#I should be able to hug all of the companions whenever I want

[midnigtartist]

The kiss option is immaculate. I think we would all really benefit from a hug option too

[shxtodxroki]

𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸𝚏 𝙸 𝚃𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝚈𝚘𝚞... 𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸𝚝 𝚆𝚊𝚜 𝚈𝚘𝚞?

Summary: Denki has what he thinks is a foolproof plan to confess to you, until Bakugo accidentally spills the beans and messes up the whole plan. But maybe it isn’t that bad, maybe Denki can still find a way to give you a not-so-perfect confession even with this minor setback. 

Warnings: Swearing, mentions of food, a tiny bit of angst but not really

Pairing: Denki Kaminari x Gender Neutral! Reader

Word Count: 2k

- You glared playfully at Shoto from where he sat directly next to you as he swiped a small bite from your lunch, giggling after a moment as he grinned thankfully at you and shoved the bite into his mouth

- You had long known of the boy’s habit of taking bites from others’ lunches, as he enjoyed sharing food, and had given him permission to take from your lunch whenever he wanted ages ago, but it was still fun to tease him every once in a while

- The loud noise of chatter throughout your long cafeteria table was just as loud that day as it always was, as the majority of class 1-A all being seated at one extended lunch table was bound to cause noise. You weren’t exactly known for being a quiet bunch, and you had gotten used to the chaos that surrounded you every lunch hour long ago

- As you swiped a drink from Shoto’s water bottle in return for the bite he had taken from your food, you allowed your thoughts to drift, Izuku’s rambling about his newest upgrade to his suit fading to the back of your mind as you allowed yourself to get lost in thought

- Your peace didn’t last long, however, as another of your typical lunch companions immediately began chatting with you the moment he took a seat next to you

- Typically Denki took the seat across from you, but you didn’t really notice his change of seating as you pulled yourself out of your thoughts and directed your attention towards what he was saying

- “Y/n, you should see how much better I’ve gotten at the guitar!” Denki exclaimed, eyes sparkling in excitement as he spoke. “Jirou’s been giving me lessons since the school festival, and now I’m able to play a bunch of songs!”

- “That's awesome Denki! I’m shocked at how much work you put into this, I didn’t think you were particularly passionate about music.” You congratulated your friend, eyebrows furrowing slightly in confusion as he swung an arm around your shoulder

- You could feel your face beginning to heat up at the affectionate gesture, your small crush on your friend attempting to surface, but you reminded yourself that Denki was generally very affectionate and flirty as you forced yourself to relax and ignore the fluttering in your stomach at the physical affection in order to listen to him

- “I didn’t either, I guess I just didn’t realize how fun the guitar could be.” He responded without thinking. “You should stop by my dorm after classes today, there’s this song I learned that I wanna show you!” he added, lightly using his arm to hug you closer to him for a second as he grinned at you

- Once again your brain grew flustered at the thought that you were going to be alone with him, heart fluttering at the thought, but you forced yourself to remain as neutral as possible as you nodded at him in nervous excitement

- “Sounds good, we can just walk to your dorm together after our last class.” You suggested, Denki immediately agreeing with a “Sounds like a plan!” A light blush dusted his cheeks once he realized how quickly he had responded, though, allowing his arm to fall from your shoulder as he suddenly turned his attention to his food and began eating

- “Kaminari, good to see you’re still alive man!” Kirishima chuckled as he sat down across from the boy in question. “I really don’t know how you managed to make it past Bakugo and live to tell the tale.”

- You turned your attention to the red-haired boy at his statement, glancing questioningly at Denki before turning to ask Kirishima what he was talking about. “Oh god, what did he do to piss off Bakugo this time?”

- This wasn’t a particularly uncommon occurrence between Denki and Katsuki, but you still found yourself curious as to what antics they had gotten up to this time

- Despite his slight embarrassment at the incident being discussed in front of everyone, however, Denki took this conversation as yet another opportunity to get closer to you, locking eyes with yours as he caught your attention to tell his story

- “I was just up early this morning, had some stuff I needed to take care of while he was making breakfast.” Denki told you, deflecting the details while still keeping your attention on him. “He likes being the first one up in the mornings, says it’s his ‘alone time’, but I needed some help from him and he was not happy about it.”

- As if on cue, the ashy blonde man in question came storming into the cafeteria with a near-murderous look in his eyes, making it over to Denki before he even had time to turn around and notice Bakugo stalking towards him

- “Hey asshole, don’t think I’m done with you just because you ran away before I could finish with you earlier!” He boomed, Denki’s face going pale as he laughed nervously. He glanced at you, half in embarrassment and half in a plea for help, before returning his gaze to Bakugo in hopes of not making the man any more angry by ignoring him

- "Why don’t you cut him some slack dude, just this once?”Kirishima tried to mediate, always the one to have to calm his explosive best friend down. “I know you like having the mornings to yourself, but is it really that big of a deal that Denki was there too for one day?”

- “It is when he makes a gigantic fucking mess all over the kitchen! That idiot doesn’t know how to bake to save his life, he kept asking me for help and trying to guilt me by saying shit like, ‘My confession will totally fail if you don’t help me out dude!’” Bakugo mocked Denki’s voice as he spoke, but by the end of his small rant nobody was focused on him or his anger anymore

- Everyone was staring with wide eyes at the now incrdibly flushed Denki, who was looking at the floor as if he wanted it to swallow him whole in that moment

- “...Ah shit, I didn’t realize they were here.” Katsuki grumbled out after a moment, the closest to an apology for exposing him in front of everyone that Denki knew he would ever get from his friend as a guilty, embarrassed flush spread on Katsuki's cheeks

- Nobody spoke for a moment, as none of you knew what to say to break the awkwardness and tension that had settled over your entire table at Bakugo’s words

- You had frozen in your seat beside the blonde boy who was now the center of everyone’s attention immediately upon hearing the word “confession” fall from Bakugo’s mouth, your heart breaking slightly as you realized that clearly Denki liked someone a lot, and had plans to confess to them today

- You really had thought that the two of you were getting closer, that you were making progress in your relationship with him. He had invited you to his dorm later to watch him play the guitar, he wanted to spend time with you! You had hoped that maybe, just maybe, that meant he was starting to like you too

- But based on what Bakugo had said, clearly he already had someone in his heart, and you doubted that someone was you

- The two of you weren’t very close up until recently. You had always been friendly with one another, as was almost everyone in your class, but Denki had only started approaching you more and chatting with you recently, causing you to quickly develop a crush on him when he was most likely just trying to be nice and friendly with his fellow classmate

- So, as you took a moment to accept the fact that you most likely weren't going to hear your name fall from his lips at your next question, you opened your mouth to speak as you hoped to seem like a supportive friend, to still hang on to the friendship you had started to build with the boy even though your feelings weren’t reciprocated

- “Who were you gonna confess to?” You asked gently, trying to hide any hint of sadness in your voice as each of your classmates’ gazes immediately shifted over to you. “Even if it won’t be a surprise, I’m sure they’d still be glad to know. You can still do a sweet confession even without surprising someone, especially if you went through the time to bake them something.”

- “Well, uh…” Denki started, having a hard time meeting your eyes and scratching the back of his neck as he spoke. “What if I told you… that it was you?”

- You were once again left without any words upon hearing Denki’s confession, heat flooding your face entirely as your jaw dropped open and you stared at him in awe

- “I know we didn’t really start talking until recently, but I’ve liked you since our first day at UA. You just made me really nervous, usually I’m pretty good at talking to girls but I felt like I would just make a fool out of myself if I went up to you, so it took me a while to work up the courage to talk to you.” 

- You couldn’t believe that Denki had had his eye on you since the very first time you had met, heartbeat picking up in your chest as you relished in the fact that you made him nervous

- “I got up early to bake you these cookies and everything, I figured we could share them in my dorm later.” He admitted, Bakugo shifting guiltily where he stood behind Denki. “That’s why I asked you to come over, I had it all planned out but I guess it wasn’t meant to happen that way."

- "So I’ll just ask you now. Will you go out with me?” He spoke one last time before gulping anxiously, letting the weight of his confession hang in the air amongst your classmates as he awaited your response.

- From the look in Denki’s eyes you could tell that he was expecting you to reject him, to let him down easy as the whole class was watching and that you two would most likely never talk again, the awkwardness between you too unbearable to suffer through

- But when a shy smile made its way on your face, fidgeting with your fingers as you met his gaze, he felt hope swell in his chest

- “I’d love to!” You finally exclaimed after realizing that this was actually happening, wrapping your arms around the boy and burying your face in his shoulder as he tentatively wrapped his arms around you in return, still not quite believing that you had actually said yes

- “I can’t believe you’d wake up early just for me, I know you hate cooking and waking up early. I’m honored that you’d go through all of that for me.” You grinned, pulling back to show Denki you were sincere with your thanks and your response to his confession

- “I know, I know. It was a pretty great plan if I do say so myself.” Denki gloated, confidence returning now that you had accepted his confession. “But you’re a pretty amazing person, Y/n, of course I had to pull out all the stops for someone like you.”

- You only grew shyer at the boy’s compliments, hiding your face in your hands for a moment as the bell signaling the end of lunch rang aloud throughout the cafeteria. You could see the way all of your friends were grinning at the two of you, happy that you had finally gotten together, and felt your heart swell with happiness at the moment you were in

- “Come on, babe.” Denki said, playing up the pet name as he reached his hand out to help you out of your seat and link your fingers together. “I’ll walk you to class.”

- “Denki, we’re going to the same class.” You giggled, silently nodding your head at Bakugo to show your thanks to him for his hand in this whole situation, even if he had never planned on getting involved. He looked away immediately at the gesture, but the barely there smirk across his face gave away that deep down, he was happy for the two of you despite his previous anger at your new boyfriend

- “So?” Denki simply replied, swinging your linked arms back and forth between the two of you as he walked with a lovestruck grin plastered across his face. “By the way, you’re still coming to my dorm after class right? I had this romantic song I was gonna play, and I still wanna show it to you! And I can’t eat all those cookies alone!”

- “Of course, Sparky. This can be our first date!” You replied, the pet name falling from your lips with ease as the two of you made your way to your next class together, hand-in-hand and smiling like lovesick fools

Request - @cosmicgeohoe said: Hello! Could I get a possibly one shot with Denki having a crush on reader and he wants to spend time with them? My specific idea is he gets really clingy, and he just accidentally blurts out that he likes them- I thought this would be a cool idea, do with it, what you please!

A/N: This was the last piece of writing I started working on before I took my hiatus last year, so I’m happy to finally have this completed! It was a really cute fluffy request, and I hope you guys enjoy it because I think it came out really cute and sweet! My requests are open right now, and I now have a request list linked in my navigation for you guys to see all the requests I’ve received as of now (that I try to update at least once a day so it stays up-to-date!) so if you have any requests, feel free to send them my way :)

Taglist: @pasteldaze @yeagerfushiguro @papijean @trashy-bowtie @thekaylahub @palenightmarepersona @eunoiasa @applepie-macaroon @ghostofscarley @swiftbyul

If you’d like to be added to any of my taglists, you can fill out this form here! Thank you for your support <3

[alpaca-clouds]

I am telling you guys, there is one feature in BG3 that is absolutely missing: HUGS. I want to be able to give out HUGS all the time. Like, man. This group needs so many hugs. Just let me hug my companions. I mean, c'mon. They all need them. They all need hugs. Whenever they tell you their backstories and about their trauma, I am just like: "You definitely need a hug." But... with some exceptions you cannot hug them.

Larian should really patch that in. Hugs for everyone.

[chublov1]

Late as hell, but I never intended to do all the prompts anyway, soo... Take my participation for Day 2 of Feedist Kinktober! The theme is obviously Royalty, which I'm a sucker for <3

It's a simple A/B scenario, fill the gaps with whomever you want 👀

A - ex-knight turned feedee (he/him)

B - the feeder prince (he/him)

WC: 1,082

Hope you enjoy!

"Am I…" A's eyes trailed off as he flushed helplessly, "Am I fat enough for you now, my lord?"

The prince only grinned as he watched his favorite ex-knight-turned-servant squirm under the silk-smooth hands of the royal. B has fattened his favorite guard well so far; No matter what he wore, clothes hugged A's curves mercilessly. His ass and hips practically always strained any pants he wore, skin-tight; His chubby face itself proof of overindulgence, as his cheeks and chin rounded up, giving him a cherubic, cute look. Stark contrasts to the tough-faced warrior who once walked these corridors so sternly, so above everybody… Now all he could do is waddle after the toothpick-sized prince that has claimed him as a prize piglet.

And his belly, of course… His belly stole the spotlight.

Soft and round and plump, always at least somewhat filled up, or demanding another portion. Growling easily, whenever A wasn't full for but an hour, even less. B has trained and indulged his body to the point that A would beg to be fed, even blushing red with shame. His embarrassed, needy whimpers were music to the prince's ears.

That's what you get for being so cold and mean. And hot. You get to turn even hotter, bigger, puffier, musculature melting like wax into smooth, overfed bliss… You turn into the prince's plaything, at his mercy at all times.

One that was meant to protect, well… Let's just say he barely even remembered what his armor looked like. And holding a sword, he would only hurt himself. No, B thought, his hands sinking lower, into the flabby, plump underbelly of his pet thing - A would never be a knight again. He was making sure of that.

Spoiled and overfed and conditioned, he would learn to love the life of pampering and luxury without any shame. B would yet break his  sorry ego.

"A-Ah, my master… Dear prince…" A whispered breathily, glaring down and whining a little as the prince's gentle yet decided hands toyed with his chub. "Oh… my lord…"

"You know the answer to that, silly." B clicked his tongue, smirking into the other's neck. His hands explored deeper under the fat, into those tight pants, barely able to release the sorry waistband from its misery. A moaned when his fat spilled out and jiggled, a prime image of indulgence and unbearable, always growing gluttony. "You should always grow some more. That's my order~"

A could only stare absent-mindedly, bliss on his stupid little face, so bloated with good food and laziness. B grew this fatness personally, the prince always behind it, going to many measures necessary to fill up his gut some more.

A started so modestly. In such denial, going as far as to go against his prince at times. Despite clear orders, A was a prick that needed some further discipline.

Finally realizing his subservience to his lord, he hesitantly let prince B pamper him, taking him away from the actions of protection and bravery. He barely ever escaped the attention of other knights, as his plumpy, soft form became more and more apparent. A knew if he were them, he wouldn't recognize himself.

Finally, he was promoted from guard to prince's personal companion. A became his pet for good.

Where had that strong, independent, blunt warrior gone? He's grown soft, pound by pound, inch by inch. Beer, silky clothes and excessive leisure time helped. He wasn't allowed to leave his chambers without the Prince. He couldn't bathe in the servants' room, only ever allowed in the royal bath, as per B's orders. And he had nobody pitying him, for everybody wished they could have a life this careless and A would be a fool rejecting the prince's advances.

First but a beer gut, softness grew atop of his slim, tough belly. Further and further, until pulling on his armor made him want to hurl. He didn't fit it anymore, not with his new role, that of his master's plumpy pet.

He lost count of how many clothes he's outgrown. The numbers were in the hundreds. And the best thing was, he only kept expanding. He still wasn't enough for the prince. Even when he started having problems dressing on his own (solution: maids) and taking the stairs (solution: never leave his floor or wait for staff), the prince kept steadily overfeeding his companion, eyes shining with glee and mischief.

The royal himself was so tiny the knight could probably crush his feeder, and yet it was the former that held all the power, towering over the other in status.

Besides… a life full of spoiling couldn't be that terrifying… Why would someone not want a life of constant calm?...

Worrying about only ever ripping his pants, or burping too loud… those seemed arbitrary, yet those were the only kinds of concerns A had ever since he converted to this lifestyle. It couldn't compare to his mission-fueled path of a knight, full of sorrow, pain and sacrifice.

It felt good to have somebody lean over him for once. It was good to let someone else fend for A. It was good to see someone care so much, to the point he could be so plump he'd barely stand - him, an average, decent warrior, in the past valued only by what he could do physically and his carefully sculpted body.

Now his physical movement was limited. Bulges and rolls rubbed against each other, his thighs always warm. He had no clue if he could still jump. His scars faded healthily and his tits grew bountiful. Even being a little pet, he mattered so much to the prince. Far more than when he was just a knight.

The dainty hands went from his underbelly to his ass and A moaned as soon as his cheeks were squeezed. He felt good. He was so wide, so big for his prince… This life could be so fulfilling. He shamefully imagined his ass expanding on sight, breaking the seams right into the prince's hands.

When the prince gently pressed his body against the other's back, the ex knight was breathless of pleasure. His body, big and warm, was claimed by someone so important and generous. And caring.

He turned his head to his master, feeling his plump nipples strain against the luxurious, white shirt.

"My lord… everything for you."

The prince playfully bit his lip.

"Good boy, A. Very good. I'll make sure you're rewarded."

A bell rang for dinner.

[wolfjackle-creates]

Carry On Chapter 2

AO3 Link (locked to logged in users)

Chapter 1

Story Summary:

After the garden, the First Family has to find their way in the wider, more dangerous world. But Heaven and Hell aren't ready to leave them alone so Crawly and Aziraphale tag along. When Cain has the idea to sacrifice the best of his harvest to God, Abel also wishes to sacrifice the best of his lambs. God chooses Her favorite and the First Family is left to pick up the pieces as best they can.

Trigger Warnings: Aftermath of sibling death, suicidal character

This chapter shows Cain coming to terms with his past and building a new life for himself.

Word Count: 6k

-----

Over the next several days, Cain continued his refusal to speak. Crawly did everything he could to make the man eat and drink and rest, but unless he was about to collapse, Cain ignored it all.

The demon only tried to play Eve’s flute once. Cain had frozen at the sound of the first note before letting out a wordless scream and sprinting away as fast as he could. Crawly had to fly to keep up.

Crawly was at his wits end. Grief of this magnitude had been unheard of in Heaven before the War and after… Well, Hell didn’t much care if a demon was traumatized or not. Certainly, no one was going to comfort another demon.

One night within the first weeks of their exile, Cain was lying flat on his back staring at the sky. He had pushed himself too far, again, and just lay where he collapsed. Crawly hissed in frustration. “I’m going to get some water. I think there’s a river nearby.”

He got no reaction and left. As he walked, he started muttering under his breath as he had taken to doing whenever Cain was out of earshot. “You are heartless. How can You look at that man and think he deserves this? He should be with his parents. They should all be comforting each other. Or better yet, You shouldn’t have allowed it to get this far to begin with. But You never could leave well enough alone. Always demanding more and better. Telling everyone that our best isn’t good enough. What has that ever gotten You? Hell and demons? Your favorite creations kicked out of the garden? Your favorite human dead? Real great job there.”

He kept the litany of blasphemy up until he came to the river where he filled all the water skins. He made his way back to his companion falling silent as he neared.

Cain was now sitting upright, facing away from Crawly. He was doing something with his arms. Hitting himself in the chest maybe? “Cain? Are you all right?”

The man was making frustrated sounds as he continued to bang at his body, and Crawly sped up.

Once he could see the man, the skins fell to the ground. “Stop! Stop! What are you doing?”

Cain was taking a stone knife and repeatedly stabbing it into his chest. Each time he did, the blade pushed in, but when he pulled it away the cuts healed, so only a small trickle of blood stain Cain’s robes.

Crawly lept forward and tackled Cain to the ground, grabbing for the knife. Cain tried to hold on, but Crawly was far stronger and not weak from hunger and exhaustion and wrestled it free. “Stop it! Stop!” he shouted as he held the knife over his head and backed away from Cain.

Cain curled in on himself, crying again. “I just want to see him again! Why should I live if he’s dead?”

“You dying won’t change anything! It’ll just make your parents grieve for a second child!” He tucked the blade into his robes, miracling it so that Cain wouldn’t be able to take it back.

Carefully, he approached Cain and sat down next to him, putting his arm around the grieving man. Cain turned and hugged Crawly tight as he continued to cry. Crawly glared at the sky. If he had still been able to heal, all of this could have been avoided.

---

The next several months were the hardest of Crawly’s existence, excluding the War and his Fall. Cain continued to try and kill himself any chance he could get. Crawly did his best to never leave Cain’s side, but the man wouldn’t get food or water unless Crawly forced it on him and often refused to even approach any food-bearing plant forcing the demon to either let him starve or leave him alone for a few minutes.

Crawly learned not to let them stop near cliffs or Cain would jump off them. They couldn’t linger near fast flowing rivers or he’d jump in and hope to be dashed against the rocks. Both of them were bruised, wet, and miserable after that incident. He tried to jump out of trees or provoke animals. Every time Crawly thought he’d tried everything, Cain would come up with something new. For the first time ever, Crawly hated someone’s imagination.

Each attempt was doomed whether Crawly was there or not, though. After all, God had cursed Cain. No one would ever be able to kill him. And that, apparently, included Cain himself. He would feel all the pain of the broken bones or bitten skin, but almost as soon as the injuries happened, they were gone.

Every day, Crawly attempted to convince Cain that Abel’s death wasn’t his fault. Every day he got more and more desperate for an end to this cycle. But he had no idea how to reach Cain and ended up just talking constantly about anything and everything he could think of. He talked about the stars and plants and how they were made. He told stories of the angels who made them. Through it all, he was lucky if Cain deigned to speak as many as half a dozen words a day.

One afternoon while Cain slept, Crawly saw a group of crows attacking a smaller songbird. Angrily, he chased off the bullies before taking the injured bird in his hands. The small thing was terrified, one eye missing and bleeding from too many wounds. She wouldn’t survive another ten minutes. He bit his lip and decided to try and see if he could figure out what was wrong with his healing powers. He was a Healer. The Healer. Certainly She couldn’t take that away from him, whatever Azrael said. He closed his eyes and sunk into his center so he could see his core. Inside him, his power presented as a bright green star, generating the powers all hellish and angelic beings has. Only it was shot through with Hellfire in a tangled mess. Before his fall, it had been mixed with Her golden grace and more beautiful than anything else he’d ever seen. But now it was scarred and burning. Still, he pulled forth a bit of power and sunk it into the bird, taking care to catalogue all her injuries. He waited until he was sure he knew exactly where the damage was and how to fix it before directing his power to heal.

Only for his hands to be cupped around a ball of flames.

He pulled back his power and the flames extinguished, but all he held were a handful of ashes that were already being blown away by the gentle breeze. He scattered the rest and miracled his hands clean before burying his face in them. He grew out his fangs and bit through his cheek to distract from the burning in his eyes. Why did Falling have to take even this from him? Why did his asking questions mean he was so unforgivable She had to steal his ability to heal?

He didn’t know how long he was sitting like that, mourning his stolen ability before he felt a hand on his shoulder. He startled and looked up to see Cain, his face worried. He forced a smile at the unspoken question and said, “I’m alright.”

Cain cocked his head and raised an eyebrow.

Crawly stood up and cracked half the bones in his spine and fingers before smirking at his human companion, pushing down all the despair. He couldn’t fall apart; Cain needed him. “Did you get enough rest? Want to keep moving?” Cain nodded and their travels continued. Only now, anytime Cain was sleeping, Crawly would examine a nearby plant or blade of grass and try to heal it.

All he left behind were patches of scorched earth and ashes.

---

Eventually, over many years, Cain stopped seeking out new ways to try and kill himself. He realized it was a futile endeavor and gave up. Even more slowly, Cain started to open back up to Crawly. He was still a quiet man, but he would exchange entire sentences with the demon from time to time and Crawly allowed himself to relax his hypervigilance. He still stuck close and tried not to let Cain out of his sight for extended periods, but things were getting better.

As Cain slowly gave up, so did Crawly. He’d never touched another animal after the disaster with the bird, but he eventually stopped reaching out to damaged plants, too. Every time he reached for his power to create or heal, the Hellfire in it burned and destroyed. Nothing he did could stop it. Every night, he had to turn off his sense of smell before lighting a fire for Cain as the scent of smoke now made him sick. He dreaded the thought of getting a message from Hell requiring him to report in person. It hadn’t happened yet, thank Satan, but he wasn’t sure he could handle the sulfuric air.

God’s curse forcing Cain to wander meant they could never spend more than a few weeks in any location. If they lingered too long, Cain would grow restless and find himself walking away from camp, unable to force himself to return.

When they found themselves in a lush jungle a couple decades after beginning their journey, Crawly told Cain they were staying for a few weeks, which was the upper limit of time they could linger in a single location. The weather was delightfully warm and the amount of fruit and nut bearing plants meant Cain wouldn’t even have to try finding food.

Near their camp, a spring formed a large lake that fed into a river. When they found it the first day, Crawly initially thought they should move camp as a cliff rose out of one side of the lake, but it was barely a few handspans taller than Crawly and Cain hadn’t tried jumping off a cliff in years so he didn’t say anything.

They were nearing the spring to collect water one day when they heard an unusual sound. Both stopped immediately and Crawly asked, “What was that?”

Cain shrugged and they fell silent to see if it would repeat. Crawly even stopped breathing, a habit he’d picked up when he’d realized it made Adam and Eve uncomfortable when he didn’t.

Then they heard it again. It sounded like laughter. Human laughter. Crawly let his mouth fall open and looked over at Cain. Neither of them had seen or heard another person since the day Cain had been exiled decades ago.

Crawly’s shock turned to excitement and he grinned and started rushing forward to see who it could be when he realized Cain wasn’t following him. He turned around, brow furrowed, to see the man backing up, his face bloodless. “Cain? What’s wrong?”

“What if… what if it’s my parents? Even if it’s not, I killed Abel. Whoever it is will know the story. They’ll hate me.”

“First of all, you didn’t kill Abel; a rock did. And secondly, we don’t even have to approach them. Let’s just sneak up, spy on them through the leaves to figure out who it could be, then we can return to our camp and decide if we want to move on earlier than planned.”

Cain ignored the first part of the statement as Crawly knew he would, but he reluctantly agreed that it was a good idea to gather more information on whoever the stranger could be before jumping to conclusions.

Crawly turned his face away so his grin wouldn’t be so apparent. He couldn’t wait to see who this new person was. Anything new to their routine could only be good. It didn’t take long for them to reach the lake. On this side, the trees continued into the shallows so they were well hidden.

Before them was a young, dark-skinned woman standing naked on the edge of the cliff. She let out a loud half-scream, half-laugh and launched herself into the water, curling into a ball before she hit, sending a spray of water in all directions. She came back up a moment later laughing at the sky in pure joy. Crawly hadn’t seen anyone that carefree in a long time. He turned to Cain with a grin to brag about how he was right that the person was harmless.

Cain was staring straight ahead, mouth open, cheeks flushed. Crawly hissed in amusement and put his arm around the man’s shoulders, startling him. “C’mon,” he said under his breath, “We should give her some privacy.”

Cain flushed even more and nodded, looking away. He backed up and immediately tripped over a tree root and crashed to the ground, cursing.

“Who’s there?” demanded the woman from the lake.

Crawly threw his head back and laughed. He made his way to the lake edge and tried to wave through the trees. “Sorry to disturb you! We just weren’t expecting anyone and heard you and had to see who was near!”

“I’ll repeat, who are you?” she shouted back.

“No one important!”

Cain hissed at him, “Shut up! We don’t want her to know who I am!”

Crawly rolled his eyes, and in a quieter voice directed just at Cain, said, “She already knows we’re here. Trying to hide won’t do us any good.”

The mystery girl shouted back, “Stay there, please! I’m looking for someone and you’re the first person I’ve met since I left home!” She turned and started swimming to the shore opposite Crawly.

Cain got up and tried to run away, but Crawly grabbed his arm. “Look, Cain. You’ve been alone except for me for far too many years. You need to be around another human again. So stay still and see what happens. I won’t share your name if you don’t want me to, but you need this.”

Cain tried to pull free. “No! She’ll hate me! She looks so happy and innocent! I’ll just corrupt her.”

“Ok, now you’re just having me on. I’m the demon here. If anyone’s going to corrupt her, it’s me. You’re staying here and we are both going to meet her!”

They were still arguing several minutes later when they were interrupted by the woman clearing her throat. “Sorry to interrupt.” She was standing before them in bright orange robes that contrasted well with her skin. On her back sat a large pack.

Crawly smiled at her. “No, please do interrupt. He’s being stupid. Can’t tell you how glad I am to meet you…?”

“Your eyes! You’re a demon, aren’t you?” she asked with wide eyes as she took an instinctive step back.

Cain groaned and buried his head in his free hand.

Crawly’s smile turned into a smirk to hide his sudden nervousness. He should’ve realized she’d recognize what he was from his eyes. He might have been too eager for this meeting after all. “Does that scare you?”

She stared intently, eyes narrowed. “Aziraphale says we need to be wary of demons because they’ll try and lead us astray.” But then she broke out in a wide smile that seemed much more natural on her face, “But Adam and Eve speak highly of the yellow-eyed snake who sometimes pretends to be human.”

“Ugh, Aziraphale always has to toe the party line.” He had no idea how to respond to the comment about Adam and Eve.

Her smile grew even wider. “That means you must be Crawly!” She turned to Cain. “And you must be Cain. I’ve been looking for you.”

Cain tried to back up, but couldn’t break free from Crawly’s grip.

The woman slapped her hands over her mouth. “Oh, no! It’s nothing bad! I promise! I just… Adam and Eve talked about you a lot. And I always felt so bad that you were out here all alone! I’ve wanted to come and find you ever since I was a little girl so I could be your friend.” She was actually bouncing on her feet in excitement.

Cain was frozen, mouth opening and closing. Crawly laughed and let go of his arm; the man was too shocked to move. “Didn’t I tell you we should meet her?” Back to the girl, he asked, “What’s your name?”

“I’m Awan. I’m so glad I finally found you! This is a lovely place. How long have you been here?”

Crawly and Awan kept the conversation going as they made their way back to camp. Cain followed behind, silent. Awan was a lively person and commented on everything they passed, asking about every plant and animal and insect. Crawly was delighted to have someone around who actually spoke back for once and answered all her questions, spending extra time on the things he’d had a hand in creating. He was having so much fun just talking to someone for once that he was disappointed when they reached their campsite.

“So, Awan,” said Crawly, “Are you hungry? We’ve got enough provisions to share.”

Before she could even respond, Cain was already digging through his supplies and pulling out a large selection.

She grinned. “I don’t know if I’ve ever even seen half of these foods! Are you sure there’s enough? I’d love to try them, but don’t put yourself out. I’ll be sticking around for a while so there’ll be another chance.”

“There’s enough,” said Cain, giving her the quickest of glances before continuing to set out a feast.

Awan wasn’t put off by his terseness and kneeled next to Cain to Crawly’s amusement. She pointed to a star fruit. “What’s this and what does it taste like?”

“Oh, um, that’s a- a star fruit.” Cain took out an obsidian knife and sliced it, handing her a piece. He blushed when their fingers brushed.

She grinned at him as she took a bite and her eyes widened and she groaned in pleasure. “This is amazing! Do you eat these every day? Because I’ve never had anything nearly so wonderful before. I’ll never get tired of it. Not even if I eat it every day for the rest of my life.”

Cain blushed harder and arranged a large selection of food on a stone slab that he presented to her. “Fire!” he cried, causing her to take an alarmed step back and look around for the danger. Crawly had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. “Er, I mean, we can light a fire. And sit by it. Comfortable…?”

Crawly let himself grin openly. This was the best thing he’d seen in his entire existence. Not even Gabriel was this awkward. He snapped his fingers and a small fire was burning merrily in the center of their camp. Two logs were already set up there for seats, but a second snap had a third appearing.

Awan bounced on her feet. “Oh, now that is useful! Aziraphale hardly ever uses his powers so openly. Says it’s better if we learn how to take care of ourselves.” She sat down on one of the logs and dug into her food, trying a little bit of each selection to decide which were her favorites.

She asked questions about the food, which Cain tried to stumble through answers for. Too many times, he turned to Crawly for help with answers, but the demon refused to do more than give the name and growing season of the plants. Cain sent many glares his way, but Crawly didn’t care. If the man took too long to answer one of Awan’s questions, he kicked him to prompt him to speak. Cain’s dark blush didn’t abate once throughout the meal.

Crawly hadn’t heard him speak so much in one sitting since Abel’s death, nor had he seen him so animated.

---

Crawly quickly realized that Awan was the best thing that could have happened to their little group. She’d been with them only a week before Crawly saw Cain smile with genuine happiness. Less than half a year passed before she drew a laugh from him.

Each moment of happiness and joy helped loosen something that had curled up tight inside Crawly. He hadn’t even realized how tense he had been until it began to loosen. Each smile and laugh and peaceful moment caused him to relax just that much more.

He wasn’t surprised when, a year after she had joined them, Awan and Cain approached him asking to be married.

“Marriage is a bit too holy an endeavor for a demon to preside. But with no one else around, I’m sure you could marry yourselves. She has to understand there was no other option.”

Awan shook her head. “No. We want you to do it. If that mean’s our marriage isn’t accepted by God, then so be it. You’ve done so much for both of us, especially Cain. We wouldn’t feel right getting married without you.” Cain nodded his agreement to his fiancée’s assertion.

Crawly suddenly found it impossible to speak or even breathe and settled for staring at them while he opened and closed his mouth ineffectually. Finally, he made some sort of sound that they correctly took as agreement.

Awan smiled broadly and even Cain flashed his teeth briefly. It took Crawly a minute to realize he was smiling too, their happiness infectious.

He insisted the couple give him a week to make all the preparations he wanted. They were in another forest, this one temperate and quite different from the jungle they’d met in. Crawly decided they were going to hold the ceremony at the base of a waterfall – he was no longer afraid to linger near cliffs or waterfalls – and he arranged some flowering vines to hang from all the trees around the clearing at the water’s edge.

He was also trying to locate gemstones and other shiny rocks as a gift to Awan. The morning of the ceremony, he presented a few gifts to the couple.

“I thought you both might appreciate something new to wear, so I made these for you.” He handed over two robes. Awan’s was made of gold cloth with blue embellishments depicting animals and plants. Cain’s reversed the color scheme and showed the cosmos. He no longer enjoyed seeing the plants he could no longer cultivate.

Both were effusive in their gratitude, but Crawly waved off their thanks, embarrassed by the display of affection. Demon’s weren’t supposed to get thanked. But they weren’t supposed to give gifts, either. Or marry people. Still, he’d sent a report off to Hell to tell them how he had tempted the First Murderer into Unholy Matrimony, presided over by a demon. The satisfied reply from Beelzebub made him hopeful that no one would actually look into how this “unholy matrimony” deal would go down. It was rather too close to holy matrimony and if Hell saw it, they might question what he was really doing on Earth. And if it came out that he was less involved in the whole First Murderer business than previously assumed, they might recall him.

Crawly shook his head to clear his thoughts. Today was a happy day and Hell would leave him alone just like they had for the last few decades. “Now, Cain. I’m going to borrow Awan for an hour or two. Why don’t you get dressed and meet us by the waterfall? You’ll know the spot when you get there.” After he’d started decorating, he hadn’t let either human approach the area. He wanted it to be a surprise.

“More surprises? Haven’t you done enough?” asked Cain

“Shush, you. Shoo,” ordered Crawly. Cain laughed and the sound still managed to fill Crawly with warmth. Then he was alone with the bride. “Now, Awan, I’ve gathered some small, white flowers. I thought I could braid them into your hair? And I have some gemstones that I could tie to the ends of the braids.”

She rushed forward and hugged him tightly. “That sounds absolutely gorgeous! Thank you! Won’t Cain be so surprised when he sees me?”

Crawly laughed. “That’s the plan. Now, change your robes first. It’ll be easier if we do your hair after.”

Awan’s excitement over her upcoming wedding kept her talking the entire time Crawly was working on her hair with very little input from him. He may have used a demonic miracle or three to speed up the braiding process, but the end result was stunning. And before too long, they were on their way to meet the groom.

Crawly was pleased when Awan let out a gasp as they walked into the clearing at the waterfall’s edge and she saw the trees hung with flowers and Cain standing on the pool's edge skipping rocks. “Oh, this is beautiful. Thank you so much, Crawly! I’ve never seen anything like it!”

At her voice, Cain dropped the remaining rocks he held and spun around only to freeze upon seeing her. His mouth fell open and he stared.

The reactions of the couple resonated with every ounce of demonic pride Crawly held in his core and he couldn’t help the pleased smile that pulled on his lips. He wasted no more time and directed the two to the place he wanted them to stand.

“Now, clasp hands.” He waited until they’d done so before continuing. “Though this life you have faced many trials and hardships. And you will continue to face many more. During all the days of your lives, you must support and love each other. Keep each other safe. When one of you stumbles, the other should help them along until they can walk once more on their own. When one falls ill, the other must care for them until they are healed. Protect each other. Love each other. And may your lives together have more happy days than sad ones. Cain, do you so swear?”

“I do. Awan, you are light and happiness and I will do all I can to make sure you can always shine so brightly.”

Crawly didn’t comment on the tears gathering in both their eyes. “Awan, do you so swear?”

“I do. Cain, you spent so many years wandering alone but for Crawly. I intend to stay by your side for the rest of your life so you never have to be alone again. I will stay with you and hold you tight. I will remind you of the beauty of the world we live on every day. And I will love and care for you with my every breath.”

If either bride or groom thought it inappropriate that Crawly made no mention of God or Satan or Heaven or Hell, they didn’t say so. And by the looks on their faces, they didn’t consider anything missing from the ritual.

He had them tie the threads of their lives together and drink wine from a chalice. He gave them instruction and advice and made them promise to uphold their vows to each other again.

Then finally, Crawly allowed them to kiss each other. He allowed the kiss to continue for some time but interrupted when he began to doubt they’d ever stop. “I know you are both excited, but I have one more gift for you. Then I’ll disappear for a few days and you can have your privacy.”

“More?” asked Cain. “But you’ve already done so much.”

“When we asked you to marry us, we didn’t expect you to go so far out of your way! This is lovely, all of it, and we’re so grateful, but you must know we didn’t need or expect any of it! Let alone more than this!”

Crawly waved a hand in the air dismissively. “I know. But Cain and I had so little to celebrate before you joined us. I wanted to go all out. Now, follow me.”

This final gift had been the most time consuming for Crawly to get. It had involved innumerable trips to Hell so he could pop up in places all over the globe. He led the couple through the hanging vines to a clearing where a large cloth laden with foods that neither human had ever seen before. He had gone to every corner of the globe and brought back fruits and vegetables and nuts and more. Each one new to the couple. Anything that had to be prepared was cooked, the rest cut and ready to be eaten.

Awan rushed forward with a cry of delight. “What is all this? I don’t think I’ve ever seen any of these before!” Cain was barely a step behind her and looked back at Crawly with the same question apparent in every line of his face.

“You wouldn’t have. They’re from farther away than you could walk in a lifetime. But everything is safe to eat. Pick out whatever looks best and I’ll tell you about it.” Between bites of food, the newlyweds would exchange kisses. Crawly let himself get caught up in the happiness. And once the kisses started getting longer and the eating less frequent, he left them to it.

---

It was only a few months after the wedding when they came to Crawly to tell him of Awan’s pregnancy. He celebrated with the couple and sat them both down to explain everything Awan could expect from the situation. Eve had spoken to her when she was younger as well, but Crawly knew the technicalities from his days in the Creation halls.

As they wandered, Cain realized he didn’t want to subject his child to the same wandering life he and Awan shared and decided he would build a permanent settlement Awan and the child could live at. He was especially worried about what would happen towards the end of the pregnancy when Awan wouldn’t be able to move easily.

It didn’t take long to find a suitable location near a river with plenty of fertile ground that would be suitable for planting. Crawly helped Cain build a home for his wife and child. Using miracles to create was always a risky business, but Crawly found loopholes. He could compress the dirt or stones, transforming them into something strong and sturdy. He could snap a hole into existence to anchor the walls. He could break rocks into usable bricks. Creativity was never his problem. And so the building progressed quickly.

It was, however, slowed by Cain’s curse. He could only linger and build for a few weeks before he was forced to leave once again. He quickly set on a schedule where he’d stay for three weeks, leave for a week, and return. At the start of her pregnancy, Awan was more than happy to join him. But as she got larger, she couldn’t handle the travel. Crawly, at Cain’s insistence, stayed behind with her.

All three were relieved when Cain was around the day Awan went into labor. Crawly helped her through and after many hours was happy to hand the healthy baby boy to his relieved parents.

The smile that overtook Cain’s face the moment he held his son finally allowed Crawly to let go of the last of the tension he’d been holding onto since he’d been unable to heal Abel. Cain looked up at Crawly, crying and smiling. “He’s perfect.”

The next thing Crawly knew, the impossibly small baby was being pushed into his arms by the happy father. “No, I couldn’t, I don’t…” but his protestations were ignored and he soon had the small creature bundled in his arms. “Hey there, squirt,” he said, bending his head over the baby. He reached out a trembling hand to rub the soft skin of his belly. He only held him a few minutes until the infant started squirming and the boy was returned to his exhausted mother.

After mother and baby were sleeping, Cain and Crawly went outside to let Awan rest. Cain, looking at the night sky rather than Crawly, said, “We haven’t agreed on a name yet. I keep going back to Abel. Feels like it’s only right I name my son after my brother.”

Crawly hummed. “What does Awan think of that plan?”

“She doesn’t like it. She understands why I want to but doesn’t agree.”

“Why do you want to give him your brother’s name?”

“Abel’s dead. Shouldn’t I honor his memory?”

“Look, if you name your son after your brother, he’ll have to live up to that memory. Every time you look at him, every time you call for him, you’ll think of your brother and what happened that day. Is that really a legacy you want your son to have to live under? Shouldn’t he have the chance to learn who he is without the memory of his uncle hanging over his every action? I get that you want to do something for your brother. Build a memorial or something. But I wouldn’t recommend pulling your son into it.”

Cain hummed as he looked up at the stars, thinking. He didn’t say anything else as he walked inside to join his sleeping wife. Crawly kept watch outside the rest of the night.

The next morning, Cain came out holding his son. “Morning, Crawly. This is Enoch.”

Crawly grinned and walked over. “Good name.”

Cain smiled at the baby, “Yeah. We like it. Come inside. Awan’s still tired and hurts too much to want to move from bed.”

Crawly smiled at Awan who was glaring at the blankets of her sleeping pallet. “I hate being laid up like this. When will I start to feel better?”

“Want me to look you over? I might be able to make a cream or give you some herbs to make you feel better.”

“Yes! Please! I’ll do anything,” begged Awan.

Crawly chuckled and examined her for any signs there might be a problem. Nothing seemed out of place, however, and he mixed up an herbal tea to help with her pain.

The rest of the day was spent with Cain and Crawly alternately taking care of Enoch and Awan. The humans and demon chatted cheerfully and took things as easy as they could.

Around dusk, Cain was slowly rocking Enoch, shushing him and trying to get him to fall asleep. He bit his lip, and still looking at his son, asked tentatively. “Crawly?”

“Hmm?” answered the demon, he was comfortably ensconced in a pile of blankets and didn’t want to move unless he had to. It’d been a rough couple of days and he knew it wasn’t about to get any easier with a newborn around.

“Do you- Do you still have my m-mother’s flute?”

Crawly choked on air as he bolted upright. “What?”

“Her flute.” Cain was facing away from Crawly and showed no signs of turning around. “I remember she gave it to you. Do you still have it? Enoch should know some of the songs his grandmother used to play. Even if he’ll never meet her.”

Crawly swallowed hard and didn’t answer, but reached into his robes. He’d hidden the flute away in a pocket decades ago and kept it on him ever since. Eve had been his friend, too, and he treasured the gift. It was the first one he’d ever been given. Angels didn’t need things, so gifts didn’t exist in Heaven. And they certainly didn’t exist in Hell. He lifted it to his lips, but hesitated. Cain hadn’t reacted well last time he’d tried to play. He peered at the man through narrowed eyes. His shoulders were tense. He pulled the flute away a few inches. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. Please.”

And Crawly played a soft, mournful piece. Awan smiled from her pallet and slowly Cain’s shoulders relaxed. He turned around and Crawly realized he was crying. In his arms, Enoch slowly settled into sleep.

[v-anrouge]

I had to take a break before writing this so here we gooo ♥ My Love Languages: Receiving- Quality Time I like to be around my people a lot, damn near all the time if possible. I don't care if we are talking, watching something together, or just sitting in the same room together in silence. Being around them makes me very happy. Giving- Gifts I like to spoil people I care about. I like getting them small trinkets to show them that even when we aren't around each other, they mean something to me. I think small, sentimental gifts are more meaningful to give than big, expensive gifts. Anyone can buy you a nice fancy thing, but only people who know you well will find that specific turtle figure that you would be head over heels for. What I Look For: I'm not a shallow person and believe there is way more to someone than their outer appearance. I look for qualities such as: compassion, humor, and street smarts when I am picking someone. I think it is important to have compassion for other people and animals if we want to live a happy life, so I want someone who also shares that mentality. I don't want to be with someone who finds joy in demeaning people and making them feel bad for things, and I absolutely refuse to be with someone who views animals as "just animals" and not a companion you can form a bond with. Humor I think speaks for itself. My mental is not the best, but I try to mask it really well from those around me. I like when people take time out of their day to show me things or tell me things that are funny to them. My own sense of humor is pretty cringe, so I like having someone to be cringe with me. Also, I like lighthearted pranks. I like to play pranks, but I don't want someone who is going to take them as far as being hurtful to me. Street smarts are something that I feel like I lack, so a partner with those would be nice. I like to think that I am really smart when it comes to academic things and that I know a lot of information on topics, but my sister would always tell me "you have book smarts, not street smarts." I can be pretty naive sometimes, so I think someone with street smarts would teach me those so I'm not getting myself into predicaments I shouldn't be in. I think other things I look for are a sense of passion, where the person I'm with has a goal or something they are reaching towards instead of just moseying their way through life. Also, I want someone open-minded like myself. I feel like that should be enough info xd but please I can do more if you need it.

we all expected this first one lmao but your first match isss...

RUGGIE you and him were quite literally made for each other, he loves everything about you, he gets so so happy when he finally gets a break from his busy day and sees a message you sent him to come over so you two can chill, he immediately sighs happily and can already feel the stress leaving his body, once he finally gets there he basically throws himself at you enjoying your warm hug and your laugh, ruggie is always sure to be happy whenever he's next to you, no matter what you two are doing, just having you there makes ruggie so unbelievably happy and comforted he is smiling the entire time

i don't think i even need to mention how happy ruggie is when you give him a gift, he just feels so happy he can't stop giggling it's adorable he'll make sure to put all the gifts you give him in a place only he can see to make sure he'll never lose them and that nobody will ever steal them from him, they truly do mean a lot to him, in exchange he really enjoys giving you things! ruggie has done many jobs so crafting isn't exactly an impossible task for him, he's able to do it and it's actually very very good, he'll gift them to you and he truly hopes you'll like them as much as he loves the gifts you gave him

ruggie loves showing you random memes he found and thought you'd like, he always saves them in a special place so he can show you later, this normally ends up in hours spent just watching random videos that aren't even actually funny but the company and the fact that they're so low quality you can barely understand what's happening makes you both laugh until you're crying

ruggie is always so worried about you, he wants to make you're safe wherever you go so most of the time he'll go out with you to make sure nothing bad is ever gonna happen to you, but when he can't he'll most likely facetime u or message u the entire time you're extremely important to him he wouldn't be able to handle losing you

other possibilities: jamil, malleus & lilia

[typhoonvash]

Vash is listening—he always listens, especially to Wolfwood. He listens to the way he sighs behind a cigarette, the beat of his heart, and even his snores whenever he wakes up first (which is most days). Most of all, he listens to what Wolfwood is really saying behind the front that he puts up. Although... lately he hasn't been putting much of one up when it's just them.

And it can't be more apparent than his final sentence.

The blond pauses, hearing the heavy thud of the Punisher digging into the sand and the implication that—that he—

He promptly drops his rucksack, turns around, and rams into Wolfwood at full speed, just about toppling the both of them over with a powerful hug.

"No! I don't hate you! I could never—!" Vash buries his head into Wolfwood's neck, even if it's sweaty from all of the walking they've done today. "I love you, Wolfwood. Don't say something so..."

His heart droops. He supposes that if they loved each other, then there's an expectation—they'll always be there for each other, even if it's dangerous or chaotic and maybe sometimes it is peaceful...

They've had this discussion time and time again. The whole... 'why' thing. The reminders that it's dangerous to stay by his side, that Wolfwood is human and that means he's more vulnerable even with the vials. He's held Wolfwood's dying body one too many times—so, one time. Though, Vash has vowed to himself to stick with Wolfwood until the end of his shorter life... and he supposes that would mean holding him then, but... he doesn't want to think about that. It's far away.

After taking a moment to catch his breath and to think of a better answer, Vash grips his companion tighter and nuzzles into the comfort of his hairline.

"Okay... well, it'd be nice to not be worth sixty billion double-dollars, for starters," every other thought Vash has is about someone else—he has to dig deep for nice things that involve just him. Well, him and...

"I'm torn. I really like to travel and visit new places, but there's a part of me that just... wants a place to stay. Down here—not in a ship. Like humans do. That's pretty boring though, isn't it...?"

Vash laughs sheepishly, pulling away and allowing Wolfwood to have autonomy again.

"Maybe we could find a Geo-Plant and she could let us farm or something, and maybe other people would be able to farm there too," he doesn't mean to use 'we' or 'us', but he does so subconsciously. "Um... I guess the world would be less violent. I don't know how that would work, but I'd prefer my shooting skills to be only something I use to win those little fair games. Y'know, the ones that are rigged to be just about impossible—you should see the look on the game owner's face when I actually beat it. Multiple times. I could get you one of those giant stuffed toma and you wouldn't know what to do with it, and you'd grumble about needing to carry it home. Oh, and then I'd also win some of the little stuffed toma chicks to go with the big one. I'd carry those."

At some point during his story, Vash loses focus and allows his gaze to drift up to the bright blue sky as he thinks. The final sentence causes him to snap back to focus with a bright red flush on his cheeks. In a classic Vash-like manner, he scratches the back of his head and grins, clearly embarrassed.

"Sorry, I... got carried away, didn't I?"

“You can think of a million ways to save some random goon in the middle of ass-backwards nowhere from the noose but as soon as it comes to yourself you’re suddenly all out of good ideas, are ya?” Nicholas has known this to be the case for a long time, so Vash’s answer does not entirely surprise him.

From Wolfwood’s perspective, the question remains unanswered. Maybe he’s expecting too much. Vash will outlive him, one way or another. Nicholas D. Wolfwood is just one short chapter.

Wolfwood takes another long, silent look at Vash and sighs. Not one of his many, patented long-suffering sort of sighs, but a sigh garnered with nuance and a sad wistfulness matched only by an ominous figure sulking on the ledges of high vantage points in the deep, dark night.

The suggestion of visitation privileges is so appalling he doesn’t know how to address it right now. For now, it serves as a painful reminder, whether intentional or not, of just how good Vash is at habitually keeping people at arm’s length. Vash is already hurrying off, back turned, head down, as if the only weight he’s ever noticed is the same one he’s always carried. Already running away, trying to hide in his own head.

“What if I don’t want a peaceful life?” God only knows what he’d do with it even if he had one. Talking to Vash’s back always makes him feel like he’s chasing a dead end. If the orphanage is taken care of, if Vash is taken care of, he’s happy. He thought he’d learned to pick and choose his battles better by now.

“Me having a better life means not having to wake up to one side of a town turning the other half of town into swiss cheese over a few damn scraps. When we travel together, feels like…Maybe for once humans could get to a point where we can at least make it a month without going for each other’s throats.”

What he describes, really, is hope.

Having provided some sort of answer, even if it was a shitty one, Vash seems to have dismissed himself from the conversation. This time Wolfwood stubbornly digs in his heels and drops the Punisher in the sand without any intention of budging another step farther.“You told me what you think everyone else deserves, not what you want, Needle-Noggin. Give me a real fuckin’ answer for once. And if you really hate havin’ me around so much at least have the decency to say it to my face!”

[charliedawn]

(request about Slasher AU) Who is the first (s/o or slashers) to initiates physical contact in a newly established relationship (like they just recently confessed to each other)? Like who hugs whom first, who initiates hand holding or any type of touch, who is more likely to kiss the other first? Hope this makes sense😅...

Personal space ? What's that ?

Penny wouldn't be able to stop himself and get his hands on you every chance he gets.

He will take the initiative and will be expecting for you to do the same.

Touch-starved.

He would be sad if he didn't get to at least hug you all day and would even pout like a child.

He would be a very affectionate companion.

But, you would have to be careful as well.

His love language is biting..

He would bite you, lick you and act like a dog whenever you're around.

Penny is very loving, but he doesn't have any self-restraint and could hurt you without meaning to.

Penny *rubs his nose apologetically against your arm when he sees he bit you a little too hard and hurt you* : "I'm sorry..But, I'll make it all better ! I swear !"

More than just being a nightmarish monster who bites people a lot, Penny has a very fast healing ability which is very useful and effective.

But, still. Penny can't make the dead come back, which is why you should be extra careful around him.

"Affection ? Disgusting..Do it again."

Pennywise and affection in one sentence. 😂

He will not initiate contact. Pennywise doesn't like being touched in general

He would try for you though, which is a lot for Pennywise who usually isn't willing to try anything outside of his comfort zone.

You would have to take the lead the first few times, as he wouldn't know what to do.

He would be hesitant to touch you without the gloves as well.

Pennywise is very attached to his gloves.

It's like Michael's mask, it brings him reassurance.

You would have to really insist for him to not wear them when you're together.

Pennywise *stares at his naked hands and fights the urge to cover them again*

You *smile sympathetically before putting your hand in his* : "It's okay, Pennywise..You don't need them. You have me now. I'll protect you."

Him *huffs a laugh before wrapping his hands around yours* : "Yeah..I know."

Michael would be hesitant at first, mainly because he would be afraid Myers would go after you if he started being too close to you.

However, once that problem solved ?

Michael wouldn't hesitate to hug you and show you affection whenever you want.

Even though, it would be difficult for him to give up on his mask and you would have to find a way to kiss him with it for the first few times.

Michael is loving and even though he doesn't speak, he will make sure to let you know that he loves you.

Michael *smiles and embraces you tightly* : "I love you, sunshine.."

However, Myers ? That's another story.

He would find it strange and not really understand the purpose of physical affection ?

He's always been alone. It was always him and Michael against the world. He wouldn't initiate contact, but he would accept your touches to a certain extent.

However, kissing ? Myers would do it first; unexpected, impatient and rough after months of watching you and Michael have fun while he was trapped in the back of the man's head.

Now, it's time for him to have his fun.

Myers *grabs your wrist a little too tight before yanking you in his arms* : "You're finally mine now."

Freddy *motions you to come closer with a smirk* : "Come here, sweetheart. Daddy's got to check out the goods !"

That man has a hug ego, you can be sure he'll get turned on being called that.

Dirty talk all the way and very touchy.

He will pinch and slap you ass.

Freddy is Freddy. You knew what you were getting into. Don't lie. 😂

The man will kiss you whenever and wherever he wants to.

He doesn't need to be asked twice. You know what ? Scratch that.

He doesn't need to be asked. Period.

He will probably have kissed you before you even entered in a true relationship. Just to annoy you.

But, once it's official ? He will be softer with you.

Freddy *stares at you*

You *sigh* : "What ?"

Him *smiles* : "Just wondering how I got so lucky ?"

Jason is shy and will not do the first step.

He will hug you, but concerning everything else ? You’d have to take the lead.

Jason is clueless and will have to learn how to understand his own needs first, if that makes sense. 😂

He’s been taught that everyone else is evil by his mother and didn’t have any proof to convince him otherwise.

He was raised in a forest, his only friends were animals and when he tried to make friends, people called him disgusting and a monster.

The only physical affection he ever received was from his mother and father, so he wouldn’t be able to connect with you at first, even if he wanted to.

It would have to be baby steps.

Jason *takes your hand and smiles sheepishly, happy because succeeded in initiating physical affection*

You *smile back* : "That's good, Jason. I'm proud of you."

Brahms wants his daily hugs !

He will demand constant affection from you and will be sure you get as much support and love as he can bring.

Brahms is a very loving person and will be sure to give as much as he receives.

He is not selfish and he isn't shy when it comes to physical affection.

He will hug you as many times as possible and he secretly loves it when you play with his hair.

He will wait for you to make the first move sometimes, but if he thinks you need an extra push or he really needs it, he will not hesitate to take the lead and take your hand or kiss you.

Brahms demands and craves physical attention, since he's been deprived of it for so long.

Also, when he likes you: he likes you.

You will know and he will make sure to remind you constantly that you're the reason his heart is beating.

Brahms *hugs you and leaves kisses all over your face* : "Y/N...Happy ?"

You *smiled and nod* : "Yes. I'm happy, Brahms. Thank you.."

Five will not initiate physical contact, but he will welcome it.

He will not show that he appreciates physical proximity at first, but he will little by little become used to your presence and your touches.

The moment you stop showing him affection, he'll know something is wrong and confront you about it.

Five *sits down next to you and hesitates before asking* : "Did I..Did I do something wrong ?"

He would be afraid to have messed up things, or been too cold towards you and this is when he would decide to take matter in his own hands and hug you.

He would feel weird at first, but would soon find comfort in it and finally initiate it on a regular basis.

Him *opening his arms wide when he sees you're not feeling good* : "Come on. Don't make it weird. Let's hug it out. Let me help you."

It depends on the personality.

Hedwig would be the most outgoing one and would hug you the most.

Hedwig *jumps on you* : "SNEAK ATTACK !"

Patricia would leave kisses on your temple and cheeks.

Patricia *smiles before giving you a peck on the cheek* : "Hello there, darling. Don't you look as lovely as ever ?"

Barry would kiss your mouth and not hesitate to embrace you and show you how supportive he can be. He wouldn't hesitate to ask for your affection either.

Barry *grins widely when seeing you* : "Babe ! I was wondering where you were ?! Come here ! I need a hug."

Kevin would be hesitant at first, but would eventually give in, even though you would have to make the first move.

Kevin *trembles as he moves to take your hand, but lets his hand hover above yours instead*

You *smile and take his hand* : "Don't worry. We'll get there eventually.."

Him *smiles back at you* : "Thank you, Y/N.."

Dennis would pretend not to be affected by your advances at first, but as soon as it is only the two of you, he would give up the act and wrap his arms around you tightly.

Dennis *hums against your ear after you were gone all day and wraps his arms around your neck from behind* : "I missed you.."

And the Beast ?

Believe me. You don't want to know..

The Beast *growls and chuckles darkly* : "Come here, pet. I'm eager to get my hands on you. Don't make me wait. It'll only hurt you more.."

[3vwritesthings]

Hello! I've been admiring your writings for a while now ♡. I don't know if you're taking any requests rn, so I'm sorry if requests are closed.

But if you're accepting requests, may I ask for some Enemies to Lovers with Itto x Fem!Reader? Like, the reader is friends with almost everyone in Inazuma but she does not get along with Itto at all... Until she sees some people throwing beans at him, wanting to harass him and she just can't take it and goes absolutely feral to protect him? Can be angst, fluff, smut, whatever you prefer, I like it all. (But I really do enjoy a heavy angst with happy ending)

OMGJAHDHAKTHISMAKESMESOHAPPY!!!

This actually made my day 🥺 TYSM I’m so happy that you like my work <3

I tried my best with your request, but I’m not a very good angst writer 😰. I hope you like it though. I had to do a lot these past 2 days but still wanted to write something for you.

A/N: Since I was operating on limited time periods I couldn’t find a way to specify (Fem! Reader) without making things take a “different” turn, so it had to be gender neutral.

(If you want to request in the future, you can check my profile and at the top it should say “Askbox Open” or “Askbox closed”)

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Summary: You and Itto don’t always get along as you don’t always agree with his different methods. One day however; upon seeing someone throwing beans at him, you snap.

Warnings: Not proofread/Slightly rushed (Sorry)

||PART 2||

You were always the kind of person that helped wherever you could; whether it be delivering things for different shopkeepers, baking things for the elderly that resided in Konda Village, involving yourself in planning events and festivals with the Tricommision. It was no wonder to other people that you bore the title “Y/N, leader of the (l/n) gang.”

You were well liked and always got along with everyone in Inazuma. Everyone except the infamous Arataki Itto and his gang. Both you and Itto had different methods of doing things. While you knew to plan accordingly, safely and legally, he rarely did. You would get your requests approved to have your events in certain areas while he didn’t even apply. You detested his carefree nature as well as the oni’s ability to always get away with his (unintentional) antics. “He never takes anything seriously!” you would always say.

This was the start of your rivalry with him. Whenever crossing paths with each other, you’d always shoot him a passive aggressive look.

One day, you were out picking lavender melons on Yashiori Island to help Ayato win the hotpot game when you heard something that sounded like sobbing. You turned a corner and were met with the sight of Itto curled up in a fetal position, crying with beans scattered around him. A young girl with short blond hair and a white dress hurled another fist of the same beans at the poor himbo. You didn’t know what exactly was happening, but you did know that those beans seemed to be physically hurting him. You dropped the basket of melons in your hands and jumped at the girl, tossing the bag out of her hand.

“What are you doing?!” you asked, glaring at her menacingly.

“Oh no! Sneak attacks didn’t work! We need to think of another plan!” said something that resembled a small floating fairy.

The girl pushed you off as she and her companion ran off to find shelter as you picked up the dropped basket. You were about to go back and finish your melon picking but something big pinned you down with an enormous hug.

“Thank you thank you thankyouthankyou!” shouted Itto, his arms squeezing around your rib cage so tight you thought your lungs might pop.

“No- Problem…” you managed to gasp in between the breaths you were able to take. A few minutes later, he let go.

“As thanks for helping me, you wanna join me and my gang for a party later?!”

“No thanks. I’m quite busy,” you reply, brushing the dirt of your attire. You frown. “I’d rather not get thrown in jail.”

“Pleaseeeeeeee!” Itto begged, glancing down at you with puppy eyes.

You sigh.Your rival offering you to a party?! He must be planning something, and you needed to know what. “Ughhh, fi-“ you didn’t get to finish before Itto picked you up and slung your body over his shoulder. The melons fell once again onto the ground.

“Great! Trust me, you’ll have lots of fun!”

At the same time while you didn’t like the giant oni’s way of things, it suddenly dawned on you that some people were just clueless at heart. And now that you were sitting down and talking with this guy, learning more about him, you can’t help but feel yourself relax. It’s not easy being as organized and prepared as you are. Being at Itto’s gathering (that was probably illegal) made you feel like you could just let down your guard a bit.)

“No! I hate him! Get a grip Y/N!” You pat your cheeks, shaking your head. You stand, about to grab a glass of juice when you’re suddenly met with flaming eyes. Your stomach feels weird and your heart rate picks up ten fold.

“What is this?” you ask yourself, unaware that you’re staring at the red and yellow orbs.

“Ha, you blinked!” Itto laughs. You’re snapped back to reality when he pats your back roughly. A little too roughly that you almost lose your balance and fall.

“I got to go,” you say. Not even waiting for a response or saying goodbye, you speed walk out the entrance.

On the way back to your living quarters your eyebrows furrow as you think about what just happened. It can’t be. You hate him. You loathe his existence. You refuse to let yourself have a crush on the leader of the Arataki Gang; your greatest rival.

Might make a part 2 depending on how many people want me to write one.

(If you want a part 2, comment “Beans.” )

[rosyjuly]

companion fic to this and this in blessed collaboration with @antimonyandthyme. 2k, E, a/b/o, pregnancy mention, heat stuff.

He didn’t tell Mick not to come over.

Maybe he should have. He doesn’t know. Maybe it’s selfish to want to smell Mick, to want him spread his pheromones all over the house, from the couch to the kitchen, until it’s warm and safe in every room. Mick hasn’t been over in a few days, away for the Barcelona race. Sebastian had hoped that he could make this go away by then.

Judging by how Mick’s nostrils flare as soon as he opens the door, how his eyes darken, he obviously failed.

Mick’s looking him up and down, checking him over, his gaze settling on Sebastian’s belly for a second before it snaps back up to his face.

“Hello,” Sebastian says weakly. Mick’s face does something complicated before it smoothes over along with his scent.

“Hey yourself.” Mick looks good, as carefree as he gets these day. “May I come in?” Always so proper. But there’s a tautness to it, like if Sebastian said no, he would just nod and get back in his car without complaint, he would drive back to Geneva and reach out later to check on Sebastian, no hard feelings, just concern and kindness.

Sometimes Sebastian wonders—

But it’s pointless to wonder now. He’s made his decision.

“Of course,” he says, stepping to the side, Mick moving in tandem. He steps in for a quick hug, careful of Sebastian’s belly, his thumb brushing over Sebastian’s nape.

It’s better once they’re in the kitchen, where Sebastian can busy himself putting the box of sweets Mick brought on the table, putting on the mocha and the kettle. As always, Mick offers to help and Sebastian turns it down. It soothes some primal, dumb instinct in him, to fix Mick a drink when he arrives home — to Sebastian’s home. Like an offering.

Right now, he’s also thinking about other ways he could properly welcome an alpha visiting his home — on his knees, a hand fisted in his hair, his mouth stuffed full —  but that’s just the hormones talking. He takes a deep breath and tries to think of anything else than the memory of the weight of Mick on his tongue.

“Tell me about the race,” he asks while he’s carefully filling up the bottom of the mocha with hot water, just like Maurizio showed him all those years ago.

“You haven’t watched it?” Mick sounds teasing. Any other day he’d come up to Sebastian and hip check him, but he’s keeping a cordial distance today. Polite to a fault, Mick is.

“You know I did,” Seb says, flashing him a quick smile.

He thought it’d be harder to turn on his telly at home and sit down — then jump up every other minute, whenever Mick or Lewis pulled a brilliant overtake or defended like a lion. And it was strange, sure. But it was also peaceful in a way: he could cradle his stomach, turn down the volume to tune out the commentary and he could talk to his baby, tell them all about the circuit and the memories he made there. Like he was reconciling his past as a racing driver with his future as a— as a father. Sometimes it’s still incomprehensible to him that he’ll become a father, that he gets to have this after all. Even if he had to cut his losses with how honest he can be about it.

“Lance finally caved and texted that he misses me. What has Fernando done to him? I want to know the gossip, come on,” Sebastian grins. Mick laughs and pulls his phone out, scrolls until he finds a video of Fernando’s latest antics.

The mocha starts whistling and Sebastian snatches it off the stove before Mick can even try.

“Good to know your reflexes are the same,” Mick laughs. He’s getting them mugs from the cupboard, never able to let Sebastian do things for him unreciprocated. “Chamomile okay?”

Sebastian nods and fixes Mick’s coffee the way he likes it. He got a milk steamer last year when Mick started coming over: he’s been using it for his own morning coffee since he’s begun his voluntary recluse.

They trade drinks, their fingers brushing over the hot ceramic. Even the brief touch sends a shock through Sebastian’s system: it’s only due to decades of training that he manages to avoid jostling the mug, but Mick’s free hand snaps to steady his elbow anyway. Sometimes it scares him how in sync Mick is with him, and then the bone-deep satisfaction at the realisation scares him even more.

On the couch, Mick finally tells him about the race. Steiner’s been civil so far and the car is better, thank God: Mick’s been in the points, ahead of Kevin.

It’s completely out of the blue, the sudden wave of desire that rakes through Sebastian’s body like a whip, razor-sharp and abrupt. He throws his head back and barely manages to bite his lip to trap a noise inside his mouth. After a minute, it ebbs, but just like the currents of the sea, it leaves behind its mark on the sand; he presses his legs together as if he could mask the cloying scent of slick. He’s felt himself starting to get wet in the kitchen, but didn’t think too much of it — Mick tends to have that effect on him.

There’s a deep blush on the apples of Mick’s cheeks now. Sebastian wants to reach out and touch it, taste it, wants to suck his flushed earlobe into his mouth, wants Mick’s mouth even redder and on his neck, parted and wet and then sharp—

“Seb,” Mick says, the caution in his voice in absolute contrast with his dark, intent eyes. Sebastian feels himself clench down on nothing as Mick’s scent starts to fill a room like an answer to his unsaid pleas. “Can you tell me what’s going on?”

He is speaking slowly, like he’s focusing on forming every syllable with perfect precision, like it’s taking him all he has. His hands twitch in his lap, as if he wants to reach out, to tug Sebastian in his lap and snake a hand between his thighs—

“Sebastian.” Not a question this time. It’s his alpha instructing him.

Sebastian shakes and then shakes himself out of it, as much as he can.

“It’s, uh,” he blinks and takes a deep breath, which is a very bad idea because then he’s swallowing a lungful of just how much Mick enjoys Sebastian assenting to him. “I went to the clinic— not important— but it’s like, like, a pseudo-heat, the doctor said…”

A pseudo-heat he’s been trying to break for two days now. It’s different from a real heat that it comes and goes in waves, that’s why he hadn’t taken a rain check today. But no matter how many times he’s touched himself, no matter how many times he’s made himself come with his fingers stuffed inside himself, fucking himself sore with toys— it’s only temporary relief before it all comes crashing down again: the heat licking at his insides, the throbbing between his legs, a living heartbeat.

Then he makes the mistake of looking up at Mick who’s watching him like he wants to eat Sebastian whole. Sebastian whimpers. He wants to bare his throat and let his legs fall open, wants to ask Mick to put his big hands on him again, finally.

“You can ask, Seb,” Mick says, his tongue darting out. Mick flipping him over, spreading his legs and leaning down, his mouth searing hot—

The last time Mick had him—

“I’m sorry,” Sebastian says, letting out a shaky breath. “You can just ignore it.” He clenches his thighs together for just a second before he stands. On shaky legs he walks over to the window to open it, to let in some fresh air to offset the saccharine scent of his slick.

As he reaches for the handle, he hears Mick walk up to him, feels his scent grow even stronger. And then Mick slides his hands to his waist, his palms radiating warmth through the thin linen shirt, the tips of his fingers barely grazing where Sebastian’s baby bump starts to curve.

“I don’t want to ignore it,” Mick says, his breath ghosting over Sebastian’s nape hotly. He pushes his nose into Sebastian’s hair, like he can’t help himself. “Do you want me to ignore it?”

“I want you to touch me,” Sebastian grits out, hoarse and desperate. He can’t even care that he’s panting for it, just wants Mick’s hands on him, in him again. God, he’s closer to forty now and still so undone by it all�� Mick makes a sound, deep in his throat, and Sebastian feels his knees go weak.

“Lean back against me,” Mick tells him with a nip to his earlobe. He’s speaking so quietly but his tone is firm, like an oath: lean on me and I’ll take care of you. Sebastian lets himself lean back against his chest, lets Mick take some of his weight.

“Good.” The praise is accompanied with a kiss to the tiny spot behind his ear. Then Mick’s mouth slides down to the side of his throat, open and wet, just like in Sebastian’s fantasies. He throws his head back and moans, now too wanton to be ashamed by how pathetic he must sound. It’s not like Mick hasn’t heard worse from him, anyways. What can be more heinous post-heat than remembering how he begged for Mick to mount him, to fill him, to breed him, stupid and delusional because nobody his age could— and still Mick did—

“Okay?” Mick asks as his hands slide up on Sebastian’s slides, brushing over his chest, to the buttons of his shirt.

“Please,” Sebastian groans, reaches back to cup Mick’s nape, desperate to keep him there. His fingers slide through the short hairs, prickling against his palm.

“Yeah,” Mick kisses his neck again, closer to the spot Sebastian so desperately wants him to bite down on. “I have you,” and then he’s undoing the buttons, one by one, with sure, clever fingers. Sebastian stares at them in wonder as his own body is rattled by shakes, preens when the conviction finally settles in, bone-deep: that he only needs to hand himself over and let his alpha take care of him.

Mick’s fingers graze over his belly. He can’t help the gasp that escapes his lips — he wants Mick to cover his bump with his big, sure hands, to feel the life growing under them, the life he’s put there—

“Sorry,” Mick says as he lets go, almost embarrassed. He kisses Sebastian’s neck again as his hands make their way to his shoulders. His scent has subdued a bit: he must not like the reminder that Sebastian is with child. Then he runs his fingers gently over Sebastian’s chest and Sebastian’s so sore there that he could sob at the stimulation.

“Can you, ah, harder,” he groans, incoherent in the depths of pleasure as Mick’s teeth graze against his neck. Press down harder, bite down harder, he doesn’t know which one he means, but Mick makes that choice for him. And he’s proper as always. He squeezes Sebastian’s pecs, pushes them together — he’s filled out a bit in these last few months and they’re a good handful now. With Mick’s mouth working at his neck and his hands kneading, rubbing his chest, Sebastian feels the throb between his legs grow even more insistent. Then Mick is reaching down, finally, finally — his hands slide over Sebastian’s belly once again and Sebastian knows that he shouldn’t love it, but he does: he can be afforded a few moments of delusions with Mick touching him there, he thinks.

He’s so wet it’s dripping down his thighs. When Mick’s fingers dip into him, it takes almost no time until he’s shaking, calling out Mick’s name as he comes. He sags back against Mick’s chest, takes deep breaths. The hot, stifling air in the room is thick with the smell of his desires and with Mick’s. He can feel the hot, hard line of Mick’s cock against the small of his back. His stomach clenches down but the sweltering wave of the heat refrains.

He reaches back and palms Mick through his pants, hears him take a shaky breath. It’s enough to make Sebastian pull himself together, the promise of pleasuring him; but as he turns around and squeezes down, Mick gently takes ahold of his wrist and pries his hand away.

“You don’t have to do that,” Mick says, lifting Sebastian’s hand and pressing a kiss to his knuckles. “This was for you.”

But I want to, Sebastian doesn’t tell him. But he doesn’t tell Mick a lot of things these days.

[cowboyhorsegirl]

Stand By Me

fill for @stevetonygames bingo square "Coming Out" for Team Marry (read on ao3)

It took one week for the news to travel back to Howard. Steve had honestly been impressed, even in a mansion as big as theirs and with schedules as disjointed and busy as they were, he truly was not expecting Maria to hold out as long as she had. Wasn’t entirely sure why either, it’s not like she could have attended anyway.

None of that had deterred Tony from hand-delivering an invitation to her himself, fiance in tow.

Steve had watched as Tony hesitated right before ringing the doorbell and wound their fingers together to squeeze his hand.

“You don’t have to do this, you know? You don’t owe them—either of them—anything you don’t want to give.” Steve smiled reassuringly, trying to conceal the apprehension rising within him as he saw Tony battling the tell-tale signs of panic right there on his parents’ doorstep. He knew how important it was to him to be able to share this occasion, in whatever small way possible, with his mother, but he was also all-too-aware how the past three attempts at acknowledging his sexuality with his family had turned out. Steve would never understand the bond Tony insisted on maintaining with Maria, but he forgave her her shortcomings only because Tony loved her so, treasuring their relationship however inadequate it seemed to Steve. 

Regardless of how much Tony adored his mother, the fact of the matter remained that Maria had very… traditional views on how a married woman should conduct herself within the home, and the result was that everything and anything that was shared with her was eventually and without fail relayed back to Howard. Steve had no qualms about the depth of his hatred for Howard, and he had absolutely no plans on forgiving that son of a bitch anytime soon.

He still winced whenever he remembered how shattered, how betrayed Tony had felt after he came out to her years ago, enjoying only a few precious hours of tenuous acceptance until Howard came home from work and the other shoe had dropped. It sure as hell hadn’t been Maria wiping the blood from Tony’s face and rocking him to sleep that night as he lay, shaking.

“I know,” Tony breathed out, more so to himself than to Steve but nonetheless drawing Steve back from his thoughts. Then, a little louder, “I know. Just… will you stand by me? Stay close, when we get in there?”

Steve tugged gently on their bound hands to pull Tony in near and brush a kiss against his forehead. “Of course, love. Always.” One last kiss at the corner of Tony’s mouth and a deep breath later and they were ringing the doorbell together, announcing their upcoming wedding to a delighted Maria. When she dragged them both in for a surprisingly bone-crushing hug, Steve was relieved to feel the tension melting from Tony’s body as he hugged her back with one arm.

The other, of course, never once leaving Steve’s embrace. 

—

So a week passed by in pure pre-marital bliss. Tony beamed happiness, smiling wide and often and stealing Steve’s breath away with each one. He thought sometimes he could hardly contain the love he felt for Tony within him, the magnitude of his affections so great that he couldn’t possibly fit it all inside his body: surely it must be radiating out from him at all times, love leaving an impression in every footprint and echoing through in every conversation, love left in his wake like a breadcrumb trail of all the places and people Steve visited throughout the day.

Nowhere in the city was the love more intensely felt than when he was by Tony’s side. Mornings waking up wrapped in his arms couldn't have been more blissful if he was opening his eyes to heaven. Spontaneous lunch dates and movie nights and evenings spent in companionable silence as they passed the time separately while pressed up against each other on the couch seemed all the more momentous now, now that every day with Tony was one of forever. Even the mundane aspects of their life, all the dirty dishes and laundry piles and grocery shopping were signs of a home they shared, domestic bliss that left them buzzing with anticipation for the day they could do all of these simple things as a married couple, a family, one unit.

Together. 

It was a quiet afternoon at home when the phone rang, the happy couple having just attended their final suit fittings and at Steve’s insistence, they were now celebrating by finishing up leftover wedding cake samples. A small smear of cream cheese icing from Tony’s slice of red velvet cracked on his cheek as his smile dropped almost immediately upon answering the call. Steve sat up at attention as the color drained from Tony’s face, instinctually reaching out for his hand when he noticed the slight tremble in his fingers as he pressed the speaker button.

“-at the hell is this I’m hearing about a WEDDING, Anthony do you even realize how embarrassing this is going to be for you? For us, for your goddamn family? Honestly, this… this phase has been going on far too long, your mother and I have let you have your fun, but it’s past time that you start taking your future seriously-”

Tony sat stock still, holding his breath and screwing his eyes shut, his hand unmoving where Steve was gripping it and rubbing a thumb back and forth across his knuckles. “Just hang up, hang up on him, Tony,” Steve whispered urgently, unable to keep the frantic edge out of his voice, the need to protect Tony from the shock and the stress and the pain of Howard’s ongoing verbal assault rising up quick and intense. Steve waited only a second longer before reaching out to end the call himself, until-

“NO.”

Steve almost dropped Tony’s hand in surprise at the vitriol dripping from that single word, only distantly registering that Howard seemed to have been stunned into silence too. For a brief moment, he couldn’t tell who Tony had been addressing, and he worried that he had overstepped somehow, before Tony set his jaw and continued:

“I am taking my future seriously, Dad. Steve is my future. And you’re right, this has gone on long enough. If you wanna write me out of the will, or… or disown me or whatever. Whatever! Anything you decide to do, it doesn’t matter. None of that matters to me, you don’t have any power over me anymore.” Tony turned from where he had been burning a hole into his cellphone to meet Steve’s gaze. “Steve’s been more of a family to me than you ever, ever have been, and I love him. I love him and I’m gonna marry him. I am, and there’s nothing, not a single thing you can do to stop me. Bye Dad.”

Somewhere towards the end, Howard had tried to resume speaking over his son, but by then it was a doomed effort. Tony hung up before he could get another word in edgewise, drawing in one last shaky breath before the last of his resolve crumbled and a sob broke free. Steve pulled him into his lap to hold him through the cries that wracked his body, resting his chin on Tony’s head and rubbing his back in long, smooth strokes until he calmed down.

“I’m so proud, so proud of you sweetheart. You were so brave Tony.”

“I just wish he could love me without needing to fix me.”

Steve closed his eyes against the hot press of tears at the back of his eyes, unsure of what he should say, what Tony needed to hear. And then he realized, thinking back on Tony’s words earlier, that he didn’t need the perfect reassurance and he didn’t need Steve mouthing off about his father. He just needed to hear that Steve wasn’t going anywhere, that he would stand by his side no matter what.

“I know, love. It’s gonna be okay, I promise we’ll be okay. I’m here and I’m with you. Always.”

—

In the end, Maria never did attend their wedding. Exactly two weeks beforehand, she called Tony to rescind her RSVP, citing some impromptu company-wide function Howard had decided to throw to celebrate Stark Industries surpassing their quarterly projections. She sounded genuinely apologetic over the phone. Steve was sure she thought she was being sincere.

It was during that same call that Tony ultimately told her that they wouldn’t be able to see each other, to speak with each other anymore. 

“I’m sorry mom, but I can’t risk letting Howard anywhere near my family anymore. It’s not safe, and it’s not fair to me. I’m sorry. I love you.”

Maria was silent on the other end of the line, long enough for Tony to check that the call hadn’t dropped, before she offered a quiet “Okay darling. I love you too.” 

And even though the day Steve finally, finally got to marry the love of his life was undoubtedly the happiest of his life, it didn’t escape his notice how Tony would glance back towards the one empty chair at the table reserved near the front of the venue with a somber slant to his mouth. Steve would cup Tony’s cheek with one hand until his gaze broke from that unfortunate reminder of his mother’s failure, and they would share a small smile before being swept up again in the intoxicating jubilation of their wedding day.

Steve would recognize those same sorrowful looks on his husband’s face throughout the long, lovely years of their marriage. On anniversaries and birthdays, on the day they finalized the adoption of their first child. The time between them would get longer and longer, and each one was a little more resigned than the last, but they never faded completely.

In the end, all Steve could do for him was all Tony had ever asked.

He stood by him, keeping his love at his side. Always.

[yhwhsdaughter]

pairing: trevor belmont x fem reader

content: forced vampirism, monster slaying, main character death, pining, angst, mention of animal death, usage of the word ‘assault’ to refer vampires feeding on reader

- this was meant as platonic soulmates but it can be seen as romantic too

“It hurts…”

Feet dragging across the rocky ground, you heard screeches of pain from behind, though they soon diminished. You could only focus on the pulsing sensation at the side of your neck; it was like fire rushing through your veins.

Preoccupied with your agony, Belmont was able to sneak up. He raised his whip, ready to kill off the last of the creatures when you suddenly turned, and with glossy eyes you said, “Help me…”

The whip managed to leave a thin horizontal line across your cheek as he pulled back, causing blood to drip out slowly. Now illuminated by the moon, Belmont saw the damage on you. Skin exposed by the ripped clothes showed multiple bite marks. Blood stained the corner of your lips.

She’s been infected..

Belmont didn’t see a monster but a scared woman who’d just been assaulted by vampires. He knew what she’d turn into, but he couldn’t kill her… not when she looked at him like this. Sunrise was approaching so he had to act fast.

Draping his cloak onto your form, Belmont proceeded to carry you into the nearest building, which so happened to be where the carnage had occurred. Upon recognizing the place, you began to panic, shaking and looking at him with distrust. “You’re safe. I killed every last of those bloodsuckers.”

The two of you stayed like that for a while, in that shitty stinking room. Eventually tiredness overcame your senses; Belmont felt weight settle on his shoulder. He wonder how a vampire could look so innocent whilst sleeping.

“Hungry…”

You felt parched; it felt like your throat had dried up, barely able to utter a word.

“I know.”

A rabbit was placed in front of you. Blinking at it, you directed a confused glance at the man. “I’m—this is.. for me?” He nodded. Taking the animal with traces of disgust, you raised it to your mouth. Blood gushed into your mouth; feeding made a horrible slurping that would certainly haunt you but there was relief amongst those troubling feelings.

You gulped every last drop, draining the poor creature of its life. Still, your hunger and thirst weren’t satiated. Biting your lip, you pondered on the next move. Because this man had saved you, daring to kill him or even feed off him seemed… rude. Not to mention, he seemed way stronger than you in terms of experience. Prior to this, you were a regular citizen. Maybe you could run away?

“Here.”

Trevor could see your turmoil. Most vampires needed to drain at least one human every time they fed—if they were being generous. They could survive weeks without blood but it made them weaker. Besides, it was older vampires who had this kind of self control. Newborns tended to be more unstable.

“Just take it before I change my mind.”

You did as told, though you were still unsure. Hesitating, you licked your lips before nearing towards the vein on his wrist.

Trevor let out a grunt when your fangs pierced him. Although you tried to be gentle, it was an uncomfortable feeling nonetheless. As he became lightheaded and you full, the mouth that was attached to his wrist removed itself with a ‘pop’.

After making sure he was alright, you asked for his name. “Trevor. Trevor Belmont.”

“Oh..”

“……”

“Oh! I’m (Name) (Surname).”

─── ☾☼☽ ───

“It’s dangerous.”

“I still-still want to go!”

The last remnants of sun were gone. Ever since your first encounter with the rugged monster hunter, you refused to part from him, following the latter like a lost puppy.

“I’m not much of a fighter.. b-but watch this!”

On cue, you punched the nearest tree, cracking it and making a sizable hole. You looked back proudly towards Trevor; except when you tried to pull your hand out, you were having difficulty.

“Ah. It’s stuck.”

Trevor couldn’t help but chuckle, walking away, clearly amused with your display of power. You pulled harder, “Hold on! Don’t leave me alone! It’s scary..” you muttered the last part while chasing after him. Despite being a creature of the night, the world and its evils still frightened you.

At the sound of a branch snapping, you yelped, grabbing a piece of Trevor’s cloak for security.

It shouldn’t have come as a surprise to Belmont when you punched a head clean off, practically decapitating one of the attackers. He might have been seriously injured if you had not intervened.

“Trevor.”

Gazing at you under the moonlight, he saw the hunger in your eyes as you held a man whom was still alive but struggling. His neck was exposed. Even so, you waited.

The Belmont turned away, giving you privacy to feed.

He knew that by allowing you to live, you would continue to take blood from others. Normally he wouldn’t feel soft towards a monster but whenever he thought of you, it was different.

His guilt was lessened when you drank from scum. Before putting the lives of innocents in danger, he would offer his own.

“Are you done?”

The corpse of the man was dropped unceremoniously as you joined Trevor, a light skip to your step.

─── ☾☼☽ ───

Despite adopting a nighttime lifestyle, Trevor was still human and had to conduct business during daylight hours.

He’d left your lodgings, which was an abandoned cottage, for a while. Nobody really passed through there anyway, so he thought you were safe. Worst came to worse, you could handle yourself. But as your self proclaimed protector, Trevor felt uneasy leaving you alone.

Maybe he should’ve listened to his gut because when he arrived, the door was wide open with dirty footprints leading in all the way to your coffin.

Two men had opened it—staring at the peaceful expression on your face, unaware that they were here to end you. To them it was obvious what you were. Even with that frilly white dress that made you look somewhat angelic, they couldn’t be fooled. As they raised their weapons to strike, Trevor used his whip. His sudden entrance startled them but it gave you the chance to wake up.

Eyes snapping open, you jumped onto the other man, taking both of you to the ground. His screams echoed shortly as you tore into his throat. The remaining one had no chance; Trevor left the room, closing the door on his way out, killing the light that entered and cutting off the way to escape.

Left alone with your prey, a smile crept up your face.

When you opened the door again, the dress which decorated your body was now stained red. There was hardly a clean piece on the material. Even so, you greeted Trevor with a hug.

“Trevor..”

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

“M-me too..”

─── ☾☼☽ ───

Forty years passed in the blink of an eye.

“You should retire.”

“Belmonts don’t retire. The only rest they get is when they’re dead.”

“Well I don’t want you to die.”

“I have to, someday.”

“No you don’t.”

It’s been like this for the past few years; Trevor was sixty now. His body didn’t look that of an aging man, but the expression on his face did. He’d seen too much and as time passed, it was harder to fight monsters by himself.

Of course you’d noticed that and suggested turning him. It was an ongoing discussion; Trevor didn’t fancy the idea of living an eternal life but the thought of leaving this earth without you was disheartening. He didn’t say it but the situation tore him apart.

There was also the fact that he was too old for you; forty years to be exact. You’d maintained your youth, looking lovely as ever. His doubts were shot down when you immediately said that you didn’t care about that.

“I just want you.”

He always kept pushing the conversation away and you were patient. Trevor supposed that you could’ve taken him by force if you wanted and when he inquired, you told him it would be like violating him, robbing him of the choice you were never given.

As understanding as you were; the time would come for him to decide and confront you about it.

That time was now.

He should have been more careful, but there was nothing to be done about it now. Trevor watched as the sun slowly descended. Would you make it here before he passed? Would he die without seeing you one last time?

When you woke night had already fallen. Trevor wasn’t home; he’d been late plenty of times before but this occasion felt different.

Upon stepping outside, the smell of blood hit you. It reeked, staining the very air. You immediately recognized the source—how could you not? You’d fed from Trevor countless times.

Rushing in that direction, you prayed to whatever entity was listening to keep Trevor safe. The world and its gods could condemn you, but not him.

Not him.

You found him sprawled on a big rock, a creature hovering over his crumpled figure. Without thinking, you tore it to pieces. Blood rained as his mangled body flew to various parts of the forest.

“Trevor!!!”

He let out a groan, which would’ve made you sigh in relief but his visible injuries proved otherwise. You were no doctor and even if you could carry him into town, it would be too late. There was no other option. If you didn’t do anything, you might lose him.

“Trevor. Let me do it.”

Still conscious enough to reply, “I don’t want to become—”

“A monster?”

“I cannot become what I sought to destroy..”

Tears escaped your eyes, blurring the image of the person whom you treasure most. “Please.. please please please..! Don’t leave me alone!”

You begged, knowing it was unfair to pressure him in such way but you couldn’t bare the thought of existing if he wasn’t present. He was your salvation, your companion…your world. And yet, he was being robbed from you.

So soon… It’s too soon!

You always imagined Trevor living well into old age, spending the remainder of his life with you, being happy. He was destined to die peacefully, not like this. Not in this shitty place, by the hands of a shitty monster!

“I can’t. I’m sorry..”

Grabbing his hands, you lowered your forehead on them, crying your heart out. It was unfair. Life was unfair.

“Kiss me.”

Despite the pain that he was in, Trevor found it in himself to smile. For you. “Kiss me one last time.” Tears dropped slowly as you heard him. Shaking your head; you couldn’t kill him.

“I want it to be you..”

His words struck a chord.

Lifting him by the neck in a gentle manner, you pushed the collar of his shirt aside, exposing his carotid. As you bit into his familiar skin once more, your other hand caressed him, trying to make this goodbye as painless as possible.

With every sip you took, tears fell down.

I love you! I love you! I love you!

His warm hand turned cold.

You held him in your arms like he once did to you, with the outmost care, with the love he deserved.

Since Trevor didn’t say where he wanted his body to be buried, you chose the nicest spot. It was a secluded place where it wouldn’t be dug up by animals or people—but not so hidden either.

Whilst cleaning the blood that covered his body and face, you found a piece of cloth with writing on it. Staring at it, you recognized the Belmont insignia. Turning the material, you managed to read the words…

Take this. Go to Alucard.

Trevor must’ve written that in his final moments; probably in case he didn’t make it before you arrived. The letters were sloppy because of the blood but you could read it well.

Clutching it to your chest, you sobbed until the light of day began to burn. For a moment you wished to stay there and disappear. Perhaps you could join Trevor.

Together even in death..

─── ☾☼☽ ───

The journey was rather long.

Looming in all its glory, Castle Dracula. You looked at the last piece of your beloved, holding it tighter in your hand.

“Okay. Let’s meet this Alucard.”

[genshin-impacted]

lost & found // Diluc x Reader (2/3)

Word Count: ~5.0k

Notes: GN!Reader, Seelie!Reader, Diluc/Reader, includes more Mondstadt people interaction such as Klee, Albedo, and Kaeya, see why I had to split it into 3 parts now

Summary: Despite being a seelie, you and Diluc are inseparable. You aren't sure what you are or why you are here, but you know for certain you want to be wherever Diluc is through every adventure and misadventure. (And throughout it all, you get closer and closer to him.)

Alternatively: The two of you lose and find each other over and over again.

[Part 1] [Part 3]

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You are satisfied with your life as a seelie, being Diluc’s partner in vigilante justice as the Darknight Hero (though when he goes out as the Darknight Hero, you’re usually hiding underneath his coat, all cozied up) and being able to spend your days by his side. Most days you are content without the answers to the questions of your origins or why you are different because Diluc accepts you for what you are regardless, as his radar for trouble and as his trusted companion.

It is only on the days where Diluc does not speak to you, burdened by the emotions of his past, withdrawing into himself at the familiarity of solitude, that you wish you are not what you are. There is very little you can offer in terms of comfort when compared to the warm arms and reassuring kisses of another person, but you make do with what you have.

You nuzzle into the crook of his neck in a semblance of a hug, and, though it takes a few tries to have Diluc understand what you were doing, your light touches to his forehead are the kisses you bestow upon him whenever his spirits are low.

“...Thank you,” he says to you when you lightly brush onto his temple, smiling when you twirl in the air, happy to have him receive your affections with full translation. He chuckles. “Would you like me to do the same for you?”

The squeaks of surprised embarrassment that follows make him laugh, and you imagine if you could speak, you wouldn’t be able to say anything of coherence with how equally flustered and pleased you feel. You don’t want to conflate any of his gestures, but you think that Diluc’s ability to tease you is a testament to how close you have gotten, even though his remarks make you feel giddy.

(If anyone else were in the vicinity they would think to themselves how rare that they see Master Diluc laughing so easily, though this is a thought that would not have crossed your mind considering this is a Diluc you have always seen. He is more youthful, less burdened, when he is near you. Is it because you are a seelie or is it because he is not bound by expectations when you have only known him for who he is?)

His ability to understand you and his unwavering trust in you despite your inability to do many things is something that you cherish. As such, you find ways to help Diluc wherever you can: temporarily swallowing small items to bring to him, being a literal light in the dark, and caring for his well-being wherever you can. The next time Kaeya drops by the tavern, stating something about treasure hoarders, a big expedition, and something about Dragonspine, he drops off a young girl about eight years old who introduces herself as Klee, and you find yourself in a new position as a babysitter.

And you are happy to glow, squeak, and fly in different shapes to make Klee laugh. You would be lying to yourself if her laughter didn’t make you happy, but it’s in addition to the fact that Diluc can finally rely on you. The grateful glances he keeps giving you over the shoulder when he caters to the tavern guests is invigorating. And if the tavern weren’t so well-lit, Klee would be able to see how you glow brighter in response to your emotions.

As perfect as Diluc may be (no, you are not biased), you find that you are surprisingly better at handling Klee. It’s not as though Diluc is completely helpless-- he responds to Klee’s questions just fine, speaking to her more as though she were an adult than a kid. You think Klee likes it for how she eagerly nods despite not understanding what Diluc is saying. It's just, for once, you may have an advantage because you are a seelie, and Klee absolutely adores you simply for existing. It’s a lot easier to entertain and play with her as a glowing ball of light than as a tavern-keeper, but you consider this a win anyways because you can finally help Diluc in a way that matters, considering the look of relief he shoots you when you’re able to distract her.

Your role as a babysitter goes well… until it doesn’t.

"It was nice playing with you, little seelie!" Klee chimes cheerfully. You coo at her, right up till the point she says, "Let's play another time, okay?"

Where are you going? You squeak, flying in front of Klee as she packs up her things. You nervously look at Diluc, hoping he can see you with how you flash your light like a siren, but his back is turned.

Klee only giggles. "Do you want to come with me too? Let's go!" She says, bounding out the door with terrifying timing when everyone's too distracted to stop her. You watch with growing horror as she runs with arms outstretched into the streets of Mondstadt, and you only have a split second to decide to follow after her before losing her completely. (In retrospect, perhaps it would have been better to tell Diluc, considering how little you could do as a seelie, but you forget that at times, especially in moments like these.)

You follow Klee, glancing around nervously for any roaming hilichurl or abyss mage. Miraculously, the two of you don't run into any enemies, though you did urge her to go around the path when you spot a few of them walking toward you. This is out of my pay grade, you think warily, and if you had a heart still, it would be beating rapidly with the self-contained panic every time you narrowly miss a confrontation with an unsavory crowd.

When Klee leads you into Dragonspine, which you now know to be a snowy terrain whose chill is cold enough to make you shiver, you want to cry. Where are you going? You want to ask, Why are we here? You watch as Klee picks a random direction to go in, and you can only follow her, twirling around sources of heat at every opportunity so that she knows where she can stay warm.

Having Diluc here would be nice, you think, as you float next to the orange seelie that radiates warmth much like a campfire. The fires Diluc would light easily if he were here, the warmth he would exude for how hot pyro users run... You think warily that you're going to make him worry again, having disappeared with Klee, but for some reason, you feel reassured that he'll find you again eventually.

It is many minutes traveling in Dragonspine when Klee puts a finger to her lip and asks you, "Do you think you can find my big brother?"

Here you are, following Klee this entire time, only to find out you are both lost. Next time, you think to yourself, as Klee describes her big brother Albedo and you quietly listen, no matter how Diluc looks at you, you don't think you can ever accept being a babysitter ever again.

(When you're attacked by hilichurls, you think of distracting them as Klee runs to safety, but then she throws literal explosives at them to defeat them soundly and you think that at least there is one less thing to worry about.)

.

.

.

You let your instinct take the lead this time, as something within you pulls in a certain direction. Asides from the basic investigative skills (footsteps here, disturbed bush there), it is a miracle that you lead Klee to the encampment that Albedo had set up for his experiments in Dragonspine. It's not as though the path was particularly hard to traverse, but it did take some backtracking and maneuvering around Fatui camps (will Diluc end up fighting them looking for you, you wonder). You breathe a sigh of relief when you see Klee leap up to hug the blond, doe-eyed alchemist whose eyes widen at her arrival.

“Kl-Klee? How did you get here?” Albedo stammers, looking over her before landing on you. You simply twirl in the air in greeting, and the alchemist can only blink. (You never realize this, but this is one of the very rare moments Albedo is ever flustered-- courtesy of Klee.)

Klee goes on a long monologue about you as well as the adventure to get here, Albedo nodding in understanding ever so often, when you hear the crunch of snow behind you. Your mood lifts along with your body as you recognize the familiar tuft of red hair against the whitest of snow.

“There you are,” Diluc says, setting down his broadsword. He sounds out-of-breath, most likely weary from the fact the two of you disappeared and from the climb to get to Dragonspine. You glow immediately from his evident relief, and you race to him, nuzzling into his neck in an affectionate hug to which he immediately responds by brushing the back of his gloved hand onto you.

How did you find me again? You ask, easily sitting on the hand Diluc offers you.

“Kaeya told me that Albedo was in Dragonspine,” he explains. “Knowing Klee, this was the first place I thought to go to, and I know you wouldn’t let yourself split off from her.”

You nod sagely, though that line of thought would have made sense to anyone who generally knew Mondstadt geography. You look up at Diluc in confusion when he pets you.

“I would have found you anyway,” he says softly, “even if you weren’t together.” You feel yourself grow warm. “I’ll always find a way to find you.”

(Even in this snow? You wonder, even in this frigid wonderland? Through the driest of deserts and coldest of oceans? And you can imagine that if you had asked him this, he would have said ‘yes,’ though that was just what you hoped.)

You coo softly, flying up to gently press your face to his cheek in a gentle kiss, and the smile that Diluc gives you, you think, should be warm enough to melt even the snow on Dragonspine.

.

.

.

.

When the wind grows harsh in the changing of times, you find flowers of blue and white hidden amongst the fields of grass. And when Stormterror abandons his domain, you lead Diluc to a red, crystalline teardrop that neither of you can touch without protection. You thank the stars Diluc is not a man to shy away from danger, especially when it pertains to the safety of Mondstadt, because he follows you wherever you lead him-- finding teardrop after teardrop scattered across lands festered with monsters.

(“It’s a well-kept secret, despite the way he acts,” Diluc says, leaning on his propped-up arm by the fireplace. He huffs in laughter when you trill-- my lips are sealed!-- and the two of you would watch the embers slowly die out. )

It has become more and more evident as time goes on that you are more than you appear. Your small size and dedication to following Diluc are already indicative of your unique nature as a seelie. What makes you particularly distinct is your penchant to find things or people that many would consider strange. Even before you found these objects, being able to find the elusive Venti would be indicative enough. You don't know what was so strange of him besides his eternally youthful appearance and talent of disappearing into the wind (you thought that was just what people could do, okay?) until Diluc tells you of his godly origins one late night in the winery.

Your proclivity for the unique is something that does not go unnoticed by Albedo.

“I would greatly appreciate being able to tag along on your next journey. I’m very interested in seeing what you, as a seelie, can do,” Albedo tells you. When you meekly titter in Diluc’s direction, Albedo raises his hands reassuringly. “Ah. Don’t be nervous. It’s quite alright if you don’t lead us to anything. It’s all part of the process. Klee has told me much of what you can do, and I’m simply interested in learning more about you, as special as you are.”

Diluc looks to you, waiting for your response as you float in the air, pondering. You cock your head to the side, and he only shrugs, answering the nonverbal question you shoot at him.

“You’re the guide. It’s up to you,” he says, and that is all you need to look back at Albedo (who has been observing everything thus far with keen eyes) and bob yourself up and down in agreement.

“We can meet at Windrise in one week’s time,” Diluc says to Albedo.

Albedo nods, taking one last look at you before pushing himself off the tavern stool, ending the conversation until next week-- that is if Kaeya were not there.

“You aren’t planning to go on an adventure without me, are you?” He says, and Diluc can only sigh.

.

.

The week passes quickly and the four of you (Diluc reluctantly allowing Kaeya to accompany the three of you) meet up at the Statue of the Seven near Windrise. You prove yourself once again when you lead Diluc, Kaeya, and Albedo on an off-trail route to Daudapa Gorge. They all follow you, climbing up the cliffside, until you lead them to an unusual hilichurl of blue hair and a talisman on its mask. To keep with the consistency of your battle-filled wanderlust, the unusual hilichurl starts throwing items-- some of which you can recognize from your previous(?) life and some of which you’ve never even seen before. The barrage of things is incessant until fire, ice, and bursting flowers make him escape into his suitcase, leaving behind strange four-pointed stars that glimmer for a moment before disappearing, much to Albedo’s disappointment.

The silence that follows after the oddest encounter you have ever led Diluc to is deafening. You can’t even bear to turn your body to face Diluc who you know is looking at you with a (fondly) exasperated expression. “Trying to outdo yourself every week, aren’t you?” He asks, and if you could, you know that you would be blushing.

Kaeya makes it a point to make your embarrassment worse, as he often likes doing. (You know Kaeya shows his affection through teasing remarks, but oh, what you wouldn’t do to be able to retort back to him once without Diluc having to come to your rescue.) “Your mini seelie finds a lot of strange things, don’t they?” He says, giving you a cat-nipped smile when you bristle and squeak. “Maybe the seelie thinks you’re strange Diluc. Maybe that’s why it follows you around--”

“Shut up, Kaeya.”

“That’ll cost you, you know.”

You watch the two bicker back and forth in a manner that is now very familiar to you, not noticing the alchemist observing you in the background.

“I’d like to test something if that’s alright with you.” Albedo suddenly says to you. “Nothing painful,” he reassures you, even though you hadn’t said a word. “I’ll simply be asking you to do your best to find Master Diluc to test a theory of mine.”

Why Diluc? You wonder.

“Why me?” Diluc repeats your thoughts. “I didn’t realize we would still be under observation after this one journey.” You think Diluc sounds testy-- in a manner that is unlike whenever Kaeya drops by his tavern and more like when fire abyss mages show up on your path. You are alarmed, unsure why you feel the tension rise despite Albedo’s unbothered demeanor.

And while Diluc would never thank Kaeya for his quick wit and way with words, you definitely would, especially when he jumps into the conversation with an easy lilt to his voice to de-escalate the situation (for once). “A-ha, worried that your time with your precious companion is being encroached upon, Master Diluc?” He teases, “Or perhaps you’re afraid you’ll be separated from your precious seelie?”

“Kaeya--”

“Your relationship with your seelie is unique, just as your seelie and its abilities are unique,” Albedo interjects before Diluc could pull out his greatsword. “I’d like to qualitatively and quantitatively define them, if possible.”  He pauses, addressing you directly. “I thought this would prove fruitful for you as well if you were ever wondering what your... purpose is, as one might say.”

How rare it is to have an opportunity like this just fall into your metaphorical hands, you think. You are interested in knowing more about yourself. It wouldn’t change much about how you want to stay with Diluc, but there is a sense of peace knowing what you can and cannot do. In Albedo, you see a man of science through-and-through (even though he evidently defies the laws of transmutation you learned from a certain anime). He sees things for what they are, always addressing you when he wants to talk to you, and recognizing that you can speak for yourself. In some ways, he is no different from Diluc, who has never demanded you to be more than what you are as his companion.

If you decide to do something, Diluc respects your decision-- which is why he only watches you quietly as you croon in agreement. You glance over at Diluc to wait for his consent as well, and he can only sigh. (You don’t know it, but he cannot say ‘no’ to you.)

“I have one condition.” When Albedo nods, Diluc continues, “We do nothing to put them in danger. Is that clear?”

“Crystal,” Albedo says immediately, and you almost miss what he says next, as distracted as you are by how Diluc comes closer to you almost protectively. “I’ll converse with you to let you know what you’ll be doing, but there should be no harm done to anyone during this experiment. How does the day after tomorrow sound?”

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.

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Diluc heads to Dragonspine without you, for what feels to be the first time in forever. Now that you think about it, has Diluc ever been separated from you the same way you have been separated from him? Even though you’re the seelie, he’s always the one finding you-- have you ever needed to find him?

You want to be able to find Diluc as flawlessly as Diluc can do for you. You want to know, and you especially want Diluc to know that you will always be able to return to him no matter what. Succeeding in this self-given trial of yours will provide definitive proof whether or not you can. With that thought in mind as you float up the slopes of Dragonspine, you think there’s a lot more at stake after all.

You titter nervously when you find Albedo in his camp, and when he spots you, he waves you over as he prepares for the journey with you. “I told your companion to get a headstart,” he says to you. “I won’t know where he’s gone either, so it’s a double-blind experiment. Feel free to use any way you see fit to find him and I’ll follow you.”

You nod dutifully, and when he does nothing else but follow your movement with his eyes, you realize that those were the only instructions you were given. Find Diluc, you think to yourself. Should you start to conjure an image of him in your mind to guide you? That was easy enough to do: half-lidded red eyes that soften when he sees you, red hair you’ve dazed off in more than once, black coat he’s used to shield you from the weather despite your immunity to it, and black boots that are worn to the heel when he follows you.

You are only a few steps away from the camp when you feel a growing panic, for no matter how much you think of Diluc, you don’t feel anything telling you where to go.

When you guide Diluc, even if it’s an impromptu journey, you feel a pull to go somewhere. You’ve once thought it to be your whims but after finding so many other things on purpose and having that same familiar pull, you know that it isn’t just your curiosity guiding you. You conjure up his image, you think of how much you want to find him, and still-- nothing.

How are you going to find him now?

You follow those footsteps, with not much else to go on, and you hope with all your might that perhaps these are the only signs you need to find him. When you reach a snowstorm, your heart falls, only to see that the heat source midst of the snowstorm has been activated. In a place with newly fallen snow and no fireplace, you see a tree with the snow shaken off from its lower branches, and that's when you realize that these are clues that Diluc has left for you.

You look frantically around, following the most likely path he would have taken out, and are met with crossroads. You're tempted to choose a random road and stick with it, but your random choices and the instincts you have been using this entire time are not the same. If you could, you would grunt in frustration, but it comes out as a high-pitched squeal instead (that Albedo takes note of just in case). How were you supposed to-- and then you see footsteps clear as day around the bend of rocks and realize it's Diluc’s.

Does he know, you wonder, that you do not know how to find him? Or did he leave these signs regardless just to make sure you do?

Diluc wants you to find him-- and you find it hard to explain why that means so much to you.

You follow the footsteps, the snow, the branches, and the flames with growing anticipation to see that bright tuft of hair amidst the whitest snow you've ever seen. You're led into an icy opening where heat sources have been activated, and it's hard to contain your excitement when you notice that all of them are activated. You're so close to him; you can feel it.

You rush to the center, hoping to see Diluc-- only to see a gaping chasm where the ice broke, and your heart freezes over.

"Ruin guards," Albedo murmurs, taking note the same time you do that there are various irreparable ruin guards within the hole. If Albedo says anything, if anyone else shows up afterward, you do not notice. The only thing in your mind was the worst-case scenario: Diluc might be hurt, and you didn't know how to find him.

You jet off into the chasm, flying from corner to corner to find him. Every time you see a gleam of red, you desperately hope it is him, but it's just shards of scarlet quartz Diluc must have broken to keep himself warm. Follow it, you think, follow the trail-- quickly!

The path leads to a waterfall where enemies are littered on the ground, including an ice lawachurl right in the river's path. Diluc, you think, following the line of arrows up the snowy hill. You fly up and up and up and as the footsteps fade and you grow colder, you think chillingly that if you were cold, then--

What would you do if he got hurt? What would you do if you could never find him ever again?

No! You think, no, no! Your barely contained composure breaks again with the rising panic. You zip forward, searching for the nearest heat source and praying (to Barbatos, perhaps, or any other god out there that Diluc has yet to tell you-- that he promised to tell you about) that Diluc is there. In the face of your great love for Diluc and the helplessness that comes with it, you have never felt so lost.

Overlooking a tree, you spot an orange seelie-- a heat seelie!-- and speed to it where it slowly looks in your direction. Can you please, you begin desperately, help me find someone? He must have come here before. Red hair, black clothes, big sword? You spot another looking your way and you ask it the same thing. You attract another and you repeat yourself again.

Please, you tell them, I need to find him.

Slowly but steadily, they all look in one direction, and you are off at once. (You forget to say thank-you; you're normally better than that, but you hope the seelies can forgive you just this once.) You fly as fast as you can, begging whoever is listening that the seelies did not mistake someone else for Diluc. And when you see Diluc at the campsite, you finally can breathe again.

Unharmed, his head in a towel to dry off his wet hair, Diluc is fine. You can barely believe what you’re seeing as you numbly float to him, checking him from head to toe for any injuries you can perceive. You don't feel as though you're doing that well of a job though, considering the only thing running through your head that he was safe and what would you have done if he wasn't--

Before you reach him Diluc turns his head to you like clockwork, as if he always knows when you are here. (There are those red eyes again, you think, and wonder if his affection for you will ever run out.)

“Ah, there you are,” he says, almost as frantically as you felt finding him. “I was about to go look for you since you weren't with Albedo." He gives you a smile when you slowly approach him. "I was worried," he says, "I--" He freezes in the middle of his sentence, eyes widening before slowly softening with every passing moment watching you. “Hey,” he says tenderly, raising his hands to cup you close to him. “It’s okay. I’m fine; I’m here.”

If Diluc ever doubted how much you cared for him, he does not have to look any further than the tears that drop down your translucent body, disappearing before they fall off of you. You don’t understand how you can cry, considering what you are (and the lack of tear ducts), but you do anyways, ears drooping as all your worries, concerns, and relief manifest into tears.

I’m so glad you’re okay! Your trills and squeaks are nothing more than hiccups in-between tears. I’m sorry I couldn’t find you earlier!

And Diluc does his best to wipe away the droplets that come from where your eyes would be as he continues to soothe you through them. “You found me,” he says, voice warm like the hands he holds you in. You don't have the strength in you to tell him otherwise when he repeats it to you again and makes you believe it. “You found me.”  

.

.

.

.

You spend the next half-hour or so with Sucrose who calms you down a great amount. Her genuine eagerness for alchemy combined with her shy, nervous demeanor is something that endears her to you quickly, especially when she is trying her best to make you feel better by rambling about her latest experiments.

With the worry for Diluc gone, you feel reaffirmed in your relationship with him. You are sad and will be for a while, that you do not have the talent to find Diluc whenever you can, but you are reassured by your determination to do so despite it.

Getting lost and being found again-- it seems as though that’s the cycle the two of you have started together.

“I apologize for causing you distress.” You perk up from your position above the alchemy table when Albedo walks back to you after a brief conversation with Diluc over the bubbling mechanisms on the table.

“Dragonspine is still an unpredictable terrain and I had not taken into consideration that there would be problems using this area as our testing ground,” Albedo says with a twinge of regret. You can understand him well enough to know that he truly did not intend for the day to be so emotional, so you squeak in response and fly in a loop. He looks relieved when you do, and you think for a brief moment that perhaps he isn’t so hard to read after all.

“Though the procedure was… unexpected, I hope you learned more about yourself as I have.” He waits as you eagerly nod in agreement, and you see him briefly hesitate. “...There’s a type of loneliness in being different. I’m sure you know this very well,” he says quietly as you float. “If you wish to learn more about what you are, feel free to visit any time. I will be happy to help.” The smile he gives you is partly fond as it is lonely, and you can only fly up to gently bump your head against his in response. “Until next time then,” he says with a tone of finality. “Perhaps when your companion isn’t so protective over you.” (Which is unlikely, Albedo thinks, but not impossible.)  

Until next time, you say, watching as Albedo walks away into the snowy terrain. You spot Diluc, hands crossed as always as he leans against the darkened bark in a manner that is so reminiscent of the first time you found him. You feel oddly nostalgic as he watches you intently. Then, you do a somersault, and, going full circle, he smiles at you.

“Let’s go home,” he says to you, and you follow him, just as you did in the very beginning when you found him.

(If there is anything that the two of you could conclude at the end of this, it is the confirmed knowledge that the two of you would go till the ends of Teyvat to find each other again.)

--

[temp taglist]

@thetwinkims @loveyoutothestars @ninqat @winterptilopsis @nya-vivi @just-noelle

[astaroth1357]

Hi there, congrats for the 1500 subs. How about the bros reaction to an MC who's an empath?

Brothers with an MC Who is an Empath

This should not have been as hard as it was but maaan, my brain just wasn’t working. Finally got it done though!

Intro:

An Empath is essentially someone who is highly sensitive to outside stimuli like sounds, personalities, energies, emotions, or just hectic/chaotic environments. They tend to absorb the emotions of others into themselves because of this. Though their sensitivity can grant deeper understanding for others, it comes at the price of the Empath’s own emotional and physical health if not given enough time to decompress which can lead to feeling drained, irritable, depressed, or overwhelmed.

Lucifer

Oh boy, if there was ever any demon not in tune to his own emotions…

He started out legitimately not knowing what an "empath" was and frankly he didn't care to know. His main concern was just keeping the MC alive.

Though that didn't seem to be too hard because they apparently get tired quickly… or at least they had to take extended periods away from most of his brothers.

He wasn't sure why, he first assumed it was because they found his brothers annoying but that didn't seem to be the case either...

He'd see them grinning with Mammon after a jackpot, relaxing with Satan in silence, and even crying with Levi over things so niche and pointless he couldn’t imagine that they actually cared...

It wasn’t too long until they set their sights on him. 

They always seemed to know when he was stressed or when he needed to talk to someone. He'd even be embarrassed to admit there were days when he’d just hover somewhat close to them, face more or less slathered with "I really need to talk right now" but too proud to make the first move.

After some time, he decided to look up what an empath was again and it all clicked into place. They probably knew when he was tired because they could just sense it off of him.

And who knows how exhausting that must be for them...

After that little revelation he actually started paying more attention to his own health to keep it from spilling over to them, but he would still go to them to talk from time to time. He honestly never expected a human to become his closest confidant.

Mammon

Mammon has BIG energy. He’s one of those personalities that just brightens a room he walks in but damn… if he’s not a little exhausting to be around sometimes…

Truthfully, he was kind of into their whole “I know how you feel so you don’t have to say it” vibe though it was really confusing to start with...

On the one hand, they never made fun of him for his sensitive side. Not once. And they seemed pick up on the days where he wasn't feeling his best as well, which only made him happy and want spend more time with them.

But on the other hand, he'd be lying if he said that their need to recharge away from him didn't catch him off guard a lot... Hell, for the first few weeks of getting to know the MC he thought they didn't like him at all!

It took the MC sitting him down and explaining to him that they're more sensitive to things like lights, sounds, and emotions for him to kind of get the picture. It wasn’t that they didn’t like him, they just needed to be somewhere calm.

Cue a lot of “Okay human, I’ll be calm. Promise! Ya won’t even now I’m here!” in a well meaning, but pretty loud voice and not getting much better from there, bless his heart...

Even after he eventually gets the picture and stops hanging off of their leg, it does bum him out to be separated for however long it takes for them to get better (at worst, it can be days).

But he really gets excited like a puppy whenever they finally come back again! Big grins and lots of hugs (good luck peeling him off now).

Levi

Levi is... best taken in short bursts.

Though his personality isn’t big like Mammon’s, he does have a lot of lingering negativity around him. Not exactly his fault, being Envy and all, but not great for someone who’s sensitive to emotions.

In truth, Levi genuinely loves being around the MC because they “get” him even if they don’t get what’s happening.

While his brothers may roll their eyes or struggle to understand how he can put so much emotional investment into an anime or a character, the MC would always seem to feel and respect that his emotions were genuine and let him experience them without question.

… But at the same time, that sensitivity meant that they got carried in with him through his every emotion, good, bad, or somewhat erratic depending on the situation… 

Add to that his higher than usual need for validation, investment, and feedback due to his insecurity and unfortunately he’s easily the most emotionally draining person in the House...

It took some time to explain to Levi what an empath was and that their desired space wasn’t because there was something wrong with him or anything, they just needed breaks. Thankfully, being an introvert himself meant that Levi understood this a lot quicker than Mammon.

In truth, being with Levi could be fun and rewarding for both parties. During his high points, his happiness truly does shine like no other, just… don’t overdo it.

Satan

In the beginning, Satan was honestly pretty impressed how quickly the exchange student saw through his fake smiles. They’d know that there was no actual joy behind them and thus avoided him for the most part.

This was before they formed their pact so he was perfectly fine with that. Let them hide, that’s the smart idea.

But after getting to know them and going through the body-switch, he started to see that it was deeper than just some good intuition on their part. Something about them… reflected the people around them...

They appeared to be acutely aware of the emotion in a given person or a given room and reacted like they were soaking in the atmosphere they found themselves in. Taking it into themselves…

It truly confused him.

Satan is the picture of emotional control, it’s been taught to him again and again to always keep a good handle on himself because things go flying when he doesn’t. The idea of being so open to others just didn’t make much sense to him… 

Why would anyone want to live so dependent on the emotions of others? It sounded chaotic just to hear about it...

But after he opened up to them about his own inner doubts he started to think it wasn’t such a bad thing. They appeared to be equipped to help him navigate his own emotions, especially the new ones he didn’t have the best grasp on yet.

He later did his own research into human emotions, discovered empaths, and that put it all into perspective. Like Lucifer, he did his best not to overwhelm them after that but there was little worry about that anyway. Satan is, again, emotional control at its finest.

Asmodeus

Oh, Asmo picked up on their human’s little quirk relatively quickly compared to his brothers. Being emotionally observant is just part of what makes him so good at what he does.

Honestly, he enjoyed just watching them from afar… Watching the way their eyes lit up when talking to a cheerful Simeon or how huffy and frustrated they’d get along with Mammon when things weren’t going his way. It was cute to him, like a child playing “Pretend.”

Eventually, though, he started to notice that it went a lot deeper than mere imitation...

One day, Levi came home distraught about the tragic death of some voice actor he fancied and the MC was right along with him, crying as if that loss was theirs...

On another, Satan had spent the whole day silently fuming and the MC was a complete wreck, tense and on-edge for no other reason than the feeling of aggression in the air…

And crowds… crowded rooms seemed to be the death of them. So much noise and constant input, they’d have to leave so quickly…

Asmo saw all these things himself, without having to be told, and he became a refuge for them when things became too much. He has a big personality himself, but he could tone it down for a time and offer them a place away for a while.

If school, parties, or the brothers themselves just became too much, the MC could always go to Asmo’s room to vent like they let everybody else to with them. He’d keep the place quiet and calm and just help them sort things out...

Thank their father for Asmo’s observance.

Beelzebub

Legit the calmest, sweetest, nicest person to be around. Truly the best companion for an empathic MC to have.

Beel’s personality is positive, sweet, and (most importantly) stable. He’s not too bombastic nor too withdrawn, he’s not riddled with hidden stress or self-loathing, and he’s not even manipulative in any way, he’s just… Beel.

Am I saying that Beel is the MC’s emotional support demon? Yes. Yes I am.

Being around Beel is like hooking them up to a walking battery recharging station. Something about him just exudes warmth and comfort… They could be wrapped up in his arms for days and never say a word yet still be perfectly content...

Beel doesn't really mind them coming to him when distressed either because he likes being able to help them when they’re feeling drained. It makes him feel kind of special, they don’t seem to go to anyone else in quite the same way.

Usually, one of his brothers will be in a bad mood and the human will flock to Beel like a protective barrier. They'll hug him or trail along behind him like a lost puppy, which he thinks is very cute.

If they’re feeling really out of it, he’d carry them around on his back while they rest like he does for Belphie sometimes. Any time his brothers try to get too close to them or look like they’re going to bother them, he’ll just carry them away to some place quieter.

Though, the MC did pick up the deep sadness he felt for Lilith and Belphie (while he was gone) from time to time.... Which, considering how kind and comforting he usually is, just makes that dip in mood all the more painful and distressing for them. Poor baby… 

Belphegor

Belphie is another calm personality to have around, kind of similar to Beel, but since he's more prone to sadness and irritability he doesn't make the best companion…

If Beel is comfort, then Belphie is repose. Relaxed and peaceful, but also languid and sluggish… When Beel isn't around, then he makes a decent second, but only on good days.

Belphie has a mixed opinion on their uncanny ability to pick up on his feelings… He tries his best to be “mysterious” so having someone who can read him like a book gets under his skin just a little…

But he also really likes how much it helps them get to know him and understand where he’s coming from (being the youngest, he isn’t as used to being heard by anybody other than Beel). So, he’s very conflicted…

It didn’t help at all when it came to light that the MC could legitimately tell that he felt very hostile and angry towards them while he was still in the attic. When he asked why they helped him anyway, they told him so that they could make Beel happy again, regardless of how he felt about them which... ouch...

As if he could feel any worse about that particular incident… They could feel how guilty he was about that… right?

Even if they can’t he makes sure that they know that he’s sorry and he won’t do it again. Probably the lil’shit.

[yeahimaloser]

Stuck In An Elavator With You

Shy!Hawks x Reader

Hi, so this story is about a headcanon I have about Hawks secretly being shy around his crush! 

I don’t usually make x readers were the reader has a backstory/background, but I liked this backstory for the reader so I hope you enjoy!!

. . . 

Keigo tapped his foot anxiously on the ground, heart thumping and practically racing.

He had a good reason to be this riled up, he really did.

For whatever reason, Keigo Takami, also known as Pro Hero Hawks, had a particular repetition of being a flirtatious man, always seeking a new companion. He, nor his agency, knew where these rumors came from, but his press advisors told him that; “People will eat this up!” “This’ll be good for business!” And although he did nothing to refute those claims, they weren’t exactly true.

The truth was, his love life was practically nonexistent, he hadn’t really dated anyone before (not seriously anyway), so when he began to develop feelings for a certain someone, he was surprised, to say the least.

But, he didn’t get flustered around just anyone, he was a hero, a spy, he knew how to keep a clear head. The only person he would ever get flustered around was you.

You would think that pro hero Hawks would have some natural charm to him, but no, he becomes a mess around you. He felt pathetic if he was being honest.

You worked at the HPSC, which were his bosses, the people who helped to train him to be their personal hero, so of course, he got well acquitted with you. Whenever he entered the building he would usually be greeted by you, smiling at him, making conversation of any kind.

He liked how easy he found talking to you, he loved it really, the way you didn’t mind his bluntness, the way you would laugh at his crummy jokes, it made his day easier, it made going into the HPSC building feel more bearable.

He had known you for about a year, talking to you when you came to drop off documents, when he came in you always made sure to greet him with his favorite canned coffee in hand.

He didn’t remember when he got like this when he started to get flustered by you all the time, when he talked his words would come out all jumbled up when he talked to you, his face becoming red whenever you so much as touched his elbow. But, he still loved seeing each time he had to come in, it practically made his week each time.

Of course, luckily, he always had an excuse in hand. That he had stuttered out of exhaustion, that he blushed when you taped his shoulder because that’s where a villain had hit him.

Yet today, he didn’t see you. And he had been prepared too, washing down his nerves and trying to make himself the calm, confident, pro hero people loved, he knew he could swoon you if he acted as the charismatic hero he was. But you weren’t there, and he didn’t like it.

So, he patiently waited for the elevator to bring him up to the higher-ups, looking around the building's main corridor, expecting you to turn the corner any moment, and to smile at him, making his wings sputter and his mind race.

He bounced his leg up and down, seemingly unable to stand still at all when he felt a small tap on his arm.

He was prepared to turn around to offer an autograph, but the words stuck to his throat.

Oh.

Whatever nerves he had thought he had taken care of re-surfaced, making his mind bubble and his tongue feel numb in his throat.

You were right there, only a few inches from him, smiling, your presence alone throwing him off guard.

“Jeez, you really can’t sit still can you,” you said in a teasing tone. “I suppose I should expect that from the man that always moves fast, huh.”

Keigo didn’t know if he would call you a friend, although he did have feelings for you, he knew they were most likely one-sided. So, he just called a work friend (although he desperately wished you two were more). 

Of course, that's when his mouth decided not to work, “O-oh, hi there Y/N, you look- how are- did you,” he mentally cursed himself, wanting desperately to have a disappearing quirk right about now. 

But luckily, before you could even say anything, the elevator dinged loudly, the people on board quickly got off, seemingly in a rush to get out.

He made his way in, letting you go first like a gentleman, yet, he managed to trip when he entered, looking like a fool. 

Yet, to his surprise, you just giggled, “I suppose even top-ranked heroes lose their balance.”

Keigo nodded, looking anywhere but you in order to get his red face under control.

“I’m guessing you're on your way to the top? To the higher-ups?”

This time, he had collected himself enough to look at you and smile, “Yup, that's the one.”

He gave himself a little pat on the back for not screwing that up. 

You pushed the button to the top floor, giving him a small smile in return.

The elevator was extremely pristine, the carpeting was soft, the walls of the elevator were lined with some sort of expensive metal. Paintings hug down, making the elevator have that rich sort of feel.

He anxiously looked around, desperately trying to find the courage to speak, but none came to him.

Luckily though, you spoke first, “I saw you on TV the other day, beating up that nomu must have been tough. You gotta work with Endeavor though! And I know he’s your favorite.”

His ears turned pink, did you really remember that from that throwaway conversation you two had about heroes?

It had been about a few weeks ago, maybe three he really couldn’t remember, but he did know he still got extremely flustered around you at that time. 

He was waiting in the lobby that most had to sit in to meet with the higher-ups, he had gotten a coffee, waiting patiently when you sat down next to him.

You made a bit of small talk, him listening closely, chiming in so you wouldn’t lose interest in him, yet not being able to find his voice all that well.

It had started when you commented on Gang Orca coming in for a visit, you told him how cool you thought he was, with his different kind of hero aesthetic, saying how, “You don’t really see a lot of scary-looking good guys, but I met him, he’s actually pretty polite.”

He knew it was stupid, but he couldn’t help but get jealous. He wished you would say how cool his quirk was, or how you thought he was ‘pretty polite,’ he just wished he could have the guts to say something, anything flirtatious to you to show you how interested he was in you.

It bugged him, who many heroes you probably knew. He wasn’t a special case, he knew that.

You weren’t at all in the high up of the HPSC, you barely knew anything about what was going on in the commission. You were just someone who ran the errands of the HPSC, giving paperwork to heroes and police, it was probably a very taxing job.

But Keigo liked to believe you two had a special bond, maybe....maybe you even felt the same way he felt about you.

“How about you, Bird Boy? Got a favorite hero,” you asked, a lightly teasing tone in your voice.

He wanted to refute you, saying something quippy like he normally would. But the way your eyes shone with genuine curiosity, the way your face was limited by the light of the lobby you both waited in. Even if you were just in your normal, everyday state, you still made him flush with nothing but a glance.

He managed to sputter out, “Endeavor, I’ve liked him since I was a kid.”

You grimace, “I don’t like him all that much, he's very rude and mean when he comes in or I drop something off for him. He's not like you, you're nice and easy to talk to, he always seems to have a problem with anyone he sees as unworthy.” 

You rolled your eyes at the memory of the flame hero, but you didn’t notice how his hands had griped around his coffee can. 

You thought he was nice and easy to talk to. He wanted to echo the sentiment, he wanted to say that he loved talking to you and maybe, if he had the strength, segway into asking you out for coffee at a real cafe.

Of course, that's when he was called into his meeting.

 He smiled fondly at the memory, and how it was so cute of you to remember. 

“Yeah, I can't believe you remembered,” not being able to keep the light edgy of nervousness out of his voice.

You nodded, “Well yeah,” you leaned carefully against the railing of the elevator, picking at your nails, “I like talking to you, Hawks, you're a good guy. You come in and actually treat me like a decent person, you wouldn’t believe how many heroes get such big heads, thinking that the person dropping off their paperwork is, well I don’t really know how to describe it really,” you paused for a moment, “they think that I’m not worth their time I guess, it's kinda gross if I’m being honest.”

Hawks frowned, “That's not fair, I’m sorry. That's really rude of them, they should treat you better than that.”

You looked up at him, and his breath caught in his throat, “See? You’re so nice to me, even if you don’t have to, I enjoy talking to you Hawks, thank you.”

You neared him, his body stiffened as you did so, “I was actually wondering if you would maybe wanna grab something to-”

A loud thud and an ear-piercing scratch cut you off, the elevator floor jiggled and slowed, the fast pace stopping and becoming slower and slower.

But the elevator gave a strong jolt, and before Hawks could even think, his hero instincts kicked in.

He grabbed you, pulling you against him, his wings (or what was left of them) wrapped protectively around you and him. 

He pulled you down to the floor with him, wings blocking out the lights flickering above you two, his body taught and waiting.

After the elevator had come to a complete stop, his brain had caught up to the realization of the piston he was in.

He quickly leaped away from you, moving off the floor.

“I-I’m so sorry! It-it’s just, the elevator made my hero instinct act up! A-are you ok,” he reached a hand out to you, watching you breathlessly panting.

“Y-yeah I’m ok. What happened? A villain attack,” before he could answer, he heard the intercom speak before he could.

The robotic voice spoke, “Please stay calm, we are experiencing technical difficulties, please stay inside the elevator as we are sending help. Thank you for your patients.”

His body stiffened. Trapped, in an elevator, with you. He didn’t know if this was his worst nightmare or a dream come true.

You sighed, “Damn, seriously? Stuck in an elevator was not how I wanted my day to go.”

He gave a nod, trying desperately to calm his nerves.

He could do this, he had the chance to flirt and ask you out, this was a blessing in disguise, he knew it. All he had to do was get his act together, calm himself and make a few flirtatious remarks, and not get flustered.

But he couldn’t, his heart was beating out of his chest. He wondered for a brief moment if you could hear it in the silence of the elevator, the music had stopped, casting a silence around the small space.

“So, I guess we’re gonna be here for a while,” you shivered, “why is it so cold in here?”

It was as if his body thought before his mind did. He shed his jacket, walking it over to you, placing it on your shoulders lightly, “U-uh, h-here, don’t wanna catch a cold.”

You looked at him, eyes wide, “Oh, I can’t take this, what about you? Aren't you cold? I can’t let you give this to me.”

He held out his hands, shaking his head, “No, just take it, I insist, really.”

You hesitated for a moment before nodding, looking around you said, “I guess we better get comfortable.”

You slid down the wall of the elevator, sitting against the wall as you lay your legs on the red carpeting of the elevator.

He mimicked your actions, flowing you down on the opposite wall.

His nerves picked up again, suddenly at a loss for words. He had had plenty of conversations with you, yes, but his feelings for you had gotten worse and worse over the months. At this point, he became tongue-tied just by looking at you, worrying he would say the wrong thing and making you hate him.

Luckily, you broke the silence, “I wonder why this happened, maybe a mantis issue? Hang on, maybe my phone works,” you reached for your pocket, pulling it out and giving it a few clicks as your brow furrowed and you sighed.

“I just got a text from my boss, he said help is on their way. He says he doesn't know how long we’ll be here, could be 10 minutes for could be a few hours.”

He hoped you thought the gulp that he had done was out of anxiety of getting stuck, but in reality, it was one of worry about you being in an elevator with him. 

He didn’t say anything, nerves pulsing through him. Although he desperately tried to come up with something to say, something that would make you blush instead of him, nothing came to mind.

He mentally cursed himself. This was the perfect opportunity to be the dashing hero that everyone adored, to show you that he could protect you and calm your nerves. He desperately tried to think of anything to say, but his mind was muddled with the thought of sounding ridiculous.

What if he sputtered over his words? What if he said something to make you uncomfortable? What if you hated him?

Those thoughts caused him to tense up, the air feeling heavy around him. 

“You know,” his head snapped up, looking back at you, “I think there wouldn’t be a better person to be stuck in an elevator in!”

He gulped, his nerves shot firing, his throat constricted to where he couldn’t even say anything in response.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” you said, flashing him a light smile, “I wanted to thank you, that nomu attack almost hit this place, I’m sure if you weren’t there, we would all be in big trouble. But what can I expect from the number 2 hero.”

Keigo continued to look down at the floor, refusing to open his mouth as he was sure he would say something to ruin this moment.

You just kept complimenting him and he really didn’t know what to say back, or if he could say anything at all.

He could feel his face heating up every second, his hands becoming more and more clammy against his pant leg. 

He didn’t know if he wanted you to stop or continue.

You soon noticed the silence, confused and worried etched onto your features.

Slowly, you made your way over to him.

“Hawks,” you said lightly, “are you feeling ok? Your face is really red.”

You reached out, almost stroking his cheek, and before he could even think, he snatched your hand away.

“I’m fine!”

You backed up, feeling pain shoot through your heart.

He cursed himself. Why would he do that! He was an idiot, he was just so worried you would see him flustered and well…

 The air around you two became thick with tension.

Keigo felt as if it was difficult getting air into his lungs, he felt like he could barely move.

Slowly, he could feel the air around you two become more and more uncomfortable, and all Keigo wanted to do was roll in on himself.

Of course, you felt it too. 

You knew something was off about him, he had been acting strangely around you the last few months. 

When you had first met Hawks, his charismatic and charming nature made you gush over him immediately. The confidence that oozed from him was so compelling, you were mesmerized by him.

But know? With the way, he had been acting recently? You worried if he was mad, or maybe even hateful towards you. You had grown anxious of that very thought, wondering if you had said or did something that he disliked.

When you two first met, he had easy, flowing conversations with you. But now, he was like a sputtering child. Shy and quiet, slinking away from you, even scared of you it seemed.

You sighed, feeling even colder although Hawks had given you his jacket.

Finally, as if your heart and body couldn’t take it anymore, you spoke, breaking the suffocating silence, “Is something wrong? You keep acting so weird around me.”

His head shot up, looking you over, his mouth sputtering words that didn’t fit together. His cheeks were flushed, his eyes had grown wide, his hands frantically moved, but you cut off his actions.

“We used to have such nice and casual conversations. But lately, it's as if you hate them as if you don’t wanna talk to me. Did I do something wrong? If I did, can you tell me? I promise I’ll stop doing whatever it is!”

This time, he was surprised to find his words coming easily to him, “No! You didn’t do anything at all, I promise! I love talking to you, I love walking into the building and seeing your face, watching you talk is....mesmerizing,” you watched him with wide eyes, and a part of him wished he could stop talking then and there.

But he continued.

“A-and you're so cute with the way your eyes sparkle in the sunlight, and you always make my week whenever you come in, I always make sure to be in the office when you're around because I know you’ll come and talk to me. I love seeing your smile when you see me, the way your face brightens up. I don’t hate you, I…”

The words stuck to his throat, but he was unable to get them out.

Your face was twisted into one of shock, still staring at him you said, “You really think all that stuff about me? You really get excited when I come into your office?”

He nodded, looking anywhere but your eyes scared he would confess more to you if he did.

You neared him, hesitant at first, scared he would lash out at you again. Nevertheless, you persisted.

“Hawks,” he could feel your warm breath near him, making him tense, “do you...do you like me?”

It was an embarrassingly childlike thing to say, almost as if you were to children admitting crushes to each other. 

Yet, you couldn’t find the best way to fraze it.

With the way Hawks’ body froze over, the redness of his face spreading to every part of his ears and down his neck, you were fairly sure you were correct.

Yet, you waited for a moment for him to confirm or deny.

“Y-yeah, I’m s-sorry.”

You couldn’t help but laugh, which made Hawks lookup with fearful eyes.

“Oh! I wish you would have told me sooner! Hawks,” you looked back to him, “I like you too stupid!”

If you thought his face couldn’t become redder, you were sorely mistaken. His whole body stiffened, eyes widening, he gaped at you.

“R-r-really?”

“Yes,” you giggled, “for the longest time, too. I believe I’ve liked you since the first time we’ve met. I kept wanting to ask you out, but I guess I was just worried about how you would react, but this whole time you’ve liked me too. I guess we both suck at the romance thing huh.”

He nodded, unsure what else to do.

“And now here we are, admitting our feelings in an elevator, geez, this is beyond cheesy.”

A small chuckle escaped him, “Yeah I guess it is huh. All this time I’ve been nervous for nothing.”

You giggled, “Yup, for nothing. You acted like a scared schoolboy afraid of telling his crush his feelings.”

He smiled, “Well that would make sense, I’ve never been in a relationship before.”

You froze, brain stopping as your heart quickened its pace, “What? Never?”

His body went rigid with the realization of what he had admitted, “No. The commission didn’t want me to get distracted I guess. So I never made any effort to find one, so- um,” he looked away, “Yeah…”

You looked up at him in shock, and before you could stop, the words poured out of your mouth, “What? But you’re- you’re Hawks! People would die to go out with you, your young, nice, charming.”

He scoffed, “Come on, do you really think me acting the way I have been has been charming? And I’ve been so busy...my whole life I guess, so having a relationship has never really been in the cards for me I guess.”

You couldn’t help but slump at his words, “So, you still can’t have a relationship?”

He looked up at you, frantically, “No no! Now I can! I was um…” he was at a loss for words, looking down again.

“I was actually wondering…” his words stopped slowly.

“You were wondering if…” you said slowly.

“If maybe...you would...want to…” god he just couldn’t get the words out, “want to...go out with me?”

He held his breath, till he felt your hand run through his hair.

He looked back at you, seeing you smile before saying, “Well, how can I say no to the number two pro hero? And the guy that I’ve had a crush since… forever.”

He felt his heart leap, his nerves settling, his face coming laxer. He felt like pinching himself, thinking there was no way this was right, no way you had actually liked him back, yet here you were, telling him you wanted to go out.

He felt like he could do anything at that moment like nothing was holding him back.

You brought your hands to his cheek, making him come closer to you.

“Hawks, have you ever kissed anyone before?”

He was thrown off by the question, face, yet again, becoming a scarlet red like his feathers.

“I- well...um,” he nervously scrambled for the words that couldn’t be found.

You just smiled reassuringly at him, gently creasing his face, “It’s ok, Hawks, you can breathe now,” you giggled a bit.

He let out a shaky breath he didn’t know he was holding.

Slowly, he leaned forward, looking desperately into your eyes, as you looked desperately back into. 

Slowly, your lips met, soft and subtle. Gentle, and light, Keigo thought there was no better sensation. The way your lips shaped around his felt like pure heaven, he chided himself for not kissing you sooner.

You brought a hand up to his hair, running your hands through it, pulling him more into you. And boy, did he want to get closer.

If it was up to Keigo, he would have spent his whole life kissing you, but alas, you pulled away.

“Wow,” he didn’t mean to say it, it just sorts of slipped out.

You chuckled lightly, “Not so bad yourself, huh.”

As you two laughed, you both felt the elevator slowly rise. 

“Oh well,” you sighed, “looks like they figured it out.”

“Um so,” Keigo commanded himself to be steady, “I know a pretty good cafe. Would you...want to come, with me, together, as a-” you cut him off.

“It’s a date.”

. . .

Hawks tag list

@under-the-clouds @shylesbiannerd @roko-ppk @Mikazuki @1small-frogs

[jellyluchi]

La Squadra x Reader going on a picnic together

A/N: Sometime last year I wanted to see this exact scenario and requested it to some blog because I was too insecure about my own writing / characterization to write it myself. But with my recent inspiration and motivation I thought I should give it a try. I hope you enjoy <3

Warnings: none Genre: fluff

Sorbet & Gelato:

They are actually very frequent picnic goers. It's a relaxing stress relief from their job and both of them are much too domestic not to participate in an activity that allows them to both cook and be in your presence. Gelato, especially, gets excited for picnic days. He loves the perfect windy weather and delicious food that Sorbet makes while you help. nothing makes his domestic senses tingle than seeing you with a basket in hand, ready to set up the blanket in an Italian countryside landscape. They prefer the solitude over a park. Sorbet loves enjoying the simplicities in life, which includes hand feeding you both snacks while Gelato chatters on about how lovely it all is. And, of course, they're always up for cuddling on the dew covered grass where Gelato loves rolling around while hugging you, just for fun

Risotto:

In truth, this man has always wanted to enjoy a good picnic. However, because of is lack of a significant other, he didn't feel the need to go just by himself. You bring a lot of motivation into his life, motivation to cook for you, take care of you, protect you and so on. When you brought up he idea, he already started thinking of what food to pack and where to go. He thought of the perfect spot before you could bring it up and truly, it's a beautiful site, a lake near his old home in South Italy. It's quite a long drive but he enjoys every minute as you sing along to your favorite songs in the car. He had the idea to bring a music player so both of you could dance in the meadow with nothing to interrupt you.

Prosciutto:

Being domestically inclined, you would think Prosciutto would bring up the idea of a picnic himself. But it's a surprise to him when you relay your wish. Nonetheless, he tries his best to make it a reality for you. He remembers a particular spot you'd driven by when going back from a mission, somewhere up in the hills with the view of the sea and he knows it would be exactly how you pictured. He helps you pack the snacks and you can't stop him when he packs some alcohol as well, perhaps it's nice to indulge in. He makes light chatter while eating and his laugh makes for the perfect soundtrack to accompany the atmosphere. You'd never seen him so relaxed and you think to yourself that perhaps you should bring him out more often.

Pesci:

You are unable to miss the excitement in his eyes when you tell him you'd like to go on a picnic. He'd wanted to go for a very long time but didn't mention it out of fear you wouldn't enjoy it and then he eventually forgot. What better place than the beach to relax in and eat some cheese with crackers while he fishes? He encourages you to dip your toes in the water even if only for a moment and you two get to sit at the dock for idle chatter while watching the sun go down. He even brought jackets for the both of you in case it gets cold. If you're up for it, he'll pack swimsuits to splash around in the water. The best part is that you never have to walk back to the car because he can fetch anything with Beach Boys.

Formaggio:

The moment when Formaggio woke up to see you packing for a picnic early in the morning, he realized he was in love. He already knew he loves you but something about the mirth in your eyes and your excitement for the outdoors that day made him so sure he's in love, a state of being he wasn't ever expecting to be in. He'd readily agreed to go on an outing that day, joking that perhaps you could have a picnic at home where he shrinks you both and you get a little doll house to eat in. You want to humor his idea some other time but for now it feels nice to have him slip his fingers through your hair while having some cheese. Of course you joke about the situation and he rolls his eyes with no real irritation. In his mind however, he wants to freeze the moment and live in it forever.

Melone:

In some ways, Melone is the perfect companion for a picnic. You know this because you have already gone to quite a few of them with him. He's helpful, chatty, and cheerful the whole time. There's never a dull moment between you two as you sit on the blanket with some drinks in hand. The reason why you fell for him in the first place becomes all too clear when he says something witty just to hear you laugh or cringe in utter disgust, on purpose because he loves your reactions to such things. He always makes his appreciation towards you known in these moment, rather classically holding your hand to profess his sincere feelings. You always feel him opening up from his façade whenever you get him alone in these moments.

Illuso:

He's hesitant when you tell him you're planning a picnic. He assumed it would be in a park full of people but when you request him to take you to the mirror world he understands your idea and he enjoys it so much. Seclusion and solitude are things that go hand in hand for him and with you in the picture he can't imagine a better way to spend his day. He's not picky on the food or the picnic spot and he knows you wouldn't disappoint with your selection. A lot of the picnic is spent in silence, not that it's a problem between you two, the shared intimacy of holding one another and listening to nothing is much too precious to the both of you.

Ghiaccio:

It was surprising how quickly Ghiaccio warmed up to this. Truthfully, you were expecting you'd have to convince him heavily before he agreed, but you're not complaining. You don't realize how much he just wants to see you happy when you're distracted at the beautiful scenery you're driving by. He's uncharacteristically silent because he doesn't want to miss the wind in your hair or the cheer in your voice when you speak. He tries to keep his composure from melting at your joy, only being able to blush at your chatter. And when you try to feed him a piece of fruit he all but almost explodes from his heart racing. No matter how long you are together he cannot get used to the warmth of your presence next to him.