet began to glow. Her spirit weapon formed from her wrist, and she drew back to summon an arrow. “Let’s see if you can dodge…”

”A bow? I’ve seen that with the other boy, do you really think you’re something special!?” He laughed aloud, “Come on!”

”You already forgot…” She twisted her hand on the string, knuckles facing her chest. “I’m not like Ishida.”

Not missing a beat, as she fired she undid the action. The arrow suddenly split into five projectiles into a spiral, all heading straight for the Espada. He drew his sword quickly, the shots were too fast to dodge. He countered, but was knocked back a few feet. Grimmjow growled at this, and through the smoke he was shocked when Chisei was down, on their level, with some sort of reishi armor protecting her knee cap. Already lined up to strike him in the head. He reached out with his other hand to grab her knee, stopping the blow but he was still forced back once again. The Espada smirked at this, until he saw from the corner of his eyes there was a foot inches from contact with the back of his head. He couldn’t stop it in time as the woman twisted and hit her target. Grimmjow was launched forward as Chisei righted herself, and prepared to fire another arrow.

”That’s enough.” Aizen spoke, his attention back to the Espada who now surrounded his wife. “I believe the point is clear. Do not challenge her. She is capable enough to hold her own, and if you do decide to take that risk… For your sake, I hope that she finishes you before I intervene.”

Chisei lowered the bow and returned it, giving a small huff. Grimmjow was already getting up from the dust, looking properly pissed. He stood upright with a wince. “Damn bitch…” It was said under his breath but the woman heard it and just rolled her eyes.

”I also ask that the other Espada get to know her in your down time. I’m sure you all have questions for her.” Aizen said, watching the room carefully. Most seemed indifferent. Szayel Apporo and Tier took interest in their own ways… Nnoitra and Grimmjow were displeased, though he understood why. Yammy was still smirking to himself about how Grimmjow got his ass handed to him.

“Would we be able to ask any now?” Tier asked. She sat relaxed on a piece of the structure with her arms crossed under her chest.

”I don’t see why not.” He glanced down. “Chisei?”

The petite woman looked up to the throne, thinking for a moment before nodding. “I can do that. As long as you introduce yourself…” Chisei said, relaxing and giving a small smile.

”Tier Hallibel, Espada Number 3.” The tanned woman sat up, in an attempt to show more respect to the new queen. “So you’re supposed to be Lord Aizen’s queen. Some of what he’s said seems to be news to you. Is that true?”

The brunette watched carefully, green eyes scanning her intense expression hidden by her jacket. “Some of it was a surprise, but nothing I disagree with.” Chisei explained. After that, she seemed satisfied enough. Tier’s eyes looked through the crowd, offering for anyone else to ask.

”Zommari Rureaux, Espada Number 7.” A black man spoke up on the other side of the room, and Chisei turned to face him properly. “What training will you be focusing on?”

Is everyone around here a giant!? The smallest I’ve seen is Ulquiorra… “It depends… I don’t do a lot of sparring with my power.” The Queen said, “Most of what I did before involved hand to hand combat.”

”Yeah yeah that’s great. Nnoitra Gilga, Espada Number 5.” He interrupted, standing up as he walked up to the petite woman. “Why’s Lord Aizen distracting himself with some tiny broad when he could be focusing on the mission?” Nnoitra gave her a cocky smirk, leaning down for emphasis. Gin couldn’t help but chuckle to himself, having those two interact was going to be amusing.

Chisei craned her head up to look at the man’s eyes, narrowed while he grinned. His smile was familiar but she was brought back to the moment when he taunted her again. “What’s wrong, your Majesty? Got nothing to say? I thought you were answering questions.”

”Nnoitra-“ Aizen started but was surprised to be cut off by his own wife.

”I feel sorry for you if you think his choice to have a wife will affect your mission.” Chisei cleared her throat, turning away. She used Hirenyaku to step up beside the throne, now looking over her shoulder at Nnoitra who was frozen from the shock of what she said. “What’s wrong? Got nothing to say?”

Aizen turned to his wife in surprise, in those years of talking to her, he had never known her to have a cruel streak. This must’ve been what she meant when she talked about dealing with delinquents in Karakura Town. Whatever it may be, it lit a fire in him, knowing his beloved queen was more than a sweet pretty face. Before the silence could get awkward, he spoke up again. “I think that’s enough questions for now. In the next few days, you are welcome to arrange time with her. You are dismissed. Thank you.” He turned to Chisei and carefully guided her away, a hand on the small of ear back as they walked.

Once they were out of view, Chisei’s nerves got the best of her and she turned to face him. All of that coldness and aggression left her face, back to the sweet face Aizen knew. “Please don’t be mad at me-“ The next thing she knew, Aizen forced her against the wall and caged her in, his face was unreadable. She couldn’t tell if she had handled that poorly, but before she could say anything else she felt a large pair of hands grab at her ass. Lifting her up to his level, Aizen pressed a heated kiss to her lips. Her head felt like it was doing backflips, what the hell had come over him!? Chisei squealed into the kiss and grabbed at his jacket, at first holding him closer before she tried to push him away so she could breathe. “S-Sosuke, what are you.. You’re not mad..?”

”Of course not. You treat them however you see fit.” Aizen said as he pressed himself against her, nudging his body between her thighs. “I’m far more interested in that aggression you showed… I’ve never seen such a fire in you…” He trailed off before licking at her bottom lip. Not that he was worried she wouldn’t reciprocate, but he did time a squeeze of her rear so he could slip his tongue inside her mouth with ease. Chisei gasped and groaned into the kiss, wrapping her tongue around his. He dominated her mouth, listening to her soft groans as they kissed. When they did pull away, Chisei was panting, but Aizen angled his head to start nibbling at her ear.

”If I didn’t already plan a meal I’d be taking you to our suite right now and giving you everything I have…” Aizen groaned quietly, pressing against her as he licked the shell of her ear. “Here’s what I want you to do… After dinner I want you stripped down naked in our bed waiting for me.” He leaned back to look at her face, smirking.

”What…?” Chisei said, shivering when he inched closer to her face, their lips almost touching. “Sosuke…”

”Perhaps you didn’t hear me… In our bed, naked.” He said, looking deep into her eyes. “I want my new wife to be waiting for me when I’m ready. That way I can show her unimaginable pleasures and watch her come undone in my grasp… All of this has only been a fraction of what to expect.”

The Quincy’s face stayed that deep red, she almost looked like prey staring up at a predator ready to devour her. “…I’ll do that.” She let fall from her lips, swallowing dryly. Her hands balled up in his jacket and her body trembled in his grip. “Whatever you want, I’ll do it.”

”Good girl.” She couldn’t respond before he gave her another kiss, holding her close. Soon he pulled away, and he crouched to let her stand on her own feet, legs wobbling. “Stay in the suite until dinner. I’d say freshen up beforehand. It will give the staff time to prepare in the common area.”

”Dinner’s in there? Oh…”

”Is something the matter?” Aizen asked, hands were now on her hips while he straightened.

”It’s an easy fix..! That table doesn’t seem all that… Romantic, is all.” Chisei explained nervously, “It’s hard to be intimate when we’re so far apart.”

”That could be a factor… I’ll come up with another option.” Aizen leaned down and gave her another kiss. This time, it was more gentle. “Until then, please wait there for me. I hope this taste can keep you satisfied until tonight…”

One of the lower Arrancars had walked past the doorway, and Chisei knew he was sending her off. She sighed, hating that he had to go, but she pulled him in for a few more soft kisses. “Please don’t be late.” The woman let go of his jacket and fixed herself up as she walked to the Arrancar, the light of the hall illuminating her silhouette. Her new appearance gave the woman a regal air about her, something that hit the Lord stronger than he thought possible. Finally, his queen had come to fruition. And he planned to ruin her.

[dairy-farmer]

If there is one thing that has been on my thoughts lately, is dimension displacement shenanigans. Tim tends to exist in most earths and dimension types, but his state of existence is not always consistent. Sometimes he dies in toddlerhood, sometimes he dies as rombin, and sometimes he never had any contact with the bat family at all. As long as there is an earth and dimension that anchors a traveler, then they do not change to fit the dimension they are visiting. 

This Tim has very little experience with dimension traveling, beyond saving bruce in the time stream. If that even counts at all. So when he was carefully relocating one of his mothers ancient vases to a museum, he didn't expect his passing wistful daydream to actually be fulfilled. 

One moment Tim was carefully placing the damn vase in a softly padded box for transportation, next he found himself tripping over his new tail in his old room in drake manor. Normally a fall would not hurt Tim much, he knows how to fall after all, but this time he hits his funny bone on the way down. Now Tim may be a vigilante, but not even he is immune to a direct nerve hit. The transition was so sudden that he didnt even bother to try to conceal his whines of pain and confusion. And as one last fuck you from the universe, it did not escape Tim that his pathetic whimpers sounded more like moos the longer he nursed his arm. 

Carefully minding his partially limp arm, Tim successfully stood up, and started to robotically assess his situation. He is in his old home, he has a new limb that happens to be a tail that is trowing off his balance, his head feels heavier with what seems like ears in the corner of his ears, and Tim was also pretty sure that he was loosing his mind with all these new smells and sounds. He feels alien in a body that was supposed to be his. Wasting no time, Tim practically b-lined toward the vase and any identifiable information about the situation he was in. not liking the answers Tim learned, would be putting his feelings in too simple terms. 

He had determined that he was in an alternate universe, a universe where people partook in some kind of weird bdsm-ish practice with some people that were a human subspecies that were essentially human cows. They were easily categorised by their tails and ears. And tits in adulthood, their milk was considered a delicacy and even holy by some people. They are an endangered subspecies, so the US government had gone as far to ask the justice league to keep an eye out for unaccounted hucows. The justice league, Tim mumbled in disbelief. Where superman always held an ear out for any potential hucows in danger. 

The damn vase was known as “the vase of deep longing and wishing”, and it allegedly belonged to a greek witch from acient greek. And it supposedly granted a persons deepest wishes. Or at least, that is according to whoever his parents bought it from. They noted how it was obviously a lie, and that it however most likely a victorian era recreation of an ancient greek vase. “A pleasant surprise, while definitively not a real grecian vase, it was still an importance to art history. Not a complete waste of space like they had been expecting from this collector�� Tim faintly read. 

Had Tim done this to himself? He had not been wishing for anything, but he had been somewhat indulging in some of his favourite fantasies. The ones where Tim is not the ones chasing someone else, where he can be so loved by his family that they would not let him leave if he wanted to, where he could just for once be treated like royalty, or maybe a cute little dumb pet that people let indulge in whatever his heart desired…

Oh god he had done this to himself. Accidentally for sure, but undeniably he had done this to himself. Oh god they were fantasies for a reason, they were never meant to be true. He does not actually want to be something to be owned. Og god the justice is after him. Tim really hopes the damn vase back in his original timeline had cracked.

COW BOY TIM COW BOY TIM COW BOY TIM COW BOY TIM!!!!!!!!!!!😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I CANNOT EXPRESS HOW MUCH I LOVE HUCOW TIM!!!!!

it's probably one of my all time favorite things to read about even though there's only been two fic authors that have written anything about it!!!!!

there's desdefyingstunts !!!!!

and

this one by mistress_of_vos!!!!!

i think about tim having little cow ears and a tail all the time!!! cute little baby horns that pop out of the top and have to be filed down when they get to big and heavy for tim's sweet little head.

tim having the softest little cunt in the world, so slick and sensitive but tim doesn't like having to touch himself so he asks others to do it for him because he gets tired having to do it all day long!!!

tim's shift in the universe is a unique one because magic has to abide by rules. it cannot put what does not belong in some place so it has a work around.

out there, in the vast cosmos of the universe tim is still there. in his own universe, continuing to unpack that vase and other artifacts from storage to be taken to new facilities that would properly display them.

that tim is still doing that, dutifully packing away unaware that his consciousness and soul has experienced a split. half of his is sent careening elsewhere. tim's heart and desires have been plucked out of him and flung away.

people will notice. eventually.

they'll notice how tim is colder towards them. how he has shorter patience, how he gets annoyed with them faster where before he wouldn't. they notice how uninterested tim is in them, how...emotionless towards them he's become.

and they think maybe he's just in a bad mood.

but that mood never gets better. so they think they've done something wrong. so they try reaching out, they try getting tim to spend time with them but tim just gets irritated with their constant asking.

they're confused, they're hurt. they're not sure where this shift came from? so they start tracing tim's movements, try figuring out what's wrong. and find nothing.

nothing aside tim take two days off work to sort through his parent's possessions and give them to an art warehouse to appraise and dispense to various institutions and museums across the country.

of course that vase in particular would enter a large queue of artifacts to be judged and picked by a number of curators who want them for their own museum's collection.

but like an asthmatic child in P.E they'd be picked last.

it's dusty, chipped, it's inscriptions have been rubbed smooth.

no curator is willing to add it to their museum's gallery so it's returned to the original owner.

it won't be for a long time before anyone manages to sniff that vase out as the thing to blame.

meanwhile tim is in another universe.

freed of his logic, his objection, his reasoning and every part of him that would be urging him to reach out to the magic users and dimensional scientists of this universe.

this tim feels...lightened. like some heavy fog or burden has been lifted.

he knows he should be worried but sometime's those thoughts get away from him.

other things occupy his mind like the pretty dresses in his closet, the sweet and rich foods he's served for dinner.

tim's nannies in this universe are so much nicer. they stroke his head and gently rub his ears in a way that has him letting out soft little moo's.

tim doesn't go out often.

his parents worry. ever since some news story from before tim was born was run about a hucow getting kidnapped right from their backyard when they were playing.

but tim's parents are still busy. but rather than leaving gotham they just go into the city and spend a few hours there working before returning home to tim. bringing him toys and candies.

tim's not sure how dimension travel works but he thinks he's been transformed to a younger body. his hands are smaller and softer, there are no callouses on them.

tim's body is softly padded with a healthy layer of chub.

it's clear he's well-loved and taken care of.

clean, polished little horns. shiny hair and softly fluffed white cow ears. soft skin and pink little cheeks.

tim's mom coos over him, tapping his little button nose and tim's dad carries him on his hip, nuzzling him and calling him his little miracle, his lovely gift.

the mansion tim remembered from his childhood is different. no more fancy furniture tim was strictly advised to never use. no more antiques littering every corner.

now there was a clear shift in decoration. little cow statues, paintings, tapestries of young virgins lying on fields surrounded by sleeping cows.

tim knows, in some distant sense, that cows are sacred animals. they're animals used to symbolize fertility and maternity. in various, cultures, societies, and religion cows hold mythological and spiritual importance.

it's easy to understand why 'hucows' are treated as they are. their existence changed the way many societies formed and operated.

it changed who ended up at the top of the food chain.

and it changed who ended up at the bottom.

hucows are treasured and idolized. a quick search of the internet and tim learns that some of the greatest beauties in history were said to be hucows or at least people who pretended to be and passed very well for them.

xi shi. nefertiti. helen of troy. cleopatra.

tim takes a lot of the accounts with a grain of salt because even in this universe it was likely women's accomplishments were all reduced down to their bodies.

the current biggest star in the world is a hucow. a bollywood star whose net worth nearly rivals that of bruce.

all this love and all this admiration.

yet they're the most hunted and endangered sub species on earth.

the more tim looks the worse it seems.

legally, he's not even considered a person. he's cattle.

he has none of the rights of a human being including being able to vote, have a license, own or purchase property, or advocate for himself in a court of law.

it's fucked.

so tim knows exactly what kind of position he's in when his parents are killed in a freak accident.

tim has had years to come to terms with his parents death. to make peace with the fact that his child hood hadn't been perfect and how much he wished they'd been around more.

but....in this universe...they had.

so tim's grief isn't that much of surprise but it is still destabilizing.

tim lets out sobs, mournful moos of pain as he curls into a nanny's arms.

tim's little tail that he carefully combs every morning swishes sadly behind him. he has to hold it still in his hands, gripping it in two chubby palms as his parent's caskets are lowered.

tim's in a poofy, black ruffled dress and shiny mary janes. his hair is tuckled into a bonnet like the ones the pilgrims used. there are little holes in the top for his little horns and as the funeral goes on tim is certain no ones paying attention to his parents bodies.

he can feel the eyes on him. he's already heard the discrete clicking of photos from camera phones and felt the flash of a camera somewhere to the side.

tim knows the score.

he might have only been in this universe for a few months but he didn't survive as robin for long as he had without his wits.

he knows nothing about this universe's bruce aside from what's in the papers about him and batman.

tim was slightly surprised to know that this damian had been with bruce since he'd been a baby and that jason hadn't died in this universe and was still in highschool and on the debate team. dick wasn't a police officer in bludhaven but rather a social worker for gotham city.

nightwing, batman, and robin were all very much active.

tim stares at the gathered information for awhile and just lets himself feel the throb of pain in his chest.

tim knows he's grown apart from his family. he knows that they're not as close as they used to be, as they could be.

he knows he's tried so hard to bridge that gap and he knows those efforts have amounted to nothing.

maybe it's a risk.

going to bruce and hoping that he'll be taken in again.

maybe he's just pinning his wildest dreams and hopes on something that has already shown it wouldn't pan out.

but the other option is pretty fucking shitty.

tim's a young hucow.

so small and sweet. so sad and stupid. so vulnerable.

even if bruce hasn't done right by him in his universe, there is one thing that tim knows every bruce in any universe would do- protect the vulnerable.

tim barely has to try.

a stumble into the garden after crossing their property divide. sniffling and sobbing and latching onto a curious dick who came out to investigate the noise with a broom in hand thinking he'd be shooing away raccoons and instead finding a young hucow.

tim knows bruce has a soft spot for children but it's almost unnerving how close bruce gets to him to inspect his wounds and treat his scraped knee.

bruce asks about his parents. bruce calls tim's dad his 'bull' but something in his expression softens when tim refers to him as his 'daddy'.

the choked sobs when tim tells bruce what happened aren't hard to fake.

bruce strokes his trembling back, massging one of tim's ears as he comforts him with low words.

"it's alright little heifer, you're okay now. it's alright don't worry."

the GCPD are easy to flag down given that a missing hucow is a pretty big deal. seven squad cars are parked in front of the manor less than ten minutes later.

the officers and a social worker try to take tim but tim clings to bruce's leg, planting his soft rump on bruce's foot and wrapping his tail around the limb and mooing with fright when hands came toward him until bruce glared at them to stop.

dick manages to pull the social worker care and pulls the one that came with the GCPD to the side, explaining to them what happened and maybe even embellishing a bit.

if tim were fully human the process of fostering and adopting would take months even with bruce's money. it would take home visits, numerous court dates, paperwork processing times.

but because tim is a hucow it just takes bruce signing a single sheet of paper and a verbal promise to take good care of tim.

he's pretty sure there's more security involved in adopting a puppy but tim doesn't find it in him to be all that upset about it.

not with how happy his moos sound when dick picks him up and cuddles him close, nuzzling his cheek and laughing as tim's little tail flicked and accidentally hit bruce as he stepped closer.

bruce's hands are heavy and reassuring. they're warm as they massage one of tim's ears until he's closing his eyes and tilting his head back letting out a single, drawn out 'moooooo'.

it feels good. it's like someone replaces tim's brain with cotton candy when they touch him just right and stroke him in just the way he likes.

tim settles into the family quickly.

tim is intimidated at the sight of jason and damian but in this new universe it's...harder. harder to hold onto those strings of fear that used to dictate his life.

how can he remember how much jason scares him when jason brings him cookies from a bakery he stops by on the way home.

how can he remember how he and damian never got along when damian's hands are so light and curious as he strokes tim's tail and helps him buff his little horns.

tim doesn't even notice how deeply falls into this dynamic. how much he loves it.

tim is a lovely little thing so adored and beloved. hands keep him clean and cutely dressed. hands that grip at his flesh and hold him. hands that curiously explores, that press into his warm mouth and warmer cunt.

hucows have lots of needs. sometimes entire villages had to work together to be able to provide for them.

they're insatiable little things. so sweet and constantly wanting.

when tim hits puberty things like stuffies and sweets no longer satisfy him.

tim's gone through puberty once already and he's certain he should know what it's like.

but hucow puberty is...different.

tim's skin simmers with an inexplicable heat. he becomes disoriented and confused. words leave him until the only sounds he can let out are soft and confused mooos.

moos that change in pitch and tone when help arrives in the form of his family.

there is some distant and far away part of tim that should be present. that should be screaming at him about what's happening as he presses his front to the soft bed under him, putting pressure on his sensitive tits. as he wiggles his little butt and swishing tail until a hand grips it to keep tim still and expose his hot, wet cunt.

tim moos weakly, wrapping his tail around the wrist of the person holding him. gentle hands stroke his flank, another plays with his little horns and one reaches under his chest to play with his little tits that tim has been sqeezing all day.

heifers can't make milk. not until they're gotten pregnant. only then is when they start producing rich, thick milk to be consumed.

tim moos, shifting on his knees as he feels the breach of a fat cockhead into a pussy. tim moves his hips, wiggling them and trying to take more of the cock into his hungry, hot hole.

tim has been sweating all day, rolling in bed and letting out weak moos. his entire bottom half has been burning and aching with need and tim had been unable to do anything about it.

he could've reached down to relieve himself of the want but he. couldn't. remember. how.

it was like everything in his mind disappeared and all he could do was roll on his bed and moo out desperatly, waiting for warm hands to come and give him what he needs.

"it's alright little heifer," a deep voice soothed, stroking his full ass and parting his cheeks further as a deeper pressure pushed into him, "i know what you need, it's alright, you're okay- i know what you need."

tim sobbed as he felt a wonderfully big cock split him open. tim pressed his face into the sheets, nuzzling it and whimpering, alternating his low sounds with moos as his body started getting jostled by the force of thrusts fucking into him.

"that's it," the voices all around him soothed, "just like that, yes perfect- oh you're so perfect sweet thing, you little sweet thing you're so perfect-"

tim hiccuped, crying as the words seeped into his ears and filled his brain.

sweet thing. sweet thing sweet thing. perfect. perfect. perfect.

yes.

yes.

yes.

that's what tim was. a sweet thing. a perfect thing. a little thing that had to be treated gently and tenderly. that had to be loved wholly and fully.

that had be fucked deeply and wonderfully.

that's it. that's all tim needed.

nothing else mattered.

[uwusenpaiuwu]

Baji Being A Menace To Society (And Your Relationship) 2.0

Sequel to: Baji A.K.A. The Worst (Best) Matchmaker

Summary: Baji’s at it again, acting out-of-pocket and creating chaos for absolutely no reason, other than to see you suffer. In his own Baji-esque way, of course.

Pairing: Sano Manjiro | Mikey x Male Reader

Warning(s): Boku no Pico is mentioned, but there is absolutely nothing graphic; mentions of masturbation

Note(s): I am so sorry if it isn’t funny. Sadly, I am but an amateur writer, not a comedian. Still, I hope you all enjoy! ^^

"(Y/n), want some ice cream? My treat."

Usually, you'd be the first to jump at an offer for a sweet treat, especially when you don't have to pay. However, as of now, the word 'ice cream,' when said by Baji, instantly triggers your fight-or flight-response. Paired with the fact that he’s broke as hell, your suspicions only increase for the sudden indulgence.

Since you know you're no match for the long-haired menace, your body automatically prepares to flee, legs twitching to lurch into a sprint. Unfortunately for you, just before you can get the fuck out of there, your hand is being grabbed by Mikey, who leisurely begins to tug you along to claim your dessert.

“You like ice cream, right?” he turns to ask, eyes unbelievably soft when looking at you.

And because you’re weak for him, all you can do is nod stiffly, trading in your sanity for the pleased grin that spreads across his face, his confident strides thereafter likely a result of him successfully remembering another miscellaneous fact about you, as has been the case since you officially started dating him. From the most trivial of things, like which brand of pens and pencils you prefer, to the slightly more important stuff, like ice cream being one of your favorite desserts; he’s made the effort of remembering them all.

He really doesn’t need to do any of that, ‘cause you’ll love him either way, but the conscious decision to do so is what makes you love him even more.

Zoning back into reality, you shake your head to reorient yourself. It isn’t the time to be going over the reasons why you’re such a lovesick puppy.

No, there are other things to worry about, mainly Baji.

You squeeze Mikey’s hand as you’re led to the nearest ice cream parlor to try and calm yourself. It works for the most part, especially when you get a reassuring squeeze back.

‘Right,’ you tell yourself, ‘it’s going to be okay.’

After all, Baji wouldn’t do anything too drastic, right?

~~~

You were wrong. So, so wrong.

Despite nothing having transpired yet, every alarm in your head is going off, pounding at the door of reason to get you to wake up and realize that it’s Baji you’re talking about, the same person that sets cars on fire when hungry and punches the first unfortunate soul he passes by on the street when sleepy.

You really should’ve listened to your survival instincts and ran. Alas, it’s much too late to escape, leaving you to wallow in your anxiety, while you wait for misfortune to strike.

And strike it does.

“Please, don’t sit next to me. You make me nauseous.”

“That’s cruel. I bought you ice cream, and you treat me like this?”

Yeah, he may have bought it, but you refuse to eat it because of how intensely Baji is staring at you. Fucking weirdo.

"Oh, do you want some of mine instead, (Y/n)?" Baji accentuates his question with a sensual lick to his ice cream from the edge of the cone to the finessed peak, making you extremely uncomfortable as he stares you down with the full motion.

As slowly as he licks his frozen treat do you slowly raise your middle finger, eliciting chuckles from the other occupants of the table.

You think you won that mini battle, though?

Ha! Nope.

Baji mirrors the vulgar action, not once breaking eye contact as he dips the tip of his finger directly into his ice cream, pulls it out, and proceeds to lick that, too.

Disgusted, you promptly avert your attention elsewhere, praying that Baji won’t continue being, well, himself.

Your prayers fall on deaf ears.

"It's cold!" As soon as the exclamation leaves your mouth, your blood runs glacial, knowing that you've unintentionally played into Baji's trap. The appearance of a sly, almost feral, smirk when you whip your head around to glare confirms what you already know.

The curtain has risen, and you’re standing center stage in a performance you can’t break free from.

"Aw, can't let it go to waste,” Baji continues, reaching over to scoop the ice cream you’re 100% certain he purposely spilled on the front of your shirt, with his fingers.

Then, to your horror and everyone else’s shock, he asks, without an ounce of virtue to his name, "Want me to lick it off with my mouth?"

Chifuyu is seated on the other side of the table, hiding his face in his hands. “Baji-san...”

"It'll stain if it dries like that." Dear God, how you wish to un-see Baji batting his eyelashes at you.

“I don’t care!” At this point, you’ve resorted to clumsily scooting your chair as far away from him as possible, which isn’t actually as far as you’d like considering your surroundings. Hell, so long as you put some distance between yourself and the crazy bastard that wants to see you suffer, you don’t mind having to force yourself halfway onto Mikey’s lap. (The firm hand that keeps you steady by the waist proves that your presence isn’t unwanted either.)

"Geez, (Y/n), you're such a scatterbrain."

Seeing Baji sell the line with a slow tugging of his hair behind the ear has you torn between laughing and dying a little more. Truthfully, his acting is frighteningly impressive, and you would’ve applauded his performance, if not for the fact that the role he’s playing still haunts your dreams.

By this time, most of who accompanied you to the ice cream parlor have figured out what kind of drugs Baji is on this time, which also means that those fuckers have seen, or are at least aware of, the cursed trilogy of questionable porn that’s being reenacted before their eyes, with you as an unwilling co-star. Those that are puzzled as to why people are shoving their fists in their mouths to refrain from laughing are obviously God’s favorites.

“The fuck is going on? I wanna laugh at Baji’s dumbassery, too.”

“Pah-chin... I think it’s best you don’t know.”

Interestingly enough, the one you’re most concerned about hasn’t said anything yet, splitting his attention between observing the scene unfolding and eating his portion of a deluxe sundae.

Then, out of nowhere-

“I understand.”

You and Baji freeze where you are, each of you grasping the other’s collar, you to shove him away, and him to draw you closer.

“(Y/n),” Mikey says, your name rolling silkily off his tongue in a tone much too fond for his next words, “if you like roleplay, just tell me.”

...

“Huh?”

“I’m fine with pissing, remember? So, roleplay shouldn’t be a problem.”

Heat rises to your face at an alarming pace, and it continues to climb as Mikey takes your free hand in his, which serves not to comfort but to unintentionally remind you of the humiliating experience from a few months back. And just when you convinced him that you didn’t want anything to do with getting freaky with the body’s excreta, too.

“You’ve got it wrong! I don’t- arfghfgh?!”

Your prayer to help cool down your flushed cheeks must have been heard, but you’re pretty damn sure you didn’t ask for Baji to shove his ice cream in your mouth!

“Oh, yeah. (Y/n)’s a fuckin’ geek when it comes to roleplay,” the unhinged bastard speaks in your stead, indifferent to the nails clawing at his hand clamped over your mouth. “You should try it with him. We were doing a scene from his favorite anime.”

Mikey tilts his head, interest positively piqued. “Which one is that?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know, leader?”

Mikey raises an eyebrow.

Baji opens his mouth.

You lunge.

It’s a series of events that happens in the blink of an eye and ends with loud crashing as you tackle Baji to the ground.

“Listen up, Baji Keisuke. We took an oath that day, and if you dare utter a word of what went down, I’ll consider that a breach of the code of secrecy and take you down, making sure you drown in a pit of your own shame and despair.”

Surprised to have been pinned down so quickly, it takes a while for Baji’s brain to catch up, but when it does, he’s frustratingly unfazed at the threat.

“Oho~ How scary. Too bad for you, I have no shame.”

“Not even if I tell Mama Baji where your porn stash is?”

That has the great Baji tensing up.

“You wouldn’t dare use an underhanded tactic like that.”

Your lips turn into a wicked grin. “Are you sure? I have as much dirt on you as you have on me, and like you, I won’t hesitate to use it to my advantage.”

If your grin is wicked, Baji’s is downright evil, showing off his sharp, gritted canines and all.

“You got balls, (Y/n),” he snarls, “but mine are bigger.”

The boy beneath you opens his mouth, and faster than you can stop him, he just...does it.

“(Y/n) (L/n) watched Boku no Pico and liked it!”

Silence.

Silence is all that’s heard for a good, long minute following the booming roar of the revelation.

You dare not look up to gauge everyone’s reactions, instead keeping your icy glare fixated on Baji, who looks smug as shit for having caused the glorious eruption of heat to spread like wildfire across your entire body, from the tips of your ears down to where your skin disappears under the collar of your jacket.

This...

This is war.

Taking in a deep breath, you answer his uncalled for declaration with your own thunderous shout of, “Baji watched Boku no Pico and jacked off to it! Twice!”

Baji laughs. “Oh, pray tell, saintly (Y/n), how many times did you jack off to it?”

“None of your fucking business, asshole.”

“Pretty fucking sure it is, since we were in the same room.”

Someone chokes, while you choke Baji.

“We. Swore. To. Secrecy. You. Asshole,” you practically growl, with each of your words accompanied by a ruthless back-and-forth shaking of the other boy’s person.

“Let up on the choking, dude. I’m not into that. You, however-”

Unable to take the ceaseless slander to your name anymore, you reel your fist back, but, upon seeing Baji’s cheek turned to you, jaw jutted out, as if inviting you to take your best shot, you hesitate. You know you wouldn’t be able to pack enough of a punch to actually leave an impact on him, which is terribly upsetting.

On the bright side, there’s still one tactic you can use that’ll be just as effective, a technique courtesy of your health teacher, who happily taught it to the class to use in case of an emergency.

Technically, it’s meant to be used to assess a person’s level of consciousness, but you suppose it can be used to get back at inconsiderate idiots, too.

“Ow! Ow! What the fuc-! Ow!”

You keep a straight face as you continue to rub your knuckles against his sternum, fully intent on delivering the worst possible pain to the current bane of your existence. It brings a sort of sadistic satisfaction to hear the ever prideful Baji’s screams of pain, and while it doesn’t completely undo the damage done, it does help soothe your wounded self-esteem.

“You want me stop? Beg for it.”

“Pissing, roleplay, choking, and begging? Goddam- OW!”

Your reign of terror comes to its untimely end when you’re lifted up into the air by the armpits, and through the haze of your power trip, you realize that Baji’s saving grace is Draken, who proceeds to carry you out of the parlor with ease.

“People are staring,” he coolly explains when you protest to having unfinished business.

Pouting, you cross your arms over your chest. “It’s his fault.”

Once outside, Draken doesn’t immediately put you back on your feet, until Mikey strolls out of the parlor. Only when the gang leader has his arms outstretched to you are you promptly deposited on the ground and taken into his embrace.

“Are you done letting off some steam?” is the first thing he asks you. Even though you can’t see his expression, the way he holds you and the way he cradles the back of your head, handling you with the utmost care, is indication enough that there will be no reprimand for, essentially, assaulting your division commander. (You would argue that it was an act of self defense against verbal harassment, but whatever.)

There’s just an overwhelming amount of love. So, so, so much love for each other.

“Yeah, I am,” you eventually answer, followed by a content sigh.

“Good.”

Naturally, that’s the perfect time for the tinkling of the bells above the parlor door to pilfer your attention. Baji’s appearance causes your face to morph into a scowl.

You cling tighter to Mikey, peeking over his shoulder to flip the ravenet off and mouth, ‘Go to Hell.’

As always, Baji answers your attempt to appear opposing with an obnoxious smirk.

‘See you there.’

~~~

“Boku no Pico, huh?”

“Draken, don’t laugh! Baji forced me to watch it!”

“All 3 episodes?”

“Twice.”

“...”

“...”

“Favorite scene...?”

“As if I’d have one.”

"Actually-"

“Ahh! Shut up! Why are you here, stupid Baji?! You live in the other direction!”

~~~

“Hey, (Y/n). Want to try doing the same thing with me?”

You look up, perplexed. Mikey literally just walked into the room, and that was the first thing he said to you.

“Do wha-?”

Your breath catches in your throat when you turn your head, only for you to come centimeters from bumping noses with him. And because he can, he lovingly knocks your foreheads together, too.

“It’s okay. I promise it’ll definitely be fun.”

You should feel ashamed for recognizing the same sequence of lines from Boku no Pico so quickly, though any coherent words are overtaken by an incomprehensible, high-pitched screech, a feat achieved solely by a teenage boy going through puberty.

A combination of shock and amusement crosses over Mikey’s features then. He’s never heard you make that sound before.

It’s cute. Strains the ears quite a bit, but cute.

While Draken lurks beside him, questioning Mikey’s standards of what constitutes as ‘cute,’ you’re sprinting across the room, red-faced, to Baji, who’s already grinning from ear-to-ear.

“Stop tainting my boyfriend, you piece of shit! Give him back his innocence!”

(Unbeknownst to you, whilst immersed in your fit of hysterics, your use of the word ‘boyfriend’ has a certain blond beaming.

“Did you hear that, Ken-chin? He called me his boyfriend.”

“Wow, congrats.”

Mikey either doesn’t give a shit or is simply too smitten to acknowledge Draken’s apathetic response.)

Baji blinks, unable to believe what you’re trying to insinuate. “Innocent? That little gremlin motherfucker?”

Both of you look in Mikey’s direction. When he sees you staring, he breaks out in a smile and throws a wave.

Your heart involuntarily skips a beat at the sight, and, okay, you’re convinced. Mikey deserves better than knowing of that cursed series’ existence.

Clearly, you’re down bad for Toman’s leader, and as such, Baji figures he can use that to quench his boredom for the day.

“Ooh, if only you knew what he gets off to.”

The tone in his voice instantly rouses suspicion. You narrow your eyes at him. “I don’t care what kind of porn he gets off to.”

“Porn? Nah, ya silly goose-”

“Don’t call me that.”

Baji ignores your comment as he moves to sling one arm around your shoulders, the other raising up to mimic an obscene tugging motion that no teenage boy is a stranger to.

“He jerks it to yo-”

BAM!

One second, Baji is lazily hanging off of your person, the next, he’s sprawled out on the floor, face down, and groaning in pain. You expect nothing less after witnessing him receive a rather impressive flying kick to the chest from Mikey.

Before you can assess the full damage, your view gets obscured by a pair of keys.

“Wanna take my bike out for a spin?”

Yes, you know Mikey is trying to divert your attention from whatever Baji was going to say, and, yes, you probably should check on the figure that has yet to get up.

But do you really care?

You take one glance at Baji’s concerningly unmoving body and quickly come to a conclusion.

You do not.

That being said, you quite literally drag Mikey and, by extension, Draken out of there, chanting an excited, “Let’s go!” on your way, abandoning Baji to wither on the ground.

Baji?

Baji feels betrayed.

~~~

"Chifuyu?”

“Hm?”

“Y’know, I was joking.” Baji flips onto his back with a grunt. “Man, who knew Mikey was all grown up?”

The vice captain of the first division hums, seemingly uninterested in his commander’s musings.

It goes quiet for a few minutes, the sole instigator of noise being Chifuyu flipping the pages of his manga.

Unpredictable is Baji, and the same goes for his train of thought.

“I should punch Mikey for kicking me.”

“No, you’d get beat up.”

“...”

“I should punch (Y/n) for Mikey kicking me.”

Truly, unpredictable and senseless.

“You’d still get beat up.”

Baji opens his mouth to argue.

“By Mikey.”

He promptly closes it.

“Fuck it. I’ll keep spicing up their relationship as payback.”

Sighing, Chifuyu closes his book to crouch down next to him. “Baji-san, with all due respect, you’re an asshole.”

Baji Keisuke has experienced betrayal twice today.

And he deserved it both times.

[obae-me]

A Taste of Your Own Medicine

Author’s Note: I finally did it! One of my bigger projects finished! And this is the most ambitious thing I’ve posted in a while! It’ll be my biggest post for sure! I truly, truly hope you guys enjoy this. I hope this sickfic can make you feel a bit better during these times. (*slaps fic* This bad boy can fit so many cuddles in it). Thank you all for your encouragement and support, it’s honestly what helped me get this finished! Also, I swear I’ve been over this thing more than thirty times to try and catch mistakes, but it’s a lot so if I missed mistakes I apologize. 

Word Count: 18,300

Warnings: Blood, Medication Use, Vomiting, I’m not a doctor in any way shape or form, so please don’t take any of this as a personal guide. 

As Always, Read Safely, And Please Enjoy!

Lucifer, then Satan and Mammon. After that came Beel and Belphie, followed up by Levi. Lastly Asmo. All of them, every single one, had fallen ill. Try as they may, none of them had been safe, and you’d been the main one working to nurse them back to health despite you knowing nothing about caring for demons. It had been...what was the right word? Grueling? No. Enjoyable? Well you couldn’t quite say that either. It had its ups and downs. Working for about a month straight on little sleep wasn’t exactly a dream job, but the affection and actions you’d seen were priceless. The pictures on your phone and the memories in your head would keep your heart warm for the rest of your life, but you could go no further. You were done. Done with being a nurse. Done with restless nights. Done with this illness. 

The House of Lamentation had finally begun to feel normal again, normal except for your persistent fatigue accompanied by strange shifts in your body temperature. It started off small at first, you had hardly noticed. Unfortunately, it had grown rather rapidly, impeding your day-to-day life. The fuzzy thoughts in the back of your mind knew that something was unnatural. Your body shouldn’t feel like this. Yet, afraid of facing the truth, or hoping you were just overreacting, you insisted that just sleeping it off would bring you back to normal. 

Only... you should’ve known. You should’ve seen the signs. The sneezing, the breathlessness you felt with the simplest of things, the discomfort settling in your bones. What were you going to do? Well, you figured the best thing to do was move onward, acting like nothing was amiss. Fake it till you make it. Whatever it was would go away on its own, it had to. 

But it wouldn’t, and as much as they would refuse to admit it, each demonic member of the household had grown fond of being fussed over by you. Tugging you in all directions, demanding constant attention, wearing your energy down to dust. Although, if you were being entirely honest, they tended to do that regardless. However, after being treated so specially, their neediness grew tenfold. Thus, without giving yourself a break, every morning you ended up feeling worse than the day before, and it was only going downhill from there. Perhaps you should’ve told them, nipping it in the bud before it had a change to blossom into something terrible. In retrospect, that should’ve been the obvious path to take. Yet, driven by some desire you couldn’t place, you pushed yourself so far past the breaking point that your own body had to stop you. 

Waking up to your alarm in the early hours of this particular morning was more difficult than you’d like to admit. Removing the blankets might as well have been pushing stones off your body. Your limbs felt stiff, gravity’s pull was stronger than it should’ve been, and moving forward was like pushing through waves of molasses. However, you went forward, still fooled under some grand delusion that you’d feel better once you freshened up. Gathering up a change of clothes and a towel for your morning shower, you stumbled out of your room. Getting to the bathroom had been a blur, the only thing you could recall was consistently leaning your weight against the wall to keep your legs steady. You’d met no one in your path, assuming they must’ve all already been in the dining hall, the faint smell of breakfast foods flooding the hallways. It made your stomach churn. 

Before anyone could see you in this downright pathetic state, you entered the bathroom, shutting the door behind you and locking it. You took a moment to catch your breath and press your forehead against the cold wood of the door. It felt amazing against your skin. But you couldn’t linger, you had to get ready for RAD. As you turned, you came up to the sink, settling your items on the side of the bowl. It was then you saw your face in the mirror for the first time that morning. Biting your lip, you splashed some water on your face, hoping it would wash away some of the hints of sickness-- the not-sickness...you weren’t sick. Right? You couldn’t have caught the demon illness, right? Was it possible? Your head was throbbing, the heart in your chest pounding in panic. What were you going to do? You couldn’t miss classes, you couldn’t let anyone know, you couldn’t be a burden. Brush your teeth, you thought. Get ready, play it off. It’s not that bad. It’s not that bad. Stop overreacting. 

Showering felt nice, it was the only thing so far that let you feel some peace. The steamy hot water released some of the tension in your temples and lungs. Although, the intense heat made you lightheaded, and a single little misstep in the shower had you almost plummet to the floor. Shaking, gasping for air, desperately attempting to cling to the slick stone wall, you slowly sat on the wet tiles, leaning your body back so the stream of water landed directly on your chest. The comfort almost coaxed you back into sleep, but before you could fall into slumber, you jolted. How long had you been in there? Five minutes? Half an hour? You could forget about washing your head today. Crawling out of the shower, the frigid air burnt the inside of your nose, shuddering you with a few sneezes. Not good. You rushed to dry yourself off and pull your uniform on. Before you headed down to the dining hall, you blew your nose, shook your head, and prepared yourself to sound as normal as possible. Somehow you managed not to stumble down the stairs, something you were thankful for. Maybe it wasn’t as severe as you thought it was. 

Arguing could be heard past the hall doors. That wasn’t too rare, it’d become tradition almost, to the point where being met with an unclamorous silence was somewhat threatening. What was it this time? Mammon stealing something? Beel eating something? Belphie not doing something? 

It was hard to comprehend the words, but you could make out the important pieces. “I bought that for ya, so it… … … that I took it back!” Mammon growled. 

“Once you… … …  it was mine!” Asmo shrieked. “It wasn’t yours to sell … … … buy it in the first place!” 

Ah, so it was another Mammon related issue, you didn’t need to be a hardcore gambler to win that bet. Raised voices didn’t do any good for your head, the pressure in your eardrums throbbing. You stayed silent as you slid inside, or at least you tried to stay silent. Instead, you accidently made your presence prominent as you shut the doors too harshly behind you. Heads turned all at once, your knees threatening to turn to jelly under the gaze. 

“Is something the matter, MC?” Lucifer asked, the first one able to sense something wrong. He always knew. You were never able to hide anything from him. However, the fact that you’d been able to play things off in his presence up till now settled a sort of twisted pride inside you. You blamed Pride himself for his bad influence. Lowering his cup from his lips, he raised an eyebrow. 

You mustered up a usual grin. “Just...tired,” you lied. Had your throat always been this sore? And was it the table full of warm food, or was it terribly hot in here? Not the healing sort of temperature either, but rather the sticky suffocating heat that formed waves in your vision. Or maybe the room was swirling on its own? Tugging at the collar of your shirt, you took a single step forward, attempting to walk again. You lowered your head, turning away from the eldest, remaining as inconspicuous as possible for fear he’d take one good look at you and expose your troubles. Lucifer was not convinced, shifting his gaze between his morning cup of coffee and your strange stature. For the time being, he dropped his questions, lying in wait for you to exude any signs that you were lying. 

Doing your best not to trip up, you eventually sat down at the dining table, a spot left open for you between Belphie--who was sitting up asleep--and Asmo. The demon of lust luckily didn’t seem to notice your weaker state, continuing on his tirade against his older brother. “Mammon, I swear to whatever forces may be listening that if you don’t get it back I will ruin you, you hear me?!” 

“Yeah yeah, you can try!” Mammon scoffed. 

Asmo spoke again, his words blocked out by the sudden ringing in your ears, the shrill noise spurring on pain behind your eyes. As you bit the inside of your cheek, you squeezed your eyes closed till the painful sound faded away. Only, opening them back up now seemed to make everything worse. The light was harsh, far too harsh, blinding rays striking off every reflective surface. Your vision started to swim, blurring the features of those around you. Squinting, you groaned a bit to yourself before lifting a utensil from the table, attempting to eat some of the breakfast in front of you before anyone became suspicious. Every bite sank heavily to the bottom of your stomach. 

“Will the two of you be quiet, for sin’s sake?!” Satan boomed, his wrath peeking through his composure as his brothers started to take their spat too far, interrupting what should’ve been a quiet morning. Although, when had that ever happened? Magic spilling from their fingertips, demon forms exposed, Mammon and Asmo were each ready to brawl it out at any moment. The ruckus finally managed to stir Belphie who was visibly irritated. 

The miniscule amount of food you had eaten started to already stir sickeningly within you. The sweltering heat you had felt before stripped away in a moment, a frightening chill creeping over your body. Before you could think, you got to your feet, breathless, heart pounding as an overwhelming presence of something agonizing forced you to move. Getting up too quickly caused the whole world to rock, your head doing somersaults. Lucifer obviously was now convinced everything was far from fine as you swayed on your own two feet, the legs of his chair screeching against the hardwood floor as he stood. Everyone in the room quickly went quiet, all eyes on you as you fumbled. The weight of their attention seemed to push you further over the edge. “It’s...I’m…” You needed to move, to be anywhere but here, so you staggered a few steps away from the group. 

You heard the thud before you felt it, not quite comprehending what it meant to feel the floor fall out from beneath you as the world shifted sideways. The area became a chorus of shouts as seven demons called out your name. You didn’t fully blackout. Your consciousness was too stubborn to be snuffed out like that, but you couldn’t fully talk or move either. 

A pair of arms wrapped around you, bringing you close to their body. Despite being right next to you, somehow everything still felt so far away, like you were experiencing everything secondhand. The smoothness of leather touched your cheek before the glove was supposedly discarded, cold skin touching your face. “They’re burning up,” Lucifer announced, the undertones of his voice just barely wavering, or perhaps your sense of sound was just as skewed as your sight had been. He flipped his hand over, his knuckles brushing against your forehead. You tried opening your eyes to look at him, but it was next to impossible. 

“MC?! Hey, what’s with you?!” Mammon shouted, two hands squeezing your shoulders. The panic in his words was apparent. “What’s wrong with them?!”

“I think they’re sick,” Belphie chimed. 

Satan sounded distant, but his voice still drifted to your ears. “Should I alert Simeon and Solomon?” 

Without warning, you sensed yourself being lifted off the floor, the sudden movement jerking the last strands of your consciousness back as you lurched into a black weightlessness. You swam through the fog, trying to pick back up the voices in the room. 

“...the human world to get a few things,” someone spoke. As you shifted your body, the people went silent, but not for long. 

“They’re awake!” 

“Thank heavens…” 

“Oi, everyone get off ‘em!” 

Somehow, you found the energy to open your eyes. There were no arms holding you and the dining room was far gone. You were now in bed, in your room, surrounded by demons, angels, and the only other human in the Devildom. The confusion of the blank spot in your memory shot panic through your nerves, not to mention it was uncomfortable to be stared down like this. “What…?” You gasped, trying to sit up in bed. A washcloth slid off your forehead and down your face. Someone’s gentle hands guided you back into a lying position, taking the rag and putting it back in its place. 

Lucifer had a chair pulled up to your bedside, lines popping up between his eyebrows in worry. He finished pressing you back up against your pillow, pulling the blankets back over your chest. “Don’t move too much,” he ordered, his words harsh but his eyes soft. “You collapsed in the dining hall.” 

Well, that part you could recall. They must’ve brought you here. Despite it only feeling like a second, you must’ve been out long enough for the other exchange students to arrive. “Is-” You interrupted yourself with some coughs, quickly turning your head into your pillow. Even just speaking left your lungs weak, but you had a question. “Is it…? 

“It’s not what the brothers had if that’s what you’re asking,” Solomon nodded. “You as a human couldn’t catch that particular illness. Although if you had, you probably wouldn’t survive. So lucky you, right?” Levi nearly dropped to his knees at that prospect, eyes wide with fear, as if he wasn’t convinced that you were lucky at all. You had to admit, you felt far from it. Many of the other siblings shot the sorcerer a dirty glare, everyone’s nerves strangely on edge. Solomon closed his eyes and laughed a bit. “Aha, but like I said, it’s a very mortal disease. Just a cold or the case of the flu from what I can tell.” 

“Just?” Mammon growled, barking out his opinions like an angry guard dog. “They’re lying here looking like they're two seconds away from pushin’ up daisies and you make guesses? You’ve been acting so calm and treating this like it ain’t that serious! And to be honest, it’s kinda tickin’ me off!” He took a few serious steps towards Solomon, shoulders squared, ready to fight. Luke ducked behind Simeon’s body for protection, but there was no need. Before he took things too far, Mammon growled and resumed his brisk pace around your room. 

“I hate to agree with him,” Asmo started, “But Mammon’s right.” The fourth-born frowned, some of his outward sparkle dulled with concern. Every hint of his and Mammon’s dispute had faded away. “This isn’t a joke! You have to do something, Solomon! Save them!” Asmo flung himself over the sorcerer begging and pleading, reacting as if you were on your deathbed. Mammon pushed a haughty breath of air between his teeth, turning on his heels to sit beside you on the bed. His nervous energy could hardly be contained, erratically adjusting the blanket over your body as one of his legs bounced up and down rapidly. 

Solomon shook his head, brushing Asmo off of him. “I was simply trying to lighten the mood.” You caught a flicker of amusement in his eyes as he watched these powerful demons on the brink of falling to pieces. “If treated properly, it shouldn't be fatal. Plenty of monitoring and rest and the body should heal on its own. Of course if it worsens or persists, then a doctor might be required, but we can cross that bridge when we get to it. Although, like I was saying, it would be best if I went to the human world to at least get some proper medicine. We wouldn’t want our MC here to suffer the full brunt of the symptoms, and I doubt the remedies here would have a desired effect.” 

With that, Lucifer sighed, lifting his chin to address the sorcerer. “I shall accompany you to the human world. We’ll get what we need and come right back, understood?” 

Either the demon of pride’s stern glare wasn’t at its peak today or Solomon was generally unaffected. The sorcerer looked past him and right at you with a grin on his face. “He gets rather overbearing when it comes to you doesn’t he?” 

“We’re leaving,” Lucifer huffed, his arms wide to shepherd everyone out of your room. Several of his siblings cried out in protest. “Everyone out! The last thing MC needs is the bunch of you bothering them.” The only one he didn’t tug along was Simeon, the angel turning down the light and approaching you as soon as everyone had gone. 

A short laugh rumbled in his throat. “They sure do care about you a lot,” he smiled. He took Mammon’s previous spot on the bed by you, settled by your hip. He discovered the bump in the blanket that served as your arm under the covers. Slowly, he ran his hand up and down over it. “What a terrible thing for you to be this sick.” It wasn’t often the angel frowned, but in this case he appeared deeply troubled, as if he was taking your pain as his own. “I can help you fall asleep if you’d like me to. Solomon warned me against using too much magic against your weakened immune system, but I should be able to let you sleep peacefully.” He waited for a response, not moving forward with anything till you nodded your head slowly. Golden light rushed to the ends of his fingers, the soft skin of his fingertips brushing against your eyelids to close them. A shudder ran down your spine, your own body tingling, and you wondered if it was his magic or simply just the tender gesture. “Rest well, MC,” Simeon whispered. “Feel better.” And then just like he suggested, your mind quickly got swept along into a blissful sleep. 

Angelic magic or not, it didn’t seem to hold back the fever for long. Even in your dreams, all you could feel was frigid fire. Your nerves were fried, unable to tell if you were freezing to death or boiling. And the dreams...the images flashing in your mind of threats you couldn’t understand, dangers that filled you with panic. Someone was uttering words to you that you couldn't understand. All you could do was try to run, try to escape. Everything about you was screaming. 

Through the mist of sickness, you could finally make out the voice. “...gotta...can’t...help…” After a few moments of the whimpering and the distress, you were alarmed to figure out it was the sound of your own voice. But you couldn’t even feel yourself saying the words. 

“I’m here,” another person muttered past the darkness. “It’s alright…” The stranger shushed, trying to sound sweet to cover up the panic in their tone. “The one time I need that pompous jerk around and he’s gone. Figures.” You could hear a few pages being turned, a frustrated click of a tongue followed after. “Why didn’t I look this up before? Why wasn’t I prepared?” The anger from the other being in the room seemed to affect you. You thrashed a little, kicking your feet as if it would help push off the suffocating agony. Two hands clamped down on your shoulders, pinning you to the bed. “Calm down...Please calm down...I need to calm down.” Once you went back to being mostly still, more pages were turned. “Have the afflicted wear light clothing. I can do that.” A weight was shed off of you as the blanket pulled back. Air struck your sweat covered skin, sending chills down your body. You began to tremble. The front of your RAD uniform was tugged at, someone working at the buttons to shed the outer layer off your body. 

“...won’t...s...sor...is…hah…” Your speech was broken, and even if you knew what you wanted to say, your mouth wouldn’t let you. Someone took your hands, lifting your arm to let gravity help assist in removing the sleeve. You could feel it slip before fully crashing against the bed like a dead weight, free of the thick uniform fabric. The same was done with the other arm. Then a hand supported the back of your neck, lifting your upper body just enough until the extra layer was yanked out from under you. Removing the jacket had been like opening an oven. Heat from your body suddenly escaped into the room, no longer trapped behind unnecessary insulation. Even in your rather deranged state, you could feel your shirt sticking to your skin. Now you seemed to be shuddering harder.

“Hydration...medication...Curses, Lucifer, get back here...Nothing...there’s nothing here!” The individual grunted in a growl of vexation, a frantic flutter of paper soaring further away before something heavy struck the ground far from you. You managed to stop moaning, switching to feverish panting. Your company tutted at you again, stroking the top of your head tenderly. “Can you even hear me at all? Breathe, MC, breathe.” It’s embarrassing to admit it took you much longer than you would’ve liked to remember how to control your breathing. Once you took some deeper inhales, you heard your caretaker sigh in relief. “Good…Well, not good, but better.” 

Reality had sunken in almost completely now, just covered with a thin layer of dreamy haze. You cracked your eyes open, a mess of blonde hair and worried green eyes looking down at you. “S-Sa...tan,” you murmured. 

His hand stroked your head a few more times before grabbing the wet rag again and dotting it across your face. The energy you needed to retain consciousness was quickly fading. Satan’s hands grasped your face. “Hold on!  Look at me again, come on.” With every ounce of power you had left, you lifted your eyelids as much as you could. Still half-lidded, you only caught glimpses of his green sweater as he slid one hand under your back, lifting you up gently. Your head bobbed down, chin against your chest as Satan settled your back against your headboard. Gentle fingers lifted your head, some plastic brought to your lips. “You have to stay hydrated, drink just a little.” You wrapped your lips around the straw, sucking water into your body until you felt like you were going to be sick again. Satan moved to put the cup back down, and in that time he made the mistake of letting you go. Gravity tugged your body down, nearly slipping out of bed, threatening to fall to the floor. Thankfully, the demon of wrath was there to catch you. Head resting against his shoulder, you breathily let out a ‘thank you’ that was probably closer to a slurred series of sounds rather than a statement. 

His arms wrapped tightly around you. “Don...lea…ve...”

Then everything went black again. 

When consciousness flooded back to your mind, you had no idea how long it had been. Turning to your other side, you rubbed your head against the pillow. Everything was still much too warm. You slipped an arm under your heavy headrest, hoping to get to the cooler side. Your pillow twitched. Your pillow...was moving? Up. Down. Slow. Rising with steady breaths. You woke up, shifting enough in your spot to alert the person in your bed. Placing a book to the side, Satan rubbed one of your shoulders. Taking a moment to realize what position you were in, you felt your stomach flop once you came to the conclusion that you were lying against Satan’s legs, clinging to his clothes, hand against his lower back, head resting against his stomach. “You alright?” Satan wondered, pressing a hand to your forehead. You didn’t need to speak for him to know the answer. Not really. “I’ll admit, you had me worried for a while there.” He sat up fully, your head sliding back to your pillow--your actual pillow. You quickly retracted your death grip on him, hugging your arms close to your body. If there could be any more heat in your cheeks, there would be. 

Shame creeped into your bones. “S...sorry.” 

His expression brightened a small amount, pleased with the fact that you could speak mostly clearly now, even if your voice did sound ragged. He pulled the blanket back over your shoulders and up near your chin. “Don’t worry about that, just worry about feeling better.” He twisted his body, grabbing something off your nightstand again. “Here, have some more water. Everything I’ve read says that you need to stay hydrated at all times.” You dug your elbow into the mattress, lifting your head enough to not choke as you drank. As Satan lowered the glass, you noticed it was almost completely empty. You didn’t remember drinking that much. Exactly how delusional had you been earlier? How much had you forgotten? You downed the rest of the drink in small sips, lying back down when you were done. 

“Did…” You squeaked. “Did I do anything…” 

“Weird?” Satan finished your sentence for you. “So you don’t remember all of it, I take it?” You shook your head. “You started moaning, hyperventilating. Once you calmed down a bit you collapsed on me and refused to let me go. I figured since I was going to monitor you anyway I would…” A small blush formed on his cheeks. “Hold you till Lucifer got home.”

You looked away from his face, still a bit self conscious. You decided to change the subject. “He’s still gone?” 

Satan’s lips almost curled into a little snarl. “Yes. I have no idea why he’s decided to take his sweet time to-” He cut himself off short, clearing his throat and removing any traces of rage. “Don’t worry about him, I’m sure he’ll be home soon with the medicine.” You felt the top of your head being pet again, tempting you to close your eyes. “Until then, is there anything I can get for you?” You shook your head once more, allowing yourself to indulge in your impulses, moving closer to his body. Despite seeming mostly unaffected by the intimacy earlier, he took in a short sharp breath, lifting his head to the side to hide part of his face. His hand was near your face, tauntingly close, reminding you of how chill his skin was and how good it felt to have him stroke your head. You closed your eyes, bringing your head forward enough to bump against his wrist. A stifled gasp rang through the air before he took a deep breath. “It’s unfortunate that you had to be this sick to…” His sentence trailed off, his hand that you’d ran into pressed against your burning cheeks before brushing against your hair, running down the length of locks before starting again. “Conserve your energy,” he whispered. “Go back to bed.” 

“... … how are they?”

“...still feverish… …sleeping for a long time…” 

“I’ll take over… … get some rest.” 

Soft voices somehow roused you from your deep sleep, the final click of your door leaving you awake. You flitted your eyes open, immediately upset with how dry and crusty they felt. It didn’t help you feel any better when you noticed Lucifer by your bed, busy observing a small cardboard container. He was quick to notice you move, turning his head towards you as you wiped the grime from your eyes with the back of your finger. How embarrassing. Having to be sick, weak, vulnerable, positively distasteful, and in front of the people you thought highly of no less. Memories of Satan flooded back into your mind. Would they all think less of you after this? For how low you’d fallen? For how weak you were? You couldn’t let that happen. What had happened with Satan couldn’t be helped, but from here on out you would do your best to be independent. You adjusted to sit up. 

“What did I say about moving too much?” He scolded, his hand outstretched to settle you back down. You swept his gesture away, sitting up fully and focusing on the item in his hand. A regular box of human world medicine. You reached out for it, and despite being annoyed you’d swatted him away, he handed it to you. The tones of his voice casually shifted from his typical strict nature to low and sweet. “Is...this the one you need?” You glanced it over. Gel pills, daytime and nighttime ones, for cold and flu symptoms. You nodded. He seemed relieved. “It doesn’t happen often, but I was glad for Solomon’s help in picking the proper medicines,” he admitted. “Who knew humans needed so many medications? And you even have entire shops dedicated to them.” He shook his head as a deep frown formed on his face as if he just realized how fragile and complicated human bodies could be. You sighed, agreeing with him in your mind. You were thankful he managed to bring this back though, for as much as you hated proving he was right, you desperately wanted the medicine to ease your aching symptoms. You tried prying the flap open, annoyed when it refused to tear apart. From out of the corner of your eye, you swore you spotted the smallest smirk cross over Lucifer’s face. “Would you like some help?” You grumbled, turning your torso away from him as you attempted again to open the simple package. In slight sadistic fashion, he simply observed you struggle for another few minutes before you tore the box open. Even just working on that had you nearly breathless, but you scrounged up a little triumphant grin. Pulling out one of the bubble sheets, you settled the box back in your lap which Lucifer quickly picked up, returning to read the details printed on the back. “No more than four doses a day,” he announced. “You can take two of those pills now and then wait for four hours before you can take any more.” He read all that out with the confidence of a doctor who knew exactly what he was prescribing. “I want you to check in with me before you decide to take more, understood?” 

You desperately wanted to be snippy about it, but the energy for defense was long gone. Plus, you knew that he needed to have his hands on the reins at all times, and his stubbornness was especially bad when it was a situation he had no control over. “Okay,” you squeaked, pressing your thumb tightly against the foil backing until the pills were free. Dumping them out into your palm, you sighed to yourself once you spotted the empty glass of water from earlier. You’d have to go refill it. 

As soon as you pushed the blankets back and swung your legs out of bed to stand up, Lucifer tightly gripped your shoulders. Normally, he would’ve reacted before the thought even crossed your mind, but your actions must’ve stunned him more than usual. “Where do you think you’re going?” 

Wincing a little, you cleared your throat before you spoke. “I need water.” You tried to get back up, but your weakened strength was no match against Lucifer’s, and he was hardly trying. 

“Then let me get some for you.” Your lips parted to utter out a rebuttal but he’d have none of it. He grasped your ankles, pulling your legs back into bed and folding the covers back over the lower half of your body. He pointed a gloved finger at you. “You’re not to move.” He plucked the empty glass off the tabletop, striding out of your door before you could even try to argue. A low groan rumbled in your chest, your lungs convulsing out a few more coughs. By the time you got your breathing managed again, the demon of pride was back in your room, handing you a fresh glass of water. A deeper frown tugged at the corners of his mouth as he watched ripples form in the liquid as your hand shook. Attempting to stabilize your hold only seemed to make it worse. He reached out, his intention to help you drink. Before he could, you popped both pills in your mouth and grasped at the cup with both hands as you brought the rim to your lips, watching his arm fall dejectedly back to his sides. Even the smooth gel coating went down rough, feeling more like two sharp stones scraping the inside of your esophagus. With your nose more stopped up than usual, by the time you were done drinking you were gasping for air, resulting in coughs again, hard enough to nearly make you gag. Lucifer took the cup from you before you could drop it, settling it on your nightstand. You were bowled over, tears streaming from your eyes. Rare panic crossed over Lucifer’s face, rubbing your back till the coughing fit came to an end. He took a deep inhale once it was over. Then he placed his touch over your forehead again, his thumb gently rubbing against your temple. When he retracted, you nearly let a little moan betray your feelings. You’re supposed to be independent, you reminded yourself. Lucifer shifted in his seat a bit, brandishing another item from his pockets. “We got one of these things as well,” he explained, taking the little item between his fingers and squinting to better study it. “He said it would be useful in monitoring your temperature, but...he failed to explain how it worked.” 

If you were feeling even just a bit better, you would’ve laughed. Lucifer took the thermometer and pointed the end towards your forehead, his eyebrows raised as he waited for something to happen, only to scowl when nothing did. You let a similar cocky expression coat your face as he was the one to struggle with something so simple this time. If only he knew he had the right idea but the wrong type. He’d gotten one of the older fashioned versions. “This kind goes under my tongue,” you explained. 

“Really?” He hummed. “How strange. Seems...messy.” He held the end close to your mouth, his face showing no signs of amusement this time as he waited. You hesitated, your heart beating faster at the emotions swelling in your chest. Independent, independent, independent, you repeated in your mind. Only, you’d caught him in a very impatient mood. With his other hand, he cupped it around your chin, carefully pulling your jaw down till he could slip the end of the thermometer under your tongue. You pressed your lips back together, too embarrassed to look him in the eyes. The small device beeped once it got its reading. Lucifer pulled it out and brought it back towards him. “101.4” He ran a frustrated hand through his hair before settling the thermometer down, attempting to guide your body back down in a lying position. 

You stopped him, grabbing his wrist, eyes focusing on anything other than his face. “You don’t...have to do this.” 

He entertained you, fully capable of pushing you down should he desire it, but he let you keep him in your grasp. His eyes narrowed. “What thing in particular are you talking about?” 

Taking as deep of a breath your lungs would allow, you corrected yourself. “You don’t have to take care of me, I mean.” Words strained and cracking, they did little to convince the demon. “I’m well enough to take care of myself. Trust me, I’ve done it plenty before.” 

Distrustful and discouraged, he stiffened, tugging his wrist away. “Be that as it may, while you are down here you are my responsibility. It is part of my duty to ensure you are safe and well looked after. Do you expect me to just walk away from my role?” 

You’ll admit, it wasn’t very rational, but something other than the fever in you burned. “I’m not an assignment to be written off, Lucifer.” 

“You know I didn’t mean that.” His crimson eyes looked down at you for a moment, the air silent between you save for the faint rattling in your chest. Eventually, he spoke back up, the previous forbidding expression gave way to a small smile. He closed his eyes and chuckled a little, taking you aback. “When did you ever get so prideful? Is it too bold to assume it’s my doing?” Then his hand moved forward, unbothered by your past attempt to push him away. He brushed sticky strands of hair away from your face. “If you truly don’t want me here, I will leave.” Your chest seemed to flutter at his words. It wasn’t that you...didn’t want him there. It was that you did. Almost too much. If there was anything you didn’t want, it was to be a hindrance. You knew how busy Lucifer was. His trip to the human world had probably already doubled his workload, and if you were right they’d all  skipped classes for your sake, and- “MC.” He cupped your face, the look on his face told you that he knew everything you were thinking. “Not worrying about anything else, not overthinking it, do you want me here, yes or no? A simple question and two simple options.” 

“I…” You knew the answer, and he did too, trying to hold back his amusement until he could hear the answer for himself. “If...you...want to.” 

He shook his head in a defeated way. “You’re incorrigible, you know that don’t you?” With your acceptance, he took your shoulders, letting you lie down. He took the rag that had fallen off to the side, gently brushing it across your face. Under your eyes, over your cheekbones, under your chin. Then he leaned forward, his upper body resting against your bed, his head propped up under one of his hands. He gazed at you, tracing your jawline with his knuckle. The skin across his cheeks turned a light pink. “Of course I want to be with you. Not a moment goes by that I don’t desire to be at your side.” 

The fast acting medicine and the fact that you’d been so distracted by his peaceful touch, you’d totally missed what he’d told you. “Hm?” You sleepily hummed, too focused on how close his body was to yours. 

“Nothing,” he mused, making sure you were secure under the covers. “I’ll tell you once you’ve recovered. Sleep now.” 

The muscles in your body slowly woke you up, screaming at you to change positions after having slept like a stone for Diavolo-knows how long. Eyes still closed, sleep still foggy on your mind, you turned over in bed. However, even with the smallest amount of alertness you possessed, you were very aware of how...generally upsetting your body felt. Soon it was all you could focus on, forcing you awake. Groaning, mourning the comfort of sleep, you slowly stretched out your weary legs. Your feet pressed against a foreign lump in your bed. 

Mammon shot up, uncurling himself from the foot of your bed as he apparently woke up from a nap. “MC!” He crawled forward, placing both of his hands on the side of your face. “How ya feeling?” His sudden energy left you a bit winded, still trying to comprehend him caressing your face so tenderly. He let his arms drop to your shoulders. You shifted under his gaze, shaking your head. 

“Like garbage…” Hot, sweaty, gross, you felt uncomfortable in your own skin. Mammon frowned, his blue eyes wide and shimmery. He resembled a puppy for just a second, observing your face for any sort of hope that by some miracle you’d fully recovered. When he saw you were still the worst for wear, he sighed, grabbing the covers around you and tucking it against your legs. Only, the blanket wasn’t one that you owned. Running your hands over the fabric, you noticed that this was one of Lucifer’s blankets. It was lighter and cooler than the blanket you had on before. You took in the rest of your room for a moment, noticing more than one thing out of place. Mammon had been resting on one of Belphie’s pillows, one of his new expensive ones. In fact the pillow you had been sleeping on was replaced with one of Sloth’s. On your nightstand, near your box of medicine and a box of tissues was a little diffuser, one you recognized as Asmo’s. A small plume of steam flushed out of the top, a mild comforting scent spreading throughout the space. A book that wasn’t yours, a replica of some sword draped over your table, and a number of other things that had never been between your walls before were littered here and there. You tilted your head. “Where did these things come from?” You wondered.

Mammon lowered his eyelids, his hands on his hips as he settled into a more comfortable seating position beside you. “Listen, my hands get grabby sometimes when I get anxious.” 

You simply blinked at him. “You were worried?” 

His sincere expression changed as he frowned, pink touching his cheeks as he shook his head. “W-well of course! Lucifer would make sure I never saw a lick of Grimm again if something happened to you…” His voice turned to a lower mumble. “And what, you thought I wouldn’t be worried after watching you take a spill like that? Had me thinking you’d bit the dust for a second!” His eyes flickered around the room as if he was making sure you two were truly alone. Then he leaned past you, fluffing up the pillow you had been laying on. As he straightened, he pressed his hand against your forehead, his body temperature much warmer than Lucifer’s. “Never make me that worried again, yeah? I...You see...Just don’t, okay?” 

You hummed an affirming tone, nodding, a small smile creeping across your mouth. Then after the moment had passed, you shifted in your spot. You felt disgusting even after all that effort to take a shower this morning. Lucifer did say not to move too much, but right now you wanted to be clean more than anything. Pushing back the blankets encouraged a similar reaction to Lucifer’s earlier. 

“Oi! What do you think you’re doing?!” Mammon scurried to his feet, standing in front of you with his arms wide to block you from moving, even though you had yet to even leave the bed. “Bed rest means staying in bed last I checked!” 

“Please, Mammon, I just want to take a shower, I’m grimy and gross. I feel like an over-steamed dumpling.” 

“Don’t let Beel hear you say that.” You managed to stand up, but your sense of balance left much to be desired. On instinct you ended up grabbing Mammon’s shoulders to keep from falling over. “Alright, nuh uh, you can barely move! What if you end up falling and cracking that head of yours open, huh?” Your mind was brought back to your morning mishap and near tumble in the shower from before. “You’re lucky you didn’t injure yourself too badly earlier!” 

Your eyes widened. “H-how did you know about that? I don’t remember telling anyone.” 

His eyebrows raised. “I’m talking about the dining hall, dummy. But now that you’ve let that little detail slip there’s not any chance I’ll let you go now! No way.” He put one arm under yours to keep you steady, ready to keep you back in bed for good. 

Gathering up what little energy you had, you took several deep breaths, gently pushing yourself away from his body until you were standing on your own, just barely stable. “Mammon, please?” It had been your goal up until now to look as far from pathetic as possible, yet now you poured all that into your expression, eyes pleading, head tilted a bit to the side. 

He squirmed. “Tch, you think you can do whatever you want just by giving me some puppy-eyes? Who do you think I am?”

“Fine,” you grumbled. “I bet Asmo would let me take a shower. Maybe I should call him and have him take care of me instead.” 

“Asmo?! I...you...fine! But I’m c-coming with you, to make sure you stay safe and all.” 

You lowered your eyes at him. “You can stay outside the bathroom.” 

“I’m not payin’ for a busted door if I need to break in. I’m going inside! I’ll just turn around or somthin’.” 

He stared you down with a nature stubborn enough to match your own. In your state now, you had little time to squabble. “Fine.” You started walking, leaning against bits of furniture to keep you steady. Acting rather gentlemanly, Mammon rushed ahead of you to open your door. Once he did, he took your arm tucked against his in a sort of escorting fashion. Saying nothing, you both took steady silent steps to the bathroom. You were immensely pleased to find it unoccupied, leaving Mammon’s side to step in. Like he promised he would, he followed you inside, shutting the door before his cheeks turned dark with embarrassment. He turned, parking himself in a corner with his face to the wall. 

“I-I’ll be right here in case something happens, alright?” For him to come this far for you was...The added heat rushing through your body only caused you to feel worse, so you flicked on the water to heat up as you stripped. As you were taking off your pants, balancing on one leg, you teetered to the side, nearly falling. The tub right next to you served as your saving grace. You panted, cursing at yourself for being so clumsy. “You alright?!” Mammon clasped his hands over his face before turning around. “MC?” Riddled with nervous anxiety, he danced back and forth on his feet. 

“I’m okay,” you wheezed. Just barely. You planted your foot against the fabric of your pants, tugging your other leg out. “Just keep looking at that wall.” You questioned the idea of him being in here at first, but now you were beginning to have little trust in yourself. What if you did collapse, locked, exposed inside an empty room till someone came looking for you? You shuddered. Climbing into the shower, you pulled the curtains across the rod until you were completely concealed. You let out a breath of relief as the steam once again cleared up your airways, the pressure building up in your head loosening. Shutting your eyes, you let the water wash over you, cleaning off the sticky sweat that had clung to your body. You simply stood there for a few moments, appreciating the serenity. Then you figured it would be best to get yourself clean while you had the capacity to. Reaching down for the soaps you used, you washed your hair and vigorously scrubbed down your body, envisioning all the germs swirling down the drain. Although by the time you were done, you became aware of the fact that you might’ve made the water a bit too hot, and you might’ve once again pushed yourself a little too far. Nausea came along with the dizziness, the floor losing it’s feeling of solidity. After you turned the water off, you tore the shower curtain back, stepping onto the bathroom mat. 

“You done?” Mammon asked. Right now, all you could do was grunt in response. The small burst of energy you possessed had plummeted. You bypassed the towels and straight for your clothes. Only, the clothes you had been wearing previously were gone. On cue, Mammon explained. “Oh I got you some pajamas. Not good to be lying in those same clothes all day, besides, I got you something comfier.” Folded up on the floor by the tub were a comfortable pair of your pajamas. Pushing aside your humiliation, you picked up the “pajamas” he’d picked out for you. One of your shorts and...one of his t-shirts. It was one he had bought on a whim, much like most of his other purchases. Merch from an action movie you and him had watched in the theaters a while ago. He loved this thing. You could only stare at it for a few seconds. Mammon was right, these would be much nicer to sleep in. 

With a meek voice you started slipping into the new outfit, still dripping. “T-thank you.” You had hardly finished poking your head through the shirt before your knees began to tremble. Your head felt foggy, your mind threatening to slip. “M-Mammon,” you gulped, your voice shaking. 

He spun around, eyes squeezed shut. “What? What is it? Are you bleeding? Are you hurt? Are you dressed? Can I look?” As soon as you ‘mm-hm’ed he flashed his eyes open, took in the sight of your shuddering frame before hurrying over to you. Your eyes rolled into the back of your head for a moment, the world disappearing as you plummeted to the floor. You woke up in his arms hardly a few seconds after your fainting spell. Held tightly against his body, he wrapped his limbs around you, supporting you to keep you upright. “Hey, hey!” His voice shook as he squeezed you. “MC!” 

“ ‘s too...hot.” 

“Stupid human…” He muttered, his rugged tone falling short. “And you’re still drenched! Are you trying to make yourself even worse?” When his sharp remarks were met with your silence, he pulled you closer. “Ah...Really not good, huh?” He asked softly, one of his hands rubbing your back. You could only slowly shake your head. “Let’s get you back to bed, eh?” He brushed some damp hair away from your face before he dragged you out the door, his distress growing ever more visible the more you seemed to slump harder against him. It felt like an eternity inching back to your room, flopping facedown onto your bed as soon as it was in your sights. The mattress bobbed up and down, the movement surprisingly soothing, almost lulling your body to a light sleep right then and there. “Alright, come on. It’ll do you no good to fall asleep like that.” Mammon helped lift you up, letting you settle your head against his body, arms wrapped around his neck as he worked to get you back under the covers. He tucked you in, moving about the room nervously the less responsive you became. Shutting your eyes to conserve some energy, you listened to him curse under his breath, grumbling to himself about “fragile humans”. At some point, a dry fabric came into contact with the top of your head. You were pushed slightly to make some space for him to sit down. He adjusted you till your head was in his lap, the fabric massaging against your wet hair. “Stupid human…” He repeated, softly scrubbing the towel against your scalp. “Why’d you have to go and get yourself sick, huh?” 

“...didn’t...mean to...I’m sorry…” 

The motions across your head stopped, then you felt the back of his hand stroke against your cheek. “Now don’t sound like that...Do you know how much it hurts me to see ya like this?” He paused and then resumed ensuring your hair was as dry as he could get it. “Don’t you worry, the Great Mammon will be right here for you till you feel better, alright?” His voice sounded strained. “So ya better get better…” You cracked your eyes open, pushing yourself up. “What’re you doing? I-“ He quickly cut himself off as soon as you settled yourself between his legs, head against his chest. You could hear his throat casually gasp for breath. His nose came down to nestle against the top of your head, his arms dropping the towel, instead wrapping around your body. “Don’t do this for anyone but me, ya hear? Only I...only I want to take care of you like this.” He pulled the blanket up around the both of you, his soft breaths growing deeper and deeper. Eventually you both fell asleep. 

Your mind was flooded with more fever dreams, clips and scenes of moments your conscious mind wouldn’t even know how to explain. It blurred the line between what was real and what was simply your imagination, so in the moment, when you were disturbed from your sleep, you didn’t even react. Your body was moved, flipped over, weightless, moved from the soft surface you were on to something firmer. You could only process it for a mere second before you were plunged back into a nonsensical plot your frayed mind came up with. After what felt like some time, you were just barely awoken again when harsh and hushed whispers buzzed in your ears. 

“They shouldn’t be down here!” 

“So cute! I mean, poor thing.” 

“Are they still asleep?”

“Take them back.” 

Once you realized that this was real, you slowly became aware of more things around you. As tired numbness left your limbs, you felt your arms pinned against your body, something around you constricted your movement. Panic struck you for only just a second, feeling that your blanket was simply wrapped around your body. You figured in your restless state you must’ve trapped yourself inside it. An involuntary groan escaped your mouth as you squirmed a little, moving your feet in an attempt to feel an escape. 

Something outside of you moved you, tugging you tighter against something firm, a pressure rubbing circles into your back. It soothed you enough to keep you from struggling, but you were steadily waking up. The “wall” you were against vibrated as a deep voice rumbled out of it. “I just thought...it wouldn’t feel like a family dinner without them.” Your body was adjusted again, lifted to be propped up against what you now understood was a torso. One strong arm kept you still, draped against your back. 

“S-surely you can’t hold them and eat at the same time, Beel,” someone muttered. “Why don’t you let your big bro hold em?” 

The body holding you tightened around you, shielding you. “No.” 

“Don’t underestimate him.” 

“Should we wake them up?” 

“Don’t humans heal faster when they sleep?”

Someone else let out an exhausted breath. “Fine, but they’re to be put back in bed once you’re done.” 

The chest your head was against hummed with satisfaction. “Got it.” Soon, quiet but eager eating noises could be heard outside your muffled prison. If you connected the dots correctly, you were resting against Beel who had brought you down to dinner while you had been asleep. Was this a brief glance into what Belphie felt like? Albeit with more comfort and less...pain. Although he’d probably beg to differ. Right now, you couldn’t even pinpoint where the source of your suffering was coming from. It just seemed to be...all over, even down to the tips of your fingers. Even if you had wanted to move, you didn’t have the energy for it, so despite being almost wide awake at this point, you stayed in place. You tried to focus on anything else to keep your mind off the aching. Beel’s heart sounded like a distant drum. Burying your face closer against his body, you let out a small whimper, focusing on the melodic thumping of his healthy heart. You could even hear the pace speed up as your cheek pressed up against him. 

“Beel, you alright?” 

The sound of eating stopped, and a clink of something metallic against glass sounded before a second arm enveloped you, a hand settled at the back of your head. “I’ll eat in a little bit,” Beel whispered. 

“In a--” 

“Shhhh! Shut up, Mammon!” 

“I mean…” The voice returned to barely audible. “Whadda sayin’ ‘in a bit’? You’re not sick again are ya?” Beel didn’t grace anyone with a response. You were gently squeezed in his hug, a weight coming down on top of your head, presumably his chin. The hand behind your head moved to the space between your shoulder blades, moving up and down in rhythmic strokes along your spine. It was uncanny, you thought, how he almost immediately knew how desperate you were for some comfort. Or maybe he was just perceptive like that. If anyone would be, it would be Beel. 

“How are they feeling?” Someone asked. 

Cooler air poured against your face as the space left for you to breathe was made wider. Light from the dining hall illuminated outside your eyelids. Beel’s hand pressed against your forehead, moving down to cup your cheeks. Out of everyone, he always ran the warmest, bordering on nearly being a walking furnace. And yet even he moaned in unease, his stomach groaning alongside him in worry. “Still too hot,” he announced. You allowed yourself to flicker your eyes open, looking up at him just as he moved his hand away. Both his eyebrows raised in surprise before he quickly frowned. “Did I wake you up? Sorry.” You figured that now that everyone knew you were up, it would be time to move. Sitting up straighter in your spot, you wiggled one of your arms out of your cocoon, pulling the fabric of your blanket off your head, letting it settle around your waist. You rubbed spots out from your vision, blinking as you soaked in the sight of the room. 

Asmo politely dabbed at the corners of his mouth with a napkin, settling it back in his lap before addressing you with the sweetest pair of eyes. “Good evening, darling! How’re you feeling?” 

You had half of a mind to try to play the “I’m fine” card, but with your fit with Satan and fainting scare with Mammon, it would be no use to even try to pretend you were fine. So you didn’t see the harm in being honest. “Like I’ve been to hell and back.” 

“You are in hell,” Belphie quipped. 

“You know what I mean.” You turned your head and glanced up, your heart pounding more prominently when you once again realized just how big Beel was compared to you, an otherworldly size. Sweeping away your embarrassment, you started tugging at the blanket to free your legs, moving to leave his lap. “Sorry, Beel.” 

His hand grabbed one of your wrists. “What do you mean?” He tugged at you, repositioning you firmer in his lap. “You didn’t do anything.” His beautiful amethyst irises stared right into yours. “I wanted you here. Meals aren’t the same without you.” He pat the top of your head, letting his fingers scratch gently into your scalp. In most situations, you’d find your open vulnerability to be embarrassing, but right now you couldn’t care less. You leaned back into him, nestling your nose into his chest, using his body to block out the light. Beel gripped the blanket and pulled it back up to settle around your shoulders. 

“Speaking of meals,” Lucifer started. “It’s about time MC had something to eat.” 

Satan spoke up. “Do we even have anything decent enough for sick humans to have?” The brothers went back and forth for a while, bringing recommendations hypothetically to the table about what would be best for you. 

“Belphie knows the most about humans, what do you think?” Beel wondered. 

A lone monotone hum rang out for a moment. “I think it was stew or something like that.” 

A strange bout of irritation drilled in you. You turned your head, addressing the group. “You know you could just ask the human right here. I might be sick but I’m not completely helpless.” 

Brusque tones usually granted you grating glares, but even Lucifer seemed to give you a pass. “So?” The eldest questioned. “Tell us what you need and we can get it for you.” 

Something about that knocked the rebellious wind out of you. You lowered your head a bit and sighed. “Don’t even worry about it, I’m not hungry anyway.” A bold statement to claim whilst sitting in the lap of Gluttony. 

Shaking you lightly, Beel squinted at you. “You’ve barely eaten all day.” The expression on his face turned Lucifer levels of stern. It wasn’t an appearance he took too often. Even now you knew this was a losing battle. A flash of a memory popped up in your mind, one of when Beel had been sick. You pressed your lips together into a thin line. 

“It’s fine.” 

“It’s not.” 

“Beel--” 

“MC. Eat.” His flat tone trembled throughout his body, sending a shudder through you. Lucifer was always strict, so it never caught you off guard, not anymore. But when Beel got this way it pierced through everyone in the room. As if they’d been the one commanded, everyone took a single bite of their meal. 

You gave in, your stature shrinking. “Fine...something light then. Soup’s fine. I’ll go get some…” 

Beel’s arms wrapped around you again, keeping you to him. “No you won’t. Levi.” 

The third-born almost yelped, sinking down into his seat before stuttering. “S-sure, I-I’ll get it…” As he headed to the kitchen you could hear him grumble. “Of course he had to pick me. Why me? It’s always me…” You felt a bit sorry for the otaku as he slunk away. In fact you almost felt sorry for everyone in the room. Even just alluding to the skip of a meal had Beel suddenly tense, on alert. He had you held against him in a guarded manner, his torso bent forward to lean over what he could of yours. He didn’t settle back down till Levi came back in a handful of minutes later, resting a bowl of soup in front of you. It was of human origins you assumed, it looked like regular chicken noodle. The aroma had bits of nostalgia bubble within you. And now that it was here, you hated to admit that you actually were hungry. 

You reached over to try to grab a spoon, falling just a bit short of the table’s edge. Beel’s arms were admittedly much longer than yours, not needing to sit as close as you usually did. Beel grasped a clean utensil for you, getting a decent portion of stock in it’s dip. He held his other hand under the spoon to make sure he didn’t spill any, then he brought it over to you. Did you try to deny it? Maybe a little, but Beel’s spine-chilling glower had you reconsider. You opened your mouth and let him feed you. The hot broth slid down your sore throat easily, relieving some of the pain. As it warmed you up from the inside, Beel finally went back to smiling, everyone breathing in relief. “See, doesn’t it make you feel better?” Beel brought a new spoonful to your lips. 

You swallowed again and admittedly nodded. “A bit.” 

Out of the blue, Beel brought his face down, planting a gentle kiss to the top of your head. Some of his siblings gasped, but if the demon of gluttony heard it, he pretended he hadn’t. His free hand went back to rubbing your back, and you’d be lying if you said it wasn’t nice, the many sensations driving some of the pain from your mind. “Good,” Beel beamed. “Remember, your body needs fuel to keep going.” 

“I know…” The parallel between now and when he had been sick was almost perfect. Beel took the bowl in his hands, bringing it over to settle in your lap, keeping it steady in his hold. “Isn’t it hot?” You asked, worried he’d burn his skin. 

“Not to me,” he assured you. 

You sighed, taking the spoon from him so you could eat yourself. “Thank you for always looking out for me, Beel.”

You expected him to be pleased, but he quickly turned downcast. “I couldn’t protect you from this.” Heart breaking, all you could do was stare down into your lap, watching the broth gently swirl in the bowl. This had mostly been your fault. If you had done something just a bit differently, maybe…

“No, Beel, that wasn’t your fault,” Belphie spoke up, pushing his plate with his leftovers on it closer to his twin to finish. “Besides, it’s your job now to take care of MC now more than ever, right?” 

Beel turned his head away from the food, peering down at you in his lap. He nodded once, bringing his head down to press his forehead to yours. “You’re right. Sick or not, I’ll always watch over them.” 

After dinner, Beel carried you back up to bed, reluctant to let you be free of his arms, but he managed. After giving you one last once-over and another little kiss to your temple, he hurried back down to the dining hall. After all, he was far from having his fill of food. Lucifer had followed the two of you inside, taking your temperature once more. 100.7, still higher than he’d prefer it to be, but glad to discover it had gone down even if just by a hair. He allowed you to take some medicine and urged you to get some more rest. Flicking the light off, he wished you sweet dreams before he left, torn away from you by work he couldn’t ignore. Although, even with the comfort of your bed and the satisfying feeling of something warm in your belly, for the first time, slumber eluded you. It wasn’t that you weren’t tired--exhaustion might as well have been your permanent state at this point--but shutting your mind off, drifting away into peaceful bliss didn’t seem like an option right now. 

You spent a few hours on your D.D.D. scrolling through posts and web-pages, anything to keep you occupied. Although, that eventually bored you after a while. You sat up, trying to not let the loneliness of your empty room consume you. Had everyone gone to bed already? Had you already gotten used to falling asleep with someone beside you? That couldn’t be the case, right? You slowly got out from under your covers, padding over to the door. Maybe if you walked around the House of Lamentation enough, you’d be able to go to bed. You were feeling a bit better, capable of moving around on your own at the very least. You entered the empty hallway, the midnight moon rays creeping across the rug settled across the stone floor. The branches outside the windows cast twisted shadows across the corridor. Some people might’ve found it dreadful, but whether it was your own stranger tastes or the fact that you’d been down here so long, you found it to be serene in a mystical sort of way. 

Drifting through the halls like a weary ghost patrolling the perimeter, you wandered past each of the brother’s rooms. The house was surprisingly still. Before you knew it, you ended up in the music room. Shifting your feet towards the gorgeous ebony piano, your fingers brushed lightly over the ivory keys. Pushing down a low B, the note reverberated through the room, your skin tingling at the broken silence. It quenched some of your boredom. So you pushed another one, the lowest note this time, the deep tone rumbling through you. 

“Having fun are we?” 

You jumped, every hair across your body standing up on end. Swirling around, you met a pair of ruby eyes in the shadows. A string of curses left your lips. “What in hell’s name are you doing, Lucifer? Nearly scared me to death…” You pressed a hand to your beating chest, adrenaline coursing through your veins. You sunk to your knees, the wind knocked out of you. 

He stepped further into the light, arms crossed, almost fuming. “I could ask you the same question. Once again I have to wonder, what are you doing out of bed? Are you that determined not to recover, is that it?” Hair slightly messy, well-tailored pajamas barely creased, you figured he must’ve just gotten out of bed, possibly disturbed before he could fall asleep. It would explain the death glare he was giving you. 

“I...couldn’t sleep,” you answered truthfully, followed by an innocent little shrug. 

With two fingers, he pinched at the bridge of his nose. “And so Levi just let you waltz around on your own?” 

You tilted your head. “Levi?” 

Something dawned on him with your confused question. A terrifying smile arched over his face, the corners twitching as the small amount of light in the room was snuffed out by his menacing aura. “Leviathan…” Yelping at the sudden movement, Lucifer hoisted you over one of his shoulders, gliding across the floor at a ridiculous pace until he was in front of Levi’s room. You wiggled, beating a gentle fist against Lucifer’s back. 

“Let me down!” 

He let you slide off of him, settling you back on your feet, but he quickly grasped one of your hands to keep you to his side. Despite his furious demeanor, he gently knocked on the door, waiting for approximately two seconds before knocking harder. “Levi!”

You heard the otaku approach his door before he swung it open. “What?! I’m in the middle of a very important raid! What could you possibly need--” The entrance to the room cracked open, Levi sticking his head out before all the color drained from his face. The tangerine hue of his eyes flickering from you to his older brother, the demon with paper-thin patience. Levi gulped, the little bump in his throat bobbing.

“Forgive me if I’m wrong, but didn’t I inform you that you would be keeping an eye on MC tonight?” The higher lilt in his question was laced with hostility. “Or maybe I didn’t make myself clear.” You felt a pang of guilt for the demon of envy. 

“Lucifer,” you urged, tugging at his hand which kept you in a vice grip. “I’ll go back to bed, it’s not an issue.” He was ready to blow a gasket, the weariness of dealing with work and keeping his brother’s shenanigans at bay without your assistance clearly was affecting him. Who knew he’d come to depend on you this much? You reached up, rubbing his shoulder with the sweetest look you could come up with. “Please, don’t be angry.” 

Shutting his eyes, squeezing your hand, he gave himself time to breathe. “MC, rest. Levi, take care of them. And no, I’m not asking.” The dark circles under Lucifer’s eyes almost seemed to run blacker, his irises duller than they should’ve been. 

“Hey, don’t worry about me,” you comforted him. “Go get some sleep yourself.” 

His shoulders sagged ever so slightly. “The sick shouldn't be fussing over the hale and whole, you know, but I will. I shall see you tomorrow.” He brought your hand up, kissing it before he let it go. “And, Levi.” The demon of envy flinched, hoping that he’d been forgotten. “I’ll see you tomorrow as well.” 

Levi hung his head low as his older brother walked away, preemptively sniffling at his possible doom. “...and my raid is ruined…T-this is just the worst.” You were a bit sorry for Levi for being thrown at you like this, but you couldn’t help but wonder in the back of your mind if he...had forgotten about you. You watched the outline of Lucifer disappear into the darkness before you shivered. The temperature inside the house was dropping. “Huh?” Levi snapped out of his pitiful thoughts. “Are you-are you cold?” 

“A little…” 

“O-oh, I guess...maybe...Would it be alright if you stayed in my room tonight?” His stance shifted behind his door, anxiously moving his gaze around to keep from making direct eye contact with you. 

Sighing, you nodded. After all, with the adrenaline crash, you doubted you had energy left to walk back to your room. “Sure.” 

He let you in, shutting the door behind you and locking it with a magical charm to keep the riff-raff out. He scurried over to his tub-bed, pulling out some random plush collectibles, and letting them rest against the floor for now. He spun on his feet for a moment, taking in his room before bringing his thumb up to bite on the nail of it. “Y-you can stay anywhere, I have some blankets I guess...Gah! Why did Lucifer have to make me watch you?” The heart in your chest sank a bit, and you lowered your head, a small “oh” leaving your lips. Clutching his hair, Levi immediately regretted what he said. “No! No no no no, that’s-that’s not what I-I-I--” He stuttered for a good while, unable to grasp proper control of his tongue. “Wait, wait!” Taking a moment to collect his thoughts, he picked up one last Ruri-Chan plush from the bed, covering part of his face with it. “I just...I don’t remember the last time I took care of someone sick…Knowing me, I-I’ll somehow make you worse! What-what if I’m forced to make a split second decision that could be the-the difference between life and death?! I’ll end up killing you! Living the rest of my life in isolated drunken regret!” 

He quickly spiraled down a slippery slope of what-ifs, a dramatic fantasy playing out before him where he’d been cast out of the Devildom as your murderer, a disgusting vagabond, living on wildberries and wildlife with naught but his loneliness and shadow to keep him company. His rising anxiety was making him hyperventilate. You had to come over to him, gently take his shoulders and shake him slightly, dragging him back to reality. “Levi, I highly, highly doubt it will come to that. When Lucifer means ‘take care of me’ he mostly means making sure I have what I need.” You gave the sides of his arms a little rub. 

“But I don’t know what you need!” 

“Well, what I need right now is for you to calm down, first off,” you told him, dropping your hands back to your sides, gripping the end of the tub. Climbing into his bed had never really been an issue before, but hoisting yourself over the edge proved difficult a task. You felt his shaky hands come under your arms, hoisting you enough till you could sink yourself into his nest of pillows. You grinned, thanking him as you reached up to rub the top of his head. “See? Stuff like that, nothing too difficult. Fetch quests and escort missions. Easy mode. I’ll be here, just do your own thing.” 

That seemed to ease him enough. He gripped one of his blankets and pulled it over you, moving back over to his desk. Muttering about the raid, he clacked at the keys, his mood steadily improving the more he lost himself in the world of gaming. You felt at the fabric of your pants, remembering with a small moan that they didn’t have pockets...meaning you’d left your D.D.D. in your room. Figures, you thought. So, in your last ditch effort to stay entertained, you moved Levi’s pillows around, making a small wall to prop yourself against, peering over the top of the basin to stare at his screen. You watched his character move around, fighting random enemies. He was completely absorbed, lightly talking to himself as he moved along, humming the victory theme anytime a quest was completed. At one point, he was paying too much attention to a beautifully fleshed out character model to notice what they were telling him, information that he needed to know but missed out on. After that, he was sent towards a boss that ended up instantly killing him when it finished charging up its “claymore of chaos’ move. Levi tried one more time, then three more times, and then about twenty. “What the heck?! How am I supposed to beat you?!” Levi finally shouted, pushing himself slightly away from his desk. 

Speaking up for the first time in a few hours, you shared with him the information he missed. “You’re supposed to use your Mystical Missile spell.” 

He jumped, almost falling out of his chair. “I thought you were asleep!” 

“I still can’t sleep…I don’t know why.” You pulled your blanket tighter around you, peeking at him from your spot. A blush ran over his cheeks, rubbing the back of his head. 

“Oh...Really? Mystical Missile? But it’s a trashy beginner spell.” 

“That NPC lady said it would work, I dunno.” You shrugged. “Try it out, it can’t hurt.” 

So he did, removing one of his high level skills to equip the basic one. Severely doubting success, he entered the boss arena again. It was admittedly tense, keeping you both on the edge of your seat. Once “claymore of chaos” was building, Levi let the spell fly towards him. The boss staggered, a crack forming in it’s armor. “It worked!” He shouted, yelping as a new flurry of enemy spells flew towards his character.  If it was entertainment you were looking for, you found it, cheering him on as he hunched over, focused on his every move. Once it went down, you both whooped and cheered. It had been a bit too much for your lungs, dissolving into some coughs. Levi rushed to his feet, rubbing your back. “You okay?” 

You nodded, letting your body shudder with a few more hacks till it was done. Voice more hoarse than before, you still smiled at him. “You did it!” 

A laugh bubbled out of him. “Victory! Dun dun dun! Legendary item acquired!” Then his expression fell for a second. “Have you just been sitting there, watching me the whole time?” You nodded. He gripped one of his hoodie sleeves. “Would you rather do something...together?” 

You brightened. “Sure!” 

Giddy, he hurried over to the computer, picking up his loot before saving the game, closing the program. “If you’re in the mood for watching something, how about this new anime I found? I’m only a few episodes in, but I can start over! It’s called ‘I Transferred To A New School, But Everyone There Is Part Of The Elite, So I Have To Try And Keep Up With My Classmates Despite Me Being Normal, But I Accidentally Fooled The School Into Thinking I’m A Long Lost Heir To A Forgotten Throne’.” 

Blinking, you stared at him. “You lost me at Elite.” Why the Devildom had anime with titles the length of chapters, you’d never know. 

“It’s good! I promise!” He shifted his monitor so you could see it from your spot easier, turning the anime on with an elated aura, much nicer than the gloom-and-doom one from earlier. This was the Levi you loved to see, the one you tried to cherish as much as you could. He sat in his chair, scooting back till he was beside you so you could watch it together. It was a cute anime, something mostly a slice of life, a normal main character in a school setting surrounded by powerful beings, the plot moved forward with magical shenanigans...something about it sounded familiar. One of the episodes showed the main character fallen ill under some strange circumstance, their roommate they stayed with flustered but determined to take care of them. The friend--and obvious love interest--asked if he could hold the protagonist’s hand. Levi made a little noise. “MC, c-can I hold your hand? I mean, if that’s super weird don’t even listen to me because who would even want to hold hands with me anyway and--” 

“Sure,” you smiled, reaching your hand out from the blanket a little. 

He hesitated for a second and then took it, resuming to watch the show. Much to your amusement, any move the character made, he made as well, taking it as if it were some sort of guide. He brushed the hair from your face, made sure the blanket was tucked gently around you, ensured you were comfortable. Then, the friend in the show made a bold move, snuggling next to the main character as they both fell asleep. Levi went stiff, becoming extremely flustered. You had to admit, the concept was...enticing, and you almost leapt at any opportunity to tease envy. You tugged at his hand, making him look at you with your arms outstretched. If this had been an anime, he would’ve collapsed, his soul flying from his mouth. But even Levi couldn’t resist the temptation. He stepped into his bed, slowly, warily at first. He let you take him into your arms, wrapping his own body around you as you both squeezed together in the tub. “I...I...This is...a dream…” 

You chuckled, settling your head on his chest, feeling his motoring heart pound in his chest. “Let’s watch some more, Levi.” Only, you hardly remembered anything after that. For shortly after he curled against you, the strange barrier keeping you awake completely collapsed. He had draped the blanket over you both, fidgeting with the hair at the nape of your neck. You must’ve turned your head against him, comforted enough by his presence to fall asleep.

“Medicine?” 

“Right here.” 

“Water?” 

“You brought me like a gallon’s worth.” 

“D.D.D.?” 

“You can see it in my hands.” 

Lucifer went down the list, the actual written list he’d come up. You sat in bed, trying hard not to blush and squirm under the many gazes in your room this morning. “Extra blankets?” 

“I have everything and anything needed to last an entire week in solitary!” You shook your head, a little irate at each of them, but appreciating their concern all the same. Icepacks, blankets, snacks, water, bandages, and many other things were brought in your room in preparation. “You all are only going to a Student Council meeting, not off on some lengthy business trip.” 

“Absolutely right!” Asmo shouted, sitting next to you in bed, hugging you to him and caressing your cheek against his. “It’s some stupid meeting anyway, which means one of us can stay can’t we?” 

Every member of the household was already shouting reasons why they and they alone should have the opportunity to stay with you. Lucifer’s little vein above his eyebrow throbbed. “Enough!” The room went silent. “As much as I would love to permit myself to stay home,” he cleared his throat, “not a single one of us can miss today’s meeting. Which is why I’m taking every precaution. EDP?” 

You gently pushed Asmo off of you, raising an eyebrow. The demon of lust pouted, stroking your head instead. “What’s an EDP?” You asked. 

“An EDP is a short term we use for an Emergency Defense Pillar,” Satan explained. “A popular and fairly new little device in the Devildom, especially for lesser magic users or those who aren’t trained in combat.” 

“I’m still at a loss,” you admitted. “Is it like a baton or something?” 

Rummaging around in his pockets, Mammon brandished a small black object. It was cylindrical, about as big as a lighter, a glowing red button on the side. “I brought it! Now, let me teach you, human. If you’re being chased or cornered, this handy lil’ doodad is going to be essential if you wanna escape. You just push this little button here, and--” 

Lucifer’s chest tightened. “Mammon, don’t!” 

The second born pressed the button, his mistake just now clicking in his mind, chucking it a bit in front of him. Asmo grabbed you and tucked you against his chest, pushing your back to the wall while he shielded you with his body. Every other brother hit the floor, jumping away from the object. A huge pillar of fire sprouted from the object, swirling blue flames emitting intense heat as well as a roaring sound. It nearly burnt your eyes. Asmo tucked your head into his shoulder, waiting until the fire was suddenly sucked back into the small container, rattling against the floor. Your protector pulled away from you, letting you stare at the pitch black circle burnt into your ceiling and floor, a round chunk taken out of your carpet, some fibers still flickering. Lucifer came over and snuffed out the singed pieces with his shoe, the vein in his head more prominent. He was about to shout but you beat him to it. “That’s absolutely unnecessary! In what scenario would I need to use that?! Is there even a safety on that thing?!” 

A little sheepish, Mammon picked himself back up off the floor. “Well, you’ve gotten the best visual example you can get. You’re welcome.” 

“I don’t want it, someone take it with them,” you groaned. “What if I end up accidentally getting flame-broiled in my sleep?”  

Beel closed his eyes. “Flame-broiled hell bats…” 

Lucifer bent down and picked up the EDP from the floor. “Perhaps this is a bit too dangerous.” 

“Glad we can see eye to eye on that one…” You tapped the screen of your D.D.D., noticing that the time to the meeting was rapidly approaching. “You guys have fifteen minutes! Stop worrying about me and get out of here!” 

Many wide-eyed demons scrambled to get out your door, knowing that the punishment for being late was not something they wanted to risk. Even Lucifer was rushed, booking it out of your room. Then he popped his head in. “You’ll call if anything happens?” 

“Yes.” 

He left again, the door shutting. It burst back open, his overprotective nature coming to light. “You have your alerts on, right?” 

You chuckled, you couldn’t prevent yourself from doing so. “Yes, mother hen, now go!” He growled, but this time left for good, the uproar from the group slowly fading away. Once more, you shook your head, staring at the charcoal colored circle against your ceiling. “They’re insane,” you stated aloud. 

“Truly,” someone replied. You yelped, chucking the closest pillow at the sudden voice. Solomon caught it, laughing. “Sorry for startling you. The demons are gone, I’m assuming?” He walked back over, handing you your plushy ammo. 

“They just left. Why are you here?” You took the pillow from him, settling it in your lap as you crossed your legs over your mattress. 

He pulled an upset face. “Why do you sound so suspicious? I’m here to check up on you. I had to make sure those demons were taking care of you properly.” He grabbed a chair from your table, scooting up by the bedside. He spotted the hard-to-miss burns and sighed. “Maybe I should’ve gotten here sooner. Oh well, an easy fix. Spirits of twine and stone, turn back the time to whence this matter was well known, heed the Sorcerer Solomon!” Flowing restorative magic rushed over the floor and ceiling, soaking into the atoms, leaving it as perfect as it had been earlier. Actually, almost better than how it had been before. Not even the smell of burning remained. In a small flourish, he stretched out his hands. “Ta-da.” 

“Thank you.” You couldn’t help but giggle at his theatrics. “And the brothers have been taking care of me just fine. I don’t have a fever anymore.” 

He reached his hand out, thumb brushing across your face, he hummed to himself before pulling you gently, pressing his lips to your forehead. You gasped a little, covering your mouth as your face burned. He sat back, nodding. “You feel much better.” He caught your expression, trying to stifle a smirk. “Hm? I was simply taking your temperature.” 

Composing yourself, you tightly gripped the pillow in your hands. “Kinda an old method, don’t you think?” 

“I prefer traditional practices,” he shared. “But that wasn’t the main reason I came over.” 

“Oh?” You’ll admit, at first the EDP had seemed utterly ridiculous, but in this dreaded scenario, you almost wished to have it in your hands. Solomon pushed back his cloak, reaching behind his back and pulling out a fresh steaming plate of food. Already you felt sweat bead across your face. “A-ah, how nice of Simeon to make me something.” It was more of a personal wish, although you knew that it wasn’t going to be the case. 

“Not Simeon, actually. I made it!” He beamed, completely oblivious. “How long has it been since you’ve had a home-cooked human meal?” 

“N-not too long ago actually, and-I-um-the brothers made sure to feed me before they left so-” 

“Surely you can have a few bites, right?” He pleaded. “I made sure to add all kinds of ingredients I know have some healing properties, so I’m sure it’ll enhance the flavor. Here, no need to waste extra energy, let me feed you. Say ah.” 

“MC!” The sound of someone frantically calling your name in the distance slowly brought you to. “MC!” Something snapped as you moved, pain coursing through your entire body. You opened your eyes, not able to see much through the leaves. Wait...leaves? The smell of earth and roses rushed to your nose. That and the thorns trapping you and piercing you were enough to tell you what you needed to know. You were somehow entangled in a rose bush. The voice sounded again, closer this time. “MC, where are you?!” 

Audio recognition kicked in, able to place the voice. Tilting your head back, you put all the power you could into your shout. “Belphie!” There was silence for a while, and white hot panic settled in your stomach...or maybe that was. Oh that was right…

Suddenly the leaves were pulled back, Belphie’s head staring down at you. “This is new for you.” 

You tried to move, but your clothes were stuck in the thorn’s clutches, not to mention any movement you made drove the bush’s claws deeper into your skin. “I…I think I’m stuck.” 

“Wow, that really sucks for you.” 

“Belphie!” You tried sitting up, a sharp pain in your cheek causing you to hiss, drawing in breath through your teeth. Something drifted down your cheek, the taste of bitter copper coming across your lips. Blood. “P-please help me.”

“I was only joking. Don’t move, you’ll make things worse.” He tugged at some of the branches, the disruption poking you some more. Tugging at your sleeve, he detangled your shoulder, working on your lower arm next. 

“Ow, ow, ooooow,” you whined. 

“Don’t be such a baby.” Leaning down a bit too far, one of the thorns pricked him right in the thumb. He cursed, threatening to leave you alone once you laughed. “You’re really scratched up…” He frowned as he gestured to many thin red scratches across your body. You whimpered again, reaching up at him to tug you free. Sloth kicked in, his impatience to take his time fluttered away. He basically flattened the bush with his feet, breaking the twigs stuck to you with his hands. His arms wrapped around your torso, tugging you up, the sound of some fabric tearing as he did. He sighed, taking you a few steps away from the bush before letting you slide past his arms, flopping to the soil. He came down to kneel beside you, grabbing thorns and leaves out of your hair, rubbing a thumb over the small wound on your cheek. “When you wonder why we worry about leaving you alone, this is why. How long have you been napping in bushes?” 

“I…” A sudden chill overtook you, your stomach and the food...you remembered the food Solomon had fed you. The taste...torture. You could feel it in your throat. 

“MC?” You pushed Belphie away, scrambling on your hands and knees to another unfortunate set of flora. Without nitty gritty details, let’s just say your body had the smart idea to not keep Solomon’s food in you any longer. Trembling, you coughed up the last of it, cold sweat dripping down your face. Belphie’s hands touched your back. “You’re not going to be sick on me, are you?” You didn’t respond to him, trying to catch your breath. He mumbled, pulling you into his lap. Covered in dirt and sweat, you curled into him, shivering. Then the both of you watched in slight horror as all the plants planted around your...expulsed poison all wilted at once, almost crumbling to dust. “Wicked father of demons…” Belphie breathed. “What the hell did you eat?” 

You only needed to utter one word for him to understand everything entirely. “Solomon…” 

“Dear Diavolo…I’m lucky to have found you alive.” He whipped his head around. “He’s not still here is he?” 

You shook your head, rubbing at the saliva on your lips. “I don’t remember...I don’t remember leaving my room…I don’t remember…” 

Working hard to get to his feet, he lifted you along with him. You wrapped your arms around his neck, your legs against his body, groaning into him. “Alright, I guess we’re doing this now.” He held onto you, sidestepping past the destroyed flora and towards the house. “I’m just telling you this now though, if Solomon is still here, I will leave you.” 

Reaching up his neck, you grasped tightly onto some of his hairs. “I will drag you down with me.” 

“Confident words for someone I’m carrying like a baby,” he snickered, but he let the witty back and forth drop as he entered the house. For a moment, he stood still, taking in the air of the place. “I think we’re good,” he announced, but continuing to take wary steps up the stairs. He picked up the pace in the hallways, sneaking away towards the familiar spiral staircase that led it’s way up to the attic. The doors he pushed open were heavy in more ways than one. Quietly shutting it behind the two of you, he headed over to the bed. A jolting ticklish pain raced down your body as Belphie jabbed his fingers against your waist. “Off, parasite.” You relinquished your grasp as fast as you could, flopping onto the attic mattress. You crawled up, sliding under the covers, planting your face into the nearest pillow. Right when you thought you were recovering, you were back to being bed-ridden. Belphie left you alone in silence for a minute. When he came back, you had to take a moment to realize he had ever been gone. He was stealthy like that. He dropped a small first-aid kit as well as a bottle of water on the blanket. “Come here.” 

“But I-” 

“But I,” he mocked. “But I don’t care. I need to look after some of those scratches.” Huffing, you dramatically threw the blanket to the side, coming over to sit in front of him. Taking the water bottle in hand, you gratefully moved to take a hearty swig to wash down some of the acid. Belphie grabbed it from you before you could. “Not for drinking.” He twisted the cap off and pulled out a small clean washcloth from his pockets. He pressed the fabric against the opening and tilted the bottle up, getting the rag slightly wet. He then pressed it against your cheek. “We don’t want these infected.” Slowly, he dabbed at each of your shallow scratches, making sure they were clear of dirt. Once he was done with that, he shoved the remaining water at you. 

“I don’t want your rag water.” 

“Fine.” 

But the acidity in your mouth was grating against your teeth. You snatched the bottle from him, swallowing some grateful gulps to cease the gentle burning. Belphie had a mild cocky expression, wiping away the blood. Closing an eye due to slight stinging, you watched his concentrated face. “So…” You started, watching him soon open the box and remove a small tube of medicated ointment. “Why’re you home?” 

Squeezing a small amount of the clear gel on the tip of his finger, he started applying it to your cleaned wounds. “Oh, I snuck out of the meeting.” 

“Belphie!” 

“What?” He took one hand, grabbing your face for a second, squishing your cheeks, mimicking the way your lips pursed. You shook him off, trying to keep yourself from being flustered. “Can you blame me? All I could think about was you...nice and warm in bed...and I was sleepy.” He let out a large yawn. “Still sleepy.” 

“Well…” You paused for a second, heat rising to your cheeks. “I’m glad you did.” 

He stopped for a second, looking into your eyes. “Hm? Say that again?” 

Swallowing a lump in your throat, you furled your eyebrows. “I didn’t say anything.” 

“Are you suuuure?” He drawled. “Cus it sounded like you missed me.” One look at your embarrassed face sent him laughing. He poked at your ribs, tickling your sides, singing the words. “You missed me, you missed me.” 

Burying your face in your hands, you kicked him a little. “Stop it!” 

“Fine,” he smirked. “Anyway, I think you’re mostly taken care of. Most of these have dried and scabbed over. They weren’t very deep anyway.” He lifted your arm, turning it to make sure he’d treated you completely. “So now we can do what I came here for!” It was his first excited expression in a while. He jumped into you, grabbing you by the waist against the bed. Both your heads hit the pillows, the blanket following shortly after. Already you could feel his face against your back. A happy hum of his buzzed into your skin, his hands rubbing against your stomach. Pouting a little, you realized that with Belphie stuck to you like this, you weren't going anywhere soon, so you shifted to get comfortable. You relaxed with a heavy sigh. “You know…” Belphie drowsily muttered. “I...missed...you too…” 

“MC! My poor precious MC! I’m never ever leaving you alone again!” Asmo wailed, clinging to you like if he let you go you’d suddenly die. “I can’t believe Belphie did this to you!” 

Speaking up from the corner, Belphie scoffed. “I actually helped them, just so everyone knows.” Back in your room, each of the demon brothers had returned from the meeting, having found you and Belphie after a while in the attic. Of course, your small wounds, Belphie’s absence, and the strange destruction of a segment of the garden was called into question. 

“And my plants!” Asmo shrieked. “They were such a lovely background for my Devilgram posts! They’re ruined!” 

“I’m so-” you tried to apologize, but Asmo pressed a gentle finger against your lips. 

“Shush! I don’t blame you a single bit, my darling. It’s all these ruffians!” He kissed your cheek in spots around your little wound. 

“Hey! Solomon’s the person responsible, not us!” Mammon shouted. 

Lucifer’s weariness was especially noticeable today. You wondered what he had to put up with at the meeting. “At the very least, we’re glad you’re safe, MC. Knowing what Solomon’s cuisine is capable of…” He pinched at the bridge of his nose. “I’m heading to my office...try not to burn the house down,” he sighed, exiting quietly. 

You tilted your head. “Is he okay?” You asked. 

“When Belphie left, let’s just say Diavolo wasn’t exactly pleased,” Satan explained, a wicked grin stretching his lips wide. “So in exchange he agreed to be Diavolo’s personal servant tomorrow. I hope our Demon Lord has some entertaining things in store.” 

Belphie’s face brightened. “Did I do that? Whoops.” Hardly a glimmer of remorse in him. 

“You guys owe it to him at least to try and make it a calm night,” you urged, hoping to ease some of the shenanigans already being plotted in their minds. 

Mammon shook his head. “Why do we gotta owe him anything? If he’s out for the count tonight, I can hit the casinos without a problem!” He came over rubbing your head. “Give me some of that luck, yeah?” You doubted you had any, but he bounded out the door. 

“Belphie, I’ve got a little idea I’d like to try, but I need an extra set of hands. Care to join me?” Satan curled a little finger around his chin, mischief making his green eyes glow wild. 

Belphie chuckled. “Ab-so-lutely.” With devilish grins, they both sniggered, malevolent whispers drifting between them as they left. 

A rumbling growl echoed through the room. If this had been anywhere else, you would’ve been terrified. But this was the Devildom, and you knew Beel’s stomach when you heard it. “Oh...I’m sorry, MC, but I’m starving. I’ll see you in a bit.” He came over, trying to give you a hug despite Asmo still holding onto you for dear life. He ended up hugging both of you anyway. With more than a little speed, he also left your room, probably heading straight for the kitchen. 

A high pitched ‘bling’ reached your ears. Levi pulled out his D.D.D.. “Oh! The new patch for Sorcerer’s Scrolls has been released! I gotta go!” He moved to run but stopped in his tracks before he got too far. “Do you wanna...watch more of that show tonight?” 

“Sure, Levi,” you smiled, watching him sprint out of the room, a joyful spring in his step. Although, once everyone had left, you couldn’t help but lower your head, patting Asmo’s wrist. “You can leave too, Asmo, you don’t have to stay with me.” 

He made an overly dramatic gasp. “But I do! Don’t sound so sad!” Pulling a bit away from you, he let his cheeks turn a bit pink. “And to be completely honest, I’ve been dying to get some alone time with you.” He squirmed a little bit, but then jumped to his feet. “So! You just sit there and let Nurse Asmo take care of everything, ‘kay ‘kay?” Is that why he had brought that large bag with him when he came in? It was a peach-colored tote bag, settled on your table, a fluffy pink pom-pom clipped to one of the handles. He bounded towards it, rummaging around, looking for something important.

A little--well a lot--guarded against potential Asmo intentions, you tried craning your head to see if you could look inside, but no dice. The end of your nose tickled again as it had the past few days. Grabbing another tissue from your bedside, you tried to blow your nose as quietly as possible. Your poor nostrils were so dry by this point it was bordering on painful. You sniffled, reaching over to squirt some hand sanitizer in your hands. “I thought you hated being around sick people,” you told him. 

“You’re the only exception! Besides,” he grabbed out a familiar tool, one you had no idea how he got his hands on it. A stethoscope. “I want to use all these goodies Solomon got me!” 

The name still almost sent a shudder down your spine. “Solomon? Why?” 

Practically skipping back over, he sat beside you on the bed, strangely excited about this. “Aren’t bodies fascinating?” He touched his own skin, dragging his hand down his neck. “I love to know what makes this perfect body run! And you have absolutely no idea how desperately I’ve longed to know how yours does too!” Taking a good look at him, you could sense that he was truly and undeniably curious as to how your mortal body differed from his. Or possibly just craving a closer look into you altogether. Of course, you still had to close your eyes and deeply sigh. How many times would Solomon be the source of general chaos? Asmo took the end to the stethoscope, looking at it strangely. “Tell me, dear, how does this work?” You let out a light chuckle, and he looked at you curiously. “Don’t make fun of me, that’s just mean!” 

“I’m not! I’m not, I promise, it’s just…” He resembled that of a little kid right now, a rare sort of innocence about him. Here he was, a demon of many millennia, and he just wanted to play doctor for a bit. “Never mind.” Brushing off your thoughts, you took the binaurals, putting the earpieces in his ears. One of his hands gently clutched the diaphragm, so you wrapped your own hand around his, guiding the end of the stethoscope to your chest. 

Listening it to a moment, you could watch the gentle awe cross over his face. “T-that’s you.” 

You brought a hand up to cover your mouth. “Yes, Asmo, that’s me. What, you didn’t think I had a heartbeat?” 

“No, I knew! It’s just…” He closed his eyes, going silent. You didn’t want to disturb his moment, but you felt a sneeze coming on. Grabbing another tissue, you covered your nose, tilted your head down towards your lap, and sneezed. Moaning a bit, you blew your nose again, hard enough to make your ears pop. Sitting up, you chucked your used kleenex into the trash. You were about to apologize, but then the glee drained from Asmo’s face. He brought his hands up to his mouth and shrieked. 

“What?! What’s wrong?!” As soon as you had asked, the answer presented itself towards you. Warmth dripped down your lips, forcing you to close your mouth as fast as you could. 

“Blood! You’re bleeding! Hold on!” Lurching towards the tissues, Asmo pulled five out at a time, pressing it against your face. You pinched your nose, pressuring your hand against the bundle of kleenex. “Look at all this! No, no, no, no, you’ll be alright, darling.” Your gut instinct was to tilt your head up, but Asmo placed his hand on the top of your head, tilting it slightly forward. “Oh, don’t do that, you’ll end up swallowing it. Stay there, I’ll be right back.” He got up sprinting, leaving you alone with the smell and taste of blood. When he came back, he had a cold wet rag in his hands. “Here, use this instead. Give me those,” he softly ordered, tugging at the already blood soaked tissues. You took the rag in your hands, using that to stop the flow instead. He pulled you into his arms, rubbing your back. “Poor thing, it’s just non-stop problems for you right now, isn’t it?” You let him hold you, tilting your head against his as you waited for the blood to stop.  Slowly, he brought his hand up to pet the back of your head, giggling a bit to himself when the action made you shiver. 

After a bit of time, you tore away from him, cautiously removing the rag. You touched just above your lip, sighing in relief when it had stopped. “That was unexpected.” 

Stealing the cloth from you, he started wiping the excess blood off your face. “About gave me a heart attack!” With his free hand, he cupped the side of your face. 

A little idea crossed your mind. “Heart attack, huh? Better check that out.” Reaching for the stethoscope, you cleaned the earpieces before putting them in, pressing the small round medical disc to his chest. It was a bit stunning, you had to admit, how loud it sounded. In the human world before, any mentions of demons or angels were always in an ethereal sense. Whether you believed in them or not, you never really thought about them having hearts. Were they even similar to yours? At least...the drumming beating sound of life was the same. 

He finished up cleaning you off, tilting his head and grinning. “Well?” 

“Undeniably alive...and I’m very grateful for it.” 

He squealed, flopping onto you, pushing you both down onto the bed. Every hint that he had been frightened before was gone. “Aren’t you just the sweetest?! Come here, you!” He littered kisses over your face, sending you into a little flurry of embarrassed titters. 

“Asmo…” 

“Isn’t it a human saying that they can kiss the pain away?” He pecked his lips over your eyelids. “Well, you better prepare yourself...I won’t stop kissing your perfect little face till you feel better!”

The bedroom door violently swung open, the handle nearly making a dent in the wall. Demons poured in, nearly falling over each other. They were all in demon forms, ready to tackle more danger. When they noticed that Asmo was fawning over you, they all puffed up, jealous and irritated. “We heard you scream and thought something happened!” Lucifer roared. Kinda late, weren’t they?

“Hey, why’re you getting all kissy with MC?!” Mammon jumped onto the mattress, trying to pry you from his brother’s arms. 

“Don’t you think I deserve to be embracing them?” Satan attempted to push them both aside. Before you knew it, your room was a small war-arena, everyone climbing on the bed. You were squished between them, passed between different hands. Then something wobbled, the sound of wood and metal groaning before a loud snap pierced your ears. The bed hit the floor, a poof of dust causing you to cough. Your bedframe lay scattered in broken pieces across the ground. 

“My...bed…” You ran a hand through your hair, pinned under the doggy-pile of demon lords. You looked between each of them with stern looks, each of them blushing in embarrassment over their actions. “Well...I guess it means I’ll be using someone else’s bed for the foreseeable future.” 

All at once, their faces lit up, and at the same time they all shouted the same thing. “Me!”

[sondepoch]

Sense (Xiao x Reader) | Part 1/3

The adepti are meant to protect the people of Liyue, but Xiao's definition of protection grows skewed when he meets you, a Visionless civilian who's too kind for this world. Xiao is hardly the right person to treat you right, he knows. But after millennia of defending the city, he thinks it's time he allow himself a little happiness. (Even if that happiness means taking you away from everything and everyone you've ever loved.)

Part 1 | ✎ | ✎ |

MASTERLIST

hi! heads up that you might want to read the tags :\ xiao is yandere in this (gets worse as time wears on) and although the first chapter is super tame, it'll end in hardcore noncon

It’s not quite a sixth sense. 

To say that Xiao has a sixth sense would imply that he has only six senses, only one enhancement to set him as an adeptus apart from mere mortals. The truth must be that he has anywhere near eight or nine senses, and even those don't count the hundreds of smaller, intuitive instincts Xiao has picked up over the years.

There are, of course, the five ordinary senses: sight, smell, sound, touch, and taste. None of these Xiao feels in quite the way a human does—where they taste food, he tastes dreams; where they see color, he sees the residual energy of demons—but it's some little common ground that he shares with all humans: with you.

Then, there are the senses Xiao possesses which his human counterparts do not.

His sixth sense, of which there are still more, is one that enables him to feel the energy of anyone who enters his field of perception. It makes it impossible to sneak up on him, impossible to even move without his knowledge.

The seventh sense is simpler: Xiao’s ability to sense bloodlust. He cannot see the future, but intent to kill is something he can read with a single glance someone’s way.

His eighth sense is difficult to understand in human terms: it’s his connection to Rex Lapis, a one-way communication path that remains open despite his master’s retirement and supposed death (though the fact that this path remains is evidence enough that Rex Lapis is alive).

The ninth sense, however, is perhaps the most important. 

It’s something Xiao manually cultivated—an unimpressive feat, given that adepti have been known to do this in the past, and yet an equally impressive feat, for it's the first time Xiao has ever taught himself something for the benefit of himself and not his master—

The ability to read you.

A smile ghosts over Xiao’s lips involuntarily as you skip up the steps of the Wangshu Inn, not bothering to take the elevator because standing still will hardly do justice to the raw excitement buzzing in your veins. Xiao can feel it: the steady pulse of happiness, radiating off of you in waves like light off the sun, technically invisible to everyone in the world but him, though the radiant smile on your lips is a sign to all of your mood.

In your hands is a double-layered package that you hold tight to your chest for fear of dropping it: a top layer filled with hand-made almond tofu, a bottom layer filled with store-bought almond tofu.

How endearing.

Even Xiao, stubborn and sullen as he always is, can’t fight off the way his heart softens at your display of kindness. 

Of course you took note of his favorite treat from the last time he allowed you to meet him here. Of course you had the courage to try making it from scratch. Of course you were sweet enough to make sure you still had the store-bought version with you, in case the home-made version turned out to be bad, and of course you remembered to do all this in preparation for today, the date Xiao gave you when the two of you last met.

“Xiao, Xiao, I have...”

He can already hear your sweet voice ringing out in the distance as you burst through the entrance of the Wangshu Inn. He can hear Verr Goldet try to stop you, asking if you actually have a booking at this inn, and he reminds himself to have a word with the woman later. Thankfully, the brilliant smile on your face (and more likely, your comment that you were here to see Xiao) makes the woman relent and allow you inside, and so you continue your journey closer to where Xiao last met you, out onto the terrace of the most beautiful inn in the countryside.

“Xiao?” you ask, slightly out of breath. Xiao calls upon his powers to send a gentle breeze in the direction of the inn, delighting in your happy sigh the way you delight in the cooling sensation. 

“Up,” is all the man says, eyes sharp as he watches you.

“Up...up...oh!” 

You spin around with a look of adorable surprise, and the way your entire face brightens up when you see the adeptus is heartwarming. 

“Xiao!” you exclaim, lifting the wrapped box in your hands. “I brought you almond tofu!”

I know, Xiao wants to tell you. After all, how could he not? He specifically trained his body to be able to read the thin membrane of elemental energy that coats your skin (the one all mortals share in, the one all Vision-holders have amplified), to the point where as soon as you stepped into your kitchen this morning and rolled up your sleeves, the unmistakable scent of almonds and tofu wafting over to coat your skin, Xiao knew. 

Then again, most mortals would call that level of supervision—what's the term—creepy, so he refrains from mentioning it. 

“That’s thoughtful,” he instead says, not budging an inch from his position on the roof of the inn. Then, he remembers the odd tradition about gift-giving you taught him last time he permitted you to see him, and he adds: “Thank you.”

“You remembered!” you blurt, as if surprised by something so simple. The adeptus would be miffed by the insinuation if he couldn't already sense that you meant no insult.

“I also remembered what you said last time! I had today's date marked on my calendar for weeks! Oh, and your favorite sweet. I brought…” 

You ramble about something unimportant as you set your box of almond tofu in one palm and use the other to try hoisting yourself up on the roof. Of course, you’re paying too much attention to your words to realize that the balustrade you’re using as footing is weak, and then you slip, and Xiao feels his entire life, everything he’s ever cared about, you, you, and you, flash before his eyes, and—

Before he can think, he’s caught your wrists and has pulled you into his chest. 

An effortless jump is all it takes for him to have you on the roof—for archons’ sake, you’re still clinging to that ridiculous box of almond tofu as if it was more important than your safety—and then he’s checking you over for injuries.

“Are you okay?” he snaps and then winces when he realizes the harshness of his voice. “I mean, did you injure yourself? Is your ankle in pain?”

His hands are killer’s hands, not healer’s hands, but he lifts your ankle delicately. He doesn’t know what human ankles are supposed to look like, but yours doesn’t look swollen, he thinks. Or broken. Or even twisted, thank Morax, and—

“Oh my goodness!” you blurt, eyes wide. 

Xiao turns his attention to you, grateful at your change in expression as if expecting you to actually be afraid that you nearly slipped off the balcony of one of the highest inns in the world, but then his senses tingle and he realizes that it’s not fear you’re feeling, it’s excitement.

What could she possibly—

“This is the first time you’ve touched me!” 

Instantly, Xiao’s mind fills with panic. His brain flashes back to the first time you met, off a cliff near Cuijue Slope where even then, he saved you from your fall with an Anemo current instead of with his bare hands because he knew your body couldn’t handle his level of adeptal energy. Then, he thinks of the second time you crossed paths after you'd finally managed to track him down at the Wangshu Inn to thank him for saving your life, where he still kept his distance. The third time, scheduled by him after a fixed amount of time to allow your body to recover from the strength of his aura. The fourth time, where you brought him snacks on the rooftop and he still refused to let you feed him, insisting on staying as far from you as possible—and only humoring your plea for him to not leave because of how he'd already begun to grow partial to your company, choosing to bask in it despite knowing that it could only end poorly for you.

Today, he had planned on sitting on the rooftop while you sat on one of the tables on the balcony. It would be sufficient distance to limit the load of his adeptal energy on your body, but still little enough so that the two of you could talk until early morning, as Xiao had begun to enjoy.

Never did he plan on actually touching you.

“By Morax,” he curses and jerks a step back, flying away from your body to the opposite side of the roof. You seem outwardly fine, but Xiao knows that the impact of this will run deep. Curse him and his instinct: it’s the first time where he’s been so overwhelmed with concern that he broke the one rule he set for himself when Rex Lapis retired and left the protection of humanity to the adepti.

“Xiao, I’m fine!” you blurt, completely unaware of how your body has already begun to react. You can’t seem to feel it, but Xiao, having trained himself to be sensitive to even the slightest changes in your disposition, can tell how adeptal energy has contaminated your body.

“I need to leave,” he says, voice stiff. “To prevent the effects on your body from growing worse. I’ll see you in a month.”

Or you’ll see him in a month, unaware of how he’ll be following you with a careful eye every second he’s not off vanquishing demons that threaten the tranquility of your city, but he doesn't see the need to mention that.

Xiao stands to his full height and prepares to disappear, not even waiting for your response, but, as usual, you’re anything but predictable.

The man sighs as soon as he senses (with his actual sixth sense, this time) you lunge for him. 

Should he disappear now, you’ll quite literally throw yourself off the roof. 

That’s not as much of a problem, given that you’ll still land on the floor of the balcony, but after the scare Xiao just had over your ankle, he’d rather not let you tug at his heartstrings again.

With a reluctant sigh, he lets you clash into the backside of his boot.

“W-wait, please don’t go—” you blurt, and look at that, there are tears in your eyes as you cling to his leg and stare up at him with the most imploring gaze in the world. “I—I made you homemade tofu, s-so at least…”

A flush crawls its way up your spine, invisible in the darkness of this night but painfully obvious to Xiao, who's in tune with your every emotion. 

To deny you now would be to make you miserable.

The yaksha remembers how happy you were when coming here just five minutes ago: how the very sight had filled his heart with warmth.

Instantly, he comes to a decision.

“Let go of my foot,” he says calmly, less fearful about you touching the thick leather of his boot rather than the bare skin of his palm because the former has only residual energy. “And I will stay with you a short while to speak as we always do.”

As we always do, Xiao says as if he's even met you more than five times in his entire life. As we always do, Xiao says without even realizing how he quietly just confessed that he wants to always do this with you.

Your hands are off his foot instantly.

Then, it's just like the past three encounters Xiao has had with you, and you’re shyly pushing sweets his direction with a hopeful smile on your face. As usual, he maintains his distance and keeps a close watch of your internal balance to make sure he’s not affecting you too negatively with his presence, but...the moment is peaceful. Xiao finds himself lost in your happy eyes and bashful smiles, telling himself that the happiness he feels radiating off of you has never been so profound since he first began following you as it is now.

“And there’s actually a layer beneath—”

“With store-bought tofu, yes, I know.” Xiao doesn’t hesitate in lifting the box’s false bottom to see another batch of his favorite dish. This layer looks more pristine, the tofu squares more uniform, but they’re made with the clinical preciseness of a shop: they have none of the love you put into your food.

“How did you know that?” you ask, puzzled. You cock your head to the side, and Xiao can’t help but think that it makes you look like a puppy, cute and innocent and naive.

“I…” used my power as an adeptus to connect your elemental energy to my own so that I can sense and know everything about you at all times. 

Yeah. He can’t say that.

“I could tell from the size of the box,” is what he comes up with instead, a decent-enough lie because he can tell that you genuinely believe it.

“Oh! You’re so smart, Xiao.”

And so conversation continues. 

The two of you never talk about anything important when you meet: Xiao has, after all, only properly met you a handful of times, and most of those times were spent with you graciously thanking him for saving you from literal death. Then, there was a period where you were so mesmerized by his status as an adeptus that you could hardly say anything of interest, too dumbfounded and shocked; but now, you’ve grown comfortable around Xiao. The things you speak of are unimportant and mundane, trivial when compared to what the yaksha deals with every day when he dons his mask and spear, but he enjoys it.

Or rather, he enjoys you.

Barbatos would tease him for the gentle smile on his face as he listens to you ramble grievances about the customers that enter Baizhu’s medicinal shop, but Xiao can’t find himself to care. Being able to speak with a mortal like this, a mortal who’s built up something of a tolerance to his intense elemental presence, no less, is nothing short of rejuvenating. 

Xiao thinks he could sit on this rooftop forever with you, and he probably would if your body would allow him to. It’s a most blissful break from the darkness of the demons of Teyvat, even a pleasant break from how he diligently tails you every day.

He would keep you engaged in conversation longer if you didn’t hack a sharp cough in the middle of one of your conversations, though.

Archons, Xiao thinks, cursing when he realizes that he completely forgot to pay attention to how his energy was affecting you in lieu of enjoying your company. A single conscious check tells him that you’re way past your limit.

“You have to leave,” Xiao blurts, panic in his eyes. 

“Wait, Xiao, I’m not that si—” 

You break off into another coughing fit.

Xiao jumps off the roof. 

“Stay,” he orders you, and through the weak nod of agreement you offer him and the quiet determination he senses from you to obey his will, a strange feeling of satisfaction fills him. He likes you doing as he commands so faithfully, likes the way you bow your head and meekly agree.

Unfortunately, he can’t spend any time appreciating that right now.

Leaving you on the roof and continuously focusing on your location to make sure that you’re there and not moving, Xiao storms inside the Wangshu Inn, jumping down to Verr Goldet’s desk.

“A civilian is on the roof,” he informs her. “She’s been exposed to my energy for too long. Heal her here. Do not let her go until she has made a full recovery.”

That final part was unnecessary, since Xiao will be watching and he’ll know the moment you’re released, but he orates this all to Verr Goldet and the innkeeper obeys instantly. At least she understands the urgency of the moment and how painful adeptal energy can be to mortals. 

“Understood,” the woman tells the yaksha. He can tell that she's wondering why he permitted a mortal to remain in his presence, why he was unaware of your overexposure for so long, why you were even allowed onto the roof when Verr Goldet must know that it’s a place where Xiao resides alone: all that must go through the her mind, and yet she asks none of those questions, and so Xiao instantly knows that you'll face no trouble from this woman ever again.

She flashes him a knowing look right before rushing past him, likely getting out of his way for fear of how his energy will be affecting her, and then Verr Goldet is gone, tending to you, and you’re coughing too hard to refuse her.

Sensing that you’re being taken care of, Xiao fades into the night.

Within minutes, he’s tracking down more demons, and soon his mask is adorned and his spear is in hand. However, as he fights them off, crushing them into nothingness in the name of protecting both you and Liyue, he finds that the experience is somewhat bearable, for once.

How interesting, the man muses as he crushes three Abyss Mages into dust. 

As long as he’s thinking of your smile, Xiao finds, it seems that even the pain of his mask can become tolerable.

He'll need to see you again, Xiao decides as the physical incarnations of hatred that he'd been fighting slowly begin to dissipate into nothingness once more. It'll be a difficult task, given your status as a human who's still hypersensitive to his adeptal energy, but he's certain that the two of you can overcome mere physical conditions. Especially when his senses are already tracking you as you cough against the damp rag Verr Goldet presses to your cheek, weakly whining about how you already want to see him again, unknowing to how you're being watched in every sense of the word by the man you so desperately want to see.

MASTERLIST

Part 1 | ✎ | ✎ |

Word Count: 3.1k

Notes: yayy yandere xiao :) might re-edit this sometime soon but for now i want to get the first part out ^^ chapters will get progressively longer, probably

Comment & Like

Next Update: 7/28/21

[djnusagi]

I will boymode until the day I die

I don’t think I’ll ever really be “out” or stop “boymoding” or whatever. My primary concern is alleviating dysphoria which for me is mostly physical. I mostly just want to be more at peace with my body and hormones help me do that.

I’ve never really bought into the whole “gender identity” thing when it comes to myself personally. I don’t mean that to invalidate anybody else. I think it really is true *for them*. But for me it’s like… I am however the world sees me. I am who and what the world treats me as. I would like to be perceived as more feminine and small. I want to be perceived by others in a way that lines up with who I truly am on a deeper personal level. Insisting on being called “she/her” and a female name, getting a different gender marker on my drivers license, all these things that are supposed to be important to me as a trans woman (I don’t know if I even consider myself a woman: not because I don’t wish to be one or “identify as one” but simply because that is not what I do or ever will live my day to day life as) just don’t matter to me that much. Because they won’t change how people perceive me. They will inform people that for the sake of decency they ought to use this name or that pronoun. That they ought to permit me to use a certain bathroom out of kindness and respect. It does not on a fundamental level change how masculine or woman-like they perceive me. It just causes them to make a mental note swapping out he for she and Dylan for Vanessa. On a fundamental level being “out” in this way will not change how people perceive me. They will still see me the same as they see me now. As essentially a man. The only difference is that they might additionally look down on me as an particularly annoying and unsavory man who insists on unorthodox treatment. They are not necessarily right to do so. But they will. What would make people perceive me as feminine or as a woman would be if my physical appearance indicated to them that I am a woman. This can be achieved FOR SOME through hormone replacement therapy, hair removal treatments, and cosmetic surgery. But not for me. No amount of estrogen or surgery or hair removal will make my physical body feminine enough for me to be perceived as a woman. I will never be interfaced with by the outside world in a way which matches my inner self. Wearing a pronoun pin with “she/her” on it with a 5’10” brick body will not make any positive changes in my life. So why bother? Maybe with time hormones will make me more comfortable in this body. They’ve already done so to a small degree. But “social transition” has no benefits. It will only hurt me. I will never be a woman, just a man called Vanessa who everybody makes a mental note to refer to as she and her. That won’t make me happier. I’m too self conscious to wear feminine clothing anyways so it’s not like I’d dress any different. Even just a tee shirt and jeans out in public is almost too revealing and self conscious for me. There is safety in boymoding. Boymoding is better for me. I will boymode forever.

[starvine]

first date headcanons

attack on titan (modern au)

summary: some first date headcanons with some of the attack on titan characters. 

warnings: none, just fluff :)

eren jaeger: movie 

a little basic but it’s all eren could come up with

besides, it was between a movie and dinner and dinner felt too formal so y’all decided on a movie

he’d let you pick the movie tho

he might argue with you if it’s something stupid and claim that it’s horribly written (as if he knows a thing) but that’s it

eren would make sure to get the BEST snacks. spicy food? check. candy? check. popcorn? check. fruits? check.

he just wants to impress you (even if he did have to confide in his friends for some advice)

he just really likes you

during the movie, you guys would start shifting closer to each other, both a little too timid to move all the way all at once

but you guys would make commentary throughout the movie, laughing when things seem too cliché or when a character says something funny

half way throughout the movie, you guys aren’t even really paying attention it it

you’re too busy throwing popcorn at each other and trying to catch it in your mouths, feeding each other candy, and giggling at each other

it’s intimate in its own relaxed way, which makes eren realize how perfect you are

you both could make the most out of a pretty average first date situation and make it into a beyond amazing first date

and that was all he needed to ask you on a second date before he dropped you off at your car, walking with you to make sure you got there safely

and ngl you’d be a bit of a fool to say no to eren

armin arlert: aquarium 

sweetheart is so nervous 

before he came to your apartment to pick you up for your date, he was a little nervous wreck 

he was fidgeting with his fingers, playing with the buttons on his shirt--he probably accidentally opened one by accident 

but once he saw you, he felt fine 

it was as if he physically melted, you just make everything okay 

once you guys got to the aquarium, he would NOT shut up

he was probably pointing things out, telling you fun facts, asking you what is your favorite marine life 

“oh, you like pufferfish? that’s cool! i like them too. they’re very... puffy.” 

he’s like a child in a candy store 

but while he’s rambling about how the digestive system of a sea cucumber basically cleans the ocean, he’s wondering how he should make a move 

he doesn’t want to scare you off or anything, but he doesn’t want you to be disappointed 

but while you guys are looking at one of those large fish tanks, the ones where you walk through a tunnel, you guys just sort of stand there and watch in awe

or rather armin watches in awe while you look at him, a soft smile gracing his pink lips as his eyes dart across the illustriously blue colored glass

and when he feels your pinky latch onto his, he’s a little shocked that you had made the first move

he didn’t not expect it per say, he just thought that he would be the one to make the first move 

but his overthinking got in the way

and when he turns to look down at your intertwined pinkies, he caught you sending him a delicate smile that made his heart squeeze until he felt as if every part of him was on fire

but it was him who finally held your hand fully 

he just needed you to give him the extra push

mikasa ackerman: book store 

it’s a very calming atmosphere, which is something you’d both need for this first date

mikasa is probably pretty anxious for the first date, and wants to make sure you’re okay and enjoying yourself while also making sure she’s okay and enjoying herself

so the calming scent of the book store and the quietness is perfect for her to multitask between mediating the two

you’d both be tasked with picking each other books and then buying them for each other

so initially mikasa was nervous because she wasn’t sure what to get you but then you asked what she liked to read and so that allowed her to ask the same, making the situation less stressful

and all while you two are walking from isle to isle, eyes scanning the various book titles and covers, she sneaks glances at you and how pretty you look

and the fact that you seem very deep in thought, heavily concentrated on getting her the right book, makes her feel less concerned on whether or not you’d rather be with her or not

the answer is obviously a yes but mikasa has a hard time understanding that sometimes

so when you give her the book you bought for her, making sure to lightly touch her fingers while you hand it to her, she already knows that another date is what she wants you both to have or else she’ll probably explode

and based off of how flushed she looks, the possibility of her exploding is not highly unlikely

you guys will sit at this little table in the corner of the store, reading your books

i can picture mikasa annotating certain lines that remind her of you, making mental notes to show you later

overall, the date is pretty lowkey and very sweet

connie springer: dave + busters/bowling

ok there’s not much of an explanation for this one besides the point that if feels right

like connie is pretty energetic and i feel like you can learn a lot about a person based off of the games they’re drawn to 

hence the arcade

i think connie really likes those racing games or the zombie shooting games

he also claims he’s really good at ski ball (he’s not, he’s trash)

so a good portion of the date consists of you just laughing at him the whole time cuz in all honestly he’s not the best at games but he enjoys them for the fun of them

he’d definitely cheer you on when you were playing or try to mess you up if it was you two against each other

but either way he’d give you a hug or a pat on the head after every game

even if u beat him

he’d probably try to sneak a kiss when you guys were in one of those shooting games that requires a booth and the curtains drawn (does that make sense?)

it’s not really romantic like at all, especially since it smells like a million different people in there, but it’s very low stress so in all honesty that’s what makes the kiss nice

and after you guys had used up all your tokens, you’d combine your tickets and pick something together

your prizes would mostly consist of candy and him insisting he get you a plastic gem ring so you can always remember your first date together

it was also his little, strange way of asking you for a second date

levi ackerman: art museum 

unlike connie, he’s not super energetic

so a museum is right up his alley

levi’s a bit awkward, he doesn’t really know how to talk to you

and especially since you’re lovely, his words jumble together and he gets all flustered

so a nice, quiet museum exhibit is perfect for him

it’s a nice balance between casual and formal, so you both dress nice but aren’t restricted by the need to be super polite and stuff

he’d probably like it when you try to imitate the poses that are shown in the paintings or sculptures

just imagine the soft chuckle he’d be unable to prevent from escaping his lips which then melts into a soft smirk

beautiful, beautiful lad

he probably wouldn’t join you though, he doesn’t want to embarrass himself

he just smiles at you and stares at the art, reading the background info they give on those little plates near them

but he would notice when you stare at him

he could be looking at some art made during the dutch golden age, but as soon as your head slightly tilted in his direction, his cheeks would HEAT up

you almost asked him if he was feeling alright he was so red

but as the date went on, levi really just thought about how much he enjoyed your presence

and he’s not a wicked talkative guy so being able to feel comfortable with someone even if you aren’t talking or doing much is pretty important to him

as the date concludes, levi finally works up the courage to place his hand on your shoulder, asking if there was anything else you wanted to see before the museum closes for the day

his face might be bright red, but the smile you give him makes him feel a little less embarrassed

what can you say, you’ve got charm 💅

hange: the fucking zoo

ok i won’t lie when i got the idea of hange taking you to the zoo for your first date i thought it was so funny and idk why

like they’d be so excited that they’d nearly forget that they’re on a date with you

they’d drag you around from exhibit to exhibit, pointing out the exact breed of tortoise or some really strange fact about the zebras without looking at the little description panel in front of the exhibit

it’s pretty comical

but then randomly, when you guys are sitting down and eating some fries from one of the concession stands, they start going on a rant about animal cruelty and how a lot of zoos don’t treat the animals properly

and you’re just sitting there like “what 🧍‍♀️” cuz they’re mood changed so quickly LMAO

and as soon as their rant started, it finishes and they’re rushing you to the reptile exhibit

they’d probably try to figure out if they could hold one of the snakes

you’d have to drag them out of there before they start harassing one of the workers into letting them hold a snake

they’d also give all of the animals names only to forget them in 2 seconds

“hey, robert, it’s good to see you again!” “hange, i thought you named them dante?” “oh... did i? 😁”

however there’s probably like one animal they absolutely despise and idk why but i feel like it’s parrots

y’all would be walking through this rainforest exhibit, birds flying from tree to tree and the whole time they’re cursing the birds under their breath for no reason at all

just an angry person walking through a rainforest exhibit, cursing out birds

pretty normal if you ask me

however, the date itself is pretty casual and almost feels like you guys are just hanging out

or it would if they didn’t ask you out on another date before dropping you off at home, kissing your cheek as their farewell

pieck finger: café

very simple and quaint

i feel like pieck has a coffee addiction and always puts her in a better mood

so what better place to go on a date then a café?

she’s definitely an iced coffee drinker, and will occasionally go for a hot drink but usually iced coffee is her go-to

and if you get a coffee or tea that she also happens to like, you’re already practically golden in her eyes

since pieck has a very soothing and lowkey nature, i can see the date being much more just like a conversation with someone you’ve known for forever instead of interview-y which is something i’ve found coffee/lunch/dinner dates to be a bit like

but pieck knows how to keep things interesting and she’s a pretty calming person to be around so all is well

i also can’t see her getting super nervous before the date

she seems pretty calm unless in high-stress situations, but even then, she’s pretty level-headed

but since she’s so calm, it makes you wonder if she really cares for the date

and of COURSE she does, she’s so excited about it

it’s just the way pieck is

but as the date continues, she’d probably start to tease you by playing footsies under the table

you gotta keep the date interesting, you know?

you guys would talk about your interests, family, friends, shows you’re watching

literally just anything and everything that’ll allow you guys to get a feel for each other

and if all goes well she’ll definitely suggest another date ;)

also don’t expect to leave without her either writing something cute on your cup, pressing a lip-stick stained kiss to your cheek that matches the one surrounding the rim of her cup, or a promise that your game of footsies will continue next time you see each other

[catwithangerissues]

𝐇𝐪 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐱 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞.

🌿 Hello! First post since the break baby! V glad to be back. Let’s start it off well, shall we?

-We all are brutally aware of the lack of representation in different fandoms and their writings- and while the Haikyuu fandom has been nothing but good to me personally, I thought making a mini series out of this could be a neat idea. The basic idea is take a hq character and write about the things they would do to help out/cheer up a significant other with a certain condition or disability.

- I marked each of the ones that personally affect me in my day to day life in case you’re interested.

- These are ways the hq characters HELP THEIR SO. This does not mean they treat them differently or lesser than others. Keep that in mind- scrubs.

- This by no means whatsoever fully encompasses what it’s like for any party involved to be in these romantic relationships- however, I do experience some of these conditions in my personal day to day and thought I did pretty well at writing those specifically. This does not mean I didn’t make mistakes in the rest, however. Please leave CONSTRUCTIVE AND NOT BLATANTLY RUDE CRITICISM if that’s the case. I did not intend to offend anybody, so keep that in mind.

Characters: Tendou Satori, Kita Shinsuke, Iwaizumi Hajime, Osamu Miya, Bokuto Koutaro, Hinata Shoyo, Tsukishima Kei, Sugawara Koushi, Suna Rintaro, Kuroo Tetsuro

Genre: Fluff/comfort

Warnings: mentions of blindness, deafness, eating issues, depression, anxiety, chronic migraines, wheelchair use, dyslexia, ADHD, and Insomnia. Established relationships.

- Tendou Satori with a blind significant other consists of his constant singing/humming around the house, or turning random household objects into makeshift instruments to both entertain you, and so you always know where he’s at and therefore doesn’t frighten you with his sudden presence. He reads things to you, usually describing various things you come in contact with in your day to day life that may not be so friendly to the blind. Letting you touch his face or body in order to get a mental image of his features, doing your hair or makeup and even picking an outfit if you ever ask, holding your hand and guiding you when you’re out or if you request it. He tries his best to continue learning new things to help out where he can, and the thought goes a long way. Bb Tendou ily

- *Kita Shinsuke being more than happy to spend quiet time with his deaf significant other, enjoying the process of learning sign language in order to surprise you, and communicate with you. He’s very thankful his grandmother taught him some growing up. He adores leaving love letters on your nightstand to find at random, and his gentle loving touches in the morning bring you to the day unlike an alarm. He enjoys laying you on his chest so you can feel his heartbeat, and always ensures he approaches you from the front, leaving soft touches on your skin as he twirls you around in the kitchen in the late evenings of your days spent together, smiling wide at the happy grin plastered on your face. This man is incredibly smart, and he continues to surprise you with new sweet gestures every single day.

(This one hits extremely close to home, so I apologize if it’s longer than the rest.)

- *Iwaizumi Hajime with a wheelchair bound significant other consists of many things. Like him happily pushing around your chair for as long as you’d like if you use a manual, or holding your hand as you drive around in your electric chair, always remembering to plug it in at night to charge too. He regularly finds extremely wheelchair friendly places to explore or visit, restaurants without stairs and large enough bathrooms and tables to make you comfortable, or parks and entertainment spaces where you can enjoy yourself without needing to worry about different terrain or judgmental strangers. Him always pressing the handicap door button for you, since he agrees that it’s incredibly disrespectful when more able people kick the button with their dirty shoe for seemingly no reason. It’s his willingness to carry you around bridal style all day if you get uncomfortable sitting for so long, or to give you a massage when you’re sore. Him giving you alone time when you request it, (because for some reason people think it’s okay to crowd wheelchair users all the time?), and chewing people out when they think it’s alright to touch your chair without permission. He does so much more, but unfortunately this drabble is getting a bit long. Though I’ll definitely be writing about this more in the future..

- *Osamu Miya is always mindful of his significant others eating issues, offering up healthy meals with portion sizes that your body both needs and enjoys each day. Making sure to text you a reminder to drink enough water when he’s away or working, or bringing you a glass randomly throughout the day while you were busy with your studies or career. He seems to always keep snacks he knows you enjoy in his car and office at work, and he always offers encouraging, honest advice about your progress and just how proud he is of you. 10/10 bb Osamu

- *Bokuto Kotaro with a significant other who struggles with anxiety, and his constant never ending support and reassurance. His strong arms wrapping around you in a big hug when you ask for them, his uncharacteristic whispers, usually of encouragement or funny stories to make you laugh and bring forward that beautiful smile of yours. It’s how he took the time in the beginning of your relationship to really ingrain the signs of your oncoming anxiety attacks into his brain in order to remove you from those situations as seamlessly as possible in the future. It’s his seemingly endless “I found a new thing that could help, baby! Wanna try?” phrases. How he bought weighted blankets and bubble bath in your favorite scent, and tea in your favorite flavor- always keeping them stocked in the house. It’s how he calls Akaashi at times to ask about what he does to help his own anxiety, and how learning about yours transforms his treatment towards his family, friends, and even shy fans who admire the loud boisterous man, but are too scared to approach him for the same reasons. It’s when he crouches down next to a small child and gently holds their hand, quietly telling them that it’s okay to be anxious sometimes and not to worry. (I went off here- oops)

- *Hinata Shoyo always being helpful and loving when it comes to your depression. Encouraging you every day and reassuring you that you’re doing so well. It’s him bringing you glasses of water or snacks throughout the day to ensure you eat and drink enough, and offering to take bubble baths with you and wash your hair if you’d like, since it can be hard for some to motivate themselves to do that with depression. Him helping you with work or studies in order to take some of the load off of you, even with his busy schedule. It’s how he cuddles you at night, if you’re okay with it, and tells you how proud and happy he is to have you in his life. Him being a ball of sunshine that makes you smile everyday, and taking you on dates he knows will bring happiness to your day. (I will be writing more about this soon too!)

- Tsukishima Kei is always helpful when it comes to his significant others dyslexia. Offering to read things for you, or helping to keep track of small details when you request those of him. He’s always there to comfort you when you’re feeling insecure, and he not-so-secretly really enjoys when you ask him to help with your work or studies, even when they have to do strongly with numbers or extensive reading, he enjoys spending the time with you, it feels intimate to him. Similarly, calming you down or comforting you whenever/if ever you become overwhelmed, or reading a book you seemed really interested in to you at night before snuggling up in bed.

- *Sugawara Koushi and his mix of calm and chaotic nature that pairs well with his significant others ADHD. How he’s always helping keep track of ideas and such, or just generally being a good listener. He knows how frustrating it can be to forget something important. He’s always so down for spontaneous shit too. Wanna paint a room at 4am? Let’s go get the paint. Want to bake cookies and learn the basics of guitar while you wait for them to bake? He’s got one around here somewhere. It’s how he’s thankful he chose being a school teacher as a career path, because keeping you on track for work and school/leaving little reminders to do those things becomes second nature for him. As chaotic as he himself is, he’s always there to comfort you when you’re feeling insecure, and reminding you to take your medication if you take any. He enjoys taking you on walks to clear you mind, and often goes out to buy you notebooks and sticky note to write things down for whenever he isn’t there to help you out. Suga bb ily you’re doing great sweetie

- *Suna Rintaro and his significant other with insomnia, finding himself thanking his professional athlete training schedule that keeps his own sleep on track unlike in high school, so he can drag you to bed and hold you close to him whenever you’re struggling to sleep. It’s him learning of all the different things around the house he can do to help, like making sure all the screens in your home have a blue light filter, and ensuring any caffeine or sugar are tucked away into the kitchen cabinets to avoid temptation. It’s him running you a hot bath with lavender or vanilla, and giving you massages when you ask for them, buying fluffy blankets and comfy socks for you occasionally when he’s out. Him being willing to stay awake all night with you until you fall asleep, or taking you out for a late night/early morning walk to the park, and his gentle morning touches that first wake you everyday.

- *Kuroo Tetsuro always being mindful of his significant other with chronic migraines. It’s him turning off all the lights whenever he starts to notice your signs of one coming on, and making as little noise as he possibly can when maneuvering around the house while you’re attempting to sleep one away. It’s how when you wake up he’s giving you massages and bringing you medication with a glass of water, if you take any. How he’s always ready to run you hot baths, or showers if you’d prefer, and making sure to keep the house stocked up on scented/unscented products that won’t aggravate your headache more. It’s him ensuring you eat and drink enough, and bringing you caffeine in the early morning hours to help keep the pain away. Him quietly bringing you hot rags to place over your forehead, and putting blue light filters on all the devices in the house. If they get too bad, he’s driving you to the doctors when needed, or just generally comforting you. His own busy schedule helps in dragging you to bed to get enough rest, and he can’t say he doesn’t enjoy helping you with your work and/or studies- the nerd in him just can’t help it.

🌿 If you guys enjoy this content, I will gladly write more! Please let me know what you think cause this has been racking my brain for a while🥴 I’ll be back to posting regular content soon if you haven’t seen my apology post for my absence/impromptu break for my mental health!

Reblogs are greatly appreciated!

Taglist: @sunalma @toworuu @livy384

Check out my other works!

© catwithangerissues 2021 - do not repost, edit/alter, plagiarize or claim any works as your own.

[fellulahh]

Random relationship headcanons (all characters!) - F!MC

I’ve done HCs like these before but not for all of the characters - I thought I’d do an updated version with everybody☺️

Lucifer:

Lucifer effectively never refers to MC by her name ever again, he either calls her ‘my love’ or ‘my dear’

He sets Friday nights aside to take MC out for dinner no matter how much paperwork he has left at the end of the week

Lucifer always unconsciously makes MC a cup of coffee in the morning when he’s getting his

He’s not the sort to hold MC’s hand while at RAD, but when they walk together he does subtly place his hand on her lower back

Often their more intimate moments involve laying in front of the fireplace together, sipping glasses of wine as they discuss and joke over their day

Lucifer helps MC with her every goal and when she succeeds, he is always the first to congratulate her. After all, having MC as his partner is what he is most proud of

If he catches MC sassing one of the brothers, he’ll smirk and boast “That’s my girl.”

Sometimes if he’s feeling stressed, he’ll ask MC if she’ll keep him company by sitting in his lap while he works

Mammon:

He’s an absolute sucker for MC calling him ‘babe’ and tells her off if she refers to him as anything else

Mammon’s 100% the little spoon (but don’t you dare ever tell anybody else that)

Expect random booty slaps throughout the day whenever Mammon is near

He loves showing off MC - if they’re at RAD together, he’ll always have his arm around her; nonchalantly planting kisses on her head every now and again when they’re talking to someone

Mammon tells his brothers off if he thinks they’re spending too much time with his human

“What are you doin’ over there?! Come give me some sugar!” He pouts at least 20 times a day

Mammon never grows tired of seeing MC’s body. Every time she undresses for bed, he gawps at her - practically drooling - just like it’s the first time he’s ever seen her

He often randomly buys MC cards and will write little notes inside with his scrawny handwriting simply stating how much he loves and appreciates her (he’s very soft when it comes to MC)

Levi:

If MC is doing something that Levi deems as ‘adorable’, he will immediately pull out his D.D.D and photograph/film her so if he’s ever feeling down he can go through his album and just gaze at her in awe

When he’s talking to Henry 2.0, he refers to MC as the fish’s ‘mum’ and him as ‘dad’ (but don’t tell MC that he ever said that)

He loves to show off that MC is his girlfriend whenever he’s gaming. If he gets insulted over his headset, he’ll reply with ‘yeah? Well I have a girlfriend who’s super hot! Beat that!’

Movie marathons are a must

Levi loves taking MC to the beach and having her straddle him while he wades through the sea (a bit like Baloo and Mowgli)

When he’s gaming, Levi lets MC style his hair. Considering how long it is, the human is very intrigued by what it’d look like pushed back

He gets incredibly excited if MC gets dressed up for something and practically implodes: “that’s my girlfriend!!”

Satan:

Satan is 100% husband material. MC needs help studying? He’s there. MC needs help with cooking dinner? He’s there. MC is feeling stressed and wants a massage? He’s already offered before she can ask.

He’s quite a tease too and will wait until the worst time to show this side of him. MC and Satan could be at the palace having a really formal dinner when he will start whispering in MC’s ear, telling her all of things he’d love to do to her later that evening

MC’s name is now ‘darling’

Satan’s favourite part of the day is when he and MC are sat in bed each night, both reading a book

He loves to hold MC in his arms with her head on his chest whenever they fall asleep

He always makes the bed while MC’s in the bathroom so she doesn’t have to

When he’s on dinner duty, Satan purposefully cooks his and MC’s dinner first so that they can have it alone with a candle lit

Asmo:

Refers to MC as ‘sweetie’

He’s always surprising MC with little gifts - if he’s out shopping and sees something he thinks she’d like he immediately buys it

He helps relieve MC of any stress - if he senses she’s had a bad day he’ll pull out the nail varnish and give her a full on pamper while she moans about whatever is bothering her

His Devilgram is full of candid photos of MC

You can bet he’s super affectionate toward MC - there will never be a day that goes past where she doesnt wake up with a kiss from him

They’re the fiercest couple at RAD - they’re effectively the Devildom equivalent to Posh and Becks

They also go on really cute dates, whether it be little mini breaks, a simple coffee date at a nearby cafe, a day at the beach or beauty salon etc

Beel:

Movie nights with everybody always consist of MC falling asleep in Beel’s lap and then him carrying her up to bed

He’s always calling MC ‘cute’ no matter what she’s doing. She could be having a full on go at him for eating her dinner and he’d just smile at her while thinking ‘could she be anymore adorable?’

Lots and lots of piggy backs

Beel loves hugging MC, he always does that thing where he wraps his jacket around her so he trap the human with his love

Always invites MC to his sports game and whenever she goes, he manages to perform that little bit better to usual

He always offers MC his jacket if she ever gets cold

Everyone dubs them the ‘cutest couple at RAD’ because they’re always holding hands and have the biggest smiles on their faces whenever they’re together

Often they spend their evenings in the kitchen cooking/baking which results in a food fight and eventually sex on the kitchen counter

MC always wears Beel’s top to bed and it makes him so happy to see her in it

Belphie:

He gives MC all of the comfy pillows in their bed - after all he doesn’t need them anymore because his favourite thing to fall asleep on is his human

He’s always coming to MC’s defence. If a lesser demon ever does so much as scowl at her, he immediately puts himself between the two. Nobody is ever going to hurt his human

Belphie wants to learn everything about MC including the things she likes. And if that means he has to sit through hours and hours of a TV show to do that then he’ll commit to it!

He’s always genuinely interested in how MC’s day went and whenever they reunite at the house, he always asks how she is and will listen for however long to what she has to say

He hides food in the fridge for MC “I bought this cake earlier and have hidden it from Beel so that you could have the first slice”

Belphie always wants cuddles from MC - he has to have his head on her chest

He’s also not ashamed of how much he likes to snuggle his human, even if his brothers do tease him for it

Diavolo:

Diavolo is always going above and beyond for MC and acts like she’s already his Queen

He loves taking her on little walks around the castle grounds; telling her all about his ancestors

If Diavolo has to get up early for whatever reason and leave the palace, he’ll always leave a single rose on the bedside table next to MC so she doesn’t wake up feeling forgotten about

He puts MC before his duty - if any nobles ever dare speak ill of his relationship, he immediately dismisses them from their role

Always compliments MC, expressing how ‘positively radiant’ she looks with a huge grin on his face

He loves making MC wear his crown and sit on his throne, in fact he finds it quite the turn on seeing her in a position of power (that’s not the only position he likes seeing her in)

His favourite part of the day is when he gets to return home and see MC in her element doing whatever (studying, drawing etc) looking like the absolute beauty she is

Diavolo always accidentally lets it slip that he wants to have a future with MC - they’d just be talking about something random and then he’d come out with “well I like to think that when our children grow up...” before quickly blushing, realising what he’d said

Barbatos:

He invites MC to the castle a lot to keep him company when he’s serving Diavolo

He’s always surprising MC and leaving her feeling flustered - he could have a completely serious look on his face while he’s doing something for Diavolo but will then turn and whisper to MC “perhaps when I finish this paperwork, I can do you on this desk too” before walking away

Barbatos is always showing off to MC by taking her to different realms and dimensions. Having dinner at a fancy restaurant is too mainstream for him - you want to see France during the Renaissance? Sure, he’ll take you there!

He takes good care of MC and will often sense something is off with her before she even knows. This demon has a different tea for everything

Barbatos loves cooking all of these elaborate dishes only for MC to try and you can bet he’s already memorised all of her favourite meals from the human realm and has perfected them

In fact, some of the very rare moments where he grins is when he and MC are baking together

Even if he’s the one who’s had an incredibly long day, he’ll still run a relaxing bath for MC with candles and salts

Simeon:

Even if MC wakes up and looks like she’s been dragged through a bush backwards, Simeon never fails to compliment her surreal beauty

He calls MC ‘sweetheart’ all the time

Simeon always gets up early so that he can make MC breakfast in bed as it’s the most important meal of the day!

They always bath together

He and MC often go for walks in the park and will bring Luke along if he’s feeling lonely and wants to spend time with his parents

Simeon is incredibly intimate and passionate in their relationship. There’s no such thing as a ‘casual’ kiss with this angel - he never fails to caress MC’s cheek and gaze into her eyes before laying one on her

He always offers to carry MC’s bags while they’re walking through RAD and will effectively treat her like a goddess - opening every door for her, pulling out her chair etc

Simeon’s always gushing to Lucifer about his relationship with MC

Solomon:

MC and Solomon are such a chaotic couple

To show his love for her, he will quote vines (*insert ‘I love you bitch, I ain’t ever gonna stop loving you, bitch’ vine here*)

He is not afraid to show off his love for MC. She could be walking through the corridor at RAD and when he spots her, Solomon will shout ‘DAYUM MY GIRL IS FINE’

Solomon is always making MC laugh. He’s not one for being traditional when it comes to compliments - he’d definitely hit her up with “I would drag my balls through lava just to hear you fart down a walkie talkie”

He’s quite a show off too - the demons are all jealous that MC loves him and not them so he always gushes about his human

If he ever takes an unflattering photo of MC, he immediately turns her into a meme much to his amusement

Although he jokes a lot and isn’t always serious, when they’re alone together, Solomon is incredibly loving and would easily be happy to just sit there and stare at MC in silence for ten minutes so that he can take a moment to appreciate how lucky he is

[ladyfogg]

King of Wands

King of Wands

Fic Summary: When you first started with the show, Jimmy asked for a reading but you turned him away because it wasn’t time. Now that he’s sitting in front of you and the cards are all laid out, it’s time to tell him exactly what his future holds. 

Fic Rating: 18+

Pairing: Jimmy Darling/Female Reader

Warnings: Smut. Just, lots of smut. 

A/N: Look, thought of this and wrote it in the last two hours. Just needed to get this gem out of my brain. 

You’re a reader. 

A tarot reader that is. 

It started when you were a child and your grandmother passed away. She gifted you the set that belonged to her mother and hers before that. Your mother never bought into tarot cards and had refused the family heirloom. The moment those cards were placed in your hand, however, everything changed. 

You were obsessed, pouring over the little instructional book day after day, memorizing each card and what they meant. It wasn’t until you performed your first reading that you realized the obsession went far deeper than you ever realized. 

You began to see the cards just by looking at someone. You couldn’t explain it. It was subtle at first, just the card name floating through your mind. But then it became visual, sort of like when photographs were overlaid over each other. You knew exactly what card you would pull before you even started shuffling. And you were always right. 

It scared people. 

At first, you were labeled a fraud; shamed for a gift you had no control over. Then you were hated. People tended to get a bit cranky when you revealed their spouse was cheating on them or that you knew about the little money laundering scheme they had going on. But they were furious when you told them the depths of their character. They didn’t like when you peered into their soul and made them face the parts of themselves they kept locked away. 

One day, they stormed your house, ready to run you out of town. You barely had time to grab your grandmother’s cards before fleeing into the darkness. 

That’s when you met Elsa. And everything changed. See, she had heard about your gifts and had come to check you out herself. She was The Moon. You saw it the second you laid your eyes on her. Fear and anxiety, but full of intuition and illusions of grandeur. You liked her and you knew that you would be safe with her and her show. Though, you warned her that if she didn’t deal with her past trauma it would come back to bite her in the ass. 

She laughed at your boldness. 

That first night you slept more peacefully than you had in years. You were given a trailer, one that would act as your home and your workspace. For the first time in your life, you had a home that was all yours and you cherished it just as much as your grandmother’s cards. The house you lived in before with your parents never felt like home. Not since you started reading cards. 

You didn’t meet everyone until the next morning at breakfast. Bette and Dot certainly were an interesting pair. Dot seemed indifferent to your appearance, Bette was nice and overly curious about your cards. Ma Petite was the sweetest person you ever met and Eve was an Amazonian vision. You met the others as well, but they were the ones who took you under their wings and showed you the ropes. 

Well, them, and Jimmy. 

Jimmy Darling. 

From the moment he walked into the food tent you couldn’t take your eyes off him. Those deep brown eyes, curly hair, strong arms...he drove you to distraction. At least, that’s what you assumed it was when you didn’t see a card for him. You saw one for everyone else. In fact, the others insisted you read for them so they could see what you could do. 

You humored them, mostly because you wanted to impress your new friends but also because you wanted the practice. 

“What do you see?” Bette asked as drew three cards and laid them out before her and Dot. 

“Don’t get your hopes up, Bette,” Dot said with her signature firm voice. “Tarot reading ain’t a skill. These people are just very perspective and use the cards as a way to swindle you.”

“You’re wrong and right,” you told her, still staring at your cards. “It’s a skill but most people do use it for personal gain. I however have nothing to gain other than getting these damn pictures out of my head.”

“What sort of pictures?” Bette asked. 

“The cards. I can look at a person and know exactly what card I’m going to pull.”

“What do you see when you look at me?”

You tap the first card. “The Sun Reversed. Means overly optimistic and feeling down. You need to let your inner child come out and play. Have some fun in your life, honey.”

Bette smiled while Dot rolled her eyes. “I try,” she said. “But she won’t let me have any fun.”

“If I let you have the fun you want, we’d get pregnant,” Dot said. 

You chuckled as you kept looking. “Next card is The Lovers Reversed. You don’t love yourself or respect yourself.”

At that, Bette's face fell and she pursed her lips together. 

“You’re facing a tough choice with significant consequences,” you continued, now looking directly at her and not the cards. "Stop punishing yourself. Whatever you did, those consequences are behind you now, and dwelling on it isn’t going to change what happened.”

You tap the last card, still maintaining eye contact as you watch the card of Death appear behind Bette's head like the backdrop on a stage. “Something will be coming to an end. There’s a transition on the horizon and if you don’t deal with what’s in here,” you tap her chest where her heart is. “Then you’ll be blind to the opportunities in front of you.”

“Horseshit,” Dot muttered. “All of that was general. Nothing specific that would apply to either of us.”

“Those cards weren’t for you,” you told her, tearing your eyes away from Bette who was chewing on her nail in thought. “Those were for Bette. I don’t draw cards for people who don’t want them.”

“Well fine then, draw one for me,” Dot said, her voice tinged with challenge. “What card do you see for me?”

“Five of Swords.” You draw the next card in the deck, laying the Five of Swords right in front of her. “The recent battle you fought cost you more than you realize. It cost you trust, respect, and dignity. Moving forward is going to be more difficult than you thought. You should probably decide whether your point of view is so important to you that you’re willing to put your closest and ONLY relationship in jeopardy.”

Dot is unimpressed while Bette covers her smile with her hand. “Obviously you stacked the deck,” Dot accused. “I bet if another card were chosen you’d say something completely different.”

“Well, obviously. But another card won’t be chosen.” You shrugged and gathered all the cards, tucking them back into the deck which you then handed to her. “Shuffle yourself.”

With Bette's help, Dot shuffled the deck, twisting cards multiple times and being a lot rougher with the ancient set than you were comfortable with. You winced at the way she treated them, making a mental note to buy a set that your clients could handle instead of using your personal one. 

Dot slammed the deck down on the table and waited. You smirked and gestured for her to draw a card. 

The Five of Swords gleamed in the light of the tent. Dot's face hardened and she abruptly stood. “We have practice to get to. We don’t have time to sit around listening to a charlatan,” she declared. 

Unfazed, you scooped up the deck and gently shuffled. “Whatever you say, grumpy.”

She stalked off, barely giving Bette a chance to wave goodbye. 

Jimmy took her place at the seat across from you. he looked incredibly amused. “Day one and you’re already making friends,” he teased. “That was some reading. I saw the others you did too. Seems like you know your stuff.”

You smiled at him but your smile faded when you suddenly realized, you couldn’t see any card. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. All you saw was him. 

Jimmy placed his hands on the table expectantly. “Alright, tarot reader. Tell me my future.”

“Sorry, I can’t.” You had never met someone who didn’t have a card and you suddenly worried that something was wrong with you. 

“Ah, hey, that’s not fair,” he said. “I deserve a reading just like everyone else. Come on, doll face. What do you see?”

You considered the situation as you shuffled the card, with such ease and skill it was like the cards were floating between your hands and fingers. “It’s not your time for a reading,” you declared. “Sorry, Jimmy. Maybe some other time.”

As you stood up, Jimmy leaned back in his seat with a smirk. “Playing hard to get, sugar? That’s alright. I’m a patient man. I can wait.”

The circus became the place where you finally belonged. Everyone became family and over the years, your talent and act grew. Soon, your grandmother’s cards were only one of the twelve sets you used. You did most of your work while people were waiting for the show to start. Your trailer was set just next to the main tent so those in line or waiting could come in for a reading. You made decent money too, which of course went right back into the circus to help everyone. 

Your powers grew as your act did. Soon you could see and learn things about someone that you couldn’t possibly know otherwise. The cards helped get things started but once you were deep in a reading, everything else came right from your own mind. 

Every time someone tried to find a way to indicate you were cheating them, you made changes. At first, they said it was because you stacked the deck, so you started having them pick which one they wanted you to use. Then they said you cheated because you could see which one they picked right away and somehow used that the cheat, so you wrapped every deck in the same identical black silk cloth. 

The table was left bare. No books or anything else during readings. You didn’t need the books anymore anyway since you knew each deck by heart. The person would sit and you saw the images just as clearly as you saw them. 

Except for Jimmy. He was the one and only person who never had a card. It annoyed you but eventually, you came to cherish it. Because when you two were together, all you saw was him. You never got distracted by the pictures. Over time, you and Jimmy became close friends. 

Often after a show, the two of you would sit outside and look at the stars, talking for hours. Your feelings for him grew, but you kept them to yourself. He was the first friend you ever had and you didn’t want to mess up the friendship by telling him how you felt. 

Of course, the universe had other plans. As it often did. 

It was nearly five years later and you were in your trailer, cleaning up for the evening when there was a sharp knock on the door. Not expecting anyone, you frowned and peeked out the curtained window before opening the door.

Jimmy stood on the steps, hands on his hips and jaw clenched. You immediately knew something was wrong and stepped aside to let him in. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” you asked, heading to the small kitchenette to pour him some tea you had just made yourself. 

“Oh, you know, the usual. Being called freaks and getting shit thrown at us,” Jimmy grumbled as he paced. “I get so fucking tired of it. We deserve to be treated with respect just like everyone else. And no matter how hard we try they never fucking see that.”

“I’m sorry, babe. I know how much this weighs on you. I wish there was something I could do to help.”

“Why do you stay with us?” 

His question made you look over at him with confusion. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, you could go anywhere you want. Do your act for yourself. Why do you stay here?”

For you.

“This is my home and my family, where else would I go?”

He collapsed into your kitchen chair. “You deserve more, you know. Someone—” He caught himself and paused. “Something else. Something better.”

You turned around to tell him that you had no intention of going anywhere when your vision was assaulted by bright lights and the image of the King of Wands. It was so sudden and unexpected that you gasped, letting the teacup slip from your fingers and shatter on the floor. The moment you staggered backward, Jimmy was out of his seat with his arms around your waist to catch you. 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, easy there, doll face. Don’t wanna bump that pretty head of yours,” he said. “You alright?”

Grabbing his biceps to steady yourself, you shut your eyes and nodded. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine, just give me a minute.”

This was the first time in your entire friendship that the two of you touched. Sure there was an occasional handhold or pat on the knee, but he had never put his arms around you and, in truth, it was the best feeling in the world. Unable to stop yourself, you stepped into the embrace, burying your face in his neck. Jimmy held you tight, his nose in your hair. You were so close you could hear his heart racing and when his hand made a slow trail down your spine, you shuddered. 

“Take all the time you need, darlin’. I ain’t complaining.”

You smiled and pulled back just enough to look him in the eye. “It’s time for your reading.”

He quirked his eyebrow in amusement. “That what the kids are calling it nowadays?”

Laughing, you reluctantly stepped out of his arms and patted him on the chest. “I’m serious. I can finally see your card.”

“Hot damn. Must be my lucky day.”

You stepped over the broken cup, too focused on other things to care. As you took your seat, you waved to the shelf with your cards. “Take your pick.”

No longer angry, Jimmy looked incredibly amused at the change of events. “You’ve got a strange definition of foreplay, but I’ll play along.”

You rolled your eyes in amusement as he walked up to the shelf, hands shoved in his pockets. He was as handsome as he ever was. His looks only improved with time and the white sleeveless shirt and finely tailored pants helped a great deal. Often you had to stop yourself from just staring at him. Unless he was on stage. Then, you tucked yourself in the back and watched him with shameless love and affection in your soul. 

It took him a while to pick a deck, but when he did, he gingerly plucked it off the shelf and sat down with it. 

“Unwrap the cards and shuffle,” you told him. 

“I love it when you get all bossy.”

“For Christ’s sake, Jimmy, just shuffle the damn cards.”

He chuckled, placing the cards on the table and carefully undoing the ribbon that bound them. When the cloth fell away, you found yourself staring at your grandmother’s cards. They almost never were picked nowadays. Truthfully, you were the only one to use them in the last two or so years. 

“So what card do you see for me, doll face?” Jimmy asked, shuffling the deck. His hands fumbled a few times but eventually, he got the hang of it. 

“The King of Wands.”

Jimmy smirked. “I know I’m good in bed but damn, I didn’t know I was a king.”

“Not that wand, Jimmy. Well...maybe that wand but I don’t know yet. Just shuffle and draw a card.”

“Why now?” He kept his eyes on you as he shuffled. “We’ve known each other five years and you never gave me a reading. The one time I asked, you said it wasn’t time.”

“You know it’s because I didn’t see a card for you.”

“Yeah, but why do you see one now?”

“Fuck if I know.”

Jimmy placed the deck down and drew a card. 

The High Priestess. No. No, that’s not right. You’ve never been wrong in your entire life. A chill ran down your spine and you frowned as you looked at the card. Jimmy’s card wasn’t the High Priestess. 

“Looks like you were wrong, sugar,” Jimmy said. “That’s weird. I’ve never known you to be wrong.”

“That’s because I’m not. Draw another card.”

“Darlin’, it’s okay—”

“Humor me, Jimmy. Just draw again.”

Jimmy shrugged and drew another card, placing it next to the first. The Lovers. “Still not the King of Wands,” he said. “Look, it’s been a long day. I’m sure after doing all those readings you’re bound to be a little off.”

“Draw one more.” Jimmy said your name softly but you just shook your head. “Draw again, Jimmy.”

Jimmy sighed and drew another card and your heart lept. The King of Wands.

“There you are you sneaky bastard,” you said. “Now what the hell…” You cut yourself off when you realized what the cards meant. Images and sounds came rushing to you all at once and suddenly, you started laughing. Full on, deep belly, laughing. 

Jimmy looked bewildered. “Have you lost your damn mind? What’s so funny?”

“You just gave me a reading.”

“Come again?”

You point to him. “You, Jimmy Darling, just read MY tarot cards.”

“But I ain’t no card reader.” 

“Tonight you are apparently. See, this card is yours.” You point to the King of Wands before tapping the High Priestess. “And this one is mine.”

Jimmy looked down at the three cards. The High Priestess, The Lovers, and the King of Wands. His face broke out in a wide smile. “Well, shit,” he said, leaning back in his seat. “Looks like we have a long night ahead of us.”

The both of you were out of your seats in the blink of an eye. When your lips finally met for the first time, it was like your world exploded. Every nerve in your body felt like it was on fire and that only amplified times a thousand when Jimmy got his hands on you. He pulled at your shirt, tugging it out of your skirt so he could reach underneath. You gasped into his mouth the moment his skin made contact with yours and he groaned in response, palming your braless breasts with a rough squeeze. 

“Fuck,” you swore. “Jimmy, I want you so fucking bad.”

“Oh, you’ll have me, doll face. All of me.”

He backed you against the wall of the trailer, mouth devouring yours like he was the hungriest man alive and you were the best meal he ever had. Teeth clashed together in your excitement and you were sure your lips were going to be swollen by the end of the night. 

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted this,” he went on, yanking your skirt up to bunch around your waist. His hands grabbed your thighs, giving them an excited squeeze as he yanked you against his chest. “You drive me damn crazy, woman. Always have. Seeing you walking around with this body and this mouth. The things I’ve wanted to do to you. Lost count of how many times I’ve touched myself thinking about you.”

You whimpered at his words, wet with arousal and lust. “Show me.”

Jimmy pulled back to give you that damn irresistible smirk of his. “Kinky. I like that.”

You tugged on his belt, undoing it and pulling it from the loops. “You have no idea, baby.”

Jimmy growled deep in his throat, giving you another kiss before taking over the task of ridding himself of his pants. God, he was magnificent. Long and thick and begging for your touch or mouth. Or both. Jimmy placed a hand on the wall by your head, keeping his eyes locked on yours as he started stroking himself. You wanted to look since that was the whole point, but you couldn’t tear your eyes away from those dark brown ones. 

You’d never seen eyes like his. They pierced into your very soul and saw you for who you truly were. 

“Come on, darlin’,” he panted. “You said you wanted me to show you. The least you could do is look.”

So you looked. 

Fuck it was hot. Seeing his hand wrapped around his cock, jerking himself off for you, was more than you could handle. You dropped to your knees, pushing his hands away and taking the tip of him into your mouth. 

Jimmy’s hand fell to your head and he swore out your name followed by a loud, drawn-out, “Fuuuuck!”

It took you a moment to get a good rhythm going. Truth be told, you were severely out of practice. Ever since you saw Jimmy, you hadn’t wanted anyone else. You flirted every now and then with a client, but it never went further because you knew none of them would match up to him. 

You sucked Jimmy off eagerly, closing your eyes and losing yourself in the heady taste of him. He moaned and grunted, urging you on with words of encouragement. You always loved his voice and could listen to him sing for hours. But this was a different kind of song. This was one you knew you couldn’t live without. His hips thrust along with your mouth, burying himself as far into your throat as he could go. 

“Shit, doll face. Why the fuck haven’t we been doing this this whole time?” he groaned, tugging on your hair. “You better stop before this is over embarrassingly soon.”

Pulling off him with a pop, you dragged your tongue along the length of him before smirking. “Thought you would have more stamina than that, Jimmy-boy.”

He yanked you up onto your feet and shoved you back against the wall. “Oh trust me, darlin’. I have plenty.”

His mouth covered yours again as his hand disappeared under your skirt. Jimmy’s hands had drawn your attention but not for the reasons he would have thought. Even when he was self-conscious about them, you admired them. You had heard plenty of stories about his sexual exploits and wished that one day you would experience what he could do. 

He rubbed you through your panties, drawing a gasp out of you as he filled your mouth with his tongue before biting your bottom lip as he pulled away. Jimmy wanted eye contact when he slid his hand under that soft fabric, his finger gently making contact with your clit before he pressed down hard. You shouted in surprise, lust coursing through your veins instantly. 

“You’re already wet, baby,” Jimmy cooed, placing the gentlest of kisses on your neck as he continued to draw hard circles around your clit. “Sure know how to stoke a man’s ego.”

“It’s all you, Jimmy,” you panted, already breathless and eager. “It’s only ever been you.”

He paused, gaze softening. “Ever?”

“Well, not ever ever but definitely since the day we met.”

A second later, his finger slid inside you and with a gasp you grabbed his shoulders, arching your back in a futile attempt to draw yourself closer to him. He smashed his mouth against yours, kissing away what little breath you had and making your knees buckle. Dear lord, he was magnificent. His thick finger stretched you better than you ever thought possible, certainly better than your own had. And if you were this worked up from his hand alone, you couldn’t wait for his cock. 

Jimmy rested his forehead against yours, watching your face as he pleasured you. Your eyes stayed closed but you could still feel the stare, sense his smile as your breaths mingled together. When he leaned against you, you could feel the hardness of his cock. Teasingly, you raised your leg to press your thigh against it and he groaned as precum leaked onto your skin. 

“Fuck me, Jimmy,” you begged shamelessly. 

“Oh, I will, doll face. Once you cum first.”

It didn’t take long for him to make that happen. Just a few more deep strokes and you convulsed against him, still trapped between his body and the wall. Stars exploded behind your eyelids and as you threw your head back, Jimmy latched onto your neck, sucking greedily. He was still at it when you came back down from your high. 

“You’re gonna leave a mark,” you slurred, reaching down to grab his wrist so he’d give you a second to recover. His finger slipped out but he kept his hand on your thigh, his thumb stroking the soft flesh. 

“That’s the plan.”

Laughing softly, you dragged your eyes open when he pulled away, only to be met with the beautiful sight of a disheveled and red-cheeked Jimmy Darling. 

“You are the most beautiful person I have ever seen,” you said. 

“I take it you don’t own a mirror. Because you’re far more beautiful than I am.”

“Actually, I do. In the bedroom.” You smirked and nodded over your shoulder to the beaded curtain that separated your sleeping space from the rest of the trailer. “Wanna take a look?”

“Been waiting for you to ask that for years.”

Giggling like school children, you grabbed Jimmy’s hand and pulled him into the room. He stepped out of his shoes and pants along the way, leaving them behind. Your room could barely be called that. It didn’t have space for anything other than your bed and a few decorations on the wall. One of which was a large ornate mirror you had found at an antique shop some time ago. Its bronzed frame shone in the moonlight that filtered in through the tiny window.

Jimmy admired it briefly, staring at your reflection as you climbed onto the bed. “Clothes off, doll face,” he said, yanking his shirt off. “Let me finally see all of you.”

You stripped slowly and deliberately, taking off each layer with careful movements if for no other reason than to give Jimmy the show he deserved. When you were finally, naked, he let out a strangled moan, reaching down to touch himself again. “Fucking hell, you’re just a pretty as I always thought you were.”

“I’m even prettier up close.” You spread your legs for him as you settled against the mound of pillows behind you. 

Grinning, Jimmy climbed onto the bed, crawling towards you with catlike grace. As you leaned up for a kiss, he granted your desire, cupping your cheek to hold you there for a moment. A second later, his hand grasped your neck and he shoved you onto your back before burying his face between your legs. 

His roughness thrilled you right down to your core, which he drank from excitedly. Those lips. That mouth. You knew he had a quick tongue but fuck you never knew how quick it was. He had you soaked from his spit in no time, his tongue switching between flicking at your clit and licking slow stripes along your seam. The teasing didn’t last long. He was too worked up and ready for more. His finger slid into you again as he wrapped his lips around your clit and sucked. 

“Jesus, Jimmy!” you exclaimed, clamping your thighs around his head and burying your hands in that wonderfully curly hair. “Baby, you have no idea what you do to me.”

He drew back just enough to smirk up at you. “I’ve got some idea.” 

His fingers and hand were drenched in your arousal and you weren’t even the least bit ashamed about it. After all these years, to finally be able to touch him and have him touch you was too much to handle. You were never one to play coy and you sure as hell weren’t going to start now. 

“Fuck me already!”

“So damn impatient,” Jimmy teased, still fingering you as he kissed your inner thigh. “You really want it that bad, don’t you?”

You yanked his hair so his eyes met yours. “You do too. I know it.”

Eyes dancing with lust, Jimmy’s hand slipped out from between your legs. He crawled up the rest of your body and pulled you into a harsh kiss. You could taste yourself on him and a sense of possessiveness washed over you. It disappeared and was replaced by instant pleasure a second later when he pushed his cock into you. 

You both groaned so loud, you knew the others could hear you outside. 

Jimmy took you so hard, you could feel the trailer rocking along with his trusts. Not that you minded. Nope. Quite the opposite. You wanted more. You wanted all of him, everything he could give. Five years was too damn long to hold back. You never felt so stretched and full before. The world around you melted away and all you were left with was Jimmy finally claiming your body for himself. 

“Perfect. Such a good girl,” he praised into your ear, his hips jerking against yours with a hard steady rhythm. “Always knew you’d take it well. All mine now, darlin’. No one else gets this sweet pussy but me, we understand?”

“Only you, Jimmy,” you cooed, more than happy to give yourself to him completely. On one condition. You grabbed his chin and forced him to look at you. “And you’re mine.”

He grinned. “If you say so.”

You pushed against him until he sat back on his heels and you were able to climb onto his lap. He slid back into you with ease as you rode him, his hands gripping your ass so tight you knew he’d leave marks. Jimmy turned his head and it was your turn to attack his neck with kisses and love bites. You saw how women looked at him, you weren’t stupid. When they saw the way you marked him, they wouldn’t look anymore. Not if they knew what was good for them. 

“We look good, doll face,” he panted, watching your reflections in the mirror. “Like we were made for each other.”

You pressed your cheek against his and also watched, your bodies grinding and writhing, begging for sweet release. “We were.”

You came not too long after, too tired and worked up to hold back. Jimmy fucked you through it, biting his lip as his own orgasm overtook him. With a groan, he threw his head back and came inside you, filling you up with his release until he was spent and both slumped against each other panting. 

Sloppy kisses were exchanged as Jimmy laid the both of you down. You remained in your sweaty, tangled embrace, neither one of you wanting to pull away now that you could finally touch each other. Even when you caught your breath, you stayed there, you stroking Jimmy’s chest and him running his fingers through your hair. 

“You never told me what my card meant,” he said after some time had passed. His voice was soft from fatigue and he sounded more relaxed than he had been in days. 

“The King of Wands represents pure, fiery energy. He’s a natural-born leader, a visionary. But doesn’t go forward alone. He’s all about caring for those around him and enlisting their help to realize his vision. He’s someone who’s here to leave a legacy.”

“Hmm,” Jimmy hummed in amusement. “I like the sound of that.”

“You create your own destiny. You create the outcome you want. Now, the only question is, what is it you want?”

Jimmy smiled down at you, reaching up to cup your cheek. “Already got what I want right here, sugar.”

With a smile, you kissed him. The both of you remained that way for some time, each kiss getting softer and gentler, until you both fell asleep, wrapped in each other’s arms. 

[saturnsummer]

the fairytale she never had (will you believe again?)

when sol is invited to a wedding, sol doesn’t think her best friend would follow her. 

aka: solhwi attending a wedding

notes: it just struck me one day, and i really wanted them to see each other outside of the law school moments! while law school defines them, they are certainly people with social activities.

 i adapted this from a similar prompt i saw from a fic many years ago for a separate fandom, and i always wanted to write something similar. this was honestly not met to be multi-part, but i write too much anyways. so multi-part it will be.

 also, it might sound depressing in the initial part where sol is talking about the wedding invitation, but it gets explained later on. 

as always, enjoy! any grammar mistakes and all will be taken fully responsible by me!

ao3 link

words: 4135 words

I: 我愿变成童话里, 你爱的那个天使 (i am willing to be the angel of that fairytale you love)

--title inspired by fairytale (童话) by Michael Wong!--

Sol absolutely hates weddings. 

She hated the big social crowds, the way drunk men in tuxedos staggered around with women in one arm and a drink in another. She found no purpose in dressing in lavish gowns, then eating dinner for the next two hours without even feeling full. 

Sol couldn’t blame anyone but herself for this. She can’t help but remember her mother’s failed marriages. The way her biological father left them in the middle of the night, with all their hard earned savings. The way her stepfather, Byeol’s father, would come home drunk and violent towards her mother. It was a memory she couldn’t erase. More than a decade later, she still wakes up in a cold sweat, worrying for her mother and small Byeol’s life. 

She long ago gave up on the concept of love back then. She wasn’t opposed to anyone dating or talking about it, and she certainly didn’t mind short flings. But marriage? Eternal love? The fairytale that everyone hopes to achieve? Sol threw those ideas out of the window. 

So when Sol received a thick, cream-coloured card and envelope, embossed with rose gold foil and flowers, a pretty silver wax seal and her name written in careful strokes of a calligraphy brush, she was stumped. 

Her friend, Im Jiyoon, was getting married. Jiyoon was a good friend of Sol’s, and they occasionally met up for quick meals. Jiyoon was an accountant and climbing the ranks in her company. They lost contact for a period when Sol was in juvie, but they reconnected when Sol was just starting law school. It was only polite that Jiyoon extended invitations to her high school classmate. 

Sol had mixed feelings. The wedding was on a Friday night, which made things good since she didn’t have to wake up early, fitting her schedule properly. But she had nothing to wear. She could borrow a dress and shoes from Yeseul, but the last time she borrowed a shoe from Yeseul, she almost broke her ankle. And she had so much work to catch up on. Yet, not showing up felt rude of her. 

Jiyoon was nice, don’t get her wrong. She was smart, resourceful and lovely to be with in high school. Sol wanted nothing more than for her high school friend to marry the love of her life. But she hasn't been to such social events in years, and being so focussed on school, the legal clinic and contributing to her family, she found it difficult to understand why she needed to go, besides doing it out of courtesy. 

“What’s that?” A familiar voice pipes from behind, drawing her out of her thoughts. There’s the familiar shuffling of several pairs of feet as Sol turns her attention to the one who spoke. Behind her, was Han Joon Hwi with his bag just being set on the table. The rest of the group was just settling in for another study session.

“Ah, nothing important.” She monotonously says before sliding the card in her files. Joon Hwi’s hands catch the card before she can slide it fully and stop her from hiding it from him, or the rest of the group. The rest draw their attention to the expensive card and Sol only stays silent. 

“A wedding? Your friend���s?” Yeseul asks as she picks the card up with perfectly manicured fingers. Turning and feeling the thick paper between her fingers, Yeseul knew it was no cheap manufactured paper. This was expensive, premium, and each card looked handmade from the brush calligraphy. 

“Yeah. But I don’t think I’m going.” Sol says as Yeseul returns her the card and successfully stores it away in her bag. 

“Why not? Don’t you want to be there?” Joon Hwi asks, cocking his head to the side in utter confusion.

“There isn’t much point, is there? I have school and the legal clinic and things to revise for. And besides, I don't have anything to attend in. I just rather send her a gift and treat her a meal.” Sol simply explains. Everyone bombards her with more questions, but she diverts their attention to her paper and the cases they are reviewing today.

Joon Hwi, however, couldn’t get Sol’s reasoning out of his head. He knew Sol well enough to know how much she values her friends, and that she would be willing to drop everything for a friend. Her loyalty was unmatched. It didn’t make sense that she would be held back by her vanity or school work that caused her to not attend such a joyous occasion. 

When everyone is done reviewing the cases and the session ends, Sol is the only one who has her books and papers still scattered all over the table. She still has to review her notes and catch up on a few lectures before she can officially end her day. Joon Hwi was long done, but he stayed put, bringing out a past report he’s done and glancing through it, hopeful to catch any mistakes. The others have headed back or gone to the cafeteria for a meal. 

“Han Joon Hwi, you don’t have to stay for me, you know?” Sol says, her eyes not once looking up as she stays concentrated highlighting her book with a fluorescent orange highlight. She sticks it in her hair when she’s done, raising her head to meet Joon Hwi’s eyes. Joon Hwi only smiles, letting his eyes crinkle. 

“Why don’t you want to attend the wedding?” Joon Hwi asks, still smiling. Sol scoffs. 

“I already said. I’m too busy-” Sol is cut off by Joon Hwi with his teasing. 

“You sure? I think it’s about the groom, though.” Joon Hwi smiles brightly, earning an irritated series of clicks of her tongue from Sol, clearly successful in being teased.

“None of that sort! Who do you think I am, Han Joon Hwi?” Sol rebuts back, throwing her eraser across to him in annoyance.

 Joon Hwi catches it with a laugh, but doesn’t lose eye contact with Sol. A few moments of silence follow, as she looks at the file with the card. Slowly, she draws the card from her file, holding it carefully between her fingers. 

“It’s not that I don’t want to be there. I… it’s my first time going to such a social event in such a long time. And the last time I met Jiyoon was a year ago, back in our 1L.” She says softly, letting her fingers brush her calligraphed name.

“I just… rather not go, you know? Treat her to a nice meal somewhere, maybe a couple drinks. Besides, I’m sure she’s just doing it out of courtesy.” She lets out a light laugh. 

Joon Hwi’s heart softens. He’s witnessed Sol in her different elements. The courtroom, where she’s a powerful woman in command, dressed professionally in a suit and hair in a perfect ponytail. The day-to-day her, where she’s comfortably dressed in jeans and her tanned coat, hair in a bun and post it notes on her jacket. She was always so bold, so confident and so full of fire. It never occurred to him that she would be uncomfortable in social events. She was always the life during dinners, with Bokgi. She laughed loudly, engaged in conversations and seemed so comfortable. He remembers how she would help out the old halmeonis with her neighbourhood on some days when he sent her home, or the times she bought ice creams for Byeol’s classmates. She seemed so extroverted, yet so closed off. Eying her, Joon Hwi reaches out and clasps his hand over hers in an attempt to comfort. 

“I never went to school events, you know? Especially since juvie made me miss it. When I redid my high school year, I didn’t go too. There wasn’t much of a point, since I didn’t have a date or many friends to begin with. If it was Dan, she would have gone, being the popular girl she was back then.” Sol softly says, a small smile ghosting her face.

She remembers the day prom arrived for her school. She was expectant, hoping that the boy she liked would invite her. Or maybe the girls that she occasionally had lunch with will invite her to hang out. But all she got was a stone cold silence the weeks leading up to prom. When everyone buzzed on what they were wearing to prom night, she silently put on her headphones, drilling herself into her science assignments. Of course, she wouldn’t be invited.

She knew the rumours floating in school. How Dan was the perfect one, how she was the failed one. She knew everyone knew she went to juvie. She knows how the boys snicker at her when she walks past them, or how the girls gossip and whisper when she’s eating her lunch. Besides, it didn't help that she was poor. She can’t even afford a dress of her own, let alone go to the event.

Realising what she’s said, Sol quickly draws her hand away along with the card and slots it away in her file. 

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to blabber on. You must think it’s stupid, I think so too. Anyways, do you have the notes Professor Kim...” Sol quickly apologises and diverts her attention to her notes. But Joon Hwi was no longer listening. He was shattered by how the woman sitting in front of him has never been treated like how she should be treated. It was no secret to Joon Hwi that he cared for his friends, but cared a little more for Sol. He was the one that left post-it notes on her table and pretended he didn't. She was the only one that he would let steal a mouth or two from his ramyeon. He could read her moods just from her eyes. He wonders sometimes, if he sees her more than a friend. 

He won’t hide that she’s beautiful. The way her eyes slant in an elegant fashion, her smooth, slightly tanned skin, and her winning smile that he always found his heart beating faster for. He loves the way she smiles at her extra pickles, the way her eyes light up when she sees Byeol, or the way she argues and practices. The tenacity and desire she has to improve inspires him to work as hard as her. 

This is why when Sol spilled the beans, he couldn't help but feel all sorts of emotions. Anger, towards the people in her school, for not realising such a wonderful student. Anger towards her for degrading herself. Sadness, for her not being able to experience such events. 

As Joon Hwi ended the session with her and returned to his room, he made a promise to Sol. He’s convinced it will work, and he begins planning in his head. 

He will show her the fairytale. 

-----

A week passed. 

Sol had to give a reply in a few days and she has not figured out what to say. The wedding was in a month. She knew Jiyoon would be busy... Sol figures that she should just treat Jiyoon after her honeymoon, knowing how she would be away with her husband as newlyweds later on. 

“Still thinking about the wedding?” Joon Hwi nods at her, her head in her hands. Sol, looking defeated, nods. So much for trying to hide. They were at their pantry area of their dorms, Sol stirring her ramyeon, as Joon Hwi slurps his. It was 3am, and they just finished studying. The next day was a weekend, so it didn’t really matter if they slept late, since they got the privilege of sleeping in.

“What do I tell Jiyoon? I don’t want to sound rude.” Sol mumbles, lazily stirring her soggy noodles.

“Go to the wedding.” Joon Hwi says suddenly, continuously slurping. 

“What?!”

“Sol, how many weddings can you even go to in your life? Are you sure you want to miss this one? Besides, you said you haven’t been to social events. Don’t you want to experience it?” Joon Hwi says, adrenaline building in his voice. 

Sol falls silent. She can’t deny that she wants to experience the feeling of being dolled up, the fun that everyone talks about, and the enjoyment that everyone goes through. And Joon Hwi is right; she wants to celebrate with Jiyoon. But her fear of social events and the past was holding her back. 

Joon Hwi could tell the change in her eyes. He gives a sweet smile, knowing that he said enough to change her mind. 

“Joon Hwi, but what if she doesn’t even-” Sol begins doubting herself as she shoots off her doubts and worries. Joon Hwi calms her down with logical reasons, calming her nerves in between his mouths of ramyeon. 

“But... I’ll be alone there, right?” Sol asks, her voice so soft, Joon Hwi barely picks it up. Her ramyeon is still untouched, and the noodles have gotten soggy and cold. Sol is silent for a moment, as she realises how right she is, for once. It wasn’t like she could ask a date, she doesn’t even have one. And her friends from the study group were out of the question. They don’t even know Jiyoon. Joon Hwi quickly brings up his bowl to his face, hopefully covering it as he feels the heat rising to his face.

“I’ll be your plus-one.”

Sol’s eyes light up and her head rises. Did she hear that right? Han Joon Hwi, her plus-one? 

“Oh, no! No, I didn’t mean it like that! Joon Hwi, no, I can’t-” Sol can’t find the right words to say. He can't? He shouldn’t? He doesn't need to? Sol can’t deduce her own reasonings for this argument. She knows her roommate likes him, and she definitely doesn’t want to be the target of her roommate’s stares if she catches wind of this. Besides, Joon Hwi doesn’t like her. She knows, and she doesn’t want him to get any wrong ideas. He’s her best friend, and confidante. She knows, deep down, his heart is someone else's. 

“I want to.” 

Sol freezes as Joon Hwi finishes drinking his soup. Placing the bowl down, he does as best as he can to lock eyes with Sol seriously, showing her he wasn’t teasing. No, this was out of his sincere heart. He knows how nervous she gets in a new environment, and him being next to her was bound to calm her nerves just a little more.

Sol could see the genuine care and want in his eyes. She knows this isn’t one of his jokes or teases. For a split second, she catches herself thinking if he meant something more. That going as a date, was more than just keeping her company, but for something to develop… 

Her face is flushed red as she looks at her puffed noodles and lukewarm soup. She picks her chopsticks up but is stopped by Joon Hwi’s hand as he shifts the bowl toward him, away from her. 

“Get yourself a fresh one. This is the first meal all day, isn’t it?” Joon Hwi calls her out, covering her noodles. Sol wants to argue for her soggy noodles, but she falls silent knowing how he revealed her secret. She hasn’t eaten all day after running reports and studying. Grumbling, she does as instructed and boils another bowl of ramyeon. When she’s back at the table with a fresh, hot, spicy and red bowl, she dives into it, wondering how she managed to survive the whole day. 

Joon Hwi only gives a small smile looking at the girl slurping her noodles with delight and looking at her. Joon Hwi wasn’t lying. He did want to be her plus-one for the wedding. He knew that more than just being a comfort for Sol, he wanted to make this one day a day she could look back and smile at. That she could be pretty, relaxed and happy instead of stressing over her grades, exams and family. 

“Fine.” Sol says as she continues slurping the spicy noodles. She blesses the spiciness of the noodles, such that she could blame her pink blush on it. Joon Hwi, clearing the cold noodles and getting water for both of them tilts his head in confusion. 

“Come with me to the wedding, if you want to.” She mutters softly, almost shy to let him know. To hide her blush and hide her confusion, she lifts the still hot bowl to her face. She drinks the soup, but chokes on the spiciness. Joon Hwi lets out a light chuckle before passing her a bottle of cold water. Sol looks at him with narrowed eyes of annoyance, but graciously takes the water. 

As he watches Sol eat her first bowl, then a second, as Joon Hwi munches on some crackers, he only smiles and laughs at whatever Sol was complaining about her reports and her frustrations at her cases that she picked. He lets out comforting words, but is rebutted back with Sol saying he will never get it because he’s smart unlike her. 

As he went to bed that night, he only gave a giddy smile, burying his face in his sheets. He scored his point of taking Sol out on a date, and was already counting down. He officially succeeded in the first step of his plan. 

The rest of it required a little bit of help. But he knew who to ask. 

-----

“Yeseul! What is it that you need to wake me up on a weekend? I was up until 4am last night!” Sol grumbles as she places her phone on speaker, rubbing her eyes. It was 8am, way too early for Sol to process any emergencies. Well, if it was Yeseul, she would do it any time. 

“Sorry, unnie. But it’s urgent. Could you meet me in 10 minutes at the lobby?” Yeseul’s bright voice echos. Sol notices her roomie’s bed made, pillows nicely fluffed and sheets tucked in neatly in pure perfection. She isn’t surprised, considering how she gets up early anyways.

“Fine.” Sol says and hangs up, getting a fresh change of clothes and heading to the bathroom to wash up. She throws on a hoodie, grabbing her only tanned ochre coat and grabs her bag, before jogging downstairs to the lobby. There, Yeseul is standing there, with a sling black bag and with one of the many nude heels she has, hair styled to perfection.

“Unnie!” Yeseul waves her hand over. Walking closer, Sol notices two other familiar friends behind as she scoffs. 

“Joonhwi? Bokgi? What are you doing here?” She asks, her hand playing with the strap of her bag unconsciously. She was surprised to see Joonhwi, but even more Bokgi, who usually spends mornings sleeping in. Joonhwi only gives his usual cheeky smile and drags a drowsy Bokgi with him out towards to the main entrance of the school. Dumbfounded, Yeseul takes this moment to link her arm with Sol’s as she leads her out and catch Sol up to their agenda today. 

“What?! You’re bringing me where?” Sol exclaims, her voice echoing throughout the lobby. Yeseul shushes her as she drags a shocked Sol out of school. Yeseul didn't need the whole school to know where Sol was going. 

“Unnie, please? You need a dress for the wedding, and don’t think you are going to go in one of mine or your old ones! Besides, you promised to go shopping with me one day, right?” Yeseul defends herself as Sol sighs. 

Yeseul wasn’t wrong. The wedding was just a week away and she had absolutely nothing to wear. She owned a couple pairs of flats, but they were so old, it would be embarrassing to attend with those. And her dresses were either too big or too small. She was so caught up with school after submitting her reply to Jiyoon, that she would have forgotten about the wedding if it wasn’t for the post-it on her bedside wall. 

“But...but...” Sol couldn’t find any reasons to counter. She knew Yeseul was right. Besides, it’s a weekend. And they had no upcoming tests or projects, so there was no harm in doing something besides studying in the copy room. She nods, defeated, earning a smile from Yeseul. 

“Wait, then why is Joonhwi and- Who’s car is that?!” Sol’s thoughts are cut off when she sees a familiar black sedan waiting by the entrance as Sol and Yeseul just exit. In the car, she manages to see a Joonhwi in the driver’s seat and Bokgi riding shotgun. 

“Yah! Han Joon Hwi! Isn’t this my roomie’s car?” She shouts as she strides a couple of steps when Joonhwi rolls the window down. 

“She loaned me the car for today. Don’t want you carrying so many things back from shopping today.” He replies curtly. Bokgi opens his passenger side door on the right.

“Bokgi-”

“Noona, sit in front. I’m too tired to watch Joonhwi-hyung drive.” Bokgi mutters before he climbs into the backseat with Yeseul. Sol wordlessly settles into the seat next to Joonhwi, who only looks at her with a smile. Sol catches his odd looks and pauses.

“What?”

“Ready for shopping?” He has his cheeky smile on again. Sol glares in annoyance before turning behind to Yeseul. 

“Did you make him drive?” Yeseul shakes her head and spills out her defensive explanation.

“Oppa called me up yesterday! He just said he needed my help to accompany you shopping for a dress!”

“Then, why is Bokgi here? Trying on dresses too?”

“Noona! I’m listening!” Joonhwi only laughs and shakes his head.

“He’s just accompanying me.” Joonhwi says as he begins to drive off. 

Well, Joonhwi wasn't lying. He waited till their quizzes and projects were over before executing this. He knew Sol was busy, and had waited for the busy season to pass before calling Yeseul. He explained that he knew Sol would not go shop for a dress, and he needs her help to accompany him and her. She willingly, too willingly, agreed. 

Next, he asked Sol B if he could borrow her car, knowing how Sol was not going to go home with just one dress and one pair of shoes when Yeseul was involved. Sol B was skeptical, but just passed the keys over to him. Besides, she was going to be in school studying all day; she didn’t need the car. Bokgi joined in, as Joonhwi couldn’t spend hours on end waiting for the ladies to shop. On further thought, Bokgi just might help him out with something. 

“I could go myself with Yeseul. You didn’t have to wake up for this.” Sol mutters just loud enough for him to hear, fiddling with her fingers. Joonhwi returns with a light scoff.

“As if you’ll do it.” Sol glares at him from the side and is ready to punch him, but retracts her hand, knowing she might literally kill everyone in the car. The ride from the school to the bustling heart of Seoul is a rough twenty minute ride. Bokgi takes this time to catch a wink and Sol does the same, but she can't seem to do it. 

Something about Joonhwi bringing her out to buy a dress specially made her heart flutter a bit more than usual. She knew that Joonhwi cared for her. The ways that he left rolls of gimbaps and energy drinks as opposed to coffee on her table during her tough days. The moments when he would offer his jacket as a pillow wordlessly when she wanted to rest her head after hours of studying. The unspoken synchronisation between them was just a showing of how they understood each other inside and out. 

Sol thought nothing of it. She knew him as long as she stepped into school when he saved her from Professor Yang. They spent almost everyday studying, having classes and eating together. After all, they are best friends, and don’t best friends do this? They look out for each other, right?

He is going to be my plus-one at Jiyoon’s wedding. He’s taking me to shop for a dress. 

Sol wonders, truly for the car ride as she stares outside at the blue skies and empty streets of Seoul, if Han Joonhwi meant more than friends to her. If… she wanted more. 

Deep down, she couldn’t deny hoping for more. She liked the way he looked at her, eyes crinkled and smiling in half moons, the sweet smile that she couldn’t help but return. She has never had many relationships, considering her experience in school and afterwards. She was just too busy; too focussed. Seeing how this man cared for her just made her feel so… special. 

She has never felt that way.

[nelapanela94]

Of ginger and cranberries

Fluff!

LevixYou

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It was a cold Sunday morning of early winter. You were walking through the market stalls looking for the most important ingredient for your ginger cookies: ginger. The town's main square was crowded, the bustling sound was getting louder and the smell coming from the different food stalls engulfed the place. People were gathering supplies for the upcoming new year celebration that would take place within a week.

After stopping by several stalls without success, you found an empty bench and took a seat. Walking around with a heavy jute bag on the shoulder was exhausting, and you deserved a rest. You placed your cane next to your leg where you could feel it and put the groceries bag on you lap just to make sure ginger was the only ingredient missing.

As soon as you opened it, a smell of cloves and cinnamon greeted your nose making you smiled. That's how winter is supposed to smell. Putting your hand in the bag, you hissed. The only thing you hated about winter was wearing mittens. Hands were the eyes for people like you, and having them covered make you double blinded. You took one of the mittens off and proceeded to check the content.

Flour. Checked.

Sugar. Checked.

Eggs. Checked.

Butter. Checked.

Cinnamon and cloves. Double checked.

You put the mitten on again before your hand froze and rolled your neck to stretch, placed the bag strap on your left shoulder and took the cane to continue your quest. Ginger was not slipping away from you; but the smell of freshly-baked cranberry pie filled the air forcing you to take a little detour. Your pace fastened following the source of the sweet, luring scent; however, someone blocked your way and in matter of seconds your bottoms hit the cobblestone ground. You whined, and your hand patted your surroundings looking for your guide.

"Tsk. Are you blind? Watch your step, brat" You heard and turned the head towards the voice's source. The man you had bumped into turned around and facepalmed inwardly.

"Sorry, but you're right, as you can see I am blind" You chuckled and waved a hand in front of your face. Levi sighed extending a hand and 'tched'' at himself when he realized his idiocy, you could not see his gesture.

"Give me your hand" He ordered.

You raised your hand in front of you, waited for him to take it and stood up with his aid. "Thanks" You smiled at him, or so you thought.

"I'm right here" The man lifted a brow crossing his arms over his chest.

"Oh" You turned towards the voice and thanked again.

Fortunately, all the ingredients were safe and sound in the bag, even the eggs. Nonetheless, your cane was still missing.

"Do you know where my cane is? I couldn’t find it" He looked around and found the stick broken in two. "I don't think it'll take you anywhere" he replied.

"Holy Walls!" You scratched your head and sighed. "Hey, stranger, are you free until noon?"

"I have no intention of becoming your guide" He harshly responded.

"But... would you let this poor, blind girl wander around on her own?" You sniffled with your bottom lip jutting out.

"Alright" He rolled the eyes. "What's our next stop?" You celebrated your little victory by throwing your arms in the air. Levi, indeed, was free until dinner time. Hange and the others had kicked him out of the headquarters and told him not to be back before seven bells. That's why he decided to go to the market and try his luck finding rare herbs and special blends.

"Wait, I'm not supposed to leave with strangers" You said adjusting your woolen cap. "I'm (name)"

"Levi"

"Pretty name" you noted. "Well Levi, I'm on a special mission to find ginger; but first, we must make a strategic stop at the cranberry pies stall" He took your hand and placed it right above his elbow. "Thanks" You muttered and gently squeezed his arm, feeling the muscle beneath his coat.

"Oi!"

"Sorry about that" You lowered your head in embarrassment, your cheeks getting warm. "but, you feel good" You mumbled. Levi snorted and shook his head, the corner of his lips lifted. "You're not bad looking yourself"

You lifted your head batting your lashes in a flirtatious manner and leaned closer to him. "You think so? Well, you're good looking too" You laughed. "No, but seriously, your voice is really attractive and I like the smell of fresh lavender of your hair"

Your words made him blush slightly.

As you walked, Levi studied you and found odd that your coat, cap, mittens, scarf and boots were all the same blue color. "Who picks up your clothes? An eight-year-old?"

"A ten-year-old actually. But my winter clothing is all blue because it's my favorite color, and I don't have to waste time matching each piece"

"So, you know about colors" His curiosity sparked.

"Yeah, I wasn't born blind. I lost my eyesight due to an infection when I was a child" you explained. "At first, I felt insecure and vulnerable, but as I grew up I started to accept my reality and learnt to adapt. Besides, I've been blessed with the people I've come across, they're always willing to help." you smiled.

You reached the pastry sale and bought two pies to go. You wanted to surprise your older brother, and if you were lucky enough, he would forget about your broken cane;  the other one was all for you.

"Aw, you two make a good couple" The old lady commented while packing the sweet treats, making you blush hard. Luckily, you couldn't see the red shade creeping across your companion's face.

"We're not dating" You stated in unison. Levi shoved his hands in his pockets and his eyes darted around while you toyed with a lock of hair.

"I thought someone had finally stolen Captain Levi's heart" The elder woman winked and handed the bags to the ravenette. "Have a good day!"

When you were on your way to get the spice for your recipe, you were first to break the silence. "Captain Levi from the Survey Corps? Humanity's Strongest Soldier?"

"Are you a fangirl?" He lifted a brow looking at you.

"Nope, not me. My nephew is the fanboy" A chuckled scape your lips. "He wants to join the Scouting Legion when he grows older. My brother is not so happy, though." You shrugged.

Once you found the final ingredient, Levi offered to take you home. You didn’t live far from the main square and, even though you insisted you knew the way by heart, he didn't feel like taking any risk. In truth, he wanted to spend as much time as he could with you. In such brief time, he had fallen into your spell. It might have been your looks, or your charismatic, cheerful personality; or perhaps the combination of both. He wasn't sure about his feelings, but he wanted to learn more about you.

You didn't want to say goodbye either. The little time you had spent with him had sparked your curiosity. You had heard the rumors about Captain Levi, but you knew there was more behind his unfriendly personality and sarcastic remarks. There was more behind that hard shell and you were willing to crack it.

"Here" he handed you the two bags of pies and only released his grip when he made sure you had them secured in each hand.

"This one is for you" you kept one of your arms extended in front of you for him to grabbed the bag. "Happy Birthday Captain Levi"

Levi was taken aback and shyly took the craft paper bag from your hand. "Thanks, but..."

"I told you my nephew is a fanboy, and that lady said cranberry pies are one of your favorites"

You remained silent for a while; you opened your mouth then closed it again, as you regretted what you were about to say. Your heart was beating fast, and the warm feeling invaded your cheeks again. You removed your mittens off and put them in your pockets. With your bare hands you took your necklace off and walked closer to him, patting his coat until you found a pocket and put the piece of jewelry inside.

"What are you doing?" He asked squinting his eyes.

"I'm making sure we'll meet again. You already know where I live, all you have to do is to knock on my door"

"Clever brat" He admitted.

"And, I'm giving myself an excuse to touch you" You winked.

Levi leaned closer and whispered to your ear. "You better have freshly baked cookies for the day I come back"

"Count on it" you grinned.

After that day, you woke up every morning to make a batch of your best recipe of ginger cookies, yearning for his return.