#I have no idea how to listen to everything there's too much going on in my file rn

[bunnys-kisses]

heirloom tomatoes

simon "ghost" riley

tags: smut/pwp, farmer!au, romance/intimacy, size difference/kink, proposal, fruits and vegetables, sweet & gentle sex, slice of life

a/n: i've been playing too much stardw valley... (there may be more to this)

wilby port was there you got sent to. you had been living in england for some time now, but you were used to the hustle and bustle of london. the constant grind of the day to day. and now you were grabbing your two suitcases off the bus to the small harbour town.

the little house near the edge of town was your new home after your great aunt passed away. you know you could've sold the house and the land around it. but, after years of working so hard in the city. the idea of an escape felt exciting. so you took it as a chance and ended up in the quiet town.

that was where you met simon riley.

the first spring in the town, you had to figure out how to kill time. you had tried a few hobbies here and there, but with the season in bloom. you wanted to try gardening. and while you could've planted strawberries or even some peppers. you decided on heirloom tomatoes, and with poor internet connection in the town and an excitement that left you with little patience.

you had to ask those in town.

johnny shrugged, "i'd say go to ghost." he placed both hands on the bar and leaned forward to look at you, "he lives closer to the river. i'd say be careful. he likes to bite." the snapped his jaws playfully before he laughed.

"ah, ghost." price said when you asked him, "yeah he'd be your best bed." as he had the cleaver in one hand, "quite man, but if you're direct in your questions he'll give you everythin' ya need." then chopped at the meat on the table.

kyle replied when you asked him while he was doing research at the beach, "i'd say ghost, honestly. he has some kind of green thumb that i couldn't imagine. you know it's possible to kill a cactus." he laughed as he got more of the sand into the test tube, "your best bet would be him. ghost."

it left you with one question, who the hell was ghost?

it took a little while before you found ghost's house. you don't know why you expected to find a haunted house at the end of your adventures. something to match this so-called ghost. but instead you found a small farm house, crowded with various plants.

while it was in abundance, every plant looked healthy and well maintained. this looked like someone who would know how to grow heirloom tomatoes. you knocked on the door and when the door opened, you took a step back from the man who answered it.

he stood over six feet, he was broad all over. he was in a red long sleeve shirt with the sleeves rolled up. as a result you could see his arm full of tattoos. it made you swallow as you tried to maintain eye contact with him.

"can i help you?" he asked as he eyed you up and down.

you swallowed, "um hi! i was wondering if ghost was here?" it sounded weird in your head but you straightened up a little, "i was told by others that he could help me grow tomatoes."

the man looked intimidating. he was curly blond hair, dark brown eyes, his nose was crooked probably from multiple breakages. he had tattoos and scars that lined his body. his voice was a rumble as he replied, "name's simon. no need to call me ghost." then held out his hand. you smiled and shook it.

what you thought would have been an easy few tips turned into a pretty hard-core lesson about not just heirloom tomatoes, but all tomatoes. you tried to take notes on your phone, but ended up having to go old school and writing everything down by hand with a notebook and pen that simon gave you.

"no one usually listens this long." he chuckled a little as he took a sip of his water, "likes of johnny get bored after about five minutes." he crossed his strong arms and you felt something quiver inside of you.

you replied, "well, i want to do it right. it's not fair to the plant that i kill it." you tapped the pen against the paper, "so what was that about cherry tomatoes." and you watched him smile a little.

while you didn't have a huge piece of land like simon. but you had enough to build your little garden. it felt weird rewarding as the seasons changed, it grew warmer. and simon came to visit you more often to check on the plants.

johnny made a joke that simon was your shadow now, even referring to him as "the shadow" and you tried not to think too hard about it. simon was just a good friend.

when simon caught wind of this, he had to be a little more forward. over the time you had spent together, he had grown fond for you. so one sunny summer's day, he picked up flowers from the local shop and went to your house.

when you answered the door, you looked at him. and he looked at you. you were in a purple checkered apron with flour on your face.

"what are you doing?" he asked as he looked past you into the house. he could see the mess in the kitchen and the smell of cookies wafting in the air.

you looked at the bouquet of tulips in his hand, "what are you doing?"

"i was bringing you flowers.. to ask you out." "i was making cookies... to also ask you out."

you both looked at one another in the eye before he handed you the flowers and you looked at them then him again. you felt a leap in your chest and felt a heat in your cheek.

in unison you both said, "will you go out with me?"and then both of you smiled at one another. simon gave you that quiet smile he had and you broke into a wide grin. next thing he knew, you were pulling him into the house just as the timer went off for the cookies.

they were your attempt at shortbread cookies in the shape of hearts. but simon thought they were delicious. especially when you sat in his lap and chased every bite of a cookie with a kiss. simon soon learned that he loved your kisses.

"how does it taste?" you asked as you leaned in a little closer.

"perfect." he placed his large, rough hand on your soft cheek and leaned in to kiss you on the lips. you melted a little at the feeling. you felt comfortable with simon.

he was a protective force in your life. he didn't make you feel small, in a bad way. there was an obvious size difference so you were physically smaller. but simon would never make you feel weak. after that, simon was over every day.

he brought vegetables and fruits from the farm. sometimes he'd bring wild flowers from around the property and on weekends eggs for breakfast.

"simon! simon!" during the middle of a warm summer, you called your boyfriend frantically. he instantly was on high alert from your tone. when he asked you what was wrong, you replied, "the tomatoes! they're here!" and as soon as simon hung up the phone, he instantly was getting his boots on to head to your home.

you waved him over when he got there and he saw them. he saw the heirloom tomatoes, his eyes went wide at the sight of them before he pulled you in close to him. you two looked at each other before you leaned up towards simon and kissed him deeply on the lips. you held onto the front of his black t-shirt .

you pressed your face against his chest soon after and said, "thank you so much, simon." you felt heat radiate through you, a deep love for your partner. simon held you close and peppered your face with more kisses.

the kisses got a little deeper and simon held you closer. you smiled against his lips before you pulled away. he looked as red as the tomatoes you were trying to grow.

he swallowed, "as much as i would love to make love to ya out on the grass. i don't think ya want grain stains on everything."he chuckled as he held you face once more in his large hand. he watched you shift a little before you got out of his grasp and took hold of his hand.

once again you were leading him into your home. and simon barely had time to kick off his work boots before you were kissing him passionately on the lips. his arms wrapped around you as he pulled you up against him. your hands in his t-shirt as you both tried to navigate through the small house towards your bedroom.

eventually you pushed you much larger lover onto the bed and he hastily took off his shirt. you had seen him nude before. both in intimate photos he sent, and also when he'd walk out of the shower with just a towel around his waist. but to see his heavy cock one he got his bottoms off and exposed his heavy cock to you.

you licked your lips at the sight of it and got out of your clothes. before you could get onto the bed, he placed a hand on your lower back and pressed his scratchy cheek against your middle. he sighed, visibly relaxing.

"so soft." he said, as he groped your ass. you giggled and combed your fingers through his curled hair. eventually you ended up on top of him in bed. you helped remove his clothes as well, his socks and t-shirt. and you ended up in bed with you. his broad hands mapped your body perfectly, he wanted to feel every inch of warm soft skin.

you looked beautiful when you eventually ended up under him. your head in the pillows and simon was between your legs. his hefty cock was at full attention as he gazed lovingly at your figure. how could a woman so beautiful want to date a man like him? but,he realized a long time ago not to question you. if you wanted to date him, then he'd happily accept your love.

but only if he could give it back in a tenfold. he rubbed his achy cock up against you. it was painfully stiff and he loved the sight of it up against your smaller slit. he was so big compared to you, a fact that turned both of you.

simon had to admit as he sank into you, he liked feeling like a protector. to know that you were safe because of him. that nothing would hurt his darling girl. it made him feel a tug of pride as he slotted himself into your cunt.

the feeling made him shudder for a moment and the stretch made you arched your back a little. he watched your nipples grow hard which only made his cock twitch with lustful want.

he placed his hand over your chest for a moment, but didn't apply much pressure against you. his palm over your heart as he said, "your mine and i'm yours. you, me and all the tomatoes." he smiled down at you before he leaned in further to kiss you square on the lips. his words made you core feel gooey, you felt his love for you in your blood, raising the temperature of it.

he kissed you as he put both hands on your hips and moved against you. he was cautious about hurting you, causing you pain as his cock nudged against you. you moaned against the heated kiss, you shifted a little and he pressed further into you.

when the kiss broke, you looked at one another while the air in the room grew warmer. you felt the heat between your legs as he moved. his gaze was hungry as he moved against you. he admired every inch of skin he could. he couldn't deny it, he never could, but you were the most beautiful woman he ever had the pleasure to love. he wasn't known for being a lady's man, but to know that he had you. he didn't need anyone else.

when perfection was in front of him, he'd never waste you. the pace continued as did the pleasure. the heat between you two as he moved against you. you tightened your legs around him and reached out for him. you were soon chest to chest with simon making sure that he wasn't crushing you.

the last thing he wanted was to hurt you. it would be like crushing a flower, it would break simon. but you soothed any anxiety as you held his face and kissed him passionately with each of his movements.

the pleasure bloomed through both of you as the two of you continued to move against one another. you started to pick up his pace and the kisses became deeper. it felt amazing, you felt like you were on cloud nine thanks to his pleasure. there was something undeniable about him. there was something heated and needy about his movements as you pushed up against him.

"glad i fit." he remarked, "was worried for a moment that she wasn't gonna fit me." he patted your middle for a moment, the action made you squirm and clench around him a little tighter his heart hammered in his chest the more he moved against you. there was a slice of heaven under him and he wanted to make sure his girl felt good.

you giggled a little, "you're not that big. nothing i can't take. i'm strong enough." and let out a sharp moan when simon pressed into you further which made you feel snaps of pleasure in your head.

he chuckled and held onto you a little tighter, he pushed himself further into you and let himself enjoy the sweet, tender feeling of his beloved. he loved you, it was clear from the moment he asked you out. his affection for you only grew with time, he needed you daily. he was constantly around because you made him feel needed and wanted. you were perfect for him.

he kissed you once more and continued his hold on you. he rocked against you sweet cunt and felt the wraps of pleasure in his core. he loved the feeling, being so close to climax with his beloved under him.

you deepened the kiss and threw your arms around his shoulders. he thrusted up into you, his pace steady but not too rough. once again, the idea of hurting you, even by accident, pained him. he never wanted that, he only wanted your sweet moans in his ear and your smiles to brighten up his day.

you two moved against one another, the pleasure continued to course through you. the two of you made love on your creaky bed, but enjoyed each other's gentle company. you tensed up a little bit as you felt the heat of climax was over you. you moaned into the kiss, and quietly said 'i love you' under your breath as orgasm took hold. the thump in your chest made you feel hot all over.

"i love you too.' he said softly as he continued to move against you. you clenched onto him and he loved the feeling of your nails against his skin. he felt extremely hot as he bucked his hips against you. the hammering in his chest only fueled his want for you.

he soon climaxed and felt the shudder through his body. the blossom of heat in his core as he finished inside of you. with a few more heavy thrusts, he slowed his pace to a stop to catch his breath. however that was made hard because you pulled him in for another searing kiss.

you both got under the covers and kissed deeply with one another. you felt connected to him, so close to him. so loving for him. you moaned into the kiss and simon cuddled up against you.

you said i love you to each other many times as you laid comfortable in each other's arms. the love flowed between you two. simon knew and you knew that you'd be together for a long time.

simon looked at you as you laid there comfrotably. you looked like someone special to him. you looked like the future mrs. simon riley.

-

it was a hot summer day two years later, you had come by to visit simon and found him working away at the blueberry plants on the farm. eventually you got him back inside his home. you moved around the kitchen like it was your own home.

you were giving simon a stern talking to while you got him a glass of water to help cool down. simon just watched you from his spot at the kitchen table.

"and you know what happens if you don't drink water! i don't need you passing out and crows peckin you-", when you turned around you noticed a small box on the table. the glass of watr almost fell out of your hand as he opened it. shock marked your expression and he chuckled.

he took a hold of the velvet box and opened it with a smile on his lips. your scarred, famer's tan having boyfriend with a love for heirloom tomatoes, was proposing to you.

"will you-"

"yes!" you squeaked before you quickly put the glass down and went over to him. he grabbed you and seated you on his lap. you held his face for a moment to look into his brown eyes before you laid a kiss on his lips.

he only pulled away to slip the ring on your finger (it was a big too big, but that could be fixed). you looked at the emerald in the ring and felt tears in your eyes. you kissed him once more.

you had everything, a home, a husband and heirloom tomatoes. <3

[rmadridcore]

SFW Alphabet

Pairing: Jude Bellingham x Reader

Requested & Requested

Word Count: 3K

Author’s note: Two requests for SFW Alphabet, so here it is 💘 hope you like it @judescorem & anon! Thanks for requesting 🫂

A = Affection (how affectionate are they? how do they show affection?)

Jude’s affection levels are truly off the charts, he’s like a walking embodiment of all five love languages. Quality time with you is his priority, and despite his demanding schedule, he’s intentional about squeezing in meaningful moments whenever he can.

He’s big on acts of service, too, and he’s memorized your favorite way to drink coffee to make it for you in the mornings, gives you a massage if you’re stressed, and even attempts cooking for you (though after a few near-kitchen disasters, he might just take you out instead). If you’re too tired to lift a finger, Jude will wash your hair or tuck you in. And gift giving? He’s your go to — he’ll come home with jewelry, art, plush toys, or quirky trinkets that made him think of you.

Compliments are another daily thing; whether you’re folding laundry or about to fall asleep, he’s telling you how much he loves you and how beautiful you are. He notices every tiny change, too, like a new shade of lipstick or a fresh haircut. Physical touch is his ultimate love language, though. If you’re out, he’ll keep a hand on your thigh or fingers intertwined, but in private, Jude transforms into a human koala, pulling you close in every possible way.

B = Best friend (what would they be like as a best friend? how would the friendship start?)

As a best friend, Jude is your ride or die, incredibly supportive and genuinely invested in every step of your journey. He’s like your personal cheerleader, hyped about even the smallest wins in your life, and you can count on him to be right there to celebrate or console you. He’s an incredible listener, letting you pour your heart out and providing advice when you need it. Jude knows the importance of having someone you can trust completely, so he’s that steady rock for you, creating a judgment-free zone where you’re safe to share anything. He’s also the friend who will notice if something is even slightly off and check in with a caring heart.

C = Cuddles (do they like to cuddle? how would they cuddle?)

I said it once, I’ll say it again: this man is a koala bear who just can’t let go. If there’s one thing Jude excels at, it’s cuddling. Surprisingly, he loves to cuddle even more than he lets on, and it’s become one of his favorite ways to unwind. Usually, he’s the big spoon, wrapping his arms around you protectively, feeling like he’s keeping you safe. But his secret favorite? Being the little spoon. There’s something he finds calming about resting his head on your chest, with your hands in his hair, listening to the steady beat of your heart. It’s his ultimate version of comfort, and he’ll fall asleep within minutes if he’s lying there like that.

D = Domestic (do they want to settle down? how are they at cooking and cleaning?)

Though young and still in the prime of his career, Jude is surprisingly domestic and absolutely sees a future with you. For him, settling down together isn’t just a fantasy; it’s his end goal. Even now, he loves the cozy routines you share — grocery shopping side by side, his enthusiastic (but often chaotic) attempts at cooking, and sharing chores, even if he’s hilariously clueless about both. Conversations about the future happen effortlessly, without a hint of doubt or hesitation, and he makes you feel included in every part of his life. He’s just as comfortable blending into your family gatherings as you are with his, and it’s that natural, grounded dynamic that makes him picture a life and family with you in it someday.

E = Ending (if they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

The idea of breaking up is simply unfathomable to Jude. Even in the worst case scenario, Jude would do everything possible to mend things, believing wholeheartedly that whatever caused the break could be fixed. His willingness to put in the work is one of his most admirable traits — he’s devoted to you, even in difficult times, and he’d never let go without a fight.

F = Fiancé(e) (how do they feel about commitment? how quick would they want to get married?)

Jude may not be rushing down the aisle tomorrow, but he often catches himself imagining what your wedding day might look like. The idea of you in a wedding dress, the look on your face as you walk toward him, and the forever waiting on the other side makes his heart race. He loves being young and enjoying these years together, building memories and strengthening your relationship, but he’s made it clear he sees marriage as part of your future. Jude knows the proposal will happen when the timing feels just right, but he’s not shy about dropping hints and showing you in sweet, subtle ways that he’s already fully committed.

G = Gentle (how gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

His gentle side is one of his most beautiful qualities, even if he keeps it subtle at times. Though vulnerability didn’t come naturally to him at first, his quiet softness shines through in the way he loves you. His compassion is deeply genuine, and his tenderness radiates through both his words and his actions. Physically, he’s incredibly attentive — he’ll caress your face with a featherlight touch, rub gentle circles on the back of your hand, trace his fingers through your hair, and cover you with delicate kisses. He’s patient and kind, making every touch feel intentional and filled with warmth.

H = Hugs (do they like hugs? how often do they do it? what are their hugs like?)

Hugging you is one of his absolute favorite things. Your scent, the warmth of your arms around him, and the way you tuck your face into his neck make him feel perfectly at ease. His hugs are comforting, strong, and incredibly full of love, he hugs you like he hasn’t seen you in months, even if it’s only been a few hours. He especially loves sneaking hugs from behind; he’ll wrap his arms around you while you’re cooking, brushing your teeth, or even doing your makeup, earning himself a playful scolding but never regretting it. To him, those hugs are worth any amount of teasing because they make him feel so close to you.

I = I love you (how fast do they say the L-word?)

He took some time to fully grasp his feelings for you, but he felt from the very beginning that there was something incredibly special about you. The moment he realized the warmth he felt around you was love, he felt more certain of it than anything else. When he said “I love you” for the first time, it was spontaneous, catching both of you off guard. He whispered those three words one morning, sleep still softening his voice, his gaze filled with sincerity and love as he smiled at you. At first, you thought he was joking, but the look in his eyes erased any doubts, and when he repeated the words softly and earnestly, you knew he meant it with his whole heart.

J = Jealousy (how jealous do they get? what do they do when they’re jealous?)

Jude has a love-hate relationship with jealousy. When you get jealous, he finds it endearing, using playful teasing and silly jokes to diffuse the moment, always making sure you feel loved and reassured. But when the tables turn and he’s the one feeling jealous, it’s a different story. Although he’s confident and tries to stay rational, but the sight of anyone openly flirting with you hits him harder than he’d like. It eats at him, casting a shadow over his entire mood, and he can’t quite laugh it off. You know exactly how to calm him down, though — reassurances, soft words, and kisses all over his face melt away his worry, leaving him certain, once again, that you’re entirely his.

K = Kisses (what are their kisses like? where do they like to kiss you? where do they like to be kissed?)

Kisses are Jude’s favorite form of affection. He’s obsessed with them — quick pecks, lingering, deep kisses, and everything in between. His favorite spot to kiss is, of course, your lips, where he loves to indulge in make out sessions that leave you both breathless. He loves to take the lead in these moments, his kisses hungry and passionate, his hands gently holding you close. But he’s also a sucker for forehead kisses, finding them incredibly intimate, and he’ll linger there, pressing his lips to your forehead while he whispers sweet words just for you. And if you kiss his neck? His eyes close, his breath catches, and he’s instantly lost, eager for more.

L = Little ones (how are they around children?)

Around kids, he is a total natural. His playfulness and warmth instantly draw children to him, and he seems to know just the right way to make them laugh or keep them entertained. He’s got a knack for making them feel at ease, and kids light up around him, matching his energy and joy. Though he’s not thinking about kids just yet, he knows that when the time comes, he wants it to be with you — and he’s confident that he’ll be great at it, just as long as you’re by his side.

M = Morning (how are mornings spent with them?)

Early in the relationship, you discovered that Jude is anything but a morning person. He loves his sleep, and if he could, he’d stay under the covers all morning, cozy and content beside you. But as disciplined as he is, his career often forces him to wake up early, leaving him to grumble and pout his way out of bed. When he has an early training session, he’s practically dragging his feet, rubbing his eyes, and giving you a look that practically begs you to let him stay snuggled up.

On his mornings off, though, he becomes the laziest person alive. He’ll stay in bed as long as you let him, relishing the rare chance to wrap himself around you and relax without any hurry. When noon rolls around, you usually have to coax him out of bed, jokingly reminding him there’s a world outside the covers. He finally gives in, but he’d always rather stay in bed a little longer with you.

N = Night (how are nights spent with them?)

Nights, on the other hand, are his favorite. He cherishes those quiet, peaceful hours just before you both drift off. He loves the feel of you relaxing beside him, breathing deeply, your head on his chest as you start to fall asleep. Sometimes, before sleep takes over, you’ll end up having those late night, deep conversations that wander from lighthearted to profound. Jude’s often the one to ask those unexpected, thoughtful questions that get you talking about dreams, ambitions, and the mysteries of life. He loves these talks because they remind him of how safe and easy it feels to open up to you, and he feels so grateful to have found someone who just gets him.

O = Open (when would they start revealing things about themselves? do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

He took his time at first, careful to make sure you were the one he could share everything with. But it didn’t take long before he started to realize he could trust you completely. There was an ease between you that allowed him to open up gradually, sharing everything from his childhood memories to his career hopes to his biggest fears. Once he understood the depth of your connection, he didn’t hold anything back, feeling safe enough to share all of himself with you. He loves how you let him be vulnerable without judgment, and the sense of trust you’ve built only makes your bond stronger.

P = Patience (how easily angered are they?)

Generally, he is pretty patient and grounded, but there are times when frustration gets the better of him. If he’s facing a tough day or can’t get something right, he tends to feel the stress more than he’d like. He’s not one to lash out, though — he usually withdraws a bit to cool off and reset. His impatience doesn’t last long, and he’s quick to come back to his calm self, finding his center again, especially when he’s around you. You’re often the one bringing him back to his usual level-headed self.

Q = Quizzes (how much would they remember about you? do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

If remembering things about you were a game, Jude would be the gold medalist. He remembers the most trivial details effortlessly — your favorite snack, your go to comfort food, your shoe size, your favorite songs, the way you like your coffee. He doesn’t even try; he just loves listening to you and stores up everything you say. He’ll surprise you by remembering little things you’ve mentioned in passing, things you may not even recall saying. For him, it’s second nature, and he jokes that his brain is permanently programmed to think of you.

R = Remember (what is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

Jude’s favorite memory is a quiet, seemingly insignificant moment but one that holds a lot of meaning for him. It was the first time you fell asleep on him, a night you spent watching a movie together. You were curled up beside him, claiming you weren’t tired even though your eyes were heavy and you were half-asleep by the opening credits. Eventually, you drifted off, your head nestled on his shoulder, and he couldn’t help but smile. He felt an unexpected happiness, a sense of peace, knowing you felt so at ease around him. Listening to your soft breathing and feeling your warmth, he realized that this was what he wanted for the rest of his life — moments of quiet closeness, where you were totally comfortable with each other.

S = Security (how protective are they? how would they protect you? how would they like to be protected?)

He is subtly protective, always making sure you’re comfortable and safe. He’s never overbearing, but he’s the type to always keep an eye on you in crowded places, his hand on your back or fingers intertwined with yours. If someone’s getting too close or making you uncomfortable, he’s immediately alert, his demeanor shifting as he makes it clear you’re not alone.

T = Try (how much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

He is effortlessly romantic, always putting thought and care into your relationship. He loves planning surprise date nights, booking a place he knows you’d like, or making sure he has your favorite snacks ready for a cozy night in. Whether it’s an anniversary or just an average day, he goes out of his way to show you how much he cares. Small gestures texting you sweet messages, or picking up flowers for you on his way home because he saw a bunch that reminded him of you. He especially enjoys the look on your face when he shows up with them unexpectedly, and he’s secretly got a favorite flower of yours memorized. He’s thoughtful with gifts too, remembering small things you mention in passing and giving them to you “just because.” He’s a firm believer that both big and little things are equally important in showing you how much you mean to him.

U = Ugly (what would be some bad habits of theirs?)

Jude has a tendency to bottle up his emotions when he’s overwhelmed. Rather than talking it out, he sometimes withdraws, getting quiet and distant. It can be frustrating because he keeps a lot of his struggles to himself, but he’s working on opening up more. He’s aware of this habit, and he appreciates how you gently encourage him to share his feelings when he’s ready.

V = Vanity (how concerned are they with their looks?)

This man takes pride in his appearance, knowing he’s a bit of a heartthrob (and rightfully so). He’s not obsessed with his looks but enjoys looking his best, especially when he’s with you. He loves when you show him off, and he takes a certain pride in knowing that he’s someone you’re proud to be seen with. He’s confident in his style and enjoys dressing up for special occasions or just looking nice for you. When you compliment his looks, it always brings out that cheeky smile, but he’s equally invested in making sure you feel beautiful and confident too.

W = Whole (would they feel incomplete without you?)

He is independent and driven, but being with you makes him feel complete in a way that nothing else does. He feels grounded by your presence, and knowing you’re by his side gives him the confidence and peace he needs. You’re his partner, his best friend, and his safe place all rolled into one, and without you, he feels a profound emptiness. He knows he can function on his own, but life feels so much better, brighter, and more meaningful with you in it.

X = Xtra (a random headcanon for them.)

Jude has been secretly trying to learn how to cook a few dishes for you. Cooking isn’t his strong suit, but he loves the idea of one day surprising you with a home cooked meal, just the two of you. He doesn’t think you expect him to master the kitchen, but he feels there’s something incredibly intimate about cooking for someone you love. So he keeps at it, watching tutorials, asking for tips from his mom, and even taking notes when you cook together, hoping to make you a meal that you’ll love (and one he doesn’t burn).

Y = Yuck (what are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

Dishonesty is something Jude just can’t tolerate. He values openness and feels a deep sense of trust in your relationship. He wants you to feel comfortable sharing anything with him, and he’s never judgmental. Knowing you’re genuine and honest with him means the world to him, so dishonesty would hurt him deeply.

Z = Zzz (what is a sleep habits of theirs?)

Jude is a cuddle magnet in his sleep. Even if you fall asleep apart, he instinctively reaches out, finding you with sleepy arms and pulling you close. When he’s stressed, he has a habit of mumbling in his sleep, something you find adorable. He usually denies it in the morning, laughing it off and insisting you must have imagined it.

[monamipencil]

another banger from mia. i love this series so much. not only was this chapter so entertaining and hot? it was so fucking dense and complex. i rly loved how you explored their characters more and their relationships too!! it's getting messy and messy i love it!! my fav parts below (they just get lengthier and lengthier but i dont' mind it all 😌)

“O-of geese.”

lmaoo

“Like plural of goose, geese?”  “What other kind of geese do you know, you dumbass.”

he's so dumbie, i love him 🎀

 Watching both men glaring at each other,

teehee *debbie ryan hair tuck* but this is a ick irl and i'd rather die.

Zeus, geese and the Helen of Troy.

i hate zeus with everything in my being.

“We have enough on our plate this season, Soonyoung.” It was very apparent that Seungcheol was trying his best not to meet your eye.

this man child, smh

his expression a lot softer

omg cheol look, we got your report back, it says you have fucking bipolar personality disorder.

“Can someone please explain to this man that I’m not going to listen to him.”

asdfghjkl lmaooo

Soonyoung dropped a kiss on your forehead

??? what are we??

As you slowly turned to Minghao, embarrassed to meet his eye, he straight up shook his head, looking amused.

girl, seriously? lmao

“You left this in my workshop last night….” 

...

“That's mine.’

.......

Fine, if he was going to be a bitch, so were you. Following his suit, you walked out of the hall in the opposite direction, leaving everyone inside baffled.

both of them are immature asf, and lmao i love the drama

But rather than scalding your skin off, the boiling hot water just felt like a tickle.

girlie is a charizard, hot water aint enough, we need lava

Soonyoung had broken up with his girlfriend because of you but neither he nor you were sure about what exactly he felt for you and Minghao? You had noticed he was generally protective of you since you had joined camp and thought it was just because he was nice, but the way he pulled you away from Soonyoung every time the two of you were a little more intimate? That did not seem very ‘general’. 

huhu, this is getting more messy, i love it 😌

Wonwoo - also in his towel, hanging low at his waist, moving as silent as a shadow as he walked towards the showers.

im just a man 😌 i need some of that-

“What can I know?” He raised an eyebrow. “I know you're a loner Y/n. You've been one your whole life. Your biological parents never cared enough about you, you don't have any siblings, you've never bothered to make friends, you've always been alone.”

ok nvm, why would she herself walk into the lion's mouth?

why do I have to try and bother with your existence when you’re just looking for the first chance to run?”

fair, but ... this is the opposite of the communication problems soonyoung is facing. also i like the depth of her character, and his too! i love their complexity

That was until one incident turned your entire life upside down.

i see, i have an idea abt what happened and 👀

You didn’t want this home, you didn’t want these people, you only wanted her. 

that fucking hurts. damn.. i love your descriptions of her pain and complexes. honestly, i completely overlooked the mother part. but it fucking hurts

meet the sight of a set of extremely well chiseled abs, rivets of water dripping down them.

chile, we were just talking abt her mommy issues im not gonna jump onto seokmin's DELICIOUS abs. anyways, damn his abs-

And with that you walked away from there, body alight with a different kind of fire now. You needed to find someone immediately.

 i feel so bad for her

“Hi cow.” You waved at the half asleep animal under the tree, lazily blinking at you.

 RIGHT, HIS COW’S NAME IS COW LMAOO

but Jihoon was not normal and that was confirmed when you opened the door and were greeted by two dozen gym equipment

 ASDFGHJKL

“Why has everyone on camp decided to be shirtless today?”  “Is that why you chose to be bottomless instead?”

LMFAOOOO

“Hot you are.” He mumbled, sitting down on the bench, grabbing a pair of dumbells. “There's way too much heat in your body, which means you're either mad or ovulating and I'm not sure how I can help with either.”

srsly? LEE JIHOON? WHAT ARE WE

“Can I at least tell you without having you stare at me getting dressed?”

i love me a smug man 😌

“Please wear them Y/n. I can barely look at you…”

when was the last time you were in the vicinity of a woman jihoon?

Jihoon rolled his eyes and grabbed you by the waist, hoisting you onto the counter 

 we just got manhandled. Im not okay with this, how dare he? Do it again- 

 “Fire is one of the five natural elements. Even the gods, your mother included, can only control fire, not create it.” 

i rly like the fact that she's afraid oh her own abilities and thinks of herself as a freak (it sounds weird like this). she's better than me if it was me i'm villain laughing and causing a wreak all around while showing off lmao (which obv would get me killed aint no way i'd survive ancient greece)

“Though I can’t promise I can keep my hands to myself.” 

 mingyu, honey, not right now. She’s having an existential crisis 

 The only thing that gave you comfort as he laughed was the knowledge that if you burn, Mingyu was perhaps the only one who couldn’t hurt with your fire. 

 this is oddly romantic 

most scenes tend to involve a minimum of five people.” 

 ???? 

Trying not to smile, Jihoon slotted himself between your dangling legs, pushed the hair off your shoulder, gently tending to your bruises. 

 what are we lee jihoon? 

“Uh…. Demigods are barren Y/n, we…. cannot have children.” 

 the plot keeps getting more complex and im here for it! My god, i feel so sad for her and that’s such a punch in the gut… 

That’s it. That’s what you needed again. A distraction.  

 we need therapy 

“Fucking hell.” Jihoon muttered and in a flash you were pushed up against the wall, trapped between it and him, caged by his arms on either side. “I'm only just a man Y/n.”

😌 he's just a man

“You're gonna cum three times before I do.” 

 i love a self confident man  

“I'm savouring.” He smirked, leaning closer. “I'm in good hands and I know you're soaked. It's only a matter of time before you're begging.” 

 okayyy?? Jee, tone down the dirty talk. Omg, the filth he’s spewing??

“Shit.” Jihoon muttered pulling you up. “That's code purple.”

  our man got cuckholded by a code alert 

“Seungcheol and Y/n, you two will head north.” 

and the plot thickens

“Okay mate, you need to get your head out of your bestie's ass.”

lmaoo

“You're the one in danger.” He corrected. “But yes you are the threat and more importantly, Cheol knows that. He always knew that. It was evident from the start that you were a monster magnet, that you are some kind of anomaly and that making you a part of our camp would only mean more danger but he said it didn't matter. He said as long as someone needed to be saved, he would do it. He said he would be your protector and that's why you're here Y/n - because Cheol made the choice to safeguard you.”

 once again, i love the characters being complex. It could’ve been so simple to just hate him with no reason but damn i respect cheol for this. I love your writing skills and plot building!!

As lightning ripped across the sky, Seungcheol let out a deep breath “Send her away.”

 i love scenes with his powers. It’s hot for some reason lmao (future lola squinting at past lola's comment after knowing the truth)

Yet again you had to remind yourself Natalie was in fact a pig and not a dog. 

 NATALIEEE 

“But I thought you should know - his heart was racing just as fast when you came to talk to him. It always is around you.”

😌

 if only Seungwkan didn't walk over, settling down on the log across yours.

jihoon being cuckholded pt.2

 “I wanted to ask for the ointment you gave me earlier, for bruises. I… have many mosquito bites.”  “Right.” He scratched his head. “I was going to offer you the same.” 

IDIOTS LMAOO, I LOVE THEM SM

Seungkwan’s eyes flickered between the two of you but it was only when Hansol looked up that you realised just how suspicious this must seem.

asdfghjkl

“I’m the Sun’s progeny - a little solar energy goes a long way.” 

i just imagined woozi as little ball of sun, i wanna cry

Something was wrong. 

...

“Because the song you just heard is what we call Apollo’s Anthem.” He cocked his head at you victoriously. “If mastered, the one who plays it can make anyone dance to their tunes, like you just did.” 

holy shit. mia i absolutely love your ability to use mythology like this!! your brain??? omg

“Can we please not talk about your hot math teacher while I'm jerking off?” Jihoon groaned. “Now I'm thinking of my math teacher and he was a gnome of a man.” 

jihoon lmfao ???

“Stop talking and move over.”

any other man would fight these hands for that but i can let lee jihoon slide

“You want me to fuck you.”

lmfaooo

Your bratty-ness was met with a painful spank on the ass.

damn... ofc, it's jihoon with his spanks

“Stay safe doll.”

idk who to fawn over here. sir, my heart cannot take this

“It's always night at her realm. No light, no Gods, no eyes are allowed here.” He gulped as though he suddenly realised the proximity between the two of you. “No one can see us here.” 

ba-bump, ba-bump im sorry lmao i just had to. honestly, if this was a visual novel, i'd dig the fuck out of it

 he pulled you up against him, the lighter dropping from your hands due to the sheer force as your body pressed against his.  “No one can see us Y/n.” He whispered, eyes drifting to your lips. “No one.”  You moaned when you felt his tongue slip into your mouth, his hands annoyed by all the armour as though they wanted to rip it out. Looking up at you equally breathless, eyes almost pleading, the words that you'd been dying to hear left his mouth at last.  “Fuck I've wanted this for so long.” He groaned. “I wanted you for so long Y/n, please….”  he was begging for. Choi Seungcheol wanted to sleep with you.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

giggling, blushing, kicking my feet, bitting my hands, bleeding from my nose, dead. omfg, the fucking cliffhanger?? miaa, I LOVE YOU ?!?!

Camp Seventeen: Chapter 3

Pairing - Afab!reader x ot13

Word count - 16K

Genre - Greek Demigod AU! We’ve got crack, smut, fluff , angst, hurt, comfort, all of it in this series, buckle up!

Previous chapter

Chapter summary - As the days in camp seventeen unfold the many burdens you had tucked away in your heart, you dive into the sorrows you had presumably left behind. Thankfully (or not) a musical moment and a menacing monster serve as unforeseen distractions.

A/n - I do have a taglist so comment on this post to be added! As usual, the member and warnings will be added in a weeks time to keep suspense :) This chapter is a bit heavy, the plot is thickening so please do take your time with it - I promise things will make sense eventually!

Special thanks to @monamipencil! Your comments made my day Lola <3

“Chief.” Soonyoung took a worried step forward, hand slipping out from yours. “Is everything okay?” 

“If you’re here it's either not serious enough or it's too serious.” Minghao frowned at Seungcheol, crossing his arms. “My guess is the former.” 

“The camp is under attack.” Seungcheol sighed, running his hands through his hair like he was embarrassed. “Of….” 

“Of what?” 

“O-of geese.” 

“Geese??” Soonyoung looked at him stupidly. “Like plural of goose, geese?” 

“What other kind of geese do you know, you dumbass.” Seungcheol rolled his eyes. 

“I don't know. The kind of geese I know don’t attack human establishments??” 

“It’s obviously some elaborate prank by the children of Nemesis, considering it's their companion.” Muttering, Seungcheol stuffed his hand in his pockets. “Those winged brats are just wreaking havoc everywhere - they’ve broken all of the farm's tools, they’ve made a mess of the dining hall, they’ve shat all over the houses-” Both boys groaned. “-it's a catastrophe.”

“Are we sure it’s not Jeonghan?” Soonyoung narrowed his eyes. “We all know how much he enjoys stuff like this….” 

“Jeonghan also loves to watch the consequences of his very well planned antics.” Seungcheol scoffed. “And he’s not at camp - he said he was going to the city for….. something, I don’t know but no, it’s not him.” 

“If it's not him then how did these birds enter camp at night?” Minghao raised his eyebrows confused. “They shouldn’t have been able to pass Wonwoo’s nighttime defenses.” 

“He says they might have sneaked in during the shift handover. Apparently Hansol and the hounds were the only ones patrolling when he was settling up because Jihoon was busy elsewhere.” Seungcheol looked straight at you, almost accusatorily. 

What the hell, how was this your fault?

“There’s no need to look at her like that.” Minghao took a step forward, half covering you behind his frame. “You should talk to Jihoon about being more responsible with his time.” 

“That’s not the point now.” Watching both men glaring at each other, Soonyoung tried to ease the tension. “We should be discussing how we can get rid of those menaces.”

“We've been trying.” Seungcheol groaned. “But neither Jun nor Hansol are able to communicate with them for some reason. It seems like they are some weird mix of domestic and wild.”

“That's strange.” Minghao frowned, lost in thought. 

“Something does seem off.” Soonyoung agreed. “Not only have they breached Wonwoo's protection but they're also some sort of unheard half breeds? Two anomalies cannot be a coincidence.” 

“Moreover, it's not like the children of Nemesis to prank.” Minghao frowned, staring at the ground. “Pettiness isn't their nature.”

“What other reason could they have to do this?” Seungcheol crossed his arms, muscles tense. “Revenge?” 

“Maybe, or it might not even be them.” Sooonyoung looked lost in thought. “Seungkwan and I will speak around with our contacts. I’m sure we can find out something.”

Seungcheol nodded, “In the meantime we need to clear them from camp premises before they cause more destruction.”

“Then why aren't you at camp doing that chief?” Minghao narrowed his eyes at the leader. “Why is it that you're here, like there's more important things to worry about?” 

You didn’t have to look to tell that Minghao was glancing at you over his shoulder. 

Soonyoung didn't seem to think his presence was suspicious. “He's the Son of Zeus, Hao. Geese and him don't really go well together.” 

You vaguely recalled Jihoon telling you something in the Iliad about Zeus, geese and the Helen of Troy.

“Is that it?” Minghao raised his eyebrow amused. “Big ol’ chief afraid of some feathered friends?” 

“I’m here for Soonyoung.” Seungcheol gritted between his teeth. “And I asked for the message of the attack to be passed to him alone.” 

Your eyes followed Soonyoung’s which focused on the group huddled in the corner - a bunch of the most beautiful people you had ever seen, snickering away.

“Fucking Aphrodite’s children.” He muttered knowing all three of you were purposely misled here in the interest of creating a scene.“How can I help, chief?” 

“We were wondering if your ability to induce intoxication can calm them down so they can be captured?” He looked unsure. “Hansol and Jihoon were ready to shoot down the birds but if this really is a prank, we don’t want to harm their animals and seek trouble with the other camps.” 

“Even though this might be their fault?” 

“We have enough on our plate this season, Soonyoung.” It was very apparent that Seungcheol was trying his best not to meet your eye. “The last thing we need is more camps to be against us.” 

Soonyoung nodded like he understood. “We should leave then but Chan is too drunk to drive-” 

“I got here on Wonwoo’s bike.” Seungcheol waved his hand, dismissing the younger one’s concern. “You and I can head back first and the rest of the team…...Minghao, are you sober?” 

The man in question nodded. 

“Good, gather everyone immediately and make sure they reach camp safely, especially….” 

Seungcheol glanced at you, his expression a lot softer but the anger you felt for him had not changed. 

“I’m not leaving yet.” You spoke up for the first time, earning the leader’s confused look. “I don't want to.”

“Are you drunk?” 

“And what if I am?” 

“It’s a Thursday night Y/n, we have training tomorrow morning-” 

“Ugh I don’t care.” You grabbed a canned cocktail from the nearby table and popped it open, ignoring Soonyoung’s widened eyes. “Your camp, your rules, whatever the hell you’ve got going on, I don’t care for it Cheol- oh sorry, Seungcheol.” You corrected yourself. “I will leave this party whenever I feel like I want to leave this party.” 

“Stop being a child.” Seungcheol was clearly holding back his anger. “There’s enough going on back at camp now for you to-” 

“Exactly, go deal with it chief. I’m sure you’ll all fare better without the “weak link” around.” 

“Y/n I…” He sighed, watching you drink in big gulps. “First of all, you shouldn’t be drinking that-” 

“Can someone please explain to this man that I’m not going to listen to him.” 

“Cheol.” Minghao looked pointedly at his leader who was on the verge of snapping. “I’ll bring everyone back to camp safely…. everyone.” He emphasized again. “You and Kwon should get going now.” 

“Yeah.” Soonyoung nodded before turning to you and grabbing the bottom ends of Minghao’s jacket, aligning them as his voice fell to a whisper. “Y/n, that’s a sex potion too.” 

Eyes popping out, you nearly spat out your drink. “I thought it was just the beer??” He nodded. “Yeah, so did everyone, hence the improvisation.” He pulled the zip up, adjusting the jacket on your shoulders. “Take care sweetie.” 

You nodded, eyes briefly meeting Seungcheol over Soonyoung’s shoulder. He looked…..indifferent as he stared back. 

“Come on Kwon.” He muttered, turning away as the Soonyoung dropped a kiss on your forehead before taking a step back and jogging away to catch up with his leader. You only let out a breath as their figures disappeared in the rain that only got heavier. 

Before you knew it, a familiar feeling began licking up your spine, warmth spreading all over your being just like it had earlier. As you slowly turned to Minghao, embarrassed to meet his eye, he straight up shook his head, looking amused.

“Nah uh. Ignorance I can understand but stupidity?” He scoffed. “That's your problem.” 

“Minghao-” 

“Fight it Y/n.” He grabbed a macaroon, stuffing it in his mouth as he began to walk away from you. “Fight it.” 

Unlike Seungcheol’s house, the room you woke up in did not have sunlight streaming in. 

Stretching on the large king size bed, you glanced at the now empty space beside you - the man who had given you company last night was no longer there and rightfully so considering it was way past training hours. 

Ignoring the pain in your head, you swung your feet off the mattress, glancing out the window. The view is much nicer than Seungcheol’s house - there all you could see were endless trees and hills but here you could see much more of the camp, particularly the common cabin, where everyone was slowly walking towards after hitting the showers. Slightly annoyed and very bothered that yesterday’s events were about to repeat, you sighed, heading down the stairs, making your way to the dining hall. Unlike yesterday though, no one spared a glance at you as you walked in. 

You could tell they were all tired - you saw much of the aftermath of the geese ambush as you returned to camp late last night. Considering everything looked normal today, you figured the boys must have spent all night cleaning up before reporting to train in the wee hours of the morning. 

“Y/n,” Mingyu’s voice called out to you from behind as you turned to him. “You left this in my workshop last night….” 

As you glanced at the jacket in his outstretched hand, the eyes of the other boys flickered between the two of you. 

“That's mine.’ Minghao walked up, swooping his garment in his hands as the attention of the room shifted to him. You gulped as he walked away from the hall wordlessly. 

You figured you should say something considering the silence was only getting worse, maybe apologise for missing training yet again but before you could say it, Seungcheol got up and walked right past you without saying a word. 

Lips parted, you watched him leave once more, refusing to say anything, refusing to listen to you, simply being stubborn like he always was. 

Fine, if he was going to be a bitch, so were you. Following his suit, you walked out of the hall in the opposite direction, leaving everyone inside baffled. 

The heat of the water just wasn’t comforting. 

You knew it was hot, there was steam all around, the tiles of the shower were covered in condensation and designs you had mindlessly traced with your finger. But rather than scalding your skin off, the boiling hot water just felt like a tickle. Annoyed, you turned off the pouring water and grabbed the towel, wrapping it around your body, tucking it in front of your chest. As you ran your hand through your wet hair, you looked at yourself in the mirror. 

Water was dripping from the wet strands, running down the many darkening, reddish purple marks on your neck and shoulder. You knew they would get darker as days passed but you didn’t expect them to look so bruised up already. Running your finger across them you sighed - last night was a horrible mistake. Sure you were under the influence of some messed up concoction but sleeping with more than one member of the camp was ridiculous to say the least. 

What was more burdensome was the idea that maybe there was more than the concoction involved…. Soonyoung had broken up with his girlfriend because of you but neither he nor you were sure about what exactly he felt for you and Minghao? You had noticed he was generally protective of you since you had joined camp and thought it was just because he was nice, but the way he pulled you away from Soonyoung every time the two of you were a little more intimate? That did not seem very ‘general’. 

Shutting your eyes, you tried to push the details of last night out of your mind. Thank god you listened to your trainer when he told you to fight it. Otherwise when you asked Mingyu if you could crash at his place in order to avoid Seungcheol and found yourself sharing his king size bed, maybe you would have allowed yourself to make another mistake. You couldn't make another one so soon. 

Tightening the grip of your towel, you turned towards the changing rooms, slightly startled by the figure that just walked in.

Wonwoo - also in his towel, hanging low at his waist, moving as silent as a shadow as he walked towards the showers. You should have felt exposed, more conscious, given you were barely dressed, and covered in innumerable hickies but you didn't feel a thing. Because Wonwoo hadn't spared you a glance. He walked past you like he couldn't care less, like you weren't there. 

“What is your problem?”

After days of watching this man behave so unnecessarily indifferent to you, you finally spoke up, mind already disturbed by a hundred and one things. 

“Why do you always behave like I don't exist?” You crossed your arms, staring him down. “If you're an introvert, I can understand, Hansol doesn't interact with me much either but at least he doesn't behave like I'm invisible, like he can see right through me-”

“Because I can.” His voice left him deep and cold as he turned to you. “Because I can see right through you.”

You scoffed. “What-”

“Because regardless of what you pretend to be in front of others, I can see the real you. I know things about you that you won't even admit to yourself.” 

 “What-” You emphasised again. “-can you possibly know?.”

“What can I know?” He raised an eyebrow. “I know you're a loner Y/n. You've been one your whole life. Your biological parents never cared enough about you, you don't have any siblings, you've never bothered to make friends, you've always been alone.” He took a step forward. “Even though it was circumstances that drove you to loneliness, you always told yourself that it was your choice, that you wanted to be alone because it’s easier that way. It’s easier to tell yourself that you chose to distance yourself from everyone rather than admit that you were rejected. You knew you would never be accepted. You knew no matter where you were and what you did, you would never fit in. You knew you were a freak.” 

Eyes widening, you stared at his nearing figure. 

“But now? Now you're finally in a place where you belong. You are finally with your kind but you're still terrified - you're scared that maybe, this isn’t where you’re meant to be either. You're scared that if you accept these people and they find out what you really are, they'll leave you too. They'll break the heart you've been safeguarding for all these years.”

Your heart was quite literally in your mouth. 

“That's why you rebel. That's why you call this place 'camp' and never ‘home’. You say things are hard and you're having trouble adjusting but what you're really trying to do is establish that you always are and always will be an outsider - you’re trying to escape the pain that will come when you're finally abandoned. That is why you'll always look for reasons to leave this camp. You'll never let yourself belong, you'll never let yourself become one of those here. So tell me, why do I have to try and bother with your existence when you’re just looking for the first chance to run?”

And somehow, now you could feel the heat all over. It was uncomfortably coursing through your whole body, burning you inside out in a way that made you want to rip out your skin but you already felt so bare, so naked in front of this man. 

But before any words could leave you at all, Wonwoo took a step back and then another till he retreated out of sight and into the showers. It was only when he disappeared that you finally let out the breath you were holding.

Maybe the more logical thing to do was to dive into the lake before you hit the showers but here you were, stripping into just your inner wear and jumping into the ice cold waters, desperate to cool yourself off. As you submerged yourself further in the waters, you shut your eyes, submerging into the darkness as well. 

The fire burning inside you because of Wonwoo's words was just not dying. For the first time ever, it felt like you had truly looked into a mirror because every single word that came out of that man's mouth was true. So, so true. 

And he was right when he said you've never admitted these things even to yourself because you were never really one for introspection. It wasn't like you to explore your thoughts, understand your nature, figure out the intentions of your actions. No, none of that. 

You were impulsive. You dived head first into things. You made decisions, then considered the consequences. You were reckless, you lived fearlessly, you lived like no one and nothing else mattered. 

Because nothing else did matter. 

Ever since you were young, you were on your own. You were not even sure when your mother left you, you had no memories of her and your father? The man who was barely ever present, abandoned you 3 days before your 12th birthday. From then your life had been just yours alone. You worked odd jobs to feed yourself, you worked hard to study, you studied harder to work better and life just went on like that. You didn't have many friends to compensate for the solitude either. Making friends was somehow not very easy for you - how were you supposed to explain the shambles of your life to people? How were you supposed to establish any kind of relationship with anyone when the only ones you ever had, walked out on you? 

You were better off alone. You were always better off alone.

That was until one incident turned your entire life upside down.

The days leading up to your arrival at camp are still a blur to you. The flames, the masked men, the court, the meeting of dozens of people - it all still felt like a fever dream. But one moment was still very clear in your memory - the moment when you were standing at the shrine of your mother, in front of her statue. 

Goddess of the hearth, home and hospitality they said. The old man beside you was going on and on about her. About her powers, about what a wonderful woman she was, about how delighted you'd be to meet her. 

You, though, felt like you were stabbed in the heart you had so carefully locked away. 

When the masked men revealed the truth of your parentage, when you learnt about your mother, you let that hope in you grow again. You thought maybe with this big secret finally out you’ll finally get to meet her. That she would finally be a part of your life. 

That’s why when they gave you a choice at the swearing in ceremony to join camp seventeen or go back to your mortal life, you chose the former. It was for her, it was to be with your mother, it was to finally feel home. 

But as you stared at her statue, offering your respects after the ceremony, it was like someone was drowning you in cold water. Nothing about the expression on her face felt remotely homely, nothing about her felt warm and loving to you - she did not feel like a mother. Rather she felt cold, distant and unwelcoming, just like you imagined the woman who abandoned you would look like. 

And with time, you realised your fear was right. 

Ever since you arrived at camp, all you did was wait. Wait for just one conversation, maybe an explanation, or even just a glimpse. But there was no indication of her. She didn’t drop by the camp, she didn’t respond to your invocation at the temple, she didn't care at all, just like she hadn’t in the last twenty five years. 

The pain of being re-abandoned was so strong that, with each passing day, it began to gnaw on your insides. The breaking point was perhaps realising that you were her only progeny yet you didn't matter to her. It was a blow you had refused to accept but one that had most definitely broken you internally. You had uprooted your whole life for her, you made this new world yours but at what cost - daily incessant instructions to train, classes after classes teaching you how to fit in, members continually trying to make you feel at home. You didn’t want this home, you didn’t want these people, you only wanted her. 

Wonwoo was right, you were never here to be a part of this camp, it was merely a stepping stone to your final goal. You were indeed looking to run. 

But before you could wonder about how Wonwoo knew all these things about you, a hand wrapped around your waist. In a flash it pulled you out and tossed you onto the bank as you launched into a coughing fit, throwing up water. 

“What the hell Y/n?” A worried voice patted your back. “What were you thinking?” 

In between your fit, you raised your head to meet the sight of a set of extremely well chiseled abs, rivets of water dripping down them. Gulping you cleared your throat and scooted back, suddenly aware that you were very very minimally dressed. 

Your saviour Seokmin, looked away from you realising the same as he grabbed the shirt he had tossed into the grass before jumping into the water and handed it to you. Taking it from him, you slipped it on. 

“What is wrong with you?” 

“What?” You frowned. “I'm fine.” 

“You were underwater for so long, I thought you drowned…” Seokmin muttered, pushing his wet hair off his face. “Are you okay?” 

“I'm okay.” You mumbled. You weren't but you knew he wasn't referring to your broken heart. 

“You looked distressed.” Or maybe he was. 

“I just… had some thinking to do.” 

“Well underwater isn't the best place for that if I'm being honest.” He chuckled. “Unless you're Poseidon's child.” 

“What, only you have a claim on water?” 

“No, only we can breathe underwater.”  He somehow looked embarrassed. “Though I was well into my teens before I discovered that.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“I was terrified of water as a child, wouldn't go near it.” He laughed. “Ironic for the Son of the Sea right?” 

You scoffed. “A little.” 

“When my aura got stronger, my father found me and helped me get habituated to the waters, that's how I-” 

“Your father?” You gulped, knowing the answer even as you asked him. “Your father as in Poseidon? Poseidon helped you?” 

Seokmin nodded like it was obvious. “I was so scared of any kind of water body, he would lure me in with my favourite snacks. As I got older, I stopped falling for such tricks so he took me to Olympus and made sure I was personally trained in those olympic size pools-”

“Fucking hell.” You got to your feet, much to Seokmin's confusion, tripping as you did. 

“Y/n careful!” He quickly got up, catching you before you hit the ground again. “Are you okay-” 

“No.” You shook your head.“I am not.” 

And with that you walked away from there, body alight with a different kind of fire now. You needed to find someone immediately. 

“Jihoon, we need to talk.”

As you slammed the door of Jihoon’s house open, you were met with silence. 

This was the first time you were in his residence and somehow if you had to picture how his home looked, it was nowhere close to this. You assumed the son of the Sun would prefer whites or lighter colours but most of the minimal furniture in his house was a dark black, standing out starkly in the small room. But right now wasn't the time for you to ponder about his interiors, there were more important things you needed to talk to him about. 

Turning on your heel, you shut the door behind you, wandering into this backyard instead. You knew Jihoon had his own personal gym somewhere there and if Soonyoung was right about his tendency to work out, it was highly likely you would find him there. 

“Hi Cow.” You waved at the half asleep animal under the tree, lazily blinking at you. As though it read your mind, it pointed its head towards the small path on the side before tucking its head between its legs and dozing off. You followed its directions, reaching a large tinted greenhouse and when you opened the door you were greeted by two dozen gym equipment. In the middle of it all was the man you were looking for, his bare back facing you as he hung off a bar, pulling himself up with way too much ease. 

“Y/n.” Well it was no surprise he recognised you without even a glance. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” 

“Why has everyone on camp decided to be shirtless today?” You mumbled, walking in, looking around. 

Chuckling, Jihoon jumped off, turning to you as he landed. Eyes running down your body, he cocked his head. “Is that why you chose to go bottomless instead?” 

And it was only then that you realized you didn't fully dress yourself before storming away from the lake in just Seokmin's shirt. 

“I was hot.” You shrugged, pulling down the shirt.

“Hot you are.” He mumbled, sitting down on the bench, grabbing a pair of dumbells. “There's way too much heat in your body, which means you're either mad or ovulating and I'm not sure how I can help with either.” 

“The former.” You rolled your eyes. “And only you can help with it.”

“Go on.” He sighed, curling the weights, his biceps bulging with every move. Tearing your eyes away, you cleared your throat. 

“I want to meet my mother.”

“Which one?”

“Hestia.” You crossed your arms. “I have something to ask her.”

“I'm still missing the part where I can help.” 

“You said you'll teach me how to reach out to her.” 

“I did.” He grunted, focusing on his workout. “And I will, every Thursday at 4-” 

You grabbed the dumbbell with surprising ease and put them down before leaning over the man before you, expression threatening. 

“Lee Jihoon, I swear to god, if you don't help me right now…”

Your words trailed away as his eyes shifted down to your neck, the shirt no longer hiding the bruises that were littered all over it. You glanced down before straightening yourself, taking a step back. Jihoon got up, pushing his hair back, eyes fixed on you. 

“I just…” You sighed. “I just want to meet her once.” 

“Then go to the camp temple and invoke her presence.” 

“I have, everyday. She doesn’t respond.” 

“Then there’s no way I can help you Y/n.” He grabbed his towel, wiping the sweat off his arms. “One can only meet Gods if they wish to meet you and I think your mother has made her wishes very clear.”

“I don’t care what she wishes.” You spoke between gritted teeth. “And you said if I played my cards right, my mother would come looking for me.” 

“I also said it would take years of training to become worthy of that.” 

“I don't have years, Jihoon. I want to meet her as soon as I can.” 

“And why the newfound urgency?” He frowned. “What changed overnight?” 

Wonwoo. 

“Seokmin said his father taught him to swim, that as a child he took him to Olympus.” 

“So?”

“So how come my mother never cared, Jihoon? Why is it that she still doesn't?” 

“I already told you-”

“I don't buy that.” You shook your head. “How can a mother be ashamed of having a child? Of her only child?” 

“You'd be surprised.” Jihoon looked at you pitably. “Gods aren't like humans.” 

“Then let her say that to me.” You took a deep breath. “Let her give me that closure so I can stop losing my mind over this. I just want one meeting with her please, is there really no way?” 

“There is one.” He hummed, crossing his arms, his pecs bulging behind them. 

“And what is that?” 

“By doing a sacrifice.”  

“Sac-sacrifice?” You looked at him shocked. “Like those cult stuff?” 

Jihoon rolled his eyes, forgetting just how little you knew about this world. “Sacrifice is an age-old tradition made by our ancestors to please the gods, to gain their favours.” He leaned against the treadmill, slipping into his professor role, just like he had yesterday. “At times of droughts, they used to call on Zeus for rains. When crops were ravaged by pests, Demeter was the one to turn to. When they were at war, Ares was their savior. But,” He sighed. “calling upon a god was not so easy - it required time and perseverance and procedure-” 

“What kind of procedure?” 

“It was insanely complex.” Reaching for his bottle, Jihoon began walking out of the greenhouse, you following closely behind. “First, men would have to climb to the top of mount Olympus to get holy fire, then they would gather items for sacrifice. Every god has a set of items that they just cannot refuse. Dionysus loves his gemstones, Poseidon will do anything for seasalt. Artemis is harder to please, she likes a very specific kind of wildflower. If one offered enough of these to please the gods, then they would appear and were obliged to extend one favour in exchange. But ‘enough’ was where the problem lied.” As he bent down to pet Cow, you stared far off at the horizon, lost in thought.  ”The Gods were incredibly difficult to satisfy, it took large amounts for anything to be ‘enough’ for them. There were demigods who had spent ages trying to invoke them, even losing their minds in the attempts.” 

“That’s degenerate.” You frowned, as he stopped again, this time to grab a bunch of herbs from the wall of his house.

“It was.” He began plucking the leaves, grabbing handfuls. “Eventually, when the Oracle of Delphi was made in charge of the Demigods, things changed. Any demigod who wished to do a sacrifice had to obtain a scroll from her - the Scroll of Sacrifice. A piece of paper that would explicitly state just one thing that the gods wanted in exchange for a favour.” 

Pushing the nearby door open, he stepped in. 

“So you’re saying,” You followed him into his house. “-the only way for me is to go to the oracle, get a scroll, sacrifice whatever is needed and then in exchange I can earn her favour and make her answer my questions?” 

“Theoretically yes, but in reality,” He shook his head, opening yet another door and walking in. “it won’t be that easy.” 

“Why not?” 

“Delphi only hands scrolls to very few demigods, ones she deems worthy and even if she does, they're incredibly difficult - the sacrifice demanded in exchange is almost always impossible to let go.” 

“How hard can it be?” You frowned. “What kind of sacrifices do they ask for?” 

Jihoon sighed, the incessant questions finally getting to him. “You do know your weekly classes are for exactly such information right?” 

“But I want to know right now.” 

“Can I at least tell you without having you stare at me getting dressed?” 

Oh.

Apparently you had walked behind him straight into his dressing room. 

Muttering an apology, you stepped out as he shut the door behind you. 

“So,” You half spun on the balls of your foot. “You were saying?” 

Another one of Jihoon’s sighs reached you before his voice. “The Gods are not fond of being obliged to hand out favours - that's why they make sacrifices nearly impossible. I heard Apollo asked for a demigod’s sight and the boy fell to his death before he could even ask for what he wanted. Aphrodite made one of her own children give up her ability to love…..  it drove her to insanity. And one of those who prayed to Zeus has been chained to a rock on an abandoned island for nearly twelve years and he still has five more years to go. There are endless stories like this Y/n and each of them will only tell you not to opt for such madness.” He opened the door, now fully dressed, a pair of shorts in his hand. “Here.” 

You took it from him, looking a little stumped. “Please wear them Y/n. I can barely look at you…” He muttered walking away again and you quickly slipped on the pair that was just a little too big for you. Following him past a room full of what seemed like musical instruments, you walked into a small pantry. 

“What about Hestia?” You gulped, images of her cold face flashing before you. “What has she asked in exchange?” 

“Honestly, I don’t know.” He threw the herbs he had gathered earlier into a motor. “I’ve never heard of anyone who’s really seeked her favour.” 

You scoffed. “Of course not, what would they ask her help for? Light up their fireplace?” 

Jihoon looked up from the paste he was crushing, slightly miffed. “Your mother is no minor goddess Y/n. She's the caretaker, the protector. Hestia is worshiped in every place called home.” 

“How ironic.” You smiled sadly. “Her own daughter has never had a home.” 

“Unfortunately, no god considers it their responsibility to take care of their bastard children.” He looked pointedly at the counter. “Sit.” 

“Why?” 

“Just sit Y/n.” 

“But why?” 

Sighing, Jihoon rolled his eyes and grabbed you by the waist, hoisting you onto the counter effortlessly as you bit back a scream. As though nothing happened, he continued to do whatever it was he was doing while you tried to calm your uncharacteristically racing heart. 

“It's also unfair to blame Hestia for not having a home when your mortal parents were the one who were supposed to care for you.”

“I know.” You muttered looking down at your fiddling fingers. “This may sound insane but finding Hestia might be easier than finding my mortal parents…. I don't know a thing about them.” 

“I know someone on camp who can help-” 

“But I don't want to find them….yet. I don't know what to ask them.” You looked up as Jihoon pulled out a ladder from the side and began climbing it, reaching for something on the higher shelves. “I’m not prepared to find out if they know the kind of monster I am.” 

“Why would you say that?” He looked at you over his shoulder, frowning. “You don’t even know what your powers are, right?” 

You gulped, staring at the floor, mind racing back to a conversation last night........

“Try not to touch anything.” Mingyu warned as you strolled along his workshop in the faint light of the moonlight. “I’m not really sure if any of these are still hot. I don’t really…. feel heat.” 

As if you did. 

Hanging out with Mingyu wasn’t really on your cards today. After Minghao had left you to deal with your little problem on your own, you had silently made your way out of the house and down the street, searching for a pharmacy. It must’ve been a good twenty minute unsuccessful walk before Mingyu, who was driving around on his bike looking for you, spotted you. You told him you were looking to buy some pills for a headache so he offered to drive you to the nearest store. He didn’t need to know what you really needed was some plan B. After you had procured what you wanted and he started heading back to camp, you told him to take the longest route possible. While he obliged, you wrapped your arms around his waist and drifted off, not wanting to think about all that was plaguing your mind. Not wanting to think about Seungcheol. 

But he’s the first thought on your mind the moment the bike halted at the camp gate. You didn’t want to see him, not now. Mingyu was generous enough to agree when you muttered wanting to take up his offer to crash in his residence. He didn’t question the change of heart, instead he carefully walked you through his workshop, bringing you to the stairs on the other side, leading you up to his house. You though are far too enthralled to follow him.

“You’ve got quite the space here.” You pursed your lips impressed, stripping out of the jacket as he smiled proudly. “Must never be boring.” 

“It isn’t.” He admitted. “Making weapons doesn’t take me too long, leaves a lot of time on my hands for other experiments and endeavors.” 

“Such as?” 

“I like creating little automations.” He shrugged. “Machinery that allows me to be creative and makes life easier. Like the one that's currently out there chopping up wood, for your house.”

“Oh.” You raised your eyebrows looking around. “What else have you made?”

“Too many to remember.” He laughed. “But my best creation is probably my bike. It took months of trial and error. Couldn't have done it without my best buddy.”

“Wonwoo?” You had noticed the two were significantly closer than the rest. There was definitely some story there. 

Mingyu laughed. “Yes Wonwoo is the best but no, I'm talking about that little guy.” 

He pointed behind you and you turned, finding yourself about 500 meters away from a not so little three headed dog, snarling at you with all three of its mouths, drooling leaking from the edges. You took a careful step back and another, crashing into the chest of Mingyu who had sneaked up to you. 

“What is that?” You whispered, voice shaking just a bit. 

“That’s Cerberus, my pet.” 

“That’s a pet?!” 

“It’s Wonwoo’s actually….. But yes, he’s a pet and he’s really friendly, don’t worry.” 

“Huh.” You breathed, not believing his words but only relieved cause you noticed he was chained. “And he helps you with your experiments?”

Mingyu nodded, steering you away from there, walking you toward his house once more. “Cerberus is a very powerful creature - he’s immensely strong, uncharacteristically intelligent and most importantly, he’s my fire source.” 

“Fire source?” 

“The most important tool for a blacksmith like me is the flame - you see those.” He pointed at big cave shaped structures lined neatly on the edge. “Forging presses like that require fires that cannot be ignited by tiny matchsticks. It takes a powerful source to work them, like Cerberus.” 

You tensed, just a little. “So Cerberus can create fire?” 

“He breathes fire.” Mingyu clarified. “Cerberus is from the Underworld, like most mysteries in our world. So yeah, he is one of the few creatures that can create fire.” 

“C-can’t you?” You scratched the back of your head, trying to seem casual. “You said you don’t feel heat so can’t you… make fire too?” 

“Don’t be silly Y/n.” Mingyu scoffed. “Fire is one of the five natural elements. Even the gods, your mother included, can only control fire, not create it.” 

You were right. Even here you were a freak, even here you didn’t fit in. 

None of Mingyu’s excited explanations about the various projects he was working on went into your head. There was only one thing you could think about - You didn’t belong here and you needed to leave before everyone realised that. 

“...and that’s why I don’t have a guest bedroom but don’t worry, my bed is king sized.” Mingyu leaned against the stairs with a small smirk dancing on his face. “Though I can’t promise I can keep my hands to myself.” 

You rolled your eyes, pushing him to lead the way up. The only thing that gave you comfort as he laughed was the knowledge that if you burned, Mingyu was perhaps the only one who couldn’t hurt with your fire......

“Y/n.” Jihoon hopped off the ladder looking at you quizzically. “Where are you lost?” 

“I….” You cleared your throat. “I just meant, I don’t know, what if my mortal parents are aware of any kind of powers I might have? What if… that’s what kept them away from me?” 

“Then that’s all the more reason you have to find them.” Jihoon shrugged. “It would help us-”

“No.” You firmly shook your head. “Just…let me just talk to Hestia first, everything else can wait.” 

“As you wish.” He held up the bowl of whatever concoction he was mixing, a green paste staring at you. “In the meantime…”

“What is that?”

“It's my special ointment for bruises. Makes any and all scars and wounds disappear.” 

“I’m not hurt….” Your voice faded away as Jihoon’s eyes landed on the red, purple and blue trail of hickies on your neck. 

“Are you sure you want to go around parading the evidence of your threesome last night?” 

“I’m not trying to…how do you even know it was a threesome?”

“Those are clearly marked by two different men.” 

You rolled your eyes. “Is this another one of your body reading tricks?” 

“Yes but anyone who knows you were at your first Aphrodite rager last night will be able to guess that much.” Jihoon shrugged, standing right before you. “In fact, three is a rather small number there, most scenes tend to involve a minimum of five people.” 

You felt your jaw hang as Jihoon looked amused. 

“So do you want it gone or not?” 

“Why?” You cleared your throat. “You think I should hide all this in case the other boys make assumptions like yours? That I ought to have some shame?” 

“Not shame, I thought you might appreciate some privacy.” He shrugged. “Given there’s someone who you have been particularly wary of these days.” 

Seungcheol. 

How did this man know everything? 

Sighing, you gripped the edges of Seokmin's shirt and pulled it over your head, baring your neck to the man before you. Trying not to smile, Jihoon slotted himself between your dangling legs, pushed the hair off your shoulder, gently tending to your bruises. 

“It might sting.” He warned right on time as you grabbed his bicep with your free hand, feeling pain shooting up your nerves as the cold ointment touched your skin.

“Breathe.” He instructed, softly running his fingers along your collarbone. “It’ll pass.” 

You figured listening to the expert might be better so you did, trying your best to ignore the intimate proximity between the two of you. 

“While we are at it,” You looked away as he blew on your wounds, cold wind caressing it. “Do you also have something for potential STDs or…. You know, ensuring our kind doesn’t replicate?” 

Jihoon chuckled. “Again, demigods don’t get sick Y/n, STDs don’t mean anything to us and we don’t ‘replicate’ either so there’s really nothing to worry about.” 

Suddenly, every cell in your body stopped functioning. “What do you mean?” 

Jihoon blinked at you like he was only just realising what he said. “Uh…. Demigods are barren Y/n, we…. cannot have children.” 

Though you were sitting it felt like the ground had been pulled from under your feet. Like everything around you had stopped. Like everything had ended.

“Y/n are you okay?” 

How could you be? You just learnt that you could never have children, that you could never be a mother. All your life you didn’t have a family but now? Being a demigod had robbed you of your chance to ever have one in the future. You wanted to peel that part away, rip it and throw it somewhere far away, get rid of this side of you that had done nothing but make everything worse. 

Jihoon seemed to have understood the storm inside you. Or felt it. He was quiet as he grabbed a washcloth and slowly wiped away the ointment, the bruises beneath it starting to look a lot lighter already. As the sting ebbed away, the pain in your heart felt more apparent, coursing through you, hurting everywhere. 

At that moment your eyes trailed over the soft and sharp features of his face burrowed in concentration, your admiration for it overpowering every other thought. 

That’s it. That’s what you needed again. A distraction. 

Now that his job was done, Jihoon tried to move away but your grip on his arm was like a vice. He glanced at it then at you with a raised eyebrow. 

“So you're telling me-” You cocked your head at him. “-even though I let two men cum inside me yesterday and if my prediction is right, another will get his turn today - I'm not at the potential risk of anything?” 

Jihoon raised his eyebrow. “No you're not but pray tell, since when did the daughter of Hestia dabble in predictions? I thought that was in the hands of Apollo's prodigy.” 

“It is.” You ran your hand down his arm, feeling every ridge of muscle under your touch, voice leaving you in a whisper. “The possibility of my prediction coming true or not is in your hands really.” 

Jihoon’s eyes darkened as your tongue darted out to lick your lower lip slowly. Before you knew it, his hands gripped the thickness of your thighs and with a quick jerk he pulled you closer to him, your legs wrapping around his waist. Jihoon looked up at you and you down at him, breaths mingling in anticipation. 

“I know what you're doing Y/n and I know why you're doing this.” He spoke ever so softly. “But I'm not a distraction kind of guy so if there's ever a time you really want me, then you'll have me.”

With that he pulled you off the counter and let you lower your legs on to the floor, looking away. Given the kind of tension and the comfort you had grown to have with him and most importantly how unbelievably hard he was, his length right below your ass, you didn't think he'd say no. It was fair, he was allowed to. It wasn't his fault you were looking to jump any given person just to take your mind off things. 

Nodding, and mumbling a soft thanks for the ointment, you grabbed your shirt and walked past him, only stopping by the corridor to return what was his. 

“Sorry.” Muttering you slid off his shorts and placed it on the shelf beside you. 

Jihoon surprisingly let out a soft groan. You thought it was because you were suddenly minimally dressed but you noticed his eyes were gazing between your legs, on the wet spot of your underwear. You tried to press your legs closer, suddenly feeling very exposed but all it does is darken the spot, making things worse. 

“Fucking hell.” Jihoon muttered and in a flash you were pushed up against the wall, trapped between it and him, caged by his arms on either side. “I'm only just a man Y/n.”

Your eyes flickered down to his pants, the outline of his hard on starkly visible. “Uh huh.” 

“Do you still want this?” 

You cocked your head, hand running down his chest and over the tent in his pants as you smirked. “I predicted it.” 

“Allow me to make a pre-” His words faltered as you squeezed his length. “-prediction as well.” 

“By all means.” 

“You're gonna cum three times before I do.” 

“Oh really?” You raised your eyebrows and spat into your hand, slipping it past the waistband of his pants, wrapping your hand around his length. “I don't think so.” 

“That's….” He half panted, watching your hand do its job, his own hands still against the wall like they were taped to it. “Getting a headstart is cheating.” 

“You're slow.” 

“I'm savouring.” He smiled, leaning closer. “I'm in good hands and I know you're soaked. It's only a matter of time before you're begging.” 

You chuckled softly as though you were amused by his assumption but true to his words, your walls were already fluttering, clenching around nothing as your legs squeezed together. Jihoon, like the master of reading your body that he was, put his hand right in between, cupping you over your underwear, the pressure of his palm on your clit ever so light. From the soft sigh that left your mouth you both knew you were faring far worse than he was - truly, it was brave on your part to challenge him.

“Jihoon….” 

He hums in response as the pace of your hand falters.

“Touch me.” 

“I am sweetheart.” 

“More.” You wrapped your free hand around his wrist, breath shaking and Jihoon allowed you to lead him exactly where you wanted him - past the hem of your panties, right where the wetness was pooling between your legs. 

“Good fucking god…” He swore like he didn't expect you to be this drenched. What a funny guy. What did he think was gonna happen when he was this undeniably hot? 

You on the other hand expected him to be a tease, to draw this out, to make you beg. But to your complete surprise, he wasted no time in sliding two thick digits in, making you squeeze his length at the sheer stretch of the intrusion. 

“Sweetheart, you're gonna kill me.” He muttered, shutting his eyes tight. 

You wanted to apologise, you really did but whatever words were leaving your mouth didn't seem to be making any sense. Not when Jihoon was picking up the pace, taking turns pumping, curling and scissoring his fingers inside you. You felt your back arch on its own, head thrown back as an unholy moan left your being. Fuck he was right, you cannot possibly think of anything else now - this man was capable of turning you into a complete wreck before you could even get a moan out of him. 

“Your bruises have nearly disappeared.” He noticed with your neck bared to him once again. “It was prettier marked.”

“Mark it then.” You panted, composing yourself, getting back to stroking him again. “Do whatever you want.” 

And that's enough to break his resolve, as you felt his fingers slowing down while his teeth ran across the skin of your shoulder. Taking advantage of his momentary fixation, you ran your thumb across his slit, feeling the precum spill onto your fingers. Jihoon groaned, his mouth getting more aggressive on your neck as you gripped his bicep again, sinking your nails into it. 

Fuck, there it was. 

That tightening in the pits of your being, there it was, slowly climbing as you felt your legs starting to shake and Jihoon smirking against your skin, reading all the signs like he knew your body inside out. Thank god he could because just when you needed it, he slid in another finger and curled them up, reaching that sweet spot that had you instantly snapping, falling apart.  

He stilled his movements as you convulsed around his fingers, holding onto him tight but before you could even come down from your high, he started moving again.

“Ji… Jihoon.” You whimpered, chest heaving. “Fuck fuck fuck.” 

And before you know it your barely ebbed orgasm blended into a second one and you were practically gushing out into his hand.

“Damn sweetheart.” He smiled at you like he was a little too pleased with himself. “You're an easy one.” 

Excuse me? 

You could barely get a hold of yourself but that wasn't the most pressing matter - how dare he dismiss you so easily? 

Given your mouth was dry you swallowed on nothing, and shoved him back with just a small  push. Jihoon looked at you confused initially, then his eyes widened as you dropped to your knees and he realised what you were up to. But just as your hand reached the waistband of his bottoms and he pushed the hair off your face, more than ready to fuck your mouth, a loud sound rang through the silence of the afternoon. 

“Shit.” Jihoon muttered pulling you up. “That's code purple.”

You groaned. “Why are there so many fucking colours?” 

Frowning, he threw you your clothes before leading you to a small basin to wash your hands and his. “We need to go. It’s an emergency team meeting.” 

As he scurried around grabbing his things, his bow and arrows to be specific, you dressed yourself once again, watching him. Guess neither of your predictions were coming true after all. 

Noticing you were still lost in your thoughts, Jihoon sighed and grabbed you by the hand, leading you out of his house and to the dining hall of the common cabin where apparently all team meetings were held.

When the two of you had reached, thankfully only Soonyoung and Seungkwan were there and though their expressions were full of questions, they asked none. Before you knew it, everyone had gathered and whispers going around as they settled in their seats but the moment Seungcheol raised his hand, they died down.

“What's the matter?” 

Seungkwan nodded at Soonyoung who stood up, looking around. 

“Kwan and I sent some messages out today asking about the geese attack last night.” He shook his head slowly. “It seems no camp is responsible for it.” 

Minghao spun the blade in his hand with a frown. “So it wasn't a prank or an act of retribution?” 

Seungkwan shook his head. “Considering how we all thought their nature was odd, Hansol connected us to some Hunters of Artemis.” He laid out a map with four red crosses. “They gave us four locations where birds like this were sighted.” 

“So this was just like any other animal attack?” Seokmin leaned back, looking relieved. 

“I'm afraid not. It may or may not be a coincidence but the Hunters also claim that all four locations have been frequently exhibiting very high energy signals, signals that might belong to…” Seungkwan gulped. “The Chimaera.”

A strange silence descended upon the room as glances were exchanged. You looked at Jihoon questioningly but he looked troubled. 

“The fire breather.” Chan let out a low whistle. “It hasn't been heard of in centuries.”

“It seems to be on the move off late.” Hansol tucked the arrows he was polishing into his quiver. “It's hunting.” 

“And I think the geese are its agents.” Soonyoung pointed out. “Geese have always been symbols of vigilance and surveillance. Whatever the Chimaera is hunting, I think it's using the birds to trace it. That's why neither Jun nor Hansol could understand them, because they aren't wild or domestic - they're monsters.” 

“Chan,.” Seungcheol straightened himself. “Alert Olympus, tell them we need troops-” 

“It seems Olympus assigned the hunt to Artemis, ” Seungkwan added. “And you know how the Hunters function. Their goal is to capture the beast, not kill it so they have been taking their time to strategize.” 

“Well we can't wait for them to figure things out.” Jeonghan stared at the map on the table, a hundred things running in his mind. “We're going to have to hunt the monster on our own.” 

“Us?” Minghao looked around. “Do you even understand how powerful the creature is-” 

“Should we just sit back and wait for it to attack the camp then?” Jeonghan raised his eyebrows. “Because whatever it's looking for is here and monsters aren't patient creatures.”

“I know, but-” 

“Minghao.” Seungcheol interrupted, warning. “Jeonghan is our strategist, we'll let him decide what's best.” 

Minghao nodded begrudgingly as Jeonghan pulled the paper towards himself, Soonyoung handing him a pen. 

“We'll split according to our assigned partners.” He began drawing out lines and scribbling names. “Seungkwan and Soonyoung, you two head to the demigod union in the city and alert them, in case we need back up. Minghao and Jun, I want you both here for camp protection, Mingyu and Wonwoo as well…” He looked thoughtful. “If the Chimaera decides to attack the camp in our absence, Cerberus is the only chance we have against it.” 

As all four boys nodded, Jeonghan turned to the rest. 

“The remaining of us will go to the four locations. Everyone will use an energy reader and find the location of the Chimaera. Once you’ve narrowed down its location, alert the team to gather for a hunt. Any foolishness such as going after the monster on your own will not lead to punishment because you'll already be dead.” He glanced around. “Is that understood?”

Mummers of agreement echoed in the room. 

“Jihoon and Hansol, you two head to the one in the south, that's the biggest area but your hounds should help cover it. Joshua and I will head east, Chan and Seokmin will head west and Seungcheol…..” His eyes landed on the leader who was very evidently shaking his head. “Seungcheol and Y/n, you two will head north.” 

You looked at Jeonghan in disbelief. 

“Han,” Seungcheol spoke before you could say anything. “I don't need a partner, I've always been a lone hunter-” 

“That was because we were an odd number of members. But now there's 14 of us so Y/n will go with you-” 

“It's a dangerous mission and she's untrained.” Seungcheol spoke between gritted teeth. “She will be better off in camp-”

“She will be safer with our strongest warrior.” Jeonghan argued back. “You cannot always be team leader Cheol, learn to be a team player. Y/n will accompany you.”

“No I won’t.” You shook your head. “I have no interest in being where I am not wanted.” 

“Y/n, it's not a choice.” Jeonghan sounded tired. “I'm the strategist and this is an order-” 

“I don't care.” You got up, firm about your decision. “I'm not going anywhere with this man.” 

And with that you stormed away from there, ignoring the faint voice of Jeonghan who sighed and continued giving instructions. 

“We leave tomorrow at daybreak.” 

You stared at the schedule in your hand wondering why on Earth you hadn't looked at it before you stepped into the classroom. Admittedly all your time went in washing up, changing your clothes, grabbing lunch and rushing for your afternoon lesson, but you should have noticed what was in store for today. 

Friday - Quest Strategy (Choi Seungcheol, Yoon Jeonghan)

And you didn't want to see either of them right now. 

But before you could grab your things and leave the room to make it seem like you were never here in the first place, Jeonghan arrived, standing against the door, watching you pack up. 

“You need to stop running away from everything.” 

As he walked in, you looked up, rolling your eyes. “And you need to stop interfering in my life.” 

“My decisions as strategist aren't personal Y/n, I do what's beneficial for the camp and its members.” He leaned against the board. "Accommodating your individual preference is not a part of my job profile.”

“Okay, that's great, then be prepared for only one of us to come back alive tomorrow.” 

Jeonghan rolled his eyes at your dramatic statement. “What happened between the two of you?” 

You scoffed at him. As if you were going to tell him. 

“Seungcheol has been my comrade since we were teenagers, I know him better than anyone and I know for a fact that he's not the villain you're making him to be.”

“Oh he's not?” You crossed your arms. “Okay then explain why when I was throwing myself onto him for days, he kept avoiding me but the moment I walked away from him, he came chasing? And did the man at least go through with that? No, he decided to leave me hanging yet again and then he behaved like everything that's happening is my fault?” You threw your hands in the air. “No apology, no explanation, he just continued to avoid me and when I finally got him out of my mind, then he decided he wanted to talk to me? I didn't want to, but he couldn't even respect my space and ended up coming to the party and….” 

“And?” Jeonghan looked curiously. 

“And I think he knows that I slept with Soonyoung….” You didn't meet Jeonghan’s eyes. “and Minghao.” 

Jeonghan hummed, nodding his head, taking in all the information, as you added quickly. 

“But it was only because all of us were under the influence of aphrodisiacs-” 

“That's irrelevant.” Jeonghan waved his hand. “Who you choose to be with and what you choose to do is entirely your choice. But you think Seungcheol is mad about that?” 

“I'm not sure. I have a feeling he is.”

“That's not right.” 

“Now you see my point?”

“I didn’t say he wasn't stupid.” Jeonghan rolled his eyes. “But I still stand by the fact that he's not a bad person.” 

“Okay mate, you need to get your head out of your bestie's ass.” 

Jeonghan laughed, shaking his head. You expected him to say something snarky but his expression slowly turned serious. 

“Do you know why you're in Camp Seventeen Y/n?”

“Because I'm a demigod?” That was perhaps the first time you had said that out loud. 

“Yes but why this camp?”

“The Oracle assigned me.”

“Partly.” Jeonghan nodded. “The Oracle of Delphi only assigns demigods to camps that are willing to take them. Seungcheol was the only leader willing to take you.” 

Your lips parted in surprise as Jeonghan continued. 

“Do you know what was supposed to happen the night you were kidnapped and brought to the court?” 

You shook your head. 

“You were going to be attacked.” Jeonghan let out a deep breath. “The sudden activation of your aura after years of dormancy seemed to have drawn in a lot of attention. Days after your little incident, Olympus sent out a report that the levels of monster activity in the city were unprecedentedly high. They said there was a large influx of monsters and we had to be alert but I don't think so. Especially not after what we learnt today.” 

“What do you mean?”

“It's not monsters but one monster that came to the city.” Jeonghan looked at you keenly. “I think it was the Chimaera and I think you are what it's hunting.”

The things in your hand slipped and hit the floor with a thud. You? 

“You mean… I'm the threat in this camp?”

“You're the one in danger.” He corrected. “But yes you are the threat and more importantly, Cheol knows that. He always knew that. It was evident from the start that you were a monster magnet, that you are some kind of anomaly and that making you a part of our camp would only mean more danger but he said it didn't matter. He said as long as someone needed to be saved, he would do it. He said he would be your protector and that's why you're here Y/n - because Cheol made the choice to safeguard you.”

You blinked at a loss of words. 

“Even yesterday, when the geese attacked and we didn't know what was happening at the party, his first instinct was to check if you were okay. That's why he came to the rager. That’s also why he's been so frustrated, why he doesn't want you to accompany him tomorrow. Your safety is his first priority.” 

Letting out a deep breath, you ran your hand through your hair, internally beating yourself up. You had no idea. 

“Will Seungcheol be coming for the lesson today?”

Jeonghan shook his head. “I don't think so, he's busy at Mingyu’s workshop, preparing for tomorrow, like you should be doing too.” 

“I can't possibly learn anything by tonight that'll help me tomorrow.” 

“Yes you can.” Jeonghan walked up to you. “We can try and understand why the Chimaera is after you. We can discuss your lawsuit considering it was the root cause of everything and see if it gives us any answers. Let me just call Wonwoo and-”

“Absolutely not.” You quickly grabbed all your things again. Wonwoo was still on the list of people you didn't want to meet. “I need to find Cheol first.”

And with that you swung your bag over your shoulder, rushing out of the classroom, leaving a sighing Jeonghan behind. 

When you reached Mingyu’s residence, Seungcheol was indeed in the workshop along with a couple of camp members, inspecting the weapons for tomorrow. Immersed in their discussion they didn't notice your presence until you stepped in and Cerberus let out a low growl, his eyes following you. 

“Y/n.” Mingyu jogged up to you, looking concerned. “What are you doing here?” 

“I…” You gulped looking at Seungcheol’s back. “I was hoping to talk to Cheol real quick.” 

“We're in the middle of a meeting, I'm not sure…” 

“Please Mingyu, it'll be quick.” 

“I can ask him but-”

“Gyu.” Seungcheol looked over his shoulder. “What's the matter?”

“Y/n is here,” Mingyu raised his voice. “She wants to talk to you.”

As lightning ripped across the sky, Seungcheol let out a deep breath “Send her away.” 

And for the nth time you could hear your heart breaking because of Seungcheol.

 “Seungcheol I just want to apolo-”

“I don't want to hear it.” He turned to you, voice hard and gaze unforgiving. “Please leave.” 

Mingyu looked at you apologetically as did the other members, Jihoon included. Taking a step back and then another you walked out, the low grumbles of the thunder not louder than the thumping of your heart. 

Sometimes you really had to remind yourself that Natalie was in fact a pig and not a dog. 

You tended to forget given how much she liked to be taken on walks and sniff everything around. Today she took you from Seungcheol’s house to Mingyu’s to Seungkwan’s to the common cabin and finally to the temple where she found a spot of wet mud and decided to roll in it. That was until she spotted Wonwoo walking by, perhaps heading to secure the camp's borders for the night, given it was nearly dusk. You looked away from him but your pet decided to jump up and follow him like she always loved to do.

Sighing, you walked over to the area designated for campfire and sat on one of the logs, picking on the chips of wood nonchalantly. When the cold wind of the evening caressed your skin, sending shivers down your spine, you looked around, making sure no one was watching you. Realising you were all alone you waved your hand, watching the flames dance on your palm before they floated over to the wood in the middle, lighting the campfire. You stared at the orange flames, Jeonghan's words ringing in your head again - I think you're what it's hunting. 

It couldn't be a coincidence. A powerful monster, a fire breather that had been quiet for centuries, wanting to find you of all people. That couldn't be a coincidence. Was it possible the Chimaera knew something about you? Did it know why you were such a freak? 

And why did Seungcheol choose to protect someone like you? Why won't the man just let you hate him peacefully? He just had to be so righteous and brave and good…. But if he cared about you so much, why did he always pull away? Why did he never reciprocate?

It seemed like life only liked to throw questions at you, never any answers. You were too tired for all this. You just wanted to stop thinking. You just wanted this day to end and let yourself be taken away by sleep so you could forget all this. You just wanted some peace. 

As though the universe hated you, at that exact time, Jihoon walked out of the temple, hands shoved in his pockets, mind clearly elsewhere. You were thankful he hadn't noticed your presence and had almost left the premises busy in his own world until he suddenly stopped at the edge of the trees, turning back to see you. 

As your eyes locked his, he sighed walking back to you, sitting just over a foot away. He didn't say anything and you didn’t know what to say. 

“You're nervous.” He pointed out. “Your heart is racing.” 

You shook your head exasperated. “Do people tell you how annoying it is to be around you?”

“Not quite.” He chuckled. “I don't like being around people.”

“Why am I the exception?” 

“You came looking for me.” 

“You literally just came and sat next to me.”

“I meant earlier.” 

“I'm talking about now.” 

“I just…” He sighed, turning to you. “I just wanted to say, don’t take whatever Seungcheol says to heart. He has too many pressures on him as leader, especially in situations like this-” 

“You know, that excuse is getting very overused. Is his consistent dismissal of me justified just because he's a busy, important man?” 

“It's not.” Jihoon shook his head. “But I thought you should know - his heart was racing just as fast when you came to talk to him. It always is around you.”

You scoffed, tired of people telling you the same thing. 

“All that tachycardia could be pathological. He should get himself checked-” 

“There's clearly something he's unable to tell you, some reason for why he is the way he is.” Jihoon justified. “Give him a chance to explain himself.” 

“I have to give him a chance?” You looked at him incredulously. “Did you not see how he sent me away?”

“Yes I did, it was the same way you ran away to a party when he wanted to talk.” Jihoon rolled his eyes. “If you both just keep being idiots like this, things are never going to get better.” 

“Honestly things don’t have to.” You tugged on the sleeves of your shirt. “It's not like we are star crossed lovers or something. This infatuation or crush or whatever it is, it will eventually die down. All I hope is for us to at least be courteous with each other but he can't even seem to do that.” 

Jihoon stared at the ground. “Are you trying to convince me or yourself?” 

That was a question you didn't have an answer to. So you ignored it. 

“I just want us to be pleasant over tomorrow's hunt, that's all. But something tells me things might just get a whole lot worse.” 

“Are you making predictions again?” Jihoon chuckled. “Have you still not learnt that you're horrible at it?”

“Hey, that's not fair.” You laughed along. “Besides, the day is not over yet.” 

“Oh you still think you stand a chance with me?” 

You narrowed your eyes at his laughing self. “I didn't say it had to be you. But you said you could make me cum thrice - I only came once.”

“Twice.” 

“Once.” 

“You're forgetting that I can read your body.” He cocked his head at you. “Twice.” 

“Whatever.” You rolled your eyes. “Still less than three.” 

“You and I both know if I wasn't interrupted I could've done it.” 

“Not true.” You shook your head. “If I blew you, you didn't stand a chance.” 

“How ever will we know which of us is right?” 

He looked at you, something darker swirling behind his eyes and it made your insides twist. There was a way to find out and given how empty you had been feeling since earlier, maybe you would have, if only Seungwkan didn't walk over, settling down on the log across yours. Although Jihoon and you were already sitting apart, the two of you moved further away. 

“Natalie is sleeping in Jun's barn apparently.” Seungkwan informed. “Wonwoo has too much to do today - There won't be a shift handover tomorrow since Hansol and Jihoon will be heading for the hunt.” 

You nodded, not really understanding because you didn't really bother to actually. Your mind was entirely elsewhere, wondering about other possibilities. 

“We uh should probably sleep early since, you know,-” You got up swinging your arms. “-big day tomorrow.” 

“Yeah.” Jihoon followed your suit, slowly standing. “Better get good rest.” 

Seungwkan nodded, glancing at Hansol who was walking over, “You two go ahead, the two of us need to have a little chat.” 

You nodded as the man in question sat beside Seungwkan, poking the fire with a stick, avoiding your eyes as usual. Unbothered, you turned to Jihoon, catching him already looking at you.

“Jihoon can I-” 

“Y/n do you-”

Both of you looked at each other, gulping. 

“I uh…” You tried yet again to feign casualness. “I wanted to ask for the ointment you gave me earlier, for bruises. I… have many mosquito bites.” 

“Right.” He scratched his head. “I was going to offer you the same.” 

“Oh good.” 

“Yeah good.” 

Seungkwan’s eyes flickered between the two of you but it was only when Hansol looked up that you realised just how suspicious this must seem. Waving an uncharacteristic bye, you quickly left, Jihoon following at a considerable distance as you made your way to his residence. 

The events of earlier today repeated in a similar fashion - Jihoon plucked a few herbs and walked into his house. You followed him, straight into his pantry this time considering neither of you needed a change of clothes. He proceeded to grind up the greens in a paste as you leaned against the door, watching the strong muscles of his back. Fuck you’d love to run your nails down that. 

“What are we doing Y/n?” Finally stopping whatever he was doing, Jihoon gripped the edges of the counter, his expression unseen. 

“I don’t know what you are doing.” You shrugged. “I am just here to prove I was right.” 

Chuckling, Jihoon turned to you. When he saw you slowly unbuttoning the shirt you had donned, his eyes darkened. “Straight down then left.” He turned back to whatever he was doing. “Wait in my room.” 

Pulling your shirt off your shoulders you threw it at him, letting out a giggle and walking away. 

“I don’t like to wait!” You announced, following his instructions. Almost. 

On the way your eyes fell on the music room you had seen earlier, legs instinctively taking a detour. There were all kinds of instruments in there - banjos on the wall, guitars lined up beside the drum set. There was a large grand piano too and a huge computer with all kinds of equipment around. It was impressive to say the least. 

“I said left, not right.” Jihoon walked in, one hand shoved in his pocket, another holding on to a strange, black drink.

“You have a recording studio here.” 

“I would say you're observative but it's pretty obvious so that would be an overstatement.” 

“How do you power these?” You turned to him. “Without electricity?”

“Well you’re analytical, I’ll give you that.” He let out a small laugh before he explained. “I’m the Sun’s progeny - a little solar energy goes a long way.” 

“So all of these work?” You looked around surprised. “Can I listen to something you’ve made?” 

“I don’t think we’re close enough for that.” 

You rolled your eyes. “But we’re close enough for you to have your fingers in me?” 

“You asked for it.” He shrugged. “And I’m a giver.” 

Laughing, you ran your fingers across the piano. “Can you at least play something for me?” 

Jihoon looked at you for a solid minute before he let out a resigned breath. Setting the drink down on the counter, he grabbed a saxophone from the wall and aligned it with his mouth. You leaned against the piano, urging him to continue with the tilt of the head. 

As the sultry sound of his melody rang through the room, you found yourself swaying to it - it was a good piece, a sexy one that definitely worked to set the mood. But you had ways you could do that on your own too. 

Nearing him, each step matching the rhythm of the music, you ran your hand along his groin, feeling his erection already waiting for you. Smirking to yourself you got on your knees before him, hands working on his waistband and surprisingly, you heard him mess up a note. 

“Uh oh.” You tutted, looking up at him. “No mistakes, no fumbling or I’ll stop.” 

Jihoon tensed under your touch, continuing to play his piece, facing turning red but the melody not stopping. Unzipping his pants, you just about leaned in to give the bulge in his underwear a butterfly of a kiss when you felt a chill run down your body. Something was wrong. 

As though you’d lost all sense of autonomy, you could feel yourself moving back, sitting on your heels, your hands proceeding to unclasp your bra instead. Sliding it down your arms and throwing it away, you got up and shimmied out of your shorts and underwear in one go. You gulped as Jihoon watched you sit on the black couch across him, breaths shallow and fast, chest heaving because this wasn’t you - you somehow had no control over your body. You didn’t mean to pull your legs up and spread them open or run your fingers along your slit, or slide them into your wet hole as though you were putting on a show for him. Yes you felt good but none of this was you. 

Jihoon watched with hooded eyes as you pumped your fingers in and out, free hand moving up to squeeze a boob. Everything moved to its own accord, working you up with a vigor you would have never used on yourself, the sound of the wetness and your moans almost drowning out the song. Your back arched as you felt everything tense, but your eyes did not leave Jihoon’s who finally could not take it anymore, setting the sax aside, leaning over you. 

His own fingers found your clit, rubbing onto it in a way that unmistakably tightened the coil in you. Whimpers left your mouth and though it felt like you were in control of yourself again, you couldn’t stop. Not now, not when you were feeling so good, not when you were so close…. Not until Jihoon whispered. 

“Come on sweetheart, cum for me.”

And you did, around your own fingers, eyes seeing white as he continued to tease your clit, a groan rumbling across his chest. 

“Wha…” You panted, slowly coming down from your high, arousal leaking out of you. “What the hell just happened?” 

“That-” Jihoon smirked, straightening himself. “-was my prediction coming true.” 

“But why could I… why could I not…” 

“Control yourself?” 

You nodded.

“Because the song you just heard is what we call Apollo’s Anthem.” He cocked his head at you victoriously. “If mastered, the one who plays it can make anyone dance to their tunes, like you just did.” 

“That….” Your eyes widen with realization. “That was you? Making me do all that?”

He nodded. 

“Now that's cheating.” You huffed, pulling your legs together, pressing them. “I demand a rematch. We're gonna have to redo-” 

“Next time.” He fisted the material at the back of his neck and pulled his shirt over this head. “Right now there's another prediction we need to work on.”

You furrowed your eyebrows as Jihoon stripped out of his pants, baring himself completely given he had gone commando underneath. 

“For fucks sake, I've been hard since the afternoon and there's nothing I can think other than cumming inside you.”

A triumphant smirk danced across your lips as you leaned back, watching his callously stroke his length. 

“You know, I had my fill with three orgasms today and I'm quite exhausted. I see no reason I have to indulge.” 

Jihoon blinked at you. “Didn't you want to be proven right?” 

“Nope.” You shook your head. “My math teacher always used to say, the truth never needs to be proven, it always reveals itself. He was a hot man, now that I'm thinking about him, very irresistible.” 

“Can we please not talk about your hot math teacher while I'm jerking off?” Jihoon groaned. “Now I'm thinking of my math teacher and he was a gnome of a man.” 

You laughed, watching as he picked up the pace, desperate to finish himself. 

“Is your right hand satisfying enough?” 

“No but I'll have to settle for imagining it's you.” He whimpered. “Albeit it's not even close to how tight you were.” 

You hummed, suddenly feeling both pity for him and curiosity as to just how much a dick as thick as that could stretch you out. “Do you still want to fuck me?” 

“Why is that still a question?” 

“I'll allow it.” Spreading your legs again, you ran your fingers along the folds again, this time wantonly, smearing the remnants of your previous orgasm all over. “But only because you've to hunt tomorrow and I don't want you to be distracted, thinking about dicking me down-.” 

“Stop talking and move over.” He muttered and finally you listened, shifting to the side as he sat beside you. Wasting no time, he grabbed you by the waist and pulled you into his lap, his dick grazing against your clit, sending a jolt down your body. As you held his shoulders, he pumped himself a few times before aligning the tip right at your hole, dragging it along the wetness agonisingly slowly. 

“Jihoon for god's sake, just put it in.” 

“Say you want me to fuck you.” 

“You want me to fuck you.” 

Your bratty-ness was met with a painful spank on the ass. 

“Say it.” He rubbed the area softly, before spreading the cheeks, the head of his dick ever so slightly entering you. “Say you want this as much as me.” 

You tried to chase that feeling, sink further down his length, but his grip was strong and unnerving. 

“Fuck Jihoon please.” You whined as his mouth wrapped around your nipple, sucking it. “Let's just do this already.”

“Can’t hear you.” 

“Jihoon…” You begged as he pulled out, leaving you clenching around nothing. 

“Walls are soundproof sweetheart.” He reached up, nuzzling your neck. “Let me hear you.” 

“For fucks sake, fuck me already Jihoon!” You babbled, desperate to not lose the feeling of him sliding into you again. “Fuck me, fuck me, fuck me-” 

“Ride me.” He whispered, pushing you down on his cock, the sheer thickness of it nearly splitting you open. “God you're so tight.” 

“And you're so big.” You moaned, as you bottomed out on him, feeling every inch of his thickness against your fluttering walls. 

Jihoon allowed you to adjust to his length, mouth working on marking your breasts instead but when you began involuntary squeezing him he pulled away, biting his lip like he couldn’t take it anymore. 

“Y/n....” He mumbled, fingers gripping your waist tighter. “Move.” 

And you did, like your life depended on it, knees digging into the couch taking support. With his hands sliding down to your ass again, he helped too, bouncing you on him with a pace you could not have managed on your own. You threaded your fingers through his hair at the nape of his neck, head thrown back, guttural moans leaving you. Jihoon seemed to enjoy all of it, the way you sounded, the way you felt around him, the way you gripped his hair as your core began to tighten threateningly. You could tell from the way he chose to hold you in place instead, thrusting himself up into you and your arousal dripping down his length filthily that you were close but he was far from ready for this to be over. 

Oh this was going to be a long night. 

“Y/n wake up.” It was the soft shaking that drew you out of your sleep. “It’s nearly dawn.”

Jihoon’s face hovered over yours, looking tense. You stretched awake, blinking your eyes open, looking around - you were still in his music room, lying on his couch. You must’ve slept here last night, you didn’t even realise when you went into a deep slumber. From all the bedding on the floor you figured Jihoon crashed in here with you despite having a room of his own in his own house. Slightly thankful that he was gracious enough to not leave you alone, you sat up, pulling your hair into a bun. 

“The boys are done washing up if you wish to hit the showers.” He gathered the remaining of your clothes on the floor, which was really just your bra and handed it to you. “You should also eat something. We skipped dinner last night.” 

Of course you did. 

You’d never had sex this intense before last night. You vaguely remembered cumming nearly three more times - once while you were riding him, right before he emptied his load right into you and two more before he pulled you off him and had you on your knees on the couch, your ass and his cum dripping out of you on display for him as he fucked you and filled you one more time. After that, right before you faded into a deep sleep, you also recalled him cleaning you, handing you that black drink from earlier and helping you get dressed - eating was not even on your agenda before you passed out. 

But now admittedly, you were hungry and also in desperate need for a shower so you swung your legs off the couch and got to your feet. Taking a step was particularly difficult though, given how sore you were. 

“Here.” Jihoon handed you a glass of the same potion. “It’ll help with the pain.” 

Muttering a small thanks, you downed the bitter juice in one gulp. As you returned the glass he handed you a small box of a very familiar green ointment, looking pointedly at your neck. Apparently he had given you his own set of the very bruises he had healed yesterday. Scoffing, you took it from him, walking away, towards the main door. 

“Are you okay?” He asked from behind as you nodded, looking over your shoulder.

“Thank you Jihoon, for everything.” and with that you shut the door, stepping out into the darkness before dawn, taking a deep breath. 

Something about Jihoon’s expression told you he was expecting you to say something more but you didn’t have anything else to say. He was a distraction, you were successfully distracted and now you were back to your reality and the real world. Now it was time to face Seungcheol again. 

Realising the sun would be out in a while, you quickly headed for a shower keeping your head down not to meet the eyes of the boys busy loading the cars at the edge of the camp. As you walked into the bathhouse you wondered if you would meet your regular bypasser at this time of the day too and brushed off the possibility but to your complete surprise, Wonwoo, fully dressed for a change, was right there, leaning against the lockers as though he was waiting for you. 

“You're on time.”

“And I don't have the time for you.” You rolled your eyes, grabbing your towel, heading towards the showers.

“Careful Y/n.” Wonwoo called out from behind you, his voice a lot less nonchalant than it normally was. “The Chimaera is no small monster. It's dangerous, manipulative and feeds on chaos.”

You glanced at him over your shoulder as he continued.

“If things take a turn and you're forced to face it, do whatever it takes to fight it. Don't think, don't analyse, just do it.” 

Frowning, you turned to him, wondering why he was suddenly saying all this but without explaining himself any further, Wonwoo straightened himself and simply left from there. 

By the time you had arrived at the dining hall, right around the time the sun had begun to peak from behind the mountains, all the boys had gathered around the table, dressed in armours and gear. Jeonghan was leading the meeting again, walking around handing something that looked a lot like a golden medallion. 

“Keep your energy readers close to you at all times - the Chimaera is a very intelligent monster but it's not very fast, so in a critical situation, early detection may be what saves your lives.” Noticing your presence, he walked up to you, holding the medallion out. “This is an energy reader. The way demigods have auras, monsters do too and this little handy thing can pick up on it. The closer you are to a creature, the warmer it gets so pay attention. If the medallion manages to pick the right frequency, it will morph into an image of the monster so you'll know exactly what it is. Understood?”

You nodded. 

“Turn.” 

And you did, as he pushed your hair onto a shoulder and secured the chain at the nape of your neck. You ran your fingers across the golden indentation of the surface curiously - it was kind of heavy. 

“Your armour is in Cheol's car.” Mingyu piqued from his seat. “So are the flares and your looking glass.”

You turned to Jeonghan who understood the confusion etched on your face. 

“You are, at no point, allowed to abandon your partner but on the off chance that you are separated, send a flare and it will help him identify your location and a looking glass-” He pulled out a small pane of glass from his pocket. “-is how you can communicate with the members. Just say the name of whoever you want to talk to and they'll appear on it.” 

Finally understanding you nodded, as Jeonghan handed you one last thing - a folded paper. 

“This is a copy of the map. Seungcheol will be driving so be sure to guide him properly.” 

You looked over his shoulder at the leader who seemed tense. 

“Whatever is going on between you two, please just keep aside for one day.” Jeonghan looked at you pointedly and sighing, you nodded. You would be courteous with him, you could do that much. 

As the boys began shuffling around, getting to their feet and leaving the hall, a hand on your arm stopped you from following. 

“Breakfast.” Jun held out with a small box that looked like it was filled to the brim. “Eat on the way. You'll need your energy.” 

Muttering a grateful thanks, you took it from him, glancing at Minghao who was standing beside him, arms crossed. 

“I know you're not fully trained but every demigod should have a weapon on them when they're out in the real world.” Your trainer put a pair of daggers in your hand. “Twin blades. I think they'll suit you.” 

You turned the sheathed weapons in your hand, liking how light they felt. Minghao seemed proud of how comfortable you were. 

“Stay safe doll.” 

He called out as you left, a new unknown fear coursing through you as everything got more and more real. 

By the time you reached the gates, everyone else had already taken off, leaving only Seungcheol leaning against his G wagon, waiting for you. The things Mingyu mentioned were in the passenger seat, neatly folded when you opened the door. As you tried to quickly slip them all on, Seungcheol waited, not offering to help, not even looking, just staring out at the woods. When you finally clambered in, he got in too, turning on the engine and taking off swiftly. You stared at the map on your lap - fuck, it was a long ride. 

In the 2 hours that the two of you had been driving, the sun had fully risen, you had finished your breakfast and not one word that was irrelevant to the route had been exchanged. You stared out of the window, watching the trees whizz by - you had crossed much of the town houses in the outskirts and the road was getting narrower and lonelier now. It made sense why a monster would hide out here. 

“How much further?” Seungcheol asked, fingers drumming the wheel. 

“Until we reach the big olive tree.” You peered at the map trying to understand the images instead given you couldn't read Greek. “There we turn left.” 

Seungcheol hummed, then silence descended once again. 

It was a miracle you went through so much time without saying anything to the man beside you. Considering it was just the two of you and neither of you could run, it was the perfect time to talk about everything going on but you found yourself complying with Jeonghan’s instructions and keeping quiet. Perhaps because you had too much on your mind. 

As nonchalant as you tried to seem, the Chimaera terrified you. It wasn't because it was apparently a big scary monster but because it was seeking you. You were no idiot - you knew that if a creature that powerful wanted to kill you, it could have at many instances when you were being particularly reckless. This one definitely wanted something else from you and the thought of that was more terrifying. What could a monster possibly need from you? 

You didn't know. And maybe like most things in your life you wouldn't get to know. Like you didn't get to meet Hestia, or didn't understand why your powers were so different, or didn't know how to cope with the fact that you could never be a mother. It was perhaps just another thing to add to this never ending list. 

“Y/n.” Seungcheol's hand on your arm pulled you out of your thoughts. “How many times do I have to ask? Is that the tree?” 

You glanced at it and then back at the map and nodded. “Yeah, sorry, that's the one.” 

Shifting gears Seungcheol slowed down, turning left like you told him to but to both of your surprise, the road ahead led straight into a forest that was submerged in darkness despite it being so early in the day. Confused, Seungcheol turned on the headlights as he drove ahead but the moment the car moved ahead, the lights turned off. 

Frowning, he tried again, only to receive the same result - the lights kept turning off. 

Annoyed, he stopped the vehicle, grabbing a rather large lighter from the dashboard and stepped out, opening up the hood. Unbuckling your belt, you followed him. 

“Sit inside Y/n.”

“How are you supposed to hold the lighter and fix this thing?” You grabbed the light from him and held it over the engine. “Is there a problem?”

Seungcheol peered at the machinery, frowning. “I don't think so. I don't know why…..” He trailed off like a realisation hit him. “Did you say the tree we crossed was an olive tree?”

“I think it was?” You held out the map for Seungcheol to see. “I can't read Greek.”

“That’s not an olive tree and this isn't any ordinary forest….” He turned to you, both your faces illuminated by the faint light of the fire. “This is the Forest of Nyx, the Goddess of the Night.” 

“Is that why the lights won't work?” You whispered, feeling a chill run down your body. “Is that why it's so dark?” 

“It's always night at her realm. No light, no Gods, no eyes are allowed here.” He gulped as though he suddenly realised the proximity between the two of you. “No one can see us here.” 

You frowned not understanding what he meant when he shut the hood, the headlights surprisingly flaring up again. Before you could even process what was going on, he pulled you up against him, the lighter dropping from your hands due to the sheer force as your body pressed against his. 

“Cheol-”

“No one can see us Y/n.” He whispered, eyes drifting to your lips. “No one.” 

And in a flash, his mouth was on yours - hot, wanting and desperate. 

You gripped his arms, taken aback by the suddenness but when he pulled you closer like he didn't even want air between the two of you, you ran your hands up his chest and neck, threading them into his thick hair. Taking that as a sign of approval, he moved his hands down, briefly squeezing your ass before catching hold of your thighs and lifting you with unsurprising ease, wrapping your legs around his waist. You moaned when you felt his tongue slip into your mouth, his hands annoyed by all the armour as though they wanted to rip it out. 

It was only when you felt breathless and pulled back that he finally let you go. Looking up at you equally breathless, eyes almost pleading, the words that you'd been dying to hear left his mouth at last. 

“Fuck I've wanted this for so long.” He groaned. “I wanted you for so long Y/n, please….” 

You gulped, stiffening when you understood what he was begging for.

Choi Seungcheol wanted to fuck you.

A/n - aaaaand scene hehe

If you've managed to make it till the end, congratulations, this was a long one, I'm sorry buttttt Cheol enthusiasts (aka everyone) y'all are in for a ride next chapter hehe, stay tuned!

And if you enjoyed reading, please don't forget to leave feedback in the comments or tags - we've got lots of chapters to go and hearing thoughts really helps <3

[greenwitchfromthewoods]

stay. l Joel Miller

Summary: he became empty again

Warnings:  a lot of sadness, practically nothing happens, he is just left alone (tw: panic attack)

A/N: your feedback is very important to me and I thank you for all the reblogs, comments and likes. 🖤 sorry for all the mistakes

short stories from life. [masterlist]

For a few weeks, his house was strangely quiet and empty. No conversations, no laughter, no everyday noises. Joel found himself listening constantly, as if at any moment the porch or stairs could creak under your footsteps.

Ellie had also become quieter, more distant. He could still picture the look on her face, a mixture of confusion and anger, when she found out you wouldn't be living with them anymore.

"Do something, dude!" she hissed, looking at Joel and clenching her fists. "You can't just let her go... Fuck!"

Something she knew and trusted suddenly fell apart. And even though she saw you in Jackson, even though you talked almost every day, Joel could see how much she missed you. And he was to blame for that.

He saw you too. Your eyes met and sometimes he had the impression that you would smile at him, that he would soon have you right next to him. Nothing of the sort happened. And he was to blame for that. 

He didn't expect this again, but could it ever be any different... 

The house was empty and quiet, again. Like every day. His body still warm from his morning shower, he combed his wet hair. He wanted to make himself a coffee, put the kettle on and felt it again.

His heart started racing, pumping blood so fast he could hear it pounding in his ears. His hands gripped the door frame, so hard his knuckles turned white. It helped him not to fall to the wooden floor.

Joel squeezed his eyes shut. Helplessness, no control over what was happening to him. It was terrifying. Uneven and shallow breathing. He felt like water was flooding him, seeping into his lungs, ears and nose.

That's when he felt it. Something touched his face. Warm and gentle hands.

"I'm here, it's okay."

He opened his eyes and saw your worried face. Were you really there?

"Breathe with me. Slowly..." your soothing voice reached him through the fog "In and out..."

"You're here..." he panted, gasping for breath.

"I am. But you have to stay here with me too."

Joel nodded. He took one hand off the doorframe, and you immediately understood and grabbed it. The grip gave him an anchor, he had to feel you.

You could see that he was trying to breathe with you. You didn't pay attention to the whistling kettle, only Joel mattered.

He took a few deep breaths. "S-sorry..."

"Shhh, don't say anything now. Try to focus. Breath..."

Your touch, your scent, your presence. He had no idea how you got there, but you had to be real if he felt all of it. When he opened his eyelids again, you were still there. Your face, eyes looking at him with tenderness and sadness.

You didn't have to, but you stayed. For him.

You didn't let go of his hand even when his breathing was calmer and regular, you stayed until the very end. Despite everything, you were there for him.

When it was over Joel felt like he hadn't slept in a week, his body felt heavy and numb. The whistling of the kettle stopped and he realized it was you who turned it off.

"I came to bring something for Ellie." You said quietly, looking at Joel. "I guess I did the right thing not to knock."

"Thank you." His voice was quiet and hoarse.

"Come on, I'll put you to bed."

You helped him up the stairs and led him to his bedroom. When he sat down on the bed you took off his shoes and helped him lie down, then took a blanket from the armchair to cover him.

A familiar hand grabbed your wrist.

"Will you stay with me?"

You could have left. You could have told him to fuck off and slammed the door. You could have done many things, but you did what you felt. What Joel needed.

You laid down next to him, and he awkwardly put his head on your chest. The strong arms wrapped around you and he clung to you like a castaway to a raft that was his only salvation.

He didn't say anything more. His eyelids closed on their own and he fell into a deep sleep, hearing your heartbeat.

It was a strange feeling to wake up in his arms. Joel clung tightly to your back, his strong arms wrapped around your body. It felt good, safe, but at the same time it tore your heart apart.

He didn't want to give you what you needed, what you wanted. You tried to remember when you felt something more for this man, but you couldn't find the exact moment. Everything happened naturally. Your relationships and gestures, you were learning about each other.

You remembered exactly how tense Joel's body was when you hugged him for the first time. He was no longer used to such gestures, he had almost forgotten what it was like to hold someone in his arms. But it awakened all the needs in him that he had so carefully buried under the surface of his roughness, indifference and rudeness.

You didn't want to change him, but you knew that he had to be different once. And then, one night when you were sleeping in some abandoned building, and in a moment of breakdown you started to sob, so quietly so as not to wake either of them, you felt Joel hug you. And that's how it stayed with the two of you.

When you woke up, the room was plunged into semi-darkness. For a while you stared at some point in front of you, but when you moved you heard his voice.

"Stay, please."

God! You wanted it so much that it twisted your insides.

"I can't, Joel. You know that."

He reluctantly let go of you when you slipped out and sat up. Maybe you shouldn't have stayed? Maybe you should have left sooner?

"I miss you. Ellie misses you too." Joel spoke quietly, you barely heard him.

"I'll talk to her."

He noticed that you didn't mention anything about him. Okay, he deserved it. You put on your shoes and got out of bed. The watchful eyes didn't leave you for even a second.

"You can come back here. I won't get in your way. We won't go on patrol together." He sat down on the bed and stared at you with a pleading look.

You smiled sadly and shook your head. "I can't, Joel. I can't pretend that I don't feel all this... I care about you and Ellie, and I always will, but I can't pretend that you mean nothing to me. This is the best for us, believe me. Maybe it will be easier for you too..."

You were wrong.

With each passing day, Joel felt as if he was going numb. And when you left and he heard the door slam, he hated himself again for letting this happen.

He was left alone, with the remnants of your scent on the pillow and the fading warmth of your body in the sheets.

[judesmoonbeauty]

Chaotic Night CE: Darius Vogel

This is a fan translation. 100% accuracy is not guaranteed. Cybird owns everything. Re-blogs are appreciated, but please do not re-post my translations elsewhere. Thank you so much for your support, and I hope that you enjoy the story! ☾.

Worried over the effects of consuming the Queen of the Night extract, they each returned to their rooms.

However, there was one person who ignored the warning —

Kate: Darius! It’s dangerous to go out. Victor said you all should be careful tonight, didn’t he?

Darius was cheerfully leaving the palace, so I frantically stood in front of him, blocking his path.

Darius: Why should I listen to what he says?

Darius: I’d like to enjoy an English Halloween.

He smiled brilliantly, like an angel, not paying any mind to my persuasion.

(I can’t get through to him!)

Kate: Please, please refrain tonight. This is for your sake too.

Kate: We don’t know what kind of changes may happen.

Darius: If you say so, then you will entertain me Miss fairytale keeper.

Darius: I know, let’s go to your room, Miss fairytale keeper.

Kate: What?!

Darius: We can lay low in the fairytale keeper’s chambers.

Kate: B-But.

(…..I can’t let Vogel simply enter Crown Castle.)

It was strongly admonished to keep Crown’s secrets safe.

But I can’t say that.

Indifferent to my worries, Darius slipped past me and walked briskly towards the entrance.

Kate: Oh, wait!

(W-what should I do….what would Darius be more interested in?)

Darius: …..It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this excited.

His murmur struck me with an idea —.

Kate: Queen of the Night! There’s a place where it grows wild in the garden!

Darius stopped suddenly, and looked back with interest.

Darius: Oh?

Darius: I’d like to see it.

[Transitions to the garden]

Kate: It’s somewhere around here.

(…..It’s a good thing there’s no full moon or new moon out tonight.)

Darius: What, how boring. I was hoping that maybe at least one flower would bloom.

I turned around when it sounded like he lost interest—.

Kate: ….[Gasp],Darius, you look

Noticing my gasp, Darius touched the top of his head.

There, were very prominent horns popping out.

Darius: Ohh, I thought my head felt itchy for some reason. So, it was because of this. (Bro, wdym? You didn’t feel them growing?? 😭)

His reflection in the nearby pond looks so innocent, as he happily strokes the curves of his horns.

Darius: In any case — I feel somewhat liberated.

Darius smiles in the moonlight, and coupled with the horns that appeared, he looks so divine it’s almost awe-inspiring.

— Like he were a messenger of God.

(…..Which reminds me.)

Harrison had fox-like ears.

His ability became so strong that he could detect lies just by listening to others.

If Ellis’ briar thorns that appeared on him was due to his sin of bondage, and his ability to restrain has strengthened then —

(Darius’ change in appearance may have to do with the nature of his curse)

(…What kind of curse does Darius have?)

Darius: What is it? I feel a hole will open up with you staring at me like that.

Kate: Ah, sorry. It’s just a bit strange ….

Darius: …….

Silence falls, and his honey-colored eyes look down on me with carefully.

With a gaze that seemed to see through everything, as if they were declaring it.

Darius: Would you like to touch them?

Kate: Huh?

Darius: If it’s so strange that you’re staring at me, then perhaps it would good for you to touch and examine them yourself.

He tilts his head with a smile, while looking down at me.

The overwhelming atmosphere didn’t allow me to refuse, so I reached up to gently touch Darius’ head —

Darius: ….Heheh.

Right as I touched a horn, Darius’ chuckled.

Kate: …

My hand let go immediately,

For some reason, I felt an indescribable anxiousness as Darius continued to laugh cheerfully, and I instinctively stepped back.

Darius: Oh, there, if you step back any further —

Kate: Oof!

I got caught by a hole in the ground, and fell hard on my bottom.

Darius: I see you really don’t disappoint, Miss fairytale keeper.

Not even offering me a hand to help me up, Darius just stands there with the moon behind him, smiling as he looks down at me.

When I tried to stand up, pressed by the uneasy laughter—

I felt a throbbing pain.

Darius: Ohh dear, you twisted your foot.

Darius: —It’s because you directly touched me.

Kate: Huh…what does that mean?

(When I made direct contact this happened to me….So, perhaps this is Darius’ ability.)

Darius: Shall I guess what you’re thinking right now, Miss fairytale keeper?

Darius: Something like, does this mean — that if I touch anyone then they will suffer misfortune?

Kate: ….

Darius: Ah, bullseye. You truly are so easy to understand Miss fairytale keeper.

Kate: ….Do you really have that sort of ability?

Darius: Ahha, should you be asking me?

Darius: Remember, that just because you ask a question doesn’t mean you’ll get an honest answer.

Darius: But all right, I’ll give you a special test, Miss fairytale keeper.

Darius: Since I’m feeling very good right now.

It felt as if Darius was looking down from a lofty place, when he crouched down in front of me, who was still unable to move after falling backward.

The sudden closeness made my heart skip a beat.

Kate: Oh, please wait, no more misfortunes.

A gloved hand mercilessly grabbed mine, and pressed it against his horn again.

Kate: —

(W-what’ll happen now….?)

Darius: ……

Although I braced myself, there was no sign of anything happening, so I sighed in relief.

Darius chuckled and pinched my cheek.

Kate: Uhf.

Darius: ….Is this also a “misfortune” for you, Miss fairytale keeper?

His fingers slid from touching my cheek to lifting up my chin.

His platinum blonde eyelashes slightly lowered, as his gaze fell upon my lips.

His beautifully arched lips slowly approached me —

(I-is he going to kiss me?!)

Kate: W-wait ….!

When I raised my voice, he finally stopped moving.

The reflection of my face was bright red, in his very close, deep, honey-colored eyes.

Darius: Hmph, “wait.” ….You don’t want to?

He was so close that our breathing overlapped, and he smiled even more beautifully.

Darius: You’re as kind as ever. If you’re planning to refuse me, then you should push me and runaway.

Darius: —Ohhh, but you twisted your ankle.

Darius: You can’t run away even if you wanted to. That’s your misfortune right now, Miss fairytale keeper.

He suddenly dropped my hand and stood up, as if to say the prank was over.

Darius: — I guess that you won’t be able to escape from Crown either.

Kate: What?

My heart was beating wildly.

Darius: Would you like my help?

Kate: W-what do you mean —

Darius: Your foot’s sprained, isn’t it?

(He’s talking about that….)

Kate: N-no, that’s okay…..

Frankly, the pain was getting worse, but I didn’t want to show him any more of my pathetic side.

Somehow, I managed to stand up.

Darius: I see.

As I brushed the dirt off my skirt hem, Darius glanced at me from the side and then flipped his coat.

Kate: Oh, where are you going?

Darius: I’ve no further business here. I’ll do as I like for the rest of tonight.

Kate: Well, wait a…..nghh!

Even though I wanted to rush after him, I couldn’t because of the pain.

Kate: Y-you can’t leave the palace! Please lay low no matter what….!

I couldn’t do anything other than call out after the white back that was walking away.

“— I guess that you won’t be able to escape from Crown either.”

Darius’ words swirled around in my heart.

(….I wonder at how much Darius knows.)

What did he mean by that.

At any rate, what is Darius’ true ability….

— As my Halloween night went on, the aftertaste of Darius’ prank lingered.

[Event Master List] Dividers: @.natimiles

Tags List: @sh0jun @theimaginativelyreticent @sapphire-323 @velisle @nateko @greatwitchsongsinger

Please let me know if you wish to be added or removed from tags!

Well, well, that was interesting. This is my first full event translation for Darius...I don't know him as well as others might, but I hope I did okay. I'm sure I'll get better with his character over time. But, really? You're telling me you didn't feel those horns growing, Dari??

[daystarpoet]

•ྀ༅꙳ the stars by the ocean ೄ

percy jackson x hades!reader. also gn! reader. my first request, i hope you like it. it took me a bit, sorry! percy teaches you how to surf, and you teach him about the stars. not proofread, if there are any mistakes, let me know. dividers by @aquazero

percy could be quite the persistent person when he wanted to— maybe it was his adhd, or maybe it was just percy. either way, when the boy set his mind on something, there was no way of convincing him to stop. like that one time he had insisted he could pick your ration of the strawberries while you rested your injury, only to end up with a severe sunburn from the extra hours of work.

it was no surprise when he practically broke into your cabin, stating that he was going to teach you how to surf. his offer was—of course— only met with objection, getting percy jackson to drag you into the water with him was definitely not a good idea. sometimes it seemed like he forgot that not everyone was physically unable to drown like him.

the only way he got you to agree to his lessons, was by making a deal. if you allowed him to teach you how to surf, he would let you teach him everything about astronomy. as a child of hades, you sure had a lot of knowledge about that, and having someone to rant to was nice; so you eventually agreed.

percy was jumping up and down as he dragged you from his mom’s car to the beach, an unmistakable, mischievous smirk playing on his lips. the turquoise of the sea matching the colour of his eyes— a little quirk you enjoyed about him, how his eyes would always turn the colour of the nearest water source.

many hours in the water, and a lot of trust in your boyfriend’s lifeguarding skills were needed until you managed to actually stand up and surf a few ways. you weren’t a natural—logically— but that didn’t make percy any less proud. he would peck your cheeck between wave and wave, as a way to keep encouraging you.

percy’s weight was leaned on his arms, as he set one hand on each side— one behind your back. the sun was almost completely gone by now, and some faint stars could be seen adorning the sky. the wind blew some of percy’s still wet strands of hair—being at a mortal beach meant he couldn’t just get into the water and stay dry.

percy watched you with a light—and somewhat lovestruck— smile, as you began your ramblings about the stars. he hadn’t quite imagined you held this much knowledge, but he didn’t mind.

“right there,” his gaze followed your pointed finger “you can’t see it all that well, but that’s perseus.” you told him, pointing at the constellation of his namesake. “i bet that one’s your favorite.” percy smirked, only to earn a slap in the shoulder from your end.

“you’re always making things about yourself—” you snorted before continuing with your talk. “and, there, though you can only see it in september, is pegasus.” his eyes only darted to whatever you were showing him temporarily, always returning to your face in just seconds.

perhaps they stayed on yours for a little too long. suddenly, he could no longer hear your voice, nor the faint sound of the waves. it was only your eyes, your face, your hair— “perseus jackson! are you even listening to me?” you questioned your boyfriend, giving him a scolding look. “uh, no… sorry…” his head dropped, resting his forehead against your shoulder. “annabeth is right, you know, you do have seaweed for a brain.” you chuckled, running your hand though his dark hair.

“that’s nice.” he murmured, tracing patterns into the sand with his finger. “everything is nice here with you. having a day off camp— i really enjoyed that.” he sounded sincere, almost too sincere. you smiled, cupping his face to make him look at you, leaning in to peck his lips.

“i enjoyed it, too.”

[inkedbydesire]

Can’t Let Go (Pt 1)

Jimmy Uso x Black Fem Reader

A/N: This is inspired by an Adele song called “Can’t Let Go.” Please give it a listen if you’ve never heard it. It will enhance your reading experience (I hope 😂).

Warnings: None.

Summary: You thought you would never hear from him again. And truthfully, even that was too soon. They say that time heals all wounds. So with time, you convinced yourself that closure wasn’t necessary, that you didn’t need to understand why he ripped your heart to shreds. Somewhere along the way you even managed to persuade yourself that you were completely over the whole ordeal and completely over him. But after a full year of silence, a single letter arrives, threatening to undo everything you fought so hard to move past.

Word Count: 2.8k

A/N: Jimmy is kinda sorta my muse right now. So here’s another one *Dj Khaled voice.* I apologize in advanced for any grammatical errors or typos I may have missed during my proofreading.

*************************************************

"Jonathan fucking Fatu." 

You muttered the words to yourself, then took yet another sip from your wine glass. Well, honestly, it was more of a gulp. You practically downed the whole thing. And this wasn't even your first or second glass. Normally, you never drank this much in a day, but tonight seemed like a special occasion. After a grueling shift in the ER, you'd expected to come home to a warm bath, a good meal, and reruns of Bob's Burgers. Not a letter from your ex-boyfriend, Jonathan, who you hadn't heard from in over a year.

When you stopped by your parent's house after work because your mom said she had something for you, the last thing you expected was a letter from Jonathan. No wonder she'd sounded so strange on the phone. No communication had passed between you and Jonathan for so long that he had no choice but to send the letter to the last address he remembered, your parent's house. He knew nothing about your apartment. He knew nothing about your life anymore. And why would he? He wasn't a part of it.

"I'm not doing this." You muttered aloud as you stood up, holding your wine glass in one hand and the letter in the other. You slowly walked into the kitchen and hovered over the trash can, you held the letter there for a moment before you dropped it in. Then, you turned off the light and returned to the living room, sinking back onto the couch. You tried to focus on anything else other than that damn letter but no more than five minutes later, you were back in the kitchen, digging through the trash.

This time, you didn't waste a second before heading back to the couch with the letter clutched between your fingers. You decided to leave the wine alone telling yourself that there was no need to add a hangover to your list of problems tomorrow. Shifting your attention to the letter you finally opened the envelope and unfolded the pages. As your eyes skimmed over Jonathan's neat handwriting, memories that you'd worked so hard to suppress rushed at you all at once as if you'd just been blindsided by a semi-truck.

High school. Sophomore year. That was when you first met him. Your parents had uprooted your whole life and moved you to Florida when your dad got a better job offer. You'd been terrified, forced to leave behind everything and everyone you knew. You were social, but not enough to feel okay with walking into a new school where everyone already had their friends. You had no idea how to approach anyone. You knew if you didn't find a way to fit in, you'd spend the next few years alone.

Before you could muster the courage to talk to anyone on your first day, Jonathan was the first student to speak to you.

"You must be new" he said to you casually as you stood in the hallway staring down at your schedule. The guidance counselor had only shown you to your first class and then left you to fend for yourself. This school was far bigger than your old one so on your way to second period you got a little lost.

"It's that obvious huh?" you responded back to the stranger then looked over at him and smiled. He returned it, warm and friendly.

"Lemme see" he said as he reached for your schedule and you allowed him to have it happy to have someone who seemed like they wanted to help. 100s of other students had brushed past you so far and he had been the only one to stop.

"Oh, we got the same second period. Follow me. I got you." He told you as he handed you back your schedule and you thanked him as you folded it and slid it in your back pocket.

"What's your name?" He asked as you fell into step beside him.

"Y/N" you responded as he zigzagged you through the hallways. Quickly you picked up on the fact that Jonathan was pretty popular. On every hallway that you followed him down some dude was dapping him up or some girl was saying hey. And for some reason, he kept taking it upon himself to introduce you to every single person you two encountered. He kept telling people "This the new girl Y/N."

Like it was his duty or something.

You were a little embarrassed that he kept making you the center of attention but if you were going to meet anyone other than him it had to be that way. And you guessed he figured that. You think he just wanted you to feel included. And you did. During your lunch period, you spotted someone who looked like Jonathan so you went over to thank him for helping you again, only to discover you were talking to his twin brother Joshua. That's how you ended up meeting both of them on your very first day.

Jonathan talked to you every day after that. Over time you managed to find your place in a good group of friends when you joined the cheerleading team. This caused you and Jonathan to grow even closer because you spent more time around him due to him and his brother being football players. By Junior year you two were dating and experiencing a lot of firsts together. You were high school sweethearts for two years but mutually broke up after graduation when you saw that life was taking you in two completely different directions. It wasn't a sad or bitter breakup because you both understood and respected each other's futures. You just wanted to see each other win. And you knew that no matter what you would always keep in touch.

Jonathan went to college for a little bit before moving away with Joshua to pursue wrestling which was a part of their family legacy. You stayed in Florida went to college and worked tirelessly to follow your dream of becoming a nurse. You and Jonathan barely ever saw each other anymore.  Years passed. But still, you kept in contact here and there.

Jonathan and Joshua got signed to the WWE. You remember him being so excited on the phone when he called and told you about it. You became a nurse and started working at the hospital of your dreams. And crazy enough you even almost got married. You were engaged to a Doctor that you met at one of the hospitals you interviewed at before finding your perfect fit. He seemed like a amazing person on the surface but you later found out that it was all just a hoax. 1 week before your wedding you found out that he had fathered an outside child and had basically been unfaithful throughout your whole relationship. That was a horrible time for you but you managed to get through it. And although Jonathan couldn't be there for you physically you could always count on him to send you some encouraging words every other day.

When it seemed that you and Jonathan had finally solidified yourselves in your careers that's when you two reconnected on a deeper level. It started with texting each other as much as your work schedules and sleeping arrangements would allow. Then to falling asleep on Facetime with each other every night. Then to catching flights to see each other. He came to see you. You went to see him. And then on one of your trips, he just didn't want you to leave. So you decided to say goodbye to Florida and moved to the state that Jonathan was calling home. You found a hospital to work at and easily settled into life with him. For 3 years you and him had a relationship that you had convinced yourself you could only read about. You thought Jonathan was your forever and you found solace in thinking you would never know heartbreak again. 

But then it happened. 

It started like any other day. It was your off day so you were going to run a few errands and spend the rest of the day relaxing. Jonathan was on the road as usual living the hectic life of a wrestler so you were going to spend some time missing him too. But that was basically it. There were no warning signs. No strange feeling in the pit of your stomach. Nothing. You went through the day totally oblivious to the fact that your whole world was about to collapse.

Later on that night out of the blue your notifications started going insane. Jonathan had posted you on his Instagram here and there over the years so people knew who you were through him. Due to that, his fans started interacting with you. So you assumed that's what it was. That they were just tagging you in random things like normal. But you saw that everybody kept sending you the same link to a TMZ article. You ignored it until your best friend sent it to you with a message that read "Have you seen this? Are you okay?"

Nothing could've prepared you for what you saw. The headline was still engraved in your memory.

"Jimmy Uso exposed for stepping out on his now girlfriend Y/N: Woman reveals picture and text proof."

Your phone moved from side to side in your shaky hands as you read the article. Your heart pounded and your stomach turned as you read the claims of a woman who said she had been with Jonathan intimately a month ago. There were text messages and you knew for certain that it was his number. He had the same number since high school. But if that wasn't the nail in the coffin she also had a picture of him in her bed. Tears began to blur your vision as you read away every ounce of trust and security you ever had in Jonathan and your relationship.

Barely being able to process what was happening you moved in a zombie-like state as you located your laptop. Your brain was on autopilot as you booked a flight back to Florida for 6 am the next morning. You knew that you had to be out of that house before Jonathan came back. You were sure he knew the news by now. He had to. And you didn't know if he would drop everything and try to rush back. You didn't want to see his face. You didn't want to hear him try to explain himself. There was nothing that he could tell you. Life as you both knew was just completely over now.

And he only had himself to thank for that.

You packed what you could fit into your two suitcases and decided you would leave everything else behind. You had 3 years of stuff here but none of that mattered. With your heart feeling like somebody just snatched it out of your chest with a butcher's knife ..... nothing mattered. Shutting your phone off to silence the noise of the constant calls and texts you were receiving, you then climbed into the bed that you and Jonathan shared and cried your eyes out until sleep somehow found you. You woke up the next morning in time enough to take a shower, cry in it, and then leave Jonathan a note. You tore a piece of paper from a notebook and wrote,

Dear Jonathan, I hope it was worth it. Bye.

You left it on the coffee table in the living room before running out to catch your Lyft to the airport. Later that evening when you arrived in Florida you took a taxi to your parent's house. You knew your mom had already heard the news by the way she greeted you when you rang the doorbell. She just allowed you to fall into her arms and she held you as tight as she could. You were mentally and physically drained as you climbed the stairs and went to your childhood bedroom. You went to the bathroom that was connected to it and caught a glimpse of yourself in the mirror. You looked exactly like what you were going through. Your eyes were swollen from all of the nonstop crying and somehow your brown skin looked pale. After taking off the hoodie you had on and stripping down to your panties you went back to your bedroom and got into the bed. When you were under the covers you decided to turn your phone back on for the first time in over 12 hours. You had what seemed like 100s of text messages, missed calls, and voicemail messages from Jonathan.

You opened one of the voicemail messages, your heart breaking all over again as you heard the desperation in his voice.

............. "Baby, where did you go? I swear that shit didn't mean nothing. I ... I fucked up. I really fucked up. And I regretted that shit instantly. I wanted to tell you about it. I just didn't want what's happening now to happen. I didn't want to lose you Y/N. Please say something to me." .......

Well there it was, he admitted to it. So any stupid hope of this somehow not being your reality was lost. You shut your phone back down ignoring him again as tears streamed down the side of your face. Somehow through all of the pain you felt in your chest sleep still found you. You woke up later that night with more voicemail messages from Jonathan.

............ "Look Y/N I'm going out of my fucking mind. Just let me know where you at. I need to know that you alright." .........

............. "Curse me out. Do something. I can't take this silent shit."...........

.............. "I don't know if you even listening to these but I love you Y/N. I know you might not believe or wanna hear that right now but I love you."

You ended up blocking his number. But things didn't end there. You still had a long road ahead of you. He blew you up on every single social media app which you eventually had to delete. What Jonathan did to you was very public and people were talking about it. And you needed to ignore the world and him if you were ever going to get back to you.

As time went on you started to function like a normal human being again. You didn't end up sitting on the shower floor every time you took one and you started to eat more than once a day again. But it seemed like every time you tried to make a step to move on Jonathan would contact you and set you back. When he couldn't reach you on social media anymore he started sending emails. You blocked him there too. Then he put two and two together and figured you were at your parent's house and started abusing their phone lines as well. When his number was blocked yet again he even resorted to catching a flight and randomly showing up to their house. Rightfully so your father refused to let him in and sent him on his way.

Jonathan had turned your whole world upside down but you still communicated with his family through all of it. His mom and Dad checked on you. But you mainly talked to Joshua the most because you two had a friendship outside of him. Joshua genuinely wanted to know about your well-being, so you responded to him often while still being radio silent when it came to his brother. When Jonathan caught wind that you were still talking to Joshua he tried reaching out to you through him. You told Joshua not to allow him to do that or you would also have to cut ties with him. You didn't want to do that because Joshua hadn't done anything to you but you seriously wanted absolutely nothing to do with Jonathan. You didn't need his explanation. His apologies only infuriated you. You didn't need anything from him.

He tried to get you to communicate with him for almost a year but you never took any of the bait. Time passed and Jonathan's crazy measures to reach you eventually slowed down. 

Year two rolled around and for the first time, you heard no signs from him for a whole two weeks. But still, he was known to pop out when you got the most comfortable so you wearily anticipated him. But then two weeks turned into a month. One month turned into four. Before you knew it a whole year had passed with nothing from his end. In that time you managed to get your life back on track. You moved out of your parent's house into a nice apartment and were able to get the old job that you had before leaving Florida to be with Jonathan back.

It had been two years since you removed yourself from his life so you thought that the Jonathan Solofa Fatu chapter in your life was closed. You thought you would never hear another peep from him but yet here you were holding this letter.

And any peace you thought you had found with the situation was now completely disturbed.

[delta-06]

this is just a mess of thrown ideas

.

.

Having a relationship with Logan meant having one with Wade too. The guy was always hanging around whenever he got the chance, may that be when he had time to kill or when he was bored at any given moment of the day or night.

When you started to date Wolverine, he mentioned how his friend could be...rather invasive...but since you two would have lived together he simply told you to not worry. Well, you did listen to him and didn't pay much thoughts but the first time you had encountered said "problem" you had to re-think everything.

After having some cuddling sessions in your soft shared bed, Logan got up to have a shower and he left you under the covers inside the warm log cabin. It was cold outside as it was snowing heavely, tipical canadian weather, and you decided to stay there for the moment.

Since you were a mutant, your hearing was very sharp and beneath the running water of the shower you heard some clinking of silverwear being dropped and then being put to place. You arched an eyebrow and decided to go check in case some animal had accidentally stormed in and caused some havoc in the kitchen all.

But low and behold, you found Wade having a peanut butter sandwitch while leaning on the counter. He had no mask and all of his red suit was filled with melting snow and some branches. You let out a quick "AH!?" of suprise before he made a waving gesture and smiled, his mouth smeared with peanut butter.

Logan came out of the shower not long after wearing only shorts and let out a uff of disapproval as he looked at your staring contest.

He didn't even bother to tell him to go away and he just threw him out after he finished his sandwitch. You kinda felt bad and invited him back in but he told you to not worry and just disappeared into the night.

Logan told you that from now on he would be part of your lives and there was nothing he could do about it. He showed his fangs in annoyence as he thought about this predicament but was quickly shushed by you with a kiss on his cheek and a stroke of his hair.

In the days that followed he became more part of your daily lives. As you and Howlett had breakfast in the living room quietly, Wade just spawned out of knowhere with a plate of whatever you two were eating, already sat. Logan was startled as fuck and his claws came out instantly, meere inches from your wrist veins.

It became more and more consistent with spawning out of knowhere. Logan was chopping down some wood? He was there with an axe and started to brag about anything. You were building and carving shelves part in the patio? He would keep you company and hand you some tools, he figured out it was safer to be around you because he didn’t have to worry with claws in his head.

You just surrended to his presence and eyed Logan who was smoking a cigar and snickered. He mouthed “your fault bub, pay the price” as he left to get insdie the cabin laughing his ass off.

During the night you couldn’t sleep well as Wades mess of limbs were scatterd on the mattress while he was slotted between you and Logan. As days went on though, you started to appreciate more his presence, he was funny but serious and helped around the house by either bringing money since he was a merc or just go to the nearest shop.

One time though, you and Logan were in the middle of a heated makeout session, right after you two found a moment alone. You were under his form, both your hands roaming on his naked torso and so did his. You were scratching his back and neck earning pleasant moans accompanied by a blissfull expression. His fangs now sinking in your skin, marking you up perfectly.

Just as he was calming down a bit, kissing your jawline and feeling your stubble grow, the door burst open with a bloodied up Deadpool caring two sets of AR-15s.

Silence fell. Akward silence fell. You looked at Logan who was seething and then at his knuckles, which were showing the tip of his claws.

"You know...I really think you are desperate for attention." you tapped on Logan's shoulder and managed to sit at the edge of the bed. Your hands on your knees.

"You want to get fucked that badly Red? Don't think I don't know you want to get in his pants" you smirked as you got up and walked to him with a smirk.

[liesmyth]

favourite parts of GtN act 3 I had forgotten about

Cytherea giving Dulcie a health crisis the moment Silas might get in contact with Abigail's ghost

There was something pale blue sparking within the corpse of Abigail Pent, and suddenly and horribly the body shuddered [...] Someone screamed, and she recognised the voice as Dulcinea’s. Gideon moved thickly through the grey-lipped crowd, watching Dulcinea collapse in what felt like slow motion, reaching out to the rumpled figure in the big dressing gown. [...] Protesilaus stalked forward, and he did not even bother to draw his sword: he simply punched Silas in the face.

The fainting spell so that she'd have an excuse to make "Pro" punch Silas... I love her. She really committed to everything <3

Wild speculation time: as a Lyctor, Cytherea has an unprecedented level of control over every cell of her body, including the cancer cells. Her body's "default state" is the terminal cancer she died with, but she's clearly able to tune it up and down. My pet theory is that the Eight House cancer is inherently necromantic in nature, so it becomes more costly to her to fine-tune it when she's actively doing necromancy, such as puppeteering Pro <- she's not faking the bout of pain, she is in pain, and still going for an Oscar. Who else is doing it like her

Magical restorative herbs Teacher had lying around

When Colum gets syphoned too hard, Teacher makes him sniff something. WHAT IS IT I desperately need to know what Teacher's herb garden looks like.

Have they been eating the Canaan House fish?

Speaking of Teacher's herb garden, the cold storage room at Canaan House includes meat and fish as well as vegetables.

Strings of startle-eyed, frozen fish with their scales and tails intact hung like laundry on lines above steel countertops, bewildering Gideon with the reality of what she had been eating.

This is interesting to me because it could say something about the status of the ocean near Canaan House regarding pollution / the state of Earth's fauna in general. I tend to take Taz literally when she said Nona took place over "a hundred thousand years and five days" and believe tens of thousands of years passed between the flashbacks and the Resurrection. The fauna being healthy enough to be eaten would match with that — not that the half life of nuclear waste means anything when you're God, but a hundred thousand years is definitely "safer" than ten thousand.

Babsʼs boyfriend

“I should’ve stayed home and gotten married,” he said resentfully. “As though anyone was even offering,” snapped Ianthe.

He had a lover boy back on Ida... I know this to be true

Third House power struggle

“How many people had these hatch keys other than the Ninth?” said Corona. “We had no idea the basement was even there.” (ten minutes later) “I am also in possession of one,” Ianthe said, unruffled. “What?”

I would read the whole book from Babs' POV. I think whatever was going on between the Tridentarii must have been incredibly fraught. Away from Ida, Corona's lie must be weighing on them like never before. Away from their court and family, I think Ianthe is going on the biggest power trip of their life. And Babs is there also.

Then later this happens

“At arms, Babs.” Her twin sister’s voice was thin and soft as silk: “Don’t unsheathe that sword, Naberius.” “Ianthe, what—are—you—doing.” “Well, Babs, thank God, has much better sense than to listen to you—Babs?”

The moment when Babs officially won't do what Corona says if Ianthe disagrees... Corona's shocked and saddened reaction... this is new for them. to me. and she doesn't like it. Ianthe meanwhile is letting out twenty-one years of quiet resentment

****

Anyway. TLDR! I'm enjoying this reread very much :3

[a-small-batch-of-dragons]

Protector | Water Borne

Protector is so good and if it's not too much trouble could I ask for another chapter with Virgil's first kiss to one or more of The Five? Pretty please? (It's okay if you don't want to - no pressure!) – twoalpacas

Could you write some Roman angst that takes place in a merperson au? Whether Roman is a merperson or a human who meets merpeople would be up to you. – monkeythefander

Read on Ao3 Protector Masterlist

Warnings: ptsd, implied/reference drowning/brainwashing

Pairings: dlampr

Word Count: 5043

Virgil doesn't even give himself the time to sigh when his well explodes and Remus scrambles out of it, dripping wet and covered in something he's not going to try to name. Instead, he makes himself move his hand away from his dagger and stand up.

"What's happened?"

"Come with me," Remus barks, grabbing his wrist—

"You're coming with us," the guard snarls, ale heavy on his breath outweighing the stench of blood, "you'll be dealt with the way all traitors are—"

Virgil's hand creeps back toward the dagger and he sets his jaw. "Remus. Let go of me."

"What the fuck are you doing? We have to go, now!"

"Remus."

Everything in him screams to get out of this situation, diffuse, excuse, find some way to leave the angry magic user without making things any worse, but this is Remus. Remus, who after realizing that maybe grabbing his wrist wasn't the best idea in the world—which, you think?—stops and glares at Virgil.

"We have to go," he says again through gritted teeth, "come on."

It's like parenting a child, Virgil realizes with no small amount of hysteria, forcing himself to take a deep breath and let his arm go slack in Remus's grip. "Remus. Explain to me what's going on."

Remus's jaw works and he squeezes Virgil's wrist tighter. "Roman needs help. You need to help him."

"What's happened to Roman?"

"Didn't you hear me? He needs help!"

"I understand that Roman needs help, but if you tell me what sort of help he needs, then I can be better prepared to offer that sort of help."

Careful, his instincts warn, don't agree to anything yet. But he hasn't. He's just offered up the logical explanation that being more informed begets more productive assistance. Only then does he realize that Remus's breathing is still way too heavy and his eyes are so wide he can see the whites all the way around.

"Remus," he says, quieter now, "you made it to me. I'm here, I'm listening. It would be helpful if you explained to me what's going on with Roman."

Remus stares at him for a long moment before the mania finally begins to fade from his gaze. He takes another shuddering breath and his grip on Virgil's wrist loosens. "Someone fucked up a transformation spell. Ro got hit by it. He needs—he needs help."

A bolt of something cold races down Virgil's spine. He's survived this long by being wary enough not to get in between the fights of magic users. He's not about to let himself just get willingly dragged into one, but he's not sure how he can safely refuse Remus when he's just about feral and still holding onto Virgil.

"I'm not sure I'm the best source of help for a magical issue," he says as carefully as he can, "I don't know enough about spells or how to fix them—"

"That's not what I want you for!" Remus stamps his foot—it really is like parenting—"I want you to help Roman!"

"I don't understand."

Remus bears his teeth and for a moment, Virgil worries that the dagger at his side might be the last thing he ever holds in his own two hands, but then the man just deflates. He's almost rushing to get his arms under Remus's shoulders, quickly redirecting his collapse onto the nearby stool instead of the freshly-planted flowers. He squats down, letting Remus keep a hold of him, angling himself so he can see his face.

"Hey," he say softly, "hey, buddy, talk to me. What's going on? What does Roman need help with?"

Remus's lip wobbles. "He's so scared, Virgil. He's scared!"

"What's scaring him?"

"We need to fix it. We don't—we can't—we have to go and he can't do anything and he—you have to help him."

Virgil's chest clenches. He's not any more inclined to get in the middle of a fight between magic users than he was a few minutes ago, but he is more upset that Remus is so visibly torn up over it. He forces himself to stay aware for just a little longer.

"Is Roman physically hurt? Does he need me to patch him up the way I helped Janus?"

Remus shakes his head.

"Is there a mental element to the spell that's affecting his perception or emotions?"

"Sort of."

"Okay. Are you expecting me to be a part of magically resolving the process, or is my role something non-magical?"

Remus's brow wrinkles. "Why would I come to you if I needed someone else to cast magic for me?"

"Well, that's why I'm confused, buddy."

He shakes his head, another shower of droplets hitting Virgil's shoulders. "Roman needs help. He doesn't need more magic."

"Let me see if I understand, then: Roman got hit by a spell that went wrong. He's scared. You want me to help—like, keep him calm or be less scared while you figure out how to magically fix things?"

"Yes," Remus says, a touch of impatience back in his tone, "I thought that was obvious."

"Just wanted to make it explicit," Virgil mutters, scowling when Remus's brows pump up and down suggestively, "good to see you're fine enough to do that."

"Oh, I'll show you what I'm fine enough for." He giggles when Virgil rolls his eyes, sobering a moment later. "I don't—I don't know what to offer as payment. I'm not—Lolo normally does that."

"We could do what we did last time," Virgil's offering before he realizes what he's saying, "you could offer me something in collateral before the actual payment itself is agreed upon."

"I don't have a yathrylx."

"What else do you have to offer?"

Remus's mouth twitches and works back and forth a few times before he reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out a small stone. He holds it out insistently and Virgil hesitantly extends his hand. It drops into his waiting palm.

"I would like to know what this is."

"It's a star-diamond calyx." Virgil just raises his eyebrow. "It's a really powerful magical ingredient, okay? It's used in resurrection spells."

"…Remus, you're carrying an ingredient for a resurrection spell."

"We didn't know if Ro was gonna make it," Remus says, his voice choking up again, "we—we needed to be prepared."

"But Roman is stable now."

"Yeah. He's—he's okay for now. He's just really scared, Virgil, we can't—we can't leave him alone but the rest of us have to go and—" he sniffles— "and I can't just leave him."

Something foreign settles in his gut, then, at the realization that Remus—and by extension, the others—trust him enough to be there, to help, to protect them. They're fucking magic users, they're ten times deadlier than he is at his best at their worst, and still they trust him to do this.

"I will take the star-diamond calyx as collateral for keeping Roman calm," he makes himself say, "until adequate payment is decided."

"Can we go now?"

"I will gather my things."

***

His second trip through a portal is no more impressive than his first, but the arrival destination is…enough to make him pause.

He's no stranger to wild and fantastical places. His way of life practically necessitates that he ventures to half a dozen far-flung and perilous places every single year. And yet, sometimes even he has to take a second just to breathe in the scenery.

Remus's portal brings them to the very edge of a tall sloping cave, crystalline walls leading up, up, up to a bright light source in the middle of the ceiling. The more he looks at it, the more it shifts, facets of complex gemstones sending small motes of light scattering down the walls to reflect off the clear surface of the pool at the edges of the cliffs. Small flowering bushes and trees grow along the edges of the water. Tiny birds and other creatures flit about in the spaces between the blooms, gathering or pollinating or something—most of them look like the harmless varieties that are common close to the edges of the Draymack River, but he'll double check. A soft purple mist rolls through the upper air, the light exposing glittering particles as it passes through.

"Oh, you found him," he hears, and he turns to see the others hurrying toward them from the shoreline. Patton rushes up first, almost barreling into him before skidding to a stop. "Did Remus explain everything?"

He summarizes, watching their faces to see if Remus left out anything especially pertinent, but all he sees is grim resignation and worry. "I would like to know if there's anything else important I'm missing before you leave, as well as the dangers posed to me in this location."

"There isn't anything here that's going to hurt you." Janus gestures to the wildlife. "The pixies and mephits are harmless and as long as you don't destroy any of the flowers, they'll ignore you completely."

"And the air?"

"Spell mist."

Ah. That would explain why they brought Roman here; the inherent abjurative nature of the cavern would dampen any lingering magic and restrict the spell to its current form without risk of evolution.

Shit, Bonnie really has been rubbing off on me. Though he makes a mental note to send her and the Aspen Witch some form of token.

"Roman's in the water," Logan says, interrupting his train of thought, "the spell didn't manage to transform him completely, but in its halfway state he's still more comfortable breathing water than air. And the good news is he didn't get any more of the bespelling gifts so you'll be—"

"The what?"

Logan pauses, looking at him in confusion, before he turns to glare at Remus. Remus shrugs, looking as unrepentant as ever—Virgil doesn't know how he feels about that fact that it just makes him feel fond—before Logan sighs.

"The transformation spell's made Roman turn into part mer."

Ah.

Well.

This does complicate things and is definitely something Remus should have told him. Would he have refused outright? Probably not—and that's something he's going to worry about later, thank you very much—but he would've brought way more precautions if he'd known the scared and upset magic user he's supposed to be keeping calm is part mer.

"You said he didn't get any more bespelling gifts?"

"No. He's still—he's still got his magic, so he's capable of it, but he'll need to—it's not an innate instinct the way it is for most full mers." Patton glances over his shoulder as soft splashing sounds come from the water. "And it's still Roman, so he's gonna recognize you."

Yeah, I'm not sure if that's gonna work in my favor or not. "How long do you anticipate being gone for?"

"A few hours. Not more. But we need all of us to get the right ingredients and we can't leave Roman alone for that long. There's a risk his emotions could trigger his own magic and it would mix with the spell and—"

He holds up a hand. He doesn't need to know about the details. "I understand."

"We can negotiate payment when Roman is back to normal," Logan says with an earnestness that he can't just write off, "we give you our word."

What is the world coming to, where Virgil's willing to take the word of a magic user when he's about to do something as dangerous as this? But it's the world he's in, and he nods and confirms the details before Remus gives his shoulder a tight squeeze.

"I know I don't need to say this," he says, voice oddly calm, "but don't hurt Roman."

"I will do my best not to cause Roman physical harm."

"No." Remus fixes him with a look. "You won't hurt Roman."

His throat runs dry, but the others are looking at him, and he can't do anything else but nod. Remus looks at him for a moment longer before his fingers twitch and he wraps his arms tightly around him in a fierce hug. Virgil tenses and Remus doesn't hold on for long.

"We'll be back," Janus says, loud enough to be heard over the splashing, and then there's a flash of light as another portal opens.

Virgil takes a deep breath and heads down toward the water.

Sure enough, there in the shallows, is a mer. He makes himself stop and confirm that if—if—Roman tries to pull him in, he has ways of getting out of it that won't cause Roman any permanent damage. Then he carefully crouches near the edge of the water and clears his throat.

"Roman?"

The water ripples. Slowly, the mer's head—Roman's head, and isn't that fucking weird, that he can still tell it's Roman—lifts up out of the water just enough for Virgil to see his eyes. They're blown wide, inhumanly black, the sclera reflecting the lights as though they were pools of their own—

He snaps himself back. Bespelling gifts. He's out of practice but not that much.

"Hey, buddy," he says, careful to keep his voice as neutral as possible, "I heard about what happened."

The feathery fins near Roman's ears flatten against the side of his head, water rippling around them. A long streak of red thrashes beneath the surface, his tail, most likely, and there's another low noise of rocks sliding against each other before Roman looks up at him again.

"Yeah. Sounds like it wasn't fun." Shit, what the fuck am I supposed to talk about. "Good news is the others seem to know exactly what to do, so—what?"

Roman glares at him and splashes again. He jabs a finger toward the shore.

"No, they're not here right now, they left to go somewhere." Roman nods. "Which means…?"

Roman rolls his eyes and his tail thrashes again. Virgil wracks his brain for something that might be close to whatever the hell Roman's trying to get him to understand. Okay, so the thing that he said that wasn't right was that they knew exactly what to do, so…

"You don't think they know what they're going to do?"

Roman nods, settling a little bit as the water stops frothing. His fins ripple slightly as the spines along his crest flatten in a way that seems almost petulant.

"Why not?" Roman gestures toward the shore again. "Because they're not here? But wouldn't they have to leave anyway if they knew what they were doing, to get whatever they needed to…"

He trails off as his eyes widen. Then he pinches the bridge of his nose.

"And they didn't say where that was or what they were getting, which means they probably don't know specifics enough to do that."

Roman's tail swishes. Virgil has the sudden urge to reach down and splash a bit of water back at him, but quickly decides that no, he's not about to do that, because that's a terrifically stupid idea, even by his standards. He settles for easing further down onto the shore. Something twitches in his chest as he takes in how much Roman is simultaneously trying to push himself closer and hold himself away.

"They left you very quickly," he says, trying his best to make the observation gentle.

Roman makes a low clicking trill, the water nearest his throat vibrating slightly with it. He picks up a rock and clutches it tightly in his claws.

"That's a cool rock." Roman holds it up for him to see. "Yeah, bud, it's cool. Oh—oh, you're giving it to me?"

Roman holds it out insistently. Virgil carefully frees a handkerchief and lays it over the palm of his hand, slowly moving to meet him. His gut reminds him that letting his hand get close to a mer is not the best thing to do, his brain cautions him to flip his hand so Roman would grab the handkerchief first if he does try to pull him in, and his heart knows that this is Roman.

And he's not going to think about that last one too much for right now.

"It's a really cool rock," he says again, cradling it in the handkerchief, "thank you for giving it to me."

Roman's tail happily smacks the water, sending up a shower of glistening droplets. Virgil runs his thumb over the edge of the rock, feeling the rough texture.

"…Roman?" The mer chirps. "Do you know why they left so quickly?"

Roman's shoulders slump and his fins flutter as he nods. He holds a hand over his chest, rubbing in slow circles, gesturing between himself and Virgil. Then he points to the shore and makes a fist, miming an explosion.

"You—they left because they didn't want the magic affecting you to get worse?" Roman nods. "Because…their magic would make it worse?"

He shakes his head. He puts his head under the water and large bubbles appear.

"Uh—"

He rolls his eyes and comes back up, miming taking an exaggerated breath while pointing to Virgil.

"They want me to help keep you calm, yeah. Oh—are you saying they left because them trying to figure things out here would stress you out more?" Roman gives a happy little trill and spins around in the water. Virgil laughs in surprise, shaking his head at Roman's child-like glee. "Never thought you'd be so happy about not being stressed."

Roman stops then and gives him a look that makes him burst out laughing.

"Okay, okay, point taken." He holds his hands up in surrender. "I'm happy I'm not making you more stressed."

That seems to do the trick. Roman relaxes back into the water, tail moving lazily back and forth. Virgil settles into a quiet pause, the gentle buzz of activity from the nearby bushes filling the air with soft chirpings and the fluttering of miniature wings. He finds himself tracing Roman's features, seeing where the smooth scales meet the soaked brown hair still mostly covering his head. Parts of him are red and angry, nothing like the smooth meeting of Janus's scales with the unblemished skin. His mouth thins. He hadn't even given a thought to how painful this might be for Roman.

Roman trills in question and he realizes he's reaching out again. He should stop. He should sit back. But this is Roman, and Roman is hurting, and so he swallows and keeps reaching.

Roman leans up out of the water, his hands down in the silt, letting Virgil brush his fingers gently over a patch of rough and reddened skin. Roman's breathing hitches slightly. He does it again, trying to move his hair away from it, and Roman lets out a small keen. He keeps going, warm fingers stroking back and forth over the raw skin, just trying to keep everything soft, slow, gentle and tender.

He should start keeping a tally of how many things he does that he swore he'd never be foolish enough to do, shouldn't he?

Roman, for the most part, seems to be falling into a light doze under his ministrations. His head dips lower and lower, until it's pillowed in the waves lapping gently along the silt. Virgil shifts to carding his fingers through his hair, avoiding the base of the spines as he goes. Every so often, a soft clicking pattern comes from his throat, fins fluttering as he does.

"Hey," Virgil says softly after a good deal of time has passed, "I dunno if it's a good idea for you to fall asleep out here, buddy."

Roman snuffles but begins to push himself up. He's much closer now. He can almost see himself in the dark sclera. Roman looks at him for a moment longer before flipping around and diving into the water.

Virgil blinks. That was…sudden. Did he cross some invisible line? His expertise with mers typically comes in the form of hey let's not fucking mess with that, not…whatever affection he was just showing Roman. His expertise also doesn't typically come with openly showing affection to any magic user, but that ship's sailed a long, long time ago, he's just now realizing, and he's not sure what he's going to—

Oh.

Roman's back.

Roman bursts from the water with a shower of sparkling droplets, his hands cupping something to his chest. There are bright spots of color on his cheeks, his spines standing out sharply from his head. Virgil frowns, going to shift back to a crouch when Roman opens his hands.

His breath catches.

He might actually have stopped breathing. He's not sure.

What he is sure of is that Roman is holding a tessarae cluster.

Virgil prides himself on knowing just enough about magic to know what not to do and what to stay the fuck away from. But when you do what he does for long enough, certainly as long as he has, you pick a few things up. Like what ingredients for spells are the most common, which ones are the most expensive, and which ones have nearly limitless uses if someone has the proper magic. You also learn about things that even magic users covet—those tend to be the ones he stays the fuck away from, since getting in the middle of magic turf wars is not high on his list of things he wants to do.

So, when Roman offers him something that he's seen entire swaths of magic users go full scorched-earth over, he thinks he can be forgiven for taking a second to just go what the actual fuck?

He should leave. He should figure out the politest way to get the fuck out of this situation. He should do a lot of things right now.

He shouldn't reach forward to cup his hands under Roman's, nor should he look up like he can't believe this is happening right now. He shouldn't be thinking of how much it means that Roman is offering this to him, not when it's so priceless to anyone but him, and not the fact that this might explain why exactly the Five are so powerful.

And he definitely shouldn't be distracted enough to be caught off-guard by a crack of the portal reopening.

He whirls around, hand on his dagger, only belatedly realizing that not only is it the rest of the Five coming toward him, he's put his back to a mer in the water. But he does realize them, and so he relaxes, turns back, and tries to smile at Roman, say it's alright, the rest of them are back and they can fix this, but there's a quiet hurt in Roman's expression that robs him of any words.

"Roro! We got it!" Remus's skidding halt throws up a lot of silt the makes Roman wince. "We'll have you back to normal in no time!"

"Thank you for being here," Logan says quietly as the rest of them swarm the beach, Roman quickly holding the tessarae cluster to his chest again, "I know we should discuss payment, but if you'd be willing to wait a little longer while we attempt to—"

"Yeah," he says gruffly, "help Roman first."

Logan blinks. "A-alright. It's, well, it's not quite safe for you to be here while we do this, so could we—"

Virgil makes eye contact with Roman one more time, trying to make him understand that any offense he may have just caused wasn't his intention, he swears, but Roman's eyes are too busy darting around at the others and he swallows the lump in his throat. "Yeah. I'll wait for discussion of payment and said payment in exchange for keeping Roman calm at my home."

"Thank you again, Virgil," Logan says as he walks him back to the portal, "really."

Virgil just nods and steps through.

***

"Virgil?"

Virgil stands, dusting off his knees as Roman approaches the edge of his garden. "Hey. You're looking more as I expected."

Roman laughs, but he glances down, a light pink dusting his cheeks. "Yeah, well, perhaps I've learned my lesson about…certain things."

"I didn't mean it like that."

"No, no, I know, I just…" He sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. "That wasn't how I intended that to go."

Virgil frowns, stashing the trowel in its place on his belt and walking closer. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I figured that you'd be there to, you know, keep an eye on me, stop me from hurting myself, but—" he huffs— "I think I underestimated how much the spell would affect my instincts."

"How so?"

Roman eyes him warily, eyes darting to the door. "Could we do this inside? I don't—having a conversation out here—"

Virgil hesitates. He doesn't truly have an issue with inviting Roman into his home, but there is an outstanding issue of payment that has him erring on the side of caution. "I would like to discuss payment, if possible, before a conversation about instincts."

Roman's shoulders tense a little bit, but he nods. "The two aren't unrelated but…yes, yeah, we can do this first."

He reaches toward a satchel tucked over his shoulder. Virgil makes sure his gloves are securely fastened as he walks closer.

"They talked me out of offering the cluster," Roman mumbles as he pulls out a small pouch, "which I can explain inside, but this is—these are ardenti charms. Protective charms that will create temporary auras around you in unfamiliar places that should grant you some level of understanding about where you are."

"Elemental? Social?"

"Elemental, mostly. You'll gain any knowledge about the geography, terrain, that sort of thing."

"What cost?"

"What? No, Virgil, this is—this is your payment—"

"What cost would it be to me to wear them?"

"Oh. Uh, I'm not sure. For magic users, it's typically not much of anything, it just sort of…blends in with the other magic we might have going, but Logan thinks that it wouldn't be anything more than wearing a basic protection charm." Virgil raises an eyebrow. "Just because it's simultaneously drawing on your magic at the same time, and since you don't have any, then it's just using the small amount in the charm already."

"I see." He holds his hand out and accepts the pouch. "I accept the pouch of ardenti charms in exchange for keeping you calm."

Roman's cheeks flush. "Why do you have to say it like that?"

"Why do I have to explicitly state the terms of my contracts? You know better than that," he scolds lightly, chuckling when Roman glares at him and raising his hands. "I'm teasing,"

Roman pouts, only to frown when Virgil reaches for another pouch. "What are you doing?"

"Returning your collateral."

"Keep it."

"What? Why would I keep it? One, it's collateral, and two, I think you'd have better use for a resurrection spell ingredient than I will."

Roman chews on his lip, shifting his weight from foot to foot. Virgil's chest twists. He's never seen Roman look this unsure about anything—he's not sure he likes it. "Can we go inside now?"

Virgil nods, gesturing over his shoulder. Roman follows him up the steps into the cabin, lingering just over Virgil's shoulder as he takes off his gloves and places them in the basket near the door. He takes down two mugs and prepares a simple tea, settling them on the table as Roman sits uneasily.

"You're upset," he observes softly, "have I done something to offend you?"

"No, Virgil, you've been perfect."

He balks slightly at the words. A ghost of Roman's typical smirk touches the corners of his mouth before it fades again.

"I—so how much do you know about mers?"

"Not much."

"So you don't—you don't know what mating habits are for them."

"No," Virgil says slowly, and Roman nods, still not looking at him, "why?"

"Well, we—um—oh, for crying out loud, Virgil, we practically did them."

Pause. Stop. What?

"Offering to be a protector during a time of need. Expressing concern over one's school or communal family situation. Accepting gifts. Physical touch." Roman scrubs his hand over his face. "And then I decided to go and offer you a tessarae cluster."

Virgil swallows, sitting forward. "Roman, I'm not going to pretend I understand magic like this or mer instincts, but I—I'm not going to hold anything against you, okay? If that's what you're worried about."

Roman finally looks at him, something playing over his features before he slowly stands up. Virgil watches as he walks around the corner of the table, his hand on its edge, before he kneels down and looks up at him.

"Uh—"

"Please," Roman whispers, "don't freak out."

Which is a great thing to say in order to make Virgil freak out quite quickly, but then Roman's leaning up and closing his eyes and—

Soft lips meet his.

Oh.

Oh.

It's a soft kiss, a terribly soft and chaste thing, and it's over before Virgil can fully realize what's happening, but then Roman is looking at him with a tender affection that makes his head grow fuzzy and the only thing he can think of it—

"You overheard Bonnie and the Aspen Witch," he murmurs, "didn't you?"

"Perhaps. Though I would never attempt to make this a form of payment," Roman murmurs back, "I'd run up a debt to you so great I wouldn't know what to do with myself."

"Is that right?"

"If you'd let me, yes, I would kiss you until you could afford any favor from me, or the rest of us, for this lifetime and any other." Roman swallows, eyes flicking back and forth. "And—oh, they might kill me for this, but I think they would do the same."

"Well, then it's a good thing I've got an ingredient for resurrection spells, isn't it?"

Roman laughs, a small and breathless thing. "Can I kiss you again?"

"Yes, you may."

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[blu3-ja3]

Please note, I'm white passing as fuck! I have never experienced the same form of racism as a more visible POC has. If I've messed up and don't do this justice please let me know, I'm more than happy to receive advice and criticism regarding how better to write a person of color. If a majority of you feel I should not have written this at all please let me know and I'll rewrite. I want to write something for people to enjoy. That being said I also know that it would be a disservice to pretend that Gaz would not face discrimination in the military. Idk what it's like in the UK but I know in America it's very much a prevalent problem even if it's swept under the rug.

!TRIGGER WARNING! Racism, Grief, Blood, Semi Graphic Depictions of Violence

1) Listen Well

I noticed it happens when no one's around. Gaz would tell a lower ranking (most often white) officer to do something, the soldier would back talk, question him, make rude and sometimes down right racist remarks before Gaz would just leave. If I'm ever around and I hear it I make myself well known afterwards. It got to the point that on the field if Gaz was the CO of a unit their results were the poorest.

I had enough, I pulled Price aside and asked for Gaz to meet me outside on the field the next morning. I told every officer who was lower ranking than that of Sergeant Major to be outside at 0400 on the dot. Soap and Roach were the first alongside Gaz, all three sergeants were quiet as they approached me. Gaz moved to stand in front of me in formation with Soap and Roach. As more lower ranks began to trickle in so too does the rain. Once everyone is there I pull out my short list.

"These names I call move forward and stand behind me!" There's not many, of 45+ men and women standing in front of me only 15 move to stand behind me. Soap, Roach and Gaz are among them.

"Those of you who are behind me and are not a part of the 141 with myself and Captain Price you are dismissed go find Lieutenant Riley in the weight room, enjoy your dry workout!" I hear someone groan in front of me. Noted.

"The rest of you!" I yell turning back towards the 30 or so men. "You all have multiple write ups in regards to insubordination from me. Specifically, you refuse to listen to Sergeant Major Kyle Garrick. Why?"

It's quiet for a moment before some loud mouth pipes up. "He's a right tosser and is shaggin' the captain, why should we listen to his ass?"

"Ah! Does this lad speak for all of you?" Again silent, "Explain to me what makes my Sergeant Major a tosser and these two not?" I ask gesturing to Soap and Roach.

"He's got his nose up his own ass ma'am!" Multiple heads nod in agreement

"Don't you think that's for a good reason? Listen to this, DESPITE! His teams repeated failures and his lower ranks never taking proper orders, Sergeant Gaz has had the fewest casualties on field. Alongside with the lowest numbers of injuries appearing in my office. Now if I had that achievement on my record and I'm only a sergeant I'd be a little pissed, maybe even a right bitch. But not this sergeant, instead he's still rather nice to all you arses!" I gesture to Gaz to step forwards towards me.

"Now it seems my punishments aren't getting through any of your eejits skulls, so I've had an idea!"

"Sergeant Major Kyle Garrick will be instructing you all today, I will tell him when to stop but until then you will listen to everything he says to you. If you disobey I've given Lieutenant Riley the task of punishing you... Do I make myself clear?" A chorus of yes ma'ams.

I turn towards Gaz and pull out an umbrella large enough for both of us to stand under, I hand one to Roach so he and Soap can also have some shelter.

"Listen up boys, I'm tired of this shite and I'm hoping this fixes it. Gaz?"

"Yes ma'am?"

"Do not be nice, I want you to run them ragged. This is a punishment, this isn't a morning drill. None of you will be participating in this, you two are here to be a second pair of eyes and ears. They don't view you two as anything more than buddies, use that. If you hear or see anything out of line, hold up two fingers. I'll write them down. I'm tired of this gobshite, it ends today." I step back and inform Soap and Roach where to go as Gaz begins. We'll stop once for lunch but this isn't a day of fun for these men

It's still raining hard as I give Gaz the go ahead to stop at 1800. At least once for everyone Roach or Soap raised their hands with two fingers up. I kept tally next to everyone's name. Ghost had showed up only a few hours ago stating he had nothing better to do than watch the same with Price.

"Have you boys learned your lesson? Because if you have not this will happen again. Now Lieutenant Riley has a list of names and a number next to it. The Lieutenant is being kind and only making you run laps equal to the numbers. These numbers are how many times you thought you were being slick, doing something you aren't supposed to do. Lieutenant?"

He nods to me as I hand him the clip board and my umbrella stepping inside with Gaz, Roach, and Soap.

"Was that really necessary?"

"Yes. You're the CO, if they can't listen to you then they aren't fit to be here. They can do that somewhere else I will not have that shite here."

Gaz nods before we all disperse to shower and eat. The number of insubordination toward Gaz lowers, some are forced to leave due to their inability to take Gaz's orders but most get it through their skulls.

2) None From Me

I'm flung backwards against an outside wall, not very hard so I'm quick to recover. I radio to Gaz letting him know I'm okay. I hear a cry for help and move before thinking, I see a woman holding her lower leg, there's a large gash across her calf. I don't have all my usual equipment, I'm trying to get to it right now so I'll have to improvise. I grab my right sleeve and rip it off, taking my knife I do my best to cut it into one continuous piece of fabric. I wrap the wound tightly and grab another civilian's attention. Once they're both out of harm I continue moving towards my destination.

I catch some unwanted attention while running and take multiple gun shots, most are just grazes but my right arm has a deep cut below the shoulder from me trying to get away. I can feel the warm thick blood moving down my arm and back, my shirt is tacky and sticking to me. But I don't stop till I've met back up with Gaz. Once we're safe and waiting for extraction Gaz pipes up.

"You need that cleaned Doc, get your shirt off I'll help."

I hesitate, knowing this will be the first time Gaz has seen the scar in full.

"Captain? Come on it needs to be cleaned I'm not taking no for an answer."

I look up towards him from where I'm sitting, I'm sure it's written all over my face. His dark eyes soften and he has a reassuring smile spread across his face.

"You'll get none from me Captain, I promise you that. I just want to make sure you don't get an infection."

I swallow my heart in my throat and nod. I pull my shirt off and hold it next to me as Gaz begins to work. I hiss at the disinfectant burns my wound and cleans it. Gaz mumbles about me possibly needing stitches and I tell him where to find a needle and thread in my kit. Once he's finished he hands me a different shirt from my bag.

"Thanks Cig"

"I really don't understand why you call me that... It makes no sense to me."

"It makes plenty to me which I why I call you that. But if you don't like it I'll come up with another name."

"I don't mind it, I'm just curious why not call us by our current nicknames?"

I shrug my shoulders before wincing at the pain. I get a hardy chuckle from Gaz for my troubles so I call it a win. We sit and wait for word from Price about what happens next. Chatting idly while we wait.

3) Give What Is Earned

"John! Laswell has found more, at this point I think it was on purpose! Look at this, if these records were properly filed and cataloged Garrick would be a Lieutenant by now not Sergeant Major! We have to fix this, he deserves as much!"

"I know he deserves it but I don't want the boys to think I'm playing favorites..."

"Then don't, look they won't think you're playing favorites especially if we show them all these reports. Plus if Garrick is promoted to second lieutenant that gives us enough room to promote Roach as well as Soap. Gaz will get a much needed promotion to Lieutenant and Roach will be Sargent Major alongside Soap."

"What about Ghost?"

"What about me Captain?" I whirl around to see the tall brit appear from the shadowy doorway into Price's office.

"We're talking about promotions, some information has come to light and Gaz is supposed to be a Lieutenant but nothing was ever properly filed."

"Gaz as my second lieutenant? It's not bad he's good for it." Ghost nods seemingly happy with the idea.

"I say we do it! It'll take a bit for the paperwork to be properly filed and processed so it'll give us enough time to explain to them what's going on."

Price looks to Ghost before saying "You won't be getting a promotion... I can't pull enough strings..."

Ghost eyes widen a little before chuckling to himself. "I don't want one anyway, I'm perfectly fine being a lieutenant. Captain seems like a lot of work that I don't want none of." Price chuckles as I nod.

Eventually we hold a little meeting amongst the 141 and share the new information regarding ranks and promotions. The three younger men seem happy with the news. Roach and Soap immediately start teasing Gaz calling him LT2. It isn't until Ghost calls Gaz his second lieutenant that it dawns on the young man, he beams bright at Price all teeth and closed eyes.

4) Oct 25th

It's been a rough day, I knew it was going to be hard but it still doesn't prepare me. Two years, I feel the tears well up as my vision blurs. I continue my walk and wrap my arms around myself in a sort of mock hug. It's late out, plenty of stars and a full moon. It's cold too, I can see my breath with every exhale. I let my feet wander as well as my mind.

I stop as a figure appears in front of me, they also seem to freeze. I move before thinking and walk over towards the figure. I can't make out a face due to their hood being up but I can make out the name in the back of the hoodie 'Garrick'. I step up beside him and turn to look at him.

"Hey Doc, been a day huh?" I nodded

"How you holding up Lad?"

"Had better days... Been itching to go flying but couldn't get the request in on time."

"Tend to fly often?"

"Hmm yeah, helps get my mind away from everything... I was up there last year during October, I couldn't handle the idea of just staying on base... Price dragged me to the air field and sat me down behind the wheel. We flew the entire day and only touched down when it got dark, it helped a lot." I smiled softly as another tear welled up into my eye.

"Will was in training to be a pilot, he said the same thing as you did. About it being a free experience to fly through air. He was supposed to take me up when I was given leave. Never got to that next leave, Piccadilly, then the funeral, was immediately back in the field after that. Just threw myself at my work..." I took a shuddering breath rubbing my right arm.

"Then the accident and I was on medical for a bit before Price came to visit me... I always told myself I'd go up there and fly. Take him on one last flight," I reached up and grabbed my clover charm with William's ashes.

"I could always take you up there sometime, help with his last wish." I hugged Gaz.

We continued to chat about what it's like for him to fly, how it takes his stress away. His love life with Price was going, what brought him into service. Eventually Price came out, looking for Gaz. Eventually we all move back inside and then split into our different rooms.

5) Bare No Blame

I was in my office working on medical paperwork and twirling my butterfly, it's been peaceful today. My door slammed open as Price dragged in Gaz. The younger man seemed to be reluctant to be here but John wasn't having any of it. Ghost stood in the doorway with Soap and Roach stood behind him.

"Can I ask why my office is now the room for everything? I'm a bit busy here lads."

"Gaz decide to punch a wall and break his hand... Isn't that right?"

"It wasn't his fault Doc some private was trying to rile everyone up. He couldnt get to Gaz so he decided to start to slag off about Piccadilly!"

"To his credit the 2nd Lieutenant didn't punch the bastard in face."

I stood from my work and moved to where Garrick is sat. I shoo the rest of the men out and away telling them to go deal with the bad mouthing private. After checking and confirming that he didn't break anything I began to clean Gaz's knuckles.

"He's right though. If I just pushed my old captain harder, it would have never happened. We had the information, we knew where to find them. We could have stopped everything..." I held my tongue and let him give out.

"I could have stopped everything but I didn't push hard enough. None of it would have happened if I just said more, if he'd just listen to me. I should have gone over him as soon as he dismissed me. But I sat back and just let it happen... I'm respons-"

"Don't you finish that sentence... Kyle you did everything in your power to stop it. If you did anything they would have made a fierce fuss to get you out." I wrap his knuckles tight.

"There's always going to be the question of what if? What if I told William to come home? What if I stayed on the phone with him? What if I stayed with Oliver? What if I called Oliver again and nagged? It'll drive you crazy, that guilt eat you alive if you let it... So you have to not blame yourself." I start putting away everything.

"We both know that's easier said than done captain... So what do we do? Cause I can't keep punching walls and you can't stay up late." I nodded and moved back towards him.

"Then we go to our team and tell them the truth. We've gotta talked to a shrink. We've both been a bit neglectful in that regard." Gaz nods as we both walk towards the rec room.

After a long conversation with Price it was agreed that Gaz would go to a shrink for a bit. He's not getting a write up because he didn't actually hit the private. The private in question is being moved to another squad immediately. It took some time for me to get used to the idea of talking about Will with a stranger but eventually I got to a comfortable point. Gaz also made progress it's slow but everything that's worth doing is.

[vestaclinicpod]

Audio Drama Sunday - 17th November ✨

So so so excited by the return of Fawx & Stallion this week!! Here’s everything I listened to! 🎧

🌲 @hellofromthehallowoods (173) oh my goodness! So good to find out that the twins haven’t been separated again and that my favourite feathered friend is still adorably jealous. Percy’s partner sure is a litmus test, huh? Wow. I hope Diggory gets time to find just as much happiness 🖤 And that was a VERY strange and VERY suspicious conversation between Cole and Heather there… 

🔎 @224bbaker (11) “Surely not the Pound of the Baskerville’s Adoption Centre?!” had me HOWLING. So grateful to have this show back in my ears. I’ve missed these characters so much and I love the direction they’re taking with this season. PLEASE, now is the time to start listening if you’re not already in love with the show!

🧳 Travelling Light @monstrousproductions (Bloopers) Hero’s bloopers are always a delight!! I too suffer from forgetting how to pronounce my own made-up words, it’s so validating to know I’m not alone. 

🧋 @hinaypod (23-24) Ew, why did Cornelius have to turn out to be such a creep? And the gasp I gusp at Ashvin calling Murphy jealous!! EEK. Oh NO, he knows!! But also can we address that everyone knows Donner is upset that Mari isn’t talking to him but he has not asked her why?? Mari, girl, I don’t want to say it, but you could find someone whose emotional maturity somewhat approaches yours… Not Abe though!! Bad idea!! 

🥾 @doyoucopypod (207-2088) Eeeeeek I simply don’t know how I’d live with the uncertainty of not knowing if the Dead Zone was literally growing inside me. I wish that Wilson had gotten chance to see Frederick in this ep 😭 Him talking about how he was supposed to be dead quite literally broke my heart.

🍾 @ameliapodcast (34-36) oh my goodness! So many huge reveals in these episodes! Oleg! Speaks! What!! Also I get about 3% gayer every time Amelia swears?? It’s not my fault, just a fact 🤷🏻‍♀️

🌨️ @whitevault (13) Go on, Dís!! Get them told! Also, HI documentarian! Long time no hear! I’m so scared by whatever is in that mine with Iffy. Why can’t it see her and what does that mean?! 

Have a great week, everyone!

[thatsgonnaleaveamark]

whyy are concerts so expensive and not close to me ಠ╭╮ಠ

[quirkle2]

I was wondering if there are any rare happy ritsu moments in ur zombie au since hes always miserable I think,, like is he always miserable or is he happy/not miserable and feeling kinda good sometimes?

VWHDGDGD NO YEAH OFC HE'S HAPPY SOMETIMES im just horrible and enjoy putting him through misery

ive never been able to get a genuine smile to look right on his face in my art style either i think thats part of it. as ive said his face is just built to be mildly uncomfortable and bothered and i lean into it sm it's starting to get kinda funny

but yes ritsu is happy plenty! i think, canonically, he just seems like the type of person to me that tends to turn lemonade back into lemons. he's easy to scare and his first reaction to things is often Dread and Anxiety. he dwells on the negatives a lot and seems to be a "hope for the best, expect the worst," kinda guy, but there's a section in this post abt shigeo always loving the little things in life, and ritsu steadily learns throughout the journey on how to do that and how healing it can rly be. even if he had to grow up too fast during this whole thing and learn things a kid should never have to, the journey also gave him some good insight and lessons in other places! ritsu is smart, he figures it all out

in terms of little things here n there he's the happiest lil guy on the planet when he finds one of his favorite foods—swings his legs while he sits and munches on a kitkat bar like he's got absolutely nothin in the world to worry abt. sometimes mob does smth funny that he laughs at; for the longest time i've had this silly image in my head of mob accidentally knocking down a bucket from a store shelf and it lands on his head and he just kinda stands there and makes noises.when the noises continue out of pure curiosity about the weird echoey quality it's giving them ritsu cannot help but lose it

besides tiny things tho, when tome comes around ritsu in general is a lot happier, just cuz he has somebody to talk to that will actually respond in some way. they're sorta reluctant partners in crime at first (at least on ritsu's end) but over time and over bonding they grow to rly like each other's presence. they bicker constantly but it's almost always fond eventually, and they shove each other and playfight until mob gets antsy enough to get worked up about it. rly, tome is a godsend to ritsu's mental health—after months and months of being effectively alone with his thoughts, he finally has another person to converse with. a person His Age, too!

tome is rly good at knowing when ritsu is thinkin himself into oblivion and she's Also rly good at being the most annoying girl on the planet to yank him outta that and replace any misery with Oh My God Get Off Me You Freak. she doesn't even do this on purpose at first, but over time she learns how to tell when he's thinking too hard and, ofc, she's grown attached and she cares, so she's as obnoxious as possible to lighten the mood

when they find reigen n teru, ritsu gradually gets Much happier still. now that he knows they're safe and the gang is finally back together (and now that there's an Adult present and he can relax a lil and let himself be taken care of) his stress levels r exponentially lowered. having teru back is another instant lift to his mood—im always a big fan of teru and ritsu friendship, and i think adding tome to their dynamic simply makes it more chaotic. truly a trio of the 3 most normal teenagers in existence which will surely bring nothing but good (reigen sweats offscreen)

actually this makes me feel bad for forever torturing him im gonna go draw happy zau ritsus brb ,.,.ok imback <3

[disabled-dean]

Controversial take but I'm gonna come out and say it- Dean knew before cas

[phagodyke]

yeah I'm not gonna talk abt it am I...