#I LOVE that guy | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

pythonmoth · 9 days ago

Text

cw: post-traumatic stress disorder. brief mentions of war. brief mentions of severed limb (by a bomb). simon is a veteran. simon has a prosthetic leg. one talking snake.

this is based on His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman.

Simon Ghost Riley x f!Reader.

First | Next

Never Gonna Be Alone.

The battlefield was never calm, always aggressive, but times had been hard and that year they had less soldiers than ever before. Simon made the mistake of getting too close, desperate to cover more ground.

In an instant, he flew into the sky with a big booming sound, pain blooming in his leg. When he fell to the ground he couldn't hear or feel anything for a few minutes, the air gone from his lungs.

Somewhere beside him, he could hear Riley whimpering and whining in pain, even if it was hard to tell with the guns going off. Mostly, he heard him in his mind, and his heart. He blindly reached out, patting the ground until he found him, dragging himself next to Riley, holding onto him. He could smell the blood on his fluff but he held tight, their bond trembling with the intensity of their agony.

Gunshots, bombs, and screams made his head spin, daemons disappearing into golden dust left and right, soldiers falling dead to the ground. At some point, somebody grabbed him and dragged him back, and Simon finally realized what was wrong with him.

He wailed in pain, not letting go of Riley, keeping him right against his chest. Whenever his hands faltered, nearly passing out from shock, Riley would bite onto his uniform, keeping them close.

Another bomb going off next to his head made Simon wake up with a choked gasp, making Riley flinch awake as well. His sleepy eyes immediately alert as he stared at Simon, his fluffy ears straight up. Riley's eyes were questioning.

"Sorry, buddy. Nightmare" he said, rubbing his face hard. He reached out, purposely ignoring Riley's grunts and the rolling of his eyes, and pulled him closer, holding onto him, pressing his face into his daemon's fluff.

Riley's body curled around his head and rested his wet nose against Simon's neck, breathing steadily. That night, as many others, they gave each other comfort, and fell asleep again.

The next morning, Simon was greeted with great news.

"Two healthy babygirls" his brother told him, gripping onto Simon's shoulder, beaming so brightly that it was impossible not to smile back.

"I'm happy for you both. How's the missus?" he asked, handing Tommy a mug of coffee.

"Tired as fuck. She told me how she was gonna kill me, explicitly, if I got her pregnant again" Tommy chuckled, his face filled with love, the mug forgotten in his hand. His brother was glowing. "I just came back to take a shower while she sleeps, and then I'm off".

Simon smiled, shaking his head. He liked Beth so much he swore he would kick Tommy if he ever fucked it up.

"You don't have to leave. You know this" a voice grunted from Tommy's shoulder.

Simon looked at the little chinchilla, smiling at her. "I know, Lili. Still, I can't have my nieces living with all my brats in the backyard".

"Don't you dare calling them brats. They're more likeable than you are" Tommy said, rolling his eyes.

Riley's tail was sweeping against the floor next to Simon, amused by his brother's comment.

"Shut up. I'll be less than an hour from here, so you won't even notice Riley and I left" Simon sighed.

Riley made a little noise of annoyance when Lili jumped from Tommy's shoulder, head first into his side.

"Oi, stop bullying Riley" Simon warned her, playful. Riley's tail started swaying faster as the chinchilla went to chase it.

When Tommy told him they were expecting, Simon started looking for a new house nearby. Just forty minutes from there, in a small town, Simon found a house big enough for his pond, and close enough to visit his family as often as they wished. He bought it without much thought.

The pond was finished by the time Beth's tummy was as big as his brother's head.

It was ready to move in to.

"Are you sure?" Tommy question him again.

"Positive. Besides, the missus will need her space, and so will you".

"You are not a burden, Simon" Lili scolded him gently, nibbling on Riley's tail, which had gone still. "You are family".

"What she said" Tommy nodded, staring intently at Simon.

Riley growled lowly, affection heavy in their bond. Playfully, Riley chomped on Lili's little head, making her squeak in contentment. They went off, chasing each other and playing next to the pond.

"When are you moving, then? At least let me help you with the gars" his brother insisted. Simon rolled his eyes.

"Bloody hell, you're so annoying. Fine, have it your way".

A few weeks later, Simon said goodbye to the happy family, promising to come back when they had the time. "If you want a day off, I'll come and take care of the babies" Simon offered. Beth was so happy for his offer that she nearly cried.

Tommy smiled.

And then Simon and Riley were off.

The town was small but it was perfect for his retirement. Riley was still jumpy sometimes, so the quiet atmosphere would really help them.

Over the next few days, Simon slowly eased his alligator gars into the pond, the bass, the turtles, the catfish, even the carp that had survived their sharp teeth, now part of the family.

Riley would sleep under the sun for hours, would sometimes jump over the pond just to annoy the fish, and eat his fill pressed to Simon's leg on the floor.

Ever since Simon lost his leg, making Riley lose his as well, his daemon never spoke a word again. Traumatized into silence because of the shock.

It wasn't uncommon for people in the military. Some daemons never spoke again, some went blind, and some, if small enough, never let others see them if they could help it.

They could communicate easily, as their bond was untouched, but it was never words. It was a feeling, a tug in Simon's heart. And it was enough.

During the first month they moved in, his neighbors tried to come and welcome him, but most only stared at his face, then at his daemon, and would quickly scram.

Simon could tell Riley found it insulting. It was only a prosthetic leg, and a few cuts on their faces from the battlefield. They weren't criminals, they were retired soldiers.

Not a bit of respect, or kindness, in their faces.

Only pity and fear.

"I know, buddy. Come on, let's feed the brats" he said, flicking Riley's fluffy ear.

Riley was the first to notice.

Simon was feeding the bass, when Riley sent a tug through their bond. He got up and walked over.

"What's wrong?"

Riley growled to the pond, his head pointing to the turtle.

"What's wrong with Lemon?" he asked, confused. Riley sent worry through their bond.

Simon started counting them, and he finally understood.

"Oh, that little dickhead. She must be somewhere" he snarled, worried, and also incredibly upset.

If the turtle was hurt because he made a mistake with the pond, he would never forgive himself.

He looked everywhere in the backyard, even threw his GoPro camera into the pond to check if she was hiding between the rocks, but he found nothing.

Just as he was thinking of sucking it up and asking his neighbors, somebody knocked on his door. Riley walked over first, waiting to be seen first as soon as Simon opened the wooden door.

Simon's lips parted slightly as a young woman smiled up at him. She was pretty, dark circles under her eyes and curly eyelashes.

Riley's head tilted to the side.

"Hello. Is this one yours?" she asked. Simon looked down, staring at the green turtle in her hands.

"Fuck! I couldn't find you anywhere. I was so worried, dammit" he told the turtle, gently taking it from her hands.

While Simon placed the turtle back in the pond, Riley observed the girl standing at the door. She was blinking, surprised. Her eyes turned to him.

"Are you his daemon?" she asked, her tone gentle. Riley nodded once, his ears straight up.

"Nice to meet you" she told him, smiling at him. "I think I'll... close the door" she chuckled, gripping the door's handle.

Riley stood up from where he was sitting, catching her attention, and that's when Simon came back. The girl let go of the door handle.

"I'm so sorry. I was so worried I forgot to even say hello before I stormed away" Simon said, rubbing the back of his head. "I— thank you for bringing her".

The girl smiled and waved away his apology, her eyes flickering down for one quick moment. "That's fine. I was just saying hi to—"

"What happened to your leg?" a little voice hissed from inside the girl's hoodie. The tone was incredibly curious, not a bit judgy. Simon's eyebrows shoot up in surprise. Even Riley growled lowly in amusement.

The girl turned bright and gently smacked her chest, making the daemon hiss in annoyance, and took a step back. "I'm so sorry, please ignore her. I'm so glad your turtle is back and— yeah, hm. Bye. Yeah. Goodbye".

Simon and Riley shared a look, before turning back to the girl, who was hissing at her daemon, tugging on the hoodie.

"Viper! That wasn't nice! What if you made him feel sad? You can't just ask that!" she scream-whispered, not looking back at them even once. "Ugh, you're helpless!"

Simon couldn't help but smile as he closed the door. He turned to look at Riley.

Riley's tail was swaying across the floor, lazy and... content, he realized. There was endearment in their bond.

Simon raised his eyebrow. When their eyes met, Riley growled softly, his tail swaying faster.

What? he seemed to say.

"Come on, buddy. We still gotta feed the rest" Simon mumbled, his eyes twinkling.

well!! this happened.

Riley is an Alaskan Malamute and Viper is, you guessed it, a Mexican Black Kingsnake. i just think she's neat.

daemon. long story short, daemons are a representation of their inner-self. that's the "real" shape of their soul. because of Simon's past, Riley became a big dog to protect them, if that makes sense. they all have a mind of their own, but they're one w their person.

why a snake? snakes are cool, but I might pull a reason out of my sleeve at some point. i won't include a picture, but the mexican black kingsnake is beautiful. I was thinking of a rattlesnake too, but I liked this one better.

taglist: @kittygonap @rayrayyio

177 notes · View notes

cloudcountry · 2 years ago

Text

the burdens of royalty

Genre/Tropes: Established relationship, MC and Diavolo are married.

Summary: the weight of both the devildom and the human world are on your shoulders. if it wasn't for diavolo, you would have given up a long time ago.

Author's Comments: diavolo has a very tough job. every time he said he adores mc or that one time he confessed his love to them i panicked because thats so much. its heavier than the brother's "i love you" because hes ROYALTY and its a lot of take in.

i also find myself thinking about what his affection means for mc in the long run. i mean, surely diavolo has suitors. there are obviously higher up demons like the brothers (and maddi, that one witch that pursued diavolo so aggressively it was...icky.) for diavolo to actually pursue mc, i can't imagine what would happen when those same demons figured that out. if they were to make their relationship official or even get married, mc would probably need a bodyguard 24/7 because demons are OBVIOUSLY not chill with humans (like every single brother threatening mc and especially belphegor, although his circumstances were different because they involved lilith.)

anyways i'll be quiet, i hope you enjoy C:

~~~~~

It wasn’t easy being you.

Your now husband would always tell you that being him wasn’t easy, but now that you share the burden of his position, does that not also apply to you?

It came as quite a shock to the entire Devildom the day your engagement was announced—to think, the Prince of the Devildom, marrying a human! The demon aristocracy would have had your head if they weren’t so terrified of Barbatos. You were called many things (a manipulator and a cheat being among your favorites. Really, the higher ups in demon society would know too much about manipulating their way up the social ladder.) It was like they could comprehend that you just wanted to be with the man you loved, and that race and position and titles meant absolutely nothing to do with it.

If nothing else, you suppose being human was the easiest thing they could target. It shielded Diavolo from most of the backlash, at any rate. The last thing you ever wanted was for the public to lose their trust in him (and never give his ideals for the three realms a chance.) The fact that he only wanted the best for them seemed to fly right over their heads, as if Diavolo was just as untrustworthy as you, the foreign soul from another realm.

You, now their ruler, too.

But that’s exactly why you had to clench your teeth and bear it, bear the shimmering dresses and horned guests and Barbatos breathing down your neck so nobody would even think of attacking you. Snide remarks about your clothing of choice were met with “my husband picked it out, actually,” comments about how delicious your flesh smelled were ignored but met with a stern glare from your bodyguard, greetings that sounded so fake and that were obviously meant to butter you up were laughed at just as falsely.

Is this what it meant to be a royal?

“I apologize, My Liege. This ball runs til midnight. I assure you that you may retire to your chambers once this is over.” Barbatos whispers, strategically whisking you away from a group of demonesses muttering to each other and staring at you.

“Thank you.” you try to smile, but it probably seems like more of a wince than anything, “My feet are killing me. And the guests are just as bad.”

He smiles back sympathetically, and although he isn’t touching you at all, you can still feel the warmth emanating from him. Though the Avatars of Sin fear him, Barbatos has always been nothing but kind to you. You wonder if it has something to do with Diavolo, or if he really is that cruel. You suppose it doesn’t matter, whether you’re naive or not, because the fact of the matter is that you have the man Barbatos is loyal to encased in an eternal matrimonial vow. There is no way Barbatos would attempt to harm you.

“I will run you and My Lord a bath once this event is over.” he promises, and you can only sigh with relief when you notice he’s lead you outside, were the amount of people is nowhere near what it is inside, “Do you have a preference for which aromatherapy scent I use?”

“Use whichever one Diavolo chooses.” you reply, knowing he’ll be just as tired.

Barbatos laughs, a sound so full of mirth it makes you happy, too.

“I am sorry if that was out of line, My Liege. I was just amused by the coincidence. My Lord said to select whichever scent you would like.” Barbatos chuckles.

You find yourself laughing too, despite how nasty the demons around you treat you every time you hold one of these balls. It’s so sweet and considerate and just so Diavolo. You wish you could hug him right now and thank him for always trying to be a better man for you. He doesn’t seem like he will ever realize that he’s enough already, which simultaneously warms and breaks your heart.

He really thinks too highly of you. You’re not that special.

Barbatos leads you to a bench and gestures for you to sit. You do so without complaint, and before you can say anything he’s on his knees and massaging your calves. You feel yourself heating up in the face (because you still feel like he shouldn’t be doing these things for you), but you’ve learned a while ago that he takes pleasure in serving people. So you let him do his thing.

Part of your flustered state is also embarrassment, and despite your best efforts you cannot stop your eyes from darting around the gardens to check if anyone is paying attention to you. Thankfully, they all seem enraptured by an illusionist hired for the event who’s stationed in front of the grandiose fountain. He keeps making wispy demonic figures swallow running humanoid figures whole.

You’re used to this.

Another servant comes by, one by the name of Marie Anne. You know her well. Diavolo has always been very kind to her, offering her a life away from the downright cruel aristocratic family she had before. You don’t know the details, and you don’t ask. It’s not your place.

The demoness curtsies and smiles, offering you a bubbling glass of Demonus. It can’t get you drunk, but it can be refreshing. You take it and thank her. Her cheeks turn pink and she curtsies again before scurrying towards the crowd of demons watching the illusionist.

It’s funny how some demons could be so kind and others so nasty. There were many similarities that they have with humans, whether they wanted to admit it or not.

You tell Barbatos that he can stop now, and he halts his motions and stands up immediately. You’re still not used to being pampered in such a way, so you thank him. He only smiles and tells you it’s not necessary.

“I believe this is why the servants are taking a quick liking to you.” he muses, “I hardly think they would be this receptive if My Lord had married a witch or a member of the aristocracy.”

“You really think so?” you say, feeling your cheeks burn again from the praise, “I…I’m not doing anything special.”

“A simple thank you goes a long way, My Liege.” he hums, a content smile on his face as he stands beside you.

You suppose he’s right. After all, you’ve only heard (and seen, you think bitterly) terrible things about the aristocracy. They’re rude and impatient and only ever think about themselves when it comes to policies that affect the entire Devildom. If they didn’t fear Diavolo so much they surely would have attempted to overthrow him by now.

Too bad, you think smugly, staring at the insolent illusionist again as he makes a smokey human child scream at a demonic creature emerging from an equally smokey closet, He would destroy all of you if you even tried.

You feel immature for the thought only seconds later. You’re a ruler. You need to get your act together—you can’t be just as bad as them.

“My Liege, it’s almost time for the first official dance of the night.” Barbatos bows to you, swooping his hand gracefully towards the ballroom, “Would you like to reconvene with My Lord?”

“Please. I thought I would never get to see him tonight.” you groan, attempting to walk off the slight cramp in your calf as you follow Barbatos back into the fray.

The second your shoes hit the shiny flooring and make that click clack sound, there are shimmering eyes drawn to your form. They snap away as soon as they look, though, and whether it’s disgust or fear of Barbatos you don’t know. It doesn’t matter though, because finally you’ll get to see your beloved after he’s been mingling with the aristocracy all night. It isn’t hard to find him either, because amidst all the other clumps of beautiful demons you can clearly see an even bigger clump closer to the center.

You don’t even have to mumble awkward ”excuse me’s” as they all step aside for you (mostly for Barbatos though, as he’s leading the way and they’ve already made it plenty clear that they do not respect you) and before you know it, you’re standing in front of your beaming husband and a rather disgruntled Lucifer. He looks about as comfortable as you do in your formal wear, though he doesn’t show it. It’s too bad you know him well enough to see past his facade and pick up on all his little mannerisms he would never allow anyone else to see.

You spare him the teasing right now.

You try not to feel self conscious as you take your place by Diavolo’s side, a soft giggle leaving the lips of the demon you kiss goodnight every evening.

“Hello, my dear.” he whispers in your ear, stooping down to kiss your hand, “I’m pleased to see that you’re well. Have you been enjoying the festivities?”

Lie. Lie until you’re alone with him and can finally be yourself again.

“Yes, it's been lovely.” you lie through your teeth, a single drop of sweat sliding down the back of your neck as hundreds of pairs of eyes bore into you, “Barbatos has been most helpful. I’m incredibly thankful for him.”

Diavolo lights up like a little puppy dog at the mention of his butler’s name, and lets another loud laugh escape him. Despite his cheerful demeanor, you can still feel the hateful glares being directed your way. In the periphery of your vision, you can see Lucifer glaring right back at the demons behind you, and that gesture alone warms your heart. You are safe with these demons. Things will get better.

Even if better is in a few hours, when you and Diavolo will be in bed and he’ll spoon you and hold you tightly and whisper words of love and affection into your ear until you fall asleep. You discovered his habit for sleepy rambling relatively quickly after the wedding, and eventually you couldn’t sleep without it. If it wasn’t for his love, you surely never would have gotten this far with interrealm relations. If it had been anyone else, you would’ve given up.

Diavolo was the definition of shoot for the stars. He truly was an amazing demon.

“My dear.” he coos, eyes crinkling at the edges as he smiles that cheesy grin you know all too well and love far too much, “May I have this dance?”

He stretches a hand out for you to take, a symbol of how you two are bridging two realms together. Some of the people here tonight may think that’s the reason you two are doing this, that it's a diplomatic display to marry each other, but they’d be wrong. You know Diavolo isn’t the type to do something like that.

It’s like the demons in this palace tonight can’t understand that you two just love each other, and that's that.

And so you take his hand.

He sighs, a blissful sound that you know only you can produce from him, and sweeps you across the dance floor. His hand on your lower back is firm and unyielding, but it’s not possessive. Even when you were still living with the demon brothers, he never once overstepped any bounds.

Part of you wished he did.

It wasn’t just him that had wanted you two to spend time together.

You suppose that doesn’t matter anymore, not when his grip is so sure, not when his heartbeat is pounding in your ears as you rest your head against him, not when the demons and demonesses are moving out of your way. You know the respect is short lived and that they are only doing this for Diavolo, but that doesn’t stop you from enjoying it for now. Moments where a demon steps aside for a human are few and far between, but with you and Diavolo working together, you hope it will become more common.

“I love you.” you whisper to him, the words quiet enough so that only you two can hear them. You aren’t ready to declare such a vulnerable thing on your own, not when these demons have the strength to rip you apart.

And so Diavolo helps you, just as he always does.

“I love you more than anything.” he declares, his voice as loud as a blaring trumpet, a sharp contrast to your softness. You feel your face begin to burn, especially when you hear a murmur ripple through the crowd, but you cannot stop the wobbly smile on your face.

“Disgusting.”

“A human? Really? How will they rule us?”

“It would have been better if we stayed with our own kind.”

“What is Lord Diavolo doing?”

The ballroom begins to buzz and you feel yourself growing less and less sure of yourself. There are tears pricking your eyes, but you will them away. You cannot let them win.

And then, you see Diavolo’s form ripple. Wings sprout from his back and horns protrude from his head and there’s an uncharacteristically stern glare on his face as he fixes his malice at who you can only assume are the perpetrators.

You feel safe.

Maybe it’s a farce.

Maybe it’s make believe.

Maybe it’s temporary.

But Diavolo’s dream is possible, and you believe in him.

You just need to endure the burdens of royalty for him—the burdens he’s been bearing by himself for far too long.

#auburn's fics <3 #obey me x reader #obey me angst #obey me #om x reader #om diavolo x reader #diavolo x reader #diavolo fluff #diavolo angst #im slowly turning into a diavolo liker /r #honestly i cant believe i wrote this before reaching the lessons where they talk about demon/human marriages #i was SCREAMING when diavolo said there would eventually be a time when mc could marry any of them :((#I LOVE THAT GUY #and the levi content was so good too #YUM YUM

1K notes · View notes