#I’m crying in the corner of my enclosure

[radicalredrasp]

I just want a continuity where they’re happy

IS THAT SO MUCH TO ASK FOR?!? 🥺

[zerobaselove]

a perfect fit | zhang hao

pairing: campus crush! zhang hao x reader

genre: fluff

word count: 3409

warnings: minor swearing probably?  lowercase intended, not proofread

prompts: 4. "what do you want?" "you" 5. "i want to help you, so please, let me." 11. "is that my sweater?"

notes: combined a hao prompt request (i changed the phrasing of 4 a little bit IMSORRY) with a campus crush! hao request and came up with this,,, honestly longer than i was expecting and somehow shorter than i wanted it to be ?? idk.. anyways geology major! hao you are dear to me (i want him so bad i'm clawing at the walls of my enclosure) hope you all enjoy <3

college was stressful. you knew it would be, it had to be expected. but what you didn’t expect was that the hardest part wasn’t the coursework or the seemingly constant stack of homework sprawled across your desk; it was actually paying attention in your classes.

how were you supposed to focus on mantle convection when three rows down was arguably the prettiest boy you had ever seen in your whole life. zhang hao.

you only had a few classes together, but coincidentally, due to your wandering eyes those happened to be the classes you were falling behind in. and he was to blame. 

truth be told, it seemed everyone had some sort of campus crush on the boy; between the way he dressed and carried himself and the way he always managed to be at the top of every class, just about everyone either wanted to be him or be with him. and you couldn’t blame them in the slightest. 

zhang hao was someone to admire from afar; across the lecture hall or the path between buildings. so when he ended up in a study group you had joined in an attempt to graduate with a respectable grade, you were dumbfounded, what was someone like him doing in a study group for a class he was passing with flying colours? maybe it was charity work, you convinced yourself.

the study group was only so effective for you, with zhang hao in the group you couldn’t focus, yet again. it was too hard to not notice the way he fidgeted with the pen in his hand or the way he doodled small animals in the corners of the paper. or the way he leaned over a fellow classmate as he helped them with a particularly complicated question in the textbook. 

you were doomed.

——

after a few weeks of no progress, you were just about to give up. maybe i’ll just drop out and work at a department store or something. you told yourself as you crouched down outside the library you all studied in. 

sure, you were being a little dramatic. but you were one question away from bursting into tears as you walked out of the study group an hour early. the embarrassment of leaving paled in comparison to crying in front of the boy who had been your reason to showing up to class some days. 

“are you okay?” the question pulled you out of your pity party, looking up to see the tall male in front of you. he gave you a worried look at your curled up frame leaned against the brick. “i’m just feeling a little stupid,” you tried to laugh, a dry husk of humour pushing past your lips.

the boy didn’t respond right away, opting to crouch beside you as he sat down on the concrete right next to you. if you weren’t so stressed about your academics right now, you probably would’ve been a stuttering mess at the close proximity. maybe you would’ve even noticed the scent of his cologne. but all you could do in that moment was frantically wipe your eyes and attempt to not look as pathetic as you felt. 

his eyes softened as he watched your hands rest on top of your knees, “you’re not stupid,” he said, a sweet tone in his voice, comforting even, “it’s a difficult class, everyone has been struggling.” his kind words tugged at your heart more than you’d care to admit.

“but everyone else seems to be getting it eventually.” you sniffled, concentrated on the tears threatening to spill again, “and i just keep slipping further and further behind.” you let out a heavy sigh, “i’m never gonna catch up at this rate.” 

you almost forgot the boy was even sitting there, silently listening to your troubles. “shit sorry,” you let out a pitiful laugh, “i didn’t mean to drag you into being my therapist.” 

he shook his head, a smile spreading across his face, “it’s okay, i’m glad you told me.” he turned his head towards you, “how about we make a deal?”

you only tilted your head in curiosity, urging him to continue his train of thought.

“you let me tutor you from now until exams. if you pass, then we both win, and if you don’t, then at least you tried your best.” 

the offer was sweet, but you couldn’t help but wonder why zhang hao of all people would take time out of his days to tutor you.

“what’s in it for you?” you let a small smile break out across your face, the first in what felt like weeks. 

“well,” he pretended to ponder for a moment, “maybe i just want to pass my knowledge onto someone.” you couldn’t help but laugh at the reason as he continued.

“and maybe, this can double as a way to make a new friend, if you’d want.”

sure. “friend” had no real implications of anything beyond a good acquaintance. but you almost choked at the disbelief. the university’s sweetheart, zhang hao wanted to be your friend? the boy you had spent the better part of the last two months trying to tear your eyes off of while your professor droned on about chemical reactions and the composition of rocks.

“are you sure? i don’t wanna take up too much of your time and-“ he cut you off before you could finish. “i wouldn’t offer it if i wasn’t sure,” he smiled gently, “i want to help you, so please, let me.”

you pondered the offer for a moment again. maybe it was the prospect of spending more time with him, or maybe it was just the idea of finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel that was this class, but you had made up your mind.

“deal.” your smile widened as you stuck out a hand, his own coming out to shake yours as he mirrored your expression. 

this was going to be interesting.

——

your one on one study sessions had only been going on for a few weeks but you were already starting to grasp the concepts more with zhang hao’s help. “just call me hao.” you recall him insisting on multiple occasions, unaware of the way your brain would try and twist the intimacy behind it. just friends, you had to remind yourself, that was all you two would ever be, and that was honestly more than you ever could have expected. 

“hao,” the name rolling off your tongue, “it’s getting late, can’t we wrap this up?” you whined, pouting a little in hopes of getting sympathy from the boy. as smiley as he was, he was also quite the hard-ass when it came to studying.

“one more question and then we can be done for tonight, deal?” he smiled, gesturing to the last practice question from this page. you let out a huff as you mumbled an acceptance of the deal, grabbing your pencil once again as you wrote out the explanation, scouring your brain for the scientific phrases to communicate your thoughts. 

zhang hao looked over your final answer with a content hum, his hand coming over to ruffle your hair, “good job, you’re getting the hang of this.” 

you stiffened at the contact and praise, you had never really gotten validation like that, especially not from someone like him, and your brain was running with it. 

when you originally agreed to this arrangement you hoped that maybe it would be your way to get over your little campus crush on the boy sitting next to you, but it had only gotten worse, and you were slowly losing it. taking a moment to shake the thoughts from your mind, you started gathering your stuff up to leave, as was zhang hao. 

“don’t forget you’re stuck with me tomorrow too, y/n!” he chuckled lightly before saying his farewells and leaving first, rushing off to meet up with his friend; you were sure he mentioned his name once before, ricky maybe? something like that.

you only nodded as you waved, grabbing your jacket off the back of the chair and slinging your backpack over your shoulder, but then something caught your eye; a light blue hoodie draped across the back of the back of the chair next to you. zhang hao’s sweater. the boy was already long gone, and based on how often he was sporting the hoodie, you assumed it was one of this favourites, so you couldn’t just leave it here. “i’ll just give it back to him tomorrow.” you mumbled to yourself, picking up the sweater and resting it over your arm.

when you got back to your dorm you folded the sweater nicely on your desk, right in your view so you wouldn’t forget it tomorrow. as much as you tried to ignore it, that night you couldn’t help but notice the warm citrus scent of his cologne, and you swore you could smell it in your dreams that night.

——

the next day was a brisk spring day, the warm air having been replaced by a crisp, almost cold, breeze. to say you had not dressed properly was an understatement, you thought to yourself as you walked across the campus towards the library. in a moment of weakness as you called it, or rather a moment of strong winds, you took it upon yourself to throw the pale blue hoodie over your frame. he wouldn’t mind too much right?

sitting at your usual table in the library, you set up your many papers and textbooks, not paying attention as the boy you had grown close to approached the table, a little out of breath. 

“sorry i’m late,” he breathed out, catching his breath after seemingly running here. 

“it’s okay, i was early,” you laughed, finally looking up at the boy who’s cheeks were flushed light pink.

you watched as his gaze traced your figure, taking notice of the sweater you were wearing, “is that my sweater?”

now it was your turn to flush a shade of pink, trying to form a sentence as you stuttered through excuses, “oh, i’m sorry,” an awkward laugh escaped your lips, “it’s just you left it here yesterday and so i was bringing it to give back to you but it was colder outside than i thought it was and so i put it on on the way here without really thinking, i can give it back right now,” you barely stopped to take a breath, “or i can go wash it and then give it back if you’d prefer.” your train of thought was stopped by his hand on top of yours, your mind going from a million miles a minute to frozen solid in mere moments. 

“it’s okay y/n,” he chuckled at your flushed expression as he sat down next to you, “it looks cute on you anyways.” he said simply, moving his gaze to the textbooks in front of you as he flipped to the pages you were on the day before. 

this boy was going to be the death of you.

——

something in the air seemed to change after that day, and it wasn’t just the scent of the blooming cherry blossoms in the breeze. something had changed with you two, and perhaps that was how the two of you ended up in your dorm room rather than the library, and on a saturday of all days. 

“what homework have you got for me today teacher zhang hao?” you joked, leaning back on the arms as you sat on the end of your bed, looking at the boy who sat comfortably in your desk chair.

“aren’t i allowed to just hang out with my friend without talking about plate tectonics?” he said, a joking sarcasm lacing his tone. 

you only laughed in response as you tried to control your heart beating out of your chest at the simple, friendly, term. 

before you knew it, the day had faded into night in a blur of laughter and conversation; real conversation. it was a nice change of pace, and as much as you hated to admit it, the more you got to know him, the more your campus crush had changed into just a genuine crush. 

you tried to ignore it, but it was so hard to ignore the comfort you felt being around him, how easy it was to slip into conversations and how easy he made you laugh. how were you supposed to not think about that.

and much to the dismay of your heart, these weekend hangouts had become a sort of routine. on top of seeing him most weeknights at the library, your interactions had spilled into the weekends quite seamlessly. whether it was just having a movie night in your dorm room, wandering campus during sunset, or even just doing normal young adult things like going shopping. the two of you had even gotten into the habit of accompanying each other on errands just to keep the other company. 

it was nice, you couldn’t lie, but the domestic activities made it that much harder to separate your romantic and platonic feelings for the boy. 

and here you were, awaiting the arrival of the boy on a saturday night. every time your phone lit up you rushed to grab it, just in case it was from hao, the casual name becoming more natural over the weeks.

this time it actually was a message on your screen, you found yourself quickly unlocking your phone to see what it said. “i’m going to stop at the store on my way over,” the text read, “do you want anything?”

before the voice of reason in your head could object, you typed back a quick response, “you.” simple, straight forward, to the point. everything you weren’t. it was already too late to cover up your boldness as you watched the typing bubble appear, in sync with the wave of anxiety and near nausea that washed over you.

“you think you can afford me?” he joked back, rolling with the conversation more smoothly than you ever could have, evidently. you typed back a quick laugh, hoping he wouldn’t see the truth behind your original response, “probably not, maybe i’ll just take some gummy worms.” you replied before nearly throwing your phone across the cramped room. 

and to think, you were stuck with him all night.

——

you tried to focus on the movie, you really did, but the all too familiar feeling of wandering eyes and a racing heart took over your senses, and who could blame you? it wasn’t every day you found yourself sharing a blanket with the prettiest and kindest boy you’d ever known. you almost wondered if he could feel the heat radiating from you, or if he would just blame it on the fuzzy blanket covering your legs. you hoped it would be the latter.

soon enough the credits were rolling and you finally pulled yourself from the thoughts spinning around your mind, just in time for hao to turn to you with a smug smile. “you didn’t pay attention to any of that movie, did you?”  the question caught you so off guard you actually choked a little on the sharp intake of breath. was it that obvious? you wondered. you really had to work on your expressions it seems. 

“what’s on your mind y/n?” the smooth, almost teasing tone in his voice would’ve probably made your knees give out had you not already been sat down in your bed.

you managed to stutter out a response, rather reminiscent of the first real conversation you two had months prior. “oh it’s, uhm,” you quickly tried to come up with a believable excuse, settling on possibly the worst one, “it’s nothing.” the stiff laughter did nothing to help your case as he grinned at you knowingly, hopefully not too knowingly. 

“so i’m nothing now?” he feigned offense as his hand came up rather dramatically to his chest. “i thought i meant more to you than that, y/n.” he teased, obviously enjoying watching the gears turn in your brain as you attempted to process the conversation that was happening.

busted.

there was no coming back from it now and you knew it, and more importantly, he knew it. at some point he had picked up on your lingering gaze, your quick glances that you thought had gone unnoticed. all there was left for you to do was either admit your growing feelings, or play dumb about the whole thing. and somehow you decided the latter was the smartest option. 

“i, uh, don’t know what you’re talking about.” another forced laugh pushed past your lips, getting past your thumping heart on the way out. 

it seemed that your reaction filled zhang hao with a new sense of confidence, because he did the last thing you expected him to do; lean in. not close enough for your lips to graze each other, but close enough to feel his breath on you, to feel the heat radiating off of your faces. close enough to feel the thick tension in the air, but you were sure anyone could feel that if they were here, you could even cut it with a knife.

“i think you know exactly what i’m talking about,” he smiled, your eyes darting down to his lips that were only a couple inches from your own before looking back to his eyes; warm and inviting. 

you weren’t sure what to say anymore, and so you made the bold decision to close the gap; only briefly, but long enough to taste the cherry lip balm that coated his lips, to feel the way his lips fit against yours. like tectonic plates.

what started as one chaste kiss turned into 2, and then 3, and then a gentle kiss of yearning, of waiting, accompanied by his soft hands on your cheeks. you couldn’t help but lean into his touch, his soft hands feeling like silk against your burning skin. you could feel him smile into the kiss as your body eased, relaxing into a rhythm. time slowed and suddenly the two of you were the only people in the world, the boy in front of you filling all of your senses. zhang hao. zhang hao. zhang hao. your brain echoed as you pulled away, giddy smiles plastered across both of your faces.

“is that what you were on about?” you smiled, your voice barely above a whisper as your eyes flickered between his lips and his eyes once again.

he let out a small laugh, “what do you think?” he sat back against the wall once again, admiring the way the glow from the tv illuminated your skin, and the way you couldn’t wipe the grin off your face. “i thought you’d never do something about it.” he laughed again, this time grabbing your hand lazily.

“listen,” you started, “i didn’t think you noticed, and i was okay to keep it that way,” you looked down at your interlocked hands, your mind silently replaying the last 5 minutes on a loop, rendering yourself no better than a broken record. “you’re the zhang hao, everyone has at least a bit of a crush on you, so why would i assume i had any chance.”

he shook his head as a proud smile spread across his face, “everyone?” he asked, leaving you to lightly smack his arm, a small yelp coming from the boy. “okay okay, no need to smack me,” he laughed, “but really, you thought you didn’t have a chance? why would i have offered to tutor you if i didn’t have at least a bit of an interest in you?”

you let yourself ponder for a moment, looking back on the now distant memory. “i just thought you were being nice!” you stated matter-of-factly, earning another giggle from the boy, you could get used to that sound, or rather, being the reason behind it.

he merely smiled, pressing another kiss to your lips, “well i’m not nice like this to anyone else, if that helps make it more clear.”

“good,” you mirrored his smile, taking in the beauty that was the boy in front of you, the boy who seemed to fit with you like the tectonic plates.

“because i don’t think i could handle the idea of you spending your wednesday nights talking about rocks with anyone else.” 

[ariseur]

ok i saw you wanted some requests so im here to give you an idea!! im really angst about gojo right now and i need an angst fic. (spoilers for the manga)

ok so: gojo x reader but readers cursed technique is to be able to see into the future (but they can’t do anything about it or talk about it) and they get a vision of the gojo vs. sukuna fight and what happens. they get all upset about it and cling to gojo, trying to get him not to go. (established relationship pls🙏🏻)

sorry for the drabble, i’ve been aching for someone to write this haha

HOLD ME ( TIGHTER THAN YOU EVER WILL ) - SATORU GOJO

ᡣ𐭩ྀིྀི₊ ⊹ notes - i’m not gonna lie anon, i just finished the manga and i fell to my knees when i saw this request. ilysm for this but you are EVIL ( kiss me rn thank you for providing me with this angst )

ᡣ𐭩ྀིྀི₊ ⊹ warnings - spoilers for jujutsu kaisen manga chpts 222 - 236, character death ( canon ), weirdly descriptive mentions of you choking back words ( like that feeling you get when you’re trying not to cry and it feels like there’s barbed wire in your throat😭 ), gojo calls you “my girl” twice so fem!reader in mind when writing this, i didn’t really describe it as much of a technique i mainly kept it like you were seeing visions since i didn’t know how to correlate the ct i’m sorry!!, intended lowercase, hope you guys enjoy 😚💕!!

ᡣ𐭩ྀིྀི₊ ⊹ word count - 1654 words, 9068 characterss

“satoru.”

gojo turned around, his footsteps coming to a halt down the hallway of the infirmary. his face tipped towards you, cocking a bit as he let out a low hum of question.

upon seeing his face, your stomach clenched; a deep regret swirling in your abdomen. with a look at his face, your bottom lip quivered with furrowed brows. he stood there, trying to decipher your expression as he awaited an answer. his eyes, narrowed with confidence stood out on display rather than shielded from his blindfold. there was nothing left to hide now, not his strength and not his arrogance. you remembered how you had always begged him to take it off at least once, just so you could see his pretty eyes.

and now looking back retrospectively, it didn’t matter. those visions you saw, how real they felt. they couldn’t have been dreams, they always haunted you as they showed up everywhere. your eyes fell to satoru’s pink lips, pressed together in confusion before another thought intruded your head — another sight to behold as you felt like gagging upon remembering his bruised face, the blood spouting out from his mouth tainting his lips.

“i just,” you swallowed thickly, “i don’t think it’s a good idea to do this just yet.”

he sighed, giving one shake of his head before he stepped forward towards you. your head hung low, your words choked at the back of your throat as they threatened to escape their enclosure behind your uvula. “megumi’s in danger, people are watchin’ — i can’t postpone it, baby, you know that.” his hand placed itself on your shoulder, softly rubbing against the fabric of your shirt where the seams met.

“i’m not saying that— i just mean,” you closed your eyes, letting out a quiet, shaky breath. you recalled the conversation that happened not too long ago, back with ijichi and shoko. lamenting with all the memories back in your youth, along with reminiscing over everything that’s happened. shibuya, megumi’s possession, okkotsu’s return. everybody who’s died, it haunted you like no other knowing there was nothing you could do to prevent it; kugisaki, nanami, all those lives dealt a bad hand at their dreadful end. even yuuji itadori, someone so young being used so carelessly.

“damn, so it’s just the four of us left.” gojo’s voice had echoed throughout the room of your previous conversation. your head tipping back against the cold lockers as you stood in the corner, the scent of tobacco wafting in the air and seeping in through your nostrils from shoko’s cigarette whilst she stood not even a few feet away from you.

“well, there’s still also that idiot.” she huffed, transparent smoke slipping out in thin shapes from past her lips.

being around her for so long, the smell became indelible in your brain, your senses immediately causing you to retrace back to ieiri’s bad habit. even now, as you stood in front of your beloved — even as his distant musk flew up to your head as it had just barely intoxicated you, the smell of cigarettes and menthol was still unforgettable. you remembered the scratch in your throat as you hummed in agreement, your voice uneasy and raspy from misuse as gojo looked back up at shoko. “. . that’s true.”

eyes fluttering closed, you let out a small huff as you heard ijichi debriefing about something related to nanami, not that you could pay attention anyways. the voices and the images and the downright fuckery that went on in your brain was too loud for you to focus on anything else, including satoru’s face right in front of yours as you stopped recalling the transpired events as your head bowed down even further.

“look at me,” you heard him say. he gave your shoulders a gentle shake as his hand snaked up from your arm to your chin, trying to redirect your attention back to him no matter how much your head resisted. “where’s my girl at? don’t be shy, jus’ talk to me.”

your eyebrows crinkled as they met in the middle, the slight bit of skin creasing at contact when you finally looked up at him. his lashes ridged around his upper eyelids, pupils gazing ever so delicately as they softened at the sight of you. his thumb turned to face vertically, grazing your lip as he cocked his head; and then, he smiled. what once was so comforting long ago, where you two would spend mornings lazing around in bed as you’d forget about the first years, forget about yaga, forget about responsibilities. it was like you were in that high school bliss again, unable to care about anything more than the person right in front of you — even if they were drooling all over your arm. his smile, canines on display, only made you feel sicker about what you knew.

he pulled you into his chest slowly ( giving you enough time to thrash out of his embrace and tell him to knock it off, even if it’d hurt his pride a bit ) and as he rested his chin on you, he mumbled against your ear, “you can cry it out, you know.”

“‘m not crying.” you smacked his shoulder, pulling away as you sniffled — an obviously very convincing sign of totally not getting upset.

he snorted, “okay ma’am, don’t need the attitude — i’m just saying you can if you needed to.” he kept you at an arms length before he tilted your chin up again, causing you to roll your eyes and give him a sharp huff.

“gojo—!” you heard from around the corner. a high, stern voice interrupting the small bickering back and forth between you two. his hand faltered on your face, his thumb no longer brushing your cheek as your body tilted to the side only to find utahime walking in your line of sight. her eyebrows raised at the two of you, her mouth quirking to the side in shock as she sputtered, “not to ruin the moment but,” she shrugged slightly; a way of telling you indirectly, ‘it’s time.’

“few more minutes ‘hime, and i’ll be out.” he called out singsonging along as she walked away.

“don’t call me that,” she repeated in the same cadence, her voice collecting more distance the further she retreated — allowing you guys to have a moment before they prepare to go out.

satoru turned back towards you, his smirk growing wider as you looked away, your hand grabbing the one glued to your faced as you savored the warmth in between his fingers. “ah, there she is,” he teased, “my girl.”

“‘toru?”

he hummed, his hands squeezing yours. your eyes zipped up to his. “please,” you pouted at him, “be careful, yeah?”

he laughed as he shook his head in amusement. taking a few steps back, he extended both of your arms before ceremoniously letting go. “i think it’ll be okay — i am the strongest, after all,” gojo chuckled.

you managed a meager, bittersweet smile as you let out a wry laugh. no matter what kind of sounds left your lips, he always relished in them knowing only he could pull them out of you. whether it’s a small laugh, a full on abundance of giggles, whimpers along with your squirming about that he’d always tease you for; satoru never failed to appreciate them. even your groans of discomfort when he’d piss you off, all it took was some sweet talking and a trail of kisses along your jaw and he’d bounce back all sunshine and rainbows.

it wasn’t your voice or your body ( although those were major bonuses, might he have added ), and it wasn’t even the way you’d purse your lips to stop an embarrassed smile from painting itself on your face whenever he would make a stupid joke ( another thing he had loved about you ) — it was the fact that you saw him. he wasn’t the strongest when he was with you — he was ‘toru, only satoru.

he began to walk away, his shoes tapping against the hard floors as you watched his white robe flow behind him. you swallowed back a small whine at the back of your throat as you watched him leave; his hand about to slide the double doors open until you called for him once more. “satoru—?”

“huh?” he let out an airy laugh, mixed in with the syllable.

you put a hand on your hip, swallowing to try and moisten your dry throat. you let out an awkward laugh, “i love you — so much.”

gojo put a hand to his mouth before sending it off with you as he blew you a dramatic air kiss. “i love you, always.”

and with that, he turned away; the door sliding open with a satisfying sound before it closed behind him. left alone, with your thoughts only growing louder. you couldn’t help but scrunch your eyes shut, your hand clutching your head as your fingers buried themselves under your hair.

behind that door, gojo stood as he took a deep breath. he had burned your face into his memory, his brain fading back into images of your eyes — so piercing, always searching into his own, whether that was for the better or worst remained unknown in both his and your mind. as always, you had come, you had seen, and you had loved.

as he walked out to where utahime and gakuganji were waiting, he couldn’t help but think about you. satoru gojo could be held down by anybody, with all of their might — and be stabbed with sharpest of swords and the strongest of curses, but he’d never stop loving you. because you had never stopped loving him. satoru gojo had never stopped being seen by you; for he wasn’t the strongest, merely satoru.

𐙚 taglist ; @seternic @sad-darksoul

𐙚 requests are open — june twenty second, 2024

[sallytwo]

chase isn’t even a compelling character to me i’m not sitting here thinking intensively about him (well his dead dad is funny. at this point). he is my purebred show puppy and i’m watching him get beat up at the dog park because he is is too pretty for all this. okay. he makes me want to cry and everyone is always bothering him when he should be sitting in his corner alone playing with his toys. please stop letting him out in public because it makes me so stressed out . i m going to put him in a special enclosure . forever

[seancamerons]

Janny + 15

Prompt number 15 for Jay and Manny is:

I get it! You’re jealous!”

“No, I’m not. I’m just… protective. And maybe a little needy.”

---

It was December and Jay and Manny are celebrating the holidays by getting themselves a Christmas tree from a small farm about an hour away.

So They drove a few hours out of their way on a Saturday from Christmas, late but when they arrived there were plentiful. She was on a sweeps slash holiday hiatus with work, she works a current sitcom where she plays a young twenty something even now at almost mid 30s, but she looks young not to mention she's expecting and only a few weeks along with Jay. They married a few months ago in an intimate gathering with friends and family, a lowkey but a formal celebration at a newrby vineyard not far from the film studio, in fact it was an abandoned set where the planners and Manny got to work. They're happy, and it was inexpensive.

As she turned the corner seeing a tree she like and turned to tell Jay she managed to see Mick, her former drama teacher at Smith Dale whom she dated. Jay had alot of choice words in regards to him and Manny didn't want him to start anything or for Mick himself to see her.

He was with his what she could assume is his wife. She ran into him in her large houndstooth peacock, and avoided eye contact feigning ignorance, “I should really learn to watch where I'm going. I'm looking for my husband.”

“Miss Manny Santos, my my this is a sight, you're positively glowing.”

Embarrassed and somehow charmed, “I'm almost six weeks pregnant.” She wanted an out she wasn't sure what Jay would do as he was precooked in an enclosure with other odds and ends. “I just wanted to say that, now you're jn front of me you didn't treat me the best. “

“I know, and I just Wanted to tell you, I'm truly sorry.”

She wasn’t moved, “You just have no idea how defective you made me feel at every turn, you made me hate myself for the entire time we were doing whatever it was we were doing.”

“It wasn’t my intention, all I wanted was for you to succeed, you might not believe it, I loved you.”

“Mick, I moved on.”

“I can see that. I'm telling the truth, i hope you can findthelove you once had for me.”

“You're doing it now. I almost believed you, why is it important you're late. I have to find Jay.”

“Jay? He's a lucky guy.”

“Right because he's nothing like you. He was different when I initally knew him, and i did fall for him unconventionally, but he just wants the best for me. I don’t have to change for him. I can be myself, you always tried to cage me, force me into some category of acting antiquated, you know I tried so hard, to work so hard to please you and it just was never enough, I spent more time finding things wrong with me, crying, struggling, you broke my heart and spirit and I lost myself trying to live up to your fucking unrealistic expectations. I was a young girl, you used my willingness and weaknesses to hinder me, I will never forget that nor will I let it happen again.”

“Didn't you want to succeed? I was your professor, I'm a professional! I wont let you shit on me, Manuella.”

“Well, it was a bit more than that, if I remember correctly.”

“Why are you unloading shit to make me feel things, I was hard on you, because you have potential. You've done good work since, maybe not on stage but on television and films. I like to think you took some of what I said to motivate you.”

“I guess. I guess theres something I took to keep. Look I got to find Jay, I've been dawdling too long.”

“Happy holidays, Manuella.”

Manny walked past and took to find Jay admiring a tree, “where were you?”

“Remember when I was I'm college? I ran into the professor that challenged my sanity for a time.”

His mood and demeanor shifted, he seemed angry or annoyed, he grumbled, “What did he have to say?” He asked flatly.

“He was sorry. He said he was too hard on me. He also made it seem like he just wanted me to succeed when it was more than that. “

“Damn right, it was more than that.”

“Jay. Cmon I don't know why you're getting bent out of shape.”

“Because of how he treated you, where is he?”

“No don't say anything, I handled it he's not going to bother you.”

“Look I get it, you're jealous, we had a past.”

“That ain't it. No I'm just productive, and a little needy.”

“Needy how?”

“I need to know you don't still care about that arrogant prick.”

“Look at me,” She put out herbhand ,”I'm wearing your ring and caring for carrying this baby inside me for you and I, and you're someone I want a future with.”

“You're right, that counts but he was a big part of like your past like I just, I don't knkw.” He showed a vulnerable side of him, “I don't like that he got to you the way he did. He hurt you, and I don't know what you saw in that curly haired pretentious fuck.”

“Quiet, he'll hear you and, I love you, just you. Mick like he who shall not be named because it's taken me many years to finally find my prince, and my peace far away from those guys. I'm so fortunate, I know it. Did I mention I love you?”

“Of course and you know I love you too, Manny no matter how coocoo bananas you drive me, I just know he loved you in his own fucked up way and charmed you once, am I really jealous or merely protecting ylu.”

“I'm a grown ass woman.” She replied beaming, “I can take care of myself, but I'd be miserable and sad without you, and Jayson Junior too to think about. “

“Whoa, wait. He's gonna be a boy?”

“Just like daddy. He's gonna be most likely the perfect Mashup of both of us.”

“A Heartbreaker naturally with your dimples and my wit, maybe your emotive eyes, maybe I can teach him how to be a mechanic. When he's grown he'll be just as heartfelt as you. I hope he doesn't have a troublesome nature like me, I don't want him to struggle like me, I want to be a gooddad, not someone who gets money thrown at them, but actually raised.”

“It's one of the many many reasons why I love you, what you just said, makes me feel like I found someone special. Until I saw Mick, I had forgotten all about him, just not the hurt part. It just reminds me of how I was, and who I'll never be again because I feel stronger. If not for you I'd still be following around that guy, viying for approval I'll never get because I'll never know. You love me for all of me, and he just wanted a piece of young talent, a piece of ass.”

“You do have a cute one,” she glared but he saved with, “i get what you mean.

“Okay, well then, good to know. “

“Thank you for not getting mad, too mad.”

“Mad about what?” He knew better to say what she might be mad at in regards to their conversatio he instinctively shrugged his shoulder feighned ignorance. “Whatever, babe. You're welcome.” She turned to the tree he had been admiring prior to the conversation. “This is a nice one. Let's get it, put it in the car and get out of here. My feet are swelling up.” She softly beamed enticing him to pick it up keep it moving as they walked together to ring it up.

There they were met with the farmer at a table, he saw Manny and beamed, “Looks like you're about ready to pop, girl or boy?”

“A baby boy. “ Manny looked up at Jay proudly, their height difference amplified.

“I'll say I just, you know what? The tree is yours free of charge. Merry Christmas, it's yours.”

“But sir,” She kindly replied jay was speechless, “it's a bigger one. The firs had at least $75 dollar tags!”

“Nonsense you guys are up to your eyeballs preparing for the stork, it's the least we can do. Merry Christmas.”

“Wow, thanks.” Jay shook his hand, for a kind gesture, and they took the tree to the car. “Merry Christmas to you too.”

[piastrinorris]

CONGRATS ON 2K YOU TALENTED HUMAN!! You deserve all that and more and I’m so happy to be able to call you my friend bc omg!! I am so proud of you and gosh you are just you are so wonderful I could cry! I love you!! Could I partake in the hall of mirrors + 💕 ( male pls? ) I am 21 year old straight female, she/her pronouns, I’m 5’1” with somewhat long dirty blonde/brown hair, I’m curvy and I should be wearing glasses but alas I do not. I like having my nails painted either black or red or both. My style is a mix of girly and gothic, I wear lots of skirts and dresses and frilly socks but also fishnets and dark colors and jackets or flannels.

PERSONALITY: I think I’m infp and enfp? I’m mature when I need to be and quiet, but once you get to know me I’m bubbly and weird. I have pretty bad anxiety so I will get nervous over everything and anything, I’m paranoid as well at times. I love making others laugh and happy, I can be awkward at times also but I cope with humor. I try to help everyone around me, I shove my feelings to the side most of the time if someone needs help- often times putting others before myself. I guess in certain aspects I’m kinda nerdy??

INTERESTS/HOBBIES: I love animals, gardening, reading and writing, painting, musical theatre which I’ve done for ten years. I love to sing dance and act, help others, I enjoy raising caterpillars into butterflies. music ( Lana del rey, imagine dragons, mother mother, show tunes, poor man’s poison, fall out boy, etc ) I like collecting things like pins or random nicnacs. 

if I wrote too much I am sorry okay I love you thank you I kiss your forehead

you have written the perfect amount, my love <3

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ 2k follower celebration event ongoing! ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

ooooh okay, so i can imagine you having taken a job working in the library even while at school, chatting away to the middle school's biology teacher about how excited you are for the upcoming spring season to start collecting this year's caterpillars when they suggest you work with them to make their lessons a little more interactive. you manage to convince the head librarian to give you a corner of the room that you can dedicate to making a little display about the life cycle of the butterfly, along with an enclosure of caterpillars that eventually grow, which opens up a whole new job for you - curator of the exhibit area.

you're obviously kept busy during school hours, but there's one particular group of young boys who obsess over your displays, always eager to learn the science behind things. they're almost always chaperoned by jonathan byers from some of your classes at school. at first, he goes out of his way to make sure he never looks up at you, which you sort-of understand since he's always kept to himself in school.

but the more he watches you explaining things to his brother and his friends, the more intrigued he is by you. one day, he's passing your desk in class when he drops a little something onto it. a pin of a monarch butterfly that he eventually mutters to you that he saw on display in a shop. he's especially happy to see it attached to your schoolbag.

over time, he collects more pins to give to you, at first just based on the displays you've put on at work, but with every gift, you're given the chance to open up to him a little bit more each time about your personal interests, too, though it takes even longer to get him to talk about himself, too.

he doesn't seem to realise for the first few times, that every time you've invited him to hang out outside of school or work are intended as dates. it's only on the third time you've sat in his car with him until the sun sets, with no inkling from him that he feels the same way about you, that you flat out apologise for not being on the same page as him, that you've taken the hint and you'll try and be a bit more distant since whatever you're putting out is not being picked up. halfway through your sentence, he takes your face in his hands and kisses you, replacing your apologies with his own for not believing someone like you could see him that way.

[aurora-daily]

AURORA: ‘Online crucifixion is the modern witch burning’

Interview for Dazed magazine by Greg Wetherall (August 6th, 2022).

The enigmatic Norwegian pop artist opens up about death, her relationship with Billie Eilish, and her fated plans to leave the music industry

Not long before the first of our two interviews with AURORA, the musician takes to Twitter to denounce societies’ sexualisation of women. “We get sexualised by the world, and yet shamed for being sexual,” her post begins. It concludes with the hashtag #ourbodyyourchoice, with a link to her track “The Devil is Human”. Backstage at BST Hyde Park a few days later, the diminutive 26-year-old is the picture of tranquillity as she settles into a quiet corner of the artists’ enclosure. She will shortly take to the stage to showcase tracks from her outstanding new album The Gods We Can Touch, alongside earlier hits, including viral TikTok sensation “Runaway”.

For now, though, she is keen to reveal what’s on her mind. Unexpectedly, this includes where she sees her music career headed and where it is likely to end. “I'm going to make eight albums or eight chapters in my whole life,” she confides. “I know how all of them are going to sound and what they are going to be called. Now I have three chapters, [but] I’m going to have eight.”

AURORA makes for a compelling and idiosyncratic pop star. So far, she has encompassed Nordic electro-folk, snappy synth-pop, and atmospheric chamber balladry across three bewitching albums – a mix which has beguiled legions of fans, including Billie Eilish, who announced that the video to 2015 single “Runaway” inspired her to make music.

If you map AURORA’s musical DNA, you will likely hear traces of Lorde, Bjork, and even Enya alongside her beloved Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen (“I wanted to write in English because Cohen wrote in English,” she says). There are shades of Kate Bush too. When the latter is put to her though, she admits to not being particularly familiar: “I kind of feel like I know [her] already even though I haven’t heard much [of Kate Bush’s material]. One day I will listen to her music… I never really listen to music,” she says.

Lyrically, AURORA often digs into the big topics. She has criticised human greed (“When the last tree has fallen/And the rivers are all poisoned/You cannot eat money, oh no” – “The Seed”), railed against conversion therapy (“Cure For Me”) and laid bare her despair over the state of the world (“I fall asleep in my own tears/I cry for the world, for everyone” – “Warrior”).

The singer’s aesthetic is fiercely individualistic too: think Scandinavian forest-dweller crossed with someone plucked from a Waterhouse oil painting. Today, she is wearing a medieval chemise underneath a corset top, and her trademark lack of make-up ensures her alabaster complexion is dazzling under the glare of the sun.

We return to the social media post that the artist made a few days before. “This last child of mine, album, I mean, is inspired by suppression in society,” she says. “Often, I think about the way religion makes us judge ourselves – our sexualities, our bodies, and our mistakes. I don’t like anyone telling human beings they should be ashamed of natural things. I find that very sad, and so I wrote a song about it.” That song is “The Devil is Human”, and the lyrics posit a series of pointed theological questions. When asked if they are a swipe at organised religion rather than the concept of a higher power, she is unequivocal: “Oh, yeah definitely, because I don’t think that about faith or spirituality. I think about the God we made after and the book that we wrote and rewrote many times. I find it sad that we let this chosen truth ruin people’s lives, especially the freedom for people to express themselves; be who they are and fall in love [with who they want].”

The concept of judgement troubles the musician. She stresses the importance of people getting to know their “deep place” and learning how to think for themselves. “I think the world struggles most when people forget how to think for themselves,” she explains. “We forget because it’s so easy to get influenced… and because online crucifixion is the modern witch burning. Women get the worst of it.” Asked as to why she thinks this is so, she says that the world is “used to criticising women” because “they can”.

When we resume our conversation a few weeks later, AURORA is home making the most of a small window of downtime, during which she intends to undertake some “naked swimming” and unwind with “some champagne” in her apartment. “It’s raining in Norway, and I’m very happy about that,” she says, and flips the camera around to showcase the multitude of plants that she intends to take care of while at home. “It’s a perfect holiday for me.”

Born in Stavanger, Norway, Aurora Aksnes discovered music early. The piano became her first instrument “by accident” when she was six (“I just pressed the keys, and kind of taught myself by ear,” she recalls). A few years later, her first original composition emerged, and the subject was pitch-black. The song “A Hunter in the Dark” was about “a serial killer who had no regrets, so it doesn’t make any sense to be angry at him, because he’ll never understand you”.

School was not her happiest time, despite having some friends and doing well academically. “I think from the outside it could seem like I was doing OK, but my internal experience of school was awful. I remember just being very stressed; very anxious. I grew up in a very small place, and I was constantly overwhelmed by everything. I always felt out of place. I didn’t relate to the kids. I thought they didn’t make sense. I didn’t understand why I was there. I was very confused and lost… but only at school and only with other people.”

On her own, it was a different matter. AURORA says she was “very happy” in solitude. “80 per cent of my childhood was spent in the forest alone and I had a great time,” she says. AURORA’s parents had a “huge bell… like a cowbell” that they’d ring when they wanted their daughter home: “We didn’t have phones back then, so I would go into the forest, and they would ring the bell to get me back for dinner.”

Her parents were “very liberal and kind” and never forbade her from expressing herself, even though her behaviour was less conventional than that of her siblings. Dinner time would find AURORA sitting “on top of the table” where she would eat with her hands. “They just let me be,” she says, gratefully.

At around seven or eight, she started experimenting with her clothing. This involved putting “a lot of things on top of each other”, “cutting up socks” and feeding her arms through them. She hesitates to use the term bullying when describing the reaction of her peers during her teen years, because she doesn’t feel “worthy”. Nevertheless, she claims the whispering, laughing and looks she endured helped shape her. “I remember feeling quite empowered by it. I was like, oh, it’s fun to liberate myself and realise I can still enjoy what I enjoy beyond the approval of people. It gave me quite an eye-opening perspective on life and myself. It was a huge part of me becoming who I am. It was important for me to go through it.”

Following a clutch of EPs and singles, AURORA released her debut album All My Demons Greeting Me As a Friend in 2016. The album received extremely positive notices and boasted songs that would be established as among her signature works, including “Running with the Wolves”, “Warrior”, and “Runaway”. When we touch upon Eilish’s love of the latter, AURORA gives candid insight into their relationship. “I have spoken to her and her family many times. We meet sometimes. The world pressurises her way too much. Because she acts and looks mature, I feel like the world forgets how young she is. And it’s very unfair. I think she’s doing a brilliant job in manoeuvring how the world treats her. But yeah, she and her family are brilliant. They’re just nice people. I think the way her brother [FINNEAS] produces and writes is very, very gorgeous too.”

Although only in her mid-twenties, AURORA concedes that she’s already known “quite a lot of loss” in her life. A friend was tragically murdered at the Utøya massacre in 2011, another friend passed away through suicide, and another by way of a fatal car accident. “I’ve seen a lot of people consumed by death, and it always surprises me how physical grief is,” she says. “There’s an actual pain in your chest. I’m going to write a whole album one day – a concept album – just dedicated to grief, loss, and sorrow, and how to cope with it.

“I wish we talked more about it [death]. Sometimes when I sit with my family, I say, ‘If I die young…’, and my mother goes, [mimics shocked exclamation] ‘Oh, No!’,” she continues. “I’m not going to die. I’m just saying that, if I die young, know that I’m very happy with what I’ve experienced in life – if that [knowledge] can give you some peace. I’ve already written my will too, with lots of letters to people just so there’s something to hold on to if I go early. It’s not because I know or want to [go]. I just want to make it as pleasant as possible.”

Following the success of her debut album, AURORA released her second album A Different Kind of Human (Step 2) in 2019. Less than a year later, the world shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The experimental, yet hook-heavy, The Gods We Can Touch followed earlier this year. Of her pledge to only make eight albums, AURORA confirms that it was established ten years ago when she first started out. “The first thing I did when I became an artist was to sit by myself and divide my life into what I feel I need to address in my time. And then, I started addressing them chapter by chapter. This chapter now, I knew I was going to address religion, freedom and sexuality.”

Is it likely that she’ll walk away from music entirely once her album quota is fulfilled? “Yeah, I think so. Because then I won’t have more to say, I think. I feel like I have spiritual stuff to realise... I also want to learn more about astronomy and physics. My dream is to have a bachelor’s degree in those things, so I’m going to go back to school. I feel like a lot of the spiritual conversations have lacked science, and scientific conversations have lacked spirituality. For the last 20 years of my life, I want to sit quietly and think, basically.”

With our time almost up, and with the theme of a potential musical retirement hanging in the air, AURORA delivers one final revelation before we say goodbye. “I have a death album with one song from every decade of my life that I want to release after I die,” she shares. Make no mistake, AURORA’s beautiful brand of Nordic Noir is an intoxicating potion. The fact that she has everything mapped out only makes it more alluring. Does she have any doubts at all about a hard stop after eight albums? “It might change, but I doubt it. Weirdly, I feel like I know in my core my mission in life. And it’s very exciting.”

[saynotoshityouhate]

And because I have no chill. Hulk is in a RAGE but reader is the only thing that can calm him down. She’s there for him. Soothes the beast and they cuddle 🥺👉🏻👈🏻

Come Back to Us

Words: 1485

Tags: so much angst and crying and anger

Hi @ladyinwriting18 - I hope you don’t mind, but I’m going to combine this ask with your other one about Reader being pregnant. I think it works well together and I hope you’ll agree! Special thanks to @kylospumpkin for baby name help.

Steve lead you down the long white hallway, one hand on the small of your back, almost pushing you to the door at the very end. You wiped a few tears from your eyes. You never liked this part. It never got any easier.

“If it makes you feel any better, he really did great out there. We were in and out in half the time thanks to him.” You shot Steve a glare. “No, it doesn’t make me feel better, Steve. He said he was done.” Steve sighed. “I’m sorry, y/n. I really am. But we needed him for the mission.” You had reached the door, which Steve had held open for you to enter first. “This is the last one, Steve. I can’t risk him leaving anymore.” You placed your hands on your swollen belly. Steve reached out to place his hand on your stomach. “How is my little niece doing in there?” You slapped his hand away and pushed past him. “Don’t touch me.”

You were furious. You and Bruce had agreed that if you ever got pregnant, he’d hang up his job with The Avengers for good. But then Steve called, begging for one last team up. You sobbed, clutching him by the shirt, begging him not to go. Your husband, the hero. Saving the world, one horrific, mind and body altering, dangerous mission at a time. Your fury towards Bruce leaving his six months pregnant wife alone was only softened by the fact that you were more furious at Steve for convincing him to go. Bruce didn’t want to go. He was scared, worried something would happen to you or the baby and he wouldn’t be there. He was worried he’d get stuck as Hulk and never come back. He had cried as hard as you had, imagining a life where he never got to meet his daughter. And yet - he left anyway.

Entering the observation room, you nodded at the familiar faces, men and women in lab coats, watching monitors and reading charts. You spotted Tony at the far end of the room, who swooped in and gave you a peck on the cheek. “How’s he doing?” You couldn’t bear to look through the double sided mirror where your husband, in his Hulk-form, was being held. Tony gripped your shoulder. “It’s a lot tougher this time. None of our usual attempts to bring him back have even made a dent. He won’t even let Steve go in there without making a racket.” You shuffled your feet. “Has he - well, did he ask -“ Tony smiled. “The only word he will say is ‘baby.’”

Tears filled your eyes as you turned your body to the mirrored wall next to you. He couldn’t see you - but you could see him. The walls were white and padded with harsh fluorescent lighting. Bruce’s lumbering mass paced back and forth, his back was hunched and brow furrowed. He’d punch the walls on either end, mumbling to himself before slumping against a wall, sliding down to sit. He looked defeated. And that’s when he made the noise. A noise so feral, so earthshaking, and so fucking sad, you couldn’t help but sob. Tony wrapped his arm around your waist, holding you close to his side as your body wracked with pain.

At the far end of Bruce’s cell was an enclosure made of an extra strong transparent material, used for visitors or medical personnel. That was where you’d be heading next. You wiped your face with your sleeve before taking a deep breath. He didn’t like seeing you upset, it made him more angry. Tony rubbed your back. “Ready, kiddo?” He licked his thumb and wiped a few smudges of mascara off of your cheeks. You nodded, exhaling any remaining worry or doubt. You’d done this before. You could do it again. One last time.

Tony walked you around the corner to another door which lead to the enclosure. As you grabbed the doorknob, Tony whispered. “He loves you, y/n, and that kid, more than anything in the world. He’ll come back.” You smiled up at him. He was always so kind to you, and to Bruce. “He has to, Tony.” You turned back to the door, slowly opening it and stepping inside.

Bruce’s eyes widened as he saw you standing before him. He popped up from the floor. “Baby. Baby. Baby.” You swallowed back your tears as he lumbered towards you. You placed one hand on your belly, the other on the glass in front of you. “Yes, Bruce, Baby. She’s right here. Everything is okay.” Bruce extended his hand to touch yours, separated by the thick, indestructible glass. His eyes met yours, wide and full of concern - they were Bruce’s eyes, although now set in a face that was weathered and battered and green. “You have to come back to us, Bruce. I need you. We both need you. Me and baby.” Bruce looked down to your stomach. “Baby? Where baby! Baby!” He was angry, pounding his fists on the enclosure. You stood tall and strong. You couldn’t let him scare you, or he’d shrink farther into himself.

“Bruce? Darling. Look at me.” You extended both hands out in front of you, asking him to mimic your movements. He calmed, meeting your eyes and extending his hands. “Bruce - the sun is going down. It’s getting really low.” You crouched down, difficult in your current state, but you did it for him. “Come on, Bruce. Sun’s getting low. Come with me!” Bruce followed your lead, sitting in front of you, hands still extended and dragging along the glass. “Baby.” Bruce mumbled. “Yes, Bruce, baby. You have to come back to us, my love. Please.” Your voice cracked the smallest amount, which made your stomach drop. Luckily he was too focused on your belly to notice. You moved both hands to your stomach and tried to meet Bruce’s gaze, although he was currently mesmerized.

“Bruce, this is your daughter. We don’t know what to name her yet. Before you left, we had discussed a few ideas. Do you want to hear them?” Bruce looked up at you, eyes wide and scared. “Baby.” You smiled. “Yes, baby. You want to name her after a famous scientist, like Marie Curie, or Ruth, after Ruth Bader Ginsburg.” Bruce shook his head. “I agree - and I’ll hold you to that.” You laughed, which in turn made Bruce smile wide across his face. “I like the names Eden or Olive, short and sweet and reminds me of our honeymoon in Italy. Do you remember?” Bruce tilted his head to the side. “We stayed in this little cottage in the countryside, with a beautiful garden full of olive trees in the back. Our little Garden of Eden.” You sniffed back a tear. “We would sit back there and watch the sunset. You, holding me tight, as the sun got lower and lower in the sky.”

Bruce grunted, moving his hands from the glass to his face. “Baby. Baby!” He yelled, moving up to a standing position. It was happening. You stood as quickly as your body would allow. Hands moved back to the glass. “You can do it, darling. Please, Bruce.” You let out a soft sob. Bruce started hitting his head with his fists. “Baby. Baby. Eden. Baby.” You were fully sobbing at this point. “Yes, Bruce. Baby Eden. Please come back. She needs her dad. Please.” Bruce fell to the floor, collapsing into the fetal position, moaning and groaning and convulsing. The glass in front of you was littered in your tears, which had flown out of your eyes in your sorrow. And then, like magic, the green hue faded away, the sheer magnitude dissolved and all that remained was your husband.

Now it was you banging on the glass. “TONY LET ME OUT NOW - LET ME OUT!” You screamed and pounded and sobbed. You needed to get in there, to be with him and hold him and comfort him as he came back to earth. A buzzer sounded and the glass before you opened, allowing you to run as fast as your legs would carry you into the padded room.

You fell at your husband’s side, carefully reaching out to touch him. He shuddered and shuffled away from your touch. “Bruce, my love, it’s me. It’s just me. You’re safe.” Bruce opened his eyes, looking at you with that same expression. You reached out to touch his face. “You’re here.” He croaked, voice hoarse from the Hulk’s earlier screaming fits. “We both are, and we both are safe.” You moved one hand down his arm, grabbing his hand and placing it on your belly. She kicked, causing Bruce to look up at you with sheer joy and awe. “Did he - did we name her…Eden?” You smiled, beginning to cry again. “Yes, Bruce. Your daughter’s name is Eden.”

[myheelsdontmatchmysweatpants]

A/N: I would like to preface this by letting everyone know that I am in no way knowledgeable about actual science things. That being said I am amazed that in a random draw I actually managed to get a prompt that had to do with flowers lol. This is my contribution to the BakuHarem Collab! Please take a second to check out the other contributions here!

Warning: bad science, no protection, swearing, overs!mulation, accidental exhibti0som, intoxicated smut? idk sex pollen is a drug i guess.....

W/C: 3.5k

“Bakugou, dude. We should not-”

“Shut up Kirishima!” Bakugou walks through the sterile hallways checking every corner for signs of other people. “That bitch took my top spot with some bullshit flowers?!” He finally gets to the lab that was granted to you for your research. After winning first place, stealing first place in the UA university science expo. He walks into the observing lobby, looking through the large window to make sure you weren’t working in the lab after hours.

“Just keep quiet and listen for any one coming this way.” He walks over to the security door and holds his key card up to it, the light on the scanner turns green and he hears the dead bolt slide open.

Kirishima is lingering behind him, hovering in the doorway. He turns to Bakugou to talk him out of this again but his friend has already entered the lab. “Ahh geez.” He didn’t even wear any safety gear.

As the door clicks shut behind him, Bakugou stops to examine the lab. Several different species of flowers in full bloom behind temperature controlled enclosures. Some of them are recognizable; lavender, chamomile, and jasmine. “I thought it would smell like the perfume department, this fuckin place smells like heaven.” Guess it wasn’t a new shampoo she was using then.

He walks through the aisles turning his head this way and that, trying to find something, anything that he can fuck up without it being overtly obvious. He gets to the back corner of the lab and sees a piece of familiar equipment. “Perfect.”

*****

“He said WHAT?!”

Your roommate flinches at your reaction to her news. “He told Professor Aizawa that your ‘Viagra flowers’ are a joke to the science department and they should ‘wither and die’.”

You’re fuming. That fuck tard Bakugou, mister my shit don’t stink is ridiculing my research? “All that man knows is how to blow shit up! Just cause I beat him in the expo this year, he thinks my research is a joke?!” You stand up from the couch, pacing in front of it and you can’t decide whether to scream or cry. “Why did I ever like that twat?”

Cause he has wide shoulders, big hands and scarlet eyes that -

“Oh for the love of god shut up.” Screw your inner thoughts.

Ochako watches you pace, worrying in her eyes when yours line with silver and your neck flushes bright red. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have told you that.”

You stop moving and look at her, guilt flooding through you as she slumps forward. “Don’t apologize, I was talkin to myself babe.” She nods her head weakly and you stand up straight “I’m gonna go.” You walk to the door grabbing your coat and key card.

“W-where are you going?” Ochako follows you to the door and grabs your wrist gently. You turn to her and smile, she was always so sweet but you knew that if shit went down she would be right beside you, kicking ass.

“I need to blow off some steam, so I’m gonna go check on my ‘Viagra flowers’.” She huffs a laugh and let's go.

“Alright, don’t stay too late.”

You nod, put on your shoes and leave the dorm. It’s a bit of a walk to the building the lab is in and hopefully the cool breeze will calm your mind.

*****

As you walk into the building you are grateful that your professor is more of a night owl than most students. Considering how many naps he takes during lectures it is no wonder he can’t sleep at night. You contemplate going to his office to say hi but think better of it.

Don’t wanna end up venting about Bakugou to my professor of all people.

You walk down the hallway and notice the door to your lab is cracked. Not unusual, a lot of students from your class have been coming and going to see the different species of flowers and plants you are growing. Assuming someone didn’t shut the door behind them you take your phone out of your pocket to check the time. Out of the corner of your vision a quick flash of red and you walk right into Kirishima, Bakugou’s friend and one of your classmates.

“Hey! How- how's it goin?”

You take a step back, rubbing your nose from face planting into his giant chest. Does this guy eat boulders for breakfast? “Hey Kiri! Just gonna do some late night tests! You checkin out my garden?”

“Yeah! Flowers are pretty.” He laughs, it’s high pitched and obviously forced.

You take in his nervous appearance, the fact that he is still standing in front of the door and your mood sours.

“Where is he?”

Kirishima looks like he is gonna try and stall but one look at the fury in your eyes and his head hangs down. “He’s in the lab,” you rush past him and punch in the code to open the door. “I tried to talk him out of it!”

The door clicks shut and the spiky blonde huffs in annoyance somewhere in the back of the lab.

“I told you shitty hair, if you’re gonna keep a look out you have to stand outside.”

You clear your throat and his head shoots up. You walk over to him, taking note of all of the plants and equipment, taking note of anything that looks different. As you get closer to him you notice that he smells particularly good tonight.

Keep it in your pants idiot

“Really Bakugou?” You stop a few steps away from him, noticing the various disassembled parts on the counter top behind him. “What were you gonna do, break my extraction equipment and make it look like a malfunction? Are you a B-Movie villain?”

He stands up and you are reminded of how small you feel next to him, wide shoulders, arms barely fitting the t-shirt he was wearing, strong chest that tapers to a toned waist. He laughs and you look at his face. What I wouldn’t give to just lick from your navel to your neck.

“A B-Movie villain huh? That’s rich coming from the fanfiction cliché scientist.” He crosses his arms, your eyes quickly dart to the sight of his biceps flexing with the movement then back at him.

“Fanfiction cliché? What the actual fuck are you talking about?” You take another step towards him, softly inhaling his scent. Why does he smell so good?

He laughs at you again, the sound caresses your skin and you realize your feeling very, very hot. You drag your fingers through your hair, your eyes zeroing in on a bead of sweat running down the side of his face. When you lick your lips and shift to take another step closer a small part of your brain connects the dots. “What. Did. You. Do?”

Bakugou looks at you, noticing your flushed cheeks and eyes that show you aren’t quite your normal smart and sexy self. Reaching behind himself you hear the unmistakable sound of clinking glass, he grabs a beaker, an open beaker. “Just grabbed this from your equipment, I know how long it takes to extract this stuff. Would suck if it were to suddenly go missing.”

“You idiot! Do you know how potent it is in that form?!” You reach for it but he pulls the beaker out of your reach. “Why do you think I keep it enclosed? You have to close it up now!”

“Why should I?”

Honestly how stupid can this guy get?!

“Put it back in the enclosure first and I’ll explain it to you!” Your breathing is getting heavy, the closer you get to Bakugou the hotter your body feels. You lunge for him again and trip, he hurries to put the beaker on the table behind him and catch you. Put off balance from the position you both crash to the floor with him underneath you. Sighing in frustration you lift yourself up only to bump your head on the table, knocking over the beaker and spilling the extract over you both.

“Shit!” You scramble off of him and run to the door, pressing the exposure button and effectively locking it. You turn to Bakugou and back up trying your best to keep your distance. “Stay on that side of the room, if we’re far enough apart the effects won’t be as bad.”

“What are the effects?” The question is spoken so calmly that you almost convince yourself he didn’t speak at all.

“What are the fucking side effects!?” His shirt is soaked, sticking to his tanned skin. The outline of his chiseled body makes your mouth go dry. You look back at his face, his mouth twisted in frustration at your silence but no less attractive. The sharp angle of his jawline, pink lips slightly chapped, aristocratic nose, scarlet eyes that-

“Take a picture, it'll last longer.” Shaking your head to clear some of the fog in your brain, you focus on him again.

“It’s an aphrodisiac so obviously it enhances sexual desire.”

“Yeah-yeah, sex pollen I get it. But what else?” he rings out the bottom of his shirt, lifting it slightly and you avert your eyes.

“It is not sex pollen, I don’t even use the pollen of the plant.” the last part coming out in a mumble. “The aphrodisiac only works on people who are consenting adults that are attracted to each other.” You clear your throat.

Bakugou freezes for a moment and looks up at you, examining you. The flushed skin, short breaths, and how you keep as much distance between the two of you as the small lab provides.

“So why are you so far away then?” The smirk on his face is sinful as all hell.

Cheeky bastard.

“Surely I don’t have to spell it out for you.” Resisting the urge to turn your face away from him like a pouty child..

“HA!” The smug look on his face momentarily lifts the cloud of lust and replaces it with anger. “Of course you’re attracted to me, who wouldn’t be?”

“Well, aren't you a cocky bastard?” Hoping you're not about to embarrass yourself you take a chance and muster up some courage. Slowly walking up to him you notice that his forehead is glistening with sweat, his breathing heavy, ears and back of his neck flushed with pink. “Tell me, Katsuki. How are you feeling?”

A few steps and you can see his hands balled up in white knuckled fists, a few more his jaw clench and unclench. Once you are only an arms length away you can see him swallow harshly, Adam's apple bobbing, nostrils flaring. You push your breasts against his toned chest, the light friction causing a moan to escape your mouth, the sound going straight to his cock.

“I’m - I’m fine.” Bakugou clears his throat, the sound of his first name from your lips sweeter than it should be.

“Lookin a little flushed, you feeling hot?”

He doesn’t answer, his attention captured by the closeness of your body, your lips, the tops of your breasts peeking out of the v neck top you’re wearing.. He stops breathing when your tongue flicks out to lick your bottom lip.

“Cat got your tongue?”

On impulse his hands move to rest on your hips, eyes never leaving your lips. “What was the question again?”

“How. Are. You. Feeling.” you walk your fingers up his chest with each word before pulling his head down so you can whisper in his ear, the anger fading fast. “Katsuki.” You hear him growl, the sound reverberating through your core, then you're being picked up.

“I’m gonna ruin you.” Bakugou crashes his lips to yours, pressing you up against one of the walls and bracing you with one hand so that the other can wrap around your throat. “Fuck, you drive me crazy.” He bites your lip, licking it to soothe the hurt. “Smart, funny, sexy, beautiful.”

You whine at the words and grind against the bulge in his pants, your pussy throbbing with need. “Need to feel you touch me Bakugou.” He stops moving and you shift to try and grind against him again but he holds you tight, slightly squeezing the sides of your neck.

“What happened to calling me by my first name, baby girl?” Loosening his hand and crouching down as if to put you down you sputter out “Kat-Katsuki Please touch me.”

The feral grin on his face has your pussy drooling and you all but sigh in relief when he stands up straight and slips a hand under your shirt, cupping one of your breasts. “Oh god yes.”

“You’re so soft baby,” he pulls one of the cups down and rolls your nipple in between his fingers. “Take off your shirt, wanna see those pretty tits.”

Katsuki keeps playing with your nipple when you rip your shirt off, making short work of your bra and tossing it. As soon as the other nipple is in view he dives down to suckle it, his mouth hot. You throw your head back, grabbing fistfuls of his hair and pushing your chest out to give him better access.

He is merciless in his teasing, alternating between breasts, making sure to suck each nipple till they are both hard peaks. Kissing the top of your soft globes, your collarbone and neck, everywhere his mouth goes is left with a mark in varying shades of red and purple.

You grow impatient with him, needing to make him feel as good wanting to feel him with your hands, mouth, teeth.

“Wanna feel you too Katsuki.” you whine as he pinches one nipple while nibbling the other one. When you pull on his hair a little he groans but lifts his head, pulling both nipples with him before letting them go.

“What do ya wanna feel, baby girl?”

With all your inhibitions throw out the window you lean down and whisper in his ear. “Wanna feel you fuck me.”

You pull away and he quickly sets you down, you’re about to object when he takes his shirt off in one smooth motion then starts unbuttoning his jeans. You rush to follow, unzipping your pants and pulling them down, before you can pull down your panties he grabs your hand stopping you. “Leave ‘m on.”

Katsuki picks you up again before you can get a good look at his cock, but when it's pressed against you there is no need to see it. “Fuck you’re huge.”

He smirks at you, smug pride in his eyes. “Glad you approve.” Reaching a hand down he pulls your panties to the side and runs his fingers through your wet folds. “This all for me?” bringing his fingers up to show you the slick dripping down them he puts them in his mouth and sucks. “Gonna have to enjoy that tasty treat later.”

Your body is burning up, breathing is heavy as you both watch him drag his cock along your wet slit before pushing in. Your moans echo in the lab and neither one of you cares as Katsuki's cock drags against your inner walls until bottoming out. Right now is not the time for slow strokes, not with the aphrodisiac flowing through both of your bodies, so he starts a pace that has your ass slapping against his thighs.

“C-cumming!” You scream out before your body bows in on itself and you're creaming around his cock.

“Already?” a sideways grin on his face Katsuki starts moving you up and down in time with his thrusts, his cock reaching that much deeper. “Gonna cum for me again? Come on baby, wanna feel you milk my cock.”

Your mind is going blank, the only thing running through it is Katsuki. “Please don’t stop,” you dig your nails into his shoulders. “M Gonna cum again.” His thrusts go shallow and the head of his cock drags against your walls, hitting all the right spots.

You’re repeating his name endlessly, the only word that is in your mind then you’re cumming again. Your legs tense around his waist and your pussy clenches down hard enough that he has to stop moving or risk hurting you. He watches your face contorted in pleasure and starts thrusting as soon as he feels your orgasm subside.

“One more.”

Your head fuzzy, body limp from two orgasms. “I can’t!”

“Wrong,” Katsuki pulls out for a second, setting you on the floor and pushing on your back. You obediently bend forward grabbing the edge of the counter top and he wastes no time in rutting back into you. “You want me to stop?”

“NO”

“Then you got one more beautiful thing.” He sticks two fingers in his mouth, getting them wet then reaches around rubbing soft circles on your puffy clit. His other hand gripping your hip, before moving up and grabbing your shoulder using it as leverage to fuck into you harder.

“Come on, cum for me.”

You turn your head to the side trying your best to look in his eyes, yours tearing up at the overstimulation. “You cum too, fill me up Katsuki.”

“Oh fuck yeah.” Bending his knees he thrusts up into you and with the new angle, teasing circles being rubbed on your clit and the feral moans coming out of his mouth you cum one last time.

Fuckfuckfuckfuck

Katsuki cums after you, rope after rope of cum coating your fluttering walls.

You both stand there catching your breath. Katsuki pulls out and you whimper, “Oh don’t worry beautiful,” he picks you up again, walks over to a chair and sits down with you in his lap “not done with you yet.”

By the time you are spent both of you are exhausted and lost track of how many times either of you came. He helps you stand up, quickly pulling your panties back in place. “Don’t want you leakin.”

You giggle and pick up your clothes from the floor, he helps you get dressed and you both walk to the door. Making sure to check the air quality before leaving the lab you confirm that nothing is left in the air and unlock it. Before opening the door you turn to him opening your mouth to ask a question but he talks first.

“Let's go back to my room, yeah? I’ll help you clean up.” His voice rough from moaning and growling but you can see a small smile on his lips. Even though you know that the effects of the extract have worn off you can’t help but worry that he is still under their influence. Nodding your head you turn away from him again and open the door, walking into the lobby.

“I assume you're finished with the lab?”

You stop dead in your tracks, Katsuki bumping into you. “P-professor Aizawa?” Red hair peeks out behind him and Kirishima looks at you both with a nervous sharp toothed smile and red face. The fog of your memory clears and you vaguely remember hearing knocking on the window and door while you were… indisposed.

Katsuki steps in front of you, from the lack of red on his face or neck you know he isn’t nearly as mortified as you. “How long have you been standing there?”

The tired eyes of your teacher examine both of you. “Long enough.” He sighs heavily and pinches the bridge of his nose. “You are both to meet me in my office tomorrow morning.”

And just before you can’t get anymore embarrassed he walks out and says over his shoulder. “The labs aren’t sound proof, and these walls echo.”

@doinmybesthere @patchworkpuzzle @eyebagsbutglam @sugarspiceanddynamight

[bounce-a-coin-off-your-witcher]

Prompt idea: Geralt gets a contract for a monster that has been sighted nearby. When he tracks it down, he is surprised to find mothman!Jaskier who (much like actual mothman) has an ass that won’t quit.

?

I just want you to know that Mothskier now lives in my head rent free 24/7. I love him. I would die for him. This is my new favorite emotional support au.

2k-ish words - please feel free to shove comments through the bars of my enclosure, I would really like that

art by the ever-wonderful @mawbwehownets, whose drawing of Mothskier made me legit cry.

tw: mild injury, brief blood mention, strangers to lovers

---

“So what you’re saying,” Geralt raises an eyebrow slowly, curious, “Is that you need me to catch a monster that’s half man and half moth?”

“Yup.”

“Alright,” Geralt pinches the bridge of his nose with his thumb and pointer finger. The frustrated Witcher takes a slow breath to calm and center himself, before he ends up botching the entire contract-writing process. Humans tend to grow attached to the strangest monsters sometimes, and apparently this mysterious local being was no different. “Let me get this totally straight, so there are no mistakes or misunderstandings. You want me to capture this man-moth and get it out of your woods, but you don’t want me to kill it?”

“He’s called the Mothman, and he’s pretty damn stubborn about sticking around,” the aging farmer corrects Geralt with a little frown. Then his expression shifts and he smiles in a way that seems almost apologetic. “We were hoping you could find a way to relocate him without hurting or killing him, Master Witcher.”

“That’s completely possible, if he isn’t attached to this specific patch trees by any magical or biological means. You said his natural habitat is just… the forest?”

“As long as there's an abundance of pine around he seems pretty happy. Before he came to live with us, Mothman lived in a heavily forested area up the coast; or at least that’s what the historical records and local mythology seem to indicate.”

“That’s actually pretty helpful information to have on hand, I’m impressed,” Geralt nods. “Alright, Mr. Stevens. I promise to relocate the poor thing without killing or maiming him, and I’ll be sure to take him somewhere far enough away that your crops won’t be in danger. Thanks for calling me first instead of just going straight to an extermination service.”

“Honestly, Master Witcher,” the farmer sighs and readjusts his dirty baseball hat, “If it weren’t for the mischief he’s been getting into lately, we would have let him stick around until spring. I hate to admit it to a man as strong and stern-faced as yourself, but the poor creature is almost… adorable at times.”

“Well that’s a first,” Geralt chuckles, honestly amused by the situation he’s found himself in. “A monster being referred to as ‘adorable’ rather than ‘terrifying’. I’ve never heard such a thing in my many years of life.”

“Then you’d better prepare yourself, Sir Geralt. He’s got a pair of big blue puppy-dog eyes that’ll knock you on your ass if you aren’t careful. And that’s coming from a man who raised three daughters with dimples.”

“Hmm. Fuck.”

---

Geralt knows enough about moths to come up with a plan he thinks will work.

Before he heads into the woods to find and capture the poor wandering creature, the Witcher takes a detour through the lighting section of the nearest Lowe’s.

---

Unfortunately for Geralt, the farmer was right about the power of Mothman’s puppy dog eyes, which are big and blue and begin to water as soon as the Witcher’s net knocks him to the ground. The creature lies in a whimpering tangle of limbs beneath the heavy, magically enhanced restraints. Geralt takes an opportunity to look at what the locals called "a cryptid".

Mothman has a long, lithe body that's covered in a light layer of grey-brown fur, but his hair resembles that of a human’s, falling over those enormous blue eyes in a lovely chestnut fringe. When Mothman sees the swords on Geralt’s back he cries out in panicked recognition and tries to pull his arms up far enough to shield his face. The lamp Geralt used to lure him into the clearing is still bathing him in a pool of yellow light; it’s almost pretty for a monster, Geralt notes.

As the Witcher takes a step forward, the cryptid squeaks and buries his face against his own shoulder. His entire frame is trembling.

“Hey there, shhhhh,” the Witcher murmurs quietly. He drops into a squat and holds both hands up to show Mothman that they’re weapon free. Tears are now falling freely down the creature’s surprisingly human face; whoever or whatever this is, they are likely some kind of Fae. “I’m not here to hurt you, I just want to get you back through the veil.”

“Liar,” Mothman huffs. His voice has a surprisingly musical quality to it and Geralt is now sure of his Fae parentage (or grand-parentage).

“I promise I’m not lying,” Geralt reassures him, slowly crawling forward. When he reaches for the nearest corner of the net, he feels all of Mothman’s muscles go tense. “I’m going to lift this up and I am going to restrain you, but I swear that I’m not going to kill you. I wish to cause as little distress as possible. Is that alright, Mothman?”

The creature hisses and yanks his foot back away from where Geralt’s hand had nearly touched it. “Jaskier.”

“Hmm?” Geralt glances up, raising an eyebrow.

“My name is Jaskier,” the Fae repeats, glaring up from between the sections of woven rope that make up the heavy net. “Not Mothman.”

“My apologies, Jaskier,” Geralt bows his head. He words his introduction carefully, in case this thing can manipulate his name like others of his kind: “You may refer to me as Geralt.”

“That’s your real name,” Jaskier states. The Witcher’s head snaps up.

“How did you know?”

“Hmm,” Jaskier sticks his tongue out as he mimics the sound Geralt made earlier. “Not telli-AH! Stop! Oh go- gods, stop! Please!”

Geralt drops the short section of rope he’s trying untangle from around Jaskier’s ankle and snaps his eyes upwards, already searching for damage. “What’s wrong!?”

“My wing!” Jaskier bawls. His scent spikes out through the clearing, sharp with panic and pain. The creature’s chest begins to shake more violently than before, his shoulders shuddering with the rising force of his sobs, “It’s t-t-torn! Oh gods, my wing! Sir Witcher, p-please!”

Geralt freezes, his gaze settling on the torn section of Jaskier’s large, furry wing. It’s a nasty wound near one of the joints, a faint trickle of barely-luminescent blood has already dried around the edges. Jaskier tries to flutter it a little and screams in agony when the muscles shift too suddenly, shrilly enough that Geralt needs to cover his hypersensitive ears. The Witcher's heart crashes down into his boots; based on the way the shivering Fae has gone pale and silent, the pain is too much for him to process. He’s gone into shock.

A torn wing is exactly the kind of thing Geralt had promised the farmer (and the collective of townspeople he represented) wouldn’t happen to the peaceful moth creature if they hired a Witcher instead of an exterminator. He sighs and gives the strange being another once-over. “Everything's alright, Jaskier. You’re going to be alright. I’m so, so sorry that you've been wounded. We’ll get you out of this net and get you something for the pain, but it’s going to hurt a little to untangle you. Stay still, don’t struggle, and it’ll be over soon.”

“J-Just kill me,” Jaskier pants. He’s continuing to hyperventilate and Geralt needs him to calm down before he passes out. The Fae reaches a hand for the dagger at Geralt's waist and the Witcher twists out of reach with a frown. Jaskier sobs again, fingers still seeking, “I might n-n-never fly a-again so just k-kill me!”

“Breathe with me, Jaskier,” the Witcher instructs, forgoing patience and cutting through the net with that same dagger. He scoops Jaskier up into his arms, ignoring the keening sound at the back of Jaskier’s throat when his wing is jostled, and rushes the Fae to his truck, tucking him into the passenger’s seat and wrapping him in a large, fluffy blanket. “I’m taking you to my friend. She’s an expert at healing magical creatures and I'm certain that she'll get your wing fixed in no time.”

Jaskier doesn’t give an answer. When Geralt looks up into the creature’s face again, the injured Fae has already passed out.

---

Jaskier moves with all the grace of a newborn foal as he explores the room Geralt has provided for him. His wing has been inspected, treated, and bandaged by a rather scary sorceress named Yennefer, who glared at the Witcher the entire time she was caring for him. She had also taken one of Geralt’s old t-shirts and cut an enormous hole in the back for Jaskier’s wings to fit through. The shirt’s bottom hem falls to the middle of his thighs and the thick black material is softer than anything he’d ever felt before.

He hears a knock on the door and calls out, “It’s open!”

Geralt enters slowly, bearing a pair of pajama bottoms and a mug of tea. “I brought you some last minute supplies and - uh… I brought you some tea. Yen always likes some before she goes to sleep and I figured since this was a new place and new places can be scary that I should-”

“Thank you,” Jaskier interrupts, smiling shyly. His antennae twitch happily as he takes the offerings from Geralt's hands and the Witcher watches them with wide eyes. Jaskier carefully sets the pajamas and the tea on the nightstand before turning back to look at Geralt. “I will… see you tomorrow?”

Geralt gives one sharp nod. “Hmm.”

“Goodnight,” Jaskier sing-songs, taking a seat on the edge of the bed as Geralt exits.

From the other side of the closed door, Jaskier’s superior hearing picks up the Witcher’s final whisper: “Goodnight, Jaskier. I will always be sorry for causing you pain.”

The next morning he meets Geralt at the breakfast table, refreshed and ready to learn about the human world. He’s summoned a glamour in order to hide his more Moth-like traits, the only things that remain of his true nature are his wings and antennae; his fur is gone and he’s dressed in a pair of sweatpants and that same old shirt. The Witcher offers him a bowl of fruit and mug of something sweet-smelling. Jaskier glares into the mug with a slight pout to his lips before finally asking, “What is this?”

“Hot chocolate.”

Jaskier takes a sip and his antennae flutter, twitching happily as he swallows the best drink he’s ever had in his long life. He eats a strawberry from the bowl and slowly works his way through the hot chocolate, eyeing Geralt warily as the Witcher moves through the familiar kitchen to make his own breakfast.

“Where is Yennefer?”

“She went home,” Geralt shrugs.

“She isn’t your mate?”

“N-No,” Geralt sputters, turning to stare at the nervous young Fae. “Why would you think that?”

“You smell like each other.”

“We spend a lot of time together,” Geralt shrugs again. “Good friends, that’s all.”

“Hmm,” Jaskier mimics his host for a second time. Rather effectively by the annoyed twitch at the corner of Geralt’s mouth. “Just wondering.”

“Anything else you’re curious about?”

“Why don’t you have more lights?”

“Huh?”

“Lights,” Jaskier gestures around the minimalistic layout of Geralt’s open-concept kitchen/living room and its distinctive lack of lamps. He crosses his arms over his chest and leans forward against the dark marble countertop. The pout has gone from 'slight' to 'full-bore' and Geralt is clinging desperately to his braincell with how cute it looks. “It’s no fun.”

“You really like lamps, don’t you?” the Witcher replies, mouth dry. Jaskier huffs and takes another sip of his hot chocolate, antennae flickering back and forth in irritation. Geralt bites his lip to hide a smile; it’s too fucking cute, which is an odd thought for a Witcher to have.

“So what if I do enjoy a nice lamp or five in my living space?” Jaskier argues. "I'm a Moth of taste."

“No matter,” Geralt laughs quietly. “Finish your drink before it gets cold.”

---

Jaskier stays with Geralt for a few weeks while his wing heals, and for a creature whose sole interest seems to be fancy light fixtures, the Fae becomes a source of light in Geralt's own world. They go to a nonhuman friendly second-hand store to find Jaskier some more clothes and Geralt discovers the cryptid's love for oddly patterned shirts in bright colors. Jaskier chooses several to fill out his closet, as well as a sweater two-sizes too large in deep black (Geralt tries his best not to attach any meaning to this choice), a few pairs of pants, and a jean jacket that he declares, "Can be altered."

They watch movies together and make food together - Jaskier is always incredibly impressed by the way the automatic coffee maker works, and how easily Geralt can control the flames of the stove. Jaskier also follows the Witcher along on less dangerous hunts and helps bandage him up after worse ones, always there with a smile and a little kiss over the cleaned-up wound.

“It really is magic,” Jaskier always insists, lips pink and shining from licking them as he concentrates. "It makes you heal faster."

Geralt realizes one night - two weeks into Jaskier’s stay, as he leans against the doorframe and watches the strange creature’s even breathing - that he has gone and done the stupidest thing a Witcher can do: fall in love with a pretty, temperamental young Fae. Head over fuckin’ heels, actually.

So he makes a decision.

---

The next evening, after the dinner dishes have been cleaned and put away, Geralt herds Jaskier down the hall to the guest room. Those entrancing blue eyes blink up at him in obvious confusion. “Bedtime already?”

“No, not quite. I just- I made you… uh…”

“Do you have a surprise for me?” Jaskier asks, used to the Witcher's issues with verbalizing.

Geralt nods, relieved and thankful for the Fae’s steadfast understanding. “Do you want to cover your eyes or should I just open the door and show you?”

“I’ll close my eyes,” Jaskier smiles, covering his eyes with both hands. Geralt finds it adorable, as Jaskier always is, and allows himself a matching grin as he swings the door open. The ceiling light is off but Geralt has built a blanket fort at the center of the room and surrounded it with fairy lights of all colors and sizes. Inside the blanket fort is a mass of blankets and pillows; Jaskier has the odd habit of building nests - Geralt jokingly calls them cocoons - and sleeping in those on the floor instead of on the very comfortable mattress the Witcher has provided.

“Open them,” Geralt urges.

Jaskier pulls his hands away and Geralt watches as his pupils go huge and wide. Jaskier's face breaks out in the sunniest, most blindingly happy smile Geralt has ever seen. He turns and throws his arms around the Witcher, his wings fluttering behind him and his antennae twitching and flicking above his head. He tries desperately to speak but only manages a half-snuffled little “I’m-” before bursting into tears of joy.

Geralt just holds him, letting his arms fold carefully around Jaskier’s waist, just beneath his wings.

"I just wanted you to know that, if you wanted to stay, there would be room for you. Your room, if you want it."

"I do," Jaskier smiles, burying his face in the Witcher's neck. "I'd love to stay. I'd love nothing more than to spend my days going on adventures with you."

"Well then," Geralt gathers all of his courage and presses a soft kiss to the crown of Jaskier's head. He's met with happy spasms from the antennae so he does it again. And again. Moving from the top of the Fae's head to his cheeks and then his mouth - pretty and pink and pouting and so worth the trouble. "I suppose we can get started on our next adventure tomorrow."

[elizabeethan]

The Swan and her Handler

Emma Swan was cursed, and the only way to break it is with True Love's Kiss. Try breaking a curse with True Love's Kiss when you're a damn swan.

Yes, it's true, I've written a CS AU based on Walnut the Crane, a crane who fell in love with her handler. I'm ashamed at how idiotic this is. It’s by far the dumbest thing I've ever written in all my life. It’s nothing more than crack written in about an hour, un-betaed and barely edited. Sorry, and you’re welcome.

Rated T for language

~2000 words

Read my other stuff

Read on Ao3

These damn idiots can’t get anything right. It was bad enough when Emma showed up on their doorstep with perfectly clear care instructions that were completely ignored, but now they keep trying to get her to reproduce as if she’s some kind of zoo animal. 

  Of course, given her current living situation, it does make at least a tiny bit of sense. 

  Ever since the curse, Emma has been stuck in a wildlife refuge and has been unable to get any of her stupid caretakers to figure out how to help her. She knows exactly what she needs, but unfortunately, no one here speaks swan and she can’t exactly hold a pen. Her care instructions were translated upon her transformation, so the one thing that could have helped her now looks like chicken-- er, swan scratch. 

  “She needs a mate,” one of the jack asses points out. “She’ll probably want to mate for life.”

  True, she thinks, although, not with any of the stinky fluff balls you have sent my way.  

  First it was Neal. He tried to mate with her, so she killed him. Last week, they put Walsh in her enclosure, and she pecked at him violently until they took pity on him and sent him to the medical unit. 

  Although today seems different, because her newest caretaker has shown up, and she realizes that he just might be exactly what she’s been looking for. 

Emma Swan, unfortunately very appropriately named, requires a mate who can break her curse, True Loves Kiss the only thing that can bring her back to her truest form as a human adult woman. And when the new dark haired, stunning eyed veterinarian comes strutting into her enclosure, she hurries towards him to get a closer look at his name tag. 

  He jumps away, making some comment about her being fiery , and she blushes, squawking at him as she tries to get closer. Killian , it reads, and if she had lips and not a bill, she would smile. 

  “We think she’s depressed,” the stupid one with the big eyes says. “She’s killed every mate we’ve tried to pair her with.” 

  Good, she thinks. I must have done more damage on Walsh than I initially thought.  

  “You’re just misunderstood, aren’t you, love?” the angel-man asks, making her squawk in agreement. She thinks she could make this quick, this man obviously understanding her horrible twist of fate, so she lunges for him once more, trying hard to kiss his hand and hoping beyond hope that it will transform her back into the woman she's supposed to be. No more feathers, she prays. 

  He exclaims again, jumping and complaining of his hand hurting as she pecks him, so she rolls her eyes and squawks angrily. “Alright, darling,” he says with his hands up, his smooth, accented voice making her heart flutter inside her chest. Her breast? She knows very little about swan anatomy, despite having been turned into one. “Perhaps she’s stressed about her environment. Have you tried giving her a dark, quiet place to nest?” 

  “Not yet,” the dumbass admits. 

  The handsome one, Killian, a name she could get used to rolling off of her tongue, steps away from her, so she hurriedly follows. “Perhaps here in this corner will do.” 

  I would love to spend time in a dark corner with you, she thinks, giving the man what she hopes is a salacious smirk. She watches appreciatively as he sits down, crossing his legs as he starts to fiddle with some sticks as if she would be interested in them. Rather than helping him to make a nest out of the twigs and leaves, she plops herself right in his lap, nestling herself into his crossed legs and gazing up at his beautiful features, earning a smile from him. 

  “There we are, love,” he says happily, clearly surprised that she chose to plant herself upon him, although he shouldn't be. Just look at him, for god’s sake. “Comfortable?” 

  She squawks loudly, making him cringe, then fluffs her feathers in an attempt to gussy herself up for him. If she’s going to earn True Love’s Kiss from this perfect specimen, she’s going to have to work for it. The man chuckles as he looks down at her-- is he gazing? -- and lifts his hand slowly, placing a finger gently upon the top of her head and petting back down her neck, sending a chill down her spine, at least she thinks it’s her spine. She pushes her head towards him again, demanding more attention in an effort to get him to fall for her. It shouldn’t take long; she’s very enchanting. 

  “She’s never been this calm,” the dumb one says, making her snap her head towards him with a glare, shouting at him in disapproval. Killian shushes her soothingly, his finger softly stroking along her stupid feathers once more and making her shut her eyes. 

  “She just needed a bit of attention, it seems.” 

  “We’d best be careful,” someone else says, the bookworm who always thinks she knows everything about swan science. Of course, she probably knows more than Swan Emma. “We wouldn’t want her to imprint on you ,” she seems to joke. 

  “That’s quite alright, isn’t it love?” he asks her, essentially giving her permission to fall in love with this handsome bastard. 

  He comes by a few times a week for the next several months, each time sitting with her in her tiny, dirty nest and not seeming to care that his pants get soiled. She’s always careful to do her business elsewhere, making sure that her prince can sit in comfort when he arrives. She gets angry with him when he brings someone new, a sickly looking male named Graham who she assures is not welcome, so Killian gives up trying to get her to mate with someone. For some reason, they're concerned about her procreating, but she can assure everyone that she will not be giving birth to a damn swan baby while she’s under this curse. 

  One day, when Killian visits near the end of his shift, he’s finally alone, leaving behind the dumb one and the book worm and giving her all of the attention she desires as his strong hand softly pets along her soft feathers. She can’t wait to get rid of these stupid feathers. 

  “You’re quite funny,” he remarks as the sun starts to set. “Unlike any swan I’ve ever met.”

  She squawks at him-- I’m not a damn swan-- and he smiles. “Quire the personality. It always seems like you’re trying to communicate with me.” 

  Yes, you stupid handsome man, that’s exactly right! She tries to nod, lifting and dropping her head in quick succession and making the beauty laugh. She nudges her head against his hand in demand of more pets. 

  “What is it you want me to know, darling?” he asks gently, his voice soft and soothing and deep. 

  She groans, a sound that comes out like a pained cry, and his face shifts. “Are you alright, love?” 

  In pure frustration, Emma drops her head against the man’s chest, likely assaulting him with how badly she smells like bird shit, and he chuckles again, letting his hand run along her feathers some more. “There, there. I know life as a swan must be difficult. All you seem to want is for someone to listen.” 

  She looks up, hoping that her expression conveys her complete and utter irritation at the fact that he’s literally hitting the nail on the head and yet he has no idea. 

  “Such a personality,” he says again. “I’ve got to head home now, love. I’m looking forward to having Chinese for dinner. Perhaps I'll bring you an eggroll tomorrow, or is that insensitive?” 

  She squawks, half because she’s laughing, and half because she would quite literally kill another potential mate for an eggroll. Wanting to beg him not to go, she gives him her best sad face through her inability to emote, and nestles her head against his palm one more time. 

  “I’ll sneak you one, love,” he laughs, and as he does, he finally, finally , leans down towards her, and plants his stupid, dumb, lucious lips upon the top of her stinky bird head. 

  Cramps start to run through her whole stupid bird body, the same ones she felt when she was cursed on Halloween decades ago. He stands, not seeming to notice her pain and discomfort until he’s a few steps away, and he turns back around. “Swan, are you alright?” he asks, as if she could answer, and she shouts back at him wordlessly. 

  She praises whatever gods might be listening as she feels things start to change, her feathers shedding as her skin is exposed to the chilly fall air. The webbing between her toes retracts, her legs turning flesh colored rather than that horrifying orange. Her bill turns back into her nose and mouth, preparing her to smooch her savior rather than peck at him. Finally, she’s back!

  “Bloody fucking hell,” Killian breathes as he stares on, Emma transforming back into her old self, laying in a heap on the ground as she brushes off the dirt and twigs and leaves. 

  “You did it,” she praises before clearing her throat, raw from misuse after all these years. She grins at him as she’s been wanting to since they met, and is met with a horrified, shocked look on his face. His jaw is gaping, his eyes wide as they catch the light of the setting sun. “I knew you would.” 

  “What the fuck?” 

  “You broke the curse,” she says happily, standing up and exposing her nude form to him, cursing the lack of feathers although she vowed she never would. Immediately, he removes his jacket, despite his shock still clearly running through him, and hands it to her. 

  “I did what now?”

  “I was cursed. Why do you think I was such a miserable swan?” 

  He’s looking around, his mouth snapping shut and dropping open in succession as he tries to process the fact that there was a swan in the enclosure just a second ago, and now there’s a frankly beautiful, naked woman standing before him. “You were cursed,” he says doubtfully. 

  “Yes, I was. An evil witch cursed me on Halloween decades ago and I've been stuck in that infernal bird form ever since. All I needed was True Love’s Kiss to break it, but imaging trying to fall in love with someone as a damn bird.” 

  “So you… you fell in love… with me…?” 

  “Obviously,” she smiles, taking a step towards him on shaky legs, tripping and falling into his waiting arms as he catches her, careful not to grope her, although she isn’t sure she would mind. “And you broke the curse, so… Do I have to tell you what that means?”

  “I-- I’m having a lot of trouble processing the fact that I've evidently been in love with a swan for months.” 

  “Well, my name is Emma Swan, so you can be in love with a Swan for the rest of your life, if you’d like.” 

  “Emma,” he murmurs, staring into her eyes and smiling when he seems to recognize her. She’s never been able to see herself in the mirror, because the book worm was worried she would attack it, but based on the way he’s staring, she would guess that the evil witch let her keep her eyes. “Do you know it just happens to be Halloween tonight?”

  “Kismet,” she says softly, gazing up at him. He lifts his hand like he did while she was planted in his lap, and she’s finally able to feel his calloused finger along the skin of her cheek, then of her neck, just as he had done before. 

  “Aye,” he agrees. “The spirit of the holiday does make this whole thing a bit easier to accept.” 

  “Yeah,” she says dismissively. “Now take me home. I was promised an eggroll and I haven't eaten anything but grass and stale bread in almost thirty years.”

~~~~

Tagging (with apologies):

@courtorderedcake @kmomof4 @stahlop @klynn-stormz @laschatzi @emelizabeth88 @lfh1226-linda @kday426 @elisethewritingbeast @timeless-love-story @captain-emmajones @gingerpolyglot @ebcaver @ilovemesomekillianjones @teamhook @superchocovian @itsfabianadocarmo @tiganasummertree @gingerchangeling @jrob64 @onceratheart18 @xhookswenchx @winterbaby89 @swampmedusa @ultraluckycatnd @dancingnancyy @love-with-you-i-have-everything @shireness-says @snowbellewells @hollyethecurious @ouatpost @daxx04 @the-darkdragonfly @donteattheappleshook @therooksshiningknight @eeteeaytay @xsajx @itsfridaysomewhere @alexa-fangirl-forever @jonesfandomfanatic @wefoundloveunderthelight @qualitycoffeethings @rapunzelsghosts @spaceconveyor @badcats-andmice @batana54 @sailtoafarawayland @deckerstarblanche @zaharadessert @xarandomdreamx @pirateprincessofpizza @captainswan21 @hookedmom @lostintheskyfaraway @undercaffinatednightmare @strangestarlighttree

[otptings]

Flowers

☽ Requested; Yes

☽ Idol; Jungwon

☽Word Count; 3.3k+

☽ Genre; Hanahaki (lots of mentions for it) Friends to Lovers, slight Angst

☽ Warnings; Self deprecating thoughts, mentions of hanahaki disease, slight blood, lots of cringe flower metaphors

☽ Synopsis; Date night has been a monthly tradition since before Jungwon debuted in Enhypen. This is your first day out in months with Jungwon, but somethings different about this one. Is it the fact that he's an idol now, and all of your activities happen in empty establishments that have been bought out by his management, or is it your newly returning feelings for Jungwon that threatened to choke you out, causing dark violet flowers to spew out of your mouth at every interaction with him?

☽ A/n; The zoo I am describing for this is the Honolulu Zoo because that is the last one that I've been to, so if some of the animals aren't in Seoul than I apologize for that. Hope you enjoy this and sorry for taking so long on this request I had so many ideas of how to pull off the dates

You trusted Jungwon. It came easily like breathing, only a natural side effect developed effortlessly over 5 years of friendship. Days spent laughing and telling jokes, venting to each other about worries and stresses, studying for hours the night before tests. With someone as generous, and lovable as him it was easy to trust him with your life. He has also used this to his advantage, convincing you to do questionable things with a flash of his dimples. Like now, allowing him to lead you down the streets of Seoul while blindfolded. Completely at his mercy.

"Are we close? My feet are starting to hurt. We've been walking for hours." You whined as Jungwon pulled you around another corner. You've lost your sense of direction 4 turns ago, and he seemed to keep on going. "Why couldn't your manager just drive us the whole way? You had to have him stop super far from wherever you're taking me?" Jungwon just let out a laugh and gently squeezed your wrist. . His hand surrounding your wrist was comforting and grounding, a reminder that you were safe with him.

"We're almost there I promise. And if I would've done that it wouldn't have been a surprise now would it." You humphed knowing that Jungwon was stubborn when it came to things like this.

"You always do this. It's not fair, your ideas are always so much fancier than mine." Jungwon let out another laugh, and you didn't have to see him to know his expression. Eyes probably scrunched up, his dimples greeting the world as he laughed at my pain.

"It's not my fault that I love you so much. Plus I always want to do something special with you." Confusion flooded your mind while your heart skipped multiple beats at his words.

In the same sense of truth, feelings were natural too. Flowering in your chest with every sweet action he did, never wanting a reward for it just doing them because that's the kind of person he is. Packing extra food in his lunch box knowing your tendency to forget your own. Cupping your cheeks while he wiped away your tears, listening to you rant about your sorrows or broken hearts. Pulling you close to his chest afterwards, massaging the back of your head knowing how bad your headaches get after crying. Arms wrapped securely around you as he whispered calming words into your ear, a sense of security and comfort blanketing you while listening to his heart beat. Every gentle, caring and loving action made the flowers grow.

When Jungwon told you about his plan to audition for Be-Lift one part of you was selfish. You wanted him to stay, turn down the biggest opportunity of his lifetime, continue being only your Jungwon. That part was tiny however; and you squashed down those bitter feelings. You were absolutely ecstatic for him, having been the one to even push him towards the auditions. Stayed up hours at night to watch him practice, seeing his confidence grow tremendously the weeks leading to that fateful day.

When he got accepted you both celebrated the great news. His parents held a dinner in his honor, and his family sat around the table, congratulating him and his accomplishment. At first you were happy for him, overflowing with joy that your best friend had passed the biggest audition of his life. But as the day got closer you had to hide your heart break, smiling despite the tears you shed at night. Knowing that he was going to leave you soon.

The night before he left for I-Land was the hardest one, cuddling into his side while you laid in his bed. The last time in a while you would be in his room like this, only the two of you and the quiet of the night. You didn't sleep the whole night, only savoring the feeling of Jungwon holding you tightly, the last night of him being yours. Your best friend. Your first love.

Your Jungwon.

For the first time in 5 years you were apart for longer than a couple weeks. During this time the flowers started to wilt. You were grateful, ecstatic. Of course you missed Jungwon terribly, tuning in every Friday to support him. Eyes watering every time you watched him perform , pride prevailing over any negative emotions you could have as he confidently took the stage. When it was revealed he had made the debut team you had wailed, preening at your best friend's accomplishment knowing that his hard work paid off.

When Jungwon came home to visit your feelings were gone. You didn't feel the twisting in your chest when you hugged him, tucking your face into the crook of his neck as you both cried. Pulling away to look him in the face your heart didn't flutter at his smile, you only relished in the feeling that your best friend was back.

You thought your feelings had wilted into piles of dust and blown away. Not having seen him for months of course that'd be normal. You had thought your feelings were gone for good when you started to see him more frequently and they still hadn't returned.

You were wrong.

"Are you okay bugs?" Snapping out of your daze you realized that Jungwon was standing directly in front of you, one hand cupping your face and concern in his eyes. You nodded your head, cursing yourself for being getting so distracted.

"I'm fine bunny." His eyes scanned your face once before he leaned back, letting his hand linger.

"You know I just worry about you sometimes." Dropping his hand to his side he turned dramatically, switching the topic and gesturing at the box office in front of us. His manager was there waiting for us, underneath the gigantic sign for the zoo. "But I knew that you missed the zoo since we haven't gone in a long time. So I actually convinced management to rent it out for us for 2 hours."

Practically leaping into his arms you wrapped your arms around his neck, a huge smile spreading across your face. "Thank you thank you thank you!" Pulling away you saw his facial expression mimicking yours, dimples proudly on display and bunny teeth prominent.

"Come on, let's go." You giggled as you grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the gate. After getting your wrist bands - just for the experience - you downloaded the digital map and headed into the zoo ecstatic for your day with Jungwon.

♤♠︎♤

"Come on bugs, just look at the snake." You shook your head vehemently, trying to yank your hand free. His fingers only tightened around you wrist as he attempted to convince you to look at the giant snake in the glass enclosure merely 3 feet away from where you stood.

"Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Jungwon." You whined out his name, refusing his outrageous request.

Snakes were definitely a no for you. Especially a boa constrictor that can grow up to 13 ft long. The one they held in the exhibit was only 5 ft, but it could always become bigger. What would even need to get that big? Any animal that needs to be 5+ ft is a menace to society, and only here for evil. You'd already catered to Jungwon enough in this godforsaken reptile and amphibian section. The frogs were cute, absolutely adorable with their big glassy eyes, hanging on to the glass. Lizards weren't a big deal either, some of them over 3 ft long, lazing about their enclosure, enjoying the surprisingly warm Seoul day.

"Isn't this supposed to be a special day for me? Why would you make me see a stupid snake? They don't even have arms, that's so weird and creepy." Jungwon let out a laugh before pulling you over to him, a squeal leaving your lips as your back met his chest, and his arms wrapped around you. At the slightest display of affection you stopped fighting him, feeling the vines squeezing around your heart painfully, before he started to walk forward and you remembered where you were. Fighting for your life.

You tried to plant your feet in the ground to prevent Jungwon from forcing you to see the snake, but he only lifted your feet from the ground as you cursed the stupid Be:Lift gyms. His manager stared in amusement from the corner, his phone out to record the two of you and undoubtably show it to the rest of the members.

Another loud squeal left your mouth as Jungwon brought you right in front of the glass enclosure, the snake was sitting in the corner but slowly started moving towards the two of you, as if you had fascinated it. You turned your head, placing it in the crook of Jungwon's neck as you squeezed your eyes tight. Ignoring the fear that coursed through your body knowing that the snake was only separated by a thin layer of plexiglass.

"Bugs just look." You only shook your head, "I promise the snake won't hurt you as long as I'm here okay? You know I'll always protect you." Jungwon's soft voice cut through the fear, and you sighed knowing that you were falling into another one of his traps. You turned your head while taking a deep breath before opening your eyes, being met with the face of the snake.

With Jungwon's constant flow of reassurance in your ear you took a good look at the snake. The snake was against the glass, falling back down before slithering up again. Its eyes were wide open and almost looked like doe eyes, black and glassy as it stared at you. The scales were a pretty pastel yellow, mixed with white, resembling a banana cow. You were so distracted admiring the snake that you both jumped when his manager suggested you should get along, and walk further into the park. You felt your heart clench painfully as Jungwon stepped away from you, a blush running up his neck and spreading over his cheeks as he quickly walked to the next exhibit not bothering to wait for you.

♤♠︎♤

"I think this is the best friend date we've ever had." Jungwon spoke happily as you two walked out of the zoo gift shop, a red fox panda stuffed animal tucked safely in your arms. His treat since he refused to let you pull out your wallet and purchase it for yourself. You chose to ignore the flutter of your heart and rush of heat at the thought of this being a true date, your mind decidedly ignoring the word 'friend'. Your cheeks ached as you smiled. They've started to hurt after the amount of time spent joking and laughing while visiting the animals.

"It was. I really appreciated it. I've missed you, it's been so long since we've been able to hang out like this." Jungwon nodded in agreement, an uncharacteristically shy smile spreading across your face.

"Come on. The nights still not over, I have one more surprise for you." Jungwon tossed his arm over your shoulder as he led you to the car, excitement and surprise as you thought about what he could potentially still have planned.

Being ever the gentleman he opened the door for you, waiting until you were safely inside to close it and join you. His manager turned on the radio as he drove you two to the next destination.

"Don't tell me we're going to have to walk again? My feet are still dying from the zoo." Jungwon let out a laugh as he grabbed your hand, rubbing his thumb over the back of it as he intertwined your fingers.

"We won't have to walk too much I promise. Just sit back and relax, it shouldn't take too long to get there." You nodded your head before quickly looking out of the window, no longer able to ignore it.

The vines grew in your chest, clenching painfully around your heart, writhing and squeezing like a boa constrictor trying to capture its prey, crawling up your throat making you resist the urge to gag. Lungs filling with petals that swirled and fluttered around with every breath until there were too many, leaving no room to move around, just clumping together as breathes became sickly. Until you could no longer resist the urge to cough.

The sound of you hacking and gagging, the sight of a worried Jungwon when the first petal comes out. Dark violet petals fluttering out with every spasm of your lungs, some full flowers with stems still attacked, coated with a thin layer of maroon liquid, staining the pretty petals and tinging your pink sweater with spots of red, the bitter taste of the flowers mixing with copper. Your throat sore as the taste of bile rose alongside the rest of the petals, finally emptying your lungs. Filling the car until there was no room to hide from it, hide from your feelings. Hide from the predicament that you were in, feelings for you best friend, the rookie idol.

How could you be so stupid to believe that you could hide it? You were always so easily exposed to Jungwon. He knew you better than you knew yourself. What if he already knew and was just biding his time before he left you, the thought of your feelings disgusting him, being too much for him? He could surely find another best friend, one who wouldn't fall for him.

But could that ever happen? Someone not falling for him. It's easy to fall for his eyes, chocolate eyes that always saw right through you. That knew when you weren't feeling good and were trying to hide it. Dark unruly hair, never easily tamed but was so silky when you ran your fingers through it. Despite being called bunny he practically purred whenever you did it, causing your face to burn at the feelings that always resurfaced. Caring nature that assured he'd become the leader of his group, always wanting to care for everyone around him and make sure that they were happy.

You don't think it'd ever be possible for someone to not fall for him.

"Are you okay bugs?" You blinked realizing that the car door was open, Jungwon standing in front of you with the same concerned look that made you feel ashamed, and yet warmed.

Glancing around you realized you had imagined the coughing fit, drowning in the sea of your own emotions and being buried under a mountain of petals. It was all in your imagination, hanahaki didn't exist. How could it? If it existed you would surely be dead.

Shaking your head you waved off the question, unbuckling your seatbelt and quickly hoping out of the van.

"Of course. I'm perfectly fine, just feeling a little tired I guess. Must've gotten lost in my thoughts. Anyway, where are we?" Jungwon raised a brow at your rambling, knowing you only did it when you were nervous before choosing to ignore it and grabbing your hand again. You hoped he couldn't feel how sweaty your palms were, nerves taking over you at the realization your feelings and thoughts had run away from you again.

"Well I wanted to do something really special for you," You shook your head before cutting Jungwon off.

"The zoo was perfect Jungwon, you don't have to do anything else. Today was perfect already." Jungwon shushed you as he led you into the building, his manager staying behind. Leading you to the elevators he pressed a button before getting on, waiting for the doors to close behind the both of you before he continued to speak.

"You've supported me throughout this whole journey. Pushing me to audition when I was too nervous, and didn't think that I would make it. When I got accepted into I-Land you supported me even when I was leaving you in the middle of the school year, texted me every night to let me know that you were watching and were always rooting for me. Knowing how proud I was making you when the thought of me debuting wasn't official helped me work harder, and continue to push myself," He got cut off as the elevator dinged, signaling that you were at your floor. Jungwon pulled you off the elevator towards a set of stairs that led to a door labeled roof. Jungwon turned towards you, his face deathly serious causing you to get a lot nervous at the sudden sober move.

"Before we go out there I just wanted to tell you that I am grateful that you are in my life. I wouldn't have been able to do any of this without you, constantly supporting me throughout everything. You are what has pushed me this far bugs, and I love you. You're my best friend and I owe you so much for constantly being there." You smiled, ignoring the pain in your chest. Of course he'd only think of you as his best friend, there's no way he'd see you as anything else.

"Of course Jungwon. You can't put it all on me, you worked hard to get to where you are. I'm proud of you because you constantly push yourself, not because you've been successful. You'll always be my Jungwon even if you wouldn't debuted with Enhypen, and I would've always been proud of you." Red dusted over Jungwon's cheeks as he smiled shyly, before opening the roof door and pushing you in front of him.

You were left speechless at the sight in front of you. Blankets laid out over the ground, picnic baskets placed in the middle to prevent the wind from blowing them away. Pastel pink flowers spread out being blown lightly by the wind but not leaving the roof. Fairy lights spread out emitting a soft golden glow barely recognizable under the setting sun. Clouds flitting over the pink, and orange sky. Adding on to the beautiful aesthetic of the set up.

What truly had your attention was the rest of his members standing around the blankets, signs being held out at arm's length. Their various expressions showed excitement, minus Niki who tried to look emotionally detached from the situation but was bouncing on his toes, practically jumping.

From tomorrow,

I'll protect you

All Day and Night

Now Lean on Me

Will you go out with me Bugs?

Hot tears pricked at your eyes, a thick lump in your throat growing. All of their expressions morphed into worry, Niki had even stopped bouncing on his toes, Heeseung glanced at Jungwon slight panic evident in his face. A loud sob left your mouth as you turned around and threw yourself onto Jungwon, tossing your arms around his neck. A nervous laugh left his mouth as he slid his around your waist, holding you almost protectively.

Jungwon pulled away from you, bringing his hands to cup your cheeks, attempting to wipe the river of tears away.

"These are happy tears right?" A weak smile spread across your lips, nodding slowly at him. Seeing his smile come back full force, dimples showing happily. Vines loosening around your heart for the first time in months, falling away as they disintegrated. Petals evaporating leaving behind only fresh air in your lungs, breathes flowing freely as you stared at Jungwon. Boba eyes staring back at you, only showing love. His thumbs stopped wiping as he leaned forward barely, glancing at your lips briefly.

"Can I kiss you?" You eagerly hummed, a soft yes being your answer.

Jungwon leaned forward, leaving space for you to back out if you were too overwhelmed. You met his lips, inciting cheers and groans from the members present, seeing their leader kissing his best friend. Your lips moved in sync, one more thing you guys did perfect together. You must admit, the taste of salt from your cheers, along with the dramatic cheers from his members did not make for the best first kiss experience. Especially for a first kiss that you had fantasized and imagined about for years.

Knowing that was only the first of many however, made it all the sweeter.

[jaskiersvalley]

Your safari au. Please. I need it. Water my crops with tigers and hyenas and witchers. Grabby hands and pleading faces in abundance here.

You are after my heart, Nonnie. And considering I've only talked about the Safari AU on Novigrad, I will happily assume you're lurking on there and I love you for it. Tweaked a little to add in a hyena just for you.

Lions and Tigers and Bears

Taking over a park was no easy feat, especially not when it came with a reputation like Nilfgaard had. Eskel scratched his head as he poured over the various financial reports, wondering just how much of it could be trusted. The problem was Nilfgaard had been a shining beacon in the animal conservation world, exceptional facilities, high enrichment for the animals and a successful rehabilitation rate. If there was ever an animal in need of a place, Nilfgaard had been first choice for years. All that came tumbling down in light of the revelation that Nilfgaard had been trading illegally, their animals sold to private owners as exotic pets or, even worse, hunters who wanted a guaranteed, easy kill. The place had been shut down immediately, a skeleton crew kept on to tend to the animals but nothing more. Management was on trial and Kaer Morhen had won the bid to take over. Though small and mostly unknown, nobody else had wanted to touch the remnants of Nilfgaard so they were quite uncontested in their bid. What had seemed like a good idea at the time, an noble because it was in the interest of the animals, now was an absolute headache.

Between the three of them, Geralt, Eskel and Lambert could split most of the urgent work. They had Jaskier working on rebranding, Yennefer managing the board and Vesemir as the head. It left them free to run the day to day of the park, learning the animals as well as the people who they had kept on. But they were going to need more people to actually help the place flourish and regain its standing in the community. Which meant asking the heads of departments for who should be kept on and what roles to recruit for from scratch. The easy ones were things like hospitality, Zoltan had a firm grip on the needs of the park and its visitors, knew all the catering firms and how to run a tight ship. So it was one less headache for them. Eredin had stepped up as Head of Security readily once it was proven he had no knowledge of the animal smuggling. Again, his familiarity with the park was a boon, as were his connections, putting together a security team that could be trusted. Much more messy was the animal welfare section. Fringilla, much like Eredin, had stepped up to become interim Head Zookeeper and was doing her best. While they were understaffed, Geralt, Eskel and Lambert helped out where they could but much of their time was spent getting to know the routine of the park and its many animals.

"We need to know who we can trust," Lambert grumbled, leaning over the table where they had personnel files open. "It's impossible to know who was in on things and who wasn't."

Though, in all likelihood, none of the lower level workers knew that when they helped usher one of their beloved animals into a crate, they weren't sending them off to another facility or a happily ever after. But it was something they just couldn't risk.

"May I?" Fringilla asked, eyes roving over all the files. At Geralt's gesture, she began pulling some of them out. "You'll want Triss, she was a vet here, promote her to senior or chief or whatever you call it. She's solid. And Sabrina, she's great, works well with Triss. Retain Istredd, Mousesack, Calanthe and Eist too. oh, and Letho for the reptile house." As she spoke, she kept looking with a small frown.

"Missing someone?" Eskel asked. Nodding, Fringilla frowned. Without much care for manners, she walked to the cupboards and began pulling out files until she hit the folder of resignations and terminations. From there, she pulled out one last file.

"You'll want him."

The folder was taken from her and the three peered at it with varying levels of frowns.

"You want us to hire someone who was terminated for gross misconduct? Whose notes suggest he abused animals and has blacklisted from working with animals?"

"No. I want you to meet the whistle-blower. Cahir's the one who found out about the trafficking and reported it. Nilfgaard didn't take kindly to it and retaliated."

Not sold on the idea, Lambert crossed his arms over his chest. "His file doesn't look exceptional. Personally, if he applied for a job, I'm not sure he shines enough to even be called in for an interview."

It was a sentiment echoed by the other two and Fringilla had to fight to hold back a sneer. "Invite him in and judge for yourselves. Just because his record doesn't have a quantifiable or gradable measure of commitment doesn't mean he won't be fantastic. If we ever have a new animal in that doesn't need to stay hospitalised, I wouldn't want anyone but Cahir to help settle it in. Especially the younger ones and babies."

Against their better judgement, the three decided to follow Fringilla's advice and e-mailed Cahir an interview offer. The reply was terse but assured them that he would be there at the agreed time.

First impressions were, to put gently, not great. Cahir looked rumpled, bags under his eyes and his attitude was rather sullen. It didn't bode well as they sat in the office, Cahir an odd mix of defiant and subservient. At least Fringilla had the grace to push the interview forward as much as she could until even she sighed and leaned back.

"Why don't we walk through some of the enclosures? Make sure you still remember what's where."

As they walked, Eskel ended up next to Cahir, who seemed content to not talk. That didn't stop Eskel from trying to initiate conversation.

"So, what have you been doing in the three months since you left here?"

"Tried to survive."

The blunt answer had Eskel blinking, there were many things he expected but not that. "Oh?"

For the first time Cahir actually looked at him, sadness bleeding through his half glare. "I used to live on site, worked for Nilfgaard from the age of 15, took a full time post at 18 and moved into the small cottage in the southern corner of the land. They fired me, I lost everything."

An uncomfortable silence settled between them as Eskel tried to figure out just how much of Cahir's so story was an exaggeration. "Have you been living with friends then?"

"For a few weeks, yeah." Cahir actually scoffed. "I've been trying to get a job and living in a hostel off savings. Turns out, only having in-house qualifications does not bode well for prospects in the world at large."

Fringilla led them into an enclosure where the grass was high. From the looks and smells, Eskel would have guessed it was a tiger's habitat but he wasn't familiar enough with the park yet to know. He would have hesitated going in, especially in a group like they were but Eskel had to trust Fringilla as she came to a stop and they stood in a loose circle.

The house Cahir had mentioned was one Eskel was familiar with. They had often wondered why it was empty yet well kept. It had felt like a life interrupted when they had a look round, nothing personal there yet it didn't have the empty, unlived-in feel of a show home. In a way, Eskel was regretting just how poorly Cahir's interview was going because he could easily see them offering his house back as part of a contract.

"So why are we here?" Lambert's words broke Eskel's reverie. "I thought we wanted to go on a walk."

It was by pure chance that Eskel caught Fringilla's smirk at Cahir and the slightest softening of that stern expression in return. Clicking his tongue, Cahir shot Lambert a look. "Tell me, have you ever been stalked by a tiger before?"

"No."

"You sure about that?" Cahir clicked his tongue twice and the world burst into motion. From the long grass a tiger pounced and Eskel was not ashamed to admit he let out a surprised yell. He wasn't the only one though, Lambert gasping, hand at his mouth and shoulders up as the tiger took Cahir out. They went tumbling and only Geralt looked like he might lurch into action, taking half a step towards the animal and Cahir. It would have been hopeless though, the two were wrestling on the ground until Cahir was on his back, tiger hunched above him.

The first thing Eskel noticed was how Cahir's face was creased into a happy grin. He looked younger, relaxed and happy ever as the tiger licked a large stripe from jaw, up his chin to his hairline. All Cahir did was laugh.

"Yes, yes, I missed you too, Princess," he said. fingers loosened from the fur in the tiger's neck and petted along her nose with the ease of familiarity.

"What the actual fuck?!" Lambert all but screeched. "What the fuckity fucking fuck?"

Eskel had the sense to look to Fringilla for answers, even if he wanted to watch Cahir with the tiger. The change in the man wasn't something he could have predicted. Gone was the sullen, defensive and standoffish air, replaced by an easy smile and a look of serene happiness as Cahir looked at the tiger, checking her over out of habit, muttering about dirty ears and mucky paws as he went.

"That is what you won't ever learn from a CV and qualifications," Fringilla said. She was absolutely looking smug. "Princess came to us at 9 months old, from a circus. Had terrible separation anxiety and a host of other issues too. She wasn't doing well despite our best efforts. At least, not until Cahir took her home and cared for her during the nights rather than leave her in a hospital cage. He introduced her to independence, slept out in the open with her for a few weeks when she was ready to transition to outdoors." Much more quietly, she added, "She's not the only animal he'd done that for. To find out some of his beloved children have been sold hit him hard. I don't think I'd ever seen him cry before then."

Turning back, Eskel watched as Cahir was sat on the ground, tiger with her back to him. The slightly strained "oh no you don't" from Cahir was lost as the tiger pushed up onto her hind legs and flopped backwards. Had she been smaller, Cahir would have probably caught her like a baby. As it was, he grunted as the weight crashed across his legs and he had a happily chuffing tiger's belly to tickle.

"I assume you'd vouch for him?" Geralt asked.

"In a heartbeat." Fringilla grinned at Cahir but it was lost on him, so focused on Princess as he was. The others might as well have stopped existing. That was the moment Eskel knew his heart was in danger. It didn't get easier as time went on. Hiring Cahir was proving to be a good decision. He just got on with the work, never finding anything distasteful or below him to do. If it needed doing, he got it done.

Over time he opened up too, Eskel found himself wandering down to the southern corner of the park to the little house that was now full of life. He got used to Cahir usually having a baby or two in his care. Sometimes he babysat for Letho's hatchlings, content to have baby snakes trying to look around his arms as they learned how to cope with being handled. The friendship between the two was one Eskel couldn't claim to understand but they seemed to make it work.

"Knock knock," he announced himself by the open back door.

"Come on in," Cahir called as he wandered out of the kitchen. "I'm just finishing making dinner, care to join me?"

That was new too, Cahir was inviting Eskel into his life more and more. It made Eskel feel even better about what he was planning to ask at Fringilla's instructions.

"I wanted to talk to you about tomorrow. There's a new arrival that we think will need your assistance."

Cahir cocked an eyebrow and held up an empty plate in question again. At Eskel's nod he began loading. "Anything you can tell me about it?"

"Not much. Private collector got raided, had a few animals in his less than tender care."

"So they'll be part socialised, part traumatised. I can work with that."

Somehow, Eskel had no doubts about that. But he was holding back some information because Fringilla had told him to keep it a surprise. The next morning the transport van rolled in, a small group of them ready to handle the newest arrivals. There were a couple of pythons for Letho to bring into his fold, a parrot for Guxart to train into swearing. Last was a large crate. As interesting as it was, Eskel's eyes were on Cahir, the way his nostrils flared as he caught scent of the hyena. The box opened and the animal cautiously peered out.

"Dave!" Cahir exclaimed, all semblance of quiet professionalism gone as he hopped off the top of the crate he'd helped open.

If his reaction had been exuberant, it was nothing compared to the hyena's. They collided next to the box, all over each other.

"I missed you buddy." There were tears running down Cahir's cheeks as Dave alternated between butting into him and running tight, excited circles around him before settling down and trying to bodily press into him. Glancing up, Cahir gave Fringilla a wobbly smile. "How did you find her?"

Her? Last Eskel checked, Dave was a male name. Still, he wasn't going to interrupt the tender reunion with such a dumb question.

"She was part of a collector's hoard. Didn't have the right permits so he was made to give her up to those who could offer her proper care."

A broken "thank you" was whispered in her direction before Cahir buried his face in the hyena's neck. Eskel watched with so many questions. Thankfully Fringilla didn't miss that fact.

"She was born in captivity, originally assumed to be a boy, needed to be hand reared after mum rejected her. She never understood that she wasn't human and as a result has spent most of her life living with Cahir. We've tried so often to introduce her to a pack but she never took to them, content to stay with them for a day, two at a push before she starts pining. When Nilfgaard sold her, that's when Cahir got suspicious, did some digging and realised she hadn't gone to another park. So Dave is a catalyst for this whole fiasco if you will."

Watching them, Eskel nodded. He had a hyena to befriend if he wanted to keep Cahir in his life it would seem.

[queenxxxsupreme]

An Unlikely Choice (dad!Arthur Morgan)

A/N: This is an addition to my new little dad!Arthur series! Hopefully we will see more of domesticated Arthur in the near future :)

Warnings: none, just fluff!

Word Count: 2.9k

Summary: Arthur takes Daisy to get her first horse. 

***

“Come on, daddy!”

“We’re goin’ as fast as we can, sweetpea.”

“I’ve seen Poncho go faster than this!”

“Well Poncho don’t go fast when little kids are on his back.” 

“Don’t you give him a little nudge like this?” Daisy leaned to the side and used her heels to give the buckskin standardbred an encouraging nudge.

Poncho put his ears back, huffing in displeasure. 

“Come on now, sweetpea.” Arthur reached down to stop her leg. “You don’t do that. You’re not the one with the reins so you aren’t the one who tells him to go faster, okay?”

“Okay, daddy.”

“We don’t wanna confuse poor Poncho, do we?” Arthur rubbed the side of Poncho’s neck. “He’s a good boy.”

“Daddy, what if all the horses are gone by the time we get there?” Daisy looked over her shoulder to him. 

“Sweetpea, I don’t think all the horses are gonna be gone-,”

“But what if they are?” Her little eyebrows were drawn together with concern. 

“Then we’ll have to find somewhere else that has horses, sweetpea.” Arthur leaned down to kiss her head. 

“What if that place runs out of horses too?”

“You sound like your mother.” He sighed, bringing Poncho to a stop at the end of the main street. “She worries just like that too. Always questionin’ everything.”

Arthur climbed down from the saddle and took the reins, making sure Daisy sat safely in the saddle. 

“I promised you I was gonna get you a horse, didn’t I?”

Daisy nodded, messing with the saddle horn. 

“Then I’m gonna get you a horse. Have a little faith in me, sweetpea.” He fixed the way his hat sat on his head and began to lead Poncho down the busy street. 

“What’s faith, daddy?”

“Faith is, uh…. is like trust.”

Daisy didn’t hear his answer. She was too busy watching a pair of huge horses pull an even bigger cart. 

“Whoa! Daddy, look!” She pointed. “Look at how big those horses are!”

“Those are workin’ horses. Papa Hosea used to have one a long, long time ago.”

“How many horses has Papa Hosea had?”

“Too many to count.”

Arthur led Poncho down to the stables at the end of the street. He tethered the horse to a hitching post and moved to get Daisy down from the saddle. 

“Now remember sweetpea. In here, you can’t be too loud and you can’t move too fast. We don’t wanna spook the horses.”

“Okay.” She nodded her head, taking hold of Arthur’s hand. Her little hand only wrapped around his pinky and ring finger but he still held her hand as he took her towards the stable. 

“You got any names in mind?”

“Names?”

“Yeah. Names for the horse.”

“Hmm.” Daisy tapped her free hand to her lips. “What about Cookie? I like cookies.”

“That’s…. an interestin’ name.” Arthur chuckled. 

“Howdy, folks.” A man approached Arthur and Daisy, holding his hand out for Arthur. “Davis Thatcher. Owner of this here stable.”

“Arthur Calhoon.”

The two shook hands. 

“What can I do for you today?”

“I’m lookin’ for a horse.” Arthur answered, his eyes dropping down to Daisy. She squeezed his fingers as she peered around Mr. Thatcher, spotting a pony in a stall. “We were hopin’ to find somethin’ along the lines of a foal.”

“You are in luck! I’ve got a handful of fillies and a couple colts. Let’s go take a look and you can tell me which one looks good to you, Mr. Calhoon.”

“Well, I’m not gonna be the one pickin’ the horse. If we find the right one, this’ll be my daughter’s horse.”

“Oh, how nice! Is it a special occasion?” 

“Sort of.” Arthur began to follow Mr. Thatcher around the stable. Daisy eagerly walked alongside her father. “Her birthday’s in a couple weeks.”

“How old are you gonna be, missy?” 

“Eight!” Daisy answered, practically bouncing up and down next to Arthur. 

“That’s a big number! Congratulations!”

Mr. Thatcher led Arthur to an enclosure towards the back of the stable.

“Here we have a few of the younger foals. Take a look, see if any of them catch your eye.”

Arthur picked Daisy up and sat her on the top rail of the fence. He kept his arm around her stomach, not wanting to let her fall into the enclosure. 

“Give them a treat when they come up to you.” Mr. Thatcher handed Daisy a biscuit. 

The first horse to take interest in the duo was a palomino mare. Daisy excitedly shifted in her spot. Arthur could practically feel the excitement radiating off of her. 

“Easy, sweetpea.” Arthur said. “Don’t wanna spook her.”

“She’s pretty, daddy.”

“Sure is. Remember to keep your hand flat so she don’t nibble on your fingers.”

Daisy put her hand out falt with the chunk of carrot in her palm. The mare sniffed the treat for a brief moment before taking it from Daisy. Daisy giggled. 

“That tickled.”

“That one’s called Trudy. She’s got a filly over there that we call Millie.” Mr. Thatcher pointed to a light yellow foal that was playing with a dark brown foal in one of the corners of the enclosure. 

“What do you think about that one, sweetpea?” Arthur asked Daisy, but she wasn’t even looking at that horse. Her eyes were focused on something else in the corner to her left. There was something brown laying in the hay. It didn’t appear to be a foal at first, no features were discernible. But the more Daisy looked at it, she could see it was breathing. 

“What about that one?” She pointed to the lump. 

“You wouldn’t be interested in that one, honey.” Mr. Thatcher shook his head. 

“Somethin’ wrong with it?” Arthur asked quietly.

“That’s one of the runts from another mare. She’s not strong. Ain’t worth your time, I can assure you.”

“Daddy, I wanna look at it.” Daisy tugged on the sleeve to Arthur’s shirt. He looked over to Mr. Thatcher, who let out a sigh. 

“If you’d like to look, you can. But I promise, she ain’t nothin’ special.”

“Come on, sweetpea.” Arthur pulled her down from the fence. Daisy led the way over to the corner the little filly was in. She knelt down so that she could see the baby horse between the bottom two horizontal fence boards. 

“Here, girl.” Daisy clicked her tongue, holding her hand out. The foal had its nose tucked into the hay and showed no signs of acknowledging Daisy. 

“You got a treat she could give the foal?” Arthur looked at Mr. Thatcher. He nodded and pulled another biscuit out of his pocket. He gave it to Arthur, who then knelt down by Daisy. 

“Here, take this.” He handed the biscuit to her. 

“What’s her name?” Daisy asked.

“Uh, she…. She don’t really got one.”

Arthur shook his head. 

“Here, girl. Look here.” Daisy spoke softly, trying again to get the filly’s attention. 

Arthur would’ve thought it was dead if it weren’t for the shallow breathing movements it made. 

He reached through the fence and tapped the foal’s hindquarter. 

“Wake up, girl.”

The filly lifted her head, a few pieces of straw getting stuck in the part of her mane that fell across her forehead. She blinked once and then twice, looking from Arthur to Daisy. There was a white patch around her left eye, a stark contrast to the rest of her chocolate brown coat. 

“Here.” Daisy whispered, holding out the biscuit for her. She took it and nibbled lightly at Daisy’s fingers. Daisy giggled, then reached up to pull the straw from the filly’s mane. 

“There’s a few more outside I can show you.” Mr. Thatcher said, moving towards a door that would lead them outside. 

“Come on, sweetpea.” Arthur started to stand up. 

“Daddy, I want her.” Daisy brushed her fingers over the filly’s tangled mane. 

Arthur rubbed the back of his neck. The filly didn’t look very healthy. Even laying down it looked small. And there was a chance that it was deaf too. It was odd that it hadn’t responded to any noises being made. He couldn’t get his daughter a sickly horse and risk it dying. 

“How old is that little filly, Mr. Thatcher?”

“Five months.”

“Five months?” He repeated in disbelief. “Looks barely three months old.”

“I told you, Mr. Calhoon. She’s a runt, and she’s got issues with holding on weight.”

Arthur looked back to Daisy. She was completely engrossed with the filly, already whispering and murmuring to her as she stroking her mane. 

“Give me a second, would you?”

“Of course.” Mr. Thatcher moved away to give Arthur some privacy with his daughter. 

Arthur leaned against the fence with his arms, looking around the enclosure at the other foals. 

“Daddy, she’s so pretty. Ain’t she?”

His eyes dropped down to the filly just below him. 

“She is pretty, sweetpea.” He nodded. “Daisy, this filly…. She ain’t healthy, sweetpea. It wouldn’t be…. I just don’t think….” He couldn’t find the right words. Everything he tried to say sounded terrible. 

Daisy stopped petting the horse and stood up, brows drawing together as she peered up at her father. 

“Did Mr. Thatcher say we can’t take her home?”

“No, sweetpea. That ain’t it.” He shook his head, looking down at her. “This one here ain’t the healthiest they have. If we get her…. I don’t know how long she’ll last.”

The look that crossed over Daisy’s face broke Arthur’s heart. 

“I just don’t want you to have to go through that, sweetpea.” Arthur put his hand on her shoulder and pulled her in for a hug, his hand finding the back of her head. “I know what it’s like to lose a horse and it’s a really nasty feelin’ that I don’t want you to ever feel.”

“She just looks so sad here, daddy.” Daisy sniffled.

“Oh sweetpea, don’t cry on me.” He pulled back, wiping her tears away. She looked down at the ground while his eyes stayed on her face. “You really like her, don’t you?”

Daisy nodded, rubbing her eyes.

“If she’s the one you want, then she’s the one we’re gonna take home.”

Her eyes flickered up to his. 

“I do want her.”

“Then it’s settled.” He kissed her forehead. “You wait here while I go talk to Mr. Thatcher.”

Arthur crossed the barn, making sure Daisy was still in his line of sights. 

“So what’ve you decided, Mr. Calhoon?” Mr. Thatcher asked.

“My wife is gonna kill me.” Arthur sighed. “We’ll take that little filly with the patch over her eye.”

“If that’s the one you want, I won’t fight you on it. Glad to have it out of my hands to be honest. It’ll be fifty dollars.”

“Fifty for an underweight foal?” Arthur’s mouth fell open. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Unfortunately I’m not.” Mr. Thatcher shook his head. 

Arthur locked his jaw, reminding himself that this was for Daisy, and pulled the money out of his pocket. 

“You bring a wagon with you?” Mr. Thatcher asked as he began to count the money to make sure it was the correct amount. 

“No…. Why?”

“Well, then I hope you live nearby. Like I said before, that horse ain’t very strong. I doubt it’ll be able to walk very long.”

“Son of a bitch.” Arthur ran his hand over his face. 

“You can always keep it boarded here for the night- for an additional twenty dollars.”

“What about until later on today?” 

“Ten.”

Arthur bit his tongue as he forked over another ten dollars.

“It was a pleasure, Mr. Calhoon.”

“Yeah, you too.”

Daisy looked over to Arthur as he knelt down beside her. 

“Okay, sweetpea. So we’ve got a plan. I’m gonna take you home to momma and then I’m gonna come back for this little lady.”

“Why can’t we take her home now?”

“Well ‘cause she can’t walk all the way up to our house. She’s not that strong yet, so I’ve gotta get the wagon and come back down to get her.”

“But what if someone takes her before we come back?”

“No one will take her, sweetpea.”

Arthur and Daisy left the stables and began to make their way out of town on Poncho. 

“You thought of any names, sweetpea?” Arthur asked, his hand rubbing her arm. 

“She’s got a patch over her eye. I thought maybe Patches, but we already got a sheep named Patches.”

“Yeah, that could get confusing for poor ole Patches. You said you liked the name Cookie earlier.”

“She don’t look like a Cookie.” Daisy shook her head.

Arthur moved Poncho over to one side of the road as a horse and wagon came into view. A smile came to his face as he realized who was driving the horse.

“Look, Daisy. It’s Uncle Charles.”

Arthur brought the horse to a stop next to Charles’s wagon. Beside Charles on the wagon was a woman. She had warm copper skin and black pin straight hair that was braided back into two braids. 

“Uncle Charles! Aunt Lucy!”

Arthur put Daisy down on the ground and watched her move over to the wagon. Charles got down from the wagon to pick her up, embracing her in a tight hug.

“Hey there, Daisy.” 

“What are you two up to today?” Lucy asked, looking at Arthur.

“Just heading back home. Bought this little lady a new horse.” Arthur nodded to Daisy. Charles placed Daisy on to the wagon so she could property hug Lucy. 

“Where’s the horse?” Charles patted Poncho’s shoulder. 

“Still at the stable.” Arthur sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. He lowered his voice so Daisy wouldn’t be able to hear him. “She chose a little sickly filly out of a bunch of other ones, Charles. The horse didn’t even stand up.”

“At all?”

“No, not at all.”

“And you bought it for Daisy?”

“I didn’t want her to cry no more, Charles.”

Charles shook his head.

“She’ll be crying a lot more when that filly never stands up.”

“You’re always so critical.” Arthur muttered. “Anyways, I’ve gotta take her home and get the wagon to take the horse back home. Don’t know if it can walk, but the stable owner said it couldn’t walk very far.”

“Why don’t you just put it in the back of my wagon?” Charles gestured to his wagon. “Lucy just has a few things she has to get at the store and I’ve got to pick up some feed for the horses. Should be enough room for a filly.”

“If you’ve got the room, I sure would appreciate it.”

“Of course.”

Charles moved towards his wagon. 

“Hey, sweetpea? There’s been a little change of plans.” Arthur said, looking at Daisy. “Uncle Charles is gonna let us put your little filly in his wagon so we don’t have to go all the way home.”

“Thank you, Uncle Charles!” Daisy clapped her hands together.

***

You walked out to greet everyone when the wagon pulled up in front of the barn. 

“Hi, Lucy. Hi, Charles.” 

“Hello, Y/N.” Lucy embraced you in a warm hug. “We ran into Arthur and Daisy in town. They needed some help with your new horse.”

“My horse!” Daisy corrected her, giggling as she moved towards the back of the wagon. 

“Why did he need a wagon for the horse?” You asked, furrowing your brow. 

“Um, it’s….” Lucy trailed off. 

Your eyes fell on Arthur and Charles. They counted to three and lifted the horse out of the wagon. 

“Excuse me, Lucy.” You placed your hand on her arm before moving towards your husband. “Arthur?”

“Gimme a second, pumpkin.” He grunted, moving with Charles towards the barn.

“Why isn’t this baby walking?” You followed behind them. Daisy tried to follow you too but you stopped her. “Daisy, go to Aunt Lucy please.”

“But momma-,”

“Daisy, please.”

She frowned but did as she was told. Lucy took her to the front porch. 

The two men placed the foal down into an empty stall on a bed of straw. Charles stepped back to examined the horse while Arthur pet its neck.

“It’s good to see you, Charles.” You gave him a tight smile, trying to maintain the growing frustration in your veins. 

“You too, Y/N. I’ll, uh, I’m going to go out with the girls.” He motioned to the door. 

Your eyes fell on to Arthur while he watched Charles leave. The door to the barn creaked shut. 

“Arthur Morgan, tell me you did not buy our daughter a horse that can’t even walk.”

“Pumpkin, it’s not like that.”

“Then show me that the horse can walk.” You crossed your arms.

He opened his mouth and looked down at the foal. 

“I can’t do that.”

“Jesus, Arthur.”

“Y/N, wait.” He stopped you from leaving the stall. “The fella at the stable, he said the horse was weak and wasn’t like the other foals they had. He tried to steer us away but once Daisy saw this one, she wouldn’t look at any others. She was crying because I told her she couldn’t get it.”

Your gaze dropped back down to the foal. It moved some of the straw around with its nose, snorting softly. 

“Arthur…. What if…. What if it doesn’t….?”

“I know.” He rubbed his face. “Thought about it the whole way up here. But she wasn’t willin’ to get any other. She wanted this one.”

“I just don’t want her hurt.”

“I know.” His hand found the small of your back. “She’s a strong girl. You are her mother afterall.”

You smiled. 

“Come on. I told Charles I’d make him dinner for lettin’ me use his wagon.”

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If your name is in italics, that means it wouldn’t let me tag you :(

[subbing-for-clones]

The New Apprentice Part 8

Maul x Sith!reader 

Word Count: 2k

A/N: Yall it has been a God damn week I'll tell you that. So sorry it has taken me so long to get this out. Fair warning, had to do some already known stuffs to move the story along the timeline and I just wasn't feeling it while writing, but it's important to the timeliness nonetheless.

WARNINGS: 18+ P in V sex, unprotected sex, Canon violence. Kinda angsty at the end? Idk.

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       The following morning you awoke alone in your tent. The cool morning air aiding to shake the fog from your mind as you thought of the previous night. A smile twitched on your lips that was soon replaced with a heavy eye roll. One of your pant legs had been torn up the seam by the medic who worked on you. Shrugging, you ripped off the tattered fabric and did the same to the other to match. Sliding on your now short one piece you pulled on your boots, hung your sabers from your hips and left your little shelter.

    You knew why Maul left; he didn't want anyone to think the two of you were involved until the situation was less vulnerable. You were thankful he waited until you were asleep before he absconded into the darkness. Maker, you had to stop thinking about it lest you rile yourself up again. It was time to go to work, continue to prove to your master that you deserved to be at his side. That he needed you there.

    You were relieved that Savage followed behind you a few minutes later. At least you weren't the last one up. Pre and Maul strode through the camp with you and Savage following closely behind.

"We will need an army if we are to successfully take back Mandalore." Your master rumbled.

"The people will support us once we remind them who they are." Pre retorted.

"Perhaps... but the Black Suns will be able to provide us with resources beneath the attention of the Republic."

"They're a crime syndicate!"

"Yes, and a powerful one that will lead to our victory. We have but one chance to pull this off."

      Boarding a Mandalorian starship with your Master and Savage was quiet. You had decided to keep your mouth shut and revel in Maul's ability to command and scheme. You stood at Savage's side with your hands clasped behind your back, back straight and chin high. Your weapons dangled dangerously at your hips. Every so often a Mandalorian would look at you curiously through their visor to which you responded the same every time. You gazed into their black where their unseen eyes lay behind, unblinking with a straight lip and an air of importance until they turned away. Savage quirked a lip slightly every time.

When you were alone he rumbled quietly.

"You make them uneasy. Much more than I do I think."

"I hardly doubt that my friend." Your voice soft and cold in the off chance someone could hear you.

"Possibly... they fear us."

"Good. Then they will stay in line under Lord Maul. A warrior should never show fear. They may be strong but they've shown a vital weakness we will exploit in time if necessary."

    Maul was the only one within ear shot and he silently listened to your words. Although he didn't show it at the time externally, his chest swelled in pride.

    After landing on Mustafar they were greeted with a battalion led by a tall Falleen male by the name of Vigo Ziton Maj. He chuckled when your master harshly requested an audience but he led Maul, Savage, Pre Vizsla and yourself inside the fortress anyway.

    Five more men sat at a long black table upon your entrance. When demanded that they join you, you were met with exclamations of amusement and they attempted to call for your deaths.

    Without hesitation you and Savage each tossed a spinning lightsaber in their direction. Effectively beheading each and every one of the leaders in single mirrored motions. After seeing first handedly that denial of an alliance would lead to death, Moj, the next in line to lead agreed to join your cause without hesitation.

    The Pykes practically handed themselves over to you once news about the Black Suns had reached their ears. The offer of their alliance was a grateful surprise to you. Recognizing the slow shift in universal power only spurred your attraction to your master. Visions of you riding his throbbing cock permeated your mind and drifted to his.

    On the ride to Nal Hutta these thoughts only grew in intensity as your sinful need grew. It had been days since he had last touched you and although you maintained an outward composure, your mind reeled. With only a few hours until your arrival, Maul strode past you, pausing momentarily to give you a knowing glance and ever so slight nod of his head. You waited a minute before following his force signature until a supply closet door hissed open. He grabbed you almost violently, pulling you within the small enclosure. He listened to be sure you weren't followed before he turned to you.

"My my what devious thoughts you project little one." He cooed as he pulled you into his embrace. With your back to his chest, he lowered his face into the crook of your neck, planting gentle wet kisses to your sensitive skin and lightly nipping at your ear. You took his hand and covered your mouth to stifle a whimper as he ground his hardening cock into your rear. You could feel the heat of your core as his velvety voice hummed in the ear he was toying with.

"Now, I'd much rather take my time with you but it seems you need some tension released. I'll need you clear headed on this venture. I believe the Hutt Clan will give us the most trouble in forming an alliance. Would you like my help my sweet little apprentice?"

    You nodded fervently, tears pricking the corners of your eyes as he slid your one piece down until it pooled on the floor. He bent you over infinitesimally, just enough to grant him entrance. He prodded his hot, firm erection against your folds letting out a silent groan feeling how wet you already were.

"God's I've hardly touched you and your soaking wet you naughty little girl."

    Without warning he slipping inside you, biting one of his fingers to keep from crying out. He thrusted into at a brutal pace, sinking to his hilt with every rut. It didn't take long before you were fluttering around him and tears streamed down your cheeks.

"Maker, you're going to cum for me.. I can feel it... Let go my dear. Cum all over my cock."

    The command he soothed had you unraveling faster than you thought possible. The excitement of the risk at being found out only encouraged your orgasm. Still shaking from the aftershocks, your master bit your shoulder as he throbbed and filled you.

    You hastily cleaned yourself, getting ready to leave before you were caught but Maul grabbed your wrist and brought you back into an embrace. Gently pressing his forehead to yours and wrapping his arms around you.

"Soon you'll be at my side at all times my dear. Would you like that?" His glowing amber eyes meeting yours.

"Yes Master, of course."

    You pressed your lips to his and trying to calm your flush you left the small enclosure with newfound resolve undoubtedly spurred by your bliss.

       Maul had been correct as usual. The Hutts were in fact quite resistant. After hearing that they wouldn't be paid and that the deal was an alliance for their lives, five bounty hunters and the whole guard rushed the room. Desperate for some leverage you deflected the barrage of incoming blaster fire along with your master while leading them slowly out to the landing platform.

Finally, she's good for something you thought as Bo Katan fired rockets into the fortress, effectively killing most of the guard.

    You gave chase back into the fortress and fought the remaining bounty hunters. Unwillingly admitting that they were giving you more trouble than you would've hoped. Darting away from a purple woman with orange hair you kicked a dog off of your master while the bounty hunters made their retreat. Maul was convinced that they wouldn't be a further threat so you let them escape with their lives and empty pockets.

    You ended up having to travel to the gods awful desert planet of Tatooine for Jabba to finally agree to your terms.

       Back on Zanbar you and Savage shared a meal while Maul oversaw the organization of the troops and mixed crime syndicates.

"You seem restless." Savage noted.

"Duuuh." You exasperated. "All this planning and waiting and organizing. Ugh, I wanna go fuck shit up. We've been so busy with the boring shit I haven't even had time to train. Aside from that bounty hunter scuffle."

"Worry not little one, you'll be terrorizing the Mandalorians planet side with everyone soon enough." You scoffed at his response to which he cocked his brow.

"No, I'm not. Master wants me in the shadows. Something about the people recognizing me later on being a problem with his grand scheme."

"He has a habit of only telling half of a truth. Trust comes slowly to him. You know this." You sighed, pushing away your plate and pinching the bridge of your nose.

"Yes, I'm well aware. More so than he would like I'm sure."

"He cares very deeply for you."

"And I him but all this sitting around will get me nowhere. I told you about what happened on Malachor... for the first time since I've joined you two it feels like my feet are taking me some where I'm not supposed to go... it's been weeks and the only thing I've learned in that time frame is how to take his cock in secret, away from prying eyes."

    Savage nearly choked and also disregarded his food and sat looking at you with a pained look in his eyes.

"What will you do then?"

"Honestly? I haven't the faintest idea. All I know is that I'm supposed to 'extinguish the fear but always remember that 'the shadow cannot exist without the light' whatever the fuck that's supposed to mean."

"If you don't know what it means how do you know you're on the wrong path?" You paused at his question.

"Jedi and Sith both always say to trust in the force... I need to meditate on this."

    Savage nodded as you stood from your seat walking back towards your tent. Your master was a strong force user and ever since that night you two had opened up your minds to one another, truly lay bare before the other, it was damn near impossible to keep him out. When you passed him and Vizsla you had known they couldn't hear your conversation but the way that his eyes followed you. A specific crease in his brow. You had no doubt it had anything to do with Vizsla's ramblings, you realized he probably felt your conflict.

    Disappearing into your canvas enclosure you tried to push the thought of your lover, no, your master; down and away from the forefront of your mind. Gods above though, he was your lover. You loved him, so much. What if he was guiding you away from the place you needed to go? Everything felt right before you allied with the Death Watch. The weeks you spent training and traveling to Malachor felt right. But this, this felt like it was his path not yours. If your destinies didn’t cross would he abandon his to join you? Could you abandon yours to join him? You knelt in the center of your tent and straightened your back, closing your eyes. Allowing your mind to rest, allow the wild eradications to still and drift away. This was important. This was your destiny. You suddenly realized why, although you'd never admit it, the Jedi forbid attachments in their freakish cult.

[petri808]

For Bakudeku Winter Week. Hypothermia prompt. Angst 🏔

“Kacchan no!!!!!”

Katsuki heard Izuku scream, but it was too late to stop his momentum as he sent a large explosion towards the villain. In his zealousness, he’d failed to notice the tenuous snow bank perched on the cliffs above the plateau. Like a slow motion movie, all he could to do was watch in vain as the snow drift cracked in a deep, rumbling roar and rushed towards their positions. But instead of running away, Katsuki ran towards his partner who was closer to the wall of snow gunning for them.

“Fuck!!!” Katsuki screamed Izuku’s name, but the sound of the snow was too loud and drowned out his hearing. The last thing he remembered was seeing his friend over taken, seconds before he too was buried alive.

He didn’t know how long he’d been unconscious for, but when he awoke, the first thing he did was scream Izuku’s name. His body was shivering, with freezing stinging pains, lips chapped and dry. Damn how long had they been under?! Katsuki couldn’t move any part of his body because the snow was so compact, it was like being encased in cement. Fuck no, he wasn’t dying here! He fought against the cold bindings, screaming and cursing, wriggling but it was no use. Adrenaline kicked in. His temperature was dropping too quickly to produce sweat, but thankfully one gauntlet had not been ripped from his arm. Katsuki created a flurry of tiny explosions, each one melting the snow around him. First his arm, torso, and as he created more space, he could add body movement to fight against the enclosure until finally, he could see light.

With a last desperate push, he dug himself out and popped out the top of the snow drift, heart dropping the instant he broke free. The entire landscape had changed. Where once they been standing was a deep layer of snow and only tops of trees remained visible. Katsuki screamed for Izuku as he scrambled on top of the dense snow field. Over and over, praying to find his friend before hypothermia set in. Izuku’s body didn’t have the same reserves as his did, so he knew the man’s chances were lower for survival.

“Izuku?!?!? Talk to me!!!!”

Fuck this was all his fault! If his friend died, it was his fault! His own stupid reckless behaviors taking the life of Izuku would kill him too.

And that’s when he sees it a few yards away, two gloved fingers barely sticking out of the snow that weren’t moving.

“Izuku?! Fuck! Fuck!” Katsuki trudged towards the man’s position, slowed considerably when his legs sunk into the white powder. He screamed and blasted little explosions of heat in his path to melt what he could. It was excruciatingly slow! “Izuku! Izuku!”

Once he reached the location, he dug furiously at the snow encasing Izuku. Tossing clumps of white left and right, growing more and more angry and frustrated as it collapsed back into the hole he dug. Katsuki got as far as the man’s waist and started to tug with all his might to pull him out. But as precious minutes ticked by, even this took a herculean effort. Izuku was an unconscious dead weight whose legs were pinned by the compacted snow.

He tried not to focus on the bad signs, the blue tinged lips and ears, cold— cold skin and shallow breathing. So instead, Katsuki keyed in on how serene the man looked in the sleep-like state, or how the ice crystals sparked on the tips of Izuku’s eyelashes. “Don’t worry, Izuku, I’m gonna get you outta here. Y-You’ll be fine. Y-You’re gonna be fine, I promise to god you’ll be fine! So stay the fuck with me! Do you hear me Izuku, don’t you dare die on me or I’ll... I’ll...” Katsuki couldn’t finish the sentence. He didn’t even know why he was talking to an unconscious man, maybe it was for himself? To be like Izuku, right? Think positively! They were heroes! And heroes don’t give up hope!

Okay, now what? Katsuki quickly assessed the situation. He’s only got one gauntlet, so he hoisted Izuku onto his other shoulder and used the free hand to blast his way into the air. It was a bitch to stick to a direction, but through sheer determination he kept going. They’d been close to the mountain summit and the nearest town was at its base 3 miles down. When he sensed his reserves hit the half way point, Katsuki switched tactics and found a fallen log to use like a snowboard. “We’re almost there,” he talked as he glided, “so stay with me Izu!” The man had started to shiver on his shoulder. Was that a good sign since he hadn’t been earlier? Fuck, he should have paid better attention during disaster training. “Hold on Izuku...”

The hospital kept Izuku in a semi-induced coma while his body healed. He had a couple of fractured ribs, tissue damage in his neck along the vertebrae similar to whiplash, as well as the lingering affects of moderate hypothermia. The doctors told Katsuki, his quick actions had saved the man before the affects could have been worse, but that didn’t make the hero feel any better. It was his recklessness that put Izuku in this predicament in the first place.

For two days Katsuki stayed by Izuku’s bedside holding his hand, waiting for any change. On the morning of the third day, they’d taken the man off the respirator and sedatives but he remained asleep. Doctors assured Katsuki that this was normal and he’ll be okay. It still hurt to see Izuku like that, wrapped in thermal blankets with tubes and wires, all the monitors beeping in an otherwise silent room like a judgmental siren. Always reckless... how many times had he been berated and chastised by teachers, mentors, media for charging in without thinking.

Late that evening after Katsuki had started to doze off in his chair, he felt it, the soft squeeze of his hand. He lifted his head to see no change in Izuku’s position, eyes still closed. But there it was a second time, a little stronger than the first.

“Deku?” Katsuki squeezed back.

“Kacchan...” it was faint from Izuku’s lips like a whispering breeze.

“I’m here, Deku,” Katsuki squeezed his eyes shut to hold back the building tears. It felt so damn good to finally hear his friends voice again.

“I heard you... Kacchan. You called me by my name... it was so nice. I knew I’d be okay when I heard it.”

Katsuki thought back to the things he’d said back on the mountain. At the time it was all about getting his friend to safety that he hadn’t realized, that’s right... he didn’t call the man Deku for once— he’d called him by his real name. He squeezed Izuku’s hand tightly as the trapped moisture spilled from the corners of his eyes. He grit his teeth as he spoke to hide the fact he was crying. “Y-Yeah, I did. You know I always got your back.”

“Mmhmm,” Izuku smiled as he settled back into his slumber.

Everything was gonna be okay.