#I was supposed to put up my halloween decorations today

[bandsandwristbands]

Maaaaawaaybe Gaalee first kiss? S'il te plaaaaît?

There are an infinite amount of ways I picture their first kiss but in every one Lee asks politely and Gaara is extremely autistic (but thrilled) about it

Also I imagine they have the sort of relationship that slowly blurs into romantic before either of them realize it so exactly when they kiss for the first time is hard to pin point in my brain as well lol

And they're both freaks who kiss with their eyes open bcuz theyre obsessed with each other

[to-the-stars8]

The Waynes' Nanny

Batfamily and Reader/ Bruce Wayne x Reader Chapters Ao3 Originally, I was going to make this a half-chapter because I wrote this on my phone while at work, but I decided I'm a bitch who doesn't do half-chapters. Anyway, here's this one. Sorry for any mistakes, it was slightly rushed because I wanted to get something out there since I've been away from the keyboard for a good moment!

Nanny in The Attic

Alfred had asked you to get some spring decorations from the attic, and you were happy to oblige. You loved decorating, it brought a sense of wonderment to your life that was otherwise filled with the endless tasks of being a caretaker. So, you took to the attic like a moth to a flame. There were boxes upon boxes, old coats strewn about, a creepy-looking rocking horse in one corner, and copious amounts of dust. 

“The box is labeled but I couldn’t tell you where the damned thing is,” Alfred said as he flipped on the light. “If you like, you could wait until I return. It might be easier.” 

You waved him off as you ventured further into the room. “No, no. You’re a busy man, Alfred. Plus, the kids are at school, and this will give me something to do today.”

“Very well, then, have at it,” The old man said, heading towards the attic stairs. “Master Bruce is working from home today, and there’s an intercom on the wall over there if you want to call for help should you need it. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind lending a hand.”

You looked over to where the butler was pointing. “Just when I thought this place couldn’t get fancier. Thanks, Alfred. I’ll see you later.” 

With a wave, he left. You began to pull apart the attic in search of the alleged spring decor, and it seemed almost hopeless. There were just too many boxes. There was Christmas (which you couldn’t wait to see), Halloween, and just about every holiday decor that had ever existed. Some boxes were full of pictures and jewelry. You took a peek into some, just out of pure curiosity, and were amazed by just how old some of these things were.

Then, you stumbled onto one box that had photo albums from within the past thirty years and decided to look through them. It took you very little time to realize that these were albums of Mr. Wayne’s family.

You smiled, looking at a smaller version of your boss, as you realized just how much Damian looked like him. You also noted just how much Bruce looked like his father. Eerily so. That had to do something to his psyche. His mother was a beauty, too. You found her headshot sitting right under one of the photo albums. She had curly reddish brown hair and deep blue eyes that reminded you of Bruce’s. Mr. And Mrs. Wayne were a handsome couple with the world at their feet, but that was cut short the day they died. You were almost too young to remember but could recall some family member bursting into the kitchen to announce that the Wayne family had been murdered. It wasn’t entirely true, only Mr. And Mrs. Wayne had been killed— leaving behind a traumatized little boy. 

“Poor Mr. Wayne,” you said to yourself before putting the albums back. “Now, where in the hell is that box?” 

You looked around the room, eyes scanning when you saw it. The box was high up on a shelf labeled ‘spring’ in black Sharpie. After moving some more boxes out of the way, you began to make a path so it would be easier to move. It was going to be so easy and perfect, you thought. Once all the boxes were out of the way, you could grab the step ladder and get what you needed. 

Setting the ladder up, you climbed it, but the box was still just out of reach. You supposed that the shelf could support some of your weight, so you lifted your leg to step onto it. What you hadn’t seen was an old broken vase jutting out from one of the boxes. You felt the pain of it cutting into your leg before you knew what it was. With a cry, you fell back hard onto the floor. 

“Ow, ow,” you said, pushing yourself up. Looking down at your leg, blood was streaming from the wound. Alfred would not be happy about this, you thought. Putting your hand over the cut so not all the blood would drip onto the floor, you awkwardly made your way over to the intercom. 

You had no clue how to use it and began pressing buttons. 

“Mr. Wayne,” you would say when it sounded like you got through to a room. “Mr. Wayne, are you there?”

Finally, after about ten minutes, you got a voice coming through the other end, “Everything alright?”

“Aha! Mr. Wayne, I cut my leg pretty bad and think I need a first aid kit. Could I trouble you to bring me one?” 

“I’ll be right there,” he said. Before you could say anything back, the line went dead. 

Grumbling to yourself, you made your way to the attic stairs to sit and wait for your rescue. Blood was pooling between your fingers, and you could feel it slowly get closer to your socks. 

“I’m here, I’m here.” You looked up to see Mr. Wayne rushed up the attic steps with an aid kit in hand before stopping right in front of you. “Alright, let me see.” 

You moved your hand to the side, but couldn’t bring yourself to see just how bad it was. He put his hand on your knee to keep your leg steady, and you couldn’t help but notice just how big and warm his hand was. 

“Luckily, you don’t need stitches, just a clean-up and some bandages.” 

“What should I do?” You asked, hands already going for the kit. 

Bruce didn’t let you get close enough to grab it before he picked it up. He didn’t say anything as picked out the hydrogen peroxide, some ointment, and bandages. Pouring a little of the hydrogen peroxide onto a cotton ball, he slowly started to wipe at your leg. You yelped from the sudden sting and pushed his hand away. 

“Stop it, that hurts,” you said meekly. “Ow! Bruce, please.”

He stopped to look at you, eyes meeting yours and thumb starting to trace small circles on your knee, before speaking, “Sorry, just hold still. It won’t take much longer.” 

He began to dab the cotton ball back on the wound again, and this time you were prepared for the sting. As he worked on your wound, you stared at him. Mr. Wayne wasn’t just a handsome man, but he was pretty, too. He had the type of looks that befitted a character in a fantasy novel rather than a traumatized rich boy. His eyes, though, were such an intense blue that they were hard not to look at.

You thought out loud, “You have your mother’s eyes.” 

Bruce whipped his head up to look at you, eyes narrowing. “What?” 

You tried to not let the embarrassment show through. It was a fact that just so happened to slip from your mouth. “You have your mother’s eyes. I saw a picture of her earlier.” 

Bruce broke his gaze and continued working on your leg, now putting the bandage on. “Oh.” 

“Do you remember your parents?” You asked. 

“Yes,” He said after a minute. “Everyone said I looked like my father, but he saw more of my mother.” 

You giggled and took his hand when he offered to help you up. “She must have loved that.” 

“Oh, she did.” For the first time, you saw Bruce smile genuinely. A smile for himself instead of the kids or you. “That’s why she wanted a girl after me, but they never got around to it.” 

“Can’t picture you as an older brother,” you said as you wandered over to the shelf. 

Bruce didn’t say anything to that and changed the subject. He offered to get the box down for you, saying that you didn’t need to be reaching up or doing anything else on your leg. You weren’t going to complain and let him get the box. 

“Good thing you called me,” He said with a grunt. “It’s heavy. Now, where do you want it?” 

“The living room would be a good place to start,” you said before you checked the time. You still had a couple of hours before the kids got home, but thought that perhaps you could wait. “Maybe I should wait for the kids. They may want to help.” 

“Alfred would rather burn the manor down.” 

You could imagine it. Mr. Wayne brought the kids up in a way that they were very creative, and you could only imagine how that would transfer over in the decor. Alfred was too neat of a person for that. 

Mr. Wayne set the box down on the living room coffee table, making a cloud of dust come up from the box, before turning to you. You smiled kindly and thanked him. He nodded before heading towards the door, he stopped halfway before turning to you. 

“Make sure you clean your wound, you wouldn’t want it to get infected.” 

“Thank you, Mr. Wayne.” 

He nodded before finally leaving you. You looked back down at the decoration in your hands and huffed. It’d be a lot of work, but if you wouldn’t get it done. 

And, you did as such. By the time Alfred got home with the kids later that afternoon, he was shocked by just how well you did. The whole house was overflowing with spring delight to the point that he began to ask how you managed such a task. You only told him you had magic hands before you went to tend to the children. They were happy to see you, all of them clamoring about, and noted the bandage on your leg. 

“I got in a fight with a bear today,” you said. 

Dick rolled his eyes. “You’re such a liar.” 

Bruce suddenly popped into the kitchen where all of you were. “It’s true. I was there. I helped fight off the bear.” 

“Are there even bears in New Jersey?” Jason asked, curiously. 

Duke, on the other hand, looked horrified, “Why are there bears in the backyard, Dad?” 

You were quick to tell him that the two of you were only kidding, that the cut really just came from an accident. Duke seemed relieved, while the other kids were a bit disappointed. When they all ran off to do their own things, Bruce quickly stopped you from joining them. 

“Next time you decide to decorate, let me know in advance.” 

“You don’t like it?”

“On the contrary, actually. What I don’t like is anyone in my household getting hurt.”

You nodded, trying to reason with yourself as to why you had butterflies in your stomach. 

[livwritesstuff]

Steve reaches the top of the stairs on his way to get ready for bed when he hears the weary call of his husband from the other end of the hall.

“Steeeve,” Eddie groans, “Rescue me please.”

He’s in Hazel’s room, Steve can tell, which probably means that tonight is another night in a long string of failures to get their three-year-old into bed at a reasonable time (seriously – their older two went to sleep without any issues hours ago, but their sweet Hazel James has been in a phase of doing everything she can to avoid her bedtime).

Indeed, Steve walks into their youngest daughter’s bedroom to see that Eddie is the one blinking bleary eyes at him while Hazel, on the other hand, is wide awake and standing on her mattress in her Halloween pumpkin pajamas (yes, it’s June – very few battles are won by Steve and Eddie these days).

“Uh-oh,” Steve warns her, ”You’re putting Daddy to sleep, sweet girl. It’s supposed to be the other way around.”

“Well, first I hafta show Daddy all the places I got hurt today,” she replies, coming up right to the edge of her bed so Steve really has no choice but to pull her in for a snuggle.

“Where’d you get hurt today,” he asks her.

“Don’t,” Eddie mumbles, an arm over his face shielding his eyes from the light of Hazel’s lamp, “It’s a trap.”

But Hazel is already wiggling out of Steve’s arms, backing away just far enough to push her sleeve up and reveal the impressive collection of colorful, patterned bandages decorating her arm.

Earlier this week, Hazel had discovered the magical power of Band-Aids (in other words, she fell and was completely inconsolable until Eddie suggested putting a princess Band-Aid on the nonexistent “owie” – surprise, surprise, the agonizing pain disappeared without a trace almost immediately).

Now, she’s practically covered in the damn things.

“Look,” Hazel says, pointing at a princess band-aid by her wrist, “‘Dis is where I fell and a stick poked my arm.”

“A stick poked your arm?” he repeats.

“Uh-huh, so now you gotta give it a kiss.”

Obviously, Steve obliges, planting a dramatic kiss onto the plastic band-aid.

“All better?” he asks her.

“Yep. And then this one –” Hazel points at a Ninja Turtle band-aid up by her elbow (Steve’s gotta make sure Robbie doesn’t see that one or her six-year-old version of hell will rain down on all of them), “This is where I got stung-ed by a bug.”

Steve kisses that one too, and then Hazel hits him with a pretty fantastic yawn.

“You wanna come cuddle in bed with me and Daddy?” he asks quietly. She nods, and as he scoops her up, Eddie grumbles something that gets muffled into his arm.

“What was that?” he asks (only a little sarcastically). Eddie drops his arm and lifts his head to look Steve dead in the eye.

“You’re a goddamn sucker,” he repeats.

“Let’s go,” Steve ignores him, holding out the hand not holding Hazel. Eddie takes it and lets Steve pull him to his feet, and then they head off to bed.

[kwanisms]

Just Like That — h.joshua

» seventeen masterlist «

playlist: fever — enhypen; light a flame — seventeen; sexuality — taemin ➮ incubus!Joshua × f!reader wc: 16k summary: fantasizing about her handsome and sweet coworker has some unintended consequences for Y/N when an incubus shows up in her home after unintentionally summoning him with what she thought was just gibberish. genres/themes/au: angst, one sided pining, smut; religious themes, supernatural themes, demonic themes; non idol au, demon au warnings: adult dialogue, female reader, sexual content (18+ mdni), see smut warnings under the cut! permanent taglist: @yoonguurt @wonderfulshinee @candidupped @dejavernon @violagoth @tigermoonbiss @katsukis1wife @luvsooby @thesolarplanetarysystem @salty-for-suga @devilsmatches @dmnspiit @simeonswhore @yangracha @atinypurr @aikyubi @labyrinthonmymind @bintificreads @toxic-babexe @plutoneu @sunwoosbaby @lilramennoodle @deadgirlwalking3 seventeen taglist: @aikisbbq @drunk-on-dk @cixrosie @hoeforcheol @98-0603 @briannabk22 @vampiirose @plants-w0rld @dementedaly @generic-teez-127 @sweetlylemon unable to tag: @prestineaugstine @imwhoever @lunaryoongie join my taglists: main Strikethrough means I cannot tag you.  MINORS WILL BE BLACKLISTED & BLOCKED.  AGELESS BLOGS WILL ALSO BE BLOCKED. 

a/n: this is just pure filth and I won't apologize lol I did this to torture the bestie. It was supposed to be a timestamps lol and it turned into 16k. Thank you for reading, reblogs and comments are always appreciated, and as always, this is a work of fiction and all characters are not reflective of their respective irl counterparts. for entertainment purposes only.

A huge thank you to @kpop-stories-21 & @anyamaris for sprinting with me back to back and essentially keeping me company while I worked on this 💕

Translation notes: Cur curritis is google translate latin for ‘why are you running?’ disclaimer: I do not know latin so this could be wildly inaccurate because it’s google translate. Likewise, Mortalem te interro- gavi is what I got for ‘i asked you a question, mortal.’ Again, I don’t know latin. I just used google translate. I’m not going for accuracy here lol. The incantation, Te invoco a profundus inferni is from Supernatural lol

smut warnings: unprotected sex (pls use protection), tentacles, dirty talk, praise, pet names (baby, doll, angel, slut, etc), marking (f receiving), spanking (f receiving) , spitting, choking (f receiving) , fingering (f receiving), slight somnophilia, rough sex, anal, double penetration, multiple orgasms (f receiving), creampie, breeding kink, big d!ck!Joshua being a menace to my sanity, dom!Shua, sub!Reader, and I think that's everything but of course, let me know if I missed something!

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Autumn was in the air. The mornings had become chilly, frosty dew covered grass crunching underfoot that gave way to cool days, the sun warming just enough but not burning. The scent of the holidays hung in the air as you noticed decor going up on your way to work in the mornings.

The only coffee shop in town had finally put up their fall menu and despite how much flack you got for it, you were excited that the pumpkin cakes and warm vanilla chai lattes with a sprinkle of cinnamon and Halloween themed foam designs were back. On your days off, you could enjoy a steaming mug, adoring the jack-o-lantern face staring back at you from atop your drink.

On days like today, you opted for the to-go version of your favorite vanilla latte, grabbing an americano as well as two slices of pumpkin cake, topped with chopped candied walnuts. The bell rang, the sound crystal clear as you exited the shop and headed down the sidewalk littered with fallen leaves in various shades of browns, oranges, and yellows.

Children hurried on by, on their way to school as you walked, rounding the corner and heading for the end of the block where the antique shop you worked at stood, the old brick building stood. It was a much older building than the ones that stood around it, the brick darker and more weatherworn.

You let out a sigh, breath hanging briefly in the cool air as you looked at the storefront. White and black striped awnings hung over the large windows, gold lettering adorning the glass in a curly script that read ‘Pandora’s Box’. You crossed the cobblestone street, heading for the old wooden door and pressed down on the handle. It turned under your hand and allowed you to enter the shop.

A soft bell rang out and immediately you could hear shuffling coming from the back of the shop.

“Sorry!” a voice called out. “We’re closed!” You ignored the voice as you moved around behind the front counter and set down both coffees and the paper bag with the pumpkin cake. You were taking off your coat when your coworker and owner of the voice appeared and glanced over at you.

“Oh, it’s you,” he said, perking up and straightening his tan colored apron. You fought the urge to giggle as he walked over to the door and peered outside the window before turning the lock and looking over at you. “Thought I locked that when I came in,” he said as you removed your scarf and hung it up with your coat on the hook behind your seat.

“What’s this?” Joshua asked, looking down at the two coffees. You picked yours up and took a sip before picking the second one up and held it out for him. “You got me coffee?” he asked, taking the cup gently from you. “Hot americano, extra cream,” you answered, setting your cup down. “I also got us some-” you were interrupted by a sharp knocking at the window of the door.

Both you and Joshua turned to look and saw an older woman standing at the door. It was the elderly woman that lived out on Broome street. “Isn’t that the cat lady?” Joshua whispered, turning his head to look at you as he set his cup down. “Mrs. Briggs,” you reminded him.

Joshua moved to the door and unlocked it, opening the door and no doubt giving the grumpy old woman a pleasant smile. “How can I help you Mrs. Briggs?” he asked in his sweet voice. The old woman wore a very old fur coat that was a bit ratty, almost as if it hadn’t been taken proper care of.

Under the brown fur, she wore a mustard yellow turtleneck sweater with a long brown skirt that reached almost to her ankles. Under she had brown stockings and some brown low heels. She had all of her gray hair piled on top of her head in a messy bun complete with a yellow scrunchie. In her hands she carried a basket full of different knick knacks and trinkets.

“I need to drop these off,” she said in a gruff voice as she attempted to push past Joshua who blocked her path. She looked up at him, lips parted in a look of pure shock. “Who are you?” she demanded. Joshua gave her his famous smile. The one that had all the girls in the coffee shop swooning or the high school girls giggling as he passed by.

Joshua had only lived in this town for a few years now. He moved into the space above the shop which was owned by his aunt. His uncle had originally run the shop but after his uncle got sick and passed away, Joshua moved in to help his aunt out. He was only supposed to be in town for a short time but he decided to stay after a year. 

Joshua smiled at Mrs. Briggs. “It’s Joshua, Mrs. Briggs,” he reminded her. She looked positively outraged. “Well where is Bill?” she demanded angrily. “Uncle Bill passed away three years ago, Miriam,” you said, moving from behind the counter and approaching the door.

Upon seeing you, Mrs. Briggs looked much calmer. “Y/N!” she said desperately. You sent a subtle wink Joshua’s way and took over, keeping the old woman at the door. “I need to drop this off. I can’t have it in the house anymore,” she said, holding out the basket. You nodded, looking down and back up.

“Okay, Miriam. Let me just get my pad of paper and we’ll take care of it,” you said, turning to grab the pad from the counter. In your momentary lapse, Mrs. Briggs had managed to push the door open. Joshua moved forward but you waved him off. “I got this,” you mouthed as the woman set her basket on the counter. Joshua nodded and started to head to the back when you called him back, holding out his coffee and the paper sack.

He took them from you and you told him you’d eat your pumpkin cake later.

It took all of ten minutes to check in all the items Mrs. Briggs had brought in and when you were done, you gently ushered her to the door and waved her off before shutting and locking the door. Joshua reappeared, peering around. “You think after three years, she’d know who I am,” he said, moving to lean on the counter as you finished adding the items to the store’s inventory.

“She’s got Alzheimer’s,” you said softly as you worked. Joshua said nothing, watching you write instead. When you finished the line you were on, he finally spoke. “Sorry,” he whispered. You glanced up as you capped the pen and smiled at him. “It’s okay,” you responded, setting the pen aside and flipping the page to a new sheet. “She’s a mean old lady, even before her diagnosis. Very pushy and rude,” you replied as you started to place the items back in the basket.

Joshua moved to help you. “Did she want the basket back?” he asked as you worked together. You shook your head. “No,” you said with a chuckle. “The only thing Mrs. Briggs has more than cats are baskets. I don’t think she’ll be missing this one.” You gave him a wink and made to grab the handles. He stopped you, taking the basket himself. “I got this,” he said and nodded towards the back.

“Your slice of pumpkin cake is in the back. I’ll finish opening up, you go eat.”

You smiled, thanking him before heading to the break room in the back. It wasn’t so much a room as it was an area blocked off. There was a small kitchenette with a mini fridge, microwave, and a sink. In the middle of the space was a small round table with three wooden chairs. Sitting on the table was the paper sack. You washed your hands quickly and took a seat, opening the bag.

The pumpkin cake was delicious as always and you savored each bite. As you were finishing it, Joshua’s voice rang out from the front. “I’m going to open the shop!” he called. You stuffed the last bite of cake in your mouth and got up, tossing the paper sack in the bin and washed your hands, chewing hastily as you dried your hands and hurried back to the front.

Joshua stood behind the counter and looked up as you approached. “You didn’t have to come up here,” he chuckled as you grabbed your own apron from under the counter and put it on. “I was finished anyway,” you replied, attempting to tie your apron strings. Joshua laughed softly and moved to stand behind you. “Here,” he said softly, taking the ties from you and carefully tying them.

“It’s a lot easier when you have help,” he said, his voice soft and breath hitting the back of your neck.

Your cheeks burned and you were thankful he couldn’t see the way you drew your bottom lip between your teeth or hear the way your heart hammered in your chest or feel the heat rush to your core.

“There,” he said simply and moved to grab the paper he’d been reading. “All set.”

You forced a smile, turning your head before moving to your usual spot behind the counter and taking a seat on the stool.

It wasn’t the first time you’d had this reaction to Joshua and it certainly wouldn’t be the last.

You weren’t proud to admit it, but you’d had more than one fantasy about your coworker. It was his fault really for being so nice and polite and sweet. Not to mention incredibly handsome and when he pushed his sleeves up, exposing his forearms, you could feel your panties stick to you every time he did something so effortlessly. 

It was no secret half the women in town found Joshua attractive and you were one of them. Unfortunately for you, he was your coworker and although Bill wasn’t around anymore, Joshua seemed to adhere to the strict no dating coworkers policy Bill had. Of course, Bill was married and he was usually the only one in the shop until you joined.

You weren’t in the habit of dating bosses so you never cared much about the policy but now it was driving you mad. Especially during the times it felt like Joshua was flirting with you though you never truly knew for sure if he was serious or just being playful. It was hard to tell with him.

The morning flew by after opening the shop. It wasn’t like you were busy. Most of the customers that came in only wanted to look around and very few ever bought anything. Sometimes you’d have town residents come by and drop off their old things. Most of your job was cashiering and inventory.

Joshua did most of the restoration work that came with old furniture as well as other physical tasks like carrying the larger items out to customers’ cars or moving large furniture items to make space for new items. When you weren't busy ringing someone up or filling out an inventory sheet, you’d find yourself watching Joshua work, admiring the way he lifted things with ease. He’d pushed up the sleeves of his cream colored sweater hours ago, exposing his forearms and the veins that peeked out whenever he exerted any force.

You tried not to make it obvious you were staring but sometimes he’d glance over and catch you, prompting you to turn your gaze back to the crossword puzzle you were absentmindedly filling out with bogus answers in pencil. When you looked away, you missed the way Joshua’s smile turned into more of a smirk. He knew you were watching him and he knew he had an effect on you to some extent.

But not the full extent.

He didn’t know how you sometimes thought about him late at night as you teased yourself with your fingers or how you imagined it was his fingers as you pushed them into your aching heat. He didn’t know it was him that you dreamed about riding or that you wondered how his cock tasted.

And he never would.

The sun had started to set when Joshua finally locked the front door. You stretched your arms above your head, letting out the tiniest of squeaks as he walked over. “You can head home,” he said, leaning against the counter, resting his palms against the surface.

“I can close up here,” he added. You shook your head. “It’s okay, you answered. “I don’t have any plans.” Joshua tilted his head, trying to hold back a smirk. “No exciting hot dates?” he asked as you opened the register. You snorted, shaking your head. “No,” you replied.

“Why not?” he asked as you started to count the bills in the till. You looked up to meet his gaze. You hadn’t expected him to ask you that. “Uh…” you trailed off as you stopped counting. “I guess I just haven’t met someone,” you answered. Joshua’s head tilted the opposite way at that.

“You haven’t?” he pressed. It seemed like he was trying to make a point but you weren’t sure what he expected you to say. You shook your head. “Well,” you continued. “Not anyone that’s available,” you added softly, turning your gaze back down to continue counting.

You finished counting the bills and moved onto the change as Joshua watched you. When you finished and wrote down the total, adding it to the records book, Joshua finally spoke. “How about we finish up here and then go get dinner,” he offered. You nearly tripped over your own feet as you turned away from the shelf where you stored the records book.

Turning to look at him, you found him already looking at you, a smile and expectant look.

“O-okay,” you said softly, mentally cursing yourself for stammering. Joshua smiled and turned away before heading to the back of the shop to make sure everything was locked up while you pulled out the profits from the register and placed them into a bank bag and headed for the back where you found Joshua grabbing the broom. “Here,” you said, holding out the bank bag.

He looked up as he separated the dustpan from the broom. He nodded towards the door that led upstairs. “Just set it up on the counter up there,” he said as he moved past you for the door back into the shop. “What?” you asked, turning as he stopped at the door. “Just put it on the kitchen counter up here,” he said with a smile. You glanced at the door to the stairs and then back at Joshua.

“You mean in your apartment?”

He nodded, the smile spreading. “Yeah,” he answered. “Here.” You watched as he reached into his pocket and fished out his keys before tossing them to you. “Just let yourself in.”

With that, he disappeared into the front and left you standing in the break area. Taking a deep breath, you turned to the door and took hold of the knob. ‘You got this Y/N,’ you told yourself. ‘It’s just his apartment.’ 

You turned the knob and pushed the door open. It creaked softly as you peered into the dimly lit hall. The bottom landing was small and immediately went into the staircase. You shut the door behind you and started up the stairs, each step creaking under foot.

At the top, you managed to pick out the right key and unlocked the door before pushing it open.

Whatever you’d been expecting, it was not this. You’d only ever seen this space once and it was a mostly empty space with a few furniture items stored up here. It was dusty, dark save for the large glass windows at the back of the space that looked out into a small courtyard that backed up to a wooded area. The space had been transformed into a functional studio apartment.

A kitchen had been installed, brown counters with white quartz tops lined the wall against the stairs. A kitchen island separated the kitchen space from the living space. Facing a brick wall was a comfortable looking sofa with a low table between it and a media stand where a large flatscreen stood.

You walked further into the apartment, shutting the door behind you as you continued to look around.

The media stand held numerous DVDs and knick knacks. A knitted blanket lay folded over the arm of the cream colored couch with warm brown accent pillows. On the coffee table sat a small mirrored tray with a gold rim. In the middle was a small tv remote and a couple candles.

Against the wall under the windows stood a side table running the length of one of the windows. It had doors with small brass knobs and most likely held an assortment of different things. ‘Probably storage,’ you told yourself as you turned away from the living room. 

Behind the couch was a partition wall that didn’t reach the ceiling. It was made of bamboo and straight geometric shapes with a sheer material on one side to create a separate bedroom space.

The bed was a large king size, wooden frame with clawed feet. You recognized it as one of the pieces that had been stored up here before. Joshua must have cleaned and restored it because the last time you saw it, the wood was dull and coated with a thick layer of dust. 

At the end of the bed was a small bench with a folded blanket and a space to sit. Oh either side of the bed were matching nightstands in matching wood to the bed frame. The bed linens were creams and browns, both neutral but cozy and inviting. 

Next to the bedroom space at the end of the kitchen was a small folding door housing what you assumed was a pantry and next to that was another door which you could only assume led to a bathroom. 

Between the bed and the bathroom stood a large armoire with double doors. It was another piece that you recognized being stored in the space and just like the bed frame, Joshua cleaned and restored it so it was almost unrecognizable.

Next to the armoire in the corner was a full length mirror leaning against the wall. The top was decorated with postcards and a few pictures. Before you had a chance to move closer and take a look, you heard the door behind you open and spun around to find Joshua entering the apartment.

The two of you stared at one another for a moment before he spoke. “I’m done downstairs,” he commented. “Thought you might have gotten lost,” he added with a smirk. You shook your head, still holding the bank bag. Joshua nodded towards it. “You gonna hold onto that?” he asked, amused when you quickly set it down on the kitchen island.

“Shall we then?” he asked, nodding towards the door. You nodded without another word and headed for the door quickly, much to his amusement. Joshua stopped you with his hand on your arm gently. You looked down at his hand and up to meet his gaze. He held out his other hand.

“Keys?” he asked simply. You dropped them in his hand and headed down the stairs as he chuckled to himself, closing the door and locking it before following you.

“Are you hungry?” he asked as you reached the landing. You nodded again. “Yeah,” you managed to say as he led the way into the front of the shop. “How does Italian sound?” he asked as you grabbed your things, pulling on your coat and scarf. You nodded, heading for the door as he followed.

“Italian sounds fine.”

Once the shop was locked up, the walk to the Italian restaurant didn’t take much time at all. It was a small place with only about 5 tables and a small bar. It was nestled between a bakery and butcher shop, all owned by the same family. Joshua held the door for you with a smile as you thanked him and stepped inside.

You’d been to this place maybe once or twice in the whole time you’d lived in this town. It had been owned by the same family for generations and was currently being run by the grandchildren of the original owner. A young girl at the host stand smiled as you entered the building.

“Just two?” she asked. Joshua nodded as she gathered the menus and silverware, rolled up into black cloth napkins. She tucked the menus and silverware into her arm and picked up a pen, jotting something down on a piece of paper on the host stand before smiling at the two of you. “Right this way!”

She led you to a smaller table in the corner meant for couples. All the tables were round, most seating about four patrons. There was a small room off the main dining area with a much larger table meant for bigger parties. Along the wall were smaller tables with two chairs each and at the back was the bar. A long window allowed a look into the kitchen where you could catch glimpses of workers passing by.

A door at the far corner opposite your table allowed workers in and out of the kitchen. You removed your coat, laying it across the back of your chair and sat down as Joshua did the same and the hostess set the menus and silverware down on the table. “What can I get you started to drink?” she asked as you both settled into your seats.

“Just water,” you answered, not in the mood for soda or coffee. Joshua smiled at the hostess as he glanced over the drink menu. “A glass of cabernet, please,” he said politely. He turned to look at you. “You sure you just want water?” he asked, tilting his head. You looked down at the menu, eyes scanning before finding something that sounded good. “I’ll just have a limoncello martini,” you said, looking up at the hostess who smiled and nodded. “I’ll go put those in and your server will be by soon,” she chirped.

“And I’ll still bring you that water,” she added with a wink your way before heading off.

You looked down at the menu, flipping it over to look at the entrees. The menu wasn’t huge but they had a lot of options to choose from. As your eyes scanned, you could feel eyes on you and glanced up through your lashes to find Joshua already doing the same. He glanced back down, a smirk tugging at his lips. You looked back down, trying to finalize your decision.

“I can’t choose,” you heard him say softly. “I’m stuck between the tuscan-grilled sirloin or the mezzaluna,” he added, glancing up to meet your gaze. “Well they have an option to do both,” you offered, looking over the combinations. “You could get a 7 oz sirloin and a half order of mezzaluna,” you read off the menu. “That way you don’t have to choose.”

Joshua nodded as he looked at the menu. “What are you getting?” he asked softly, looking up once more. “The chicken,” you answered, setting your menu down as the host returned, setting two glasses of water down. You thanked her and picked it up, taking a sip. “Which chicken?” Joshua asked as he lifted his own glass, keeping his eyes trained on you.

Before you could answer, the server arrived. She was around the same age as the hostess and looked like she could be an older sister. “Hey,” she said breathlessly and you could only assume she’d been running all over the restaurant, serving multiple tables. “Your drinks should be coming from the bar in just a moment,” she said as she pulled out a pad and a pen. “Would you like to start with an appetizer?” she asked, looking between the two of you.

Before you could say anything, Joshua answered.

I’d actually like to get an order of the cozze in bianco,” he said without even looking at the menu. “I’ve tried just about every other starter but I haven’t tried the mussels,” he added. The server smiled as she jotted that down. “They’re really good,” she answered. “I’m not just saying that cause I work here,” she continued. “They’re genuinely delicious. It’s my grandma’s recipe,” she added.

You looked up, intrigue written across your face. “You’re part of the family?” you asked. She nodded with a proud smile. “Fourth generation,” she clarified. “My great grandparents started the place. My grandparents just retired and now my uncle and dad are running the place,” she explained, pointing at two men behind the bar.

“My sister is one of the hosts,” she added, pointing to the host stand where the hostess who had seated you stood. “I thought you might be related,” you said with a triumphant smile. It felt good knowing your instincts were spot on. “Yeah!” the server said. “Anyway, I’ll get this in,” she said, tapping the pad with her pen. “Then I’ll grab your drinks and come back to take your meal order,” she added with a smile and an “I’ll be right back.”

Once she left, Joshua turned to look at you. “I guess it really is a family business,” he said with an amused tone. You nodded, uncertain of what to say. Silence fell over the two of you as you waited for the server to return. You glanced up from the menu to find Joshua reading over the list of wines. “So,” you said softly, drawing his attention away from the paper.

“You’ve been here a lot?” you asked. Joshua smiled, setting the wine list down. “Been here? Sort of,” he answered. “This place is right around the corner from the shop,” he started to explain as you took another sip of water. “It’s perfect for getting carryout,” he added. “I’ll just call and place an order and then come pick it up and take it home.”

You listened patiently as he explained. “I don’t go out much,” he continued. You tilted your head as he spoke. “How come?” Joshua looked up from the table, eyes meeting yours. “I don’t know many people,” he admitted softly. “So you just stay in your apartment?” you questioned.

He nodded slowly. “Sometimes I go visit my aunt but my cousin recently moved back in with her and we don’t exactly…” he trailed off, thinking of the right words. “Get along.” Before you could ask any more, the server returned with your drinks, setting the wine in front of Joshua and the cocktail in front of you.

“So,” she said with a smile as she pulled out her notepad and pen. “What can I get you?”

After ordering, your conversation with Joshua shifted to other things. You talked about what he did in his spare time, discussing his taste in movies, books, and more. It was the most you’d ever gotten the chance to speak to him but it was nice to learn more about the man you spent half your day with four days a week. You wanted to consider Joshua a friend and hoped he could do the same.

The food was amazing. The mussels were cooked to perfection and though you were never big on them, Joshua got you to try at least one and you were surprised by how good it was. Your meals arrived just as you were finishing the last of your appetizers.

His steak looked incredible and he’d asked for marsala sauce on top. Your chicken was juicy and tender and the lemon butter sauce was perfect. You were glad you decided to forgo the capers in the end. The portions were just right and you were left feeling full but not stuffed at the end.

As your server took your empty dishes, she asked if you had saved room for dessert. Joshua glanced at you. “We’ll look over the menu,” he said and she nodded, moving to take your empty plates away. Joshua looked over the dessert menu. “I don’t think I could any more,” you commented. “Not without hating myself afterwards.” Joshua snorted and handed the menu to you.

“We could always split something,” he offered. 

You looked over the page, eyes scanning the sheet. There were staples like tiramisu and cannolis but there were also unique twists on traditional pieces like a cannoli cake. You spotted a chocolate cake as well as cheesecake. “I’m not sure,” you said softly, drawing your bottom lip between your teeth before handing the menu back. “You decide. I’m sure whatever you pick will be delicious,” you added.

Joshua looked over the menu as the server returned. “Made a decision?” she asked to which Joshua nodded. “One slice of the cannoli cake,” he answered, handing her the menu. “We’ll take it to go,” he added and she nodded, moving to put in the order and bring the check. You moved to open your bag but Joshua stopped you. “This is on me,” he said as he pulled out his wallet.

“No, it’s okay!” you said as you pulled your own wallet out. Joshua shook his head. “I insist,” he said more firmly. “I asked you to join me. It’s my treat,” he continued. Sensing you weren’t going to win this argument, you let him have his victory.

When the server returned with the check, Joshua immediately handed her his card and she walked away. While she was gone, you replaced your wallet in your bag and looked up to meet Joshua’s gaze. “Thank you,” you said softly. “For dinner.” Joshua returned the smile as the server returned with his card and the cannoli cake slice already bagged up.

Joshua signed the slip as the server smiled at you. “How was everything?” she asked.

“Oh it was amazing,” you answered as you finished your cocktail. “Better than I remembered,” you added. “Thank you so much,” Joshua said as he slipped a couple bills out of his wallet and tucked them behind the signed slip and handed them to the server. “The food and the service was incredible as always,” he added. The server thanked both of you before walking away.

Joshua stood up and grabbed his coat. You stood up quickly, gathering your things as he grabbed the togo bag and led the way to the door.

Outside, the sun had fully set behind the trees and the streetlamps outside had turned on. You pulled your coat on, noticing the chill that had set in. Joshua had already pulled his coat on and was watching as you slung your scarf around your neck. “Well, I should get home,” you said breathlessly. 

Joshua gave you a peculiar look. “Don’t you want to come up and try this?” he asked, holding up the to-go bag. “We got it to split,” he reminded you.

Although your gut was telling you this was a bad idea, you agreed and followed Joshua down the sidewalk and around the corner. The shop loomed over the both of you in the darkness, only one dim streetlamp illuminating the space in front of it as Joshua reached the door and pulled out his keys.

He unlocked the door and stepped in, allowing you to enter after him. As he shut the door your eye fell on the basket on the counter. You were almost one hundred percent certain that hadn’t been there when you both left earlier. “Uh… what’s that?” you asked as Joshua closed and locked the door.

He looked to where you were pointing, setting the bag on the counter and moving to the basket.

“It almost looks like Mrs. Briggs basket,” he said as he grabbed the handle and pulled it towards him. “But the items are different.” You watched as he sifted through the items. “Could you uh…” he asked, turning to look at you. “I hate to ask since we’ve already closed up and it is pretty late, but could you inventory this for me?,” he continued. 

“I really should learn how to do it myself.”

You nodded, moving around the counter to grab your pad and pen. You watched as he pulled each item  out and set them on the counter. “None of these items are the same as the ones Mrs. Briggs brought earlier,” you said softly as you started to write down the items and the descriptions.

Your eyes fell onto a small statuette and you set your pen down before grabbing it and looking at it.

In the low light you could tell it was very old. It was a small animal statue. The material you couldn’t discern but it almost felt ceramic. It was a cute little calico kitty. You looked it over but couldn’t find any manufacturer or name. “Huh,” you huffed as you set it down, drawing Joshua’s attention.

“What’s wrong?” he asked. You looked up at him. “This little statue,” you replied, gesturing to the cat. Joshua picked it up and turned it to face him. “What about it?” he asked. You shrugged. “I don’t know actually,” you said softly. “It just caught my eye.”

Joshua glanced up at you and back to the figurine in his hand. He set it back down in front of you. “Tell you what,” he said softly. “You can have it.” You looked up from the notepad, eyes wide. “What? Really?” you asked. He nodded and shrugged. “It’s just a little cat figurine,” he added. “Keep it,” he said.

You thanked him and went back to finishing inventorying all the items. When you were done and the basket packed back up save for your little calico figure, you followed Joshua up to his apartment where he started to unpack the slice of cake. The two of you stood around the kitchen island. “Here,” Joshua said, handing you a fork and using his own to take a bite.

You watched as his eyes fluttered shut, sighing in contentment. “That’s really good,” he murmured, turning to find you watching him. “Try it,” he urged, pushing the plate towards you. You gently stabbed your fork into the cake and brought a piece up to your mouth, fully aware Joshua was watching you intently. It felt oddly intimate, having him watch you so keenly.

Once you tasted the cake, however, his interest in watching you was made clear.

“Wow,” you said through a mouthful of cake, covering your mouth with your hand and looking up to meet his gaze. “That’s really good!” Joshua smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “I know!” he exclaimed, taking another bite. The two of you continued to take bites of the cake until there was one little piece left. 

You held your hands up and moved to the kitchen sink, rinsing your fork and placing it with the other dishes. “I’m done!” you said as Joshua turned. “The last bite is yours though,” he said with a frown. You shook your head. “No,” you said softly. “I’m good. You can have it.”

Joshua shook his head, moving to stand beside you. “No,” he replied, holding the piece for you. “It’s yours.” You looked from the piece of cake up to his face. He was waiting patiently for you to take the bite and although your gut was telling you this was a bad idea, you took the plunge anyway.

His eyes never left your face as you pulled back, chewing and swallowing the last bite of cake. “Okay,” you said, looking up. “Now I’m-”

Your words were cut short by Joshua pulling you in, lips crashing against yours. You moaned into the kiss as his lips parted yours, tongue slipping into your mouth. All you tasted was cake and saliva. He’d abandoned the plate the second you accepted his advances, discarding it on the counter behind you as one hand moved to your hip, the other staying put on the back of your neck.

Joshua guided your body away from the sink and against the kitchen island. You groaned as the counter dug into your back, a sound that Joshua swallowed as he deepened the kiss. “Fuck,” you hissed as his lips left yours, trailing over your cheek and down the side of your neck.

Without warning, he pulled back, spinning you to face the rest of the room, pushing you against the counter as he grinded against you, allowing you to feel his hard cock. “You have no idea how crazy you drive me,” he growled, one arm wrapping around your chest and holding you against him as he rutted against you. You let out a feeble moan, hands moving up to grab his arm as your legs threatened to give out under you. “J-Joshua,” you whimpered.

Your voice must have snapped him back to reality and just as quickly as it started, Joshua pushed away from you, facing the sink and gripping the sides as he tried to control his breathing. “Oh my god,” he breathed. “I’m so sorry.” You turned to face his back, hands on the counter behind you as you steadied yourself. “Wh-what just happened?” you panted.

Joshua shook his head and when he spoke again, his voice sounded strained. “I think you should go.”

Your brows knit together in confusion. Was he… kicking you out? After all that?

“What?” you whispered. Joshua raised his head but still didn’t turn to look at you.

“You should go home,” he said, his voice still strained. “This is wrong.”

You stared at the back of his head incredulously. He practically jumped you at the sink and almost bent you over the island of his kitchen and now he was backpedaling? You said nothing, instead grabbing your coat and scarf from the seat you left them on and headed for the door, yanking it open before stepping out onto the landing and slamming the door behind you.

Your footsteps were loud, echoing as you ran down the old wooden steps and into the back room of the shop.

Up front you reached the door in record time but stopped as something caught your eye. The little cat figurine was sitting on the counter, staring back at you. In a split second decision, you grabbed it. He had said you could keep it after all.

The bell rang softly as you exited the shop, slamming the door behind you and hurried down the sidewalk and around the corner. You stopped for a moment to catch your breath before continuing on.

It was late. Really late you noticed as you walked in the direction of your home. The shops and restaurants had all closed for the night and there wasn’t a soul to be found as you walked down the deserted street. 

The shops to your left were all dark, only a couple with running lights on in the back of the shop. On the right side, across the street was the park. It covered a good portion of the town, stretching for several blocks. The park was home to the playground, a pond, a dog park, and lots of walking trails.

It was covered in trees and lots of shrubbery. It was a lovely place to walk and visit all year round but right now it felt menacing and looming. You tried not to focus on it as you continued down the path before you, clutching the cat statue tightly in your hands.

It didn’t take long for you to finally reach your home, ignoring the chilly breeze that followed as you let yourself in and shutting the door behind you. It was an older home, built back before the town grew up. It was a family home, one you inherited from your parents after their passing. It was a cute craftsman style home with four bedrooms. You’d closed off the bedrooms upstairs, taking up residence in the master bedroom on the main floor.

You locked the door, listening for the click of the lock as it engaged before finally settling and feeling relieved. You shrugged your coat off and pulled the scarf from around your neck, hanging both up by the door before kicking your shoes off and heading into the living area.

You set the cat statue on the kitchen counter and moved to your fridge to grab some water. You always kept a few bottles of water in the fridge. Turning as you uncapped the bottle and started to sip, you jumped slightly at the glowing eyes peering in at you from the back window.

Once you realized it was only a cat, you berated yourself for overreacting and downed some more water before moving to the bedroom but only after making sure the doors and windows were locked.

In the safety of your room, you drew the blinds and curtains, quickly undressing and pulling on your pajamas. Your bed was all but calling your name as you pulled back the covers and climbed in, settling under the comforter as the exhaustion of the day weighed down on you.

You fell into a deep slumber, one you didn’t even remember falling into.

Your alarm woke you up at 630 on the dot and you groaned, lifting your head to peek at the red numbers. You really did not want to get out of bed. Mostly because you were comfortable in your warm cocoon and because the events of last night were flooding back in and you weren’t sure if you could even face Joshua after that. 

You knew staying in bed and wallowing in your misery wasn’t going to help so as much as you didn’t want to, you turned your alarm off, threw the covers off your body and started to pull yourself from the depths of your bed.

As you sat up, you grabbed your phone sitting on the nightstand beside your half empty bottle of water.

Unlocking the screen you found you had a text waiting for you. From Joshua.

Your heart hammered in your chest as you tapped on the icon to read what he had to say.

Joshua: hey, don’t worry about coming in today. The shop is closed for some repairs. You’ll still get paid so don’t worry about that either. I’ll see you Monday

Your stomach dropped into your lap as you read his messages. So he couldn’t face you either? You weren’t sure what kind of repairs the shop could need. There wasn’t anything you noticed in the last few days. You chose to avoid deciphering what he meant and instead to use the day to get things done.

As you got up and started your morning, you took a shower and changed into clean clothes, opting for a light caramel colored sweater and light denim jeans. You gathered up your dirty clothes and took them to the small laundry room off your kitchen, setting a load and going about the rest of the house, cleaning and putting things back where they belonged.

Time ticked by as you worked, stopping briefly to take a lunch break when you realized you were low on groceries. Deciding to swap your washed clothes over to the dryer first, you set out from the house, donning your cream colored long coat but forgoing the scarf. Today was much warmer than the previous day. 

Your walk from your neighborhood to the market only took a couple minutes and you greeted the cashier at the front as you entered and grabbed a bright yellow shopping trolley. You wheeled your cart through the aisles, grabbing items from your list off the shelves and crossing them off as they landed in the basket. You had just turned into the cereal aisle when you stopped dead in your tracks.

Halfway down the aisle was Joshua. He was smiling as he handed a box from the top shelf to an elderly woman. You couldn’t see her face so you didn’t know which resident it was. You tried to back up and head for another aisle but in your haste, you bumped into the display next to you, knocking a few cans of beans off the shelves.

Joshua and the woman heard the commotion and looked in your direction. ‘Oh brilliant,’ you thought to yourself as you knelt down to pick up the stray cans that rolled across the tile. As you stood up, Joshua and the woman had parted ways and he was currently walking in your direction.

You turned away as he approached, setting up the cans and trying to mimic the display they’d been in before.

“Hey,” you heard Joshua say softly. You turned to face him, forcing a smile. “Hey,” you mimicked.

The two of you said nothing, instead standing awkwardly before one another, looking anywhere that wasn’t the other person. ‘Why is this so awkward? Why are you even still standing here? Just walk away!’ You cleared your throat and forced another smile, laughing awkwardly as you took the handle of your trolley. “Well, I gotta go,” you said, your voice much higher pitched than before.

Joshua’s eyebrows shot up as you started to turn your cart and push it past him. He was quick, grabbing your wrist and turning you to face him, backing you up against the shelf of canned beans. Your breath caught in your throat as Joshua looked at you, eyes studying your face.

You saw them briefly look down to your lips and back up. Finally he spoke.

“I’m sorry about last night,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t know what came over me.” you shook your head quickly. “It’s fine,” you squeaked. “Alcohol does that sometimes,” you added after clearing your throat. Joshua nodded, eyes still fixated on your lips as you spoke. “It doesn’t have to mean anything,” you continued.

The shift in his expression was unmistakable but you couldn’t tell what emotion he was conveying. “It��� doesn’t?” he asked softly. You shimmied out of his grip, straightening your coat as you heard voices enter the aisle you were currently standing in. “No,” you replied. “It doesn’t.”

Joshua opened his mouth to respond but you stopped him. “Don’t worry about it,” you added. “Let’s just forget it. I’ll see you on Monday.”

You didn’t let him speak as you hurried away, pushing your cart into the next aisle to finish your shopping. You were grateful he didn’t attempt to follow you and luckily you didn’t see him again, which allowed you to return to the cereal aisle and grab a box of your favorite brand.

After visiting the dairy section, you headed to the front to check out. The next stop was the butchershop where you grabbed your usual cuts of chicken, pork, and beef before heading home to stock your fridge as well as fold and put away your clean laundry.

The task took longer than you were expecting and by the time the last towel was neatly tucked and folded, you saw that it was getting close to dinner time. You sighed, glancing at your fridge upon realizing you hadn’t prepared anything you bought yet.

You got up and walked over to the fridge and opened the door, looking at the contents and settled on one of the flank steaks you’d bought earlier. You grabbed the package and pulled it from the fridge as well as a couple other items and started with rinsing the vegetables you selected.

As you set the items on the counter, the small kitten figure caught your eye. You’d yet to find it a home in your place and moved to pick it up. As you did, a small portion of the bottom fell off onto the counter with a soft clatter and you cursed under your breath. It seemed as if the statuette had a small seal on the bottom that had seemingly come loose.

You turned the figure upside down and your eye caught the end of something shoved into the tiny space inside the ceramic figure. You carefully removed what turned out to be a rolled up piece of paper and set the figure down to start unrolling the paper.

Blackish text written in what you could only assume was a dark red ink adorned one side of the paper. You weren’t sure what it said but you could tell it was a different language. Possibly latin. Your brows furrowed as you read the words in your head before trying to sound them out.

“Te invoco a profundus inferni,” you read off in what you could only assume was terrible latin. You studied the paper for a moment longer before shrugging and turning to your trash bin, crumbling up the paper and tossing it away.

‘Out of sight, out of mind.’

Once rinsed, you started to prepare the potatoes, slicing them thinly before adding them to a glass baking dish. You worked over the dish and the stove simultaneously, making a cream sauce to add to the potatoes before sprinkling some cheese and panko over the top and putting in the oven.

While that baked, you poured yourself a glass of wine and turned on some music on your phone. The bottle was a new one you picked up earlier. While sipping on the wine, you prepared the steak for cooking, seasoning both sides since you didn’t have time to marinate it.

Soft jazzy tunes floated through the air as you went about the kitchen, heating a skillet before adding the steak which started sizzling immediately. You sipped on some more wine as you waited to flip the steak over. Your mind wandered as you waited, wondering what Joshua was up to before you forced the thought out of your head.

‘Stop thinking about him!’

You continued to listen to the music as your steak cooked, sizzling again when you flipped it onto the uncooked side. Once the steak was cooked to your liking, you pulled it from the pan and set it aside to rest while you checked your potatoes and added the chopped veggies to the hot pan, drizzling them with some oil. It was something you learned from your mother.

Once you were sure your veggies were done, the timer for the oven went off and you made a plate for yourself, sitting down at the kitchen island to eat. You had a dining room but as you lived alone, you saw no point in using the table. You could just eat at the island instead.

Just as you were cutting into the steak, you heard the doorbell ring and turned to look at the front door which you could just see from your spot. You waited for a moment before it rang again and you got up quickly, moving to answer it.

Pushing the curtain covering the window beside the door aside, you peered out onto the front step but saw no one. You contemplated opening the door but decided against it and instead looked through the peephole.

Again, you saw no one standing on the other side.

You took a step back, staring at the door in confusion until your thoughts were interrupted by three sharp knocks. You stared at the door and moved quickly back to peer through the hole. Again, the front step was empty. You moved to peer through the curtain but still saw nothing. You turned the deadbolt and backed away from the door, staring at it for a few moments more.

When nothing happened, you turned to head back to the kitchen to finish your dinner.

Just as you crossed the threshold into the living room, three loud knocks rang out from the door, causing you to whip around and head back to the door. This time you unlocked and opened the wooden door, leaving the metal storm door securely closed and locked.

Outside, just as you suspected, was no one. The street was deserted as the sun set behind the trees, casting everything in a bluish glow. The twilight glow. You peered out at your front porch, looking from side to side but not opening the outside door.

Seeing no one, you stepped back and shut the door, locking it once more before stepping back and waiting to see if someone knocked again. You weren’t sure what you were expecting, you hadn’t seen anyone before so why would you see anyone this time?

As you were wondering, you heard something different. Loud, heavy footfalls on the steps outside, almost like someone stomping up the steps to your porch. Before you could move to throw open the door to confront the trickster, three loud pounds sounded at the door, the strength of it shaking the floor of your vestibule.

Your eyes widened, heart hammering in your chest as you backed away. Another three pounding slams sounded on the other side of your door. Followed by three more. You rushed to the door and as soon as your hand fell on the handle it all stopped.

You didn’t dare open the door this time. Instead, you made sure the front door was locked before going around the rest of the first floor to make sure all the doors and windows were secured and properly locked. When you were certain they were, you headed upstairs to check the windows and attic door.

Upon reaching the landing, you were horrified to see that the attic door was cracked open. Your breath caught in your throat as you stared at the door, unmoving. You felt a cold chill run up your spine. Although you couldn’t see anything, you knew someone was looking back at you from the darkness.

You watched in horror as the cracked attic door slowly shut on its own. You blew off your sweep of the second floor of your home before running downstairs and grabbing your phone to call the police. As you waited for the operator to pick up you felt a breeze and looked to see your back door was open.

‘I just locked that!’ You were certain you’d locked that before going upstairs. You’d even done the tug test on it. The line clicked and you were greeted with the sound of breathing.

“Hello?” you asked into the receiver frantically. When no one answered but the breathing started to turn into distorted voices and then a deep rumbling growl you hung up and dropped your phone onto the counter next to your plate.

The corners of your eyes burned as you wandered cautiously towards the open door. You peered out the door into the dark and in an instant, you could have sworn your heart stopped. Your breathing sped up as you tried in vain not to hyperventilate.

Standing outside your door, just beyond the reach of the back porch light was a dark figure. There were no distinguishing features, no eyes, nothing to tell you anything other than the fact that someone… or something, was standing outside your door.

Without thinking, you rushed the door and slammed it shut, turning the lock before backing away.

The shrill tone of your phone sounded out and you rushed to pick it up without checking the screen.

“Hello?” you all but shouted. “Ma’am this is [xxx]. We received a call from this number moments ago. Do you have an emergency?” relief flooded your body as you almost passed out from the stress.

“Yes!” you said quickly. “I think someone is in my attic,” you answered. No sooner than you said those words, you heard a loud crash from upstairs. “He might have left the attic and is in the house,” you whispered, your body starting to shake.

“Can you give me your address?” “It’s Y/N,” you said quickly before giving your address. The town was small and the police station wasn’t far from your home. You knew an officer would be by in no time. “Okay Y/N,” the dispatcher said. “I have two officers enroute. In the meantime, can you find a weapon and a place to hide?”

Your eyes landed on the huge knife you’d used to cut your steak earlier and grabbed it quickly. “I have a knife,” you announced softly to the dispatcher who commended you. “Now you need to find a place to hide. Can you do that?” he asked. You tiptoed softly towards your bedroom, keeping your eyes on the bottom of the stairs before finally reaching the threshold and closing your bedroom door.

You turned the lock and made for your closet, squeezing in and sliding the door shut.

“I’m in the closet in my bedroom,” you whispered to the dispatcher. “Where is your bedroom located?” he asked. “Ground floor, back of the house behind the kitchen,” you whispered back. “Please tell them to hurry!”

You listened as the sounds of slow heavy footsteps pounded across the floor above you, heading for the stairs. “I think they’re coming downstairs!” you hissed. “Okay, Y/N,” the dispatcher said calmly. “The officers are almost there. I’m going to stay on the line but you need to be quiet for me, can you do that?” 

You nodded and hummed in the affirmative as the heavy steps made their way down the stairs, one step at a time. Each slam had you jumping. You were shaking as you listened, keeping the knife ready to lash out. To your horror, the steps started to walk through the first floor and sounded like they were making a beeline for your room.

You tried to control your breathing as the steps stopped just outside your bedroom door.

You waited for there to be banging or for the door to fly open but neither happened. Instead, there was a rapid knocking at your front door followed by the sound of the front door opening and a voice calling out “police!” you waited for the bedroom door to open and the closet door to slide aside as a light was shown in. “I found her,” the holder of the light said as you held up your hands.

The knife was taken from you and the officer helped you up. After they escorted you out of the house, one officer spoke while another two searched the house bottom to top, clearing each room and even going up into the attic. While the officers searched your home, you gave your statement to the officer who wrote down everything you said.

“And you’re sure you locked all the doors?” he asked, looking up from the notepad. You nodded again. “It’s just that when we arrived, both front doors were unlocked,” he explained. You stared at him blankly. “That’s not possible,” you replied. “I know I locked that door. Multiple times,” you explained.

“Someone was ringing and then kept knocking but each time I checked, there was no one there. I thought it was just kids getting into the Halloween spirit and being a nuisance. Until the pounding,” you continued. The officer narrowed his eyes. “Pounding?” he asked. You nodded as the two officers exited you home.

“Y-yeah,” you answered. “It started as light knocking but when I refused to open the door or come out onto the porch, it turned into pounding. I heard loud stomping up the steps but when I checked, I still saw nothing.”

The officer nodded as he jotted that down while one of the two officers came over.

“We found no sign of forced entry,” she started to explain. “We found a stack of boxes in the attic had fallen over. That was probably the loud crash you heard,” she continued. “Your back door was also unlocked.” Your jaw dropped. “I know I locked that!” you exclaimed. When I came downstairs to call you, the back door was open and when I walked over, I saw someone standing outside-”

“You saw someone outside?” the officer originally taking your statement asked. You nodded quickly as he started writing down more notes. “What did they look like?” You sighed heavily. 

“I-I didn’t get a good look.” 

Both officers exchanged looks as you rushed to explain further. 

“They were standing just outside the light field,” you explained. “But they were tall. Maybe around 1.8 meters,” you explained. “Everything else was just black. There were no distinguishing features at all,” you added. The officers nodded. “Ma’am,” the woman started and you turned to her.

“We noticed an open bottle of wine in the fridge,” she stated and you knew where she was going. “I just opened it,” you explained. “I hadn’t even finished a glass yet,” you added. She nodded and the other officer quickly jotted that down as well. 

“Well, other than the boxes in the attic,” she started. “There are no signs of anyone inside the home. Since the points of entry were unlocked, they must have gone out that way before we got here.”

You shook your head silently. “I heard them walk up to the bedroom but I never heard footsteps leave.”

The officers exchanged looks before the woman spoke again. “We’ll have a patrol car in the area for the night and if anything else happens, call us immediately,” she explained as she pulled a card out of a little pouch on her belt. “You can call me directly,” she added. “I’m on duty all night.”

The female officer walked you to your door where you thanked her and watched as both cars pulled away and headed down the street. A chilly breeze blew through the front porch followed by a distant flash of lightning and you quickly retreated inside, making sure your doors were locked before heading to the back door to do the same.

Once you were fully satisfied your doors were locked, you returned to the kitchen to clean up your dinner, putting the uneaten portions in a glass container and putting it in the fridge. You downed the rest of your wine and started to rinse your dishes, placing them in the dishwasher before turning off the lights and heading upstairs to make sure all the lights were off, windows closed and locked.

Before heading back down, you turned back to look at the attic door which was firmly shut. You headed down the steps carefully, turning off the light at the bottom landing before heading to your bedroom where you checked your windows.

Once you were sure everything was secure, you changed and got ready for bed.

Climbing under the covers, you weren’t sure if you’d be able to sleep but exhaustion took over and you were out within minutes of crawling into bed.

You were in the midst of a really good dream when you were startled awake by a loud crash and sudden burst of wind. Sitting up, you looked around the dark room and saw one of your windows had sprang open. ‘How the hell did that open?’

You threw the covers off your legs and got up, moving around the bed ro quickly shut the window, clicking your tongue as you stepped in a wet puddle on the wood floor.

The crash you had heard was thunder and a full blown storm was raging outside. You groaned and turned back towards the room as a flash of lightning illuminated the space causing you to stop in your tracks. In the corner by the door stood a tall, dark shadow.

Your heart hammered in your chest, beating almost up into your throat as it closed, your ability to scream being ripped from you. ‘No,’ you thought. ‘This can’t be happening.’

You glanced at the door but knew deep in your heart that you’d never make it to the door, not with the shadow standing right beside it. Maybe you could climb out the window? Damn! You should have left it open! If only you’d seen the shadow before closing the window!

As you weighed your options, a deep, gravelly voice spoke.

“C̸̫͕̿̀̎̈́̈ͅȗ̶̠̳͉̽ṟ̴͖͛̈́̂̓͠ ̶̞͈̈́̌̄̋͂c̵̪̱̆͂̃u̵̡̪̜̠̣͗͒ř̵̤̠͕͈̉r̵̺̙͙͍̦͂̐i̸͈̜͕͙͐́̑̾t̸̨̩͖̣͖̀̑i̵̯͖̼̓͌͛̑s̴̭̐̍̚̚͠ ?”

You stared at the shadow in the corner. Did… did it just speak?

Uncertain if you heard correctly, you waited for it to speak again, although you had no idea what it said.

“M̶̳̞͖̓ͅỏ̷̮̲̯̚r̴̭̹̈͋̀̎t̶͓̩̪̟̿̉̒́̅a̴͓͐̽͊l̸̲̰̯͛͛͠e̴̝͝m̵͕̱̾͋ ̸̫̩̾͜t̸̪͚͔͋e̴͕̠̘̖̅̍͊ ̶̝̞̌i̵̯̺̯̋̉̄ͅn̶̺̳͚̟̟̊́͆̀t̵̫͗̌̎̕͝e̸̗̋̚ṝ̴̺͇̉͗͗͠r̸̺̭̫͈̖̅̉o̷̟͙̥̱͗͌-̴̮̇ ̷͓́g̷̰̪͋͛̕͝ā̸̙͊̍v̴̭̙̜͋̾̊̚i̶̦̟͌͋̈́͛ .”

Your lips parted as it addressed you, still in the same language.

“I-I don’t understand,” you whispered. The shadow didn’t move but instead, in the same gravelly voice it spoke again, this time in English. “I asked you why you keep running away from me.”

Your stomach nearly fell out of your ass. Whatever this was, it was sentient. “Wh-who are you?” you asked, your voice barely above a whisper. The shadow figure chuckled. Actually fucking chuckled. The sound was distorted and unsettling.

“I am Tarrunach,” it answered. Your brain tried to wrap around the name. It was unlike anything you’d heard before. “T-Tarrunach?” you repeated. The figure said nothing and stayed perfectly still, another flash of lightning illuminating the room but still the shadow stayed black, a stark contrast with its surroundings.

“What do you want?” you asked softly, shifting your weight as your hand slowly reached behind you for the window latch. The shadow figure tilted its head before speaking in its rough voice.

“You summoned me.”

Your eyebrows shot up. ‘Summoned?’

You shook your head, halting your movements. “N-no I didn’t,” you answered. There was another flash of light and a clap of thunder. As soon as darkness returned to the room, the shadow figure shifted. Eyes appeared and it took all your willpower not to scream in terror at the sight of glowing red eyes.

“Is that the game you want to play?” it asked, voice scratchy and low. “You summoned me. Do you not remember the incantation?”

As you opened your mouth to say no, a memory played in your head, almost like a movie reel. The cat figure with the roll of paper inside. The strange words written in dark red ink. 

‘Te invoco a profundus inferni,’ Your eyes widened as the realization hit you.

You knew it was latin but you didn’t know latin. Had you…

Had you accidentally summoned a demon?

You looked back up and noticed the shadow figure had moved and was now standing in front of the door. You leaned back against the window, fingers searching for the latch to open them. 

“I-” you trailed off. “I didn’t know that was an incantation,” you admitted. “I thought it was gibberish.”

The figure laughed again. “Are you in the practice of reciting gibberish often?”

You shook your head. “No,” you answered. “Not particularly. I don’t see gibberish very often.”

You were stalling but the figure was moving closer. The flat black shadowy figure had taken on a more corporeal look, instead of blurry appendages, you could make out a curve in the arms by its side. Your fingers brushed against the latch but didn’t manage to catch on.

Another bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, throwing your room in a cast of bright white allowing you to see the figure in full. Your eyes widened, a scream forming in your throat.

Before you stood a blackened figure. The skin looked almost charred. The red eyes looked back at you from a charred face, the lips pulled back into a menacing smile with rows of sharp teeth. The figure was slim and androgynous in appearance. You saw nothing that would distinguish it as either sexually male or female. It was like one of the Ken dolls you’d had as a child.

Before the scream building in your throat could escape, your fingers managed to grab hold of the window latch and you pulled, opening the window. Instantly the wind blew in, the sound of rain intensifying and blowing into the open space. You tried to turn and climb out the window but the figure moved at an impossible speed.

The window was shut, all wind gone as the figure slammed you against the wall beside the window, hand closed around your throat. “This isn’t a game,” it growled in your face, breath hot against your skin. “You summoned me, whether intentional or not,” it hissed. “And I’ve come to collect.”

‘Collect?’

Fear filled your senses, spreading throughout your body and to the tips of your fingers and toes.

“C-collect?” you gasped, clawing at the hand around your neck. “Yes,” the figure snapped. Without warning, it tossed you onto the bed easily and was on top of you as you bounced on the mattress.

“C-collect what?” you coughed. “My soul?”

The demon tilted its head again only this time much faster, so fast you barely registered it except for the cracking sound that accompanied it. “I don’t want your soul,” it growled. You winced as it leaned in, sniffing your cheek before you felt its warm, wet tongue lick a stripe up the side of your face. You tried to push it away but the demon was much stronger.

“You can’t fight me off,” he laughed cruelly.

You felt your throat close up, tears burning at the corners of your eyes as the monster pinned you against the bed. “Please,” you whimpered. “What do you want from me?”

The demon chuckled again, the sound just as jarring. “I want your energy,” it answered.

You turned your face to look up at it in the dark, it’s red eyes boring into yours. “Energ-gy?”

“Your sexual energy,” it added. Your stomach churned at the thought. ‘No way. Absolutely not.’

You shook your head in agreement with your thoughts. “No,” you said defiantly.

The demon laughed, caging you in with its arms against the mattress. “I figured you’d say that,” it said, taking your face in its clawed hand. You stared up, raw fear pumping in your veins as your eyes met. You watched in both shock and horror as the charred skin of the demon melted away to reveal an all too familiar face.

You managed to push the demon off you and scramble off the bed towards the window as the demon stood up. You cowered away, your back up against the wall. “J-Joshua?”

The figure standing in your bedroom smiled at you, flashing a pair of perfect teeth. “Wh-what the hell?”

The demon started to pace back and forth, keeping its eyes trained on you. “What do you think?” it asked. “Looks just like him, right?” You stared in awe. “Or would you believe me if I told you I am Joshua?”

You shook your head quickly. “That’s not possible,” you croaked, your voice hoarse. the demon laughed and instead of the cruel, jarring sound, it was Joshua’s laugh. The one you’d heard countless times in Pandora’s Box as you told him a joke. The smile was the same one he gave you when he caught you staring at him from across the shop.

The same knowing smirk.

You shook your head again. “You’re not Joshua,” you answered. “You’re just messing with me!”

The demon tilted its head again. “That’s where you’re wrong,” it said in a low, menacing tone.

“Let me show you something,” it said, raising one hand and with a snap of its fingers, the lamps in your room came on. You looked around quickly before your eyes landed back on the demon.

“Is that it?” you asked. “I thought you were going to like, snap us to the shop or something,” you added.

The demon’s smile fell and its eyes narrowed.

“You want to go to the shop?” it asked. You nodded. “That’s where he lives,” you said. “The real Joshua!”

The demon sighed and rolled its eyes before standing up straight. “Get dressed,” it said, moving towards the door. You hesitated as it opened the bedroom door. Sensing you weren’t going to move, the demon stopped. “Get dressed,” it ordered again. “I’ll prove it to you.”

You pulled on a pair of sweats and a hoodie before heading out of your bedroom. It was surreal to see the demon masquerading as Joshua in your living room. You slowed to a stop as it walked around, looking around your house. “Nice place,” it said with a smirk. “How come you’ve never invited me here before?” he asked with a mocking tone. You narrowed your eyes, crossing your arms over your chest.

Taking that as a cue you weren’t going to talk, the demon led the way to the door. “Shoes,” it said as it unlocked the deadbolt and looked at you. “We’re going to the shop.”

The walk down the deserted streets at night was eerie enough but the fact that a demon masquerading as your coworker was walking beside you as if nothing was wrong made it even more uncanny. The walk to the shop took no time at all and soon, you were walking up to the front door.

The demon produced a set identical to Joshua’s keys and unlocked the door. You led the way to the back where the door leading up to the steps was already open. You hurried up the steps to the top landing but before you could knock, the door opened and you fell into Joshua’s arms.

“Close the door!” you gasped, scrambling to shut the door behind you and lock it.

You looked up into the concerned brown eyes of your coworker. “Y/N,what’s wrong?” he asked. “It’s the middle of the night and it’s storming.” You glanced down to find your clothes were indeed wet but on your walk, you didn’t remember it raining. Though you did remember it raining when you were back in your bedroom.

“Here,” Joshua said, letting go of you and heading to the wardrobe that stood between the bathroom and the nightstand. “Let’s get you out of those wet clothes.”

You followed him, glancing around quickly. Nothing seemed out of place in the apartment. Joshua pulled out some clothes, holding up the large tee shirt. “This should fit,” he said softly. “It’s not my size.” He pulled out a pair or shorts as well, holding them up to inspect.

Once he’d found something that might fit, he handed them to you and directed you to the bathroom where you changed quickly. Out in the other room, Joshua was heating up a pot of water. He looked up as you approached. “Let me throw these in the dryer,” he offered, taking your clothes from you.

Once he put them in the dryer and poured you a hot cup of tea, you sat at the kitchen island, trying to come up with an explanation as to why you were there. What reason could you possibly have for coming to his place in the middle of the night.

‘I accidentally summoned a demon that wants to collect my sexual energy and it looks just like you.’

He’d call the cops faster than you could finish getting the words out.

Frustrated, you lowered your head and fought the urge to cry, your shoulders shaking. Joshua rounded the island and sat next to you, placing an arm around your shoulders. “Hey, hey,” he said softly. “It’s okay. You’re safe here.” You turned to face him, startling him.

“No one is safe,” you said softly. Joshua’s eyes searched your face. “What?” he said quietly.

“There’s…” your voice quivered as you hesitated. “There’s a demon.”

As soon as the words left your lips, the serious look on Joshua’s face morphed into a smile. “Oh Y/N, please,” he scoffed. “You know, you really are something,” he said, getting to his feet. You watched as he walked back around to his empty cup and moved to put it in the sink.

You got up and ran over to him. “Please, Joshua,” you pleaded. “I’m not messing around!”

When he didn’t respond, you tried to grab his hand. The moment your skin touched his you jerked back with a yelp. Almost like you’d been burned. ‘What the…’

You looked up from his hand to his profile. He slowly turned his head, eyes boring into yours. The brown eyes you’d looked into before were replaced with yellow irises, the sclera no longer white but red. The same eyes you’d seen in your bedroom. Your heart sank as Joshua slowly advanced on you.

“No,” you whimpered, a soft sob escaping you. You tried to run but the demon was quick, grabbing your arm and dragging you over to the counter, trapping you between its body and the kitchen island. “Stop!” you screamed, pushing against its hard chest. “Let me go!”

“I told you,” it said in the voice of Joshua. “I told you I am Joshua.”

You shook your head. “It’s not possible,” you sobbed, tears falling down your cheeks.

The demon took your face in both its hands gently. “I wasn’t lying. I am Joshua. Joshua is me.”

You glanced up to meet the fiery gaze once more. Behind the yellow and red eyes was a sincerity you hadn’t expected to see. The demon wasn’t trying to trick you. “H-how?” you hiccuped.

“How what?” he asked. “Did you not find it odd that I seemingly haunted every dream and waking thought of yours?” he asked. “Or how Mrs. Briggs didn’t recognize me?” You looked up at him. “Are you even related to Bill?” you asked softly. Joshua chuckled and shook his head. “Bill doesn’t have any siblings,” he answered.

“Why are you here?” you asked suddenly. “In this town. Why are you here?”

Joshua tilted his head. “Do you remember the night Bill passed away?” he asked, nodding when you shook your head. “It was a couple days before Halloween,” Joshua started to explain. “A couple of teenagers were out at the old covered bridge messing around with a ouija board.”

You listened as he told the story of the teens and how they inadvertently summoned him, bringing him to the town. That night, after they summoned the demon, they ran, leaving behind the Ouija board. Bill was driving home from the shop and had to cross that old wooden bridge. 

As he started to cross, Joshua explained how he appeared, causing Bill to swerve and plow through the side of the bridge and down into the ditch below. It wasn’t full but because there had been a lot of rain the past few nights, the ditch had been flooded more than usual and because Bill’s car landed upside down, he drowned.

As Joshua finished his tale, you covered your mouth in shock.

“And that little figure you took home,” he continued. “Why would I give you a random gift like that?” he asked. “I wanted you to have it. I wanted you to find the incantation. I wanted you to say it, knowing you were curious and had a proclivity for reading out random words you see,” he added.

Everything he was saying so far added up. Your dreams about him, your fantasies, your attraction, everything was caused by him. “Why did you need an incantation?” you asked suddenly, looking up to meet his gaze. “I wanted you before that.”

Joshua shook his head. “I’m a demon,” he explained. “I have rules and rituals to abide by.” 

The realization dawned on you. 

“That’s why you stopped the other night,” you said softly as it all fell into place. “Because you can’t just have sex with whoever you want?” Joshua nodded. “There has to be a binding incantation,” he explained. “Which is what you read off tonight.”

You swallowed thickly. “Which means…”

You felt one of his hands moved to your hip. “Which means, we have to have sex,” you continued.

Joshua nodded, leaning in and nuzzling your cheek. “Exactly,” he said in a low, husky voice. “But if we have sex,” you said suddenly, placing a hand on his chest and pushing him back. “Doesn’t that mean you have to leave?”

Joshua tilted his head questioningly. “Why would I leave?” he asked softly.

“When I have a shop to run.”

Without letting you say another word, Joshua took your lips in a searing kiss, his free hand moving up your back and pulling you into him. “I said that incantation binds me to you,” he murmured, lips ghosting over your skin. “I never said anything about having to leave. I’m bound to you now.”

Your knees almost buckled as you felt his teeth graze against the skin of your neck. “I’m yours,” he whispered, his breath hot against your skin. “And after tonight,” he continued, trailing kissing back up until his lips were against your ear. “You’ll be mine.”

You pulled him in for a heated kiss, leaning against the counter as one of your legs moved to wrap around his waist. Joshua leaned into the kiss, parting your lips and sliding his hot tongue into your mouth, muffling your moans.

You whined as he pulled away, slowly kissing down your neck to your collar before taking the hem of the shirt you were currently wearing and tugging it up, pulling the shirt off over your head. “Good girl,” he murmured, taking in your topless form. 

His hands were back on you in a second, lips trailing kisses down your collar and between your breasts. As he lowered himself to his knees, he made quick work of the shorts you were wearing, pulling them along with your panties down your legs before taking one of your thighs and lifting it over his shoulder.

You watched as he planted light kisses along the inside of your thigh, stopping just short of your aching heat. One of your hands braced yourself against the counter, the other moving down to tangle in his hair as he placed a kiss just above your clit before shifting between your thighs, pushing them further apart.

Your head fell back as you slipped to rest your forearm against the counter again as you felt Joshua’s tongue glide through your folds, brushing your clit lightly. Light teasing licks turned into heavy laps until he pulled back, his chin already covered in your essence. “Bed,” was the only word he uttered.

You were there faster than you could process, your head spinning with arousal as you leaned back against the sheets. Joshua had stripped himself of his shirt in the short distance from the kitchen to the bed and was lowering himself to kneel as you parted your thighs.

He fell onto the mattress, arms wrapping around your thighs and pulling your pussy closer to his face.

You moaned, head falling into the pillows as you felt his tongue back on your clit. He teased and toyed with the bud, not really falling into a rhythm. Instead he was merely taking his time and learning your body. Twice you felt the tip of his tongue dip down to your hole, pushing into it as his nose bumped against your clit. You felt the vibration of his groans against your sex, your walls tightening around the end of his tongue.

Just when you thought he was going to pull away, it was as if his tongue grew, entering you fully and filling your cunt. “Oh shit,” you cursed, fingers tightening in his hair as your free hand gripped the sheets beneath you tightly.

He only pushed his tongue into you a few times before pulling back. You raised your head wearily to see him licking his lips. “Already so fucked out?” he asked with a chuckle. He didn’t give you the opportunity to respond as he pushed two fingers into your cunt, watching your face as your lips parted in a silent moan.

Your eyes rolled back as he started to slowly pump his fingers in and out of you.

“That’s it,” he cooed as he curled his fingers, brushing against the soft spongy spot that had your toes curling. “You like that?” he asked, mildly amused by the response you were giving him despite him doing the bare minimum. “Yes!” you gasped as he continued to finger you. “F-fuck!” you swore. “Don’t stop!”

Joshua continued to watch your face as you writhed in pleasure under him. “Like that?” he asked, angling his hand so his fingers reached even further. “Yes! J-just like that!” Joshua leaned down, lips moving against yours, a mix of tongues, spit, and moans but you weren’t sure whose moans they were.

Joshua pulled away, keeping his eyes on your face as he sped up the pace. “Just like that?”

You nodded quickly, your body starting to shake as your orgasm approached but before it could crash over you, Joshua withdrew his hand. You whined at the loss of contact, making Joshua chuckle. “You’re falling asleep,” he noted. You pouted at him. “Don’t care,” you murmured.

Joshua tilted his head curiously. “Are you giving me permission to fuck you while you’re sleeping?” he asked. You nodded. It felt too good and you were so close you’d do just about anything to cum. “Yes,” you answered. “Feels s’good.”

Joshua chuckled against your skin, leaving feathery kisses against your cheek. “As you wish,” he said softly, gently rolling you onto your stomach. You felt his hands push your thighs apart and shuddered as you felt something hot and wet against your hole.

You assumed it was his tongue until it pushed into your cunt and you groaned into the pillows. It was most certainly not his tongue. “Wh-what’s that?” you murmured. You felt one of Joshua’s hands caress your cheek. “Shh, angel,” he said softly and you almost laughed at the irony of it.

A demon calling you angel.

You tried to lift your head to look back but it was too dark. “It’s okay,” you heard him purr in your ear. “Just go to sleep,” he added.

Your cheek fell back against the sheets as sleep started to take over your form. You felt whatever was inside you probing around and a sudden thought hit you. “Is that a tentacle?” you murmured, your voice partially muffled. Joshua chuckled, again in your ear as he leaned over you. “Yes,” he answered.

“It is.”

That snapped you awake. “Hng,” you grunted as the tentacle started to thrust in and out of you. “W-wait a second,” you whined. “I thought you…” you trailed off as Joshua halted his movement. “What’s wrong, baby?” he whispered. “I wanted your…” your words failed you again.

“You have to use complete sentences,” Joshua cooed in your ear. “I wanted your cock,” you finally whined. Joshua chuckled, the tentacle in you starting to slowly thrust. “Don’t worry sweetheart,” he replied. “You’ll get that, too.”

Your cheeks burned as the tentacle continued to pump into your pussy, gently bumping your cervix with each thrust. You felt another warm wet appendage against your ass and tried to reach behind you but Joshua managed to catch both hands and pin them to the bed.

“Shhh,” he murmured. “Just relax for me. Can you do that, angel?”

You moaned into the sheets as the second tentacle pushed into your ass, carefully stretching you open. Your fingers gripped the sheets tightly as the tentacle stopped, settling in your ass as the one in your pussy continued to move. The sensation was unlike anything you’d ever felt before.

“That’s my good girl,” Joshua whispered into your ear as the tentacle in your ass slowly started to move, setting an asynchronous pace to the first tentacle and soon both were thrusting into you. It wasn’t enough to build up an orgasm but it was enough to drive you insane.

You wanted more. You needed more.

You moaned into the pillows as the tentacles increased speed. “That’s it baby,” Joshua cooed. “You’re doing so well for me.” You were aware that the sheets were no doubt covered in your arousal and that a mess was being created between your thighs.

Joshua didn’t seem to mind. Without another word, the tentacles withdrew leaving you feeling empty. You let out a tiny yelp as Joshua wrapped an arm around your hips, pulling your ass up before taking one of the pillows and tucking it under your raised hips.

You moaned as he ran his hands over your ass, crying out when you felt him land a blow against the skin. He repeated this again, rubbing his hand over the spot each time. “Of course,” he murmured, more to himself than anything else. “Of course you’d like that, you little slut.”

You moaned at the degrading name, whimpering when you felt him push two fingers into your heat again. “I supposed you’re ready,” he added. Your body burned in anticipation as you felt the bed move. You had neither the energy or will to look and see what was happening but it didn’t matter.

As quickly as Joshua disappeared, he was back, kneeling behind you and spreading your cheeks with his hands. “Such a pretty little pussy,” he growled. “And it’s all mine.”

You moaned in response as he spit onto your waiting hole. The next thing you felt was the tip of his cock brushing against you. “I’m going to ruin this little pussy,” he growled in your ear. “Make it so mine is the only cock you can take.”

You whimpered as you felt his teeth dig into your shoulder before he straightened back up. You felt the head of his cock as it pushed slowly into you and suddenly, you knew why he prepped you with the tentacles beforehand.

Inch by inch, Joshua slid into you. Your body shook as your cunt stretched to accommodate his girth. As he bottomed out, you shuddered, walls clenching and unclenching around him. “So warm,” he breathed. “M’gonna wreck you,” he added, taking your hips in both hands before slowly drawing his cock out until just the tip was still inside you.

Without warning, he snapped his hips forward, making you scream into the pillows as he pushed all of his cock into you at once. The first few thrusts were the hardest but as he fell into a steady rhythm, the stinging pain was replaced with a dull ache. You could already feel your juices starting to roll down your thighs, no doubt mixed with sweat as Joshua pounded into you from behind.

You could feel the tip of his cock hit your cervix with each stroke. You cried out as he slammed into you.

He hovered over you, one hand on the mattress next to you and the other holding your hip. “You take cock so well, baby,” he growled. “It’s like you were made for this.”

You moaned loudly, tears and spit staining the pillow your face was currently buried in. Joshua grabbed the pillow and tossed it aside. “I want to hear you,” he rasped, hips hitting your ass as he thrust into you. “Wanna hear you scream for me and I split you open.”

Your cries filled the room with each slam of his hips, the sound of skin hitting skin the only other sound to be heard. Your fingers dug into the sheets, trying to ground yourself from the onslaught of his hips. “Mine,” you heard him growl. It was almost animalistic. As if to seal his claim, you cried out as you felt his teeth sink into your shoulder. The stinging pain of your shoulder combined with the feeling of his cock repeatedly dragging against your walls raw sent you over the edge and you came with a whimper, falling limp as he continued to fuck you.

More tears spilled as Joshua moved, his hips never faltering. “M’gonna fuck you so good,” he grunted. “Fuck you like you deserve. Fuck you until you’re full of nothing but my cum. Turn you into my own cum dumpster like the good little slut are.”

The sound of his almost angelic voice saying all those dirty things had your mind reeling as your second orgasm built up quickly, a low, deep moan escaping you as you came for a second time. “Such a good little girl,” he chuckled. His chest pressed against your back as he buried his cock fully inside you, pinning you to the mattress.

“You want that? You want me to fill you up? You want me to breed you?”

You moaned, hips pushing back against him, urging him to move again.

When he did it was fast and unforgiving. His thrusts were erratic. “Fuck,” he growled, his voice hitting a low you didn’t think possible. “Stay down,” he added, pinning you to the mattress as he pushed himself up with one hand. “Yeah,” he continued when you obeyed him. “Just like that.”

You felt his cock twitch and throb in your pussy, your walls fluttering around him as another orgasm washed over you. You’d lost count at this point how many you had but Joshua was nearing his own and you were left at his mercy as he chased his high, hips slamming into you as he growled and cursed in a language you didn’t understand.

As he finally started to come undone, he thrust once, twice, thrice more before burying his cock deep in your walls as he came, teeth sinking into your skin once more, marking you as thick ropes of his hot cum painted your walls and filled your cunt until it started to spill out.

You panted, breathing heavily against the sheets, ignoring the drool on your chin. Joshua shuddered as the last of his cum spilled into you. He let out one final groan before stilling completely. Your eyes fluttered shut as you heard him whisper into your ear but what he said you weren’t sure.

Everything faded to black.

You woke with a start and opened your eyes, sunlight filtering into your room and blinding you.

You groaned as you tried to roll over but your limbs were heavy and sore. It took more strength than usual to roll over. As you did, you caught sight of the alarm clock next to your bed but something was wrong.

It was on the opposite side. You lifted your head and stared at the alarm clock. The red numbers told you that it was just after nine in the morning. That was when you noticed the wall. It wasn’t your wall. You started to push yourself up, peering down at the sheets. They weren’t your sheets.

Just where the hell were you?

You sat up and looked around. This wasn’t your place.

Your gaze continued over the familiar surroundings but it wasn’t until it landed on a figure in the kitchen that everything clicked.

He smiled as he walked over carrying two plates and a mug of coffee.

You watched as he sat on the edge of bed, setting the coffee on the side table next to you before setting one of the plates in your lap. “Morning,” he said cheerfully, leaning in to kiss your cheek. “You seemed pretty tired last night,” he added. “So I let you sleep in.”

You looked around as you tried to process what waking up at his place meant. Did you two…?

Memories from the night before flashed before your eyes.

The demon in your room, showing up at Joshua’s place, the sex. You raised a hand up to your mouth as you realized what actually happened last night. You looked over at Joshua as he ate his own plate of pancakes. “Did we…?” you whispered looking up to meet his gaze. His eyes, which were brown, momentarily flashed red, and you knew instantly.

“We did indeed, doll,” he answered, returning his gaze to his plate.

“And you’re…?” Joshua nodded, looking up. “Yep. I’m a demon,” he answered nonchalantly.

“But I’m your demon,” he added. Your cheeks burned as he smirked at you.

“So I was thinking,” he continued to speak.

“Maybe we could move in together.”

You stared at him as he spoke. “I mean, since we’re bound to each other for eternity now, it just makes sense, you know?”

Your heart hammered in your chest, blood pounding in your ears. ‘Move in together?’

“And if we live together, we can have sex like every night.”

‘For eternity?’

“It would be perfect. It’s stupid for us to be apart anyway.”

You looked down at your plate as your pulse sped up.

‘What the hell have I done?’

ⓘ Graphics made by me. Content and support banners made using a template by cafekitsune. I do not allow reposts, translations, or continuations of my works. All writing and graphics are ©️ kwanisms.

[aniesvision]

𝟏𝟒- 𝑯𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒄𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔

✪ 𝚂𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚘𝚕𝚘 𝚝𝚛𝚒𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚝𝚜 𝚡 𝚋𝚏𝚏! 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛

𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜: 𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒆?

𝚊/𝚗: 𝒂 𝒃𝒍𝒖𝒓𝒃 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒐 𝒊'𝒅 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉, 𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒖𝒂𝒈𝒆, 𝒆𝒏𝒋𝒐𝒚 ☕︎

𝚜𝚞𝚖𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚢: 𝒃𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒍

-Can you shut the fuck up, Chris? Jesus, you've been yapping all day, keep some words to the video. -I say, trying to focus on setting the camera right on the tripod.

Matt laughs as Nick walks to help me, scared I was going to let the camera fall with how much I was moving it around. Making vlogs like this wasn't exactly my type of content, but I was trying to post different things to halloween.

-This is taking too long, I might go to my room and take a nap. -Matt slides in, crossing his arms and leaning against the counter, playing with a bag of flour.

I give him a look, but before I can say anything Nick presses the button to start recording and turns the ring lights on.

-Shut up all of you, it's recording.

He goes back to his spot and I follow behind, fixing my hair real quick before slapping it to make it easier to edit later.

-Hey guys! Welcome back to another video, and today I brought my three good-looking childhood friends. -I point at them, letting each one introduce themselves.

I giggle at their attempt to say their names at the same time, almost fighting to talk over one another.

-Tell them what we're going to do. -I tap Nick's arm.

-We'll bake halloween themed cakes! -He jumps in excitement and I clap my hands.

We went on explaining how it was gonna work, we would separate into two teams (Matt and Chris, Nick and I) and each team was supposed to bake a cake and make halloween themed frostings on top, whoever made the best cake would win. And it consisted of taste and looks, the time to do it was going to be a topic as well but we all suck at this so we decided to just take our time and hope for it to look and taste good.

We all began to work on the cake, hearing Chris talk about random things and Matt almost punching him to stop talking and do something to help since he was practically doing it all by himself. In the meantime, Nick was dancing and singing to a charli xcx song. I was done mixing the dough when he decided to go sabotage the other team.

It was hard not to laugh with them and how chaotic baking could be. I put the cakes in the oven and explained to the camera that we'd be back in a few minutes. I stopped the video so we could wait for the time to pass, cleaning the table and placing all the dirty stuff we used in the sink.

-We should've bought a lot of candies to decorate. -Nick says, going through the cabinets.

-The fun part is to only use frosting and sprinkles, we need to use our creativity. -I say, taking a seat on a chair and picking up my phone to search for ideas.

-We should cut our cake to look like a minion. -Chris yells, looking at Matt.

-We're not doing that, kid. -Matt shakes his head, also taking a seat.

-You're no fun.

Chris rolls his eyes with a smile. When the cakes were ready we all got back to the frame, carefully placing the cakes on the counter and getting ready to make the second part of the video. Each team started to decorate the cakes, doing their best to at least look presentable.

It took us about twenty minutes to be done, showing the camera first and then the other team. It's just fair to say both of them looked terrible, the drawings were barely noticeable and it all just looked like we killed the cake, literally killed it.

Since they looked miserable, we went to the taste topic, at least one of them needed to taste good. We ate the first piece, Matt and Chris's cake.

-Not bad. -I say, trying not to be mean about it.

-It sucks, and tastes like nothing, eating a piece of cardboard would taste better. -Nick pushes the plate to the side, making a disgusted face.

-Oh, c'mon, it's not that bad. -Chris tries to argue.

-It's boring, though. -Matt says, also pushing the plate away.

We cut a piece of the other cake, hoping it'd taste better.

-Oh, that's something. -Nick tilts his head to the side, thinking if he liked the taste or not.

-It's better than their cake. -I shrug, tasting nothing but victory.

It was hard for them to admit, but we finally got Matt and Chris to say our cake was the best and we won the game. We finished the video like normal and as soon as I pressed the button to end it Nick comes help me with the tripod again.

-I'm not cleaning anything. -Chris is quick to say, raising his hands and jumping on the couch.

-Me neither, I have our friday video to edit. -Nick walks away from the room.

-I'll do it. -I shrug, not really minding since they did let me use their kitchen to film it.

-I'll help you, those two never help with anything. -Matt rolls his eyes, already moving things from the table.

-Next time we'll buy the cakes. -I say, placing the ones we made to the side so I could clean the counter.

-Agreed.

𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒔 ✍︎

➪ @riowritesitall @mattsfavbigtitties @sturniolosarethebest @hyacinthst @flow3rsturns13 @sturncakez @watercolorskyy @delooshunalhoe @sarosfilms @blahbel668 @sturniyolo69 @sturniolosl0t @sturnsxbitvh @colbsposts00 @fallingforfalll2 @stvrnmc @faithlia @katie-tibo @sturnioloblues @monroesturnns @mattnchrisworld @shaquilles-0atmeal @fratbrochrisgf @dayzeandhaze @sharkcat1928 @phimstarz @h3arts4harry @s1ut4chris @star-yawnznn @asherrisrandom @pip4444chris @jupiter1700 @sturniolo-fann @beansprout713 @conspiracy-ash @sophsturns

[polo-drone-070]

The cursed chain - part 1

Hey bruhz. Hea iz, lyk, me first propa long story n all. Sum shit dat happend 2 me on, lyk, Halloween. Twas, lyk, real erd getting all dem werd rite n propa. But yer, I hope u lyk it, init.

1. On the morning of Hallowen 

It all began on the morning of Halloween. I woke up feeling good and really stoked. It has been a bit more than a month since I’ve received the Gold brocess and joined the Gold Army, becoming Henry Gold, #70, Right Fullback. I was still in awe of the way the Gold Jersey had transformed my body, loving my new hot muscles and my cleanly shaved head. I love all my new brothers and the feeling of brotherhood that holds us together. Gold is really the best feeling. 

Today was Halloween and I had two things to be excited for. Herc bro had decided to form a wrestling team more properly and was doing some try outs before lunch. Even though I did not have much experience in that sport, I was really excited to join the new team and do some wrestling with my bros. Then, in the evening, the Team had planned a big party for Halloween and it was going to be epic. I already had some basis for my costume, planning to go as a gladiator, but I missed some embellishments.

Going to the attic to search if I could find some elements in all the old stuff stored there, I felt, like, drawn to a dusty box in a corner. Inside, there was a really shiny gold chain collar that seemed to draw me in. It looked so cool. Much better than the thin chain I often wore. Transfixed, I took that chain, which seems to have some kind of inner glow, and could resist putting it around my neck. I felt some kind of shiver, as if some spectral hands were brushing my head, but it was just a fleeting impression that quickly receded. 

Looking at myself in the mirror, I felt right. This chain was propa lit. Then I realised it was already 10. I had not seen the time pass. It was time to go for the wrestling tryouts. I quickly made my way through the busy streets brimming with Halloween decorations and reached the Gym where Herc was holding the tryouts.

2. The Wrestling try-outs

As I arrived, Herc was giving a gold wrestling singlet to each of the bros that wanted to join. He had shaved his hair with Jack recently and I was so glad that we were rocking it as a bald bro trio. Looking at these shiny singlets, I was so stoked to get mine. It did not have a number and name yet, of course, since it was just tryouts for now, but I was determined to get in and represent da Team in competitions and all.

I changed quickly, eager to get that gold on my skin. I was of course supposed to get the collar off for wrestling, but somehow, I could not get myself to remove it.

Herc paired us for some matches, and I ended up against Leander. It was going to be a hard match, cause Leander was really fit and quick on the field. We got on the mat and got ready to wrestle each other. 

Damn, bro was both quick and powerful. I tried to hold me own, but we got on the ground and he was, like, completely dominating me. I felt powerless and frustrated as he was pinning me down hard. There was no way I fail on the first match. Herc might not want me in the team if I did not reverse that situation. But Leander was good, and his grip unyielding.

Sure I was going to be rejected from the Team, I was getting more and more frustrated, starting to draw in my every strength to get out of that grip. And as some rage was starting to build up, I felt some strange warmth in the collar, as some presence was responding to my call, offering me the power to break out if I only let him in. Not even thinking anymore at that point, I was ready to do anything to win. 

And then I felt it. The cold. Shivers. And like a ghost was entering my body. And then the cold was gone and replaced by an intense heat taking over all my body… As if my blood was boiling. Pure rage invaded my every being as my muscles distorted and grew in absurd proportion. I was becoming a muscle beast, seething with pure rage and not controlling anything anymore, ready to destroy anything that would come in my way. 

I brutally ejected Leander from his grip. He had no chance against my rage. I was going to destroy him and tear all his limbs out for humiliating me in front of my bros. He felt badly on the ground, hurting his shoulder, but I didn't care. I was going to stomp him.

And then I felt a huge presence towering over me. Herc has transformed into Dagda, his celtic golden form. His aura just overpowered me completely, shutting me down as he intervenes to stop the fight. His authority was just too much even for my blind rage and and just fell on the ground… my muscles still twitching. I returned to my form completely exhausted, barely aware of what had happened and heard Herc telling me : « Henry, Wat da fuck ? datz no wey to act on a ring. Get ut n cool down bruh. cant av u hurtin ur bro lyk dat ! » Leander was still on the ground, clutching his shoulder. I felt shame and sadness. I had no energy left to argue. I got out of the gym, completely demoralized. I had blown it ! I did not even get what got into me. And as I was ruminating what just happened, hurt in my hopes, feeling Herc was being unjust and all… I felt that rage returning… FUCK

Special thanks to @brodygold dat elp me write da story n correct me poor english, and to my bros Herc (@polo-drone-009) and Leander (@leander-gold-88), who agreed 4 da collab n elp me wiz dem pix.

[vilevenom]

I know it's not an ideal time to post, but I won't be home to post on Halloween proper, so you get this now. Just a cute little somethin' somethin', playing around with the movie!verse boys on Halloween 😊

Little Ghost

Fandom: Sonic the Hedgehog (movie universe)

Pairing: Gen, Sonic/Shadow if you squint

Summary: The boys learn about pumpkin carving and go trick-or-treating

Sonic grinned to himself as he zipped through the forest back to the Wachowski's house. Or, rather, his home, as Maddie insisted he call it. And he supposed it really was home now, with how the Wachowski's had truly opened their home to him, his adoptive little brother and rowdy best friend. He sighed happily as he skidded to a halt in the driveway, orange and red leaves swirling around his feet as he looked up at the house, warmth bubbling up in his chest at seeing the Halloween decorations he, Tails and Knuckles had helped put up only the day before. Today they would be carving up the pumpkins Tom had picked up from the market, to join the one Maddie had brought home from the clinic (gifted to her by one of her patients 'parents'). He was more than elated to get to experience such a simple tradition; one he'd watched countless families partake in over the years that he finally got to join in on, himself.

He was about to trot into the house to see if he could help Maddie set up the pumpkin carving station (she'd noted that it would take up a fair bit of space, and that it would be best to do outdoors or the garage) when he spotted Shadow standing just before the front steps of the house, staring down at the pumpkin Maddie had brought home from the clinic. Curiosity piqued, Sonic strode over to his self-proclaimed rival instead, an easy going grin on his face as he came to a stop next to the dark hedgehog.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Shadow jerked slightly at Sonic's words, turning a sharp glare on the other. "My thoughts are worth more then a mere cent."

"It's a figure of speech," Sonic snorted, hands on his hips as he casually rocked on the balls of his feet, "it means 'what are you thinking about', without being so boring."

"Hmm," Shadow eyed Sonic, a doubtful look on his face, before turning his gaze back on the pumpkin, "I was just wondering…why the gourd has a face cut into it."

"Oh, that? Maddie brought it home from the clinic. It's a decoration," Sonic said with a shrug, "Y'know, like the ones we helped put up yesterday?"

"I was not here yesterday," Shadow stated bluntly, folding his arms over his chest, "I was with Commander Tower."

"Right, GUN stuff," Sonic nodded idly, mirroring Shadow's stance absently. "Well, long story short, we helped put decorations up for Halloween yesterday, since it's in just a couple days." He paused, scrunching his nose up a little, "You do know what Halloween is, right?"

"Enlighten me."

Sonic made an incredulous noise at Shadow's blasé response, tossing his arms into the air. "Why, only the greatest holiday, next to Christmas, of course!"

"I am familiar with Christmas," Shadow offered, turning bodily towards Sonic to give the other his full attention.

"Okay, well, replace Santa with skeletons, presents with candy, and having a heartfelt family dinner with dressing up in costumes, and you've pretty much got Halloween."

"…That explained nothing," Shadow snorted, glaring at Sonic.

"Hey, I'm better at showing, not telling," Sonic said with a shrug, easy grin settling back on his face. "Anyway, are you sticking around today? We're gonna carve up some more pumpkins in a bit, to fill out the rest of the steps."

"I suppose I could stay a while longer," Shadow said with a small nod, flicking his gaze back to the pumpkin in question, "I am still curious as to why the gourd needs a face."

"...We'll ask Tails to google it."

~

Pumpkin carving was an adventure in and of itself.

First, it turned out that the reason the pumpkin needed a face was an old human tradition, which involved using the fruit as a ward against an evil spirit entering your home on All Hallows Eve. Finding that out resulted in Tails spiraling down a rather interesting rabbit hole of fun facts about Halloween that Shadow was more interested in than Sonic honestly thought he would be.

Second, once Knuckles found out that pumpkins were edible, it took both Tom and Maddie to keep him from scarfing down one of the smaller pumpkins in the pile whole. As it turned out, the pumpkins were very similar to a fruit the echidna had eaten with his tribe as a child. He only stopped trying to steal the rest of pumpkins when Maddie promised to buy him a pumpkin pie that he could have all to himself.

Thirdly, it turned out that Shadow was not a fan of the slimy innards of the pumpkins, and immediately peaced out from helping to hollow them out as soon as he touched a stringy glob of pumpkin guts and seeds. Sonic was worried for a moment that the dark hedgehog would disappear back to wherever he went when he wasn't at the Wachowski's (Sonic had a funny feeling he'd starting living in Sonic's old cave), however he simply scooted away from the pumpkin Sonic was digging into with a spoon, a frown on his face and arms crossed over his chest.

"The best part is carving the face, anyway," Maddie offered when she noticed Shadow's sullen look, the dark hedgehog's ears perking at her comment. He arched an eyebrow at her, earning a light laugh from the vet. "You can make any design you want. It doesn't even have to be a face, if you don't want."

"Oh, he wants," Sonic interrupted, leaning in to block Maddie's view of Shadow, "We're going to make the scariest pumpkin of them all. Aren't we, Shadow?" Sonic turned an expectant grin on the darker hedgehog, fully expecting some sort of snarky quip from the other, but was pleasantly surprised by the sudden determined expression and nod he got, instead.

In the end, the Wachowski porch was adorned with a traditional squared toothed, grinning pumpkin (Tails), a pumpkin with a cat carved into it (Tom and Maddie), a round eyed, lopsided smiling pumpkin (Knuckles), and a jagged toothed, angry looking pumpkin with it's carved out innards spewing from between it's teeth (Sonic and Shadow). Sonic bounced on his toes as he stepped back from positioning his and Shadow's pumpkin on the stairs, a proud little smile on his face as he planted his hands on his hips and turned to the perpetually frowning hedgehog.

"Well? What did you think?"

"Of what?"

"Of what," Sonic echoed with a snort, rolling his eyes, "Pumpkin carving! Even if Tails' research said the tradition goes back to, like, the 1800's or something, I'm sure you didn't get much pumpkin action on the ARK."

"No. We didn't," Shadow admitted with a small shrug, arms folding over his chest. "This was…entertaining. Our pumpkin is the best one."

"Of course it is," Sonic scoffed, waving a hand through the air, "We carved it. It had to turn out awesome."

Shadow gave a small nod, beginning to turn as he dropped his arms to his sides. "I should be going…"

"Wait!"

With an arched brow Shadow paused, clearly unimpressed with Sonic delaying his departure.

"Uh…Will you be back for trick-or-treating?" Sonic didn't mean to sound hopeful. He knew going door to door and collecting candy was probably the farthest thing from an activity Shadow would willingly participate in, but he couldn't help himself but to ask.

"Trick-or-treating?"

"Yeah, man. You dress up in cool costumes, go around to peoples houses and collect candy. Y'know, like that tradition Tails read to you, about appeasing spirits and disguising yourself and stuff? This will be the first year for all of us," Sonic offered, rubbing the palm of his hand absently against his hip, "I think Tails said he's gonna do some sort of android thing, and Knuckles is gonna be a 'plucky street walker'. Don't ask me what that is, I think he watched a movie or something with Wade's mom."

"…And you?"

"Me?"

"What are you planning for your costume?"

Sonic let out a short laugh, shrugging his shoulders a little, pleased that Shadow hadn't scoffed at him and disappeared in a flash of light over something as 'childish' as collecting candy. "There's so much to choose from! I think, maybe a werewolf? Maddie showed me a couple of neat ideas I thought were kinda cool. Plus, it's kinda a traditional costume, and I wanted to do this right my first time 'round."

Shadow let out a little humming sound, before nodding slightly at Sonic. "I will think about it," he stated, before disappearing.

Sonic sighed, staring off into the tree line, his shoulders and ears drooping. The last time Shadow had told him he'd 'think about' something the dark hedgehog had totally ghosted him over a sleepover. So much for his hopes of having everyone together for one of their first big family holidays.

~

"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!" Tails called from the doorway, his namesake swaying behind him impatiently, "We're burning precious candy collecting time!"

"I thought you said your map would, and I quote, 'optimize the amount of candy we could get in the shortest amount of time;?" Sonic teased, flicking one of the little pieces of metal Tails had meticulously attached to his fur to give the illusion that he was part robot.

"It will," the fox kit reassured, puffing up his chest.

"Then chill out, little bro," Sonic said with a bright laugh, "There's loads of time."

"Picture time!' Maddie called as she lead Knuckles from the bathroom, where she'd helped the echidna meticulously apply make-up and style his quills into a bun. He was wobbling a bit in a pair of high heels, but Sonic was overall impressed with how steady he was. He'd tried on a pair of Maddie's shoes once before, and it had not gone so well.

"Everyone gather in front of the holiday ghoul," Tom directed, gesturing for the boys to huddle in front of the zombie figure that was stood next to the front door and held a bowl of candy.

Sonic bounced into his spot between Tails and Knuckles, shoving a pair of plastic fangs into his mouth and striking a hunched pose with a growl, his quills bristled and teeth barred while the others posed according to their own costumes. Maddie giggled as she snapped pictures on her phone, the boys laughing along as they struck different poses for her.

"All right, all right," Tom finally called, waving for Maddie to stop with a smile of his own, "If we hold them up much longer, it really will eat into their candy time."

"Okay," Maddie sighed. "Well, you boys have fun! And no tricks! Just treats. Be safe."

"Yes, Maddie," all three boys chimed as Tom leaned in to give his wife a kiss.

"We'll be back around nine," Tom hummed as he opened the door, ignoring the chorus of groans from the boys.

"That's so early," Sonic grumbled the loudest, freezing as Tom opened the door, spying a certain black and red hedgehog stood at the bottom of the stairs, a dark cape draped around his shoulders. "Shadow! You came!"

Shadow jerked back slightly as Sonic zoomed down the stairs and enveloped him in the briefest of hugs, a quiet grunt leaving him as Sonic quickly backed off. "Hm. I wanted to see what the fuss was about."

"Oh! You look so cute! Are you a vampire?" Maddie called from the top of the stairs, her phone already out and snapping pictures.

"It is a traditional costume," Shadow said with a short nod, gesturing vaguely at Sonic's werewolf outfit, "I thought it would work well, given my color scheme."

"It does. You look great," Maddie said, frowning slightly at Shadow's empty hands, "Do you not have anything to collect candy in?"

Shadow blinked, glancing down at Sonics hands, where he was clutching an old pillow case. Likewise, Tails and Knuckles were also holding old pillowcases, while Tom had a backpack, where they were obviously planning to dump their bags when they got too heavy or full. "I…" Shadow began, muzzle flushing, only to pause as Sonic shoved his pillowcase into Shadow's hands.

"Give me two seconds," the blue hedgehog said, zipping away in a blur, only to reappear with another old pillowcase in hand a moment later. "There! Now we're all set."

"Have fun, boys!" Maddie called from the doorstep as a handful of kids began to filter into their yard, her attention diverting to handing out candy.

"Thank you, Sonic," Shadow murmured as their little band began to meander down the driveway, his face ducked slightly.

"Hey, it's no problem, Shads," Sonic hummed, reaching out to tug Shadow into his side, "I'm just glad you showed up."

Shadow lifted his head, offering Sonic a rare, fleeting smile. It left a warm feeling swirling in Sonic's gut, and a flush on his own muzzle.

"I appreciate the invitation."

"Yeah, 'course. Anytime."

[ruggiethethuggie]

R U G T O B E R

wc: 781 a/n: i'm telling you now, I may fall short on this but we will do our best lmao and idk what happened to my cute banner. forgive me.

“♪♪ Spooky Scary Skeletons, Send shivers down your spine~”

You had been cleaning around the Ramshackle dorm all day because to be honest, it just needed more TLC than what you had been able to give it lately. It was the last day of September, but this was just the beginning of your real spooky season.

Every year you’d do a deep clean and then decorate your home in festive decorations. Bright green and purple witches’ hats and cauldrons, a bucket on every table with Halloween candies, and your favorite ghosts and pumpkins placed in just the right spots.

Decorating Ramshackle felt different than when you’d do your house back home, but you were trying to make the best of it since this was your favorite holiday. So you woke up this morning and immediately got to work and turned on your spooky music playlist after breakfast.

DING DONG !

You stopped in your tracks, trying to figure out why on earth someone would be here this early- and on the weekend nonetheless. You tossed your cleaning rag onto the couch and opened the front door. 

“Hi, I have some pumpkin spice drinks for-,” they acted like they were reading a nonexistent label on the two drinks in their hands. “For a Y/N? Do you know them? They’re still supposed to tip me for these~”

The hyena beastman standing in your doorway gave a fangy grin as he handed you one of the drinks. “Rug, what are you doing here? Do you realize how early it is?” You stepped aside so he could come inside the dorm.

“Mmph,” he said with a nod as he drank his drink and plopped down on the couch, scooting the dirty cleaning rag away from him with his hand. He placed his drink on the coffee table, making sure he was using the coasters sitting out.

“I mean, yeah, I know what time it is. It’s spooky time.” You rolled your eyes at him and chuckled. “Okay, sure, but why not come over later? It’s like the crack ass of dawn right now,” you said as you leaned over the back of the couch next to him. “What? You don’t want my help? Aren’t you putting up your decorations today? Sure looks like you could use me. Y’know I used to work for a Spirit Halloween one time. It was a seasonal gig, but this guy was the one in charge of putting up all the displays.” 

He looked so proud of himself as he spoke; he was so happy to share his Halloween decoration accomplishments with you. “Oh, wow~” you said sarcastically. “You mean I’m here with a world renowned Halloween decorating connoisseur? And to think I go to the same school as them! Amazing…”

“Alright, butthead. I guess I’ll just leave then.” He got up from the couch and grabbed his drink. “Ahhh, guess all those… fun… fall ideas I had can go down the drain…,” he said in a sulking tone as he took a few steps towards the door before turning back to look at you.

“Don’t give me those eyes, you heathen.” You playfully glared at him, racking your brain to figure out his silly little schemes. “What kind of ‘fun fall ideas’ are you talking about?”

“Oh… it’s nothing. Nothing you wanna go do with me anyways. Guess I’ll have to find another to enjoy this Rugtober with.” He had his hand on the doorknob and a wide grin on his face as he looked at you. He knew what he was doing.

“Rugtober? What the hell is that?” you chuckled as you put your drink down and grabbed your cleaning rag once again.

“Uhh?! Only the best time of the year- and if you wanna join, you have to get a ticket from yours truly.”

You narrowed your eyes at him again and crossed your arms over your chest. “What’s the ticket gonna cost me?”

Ruggie opened the door and took another big sip of his drink. “Where’s the fun in me telling you? I’ll see you tomorrow, at the crack ass of dawn again, shyeheehee~”

“HEY?!” you shouted to him, his head popping back in before the door shut completely. “You’re just gonna leave? I thought you came to help decorate?!”

Ruggie looked around and snickered. “You look like you got it taken care of, Y/N. Seee youuu tomorrroowwwww~,” he sang as the door shut. You stood there and wondered what plans this “Rugtober” season would bring to you. At least this stupid pumpkin drink he brought you was going to fuel you through your cleaning, but you couldn’t help but wonder what he was scheming.

© Pumpkin Divider | please do not copy and or repost my work as your own, my brain is massive and these are my thoughts.

[retrobr]

for the post regarding natm headcanons—

ive always loved thinking about the different ways that holidays would be celebrated by the exhibits, especially since there would be an absolutely insane amount of them all throughout the year

like there’d have to be a bunch of back to back celebrations in december just to accommodate everyone around the winter solstice/christmas

and exhibits constantly approaching larry about organizing parties for super niche religions/practices and he just has to go along with it

there’d be hella conflict too bc holidays like halloween/samhain might be regarded as evil and demonic by the more puritan exhibits who would try to put a stop to it at first

(but i think the whole concept of dressing up in costume would be enough to win most of the exhibits over—they’d have a blast with trading clothes with one another, and larry wouldn’t have the heart to tell them that that’s not technically how it’s supposed to work)

and honestly every holiday would be chaos considering the fact that a handful of the exhibits are at a point in time where most mainstream holidays hadn’t even been created yet

and then there’d be stuff like weddings and birthdays, all with conflicting cultures and practices, that somehow clash well in ways they shouldn’t

i’ll stop here before this gets too long lol

but i think the idea as a whole is really cool to think about !! :)

Wow dude- it's quite a long but interesting headcanon!! I too think that the exhibits could celebrate their holidays, which are related to their religion and customs, as well as modern holidays that didn't yet exist at their respective times

For example, Theodore Roosevelt or Jed could give Larry the idea of celebrating Christmas (as far as I know Larry is Jewish, so in fact he doesn't celebrate the European holidays; please correct me if I'm wrong). I like to imagine how beautifully the museum could be decorated for this holiday and how the rest of the exhibits, who don't know about this holiday or simply don't celebrate it, just look at it all with their mouths open lmao

And on Halloween Larry could take the exhibits outside, because they already look like they're wearing holiday costumes and just have fun with them idk :D

I think what I like the most is the idea of celebrating birthdays!! Like, it's quite a funny thing for me: "Happy birthday, Oct, today you're turning 2000+ years old" or something like that XD

Or, as you mentioned, celebrating weddings!! I think there can be two scenarios: either the wedding is held alternately according to the traditions of both sides, which may take two days to celebrate, or it all gets mixed up and it turns out to be some kind of wild wedding that the world hasn't seen yet-

Anyways, this is a pretty interesting topic to discuss, but my brain isn't working so well right now and I can't think of any more examples yet...

Thanks for your ask!!

[nobedofroses]

October 9th

pairing: Marcus Moreno x gn!reader

warnings: a bit of reconciliation, cookies

words: 1k

a/n: Prompt for today is Cast a Curse from this list by @raven-cincaide-words. Missy is probably like 8 in this, so younger than the movie btw

Directory, previous Marcus blurb, next Marcus blurb, Day 8

🎃🎃🎃

“Hey who’s that guy that was looking over here when I came in?” Rita, your best friend who was over for a dinner and movie night, asked as you were grabbing aprons from your hall closet. 

“Ugh, that’s my neighbor. His name is… something. I know his last name is Moreno, I don’t remember the rest,” you said, tossing her her apron and slipping yours over your head. “He’s an ass. The one who ruined my decorating plan.” 

“Oh you mean your insane need to be first in everything?” Rita asked with a smirk. 

“Hey, you’re supposed to be on my side, here,” you said with an exaggerated look. 

Rita put on a straight face and said, “Right, right. What other horrible things did he do?” 

You didn’t really have an answer to that so you busied yourself with filling a pot for pasta and answered when it was halfway full, “Well, he never introduced himself properly.” 

Rita gave you a look, “Then how did you forget his name?” 

Fuck, she had you there, “Okay, well, he has a kid and she’s nice and waves at me but he doesn’t.” 

“Oh yeah, that is kinda rude,” Rita said thoughtfully. “And, really, how dare he look like that.” You were glad to have a fresh idea to glom onto, “Yeah! Who does he think he is, watching me open my front door like my company is any of his business.” 

“Oh, that’s not what I meant,” Rita said. She took a sip of her wine, “I meant, how dare he look so good in just jeans and a t- shirt. Bet he looked like that and a little sweaty when you guys were decorating.” 

You ignored the shit eating grin on her face, “You’re not helping.”

“Helping what? You continue your denial that your issue is having a crush on this guy and being too scared to do anything about it?” She was grabbing some of the ingredients out of the fridge now and you were getting the cutting board and knife. “Do you want me to suggest something else? We could cast a curse on him. I could call my abuela.” 

“Put a pin in that, we’ll come back to it if necessary,” you said. “Let’s just get to cooking.”

Rita rolled her eyes but let you change the subject. 

An hour or so later, you were about twenty minutes into your movie, a horror movie for the season, when a knock sounded at your door. The two of you jumped and screamed in near perfect unison but came to your senses and realized it was probably not a slasher coming to get you. 

But possibly you still made Rita come to the door to answer it with you. The door swung open to reveal your neighbor and his daughter, Missy. You were surprised beyond belief and then Missy held up a tray of slightly misshapen and haphazardly decorated Halloween-themed sugar cookies. 

“Hi! We brought cookies! Do you have milk?” Missy said, no breaths between sentences. “Missy, manners. You need to introduce yourself first,” your neighbor said in sotto voce.

“Oh right, my name’s Missy and this is my dad, Marcus. What are your names?” Missy asked and you could tell by Marcus’ (thanks heaven for Missy saying his name first) expression that that wasn’t exactly what they had practiced. 

You and Rita introduced yourselves and then Rita told Missy, “You know, we do have milk. Why don’t you and I get some and serve up your cookies?” 

As Missy and Rita disappeared around the corner, you heard Missy say, “Do you both live here? My abuela said a pretty lady lives here and you’re both pretty—” 

You couldn’t help but look at Marcus with a bit of a smile. 

His face wasn’t far from a smile either, “She repeats things and she’s always listening. Can’t say anything secret around her.” 

“The cookies look fun. Are you guys really here for milk or did you come over to show off your work?” you asked, smiling more this time. 

“Oh, show off, totally. We’ve got a gallon of milk at home, but you know me, I’m nothing if not competitive,” he said, giving you a wry look, but his eyes were sparkling with laughter. 

You felt heat rise to your neck and cheeks and looked away before looking back, “Yeah, I’m still working on the friendly part of friendly competition. Or maybe that not everything needs to be a competition. Sorry for kinda blowing up at you. And thank you for your help.” 

Marcus seemed a little surprised at your admission, but shook his head and said, “No worries, just being neighborly and all. Maybe we can work together for future holidays so that way we’re both first.” 

You smiled, genuinely happy to hear that, “Yeah, I’d like that a lot.” 

Marcus and Missy could only stay over for so long since it was close to Missy’s bed time, but they left you with the rest of the tray of cookies because they had another at home. You promised to get the tray back to them before long since it was pumpkin themed so they’d surely want to continue using it in October. 

Missy had insisted that when you did come to bring it back that you stay over for a playdate so she could show you her collection of pink RC cars which were apparently her pride and joy. Rita made eyes at you over the top of Missy’s head, no doubt trying to convey some sort of joke about a “playdate” with Marcus. You shot her daggers but she just laughed and promised Missy for you that you’d absolutely love to see her collection. 

You ushered them out as quickly and politely as you could lest Rita have another chance to embarrass you. Marcus accidentally bumped into you as he walked by and turned back to put a big, warm hand on your shoulder in a quick apology that left you feeling flustered and a little weak kneed as you closed the door. 

“I need another cookie,” Rita said, expecting you to follow her into the kitchen, which you did. She grabbed a witch cookie with green skin and orange hair and bit her head off, speaking with her mouth full, “So you still wanna do that curse? Abuela’s still up with her bridge club.” 

You grabbed a pumpkin that was pink with hearts on it and pouted, “No, no curses. Not for Marcus.”

🎃🎃🎃

[steddietogo]

Made With Love

Part 3 of Steddie Tik Tok au: The Halloween Vlog

Read part 2 <<here

———

Robin is in a pinstriped three-piece suit, her short brown hair dyed black and slicked back, with a badly drawn moustache on her face. “Unhapphy, darphling?” She speaks around a rose stem she’s holding between her teeth.

“Oh yes,” The camera pans to Eddie lounging on an armchair. He’s ditched his usual band tee and ripped jeans combo for a tight black dress with the deepest neckline known to man, the long black fabric pooling around his feet. He raises his arm, bell sleeve flaring, and flips his straightened hair behind his shoulders with red painted nails. “Yes completely,” deep red lips curve into smile and he bats his eyes, heavily lined and dusted in smokey grey eyeshadow.

———

“Originally, we were supposed to be the Sanderson sisters for Halloween but someone—” Robin looks at something pointedly off camera, “—decided to go off and commit to a group costume with his long-distance babysitting wards without consulting us,”

“This—” Eddie strikes a pose as Robin gestures to them, “—was supposed to be a revenge costume but now we feel kinda bad because—” the camera flips around to show a pile of blankets on the couch, “Dingus is now down with the flu,” A hand emerges from its depths and flips them off.

“I think he’s going as The Thing,” Eddie says and they both snicker.

———

Eddie is in the kitchen using Steve’s recording set up. “My darling Gomez has gone off to party, it’s just me and Steve at home now,” he sighs dramatically, “Alas, I knocked him out with cough syrup so he won’t be up for a couple hours,”

“And I found this recipe for chicken noodle soup and I, Eddie Munson who cannot cook to save my own life, am going to put it to test since Steve keeps saying ‘anyone can make it’. Were gonna find out today baby,”. Eddie’s reading off of a book as he lays out everything he would need on the counter, announcing each item as he takes them out. “I hope I’m using the right pot and Steve won’t kill me,”

———

Eddie is slow dancing to Lady Gaga with a plastic skeleton meant for decoration, his dress swishing around him as he twirls with his inanimate dance partner. During a particularly enthusiastic dip, the skeleton’s skull breaks off from the rest of the body and rolls away.

“Betty! Noooo!” Eddie cries, falling to his knees.

———

“No one told me how sweaty cooking can make you,” Eddie’s twisting his hair up in a bun, “But I’m committed to it now, I will not be bested by soup,”

“Look at this, my make up isn’t the only thing melting in the heat,” He holds up a bent looking plastic spatula to the camera. “Its totally not because I put it too close to the stove but we’re going to hide the evidence so Steve doesn’t find out,”

———

“I accidentally added too much salt, went to the Internet for help and a lot of people say that adding a potato will help fix it,” Eddie explains as he is chopping one. “There are no potatoes in this recipe, so if Steve asks, I’m gonna tell him I have no idea how they got in there,”

“Here goes nothing,” Eddie shoves both sleeves all the way up his arms before dropping all of the potato pieces in at once, making a little bit of the boiling soup splash out of the pot missing him by inches. “Oh shit, that was close. Don’t try this at home kids,”

———

“Moment of truth people,” He’s ladling soup into a bowl. “Personally, I’m just surprised this came out edible, but let’s see what the chef has to say about it,”

The clip cuts to Eddie shuffling away from the camera that’s now facing the sofa where Steve is taking a nap. Eddie kneels before him, a gentle hand on Steve’s face as he nudges him wake. Cut to a bleary-eyed Steve sitting up and waving at the camera.

“Just know that if you give me food poisoning on top of the flu, I’ll never forgive you,” he says as Eddie is handing him the bowl. “Why’re there potatoes in here?”

“No reason,” Eddie smiles back innocently at the look Steve gives him before he takes a bite, and then another. Eddie watches, nibbling in his fingernails.

“Oh shit,”

“What?”

“The potato actually makes it better,” he looks like he’s trying to sound annoyed but the smile on his face gives him away. “I’m gonna have to add potatoes to the recipe,”

“Wait. Does that mean my soup is better than yours?”

“It’s still my recipe, Munson,”

“You’re avoiding the question, Harrington,”

“…Maybe?”

Eddie throws his hands up whopping and his sleeve smacks Steve in the face.

———

“I was standing there, Morticia-less,” Robin is back and the three of them huddle in the sofa in the darkness of the living room, the only source of light is the movie no one is actually watching.

“—and she’s was wearing that Kate Bush bat dress and we were like ‘that’s close enough’ and then we completely winged a little dance and I only tripped on my own shoe once, you should be proud of me,” Robin is wearing a sash that says ‘Hideout King’ and is going a mile a minute about the party she came back from.

“And then she kissed me when they announced us as the winners, she kissed me Steve!” Robin shakes Steve and then high-fives Eddie so hard he almost falls off the couch.

———

Robin is filming Steve launching candy corn from the couch and Eddie, now in his jammies, is on the other side of the coffee table trying to catch them in his mouth. Steve’s laughter is getting increasingly hysterical and his aim is getting poorer while Eddie practically dives left and right trying catch the candy. Steve looks like he’s going to fall off the couch in stitches. The video ends as three are celebrating a complicated twist dive Eddie executed and successfully caught the candy with in mouth.

———

Caption says:

@_eddie_munson who do you think edits all the footage?

———

Comments:

user80085: who else questioning their sexuality rn?

Dustin H: RIP Betty, you will be missed 😔

Reefing Rick: Why tf don’t I have an Eddie Munson in a Morticia Addams costume cooking in my kitchen? God really has favorites huh

spring roll: So no ones going to talk about how Robin basically came out?

Gayby replying to spring roll: good for her

———

Part 4

———

A/n: it’s so funny to imagine Steve sitting in his room alone and reviewing an hour-long footage of Eddie messing around in the kitchen. And it cracks him up that every time Eddie messes something up he walks up to the camera and whispers ‘don’t tell Steve’

Steddie tag list: @deehellcat @eddiemunsonswife @missarte-beltane @grtwdsmwhr @kit-means-death

[imagineanime2022]

S/O Who Celebrates The Day Of The Dead

Shigaraki X Reader, Dabi X Reader, Mr Compress X Reader, Spinner X Reader

Requested: Anon

Request: Since October is coming up soon, I was thinking what is the league of villains had a S/O who’s quirk is “Catrina” (which is a female day of the dead skeleton) and she celebrates ‘El Dia de los mortals’ which is Spanish for “the Day of the dead” because I know some people celebrate that instead of Halloween and I just thought it would be an interesting idea?

A/N: I am sorry if I have offended anyone with anything that is in this piece, I'm the most British person that you will ever meet so I don't know a lot about this celebration of what is encompassed in celebrating it, I tried to stay as generic as possible as not to offend anyone but that being said if there is anything that is wrong or offensive please let me know so that I can change it 😁

Hero Ver, Student Ver

Tomura Shigaraki

🖐 Probably knew what The Day Of The Dead was but he doesn’t have any in depth knowledge of it, mostly because he didn’t know anyone who celebrated it, until you came along. 🖐 He’s not going to ask any questions but he’ll listen to what you're saying, and might tell you that he has no reason to celebrate, since he doesn’t mourn anyone that has died. 🖐 If you catch him at the right time he might humour you by sitting with you while you create a memorial for all of the people you’ve lost. 🖐 You won’t always have him there but he’d never try to stop you from celebrating even if you ended up taking up his space to do it.

Shigaraki walked down into the bar frowning at the bright colours and the skulls that decorated the interior “what is going on?” He asked Kurogiri who was cleaning a glass behind the bar. “Ask (Y/N) they’re the one who’s decorating.” Kurogiri answered as he gestured to you, Shigaraki only then noticed you in the corner of the room trying to put something up, paper flowers. “What are you doing?” Shigaraki asked as he walked over to where you were. “I’m just decorating…” You answered “you don’t have to worry about it, you’ve already said that there is no one dead that you wish to celebrate.” “Mmm.” Shigaraki hummed. “That’s today?” “It is.” You nodded. “I’m just making a memorial for the people that I’ve lost, I won’t bother you.” “I never said that you were bothering anyone.” Shigaraki said and you looked at him and shrugged as he moved back over to the bar and sat down taking out his game. “You know my mum used to say that they could see you, hear you when you made these memorials, they were here with us, they’re supposed to walk with us on this day.” You explained. “I wonder if they would be disappointed.” “Disappointed?” He asked. “I thought this was supposed to be a celebration, why are you getting sad?” “So you do listen when I talk about all this.” You smiled and he rolled his eyes. “If you are going to take up space doing this, then do it right.” He ordered, he didn’t mean a single word of that, he would have let you do whatever you wanted.

Dabi

🔥 Dabi knows what the day of the dead is and honestly he liked the celebration more than the typical halloween that was more commonly celebrated, that being said he probably wouldn’t tell you that. 🔥 He’ll ask questions in a sort of antagonistic way, he wants to know about the tradition but he’s not in the right frame of mind to just ask, so if you could answer the questions without getting too annoyed at him it’ll work out well for both of you. 🔥 You're likely to have your own apartment so he’d probably find his way around when you were celebrating. 🔥 I don’t think he’d be too picky about the food he eats, open to trying new things if the person that made them was trustworthy, so he’d definitely eat whatever you make, but good luck if he likes something because you literally won’t get any of it.

Dabi walked into the apartment rolling his eyes at the fact that you front door was never locked, he looked over the living room and before long his eyes fell on the small memorial in the corner of the room, he noticed that all of his favourite foods littered the space around where he assumed a picture would go, instead there was a painted skull that had beautiful designs where he knew his scars were on his face. “Oh I didn’t know that you were here.” You said as you walked out of the kitchen. “Maybe you should lock your door, then you’d know who was in your house.” He answered as he looked over at the memorial “should I be worried?” “What?” You asked with a frown before finally looking where he was. “Oh! No I just… Everytime that I ask you who you were before this, you tell me it doesn’t matter because the kid that you were died, so this time I decided that I’d celebrate the boy that died to make you because without him I wouldn’t have ever met you.” You explained, he looked at you for a second “I just never had a picture of you when you were younger to put on there so I… Just put your favourite food on there and well… I was going to celebrate the way I had every other year.” “You don’t even know that kid.” Dabi rolled his eyes. “I know parts of him, the parts that were strong enough to live on, I know the person that his anger, fear and pain made, I only hope that with the celebration of his death it will give time for his happiness, love and wonder to be reborn.” You explained. “I’ve always wanted to know him and every year I’ll show what’s left of him that I am waiting to meet him when he is ready to introduce himself.” “And if he’s never ready?” Dabi asked, his throat almost felt like it was closing, he wanted to end this conversation but he worried that he would lose you if he did. “Then I will find comfort in knowing that he once existed.” You answered with a smile, you walked over pressing a kiss to his cheek, clearing throat before turning back to the kitchen “come in when you're ready or leave if that makes you feel more comfortable.” You said softly, you meant no malice just giving him a choice before turning back into the kitchen leaving him alone but you were only in there for a second before hands found their way onto your hips. “You think words are enough to scare me off?” He asked, “I’ll tell you one day, I promise you that.” “A promise is good enough.” You assured him.

Mr Compress

🔮 Compress honestly knows quite a bit about the day of the dead, mostly because the first time he met you he connected your villain costume to the holiday. 🔮 He still asks questions because he loves to see you talk about it, see how happy you are when you talk through everything. You could say the same thing 3 times and he would nod along like it was the first time that you said it. 🔮 He’ll take the time to celebrate with you, if you have stories to tell or places to visit he’ll go with you, mask off and all, he’s here for you. 🔮 Helps you to decorate, never complains and let’s to run the day, no matter what it is that you want to do.

You had been up for a little while, you had made breakfast for when Atsuhiro woke up and you started decorating the small apartment that you shared, you were humming to yourself as you held up two different decorative flowers. “(Y/F/C) one is better.” Atsuhiro’s voice sounded from behind you before his arms wrapped around you. “You're awake.” You smiled “good morning.” “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to oversleep.” He said softly. “You didn’t oversleep, I’m just up early.” You assured him. “You should have woken me.” He muttered, pressing a kiss to your shoulder. “Why would I wake you up?” You asked. “I want to help you.” He answered. “It’s okay, you can still help me, but you don’t have to, you know.” You reminded him and he looked at you as if you said something outrageous. “It doesn't matter if I have to or not I want to.” He said and you looked at him, eyebrows raised “I want to help you, I love you and anything that is important to you is important to me.” “Are you seriously offended?” You asked. “Yes my dear I am.” He answered, you could feel the smirk pressed against the skin of your shoulder. “Well I’m so sorry, how about you help me finish the decorations and then we can have breakfast, there is a small festival being held close by for Day of the dead that we can go to as well.” You explained as you carefully placed the flowers that he had chosen on the shelf that you were decorating. “That sounds like a plan.” He said as he squeezed you a little tighter “as long as you still have stories to tell.” “Always.” You promised as you looked at the man finally connecting your lips “now help me finish up so that we can have breakfast.” “Always.” He promised, leaning down to help you with the decorations.

Spinner

🦎 Spinner probably doesn’t know a lot about the holiday but that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t want to learn. ��� Always apologises in case he offended you when he asks a question and listens intently when you answer him. 🦎 He’s not against the make up, he worried the first time though because he thought that his scales and face shape would ruin it, when you were finished though he liked what you had done and even the fact that people weren’t staring at him like they usually did. 🦎 If you loved to cook he’d love to learn, maybe one day he could make food for you on the holiday that you love.

You groaned as you opened the door, you hated that Shigaraki had tasked you with a stake out mission the night before you were supposed to be celebrating The Day Of The Dead. You scratched the back of your head as you walked into the kitchen to look through the cupboard groaning when you realised that you would need to go out before you could actually start the celebration tomorrow “your back.” Shuichi said as he appeared at the door to the kitchen. “Hmm.” You hummed. “Come on, you must be tired.” He said softly. “I just need to make a list of all the things I need for tomorrow, I was supposed to get them today but then everything happened.” You explained and he shook his head. “We can make the list in the morning and then we can go and get them.” Shuichi said, reaching out to you “don’t worry I’ll help you, everything will be fine tomorrow.” “I can-” “Nothing is open now anyway, we’ll just go early.” He cut you off and you knew that he was right, so you reached out, taking his hand and heading to bed.

You took in a deep breath as you woke up, you reached out to the other side of the bed and found that it was empty, you frowned as you looked over, you rubbed your eyes before getting up, you walked into the kitchen and smiled as you looked around at the decorations that were all around the house, “You decorated the house?” You asked as your eyes fell on Shuichi across the kitchen. “You had a late night, I thought I could help, I hope it’s right.” He said scratching the back of his head as you walked towards him, you smiled as you leaned up nuzzling into him. “It’s perfect.” You said as you looked at the counter. “What were you doing?” “I was getting everything we needed for the food, I had to go out and grab some things, I think I got everything so that we could start cooking, I can’t do that part without you.” “Really?” You asked and he nodded. “I’m sure you know more than you think you do.” You said as you walked over and looked over the ingredients. “You got everything that we need.” “I’m working on it.” He nodded as he watched you turn back towards the bedroom. “Let me shower and get dressed and then we’ll get started.” You said and he nodded. “I’ll be waiting.” He promised.

Request Here!!

[traumacat800]

Every Kiss Begins with Kill♡

okay so my story was taken down on a03 and my account was suspended for “abuse”. I literally don’t know why. I’m actually very angry about it and if I wasn’t going to jump off then I’m going to jump off now. So I’ll just be uploading the chapters here on tumblr.

Im honestly sorry about this folks, I really am. But I’m already living on the edge and a03 takes forever to fix problems so I might just stay on tumblr. This one isn’t as edited as the original because I usually do the formatting and stuff IN A03. So this is copied straight out of google docs. I know it’s not exactly convenient but this is what we have to work with 😕 I’m sorry yall

Now! Onto the first chapter!

No TW for the first chapter! (I think)

•

It was the big day.

Today was Halloween. 

You had to admit, you were excited, not for the costumes or cool decorations, more for the candy. It was always the candy. Last year, you couldn’t go trick or treating due to your dog being sick. You decided to stay home and watch over poor Brazen to make sure she didn’t pass. You didn’t regret it though, thankfully candy was cheap and the next day you went down to the dollar store and rewarded yourself with a big bag of lollipops. So as must do on Halloween day, you put on your costume and went outside. You dressed up as something not too overly complicated. It was a bit hot under the costume but you knew it might be cold.  Your mother reminded you to be safe before you left the house. 

You walked down the street happily, collecting candy from your neighbors. Although you felt you were a bit too old to be doing this, especially as a high school student. Your shame quickly faded when you saw just how full your candy bag really was. All that walking paid off, although you were a bit out of breath. It wasn’t surprising considering you couldn’t even run that one lap in PE. For someone who played sports, you were really out of shape. You couldn’t run for the life of you, not commenting on the fact that if you walked too much you also were somehow out of breath.

You happily stopped at the side of the sidewalk to examine your candy (and to catch your breath). You had a lot of Jolly Ranchers, your favorite flavor was grape but you thought blue was good as well. You had chocolate too of course, but you had more Snickers than Jolly Ranchers at this point. You settled for a few of the grape Jolly Ranchers, pulling out your phone, you watch TimeWatch (tiktok) for a bit before deciding to keep going. You stood up, stretching then you headed onto the next neighborhood, I mean, your bag wasn’t completely full yet. It’s not like God would get on you for taking advantage of the gifts of other people. 

“Hey is that Y/n?” A voice called out.

“I think so,” One responded.

“Oh god…” Another voice replied.

Oh yeah, he would.

Fuck.

Gluttony is a sin.

God dammit.

•

As per usual, your friends were absolute assholes. They made you feel unwanted, as if they didn’t want you to be there. Whenever you needed groups, they find some way to exclude you unless you did the work for them. They had no idea how smart you really were. You supposed it was their loss but still, they made you feel some type of way. So you left early, you just slipped away. They didn’t even notice, you didn’t think they ever did. It always hurts you to think about it, the fact that it even still surprises you.. You assumed they’d finally accepted you, but it stayed the same. 

You huffed, making your way back down the neighborhood. It was completely dark now, the temperature was a bit cold. You could feel the breeze on your face, you shivered a bit at it. However, you thought you’d saw something behind you, you brushed it off as you being paranoid. You didn’t blame yourself, it was cold and dark outside. You were almost home, you only had to pass through one more neighborhood before you got to your house. The neighborhood lights in front of you flickered ominously. There stood a man, he was large and red with long horns on the top of his head.

That’s when you heard it—

“Did you know that the human body tastes similar to pork?”

You were terrified for 10 seconds before realizing that he was probably just another trick or treater trying to scare you.

“Uh no? Nice costume by the way,” You said before casually walking away. 

He stopped in front of you once more. 

“Did you know that ribs are the hardest part for the average person to pull out?” 

Maybe they just were just very dedicated to the character. Probably a Game of Thrones fan. 

“Who are you dressed up as?”

“Mmh…a murderer….”  His voice was deep, it was smooth almost like soft velvet or tissue. It made you feel a sense of anxiety, I mean, you just met the guy. Somehow, you thought he was hot, classic you. 

It was kind of attractive if you thought about it. Nothing you couldn’t control though. 

He must be a horror fan, cool. 

“Cool, I thought you were the devil. You know, with the horns and stuff,” You pointed to his horns and shrugged.

He continued to breathe heavily, that’s when you noticed he didn’t have any candy. 

“Hey man, you don’t have any candy. You want some of mine?,” You said, offering your bag to him. He grabbed it slowly, picking up a piece of candy. (Specifically a blue Jolly rancher, the man had taste apparently) He ate it with the wrapper on and then smiled creepily at your terrified face. Perhaps you realized who he really was—-

“Did you just eat that with the wrapper on?” 

He stopped and looked at you. In fact, he looked confused. Who took the wrapper off? You grabbed another blue Jolly Rancher, you opened it right in front of him. He stared at you, still a bit confused at the point you were making. You shook your head, handing the candy over to him. He looked at you once more, giving you a skeptical look. He sighed and put it in his mouth. A burst of favor immediately hit him, the demon looked shocked. As if he was learning a great discovery. You, on the other hand, laughed at him. 

“You’re funny man,” Shaking your hand once more, you handed him an armful of candy. 

“I’ll see you around,”

And with that you headed home.

•

Bob was pissed.

It was his FIRST failed murder of the day, Halloween had just begun, it was only 10 pm. The kids didn’t shut down till about 1 am. Still, it really did make him think about you. He didn’t even get to pull out his knife before you were offering him something. There’s no way you knew who he was. Not with how chill you were acting about it. His usual smile dropped into a somewhat confused look. You’d left by now.

All Bob had to do was go through the other neighborhood, the more popular ones would sure have possible victims.

But he couldn’t help finding himself thinking about going after you. 

[ryeriy]

tis the season

warnings: fluff

navigation post

a/n: I had a late start to my 31DOH but here is what was supposed to be October 1st

"God this is heavy!" I said while dragging the heavy toat across the floor labeled with the word Halloween on top of it. I had time to spare today since Buffalo has a pre-season game today at home. He'll be back in a few hours. Owen was playing in the game so I turned on the TV to watch while decorating. Tomorrow's October 1st so I decided to get the fall decorating done. Owen says I'm crazy for decorating this early but it's never too early. I have always had a passion for Halloween and fall. "Let's get this sorted out," I said while dragging the that into the living room. I lifted the lid off of the toat to see all the Halloween decorations I had collected over time.

I started taking out and going through the decorations I wanted and didn't want to put up around the house. I started setting up cute fake pumpkins on the coffee table, TV stand, and a few shelves. I found a few photo frames that were Halloween-themed. My hands reached up on the wall to grab the photos we had hanging on the wall. The pictures were of the two of us, us with our family, and or friends. I replaced the frames of the photos with the themed ones, putting the old ones back in the toat I had opened.

I took a break to watch the second period of the game. I didn't notice how fast twenty minutes went by until I stared at the TV watching hockey. Laughing to myself as I don't usually watch tons of TV. I saw Owen making some really good plays and I was happy to see that. I like watching him play it's not only entertaining it's fun. I feel so supportive even if he doesn't know I'm watching him sometimes. Intermission was over and the third period started and that's when I decided to start decorating again.

Dragging the toat into the kitchen. It wasn't that heavy anymore since I took out some stuff but still wasn't light. Searching through the toat I found fridge magnets. They must have been from a long time ago because I don't remember these at all. They were skeletons, bats, and jack-o-lanterns. Really cute magnets so I put those on the fridge. Our fridge has a ton of stuff on it so we could use those. After putting those up I searched for any other decorations I wanted to use. The last few things I decided to use were some candles, mugs, and cups. Those didn't take long to set up at all.

I gathered all the things I didn't use and put them back into the toat. Then I took the toat back into the basement where I got it from. The house looked so nice and festive now. When I came upstairs and into the living room, where I left my phone I saw the game had ended. I got a text notification on my from Owen.

hey, the game ended and I'll be home soon :)

sounds good :))

I replied to him. I was changing the channel trying to find something good to watch and eventually just put on reruns of Grey's Anatomy that was on. I wasn't paying attention as much to the TV as I was also on my phone. Scrolling through my Instagram feed when I heard the sound of keys unlocking the front door. I walked over to the front door to Greer Owen, knowing it was him. When the door opened I saw him standing with coffee from Tim Hortons. Both of our faces smiling when we saw each other. I opened the door for him and he walked in. "Wow, you already decorated for Halloween?" He said while putting the two coffees on the kitchen counter as he looked at the decorations. "You should know that I do my decorating early," I say while laughing.

"Well, I'm glad the house is decorated for a holiday that's in a month." He says while chuckling and I just smiled at him. "Oh stop," I say jokingly. "Okay fine then, I'll drink your coffee the-" I cut him off before he could finish what he was saying. "No!"

"I'm just messing with you." He says. "Here you go." He said while handing me my coffee. "You know me so well," I said while kissing him on the cheek. "Is that pumpkin I smell?" Owen questioned. "I told you I decorated," I said while laughing softly. "You should know it's pumpkin season," I said. "You're just so adorable." He says while kissing me on the head.

31 days of Halloween

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[unpredictable-probabilities]

Azul Ashengrotto of Royal Sword Academy || Chapter 14: Birds of a Feather

Summary:

After shopping for Halloween decorations, Jamil meets up with Azul for a promised trip to the aviary, where he slowly builds up the courage to ask him out.

Word Count: 4,593

The Prefect meeting about the upcoming Halloween Week just ended, and Jamil is preparing to leave for town to get some decorations.

It's when Jamil is walking to his room, noticing the distinct lack of traps laying around, that his phone buzzes and he checks the message.

It's a text from Azul.

Jamil's mood instantly perks up. Right, the aviary!

Azul replies almost immediately.

It is? If he had known it was so close, he'd have visited more often.

Almost an hour later, Jamil has just gotten out of the store where he was supposed to pick up the decorations.

Apparently since there was a high demand for carved pumpkins and floating lanterns, the store had run out of stock. They're waiting on new stocks arriving today, and Jamil was told that they'd just deliver the items to NRC.

Normally he'd be annoyed, but he has plans here in town today, anyway.

Jamil easily finds his way to the cat café. He wonders if he should go in or if he should wait for Azul out here on the street.

Then he hears a playful voice.

"Hello, Viper."

He looks to see that Azul is approaching, wearing his purple hoodie.

"Hey, Ash. You're definitely dressed for a nice and comfy day today." Jamil remarks. He, too, is wearing a thicker hoodie than normal on account of the colder season coming in. He walks over to him, smiling. "By the way, you really went and had the nerve to change things up around Scarabia after just one visit, huh? Not only are there less traps these days but last night, I got ambushed by my dorm members just so they could talk my ear off with their opinions of me."

"Oh?" Azul says in pleasant surprise. "How did that go? What did they say?"

Jamil pauses and scrunches up his face. "You can't expect me to recite what they told me. I'm sure they already told you those sentiments first. Point is, the new stuff that's been going around the dorm… I guess it's not so bad. I just still find it wild that you managed to change all that in the span of one day."

Azul shakes his head. "I didn't do much, your residents have already been wanting to tell you those things, they just needed a little encouragement and a nudge in the right direction. What did you tell them?" he smiles at Jamil.

Jamil scratches the back of his head. "I… Well, I didn't know what to say, so I just said whatever came to me in the moment. It looks like it made them happy, so whatever works. Now the only trap I really gotta worry about is a sudden party in the middle of a study night." He sighs, but there's clearly no real bite to it. "Anyway… dorm matters aside, how have things been at RSA? Did you give Kalim that package I sent you?"

Azul nods, smiling. "I did. He teared up and hugged me. You really made him happy with that. And he asked me to give you this," he pulls out a small box from the pocket of his hoodie.

It looks like a small thermal lunchbox, similar to those he used to pack for Kalim's lunches in middle school.

Jamil's eyebrows raised in surprise. He did not expect to get anything in return.

He gingerly takes the lunchbox and opens it up to check the contents.

He sees the dark orange color of the dish and the smell of curry hits him.

"He cooked it himself," Azul says proudly. "He said that he had been practicing that recipe ever since he joined the Cooking Club. He told me to tell you that he hasn't perfected it yet but he hopes that you enjoy it, nonetheless."

Jamil sees a note stuck to the inside of the lid of the box.

You were always cooking for me, I wanted to try cooking for you, too! I hope you like it! ^_^ - Kalim

"Whoa..." Jamil widens his eyes in wonder before he closes the box and carefully puts it in his backback. "I can hardly believe it... I didn't think he'd ever touch this type of food again."

Azul nods. "He told me the story. I'm surprised you still like to eat that dish after what happened."

Jamil shrugs.

"What can I say? It's curry."

Azul smiles. "Indeed. Well, then. Shall we go see some parrots?" he nods to the direction away from the café.

"I still can't believe you went out of your way to search for parrots for my sake," Jamil laughs. "Let's."

"Seems like there's a lot of things you can't believe about me," Azul says playfully as they walk along the street. "It just makes me want to surprise you more."

"Hmm… I don't think I mind such an intimidating prospect." Jamil pleasantly hums, before he falls a little serious. "Have you heard from Rielle since we last talked?"

Azul’s expression sombers. "He messaged this morning, but it's more of the same thing. He just keeps insisting that he's fine. I'd been considering making an appointment at the palace so that I could visit him. I had brought it up to the king, and he said that I'm allowed to visit as soon as tomorrow, when Rielle gets back from his diplomatic trip to the next city."

Jamil grows concerned. "You're heading off? Will this be until the end of Rielle's tasks with his kingdom?"

"I don't know yet,” Azul says. "The king always expects Rielle to accomplish his tasks, but I'm not sure how long that particular one will take. The best we can hope for is a compromise, perhaps the king would lessen Rielle's responsibilities for the diplomatic gathering if he sees that Rielle is having a particularly difficult time handling them. I'm hoping I can convince the king of that, at least."

"Oh, so you're gonna be the diplomat to decrease Rielle's responsibilities as a diplomat," Jamil observes. "You think the king's gonna listen to reason?"

"I certainly hope so," Azul says quietly. Then he turns to Jamil. "I'm not sure how long I'll be gone when I go to the Coral Sea, that's also why I wanted to spend time with you today," he smiles shyly. "I can give your number to Rahzel if you like, so he can send his updates about Kalim to you directly. He'll be messaging me today about it, I can bring it up to him then."

Jamil falls quiet for a moment, but he nods, understanding Azul's plight. "Take care of yourself when you do get there, okay? Let's make this day count, then."

Azul smiles. "Of course."

A few minutes later, they reach an open gate with a colorful sign above its arched top, Abu's Aviary.

"Ah, here we are," Azul says as they walk in. "Have you ever been to such a place before?"

"Not at all," Jamil shakes his head, eyeing the security booth and the visitors milling around. "I think I passed this place once or twice but I never really had the time to look and visit."

Azul nods, then he goes to the ticket booth–which fortunately had no line–and gets two tickets for him and Jamil.

"Do you want to see the parrots now, or look at other birds first?" Azul asks as he hands Jamil his ticket.

"Hm. Might as well save the best for last.” Jamil pockets the ticket. “Besides, I'm curious to see what sort of birds they're keeping around here."

"Let's see the first exhibit, then.”

They entered a garden populated by small birds of different colors; shades of blue, yellow, red, green, brown.

The garden is filled with the sounds of wings flapping and soft chirping as the birds fly around from one plant to another. Some of them flew near the guests, blinking at them curiously before flying away.

There's a sign on one wall showing that this is the finches section, and indicating what types of finches are in here.

Jamil watches the birds fly by, enjoying the sights and sounds as he starts to recall the memory. "This reminds me of how Kalim seems to attract all sorts of animals to him. I bet if he were here, we'd be surrounded somehow."

"Then we must take him here someday," Azul smiles. "Does he attract bugs as well?" he asks playfully.

Jamil visibly shudders. "Fortunately, no. But it definitely won't stop him from befriending them..."

They pass through the finches section and go to the next one, the sign indicating that this area houses nightingales.

They hear a guide telling a group of children that the nightingales frequently sing during the spring and summer seasons, so they're quieter around this time of the year.

A few of the birds perched nearby are twittering in a variety of different sounds.

Azul turns to the pictures and illustrations of nightingales on the wall.

"Adorable," he smiles. "They look like babies who are constantly singing, screaming, or hungry."

Then he reads the text detailing the characteristics of a nightingale.

"They have impressive eyesight." He turns to Jamil. "How's your eyesight? You don't wear glasses so I assume you don't need them."

"My eyesight's always been fine," Jamil casually brags. "It pays to be attentive when you're guarding people. How about you? Have you always needed glasses? Do merfolk usually even wear glasses?"

"My eyesight is excellent underwater, but on land I need glasses. I think it's because my hometown is always in darkness, so the bright light on land does funny things to my vision. It's not the same for all merfolk, though. Rielle doesn't need glasses, and as you know neither does Jade nor Floyd. Maybe cecaelia eyes work differently. My eyes do look different than theirs, after all. In my merform, I mean."

A nightingale with blue feathers on its chest lands on Azul's shoulder, making him stay still in surprise. It chirps and nips at Azul's ear, then flies away again. Azul chuckles as he watches it fly.

"My, it must've thought you were seafood for a moment," Jamil jokes, watching the bird fly away. "Are you telling me that your eyes do those horizontal slits like octopi do?"

Azul nods. "Yes, my pupils are horizontal. And my irises are a brighter shade of blue than this," he slightly raises his eyebrows and he blinks to indicate his eyes.

They approach the next section, the sign indicating that it houses lovebirds.

Based on the amount of birds flying together in pairs or feeding each other with seeds via their beaks, the section is certainly appropriately named.

"Man, if any species needs to learn to get a room, it'll be these guys," Jamil mutters.

Azul laughs. "Ah, let them be happy. Besides, this is their room. We're the ones intruding," he says playfully.

Like in the other sections, there are pictures here of the different types of lovebirds, and a group of kids are reading their names and trying to find them among the flying birds in the area.

One bird with red feathers catches Jamil's attention. It flies onto a low branch next to a bird with purple feathers and snuggles against its neck.

Then they lean against each other, reminding Jamil of him and Azul on one of the rooftops in Scarabia just yesterday.

Jamil stutters to a halt and finds himself staring at the pair.

Wordlessly, he brings out his phone to take a quiet picture.

"Oh, they're beautiful," he hears Azul say softly behind him. "Can you send me that photo?"

Jamil glances up to hold Azul's gaze, aware of the colors they share in resemblance to the birds.

"... Sure. I can send it to you later,” he nods, looking a little shy all of a sudden as he turns away and continues walking like he saw nothing.

Azul falls in step beside him and they stop to let a group of kids in uniform pass by in front of them. They must be in the middle of their field trip.

One of the kids, a little boy, looks at them, then looks at the branch above them, and smiles widely. He turns to his friend and says something, then points to the branch then at Jamil and Azul. Then both kids are staring and smiling at them in fascination.

Jamil looks up and realizes that the kids are staring at them and the lovebirds above them in similar colors.

He immediately knew what they were ogling at. He glares at them and shakes his head.

They just nod at him in defiance.

Sighing, he leans to Azul and whispers, "Little children seem to think that we're the human incarnations of those birds up there."

Azul looks at the children, then at the branch above them, and he chuckles.

He smiles at the children and puts an arm around Jamil's waist, pulling him close.

"Wh—" Jamil was about to exclaim, but he freezes as Azul rests his head against his.

The children gasp and their smiles grow brighter.

Their teacher calls them from in front, telling them to follow and not separate from the group.

They both wave enthusiastically at Azul and Jamil before hurrying after their classmates.

Azul lets go of Jamil and stands up properly again.

He stumbles a little once he was let go and he stares at the other in bewilderment. "What was THAT all about?"

"They seemed so happy, I thought I might give them a little more wonder," Azul is smiling, then he looks uncertainly at Jamil. "Did it make you uncomfortable?"

"I... well…" Jamil can feel his cheeks reddening. "I guess I didn't mind, but you owe me for that."

Azul looks relieved. "Of course. Just let me know how I can return the favor.”

"You'll have to wait for it. I want to make this favor worth your sudden gesture," Jamil teases as they proceed to exit the lovebirds section.

Azul raises an eyebrow at him. "I don't think I mind such an intimidating prospect," he smiles playfully, mimicking what Jamil had said earlier.

Eventually, their trip around the aviary ended with them entering the parrot enclosure.

Squawks and fluttering of wings greet them as they step into a botanical garden.

Jamil gazes around, clearly taken by the sight of the birds.

Their colorful feathers are even brighter than he had expected.

Hues of red, green, blue, and yellow all swirl around them. There seem to be more variations even compared to the pictures on the wall.

Jamil can't decide where to look, there are so many things catching his attention; he ends up spinning around to take in the view.

He eventually decides to approach a bright red parrot with blue, black, and white patterns in its feathers, watching it preen itself.

"So cool…" he mutters under his breath.

The parrot flies away, and Jamil turns to follow it with his eyes. Then he sees Azul, looking at him with the softest smile.

Azul's eyes twinkle when he catches Jamil's gaze. Then he looks around as well. "I don't think I've ever seen this much bright colors before, they remind me of the bioluminescent fish in my hometown."

"... How do you feel about the Sea Witch, Ash?" Jamil asks out of the blue, curious.

"Hm?" Azul blinks at him. "She's known to be a benevolent mage, according to my hometown's legend. I grew up hearing a lot of stories around her, and I had actually gotten the idea of my magic contracts from the stories. She used contracts as well, right? And the fact that she was a cecaelia inspired me. She's part-octopus, and everyone respected her. I thought that if I granted wishes like she did, I might earn that same respect," he gives a small smile. "Why do you ask?"

Jamil turns his gaze upward. "That's sort of how I feel about the Sorcerer of the Sands, too. He was in a servant's position, just like me, but he climbed his way to the top through patience and sheer wit. He got the position—the acknowledgement—that he deserved and I grew up wanting to end up like him one day."

He blushes. "It's... kinda silly when you think about it. Even more so when he's why I started wanting a parrot. He was said to have one that served as his trusted companion through thick and thin… And one that apparently talked coherent sentences. I looked into it, though, and found that parrots nowadays can't achieve that same level of intelligence, but I suppose that that only goes to show how advanced the Sorcerer was."

Azul steps closer to him. "I don't think it's silly at all. And if the Sorcerer is here now, he'd be proud of all you've achieved…" he looks up at a branch and smiles. "... Jamil Viper," he says in a voice louder than normal.

A squawk sounds from behind Jamil, and there's a flap of wings as a parrot lands on his shoulder.

"Jamil Viper!" the bird says in its squawking voice. "Hello, Jamil Viper!"

Azul grins, then pulls out some bird seeds from his pocket and holds out his open palm to the parrot, who eagerly pecks at the seeds.

"Whoa, hey there, lil' fella..." Jamil greets after jumping a little from the sudden weight against his shoulder. He watches Azul feed the parrot. "Since when did you get bird seeds?"

"I bought some earlier before I met you at the café," he says, brushing off the crumbs from his hand after the parrot finishes eating. "It's his favorite brand," he pats the parrot on the head.

Jamil looks at him in surprise. "Favorite brand? Huh? Wait, you two know each other?"

Azul smiles. "I'd been coming here every other day since last week, teaching three parrots to react to your name and say hello. They allow you to do that here, just ask the staff to help you, since civilians aren't allowed to train birds on their own. I picked three because it's more likely that at least one of them would be within earshot when we come here. And this guy here is our first responder." He holds up the packet of bird seeds. "Do you want to feed him?"

Jamil stares at him with his mouth slightly agape. Then slowly, he blinks himself back to conscious thought and holds his hand out to receive the packet and feed it to the parrot on his shoulder.

"I… I don't know what to say. Why would you go through all that trouble?"

"I don't know… I had a lot of free time," Azul chuckles at his own joke. "He likes you," he says fondly as the bird eats the seeds from Jamil's palm and gives him a few affectionate nips on his braid.

A smile slowly appears on Jamil's face. "Ash, this officially makes you one of the coolest people I know.”

The parrot squawks, as if in agreement. "He likes you!" it mimics Azul.

Azul chuckles at the parrot, petting it again. The bird ruffles its feathers affectionately. "I'm really glad you like it," he smiles, gazing into Jamil's eyes.

"Ash!" the parrot squawks, trying to nip at Azul's hand as he pulls it away. "Ash! Ash!" Then he nips at Jamil's ear. "Ash… likes you! Likes you!"

"Well, I certainly hope so," Jamil jokes, though there's an undeniable grin on his face from the parrot's words. "With everything he knows about me, it'd be terrible if he's secretly gunning for my downfall this whole time."

"I told you that in confidence!" Azul feigns a scolding tone, staring wide-eyed at the parrot. Then he looks at Jamil and shakes his head in mock disappointment. "This one is a snitch."

"Oh yeah?" Jamil raises an eyebrow, turning his attention back to the parrot. "What else did Ash tell you in confidence? It'll be a secret just between you and me."

"Secret! Secret!" the parrot squawks, and just blinks at the both of them, tilting its head side to side curiously.

"Ah, a shred of loyalty remains in the bird's heart," Azul says dramatically. Then he smiles at Jamil. "We can go here whenever we want, they're open everyday. Oh, and you don't need to have me with you if you wanna see this guy or the other two who'll react to your name. Just say your name loud enough and if any of them are within earshot, they'll come to you."

"Fantastic..." Jamil breathlessly utters, still completely blown away by this arrangement. "What's his name?"

"Al," Azul says.

At that, the parrot perks up and ruffles its feathers. "Al! Me! Al!"

Azul smiles. "Oh yeah, he reacts to his name quite loudly as well. So if you ever want to find him, you can call his name."

"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Al. You're a really smart parrot, aren't you?"

"Al! Me!" The parrot screeches, bobbing its head up and down like its nodding.

It flies off of Jamil's soldier and lands clumsily on top of Azul's head, leaning forward to stare at Azul upside-down. "He! Likes you!"

"Do you just say that to everyone?" Azul asks playfully, looking at the parrot.

The bird begins to walk in place on Azul's head, earning a surprised "Ow!" from the merman, though he doesn't seem to be hurt.

"Jamil Viper!" Al squawks, blinking at Jamil. "Jamil Viper!" he leans forward to stare at Azul upside-down again. "Likes you! Ash! Ash!"

"Well now, he's snitching on the both of us," Jamil playfully retorts, walking over to lightly wave the bird away. Al soars up with an indignant squawk and flies off to a nearby branch.

Azul chuckles. "So, I take it you enjoyed the aviary?" he proudly gestures around the place like he owns it.

"As long as these birds are enjoying it, then absolutely," Jamil grins. He reaches over and brushes off some crumbs in Azul's hair from Al's earlier perch. "... This place would not have been as cool as it is if you hadn't shown me around today, though. Thank you."

Azul tenses up in surprise for a moment at Jamil's touch, then he relaxes and smiles. "It's my pleasure, Vi. I had a lot of fun with you today. We really did make this day count," he gazes into Jamil's eyes.

From this close, Jamil can see the tinge of red on Azul's fair cheeks.

…

Jamil recalls Al's words, and his conversation with Rielle back at the Autumn Dance.

He likes Azul, and Azul likes him back... At this point, there really is no doubt to be had, is there?

He takes a breath and begins to speak. "... Ash, I—"

A phone rings.

They both get startled at the sound; Azul blinks and smiles sheepishly at Jamil before stepping back to take out his phone. "I'm sorry, I have to take this," he says as he looks at the screen. “It's Rahzel

Probably an update about Kalim." He answers the call. "Hello?"

"Huh? Oh…" Jamil snaps out of his daze, trying not to look disappointed. "No problem."

Al makes a sad trumpet sound up on a branch.

Jamil narrows his eyes at the bird. How could a parrot even make that sound?

"Kalim's Blot Levels are fine," Azul smiles at Jamil while still on the phone. Then his smile slowly disappears as he listens some more. "What?" he asks Rahzel. "Lower than Rielle's– Rielle had elevated Blot levels? When? You're only telling me about this now?" his voice is rising and he's starting to sound angry. "No, he didn't tell me, Rahzel. Why–" He cuts himself off and closes his eyes, taking a breath. "I'm sorry," he says quietly. "Thank you, Rahzel." He hangs up and puts his phone in his pocket. Then he puts his hands on his hips and takes deep breaths, his jaw clenched.

Jamil turns his attention away from a mental stare-off with Al to Azul, bewildered. "Wait… Elevated Blot levels? Rielle's developing Blot, too?" He should've expected this, given that he and Azul are both facing the same stressful circumstances. "When did they pick up on that?"

"Apparently Rielle had gone to the infirmary the day before he left for the Coral Sea," Azul says in an evenly measured voice. "Rahzel doesn't know why, but he had himself checked for Blot. His had spiked more than Kalim's did. No one at the infirmary told me because they had assumed that Rielle would. I had assumed that as well…" he closes his eyes for a moment and massages his forehead. "I have to check on him," he says decisively. "Now. Especially with how he's been disappearing lately."

"What?" Jamil says in surprise. "How? Don't tell me you're planning on swimming all the way to the Coral Sea."

Azul looks at Jamil apologetically. "I'm sorry that I have to cut this day short, I'll make it up to you when I get back, I promise. There's a mirror portal at RSA that leads directly to the Coral Sea, but RSA is farther…" he trails off, then looks at Jamil. "I'm sorry to ask you this, but can we fly to NRC? It's nearer here compared to RSA, and Jade told me that Octavinelle has a mirror portal that leads to the Coral Sea. There's a broom rental right outside this aviary." Azul is trying so hard to be calm, but Jamil can see the worry in his eyes.

"..." Jamil nods, taking the role of the calm and composed in a situation of duress. "First, deep breaths, Azul. I know this is concerning news, but you won't be able to help Rielle in such a panicked state. I'll help you get to NRC, but for now, breathe…" He demonstrates, before gently taking Azul's hand and leading the way out and over to a small building for broom rentals.

Azul laces his fingers through Jamil's and grips his hand tightly, mimicking his breathing.

Seeing that Azul seems too frazzled to pilot a broom on his own all the way to NRC, Jamil had asked the clerk to rent them only one.

He gets on and gestures for Azul to do the same. Then he kicks off the ground, keeping the ride as smooth as possible as they head for the cliff towering above them.

Azul has one arm wrapped around Jamil's waist, and with his other hand he takes his phone out of his pocket. "Jade. I don't have time to explain, but I need access to Octavinelle's portal to the Coral Sea. It's about Rielle."

There's a moment of silence before Azul speaks again.

"Thank you. I'll meet you in the Hall of Mirrors in 15 minutes at most. And Jade… Remember that potion we brewed together…? I'd like to buy a bottle from you today."

Another beat of silence.

"Yes, I'm sure," Azul says, sounding like he's trying to convince himself.

Jamil doesn't ask. He knows that Azul is too mentally preoccupied to tell him much of anything right now.

He gets them to land right by the front gate. With the broom being seen as a foreign substance, they'd just fly right into the invisible barrier.

Jamil is automatically identified as a student and, because he's holding Azul's hand, whatever magic regulations are used here seem to recognize him as a guest.

The broom was left behind. They run all the way to the Hall of Mirrors.

<- Chapter 13

Chapter 15 ->

(Masterlist)

[xsupersiren]

My friend and I talked today about starting an event planning business. We both want out of the club industry and have a knack for throwing insane events. To have this come up during a new moon, it must be fated.

Everyone was so impressed with the party I threw today. They couldn’t believe I put it all together in 24 hours with as much detail as I did. Like with the cake. I was way behind schedule on making the birthday cake because the birthday boy ended up having to go to work early. It was supposed to be a double layer cake but the second layer wasn’t ready. There was a crowd of people in the kitchen when I ran in, iced the cake, made some quick icing flowers around the edge, threw red gel for the fake blood all over it, and stuck the birthday sign and candles in it. Took me about 5 mins to have it decorated and lit so we could sing happy birthday to him. (It was a Halloween birthday party).

Those who saw me make it looked at me like I was Jesus performing a miracle. One of them even said I could sell these cakes for $50. They genuinely couldn’t believe how quickly I put this together and how great it looked. Honestly, I couldn’t believe it either. I have never put together a party like this before. I’ve never explored this side of me. It was a shock to me too that I had this hidden talent.

My friend wants our business to be a one stop shop for events. Balloon arches, flowers, etc. I said if we can get a liquor license, it’s fucking over. We’d make bank. Parties like this cost around $10,000 to have someone put together, obviously on a larger scale, but it’s all the same, just need more hands on deck.

I’m really excited by this idea. I’ve been saving to buy my first house, but what good is buying a house when you work in an industry you hate and it’s not even paying half of what it used to pay. We used to make $600 a day, and it dropped to $200-300. Sure that’s great money compared to a lot of jobs, but the risk and work it takes to make that, the hours we are subjected to, the lowlife pieces of shit we’re exposed to… not many people have a thick enough skin to handle it. Over the years, our skin has actually gotten thinner. So my friend and I have talked over the last week about getting resumes professionally done and looking for “normal” jobs. Then it dawned on us that we’re not “normal” people. We need more. A lot MORE.

I foresee a bright future ahead of us. We have all the right connects, the right credit, the right cash, and we are hungry for a new life, a new role. Today the right idea fell into our laps like it was heaven sent.

Ask and you shall receive.