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triskhellion · 1 year

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Intarsia

Rated: Explicit (12.2k)

Relationship: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski

Characters: Derek Hale, Stiles Stilinski, Isaac Lahey, Peter Hale

Tags: POV Derek, POV Isaac, Alpha Derek, Emissary in Training Stiles, Canon Divergence, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Explicit Sexual Content, Top Derek/Bottom Stiles, Light Bondage, Hickeys, Consensual Somnophilia, Idiots in Love, Cooking, Pack Shenanigans

Summary: Derek asks Isaac to make him a scarf for Stiles for reasons. The following weekend the pack is asked to check out potential supernatural activity at a cabin near Klamath Falls, Oregon. The others are unavailable, so it’s just the two of them. Derek brings along the scarf and ends up giving Stiles much more.

Artwork by Goss!

A playlist of my favorite songs by The National because Isaac's listening to them and Derek is broody and they're perfect broody fall music. (In no particular order.)

For WIP Big Bang 2023. (One of the first fics I actually started writing, begun about a year ago.)

Equiknots: Harvest & Hunter's Moon prompts: Apple, Between, Falling Leaves, Flame, Knot, Song & Travel

Intarsia — a knitting technique used to create patterns with multiple colors. As with the woodworking technique of the same name, fields of different colors and materials appear to be inlaid in one another, fit together like a jigsaw puzzle.

Isaac

Isaac was listening to The National on vinyl and idly knitting the second of a pair of chocolate brown, chunky slipper socks for Scott’s upcoming birthday when Derek returned to their new loft apartment, trudging around downstairs. He straightened up on the navy loveseat in the second floor lounge area (or “cozy zone” as Stiles liked to call it) and rolled his eyes as the Alpha’s angst vibes preceded him.

“Hey, Derek” he said to the ascending werewolf, finishing his row before looking up. The older man nodded and his expression lightened from straight up scowling to mere resting bitch face.

“Isaac.”

He glanced out the window at the purpling sky then turned back to his project, pausing a couple minutes later when Derek didn’t move from where he leaned against the railing across from him. Isaac could feel him watching and heard the sound of his mouth opening and then closing again several times as Matt Berninger’s melancholy baritone crooned.

I wanna hurry home to you, put on a slow, dumb show show for you and crack you up. So you can put a blue ribbon on my brain, God I’m very, very frightened I’ll overdo it.

Another minute passed and he rolled his eyes again, taking a deep breath before meeting the waiting sheepish gaze, which then quickly slid away.

“Yeeeesss?” he inquired, raising an eyebrow.

“You make…” Derek began, then started over. “Could you make a scarf for me? Please.”

“For you?” Isaac asked incredulously. He’d never seen Leather-Jacket Jeans McHenley in a scarf.

“It’s for someone else. To give to. From me,” Derek mumbled haltingly. “Whatever you need…use the pack account.”

“Sure,” he said, grinning at the flustered Alpha. “Any particular pattern or style? Type of yarn? What color?" There was a harsh exhale of frustration.

“I don’t know, a regular scarf.” Derek threw up his hands and then waved them around making snake like motions. “Kind of…deep red with like, some goldy-brown parts? A warm one.”

“Hmm,” he murmured, going through options in his head for several moments. “I’m thinking merino wool…cable knit…intarsia.” Blank stare. “Kind of a maroon with dark amber, yeah?” A frown and a single shoulder shrug. ”Riiight,” he drawled, smirking. “You know, like a certain hyperactive human’s favorite hoodie…” He tapped his finger against his chin like he was just now figuring out a mystery. “And perhaps the color of said human’s eyes in the light?”

Derek sputtered and shoved off from his perch with a glare, seeming as if to deny it before snapping his jaw shut with a growl instead and abruptly turning to walk towards his bedroom. Isaac laughed and called after the retreating wolf.

“I should have it done before the end of the week. I have to go to the craft store to get that special amber yarn.” The door slammed shut and he heard muffled grumbling about “goddamn chuckling betas” and how “back in the day Alphas were shown respect.” He leaned over and laughed even harder.

Derek

Derek walked out of his building practically buzzing and started running once he crossed the parking lot and made it past the first trees. It was a Monday night, the one before the full moon, and he was feeling antsy. Even more so than was usual. He figured another patrol of the territory would calm him down and satisfy his wolf’s extra protective instincts, not to mention get him away from his so very amused and impertinent beta. And if he happened by the Stilinski residence at some point, well it was on the way, okay?

Derek sighed. He asked Isaac to make the scarf yesterday after he and Stiles had gone searching that afternoon for a special type of lichen that Deaton wanted for some ritual or potion or whatever. He wasn’t really listening to the druid and just tagged along when he ran into Stiles while doing errands near the vet clinic. The perpetually excitable teen had been wearing a backpack and mentioned that he’d be going into the Preserve for “herbs and shit” after meeting with their sort-of-emissary and Derek hadn’t wanted him to go alone. Things had been quiet on the Creatures Eating Faces & Causing Havoc front for a while, but you never know.

It had taken them a few hours to collect enough of the sporadically growing, pale green vegetation to fill the container they’d been given and between the dampness of the forest and working up a sweat climbing over logs or partway up trees it had gotten pretty chilly for the human, especially once the sun started to set on the already overcast autumn day. Stiles had had his hands in his pockets and the hood of his Beacon Hills Community College sweatshirt up on the way back, but had still shivered when the wind blew through it and across the exposed skin of his neck.

That lithe, fair column with its smattering of chocolate dots, so perfect for marking. Derek groaned at the thought of it. So yes, Stiles needed a scarf. Both to keep him warm and to hide his dangerously alluring attributes. The only one not already covered in layers of baggy denim, over sized graphic tees and corresponding flannel.

(Well, except for his mouth, but it’s not like people went around in face masks all the time, haha. Or muzzles and the like in public. No those were for private activities, or so he’d seen on the internet. And could Stiles even function without putting pens and spoons and straws and toothpicks and pops of the lolli, freezer, and cake variety (courtesy of Lydia) between his lips on a regular basis? Or his own fingers? He even had the nerve to make eating chicken wings look good.)

But necks! He could do something about that. And then maybe he’d stop thinking about his packmate this way quite so often, at least until it warmed again. Definitely no other pervy wolves or similarly bestial shifters should catch a glimpse if it could be helped. He’s ours his wolf snarled and he couldn’t help agreeing before his all those negative thoughts and emotions kicked back in. No, he’s not. I can’t…I shouldn’t…

Derek ran through the forest until his muscles ached and then walked through the city in the wee hours, stopping for a few minutes by a particular house in the west part of town. One with a police cruiser and a beat up blue Jeep in the driveway. He could hear the steady heartbeats and slow breathing of two slumbering humans and could faintly smell the toasty man-soap-sweat scent of his a blanket-wrapped Stiles through the open left side window. He inhaled a few big lung fulls worth, making an unconscious rumbling sound, and then continued on toward home content for the moment.

A few days later he was brooding contemplating the Stiles situation again while making cheesy eggs, bacon, red skillet potatoes, and toast for a late breakfast. Isaac kept giving him these looks like there was something gross on his face (there wasn’t, he checked) before snatching up his portion of the meal, minus the toast, as soon as the platter hit the table. The younger man divided it between the two large flour tortillas he’d had waiting in front of him, added salsa verde, hot sauce, and sour cream, rolled them into burritos, and wrapped one in foil before shoving it into his messenger bag. He then grabbed a thermos of coffee, wedged it into his left elbow as he started eating the other burrito gripped in the same hand, and hurriedly went out the door, shaking his head and mumbling something that sounded like “enough“ and “idiots.”

Huh. Derek wasn’t sure what that was about, but hoped his beta got through his Thursday classes okay. Maybe Isaac had to work on that group project he’d been complaining about, the one that his least favorite professor assigned him with that girl who argued about everything and that guy that didn’t do any of the reading. Oh, college, he commiserated, glad that he’d never have to put up with that particular aggravation again.

He cleaned up and then spent a few hours wrapping up the Spanish to English history textbook translation he’d been working on for a client over the last several weeks. When he was done he got up, drank some water, and began stretching for his daily calisthenics. He was just about switch to the beginner’s tai chi he’d been learning online recently (a suggestion from the visiting weredingo therapist he saw for a while last year and still Skyped with occasionally from Australia) when his phone chimed. It was a text from Isaac.

Apparently, some human, but in-the-know acquaintance of his near Klamath Falls, OR was freaked out about quote unquote “potentially supernatural activity” around their family’s vacation spot/rental property and wanted to know if the Beacon Hills Pack could check it out this weekend.

<What kind of phenomena are they experiencing?> he asked, praying it wasn’t some real sketchy shit like artfully arranged piles of mutilated small animals, screaming haunted trees or arcane symbols drawn in blood and bile all over the place. If he ever had to deal with another hag, hostile non-corporeal entity or darach again it would be too soon.

<Clothing, trinkets, and plants from both inside and outside the cabin have gone missing.> Issac replied. <Strange noises day and night and several objects made of stones, mud, brambles, feathers, pine cones and owl pellets have also been found along the trail to the lake. The feeling of being watched and the reoccurring smell of electricity and honey. Sounds like some kind of fae creature to me.>

Derek concurred. Likely a troupe of pixies, though a mischievous witch or other magic-user wouldn’t be out of the question. Whatever or whoever it was seemed annoying, but pretty harmless. He had nothing better to do and it was an opportunity to keep his tracking skills sharp, so he agreed to investigate and shoo away the troublemaker.

The pack in residence was currently just him, Isaac, Stiles, Malia, and Peter. Technically. His crafty uncle remained mostly an enigma, holed up in some no doubt fancy penthouse somewhere and scheming who knows what. He generally saw the elder Hale every 3 weeks or so when he stopped by the loft to irritate Derek, feed him takeout, and “borrow” something from his library before disappearing into the ether again.

The others were away at college (Lydia and Jackson,) living in France (though Chris and Allison were really more pack-adjacent,) staying with relatives out of state (Erica and Boyd were in Ohio looking after the latter’s grandmother post hip replacement surgery and probably wouldn’t be back until after Christmas,) or “talking a break from all this mythical bullshit” (Scott, Co-Alpha Emeritus, snort, probably lost somewhere in Prague on his pre-vet school backpacking trip which was totally, definitely, he absolutely swore not going to take him through France. Uh-huh.)

The cabin was only around 3 hours away, but driving there and back and having time to properly assess, find, and confront the mischievous entity could end up calling for more than a day trip. Isaac had 3 classes on Fridays and shifts at the movie theater afterward and all day Saturday so he was out.

Derek messaged the rest of the pack in town to see if anyone else was available. Peter was surprisingly the first to answer, but it was a crying laughing emoji followed by a succinct “No.” Stiles replied between his two Thursday classes with a “You son of a bitch, I’m in” gif, multiple exclamation points, and a thumbs up. Derek rolled his eyes and grinned.

Malia didn’t respond at all. It was equally likely that she was either coyoted-out or forgot about the existence of her phone and left it to die in her couch cushions again. So Stiles and him it was then. Perfect. The eager sophomore had only one late morning class on Fridays so they could leave by 2:00pm tomorrow after grabbing their bags.

<Pack your shit tonight> he texted Stiles, knowing the fledgling Spark and resident researcher would want to bring all manner of reference books and magic-user supplies. If left to his own devices the impulsive, but thorough human would be running around like a chicken without a head tomorrow afternoon looking for this and that very essential item at the last minute. <Alpha order.>

<Yes sir, Alpha sir> Stiles replied with a picture of a young adult wolf wagging its tail and showing its belly. Aughruuahhgg, his brain shorted, making him first imagine Stiles as a beautiful russet wolf frolicking with him in full shift (if only) and then as his very human young adult self exposing his belly in the same way, neck bared and open mouthed…

“Moooving onnn” he said out loud to himself, shaking his head to try to derail that train of thought.

Isaac told Derek that his grateful former classmate, a young man unfortunately named Todd, was going to prepare the cabin for them. A housekeeping service would clean everything and put out fresh linens, the fridge and pantry would be fully stocked and completely at their disposal, and he’d also make sure that any amenities were ready to use. The beta also passed along that they could stay through Monday if they wanted to as thanks for their efforts regardless of the outcome and then gave him Todd’s number in case of emergency.

<Sounds good> he replied. He was actually looking forward to this.

The last time he’d gotten out of town was the weeklong All Pack trip to the beach after a bunch of them graduated from high school the previous summer, a good 16 or 17 months ago. The seemingly never-ending torrent of “mythical bullshit” (Scott wasn’t wrong about that,) psycho hunters, and whatnot had finally slowed to a crawl and the pack had yet to begin scattering. Everyone had been there, including Allison and Chris, Melissa and the Sheriff, Parrish, and even Danny. Before then it had been when Cora had come up for a visit that Spring with her girlfriend, Dominque, and he, Peter, and Malia had gone to Portland for a weekend with them.

Sigh. Last year they had finally gotten their shit together. He had finally gotten his shit together. He’d strengthened his bonds with Boyd & Erica, the three of them apologizing to each other and him promising to be a better Alpha. Derek showed Isaac and Jackson how much he really cared and he’d spent time ranging in full shift with Malia and teaching her to navigate human bureaucracy. He called Cora at least once a month.

Derek screamed, cried, fought, and hugged it out with Peter one night when his uncle came over with a veritable Japanese feast — okonomiyaki, karaage, gyudon, yakisoba, and shoyu tonkotsu ramen with chashu pork and soft boiled eggs — and they both got proper drunk on the accompanying wolfsbane-infused 12 year old Yamazaki single malt whisky. They hadn’t spoken of it since, but much of the heaviness, distance, and weaponized cruelty that remained between them faded after they finally said all that they needed to say to each other, waking up the next morning with aching heads and wearing each other’s blood and tears, but with Derek held in his uncle’s arms.

Hell, he and Scott even kind of started getting along and figuring out how to be two Alphas in the same territory with allied and somewhat overlapping packs. Erica, Boyd, Jackson, Malia, and Peter were straightforwardly his; Liam, Corey, Mason, and Kira were Scott’s (though Derek was checking in with them while the younger Alpha was away finding himself,) but Isaac, Lydia, and Stiles kind of belonged to them both, however that worked.

I think I know exactly how Isaac wishes it worked, he snickered, wondering if his beta, the True Alpha, and the Huntress would ever resolve whatever the hell was going on there. Scott and Allison were currently on a break (again), Isaac was not-so-subtly mooning over Scott, but was known to make heart eyes at mention of them both (what’s a stabbing or 20 between crushes?)

When Scott and Allison were last officially together at the pack hangout a month before she went to France they’d taken to giggling and blushing while stealing glances at the beta, who pretended not to notice, but ended up crocheting an exceptionally fugly oven mitt that night, which Stiles dubbed “The Cursed Hand.”

As for the others, Kira had dated Scott briefly during one of his and Allison’s earlier off-phases, but they’d called it quits amicably. The kitsune was currently dating Jordan Parrish and Derek made sure to keep a fire extinguisher around. Liam was single after he and Hayden broke up and she moved away last year, Corey and Mason were still adorably together, and Peter was no doubt happily slutting it up across Beacon County and beyond.

Malia wasn’t much interested in romance, but every once in a while she’d feel the urge to go hunt down some willing frat boy or open mic performance artist and drag him off to her studio for what Derek once overheard an astonished college student covered in hickeys call “the most terrifying, confusing, and hottest sex of my life.” When she answered her door he took one look at her smug, predatory face and decided he could go over how to do taxes another time.

Lydia and Jackson kept their medium-distance relationship going, her in Cambridge, MA (MIT) and him in New Haven, CT (Yale.)

Derek missed having everyone home and hoped most, if not all of them, would be back for good within a few years. At least Erica and Boyd would return in a couple months. In the meantime they’d make it work.

<You know the drill> he messaged his Second. <Hold down the fort and let me know if anything happens. If you don’t hear from either me or Stiles twice a day, by noon (6:00pm tomorrow) and again by 10pm, call and if one of us doesn’t respond within the hour inform Peter and the Sheriff first, then the others if need be.>

<Will do> Isaac replied.

<Okay. By the way, the scarf is done. It’s on the couch upstairs.>

<You’re welcome. winky face, smirking face, 2 guys with a heart between them, eggplant, peach, halo face emoji.>

Goddamn sassy betas.

Derek managed to get them on the road heading out of Beacon Hills at exactly 1:57pm due to the sheer force of of his glare and grumpy eyebrows alone. He’d herded Stiles out of his house at 1:35 sharp, threw his crap next to his own duffel bag in the trunk of his car, and followed him to the loft. He shoved open the passenger door as soon as the Jeep was parked and locked and the teenager promptly jogged over, tripped on the door sill and half-fell into the seat. Derek silently shook his head at the clumsy human, waiting until he fastened his seat belt while pointedly ignoring him, then peeled out of there like a bat out of hell.

They were taking the Camaro because there was absolutely no goddamn way that Derek was going to trust Roscoe for more than 5 miles at a time and even that was pushing it these days. Maybe if he got Stiles a trip to the mechanic for his next birthday he would actually accept someone else getting it fixed for him. The guy was stubborn as a mule.

Isaac had asked to borrow it while they were away for some errands involving the carrying of large objects and Stiles had reluctantly agreed. The loft was closer both to his BCCC campus and the highway, so he was planning to leave Roscoe there anyway so that he could go straight to school if they were running late on the way back. The beta and the Spark might not be the best of friends and seemed to live for getting on each others nerves, but they had an understanding about the important things and Stiles actually trusted Isaac to be careful with his baby. The extra set of keys were already inside, kept in its designated place so that Stiles would never lose both of them (again.)

They made good time, only stopping once for around 20 minutes to pee, get gas, stretch their legs, and load up on snacks and caffeine. The cottage was close to the Upper Klamath Lake, which according to Stiles was “the largest body of fresh water in Oregon.” Upon arrival they immediately checked the perimeter of the cabin and then cleared the rooms before bringing their stuff inside. Stiles had only just recently begun to learn about his birthright, but he knew enough to feel for magical residue and said that he didn’t sense anything unusual so far.

Deaton was teaching him the basics, including how to create simple wards for warning and protection, which he quickly drew on the front door and on trees at 4 points around the property as Derek stood guard. Stiles would eventually need another mentor to truly develop and master his abilities, but he was already so proud and excited to be able to help the pack beyond whacking things with a baseball bat, being bait, and using Google-Fu. Or, in one memorable instance, annoying and confounding a trio of hobgoblins so much that they left the city.

The cabin-style cottage had a larger bedroom with a queen sized bed, a smaller bedroom that was set up as an office, and a modern kitchen with granite counters, a gas stove/oven, and an island with stools. There was an adjustable 4-6 person table in the dining area, a couple of closets, a mud room with a stacked washer & dryer set and a chest freezer, and a bathroom boasting a 2 person clawfoot tub, a shower with two rainfall shower heads, and a toilet with a bidet attachment (oooh, fancy!)

The living room had an oversized dark beige sectional couch, a coffee table with a few art books, a mid sized smart tv equipped with a blu-ray player and a few gaming consoles, and shelves with an assortment of novels, memoirs and biographies, board games, movies, and video games. Needless to say, they were set.

Surprisingly there were not one but two fireplaces as well. Across from the couch and below the mounted tv was a larger, remote controlled gas powered one for quick and efficient heating. The right side of the living room still had the smaller, original wood burning fireplace which would be safe for cooking and was able to provide that traditional ambience of crackling wood and campfire smells if so desired. Taking up much of the space between them was a large, tan plush rug that looked made for lying on.

Outside there was a front porch with a bench swing and around the back there were two picnic tables, a Traeger grill, and a hot tub. Derek was impressed and based on the grin plastered on the younger man’s face so was Stiles.

After settling in and seeing what was in the fridge, pantry, and chest freezer (all the things, apparently) they went out to investigate the trail towards the lake. Stiles brought a messenger bag with a few amplifying objects to help his spark with detection and protection, a couple books on fae creatures, and some binding elements such as iron, salt, mistletoe, and mountain ash. Derek made and packed 4 ham and cheese sandwiches in his backpack along with some trail mix, two insulated liter sized water bottles, a flashlight, digging tools, and…the scarf. It was a beautiful piece of work, the colors rich and complimentary and so fitting for his mate packmate.

Derek had actually worn it to bed last night and then around the loft this morning while getting ready until it was time to get Stiles. He’d made absolutely sure that Isaac had already left for the day before leaving his room because he’d have never heard the end of it if the beta had seen him with it. He could just imagine the embarrassing pictures with even worse captions on Instagram.

Now the plan was to wait until it got cooler in the evening to give it to Stiles and then the human would be wrapped in his scent. For his safety of course. To make sure any shifters or other supernatural beings knew that he was under the protection of an Alpha wolf. Anything else, like the surely intoxicating blending of scents was just a bonus. Hurry up and go down, sun!

They began by walking together in what was more or less a widening spiral that kept the trail in the center, but circled out to either side through the trees. Derek tried to pick up any scents, sounds, or movements while Stiles reached out with his magic, occasionally focusing so much that he misstepped, tripped or nearly ran into one obstacle or another while shuffling through the fallen leaves.

After the third time he tugged the far-eyed Spark around a log he joked that Stiles should learn to levitate, but then he’d just run into branches instead.

When they got down by the lake Stiles paused to watch the sun slide below the horizon and Derek figured it was a good a time as any. He opened the backpack and pulled out their water bottles, unable to resist honing in on the motion of the human’s throat as he swallowed in the pink-orange light. He wanted so badly to rest his fingertips there, brush them over that unmarked skin.

Right.

He took a few swigs from his own bottle and set it down, reaching back into the bag and pulling out the carefully folded scarf.

“Oh hey, this is for you,” Derek said as if he just now remembered that he had it.

Stiles sputtered a bit as he turned in surprise, looking down to where he was being nudged with the bundle of fabric. He quickly wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, closing and setting down the container before reaching for the scarf.

“For me?” he asked curiously, unfurling it and running his fingers over the pattern.

“Yeah.”

There were at least a half a dozen questions in Stiles’ eyes when he lifted his head again, but instead of voicing them he just made a little humming noise and looked it over again, his scent going warm and sweet with happiness.

“Thanks, man” he said softly.

Derek ducked his head. “You’re welcome.”

Stiles lowered his hood and wound the colorful wool around himself, securing it with a loose knot. Derek coughed to hide the rumble starting in his chest when his scent on the scarf was starting to blend with Stiles’, seeping into into his skin. He drank some more water and got himself together, continuing to be immensely pleased. Mission accomplished.

They stayed out for a few hours after dark thanks to a ring that gave Stiles enhanced night vision, making sure to get back into reliable cell range by 10:00pm to make contact with Issac. There were only a few dead zones or spots with just one bar of service thankfully and they’d checked every 15 minutes or so to give them an idea of how far and how long it’d take to get out of them. It was just after 11:00pm by the time they got back to the cabin, around 5 hours of looking for signs of supernatural activity with nothing out of the ordinary so far.

It’d been a long day for both of them and the yawn Stiles let out was contagious. It wasn’t time to turn in yet though, the miles of hiking burning through the sandwiches and trail mix from a few hours ago.

Stiles had shown interest in the fireplaces earlier, so Derek figured he’d turn on the gas one for a bit to warm up the place while he got the other one going for snacks. He saw the Spark jump out of the corner of his eye when the flames suddenly foomfed to life and he grinned to himself, turning the fan on medium. Going over to the stack of wood near the traditional one, he began arranging hunks of it interspersed with kindling and then started it with a wand lighter. It wasn’t long before it spread, the wood charring and crackling, and he could feel Stiles’ eyes on his back.

When he turned the Spark was watching him with a curious and concerned expression, his head slightly tilted like a wolf. Derek cleared his throat.

“For a long time I couldn’t…but I…it’s not the same.”

This was clean burning oak and birch, the stuff of happy outdoorsy memories, not stained wood mixed with the scent of burnt plastic and fabric, scorched metal and chemicals. He shrugged.

“It smells different. We…we used to go camping or have bonfires at celebrations…”

A warm hand rested on his shoulder and he realized that his own were clenched into fists. He took a deep breath, inhaling the unique and comforting scent of Stiles and met his eyes. “I didn’t want that to be yet another thing ruined so I worked on it,” Derek whispered. “It’s okay now.”

Stiles squeezed where he was holding and leaned in for a quick side hug before nodding and heading into the kitchen. Derek pressed the off button on the remote.

They cooked bratwurst and then marshmallows over the fire for s’mores, teasing each other when one of Stiles’ melted right off the roasting fork and then Derek managed to turn a poofy white confection into charcoal. They washed it down with hard apple cider and then read for a while taking over opposite sides of the sectional in companionable silence, him with an old Popular Mechanics magazine from the bookshelf and Stiles with one of his quote unquote “Spark Notes.”

It was around 1:00am when sleep crept up on them again, Derek the one to start yawning this time. He got up and stretched, talking their dishes and utensils to the sink while Stiles put out the fire. (“It’s been a while, but I’ve gone camping too,” he retorted when Derek looked at him skeptically.)

They did a last brief check outside around the cabin — finding nothing of note again — and then came back to get ready for bed.

Oh right, bed. As in singular.

There’d been a handful of times over the years when the two of them ended up sleeping — or more accurately, at least one of them ended up passing out — together, but it had always been unintentional and there’d usually been other people around as well. Not just…getting into bed together. He could feel himself blush at the thought, but thankfully Stiles was unaware in the bathroom. By the time he came out all minty fresh Derek was leaning casually against the doorframe.

“You go ahead and take the bed, I’ll sleep out here,” he said, grabbing his night clothes and toiletries to take his turn bathroom. Stiles rolled his eyes.

“Nope, I’ll take the couch. You drove and I can sleep anywhere as long as I have my pillow.” The Spark grabbed the aforementioned fluffy object from on top of his stuff and hugged it to himself in a way that wasn’t at all adorable, no siree. “Besides this thing is pretty comfy,” he added, nudging an arm of sectional with his knee and then launching himself to flop over it and onto the cushions like a salmon leaping upstream.

Derek snorted and shook his head, opening his mouth to argue further. “I said I—“

“Nope, too late,” the grinning human cut in. “I’ve physically claimed this epic beigeness and anyway, I’m pretty sure the Alpha is supposed to get the nicest digs and all that.”

And there went his brain short circuiting again at Stiles saying the words “physically claimed” and “Alpha” in the same sentence, especially the latter in that joking, but somewhat suggestive tone. His closed his mouth and whirled around, muttering “Fine” over his shoulder as he made a hasty retreat. The sound of laughter trailed after him.

If he took a longer shower than intended, well, he could use some relaxation, okay? And the fan was still on, so between that and the strong, heavenly spray he wasn’t too concerned about certain sounds being overheard by weak human ears.

Stiles was fast asleep by the time he finished up and Derek paused to watch him fondly, finding himself jealous of the pillow under his head and the throw cushion clutched in his arms. Sinking onto the thick mattress and pulling up the green sheet and blanket he couldn’t say if he was more relieved or disappointed that Stiles didn’t suggest sharing.

Derek woke up first, passing by the couch and having to hold back laughter so as to not wake up the oddly sprawled human. That could not possibly be comfortable and yet Stiles remained fast asleep with one leg extended up a back cushion and the other bent beneath it. He had an arm dangling off the side, hand resting on the floor, and the other forearm thrown diagonally across the right side of his head, somewhat squashing his face between it and his bicep. This was causing him to snore lightly, mouth open with a hint of drool on his cheek.

Derek quietly heated water, removing the lid off of the kettle before it could start to make noise. He choose some loose leaf spiced orange tea to put in the infuser. It’d been quite some time since he last made tea this way, having only some bags of mint, ginger lemon, and Earl Grey at home which he usually just tossed in a mug and put in the microwave when he wasn’t making coffee. He was looking forward to trying the selection of beans too, but grinding them would be quite loud so he would wait until Stiles got up.

Mug in hand Derek slipped outside to check the warded perimeter and again found nothing out of place. There was one moment where he'd stilled when a sudden gust of cool wind sent leaves swirling wildly around him, but it was just the capricious fall weather. Back inside, he read a naturalist’s autobiography from one of the bookshelves for an hour or so and then started making breakfast.

After slicing some peaches he began preparing a pot of old fashioned oatmeal with water and a pinch of salt. While that was cooking he put bacon on to fry and it wasn’t long before he heard the telltale signs of a semi-conscious Stiles. Smiling, he added milk, brown sugar, maple syrup, and sliced almonds to the oatmeal and covered it, leaving it on warm.

By the time the groggy Spark managed to get himself upright, stumbled to the bathroom, and then came grumbling into the kitchen a mug of French press coffee was on the counter waiting for his grabby hands.

“Thanks,” he said after a couple sips with a blissful expression on his squinty face.

“You’re welcome. Food is ready if you want some.”

Stiles shot him an incredulous look as if he were crazy to suggest he might not. Derek snorted and took it as a compliment.

He’d only recently gotten back into cooking after years of mostly subsisting on noodles, sandwiches, and protein shakes. It had just seemed pointless for a while, a waste of time when he didn’t care what the source of calories were that fueled him as long as he could function. Why bother when the world was ashes in his mouth? When he felt he didn’t deserve those comforts or found it too painful to be reminded of better times, the memories that certain smells and tastes would conjure.

But he was trying to hold onto the good that was and to make new memories. Cooking for his pack made him feel useful in a tangible way. Providing like an Alpha should. Not only training and discipline, but comfort and nourishment too. And it was something he simply enjoyed. Trying different recipes, tweaking and perfecting old ones. It calmed him.

Derek chopped half of the bacon strips to put on top of their bowls of oatmeal, sweet and salty-savory just like his paternal grandmother used to make it. The rest he placed on a plate with peaches and set between them.

Once the coffee kicked in Stiles was animated again, thinking up ways to entice or summon the supernatural creature, assuming it was still around. They planned to go out on another hike after taking it easy for an hour or so. Neither of them sensed any malevolent entities then, so they decided to split up a bit to cover more ground while remaining in earshot just in case. He reminded Stiles to watch where he was going when the teen headed off into the forest, Derek going down to walk parallel on the lakeshore.

When Stiles cried out in pain Derek’s heart leapt into his throat. Was there something out here after all and did it just attack his mate? He ran toward the sound as fast as he could, claws and fangs out and ready to tear into any hostile creature who dared to hurt the emissary-in-training. They hadn’t gone far from each other so less than a minute later he came skidding to a halt in front of the younger man who was currently half sitting and half sprawled on the ground, wincing and holding his right leg out straight, resting it on his left leg.

Derek looked all around and honed in on his hearing and sense of smell for signs of another presence even as he started talking to Stiles, who was attempting to get up.

“Are you okay? What happened?”

The human groaned and cursed before settling back and sighing heavily.

“Just me and my clumsiness. I tripped on a root and and then caught myself by stepping in a gopher hole or something. Landed wrong. I think it’s sprained, not broken, but it still hurts like a bitch.”

Derek stopped scanning for threats and let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. Stiles might be the worse for wear, but he was okay. Would be okay. He let his beta shift melt away and closed his still red eyes.

“Der? Hey, what’s wrong? You’re, um, shaking dude…”

What? He looked down at himself and he was indeed trembling, especially his hands. Derek swallowed.

“Don’t call me ‘dude,’” he grumped quietly for old time’s sake. He crouched down and looked Stiles over, pausing to take in the scarf around his neck and the scent of them, and wondered if he was really going to do this.

If not now, then when? If something terrible had happened what would you regret more? Bright brown eyes watched him curiously, waiting for him to continue. He took a deep breath.

“I thought something had happened to you. That you were hurt...“ Stiles looked down at his now impressively swollen ankle and then back at him, raising an eyebrow. Derek smirked and huffed, the moment of levity releasing some of his tension.

“That you had been attacked, he clarified.” Stiles nodded, but still appeared a bit puzzled. Here goes.

“And I…Stiles, if anything happened to you…I couldn’t bear it.”

The scents of happiness and surprise overtook the bitterness of pain and the nineteen year old smiled at him affectionately.

“You’re not getting rid of me that easily. Don’t worry, you won’t have to learn how to navigate web forums or need to get your own subscription to JSTOR or anything—“

“No, that’s not…” Derek growled in frustration. He had been so adamant about not showing his feelings — and promising a world of hurt to any of the young wolves who figured it out should they let it spill — that Stiles truly had no idea what he thought of him. That and the human’s self-esteem issues, which he tried to hide behind sarcasm and self-deprecating laughter that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

Fuck it. Derek reached out and placed a palm against Stiles’ jaw and cheek. The younger man inhaled sharply through his nose and stilled.

“If anything happened to you, specifically, I couldn’t bear it. You’re very important to me, Stiles. And I’m sorry for not making that clear.”

Stiles licked his lips nervously, eyes searching Derek’s face.

“Uh, do you mean because I’m your packmate or…?”

“Or.”

There was a soft sound that was surprise and disbelief and longing all at once. Derek wanted to hear all of Stiles’ noises. He ran his thumb across the soft skin and was rewarded with a whimper as the teen leaned into his hand. Derek then leaned toward him.

Their first kiss was was slow and sweet, reassuring and exploratory. They rested their foreheads together breathing each others air.

“Wow,” Stiles whispered.

“Mmhmm,” he agreed.

Then the human went to adjust his position and hissed in pain. Oh right.

“Let’s get you back,” Derek said, rising to his feet and then carefully helping Stiles up without putting weight on his injured ankle. The stubborn youth tried awkwardly hopping while braced against him, but after a couple minutes of the very slow going, obviously tiring, and all-around ridiculous movement Derek had enough and swooped a squawking Stiles up into a bridal carry.

“Hey, I could make it just fine on—!”

He shot the Stiles a flat look and he huffed, crossing his arms and turning away with flushing cheeks. Derek’s nostrils flared as musky-sweet arousal soon overtook the sour-salt burn of embarrassment. The action wasn’t missed and those cheeks grew redder still as did the strength of both scents and he grinned, hefting him higher and more firmly against his body.

Derek already knew that Stiles liked it when he manhandled him. He had both tried to avoid it as much as possible and did so deliberately at different points in times, which now that he thought of it was kind of an asshole thing to do. The thing was that he knew the human was attracted to him, but he hadn’t realized there were serious feelings on his end too. Derek sighed. A mess.

A while later he could feel Stiles staring at him and he turned to look at him inquisitively.

“Don’t mind me, I’m just wondering if I actually hit my head when I fell and this is all just a trauma-induced hallucination.” Derek laughed and brought his lips to Stiles’. “Hmm, still not sure, better try that again.” A few minutes went by in silence before he continued. “But seriously, I can’t believe this is happening. I mean, you used to hate me and now—“

“I never hated you,” Derek interrupted.

“Not even when I helped get you arrested?”

“Not even then. Frustrated and annoyed by you, definitely. Angry at, for sure. But hate you? Never. You’re my—“ he cut off when he realized what he was about to say. Despite his truly extraordinary levels of denial at the time he knew when they first met that the trespassing teenager was his mate. It was surely too early to talk about all that, though. He didn’t want to freak out the human, who was of course now observing him with a sharpened gaze.

“I’m your what?”

“My soon-to-be emissary who should really pay more attention to where he’s going in the future,” he replied with a shit-eating grin. Stiles narrowed his eyes. Derek knew better than to expect him to drop the matter, but hopefully some deflecting would buy him time. “Oh, and what was it that you called me once? ‘Issues City’?”

Stiles cringed in his arms.

“Oh god, I’m sorry, Der. I didn’t mean anything by—“

“I know,” he replied, grinning and rolling his eyes. “And, it’s not like you were wrong.”

Stiles giggled. “True. And obviously, I’m right there myself in the yurt next to yours.”

“Why would we be living in yurts? Those are for camping and stuff or, you know, actual nomadic people. Not cities.”

“I dunno dude, cuz they're cool and it’s fun to say? Step out of your box. Use your imagination. Live a little—”

“In our imaginary city,” he deadpanned.

“Yes, Derek! My yurt...” Stiles paused, the tip of his tongue adorably poking out the side of his mouth as he thought. “Has a moat full of Baja Blast and is guarded by an army of angry quokkas.”

“Well my yurt is—“

He was suddenly holding an armful of convulsively laughing teenager and he raised his eyebrows, shaking his head when it subsided only after a whined “Oww.” A few moments later Stiles was mocking him, repeating “my yurt” with an exaggerated seriousness of voice and facial expressions, setting himself off again with the same results.

“Are you done?” Derek asked, trying to keep a straight face.

The impish youth nodded, attempting to portray the very picture of innocence.

“My…” Stiles leaned ever so slightly forward and Derek narrowed his eyes, taking a deep breath. “Collapsableportablecirculardwelling is—”

This time they both dissolved into laughter, Derek sliding his hand further down to brace the injured leg so it wouldn’t be jostled too much.

When they returned Stiles removed his shoes, hoodie, and the scarf, uncharacteristically careful with the latter by taking a moment to hang it over a chair instead of just tossing it aside. He then dug around in his bag and pulled out a bottle wrapped in a runed token with relief.

“I should’ve brought this when we went out in case of—“

“You?”

He chuckled as Stiles glared at him. Just because he finally made his feelings (well, some of them) known didn’t mean he was going to stop giving the younger man shit.

The Spark swallowed a dropper full of the purple liquid and Derek couldn’t help watching the movement of his Adam’s apple on the once more uncovered throat. He forced himself to stop staring and listened to Stiles explain how it sped up the healing of at least non-severe injuries to near werewolf levels. Apparently it also used a good deal of energy because shortly after he was fast asleep on the couch and once again in an awkward position. Derek shook his head fondly and gently straightened out his neck and arranged his limbs so that he wouldn’t wake up so cricked that he’d have to take the purple stuff again.

He busied himself going through the impressively stocked fridge, freezer, and pantry again and figured out what he wanted to make for dinner. For Stiles. Filling, nutritious, comforting and seasonal foods that also served to show what he could make, how he could provide, if he made the effort.

Brown stewed turkey wings cooked low and slow, which he learned from his mother who was herself taught by a Jamaican friend in college. He roasted butternut squash and sweet potato, the later of which he used to make a creamy soup with caramelized red onion, garlic, sage, and an intriguing smelling curry blend he found called rogan josh, but held off on the blending for now. Then came the baking: a simple, crusty loaf of bread and ginger chocolate chip cookies.

There were mulling spices and red wine so he heated some on the stove and lightly sweetened it with honey. For a cold beverage he put some of the delicious fresh pressed honeycrisp apple juice into a carafe with optional bourbon and cardamom bitters on the side. By the time he was preparing a spinach salad with kale, walnuts, and apple with an orange vinaigrette Sleeping Beauty was beginning to stir from his slumber.

“Mmm, something smells amazing," Stiles mumbled sleepily before sitting up and stretching his arms above his head. Derek was instantly drawn to the strip of belly revealed when his shirt rode up and he swallowed. When he looked up Stiles was watching him, head slightly tilted and a rosiness to his cheeks.

"Um, d-dinner's ready," he stammered, turning abruptly to start dishing things up as the scents of amusement and low grade arousal wafted over to him.

This evening was cooler than the last so they ate snuggled up in blankets sitting in front of the remote controlled fireplace on the thick, fluffy rug. It was indeed even more comfortable than it looked. Stiles had the scarf on again and Derek couldn't help glancing over repeatedly, pleased to see his mate wearing his gift, smelling more like his, and enjoying the meal he prepared for him.

"God Derek, you need to keep cooking like this when we get back. At least sometimes. I'm begging you," Stiles said, scraping the remaining bits together and moaning obscenely as he ate the last bite.

Derek felt his eyes flash red and he could just make out Stiles' pupils dilating in the flickering glow of the firelight. The human took a shaky breath and scooted over to him, gaze falling to his mouth and up again. Derek turned further and wrapped his arms around him, drawing Stiles close and sinking his face against that them scented throat, inhaling deeply.

A hand grasped the back of his head and then legs were scrambling as Stiles awkwardly climbed into his lap to straddle him, rubbing against him and whispering, “Please.”

Derek lifted his head and caught those soft, parted lips that he’d dreamt of for so long, pressing against them and then sucking the lower before slipping his tongue inside. Stiles made a desperate, needy sound and he smiled, deepening the kiss.

He leaned forward, bracing a hand on the floor to set Stiles down below him and laid between his legs, rutting against him while continuing to his plunder his mouth.

“Off,” Stiles gasped when they came up for air, tugging at his shirt. Derek rose up to obey, pulling it off with a single motion and not above flexing when the younger man paused to stare. Smiling, he grasped a hesitant hand and brought it to his chest to assure Stiles that he was allowed to feel. The other soon joined and slender fingers roamed over him in tandem and separately in turns, up to his shoulders and upper arms and along his sides then across his twitching abdomen.

“You’re so gorgeous, Derek,” Stiles said quietly.

He couldn’t help blushing. Many people found him attractive, generally to his chagrin, but no one else ever sounded like that. Like he was precious and beautiful, not just an object to be imposed on.

After another minute or so of exploring, the human started wiggling to remove his own clothes and Derek splayed a hand on his half-bared belly.

“Let me,” he said huskily. Stiles nodded and sank back against the rug, raising his arms above his head.

Derek unwrapped his mate like the gift that he was, starting with unwinding the scarf. He put it aside, his other palm running over that pale column possessively, and then came the shirt, pushed up and off to expose lean muscle. Unable to resist anymore he dove to taste and mark at last, latching onto Stiles’ throat to nibble and suck from one side to the other.

Working his way down over Stiles’ left clavicle, Derek pressed an ear directly over his rapidly beating heart for several moments before proceeding to mouth at a raised nipple, earning a light gasp. Tweaking the other between his fingertips, he then switched to soothe it with his tongue.

When he moved toward his belly button, scruff brushing lightly against the skin, Stiles jolted up part way and giggled. Derek joined in the laughter and seeing those ever moving hands fly up to where he was ticklish gave him an idea. Picking up the scarf and holding it taut between his upturned palms he looked down at the curious youth with a hint of red in his stare.

“Can I?”

Stiles dropped his gaze to the length of fabric, swallowing as understanding bloomed in his eyes.

“Yeah.”

He bound his mate’s wrists together with one end and then looped the middle twice around a leg of the coffee table before wrapping the other end around the first and securing it with a snug knot. The ties were loose enough to not damage the material and they could be worked out of with a bit of effort, but it would serve as a reminder and stay any errant movements.

Slowly, he divested Stiles of his pants, his heart racing when Derek bent down to nuzzle at the bulge in his red boxer briefs and breathed in his deepening arousal before pulling those off as well.

“Beautiful,” Derek said, leaning back to survey the enthralling sight before him. The resultant all over blush made him even more lovely.

He nudged strong yet supple thighs further apart and made himself comfortable between them, grasping Stiles’ cock in his left hand as he reached to fondle his balls with the right and took one into his mouth. Palming the underside of his thighs, Derek then pushed up to expose his prize, lapping over his mate’s pretty hole.

Spurred on by breathy expletives, he delved and teased until the human was a writhing, whimpering mess, easing off and squeezing at the base of his cock when Stiles got close. Derek set a knee over his shoulder and licked up and around the shaft, finally engulfing the head and sinking down down down and up again, hollowing his cheeks. He popped off momentarily to let saliva flow into Stiles’ cleft, coating his thumb and circling it over the rim as he got back to work and met dazed whisky colored eyes.

When Stiles approached his peak again Derek pressed the thick digit through his tight entrance, groaning at the feel of him as he found and rubbed against his prostate. Moments later Stiles was crying out and coming down his throat and he was determined not to lose a single drop. Derek didn’t release him until he was sure he’d swallowed it all, pulling off the spent member and licking the tip for good measure, still continuing to finger the trembling Spark.

“Lube…my bag,” Stiles said, panting.

Derek withdrew and got up, making a stop to the bathroom and returning with some damp cloths before retrieving the bottle from the duffle and grabbing a throw cushion from the couch.

“I wasn’t being…presumptuous,” Stiles suddenly blurted, trying to emphasize with his hands before remembering he was restrained. “I use it, you know, myself when—“

“Stiles, relax. I’m very glad you brought some.” He set the stuff down on the coffee table. “Besides, apparently you would’ve been right to be.” Derek smirked as he unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans, pushing them down and stepping out of them.

“God, I knew it. Of course you go commando,” Stiles whined, eyes wide while taking him in.

He flashed a predatory grin.

“Only sometimes, but I’ll keep your approval in mind.”

Derek took hold of his rock hard erection and stroked himself lazily, enjoying the way Stiles watched him, biting that plumped lower lip as he advanced toward him. He wanted to feel them wrapped around his cock so he set himself over the youth and got down to straddle his chest. Stiles gasped and licked his lips and Derek gently gripped his face, running a thumb over his cheek.

“Okay?” he asked.

Stiles nodded enthusiastically and croaked, “Yeah.”

He opened his mouth and Derek leaned forward, running the tip over those cupid’s bow lips and sighing in pleasure as he finally entered that welcoming wet heat. Stiles began to bob and suck as well as he could in that position as Derek met his eyes, caressing the side of his face with the back of his right hand.

How did he ever get so goddamn lucky?

Truth be told, he assumed that Stiles would’ve been long gone by now and he hadn't planned to do — to say — anything to hold him back, but the stubborn young man stayed and now here they were and if he wasn't literally being blown this very instant he wouldn't have believed. Hell, it still felt like a dream.

He blinked as he realized that encompassing warmth had pulled away, tongue flicking over him playfully instead, and he refocused to see his mate's amused expression.

"You alright there, big guy?"

"Yeah, sorry,” he murmured, embarrassed by his distraction and hoping Stiles didn’t think he’d been anything less than wonderful. “I just…I can't believe I get to have you. I never expect—”

“Well, get used to it, Alpha,” the mischievous human interjected, delighting his wolf and drawing out a possessive rumble. “Now come down here and kiss me and then fuck my face.”

Derek’s jaw fell open even as Stiles flushed at his own brazen command yet refused to look away. He hurried to comply, tasting traces of himself as their mouths slotted together, soft and slow and deep. When they came up for air Derek got back into position, eyes dark with desire, but hesitant.

“Go ahead, Der,” Stiles said, seductively licking his lips. “I want you to and I know you want to, don’t even front. Plus, it’ll give my neck a break,” he added, smirking before opening up wide.

Derek chuckled and slide a hand through Stiles’ growing hair and around to the back, holding him in place as he shifted forward and leaned on his other hand as he fed his cock to the eager Spark. His hips started jerking as soon as those lips stretched tight around him and he groaned as he began to thrust in earnest, finding a rhythm. He was wasn’t sure how experienced the younger man was so he did his best to stop shy of choking him.

The signs of his mate’s enjoyment at being used so, the half-lidded gaze and the pleasant vibrations from his muffled moans, only served to bring Derek closer to the edge. As amazing as it would be to come in that lovely mouth though, he wanted to fuck Stiles even more, so he would save that for another time. Many many other times if he had his way.

Stiles pouted when he withdrew and moved back, but began jiggling a foot in anticipation once he reached for the lube. Derek pressed two slippery fingers inside where his tongue and thumb had been not long before, pumping and twisting and scissoring. He slipped in a third, growling at the sight of Stiles rocking onto him, his cock erect and leaking once more.

With apologies Derek brought his hand away to slick himself up, promising his mate that he was about to give him what he needed. He settled over Stiles and between his spread legs, leaning down for a sloppy kiss before drawing back enough to push his knees up. When Derek had him bent almost in half he pressed the tip of his cock against the teen’s fluttering hole and waited for him to exhale.

There was a moment of resistance before the head popped through that tight ring and then he was plunging slow and steady into Stiles’ hot channel. Derek put a palm to his hip to drain his discomfort and he felt the younger man relax as he bottomed out. Holding still, he ignored the urge to thrust fast and hard so that his mate could get used to him.

When Stiles indicated that he was ready Derek started off with short, gentle strokes that gradually increased in intensity, dragging over that special bundle of nerves and making the Spark close his eyes in pleasure. Capturing those parted lips, he used his tongue in time with the snap of his hips, wanting to be inside his mate in every way possible.

Derek broke the kiss and reached above them to tug open the knot and loosen the loops of the scarf so that Stiles could slip free. He’d greatly enjoyed their evening playing with it — the trust, vulnerability, and submission — but now he needed something more, needed to feel his mate’s touch.

As soon as the teen had stretched and shaken out his arms they were wrapped around his waist and upper back, the hand of the latter sliding up to burrow in his hair as Stiles rocked up to meet every thrust and chanted his name. Derek held him close, their movements becoming a slow, deep fully body grind as they resumed kissing like they could only breathe the other’s air. Pressed flush together until he didn’t know where he ended and Stiles began, their scents no longer just their own, but imbued with them.

Stiles’ orgasm took them both by surprise, the human crying out and digging blunt fingernails into his shoulders as liquid pulsed between them and he clenched rhythmically around Derek’s cock, taking him over the edge as well. He buried his face in the cast off blankets to muffle his roar as he filled Stiles with his essence, already longing to do it again when they separated at last and he floated euphoric between wakefulness and sleep.

“So, I’m your mate, huh?”

Derek’s eyes flew open some indeterminate amount of time later to find Stiles watching him with a wry smile.

“C’mon dude, you can’t be surprised I figured it out. ‘I can’t hate you, you’re my dot dot dot,’” the human mimicked, giving him a pointed look. “I’m only mad I didn’t see it earlier. I chalked up all the lurking, sorry, ‘checking in’ by my house to me being a vulnerable human and stuff.” Stiles snorted at his stunned expression.

“I have wards, duh. And I made them so that I basically get a daily proximity report for non-hostile activity around the house just in case there’s still something I should know about,” he explained, shrugging. Derek cringed and Stiles patted him on the shoulder, squeezing before continuing. “Or maybe it was something you did with all your packmates, I never asked.”

There was a hint of something — anxiety? insecurity? — that led him to think that the Spark hadn’t wanted to know for sure that it was the same with everyone. Or to learn that he was being treated differently, but not for reasons he wanted. So he just didn’t in order to be able to maybe imagine sometimes…

Derek understood perfectly, his heart aching for his mate who’d apparently been doing his own dance of pining and avoidance. How very fitting and silly of them.

“But add in the scarf,” Stiles continued — reaching across him to grab it and drape it over himself, fingers tracing its patterns lovingly — “and the sniffing and looks and providing since we’ve been here and well, I finally put 2 and 2 together. I might be fairly oblivious, but you, Mr. Wolf, are not subtle.”

Derek barked a laugh and grinned, unable to be annoyed at his pushy instinctual side when this was the outcome.

“Yes, you’re my clever, ridiculous mate.”

“Sweet.”

The subsequent reflective silence lasted approximately 37 seconds.

“Sooo…do you have a knot?”

Derek groaned and flopped onto his back, closing his eyes. He tried not to giggle when Stiles began poking him in the shoulder, complaining that he had a right to know about things which may or may not make an appearance in his ass. Sighing, he turned back over.

“After the mating is complete, apparently.”

“Seems pretty complete to me,” Stiles joked, wagging his eyebrows. Derek rolled his eyes.

“I suppose it’s time to borrow those books from Peter for you. The short version is, well, there has to be certain…intentions and behaviors and then a mating bite with my wolf teeth if—if you decide you want it someday and—“

“When,” Stiles emphasized, matter-of-factly.

“When,” he repeated with a smile, pulling his mate close and nuzzling him to revel in their combined scents.

The conversation continued, astute inquiries and humorous asides becoming intermittent murmurs until Stiles drifted off and he soon followed, lulled by the sound of his mate’s breathing.

Unsurprisingly, Derek woke first again and laid there for a good 15-20 minutes just watching Stiles sleep. Taking in the sight of him so soft and disheveled, beautiful and all his. His mate. When the desire to touch and taste won out over his contentment to observe, he made his way under the blanket haphazardly covering the human to part his thighs just enough to suckle at his dormant cock.

He’d mentioned last night how intense his cravings for his mate would be, especially this first month, now that they’d slept together. Stiles had grinned smugly and given him permission to have his way with him unless he stated otherwise.

Derek savored the evidence of arousal growing on his tongue and began to work slowly up and down the hardening shaft, coaxing the human back into consciousness.

“Well, hello there,” Stiles mumbled, petting his head with a smile in his voice.

In response, Derek redoubled his efforts and those slender fingers curled, tugging at his hair, and he moaned in approval. He encouraged Stiles to thrust upward in time with his movements, playing with his balls and then pressing behind them until he was rewarded with cries of pleasure and swallowed down his warm release.

There was still no sign of any supernatural activity later that morning, fae or otherwise, as they reported again to Isaac. Whatever mystery being (or human prankster) had been there before had seemingly moved on, but they figured they might as well enjoy one more lazy day and cozy night alone together. Stiles fired up the grill that evening and it was Derek’s turn to be provided for and impressed by his mate’s cooking. They had filet mignon kebabs with zucchini and red onion accompanied by salted foil wrapped baked potatoes served with sour cream, chives, and smoked paprika.

After one last walk around the property and down to the lake and back Derek got the whirlpool going and they blissed out soaking in the hot, turbulent water. The noises Stiles let out as the tension in his body dissipated, sliding down in the seat until his head was thrown back against the edge and his throat on full display, had Derek promptly wedged between his legs, sucking new bruises between yesterday’s blooms and grinding against him.

He wasn’t about to attempt penetration in the water, but had another tantalizing idea in mind. Derek hauled Stiles up and turned him around before carefully placing him down with his torso on the surrounding deck and his legs and and ass hanging over the side. All but ripping off his trunks, Derek knelt back on the seat in the hot tub and spread his cheeks, eating him out with abandon until Stiles climaxed untouched with a guttural moan that he vowed to wring from him again.

Then he got out and carried his mate inside over his shoulder, snagging the bottle of lube from the living room and heading to christen the bedroom. Derek set the loose limbed teen onto the mattress on his belly and propped his hips up with a pillow. Impatiently, he slicked himself up and tested Stiles’ still ready hole with a couple of fingers before mounting him and sheathing his cock in a single motion.

Derek pressed against his back and pinned him down, thrusting in long, deep strokes that made the teen gasp, increasing in speed until they grew erratic. His balls drew up and he howled as he planted his seed deep inside Stiles’ pliant body, remaining there until the human began to squirm. When he finally pulled away he dropped down beside his fuck drunk mate and peppered his smiling face with kisses.

Stiles swatted his ass playfully and then grabbed hold of a cheek as they snuggled.

“Next time you can fuck me if you want,” he whispered, laughing at the surprised and hungry look on the teen’s face.

They got up shortly before dawn and packed the last of their things, only bothering with a cursory shower because most of the time they had to spare was spent with Stiles’ kneeling on some extra towels in the stall with Derek’s cock in his insatiable mouth.

Miraculously, they managed to leave at a quarter to 8:00 so Stiles could get back for his noon class barring any lengthy unexpected events. They passed the time with a combination of radio roulette, talking about whatever came to mind, and comfortable silence as Stiles read or gazed out the window and Derek had his thoughts, which were actually pleasant for once. How could they not be with his mate by his side?

To think that going on this random and apparently unnecessary, but strangely amazing trip had changed so much for the both of them. It couldn’t have been more perfect if it had been planned.

He glanced over and Stiles was idly playing with the end of his scarf with his right hand and Derek took his left, their fingers interlocking seamlessly like the red and amber yarn. It felt like they’d been doing this for ages. As if they belonged there, bound together.

They did.

Isaac:

Recently returned from his morning English class, Isaac was getting a jump on the reading assignment when he heard the Camaro pull up outside.

He thew down the paperback and hurried over to the window to peer outside through a gap in the curtains. Derek and Stiles — who was wearing the scarf, yes! — were talking and standing rather close. He crossed his fingers.

Moments later Derek took both of Stiles’ hands in his own and the human laughed, leaning in for a kiss. Isaac pumped his fist.

“Hallelujah,” he whispered, turning away and picking up his phone feeling incredibly smug.

<They’re back. It worked.>

<Thank fuck> replied Z-ter. <If I had to listen to one more longing sigh I would’ve gone and gotten myself killed a second time.>

Isaac snickered. <Dramatic much? But now we’re probably gonna have to put up with the loft smelling like a whorehouse.>

<Lmao.>

<Oh, fuck you.>

<Sorry, this is Peter, not Scott or Allison.>

Blushing fiercely and mouth hanging open, he tried to think of a response, but the elder beta continued on like he didn’t just casually wreck him.

<I’m glad it was successful. Not that I had much doubt, it was my plan after all.>

Isaac huffed. <*Our* plan.>

Sure their resident zombie wolf had the associate with a decked out cabin who owed him a favor, but the idea to send them off somewhere together after Derek asked for the scarf — which he then beautifully made, thank you very much — had been his.

<Tomayto, tomahto.>

He sent a middle finger emoji.

The Jeep struggled to life out front and Derek walked in shortly after with a big, stupid grin on his face. Isaac just looked at him and shook his head though he was secretly happy for his Alpha. God knew he deserved some joy in his life, even if it was with Stiles of all people. He only hoped that he didn’t have to see or hear any activities as well. Isaac would bet anything that Stiles was a screamer.

Later that afternoon he received a message from the loud mouth himself.

<Lol, fair. Hey, do you think you could knit me a beanie sometime? That scarf you made is pretty awesome, btw.>

Isaac sighed heavily. Of course.

<Hmm…for a price.>

<Uhhh…okaaay…>

<Deal. Now let me guess…gray with green. Perhaps with some blue and gold accents?>

<I’m psychic.>

Isaac rolled his eyes as he set the phone back on the side table. “Idiots, the both of them,” he muttered.

Still he couldn’t help smiling as he began looking through his supplies.

#sterek #sterek fanfic #stiles stilinski fanart #wip big bang #sterek & stuff events #equiknots #equiknots apple #equiknots between #equiknots falling leaves #equiknots flame #equiknots knot #equiknots song #equiknots travel #equiknots trisk #trisk

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cosmic-crybaby · 2 years

Text

Blue Skies- Tommy Shelby

Chapter 7: ‘All My Heart’

Warnings in this chapter: No warnings this chapter, mostly fluff, a little angst in the beginning.

Masterlist

---

It was the very next week.

Your children were over at your home once again. You had just picked them up from their tutors, feeding and bathing them before sending them up tp their rooms to read before you retreated to your own bedroom. You had just remembered you were gifted an old family recipe book, an old notebook made from parchment and covered in red leather that had to be old and tattered now. It was filled on every page with hundreds of recipes of baked goods, pastries, and deserts that dated back to the 1860′s. In hopes you would be able to use the book to find something new to sell for the customers, just in time for the Spring as it was just a few more weeks away.

You looked through the many boxes that were stored in your closet, setting them on the floor in front of you. One of the boxes you had opened held a variety of fabric and smaller boxes. One of the pieces of fabric caught your eye You picked it up, gently unfolding it and holding it out in front of you as it was revealed to be an old yellow dress you wore on your first outing with your ex-husband. The next dress you found was the one you had worn when you first found out you were pregnant, it was a beautiful shade of blue like the sea and printed with floral designs. It was a dress your mother made for you. Digging deeper, you found the small box that contained your wedding band. You felt your stomach sink as your heart swelled with emotion. The memories you had shared with him since you were young. Taking a deep breath and shaking your head before the tears could form, ‘It’s in the past’ You reminded yourself as your quickly set the contents back in the box and placed the lid on. When you reached into the second box you felt something soft against your fingers, gently pulling it out. It was a cotton sheet that was tied with a lilac ribbon.

You curiously untied the cotton bag, letting out a small gasp as the corners fell and draped over your lap. Your eyes widened at the pair of baby slippers. One pair was knitted in what used to be white wool, which now started to grow beige over time. The other pair looked nicer, being that they were store bought instead of hand-made. They were navy in color with white stripes around the ankle. When you were pregnant with Elizabeth, you and your husband had little money, so your mother took the liberty in giving you the hand-knitted socks. By the time you were pregnant with Henry your husband had a better job and you both owned a decent amount of money, so you had bought the second pair in a local store in London. You sniffled and cursed to yourself as the memories and guilt flooded through you once again. You gently placed them back in the rag and tied them up before placing it back in the box and putting them back in your closet after you found what you were looking for, hidden away and out of sight.

The very next day you took the day off from the bakery. Sitting at your vanity, applying mascara on your lashes.

“How come you’re wearing makeup, mum?” Elizabeth asked as she entered your room and sat herself down on your bed, her feet dangling off the side.

“I always wear makeup,” You inform her with a glance through the mirror as you focus on the task.

“Are you going on a date?” She asked, you chortle and put the brush and pan of mascara away in the drawer.

“No, love I am not,” You told her, which caused her to nod quietly. You picked up the tube of lipstick.

“Are you trying to look pretty for Thomas?” She then asked, you set the lip stick down and sigh as you turn your full attention to her.

“Elizabeth.” You warn. She only put her hands up in defense as she hopped off of the bed and left you alone in the room.

“You better be ready in one hour!” You called to her. You applied the light lipstick before blotting the excess on a tissue. You stood up, smoothing down your dress. It was a beautiful lavender shade with white detailing. It was simple and casual but still appropriate for your day with Thomas. You take a deep breath as you stop at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for Thomas’ arrival.

Just as you had stepped into the living room, you groaned at the mess your children had made of it. Their books and toys scattered around the room.

"Elizabeth, Henry!" You called, followed by a tsk. Finding it useless in asking them to clean up. You scanned the room, picking up any toy or book you could and attempting to find a place to put them. You scoffed at yourself and set the books on the shelf haphazardly and ran up the stairs to quickly place the toys in the toy box. A knock at the door caused you to gasp. It was Thomas. Running down the stairs to throw the last of the books on the shelves.

"You two know I cleaned the house, please pick up after yourselves! This is just..," You give up and sigh heavily. Kicking the last of the toys under the couch.

Out of sight, out of mind.

You smooth down your dress once more and fix any stray hairs as you open the front door. Thomas stood on the front steps, wearing his peaked cap, coat, and gloves. You smiled at him.

"Thomas…Hi," You heard the two sets of feet bounding down the wooden stairs and stopping behind you.

"(Y/n)…Elizabeth, Henry," He nodded in acknowledgment to your children who now stood in front of you.

"Hi Mr. Shelby," Henry said.

"Hello, Thomas," Elizabeth's voice was as stoic as her expression. You tsked again and threw your coat on before having the children lead the way. Thomas suggested you all go for a drive. The trees were starting to gain their leaves back this time of year and thought your kids would have a good time running up and down the hills and picking flowers. Upon your arrival to your secret destination, he opened the door for you and your children to exit the vehicle.

If Thomas Shelby was anything besides a criminal, he was a gentleman.

A good one at that.

You smiled brightly at him, your lips painted the slightest shade of red to match the natural blush of your cheeks.

The sun was shining bright that day, opposite of your usual gloomy Birmingham weather. The sun kissed your cheeks and warmed your skin, slightly. It was still cool out, but at least your kids got to soak up what little bit of sun that had peeked from behind the clouds. You took a breath of fresh air as you walked to the open grass. The large trees being the only thing providing shade. You set a large blanket down under the tree, Thomas sitting down beside you as Henry and Elizabeth took off running down the hill. You grin in contentment as you watch them from afar, shouting and chasing each other around the field.

“How do you do it?” He asked. You glanced at him, your shaded glasses over your eyes to shield the harsh rays of the sun.

“Do what?”

“Take care of the both of them by yourself,”

You took a deep breath and shrugged. Slightly shaking your head as you thought for a moment.

“It gets easier as they get older, but the older they get the less dependent they are on me,”

“That should be a good thing,” He spoke. You didn’t expect him to get it right away since he never got the chance to share the same feelings you did when it came to being a parent.

“It is sometimes, but they’re still going to be my babies no matter what, I won’t treat them like that forever but I also don’t want them to think that just because they grow up they don’t need me anymore,” You explained. You wished you could follow your own advice. The regret of pushing your own family away still plagues your mind to this day.

“I don’t just feed them, I bathe them, play games with them…I hug them when they’re sad and teach them things that I wished my family taught me before I had to learn them the hard way,”

“All we really know is the hard way…that can benefit them,” He said, blowing smoke out of his mouth. You nod in contemplation at this response.

“In some cases yeah,” You agreed. “I like to foster their self-interests, it helps ‘em find activities they enjoy,”

“I did the same with my boy, he loved horses…his mother wasn’t very fond of them, and the horses here are far superior to the horses in America,”

“Speaking from experience or is that a biased opinion?” You chuckled

“A bit of both,” The laughs eased into silence, the birds chirping were the only sounds that could be heard besides the screams and laughs of your children in the distance as they fed the birds by the pond. You wondered if their father had done the same for them. He wasn’t the most motivating man when it came to your marriage but he sure as hell was reassuring but you still wondered if he gave them the same motivation and reassurance.

‘No I shouldn’t think so negatively about him, I should still have faith in him’ You thought.

“Mummy!” Henry called as he ran up to you, slightly panting with Elizabeth running up behind him. Looking away from Thomas and up at their red faces and messy, winded hair.

“Yes, Love,”

Henry pulled out a crooked paper airplane, made from what looked like an old homework assignment.

“A boy in my class tried to teach me how to make a parchment aero-plane but it doesn’t fly very good,” He said, a small frown of disappointment.

“Let me see here, Henry,” Thomas leaned forward to hold out his hand for the boy to pass it to him. He took the small plane in his hands and examined it, he tsked before nodding once.

“That boy in your class had no idea what he’s doing…Here let me show you,” Thomas said before scooting over so Henry could take a seat beside him and watch Thomas unfold the paper. Elizabeth sat at your side and rested her head on your shoulder as she watched as well, calming her breaths.

“...And you fold it like this…and you got yourself an aero-plane,” Thomas finished, handing the plane back to Henry as it was in better shape and had more of a sturdy structure to it. Henry smiled in delight, examining it with big bright eyes.

“Thank you, Mr. Shelby,”

“Let's go see if she flies now, boy,” Thomas said as he stood up. Henry followed suit and stopped just before the steep of the hill. Thomas held the plane, demonstrating how to throw it properly.

“Have you thrown a dart before, Henry?” He asked. Henry nodded.

“Yeah, dad taught me before,” He said, glancing up at Thomas.

“Good, now it’s just like that, all in the wrists,” He says as he motions how to throw it, giving the plane back to Henry. He counted down for Henry who jumped in excitement when he saw how smoothly the plane coasted the air and down the hill. It only went a few feet but Henry was ecstatic that it worked. You watched them interact together from your spot on the blanket. A smile started forming on your face, unbeknownst to you as your heart leaped at how your son already took a liking to Thomas.

“He asked dad to teach him last week…but dad was too busy,” Elizabeth said quietly. You turned your head to look at her as your hand was petting her beautiful long hair.

“Too busy?” You repeated, wondering what on earth had his attention rather than focusing on his kids.

“Yeah…He works a lot, always running his bakery and having meetings with the men he works with,” She said, you had to refrain from rolling your eyes. It upset you that he fought to see his children every other week when he’s already too enveloped in his own work to ever really spend quality time with them. You cleared your throat.

“Love…does your father take you two to your lessons?" You asked. She looked up at you, squinting a bit from the sun, you took your shaded glasses off and set them over her eyes.

"Sometimes, when the bakery is super busy he forgets...or he gets one of his workers to take us," She said. This made your stomach tighten and your chest feel heavy with anger as you swallowed your words of concern and formed your lips in a tight line, but you knew deep down he cared for his family and had a huge soft spot for your children and he wouldn't put them in harms way, he was a tough, scary man on the outside and everyone knew not to fuck with him.

"Okay Love, as long as your father trusts these men, then okay but make sure you go to your lessons from now on...nag him if you have to," You mumble the last part.

After a few hours of walking along the grass and going down to the lake to look at the ducks and fish in the water, Thomas packed the car and took the drive back home. The sun was starting to set as the sky turned from a beautiful bright blue to a pink and purple sky. The all too familiar smoke of and clouds started to cover the sky the closer you got to the city. He parked the car in front of your home, the kids jumping out of the car and running inside. When the two of you stepped out of the car, he walked beside you.

"I had fun today," You smiled. "Thank you,"

"My pleasure, you deserve a break," He said. Just as you stopped at the front door you turned to him.

"Would you like to stay for dinner?"

---

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sweetestofchaos · 1 year

Text

Blackthorn Ch 4 | M.YG

On Guard - Princess Keena starts her tutoring lessons to help further her worldly knowledge. Prince Yoongi loses himself and the Princess has to deal with the aftermath.

a/n: As always thanks to @sailoryooons for be my beta and making the banner. Huge shout out to @colormepurplex2 for making the Namjoon edit below. She saw me struggling and came to the rescue!

a/n 2: Character asks are open. Feel free to ask anyone a question(s). No one is off limits.

Taglist: @thickemadame

Series Masterlist | Masterlist

Previous | Next

Princess Keena woke to the sound of Izaso and Yongsun arguing over what the Princess would wear for the day. The Princess sat up in bed and yawned with her arms stretched high above her head. Hyejin and Limbani smiled at the sight of the Princess and helped her into her morning robe and slippers. Byulyi and Fatsani set the table for breakfast and settled the Princess with a nice hot cup of fresh lemon mint tea. Princess Keena thanked them and sipped at her tea while she ate her breakfast quietly.

Izaso and Yongsun continued to argue in harsh whispers and the Princess smiled to herself. After her conversation with Aga last night, the Princess knew what she wanted to wear during her classes. Princess Keena ignored their bickering and ate her food while going over her schedule for the day with Wheein. It was a lot but the Princess wouldn’t shy away from it. The first class was etiquette followed by language arts. After a short break, the Princess would learn the history of the Min empire followed by music and dance. There was to be another break in between for lunch and afterwards was the last lessons of the day, civics and species studies.

The Princess wondered how different the social structures of the two nations were and she looked forward to learning. Once finished with breakfast, Alinafe and Hyejin washed the Princess for the day while Chimika and Byulyi styled her hair into a single jumbo braid that had a thin gold chain with sapphires twisted in. Princess Keena watched in the mirror as Wheein started her makeup while Alinafe overlooked the process. The eyeshadow was a mix of warm nude tones with a pop of gold and thin black liner. The Princess’s lips were painted a soft taupe with cranberry hues which tied the whole look together.

Izaso walked over with a frown settled on her lips, her dark eyes narrowed as she sighed and motioned for the Princess to follow her. Princess Keena bit the inside of her lip to keep from laughing and followed Izaso to where Yongsun stood with a blue and gold hanbok ready to go. The Princess smiled and shook her head lightly as she spoke, “I will be wearing a boubou to today’s classes.”

Izaso’s face lit up at the Princess’s words and Yongsun frowned. “I understand that my attire is not what you are used to. However, it is a part of my culture. I will respect your dress when it is needed. Outside of that, I request that you grace me with the same courtesy.”

Yongsun bowed deeply and Izaso motioned for Fatsani and Limbani to ready the Princess’s clothing. Since the hanbok was blue, they picked out a light blue silk chevron patterned boubou that had a black and navy striped neckline. Izaso and Yongsun helped dress the Princess and finished the dress with a pair of navy leather pointed-toed shoes called balghas.

“Princess.” Chimika led the Princess back over to the vanity where Byulyi was standing with light blue chevron fabric in her hands. Princess Keena sat in the chair and Chimika wrapped the braid into a flat bun a few inches above the nape of the Princess’s neck. Byulyi took Chimika’s place and started to wrap the fabric around the Princess’s head carefully while Chimika watched. Once finished, Chimika smiled and nodded her head towards Byulyi as she complimented her first ever gele.

Alinafe took over and placed five golden bracelets of different thickness on the Princess’s left arm as well as three chunky golden rings, one on the index finger and the other two on the Princess’s ring finger. A single thin golden chain cuffed around the Princess’s left arm and followed the length of her middle finger before it wrapped around like a ring; three diamonds rested in the center of the chain that linked the bracelet and ring together. On the Princess’s right hand, the two rings that the Prince gifted to the Princess rested on her index finger. Alinafe paired the thinner rings with three other golden rings that were shaped into knots and wings with sapphire and diamond jewels.

A knock at the door pulled Wheein away from tidying up the room and she hurried over. As she opened the door, Hoseok smiled brightly while Prince Yoongi stood in the distance dressed in white nagajuban with a black kimono over it that had golden ginkgo leaves and tigers stitched along the hem. A deep red obi was tied around the Prince’s waist and a red haori was on top of the whole outfit with the haori himo designed as thin ropes of black and white beads tied in the front.

“His Imperial Highness is here to escort Her Highness.” Hoseok bowed his head as he spoke and Wheein nodded her head before she shut the door.

“Princess!” Wheein hurried over to the other and grinned. “His Imperial Highness has come for you.”

Princess Keena waited as Yongsun gave her a finale once over and bid her goodbyes to her handmaidens before she followed Byulyi to the door of her chambers.

While the Princess was away, Yongsun and her underlings would have lessons with Izaso and the others so that they would be able to take care of the Princess once it was time for them to leave. Byulyi opened the door and Princess Keena smiled when she saw the Prince standing in the hall with his hands behind his back.

Prince Yoongi’s lips pulled into an easy smile as he unclasped his hands from behind his back. “Good morning, Princess.”

“Good morning, Your Highness.” The Prince offered the Princess his arm and Princess Keena linked their arms together at the elbows. “Is your throat feeling better?”

Prince Yoongi nodded his head. “Much better. I hardly feel any pain.” The Prince led the way to the Princess’s first class and they spoke softly to each other.

Aga and Hoseok walked behind the royals while Minho and Mingi walked in front. Hoseok watched as the Prince laughed at whatever the Princess told him. Aga kept his face blank as he watched the Princess walk happily beside the young Prince without a care in the world. Aga was surprised to see that the Princess had chosen to wear one of her boubou and not a hanbok. The young royals looked good side by side, but Aga wouldn’t voice his opinion out loud. Hoseok kept his amber eyes on the two as servants and guards all bowed out of their way.

As the Prince reached the first lesson of the day, he turned to the Princess and took both of her hands in his. Prince Yoongi stared down at the rings on the Princess’s fingers and his thumb brushed over the rings that he gifted. His dark eyes flickered up to search the Princess’s face for any hint of fear or hesitation and when he found none, he huffed a laugh.

“Have you no fear of today?”

“What have I to fear, my Prince?”

Prince Yoongi licked his lips as he thought over the Princess’s question. “I suppose a paper cut or an ink stain at most.”

Princess Keena’s lips twitched as she suppressed her laughter and gave the Prince’s hands a light squeeze. Hoseok cleared his throat from behind and the Prince nodded his head before he squeezed the Princess’s hands in his.

“Enjoy your classes, Princess.”

Prince Yoongi bowed his head and pressed his lips to the Princess’s knuckles as he pulled her right hand up to his mouth. The Princess felt her face heat up and she bit the inside of her cheek as the Prince loosened his hold on her hands and pulled away.

“I will be with Seokjin and the royal advisor if you need me. Do not hesitate to call for me.”

“I will be fine, my Prince.”

Prince Yoongi clicked his tongue and tapped the Princess on the tip of her nose, “Good luck, Princess.”

Prince Yoongi stepped away from the Princess and waited until she disappeared behind the sliding door with Aga. Mingi and Minho stood guard outside and the Prince narrowed his eyes at them.

“If they are not tutors or attendants, they are not granted entrance to the Princess’s classes.” Prince Yoongi growled as his eyes flashed gold. “Hoseok is the only other permitted to enter.”

“Understood, your Highness.” Minho and Mingi both bowed and the Prince walked away with Hoseok beside him.

Inside the room, Princess Keena looked around. It was decorated in neutral tones with small splashes of color and very tasteful. A chabudai table sat towards the back of the room with two cushions in front while the center of the room was empty. The dark wooden floors looked brighter from the natural sunlight that spilled in from the rounded cut out windows. Large twin vases stood four feet tall, tucked in the corners of the room with cherry blossom branches in them.

On the ceiling above, sunstones shined a soft light through the blue and green lanterns that hung in a cluster. Aga stood off to the left side of the room and watched as the Princess sat before the table. No one was present in the room so the Princess took the moment of silence and gathered her thoughts.

A knock at the door sounded throughout the room before someone stepped inside and the Princess kept her back towards the door. Aga watched as a tall woman dressed in deep green and black garb entered the room. There were no symbols or designs stitched into the fabric. The woman wore a long black tunic that stopped just above her knees and faded into green closer towards the waist. Her black pants looked to be wrapped around the woman’s legs in a style that Aga knew to be dhoti.

The woman’s black hair was coiled tightly at the back of her neck with tiny silver clips scattered throughout the neat bun. Aga took notice of the way the woman didn’t look like the rest of the people in the castle. This woman had dull grey skin and large blue eyes that bulged out of her and didn’t quite fit her face. Her face was more angular, and her chin had a strong point with a mole the size of a pea that rested above her left eyebrow.

The woman bowed to Aga and walked over to the Princess. The woman lowered herself to her knees and bowed low, the dark fabric of the grab she wore bunched around her and the Princess noticed that the woman had blue green markings on her neck.

“Welcome to the Min empire, Princess Keena of the Escistan nation. I am Zarrin Tajik of the siren tribe.” Zarrin raised up slowly and would not raise her eyes past the Princess’s nose. “I will be your etiquette tutor during your stay within the palace.”

Princess Keena bowed her head and waited as Zarrin walked around to the other side of the table. She sat before the Princess and placed her hands on the table. Zarrin’s fingers were long and boney, her nails were blue purple and the same markings that were on her neck were on her wrists.

“Today I would like to learn what you know about etiquette. Every nation is different in how they show respect with very small overlaps. It is to my understanding that the people of Escistan do not bow at the waist lower than forty five degrees nor do they bend the knee for those of royal blood.”

“That is correct.” Princess Keena placed her hand in her lap and fiddled with one of the rings that the Prince gifted her. “While the Impundulu’s blood does run in our veins, we are no different than those that serve us. To have them soil their garbs in greeting would be shameful.”

Zarrin’s lips pressed into a tight line and she nodded her head. “And the meaning being your greeting?”

“The meaning?” Princess Keena smiled as she repeated the question. “With these hands I will protect your life, that is my pledge to you. I see you, like you see me, that is our life.”

Aga smirked to himself, he had told the Princess the significance of their greeting when she was just a hatchling and asked many, many questions.

Zarrin sat up straighter and lifted her head. She stared right into the Princess’s eyes and grinned, her teeth all pointed and sharp like a shark’s. Princess Keena held Zarrin’s gaze and the older woman laughed. It was a rough giggle, smoothed over and drowned by salt water. Those large blue eyes shifted towards Aga and Zarrin clapped her hands before she turned her attention back to the Princess.

“A truly noble pledge to make. Thank you for enlightening me, your highness.” Zarrin snapped her fingers and the whooshing sound of the sea filled the room before a tea set made from water appeared on the desk before the Princess. “Let us start from the beginning!”

Time sped by as the Princess shared her knowledge with Zarrin. The older woman took notes and wrote up a solid lesson plan based on what the Princess lacked in knowledge. Zarrin stood to her full height and again lowered herself to her knees and bowed deeply before the Princess.

“I look forward to our sessions, your highness. Please enjoy the rest of your lessons.”

“Thank you, Zarrin. Enjoy the rest of your day.”

Princess Keena bowed her head and the siren left without another word. Once the door shut, Aga watched as the Princess sighed.

“So that is a siren. I never thought I would ever meet one in this lifetime.”

Aga grunted and watched the door as the Princess stood from the place at the table. “Come now, Aga. Zarrin was nothing like what I’ve been told of her kind.”

Princess Keena walked over to one of the windows and looked outside at the dogwood and magnolia trees. In the distance she spotted a young man with the softest shade of blue hair dressed in simple robes with a pair of pruning shears in his hands. He was clearly the royal gardener of the grounds, and the Princess made a mental note to find him later on.

Another knock caught the Princess’s attention and a young boy wearing a colorful outfit stepped into the room. He was short, much shorter than the Princess and had a single rose red hexagon crystal in the center of his forehead. The boy had snow white hair that was cut into a bob and framed his cherub like face perfectly. His eyebrows and eyelashes were white as well, while his eyes were a fuzzy, hazy orange-red. The boy bowed deeply at the waist towards the Princess with his arms folded outward in front of him.

“Good day, your highness. I am Wen from the Tiqto oni clan. Son of Hexer, master of languages.”

As Wen stood, the Princess took in his colorful appearance. Yellow, orange, blue and cream clashed and came together on a beautiful patterned hanfu. The cream cross collared shirt had blue and yellow swirls along the thick neckline and dropped into an orange skirt with the same blue and yellow designs down the center. A thin blue braided silk belt was wrapped around his waist. He wore a yellow open cross collared jacket over top that had blue and cream glory of the snow flowers stitched along the wide sleeves. Wen’s robes were long enough to reach the floor and covered his feet.

Wen offered the Princess a smile and she wasn’t surprised to see that his teeth were similar to Zarrin's; only Wen’s teeth were not serrated. Princess Keena bowed her head and greeted Wen with a polite smile as she introduced herself and Aga as well. Wen walked across the room and waited silently for the Princess to take her seat. He walked over to a cabinet and gathered the supplies they would need for his lesson in silence. Once seated, Wen set everything down in front of himself and the Princess. He had pointed nails that were as red as the crystal in his forehead.

“Let us get right into our lesson, shall we?” Wen questioned as he picked up a brush and motioned for the Princess to do the same. “Now, it is to my knowledge that you understand the basics of this nation's language, correct?”

“Yes. His Imperial Highness was kind enough to send me a book with the alphabet and a few light novels that he enjoys.”

“Wonderful, and you understand the basic breakdown of the letters?”

Princess Keena shook her head and grabbed the other brush from the table. “I do not fully understand the breakdown. The phonics is confusing, and you have letters that I do not.”

Wen nodded his head and tightened his hand around the brush in his hand. “Write the Eezean alphabet and the Laibic underneath. I will show you a simple way to convert the letters.”

Princess Keena dipped her brush in the black ink beside her and started to write slowly. In Escistan they used humming-quill feathers to write; the tips were sturdy and thin unlike the brushes used in the Min Empire. Wen watched as the Princess wrote, her movements were stiff and lacked grace, but he kept that thought to himself. He made a mental note to inform the other tutors that the Princess wasn’t accustomed to using their writing tools.

Wen started to write the different alphabets on his own paper in front of him and he took his time to exaggerate his strokes, so that he could show the Princess the difference between their writing. As the Princess finished her work, Wen turned his paper upside down so that the Princess could read it clearly.

“It would benefit your highness if we started from the very basics of the Laibic language. Your characters do not match my own and could leave room for misinterpretation.”

Princess Keena examined Wen’s handwriting and compared it to her own with a small frown on her lips. Wen was correct, the Princess’s letters were skewed and uneven. Compared to Wen's, the Princess’s handwriting could have been mistaken for a child’s.

“Write the Laibic alphabet again, please. This time focus on the pressure that you apply while writing. The brush is only a tool, you control its power.” Wen carefully swapped out the used paper for a fresh piece and the Princess started to write again. Her face was pinched in concentration, her brows pulled together in the middle of her forehead and her lips were pressed together in a tight line. Wen was fondly reminded of the children he had taught in the early summer days when he first came to the Min Empire.

“I would like for you to write the Laibic alphabet once more after this. You will write this alphabet every day at the start of our lesson until you can do it with your eyes closed.”

Princess Keena followed Wen’s instructions and took his criticism in stride. She knew that her penmanship wasn’t the best with a brush, and she was thankful that Wen took the time to help her perfect it. By the end of the lesson, the Princess had learned the basics of the Laibic language, and she felt better about herself. Wen bowed low and left the room in silence before Mingi stepped into the room.

“Would you like to visit the garden, Princess?” Mingi offered and the Princess agreed with a smile on her face.

“May I visit the garden outside of this room?”

“The dogwood garden? As you wish, Princess.”

As the Princess exited the large room, Prince Yoongi had just finished excusing himself from the side of the royal advisor and Seokjin. He had the time limits of the Princess’s lessons memorized and vowed to himself not to miss any of her breaks. Hoseok walked by the Prince’s side and smiled as they made their way to the room where the Princess’s lessons were held. Minho stood guard of the room and informed Prince Yoongi that the Princess was in the dogwood garden with Aga and Mingi.

Prince Yoongi found his way to the dogwood gardens, and he wasn’t surprised to see the Princess talking to another one of his childhood friends, Kim Namjoon, the son of the royal gardener. Namjoon stood with his back turned towards the Prince, his peach and honey toned robes a stark difference to his light blue hair that was pulled into a low ponytail with a white ribbon.

Prince Yoongi walked forward, and he could hear the Princess as she asked Namjoon a question about the lifespan of the dogwood trees. He smiled and spoke up before Namjoon could answer, “Eighty years but our trees are over a hundred years old.”

The Princess and Namjoon both turned around and Namjoon bowed low at the waist. The Princess had started to lower herself into the bow that Zarrin had taught her and Prince Yoongi’s eyes bled gold before he growled. Aga and Mingi were in front of the Princess instantly while Hoseok stood before the Prince with his forearm against his chest. The Princess was shocked, she had never heard the Prince growl and it sent a shiver down her spin.

“You bow to no one, treasure. No one is above you!” The Prince rasped and Hoseok took notice of the patches of black scales that were visible on the Prince’s neck.

“Get her out of here!” Hoseok snapped to the guards and the Prince’s golden eyes seemed to burn brighter while the skin under Hoseok’s hand heated up. Aga pushed the Princess into Mingi’s arms and allowed for the two of them to leave first before he shot Namjoon a look and rushed off.

“Agust-” Hoseok hissed through gritted teeth as he pushed on the Prince's chest, “-bring him back. Now.”

Namjoon saw the way the Prince’s nails had blackened and nearly doubled in length as his hand twitched. Before the Prince could lash out, Namjoon grabbed the Prince’s wrist and restrained them behind his back.

“Yoongi come back to us.” Namjoon urged and grunted as he felt the Prince fight against him.

Hoseok’s amber eyes started to glow and the veins on his hands shifted from blue to red as his own body temperature started to heat up. “Agust, I will-”

The Prince’s golden eyes snapped to Hoseok’s face, and he grinned with elongated fangs on full display as he hissed. “What will you do, bird of fire?”

“Do not test me. Bring the Prince back, now!”

The Prince growled and huffed out a thick plume of smoke before he narrowed his eyes, “He won’t have control forever.”

The Prince’s body suddenly slumped forward, and Hoseok was quick to catch the weight with Namjoon’s help. The two friends stared down at the young Prince and Namjoon sighed. “I’ll make a stronger brew.”

“I must tell her Majesty.” Hoseok lifted his face towards the sky and whistled loudly, a single high pitched note that wasn’t heard by anyone. Shortly after a black eagle flew down onto the nearest branch and Hoseok spoke up. “Inform her majesty that the Prince would like an audience with her in his chambers.” The eagle flew away and Hoseok looked around making sure that no one was around. He nodded his head towards Namjoon and clicked his tongue. “Use my route.” He dug into the pouch on his hip and pulled out a small smooth silver stone the size of a pea that had a faint glow.

Namjoon took the bead and crushed it in his hand before he scooped the Prince into his arms. The bodies of the Prince and Namjoon suddenly disappeared before Hoseok and he sighed. “I will be there shortly. Please stay with him, until I come.”

“I know. I got him.” Namjoon hurried off, his and the Prince’s body hidden by the magic of the

starstone.

Hoseok looked at his hands and was thankful that his temperature was back to normal. The last thing he needed was to lose his own control while dealing with the Prince’s dragon. Hoseok took a deep breath and walked into the palace with all emotion stripped from his face. He needed to grab Seokjin before they made their way to the Prince’s chambers to meet with the Empress.

In the palace, Princess Keena was back inside the room where her tutoring took place. Aga was on high alert, the threat of danger ever present in the forefront of his mind. The Princess waved Aga off as he tried to have her lessons canceled for the rest of the day. Aga wanted the Princess back in her room where no one could touch her. Princess Keena ignored Aga’s wishes for she understood that somehow, she had done something wrong to upset the Prince. She wasn’t sure what, but she knew that the Prince would explain himself in time.

Mingi knocked on the door and followed an older servant while they carried a tray of tea in. Aga watched the servant’s every movement as they prepared a fresh pot of tea for the Princess. Princess Keena thanked them softly and Mingi led them out the room before he shut the door. The Princess sipped at the tea and sighed as she felt Aga’s eyes on her.

“I am unharmed, Aga.”

“You could have been-”

"Nou pa rete sou te kapab genyen. Ou te anseye m sa." Aga huffed and sucked his teeth at the Princess’s words. He should have known that his wise words would be used against him one day. A knock at the door made Aga’s back stiffen and when the door slid open to reveal a man and women, Aga narrowed his eyes. They were dressed in matching sage and cream hanfu outfits and the Princess noticed that they both wore a single silver band on their ring fingers.

The woman was taller than the man, he stood at her shoulders; they were very cute together. The woman had a flawless face, too perfect and smooth to be human while the man looked no less than average with a stocky build. They reminded the Princess of yin and yang; they complemented each other nicely. The man looked surprised to see the Princess in the room as he carted a bunch of different instruments behind himself. His black hair was cut close to his head and the style made him look younger than what he most likely was.

The man smiled all the same and bowed low with the woman beside him. Her mulberry hair was pulled back away from her face and hung in a single braid that just grazed the floor. The tips of her ears were pointed, and the Princess smiled politely. A human and an elf, she was pleased to see them together.

“Good day to you Princess. I am Hue Kwangseon and this is my wife Ellarian.”

“We will take turns teaching you the joyous music and dance of the Min Empire as well as the rest of the world!” Ellarian’s voice was light and sweet, fresh cotton in a spring breeze.

“I look forward to your tutelage,” the Princess beamed as she bowed her head.

“Please allow us to set up. We were not expecting your highness to be present,” Kwangseon explained, and the Princess nodded her head.

“Take your time. I will do what I can to stay out of your way.”

Ellarian laughed at Kwangseon’s face flushed as he struggled to find a polite way to wave off the Princess’s words and failed. He ducked his head down and got to work on setting up the room with instruments while Ellarian made sure the center of the room was clear of anything that would cause harm while dancing. Aga watched as the husband and wife moved about the room, he stood his ground as the wife smiled at him and the Princess laughed to herself. Aga always had a hard time with females.

“What would you like to start with first, your highness? Dance or music?” Ellarian questioned and the Princess thought about it.

“Dance. I fear that I am not very skilled with instruments even from my own nation.” The Princess admitted and Aga choked on a laugh. It was true, the Princess could not play a single tune. Ellarian laughed softly and offered the Princess her hand to help her off the floor.

“We will start with a dance all ladies of the court learn for their coming of age. It is a mixture of a waltz and quickstep.” Ellarian explains as she steps away from the Princess. “Are you familiar with these terms, your highness?”

“I am not.”

“Wonderful! You will do well in your classes, your highness. It is much easier to create art from a blank canvas!” Ellarian raises her arms, a hand pointed out while the other is held out diagonally from her chest. “I will demonstrate the proper posture for this dance, and I would like for you to focus on how my upper body moves.”

Kwangseon sits on the floor off to the side with a bendir drum in his lap. He offers the Princess a gentle smile before he starts tapping out a beat. Ellarian speaks as she dances, counting loud enough for the Princess to hear. Her steps are elegant as if she is dancing through the air alone with just the beat to support her weight. The Princess is memorized by the dance, it looked simple enough compared to the dances that she had learned from her own nation.

The dance came to its end and the Princess clapped her hands happily while Ellarian bowed. “Now! Let us see your form.”

The lesson went back and forth with dancing and music. Kwangseon didn’t look to be put off while his wife dominated the lesson. He was more than happy to provide the music for the dances. At the end of the lesson, Ellarian was more than pleased. The Princess’s form wasn’t perfect, and her footwork wasn’t confident, but she had tried and kept at it. Kwangseon left some homework for the Princess. She was to study a simple sheet of music and play it on the drums during the next lesson.

As the couple left, the Princess felt lighter. The incident from the garden no longer lingered at the forefront of her mind. She wondered if the lessons were switched for that very purpose and if so, who called for it?

The Princess sat at the table and thought about the different people that she had meant so far that day. Escistan was filled with hybrids, species that shared their body with an animal’s spirit. Humans were commonplace as well but that was it. The Princess had only read about the other species that she had come in contact with. Elves, Oni and Sirens had always felt like a myth to the Princess and to see them in person was an experience all in itself. The Princess was thankful for the chance to widen her knowledge from such fantastic tutors.

While the Princess continued with her lessons, Empress Eunkyung sat in the Prince’s chambers with Hoseok, Namjoon, Seokjin and Hyungwon, the royal physician, a trusted witch whose family had been in service of the Min’s since the beginning of time. Prince Yoongi was put in the center of his bed, his face ashen and dull as his body struggled to recover from Agust’s sudden take over. Empress Eunkyung watched as Hyungwon moved around the bed and placed small floating tea lights around the Prince’s body. Hyungwon looked over the Prince’s body and checked for any abnormalities while he chanted a purifying spell to help soothe the dragon that hissed within.

“What happened in the garden?” Hyungwon questioned as he stepped away from the bed and turned his attention to the others in the room.

Hoseok hesitated to speak. In his mind he recalled what took place and nothing stood out to him that warranted Agust’s presence.

“I am unsure of what triggered the dragon,” Hoseok admitted truthfully, and the Empress rested her hand on Hoseok’s shoulder.

“Tell us the events that took place, Hoseok. It doesn’t matter how small or insignificant you may think an action to be. Dragons are proud creatures and clearly something offended Agust.”

“Yes, your Majesty.” Hoseok cleared his throat and motioned for Namjoon to start the story from when he first started to speak with the Princess. Hoseok took over from the time that Prince Yoongi and himself went into the garden and by the end of the story all eyes were on the Empress.

Empress Eunkyung looked at her son and touched his cheek gently. Her claws pressed into the flesh but did not break the skin. She pulled her hand away and sighed, “Seokjin.”

“Yes, your Majesty?”

“The crown Prince will be in your care until further notice. Hoseok, you will do well to keep the Prince and Princess away from each other.”

Hoseok and Seokjin shared a look before they both bowed low. The Empress turned to face the two younger men and smiled softly.

“There is no need for worry, I assure you. Agust is showing off for the Princess. He can sense the power that she holds within, it calls to him in a challenge.”

“The Prince will not like this news.” Hoseok pointed out and the Empress sighed.

“That is where Seokjin comes into play. If you keep him busy, he will not worry about the Princess.”

“And if he fights us?” Seokjin prompted as he glanced at the sleeping Prince.

“The brew you created will aid in keeping Agust quiet for the time being. If he breathes wrong, Hyungwon will step in.”

The men all bowed to the Empress, and she looked at her son once more with a frown on her face.

“I understand how meaningful their friendship is. Be prepared, for Yoongi will fight you in his down time. I will keep an eye on the Princess’ lessons myself and spend my time with her.” The Empress turned and lifted her head, her eyes sharp as she spoke, “The crown Prince will not interfere if I am present. The same goes for Agust, for my dragon is much older and has his respect.”

“Your Majesty?” Hyungwon spoke up as he started to gather his tea lights. “Forgive me if I am over stepping. However, I feel that it would be in the Princess’ best interest to move her into a separate home of her own.”

“The twilight hanok is vacant and it is close to the lotus pond,” Namjoon offered.

“If we are to keep His Highness away from the Princess, I think the butterfly house would be best,” Seokjin stated as he looked at the Empress. “It is the farest away from his Highness’ chambers and if I’m not mistaken, it is also where his Highness has prepared the Princess’ welcoming gift.”

“Is the butterfly house vacant?” Hoseok questioned.

“Since the start of his Highness’ project, the house has been vacant.”

“Very well,” the Empress nodded her head and folded her hands in front of her. “Once the Princess’s envoy leaves at the end of next week, we will move her into the butterfly house. I expect everything to be prepared for her arrival.”

“As you wish, your Majesty.”

Again, everyone bowed and Hyungwon escorted the Empress out of the Prince’s chambers as his medical bag floated behind them.

The three men stared at their sleeping friend before Hoseok spoke up, “Namjoon. Forgive me for adding more duties but I would like for the butterfly house to be under your care until the Princess is moved in.”

“Shouldn’t one of the Princess’s handmaid's take care of that?” Seokjin frowned and Hoseok nodded his head.

“They have their hands full with learning how to care for the Princess.”

“It’s fine. I’ll take care of it,” Namjoon shrugged his shoulders and smiled. “I’ve wanted to change a few things about that house. It’s a little outdated if I do say so myself.”

Seokjin and Hoseok laughed and patted Namjoon on his back as they all headed towards the door of the Prince’s chambers.

“Don’t overdo it, Namjoon. You only have a week to get everything finished.” Seokjin reiterated and Namjoon waved him off.

“I could push it for another day or two if need be,” Hoseok offered, and Seokjin sighed.

Hoseok smiled at his friends and bid them farewell before he closed the door and took his seat beside the Prince’s bed.

The Empress excused herself from Hyungwon and made a detour towards the room where the Princess had her lessons. Minho and Mingi both bowed low once they saw the Empress and allowed her entrance silently. Aga dropped into a low bow and the Princess rose to her feet before she bowed towards the Empress.

Empress Eunkyung regarded the Princess with a fond smile as she instructed the Princess to rise. Princess Keena stood before the Empress, and she cupped the Princess' cheek. Empress Eunkyung flexed her fingers so as to not scratch or knick the Princess’s face as she silently looked at her. Confusion reflected in those brown eyes and the Empress lowered her hand from the Princess’s face.

“How are your lessons, dear?”

“I have learned a lot on my first day. You have chosen wonderful tutors, your Majesty.”

The Empress nodded her head and motioned for the Princess to have a seat before she moved to the other side of the table and sat.

“Aga, have Minho call for fresh tea. Please?”

Aga walked to the door and slid it open before he relayed the Princess’s message. Once the door shut again, Aga stood against the wall and tuned out the conversation between the two royals.

“I was informed of the fiasco in the garden. Forgive my son, he is but a hatchling and the dragon within is quite strong.”

The Princess nodded her head at the Empress’ words and tilted her head in question.

“Was it his Highness’ dragon that reacted so poorly?”

Empress Eunkyung’s lips twitched as she fought her laughter. If Agust had heard the Princess speak of him like that he would have thrown a fit.

“Mmhmm,” the Empress nodded her head and cleared her throat. “Agust was the dragon reborn with Yoongi. He was one of the five dragons to rule the skies.” The Empress explained and the Princess listened to the story.

“Agust is very old and powerful. He needed a strong body and mind that could encompass all he was.” The smile on the Empress’ lips was small, hardly a smile at all. “Every dragon is destined to come back to our world many times over. As fate would have it, I was to bear the great Agust.”

The Princess watched as the Empress placed a hand over her stomach before she spoke softly. “Yoongi would have had three older siblings had Agust taken to the first. For the longest time I hated Agust but I loved Yoongi all the more because he survived. He filled every single crack in my heart with endless love and I swore from the moment he opened his eyes, I would love and protect him until my last breath.”

A knock at the door startled the Princess and the Empress removed her hand from her stomach and placed it in her lap. The door to the room opened and another servant entered with a tray of tea in their hands. The servant set the tray down and the Empress dismissed them with a silent wave of her hand.

“Allow me, your Majesty.”

Princess Keena easily fixed two cups of tea and offered the first one to the Empress with a smile on her face.

“I see your etiquette lesson went well,” the Empress teased and the Princess felt heat as it crept up the back of her neck and burned the tips of her ears.

“Do you know why I shared that story with you, dear?”

The Princess shook her head and sipped her tea as the Empress took a sip of her own.

“You are an impundulu, a bird of lightning flows through your veins. The power you hold within calls to Agust. Whether he sees you challenging his own power or as an equal, I do not know,” the Empress sighed as she set her cup down in front of her. “I do not wish for any harm to come to you during your stay here in our home. Agust is unpredictable and Yoongi can only hold him back for so long, as you saw in the garden today.”

“I do not believe that his Highness or Agust would ever cause me harm.”

“Be that as it may, your safety is one of my main concerns. While in my charge you are my responsibility and that means you are family. You are a daughter that I have been blessed with. You shall know no harm while within these walls.”

Princess Keena bowed her head, just a few inches from the table and the Empress raised her head gently.

“In one week's, time you will be moved into the butterfly house that rests within one of our seven gardens. Your attendees will go with you and your guards as well.”

Aga glanced at the royals, and he locked eyes with the Empress who openly stared at him. He understood that the young Prince was harmless but the dragon, Agust was a force to be weary of. Aga blinked slowly and turned his head forward silently. He would touch base with the other guards and finetune their rotation to the new location.

The Empress carefully rose to her feet and the Princess bowed low once again before she spoke, “Thank you for your company and wise words, your Majesty.”

Empress Eunkyung stroked the Princess’s cheek softly in passing and smiled. “It was my pleasure. Enjoy the rest of your lessons, dear.”

Once the Empress left the room, Aga crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow as the Princess looked at him. The two stared at each other for a short while before the Princess clicked her tongue and turned her back.

“Your silence is very loud. I cannot enjoy my tea.”

“Ou ta dwe pè l.”

“Fear him? What for, Aga? What has the Prince done to deserve such a change of my heart?”

“It would be wise to heed the Empress’ warning.”

Princess Keena turned away from the table and folded her arms in her lap, the tea forgotten.

“I have heeded the warning. I will move to the butterfly house without complaint. That doesn’t mean I have to turn my back on my friend!” Princess Keena narrowed her eyes when Aga took a step towards her. “Kenbe yon bon zanmi ak tou de men yo!” Her voice rose as her eyes bled sliver and the sky outside started to darken.

Aga sighed and nodded his head in reluctant agreement. “Hold a friend with both hands. Yes, Princess. That is what I have always told you.”

Aga crossed his arms over his chest and bent at the waist as he spoke, “I apologize for belittling your friendship. That was not my intention.”

The Princess blinked twice and the silver in her eyes faded away. The sky outside was once again a bright blue with cotton like clouds floating by.

“I wish to retire for the day,” the Princess’ voice was soft as she spoke. The hurt from the conversation weighed heavy on her shoulders as she struggled to stand.

Aga stepped forward to help but the Princess waved him off as she straightened herself out. “Have Minho relay my message to the other tutors, give them my apology for canceling and find a way to compensate them for their wasted time.”

“Princess-”

“Mingi will follow to my chambers. You are dismissed, Aga.”

Aga’s jaw clenched at the Princess’ words, but he kept quiet and followed orders. He watched as Princess Keena walked away with Mingi by her side and grunted. He knew his mistake had wounded the Princess deeply and it hurt his own heart to be sent away when she needed him the most. Aga swore silently to make it up to the Princess and gain back whatever trust he had lost.

#blackthorn ch 4 #soc yoongi #min yoongi fic #bts fantasy au #bts royal au #emperor yoongi #dragon!yoongi #yoongi x oc #yoongi x black oc #exqueuese me

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racfoam · 2 years

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I have this vague idea of a fic of Harry getting her memories erased but also Harry remembering things and writing things down in a notebook in her sleep of warnings to herself.

Idk, it's very vague... But in short, Voldemort trying to trick Harry into trusting him and Harry's subconscious still fighting.

It’s her own handwriting. Strange. Harry doesn’t remember getting up or writing anything in it.

Don’t let him in.

A cold shiver rushed down Harry’s spine. She read the line below.

He’s a liar. Don’t trust him.

Don't look him in the eyes.

Another sentence below.

Don’t trust anyone.

He killed —

Before Harry could read the next words, there was a knock at the doors. Quickly, she stowed the notebook and the pen where she found it, in between the mattress and the bedframe.

Harry’s mind was running, confused. Why did she write those things? Maybe she wrote them after that strange nightmare of the green light, while still half asleep... But why did she put the leather diary in such a weird place... Why did she feel the need to hide it, to keep anyone from seeing its contents.

“Who is it?”

Don’t let him in.

“It’s Narcissa, Miss Potter,” said a feminine, classy voice of Mrs Malfoy behind the doors. “May I come in?”

Harry relaxed, releasing a breath she’d been holding. Mrs Malfoy was a woman. She wasn’t a man. Harry could let Mrs Malfoy in.

“Yeah,” said Harry.

The doors opened. Mrs Malfoy stepped in. “Good morning, Miss Potter. Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah,” said Harry, ignoring the little pang of guilt for lying. Mrs Malfoy has been nothing but kind to Harry, giving her a guest bedroom. However, Harry didn’t think it was worth mentioning she was suffering from nightmares. She wasn't weak, and she didn’t need coddling.

“I’m here to help you get dressed,” said Mrs Malfoy. “The Dark Lord would like you to join him for morning tea and breakfast.”

Harry jumped off the bed, grinning. The Dark Lord — Voldemort, he'd told Harry to call him — was the one who'd found Harry and helped her in the first place. Harry found him very fascinating for both his serpentine appearance and the magic he showed her. Something Harry could do, too. Because Harry wasn’t ordinary. Harry was special. Harry was a witch.

“Really?” asked Harry, full of hope. “I mean —where? When? Now?”

Mrs Malfoy frowned. “Down on the ground floor, in the foyer, it's right after the drawing room —”

Harry, in her white, ankle-length nightie, slipped into her slippers and rushed past Mrs Malfoy, running out of the bedroom at a blinding speed.

“Thanks, Mrs Malfoy!” yelled Harry, leaving a gasping Mrs Malfoy behind, who only now realized Harry had slipped right out in front of her very eyes before she could properly react.

Smiling, Harry ran down the hallway, skipped the large navy blue marble staircase two at a time, weaved out of the way of a tiny creature with fairy, bat-like ears and tenniss-ball eyes, and yelled, “Sorry!” completely unawares the creature was staring at her in beffudlement, never having experienced anyone apologize to him before.

(You idiot. You absolute moron, Harry. What is wrong with me? Am I that dumb?)

Harry ran into the drawing room, crossed it, and noticed the foyer. She hurried out, in her slippers, in her nightclothes, hair looking windswept, and into the foyer, where Lord Voldemort sat at a round table.

(I'm that dumb.)

Red, cat-like eyes stretched slightly at the sight of Harry.

“Morning,” said Harry breathlessly.

Voldemort’s face twisted into something resembling displeasure. Rather swiftly, he shot up from the chair.

“Harriet,” he greeted. “Where is Narcissa? I sent her to you.”

“Oh," said Harry. “She did. She said you wanted to have breakfast with me. I sort of just ran past her after she said that.”

“Why did you hasten to come?” asked Voldemort, his sibilant voice resounding across Harry's skin.

To see you.

(Please, for the love of Merlin and Founders, do not say that. Do not say that.)

Harry wasn't going to say that. That’d...

“I was hungry,” she squeaked.

“Miss Potter!”

Narcissa came, panting, looking like she ran, which Harry supposed was a rarity. “Dear Merlin. It's not proper to be in your nightclothes.”

“Why?” asked Harry, confused. “I like this dress.”

Voldemort made a sound that sounded like he restrained a laugh. That made Harry's heart leap. It sounded nice. Harry wondered how Voldemort sounded when he laughed...

Mrs Malfoy frowned at her, disapproval clear and sharp in her eyes. Harry felt very scolded without knowing what she did wrong.

“It’s improper for an adult witch to be in the presence of an adult wizard in nothing but her nightdress.”

Harry blinked. Slowly, it dawned on her. The wizarding world had different customs, customs dating back to the Jane Austen era, it seemed.

Harry felt her face burn as red as a dragon fire.

“It is fine, Narcissa,” said Voldemort, before turning to face Harry, his red eyes trailing over her figure; Harry felt like his gaze was somehow undressing her.

“You look lovely, Harriet,” said Voldemort, softer than a feather. Something inside Harry's stomach fluttered.

“Come,” he said, gesturing to the chair beside his, “sit.”

“You may go, Narcissa.”

Mrs Malfoy glanced from Harry to Voldemort. Her gaze looked almost worried. However, she inclined her head, and elegantly retreated out of the foyer, closing the doors.

#snippets

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neopronouns · 8 months

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colorgenders inspired by the results of a “What is your Aura” quiz ((https://)uquiz(.)com/quiz/pxTx2D/what-color-is-your-aura):

Sky: short poems, teacups, clear skies, diaries, dripping icicles, tears, tennis shoes.

Honeysuckle: succulents, key lime, glow-in-the-dark stars, blown glass, honeydew, garter snakes, notes in bottles.

Seafoam: clear water, milkshakes, crystals, agave, candy dishes, converse, seashells.

Yellow: daisies, road signs, bumblebees, lemon meringue, bicycles, polaroids, awnings.

Hickory: felled oak, brass, sunken ships, olive pits, graphic shirts, splinters, dark room.

Orange: guitars, fanta bottles, sunglasses, orange peels, butterflies, popsicles, paper lanterns.

Sage: herb clippings, matcha, bullet journals, mini backpacks, needle felts, pistachio, laptop stickers.

Teal: dyed hair, scales, doc martens, aurora borealis, stormy seas, kingfishers, agate.

Royal (blue): crown jewels, portraits, satin chairs, masquerades, nebulas, betta fish, secrets.

Gold: lion statues, coins, gold leafing, bound books, goldfinches, crowns, heart lockets.

Crimson: rose vines, blood, apples, velvet, sharp nails, galaxies, dripping jewellery.

Navy: brush strokes, suit jackets, midnight, comforters, star gazing, arctic waters, starlings.

Forest: fern leaves, greenhouses, cloaks, bookstores, pine trees, chokers, snake scales.

honey: friendship bracelets, beehives, school buses, children's books, flower petals, honeyed toast, polaroids.

Ashen: old newspapers, smoke, quiet cities, pale cheeks, pebbles, chalk, the clouded moon.

Garnet: Brooches, anthologies, stained glass, leaves, dining chairs, long robes, curtains.

Chiffon: stone walls, sweaters, moths, dusty lace, animal tracks, incense, throw pillows.

Red: leather jackets, cherries, bruised knuckles, roses, lipstick, fast cars, rose petals.

Magenta: splattered paint, glitter, childhood friends, neon, pleather, dance floors, crystals.

Amaranth: bundled flowers, ribbon, merlot, overcoats, gemstones, lipstick prints, red velvet.

Periwinkle: knit hats, candies, tiny flowers, beads, teacups, washi tape, clouds.

Jade: islands, sketchbooks, rainy windows, pendants, puzzle pieces, tree frogs, sea glass.

Pink: cupcakes, sunglasses, pink sands, starbursts, pinky promises, flower crowns, ice cream.

Rose: lace, blown kisses, milk tea, paper fans, pillows, ballet slippers, fairy wings.

Amethyst: earrings, violet corts, parades, gemstones, insect wings, grape bushels, outer space.

Noir: drops of ink, eyeliner, crows, spiders, charcoal, painted nails, the night.

Cream: dandelions, marble, bottled coffee, hair ties, banana cream, bedsheets, sketches.

Beige: lattes, dry fields, footprints, easels, cat fur, pottery, fresh-baked cookies.

Pearl: abalone, perfume bottles, chandeliers, tulle, ball jointed dolls, satin, paint palettes.

Bronze: leather books, cowboy hats, foxes, candle jars, sword hilts, cobblestone streets, hourglasses

Amber: autumn days, freckles, torches, cabins, fossils, unbrushed hair, enamel pins.

Fire: sunrises, woven blankets, campfires, tigers, whiskey, monarchs, road trips.

Purple: geodes, club lights, ferris wheels, sunglasses, hummingbirds, eyeshadow, outer space.

Blush: lollipops, warm cheeks, lip gloss, flowers, flamingo feathers, painted nails, heart glasses.

finally done with all of these — they're queued!

#long post

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soleforsoul · 7 months

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#Christopher Hayes slippers #Navy blue leather slippers

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punkysdilemma-blog · 2 years

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THE PERFECT WARDROBE (BY GIORGIO ARMANI)

(an excerpt from L’Etiquette issue 8.) I love this list from a maestro and one of the last greats of the heroic 1980s fashion generation who still independently owns and operates his marque.

I like casual and discreet elegance, this is what I look for as a designer.

T-SHIRTS AND POLO SHIRTS

*Cashmere jersey t-shirts. Blue, black, long and short sleeves, CREW NECK!

*Knit polo shirts. More refined than cotton pique polo shirts, they look great under a jacket. Practically indispensable in black and navy. Long or short sleeves.

SHIRTS

*Poplin shirts. With big collars, wear with a tie or with the collar wide, open. Colors? Blue and white are musts. Cream, light gray and navy are very tempting this season. + AZURE

*Chambray shirt. Go for a real workwear look.

Extras:

*Heavy twill shirt.

*Black linen shirt. Get over your prejudice against linen. + WHITE AND SKY BLUE

*Collarless shirt.

*Two evening shirts in silk. Black and blue

SWEATERS AND SWEATSHIRTS

*Several crewneck wool sweaters. Black, navy, beige, ecru — take your pick. Wear over a round collar tee.

*Several v-neck wool sweaters. Same as for crewnecks.

*Hoodies. Gray Marl, Navy or black. Because there’ll always be those Sunday mornings.

*Crewneck Sweatshirts. Gray Marl, Navy or Black. With Raglan sleeves, of course.

Extras:

*Merino wool polo collar sweater. Black or navy.

*Sailor Sweater. You’ll find you need it even between April and July. Easier to wear if you get one without stripes.

Note: Pretty sure this is basically a Guernsey or Matelot.

SUITS, BLAZERS AND TIES

*A velvet suit. Velvet is the most elegant fabric.

*Two plain suits. One navy and one gray, with two or three buttons. Ideally made from Fresco fabric. Cotton is another possibility if you're not afraid of creases.

*A full Tuxedo. At least one.

*A navy blazer. Lined or unlined. Super-useful.

*Two silk grenadine ties. Blck and navy. Obviously.

*Two printed ties. Go crazy!

Extras:

*Beige tropical wool suit. Wear it with a sky blue poplin shirt.

*Silk knit tie. Cream or pearl gray. Makes a change from black or navy.

*Unlined suede blazer.

*A knit blazer.

SUITS, BLAZERS AND TIES

*Bomber jacket. The summer equivalent of your leather jacket. Black, navy or beige.

*Waterproof beige trench-coat. For rainy days. Get one thats too big.

*Technical parka. Zip it all the way up. And remember that Gore-Tex is always a good idea.

*Denim jacket.

Extras:

*Zip suede bomber.

*Nappa leather trench-coat.

*A military jacket. Vintage preferably.

*Lightweight windbreaker. Go for the retro sportswear look.

PANTS AND SHORTS

*Two pairs of regular fit jeans. At two different stages of wear.

*Five-pocket white cotton pants. Indispensable in winter. Downright vital in summer.

*Five-pocket black cotton pants.

*Beige chinos. Not slim, please.

*Gray fresco pants. Wear them as you'd wear jeans. Suitable for both summer and winter.

*Navy, Beige or White shorts. Roomy, more fluidity, please!

*Swim shorts. In a technical nylon, perhaps in a bright color. roomy but not long.

Extras:

*Cargo Pants. Olive green, in ripstop fabric if you like.

UNDERWEAR

As far as the great boxers-or-briefs debate goes, we leave it up to you. But do us all a favour and throw out the invisible socks.

*Several pears of navy and grey socks. Made of mercerised cotton.

*Several pairs of brightly coloured socks.

Extras:

*A few pairs of white or off-white ribbed socks. Wool and cotton.

SHOES

*A pair of loafers. Preferably penny loafers. Black should be your first choice.

*Black oxfords. For formal wear.

*Brown derbies. Can be suede, if you like.

*A pair of white or off white canvas sneakers.

*A pair of white leather sneakers.

*Technical sneakers. Not just for running.

Extras:

*Opera pumps

*Velvet slippers

ACCESSORIES

*Cotton baseball cap. Navy or black.

*Woven belt. In black or navy for versatility.

*Leather dress belt. Keep it thin, about an inch (2 to 3cm) wide, and wear it with a suit.

*Metal Sunglasses. Aviator or round styles.

*Heavy-duty canvas shoulder bag. For workdays.

*Military kitbag. A travel bag to get you through the weekend.

Extras:

*A borsalino hat.

*Silk pocket squares. Collect them!

*Scarves. In wool, silk, cotton, for days and night.

*All kind of gloves.

*Ranger belt.

*A leather messenger bag.

Be discreet and precise and if you manage that, people will remember your style!

#Armani #Giorgio Armani #style #style advice #lists #uniform #essentials #fashion

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casspurrjoybell-33 · 27 days

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Blue's Rose - Chapter 22 - Part 3

*Warning Adult Content*

Boys Will Not Apologize

Blue Cavanaugh & Kulap 'Kool' Somboon

Kulap woke the next morning more refreshed than he expected his body more replete than it had ever been had sunk to the depths of slumber, he had had zero dreams that he could remember, leaving his mind this morning curiously alert and still relaxed.

Even his body, he realized as he tentatively made his first movements to sit up in bed, was no longer stiff and hurting.

Relieved that the inconvenient, not to mention somewhat embarrassing pain no longer aggravated him, he bounded out of bed, feeling good, alive

He crossed the room naked and headed straight into the shower, scrubbing, washing his hair completed in no time, he exited to shave and brush his teeth, dabbing on his habitual cologne, thinking about Blue as he did so and how much he said he loved the way Kulap smelled.

Kulap grinned at his reflection in the mirror for a second, enjoying these intimate thoughts of Blue, something he had never had before, always a one-sided infatuation, never a tangible reality, until now, the experience was exhilarating.

Kulap went to his closet and began to pull out one of his habitual black suits, mostly only what he owned but at the last second his eyes caught sight of a suit he had never worn before and he pulled it out, feeling it suited his mood more to wear today than the black.

Though not boldly colorful or even remotely anything other than conservative he pulled on the navy-blue pin stripe suit and coupled it with a light pink dress shirt and a tie with the colors of both as well as thin little white lines to complete the look.

He slipped on his slippers and grabbed up a pair of hand stitched black leather Gucci's to finish the ensemble.

With a last look at his full-length reflection, he walked out the bedroom door and headed towards the dining room for breakfast.

His mother was already seated, she didn't say a word to him, her face clearly expressing her continued anger with him,.

Kulap simply nodded, he was in too good a mood to get caught up in a repeat of last night, he sat down and poured himself a cup of coffee as Mina, one of the kitchen servants brought him his breakfast, he kept his face buried in the financial newspaper while he ignored his mother as thoroughly as she ignored him.

He was almost finished eating when his father arrived, as usual he neither addressed Kulap or his wife, he sat down and immediately picked up his morning paper and began to read while his food was served to him.

Finished and more than ready to vacate the premises, Kulap excused himself and stood, as he did so his father spoke to him.

"Be on time for the Volsco meeting," he ordered.

"Your uncles will be in at nine. Be sure to meet them."

Kulap's hand resting on the back of his chair fisted into a white-knuckle grip, the only words he spoke though were, 'Of course'.

He bowed and said his goodbyes to both of his parents before turning and walking away, noting that neither responded.

He gritted his teeth as he walked to the SUV, he was a grown man, had been successful in orchestrating dozens of business deals worth millions and suddenly his father feels the need to remind him of his duties.

When would it stop?

The next several hours flew by as he did his customary Monday morning run through with his office staff, followed by a review of this morning's meeting, followed by calls and the ultimate meeting of his family members who would be participating in this morning's deal, which included both of his uncles, their sons and his father.

Their looks varied from scornful to smirking to resentment.

Obviously, his uncles had not appreciated his absence on Friday and his cousins either found it funny he was in trouble or resented him for getting out of the dinner when they couldn't.

No matter which way he looked at it, he had pretty much pissed off everyone one in his family.

Kulap sighed as he ignored the pettiness of their behavior and instead inundated them with every statistical element of the deal he could whether they needed the information or not as well as proceeded to verbally explain detail by detail all of the steps that had been or will be taken to solidify the deal as well as the exorbitant amount of money the family stood to gain once the other member had signed their name to the contract which was set to happen within the hour.

Usually these meetings would not have taken so long nor would he have given as much detail but all things considered he thought he deserved to have his moment and they deserved to have to sit there and take it.

That went a long way to cheering him back up since this morning's breakfast.

Deal done, paperwork signed, his uncles once again on cloud nine as what they care about most, their profits, were once again growing and they conceded, in good hands.

His father's austere nod in his direction, Kulap's only indication that he was pleased, rounded out the first half of his day.

***********

Kulap's stomach growled and was just about to order a sandwich, when a light perfunctory knock on the door sounded and a prettily clad Mia came bouncing across the threshold with a sunny smile across her face.

He had forgotten.

Saturday when they had spoken on the phone Mia had asked to meet for lunch on Monday as she wanted to get caught up on all the Blue news.

He had quickly agreed and told her to stop by at... he glanced down at his watch, now, he thought, seeing it was noon but he had forgotten completely about it because once he had gotten off the phone with Mia things with Blue had taken a wrong turn and then another until suddenly the wrong turns had become right and they had wound up in bed.

He could honestly say he hadn't thought about her since. He grimaced and she laughed.

"You forgot me, didn't you?"

He wrinkled his nose and stretched out his arms, palms up.

"My apologies," he said clearly having no defense. Mia giggled up at him.

"I'll forgive you as long as you're still taking me to eat. I'm..."

"Hungry?" Kulap completed for her.

Mia giggled at him, again.

"How did you guess?"

Kulap shook his head at her.

"Because it is a perpetual state with you. I would be extremely worried if the first words you said to me didn't have anything to do about food," he teased. Mia simply shrugged.

"I have a fast metabolism," she said innocently, not willing to ever admit that she was renowned foodie even to Kulap who already knew.

Kulap sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Let's go," he ordered, escorting her out his office.

Fifteen minutes later they sat across from each other at a tiny deli that served Mia's favorite mini sandwiches with fresh fruits and salads.

Eating healthier to Mia, meant she could eat more.

Kulap no longer tried to tell her the error in her thinking, He simply went along with it now, Her clothes would let her know soon enough.

"What?" she mumbled around a dainty bite of her salmon salad croissant.

They were sitting at a small rectangular table that only seats two in front of a large clean window that allowed all of the natural sunlight to filter through the special UV tint placed on the windows.

Whereas they could see all of the people on the outside, no one could see them eating inside.

The atmosphere was soft and casual, friendly and inviting, decorated in yellows and white, the smell of fresh baked breads heavenly as soon as you walked in.

"So," Mia suddenly drawled out, her voice getting softer so as not to carry further than their table.

"How are things going with Mister tall, dark and American?" she whispered, a knowing grin on her face.

Kulap's face remained bland and looked a little bored.

Mia frowned back looking disappointed, That was not the response she was hoping for.

"Blue is fine," he replied, doing his best to look nonchalant.

Though he always told Mia everything he wasn't sure what he wanted to tell her about Blue, It was too new and personal.

"Oh, I sure know that boy is fine," Mia rejoined a wicked teasing glint in her eyes.

Kulap blushed in response, it was sudden, it was unexpected and he couldn't prevent it, Mia, watching him like a hawk, giggled and wagged her finger at him.

"I knew it," she gasped.

"Trying to be all indifferent when just the thought of how hot he is, is turning you so red right now," she teased.

"Hmm," she murmured.

"There is definitely something different about you today," she declared, leaning in closer to him and studying his face.

Her eyes roaming over every minute detail of his face looking for a sign of weakness that she could take advantage of.

Her eyes suddenly sparkled and she leaned in closer.

"And is that a hickey on your neck?" she suddenly whispered, her finger pointing toward his neck.

Appalled, Kulap reared back and placed his hands around his neck, he hadn't seen anything earlier, he had actually looked very carefully before he even left the hotel last night.

Though there were other marks on his body, he had double checked that there was nothing obvious that his mother could see.

Mia started giggling immediately.

"I'm just teasing," she confessed around her giggles, making Kulap flop back in his chair, his face frowning in disapproval at her, his heart racing in relief.

She laughed harder and wagged her finger at him.

"I just said that to see how you would react," she admitted with a grin.

"Considering your response," she mused.

"I'd say you have a lot to tell. So, fess up. Start talking."

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calenheart01 · 10 months

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Wings by R + F

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Chapter 3

Jae's P.O.V

It’s hard to make out the new arrivals’ features from across the room, but it’s clear they have the princess by the way the others stand so closed in around the smallest figure. I’m upset with myself that’d I’d missed the signs earlier. The first few are taller than the rest, only two of them are feminine, the first lean and seemingly held captive while the other is fitter in comparison. The leader of the small group speaks firmly when she enters the room.

She’s taller, fitter than the rest, and she speaks in a firm tone; but I miss most of what she says. “Call J…” that’s the only thing I can make out; the rest is too quiet to hear from here.

The person in their grasp struggles slightly but stops upon the man in the center turning to them. The swift turn pushes his dark navy-blue hood to the side revealing his steely silver eyes, his sharp gaze falls on who I now assume is the princess, and I catch him looking her up and down creepily. He laughs softly, his dark monotonous voice cracking slightly into a lighter pitch, the clear crystal returns to his hand and flashes a swirling pale green color. The color swirls wildly, twisting and turning, it stops suddenly only to fall to the bottom motionless.

“Go find her.” The man spits to the other, his hood ruffling again from the ferocity of his movements. “There will be repercussions for this.” He growls angrily as the hardy woman begins to move passed him.

Her boots thump against the tile floor, echoing out against the quiet tension as she storms by my shadowed form, her masked face hidden by her larger cloak hood. The light that catches in the pools of her eyes is obscured by the reflection of the deep orange fabric, and I shift further into the darkness, fear enveloping me as though she’d sense my presence; only relaxing when she doesn’t falter in her steps.

The two guards who hold either arm of the princess are pudgy, their leather armor squeaks as they step forward, obnoxiously rubbing together as they move.

“Don’t fight us, it’s be a shame to ruin this pretty face.” The man sneers, uncomfortably close to her face, his hot breath fanning over her nose as his hand grips tightly to her cheeks.

“H-Hey!” I shout impulsively, six pairs of eyes shift over to me, never mind to the element of surprise as I jump out into the open.

“Hey?” The man’s hand falls, his fingers white from his grip on her face as he turns to me, his body shakes with a chuckle. “And who are you?”

“I’m…the rescue.”

“Really?” The man’s entire body relaxes, his hand twitching over the blade I hadn’t noticed he’d had on him. “I would have guessed you to be the Farmer’ daughter.”

I grit my teeth in irritation, I was no farm girl; how dare he address me as such. I glance down at my apparel. It was a simple teal night shirt that smells of lavender, along the top collar is a row of lilies; pure white and innocent; paired with a matching set of shorts. My hair was separated into two French braids sitting on either side of my neck. Over top of the pajamas was the barely fitting leather apparel I called armor. My cheeks flush in embarrassment, the apparel was pale almost see-through, matching with the pale teal slippers on my feet; making me highly aware of how bare my legs were. The accursed armor still having yet to be resized, hung loosely around my odd frame and was of no true use to me.

I keep my head down, suddenly feeling like a scolded little girl. The feeling throwing me into a vivid memory…

An image of the new mother flashes in my mind, her red hair pulled back elegantly as her pale grey eyes stare me down, she never fails to remind of how a lady should act in public. I had dared to run out of the house and through the upper city square in clothes much like the ones I’m wearing now, chasing something the other upper-class folk claim to have not seen, new mother’s face shown a bright shade of red as she took my hand to lead me home. ‘No matter what’ she had started gently caressing the top of my hair to smooth down its wild curls. ‘You should never leave the house without proper clothing.’ I thought she hated me in that moment, having to mother a child that wasn’t hers, having to teach me the ways of a lady.

I snap back into focus as the Man’s heels thump against the ground.

“I…am no farm girl. I Am a castle guard! And you Will release the Princess. Now!” I swallow thickly, the air about him seems cold…confident, and though I claim to be more; I am nothing but a girl with false dreams.

“You expect me to believe you? You can’t even hold your sword properly, your stance is all wrong, and you’re…shaking in your slippers…” He circles me slowly, eyes carefully assessing me as he rounds to face me, his words strike my hope as his blade strikes my skin before I can move. His small blade moves quickly between his fingers as though it’s dancing across their surface only to sink into the deep crimson hidden beneath my caramel flesh.

“What do you expect to accomplish? An early death?” His blade catches my skin again, a stinging agonizing slice as I will myself to fight him, I swing my father’s sword about before the man can strike again.

The metallic colored blade crosses his bloodied knife, the tainted silver falls from his hand and he gasps in pain, he holds his hand tightly to his chest as blood flows out of a gash hidden under his fingers.

“You don’t realize the mistake you’ve just made…” Placing his good hand on the hilt of his sword, his face hardens with anger, and I falter at the intensity.

“Mark my words, you will fall by my hands.” He laughs darkly at my attempt of false confidence as he steps back towards the princess.

“Not any time soon…” His eyes dart just behind me, but there’s no time to turn.

A hard shock lands against the back of my head, I fall forward, and my sword clatters away as my vision blurs. A hard black boot sits on my shoulder, the heel pushing harshly against one of the many fresh cuts adorning my body, a face I know all too well staring back at me. My head throbs, the pain louder than the voices above me, my consciousness fading in and out.

…

(Silver-eyed man’s P.O.V.)

“What should we do with her?” A few of my soldiers question, some of the others voice their concern for the situation while I glare harshly at a pair of Ice blue eyes.

“They’re both coming with us.” An edge to my voice has the blue-eyed girl scoffing in disgust and irritation as she pulls the unconscious girl’s face from the ground by her hair.

“To think I share a face with one of these horrid creatures.” Her fingers twitch, a telltale sign she’s itching to end its life.

“Leave it J, we’ll let the King handle the beasts…” She lets the girls long black hair go and her face falls to the ground. “Why didn’t you answer my call?”

Ignoring me she snaps her fingers at a different set of my followers, each of them takes an arm and hoists the unconscious girl up.

“ANSWER ME!” The shout echoes around the room we’re in and J grunts in annoyance.

“I honestly just didn’t feel like it.” She runs her fingers through her short hair, ruffling the curls to remove the drops of dried blood from the strands. Handing me the twins’ sword she walks off without another word.

“Insolent child…”

…

(Jae’s P.O.V.)

I’m moving, feet dragging along the corridor floors as the tiling goes on forever, the grips on my arms are tight and the people groan in frustration.

“Did they have to make Us carry her?” One of them complains quietly as the other quickly readjusts their sweaty hands.

Suddenly we stop moving, and the grip to my right loosens slightly, it’s quick and almost fearful. A heavy set of boots smacks against the tile until black tips sit just inside my field of vision.

“Will the both of you be quiet.”

I feel both of them nod frantically before a hand grips my chin and forces me to look into their eyes.

“Stand and walk on your own…” I glance just passed him and catch a glance of worried green eyes.

I stand up, my head throbs a little but its bearable now, and the man turns to continue on down the hall.

I curse myself as I watch the passing doorways. I knew I should have stayed hidden; my “father” hadn’t shown me anything but the basics of sword fighting and I’d become arrogant, desperate to finish my father’s wish. I didn’t get to grieve, no one who’d lost someone today would ever get the chance to say goodbye, never get closure; what with them burning the evidence in the courtyard. I never should have left my room, I should have stayed in bed, pillows covering my ears to block the screams out. The princess will be captured, swept away without a trace or any clues as to where, and I’ll be laying cold…lifeless at the bottom of a pit rotting away.

Focusing on the details of the passing halls and doorways I look for any inkling of escape, a way to survive or call for help, but as I find none I watch as the mysterious man blatantly disrespects the bodies of fallen soldiers. He kicks and shove them around, avoiding the puddles of blood on his freshly cleaned boots, he sneers at them as he’s forced to step over a few. The bodies are mangled, covered from head to toe in gashes the size of my forearm, and holes bigger than the palm of my hand that seep blood endlessly. Their eyes are already dull, glossed over and pale, their last moment etched out in the streaks left behind by their tears.

The princess is dragged a few feet ahead of me, the men on either side holding her arms walking at a pace faster than she could keep up with, they were brutish and overly rough with her. The princess doesn’t fight their hold, she moves as quickly as her tired feet allow, she seems calm for someone being held captive. Though her dove white wings twitch at every open window we pass, the slowly fade away, escaping back into the reaches of her magic.

At some point I let the world fade into the back of my mind, there was nothing I could do, no one left to save us; not that anyone who knew where we were escaped alive. All the noise of the world is drowned out, the colors gone, I only feel the numbness of fear and see the fleeting memories of lost loved ones as we walk closer to our demise. We finally come to a halt, the ground seems to sway beneath our feet as the smell of fresh salt water hits my nose, startled out of my semi-oblivious state of mind I take in my new surrounds.

It’s a rather small ship for all the men that attacked the castle, but the mast stands tall almost proud, the wood creaks and groans under the new weight as the rickety flat board is pulled up away from the docks. It slams down against the ground as the ship begins to move away from our homeland and it splinters. When had we crossed that? The thought terrifies me. This ship is a death trap. The deck has holes scattered around, the doors hang limply on their hinges, and the mast rocks slightly with the weight of the sail. The sail its self is over used, its vast whiteness yellowing with age, and its printed insignia fading from lack of care.

“I believe you can do this…” My father’s words echo in the front of my mind again as the deck creaks under our weight.

The man turns toward us just as the soldier to my left gets caught in one of the holes on deck, the soldier falls forward leaving me free to move, the person to my right sharply moves towards me as I reach for the dagger on the others thigh. His hand barely grasps a fist full of my hair before I flip the blade towards him and slice across his palm. He draws his hand back with a Yelp as the other guard stumbles to a stand, trying and failing to reach her armored hand out for me. The soft pads of my indoor shoes slap against the rough wooden deck as I lunge towards the princess, as if expecting something the silver eyed man already has a blade at her throat, her cuffed hands reach for his hands desperately as her eyes widen in fear.

“I wouldn’t if I were you…we’re already moving and I can make the short trip on this vessel very unpleasant for you.”

I stare at him, judging his every move, I still wasn’t going to be able to fight him but maybe I could distract him. I rush towards him but am slowed by the guard from my left, she grabs the sleeve on my shoulder, pressing firmly into one of the cuts there that causes me to wince; and flips me around to face her. I trip over her feet as she punches my cheek. Tumbling closer to the silver eyed man, he maneuvers himself and the princess to the other side of the ship, further from us but closer to the rushing ocean current below.

Adrenaline courses through my veins as the girl and I continue to fight. The guard lands another punch to my side and I grunt in pain as I flip us again so I’m on top of her. I push her knife towards her throat while she struggles against my hold, frantically trying to push my face away enough to escape, she presses her fingers just under my eyes and along the cut on my cheek. I scream in pain as I force the knife against her skin and rip it out to the side.

“Valerie!!” The other guard cries as he knocks an arrow.

I launch into a sprint aiming for the princess, the silver eyed man misinterprets and pushes her directly into my path to move himself away, and I crash into her; taking us both of overboard. Just as we fly over the edge towards the water, the arrow shoots past us, barely missing the Princess’ face.

The dark salty water envelopes the both of us, the cold wetness a welcome change to the sweaty warmth of “Valerie’s” hands. A silver chain floats in front of my eyes and I barely make out the blurred form of the princess struggling to swim. I grab hold of the cuffs and drag us to the surface. Gasping for air, we both look up to the hull which has stopped moving.

“There they are! Get them!!” The silver eyed man’s hair is ruffled as he screams at another soldier.

“I hope this works…” I mutter, letting my hands collect energy from the water around them.

Flecks of teal gather around my fingers and the water stirs wildly around us, rocking the old ship back and forth.

“Take her down!” One of the many people aboard screams.

The princess yells as arrows begin flying towards us, the sky darkening slowly, thunder and lightning clapping loudly above us. The current rushes faster, wrapping around us suddenly before we’re pulled away from the ships side, our heads barely above the surface as we escape. Further and further along we’re pulled, rapids pushing and pulling, and as they part into different paths they threaten to pull us under.

“Hold on!” The both of us Yelp as we’re rushed and spun around jagged rocks and fallen trees.

The teal flecks leave my hands and we’re left to the true power of the water. We scrap against the bottom of the river, slam against the fallen trees, and finally get caught against yet another jagged rock. The only thing holding us from the rest of the river is the thin chain of the cuffs that’s quickly breaking. The chain slowly slips across the rocks surface, hardly able to catch on its sharp edges as the small links bend, and I have to readjust my grip on her as we search for land.

“We’re not going to make it to the shore!” It’s almost hard to hear over the water.

There’s a fallen tree just a few feet from the rock we desperately hold to, I reach my arm out for it, the current fights my movements the whole time. The water splashes harshly against us as my fingers graze an outer branch, the chain slips further and I go under, the water is pushing at my lungs; its angrily begging to drown me- drown us.

“It’s not going to hold for much longer! Please hurry..!” The princess’ voice is desperate and fearful as I hear the chains snap further.

I look towards the current pushing at us, there are small humming bird sized creatures flitting above the surface, their hands seem to pull the water up towards them. Their small voices are angry as they turn towards us, the smallest of the creatures points at us, then without warning they all fly forward; waves of water following them. My eyes widen as they get closer, they are water sprites, and they are clearly not happy with us. I splash frantically towards the tree, desperately bouncing in the current for any part of it to hold, finally I grab hold as the chain finally gives way to the pressure.

The princess yelps as I hoist us both out of the water, but it doesn’t matter for long as the sprites finally reach us, the wave of water they had been dragging behind them is much larger than I anticipated. It crashes over us and the tree tips. It creaks and moans as the weight of us with the water drags it down; how could it be expected to us hold us when its roots were long dead. The water slices cuts into the tips of my fingers as the sprites encourage the water further, I yell at the sprites who pry at my fingers as I try to hold tighter to the decaying bark, we slip off the edge with a scream. I grab at the air as we fall back into the water.

“Don’t fight it! It’ll only make it worse!”

“What??” The current pulls me around, pushes me under the surface, and sends me rushing down a rocky path as I watch it take the princess another way.

The paths twisting and turning as they rush down further and further, the more it pulls me under the less air I breathe, I fall unconscious again.

Notice: So this is just a small peak into the past for some of our characters, I do hope you enjoy these. :)

Age 17, January 7, 7:05am- Hi Journal, it has been three months since I left home and only 3 days since began my training, we still haven’t advanced with our Sergeant from hand to hand onto sword. We have been stuck in basic lessons for what feels like forever. On the Brightside my father…

-Jae

#New Writer #Zawa'sproblemwriter

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