#I need more of sliver being a menace PLEASE

[xylo-art]

I only regret that I stayed up till 8 am to make this

[the-obiwan-for-me]

Crash

Bo-Katan Week 2023

Day 5, alternate prompt: Ursa and Bo Being Besties (but with a different spin)

AO3 link here.

There was a short time where Bo-Katan thought there might be another path, without Pre Vizsla.

Their first kiss was quick. Almost shy. Very much a bit awkward.

The next one was a bit like the first, but lingered more.

By their fifth kiss, they had learned each other’s lips. There was a familiarity in it that lended a sense of comfort to what were stolen, brief moments.

It was during the tenth kiss, this one longer and more searching, fingers twined through hair or grazing the other’s skin, that made Bo-Katan wonder if she could have a life with Ursa Wren. 

And it was the twentieth kiss that it all came crashing down.

The heat of Ursa’s body, pressed close to Bo’s, chased the cool of sunset in the dim forest away. The weight of Ursa’s hands on her hips grounded her as Bo laced her arms around Ursa’s neck, wanting to hold on to her forever. Wanting to run away, far from Concordia, far from the stubborn refusal to accept the outcome of the war that had ended everywhere else in Mandalorian space five years earlier. Bo wanted to be free of it all. To be free from Pre Vizsla. And Ursa Wren, who was only here out of obligation to her House, was the first time Bo thought maybe she could actually get free. 

And then it was all ripped away. A familiar vice grip clamped down hard on her bicep and yanked her back, severing her connection to Ursa. She was thrown to the ground, tossed aside like a forgotten child’s toy, the air knocked from her lungs at the force of it. Tears sprang to her eyes as she looked up at her attacker, knowing who it would be.

“Pre,” she whispered. His face was twisted into a furious sneer as he stared down at her. 

“You lying bitch,” he growled, his voice low with rage and hurt.

Movement caught Bo’s eye, and she glanced behind him to a stunned Ursa, her hand falling to the grip of her blaster, Ursa’s eyes pinned on Pre’s back. Bo shook her head, silently pleading with Ursa not to follow through with her thought.

Pre followed Bo’s eyes, turning toward Ursa, his massive framing dwarfing the smaller woman. “You. I knew it would be you.”

“Pre, no,” Bo shouted, scrambling to her knees, grabbing onto Pre’s belt. “Please don’t hurt her, Pre.”

Ursa stilled, but her hand still rested on the blaster. Her spine straightened, she tilted her chin up, defiant, looking exactly as one would expect the daughter of the leaders of Clan Wren to look. “He wouldn’t dare. He knows if he so much as hurts a hair on my head, my fathers will bring the wrath of Krownest down on this camp.”

Her confidence was intoxicating and beautiful. Bo wished she had a sliver of it. It reminded her of her own mother, long dead. And, though she’d never admit it out loud, her sister. Ursa was brave in ways Bo could only ever dream of, and it made her love her more.

The moment ended. Pre chuckled. It was a menacing sound.

“I’m not going to hurt her, Bo.”

Pre whirled, twisting quickly to grab Bo’s wrists, wrenching her arms up and back as he moved behind her, pushing his knee into her spine, bending her backward, her body screaming in protest as joints were flexed in the wrong direction, muscles and tendons stretching to their limits. Ursa went to move, jump to Bo’s rescue.

“Don’t!” Pre shouted, pulling back on Bo’s wrists more. Bo, despite having trained herself not to react to Pre’s physical outbursts, let a cry of pain slip from her lips. Ursa froze.

Pre dragged Bo to her feet, letting go of her wrists to wrap a sinewy forearm around her throat. She could feel his hot breath, smelling like cassius tea and death sticks, on her face and neck. “I won’t hurt Ursa. I’m not a foolish man.” The arm tightened and he lifted Bo until only her toes scraped the ground. “I can’t hurt Ursa because I do need the Wrens to stay on my side. But you, Bo?” He nipped at her ear, then brushed his lips to her cheek, in some sick pantomime of a kiss. “The only one who would miss you is Ursa. So, you I can and will hurt if I ever catch wind of you running around together behind my back.” 

He tossed her back to the ground, and she landed hard on her hands and knees, the rough forest floor biting into her palms. She looked up at Ursa, her gold-brown eyes round with horror. “Got it, Wren?” Pre asked. Ursa nodded. “Good. Find yourself another plaything. I don’t share.”

With that, Pre turned and disappeared back into the woods in the direction of camp, leaving Bo and Ursa staring at each other, Bo’s breaths ragged.

“Ursa-” she started, but Ursa shook her head, her eyes closing for a beat as she took a deep breath. Then, she turned and walked off into the forest, deeper, further from camp, leaving Bo alone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pre’s head hit the floor with a sickening thud, his face rolling to face her, steel blue eyes dead and as resigned as his last words.

Bo-Katan felt her heart hit the floor beside Pre’s lifeless body. She could not process what was happening. It was too much. It was all too much. It was everything she had been afraid of, and yet it was still incomprehensible. 

“I claim this sword, and my rightful place as leader of Death Watch!” the monster growled. Bo dragged her eyes away from Pre’s face to see Maul holding the dark saber aloft, Death Watch commandos moving to take a knee at his feet.

She shook her head, working some sense back into her grief stricken brain. “Never!” she shouted. “No outsider will ever rule Mandalore!” Behind her, she sensed other commandos gathering behind her. She heard weapons priming.

“If you will not join me, you will all die,” Maul said, his voice deep and full of self assurance. The kneeling commandos stood, turning toward her and the tight bunch of commandos behind her, moving slowly, but with menace.

Bo shook her head again. This could not be happening. How could this be happening?

“You’re all traitors!”

“Unfortunately for you, history will not see it that way,” he said, sounding for a brief moment, apologetic. Then even the very air in the room seemed to shift. He swung the saber toward her. “Execute them!”

With a fleeting glance back to Pre’s face, Bo slammed her helmet on, and fired, immediately taking out a charging commando. And then, she fled, not totally comprehending, until much later, how many people had fled with her.

They had found refuge deep in the underbelly of Sundari, far from the city center. She wasn’t sure if night was falling or if this particular place was just dark, but she pulled her helmet off and sat down on a low wall, deep in the shadows of a boarded up building, feeling exhausted, terrified, and confused. She looked around, counting the heads of those with her. A dozen, maybe. Some had removed their helmets like her, and she was relieved to see many familiar faces.

Someone sat beside her, pulling off their helmet. Bo turned absently to see who it was, and gasped in relief. “Ursa!”

“What next, alor?” Ursa asked, her face looking as shell shocked as Bo felt. 

Bo ignored the question and instead threw her arms around Ursa. “You’re here.”

Ursa tensed for a long moment, her arms still at her side. Then she softened, and pulled Bo into a tight embrace. “Of course I’m here, Bo-Katan. Where else would I be?”

Bo let go, pulling back to look at Ursa. She shrugged. “I just thought…well, I guess because we haven’t been close….” She trailed off, not sure how to put her complicated feelings into words. She and Ursa had once been very close. But that had changed.

Ursa smiled sadly. “I was protecting you from me,” Ursa said simply. “But while things may be different now, I still care for you. So, what next, alor?”

Bo stared at Ursa for a long moment, fighting the urge to get lost in old memories. Lost in old dreams that were never meant to be. Then she sighed, looked up and around and realized the rest of the group were waiting for her reply. 

Now was not the time to wallow in old memories of girlish romances or to mourn the death of a complicated man murdered by a monster.

Mandalore came first.

“Right,” she said, standing up. “We get the duchess out.”

[reverie-starlight]

*sneezes* so uh, I saw you were willing to write for girlies in the fandoms too…. also don’t worry about my stalking, worry about the weather-

N e ways…. May I ask for a morsel, a crumb, a sliver of some ururaka x gf because she’s underrated and I love her and I, too, would love a gf (if you want to supply o b v i, no pressure) 🥹🥹💍💍

YES. YES. YES. YES. Y E S.

ABSOLUTELY 1 MILLION TIMES YES IM SO EXCITED TO WRITE FOR HER OMFG. also congrats emmy for being the first official request for a female character on my blog I’m SO HAPPY!!

also??? you can stalk me WHENEVER you’d like. i’m so serious rn. i’m definitely guilty of stalking your blog as well, dw abt it

fem!reader, but no physical description is given!! fluffyyyy, prohero!uravity, nonpro!reader, non-sexual nudity (they take a bath together), one maybe two if you squint suggestive jokes, lots of love. todoroki and uraraka are besties bc I say so.

first time writing for a girl kinda nervous, so if it feels slightly stiff in the beginning or slightly ooc dw abt it (but i pulled up her character wiki so i think it should be okay <3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

OKAY OKAY OKAY OKAY

let me compose myself I’m too excited rn, she would be the S W E E T E S T gf ever you’re turning me into a full fledged simp for her with this-

pro hero uravity who got all of her paperwork done for the day AND brought in some wannabe villains, even if it meant cutting her lunch break with pro-hero shoto a bit short. she tells her interns and sidekicks to call her if anything serious comes up, but since things seem to be going smoothly, she’d be going home an hour early.

she’s so excited to get home, regardless of whether or not you’d be there- both are good options to her because on one hand, you’d be there, ready and willing to cuddle on the couch. on the other hand, if you weren’t there, it’d give her an opportunity to cook something nice for the two of you- she’d been wanting to try this one recipe for a while now.

opening the door to her condo, she took note of your shoes being absent from the front hall. you weren’t back from work yet. 

she wishes she could take care of more things around the house on a regular basis, it wasn’t in her nature to sit idly by when things needed to be done, but with her hours being so unstable most of the time, it meant leaving it to you more often than not. so when she had time to do something nice for you, like cook dinner, she took full advantage of it.

she just wanted to take care of you, someone who has stood by her since pretty much the beginning of her hero career. you always did such an amazing job at caring for her after her shifts, all she wanted was to return the favour. she had always had the motivation to spoil you, but now she had the means as well. 

after changing out of her hero attire, she headed straight for the kitchen and got out the recipe on her phone. soon enough, she was fully absorbed in what she was doing. so much so that she didn’t even hear the door open 20 minutes later.

“well this is a nice surprise,” you snuck an arm around her waist and kissed her cheek, causing her to squeak and almost drop the pan she was holding.

“baby, you’re home! I’m sorry I didn’t realize sooner, did you call for me?”

you shook your head and smiled at her. “saw your shoes by the door and wanted to scare you.”

she huffed out a laugh. “you menace.”

giggling, you stole a slice of the pepper she had been cutting up. “you love me for it.”

uraraka gasped. “and a thief! I should take you in for that, you know.”

“hmm, you wouldn’t dare, I make things interesting for you.”

“yeah, yeah, just don’t steal any more ingredients please, I’d like to have enough left for our ultra-romantic, super tasty meal later.”

your eyes lit up as if you just remembered something. “oh yeah! what are we making anyway?” 

“we are not making anything, you always handle dinner, let me do it this time. and I’m following that recipe I told you about a couple weeks ago.”

she put the peppers in the pan and turned the heat on low before turning to face you again. giving you a once over, she frowned slightly at how worn you looked, even behind your faux-peppy mask. “how was your day, baby?”

you shrugged. “not the best, kind of rough but nothing I can’t deal with.”

uraraka made a disapproving sound but let it be. you weren’t in need of a lecture about how much you could deal with on your own, she could tell you just needed to be taken care of. 

she pushed herself up onto the counter and held her arms open. you gladly took her invitation and nuzzled into her chest. “how was your day, ochaco?” 

“it was good, thank you for asking. things were running smoothly today so I figured I’d come home early. I’m glad I did, I get to make you feel better now.”

she felt you smile into her skin. “I’m glad you had a good day, my love.” 

“I’m sorry yours was shitty. anything I can do to make it better?”

you hummed. “just having you here is already making it better... but if you’re offering...” you looked up at her and she immediately identified the look in your eyes as mischievous. 

“what is it, my love?”

“maybe while you’re cooking our ultra-romantic meal, I could run us an ultra-romantic bath to relax in after we eat?” you were playfully running your nose up and down her neck as you spoke and she squealed a bit at the tingly sensation. 

“I like that idea a lot,” she giggled. “go get changed into something comfy, I’ll let you know when dinner is almost done so you can start the bath.”

she took your face in her hands and peppered kisses to your squished cheeks before sending you on your way.

an hour later, stuffed with food and dishes done, you were both sat in the bath together, basking in each other’s company. times likes these, when you were cuddled up close and whispering sweet nothings to each other, always made her reminiscent of a time when you hadn’t even started dating yet. 

you were both fresh out of high school, her just starting pro-hero work and you starting your own life, but you clicked so easily, it would have been criminal to not give it a shot. 

it was cute for her friends to see at first, when you happened to see her off duty in a small café with some of her old classmates. you were both stumbling over words- over each other, as she tried to get out of your way to accommodate what direction you wanted to go in.

but they soon grew tired of her pining for a girl who so obviously reciprocated her feelings. so an intervention was held.

“uraraka, I can see that this girl likes you, too. you’re just scared of making a move. don’t be.” said shoto.

“yeah, ochaco, if todoroki of all people can see that y/n likes you, then you know it’s true. you need to make a move!” prompted mina. 

“what’s that supposed to mean, ashido?”

and she was so incredibly glad she did. 

months into the relationship, the shyness finally went away and you quickly realized neither of you had ever felt more at home with another person. that’s not to say you two never got flustered anymore though. any bit of flirting from one of you could render the other speechless and panicked to no end.

for example, how uraraka could feel how warm her cheeks were. it was better now that you were submerged in the water with her, your back leaning against her front, but she was still calming down from before that. 

and of course you just had to tease her. 

“pretty girl, what’s the matter? you’re all red from that? you know we’ve had-”

your girlfriend hid her face in the crook of your neck and secured her arms around your waist. she whined. “stooooppp!”

you laughed and carded a damp hand through her hair. “I’m very sorry, sweetheart, I’m just teasing. you know I love it when you get like this.”

yeah, she smiled slightly into your skin, a new determination to fluster you back arising. I know exactly what you mean.

she raised her head from it’s hiding place and relished in the look on your face when you turned your head to the side and saw a familiar expression. 

she maintained eye contact and brought a hand up to brush her knuckles against your cheek so gently, her other hand still on your wait, thumb caressing your skin. “it’s okay, but... with the day you’ve had, I wonder if you’ll let me... take care... of you for the rest of the night, my pretty girl?” a kiss was placed behind your ear and you squeaked.

uraraka let out a loud laugh as you took in a deep, but very shaky, breath and promptly face-planted into the water. 

she loved you so much and absolutely nothing could ever change that.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

kind of a crap ending BUT. I DIDN’T WANT TO MAKE IT TOO LONG. IT WOULD HAVE WENT IN A TOTALLY DIFFERENT DIRECTION IF I CONTINUED. SHHH.

but anyway, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT!!! TY FOR REQUESTING, AND P L E A S E GO CHECK OUT EMMY, THE WRITING ON THAT BLOG IS TOP TIER. and I am so lucky that this fic got partially deleted when everything was still fresh in my mind BC. I WOULD HAVE CRIED IF I HAD ANOTHER KAGAMI TAIGA  INCIDENT. do you all remember how upset I was that day? that was heartbreaking and I still have not returned to it. it’s still in my drafts bc tumblr decided to be a bitch that day </3

[bonkers-4-hatter]

!Yandere !Vampire Kisumi X Reader - Love Bites

♥ TW: This fanfic has mentions of kidnapping, violence, assault, biting and mentions of blood along with the biting, forced intimacies, forcing self onto the reader at certain points and yandere themes and actions. ♥ If any of the above does trigger you, please do not read. All characters are 18+ as college is mentioned in the past tense. 

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥                                                                                              ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥                                  You were never one to believe in such things as mythical creatures, it was just a bunch of nonsense. Of course, they’re wonderful tall tales to tell and talk about when you were younger, but you’re grown now; out of that phase you could say.

Tall tales, that’s all they were...at least you thought they were.

You could draw everything that you’ve experienced and seen as a lack of sleep, working too hard, or just needing a break to calm your mind, but with the most recent experiences you just couldn’t come up with an excuse for them and that very thought chilled you to your core. The dark figure standing in the corner of your room at night using the darkness as a veil, but the thing that stood out to you was the flickers of pink from the top of the figure's head from the small slivers of moonlight peeking through the closed curtains. 

Not only did the figure terrify you, but the touches were what set you over the edge. The soft touches that caressed your cheeks, head and the curves and contours of your body as the hands glided across your blanket covered body. You would always peek your eyes open only to see the same pink hair in your view.

The only person you knew with pink hair was Kisumi. 

He was your friend, a close friend at that. You guys did everything together, having been friends since College it just made sense for you guys to do things together. His behavior used to be carefree, fun and just free. Kisumi was a free spirit, but you noticed something change within him in the past few years; he was more possessive toward you. Always wanting to have your attention, scaring off potential significant others.

This wasn’t his usual behavior with you. Not only that, but his mannerisms have changed too. Not really eating in front of you, coming over at night only; claiming his new job had him working mornings many days and just being too exhausted to go anywhere with you during the day. Just weird things that have come up that rubbed you the wrong way. 

You hated that your mind went to these tall tales of Vampires, but you couldn’t come up with a normal answer. With his towering figure plaguing your mind, the touches that came in contact with your resting body and the constant fear and shiver of being watched by something unknown, hidden, just lurking in the shadows with their eyes fixated on you. 

Looking at how Kisumi was laughing and socializing with your guys’ group of friends, it’s as if nothing changed with him and he was the same ole Kisumi that everyone knew and had a great time with. He might have been able to fool the rest of your friends, but you knew something was up and tonight you were going to confront him even if you sounded like a lunatic. Taking a final drink of your (favorite drink), you placed some money on the table to cover your portion of the bill along with everyone else as everyone started to get up and say their goodbyes, making plans to meet up again next month as usual. 

Giving a final wave to your friends, you felt an arm snake around your shoulders and pulled you into a firm body. “(Y/N)-chan, let’s get you home.” Kisumi’s smooth voice filtered through your ears as you both made your way down the mostly empty sidewalk, the chatter and lively atmosphere of the restaurant dying away the further you walked away. The only noise that echoed around the silent street was both of your footsteps.

“You know I can get myself home, right Kisu?” He only shook his head and rubbed your shoulder, his cold skin giving you goosebumps as he brushed his fingers against the skin of your exposed upper arm. That was another weird thing with him, he was always cold now. He used to be warm, overly warm actually, always a human furnace. Now though, he was always cold to the touch and it always made you shiver no matter how many times it happened. 

“I know (Y/N), but I have to protect you from all the monsters out there, don’t I?” Another shiver ran down your spine at his question, you knew it was playful. It was Kisumi, he was always playful when it came to you, but this felt like it held an underlying meaning; like he was trying to tell you something. Scoffing, you rolled your eyes at his words. “Sure, the monsters Kisumi, whatever you say.” He laughed at your words as the both of you continued to walk down the street in silence. 

Clearing your throat, you decided to just ask him. “So, speaking of monsters, what do you think about vampires?” Kisumi stopped walking as he grasped your shoulder in a tight grip making you reel back as well. “What the hell Kisumi?!” Your shoulder burned a bit at how hard he dug his fingernails into your skin, but he still didn’t let go. Looking at his face he had a stoic look and his eyes were menacing in a way; narrowed and pointed right at you. “Vampires? Now, why would little (Y/N)-chan bring up such a thing as Vampires?” The malice that was laced in his voice was evident and downright terrifying especially in a situation where you were alone with him at night on an empty street. 

You tried to yank yourself away from his strong hold, but he didn’t let up. “It was a joke Kisumi, what’s wrong with you?” He only smirked at your words, before pushing against your shoulder until you hit the brick wall of one of the buildings. “A joke huh?” Placing his other hand on your free shoulder, he pinned you in place, the brick rubbing against your exposed skin in a way that it surely would leave marks. Before you could protest, Kisumi leaned down to your ear and whispered, “Do you think it’s a joke as you watch me in the corner of your room, or when I touch your delicious body in bed?” Your breath caught in your throat at his words. 

Your hands pushed hard against his chest, fear crawling up your body at his words. “That’s not fucking funny Kisu, I’m leaving.” Without waiting for him to respond, you shoved your way past him, resuming the trek to your house. Even the thought of your house wasn’t safe, it made you even more fearful, but you didn’t have much of a choice at this point. You felt like the darkness was suffocating you at this point and without a second thought, you ran the remainder of the few blocks, your front door in your view making you somewhat relieved. 

Deadbolting the door, your body slid down, settling at the floor. You felt exhausted, fearful and not to mention paranoid. Heavy eyes scanned the living room and what you could see of your hallway and everything seemed clear. Getting up with weak legs, you turned on every light in the house paying no mind to the thought of your electric bill nor how silly it seemed. This was what made you feel safe and at this point you were going to do anything to feel that way. 

After changing into some pajamas and trying to relax from the encounter with Kisumi, you found yourself wrapped up in a blanket on the couch, television playing a cliche horror movie. Wanting something to take your mind off what happened, you got sucked into the black and white film.

Your mind was completely preoccupied with the slasher film, blanket clutched in your hands, hiding your face behind the fuzzy comfort item as specific gory and violent scenes would pop on the screen. Usually you would watch these movies, any movie really with Kisumi...your mind went to your friend for a moment, not of the creepy things that have arisen recently, but of the memories of you both together. He would be here right now poking fun at you for being scared of these scenes, but also ‘protecting’ you from whatever was going on.

As your mind was wandering, you didn’t notice the presence next to you, not until a hand was on your thigh, fingers tapping against the supple flesh that was exposed from your pajamas. A scream erupted from your throat, but a hand clasped over your mouth, muffled cries were the only thing in the room, the noises on the television being drowned out by the thumping of your own heart. “Now (Y/N), this is the best part, hold in that scream for a minute, alright love?” His hand was still over your mouth and his free one was still trailing along your thigh. Side eyeing him, he sat there with a content smile on his face, eyes still glued on the screen. You stayed in that position for the next ten minutes until the credits were rolling.

“I loved watching these movies with you (Y/N), it was nice to be your savior when you got scared at certain scenes.” His hand uncovered your mouth, but started to stroke the soft skin down the slope of your neck getting dangerously close to the valley of your chest. “K-Kisu...how’d you get in?” Your body started to tremble as he just laughed at the fear pouring out of you at this moment. Gripping the back of your neck, Kisumi pulled you toward him, his face shoving itself into the crook of your neck as he started to place soft kisses along the slope of your neck and your collarbone. 

You felt his hot breath fan your skin as he answered your question. “Oh (Y/N), I think you already know the answer...I always tell you to lock your window.” The color drained from your face. Your window. The window that was always unlocked. It was something you didn’t think about because it was on the second floor. A place no human can reach because there were no trees, ledges, anything to help with climbing up. 

“Am I right Kisu?” A single question you needed answered. A heavy silence hung in the air as the man in question even stopped his kisses on your skin. “You’re always right (Y/N), I knew you would piece everything together, my (Y/N) is smart after all.” You could feel the sharpness of teeth scrape against the tender flesh of your neck, your breath hitching at the sensation. 

“I’ve always wanted to taste you, to know how sweet your blood is, I might get addicted to it (Y/N), but I don’t want to drain you dry...I want you around forever with me.” He laughed at the flinch in your body as he pressed his fangs a bit deeper into your neck. “You’re not ready to be changed yet either.” Sitting back up, he effortlessly pulled you into his lap, arms wrapping around your waist and anchoring you to him. “I think I’ll keep you as my personal toy until you’re ready to be changed, doesn’t my (Y/N) like the sound of that?” Fully grinning at the petrified look on your face, he showed you his sharp fangs, tongue sliding over them to add emphasis on what would happen if you disobeyed him.

--

You didn’t know what month it was, let alone the day. You just knew it’s been so long since Kisumi took you that night at your former house. After he had you in his arms, he told you what was going to happen. You got to pack what you could that night and he took you away. His home was your home now, or as he puts it, our home. 

He didn’t let you out, the house was your own personal prison and you...you were Kisumi’s personal blood bag. He didn’t want to kill you, nor turn you yet, but he had to have a taste of your blood, he tasted every other aspect of you and he knew he’d be addicted to your blood and it turns out he was.

Your skin was littered in bite marks. He would pierce your skin and take a drink from you, enough to make you dizzy before he stopped himself. He couldn’t wait for the wound to heal which is why he bites you in any available skin no matter where it is. 

He just wanted your sweet blood. Sometimes he would go overboard and will only stop if you pass out. Due to him feeding on you, you were exhausted. You turned into a shell of your former self with his constant feeding. Dark bags were under your eyes, droopy lids accompany them as well. All you wanted was rest, proper rest, but you knew you’d never get that again. 

You wouldn’t get anything you wanted again.

“(Y/N), my love, there you are.” Your head lolled to the side, Kisumi standing there with his usual smile on his face. The bed dipped down as his hands smoothed over your body, caressing any part of you he could get. He kissed your lips and made his way down to your neck. Before he could do anything, you whined out, hands weakly trying to stop him. 

“Please, not today Kisumi, I don’t think I can do it. I hurt so much, you drank too much yesterday, please give me a day to recover.” Kisumi cupped your face, thumb stroking the dark bags that decorated under your eyes. “Rest? (Y/N), we’ve been over this already sweetheart, I need to taste you everyday otherwise I might snap and we wouldn’t want that, right?” His hand clutched your face, squishing your cheeks together as you frantically shook your head not wanting to have him hurt you again.

“Good, that’s my good girl.” Placing a soft kiss on your forehead, he let your face go, a breath of relief escaped you as he bared his fangs and traced them over the scarred skin before sinking into the skin of your neck, a place he hasn’t touched in a week which was plenty of time to heal in his opinion.

“Ahh, Kisu...hurts, Kisu, it hurts..” Your weak voice flooded his ears, but he paid you no mind, you always struggled when he did this, but you were his to use and abuse to his desire. You were his little toy, his precious (Y/N).

The feeling of your blood sliding down his throat was beautiful. It was like a drug to him, he couldn’t get enough of it and he knew he was breaking you, but he didn’t care. He will turn you soon and you’ll be fine, but for now he needs you to keep hanging on. The quiet moans of pain only turned him on as he sunk his fangs deeper in your soft skin. “Kisu..too much, stop, please.” Soft pounding of your hands on his back snapped him out of his trance, Unlatching himself from your neck, your head fell to the side, eyes half lidded and skin heated after the ordeal. 

Licking a stray drop of blood from his lips and the puncture wounds on your neck, he was satisfied for now. Even though he was addicted to your blood, he was excited to turn you. You would finally be his forever, just as it should’ve been. Smirking at your worn out body, he gave you one last kiss before throwing a blanket over you and stalking off to finish your turning ceremony.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

happy new years! i hope this year brings many blessed gacha rolls! may i request an imagine set in an hanahaki au? with jamil being affected because of his feelings for a gn!reader (who believes their relationship is nothing but platonic)? the ending is up to you of course! i really like the angst you write, i always reread your previous works (my favorite is L'Ouverture-- the line "His heart in exchange for Yuu’s" always gets me)

I rolled SSR Dormitory Uniform Rook on a key recently, so I’m starting off the year with some good gacha luck! o v o)9

Oh...!! I’m so happy to hear that, dear reader~ I, too, have pieces that I refer back to and reread when I need a little pick-me-up, or just to appreciate the writing! I’m glad that some of my works have found a place on your heart for that purpose.

You can read L’Ouveture here!

I wrote another Hanahaki piece (reader has Hanahaki; ft. Leona), which you can read here!

Imagine this...

Jasmine.

Why did it have to be jasmine?

Its aroma, cloying and heady The petals a pristine white, like the feathers of an angel. Sickeningly sweet and pure...

Jasmine was everything that he was not--and yet they were what sprouted in his lungs. What he gagged on each time he found himself struggling to catch his breath. What was slowly stripping his life away.

Its intoxicating perfume filled the great banquet hall, mixing with the desert heat that flooded in through open windows, the aromas of their waiting dinner, the din of music and chatter. Somehow, the jasmine floated above it all, magnifying to a dizzying extent.

His body shuddered, and he doubled over, arms cradling himself--as though it would stave away the flower stalks shooting up his throat, the pain shooting through his chest. A hand scrambled for his mouth, to mask the white petals he knew would spill out.

“Jamil, are you feeling okay? You don’t look too good.” Kalim had one hand on his friend’s back, and the other hand clutching a golden goblet. “Should I call my family doctor? I bet he could get’cha patched up fast!”

He gathered the petals in his palm, closing his hand into a fist and hiding it behind his back. Jamil bent into a bow, his hair forming a raven curtain.

“I am fine. Please, do not concern yourself with me.” He attempted at his usual monotone, his voice slightly raw. “Focus on the banquet. Eat, drink, and be merry.”

Kalim glanced to his goblet, then back to Jamil, and vigorously shook his head. “I can’t. Not when you’re not having a good time too. What’s up, Jamil? You can tell me, can’t you?”

“It is none of your business, Kalim.”

“I’m the host of this party, and as the host, I’ve gotta make sure that everyone’s having a good time!”

His dorm leader slapped him on the back--hard. The remaining wind in Jamil’s lungs went sailing out of him, along with a stray jasmine petal. A piece of pure white flickered in the corner of Kalim’s vision, and his expression darkened.

“Hmm? Jamil...” His dorm leader broke out into a wide grin. “Have you been eating flowers? You gotta be careful with those! Not all of them are edible, so you might get a little sick. If you wanted to eat flowers so much, I could’ve asked Trey to candy some for us!”

“... You’re right. You’re absolutely right. I should have known better,” Jamil agreed, the lie easily weaving through his teeth.

“Do you need to take the night off? I can send someone to your room with stomach medicine later, too! And some leftover food from the party so you don’t miss out on too much.”

“That would mean leaving you unattended to, Kalim. What if there is an attempt on your life during the time that I’m resting?”

“You worry too much! I’ll be okay. There’s too many potential witnesses around.”

“You say potential witnesses, I say potential accomplices.”

“You really do worry too much,” a voice called out. A familiar face revealed itself from a sea of guests.

Kalim brightened, while Jamil paled.

“Oh, you finally made it! I was starting to think you’d never show up!”

“I wouldn’t miss your parties for the world, Kalim. I just got caught up at the buffet table serving myself.”

“I see, I see! Makes total sense! Can’t party on an empty stomach, right?” He boomed with laughter, the punch in his cup sloshing around. “You won’t believe this--but Jamil actually ate some flowers earlier, so he’s not feeling great now. Be sure to not eat any of those decorative flowers on the food!, too”

“I’ll be careful,” they vowed, before passing a worried glance over to Jamil. “But are you alright?”  

The fistful of jasmine petals behind his back tightened. Within the depths of his lungs, a tingling, burning sensation had started once more--the beginnings of new buds. Jamil clenched his teeth, doing his best to force the flowers down.

“I am managing.”

It was not a lie, but it was not the truth either--it existed on the cusp of both, at the edge of dusk and dawn.

“Well, I hope you feel better soon. Try to catch up on some sleep,” they suggested. “Actually, why not just leave the party and rest for the night?”

“I’ve been trying to tell Jamil to take a break, but he just won’t!”

“Ah, that’s not good. You should consider listening to Kalim.”

As though I have not already spent my entire life doing that.

“I must tend to my duties. It cannot be helped.” Jasmine clawed up his throat, turning his words scratchy. He clamped his free hand over his mouth, wincing.

“Jamil... You should really do what Kalim said. You look like you can barely stand. If you’re worried about him, I can stick with Kalim in your place.”

“Ohhh, good idea! That should work out for everyone!”

They beamed at each other, eyes twinkling in conspiracy.

Of course--of course they were dismissing him in favor of one another. 

Kalim has always been the golden child. The one everyone favors.

What a privileged life he leads, having everything he desires served to him on a silver platter.

They deserve each other.

Jamil’s stomach lurched, a new feeling making itself known in the pit of his belly. Jealousy-hot and molten, like the searing sun.

The flowers trapped in his throat seemed to singe his flesh from the inside out. Jasmine pushed up, erupting into his mouth, past his lips, into his hand. White petals peeked out from between his fingers, a few fluttering to the floor.

He doubled over, retching.

“Jamil...?” They stared at him in shock. “What is--”

“Jamil--” Kalim put a hand on his shoulder--but he jerked away.

“Don’t touch me.” His voice was low and menacing, matching the hiss of a snake. No--a viper.

But the petals kept coming, jasmine sticking to his lips and filling his nostrils with a flood of its perfume. Pain tore through his flesh and bone with each new flower that blossomed. Beholding a deadly beauty.

He heaved and heaved, until there was nothing more to spit up. Then, trembling violently, Jamil hauled himself onto his feel. He cast a cold look at Kalim and snapped into a bow.

“Excuse me.”

“Jamil--”

He stormed out without another word. Past the party goers, away from his tempestuous thoughts, beyond the double doors--

Into the silent night.

The sky was clear, blanketed by stars and a dusting of sand. Only a sliver of the moon hung above, a wink of light against the dark.

White, like jasmine.

He reached out, cupping the moon in his hands. Slowly closing his fingers around it. Reaching, reaching...

... For something he cannot hope to have.

[thecitythatdoesntsleep]

[ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ] [ 5 ]

[Tags & Tw] Slavery, grooming, abuse, human pet auction, implied/referenced noncon, noncon touching, magnetic restraint implants, drugging/non-consensual drug use, vampire whumpee, they/them whumpee

"This one is damaged, paper says. Apparently the physical defects didn't fix in the turning process."

"Shit, mark it down and put it in with the rest of'em anyways. Just tell the man up front to run a deal."

"You don't think boss'll care?"

"Money is money, right? So long as these bloodsuckers sell, he won't give two fucks."

It was dark as the room filled with stagnant silence, the audience waiting with baited breath for the lights to switch on and announcer to appear.

When he did, it was a little less than grand; a well-suited gentleman taking center stage and cradling a mic close to his lips.

"Welcome to the 500th, yes you heard it right ladies and gentlemen, 500th auction of Lifepets."

Uproarious clapping filled the renovated opera house and it took a long pause to wait for it to thin down. When it did, everyone's attention was hinged on the man's every word.

"I'm pleased to inform that because of this enormous milestone, we've gone above and beyond. Tonight, we'll be auctioning off 50 freshly turned pets."

A cheerful response from the audience would be in any other case, a jovial thing. In this happenstance, it was an ugly, terrifying sound.

"They have been trained briefly, defanged, microchipped and magnetic implants have been surgically installed to each of their limbs for tangle free restraint."

The crowd gave slight chatter amongst themselves, 'ooh's' and 'ahh's' being given the more that the man's voice denoted across the speakers. There was an air of impatience, with every minute spent in lingering wait for the beginning of the festivities.

"Each of the pets will start at a low, low bid of $5,500. And the filing process will be a low, set rate of $500 for this special night only."

Large display monitors flipped on behind the tables and chairs that were set up for guests, their image turning to a small string of information about the upcoming, first selling item. All sight turned to peek at it and very little description was given seeing as the pet would be brought out on stage soon.

"We thank you all from the bottoms of our hearts for helping make this possible and keeping our business thriving. Whether you're looking for a caretaker, a sexual partner, release for that anger you don't have to feel guilty for... Lifepets has you covered."

At the 'joke' the man had made, there was laughter of all kinds and some lasted longer than others and each had it's own tone. Embarrassment, genuine humor, some patrons looked at each other with slimy grins that spread ear to ear. Like it really was such a funny thing to tease about.

"Without further delay, if everyone could look at the screens in the back of the building. To get us started right, we're going to drop the initial bid for this first pet down to $500. You could pay as little as $1,000 to take them home tonight."

The first vampire was brought out in the darkness of the stage behind the announcer, their limp, doll-like body being propped up in such a way that it held itself up. Whatever drugs they were given were strong, they couldn't manage to pull their head up much from it's half-mast position on their shoulders.

The screens displayed in large, white font on black backgrounds.

22 Years old at turning.

Blonde hair, blue eyes.

One tattoo, no major scarring.

60 days mandatory training completed.

More bright, blinding overheads turned on and it made the bound vampire on stage want to recoil into a ball despite their lethargy. Everything had giant, shining prisms casting off every beam of light; the reflections off mirrors and glass tables illuminating the room with a dim ambiance.

A gloved man grabbed the downcast head of the terrified creature and forced it's head up to meet eyes with the crowd. A tinge of piercing blue cast a ring in other worldly eyes and pupils trembled in what they saw before them.

Wolves, it was like a pack of hungry wolves. Being promised they can torment and torture without the need to feel anything akin to remorse. Even though they were once human, the modification to their DNA made all the difference. The stillness to their heart and deadened response to their lungs was the damning physical traits that lead them to a life of servitude.

"Now I won't lie to you... The discount is for damage, from what we understand, this pet has a few physical conditions that weren't reversed in the transformation process. It's left ear is deaf and left eye blind. All the better though, huh? Wouldn't be hard to sneak up on this one, hahaha."

The gloved man turned the vampires face towards the near-by projector camera and fingers squeezed into the hollows of their cheeks to tell them to open their mouth. When they did, two gaping extractions were throwing off their bite-line, teeth missing all together to prove their fangs had been dealt with.

"Give a little something sexy for the camera..." The man whispered and shoved a leather cased thumb against a plush, pink tongue. It idly wrapped around the digit and dry, uncared for lips closed in an absent sucking motion.

"Their second virginity hasn't been claimed, though, they've been shown how to do a little of the basics. So you're able to get them put to work right away."

No matter where the vampire looked, there was a seedy, low-brow looking person, staring them down like a predator to prey. Their mind was overwhelmed by the drugs in their system but also the thought of eventually being alone with one of these menacing faces.

Drool now clung to their lips from the unwelcomed finger in their mouth but once it was gone, the distraction was over and it almost made the vampire whimper in distress. They just wanted to get it over with, or stay with their handlers. At least the handlers had a guide of loose rules they had to follow.

The more that the man talked, the more the faces around them contorted with plans of sadistic glee. The vampires vision doubled at times, making the room spin with dozens of sets of prying eyes and wicked smiles.

A particularly cruel tug at the magnetic restraints and the gloved man had the vampire yanked down further to their hands and knees. Another push and he bent their middle down, accentuating the curve of their backside and the spread of their thighs.

Tears built up in the blue, ocean eyes and they were fought back when the leather glove carded through their hair. They would never have a chance of getting a good home or serving a worthy master if they were such awful cry babies. Or so their inner voice told them.

The smallest spark of motivation gave the vampire a reason to arch their back and lean into the touch that soothed across their body to cause them to naturally react.

Impatience started to build in the crowd and the announcer was merely letting them all take in the show.

Bare, porcelain skin being displayed on multiple, floor to ceiling screens as the vampire's lips hung open in the tiniest display of pleasure. Fingers curled into blonde hair and ruined the look of lust on their features; a ringing stab of pain to awaken their senses and widen their dopey doe-eyes. Shock looked so pretty when it was tacked to the end of bliss.

"So... Do I hear $500 for the discount pet?"

"$500!"

"$1,000!"

"$3,000!"

"$5,000!"

A twisted pang of relief filled the vampire when they heard the different voices from all around the building echo their bids. The number went higher and higher and it gave them the smallest sliver of hope. That they weren't too damaged and broken for a master after all and that they'd be able to be sold. They told themselves they would be grateful to even get a home but now, it seemed like it was really going to happen.

The vampire felt the unlatching of their magnetic shackles and instead, the gloved man crossed their wrists together for the plates to lock to themselves. He grabbed their arm and pulled them to their feet as the bidding war started to come to a final climax. Ready to drag them back behind the stage curtain to prepare for their future owner.

"Going once, going twice...and... SOLD. To the guest at table 38 for $16,800!"

[blue-bird-kny]

Physical Affection: Prompt 16 Kissing Knuckles

You all have spoken and here he is! Finally some Genya on this blog, I hope I did him justice~Amanda

Warning: Swears, Angsty and Fluffy kinda shit, Spoiler Warning!

( 1.2K words)

No matter how much time passed, Genya still was a little hesitant around you, hiding himself away in his training far from where you could find him. Not because he didn’t trust you, there wasn’t a living human he felt more comfortable with, but because he hated watching you worry. Only once had you trained with him (after a lot of begging) and it didn’t go well. He hated how your pained eyes watched  as his spent body pushed itself past a point that even he knew was dangerous, watched the anguish he was causing you. That was the only time you’d ever fought so intensely with one another, a screaming match lasted for more than just a that night and had the potential to end your relationship had you not loved each other so much- it was definitely a rough patch to get through. You couldn’t understand why he sacrificed so much of himself, why he couldn’t just be a little selfish so as to rest. Genya couldn’t allow himself to stop though, not for his sake or for yours; he’d do anything for you, including protecting you with his life and that required him to be strong. Now, after he disappears without a word before you wake and returns sweaty and exhausted, all you say is “How was training?” receiving only a curt nod as a reply every time.

You wandered the corridors all afternoon, peaking your head into random rooms from time to time in search of a certain Shinazugawa. You knew Genya had training this morning, but it was almost sunset and still you hadn’t seen him. “Where the hell are you?” your thoughts swirled with a mix of frustration and panic, he was never out this late and at the very least he’d have eaten lunch with you and the others. Consumed by the scenarios playing in your head, you ran flat against a hard pillar that towered over you- the pillar being your dear brother-in-law. “Ah Sanemi! I’m so sorry!” you apologized, quickly bowing over and over again. Genya may not voice it, but you know how much his brother means to him and because of this, you’ve always tried to gain his approval or any sliver of acceptance from the Hashira. Yet as you stare up at his menacing glare, you are reminded that Sanemi was an even harder wall to crack than his younger brother. 

“Oi! Stop apologizing, brat! It's obnoxious” he complained, halting your movement. “What’s got you in such a hurry anyways, need to take piss or something?” he scowled as his large amrs folded in front of his chest, “No actually I was looking for Genya...have you seen him?” you doubted he actually knew but you were desperate at this point. “That brat? Yea I heard he’s been holed up the training room at the other end of the estate” his response was nonchalant but it was music to your ears. “Thank you!” you moved to rush over when Sanemi’s palm gripped the top of your skull. “Wait a second! Shit it’s not like he’s dying”  he grumbled with a solid, painless grip on your hair. ‘Go easy on the kid, he...he needs you around. You’re all he really has.” his eyes never reached yours but the slight pink on his cheeks brought a smile to your lips. “Don’t get the wrong idea though, if you ever tell him I said that I’ll carve your tongue out, damn it!” he wiggled you around like a rag doll before releasing your tresses, leaving without another word. “What a softy”

Loud grunts from the other side of the wooden doors filled your ears as you reached the room, your arms immediately reaching to slide them open. Your orbs widened as they fell on Genya, fist bloody and purple, wreaking havoc upon a wooden dummy and, if the mess is anything to judge by, it wasn’t the first one he’d hit. A booming crack rang throughout the room as wooden shreds scattered about, falling like wooden flakes. Out of the corner of your eye you caught Genya reaching for another dummy, “Genya stop!” you yelled, throwing yourself between him and the dummy, his fist halting centimeters from pummeling your face. “No one called you here shitty women '' he protested without lowering his arm, his gaze boring into your eyes. “What the hell are you doing?! Genya I get you want to work hard and I can’t change that, but you’re hurting yourself! This isn’t healthy” you pleaded, “please just listen to me” you held his fist, not carrying that his blood was staining the clothes you wore. “I don’t fucking get it” he started sourly, allowing you to hold his hands, “no matter what I fucking do, how hard I train, I still can’t compare to those jackasses with their breathing techniques. Compared to them I look like a weak idiot” he seethed. You lifted his chin speaking softly, “Genya you don’t have to be like them to be strong, you’re the only person who can do what you can. I wouldn’t want anyone else at my side protecting me because I believe in you Genya, one hundred percent I believe in you with everything I have”

You were quick to catch the stray tear that fell down his cheek, “This sucks” he chokes, “Sometimes life feels like it does, but things always get better”. “Lets go get those hands bandaged and you in a bath, you smell” the fingers pinching your nose distorted your voice a little, but it was enough to make Genya blush, “Shut up!”

The steam rolled off the water filling the room in its delicious warmth, “You should get in while the water is still hot” you urged grabbing the shampoo and a fluffy towel, placing them at the edge of the bath. Genya watched you expectantly as if waiting for you to do something, “What?” you questioned. Genya’s cheeks blazed red, his eyes not reaching yours as he stuttered, “Turn around if you want me to get into the water, dumbass”. You stared for a moment before turning around, “But I’ve seen you naked more than once” you laughed. Some seconds passed before you heard the plop of Genya’s body submerging itself into the warm water, “Done” he gurgled from underneath. “I’m not a kid Y/n, I can bathe myself” he squirmed as you squeezed the bottle of shampoo into your palm, “Yea but everyone should be spoiled every once in a while”.  You took your time scrubbing his dark curls and rubbing the soap into the shaved sides, the slight brush of your nails over his scalp had Genya almost moaning in content. A warm silence took over the atmosphere, only the splash of water could be heard as you rinsed the suds from his skin and scalp.

“Let me see them” you whispered cooly, disrupting the still air. Genya’s heavy lids fluttered open to find you now next to the tub, the medical kit open on your lap. Shyly, Genya placed his abused fist in your care, wincing every so often when you dabbed the scabs with antiseptic. “You don’t have to tell me everything all the time,” you started, peppering soothing kisses to each freshly bandaged knuckle, “but I’ll be right here” you cupped his calloused palms with your own, offering a gentle smile and kind eyes as if saying “I love you”.  

You waited patiently in bed for Genya to finish and dress, cozy in your own pair of fleece pajamas. You felt someone slither in beside you, cautiously pulling you against their chest. Limbs tangled together, you both fell into a peaceful sleep, lulled away by Genya’s unwavering heartbeat and your even breathing.

Main Masterlist 

[whatgaviiformes]

Fic: Firefly’s Glow - Part 7/?

Chapter 1: Part 1 | Part 2

Chapter 2: Part 3 | Part 4  

 Chapter 3: Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 

You are Here

Chapter 3 completed, if you’d like to read in full on FF | AO3

From the Beginning: FF | AO3

Summary: Imprisoned by the Hood, Gordon dreams of his oldest brother and of fireflies - but of course the Hood had to steal that memory too, in addition to his baldric, his boots, and Virgil’s face. What else could he possibly steal? He discovers the answer is quite a bit, and Gordon has to learn to navigate his new world, its new dangers, and the overbearing presence of his brothers’ desire to help what they can’t fix.

This part ~  1085 words -- a return to Gordon.

_____

There was no doubt that Four was his bird, and therefore his loyalties would always be with her. But Thunderbird Two was her closest sister – and he spent more time with her than even his own ship. Not all rescues were sea rescues, but most rescues required the use of at least one pod and Thunderbird Two to bring them there.

Two would always be Virgil’s, but he’d by lying if he didn’t admit that Two inspired in him her own sense of security, of stability and safety. Many times he’d seen that look of awe on the faces of the people they rescued when they realized they’d get to ride in the green titan of a ship, and that somehow her size and weight load could still challenge some of the fastest ships of their time. Thunderbird Two was not as fast as One or Three, but she was not slow. Two could hold back mountains, carry the heaviest of burdens, and cut through turbulence with the mildest of nudges, laughing at the attempt to push against her solid form. She was much like her pilot in those ways.

She was an amazing creation from his brother’s mind, and Gordon loved her for it. Though, few would truly understand that the things they admired about Two, her steadfastness and gentle protection amidst her size, were extensions of her pilot.

His fingers weren’t as long as Scott’s, but Virgil’s hands were wide with the span to stretch between octaves with ease, sensitive in how they loosely could guide the smallest of paintbrushes over canvas, and yet his grip was firm, his palm callused from lifting. Virgil was both strong and tender, and Gordon always felt comfortable in Virgil’s hands as his teammate in work and brother in life.

By all rights, being in Thunderbird Two’s medical bay with Virgil attending to him should have felt like home. Relief, after what he’d been through. His body, with epinephrine still coursing through, didn’t seem to think the same, his heartbeat rapid in his ears and sweat sticking to his uniform at his chest. The pain he should have been feeling in his ankle and the cuts on his arm was a dull ache.

It wasn’t over.

Virgil was talking.

“I’m just going to grab a med kit,” Virgil said. “Don’t go anywhere.” His brother’s voice was loud in his ears.

A cackle. Oh, I was never going to let you go, Gordon Tracy.

After a few moments of quiet, Virgil set the kit next to Gordon on the bed and started rummaging through it. With a pair of small scissors, he carefully cut the suit where it compressed around his injured ankle and up towards his thigh, but he halted once he reached Gordon’s torso.

“Can you take off the rest of your uniform for me, Squid? Brains wants to examine it for contaminants once we get back to the Island.  See if he can figure out what’s caused this.”  

Thank you for the demonstration. A clatter of metal on dark stone.

He shut his eyes. Let his hands do the work.

Turn the pin until you feel it catch.

“Alan, can you please seal this up?” He didn’t even remember taking the suit off, but Virgil held it clasped between the tongs of a pair of technical tweezers.  “Okay, Gordo. We don’t think the medscanner will work for your size, and we’re worried it could hurt you. So, we have to do this the old-fashioned way. Can I see that arm of yours?”

“Gordon? Earth to Gordon?”

“Thanks, I got this, Alan.”

“Clearly. He’s barely moving.”

“Ah – no,” he coughed, catching up with the request and holding out his arm.  “I-I’m here.”

Soft fingertips, the ones that could coax out concertos, supported his arm with the lightest of touches, and Virgil’s face moved in close to examine the wounds. Gordon shut his eyes quickly and breathed heavily through the onslaught of images.  That horrible, menacing grin as Virgil toyed with him.

Not Virgil. The Hood. You’re running out of time, Gordon Tracy.

He was leaning in so close that he felt his skin crawl.

The aroma of sandalwood from Virgil’s shampoo slammed into him, so overwhelming that he felt his breath catch in his throat and he flinched from the force of it. And yet, tears brimmed at the corners of his eyes as his lungs caught up and the woodsy scent enveloped him like a blanket. The Hood could never have stolen that.

He was with Virgil. In Thunderbird Two.

He inhaled, grounded himself in sandalwood, and opened his eyes.

Virgil was fumbling with the gauze, a few too large strips discarded to the side as he tried again to cut it down to Gordon’s delicate size.  With the smallest strip clenched between his fingers, he began to wrap the small sliver of the healing bandage around Gordon’s limb, struggling with hands too large to wield it.

“I can’t… Ugh!” Virgil’s hands, normally so steady, shook. He tried it again with the tweezers, and, with a frustrated clash, he threw them back into the medical kit when the gauze was still too loose.

“You taught me field medicine,” Gordon rasped as he gestured for the bandages. “So, I can take over, if you cut everything down first.”

“But, Gordon—”

“Please, Virgil. I can do this.” He tried to meet his eye, to tell him he meant it. Sandalwood, he thought amidst the strong, brown gaze. “I just want to get home.” Meanwhile, he heard Alan connecting with John through the communicator. “Turn that off, Alan! We’re fine.”

“But –”

“Off!”

“Gordon, What about your foot?” A tentative touch prodded the pads of his feet.

“I promise you, it’s just a sprain. I can wrap that too.”

“I need to do this.”

“And I need you to take us home.” A heavy sigh, and Virgil’s expression told him that he didn’t like it, but he would do it because it was his brother asking. They agreed to have Alan take over with cutting down bands of gauze and medical tape, and they dialed in Grandma to keep them both company in the medbay.

Virgil stepped back reluctantly and turned back towards the cockpit of Two, with a sparing glance at his siblings before he stepped back through the threshold.

Gordon closed his eyes – Oh, I was never going to let you go – and let Alan babble over him as the fragrance trail of Virgil’s shampoo dissipated

[peach-the-owl]

Or something with the Cree trying to get rid of the child because she see's how they trigger memory's and want to stop it. But Lucien protects them saying how he needs them.

The Anomaly

Child of the Nein (Lucien & Child!Reader)

You genuinely had a hard time figuring out if what you were doing was worth it or not, the Tombtakers weren’t what you’d call "good people" and yet for some reason or another you just couldn’t bring yourself to abandon them. Perhaps it was your childish ignorance at the hope that maybe, just maybe there was a chance you could appeal to Lucien’s better nature or that a sliver of Molly was still in there somewhere. After all it was quite obvious Lucien had grown attached to you, not to mention he could, at times, recall very faint, blurred memories that belonged to Molly, all of which you were involved in. However you weren’t the only one to notice these little moments, a certain tabaxi was also catching on and was starting to perceive you as more of a threat because of it.

Moving ever closer in on the supposed end goal, you were met with an explosive greeting when entering the ruins of Aeor, something that could’ve easily killed you was shielded by Lucien taking the hit for you. You still took some damage and were left with a ringing in your ears as you look around to see Otis, Tyffial, and Zoran all unconscious, Cree badly damaged by the blow and despite Lucien taking most of the hit he was unaffected. Voices came out muffled over the sound of your fast beating heart, tuning out everything as you try and calm yourself from the near death experience. Looking over you can see a few looks of guilt aimed at you by the Nein, so wrapped up in their plans they’d most likely forgotten your presents, even catching sight of Essek with them who looked generally shocked to see you in the first place. You don’t have time to dwell on the matter long as you’re suddenly teleported to another location and on the move, coming back to your senses just in time to feel the effects of a magical quake shake through the area while making your way deeper into the ruins.

"Are ye alright?" Lucien asks kneeling next to you, taking a moment to catch your breaths.

"Ummm, yeah I-I think so." You reply, shaking yourself back into reality again. "Are you okay?" You already knew the answer to the question but just let the words slip out anyways.

"Perfectly fine." He gives you a side smile.

"Of course he’s fine, he’s untouchable." Cree huffs under her breath, though you still catch it. The three of you travel deeper into the ruins, fighting off any creatures that get in the way, Cree and Lucien doing most of the work while you stayed more to the sidelines as support. Finally you find a place to stop and rest taking some time to heal and bandage up your wounds while they conversed with each other. You zone them out as you look yourself over, at this point you now had 6 of those red eyes on you, still not fully sure what each of them do aside from now having darkvision. Those dreams where still present too, always welcoming you, always offering great knowledge and power. The power part you didn’t really need or care much for, but knowledge was a handy thing, however you tried not to fall too deep into their possible false promises. Things were so complicated now and it was hard and exhausting for you to deal with all of this because let’s be real here you were just a kid, you didn’t ask for all this, you just wanted to live a simple, happy, fun filled life with your friends… Who were you kidding, your life was never simple, happy and fun filled at times, yes, but never simple.

"I’ll take watch, you two rest up." Lucien's words pull you away from your thoughts you look up and watch him walk off to patrol the area, leaving you alone with Cree. You try to settle down but the hard stare from the tabaxi was not helping things and you end up staring back.

"Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing." She says with a low growl. Your brows furrow in confusion at her.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about, I’m not really doing anything." You reply, hoping to move away from whatever was happening here.

"Playing stupid isn’t going to work either, I know you’re a cunning one when you want to be." Sure she had a point, you could be quite the little charmer and deceiver but what did that have to do with your current situation? She suddenly pounces on you, one hand grabbing your neck, claws slightly digging into you, making you let out a small yelp.

"What's going on? What are you doing?" You weren’t really thinking, just letting words tumble out in fear and confusion.

"I should’ve gotten rid of you when I first had the chance, but I let you stay thinking you couldn’t do anything to harm our mission. I see now how wrong I was in assuming your presents wouldn’t affect Lucien like you have, placing that imposters memories into his mind! Once he sees how much of an infection you were he’ll be thankful." She sneers, her grip tightening around you as magic sparks to life in her free hand. Every joint in your body erupts in pain, like your blood was being moved in all the wrong directions as Cree holds her focus on you. Unable to move you let out a cry at the feeling of being split apart, then it stops, her weight on you disappears, the pain still lingers but is mostly gone. Slowly, hesitantly you crack open your eyes to see Cree partly sprawled on the ground, like she’d been thrown off of you and looking up nervously. You follow her gaze, landing on Lucien who steps in front of you like a barrier, and while you couldn’t see his face his menacing stance told enough as he then stalks over to the tabaxi.

"Cree." His voice comes out as a growl, while closing in on her. She scrambles to her feet, holding her arms out in defence.

"My Nonagon, please if you would just listen-" She’s cut off by Lucien grabbing hold on the collar of her coat and harshly slamming her up against the wall.

"You are treading very thin ice right now. If I were you I’d choose my next words carefully." His voice comes out as a hiss as he holds an intense stare on her. Cree takes a second to find her words before speaking.

"This child is an anomaly and they’re jeopardizing our goals, don’t you see it? They were originally with that imposter and yet you openly welcomed them. You'd rather save their life then the others, they don’t even serve a purpose! All this child's done is play a few measly songs. They’re messing with your head, and are nothing but trouble you have to believe me!" She explains, pointing an accusing finger in your direction. You never liked how they’d refer to Molly as some "imposter" but knew better then to speak up about it in this tense situation.

"Jeopardizing?" Lucien raises a questioning eyebrow at the word before letting out a low chuckle. "I can’t believe ya feel threatened by them. They have their purpose for being here just as much as you. They haven’t slowed us down either, it’s their rowdy friends that have been the largest obstacle to our plans."

"That’s the other thing, they're friends with those people, shouldn’t that be a sign of trouble?" As much as Cree tried to show confidence, she was shaking, especially when Lucien narrows his eyes at her.

"If anythin', yer the one losing sight to our goal, best get yerself back on track." He lets go of Cree causing her to slid down the wall a small ways before catching herself.

"Why keep them around? What’s their purpose? I have to know!" She blurts out without thinking, covering her mouth in self shock once Lucien gives her a pointed glare.

"You wanna know so badly, do ya?" He lets a sigh. "Fine. For yer sake think of it like this; every ruler needs an heir, every god an avatar." He pauses, giving you a chance to also let this information sink in, thoughts flooding your head trying to figure out if there was more meaning behind this. Cree also seemed to be having a hard time wrapping her head around what was said to her, she opens her mouth to say something but Lucien beats her to it. "Now that that’s all sorted out, this conversation is over. Since we don’t wish to rest here, let’s get a move on." He then walks over to you and offers a hand, with slight hesitance you reach up and take it letting him hoist you back onto your feet and start leading you farther down into darkened city of Aeor.

"Is-is that really all I’m here for?" You will up the courage to ask, looking up at him still a little confused, he stares back down at you with a softened expression compared to how he looked at Cree earlier.

"Only if ye want to look at it at face value. There’s more to it then that, but I suppose some just wouldn’t want to understand." He gives a side look over at his loyal cleric who now walks a bit of a distance behind the two of you.

[there-must-be-a-lock]

Seasons Change

Steve x Bucky

Word Count: 1110

Warnings: It’s sexy but not smutty. Some groping and grinding, lots of sass, lots of sweet reunion feels. 

A/N: @fangirlxwritesx67​ sent a prompt, asking for a late-night hookup in a car before or after a date. This is not exactly that. Inspiration and title from Fall Out Boy’s “The Take Over, The Breaks Over.” 

There’s just a sliver of moon visible in the sky, but Bucky can see well enough. He gets up slowly from his makeshift bedroll and picks his way around the dark shapes in the grass, carefully silent. Someone’s snoring, insects are humming through the trees at the edge of the pasture, but for the most part, it’s quiet. 

He can already imagine Steve’s disapproving scowl: You should be resting, Buck. You promised me you’d get some sleep. Gotta take care of yourself.

He’s achy as hell, exhausted to the bone, but he’s fine, and that’s a bit of a shock, all things considered. 

Shove it, pal... you big damn hypocrite.  

Bucky can’t count the number of times Steve ignored shit — a fever, a cough, the fact that he was outmatched — until he ended up on his ass, unable to walk, and Bucky had to carry him home and tuck him into bed… and there’s the problem, maybe. Steve won’t be weak or fragile or outmatched ever again. His body has changed; what else will change with it?  

Yeah. They haven’t had a second alone since they started marching, and Bucky can’t stop wondering if this changes everything. He couldn’t sleep if he wanted to. 

Their “camp” is an abandoned barn in a little cleared hollow, and there’s enough shelter for those that wanted a roof over their heads, but most of the rescued men had chosen to sleep outside. The sight of stars is some kind of magic right now. 

Steve offered to keep watch, of course, even though he’s only in marginally better shape. Bucky can just make out the shape of him perched on top of their stolen tank. He’s leaning back on his hands, head tilted back, staring up at the sky. 

His shoulders are too broad.  

Even though Bucky’s footsteps are barely audible to his own ears, Steve starts as he approaches, twisting around to look at him. When he realizes who it is, he lets out a quiet huff of a sigh. 

“Should be resting,” Steve mutters, but his voice wobbles. 

Bucky ignores him and clambers up to join him on top of the tank, and he pauses at the top of the ladder. Steve’s face is in shadow, hiding his reaction as Bucky slides closer. 

He doesn’t know what to do with himself, so he forces a smirk and quips, “Come here often?” 

“Jesus, Buck, I — get over here.” 

He all but throws himself at Steve, and they crash together in a frantic, blistering-hot kiss. Bucky’s half-kneeling over him, one hand fisted in the front of his jacket and the other braced on cool metal, and the angle is awkward as hell until Steve grabs him and fucking yanks him onto his lap. The strength in his grip is new, but the way he kisses is the same, biting and demanding and intense. 

One or both of them is trembling.

They shouldn’t be doing this — holy shit they should not be doing this, not here, out in the fucking open like this — but he’s not sure how he lived without Steve’s mouth for the last few months. If he starts thinking about how close he came to losing this… fuck. 

All at once Bucky realizes what an idiot he’s been, to think that anything could change what they are to each other. 

He can’t hold back the soft, shredded, wounded-animal sound he makes against Steve’s lips. 

It’s too loud in the quiet night. They freeze, break apart — just enough to breathe. 

“No privacy,” Bucky whispers, letting out a shaky huff of laughter. “Shit. Just wanted to talk.” 

He’s trying to muster some self-control, trying to pull away, when he feels Steve perk up — it takes him a split-second to realize what Steve’s about to say. 

“That’s a fuckin’ terrible idea,” he says firmly, before Steve can get the words out, but his hands are sliding under Bucky’s sweater, gripping his hips, and that’s not helping with Mission Self-Control.

“I mean, it’s private…” 

“Stevie. Don’t give me that look.” Bucky lets out a strangled sort of “Guh,” when Steve nips his earlobe. “Jesus. You’re a goddamn menace.” 

“Get in the tank, Buck.” 

“So romantic. Is this where you take all your dates?” 

“What, saving your ass from a mad scientist wasn’t romantic enough? I thought that was a helluva date.” 

Bucky rolls his eyes, holding back laughter as he slides inside. 

The teasing makes him feel a little less like he’s about to come out of his skin; it’s familiar, a rhythm he knows like breathing. At least some things haven’t changed. They’ll never stop bickering; water is wet; the sky is blue; Steve will never stop being a reckless little shit, and Bucky will never be able to say no to him.   

Steve shuts the hatch and drops down next to him, and before Bucky can grope around in the pitch-black interior, Steve grabs him. He sits on one of the swiveling seats and pulls Bucky down too, manhandling him into place like it’s nothing until Bucky’s straddling him. 

“Finally got the muscle to match your bossy goddamn personality,” Bucky snarks, more breathless than he’d like to admit. 

It’s surreal, how new and familiar it feels, all at once. His chest is solid muscle, but Bucky would know the shape of that smirk anywhere.

Steve slides his hands up Bucky’s thighs, kissing him hard enough to bruise, and drags him closer. Bucky manages not to make a stupid noise, but the first roll of Steve’s hips leaves him feverish — the second, practically boneless, his limbs all liquid heat and tingling, and at the third he honest-to-god whimpers. He arches into the slow rough grind and groans, dizzy with how much he needs this. 

“Can I—” Steve gasps out. 

Instead of finishing the sentence he tries to open Bucky’s belt without actually putting any distance between them. They almost fall sideways trying to get their hands on each other. 

The angle's all wrong, but the first curl of Steve’s fingers along the head of his dick has Bucky’s head spinning. He shoves a hand down between them and strokes clumsily, and Steve’s just as hard as he is. 

“At least the important things didn’t change,” he observes, but his throat is tight and the words come out all strained and broken. 

“Smartass,” Steve whispers, voice cracking. He does the thing with his wrist that makes Bucky see sparks. “God, I missed you. I thought—”

“Don’t, okay?” He exhales shakily. “I’m here.”

“Love you,” Steve murmurs. 

“So fuckin’ much.” 

Yeah. The important things haven’t changed. Bucky’s pretty sure they never will. 

.

.

.

More MCU fic here. 

If you enjoyed this, please reblog or leave a note here! 

[mavda]

Beast Tamers

Ch.1 |  Ch.2 | Ch.3 | Ch.4(1) | Ch.4(2) | Ch.5(1) | Ch.5(2) | Ch.5(3) | Ch.5(4) | Ch.6(1) | Ch.6(2) | Ch.6(3) | Ch.7(1) | Ch.7(2) | Ch.7(3) | Ch.7(4) | Ch.7(5) | Ch.8(1) | Ch.8(2) | Ch.8(3) | Ch.9(1) | Ch.9(2) | Ch.9(3) | Ch.9(4) | Ch.10(1) | Ch.10(2) | Ch.10(3) | Ch.10(4) |

Ch.10: The Two-Tails (5)

Naruto can feel the eyes of every Beast Tamer on him. Their faces look forward, but their eyes follow whatever little sound reverberates in the room. 

His voice gets lost in the echo and the Two-Tails puts the paper down before letting out a sigh. 

Silence.

"Do you mind if I check the document?" 

The Two-Tails gives him a polite smile before sending her guard over to his seat. Sai stands between the man and him, his hand outreached. 

The two have a brief stand-off that makes Naruto realize the intentions of this meeting immediately. Sai moves the paper in his hands, activating whatever poison or seal could be in it, and hands his lord the paper. 

Formal, with the proper signatures and stamps. Real.

"When did you receive this letter?"

"5 days ago, when all of the Beast Tamers present were on their way here."

Naruto gives the document another once-over before giving it back to Sai. He wants the meeting to start, but he is not today's host.

So they all wait. Wait for the letter to go back to the Two-Tails, wait for her to read the letter again, wait for her to rearrange the papers on her desk and wait for her to whisper something to her guard.

They wait and Naruto crosses his arms over his chest in an attempt to have his body do anything but generate stress.

The meeting is nothing short of excruciating. Information they already have being shared to a nauseating degree. The Two-Tails and the Four-Tails bickering back and forth on measures they have already taken. 

Naruto zeroes in on the Four-Tails, on his ashen beard and haggard appearance. He does look like a man that cheated death, and Naruto now wants to know how.

The Four-Tails catches him looking, but Naruto doesn’t look away. The old man gives him a once-over with the blankest expression he can muster. They leave the meeting several hours later and with bored faces and with no amicable feelings for the other. 

Naruto walks all the way back with his hands inside his sleeves, with Sai right behind him and whispering the things he caught on before reaching their quarters. 

Shino sits in a chair overlooking the buildings outside, the sunlight washing over his dark hair as the sun sets in the distance. His bugs are moving around, but they aren’t noticeable to those that don’t know how to look for them.

Ino lays in one of the beds, her body carefully positioned on her side, with a pillow under her head and the covers over her feet. 

Neither Naruto nor Sai say anything and go on with their day as if nothing happened. Naruto sits in order to meditate, remembering step by step the teachings Jiraiya shared with him. His chakra envelops the room and then the hallways, and then farther and farther away, till his energy is laid thin and easy. A part of himself. 

Sai conjures little ink serpents that slither under the door and out their room, watches as his lord meditates and controls his unruly chakra and then concentrates on his own technique.  

They share their findings once Ino comes back to her body. She looks out of it, but they all know it’s only an after effect of her mind being in another body for an extended period of time. Her eyes are glossy and she seems to not hear a thing, but she has long told them that her mind is in top shape and it’s only her body that needs time acclimating. 

Nothing looks out of the ordinary, and although they find people being more cautious than usual most can be attributed to a Beast Tamer meeting taking place.

“So what was the meeting for?” asks Ino after her own report, now with the blanket around her body and looking at her lord with unclouded icy blue eyes.

“Nothing,” Naruto shrugs. He cracks his neck and sighs. “We mostly just talked about things we all know about. Shit, I zoned out halfway through, honestly. Sai, did they say anything important?”

“No, my lord.”

Shino plays with a bug on his hand and then raises his head, his black round glasses catching the light in the room, making him look more menacing than usual.

“What do you think is the purpose of this, then?”

“You tell me,” Naruto laughs. “And since none of you found even a sliver of something weird, then I guess the Two-Tails is clear?”

“I wouldn’t be so quick to-” starts Sai, but Naruto raises his hands in defeat. 

“I know, I know, but if you haven’t found anything, then what? Are we supposed to keep an eye on the Four-Tails? He looks like he can drop dead at any mo-”

Naruto stops abruptly, his own mind reeling in. A man with a Beast inside of him who was supposed to die at any moment. A group of people who seemed to be able to somewhat control said Beasts. Maybe-

“Are you maybe thinking that he’s in on it with the Uchiha?” Ino says before Naruto finishes his thoughts.

He looks at her with a confused look, unsure of what he’s even thinking.

“It could be an option,” Ino keeps on talking. Her own eyebrows now scrunched in concentration. “We have kept our attention on the Two-Tails because her actions seemed suspicious, but…” 

Ino’s face seems to come to a realization, her face lighting up immediately. “She suspects all of us,” Naruto seems ready to argue, but Ino explains immediately, “you are Beast Tamers who survived a full on attack from this so called Uchiha group, she was the only one out of the loop. You all seem suspicious and-”

“We kept to ourselves after the fact,” Shino’s monotonous voice chimes in, “she only has our stories to know what happened, and she’s trying to guess who is the one teaming up with the Uchiha, too.”

“I guess my attitude then was not the best,” Naruto laments. “Then…”

“I wouldn’t rule her out so soon, anyways,” Sai shares. 

Ino rearranges the blanket around her, and while she nods at Sai in agreement, she seems sure of the course of action to follow. “We know our lord isn’t in it with the Uchiha,” at her words Naruto gives her a grateful smile Ino accepts with a serious face, “I would also stick my neck out for Lord Gaara too, which leaves us with the Two-Tails and the Four-Tails, and since we haven’t found anything in here, her territory, it just doesn’t hurt to try and follow that man around to check who’s in contact with him.”

“I will send insects his way then.”

“What is he waiting for, though?” Naruto asks, looking around the room. “There is still the possibility that we are all clean, right?”

“Unlikely,” says Shino and Ino gives Naruto a shrug as an answer. 

“Well, let me drea-”

Shino startles one second and the next Sai whips his head in the direction of the door, his hand to his lips. 

Naruto’s eyes lock on the door, but unlike his guards, he can only sense someone the moment they stand near the door. 

“Have you already sent the report back home, Sai?” Naruto talks with a casual volume, changing the topic of their conversation as the guest outside tries to pry. 

“Not yet, my lord, it will be sent before midnight, though, rest assured.”

“Good, make sure to write in the news of the Six-Tails.”

“Yes, my lord.”

Naruto looks at Shino, as it seems the person outside has left, but his guard shakes his head no, and as such they have to keep on their charade.

Ino takes over then, making small chat with her lord as if they had come to this place as a vacation. As the leading spy specialist, she has trained herself to be able to talk about everything and give out nothing, so Naruto just lets her lead him topic after topic. 

Shino keeps his concentration on the door outside and Sai takes the moment to give another once-over to the room. 

It’s almost an hour later that Shino gives them the ok to speak freely again. 

“From the Two-Tails or the Four-Tails?” Inquires Ino immediately after.

“I’m following him, it’s hard to tell.” Shino’s brow is furrowed.

His technique is easier to control the more bugs there are, sending only one over distances makes it an incredibly sensible operation, so Ino stops asking questions and stands with the blanket around her body, “Do you think maybe they’ll attack today?”

“That would be a bold move,” Sai shares, his back to the wall near the windows, his eyes scanning around.

“Well, seems they are bold.” Naruto can’t help but remember the attack on the Summit. “Whatever, we’ll fight them here, it’s better for us.”

“Yes, my lord. We know what to do,” Ino assures, and Naruto sighs before letting his head hang for a second.

“The ink snakes have been dispelled, nothing out of the ordinary.”

“Maybe, tomorrow then, we have to sleep anyway.”

Sai nods, “Please do so, I will keep guard.”

Shino is the last one to prepare for bed, as he waited until he followed their guest to their room. But it seemed to be just a servant that gathered information for the Two-Tails, so they end up where they started. 

With more questions than answers and just preparing themselves for a fight. 

Naruto lets himself fall loudly on the bed while Shino arranges his clothes on his nightstand. Sai leaves his bag on his bed, but his back doesn’t leave the side of the window. 

Ino sits on the edge of her bed, right next to Sai. “You can wake me up for a couple of hours, you know.”

Sai blinks rapidly at her, surprised at her gesture. “Please, do not worry about me, I am trained to spend days without sleep, I will be fine.”

Ino lets the comb move through her hair, adding an air of nonchalance to her words, “I am not going to die for a couple of hours without sleep.”

Sai tilts his head and follows her hands as they move through her blond hair, the light catching on some strands. “Please do not worry, you are vital for this operation to succeed, as is Shino, let me take the burden of guarding.”

Naruto sits and finds himself entranced by this display between Sai and Ino. The moment Ino nods and says goodnight to Sai and Sai only gives back a nod back, makes Naruto want to do something. “Sai,” he starts, but Naruto immediately feels tension coming from Ino, so he relents, “you are right, Ino is super important here, so thanks for being so understanding.”

Sai is still confused at all this worry surrounding him, as he is known to be in a special unit that specializes in taking care of the clan’s dirty work. Sleep has never been an issue. So he tilts his head once more, “It is my honor, my lord.” And somehow Lord Naruto seems somewhat dissatisfied with his answer so Sai presses, “I will guard you with my life, please have a good rest.”

Naruto gives him a weird smile Sai mimics, and they look at each other without understanding anything. 

“Yeah, right, let’s catch some sleep.” Naruto falls back to his bed, snuggles into his bedclothes and tries his best to soften up the tension. “I mean, what’s the probability we get jumped at night, right?” He adds a tired laugh, in a show of good humor.

But Shino says, without opening his eyes and without moving a muscle in his body, “Highly likely, my lord, as we are at our most vulnerable and the enemy will most likely try to exploit our weaknesses. Attacking us at this time would raise his probability of landing a critical hit exponentially.”

Naruto doesn’t know whether Shino is joking or not, so he waits a second, but there is no punchline and no laugh after. He worries he will have to explain his sense of humor and at this point in time he feels it’s too la-

“It was a joke, Shino,” Ino says, her voice quiet, “Lord Naruto said it as a joke.” 

Shino remains silent and Naruto wonders whether the man knows about his remarks being oddly serious in a funny setting. Maybe this is his way of joking?

After a few seconds Sai speaks, “I’m sorry I didn’t understand your joke either, my lord, but since it was meant as one, uh, ha ha.”

Ino sighs deeply and Naruto has to awkwardly shake off this encounter. “Let’s just sleep.” 

Silence falls around them and Sai keeps his attention on the outside.

[thatwirddemonhunter]

Bager in the Light, by Lucifer Buitrago part 1

Tage Hopp was not a particularly religious man, but that morning he thought "maybe there is a god, and I made him mad." He had a badger face! He didn't feel that strange, but he looked strange. He always had a beard and his face was almost always covered in dirt and grime, his long brown hair was still there although a little thicker, the fangs he gained didn't sit very well in his mouth and his hands had long nails or claws, what's the difference? In short, he felt hairier than normal; and hungry. "I should get some food before I fully become a badger," he said.

The weather outside was cold and dark, the sea was roaring loudly and dangerously. The day was like any other at the lighthouse and the tiny island it resided on.It was a small island situated off the coast of Wick, though the men that Tage worked with did not hail from the small fishing town.

The men that he worked with were very loud and annoying. He came to the island to get away from folks like them and instead is put with them, on a secluded hellscape. There were four: Erengisle Laxman,Oren Bloom,Xavier and Kohen Gill. The Gill brothers were the rowdiest in Tage's mind since he shared a room with them. Laxman was the second loudest, though a happy and joys kind of loud, and he was the most knowledgeable on account of his age; though he is more aware of other people then the other three, and always soft spoken when he talked to Tage. Bloom was a large and booming man, and his voice reflected that, always barking orders, speaking with his mouth full of food and yelling when something was not done his way, normally Laxman would intervin and calm him down. The only one Tage liked to be around was Olga, an old russin hound, no one knows where she came from, not even Laxman, but she is vital to running the lighthouse. Why you may ask, and I shall repeat this once more, no one knows. The only reason Tage really stays is if he goes home it will be worse. At least you can reason with a person that is not related to you, well for the most part.

As Tage was thinking this, Bloom came into the room, booming voice and everything. Lucky for him did not see Tage in his badger from due to the curtain dividing the room.

"Hopp, get up! Now!", it was a miracle the twins didn't wake up.

"And wake those two.I got a bone to pick with them" he said

"I'll get to it sir" Tage responded.

"AND-"

"I know what to do sir"

"Watch your mouth young man!"

BOOM, went to the boor as Bloom left the room, as he did every morning.

After sitting still for a little bit, he got up and checked if the other two were awake and not to his surprise they were fast asleep.The Gill brothers came from a large family like Tage, so they could sleep through anything. Sadly,Tage did not learn this trick;instead he had to learn to sleep anywhere quiet and secluded, like the top of the lighthouse. So instead of following Bloom’s orders, Tage left the twins alone and got ready for the day.

Now normally he gets dressed quickly, mostly due to the cold, but with the new fur that had grown overnight it felt like he did not need to dress but did either way. As soon as he finished clothing himself he left the room to do his morning chores. Hopefully with no one seeing him. Laxman was still asleep, and waking him was the first thing he needed to do.

Laxman was a deep sleeper and Tage knew he had to go in and physically move him.That made him have to think through his next move, as no one had seen him yet and he was not too sure that their reaction would be as calm as his.

The plan he concocted involved Olga and some very sneaky hiding since Bloom was already awake. As Tag went out, he took off his shoes to make his step much quieter.Once outside, he went looking for Olga, and it did not take him long. Tag had thought that she would growl and snarl at his new looks, but he had worried for nothing, she knew him immediately. Tag loved Olga’s company, he had promised that once he got a better job that he would take Olga with him but always got stopped by the old geezers, Laxman and Bloom.Mostly Laxman. Always Laxman, Bloom just stood there looking menacing.

As he got Olga through the house and toLaxmans door he got her level."Now listen Olga, I need you to do something for me" he said at the derpy borzoi."You're going into Laxman's room, and jump on him, got it" he got no response but knew by the look in her eyes she understood the plan.Tage let Olga in the room through a sliver of the door opening then closed and waited. Not for long though, as he heard a very loud but happy "OLGA?!".

After that, he went to check the chores list and in big booming letters after his name "WAKE XAVIER AND KOHEN" followed by a small polite "please". Now there's no point in avoiding it, Bloom was probably mad now and for the next couple of days too. Seeing this made Tage realize that Bloom might of unitentiely woke them and he had to go back either way to get his tools for the fog horn.Now this time there was no Olga to send in. He went back to his room to see if the Twins were awake and as he neared the door he heard them.

"Where do you think that little imp went, any who?" said Xavier, with his gruff voice.

"I don't know, but when I see him, he going to get an earful, he is!" Kohen said, clearly angry.

The Twins were from Leeds and never spoke proper English, Bloom didn’t either but that was because he spoke Yiddish and Laxman claims he hails from Bristol but his Scottish accent betrays him.The Twins were from Leeds and never spoke a proper English, Bloom didn't either but that was because he spoke Yiddish and Laxman claims he hails from Bristol but his Scottish accent betrayed him. Tage was the odd one out with his "proper London '' as Xavier called his accent; and because of it the brothers push him around, making him out to be a weak noble or something and Bloom belittles him with every word.

Hearing them made Tage want to throw them off the light, straight into the water, maybe the sirens will get them, after this morning anything is possible. But why was he thinking that he's got a job to do, just ignore them. Tage went in without thinking, got his coat and tools and left. He just marched out, ignoring everything and went to fix the horn.

After an hour or so he heard some barking and turned to see Olga with Erengisle Laxman, staring at him with a mix of shock, confusion and a little bit of fear. Olga was just happy to see him, and she came to him looking for treats as always. Seeing her come up to Tage made Laxman snap out of his shock.

“H-hey Tage, can we talk to you?” the terrified voice of Laxman followed. No one had seen him all morning in his new badger for, with the exception of Olga, but she made no fuss about his looks. Laxman was being cautious around him but Tage assumed it was because of the badger face. He sat next to Tage and started to speak again.

"So... it is Tage under there... still, right?" he asked

"Yeah. Just harrier." an awkward silence followed.

"This isn’t the first time appears with an..." he jesters to Tages head "an creater of sorts."

"I'm having a hard time believing that Eren."

"No really, where do you think Olga came from?"

"WHAT?" Tage yelled.

“No no no no no, I've realized that was a bad joke. Sit back down lad.” he said to Tage making the motion to sit back. Tage had a feeling that this was his way of coping with the fact his co-worker had the features of a badger. Olga just rested her head on Tages lap.

[babycracker]

Fire Meet Gasoline: Chapter 6

chapter rating: teen & up story rating: explicit pairing: morgan/m!oc (tanner drake) & farah/f!oc (sadie kennedy) word count: ~2.7k chapter warnings: none story warnings: eventual smut, canon-typical violence, au - canon divergent a/n: as you can see, pairings have changed and i've added some warnings for the future bc this entire story has taken an unexpected turn and it's going to be much bigger than manner now. please don't hesitate to let me know if you wanna be taken off of the tags!

read it on ao3 here

--

Sadie was sure that she'd have more time than this. Six months isn't long, after all. Well, technically four months. She's been basically on the run for the last two.

She'd had four months to enjoy being twenty-one before the Agency had contacted her about signing the treaty, and for the two months since not so politely telling them to shove it she'd been dodging the bounty hunter that she'd evidently been assigned to.

He was an idiot. A troll, she was sure of it. Big and imposing and clumsy and menacing… but stupid. She hasn't seen him in a few weeks though, and she's starting to relax, fairly sure that she's lost him.

So, for the first time in the week and a half that she's been in this city she's daring to leave her room at the hostel and check out some of what could well be her new home. She pulls her hoodie on, reluctantly pulling the hood over her head and eyeing the bland grey of the fabric with disdain for a moment. Dreadfully boring, and dreadfully cliché - a banshee roaming around donning a grey hood - but she still needs to keep a low profile. Just for a little bit longer.

Everyone's heard about the supernatural bar in the city, such things are not exactly common, though no one seems to know where it is. It would seem the only way to find out is by word of mouth, and unfortunately she doesn't know anyone here, and she can't exactly go up to random people and ask them where the local supernaturals hang.

It would really be preferable; at just over 4'3 she doesn't exactly fit in with humans, but she supposes she'll just have to make do as she heads down the street. She sticks cautiously close to the buildings, avoiding the laughing groups of people and curiously looking around at the bright and colourful nightlife.

She could get used to this.

But for now, she resigns herself to something less flashy, a not quite as cheerful and slightly shabby bar with a bright green neon sign shining from its façade reading Shakers.

Looks good enough for now, so she steps inside, a grin spreading across her face as she takes in the atmosphere. God she's missed being around humans, and this place is packed with some of the rowdiest ones she's ever seen. Her favourite kind.

There's no dancing space as far as she can see (disappointing) but the bar is huge and there are booths lining every wall, the space in the middle filled with several pool tables.

She weaves her way through the crowd, thankfully remaining largely unnoticed, and slips up onto a stool at the bar, breathing out a sigh of relief now that her height is less obvious. She spins around on her seat, leaning one elbow on the bar and watching a group of guys at the closest pool table, trying (unsuccessfully) to gather some kind of hint at how to play the game, when a voice from behind distracts her.

"What are you drinking, pretty?"

She turns, expecting to find a bartender but instead there's a man on her side of the bar and uncomfortably close, a charming and yet slightly unsettling smile on his face. She forces one to her own to keep her frown away, the eerie sense of this guy being bad news creeping through her mind and making her thoughts slightly foggy.

“I’m really not much of a drinker, thanks anyway.”

He’s good looking enough, blonde hair, bright blue eyes and dimples in both cheeks on proud display as he grins at her. But her advanced senses are ringing every bell inside of her, warning her not to trust him.

“C’mon darl, no one comes to a bar unless they want a drink,” he presses, reaching out and letting his fingertips brush against the sliver of bare wrist peeking out from the sleeve of her hoodie.

She gasps and recoils too fast to be able to reign it in, her face twisting into a frown as she pulls her sleeves down and clutches them in her fists to cover her hands entirely. She really should've worn her gloves.

Demon.

He lifts both hands in front of him, a kind of peace offering, and takes a slight step back. “Woah, take it easy. I didn’t mean to overstep.”

“It’s fine,” she clears her throat, hoping it’ll take the obvious rasp out of her voice as she struggles to get any words out at all. He grins and slides onto the stool next to her.

“If I promise not to touch you again, will you come and join us?”

She eyes him carefully for a moment before letting out a resigned sigh and giving a small nod. He seems nice enough, respectful enough. And she’s never been given any kind of guarantee that her perception is always one hundred percent accurate. Maybe she gets it wrong sometimes. Maybe she’s been disregarding people her entire life based on what she sees of them on the inside, and some of them didn’t deserve disregarding.

She’s been on her own since she ran away from home after her parents’ relentless persistence that she signed the Agency’s treaty became too much, she could do with some friends. Maybe now she can’t afford to turn down every single person that gives her a slight dishonest vibe. Who is completely honest these days anyway?

He grins again and gets to his feet, nodding towards one of the pool tables as a gesture for her to follow him. “I’m Axle.”

“Sadie,” she replies, reluctantly slipping off her seat and noticing the way he immediately arches an eyebrow at her height. He’s a demon, a supernatural, he’s probably already worked out that she’s not human and she just about winces as she waits for the inevitable questions.

They don’t come, however. He’s either much more polite than she’d expected, naïve and just thinks that she’s short, or he’s already worked out what she is and is choosing to stay quiet about it in this public space.

She follows him over to the pool table where a group of five other men are standing around playing a game, and a brief wave of panic surges through her when she realises that they’re probably all demons. They usually hang out with their own kind, and it would mean that she’s heavily outnumbered by a group of supernaturals far more dangerous and powerful than she is.

They barely spare her a glance though as she comes to stand at Axle’s side, and he barely offers an introduction in turn, instead waving his arm around the group and simply referring to them as “the guys”.

It’s probably for the best. She can handle one demon, should the need arise, she can slink away from him unnoticed, but once she has the attention of an entire group of them she’s not exactly sure how she’d get away if she needed to.

--

For someone that doesn’t talk a whole lot, Morgan sure spends a lot of time on the phone. Tanner hadn’t expected her to be so… clingy. She seems to really miss the rest of Unit Bravo now that she’s stuck away from them, which seems strange to him given that he’d assumed she wasn’t so different from him and would enjoy the break and getting to do her own thing (apart from having to work with him, of course) for a while.

But she’s on the phone again. Granted, she’s talking to Adam about their mission, but still. The number of questions she’d had about what they were supposed to do had been alarming to Tanner until he’d realised that she was most likely just coming up with the need for so much clarification as an excuse to speak to someone from her team.

Whatever her reasons though, he’s bored. He gets bored quite often with her, he realises, and he finds himself watching her on the other side of the room from where he’s kicked back on the couch, obviously and shamelessly checking her out as she paces and speaks in a hushed voice into the phone. Maybe it’d be different if he worked with her a little more; in regard to both her flirtation and their current job. At first, it’d been fun to irk her and get on her nerves but it’s already starting to get old - even for him - and he decides that maybe he should make more of an effort to be agreeable if they’re going to be stuck together for now. Or he could at least sleep with her. That might relieve some of her tension and get her to stop being such a hardass, at least.

She runs a hand through her hair and turns to face him, scowling when she notices his attention and lifting her middle finger at him before turning away.

He grins and sits up straight when she finally ends the call and turns to face him again.

“They want us to go to that bar tonight,” she tells him before he has a chance to say anything, and he groans dramatically and slides down to a slouching position, throwing his head back against the back of the couch and closing his eyes.

“It’s all work with you,” he complains, opening his eyes again when he hears her moving and watching her cross the room and start to pull her jacket on.

“We are on a job at the moment, so yeah, it’s all work.”

“You know this place isn’t gonna be like Mickey’s, right?”

She pulls a face, only small and only for the briefest second but he catches it anyway and for the first time sees how uncertain she is about having to be in that kind of environment.

“You gonna be good?” he adds, trying to sound at least a little sympathetic.

It actually surprises him how much he cares about how much this is going to affect her, and not just for the job. It’s going to be a pain in the ass, definitely. Having to keep an eye on her and make sure she’s not overwhelmed while trying to do his job at the same time, but more than that, whenever he thinks about how painful this is going to be for Morgan his stomach twists slightly, churning uncomfortably and making him feel… he doesn’t even know. Worried? Is this what worry for somebody else is?

Probably not. He’s probably just dreading having to babysit her.

--

He can already practically hear her teeth grinding by the time they get to the door of Shakers, let alone inside. They can hear (to be fair, godawful) rock music as well as the noise of what sounds like a pretty big crowd through the door, and he casts a glance in her direction. Her jaw’s clenched, brow furrowed, and eyes narrowed as she stares at the door before turning to the side and meeting his gaze.

“What? We going in or not?” she snaps, and he shrugs and waves a hand at her, gesturing to her general demeanour.

“I dunno, are we?”

She rolls her eyes and steps away from him, but he sees her shoulders rise and fall as she takes a deep breath before pushing the door open.

It’s loud. Really loud. Not too bright at least, but even he immediately catches the faint scent of alcohol, cigarettes and weed in the air. He can only imagine how strong it is to her.

His concerns for her are quickly overshadowed though when it takes less than a minute for his eyes to land on a group of men playing pool near the back of the room. He recognises them straight away, which means that they’re going to recognise him straight away and they’ll be gone before he and Morgan have gotten anywhere near them.

“Shit,” he mutters, ducking his head and turning to face Morgan more so as to turn himself away from them.

“What?” she snaps, glaring at him and not seeming to realise that something’s gone wrong, too caught up in trying to distract herself from the sensations bombarding her.

“I know them,” he answers distractedly, looking her up and down for a moment before casting a quick glance around the room in search of somewhere quieter. Something that doesn’t seem to exist in this bar.

He grabs her hand and pulls her over to the bar, nudging her to sit up on one of the stools and standing beside her, draping an arm over her shoulders and leaning in close to her. The close contact seemed to work the previous day when she was starting to become overwhelmed on the street outside, there’s no reason to think that it won’t work again in here.

“What do you mean you know them?” she asks, her voice a little less impatient as she leans back against him slightly, and he doesn’t miss the soft sigh of relief she lets out as he feels her body start to relax a little.

He doesn’t know why physical contact with him, of all people, seems to help her out but he’s going to count it as a bonus when it means that he’s able to set her at ease enough for her to function in these situations.

He glances back towards the pool table, but looks away again just as quickly, leaning down closer to Morgan to hide his face when he sees that the group are starting towards the door.

“They know you?” Morgan finally seems to click on, looking quickly towards the group and then back at him, and he only just realises how close he’s gotten to her when her nose just about brushes against his when she does it.

“Mhm,” he distractedly hums in reply, and she studies him for a moment before a small smirk crosses her face.

“I’ve been trying to get this close to you since we met, and now you’re telling me all it would’ve taken was a few demons to scare you?”

This bitch. He frowns at her, his arm dropping away from her shoulders as he straightens up again and moves away from her, temporarily forgetting that he’s trying to hide himself.

“I am not scared.” He spits indignantly.

Of all the things for her to say. Scared.

“You sure, sweetheart?”

Condescension drips from every word and his frown deepens into a glare. “Fuck you.”

“They’re going to see you,” she ignores his insult and nods behind him, and his eyes dart towards the group that have thankfully already moved past him when he remembers that whatever she thinks about him, them seeing him would be a disaster and if they knew that he was after them they’d be looking for them for weeks.

He subtly watches them go, waiting until the last two people are through the door, a blonde guy and a freakishly short girl, and then grabs Morgan’s hand and pulls her off of the stool. “Come on.”

He practically drags her out onto the street, making sure to keep a fair distance away from the group without losing sight of them through the crowd until he realises where they’re going.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Morgan mutters from beside him, obviously realising the same thing at the same time, and he stops and watches them step through the doors of the same motel that they’re staying in.

He grins and looks over at her, letting go of her hand. “Our job just got a whole lot easier.”

“You think?”

He doesn’t bother answering, just heads towards the motel once he’s sure that they’ve had a chance to get to their room and he’s not about to run into them in the lobby.

He’s stayed here countless times, he knows pretty much the entire reception staff, it shouldn’t be too hard for him to find out what room they’re staying in and pay them a visit when they’re not expecting it. Then all he needs to do is convince Morgan that he doesn’t need her help with his next job, they can go their separate ways, and everyone will be happy.

--

tags (let me know if you want to be added or removed): @admdmrtn @masonsfangs @homeformyheart @mmerengue @agentsunshine @bravomckenzie @freckles-spangledvampire @mistyeyedbi @kelseaaa @fhauvilles @amlovelies @forestcreatures @maraudern05 @kat-tia801 @alyssalauren @agentnolastname @utterlyinevitable @masonscig

[k7l4d4]

A New Perspective: Owl House AU Story

Hello All, today, I am going to embark on a Collaboration with my good friend, Flamestar50! Everybody clap your hands!!

Standing in the main living room of the Owl House, a face off of epic proportions was taking place. With this, the entire fate of this ragtag band of misfits would be changed forever...

“I play, THE WILD CARD!!” With a victorious shout, Eda slammed down her Wild Card, winning herself the game of, you guessed it, Hex’s Holdem, much to the annoyed groans of her sister and King.

“Edalyn, please. Reconsider!” Lilith pleaded, desperate to try and gain some measure of caution from her sister before she did something stupid. “Was playing a mere card game really necessary to decide what to do with the shard of the portal Luz recovered!?”

Eda turned an annoyed glare her sister’s way. She had committed to this, and she would not be swayed. And besides, “Need I remind you that you cursed me, lied to me about it for years, and blindly followed a tyrant in some insane scheme to cure me without me ever finding out it was all your fault?” As Lilith cringed, feeling the brutal honesty of her sister’s words, Eda fought off a grin. “You’re lucky I gave you anything resembling a say in this anyway. At least you had a fair shot!”

Lilith silently conceded the point. For all her crimes, she was insanely lucky Eda was letting her live here, let alone allowing her a say in what went on. Still, this was risky. “I understand that. I merely wish for you to take a moment and consider what could go wrong! It’s something I’ve wished I’d done myself all these years.” Lilith internally cringed, knowing that, even if her ploy, however honest it may be, worked, Eda was going to be sour for that.

Lilith was honestly surprised as Eda merely sniffed, and nodded. “I’m not as reckless as you seem to believe sis. I know not to try anything crazy with this little doohickey.” She held up said doohickey, a sliver of the portal to the Human Realm they had managed to recover. She shot her sister a crooked grin. “I haven’t avoided getting caught all these years by being reckless, and I know when to keep myself in check; it’s not just ineptitude that kept your goons from grabbing me all those years!”

In spite of the little jab, Lilith breathed a sigh of relief, more than glad her sister wasn’t planning anything... TOO crazy. “Very well. Do you have any plans in particular?”

Eda grinned, more than glad to talk about her favorite subject the majority of the time; herself! “As a matter of fact...”

As the two witches made their way to the kitchen, Eda craved some good old fashioned Apple Blood after a well-earned victory, chatting away about their plans, neither noticed that they had forgotten the very shard they had had their epic duel of wits and will just moments before on the table.

“Eda! I got my Potion Homework ready! You promised to help me go over it, remember? Eda?” Entering with said potion in hand was the Owl Lady’s Apprentice herself, Luz Noceda. As she looked around, she quickly spotted Eda’s cards for Hexes Holdem, rolling her eyes fondly. She may not have known what Eda and Lilith had been playing over, but the fact they weren’t here was a solid indicator Eda had won, and was getting her victory Apple Blood, as had been her tradition since the debacle with Tibbles.

“Luz! I’m bored and demand your aid!” Marching in with as menacing a glower as his adorable face could manage was King, Eda’s original roommate and the self-styled King of Demons. Also, one of Luz’s good friends, when he wasn’t being an adorable tyrant that is! “I need you to get me some of the backup cookies behind the- hey what are you doing?” One thing King could always be counted on was his ability to instantly switch fixations at random, and his current fixation was now Luz’s project! 

Eager to finally have someone show interest in her non-glyph related work, Luz began extolling all that her potion was supposed to be and could accomplish, theoretically, with King unusually enraptured by her monologue. He normally could only really focus on his own! Just as she was about to get to the good part, Hooty barged in. “HEY WHAT ARE YOU GUYS TALKING ABOUT? DO YOU THINK I COULD HELP!?!? HOOTY HOOT!”

“GAH!” With a yelp, and an undignified plop to the ground, King whirled on the House Demon. “Why can you never enter without making a scene!?” As King bellowed his retort to Hooty’s unintentional mayhem unironically, he leapt for the larger demon, who let out a rather frightened shriek. As the two demons wrestled, Luz tried her best to break them up.

“Guys, guys! Please! Can’t this wait till later?” As Luz pulled at Hooty’s sinuous bulk, she never noticed as she and King inched ever closer to her Homework and, unbeknownst to them, the portal shard. As they pulled closer and closer, Luz picked up the thumps of Eda and Lilith drawing nearer to the racket.

“Eda, I can’t believe we left the shard in the living room!?”

“Ah nuts, Lily, it’ll be fine..” No sooner had Eda uttered this did she and Lilith enter the room and took in the carnage. She slowly turned to her sister, noting the struggle to keep a pleased grin off her face, and retorted in advance. “Not. One. Word.” As Lilith pulled her hands up in surrender, Eda strolled over, more than ready to put a stop to the nonsense, when her eyes honed in on the sight of the shard, and the unknown potion beside it. As her memory of her promise to help Luz snapped into place, she quickly shouted a warning.

Said warning came just a hair too late, as Hooty and the other crashed into the table, and sent the potion and shard smashing into each other. As the potion sputtered and sparked, the wrestling demons and human finally noticed the arrival of the elder witches, as well as the destabilizing potion next to them.

As Lilith took in the sight before her, of her sister, her sister’s apprentice, her roommate, and their very home itself abstractly, she knew she had only one option. With a leap containing every ounce of effort her body could give, Lilith shoved the others out of the way, shielding the potion with her body.

“LILY!!” With a desperate cry, Eda reached out as best she could, desperate to save her sister from the potion breaking down beneath her form.

“Goodbye, Eda.” With a content smile, Lilith pulled closer, fully prepared to sacrifice her life for her family, and as the potion finished breaking down under the influence of its surprise ingredient... a portal opened up directly overhead. Snapping her gaze above herself, Lilith’s eyes widened as a bevy of individuals fell through, and onto herself.

Stunned at what had just occured, and noting how similarly, heck, fully identical, the strangers looked to Luz and her little friends, Eda had just one thing to say. “Well, that was unexpected.” Turning her head to Luz, she only half-jokingly added: “Want to help me pickpocket them?”

[ravensnruin]

an interview. of sorts.

Character Name: Henry Age: 23 Birthday: November 13 Home Country: Plegia (Ylisse) Occupation: Faculty - teaches reason: dark magic, hexes, etc. Allegiance: Black Eagles

[Interview]

Henry could vaguely recall going through an interview once before. It had been more of a formality though - but a means to gauge his temperament. Rumours of the devastation he’d visited upon the village to the north of the Plegian Institution of Magic had spread far and wide by now and, from his understanding, the school was giddy to add his person to their ranks.

He’d made the mistake back then of thinking it might mean being treated real nice, for once.

Sat atop his hands on the stool, Henry swayed side to side as his legs playfully kicked to and fro. He hummed to himself, obliviously off-key, as he waited. Much had happened since those days. Following the war’s end, he’d wandered for a time, heedless of where his feet dragged him. Diligent, he continued experimenting with his magic day in and out, for his magic was what people (all save his enemies) liked the most about him - and one day, he supposed, there’d be another war, and might be he’d be of some use again at last.

There was the clack of a door unlocking before it creaked open, and Henry swung about on his seat to face it much to the surprise of the priest on the other side. “How did you…?” The man shook his head. “I see you are early. That is just as well.”

Henry beamed.

The other seated himself, shuffling papers with practised ease. “Let us begin, then.”

“What has led you to where you are today?”

"What do you mean?"

The priest stared back at him. "What do you mean 'what do I mean'?"

Henry's head tilted to the side. "What do you mean 'what do you mean what do I mea-'"

Sensing this wasn't going very far, the interviewer cleared his throat. "What has led you here - not only to our doorstep, but to the version of you who sits before me today, here and now? We would like to know a little bit more about you, that's all."

"Oh!" Henry grinned wide. "Why didn'tcha say so! Well! If you want my life story, here goes!" He began before the other could get a word in edgewise.

When the orphanage had sent him away following the awakening of his magic, he'd been excited. New people! New surroundings!

New opportunities to learn lotsa neat stuff, like how to achieve an uncommonly high tolerance for pain, or how to smile no matter what was going on inside. There he honed his hexes, bloomed his bloodlust, and became a veritable menace on and off the battlefield~!

As he related his tale to the interviewer, who had resigned himself to leaning back and listening, Henry came to life, emoting with no lack of energy as he motioned and sprang right out of his seat. Pshew! WOOSH! Those were the sounds his magic made when he incapacitated his foe with deadly aplomb. Heh! Eheheheh!

“I can and will gladly demonstrate for you! Just gimme a target!” Pretty please give him a target..!

The priest shook his head. “No, no, that… won’t be necessary for the time being. Please sit back down.”

Cheeks puffing up in a pout, Henry deflated - for all the space of a second. This, he supposed, was free licence to continue with his story:

So after all that stuff with the orphanage and the school, he went to war!! Where he soon fought and killed for the other side because Plegia was making things boring and unfun. Then he went to war again. And then he got lost in a desert for-- a few years. Or however long it had been since then 'til now. He wasn't sure. Then one day he’d found a portal just sitting there, walked through it without looking back,

and presto! Here he was! Certainly, it was not that he’d gotten lost. Nope. Nooo SIREE, not him! Couldn’t be lost if you didn’t know where the heckie you were going!

“What do you believe are your greatest strengths? Your greatest weaknesses?”

"Oh, oh! I know this one! I'm really REALLY good at making people bleed. Oh, and at killing them, too! Hmm... Ohhh, yeahh, I've been told before I'm also really upbeat! Like, too upbeat, even. But you can't spell 'slaughter' without 'laughter,' can ya! Nya haha~!"

If Henry noticed the interviewer hesitating, he didn't comment. He started counting on his fingers. "My magic is super duper strong. I make friends real easy too!" The interviewer stared. Henry plodded on. "Like, with crows and animals and stuff. Hmm… What else… I’ve got OODLES of willpower, never been hit with a curse I couldn't send back at minimum twofold nyehehehe... Poor sucker never knew what hit him." 

As for weaknesses... Henry hemmed and hawed, lips pursing and brows knitting in thought. "That's kiiinda suspicious of you guys to be asking," he noted, chin sat on his thumb a moment before he lit up, smiling bright. No matter! “If you must know, I have something of a frail constitution - look! Look at my arms! My noodley woodley arms! - and it doesn’t jive well with any kinda weapon. Tried. Can't do it. Not in the stars for me."

His smile betrayed not a sliver of discomfort. If anything, it had widened a fraction, as though to say, that's fine. I don't need weapons to tear someone limb from limb anyway.

“If a story were to be written about your life, what role would you play?”

Here, Henry gave pause, brows furrowing - though his smile, omnipresent, remained. "A story about little ol’ me?" He'd never been asked that before. Not that it deterred him any. "Welp. It doesn't really matter to me, so long as it's a role with lots of killing and maiming involved! And blood! Lots and lots and LOTS of blood, nya ha! Doesn't matter if it's mine or someone else's. So long as-"

The priest cleared his throat. Henry followed suit. "... I guess it'd be nice if people remembered me as someone who helped his friends, too," he begrudgingly amended. "But only if they still make sure to feature lots of blood, too." He was, if anything, stubborn.

The priest sighed and shuffled his papers together again. He’d not written much down, in the end. "All right. That will be quite enough for the interview. Th...ank you." I think.

Henry straightened in his seat, brows lifted in surprise and disappointment both. "Already?! But I haven't even shown you my toenail collection yet-"

-the door closed shut on his words, and he slowly curled in on himself.

Left alone, yet again.

[malecsecretsanta]

Merry Christmas, adaline-blooms!

For @adaline-blooms​. Wishing my dear giftee a healthy and happy Christmas, and I hope you enjoy this gift!! <3

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*****

Chapter 1 - When You’re Feeling Weary

Alec is just making sure he’s mixed Magnus’ martini to his very stringent specifications when the man himself, looking entirely too put together to be feeling the supposed exhaustion Izzy’s text just warned him about, makes an entrance that has Alec eye-rolling in the fondest of ways.

Dressed in the all-black outfit with electric-blue accents that has to be Alec’s favourite, Magnus already has his attention, but the sultry neck-roll that he pairs so well with that heaving sigh guarantees it. Only before he can respond to this display of effortless sensuality, Magnus performs a well-timed heel-pivot and flops dramatically down onto the couch, with the limbs flung wide being a particularly nice touch.

Even by Magnus’ usual standards, that was impressive.

“Busy day, huh?” Alec asks, ambling over as he adds the obligatory olive. Trying, but largely failing, to keep a straight face.

“You could say that, Alexander,” comes the weary reply, followed by another sigh.

So adorable.

“Then perhaps this might help?” he enquires, holding out the drink and waiting for the reaction.

One glitter-rimmed eye cranks open. The smile is Alec’s reward.

“Well, it’s certainly a good start,” Magnus replies, eyebrows dancing as he somehow musters the energy to make it to a half-seated position, and swallows it down in one.

Okay.

“Another?”

With a wink, Magnus hands back the glass, and Alec is happy to comply. Grinning to himself as Magnus starts sniffing the air.

“Alexander, I know I may be hallucinating through sheer fatigue, but is that mouth-watering aroma I can smell coming from our kitchen, by any chance?”

More than a little offended but willing to forgive in the circumstances, Alec passes Magnus ‘liquid medicine number two’ and gallantly sees to the removal of his boots and coat.

“I’ll have you know that I’ve been practicing. Hard.”

Magnus still looks unconvinced.

“Fine. Hold onto your drink,” he warns before hoisting his disbelieving husband over his shoulder, ignoring the shriek and the spills, and marches into the kitchen where he’s only marginally more gentle about depositing him on the countertop. “Now do you believe me?”

Shame-faced, Magnus nods. His wide eyes take in the organised chaos of Alec’s dinner preparations, which Alec hopes will produce the best eight-ounce steak Magnus has ever eaten. Well, at the loft, at least.

“My apologies for doubting you, Alexander. It was just, given how-”

Palm raised, Alec halts the unnecessary explanation mid-flow. He did have form in ruining meals, after all. But not this one.

“I get it,” Alec assures him. “But like I said, I’ve been practicing.”

Two strong legs hook around his hips and draw him closer until they’re trapping him against Magnus’ body. Magnus gives him a quizzical look. “How could you possibly have known that I would need exactly this today?”

“My rather concerned sister gave me a heads up about your heroic exploits at Croton Point about an hour before you came home, because she was worried you may be feeling the consequences of having dealt with a particularly stubborn horde of Kuri earlier. Hence why everything to restore your depleted magic is already in hand.”

Alec knows he looks pretty pleased with himself, but seeing how visibly touched that news makes this man in front of him is also a worthwhile cause to be happy, without a doubt.

Raising his half-empty glass, Magnus addresses his gratitude to the ceiling. “Thank you, darling Isabelle.” Then swiftly downs the contents, before winding those equally strong arms around Alec’s neck. “You, however, deserve something altogether different as a sign of my heartfelt thanks.”

Alec couldn’t agree more, gladly accepting the thoroughly gratifying kiss that puts fire in his blood as his due for being thoughtful.

“Consider that the first of many you’ll be receiving tonight,” Magnus promises, as his thumb traces the outline of Alec’s kiss-swollen lips.

It’s Alec’s turn to heave a deep sigh.

A playful Magnus is a powerful thing, but if he wants Magnus brimming with energy to get those kisses, he needs to flex his culinary muscles without delay.

Only when he explains this is he reluctantly released.

Supplying a third martini to a now doubly-thirsty Magnus, Alec then focuses entirely on his cooking. Dodging those grabby limbs isn’t easy though. Mostly because their remarkably-energetic owner is a mischievous little shit who is in the mood for games.

A mood that Alec is hopeless to stop, not that he really wants to, even as he plates up the medium rare triumph and pours another zinger of a cocktail. Mostly thanks to Magnus’ excessive pleasure-noises as he works his razor-sharp jaw to chew, extends that elegant throat to swallow, and uses that wicked tongue to lick his lips.

Who needs actual food when you can provide a feast, Alec muses, chin resting in his palm as he dreamily enjoys the multi-sensory feedback he’s getting from a very aware Magnus. Is there anything better than seeing this man happy? Alec doesn’t think so.

He’s so eager for his second thank you kiss that Magnus has barely had time to put down his knife and fork before Alec’s dragging his chair out so that he can straddle him, their giggles making it harder but neither’s complaining.

“You continue to surprise and energise me, Alexander,” remarks a husky-voiced Magnus when they come up for air. “That was delicious.”

Alec’s about to thank him with a kiss of his own, when he adds, “The steak wasn’t too shabby either,” and they’re off giggling again.

Alec doesn’t think he’ll ever not blush when Magnus compliments him, and trying to hide behind his hands only results in being called “all kinds of cute,” so he sucks up all the embarrassing-but-secretly-pleasing adjectives being thrown at him and tugs his tormentor in the direction of their bathroom for phase three of his recovery.

Once he’s plonked Magnus in a chair and plugged his nonsense with a fifth martini, Alec fills the lavish, claw-foot tub with water, adding the iridescent blend of unknown boosters that he knows has to be used sparingly else Magnus will be on a super-charged magic rush again for days to come.

Alec didn’t think his body, or their bed, could survive that again.

Or could they?

Magnus’ filthy laugh means he’s not the only one thinking dirty thoughts, but Alec hasn’t gone to all this trouble to have both of them wiped out at the end of it.

“Cut that out,” he warns, to no avail, as he pulls the menace to his unsteady feet and begins the ever-enjoyable task of ridding Magnus of his beautiful clothes.

Meanwhile, Magnus is taking every opportunity to derail his efforts with kisses here and caresses there, deaf to Alec’s admittedly half-hearted protestations when he starts to return the favour of undressing him. All of which makes it impossible not to reciprocate with eager touches of his own.

Alec tries one last time to be good, even as he’s stepping into the bubble-filled bath and pulling Magnus down to rest against him. “I’m supposed to be helping you get your energy back, Magnus, not encouraging you to spend more.”

Magnus gives a lazy shrug of his shoulders, even as his hands begin to wander. “Then we’ll just have to take things very, very slowly.”

Oh well. He tried.

Chapter 2 - When You’re Feeling Sad

Alec’s just signing off on what feels like his hundredth mission report of the day when a message from Magnus shows up on his phone.

Mind if we postpone tonight’s plans? Fancy a quiet evening instead

His hesitation is brief, even if he’s surprised Magnus wants to skip on their much-anticipated theatre trip.

Not at all. Everything okay?

This hesitation is longer.

Tell you when you get home x

That’s all the reason Alec needs to clear his desk and inform Underhill that he’s done for the day. He knows Magnus had clients today, but he hadn’t been worried about them. As he heads home, he’s left wondering what could’ve happened since their goodbye kiss after breakfast.

The loft is in near darkness when Alec arrives, save for a sliver of light that spills from the balcony door left ajar, and the mild concern that prompted him to return early is replaced with a heavier sense of foreboding as he makes his way out there.

Hunched over the balcony wall and nursing what looks to be at least a double whiskey, is how Alec finds Magnus, and although his face can’t be seen from this angle, everything about his posture radiates a sadness that worries him.

“Magnus? Are you okay?” he asks softly, somehow still unprepared for the sorrow that’s etched on his husband’s face when he turns around and slowly shakes his head.

In two strides, Alec’s there to gather him up in a comforting hug, giving Magnus all the time he needs to explain what’s made him upset.

“We lost a promising young warlock today,” Magnus begins, barely audible from where he’s burrowed into Alec’s chest. “Her name was Zoe. A girl Clary saved the night I met you, after her father was killed by Valentine.”

“I’m so sorry to hear that, Magnus. I think I remember that name though,” Alec tells him as he presses a kiss to Magnus’ forehead. “Wasn’t she the one you asked Tessa to train at the Spiral Labyrinth?”

Magnus nods, a smile at least present in his voice now. “That’s right. She always had her head in a book, hungry for information. Gifted with an eidetic memory and a talent for learning languages, she really did have a very bright future ahead of her, until....”

Alec waits as Magnus drags in a shaky breath before continuing.

“As Tessa explained it, Zoe had recently added tutoring to her list of accomplishments. Something I was aware of, but I wish now I’d taken the time to ask her about. In lieu of her late father, I’d always felt a certain parental responsibility towards her. Anyway. While she was there, at the home of the family who hired her, she collapsed. No warning, no complaints of feeling unwell. No chance of help.”

Alec’s hands try to soothe but he doesn’t interrupt, preferring to let Magnus work through his emotions.

“I-it’s just such a shock, Alexander. Such a waste. Tessa said they can’t be sure it’s not magic-related yet, but...I’m finding it hard to accept that she’s gone. That I’ll never get to witness everything she undoubtedly would’ve become.”

Untangling himself momentarily, Alec brings him over to the lounger where he plucks the whiskey from Magnus’ hand and sets it down on the nearby table before they move in sync to settle in that age old way of dispensing comfort, with Magnus curled up in Alec’s lap, his fingers combing through Magnus’ hair.

“Magnus, I can only imagine what you and Tessa must be feeling right now. Passing way before her time, and so suddenly? It’s tragic. But I’m here for you. In whatever way helps you the most.” He’d protect him from every loss, every hurt, if he could.

“This is already helping. Truly,” Magnus assures him, head resting against Alec’s chest in order to hear the heartbeat he’s frequently said helps to send him to sleep.

Alec hopes it does now, and allows the long, peaceful minutes to stretch, feeling the tension in Magnus’ body gradually ease. He’s about to suggest they lie down instead, when Magnus speaks.

“I’m sorry about cancelling our plans tonight. I hope you’re not too disappointed?” A hint of amusement colours Magnus’ question and so, Alec takes his cue.

“Me, look forward to a show? Have you met me?”

It makes Magnus chuckle, but it’s a tired one. A state that’s reflected in how long it takes those beautiful eyes, too weary for glamour, to find his, and that elegant hand to cup Alec’s cheek in that way that never fails to make him feel precious.

“I have, and I will never be as grateful for anything else in this life, Alexander.”

The barely-there kiss is so reverential that Magnus finds sleep before Alec’s able to voice words of his own, but he hopes Magnus already knows how thankful he is too.

Closing his eyes, Alec promises to make a point of telling him as soon as they both wake up.

Chapter 3 - When You’re Feeling Overwhelmed

Alec’s not sure what’s initially responsible for disturbing his fathoms-deep slumber, but the muffled stream of expletives he hears in that very familiar voice definitely has his attention now.

Reaching out blindly for Magnus’ side of the bed in the forlorn hope that he’s mistaken, Alec groans when all his fingers encounter is cold silk. Opening his bleary eyes to confirm the distinct lack of Magnus in their bed, he tugs on a t-shirt and stifles a yawn as he sets about finding the errant husband who’d promised he “wouldn’t be much longer” hours ago.

He’s just stumbled into the dimly-lit corridor outside the bedroom when a series of kabooms, followed by what Alec can only assume is a heartfelt curse in some ancient tongue, brings him not only to the half-open doorway of the unusually-chaotic apothecary, but also fully to his senses.

Surrounded by various experiments and too engrossed in the energetic scolding of his own fisted hands to notice Alec’s arrival, is a wildly dishevelled Magnus, whose exhaustion is writ large on his handsomely expressive face.

Alec decides they're both in need of a hug.

Hitching his top over his nose so as not to inhale any of the sulphur-and-spice-scented smoke that’s fogging up the room, Alec ventures cautiously inside.

Doing his best to avoid bumping into the extra tables that are covered in a myriad of mixing bowls and mason jars, and the messy assortment of ingredients that are strewn in between them, Alec inadvertently startles his fragile husband with his sudden appearance, causing him to dislodge a cylinder of liquid that scorches a hole in the priceless Persian rug mere inches from their feet.

At which point, Magnus promptly bursts into tears and collapses in a graceless heap on the floor. Feeling terrible, Alec joins him there and holds him as he whispers abject apologies that barely make it through the racket of frustrated sobs, until finally, in between sniffles, he receives forgiveness in the form of a salt-stained kiss.

“Magnus, what are you doing in here? Whatever it is, surely it can wait until morning?” Alec asks, using the hem of his shirt to wipe the worst of the tear stains from Magnus’ face. Even smudged and saddened, he’s still easily the most beautiful man Alec’s ever seen.

“Loathe as I am to admit it, Alexander,” Magnus replies in between hiccups, “I’ve bitten off more than I can chew with my current list of client orders, and instead of rectifying this sooner, I shall now have to admit to them, and to myself, that my own hubris will result in them either being delayed or cancelled all together.”

Even his gulp is cute, Alec muses, before pondering the best way to go about saving Magnus’ hard-won reputation from the brink of destruction, preferably without the need for any humiliating apologies. Given the time constraints, he can only think of one.

“I’m assuming at least some of those orders need filling by tomorrow if you haven’t been able to sleep yet?”

Sheepishly, Magnus holds up six shaky fingers, and regardless of whether or not the answer had been that or six hundred, Alec was not about to see those orders fail. Not with so much at stake.

Getting to his feet and pulling Magnus up with him, Alec offers his suggestion as his hands make light work of straightening out Magnus’ robe and his hair.

“Here’s what’s going to happen.” A hopeful glint in those warm brown eyes almost distracts him. “I’m going to put some pants on and make us both a generous mug of strong, black coffee while you salvage what you can here, and then,” he chuckles, cupping Magnus’ eager face in his hands, “I will try my best to help prepare the ingredients you need, so you can then concentrate on whatever process is needed for each order.”

Concerned, Magnus grips Alec’s waist and asks, “But it will take at least two hours for all the distilling and blending to be done, and then there’s-”

“Uh-uh, none of that. Positive thoughts only, Mr Lightwood-Bane, you have a humble assistant that needs training, after all,” Alec counters, dropping an encouraging kiss that threatens to flare out of control until Alec takes a firm step backwards.

“We’re supposed to be working,” he warns, wagging his finger at his unrepentant mentor and backing carefully out of the room, much preferring the sound of Magnus’ laughter to the sound of his tears.

With the aid of caffeine to boost their concentration and a near constant supply of cheeky kisses and inappropriate booty grabs, along with a lot of hard graft, dawn finds them bone-tired but relieved that their joint sacrifice has paid off.

Now, with two orders already boxed and ready to go, three in the final stages of resting and one that just requires filtering every half hour, Alec finally feels confident enough in their ability to meet the delivery deadlines to insist that Magnus, a spent force at this stage, catches up on the sleep denied him earlier.

Magnus’ mumbled protests eventually peter out as he’s carried bridal-style to their bed and tucked beneath the sheets, his peaceful expression being all the reward Alec needs to see him through the final hours of his vigil.

Chapter 4 - When You’re Feeling Worried

Having arrived home sooner than expected from his weekend of intensive Portal Enhancement lectures in Stockholm, Magnus can’t deny he’s more than a little disappointed not to be greeted by a strong pair of arms and an enthusiastic pair of lips.

Especially when his reason for curtailing his professional obligations was so he could be here for Alec on the eve of his important meeting with fellow institute heads.

Proud as he is of Alec’s commitment to change, they both know there’ll be many who will try and resist his controversial proposal that they each create their own Downworld Cabinet without delay, in order to deliver on promises made to their counterparts. As he’d said many times, no change worth making was ever easy.

A deep sigh escapes him.

Just for one day, it would be nice to let the mantle of responsibility slip from their shoulders and have nothing but each other’s happiness to worry about, but Magnus will gladly take every day he can get with Alec and cherish it, whatever the challenges may be. And right now, the challenge is to discover the whereabouts of his husband.

Skype catch-ups and hastily-arranged phone sex are no substitute for enjoying the tangible presence of your biggest supporter and primary stress-reliver rolled into one.

Only stopping long enough to make sure his research papers are stored securely in the apothecary’s safe and his case is banished to the bedroom, Magnus portals to Alec’s office where he finds his very own sleeping beauty sprawled awkwardly across the couch, surrounded by pages of scribbled out presentation notes, cartons of barely touched food and a dozen or so coffee cups that have been drained of every drop.

Another deep sigh escapes him.

Heart full at seeing that much-missed face, youthful in its slumber, but feeling guilt over allowing himself to be persuaded that Alec’s preparations were all going well and his smiling reassurances were genuine, Magnus vows to do better in future and prepares to get Alec, and his proposal, back on track.

Shrugging off his coat and folding it over the least cluttered surface he can find, he locks the door behind him with a quiet flourish and soundproofs the room, because as far as Magnus is concerned, only he should be privy to those adorable little snores.

Unable to give into the overwhelming urge to wake Alec up with slow kisses, Magnus settles instead on burying his face in the soft, untidy curls that still smell of sandalwood, as he kneels down to better wrestle Alec’s heavy limbs into a more comfortable position.

Guessing that Alec probably hasn’t slept much in the last twenty-four hours, he decides to leave him be for a little longer and covers him in the cashmere blanket that Magnus insists on being kept here in case of emergency naps, reviving the fire with a flick of his wrist.

Rolling up his sleeves and allowing his gaze to sweep those handsome features one last time, he turns his attention to the task in hand.

In the absence of a conscious Alec to berate, Magnus grumbles his way through the clean up operation, aware most of his annoyance is aimed at himself for not being here to help, but also knowing that sometimes, their work has to come first. He wishes it didn’t.

Decluttering the desk, and lamenting how Alec always manages to look after everyone but himself, Magnus' annoyance at all the unnecessary edits Alec has made to his already-perfect speech evaporates. As he organises them into what he thinks was the original order, it’s too easy to picture how Alec’s self-doubt would’ve made him see flaws in his preparation that just weren’t there.

Oh, Alexander, I wish you’d told me how you were really feeling.

Wrinkling his nose up at the pungent leftovers and the dark circles staining the surface of the desk, he quickly gets rid of the rubbish, replacing the stagnant odours with the mouth-watering smell of baked goods and beverages from their favourite bakery.

If he places it right under Alec’s nose in the hopes it wakes him up, so what? Magnus has been separated from the beautiful man that’s so temptingly draped across the cushions for two very long days and nights, and he’s missed him dreadfully. Surely, Alec has had enough rest by now.

Toeing off his boots and climbing cat-like over Alec to wedge himself against the back of the cosy couch, Magnus carefully adjusts the blanket to cover both of them and snuggles in, breathing in the familiar scent of the man and feeling at home in every sense of the word.

Arms tighten around him on instinct and Magnus can’t suppress his smile when it’s followed by a sleepy, “That’s better.”

“Much better,” Magnus whispers, trailing soft kisses down the side of Alec’s throat that can be reached without disturbing him....too much.

Appreciative noises fill his ears and embolden him to seek out more skin, until Alec is finally roused to wakefulness and greeting Magnus with kisses of his own.

“I must say, this is a very, very nice surprise,” Alec informs him once he has Magnus securely settled on top of him.

“I’m very, very glad to hear it,” Magnus replies, finally content but unwilling to let things he’s worried about slide just yet. “Alec, listen,” he begins earnestly, “you have to tell me when-” before Alec interrupts.

“When things get on top of me? I know, Magnus, and I’ll do better next time. Really,” he sighs, eyes closing briefly before they urge him to believe his words. “I shouldn’t have tried to hide my stress. I should’ve been honest with you about how I was feeling about tomorrow.” Tipping his head towards the cleared space, he adds, ”Preferably, before it got to whatever that was.”

Believing him, Magnus plants a lasting thank you kiss on his cheek. “May I humbly suggest that those unnecessary changes you made to your excellent speech be forgotten?”

“Sure thing,” Alec quips, eager to show Magnus just how much he’s been missed. “It’s like I’ve told you before, I can’t think straight when you’re not around.”

Magnus hums in agreement. “And as I’ve told you before, I can’t do anything without thinking of you.”

Alec’s eyes are dancing with mischief as he quickly flips them over to start working on opening Magnus’ buttons.

“Then it’s clearly in both of our best interests to stay as close to each other as possible.”

“Clearly,” Magnus agrees, following suit.

Then finally, their reunion begins in earnest.