#I've had this idea in my head for months and just now got to drawing it out

[bambiraptorx]

This is as good a time as any to mention that Draxum is a polyglot and can swear in so many languages

[dandyshucks]

me when i suddenly remember I can draw whatever i want and it is allowed to look imperfect !!!! and I'm allowed to use pose bases esp if I'm just drawing for fun !!!

im trying to figure out a specific cartoony style I did in one drawing from a few months back, and then I've been wanting to do one of those heart hands poses for a long time so I found a pose base to try a quick sketch tonight just for funsies hehe

[fcthots]

Drunk sex with jay?he's the one drunk btw

I got carried away...

This is one of the longest things I've ever written

He is such a horny drunk. It's been established for years at this point. He achieves something. He's proud of himself. He gets drunk. His face gets flushed. He gets flirty. He gets horny. All a part of the routine. You've talked about it. You've discussed it. You've accepted it.

And you'd be lying if you said you didn't enjoy the flirting at least a little.

He'd started drinking an hour ago. He's had his eyes locked on yours since then. He's watched your every step and hasn't stopped smiling.

You know he's watching you. You're standing with him in the kitchen. He's sitting on one of the metal barstool chairs he picked out a few months ago at some old furniture store. He's solidly drunk now. His steps waver when he tries to walk and he slurs his words when he speaks. He smile still doesn't drop.

He's been chattering most of the time, talking about nothing. Also flirting. So much flirting. But he's been silently staring at you for the last 3 minutes, a record.

He rests his chin in his hand. "I wanna taste you."

You drop the remote you were holding. He snickers. Loudly.

You let out a huff and bend over the grab the remote, blushing furiously. While you grab the remote from the floor, he soundlessly moves behind you. You're not entirely sure how he pulled it off in his drunken state. You don’t notice until you stand back up and his hands find your waist, pushing their way up under your shirt and tracing patterns into your skin. "Sounds like you like my idea. C'mon." He draws out the last syllable slightly. He turns you around, removing one hand to place it on your chin and tilt your head up to look at him. His eyes are hooded and dark. "Please?" His voice is gruff and slightly deeper than it usually is. How are you supposed to resist him?

He can see the surrender in your eyes ands smile brightens. You let out a breath. "You sure?"

He doesn't respond, just presses his lips to yours in a bruising kiss. He's no longer so drunk that he can't walk, but you still don't trust him to walk backwards to the couch the way he'd usually lead you during a kiss, so you walk yourself backward to the kitchen table. It breaks off the kiss when you sit, but Jason is quick to go to his knees to follow you. His mouth doesn't stay on yours for too much longer, it makes its way to your neck and you can feel him leave hickeys that surely won't be gone by tomorrow. His hands find their way back under your shirt to your hips and waist, pulling your body flush with his. They move and latch onto the hem of your shirt, trying to lift it, but he can't bring himself to move his mouth away from your neck. You do it for him. Faster than the flash, kid flash, or impulse could move, you lean slightly back and away to lift your shirt off your head. You toss the shirt across the room and you can faintly hear the fabric hit the ground as Jason's mouth returns to your neck.

But this time, it doesn’t stay in that one place for two long. How mouth moves to your finally freed collarbones and licks a hot strip up the middle of them. His eyes lock with yours and your skin feels warm and electric. His hands move up your body and try to make their way to your chest before he gets annoyed at the fabric there.

"Ugh!" His tone is annoyed and you can't help but let out a breath of a laugh. "Take it all off. Everything. Now."

"Bossy." But you're doing exactly what he says and you know he can see the excitement in your eyes. You think about making a remark about the clothing (What? can't figure out how to get it off?), but ultimately decide that getting the clothes off as fast as humanly possible is more pressing. His hands have to move away from your waist when it's time for the pants to go and you immediately miss the warmth of his touch. It isn't gone for long, though. The moment your underwear drops, his mouth is on your tits. He draws a nipple to his mouth and you can feel his tongue move against it. Your hands find their way into his hair as he moans and pushes the rest of his body against yours. You feel his teeth graze you and you let out a brief gasp. His fingers dip into your hipbones and he doubles his efforts.

He doesn’t want to spend too long on just one, though. He always says they both "deserve equal attention" (usually right after he says something like "mine. All fuckin mine,") but well his mouth is a little busy right now. His hands trail down to your thighs, moving up and down. They squeeze intermittently as he bares down on your tit. You try to rub your thighs together, to get some sort of friction, but his hands roughly push them apart and hold them in place.

You tug his hair back, moving his face away and making him look at you. His eyes are half lidded, dazed. There's not a damn thought in his brain other than you. He whines and it short circuits your brain. You were about to say something, but he beats you to it.

"Need you. Need to taste you. Please."

"Thought you'd never ask."

His head moves back to your chest, but this time it trails down. His open mouth kisses are quick and sloppy. He follows your skin as it moves with your quickening breaths. His hands move back up your thighs and this time they trail all the way to your hips. He licks a final stripe up your stomach as he jerks you to the edge of the table.

He moves his hands again, this time around the outer side of your knees. He briefly kisses his way up your thigh. You're both breathing loud and heavily by the time he hooks the knee over his shoulder. Then he moves his mouth the other thigh, moving his mouth along it the same way he did the previous one. And again when he finally makes all the way to your inner thigh, he backs his head up, smiles at you, and hooks that knee over his shoulder.

He lays down one last kiss before he looks back up at you again and says, "Sorry, ma. Can't wait any more."

His arms loop around your thighs to keep you in place and he wastes no further time. He licks a wet stripe up your cunt and you let out an unholy moan. His lips wrap around your clit and suck and your brain shuts off. Your eyes slide closed against your will, despite how fucking good he looks between your legs. The only thing you can do is feel what he's doing to you, and by the looks of it, he's in the same boat. You swear you don't know what he's doing with his tongue, but fuck it feels good.

You think he might be more drunk on you than the alcohol at this point, but regardless you notice he hasn't remembered to breathe since he started devouring you. You try to tug him by his hair but his neck remains stiff and he moans into your cunt (and fuck if that is't distracting). "Baby." You tug his scalp again, this time with force. He gasps when you pull him away. You make eye contact and his eyes are a fucking sight. His pupils are blown wide, but more important his mouth and chin are coated in your slick. He licks his lips and you almost lose it at the sight. "Don't forget to breathe."

He seemingly can't wait any longer because he talks on his way back to your cunt. "Yes ma'am." Your brain shuts off for the next two minutes. You suspect he might be tracing his name into you, but you're not complaining, especially when it feels like that. His fingers dig into your skin as you let out a stream of curses.

He backs away to catch his breath and had you been in any sort of state to, you might have made a remark about him remembering all on his own this time, but you're too thoroughly wrecked to let out anything other than a high pitched whine.

He breathes a laugh. "You sound like me. Tsk tsk tsk. I guess I've been rubbing off on you too much lately." You forget how much of a cocky bastard he can be. Apparently he's finished his meal, because he moves your knees off his shoulder and rises from his knees. There are red marks where his fingers were pressed into you. "C'mon. Get up. I'm gonna need you to ride me. Let's go. Let's go make you drunk on my cock, baby"

Time to find out if you can still walk.

[potionbarrel]

after having the first ideas for this animatic about 3 and a half years ago, i can happily say the sketch stage for community gardens is finished in its entirety! rambling under the cut

although i'd put this project down to work on other things for stretches of time— days, weeks, months— i always at least wanted to get the sketches and pacing laid out for the full animatic, and now it's just... here!! it's really wild to think about. it is very choppy and messy in places, with it being the first animatic i've ever attempted, but i'm so proud of it. the idea had been confined to paper and my own head, and now it's just here and i can watch it more or less like how i imagined it. holy shit.

i don't think this'd make the top 10 when it comes to hlvrai animatics, because there's so many out there that are gorgeous and have so much love put into them, but i never wanted mine to be the best possible version of itself. just having it exist is a point of pride! even things could've wound up better, i like the animatic i got, 3 year old art and all! i think drawing these flowers is muscle memory by this point, and i'm now intimately familiar with every start and stop of this scary jokes song, LMAO.

but! thank you for reading, thank you for watching, and i hope you like it! thanks for the interest this undertaking's been shown over the years. means a lot <:-)

[roxygen22]

FAMILY BUSINESS

"My Little Cocoa Bean" Series

Willy was absolutely smitten by his "little cocoa bean," Benjamin. You called him Ben for short, but Willy affectionately called him Bean. He stayed home from the factory for a bit to help you recover and bond with the baby. He made the most of his limited time off doting on you both. Unless Ben was feeding, he was in Willy's arms. He was truly a devoted, loving father and husband.

Willy went back to work when Ben was about three weeks old. It was an adjustment to be alone with the baby all day, but it made Willy's returns in the evening all the more sweeter. After about six months, he came home with an idea.

"Now that he is a little older and more sturdy, why don't I take Bean with me to work one or two days a week so that you can have some time to yourself?" Willy not-so-secretly struggled going back to work, often lamenting how much he missed you both, but he knew he had to provide for his family.

"Oh my. I love the concept, but how are you going to handle business or have your hands free to make chocolate?" you asked as it took both of your hands to keep Ben from launching himself out of your lap to get to his papa.

"Easy!" Willy exclaimed as he scooped up the baby. "I saw Lottie today, and she had little Georgie tied to her chest with a wrap. Then it clicked - I could do that, too! Besides, babies are good for business! He's so cute, he'll draw a crowd," he mused as he squished his nose against Ben's chubby cheek, then turned to you with a pouty lip.

"I guess we could give it a try. Maybe start with a half day?" you said, excited about the potential but nervous about its execution. You loved your husband, but you were not sure he fully understood what he was in for. You did, however, always admire his determination to get what he wanted in life, even if he resorted to playing on your sympathies with a pout.

"Great! I already went by the store to get fabric to make a sling." You shook your head fondly and went about your evening routine.

Thanks to his mamma's teachings, Willy was handy with a needle and thread. A couple of nights later, his contraption was ready for testing at home. Ben was quite cozy snuggled up on his father's chest, gently babbling while Willy washed the dishes after dinner. Everything was going swimmingly. "Tomorrow would be a good day to try this out for real," he said. "I don't have any business meetings, so I'll just be splitting my time between the stores and the factory."

"Ok," you said tentatively. "I'll get his bag ready and write down his daytime schedule." The next morning, you loaded Willy down with everything he would need - extra clothes for both father and son, burp cloths, bottles, diapering supplies, etc. "So he'll need to eat again in a couple of hours. That will probably be when he needs another diaper change. And he'll need to go down for a na..."

Willy put a hand on your arm to interrupt you, rubbing up and down to calm your nerves. "I've got this. Okay? I want you to focus on enjoying your alone time." Admittedly, you were looking forward to a chance to curl up with a good book without intertuption for a few hours.

"Alright, Bean, ready for some adventure?" The baby cooed and raspberried spit all over Willy's hand. "I'll take that as a yes. Allons-y! Wave bye to mamma!"

"Bye bye, my boys. Have a good day!" You stood at the front door and waved them off.

<><><><>

Willy stopped first at his flagship store in the Galeries Gourmet to ensure things were in order. Mrs. Pennington, a regular customer always in the company of her granddaughter, spotted the chocolatier. "Well, hello there, Mrs. Pennington, Miss Hannah," he greeted and tipped his hat at the ladies. "Are you finding everything okay?"

"Indeed, Mr. Wonka. Thank you," the grandmother smiled. "And who is this handsome little one?" Ben babbled and cooed.

"This is my son, Bean. I mean, Benjamin," Willy replied with a proud smile.

"Oh, how lovely. Learning the family business early, eh?"

"As my mamma said, 'It's not the chocolate that matters. It's the people you share it with.'"

"I remember when my children were that little. Soak it up, Mr. Wonka. It doesn't last long." She patted the baby on the cheek and then continued her shopping. Willy turned around to wipe away a tear and kiss his son on the head.

Ben seemed to enjoy interacting with customers, smiling at their baby talk and staring around the store with wide eyes. But after a couple of hours, he started to fuss. The cashier was on break, so Willy was working the register, bouncing the baby in an attempt to silence his whimpers until he could break away to make a bottle. "Would you like your change spendable or edible?" He practically had to shout at the customers to be heard over Ben's fussing. Luckily the cashier came back before fussing became screaming.

"Okay, Bean, give me just a second and we'll silence those tummy grumbles," he said as he made his way to the stockroom. He deftly prepped a bottle and freed the baby from the sling. Very soon, Ben was reclining in Willy's arms and greedily sucking down a bottle. "See, I told your mamma I've got this."

<><><><>

Once Ben was fed and changed, Willy packed up the diaper bag and set out for the factory. Lulled by his father's swaying, Ben stayed asleep for a good while even after being transferred into the bassinet Willy had set up in his office. Inventing and chocolate making weren't exactly quiet endeavors, so Willy caught up on a bit of bookkeeping instead.

Ben eventually started stirring, alerting Willy with his soft coos. "Hi, sleepy head. Are you ready to go make some chocolate?" Willy set him back in the sling and made his way to the Idea Lab. Feeling refreshed from his nap, the little one was very alert, so Willy thought it would be fun to make this an interactive experience.

"Alright, Bean, I need to come up with something new, and you're going to help me," Willy announced while holding up two jars. "Which jar should I start with?" Of course, Ben's attention was grabbed by the brighest color of the two. "Ooh, essence of rainbow. Good call. What next?" he asked, continuing to hold up two jars at a time for the baby to choose from until he gathered enough.

Willy added the ingredients to his travel factory, which he still used for small batch experiments. Ben stared in wonder as the brightly colored liquids flowing down the spiral tube and giggled at the production noises. Willy was busy pressing buttons and pulling levers when the first chocolates came out of the machine and didn't pay close enough attention to Ben's stray hands. Willy looked down to see the baby's tiny hand grabbing and mashing melted chocolate into the fabric of the sling, his hair, and both of their shirts.

"Well, now I understand why your mother sent spare clothes for both of us." He wiped chocolate off his son's cheek with a finger and licked it. "Tastes good, though! I need to write that concoction down."

<><><><>

You were sitting on the couch with your book when Willy came home at lunchtime. Both boys and even their spare clothes were covered in chocolate. You had to stifle a giggle as you tried to figure out how to best grab the sticky baby without getting covered yourself.

Willy gave you a tired look but also huffed a quiet laugh. "I may have overestimated my ability to keep things under control. I don't know how you get anything done, my sweet. I always knew you were amazing, but you must have superhuman powers."

"Perhaps," you winked as you stripped Ben out of his clothes and started rinsing him off in the sink. "Are you sure you still want to make this a regular occurrence?"

"I would do it again in a heartbeat. But not before I have a bath."

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

MASTERLIST

[kairiscorner]

happy birthday — miles 42 x reader (birthday special)

↳ summary: miles has been really busy a lot lately, training hard under his uncle to better his tactics at fighting and balancing school and chores on top of everything, he just kind of forgets today was even special. but luckily, you don't forget your boyfriend's birthday that easily. ↳ word count: 1,916

↳ a/n: i did not realize it was my son's birthday on the third, i'm so sorry it's late SJEBCBFIVBRFVBRBVVRBO BUT I HOPE THIS IS GOOD ENOUGH TO MAKE UP FOR IT, HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY MY BOYYYY AND I HOPE YOU GUYS LOVE THIS <333

"got any idea what's up today, miles?" you asked miles with a big grin on your face as you caught miles in the halls before class began. he raised an eyebrow up at you as he glanced up at you after collecting all his books and everything else he needed for his first class of today before heading off. "um... no. is it movie night tonight? because sorry, i... i can't make it tonight, cielo." he muttered as he looked at you with eyes filled with hints of sadness and shame at not being able to hang out with you, despite really wanting to. his responsibilities as being the prowler, a student, and a son have got him really occupied lately. he can't really quit either of these full-time jobs he's got going on right now, and you couldn't blame him. you wished he went easier on himself, though, and took more breaks, took it a little easier on himself, maybe would blow off some steam from time to time and tell you at least how he feels so it doesn't bottle up inside him over time.

you held his hand and shook your head. "nah, silly, it's something more important!" you exclaimed with a grin. miles tilted his head to the side and raised his eyebrow as he looked at you with a look of confusion. "um... hmm, is it a study night? i know it's not our anniversary yet, it's not your birthday, uh..." he mumbled as he closed his eyes and rubbed the back of his head, frustrated with himself because nothing came up in his mind. he didn't think there was anything worth such importance today, though if he was being honest, he wasn't sure what date it was today; he just got by the month by remembering what tests were when, if tonight had prowler activities, or if tonight was going to be laundry night with his mom. he was honestly drawing a blank here, he needed you to give him more obvious clues to help him find out what exactly was so important about today.

you sighed as you let go of his hand and folded your arms in front of your chest. miles' eyes widened as he felt you let go of his hand, he reached out for your hand again as he stepped forward towards you. "cielo, wait! please, i... i'm sorry." he apologized first as he stepped back and took in a breath. "can you just, um, tell me what's up today? i'm sorry, i've just been so swamped recently, and i know that's not the best excuse, but i'm not--" he went on and on, but was interrupted by the first bell. "ay, gotta go, cielo, we can talk about this later!" miles said as he scrambled for his stuff and ran off.

you waited for miles outside of his classroom once your class ended, though he had to stay behind and ask the teachers a couple of questions and clarifications over his homework since he was having a lot of backlog due to his duties as the prowler. miles caught a glimpse of you outside, though before he could call out to you or walk over to you, the next bell rang, and you had to attend to your next class. miles couldn't focus properly, he was overthinking about whether or not he upset you, or if you were already disappointed with him forgetting what day it was today. he wasn't able to check his phone or ask for the date today since he was busy catching up with schoolwork. eventually, miles caught you at lunch, but... you were with ganke. you were huddled over with him at his table, the two of you smiling and chuckling at each other as you showed him stuff on your phone.

miles trusted ganke, and ganke expressed how he didn't have any interest in butting in between you two, but the mere sight of you with ganke–all smiles with him and laughing together, after he hadn't been able to spend much time with you recently due to his responsibilities and all–it hurt him deeply, thinking he failed you and were seeking comfort with ganke. miles walked away, hurt and sad, but angry towards himself for the most part. he ate lunch alone, just like he did before befriending ganke and meeting you, but he felt like he deserved it for pushing you aside, even if he didn't mean to and wanted nothing more than to be by your side.

as miles headed home after school, not seeing you in the halls or at the school yard as he scanned his surroundings for you, he felt super dejected and disappointed in himself. he wanted to stop thinking about his responsibilities for once and just put all his time, effort, and focus on you and only you–but he knew that would be a mere twinkle in his eye, a dream that will only remain as that, a dream. but as he entered the front door of his home, he was greeted to the voices of all the important people he had in his life, with yours ringing distinctly in his ears.

"happy birthday, miles!"

miles stiffened as he heard those two words with his name following the greeting not long after. he blinked for a few times and looked around–his mom and uncle aaron were there, so were ganke and... you. wait, could this be the super important thing you hinted about today? oh, man, did he feel like an idiot–he never thought of his own birthday as something of importance, but you... you kept thinking about him, all day. miles was speechless as you approached him, all smiles, and pecked his cheek. "happiest birthday to you, miles." you said as you pulled away and presented to him the gift you had for him. miles looked at you with a puzzled look. "cielo... for-for me?" he asked you as you chuckled and nodded. "for who else, dummy?" you asked him as miles slowly took the gift and stammered. "i... but, cielo, i don't deserve this. i've missed out on countless dates and meet-ups with you, i keep pushing you aside even though i don't wanna, i--" miles rambled on and on, beating himself up for feeling inadequate at making you happy due to his repeated absences.

before he could continue, you hugged him tightly. "and it's okay, babe. you're good. you try, and even if it doesn't work out, it's the thought that counts. i'm already happy you think of me all the time and want to spend time with me, even if you can't. i love you, miles." you tell him in a gentle voice as miles hugs you back, bringing you closer to him as he kisses your cheek. "i really love you, too, mi cielo..." he mutters as you pull away from him and lead him to the couch for him to open his gift from you.

you handed him a thick box, it was wrapped in purple wrapping paper with green accents, with a green and black ribbon to tie it up. you encouraged miles to open it as ganke filmed it, with his uncle aaron and his mom watching intently. miles was gentle in unwrapping the gift, he didn't rip it open, he wanted to feel the suspense of opening the gift you got him. soon, when he saw what was inside, he gasped loudly as his eyes went wide. he kept repeating 'wait, no...' in a breathless, excited way as he realized you bought him the sneakers he had been wanting for the longest time. he could never ask his mom to buy it for him, and he was saving up to buy them himself, but to get them from you... oh, he felt like he had ascended.

"mi cielo, no freaking way...!" he exclaimed in an overjoyed manner with slight chuckles in his voice as his smile widened as the fact you gifted him the very sneakers he had wanted for a long time sunk in and made him momentarily forget the sadness he was feeling just earlier. his uncle teased you as he wished you didn't gift him those sneakers, he'd have a new obsession for a little while and keep his eyes out for him. "that boy's gonna be wary about me, asking me if i touched them. he's gonna be real overprotective of those, especially since they came from you." his uncle aaron quipped as miles told him that wasn't true. just a little true.

miles kept thanking you and kissed you on the cheek, and as ganke was filming, he encouraged you two to share a kiss. "c'mon, you dorks! for the camera! kiss! kiss! kiss!" he chanted, with uncle aaron chanting along with him. his mother chided the two, saying you two weren't going to be doing anything of the sort in front of them, but you decided you didn't care anymore and pulled miles in for a gentle kiss. miles' eyes widened even more as you kissed him, and though his mother cried out in surprise, with his uncle clapping and chuckling as ganke cheered for you two, he found himself not wanting to pull away and kissed you back.

miles pulled away and gazed at you, a smirk growing on his face as he kissed your cheek. "oh, how did i get so lucky? how could i have you, mi cielo? you know, i'll stop being too serious, you're the only lucky break i have from all the chaos in my life. i promise you, though, i'll make up for all the time that should've been just ours together. i swear, i'll make this place safer for you, i promise." he said as he interlocked his hand with yours, clutching the shoe box in his other hand. he kissed your lips and pulled away, causing you to giggle and get flustered. "i'll hold you to that, miles. but please... don't hesitate to come to me, talk to me, or do anything with me. i love you, babe, i don't mind if you miss a few dates or meet-ups, just be safe out there..." you whispered to him with a smile.

his mother retreated to grab a glass of wine as his uncle called out to her to save him a glass, with ganke chuckling as he saved the footage and teased you two lovebirds. "this... has got to be the best birthday ever." miles gushed as he ran a hand through your hair. you chuckled as you fidgeted with the end of his left braid in your hand. "even with your uncle and mom watching us kiss, with ganke filming all of it, probably never gonna let us live it down...?" you asked as you leaned closer to kiss him again and pulling away. miles smiled sweetly at you as he answered, "really." he kissed you again, with you reciprocating his kiss. that truly was going to be a birthday he'll remember, and he's gonna make sure he keeps his promises to you and work hard to earn your love and pay you back for the gift you gave him. though if you were to ask him, the only gift he really wanted was just to... hold you close, hear your voice, and just be with you on his birthday and for all the birthdays there were to come in the future with you, his sweetheart.

tags !! @k4tsu3 @fiannee @luvstarrstruck @toneystank-3000 @ii01vq @maxoloqy @pixqlsin @solecitoszn @q2ie @zalayni @anikaluv

[iloveelliefanfics]

Take me to the lakes

a/n: this idea popped into my mind while playing tlou then i had the whole picture when i was listening to "the lakes" by taylor swift, enjoy it and any type of feedback is appreciated! thank you<3

pairing: nerd jackson ellie x reader

summary: ellie surprises you on your birthday. ellie is being her nerd, awkward self

i take requests, not proofread

pics from pinterest!

mentions of nicknames, fluff, kissing

You and Ellie got together a couple of months ago, you spent as much time with her as much you could since both of you had things to do around town. It was a special day. Your birthday. You could never be too sure what Ellie would come up with, all the things she's made for you, the songs she's written, the drawings she's made for you. It was all nice but the best part of it was when she handed them over or played the songs she's come up with and blushed so hard but when you brought it up she denied while blushing even more. She denies a lot of things but never the love she feels for you, so she made sure your birthday will be unforgettable and amazing.

You haven't seen her much in the past week, you could guess why but didn't want to jinx it. It either could've been patrol duty, or just that she's preparing for your birthday. You knew that she was preparing for your birthday, gosh it was so obvious,bur again you didn't want to jinx it. She could barely keep it as a secret, but you didn't mind, the grin she had while telling you the past two days that this birthday will be the best of yours, she'll make sure of it. Which is something that is rare in this apocalyptic, corrupted world.

In the morning you woke up to someone impatiently knocking on your front door, you went downstairs and it wasn't a surprise that your girlfriend, Ellie was standing there holding some expired chocolate that she always brought you from her past patrols and with beautiful red roses. Again, the blush on her face was unmatched, it was almost the same shade as the roses.

"Hey babe, happy birthday!" she said then hugged you tightly carefully not to ruin the roses. You hugged her back, taking in her scent.

"Hey Els, aw, thank you! You're here early." You couldn't stop smiling.

"Well I wanted to give you these before we head out." She kissed your cheek then pulled back from the hug to give you the roses and your favorite chocolate.

Your cheeks heat up from the gesture, after months she still makes the butterflies go wild in your stomach.

"Thank you so much, gosh you really are the best." You lean in to kiss her, which she gets right away and slowly leans in for the kiss. After you're out of breath you pull away and look into her gorgeous green eyes.

"Nah, it was nothing gorgeous, you deserve the best, but now we're heading out. I have something to show you." She grins at you and intertwines her fingers with yours. You walk to the horse stables hand in hand, Shimmer, her horse is already saddled up. After she gets on her horse she helps you up.

"So are you gonna tell me where we're going?" You squeeze her waist while leaning closer to her ears which sends shivers down her spine.

"I can't and you know it, so stop it babe or we're going to go back and you'll be sitting on my couch listening to the whole plot of Savage Starlight." She tries to make a serious face, but fails at it which makes you laugh.

"No way, I've already listened to it like a hundred times, you can't tell me you'd do it again!" You're still laughing from the face she made, she looks back over her shoulder.

"I would and i know you would love to listen to it even if I'd tell you the story a thousand times." She says leading you two through the woods.

"I would, babe." You say placing a kiss on her cheek. "Is it far? At least tell me that."

"It's not where almost there." She says leading Shimmer further in the woods.

You two talk the whole way through, exchanging loving gazes, and talk about having a sleepover and a movie night.

"Okay we're here." Ellie says stopping at a beautiful lake. You take in the sights, and just can't believe where she took you. It's beautiful.

"Oh my god Els, it's so beautiful! How'd you find it?" You hop off Shimmer and walk closer to the lake.

"I came across this on one of my patrols actually, it's nothing." She looks down at her hands, fidgeting with her fingers.

"Oh, come on, what do you mean it's nothing? It's everything I could've asked from you!" You go back to where she's standing, placing your hand on hers. She looks at you with flushed cheeks.

"Thank you Els, I love it. I love you." You say then kiss her all of a sudden, taking your hand off of hers then place it around her neck.

"Of course y/n. I have more for you." She places another kiss on your lips, she pulls back and leads you to a table full of delicious snacks. Both of you sit down and enjoy the afternoon in each other presence, then go back to her place when the sun is setting to watch a movie.

✧⁠*⁠。✧⁠*⁠。✧⁠*⁠。✧⁠*⁠。✧⁠*⁠。✧⁠*⁠。✧⁠*⁠。✧⁠*⁠。✧⁠*⁠。✧⁠*⁠。✧⁠*⁠。✧⁠*⁠。

a/n again: it's pretty short and not the best i lowkey hate it but i wanted to write this. if i have more ideas I'll write them! thank you so much if you read it. i might do a poll on what characters y'all want to read about and I'll write a fic based on the results.

[muffinpink02]

Bronze Is Better Than Gold Part 6

Ignore the Pictures I'll edit later

Warnings - gun violence, death, scenes of sexual assault, smut 18

“No fucking answer.” Slims grumbled as he turned off Ona’s phone.

The brunette watched with her one good eye as the man paced the room.

“Why did no one answer? I thought you said this was the number to call for your boss.”

“It is. I told you it's too early. No one would be there now.” Ona mumbled.

Slims stalked towards Ona as if he was going to hit her. Her body instinctively stiffened, ready for the impact, but instead he slapped the desk next to her head, making her flinch.

The man got his own phone out, searching for something.

“How much are you going to ask for, Slims?” One of his workers asked.

Slims kept his eyes on his phone, not bothering to look up. “How much what?”

The two men looked at each other slightly confused.

“Money. How much money are you asking for? For the girl?”

“I’m not asking for money, I’m asking for my brother to be released.” 

Ona could tell from the confusion on their faces that they clearly hadn't been involved with this plan. 

“Are you joking? They won't let him out, he's in prison, Slims. He was sentenced… what a over a month ago? They aren't just going to let him out. I thought we were asking for money! Do you know how long we could go to prison? We might as well kill her and go.”

Before Ona could blink, Slims had a hold of his friend's throat, thrusting him against the wall.

“You pussying out now? You fucking scared?” 

“N-Na, Slims. I just don’t want to get caught.” 

Ona watched as Slims eyed the man, he looked ready to kill him. Ona was convinced he would. 

He let go of the man's throat after he started to turn a dark shade of blue. “We wont get fucking caught. They release him and we go. It's easy.” 

“And what about her? She's seen our faces.” The other goon nodded towards Ona.

Slims turned his attention away from the man who was now holding his red throat, to Ona. 

“We kill her.” He shrugged. 

“But what about your brother?”

“I've got guys that will wait for him. They won't be far from the prison. Once they let him go and he's with my men, she dies.”

Even though the men looked like they did not share a single brain cell between them, even they could tell that this plan wasn't going to work.

Ona felt her chest tighten, how was this happening? She wondered if her team had any idea where she was, if they had a plan, or if she was going to be killed in this abandoned warehouse. 

The blue lights flashed on top of Lucy's undercover car as she left the last London road, making her way into the green countryside. She followed the map on her phone, she wasn't far now, another 15 minutes and she would be there. As she got closer she turned the blue lights off, not wanting to draw any attention to herself. 

Her eyes glanced over to her phone sitting on the passenger seat, she could see Sarinas name lighting up the screen, she ignored it and pushed her foot on the accelerator. 

“Sorry, boss.”

Lucy knew if she came out of this alive, Sarina would probably kill her.

After what felt like hours, Lucy finally arrived at the destination. She parked her car down the woody lane, not wanting it to be spotted. She could feel her heart in her chest, she had no clue what she was going into, but she didn't care, all she knew was that she was going to get Ona out. 

Instead of the main road the brunette creeped through the shielded forest, the smell of the rain and wet mud flooded her senses. It was oddly peaceful, considering the business of her being there. She followed her phone, making sure she was going in the right direction. A couple minutes later she spotted the abandoned warehouse through the overgrown bushes. She got as close as she could without being spotted. 

She looked around the building but couldn't see anyone, but she did spot a black van, the one LJ must have spotted on the cameras.

Lucy assessed the building, her eyes scanned for anyway in without being caught. She saw a few doors and windows but she needed to make sure she wasn't caught. She instinctively ducked when she heard a heavy door being pushed open. She watched as two men left the building, both pulling a cigarette out and lighting up the white stick.

“I can’t believe we’ve been pulled into this shit. I thought we were getting money for taking her, not his fucking brother!”

Lucy was close enough to make out what they were saying.

The second man shook his head. “I know. I know. That's the reason why only we showed up, no one clearly wanted to be involved in this shit. He probably doesn't even have men who would wait for his brother.”

Bingo. That was one thing Lucy at least now knew. There wasn't a warehouse full of men with guns.

“If we get caught, we’re fucked you know that? Will be straight in prison along side his fucking brother.” The man scoffed angrily, letting out a puff of smoke. 

“I’m pissed that he didnt let us fuck her.”

Lucy’s stomach dropped, her teeth instantly grinding against each other in anger. The rage that crept up her body was almost scary even for herself, she hadn't realised her hand had already gripped her gun, wanting to put a bullet through the man's neck.

“I know. Her face is fucked though, don’t even know if I could get hard.” The man laughed.

That's when Lucy gripped her gun, but she knew better than to use it.

The other man laughed. “Na, it doesn't faze me. Even if she’s black and blue, I don’t mind.” He cackled loudly at his own joke, before spitting a mouthful of phlegm on the floor.

The other man shook his head. “You’re a wronging.” He chuckled as he flicked his finished cigarette.

“Don’t fucking lie, you would. I’m going to do it before he realises the plans stupid and kills the bitch.”

“I think he's gone mad.” The man turned to go back into the building. “You coming?”

“I need to piss.” 

The younger guy nodded and made his way inside, leaving the pig looking man alone. The man that Lucy now wanted to skin alive. 

He walked closer to the bushes, just a couple of metres from the brunette, she spotted the man's gun on his hip. She sized up the pig eyed prick, she knew she could take him on, but she needed to make the first move. 

She watched as he carelessly urinated into the bush, whistling to himself, his back to her. This was her chance. She ever so slowly creeped out of the dense forest. It was almost like watching a nature documentary, like a lioness stalking its unexpected prey. Ready to kill.

Click

Lucy pressed the barrel of her gun to the back of the man’s head. 

“If you even utter a word without my say so or try to move an inch, the last thing you'll ever see is your tiny ugly prick.”

He didn't move.

“Nod slowly if you understand.” 

He barely moved his head. Lucy wasn't sure if it was out of fear or anger, so she pressed her gun harder. 

“How many people are in there?”

“J-Just 3.”

“Including the girl?” 

“4.” He corrected himself.

“Guns?”

He nodded. 

“Is there a way I can get in?”

“There's a back door. It's to the left of the building.”

Lucy laughed internally at how easy he was giving over the information, she hoped he would be known to others as a snitch once he gets put in prison.

“I-I didn't do nothing, I told Slims to give the girl back. I swear.” 

Lucy had to stop herself from killing this slime of a man. She wanted so badly to pull her trigger, but she also didn’t want such an easy way out for him.

With a flash she hit the man hard on the back of the head. Knocking him straight out. She knew where and how hard to hit him without killing him. She quickly dragged his body into the forest and cuffed him by his wrist to a tree.

The brunette made her way around the back of the building, she spotted the door that the pig face mentioned. She turned the knob slowly, it was unlocked. She gently pushed the door open, revealing a storage room. it was dark and hard to see, only small bits of light came through the blacked out painted windows. She crept inside, closing the door behind her. 

She slinked down the dark corridor, her gun in hand. Her heart in her mouth.

She came to another closed door, she stopped to listen for any noise, but heard nothing. She looked through the keyhole, it was another hallway that was even darker then this one. Again, she slowly turned the handle, as she pushed the metal door. 

‘Ehhhhh’

She flinched from the jarring creak the hinges let out. She froze in her tracks, holding her breath. She waited a few heartbeats before she squeezed through the rest of the door, not opening it fully. 

She was plunged into darkness, she found her torch and gave herself a slither of light as she moved further inside. 

Before she moved any further she heard a scratching noise. She tried to look around for the cause but couldn't find anything. 

“Fuck!”

She jumped as a flurry of feathers squawked in her face. 

Lucy had been one of the best in her training. When herself and Sophie joined the police force they would always try to outdo each other, if one was faster, the other was stronger. If one had better aim with a gun the other was more skilled at fighting. They constantly pushed each other and it made them a fierce team. Even to this day Lucy was one of the most skilled agents on the team. She could even give Jill and run for her money in a firing range. 

But she had never jumped so high in the air from a pigeon before. She watched as the stupid bird flew out of a broken window. Her heart was thumping. She breathed in a few deep breaths, trying to get her nerves to calm down. She closed her eyes and pictured Ona’s face. She moved on.

The brunette came to a door at the end of the hallway, once again she tried to listen for any signs of noise but she couldn't hear anything. Ever so slowly she opened the door, light cracked through the slit, she had her gun ready in her hands. She held her breath as she opened it further. She was now in the storage room, there were tall shelving units with cardboard boxes littering each side of the room.

She made a quick dash to duck behind the shelves. She took a glance around, she saw some stairs leading up to a second floor. She had a feeling Ona was somewhere up there. She crawled behind the cardboard box jungle. She got closer to the metal stairs, she was ready to make her way up when a door swung open. She quickly ducked, hiding behind the dusty boxers. 

“Where the fuck is he?” 

Lucy recognised the now familiar voice.

“I don’t know. We were smoking, then he said he was going to take a piss and I went inside.”

The metal stairs began to rattle as the men walked above her.

“Go look for him. I swear if he's run off I'm going to kill him.”

“Okay.” 

Lucy hid further as the stairs shook violently. She watched as the man walked towards the front door, looking for his associate. 

“Fucking useless, fucks!” Slims gripped the metal railing before going back into a room. 

Lucy knew she needed to be quick, if Slims' henchmen came back she'd be outnumbered. She started to make her way up the stairs, making sure her steps were quick and delicate. She made it to the top of the railing, there was a row of doors to the right, but she didn't see what one he entered.

She carefully walked, she had her gun ready, her finger was kissing the trigger. She reached the first door, it was open, but empty. She walked further on, her steps slow, her body was vibrating with adrenaline. 

“Yeah, that's right, if he’s not freed then she dies.” Slim's voice boomed out from the third door. Lucy got closer, she paused when she heard Sarinas voice on speaker from a phone.

“We can’t do that. We can offer you money. We don’t want to see anyone hurt, Frank. If you release her, we can figure this out. Can we at least hear from Ona? We need to know she's okay.” Sarina spoke over the speaker.

Lucy was now standing outside the door to the left.

“Speak.” Slims grunted.

“Sarina?”

Lucy nearly broke down when she heard Ona’s voice. But it hardly sounded like her, she sounded broken, she sounded so small.

“Ona, are you hurt?”

There was a pause.

“Ona?” Sarina called out, Lucy could hear the worry in her voice.

“She's fine!” Slims barked.

Lucy heard the man pacing about the room.

“Are you going to let my brother out? Yes or No?”

“Frank, we can’t-” 

The line was cut. 

Slims turnt to Ona. “Thanks to your boss you're going to be killed.”

“Please, killing me won't get him back. Please, just let me go.”

Just as Lucy was about to rush in she heard the steps of Slims henchman approaching, she ducked into the first empty room. The metal stairs rattled as he climbed the stairs and entered the room.

“No sign of him. Maybe he did run off.”

“Fucking coward. Fuck him. We got to go, burn this place down.”

“Why?”

“They won't release him. I wouldn't be surprised if he fucking snitched about where we are. There's barrells down stairs, pour it everywhere. We light it up and we go.”

“What about her?” The man motioned towards Ona.

“She can burn with it.”

Ona eyes widened. “No, please. Please.” Her voice broke as she begged.

Both men ignored her.

“Can I at least have fun with her first?”

“Do what you want, just be quick. Once you're done, help me with the petrol.”

Ona’s brain started to fog, her brain and body was screaming to shut down.

“I will.” The man promised.

Slims left the room. Lucy had heard everything. She watched as Slims made his way down the stairs and towards the front door. 

She left the room, she heard Ona start to scream. Her blood ran cold as she heard her cry. She stood at the entrance of the door. Ona’s small body was being pushed to a desk by a man 3 times her size. 

“Come on, baby. Don’t make it difficult. It will be over quickly.” The man laughed.

“Move the fuck away from her.”

Ona’s eyes opened as she heard Lucy's voice. It couldn't be? Her brain must have been playing tricks on her. She didn't know whether to scream or cry. She never thought she’d live to hear that voice again. 

The man turned around confused. As soon as he spotted Lucy and her gun he put his hands up in surrender, moving away from Ona.

“Get on the fucking floor, hands behind your back.”

The man did what she said and laid on the ground. Lucy kept her gun on him as she stepped closer to Ona. 

“Ona? Hey, it's me.”

The shorter brunette flinched as she felt Lucy's hand touch her back.

“Hey, don't be scared. It’s me. It’s Lucy.”

Ona slowly got up, her arms were dead from being tied up for so long. She used all the strength she could to turn. She nearly lost all balance when she saw Lucy. And she did fall as she moved, but Lucy was quick to catch her. 

“L-Lucy!” 

When Lucy saw Ona’s face her stomach dropped. Her left eye was swollen shut, her whole socket was black, the little bit of eye she did see was covered with blood. Her face was scattered with bruises and cuts, her chin was raw with old blood, she could hardly look at her without wanting to kill.

Ona’s body shook in her arms, she buried her face into her chest, Lucy wanted to scoop her up and tell her it was all going to be okay. But they had to get out first.

“L-Lucy.” Ona choked out.

“Shh it's okay, Ona. You’re okay.”

Lucy felt a piece of her break, seeing Ona like this was tearing her apart, but she had to keep her head straight. She gently grabbed Ona by the arms, she scanned her weak body for any obvious damage.

“I’m going to handcuff him okay.” She lowered her face to the younger brunette.

She nodded.

Lucy dropped her knee hard into the man's back, making him cry out. She didn't care if she would have broken a bone, causing him to never walk again, he was lucky her gun hadn't put bullets in the back of his throat.

“Stand up.”

Lucy yanked the back of the man's shirt. He clumsily stood, the older brunette kept her distance from him. Her gun pointed straight at his head. 

“Move.” She pushed the man forward.

She turned to face Ona. She pulled out another gun from her side.

“He’s still out there. Use it if you need to. Stay behind me, okay.”

Ona nodded, but she was clearly scared.

‘’Hey, you can do this.” Lucy gently stroked her cheek, mindful of the bruises. 

“Move.” Lucy pushed the man forward. 

“Okay, come, let's go.” She smiled softly at the girl, reaching her free hand out for her to take.

Her small hand weakly took Lucys, they gave each other a smile that would stay in their heads forever. 

They walked down the metal steps, with the man in front of them. Lucy had her gun pointing at him. 

The room stunk of petrol. Slims had clearly already done the inside of the building. 

Ona had never been more scared and more relieved as she watched the brunette in front of her. Lucy had saved her. Lucy had single handedly saved her. She saved her from being killed. 

They were half way from the door when it opened. 

A gun went off. 

Lucy and Ona flinched. The sound of the gun firing ricocheted through the hollow building. Neither girl was sure if it was one bullet or more. The man in front came to a halt. Then to his knees. 

That's when Lucy saw Slims running from the door and disappearing into the tall jungle of units. Reloading his gun. 

“Move!” Lucy grabbed Ona by the hand, mirrorwing Slims, hiding behind the tall metal beams and crates. Ona looked at the man laying on the floor, his blood turning his clothes black. 

“Is anyone with you? Do we have backup?” Ona whispered.

Lucy could have laughed, this is clearly what Sarina was talking about. She was too much of a hot head, and now here she was, saving the love of her life from a crazy wannabe drug lord in the middle of nowhere and had no backup. 

“No. No backup.” 

Ona rolled her one good eye.

“Are you really giving me attitude right now?” Lucy couldn't help but smirk. Even if there was a killer on the loose.

“I mean, I would have thought you'd bring back up.” Ona examined the surroundings. 

It was Lucy's time to roll her eyes. “No, sorry. I didn't really have the time.”

“Fire.”

“I mean yeah. I probably will get fired, but I don’t care.”

“No, Lucy. Fire!” The younger brunette pointed over to a line of fire, running itself to a shit load of petrol barrels.

‘Wshhhhhhhh!’

Both girls ducked as the barrel exploded with a huge wave of fire engulfing the roof.

“Fuck!” Lucy automatically pulled Ona closer to her. 

“We have to leave, this place is going to come down.”

Ona nodded. “The door.” 

Lucy eyed the door, but Slims was still hiding somewhere. 

“You ready?” 

“Wait.”

Ona grabbed Lucy by the collar, she brought their mouths together, gently kissing her lips. It felt like everything went silent for just a second. It was a gentle kiss, but it was pure love between the two. This could be the last time she’d be able to ever kiss the girl, and she didn't want to take her chances. Lucy understood that.

Her green eyes scanned the bruised face in front of her. 

“Ready?” 

“Si.” 

The girls made their move, crouching as they creeped behind the tall units. The fire above them began to spread quickly, swallowing the roof in its path. 

“Keep your eyes peeled. He’s behind one of those beams.” 

Ona nodded, her gun was in her hand aiming, though her vision was blurry.

“We run, but don't go straight, zig zag. Don’t let him follow you.” The shorter brunette ordered.

“Yeah, okay. I’ve got your back.”

“I’ve got yours.”

The girls moved from the cover off the units, out into the open. The room was heating up, the fire above growing by the second. The thick smoke started to creep down, making it harder to see and breathe. 

“It’s clear. Run!” 

The girls ran, zig zagging like Ona said to do, but the bullets still came firing at them. 

“Keep going, Ona!”

Ona winced as she ran, her body was weak, but the fire in her belly made her push forward. Having Lucy be her side made her push even more. 

Lucy spotted Slims, she fired her own bullets his way, missing in her quick pace. They were nearly at the exit, Ona was slow but she kept going. Lucy watched as Slims ducked behind the units as she fired, she walked closer towards him, she wanted to kill him.

“Come on, Lucy!” 

The door was open, Ona could see the sky. 

‘Whhhhhssshhhh’

Ona dropped back, hitting her head as part of the ceiling came crashing down, blocking the door. Her gun fell from her hands, skidding across the floor, the room quickly began to thicken with black smoke, it almost became impossible to see. 

She groaned as her head started to thump with a viscous pain, her vision slowly becoming blurry. The deep cut in the back of her head reopened from the fall. She weakly flinched at the sound of a gunshot, then another. Then a scream.

Lucy dropped to the floor as the bullet buried itself into her thigh. It felt like a hot poker had dug itself into her flesh.The pain felt like nothing she had ever felt before. It rattled through her body, the warm dark liquid quickly pumping out.

Lucy lost sight of Slims, and her gun. The smoke had become thicker, it made it impossible to see further than her arms. She looked around for Ona, but she couldn't see her, she couldn't hear her. She had no clue where she was. 

“Ona?” She shouted. “Ona? Can you hear me?” 

Silence.

“Where are you?.” She coughed. Her eyes began to water from the smoke.

She tried to get up, grunting in pain as her flesh screamed at her not to move. But she gritted her teeth as she stood to her feet. The room was suffocating, it felt like she was in an oven, sweat dripped from her head. 

“Ona? Where are you? Ona? Please, Ona!”

She heard a weak cough to her right, she could see what looked like a small body on the floor, but before she could move she was being thrown on her back. 

“Fuck!”

A hard object came down hard on her chest, forcing the air out of her lungs. Her leg was throbbing as it continued to bleed out. 

“Ahhhh!”

Slim stood over Lucy, his whole weight pushing on her chest by his boot.

“Stupid, bitches. Did you really think you could get away?” 

The building was collapsing around them, the metal roof screeched as it started to plummet to the floor, the orange flames burning and melting everything it touched.

Slims cocked his gun, aiming it at Lucy's face. She closed her eyes as she felt the burning pain from the black smoke seeping into her lungs. She couldn't believe this was happening.

“Slims, don't do this. Please. You don't have to kill me. Just let us go. I can say you got away. Please.” Lucy pleaded.

A malicious smile creeped on the man's face, pressing his weight down harder, on the verge of cracking her ribs. She gasped from the unbearable pain, trying to move away from the pressure of her chest, but he was too heavy 

“Shut up!”

“Do you think I’d trust a cunt like you? You’re just another useless pig-”

Lucy gasped as the heavy feeling on her chest was gone. She looked up to see Ona standing protectively over her, her fist connecting to Slims face. 

“Fuck!” 

He dropped his gun as his nose was cracked, again.

Ona had felt like she was drifting into a deep warm slumber, it was almost peaceful as the world went quiet around her. 

She saw the sky as it opened up above her, small bits of flames dropped around her, it looked beautiful, magical even, like bright stars drifting from the galaxy above. She was ready to sleep, ready to let the pain in her head become a thing of the past, until she heard a voice. 

She knew that voice, she loved that voice. She heard it again, it was calling her name. She could hear the pain, the desperate cries that called out to her. She wanted to sleep, but the voice was too familiar. 

She gasped as her body jolted, the flames above were burning bright as her mind and body told her to get up and fight. 

“Ona!” 

Ona felt an earthquake of strength seep through her body, she winced as she pushed herself up. She looked around at the chaos unfolding, the place was ablaze. She turned as she heard a voice, it wasn’t the voice from before, this one was pure evil. 

She saw his shadow in the smoke, she could just about make out what was happening. She heard Lucy struggle for air, the woman she loved being hurt by a monster. 

The Spaniard was overcome with venom as she picked herself up. The flight or fight in her came with an almost animatic urge to fight, no, kill. She bunched her first and bolted so hard she nearly flew off her feet. She couldn’t see his face but somehow she knew exactly where to hit.

She felt his bone crunch under her fist, it made her own fist bleed but she couldn't feel the pain, not with the anger that took over her petite body. She landed another punch and another, until he was on his back, and she was on top of him, her first coming down hard on his face. She didn’t know whose blood was whose as she kept landing punch after punch. 

All her anger, all her fear from the past 24 hours was running through her. She screamed as she let it all out. 

“Ona!” 

Ona flinched as she felt hands on her back. 

“It’s me, baby. Listen to my voice, it’s Lucy. We have to go!” 

Ona looked down at the man below. He was just about breathing. Her first was dripping with blood, his face was painted red.

She felt Lucy pull her up. Tuning her to face her.

“Ona, look at me. It’s okay, you’re okay. Follow me.” 

Ona squeezed her eyes shut. Listening to Lucy’s voice. She nodded as she took her hand. 

They began to move, but Ona stopped when she heard the man behind her cough. She pulled Lucy back.

“We can’t leave him, Lucy.”

“We can! We will die Ona, this place is going down!” 

But the older brunette could see the conflict in Ona’s eyes. It wasn’t in either girl to leave someone to die, even if he was an awful human. 

Lucy nodded. “Help me carry him.” 

The girls turned back to help the bleeding man, but just as they turned to save him a shot was fired. And then another.

Ona flinched. 

Lucy flinched. 

Ona looked to see a gun in Slim's hands. He was still trying to shoot as his barrel finished. His bloody and bruised face broke into an evil laugh that rang in Ona’s ears. 

But as soon as he started he was silenced. The sound of a deep bellowing screech roared above his head, as one of the units came tumbling down on his chest, slowly suffocating him. 

“Let's go!” Ona grabbed Lucy's hand, but she didn't move.

Lucy gasped as she fell to her knees. The two bullets had struck her, one in her chest, one in her stomach. 

“Ona.” She whispered before completely falling to the ground. 

“Lucy! No, no! Lucy!” 

Ona put her hand on Lucy’s stomach, her palm becoming covered in another person's blood. 

“No, no, no, no, nooo. Lucy, get up. Please. Come on, we’re so close.” 

“I-I can’t move.” Lucy groaned in pain. 

Ona watched as blood pumped out of Lucy's chest, she was losing so much of it. She tried to stop it, pushing her hand on her chest, but her stomach still bled out. Ona looked at the burning building around her, her mind became a haze, the smoke engulfing her lungs as she panicked in complete fear. She looked back over at Slims, she could see he was slowly dying. 

“Lucy!” The girl cried out, her heart was frantic, she had lost all thoughts as she watched the girl she loved slowly bleed out.

“Go, Ona.” 

What? No, how could she even say that.

“No!”

“Ona, go! Leave!” The girl coughed.

“No, Lucy! I’m not leaving you!”

The building was collapsing, everything was on fire, the heat was searing. Ona felt the fire burning her as it snaked closer. She looked frantically around the room for any kind of exit. She spotted a small opening that the building had made from the wreckage. 

“I’m sorry Lucy. This is going to hurt.”

Ona lifted Lucy from under her arms. The older brunette screamed in agony as her body pulsated in pain.

“I’m sorry.” Ona whispered.

She dragged Lucy, but her heart sank as she saw the blood that was trailing behind them.

“Stay with me Lucy, we’re nearly there.” 

She gently dropped Lucy to the floor, she tried to move the wreckage with all the strength she had left. She managed to shift it a bit but it wasn't enough. 

“Come on, come on!” 

She gritted her teeth as she pushed but it was no hope. It was too heavy to do it alone. She looked over at Lucy, she felt hopeless but she knew she couldn't give up. She tried again and again and again, her sweaty hands started to make it harder to push. She took a step back as she ran at the pieces of ruble. 

“Fuck!” She slipped, catching her hand on the broken wreckage, cutting her palm open. She flinched back as her hand twitched in pain.

She dropped to her knees, coughing as the smoke crept into her lungs. She wasn't sure if it was tears or sweat that covered her face, maybe it was both. 

She had nothing left in her, her mind was a frazzle, her body was weak, everything hurt.

She crawled over to Lucy, she gently cradled her head in her lap. She looked so peaceful, it reminded her of the first morning she shared with Lucy in her flat. She kissed her forehead but couldn't ignore the blood that soaked through the girl's clothes.

“I’m so sorry, Lucy. I’m so sorry. I can't get us out.” She whispered her tears soaking her her cheeks.

Lucy opened her eyes. She smiled slightly at Ona. 

“Can I tell you a secret?”

“Of course.” Ona whispered as she stroked Lucy’s cheeks.

“I love you. I have for so long.”

“I love you too.” Ona sobbed. 

“I think I loved you the moment I saw you.” Lucy closed her eyes.

“Yeah?” Ona smiled through her tears.

“Yeah. Your freckles, I love your freckles.” Lucy coughed. 

“It was the same for me. Your eyes made my heart flutter. I love them so much, Lucy. I love you so much.” Ona’s tears dropped over Lucy's cheeks. 

“I’m sorry I couldn't get you out, Ona. I tried to-”

“Hey, shhh. Don't say that.” Ona stroked Lucy's hair.

“You came for me. You’re here with me now.” 

Lucy closed her eyes again, her breathing becoming shallow.

Ona looked around the smokey room once more, trying to find any kind of exit, but she couldn't see anything.

“Hey, Ona. Sing with me. Islands in the stream, that is what we are.” 

Ona gave Lucy a watery smile.

“N-No one in between. How can we be wrong?” Ona sniffled.

“Sail away with me. To another world.”

“And we rely on each other, ah ha.”

The girls sang the last line together.

“From one lover to another, ah ha.” 

Ona let out a small choke, her tears were nearly blinding. 

“Ona, I’m so cold.” Lucy whispered.

The brunette's life flashed before her eyes. She saw glimpses of her childhood, her memories with Sophie. She saw her siblings and parents, she saw flickers of her life, but the last face, the clearest face, was Ona’s.

“I know. I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry Lucy.” She gently stroked Lucy's cheeks, her heart aching as she watched Lucy's face drain of colour.

“We can get the car there.” Lucy mumbled.

Ona scrunched her eyebrows in confusion, Lucy was slipping away. She moved to lay her head on her chest, her chest was hardly moving. She sobbed as she laid down next to the girl, with the love of her life. Even if it was only for a short time, it was the happiest she'd ever been.

She only got a glimpse of what it could be like, to be part of Lucy's life. To have someone she truly loved, someone who looked at her like she was the only person in the room, someone who gave her butterflies every time she smiled at her. Someone who made her laugh until her stomach hurt, someone who made her whole.

She got a taste of love, and she would cherish that until her last breath.

This was it. This was her ending. 

She felt like she had let herself down, her colleagues down, her parents down, her friends down, but most of all she felt like she had let Lucy down. One felt sleepy again, her body screamed for sleep. For rest. She coughed hard as the building burnt away.

She saw the same bright light from earlier. The one that made her feel like she was about to float away and sleep, a peaceful sleep. It became brighter and brighter until she was nearly blinded. 

“They're here! Hurry up!” 

Jordan pushed some of the wreckage, easier than Ona could.

Suddenly a firefighter was grabbing Ona. Lifting her like a baby. 

“Lucy?!” She weakly tried to fight out of the grip the firefighter had on her. She turned to see Lucy’s lifeless looking body being lifted, her face was a scary shade of white. 

Ona felt the cold air hit her sweaty body, it was almost painful. She gasped as the even colder air hit her lungs, that was agonsing. 

There were police cars, ambulances and fire trucks all scattered around. The first face she recognised was Demi's, then Jordan. Then Sarina’s

The firefighter gently laid her next to the ambulance.

“Is there anyone else in there?”

Ona shook her head. “They're dead.”

They nodded and brought a mask to Ona’s face to help her breath.

“Breath deep and slowly for me.”

She allowed them to put the mask on her face, but her eyes looked for Lucy.

“W-Where's Lucy?”

“Ona!” Sarina was crouching next to the Spaniard. “Ona, are you okay?” She touched Ona like a mum would, just like the way Lucy's mum did.

She nodded. “Where's Lucy?”

“They are looking over her now. She's going to the hospital.” Sarina put her hand on the back of Ona’s head, she pulled back when she felt the sticky substance.

“Christ, Ona! Your head!” 

Ona ignored her, she moved the mask away from her face and weakly ran to the ambulance.

Lucy was on the ambulance stretcher. Her clothes had been cut open as the paramedics tried to stop the bleeding. Seeing Lucy's body covered in her blood was something that Ona would never be able to unsee. 

“Hi Lucy, I’m Alessia. I’m a paramedic, we're here to help okay?”

Lucy slowly nodded, Ona was shocked to see she was awake.

“Good, let's put this mask on you, it's gas and air for the pain.”

“Hi Lucy, I’m Ella. Ready, Less?”

The blonde nodded.

“Okay, Lucy this may hurt. Keep breathing that gas and air for me.”

Ona watched as the younger brunette stuck a thick cotton pad on Lucy's stomach. Then wrapped it quickly with bandages. Lucy weakly groaned out in pain. Ella repeated the same method with the other two holes that leaked with blood.

“Okay lets get her in. She needs to be seen urgently.”

Ona watched on with wide eyes. She followed the girls as they rushed to the ambulance, not wanting to leave Lucy's side. They moved the older brunette into the vehicle and slotted her into the free space.

“She’s going with her. Her head is also bleeding.” The Dutch woman instructed as she came up behind Ona.

The blonde paramedic watched Ona’s worried face and nodded.

“Take a seat just up here. Strap yourself in.” 

Ona quickly climbed into the vehicle, her eyes were glued to Lucy as she passed her.

Alessia started to hook the older brunette onto monitors and drips. Ona watched as the white cotton pad had already started to bleed through to the bandages. 

“What’s your name?” The blonde smiled at Ona as she took notes down.

“Ona.” She returned a weak smile back, “Is she going to be okay?”

Ella closed the back of the ambulance's doors and made her way to the front. The ambulance sirens were turned on immediately.

Alessia bit her lip as she fiddled with Lucy's bandages. “She's stable, but she's lost a lot of blood. I think she’s got a lot of trauma to her stomach.”

Ona stared at Lucy, her face was ashy with smoke, her normally neat hair was falling out of its bun. She wanted to hold her. Lay in her strong arms, tell her how much she loved her, again and again.

“She’s a bit out of it, I've given her a stronger drug for the pain.” 

Ona nodded as she reached over and stroked her cheek, her own hand still bleeding.

“Oh Ona, that looks painful, let me take a look at that.” Alessia said, as she gently took Ona’s bleeding hand. “It's deep but it shouldn't affect any nerves. I’ll quickly clean it and wrap it up. Then I want to look at your head.”

Alessia fiddled with some draws, grabbing the bits she needed. 

“This is going to sting.” 

Ona nodded. She felt the alcohol wash over her hand but she couldn't feel the sting, she just stared at Lucy as her chest barely moved. 

Alessia took a look at Ona’s head, she cleaned that cut but was a lot more concerned with it then her hand.

“You need to be treated as soon as we get there. I don’t like the look of this cut. You must be in so much pain.” Alessia frowned at the thought as she dabbed the blood away.

Ona heard her but she wasn’t really listening, she felt a numb ache rise over her body, as she watched the love of her life fight for her life. 

“What was this all about? What happened?” Alessia asked as she took more notes.

Ona took a deep breath as she explained the situation to Alessia.

“Oh, Ona. I’m so sorry.” She reached over and took Ona’s bandaged hand in hers. Her big blue eyes were glassy. 

“And she's your partner?”  

Ona shook her head. “No, I mean. One day maybe but-”

Alessia smiled as the realisation washed over Ona’s face. 

“Oh, you mean… Yeah. She's my work partner.” Ona let out a shy chuckle.

“I think you make a cute couple.” Alessia winked.

The Spaniard couldn't help but look at her feet, smiling at the blonde's words. 

They finally arrived at the hospital. Ella and Alessia wheeled Lucy to the emergency department as Ona followed behind. She didn't notice the other hospital goers gasping and staring at her face, her attention was solely on the brunette. Ella had already called in and explained Lucy’s condition and injuries to the doctors, passing her over to the care of the hospital straight away.

The nurses began to quickly rush Lucy to the ward, Ona tried to follow her but was stopped by Alessia.

“You need to be checked, Ona. I know you want to be with her and I swear you can see her once you’ve been looked at. I promise.” She smiled warmly at the Spaniard. 

The blonde turned to the nurse waiting. “This is Ona, she needs to be seen straight away. She has a deep cut in the back of her head. I’m worried she might have a fracture to the skull. She’ll need x-rays and some looking over her face and lungs.”

Ella gave Ona a gentle squeeze on her shoulder, smiling reassuringly at her.

“Okay, thanks guys. Please follow me, Ona. I’ll get you checked into x-rays and we can take it from there.” The nurse smiled. 

“Good luck, Ona.” Alessia stroked the petite girl's arm. 

It was truly overwhelming having been inches from dying to having someone who showed you genuine kindness all in the space of 20 minutes, she almost didn't want to leave Alessia’s side.

“Thank you. Thank you for helping.” 

She was ushered away as Ella and Alessia made their way out of the hospital and on the way to their next patients. 

Ona had her x-rays done. It turned out Alessia’s hunches were correct. Ona had a fracture to her head and needed to stay at the hospital for extra treatment. And throughout it all, all she could do was think about Lucy. She had constantly asked if she could see her, but every nurse or doctor had repeated the same thing: ‘I'll check that for you.’ After an hour of nurses and doctors fussing over her she was finally put on her ward, and her bed for the next couple of days.

“Hello, Ona.” A tall brunette popped her head around the curtain, smiling at the girl.

“Hello.” The Spanaird sighed as she gave a tired smile.

“I’m Ingrid. I’m going to be looking after you. I’ve been told by the police and your constable about what's happened.”

Ona nodded, her eyes wandered to the window. 

“I thought you might want to go see Lucy?”

Ona jumped up so quickly she winced from the ache in her body.

“I can see her?”

Ingrid smiled. “Yes, she's just come out of the theatre.” 

Ona climbed out of the bed, her feet slightly wobbly.

“Ona, before we go you need to know she's in a critical condition.” 

The raven haired girl's bright smile dimmed. “She’s been put into an induced coma. She’s had to undergo an intense surgery. The bullets were successfully removed but have caused a sufficient amount of damage to her insides. The surgeons have done all that they can for now, but at this moment in time it's a waiting game.”

Ona felt her stomach lurch, she understood what Ingrid meant, it made her instantly nervous to see Lucy. She nodded and let Ingrid lead the way.

She walked down the corridor with Ingrid, the smell of hospital took over her senses. She noticed nurses and doctors eyed her curiously as they walked. 

“You’re a bit famous. The news of you and Lucy is all over the TV.” Ingrid cringed. 

“Really?” 

“Yeah, we have security all over the place. Many news reporters are outside.”

Ona squinted at the fluorescent lights above her head. She wondered if her parents knew what had happened.

“Oh that reminds me. Your constable wanted to see you, but I figured you would maybe want to see Lucy first. I know she's your partner.”

“Oh, we’re not partners yet. I mean maybe-”

“Is she not your partner on the force?” Ingrid looked confused.

“Ohh. Sorry. Yeah. Erm, yeah, she is my work partner.” Ona flushed.

Ingrid nodded and smiled as she picked up on the awkward smile from Ona.

“No worries. I understand.” She placed her hand on Ona’s shoulder.

They stopped outside a room, not too far from Ona’s.

“Okay this is her. I work on this ward, so I’ll be right out here if you need me. But take all the time you need.”

“Thank you very much.” Ona hesitated at the door.

“Take your time. It can be very overwhelming to see a loved one like this.” Ingrid smiled as she rubbed Ona’a shoulder, her kindness reminded her of Alessia.

“Y-Yeah, thank you.”

Ona took a deep breath as she pushed the heavy door open. The room was full of machines beeping and monitors moving. She just about saw Lucy amongst it all. She slowly walked a little further inside, she felt scared to get too close, worried she might somehow turn off a machine. 

Even though Ingrid warned her of the state Lucy was in, it still took her breath away. 

She pursed her lips as her gaze fell on Lucy’s face. Her face had been cleaned, her dark hair was neatly brushed and tucked behind her ear. She looked so peaceful. If it wasn't for the machine breathing for her, you would hardly know she had 3 bullets put in her body. 

Ona sat in the chair next to the bed. She watched as Lucy's chest slowly rose up and down in time with the machine that helped her breath. She ever so gently stroked Lucy's hand, her skin was so soft, so delicate. Despite the small cuts.

“Hola, Lucy.” She whispered as tears sprung to her eyes.

She looked down at her feet as she took in a shuddering breath.

“I don’t know if you can hear me. I’ve heard sometimes people can hear when they are in comas.” 

She leaned closer to the bed, her eyes roamed Lucy's face as if she was waiting for a response.

“Well, I hope you can hear me. I-I just want to thank you. You saved my life, in more ways than one.” Her tears began to roll down her cheeks.

“I know you would probably roll your eyes at me right now and say something like “Yeah, yeah. It's just what I do.”  but you don’t know how thankful I am for you. You are so special to me. I can’t lose you. Please, please pull through this. I promise to tell you how much I love you everyday, every hour. No, every 10 minutes.” Ona smiled between her tears. 

“Besides, you still have tickets to “The Big London Bake.” I know you’re excited for that. I want to see you in an apron, making cakes that are probably better than the teachers. As we know you are the best at everything.” Ona began to smile until her lip quivered, she felt her throat begin to close up. The hold she had was beginning to break. 

“Please, Lucy. I love you so much. You are such a special person. I can't lose you. Please.” She brought Lucy's hand up to her lips, kissing her skin as her salty tears seeped into her lips.

She stayed like that for another half an hour, staring at the girl on the bed. She watched on as the heart monitor counted her heart beats. She listened to the sounds of the beeping machines. It almost started to sound like a relaxing song, a lullaby even. That's when her wet eyes began to droop heavily as her aching body allowed sleep to take over.

She was woken up by a hand gently shaking her.

“Ona, darling. Ona.” 

Ona slowly opened her eyes, a throbbing in her head made her wince. 

“Oh, I'm so sorry, Ona. I didn't mean to hurt you.” 

Ona finally opened her eyes to be met with green eyes, but they weren't Lucys, they Lucy's mums. 

“Carol? Carol! Ona jumped up, and was engulfed in a rib breaking hug. She winced again.

“Ow, sorry, sorry.” She let go of Lucy's mum even though she really didn't want to.

“Oh Ona, your face.” Carol gently cupped Ona’s face as she examined her like the doctors did. “How are you? Sorry, that's a stupid question, we saw it on the news. I don’t even know what to say, you must have gone through so much.” Carol's eyes began to tear up, though it looked like she had already been crying.

“Lucy saved me.” Ona let her tears roll down her face as her voice cracked.

Carol broke out into a soft smile, stroking Ona’s face, her own tears rolling.

But the feeling of guilt engulfed Ona, seeing Lucy's mum in front of her made it even more real.

“I’m so sorry, Carol.” Ona sniffled as her head dropped in shame. “It's my fault.” 

“Woah, hey! No, it's not Ona. Its no ones fault but that awful fucking man. Lucy did what she was meant to do. I don't want to hear you say that again, okay? Come here.” 

Carol hugged Ona again, but more gently this time. The Spanird nuzzled her face into her neck, sobbing as she did. The older woman rubbed her back just like Lucy did the day she cried in the pub toilets with her. It only made her sob more.

“Oh honey, it's okay. You’re okay.” 

She allowed herself to be held for just a while longer. 

“I’m sorry, I’ll let you have some time with Lucy.” She sniffed as she pulled back.

“Oh darling, we've been in here for about 40 minutes. John’s outside getting some air. I didn't want to wake you, it's only because the nurse told me you have visitors.” Carol smiled, wiping the tears off of Ona’s rosy cheeks. “Anyways, you’re family, I would never kick you out of this room. You know you mean the world to Lucy? And us.”

Ona felt her heart flutter, but it pained her, if only she could hear Lucy say those words.

“Thank you, Carol.” She closed her eyes as she took a deep breath in. “I have visitors?”

“Yeah, I think they’re in your room. Also the nurse told me you're due for some medicine, so make sure you get that. Don't miss that, Ona.” She said with a firm tone.

The short brunette nodded but hesitated as she looked over at Lucy.

Lucy’s mum saw the hesitation on Ona’s face, clearly not wanting to leave Lucy. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep a watch on her. You go. I'll be right here when you get back.”

“Okay.” Ona sighed. 

“Get that medicine, darling.” Carol reminded her as she began to walk out. Ona smiled at her motherly instincts, even if she wasn’t her actual daughter. 

“I will.”

Ona made the short trip to her room. She wondered who her visitors could be, she imagined it was maybe Sarina or one of the girls from work. What if it was her parents?  She opened the door to see none other than her two best friends.

“Ona!” Mapi spotted Ona first as she bolted to the smaller girl. 

“Mapi?” She was engulfed into another hug that made her wince again.

“Be careful!” Ona heard Alexia's voice approaching as she told off their clumsy and excited friend.

“I’m sorry, Ona.” Mapi’s wet eyes were full of remorse.

“It's okay. I can’t believe you guys are here!” The girl felt her heart burst.

Alexia opened her arms as she gently embraced Ona in a hug.

“Do you think we would be anywhere else?” The blonde’s normally strong voice cracked as she spoke. 

Ona felt her eyes brimming with tears once more. She loved her best friends. They were her rock, her family. Having them here was almost too much. She had thought about them so much when she was alone in that damp office room. She never thought she'd see them again, and now here they were.

“Thank you. I love you both so much.”

Mapi squeezed herself into Alexia's embrace, who still hadn’t let go of Ona.

“We love you, Ona. We’re so glad you're okay.”

The three held each other until they were interrupted as Ingrid entered the room.

“Oh, sorry. I just need to give Ona some pain relief.” She wrinkled her nose.

Ona pulled out of the embrace. “That's okay, Ingrid. I actually really need it.” Ona chuckled as her best friends let her go.

Ona sat on the bed as Ingrid pushed the trolley of medicine in.

“Hello, Ona’s friends.” 

“Hello.”

“Hola, guapa.”

Alexia shot her friend a look, rolling her eyes at the girl.

Ona couldn't help but smile as even in a hospital Mapi would still try to shoot her shot.

Ingrid’s cheeks slightly blushed as she caught Mapi’s eyes on her.

“How’s your head?”

“I've-” Mapi was about to be massively inappropriate, but was stopped as Alexia kicked her ankle to shut her up, giving her a very serious death stare.

“I do have a headache. It hurts a lot.” Ona confessed. 

“Okay, let me know if it gets worse or if you feel sick at all. I also want to check your head and hand.” She said kindly. 

“I will. Thank you, Ingrid.”

Ingrid gave Ona her pain relief and checked her over. Not ever faltering with all the questions Mapi shot at her, as she suddenly became interested in everything hospital related. 

The 2 best friends stayed for another hour until Sarina came to check in on Ona, shortly followed by Demi and Jordan and Jill. But as soon as she could she rejoined Lucy's parents and brother in her room. Visiting hours had come to an end, Carol ensured Ona she would be back again tomorrow and Ona already missed her. She hugged them all goodbye. She was able to stay with Lucy for another hour until she was told she had to return to her own room. 

The Spaniard watched some tv before she felt herself drifting off to sleep. Her slumber was peaceful at first.

Slipping quickly into a dream.

She was walking down her street outside her house. She saw Lucy smiling, but she didn’t speak. The dream suddenly felt off. Like she was being watched. Suddenly she was in her own flat. Slims was in front of her, but his face was monstrous, it was swollen and bloody. He was gasping for air while he was laughing. He tried to grab her. She then felt a pain in her head. She tried to run from him, but she couldn't move, she couldn't even scream, it felt like she was in quicksand. Slowly being pulled deeper and deeper.

Ona jumped up in her bed. Gasping as her heart raced, panic setting in of the unfamiliar room. She was wet with sweat, she pulled the wet hospital gown of her skin, hoping to get some air. She winced as her head throbbed, she was due for some more pain relief. She was about to press the button for the nurse when she heard a rush off feet outside her room. She looked at the small glass and saw a few heads running by. 

She jumped out of bed and stuck her head out the door to see what the commotion was about. She watched as the doctors and a few nurses rushed to a room down the corridor. 

Ona’s heart stopped beating as she realised the room they were rushing into.

“No.” She started to jog down the hall way, ignoring the way her head screamed at her with each step.

She was outside Lucy's room, she tried to tiptoe through the window but she was too short. She slowly opened the door to see a room full of people, rushing around Lucy. 

The machines that had once beeped in a rhythm were now flat lining. The one constant beeping tone was almost deafening. 

“I’m losing her, give me a shot.” The head doctor demanded. 

“Clear.” A nurse rubbed the defibrillators together before she pressed them onto Lucy's chest. Ona felt herself flinch as she watched the electric jolt Lucy’s body, it was the first time Lucy had ever looked frail. 

“I think we may have blood on the lungs!” 

“She'll drown. We need to operate.”

“Her body is going into shock!”

“We're losing her. Heart rate has dropped. We’re close to having no pulse.”

Ona stood frozen in fear as she watched Lucy's body fight for its life. 

“Ona?” 

Ingrid appeared behind Ona, but the girl didn't look at her. The Norwegian nurse looked through the glass to see the commotion that was unfolding. 

“Ona. you can't see this. Come.”

The taller girl pulled a crying Ona away.

“No, no. Ingrid! Please! Lucy!” 

Ingrid was stronger than Ona would have thought, easily moving her away from the door. 

But before the door shut she heard those 3 crippling words.

“We’ve lost her.” 

—-----------------

Everything had changed. 

Ona had been discharged from the hospital after a week of treatment. Her head was healing nicely, though she still had pain every once in a while. 

The first night out of hospital Mapi and Alexia had taken Ona home, ordering her favourite take away and watching a feel good film. Ona was entirely grateful for her friends, she needed them now more then ever and they hadn’t left her side since the day they first saw her in that hospital room. 

But when the night was over and the girls left to return to their own homes, Ona felt weird. She felt off, nothing seemed right. It felt like she was being watched, like something was lurking in her home. Noises that normally wouldn’t notice made her nervous. Every little creak, every little bump, she felt her heart race quicker. 

She was scared. 

The sound of a car door closing made her flinch. She closed her eyes as she tried to block it out, block out the noise of that evil laugh that now consumed her mind. 

She couldn’t sleep that night, she tried but she only ended up waking in a puddle of sweat from her nightmares. Her mind had taken her back to that day, back to the pain. She no longer felt safe in her own home. 

The next day she packed a bag and stayed in Alexia’s spare room. 

Sarina had insisted that she needed to take some time off, and she did, but after the fourth day the girl was going mad alone in Alexia's flat. She needed to distract herself and work was the easiest thing to do. 

But, it had been difficult returning to the office without Lucy.

Ona stared out of the office window, the sun was shining considerably bright for the January weather. She found herself staring a lot lately, dissociating with the life around her. 

“Hey Ona, I sent over the reports you asked for, have you signed them off?” Jordan put her head over the computer top like she always did.

Ona looked up at her blonde friend.

“No? The ones I asked for on John Burns? You haven't sent it.” Ona opened her emails to make sure. 

Jordan looked confused, until realisation hit her.

“I must have sent them to Lucy's email, again.”

Ona felt her chest tighten.

“It's okay.” She tried to put on a smile for her friend.

“It's not. Shit, I’m sorry, Ona. It's not the first time. I just automatically searched her email.”

Demi then appeared next to Jordan. 

“I’ve definitely written Lucy's name in a few emails to you, Ona. I’m sorry.” 

Both girls looked genuinely distraught, the Spainard could see it on their faces.

“It’s okay. Don’t worry. Seriously.”

A silence fell over the three girls, Demi and Jordan clearly feeling bad. 

Ona glanced over at the messy, her eyes lingering over a picture of Lucy and her niece. 

“I miss her.” Jordans eyes looked slightly glassy. 

“So do I.” Demi looked over to the empty seat that was once filled, it looked like it pained her to do it.

“I made 4 tea’s the other day, one was for Lucy.” She chuckled sadly. 

“I do that.” Jordan confessed, as she bit her lip in thought.

Ona felt her heart sink, she let out a sigh as she thought about the brunette. 

“I’m going to go for lunch.” Ona started to gather her bits.

“Do you want company?” Jordan asked.

“No, it's okay. Thank you.” Ona smiled at her friends. She wasn't upset with them but she just needed a little time on her own.

Ona made her way to the destination in mind.

—---

“Gravy or curry, darling?”

“Curry, please.”

“Good choice, enjoy sweetheart.” 

“Thank you.” Ona smiled at the kind grey haired woman. 

She walked to the spot she had been thinking about a lot lately. She faintly smiled as she remembered the night Lucy brought her here. She sat on the bench facing the city. She sat alone in the cold, eating her curry and chips.

—--------

3 months later.

Ona walked into the graveyard, her red umbrella stood over her head as the rain came down around her. She felt weird, she never liked graveyards. Not since she was a kid and attended her abuelas funeral. She spotted an older woman laying flowers on a grave, she wondered if it was a partner that she was visiting. 

She walked on, making her way to the spot. Finally, she came face to face to the grave, she looked over the earth that was still risen. Her stomach dipped as she looked at the name. A cold shiver ran up her spine as the memories of that day came back to her.

She looked down at her feet, not knowing what to do. Should she say something? A prayer? She didn't believe in god or any religion, so she wouldn't even know what to say. She felt a wave of emotions hit her, pain, anger, sadness, guilt. Guilt was the main feeling, the one that laid heavy on her chest.

She looked around the peaceful grounds, then back at the tomb stone. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes as she exhaled. Her mind wondered what life would be like if things were different that day. She wondered what would have happened if Lucy hadn't found her, if she had been aware of her surroundings. That familiar pain in the back of her head creeped at the skin where her scar lived. 

Her eyes started to blur with tears. Her scarred hand flexed awkwardly around the umbrella handle as the first tear rolled down her left cheek. Then another, and another, she couldn't stop once she started. The floodgates had opened up. The pain, the anger, the guilt coming up in sobs. She closed her eyes once again, trying to breath through the thoughts swirling in her head.  

She took in a deep breath as she finally started to calm down. 

Large beams of sun peeked through the clouds, and the rain slowly stopped. Ona still got confused with the British weather. She watched as a double rainbow started to form a mile or so away,it brought a small smile to her wet cheeks. But before she could think about it too much her phone started to ring.

She looked at the screen and answered.

“Hey.”

“Hi, how is it?”

“Fine.” Her voice wobbled a little.

“Just fine?” 

“I cried. I feel stupid.” Ona sniffled. 

“No! Don’t feel stupid! The therapist said that could happen, didn't she?”

Ona nodded. “Yeah. I’m glad I did it.”

“Good. I’m glad you did too.”

“Sí. I’m heading to you now.”

“Okay, take all the time you need. I’m in no rush.”

Ona laughed through wet eyes. “That's a lie! You’ve been in that hospital bed for 3 months, even the nurses say you're driving them to the wall.”

“It's ‘up the wall.’ And I'll have you know that nurse Mary loves me.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Ona rolled her eyes. “I'll see you soon.” 

“Okay. See you in a bit.” 

Ona took one last look at the grave.

‘Here lies Frank Smith. May god rest his soul’

She walked away. Her smile grew as the sun opened up the clouds further. She suddenly felt lighter as she left the place of rest.

—---------------

“Okay, that's everything.” Ona looked over at her empty suitcase as she hung the last bit of clothing up in the now packed wardrobe. 

“Yeah?”

Ona shivered as a familiar voice purred into her ear. 

“You should be resting.” The Spaniard turned around, a concerned look on her face.

“What's the point of resting if I dont have my sexy girlfriend nurse at my beck and call?” 

Ona snorted with laughter. “Are you serious? Gosh you're so needy, Luce.” 

She cupped Lucy's face, bringing their lips together, smiling at the needy woman.

Though It had been a difficult 3 months.

Ona had nearly lost Lucy in the hospital that night, and even weeks after. Her body had gone into a cardiac arrest, her heart had actually stopped beating for a whole minute. But the girl didn't have the name ‘Tough’ for no reason. It was a miracle really, the doctors and nurses brought her back from death's doors. It was a rocky road from then on. She had been in a coma for 3 weeks, her body had worked overtime to keep her alive. She had specialists watching over her constantly, day and night, worried she could slip at any point.

But after 3 long weeks Lucy woke up. 

When she finally awakened from her long sleep, she was met with those beautiful brown eyes that she fell in love with. Staring down at her. 

“Bon dia.” Ona whispered.

The older brunette stayed in the hospital for 3 long months. She recovered quickly, though the doctors had to keep constantly reminding her to take it easy. Ona visited her everyday, she even introduced Alexia and Mapi to Lucy. Giving Mapi even more reason to see a certain nurse. 

Lucy needed a lot of care, her body was getting better but she was on crutches, she needed help to wash, cook and clean and Ona was the first person to volunteer. So, it was decided that Ona would move in with Lucy. 

The Spaniard hadn’t slept in her own flat since the night she stayed with Alexia. The blonde was sad to see her go, but she also couldn't deny how happy and excited her younger friend was.

The younger brunette smiled as she leaned into her lover.

“I love the taste of your lips.” Lucy purred into Ona’s mouth.

Ona whimpered, already feeling a jolt of heat travelling South. To say she was desperate was an understatement. It has been over 3 months since she and Lucy had sex but she wasn't about to jump on Lucy while her body was still healing. 

“Lucy. You know we can’t. Your stitches-”

“Are fine. I promise. I’ll stop if it's too much.”

She kissed the petite girl softly.  

Ona bit her cheek in worry, but god she wanted Lucy so badly. 

Lucy saw the pensive look on her face, she understood the stress and anxiety that Ona had been through since that day. Her cuts and bruises may have healed but her mental state hadn't and Lucy was never going to make her feel like she had to do anything.

Lucy gently cupped Ona’s chin, her green eyes scanning her face. She lovingly stroked her thumb on the girl's left cheek.

“We don’t have to do anything, you know? I’ll wait for you. Whenever you feel ready.” 

Ona melted into the older brunette's soft touch, her reassuring voice made her heart melt. She felt so safe with Lucy. She knew the girl would never push her, she knew she would understand if she wasn’t ready. She had been scared for this moment, but that feeling of being scared didn’t come up, Lucy was enough to make her feel safe.

“Thank you, Luce. I’m good. I just, I’m a little embarrassed.” 

“What? Why?” The brunette looked genuinely confused.

“I’m of wet already.” Ona bit her lip, her brown doe eyes looking innocently up at Lucy. 

Lucy's mouth gaped open. The Spaniard watched as her pupils grew with pure want.

Ona flirtatiously pushed her chin closed, smiling playfully as she walked backwards, taking Lucys free hand that wasn't holding a crutch. She guided them towards the bed. Lucy hobbled with her good leg, Ona couldn't help but think she even made that look sexy.

“Come lay down.” Ona whispered as she patted the middle of the bed.

Lucy lent her crutch on the wall as she slowly took a seat on the edge of the bed. Trying her best not to wince, but Ona didn't miss a thing.

“You sure you’re okay, Luce?”

This time it was the younger brunette to stroke Lucy's cheek. 

“Yeah. I think I might just have to be on my back. My thighs a bit sore. Sorry, really great sex talk.” She rolled her eyes in slight frustration. 

“Hey, that's okay. You know I like to be on top.” Ona purred as she brought her lips to Lucy's ear, nibbling on the sensitive skin. 

Lucy's jaw clenched as she felt her body needing the girl in front of her. She pulled Ona closer to her, capturing their lips together. The kiss was slow and gentle, nobody pushed for dominance. Both girls just wanted to familiarise themselves with each other. Of course they had sneaked a few kisses here and there in the hospital but they had been interrupted nearly every time. Ingrid had even started covering her eyes before she entered. 

The kiss slowly deepened. It was Lucy who first asked for entry, humming when Ona easily gave it to her. Her tongue stroked Ona’s lips, making the girl whimper. Lucy felt her clit throb hearing those beautiful noises she pulled from the girl.

The kiss became more intense, but it wasn't messy, it was still slow, but the emotional force became more apparent, the girls hummed and groaned as they pushed everything they were feeling for eachother in their kiss. Lucy felt Ona’s fingers at the bottom of her shirt, waning the clothing gone. 

“Can I?” She mumbled against her lips.

“Y-Yeah.” Lucy nodded.

Ona unbuttoned the shirt without breaking the kiss, exposing Lucy's firm stomach. 

And her scars. 

The Spaianrd stroked her hands over Lucy's chest, smiling into the kiss as she felt no signs of a bra. Her fingertips came into contact with the small lump on Lucy's chest. She broke the kiss as she leaned back, she eyed the red mark and brought her lips to Lucy's chest gently kissing the scar that was still healing. 

“I love you.” She gently pressed her lips back on Lucys.

The older brunette smiled. “I love you too.”

Lucy removed Ona’s t-shirt, her eyes took in the beautiful girl in front of her. She felt a rush of love take over her as she began to kiss the younger girl's neck with the most gentle of touches.

Everything was slow, every touch, every kiss, every move. Neither girl wanted to miss a thing, each little gasp and little whimper heightened the rush between them. Ona broke the kisses, she stood up as she unbuttoned her trousers, but it was Lucy who removed her little black thongs. 

She kissed Ona’s stomach, relishing in the tiny gasps that fell from the Spanianrds mouth. She left a small trail of kisses along her abs, flicking her tongue along her milky skin. Ona could feel herself becoming wetter from each kiss. She was sure she could have come from Lucy’s tongue on her skin alone.

“Come.” 

“I’m going to if you keep doing that.”

Lucy laughed. “No, I mean come.” 

Lucy dragged herself to the headboard. Her back was now leaning against it. Ona shuffled on her knees towards the older brunette. 

“Come sit.” Lucy tapped her good thigh, a lustful smile plastered her face.

The Spaniard bit her lip as she gently straddled her good thigh. 

“Fuck!” She hissed as her wet pussy came into contact with something other than her own fingers. 

Lucy's hands instantly gripped her hips, gently making the girl rock on to her thigh. Ona understood the gesture and began to move her hips, sliding her wet sex along Lucy's skin. 

“You look so good, Ona.” Lucy sighed in pleasure as she watched her girlfriend use her thigh to work herself up. 

Ona’s head dropped back, feeling her orgasm already building up, but she didn't want to come like this. She stopped her movements.

“I want you, Lucy. Please.” She took Lucy's hand from her hip, placing it between her legs. “Inside.” She whispered breathlessly.

“Anything you want.” Lucy husked as she brought her fingers to her core, coating her digits with Ona’s essence. 

She circled her clit, her own arousal growing as she watched the girl whine above her. Her eyes took in Ona’s naked form in front of her. Her heart swelled knowing she was all hers.

“Ona, baby. How are you so-”

She pushed her fingers inside, smiling as Ona gasped.

“Perfect.” 

“Dios, fuck!” The younger girl whimpered as she took Lucy in.

Lucy was gentle, she slowly stroked her fingers in and out of Ona’s tight walls. The younger brunette rolled her hips at a slow pace, her core fluttered as she remembered what it was like to have Lucy again.

“You feel so good.” She closed her eyes as she allowed herself to get lost in Lucy's touch. 

Lucy was in heaven as she watched the petite girl's jaw slacken. Her neck tilted back as she fluttered around Lucy's fingers. 

She moved her hand from Ona’s hip to her long caramel hair, gently entangling her fingers. Ona’s eyes opened as she felt Lucys touch. She leaned closer to Lucy, her heart fluttering at the smile Lucy gave her.

“I love you, Ona.”

Lucy pressed her forehead to her lover. Their lips inches apart.

“I love you-u.” 

Lucy's fingers started to pick up pace, bringing the girl closer to her peak.

“I’ll always protect you.” Lucy whispered, her voice trembled as she let her emotions get to her.

Ona heard her tone, she felt her own eyes water at the words, she knew Lucy was trying to get her emotions across.

Ona connected their lips once more, gasping into Lucy's mouth as she felt her cunt flutter around her fingers. The older brunette circled her thumb around Ona’s very wet clit, she smiled into the kiss as the Spaniard let out a desperate cry. 

“Lucy! D-Don’t stop. Please!” She trembled above.

Lucy shook her head. “Never. I’ve got you, I've got you, baby.”

Ona bit her lip, her thighs began to shake as that warm familiar feeling drifted up her body. Their heated mouths came together as Ona rocked harder on Lucy's fingers.

The pure love the girls had for each other was radiating intensely between them, it was like a pull of inner thoughts, both yearning for the other flowing, pouring between them as one person. This was more than sex, they were making love. 

“Fuck. I’m coming.” 

“Come for me baby, you can do it.” Lucy whispered against her lover's lips, adoring the way Ona’s breath hitched.

Ona let out a whimpering moan as her body spasmed against Lucy’s. The older brunette watched in wonder as she felt the soft muscles twitch around her fingers. She smiled proudly as she kissed Ona’s chest, tasting the sweat on her skin, 

“Lucy. Fuck.” The Spaniard breathlessly giggled as she felt her body shaking. 

Lucy stared at the drop dead gorgeous girl in front of her, she bit her lip as she eyed the dark freckles that she loved so much, the brown specks standing out against her flushed face. 

She slowly removed her fingers, but didn’t dare waste the taste of her girl. She sucked off any remaining juices as Ona watched her with wide eyes. She yelped in shock as Ona smashed her lips against her own, her tongue begging to taste herself on Lucy.

“I want you.” Ona mumbled against Lucy's lips.

“Yeah?” Lucy smirked as she felt Ona tug at her jogger bottoms.

“So badly.” Ona began to kiss down Lucy’s body, giving her abs extra attention. She eyed the second scar, making sure to give the mark a lingering kiss. 

“How did I get so lucky?” Lucy stroked Ona’s hair behind her ear.

The younger girl moved lower sucking on Lucy's tight skin. She easily slipped the joggers and Lucy's boxers off, revealing just how wet Lucy was for her.

“Oh? Someones a little excited.” Ona smirked as she lowered herself back down between Lucy's thighs, gently biting the sensitive flesh. 

“Hmm, fuck. Ona.” The brunette closed her eyes as she let out a desperate sigh. “Please, ba- shit!”

Ona eagerly stroked her tongue through the girl's wet lips, humming as she was finally able to taste Lucy again.

“Ona, your mouth is so fucking perfect.”

Ona buried her face further, dipping her tongue into Lucy's tight walls. The older brunette lovingly stroked Ona’s hair back, watching the girl as she fucked her with her tongue. A groan rumbled from her throat as the girl between her legs pleasured her like it was her job. Her wetness was constantly coating the girl's tongue, as her pussy spasmed with heat.  

Ona would stay there all day if she could, her eyes closed in pleasure, swallowing Lucy's essence, feeling Lucy on her tongue. She smiled as she felt Lucy's fingers stroke her face. She looked up at the girl on her back, she shot a wink as she saw Lucy watching her. Her beautiful green hooded eyes struggled to stay focused.  

“You’re so amazing, Ona.” Lucy sighed as she stroked Ona’s hair once more. 

Ona kept their eyes fixed as she gilded her tongue through Lucy's velvety folds, wrapping her lips around her erect clit. Lucy broke the gaze as her head was thrown back on the pillow, her clit finally in Ona’s warm mouth.

“Yes, just like that, Ona.”

Lucy delicately entangled her fingers through the caramel locks, she had a secret obsession with Ona’s hair, she loved the feeling of her soft tresses in between her fingers. She tried to keep her eyes on the girl as she bobbed her head up and down as she sucked and licked her bundle of nerves. But when Ona began to kiss her clit she lost it. 

She felt her thighs shaking, the warm feeling in her thighs and stomach began to rise.

Her hand pushed Onas head slightly further between her legs.

“That's it. Just like that. I love you so fucking much. You’re so fucking perfect.”

Lucy groaned as her hips grinded up into Ona’s mouth, her swollen lips kept her swollen clit captured, swirling her tongue around the pink head. She watched as the beautiful girl above her jolted and moaned, her abs flexing with each thrust. She watched proudly as she crumbled above her.

Lucy hit her climax, the heavy feeling washed over her body as she came loudly in her girlfriend's mouth. 

She shakily breathed out shorts gasps, her chest rising and falling hard. Ona was almost scared she might have pushed her body a little too hard. 

“You okay there?” Ona kissed her thigh.

“Okay isn't even close to the word that I’m feeling.” Lucy chuckled breathlessly. 

Ona laid her head against Lucy's good thigh, she was absolutely in love with her view. This gorgeous goddess of a woman was still stroking her hair as she calmed her heart rate down. The older brunette caught her eyes on the Spaniard.

“You’re so beautiful, Lucy,” 

Lucy's cheeks blushed harder than before.

“Thank you, but you can’t see the view that I have right now.” 

Ona’s brown eyes twinked as she smiled up at her lover. She kissed Lucy's thighs as she made her way up, she came in contact with the third scar on Lucy's body. She gently kissed the red mark on her thigh, kissing her way right up into Lucy's mouth.

Everything had changed, but their love had only grown.

—---------

1 year later.

“Come on, Lucy. We're going to be late.” Ona shouted from their bedroom as she fixed her earrings in. 

“I’m coming, I’m coming.” Lucy pulled her suit jacket on as she looked at herself in the bathroom mirror.

Her head snapped up as she heard a wolf whistle from the door, smiling as Ona greedily took in her outfit.

“Maybe we can be a little late.” Ona giggled as she walked over capturing Lucy's lips. 

“Yes! We definitely can!” Lucy picked the shorter girl up with ease, smirking when she heard the surprised squeak from her girl. She placed her on the bathroom side, slotting herself between Ona’s legs, her strong hands pushed the black flowy dress up. Smiling to herself as she exposed the Spaniards thighs.

Her mouth eagerly captured Ona’s, the younger brunette moaned into the heated kiss. But she pulled herself away before she could get too into it.

“No, I was joking, we have to go! This day is for you.” Ona reminded her. 

Lucy sighed as she looked away, Ona frowned as she instantly saw the worry on her girlfriend's face. 

“Hey, what's wrong? Are you not happy for today?”

Lucy anxiously rubbed her thumbs on the younger girl's exposed thighs, not meeting Ona’s eyes.

“Luce? What's wrong? Talk to me.” Ona lifted Lucy's chin, forcing the girl to look at her.

“I….I just worry that I don't actually deserve this.” She sighed heavily, 

“Oh, my baby. Of course you do, Luce. There isn't anyone out there that's more deserving than you. That's why she's picked you.”

Lucy's thumbs continued their movements on the girl's skin.

“Lucy? Come on. The whole team also think it, you know that right? They adore you and you put in 110 percent everyday.” 

Lucy smiled into Ona’s hand. Her words perking her up slightly.

“You sure?” The girl's tone was full of doubt.

It was weird for Ona to see Lucy so unsure of herself. The girl was a beacon of self confidence. 

“I’m a thousand percent sure. You’re the back bone to that place. And besides you literally saved my life.” Ona gently kissed Lucy’s lips, happy to feel her girlfriend melt into the kiss. 

“Hmm, I did, didn’t I?”

Lucy’s thumbs snaked up Ona’s thighs as the kiss became a little more heated. The shorter girl’s breath hitched when she felt Lucy’s fingers stroke over her lace underwear. 

“You sure we don’t have time?” 

Ona groaned as she reluctantly pulled away. “I’m sure, let’s go.”

Lucy pouted but the shorter girl only ignored her, giving her a quick peck on her lips instead. Lucy helped her back down, smacking her arse as they left the bathroom. 

—————

“Thank you everyone for coming today. It’s a real honour to have been promoted to Chief Constable. I will do my best to feel some big shoes. But I actually want to thank the team. If it wasn’t for them myself and Ona wouldn’t be standing here with you today. I want to also thank Sarina for not firing me.” 

The room of guests laughed as Lucy winked at Sarina.

“You have taught me so much over the years, and I can’t thank you enough for allowing me to also learn and grow into the role. Thank you for also allowing me to work things on my own.” 

The room clapped and cheered. 

“Ona. Thank you for being the rock that I needed after everything that happened. You were my sun when things got dark. You stuck by me through my good and bad days, and trust me there were many bad days. But you never gave up on me. I hope I was your rock during this journey, and I hope to be your rock forever.” 

Ona nodded her head, watching only Lucy. Her eyes watered with tears as she proudly looked at her girlfriend. She looked up at Jill when she felt her hand on her shoulder. 

“Anyways. That’s enough from me. I think it’s time for some shots!” 

The group broke out into laughs and cheers. 

Lucy headed straight to Ona who had the biggest smile on her face, she looked so utterly proud of Lucy.

—----------

2 and half years later. 

“Ready Bronze?”

 “So ready.” Lucy chuckled as she looked in the mirror.  

“What are you talking about? She's been ready since the day Ona walked into that office.” Demi rolled her eyes, laughing at the question.

“That's true, she was a goner the moment she looked into those big brown eyes.” Jill chuckled as she pushed Lucy out the way to look at her own reflection. 

“I won’t even argue, you're all right.” Lucy smirked as she fixed her tie.

“Come on then! Let's go get you down the aisle. Your soon to be wife is probably getting impatient.”

Alexia walked into Ona’s room, smiling at her best friend. 

“You look beautiful, Ona.” 

“Thank you, Ale.” The petite girl opened her arms for best friend.

“I look good too? No?” Mapi strolled over, joining the hug.

Alexia rolled her eyes, but her smirk was anything but annoyed. “Si, Mapi, you look beautiful too.” Alexia squeezed her friend's cheek.

“Aye! Watch my make up!” Mapi whacked Alexia’s hand away.

“Si, sorry! I wouldn't want you to look bad for your sexy nurse girlfriend!” Alexia chuckled, as she made sure Ona’s hair was in place. “You ready, Ona?” The blonde girl eyed Ona in the mirror as she held her shoulders. 

“So ready.” She smiled brightly at her bridesmaids.

The day was perfect, the weather was perfect, the food was perfect, the music was perfect, the atmosphere was perfect. It was everything they dreamed of and more. 

The newly wedded couple danced in the middle of the room as everyone around them watched and smiled. They swayed to the song that now meant more to them than anyone would ever understand. 

Ona tucked her head underneath Lucy's chin, she inhaled the familiar perfume that brought her so much comfort. Lucy kissed the top of her wife's head, smiling into her soft hair. 

🎵You do something to me that I can't explain. Hold me closer and I feel no pain. Every beat of my heart. We got something going on. 🎵

—------

“Don’t drop me!” Ona squealed as Lucy carried her through the hotel room. Again.

It was the third day into their honeymoon but she insisted that she needed to be carried every time.

“When have I ever dropped you?”

“That one time when-”

The girl was cut off when Lucy purposefully kissed her. Clearly not wanting to be reminded of that one time she dropped the Spaniard. But, Ona was more than happy to let it go when Lucy kissed her like that.

The taller brunette laid her newly wedded wife on the large double bed, she continued to kiss the girl below her, smiling as shs felt Ona’s hips grinding up into her.

“You already desperate, baby?”

Ona nodded with her teeth between her lips, her caramel hair laid out on the white sheets. Her hooded brown eyes were desperate for Lucy.

Lucy bit her lip as she looked at the girl below her, she'd never get bored of this sight. 

“What does my wife want?” She kissed Ona’s neck, sucking hard on her skin. Ona’s hands gripped on Lucy's waist as she felt the impeccable love bite being made on her skin. 

“Fuck me, ruin me.” Ona gasped as Lucy attached her mouth to the girl's easily accessed nipple, it made Lucy wonder if she wore this dress for this only purpose.

Lucy trailed wet sloppy kisses all over Ona’s chest, smirking as her wife’s whimpers became louder. She sucked and licked the sensitive flesh, opening the buttons that travelled down the easily accessed garment. She pulled the smaller girl to the edge of the bed, lowering herself to her knees. 

Her mouth gaped open as she was greeted with Ona’s already wet and exposed lips.

“No underwear?” Lucy smirked.

“No.” Ona husked, hearing the sultry and shocked hint in Lucy's voice. 

Lucy looked up to the skies as if she was thanking the gods for sending her this perfect girl.

She leaned in closer, her mouth watered at the beautiful site in front of her. A dripping and messy Ona was her favourite kind of Ona. One long broad stroke had the Spainards eyes rolling in the back of her head. 

“Lucccyy.”

The older brunette lapped noisily at Onas entrance, smiling into Ona’s cunt when she began to lift her hips up, needing more friction. 

“You taste even better as my wife.” Lucy groaned as she licked her lips.

Ona loved being spoken to during sex, it would always make her wet, but being called Lucy's wife nearly broke the fucking dam.

“Say it again.” Ona breathed out.

“My wife?” Lucy wrapped her mouth around Ona’s clit.

“Fuck! Again.”

“My wife, Mrs Ona Bronze.” She chuckled as she softly licked through Onas sensitive flesh.

The Spanairds legs started to shake, her hand entangled in Lucy's dark locks, gripping tightly as her hips grinded into Lucy’s talented mouth. She could feel every inch of the girl's tongue, gently caressing her heat.

“I’m your wife, Lucy. I belong to you. No one else. I’m only yours.” Ona gasped as her body started to feel her orgasm climbing.

The older brunette groaned into Ona’s core, she felt herself becoming almost dizzy at Ona’s words. She pulled Ona’s strong legs further apart as she ate her girl out like her life depended on it. The young brunette’s hips started to frash, as she pushed Lucy further into her core, her jaw clenching as her orgasm was about to crash over her. 

Lucy replaced her tongue with her thumb, watching the girl losing all control over her body. 

“Is my wife going to come for me? My good obedient wife?”

“Yes. Yes!”

“You’re so pretty for me, Ona. So wet and pretty. My pretty life wife.” Lucy brought her mouth back to Onas' pussy as she easily slipped two fingers inside her wife.

The dam broke. 

Ona’s cunt clenched around Lucy's fingers as her orgasm erupted through her sweaty body. Her fingers pulled on Lucy's hair as she moaned out in pleasure, fucking her wifes face. Her chest rose and fell as she tried to recover, but Lucy’s tongue was still caressing her folds. 

Her strong thighs tried to close around Lucy's head as her wife continued to suckle her clit between her lips, but Lucy's strong arms kept her open as the girl tried to squirm away. She whimpered loudly as Lucy's mouth never let up, drinking her down, swallowing every drop. 

“Lucy!” Ona begged. 

Lucy didn't listen, she was too engrossed in the taste of Ona, too distracted at the way her thighs trembled around hands. She eyed the petite girl above her, she had already won the fight when Ona began to moan again. 

She stayed between the girl's legs until she gave her another orgasm. Her face and sheets were covered in Ona’s juices. 

“Such a good wife.” Ona chuckled as she watched the girl quiver on the bed.

She walked over to the suitcase, pulling out the strap she loved. She stripped her clothes, pulling her harness over her legs.

Ona was already desperate for her again. She didn't need to be told what position to get into, she turned around spreading her knees as she put herself in Lucy's favourite position. 

Lucy smiled as she watched the shorter brunette. 

“You really are obedient, aren't you?” She slapped the girl's arse cheek, leaving a bright red mark.

“Yes.” Ona nodded her face pressed against the sheets.

The taller brunette stood behind the girl, exposing her dripping sex. She grabbed the strap in her hand, and gently rubbed it through Ona’s puffy wet lips.

“Luce, please.” Ona whispered.

“Don’t worry baby. I’m right here.” Lucy stroked the girl's cheeks as she slowly pushed herself into her wife, loving the way Ona gasped as she entered her.

This view of Ona was maybe Lucy's favourite view. Having the girl bent over, dripping wet, giving herself so easily over to Lucy sent an animalistic urge through her. She rocked her hips at a steady pace, pulling the thick strap all the way out, leaving the head inside Ona’s walls as she easily slid back.

It was a gentle motion but it didn't stop Ona from gasping for air, she could feel every inch of Lucy inside her. The way she stroked along her tight walls, her cunt clenching along the plastic made her brows twitch.

“Look at my good little bride. Taking me, pleasing me just like you should.” Lucy started to rock her hips faster, rougher.

“Y-Yes. I want to please you, L-Lucyyy.” She started to grip the sheets below her as Lucy began to fuck the ait out of her.

“You always please me Ona. Fuck.” Her head rolled back in pleasure as the base of the strap rubbed perfectly at her clit. “If it's not your perfect mouth pleasing me, it's your perfect tight pussy.” 

Ona got louder as the trust got deeper, the rooms next door would definitely know Lucys name by the end of today, but Lucy didnt care about the neighbours right now, she just wanted to fuck her wife. 

“Fuck, just like that Ona, you take it so goos, baby.” 

She gripped on to Ona’s arms, pulling them behind her back. She smirked wickedly the moment she heard the tell tell signs of her wifes next orgasm approaching. 

“No, no. Not yet. Don’t you dare come, Ona.”

Ona let out a high pitched whine, she was already close, her over stimulated body was almost giving up. 

Lucy held her wrist behind her back with her one large hand as she grabbed Ona’s caramel hair in her other hand. She tugged at the long tresses, making Ona’s noises even louder as her head was forced to move.

Lucy felt her back start to sweat. She was working the girl hard, her body was gleaming with her own sweat, her muscles flexed as she stroked in and out of the girl's tired body. She was fucking the girl like she was trying to put a baby inside her. The sounds of wet skin bounded across the room, along with loud pleasured moans.

“Is Ona Bronze going to come for me? Come all over my strap?” 

Lucy groaned at her own words, her orgasm was just on the horizon.

“Yes. YES! Please.”

“Louder.”

“YES!” 

“Always ready to please and obey. Aren't you, Ona? Such a good fucking wife.”

Ona’s cheeks blushed, Lucy’s words were throwing her mind into a haze.

Lucy felt her orgasm washing over her body. She gripped harder on Ona, fucking the girl hard into the bed below 

“Come with me, baby!”

Both girls let out a mess of moans. Lucy’s body shook behind Ona as she came with a loud groan, yanking the girl's hair back as she did. 

She could feel Ona’s walls sucking her strap in deeper, watching the plastic sinking into her walls. 

“So good. So good! My good little wife.”

Ona lost all ability to hold herself up. She allowed Lucy to pull her up against her chest, her eyes fluttered shut feeling Lucy’s lips against her neck. 

“I love you.” Lucy nuzzled Ona’s sweaty neck.

“I love you too.” The shorter girl smiled lazily. 

Lucy pulled out of Ona gently, discarding the strap.

“Shall we actually go to the beach now?” Lucy chuckled. 

Ona laughed out loud, her caramel hair swaying down her back. Lucy noticed the Mexican sun had already made her freckles darker. 

“Yeah, let’s go.” The younger brunette agreed. “Shall we go to the nudist beach?” Ona suggested with a cheeky smile. 

Lucy nearly broke her neck as she snapped her head up. “No! Nobody gets to see my wife naked. Only me.” Lucy pouted. 

Ona crawled to the end of the bed, kissing Lucy’s chest with her doe brown eyes looking up innocently.

“Hmm, remind me again.” Ona mumbled against Lucy's skin.

“My wife.” Lucy whispered.

The petite brunette could smell the wetness between Lucy's legs. It made her mouth water. She slowly started to kiss down her skin until her lips wrapped around Lucy's already swollen clit. 

“Fuck! My perfect wife.” Lucy groaned, her mouth opening in pleasure.

She entangled her fingers between Ona’s hair, face fucking hair newly wedded wife.

The beach could wait.

—---------

4 years later.

Lucy heard a knock on the door.

“That must be them.” She smiled at her wife.

She made her way to the front door, smiling as she could hear Alexia and Mapi bickering. 

“Merry Christmas!” Mapi shouted as she barged through the front door, her hands full of presents. 

“Merry Christmas, Mapi. You good?” Lucy chuckled as she watched the tattooed girl struggle to walk past her.

“Yeah, I’m good. Where’s my baby?”

Ingrid kissed Lucy on the cheek as she followed her fiance inside. “Merry Christmas, Lucy.”

“Merry Christmas, Ingrid. She's in the front room with Ona.” The brunette smiled.

Alexia hugged Lucy at the door as she rolled her eyes.

“She’s hyper already.” Alexia mumbled.

“It's christmas, you know what she's like.” Lucy chuckled.

Alexia sighed, nodding her head. “Yeah, a child.” 

Ona stood up to greet Mapi but the girl pushed past her, ignoring her friend completely and aiming for the 6 month old baby girl.

Ingrid shook her head as she hugged Ona, Alexia came straight after.

“Drinks?” Lucy asked as she opened the fridge.

“Si, Lucy. Mapi you can't hog her the whole day. You had her all day last week. You always do it!” Alexia groaned as she tried to take the chubby baby from Mapis arms. 

Ingrid watched as Mapi ran from her blonde friend. The bumberling baby laughed as she was jostled about. 

“I know that look.” Ona poked the raven haired girl. 

Ingrid's cheeks blushed pink.

“One day. But she's my baby for now.” Ingrid chuckled.

Alexia finally got hold of the curly headed baby, smiling as she cuddled her, but as soon as she held her she started to cry.

“No! See Mapi! This is what you do!” Alexia tried to bounce the baby to calm her down.

Lucy came next to Ona hugging her tightly. She chuckled at the sight before her.

“I love you, Ona.”

“I love you. Lucy.”

[scoatneyhall]

WILD. Was anyone else aware that the Ted Lasso team has gone in and made post-production edits on season 3 episodes, sometime in the last year?

I've been rewatching the finale in advance of the one year anniversary of it airing, and straight off, I noticed that the points total on the graphic looked different to how I remembered it - a much closer race. It stuck out because I remembered being annoyed that they didn't celebrate the moment Richmond got confirmed for the Champions League, as the gap was big enough for it to have happened a while ago, offscreen. I still have a screencap from when the episode aired:

However, the current copy on Apple has an updated graphic, making the post-production graphic in line with the numbers on the actual physical whiteboard prop and the script mentioning the win streak. See here:

The corrected copy makes Richmond's points match the whiteboard, but it also puts the teams in 3rd to 5th place much closer to them points-total wise, meaning that now, in the current version of the episode, Richmond only qualified for the UCL in "Mom City," making it make more sense that the start of 3.12 is the first time it gets discussed. Would have been nice to mention that stake in the City match commentary during 3.11, but I genuinely am shocked that they went back in and edited the already-published episodes to clean up the post-production errors. For the record, here's the whiteboard as of 3.08: W10, D9, L6.

Just in case anyone cares, the order of those results was - 1 draw against Chelsea, 6 wins with Zava, 1 loss against West Ham, the rest of the draws and losses occurring between 3.05 and the loss against Arsenal in 3.07, and then the 4 wins mentioned at the start of 3.08. By the start of 3.12, it's mentioned they are on a 16 game win streak, so that's 22 wins overall, 9 draws, 6 losses, going into the final weekend, hence the updated graphic.

I like that they went in and fixed it - no idea when in the past 12 months that occured - but I also kind of can't believe they bothered? Then again, I can't believe the mistake was made in the first place, as they were so specific with details in the prior seasons, so maybe they couldn't live with it being wrong.

I know there were rumours about a ton of issues in terms of getting these episodes posted in time - right down to the wire, still fixing the edit on the airdate - and it's clear that these details were not checked and confirmed by the poor people in post who were not working off the show bible that lives in the writers heads. I don't blame them at all, I blame the people who got the edit to them late, but it did annoy me during the season a LOT. The maths wasn't mathing, and as we know this is a show that has been careful with dates and timelines and stuff like that.

Anyway! The point is, a) this post about my UCL qualification fantasies is now moot, and b) I went back and checked another post production error that had REALLY pissed me off, which was the dates of texts in Ted's phone in 3.04. Phone dates have always given us the timeline quite strictly before - it's how @belmottetower and I started the timeline in our primer, with Ted arriving in London on January 6, 2020 and then following the football seasons from there to place the season 3 finale in May 2022 - but in 3.04, all the cute texts we see to all the characters in his phone were badly misdated, placing the timeline further in the future. This caused arguments or misunderstandings, at the time about the actual timeline of the show, but it seems this was another detail the producers really wanted to fix and tighten up, as they've gone back and had it edited.

It's weird, because the texts Ted was actually going back to - the messages from Doctor Jacob - were dated correctly as late 2019, and there's even a little easter egg in the form of a US rideshare notification picking him up to go to the airport in America, on 5 January 2020. (Even the area code, 316, is apparently correct to Kansas.) That's all correct even in the original version of the episode, but somehow we then skip a year and place his most recent texts, as of 3.04, in late October 2022, when they should only be in late September or early October 2021. (I found this post on Reddit that screenshotted his phone at the time.) Examples:

I had to go back and check this, and sure enough, it's been edited to reflect the established timeline - they didn't just redate the year on each message, they also changed a bunch of the chats to be more recent - so rather than dates, his most recent chats with Henry, the Coaches, etc are from "Yesterday," then the first dated texts are in very late September 2021. This matches up pretty perfectly with where they are in a typical Premier League season - they REALLY cleaned it up. Further back, they do just switch the years on the dates, so he still got a picture from Sassy last Valentines Day, and his last one-on-one contact with Jamie is still set before the events of Wembley in 2.08 (FA Cup semi finals are in April, so a few weeks after the March 2021 date on Jamie's chat.)

My brain is itching because I swear there was a screen of Nate and Ted's text chat at some point too? With Ted reaching out about his new job, on a date that deeply did not work with the timeline? But maybe I imagined it. There's no record of Nate's number in his phone at all now, and the texts date back to before Nate left, so I guess in this version of events, Ted deleted Nate's number and message history.

Anyway, I'm aware that basically no one is going to care about this, but I suspect that the three people who will actually care will REALLY FUCKING CARE. Has anyone else noticed it? Does anyone know when it may have happened? Does anyone know what else might have been changed or fixed? I love details and I love the fact that there is no longer conflicting data about what football seasons the show is covering - it's mid 19/20 to the end of 21/22, end of story - but what a fucking mess the production of season 3 must have been, to end up at this point!

[themusingsofacurlyhairednerd]

Datura Pt 16

Summary: The final confrontation with Hybern comes to a head.

Content Warnings: Canon Typical Violence, Character Death (or two, sorry Beron), Suggestiveness ;)

Author's Note: I'm going to be totally honest, I have a terrible time writing endings, they have never been my strong suit, I like to keep things open ended so that they can just go one forever and ever. So, I intend to write a couple more chapters as part of the epilogue, I'm thinking a mating ceremony? Some fluffy goodness to make up for all the angst? Let me know what you guys want to see :) (I've posted a poll here for ideas as well )

Previous Chapter/ Master List

-------------------

Rhys is screaming, roaring, your name.

You should be dead. 

You’re certainly cold, as cold as you had been the first time the Cauldron’s powers had filled you, but this time, this time there is an end to it. This time you can claw your way to the surface and grab some air. This time you do not fight it, do not surrender to it, you grab hold of that icy power and draw it in like a breath. And when your lungs are full, you release that breath with a scream that blows the roof off the Temple.

You’re not dead at all.

Helion lays with his hands over his head at your feet, completely unharmed.

You rub at the spot on your chest where you took the brunt of the blast, the only real discomfort you still feel from the whole ordeal.

Rhys grabs you by the shoulder, shouting your name, terror shooting down the bond. 

“I’m ok,” you assure. “Although, I do kinda have heartburn now.”

Helion raises himself back up as both Azriel and Cassian slam into the ground beside you. 

“Mother’s Tits!” Cassian bellows.

You burp from the pressure in your chest.

“How the fuck?” Azriel says to Rhys.

Your mate is staring at you like he can’t believe any of this is real, and you’re honestly inclined to believe the same. Just a couple months ago you had fully believed you were just some farm girl, and now, here you stand, a full fledged Death Goddess. 

“What was that?” Rhys demands none of them in particular, his face awash with worry.

You roll your shoulders, strangely more confident than before. You can take that, you can take whatever else it’s got. “The Cauldron and I have unfinished business.”

The words are barely out of your mouth before an arrow comes whizzing past your ear. That was why it had been so empty; why cast spells and lay boobytraps when Hybern could simply pull his men back and wait for you all to enter so he could blast you away with the Cauldron?

Both Cassian and Azriel turn to face the Temple, large wings outstretched like shields as they raise their gloved hands. Ruby and cobalt siphons gleam on their hands and a moment later, they channel a blast of energy at them, turning the first wave of Hybern’s archers to ash. 

“I’m going to take a wild guess and say they’re only out to let the Cauldron recharge,” Helion warns.

You rub at your chest again. “I need to get inside.”

“No-” Rhys starts, his hand still gripping your shoulder as he reconsiders the path ahead. His brothers push forward, their fine-tuned energy blasts clearing a path. For the moment, the Cauldron is quiet. It will not stay that way.

“It has to be me,” you say, turning away from the destruction ahead of you to look at him. It’s not fair that either of your lives have turned out like this, that the time you’ve had together has been so full of hardships. If things were different, maybe you would have wandered into the Night Court on your own, bumped into him in the city somewhere and the bond would have clicked. You could have had something simple, gentle, not these dangers and battles and pain between you. 

“Let us be done with this,” there’s really not time for this conversation, but if anything goes wrong, you couldn’t bear any more regret. “So we can go home, together, like we bargained.”

You flex your hand, where the ink no longer resides, before brushing your hand over his cheek. “I love you, Rhys.”

“No good-byes,” he whispers, violet eyes heavy. 

“We’ll have more time,” you promise. “And I am grateful for what we’ve already had.”

“Even if I did make a mess of it?” He teases, though his voice breaks.

You stretch up on your toes and kiss him gently on the lips. “I suppose I can find it in me to forgive you.”

A shiver runs down your spine as you feel the Cauldron powering up again, its voice a siren call in your mind as it beckons you. You pull away from your mate. “Pull them back.”

“Cassian! Azriel!” He barks and the two Illyrians turn ever so slightly to look at him in confusion, their glittering energy shields parting just enough to let a body through. 

You don’t wait for Rhys to give them anymore orders, you sprint through that gap as fast as your legs can carry you. 

“Come. Sweet Death. Come play, Little Goddess.”

It’s Cassian that yells for you to wait. Cassian who would have taken that next hit, those beautiful wings shredded to pieces had you not been standing directly between him and the next blast. The cold consumes you, makes every breath feel like swallowing glass, but still, you keep putting one foot in front of the other.

The next wave of soldiers comes barrelling forward, and you take all that borrowed energy clustered in your chest and hurl it at them. There’s no way to track how many bodies you turn to mist, a splatter of blood across your face their only remains. The blast takes another part of the Temple off, giving you a path right to where the Cauldron still remains mounted atop the altar. Its three legs have been fused to the ancient stone, Hybern shielded behind it, his men in a semi-circle around the sides.

“Playing hero now, daughter?” He snarls.

“Come to me.”

You open your arms wide as you stalk towards him, a green mist from the Cauldron pouring out over the edges. Even as he swirls a hand through the fog, when It speaks, he offers no reaction, even under his control, the words are meant for you alone. In the end, fate has drawn the two of you together. 

“Give me your best shot!” You challenge.

“Closer. Come closer. Let me hold you.”

The next blast is stronger, pushing you backwards as debris from the now crumbling Temple rains down on your head. Outside, the clash of swords and cries of fighting men ring out. So Hybern is not foolish enough to keep all his men in one place, though that is a battle for the High Lords. You turn your attention away from the noise, swallowing the icy fire that bubbles in your chest from the influx of power, and hurl it back at the altar so hard the ancient stones crack. 

For the first time, Hybern falters, stepping back from the Cauldron with a hand over his face to shield himself from the blast. His men had not been so fortunate.

“You cannot withstand this forever,” Hybern warns.

“And these blasts are not without cost, I’d imagine,” you return. “How long can you hide behind your Cauldron?”

He swirls a hand over the fog, offering a soft chant that makes the Cauldron bubble and groan. The floor trembles as the Cauldron shakes and spits out another attack, this time going wide and brushing the side of your face as it blows the roof off the place. 

Your face is not as sturdy as your chest and the assault makes your ears ring, your right eye blurry. Overhead, Cassian’s Illyrian legion swoops and circles, the strange gems atop their hands pulsing like a dozen flashing lights. 

You shake your head to clear your vision as you turn back to your father. “Afraid to face me without your precious weapon?”

He growls, teeth flashing as he grips the lip of the Cauldron with both hands.

“Come play. Come free me.”

His hands twitch from holding the ancient metal, yet he won’t let it go. “You forget how powerless against me you were before, Daughter.”

You get a step closer, the stones shaking beneath your boots. The more blasts you take, the more stiff your body feels, there is only so much abuse you can take. “Before you released me of whatever limits my powers had, you mean?” You sneer. “I’d say we’re evenly matched now.”

“You’re out of your element!” He shouts.

The Cauldron pulses like a heartbeat, the metal screaming now and you have enough time to reach out a hand and catch it in your palm, even as your arms scream in protest. It is a concentrated effort to push that power back out of your palm, even more so to aim it back at his head. 

There isn’t time for him to shield, forcing him to take a step back away from the Cauldron, finally removing his hands from the lip. You waste no time in rushing forward and getting your own hand around the ancient metal. Instantly, it freezes you in place, the icy depths of whatever magic swirls within latches on like a thousand tiny hooks, fusing itself to you. It takes of you as you take of it, the exchange even and ceaseless.

You poke at the bridge between your mind and Rhys. “NOW!”

A blast of your father’s power slams into the back of your hand as he screams, trying to tear you away, but even though your skin breaks, blood spraying, you couldn’t let go if you wanted to. This is exactly where the Cauldron wants you and it’s exactly where you will stay until it’s done. 

“Yes! Finally! Play with me,” it purrs as Rhys and Helion burst into the room. Light and dark swirl around them like whirlwinds, blowing the walls away until the only thing left standing in the entirety of the Temple is the altar.

“Show me what you want,” you tell it as you try drawing it’s icy power into yourself. There is no end to it; no beginning either. It is you and you are it and the more you take into yourself, the more of you it steals. The mist it emanates slithers around your wrists and up your arms as your own darkness dips within it’s center and disappears. 

“We are made to destroy,” it sings. 

A scream tears out of you as it pushes more of itself into you, the wave of energy that escapes out your mouth shooting up into the sky, nearly taking out some of the Illyrians still swooping overhead. 

A shadow of Rhys’s power slithers into your mind, wrapping around you in a warm embrace. “You can do this. Fight it!”

“Show me what you want,” you insist as Hybern turns his attention away from you to face the High Lords running towards him. They are both powerful swordsmen, but the movements are stiff from years of disuse, their steps faltering as he pushes them back away from you with his own sword.

“He seeks to destroy,” the Cauldron purrs as if the thought makes it happy.

“Not him,” you say through your now chattering teeth. “You. What do you want?”

Rhys roars in pain behind you as Hybern clips his shoulder and Helion rushes to his aid, large broadsword angling for your father’s throat. Hybern catches Helion at the wrist and twists, snapping the Lord’s shoulder in one swift motion.

The Cauldron hums as if thinking. “Destruction is our way…”

“No,” you snarl. “You were once the instrument of life in Prythian! Destruction is not your only way, it is not my only way. If I can do more than kill, if I am more than a monster…” A monster would not have beaten Amarantha, would not have saved your mate, would not have fallen in love. Monsters do not feel, do not love. You brush a mental hand over the bond and draw another steadying breath, even as the cold seeps into your bones; makes your whole body shake. “We do not have to be weapons.”

From the treeline surrounding the ruins of the Temple, more and more of Hybern’s soldiers make it past the aerial units filtering above, clashing with the combined powers of the High Lords. Beron keeps them temporarily at bay with a wall of fire, but you can see the flames wavering, his weathered face pale and slick with sweat. Kallias and Tarquin remain back to back, using their powers to hurl projectiles over the wall of flame, holding steady, even as the sound of the labored breathing floats your way on the wind. They are holding, but it will not last forever. You need to even the playing field. 

“Please. Help me stop him,” you beg. “I will give you whatever you want.”

“I like this new game,” the Cauldron purrs.

The flow of power between you and it has not faltered, you keep pulling more and more of it in as it continues to take it back. Your knees give out beneath you, hands still fused to the lip as a cold sweat beads off your forehead. 

“Please,” you rasp. “Tell me what you want!”

Beron goes down with an arrow in the chest, his limp body collapsing into the earth so hard you feel the tremble of the impact. The Cauldron chuckles beneath your palms, still delighting in the destruction. 

“Helion!” Rhys roars as Hybern drives his sword across the Lord of Day’s stomach, his own blade swinging at Hybern’s neck.

You give the Cauldron a shake, “Come on! This can’t be what you want!” 

Rhys takes an elbow to the nose, blood spattering as Hybern outmaneuvers him, and barely manages to throw himself out of the way of the following strike, the blade leaving a gash in his fighting leathers. From overhead, Cassian spies the fight and angles himself away from his troops to come help, but it feels as if he’s moving in slow motion. Somehow, whether it’s the Cauldron’s power or the bond, you know something is about to be very, very wrong.

You grit your teeth, claws digging into the metal of the Cauldron and pull, skin peeling away as you get a hand off the lip to blast as much power as you can in Hybern’s direction. If the Cauldron will not help you, you will do this yourself. Nothing is going to take your mate from you ever again.

Cassian banks hard to avoid the blast, his cursing just audible over Hybern’s screaming. You’d known, just by the feel of it within your chest that this kind of power would be lethal, but watching as it burns through flesh and muscle, leaving nothing but exposed, stark white bone is enough to make your stomach rise into your throat. 

Hybern’s sword turns to ash in his skeletal hand, still raised above Rhys’s head in what would have been a killing blow. It’s nothing but bone all the way down to his shoulder, chunks of his armor blasted away, bits of blistered skin visible from where the blast had gone a little wide. A little to the left and you would have taken him and Rhys out. 

Your father gapes at you, more nightmare now than male.

“This is more fun than a bargain,” the Cauldron purrs. Perhaps it has been corrupted beyond repair, perhaps it can only be good when wielded by the right creature. Perhaps only the Mother had managed to tame the magic within and had left it an empty shell of what could have been.

You stop trying to take anything from it, and when you do, it lets your other hand free without injury. You slump against the altar as Rhys drives his sword through Hybern’s throat. Blood gurgles from his lips, eyes vacant and staring at the Cauldron as if in one final plea for help, before he falls face down in the grass.

The chaos that ensues in the next couple minutes feels like a fever dream as the Night Court’s forces drive the rest of Hybern’s away. Tarquin rushes to Helion, hands glowing in a strange light as the Spell-Cleaver instructs him on how to use his water magic to heal the gaping wound in his stomach. There is no saving Beron, Thesan confirms from where the dead man lies. 

Rhys rushes to your side, where you remain slumped against the Cauldron, eyes blurry as the world spins around you. He cups your face, gently tapping at your cheeks. “Hey, hey, stay with me! You’re ok. You did it!”

You lean your face into his touch, “Don’t suppose you know how to get rid of this thing, huh?”

The Cauldron hisses in response. 

He laughs, half-delirious with relief as he kisses your nose, your cheeks, your forehead. “We won! It’s over.”

It’s over.

You touch your forehead to his, body heavy, but laughing now yourself. “We did it!”

Azriel and Cassian come running as soon as it’s clear to do so, wings tucked tight behind them. “Everybody ok?”

Rhys kisses you, his lips still bloody, but you don’t have it in you to care as you return it. It is finally over; you are more than ok.

------

You watch the sunset across a glittering horizon, the warm rays bouncing off the rolling waves lapping at your ankles. The sand is warm beneath your feet, a supernatural ward keeping the water cool instead of frozen like it should be this time of year. 

Footsteps sound behind you, the only warning you get before strong arms wrap around your waist. Your mate’s breath warm against your skin as he kisses your neck. “Enjoying the view?”

Any sight with sunlight is a luxury, you savor every wisp of wind, every ray of sunshine against your still pale skin. It will be awhile before either of you get any color back.

“More so now that you’re here,” you say with a grin as he places another kiss on your cheek. 

He’d wanted to go straight back to the Night Court, but the matter of the Cauldron still remained. Eventually the High Lords, and the newly crowned Eris, had decided it needed to be returned to its resting place with the nephilim Miriam and her husband Drakon, who had suffered heavy losses when Hybern had marched through and stolen it. Under Helion’s instructions, the Cauldron’s legs had once again been cleaved and separated, and in doing so, the ancient artifact had finally, blissfully, gone silent. Rhys, long standing friends with Miriam and Drakon, had offered to take this piece back before returning home. It seemed only fitting that you followed to ensure no one else attempted to wield it.

“This doesn’t feel real,” you say after a moment of silence, only the crashing of the waves between the two of you.

Rhys settles against your back, body sturdy and warm. His pulse against you should be enough to convince you that this isn’t a dream, but you’re still waiting for something else to jump out from behind the rocks dotting the landscape and surprise you. Any minute now the dream will crumble and once again, stone walls will cover every inch of your surroundings.

“We’re out,” Rhys promises.

You wait, expecting to hear heels clicking against stone or a buzzing of a collar against your throat. It’s a miracle you can stand in the water at all without feeling your throat close up. 

You lace your fingers with his, holding them tight where he rests them against your stomach. “We’re out,” you whisper.

Cassian and Azriel had come along, their boots heavy against the fine sand as they approach. 

“We leaving or what?” Cassian asks.

Azriel punches him hard in the shoulder. “I thought I told you to give them a minute!”

“They’ve had plenty of minutes, any longer they’re gonna start making out, and I, for one, would like to be somewhere far away before that happens.” Cassian returns.

“It’s like dealing with toddlers,” Rhys whispers in your ear.

You release his hand so you can turn in his arms, palms flat against his chest. Most of the damage inflicted during the fight is healed, though there is still some bruising around his eyes from his broken nose. It’s unfair that he’s still the most beautiful male you’ve ever seen, even with the bruising. 

“You know you’ve missed their antics.”

He grins, violet eyes glittering like a thousand stars and you promise yourself you’ll do anything to keep that look on his face. There has been enough pain and grief to last the rest of your lives.

“That I have,” he admits.

“Then we should probably get the little Illyrian baby back before he gets hungry,” you retort.

“Hey!” Cassian scoffs.

Rhys hums his approval as he places a gentle kiss on your lips. “I do have some bargains to fulfill, after all.”

You glance down at your bandage covered hands as if you can see the lack of ink there, the destroyed bond still tender, even now. 

He draws his hand up to give yours a squeeze, before bringing it to his lips. “Broken or not, I intend to keep it.”

“We could make some new ones I’m sure,” you muse.

“Can we please leave?” Cassian whines. 

Rhys ignores him, eyes glinting in challenge. “Like what?”

“I don’t know, I seem to recall a few suggestions you had…”

His lips are on yours again, hungry and wanting and the tether between you burns hot. “I’ll make as many bargains as you’d like, Darling.”

“Home first,” you force yourself to pull away and say, because if you keep letting him kiss you like that, neither of you will be leaving the beach. 

He grins, shoulders rolling back, and from behind him a set of massive, bat-like wings appear. You gape, even as your head spins with the recollection that you had once thought there was something missing between the gaps of the tattoos on his back. The leathery membrane stretches out behind him like one would stretch their arms, fluttering slightly in the evening breeze. 

You reach out a hand to give them a inquisitory touch and he swings them out of reach. “Not here,” he purrs in your ear.

Before you can ask why, he sweeps you up into his arms and launches into the sky. You toss your arms around his neck and squeeze your eyes shut as your stomach lurches into your throat.

“It’s more enjoyable if your eyes are open, Darling,” he laughs, wings beating hard to catch the right draft that will take you to the Night Court.

“I like to keep my stomach where it belongs, but thanks,” you mutter, burying your face in his neck to hide from the wind. 

“Don’t tell me you’re afraid of heights?” He teases.

“Heights? No. Falling? Yes,” you return.

“You know I’d never drop you,” he says in all seriousness.

You let out a huff of annoyance, because damn him, his right and you know it. After everything, there is still no safer place to be than in your mate’s arms. You open one eye, then the other, and take a shaky breath before finally turning your head to the side to see the vast expanse of open sky around you. 

The sun has slowly set, the sky awash in purples and blues as the first bit of stars appear in the sky. Rhys tilts and dips around the fluffiest clouds you’ve ever seen in your life, but you can’t help yourself from removing your arm from around his shoulders to try and touch one. They’re a lot more wet than you anticipated them being. 

“I never thought I’d see this again,” Rhys whispers.

You kiss his cheek, flooding the bond with as much warmth as you can. It’ll be easier, once you’ve fully accepted it, and you plan to, once things are a little more settled. It would be a lot for him to return home to, you want to give him some time to just be home before tackling a new heightened sense of emotions and all that comes with being mated, but you already have a few ideas on how you want to go about it. For now, you’ll keep this thing between you simple and not overwhelming. 

“Thank you, for getting us out,” he says.

“I didn’t do that much,” you reply. “We did it together.”

“It was all you,” he returns. “I think that collar messed up your memories a little.”

“My memories are fine,” you retort with an eye roll, even though he can’t see it. “We did it together, as we planned to. As we’ll do with whatever comes next.”

He grins as he follows a draft downwards, three mountain peaks coming into view. Somehow, you can feel in your chest when you cross the border, as if you very bones know that this is where you’re meant to be. He glides lower, letting you view the snow flecked landscape beneath you, grinning as he takes in the way you devour his court with your eyes. “Welcome to the Night Court.”

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[13as07]

Elegant #1

(Shino Aburame)

[Artwork is not mine! Credit to JUHiHUJi]

Requested by: Anonymous

Word Count: 3,502

Warnings and/or Pre-Notes:

It's a western theme wedding style cause I was lazy and didn't want to do research

Alcohol Use

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     I let out another strained breath, glancing over my wedding dress in the body mirror again. What if Shino doesn't like the style? What if he's getting cold feet? What if he leaves me alone at the altar? What if -

     "Wow," a voice says softly, drawing out the word. "You're so... beautiful." My sights jump up, glancing in the mirror to figure out who's behind me. Naruto's frame fills the mirror as he walks closer, settling behind me as his eyes jump over my dress. He's smiling ear to ear, with stars hanging in his eyes as he looks at me. "You're the second prettiest bride I've ever seen."

     "Second?" I ask, smiling back at him.

     "Ya, sorry but you can't beat out how pretty Hinata was at our wedding. She'll always hold that first place price."

     I laugh at the love-struck newlywed. Hinata and Naruto got married two months ago, and I swear he still looks at her the way he did at their ceremony.

     "Now, I know Sakura will drag me out by my ear if she catches me in here, the whole bad energy from seeing you - "

     "That's only for the groom, Naruto. Groom's men aren't included in that," I correct, shifting around so we can face each other. My squadmate looks pretty nice when he gets dressed up, even if his hair is still messy and pointed every which way.

     Naruto's cheeks dusty a slight pink as he rubs the back of his head. "Oh, right. Anyway, I remember the whole 'new, old, borrowed, blue' thing from my wedding. I don't know if you're doing that like Hinata did but I did bring you something blue just in case."

     "I wasn't planning on it but I appreciate the thought, Naruto," I tell him, leaning forward to wrap my arms around him.

He wraps his arms around me too, being careful not to mess up my perfectly constructed look for my special day. "Anyway, you want to see my gift?"

"Yes, I do."

"Just so you know, this is fully from me. I did it - well Hinata stitched it - but it was fully my idea, all of it," Naruto rambles, digging through his pockets in search of my gift.

He tugs out a square cloth, the main color being a rich blue with the edges being his signature obnoxious orange color. Naruto holds it in front of me, letting the cloth tumble undone to its full size. It's no bigger than a napkin. In careful stitches is the quote 'Trust is knowing that when a squad mate pushes you, they're doing it because they care'.

"Naruto," I mumble, reaching forward to hold the ends of the cloth.

"Pretty nifty, huh? Hinata had a section of Neji's robe turned into a handkerchief, so I asked her to do the same with my old jacket. I figured you could pin it under your dress. If not that's cool too. Oh! And don't worry, Hinata cleaned the material like a bazillion times."

     "Naruto," I call again, tears in my eyes as I lunge forward, wrapping my arms around his neck again. "You dumb gushy fox," I say with a smile and tears of appreciation.

     "Do you not like it? Oh! Please don't cry, you're going to ruin your makeup," he rushes out, carefully slipping at the water that threatens to ruin the makeup I spent an hour on.

"I love it, Naruto," I tell him, smiling at him to send the point home. "You big goof. Would you pin it to my dress?" I ask, shifting my skirt around to figure out where I want it pinned.

"Of course! Let me go find a pin."

————————————

"Just some final touches," Sakura mumbles, running the makeup brush over my cheeks again. "Oh, and a few puffs of perfume," she says, jumping to her feet and rummaging around the table covered in different products.

     "I can't wear perfume, you know that. It messes with Shino's kikaichus."

     "So, you know how Shino has been queasy off and on the last couple of months?" She mumbles, now digging through her bag.

     "Sakura," I utter, my tone warning because of the way our conversation is heading.

     "Well, it's because Hinata and I have been testing different perfumes," She finishes, standing up with a small box in her hands.

     "Sakura!"

     "Oh calm down, it was only a handful of times and only a squirt or two every time. No Shinos and no kikaichus were harmed. Besides, it’s your wedding day. You should be wearing a new perfume to celebrate. It just so happens to be the only perfume that doesn't annoy or make your husband's parasites sick. Now come here and let me spray you down."

     I roll my eyes at her but do get up from my spot. I twirl in a slow circle, letting Sakura coat me in the flower-scented perfume. "See? So much better, plus you can wear perfume more often since it doesn't mess with Shino."

     "I guess so," I mutter, shaking my head at her. I swear Sakura never uses her brain outside of missions.

     "Alright, I'll leave your fancy new scent here on the table," She says, making a show of putting it back in the box and leaving the box on the table. "We need to get going for your first look and such." Shino isn't much of an emotional man and is rarely emotional around other people, so we decided a private first look would be best.

     She leads the way, my veil in her hold, held above her head so it doesn't drag on the ground as we head outside. "Wait here," she mutters after the short walk, stopping long enough to situate the clips of my veil into my hair.

Sakura slips away, leaving me to admire the cherry blossoms as she goes looking for my husband. I do just that, walking along the small path and toying with the heavy branches being weighed down by the weight of their blooms.

Enjoying the scenery helps with some of the anxiety surrounding today. I'm more than thrilled to spend the rest of my life with Shino, but it's still nerve-racking to think about all the things that could go wrong today, let alone the future.

"You don't always have to be such a lug!" Sakura's voice rings out after a few minutes, tugging my focus in the direction we came from earlier.

My best friend is dragging my very soon-to-be husband down the short path, a blindfold wrapped around his eyes to ensure he's not cheating. Shino looks nice, dressed fancy for once and his hair slicked back instead of loose and bushy like usual. "I do not see the point in doing this. I will see her when she walks down the aisle," he grumbles, slowly trudging after Sakura as she pulls him my way.

"I don't want you loosening your macho-ness because you burst into tears in front of everyone," I tease, causing his head to snap in the direction of my voice.

A group of his kikaichus slips out, eagerly flapping their way toward me. Some stay buzzing around me, with a few others clinging to different parts of my clothing. This has been a common thing during our relationship, Shino's bugs ditching him to investigate me or chew at a bit of my chakra. I freaked out the first time it happened but he insists they mean no harm and it helps him feel close to me. Since then, it's come to be something that calms me down, which I need with how loud my heartbeat seems to be.

"I would not and will not cry," he mumbles, stopping in the spot Sakura leaves him in.

"Lug," she murmurs before turning toward me. "I'm going to go make sure everything is settled. Once you two are done, send Shino in and come wait in the corridor, alright?"

"Alright, I'll see you in a few minutes."

With that, Sakura turns on her heels to head towards the waiting guests, leaving the two of us alone for the first time today. "You don't think you're going to cry when you see me?" I ask, reaching forward to toy with his sunglasses that Sakura slithered the blindfold under.

"No, I do not," he whispers, his hands sliding up to wrap around my arms, causing more of his kikaichus to spill out, coating both of our arms now.

I slowly slide my touch backward, taking my time to rest his glasses on his head before I tug at the knot keeping the cloth in place around his eyes. Once the cloth is loose, I take a step back, letting the material dangle from my fingertips.

Shino's eyes are squinted because of the setting sun. I knew they would be, but I want to see his whole reaction especially since this is something that won't happen again. His sight crawls around my body, falling down my dress like a waterfall before climbing back up my frame like a mountain. "Perhaps," he starts, voice cracking as he repeatedly blinks. "Perhaps, I was wrong."

     Once the words are out, he breaks, tears rolling down his cheeks, chasing away the kikaichus that have been clinging to his face. Shino moves forward, enveloping me in his arms so he can hold me. "You look elegant, my Ladybug," he whispers into my hair, his little friends following their leader and knotting themselves in my locks.

     When Shino pulls back, his focus shifts from me to helping his beetles untangle their legs, being careful not to mess up my hair and not to hurt his bugs. He spends the whole time trying to blink away the fresh tears forming in his eyes; he fails, forming water lines down his cheeks.

     "Oh, Shino," I coo when he pulls the rest of the way apart from me. I cup his face, using my thumbs to brush away his tears. "You look very elegant too."

"Not as elegant as you, my dear," he mutters, leaning down to brush a kiss against my lips.

————————————

I shift my dress again, making sure it's laid perfectly as I wait for Kakashi to join me. There's about ten minutes until I'm expected to walk down the aisle with my Sensei giving me away to my husband, to my Shino. My nerves have evened out since our time together under the cherry blossoms, leaving me filled with nothing but joy.

"There's my gorgeous daughter-in-law," Shibi's soft voice calls from behind me.

I turn a bit, making sure not to mess up my carefully laid-out dress and my thin veil settled on top of it. I decided on a royal-length veil, more so because that's what Shino wanted than me, but it is his wedding as well. If he wants me to wear a long veil that trails behind me, I don't mind.

"You look lovely," Shibi compliments again, making his way forward. He stops in front of me, careful hands cupping my cheeks. He tilts my head down, brushing a gentle kiss to my hairline. "You are beautiful. The most beautiful bride my son could ask for."

"Thank you," I mutter, tilting my head back up so I can look at my father-in-law. A soft smile is on his face as he looks down at me. This is one of the few times I've seen Shibi truly content, which only solidifies my decision to marry his son. Shibi is the smartest man I know, and if he agrees with my decision it must be the right one.

"I have a gift for you, a temporary one," he mutters, pulling away from me. "Since Shino and you decided to have a night wedding, I figured a little extra glow would be nice," Shibi tells me, throwing up a few hand signals.

Soft flapping fills the space, a small squirm of bugs following the command they were given. "What are you doing?" I ask, tilting my head backward, watching the bugs settle in a neat line along the hem of my veil.

"Watch," he orders, shifting his hand placement to send out another command.

The bugs shift their wings, a soft glow coming from them, decorating my veil with the soft yellow coloring. "Shibi!" I call in joy, lunging forward to catch him in a hug. "It's beautiful! Thank you."

"You're welcome," he utters, unclinging my arms from around him. Shibi isn't much of a touchy person, a trait his son inherited too. "After the ceremony, I'll need them back, of course."

"Of course," I echo, sending him another smile.

     He nods his head, letting his hands fall back down to his sides. "I should get seated before the ceremony begins. I look forward to seeing you walk down the aisle," Shibi mutters, nodding his head once more before he slips around the corner, heading into the crowd that's eagerly waiting for me to enter.

     I adjust my dress again, carefully toying with my veil so I don't hurt or knock off any of the lightening bugs clinging to it. I have a few moments of silence, giving my anxiety the chance to crawl into my rib cage again. After today, Shino and me will be bound together forever, until the end of our time.

     "There you are," my Sensei calls, pulling me out of my head. "I didn't know you were done getting ready yet." He mutters, adjusting the pin-comb that's holding my veil in place. "You look like an angel."

     "You don't look too bad yourself," I tease, glancing over Kakashi's put-together look. It's weird seeing my Sensei out of his usual outfit.

     He rolls his eyes, letting out a disapproving hum. Despite the small banter, Kakashi still leans forward, resting the side of his head against mine with his arms loosely wrapped around me. "The lightning bugs are a nice touch," he whispers, squeezing me before he tugs himself away.

"They're a temporary gift from Shibi."

"Well, I have a permanent gift for you. Just don't tell the others, they might get jealous."

"Ya?" I ask, watching Sensei dig through his pockets, the familiar sound of our training bells filling the air when he tugs them out of his pocket.

Kakashi hums again, giving me a rare masked and closed-eyed smile. "Naruto gave you his gift already, yes?" He asks, clinking the bells so they'll ring again.

"Yes, he did," I answer, lifting a layer of my dress to show off the handkerchief Naruto pinned to my dress.

He nods again, bending down so he can kneel on the ground. Kakashi works carefully, unlike my clumsy squad mate. Sensei moves slowly, unpinning the handkerchief and laying it on his knee so he can wrap his bells around the pin before pinning both items under my dress again. "There, now you'll have all three of us attached to you during the night."

"When did you get all gushy?" I tease, shaking my leg a bit. You can't hear the bells around the fabric but I can feel their imprint against me.

"When Naruto got married, and again now. I'm sure it'll happen again when Sakura and Sasuke get married too," Kakashi answers, straightening up before taking his spot next to me. "Are you ready to do this?" He asks, prompting his arm out toward me.

     "As ready as ever," I answer, clinging to the bend of his elbow.

     "That's my girl," he mutters, poking his head around the corner to send Sakura the signal that we're ready.

————————————

Shino's hands cling to me for dear life, his social anxiety at an all-time high as he spins us in slow, small circles. His left-hand grips mine, his ring digging into my fingers, threatening to leave an imprint. His right-hand rests on my waist, clinging to the material of my dress. "I despise dancing," he mutters, focus flickering around the millions of eyes watching us have our first dance.

"I know."

"Everyone is watching us."

"I know."

"You are my wife now."

"You are my husband now," I echo, shifting forward, I loop my arms around his neck, laying his head on my shoulder. Shino gratefully takes the change, his arms tight around my waist and his nose buried into my neck.

We sway, still moving in slow circles around the dance floor. "I will not be dancing again tonight," he whispers into my neck, the feeling of his kikaichus exploring the new position, little legs tugging at the material of my dress.

"I know, I appreciate you doing this though."

"Of course, Ladybug."

Shino reluctantly pulls away from me as the song comes to an end, fresh tears raining on his face. "What's wrong?" I ask, hands jumping up to wipe away his tears before anyone else notices.

"Nothing, my dear," he answers, fingers wrapping around mine to pull them away from his face. "You... are perfect," he mutters, glancing around before quickly pressing a kiss to my fingertips. "Can we go sit now?"

"Yes we can," I murmur, smiling from ear to ear as my husband tugs me off the dance floor.

Cheers from the guests fill the room, a few of them jumping up from their spots to take up the dance floor as the next song starts. Kiba and Naruto are beaming from the head table, as are my bridesmaids; Sakura and Hinata. "Our baby is all grown up!" Kiba cheers, Hinata giggling and nodding in agreement.

"Be quiet," Shino mumbles, helping me into my chair before he sits down alongside me. Once we're situated, his hand messes with my dress, ruffling my layers in search of a small amount of skin on skin. "What's that?" He asks as his fingertips slide over the pinned presents from my squad mates, head tilting down to glance at the items.

"Bells from my Sensei and a handkerchief from Naruto," I answer, helping him move my dress out of the way.

He hums softly, fingertips digging into my knee as he clings to it. His thumb slides over my knee on repeat, a kikaichu or two crawling over his fingers, occasionally dipping down and crossing my knee. "You are perfect," he repeats, sending me a rare smile before turning to hell at Kiba again.

I smile to myself, soaking in the repeated compliment. "Well, Mrs. Aburame," Sakura teases, a huge smile on her face as well. "What does it feel like being officially married now?"

"Wonderful."

————————————

Sakura and I belt out jumbled lyrics of the song playing, the liquor in our system commanding our dancing with both of our wet blankets of partners watching. Sasuke and Shino are sat near each other, both men's full attention on us as we dance. "What do you think they're thinking right now?" She asks, her arms dangling over my shoulders as we move in beat with each other.

"Well, knowing Sasuke he's probably talking himself out of killing me and Shino might have one or two more songs in him before he gets clingy again."

Sakura lets out a loud cackle, the alcohol chipping away the bubbly cute persona she tries to maintain. Her laughter only increased when Shino starts heading our way. "You're wrong about Sasuke but it seems you were right about Shino."

"Right about what?" My husband asks, impatience in his voice as he stands next to us, both of us still swaying to the music.

     "About you wanting my attention," I answer, pulling away from my friend to wrap Shino up in my arms.

     "That is not what I want," he mutters, staying still as I squeeze him in my hold. "I wish for us to go home. I would like some alone time with my wife," Shino airs out the last word like he can't comprehend being able to use it.

     "What kind of alone time?" I ask, sliding my hands up to toy with the ends of his hair, fluttering my eyelashes at him.

     "Just... alone time," he whispers, a hint of pink dust on his cheeks. "Should I have it announced that the ceremony is over?"

     "Have them announce the party is over in thirty minutes," I mutter back, letting my arms fall to his shoulders, leaning myself against my husband. I tip my head up, lips brushing against his ear as I speak. "If you can't wait thirty minutes I'd be more than happy to give you a little... support." I let a hum out, flickering my eyes down.

     Shino's face is full red now, mouth gapping a bit. "That is not... we cannot... Ladybug," he stutters, as flustered with my straightforwardness as ever. "I am... that is something I have been excited about today, but that... that is an at-home activity."

     "I know, I'm just teasing."

     He lets out a sigh of relief, gently pulling me off of him. "Your mind is lacking the elegance the rest of you possess."

     "I know."

———————————————————————

[genericpuff]

Scamlords is at it again.

A few nights ago, there was a sudden blow-up in the /r/webtoons server showing a new announcement from Snailords -

For anyone unaware, Death : Rescheduled has been on mid-season hiatus since October. And it's now, and only now, that Snailords has suddenly decided the comic is ending after it returns, but readers can get an extra 20 episodes... if they fork over $1k in merch sales.

Now, this could be a lot worse. They could be threatening not to return to the series at all unless their readers hand over money. But considering it's practically just one degree away from that, it's still pretty nasty. Not to mention, the further they divulged in their reasoning around this "idea", the more confusing it got.

They also even revived their @snailordsrant account on IG which, for those of you who were there and can recall, was the same account they used to put one of their own fans on blast over some very mild criticism.

None of this makes any actual sense, for several reasons:

1.) I literally fail to see how getting $1k in less than 24 hours is worth shoving in an extra mini arc of 10 episodes if you don't even have it planned out. Why do that to your audience or to yourself? Why drag things out just to scrounge up an emergency $1k? Why not just be honest with your audience and run a GoFundMe or just say , "Hey everyone, I've run into some financial troubles, I would really appreciate it if you could FastPass my newest episodes or donate to my Patreon or buy some merch so I can cover the costs". It's really telling that this shithead doesn't have enough confidence in themselves or their audience that practically worships them that they have to resort to this kind of underhanded shit to get the money they need. I wanna make it clear that this is NOT like a Kickstarter stretch goal or anything that incentivizes readers to support their work, they're instead holding the length and future of their series over their audiences' head (which they've done before) for money. That's not an incentive, it's an ultimatum.

2.) Maybe I'm misreading / being stupid (someone pls explain if I'm missing something here) but I literally don't see how their comment about working 50 hours a week explains why they're suddenly getting their fans to pay out $1k worth of merch in less than 24 hours. For anyone who doesn't know, $1k per episode is an example Webtoons uses in its post discussing how they pay out creators (this came after the platform got called out 2 years ago for paying creators too little, there are undoubtedly creators getting paid less). And yet for some reason $1k is apparently the difference between 10 episodes and 20? How does that add up? And is the bit about them wanting to buy boba supposed to be a joke? Where's the punchline here?

3.) They say they have writer's block and they want to use the money to "motivate them", but then just a few slides later they say 10-15 episodes is what would make them the "happiest" so which is it? Do they want to write 10 episodes or do they want people to pay them to write 20 episodes so they can draw the fluff scenes that they apparently want to draw? If you have an ending planned out, why rush it or drag it out depending on how this "fundraiser" goes? Why not just write the ending you want to write that will serve your story best? Why shove in an extra mini arc that you don't even have full confidence in writing and then try to compare it to a "super expensive cake"? What are you doing? Speaking as someone who's had trouble getting motivated in the past, suddenly getting a month's rent worth of money to do it doesn't necessarily solve that, it just turns up the pressure, and if you're not someone who deals with pressure well, then you're more likely to wind up just burning out entirely rather than fulfilling that goal.

4.) The fact that they did, in fact, hit their goal just makes it all the shittier to think about because their audience is mostly made up of teenagers who worship the ground that they walk on. It's horrifying that they keep pulling these stunts with their audience, and getting away with it to boot - and Webtoons, as a company, keeps enabling it by allowing it to happen by hosting and promoting people like this.

Anyways, there's already a lot going on here that's sketchy, but then... they went and deleted their posts. At the time of this happening (as I was there to witness it all play out in real time) I assumed this meant that they had hit their $1k goal - especially as they had been showing their progress on their IG and they were already at $900 after just a couple hours - but it gave me a sinking feeling seeing them delete it because they had also been called out by some brave readers telling them that it wasn't exactly a good look to essentially blackmail their audience through their own content into giving them money.

Snailords deleting it gave me a stronger impression of "burying the evidence", especially now that they had the money. By all accounts, they could do whatever they wanted now.

So what did they decide to do?

. . . Huh?

Okay, take a second to actually think about what Snailords has done here. Because I know some of you will go "oh, it was for charity all along! that was nice of them!" but . . . I don't know about the legalities of collecting donation funds under false pretenses, but morally speaking, it's a really shitty thing to do. They stripped away the choices - limiting them to three - of what their readers could donate to, and what I think their readers don't understand - due to being mostly teenagers - is that they're tax-exempt individuals and they just unknowingly gave Snailords an easy $1k tax write-off. You really, really shouldn't collect donation funds like this without being honest, it's just a shitty thing to do, especially after you've already collected the money. It mostly just comes across as damage control on Snailords' part to make it seem like they were always planning to donate to charity, when in reality, if they wanted to donate to charity, they would have been honest about that at the start. Again, even if they wanted to do that from the start, it goes to show how little confidence they have in themselves or their audience that they have to stoop to methods like these instead of just doing it honestly.

And do you really think Snailords will actually do those extra episodes? Or donate that money? This is the same asshole who has manipulated their readers for money not once but twice, and now seems intent on doing it a third time just for the charm. This is the same person who practically sabotaged their own comic, Freaking Romance, because they apparently didn't like the romance genre and may as well have only done it for clout / views / etc.

What was especially odd - and I found this out from folks who actually read Death : Rescheduled (I do not) - was finding out that it wouldn't make sense for D : R to end in as many as 25 episodes, because apparently, the plot has basically just gotten going.

So it does seem like this is foreshadowing that D : R will wind up just like Freaking Romance, rushed into an ending that wasn't expected. And this, of course, has the people who read their work confused because D : R was supposed to be Snailords' passion project, their magnum opus, the project they wanted to do. So them holding the timing of an ending that shouldn't even be happening yet for ransom contradicts that original intention. Really, it just goes to show that Snailords has no passion, they're just in it purely for the money, to a degree that I can't even cheer them on for being a hustler because it's missing the honesty and integrity.

And of course, every single time Snailords finds a way to backpedal and take his audience for a ride, they hop right in without a single thought for themselves.

And no, none of this is to hate on the readers directly, I hold Snailords entirely responsible for this - they have an audience of impressionable, naive, gullible teenagers, and they know it, and take advantage of it every chance they get. It's why they weren't just honest about wanting to collect money for charity from the start. It's why they resorted to basically holding their own comic's progression for ransom during its midseason hiatus. It's why the deadline was 24 hours and why the posts are now gone.

Thankfully the Internet does what it does - any evidence that Snailords was trying to bury is now all over reddit, and hey, just for good measure, here's a post on Tumblr that's been sitting in my drafts for days now, days after people have already seemingly stopped talking about it. Don't let anyone bury or forget about the stunts Snailords is pulling on their audience, with a platform that they've been consistently given by Webtoons, because that's what they want you to do.

[exactlymaximumgarden]

19 with Schlatt!!

19. drown - cuco, clairo (link to req info here)

"doll, come on. listen to me, we can talk this out," schlatt pleads. you can barely hear him over your frenzied packing of your suitcase. he sounds desperate as he begs you to spare him just one more moment, only one, but you're too far past that limit. you've given him far more than just a moment. you've given him days, weeks, months. only now that you're slipping from his grasp does he finally try to win you back.

you'd known from the beginning of your relationship that schlatt was a workaholic. you couldn't fault him for that. hell, he loves making videos, and it pays the bills. you'd accepted that fact. and the start of the relationship was wonderful. when he wasn't making videos, he was all over you. he would drag you out of bed to take you out somewhere nice just as an excuse to spend time with you.

but the more time went on, the more distant he grew. you can't even begin to try and count the number of times you've had to sit down with him, asking him what was going on, if you did something, the works. every single time, he'd say, "sorry, doll. i'll work on it."

some work. you may have been at home living with him, but it was as if you just didn't exist to him. it's been so lonely even with him in the house.

"i've tried talking this out with you," you respond, your words coming out more curt than you intended. "so many times. i think i'm going crazy. i can't even remember the last time we had a real conversation aside from exchanging a few small words here and there. you're just... you barely have any time for me anymore. i can't keep doing this, hoping you'll come around eventually."

schlatt looks crestfallen, his lip caught between his teeth. "toots, please, i just- don't go. stay."

you, meanwhile, finish zipping your suitcase with a resigned sigh. "look. i just need some time away from you. i think it'd be best for us both," you reply coolly. in truth, it's taking a lot to even be in the same room as him. you just want to get out. it's suffocating you, almost as if you're drowning.

schlatt opens his mouth to say something, but after a moment, he shuts it. his lips press into a thin line as he draws a deep inhale. for the most part, his expression is unreadable. his hands settle on his hips, and judging by his body language, the way his eyes are darting all around the room, you can easily assume there's a whirlwind of emotion brewing inside his head right now, yet he has no idea what to do with it all. for a brief moment, the pair of you stand there, frozen.

however, schlatt is the one to break the silence. his voice comes out softer than you're accustomed to. "so is this it? we're done?"

you bite the inside of your cheek pensively. "do you want us to be?"

"of course i fuckin' don't, (y/n). do you?"

you wrack your brain for a definitive answer, yet nothing clear comes to the forefront of your mind. yeah, you're tired of being cast aside and ignored, but this is the guy that you fell head over heels in love with all that time ago. and as you meet his strained gaze, you can still see a glimmer of who he was back then. and you're stuck.

"i don't know."

schlatt's mouth flattens once more as he nods in weary acceptance. "but you're still leavin'." his words are more of a statement than a question, as if he's trying to come to terms with the reality of the situation himself.

"i am."

"for how long?"

another blank. "i don't know, jay." and a pressing silence.

"well... gimme a call, at least. so i know you're safe." you can almost swear you hear a break in his voice. "you got my number. whenever you need."

something inside you shatters at that, yet you do your best to conceal it. "i will," you say, yet you're not entirely sure how willing you are to uphold this promise.

schlatt looks like he wants to say something more, but all he can do is shake his head with a low groan. "okay," is all he musters, pinching the bridge of his nose.

okay? just okay? after everything? you take this as your opportunity to yank your suitcase behind you, stalking out of what was once your shared bedroom before you have an outburst you will undoubtedly regret later. as you make your exit, you hear schlatt's final follow up.

"i love ya, toots."

is he serious?

"okay," you mumble, slamming the front door behind you.

[livingformintyoongi]

Guilty As Sin? | Kim Taehyung x Reader [Preview]

a/n: Hello everyone! Sorry I've been gone for so long, I just started my first semester of architecture in August and I've barely had any free time :( it's been too stressful and it's too hard to have time to do anything but make plans or draw trees lol. Anyway, as I feel a bit guilty for not uploading anything for a few months, I'm bringing a little shot I wrote a few days ago as an apology while I try to finish the request I have pending. Please be patient with me <3

Warnings: Doctor!Taehyung x Doctor!reader, slight smut at the start, very little angst at the end. This is not finished as such. It's based on the song “Guilty as sin?” by Taylor Swift, it's just a little preview of the initial idea I had to write.

wc: 929

Taglist: @thunderg @minjianhyung @queenv1997 @yoongtism @lizzymizzy-blogg @superbbananananana @drpepperobsessed @themwordsblog @taekritimin123 @bluecloudss @yooglefics

You closed your eyes tightly, feeling an electric current travel from your head to the tips of your toes; your hands clutching at the sheets beneath you, your toes curling as your back curved, your chest colliding with his chest, both burning, both covered lightly in a layer of sweat from the exertion and heat that enveloped them.

“Does that feel good?” he whispered in a deep voice, licking a path from the center of your breasts to your chin. A proud smile took place on his face as you answered him with halting moans and desperate gasps. 

You had never felt so good in your whole life before, you wanted to tell him that, but it was so hard to make him understand your lips to utter that phrase. 

“M-more” you whispered, bringing one of your hands up to his hair, clinging to it as if your life depended on it. Taehyung's lips enveloped yours in a passionate kiss, his hips crashing into yours desperately, wanting to climax just as fast as you did. The sensation was so suffocating and addictive at the same time; you wanted it to end soon so you could ease the knot in your belly, but you didn't want it to stop either, you wanted it to cloud your every sense until you forgot your own name.

“Y/N” he growled against your neck, his hands clinging to your waist, keeping you as still as possible as he rammed harder. You clenched your jaw, trying futilely to keep your sighs of pleasure from escaping your throat. 

“Y/N” he said again, but this time it was different. His voice didn't sound as deep, and his grip on your waist was gone. Hands - smaller than the ones that gripped your waist - lightly gripped your shoulders, moving them back and forth as you listened as that much softer voice called your name.

Slit eyes and black hair was the first thing that greeted you when you opened your eyes. You sat up in bed lazily, observing the place around you. You were still in your room, there was sunlight filtering through the curtains, your body was wrapped by your sheets and pajamas and most importantly, you didn't have Taehyung on top of you fucking you. 

“You fell asleep” Hyunjin muttered, getting up from the edge of the bed he was sitting on to go back to his closet. He was wearing a suit - most likely a branded one - that covered his body perfectly, marking his slightly broad shoulders and small waist, it was very likely that, if he stretched a bit, his muscles would show through his shirt, a rather dangerous combination considering the vipers that worked with him in his father's company. 

You still remembered how, when he first got his position, you were quite annoyed at how the models he worked with threw themselves at him every chance they got; now, however, it didn't seem to hurt like it did in the beginning, you just got tired of asking him to push them away, you got bored of having to wait for him to decide to tell all those tall, thin and beautiful women that he had a girlfriend. 

“Yes...” you mumbled, still sitting on the bed, watching as his body went back and forth from the closet to the mirror, trying on different ties to see which one would fit him best. “The green one I like” you looked at him through the mirror, hugging your knees. “Green is a nice color, don't you think?”.

“I don't like it” he replied after a few seconds, going back to the closet to pull out a black tie. He always wore the same stupid tie, why try on so many if he would go back to the same one, “I hate that color, it's hideous.”

“I like it” you whispered, looking at your toenails. They were the same color as his tie. It was the same tie you bought for your fourth anniversary. You painted your nails that color just so you could match him. “Why-?”

“Don't wear that color,” he stepped closer to you, extending his tie in your direction, “it wouldn't look good on you.” His hand stayed outstretched until you took the tie and began arranging it around his neck. You wondered for a second if he could tell how much you wanted to cry right now. Probably not. “I'll be late today” As usual, “don't wait up for me” I stopped doing that months ago, “Oh, and try not to fall asleep with your clothes on, it's annoying to have to be changing after a long day at work”.

“Yeah, sorry” you mumbled, finishing tying the knot in his tie. You tried to swallow the knot that had begun to form in your throat. Just a little longer, you thought, he's going away.

“I left some things in the kitchen in case you're hungry” he kissed your forehead just before leaving the room, a few seconds later you felt the front door close. Only then you could allow your tears to fall freely down your cheeks. 

You walked slowly to the kitchen, feeling another tightness in your chest as you saw what he had left for you on the table. A white bowl filled with strawberry milk in which floated chunks of whole grain cereal, blueberries and berries. You were allergic to blueberries. You sighed, taking the bowl and wrapping it with allusa so it wouldn't spoil. “It's okay, it's the thought that counts, Y/N” you whispered between hiccups.

Masterlist.

[roosterforme]

Old Habits Die Hard Part 16 | Bradley Bradshaw x Reader

Summary: After you visit Chicago, you understand just how hectic your life is about to become. And Bradley finally gets a very important piece of mail. There are things you want to say to him, but you don't know how. 

Warnings: Angst, swears, smut and fluff

Length: 3000 words

Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Female Reader (fuckboy college student Bradley)

Check out my masterlist

Bradley helped you pack your bag and sat with you while you waited for your ride.

"I wish I could come with you. But I guess I'll have to wait to see Chicago when I visit you in the fall," he whispered, kissing your neck and holding you.

You were going to check out your new school for a long weekend since you'd be moving to Illinois next month. You were kind of terrified to go alone, but you needed to meet your advisor and look at your course of study. If you had the money, you'd take Bradley with you, but it really wasn't an option. 

"I'll scope out the city and see what looks fun," you told him, running your fingers through his soft hair. 

"Don't do the fun stuff without me though," he murmured. "Promise me, Sugar. Promise me you won't visit that big, silver bean. It looks dumb as hell, but I really want to see it."

You laughed against him and nodded your head in the crook of his neck. "I promise."

"And no deep dish pizza either."

You gasped and pulled away from him. "Now that's where I draw the line, Beer Boy."

Bradley laughed and pushed your hair away from your face. "I'll miss you." His face was so earnest, you had no doubt that he would. 

"I'll call you as soon as I land. Behave without me this weekend."

"I will," he whispered against your lips. "I'll be thinking about you the whole time." You dipped your tongue into his mouth and eased yourself further onto his lap, and just when you started to get cozy, your phone alerted you that your ride had arrived.

He walked you down to the street and kissed you one last time before you got in the car to leave. The urge to make some big proclamation about your feelings was filling you up inside, but you had to tamp it back down. Your feelings were honestly scaring you a bit since Tyson's birthday party. Nothing was making much sense to you now, and you needed to keep in mind that you wouldn't be seeing Bradley on a daily basis starting next month. The idea of it felt like too much weight to carry around with you as he stroked your neck with his fingers and told you he'd miss you so much.

You watched the Virginia countryside in the morning light, and when you landed in Chicago, the juxtaposition of continuous urban sprawl was alarming. You figured you would get used to it in time, but the sheer volume of traffic and city noise started to give you a headache almost immediately. 

You managed to get a taxi to your hotel, and you quickly changed to meet with your advisor. Sometimes you wished you had a closer relationship with your parents so you had someone to rely on. It made you want to put all of your trust in Bradley, and you wanted to be the person he could trust with anything. But you'd only known each other for a few months. 

But you texted him anyway. You snapped a picture as you rode past 'the bean' and promised him you weren't going without him. You texted him photos of the school campus as you walked along, searching for your advisor's office. 

When you found her spacious workspace, she jumped up and introduced herself to you. "I can't tell you how happy we are to have you joining us for the fall semester. Have a seat. And please call me Carmen."

"Thanks, Carmen. I just got lost walking through the campus, but it looks amazing here."

She just smiled at you and promised to take you on a tour tomorrow morning. "Now, I want to give you a brief overview of what will be expected, and then we can select your first semester classes later this weekend. However, I must say, I am so impressed with your undergraduate studies. I've spoken extensively about you with your advisor from UVA, and he assures me that we couldn't have picked a finer PhD candidate to add to our program. So welcome, once again."

You weren't used to hearing such high praise about yourself, and you felt a little uncomfortable in the leather seat. What if they had all actually made a huge mistake? What if you couldn't hack it? You'd be sleeping in the park under the bean, calling Bradley to come out to Chicago and rescue you. 

"Wow," you managed to say with a soft laugh. "I guess the pressure is on then."

When Carmen nodded with a very serious look on her face, all pretense of teasing on your part vanished. 

"It's going to be intense if you want to graduate in four years. And that's one of the things that will be required for you to keep your scholarship. You'll need to maintain a high GPA as well, so you'll be spending a lot of time in the labs and working closely with me."

You pressed your lips together. "It doesn't sound like I'll have much time for a personal life."

Carmen laughed and shrugged. "That's probably true. But when you finish your schooling in just an additional four years, you'll have your pick of careers. You told me in an email that you wanted to be a college professor someday? Well, after we're done with you, I can almost guarantee you'll be able to work anywhere you want to."

You let that sink in for a few minutes while Carmen told you more about the graduate dorms and your monetary compensation.

------------------------------

Bradley spent all day Friday in the study room, bored out of his mind and missing your body perched on his lap. He read his final novel for his English class, and he would have no problem finishing his final paper this weekend. His economics class was so easy, it was boring, and he'd already finished reading his political science textbook.

He'd started counting down the days until graduation. He was ready to move on, simply dying to hear back about flight training. Then he would be able to make some decisions, because at the moment, he was feeling so lost. He was happy for you though. You knew exactly what you wanted, and you were going to get it. He just hoped he would be that lucky this time. 

When his phone went off with texts from you, he scrolled through the photos you sent him, stopping on a selfie of you smiling in front of a fountain. He set it as his background. Then he texted you back.

Dev was sorting the mail when Bradley got back to the Beta house, and the rest of the guys were getting ready for the weekend parties. "Here," Dev told him, tossing a thick envelope to Bradley when he walked past.

"Thanks, man," Bradley replied, expecting it to be the annual information on his mom's life insurance policy. But when he turned it over in his hands and saw the US Navy emblem on the front, he nearly tripped on the stairs. He took the remaining steps two at a time and locked himself in his room. 

With shaky hands, Bradley tore into the envelope and sat down hard at his desk.

"Welcome to officer training and the Naval Aviation Academy," he read out loud to himself, and Bradley could see the tears clouding his vision before he could feel them. 

He set the letter down on his desk and cradled his face in his hands and just cried. This was the thing he had wanted for so long, and this time he wasn't going to let anyone take it away from him. 

Bradley wiped away his tears and let himself smile. His grades had improved so much, especially since he had a 4.0 so far for his senior year. In some sick, twisted way, he thought he had Chase to thank for this, because Bradley wasn't sure he would have been able to find the motivation to drink less and study more on his own. 

He wanted to text you right away. He also wanted to tell Hannah. But he would wait until you came back on Sunday night before he said anything. 

So he read through every bit of information twice and sent an email to the officer listed as his contact person for housing inquiries. As soon as he gave up his room here, he'd have absolutely nowhere to go otherwise. He also asked about guest accommodations, so he would have a good idea about what he should tell you for when you came to visit him.

His schedule looked absolutely wild. In his first year, he'd be in Rhode Island, Florida, Texas, and then California. And now he was hoping he'd have time to see you in Chicago.

So Bradley partied a bit all weekend, silently celebrating his acceptance letter. He avoided the hard liquor and the mob of girls asking him what happened to his girlfriend. You'd be back soon enough, and he couldn't wait to show you his letter.

---------------------------

Your campus tour and lunch with the head of the math department went smoothly. Then you picked out which dorm you'd be moving into, with the option of coming early in May to get a jumpstart on your classes. Then you sat down with Carmen again to select your schedule for the fall semester and see which textbooks you would need to acquire. 

You'd be learning about things you never even dreamed of at UVA. And you'd be working with some of the most intelligent and well studied people in the field. It was a lot for you to absorb.

When you flew back to Virginia on Sunday, you were so antsy, you couldn't sit still. When you landed you texted Bradley and told him you were going to get a ride directly to the Beta house, he said he'd be waiting for you.

And he was. You saw him sitting on the porch when your ride dropped you off, and he walked down to get your bag and pull you into a tight hug. 

"I missed you, Sugar." He scooped you into a hug as the car pulled away, and you let him hold you until you were sliding out of his arms. "How much did you love Chicago?"

You kissed him softly and then nodded. "It was kind of a shock to the system, but...yeah, I think it will be good."

You just inhaled his scent for a few moments while he rubbed your back and asked you for some details. Then it struck you; if you missed each other this much after just a few days apart, how were you going to date each other in two different time zones? You held onto him tighter and kissed the scars on his neck.

"Can I show you something? Up in my room?" he asked softly.

You huffed out a laugh. "I would certainly hope you'd wait until we got to your room for that, Beer Boy."

He rolled his eyes and picked up your bag. "That's not what I was talking about, and you know it. But...yeah, I can show you that, too."

You laughed as Bradley chased you up the stairs, and you opened his door, running your fingers along your phone number as you went inside.

"What do you want to show me?" you asked between kisses. Because now that you had him alone, you needed to touch all of him. His fingers dug into your hair, a little rough along your scalp as he pulled your body against his. 

"I want you to read something," he told you, guiding you backwards until you were sitting at his desk. He pointed to an envelope that looked like it had been opened very hastily, and he kissed your neck as you reached for it.

"Bradley," you gasped when you saw the return address. 

You spun around to face him, but he just nodded and said, "Go on, read it."

As quickly as you could manage, you pulled everything out of the envelope and started to read. You made it through two lines before you were out of your seat and climbing Bradley like he was a tree.

"Oh my god, Bradley! You did it!" You were kissing him all over his face while he held onto you. At first you thought he was crying, but then you realized your lips were met with your own salty tears. "I'm so proud of you!"

"Thanks, Sugar," he whispered against your lips. "I got the letter on Friday, and I've been dying to tell you in person. And now you're the first one I told."

"You could have told me during one of our dozen phone calls, Bradley!"

He just shook his head and climbed on top of you on his bed. "It's not the same."

"What are we going to do when phone calls are all we have?" you asked him softly. But Bradley just shook his head.

---------------------------

He didn't want to think about that yet. He didn't want to think about any of it at all. 

"We'll figure it out," he promised. Your hair was spread out across his pillow, and you were looking up at him like you trusted him with everything. Graduation was so close now, and both of you knew where you were headed next. But none of that mattered, because you'd still have each other.

"I trust you, too, Sugar," he told you, even though you hadn't said anything. "You're so smart. You always know what to do. I trust you."

Your hands were in his hair, pulling him impossibly closer to you. "I knew you'd get in," you told him. "I never doubted you for a moment."

Bradley smiled as you kissed him. "You're the only one who feels that way about me."

"Lucky me," you whispered, wiping a stray tear from your cheek before you started to pull his shirt off. Nothing you did felt rushed, and even though you were pinned underneath him, Bradley knew you were the one in control.

He basked in the feel of your hands on his bare skin and your soft body beneath him. You had changed him so much; or rather, he had changed because of you. He had known he wanted to be better, but he really did it for you as much as himself. 

"Sugar." Your lips were on his shoulder, gliding across his skin, leaving a trail of not quite kisses as you reached for the front of his jeans.

He wished he could make you cum a million times tonight. He wanted to watch every inch of you as you got off on him, because soon he would have to go long stretches without you.

He stripped your clothing off as well, and you were already wet and moaning when he dipped his fingers down along your pussy. 

"Beer Boy!" you whined. "I need you."

He needed you more. Once he had rolled a condom into place, he rolled onto his back and guided you on top of him. He was hard and ready for you, but he watched the look on your face as you straddled his abs and let your forehead rest against his. 

"I need you." You whispered it this time as his fingers gently memorized the curve of your hips. Then you eased yourself down his body and guided him inside you with a soft hiss.

Eyes slightly out of focus, you moved above him, the bump of your thighs against his body just perfect. Bradley was mesmerized, just like he always was when he was with you like this. He let his fingertips trail up along your ribs and across your tattoo and you gasped for him.

"So perfect," he said, and you kissed him hard while you rode him. You tasted his lips and his teeth and moved with a rhythm that had him close to the edge.

He guided his fingers to the space between his body and yours where you could rub yourself against him. And then you were crying out into his mouth as your pussy squeezed his cock, and he came too. 

"So perfect," he repeated into your hair as you buried your face against his neck.

---------------------------

You changed into Bradley's tie dye shirt and sat on his floor sharing a pizza with him. 

"What's your dormitory going to be like?" he asked, folding a slice in half and taking a huge bite. 

"It's in this ancient building with insanely intricate architecture. I picked it because it looked fun, which I'm sure wasn't the best decision," you said with a laugh as he finished the piece of pizza. "But the best part? It's all mine. No roommate!"

Bradley grinned. "That'll be nice for when I come to visit."

You smiled. "It's a long walk to the bean, but if the weather's good, it's doable. And there's literally deep dish pizza on every street. Jealous yet? Are you still sure you want to go to Rhode Island?"

Bradley leaned across the pizza box and placed the softest, sweetest kiss on your cheek. Your eyes fluttered closed and you smiled. "If there was any option for me to be closer to Chicago, I would have taken it, Sugar. Promise."

You just looked at him, longing for him to understand how you felt inside, but you were way too afraid to say anything to him. You were in love with him, and it was eating away at you. There was no way you could tell him. Not when you were graduating and leaving so soon. It would have to wait. Maybe there would be a better time later. But not now.

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One. More. Chapter. Left. A million thanks to @mak-32 for helping me the whole time with this fic. This one is for you!

PART 17 (the final chapter)

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[kozachenko]

wooo yay I have another WIP in the works after I've finally had time to draw again yipeeeeeee (click for better quality)

Also, on a side note happy pride month! I don't have anything super special for this month like last year (also I've been on this hellsite for a year now jesus christ) and so I might as well post this WIP I've got going of Keiki and Mayumi because this idea has been marinating in my head for a while now and I needed to get it out.

I'll keep my artist's note brief as like with my previous WIP I am just gonna save that for the finished piece (Edit: It's done now so clink the link here to see it), but I would like to post some of my headcanons for the two of them here while I'm still thinking about both of them.

Artist's Notes;

So I really like the idea of Mayumi having some memory of her life before dying and ending up in the Animal Realm and that's part of the reason why she wants to protect Keiki so much, like, maybe she failed to protect someone she cared for in her life, or maybe she was just kind of an asshole and sees this as a second chance. IDK, I just think it could be a neat idea to play around with, especially if Mayumi is one of the few spirits who actually remembers her life, as I'm sure in most cases in Touhou, non-vengeful spirits tend to forget most of their lives upon death, so I think it could be and interesting idea to play around with. I also like the idea of Keiki asking Mayumi something along the lines of, "Are there any changes you want me to make to your appearance?" and Mayumi gives her input on what she wants her new body to look like, which I think could be a really nice moment of bonding between the two of them. Also, I love the canon detail of Mayumi being the only one who's really able to understand Keiki's way of speaking, I just think it's really cute.

As for how I drew both of them, I took a few liberties with their outfits and took some inspiration from Kofun period clothing and armor. I also figured out a way to draw Keiki's apron and I am so happy with it, as well as Mayumi's armor. Also, I like how Mayumi's hair is looking so far, as when I was sketching it, I was trying to draw it in a way that would still work in my artstyle and with the general shape language I was trying to go for with Mayumi, though in the finished piece I might make a few changes. Also will have to play around with Mayumi's positioning, as I want it to look like she's kneeling and her legs are being covered by the flame thingy, but at the same time I'm not to happy compositionally with how she's placed right now, so I'll have to work on that.