#I was trying to sand down a table yesterday

[joyfulcollectordreamland]

I'm lucky in the bad luck sense of the way

[lokisgoodgirl]

Measurement : The Rite (III)

A Masterlist for The Rite is HERE A Link to my Regular Masterlist is HERE Summary: (3) Loki gives you a taste of luxury, a visit to the Asgardian Weaving Crones - and his inseam isn't the only thing measured up. (w/c 3.9k) Warnings: 18+ Minors DNI. Smuttish. Language. Loki being a tease. Ridiculous Asgardian lore.

‘I’ve never wanted anything so badly,’ Loki drips in your ear: warm, hot, desperate. With every impossibly calculated push of his hips, your spine arches off the bed: inch, by inch, by inch.

His lips meet the hollow of your collarbone with a hungry growl, like he'll eat you alive. ‘I’ve never wanted anyone so—’ You wake with a violent shudder, wide-eyed and staring at the ceiling. An oil of sweat covers your naked body, tangled in the sheets. The air is sticky, mind racing as you squint towards the window. It’s barely daybreak.

Noon, Loki said. The boy will come at noon.

Loki’s stone-faced apprentice seems unimpressed when you open the door before the second of his tiny knocks. It’s exactly midday. Not desperate at all, you think, as his lips form a thin line. He’s judging the neckline, you can tell.

“After you,” you say, forcing a smile. You don’t like him, and the feeling is clearly mutual. You catch the start of his eye-roll as he turns away and his silly little boots clack across the stone.

Shameless stares fall on the two of you walking the bustling corridors of Asgard’s court. Looks are followed by whispers. It feels…naughty - a tingling feeling that starts in the seat of your belly and seems to plump the ends of your hair, giving it a bounce as you walk.

You wonder what they’re thinking, seeing you led by the boy with Loki’s symbol emblazoned on his chest. You hope they think it’s something scandalous. And, maybe it is.

At every turn, you expect to see Loki standing in the middle of the corridor with his hands clasped behind his back; a smirk curling at his lip and the start of a hard-on in his ridiculously tight trousers at the mere whiff of your approach. But alas, it’s not to be. Just more stares, more whispers. They’re starting to get annoying.

“How much longer?” you hiss. He glances over his shoulder. “Not long, pipe down,” he says with all the enthusiasm of a bag of sand.

You stick your tongue out at the back of his head and suddenly his fist rises, a burst of blue smoke curling between his fingers. It undulates in the air, a ball gaining the shape of a small fist identical to his own. Slowly, one finger unfurls in your direction: the middle one.

Little shit, you think. But honestly, it’s pretty impressive. Loki's clearly teaching him well. Sort of.

Eventually, after passing through the courtyard and out the palace gates, he stops under a lemon tree. There’s a massive, bronze door cut into the stone walls with one large turret protruding from the top. Your eyes dart over the door, and then to him, and then the door.

“Well?” you ask, trying to be polite but the impatience bleeding through. This dress is pretty tight; your breasts look incredible but fucking Norns, it’s hot today. He gestures to the tree. “You have to bite into a lemon to open the doors.”

Your arms fold, eyebrows rising. “Be serious. I wasn’t born yesterday.”

His beady gaze drops down to the hem of your dress and back to your face. “Clearly,” he says. Your eyebrows rise further and you chew the inside of your mouth, reminding yourself he’s a literal child. He shrugs with a sudden burst of youthful innocence. “I don’t make the rules. It's some kind of test so they get no time wasters.”

“Who?” “The Crones.” No...way.

The Asgardian Weaving Crones are second only to the royal family in their legendary status. How many times had you pranced around in your aunt’s scrap fabrics from her sewing table, playing 'Ceremony' – inventing all the spells you’d have woven into the fabrics the Crones create with their famously nobbled fingers. The more nobbled, the more revered.

It's said the robes can make you more beautiful, more lucky, more fertile. Whatever you desired. Every piece is a work of art, cost more than a summer-palace in the hills, reserved only for the highest…highest…members of the court. I guess Prince Loki wasn’t kidding about the luxury, you think, eyes sliding to the plump lemons hanging over your head. “Just a bite?” The boy nods, and you reach up – pulling down the nearest one. He gives an unnerving smile of encouragement just before you bite into the peel, and stinging juice floods your tongue. A rogue spurt splashes into your eye and you yelp, dropping it on the ground. Through the burn, doubled-over, you see a fading wisp of blue smoke. Little shit, you think again, more violently this time. “What’s going on?” Loki’s voice is somehow everywhere all at once, smooth and heavy in the stifling air, falling like rain.

You squint up towards it. He’s hanging out a window in the turret, propped on his elbow with that smirk on his face. But no hard-on, you think. At least, not that you can see. Rumour is he’s always sporting at least a semi. Side-effect of all the mirrors in the palace, you figure. From this angle, his taut jawline cuts like an anvil, and his hair hangs apart from his shoulders as he cranes to get a better view. He's not wearing a shirt, and the temperature rises another few degrees. “Are you tormenting her?” he chides casually, and through the half-blind haze, you can tell the boy is squirming. The bronze door swings open from invisible hands, and you shoot the kid a withering glare with your one good eye before disappearing inside. The first, fresh waft of marble-chilled air hits like an orgasm and you let out a sigh of relief. “Come upstairs,” Loki’s velvet voice commands from above. You follow the spiral staircase in the direction of his soft laughter, skirts bunched in one hand, hoping your face isn’t as sweaty as it feels by the time you reach the top.

Ignoring the burn in your lungs, and your eye, you set your face in a mask of cool indifference totally at odds with the rabid excitement clawing in your veins. Long curtains of chiffon which ripple in impossible colours with each waft of breeze surround the turret walls.

Loki lounges in a chaise in the corner, loose green silk trousers slung low on his hips. One leg dangles off the end of the short seat, the other slung to the side as his laugh tapers and his eyes fix on you.

You swallow, unable to stop the rolls of your gaze up his exposed torso above the silk stretched across the bulge in his pants: pale, deep lines of muscle highlighted in painfully arousing definition as he brings a hand behind his head, raking those black waves back as he does it.

“Did he ask you to bite into the lemons?” Loki asks innocently. A solitary dimple crushes into his cheek as one side of his lip curls. You nod, mouth dry and knees weak. Loki sighs with a short tut. “He did the same to my brother. And what’s worse, my brother has been here before many times: he’s just an idiot.” You’re not sure if you should agree. It might be treason; you can never tell. Thankfully – that’s the moment you notice someone in a black robe hunched over at a wide table in the corner, laying out a selection of colourful fabrics so fine they seem to breathe. “Like what you see?” she croaks, wearing a matching smirk to the one Loki sports, just visible beneath a dark hood. You swallow, glancing between them. The two of them burst into laughter; the old woman’s hoarse cackle somehow twists perfectly with Loki’s deep, melodic mirth. Heat crawls up your cheeks. She waves a hand, brushing the hood down to reveal a shock of white hair plaited in a low bun, folds of tanned wrinkles creased in mischief. “Sorry dear, where are my manners? This one brings out the worst in me.” Loki scoffs, bounding from the chaise and crossing the floor in two long strides. He falls to his knees, gathering her hands in his own and places a gentle kiss on the crepey skin. The way he’s looking at her, the wide-eyed sincerity...it makes an unexpected lance of jealousy spear through your chest.

“And you bring out the best in me, my dearest Lagertha,” he says in earnest. “Still beautiful: inside and out.” She pulls the hands from his with a quicksilver grin, curling thick chunk of black hair behind his ear. “Mmm,” she hums, flashing you a wink. “At least where garments are concerned, I do my best. What you do in them, is your concern. Now, onto your usual perch.”

Loki raises a eyebrow and she watches him stand. The two of you follow the methodical shift of his muscular ass in those silky pants all the way to a small, raised block in the centre of the room. “You’re next, dear,” she says and you startle, realising she’s hovering at your shoulder. She turns her head fractionally, hiding the movement of her lips from view. “For now, take a seat, enjoy the show. Hmm?”

You shift to the same seat Loki occupied, still warm from his body. Spreading your skirts, it’s difficult not to feel the weight of the prince’s stare as Lagertha fusses around him.

And suddenly, the questions start. Loki’s eyes narrow and widen in perfect time to the cadence of your answers: hobbies, studies, the time you saw Thor fall into a well on his way back from a tavern. His laugh is music, as sweet and filthy as the best of your dreams – and you find yourself reclining on the chaise just like he was, a fist resting beneath your temple as you talk. It’s nice, it’s…easy. He's interested. And all the while, Lagertha works silently; the only indicator she’s listening at all is the covert smile that occasionally pushes her cheeks up.

“You have to stop making him laugh so much, the hemline will be askew if I get the lengths wrong.” “Nonsense,” Loki smiles down at her, before meeting your eyes again. “Lagertha has never put a stitch out of place. I have every faith in her.” “You’ve never had someone entertain you so much before…”

“I thought you’d have his measurements written down somewhere,” you say like the three of you are old friends. She pushes the silken tape into the hollow of his ankle, stretching up the length of his thigh to the bulge of his crotch. Loki shifts, spine straightening, and he shoots you a wicked smile that makes the pulse in your throat race.

You trace the angle of his chin, the sharp lines of his jaw, imagining how perfectly they’ll fit between your legs; only his strong brow and devastating eyes drunk with pleasure visible as he laps at your clit. A shudder wrenches down your spine.

“I don’t need to take Prince Loki’s measurements, dear,” Lagertha says brightly. ‘I’ve been fashioning garments that make his public weak for many centuries, I think I can remember an inseam.” “So why are…?” “Lagertha and I have an understanding, don’t we darling?” Loki tips her chin up with his finger and even beneath the heavy folds of wrinkles, she blushes. “Lagertha turns a blind eye to my family’s archaic demands of style, and we pretend that she forgets my measurements.” Lagertha meets your stunned expression, offering a self-assured shrug. “I may be old, but my eyes are just fine,” she says, winking. Suddenly, you wonder where Lagertha’s been all your life.

“What…demands of style, do they have?” You sit up, crossing your legs. Loki tilts his head, and you note his gaze drop to your lips. You wonder if he’s been thinking about last night’s kiss-come-dry-hump as much as you have, and as Lagertha loops her hands around his bare abdomen, pulling the measuring silk tight, he lets out a sensual, silent ooof that makes your pussy clench.

“My father and his ilk have very set notions of what ceremonial robes should be; you’ll be shocked to learn I don’t agree. In their eyes, we should parade ourselves in sack cloth and ashes—" “—Sack cloth? How dare you!” Lagertha screeches, mortally wounded. She slaps his thigh again, shooting you a look. “This one has a very specific set of requirements for his ceremonial garbs, ones that tend to highlight his…assets. Things which don’t concern the other family members quite so much – not even when Odin was a strapping one too." She sighs wistfully. "Loki likes the spells woven in to be just so: make it smell like orange blossom when the folds move, cape fluttering to a particular rhythm…that sort of thing.” I fucking knew it; you think with silent vindication. Loki looks down on her with adoration. “And you never disappoint.” “You should be more worried about disappointing her,” she jabs, nodding towards you. A sudden clarity settles in your stomach like a stone. “Wait, is this for our…the…Rite?” Loki looks up, impossibly beautiful; a slat of sunlight splitting the symmetry of his face. “You agree, then?” “If you don’t, I will…” Lagertha mutters loud enough for you to hear, and Loki snorts. “You know the stipulations, Lagertha. You don’t qualify, much as it pains me.” He presses a hand to his chest. “Otherwise, I’d have been at your door on my hands and knees centuries ago.” She slaps his thigh again, and then, they both look at you in perfect sync.

“I agree. I’ll be your partner,” you blurt without an ounce of doubt. As if it could have been any other way. Because now, as his eyes fall to your lips again and his tongue nips over his own; pulling the bottom one between his teeth like he doesn’t know he’s done it, you know he wants it as much as you do. Loki says nothing: a close-lipped smile skating across his lips and a regal bow of his head that his father would be proud of.

The next fifteen minutes passes in pleasantries and then, it’s your turn. You stand on the podium. Even in the strangely cool air in this secret place feels like hot needles; breaths growing short and heart hammering. The fucking…bodice, you curse as Loki’s expression hardens at your distress. He raises his hand, long fingers poised and his eyebrows raise like he’s asking for permission. You give him a small nod. He clicks them. The dress melts into a light cotton shift that blows around your ankles, and the relief is immediate. “Oh my…gods, Loki…that feels amazing,” you moan, head falling back. Lagertha shuffles at your feet. “Getting some practice in, good idea, dear.” Your neck snaps up, catching the back end of her sly smirk, before glancing to Loki reclined on the chair. He shrugs, picking at a bowl of nuts ��� his eyes are alight with amusement, and you wonder if he's always like this or you’re…special. Don’t think that, you chide. Don’t start being an idiot and actually falling for him. He needs you, that’s all. Just enjoy whatever this is.

Somehow, your measurements don’t take as long as Loki’s did. You’ve got a feeling that has something to do with the agreement they have. She creaks to her feet, shuffling to the wide table and notes something down on a scroll of parchment which reaches the floor. “Oh,” she says suddenly, patting the long folds of her black garb. One extra-nobbled finger rises. “I left something in the other room. Stay here,” she says, hobbling to the stairs. She glances over a hunched shoulder. “Behave yourselves, won’t you?” You figure it would be rude to follow her down the stairs to make sure she doesn’t fall to her death. Looking at Loki, you’re surprised to see the mirth dancing beneath his skin has somehow grown. “What?” you ask, skin prickling under his stare. The god’s dark hair spreads over his bare shoulders, the point of his chin lowered as he observes you beneath his lashes. Something occurs to you. “There’s only one room in this place, isn’t there?”

Without breaking eye-contact, without a falter in that low smirk, Loki nods. Just once. You step off the podium, wobbling a little. Forgot he took my shoes, but somehow you manage to maintain a sultry approach. Loki straightens against the chair’s back, a sudden nervousness flashing in his eyes. A silent conversation seems to pass between you. ‘What are you doing, little owl?’ his raised eyebrow says. ‘What are you doing?’ His legs widen, as if of their own accord. The forest green silk at his crotch stretches tight, an unmistakable bump rising on the right-hand side. You stop in front of him, and his eyes move from their level place on your torso to your face. ‘What are you waiting for?’ the flicker of his lips says.

Hands slide past his temples as you fasten one knee beside the thick line of his thigh – and then the second. You press tight to the crease of his hips, staring down at him. Loki of Asgard gazes up like the prettiest sub you’ve ever seen; but there’s nothing submissive about the slide of his large hands over the curve of your ass. The cotton of the robe he manifested for you is as thin as a spider web – but somehow opaque. You feel his touch like it’s bare skin; the lazy circles he’s making on the small of your back sending sharp shivers tingle across your limbs. “We must be very, very careful…” he murmurs, that famously stoic brow rippling in front of your eyes. You draw a finger down his cheek, cupping the angle of his jaw; brushing your lips against his. He sighs into your throat: shuddering, warm, desperate. Loki’s tongue feels like heaven in your mouth. Growls rumble in his chest as he pushes forward and pulls back in time with your body, completely in sync. Your hand creeps to his cock, fingers grazing the impossibly hard length of him. He must be eight…surely not nine, inches. Gods, what if he doesn’t fit. And then you remember, that isn’t part of the deal. He pulls away as your squeeze at the root, stark fear in his eyes.

“I know…I’ll stay away from the tip, I promise,” you whisper, catching his lips again. Loki melts into it.

His cock was made to fit in your hand – even the outline of it through the silk is like a legendary sword made for your grip. He palms ravenously at your breast with every work of his mouth, lips travelling to the curve of your neck and drawing his teeth over the supple skin they find.

The fact you can’t touch him…really touch him, somehow makes it even hotter; like you’re terrified virgins around the back of the stables. The other hand rocks you dangerously on his lap, and the sudden fear the thin fabric separating you both won’t be enough is very real. Loki’s thumb grazes against your nipple, pinching gently, rubbing in a way that shoots a lance of primal fuck-me energy straight to your cunt. Arousal tides between your thighs: tacky and warm and screaming for you to have him right here. You’ve never been more turned on in your entire life. You didn’t even know it could be like this.

“Gods, I want to taste you,” he husks through gritted teeth. Saliva rings his lips, and Loki’s head falls back against the sofa, back arching under the ghost of your fingertips trailing up the ridges of his manhood like it’s made of spun sugar. “Slower…Norns…I—"

His eyes fly open, pupils as wide and deep as fresh tar and his jaw slack. Loki’s hand flies to your wrist, wrapping it tight and pulling it away. His abdomen clenches as he breathes: slow, heavy, restrained.

“Did you almost…?”

The look in his eyes gives you the answer, and you can barely stifle the look of pride. You lean forwards, noting the shiver that tightens his thighs as your lips fasten around his earlobe. “Four moons, my prince," you whisper, bold as sin. He releases a low, ragged exhale that vibrates through his chest.

“I need to see you,” he says slowly, searching your face, “every day, from now until then.” You roll your lips together. “You said there was a feast?” Loki nods. “The night before – for the next two days, we can do whatever we want.” That smirk lights from its embers. “Almost.”

Your heart drops somewhere around your knees and you shuffle off his lap, shifting to the small edge of the cushion beside him. Suddenly, somehow, time is moving too fast; slipping through your fingers like sand. “Not that I’m…” -desperate- “…but, are you free tonight? Maybe we could go for a walk, or, something.”

Loki’s brows peak. It’s something he isn’t expecting, and suddenly you wonder how much of this charming afternoon has been staged. “I can’t, I’m afraid,” he says, lingering over each word like its passing quality control. “My brother-“ “-It’s fine,” you cut, forcing a smile. He’s a prince. Of course he’s not free, idiot. “Maybe tomorrow.”

At that moment, Lagertha heaves herself into view at the top of the staircase. Her face contorts in a staggeringly fake caricature of innocence. “Oh, I almost forgot you were here.” Out of the corner of your eye, you see Loki pluck a cushion from his side and place it on his lap. But Lagertha misses nothing, and her eyes slide to yours with a sparkle of approval.

“I’ll take my leave,” you say, standing and giving a quick curtsey. Loki calls your name as you cross the floor, but you need to go. You need to think – shake away these ridiculous, girlish thoughts in your brain before you embarrass yourself any further.

A faint glow of green colours your vision and you realise Loki’s magic has restored the dress you came in, and like before…it’s far too tight. At the bottom of the stairs, you press a hand against the marble; steading your breaths. The bronze door swings open.

“Ah, the jester,” a sneering voice craws. “Are you lost?”

You look up, locking eyes with Fandral. A cape slings jauntily over his shoulder: pale blue, rippling silk the same colour as the cloudless sky. His hair is particularly resplendent today, and as much as you’d like to kick him in the balls and run – he does hold clout. People like him, for some reason.

Fandral chuckles, and it makes your stomach turn. He paces forward, the tap of his heels on marble echoing until they stop in front of you. “May I offer a little advice?” he asks, in a way that says you’re hearing it whether you like it or not.

“Prince Loki likes shiny things, pretty things.” His eyes narrow. “He likes playing with new toys; the novelty, you know? I’m sure rumours of his appetites have even spread to whichever hovel you crawled out of.”

You open your mouth to call him a cunt but he raises a finger to his lips, eyes closed like you’ve interrupted the sweetest melody in the nine realms. They open slowly. “I will perform the Rite with Prince Loki, little jester. It will be my thighs shaking under the work of his regal, royal mouth. And do you know why?”

Anger, white hot and thick, curdles beneath your skin.

“Because,” he says with black delight, eyes dropping down to your feet and back to your face, “the pleasure of the subject is only one part of the ritual. You cannot possibly fulfil the second.”

He leans forward, and the scent of his cologne chokes up your nostrils. “But I can.” Fandral twirls the golden lock hanging over his forehead and stalks towards the spiral staircase. The periwinkle cape shimmers as he spins.

“I expect he didn’t tell you about that,” he says with feigned regret, pouting. It crawls into a shit-eating smile, and he offers a wink that makes your blood freeze.

“For him, you’re just a bit of mischief - best you know sooner, rather than later. You'll thank me...sometime. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a certain ceremonial robe to be measured for.”

The click of his heels ascending to the turret room fades as you tear gasping into the open air; heart hammering as you run; his words beating in your ears with every breath.

Chapter Four: Daylight Orgy The Masterlist for The Rite is HERE ❤️🕯️❤️ Tags in comments x

[idkwhatimdoinghere1655]

Rumours - Lando Norris

<word count - 7287> |part 1 - Nerd|

"Hey, I managed to get your wood pieces cut up yesterday. Don't worry, I did them the right size this time," Lando told you, sitting down opposite you at your table in the library. The two of you had been meeting quite often, now exchanging your ends of the deal you had made due to your maths test results. 

"Thank you. Don't forget that you still have to sand them and glue them, yeah?" you double checked, knowing that he had remembered but would pretend to forget to do it. Lando had been trying to wriggle out of his half of the deal, but you weren't letting him. 

"Yes ma'am," he said with feigned formality, saluting you. "And I want my maths done. We hand it in today, yes?" he asked, also knowing that you had already done it. Lando had seen you doing it the other day, and had to keep his friends from seeing him smile at you. 

He knew they'd make fun of him for being your friend, so he often found himself sneaking off to come and see you in the library. It wasn't that he was ashamed of being your friend, he just didn't want to face the backlash from his friends. 

Plus, he hadn't forgotten the hurt written all over your face when Max had made those comments about you nearly a week prior now, and he couldn't let you go through that again. He didn't know why, he had harboured a soft spot for you. 

Maybe it was because you weren't outwardly trying to flirt with him, maybe it was because you treated him normally, maybe it was because he liked you more than he liked everyone else. He found your sassiness endearing, and a welcome surprise. 

"Of course, but you're still going to learn how to solve quadratics at some point, you know that, right?" you told him, pushing the papers that were his homework over the desk and towards him. You had gotten pretty much perfect at plagiarising his handwriting so the teacher wouldn't be able to tell it was actually you doing the work. 

You and Lando had agreed that you were allowed to get a few of the harder questions wrong, just so it didn't seem like he had become a random genius overnight. He didn't want an expectation to be put on him once he actually had to do his own homework again, so he was fine with you messing up sometimes. 

"You'll teach me, I know you will," he smirked, and he was completely right. You would teach him, just like you had been pretty much all of his other subjects. You helped him with everything at this point, and he was more than grateful - even if he would never tell you that. 

The friendship that the two of you had formed was quick, to say the least. This time a week ago, you would have avoided Lando Norris at all times. He was cocky, arrogant and a downright dick. But now? He was lovely. 

Those short, daily meetings to check in on the progress that you were making on your ends of the deal were some of your favourite parts of the day - and they were his too. It was nice for both of you to just let loose and have a little giggle, even if you were meant to be being silent in the library. 

Neither of you really knew how you had become friends, you just sort of... had. After you had opened your results together, it was just how you were. It wasn't some slow and steady thing, it was more like an instant connection, and immediate understanding of each other. 

"You're right, I will. I need you to be better than Max," you said, still not liking Lando's best friend after the far from tasteful comments he had made about you. Lando had said that Max had apologised to him for it, but he had never directly apologised to you. 

Lando completely understood the resentment. If anything, he encouraged it. He hadn't helped, he knew that, but at least he had apologised. He tried to get Max to say sorry to you, but he had always refused. "I will be. How that idiot is in top set is beyond me," he quietly chuckled so that the librarian wouldn't tell you to be quiet. 

"You and me both," you agreed, just looking at him. He had always been handsome, even when you thought he was a massive dick. But now? He was even more handsome. That happened a lot of the time, really. 

If someone has a good personality, their looks are suddenly elevated by the tenfold. If they're a complete and utter arsewipe? Then they could be the most dashing guy in the world yet they'll look average at best. 

Now, looking at Lando, you thought he was gorgeous. If only you knew how he saw you. He had never really paid you much notice, not until now. Not until you had been stuck on the bus together. You were pretty at a glance, but the more he looked at you, the more he truly believed you were the prettiest girl in school.

Anyway, now wasn't the time for admiring each other's good looks. The pair of you had maths next period, and you didn't want to be seen together again. Lando was pretty sure that no comments would be made if you walked in at the same time, but he understood why you didn't want to run the risk again.

He'd go and find Max to walk with him, and you'd get to maths first like you always did. Bidding Lando farewell, you took yourself through the corridors of your school and down to the maths row. All of the classrooms were identical, save from a few student-made posters messily blue-tacked onto the walls.

Your teacher smiled as you walked in, not surprised to see you in early in the slightest. Eventually, everyone filtered in, Lando sending you a small smile as he walked behind Max to their seats on the back row. 

All of you had your books out and were ready to start, but your teacher didn't make any headway on actually starting the lesson. "OK everybody, before we begin today, I do have a few changes to the seating plan," she said, earning a chorus of groans from the class. 

You weren't so bothered, though. Anyone would've been better than sitting between the wall and one of Lando's dumb friends. Well, maybe anyone apart from Max, but you didn't think your teacher would do that to you. 

"We'll start with Max, can you swap with Lilly on the front row, please?" she asked as Max huffed, clearly not impressed with being put on the front row. Lando also wasn't overly enamoured at the swap, since he certainly didn't want to sit with Lilly. 

She had always flirted with him, and he didn't need even more of it for 5 hours a week. But, he was thankfully put out of his misery. "And since you have been absolutely smashing your work as of recent, Lando, you can come and sit next to Y/N. I think she could be a good influence on you," she said, and you had to stop a big, goofy smile from spreading across your face. 

Lando had been doing well since you had been doing most of his work, but you didn't even care. You were just grateful that you'd get to spend more time with him. Max watched with a disgustingly mischievous smirk on his face. "Miss, are you sure that's a good idea? You remember what happened last ti-" he started, and your teacher's face instantly turned thunderous. 

But, before she could get so much as a word in, Lando pipped her to the post. "Max, drop it." he sternly said, sending daggers at his friend as the class let out a series of 'ooos' and 'get told, Max!'. 

Lando paid no mind to them, since he had seen the way your face had dropped as soon as Max had opened his mouth, and he hated the way his friend made you feel. "Max go and stand outside," your teacher instructed, and Max stood with a sigh and took himself out of the classroom.

She read out a few more seat changes, then put the starter activities up on the whiteboard. They were just some simple equations, so you got them rattled out and finished within a minute. Your teacher walked outside, obviously to talk to Max and probably give him a detention.  

"Hey, you OK?" Lando whispered, still scribbling down his working out for some of the sums. Honestly, you were just grateful that Lando had stood up for you and stopped Max from saying something more than hurtful about you.

"Yeah, thanks for that," you nodded, flashing him a small smile. Lando was going to protest and ask again, but he didn't want to push you. If you said you were fine, he'd believe you. "Plus the three, not minus," you prompted, pointing at the line of working out on his page. 

"Shit, course. Thank you," he softly chuckled, changing the numbers on the paper. He was slightly annoyed at himself for making such a dumb error, but he was glad that you were there to correct him. He found himself completely agreeing with your teacher: you really were a good influence on him. 

You made him want to work harder, you made that competitive fire burn brighter within him. You had pushed him to get an A the first time, and after that, he had wanted more and more because the pay off of hard work was so refreshing to feel. He was used to average grades at best, but now the disappointment was something that didn't sit right with him. 

Your teacher walked back in shortly after, with Max in tow. He packed his stuff up and hurriedly made his way back out of the classroom, undoubtedly to detention. The rest of the lesson went by without a hitch, and it was nice to be pretty much forced to sit with Lando. 

You'd spend time with him either way, of course, but it was nice for the two of you to get a couple of extra hours a week that you wouldn't have to spend being quiet as mice in the library. The bell rang, signalling the end of the day as you all flooded out of the doors and out of the front gates.

You were waiting at the bus stop for your bus, and you saw Lando and his friends waiting too. You couldn't make out the words you were saying over the slight gusts of wind and the music in your ears, but you could hear witterings of your name. 

"I stuck up for her because Max was being a knob, she didn't do anything," you heard Lando protest, his voice slightly raised. He sounded... angry? You looked out of the corner of your eye to see some of them prodding at him, stupid grins plastered on their faces. 

They were clearly teasing him, and it was pretty obvious that Max had told them how Lando had stuck up for you during maths. In some ways, you felt bad. The only reason he had said anything was because he knew how upset you were the first time around, and he felt so guilty that he had let it slide. 

"She's over there, go ask her out," another one one jibed, pushing him in your direction. Lando's face looked dejected, since he knew that it wasn't easy to get his friends to shut up. They'd keep going until he said something that they wanted to hear. 

"I'm not asking her out, OK?" he sighed, just as the bus rolled up to the stop. 

Just like everyday, your bus driver had the same, dead inside expression on his face and he clearly wanted to be anywhere but driving that goddamn bus. He didn't even bother looking at your pass as you took yourself back to your seat in the corner. 

It was one of the unspoken rules of the bus: everyone had their seats, you never moved, never differed from the norm. The older you were, the further back you sat. The year 7s had to sit at the front, and they'd be met with yells and arguments from everyone else if they didn't.

Lando's friends scrambled to the other seats on the back row, leaving the one next to you free. It was obvious that it was on purpose, so he kept his mouth shut as he sat next to you. It wasn't that he was sitting next to you, no. That was never the problem.

The problem was that he was really worried that they would start to pick on you now that they had it in their heads that he liked you. Well, he did like you, as more than a friend. That much was clear to him right now. But he didn't want you to face the brunt of his friends teasing because he did in fact like you. 

It was just a stupid little crush, that was it. Nothing serious. Nothing serious at all. Did his heart flutter whenever you smiled at him? Yes. Did he feel volts of electricity when your hands accidentally brushed together? Yes. Was his day instantly made better when he talked to you? Yes.

But it was nothing serious. 

He just laughed along mindlessly to his friend's jokes, not really paying attention. Eventually, the bus trundled to a halt so that you could get off. Shuffling past Lando, you walked as quickly as you could so that his friends hopefully wouldn't notice.

"Hey Lando, this is your stop, right?" Max piped up, pointing at you getting off the bus. "Not going to see if she's better than last time? I'm sure she's had some practice."

Lando refused to stay anything, his face like stone as he let you peacefully get off the bus. "Was she seriously that bad that you really don't want more?" another one of his friends added. 

"I knew you guys were dicks but you're really taking the piss," he mumbled, suddenly getting out of his seat and swiftly striding down the aisle of the bus. "Stop, please," he said to the bus driver, who pulled over as Lando hopped off the bus and ran down the pavement to where you were. 

"Hey, sorry. I couldn't deal with them being complete twats," he said, stuffing his hands in his pockets and standing beside you on the pavement. For some reason, he couldn't meet your eyes, his fixed on the floor beneath his feet.

"I get it, don't worry," you agreed, not really sure what to do. Inviting him back to your house was completely off the table, but you didn't just want to walk away and leave him there by himself. "Is your mum coming to get you or...?"

"Yeah, I'll send her a text," he nodded, pulling his phone out of his blazer pocket. He shot a quick text to his mum, and she responded within a few seconds, saying that she was setting off as soon as she could.

Lando noticed that you made no move to leave and go home, instead you stayed by his side. You both stayed silent, unsure of what to say. It hadn't been this awkward between you since the bus ride the week before, and even that felt more comfortable than this did. 

"Just... do me a favour and ignore what they're saying, yeah? It's just them trying to be funny, don't pay any mind to it," Lando said, hoping that you weren't bothered by what his friends were saying. The last thing he wanted was for you to be upset by what they were saying, since he valued your feelings a lot more than he thought he ought to. 

He also highly valued your opinion of him more then he deemed necessary. He didn't want you thinking ill of him, or of his choice in friends. He didn't want you thinking that he was like them, or that he would say things like that. He didn't want you thinking that he didn't care.

Because he did. More than he'd ever care to admit. 

"Yeah, sure," you nodded, not fully convinced. Any time you'd ever been seen with Lando in school by other people that weren't the library lot, you were chastised for it. Yes, it had only been twice, but that was enough to convince you that being around Lando inherently meant that you were going to be hassled. 

Of course, you didn't want it to be like that. Life would be so much easier if you were allowed to just be his friend, and nothing else. You'd help him with maths and whatever other subjects he needed, you could sit together in class without having the mick taken out of you, and you could just enjoy his company. 

Lando could tell that you weren't swayed by his words, and he didn't blame you. His friends would likely make comments for the remainder of the year, and he'd just have to take it in his stride. 

Soon enough, Lando's mum pulled up at the bus stop, getting out of the car to come and greet you. "Y/N, it's lovely to see you again," she beamed, and the smile on her face was enough to quell the worries and slight annoyance that you felt at that moment. 

"Likewise," you nodded, spotting the same scarf around her neck that she let you borrow when the picked you up the week prior. 

"How has your day been, sweetheart?" she asked, even though her motherly instincts could instantly tell that something was wrong. She had also clocked how Lando would barely make eye contact with her or you, and he was fidgeting with his fingers. 

"Good, yeah. Lando now sits with me in maths, so that's... fun." you trailed off, looking for the right word to describe it. Lando sitting with you wasn't the problem, it was the consequences of it. 

"Then I'm sure you can keep helping him out with getting those A's," she smiled. "Now Lando and I have to dash, dinner is nearly ready." 

"Sure, it was nice to see you again. Lando, I'll see you tomorrow," you mustered up one last small smile, before turning and starting the short walk off to your house. Lando clambered into the car next to his mum as she began the drive home. 

"What happened, Lando?" she asked her son, not having the patience to wait any longer to find out what was bothering the both of you. He stayed silent, just staring at the road ahead as she glanced at him. 

He knew her silence meant she was waiting for an answer, and he also knew that lying to her would get him absolutely nowhere. "Just my friends being di- they're being idiots." he corrected himself, his mum chuckling at the slip up. 

"What have they done? Did they say something about Y/N again?" she pushed, waiting for Lando to cave and tell her everything. It never took her long for him to crack and pour out his soul to her, but it would take a bit of prompting. 

"It's just because I've been moved to sit next to her in maths, and after last week they all think I have a crush on her and stuff," he mumbled. And there were those pesky motherly instincts again. 

"So you don't have a crush on her?"

"That's not the point," he rushed, wanting to brush over the tricky topic of his feelings for you as quickly as he could. "The point is is that the comments they make are too far and it upsets her. She says it doesn't but I know it does," he sighed, his mum giving him some more silence to continue if he wanted to.

"I try to get them to stop but they just keep going and it's getting on my nerves." he complained, slumping back against the passenger seat of the car. 

"You've got to try and ignore them, Lando. I know it's not easy when they're being nasty, but it's the best you can do. If you're not affected by it, then they might stop and then it'll be better for both you and her." she said, fully knowing it was easier said than done. 

Lando was strong, she recognised that, but he was already getting worn down by the teasing from his friends. "Yeah, sure," he reluctantly agreed, trying to take his mind off of the whole situation. 

He contemplated texting you to see if you were alright, but that was when he realised he didn't have your actual phone number. He had your Instagram and Snapchat, but not your number. He felt like he was supposed to have it, but he never really thought to ask you.

Maybe he would tomorrow, if he saw you again. He had to tell you about his plans for your DT project anyway, and he had some science stuff that he needed help with as well. 

The next morning, Lando was on the bus as it rolled past your stop. You weren't stood there with your headphones in, shivering because of the biting cold like you usually were. The bus driver didn't even think twice as to why you weren't there, but Lando did.

Thankfully, his friends didn't notice your absence, or how bothered he was by it. He hoped you'd be in school, since he didn't want to go through maths without you. Also, he was wanting to come to the library. It was part of his routine now, and he didn't want to break it. 

He didn't see you in first or second period, but he didn't have any classes with you until later. Going to the library at break, he didn't find you in your corner table, and he really was thinking that you weren't in school today. 

Meanwhile, however, Lando was completely oblivious to the rumours that were spreading about the two of you. The more tame ones were that you both had crushes on each other, and the much worse ones made your skin crawl. 

It was basically all just what Max had said to you last week, complete with the high-pitched, borderline pornographic moans. But it wasn't just him saying it. It was nearly everyone you walked past from your year, all because of how popular Lando was and how notable you weren't in the social hierarchy. 

It was driving you crazy, comment after comment from people who you had never even spoken too. Constant taunts of his name, over and over and over. You tried to hide in all the places you thought possible: the toilets, spare classrooms, corners that no one was usually in. 

Yet you couldn't escape the seemingly unavoidable torment, all because your bus broke down a week ago. You couldn't tell whether you were upset or pissed off, the emotions all swirling together in a maelstrom in your mind. 

You knew Lando would have gone to the library to look for you, but you didn't want to risk even being near him. It was at the point where you were even dreading maths, your favourite hour of the day, just because you'd have to sit with Lando.

The whole experience was so jarring, since one minute you were happily able to mind your own business, but now? You were the center of attention for all the wrong reasons. 

Finally, it was lunch, and you swiftly strode past the canteen where everyone was eating lunch. They'd all be occupied for a short while, so you'd finally be able to find some solace. You also had some of Lando's maths homework to do, even if that was one of the last things you wanted to be doing right now.

Lando was sat with his friends while you walked past, all of them looking and pointing. It was at this point where he started to realise what was going on, and he was catching wind of all the rumours that were being spread about the two of you. 

Guilt sat heavy in the pit of his stomach, the feeling of complete helplessness weighing him down. He gave it a few minutes before saying he was going to the toilet, and none of his friends actually caught on to what he was doing. 

He walked towards the bathrooms, before ducking out of sight and darting up the stairs to the library. There weren't many people in there as his eyes scanned the surroundings. There were the usual people that occupied the room, and you - sitting in the corner, furiously scribbling away at that familiar, crumpled sheet of his maths homework.

For a moment, he just stood there and watched you. You kept crossing things out and punching numbers aggressively into your calculator. This was a far cry from your calm disposition, and it worried him. You had obviously heard the comments, and he knew that people would be saying things to you directly. 

He walked over, pulling out the chair in front of you and sitting down. You eyes flicked up, before focusing back down on the pages on the table. "Go away, Lando," you whispered, the sharp tone of your voice catching him off guard.

He didn't have chance to respond before you chimed in again. "I don't want to be seen with you, so please leave me alone."

Now that hurt. 

You didn't want to be seen with him. This would upset anyone, so he wasn't surprised that you weren't happy about it, but completely ceasing all contact and interaction with him was painful for him. He didn't want to be isolated from you all because the kids in your year were bored and had nothing better to do other than spread lies. 

"No one will come in here, it doesn't matter," he replied, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the table. You still had your eyes focused on his homework, your pencil still moving over the paper. 

"And if they do, they'll just say even more shit and I don't want it," you rushed, a single tear falling onto the page and staining it. You wiped them away, trying to stop more from falling from your eyes. 

Lando's heart did nothing short of break as he sat there, feeling completely powerless. He didn't know how to comfort you in this situation, he didn't know how to help, how to make it better. He hated that he was the root cause of all your upset.

"They won't, I'll make sure they won't," he rambled, needing you to believe him. You both knew it was a lie, and he'd never be able to stop the constant teasing for you. He wished he could, but that was simply all it was. A wish.

"Please just leave me alone." you whispered, thrusting the crumpled, tear-stained sheet of maths homework towards him. "And don't worry about my DT stuff, I'll do it myself." you mumbled as Lando just sat there for bit. 

You didn't look at him, just down at the wood of the table. He didn't know what to say, how to get you to believe him. With a resigned sigh, he pushed back from the table, picking up his homework. He folded it and tucked it into his blazer pocket, stepping away from you.

"I still want to be your friend, despite what they're all saying. And I hope I can be," he told you, before walking away and out of the library. He had never felt so unsettled after a conversation ever, and now he felt so down and dejected. 

Mindlessly making his way back to his friends in the canteen, all that he could hear were your words echoing in his head. Sitting back at the table, his friends' attention all turned to him. "That took you awhile." 

"You and Y/N go for a quickie?" someone else laughed, all of his friends bursting out in fits of laughter. Lando just sat there, face like thunder. God, he was getting pissed off. You were upset, his friends were being horrendous, and he had had enough. 

"Will you lot just fucking shut up? Your jokes are tasteless and downright childish. It's not funny, I don't feel like laughing and neither does Y/N, so just drop it and find something else to obsess over." he snapped, and they all just looked at him. 

For a short moment, he thought they were just going to bite their tongues and sit there. Maybe, the normally cool, calm and collected Lando losing his cool was just what they needed to mature for a moment and reflect on how other people felt, not just what seemed humourous at the time. 

But, reality was far crueler than that. "God is she really that bad? Why do you keep going back if you keep getting disappointed?" That was his final straw. 

"Fuck all of you, honestly," he spat, slinging his bag over his shoulder and walking off. It would only be a few minutes before the bell went anyway, so Lando took himself off to maths. As he arrived at the room, he found that the door was locked. 

Peering through the window, he saw you, sat there in your seat with a few tears trickling down your cheeks. Your teacher knelt down in front of you, balancing by holding onto the desk. Her face had sympathy written all over it, and it was clear that you were talking about what was happening. 

You kept wiping the tears away, but more stubbornly made their way out of your eyes. He felt like the convalescence was eating him alive from the inside and out. He wished he could take it away, make everything in your life as perfect as it should have been, but he couldn't.

Lando couldn't take watching you any longer, so he lifted his hand and wrapped his fist against the wood of the door. Your teacher stood and let him in, before pulling him over to the side. You still wouldn't look at him. "I know we've just moved you, but would it be alright if I moved you back onto the back row?" she asked.

He said nothing, just nodding and begrudgingly going to sit in his new seat. You didn't even want to sit with him. Lando pulled his phone out of his pocket, not caring if your teacher got mad. She noticed, but didn't say anything. "Lando phone away when people start coming in, please."

He put it away as soon as he asked his mum if she could pick him up, since he didn't feel like getting the bus. She responded with a swift 'yes', and he put his phone away as instructed. 

The end of the day couldn't come quick enough as maths droned on and he was finally able to escape. As he walked past the bus stop, he noticed that you weren't there. He figured you had done the same thing as him: asking one of your parents to pick you up to avoid the treacherous bus journey.

Wordlessly, Lando climbed into his mum's car as she looked at her son's face. For the first time ever, she couldn't tell how he was feeling. His face was completely blank, practically unemotional. She had never been this worried about Lando. 

"Sweetheart, what-" she started, before noticing the tears brimming up in his eyes. She would have pulled over, but she didn't want anyone from school seeing. "Darling what's wrong?" she asked, still reluctantly driving. 

"They just... they just won't stop." he said, his voice cracking with the words. "I just want them to leave me alone, leave her alone. She doesn't even want to be my friend anymore, I had to get moved away from her in maths, and it's just all shit," he rambled, a few tears rolling down his reddened cheeks.

"Oh, Lando..." she softly said, her heart breaking at the sight of his tears. He was never one to cry, or get overly emotional about stuff. He was a typical teenage boy in many aspects, and his emotions were no exception. He liked to keep things to himself, only letting is feelings show when they were hitting him in overwhelming bouts.

"Does she think you're saying things about her?" she asked, not wanting to upset him even more. 

"No, I don't think so. She just said she doesn't want to be seen near me when I went to go see her in the library like I normally do, and she was crying before maths to our teacher." he explained, and she was at a complete loss on what to do. "The stuff they say to her is just... God it's awful..." he mumbled, wiping away his tears. 

"Sweetheart I know this is probably the last thing you want to hear right now, but is that Y/N walking home?" she asked, and the question caught him off guard. Funnily enough, he looked out the window to see you trudging home. 

You had your hands stuffed in your pockets with your headphones plugged in your ears, your breath appearing like mist in front of you. That was when it dawned on him that your parents hadn't come to pick you up, you had taken it upon yourself to make the nearly hour long walk home in the freezing winter temperatures. 

"Yeah. Yeah it is," he confirmed, suddenly conflicted. His mum would obviously want to give you a ride, and he did too. He didn't want you walking home in the biting cold, but he also didn't think he could take seeing you upset, or you seeing him upset. 

But his heart won out. "Can we take her home, please?" he quietly asked, and his mum nodded, pulling over onto the pavement so that she could get out to talk to you. Lando got out to hop in the back, wanting to give you the front seat with his mum. 

"Y/N? Sweetheart? Do you need a ride?" she asked, approaching you as you pulled your headphones out of your ears. She could see the redness around your eyes, undoubtedly from crying.

"No, no. But thank you," you weakly smiled, the pained expression on your face making it impossible for her to just let you go.

"Lando told me about what's been happening. I understand why you don't want to be near him right now, but there's no one around, I will get you home and warm as quickly as possible." she reassured, hell bent on not leaving until she had you in the car. 

"OK," you agreed, walking to the car and getting in the front seat. Lando had already cranked up the heating and put the heated seats on for you, the leather warming underneath you. You knew he was on the backseat, but you refused to acknowledge him. 

Deep down, you knew you were being unnecessarily harsh towards Lando. He hadn't done anything wrong, and he had tried to be there for you in the best way he knew possible. Thankfully, he knew you weren't pushing him away because of him directly, it was because of what being around him brought you. 

He was sure that you still liked him, and he didn't take this personally. Yet it didn't stop him longing for you to be his friend again, to banter and joke with you and to just spend time with you like he used to. 

From his bag, he pulled out that same navy sweater and handed it to you, and you accepted it with a small smile in the rear view mirror. Your fingertips brushed against his as your fists closed around the fabric, the cold of your hands stinging his skin. 

You shrugged your coat off of your shoulders, pulling the jumper over your head. It was still too big on you, the sleeves stopping up to your knuckles. If you were standing, it would hand down to the tops of your thighs.

The drive to your house was silent, the only sound being the heating flowing through the vents as well as the occasional ticks of the indicators. After a short while of driving, you pulled up outside of your house.

Lando waited in the car as his mum escorted you to the door, a warm expression on her face. "Come here," she quietly said, opening her arms out to you. Without a second thought, you let herself fall into her embrace, softly shaking with silent sobs. 

"I know it's hard darling, I know it is," she whispered to you, one hand reaching up to stroke your hair. "It'll get better, I promise." she tried to reassure. 

For Lando, it was one of the worst scenes he had to bear witness to. He had seen you crying more than he had seen you smile as of recent, and it was killing him inside. He wanted to get out of the car and hug you as well, but he didn't want to run the risk of upsetting you even more.

Once you were settled in the house, his mum finished the drive home and let him have some piece. In his room, he sat at his desk, just mindlessly staring into space. You were all he could think about, and he couldn't shake you off. 

The sight of your tear-stained face was clouding his mind like an early-morning fog that he couldn't blow away. His eyes fell upon your pieces of wood for your DT project on his desk, as well as the maths homework he wouldn't be able to give you to finish. 

At this point, the deal didn't matter. Sure, you still had 3 weeks of homework of his to do, and he still had to do your workshop stuff for another week, but that was the least of his concerns. But he still wanted to do it for you. 

Lando had skipped dinner, not feeling hungry enough to go downstairs to eat. He also didn't feel like being held to people's questions and talks about what everyone had been up to in the day. He just needed some time alone. 

Just before he was going to take himself to an early bed, there was a knock at his bedroom door. "Yeah?" he called out, the door opening to reveal his mum.

"How are you doing?" she asked, entering and coming to sit next to him on the edge of his bed. 

"I'm... fine," he lied, not wanting to delve into the complexity of his feelings. He didn't want to have to voice his deeper rooted mindset on you. He couldn't tell if he was upset that now you'd never consider being anything more than his friend, or if he was more saddened by the fact that you didn't even want to be his friend anymore. 

He had been grappling with his feelings for the past couple of days, shocked at how quickly they had settled into his mind. Lando had never developed such a strong admiration for anyone in his entire life - even if every crush he had ever had was based off of purely superficial factors. 

But you weren't like that. Yes, he thought you were one of the prettiest girls he had ever laid his eyes upon, but it wasn't the driving motive for his feelings. He liked your personality, your humour, how goddamn smart you were. 

Seeing you thrive in the environment you worked best in was so fulfilling to him, and it was one of the many reasons he held you so dear to him. Yet he didn't know what to do about his feelings. He didn't want to ruin your friendship by telling you, but he didn't want to miss the opportunity to have something real with you. 

You were special to him, oh so special. He liked the idea of you as his girlfriend. Walking you to class, studying together, getting to sit together whenever you wanted and the comments wouldn't get to you because you'd be his. Maybe you'd even be able to sneak in a few kisses when no one was looking. 

Despite being the most sought-after boy in highschool, and the closest thing to an american 'jock' that a british secondary school had to offer, he still hadn't really delved into anything relationship-wise. No kisses for the sake of it, nothing. Hell, even Max had kissed a girl at a party once, but Lando never had.

"I'm really proud of you, you know," she said, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and tugging him closer to her. "You did the right thing today, even if it wasn't the most pleasant option for you," she continued. 

"I know you want her to be your friend again, but you've just got to give her time. People will forget about it and move onto someone else soon enough, but you've just got to wait it out and be there for her when she wants you, which she will. You're both very overwhelmed and neither of you know what to do, but it'll all work out." she reassured, kissing him on top of his curly locks.

"It doesn't bother me what they say to me, it's the fact that she's so upset by it... that's what makes it worse," he quietly admitted, leaning into his mum's comforting embrace. They sat there for a while, just hugging. 

"You need to get some sleep, sweetheart. You've just got tomorrow then all weekend, yeah? We can do whatever you want, with whoever." she told him, wanting to make his weekend as good as possible. 

"I've got homework to do," he sighed, thinking over all the assignments that he wouldn't be able to have your help with. Glancing back over at the desk, he saw the remnants of your DT project sitting there, his mind now set on doing this for you. 

"You can do it on Sunday," she told him, trying to sway him into just having fun for a day. She wanted to cheer her son up after the shitty few days that he had gone through, and he deserved a bit of respite. 

"But I want to finish off Y/N's project... I promised..." he whispered, the words tugging at his mum's heart strings. She had never seen her son so attached to someone, so desperate to please them and make them happy. 

She was proud of him, proud of the man he was becoming. It was obvious how much he cared for you, and she really hoped that you'd allow him back in again, than you'd allow him to be your friend and maybe more again. 

"How about you ask dad to help you with it on Sunday? Make it really special?" she suggested, and she noticed the slight light sparking in his eyes at the idea. 

"Yeah, I think I'll do that," he nodded, already running through the different possibilities of what he could do on your project to make it best in the class. He may have been struggling, but it wasn't going to stop him from trying to make you happy.

No matter what anyone said, how they made him feel, how they forced you to push him away, he'd always try for you. You made him a better version of himself, a version that worked hard and cared about more than just getting through school and being cool while doing it. 

You made him care about his grades, how he spoke to people, his actions. You made him better. You made him want to be better. For you. All of it was for you. 

A/N - I know, I've not posted anything in a week, I am sorry. I have been working on this one all week, and I have started the next part for y'all. Something about writing highschool Lando just hits different. It would be the same if I did Charles, Carlos, Max etc, but they would be in a british highschool because that's what I know best. Anyways, have a wonderful day/night, love y'all! 💖🤓

tag list: @anvi-sarai @robotchickenmerp @cheriladycl01

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[callsign-rogueone]

not that bad at all - b.d.

Bodhi Durran x partner!reader [requested] ✉️: …maybe the reader is badass and Violet is afraid of her, so when they have to fight, Violet poisons her like the rest, and Bodhi stops what he was doing to take care of her and he worries about her, and Violet notices that she is not that bad and asks for forgiveness. words: 1.6k 🏷: very basic fourth wing spoilers, one use of “her” to describe reader but that’s it, descriptions of dizziness and fainting, short description of injury (for Violet), everyone’s favorite girl makes an appearance (iykyk 😇), I made X a bit of a jerk here but he’s going through it honestly so he gets a pass lol

It’s easy enough for Violet to dust the white powder onto the last available bagel right before you place it on your tray.

You don’t notice what she’s done, too busy talking to Imogen. It’s strange for her to see the girl so docile like this, chatting happily about some maneuver one of you had pulled on a practice flight yesterday, but Violet is thankful for the distraction she provides.

She watches from across the room as you settle into a chair near a boy in her year — Liam, the tall blonde who’s been top of the class in Emeterrio’s since day one. He greets you with a smile, continuing to chat with the other marked ones at the table.

You look terrible as you step toward the mat when your name is called, flushed and sweating like you’ve been running for miles. It’s a miracle you’re still holding yourself upright.

You can do this. Of course you can. The general’s daughter should be easy work with how fragile she is. You won’t kill her, per Xaden’s insistence, but you’ll get her to tap out in under two minutes, guaranteed.

You shake your head, trying to rid yourself of the dizzy feeling before the fight starts.

“Ready, cadets?“ Emeterrio asks. You can tell he’s giving you a moment out of pity, that he knows something is wrong.

Your dragon does too. “This is not a good idea.”

You ignore her. “Ready,” you confirm, wavering. 

You try to move your feet into a proper fighting stance, but the floor seems to shift underneath your boots like wet sand, and you collapse onto the mat before the professor can say go. There are a few gasps from the crowd of cadets around the gym.

“I yield,” you mumble into the slick padding, knowing that even if you can manage to peel yourself back up, you won’t be able to overpower her when you can’t see straight.

Violet sighs in relief. You’re still aware enough to know what you’re supposed to be doing. That’s good. That means she got the dosage correct, and that you should be fine again in about eight hours. 

“You were right,” you admit silently.

“Of course I was right.”

Violet’s pride is replaced with guilt as another cadet rushes to your side, looking deeply concerned.

Your vision focuses enough to recognize your boyfriend’s face leaning over you. Cold hands cradle your cheeks and you squirm away from the touch, delirious. 

“You’re burning up, love,” he says, tugging your sleeves up in an attempt to cool you off, exposing the black swirls running down your left arm. He takes your pulse, and your heart is racing. Something is definitely wrong.

He looks to the professor. “Permission to take her to the infirmary?”

“Granted,” Emeterrio says, unfazed. “Barlowe and Cardulo, you’re up next.”

That will be a good matchup. Maybe one of them will kill the other, and decrease Violet’s list of enemies by one.

The other cadet gathers you into his arms, helping you up, as you clearly can’t stand on your own, and Violet’s heart nearly stops as she realizes who he is.

Bodhi. Tail section’s executive officer, Bodhi. Xaden’s cousin, Bodhi. Fuck. 

She can feel multiple sets of eyes boring into her skin. Her gaze lifts to the other side of the gym, where Xaden is glaring directly at her, along with a few other marked ones. They all look like they know exactly what she did, and they’re contemplating how best to kill her.

Something tells her that Jack won’t be as much of a threat as the rest of your friends.

————————————————————

You crack an eye open, wincing at the brightness of the infirmary. 

Bodhi is standing over you in an instant, dimming the light. “How do you feel?” He rests the back of his hand on your forehead; your fever has dulled, but you still feel warm to the touch.

“Better, but still not great,” you answer, coughing into your elbow. “It’s like a flu that should have lasted a week just condensed into a day.”

He extends you a glass of water and you take a slow sip — you’ve been sweating so much that it’s completely dehydrated you.

“What do you make of the Sorrengail girl?” You ask. “Every one of her opponents in the last two weeks has mysteriously ended up ill.”

“You’re right,” he says slowly, putting it together. “But why just put you out of the lineup for a few days? If she’s really doing this, why is she not taking it further and just killing people?”

“Murder just isn’t her style, I guess.”

“I’m glad it isn’t,” he says quietly. “When you hit the floor like that all of a sudden… I’ve never been that scared in my life. I thought I was going to lose you.”

You take his hand, squeezing it gently. “It’ll take much more than a bad bagel to kill me,” you reassure him, sitting up to kiss his cheek. “You’ve made sure of that.”

He still looks worried when you pull away, but you know what will relax him.

You look at the clock. “We have an hour and a half until dinner. Wanna go shower and cuddle for a while?” You ask, and he nods eagerly. You smile. “Alright, let’s get out of here.”

At dinner, Xaden makes it abundantly clear that nobody is to seek revenge on the girl, which has Garrick grumbling and Imogen downright outraged, but you’re fine with the decision: if she’ll leave you alone, you’ll leave her alone.

————————————————————

The rest of your friends are celebrating — Liam and the two other marked first years have been chosen by strong dragons who will serve them well and provide them powerful signets.

It’s not unusual for the eldest of your group to be withdrawn and aloof, but Xaden looks like he’s going to be ill.

“Tab says that Tairn chose Violet Sorrengail,” Garrick’s girlfriend says in a whisper, knowing better than to let the wingleader hear her.

Your eyes widen. Tairn, Sgaeyl’s mate, Tairn? “I guess that makes her our problem now.” 

If Violet dies, so does your friend. 

So much for keeping your distance. 

————————————————————

When Violet gets to the gym for the workout Imogen had roped her into, it’s full of marked ones. 

Bodhi is sparring with a boy whose name Violet doesn’t know, looking like they’re going to kill each other but laughing as they do. Xaden wrestles with Garrick, Imogen is throwing daggers with Liam, and a quiet third-year girl in the corner looks to be… meditating?

You spot Violet standing in the doorway, heading over, and her heart pounds, wondering what you’re going to say to her after what she did to you.

You wipe the sweat from your forehead with a small towel. “Cool hair,” you say with a nod at her silver-tipped braid, and she blinks, stunned —  probably wondering why you aren’t biting her head off. 

“Thanks,” she replies quietly. “Sorry for poisoning you.”

You laugh at her honesty, extending a hand to shake. “Square?”

“Square,” she answers, taking it.

“Good. Now let’s see you fight, for real.”

It takes all of five minutes for something to go wrong — an awkwardly angled kick to her knee that she can’t dodge has her crumpling to the mat, lower leg bent at an unnatural angle.

Oh, fuck. Xaden will be pissed if you’ve broken her on day one.

“Angel, we need you,” you call, and the quiet girl’s eyes snap open, at your side in an instant.

Warm hands touch her skin, and Violet startles as the pain dissipates, the bone gliding back into place. She stares at your friend, stunned. “You’re a mender?”

“Not a very good one,” she answers, anxious. “And I’m sorry, I should have asked before I just… does it feel okay now?”

“Yeah, that was great.” Violet flexes the joint a few times, without pain. “Just like my brother used to do.”

There’s a flicker of… something across the older girl’s face, but it vanishes as soon as Garrick puts a gentle hand on her back, genuine worry on his face as he looks at her. “You feeling okay?” 

“Yeah,” she answers, giving him a soft smile. 

Xaden is feeling much less warm and fuzzy, eyeing Violet with generalized contempt.

You cross your arms over your chest, giving him a warning look. “Don’t even start, X. She’s trying her best.”

“If that’s her best, she’s going to get us both killed,” he says coldly.

“Which is why we’re working on it. Aretia wasn’t built in a day, and neither were any of us. She’ll get better.”

“Fine. Then training her is your responsibility now, since you’re so optimistic, but should you fail, her blood and mine will be on your hands.”

“Xay, that’s not…” the mender begins, but she falls silent quickly after seeing the look on his face.

“Fine,” you agree, standing your ground. “I’ll train her as a personal favor to you because of what you’ve done for all of us, and because I don’t want to see her die, but you need to stop being a dick. You didn’t ask to be put in this situation, but neither did she.”

Nobody looks surprised at your defense of Violet, nor your candid speech to the wingleader. Nobody speaks, either, letting you two stare each other down in silence — this must not be the first time you’ve argued with him.

Xaden sighs, clearly having something to say, but he doesn’t protest further, turning to leave.

Violet’s eyebrows raise. You defended her, the girl who poisoned you last month, and you got Xaden Riorson to back down from a fight? 

Bodhi puts a hand on your shoulder, checking in silently — that was pretty intense.

You give him a reassuring half-smile. “It’s okay, Bo. He just needs time.” You look down to Violet. “Wanna try that again?”

She nods, letting you pull her to her feet.

You’re really not that bad at all.

[mysteryshoptls]

Happy Winter Holiday Gift Calendar 2023

These are all the messages that you get from the boys when you log in during the Winter Holiday Campaign from 09 Dec 2023 to 31 Dec 2023! For those that want to read them again, you can find them in the Album, under GIFT CALENDAR 2023.

"How will you be spending the day?"

HEARTSLABYUL

Riddle

I think I will go to the library today. There were someone's scribbles all over the book I borrowed yesterday, you see. It disrupts my focus, so I plan to find a replacement book. Seriously... It's a terrible crime to deface a book like this.

Ace

Today? Well, it's snowing outside, and I got no club practice, so maybe I'll check out on my streaming service a movie or show that catches my eye. I can stay warm and cozy in my room, all while munching on some snacks. Don'tcha think we deserve lazy days like this sometimes?

Deuce

I'm going to try to finish the assignments I got today, before the day ends. That's what an honor student should do, right? But... The first question is already a tough prac app question...? Right! Just gotta hunker down and get down to it!

Cater

Maybe I'll surf Magicam for some 'cammable spots that're only available in the winter. Stuff like diamond dust, or hotels made from ice... Knowin' they're only limited to the season really gets me psyched up!

Trey

It's pretty cold every day now, so I think I'll stock up on lemonade-ginger syrup. It'll warm you right up if you drink some. What, according to the Queen of Hearts' Laws, we can't have lemonade after 8 o'clock? Well, this has ginger in it, so it's a completely different drink, isn't it?

SAVANACLAW

Leona

No plans worth mentioning. What, not what you were expecting? Well, too bad. The campus is completely covered in snow, so the best thing for me to do is just to get back to my dorm room and relax while solving some chess problems.

Jack

The track team has practice today. But since it's supposed to snow in the afternoon, it may just end up being indoor training. It takes a while or the body to get limber in the winter. That means we need to extra thorough in our warming up exercises.

Ruggie

Obviously, I'm gonna be workin'! Today, I'm at a cake shop, and tomorrow I'm waitin' tables at a restaurant... The holidays are coming up, so 'tis the season for a ton of high-payin' temp jobs to fill my pockets, too! Shishishi!

OCTAVINELLE

Azul

As always, I will be awaiting everyone's visit to the Mostro Lounge. On a cold day such as this, we usually receive orders for dishes that are more common in the winter season. I'm sure today will be a rather busy day.

Jade

I thought perhaps I would make a herbarium. The atmosphere this time of year tends to be dry, so it is the perfect opportunity. How would you like to join me? No need to worry, I will show you how everything is done.

Floyd

Yesterday I saw someone wearing these boots lined with fur, and it looked kinda fascinating, so I thought I'd try to find some in town. I wonder if it's hard to walk in? If I find a good pair, I think I'll buy 'em and try 'em out.

SCARABIA

Kalim

Today, we have travelling salesmen from the Scalding Sands coming. I'm planning on buying a ton of stuff for the holidays! It's so exciting to think about what kind of treasure I might find! You should bring some friends over and check it out, too.

Jamil

There's no club activities today, so I plan to look into a few things. My family will be going on a trip over the holidays, you see. Tourist attractions, climate, local cuisine, souvenirs... Never a bad idea to gather too much information, don't you think?

POMEFIORE

Vil

I intend on picking up the spring coat I had on order. I'll also look for accessories that go with it while I'm out. Hm? It's too early to think about spring attire? If I wait to prepare everything for after it starts to get warmer, then I'll completely miss out on the season.

Epel

Snow's piling up again today, so I'm plannin' on clearing the magical shift field with the rest of my clubmates. Didn't bother me none, but the other guys were all dog-tired... Pathetic, ain't they?

Rook

I plan to check on the houseplants we are cultivating in the Science Club. Fufu, I wonder what sort of expressions they'll have today? I do hope there'll be some changes from yesterday that I'll get to enjoy.

IGNIHYDE

Idia

Obvi, just been hyperfixating on my online games, like always... Rather, why would you think I'd go out in cold weather like this in the first place? I recently overhauled the internet speed in the dorm, so it's crazy fast now lol. Gonna actually pull an all-nighter, it's been a while!

Ortho

It'll probably be a game day with my roommates, since the new game that I ordered online arrived. Physical games might take up more space, but I just can't help but want to actually collect my favorite games, y'know?

DIASOMNIA

Malleus

It's chilly today. The best thing to possibly do on days like this is to warm my room and enjoy some frozen treats. Perhaps I'll invite Lilia and the others later. Fufu... I suppose it's not a bad thing to be the one making preparations for them once in a while.

Silver

I will be practicing my swordsmanship with Father after this. I thought I would finish up my assignments beforehand, but... Before I realized it, I had fallen asleep and my notepad was completely blank. What should I do...?

Sebek

I plan to read the book I ordered from the Mystery Shop the other day. It's a book that I've been eagerly awaiting. Grandfather was the one to recommend it to me, so I must read it over and over again and tell him my thoughts on it!

Lilia

We have band practice today. However... When it gets cold like this, my fingers get numb and hard to move. Hm? Naah, I already have the songs memorized. It's really only about staying in rhythm with the other members!

OTHERS

Grim

Brrr, it's cold～! Hey, henchie! Today we're gonna stay cozy under that "ＫＯＴＡＴＳＵ" thingie. We'll have some snacks and play some games together... Myaha! Today's totally gonna be a blast!

Requested by Anonymous.

[alastor-simp]

How Do You Cheer Up/Apologize To Them After Making Them Upset- Jamil Viper

Jamil's face remained neutral like a mask whenever you saw him, but you could tell he was still upset about the other day. You wanted to find a way to apologize to him, but you were feeling scared and worried at how you would approach him. Suddenly, you felt someone tackle you from behind and you arched your head to see Kalim, smiling at you with his bright smile. "I saw you looking sad, so I thought I could hug you to make you feel better, did it work?", Kalim said while he kept hugging you and staring at you with his innocent eyes. You smiled and patted his head telling him thanks for the hug, but he still could tell you were sad, so he asked what was wrong and you told him about the little argument you had with Jamil yesterday, and you wanted to apologize, but was too scared to approach Jamil. Kalim's eyes stared up at the sky in thought, and then he smiled and said that you prepare curry for him. You questioned why, but Kalim said that Jamil loves curry, and making it for him and setting up a sweet apology dinner for him would make him happy. Kalim then called his magic carpet and flew you to Scarabia, and dragged you to his lavish kitchen. Luckily, Jamil was out doing certain tasks, so he wouldn't be showing up soon. Your cooking skills were alright, but nowhere near as good as Jamil's, but Kalim was there to assist you the whole time into making the curry along with some other dishes popular in the Scalding Sands. Kalim then brought you to one of the porches on the top floor where there was a little picnic blanket with pillows set up and a table with the dinner you and him had prepared. You thanked Kalim and hugged him, as Kalim flew away on his carpet, wishing you luck.

(what the picnic looked like and what you made)

Jamil had arrived back to the dorm and began to make his way upstairs to his room until he smelled a familiar scent and made his way over to the porch and saw the scene in front of him. He gazed at the picnic that was set up on the porch, with the blankets and pillows arranged perfectly on the ground, along with the enticing scent of curry that was drawing him in. "Do you like it?" You said as you came from behind him, having hid so he wouldn't see you when he came. Jamil turned around and was looking at you with wide eyes and his mouth was agape, still in shock about the surprise he had received, "What is the meaning of this? Did you prepare this yourself?" You smiled and stated you had made the dinner for him, with Kalim's help of course, and you continued saying that you felt terrible for what you did/said to him yesterday, but you didn't know how to approach him and Kalim had mentioned that curry was his favorite food and came up with the idea of a romantic picnic dinner date as a way to apologize. Your eyes then traveled to the floor and began twiddling with your thumbs, feeling nervous under Jamil's stare, until you heard him come closer to you and took your hand, and started walking toward the romantic setup. He sat down on the pillow cushion and gestured for you to sit down as well, which you did while still looking nervous. Jamil observed the bowl of curry in front of him, grabbed a spoon, and then took a big scoop of the curry and placed it into his mouth. You stared at his face, praying that he liked it and not do a spit take of the curry you and Kalim helped prepare. You heard him swallow and then a smile appeared on his face, "Delicious", and then he looked at you with loving eyes, thanking you for the dinner and that he accepted your apology. You breathe a sigh of relief, happy that Jamil didn't throw up the curry and that he had accepted your apology. "Want to try some?" He said, as continued to smile at you. You nodded and went to grab for the spoon, but Jamil stopped you and lifted your chin with his hand and kissed you softly, then began leaning in closer to you, deepening the kiss. You blushed, but slowly began to close your eyes and reciprocate the kiss, as you and Jamil continued to kiss under the starry sky, not noticing that Kalim was spying on you from above on his magic carpet, happy that he was able to make you and Jamil make up.

[animesmolbean]

Guardian of Light

(Male)

Hello! Welcome to my rewritten story for Dune and Kingdom Hearts!

Some things have changed, and the story has more added detail that helps with the story.

Regarding updates, they will be slower because I really want to explore a bit of the story, especially for future chapters. But I'll try to update as soon as I can.

As shown up above, this is the male version of the chapter! The female version was published yesterday (Monday). The female and male verison will have some differences (if you read both of them) to show the different actions taken by the characters. This will mostly affect the intimacy part of the story and not really the actual plot.

One more thing, I was inspired to write this story after reading a fanfiction I read on Wattpad that is just phenomenal! My story follows the format of it (most of the time), but it's a completely different story!

I'll link the book here if you are interested in reading it!

With all of that out of the way,

Hope you enjoy the first chapter! ♥️

Dreams are messages from the deep.

“My planet, Arrakis, is so beautiful when the sun is low. Rolling over the sands… You can see spice in the air. At nightfall, the spice harvesters land.

The outsiders and their army of demons race against time to avoid the heat of the day. They ravaged our lands in front of our eyes. Their cruelty to my people is all I've known.

These outsiders, The Harkonnens, came long before I was born. But their demon army only came recently with them.

By controlling the spice production, they become obscenely rich. Richer than the Emperor himself.

Our warriors couldn't free Arrakis from the Harkonnens, or the demons that lurk in the shadows, but one day, by the imperial decree, they were gone.

Why did the Emperor choose this path? And who will our next oppressors be?”

〰️

Chapter 1: Accepting a Deal

〰️

Year 10191

CALADAN, Homeworld of House Atreides

“I've been having these weird thoughts lately. Like is any of this for real… or not?”

A (straight/curly/wavy) (hair color) boy slowly woke up. The soft glow from the light in his room, ridding him of any feeling of sleep.

He sat up, running his fingers through his hair. He looked around, seeing the familiar room he was given when he was a kid.

“It was… just a dream.” He whispered.

〰️

Meanwhile, a young boy was lying on a bed, shirtless, asleep, but tossed and turned a little as he dreamed. He was dreaming about something. Or rather, someone. His (Hair Color) hair gently blowing in the wind. He turned towards him, his beautiful sapphire blue eyes sparkling with happiness as he smiled widely.

His beautiful best friend since they were kids, the boy who is always the light of his life. (Your Name).

However, there was someone else with him. It was another girl that wore a different outfit compared to (Your Name). The boy didn't know who this was, for he could only see the side of her face. But he knew that he had dreamed of her before, too.

The boy's hazel green eyes opened, groaning softly, sitting up as the moving light came and shined against his shirtless form. He sat up in his bed, looking down.

‘What could that dream mean?’ He thought to himself.

〰️

The same young boy was now in a dining room, sitting at the table, deep in thought as he ate his breakfast.

An older woman who sat at the end of the table spoke up, breaking him out of his thoughts. “It's good you're up early. I just wish (Your Name) could be too.”

〰️

(Your Name) stood outside, in a loose gray long sleeve, baggy black Capri pants, and his boots were off, placed by a rock.

He dipped his feet into the large, cool body of water, walking until the water was halfway to his calves. He looked out towards the horizon, in deep thought.

〰️

“Your father wants you two in full dress before the Emperor's Herald arrives.”

The brunet boy raised his head up at this news, “Full dress? Military?”

“Ceremonial.” Jessica, the woman's name and his mother replied.

Paul let out a sigh. “Why would we have to go through all this when it's already been decided?” Paul asked.

“Ceremony.” Jessica simply replied.

The doors to the room suddenly opened, making the two at the dining table turn. Paul's lips lifted up into a smile at who was standing there. (Your Name).

“Ah…” (Your Name) chuckled awkwardly. “So sorry I'm late.” The boy walked over to the spot between Paul and Jessica.

“Nice to see you here (Your Name). And with shoes on this time.” Jessica lightly teased her son-like figure. She knew this boy since he was around five years old. She remembered the day the first time she brought him to Caladan.

〰️

Jessica was out late at night, having trouble sleeping. The sky was dark, stars twinkling, and the moon being the only thing providing light, making anything the light shone on glow a soft blue.

She walked along a beach that Caladan was known for when she saw what looked like a shooting star in the sky. But she saw it was falling towards the ground, not going across the sky like a shooting star normally would.

She watched the bright light and splash into a large body of water she was near. She walked closer to the water, her feet touching the soft sand. What she saw made her eyes widen.

What fell into the water was not a rock. But a child. He looked very young, like about five years old. He wore a white loose shirt with black shorts and no shoes.

Acting fast, she took off the cloak she was wearing and grabbed the wet, unconscious child and carried him back to the castle to be taken care of.

Jessica walked towards one of the spare rooms, requesting one of their servants to find clothes for the child. The female servant did what she was told while Jessica laid the child on the bed.

She got a closer look at the boy. He had (Hair Color) hair, (Skin Color) skin, all wet from landing in the water. She frowned and stroked the boy's wet hair.

This action caused the child to stir and mumble. Jessica watched the child slowly come to. When he opened his eyes, however, Jessica felt her heartbeat increase.

The boy's eyes were a deep blue. Like the color of sapphires or cobalt.

Jessica knew then that she needed to keep this boy safe.

〰️

(Your Name) chuckled shyly at Jessica's teasing, playing with the silver charm on his silver necklace; shaped like a small crown. He smiled back and then looked over to his best friend, who was already staring at her. Before he sat down, he greeted Paul with a gentle hug. The male smiled softly at his friend and hugged him back.

Once (Your Name) was seated and eating his breakfast, Jessica told him what she had just told Paul. The boy was confused as to why they were having a ceremony, but he gave Jessica a nod before he resumed eating. Jessica poured a glass of water for (Your Name) and slid the glass to him. The (Hair Color) haired boy thanked her quietly.

Jessica did the same for Paul, “Thank you.” The boy whispered. Jessica replied, “If you want it, make me give it to you. Use the Voice.”

(Your Name) guessed that Jessica wanted Paul to use the voice to bring him the water.

“Mom, I just woke up.” Paul protested in a gruffy, morning voice.

Jessica just stared at her son making Paul roll his eyes as he reluctantly agreed to try. He turned his body in the chair to use the voice, “Give me the water.”

It came out more like a soft, raspy whisper than what it was intended to be.

(Your Name) let out a muffled giggle at Paul's weak attempt. “The glass can't hear you. Say it to your mother.” He whispered.

Paul gave the boy a look before looking back at his mother. Seconds felt like minutes. The atmosphere shifted to stillness as (Your Name) watched Paul and Jessica stare at each other intensely, waiting for Paul to use the Voice again.

Moments later, his lips moved.

“Give me the water.”

The voice came out gruffier and a bit distorted. But it did its magic. Jessica took the glass and pushed it towards Paul a little. But as quickly she was under the spell, she quickly snapped out of it. She pushed the glass of water closer to Paul.

“Almost.”

“Almost?”

Paul's voice was back to its normal pitch.

“Bene Gesserit skills take years to learn, Paul.” Jessica told her son as he reached out and grabbed the glass.

(Your Name) nodded. Even though he wasn't being taught to use the Bene Gesserit, he understood its complexity and why it's important to master.

Jessica observed her son before speaking again. “You look tired. More dreams?”

(Your Name) raised an eyebrow in confusion. He looked at his friend with worry. ‘Has he been dreaming too?’ He thought to himself.

Paul shook his head, muttering, “No.” Then he went back to eating.

“What about you, (Your Name)? Have you been dreaming?” Jessica asked.

The boy looked down before muttering, “No.”

〰️

“Extreme temperatures and treacherous weather events make life outside the cities of Arrakis truly hostile.” A robotic voice came from a recording that laid on the ground and showed visuals of what they were talking about.

After breakfast, the two childhood best friends decided to spend some time studying before they had to head to the ceremony.

The recorded voice from the video played as Paul had a book in his hands about the Fremen, reading it as his back leaned against (Your Name)’s torso. The boy was in a kneeling position, his arms were wrapped around Paul's neck, forearms resting on top of his shoulders. His head was on top of Paul's, silently reading along with him, occasionally nuzzling his nose into the boy's curly hair. He was only half paying attention, focused on looking at the book, listening to the recording, and trying to be as close to Paul as possible.

“With sandworms powerful enough to cut through metal. Only the native tribes known as the Freman and one other special person, that hasn't been seen nor born for centuries known as the Haris Aldaw’ have adapted well enough to survive.”

(Your Name)’s attention was diverted when he heard that name. Haris Aldaw’. He moved his head off of Paul’s. He has heard that name before. From where, he wasn't too sure.

Paul turned his head to look at the (Hair Color) haired boy, his hazel green eyes showing worry. “(Your Name), are you okay?”

The (Hair Color) haired boy blinked before nodding. “Yeah. I'm alright. Don't worry.” He replied to the boy.

Paul let one of his hands go from holding the book, grabbing one of (Your Name)’s hands, giving it a gentle squeeze. (Your Name) welcomed the comforting pressure and did it back to him. But to his surprise, Paul pressed a kiss to the back of his hand. Then, Paul turned his friend's hand to show his inner wrist and placed a kiss on the spot, too.

The (Hair Color) haired boy felt a blush blossom onto his cheeks at the gesture. Now flustered, he looked away shyly.

Paul let his hand go and smirked to himself before he continued reading.

“Preferring to inhabit the remotest regions of Arrakis the Freman share the deep desert with the giant sandworms, known to the Fremen as Shai-Hulud. Long exposure to spice has given the tribe their characteristic blue eyes, the eyes of Ibad.”

‘I wonder if it's as blue as my eyes.’ (Your Name) thought to himself, his focus back on the book and the recording.

“Little else is known of the Freman except that they have some sort of power that controls the Earth and the Freman are dangerous and unreliable. On the other hand, much is known about the Haris Aldaw’. They are known to control elements and have other magical abilities such as being able to glide.”

(Your Name) bit her bottom lip. ‘My dream last night was about gliding… and falling.’ He thought to himself again.

“Freman Attacks make spice harvesting extremely hazardous. For the Freman spice is the sacred hallucinogen which preserves life and brings enormous health benefits. For the imperium the spice is used by the navigators of the spacing guild to find safe paths between the stars. Without spice, interstellar travel is impossible, making it by far the most valuable substance in the universe.” The voice recording concluded.

〰️

(Your Name) and Paul were now standing outside, dressed nicely for the ceremony, both dressed similarly.

The (Hair Color) haired boy turned his head to look at the bearded man in the center. Duke Leto Atreides. The man he saw as his father for many years now. He remembered when he first came to Caladan, he was confused as to how he got here and where he came from. Jessica had explained the situation, and the Duke didn't want to believe the tale, but when he saw how adamant she was, he believed her.

He took him in and cared for him like he was one of his own kids, raising him alongside Paul. Teaching him many things like reading and writing, alongside Lady Jessica. He couldn't be more graceful to the two for taking him in.

The Duke turned his head and saw the (Hair Color) haired boy looking at him. He gave the boy a subtle nod to him; a gesture he returned to him, a gentle smile on his face.

An enormous oval shaped ship landed on the ground. The ramp was placed down as the important people walked out from it. They were wearing their house clothes and walking respectfully towards them. (Your Name) wasn't exactly sure who they were but knew they were of utmost importance if they were coming to speak with the Atreides.

“Smile Gurney.” The Duke said, looking forward at the approaching visitors, his tone calm but with a touch of joking as he spoke to his trusted member.

“I am smiling.” Gurney replied monotonously, a blank expression on his always serious looking face.

(Your Name) bit his bottom lip to suppress a snicker from escaping his lips. Paul looked at him in mild amusement.

The Duke shook his head at Gurney’s deadpan response, “How much will it cost them traveling all this way for this formality?”

“Three Guild navigators and a total of 1,460,062 Solaris for this round trip.” Another trusted advisor answered beside the Duke. The Duke turned his attention back to the new visitors.

(Your Name) watched as a member of the group that arrived from the ship bow to the Duke, “By the grave of Shaddam IV of the House Corrino, ascendant to the Golden Lion Throne of Padishah Emperor of the Known Universe, I stand before you as Herald of the Change. We are witnessed by members of the Imperial Court, representatives of the Spacing Guild, and a sister of the Bene Gesserit. The Emperor has spoken.” He pulled out a scroll, unrolling it before he read, “House Atreides shall immediately take control of Arrakis and serve as its steward.” The member closed the scroll. Do you accept?

The Duke took a couple long strides, stopping at the top of the stairs, “We are House Atreides. There is no call we do not answer. There is no faith that we betray. The Emperor asks us to bring peace to Arrakis! House Atreides accepts!”

“Atreides! Atreides! Atreides!” The soldiers that stood everywhere, representing House Atreides, started chanting as the Duke made his way down the stairs to sign the paper.

Before he does, the Duke looks back at his son and (Your Name), seeing them both giving him a subtle nod in agreement, silently approving him. They watched him sign the paper using his signet ring.

As he did, (Your Name) felt a feeling in his stomach that he couldn't quite place. Like a feeling of unease. He wasn't sure why he felt it just now. ‘Probably from all the people staring at us.’ He thought to himself.

“So it is done?” Leto asked the Herald.

“It's done.” The Herald responded, face blank, not showing any emotion.

Once the deal was finalized, (Your Name) scooted closer to Paul, pressing his right arm against Paul's left one. The curly haired boy looked at the boy. He gave him a gentle smile, which he returned in kind.

He always liked Paul's smile. Paul thought the same thing about him.

Taglist

@skeletonixsstuff

[hannahssimblr]

A sliver of light hovers above the horizon. A glow, hardly even there, rests atop the sea as waves drag rounded pebbles along the shore with a soft shh. I can’t sleep. I crawled out of bed after three and walked straight to the water's edge without shoes, to find the sand cool and white beneath the glow of the quarter moon. I sit watching the sun graze the bottom of the sky like paint bleeding onto tissue. 

Sleep evades me sometimes for reasons I cannot explain. Insomnia arrives like this. It's like all those intense feelings and urges in my body. I can't verbalise them. I sit in boxer shorts and a hoodie on this final spit of beach before the coast turns to a cliff, and try to think of some poignant reason for my lack of sleep, only to come up with everything. There are a million reasons why. All the time, all at once, but then why only sometimes? And why tonight in particular?

Sometime around four, I change into a pair of shorts and run the length of the beach as the sun rises, pushing myself until sweat rolls from my body and there is fire in my lungs. I return to my end of the beach on shaky legs and take my clothes off, all of them, because the beach house is quiet and nobody is watching. Then I wade into the sea and float there with the waves lapping under my chin until the early birds sing and my hands and feet go numb. 

After a shower I collapse on my bed and sleep until close to midday, when I wake up to an empty house, starving, and with no food in the fridge. There is a message on my phone from Jen. 

Good morning lazy bones  Gone to the tennis court and then we’ll be on the beach, probably  See you around later? 

I forage the cupboards for something, but by the looks of it, the last of the food has been ravaged by the others, leaving nothing behind but crumbs and dirty plates, stacked up in the sink as usual. Someone should clean that eventually. 

When I locate my wallet among the random books and electronics heaped on the kitchen table, I zip open the coin pocket to find just a twenty-cent piece and a few useless coppers. I used the last of the money on my debit card at the petrol station yesterday. I know because I tried to buy some snacks and the only thing I could afford was cherry cola Tic Tacs which were rationed out between the three of us. I swear under my breath and call my dad. 

He’s already pissed off when he picks up. 

“Jude, what is it? I’m in the middle of something.”

“I need more money.”

“Already? What are you doing down there? I bet you’re putting it all into those stupid arcade machines, aren’t you?”

“No, I’m eighteen years old. I’m not doing that.” I’m also banned from the arcade, which he should know after the interminable speech he gave me about decorum and respect in the aftermath. 

“I put five hundred euros on that card.”

“Yeah, I dunno, I used it.”

“It was supposed to last the entire summer.”

I sigh, “It didn’t.” As he’s ranting in my right ear, I begin to wonder what I really did do with all the money. I suppose there was all of the alcohol, the takeaways, the junk food, that PlayStation game I bought, and the earphones for my iPod since I was careless with my old ones on the beach. Oh yeah, and I bought those running shoes too. I suppose that wasn’t a necessary purchase, I just wanted them.

Yesterday I bought everything for Jen and Evie, all of their tickets, food and drinks… I have a vague, passing thought that I might not be very good at managing money and that maybe I should have done accounting or something at school like my mom suggested instead of randomly choosing geography. I’m also aware that it’s completely fine. Once Christopher has finished going on about it he’ll simply send more. We just have to go through this charade first.

I wait for a gap in his mad diatribe and say casually, “So can you send me some?”

There’s a clatter in the background and I imagine him tossing his little weighty engraved silver pen across his desk. He grits his teeth, “What do you need?”

“I dunno, another few hundred. I want to book tickets to this festival in August, too, I think they’re, like, two-fifty, so.”

“A festival?” He really doesn't need to act like we’re discussing satanic rituals, but I continue as though I'm talking to a normal man. 

“Yeah, I want to enjoy my last summer in Ireland and all that.”

He makes some flabbergasted sound in response, which is obviously stupid because he has all the money in the world, and this whole thing is an exercise in control and power.

“So, a thousand?” I venture, resting my phone on my shoulder so I can pick some dirt out from under my nails. 

“Yes. Later.”

“No, I need it now, there’s no food in the house and I’m hungry.”

He taps furiously on the keyboard of his computer, “Fine.”

“Hm?”

“Fine. I said fine. I’m transferring it.”

“Thanks.”

The line goes dead. 

Beginning // Prev // Next

[dragonnarrative-writes]

GhostGaz Week - over consumption // sun burn

CW: Brits trying Mexican cuisine without knowing what it is (not fraught), accidental alcohol consumption, sun burn,

@ghostgazweek

Simon had to admit, this whole private beach situation was a lot more enjoyable than he’d expected. When Alejandro and Rudy had suggested a quick flight from Monterrey to Puerto Vallarta before heading back across the pond, he’d been… skeptical. A beach is a beach, sand is sand, and the UK has both. Why fly the opposite direction of from home to sweat in the sand surrounded by civilians? He’d already spent three weeks in joint training sweating in the sand with people he generally liked, and now he just wants to rest.

Well, hell, he’s resting now. He’s reclined on some kind of couch bed on the roof of the villa, hiding from the sun under an awning and letting the heat leach every bit of tension from his body. From here, he can barely hear Soap whooping down by the water. Price is somewhere in town, chasing a Canadian skirt he met at a bar yesterday. And Kyle is… somewhere.

As though summoned, the man appears at the top of the stairs with two of the largest, most vibrantly yellow beverages Simon’s ever seen and a plastic bag hanging from his arm.

“The fuck is tha’?” Simon asks around a yawn. He only sort of sits up to squint as Kyle offers him one of the fishbowls. He sips without waiting for an answer. Citrus and something else, ice cold and refreshing.

“Mechanica something,” Kyle answers, taking a gulp of his own and placing the plastic bag on the table. “Lady at the market was selling jugs of it. Another lady was selling some fermented drink, said they’re good together. These,” he gestures to the bag, which Simon realizes is full to bursting with something fried and delicious smelling, “are molotes, and I got three of every kind they had.”

“Soap’s down at the beach,” Simon reports.

“He’ll come have some or he’ll have to find his own,” Kyle says, taking another gulp of mechanica something. He grabs a pocket of fried dough and chomps into it with a groan. “This one’s cheese. The locals recommended the... see-sos? I don’t know what that is. But there’s chicken, pork, shrimp and mushroom ones, too.”

Simon swipes one, inspects it for a moment, and takes a bite. Spice bursts across his tongue, tasty and just the littlest bit painful. It’s perfect.

Six molotes and a quarter gallon of drink later, Simon realizes that he probably should have slowed down. His belly is pleasantly overfull, but his head is swimming. Kyle, somehow still eating, is swaying in his seat, just a bit. Or maybe that’s Simon.

“’Ey,” he calls, “C’mere.”

Kyle grins, finishes the last swig of his drink, and comes over to flop next to Simon on the couch bed. He drops a kiss on the point of Simon’s shoulder. “Fuck. That was good.”

The burst of pleasure that’s always there when Kyle is casually affectionate feels especially nice this afternoon. Simon kisses his temple with a hum, then meets Kyle's lips when he turns into the contact.

Kyle's lips are warm and the slightest bit greasy from the fried dough. He tastes like citrus, mostly. He doesn't resist as Simon tows him down to the cushions, lets himself be drawn on top to settle in to make out like teenagers.

Except then Simon has to break away and turn his head for a jaw-cracking yawn. He flicks the sleeve of Kyle’s shirt at his snicker. Something about the sun keeps knocking him out, which the team finds endlessly amusing. Simon himself would find it mildly annoying, but he keeps waking up from the best nap of his life every six hours. He snuggles down into his little shaded spot and lets sleep take him again.

He’s a bit stiff, fuzzy headed, and cotton mouthed when he wakes up next. Kyle’s face down next to him, shirtless and snoring. Simon admires the slope of his back in the light of the setting sun for a moment before looking for what woke him up. Price and Soap have apparently joined them, and are pouring shots.

“G’mornin’, bella durmiente,” Soap says with a grin.

Simon grunts something and sits up. Or… he tries, but his head starts spinning so he flops back into the pillows.

“I put a bottle of water by your head,” Price says, arching a judgmental eyebrow. “Not sure what possessed you two to drink that much mezcal at once.”

“Tha’ the fermen’ed thing Kyle brough’?” Simon fishes the ice cold bottle from in the pillows and makes himself sit up to swallow half of it down.

“The pulque? That’s not what you two drank. You drank a quarter bottle of straight mezcal.”

“Wha’s tha’?”

“Tequila.”

“Oh.” That explains a lot. Simon pushes himself up to one elbow, blinks until his eyes refocus. He places a hand on Kyle’s back and has a moment to wonder at how hot his skin is before the man twitches, yelps, arches away, and yelps again.

“Fuck, ow, fuck!”

Soap snickers for the next half hour while Simon smooths frosty aloe vera over Kyle’s neck, shoulders and back. The sunburn isn’t anywhere as bad as if any of the rest of them had laid in the sun for three hours, but Kyle whines like a baby the whole time. He also shares his coconut water with Simon, though, so that’s alright.

[gadriezmannsgirl]

Could you do one about a honeymoon with gavi; just fluff

Honeymoon Bliss -P.G

Summary: After a wedding there's the honeymoon

“Señor y Señora Páez”

You were it. You officialy were la Señora Páez. You were married to the love of your life, Pablo.

With only 24hrs of marriage you knew you’d never get tired of being called by your new last name and it was even better hearing it fall from your, now, husband’s lips, introducing you as his wife to everyone.

You smiled again, walking side by side, hand in hand with Pablo as you both admired the beautiful Palawan, already making up plans to explore the whole Isle and it’s beauty while you guys were given a little tour from one of the guide of the hotel you were gonna stay in for a whole two weeks.

“Your suite” The man said with a loving smile, letting you both in

“Oh god” You let out admiring the beauty of it.

It had a top to bottom corridor glass door, which gave you the perfect view of the sea and the sand combined with some trees and nature. The room itself was big and modern with some wood furniture around; it had one big bathroom with a combination of white and brown colored tiles, TV, couch, a table for you both to eat outside and other inside, the bed was extremely big and perfectly done.

In one of the bedside table there was a small bouquet of flowers and some balloons that read ‘Newlyweds’ along with your wedding date and initials. So simple and yet so gorgeous. It was already the perfect place and perfect honeymoon you could ever imagine.

You smiled pointing the little fact to Pablo who smiled, kissing your cheek.

“Welcome and congratulations” The man said with a smile after finishing the little tour “Please, contact me or any of the staff members if you ever need anything”

“Muchas gracias” Pablo said nodding looking around “I think we’ll be good for now, though” He pulled you closer to him, pecking your lips

The man nodded smiling and left you alone in your suite. You hugged Pablo and kissed his left shoulder

“Thank you” You said softly with a smile

“You don’t need to thank me, amor” Pablo smiled back at you “You deserve it, I deserve it, we deserve it. It’s our time” He spoke softly looking directly into your eyes “Wanna lay down for a bit? We have been going around since we woke up, sleeping in an airplane isn’t the best thing and yesterday we didn’t batted a single eye” You smiled remembering the last night events

After the long lasting party, you went directly into your room and declared your love for each other for the first time as husband and wife. It was a bit rushed, full of excitement but still filled with love and passion, today, for a whole two weeks and for the rest of your lives, you had all the time for yourselves.

You took a deep breath, grabbing his hands that were at your waist and guiding him towards the bed with you, humming “Yes, we can sleep in for a while” You agree nodding, you turned you both around and pushed him into the bed, straddling him “But we’re not leaving this bed today” Pablo’s hands were at your waist and instantly smiled

“You read my mind, preciosa”  

… ... ...

It had been one week and five days since you’ve been here in your honeymoon and it was the best one weeks and five days of your life. Being close to your husband, spending time with him with zero stress and work, no social media and just being normal; you even joked that Pablo hasn’t furrowed his eyebrows ever since you both got here, of course he had to deny it.

“Yes, I have”

“Liar”

“I literally just did when that hijoe’puta was checking you out”

You had laughed hard at that before reassuring him, he was the only one you were interested in and pay him attention to.

There weren’t enough words to describe how wonderful everything was, both of you getting to know the Isle, the Filipino’s culture, a bit of their language and even their food that you’d definitely try to do back at home.

“I wish we could stay here for the rest of our lives” You said softly not wanting to interrupt the quiet atmosphere between the two of you. After a whole day swimming, being on a boat, walking around you decided it would be good to eat outside, your reasons leveled up when the tour guide mentioned a fire and cultural dance.

After eating the delicious dinner, you both headed towards the fire, watching the Filipino’s dance whilst also watching the beautiful surroundings.

“Sí, sería muy lindo” You heard Pablo speak into your jaw, leaving kisses there “We can if you want to” You hummed lightly leaning more into him.

“Tempting” You smiled and stayed in silence for a few seconds “But we love Barcelona way too much” Both of you laughed lightly

“Even if you don’t know how to speak Catalan properly?”

“Shhhh” You put your hand on top of his face feeling him laugh “Don’t say it too loudly, it’s my secret” He grabbed your hand and took it away from his face “I can understand it tho”

“¿Estás segura?”

“Cállate” He laughed

“I’m so fucking glad you married me” He spoke, hands caressing yours

 “Well… I didn’t had much of a choice, you know?” He squeezed you a bit letting out an ‘Oye’ “I’m kidding, I’m kidding” You giggled “I’m glad you married me too. I love it. I love you and I love us, I also love the fact we’re slowly progressing in our relationship, our lives together” You spoke turning around enough to face him

“I love it too” He said “Soy jodidamente suertudo en tenerte” You smiled “I’m lucky for you to choose me to be yours and I’m lucky that you to accept be mine, to be your husband, your life partner and your everything for the rest of our lives. You don’t have any idea of how much I love you and feel about you” You felt a few tears swell up to your eyes

“I do have an idea” You whispered “Because I feel the same way”

°°° °°° °°° °°°

Taglist: @gaviypedrisbride @stuckinaf4nfiction @elijahslover

[dustdeepsea]

I live! It's been a crazy past few months work-wise. Thank you to everyone who mentioned me or tagged me in a game. I'm going to try to answer as many as I can, starting with this post!

@coreene tagged me in the OC Patron Saint Game which I answered as Octavia. this quiz took absolutely zero prisoners:

patron saint of bones

patron saint of frameworks. of structures. of solidity. patron saint of things that break. patron saint of things that are left behind. the bones survive long after the body, the building: what is there left for them, when the rest has gone? what do bones do, with nothing to hold around them? who holds the bones?

@graysparrowao3 tagged me for a WIP snippet weeks ago. I hadn't written anything since May apart from a few round robin paragraphs.

I reread my old BG3 fic and wondered to myself who actually wrote this.

It's been months since the story left off and I decided that perfect is the enemy of done, so here are the two idiots, doing their best to communicate:

Tav awoke to birdsong and bright sunlight. It took a moment for them to remember where they were as they shuffled out of their bedroll.

Rugan handed them a bowl of warm porridge while they finger combed their hair into order. Tav nodded their thanks and started eating out of sheer habit. You didn’t refuse food when it was given to you. 

As they blearily chewed and swallowed, the world came into focus around them. The fire had been neatly put out with dirt and sand, and the mules were grazing contentedly a short distance away. Rugan’s bedroll was already stowed next to his saddlebags. He must have been cooking and packing after they had traded watches at Godswake.

He nursed a mug of hot tea as Tav wolfed down their meal in silence. “You snore, you know,” he said, in lieu of a morning greeting.

Tav stared at him, spoon halfway to their lips. “What?”

“Terrifically loud; like Talos himself come again,” he continued, cheerfully. Of course Rugan was a morning person. He was far too awake for Tav’s liking.

At this juncture, Gale would have been appalled and started lecturing everyone about making personal remarks. He would have called out Tav too, for having breakfast before washing their face and hands, and again for eating it too quickly.

Tav imagined Gale in his tower, in perfect solitary domesticity, slicing bread and apples with care, magic heating the kettle and stirring the pot in the hearth. Today’s broadsheet spread out on the table, a single coffee cup set out next to a silver carafe. Everything in its place.

“...No one has ever mentioned that before,” they mumbled around a mouthful of food.

“Oh, it’s fine. It kept the wolves away.” He grinned and something eased in Tav’s chest. Yesterday’s awkwardness seemed to be behind them.

Edit: This is now a part of Chapter 3 of Gods and Monsters with edits.

[pastelavender88]

Sinbound- Chapter 11

Summary: It’s been a month since the events of the last chapter: Eddie and Buck are on the outs and Buck’s family is back in town; Something major happens to Y/n.

Warning: Talks of miscarriage.

Series Masterlist

It’s been a month since Eddie and I broke up. It was touch and go for a while. The night of the breakup I asked for 2 hours. It doesn’t take 2 hours to basically pick up your whole life. Alex and I took all our clothes and toiletries but we still had to come back and get the rest of our things. I decided it would be best to leave all the baby’s stuff there, but excluding that I still had a ton of things. Bobby and Athena served as the buffer between Eddie and I. Athena would text me to tell me that Bobby told her Eddie and Christopher would be out of the house from 12-4 pm and stuff like that. Eddie and I still haven’t spoken since that night even though he tried. He gave me a good 2 days before he was blowing up my cell and trying to talk and work things out, but I was serious when I meant Eddie and I were done. The betrayal still keeps me awake at night if I let my mind wander enough and the events starting on the night in question and the big blow up play in my head like a movie. Alex and I moved in with Buck for the time being while I figured out the next step in our lives. Buck was more than happy to welcome us and he’s been accommodating in any way he can. He’s been going with me to my doctor appointments, driving me around a lot since I’ve gotten a little bigger and lazier to do it myself, and even taking a parenting class with me. Even though I had Alex already a lot of things have changed in the last 12 years.  Speaking of all the things Buck is doing for me, Eddie is quite pissed at him because of it. Also, the fact that Buck is the one that told me about Eddie’s infidelity. So everything has been quite an adjustment. It was morning and Buck was off today so that meant family breakfast. Which was really more me cooking whatever I was craving and everyone being too lazy to complain or make anything else. Today was chicken, waffles, spicy syrup, bacon, eggs, and french toast. (Don’t judge but I craved this my whole pregnancy.) Buck came down from the room and sat at the table. The reason I call it the room is because technically it’s both Buck and I’s room. See Buck only has two rooms in his loft but the other room is Alex’s and it’s not exactly big enough to share. So Buck and I share the room in the sense that both of our things are there like clothes, shoes, jewelry, little things like that. Buck did buy a couch though, so that way he has something to sleep on. Right now Buck was trying to convince me to go with him and Alex to pick up his parents later. “They would love to see you. I mean it’s been over a year since they last saw you.” “Yeah and since then I got knocked up and then left a single mom. Again.” “True, but you look really cute pregnant and they haven’t seen this glow.” He said, as he pointed his fork at me. “That may be the case but seriously I’m not up for that yet.” Buck could tell my mood was becoming somber, so he let it go. “Alright. Did I tell you guys what happened yesterday at work? Some guy’s kids buried him in the sand and splashed water on him when a freak flash of lightning hit and turned the sand into glass. It was insane.” “Buck I’m trying to eat.” “Mom, that's actually really cool and mother nature at work. What did that guy say in that really old dinosaur movie ‘life always finds a way’. Life is science.” “Did she just call Jurassic Park a really old movie?” I asked Buck. I turned to Alex. “That movie came out the year I was born for your info.” “How do you think I feel? I’m older than you by two years.” Buck joked. The conversation kept flowing from there and eventually it was time to clean up and start the day. Since the break up with Eddie I haven’t really been writing much so my day usually centers around Buck and Alex. I felt like a 50’s housewife. After making sure everyone had everything they needed for their day I would tidy the house, wash dishes, do laundry. It was a feminist nightmare but I was so numb I didn’t really care. I’ve been seeing a therapist but it didn’t help as much as I thought it would. Most people describe therapy as this life-altering interaction but for me it felt like when you were called to the guidance counselor in school about bullying or something. Like I was put on the spot. Don’t get me wrong there was improvement but I just didn’t feel satisfied or “fixed” in a sense. We dived into my relationship issues a lot and I understand what Eddie was saying. The “relationship” that Buck and I had while Eddie and I were still together was emotional cheating, which proved my point. We were bad for each other. Eddie and I both rushed into this relationship after commitment issues on both sides, so we were destined for doom. Either way the pain inside of me from his affair with Ana wasn’t going away because I know that what I did didn’t warrant that. Instead of breaking it off or establishing clear boundaries, Eddie decided that cheating was the best route. So here I am feeling like less than a person over a toxic relationship we both should have some coming to an end. Buck’s POV Since Y/n didn’t want to come with me I was forced to suffer with my parents alone. It was worth it since Albert was there. “Uh, Albert, hey, check this out.” I showed Albert Y/n’s ultrasound picture. It was so cool to be a part of this process and I couldn’t help but show it off. “You brought more than takeout.” Albert replied, “Well, uh, Chimney didn't tell you?” “Yeah, that I've been gone less than a year and you're a father again? No.” God I hope my parents didn’t hear that. “Uh, no, not-not exactly.” “But that's a…” Albert started. “Baby. Buck...?” My mom was suddenly standing behind me. “Is there something you need to tell us? You're gonna be an uncle again!” My mom shouted as she jumped to conclusions. “Phillip! Maddie and Howard are gonna have another baby!” My mom yelled as she went to hug Chimney. “What?” Chim asked, confused. “That's fantastic! I had a feeling when you bought this house.” My dad replied. “I mean, it's a little soon to be pregnant again, but... Why not?!” Mom said. “This is very good news, Howard. Why didn't you tell us sooner? “ Chimney’s stepmom asked. “Uh, guys... Guys, we're... not pregnant.” He said. “You're not?” Mom asked. “No.” “Then who is?” Mom asked as she turned to me. “That’s what I was trying to say. Y/n is pregnant again. It’s a girl.” “You and Y/n are having another baby?” My dad asked. “No, mom is having a baby with Eddie.” Throughout all the confusion, everyone forgot Alex was sitting at the table on her tablet. “But, they're not together anymore so we're living with dad.” “Okay, let’s not deepdive into it. Give your mom some privacy.” When we got home it was time for a talk about privacy. “So Y/n and living with you while she’s pregnant with another man’s baby?” My dad asked. “And you’re going to help raise the baby?” “It's not like that. We’re not together, I’m just helping her while she figures a few things out. Also, if she wants of course I’ll help raise the baby but we haven’t thought that far ahead. We’re taking things day-by-day.” The way everyone except Maddie, Chimney, and Alex were looking at me I could tell they had a lot to say. “I think it's…” My mom started. “Here we go. “ I knew I was about to get an earful. “Great.” She finished. That shocked me. “Uh, yeah?” “You’re a wonderful father to Alex and I know if you need to be you’ll be a wonderful father to this little girl as well.” Dad replied. “Not only are you a good father but you’re a good man.” My mom said as she stepped towards me for a hug. I wrapped my arms around her. “Here. Dad, you want to see?” I said showing him the sonogram “Oh, absolutely.”  He said as he took the phone from me. “Phillip. You are going to allow this?” Howie’s dad asked. “It's not really for me to allow.” Dad replied. “A man cannot raise a child fathered by another man, it's unnatural.” Howie’s father reiterated. “Says the expert in child-rearing, huh? I would think you would relate to Buck's decision. Father them and let someone else raise them.” “Howie.” Albert explained. “Whoa, Chim. It's-it's okay.” I said. “A man who cannot control his family is not a man.” Howie’s dad added to already building tension. “Maybe a man who's too controlling forces his sons to hide from him in another country.” My dad fired back. “Okay, easy. Come on, Dad.” I said. “Children need to learn that actions have consequences.” “I'm sorry, but how is any of this your business?” my mom asked Howie’s dad. “He did announce it to everyone.” Albert’s mom said. ‘Well, that wasn't exactly my choice.” I said, making it clear. “It was a bad choice.” “My dad helping out my mom wasn’t a bad choice, you’re just mean.” Alex called out. “Alex. Honey, you can not talk to adults like that.” “See this is exactly what I am talking about. Your child has no manners and you plan to raise another?” “Oh, that's rich.” My dad replied yet again, kicking everything off. Everyone started to argue until due to a storm the lights went out.   “Buck, grab some candles, we got the doors”. Howie called me. As mom played with Jee and Alex, Maddie and I talked. “I think maybe Albert was right.” I said to Maddie. “Oh, I wouldn't say that out loud.” “Ever think about what it might've been like...?” “What?” “If Daniel had lived.” I asked her. “Yeah, sometimes.” “You?” Just then the lights came back on and everyone was relieved. “I think it would've been just like this.” Y/n’s POV (Think of this happening at the same time as Buck’s) I was sitting on the couch after cleaning when I heard a knock on the door. “Did you forget your key or something Buck?” I swung open the door and there stood Eddie. I crossed my arms and clenched my fists tight. The nerve he had to show up here. “What are you doing here Eddie?” “I’m here to talk to you. You haven’t spoken to me in a month. At least not without a third party being involved. I haven’t gone to any of your appointments since then.” “You barely went before so what’s the difference?” “Y/n, how long are we going to do this? Huh? Are we gonna be those parents that drag their kids through hell?” “Don’t do that. I can’t do this right now.” “So when are we going to do this? Talk things out?” “I don’t know Eddie. It’s only been a month.” “We need to talk about this.” “No. I need time. Time away from you. I’ll tell you when I’m ready to talk to you.” I went to shut the door on Eddie but he put his hand there to stop it. “I miss you Y/n. Christopher missed you.” “I miss Christopher too. He’s more than welcome over here, because you’re pissed with Buck you won’t let him over here.” Eddie was quiet. “Eddie, I want to move forward but I need to do it at my own pace. The way you’re behaving isn’t helping.  I mean I feel like you aren’t even sorry.” “I am sorry. I will always be sorry for what I did. Not only because I hurt you but because I destroyed everything we built when I did it. I’m so sorry Y/n.” “I hear you Eddie I do, but I still need time. Okay?” “Alright. I’ll go. I love you y/n.” I still loved Eddie but I didn’t know if I was in love with him anymore. “Goodbye, Eddie.” Time went on and eventually Buck came home. “Hey, where’s Alex?” “She’s spending the night at Maddie and Chim’s house.” “I thought the house wasn’t done and what clothes is she going to wear?” “Our daughter is a sneaky one. She put her clothes in my truck along with a sleeping bag. How am I supposed to say no to that?” “I’m sure it’s really easy but she’s got you wrapped around her finger.” “Yeah, she does.” Buck came and sat down beside me on the couch. “So it’s just the two of us tonight, what are we doing? “I was thinking of doing something a little risky…” “Oh really?” “Oh yeah.” “How risky we talking?” “Oh you know, I’m gonna change and slip into something a little more comfortable, and then…” “Then what?” “We’re gonna eat so much ice cream our guts explode and watch trashy reality tv.” “Now that’s what I’m talking about.” Buck said. We’d always had that joking relationship that could be borderline sexual but now that we actually live together the sexual part was definitely a no-no. “I’ll be back.” I went upstairs to change. “What kind of ice cream we doing tonight, Rocky road or fudge?” “Ooh, let’s do a rocky road tonight.” I started to change when I felt a warm sensation in my pants. I looked down at my now ruined pants and noticed blood. I carefully rushed down the stairs. Buck was facing away from me but heard me come down the stairs. “You changed already, that was fast.” He turned around and saw my expression. “What’s the matter?” “I’m bleeding.” I could tell Buck wasn’t catching on to what I was saying. “Like down there.” Buck became a panicked nervous mess. “Oh my god! Okay. Let me grab my shoes and my keys and we’ll throw you in the car.” Before I could say anything he darted off. He looked around the front door and then made his way into the living room. “Where are my shoes? Where are my keys?” “Buck calm down. Your keys are on the hook and your shoes are in the room. I’m gonna put on a pad and change, while I’m doing that, call Dr.Manning.” “Alright.” I went into the room changed and put on a pad in case of more bleeding. When I came back down, Buck was waiting on me. “Dr.Manning is going to meet us at the hospital.” “Okay.” We made our way downstairs and got into the car when I realized I forgot to call Eddie. I went to reach my phone and couldn’t find it. “Buck, can you call Eddie? I left my phone inside the loft.” “Yeah of course.” Buck called Eddie but it went straight to voicemail. “Hey Eddie, I’m taking Y/n to the hospital to see Dr.Manning. Call me back when you get this,” He hung up and turned towards me. “Are you okay? Are you in pain?” “No, I'm doing okay, just the bleeding.” I was trying to keep a leveled head but my mind was racing. It was going to places I didn’t want it to go. “You know when I was pregnant with Alex I had a scare kind of like this. I was in the hospital for 2 days. They said her heart rate was low and there was a chance I could lose her. What if I lose this baby Buck?” My tears were threatening to spill from my eyes. Buck grabbed my hand and caressed it.“Don’t think like that. We’re going to see Dr.Manning and she’s going to tell us that that beautiful baby girl of yours is okay and whatever is happening is probably normal, okay?” “Okay. Thanks Buck.” “Of course.” He said as he kissed my hand. Buck and I arrived at the hospital where Dr.Manning was waiting. She ushered us into the ultrasound room and began to take a sonogram. “Okay, let’s take a look.” She moved the wand around and I saw how she squinted at the screen. “Here’s the baby right here. Let’s hear this heartbeat.” She moved over and I heard her heartbeat. It sounded good or at least I think. “That’s a strong and healthy heart beat right there.” I let out a relieved breath. She moved the wand around more until she stopped at this big blob. “Okay, here’s the problem. You’re suffering from Placenta previa. It’s when the placenta completely or partially covers the opening of the uterus. How bad was the bleeding?” “If I was on my period I would say it’s a light flow.” “And are you still bleeding now.” “No, I don't feel anything.” “I’m gonna keep you here for the rest of the night and monitor everything. In the morning I’ll let you know whether or not you’ll be discharged. Let me just say since it’s your second child it’s more than likely gonna resolve itself. What’s your birthing plan?” “I planned on doing a vaginal birth.” “Okay. We’re going to do more appointments than usual and if this resolves itself we can go ahead with that plan. If not we’re going to have to do a c-section delivery. Okay?” “Alright.” “Dad is more than welcome to stay if he would like. I’m going to make sure a room is prepared and ready for you. Let me know if you need anything.” I didn’t feel like correcting her about Buck in any way. “Okay.” She departed the room and Buck and I sat there almost as if we were waiting on the other person to say something first.” “Do you want me to stay with you?” Buck said, breaking the silence. “Only if you’d like to.” “Of course I would. Do you want me to go home and get anything?” “No I’m okay. It’s just for the night right?” “Right.” Soon a nurse came and brought us to the room we would be staying in for the night and we got comfortable. Sometime throughout the night the anxiety left me and before I knew it I was asleep. I was awoken by a nurse and Dr. Manning coming in. Buck was already awake. “Good morning. How are you feeling?” “I’m fine. Just nervous to be honest.” “Well I have good news, we found nothing concerning while monitoring you over night so that means you can go home. We’ll be having more frequent visits but I’m sure you have nothing to worry about.” “That’s great thanks doc.” Buck replied. “Just doing my job, but this does mean a few things. No moderate or strenuous exercise, heavy lifting, standing for long periods of time and sadly no sexual intercourse or sexual activity that could lead to orgasm. At least until the baby is born.” I wanted to dig a hole so deep and crawl in it. “Any followup questions?” “Nope, I’m good. You got any, Y/n?” Buck replied with a grin. “She’s covered everything. Thanks, we’ll be out of your hair now.” Dr. Manning said her goodbyes to us, leaving alone to brew in the awkwardness. “No sex until the baby gets here. Well I guess there’s no point in you living with me anymore.” I believe that was Buck’s bad attempt at a joke. “Haha, so funny. Besides it’s mostly if the issue doesn’t resolve itself I think.” I don’t know why I answered like it was a serious possibility. “Let’s go. I’m hungry.” I quickly made my way out of the room in order to avoid talking about this any further.

[star-girl69]

Ultraviolence

Natalie Scatorccio x Fem!Reader

—-

a/n: omg who is she? she doesn’t even go here…..

i’m back maybe maybe not and i just found out depression and anxiety are REAL!!!!! don’t talk to me…… anyways i hope you all enjoy!!!!!!

warnings: too tired to list it all, you all watched the show you all know what’s happening it’s ok

Chapter Thirty One - Like When We Were Kids

Chapter Thirty One - Like When We Were Kids

—-

2021-

After listening to some poor girl cry out about her boyfriend, patting some drums in a circle, Misty finally found you and dragged you to the kitchen. The phone is old, sunshine yellow, stuck to the wall like a payphone.

“You’re gonna wanna hear this.”

Of course, only Misty Quigley would start a phone call like that. You can practically feel Taissa roll her eyes through the phone.

You and Misty scrunched together in front of the phone isn’t very practical, but Tai hates you maybe a little less than she hates Misty, so it’s smart for your mouth to be near the receiver too.

“Taissa,” you say, “Listen, okay?” She audibly scoffs, Misty shuffles on her feet.

“I don’t have time for you right now,” she sighs.

“We are at a residential wellness center off Route 19 in Cherry Hill, New York.”

“Where you’re getting help?”

“Where everyone is getting help from one certain Charlotte Matthews.”

“What?” Tai whispers in shock. “I thought she was in Switzerland…”

“I know, I know,” Misty mutters, tightening her grip on the telephone, her voice still a whisper, slowly starting to pace around the room. You mutter under your breath and try to follow her around, slamming into each other every few seconds as she makes odd turns. “Apparently she’s not. And- Natalie’s here too, Tai. You’ve gotta see this place for yourself… it’s a bunch of granola losers but the food is great. And the B.O factor is surprisingly low.”

“Misty,” you roll your eyes, but she simply ignores you.

Silence on the other side of the line. Just for a moment, like sand sinking to the bottom of the earth. And like the tug of a fish on a line, you know you’ve gotten her.

“Where’d you say this place was?”

You let your eyes fall shut and let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding.

—-

Misty had quickly found some sort of camaraderie with the other men and women here, sharing stories about Natalie and Lottie from years and years ago. From when you didn’t even know any of them, not really, when all you had been was a journalist.

When you had been normal. When you had a life in front of you, laid out all pretty, and you thought you could handle any small bumps that life sent out to you to.

But you were never prepared for a plane crash. You were never prepared for the wilderness.

And it all makes you so sick that you have to tune her out, instead picking at the lunch served in the admittedly very nice cafeteria, wondering when Natalie would find you.

When you look up, you see her.

She stands there, tray in her hands, looking absolutely shocked and maybe slightly angry, her body tense, but she holds her head up high. You haven’t seen her do that in years.

“Oh!” Misty says, catching sight of her, pearly white teeth showing in a Cheshire-cat smile. Everyone else quickly shuffled off, and Misty stood, awkwardly squished between the table and the bench, patting the seat across from you.

You run your hands over your hair, then drop them quickly.

Natalie sets her tray on the table. Not enough force to make any loud noise, but enough for you to know that she is definitely not happy with your reappearance.

But, Misty holds her eyes.

“Why did you come back here?” she asks, her lip jutted out.

They both sit down, and you practically watch the cogs in Misty’s head turn.

“Well, when we spoke to you yesterday you didn’t seem like yourself.” Her concern is faux, but convincing, maybe because it is slightly true. “So, I wanted to find out exactly what was going on. You still seem a little weird,” she notes, picking up her fork. “So does Lottie. But, you know, what’s new, right?” she laughs.

Natalie plays with her food.

“But I have to say, since I’ve been here, I can totally get into this place. Knowing Lottie basically makes us, like, celebrities. And I was a little disturbed at first but, it must be good for you. I mean, look at you.”

Nat has this look in her eyes, all over her face, that you know too well.

“You really do look good, Nat,” you say, your voice not feeling like your own.

She meets your eyes and looks away just as quickly.

“What happened to that guy you were with?” she says, slyly, going for the throat. And Misty does falter for a moment.

“O…oh. Uh, he went home,” she smiles, taking a sip of white wine. Natalie purses her lips.

Misty looks expectantly at her, smile still bright and wide, and all you can do is stare at Natalie and that look in her pretty eyes.

“What?” Misty says after a moment, maybe sick of her staring.

Nat’s face turns softer.

“We’re all like this,” she says. “Aren’t we?”

You think she might cry.

Misty cocks her head to the side.

You want to grab her hand and hold her close to you.

—-

Natalie has always been a sort of fire. She was always something of violence, a storm, a fire, a hurricane. You know that she thought that all she could do was destroy, but she forgets that at the root of it all, fire destroys but it also cleanses.

Sometimes a forest needs to burn down in order for new, healthier life to spurt through the soil.

Misty had casually mentioned what room Natalie was in, and after a few moments of pacing outside her door, you knocked.

You heard some soft shuffling, and finally, her voice.

“Come in,” she said, muffled through the door, and you quickly came in a shut the door behind you, before she could have the common sense to force you right back out that door again.

The door clicked shut, you press your back against it, staring straight ahead at the wall in front of you. Some panting of a lake Natalie clearly did not put up.

You can feel her eyes on you. And after a second charged with tension you could cut with a knife, you turn your head towards her and meet her eyes.

“What are you doing here?”

You expected her to be meaner. Rougher. But instead, she just seems tired. Accepting.

You shrug. And it’s the most honest answer you can give.

She shifts up into a sitting position, looking down, and you don’t know what she wants but you know you want to be near her. And then you replace the empty space on her small bed with yourself.

“I’m bored,” you say, some soft of bullshit explanation to get rid of the awkwardness that festers between you. “And… I don’t know where Lottie is. And Misty is Misty, so…”

“Ha,” she says, smiling softly.

“You’re all that’s left,” you breathe. You look at your hands, and you can always feel her in a way you can’t feel anyone else, so you feel her eyes travel up your body until they caress your face.

“Lottie’s stupid shit really does work,” she mumbles after a moment. “This entire place, really.”

You laugh softly. “Have you been tracking your progress? Does Lottie have a file on you?”

She laughs too. “No. No, I just know. Because… I don’t hate you as much as I did. The reunion, you were right, and I… I just…”

You finally look towards her, staring into everything.

Staring at her like this, you’re reminded of how much you need her, how much you just want to forget about the reality of life and forget that fact that you’re real, you’re here, you’re alive, and just bury your head into her neck and breathe her in. Feel her arms around you and know that with her there, with her love for you in your bones, nothing would ever hurt you.

“You don’t have to explain yourself, Nat.”

“I would have loved you through it all.” The present tense sits in the air, unsung, unknown.

And you just smile, because it hurts, it does, but you fell in love with the fire long ago.

—-

You were forced into purple a while ago, the first moment you got here, really, but as long as Natalie has been here you don’t think she’s ever worn the dress code. It’s like her. You wouldn’t really expect anything else.

So when she comes down the path in purple, you’re shocked.

You have this little vision in your mind of running up to her, putting her face in your hands, and asking her who she is. You don’t know anymore. Will she ever let you know again?

You have known her for so long at her worst. You know that part of her inside and out. But the happy and healthier she gets, the more you realize what you could have had, the more you realize what you want.

You drop the basket you were weaving, hearing cars roll up on the gravel behind you.

Misty jumps up next to you, turning around just as a car door slams, someone else muttering “we have visitors.”

You watch Natalie and Shauna hug, greeting each other softly.

The other car opens up, and Tai and Van step out, two women you never thought you would see together like this again. Taissa runs down the path and hugs Misty, and they mutter, and you stand back from the rest of them, because she’s here.

If there was someone from that plane you never thought you would see again, it’s Van.

“Van,” you mutter, and her mouth parts as she looks out over the sprawling community Lottie had built. You run past the rest of them and up the steep hill, running into her open arms and letting out a heavy sigh because she smells exactly as you remember.

You pull away, everything feeling like a fever dream, softly placing your hand against her scarred cheek.

She smiles softly and places her hand against yours, her pinky touching your own scar.

“Van!” Misty shouts. “Woah. Are you guys back together?”

You rub something out of your eyes and laugh softly at this reunion.

“No!” Tai says. “No, no, no, no. Van’s not even staying.”

You step away from Van, giving her a clear look of the entire property, the mountains and the lake in the background.

Her mouth parts. Horrified. Shocked. Scared.

You place your hand on her shoulder and follow her eyes.

“She’s just dropping me off, right, Van?” Tai continues, but receives no answer. “Van?”

Everyone turns towards the deck, the mountains, and the lake.

Lottie stands there, dark blue dress, and she looks like something that is not supposed to be here. Not in the midst of all the raw untouched nature and the purple.

Van takes a shuddering breath.

Lottie turns.

She slowly steps forward, off of the deck and towards the grass, towards all of you.

One thing about Lottie Matthews, you have learned, is that she is something entirely different. She isn’t like the rest of you. She is something else.

But if she is something else, then so are you.

—-

Misty held out the bowl, and slowly, they all emptied their pockets the same way you had done. Shauna hesitated, but after a moment, sighed and took her purse off of her shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” Taissa starts, looking between you, Misty, and Nat. “Have you three joined a cult since we last saw you, or…”

“We are an intentional community,” Lottie says, taking a step forward, her hands held out softly, like she’s trying to ease all of them into it.

You could see it on all of their faces. You could feel it on your own.

“What exactly is the intention?” Van asks, trying to put as much distance as she can between all of you.

“Okay, about a week ago, I…” Nat starts, licking her lips, “Had my rifle in my mouth, and I was gonna pull the trigger.”

And she chuckles, like any part of this situation calls for laughter. As if the world ever really calls for laughter.

“And that’s when Lottie found me.” They lock eyes.

“Oh, my God,” Shauna breathes.

“I had put… walls up. And they are finally starting to come down,” she justifies, looking between all of you. “Because of this place. It isn’t easy, uh, but now I understand that it’s really what I need. You all need it, too. I mean… we brought some really dark shit back with us from that place. So, maybe now, we can actually start dealing with it.”

Everyone looks around. Silent.

But you know she’s right.

—-

taglist:

@sweetdayme4427 @dreaming-for-an-escape @peachydoki @happysparklingshadows @zhivaxo @maraudeerrs @karsonromanoff @onlyangel-444 @subastronaut @iheartnatscatorccio @yourlocalloser-core

everything taglist:

@emilynissangtr

[13as07]

Desert Lily #2

(Kankuro Sabaku)

[Art work is not mine! Credit to TashasStuff]

Requested by: @tadomikiku

Word Count: 3,358

Warnings and/or Pre-Notes:

Fun fact, average price of a camel in the US is $5,000

Bruises/Liking Markings (there's probably a better explanation for that but I can't think of it)

Little heated at the end

———————————————————————

Kankuro's eyes won't break their focus on my wrists. Small fingertip bruises decorate my skin - an after-effect of yesterday's time together. "They're so..."

"Pretty?" I ask, admiring the small discoloration of my skin.

     "Dark," he mutters, eyes fluttering to my face before settling on the bruising again. "I don't..." Kankuro cuts himself off, tugging my sleeves down before he stands up from the table.

"Hey!" I call after him, quickly climbing to my feet. "What about lunch, Ro?"

"We can eat at the house," he mutters, grabbing behind himself for me. His fingers latch around my wrist before he stutters, movements frozen for a second as he looks over our place of connection. "I'm sorry," he whispers, sliding his hold to my elbow.

"For what?" I ask, leaning against his side as I'm led back to the Hokage's manor.

"I don't know," the words come out quietly, like he's saying them to himself instead of me. "I have a present for you," Kuro quickly adds, smiling down at me. His face is coated in his normal purple paint, making me a bit sad. I wish he'd wear his face bare in public.

"Ya?" I ask my excitement taking over. "What is it?"

"You'll have to wait and see," he answers, sliding my arm through his, and continuing to lead me back to his home. "Though I bet you could guess."

"Probably," I say, a giggle escaping with the word as the whole 'sapphire' conversation rings around my head.

"I'm sorry," he repeats, his eyes snagging on the more hidden bruises around my throat. His steps freeze for a moment before quickly picking up again.

"For what?" I ask again, close to jogging to keep pace with Kankuro. This is not how I imagined our lunch date going. "Ro?" I call, tugging on him in an attempt to get him still.

"Desert Lily," he huffs out, dragging me forward. Curse the sand that seems to cover everything, making it easy for him to drag me forward.

"We need to talk."

"We are talking," he utters, ignoring one of the villagers trying to flag him over.

I wiggle around, managing to unhook my arm from his, making Kuro lose his leverage to tug me around. "Kankuro."

"Flower," he sighs, stopping a few paces ahead of me. "I don't want to talk about it."

"You never want to talk about anything," I groan, crossing my arms over my chest. Why is he being so difficult? Why won't he ever talk to me about what's bothering him? Why do my bruises bother him so much? "If you're not going to talk about it, I'll just go home."

He sighs, slowly turning toward me with his usual stone-face mask on. "Why are you being difficult?" I'm not the one being difficult!

"I just want to know why you're upset. We can't fix a problem if we don't communicate. Is that the kind of marriage you want to have? One filled with secrets?"

     Ro's mask falls for a second, sadness coating his eyes before it's snapped back into place. "We're not going to talk about it." With that, I stay true to my threat, turning on my heels and walking away. "Lily, please," he calls, heavy footsteps echoing behind as he walks after me.

     "We're not going to talk until we talk about whatever is going on with you," I tell him before falling silent the rest of the walk home, Kankuro calls after me, trying to get me to speak to him.

————————————

I'm fuming as I walk the quick path to the Hokage's office. It's been a while since Kankuro and I have talked let alone seen each other. Despite the distance, apology presents keep showing up; flowers, goodies, cards, snacks, and a camel.

Kankuro sent me a camel this morning. The man who won't talk about his feelings will drop seven hundred and fifty thousand yen on a camel. But won't talk about his feelings. But he'll send a honey-colored camel that I ironically named Honey.

With said camel, came an order of appearance by the ruling of Lord Gaara. Coincidence? I think not, hence why I'm fuming.

"Kankuro?!" I hiss, slamming the office door open. As suspected, Kankuro is lazily sat in an armchair across the desk from his younger brother.

"Hey, Lily!" He cheers, posture straightening as a smile crawls across his face. "Did you get the camel I sent you?"

"Yes, I got the camel you sent me," I continue to hiss, emphasizing the word 'camel'. What kind of suitor sends their suite a camel? A rich suitor, that's who. "I named her Honey," I add, trying my best to stay pissed. I fail miserably, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't already attached to my desert brand horse.

"Him," Kuro corrects, head prompt on his hand as he looks at me with that stupid 'I'm so in love with you' look. His big stupid eyes look so soft and get highlighted by his stupid makeup. Dumb, power difference, desert ninja.

"Him," I mock, walking up to the desk and turning my attention to Gaara. "An order of appearance? Really, My Lord?"

"Gaara," the redhead corrects, not bothering to look up from whatever is holding his attention. "I asked you to call me Gaara."

"Fine, Gaara, an order of appearance? Really?"

He shrugs, glancing at me, and then his brother before turning back to his work. "Kankuro needs your measurements," Lord Fifth shortly explains.

"My measurements?" I ask, turning to the still love-struck-looking suitor of mine. "You don't talk to me for three days, then have your brother abuse his power so you can find out how big my boobs are?" I'm beyond fuming at this point. What the hell is Kankuro's problem? What the hell is Gaara's problem?!

"Technically, you're not talking to me," Ro answers, that stupid lopsided smile on his face. "And ya, your measurements. I want to make sure your dress fits."

     "My dress?"

     "Your dress," he repeats, leaving me with more questions than answers. What dress? Why is Kankuro having a dress made? He is having it made, right? Why else would he need my measurements? "Oh and one more thing," he mutters, getting up from his seat.

  ��  I'm still angry as Kuro shifts himself closer to me, wrapping my hand in his before he bends down. Kisses are littered across my skin. "Would you go to the Great Nation gala with me?" He asks, looking up at me through his stupid long eyelashes, still bent over my hand as he litters kisses across my fingertips.

     "Idiot," I mutter, looking away from him as heat climbs up my neck. Why does Kankuro have to be so charming?

     "Is that a no?" He asks, straightening his posture. His fingers are laced in mine as he looks down at me, still smiling.

     "No, it's not a no," I mumble, raising my free hand to trace the pattern of today's face paint. "I suppose I'll go to the gala with you."

     My 'yes' is rewarded with a bigger smile, this one toothy and straighter compared to his usual grin. "Well then my Desert Lily, I'll have to take you on another date so I can fill you in on everything." Cockiness seeps from him, an effect of him winning our silent game.

     "I guess so," I swear this man is lucky I like him.

————————————

     I can feel the panic settling in my chest, caused by the strings of my dress being pulled. It's weird having someone to lace my dress, it's weird having someone to do my makeup and my hair. It's even weirder having someone constantly ask if I need something and then rushing off to go get or do said thing.

     Aside from the slight culture shock of Kankuro's life compared to mine, the rushed speech from Temari also races through my head, quickly adding to my anxiety. As I was being ushered into a guest room, Ro's sister was spewing the Hokage family customs at me.

When Lord Fifth stands, we all stand. When he sits, we sit.

Make sure I bow when I see Lord Fifth or when I see any other Hokages of our bonded Nations.

No kissing or obnoxious displays of affection. Arm through arm or hand-holding; that's it.

No nicknames. Ro is Kankuro, Tameri is Lady Sabaku, and Gaara is Lord Fifth.

Firm handshakes, good posture, no slouching.

I am Lord Kankuro's Consort. Do not answer to Lady or any other title. Consort Sabaku.

The rushed customs swirl around my head on repeat, along with the other ones I can't quite remember. The whole time more panic rises in my chest.

     What if I don't stay within the customs? What if I accidentally upset one of the other nations? What if I embarrass Kuro? Why did I have to throw a hissy fit? If I hadn’t, there would have been more time to prepare. Kankuro could have asked sooner, I would have had more time to practice all these dumb rules, I would have -

     "Are you breathing?" A soft voice whispers in my ear as fingers slide under the laces of my dress, gently tugging them looser. "I don't think you're breathing," Kankuro teases, fingers still tugging away at the bands of my dress.

     "I'm breathing," I hiss out, breath shaky despite my attempt to even it out.

     Ro chuckles, a soft kiss brushing against the shell of my ear before he relaces my dress, a bit looser this time. "My Desert Lily?"

     I hum a yes, looking myself over in the mirror. Maybe I should have one of the servants retie my dress once he's done. I might not have been able to breathe easily but my waist looked better with the strings pulled tighter.

     My eyes flicker to Kankuro, taking in his dressiness. He's in a suit which is both hot and weird. I couldn't ever imagine Ro in a suit, but he looks good in it. Especially his shoulder. God his shoulders. My mind wonders, replaying our 'scandalous' moment together as Temari called it. His hair is messy like usual, but I think it adds to the look. Also like usual, purple strips coat his face, highlighting his eyes how I like.

     "See something you like?" He teases, another shallow kiss being brushed against my neck. Kuro weavers, eyes flickering to the yellowing bruises not so hidden because of my dress. "I'm sorry."

     "Why do you keep saying that?" I ask, shifting backward. From my movement, his hands are stuck between himself and me, effectively putting a hold on his attention to my dress.

     "Because I am sorry," he mumbles, gently pushing me forward so he can finish tying the cloth to me.

     "But why are you sorry?" I push keeping my voice as calm as I can, trying to push my anxiety to the side to focus on Kankuro. I don't want to cause another fight, especially at an event as big as this, but we do need to talk about whatever is going on in the puppeteer's head.

     He stays quiet, undoing and retying the bow at the end of my laces. "I didn't mean to... I don't like that... Doing that reminds me..." Ro's face scrunches, smearing the still-wet paint coating his features. His jaw clicks as he clenches and unclenches it, face making micro-movements as he tries to figure out his wording.

     "Ro?"

     "Lily?"

     "I like my bruises," I confess, leaning against him again. "I wish you'd give me more. I wish you'd do more."

     Kuro's eyes flutter closed as his arms wrap around my waist, gently squeezing my love handles. "Please, don't say that, Flower," he whispers - begs as his fingers toy with my sides.

     "Why?" I continue to push, resting my hands on top of his as I watch the mirror, scanning for his awaited reaction.

     "I didn't mean to leave bruises... I don't... I enjoy seeing them and I don't... like that I enjoy it," Kankuro's confession comes out in broken chunks, face scrunched up again as he focuses on settling the pounding of his lungs.

     I turn in his hold, wrapping my arms around his neck before settling my head over his heart, letting the pitter-patter of his heart calm my anxieties. "Why does it bother you? Why don't you like that you like them?"

     Hands continue to knead at my skin, pushing into my flesh hard before settling down again once Kuro notices how deep his fingertips dig into me.

     "Leaving proof that I hurt you... even if there wasn't... knowing I hurt you..." A deep sigh escapes Kuro as he struggles to explain his thoughts and his feelings on the matter. "I grew up with a feared Hokage as a father and now, with Gaara... I don't want to be feared like my father. He did terrible things regardless of how it would affect people... regardless of how it would affect his family... I don't..."

     "Kuro," I mutter, instinctively reaching up to trace the half-dried makeup covering him, promising to dye my fingers purple. "You didn't hurt me."

     "I... I did... though. There's proof of it. On your neck, on your wrists, and probably on your sides now," he rushes out, panic quickly coating his words.

     "Kankuro," I try again, shifting my head upwards and tugging his down so he has to look at me. "You didn't hurt me. I enjoyed it, you enjoyed it. There's nothing wrong if we both like it. If you decide you don't like leaving bruises, you don't have to. If you decide you do, we can talk about it. Figure out a way to safely do things like that."

     Another sigh escapes him, this one shaky and soaked in emotions. "Do you actually like it or do you feel like you have to say that because you're scared of how I'll react?"

     "I don't fear you, Ro," I answer, the words feeling like the truth despite the fear that has sat at the back of my mind our whole relationship. The fear that seems to not exist anymore. The fear that has vanished with Kankuro's walls that have kept us apart.

     He stays quiet for a while, holding me against him as he rests his head against my shoulder. I play with the ends of his hair, trying my best not to stain them purple from the paint on my hands.

     "Lily?" Kankuro calls softly, gripping my sides again.

     "Ro?"

     "I don't like other people seeing them... I... I don't want them seeing me like - "

     "We can cover them," I cut off, littering the side of his face with soft kisses. "I can wear bracelets to cover my wrists and I can coat my neck in makeup."

     Another audible sigh falls from him, this one filled with relief. "Lily?" I hum a yes, tilting his head so I can cover the other side of his face. "Can I put my makeup on you?"

     "Your makeup?"

     Kankuro's head lifts, pecking my lips before he answers me. "Ya, my purple strips. Or a different design if you want, as long as it's my color. I can use it to cover your bruises and put some on your face, like me."

     He's bubbling by the time he's done talking, tugging a smile on my face. "I'd like that, Kuro."

————————————

     Kankuro tugs on the bracelets around my wrist, rubbing the gold material against my skin. Gold is a lot heavier than I thought it would be, especially since so much of it wraps around me. His face paint is a lot heavier than I thought it would be too.

     Ro was beaming while coating my face in his signature strips and painting purple flower designs across my neck.

     I thought he was going to explode from joy as he wrapped me up in jewelry; Gold bracelets that belonged to his mother. Dangling gold earrings with a single red sapphire at the end of each, gifted to him by his grandmother. Two matching rings, one with four gems, and one with none that his Grandfather never had the chance to give to his wife. My favorite has to be the loose gold chain resting against my upper chest, adding the most weight to my body.

     All the jewelry adds to the anxiety that has been rebuilt, and fears of losing any of the expensive accessories that I could never dream of affording.

     Again, Kankuro tugs on the gold bands snaked around my wrist, his voice ringing out to answer some leaf village shinobi that has come along to the gala. "I'm just saying, it's probably not the best course of action."

     The shinobi answers, half the words falling from his mouth making no sense to me. Another tug comes before an arm is wrapped around my waist. I squirm, trying to get Kankuro to drop his hold as his sister's voice rings out in my head.

     No kissing or obnoxious displays of affection. Arm through arm or hand-holding; that's it.

     Kuro notices, his hold tightening on me. His head falls, lips brushing against my ear as he talks. "What are you doing? Why are you trying to wiggle away?"

     "Your sister said one of the customs is no displays of affection. Hand holding or holding your arm, that's it," I echo quietly, trying to push his arm off of me.

     "Well, if I want to hold you, I'm going to hold you," he mutters, tightening his grip on me, and tucking me into his side.

     "Oh ya?" I try to tease, nervously scanning the ballroom for Temari. Somehow she knows about everything and the last thing I need is her pissed at me for not following the rules. I don’t need a lecture like the one I got when she found out I was chilling in Ro’s room.

     Kankuro shoos away his coworker, before turning his full attention to me, his usual lopsided smile on his face. "You look like you're going to have a panic attack."

“I will if your sister sees us. She’s going to rip us a new one,” I utter, still nervously scanning for the hotheaded Sand Village Princess.

“Stop worrying so much,” he coos, trailing a line of kisses from behind my ear down my jawline.

“Kankuro,” I hiss, head snapping around to see if anyone saw his actions. “Knock it off. Someone’s going to see.”

“Dear lord,” he groans, tugging me after him as he starts walking away.

“Ku- er - Kankuro?” I call, managing to squirm out of his hold. I settle on his arm, my hands wrapped around his bicep as I trail after him. My head is still on a swivel, scanning the guests for any disapproving looks or any Hokage. I already failed to bow to one of the Water Nation’s Hokages.

“My little Lily?” He answers back, herding me through a door.

“What are we doing?” I ask, scanning the kitchen I’ve been led to. It’s big, like most of the rooms of the Sand Hokage Palace.

“I’m going to help you calm down,” Kuro answers, continuing to usher me forward. His words are cocky, making me worry a bit.

“And how are you going to do that?”

Kankuro chuckles, hands gripping my sides before he lifts me. “Guess,” he tells me, setting me on the kitchen counter.

He sinks to his knees, hands playing with the skirt of my dress, making my mind go to not-very-appropriate events. “Kankuro?”

“Stop calling me that. I like it when you call me Ro. Call me Ro.”

“But the customs say - ”

“Screw the customs,” he mutters, fingers working to push up my skirt. Kuro slides between my knees, arms shifting on my legs, settling under my knees. “Call me Ro,” he repeats, head dipping down and brushing a gentle kiss to the inside of my thigh.

“Ro,” I breathe out, hands falling to grip his shoulders.

“Desert Lily,” he teases, mimicking my breathless voice. “Just relax. I’m going to chase that anxiety of yours away. Stop worrying.”

——————————————————————

——————————————————————

——————————————————————

[moonseonghwa]

Cruel summer 4 - P.SH

word count: 3k, fluff, suggestive

warnings: none specifically

series masterlist

‘’I can’t get this’’ You yelled, falling back into the water. 

‘’You can, let’s try it one more time, focus on what I did’’ Seonghwa replied, swimming towards you as you were practicing one of his signature surf moves. A hard twist he had under his control ultimately, yet something you couldn’t do after what felt like a hundred tries. 

Seonghwa had knocked on your door this early morning, surfboard in hand as he looked at you with a bright smile. You didn’t see him at all yesterday, after both of you went stargazing the night before. So you thought maybe you crossed a line, or that he didn’t consider you as a friend. The careless attitude you had was sometimes just a facade for all the overthinking going on in your head. Yet when he showed up this morning, all the doubts went away when he told you he had to help his uncle out in his surf shop the entire day, not being able to come to the cafe. 

Both of you went on for a while, moving around in the water and trying to go in sync with each other which horribly failed as both of you had completely different techniques. So when you rested on the sand for a while, you noticed the redness of his cheeks, realizing he probably didn’t put on sunscreen.

‘’Have you put on sunscreen?’’ You asked him, fingers ghosting his red nose.

‘’No, I forgot’’

‘’Seonghwa! I told you how important it is’’ You exclaimed, making him laugh. 

‘’I know, but I forgot it at home’’ 

‘’Let’s go for a walk then, I need to stretch my body for a bit’’ You said, Seonghwa agreeing before both of you started to put on lighter clothes after taking off the wetsuit, the bikini underneath is still a bit damp as you put on some jean shorts. 

Seonghwa’s house was just behind the beach, a bungalow with a dark brown wooden theme. It was huge though, the pool in the back visible as you made your way through the front door. 

‘’Is this your own place?’’ You asked, wondering how he could afford this while you were living off leftovers in your student life. You gazed around, noticing the interior seemed a bit cold, there were no pictures on the wall, no adorable flowers on the coffee table and no warmth radiating off the marble floor. Yet it did feel like a home, as if memories were made without evidence of them. 

‘’Yeah, it used to be my mom’s’’ He said, walking into the kitchen to find the sunscreen on the countertop. You wanted to ask about the word ‘used’ to see if he was slightly ready to open up, but before you got the chance his deep voice was heard again.  ‘’Can you put it on me?’’ He pouted,  making you chuckle as you shook your head disapprovingly. You decided to drop the question, waiting for him to open up to you himself. 

‘’How old are you?’’ You playfully asked, taking the bottle out of his hand as you squirted a tiny bit on your pointer finger, placing dots all over his face as you stepped a bit closer, examining his perfect features in the process. He was tall, so you had to stand on your tippy-toes while he was staring at your eyes, before moving down to your lips as they were so close to his. You rubbed the creme over his face softly, before moving on to the next spot which made him lean even closer. 

‘’How is your skin so smooth?’’ You mumbled, in awe of his perfect skin. 

He ignored the comment, noticing the piece of hair in front of your eyes, his hand coming up to slowly tuck it behind your ear. You stopped in your tracks, Seonghwa’s hand remaining on your face as his thumb rested on your cheek. He was holding it like you were delicate, as if a bit more pressure could break you. 

His eyes fell back to your lips, before his thumb fell on them, your mouth opening as he looked back into your eyes. You were so close to kissing him, him leaning down to almost close the distance, feeling his breath on yours. You lost balance while you stood on your toes because of the slight pull towards him, falling against his chest as his other arm came around your waist, your front pressed against his.

‘’Careful’’ He whispered in a low voice, making butterflies erupt in your stomach as you couldn’t bring yourself to look up at him, afraid of how close both of your faces would b if you did. You felt his hand on your waist, burning the skin with his touch and you couldn’t stop yourself from blushing. Before he could do anything else, you heard a sudden bang from behind you, making you snap your head back to see the door closed shut. You looked at Seonghwa with a scared look, a smile taking over his lips.

‘’`The wind’’ 

You started laughing in embarrassment at the moment, realizing the two of you were about to kiss, your head falling against his chest at the timing of the wind as he laughed with you, his hand coming up to stroke your hair. You looked back at him, missing the way his lips felt so close already, before rising back on your toes and pecking him on the pillowy lips, your hands on his chest as you leaned back, realizing what you just did. 

‘’I’m sorry I-’’ Regrets started flooding your brain, but before you could continue you were cut off.

Seonghwa placed his lips on yours, cutting you off as he deepened the kiss, his hand supporting your head on the back of your neck as your knees got wobbly.  Your arm went around his neck, feeling his lips move with yours blissfully, before his tongue teased your lower lip, making you open your mouth. He turned both of you around, his hand coming under your thigh as he lifted you up, placing you down on the countertop. 

You couldn’t get enough of his lips, smiling against them as you placed your hands on his jawline. He kissed you deep and intense, like he had waited for this moment for ages, before parting as he leaned his head against yours with a smile plastered on his face. 

You pulled him back in, this time a bit more slowly as you tilted your head to match his rhythm, feeling your insides twist with every slight groan that left his mouth, almost inaudible if you weren’t so pressed up against him. Your hands were resting around his shoulder as you both turned it into a lazy make-out session, not getting enough of the feeling. 

-

‘’I don’t get how you do this’’ You said, peeking behind him at the perfectly made surfboard. 

After the kiss a few days ago, you’ve been hanging out with Seonghwa constantly, joining him on the beach, walking late at night with him,  helping each other with the small jobs you had— well, he helped you in the café, you gave him moral support in the surfing shop— and joining the group while both of you were stuck by each other’s side. 

‘’It’s not easy, but I’ll teach you one day’’ He said, placing a kiss on your lips as your eyes lit up because of it, making him kiss your cheeks in adornment. 

He knew he was falling for you, more than he would like to admit. He felt like someone else when he was with you, as if he was someone he hadn’t been for years. Someone who was bright and calm, excited to fall in love again instead of someone constantly sour and cold, which he turned into after his mother died. 

He liked everything about you. He liked how carefree you were, living the day instead of thinking too much forward. Your cheerful attitude was contagious to everyone around you and the funny thing was you didn’t even notice it. You never asked him why. Someone he needed to move on and forget. 

July 30th 

You are regretting not coming here earlier in summer break, because if you did, you may have had more time with Seonghwa and the others.

 The first month of break consisted of working in the city though, saving money for the next semester, and applying for inter positions already as you tried to be fully prepared so you wouldn’t have to worry about it in your off-time. You knew yourself, and if you didn’t get your business for university together before coming here, you wouldn’t have enjoyed the time at all. 

‘’Y/n? This is dangerous’’ Your thoughts got interrupted by the handsome man behind you. 

‘’I know, that’s what makes it fun’’ You grunted, as you climbed the cliff at the very end of the beach. It wasn’t really a climb, you just had to get up a few rocks to get to the top. However, the sound of the water hitting the cliff underneath you two made Seonghwa cringe.

 ‘’Just a tiny bit higher’’ You said, throwing your leg over the upper part before climbing on it, seeing the ocean from a high view while Seonghwa followed right behind you, sighing in exhaustion. 

‘’Look, how nice’’ You said, sitting down on the edge as your lower legs were dangling over it. Seonghwa dropped next to you, staying a bit further away from the edge. ‘’Are you afraid of heights?’’ You asked, noticing the fear on his face.

‘’Being at risk of falling into the water is not looking very appealing, no’’ He said, making you laugh. 

‘’It’s not that bad, you could survive it’’ You replied, placing your head on his shoulder as you enjoyed the view ‘’I’ll save you when you fall’’

‘’I trust you with my life then’’ He said, a smile on his face, enjoying the moment with you, the sound of the waves beneath you making you sigh in contentment. ‘’You know that the waves are usually calm at this time, they just decide to act up when you are here’’ He said, observing the violent waves that crashed against the cliff.

‘’They love me’’ You looked up from his shoulder, making him place a kiss on your lips. ‘’Sometimes I wish I could stay here forever’’ You whispered, looking back at the ocean, the sight instantly calming you down. Seonghwa’s hand went around your shoulders, rubbing it up and down as he pulled you even closer.

‘’Me too’’ 

‘’Can you tell me something about you that no one knows?’’ He asked a few minutes later.

‘’I don’t know’’ You said, after a minute of thinking. Wondering what you were able to tell him which wouldn’t change the way he thought about you. 

‘’Nothing?’’ 

‘’I love seals’’ 

He kept quiet, before bursting out laughing ‘’Can you be serious for a minute?’’ He asked after, throwing his head back.

‘’I’ve never told anyone that before!’’ You exclaimed, pushing his chest playfully as he pulled your hands towards him, your body crashing against his before he placed his lips on yours. 

August 4th

You were currently at the lake, chilling on the grass as you were having a small picnic with him. Your head was laying on his lap, a book in his hand as he read to you while you played with his other hand. Your gaze went to his face, admiring his features, the shining black hair falling loosely on his forehead, his eyes tracing the words before averting to yours. He smiled at you, leaning down to place a kiss on your nose as you buried your face in your hands. 

‘’Don’t hide from me’’ He said, taking your wrists in his hand as you pulled them away from your face. ‘’You were staring at me, weren’t you?’’ 

‘’Maybe, it’s hard not to’’ You mumbled, going back to playing with his hands as he laughed with you. He placed the book down, leaning back down to kiss your lips, before you got up to kiss him properly, his hand landing on your thigh as yours came up to his cheek. 

You were wearing a skirt, maybe not the safest choice today, as your core was placed against his thigh. His hand slowly rid up your thigh, the skirt riding up more and more as you continued making out with him, your breathing becoming heavier every time you inhaled. He felt your legs closing, moving his lips towards your neck as you couldn’t stop but let out a sigh. 

He pulled away shortly after, though, making you pout. 

‘’We’ve got plenty of time, let’s take it slow, darling’’ He said, making you drop your head in his neck as you smiled. This man would become the death of you. 

You felt yourself lowly falling for him more and more as you couldn’t really stop yourself from doing so. Not when he always made you feel so different like you were another person. Something nobody has ever made you feel and a feeling you didn’t want to lose just yet, even if that meant going through the pain when the dream would be over. 

A few more weeks, you told yourself. 

August 6th

It was raining today, and you spent the entire morning in bed, reading the same book again as you were stupid enough to only bring one. However, you weren’t really focusing on the book when all you were thinking about was Seonghwa. You had texted him this morning, but he didn’t reply yet, so you figured he was probably busy with something. You had spent the whole day with him yesterday once again, cooking together for the boys in the evening and parting ways in the middle of the night as Jongho walked home with you. 

‘’So you and Seonghwa, huh?’’ He said, looking at you mischievously as a smile took over your face. 

The past days with Seonghwa had been nothing but dreamy. You felt something different with him, as if he was the first person that utterly and completely liked you for being yourself. Something you haven’t felt in a long time.

You were used to staying quiet, letting other people do the talking as you observed. However, you turned into a different person this summer, telling yourself to spend this time being someone you haven’t been before, yourself. 

Then eventually, when you’d go back to the city, you’ll be the same again, and it’ll be like you and Seonghwa had never met 

‘’Nope, not talking about this’’ 

‘’Oh come on, we are close’’ He sulked, pushing your shoulder as you shook your head, but when you looked at his face and saw the adorable puppy eyes, you couldn’t deny him. 

‘’I don’t know what we are’’ You said, shrugging. 

And you were completely honest at that moment because you wished you would be able to tell him what you guys were. Not just friends, souls who were the same, a bit broken inside but prepared to pretend they were not. 

You dropped your book on the bed, sighing in frustration as you longed for his touch. You already missed his fingertips tracing your skin, leaving a burning sensation behind as you fell deeper into his touch. Or the way he kissed your cheeks when you blushed because of him. 

So you got up, threw on a hoodie, and walked downstairs. You found your mom and aunt in the kitchen, trying to figure out a new recipe for the café, as you quickly bid them goodbye. They didn’t have time to stop you before you were out of the door, walking fast through the streaming rain to Seonghwa’s place. 

You knew it would be a bad idea, that it would only hurt more when you would eventually leave the town. However, that didn’t stop you just yet, not when you saw the familiar bungalow down the street after a while. Your hoodie was already soaked, the sky breaking open with the sound of thunder just as you made it in front of his door. 

You knocked, waiting for a bit, before knocking again, thrice without anyone answering. You checked your phone, and your messages to Seonghwa were still unanswered. So you started worrying.

Is he okay? Where would he be? He told you yesterday he would be free today so why isn’t he answering? Your mind started forming all kinds of scenarios and before you knew it, you tried to open the door. Surprisingly, it opened right away, indicating someone was probably home.

‘’Seonghwa?’’ You said, voice barely above a whisper as you slowly made your way inside. Your dripping clothes formed a pool of water as you stood in the doorway, not daring to go any further. Until you heard a sniffle, coming from the room in the hallway. 

You strutted forward, repeating his name as you walked towards the sound, finding him sitting on the floor as he was leaning against the bed. His arms were placed on his knees defeatedly, before you noticed the tears streaming down his face as he didn’t dare to glance at you. 

‘’Seonghwa’’ You whispered once again, afraid the scare him as you slowly got closer to him. He looked up at you with red, puffy eyes, as if he’d been crying for the past hour. You dropped down next to him, taking his face in your hands as you wiped away the tears. ‘’Are you okay?’’ 

‘’It rained when she- when she..’’ He didn’t finish the sentence, more tears falling from his eyes as he sobbed. ‘’She died when it rained, Y/n’’ 

Your heart broke at the view, pulling him close to you as he sobbed into your hoodie, his hands holding you so tight you almost couldn’t breathe. 

“It’s okay, I’m here, It’s okay’’ You chanted, scared of the way he held onto you as if you would leave. 

‘’It was my fault’’ He sobbed, making tears form in your own eyes, before you started stroking his head softly to comfort him. ‘’I killed her, it was my fault she died’’ 

‘’Shh Seonghwa, don’t say that’’ 

You felt your heart break, figuring out he wasn’t as tough as he seemed to be.

[noonaishere]

Music of the Heart [J.YH] - thirty-three | Crom3r

Hongjoong was going over the notes you made for the choreos and making notes on the songs files accordingly. Maddox was sitting next to him, observing and adding his own input.

You posted the trailer for an upcoming mashup yesterday and were currently scrolling the comments to see how everyone was feeling about it. It was the tiniest of little blurbs of a trailer, but your fans were already losing their minds. You smiled. 

“We need a new name.” Maddox said.

You put your phone away. “A name?”

“A production name. We had one when--” Maddox stopped himself from saying the old member’s name, his eyes darting from Hongjoong and back to you “--our original third member was in the group. We should think of a new one.”

“Am… am I in the group already?”

“YES?” He shouted.

You laughed nervously. “Oh my god.”

“We need a new one.”

“Okay, I believe you. What was the old one? I forget.”

“I don’t want to hear it.” Hongjoong said. “He made up the name and I’d rather not think about him right now.”

Maddox looked at him, a small frown on his face. “Fair. But… let’s you and me think of a new name, t/n.” He got up and joined you at the table and put his notebook down between the two of you so you could both write on it.

What proceeded was a two hour long brainstorming session where both of you were looking up names, looking up what they meant, writing them down in case they might sound good, trying to come up with something that involved all three of you, but still trying to pay tribute to the fact that Hongjoong had been at Wonderland the longest.

You leaned back in your chair and sighed. “We should give up and order food.”

“No! I think we can do it!” Maddox said, and patted your arm.

You sighed again.

Maddox looked at the scribbled notes on the paper. “Hongjoong… Hong…Hong-something?”

“You don’t have to put my name in it.”

Maddox waved him off. Hongjoong rolled his eyes and went back to what he was doing.

“Hong…. Hong…”

“Hong Kong.” You suggested flippantly.

He glared at you. “This is serious.”

You smiled. “Hongjoong, what chinese characters did your parents use for your name?”

“Uh… I think ‘Hong’ is ‘wide’ or ‘vast’ and ‘joong’ is ‘center’.”

You stared at him for a moment. “What’s the meaning they intended?”

“‘To be the center of the broad world.’ Why? What were you thinking?”

“I thought it was a sports position like ‘wide center’ or something.”

He thought for a second. “Isn’t that ‘wide receiver��?”

You waved him away. “I don’t know sports.”

He chuckled and looked back at the screen.

“Center of the world, huh?” You thought. “Like a… like the pin that holds a compass needle to the back.”

“That’s a nice metaphor.” He said, not turning.

“Like a… like a… an immovable point that always guides you to where you need to go. Like… a guiding star, like…”

“Star Productions.” Maddox said.

“Too simple. Like…” you thought hard for a few seconds. “...Polaris? Like it’s the pole star and you follow it to find your way, and then we could put a compass in the ‘O’ when it’s an image.”

Hongjoong chuckled. “That’s way too much about me.”

“Well… I got nothin’.”

The room was quiet for a few moments, you looking up at the ceiling and Maddox reviewing the scribbles.

Then Hongjoong spoke up: “What about ‘Cromer’?”

“Cromer?” Maddox said.

“What’s that?” You asked.

“Like an hourglass. It turns on a centerpoint - so you have that aspect you want - but the sand represents like… the lots of little experiences we each have. I’ve been here the longest and you’re brand new, Maddox is in the middle, so it has the time aspect.”

“Hmm… maybe.”

“And we can write it out with a ‘3’ as the ‘e’; so it’s three of us and we all make up ‘Crom3r.”

“Oh… I kind of like that,” Maddox said.

“See? This is why you’re the captain.” You said.

Hongjoong sighed at the nickname. “Well… at least that’s figured out.”

“Crom3r.” Maddox said. “I like it.”

“It’s just weird enough to warrant a meaningful explanation, but the 3 in the written version makes that part obvious at least.” You offered.

“Definitely better than just ‘Star Productions.’”

“Yeah, I’m sure someone’s been using that since like… the 80s or something.”

Maddox chuckled and wrote out ‘Crom3r’ onto the notebook, trying to figure out what kind of font might look best with it.

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