#I do still like the name Layla I just don't feel her some days

[little-bumblebeeee]

Hi! Took a week off and I realized some things about myself and I'd like to go by Liam sometimes. I've realized I'm genderfluid, and on some days I'd like to be Liam, not Layla. Thanks, I love you, part 6 of Moonlight will be up tomorrow :]

Ps anyone have any at home binding tips? I could really use them ♡

[angel-of-the-moons]

A Rose Under The Moon

Moon Knight System (Marc/Steven/Jake) x Fem!Reader

TW/CW: None mostly. Goldfish slander, some minor injuries resulting from clumsiness, mentions of events from the show. Layla is here! We stan a healthy, happy divorced couple in this house >=\

A/N: There will be multiple chapters like these in this series, mostly dialogue and filler to help facilitate plot.

Taglist: @shirukitsune @my-secret-shame-but-fanfiction @bad4amficideas

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Chapter 4:

Old, Unhappy, Far-Off Things

"You guys can't keep doing this." Layla said over the phone.

"I know, I know." Marc sighed, running his hands through his hair. He haphazardly sprinkled some fish flakes into the tank to feed the ever chubby goldfish; looking at the glass to see Steven's reflection staring back at him, a frown creasing his features.

(Marc, you're going to make 'em pop!) Steven scolded.

"Well, how am I supposed to know how much to feed three goldfish?" Marc groaned.

"Steven told you the fish were gonna explode, eh?" Layla laughed softly.

"Yeah. Almost exactly that. I swear, I've never met a man who needs an emotional support fish." He replied, holding the phone between his shoulder and ear, screwing the lid back onto the tiny container of nasty-smelling flakes.

(How dare you! Gus and his friends are members of this family! You're going to hurt their feelings!) Steven said, absolutely aghast at Marc's summary of how the little aquatic creatures fit into their lives.

(The other two don't even have names yet, hermanito.) Jake finally piped in, coming to co-front to see what all the fuss was about.

"But seriously, Marc. You have to take it easy. Just tell Khonshu to shove off and ignore his bony ass for a few days!" Layla sighed. Though they weren't married or intimate anymore, Layla still cared deeply for "her boys"; even Jake, to a point. Even if she didn't fully trust him, he was a part of Marc and Steven. Part of their system. She knew Jake was the protector. She knew that he was only violent when he absolutely had to be.

Or when Khonshu sent him after fresh targets. She still didn't like that.

"You think I haven't tried that?" Marc flopped onto the sofa, his hand resting over his face as he sighed.

"He's a god, Layla. It's not so easy to just say no."

"Taweret doesn't seem to have a problem with boundaries." She pointed out.

"Because Taweret is a big softie, Layla. She literally mothers you." Marc retorted with a grunt.

"Well… she is the goddess of motherhood. One of them, anyway." Layla conceded.

"And Khonshu is the god of being a tall, harping asshole who refuses to let me rest." Marc leaned back, closing his eyes as the leather on the sofa softly groaned under his weight.

"You think we like working for him, still? We don't. We need the suit, and people need to be kept safe..."

"Have you considered just… giving it all up? Telling Khonshu you're done? Just hang up the cape?" Layla hummed.

Marc could feel Steven and Jake fade into the background of the headspace, leaving him alone to his conversation with Layla, not enjoying the current topic at all. And it would be smarter to prevent a possible argument between Jake and Marc, right now. They had enough headaches.

"I already tried that, remember? Khonshu just used Jake before we knew he was here and had him kill Harrow."

"Right…"

"And besides…" Marc said, conspiratorially. "...I think he already has his sights set on another person to be a Moon Knight. And I don't know who it is, but I know he's going to hold it over my head. Steven, Jake and I would rather be dead than let some poor, innocent person see the shit we have."

"Shit."

"Yeah."

"Okay… You obviously need a mental health break. Anyplace in particular you can go to get away from everything?"

"Well… there is one place. A little shop Steven found that's nearby." Marc replied.

"Is it a bookstore?" Layla laughed.

"Yeah. Yeah, it is." Marc chuckled. "Some woman runs it. American, if you can believe that. Apparently the store was her aunt's or something and she inherited it from her when she died. Steven's built a bit of a rapport with her. Me too. Kinda. She also sells stuff like coffee, tea, snacks… kind of like a one-person cafe."

"She runs it alone?"

"Yeah, impressive actually. But, it's not always safe, I saw that the other day." Marc nodeed.

"Oh? What happened?" Layla asked, wholly invested now. They had a friend? She likely didn't know about their DID, but Marc, and by that extension Steven, and possibly Jake having friends was a win in Layla's book.

"Some abusive drunk ran in after his girlfriend. Apparently she hid his girlfriend in her flat upstairs when she came in covered with bruises and freaking out." Marc said, smiling a bit at remembering your tenacity and urge to protect somebody you didn't even know. Even Jake respected you after that. And Jake respects very few people.

But it proves you were a protector, like he was. Not to the same extent, but close.

"Sounds like a good person."

"She seems like one. I just hope she doesn't get herself into trouble with anymore–ah!" Marc hissed, dropping the phone and waving his hand in the air as pain whipped through his fingertips.

"Shit!" He cursed, picking up the phone again with his other hand. He glared at the red marks appearing in his palm.

"Marc? Are you okay? What happened?" Layla asked, her voice just a hair above worried.

"Yeah, just my fucking hands again. Last week it was my shins." He grunted.

"So either you're getting old," Layla teased. "Or a certain someone hurt themselves again."

"Yeah, just wish they'd quit it. It's really inconvenient."

"That's a bit hypocritical, don't you think?"

"What?" Marc asked, his brow furrowing as he watched the burning red marks blossom on his skin. Pretty, almost, if you were into that sort of messed-up body art.

"Marc, please don't tell me you haven't considered that every time you got hurt, your soulmate felt those pains, too?" Layla deadpanned with a sigh, most likely pinching the bridge of her nose. He could picture it now. She was probably pacing in the kitchen of her flat in Cairo; the sun illuminating her figure, making her curls glow in an amber light, highlighting her jaw as she frowned.

But the thought she triggered in his mind sent a stone dropping into his gullet. Had he really not considered that? He thought that maybe, being Moon Knight would… would dull the pains, or maybe negate them entirely. Or… was he just stupid and didn't put them into consideration?

If they can feel his pain, and he can feel theirs... what about when he…

But sometimes it felt redundant to think about and worry for someone he never met, but at the same time…

"Fuck." Marc hissed, wiping at his face.

"Oh, my gods! You haven't been careful at all have you?" Layla gasped.

"I…"

"Marc! You and the other two need to get it together and take it easy. You think you don't understand things? Imagine how your soulmate feels. They're probably going about their normal daily routines and feel it when you get shot! Oh gods, what about when we were in Egypt and you got impaled?" Layla murmured. "Gods, I almost forgot about… what about when you died? I don't even want to imagine what they felt."

Marc dropped back into the cushions staring blankly at the ceiling. She voiced the very thing he himself was hesitant to mention.

"I… I forgot about that, too." Marc said, his voice almost flat.

"I imagine they must have been confused when their mark reappeared."

"Fuck…" Marc groaned, feeling exhaustion suddenly creep into his body. But then, he jerked, gripping the back of his head. "Damn it!"

"Another pain?" Layla mused.

"God–yeah. Right in the back of my head." Marc grunted.

"Yikes. Your soulmate must not be having a good day." Layla chuckled.

"Whoever they are, they're accident-prone as all hell!" He grumbled, pouting as he rubbed the fresh sore spot.

"Pot callin' kettle, Maaaarc." Layla sang softly over the phone.

"Yeah, yeah. You sound like Steven."

"Good."

"Ugh, please don't say that." Marc said, a smirk cracking his mask of discomfort. "He's already nagging me."

"Okay, okay…" Layla quieted for a moment. "Hey, Marc?"

"Yeah?"

"I might take a trip to London. Maybe if I'm there, Taweret and I can run interference for you to give you a break." Layla suggested.

"Layla… You don't–"

"Already looking at plane tickets." She interrupted.

"Of course you are." Marc smiled. That was one of the things he loved about Layla when they first met. He was drawn to her. Her snark, her determination…

"Yeah. I'll pack a bag and hop the flight that leaves in a few hours."

"Wow, okay." Marc said, his eyes widening. "You're serious about this?"

"Who else is going to babysit you three and get Khonshu off your back if me and the Hippo Mama don't?" Layla jabbed playfully.

"Oh my god, you do not call her that." Marc snorted, shaking his head.

"She thinks it's a cute nickname. And she agrees with my plan, so…"

"Oh great. You two gonna just harp me and remind me to take my vitamins, too?"

"I mean, if we have to…"

"Ugh. You're impossible."

"But that's why everyone loves me!" Layla laughed.

"Sure, sure. And Layla?" Marc asked, looking at the mark on his wrist, a soft fond look in his eyes. It was blooming today, the rose.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"No problem, Marc. Go hang at that bookstore and get a coffee or something, yeah?"

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You hurried up the stairs and rushed to your oven, frantically cursing with each step as you hauled yourself up the stairs and into your flat.

You practically ripped the oven door open, coughing as smoke filled your nostrils as the burned pastries greeted you.

"Damn it!" You whine, slipping your oven mitt on and grabbing the small pan with one hand.

Your phone started ringing and you spun on your heels to glare at the offending object secured to the wall.

"Oh, shut up, you–"

You felt the pan tip when you turned, the blackened treats threatening to fall to the floor, and without thinking you reached out with you other, unprotected hand and gripped it, before making a sharp yelp and throwing the pan onto the counter with a loud bang, blowing air over your burning and blistering hand.

"Shit, shit, shit!" You hiss, turning to your sink and hitting the tap for some cold water. The stinging subsided, if only minutely.

The phone rang incessantly again.

You dropped your shoulders and rolled your eyes with a groan, and pulled away from the soothing coldness of your tap.

But, of course, as your natural "luck" would have it… You trailed water onto your floor, and slipped into it, cracking the back of your head on the tile. Not hard enough to knock you out, no, but it was just enough to hurt, and leave a rather nasty bump.

So. There you lay, flat on your back, water still flushing into the drain of your sink, smoke detector now going off, and your house telephone ringing impertinently.

"I didn't do anything! Why're you guys always giving me the short end of the stick?" You shout at nothing in particular; maybe whatever gods could hear your lamentations and rueful words.

For extra effect, you flipped the bird with your uninjured hand.

Yeah.

Fate was a funny thing, all right.

Chapter 5: Link

[smolwritingchick]

Smol Brainstorm: The Tattoo Artist

Author's Note: Smol brainstorm with some smol angst regarding Jungkook and the tattoo artist scandal. Not sure if I will keep it but I was playing around. Jen would be on facetime with Amity about it.

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Jennie sighed loudly as her name was getting dragged into the big mess that was occurring with her boyfriend. She was getting sick of social media these days. One day she was going to never come back. She felt it coming. You can't do anything without someone speculating something. Social media was going crazy over the fact that Jungkook was seen with some tattoo artist and leaked photos of him hugging her.

The public was already speaking out on their opinions:

'Here we go...men embarrassing black women once again. Jennie, I am so sorry...'

'Jennie, it's time to leave him because wtf is this?'

'Is JenKook about to be no more!? Love ain't real!'

'Jennie is about to beat both of their asses!'

'Y'all are blowing this way out of proportion...he isn't cheating.'

'Omg Army Twitter is so annoying. That man is crazy about Jennie. There is no way he'd cheat,'

'Y'all did this with Jennie and now it's Jungkook's turn? Leave them both alone! They are not cheating on one another!'

'I need Jennie to speak up about this. What is her reaction?'

'Y'all are so damn toxic.'

'I stan BTS because of their music. Not what they do in their personal lives.'

'Remember when Jennie took a long social media break because of your toxicness regarding her relationship with Kook? I don't blame her if she deactivates again,'

On a group Facetime call with Angelina, Layla, Trinity, and Hailey, Jennie explained the situation.

"Did he call or text yet?" Trinity asked.

"Nothing," Jennie answered.

"What? Maybe you should break up with him,"

Jennie frowned at that. "That's a bit extreme, don't you think? It's a misunderstanding. You know how the media twists shit,"

"I dunno, I have to agree. Because why would he have his arms around her like that?" Layla added.

"Men be hugging me like that sometimes," she countered while Layla and Trinity were still skeptical.

"You should trust him," Hailey brought up. 

"Hell froze over because I agree with Miss Snob over here," Angelina replied. 

"I'm glad you and I agree on something, bitch," Hailey chuckled with Angelina.

"Really? You guys are fine with him hugging up with some girl?" Layla asked.

"It looked like a friendly hug," Angelina replied. "I hug people like that and so do others with me,"

"It didn't look friendly to me," Trinity said.

The discussion was beginning to overwhelm Jennie as she listened to them go back and forth.

"Jen, talk to him," Angelina said. "Whenever he sees you, you two need to have a long discussion,"

"Yeah, I personally don't think he would cheat on you. This gotta be a misunderstanding," Hailey added.

"Jen, are you really fine with this?" Layla asked.

"I hug my guy friends, I don't think it was that big of a deal," Jennie answered.

"I dunno, you're not mad enough for me. I'd be pissed," Trinity frowned.

"Is this why your relationships failed?" Hailey called out.

"Wow, that was low," Trinity replied to her.

"Because you have no trust in anyone. The smallest shit happens and you get insecure,"

Trinity rolled her eyes. Hailey had hit a nerve and she was right about it.

"Just because you feel this way doesn't mean she has to. Her relationship with Jungkook has been built on trust. This is just a misunderstanding and social media is blowing it out of proportion," Hailey went on.

"Wow, Hailey is making sense and using her brain. How about that," Angelina praised.

Once Layla, Trinty, and Angelina left the call, Hailey stayed on.

"You alright?" she asked as she watched Jennie sigh and run a hand over her hair.

"Yeah...I just...I just want to talk to him face to face. But I'm in New York while he's in Korea,"

"Do you trust him?"

"With all my heart,"

"Do you love him?"

"With all my heart, yes,"

"Then keep trusting in him. Keep loving him. You two will get through this. Talk with him when you get a chance so you two can clear this up. And do not retaliate online. Don't be like me. Don't be like how I was when I lashed out on social media. Handle this privately. This is nobody's business but you and your boyfriend's.

Before Jennie could reply, she heard a series of knocks on her hotel room door.

"Okay. Thank you. I gotta go. I'll keep you updated,"

"You better. See you, JW," she smiled softly and hung up.

Getting off her bed, she opened the door and was surprised to see Jungkook standing there.

"K-Kook," she said in surprise.

"Hey, I'm sorry I didn't answer, I was on a flight straight to you. Can we talk?"

[amatres]

TV Tropes : Layla

Hello everyone. Sometimes you have little hobbies that are silly and self indulgent but you don't care bc you think they're fun. That being said. Look at Layla's fake TV Trope page under read more for length.

Spoiler warning as well, as there is no actual censor bar to be had.

“A new day means a new chance for something interesting to happen!” Name: Layla Race: Dhampir (Moroi-Heritage) Class: Bard (Dirge Bard) Alignment: Chaotic Good (*could alignment shift to Chaotic Neutral in companion au*) Deity: Desna

Once a noblewoman of Brevoy, Layla is now a wandering bard. After five years of being on the run, she fled to the Worldwound in a desperate bid to deter the pursuit of her cousin and the mercenaries he’d send to capture or kill her, only to be drawn into the Fifth Crusade by being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Tv Tropes:

 -All the Other Reindeer: Was ostracized for being a dhampir and then also for her uncertain noble lineage once her grandfather took her in.

 -Animal Motifs: Like any true azata mythic path knight commander and desnan, she is often associated with butterflies.

 -The Bard

 -Barefoot Poverty: She is often depicted as barefoot, and at the start of Wrath of the Righteous, she had them stolen by the person who was helping her get into the city, alongside her cloak and violin. (*Or that is what her mind makes her believe after being captured by Areelu*). While joked she just keeps losing them, the fact she can not easily replace them is still something to take note of.

 -Beware the Nice Ones/Beware the Silly Ones: While genuinely a rather kind and cheerful person who will help others simply because she can, she is not one to be pushed around. When she feels backed into a corner she can become venomous and destructive, as both her cousin Arthur and Queen Galfrey find out. 

 -Beautiful Singing Voice: While she primarily plays her violin, she is also trained in singing and is rather good at it, at least to the point she could still make money performing with singing and dancing alone.

 -Big Screwed-Up Family: It doesn’t get more dysfunctional than being the Replacement Goldfish for her grandfather and the Abel to her cousin’s Cain because said grandfather liked her more. Not to mention what started the problems to begin a generation earlier, with their parents' fight and their father’s reaction to it being the catalyst to everything.

 -Blue Blood: Apparently is the long lost grandchild to a brevic nobleman, though whether this is true or not was hotly debated the entire time she lived with the noble title.

 -Bookworm: With not much else to do as a noblewoman with no friends, Layla developed a strong love for books of all kinds. She bonds with others over it, and happily shares her love of it and what she’s read with others, such as Lann or Nenio.

 -Broken Bird: Subverted. The five years she spent on the run actually gave her the chance to refind herself after spending years under the stress of brevic court and her family drama, and she’s come out of it with a strong sense of self and love for life. (*however this can play out in earnest if the knight commander pushes her onto the chaotic route, causing her to have a breakdown and become self centered, self destructive, and callous*)

 -Burn Baby Burn: A go to tactic for her when she finally has had enough. Most famously, she set her own home of around twenty years aflame to spite her cousin. She will do the same in her chaotic endings in the companion au.

 -Cain and Abel: A less direct example, as he is her cousin not her brother, but Arthur continues to try to kill her to appease his own wounded ego and childhood trauma even after five years has passed. In her own world, he fails as he (*is killed by Areelu*) while he may actually succed in some companion au endings.

 -The Chains of Command: Being in charge of the fifth crusade is not good for her ultimately, and she never wanted to be in charge in the first place. Act three really puts it into light as she starts to act out of character and become more bitter as she’s forced to act against her nature.

 -Chaotic Good: Her In-Universe Alignment. She is a free spirited young woman, who values freedom of expression and anatomy above near all else, and is also rather kind and willing to lend an ear to those who need it, and will help people expecting nothing in return, even when it goes against what others tell her to do and potentially putting herself in trouble as a result.

 -Combat Pragmatic: Layla may not seek out fights on her own, but when she is in one, she will do whatever she deems necessary to get out of them alive. 

 -Cold Blooded Torture: Victim of this if captured by her cousin in act 3 as a companion. In one route, by the time she is rescued she has been rendered unable to walk and has to be helped by someone else to leave the prison. Even though she eventually is able to walk again some time after the fifth crusade ends, the experience understandably leaves scars no matter how she escapes the situation.

 -Corrupt the Cutie: Her chaotic route in her companion au is brought upon by encouraging her worst instincts and making her believe she only has herself to rely on. 

 -Dark and Troubled Past: While not as extreme as others, it’s not without its troubles. Coming into life with her mother dying in childbirth, being a social outcast at the orphanage that took her in solely out of fear of angering the vampire who possibly sired her, to thinking she finally got a chance at a better life only to become a social outcast in Brevic nobility due to her debated familial ties, then slowly backed into a corner by her own cousin as she was framed for slowly killing the only family member she had on her side, and having said family member in response to confine her to the manor in response out of fear for safety. This all leads to her saying enough is enough, and once her grandfather is dead, she destroys the very place she lived for over 20 years and leaves.

-Defiant Captive: If she is captured by her cousin, she spends months not breaking under torture, mocks her cousin all the while, and even attempted to run away once, though that was punished swiftly once she was recaptured. If the knight commander takes too long to rescue her after entering Act 5, it leads to…

 -Defiant to the End: She refuses to give up, even when things have become hopeless, such as when she first confronts Minagho at the Wardstone. Another example that does fulfill the death requirement is in one of her bad ends of her companion au where she never gives her cousin the satisfaction of seeing her break over the months he has her in captivity, eventually leading to him killing her.

 -Delicate and Sickly: Her albinism has not just left an obvious visual mark on her, but also affected her health, giving her life long health struggles and she has a very low constitution score fitting for what is expected of her heritage. (*This is possibly a side effect of Areelu’s experiments on her both when she was younger and later when she was captured near the Worldwound. While the foreign power in her body is making her stronger, it also eats away at her health*) Even as a companion, she mentions offhandedly about having been sick often as a kid, and other companions will remark on her poor health with varying levels of care on the matter. Layla is unbothered by her penchant for falling ill, and makes light of it due to how used to it she has become.

 -Destroy the Abusive Home/Let the Past Burn: While her grandfather himself wasn't horribly abusive, his manor ultimately was a place of strife for her. In a moment of not only grief, but anger, she set the manor ablaze so that her cousin couldn't have it even after she was gone. She also treated this partially as a way of saying goodbye to that part of her life, unfortunately that part of her life isn’t willing to let her leave that easily.

 -Dhampyr: Born as one, though no one knows who her vampiric sire is.

 -Die Laughing: In one of her bad ends, she laughs in her cousins face even after months of torture and he finally snaps, killing her.

 -Disappeared Dad: She has no idea who her father is, nor does anyone else. She is unbothered by this, saying he is either dead, or a deadbeat, and either way it’s of no concern to her in the end.

 -Elegant Classical Musician

 -Elemental Eye Color: Her eyes are a vibrant red, and she’s associated with fire due to her dramatic method of cutting ties.

 -Elopement: She marries Lann without any fanfare or warning to anyone else. Unlike most examples of this trope, it was simply because the two got carried away.

 -Ethical Slut: Has no problem with casual sex, and is open about it, while insisting that all parties involved are enthusiastic and that others don’t get hurt. If in a companion AU, she is happy to enter a casual sexual relationship with the Knight Commander but she will not accept being chosen over a different companion in the jealousy scene, and will leave saying she wasn’t aware of how serious things were and hadn’t meant to hurt anyone.

 -Friendless Background: Goes from an orphanage where everyone avoided her because of her unnatural heritage, to living in an estate where everyone avoided her because of the rumors surrounding her and out of fear of angering her very powerful guardian. She never had much chance to make friends until she was already an adult and living on the run.

 -Gentlewoman Snarker: While usually a Nice Girl, when she doesn’t like someone she is much more willing to mess with their heads and hurt their ego, and definitely has the wit to cut deep.

 -Good Bad Girl: A person who many find easy to like, and is also open and unashamed about her promiscuity.

 -Guile Hero: As someone who is not very physically strong, she relies on her wits and charm to get out of most of her troubles. For example, she has a habit of turning her enemies against each other so she can escape when they aren’t looking.

 -Half Human Hybrid: Her mother was unquestionably human, whoever she truly was, but her father is unknown and speculated to have been a vampire. 

 -The Hyena: She is often laughing, and can find reason to laugh at almost anything.

 -Impossibly-Low Neckline: Her dress perhaps is on the more unrealistic side and it's a wonder it stays on like it does.

 -Just Friends: With Daeran, both as the knight commander and as a companion. In her own universe, she is oblivious to his developing feelings and turns him down when he attempts to turn things serious, while in a companion au the two start a Friends With Benefits arrangement but eventually end it, deciding to consider each other simply friends.

 -Lonely Rich Kid: Her childhood in her grandfather's estate, as no one was willing to brave befriending her due to her grandfather's protective attitude and the rumors surrounding her.

 -Magic Music: Comes with being a bard.

 -Meaningful Name: Her name means ‘night’, a rather on the nose name for a dhampir. 

 -Mood-Swinger: While often cheerful, it catches many off guard when her mood changes at the drop of a hat. Any emotion she has will often be immediately obvious, and sudden, there and then gone with the change of the wind.

 -Mystical White Hair: Not caused by magic itself, instead coming from the much more mundane reason of albinism.

 -Never Found the Body: Some of her chaotic alignment endings invoke this, even inspiring in universe speculative literature and art on what became of her.

 -Nice Girl: A kind person who many find easy to get along with and find something about her to like. She approaches most people with a friendly demeanor and open mind, and is willing to accept most people despite how different they are from her, though not to the point of letting people take advantage of her.

 -Noble Fugitive: Was once a noblewoman of a decently respected noble house of Brevoy, but has had to live on the run for the past five years after her cousin framed her for murdering her grandfather and she set the manor he wanted so badly on fire in retaliation.

 -Parental Abandonment: Her mother couldn't really help dying in childbirth, but her father is out there and no one knows who he is, let alone if he is alive or not.

 -Plucky Girl: Both stubborn and optimistic in equal measure.

 -The Pollyanna: Despite all the hardships life has dealt her, she holds onto her optimism and does her best to see the best of life, as well as to share that with others. (*unless the Knight Commander pushes her to her breaking point*)

 -Polyamory: Is open to this if her partner wishes to, and as a companion she offers it as a solution to the jealousy scene, though none of them really go through with it.

 -Pretty Butterflies: When she starts to show signs of her azata mythic path, she is surrounded by butterflies that follow her wherever she goes.

 -Prone to Sunburn: Unfortunate result of albinism.

 -Put the “Laughter” in “Slaughter”: In the companion au, if the knight commander pushes her into her chaotic path she laughs all while killing her cousin and all his men, with or without the knight commander’s help.

 -Raised by Grandparents: Raised by her grandfather after she spent her first few years in a Taldan orphanage.

 -Rags to Riches: Went from being an isolated child in an orphanage to a rich noblewoman loved by her grandfather. It wasn’t to last.

 -Red Eyes, Take Warning: Unlike the rest of her outward appearance, Layla’s eyes are something that does mark her as more dangerous than simply a human woman with albinism, giving her away as a dhampir. While she doesn’t mean most people harm, it’s not uncommon for others to get unnerved when they notice her eyes and realize what they mean.

 -The Redeemer: Has a habit of getting into evil characters’ heads enough to make them begin to question themselves and ultimately change. Makes her act 3 near breakdown under the weight of power all the more noticeable when she does the opposite for her companion for months Camellia, and the obviously deeply mentally ill, survival focused Wenduag. Despite this habit of hers, she won’t refuse to fight someone who tries to manipulate her to get away with their evil deeds.

 -Replacement Goldfish: Was this to her grandfather, who used her as a second chance at raising his daughter. In his final months, he would call Layla by her name instead and would talk to her as if she was his long lost daughter. (*Areelu attempted to do a more twisted version of this to her as well*)

 -Riches to Rags: Goes from being a well off Brevoy noblewoman to a shoeless traveling bard, not that she seems to mind.

 -The Runaway/Forced From Their Home: While she ultimately falls into the former, she only started her life on the run due to her cousin trying to impose the latter, if not fully intending to have her killed instead.

 -Quirky Curls: Is a cheerful girl, and has long, curly hair that she often lets flow free.

 -Oblivious to Love: Unfortunately it takes a bit for her to realize someone has feelings for her and not simply flirting with her for fun. Those who try the hardest, with more elaborate and showy displays of affection, are only making it less likely she’ll catch on until it’s too late and someone gets hurt.

 -Odd Friendship: Friendship is stretching it very far, but Layla holds a rather decent amount of respect for Regill despite how different their world views are, due to how true he is to his convictions. That won’t stop her from jokingly flirting with him because she thinks it’s amusing or stating her own views however.

 -Of Corsets Sexy: One of the few articles of clothing she wears is a corset.

 -Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right: She will often go off on her own to do what she feels is right, not caring who it upsets.

 -Sex for Services: Admits to having done this once or twice as a way to get into a city, or have someone help her out. She claims she isn't bothered by this, and says if she had ever felt she was in danger she could have easily torn out the person's throat with her teeth.

 -Single Woman Seeks Good Man: The gender doesn’t matter to her, but it’s not the obvious flirtations or showings of power that catch her attention, but earnesty. She simply wants someone who accepts her as she is.

 -Smarter Than You Look: Is a lot more well read, a better judge of character, and much more introspective than most people would probably give her credit for right off the bat.

 -Street Musician: How she makes a living.

 -Success as Revenge: Well more simply moving on with her life as revenge. She has no interest in getting any revenge against her cousin after burning down the family manor, and even tells him to his face he is wasting his life by pursuing her when he could instead be making a respectful name for himself back in Brevoy if he just did the same.

 -The Tease: She finds it fun to flirt with people, and will do it with or without romantic or sexual intention. Some she even flirts with because she thinks their rejection of it is funny, though she tries to remain mindful of people’s boundaries and won’t flirt with certain characters like Sosiel or Arueshalae out of respect. 

 -Tragic Keepsake: Her violin, as it was the only gift her grandfather gave her that she has left now that the rest of them are reduced to ashes.

 -True Blue Femininity: Very feminine and is often dressed in a light blue dress.

 -Turn to Religion: She became a worshiper of Desna only after she left her old life behind.

 -Unkempt Beauty: She doesn’t put in much effort into her appearance, mostly because she can’t, but is still rather pretty.

 -Walking the Earth: While she might not have chosen to leave when she did, Layla is happy to live on the road, and returns to it once the 5th crusade comes to an end.

 -Wandering Minstrel

 -What the Hell Hero: In the companion au, Layla will leave the party for a handful of actions, one being causing Arueshalae to fall. (*at least as long as the commander hasn’t also triggered her own chaotic path*)

[rainbowfic]

Today's prompt list is: Avocado

Theme: Music 1. The full moon is calling / The fever is high / And the wicked wind whispers / And moans - The Eagles: One Of These Nights

2. And it's whispered that soon, if we all call the tune / Then the piper will lead us to reason / And a new day will dawn for those who stand long / And the forests will echo with laughter - Stairway to Heaven: Led Zeppelin

3. All the people we used to know / They're an illusion to me now / Some are mathematicians / Some are carpenter's wives / Don't know how it all got started - Bob Dylan: Tangled Up In Blue

4. There's room at the top they are telling you still / But first you must learn how to smile as you kill / If you want to be like the folks on the hill - John Lennon: Working Class Hero

5. Heard the singers playin', how we cheered for more / The crowd had rushed together tryin' to keep warm / Still the rain kept pourin', fallin' on my ears / And I wonder, still I wonder who'll stop the rain - Creedence Clearwater Revival: Who'll Stop The Rain

6. The exodus is here / The happy ones are near / Let's get together / Before we get much older - The Who: Baba O'Riley

7. Keep me in a daydream / keep me goin' strong / You don't wanna save me / sad is my song - Stevie Wonder: Superstition

8. But oh how it feels so real / Lying here with no one near / Only you and you can hear me / When I say softly, slowly - Elton John: Tiny Dancer

9. What'll you do when you get lonely / And nobody's waiting by your side? / You've been running and hiding much too long / You know it's just your foolish pride - Derek and the Dominos: Layla

10. Now she walks / through her sunken dream / To the seat with the clearest view / And she's hooked to the silver screen / But the film is a saddening bore / For she's lived it ten times or more / She could spit in the eyes of fools - David Bowie: Life On Mars

11. Then the door was open and the wind appeared / The candles blew then disappeared The curtains flew then he appeared / saying don't be afraid /Come on baby... and she had no fear - Blue Oyster Cult: (Don't Fear) The Reaper

12. Seeing her skin feeling silky smooth / Colour of cafe au lait / Made the savage beast inside / Roaring till it cried More, More, More / Now he's at home doing 9 to 5 /Living his brave life of lies - Patti Labelle: Lady Marmalade

13. This city desert makes you feel so cold / It's got so many people but it's got no soul / And it's taken you so long to find out you were wrong / When you thought it held everything - Gerry Rafferty: Baker Street

14. Now here I go again, I see the crystal visions / I keep my visions to myself / It's only me / Who wants to wrap around your dreams and... /Have you any dreams you'd like to sell? - Fleetwood Mac: Dreams

15. Too hot, too greedy / How could you leave me / When I needed to possess you? / I hated you. I loved you, too. - Kate Bush: Wuthering Heights

16. There is no pain, you are receding /A distant ship smoke on the horizon / You are only coming through in waves / Your lips move but I can't hear what you're saying - Pink Floyd: Comfortably Numb

17. Love is an angel disguised as lust / Here in our bed until the morning comes / Come on now try and understand / The way I feel under your command - Pattie Smith: Because the Night

18. But there are times that you feel you're part of the scenery / All the greenery is comin' down, boy / And then your wife seems to think you're part of the / furniture oh, it's peculiar, she used to be so nice - Supertramp: Take The Long Way Home

19. But what a fool believes he sees / No wise man has the power to reason away/ What seems to be / Is always better than nothing - The Doobie Brothers: What A Fool Believes

20. You see I've been through the desert on a horse with no name / It felt good to be out of the rain / In the desert you can remember your name / 'Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain - America: Horse With No Name

--

RainbowFic is an original fiction (and more) community on Dreamwidth. The pinned post has more information.

[serenelia]

ʀᴇꜱᴇᴀʀᴄʜɪɴɢ ʙᴜᴅᴅɪᴇꜱ- ʟᴀʏʟᴀ

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Have some Layla brainrot (a.k.a. I was bored and wrote a fanfic), I love her so much I wish she appeared more in genshin events.

Warnings: a bit ooc both on the character (I tried my best to make it in character as much as possible) and reader ((obviously)). possibly canonically, ergonomically, geometry, mathematically, incorrect. And fluff... I think that's it.

And finally, character/letter count: 7754

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(name) had just got assigned a reasearch topic, being a student from the Rtawahist Darshan, naturally, the topic was about Astrology. The catch is that along with the research, they also get assigned a partner so they wouldn't have to suffer as much.

Of course, it all depends entirely on whom you're doing your paper with.

In (name)'s case, it.. doesn't seem to bad. It could be worse. After all, Layla looks capable enough. Being a top student after all and always getting work done before the deadline.

Walking towards her as she was packing her things, "hello, you're Layla, right?" (Name) greets her with a small smile.

Seemingly caught off guard, the blue haired girl flinches before slowly turning her head to glance at them.

Both of them were quiet.. so quiet that (name) stifly smiles and were about to add something else but she suddenly replies back, "ah! Hi, yes, I am. You're.. (name), right? My partner for the research..." She says, her voice lowering into a whisper as she goes on, as if she wasn't sure herself.

Not minding it much, figuring she must be quite awkward since she usually stays to herself- not to be offensive in any way, (name) themselves can relate to her a lot in fact, (name) nods and stood in front of her desk. "Yeah, I want to talk about that actually, uhm, but do you.. want to talk about it now or would you prefer we talk about it another time?"

They wouldn't want to intrude in her time after all, the deadline wasn't too strict so a couple more days were doable.

surprisingly, Layla shakes her head, "n-no we can talk about it now.. so we can finish it much more earlier." She replies, still awkward.

..is it just me or does she looks forced? (Name) thinks.e

After (name) stayed silent for a few seconds, it seems Layla thought she said something wrong and visibly hesitates, her eyes waver while her lips quiver as she bites it.

She gulps nervously before adding, "only if you're available of course! I understand if you're too busy because I am too.. I just wanted to get it done sooner since I.. I mean, we have a lot to do..." Again, her voice lowers in terms of volume as she spoke.

Realising this, (name) clears their throat and scratches the back of their head, "Oh, uhm.. don't worry, I'm available too so we can talk about it now." They awkwardly say, feeling slightly guilty for making her fidget like that.

(Name) quickly adds, "How about you? If you're too busy, it's fine. You don't have to force yourself," noting how stiff and tired she looks.

..though she had always looked tired.

Layla shakes her head, "oh, yes, I'm sure. I appreciate your concern but I'm not.. forcing myself." She clarifies, "people always think I am but that's just.. how I look.."

ah, other people have probably said that, huh?

(Name) cringes interally at themselves but quickly shakes it off, nodding their head in understanding.

Taking a seat on the empty one beside her, they place the items they were carrying on the table before turning to face her properly with a friendly smile. "Alright then, so, what do you think could be our topic?"

<–—–—–—–>>

After discussing a bit about the topic, both (name) and Layla agreed to go to the House of Daena to do some researching.. that is, until (name) groans as they bury their head on the book they were reading.

The topic was simple enough, really. But looks like (Name)'s head is having a factory reset and can't comprehend anything out of it.

Layla takes notice and peeks at them through her own book. she's doing way more progress than them, judging by the amount of notes she made and stacked just beside the other books she had read.

Not wanting to let them have a hard time, or she simply did it out of her good heart, she places her book down and taps the one they were holding to get their attention.

(Name) hums as they raise their head, their hair slightly disheveled, "yeah? What is it?"

Placing a finger on top of the book, she gently lowers it onto the table. Earning a confused look from (Name), "why, what's up?" They ask again, looking at her with a raised brow.

Layla hesitates, "Uhm, that book isn't.. related to the topic we discussed actually.." she sheepishly replies, her guilt of staying quiet for a while catching up.

...

"What?"

"..that book isn't connected to the.. orbit of the stars."

"...oh."

"Yeah.."

...

"W-why didn't you say it sooner?" (Name) stutters, a pinkish hue forming on their cheeks, now extremely embarrassed.

They close the book and turn it to look at the cover while Layla fumbles with her words, trying to think of a reasonable answer other than she was scared to point it out.

Fearing they would only be annoyed or even angry if she did pointed out, she hesitated a lot even just thinking about it. And now, she's mentally preparing herself for (Name)'s outburst. Knowing they would be extremely angry and shout at her or bang the table loudly like the other researchers she's been with.

So, she gulps and tries to come up with a.. plausible enough reason. "I'm sorry! I had thought you wouldn't like it if I did.." she... Wait, no! That wasn't what she was supposed to say!

It was supposed to be.. agh, nevermind. The words have been said, now all that's left is for (Name) to be frustrated at her.

(Name) then sighs and shrugs, "Oh, well, it's alright."

Layla blinks.

"but you really should have told me earlier.. I've been reading this for an hour!" They whine, covering their face with a hand, the blush still present on their cheeks.

She really had to take a minute to process what they said.

And how come they look.. kind of cute..

Her mouth is shut, not responding, taken aback by their nonchalant response and stunned by their cute appearance all of a sudden.

(Name) doesn't seem to mind and instead of demanding for answers, inhales sharply, placing the book they read earlier faraway from them. Sliding it across the table and landing on the other side.

That caught Layla's attention and she quickly snaps out of it, shaking and lowering her head.

With an almost shaky voice, all she could say was: "...S-sorry," while averting their gaze, feeling embarrassed as well.

(Name) chuckles, raking a hand through their hair as a force of habit, trying to look somewhat cool again despite the embarrassing act earlier, "well, I'll.. just read something else then, hopefully it'll be on topic this time." They mumble, turning away to stand up and look for another book to read.

Layla turns her head to look at them and swiftly grabs their wrist to stop them from walking away as they stand up.

Startled, (Name) freezes, pausing their action of standing up, their knees are bended from an awkward position. It already began to ache so they stood upright and Layla's grip on them tightens.

They both stay silent. it's almost mandatory at this point as it happened more than three times for the past hour, but this time, unlike the previous ones, it's as if something is lingering in the air.

...now where had that come from, anyway?

(Name) had noticed but couldn't describe it.

Perhaps it is tension?

Tension from what, Unanswered questions?

procrastinating on an essay?

Maybe something else.

Or maybe they're being delusional and is just imagining it.

But from the way Layla seemed to look bashful, unsure on what to do next while she stares at them with a slightly flushed face, maybe they aren't.

As (Name) was about to speak, Layla suddenly lets go of their hand and yanks her own back. Holding it close to her chest, she glances at them shyly, "u-uhm.. there's.. I have some books I haven't sorted out, you.. you could read those instead." Layla spoke in a whisper.

"Oh.." (Name) breaths, "I see, I'll.. see to it then!" They reply, feeling a bit bashful themselves as they took a seat once again.

Layla nods and doesn't say anything else, staring at her hand silently, the blush still present.

(Name) looks between the stack of books and her, debating whether to ask her to lend it over.

Since she still seems to be embarrassed, (Name) decides to get it themselves. Leaning over and reaching out a hand to it.

Layla was caught off guard, too engrossed in her own mind that she forgot why she even held them back in the first place, she watches them lean ever closer. And whats worse is that they used the arm further from her.

Which only made them tilt their head to her direction for it to reach out further, resulting in her almost fainting on the spot.

Their faces were close, and Layla couldn't help but notice how their eyelashes were quite long, plus their pretty eyes that shined brighter from the light bouncing off of it from the lamp nearby. As if them reading and talking about Astrology wasn't enough to make it ever more brilliant.

She held her breath while she stares and time seemed to do the same as the moment felt like forever. Them just staying there, close to each others faces with a faint blush on both of their cheeks.

After what feels like an eternity, (Name) finally leans back, a book in hand and a small smile on their face. "There, I'll finally be able to contribute something." They say proudly.

Layla releases the breath she was holding, feeling greatful and disappointed somehow. She murmurs, awkwardly, "Y-yeah.. goodluck, uhm, reading."

(Name) looks at her and grins slyly before turning their attention back on the book, opening it and searching through the contents.

Now that wasn't what Layla expected.

Does.. does that mean they did that on purpose!?

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Hopefully this isn't cringe, this my first time writing romancy stuff😭

[lyrakarma]

Welcome to the Lair!

Welcome one and all to the lair of Lady Karma! Whether someone's wronged you, or committed blasphemy against the gods, Lady Karma has your back!

Although...she can be a bitch at times.

Anyhow...before we go any further let's lay down some blog rules shall we?

1. No Fandom drama. I dont tolerate that crap. However if you wanna vent about Canon or whatever feel free to message me and I'll listen.

2. No political/social shit. The real world sucks, we can all agree on that. I'm on here for fun, not to be lectured.

3. This is mostly an OC blog but I'm more than willing to rp as the moon boys too if interested. My blog is is oc and Canon friendly. Respect others portrayal of Canon characters and OCs.

4. I don't tolerate any kind of intolerance on here, any -ism or -phobia isn't allowed. Kinda mad I still have to say it.

5. Please be patient. I'm trying to get back into RPing and I'm also living life. If I don't get back to a plot line right away I'm very sorry. My life is busy and I try to make time for everything.

6. I do have the right to turn down or not answer rp requests and asks. I will use it.

7. Don't be an asshole. If your characters only personality trait is being a jerk, then you need to work on them. My character doesn't exist to be your character's punching bag. Thank you.

8. This isn't my only blog. I may be more active on one of my others than this one, and I don't always get notifications from here (I'm on mobile so yeah...) if I don't get to you in a timely fashion I'm sorry.

9. Inappropriate/triggering/NSFW stuff will be tagged. However I don't generally write smut/love scenes like that unless they're relevant to the plot (I.E a first time, someone gets pregnant, etc...). I'm not your porn source.

10. At the end of the day, this is all about fun and that's what I want it to be. Feel free to plot with me if you want, or if you just wanna chat, feel free to DM me!

With rules out of the way, character profile is under the cut!

Name: Lyra Shelby (however wants to legally change her last name to Lockley)

Age: in her early to mid 30s

Height: 5 foot 3 inches, so rather short

Important info: Lyra is the avatar of Mafdet, the goddess of divine retribution. Being a cheetah goddess, Lyra has many feline like abilities. She has super speed, advanced senses, and her nails elongate and harden into claws. She grows ears and tail when she shifts to her hero persona.

Relationship status: considers herself married, though she doesn't have her husband's name or ring...it's complicated.

Orientation: female, she/her pronouns, panromantic, demisexual, polyamorous.

Unlike the Moon Knight system, Lyra's avatar status is a family affair. The Goddess Mafdet is cursed, bound to the bloodline of her first priestess by her ex lover, ironically Khonshu, God of the moon. The two still go at it at times, and their situation is more complicated with their avatars being "married".

Lyra considers herself a married woman, though she can't legally marry her "husband", Jake Lockley. Jake is a part of the Moon Knight system, which contains three different personalities in one body: Marc Spector, Steven Grant, and of course Jake Lockley. Marc, the main personality, is still married to his wife Layla, and Lyra doesn't wish to interfere with that. That being said, all three of them live together after learning about Jake and Lyra. Its a complicated situation but they all make it work.

When she's not doing superhero work, Lyra is an author and independent journalist, with a few books out and is currently working on a new one. Shes bilingual, speaking both English and German. Lyra also understands some Spanish thanks to Jake, though she herself doesn't speak it.

Like the Moon Knight system she also comes from a history of abuse, from a mostly absent, military oriented father and a stepmother who mistreated her. She has siblings but she doesn't talk to them all that much anymore. Bringing them up is a bit of a sore subject for her, as she has deep seated resentment and desire for revenge against them (which is how she emerged as Mafdets avatar to begin with). Shes in therapy but it only barely helps keep the resentment at bay...

[yulechemist]

About Me

My name is Anairis, and I’m a nonbinary, autistic 22 year old with a deep love for games, cartoons, and everything horror. My current hyperfixations are Genshin Impact, One Piece, and RWBY, but it can always change at any point. I mostly made this post to talk about what I post about so that if you don’t like any of the content, you don’t have to interact with me :)

The content you might see

-RWBY

-Cookie Run (Kingdom and Ovenbreak)

-Genshin Impact

-One Piece

-Winx Club

-League of Legends/Teamfight Tactics (these days I'm more interested in the world and characters themselves rather than the gameplay, but I do still on occasion play!)

-Project Sekai

-MCYT

-Markiplier

-My own personal writing!

Content Warnings

-Horror

-Leaks

-Spoilers

Please don't follow or scroll through my blog if you don't want to see these! I do my best to tag everything accordingly when I reblog it, but I can't hit every single TW, so just as a heads up please keep this in mind :)

All the serious stuff aside, here's some stuff that's just about me!

My Favorite Characters

-Weiss Schnee

-Winter Schnee

-Whitley Schnee

-Qrow Branwen

-Oscar Pine

-Ozpin

-Neopolitan

-Maria Calavera

-Nahida/Kusanali

-Baizhu

-Kokomi

-Layla

-Alhaitham

-Tartaglia

-Yoimiya

-Klee

-Squid Ink Cookie

-Lisa

-Furina

-Neuvillette

-Lyney

-Navia

-Doflamingo

-Sanji

-Ichiji

-Nami

-Jinbe

-Carrot

-Amber Sugar Cookie

-Poison Mushroom Cookie

-Mocha Ray Cookie

-Cookiemals

-Moonlight Cookie

-Golden Cheese Cookie

-Financier Cookie

-Bloom

-Valtor

-Roxy

-Faragonda

-Aurelion Sol

-Diana

-Bard

-Miss Fortune

-Vladimir

-Skarner

-Senna

-Talon

-Thresh

-Soraka

-Xayah

-Rakan

-Kohane Azusawa

-An Shiraishi

-Haruka Kiritani

-Saki Tenma

-Shiho Hinomori

-Nene Kusanagi

-Ena Shinonome

-Mizuki Akiyama

Current Writing WIP, Unnamed

Here is the summary (not final), as well as an excerpt from the book I'm currently writing! It's horror sci-fi and will be a series, though I have decided if it will be 3 books or more yet.

Life as they know it will be permanently turned upside down....

In the deepest depths of space there lurks something unimaginably horrific, pure evil in every way. And it's coming.

Aliens have come to Earth, with a warning, and a plea for help. By complete accident, Grace Alwyn finds herself suddenly tangled up in the plot to rescue the universe, but can she really trust anyone? Vexus Xiulatius, the mysterious general who seems to know more than he's letting on, Aili Brill, the pretty scientist who won't actually tell anyone what here experiments are about, and Cyrus Vientril, the slightly odd yet endearing soldier who avoids every single one of Grace's questions.

Grace knows she's gotten herself involved in something that puts her life at risk, but for some reason she can't explain, she feels she's meant to be here.

"What," I say, slowly, "is that?"

Vexus avoids my gaze, uncomfortable. "You... Were not supposed to see this."

On his monitor is a fuzzy image of something very large floating through space. I can't make out many details, but it's nothing like what we were told we'd be facing.

I stare at him, a mixture of shock, anger, and fear coursing through my veins. "How can you hide this from everyone? This- this changes everything!"

"It changes nothing." Vexus pulls himself together and looks at me, his steely grey eyes filled with disdain. "If we told you humans the truth about what we're facing, nobody would want to do it."

"They deserve that choice!"

"That is not your decision to make." Vexus turns the monitor off. "Please leave, and do not tell anyone of what you saw in here." He turns around. "Seriously, Grace. This is for the best. You will understand."

I shake my head. "No Vexus, I don't know if I will." I leave his office, disgusted by everything I saw, our conversation, and the fact that I am completely helpless in this situation.

I'm always looking for more friends that share my interests :) My inbox is always open if you ever wanna chat! All I ask is that you're around the same age as me, I don't really feel comfortable befriending minors as I prefer to hang out with people my own age. I don't really have a DNI list since I can't moderate who interacts with my posts when most people probably won't read it even if I did have one (I also think they're very silly for that reason). Just be kind and we're good :)

[lunathebee]

Pairing: Marc Spector x  florist!fem!reader (with hints of Steven Grant x florist!fem!reader)

Warning: fluff (no I mean, me trying to write fluff for the first time), Steven loves his burrito, Layla doesn't exist just for the sake of this story

A/n: THIS IS PART 1, I repeat PART 1 😭😭😭 Istg I messed up some stuff and I have no choice but to write a bit more and call it a day, I am terribly sorry, part 2 will be post soon!

Summary: For the first time ever, Steven might be better at talking to a girl than Marc, but that doesn't mean Marc just gonna stand and watch him does so.

Steven is chewing down on a vegan burrito, talking to Gus about how his day at the museum went when suddenly Marc speaks up. "Steven, since when do you like flowers so much?"

It was a totally random and offset question for Steven, but not for Marc though, he is a man who knows what he wants and how to get it in the most subtle way.

"Oh whut? You mean those books? They're not mine, Y/n was kind enough to let me borrow it, nice to learn something besides just alien and Egyptian mythology init?" Steven smiles when mentioning your name, taking another big bite from the burrito while Marc is still starting at the big pile of books about floriography.

"And... who is Y/n?" Marc asked while trying his best to be clueless, of course he knows Y/n; she owns a small flower shop on the road where Steven takes the bus to work every day, always looking so perfect and flawless at 7 a.m.

Sometimes Marc feels a teeny tiny bit guilty about how he takes over the body whenever the bus gets near to Y/n's flower shop, and after a few seconds of staring, hoping to see you, he gave the body back to Steven, leaving the British man confused like a deer in front of a headlight.

"Oh Y/n is this absolutely wonderful florist that I met when I tried to find some flowers for my first date that... didn't go quite as well as you remember..." To be honest, Steven just wants to eat his burrito in peace and finish it quickly, but if the topic is about Y/n and not Khonsu then he would be glad to join in.

"Ah well then, I was wondering if you could introduce --- " Marc's voice starts to fade out because Steven is too into the burrito.

But wait, why is he eating this burrito so fast in the first place? Steven thinks to himself for a moment, and the memory of Donna talking to him floods into his mind, making him yell out. "OH BLOODY HELL, DONNA PUT ME ON INVENTORY TONIGHT, I gotta go now talktoyoulaterMarc!!" Steven bolted out the door, clutching his work bag, leaving Marc *behind* disappointed; perhaps he could continue this conversation with Steven over the weekend?

===☾︎ ☾︎ ☾︎===

"No way... Marc, are you serious? You have a crush on Y/n?!" Steven can't believe what Marc has told him, this is even more shocking than the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun.

"That is a childish way to say how a man is interested in a woman Steven, and I swear if you laugh at me-"

"No no no, why would I? Wow, good for you mate. I thought you would stick to fighting forever! With that silly old birb Khonsu, am I right Gus? " Steven exclaimed while sprinkling some fish food into the tank and missed how annoyed Marc looked.

'Tch, gimme a break' Marc thinks to himself while thinking about what Steven has said. Did he really spend that much time being an avatar? To the point where he gets lovestruck and doesn't even know how to talk to a girl?

"The main point is are you gonna introduce me to her or not?"

Steven feels strange after hearing Marc say that, what now? A guy who is not afraid of fighting and blood is scared of this sweet florist girl? "Why don't you just... introduce YOURSELF to her? Besides, I wouldn't know how to explain to her that you and I are basically the same, but at the same time we are not, bit odd init?"

Steven has a point though, it would be harder and more confusing if he told you about Marc. It seems like the only option left is for Marc to say hi to you himself (even if he wants to or not). God, how Marc wishes Monday would just come soon so he can meet you.

[cutelittleluckysoul]

Since Layla has me quite in love and my mind doesn't allow me not to stop thinking about her, you could write an obscene piece where Layla looks for you after a fight with her suit on but her intention is to take out some of her fury on you. Sometimes I don't understand myself well lol

OHHHH I am so here for it😏

Warnings: 18+ Minors do not interact! THIS IS SMUT! Honestly what is a plot? Reader is female. Basically dom!Layla. face sitting, fingering, eating out. Language. Also not proof read

A night to remember (Layla El Faouly x fem!Reader)

The night wasn't supposed to end like this. Layla and you were at a Gala where they were auctioning artifacts. Layla being Layla had to be there of course. And because neither of you thought anything bad would happen there you accompanied her. You even got a new dress for the occasion. The two of you almost didn't even leave because the moment Layla saw you in the beautiful dress, that hugged your curves in all the right places, almost all thoughts about the artifact left her brain. The only thought left was making you scream her name in that dress. She had pressed her lips against yours, swallowing your surprised gasps. One hand had tangled in your hair the other groped your ass. It was hard to pull away. But you knew that this was important to her. She nipped at your lips and reluctantly agreed.

Looking back you wished you would have stayed at the hotel with her. But alas here you were now. Some guys fighting with Layla, who was now in her Scarlet Scarab outfit. She was kicking ass, which honestly did turn you on a little. But she was losing you could see it. After a particularly hard kick, she was knocked down briefly and the men took that time to scurry off with the artifact. Layla was ready to chase after them but you held her back, looking at her worriedly. There was a fire in her eyes that you rarely saw.

"Please let's just get back to the hotel. Fight another day?" She looked at you and after a few seconds nodded in agreement. She took your hand and basically dragged you back to the hotel room. You could barely keep up with her pace. Good for you that it wasn't far.

She dragged you inside the room and closed the door. Before you could even open your mouth to talk to her and try to calm her down, you were pinned against the door, Layla's lips crashing onto yours.

A surprised moan left you, which she used to her advantage and slip her tongue into your mouth, teasing and playing with your own. She really took your breath away with the way she was kissing you and pinning you against the door. You were putty in her hands and you were willing to do everything for her in that moment.

As she finally parted from you, not after she took your bottom lip between her teeth and pulled at it a little, you were finally able to take in a deep breath. Your heart hammering against your ribs. Already out of breath and you just kissed. She always had this effect on you. As you look at her, lips swollen from the kiss, you could see a spark in her eyes, that you rarely saw. She was still in her scarlet scarab outfit and that alone was turning you on even more.

You could not help yourself and pulled her in for another heated kiss. You could feel her smirking against your lips as she pulled you away from the door and you barely registered that she was moving you two to the bedroom. Your lips never parted from one another, one of her hands groping the flesh of your ass.

Reaching the bedroom she pulled your dress down, careful not to ruin it. She let out an appreciative hum upon seeing your lack of underwear. Layla pushed you onto the bed rather harshly and you bounced slightly on it. She didn't miss a beat and she was on top of you, kissing your neck. Slightly bending your neck, so she had better access. She was biting and sucking hickeys onto your neck. You weren't quite sure if you would be able to cover them all, but you could care less about that right now.

Layla finally happy with her job apparently licked a stripe down your neck to your decollete. "Your tits looked so good in this dress, so distracting all evening. No wonder I couldn't catch these guys when all I could think about was burying my face between these." To emphasize her point she squeezes one of your breasts pinching your nipple, which made you squeal. You knew she was not going to be soft on you today. Layla licked around your perked nipple as she toyed with the other one. One of your hands came to twist into her curls, pulling softly as she bit into your nipple, letting out a wanton moan. She made sure to leave some hickeys on your chest as well. Surely you would look like you've been in a fight tomorrow.

Finally, she kissed her way further down your body, taking her place between your legs. She looked at your exposed pussy, already glistening with your arousal. Layla grinned and looked up at you. Her eyes darker than usual. "Already so wet for me. Tell me little mouse, what do you want?" Words seem to fail you as you looked at her, kissing the inside of your thighs. You apparently took too long to answer her, as she bit into your thigh, yelping a little from the pain. "Answer me." "Want you to touch me." Your voice was almost timid. Layla grinned tracing her fingertips dangerously close to your mound but never quite touching you were you needed her. Were you were aching for her. "Oh but I am touching you. Aren't I little mouse? I think you have to be more specific." "Layla please..." You were always a little embarrassed to talk to her like that. She snarled and got back over you, her hand squeezing your cheeks. "Either you tell me what you need or you won't get any at all and I will just finish myself off. Are we clear?" You nodded quickly and she released your face. You very rarely saw her like this but damn it was turning you on. "I want you to touch my pussy please... I want your fingers inside of me. I want your mouth on me. Please Layla." She hummend, very pleased with you. She gave you a quick kiss. "That wasn't so hard was it?" Your cheeks were hot in embarrassment still but that soon was forgotten as she again took her place between your legs. She wasted no time and drove right in. Her tongue lapping up your juices that were coating you, her tongue occasionally dipping inside of you.

Your head is thrown back as you let out loud moans at her ministration. She held two fingers before your lips, which you immediately took into your mouth. Sucking on them and coating them in your spit. She pulls them out way too soon for your liking and you are ready to protest. But the moment you open your mouth all that leaves is a loud moan of her name, as she pushes the two fingers inside of you.

She didn't waste any time as she thrusts her fingers into you over and over again at a fast pace. Sucking on your clit at the same time. One of your hands was in her hair holding on for dear life, the other one was fisting the bedsheet. As she started to curl her fingers inside of you, hitting that spot that drives you crazy, you couldn't hold back. Your hips rose off the bed as you came with a shout of her name, toes curling. Your mind was fuzzy and you thought that Layla would stop now so you could return the favour. But she didn't. Her fingers still pumping into you, a little slower this time but still hitting that perfect spot. Her tongue playing with your sensitive clit.

You looked down at her, finding her looking already at you. Eyes still dark there was a mischievous glint in them. Yep, you are in for it tonight. The pace of her fingers picked up again, scissoring inside of you, her tongue flicking your clit, occasionally sucking on it. You were so sensitive still that it did not take long for you to be right there on the edge again. Your legs started to shake as she drew another orgasm out of you. This went on for two more rounds. Finally letting go of you after your fourth orgasm, your legs were limb and your whole body felt heavy and oh so satisfied. Your ears were ringing. But Layla was not done with you just yet. She stood up taking off her shoes and pants. The gold armor of her chest plate glistened wetly. Your face grew even hotter as it already did as you realized that it was your arousal from your last and final orgasm. You haven't even fully realized that you squirted.

The rest of her outfit stayed on as she shuffled back over you, hovering above your face. The white linen from underneath the gold plate covered her still. You raised a heavy arm and pulled it to the side. Layla took this as her invitation to fully sink onto your face. You let out a hum, you could smell her arousal, and licked a long stripe from her entrance to her clit. Layla gave a pleased moan as she tugged at your hair with one hand. The other hand was resting on the wall for support. Your fingers dug into the soft flesh of her thighs holding her close to you as you lapped at her wetness. Your tongue circling around her entrance, your nose brushing her clit. Layla's moans only encouraged you more, and so you started to push your tongue inside of her.

Layla threw her head back in pleasure, her hips circling carefully, so her clit catches on your nose for the much needed friction. You hummed her taste and smell all you could think about, all you wanted to think about. You wanted to please her. You looked up at her. She looks like a goddess and you are more than gladly her throne. Her head was still thrown back, her curls wild, and god if you already completely whipped for her you sure would have been now.

Her grip on your hair tightened and you could feel her clenching and pulsation around your tongue, indicating that she was close. Another hum left your throat. You wanted to taste her sweet release. Pulling your tongue out of her and shifting your face a little you took her clit into her mouth and sucked on it flicking with your tongue. With a cry of your name she finally came, riding your face even more now and you let her, way too occupied with lapping up her sweet release. Her legs shook next to your head as her orgasm rocked through her. your fingers still digging into her flesh. You haven't even realized how hard you were gripping them, leaving small half-moons as you finally released them.

Carefully, and for your taste way too soon, Layla climbed off of you, making you let out a small whine. Even though you were exhausted you always wanted more of her. As she lay down next to you, still a little out of breath, she looked at you fondly. The dark look in her eyes finally gone. With a soft kiss on your lips she got up and, a little wobbly made her way to the bathroom. Seconds later she emerged with a wet cloth in her hand and sat down on the bed again. Slowly she began cleaning you up between your legs. This would have to be enough for now. Honestly, all you wanted to do now was cuddle with her and sleep. Soon enough she was done, putting the rag somewhere, you couldn't care less. She took off the rest of her outfit and finally laid down next to you, pulling you into her.

Relaxing even further, she started to play a little with your hair. Surely that was a mess with how much you had trashed on the bed earlier. Yet Layla still thought you were the most beautiful being ever. "You are always so good to me little mouse." " 'ts because I love you so much..." Your words a little slurred. You really were exhausted. She gave your forehead a soft kiss. "I love you even more." " Impossible." Layla just chuckled at that, holding you close, not caring about both your sweaty skin. Your breath evened out and a deep sleep took you in. Layla looked over to her bag, where she knew a small ring was waiting for you. But for now she needed sleep just like you.

[n0b0dy11]

Somewhat Dad~DreamWasTaken

DreamWasTaken x Fem!reader (Clay's last name is Fisher)

༻✦༺ 　༻✧༺　༻✦༺

"I will be the best dad, just for you..."

༻✦༺ 　༻✧༺　༻✦༺

part one - part two - part three - part four

"Is that daddy?" the little girl whispered. Both the adults eyes widened, while Nick was snickering and looking at some sort of bread.

"Uhm, no. Layla, this is Clay, a friend. Clay this is Layla, my daughter."

To say Clay didn't have a hard time looking at the little girl was an understatement. She looked exactly as her mother, Y/n. He didn't know why it stung him so hard.

Of course he loved, was still kinda in love, with the little child's mother but.... That couldn't be it right?

"Hi!" the little girl said energized, she was a real energetic child as he could observe, the only thing once more coming to mind was how her mother was exactly the same.

"Hey..." he whispered back, not because he was afraid or something like that, he was just surprised. Layla was so nice. Not that he would expect anything else from a child who's mother is Y/n, but her father was Jake...

At least he thought so...

He hadn't been able to ask that yet for to be completely sure.

But she had asked her if he was her dad, she didn't know her dad?

"Are you the weird boy from gran's photobook?"

"Weird boy?!"

*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*

Layla fell in love with Clay, which wasn't so surprising seeing as she like the exact baby replica of her mother. He was trying his best to be there for his best friend again, and he was doing a great job.

At first Y/n wasn't quite sure about how to handle the situation, of course she could still feel her teenage heart hammering in her chest whenever their eyes met, or when he called her cute names, or-

I think you get the point...

It had been a couple weeks since they saw each other in the market and to be fair she hadn't been disappointed of her decision.

When Y/n was loading the food they bought into her trunk Clay decided to help, while he left Nick to do it himself, and after the cheeky man asked for her forgiveness as reward.

To which she had replied she would give him a chance, to prove he meant it, that he was choosing to stay.

He did.

They called from time to time, he asked about her work and Layla. While she would ask about his day and his new videos. Of course he had told her about his career, she was very supportive about it.

"hellooo!" Clay's voice rung through the speakers of her phone.

"Hi Clay."

"Hellooooooooooo, clayton!" Layla screamed, while running in her mothers room.

Y/n was happy how close they had become, Layla would constantly talk and ask about stories from when they were younger which they both happily talked about. She had started using the nickname Clayton when she had heard someone say it in one of his videos, she was a die hard dream stan now.

"You so cheated in your newest manhunt!"

"I did not!" Clay argued, he loved the little girl to death. Maybe not as much as he loved her mother though... but still Layla had owned a special place in his heart ever since they roamed around in the store for the first time.

"Okay, even though it is fun to hear your banter, let's talk about something I can relate with?"

"but mommy...." Layla whined, "you aren't as interesting."

Y/n let out a gasp, the betrayal!, while Clay was weazing from the other side of the phone.

"Sorry mommy, Clay's my favourite now," her own daughter shrugged as if it was the most natural thing ever.

"I guess you can go to him then," Y/n played along. "Seeing as you don't love me anymore."

This time Layla gasped, "OH! Mommy! i do love you!! Don't send me away! I wanna stay with you!"

"I know sweety I was just joking with you, I would never send you away," the mother spoke sweetly to her, and started kissing her face everywhere!

Clay couldn't see what was happening, but hearing the kissy noises and the giggles of the little girl, his heart melted a bit. He hated Jake for leaving the little, but loving, family and mistreating them, her. He hadn't forgiven himself from what he did, even though yn had told him multiple times the past few weeks, that she as alright now.

He was a bit scared of loosing them, he didn't know why, he just was. they both had such a special place in his heart. He wanted to be a part of the little loving family, he wanted to be sat next to them and also place kisses on the girl's face while he would have his arm around Y/n.

He hadn't fallen out of love with her, ever. But now, seeing or at least hearing her everyday, made him realise just how much.

"I'm gonna make some food," Y/n declared, "you can still talk with Clayton for a bid."

"Why can't he eat with us?"

His heart swelled again, he loved it when he felt so... wanted. He loved it when it came through that the little girl had a soft place for him too.

"You'll have to ask him, say we're eating pizza and have banana pudding in the freazer.

"Clayton...? Would you like to-

I think he hang up mom?"

*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*

After Layla got over the shock of Clay hanging up on her like that she helped her mother decorate a pizza, when suddenly there were loud knocks on their door.

"Who's that mommy?"

"I don't know darling, let's look."

As they both walked to the door Layla took a hold of her mother's hand swinging it between them.

"Hello how-"

"Clayton!!" Layla screamed running for ward completely forgetting she had her mother's hand in hers and flung herself at him.

"hello," he chuckled, "I couldn't pass on on pizza are you crazy?"

Ans that's how they spend their evening, decorating their own pizza

"Clayton, that's not right!! You don't put olives on your pizza!"

"Layla, you can't talk you literally have pineapple on yours!"

"Mommy!! Clay says my pizza is bad!"

"Clay!"

"Y/n, it was a joke, I'm sorry. I won't do it again."

"I swear I am raising two children."

And then eating them, before the tv watching a funny family movie from Disney.

But of course that good moment didn't last forever, as Clay needed to go back home Layla started crying. She didn't want him to go, which was obvious. In the end her crying got Clay to tuck her in bed.

He was making himself ready to leave so he want to say goodbye to Y/n, only to find her asleep on the couch.

"Good night," he whispered, while kissing the top of her head, "I love you." He added the last as a whisper even lower than that, he was scared that maybe she would hear, but he debated if that would be so bad.

"Please," she groaned while grasping his hand when he stood back up, "stay?"

"I can't, Y/n/n," he stated softly. "I have an early video to film tomorrow morning, George's time set up."

"okay," she whispered already falling asleep again. "Toodeloo."

"See you soon."

As he was steering his car in the driveway, he couldn't help but think about what she asked. Had she really forgiven and wanted him to stay? Or was she so sleepy she hadn't even noticed? Maybe he should've stayed and found out, or maybe she was actually too asleep and he would overstep the boundaries.

But he didn't sleep much that night. He just wanted her here, along with Layla of course. All night he just longed to have her wrapped in his arms. To have her head snuggled in his chest, like they did when they were teenagers. Clay certainly felt like one, wishing for his crush to notice him.

But he didn't know that she felt the change. He may have done something stupid but she forgave, and she knew she had said so in the store when they first caught up, but of course it wasn't like before in a snap of the finger. She needed time first and he understood, he gave her it, even though they called and messaged a lot, because they were both a bit scared if they didn't hold contact now it would've slipped away.

But she found her house cold when he left, except for her forehead, which he kissed.

Oh no, she still liked him.

Only complication: she now has a child and isn't a teenager anymore.

She also knew Layla wouldn't really be a problem, they got along great, but maybe it won't in the future... She was still worried sometimes.

*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*

Today Y/n had to work, her parents weren't home and she didn't have time and money to find a babysitter.

So you tried the last person on the list, "Clay, I have a favour to ask you."

"Sure what is it?"

"Can you watch Layla for the day? I have work and I asked mom and dad but they aren't home, If it's too much I get it and-"

But before she could make her sentence full he chuckled, "I'll watch Layla for you, no need to ask, I love that kid."

he could hear her sigh out of relieve, "Thank you! i'll even pay you or something I-"

"You don't have to pay me," he laughed, "I'll do it anyway."

"Okay thank you, so much. I'll drop her off at yours if that's okay, it's on my way to work anyway."

"that'd be great."

"Alright see ya."

As she hung up he raced out of his bed, he hadn't told her this but, he actually just woke up. But that was out of the question, he loved Layla and would look after her anytime, but he got to see you which was an even better thing.

He was happy you asked him, that you trusted him to look after her. he was starting to earn your trust and love again. Even though he already got it back, but he didn't need to know that.

"Come on in!"

"thank you so much! i'll see you later okay? You have your tablet and some extra exercises from miss. Lilly okay?"

"Bye bye mommy, I'll behave." she said already hugging Clay by his leg.

"is that Layla I see?!" Nick shouted from the hall. Nick had become a real good person in the little girl's life. Just as Clay he had kept in contact with Y/n and he loved Layla also very much.

"Sapnap!!" she shouted running inside while dropping her bag. She jumped up in his arms and hugged him too.

"Can I show her my gaming set?"

"Can I see the gaming set?!" she asked amazed, looking at her mom and back to Nick.

her mother gave a soft smile and nodded her head, which made the two run inside and to his room.

"Have fun with the children," she joked. Clay laughed, Nick could be a real child indeed.

"I have to go now, call me if anything goes wrong." With that she left, not before giving him a kiss on the cheek though.

He was glad she left so swiftly now she couldn't see his burning face.

"Yo, man. What happened? You look like you ate a hot chili pepper."

"Yeah, what happened dude?" Layla asked. She tried to rise her brow like Sapnap but failed miserably.

"She kissed my cheek," he whispered still in shock.

"Dude!" Spanap and Layla yelled together.

"Are you two a thing now?"

"Are you my dad then?"

"No, and ... no. I am sorry Layla, your dad isn't the best person and I'll gladly would step up in his place, but that's for you and you mother to decide. But i'll always be here, okay? I won't leave."

All this emotion made her burst in tears, while she ran up and tackled the already crouching Dream to the ground, "You deserve someone like my mom, so does she. She's amazing and I hope you become my dad."

I hope so too.

When Y/n came to pick Layla up she found the three of them in the kitchen all covered in flour.

"Mommy!" Layla screamed, jumping of her chair and running to give her mom a hug. Which Y/n had to kindly refuse.

"Who are you flour girl and what have you done to my daughter?"

"But it's me mommy! And that's Clayton and Sappy!"

"You really had to make her use that nickname huh?" Nick asked annoyed at Clay. To which he just responded with a 'yup'.

After getting the flour off her daughter Y/n saw it was already pretty late out, so Clay asked them to stay. Which they did.

they ate the best ever, but after she had witnessed the four-fiasco she had decided it would be better if she cooked or they got take-out and Clay not wanting her to cook wen it was his house choose for the take-out, which he also insisted on paying for.

But the evening soon came to an end.

So when Layla was safely tucked into her auto-seat her mother turned to Clay one more.

"Thank you again, for doing this."

"It's no problem really."

"I know you said you don't want any payment but can I at least show my gratitude in some way?"

Multiple ideas swarmed in his head, but he decided too shoot his shot, "you can say you will go out with me sometime?"

His boldness caught her of guard, "like a date?"

"Like a date."

"Yeah, yeah. I'd-I'd like that, send me the details," and with that she swiftly kissed his cheek again before almost running to her car.

"I got a date!" they both said out of disbelieve.

A/n

Sooo...

I liked it, I kinda have a lot of 'oneshots' combined to like speed up the time. I think there is a part 3 deserved, I kinda loved how this story turned out so I made it a series 'I Won't Leave'. Also If you have any suggestions, (in this story like if you want something to happen or just a story idea in general) let me know!!

Reminder: @ghostofscarley

Enjoy :]

[abimess]

The Jealous Kind

Leigh Shaw x Reader

Summary: When a co-worker flirts with you, your girlfriend has her traumas and insecurities brought up to the surface. [2.050 words]

Warnings: angst; fluff

Hi, guys! A Leigh story, because why not am I right? Also, this is loosely inspired by the song The Jealous Kind by Bobby Charles. Enjoy!

You do NOT have permission to repost or translate my work on any platforms (even with credit)

For this request | Masterlist | Library Blog

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If there's one thing that Leigh knows, it's that she loves you. Her feelings for you are the greatest certainty the brunette has. In fact, the only one.

After all the suffering and all the pain, Leigh has been left a pile of insecurities and uncertainties, all of which translate into fear. Fear of going through the things she had gone through again, fear of not being enough, fear of losing you.

But if there's one thing Leigh is great at, it's building barriers. Walls that kept her away from other people, her traumas and insecurities mulling over only herself.

Not with you, though. Both because you can see through her, and because she allows herself to open up to you. You are the person who best understands her, who best sees her. Yet Leigh kept up her efforts to keep her insecurities and fears buried, afraid to scare you and cause you to leave.

So Leigh would try to act as if she didn't feel apprehensive every day you left for work, afraid that you would never come back, that it might be the last time she would ever see you.

She tried to hide the panic that consumed her every time you were late getting home. It was always for innocent reasons: a late meeting, heavy traffic, or just you wanting to surprise her with flowers or buy her a dinner you knew she liked; but Leigh always expected the worst.

She tried to hide her jealousy, a result of the fear of losing you, of the insecurity of thinking that you could easily find someone better than her, someone who would make you happier and who wasn't as damaged as she was.

But even with all Leigh's constant efforts and attempts, nothing can stay hidden forever, so every now and then these things would pierce the surface, letting themselves show.

Right now you and Leigh are at a dinner celebrating the birthday of one of your co-workers that the brunette doesn't like one bit.

From the first day you introduced them, Leigh noticed that the woman, Layla, flirted with you shamelessly. You appeared oblivious to the woman's advances, however, and Leigh wondered whether your behavior was purposeful or not.

Today it's no different, and the woman flirts with you brazenly, completely ignoring the brunette's presence there. You politely deflect the other woman's comments, but your lack of a more forceful response bothers Leigh deeply.

Deciding that she's had enough, the brunette starts to get up from the table. You notice your girlfriend's movement, and look at her with inquiring eyes. "I'm going home." Leigh explains, and you frown. "Why? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just want to leave." She answers airily, not looking at you, and you begin to get up as well, feeling worry begin to form inside you. Noticing your intentions, the brunette places her hand on your shoulder. "You don't have to come."

"Don't be silly, Leigh, of course I'm going with you." You respond with an incredulous chuckle, but she shakes her head vigorously. "No. I don't want you to come." The brunette says dryly, and noticing the hurt expression on your face, she adds, more softly this time. "I want you to stay."

You still don't look convinced, though, ready to counter-argue, so Leigh hastens to say. "I'll call a cab." She announces, turning her back to you and walking towards the restaurant's exit.

Leigh hears you call her name, but she doesn't turn around, tears already forming in her eyes

-----

As soon as Leigh gets home she regrets everything.

As she prepares some tea, the brunette curses herself for leaving like that, for taking out on you all the bad feelings she was carrying inside. It's not your fault if other people are interested in you. She knows that. But still she acted as if it were, and saw on your face the signs of hurt that make her heart ache now.

Sitting on the garden bench, the mug of tea in her hand and a blanket wrapped around her body, Leigh sighs heavily, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes as the guilt sinks in. It's because of things like this that the brunette feels she doesn't deserve you, and never will.

Leigh feels the cool night breeze freeze her tear-damp cheeks, her arms hugging her knees bent in front of her body. Suddenly, the sound of the back door opening wakes the brunette from her self-destructive thoughts, and she quickly wipes away her tears at the sight of you approaching.

"Hey." You say softly, defensively, as you sit down next to her on the bench, and Leigh presses her lips together in a small, brief smile before muttering a "hey."

An awkward silence envelops the two of you, both of you looking out into the night. Risking a discreet glance in your direction, Leigh notices the hurt still present in your features, yet nothing in your posture pressures her to speak and Leigh feels grateful for that. She decides to speak, though, "Layla seems nice."

"She's quite inconvenient if you ask me." You answer promptly, your voice soft though you don't look at her as you speak, and Leigh feels a pang of bitterness that she just can't help.

"You didn't seem bothered by her inconvenience." The brunette pines, her eyes locked on the steaming tea in your hands, and she notices from the corner of her eyes you turning to her.

"What's that supposed to mean?" You ask, the tone of your voice sounding hurt even as you try to disguise it, and Leigh looks at you. The mixture of confusion and offense in your frown makes the brunette's heart weigh a little heavier inside her chest. But it also makes a defensive irritation arise.

"It means she was flirting with you openly and you did nothing to cut her off.'" Leigh says irritably, and your oblivious expression makes the brunette's irritation rise even higher, so she looks away from you.

"I deflected all her attempts, Leigh. But she's my boss, I can't be rude to her." You explain yourself, moving closer to her in an attempt to comfort her but also giving her space. Leigh closes her eyes, a heavy sigh escaping her lips as she feels tears forming again under her eyelids.

"I know," she lets it out in a breath, "I know, but I hate it." Leigh admits, blinking a few times and letting the tears run down her cheeks, and you feel a lump forming in your own throat.

"What's going on, Leigh?" you ask, placing your hand gently on her knee, and the softness and tenderness in your voice makes the brunette cry even more, sinking her face into her knees.

"I just hate everything." She says amid sobs. The vague answer isn't enough, but you don't push her to continue, giving Leigh the time she needs to deal with whatever she's going through before talking to you about it. A few minutes later she lifts her face, and directs her puffy eyes to yours.

"You're perfect." She says eventually, and you frown in confusion. But before you can ask, she continues talking. "You're smart, and caring, and funny, and so good, and I hate that all these girls can see that too. These girls who would be better for you than me."

"That's not true." You reply immediately, your heart aching at seeing the woman you love like that. Leigh rolls her eyes, shaking her head in disagreement. "Of course it is. I'm broken. Broken and fucked up."

"You're perfect." You retort, moving even closer to her and wrapping an arm around her. Leigh snorts in response. "You are." You assure her, but Leigh refuses to look at you. So you bring the hand that was on her knee up to her face, gently inviting her to look at you.

When Leigh's eyes reluctantly meet yours, you feel your heart break into a thousand pieces at the pain, fear, and pleading present in those green eyes that mean your whole world. "You are perfect with all your imperfections and there is no one in the world better for me than you." You say with a small smile, meaning your every word, but Leigh remains silent and then you add wholeheartedly. "I love you."

"For now." Leigh retorts fearfully, but you deny it with your head, a sincere smile on your lips. " For ever." You assure, and your answer makes even more tears well up in her eyes. "You can't promise that."

"Of course I can." You say, determined, and before Leigh can disagree once again, you continue. "I can because it's true. No one has ever made me feel the way you do. I didn't know love like this existed before I met you. In fact, thinking about how I feel about you now, I don't think I had ever known real love before you."

Your words seem to put her at ease, because Leigh lets out a shaky sigh as a small smile makes itself present on her lips. When the brunette opens her eyes, she sees you looking at her with a loving smile on your face, and she feels her heart warming, leaning toward you.

You meet her halfway, your lips meeting hers in a slow, gentle pace. The kiss is salty and soft, offering Leigh the peace she so desperately craved. When you pull away, Leigh keeps her forehead against yours for a few moments, and you take your time appreciating the closeness.

"I'm sorry." She says softly, breaking the silence of the night, and you offer a reassuring smile as you run your thumb along the side of her face. "You don't have to-"

"I do though." She interrupts, her eyes locked on yours, and you remain silent, letting her speak. "I just... I'm just so afraid of losing you." She admits, her voice failing under the threat of crying again, and you place your two hands on her face, stroking her cheek in an attempt to make her feel better.

"I know, I'm scared to death of losing you too." You say, and Leigh keeps her eyes locked on yours. "I'm also afraid that someday you'll find someone better, or smarter, or funnier.... Never mind, there's no one funnier than me." You joke and the brunette rolls her eyes, an amused smile appearing on her lips, and you smile at your successful attempt to make her smile.

"You don't have to be afraid, I'm not going anywhere." You assure her softly, your eyes admiring every detail of her face, and Leigh can't help but feel loved under your affectionate gaze.

"Neither am I." She promises, and you smile before leaning in again, capturing her lips on yours once more. When you break the kiss, you stand up. "Come now," you say, holding out your hand to Leigh, "pretty girls shouldn't be exposed to the cold wind."

"Are you flirting with me, Y/n?" Leigh teases with a playful smile, taking your hand and standing up as well, and you grimace in disagreement. "Oh no I was talking about me. But I suppose jealous girls shouldn't either."

At the teasing, the brunette slaps you on the shoulder, rolling her eyes in annoyance. "I hate you." She says as the two of you walk to the back door, not at all amused by your laughter, and you cast her a look of disbelief. "You do, though?"

"Pretty much." Leigh confirms without hesitation, and you put your hand to your chest, assuming an offended posture. "Ouch! Okay then I'm leaving." You say, turning away from the trajectory of the door and heading toward the garage. Before you can go anywhere, however, her hand holds yours.

"Come back here." She says amidst a smile, pulling you close, and you do so with a smile. Leigh's smile widens when your eyes meet hers. The brunette wraps her arms around your neck loosely, running her fingers down the back of your neck, and you place your hands on her waist, pulling her closer.

"I love you, idiot." The brunette declares teasingly, and you giggle. "Your idiot." You attest, and Leigh's smile widens as she rests her forehead against yours.

"Just mine."

───── ⋅ ✮ ⋅ ─────

And that's it for today! I hope you enjoyed it, thoughts and comments are always welcome ツ

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[ofstarsandvibranium]

Altho we have very little background on their relationship, I’m just imagining being Marc’s coworker/partner/person in the chair of sorts and knowing him pre-Layla, but having the biggest damn crush on him. Then JUST as you’re finally ready to tell him you’re 10,000% IN LOVE with him you are (as the term suggests) absolutely crushed when he tells you he’s met Layla and may want to marry her 🥲 He might love you back, but now he’s in love with Layla too and WHY DIDN’T YOU SAY SOMETHING SOONER?! I’m in my hurt/comfort hours.

(This ended up being a lot longer than i expected...)

"Alright, Specs, what do you see?" Marc's voice reaching your ears on the coms.

You view the screen to see what your drone sees, "Fifteen hostiles. Five at the dig site, ten surrounding the perimeter."

"Just fifteen? It's like a walk in the park," you hear your other partner, Raul, say.

You snicker, "Oh yeah. Definitely. An easy breezy walk in the park."

"Got my six, Specs?"

"Always, Spector."

"Specs and Spector sittin' in a tree-"

"SHUT UP, RAUL!" you and Marc holler at your other partner.

______________

Raul and Marc approach the van looking a little frazzled and covered in sand, but overall okay.

You toss Raul a canteen and he tosses you something heavy and wrapped in tattered rags. You unwrap it and see the golden heart you three were after.

"Oooohhh she's a beauty!"

"Not as beautiful as you, Specs," Marc smirks and you roll your eyes, playing off as if his words don't affect you.

"Yeah and you look like shit, Spector. You're taking a shower as soon as we get back to the hostel."

"Some people like the rough and dirty look," he nudges you as he climbs into the passenger seat.

You climb into the driver's seat and toss a wet rag his way, "And I'm not one of those people."

The hostel is a few hours away. The sun is setting and Raul is passed out in the back of the van. Marc is still awake and he's staring out the window. You glance at him and your breath hitches. The way the sun hits him makes him look like an angel.

You've harbored feelings for this man for a while. A few months after you joined him and Raul on their adventures, you came to terms with it. You and he flirted often, but you were sure it meant nothing.

You turn back to the sandy roads in front of you. You feel Marc's eyes on you and you speak up, "You gonna take a picture? It'll last longer." You glance at him and he scoffs.

"You know what? I just might." he takes out his phone and begins snapping pictures of you, many of them are just your hand, until he slapped it away and told you to keep your eyes on the road.

There's one that he captured that he liked in particular. He had to remember to print it out so he can keep it in his wallet.

__________________

You were shocked to see Marc standing in front of you. You thought Raul killed him. You saw Raul kill him. Yet here he stood alive and well and...married?

"You died," you whispered in disbelief.

"Turns out Raul isn't as great of a shot as he thought. May we-" he gestures to your apartment and you silently move to the side and let the two in.

"Hi, I'm Layla. Marc's told me a lot about you, Specs."

You tell her your name, "I don't go by Specs anymore. That name died when I, well," you pointed to Marc, "when I thought he died."

You moved to sit on your couch, "I hope you're not here to recruit me. My adventuring days are over."

"No, nothing like that. I just-we needed a place to lay low. I knew you were here-"

"How? How did you know I was here?"

"I kept tabs on you?"

You scoff, "It's been years. Years, Marc! I thought you were dead and I've been running always looking over my shoulder because I thought Raul would one day decide he'd kill me after all! But you were alive this entire time and you didn't-you didn't even reach out," you rasped out, your expression filled with hurt and betrayal.

"I know. I know I should've reached out, but-but it was for your own safety."

"Whatever," you muttered, shooting up from your place on the couch, "I have a guest room down the hall. The bathroom right beside it. You're only staying here for three days and that's it," you sneered, marching straight to your room and slamming the door behind you.

Layla let out a deep exhale and plopped on your couch, "I guess that went well."

__________________

Later that night, you're out on the balcony peering through your telescope. Every once in a while, you stop to draw out a constellation.

"Why're you awake?" you murmur, not looking up from your notebook.

"I think we need to talk," Marc mumbles and steps out to join you.

"What is there to talk about, Marc? I thought you were dead, but you were alive and you didn't reach out."

"I was trying to protect you, Spe-"

You whip your head towards him, "Don't. Call. Me. That."

He sighs and whispers your name, "Raul is still alive and out there. If he found out I was still alive, he'd go straight for you."

"And why would he do that?"

"He-He knows I care about you," he winces at the confession.

You scoff, "Don't hurt yourself there." you go back to looking through your telescope, "Doesn't matter. I learned to take care of myself. I don't need you and it looks like you don't need me either. Congrats, by the way." You try to keep yourself together, heart breaking from the betrayal as well as regret of never telling Marc how you felt before.

Marc mutters, "Thanks," and runs his fingers over his wedding ring.

The two of you remain there in silence. Marc watches you continue to chart the stars, admiring how the moonlight makes you look ethereal. His heart beats a little faster as he continues to watch you. He knows he shouldn't entertain those thoughts since he's married to Layla now, but he feels that warmth that he felt all those years ago. That love he had for you from before didn't seem to completely go away like he thought.

[jakecstasy]

≡ JAKE AS A SUMMER SWEETHEART HEADCANONS !

© sooboys — please don’t translate/copy.

requested. female!reader, non-idol!au, includes temporary relationship, fluff. 1,2k words.

MASTERLIST | PREVIOUS ENHYPEN POST

— FIRST SIGHT LOVE !

seeing you a random afternoon at the beach becomes the starting point. he simply can't take his eyes off you. both would be on their own a few metters away on the sand, he would be with his dog playing and you would be alone reading a book. the first move would be an accident, something like the dog running away and approaching you with the ball to play. receiving it warmly and with a huge smile on your face would already be a green flag for jake, noticing your bright aura thanks to his pet. "what are you doing alone here?" you ask looking in the wrong direction when you stroke the dog's head, getting surprised with jake's voice after running behind her as fast as he could. "she's with me, i'm sorry for the inconvenience!" "she tends to go anywhere when i don't put a leash on her." laughing shyly, both he embarrassed by the sudden encounter as you after seeing how handsome he is. you would be really kind and affectionate with the dog, seeking to maintain an interaction for as long as you can. "what's your name, precious?" you would ask, still petting her head. "jake" of course he would joke, giggling when you look at him. "just kidding, she's layla." mantaining a conversation, feeling much calmer than an unexpected meeting with a stranger would be. sheepish little smiles, embarrassed eye contact between dialogues and a clear tension. both would be very flustered and it would be so hard to hide.

— GETTING CLOSE !

going to the beach frequently and make it a meeting point to get to know each other. you would recognize layla after several days, finding her among the oher dogs at the distance and naturally attracting her when jake gets close enough.

finding a more vulnerable mood meeting at night, allowing yourselves to talk about more personal things. the cold sand, the moonlight and the water in the background would accompany the information that would be shared with each other. you'd discover that he's staying for the summer with his friends, and he would discover that you are with your family but like to go out alone.

surf together, in the most amateur way possible. you would have more knowledge and offer to teach him, creating much funnier anecdotes than the ones you have falling from the board on your own. lots of sneaky glances every time he tucks his wet hair back, or when you scrunch your swim shirt to squeeze out excess water and your skin gets exposed. hearts fluttering strongly with the physical attraction.

collecting small shells after a long day while your clothes dry, sitting in the warm sand to choose the best ones and make bracelets and necklaces. making them together like little children, admiring each other between giggles after saying something silly. the faint rays of the sun going down would make the moment even warmer.

— CASUAL DATING !

eating together at a local restaurant with the excuse of wanting to try the best sea food. doing it during the day to have a nice view of the beach and during the night to get out of the ordinary, according to jake who just wants to spend more time with you. he would offer to pay most of the time just to have a reason to have ice cream later with you because he knows you will want to pay something else. spending a lot of time you two alone despite having other people to hang out with. taking the real first step more intimately, lounging on a blanket in the sand as you talk about your plans for the future. at some point you would hold your weight on your forearms just to admire how pretty he looks relaxed with his hands behind his head as if nothing bothered him. you would be quite obvious about your intentions when playing with the necklace around his neck (that you have previously made yourself) but he would enjoy the attention you give him and wait until the last minute to shoot his shot. jake, moving your hair behind your ear: "how likely is it that we'll see each other when the summer is over?" you, chuckling and still playing with the shell over his neck: "unless you move to my city, very unlikely" "damn it, then you'll have to kiss me now or we won't have another chance". instead of butterflies, you would feel a soothing peace pressing your lips over his, getting what you wanted the most. he would lengthen it fervently, pressing his hands on your waist to keep you on top of him and enjoy that first kiss to the fullest. finding trust with his friends. he would invite you to the spontaneous bonfires so that you meet the people who make him happy, and in the same way, so that they know his romantic interest. very obvious physical contact and closeness, letting it be seen that you aren't just friends. his hand stroking your thigh or your head hiding in his neck when you feel shy among the other boys. noticing that you feel safe with him would make jake really happy.

— KEY POINTS OF YOUR RELATIONSHIP !

intense and deep kisses that show that both know what you have is temporary and want to take the most of it while you can. enjoying making out sessions without serious commitment, melting into the sensation of being held in each other's arms as if you were loved. being possessive of the other in a playful way. admiring him with a smile from afar when he plays in the shore with layla because you notice that the group of girls around is watching him, but you know that he is all yours. much the same way, he would look smugly at the group of boys who won't stop checking you out and wait for you to come back to his side to throw his arm around your shoulders. keep it private but not a secret. you definitely keep a shirt from him and he takes the occasional photo that he uploads to his instagram account with your consent. the questions from his friends who don't know anything about what happened, or your family that have never seen that garment, make the relationship feel mysterious and even more interesting.

— SAYING GOODBYE !

spending one last night together, being clingier and exchanging the necklace and bracelet you made so that the two take a memory of the other to your home. every time you wear the necklace you'd remember the little hiding places he would find to steal a kiss from you, like every time he wears the bracelet he would remember to see you smiling with your wet hair covering your face and your beautiful tanned skin.

taking lots of pictures of layla as she was the starting point and she would become the first thing you will remember when you'll think about that summer. you would keep them on your phone and they would definitely work as a trigger in case some day in the future you want to text jake with the excuse of asking about her.

stopping just before you leave, delaying your steps only to run towards him and take his face in your hands to give him one last kiss. "it has been an incredible summer" "that's for sure, beautiful" "see you sometime".

🧸 . . . thanks for reading !

[mahalshairyballs]

I love your blog and I want to add this idea that I think everyone in the moon knight fandom agrees on , which is: Layla > Marlene and I have a feeling that you'll agree on this

Thanks ! ❤

And yes definitely!

I don't know that much about Marlene still, I've only read a few runs of Moon Knight up to now. She was in one of them but she didn't do anything while Jean-Paul and Gina broke Marc out of the asylum ?

It's unfortunate that her role seems to be only 'the love interest' for most of the comics. Even though she could've become somewhat like Layla. Apparently she also keeps calling them Steven no matter who is fronting? That's hm not great.

The creative team of the show made such a great choice to create Layla and put her instead of Marlene. They also made a prefect mash-up of comic canon for her too! Just like I love them!

It also gave much needed egyptian representation. For a hero with a lore so centered on ancient Egypt there's a sore lack of egyptian characters in Moon Knight (the egyptian gods don't count).

Making Marlene & her dad French made some sense with the colonial reality of early archeological research in Egypt, but making the archeologists actual egyptian scholars was a great update! Showing that Egyptians can be proud and interested by their past too! [Little tangent here, but being a paleontology nerd too, it reminded me of Dr. Nizar Ibrahim who is Morrocan-german and specialized in spinosaurus research, a North African dino! He discovered the most complete Spinosaurus fossil in Morroco in 2013. His local knowledge really helped them find the dig site.]

I like also that they still took what was interesting from Marlene's character and gave it to Layla, while making her more capable and interesting.

Layla still has a very similar backstory to Marlene, with her dad being a mash-up of Marlene's dad and the Scarlet Scarab (great idea!) (The Scarlet Scarab is even called Abdul Faoul in the comics, they just tweaked his name to be a more accurate egyptian name). They only had her not present on that fated day for added drama. And still she ends up doing more 'Indiana Jones' stuff than Marlene ever did.

While not French anymore, Layla seems to know French very well (she had no discernable accent in the one French line she spoke lol). I liked that nod. And it made me wonder about her backstory. Was her mom Algerian/Morrocan? Or did her parents sent her to an egyptian Collège Français ? Or was it just an interest like Steven's?

Also really great that she became an updated version of the Scarlet Scarab !

And of course, May Calamawy is waaaaay prettier than any whitebread woman.

She's also a very talented actress and her chemistry with Oscar was felt through the screen!

[multifandom-worlds]

Hello, my love! How are you doing?

May I request, "I've never seen you like this before" (Lucien saying this to a depressed!MC) early in their relationship? Fem or GN pronouns are okay and you can choose a name if you want. I really just wanna be hurt with some angst.

Only do this if you feel comfortable to do so and have the time! I love you lots and take care of yourself! Here's a Figgy

Awe Figgy! I love him so much. Here's your request, doll. Some angst, some fluff and lot's of Lucien

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

Genre: Angst/Fluff

Rating: Mature

Word Count: 1508

Warnings: talk about negative mental health, possible death, nudity

There's something going on with Layla.

We've only been dating for around 4 months but in those 4 months, I've learned everything I could about her. Or so I believed. Over the past months her interest in things has diminished.

She doesn't attend my lectures like she used too, her work ethic is slipping and she's been rather uninterested in sex. I'm not hurt by these, more so I'm concerned.

I knocked on her door this morning to see if she wanted to go for breakfast before I went to work but she never answered the door. She's usually awake at this time most mornings, especially on a morning she works. I knock again with the same response. She's probably already out of the house, perhaps she had an on-location filming day.

I sent her a quick text before going to the lab. It wasn't until 11am that morning did I get a response back.

"Sorry Lucien, I was sleeping when you texted me, I haven't been sleeping well the past few nights."

She's never had sleep problems before and hardly ever sleeps until 11 on a weekday. Alarm bells start going off in my brain but I silence them, she's probably just sick, no need to be alarmed. She's been working a lot lately, probably caught something.

I responded to her, telling her it was alright and if she was feeling up to it, she could come over this evening for a few hours. She said she'd love too and to let her know when I'm home. That's easily enough. I'll call her when I'm home.

All throughout work though, a nagging feeling slowly builds in my chest. There's something off about Layla and I just don't know what it could be. Perhaps she doesn't want to see me anymore. If that's the case, as painful as it would be to lose the only colour this miserable world offers me, I will walk away with dignity. I truly hope that's not the reason.

As I was walking home that night, I looked up at her apartment, the curtains were drawn across the window, were they like that this morning? Perhaps she has a migraine? I do hope she's okay. I could use her talented hands for some stress relief, today was a particularly difficult day at the university.

I pull my phone out as I step foot into the elevator. There wasn't a single text from her outside of the ones earlier about her agreeing to come over. She was probably working hard and didn't have a chance to look at her phone.

Once I exit the elevator to our floor, I give her a call. The phone rings once. Twice. 3 times. 4 times before the answering machine finally picks up.

"You've reached Layla. Leave a message and I'll call you back"

"Good evening, Layla. I just made it home from work, the door will be unlocked when you can come. I miss you, come soon"

I hung up after leaving my message. I do hope she comes soon. I unlock my door and step into my sparsely decorated apartment before removing my lab coat and hanging it up. That's when I heard a loud crash from Layla's apartment. I rush from my apartment, leaving the door ajar. In 2 steps I'm at Layla's door, trying the handle. The door is locked.

I knock loudly, practically banging on the door. "Layla, butterfly, are you okay? Open the door please" I call through the wood. No response. I knock again, this time a little more frantically. Still no response.

My heart jumps into my throat, what if that crash was something big and she's stuck underneath? Her apartment is deathly silent, no sound or anything.

It was then that I remember she gave me her spare key because she's always losing her keys. Running back to my apartment, I almost destroy the place trying to find her spare key. Where the fuck did I put it?

After 5 minutes of looking, my hands shaking and tears filling my eyes, I finally found it. I slam my door behind me in a hurry, trying to get the key into her lock.

Why are my hands shaking so badly? I finally got it open. The apartment was dark except for a tiny light in the kitchen. I head towards the kitchen, calling her name.

"Luci…" she says softly. I round the corner into the kitchen, seeing her curled up against the back wall, food and glass all over the floor in front of her, head in her hands.

"Layla, what happened." I ask, carefully stepping around the mess and crouching beside her.

"I-I tried to make you lasagna." She mutters into her hands. "I failed, just like everything I try to do. I don't know why you want to stay with a failure like me."

Her voice cracks, large salty tears begin rolling from her eyes. I sigh, both in relief that she's alive but also concern for her mental state.

"Come here Layla" I whisper, shifting so I can slip one arm under her knees and the other one her lower back. She looks up at me, eyes red and bloodshot. She must have been crying quite a bit.

Carefully rising from the floor, I picked Layla up bridal style, holding her close to my chest, my heart rate finally returning to a normal level. I take us to the living room before placing her down on the couch then taking up my place beside her. All thoughts of sex go out the window.

"You're not a failure, Layla." I whisper, brushing a strand of black hair from her beautiful face. The tears start again, she tries to turn away but I place my hand on her cheek, forcing her to look at me.

"I mean it, you're not a failure. You're so incredibly smart, so dedicated to your work and to your friends and to me. You've done everything I've asked from you, both in bed and not without asking questions. You make me dinner more often than not."

She sniffles, wiping the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand.

"But I dropped it…"

"That's okay, mistakes happen. Come, let's get you cleaned up.

I stand up, offering my hand to Layla, she takes it after some hesitation. I lead her through her apartment into the bathrooms where I begin to run her a bath. She stands in the middle of the bathroom, her arms wrapped protectively around her body. My heart breaks seeing how bad she is. How did I never see the signs? How close was she to completely being lost? Am I too late?

I shake the thought from my head. Now is not the right time. While the water runs, I turn my attention to her. I pull her towards me before gently releasing her arms from her side so I can remove the shirt from her torso. She doesn't even put up a fight. I place the shirt in the hamper before moving on to her pants, placing them with her shirt. She stands before me in her bra and panties, a goddess in my presence.

Her eyes well up again, I step forwards, gently running my thumb under her eyes to dry the tears before kissing her cheek. Removing the bra and panties is easy, I've done it a number of times before. I help her into the tub once she's completely free of clothing.

I wet her hair gently before getting some shampoo, gently massaging it into her hair. Layla closes her eyes, relaxing slightly in the hot water.

"I've never seen you like this before, butterfly." I say softly, rinsing the shampoo from her hair.

"I don't usually slip this far down" she admits, opening her bloodshot eyes.

I squirt some conditioner onto my hair before running it along the length of her hair. “That’s okay, you had me worried, next time, talk to me before it gets this bad, please? I’m not ready to lose you to your own mind”

Her eyes well up again. Did I say something wrong?

“Oh I didn’t..” I began before she interrupted me

“Luci, that is the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me. I was so convinced you were going to leave me because I’m not perfect, I tried to push you away. I never wanted you to see this side of me but especially when we haven’t even been together half a year yet.”

Once the conditioner is in her hair and soaking into the gorgeous curls she has, I slip my hands down to her shoulders and across to her clavicle, leaning in so I could whisper something in her ear. These words don’t need to be loud for the world to hear, only loud enough for her heart to hear.

“I love you, now and forever. I’ll be here for the highest highs and the lowest lows. You can count on me to never leave.”