#I know I could have e filed will next year but this was my last year with that foreign income form

[bereft-of-frogs]

Look, if the state wanted my taxes mailed on time, they should not have made tax due date on the day after a state holiday.

✨everything is closed✨

[pathologicalreid]

wavelength | s.r.

in which your son ends up in the hospital on one of the BAUs busiest nights of the year

margotober masterlist

who? spencer reid x fem!reader category: angst (hurt/comfort) content warnings: child in hospital with unnamed illness, seizures, pregnant!reader, boy dad!spencer, MRIs, head injury word count: 1.96k a/n: this is my little reid family from three's a family, but as usual, you don't have to read that one to understand this one. (it's one of the cryptic pregnancy ones so maybe keep that in mind lmao) - welcome back to the spencer reid dilf agenda, i missed it

You take a deep breath, trying to steady your thumbs enough to press the call button, tapping the green icon, you press your phone to your ear, listening to the rings as you keep your other hand on the bed in front of you.

Sniffling, Leo holds your hand in his much smaller one, “Mama?” His voice is little more than a whine, and you find yourself wishing he’d fall asleep while you wait for his turn in radiology.

“Yeah, lovey?” You whisper, squeezing his fingers gently as he looks at you with sad eyes.

His eyes were sad in a way that only a three-year-old’s could be, not quite understanding why he had to stay in the hospital, and continuously asking for his parents. “I don’t feel good,” he mumbles, his voice soft as he shifts on his side in the hospital bed.

Your shoulders slouch ever so slightly, trying not to show him how much of his displeasure you shared, “I know. I’m so sorry.” They were holding off on giving him more medication, but it just made him miserable.

Starting to wonder if they could just give him something to help him rest, you distantly hear your name being called, taking a moment to be confused before you remember that you called Spencer.

“Hey,” you greet a little breathlessly, “Are you working?” You move your hand, smoothing back Leo’s hair in an attempt to coax him to sleep.

You hear a shuffling of papers on the other end of the call, answering your question well enough before he responds verbally, “We’re just trying to finish a few things up before calling it a night.”

Bowing your head, you sigh, “Right, you have that senate review next week.”

Spencer groans at the reminder of the meeting, “And finding some of these files is proving to be difficult. I think Garcia’s just about had it, but we’re all starting to get to that point. Why the call? Not that I’m unhappy to hear your voice,” he clarifies. “Did Leo get to sleep alright?”

You falter slightly knowing that Spencer is already stressing about work, “Honey,” you start softly, “Leo’s alright, but I had to call an ambulance for him about an hour ago.”

“What happened? You said he’s alright?” He asks, fear changing the pitch of his voice.

Swallowing thickly, you watch Leo continue to fight sleep, his brown eyes watching you while you’re on the phone. “They think he had a seizure,” you whisper, keeping your voice down so that your son doesn’t catch onto your anxiety.

There’s a shuffle of papers on the other end, “Is he sick? Was it a febrile seizure?”

“Uh, no, hold on,” you flip through the pamphlet, “They called it a drop seizure when we were in the emergency room, and they did an EEG.” You explain, reading over the papers in front of you for the nth time.

Spencer talks to someone else in the room, hopefully letting them know that he has to leave, “What happened?”

Tears prick your eyes, and you look up into the fluorescent light to will them away, “I was just getting him ready for bed, and he went to go potty, and he just fell. He hit his head on the tub and I just… I panicked,” you admit the last part. “I was not very collected, and the 911 operator knew that,” you tell him, watching Leo’s eyes finally fall shut.

“I wouldn’t have been either,” Spencer assures you, “What hospital did they bring you to?”

Rattling off the name of the hospital, you risk assuming that Leo’s asleep enough for you to step back, enabling you to speak at a higher volume, “Can you leave work?” You weren’t even thinking about how busy the BAU was when you called, you were just thinking about getting Leo his dad. “They want to do an MRI, and he’s allowed to have someone in there with him, so he doesn’t get scared,” you explain.

“But you can’t,” Spencer needlessly reminds you.

A huff of frustration escapes your lips as you look down, eyes focusing on where your shirt catches on the soft swell of your lower belly. “No, I can’t,” you say miserably.

A nurse walks through the door, sparing a pitying glance at you, the pregnant mom whose toddler was in the PICU, before checking on Leo’s vitals. Spencer clears his throat, “I’m already on my way.”

You lose track of time, sitting in the reclining chair that lives in the corner of the PICU room, and memories of Leo’s first month of life start to flash in front of your eyes. He was a thirty-two-weeker, and he spent twenty-nine days in the NICU before coming home for the first time.

You felt like a failure then, and you feel like a failure now.

Tapping your fingers on your belly, you watch Leo sleep, his body curled up on the hospital bed and collodion stuck to his forehead. You remember finding out you were pregnant again, the overwhelming joy that mixed with the stunned fear like oil and water—Spencer had to remind you to breathe.

Something caught your attention, a small, high-pitched beep from one of Leo’s monitors sent a group of people flying into the room, standing around your son and listing off things that your fear-addled brain couldn’t comprehend.

He’s there when you stand up, Spencer stays at your side for all twenty-one seconds of Leo’s second seizure, watching as strength returns to his tiny body and his eyes open, “Mama?” His small voice calls out for you, afraid of being surrounded by doctors and nurses that he doesn’t know.

Slipping away from Spencer, you make your way back to the hospital bed, hovering over your son as you cup his cheeks affectionately, “I’m here, baby.” Hiding your face to wipe tears away, your fear that he still feels ill is only exacerbated by the fact that he doesn’t insist that he’s not a baby—he’ll always be yours, though.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, you let him see past you, the way his eyes light up at the sight of his father, “Daddy!” He chirps, trying to reach out for Spencer.

“Hey, buddy,” Spencer says, his voice tight while he crouches in front of Leo, “Mama says you don’t feel good.”

Leo shakes his head, “I hit my head,” he recounts mournfully, “then we had to go in the loud car.”

Your husband frowns for a moment before he realizes Leo’s talking about the ambulance, “Did they tell you I get to go with you to get your tests done?” He warps the narrative to make the MRI seem like a fun activity—something they get to do.

“Can mama go?” Leo asks, tilting his head to the side slightly, leaning into you as he does so.

Gently, you wrap an arm around him, dressed in a pediatric hospital gown with all kinds of wires and electrodes attached to him. “Mama has to stay up here,” Spencer breaks the news to him, sparing you a sympathetic glance, “but she’ll be here when we get back. Then, we can tell her and the baby all about it.”

The baby won’t be able to hear outside voices until you’re much further along, but when Spencer tried to explain that to your toddler, the only response he’d gotten was Why?

As it turns out, even Spencer Reid has a limit to the number of questions he can answer, so you let Leo talk to the baby. “I’ll be right here when you get back,” you reassure Leo, taking a shaky breath when he wraps his arms around you.

He’s in tears by the time they come to get him, only willing to go to radiology if they let his daddy carry him there.

You’ve let go of the hope that this was all just a freak incident, but the looks that the nurses have started exchanging squashed that optimism immediately. Taking the opportunity to lie on the hospital bed, you try to reassure yourself—if Spencer didn’t seem worried, you shouldn’t be worried.

Though Spencer wouldn’t show his concern to you, he certainly wouldn’t do it with Leo in the room.

You don’t know when you fell asleep, but you’re woken up by something being set on your side, your eyes cracking open just enough to watch Spencer lay Leo down on the bed next to you. “Hey,” Spencer whispers, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead, “I was trying not to wake you up.”

Cringing at the brightness of the room, you watch Leo as he curls into your side, “How did he do?”

“He was great,” Spencer says, gently ruffling the sleeping boy’s hair. “He fell asleep about halfway through,” he informs you, carefully pulling a chair up to the bedside.

You hum, making sure Leo is snug in his blanket before turning back to Spencer, “I’m sorry I didn’t call you sooner.”

Spencer shakes his head dismissively, “It’s okay,” he whispers, mindful of the hour—it’s nearing midnight now.

Reaching a hand up to cover your mouth, you hiccup a sob, “I’m a bad mom.”

“You are not a bad mom,” Spencer responds quickly, peeling your hand from your mouth and taking it in his hand.

Your lower lip quivers, “This wouldn’t have happened if he hadn’t been born so early.”

Spencer’s face softens, squeezing your hand comfortingly, “That wasn’t your fault. That was a situation that you didn’t have any control over.”

Deep down, you know he’s right, but your mom guilt that was on the surface level made the truth hard to see. “I couldn’t even hold his hand while he got an MRI,” you cry, small tears falling from your eyes.

“Honey,” Spencer murmurs, carefully wiping the tears from your cheeks, “You’re pregnant. Even more, you’re high risk,” Spencer reminds you as if it’s something you’re soon to forget. “There’s no way I would’ve let you in that room. You can blame that on me if you’d like.”

Leo shifts next to you, garnering your attention for just a moment before you turn back to Spencer, “I thought an MRI was better for pregnant women.”

Sighing, Spencer looks at you fondly, “Compared to a CT, an MRI is the better option if it’s medically necessary. Logically, I’m well aware of this, but I do find myself more protective over you these days,” he admits, eyes flickering down to your bump.

You bite the inside of your cheek, “I should’ve been watching him before he hit his head.”

Your husband dismisses your concern immediately, “We’ve been teaching him privacy, he’s proud that he gets to go potty on his own.”

“Why won’t you let me feel guilty?” You ask, frowning at him.

He hums in response, “Because you aren’t guilty. Your baby is in the hospital, and you might have some unresolved issues from when he was in the NICU.” He takes a deep breath, “and as much as you hate to admit it, you’re tired, and you have a lot of conflicting emotions and hormones that you’re struggling with.”

Leaning your head back on the pillow, you sigh loudly, “You know me too well.”

“I also know that our son loves you, and what happened tonight was not your fault,” he reiterates. “Whatever is going on with him, we’ll figure it out, okay? The four of us are going to be just fine.”

Pressing your lips into a thin line, you nod in understanding and listen to the soft whistle of Leo’s nose as he exhales. “We’ll be just fine,” you echo, intertwining your fingers with Spencer’s and preparing yourself for what’s bound to be a long night.

[gerec]

Whenever you’re getting back into fic recs - Erik whump please please please it’s so hard to find

Hi Anon!

There are lots of great Erik whump fics on Ao3; here are some favourites.

Also, check out Redring91 's and Groot_the_tree 's fics in general as they have written a treasure trove of hurt!Erik stories!

Spark Me Up by blarfkey

"This is Erik raw. This is Erik lost. This is Erik looking at Charles like he is the only piece of wreckage in a vast ocean. The only star in the sky.

And such a look does things to Charles."

After ten years, they are both starving for each other.

All About Love by kath_ballantyne, treasuredleisure

He wants a comfortable night, enough money to last him a while, and a distraction from the grueling monotony of his life on the streets.

But the kind man in the alleyway gives Erik something he needs the most; something he never thought he could ever obtain.

Subject E by Ook

In which Subject E, unwilling medical experiment, runs away from the lab which has him captive, and is taken in by Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.

For these two men by novera_nope

When Erik has a panic attack on the plane, even an emotionally stunted man as Logan realizes the nature of the relationship between Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr.

Be dead, be alive, be something in between by The_Aleph

“It was a pleasure doing business with you, Major.”

“Forgive me when I say the feeling is far from mutual.”, he grimly took the hand: “Goodbye, Professor Xavier.”

He turned to walk out of the room, but before leaving he stopped by him, grabbed him by the collar and yanked him up to whisper in his ear:

“You are no longer my problem. The Professor is now your Master. I heard some things about him. I wouldn’t anger him. See you.”

Stryker threw him back on the floor and left without another word. Left him alone. Alone with a foreign human. The room was warm. He started to tremble.  

In Solitude by Red

In all their time on the road, of course they'd slept together. They'd been close as lovers, but never--despite Charles's best efforts--had they been sexual.

Why now, in a tiny Paris hotel, Charles doesn't know. He can't even look to see, but it's not like he's about to deny Erik after all this time.

Need by unearthlydust

Erik’s gaze is so haunting, so evocative. Logan recognizes that look, for he has seen it many times in the past when he looked into the mirror, his broken and lost self staring back at him. It’s too familiar, too close to home, and he doesn’t want to be reminded of his dark past.

Peaceful thoughts, peaceful thoughts.

Skin to Skin by TurtleTotem

Erik, freshly rescued from solitary confinement, hasn't touched another person in years.

Five times Charles made the first move and one time Erik did.

you're trying to save me (stop holding your breath) by seemeunseelie

Erik arrives at Westchester one night with a stolen government file labeled Xavier, C. and a bullet lodged in his side.

When Erik becomes unbalanced, Emma presents him with three options: go back to Charles for three months and learn to deal with whatever he has going have going on, lose his Brotherhood, or let Emma control his mind.

He really only has one choice.

Hushed by Redring91

A storm rages outside, but there are worse things to weather, and Erik can’t sleep.

Sleep by Groot_the_tree

The bed next to him dipped and he jumped, looking around. Logan was sitting next to him, the cigar was gone but the smell was still there. For some reason, it was comforting to Erik, giving him something to focus on other than the panic.

“Just breath, Bub,” Logan said. - Erik and Logan share a room after Erik has been broken out of the Pentagon. They talk and it leads to something they'll never talk about again. Or perhaps they will.

Fever Pitch by Wolfcry22

Dealing with a metal manipulating mutant with a fever isn’t something Charles was prepared for.

Wir Schützen Was Wir Lieben by Cylin

Erik comes back to the mansion hurt. The kids try to help - they really try - but things escalate. What has happened to Erik affects all their relationships, but most severely Charles's and Erik's.

Reverberation by Redring91

Sound, like magnetism, travels in waves. After being deprived of metallic resonance for so many years, Erik suddenly finds himself drowning in it.

Stricher by Cylin

Prompt fill from the kink-meme: You know, I've only seen stories with Charles as the rent boy or the prostitute, never Erik. Do something, I would like to read heartbreaking stories with Erik as a prostitute.

Vulnerability by TheRedGlass

An attack while recruiting leaves Erik horribly injured but Charles faces a challenge in getting him medical help and has to improvise.

[orqheuss]

I like my body when it is with your body

(Ominis Gaunt/Sebastian Sallow/GN!Reader SMUT)

Summary:

Sebastian believes that he doesn't deserve to be happy after everything he's done. His partners don't agree, and are hellbent on proving him wrong the best, and most effective, way they know how.

***

Title from the E. E. Cummings poem, "I like my body when it is with your"

word count: 8k

AN: I'm reposting all of my fics from ao3 on to here for easier access! We're starting with the smut.

Sebastian was tired. Today had been another long day trapped away in his office, filing report after report of his findings in the latest tomb he had explored. The life of a curse breaker never stopped. All he wanted to do was go home and curl up next to his partners. They’d each take turns stroking his hair and smoothing the stress from his shoulders like they always did when he had an exhausting day and he’d relax into their sides, falling asleep to the soft sound of their heartbeats. He was fortunate enough to work close to home, only having to venture out of the comforts of London every so often for a day or two, but each trip away made him desperately crave a life of simplicity. Even being away from his two loves was torturous— he always wanted to be near them, always wanted to know that they were safe and with him. There were some days where he didn’t believe that he deserved their love, their kindness, their understanding of his busy schedule. Ever since his sister was cursed by the villain, Victor Rookwood, he had been set on this path for his life. The aftermath of that dreadful day in the catacombs only solidified it for him— he would never use dark magic again, instead he would protect the wizarding world from it one cursed vault at a time. 

He thought fondly of his seventh year at Hogwarts, how each of you had stressed about what you wanted to do with the rest of your lives. While he may have had it figured out, you and Ominis were a wreck to say the least. With the gift of ancient magic pulsing under your skin, you had originally thought about becoming an Auror and working alongside Sebastian with Gringotts bank, nearly causing the blond of the trio to have a conniption. He was already stressed at the prospect of the brunette being in danger nearly everyday, he couldn’t stand the idea of you being there as well. He knew that you both could hold your own, but it certainly didn’t help his heart. If anyone asked him, he would say that the incessant schemes you both got up to during your school years had left that organ of his half as strong as it used to be and caused more than enough grey hairs to go with it— he was basically an old, fretting man already. In the end you had agreed with him, deciding that you had earned a simple, safe life after everything that you had gone through over the last three years. It just so happened that Professor Hecat had decided to step down from her position as the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, meeting with you personally and offering the job to you as soon as you had graduated. It was an easy choice, and you were the happiest you had ever been working at the school you loved so much. Ominis was a mess at the beginning, constantly pacing around thinking about what he wanted to do— what path he should choose. He had considered following in his father’s footsteps and working in the Department of Mysteries for the Ministry, but quickly pushed that idea to the side; the idea of having anything to do with his family, even sharing a job title, was absolutely abhorrent. He considered becoming a Professor as well, he loved teaching, but that seemed to not be in the cards either with none of the faculty leaving anytime soon. Finally, you both had sat him down and talked him through his stresses, coming up with a possible list of things he could do with his high scores and brains; the final verdict was an inventor of magical tools. He was proficient in the art of tinkering and had a passion to help those in the wizarding world who began their life with as many struggles as he did. 

Yes, the trio were very happy together. 

Even with all the good things happening in his life, the unconditional love of his partners and his rewarding job, Sebastian couldn’t help but still feel a gnawing guilt for his actions in his fifth year of school. It had been years at that point since he had even uttered an unforgivable curse, but the taste of the words still left a bitterness in his throat that wasn’t going to go away any time soon, if at all. Some nights he still woke up in a sweat, the look in his uncle's eyes as the sage green spell hit him in the chest and stopped his heart forever burned into his memory. He would quietly sneak out of bed and sit in your living room, a cup of calming tea clasped between his hands as he watched the sun streak over the horizon. He was acutely aware that both of his partners knew about his nightmares, but every time they tried to talk to him about his trauma he would just shrug it off with a smile and a kind word in their direction. He could deal with this himself— it was his cross to bear. He hoped that they hadn’t pieced together the depth of his regret and guilt about everything he did, though. Sebastian knew that he would never hear the end of it if they ever discovered how much he loathed himself and his actions sometimes, how often he questioned why they had even decided to be with him and not someone else with a better mental view of the world, a better attitude towards the future and the past. He loved them both more than words could describe— more than there were stars in space; he would do absolutely anything for them— had done dreadful things for them already, but sometimes he worried that he wasn’t truly enough. 

The boy was truly obtuse sometimes, even with his high marks and proclivity to all things magic. Of course his partners were aware of his self loathing, they knew him better than anyone else in the world— they would know him just as much in death as in life, and had been working hard to concoct a plan for how to break him from his funk. They had puttered meticulously around the day, making sure everything was absolutely perfect for their love when he got home. He always took care of them; you with your trauma with Rookwood and the battle under the school and Ominis with his family and everything they did to him until he was old enough to break away from their strangling grasp, but he refused to let them take care of him and his needs. Quite frankly, they were sick of it. They could see the stress under his skin withering away the joy he once had for his life and it broke their hearts. It was time to break that cycle and show him how much they truly cared about him. 

Dropping the last file from his never ending pile of reports onto his desk without a care, he glanced at the clock ticking away above the arched doorway of his private office. Just in time to go home. With a renewed sense of energy, Sebastian quickly gathered his things scattered around the room and rushed out the door, waving bye to a few of his colleagues as they called out for him to have a good weekend, and apparated home without a second thought. 

Little did he know, the lovely curse breaker had an even lovelier surprise waiting for him when he got home, that was for sure. 

Apparating into their shared living room, he noticed two things right off the bat. First, the lights were dimmed around the entire house, candles floating just below the ceiling and casting a romantic glow across the walls, and second, there was a path of clothes leading down the hall towards their shared bedroom. He could distinctly point out Ominis' favorite waistcoat, a gaudy thing that looked like it was skinned right off of his grandmothers couch, and your Professors robe, iridescent hues of forest green and gold decorating the velvet and fleece. His heart stuttered in his chest, a blush making his way across his face and down his neck at the prospect at what he was about to find waiting for him. Even after all these years, the two of you could still make him as flustered as a school boy. 

He delicately made his way down the hallway, stepping around the clothes, his heart beating steadily but fast in his chest as he heard the soft laughter of his partners seep through the cracked doorway. Sebastian gulped lightly in his throat, steadying his nerves before gently pushing the door to their master suite open and taking in what was waiting for him. 

Resting on your shared bed was his two partners, sprawled out in nothing but their underclothes and a beautiful red flush dancing along their skin. They each were already panting in need, likely from a bit of foreplay before he had gotten home. The idea of them beginning without him so they could jump right into action when he got there made his brain short circuit, static filling it for a moment as he processed everything in front of him. He cast his eyes around the room, taking in everything the both of you had done to set the mood— he wanted to appreciate your effort, after all. Floating above your nightstands and chest of drawers were more candles, their gentle flame creating enticing shadows around the room and glowing against the sweat shining on your skin. A mix of red, salmon, and burgundy rose petals decorated the foot of the comforter and the floor around the four poster bed, filling his nose with the sweet aroma of vanilla and flowers. You and Ominis had gone all out for him, and his heart filled with love at the idea of you both taking the time out of your day to make the night special. Sebastian momentarily racked his brain, stressing slightly that he forgot some important date, but he came up empty. What was the occasion?

In all honesty, he couldn't really give a damn. He was just happy to be there.

Flirting his eyes back to the pair of bodies adorning the silver colored bedspread, heat began to burn in his stomach and fuel the fire in his loins. Sebastian lightly groaned, an absolutely sinful noise making its way out of his throat, as he tilted his head back to the ceiling in elated disbelief. He could already feel his trousers tightening around his growing member as he verbalized the thoughts and prayers swirling around his mind. 

“Merlin, God, Buddha, Ra, whomever is up there— I don’t know what I did to deserve this gift, but thank you.”

His partners laughed at his little speech, making their way from the bed to their very bothered partner and flanking either side of him. The heat from their bodies seeped through his suit jacket, spreading over his arms and flowing from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. He sighed in pleasure, both of his hands reaching up and threading his fingers through yours and Ominis’ hair as you each began to suck light bruises on his neck. Sebastian felt like he died and had gone to heaven, tugging you both away by your roots and smashing his lips against the closest of the two— in this case it was Ominis. He gripped the blond by his hips, letting go of you and allowing you to sit on the bed once again and watch the show as he proceeded to stick his entire tongue down the blond’s throat. The smaller of the two moaned against his lips, his lovely long fingers reaching up to the broad shoulders of his partner and pulling the jacket from his form with enough force to make Sebastian slightly lose his balance. Ominis took this as the perfect moment to strike, taking the taller of the two by surprise and shoving him roughly into the wall behind them. The brunette sucked a breath through his teeth, his pupils doubling in size with unrestrained lust coursing through his blood. Ominis attacked his throat once again, one hand tracking his nails lightly down the other boy’s cheek before his fingers wrapped around his neck and squeezed. A heady whine left Sebastian’s throat, feeling his head get slightly fuzzy at the lack of air and the transcendent burn of his partner’s kisses down his jaw and under his shirt collar.

Ominis chuckled against the column of the brunette’s throat, the arousal heavily present in his voice sending shivers down Sebastian’s spine and even more heat to his core. The blond harshly sunk his sharp canines into the soft skin connecting the other boy’s neck to his shoulder, roughly tugging at the collar of his shirt to get a better grip, before licking the spot and whispering with a seductive drawl, “I’m going to take my time with you tonight. Do you remember the safe word?” 

Sebastian groaned, his eyes rolling to the back of his head at the feeling of his partner’s sweltering breath against his pulse point and nodded. You both were going to be the death of him, he was sure of it. 

Ominis laughed again, a breathy thing that made the brunette’s heart stutter, and cascaded his fingers down the front of his partner’s chest with bone-chillingly leisure touches. Moving his hands back up to the collar of the freckled boy’s shirt, drawing a shaking breath from his lungs in the process, he undid each button with tantalizingly slow movements. A moan lodged itself just under Sebastian’s jaw, only being freed by the feeling of lips returning to his pulse and slowly making their way down his chest as each new bit of skin is revealed to the cool wind of the bedroom. Ominis smiled with mischief against the brunette’s neck, taking the delicate skin against his jugular and sucking a bruising hickey for all the world to see on his absolutely enticing partner.  

The blond breathed against his collarbone, feeling his way down the large expanse of skin that he had revealed and grabbing at the brunette's hips under the starched fabric. "It's an act of sacrilege for you to have to wear clothes."

Ominis reached his fingers dangerously into the trail of hair leading down his partners stomach and dipped the tip of his middle finger under his belt. Sebastian grabbed at Ominis’ shoulders, begging for something but not knowing quite yet what he wanted— what he needed. With bruising strength, the smaller man grabbed the other’s wrists and pinned them against the wall by his hips, a needy whine choking its way out of his partner’s mouth.

“No touching until I say so.” 

Sebastian feebly nodded his head, thinking better of it and instead whimpering a soft affirmative. Ominis smiled, letting go of his wrists now that he was confident that they weren’t going anywhere, before ever so slowly pulling the shirt from the brunette’s shoulders and tossing it towards the other corner of the room like it affronted him, barely missing one of the many candles that decorated the space. The bulge in the taller boy’s trousers was getting painfully hard, straining against the zippered fabric of his formal-wear. This side of Ominis always excited him, the ability to completely release all of his stress and have someone else take over for him filling his mind with delicious bliss. Satisfied by the heaving breaths shaking his partner’s chest and brushing against his cheeks, the blond clasped his hand where it was resting once again against the larynx of his very flustered boyfriend and squeezed slightly harder than before. Sebastian’s eyes fluttered closed at the feeling, sighing as Ominis began to leave open mouthed kisses on his collarbones, trailing down his chest and stopping to bite lightly at his nipple. A shocked grunt left the brunette, slightly choked around the hand still lightly cutting off his airflow, and moaned into the air. 

Just behind where the two boys were, Sebastian could hear a second set of heavy breaths, arousal spiking through his veins at the thought of their third pleasuring themselves to the sight of their foreplay. Soft moans filled the space just beyond where the blond had him pinned, the sound of cloth rubbing against skin danced through his ears like the most stunning piece of music. He wanted to reach out for you, take you into his arms and snog you until you forgot your name before taking you right then and there against the wall. 

Ominis, hearing your sounds just as well, if not better, than Sebastian, leaned towards the brunette’s ear, nipping at his lobe before whispering breathlessly against his skin. “You sound so sinful against me, Sebastian, like I should be struck down just for the thought of running my tongue along your skin.” He deeply inhaled the scent of the brunette’s arousal, a combination of sweat and something primal. “You’re doing so good so far— such a good boy— our perfect boy. Will you continue to be a good boy for me and watch our friend while I tear the rest of your clothes off of you?” 

Sebastian whined again, a pitiful sound that sent fire directly to the blond’s throbbing member, before nodding around the hand holding him to the wall. 

Ominis chuckled deeply in his chest, absolutely intoxicated by his boyfriend’s submission.

“Good. I’m going to release you, now. I need you to tell me everything they’re doing. Give as much detail as possible. Am I clear?” 

With a frantic nod of his head, Sebastian creaked open his eyes and met yours. The air in his chest stilled at the sight before him, a bolt of electricity striking down his body and nestling itself right in his lower stomach. His member was absolutely leaking at this point, painting his pants and trousers with an alluring wet spot. Ominis sank to his knees in front of the brunette, trailing his fingers down the sides of his thighs and drawing intricate patterns along the seams. The taller boy didn’t think that his heart could beat any faster, any harder in his chest— one more shock and it may as well burst from behind his ribs. He could already feel the tightening of the knot in his stomach, his orgasm approaching embarrassingly fast and without being touched by either of the people he loved. He had never felt this pent up before, never felt this loved , this wanted .

Ominis began to untie his dress shoes, taking his sweet time on each knot before pulling them off and beginning on his socks. He lightly pinched the skin by Sebastian’s ankle, startling the other man out of his pleasured bliss and reminding him of what he was asked to do. Focusing on you again, he recounted each of your movements to the blond, struggling desperately around the dryness of his mouth. 

“Oh fuck, t-they’re touching themselves over their pants. They have a gorgeous blush covering their entire body, glowing with a beautiful shade of pink— like the sunrise. Their eyes are hooded— shit, they’re absolutely dripping, Ominis. Their noises are driving me crazy, can you hear them? I know you can, I can feel how much you like them.” 

Ominis was now level with his groin, his searing breath ghosting over where the brunette desperately needed his hands, his mouth, anything. Deft hands worked on his belt, slowly undoing the buckle and pulling the leather out of the loops at a snail's pace. Ominis made sure to slide the smooth fabric along his skin, knowing how much Sebastian loved the idea of him and his belt, absolutely helpless to his whims. Giving the panting boy a small taste of what’s to come, he pressed his lips teasingly against the wet spot next to his zipper, mouthing lightly at the tip of his pulsing cock and murmuring into him. 

“Look at you, being so obedient for me, Sebastian. You're doing so amazing. What else do you see? Be my eyes.” 

Sebastian sucked in a breath, a feeble whimper sneaking its way out of his parted lips. The knot in his stomach continued to tighten, sending shivers of pleasure from his nose to his fingertips and making his member twitch, still buried under two layers of cloth. His entire body buzzed with energy, his hands shaking steadily at his sides with a frantic need to card his fingers through the blond hair just within reach. 

“Merlin, Ominis, you’re killing me.” His breathing was shaky, small pants entering and exiting his lips and making him dizzy, “They look bewitching— absolutely hypnotizing. They’re parting those lips you love so much, both looking quite bruised and plump— your doing I’m guessing, you devil. Gods this is positively filthy—”

A loud swear shocked its way through his system, his head falling back against the wall with a loud thump as his blisteringly hot cock was released to the chilly air around them; its dripping head smacking against his lower stomach and streaking his pale skin and mousy brown hair with precum. Sebastian reached his hand towards his domineering boyfriend in a risky movement, gently brushing against the stray hairs that had fallen out of his styled quiff with intent to reach farther into his tresses and pull him closer to where he needed him. Ominis roughly grabbed his wrist before his fingers could go any further, pushing his hand back into place next to his now naked hips before taking his leaking cock in the other, giving it a sharp tug as a warning. 

A wanton moan filled the room, ricocheting against the walls and spilling into the ears of you and the blond. Sebastian was positively trembling with want, his orgasm creeping closer and closer to the surface as apologies spilled from his lips like the finest of wines.

Ominis growled at his lover’s sounds, biting at the squishy meat of his thigh in violent arousal. “Merlin, you sound destroyed already and we’ve barely touched you. Is that what you want? You want us to completely ruin you like a common whore? Beg for it— beg for what you want, my darling.” 

“Please, please, I’m so close let me cum please —” The brunette whimpered, tears pricking at the corners of his vision from the pressure building in his gut.

“You’ll cum when I tell you to, you—”

“Ominis, I think he’s had enough for now. Bring him over here so we can continue with the plan for the night, please.” You simper, cutting him off. A smug look turned up the corners of your face at the fucked-out expression of your normally composed partner. 

Sebastian released the breath he didn’t know he was holding, his knees nearly giving out underneath him in relief as Ominis released him. The blond pushed him harder into the wall, leaning forward and smashing a ferocious kiss to his lips. A groan broke from his mouth only to be swallowed down by the other boy. Giving one more teasing squeeze around his throat, Ominis separated himself from the brunette and began to lead him towards the large king size bed they all shared. Sebastian hadn’t had a chance to truly look at everything laid out for him on the bed linens, his eyes were completely enraptured by the sight of his nearly naked loves as soon as he entered the doorway. Tied tightly to the headboard of the four poster were two silk scarves, emerald green and shining in the candle light. He gulped to himself, swallowing around the fear and pure arousal stuck in his windpipe, before carefully sitting down on the bed, collapsing back onto it while he willed his breathing to control itself. 

You leaned over him, pressing feather light kisses to his star-covered eyelids and cheeks. “Do you need a moment before we continue, my love?” 

He nodded minutely, letting his heart go back to normal speed and his orgasm to wean off again. The three of you sat in a soft silence for a few moments, pressing gentle kisses to every inch of skin you could reach on the brunette boy. 

Ominis kissed him again, much lighter than he originally did but with just as much love behind it, before bringing his hand up to his cheek, tenderly brushing his thumb along his cheekbone and whispering against his lips. “Was that too much for you? Please let me know, beautiful.” 

Sebastian leaned into the loving touch, bringing his hand up and wrapping his trembling fingers around the blond’s wrist. He softly shook his head, pressing a kiss to the boy’s palm before snuggling even closer to the warm contact. 

Ominis hummed to himself, deducing that the other boy needed another moment before he could easily speak again. “I need more than that, Seb.” He smoothed the brunette’s hair from his sweaty forehead, leaning down and pressing a kiss to his skin. “Tap once for yes, twice for no. Are you truly okay? Do you want to keep going?” 

The freckled boy scoffed lightly, his breathing starting to slow down to a manageable pace, and tapped his finger once against the smaller boy’s wrist. Peaking his eyes open once again, he saw a slow, devilish smile make its way across Ominis’ face. His heart leapt in his chest again and he fumbled for a moment, unsure if it was out of nerves or pure, inordinate levels of devotion. 

Ominis pawed his other hand around the bed, searching for the third member of their trio before finding your hand and squeezing it. You leaned over Sebastian, smoothing his tangled curls down and pressing an affectionate kiss to his lips for the first time of the night. He could feel the care you both had for him spilling from your souls and wrapping his own in the softest blanket he had ever felt. He truly didn’t deserve you both. 

“Can you scoot up the bed for me, Sebastian? Lie yourself against the pillows and let us take care of you.” 

He did as he was told, leaning back against the soft feather-down pillows and relaxing into the silk of the linens. You straddled his hips, pressing kiss after kiss to his temple, his nose, his cheeks, and finally his lips once more. This kiss had more heat behind it, more hunger. He could tell how worked up you had gotten from his session with Ominis as you lightly grinded your pelvis against his, drawing a startled mewl from him that slowly transformed into a melodic moan. Reaching to where his hands had rested themselves on your hips, you grasped his wrists in your palms and raised them above his head, mouthing against his jaw and neck. With a soft mumble, Sebastian felt the tell-tale feeling of your ancient magic swirl around his arms, stretching up and wrapping the green silk around his wrists, binding them together and securing them against the bed frame. 

He softly laughed, nipping lightly at your bottom lip when you moved back up to his mouth. “Did you just use your deeply ancient, completely unexplored magical powers to tie me to the bed?” 

You giggled against his mouth, dipping down to slot your lips with his once again. “So what if I did?” 

With a hum, Sebastian chased your lips for another kiss, his noise morphing into a whine as you moved farther away. He was already starting to hate these binds. 

You got off his lap, sitting next to his head to his left while Ominis took the spot to his right. Sebastian could see how you gnawed at your bottom lip with nerves, how Ominis wrung his hands together as he came up with the right words to say, and he felt his heart drop into his stomach. Now was the time for the true reason you had done all this for your beloved. 

Ominis spoke first, his voice much softer than the domineering presence he originally held. “Sebastian, we know what you think of yourself. I may be blind, but we both aren’t stupid.” 

You laughed, “Well I might be a little stupid sometimes, but not about this, though.” 

The blond snorted, trying to cover it up with a cough before turning once again towards Sebastian and meeting his eyes. Sebastian has known Ominis since first year, but the accuracy he had with finding another's eyes and holding contact even without being born with the gift of sight always intrigued and slightly unnerved him. He gulped, feeling like a deer caught in the headlights.

“You have done so much for us. You love us unconditionally— spread yourself thin at your job and still come home to us with so much love to give. We could never wish for anyone else in our lives, yet you question our devotion— our care for you.” 

Guilt crawled up Sebastian’s chest like the spindly legs of an acromantula and nestled itself under his ribs. He looked down, breaking the eye contact that burned into his skull, pulling his deepest feelings out into the open. You softly turned his chin towards you, forcing him to meet your eyes and see the eternal, unrestricted love you held for him. 

“My love, there is no question that you deserve us— deserve the love that we have for you. But, if you still don’t believe us, we have no choice but to show you exactly how much we want you— need you.”

Raising to your knees, you straddled his hips once again. Flicking your finger towards his binds, they unwound themselves from the head board and wrapped the rest of the fabric around his wrists, binding them together and locking his arms on either side of his head. Ominis pressed his hands to Sebastian’s upper back, gently lifting him from the soft sheets and slotting himself behind the boy, bringing his arms up a bit more and curling them behind his neck, elbows bent by his ears. He kissed the skin of his partner's biceps lazily, tracing his fingers along his cheek and jawline. A blush began to creep its way over Sebastian’s face, starting from the apples of his cheeks and working its way down over his nose, neck, and collarbones. You had never seen a prettier color in your life. 

Feeling the pulsing heartbeat of your nervous lover drew a wide grin across your lips, corners stretching across your cheeks and feeling like they could touch your ears. Your lips traveled across Sebastian’s jugular, flirting downwards with feather-light pecks and drawing gasps from the lungs of your beautiful boy. You gnawed teasingly at his hip bone, hair sliding along the thing the brunette longed for you to touch, before whispering against his clammy skin. 

“We are going to go back and forth, telling you one thing that we love about you until we either run out, or you finish. Whichever comes first.” 

With that, you licked a long, languished stripe along the underside of his throbbing member, stifling his reply in his throat and causing one of the loudest sounds you had ever heard the boy make to cascade out of his pink, parted lips. Ominis groaned against Sebastian’s neck, making love bites everywhere he could reach— his throat, his shoulders, his collarbones, everything, and bucked his hips against the curve of the other boy’s ass. Sebastian bit his lip in desire, feeling just how much the blond had been affected by their erotic play earlier. 

Kissing the tip of the brunette’s leaking cock, drawing a stuttered breath from his lungs and stretching your smile even wider, you murmured against his happy-trail. “I’ll go first. I am utterly enraptured by your courage and bravery. Even in moments of intense distress, you still stood by our sides and protected the ones you love.” 

You pressed another kiss to his burning skin before leaning up on your elbows and taking him into your mouth, moving up and down at an incredibly slow pace and drawing long moans out of your partner. Sebastian threw his head back in ecstasy, opening up the column of his throat further to his bite-happy boyfriend. He nipped at the skin just behind his ear, smoothing the pain away with a gentle lick and kiss. 

Ominis whispered tantalizingly in his ear, “My turn. I love your kindness and generosity. There isn’t a day where I don’t think about the little things you do for me and smile.” 

The brunette whined, tears of pleasure and happiness building behind his lashes once again. He refused to open his eyes and look at either of his partners, all too aware that if he met either of their gazes he would lose his composure completely. Just then, you took him all the way into your mouth, the tip of him tapping against your uvula, and moaned around him, sending supernovas of stars behind his eyes and blazing through the warmth in his chest. 

Well, so much for composure. 

If his hands were free, Sebastian’s fingers would be digging into your scalp, pulling at the roots of your hair in an alternation of rough and gentle pressure. He wanted desperately to touch his lovers, but he didn’t dare disobey their orders. He wasn’t afraid of their punishment, but in complete honesty he wanted to savor this moment. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt like this— this level of affection and tenderness. 

Swallowing around his throbbing manhood, you sucked in your cheeks and dragged yourself up, up, up to his tip once again, humming around his never-ending sounds of pleasure and sending ricochets of vibrations along his entire body. 

You licked at his slit, collecting the elixir that continuously flowed from there and spoke again, arousal lacing your tone. “I love how much you care. You always put us before you, even when we’re being right bastards.” You laughed, pressing your smile to the skin of his inner thigh, “I also hate it, though, because you never let us spoil you rotten.” 

Ominis placed his hand against Sebastian’s throat for a fourth time that night, not squeezing, but simply holding it in a possessive grasp. The unseemly sounds of you working the brunette to release filled his mind and sent burning fire to his pelvis, leading him to press his burning, still very clothed, cock against the other boy’s lower back. He willed himself to remain still— this was Sebastian’s night, not his. His freckled partner had other plans though, and grabbed at the hair at the base of his neck and slightly pulled, whimpering into the air around him with need. 

“Please pleasure yourself, Ominis. I want to feel you against me— I need to feel you.” 

The blond swore, dropping his head back to the brunette's throat and roughly biting at his pulse, seceding to his wish and harshly grinding against him. At this point Sebastian's skin was littered with speckles of black and blue bruises and reddened teeth marks. He could feel everything, the silk wrapped around his wrists and against his legs, the smooth breaths of the blond at his back— the rise and fall of his chest, your teeth gently grazing the large vein at the underside of his member, sending delicious shivers up his spine and filling his mind with static. He could especially feel the tightening of his abdomen as his orgasm got dangerously close to the surface for a second time. He was in absolute, erotic bliss. 

Ominis grunted deep in his throat, leaning down and breathing hotly against the brunette’s ear as he whispered his next bout of praise. “Surprisingly, I love how stubborn you are. It’s a relief, sometimes, to know that nothing can change your mind about how you feel towards us. I’ve never felt so desired, so cared for, so loved.” He chuckled airily, “That being said, it’s only nice when it’s not being used against me.” 

Sebastian whined loudly when he felt your nose brush against the hairs at the base of his cock, his hips stuttering and bucking more of himself into your awaiting throat. Tears had begun to spill down his cheeks at that point, only to be wiped away by Ominis’ gentle fingers. 

You laugh again, releasing him with a pop. “What do you want us to do to you, sweet boy? Use your words.” 

The sounds dripping from his lips were absolutely sinful— his begs and pleads filling the space around them. “Please, please , Merlin, you're going to murder me, you filthy bastards. I love you both so much— I need to be inside you, to have you inside me, anything . I can’t take it anymore, I need to feel one of you fill me and the one of you cumming around my cock.” 

Your breathing stuttered in your chest at the crassness of his words and the sharp buck of Ominis’ hips— a deep, heady groan rumbling both of your bodies from the usually quiet blond. Quickly detangling yourselves, you help Sebastian to lie down on the pillows once again, unbinding his wrists in the process and delicately kissing the bruised skin from his constant wiggling and pulling. 

The taller boy finally blinked his eyes open, gazing with half his normal amount of focus into yours. Your blinding smile brought one of his own to his lips, sending his heart aflutter as you caressed his cheekbone. Your pupils flicked left and right as you took all of him in, feeling yourself sink into his beautiful brown irises. 

A loving sigh parted your lips as you drawled against his lips, “I think it’s my turn again. I love your eyes— I feel like I could get lost in them for the rest of my life.”

Grinding down on his hard length, your purred more muted praise against his throat. Ominis slithered behind the both of you, sliding his hand down along your spine and pushing you forwards so you were pressed chest to chest with the flustered man. Sebastian groaned at the sudden skin on skin contact, heat permeating through his flesh and directly into his soul. A sudden mewl from you shook him from his stupor, causing him to crane his neck to the left with as much speed as he could muster and watching what the pretty blond was doing at his feet. Color flooded his cheeks yet again at the sight of his long, lithe fingers prodding in and out of your entrance, stretching you just right so he could fit. Breathy moans continued to fill the air as you both moved against each other, pushing and pulling in rhythm with the smaller boy’s fingers.

You breathed against the brunette's lips, whining around your teasing words. "Do you think you can handle both of us? One of us bouncing on your throbbing, delicious cock while the other fills you to the brim?"

Sebastian swore at how uncouth you were being, nodding his head with enthusiastic rapture.

You keened, Ominis hitting that spot just inside of you that sent pleasure right to your core. "Good boy. I knew you could do it. I've been thinking about this all day— could barely keep my hands off of our boyfriend for long enough to make this perfect for you."

Ominis leaned down and bit you roughly on the behind, marking you as his own just as he did to the taller boy, before moving further into you and prodding at your entrance with his skilled tongue. Sebastian nearly wept at the sight, sinking his own teeth into your fleshy shoulder to muffle the noise. The blond sharply smacked his thigh, growling around his own arousal. 

“Don’t muffle yourself. Let the world know how well we fuck you.” 

Relinquishing his fingers from your tight entrance, he took Sebastian into his hand, gave him a few more slow, mind numbing strokes, and sunk you both into sweet, connected euphoria. 

Your heart stuttered in your chest, fingers reaching up and tweaking at your nipple in elated bliss. The man under you bit his lip at the sight, throwing his head back against the headboard.

"Shit, you feel so fucking good inside me. Stretch me out just like that, yes."

Ominis set to work once again, taking the brunette’s legs in his palms and stretching him so that his calves rested on the blond’s shoulders. Whimpers flooded his senses as he became completely consumed by lust and the sounds of his partner’s pleasure. Licking his pointer and middle finger, making sure to keep eye contact with the brunette struggling underneath the both of you, he stroked his fingertips at his puckered hole, drawing another loud, needy whimper from his partner. 

“I love your sounds, Sebastian. I’ve never heard anything more beautiful than the both of you singing in pleasure together.” 

The man continued to tease at the other’s entrance, pushing his fingers inside and curling them against the spot that made everything go white behind his eyes. Ominis could feel him pulse around his fingers, smell the sweet scent of his release breaching over the surface slowly. In one smooth movement, he sunk himself into his love— you all finally becoming one. 

Sebastian had never felt so full. Every sense in his body was in overdrive, sparking and sizzling behind his tightly shut eyes like the brightest of stars. Constellations flowed around his mind like the rings of Saturn, dancing through his memories and filling every inch of his body with infatuation. You both used him for your own pleasure, bouncing on him and filling him with heavenly bliss. The room filled with the sounds of your love: high pitch whines, low groans, skin slapping against skin, everything sinful that made his heart stutter in his chest and more. He could feel his very being reaching out and grasping towards the both of his partners, ready to worship them as the celestial beings that you were. Ominis leaned over you, digging his teeth into the opposite shoulder that Sebastian had bitten and marking you once more. Both of you were his, no one else's. He put all of his frustration into his thrusts, grabbing onto your hips as they stuttered against the brunette’s and slamming you down in time with his own movements, filling you with an otherworldly level of revelry.

Growling, his teeth clenched together as sounds of lust spilled from his throat and cascaded down onto your skin, Ominis spoke between each thrust. "You're ours, Sebastian. Take it for us, I know you can. You feel so perfect, squeezing me just like that."

The freckled boy slapped at your thigh, lacing his fingers together with the blond’s as they grabbed at your love handles with enough strength to leave bruises. Whines spilled from your throat like the fountain of youth, seeping into your partner’s ears and silencing every negative thought that hid behind their amorous expressions. Each thrust filled him with unimaginable levels of pleasure, his orgasm rocketing closer and closer to spilling over the precipice and into the blissful chasm below. 

Sebastian stuttered against your shoulder, ecstasy piercing his brain each time your bouncing syncs with Ominis’ thrusts. “F-fuck— please can I c-cum? Please let me cum, I’ve been so good, please.” 

You could feel your own release building, sending blinding hot heat to your stomach and blacking out your vision into an incandescent infinity. The blond’s thrusts behind you were getting sloppy, his rhythm stuttering around his hips and his fingernails digging painfully into the skin of your flesh. Pants flew out of your mouths, each of you struggling against the tightening pressure in your lower bodies as you fought for more air. You nodded at the brunette, your voice long gone in the throes of pleasure, before slapping one of your hands over the two combined at your waist, tying the three of you together. 

Ominis whined, all his dominance shedding from his body only to be replaced with flustered indulgence. “Yes, cum for us, Sebastian. You’ve been so good— taking us so well. I want to feel you tighten around my cock as you release into them. Shit.”

At his words, everything in his brain was wiped away in a torrential downpour of heavenly euphoria— light flooding behind his eyes as his release exploded through his body, the both of his partner’s following soon after and sending the trio into the effervescent, enigmatic paradise. 

Bodies crashed atop of bodies, cum mingling together and turning cold against your hot, sweaty forms. Sebastian gasped for air, his everything beginning to give in to exhaustion from the constant pleasure and pain he had experienced at the hands of his loves. Ominis rolled off first, gently kissing you on the back of your exposed neck and lifting off of the brunette’s hips. The freezing cold water of the washcloth the blond had grabbed was absolutely amazing against your skin— all traces of your exuberant sex being wiped away with a caring, gentle hand. Ominis tossed the washcloth away without a care for where it landed, exhaustion seeping into his own bones. With the last of his strength, he tucked his two companions under the blankets of their bed, cuddling up against the back of Sebastian and wrapping his arms around your waist where you rested against the brunette’s chest. You slotted together like pieces of a puzzle, love swirling around your souls and pressing gentle kisses to the magic that hummed in your veins. 

Sebastian laughed breathily, sleep descending on him— he felt boneless, like years of his life had been swept away in the tides of contentment. His eyelids were heavy as he pressed his lips against your temple and the other’s wrist. “Marry me.” 

A soft grin stretched across your face, sleep whispering sweet nothings in your ears just as it was to your boys. “What did you say?”

He snuggled closer to your warmth, reaching for the other boy’s arm and tugging him flush to his back. “I said marry me. There’s no one else I want to be with. No more doubts, no more insecurity, no more jealousy— this is it for me. This is my future; you both are my future.” 

You hummed against his chest, the soothing sound of his heartbeat dragging you deeper and deeper into your slumber. “Let me think about it.” 

You pretended to ponder for a moment, listening carefully to the brunette’s heart and gauging how true his words were. The solid, steady beat of his heart never changed— every inch of his body oozing trust and love. You kissed the skin just above where the organ rested and prepared to speak, your smile dazzling like the brightest constellations before craning your neck slightly over Sebastian’s shoulder, looking at the snoozing blond and squeezing the hand around your waist. “What do you say, Ominis? Should we marry this stubborn mule of a man?” 

Ominis huffed, his own sleepy smile spreading across his cheeks as he squeezed the both of you closer to his chest. “As long as no one takes my last name, I think I’d be okay with that arrangement.” 

You giggled, light and airy like wind chimes on a summer day, running your fingers first through the hair of the blond just at the edge of your reach and then the brunette pressed close to you. “I suppose I’m okay with that, too.” 

You three would talk more about it in the morning, hash out all the details and ponder how one would even have a triumvirate wedding. But, until then, the blissful feeling of rest sweeped over the room, gently tucking each of the former Hogwarts students into the comforting arms of those that they love most in the world and filling their dreams with images of the future. 

For now, all was well. 

***

like what you read? here's more!

[redfurrycat]

🤠🤵🥷🐓Spies & Secret Agents Fic Recs🐓🥷🤵🤠

Check the Top Gun Masterlist post for the latest updated version. 💕

Ao3 Authors: FlowersOnMyMind, Nimuetheseawitch, OfTheDirewolves, Whimsicule, Winterbucky.

Daily Heroes > Organised Crime > Vigilantes, Superheroes & Supervillains

Say you'll be my darling by FlowersOnMyMind {E}

Rooster and Hangman have to go undercover as a married couple in this Mission Impossible AU fic. Feelings happen.

as the daytime is stirring by whimsicule {M}

Goose will drive a hundred and forty miles north, back home to his wife and unborn child, and Pete will take his bike back to his impersonal, agency-issued apartment that’s not a home and never will be. Goose has his family, a lifetime of love and happiness waiting for him in Philly. Pete has his Kawasaki, blank walls, and the memory of a man he would, under any other circumstances, happily chase to the ends of the earth. or: it starts in berlin in the winter of 1986. but that's not where it ends.

coffee court dates by winterbucky {T}

An assignment in a coffee shop isn't what Special Agent Bradshaw dreamed about, but it's not half-bad. The only downside (aside from the mafia meetings that take place there) is a particular blonde mafia member who can't seem to take a hint that Bradley is not interested Though, it turns out, that maybe it's not all as it seems and it's Bradley who can't take a hint or coffee shop au with special agents and mafia (but not really) and stupid bradley who should really learn to read assignment files

Jake Seresin, 007 by nimuetheseawitch

A View to Kill {G}

“As you know, 007, we’ve had some rearrangement of the Q-division since you were last in London, but I am sure you will do your best to ingratiate yourself to the department, as you will be working quite closely with them over the next few months.” Jake turned his most winning smile to his disapproving superior. “M, you know I always do my best. I always return my gear to the Quartermaster fully field-tested with notes for improvement. Q always appreciated my feedback.” Despite himself, M seemed to be amused. “Right, well, I’m not sure our new Q will have the same appreciation for your feedback, so do try to make a good impression Seresin.”

Nobody Does It Better {T}

The first time really wasn’t Jake’s fault. He was explosively tossed from an oil rig, and whatever pieces remained of the cell phone, they now lived at the bottom of the ocean. Apparently, a concussive blast combined with full saltwater immersion also generally had the effect of disabling all of Q’s trackers except the one in the diving watch. And that he mailed to Q, shattered and nonfunctional, with a note asking him to look into making it a little more bulletproof. He was grateful, really – the watch had saved his life. After a lovely vacation on the island he’d washed ashore on, Jake came back to MI6 headquarters tanned and smiling. Q did not look happy to see him.

Lights, camera, bitch smile (even when you wanna die) by OfTheDirewolves {M}

Agents Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw and Jake "Hangman" Seresin are the best at what they do. Now they have to go undercover as couple to uncover a secret plot that could save millions of lives. The only problem? They haven't talked in 6 years. or Jake and Bradley have to go undercover with each other which wouldn't be a problem except for the fact that they're still stupidly in love with each other and neither of them wants to admit it. Can they complete their mission and get out of this unscathed or will hearts be broken once more?

[albertasunrise]

Only You - When Benny Met...

Masterlist

Summary: Having spent most of your life in relationships that went nowhere. You struggled to trust that this man… this ray of sunshine… wouldn’t leave you eventually. (18+)

Relationships: Reader x Ben Miller

Warnings:Like AO3, I choose to give none. Read at your own risk. (So bit of a short chapter but I promise they'll get longer... enjoy 🙊)

Series Masterlist

"Stitch!... I know you're about to clock out but we got a 40-year-old male in bay six, laceration to left arm. Dude's lucky, just missed his Brachial Artery... Guy apparently hit on the guys wife, couldn't take no for an answer." 

"Why can't you do it?" You sighed as you threw your colleague a sideways glare. 

"We all know you're the best at stitching folks up. I have a tone of patients I need to see and you'd be doing me a solid if you could stitch him up and get him on his way." 

"Spencer I-" 

"He's got a cute friend with him." Your colleague pushed and you rolled your eyes.

"Because that's the way to convince me." 

"Come on Stitch... Please!" Spencer pleaded, giving you his best puppy dog eyes and you sighed, snatching the patient file away.

"Fine but you owe me!" You grumbled, pointing a finger at him in a warning manner. 

"One hundred per cent!" Spencer replied, hands together like he was in prayer. 

"Let's go see what the damage is then hmm?" 

...

"You doing okay there Fish?" Ben asked as he gave his friend's uninjured arm a squeeze. 

"They got me on the good shit so all things considered... Not too bad." The pilot chuckled, giving his brother-in-arms a dopey smile as he looked up at the blonde. 

"Glad to hear it Fishsticks." Ben replied, head darting up as the privacy curtain of Frankie's cubicle was pulled back. 

You weren't what Ben was expecting. 

You smiled at him as you entered, eyes sparkling under the fluorescent light. He couldn't help but be captivated by you. Your soft features and striking eyes instantly enchanted him. 

"Dr Sheppard... You got awful pretty since we last saw you." Benny flirted, grinning at the amused eye roll you gave him. 

"Dr Spencer has asked me to use my fine Stitching skills and help your friend." You replied, holding out your hand then to introduce yourself "Mr Morales, how are we feeling?" 

"We're feeling goooood." He drawled, eliciting a grin from you and Ben. 

"Feeling a little high are we?" You chuckled before pulling back the bandage that covered his injury 'Yikes... They got you good huh?" 

"Should have seen the other guy" Frankie grumbled and you chuckled.

"You got him good Fish." Benny assured his friend, giving him a firm nod before returning his attention to you "He got a few punches him before the guy sliced him." 

"I don't condone violence." You warned and Ben grimaced. 

"I won't tell you what I do for a living then." 

"What you beat people up?" 

"That's exactly what he does." Frankie replied as he attempted to big up his friend, only to chuckle after. 

"I'm an MMA fighter." Ben clarified "Special forces before that." 

"Explains Fish." You chuckled as you pulled on your gloves and started to prep what you needed to stitch Frankie up. 

You administered some general, noting the flinch on Ben's face when you pierced his friend's flesh.

"If you hate needles... I don't recommend you watch the next part." You chuckled as you readied the needle. 

"I'll be fine." Ben replied, eyes going wide as brought the needle to Frankie's flesh. 

That was the last thing he said before he blacked out.

Six months later...

"Hey, Princessa." You gushed as you welcomed baby Lila with open arms. 

"I thought that was my nickname." Benny pouted as he gave you a friendly nudge. 

"Oh, you're just, Princess!" You teased "Princessa is reserved for this little angel." 

"How you doing Stitch?" Frankie asked as he sat down beside its wife "Work still hell?" 

"It's A&E Fish... It's always hell." You chuckled, eyed flitting up to the pilot before returning to the smiley baby in your arms "How's this little one sleeping?" 

"Believe it or not but she sleeps right through." Replied Maria as she laid her head on her husband's shoulder "Pretty sure we've got a trick baby on our hands." 

"Got so many friends who ended up having another baby because their first one was perfect!" You giggled "But, it could just be that you two are acing this parenting shit." 

"Definitely the latter." Pipped up Ben and you smiled at him sweetly.

"Suck up." Piped up Will, eliciting a hearty laugh from everyone but Ben. 

You had never expected, after meeting Ben and Frankie all those months ago, that you would have gained such amazing friends. Ben had practically begged you for your number and you had given in. You'd not been able to resist his kind eyes and you'd found yourself excited at the prospect of going out with him. Turned out he just wanted to be friends. 

Or at least, that's what you thought. 

Ben had been over the moon that you'd given him your number. He'd spent that whole evening trying to plan the perfect date. Fancy restaurant, followed by a romantic walk on the beach and a kiss under the stars. But nerves got the better of him and he'd suggested going for a drink. It was safer. If things went bad you both had an easy out. Then as the night had come around, he'd ended up inviting the guys last minute and that's how you'd ended up becoming part of his circle. 

Just not his girlfriend. 

Now six months down the line, he was still kicking himself for not acting when he should have. 

“Hey, babe… Sorry, I’m late. Got stuck on a call that I thought was never going to end.” 

Ben watched as the guy who had, had the spine to act kissed you sweetly and his stomach twisted at the smile you gave the man as he pulled away. 

“Well look who you have.” He gushed as he stroked little Lila’s cheek “You’ve gotten so big, little lady.”

“She’s growing like a weed!” Maria gushed “Already in 3-6 months clothes!” 

“You’re still so cute n’ little though!” You cooed as you cuddled the baby closer, smiling when she gave you a gummy yawn and nuzzled in closer. 

“Suits you.” Said Mike as he leaned in closer to kiss you. 

“What does?” You asked, giving him a bemused look. 

“The baby!” 

His reply took you by surprise. 

You had been dating Mike for a little over four months. You'd met him on one of your many nights out with the guys and had been swept away by his brown eyes and easy smile. You had found yourself settling into an easy relationship with Mike. It wasn't exciting like the ones you read about in your erotic novels but it was safe. Warm and cosy. He made you feel beautiful and that was more than you'd ever hoped for. 

Ben felt his heart shatter when he heard Mike's statement. He watched the two of you as you smiled and giggled whilst fawning over the tiny person sleeping soundly in your arms, hating that it wasn't him. He knew he was to blame for how things had turned out. He'd lost his nerve. He had never felt like this about anyone before. It was love at first sight for him. Something that up until that day in the hospital, he'd never believed in. 

Then you walked in. Soft smiles and kind eyes and he'd fallen for you instantly. 

Standing abruptly he made his way over to the bar, oblivious to the concerned look Frankie threw his way. 

"I'll be back in a sec." The pilot said, kissing his wife's cheek before following the younger Miller over to the bar. 

"Another beer please." Ben called out to the barman, ignoring the presence that had appeared beside him. 

He knew who it was and he knew what the man wanted to talk about but he wasn't in the mood. He just wanted to get drunk. Numb himself from the pain he was feeling at seeing you so happy with someone else. 

"Ben..."

"Don't!" The younger man warned but Frank was having none of it. 

"You need to tell her how you feel." 

"And what is that gonna achieve?" Ben spat "She's got him now." 

"Maybe if she knew the truth, she might-"

"Leave him?" Ben scoffed "Leave the bigshot restaurant owner for the MME fighter that's just recently moved out of his Brother's basement?... Yeah, I'm a real catch!" 

"Ben-"

"She's better off not knowing." Ben choked "At least I can have her as a friend. Telling her would only fuck that up." 

"You should give yourself some credit brother." Frankie sighed as he gave his friend's arm a reassuring squeeze "You're too hard on yourself." 

"I'm just being realistic." Ben growled "I had my chance and I blew it!" He sobbed "Now she's with a guy that can give her everything she deserves." 

"But so can you!" Frank argued, pulling a scoff from Ben "And I'd argue that you'd make her way happier than that Mike ever could." 

"I don't know Fish..." 

"Just tell her!... What have you got to lose?" 

"Everything." 

Frankie's words echoed in his head for the rest of the evening. He knew his friend was right but he didn't know if he could risk losing you. You had become such an integral part of his life. You had become so close. Best friends one might say and he didn't want to lose what he had. He would get over you eventually, he couldn't remain in love with you forever... right?

This would pass. 

This pain would pass.

So as he’d laid in bed that night, staring up at the ceiling as images of your face flashed in front of his eyes he decided that it was best to just bury his feelings. Having you as a friend was better than not having you at all. So the weeks and months that followed played out like the ones that came before them. You and Ben would have your movie nights. Evenings at the bar with the guys and gossip over WhatsApp like two grandmas at Bingo. 

But the pain Benny felt didn't fade. 

He watched you fall harder and harder for Mike. Listen to you gush about the expensive restaurants and flash bars he took you to. The presents he showered you with. Ben hated that this man was able to give you everything he wanted to give you. He couldn't help but feel like Mike was showering you with all this because he was hiding something. 

That something came in the form of a busty blonde that nine months into your relationship, you'd found playing tonsil tennis with the man you'd thought was the man you were going to marry. 

How wrong you'd been. 

"How could I have been so blind?" You sobbed, spooning a ridiculously large scoop of ice cream into your mouth.

"You weren't blind Stitch... He's an asshole!" Benny growled before pulling your closer "Guy clearly didn't realise what he had!" 

You scoffed at Ben's statement. 

"What?" 

"This is just how things go for me, Ben." You sobbed "I meet a guy... fall in love with him and then he either leaves me or cheats on me." 

You ate a few more spoonfuls of ice cream before dumping the tub onto your coffee table and scrubbing a hand over your tear-streaked face. 

"Maybe I should just quit." 

"Quit what?" Ben pushed and you groaned. 

"Men!" You expelled "I mean... I'm not the sort of girl destined for marriage and kids." 

"What the hell makes you think that?" 

"I don't have a flat stomach, my thighs don't have a gap and my arms aren't toned." You scoffed "I'm the girl a guy dates to make him look like he's not shallow... Date a fat girl for a while and you'll look like you're deep... See past flaws-"

"Okay, I gotta stop you there." Ben snapped "You are not fat." He started, pointing at you "You are one of the most beautiful women I know... Inside and out." 

"Ben-" 

"Mike was a fucking idiot for letting you slip through his fingers and if he-"

Ben was interrupted by knocking at your front door. 

"I can get it if you want." 

"No, it's fine." You replied, pushing yourself to your feet "Probably just Mrs Bell in need of sugar again." 

When you opened the door and saw Mike standing there the air was stolen from your lungs. His eyes were red and puffy. Almost like he'd been crying. 

"What do you want Mike?" You asked, trying to keep your voice steady. 

"I wanted to talk." He said, almost pleadingly "Explain." 

"Explain why you cheated?" Ben growled as he stepped up behind you. 

"Of course, you're here." Mike growled and you sighed at the remark. 

"What?" Ben snapped, stepping forward only to be stopped by your hand on his chest.

"I mean that you seem to always be here when I'm not." Mike growled "Can't accept that you missed your chance." 

"Mike." You warned and the man backed down "Ben, I need to talk to Mike alone." You stated as you turned to look at the man standing behind you. 

"But you'll-" 

"I'll be fine." You assured him "Best get going. You got your fight later." 

"You sure?" Ben asked and you nodded sweetly at him. 

"I'm sure." 

Ben walked back into your apartment to grab his coat before leaving, hugging you tightly on his way out. 

"Call me if you need anything." 

"I will." You assured him, giving him a small smile before watching him leave. 

Ben didn't like the idea of leaving you alone with that man. He knew Mike had a hold over you and he worried that he'd manage to worm his way back into your life again. 

If only he'd just taken you on that date. 

Next

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[grahamcracklewho]

02. RED ROGUE

a Carmen Sandiego (2019) rewrite.

tw (for the entire series): murder, death, mild gore, angst, obsession, ableism. i will add onto this as i go on. this series is DEEPLY redcrackle but includes ocs and reworked versions of characters, canon events, and etc.

this is ch2. ask/comment to be tagged for ch3 and more.

YOU DON’T NEED TO KNOW CARMEN SANDIEGO TO READ THIS.

(I made this as understandable as possible to newcomers).

prev. current (ch3). next.

Soft chatter emanated through the auditorium as VILE’s newest batch of students got themselves seated, waiting for orientation to begin. It didn’t take long for Coach Brunt to stroll onto the stage, approaching the podium that sat in the middle. She fiddled with the microphone attached to it, frowning slightly before rolling her eyes.

“Ahem!” Coach Brunt glanced around expectantly, waiting for the students to quiet down. “…Welcome to VILE’s school for thieves,” she said. “That’s V-I-L-E. Valuable imports, lavish exports. We ship goods to the four corners of the world.” The coach grinned down at the auditorium full of students. “You’ve all been hand-picked for our one-year program, thanks to your unique talents and exponential potential, so we’re expecting big results from all of you. But, that aside—my name is Coach Brunt, and I’m one of the head honchos around here, so you gotta play by my house rules.”

She held up a cell phone, the familiar object drawing the attention of the students. “Rule one: no communication devices.” She suddenly crushed it, bits of glass and metal crumbling to the ground, getting shocked gasps and concerned glances from everyone but Black Sheep. “And, rule two: first names only, until y’all get your code names.” Coach Brunt’s gaze slid over, meeting Black Sheep’s amongst the crowd. “Ain’t that right, lambkins?”

Black Sheep blinked in surprise before managing a nervous smile and shrinking back slightly, feeling the gazes of all the other students on her. Directly in front of her, someone barked out a laugh, making her flinch.

“Lambkins?” The person snorted. “Who knew VILE had a mascot?”

She was suddenly faced with a decision: allow herself to be made fun of on orientation day, of all things, or fight back.

Well, she never was one to back down.

Without a second to give room for hesitation, she grabbed the shirt collar of the person that had just laughed and yanked on it, hard, pulling their head back so that she could stare them down, ignoring the startled yelp they let out as she did so. It was a brunet male, his expression strewn with surprise. She bit back the urge to shake the wits out of him and instead managed a forced smile.

“The name’s Black Sheep,” she gritted out. “Only my friends call me lambkins.” Her grip on his collar tightened, giving it a slight tug. “Do you understand? Nod if you understand.”

He nodded hurriedly. “Uh-huh.”

Reluctantly, she released him, and didn’t hear another peep from him for the rest of the orientation. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the last of him that she saw. After orientation, students were directed to their respective dorms, with a handful of people in each one.

Black Sheep was the first one to arrive and settle into her dorm room (aside from that freaky quiet kid), only having to move a few maps and the set of Russian nesting dolls from her room to feel homely. She looked around the area and eventually decided on a bed by a window, so she could look out into the island, but still close by the doorway so she could watch as her new roommates filed in.

The first two that entered followed each other closely; a tall, lean man and his friend, who was much shorter and broader in comparison.

“Jean Paul,” the tall man said, nodding at her in greeting.

“And I’m Antonio,” the shorter man added.

Black Sheep smiled at them both. They seemed friendly enough.

Trailing behind them was a platinum blond woman. For a moment, Black Sheep’s mind flashed to Zicron and how she didn’t see him at orientation, but pushed the thought away, instead watching as said blond woman brushed her hair back and barely spared Black Sheep a glance as she entered. “I’m Sheena,” the woman said, sounding bored. Black Sheep already didn’t like her, but didn’t have very long to stew in hatred because the next person that came in was the brunet from earlier. Black Sheep’s eyes narrowed at him, and when his gaze met hers, he managed a sheepish smile.

“You,” she scowled, standing up. He glanced off to the side, rubbing his neck.

“Er… Black Sheep, right?” He asked, a hint of an accent in his voice. It didn’t take her long to identify it as Australian. “The name’s Graham.” He extended a hand out for her to shake. “Sorry about earlier.”

Black Sheep quirked a brow, scanning his face for any sign of deception. When she found none, she accepted his offer and gave his hand a firm shake. “Nice to meet you, Graham,” she said carefully. As much as she would’ve liked to acknowledge his apology, she wasn’t quite sure she was ready to let go of it yet.

Graham seemed to pick up on what she was thinking and a look of faint guilt appeared on his face. He started to say something else, but the shrill voice of one of her new roommates cut through it.

“These your toys, little girl?” Sheena had wandered over to Black Sheep’s bed without her noticing, and she took the opportunity to poke at the Russian nesting dolls sitting by the windowsill.

Immediately, Black Sheep scowled. “Hands off,” she warned as she walked over to her with brisk strides.

Sheena laughed and moved to stand in front of the nesting dolls. “Ooh, protective, are you?” She sneered. “I wonder what you’re keeping in these dolls. I guess I could find out.” Her hand inched closer to the dolls. Red filled Black Sheep’s vision, and she dove at Sheena, trying to get in a punch or two when Graham suddenly grabbed her, locking his arms underneath her.

“Whoa!” He shouted. “Let’s play nice, ladies.” He dragged Black Sheep away from Sheena, though not without some difficulties since she wouldn’t stop flailing.

“Taking sides with the little girl, Graham?” Sheena shot him an unimpressed look.

Graham only rolled his eyes. “What’d Black Sheep even do to you? Just don’t touch people’s things without permission.”

Sheena looked offended by the scolding, but only managed to let out a splutter before turning on her heel and sauntering off. “Probably cheap costume jewelry, anyways,” she muttered. Graham chuckled before helping Black Sheep back up to her feet.

“You okay?” He asked, glancing at her. She looked at him, surprised, before managing a small smile and nod.

“Yeah,” she said, looking down at the floor. That went better than she had expected it to. Usually, her shuffles ended up with her winning, but just barely, and with a heap of injuries to go along with it. “Thanks.“

He grinned. “No problem.”

Black Sheep was already making friends—and enemies.

The next day, classes started.

Black Sheep got up earlier than everyone else, with the exception of Graham, who was playing chess with himself on the coffee table in the dormitory. She hadn’t been able to sleep very well last night, but woke up feeling more energized than ever, practically bouncing with excitement. This was it—what she had been waiting for, all her life. She had even gotten new clothes, commemorating her officially becoming a student. It was a sleek black stealth suit, with VILE’s signature green V in the front. 

“You’re really raring to go, aren’t you, Black Sheep?” Graham smiled at her from where he sat cross-legged on the floor. He, too, was dressed in new clothes: a dark blue jacket, over a black shirt. “You’ve been up for the past hour or so, just sitting there grinning.”

“Honestly? I can’t wait.” She managed a sheepish smile. As much as she didn’t want to come across as overeager (and remind a certain someone how “immature” she was) she couldn’t exactly hide it. Besides, Graham probably wouldn’t judge her. “How’re you so calm?”

“Trade secret.” He grinned before gesturing to the chess board he had set up. “Wanna play a round?”

Black Sheep glanced at it. “Sure, but no promises that I won’t win.” She took a seat across from him. “I’ve played chess with Coach Brunt a million times.”

“Fond of her, are you?” He hummed. “Well, I’m sorry to say that I am definitively better at chess than Coach Brunt is. Prepare to lose.” He paused. “You sure you want black? You can take white if you want.”

She shot him a look. “White is fine. I’ll destroy you either way.”

“Hey, hey, the match hasn’t even started yet. Let’s remain civil for just one more second.” His grin widened. “But game on.”

“I can’t believe you won!” Black Sheep groaned as she clutched her head. “I was so sure…”

Graham shrugged, hiding his smile. “What can I say? I play a lot of chess.”

“Ugh, unfair.” She punched his arm jokingly. “Whatever. At least it’s time for classes now.” He nodded, following her out of the dormitory.

“So, what’s your story, Graham?” Black Sheep glanced at her new classmate as they walked side-by-side down a corridor, heading to their first class: Stealth 101, with Shadowsan. She was trying to distract herself from the thought of having to take a class with the faculty member that hated her, all year long. That, and she knew the halls of V.I.L.E. academy much better than Graham did, so she thought she could spare him some time.

Graham grinned at her, folding his arms behind his neck. “I worked as a junior electrician in the Sydney opera house,” he began.

“Australia! I knew it.” She fist-pumped, making him chuckle. “Have you ever seen a koala there? Or sharks? Or, ooh, Ayers Rock?”

He cast her an amused glance. “I’ll, uh, get back to you on that,” he grinned. “Anyways, one day, a light went out. I realized I could make a far better living turning off the lights than I could keeping them on.”

Her brows rose, secretly impressed. “Cool. So now you’re here, huh?”

“Yeah. What about you, Black Sheep?”

Black Sheep looked down at the floor, thinking. “I was found as a baby on the side of a road in Bueno Aires, Argentina,” she said. “VILE’s faculty took me in and their own and raised me here, on the island. Being a professional thief is what my entire life has been leading up to.”

“Dedicated, huh? Respectable.” He nodded. “Growing up with a tropical paradise as a home must’ve been nice.”

“I guess.” She sometimes forgot that, to others, the isle of VILE was desirable. She couldn’t see it. It was empty and lonely; cold and stark, and her supposed family was too busy to ever spend time with her. “I’m just glad that VILE academy is a thing. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have met you, or anyone else.” She smiled up at him, and he gave her an easy smile in return.

“I agree,” Graham said. “VILE’s more welcoming than the real world, anyways. When you grow up alone, it’s hard to make others part of your life. VILE helps people like us have a home.”

Her smile widened. “Exactly.” They walked for a little longer before she added, “are you really going to go by Graham while you’re here?”

He looked at her curiously. “I mean, I wasn’t planning to go by anything else. Why?”

Black Sheep made a face. “I just…” she shrugged. “It’s not very cool, you know. Or threatening.”

“What would you suggest, then, Miss Genius?”

She rolled her eyes, smiling. “Gray,” she said pointedly. “I think that’s much better than Graham, at least until you get your code name.”

He considered that, brows rising. “That’s not bad,” he admitted. “Alright, then. Gray it is, courtesy of you.” He paused, and a grin touched his lips. “Still not better than lambkins, though.”

She laughed. “As it should.”

They eventually came to a stop in front of the doors to Shadowsan’s classroom. The two exchanged a glance before Gray gestured politely for her to go first, pushing the door open for her.

She grinned. “Thanks,” she whispered as they walked inside. Gray winked, trailing closely behind her.

The room was decorated minimally, with thin, transparent, Japanese-styled windows—which, Black Sheep knew were known as shoji—concealing the room, and a large bonsai plant growing from a pot in the corner. Straw mats were placed on the wooden floor, one for each student. She and Gray took a seat near the front, next to each other.

When Shadowsan strolled to the front of the classroom and looked her way, she met his gaze, refusing to back down. She wasn’t going to let him bully her into submission. She knew her worth.

Once all of the students filed in and settled down, Shadowsan sat down, crossing his legs, and held up a square piece of paper for the class to see. “Origami is the Japanese art of paper folding,” he said. In a flurry of motions, the simple sheet of paper was transformed into an elegant swan. “There is no better way to practice having the delicate touch of a thief than origami.”

Black Sheep and Gray exchanged an unimpressed glance, which quickly turned into matching expressions of dismay when they were handed some paper and were told to fold them into animals.

Despite Shadowsan watching her like a hawk, she actually was able to enjoy the activity. She made sure that each fold was neat and precise, and eventually ended up with an impressive unicorn. She held it up, admiring how cleanly done it was. For her first time, it was actually pretty good.

Shadowsan walked around the room, examining different creations. When he complimented the sheep Tigress had made, she raised up her unicorn, hoping he’d admit that she had done well, but he barely cast her a glance before strolling away, arms folded behind his back. Black Sheep’s brows drew together and she grumbled to herself, though Gray patting her shoulder comfortingly helped soothe her.

Once they were done, they showed each other what they had made.

“Nice rhino.” Gray squinted at her unicorn. She laughed.

“Hello? It’s a unicorn?” She waved it in his face, making him arch a brow.

“Unicorns aren’t real, you know,” he said. “Shadowsan said to make an animal.”

Black Sheep snorted. “Unicorns are fictional animals. Still an animal. And what’s yours supposed even to be?” She gave his creation an odd glance. It was scrunched up and creased all over, to the point it was indiscernible. “An… amoeba?” She joked.

This time, Gray was the one giving her an odd glance. “No, it’s a kangaroo.”

She gave the supposed kangaroo a few more looks. “Oh…” she said slowly. “I… see it now. I think.”

Gray sighed, setting his disfigured kangaroo off to the side. “Well, origami may not be my calling, but at least I gave it a shot.”

“Eh… yeah, honestly, you tried your best.” She gave him a fist bump. “Not too shabby for a pair of first-timers.”

“No kidding.” He grinned. “I didn’t come here to learn origami, but at least I can cross it off my bucket list now.” His eyes wandered around the classroom, eventually landing on a sword kept in a glass case in the front of the classroom. “Crikey! Look at that sword. It’s huge.”

She followed his gaze. “Geez, yeah. Kinda seems like overkill,” she mumbled. “I mean, I’m a thief. I don’t know why I’d need to lug around a gigantic sword like that.”

“Heh. Think Instructor Shadowsan ever uses it?” He raised a brow. “No, right? He probably cleans it three times a day.”

“Sounds like him,” she said. “Hopefully, in our next class we can actually do something exciting.”

Just as she said that, she felt a shadow loom over her, the silence suffocating. She froze, a chill crawling up her spine.

“My class is not entertaining enough for you, is it, Black Sheep?” Shadowsan glared down at her, and all she could do was manage a sheepish smile.

“I—I’m sorry, Instructor Shadowsan, I was just saying that because I expected—“

“It does not matter what you expect,” he interrupted. “Regardless of it, you should be grateful. I am sorry I could not live to your expectations, Black Sheep. Perhaps you could teach yourself some discipline helping Vlad and Boris scrub down the academy walls. Does that sound enjoyable?”

Her eyes widened. “N…no, Instructor.”

“Then do not let me catch you being so disrespectful again.” He turned his back to her, and the class started to snicker quietly, the loudest of all being Sheena. 

Black Sheep’s face flushed with shame, and she looked down at her lap, biting her lip. This… wasn’t how she wanted her first class to go.

Far from it.

a/n:

is black sheep suffering rn? yeah! do i care? ehh…

more importantly, we finally have gray’s introduction !! i don’t ship black sheep n gray (they give bro n sis) but stay w me y’all 😔 lmk ur thoughts :)

[hoes4hoseok]

how you get the girl part i: nightwing’s guardian angels

previous ☆ next ☆ series masterlist

your neighbor, heeseung, gets on your nerves. he’s full of himself, makes more noise than all of your neighbors combined in the middle of the night, spreads anti-superhero propaganda in your political science class, and, unfortunately, is the most attractive man you have ever laid eyes on.

pairing :: lee heeseung x fem!reader featuring :: jake sim, jeon somi, kim sunoo, and more! genres/au’s :: superhero au, neighbors to lovers, enemies to lovers, college au, fluff, angst if you squint, nightwing!heeseung chapter warnings :: mentions of and references to sex, minor violence, suggestive chapter word count :: 3k tag list (open!) :: @thejjrl @grace1852 @tsunchani @hanniiesuckle17 @mjr4fnaf1997 @goldenhypen @3nh4luvr @hobistigma @ditzy-e @nomy0520 @woniewhite @koroktsuya author’s note :: prior knowledge of nightwing and DC comics is not necessary to read this work! also ty to @lethekoo for all your help :) playlist :: here’s to you

so…long time no see ('_') honestly i really never thought i’d return to this as of a few months ago, but my new writing class really has me feeling motivated! so i’m back :) i find it really funny that this chapter was supposed to come out march 31st of last year but HEY at least i’m back 🤧 anyways, i changed the prologue a little bit so you might wanna look over it again before reading this but TY TY TY FOR READING LOVE YA

1. Sincerity It matters what you do when you don’t think she’s looking. She can tell whether or not your heart is in the right place.

TWO DAYS LATER…

Heeseung was tired. It was 6 am. He had only just gotten home. His body ached from the particularly strenuous night, and yet all he could think about was 1. having to go to class again in a matter of hours and 2. the fact that someone was knocking on his door at the crack of dawn. “Be there in a second,” Heeseung groaned, peeling his suit off before quickly pulling on his pajamas.

Heeseung winced a little seeing Y/n standing at his door from the peephole. He was in no mood to be reprimanded, let alone interrogated. The whole ‘pretend you’re having sex’ cover was Jake’s idea, of course—and it was not working. It just gave his prickly neighbor a reason to be mad at (and potentially suspicious of) him. 

Seriously, he had stamina, but not that damn much.

Which is why he needed a new cover as soon as possible. And why he needed to open the door right that second.

“I know, I know, no sex, no fun, whatever,” he puffed as the door swung open.

Y/n smiled, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. “Oh, it’s alright, I slept fine,”

He could tell she hadn’t slept a wink. The circles under her eyes were the biggest giveaway. Nevertheless, she was fully dressed, woolen hat in her hand. Why was she lying?  

She wanted something. 

Heeseung had two options: turn her away and get some sleep, risking being reported (as she threatened every night but never seemed to do), or help her. He chose the latter. His brain would hate him for it later.

“Okay…so what do you want? Why are you knocking at this hour?” He asked, rubbing his shoulder.

Y/n met his gaze. Heeseung could tell from her hesitance that he was the last person she wanted to talk to right now. But alas, here she was.

“Do you happen to have a printer in your apartment?”

Heeseung heaved a sigh of relief upon realizing that the task didn’t require leaving his apartment or donating a pint of his blood (it’s happened before!) “Yeah, I do,”

“Do you mind if I use it real quick?” Y/n scooted straight past him, “The print center doesn’t open for an hour and I need to get this draft to the Scoop before then,” she explained, looking around the room cautiously. Honestly, for a woman who thought her neighbor was a sex addict, Heeseung didn’t blame her for expecting his place to be something of a sex dungeon.

“Sure,” he closed the door behind her, “just send me the file on my school email,”

“Thanks. I already did,” Heeseung tilted his head in amusement at her confidence, “I was really counting on you letting me use your printer, I knew you had one. Figured you owed me a night of your sleep,” Y/n grinned as she walked around the room.

“Well, I can’t argue with that,” he replied, opening his laptop as he stood by his desk, “I’m sorry, it’s just that we usually can’t meet at her place.”

Y/n froze in place, turning her head toward the man with a smirk on her face. “Hold on…‘her’ singular?”

“Yup, my girlfriend,” Heeseung looked up briefly to confirm before looking back to his computer, “she lives with her dad, so that makes it kind of hard to spend time at her place,”

Heeseung’s jaw tensed up. He didn’t like bending the truth, but it came with the job.

“Ooh, exciting! What’s her name?” Y/n inquired, scurrying over to Heeseung as he received the printout.

“None of your business, hon’” Heeseung sneered, placing the freshly printed article against her chest. “Anyways, debt repaid. Take it,”

Y/n groaned, “you’re no fun. It’s like our late-night exchanges mean nothing to you,”

“Yeah, yeah,” Heeseung sighed sarcastically, “I appreciate it so much when you look for an excuse to talk to me every night!”

Y/n blinked repeatedly in surprise. Fuck. Heeseung messed up. Was she offended?

To his relief, Y/n just scoffed as she walked past him. “Well, thanks anyways,”

“Anytime,” Heeseung replied as he turned around, “...but not really. Don’t come again unless I owe you another favor,”

“I don’t plan on it. See you in class. And please, don’t leave right at the beginning again, or else we’ll have to hear the ‘importance of attendance’ speech for the second time in the week,”

It took every shred of Heeseung’s willpower to not make a smart remark about how Y/n wanted to see him again, but he resisted. It would have been overcompensating.

Y/n was thrilled to hear about this new development in the Lee Heeseung saga—he had a girlfriend! This meant he had sex with the same girl for hours every night and this mystery girlfriend managed to arrive and leave without being seen by the neighbors. Impressive! She couldn’t wait to tell Somi. So, she didn’t. 

“He has a girlfriend?!” Somi exclaimed, sipping her morning coffee, “That’s insane!” 

The two of them met at the coffee shop outside Y/n’s building before class whenever they woke up early enough. Honestly, it wasn’t a common occurrence.

“Well, it’s not that insane, considering that the moans sound pretty similar every night,” Y/n reasoned, taking a bite of her bagel, “I guess I thought he had a super specific type? Now that I say it out loud, I’m surprised the girlfriend thing didn’t cross my mind earlier,”

Somi shrugged, “nope. The man seems like a fuckboy. I don’t blame you for jumping to conclusions. It’s not like you spread rumors about him,”

“True, I’m innocent,” Y/n let out an awkward laugh.

“So,” Somi rubbed her hands together in anticipation before picking up the small packet on the table, “how’s your advice piece going?”

“I came up with an idea!” Y/n beamed with pride, “I’m gonna write about five ways to win a woman’s heart. Or ‘get the girl’. They both sound a little misogynistic, but I’ll make it work,”

Somi waited a moment before replying, “...is that all you’ve got? A number?”

“Well, I have one idea that I wrote about for the first draft that I submitted today,” Y/n explained, “I tried to make it as universal as I could,”

“Go on, read it,”

“Sincerity,” she summarized the page she had typed, “none of the following tips matter unless you’re sincere. Women can tell if you’re just trying to do something to get in their pants—it’s imperative that you do these things because you care,”

“Well, it’s certainly true,” Somi nodded, “wording needs some adjustment, but good work,”

“My essay is already kicking my ass, having you in the mix will not help,” Y/n threw a playful punch at her friend’s shoulder. “Now tell me about the real article here. Got any new stuff on Nightwing?” 

“Nothing from the source himself, obviously,” Somi sighed, “I was kidding myself to think I could get a word in with him. I’m not even awake when he’s out. He was patrolling this morning from 3 AM to 5 AM according to the Nightwing subreddit,”

“You should pull an all-nighter next weekend,” Y/n joked, “maybe then you’d get him,”

“I really would if I didn’t have responsibilities to take care of during the day,” Somi groaned, “this article could make or break my career,”

“Well, what do you have?” Y/n asked, “We can start somewhere other than his personal account,”

Somi straightened up, opening her notebook on the coffee table, “I did find some info on the guy who wrote the slander article,”

“Ooh, okay,”

“Apparently, ‘Patrick Lumbard’ isn’t his name—I can’t find his real one yet, but I looked him up in the city records and there was nothing,” Somi wiggled her eyebrows, “but, according to the Scoop’s records, he got fired from his last job, yet he’s writing front-page articles after four months of being here!” 

“Watch out Lois Lane, here comes Jeon Somi,” Y/n giggled. “Nice job!”

“And here's the kicker—I looked up a digital archive of a 2003 article about our new boss, Mr. Kim, last week,” the blonde explained, “I took notes on it, but that doesn’t mean much because the article is gone. It isn’t in the records or online,”

“What?” Y/n furrowed her eyebrows as she took the last bite of her bagel.

“Yeah, I can't see why,” Somi continued, frustration seeping through her voice, “the article was pretty neutral; it just described his acquisition of an abandoned Wayne Enterprises project,”

“Weird. Wayne Enterprises is a little fishy if you ask me,” Y/n lied back in her chair, finishing off her drink. “Keep me posted. Good luck,”

“Of course,” Somi smiled, grabbing the trash from the table and tossing it in the bin beside her, “But I think you’ll need the luck for class with Heeseung,”

“You see, these vigilantes, particularly this Nightwing guy, is doing nothing for Bludhaven,” the professor claimed, removing his glasses, “they spread fear and undermine our police,”

Y/n took pride in the fact that typically, her professors liked her. Sure, sometimes her grades wavered, but she was a well-favored student. But then, in a way-too-hot room with 30 students all facing the center, that track record was at risk.

“I disagree,”

Jake. Before Monday, Y/n had never expected him to be in this class—but she had never been happier to hear his voice than now.

“Well…this is a discussion,” the man replied, “explain your stance, Mr. Sim,”

“I think he’s helping us out,” Jake shrugged. “Sure, ideally, we wouldn’t need him to save us every night, but we do. Before Nightwing got here, this city wasn’t safe for any of us,”

Whew. And Y/n didn’t have to say a word! 

“How do we know that he has our best interest at heart?”

“That’s a good point, young man,” Professor Jung pointed towards the seat adjacent to Jake’s where…Lee Heeseung sat. Of course. As if Y/n didn’t have enough reasons to dislike him. Screw him and his t-shirt for knowing the professor would crank the heat up way too high. What was even worse is that he did have a point.

“We don’t know,” Y/n piped in, the already hot room feeling even more stuffy as she stared lasers into Heeseung, “But look at Gotham and how much Batman has improved the overall safety and morale of the city—maybe it’s worth the risk if Nightwing could do something similar here,”

“People being above the power of law enforcement is dangerous,” Heeseung countered, staring right back at the woman across from him. 

‘Hold on…was that a condescending smirk on his face? Right now?’ Y/n was pissed. The lack of sleep was catching up to her.

“Yeah but—” Y/n cut Jake off before he could even start.

“The rich already are,” Y/n scoffed, “and if law enforcement can’t serve us all, maybe heroes that do are exactly what we need,”

“And with that, our discussion comes to a close,” Professor Jung interjected, “we started too late to have a full-blown debate, sorry about that. Great job, everyone,”

Y/n was proud of herself for countering the word of the professor and formulating her argument so fast. She could not, however, understand what she did that was so worthy of ridicule that Jake started giggling the moment class was dismissed.

The nap. It was the best part of Y/n’s day ever since Lee Heeseung and his girlfriend started having sex in her building. Even if she wished it could restore her life free of consequences, it could not. 

The first problem it brought was that she always woke up feeling like she had just gotten off a 10-hour flight. The better the nap was, the more this rang true.

And, as expected, the second consequence was that it made her sleep schedule even more irregular than it already was. Usually, when she couldn’t sleep later in the night because of Heeseung, Y/n would put in her earbuds and hope for the best. But on the nights that she snuck in a nap? Hopeless.

Tonight was one of those nights. The lights were off, the moans were louder than ever, and she was wide awake. Somehow, knowing Heeseung had a girlfriend made the noise even more unbearable. A little. She wouldn’t be able to tell you why if you asked. Regardless, she needed air.

Usually, Y/n would have been smart enough to not go walking alone in the middle of the night in Bludhaven. She’s no idiot. But she had pepper spray and a fairly strong taser on hand. She was going to be fine. (I promise!)

There’s something about nighttime in Bludhaven that Y/n found so special. It was unsafe in areas, certainly, but every once in a while, the night felt like one that a synth-pop album would be written about. Somehow, it made her miss her family and friends back home while making her feel glad to be right where she was at the same time. On nights like these, she would get a coffee and go for a short stroll—usually with Somi.

“Hi, can I get a small decaf coffee? Two sugars, two creamers?”

Brenda’s Cafe. Best coffee in New Jersey. Open 24 hours (now that Nightwing is around).

“Sure, coming right up,” The barista smiled, taking the cash from your hand and heading to the back.

“RING, RING!”

Y/n scrambled to reach her phone, “Hello?”

“Y/n! How’s it going?”

“Sunoo,” the woman grinned as she paced around the cafe, “hi! How’d you know I was awake?”

“Eh, figured it was worth a shot with the whole neighbor problem I keep hearing about—you have the sleep schedule of a cat who works full-time now,”

Sunoo and Y/n had known each other since middle school. Now, Sunoo was working on a movie on the opposite coast. It was difficult to time their calls with his packed schedule, to say the least.

“Yeah,” Y/n replied with an amused tone, “How are you? How are your fancy schmancy show-biz friends?”

“Well, I certainly made some more,” Sunoo began, “the cast of this movie is hilarious and they take me out to dinner all the time, so we’re getting closer,”

“Yes, I love to hear it!” Y/n exclaimed, grabbing her coffee from the barista’s hand and giving a nod of thanks before heading toward the exit.

“And how’s the hot snickerdoodle neighbor?”

Y/n’s eyes widened as she pushed the door open, “I called him hot one time. And that was before I knew he was a jerk…that had a girlfriend,”

“Girlfriend, huh?” Y/n could hear Sunoo’s misplaced pity through the phone. “That sucks,”

“No, it does not suck,” she insisted, adjusting her scarf, “I’m fine. Besides, you know that I’m trying to graduate this semester. That’s the only reason I haven’t reported the guy,”

“Yeah, yeah,” Sunoo dismissed her, “still sucks,”

Y/n rolled her eyes. He was not going to let this go. “Anyways, how is your sist—WOAH!”

Y/n’s phone and coffee flung out of her hand as she was firmly pushed towards the road, nearly falling to the ground if it wasn’t for another force pulling her back by the jacket.

Y/n paused for a moment in disbelief. What the fuck just happened? 

“Y/n?” the woman heard Sunoo’s voice coming from her phone quietly between the sounds of footsteps getting further and further away. 

Her phone was safely lying on the side of the road. Her coffee? Not so much. It had spilled everywhere. Including her new coat. But as thoughts raced through Y/n’s head, her coat was the furthest thing from it. ‘Someone pushed me because they were being chased…by someone who took the time to save me,’

Her disbelief quickly turned to excitement as she put the pieces together. Could the person who saved her have been Nightwing? 

“Y/n, what happened? Are you okay? Do I need to call Somi?”

Y/n scrambled to her retrieve her phone, “I’m fine! I’ve gotta run, but I’ll explain everything tomorrow,”

“Wait, hold o—”

“Bye!”

She thought about calling Somi right that second, but she needed confirmation. So she made the questionable decision to follow them. Somi’s reporter instincts were clearly rubbing off on her.

After walking with a comical level of caution for a few minutes, Y/n decided to turn back. As I said before, Y/n is not an idiot. She makes educated choices. 

What. A. Night. She was eager to tell Somi—despite the fact that she’d criticize Y/n’s poor educated choices, she would be happy too. 

All of a sudden, interrupting her train of thought, Y/n heard a whistle from across the road. 

There he stood, in all his blue and black glory—Nightwing.

A skin-tight black suit with blue accents adorned his tall frame and he had a pair of nunchucks in his right hand, which he tucked away before placing a cup of coffee on the ground next to him.

This was a moment that Y/n would remember for years to come. But right now, she couldn’t believe her eyes. Nightwing, the man responsible for taking down the biggest supervillains and mobs in Bludhaven…bought her a coffee. She waved to him in gratitude, to which he waved back with a smile on his face before disappearing into the shadows.

After he left, Y/n rushed over to retrieve the coffee cup, her heart racing with elation.

Brenda’s Cafe Start your day with a smile! decaf coffee two sugars two creamers

1. Sincerity Do things she appreciates because it’s the right thing to do for someone you really like as a person. It matters what you do when you don’t think she’s looking. She can tell whether or not your heart is in the right place.

previous ☆ next ☆ series masterlist ☆ masterlist

[yoongisleftearring]

part twenty-one: how I knew

D O N ’ T T E L L !

pairing: Oni!Seungmin x Werewolf!reader x Siren!Hyunjin

-> in which after witnessing something you shouldn’t have, a particularly intimidating Oni forces you to keep his secret only to tangle you up in their mess

word count: 0.6k + texts

a/n: let's all collectively ignore my extended break, okay?

no warnings, operation sexy dynamite Hwang is in full swing

previous < masterlist > next

Taglist:@channieboyo@randomness7198@tangerminie@rubberduckieyourtheone@sugarrush-blush@tfkp0p@putmetogetheragain13@imtoooyoungforthisshit@zoe8stay@slut-for-dabi@moon-gyus@wondering-out-loud@lonewolfjinji@midsoulz @simeonswhore @icouldntcareless22 @smollquokka

"Oh god," you muttered as you came face to face with a smiling Hyunjin. You hastily begin to pack your stuff away in your bag, but as you go to pick up your magical history book, a hand slams down on the cover. "What?" you groan. Hyunjin squints his eyes at you, raising one of his perfectly plucked eyebrows. Of course she was here.

"Don't what me when you're sitting in the library in your usual seat at your usual time," Hyunjin huffed as he took a seat next to you. This was it. Operation 'sexy dynamite Hwang' was their last chance.

"Please don't do this. I'm embarrassed enough as it is."

"Y/n, do you really think I'm here to rub it in your face?" He deadpanned.

You hesitated.

"No?" you say slowly, and Hyunjin chuckles at your unsure tone.

"You need more time to think about that?" he laughs. Your face was slowly growing red as the conversation continued.

"Well, why wouldn't you?" you muttered. "I'm a weird creepy weirdo."

"Well, weird creepy weirdos happen to be right up my alley," he smiles, his dimples showing and his eyes sparkling in the warm lights of the library. 

"Now I know you're making fun of me," you mumbled.

"I'm not," he assures. "But, I do think we should talk about it." Shit. Those dreaded words were so much harder to avoid when said face to face instead of over text.

"Did Seungmin tell you that I'm sorry?" you asked, looking up at him to see if there were any malice or mocking on his face, but only a comforting smile lay upon his lips.

"He did," he nodded. "But I should probably thank you."

"Thank me," you hesitated. "For what?"

"Did you mean what you said?"

"What?"

"What you said about me being good?" he spoke softly, almost as if he was scared of your answer. "About them being wrong about me?" Hyunjin stared into your eyes, and you could see then the effect their words really had. What did they do to him? 

"Hyunjin, I may have tweeted a lot of dumb shit, but I was always honest about that," you replied. "You want to know how I knew?"

He nodded.

"Our first day, back in first grade. Before we were even put into the school of bad, I saw you." you smiled as you recalled how nervous you were on your first day in this vast magical school. "We were getting a tour from one of the third graders, walking through the gardens. I saw you picking a bunch of flowers," you continued, and Hyunjin smiled fondly. "Someone asked you why you were ruining the garden, and you told them 'they're for a friend I'm planning on making." Hyunjin could barely recall that interaction; it seemed so long ago, and he was shocked that you could remember it so vividly. "You gave them to him. Later, at dinner."

"Seungmin," Hyunjin nodded. You hummed.

"It was small things like that that I noticed that let me know. I never really understood why you were put in bad," you remarked.

"Those years were really hard for me. I would have liked to know that you were in my corner," Hyunjin told.

You hummed in agreement.

"Probably would have saved me some embarrassment if we had been friends this whole time," you chuckled.

"Yeah," he laughed. "My dumb boyfriend wouldn't have compiled a blackmail file." 

A short laugh, then silence.

"Will you talk to him?" he asked, eyes full of hope. "I wouldn't ask if I didn't think it'd be worth it." You stared at him for a moment, unsure. 

But, if this were the last time you would speak to Seungmin, hearing his side of things probably wouldn't be the worst idea.

[britishchick09]

poto rewritten short stories 6/6: meg the fooler

in honor of read an e-book week, i'll be sharing sneak peeks of the rewrite's first short story collection (which will be an e-book exclusive out this spring)! last but not least is meg and cecile being epic pranksters! ;D

...

The door creaked open…

“BOO!” Meg yelled, running out from the vanity.

“AHHH!” a dancer screamed as she put a hand on her heart. “You got me, Meg!”

Meg laughed. The foolee was none other than Cécile Jammes, her pranking partner. They had pulled many tricks throughout the years on the other dancers, the singers, the stagehands, the managers… no one was safe from their pranks on April Fools’ Day!

…No one except The Opera Ghost, that is.

“I have a little something for my partner in crime!” Meg said.

“Oh!” Cécile’s brown eyes sparkled as Meg handed her a little chocolate fish and popped it in her mouth. “Mmm, thank you. Are you ready to start?”

“I’ve been ready since last night!”

Cécile smirked and tossed one of her caramel brown ringlets over her shoulder. “I know exactly what we can do first.”

...

 A few minutes later, chatter sounded through the ballerina dorm as the corps de ballet filed in. Some did stretches, a few lounged on the sofa, others sat at their vanities and some stood around to talk. Meg and Cécile waited near the back, hiding soft giggles behind their hands.

“Here she comes!” Cécile whispered.

Meg gave an excited squeak as Sorelli DuPont walked in. She rubbed a horseshoe on the wall for good luck.

“What in the world?” Sorelli looked at her horseshoe, which was covered with a rubber bathing cap! “Oh, I should’ve known…”

“April Fools’!” Meg and Cécile exclaimed.

Sorelli rolled her eyes. The jokesters looked over at Fleur, who sniffed a tulip… that sprayed her with water! Elena was brushing her hair at her vanity. She gasped as she realized that cold cream was on it! The lotion belonged to Colette... who smeared ketchup all over her face! Nellis opened her vanity drawer to find nothing inside except a paper fish and April’s paper nameplate had ‘Fools!’ written on it. The remaining seven ballerinas were pranked as well, leaving Meg and Cécile in stitches.

“I knew this would happen.” April said with a sigh.

“You two are almost as bad as The Opera Ghost!” Colette exclaimed.

“And just as delicious!” Meg added as she swiped some ketchup from her face.

“No one could ever be as great as that ghost. It’s-” Sorelli paused at Meg’s look. “He’s the greatest trickster in the opera house.”

“We may be great, but he’s the true master.” Cécile agreed.

Meg looked down at the floor as an idea sprung into her mind. She looked up, her eyes widening with a gasp as she exclaimed, “I got it! We can join forces with Mr. E!"

“Seriously? You want us to partner with The Opera Ghost?" Cécile asked with an uneasy frown.

"Yeah! The Ghost is a bit scary, but Mr. E is perfectly fine. He has access to every corner of the opera house, so..."

Sorelli groaned. "Great. You'll be unstoppable.”

"Oui... unstoppable!" Cécile exclaimed with a grin. "Let's do it!"

Meg cheered. "This will be the best April Fools’ Day yet! I'll go get him!"

She ran down the dressing room hallway, stopping at the very end. She put her ear to the door and listened.

"Meg woke me up by putting my hand in cold water," Christine was saying. "It startled me so much! One of her many tricks for today!"

"What's today?" Erik asked.

Meg wanted to shout, 'April Fools’ Day!' but she let Christine say it instead.

"Ah, yes. One of the best times of the year for The Opera Ghost," Erik chuckled. "Ayesha likes it, too. She stretched out on my legs and I sat up to pet her... and then she started walking towards me. She was going to lay right on my pillow! I caught on and laid back down before she could, but she found a nice spot next to me."

Christine giggled. "Oh, how funny! She nearly tricked you!"

"Sounds like she'd be the perfect kitty prankster!" Meg exclaimed as she ran into Christine's dressing room.

Erik looked up. He was doing a mirror chat with Christine, who looked over her shoulder at Meg.

“Then we’d have three tricksters scurrying around!” she realized with a chuckle.

“More like four.” Erik added with a wink.

“That’s exactly why I’m here,” Meg said. “Meet Cécile and me on stage after practice, Mr. E!”

Erik frowned. “Can’t I just meet you?”

“Nope. I don’t prank alone,” Meg smiled as she added, “Cécile won’t be scared of you, I promise.”

She went up to the mirror and held out her pinkie, getting a confused look from Erik.

“That’s a pinkie promise.” Christine explained.

“It is!” Meg agreed. “It’s one you can’t break.”

Erik looked at Meg’s pinkie before slowly lifting his own.

“There you go! It’s a date! But not the ones you and Christine go on!” Meg said, giggling at Erik and Christine’s rosy blushes.

...

 Meg sighed as she stood on her tip toes and tried to peek into Box Five. It was eleven-forty on the dot. Ballet practice had ended not too long ago and now she and Cécile were waiting on stage.

“He should be here by now!” Meg said impatiently.

“Maybe he doesn’t want to partner with us,” Cécile hoped as she fiddled with her coral ring. “Let’s think of some more pra-”

Just then, the chandelier lights went off! Cécile’s scream echoed through the theater. Meg jumped a little, but she wasn’t afraid.

“The electricity’s gone out!” Cécile exclaimed in a panic. “Let’s fetch the managers!”

“Or you could fetch The Opera Ghost.” a voice said.

The lights returned and a shadow stepped out from Box Three.

“Mr. E!” Meg exclaimed happily. “I thought you’d be in Box Five!”

“Got you, Little Miss,” Erik said with a smile. “Consider that an April Fools’ gift from me.”

“The greatest gift would be partnering with us!”

“As long as you’re not creepy.” Cécile added.

“Oh, that’s only The O- Opera Ghost. Y- You won’t need to worry about creepiness with me,” Erik reassured her. “Y- You’ll just need to w- wo- worry about all the sneaky tricks we’ll pull.”

Cécile’s fearful face was replaced with a sly one.

“So you’re in?” Meg asked.

“Yes, Little Miss,” Erik smirked. “I’m definitely in.”

[kiriscreama]

terrorizing (turn the lights off)

Whumptober 2023 - Day Four

Prompts: Cattle Prod, Shock

Warnings: Electrocution, Torture, Kidnapping, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Kidnapping

Summary: A case goes wrong. Denki gets zapped.

A/N: i never write this kind of thing, please forgive me. i also forgot to finish this one until today. also tbh we’re about to reach the end of what i had pre-written and from there we wade into unknown territory. oh boy.

anyway pls heed the tags. don’t mind the OC, Densuke, he’s from my other mha series and i’m very fond of him. i promise he’ll stay mostly out of the picture. also pls don’t question how this weird torture-livestream business works, just assume it operates on Fictional Dark Web rules lol (alsoalso can you guess the ship?) also the third, this will have a part two!

title from Turn the Lights Off by Tally Hall

also on AO3 | Whumptober Masterlist

Being a hero was the best job in the world, most of the time. But then sometimes Denki ended up strapped to a chair in an abandoned building, and he had to wonder if maybe he’d made a mistake somewhere along the line.

For weeks now, he’d been working on a case — some kind of snuff streaming ring kidnapping sidekicks and the occaisional retired hero, and livestreaming their torture. It wasn’t usually Denki’s kind of scene, but his brother had tipped him off after his hacking group got involved in trying to track the guys.

Usually, Denki wouldn’t encourage Densuke’s e-vigilante exploits. Denki could get in serious trouble for even the suspicion that his older brother might be involved in that kind of thing. But there were five missing sidekicks and two retired heroes that had gone missing in the last six months and Denki knew the agencies had little to no leads. And Densuke knew well enough by now to cover his own tracks. He couldn’t let it lie.

He’d intended to just set up a file at his agency and put something out in the Hero Network, then wash his hands of the whole thing as much as he could. The case could be passed into the hands of someone with better experience in these kinds of kidnapping rings; maybe he’d toss a tip in Hagakure’s direction, it was the kind of case she would be all over.

But something had bothered him about it, and kept bothering him all evening, until Hanta woke with the sun to find Denki searching through forums on his work computer.

One of the missing sidekicks was an eighteen year old, barely graduated from Shiketsu. She was kidnapped on the way home from work at Ryukyu’s hero agency. Denki had heard about it through the grapevine from Kyoka, who’d heard about it from Tsu and Ochako, but he hadn’t realized she was that young.

Not that it would have been okay otherwise, of course, but that was younger than Denki’s youngest sister, and he thought of her as a tiny baby. He couldn’t stop picturing how young he’d been at eighteen, even with an entire war behind him, and how little his sister seemed; there was a smiling school photo of the missing sidekick next her official headshot, and she had the same shiny, hopeful eyes in both, and the next thing he knew he was sobbing on the floor in Hanta’s arms and he didn’t even know the kid.

Not even Katsuki had argued when Denki had proposed that DynaRiot offer to help find the girl. Nejire’s bubbly enthusiasm had been muted when she’d met with him to work on the case.

Even then, he’d kept the worst of the horrors to himself. His brother’s tip had led Denki down an increasingly horrifying rabbithole that he couldn’t bring himself to inflict on another person.

It had taken him a little while but he’d finally found a location. An abandoned building near the edge of the red light district that had once housed offices for a long-defunct adult film studio. He’d gone out on a rare nighttime patrol to get eyes on the place…

And woken up tied to a chair with a man breathing in his face.

Maybe he should’ve mentioned where he was going to someone else at the agency. Oh well. Hindsight was 20/20.

“I’ve heard a lot about you, Chargebolt,” the man said, leaning close to Denki. His face filled Denki’s vision, so close that if Denki weren’t gagged, he could bite the guy on his nose. “They say you’re a feisty one.”

He wrapped a large hand around Denki’s jaw and turned his head upwards. Denki wanted to jerk back, but the way his arms were bound tightly to the back of his chair kept him from making any kind of sharp movement.

“Pretty boy, huh?” the man hummed. “Lot of bark, but no bite at all.” There was nothing slimy about it, somehow. He sounded like a man appraising a piece of livestock. Denki clenched his jaw and let the man look.

He didn’t know how he was going to get out of this. He barely knew how he’d ended up here in the first place.

Apparently done with inspecting Denki for flaws, the man grunted and stepped back. He tilted his head, listening to something that someone was telling him over his earpiece.

“A hero like you has many who want to see you get hurt,” the man warned, but he was grinning as he said it like it was the funniest thing in the world. “So we’ve put together something special for you. I hope you put on a good show.”

With that he left the room.

It was quiet, too quiet. Apparently, the former tenants had sprung for good soundproofing — which was a fact Denki decided not to think into very hard — because he couldn’t hear anything more than his own breathing.

He hadn��t watched much of the actual livestreams in all of his researching, beyond what he needed to figure out the identities of the people in them, but he knew the basic structure.

There would be a modulated voice speaking over the video, bargaining with viewers over how much they’d pay for his torture (and occcaisionally mercy). It would run for exactly two hours, or less if the site’s security system sent up an alert, and then the cameras would abruptly shut off.

What he hadn’t known was that the victim spent the whole time in silence, with no way of knowing what would come next and when.

He’d never really understood the phrase “silence is deafening,” before. Denki was intimately familiar with what a deafening noise felt like — it was the wall of sound made by Present Mic’s voice, the rattle of his teeth in the aftermath of one of Katsuki’s explosions, the thrumming in his chest when Kyoka blasted her heartbeat out of her speakers. He could never quite align that feeling with silence, something he had spent twenty-five years avoiding at all costs.

He understood now, how the lack of any noise at all made your head feel static-y and blank. The quietness settled over the room like a thick, heavy blanket. It was borderline painful.

Then, suddenly, almost muffled by the sound of his own blood pumping through his veins, Denki picked up a faint buzzing coming from the walls. He frowned. What could possibly be making that noise, and why was it so familiar?

Horror dawned on him almost before he registered the sound. It was the same one that followed him everywhere, the pulse of electricity vibrating just beneath his skin, and he felt himself tensing up even though he knew better than anyone that it was a terrible idea and —

The room exploded in sparks. Electricity arced between Denki’s hands, even as they were forcibly contracted into fists so tight he could feel blood pooling in his palms. His jaw snapped shut, narrowly missing his tongue. Every single muscle in his body was locked tight, straining against the restraints around him.

And then, just as suddenly as it had started, it all stopped.

Denki’s muscles relaxed slowly, one at a time, as if his body didn’t want to trust that it was over. Denki very much doubted it was.

By his best estimate, they’d just sent around two hundred volts of electricity through his body. It was a lot, enough to potentially be deadly for most people. For Denki, usually it wouldn’t be more than a prickly static feeling, akin to his foot falling asleep. His body was made to channel over a million volts, after all. But he had always had a more difficult time with electricity that he hadn’t generated himself, and the quirk canceling cuffs locked around his ankles kept him from activating his own quirk to help take some of the pressure off of his nerves.

He had a bad feeling about how this was going to go.

Denki wasn’t stupid. All heroes had haters, or people who had a vendetta against them for one reason or another. The higher their ranking, the larger that group became. He’d fought against countless villains who had made that abundantly clear.

And though they were only twenty five, Denki and his classmates had several years of public appearances and field experience on most other heroes their age. Usually, he was proud of them all. Most of them were sitting pretty in the top fifty, and those who weren’t were underground or twilight heroes. But with that popularity came an unforeseen amount of hatred, too. And some of that hatred was violent.

(If Shigaraki could have paid to have All Might tortured, would he have destroyed Japan to get to him? Probably, but Denki needed to distract himself somehow.)

He’d also spent enough time on the case to know that only about half of the streams’ viewers were there because they hated heroes. The rest were just sick fucks who wanted to watch people suffer.

He was a big draw, was the point, and the fact that his quirk let him take a ridiculous amount of electricity before his body would give out would only increase that draw.

It was sickening.

The next time Denki heard the buzzing, he was prepared. He forced himself to stay relaxed as he waited. Tensing his muscles had certainly made their contracting worse the last time, and he wasn’t eager to repeat the experience.

The sparks that filled the room this time were even brighter. His nerves sang as electricity lit them all up at once, sending more pain signals to his brain than his body knew what to do with.

Denki had channeled two million volts on a regular basis; on a good day he could push it up to 2.6 million before he went into whey mode, double what he’d been able to manage as a teenager. Hanta had jokingly called him “the world’s most expensive emergency generator” for years, after he’d used his quirk to power the dorms of both Class 3A and Class 3B for three hours after an earthquake knocked the backup systems out.

He could handle a couple thousand volts, easy, no sweat. He ate a couple thousand volts for breakfast. (Almost literally, once, when he’d been sleep-deprived and let Densuke convince him that batteries worked like coffee for their family. Not that it mattered.) But when the buzzing stopped, his head was throbbing.

He didn’t know how he was going to survive two hours of this, let alone who-knows-how-long until he was able to escape. He could only hope that Hanta would raise an alarm when he didn’t come home, and that someone else would be able to figure out the location using his notes.

Denki suffered through three more sessions before the door opened again. This time, it was a man wearing a strange rubber outfit, and carrying a massive pole with two prongs on the ends. It was the biggest cattle prod Denki had ever seen. He didn’t think he wanted to find out how strong it was.

He tried to make eye contact with the man through his mirrored visor, but the guy paid him no mind. He simply hefted the prod into his arms and pressed the prongs to Denki’s thigh.

Denki was suddenly very sure he was about to die.

“Wait, fu-“ he started, but the man pressed the trigger and Denki's world went white.

It was easily the worst pain Denki had ever experienced. Worse than the time he’d fallen into a pool and accidentally set off his quirk. Worse than getting stabbed or shot or that one time he’d gotten a laser through the back of his hand. It felt like every cell in his body was on fire. Every muscle in his body contracted so tightly that it felt like he was going to tear something. Somewhere, distantly, he recognized the metallic taste of blood between his teeth and the dampness of blood dripping from his nose.

Stupidly, wildly, he hoped it wouldn’t stain his white shirt.

The pain was over quickly, and Denki had just enough time and brainpower to register the meaty smell of burning flesh before the man hit the trigger again. He zapped Denki over and over, each one a short jolt of agony that felt like an eternity, until he was left a babbling, drooling mess.

He peered through the fog, fingers automatically curling into a bloody thumbs up even as he babbled incoherently at the man in the rubber suit. There was something wet on his face, but he wasn’t sure if it was drool or blood. He didn’t even know what drool and blood were, or even his own name.

Where was he? Who was he?

Time felt like soup and he was a little carrot stuck to the bottom of the bowl. Had he ever had soup? What was a bowl?

He pondered this for only a moment longer before the world grew foggier and dimmer. Something was being pumped into the room, but he only had a moment to drown silently in his own panic before the room faded away into a cold, inky blackness.

[honeybeewhereartthee]

Crystal Hearts AU

Prequel Part One: a distance dream.

»»-—Previous—-　➴CH4　—-Next —-««

»»————-　FILE 000: A dream.　————-««

Faes have yearly magic exam that would test what level your magic is, it also determine how many crystal Hearts you will get as allowance. The stronger the level your power you have, means you will be given more allowance.

"What's your last year grade." You ask Aira while unwrapping a candy that wataru gives with him saying: "good luck and don't be too hard on yourself, because even if you get low grade, you did your best!" For your test before he fly away in his balloons. Today is your first magic exam test.

"G-good e-enough..." The light fae can't meet your eyes as he fidget on his hand. His too embarrassed to say his level is below the average. Maybe it's the reason other kids dislike him too.

"What's "good enough"?" You nom the candy as you look at the dozen of kids around you two as you and aira held hands, so you two won't get lost. "I don't know this is such a big deal event." You giggle how the look of everyone is nervous and all having a panic attack.

" O-of course! It will determine our allowance for the whole year! "

" Ehh... What's an allowance. " You once again nom a candy." I never heard of this. " Your cousin never told you anything about this at all.

" W-wait--... Did that mean, Wataru-san is feeding you from his own allowance? " He seems to be shocked by this. " W-will... His in the eccentric level... His allowance is enough to feed a family... "

" Does that mean, Tarunii-san a strong fae? "

"... I honestly don't know. " After a moment Aira sigh. " It's just depends on them, they could be acing the whole exam or not. It's just depends on them but probably? They are B and sometimes A level. "

"... Ohh! That's cool. " You can't help but be awestruck how cool your cousin is. " What about Aira? What's your level, I don't think everyone is that gifted aren't they?" You unwrapped another candy and spoonfed him one.

" Well, don't laugh at me ok! " He sighs as he nom the candy you give. " It's grade F... " He look down in the floor thinking you'll be disappointed.

" Grade F... Hmm okii! " You nodded happily as you cling in his right hand. He blushes at the closeness.

"It's okii aira. Not all people are genius but with hard work, diligence as well will to be better, everyone would be better than they before. Even if your born talented or a genius if one doesn't enhance their own gift, it's all for a not." You and him walks Inside the campus as aira silent stared at you as you process your words.

He can't help but be tearful and greatly thankful to have a friend like you! He would make you proud!

" Wahhh mc....! I'm going to do my best this year! " He swear.

" We fae lives for thousand of years, even if your not strong now. We can improve of it in the next hundred of years you know~? So don't be hard on yourself. " As you two walk to the second floor. You skip up the stairs as aira follow behind you. " Maybe one day, your able to be strong enough to create your own destiny."

At that moment, in Aira eyes you, who seems to sparkle like stars and surrounded by blooming flowers was so pretty. His face warm up as he stares at the only fae who believe in him, that your words would come true one day.

"Ah! We're going to be late!" Grabbing his hand, the two of you went to the first test.

»»————- SKIP 💌 PING ————-««

»»————-　OTHERSIDE: HUMAN WORLD　————-««

Inside of the rooms of an old traditional style house, a certain young child is clicking away on his phone while he chat with his online friend. His purple eyes sparkle as he chat with this certain friend he called "love-swan" who often talks about his bestie.

He takes out a notepad and wrote some stuff on it after he copies his new knowledge of that person. A smile slowly appear on his face as he calligraphy the last words with red ink.

┌──❀*̥˚───❀*̥˚─┐

-...

-they made mochi for me!

-they know how to cook rabbit meat. ( Do they like rabbit meat ? )

-Likes candies and sweet (like me)

- they failed their exam. (It's ok, they probably tried their best, they work hard to win but get failing grade still. )

└───❀*̥˚───❀*̥˚┘

"Hmm... Hmm~ nom..." He reach out to get the mochi that was delivered sent by Love-Swan bestie after receiving bunch of boxes sweet they ask what type of sweet he likes and he said traditional Japanese one--through Love-Swan.

"I wanna meet you..." He mumble. He always curious who made those sweets. maybe he meet Love-Swan, he can meet the one who made the sweets too.

"haku~ are ya sleeping late again?" He suddenly jolt from his lil blanket fort when he heard one of hi his older sister called out to him, he dropped his mochi to the futon accidentally because of it.

"N-no?" He lied as he reach out to get the mochi and nom it, it be a waste to waste the last few mochi left.

"Hmm. So ya replying asleep to me huh?" Soon his sister slam his door open and start to tickle him

" ahahahs~ nee-san! WAAAH! Stop it! Ahahaha!" He giggle forcefully because of the tickle.

"oh my look at your face, not only your sleeping late, your also having a midnight snack." His sister stops and look at his face that have evidence his mooching on some mochi that was mailed to him by a friend.

"I-its mine..." He reasoned, as he fidget on his hands with blush forming in his face. He don't want to caught eating late night but what if his dad eats the last four mochi when his asleep?! He better eat it himself.

"well, well, so your still mad about last time you learn your sweets get eaten by father?" His sister chuckle as he get petted in the head and cleaned of the mess he made on his face while eating the mochi filled with chocolate.

"I can't share it. It was specially made with me in mind." He point out as he don't dare meet his sister eyes as he seems to be too selfish on his stuff. "I'll give dad the boxes of sweets that Love-Swan usually send, next time." He mumble.

"ahaha. I don't even think your reasoning out such cute action of yours, my dear brother." The older Oukawa giggle how cute her little brother is right now. "Your so cute with like crush."

"c-crush...?! H-how... I... I don't even m-meet them..." Kohaku suddenly felt his cheeks warm up from his sister's claims.

"well if it's not a crush, I don't what it is." She sigh hopelessly. " Just because you never meet, you cannot like someone." She mumble. "There some people who like someone who only interact with them through chats."

"I... I was able to talk to them in chat... I just learn about them from their friend..." He mumble a bit sad.

"Well, don't give up! Oukawas isn't one who give up right away!" He felt his sister pat his back encouraging him.

"I cannot believe that you liked them cause they made sweets and have so much similarities with you. How cute." His sister tease him causing him to get super embarrassed and hide in his blanket but reach out to get the box of mochi to be safe from thieving hands that would want to eat it, other than him.

"I'm going to sleep after eating this, so you can leave. Hmmp." He screams out embarrassed by his sister.

"you need to be honest what you felt you know~ what If the one you like would only like you if your honest about it? Even how showy you are about it."

"I D-DONT MEET THEM YET MUCH LESS TALKS TO THEM.. "the younger kohaku point out under his blanket.

"well, you never know~ what if they fall right into your arms~ one day~" she sing a song tease him, as she left him be for the night.

"I... I will catch them..." He mumble. "Like I will catch them if they f-fall for me... B-but they have to d-do the same... Ahh... Wahhh. that's so embarrassing... " He felt his whole face felt so warm from his own words and start nomming some mochi to calm down.

After eating, he slowly fallen asleep, dreaming about a scene a stranger fallen into his arms yet such dream forgotten the next morning but left a smile on his face.

»»————-　note　————-««

No, this the turn before the loops ever happened, you and kohaku don't meet yet. If you guys question the last part.

(if want to be tagged pls comment or Send mail) Tag List : @valeriele3 @yinenovica

[drjohndisco]

Binding Ties (Chapter 07)

Warnings: descriptions of attempted sexual assault.

Ao3 Link || Masterlist

‘So, are all of the Grimms so normal?'

'You should meet my mother. She's been called a lot of things, but normal's not one of 'em.' Nick laughed.

'Does that mean we're related?' Trubel questioned.

'Maybe a few centuries ago. From what I can tell, it's like a recessive gene.'

'Must be a relief to know you're not the only one at least.' Briar said.

Juliette set the dishes down on the table and sat between Briar and Nick.

'So, you see these Wesen things, too?'

'No, I'm not a Grimm.' Juliette replied. 'Briar isn't either.'

'So, how do you deal with this?'

'Deal with what?'

'Being married to someone who can see what we do?'

'Um, we...We're not married. Not yet, at least.'

'Smart. You can get out any time.'

++

'Hey, here's a clean pair of pants and a shirt for you to sleep in.' Juliete offered, placing them onto the bed sheets.

'I'm fine with what I have.'

'Okay, cool. Well, I'm just gonna leave it there in case you change your mind.'

'We are down the hall if you need anything.' Nick added.

'I won't, but, uh, thanks for the Chinese.'

'No problem. Good night.'

(The Next Day - The Bank)

Briar really didn't want to be here at the office, but they had no choice. Particularly if Adalind had anything to do with it. But, Nick had convinced them to go when they got the email, to keep an eye on their sister.

'Your mother's house went through probate. It was determined at that time that your mother had not filed taxes for the last seven years.' The man said. 'Once legal fees, the IRS and the state were paid, there was a balance of $1,500.42, most of which has gone to pay the storage unit where her personal possessions have been stored as per your request.

It's a good thing you showed up when you did. Rent's only paid through the end of the month.It would've gone up for auction in 60 days. I hope she left something of value for you there. Were you close with your mother?'

There was a pause, as both Adalind and Briar thought about this. But, before Briar could answer the question Adalind replied.

'We were everything to her.'

Yeah, something was most definitely going to go wrong.

(About 3 hours later)

'What did Adalind do to you?' Briar asked, helping Sean up from where he'd been thrown on the floor.

'Threw a vase at my head.' Sean groaned. 'It seems the suspicions we'd both had turned out to be right, she ended up leaving with some of yours and Juliette's clothing.'

Briar wrinkled their nose at this information. 'Gross. You think you'd be able to do anything?'

'No.'

'At least let me give you the address, save you searching through all of those police files of yours.'

Briar then pulled a pen and a pad of paper out of their pocket (the benefits of being a journalist) and wrote the address down. Sean took it from them and pocketed it and left the house.

Damn. They'd forgotten to give him some ice for his head.

(Monroe and Rosalee's House - 3 Hours Later)

'Papa Haydn's all set with the cake, by the way.' Monroe said, placing the plates on the table.

'And you have the playlist for the reception?' Juliette asked.

Yep, that's done. And the place cards are ready. They just need to be picked up.'

'Oh. I'll do that.'

'No, I got it.' Rosalee replied.

'Wow. You're doing all that?' Nick asked.

'Full-service maid of honor.'

'There'd be no wedding without Juliette.'

'Wait a minute, what about the groom? Don't you need me?' Monroe questioned.

'Oh, for certain things.'

'Guys have it easy. All Nick has to do is...is not lose the ring and make a speech.' Briar said.

'What ring? What speech?' Nick joked, then shook his head when they all looked at him quizzically. 'Yeah, yeah, I got the ring.'

'And what about the toast?'

'It's getting there.'

'It better be there by Saturday.' Monroe stated.

'Saturday. This Saturday?' Nick said, laughing. Once again he received stares. 'Nobody gets me.'

'Yeah, no, we get you.' Briar sighed.

'Trubel, come on! We're hungry! We wanna eat!' Rosalee and Monroe called out.

'I'll get her.'

'No, you sit. I've got it.' Juliette said.

'Hey, how's Trubel handling all this, by the way?' Rosalee asked Nick. 'She seems to be handling it well.'

'I'm just glad I didn't find out when I was that young.'

'What about Juliette? How's she handling it?'

'Well, I think most women would have left me by now.'

How much do you actually know about Trubel?

'Not a lot. I've been trying not to push. I just know she's had years of people telling her that she's crazy.'

'Sorry. Was everybody waiting for me?' Trubel questioned, walking back over to the table and sitting down next to Nick.

'We thought we would all eat together.'

'Oh. I gotta get used to this too.'

'You like spaghetti?

'No.' Trubel said, and then paused. 'I love spaghetti.'

'Good. Then let's eat.'

'Can I say something, Trubel?' Monroe asked.

'Uh-huh.'

'I know I don't really know much about you. But I'd like to say that I think you're doing a pretty good job handling this, considering how incredibly difficult this must have been.'

'Well, I really didn't expect to live this long.'

Another uncomfortable silence followed this. Nobody at the table was used to anybody outright admitting their past troubles.

'Do you want more?' Rosalee offered, holding out the plate.

'Sure.'

'You remember the first time you saw a wesen?' Monroe asked.

'Yeah, I remember. It was in one of the foster homes I grew up in.'

'I was 13 when I found out I was a Fuchsbau.'

'You didn't know?'

'You don't really know when you're a kid. Kind of hits you later. But at least we had family to tell us what was going on. You really didn't have anyone to help you through this?'

'Mm-mm.'

'When did you find out?'

'Um...' Trubel began, hesitantly. 'There was this guy that used to fix things around the house. He was always really nice to me, till, uh... One day he asked me to help him in the garage. And he grabbed me. I saw his face change. And, um... he pushed me down on the floor. But I was so scared by what I saw, that I just grabbed, the first thing I could, which was a-a screwdriver. And really all I wanted to do was just push him away from me, but, um...' Trubel explained. Then, seeing the looks that everyone was giving her clarified what she meant. 'He didn't die... Or anything. He just... he didn't get off me really fast, though. And that was the first time I heard anybody say "Grimm." I-I told everybody what I saw. And that was the first time they locked me up. Said I was lying, and then when I said I wasn't, they said I had to be crazy so...Yeah, I got pretty used to being crazy. Until I met all you guys. I realised I wasn't alone.' Trubel then looked over to the pot of spaghetti. ' Can I have that now?'

'Yeah, sorry.' Rosalee replied, laughing.

Then Nick's phone rang and Monroe picked it up from where it had been placed on the table. 'I got it. Hello?' There was a pause as Monroe took in what the caller had said. 'Yeah, can I tell him who's calling?'

Monroe then took the phone away from his ear and turned to Nick.

'He says you won't know him,

but he needs to talk to you.' Nick took the phone from Monroe and continued the conversation.

What followed was a minute of a slow conversation, before Nick clicked the phone off and sat back down.

'What, he didn't want to give you his name?' Juliette asked.

'I get calls like that sometimes. They get cold feet. 'Nick said. 'It's probably nothing.'

Apparently Nick had been wrong, as a few hours later they were all in Nick's lounge sifting through the stuff that Josh's dad had left for Nick to look at.

'I can't find it.' Briar sighed.

'Me neither.' Hank said.

'If there's a key in here, I have no idea where it is.' Juliette said, shaking the suitcase the items had come in. 'But speaking of lost things, have you seen my grandmother's vase?'

'I think that was broken when Adalind hit Sean over the head with it.' Briar mumbled.

'What?' Juliette gasped.

'I'll explain it later.' Briar promised.

'Nick, there is stuff in here I have never seen in any of your books.' Rosalee exclaimed. 'You ever heard of an "Abartige Aasfresser"?' She then turned the book around to show Nick an illustration of someone with a unicorn horn in their head.

'Not until now.'

'You really see this stuff?' Josh asked.

'I haven't seen this one yet.' Nick replied.

'But it's all true?'

'Some people have kind of a monster within. And Nick can see them, Trubel can see them, and your dad could see them.' Juliette explained.

'Josh, just 'cause you can't see them now, doesn't mean you won't some day. Hit me pretty late, too.' Nick added.

'Well, at least I'll know it's real. Sort of.'

'I can't find this key.' Nick complained. 'Have you ever seen it?'

'No. All I know is he was really worried about it. Wanted to get it to someone who would understand.'

'So where else could it be?' Hank said.

'I don't know. I don't even know what we're looking for.'

'Well, he didn't drive all the way here without it,' Juliette said, shaking a small bag. 'So it has to be here somewhere.'

'When he told you about it, he was trying to get out of bed, like he was gonna show you where it was.' Trubel suggested.

'It wouldn't be in that hospital room. He never got out of bed.'

'Maybe he wasn't trying to get up.'

'He was asking for his cane.' Hank added.

'Yeah.'

'He's had this forever.' Josh said, lifting it up. 'He got it from his dad, who got it from his dad.'

Nick took it from Josh, and shook it. Then the end popped off and Nick looked at, stunned.

'Did I break it?'

'I don't think so.' Hank said. 'Can I see?'

Hank then inspected the top part of the cane, before placing into a small notch in the side and pulling out a nail. Hank handed Nick the key, once he'd tipped the cane.

'Is that a key?'

'It is now.'

(The Spice Shop)

Nick placed the net key in the ink and then transferred it over to the paper with the other key indentations.

Nick, remember that map I showed you at my house last year? Monroe questioned.

'Yeah, the one that your great-great uncle drew.

'It was actually great-great-great grandfather on my mother's side. But the point is... we are definitely talking Black Forest.'

'Germany.' Trubel mused.

'Yeah, it all seems to go back to Germany.' Juliette said.

'Well, we're one key closer to... God knows what.' Monroe stated.

'I wonder if we'll ever know.' Briar mumbled.

'I don't think I want to know.' Josh said. Well, at least I know my dad wasn't crazy. Unless all of you are.'

(Unknown Time - Nick's house)

'You know what?' Briar asked, looking up from their work at the computer.

'What?' Nick said, from the doorway. He'd gotten in late, once again.

'I've never realised how odd we must look to everyday people. Like, even as a person who could be classed as a 'beast' it's never really clicked until now. Does that make sense?'

'Yes, it does.' Nick replied. 'It was most certainly an odd adjustment when I was first learning the ropes. Had quite a few missteps, but I think I've told you about those. People thought I was crazy, hell, even Hank did for almost a full year!'

'Oh, I would have been insufferable had I known you back then.'

'You're not being insufferable right now?' Nick teased.

'Shut up!' Briar replied, playfully. 'Besides it's not like the way I met you was any better -- being brought to justify where you were because your mother murdered mine is not fun.'

Nick walked over to them and placed his arms around their shoulders. 'Come on, let's go to bed. Stop worrying about the past -- the future will be better.'

(If only he'd known how wrong he was.)

[littlegayduck]

this is too long an answer to be number 1 man 😔 idk anyone in good omens, ofmd, pjo, marauders and co, the oc, greys anatomy, dps, etc

matches, lighters scare me

no im on the ground floor facing the street id be brutally murdered

someone kind (nature mostly)

blue with a hazel centre (I have central heterochromia)

idk man you tell me. I'm a mystery to all including myself

hair ties (we call them bobbins)

just the 1 i threw some out (I was yelled at to do it but NOT THE POINT I STILL DID IT I WIN)

hot

without hesitation (unless she was ruby cruz... ily ruby give me 1 chance)

baking or reading

crisp autumn day, sun is shining and the leaves looking like their glowing w the reflection of the sun

...next question

I adore it

yes I have many teddies (stuffed animals) and also my human child (my friend toby)

no 😔💔 planning on learning this year or next though AHH

neither but im pretty sure my right eye is near sighted... idk it's too much effort to tell anyone it doesn't bother me that much

not much, sometimes some argon oil, and I got a gisou hair perfume from my aunt bc she was giving it away so I use that when I'm feeling fun

if you wanted to, ofc (i would not file them though the sound makes me want to commit a homocide)

neither (fizzy drinks) but I'd find it less weird if someone around me called it soda than pop

my teddies, my birthday cards. my yearning for something; I don't know what

kind - I try really hard to be kind

i adore it

looking at the sky; stargazing, watching the sunrise or sunset, admiring the birds

perfume (vanilla) unless I'm feeling fancy then both

what could have been (about literally everything)

generally about 7?

(assuming this is like the covid masks) mot really unless I'm visiting an area likely to get people sick (my elderly neighbours houses, doctors or hospitals, nursing homes) or if someone asked me to pur one on - I still have some unworn ones hanging around in different bags etc

lava

i was hoping you wouldnt ask this one and that id be safe after the bottle question.... (4 glasses, 2 bowls, 3 teaspoons and a plate)

any, but hozier generally does the trick if nothing is working

YES ITS GREEN AND LOVELY

I went to a kind of babysitting interview last week? that was scary so I called it an adventure to make it less scary. i need to start going on more fun adventures in nature again

too many to count

idk ireland (Eastern according to Ziggy)

never

laura (she just started college brb gonna go sob), isla (she lives 3 hours away 😔ĺ and aisling (rarely see her)

I don't really like the texture of soap bars (i wish I did they're better for the environment)

constantly

not yet (but theres a granola bar calling my name...)

not very often, but hot and mocha-ish and cinnamony (it's barely coffee but it makes my heart happy)

P I N T E R E S T

i like spicy food but a lot of the time I don't like the actual flavour (too tomato-y etc)

probably trump (since nobody else can apparently)

snippets

SANTA PAWS RAHHHH

"bee theres strange men standign in my driveway and im home alone brb gonna get murdered" sent 11 mins ago (15:50)

idk but young (only a sip, didnt like it)

no 😔

please do

here’s weirder asks

who is/are your comfort character(s)?

lighter or matches?

do you leave the window open at night?

which cryptyd being do you believe in?

what color are your eyes?

why did you do that?

hair-ties or scrunchies?

how many water bottles are in your room right now?

which do you prefer, hot coffee or cold coffee?

would you slaughter the rich?

favorite extracurricular activity?

what kind of day is it?

when was the last time you ate?

do you love the smell of earth after it rains?

are you a parent? (all answers qualify)

can you drive?

are you farsighted or nearsighted?

what hair products do you use?

imagine we’re at a sleepover, would you paint my nails?

do you say soda or pop?

something you’ve kept since childhood?

what type of person are you?

how do you feel about chilly weather?

if we were together on a rooftop, what would we be doing?

perfume/body spray or lotion?

a scenario that you’ve replayed multiple times?

about how many hours of sleep did you get?

do you wear a mask?

how do you like your shower water?

is there dishes in your room?

what type of music keeps you grounded?

do you have a favorite towel?

the last adventure you’ve been on?

is there a song you know every word to by heart?

what’s your timezone?

how many times have you changed your url?

someone in your life, other than a relative, you’ve known for 10+ years?

a soap bar that smells good?

do you use lip balm?

did you have any snacks today?

how do you take your coffee?

an app you frequently use besides this godforsaken site?

what’s your take on spicy foods?

you get a free pass to kill anyone, who is it?

can you remember what happened yesterday?

favorite holiday film?

what was the last message you sent?

when did you first try an alcohol beverage?

can you skip rocks?

can i tag you in random stuff?

[zerolune]

₊❏❜ ⋮ ⌒ Prologue 1 - Mae Eunryung

: ̗̀➛ Next , Profiles, Masterlist

"Doctor Mae! Here!" A nurse called out, alerting the young girl's attention. She peeked out of a file she was working with, dropping it back onto on eof the counters. "Emergency patient, here! He fell on a pile of glass shards!" The nurse explained, helping another boy that was helping his friend walk.

"Alright, Alright, get him here!" Doctor Mae soon aided in bringing the boy to the hospital bed. His legs still had visible amounts of shard piercing through the cloth of his sweatpant, and his right arm had been covered with a white cloth stained blood red.

" Did you remove the glass from his arms ? " she asked, slowly peeling away the handkerchief that was stuck to the bloodiness. "Yes, was that wrong? Did I put him in more danger?" A panicked, yet quite soft shrill came from the seemingly younger boy that accompanied the hurt one.

"Now, now, don't panic, you did the right thing, now let us just help your friend okay? Have a seat outside," the doctor gave a warm smile, pulling the curtain.

"Alright, what is your name?"

"E-Eunseok," the boy spoke through the pain. "Okay Eunseok, it'll be alright, me and Doctor Choi will quickly help you."

-

" Hyung ! " The boy rushed over, just as soon as the curtains were pulled aside. "Hyung are you okay?" He looked as if he would cry, as he kneeled down near to Eunseok's bed.

"It's difficult to figure who is the patient...his friend is acting as if he was the one who fell on glass," Doctor Choi chuckled, walking away. "Well, they look like trainees to me, perhaps they're in the same team, imagine if their debut gets delayed?" Doctor Mae presumed.

"You're quick to judge, how do you know?"

"They're working typical "cool" yet chill outfits, sweatpants, caps, accessories, and their hair seems greasy and sweaty- and look at their skin, you'd think they're born yesterday," the girl snickered.

"That's ironic of you to say, Ms.Child prodigy," he nudged her shoulder. "Well..."

"Anton, dude chill, I'm not gonna die, they just disinfected it and stitched up my arm, nothing wrong with that," Eunseok assured, probably tired of the younger's constant worry. "That's still so bad, it's all my fualt! Had I not broken that glass of water you wouldn't have slipped and the glass wouldn't have hurt you!" he whined. Eunseok seemed to think for a couple of seconds, as if devising a plan, before he said, "If it makes you feel any less guilty, at least I got treated by a pretty doctor."

The two doctors stopped in their tracks before Choi oohed, "ooh pretty doctor huh? Eunryung, you seem to be capturing hearts!"

Hiding her blushing cheeks she just denied the claim.

_

Mae Eunryung, didn't know that the last patient she treated that night would be the reason why a sudden contemplation would dawn upon her. Before leaving the hospital, she did consult the boy and yes, they were trainees.

She never knew that just hearing the word trainee would make her remember her time as one...

Med school was actually easy- in a sense. When you have no social life- studying isn't that demanding, as a 13 year old in college, you don't really make any friends, so if friends don't exist- where's the social in life? And if you have so much time, you must study your heart out- and with a brain like hers, if you study that much, you can actually still have time to do stuff you enjoy.

Eunryung was at this audition at an impulse. When the recruiter handed out the SM card at the convenience store, she thought why not? She could sing, dancing was well alright and she had a particular confidence in her looks- at that time.

And before she knew it, she was a part-time trainee. Studying through the day and singing by night. Passing every evaluation beautifully.

"We have our finals tomorrow aren't you studying?" One student asked, her hair ruffled and her glasses nearly falling. "I was done days ago. I have an evaluation today." Eunryung shrugged, walking out of the library.

"She's so darn full of herself, teens these days," she heard someone remark. "We'll talk when the results are announced," the girl thought.

And as expected, not only did she come first in the evaluations but also in the finals. "I can't believe I got beat by a kid!" A boy cried out in frustration. "To be fair Choi...uh Minhyun, that child is a prodigy," Eunryung grinned at the boy.

"My name's Kanghyun," he gave a blank stare. "Uh...."

With time, however she quit SM solely focusing on being a doctor- as it "should have been" in the first place. However, an existential crisis did sawn upon her every so often.

When one day, she had been in a grocery store, checking out her things, a card was offered to her- the familiar initials of SM engraved on the plastic.

"I'll save lives as a doctor, but I myself will become a lifeless working shell if I don't follow my dream." She thought, before audtioning for the second time in her life.

[greenlodgecypher]

Cypher Editorial and Update

by Adria

How things have changed. The community of a person, the society they live in, hasn't disappeared in the modern day; it's moved on.

We made our own communities. We published our manifestos of what we love. We found our own people. Haven't we, here, sought out the creativity and creations of others in our lives? Shared our enjoyments and mutual love? Isn't the Internet an echo of our cries to one another? Surely there is a future there! I hope so. But I wonder if those things can last. How long will a website be maintained? What, when they leave? E-mails can fall silent. Chat rooms die. The friends you have may not bother to stay in contact. There are so many things worth loving that will fall into obscurity. Getting specialty items is hard when they were published years ago and will never be again. There are so many films that have no proper release in this country, or in this time. Home video is an increasingly lacking medium. What will return on DVD? What callous license-holder will simply sit on their hoard of art that, though beloved to us, means nothing save a margin to them? How many passages of some soundtrack must I remember, and be fated never to hear again? It is all water in our hands. The Ensor Zone can be a strange place. People thought that it was rural, safe, and satisfyingly isolated yet conveniently close to the more commercially developed places in the state. But it is insular. Isolationist. It is part of a diverse state, yet people act as if it has nothing to do with the rest of that community. It has a lot of expensive estates, yet it also feels like it's full of houses and places that are slowly decaying away (yes, even before this year). The farm history is disappearing. Who now knows that the area was known for a women's jousting competition as recently as the 30s? Who learns the dark histories of the locale? That north of the Line, people were kidnapped and taken back here to be enslaved? Who remembers the early industry here? The clear-cut fields? How the world has changed. We remember so little of this, as a community. But what community is there? Even before we started having to move, what continuity of culture? Now that there are major pressures to leave, we find that these communities melt away into nothing. There is nowhere back and nowhere forward to move. Those with the money can leave. Families with ties elsewhere, perhaps. Those without any of this are dependent on the goodwill of an increasingly more hapless government to make do. They wanted me to cut that sentence. I don't care what Compliance wants anymore. I'm sending in this print file and they can shut me down for all I care. These things may be only a fig leaf, a remnant of the idea that anything can be done at all. There may be no future. I have a confession to make to you all. Gillian, my partner in the Cypher, has been submitting her articles from Wollstone, and soon may be leaving the state entirely. Her departure is due to several reasons, not the least the growing problems in our area. Kino may be moving to California, after the loss of their stock. Meanwhile, there is a new circle of trees on the field above my family home, where there were no trees before. We're having the yard inspected again shortly. I don't want to leave, but I may need to in the end. Remediation doesn't leave much behind. Because we could not leave before, and because inspections are starting to be made outside the Zone, there may be no more aid for us. There may be no Cypher next month. I don't think I can see this through. Surely, I tell you again, there is a future. But I don't know if I believe it myself.