#I JUST KNOW HE LOOKS ETHEREAL UNDERWATER

[sobashuu]

Mesmerized ⛓️🌧️

[jaylaxies]

TIDES AND TEMPTATION

PAIRING: siren!sunghoon x fem!reader

GENRE/CW: smut, fluff, angst, mentions of kidnapping, pirates, war, blood, sirens and mer-people, mentions of nicknames, cunnilingus, breeding, unprotected sex, underwater kingdom.

WC: 5.2k words

WARNING: 18+ content, minors dni

A/N: happiest birthday to my love @celeste-hoon this one’s for youu <3 also hihi, angels! we’ve finally reached the last fic for this year’s kinktober! i hope you guys will like it :3 all likes, comments, reblogs and feedbacks are highly appreciated! iloveyou all <33

✎ kinktober masterlist

The sound of waves crashing against one another, the sudden buzz of urgent chatter and running, and the burn of ropes digging into the flesh of your wrists woke you up from your uncomfortable slumber of unconsciousness. 

It was bright, albeit the lack of sunlight as the clouds covered the sky. You blinked once, and twice before realizing exactly where you were, your mind reeling back to what had happened over the past one day—or more. You weren’t aware of how long you had been knocked out for. 

You remember going out with your friends at the sea shore, your peace interrupted by the sudden screams, the pain following soon after you saw the group of pirates trying to capture everyone in the vicinity, you weren’t an exception. 

Your cries were ignored. Fighting back was of no use as they easily took control, using the rope to tie you up as they carried you into the massive blue coloured ship, your body too tired to keep up, falling limp till you reached here. 

You were on the deck, tied up with a lot more people who were just as panicked if not more, yet you couldn’t spot any of your friends. The pirates were in a rush, their swords out and a sweet melody lingering in the air despite the bloodshed filled atmosphere. 

You cried out, not sure as to who the pirates were fighting, but it seemed as if everyone was suddenly in a trance, which kept on breaking and emerging again as they attacked the other force. 

Suddenly, a guy rushed to where you were tied up, cutting your ropes and pulling you up as you struggled against his grip, tears flowing down your cheeks with the chaos around you, no energy left in you. 

The ship wasn’t in control anymore, the waves overpowered the balance, the sweet melody in the background loud enough to put you in a trance, your eyes shifting from the blue of the water to the sea cave which shone bright, embedded with the prettiest set of stones you had ever seen, along with the creatures you didn’t know existed till date. 

You weren’t sure what you felt as the ship flipped completely, the screams muffled as you came in contact with the water, your eyes closing as you failed to try to swim, the coldness of water making it harder. 

However, you were pulled to the side by someone, your eyes barely open to take in the sight of what looked like a tail, its scales mixed with a palette of blues, dark greens, slightest shades of purple and pink merging together to form a luminescent look. 

Your eyes closed shut yet again, and the creature took you deep inside the siren caverns, helping you up on the flat surface of the emerald rock, looking at you with dark, curious eyes. 

You were far from the water where the bloodshed had taken place, the pirate crew along with the prisoners long gone, devoured by the mer-people, who once looked like the prettiest entities on earth, now seemed to be no less than demons with their claws out, sharp canines on display as they munched on their new food source. 

But not the siren who was with you. 

He looked ethereal with the white glow around which illuminated his figure, one strand of his dark hair braided intricately, tiny flowers adorning them as he looked down at your unconscious figure with a slight tilt of his head, holding himself up on the rock, letting his tail rest in the water. 

Your wet dress was now clinging to your body, beads of sand on your skin and your breathing uneven, eyes threatening to open again with distress. 

He didn’t move when you opened your eyes, which were full of hurt and exhaustion, you couldn’t scream in fear. Instead, you found yourself staring back at him just as curiously, taking in the pretty moles scattered all over his body, his soft glistening pink lips with fangs peeking out and resting on them. You took notice of the dainty jewelry he had adorned, from his necklace to his ear cuffs, from his arm cuff which barely contained his muscles to the gold chain he had around his slender waist, you observed it all. 

He was the prettiest creature you had ever come across. 

He wondered why he was so fascinated when he was supposed to hate your kind, the kind which destroyed his kingdom. 

But not you. You looked lost, scared, as if the humans didn’t show mercy to their own kinds too, he was intrigued, his heart beating faster taking in the soft glow the carven stones reflected upon you. 

“Let me go,” your voice came out breathless, body shaking with the cool air around you, caressing your soaked body. 

His expression didn’t change, however you could see a glimpse of amusement in his eyes at your plea. 

He took a hold of your chin, sensing your fear heightening with his move, “what’s your name?” He asked, voice smooth as if his siren tone was trying to comply you to answer him. 

Your voice came out in a whisper as you told him your name, which he repeated after you to get the pronunciation right and you suddenly felt as if your name was the prettiest thing you’d ever heard. 

The small moment was ruined the second other sirens came swimming into the cavern, hissing as they saw you but they stopped the second they noticed another siren with you. 

“Fuck! Let go of me,” you exasperated, not wanting to become food for the bloodthirsty creatures. 

His gaze was stoic all of a sudden as he addressed them, paying your words zero attention, no traces of kindness as his loud voice boomed in the area, “touch her and you die,” he warned everyone, the fear evident in their eyes as they bowed down, swimming back into the depths of the ocean. 

“How?” You breathed out, and he turned to look your way again, cupping your cheek, sudden warmth blooming in your body and you were torn, trying to decide if you wanted to hate him or not. 

“Open your mouth,” he orders, and you gulp, shaking your head despite knowing that you had nowhere to escape, but also slightly aware of the fact that you felt a pull towards this siren, and it scared you even further. “Don’t be difficult,” he warned. 

Slowly, you parted your mouth, observing his next move. He was quick to snap open his heart shaped pendant, taking a white pearl out and placing it on your tongue, the taste buds already delighted at the sweetness the pearl harboured. 

“Eat it, it’ll help you breathe in the water,” he said, eyes so dark yet shiny. 

“No! What? No, I can’t go in there—” you looked horrified at the idea. 

He simply looked at you, “you have nowhere else to go. So, it’s either you follow me, or you become food for the others,” he said, referring to the sirens which you had encountered a few minutes back. 

He left you no choice, his gaze sharp as he waited for your answer. With a gulp, you nodded, choosing to follow him as he saved your life, finally intaking the pearl, watching him nod with the slightest upliftment of his lip. 

“Come,” he extended his hand for you to take. 

“Wait,” you stopped him, “what’s your name?” 

“Sunghoon,” he spoke, voice rich as he finally held on to your hand, intertwining your fingers, “and you belong to me now.”

He didn’t give you a chance to react pulling you with him. Panic seeped through you, which was soon replaced by shock as you could easily breathe under the water, as said by Sunghoon, who held on to you tighter, taking you deep inside the water. 

You were mesmerized by the schools of fishes around you, coral reefs of all colours decorating the sea. Nothing felt real to you anymore. It was too surreal to be real, especially the siren next to you, who had his eyes set on you. 

You didn’t know what was to come. 

If someone told you you’d be visiting a royal palace deep inside the sea then you would have laughed in their face. 

However, now that you had actually reached such a place, trying to hold in your panic, you weren’t sure how to react, granted that you had pinched yourself a few times to wake up in case it was a dream. 

Which wasn’t the case sadly. 

The shock was clear on your face when the tailed guards with tridents bowed down looking at Sunghoon. The place was epitome of beauty, decorated with underwater planktons and shells, the merfolks eyed you with curiosity, to which you held on to Sunghoon’s arm tighter. 

“Why are we here? Don’t tell me you’re a prince,” you said, still wondering how you got to breathe under the water, also staring at the big shell covered with foam, a few mermaids sitting there, whispering amongst themselves but it was clear that you were the topic of their gossip. 

Sunghoon didn’t answer your question, taking you into a big chamber which seemed to be his room, and you stilled, thinking that maybe he did belong to the royal family. 

“Jake, come here,” Sunghoon called out, revealing a siren with an elegant, green coloured tail. 

He bowed down the second he was summoned in front of Sunghoon, “yes, your majesty?” 

“Set up a chamber with no water. It should have the atmosphere similar to that of the land. Also arrange human clothing as per the size of my princess,” he ordered, eyes flickering towards you when he spoke the last part and Jake bowed down, leaving you both alone. 

“Y—you’re actually a prince? Oh god, I can’t be staying here—and what do you mean princess?” You rambled, losing your mind, your eyes comically wide at this statement. 

It must be a joke, it has to be a joke. 

“Shh,” he came closer, trapping you against the wall, “I told you, you belong to me now, princess,” he spoke up in his ever so silky voice, his eyes glowing. 

“But—” 

“Oh, princess,” he cupped your cheek, thumb tracing the curve of your cheek, “you’re cute if you think you have a choice, there’s no way to go back now, the ship is destroyed.” His voice came out deeper than you had expected, lips brushing against your ear, causing goosebumps to arise on your skin. 

“You know this is kidnapping, right?” You tried to argue. 

“Not when you want to be here,” he retorted, looking back at you, his pointy nose caressing yours, “you can fight all you want, princess. It won’t change the fact that your heart beats fast whenever I come close to you,” he says, pulling back with a smirk and swimming away, leaving you all alone in his chamber. 

You couldn’t move, as if he saw right through you when he mentioned your heartbeat, because no matter how hard you tried, even you couldn’t convince yourself that you weren’t a flustered mess around him. 

You didn’t know how they managed to set up a chamber without the water but somehow it happened, and in record time too, which had you sighing with pleasure when your feet finally landed on the floor. 

Meanwhile, you were conflicted again, not sure if you’d be okay alone in a room, but at the same time you didn’t wish to sleep with Sunghoon (read: you feared you’d lose control around him) but the thought didn’t bother you for long as you sat down on the big foamy bed they had arranged for you, along with myriads of clothes in all colours and patterns, majority of them consisting of silky dresses, the fabric more watery than water itself. 

You half expected Sunghoon to visit you before sleeping, which didn’t happen and you couldn’t deny that it disappointed you, granted you knew no one but him. 

Your feelings were all over the place, nothing felt real but you weren’t sure if the reality of being on land would be any better than the comfort you’re seeking being under the water, away from the danger as you remembered that you indeed have someone who’s willing to save you. 

Yet you can’t help but want to fight him for being so unnecessarily cocky, then again, he was a prince, and a siren prince at that, you couldn’t blame him for the way he was. 

Sleep came easily, especially when you were in the comfort of the foamy bed they had arranged for you while you were clad in the silkiest night slip you found in the grand closet, which again was arranged for you in record time. 

You weren’t sure how long you slept, but your body needed the rest, and by the time you woke up, all your little wounds and bruises were gone from the fight yesterday, not to mention how you were surrounded by a bunch of curious mermaids who were sent to take care of you, their tails had turned into legs as they entered your room. 

“Hey, nice to meet you guys,” you spoke awkwardly, glad that they weren’t being rude to you, but they were curious about you. 

“Does his highness talk to you?”

“How did you guys meet?”

“Prince Sunghoon never brings anyone back to the palace, you must be really special to him.”

All three spoke up, making your eyes go wide, “he doesn’t?” You ask and they shake their heads to confirm the statement. 

You feel your cheeks beating up, trying to look elsewhere to calm down. The mermaids were nice, taking you to the royal bath first, also fetching you some human food, surprisingly the most scrumptious one you had ever consumed. 

However, they were quick to leave the second Sunghoon arrived at your chamber, his tail too getting converted into long legs, his torso on display but his legs covered with a blue-green silky cloth wrapped around his waist, being the same colour as his tail. 

“Slept well, princess?” He asked, approaching where you sat down on your bed. 

“Don’t call me that, I won’t ever be your princess,” you breathed out. 

“Feisty one, aren’t you?” He clicked his tongue, face indifferent as if he was expecting this exact reaction. 

He came closer, observing your face where the scratch wound had been previously, he smelled like fresh ocean breeze, the kind that makes you feel alive even on the dullest of your days, and you couldn’t help but clear your throat and look away. 

“How do you have legs now?” You asked, deviating your attention, but he continued staring at your face, “don’t you have princely duties to take care of?” You asked, trying to get him to talk, but again, he continued to stare at you, his head tilting slightly as you gulped, not looking into his eyes. 

“Taking care of my princess is a part of my duty,” he said as smooth as ever, leaving you speechless yet again. 

You didn’t notice the necklace he had in his slender fingers, made up of prettiest shades of little shells. It was delicate, almost magical with how sparkling it looked to the eyes, “got them made from the rarest shells of the kingdom,” he spoke up, inching closer to help you wear it. 

His touch was cold, juxtaposing the trail of warmth he left he left behind as he clasped it behind your neck, your eyelids fluttering close at the proximity, a shiver running down your spine as he whispered into your ear, “I found the necklace pretty, but you made it look prettier.”

It was impossible for you to stop thinking about Sunghoon it seemed, even more so when you had the prettiest necklace resting on your clavicle. It was as if the water around you had some sort of magic which made your mind drift back to the certain dark haired prince over and over again. 

Maybe it was because you were in his kingdom, or maybe because he was a siren, the creature famous for its manipulative skills. Yet you knew he wasn’t using his siren voice or anything related to that when he talked to you. 

Shaking your head, you focused on exploring the palace with your three new friends, the mermaids you had met earlier in the morning. The word pretty would not be enough to describe your surroundings as you observed the tiny pink seahorses moving around in a line at the back gardens of the palace. 

“I see how envious everyone is, their stares could actually kill,” one of the mermaids spoke up. 

“Why don’t you guys hate me?” You grimaced while asking. 

“Because the prince has his eyes set on you and you only—also, we are his cousins so we don’t really like the whole idea of incest,” they explained with soft smiles. 

“Oh—” you said out loud before they nudged you to look at the person who was already present in your chamber, none other than your prince. 

A sudden wave of giddiness travelled down your body, leaving just as quick when you mentally reminded yourself to not fall for his antics. He was a siren chasing a human girl after all. 

“Prince Sunghoon. What do I owe this pleasure for?” You ask, standing in front of his taller frame as your friends leave you in privacy, closing the door behind them as they leave. 

He stood with his back facing you, and that was a dangerous sight already with his muscles flexing at every little movement of his. 

To prevent this from happening (read: your mind going mush at the sight of him), you moved swiftly and situated yourself in the comfort of your big bed, his eyes observing you carefully, just like always and the action was enough for the corner of his lips to lift up ever so slightly. 

“Prince and Princess should sleep together, don’t you think so, pretty?” He asked in his velvety tone. 

Each time you try to step back to calm yourself, Sunghoon comes up saying something bizarre, leaving you more disoriented than before. 

“W—what are you talking about? We’re not even married yet—”

“Yet. Well, I’m glad to see you being enthusiastic about it,” he mused, harbouring a lopsided grin as he neared you. 

Your mouth was open as you tried to display just how against you were of the idea, “I’m not marrying you,” you confirmed. 

He rolled his eyes, wrapping his fingers around your ankle, pulling you closer effortlessly, enough for your face to be inches away from him, your legs dangling on either side of him as he stood in between your legs. 

“Cute,” he chuckled, taking the authority with less to no effort, his sharp fangs on display as he grabs your neck in a swift moment, the action has you seeing stars even with the lack of pressure on his hold, other hand caressing your bottom lip with his thumb, brushing the same spot over and over again. 

“Sunghoon—”

“Y’know what, princess? You remind me of this little creature I came across when I visited your land. She was just like you—hissing and scratching till I got down on my knees and gave her gentle caresses on her back,” he told the story, making you freeze on spot, his voice captivating, “such a sweet kitten she was. You’re the same, so violent despite being a cute little kitten, all you need is a gentle caress—” he caressed your cheek to make a point, “to have you mewling like a kitten.”

You couldn’t stop the little whimper escaping your lips the second he said so, proving his point even further as your cheeks burned with embarrassment? Proximity? His fingers around your neck? Or the way he made you mewl exactly like a cat? You couldn’t decide. 

“Sweet dreams, princess.” He smirked, leaving you alone for the night, speechless as ever. 

You couldn’t, for the life of you, face Sunghoon after the little stunt he pulled last night and you did everything in your power to avoid him the following day, which he found amusing as he watched you swimming away from a distance, using your pretty legs in the middle of other sirens, the necklace still wrapped around your pretty neck. 

Others complained how he didn’t smile much to none, which changed when he found himself smiling with his dimples on display at the sight of his cousin mermaids giving you various sea flowers, tucking them behind your ear, which made them glow. The bioluminescence felt like magic to you as they glowed when you smiled, moving around and discovering the secrets these deep waters held, your eyes meeting Sunghoon’s for a brief second when you realized he’s watching from the balcony of his chambers. Your breath hitched, the sight of his torso never failing to get you flustered as you averted your eyes to focus on something else—anything else. 

You couldn’t help but admit that you enjoyed this new life, and that you were grateful to be alive, to be saved by a certain siren who was in your mind twenty four seven, the circadian clock adjusting to your new ways of living. 

You watched yourself in the big reflecting surface which served to be the mirror in your room, your skin had a newfound glow and your body looked pretty clad in the blue dress which was lighter than the air, the fabric almost felt like silky fluid. 

The noise of shuffling behind you caught your attention, and you simply assumed that it would be Sunghoon who had come to visit you again, which wasn’t the case as you turned around to see an ugly siren with its claws out, reaching out to you with the most gut wrenching scream it could muster. 

Your eyes widened, hands covering your ear to save your precious eardrums, crouching down to save yourself. 

Maybe you said it too early, maybe this life was just a little something god had given to you before trying to snatch everything away from you, including your life. You waited for the attack, you waited for the trident to pierce your body.

Yet the attack never came. 

With your body shaking, you dared to open your eyes, only to find Sunghoon with his eyes pitch black as he held on to the other siren by its neck. His grip was strong, the sound of bone crushing only made you look away in fear, “how dare you—” he spoke up, voice loud and shaking with anger,  “—try to hurt my princess?” He didn’t hold back anymore, slamming his head on the floor, blood splattering everywhere, a few drops landing on his face. 

Sunghoon didn’t wish to drag it long, especially when he knew that you were terrified, “clean it up,” he ordered Jake, who was quick to oblige his command. 

“Princess,” Sunghoon spoke up once you were alone in the chamber, his voice gentle as you looked up at him through tears, noticing that the siren was nowhere to be found, “he’s gone, he won’t be back,” Sunghoon told you. 

You stood up shaking, rushing into his arms. Sunghoon was quick to wrap his arms around your waist, the other hand resting on the back of your head, patting you gently to calm you down. 

“Hoon,” you whispered, “why did he come after me?” You asked, resting your head on his shoulder. 

“He wanted the crown, so—so he went after the person I cherished the most,” Sunghoon told you earnestly, trying not to kiss you the second you used the nickname. 

“Please don’t lie to me,” your voice came out as a whisper, lower lip jutting out in a pout. You couldn’t resist him anymore. 

He cradled your face, his fingertips soft against your skin, providing you with the warmth you had gotten so familiar with over the past few days, maybe it was the way he had protected you since the day he first laid his eyes on you, maybe it was how he never failed to express his emotions when it came to you, speaking whatever came to his mind, maybe it was how his eyes were full of love and a promise of something more. 

That’s what made you want to kiss the prettiest creature you had ever met. 

His touch was light as the feather, which allowed you to move swiftly as you got on your tippy toes, placing your soft lips against his rosy ones in a quick kiss. 

Your heart was beating out of your chest, the tenderness lingering behind on your lips, but that wasn’t enough for him. He bit his lower lip, pulling you closer by the waist, his body pressing against yours as he pulled you into a feverish kiss, the kind that leaves you breathless, his lips slotting against yours in a perfect manner, as if puzzle pieces put together. 

“Tell me to stop,” he breathed out the second he separated from the kiss. 

“Why? Don’t you want your princess now—” you couldn’t even finish your sentence before he was picking you up with ease, lips on your again, his muscles flexing as he carried you to the bed, getting on top of you, giving you a second to breathe. 

It was the way he stared so deeply into your eyes, it had you melting in his arms, “want you,” you admitted, “so much.”

His smile was wide, mesmerizing you to the point you had to lean on your elbow, kissing his dimpled cheek before trailing kisses down his jaw. The peck on his Adam's apple however, was enough to drive him over the edge. 

You looked so pretty like this, lips glossy and eyes begging to have more of him, all of him. It was like a tune playing in the background when he dipped down to trail kisses all over your clavicle, sucking love marks all over your previously untouched skin, his fangs digging into your flesh slightly, providing you with the perfect mixture of pain and pleasure, your back arching as he got rougher with his approach. 

His touch was electrifying as he grabbed the curve of your waist, “you’re my human, all mine,” he mumbled against your skin. If his voice was alluring for you then every inch of you was alluring for him. 

Your dress was easy to remove, soon thrown on the ground, exposing your body to Sunghoon, who swears he’d worship you each day. You squeeze his bicep, holding on to him tight, his finesse showing as he takes your tits in his mouth, squeezing the other one when you moaned, no room in between you for any air to pass through. 

He continued kissing lower and lower, covering the expanse of your body in a silent prayer. He was claiming you his. 

Lifting your legs on his shoulder, he continued peppering kisses all over your lower abdomen, your fingers tugging on his silky roots to get a grip, pretty whines leaving your lips, telling him to stop teasing. 

He couldn’t ever deny you, now sucking on your clit, tongue tasting every drop of your arousal, prodding your entrance. The brush of his nose on your clit had you shivering with need, “Hoonie,” you whispered, eyes closing at the unadulterated bliss he provided you with. 

He fucked his tongue into your hole, desperate to have your taste all over him, the rings on his fingers juxtaposing the warmth of your body as he held your thighs open, his shoulders providing to be sturdy and strong for your legs. 

It was too much, your hands were sweaty, now gripping on the silky sheets as you stared at the watery ceiling, which reflected the lewd image back at you—Prince Sunghoon buried in your cunt, immersed in eating you out, wanting to have every inch of his princess. 

Your back arched into him, craving more of him as you felt your high approaching with the spasming of your pussy, your body not being able to handle more of his ministrations, his thumb rubbing your clit in circles, lewd noises all around the room as you finally orgasmed, telling him taste all of you. 

“Fuck, you’re my sweet nectar and I’m obsessed,” he muttered, coming up to push his tongue inside your mouth, the kiss deeper than ever as you tasted yourself on his tongue. 

You didn’t even notice when he unpinned his cloth from his waist, the delicate chain and ornaments decorating his perfectly sculpted body as you finally saw him—long, thick, and hard for you. Your mind blanked out, it wasn’t gonna fit, but you couldn’t help but whine for more. 

“Make me yours,” you whispered, and he pulled you impossibly closer, as if trying to meld his body with yours, your arousal had his lips glistening, his eyes turning dark again. 

“You’re so fucking mine,” he spoke in a deep breath, pumping his cock a few times, “all mine,” he pecked the corner of your mouth, chuckling as you chased for more. 

And he gave you exactly that, your eager holes taking him in slowly as he pushed himself inside your warm cunt, the walls clenching around, trying to adjust to his length and for a second you forgot that you were being fucked by a siren, his cock too perfect, too big for you. 

“Oh god,” you cried out as he pumped himself into you slowly, trying to fit himself into you by each thrust. You were so fucked out already, wanting to kiss Sunghoon every chance you got and you were afraid of how fast you developed feelings for your pretty siren. 

“That’s it, baby. That’s my good girl,” he praised as you took him in fully, his cock snugly fit inside you, your toes curling with the overwhelming sensation. He grabbed your hips, pistoning into you harder, faster, panting near your ear before keeping his forehead against yours in hopes of mapping out, learning and remembering every expression of yours. 

Oh you looked beautiful. 

The moonlight coming down from the mirror-like ceiling only casted a glow on you, making you seem even more magical than Sunghoon thought you are and you wanted this moment to last forever, his cock twitching and hitting the deepest spots in you, the spots that had your mind shutting off. 

“So—so close,” you whimpered, and he held on to you tighter. 

“Let go, princess. Come for me,” he said, kissing your tears of pleasure away as he too rushed to fuck you harder, making sure you felt every inch of him in your core, filling you up as you heard sweet melodies, as if you had reached heaven, you both coming undone together, holding each other with need. 

He kissed your temple, caressing your cheek before placing sweet kisses all over, telling you how well you did, before saying something that made you cry out of what you’d call love. 

“I used to sit on the rock staring at the moon, my mother told me I’d get my soulmate soon,” he said, looking at you softly, the look in his eyes was enough to confirm that you wanted to stay with him for life. 

“And now that I’ve found you, I’m never letting you go, princess.” 

THANK YOU FOR READING!

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[solitaryearthperson]

Worshipped

Summary: No one else has ever satisfied you, and made you feel seen like Hannibal and no one ever would.

(The reader is 18+ and uses she/her pronouns. The ethnicity/race is preferably black.)

How the hell did I get so lucky, you wondered as you laid your head back against the rim of the large tub, enjoying the small movement of lukewarm water running over your body and the rose petals floating in the water brushing against your skin nicely. You could hear the doctor's soft footsteps outside the bathroom door and smiled, already knowing what he wanted, and what he was waiting on.

"Hannibal," you called to him, your voice full of exhaustion, but your body craved his gentle touch upon you. "Just come in already."

Hearing the doorknob twist and the door open, you turned your head to see that he was already wearing his usual sleepwear as he entered. My love, you mentally called him, amused at the fact that despite it being his home, he would still politely wait for your permission to enter his own bathroom.

"How do you feel," he asked you, kneeling down on the carpet next to the tub, his eyes quickly scanning your naked body for any injuries. "Better?"

"Better," You nodded your head and closed your eyes, waiting to feel his touch.

You didn't need to say anything else as you heard him pick up the small towel on the side of the tub, then felt his hand reach into the tub, letting the cloth soak up the warm water. He then placed it against the skin of your shoulder, and began his usual scrubbing of your body.

The bathroom was silent for a long minute, only the sound of your soft satisfied moans and the squishing sound of the towel against your skin.

"You don't have to do this, y'know," you told him, breaking the silence, while too exhausted to open your eyes. You've told him this before, and just like the other times, he was probably looking at you with a small grin, continuing his scrubbing.

"I want to," he told you, moving the towel down to your arm to try to begin washing off some of the blood. "I like to keep my queen clean."

"You like to look at my body, perv." You knew that besides helping you clean when you were too tired, this was Hannibal's subtle way to admire your body outside of sex. He even confessed to you how he loved the way your body looked, particularly underwater. Like a goddess, he claimed. He loved how the water made your brown skin shine and (in his eyes) sparkle. But the sight of water turned slightly red from blood, full of rose petals truly drove the man crazy and made him want to worship you. The man truly knew how to make you feel ethereal.

"Was it a good kill," he asked, now paying attention to your hands, making sure to wash off as much blood as he could.

"Mm-hm," you hummed, finally opening your eyes to meet his maroon brown ones gazing at you. "He put up a good fight. Just like how I like it." Your words made him smile and if you weren't so tired, you would've pushed yourself up to give the good doctor a kiss.

While you did enjoy his food, you were not exactly committed to the cannibal lifestyle like he was. Your killing was more for stress relief. Still, you were always thoughtful enough to bring him a gift from your nights out.

"I also have a surprise in the kitchen for you."

At your words he stopped his scrubbing and looked at you with a type of appreciation and love that only he could give and it made you want to give him the whole world.

"Surprise?"

"Wine aged twenty or so years, and a nice juicy heart and lungs," before you could get the last word out, his lips already met yours in a passionate kiss.

Pulling away reluctantly, he grabbed your hand and stood up, looking down at you with fire in his eyes. "I shall fix my beauty a glass of wine, and a proper meal. I'll soon meet you in the dining room, my sweet."

"I'll be quick," you told him, sitting up. You recognized the fire in his eyes and knew that you were definitely in for a night of fun.

"Take your time, dear." With a soft kiss upon the back of your hand, he left the bathroom, leaving you in the tub.

Nights like this, you were truly grateful for Hannibal. You did not feel like a crazy person like your exes made you feel. In his eyes, you were not only a killer. You were a bloodlust-filled goddess who deserved to be worshipped, and you were forever thankful that he had truly embraced this side of you. No one else had truly satisfied your bloodlust like Hannibal, and you were sure that no one else ever would.

[pretzel-box]

Hi Chea!! hope your doing well hun <3

Could I possibly req a human Sebastian x human reader scenario where they're on a first date of stargazing or going to an aquarium?? I think it would be a really cute idea <333 (Im a sucker for human seb stuff lmfao)

Remember to take breaks and stay hydrated <3

-💫

Tags: Human AU, Established Relationship, Fluffy and Wholesome Aquarium Date

Words: 1k

You had never imagined that your first date with Sebastian would be anything grand or extravagant. For all his charm and playful teasing, he had a softer side, one that revealed itself in quieter, more intimate moments. So when he suggested an aquarium date, it felt like the perfect reflection of that softer part of him, the part he only let you see.

The aquarium was bathed in soft, bluish light that mimicked the depths of the ocean. The moment you both stepped inside, the world outside seemed to fade away. The sound of water lapping gently against glass and the occasional bubbling noises from the tanks filled the space, creating a serene ambiance. Sebastian, dressed in his usual dark attire but looking unusually more relaxed than usual, gently took your hand, lacing his fingers through yours with a quiet smile.

"Ready?" he asked, his voice barely more than a whisper, as if he didn’t want to disturb the peaceful atmosphere.

You nodded, feeling a giddy excitement at the thought of spending the day with him here. The two of you began walking through the dimly lit corridors of the aquarium, illuminated by the glow of the tanks. Everywhere you looked, you could see exotic marine life swimming gracefully through the water — schools of vibrant fish, jellyfish drifting like ethereal dancers, and the occasional sharp-toothed predator lurking in the background.

"Look at this one," Sebastian murmured, gently steering you toward a large tank filled with stingrays that glided like silent ghosts over the sandy bottom. His hand tightened around yours as he leaned in slightly, his face close to yours. "They’re incredible, aren’t they?"

You smiled, watching his profile as he stared into the tank, his eyes reflecting the blue of the water. "They really are."

It wasn’t just the beauty of the aquarium that captured your attention — it was the way Sebastian seemed to come alive in this environment. His usual teasing demeanor had softened, replaced by a quiet reverence for the creatures around him. He looked so at peace, standing beside you, and it was hard not to feel a little in awe of him.

As the two of you wandered further into the aquarium, you found yourself drawn to a large tunnel, the kind where the water surrounded you completely, creating the illusion that you were walking underwater. Sebastian led you inside, the walls of the tunnel curving overhead as sharks and manta rays swam lazily above you. The lighting was low, the only illumination coming from the tanks, casting a dim, dreamlike glow.

Without thinking, you leaned your head on Sebastian's shoulder. He didn’t move, didn’t tease or pull away like you half-expected. Instead, he let out a contented sigh and wrapped an arm around your waist, pulling you a little closer.

"You know," he began, his voice soft in the quiet space, "I’ve always liked aquariums. There’s something peaceful about watching the way everything moves… like they’re in their own world, separate from ours."

You looked up at him, surprised by his words. It was rare for Sebastian to open up about something personal. "I can see that," you said gently. "It’s calming."

He glanced down at you, his expression unreadable for a moment before a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "I’m glad I’m sharing it with you."

Warmth bloomed in your chest at his words, your heart skipping a beat. It was one thing to know that Sebastian cared for you, but hearing him express it so quietly, so intimately, made the moment feel even more special.

You continued through the tunnel, your pace slow and unhurried, neither of you in any rush to leave the peaceful serenity of the aquarium. At one point, you came to a stop in front of a particularly beautiful tank filled with colorful coral and bright, darting fish. Sebastian let out a small chuckle as one of the fish swam directly toward the glass, as if to inspect you both.

"Do you think they know we’re here?" he mused, his arm still resting around your waist.

You laughed softly. "Maybe. Or maybe they’re just curious."

His gaze flicked toward you, his expression warm and playful. "Just like me, then."

You rolled your eyes at his teasing tone but couldn’t help the smile that spread across your face. Sebastian had a way of making everything feel lighter, even in moments like these, where the quiet between you was thick with unspoken feelings.

Eventually, the two of you found yourselves at the final exhibit — a massive tank filled with various sea creatures, from sleek sharks to elegant turtles. The water shimmered in the dim light, casting rippling reflections on the floor and walls. It felt like stepping into another world entirely.

Sebastian paused, turning to face you fully. There was something different in his expression now, something more serious, more vulnerable. He reached up, gently brushing a strand of hair behind your ear before his hand lingered against your cheek.

"I wanted today to be special," he said softly, his thumb brushing lightly against your skin. "You deserve that."

Your breath hitched at the tenderness in his voice, the sincerity in his gaze. He had always been a bit of an enigma — playful one moment, distant the next — but in this moment, there was no pretense, no walls. It was just the two of you, standing together in the soft glow of the aquarium.

"It is special," you whispered, leaning into his touch. "Because I’m here with you."

For a moment, neither of you spoke, the only sound the gentle hum of the water around you. Then, slowly, Sebastian leaned in, his lips brushing against yours in the softest, sweetest kiss. It wasn’t rushed or demanding — it was gentle, full of warmth and emotion, like he was pouring all his unspoken feelings into that single, quiet moment.

When he pulled back, his forehead rested against yours, and his eyes stayed closed for a moment longer, as if he was savoring the closeness between you.

"I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy," he murmured, his voice barely audible, but the sincerity in his words was unmistakable.

You smiled, your heart swelling with affection for him. "Me neither."

The rest of the world seemed to fall away, leaving just the two of you, standing together beneath the shimmering water. As the fish swam lazily by and the soft light bathed you both, you knew that this was a moment you’d treasure forever — a perfect, quiet memory of your first date with Sebastian.

[demonic0angel]

Celestial Bodies AU (Part 2/?)

(Part one, part three, part four, part five, part six, part seven. Also on AO3)

Robin inhaled softly as Batman strode past his hiding spot. He placed his hands over his mouth and held still within the hiding spot he had found in the spaceship. He could see Superman glance in his direction, but thankfully, he didn't say anything as he floated alongside Batman to go to the command room.

When he heard them leave, Robin quickly followed after them.

When Batman had left him to go to space of all things, Robin knew what he had to do. With the help of Wonder Woman, who had laughed herself silly when he had asked before gleefully complying, he was able to sneak onto the spacecraft without Batman knowing.

It wasn't fair if Bruce got to go to space but he couldn't!

It was space!

Robin followed them quietly and watched as both Batman and Superman stood around the computer monitor that was built into the spacecraft. Green Lantern was already there, staring through the wide window above the monitor at the dark void. Although it was dark, several whirling stars and strange planets all shone brightly and spun in place. The screen itself held several different pictures, and each of them flickered and brightened as sounds came from the screen.

Robin's eyes widened in awe as he strained his ears to listen in.

The sounds were beautiful, like something that he would've heard at a church choir. The singing was ethereal and spooky all in one, echoing with a haunting quality to it like it was underwater.

Like a siren's song.

Robin had to clench his fingers in order to hold himself back from lurching forward, wanting to be even closer.

But who were the people singing?

Green Lantern crossed his arms when he saw the two of them enter.

“Took you two long enough. How did you find this galaxy? I haven’t heard anything about it, even from the Corps.”

Superman answered, “We were testing the new spacecraft for interstellar travel and decided to see if we could go far enough and maybe meet some sentient life forms that could join the Justice League,” he rubbed the back of his head and continued, “Well, we reached this place and then discovered them and made contact. Batman and I asked them if they would help us in the future, and they said they would.”

Green Lantern looked unimpressed. He turned to Batman and asked, “So I guess you were paranoid enough to call me?”

“… yes. And I contacted Zatanna as well.” Robin could tell that Batman was disgruntled by his own powerlessness by the way his voice was tight, like he was gritting his teeth.

He stifled a laugh at the thought of Batman being helpless. He loved Bruce, but oh boy, it was funny seeing him struggle.

Green Lantern shrugged. “I honestly can’t tell you much, because I can’t fly around here like I’d like, even with the ring. Supes, you’ve seen how dangerous this part of space is, right?”

Superman seemed excited to have someone understand. “Yes! The pressure and gravitational pull was very strong. I was only able to escape because I was far away enough and got away in time. The pull definitely seemed to match that of several astronomical objects combining into one. However, it shouldn’t be possible.”

Robin rolled his eyes. When were they going to be interesting?

He sank to the ground and hugged his knees, tilting his head to keep an eye on the three.

Green Lantern nodded. “I agree. It’s definitely way too strong, and usually, any other astronomical object would have collided with one another now, but those are definitely not normal. They’re not bound with logic or science. They even have planets circling around them.”

“We discovered that as well. They spoke with us and we determined that they were sentient,” Batman said. “It is most likely why they haven’t collided yet.”

Robin closed his eyes, leaning against the wall and focusing on the soft singing that continued to play. It lulled him into something like a doze. The song was just so beautiful and soothing, calm, yet strong. It was like a lullaby, one that he was beginning to love.

Green Lantern continued to speak, “It’s the singing, right? The ones singing are the four in the middle?”

“It seems to be all of them in this area, actually.” Batman sighed. “They mentioned two other planets the last time we spoke.”

Green Lantern hummed and turned to the monitor. “I want to try speaking with them. May I?”

Batman nodded and Green Lantern leaned in closer.

He tapped the screen and the sound was enough to rouse Robin. He blinked away the sleepiness and focused in on the room again. Superman glanced in his direction but didn’t say anything.

“Hey! Anyone there?”

The singing continued.

Green Lantern frowned. “Are you sure they spoke to you?”

“Yes,” Bruce growled.

“Try being polite?” Superman suggested.

“… hello? This is Green Lantern speaking. Can someone please respond?”

Robin held his breath as he poked his head into the door, leaning in as close as he could in order to see what would happen next.

The singing slowed to a stop, and so did the flickering on the screen. The sound of static and ocean waves filled the room for a moment.

And then, just like that, the screen spoke with the sound of a thousand voices—

"Hello."

Green Lantern’s eyebrows rose. “Well damn. Nice to meet you.”

"Hello again," Superman interrupted, beaming. "Are you all well? It's good to see you again!"

"We are well, Kal-el."

Superman’s smile went tight but didn’t say anything. Green Lantern glanced at him but was also silent.

Robin was focused on the sound of their voices. It was melodic, kind of like a little choir of voices speaking as one.

Robin's eyes widened again as he thought about it.

Amazing!

Were they speaking to the stars?

The stars continued to speak, “Hal Jordan, son of Martin, what do you seek?”

Green Lantern looked at Batman and Superman, who didn’t look surprised. He frowned heavily.

“Did you all know my identity before?” He addressed Superman and Batman with a glare. 

Superman said awkwardly, “No,” while Batman didn’t reply, so it was probably a yes.

He continued to demand, “Do they do this every time?”

“I think so? But Batman hasn’t spoken to them yet,” Superman said, looking at Batman, who still didn’t respond.

Green Lantern grimaced, turning away to look at the stars again before he then answered them.

“… I seek answers.”

“Ask, and you shall receive.” To Robin, they sounded a little tired by his questions. When looking at the adults’ faces though, they didn’t seem to notice.

Robin suddenly felt like he should’ve stepped out.

He was perhaps the only one who could understand these stars.

Green Lantern continued, “Could you tell us your names? Do you know what galaxy this is in?”

“… we have no more names. We are kept far, far away from any living planets except our own.”

“Is there a reason you’re so far away?”

“Yes.”

They waited, but there was no further response. Green Lantern grimaced again, glowering at Batman for putting him in this situation with a clearly very socially awkward galaxy.

“Can you tell us why?”

“No.”

Green Lantern asked, “Are you a danger to us?”

“No.”

“How can we be sure?”

“We’d swallow you if we were.”

Green Lantern eyed the stars with a deep frown. Robin tried to look at them as best as he could, observing the pulsing and glowing stars. The planets that circled them were quite fast, and Robin watched it all with an ever growing sense of awe.

In particular, he focused on the four in the middle, 2 white colored star-like things and a black hole, as well as a wide and glowing orb. The black hole looked intimidating, but it was so cool that Robin couldn’t help but lean past the door.

Green Lantern continued, “I am a Green Lantern. Do you know what that is?”

“We know of everything.”

Green Lantern turned around and muttered, “Jesus Christ.” He looked out the glass windows at the four revolving stars and black holes and then down at the monitor. “How come nobody knows about you?”

“Clockwork hid us….” Their voices were soft, reminiscent.

“Who?”

They didn’t answer, their silence sounding hesitant and worried. Robin hated that they seemed so fearful, as if they were protecting their mysterious Clockwork from them.

“Why?” Green Lantern pushed. Even Batman and Superman were growing agitated at the lack of any actual answers.

“… For our safety.”

Green Lantern nodded and said, “Thank you for answering our questions. That’s all for now.”

Then he pulled away, as the singing immediately picked up again, a little more rushed than before. He looked at Batman and Superman and asked, “Do we have any idea what a “Clockwork” is? Or who it is?”

“I’ve never heard of someone named that,” Batman shook his head.

Superman raised a finger, asking to speak as he said, “I have noticed that this galaxy is in the direction of the Horologium constellation. Horologium means “clock”. Maybe there’s a link between the two?”

“Makes sense. Now what? Do we even need to do anything? They’re seriously uncooperative and I think they’re being vague on purpose.”

Superman frowned. "Green Lantern," he began sternly, but the Green Lantern then put his hands up.

"Okay, first of all, I am way out of my depth here. Intergalactic threats are one thing, children that were forced to become stars is a whole separate matter."

“You already read the report, why are you complaining?” Batman grumbled.

However, Robin ignored the squabble that then ensued as his eyes widened. Children?

Were they in trouble?

Robin needed to help! As Batman’s partner and equal, he was better equipped to help than these three!

These three clearly weren’t suited for this!

Green Lantern scowled. “We have no way of knowing if they’re being truthful or not. My suggestion is that we continue to observe them in the meantime and if they want to “help” us, we take it with a grain of salt.”

Batman nodded. “Exactly my thinking.”

Superman looked a little anxious. “Aren’t we going to help them too? They said that they were human once…”

“Why bother? They don’t even act like it’s an inconvenience.”

Robin grit his teeth.

He knew it! These adults were useless! These stars were kids like him, so they needed to be helped by a kid too. If Robin was able to help, they would surely be better off than with these losers!

Robin loved Superman and Batman (he never really met Green Lantern before, but he disliked him now), but clearly, he was the man for the job.

Superman seemed to be on the same wavelength as him and said, “Let’s ask them! Maybe if we insist, they can give us more information as to why they were changed.”

"Superman, while I appreciate how you hold hope for helping everyone, I really don't think you can help... these." Green Lantern gestured to the window, where the four glowing beings were still spinning in place.

Robin felt heat flare up in his chest at his dismissive tone. How dare he brush off these stars!

Of course, if Robin had been older and not as hot-tempered and determined to hate Green Lantern, he would've seen that he seemed tired. All three of the adult heroes were confused by these beings and could not understand them, not like how Robin could. To them, it was a group of sentient, possibly highly dangerous stars that rivaled their own Sun, that could consume them all in great flames and heat.

They were paranoid, confused, and jaded, and that didn’t make a good combination when faced with beings that they could not understand, beings that they could not help and could kill them without moving.

But Robin didn't know that, so he was still fuming as Green Lantern continued speaking.

"There's no guarantee that Zatanna can help them. And we've only just started the Justice League a few months ago. We don't have many routes to help and we don't know if we can trust them. Or if they're being truthful."

Superman frowned.

"But..." he looked to Batman for help.

Batman was silent, avoiding his gaze.

Robin held back a sigh. Batman seemed allergic to emotions again. If Robin was there, he probably could've backed up Superman.

Adults were so annoying.

Green Lantern huffed. “I’ll ask them, okay? Stop looking at me like that, it feels weird that I’m falling for a grown man’s puppy eyes.”

Superman muttered to himself sullenly, “I wasn’t giving puppy eyes.”

Green Lantern addressed the little galaxy again, their song filling the room before he said, “Excuse me? I have one more question.”

The crackling singing stopped suddenly, and Robin got the feeling that they were annoyed and apprehensive.

“Speak.”

Green Lantern cleared his throat and asked, “Do you need any help? With anything? It’s only right that we help you if you’re helping us.”

More silence. Now it seemed kind of hesitant again.

“Is there anything at all? Anyone we can call?”

One voice in particular suddenly spoke up over the silence.

“… Robin.”

There was silence as Batman stood there, dumbfounded. "Who?"

Robin’s eyes widened. Were the stars talking about him?

Superman flinched.

Batman turned to him with wide eyes and then he whirled towards the door, where Robin had been accidentally leaning too far past the doorway to avoid being seen. He darted back in but it was still too late.

"Robin!" Batman barked. "How did you get on the ship?!"

Robin, realizing how futile it was to hide, poked his head back out. "You left me at home! And then went to space without me!"

Batman groaned. Then he whirled around to glare at Superman. "You knew about this!" He accused, jabbing a finger in his direction.

Superman laughed awkwardly. "Hahahah... uhh... I couldn't sense him?"

Batman put a hand on his cowl and groaned again, in lieu of taking a hand and rubbing it over his face, while Green Lantern gaped.

“Spooky, you’ve had a sidekick this whole time?! Do I even know you?!”

Robin rolled his eyes. He stood up and dusted himself off before walking closer. “I’m not a sidekick! I’m Batman’s partner!”

Batman huffed, but nodded. “Robin is not my sidekick.”

“This is bizarre as f— fudge,” Green Lantern finished lamely, and then pursed his lips together, looking at Robin with narrowed eyes. Robin returned the look. “How’d you even sneak in?”

“I’m not telling you,” Robin said, sticking out his tongue.

“Robin.” Batman glared at him.

Robin rolled his eyes again and crossed his arms. “Wonder Woman helped me.”

Batman rubbed at his eyes. "She and I will be having words after this."

Robin huffed. "Don't be mad at her! I asked her to help me!"

Batman muttered something that had Superman eying him warily.

Robin strode forward and pulled on Batman's cape. "Well, I'm still here. And I say that we help them."

"Kid, you don't understand the situation. They're dangerous. And we don't know anything about them," Green Lantern said, like he was a baby.

"Yes, we do! They're kids and I can help!"

Green Lantern scoffed. "You're what— eight?"

He was actually twelve, but for that, Robin was going to cut this guy’s shins.

Robin took out a wingding, ready to slash this asshole's ankles when he felt Batman lift him up by the armpits and hold him up in the air, forcing him to be still. Of course, he could’ve just left Batman’s hold and probably cut his ankles too, but he decided to be gracious and let Batman hold him.

He did, of course, kick Batman backwards in the chest for daring to put him in air jail, but his armor was too strong so it didn’t do anything.

Robin pouted and glared at Green Lantern with laser-like eyes before he made a slashing motion across his neck with the wingding.

Green Lantern stared at him with horror before he shouted, "Spooky, he just threatened me! Is this normal?! What demon child do you have??"

Superman, who was behind Robin, said, "What? Robin wouldn’t do that! He’s an angel!"

Robin smiled evilly. "Yeah. I'm an angel."

Green Lantern blanched.

Batman huffed a laugh. "You're demon spawn, alright. Stop swinging your birdarang. I gave those to you to fight crime, not other heroes."

"It's a wingding, B!”

He was put down after another moment of having his legs swinging midair, and because he was an absolute angel, he didn't move to cut Green Lantern's kneecaps.

It was apparently visible on his face what he wanted to do because Green Lantern shuddered and moved backwards to hide behind Superman.

Robin sniffed dismissively and then turned to Batman. "Batman, we should help them! They called for me— they need me!”

Batman grew serious again and shook his head. "You don’t know that. They could be dangerous. Robin, you shouldn’t have come here.”

Robin scowled furiously. “Don’t tell me what to do!”

Batman groaned, raising his head to stare at the stars as if they would somehow give him strength.

Robin snorted coldly and ignored Superman’s worried gaze before he strode forward and peered through the window. He shooed Batman away with a hand as he tried to approach him.

“Shoo! I’ll handle this.”

“Robin—“

“You owe me,” Robin said stubbornly. He glared at Batman, who looked even more uncomfortable. “You left me behind. Alone. You owe me! I’m your partner! I shouldn’t have to stay behind just because you told me to!”

Batman grimaced and then awkwardly, he started to say, “Chum—“

Robin interrupted him again. “Stay to the side. I’m Robin, and I’m your equal. They asked for me.” Placatingly, he added, “I’m only going to talk to them.”

Green Lantern was muttering something to Batman in a hushed whisper, but Robin didn’t pay attention to him. He just stared at Batman with furrowed eyebrows and a pout. The two of them stared at each other before Batman nodded slowly. He looked like he was constipated.

“Fine.” His voice sounded particularly tight, as if he was gritting his teeth. “You can only talk to them. And we’re staying here.”

“Fine,” he huffed.

Robin turned back towards the window. Each celestial object spun in place, lighting up with flares and bright bursts of light. The one black hole was still, while the other three spun around and around, as if to encourage him. The planets that circled them continued to do so slowly, waiting.

The singing had not started again.

“Hello. I’m Robin, and I’m here to help you.”

The radio crackled, and then there was a soft, “Hello, Robin.” The call of his name was gentle, a combination of different, reverbed voices with a strange sense of affection and care.

Robin smiled cheerfully. He liked them even more for calling his mother’s nickname for him so gently. “What do you need?”

"You can help us."

“How so? If it’s possible, I’ll do what I can!”

The one voice who spoke up earlier than spoke over the other stars once more.

“Only you can help me, Robin.”

It was said with so much quiet reverence and pleasant softness, that all of them froze. The celestial objects that been moving on their own suddenly stilled again, all in unison with the one black hole.

Robin tilted his head, but a feeling of pride swelled in his chest and he asked, “What do I need to do?”

“Robin!” Batman hissed warningly, but didn’t do anything yet.

“Oh shit,” Green Lantern said, a little too loud.

That one voice continued to speak, as the others quieted, “I’ll be yours. If you can also be mine.”

Robin blinked curiously. “What does that mean?”

“Robin! No!” Batman shouted, but the stars started to whisper loudly, a noisy buzz as they spoke amongst the sound of crackling audio and water. Outside the window, the other stars and planets continued to remain still while the black hole starting to move, humming and thrumming. It flared and glowed with its bright rings pulsing around it.

“You will be my human. And I’ll grow up with you.”

Robin thought of the fact that this star was also a kid, just like him.

The humming grew louder as Batman bristled like a bothered cat.

“So what’s in it for me?” Robin ignored him and grinned, rocking on his heels.

“Robin! Do not!”

It didn’t sound too bad, and something told him that this star of his wouldn’t hurt him. It was like an instinctive understanding, one where Robin knew that this being wouldn’t betray him.

“I’ll protect you. I’ll be your star.”

Robin beamed. With Batman hurriedly striding over to him to pull him backwards, Robin nodded and said sweetly as he put his hand on the glass, “Deal!”

The black hole that hummed outside of the window lit up with a flash and a light flew towards their ship, darting towards Robin like a concentrated sun beam.

Batman gasped, horrified, “Robin!” as he lunged forward to shield him, but the light got to him first, striking him through his outstretched hand and then into his heart. Robin gasped and Batman surged forward, holding onto him tightly.

“Robin! Chum, are you alright?!”

Warmth spread through his body and settled in his bones, safe and hot, like drinking hot chocolate on a cold winter night after a good day of patrol. Robin instinctively pulled off his glove and went, “Wow!” as pale lines appeared on his skin, a four pointed star that split into two between his ring and middle finger on his left hand.

Red, black, and blue bled into his skin until a star appeared when he put his fingers together, a swirl of beautiful colors.

Batman grabbed him and pulled him away from the window.

“Robin! Are you okay? Talk to me!”

“I’m fine, B! Look! Isn’t it cool?” Robin asked excitedly.

“No,” Batman said snappishly. “It is not cool. Are you hurt? Do you feel anything wrong?”

“Nope! Just peachy!” Robin said, wiggling his fingers and watching the colored lines flex. “I’m all good!”

He paused and looked at his mentor, his guardian, his foster father, his Batman. He patted him on the shoulder as Batman knelt before him.

“I’m okay, B, promise.”

The whispering of the stars continued, something sweet and hopeful in their voices as they chattered unintelligibly. The black hole continued to buzz and then all of them were moving in unison again, spinning in peaceful circles as if nothing just happened. The singing also continued, now sounding much happier.

Green Lantern and Superman were staring out the window in horror while Robin continued to look at his new tattoo.

He liked it a lot. It was so beautiful that his heart ached.

Batman stared at him for a long moment. Then he abruptly stood up.

“We’re leaving. Right now,” Batman said. He picked up Robin who startled and then began to whine.

“Nooooo, I said I’m okay! I’m seriously okay! It’s rude to leave without saying goodbye, B!”

Despite how Robin complained, his star only got to murmur a small, “Goodbye, my Robin,” through the radio before Batman swiftly took him out of the command room and into a smaller shuttle.

Robin scowled and kicked Batman in the arm, knowing that even if he escaped, he wouldn’t have anywhere to go in order to escape his overprotective partner. Both Green Lantern and Superman followed, the latter nervously inspecting his hand with his newly formed tattoo.

Robin crossed his arms to not let Superman gawk at his hand any longer before he demanded, “So I can come back here, right?”

“No.”

“Then how am I going to speak to my star?!”

This time, it was Green Lantern and Superman who said loudly, “No!”

Robin cried out furiously, “You all suck!”

Of course, a few weeks later, Robin still snuck in. The space ship that they were on was still located there, now permanently stationed near that little galaxy as Batman overzealously studied the celestial objects that somehow touched him with a magic that no one could recognize.

Thankfully, Robin’s star was still there, just as it normally was.

As Robin crept closer to the window, he pressed his face against the glass and smiled at the sight of his star, a dark and glowing black hole that was now greedily consuming the purple and pink nebulae around it.

“Hello, my star,” he whispered, and his star flared briefly, lighting up with red and gold hues.

Robin beamed.

Yes, it was a good thing that he snuck on that ship that day.

||||||||||||||||||||||||||

Yes, Robin is a demon child. Why? No reason, I just think it's funny. Dan and Dick suit each other 🤣

It’s like a ship but also not a ship? Like I don’t think I’ll give the Phantoms human forms (it’s so much more fun if they’re just stars, but maybe in the far, far, far future they can be humans) but at the same time, this is like…. A qpp. In a weird way. Dan is like 14 tho, and now that Dick has agreed to be his “host” (he’s around 12 now), they’ll grow up together. Please tell me if I should make it a ship or not.

Y’know, I almost wanted to not post another celestial object AU at all bc someone was really rude to me about my last post on this idea. DO NOT reblog my posts with passive aggressive and rude remarks about what is canon and what is not. If you look at my page, you’ll see that I focus on Danny Phantom and DPxDC. NOT DCU!! And even then!! I focus only on the Batfamily!!

You are free to correct me (someone did that some time ago and I appreciate it, they were truly and genuinely trying to be helpful and I feel bad bc they deleted their comments.), but do not tell me what is right or wrong with DCU canon 😒 I don’t consume any DCU media other than some cartoon shows and a few comics.

Sorry for the little rant, it infuriated me when I saw that reply. I’m happy with any comments I get, I just despise it when people give me their unsolicited opinions

Anyways, hope you liked this update! I think I might make this a series?

[kifkay]

I love when magic has an effect on the body & soul of its caster. like!! you don’t get to be a reality-bending demi-god and walk away with no strings attached. there’s always a price.

Bloom’s dragon fire consumes her from the inside, leaving lightning-like tissues of scars along her limbs - be careful, rumbles the Great Dragon from within, don’t let your emotions consume you. Bloom wails from the pain and clutches whoever is in the vicinity - but cannot fully stop it. just prevent it or treat the aftermath.

Musa gets migraines. Stella becomes ill when she doesn’t get her daily dose of sunshine. Aisha’s senses get muddy sometimes, almost as if she’s submerged underwater. Nabu experiences uncontrollable tremors in his arms, when he creates too many of his phantoms. all of those are - yes, horrible to experience but manageable enough for the school (and the Magic community at large) to tell them to just suck it up and weather through.

once you get your enchantix though, you start developing… unique abilities. almost like, in achieving the final fairy form, you became one with your brand of magic.

Bloom starts producing smoke. Like - she snorts at something funny Riven or Sky say, and literal puffs of smoke emerge from her nose. It’s jarring at first (“Bloom Peters, when did you start smoking? do you know that it kills??”) but quickly becomes endearing once they realise it’s not life-threatening in any way (after speed-running through like fifteen Magix apothecaries). Among her other ‘oddities’: too hot to cuddle with (only Stella can stand the high temperature, since she has a resistance to heat), becomes strangely overprotective and a little possessive, her eyes sometimes become a startling orange hue as if she’s embodied by the great dragon himself (it’s just a party trick).

Stella becomes more ethereal. In certain lights, her skin looks translucent - like a mirage weaved with moonlight. Her hair glints in the sun, almost too bright to like at; her touch feels phantom-like. She becomes even more beautiful, but less - human, earth-bound, Stella-esque. A curse and a blessing, that one.

Musa’s hearing gets really fucking good. She has a steadily growing dossier of blackmail on every student in Alfea - simply because shut doors or longer distances are no longer obstacles for her. It’s annoying too, because she can’t exactly turn it off - and now she gets to hear all the things people say about her, behind her. but here’s a consolation - she can influence other creature’s emotions through the melodies she hums! like how in canon, she pacified the bird Roc and brought mirth to the arguing fairies.

Flora gets much sturdier. Her skin harder than bark; her body able to withstand thirst and hunger for much longer than the rest. It’s honestly so intimidating. Here’s this sweet young woman — known to cry for trampled flowers and cut weeds!! — absolutely bodying a sharp ass ice shard that Icy attacked her with. It just — crumbles upon colliding with Flora’s body. insane and frankly so so hot for others to see.

As per the negatives… I like the idea of Flora being able to connect to the memories of nature around her and literally absorb the pain/fear/anguish of whatever she witnessed.

Aisha and Bloom are similar, in a sense that both of them are vessels to primordial divinities of their universe — Bloom is the holder of the Dragon Flame, and Aisha is the child of the Infinite Ocean. therefore, both experience a more extreme transformation than their girl friends. like, Aisha’s dreams are infiltrated by visions of past and future; memories of those who were lost to the Ocean. she dreams of Politea, of Tritanus, of her mer cousins and ancestors, and even those who were not yet born. if Aisha was not so mentally wilful, she might’ve folded under the weight of those prophesies.

Aisha can also breathe under water and her body gets the musculature it needs to be on par with her mer cousins while swimming, because why the fuck not?

Tecna - I frankly have no ideas for and would love to hear suggestions!

[whosmarii]

Lay your hands on me.

ᯤ Title based on the song "if u think i'm pretty" by Artemas.

Summary: You're one of the competitors of the triwizard tournament. You knew the competition was harsh, but the stress your feeling is certanly unexpected. So your... friend? Theodore decides to be your stress relief.

tw: Sexual content, my first time writting smut lol, no corrections made yet.

*Reader is fem

*There's a Game of Thrones reference in here, try to find it!!!

Since you opened the golden egg you knew what you had to do. The gloomy sounds coming out of the egg only made you think one thing. Sirens.

It is said that beauty comes with pain. Pain limit us to do certain things.

Sirens have the most beautiful voice a living being could have, but it is limited to only underwater. Due to that, now you were naked in the prefects bathroom, sinking in the comforting feeling of the foamy water.

You had time to open the egg, but, for now you wanted to relax. These last weeks were exhausting to the least.

You let the hot, and now reeallyy foamy water undo the knots in the back of your neck, without noticing that your friend, Theo, was staring at you right at the other side of the room.

You looked ethereal in his eyes. The foamy water was making your boobs shine and the hot breath was making your not wet skin sweating. You had your eyes closed letting yourself sink in the water as a way to feel better. Theo had a better idea. A better idea to make you stress free. A better idea that would make you feel much better than that warm water.

He would make you sink on his cock instead. He would try to make his body sink completely inside of you of how close you two were.

"I figured you would be here vita mia" (my life)

"Oh my...well I didn't figured you would be here Theo"

"You're stress. I know you enough to decipher your faces" he says as he approached tha bathtub full of bubbles and steam that covered your naked body. "I've seen the littles lines between you eyes and the cute pout on your lips when you survived the dragon. You are thinking to hard, and it's making you look tired my sun and stars... let me help you."

He was already taking his shirt off, and you were already making space for him.

In seconds, seconds that you didn't even notice have passed, Theo was naked inside the water. With his hands roaming your body. You moved your head forward to kiss him, but he moved away.

eh, what¿

You gaved him an inquisitive look. And he just smiled at you before lifting your body out of the water. Making you sit naked in the edge of the giantic bath. "Stand up...please." he pleadead you with a spark in his eyes.

You didn't understand what was happening, it made you slightly uncomfortable the thought of being completely naked and exposed to someone in this way. But the water that was soaking his face, his lashes and curls and the vapour that was leaving his half-open lips maked your brain go white. You stood up, looking right into his eyes.

"Impeccabile" (flawless) he whispered. It was like the word escaped his mouth, it wasn't meant for the outside world. It was just for him, it was his observation.

" Sei perfetta mio sole e mia stella" (you are perfect my sun and stars) he almost whispered that too. That one was suppose to be for your ears only.

While he said that his hands were already imprisioning your body. Pulling you back to the water right in front of him. Right were you belonged.

" I'm gonna fuck you so good baby" Theo said in your ear whereas his right hand was massaging you right boob and his left hand was already stretching you out.

"Lay your hands on me Theo, please" You could feel his fingers thrusting inside of you. You could feel every single detail of his hand on your cunt. You could feel his hot breath and sloppy kisses on your neck. And, you could feel him pushing your body impossibly close to him and his erection.

"Nono, today i'm gonna teach you how to scream in italian tesoro mio" (my treasure)

He was desperate. You were too.

It was no playtime. So he did a favour for the two of you, and pulled everything in.

You shout a small, quick pain sound. It definitly was painful but the realief you felt was more intense than any pain.

"move, please, just move now, i need you" you said fast and in complete need.

"muoviti per favore, ho bisogno di te, thats how you say it"

Theo wasn't moving. Was he really expecting you to say that in that perfect and hot italian accent.

" Ho bisgno di te Theo, per favore" (I need you Theo, please) It wasn't perfect, but it was for him.

Theo went feral after that, the water was splashing and the movements were messy.

He wasn't going fast, he was going deep. His dick was full inside you, touching you cervix every single time he thrust back into you.

You never felt so full in your life like right now with Theo. He was everywhere. It was too much, you were feeling too much. And were is god, you really need to be saved cause he is breaking your body and putting it back togheter in one single thrust.

You moved your hands to your clit, you felt sore, your clit was sore and he didn't even touch it yet. The hot water was making it unbereable for your body to resist and right before your fingers could fullfil your needy self Theo grabs your wrist putting two of your fingers inside your mouth. Shushing your moans and whines.

"I told you I was gonna help you. You only do one thing, metti semplicemente quelle adorabili dita in bocca, stai zitto e sii carino per il mio cazzo." his thrust went deeper if that was even possible and his thumb was rubbing circles on your clit aplying the perfect amount of pressure.

"Did you catch that darling? I said the only thing you have to do is put those little pretty fingers of yours in your little pretty mouth, stay silent and look pretty for my cock"

That was enough for you. The deep thrust, the pressure on your clit, the hot feeling that embraced you whole body and all that italian dirty talk pushed you to an extremely intense orgasm, for a solid 30 seconds you were numb, you felt like you could have died of how strong it hit you.

And without you noticing, Theo had cum too, inside you, filling you so good that now not only you could feel a hot feeling outside your body, but inside.

A few minutes in silence have passed. You could swear the sound you were making 10 minutes ago were still ecoing in the room.

" You should open that egg now, cause i'm fucking you again and again till you learn all the idioms of the world"

Yeah... you should open the egg now.

[confused-since-birth]

Shape of the unknown pt. 2

Hello! I hoped you liked the first part. I wasn’t sure if it should have multiple parts, but it was nice writing so I guess here we go. :)))

Any advice, feedback, it’s also welcome.

word count: 1327

Warnings: nudity, angst, sexual themes

Minors pleas dni, 18+

The moonlight and candlelight made your skin look like it shines it’s own light. Sylus didn’t know how much time passed since he stumbled upon you. Might’ve been seconds, minutes, years, in his mind it didn’t matter. He just couldn’t get enough. The skin of his hands burned to caress, touch. Seeing you disappear under petals and leaves, water hiding your beauty, his breath hitched. It almost surprised him seeing you move and enjoy yourself after a full day of working and studying. It was almost as he forgot you weren’t an unmoving piece of art, as such ethereal image as yourself couldn’t be real.

In your head and heart feelings were like a sea angered by clouds. Trying to chant to yourself calming lullabies, slipping underwater, then resurfacing. Scrubbing your skin and hair hoping imaginary blood would disappear, nerves about other problems surrounding the Temple too. Everything needed your undivided attention as your role was important for Tarus. You shouldn’t allow personal problems steal the spotlight. There was no mistake allowed here. But when a personal problem has direct consequences concerning everything else, what is to do?

When water gets cold, and your thoughts stop running wild with possibilities, you get out. A soft dark pruple robe awaits you near. The cold breeze of the night embraces your form, making your skin full of goosbumps. Your wet hair doesn’t help as it chills your back, water droplets running down your spine and shoulder blades. As you prepare to get some girls to help you drain the bath, your stomach knots, heart feels like falling out of your chest, eyebrows slightly up in surprise. Two red rubies stare at you wide eyed, lips parted just a little and a tail wiggling wildly behind his back.

Even though Sylus knew time will come for you to get out of your bathtub, he didn’t expect it. Not now. His hopes were that maybe his eyes would be able to run away from you, and then his steps would lead him back to his cave and newfound sorceress. Seeing the wet silhouette of you body made his own tingle. He was evil, an erethic, committing such an act of blasphemy. If it was someone else in his place, doing what he was doing, tainting your image before the gods in such way, they would be dead. If such thing would’ve reached his ears, nothing would’ve been left of the one daring this act of sacrilege. So what was he to do now? If you asked for his life in return for this mistake, he would die by your hands. No word would fall from his lips to try and beg for mercy.

Your surprised face lasts but a moment, turning into a mask of calm and ice. It hits him harder now seeing your face bare. The way your eyelashes curl upwards, the way you stare at him, how your lips move.

“That is… unexpected to say the least, Sylus. You do know that I could have your head for this, right?”, you say as you trace the edge of the bathtub.

His tongue can’t articulate anything. But what could he say?

“Would you…?” he whispers softly while taking slow, calculated steps towards you. A smirk appears on his lips. Bluffing may work with you, as he doesn’t care for what the gods will do to him anyway.

“Well, you could have just asked if you wanted to see me, not come here” you sigh.” How much closer do you plan to come though? Isn’t already enough that you stole glances of what is to be hidden?”

Heat radiates from him. His tail swings around you, coming closer, then going away. It’s as if it isn’t sure to touch you or not. His breath you can see it’s ragged. His eyes are looking deep into yours and you feel as if you are burning up.

“Will the gods punish me?”

A surge of daring boldness pushes you towards his ear. Goosebumps appear on his skin as his pulse picks up, making you hope that he sees you how you see him. Hoping that your body is not the only thing awaking his desires. There’s newfound desperation in your heart: the need to touch him and be touched, not only for lust, but love.

“Want me to let you in on a little secret, my dear?” you whisper, breathing softly near his ear, “the gods don’t care about the veil, whether we sleep in bed with men or women as they are depraved in their own way, not just wise. Being wise comes from experience, and experience is not only righteous. However, for men, a woman’s body must be holy to be respected.”

His tail snaps and holds you against him. Your hands go to his biceps, as your lips share a breath. Feeling eachother’s skin, him feeling your chest pressed against him, the beating of your heart.

“My darling, does this mean that you didn’t trust me?” Sylus asks feeling a drop of ire flowing through his veins.

How could his love, his Oracle, his desire not trust him when he always protected her? When he always thought of her? Was she upset also about the presence of the sorceress?

As there was no space between you two, thick tension building, feelings that have been hidden for so long, words you’ve been keeping for years run out of your mouth.

“My heart sings for you, but how could I show you myself if I wasn’t sure of your heart. Uncertainty hurts more than a dagger.”

His lips touch onto yours. Soft, warm, making a fire erupt in your being. Arms go behind his neck, then to his horns, tugging him closer. Sylus’ hands roam your body, caressing, exploring. Your curves are so enticing that it makes so hard for him to breath. His tail keeps circling your form, bringing and keeping you stuck on him. The bed couldn’t be further away. He scoops you up and you let him, desperate to get more, feel more.

The sheets hit your back and in moments your naked forms are pressing onto one another. His wings cover you by instinct, forming a space only for you two. The moment your bodies unite feels so right, nothing compares. There’s no way everything will be the same. Moans, whimpers and grunts fill your room. His smell of wind, high skies and musk and sweat makes you lose your mind, the same for him as he burries his nose in your neck.

But where does this leave you two? What about the girl? This question is one of the few you cannot have an answer to and it kills you.

The old Oracle told you at some point of an even older prophecy that a dragon will one day kill his beloved throwing his life in complete darkness. In the dead of night, as his chest rose and falls softly, your thoughts tangle in questions. As much as you want to understand what is going on and what follows next, it’s impossible. Anxiety and doubt creeps in your soul.

The rays of sun wake you up. Sylus is nowhere to be found, his side of bed, cold. Wanting to feel the sun to try and wake up from your groggy state, you exit on the small balcony. There is something in the sky. Strong wings keep the man afloat. But he is not alone. The shatter of your heart could almost be heard through Tarus. There’s no pain greater than what you felt right now, almost as if he took a sword and plunged it into your heart. Tears on your solemn face that at some point dry from the wind.

Little did you know that in this game of fate, some fight it, some ignore it, while others just listen to its whispers, but Sylus could only hope and try to change it.

[11queensupreme11]

Queen, I was fucking busy, like really busy, but then I saw THAT comment and I decided that life is too short to don't do risky things

(God, if my boss sees me on tumblr? Why would she know how Tumblr looks?...)

“Sorry Hades!” He cackled joyfully. “Shoulda been a better husband if you didn’t want me snatching up your cute little bride! She’s all mine now!”

Of course, she is daddy, you are so hot, I can't wait for your smut

(Still rotting for Poseidon taking her virginity, just cause he's a slut and I love him for that. Also, her panic about enjoying having sex with her dad would be hilarious)

(Look what you have made, now I'm fully on your side about Percy's fall down, let's push this girl from the precipice, she looks cute crying)

That fight... *sighs* those beautiful men, Poseidon looked GORGEOUS dying in the anime, so I love that for him

Fuck Zeus for stopping it when my babies were having fun, why NOW he has common sense? go and have an orgy, I was laughing

Kebechet peered down. “Daddy! Are you okay?” She called out. Anubis weakly managed a thumbs up. His whole body was completely toast. “Just… fine…” He wheezed.

I love him, your honor.

You know what? I'm starting to like Apollo.

He's honestly just a himbo that by luck has power enough to kill thousands.

His fanart about their future children is cute, and if he was training in Midgard explains a lot about him and his personality.

He was practically raised by mortals, learning with them but always trying to become a god. And with Zeus as his dad... well, I love my whores, even if they probably need a redemption arch where they learn to love and have healthy relationships without sex aside from their sibling.

Also, it feels like he, Anubis, Beel, and Loki are the ones who really LOVE her, she doesn't fake with them (I was rooting for Loki since that bathroom scene for that reason, cause it seemed like the only one who let herself have fun being a gremlin and matched her energy with his own gremlin behavior).

No saying I don't stand for Posy (lol) and even (?) Hades, just saying, that they really need to see her in her own space without them forcing her to be all UwU.

Hopefully, if she ends with one of them (or all of them, I'm totally wishing that end) she'd be able to balance her own personality with her UwU

Oh, Apollo... I can't see the future but somehow I'm looking at the beginning of your yandere arch. Yes, my lord, the only real way of saving her is letting her go but how could you send her away knowing she wouldn't return? Send her to the arms of another man? A simple mortal?

I was wondering how they would see her in her original world, but I bet Apollo is more than we see, and isn't afraid of using everyone in the way of getting her back.

I see the strongest alliance coming, full from simps thirsting after the same pussy

(Oh, that kiss underwater... I just know you're making them worse)

You know what else would be funny? Another god watching with them, and falls in love with Nico and gets the simps to help him, and kidnaps both of them.

Hades has a single son, I can see him going "Well if I marry my other version's son to my own son, that would just eliminate a problem and Percy would have a reason more to stay with me 😊😊"

Just imagine Queen, TWO pretty people to make suffer, Percy teaching him the UwU way, Nico having to live with that version of his dad that not only want to fuck Percy but also is rotting for him getting fucked for what is practically his brother.

Am I convincing you? I think I'm always bribing you with Nico's suffering in a chance to make him stay alive and with Percy, so I can see him more and cause I've some slutty outfits for him.

Imagining my emo boy with that dark prince vibe, everyone who meets him knows that he's not happy but no one sees a problem cause he should be glad that he's alive 🥴

You know Percy has this ethereal vibe, a spoiled princess so imagine them together.

Percy smiling with his UwU facade, looking beautiful and glowing with innocence. Nico looks dark at her side, without a smile on his face even when Percy tries to animate him.

Fully giving black cat and golden retriever energy.

(Percy: I'm going to help you to escape, just that my dad doesn't let me out of his sight enough to contact with the valkyries Nico: You're calling this Poseiond your dad, have you forgotten our world already?

The potential to angst is just *chef kiss*)

AND, cause I'm not gatekeeping anything, look at my favorite ones!

Look at those, absolutely gorgeous, amazing use of my free will searching these pictures.

Also, my boy isn't a tank as the rest of the RoR's men, so he probably would look delicate to them.

He would hate it.

I feel like I'm selling somethig, hope you buy it.

Bye queen, hope you enjoy your new game and don't forget about me and Nico 😘

"poseidon looked GORGEOUS dying in the anime" ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THAT

also omfgggggg you're killing me 😂😂😂😂

ARE YOU ACTUALLY TRYING TO SELL NICO'S TWINK ASS TO ME IN HOPES FOR HIS SURVIVAL???? SLUTTING OUT YOUR BOY????????? PLEASE THE PIC REFERENCES 😭😭😭😭😭😭

[just-my-latest-hyperfixation]

Eeeeee! Congratulations! You deserve every single one! 🖤

Could I pretty please request:

Am I supposed to be scared now? In a Mafia AU. Vibes and item I'll leave up to your enormous, genius brain.

🖤🖤🖤

Thank you so much, Sam! 💖✨️ Hope you enjoy!

Worth the risk

Rated: E

Words: 992

Tags: Mafia AU; Hitman Eddie Munson; Dark Eddie Munson; Mob boss Richard Harrington; Secret relationship; intrigue; Referenced character death (RIP Tommy); Blood and violence; Knife play; Blood play; Groping; Dry humping

Notes: Previous part | Part 1

Nobody says anything as they make their way out of the Harrington villa, but by some unspoken agreement, they don't part ways yet. They linger in the driveway by the cars. 

Eddie knows better than to speak first. Instead, he lights a cigarette and lets the silence drag on, pretending to be brooding over the night’s events. He knows that somebody is bound to say something sooner rather than later. 

It’s Jeff who does, in the end. 

“Harrington’s losing it.” 

Gareth jumps and casts anxious glances all around himself, like he’s expecting to find the boss lurking somewhere in the shadows, while Frank shushes Jeff with a hectic gesture. 

“Shut up, are you insane?” 

Jeff shrugs petulantly, but he does lower his voice. “I'm just saying what everyone is thinking. That thing with Hagan? That was completely fucking bonkers, sending him to make that deal with the Carvers all alone. It’s almost like he wanted him to end up with a bullet through his head.” 

“Maybe he did,” Gareth says. “Rumor has it Hagan’s been making eyes at the son.” 

Eddie nods along solemnly with the rest of them. 

“All I’m saying is, it’s bad news,” Jeff mumbles. “He believes he’s invincible, that he can get away with anything. It’s dangerous for a man in his position to think like that.” 

“Then maybe he shouldn’t be.” Eddie lets the words linger, waiting until every single face is turned to him. “Be in that position, I mean.” 

Frank scoffs. “Yeah, right. Who’d even wanna do it instead? Junior seems much more interested in lounging by the pool and taking it up the-” 

“Nah,” Eddie is quick to deflect. “We’d need someone capable. Somebody younger, who knows how things work on the street.” 

“Someone like you?” 

“I wouldn’t know about that, Gare,” Eddie lies. “Just putting in my two cents on the matter.” 

Behind the garden wall, a light flickers alive, then dies again, quick as a heartbeat. Eddie grinds his cigarette under the heel of his boot. 

“Shit, just remembered I forgot something. Don’t wait for me, guys.” 

He feels their gazes on his neck as he walks back towards the house and doesn't bother hiding his grin. 

*

The hydrangeas are long past their bloom, decaying flower petals rustling under his feet. He doesn't lament their death, not when he knows that the seeds of something else are slowly taking root. 

The underwater lights of the pool bask the garden in an eerie glow, but he makes his way to the pool house unbothered. He has hardly ducked inside when a key clicks in the lock behind him. 

Eddie’s body moves on instinct and muscle memory. The key clatters off somewhere in the darkness,  and when the crimson veil lifts from his eyes, he has a warm body pressed against the wall, the edge of his knife licking at a shivering throat. A throat covered in the fading marks of his own teeth. 

“Damn, Stevie,” he hisses, retracting the blade and sliding it back into its holster. It leaves the faintest of cuts, tiny droplets of blood gathering against tan skin like dark beads. “Are you out of your mind? You can't just sneak up on people like that.” 

Steve scowls at him, face full of haughty disdain. He's beautiful in the glow of the pool seeping in from outside. He's always beautiful, of course, but something about the pale blue light rippling off his skin makes him look ethereal and downright unreal. Like an ancient deity, like a marble statue come alive.

“Excuse me?” he whispers, wriggling in Eddie’s hold. “What was I supposed to do? Nobody tells me shit, and then I overhear my dad talking on the phone about how one of his guys was killed. I just wanted-” 

“Aw,” Eddie coos. He leans into Steve’s space, scraping a toothy grin against the hollow of that pretty throat. His lips come away tasting like copper, leaving a bloody trail on Steve's skin. “Are you worried about me, honey? Why, I'm honored.” 

Steve pushes his head away with one palm against his cheek, but makes no further attempt at twisting out of his grip. 

“This isn't a fucking joke, Eddie. If my dad finds out about this, you'll be next in line for a bullet through the- Will you stop this?” 

Eddie lets Steve's thumb slide out of his mouth with an obscene, wet sound, nipping at the tender skin at its base as he goes. 

“Am I supposed to be scared now?” he drawls. “I'm not an idiot, I can look after myself.” 

“I know you can,” Steve confesses, tracing Eddie’s cheekbone with his thumb. It's still wet with his own spit, and the touch leaves a thin trail of moisture, cool in the stuffy air of the pool house. “But sometimes, I don't think you understand how dangerous this is.” 

“Believe me, darling, I’m well aware of the danger.” Eddie trails a hand over Steve’s throat, down his chest. The motion makes a drop of blood run from his neck into the collar of his shirt. He watches how it blooms on the white fabric, pretty like a flower, as he slips his hand between Steve's legs. “Good thing we both like it a little, dangerous, right?”

He gives the bulge in Steve’s pants a firm squeeze, and as always, the boy responds like the beautiful, needy little dream that he is. He rolls his hips, grinding himself into the touch, and wraps his arms around Eddie’s neck to slot their bodies closer together. Eddie bites down on that perfect, pink bottom lip and laughs against it when Steve moans. 

“Woah, honey! What happened to being careful?”

“What's life without a little risk?” Steve smiles, looking at him from under his long lashes. “And besides, you made me drop the key, so one of us will end up on his knees anyhow.” 

Eddie finds he can't argue with that.

More celebration ficlets

[wrensflight]

Waiting Waiting

More Penelope Percy AU!! This is their reuinion at the begining of Mark of Athena!

Annabeth Odysseus Chase would never give up on their wife. But If Percy didn’t show up soon she might strangle Leo Valdez. The kid was smart, too smart. The Wii remote for the sails? That just proved how stupid he also was. Why would you not just control the entire ship with one kind of control? It was not a conversation Annabeth was willing to have with Leo at this moment. She just wanted to see Percy. 

Stupid, idiotic Percy who would do anything for their friends, who bathed in the waters of the styx under the watchful eye of someone who should have known better. 

Beautiful Loyal Percy who kissed them underwater and whose smile would make the stars jealous. Silly sweet Percy who would wait 20 years for their husband to make it home. 

Annabeth was ready to see Percy, her heart was ready to see the one she considered her other half. How would he have changed? Would he be wearing his hair long? What would his voice sound like today? Would his eyes light up when she saw him?  She was nervous. Flying a battleship into potentially hostile territory was one thing, getting to see the love of her lives again? Another all together. Then she had to trick a god into letting them float above the city so she could get to Percy. 

He was just behind this crowd. She walked with her shoulders back, her head held high. The woman, Reyna, she thought, was trying to talk. Annabeth didn’t hear a word as she stood tall eyes rolling over the crowd until. THERE. Her feet were moving in a way they hadn’t outside of battle in so long. Penelope! Percy!  Her heart sang as she ran towards the ethereal creature she loved. Hair a little long, but not shabby (A Queen is never shabby my love) tall, elegant. Beautiful. 

Annabeth Lifted Percy Jackson into the air and twirled as she brought him in close. “Is to you?” He asked a joke in his voice “Have my prayers been answered” She responded before bringing him into a kiss. In that moment Percy was every body of fresh water and Annabeth was a man who was dying of thirst. Penelope was the sweetest saltwater taffy, the smell of sunshine after rain, the beautiful sunsets along the beach. 

Then she heard a cough and the two separated. 

Reyna looked at the two of them with amusement in her eyes, She looked… Annabeth didn’t have time to focus on that thought, Percy was squeezing her hand, Percy (Penelope Percy Penelope Percy) was looking at her, he held so much love in his eyes.  People were talking and then moving around them. Annabeth only had eyes for one person. She was lead to a seat, a feast, she didn’t think, couldn’t focus on anything other than Penelope (Percy Penelope Percy Penelope). 

Perseus Penelope Jackson was nervous as the ship sailed in on the seas of the sky. Reyna was beside her, everything would be fine.  Percy had to measure herself everything would be fine. 

“He’ll be on that ship?” Reyna asked Percy under her breath. 

“He should be. They both should.” Percy responded, not sure which “He” Reyna was asking about. 

“I know Jason can take care of himself, I find myself worried as to what will happen to your husband if he isn’t however”. 

Percy just laughed and waved her off.  Reyna had known Penelope in their past, diligently working at her side to help her keep control of Ithaca and the situation with the suitors. She was also On Circe’s island when Annabeth and Percy had washed up on it when they were younger. Making herself known after Percy had regained some of his memories had helped connect him back to Penelope. Had helped him keep his thoughts in order. 

Then a small group were coming down a rope ladder, That’s when Percy saw Annabeth for the first time in months. He sucked in a deep breath and was moving towards her, he could feel the amusement in Reyna’s eyes. He could also vaguely see a blonde kid glaring at him from behind Annabeth.  Percy rushed toward Annabeth, drawing on all of his speed until he was in her arms. She lifted him and he laughed and  then as his feet graced the ground once again he asked her, “Is it you?”

“Have my prayers been answered,” Came her response and then they were kissing. 

As Always a huge thanks to @literallyjustforlurking for helping with ideas! Feel free to join our AU Community!

[meadow-sea]

welcome to the third thrilling instalment of me yapping about harumasa asaba and ether aptitude regression syndrome (im sticking with the EARS acronym) beware of possibly unclear wording and half assed explanations. this isn’t a thesis.

- this twink has body dysmorphia. it’s kind of a given with all my other hcs. he either feels too much like an ethereal or too much like a human. a human in an ethereal body or an ethereal in a human body. not fun either way but i imagine he prefers feeling too ethereal over feeling too human. the latter makes him feel like he’s already a monster. a wolf in sheep’s clothing. jk he’s an unbothered king (he is not). if you hc him as not cis then double the fun (for you maybe)

- every now and then he like hallucinates himself as having an ethereal body. different to the phantom limbs sensation or the ethereal senses. this is just plain old tripping balls courtesy of EARS. def not a fun time. like he looks down and instead of a human hand it’s an ethereal claw. he looks in a mirror and thanatos is staring back. this mostly happens after a long time in a hollow or exposure to high levels of ether.

- on the other hand, he also has physical ether manifestations. yippeeeee. after a prolonged or high exposure to ether corruption crystals will grow on his body. like spores. mostly harmless and will break of or just turn into dust but very inconvenient. they rip through shirts (miyabi always pays for more) and make harumasa feel numb where they grow. for even more fun, harumasa’s veins, skin, hair and eyes can end up glowing or discoloured. his finger tips may become black like charcoal, glowing markings like crack appear on his face, you can see his veins shine beneath his skin. we know his eyes can change colours as well. it’s lowkey pretty. not to harumasa though (it’s his reason 253 to avoid work). when he’s alone he might spend hours scrubbing at his hands and face trying to wash the corruption off.

- adding on, his teeth and nails also become sharper because why not. they’re already slightly sharper than normal (we see his fangs in cutscenes) but it becomes much more noticeable after some time spent in a hollow. when this happens harumasa repeats to himself im not a monster im not a monster im not a monster and hopes that it’s true. what a silly little goober :))))

- i think his voice would also be altered by spending time around ether. his voice is distorted and warped, changing randomly in frequency and tone like he’s speaking through a glitchy radio while underwater. pretty much what we see in his demo. now for a funny thought: imagine the noises he makes while you’re giving him devious backshots

- in hollows, if harumasa has been exposed to enough ether and at a high enough level an image of an ethereal (thanatos) will be overlapped over his own body if you look from the right angle or closely enough. as you talk with him you see a pitch black sphere cover half his face in a flash. as he fires his bow, you see a glimpse of thanatos in his place. (this would be reason 379 to avoid work). again think of the scene in harumasa’s demo where he saves the kid. i imagine that dream sequence was based on real life. that must’ve been fun for harumasa

okk i believe i have emptied out the harumasa EARS hcs bucket in my head. for now. pls hope with me that i get miyabis w engine soon.

[e-dubbc11]

Good morning love! I am SO excited for this event and you're prolly gonna hate me, but I'm all in for the angst right now (damn hormones!) so let's go with song selection of Burning House by Cam, with the one and only Billy Russo.

PS: my son's birthday is Sept 29th too!! <3

Hello my love!! Thank you SO much for following me, reading my fics and being such a kind friend to me, I appreciate you! ♥️ And happy early birthday to your son as well! ♥️

So I listened to the song on repeat one morning while getting ready for work and I had to dry my eyes a few times trying to put my makeup on. You really did go for the angst for billy, didn’t you! I hope you like what I did here and did justice to your ask. I’ll link the song at the end. And you know I could never ever hate you 😘

I know the song is called Burning House but the ocean also inspired this one.

Drowning

Photos are not mine. They are courtesy of Pinterest/Google.

Pairing: Billy Russo x F! Reader

Warnings: Angst, a lot of it, crying, death (in a way)

Word Count: 1.2K-ish

Summary: Your reoccurring dream haunts you every night. Maybe you said some things you shouldn’t have and wonder if you’ve made a mistake.

As always, thank you for reading!  I appreciate it so much and comments, reblogs are welcome and encouraged. Don’t be shy to tell me your favorite part. 💕💕 💕

The world was silent except for the lapping of the miniature waves as they calmly knocked against your body. There was a sense of peace to it yet eerie and unknown. The lack of sound encompassed everything, there were no cries for help, no erratic splashing, and no signs of rescue or wreckage from a boat.

It was just you…all alone.

There weren’t any stars to decorate the night sky, just like on all the other nights you had this dream. It was just a blanket of navy, the sky blended seamlessly down into the ocean with a silvery claw of a moon directly above you.

It was the only light against the darkness which wasn’t much.

But there wasn’t anything for miles, in any direction. No land, no light, and not a soul in sight.

These dreams, or more accurately, nightmares, had no real beginning, all you could recall was that as soon as your eyes opened inside the dream, you couldn’t breathe, you were struggling underwater and had to quickly swim to the surface before you ran out of air.

Once you reached the surface, you inhaled sharply to catch your breath, and frantically looked around for something or someone to hold on to but there wasn’t anything or anyone. There was only a vast space with nothing on the horizon from what you could see of it.

The weight of your clothing made it difficult to keep your head above water as you did your best to rotate your legs like an eggbeater, pushing the water underneath your bottom so your head would remain on top of the water.

The lack of wind created more silence which you didn’t know was possible and that’s when the fear and panic set in. Which direction were you supposed to swim in? Toward land? You didn’t see any!

The water chilled you to the bone which made your muscles tight like thick rubber bands and afraid to use them in fear they may snap in half. And who knows what lurked beneath your feet? It could be wildlife or rip currents…you shuddered to think.

But you had to at least TRY to save yourself.

The highly flavored taste of salt was in the air, not just in the water as it splashed against your lips. Gliding on your side, you forcefully pushed the water away from you, propelling you forward and hoping you were headed in the right direction.

After swimming for awhile, you could hear a faint call for help ahead of you. Was there someone else that was stranded and trying to get to safety? Or was your hearing deceiving you?

The faded ethereal glow of the crescent moon gave you some light and in the distance you could see a figure waving his hands in the air, the white shirt he was wearing made it easier to see him.

The man looked familiar and as you swam closer, you realized why. The handsome face, short well-groomed beard, with eyes and hair that matched the late night sky…it was the man you once loved, and his name was Billy Russo.

Your on again, off again relationship with Billy had become too much for you to handle and it was you who ended it this time but you said some things to him that were out of line and that he didn’t deserve.

But you couldn’t take them back, those words were hurtful and no apology in the world could make you move on and forget about them as if nothing happened.

You did it for selfish reasons, to make yourself feel better, and convinced yourself that it was the best thing for you to do. But in the aftermath, you regretted it, wondered if there could have been a better way to handle it, and you had been lost ever since.

Lost in your dreams of a dark, wide open ocean with no direction of where to go or anyone to help you get home.

But there he was, calling out to you for help, and you thought you could make peace and apologize in your dreams by saving him. But while you were free to try and swim to shore, he was confined to stay there…forever.

His ankle was chained to a weight that went straight to the ocean floor and no matter how hard you tried, there was no way for you to get it off and free him.

“Save yourself, sweet girl.” Said Billy, calmly.

His words slipped into your heart like a piece of broken glass, the ache in your chest would be permanent, and you’d never forgive yourself for it if you left him to die alone.

Billy had been alone for his entire life. He didn’t have family or friends except for the Castle family. He would tell you all the time that he didn’t need relationships or want them. “They make you weak.” He would say.

He kept coming back to you, though.

But his constant mood swings and fits of jealousy kept giving you whiplash and you finally had enough.

“You don’t give anyone a reason to love you. You don’t love anyone except yourself and that’s why you’ll probably die alone. You have to deserve to be loved.” You had said.

You were angry and you didn’t mean it but you couldn’t take it back. His physical wounds from his childhood and from war had faded, still visible but faded.

Those awful words you had hissed cut him more deeply than any bullet ever could and they weren’t true. When bones are broken, they heal stronger than they were before but a broken heart never quite heals the same. The pieces never fit exactly as they had before.

Your dreams were a way you could be with him, make everything right, and to make sure he wouldn’t die alone. They were a way you could fix it all.

Telling him to save his strength was useless, he would use his energy to kiss you and tell you he loved you and you reciprocated, using all of your energy to do the same.

Both of you were incredibly stubborn.

“I won’t leave you, Billy.” You would tell him. “Ever again.”

You and Billy fought tirelessly to try and stay above water but eventually, your strength was going to give out, the muscles in your arms and legs burned like white hot fire and felt like they had been shredded to pieces rendering you unable to keep yourself up.

You couldn’t hold on any longer, but at least you were together when the ocean finally opened up and swallowed you whole.

That’s when you would wake up, still confused, still lost, and still not knowing what to do. It made you sob every single time.

These chilling dreams would continue night after night until you fixed what was broken. Was it possible to fix it? Or was it too late? Would he forgive you? COULD he forgive you?

There was only one way to find out.

I've been sleepwalking

Been wandering all night

Trying to take what’s lost and broken

And make it right

I've been sleepwalking

Too close to the fire

But it's the only place that I can hold you tight

In this burning house

Tag List: @wheresthesunshinesblog @idaoftheburningmind @rafaelakelley @fakehappy27 @snowkestrel @music-indie-tv @kayhi808 @munsonownsmyass @gijos @fictional-hooman @nutmeg17 @k-marzolf @vaguekayla @rosaleenablack @danzer8705 @fireeyes-on-teller-dixon-grimes @mysteriouslydeafeningwerewolf @aoi-targaryen @rachlovesactors @qu1etwolf

Others that might enjoy: @itwasthereaminuteago @fluffyprettykitty @jvanilly @ittybxttykxttytxtty @imagine-a-fictional-boyfriend @mrsbillyrusso @colereads

If you’d like to be added (or removed from) my tag list(s) for the ever so handsome Billy Russo, just let me know and thank you again for reading! 💕💕💕 If I tagged you but you didn’t want to be, just let me know and I’ll never do it again.

[curiositydooropened]

Wildfire • Searing

A trip to the Ether brings force new pain and horrors, and you spend time in quarantine remembering truths of the past.

Pairing: Steve Harrington x Reader

Chapter Wordcount: 9,356

Warnings: There's a flashback this chapter! I marked it off and hopefully it's easy to understand, but please let me know if it's confusing! Thank you! • enemies/rivals to lovers, second chance romance, slooooowburn, made out scene that goes nowhere fun, unrequited love, so much pining, blood, gore, character death, best friend!disabled!Eddie Munson, character injuries, trauma, PTSD, hallucinations, drowning, concussion, hurt/comfort, fire, panic attacks, insomnia

Fic Masterlist • Navigation • Masterlist

Chapter Four: Pyre • Chapter Six: Combustion

---

NOW

September 1988

Byers hummed under his mask, the low rumble of his chest against your arm that shook like the truck bed over treacherous and unpredictable terrain. Your eyes were closed in attempt to quell the nausea of motion sickness. The soft vibrations of the boy’s voice combined with some foreign sixth sense you could feel in the marrow of your bones, steeling the claws of terror that shredded your esophagus. 

The truck came to a halt, and you peered one eye open to take in your surroundings. The streets of Hawkins were black on a still night, moon casting shadows down alleyways and across the back side of The Hawk’s marquee. Harrington pulled himself to two feet, reaching a hand to help you up. You took it, pack weighing you down.

“Argyle, radio on?” Nancy hopped from the tailgate and spoke into the receiver clipped to her shoulder strap. Her voice echoed to the one on your chest, and Steve’s, a handful more of Scorch team as you all stepped onto pavement, dust kicking up at your heels. 

“Copy that, Scorch lead,” Argyle repeated, and then you heard the slow crank of his window before he shouted. “Hey, be careful out there. I’m just a call away.” His demeanor had sobered entirely.

Jonathan met him at the window, and they exchanged an intimate handshake. 

You had to look away. 

Your breath tasted of oxygen from your tank and tequila without the buzz, adrenaline taking over and burning through the calories before it could hit you properly. Your ears rang a bit, struggling to focus on the crunch of asphalt beneath your feet. You were moving before you’d even realized, a steady walk.

Something tingled in your fingertips, a magnetic pull. You halted your steps and clenched your fist, released, clenched again. With a frown, you glanced forward at the gaping wound in concrete, a pulsating wall of wet and vines, a whisper that sounded like home. 

Something snatched your wrist, and you pulled back to find Steve’s eyes on you, big brown and worrisome. 

“Alright, we go in, find the source, torch what we can, and get back to the Gate.” Nancy’s voice cut through the air. She stood before the gash in the wall, the steady pulse of red flashed across slender features. “Stay in your groups. Watch your feet. If anyone gets bit, you call for immediate quarantine.” She paused and looked out on the group before her before saying, “Stay alive.”

The torch end of her gun split through the thin membrane, and the vines began to slink away, leaving the space gaping and cold. Again, it pulled you to it, tugged on your sleeve opposite Steve’s grip, led you forward. 

“Hey, are you good?” He asked, voice low, breath too warm against your ear. He sounded underwater. 

You grit your teeth and offered a curt nod, pulling him with you through the gash. That swoop rocketed your stomach, but backwards, a tug at your navel that felt right, like pieces were falling back into places, like someone had reversed the fall of a Jenga tower. The bits that wobbled and swayed now firm and planted like your boots to the grey matter of the Ether. 

“Steve,” Jonathan called, far off. “You two are with us.”

—

 The Ether was a desolate landscape of ash and ruin. Vines overtook the charred remains of your comrades and their own kind. Not as thick as they had been, dust remained, still in the damp atmosphere. No wind kissed at cheeks. No cloud moved, an overhead shadow of burgundy and black. 

You felt the next quake before it settled, a buzzing in your fingertips, a rumble in your stomach. The only movement in a statuesque world. Then the asphalt rolled, cracked. You gripped Steve’s shoulder strap to hold him upright as Nancy and Jonathan barreled into one another for support. 

Nancy shouted orders, muffled by her mask, but you watched her two fingers pointing for cover. Northbound, a semi upsized, jack-knife becoming a rickety shelter. 

One-by-one, you filed in on unsteady footing, the Ether quaking around you. The crackle of broken limbs split the air as widow makers were shaken from nearby trees, branches stabbing into decaying Earth at right-angles. A power line groaned and snapped, loose line slapping against asphalt a handful of meters away. 

“What exactly are we looking for?” Steve asked, voice too loud, breath fanning your ear. 

“Sign’s He’s back,” is all Nancy could muster before her hands came flying near your face. You crouched out of her way just in time to see her slapping Steve’s mask back onto tanned cheeks. “Keep your mask on.”

“You mean signs like an Earthquake…” Jonathan snapped. Mid-word, the low rumble stopped, settling your stomach, an ache in your knees. 

“Let’s keep going,” Nancy instructed, peeling herself from beneath the truck bed to scout the road once more. 

“Do you feel anything?” Steve’s voice came muffled this time, still inches from your cheek, and you felt his hand, once again, around your wrist. He held you back, allowing the other two to gain quite a distance. 

You swallowed, adjusted your straps. You felt everything: the prickle of your skin beneath his clammy fingertips, the damp chill of stagnant air, that all-to-familiar set of eyes between your shoulder blades. The smell of death and decay somehow stronger. 

Steve stepped into your sight line, jaw tight, brown eyes full of worry. His plastic mask cut into the bridge of his nose, past smile lines you hadn’t seen in years. He released your wrist, but the steady burn of his knuckles against yours grounded you, pulled you right-side up. 

Then you heard her voice. Vickie spoke your name. Her breath fanned your cheek. Her nose nuzzled your ear, sent chills down your spine.

Steve had heard her too, maybe he’d even seen her. You watched as brown eyes went wide, face flashing in terror. He lurched forward, forearm shoving at your bicep to get you out of his way. “Jonathan!”

Everything else happened in slow-motion: the turn of your heel as you crashed to the ground, pack weighing you down and bouncing off cold asphalt, Steve’s footfall echoing as he scrambled for the trigger. Fifteen feet away, a demodog crouched on its haunches, flower-like face opening one petal at a time, claws extended before it sprung.

Jonathan Byers cried out, a sound that pierced the dull throb at the base of your skull. The meat of your palms turned to pulp as you caught yourself, hands and elbows bloodied, but the taste of iron filled your mouth like copper pennies, mixing with saliva and the soft meat of human flesh.

You sputtered, spraying the pavement red, and scrambled to your feet.

Steve kicked at the beast, hard, sending it flying from the gaping wounds on Jonathan’s side. It caught itself in a slide. Another one leapt from the ruins of the semi trailer, the sound in its throat guttural, dark, bone chilling. 

“Steve!” You called, pulling your gun from its holster.

Nancy was faster on the jump, knocking it from the sky with her fist. 

Jonathan managed to fight off a third, smacking it over the head with the butt of his weapon with a distinct grunt of pain.

“All clear?” You called from behind the first two, thrower heavy in your hands, finger on the trigger. 

“Clear!” Steve and Nancy confirmed, taking two steps backward until they were backed into Jonathan.

With a deep breath, you squeezed the trigger. There was minor kickback, nothing you weren’t used to, and the surge of power as you sprayed the creatures with a stream of liquid fire. The heat burned at your mask, the tops of your cheeks, your lashes, a sensation you were all-to-familiar with, had made peace with, found home in. But as the flames stuck to the gooey flesh of the monsters, as the smell of ash and decay met your nostrils, something worse settled into the pit of your stomach, seared beneath your own flesh, charred your bones.

You dropped the device in your hands, unable to maintain hold. Your breath had been stolen from you, replaced instead with unbearable, all encompassing pain. Was this what Vickie felt when you stripped her flesh from her bone? Was this white hot the same that she felt in her last moments, fire on her last breath? You fell to your knees. 

“Harrington to base, we need emergency evac immediately.” Steve’s voice stuttered over the radio on your chest. You heard your name and Byers’. “Requesting medic and mandatory quarantine.”

You ripped your mask from your face and gasped for air, trying to see past the blur of your eyes. The horrible image of Vickie’s death flashing in your mind again and again and again.

“Copy that, evac on its way,” Argyle��s voice was high-pitched, cut-off on the end as he undoubtedly hit the gas. 

“Harrington, it’s Munson. What’s going on out there?”

Two hands grasped your face, cold, clammy, a plunge of relief despite the fire still rattling inside you. Soft thumbs swept at the tops of your cheeks, and when your eyes focused, Steve was inches from your face, his own expression wrought with worry. 

“Harrington!?”

“Demo dogs,” Nancy answered for him. You glanced over the man’s shoulder to see her tightening a tourniquet around Jonathan’s thigh. She reached for her radio again, hand slick with her partner’s blood.

“What do you mean dogs? Alive?” Hopper’s voice came through the radio this time, and it wasn’t until he’d said it that you realized. You hadn’t seen a single living creature in the Ether since Vecna died. No demogorgon walked the scorched Earth, no demo bat patrolled the skies. For over a year now, this place was desolate, empty. 

“Hey, look at me,” Steve squared your chin back to him while Nancy explained your team’s predicament back to base. “Are you in there?”

“I could feel it,” you croaked, voice shaking. “The fire, Steve. I felt it.”

“I know,” he frowned. “You were screaming.”

Just like Vickie had screamed, engulfed in flame, calling your name, pleading for you to stop. 

Your stomach rolled, and you shoved your partner out of the way as it emptied its contents to the asphalt, as black and bloody as the heap of dog charred not fifteen feet away. 

“Is she flayed?” Nancy approached, ever the investigator. “Are you flayed?” 

“No,” Steve stepped between the two of you. 

“Nancy,” Jonathan warned from his place on the ground. He was holding his side together with one hand, and his face was growing increasingly pale. 

“I just want to know what we’re dealing with here,” she explained, teeth grit to turn her jaw sharp as glass. “Is he back? Is he talking to you?”

Steve glanced over his shoulder at you, and you shook your head, wiped your mouth on the back of your hand.

“Well, you’re clearly connected to the hive mind, so -” 

“Nancy!” Jonathan called, sending a chill down your spine. His partner rushed to his side, and he gripped her hand. “Help me up.”

“Steve,” you rasped, staggering backwards, out of earshot. “Maybe she’s right.” 

“Stop it,” your own partner held his hand up before he helped Nancy pull Jonathan to his feet. 

“I mean, what if he can see all of this through me? What if I lead him right to base?”

“You won’t,” Jonathan grit his teeth, leaned on Steve’s broad shoulder. “I’ll keep my eye on you.”

Steve scrubbed his face with his hands, and you watched his measured gaze point Nancy’s direction. She wiped blood on her pant legs and nodded, adjusting the straps of her pack. 

“You’re not staying out here,” you argued. “There are dogs, bats, probably. Who knows what else.” 

“Someone has to stay and figure it out.” Nancy pointed out.

Before you could come up with more excuses, more reasons to pull Steve back with you, back to the base and back to safety, Argyle’s set of wheels squealed into view. He reached out the window to pop open the door handle to the rickety old pick-up, a distinct scowl darkening his features. 

“What the fuck didn’t you understand about ‘be careful’, Byers?” But there was no meanness in his tone as he scurried to help Steve pull Jonathan up and onto the open tail gate of the truck bed. 

Nancy followed, heaving his pack up beside him. 

You waited a long moment, turning to face the beasts you’d helped gun down. They felt eerily familial now, some kin you’d betrayed with the tug of your finger. They lay before you charred and pock-marked, flesh bubbling to a sludge of goo beneath their forms. A shiver on the wind caught your shoulder tops. 

“Let’s go, buddy! We gotta get this idiot stitched up, pronto!” Argyle called, drumming the side of your caravan back to the real world, your real home. 

You lifted yourself up and over a wheel-well, pack weighing heavy against your lower back. Someone tossed a handkerchief your way as a means to blindfold yourself. You gripped it tightly in one hand, willing your trembling fingers to still. 

Over the red cotton, you caught a whispered moment between lovers. Jonathan told Nancy not to worry, begged her to be careful, pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead, her cheek, her salted lips, her pointed jaw clutched in a grimy hand. 

You bit back emotion that welled, this need that pitted itself somewhere dark, somewhere deep. You turned your cheek away from the couple and found a honeyed gaze, brown eyes beneath a crumpled brow. You opened your mouth to speak, but something latched to that need, somewhere dark and deep, lurking on the water’s edge, a predator waiting to strike. 

You grit your teeth and dutifully brought your handkerchief to your eyes. Strong hands replaced yours at the back of your head, maintaining a knot that wasn’t too tight, and you felt the warmth of Steve’s breath against your ear. “Keep it contained.” 

With the wrap of a fist to the tin roof, your stomach lurched, and you were off. Steve’s words and Jonathan’s hummed tune playing tennis in the recesses of your mind. 

———

THEN

One Year Earlier

September 1987

The music was so loud. Pop ballads blasted through overhead speakers that once called fire drills and announced containment breaches. Chatter echoed against concrete walls between each break in song. The occasional whoop and holler accompanied the clinking of plastic cups and pouring of more liquor. 

Your own glass of lukewarm bourbon stung like smoke, only sweeter, and hung at your side. You were tucked into a folding chair in the corner, watching the party rage on in an echoing cafeteria, the bitter taste of defeat on your tongue.

Your best friend clung to the shadows on the far side of the room, pressed against a pillar with her face buried in her girlfriend’s throat. The smiles on both of their faces were the only consolations you’d allow yourself to celebrate.

“Hey, don’t know if you heard, the Wicked Dick of the Upside Down is dead,” Eddie Munson slid into your purview, all curls and dimpled smile. He returned your non-response with an eye roll, and ordered you to hold his walker steady so he could dip into the seat beside you.

He slumped against you, his denim jacket jingling with the amount of pins stabbed through it. “You’re seriously harshing my mellow.” 

“Oh, am I?” You rolled your eyes and continued your stare into the middle distance, watching the steady pulse of happy party goers. “I’m not stopping you from enjoying your night.” 

“Yes you are,” he whined. “Because the little dark rain cloud over your head is bumming me out.” 

“Yeah, well, I don’t feel like celebrating,” you sighed. 

Eddie hummed, nodded, all hair in your periphery. He shifted in his seat, and you caught a glint of light out of the corner of your eye. He’d pulled a flask from his pocket and twisted the cap off, tipping it against the plastic brim of your cup. “For Gutierrez and Ramsay,” he mumbled low enough for you to hear.

Emotion clawed at your chest at the gesture, wetting your eyes, thus far the only remembrance you’d heard for your fallen compatriots. Your team leads fought fire with fire, and died at the hands of the Devil. When you closed your eyes, you could still make out the sharp angles of their necks. Hank cradled his partner. Staring at their lifeless bodies, Vickie’s hand tugging you to retreat, you wondered if you’d succumb to the same fate. Bodies twisted and torn, in the arms of someone you loved.

With a shaky hand, you brought the sticky sweet beverage back to your lips. 

“You know, Linda told me we can’t carry the burden of every life lost. It’ll just weigh us down.” Eddie sounded about as convinced of the bullshit as you were. 

You rolled your eyes and took another swig for good measure, the bourbon stinging like ash at the back of your throat. “Fuck Linda.”

A laugh caught your attention, a private moment that was probably too far for you to catch, but your subconscious was listening for it. Steve Harrington was perched on a cafeteria table, all long limbs and head thrown back in delight. A smile lit up his tanned features as he took what you could assume were slicing insults from Erica Sinclair. 

Her own lips were pursed into a shy smile, a rare expression on her sweet little face that had your own heart swooping. The girl’s arms were crossed, face tilted downward to hide the smile before it spread across all of her features.

You watched Steve toe at her knee with his shoe until she looked up, and he offered his fist in some form of solidarity or congratulations. She returned the gesture with knocked knuckles before the two of them erupted into a more intricate secret handshake. 

The entire exchange warmed your insides more than the drink in your cup ever could on a day like this.

“Hey, dickheads,” Eddie’s call startled you back into focus.

You cowered into him, as to not be seen by wandering eyes, and noticed the couple of teens he’d called out for. Dustin Henderson and Mike Wheeler inched by, red solo cups in their hands. 

Eddie beckoned with long, ringed fingers. “Are you both insane? If Hopper caught you with those, you’re dead men.” 

“Hopper can’t do anything about it,” Wheeler scoffed, but he kept his volume low. 

You snorted.

“Uh huh,” Eddie cocked an eyebrow, unconvinced.

“We were bringing them for you guys,” Henderson informed a little too loudly, the most obvious lie he’d told.

Wheeler kicked him in the shin. 

“Thanks so much, Henderson. We were running dry.” Eddie’s face split into a grin, and he held his hands out to receive the kids’ drinks. 

Shoulders slumped in defeat, the two boys handed over their drinks. 

You noticed, with the faintest glint of light, that Eddie had exchanged them for his flask. “You bring that back to me tomorrow, or else.” He hissed, but couldn’t manage to hide the look of mischief from his brown eyes, the curve of his mouth.

With a matched grin on their faces, the boys scurried away down a secret hallway to partake in their own form of celebration.

“Eddie Munson, you big softy,” you snorted, elbowing his side. 

He sighed, taking a long sip of something bright red from the cup in his right hand. You managed a chuckle at the cringe of dramatics on his face at the taste, tongue stained neon within seconds of the liquid touching his lips. He chased it with whatever he held in the left.

“Did you just confiscate these from the children?”

Robin and Vickie approached the two of you, hand-in-hand, matching lovestruck looks on both of their faces. Eddie extended the cherry concoction, and Robin took it with a matching look of mischief in her blue eyes. 

You felt a familiar sneaker tap against your own, and managed to greet your best friend with a sad smile. Her head was tilted toward you, pretty orange hair cascading over her shoulders. She took two fingers to the rim of your cup to tip it towards her, peering over to see just how much you hadn’t drank.

“Did Steve find you?” Robin asked, licking neon from the crease of her plush lips. 

Something odd kicked in your chest, not unfamiliar, just dormant, and your face warmed. You avoided Vickie’s gaze as she tapped your foot again, and you shook your head. You peeled your cup from her grasp to take another drink.

“Oh, well he was looking for you,” Robin shrugged, but you noticed the smirk meet her lips simultaneous to her own cup. 

You narrowly avoided Vickie’s waggled eyebrows as you glanced over your own cup to search for Steve across the bustling caf. He was no longer perched tabletop, Erica long-since distracted in a conversation with her brother. But it didn’t take long for your eyes to attract like magnets to those broad shoulders, the gloss of his hair, the curve of his tricep. 

He stood toward the center of the crowd, locked into a conversation with Nancy Wheeler. Dim light was cast across her pointed features, and she seemed engaged in their conversation, a lightness on her brow you hadn’t seen since you’d met her. She seemed relieved, celebratory, maybe even a tad shy as she spoke, hands tucked beneath her arms. 

“I think I might go to bed,” you swallowed, sliding Eddie the remainder of your drink before pushing into Vickie’s space to stand. 

“I’ll walk you up,” your best friend seemed too eager, a frenetic energy buzzing under her skin. 

You tried to ignore the kiss she shared with her partner, letting Eddie offer a loving bite to your wrist like a feral child in his form of a goodnight. You patted his hair, and Robin took your spot beside him, cheersing you with a red cup and lips stained pink. You nodded. “Night.” 

-

The stairwell echoed in silence, that swell of a pulse in your eardrums that matched the tandem steps of you and your best friend. The steel door slammed shut behind you, quieting the ruckus of the celebration down below. An odd chill coursed over your shoulder, and you glanced behind you to find nothing and no one but the vast expanse of concrete and steel spiraling for floors below. 

“They’d want you to be happy, you know,” Vickie cut the silence, chewing the smile from her face with extreme difficulty.

You rolled your eyes and continued your climb. “I know, Vic. It’s just… complicated.” 

“Have you talked to him since?” She pressed. 

She referred to a drunken night one week earlier. You’d fallen asleep in Steve’s bed, nose-to-nose, large fingertips tracing hidden circles into your skin. 

“No,” you avoided her gaze, despite her neck stretching to catch you. “But it’s fine. We’ve been busy.” You’ve been avoiding him, sinking yourself in training, in Scorch, in fighting. Secrets shared between covers felt insignificant compared to a fire-fight with hundreds lost, minuscule in comparison to the ache from your grief and the confusion you’d attached to a win you weren’t sure would ever come. 

“Sure, okay,” Vickie scurried to round the landing before you, to stand a few stairs ahead and box you in. “But like, I don’t know, it really looks like it’s over. You know? Like really over. Which none of us thought would happen, and maybe it’d be good for you to consider what you’re going to do next, right? I just think you really need to seize an opportunity. And I’m not just saying this because you’re my best friend and he’s Robin’s best friend. I just want you to be happy.” 

She was nervous, rambling. 

You glanced around, her voice echoing up the staircase, and you gripped her wrist to lead her back up beside you. “Okay, I get it. Take a deep breath.” 

“Sorry,” her shoulders relaxed, bumping your own as you continued your climb. A soft breath of a laugh fell from her lips.

You pushed open the heavy steel door, holding it for her to pass through before you fell back in step, sneakers tapping against linoleum flooring, dimly lit by the escaping sunlight. 

Vickie walked beside you, gaze a little far-off, hands wringing in front of her, twisting at a ring on her middle finger.

You pulled your key on its lanyard from a pants pocket, and your dorm door clicked open. “You want a glass of water?”

You fell easily into your roles. You filled her a plastic cup of water while she tidied discarded books and pages, piled your laundry into a basket. She smiled at your eye roll, and you watched as she drained the cup. She caught a bead of water as it fell from her lip and released another of those nervous laughs, the ones that prickled the hair at the base of your neck, the ones you knew preceded confrontation. 

“Vic, what’s going on with you?” You scoffed, crossing arms over your chest. “You’re being cagey.”

She rolled her eyes, but you saw the chew of her lip. Caught, she turned her back and paced toward your bed before slowly lowering herself at the foot. “You really think this is done? Do you really feel like he’s dead?” 

This woman had fought monsters. You’d watched her jump into action on dozens of occasions, leading hundreds of innocent people to safety. You’d seen her face covered in char and sweat and ash as she scorched the remnants of her hometown. You’d seen tears spring to her eyes as the landmarks of your shared childhoods crumbled into matching piles of ruin. Never had you seen as much concern etched across her soft features. 

You swallowed, nodded. “He’s gotta be, right? We watched him burn. Eleven said…” A chill swept over the back of your neck as you watched Vickie twist her ring around her finger once more.

“I know, but I don’t know. Do you think he could have like… jumped onto someone else? Maybe he’s in hiding without a body somewhere.” Her tenor was starting to quicken, the breadth of her sternum rising and falling too rapidly.

You reached out for her, and she jumped under your touch. “Hey, why are you so worried about this?” 

Her eyes were wide like saucers, dark circles beneath them that you’d honestly all possessed over the last few particularly grueling weeks, but in this moment, hers felt pronounced. 

You swept hair from her long eyelashes, tucked it behind her ear. “What’s going on?” 

She shook her head, scrubbed at her face with her hands, and peeled upward and out of your grasp. “It’s nothing, it’s stupid.” 

“Nothing’s stupid. Come on, talk to me.” You reassured her, taking her seat on the foot of your bed, preparing for the worst. 

“It’s…” She paused, back to you, shoulders rising and falling with a deep breath. When she spun to face you, her demeanor had changed, lightened. The rain cloud that hovered before seemed to drift away. “I just want this to be over so bad. Robin and I have been talking about what we’re going to do, when this is all over. It used to feel so far away, and now it’s right here, and I’m scared, I guess, but excited, but also just anxious, and - “

“So tell me about it,” you cut her off, somehow managing a smile despite the repeated reminder that this was over and soon you’d be floating in a world who didn’t understand what you’d gone through, and odds are, you’d be alone. 

She chewed on her bottom lip, a habit her mom had scolded her for since she was a child, but that aching smile fell back over her features, and she crossed to collapse on the bed beside you. The mattress harrumphed under her weight. “We talked about going to school together. We both got into IU.” 

“Yeah?” You fell backwards beside her, staring up at the stained dorm ceiling panels. 

“Yeah,” she nodded, “I’m nervous, but like, excited, you know?”

You swallowed back that lump growing in your throat. “You were excited before. You still want to be a music teacher?” 

Vickie always had her plans, organized chaos in the form of binders stuffed with mail-in applications, the gentle push and prod of you to apply with her. You could never decide, stuffing envelopes into that floorboard beside your bed, lying about acceptance letters when she’d received her own. You’d sipped vodka out of matching Betty and Veronica mugs and tried not to imagine her off in the big city without you. 

“Or art,” she confirmed, fingers tracing lines in your ceiling like the constellations you used to lay out and watch.

You sighed simultaneously, and snorted in response. 

She muttered your name, and you glanced sideways to catch the pale yellow light cascading across high, freckled cheekbones, a soft sadness in her eyes. “Do you think I’m being reckless?”

You frowned. 

She caught your gaze and swallowed. “With Robin, I mean. I think I might ask her to move in with me, and I know that sounds crazy because we’re literal children, and - ”

You caught her wrist mid-air, gave it a squeeze, managed a dry laugh. “Vic, you literally followed her into War.”

The laugh that poured from her at the irony was warm enough to pull a genuine smile to your lips, a gesture that was growing more and more foreign as this fight continued. Your grip loosened on her wrist, and she moved to interlock your fingers, her little silver ring scratching between roughed-up knuckles, blistered and burned. 

“You know I’ll never leave you, right?” 

You bumped her with your forehead, her visage blurring in the proximity. “Couldn’t get rid of me when you moved to Hawkins, what makes you think you can get rid of me now?”

Satisfied with your answer, she brought the back of your hand to her lips for a peck and release. 

“Good,” she tutted, rising from the foot of your bed to open the tiny wardrobe beside you. She pushed aside a couple of grey tank tops and pulled a black v-neck from the rack, holding it to herself as if she didn’t have forty in her own closet to match. “Then I can talk to you without you getting mad at me, right?” 

The challenge prickled your skin, competitive nature over-wrought with irritation at the shift of her tone from sincere to playful, mean, even. “Probably not,” you snapped, propping yourself on your elbows to catch the shirt she tossed your direction. 

“Put this on, it makes your boobs look amazing.” 

You groaned and flopped back to the mattress, suddenly warm and exposed under her gaze. You hid your face in the t-shirt, hangar still attached, and shook your head. Her name slipped from your mouth in annoyance.

Yours was repeated back to you in a mocking tone. “What if tonight’s the last night?”

The rustle of your drawers pulled your focus from around a sleeve. “What?” 

She was bent over a pair of jeans you hadn’t worn in well over a year. A tear had pulled through the fibers on both knees, and you were positive the waist band wouldn’t fit now. “What if it really is all over?” She tossed the denim beside you. “What if this is the last night we’ll be in this building? What if it’s the last night we celebrate with these people? What if it’s your last chance to talk to everyone?” 

You knew she didn’t mean ‘everyone’. 

“I get that you’re sad, okay? I’m sad too. I’m going to miss them just as much as you are.” Vickie’s hands found your knees, and she jostled them. “And I understand if you’re tired. We’re all exhausted. I yawned about twenty times dancing with Robin in there. She yelled at me.” Her face lit up with something fierce. “But I’m asking you to get dressed and come with me back to the party, because tonight might be your last night, and I don’t want you to miss your chance.” 

You scoffed and tossed the shirt aside. “Miss my chance for what?” 

Her mischievous gaze was hard to avoid, and she leaned in even closer. “I don’t know. What do you want to happen?”

It was a question you’d asked yourself several times over the last week, when avoiding Steve meant slipping into the girl’s locker room and excess of times or taking the rickety elevator to avoid him on the staircase. You thought last time would be the ‘last time’ so-to-speak, and all the other times before that. That’s just how life worked under fire. 

And last time, as with each of your last times, you’d ended up exchanging truths under government issues linens, chuckling soft breaths against one another’s mouths, making promises of honesty and protection. You weren’t sure you needed more than that. 

Of course, you wanted to feel the coarse pads of his fingertips draw circles just north of the insides of your knees. You wanted to feel his breath fan your pulse points. You wanted to hear the way his breath caught when you dug your nails into his scalp.

You’d settle for soft kisses to the temple after long runs through the Ether, like the ones you’d caught him press to Robin’s sweat-slick hair. You’d settle for the elaborate high-fives he’d give the children when they’d reunite after nights in Quarantine. You’d settle for half-smiles across the caf like the ones he’d give you when you’d finally caught his gaze. 

“Okay, forget about it,” Vickie glossed over your non-response. “Just come downstairs and hang out with me. We’ll find Robin and Eddie and get you another drink and just pretend like we’re stupid kids again. Maybe we’ll sneak into the pool.” 

Her optimism was always so difficult to crush, her rosy lips split into a grin, and you knew she wouldn’t cease fire until you complied. 

With a resigned sigh, you reached your hand for her to help you up, and you nodded.

She took your hand with a grin and tugged you to your feet. 

-

The party below spilled upwards into living rooms and dorms. Music on overhead speakers was transferred to boomboxes and acoustic guitars. Instead of echoing off concrete walls, laughter was absorbed into threadbare couches. Hallways dimmed to the red glow of Exit signs. Footfall faded, stumbled behind locked doors. 

You perched on a comfortable sofa in the living space, waving Eddie goodnight as he waggled his fingers. Vickie and Robin had sandwiched you in sloppy kisses before they slunk off hand-in-hand, whispering sweet nothings. You sunk further into the cushions, hugging one tightly in your lap as the lights turned off and your world was cast in moonlight from a nearby window. 

You sat there for ages, maybe the entire night, staring out at the greyscale world beyond, those treetops tinged in golds and rubies in the daylight. You thought of your friends, hand-in-hand, and of Pedro and Hank, arm-in-arm, and of the emptiness that lingered when you recognized life, as you lived it, was coming to a close. 

You pondered and mourned in silence, starlight the ever-present reminder that you were Rightside Up and safe, somehow, a promise Steve had kept without realizing it. 

“Hey,” a voice full of recognition startled you from your reverie, and you turned to face Steve. His strong features were silhouetted, but you knew the curve of his shoulders, the dip of his jaw. 

“Hey,” you offered a smile, shrinking further into your seat. 

“Couldn’t sleep?” He asked, gesturing for permission to join you.

You nodded, shrugged. “Not really.”

He crossed slowly before sitting, his weight on the springs shifting your own. He was close, warmth radiating off biceps pressed against yours. “I was looking for you.” He touched his knuckles to your knee, a sensation that shot electricity through you. 

“Oh?” Your voice squeaked, throat dry. 

“Yeah,” he nodded, and you ventured a glance his direction. The moonlight poured in, pale yellow against his features, his nose, cheek, the swoop of his chestnut hair. “I know you and Hank and Pedro were really close, and I wanted to make sure you were okay.” 

His eyes shone, and you had to pull yourself from his gaze to process his words. He cared. The thought brought a smile to your cheeks despite the grief you felt in your soul. You tipped your face away from him and played with fraying of the canvas lining the pillow in your lap. 

You contemplated lying, reassuring you both that you’d be fine, but something about his warm presence settled beside you, the soft lilt of his voice, had you speaking freely. “I will be,” you nodded, a sentiment you hadn’t even realized until you spoke it into existence. “I just haven’t had time to think about what my life’ll be like without their… guidance.” Orders, teasing, coaxing, care.

“I get that,” Steve sighed beside you, head tilting to rest on the furniture at your backs. “It’s been kind of nice not having to make decisions for myself.” 

“What were you going to do, before all of this?” You gestured to concrete walls, a singular window, a common space long since vacant. 

His gaze trailed the room before landing on you, and you warmed under it. With another sigh, he looked outward again. “I thought I had a plan for when it was all over, but that was a year ago.” He waved it off. 

You nudged him with your elbow. “What was it? Maybe it’ll give me some inspiration.”

He snorted, shook hair into his eyes. “Ah, yeah. I doubt it.” 

“Come on, Harrington,” you goaded. “What was it? Become an actor? Join the circus?” This felt better, right, the tease of competition between you settling the tension that was building with each passing glance.

“Try marrying the girl of my dreams and having six kids?” That popped the bubble. You couldn’t hide the face of disgust and unease that settled after his comment, knowing all you knew about him already. “Yeah, bad, right?” 

You stuffed back a remorseful chuckle, tried to keep a strange bout of jealousy at bay when you remembered his conversation with Nancy earlier, how engaged the two of them looked, how hopeful her blue eyes were. 

You cleared your throat, made firm eye contact with your pillow, shrugged. “I don’t know. Seems like you aren’t the only one with those aspirations. I’ve heard Rob and Vic might move in together.” A harmless bean spilled surely wouldn’t rile up your best friend. 

“Wait, how do you know that? I thought Robin was going to wait to ask her…” Steve trailed off, and when your eyes met, you both rolled them in exasperation for the gushy love shared between clueless women. 

“So what about you?” Steve asked after a moment had passed, little finger soft once again to your knee. “If this is really all over, what’re you going to do?” 

You glanced back over the parking lot, the trees, Scorch course off in the distance. “That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out… where I fit. You know?” You locked your fingers together above your pillow, as Vickie had done earlier, but without the lightness of her touch, yours were bruised and calloused and burnt. Your knuckles were sore.

“Right here,” he said.

His eyes were dark, brow soft, yet pensive, and under his watch, you couldn’t breathe. It was the same panic you’d felt all week when you’d watched him cross the caf or climb into the bed of a truck, that fight or flight ramping up within your rib cage. 

“I’m serious,” he shrugged, shoulder knocking your own. “What if you fit here?” He pressed a large finger into the pillow on your lap for emphasis. The skin of your wrists and hands lit up with proximity. “You’re so good at this whole thing, and we know it isn’t over. The Upside Down didn’t close up when Vecna died like we thought it would. There’s still a mess to clean up. Who says you have to leave? That you have to move on right now and make some huge life plan over night?” 

You blinked back at him because you hadn’t considered any of that, and maybe it’s because this existence had been something everything was counting down the chance to run from. You’d all been thrust into this life when the world opened up (or earlier), and you followed orders because that’s what kept you safe, what kept you alive. You’d never considered that maybe you were made for this. Although, when Steve mentioned it, things did sort of kick back into place. 

His knee knocked yours. “It’s not like you’d be alone.” 

The implications rendered you silent, a splash of cool water across skin that had been set ablaze, filling the space with steam. Your breathing was shallow, mouth dry, and you couldn’t unstick your knuckles from each other, though his hand remained centimeters away, picking at that same tear in the fabric you’d been playing with moments earlier. You felt yourself go stock straight, rigid against the warmth of his bicep. 

“Did I make you uncomfortable last week?” His voice was barely a gravel, a shockwave of electricity sent through you.

You swallowed in vain, shook your head. 

His eyes trailed your features, and you bit hard on your lip when he stopped there, before he found your gaze again. “Because I meant it when I promised I’d keep you safe.” 

Your reaction to Steve Harrington was reckless, always had been. Volatile, even, the way your heart raced, the heat that churned through you like water boiled over. There was always something in his tone that challenged you, always something in his gaze that riled you up. He pushed you over the edge you teetered on with an eye roll and a smug smile, arms pinned over your head against the mat or mask over his face on the Scorch course. 

Maybe that’s why neither of you were surprised when you reached across the space and pressed your lips to his. Neither of you stiffened at a first kiss, noses bumped and knuckles. Simultaneous, you parted for a breath and dove back for something stickier, something warmer, something more dangerous.

He was sweet, whisky and something softer, ice cream, maybe. His lips were warm, and a bit dry, but plush. And when you finally sunk your fingertips into his silky hair, you coaxed a breathy whine that sent warmth pooling through you. 

“Is this okay?” You hissed between kisses.

He hummed in agreement, hands reaching for your middle to tug you into his lap. He massaged your thighs with oversized hands as you bracketed his hips, pulling another loud groan from deep in his throat.

You had him pinned beneath you now, hips rolled, and his head thrown back against the sofa, pupils blown with your fingers in his hair. The moonlight cast shadows across his chiseled features, a constellation of freckles down his left side. The way he watched you, lips licked, sent a wave crashing through you, another sizzle to fan the embers burning within you.

His hands found your hips, and your ribcage beneath the t-shirt you’d been forced to change into, and you thought of Vickie’s encouragement, her optimism that this would be the last of it.

The warmth of Steve’s palms coaxed you forward until he caught your mouth with his once more, and his words echoed in your mind beside her, a chorus of contradiction. This is your last night here. You fit right here. I’ll never leave you. It’s not like you’d be alone. Two truths pulling at you like a rope over a line, neither would exist while the other did. 

Steve sucked in a breath, harsh, and you blinked your eyes open to see him licking a tender lower lip. You’d bit down on him without realizing, that ever-present competition fresh between you. He didn’t seem to mind, already going back in, but you pinned his shoulders back, pushed off of him to stand. 

“Whoa, it’s okay,” he wiped at the corners of his mouth, ran a hand through his hair to replace yours. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah,” you nodded, stumbling backwards until you almost tripped on a coffee table. You managed to side-step it, feeling claustrophobic surrounded by so much canvas furniture. 

He stood to catch you in case you fell, and the reach of his arms had you backing even farther into the shadows of a long corridor. He recoiled, scratching at the back of his neck. “Are you sure? Because um… I didn’t mean to push anything if you weren’t…” 

You shook your head, that familiar panic clawing at your chest at the mess you’ve created. “Steve, it’s fine. I just don’t think I should do this right now.”

A crease formed between his brows, concerned, pitying, and he shoved his hands into his jean pockets. “Okay?” 

You sighed, scrubbed at tired eyes, tried to ignore the taste of him that lingered on your lips. You’d already taken it too far, already scratched the itch that had been growing within you for months now.

“I can wait.” His voice was soft, almost imperceptible, and his brown eyes held that same hopefulness you’d seen in Vickie’s.

Guilt rattled your rib cage, searing. You nodded and said goodnight. 

-

The night remained sleepless, starring at water-stained ceiling tiles while you contemplated next steps. The feeling of Steve’s hands ghosted your ribcage. The image of Vickie’s hands twisted in your own burned behind your eyes.

Knuckles wrapped against your door, and you pulled your watch from the beside table to look at the time. 08:25. With a resigned sigh, you buckled it over your wrist and answered the door. You startled to find Nancy Wheeler on the other side, brown crinkled and hair curled around her slender features. 

“Hopper wants us.” She informed you, managing the softest of smiles. 

You swallowed, nodded, and went for your room key on the countertop.

After the loss of Gutierrez and Ramsay, your Scorch team needed new leaders, and there was still so much Ether to scorch.

———

NOW

September 1988

Stains on pale yellow walls churned at a bread-and-broth full stomach as cigarette smoke wafted in beneath the broken seal at the bottom of the door. The lone light flickered, exacerbating a migraine that had lingered for weeks now, maybe months. Two familiar faces sat on the other side of the plexiglass, wrinkles between their brows, smoke swirling round faces. 

“How you feeling, kid?” Hop asked, voice gruff, concerned, paternal. 

“Sweaty,” you winced, peeling your tank top from your sternum. “Hope I don’t smell. My shower is one scalding pressure wash every morning.”

Hopper snorted, a cloud of smoke exiting each nostrils and floating skyward. “I know. It’s Hell.” 

Hell was the Ether. Hell was the tug between your shoulder blades. Hell was lurking somewhere deep, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. 

“How is everyone? Byers?” You grit your teeth, pushing back the wave of nausea and slumping against the glass that fogged on your side. The water bottle, lukewarm, was the only reprieve you’d been given from your sauna, refilled at frequent intervals to ensure you stayed upright and alert. 

“Jonathan’s fine, but he’s not out of the woods yet. We’ve got him holed up too. Huntley and Miller are dead. Dog fight this morning on the county border.” 

You cursed under your breath, squeezing your eyes closed to push back the visions of yourself lashing out against the two Scorchers, gnawing on their flesh, the fresh squeeze of hot blood between your teeth. “I was hoping that was just a dream.” 

“Are you having any visions right now?” Owens asked, voice gentler than his gruff counterpart.

You shook your head. “Same as yesterday and the day before. I can see her,” you gestured to somewhere in your periphery, where the wave of fiery hair stood out, just beyond your reach. “And I can feel him.” That tug in your shoulder, the bend in your spine that itched and ached. You rolled your shoulders and pushed it back. “But I don’t see anything unless I’m asleep. Even then it’s just roaming the Ether. I can never see him. He’s not coming out.” 

“What happens when those fuckers catch fire?” Hop asked, wrapping his knuckles against the glass. By the look in his eye, he was testing the strength of it, making sure it’d hold you back.

You took another sip of water. “I wake up.” 

“Maybe we do a bit of uh… what do they call it? Remote viewing? Put her under, have her tap in.” Hop spoke under his breath, but you knew he was talking about Eleven. He knew Hop was talking about Eleven. You felt the itch under your shoulder and shuddered again. 

Owens caught your movement and stopped Hopper with a hand up. “Alright, miss. Are you comfortable if we take another look at your back?” 

With a sigh, you pushed yourself upright and turned your back to the men to pull your shirt up and over your head, holding it to your front with what little sliver of modesty you could maintain. Although, at this point, you’d lost your will to care. 

For days now, you hadn’t noticed growths on your back, no indication that you’d been Flayed or that this parasite was growing within you. Nothing showed itself beside this feeling you had that you couldn’t explain, that no one could understand. 

“Thank you, dear,” Owens wrapped his knuckles to the window to tell you it was safe to put your shirt back on. 

You did so and turned to face the men again. Both of them offered characteristic grimaces: one of pity, the other of disdain. You slumped back into the chair next to the window. “So, what’s the prognosis, doc?”

The older man shrugged, scratched at his forehead. “Unfortunately, we might just have to keep you in here until we discuss further plans. We kind of have to keep you out of the loop, kiddo. Can’t risk him hearing us.” 

You understood. You shook your water bottle, tapped it against the glass, and said, “Empty.”

“Fresh water, coming right up,” he smiled and stood. “Jim?” 

Hopper waved him off, stamping his cigarette out on the seal. You watched ash scatter the ground. He stood, chair groaning beneath him, and he towered over you on the other side of the glass, teeth ground into a clenched jaw. He scratched at the stubble on his chin. 

“Harrington and Nancy make better partners than you two did. He actually listens to her.” 

You snorted, rolled your eyes. “That doesn’t surprise me.” 

“He and Munson ask about you constantly. I caught Wheeler and Henderson trying to hack into your security camera footage.” He wrapped his knuckles against the glass again, pointing toward the camera that had been watching you. He waggled thick fingers, and you mirrored him, trying to hide the swell of something lighter within you. 

“Keep holding him back,” he ordered, your commanding officer once more.

With exchanged nods, he exited down the hallway with Owens, and you slumped back against the fogged glass. You swallowed and stared up at the bright green bulb that glowed just beneath the lens of the camera.

—

Days had gone by. Maybe nights had too, but you couldn’t tell under the buzzing fluorescents. You had no windows to the outside world, probably miles beneath the Earth at this point, just on the precipice of that churning, horrific world on the other side. 

You tossed and turned on your cot, sheets stained with sweat that clung to every inch of you. Cries echoed a few boxes down, unfamiliar voices of more and more faces sequestered into quarantine, their fates somehow worse than your own. 

All you wanted was to stay awake. If you stayed awake, he stayed away. But the ache of your eyelids added to the dull throb at the base of your skull, and every so often, the rake of fingertips down your arm coaxed you into a slumber. 

Feet sputtered down the hall, steady, a run, and your heartbeat matched it. You launched from the unsteady rock of your cot and met a figure as its hands slapped against the glass of your window, steadying itself.

“Harrington?” You frowned at your partner on the other side. His palm met yours, thick glass in between, and his chest rose and fell as his breath fogged the glass. “What’s going on?” 

He shrugged, slumped into the chair Hopper had been in. It creaked beneath him, and he glanced down the hallway for on-lookers before turning back to you. “Are you okay?” 

“Are you?” You scurried into your own chair, leaning in to get a better look at him.

The bruise around his eye was yellowing, and his hair looked good pushed off his brow. He maintained that signature scowl, but there was something soft in his eyes as he observed you the same way you looked him over. “Are you suffocating in there?”

“Only a little,” you shrugged. “Why are you here?” You glanced back down the hallway, as much as you could see, to find it the same as it always had been, empty. 

“We had a bad firefight yesterday. Ten dogs or so.”

You did another cursory glance of his person. That you could see, there were no bandages. His hair wasn’t burned or singed. Any soot had been scrubbed from the creases on his face. 

“Could you feel it?” 

You shook your head and watched his shoulders relax. You wished you could soothe him further, reassure him you were okay, that you were safe, but the two souls attached to you lingered in the periphery. Instead, you tapped your fingertips to the glass. “I thought of something yesterday.” 

Steve adjusted in his seat, glanced down the hallway once more before leaning in to read your lips.

“You remember the party, the night after he died, or at least, we thought he did?” You asked, feeling that presence heavy over your shoulder. 

Recognition flashed behind your partner’s eyes, and he shied from your gaze, scratching at the back of his neck.

You warmed, tried to forget the feeling of your hands there, of his warm hands against your sides. Something prodded your shoulder. You cleared your throat. “Vickie made a weird comment that night, off-handed. She was acting really shady, and she asked if he could have latched himself on someone. The body died, but maybe the soul didn’t?”

He looked back up at you, brow crinkled, understanding sinking into him, and you watched his ribcage deflate. His knees began to bounce, and he buried his face into his hands. 

“And if that’s true, she had him for almost a year. It had nothing to do with the flower. He just latched on to the nearest thing, and when she died,” you gestured to yourself. “Maybe he’s weaker now.”

Steve was shaking his head, arms crossed over his chest. “You couldn’t save her.” 

You swallowed back emotion that boiled at that slap in the face. “She didn’t tell us. None of us could, but I’m telling you.” You hoped he couldn’t hear the desperation in your tone.

“This happened to her, and you murdered her.” His voice was lower, graveled. 

You balled your fist, swallowed back that panic which seared at your ribcage.

“What do you expect to happen to you?” Finally, he met your eye, his own brown replaced with piercing blue, cloudy. The smell of charred flesh stung at your nostrils. The taste of ash filled your mouth. 

---

[A/N: Remember when I said hiatus cuz of NaNo and then I wrote this chapter? *insert eye roll here* I can't help it! This story wants to pour out of me, and I want it to, too. I love these two more than anything. They bring me endless joy. And they kissed! I made them kiss! In a flashback, but still. Maybe they'll kiss again, who knows? Maybe the reader dies a horrific death like Chrissy, who knows? I do. I know. And I love it so much. Thanks, as always, for reading xo]

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Chapter Four: Pyre • Chapter Six: Combustion

[thoughtsandvibeslibrarian]

Ughhhh fine. I’ll stop being chicken and post stuff on Tumblr. I guess.

Lucanis Dellamorte x Mermaid/Siren de Riva Rook

Background Lore Headcannons Part 1

Almost nothing about Lucanis here but I’m posting what I want soooo…

This is kind of incomplete but…sorry.

The most common name for my Rook(besides Rook) is Thala. It’s tied to unwritten background. But her name is Thala.

-- So according to a codex in Inquisition, Ghilan’nain all variations of monsters and creatures land, air, and sea.

- Between the more monstrous creatures and the elegant creatures like the Halla were the sea/merfolk.

- She viewed them as an attempt to improve upon elven people. This would also mean that at some point there were creatures similar to Harpies from mythology.

- So in the beginning, the Elves and the sea/merfolk had a good relationship. As well, because they were an improvement not a replacement, merfolk frequently came to land with elves, to live and love.

- This actually leads to Solas clocking Rook the first time they meet in the fade. He would have had dealing with them, even before trying to coax them to help him in his rebellion. But we’ll get to that.

- Sea/Merfolk look basically the same as Elven people. But not exactly the same. They tend to be taller, needing the longer limbs to better propel themselves through the water(longer legs on land translate to longer tails in water) They’re also generally thicker in build. They are able to go down to deep depths in the oceans, thus naturally need more insulation. Their ears possess a similar shape although the sea/merfolk have short wider ears that come to a point unlike a lot of elves with longer thinner ears.

- While the transition between land and sea was not without some discomfort, with regularity and balance, it could be a sustainable way of living. However, too long outside of the sea(it has to be full submersion in a sizable body of water) could make the transition back extremely painful if not dangerous since their bodies would have to make more lasting adaptations.

- While many factors lead to the sea/merfolk turning reclusive and relegating themselves, the largest factor was Ghilan’nain began killing her creatures in order to ascend to godhood. In the codex, it mentions that over three days she killed all but the “monsters of air” she presented to Andruil as a gift, Halla, and deep sea creatures.(I believe I read somewhere she had a dislike/fear for deep depths? I’m gonna roll with it.)

- The sea/merfolk had already sensed discontent on land with the various conflicts and issues within Elvhenan, thus became scarcer on land already.

- However, when Ghilan’nain began her slaughter, quickly the sea/merfolk made a decision to flee far and into deeper depths for the sake of their people. While some who remained on land may have been killed, the folk remained after Ghilan’nain’s ascension.

- The sea/merfolk settled in further edges of the Amaranthine Ocean.

- From my headcannon standpoint, the folk are inspired by IRL Ancient Greek mythology along with their language being reminiscent of Greek similarly to how Antivan/Orlesian borrow from IRL languages.

- On the topic of communication, while the sea/merfolk have some hand signs they use to communicate, there is more to them than just fins and underwater living. Sea/merfolk do have siren like qualities. Don’t ask because I don’t know to biological science but the way they can speak/sing/ect. is changeable as well. When under the water, their voices somehow pierce through the water. They do have better hearing but it mostly their voices. They can utilize their “underwater voices” on land but it has to be more intentional versus it being natural/reflexive in water.

- Not all of them could be considered Sirens. Some can sing beautifully, and it would have an ethereal effect if heard by nonfolk, but not be considered a Siren. Like with Elves, Humans, and Qunari, the folk have potential for magic. Some have it some done. That’s how Thedas Sirens work. As with the magic on land, with the veil did limit them. Outside of Sirens, some can access very small reserves of magic to use in tiny bursts, most easily to calm instead of entice/ influence.

- That is where Rook falls into. She does not have more than a small spark of magic that can, on very rare occasions allow her to calm others. Typically she uses to get out of situations, essentially if she gets noticed she calms them until they don’t care.

- Speaking of Rook, let’s move onto her past.

- Her backstory does have shades of “The Little Mermaid”. She got into a disagreement with her widowed father(NOT a king but prt of a noble gentry and like I could go into social structure of Thedas mermaids underwater life but like we’re here for Lucanis/Rook and we’re like two miles from that exit as it is)

- She would have barely been 13 when her father would have started to put expectations and pressure on her. She bucked and fought against it until a very large blow up happened. Her father said things he shouldn’t have, and she fled.

- Because she was functionally a child, she did not think through her flight and just kept going. To the point where, when her anger settled a little and she slowed down, she was lost. Very very lost and far. While some of the folk did go to land from time to time, interacting with humans rarely, she would have been a sheltered child. And even if she were older, her father’s status would have kept her from it anyway.

- Eventually after wandering she got close to Rivian. She tried to come up to land, only knowing she could. However the pirate/raider culture immediately frightened her so she kept going. By the time she stumbled on Treviso. She was lost, tired, and confused. It would have taken a while to swim that far and essentially like surviving in the woods. She would have had little sleep, some food but not what she was used to/enough to sustain the activity.

- It was probably around 1amish when she would have washed up on land, probably if not in the actual drowned district, a very similar place where is fairly isolated from the bustle of the actual city.

- In part because of the toll on her body and in part because it was the first time she had ever been on land, the transition would have been extremely difficult and painful for Rook. She would have made noise and eventually lost consciousness.

- Fortunately for her, a young crow Viago de Riva(about 18yo)hears her struggle and comes upon her. She would have looked atrocious like she had escaped the worst.

- I believe(and maybe there is lore to contradict me but I clearly dont totally care) that Viago had this very caring kind center. So he find a girl who looks in a bad way, he’d try to help her. So he wraps her up in his cloak and carries her back to crow healers.

[galaxiadreams]

Say yes to Heaven.....(Zhongli x reader)

Warnings: None

Genre: Fluff, slight angst

Word Count: 923

Synopsis: In the age of Gods and Monsters, Rex Lapis and Y/n, Goddess of Spring are brought together by the strings of fate.

a/n: This is a little prequel to my other Zhongli imagine: The final Blessing. Please go read it if you would like to! I apologize in advance if there's any grammatical errors! This fic is inspired by "Say yes to Heaven" by the one and only Lana Del Rey! Enjoy!

The goddess of spring. One who brings life, peace, and abundance to all of Teyvat. Y/n was somewhat of a minor god, but no less important, and just as strong as the major archons. She’s strong willed, fierce, and determined to bring prosper to her people. Yet her voice was melodic, her heavenly laughter could melt the coldest of hearts. It was her compassion, love, bravery, and intelligence that captured the heart of the Geo Archon. 

“Morax, staring is rude you know. If you really like her that much, go and interact with her.” The cloud retainer teased, sipping her tea watching the man sitting beside her. Moarx quickly averted his gaze from your running figure in the meadow with Guizhong and stared disapprovingly at the adeptus, a faint red painted on his cheeks. 

Morax sighed, “I don’t think I’ll ever have the courage to tell her my true feelings…” 

“Oh Celestia! You’re the Lord of Geo, God of contracts, why could you possibly be afraid of? Plus, I’ve the way y/n looks at you, I’m sure that girl is smitten too,” Cloud retainer reassured him before giving his shoulders a squeeze, “Go on, talk to her.” 

Morax stood up from the stone bench and wandered towards the meadow in front of him. The two women gave him a beaming wave as they noticed his approaching figure, your starry eyes gleaming in the sunlight. 

“Morax! Me and y/n are heading towards the lake to have a nice swim! Would you like to join us?” Guizhong asked. It’s true Rex Lapis once harbored feelings for the Goddess of Dust, but ever since the day he met you, his feelings for Guizhong melted away, the Archon’s soul was completed. Despite not knowing each other that long, the string of fate already entangled the two souls together completely, an unbreakable bond. Walking towards the two, Morax’s breath hitched when he felt your soft hands grasping his. Beaming at him, you dragged him towards the lake, he couldn’t help but admire your face as she sprinted towards Guizhong in front of them. Relishing simple mortal activities like this were difficult in an archon’s life, especially with hundreds of thousands of people to care for and lead. So Morax pays special attention to moments of enjoyment, memorizing every detail to reminiscence later on, peace never lasts forever. 

“Weeeeeeeeeee!” You let out shouts of glee as you jumped into the lake beside the waterfall, laughing as you resurfaced again. Morax jumped in after you, just to be tackled by the Goddess of spring. The two of you started to get handsy as both tried to win against the other fighting underwater. Laughter of joy and surprise echoed throughout the countryside. After a while, Morax relented and you won the battle. The two swimmed up to the surface and took a deep breath of fresh air. Morax couldn’t help but admire your beauty as water cascades down her face, the wet dress clung to your skin, and your eyes, ohhhhh those eyes. He has never seen a pair of eyes so mesmerizing and ethereal as your’s. Y/n’s eyes were the color of the galaxies, the reflection of the universe. Deep blues and purples balanced each other perfectly, with bursts of lighter shades dotted across your iris exactly like the stars in the night sky. 

“'Cause I've got my mind on you

I've got my mind on you”

Time stops. Both of you were entrenched by each other at this moment, unable to break from each other’s gaze of desire. You’re the half of his soul, and he was yours. Eyes are the windows to the soul, the poets say. And you spot nothing but love and admiration in those eyes of gold belonging to Morax. 

“Would you like to join me for tea later this afternoon? It’ll be a pleasure.” You blushed at the deep, rich tone of his voice. 

“Of course! I would love to!” Oh heavens, you’re in love.  

.............................................................

The little moments over the years brought the two of you together. His acts of chivalry and respect everytime made your heart ablaze. 

“If you dance I’ll dance.”

Falling in love with each other’s charms and flaws, it was a perfect match made by fate. Standing beneath the yellow ginkgo trees, the two of you signed the contract of your love and future. Saying yes to him was saying yes to heaven. Officially sealing the bond between the Goddess of spring and the Geo Archon. Husband and Wife, the two of you will lead your people to glory and prosperity, and nothing will change that.  

“If you go, I'll stay

You come back, I'll be right here

Like a barge at sea

In the storm, I stay clear"

No matter what will come in the following centuries, your heart and soul belong to him, and his belongs to you. No war or famine can separate the two of you. No matter what trials and tribulations blocked your way, he was your pillar of stone. No matter how much pain or anger he’s in, your voice will heal his soul. Your love for each other ran deeper than contracts, deeper than lovers. No matter what happens, the two of you will find each other. Be it in the afterlife or in the next life, the unbreakable string of fate will always tug the two souls together. 

“I've got my eye on you

I've got my eye on you

Say yes to Heaven

Say yes to me”