#Now I believe I am all caught up with these!!!

[shiny-jr]

▶ damnation [ the praetorian imp ]

– Summary: When you commit a crime, you receive a punishment. This is especially true in your society. No matter the crime, your punishment is the same: banishment. But to where you will be sent in exile and how miserable will it be? No one knows, because no one has ever returned.

– Warning: Yes, this is a yandere thing. Gender-neutral reader.

– Characters: Ortho Shroud, Idia Shroud.

– Note: Here it is. I got lazy and did not check it after reading it multiple times before posting on Quotev. So hopefully there's no mistakes. At least not a lot of them. Now read. Happy reading.

– Pages: 43

– Not satisfied? Try looking here for the quiz to take it yourself and see where you end up banished!

The Raven Retainer   |   The Praetorian Imp   |   ???

Cold metal. There was a slight weight on the top of your skull, like the heft of a circlet. Carefully reaching up, your fingers touched thin cold metal, but as you tried to gingerly remove it, it failed to come off. Gentle tugs become harsh pulls, but that only serves to form an ache in your head as if you were pulling on your hair. Was it some sort of deadly contraption placed on prisoners? Was this how they wanted you to die? By crushing your skull with this thing? 

“Wh– Where am I…?”

As you stumbled over your own two feet, you stopped yanking on the metal on top of your cranium. Fear took root as you absorbed your surroundings, dark and unfamiliar, those same qualities as the jail cell but this was unlike any prison. There were high walls with columns of gray and silver and gold, arched ceilings that were mixes of blues and grays and blacks which almost looked like painted murals that had been smeared across the surface. The floor was freezing like cement, but it was a smooth polished dark gray. With at least two floors, the second was accessible by some wide curved stairs which lead to more of the unknown. Your voice echoed in the space, leaving you to believe you were completely alone. 

Skull-crushing could still be on the list of possible ways to die. Or would your punishment be isolation? Complete solitude was known to drive people insane. It didn’t even seem like a single soul alive was here, leaving only the sound of your heavy breathing in the otherwise unsettling silence. White flowers from large vases wilted, their petals suspended gray and limp like hanged bodies.

On the floors you nearly slip and hit your head, but you manage to grab a nearby column that was as thick and sturdy as an old oak tree. That’s when you caught sight of your reflection in a nearby huge vase coated with a reflective exterior. You were staring wide-eyed at an unfamiliar figure, so odd that it took a moment to register that it was truly you. 

A long black cloth with dark blue meander borders acted like a shirt or a robe, wrapping over one shoulder and extending in different directions to act like a small cloak and cover part of your legs. From your hips to your ankles covered by part of the top cloth, were a pair of black pants with more blue meander borders decorating it. They were like modern day sweatpants and an ancient palla all in one outfit, which you might’ve admired if you weren’t currently filled with confusion and dread. That metal object on your head was like a headpiece, with two long thin black protruding pieces slicked back that glowed a slight blue. Like a demon’s horns. Impossible to remove. 

You resembled a demon with these horns, a devilish little imp. When your eyes adjusted, the reflective surface of the vase was painted. Painted black and browns, like the famous Athenian ceramic styles with figures of black and brick red. Except, each vase depicted a different scene. A powerful muscled figure standing proudly and holding a bolt of lightning; a baby strangling two large snakes; a young scrawny individual training beside a satyr and a pegasus. 

“Get– these off…!”

An imp… you were an imp! Horror spread across your features, and the constant tugging to remove the metallic horn-like objects from your skull served pain stronger than a slap, to let you know that this was no dream. The judges had cast the final verdict, and as soon as you arrived you were destined to live as a miserable little creature to serve a higher being. A god. 

A God of the Underworld, that wielded the deadliest of blue flames and kept all souls contained within his land of misery. A being of divinity who envied his family and others who dwelled high in the clouds of Mount Olympus, so he planned meticulously for years to lay siege to the mountain by freeing titans who would wreak havoc across the globe. Just as he sits on the throne where the God of Thunder and King of Gods once dwelled, the human son of that royal god arrived to face the dark god. That gloomy and dreary antagonistic entity had three main underlings, two of which were imps he regularly abused and tormented. 

Maiming, wringing their necks, burning them in blue fire, those were just some of the torture those imps faced at the hands of their master. You felt yourself fall to your knees in a heap, like a rag doll, by the overwhelming emotions weighing in your mind and the now new burden of survival on your shoulders. This was hell, literally. So caught up with this newfound revelation, that you didn’t even notice the vases become blank as if by magic, wiping the depicted scenes off their surface. Hallucinations! 

These must’ve been hallucinations formed by your unstable mind–– You were especially sure of it when it felt as if the ground vanished beneath your feet and were surrounded by dark mists. The dark and elegant place you had once stood in, was gone, and you plunged into a dark pit. A small plunge, then you fell on rocky uneven earth, leading you to fall flat on your face. There was hardly any light, and the ceiling was low. But, there was a blue flame, a small glow to which you opened your eyes to. 

In front of you was a young boy that looked more akin to an android. Surely, another illusion, but your certainty wavered when it blinked at you. It blinked with its wide bright yellow eyes. Its eyes were like a light, as was its hair made of what seemed like real blue flames that was like a torch in this small cave. Its body was dark and metallic, part of those metals extending over the mouth like a mask. “There you are! I was beginning to wonder if you chickened out. Are you ready to put on a show? Remember, we gotta make it believable, the hero won’t be the only one there! We gotta trick all the humans!” 

“W-What…?” You watched as the android-like being opened up a hologram in front of him, and on the screen of light were various shapes and figures of numerous creatures and people alike. 

Whatever this thing was, its voice became monotone for a brief few seconds as its pointer finger landed on the image of a normal young boy. “Selecting… Loading… Finalizing appearance.” In an instant, a light flashed over him and he became that little boy in the hologram. “What do you think? Pretty convincing, huh? Now, your turn!”

If you squint, it was like peering through glass, because at some angles you could still see the android. However, you had absolutely no time to question it, or the situation at hand, or what he could’ve possibly meant, because the quiet was shattered by the squeal of what sounded like a horse. 

Scrambling onto your feet, you approached the thin tiny opening where light filtered in, far too small to squeeze past but just big enough to peer through. It took a few spare seconds for your eyes to adjust to the light of the outside on this cloudy day, but you could make out high rocky cliffs as gray as the sky. And a white horse with wings, a pegasus, several meters away with two people. A young man in purple who looked quite ruffled and a muscular woman with auburn locks. You blanched upon recognizing the location. 

The mighty hero was said to have fought his first life-threatening battle in a gorge, just like this one. It was a battle that nearly cost him his life. The human servant, obliged to serve the dark Lord of the Underworld, lured the hero to the gorge under the guise of an accident requiring urgent attention from a savior. The accident involved two children trapped under rubble where nearby the hydra lurked. And those two children? Were the two imps who also served the God of the Dead. One imp, you were one. And the other? Beside you now, which explained his matching metallic horns on his head. Meaning the hydra was near. Each breath you took increased in pace, on the very verge of hyperventilating–– 

“Help! Hurry! We can’t breathe!” The android boy cried for help, his little eyes peeking out of the same gap you were peering out of. Even his voice sounded different with whatever magic or technology he used to disguise himself. As the hero was running over and a crowd was forming a good distance away, your fellow imp looked at you and whispered in confusion, “Where’s your disguise? You can’t let her see––”

“Get me out…!! Please! Anyone! Someone!” You gasped, suddenly realizing just how small it was underneath this massive boulder. It was a miracle it hadn’t crashed down yet, killing you instantly like rock squishing an ant. But if the boulder didn’t kill you, then the hydra would. And that was what terrified you, causing you to scream for help. 

The young boy’s eyes brightened up, looking a bit taken aback at your volume before he grinned. At least, he must’ve been grinning, judging by the way his eyes lit up. Pausing his very loud pleas, he whispered in amazement, “Wow, you’re really good at this acting!” 

You were not acting. Especially not when help arrived in the form of the protagonist. 

Instead of a man as depicted in the stories, it was a woman. A woman with innocent blue eyes and a kind voice that attempted to ease the worries of what she must’ve thought were two poor victims trapped beneath debris from a rock slide. Her eyes darted from what she saw as a normal little boy, then over to you. “It’s okay, I promise you’ll be alright.” Those eyes like the bright blue sky, softened with a hint of pity, maybe because you just looked that pitiful and on the verge of tears. Because you knew what monster would come lurking from the gorge just moments after you and the small horned being beside you are supposed to be saved. 

Incredibly, with only a minimal amount of struggling, the hero heaved the boulder slowly above her head with her strong arms. Even though the rock was easily ten times her size, she raised it up high above her head, allowing you and the boy to scamper out of the pit. Managing a charming smile despite the tons of weight she was holding, she began, “How are you holding up? Are you injured or––” 

Running. You were running. There was no way you would waste even a second here, and become a victim to that three-headed beast. It sounded like the hero had shouted something as you fled, and were followed by the android boy still in disguise as he called for you to wait up. Climbing, climbing, you took what looked like a thin path on a narrow cliff’s edge until you reached a hollow cavity hidden by shadows and boulders. By then you were out of breath, heaving, the ache in the back of your legs screaming from all that climbing and your lungs burning. 

It seemed as if your torment was far from over. As your gaze traveled up, you stilled like a deer in the headlights. There, engraved within the very surface of the rugged stone walls, was a mausoleum that appeared to be left abandoned. Its smooth columns held up ledges, and at the very mouth of the entrance was a throne of pure stone occupied by a stranger. A stranger that looked eerily similar to the android that had been your company. 

A figure who sat looking quite bored upon witnessing a mortal with inhuman strength. There were no words, but just by appearance alone you knew that this was the divine god that ruled the underworld. Fire, blue fire, ran from the top of his head down his spine and over thin shoulders. He was covered from neck to toe, completely in robes of dark blues and dull grays. Long sleeves with meander patterns extended to his wrist, and even his bony fingers were pitch black either due to the fabric of a glove or it was his actual skin, you couldn’t tell. The himation, the cloth that pooled on the floor at his feet, was pinned by a brooch resembling a skull. 

Chilling yellow eyes leered down at you, his blue lips pulled back slightly in a grimace to reveal unnaturally sharp teeth on his pale face. Under his judgemental gaze, you felt like a miserable little roach scuttering about underfoot. “This isn’t a theater, and you’re not Dionysus, tryhard. That was major overkill. You screamed so much I heard you loud and clear from all the way up here, pretty sure all those humans heard you.” 

In the blink of an eye, the android’s disguise was gone and he floated beside you. Placing a gentle but cold metallic hand on your back, he eagerly piped up, “I think they did really good, brother!” Brother? The god, the villain of this story, was his brother? Certainly the resemblance was there between the god and the being in the role of the imp. “Did you see the look on the hero’s face, Idia? By my estimations, the act fooled all mortal onlookers!” 

Brother. But… that couldn’t be possible. Now that you were high up beside the god, Idia is what your partner in crime had called him, you were no longer so fearful of immediately becoming the hydra’s next meal. That wouldn’t happen, especially when according to the story, the lord of the underworld was the one who controlled the hydra. But now you were currently more concerned and fearful of the literal divine being sitting in front of you. The lord’s brothers were only supposed to be other gods from Mount Olympus, not a being that served him. What else was different about the story? More importantly, what would he do to you once he realized that you did not belong?

“Okay, fine. Stirring performance. Gets five stars from me. Definitely better than that uber cringe Oedipus play that came out a while back. Ortho, nice, you really played the cute little kid you gotta feel for, and you…” Idia directed his attention to you, and you froze in place under his gaze as he sized you up. “You actually weren’t that annoying this time. So congrats, I guess.” He added dismissively, apparently bored with this prelude as the crowd of humans down below continued to clap for the protagonist that had just saved two souls from the boulders in the gorge. Then, his gaze traveled over to the shadows, on a small cliff where a figure you hadn’t even noticed had been standing in silence. “And can’t forget you. A thumbs-up for the leading guy. Even a girl like her can’t resist you, huh, Meg? Talk about pretty privilege. It must be nice.” 

Startled slightly by the new presence, you glanced over, spotting a slightly familiar face looking over the cliff. It was that man who had been accompanying the protagonist. A fairly handsome looking man with brown wavy hair, in a purple chiton and baggy loose gray pants. Again, there was that modern style mixed with ancient, making you question what time this took place in. But that question was so insignificant compared to the rest of your worries, that it would be pushed to the very back of your mind.

Looking from Meg to Idia, you compare the two faces. The God of the Underworld certainly wasn’t ugly, per say. In fact, he was ethereal in his own unique way. It was more of an acquired taste to appreciate the slight cheekbones, the aquiline nose, and the dim glow his fire blue hair provided in the dark space. He wasn’t exactly the beauty standard that could be compared to a warm summer day, but cold rainy nights could be just as beautiful. 

“What are you staring at? Can you not? Seriously, don’t you know that’s rude?” The god muttered in a near sneer, his gaze unable to meet yours. In fact, he appeared to be looking anywhere but at you. Like he was nervous. But what would a god have to be nervous about? “When I leave home, I’d rather not be gawked at like some freak. I don’t need another reminder.”

Embarrassment caused heat to creep up your neck and into your cheeks as you lowered your head swiftly in an apologetic nod. With your eyes now glued to the ground, you didn’t lift your head even an inch. It was a mercy that he didn’t appear to be a wrathful god. Cruel, perhaps, but apparently not quick to violence. If he was the hostile type, the last thing you would probably see was his calming blue fire turn an angry red before your body became nothing but ashes in the wind and your soul joining the countless in the river of the dead. In an effort to appease him so he wouldn’t believe you were staring for the wrong reasons, you began hesitantly, in a nervous tone, “I-I’m sorry–– I was staring because, well, you talk as if y-you didn’t have that specific privilege either.” 

Because you kept your head down, you failed to see all three of them, Ortho, Idia, and even Meg whipped his head around to stare with their own forms of shock as you snapped your mouth shut. There was no room to question what was said and done as a tense sort of silence settled in the air. 

“Not funny, didn’t laugh. I had no idea the role of jester was just taken up. Last I knew, we still had that position available. Guess I was wrong.” He replied, unamused, and surprisingly not offended. At least he didn’t seem as if he was about to smite you for offending a god. It was jarring how lax he was, but he spoke with bitter sarcasm which actually hurt. “If I wanted a laugh, I’d probably watch you snivel and cry again, but honestly it’s way more pathetic than funny so there’s really no point in it unless I want to remind myself that there’s someone within a ten foot radius who’s giving me a run for my money in the pity department.” 

“I don’t think any of you are pathetic or pitiful.” Ortho chimed in, throwing in his two cents on the matter. To which the god only glanced at. “Shall I search our records for the soul of a successful jester? I believe we may have a few that once served kings in past centuries?” 

With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the motion while propping up his elbow on the armrest of the stone throne. “Nah, don’t bother, none of them are that funny anyways. It’s not worth the effort of fishing them out of the river of souls. Once we secure our win, then maybe I’ll consider it when the muses run out of jokes to tell.” 

The muses? Did he plan to use those divine beings as servants once he conquered Mount Olympus? 

“Uh, you can scram now? I know your soul is probably drawn to the company of other mortals like pretty-boy Meg over there and that schlemiel Heraclea.” Idia scoffed, looking a bit bitter. Although, maybe that was his natural expression along with the constant gloom that seemed to permanently linger around the divine being. He rolled his eyes, murmuring the word so it sounded like an insult, “Mortals.” 

“T-Then… I’ll talk to Meg.” You kept your head down both out of respect and out of fear. Even if this supposed god was nowhere near as frightening in appearance as you had originally imagined, he was still a god capable of things you could never imagine. Better safe than sorry. 

There was no chance to add anymore, since a hiss and the screams of terrified people filled the gorge. The massive serpent slithering out from its hidden den screeched as a storm brewed. The beast was probably more horrifying than any creature from nightmares you’ve dreamt, and thankfully you weren’t one of the many mortals down in the pit where they were within striking distance. 

As all this unfolded multiple levels down in the pit, you cautiously made your way to the edge beside the human who served the god, seeing that the Lord of the Underworld had grown bored of the ridicule and decided watching the death match was worth his attention. Of course you knew how the battle would unfold. The hero would struggle against the massive scaled beast, before beheading it, only to be faced with numerous more heads that resulted from each slice. In the end, the warrior would prevail, beaten and bruised, but alive and hailed as a hero by the townsfolk. However, watching it all transpire in real time right before your very eyes, brought a newfound level of anxiety. 

That hero attempted to regain her confidence, but her maneuvers were awkward and unsure when faced with her first real threat. Each movement was just barely enough to save her from the snapping jaws of the currently single-headed hydra. Each swing of her blade met its equally sharp fangs, and clashed like two swords. Watching the scene beside you, was that human, the character that was to be the love interest of the hero. 

Meg watched with furrowed eyebrows and crossed arms, looking both anxious and displeased. So quiet that it was easy to miss over the sounds of people in chaos and the snarling of the hydra, he murmured, “I don’t know what your angle is, but it won’t work.” 

Averting your attention away from the spectacle below, you slowly turned your head to the man. “I’m sorry…?” What was he talking about? Angle? There was no angle. Right now you were just trying to survive, nothing more, nothing less. 

“Don’t play stupid, you sleazy imp. Complimenting him? Of all people? Even I’m not desperate enough to sweet-talk him like that. He’d see through the ruse anyways.” He hissed, glaring at you with those odd violet eyes that momentarily stopped at you, then his superior, back to the gorge. “Heraclea should’ve dropped that boulder on you to squish you like the insect you are.” 

At that mental image you nearly flinched. When his gaze glanced over at that god and his younger brother, your eyes followed. The android boy was peering down at the gorge, clapping his hands excitedly as if he was spectating some game instead of a deadly match. The god was still on that cold stone throne, grinning as he lounged as if he were at home kicked back on a couch. When those otherworldly yellow eyes met yours and his grin faltered, you tensed up before diverting your attention back to the nail-biting action. 

Anxiously you twiddle your thumbs. Heraclea… So that was the protagonist’s name. You shuddered to think of what would become of you should she one day think of you as an enemy and not as an innocent person to be saved. Were you someone to be saved? Yes. Innocent? No, not exactly. Although, if the Lord of the Underworld managed to successfully conquer Mount Olympus, wouldn’t that mean he would bring his servants to that safe haven in the clouds too? All the other gods would be imprisoned, even the mighty God of Thunder who currently ruled over the mountain. Mount Olympus was high in the clouds, it was practically heaven. You would be safe there. 

Eventually, Idia would acquire titans, each with astounding elemental powers and then some. Each and every god had fallen in defeat against the titans, all save for the God of Thunder and his son who defeated them, now daughter in this case. And the only reason the hero had regained their strength to defeat the titans, was because his love, Meg, had gotten injured. If Meg was kept safe, then he wouldn’t have ever had his strength returned to him, meaning he never would’ve been able to stop the siege on Mount Olympus. Certainly it would allow you to be safe and alive, perhaps even served by gods and goddesses, so long as you heed Idia’s every word. And a piece of the key to that future, stood right beside you. 

Clearing your throat, you nearly felt sick when you watched as Heraclea finally beheaded the beast, and the hydra’s body went limp against the relieved cheers of the townsfolk. The calm before the storm. At that moment, you struggled to find something to say. “Is… Is it because I didn’t compliment you…?” Why was he so harsh towards you? Actually, scratch that. It was obvious there were trust issues there, and he wouldn’t be too fond of one of the two that worked so closely with the god he sold his soul to. “Nevermind, that was stupid thing to ask.” 

“Yeah, it was. What a dope.” When he rolled his eyes, that was probably the sign to leave. However, your feet remained firmly planted. Even as he continued his degrading comments, “It seems like every peloponnesian minute, you get more and more pathetic.” With a wave of his hand, he shooed you away with a scowl tugging on his lips. “Why don’t you go join the watch party with them?” 

It was quite morbid to see the Lord of the Underworld and his younger brother appear quite enthusiastic when the decapitated beast suddenly started moving and sprouted three heads within a single second. The duo were raving about something you couldn’t hear due to the wind and rain that had picked up. They remained under the hollowed stone, keeping them dry. However, Meg continued to stand beside you on the cliff, getting drenched with each drop. 

Part of you considered just extending out your arm and pushing him over the cliff, but there was no use in that. Chances are, Heraclea would save him and Idia might not appreciate the fact that one of his best pawns was gone. And if Meg died from the fall, for what reason would the hero then later have to give up his powers if not to save the love interest? So, refraining, you instead unraveled part of the cloth around yourself to extend over his head like an umbrella. 

“... Thanks.” The thank you was hesitant as he eyed you carefully, but at least he had the decency to be grateful. By now, it appeared as if the hydra had been slayed by falling rubble along with the hero, but you knew better. Without even looking at you, Meg repeated, “Like I said before, I don’t know what you're up to, but keep me out of it.” 

“I’m just… trying to spare myself is all.” Your response held a much deeper meaning than he, or anyone else in this world, could ever know. To him, it just seemed like you meant standing by him to distance yourself from the god when the hydra lay buried and still while Heraclea emerged bruised but alive to a rapturous applause from the cheering far below. 

You swore you saw the god’s blue hair spark red for a moment, the flames appearing to wave a little faster but he didn’t make any motion to grab and burn anything with his bare hands. All he did was stand up and stalk off, and you were in no way tempted to elicit a worser reaction from him. Not when Ortho was unnerving you by how he stood still, his brows furrowed in disappointment with a tilt of his head as he watched the protagonist get showered in praise and thanks. Neither of them would you approach, even as a dark mist surrounding the ledge. When it was gone, you and the others were back in those dark hallowed halls from where you first arrived. 

✧   ✧   ✧   ✧   ✧

Staring at the ceiling. It felt as if you had barely slept, and you had no sense of the time as it was so dark in the underworld. All you wanted to do was sleep, sleep and never wake up to avoid this endless nightmare but all you could do was disassociate. And yet, you couldn’t even be granted that small mercy of sleep. A coma would be a blessing right about now. However, all you could do was get lost in the painted and carved shapes and swirls, silently staring up blankly. 

When you imagined the possibility of perhaps achieving paradise on Mount Olympus by assisting the Lord of Underworld receive an ending of his own, you had not accounted for just how long that would take. How long each venture and battle would add to each hour, how the days began to bleed together and feel like a blur. Especially with each task done, you came no closer to derailing Heraclea off her fast-speed track towards a good ending. 

The Erymanthian Boar was a wild and tameless beast that became the main dish of a feast when it was shot by a bow and promptly cooked on a spit. The Nemean Lion was like a kitten compared to the hero’s strength, even its claws famed for breaking the sharpest sword were no match. The Stymphalian Birds were caught and caged like canaries by the protagonist on her pegasus. Nothing, not a single beast or creature alive stood a chance against Heraclea. You witnessed these defeats firsthand, as you and Ortho were often charged with freeing whatever beast was to be the next challenge in a setting like a city waiting to be saved by the famed woman. 

And after each loss, you saw the same thing. Idia would remove a piece off a large board. Each piece was placed strategically, carved to reflect the appearance of each monster he controlled and wished to obtain. You watched as he flicked off the Erymanthian Boar, slapped off the Nemean Lion, melted the Stymphalian Bird to a puddle. You feared meeting a fate like that, at the protagonist or antagonist’s hands–– 

“Hey!! Guess what?” 

You hardly even moved, you didn’t even make a squeak, all you did was flinch when the face of the android appeared above you. After the first dozen or so times he spooked you by just magically appearing like a ghostly apparition, it stopped scaring you so much. Especially because Ortho didn’t want you dead. For whatever reason, he seemed strangely fond of you, perhaps because he thought that you were whoever you replaced as the role of his partner in crime. Besides, the one he wanted dead was the hero, he and his brother have made that much clear. 

“No––” 

“Meg recruited new pawns for Idia to use! Isn’t that exciting? And these three are super strong! There’s the Minotaur, Miss Stheno, and a Griffin! We think that the reason the hero has been winning all this time is because she’s only faced one enemy at a time. This is a game-changer, trust me!” Ortho took your hands in his cold metallic ones, his eyes shining as he whispered hopefully, “We’re so close, I can feel it…! Soon, we’re gonna be able to repay everything Idia ever did for us, by giving him Mount Olympus. I’ll be able to repay him for creating me, and you’ll be able to repay him for reviving you!” 

That… was new. In all your time here, you had never once heard anyone mention a creation and revival. There was no way you could just up and ask. You were supposed to know this, and play the part. While Ortho was cheerful and bright, there was this ominous side of him and glint in his eyes. Along with his mechanical parts that pointed to the obvious, what he had just said might’ve confirmed it, that he was in no shape, way, or form, human. 

“Yeah… I’m looking forward to it.” By now you knew the drill. Whenever Idia was plotting to use a new pawn, you and Ortho would have to go over details including where to release the enemies in a setting to wreck the most havoc and somewhere accessible to the protagonist. Sitting up slowly from the bed, you slid your hands out of his and used your palms to support yourself on the mattress. These next words, you would have to choose carefully. “Olympus for all that he’s done for us…” 

Ortho paused when he held up your bag, and he slowly tilted his head. He did it in a way that creeped you out, with those wide yellow eyes no longer sparkling so brightly. “Oh, I mean, what he’s done for me. You can do this and I’ll forgive you for lying to me.” 

You stopped breathing and your limbs froze in place. You were staring down at the young boy for what felt like a prolonged hour in silence as the air became thick with tension, but it was only a few seconds. It took a few more seconds for you to breathe, to swallow the knot caught in your throat which formed a bubbling pit of dread boiling within your stomach about to make you sick. “W-What…?” 

“Your heart rate has increased significantly, more so than usual. Ever since the hydra, I’ve noticed your vitals seem off. Of course, you have always been the nervous one, always panicking, but it seems more extreme now. So I’ve conducted some scans without your notice, and I’ve made an interesting discovery. The details within your current profile do not match the previously saved one.” With each word you could only stare in horror. How long has he known? Has he told anyone else? What would he do with this information now? What would Idia do if he knew? Each and every word was like a brick being added to a scale, tipping the balance further until you felt as if your very heart would stop. “It’s the weirdest thing. It’s almost as if you’re a completely different person.” 

At that moment you just wanted to vanish, disappear like gray smoke, because you’re certain that even the Lord of the Underworld’s lackey brother can give you a crueler ending than being swallowed whole by the hydra or seen as a foe in the eyes of the hero. 

Ortho remained still, his head still tilted. There was no blinking, he didn’t even breathe. The voice that came from him was serious but quiet, “Do you want to be honest to me now? We were supposed to be a team.” 

The horns. Those cursed metallic horns, the one on his head and the matching pair on yours, a telltale sign that you were supposed to be a duo. Somehow your hands found their way to your skull, to the base of the horns. No matter what you did, yanking, sawing, thumping them against the hard floors, nothing ever affected them when you attempted to remove them during lonely nights. 

“Breathe.” Ortho whispered, his eyes softening and brows furrowing slightly, as if he were looking at a panicked little beast fearfully curled up in a corner. You hadn’t even noticed you were nearly hyperventilating until he said something. You recognized that look, one of pity. Why was it that you were so familiar and used to that look, but the one time you needed it during the trial, you were shown none? “If I wanted you gone, we wouldn’t be talking right now, you know that, right? You aren’t them, and I don’t understand it, but… you do good work. Help me understand you, and I’ll help you understand us. Okay?” 

Broken. You broke, like a dam cracking and crumbling, the bricks swept away in a rushing torrent of words and feeble attempts at explanation. It was clear that he had been expecting some resistance of some kind, but he received none. You recounted everything, from your trial to now, the fear you’ve felt, your nightmares, the desperation to avoid a horrible end that you were destined to receive. Not divulging into the details, not mentioning the fact that this was like a story you knew. And finally, after everything was said, you wiped your teary eyes as you breathed the final words. “Please–– don’t tell anyone. N-No one can know. I’ll do what you want, I’ll help you get your brother to Olympus…! Please, all I want is peace too…” 

Your fellow imp finally blinked, surprised and utterly taken aback by your rapid explanation and plea for secrecy. For a long moment, Ortho appears to scrutinize you. Who knew what was going on in that mechanical mind of his, what things he was realizing that were unseen by human eyes? Finally, he sat beside you. Well, almost, since he floated in the air in front of you, sitting on nothing but empty space. “He doesn’t want peace. That’s boring.” 

Swinging his legs lightly, he removed the metallic mouthpiece that concealed the lower half of his face. You saw… nothing out of the ordinary. He looked so much like a real boy that it was uncanny, save for the pointed teeth that were very much like Idia’s. 

Clearing your throat, you proceeded, “I-I don’t care, as long as I’m safe.” 

“I like it better when you’re honest.” Placing the metal mouthpiece on his lap, he continued to observe you before he gave you a smile. A real smile. Somberly he proceeded, “Idia created me with his own two hands, because his biological family alienated him. Every other god lives in those high mountains, where they’re so close to the sun’s warmth and have an abundance of treasures! They never work, never worry… but not my brother. They forced him to live alone in this cold realm, to take on the responsibility of lording over the dead for all of eternity. So, eventually he brought me to life in this metal body. Then he chose a human soul to revive just so I wouldn’t be lonely either. That human soul was you, or my friend before you, at least. But I think I like you better.” 

“You… You do?” 

“Yeah! I think my brother picked a really bad human soul. The one you replaced was scared all the time, like you, but they never got the job done right. I like you, because even when you’re obviously scared, you do what you have to, and you do it right.” His blunt and casual manner of speaking, combined with the fact that he was still swinging his legs as he floated off the floor, reminded you that he really was a child. Or at least, molded to be like a child. “Don’t worry, I won’t speak a word about it to my brother. This doesn’t affect his plans anyways. As long as you pinky promise you won’t lie to me anymore, and you’ll still help!” 

When he held out a little pinky, you blinked slowly. Such a childish thing, a pinky promise, but your life would hang on the balance between two small interlocked bones. Your life, on nothing but a promise. Did you really have a choice in the matter? “You swear you won’t tell anyone…??” 

“I swear! We Shrouds always uphold our bargain. Imp’s honor!” His beaming smile could light up this entire dreary realm as you slowly wrapped your pinky around his and shook hands. 

“But… imps aren’t very honorable––” 

“Yeah, we are! I.M.P.– information management praetorians. We have to be honest, especially to each other, or how else will our team work?” Ortho argued, frowning lightly at the thought of being considered a liar. “At least, we have to be honest to our own. When it comes to mortals that are not you or Meg, who cares?” He placed that metallic mouthpiece back on that covered the lower portion of his face, and he stood up from his chair of air. “Come on, let’s start walking. On the way, you can tell me something interesting that I don’t know. I bet your world is so different! Tell me about it, please?”

✧   ✧   ✧   ✧   ✧

This was your punishment, not from fate or the very hands that brought down the gavel then declared you were to be banished and die, but by Ortho. Ortho’s cruel little hands, who had tricked you into switching responsibilities for the day. Apparently he was still bitter that you had lied to him in previous encounters. What he hadn’t told you was that his main task for the day was to accompany the Lord of the Underworld across the river of souls and to the mortal realm. 

So now here you were, seated so awkwardly and stiffly on the small thin boat, nervously watching the grotesque faces of the dead as their souls were carried by the currents. You could only pray that the boat didn’t tip over, because who knew what would happen to your mortal body if it fell in? It was likely mentioned in the story, but you couldn’t recall exactly what it was.

Idia appeared relatively unbothered, standing at the very edge of the boat as a masked being made of metals and dark robes moved mechanically. The mechanical charon rowed the vessel to the other side of the river, and quickly you grew bored of their slow and repetitive movements. So you turned your gaze to Idia. You couldn’t see his face, since his back was to you. All you could see was his glowing mane of blue flames waving lightly with the cold lifeless air. Abruptly, he turned his head and you saw his side profile. Those chilling unnatural yellow eyes glanced at you with a dull expression on his face, possibly sensing your stare, you quickly averted your gaze away. But it was too late, he had seen it. 

“What is your deal? You have a major staring problem, imp.” 

“N-Nothing, nothing!” Rapidly shaking your head, you looked for an excuse, any excuse. Anything to save you from this embarrassment, or avoid the risk of angering him. You saw his anger in brief sporadic moments, but you did not want to be the source of those frustrations. Not after you saw how he burned those pawns on that beloved board of his. “I was just wondering… what exactly are we going to do in the mortal realm?” And more importantly, how chaotic would things get? 

“Tsk. Just monitor that lamebrain hero. Everyone like that has a weak spot. I mean, Prometheus and Epimetheus messed around with Pandora and the box thing, a bunch of the gods on Olympus got too involved in the Trojan War and in the end the Trojans bet on the wrong horse. All we gotta do is find her Achilles’ heel so to speak.” 

It was odd how in the original story, The Lord of the Underworld never quite acknowledged most of the gods. Except for the God of Thunder, who he held a clear distaste for. However, Idia spoke as if he knew all of them personally, which would make sense. But whenever he said their names, he frowned and seemed as if he weren’t fond of any of them. 

Seeing him roll his eyes, you glance at the charon who moved like a puppet, then back at the god. The silence was only temporary. Tucking your knees to your chest as you remain seated, you watch him as he continues to gaze out over the gray and lifeless realm that seemed to stretch on for miles and miles. Idia seemed like the solitary type, and if what Ortho said was true, than Idia would be alone. Clearing your throat, you inquired softly, “The Trojan War… which gods were involved in that?” 

Upon hearing the inquiry, he paused but remained still. How many gods and humans and other beings had he known in his long immortal life? Probably too many to count. Idia remained looking away, as if he hadn’t even heard your question, but he answered, “Not that it really matters, but too many. To call the entire ordeal messy would be a major understatement.” 

It sounded like one big trashy reality television show, except much more deadlier and the stakes were high. And yet, if his words were the truth, then he may have not had any part in the conflict. “And you didn’t get involved?” 

“Why would I? I have zero interest in the stupid pointless affairs of mortals.” Okay, so he was not a fan of mortals waging war or causing conflicts. That was good to know. “Whenever they start fighting, more of them end up down there, and it’s annoying. The only bright side of it is that I don’t have to listen to all their arguing on Olympus.”

Carefully, you proceeded to ask, “So… you don’t like them? The other gods, I mean. Can you stand them…?” 

“I can’t stand any of those self-important deadbeats.” A deep frown dug into his lips, clear hatred shining in those tired eyes. Honestly, you couldn’t even blame him. You would be equally bitter about practically being left to rot, to carry a burden for eternity all while everyone else who was supposed to stand beside you went to live lavishly in the clouds without a single care in the world, while their only worries were which mortals to support and pit against another like watching dogfights.

In a way, it felt like how the judges back in your home cast their judgment from aloft, and you were left alone to suffer for it. Unsure of what possessed you, you managed to ask, “What would you change? I mean, if you could punish them for wronging you, what would you do?” 

Leaning against the curved end of the boat, he situated his elbow atop the curve and propped up his head on his cheek. For a long moment he was quiet, gazing at you with those striking yellow eyes. Tired, he looked tired. And after centuries, thousands of years doing his work, who wouldn’t be? “Make them suffer for the rest of eternity, just as they damned me to hell. Chains would be a pretty good start, to make them feel a tiny fraction of how it felt to be trapped. They killed that little smidge of hope I had a long long time ago, so I’ll be fair and return the favor by killing their little hero Heraclea.” 

Considering his response, you nod slowly. While morbid, his feelings felt justified. Had anyone else been in his position, they likely would’ve gone insane. Maybe Idia wasn’t completely sane in the first place, considering how alone he had been until the creation of Ortho and supposed revival of the person you replaced. What sane person would create a family and a friend for himself, just to try and end their loneliness?

“You just focus your puny efforts on helping me change the world. When the titans are freed, everything will change. You can take that as gospel, or whatever.”  

He returned his sights ahead over the river of souls, you suddenly remember what happens if a mortal falls into the murky depths. Their body is quickly drained of life, draining them like a grape dried to a prune, leaving nothing but a wrinkled corpse if the person stays in for too long. It’s how the protagonist nearly met their end, and where the god before you is supposed to become trapped in complete darkness. 

You watched, both intimidated and captivated as a wide toothy grin broke out on his face like he thought of something funny. He scoffed, proceeding with his words in quick succession, almost breaking out into a laugh. “Those unsuspecting dolts have spent so much time up in the clouds that the air pressure must’ve literally dimmed their common sense and cut off the oxygen from their brains. They won’t even see us coming! Ah––” Freezing, his smile dropped instantly as he noticed your shock and he realized that he was allowing himself to speak more freely. Instantly he cut himself off, lowering his volume back down a few notches. Seemingly embarrassed, he partially covered his blue lips with the sleeves of his robes. “Uh… That… What I mean to say is… unlike them, I actually take others into account. One god won’t take up space on that mountain, there’s room for Ortho and a mortal too. To live however you want.”

That expression he had made, was it possible he was becoming more accustomed to you? Wait, no, he was just warming up to the role you played. Ortho had mentioned that you naturally acted just like the imp you had replaced. The Lord of the Underworld was just growing accustomed to the presence of the mortal soul of what he thought was the human he picked to become his lackey. That was all. Nothing more, nothing less. The god would never care for a mortal, not when he used the two humans closest to him, yourself and Meg, as pawns in a game to defeat the human hero, and the result without that hero would be mass casualties. As long as it wasn’t you being tormented by the beasts Idia controlled or even the titans that would soon be free, you didn’t care. Fate was dangling paradise atop a mountain behind golden gates right in front of you, and you just had to survive long enough to make it there. If only it were that easy… 

“However I want…” 

“However you want,” Idia repeated, as the boat stopped and the charon froze in place at a rickety old pier. Just ahead on land was a cavern with the slightest bit of sunlight flowing through it. A possible path to the mortal realm? “Cause I don’t really care what you do then. Right now, hurry it up.” 

Carefully standing, you immediately jumped off the rocking boat, following the ominous divine being who ruled over the dead. Cautious to keep some distance so as to not be burned by his hair, you trail behind him. “... So… what exactly do I have to do this time…?” You prayed for an easy task, wanting to at least be out of a few mile radius distance from the hero. 

“You? Oh, nothing. A wimpy little imp like you wouldn’t survive if you got too close to that hero. And really, I don’t feel like going through the effort of finding another mortal to work for me. Not when you’re useful enough, I suppose. At least you’re better than the last imp.” He practically floated across the ground, the smoke following at his heels with every step he took. 

At least you’re better than the last imp. When you heard those words, you froze in place, your feet stuck to the stairs. It felt as if your very heart had stopped, and your breathing had even come to a halt. There… weren’t any predecessor imps in the story, were there? No–– you would’ve remembered such a crucial detail. So that could only mean that he knew. Somehow he knew–– 

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” His voice broke the silence, as he saw your foot inch back, as if wanting to escape back towards the river of souls. Maybe if you hijacked the boat, forced the charon to take you somewhere far far away from here. To another portal you could use to escape into the mortal realm, anywhere but here with him. The god that ruled over the dead could see the fear clear in your eyes. His gaze was cold, and he was frowning. “Thinking of ending it all here?” 

Staring into his eyes, gazing right at him, was utterly terrifying now that you didn’t know whether he considered you friend or foe. In the stories The Lord of the Underworld practically tortured his imps for sport, what if he did the same to you? You were no brother to him, you weren’t even the original soul he handpicked! You only moved your head slightly, in the subtlest nod. You didn’t want to die, but a quick and painless death by your own hand would be a mercy when compared to the horrors those pale boney hands of him would wrought. 

“Pfft––” A toothy grin spread on his blue lips. The Lord of the Underworld actually smiled, and nearly laughed at your blunt response. He shrugged at your notion, and responded, “You’re not special. Get over it. Don’t even try to kill yourself, because I'll drag you straight out of the river and back here in front of me.” 

That was… extremely unnerving. As scary as death was and as much as you wished to avoid it at any costs, it didn’t appear as if it would become some sort of sweet release. Not until he found you useless. You couldn’t help but notice that he spoke much more… curtly than usual, as if ticked off by something. 

By some miracle you managed to swallow your fear. Perhaps it was because he found you amusing that he allowed you a few more seconds of life, or maybe it was because he really had some kind of plan in mind for you. Which was worse? Spending your last seconds agonizing over how he would end you, or believe he may kill you only to put you through tasks that would make you long for death. Meekly you murmur, “N-Normal people don’t say that––” 

“I’m not a normal person, am I?” When he rolled his head to look at you, you’re reminded once again that he wasn’t like you at all. Far from it. Piercing yellow eyes, blue lips, a mane of fire, these were just the physical traits. Idia was a god, older than you could possibly comprehend, and perhaps wiser than he let on. Despite his blunt and modern way of speaking combined with his lax mannerisms, he was still the Lord of the Underworld. And he could snuff you out with a snap of his fingers. 

Whenever he looked at you a certain way, like he was studying you, reading your very soul, it made a chill travel down your spine and formed a sensation in your stomach that caused you to feel like hurling. You swallowed again, forcing yourself to avoid getting sick right then and there. You didn’t know what he was seeing when he looked at you, and frankly, it was probably best not to know. “If you think I’m a poor excuse for a god, you can say it, you know.” 

Puzzled by the thought that he believed that was your opinion of him, you furrowed your brows, mentally recalling any recent memories that could’ve prompted him to think so. However, none came to mind. You didn’t know whether to reply, or let him continue. Which would bring about punishment. “I never ever thought that…!” 

“Huh…” Standing with his hands at his sides, his shoulders slightly hunched as he faced away from you. There were a few spare moments of a tense awkward silence before he continued, “Or… did you think I was stupid? I knew the whole time. You think I wouldn’t recognize my own imp? Even the one I didn’t really give a damn about?”

All you could do was remain still, as still as a statue. Never had you ever been this frightened before, not when coming so close to the overpowered hero with superhuman strength, or when you were underneath a boulder in the hydra’s gorge, or even when you were tasked with freeing multiple creatures of nightmares beside Ortho. Because yes, while all those beings and myths could’ve caused your demise in various horrendous and grotesque ways, Idia was on a different level. If he so wished, he could revive you and kill you again and again, trapping you in a continuous cycle of death and misery for all time. 

Lifting one hand where small whirls of weak smoke swirled at his bony fingertip, the small cloud resembled the gray murky depths of the river of souls where the dead were the waves on the surface. He continued, while brooding, “When I plucked the original out of the river and revived them, I did it for one reason and one reason only. For Ortho, to keep him company. I didn’t need anyone trying to annoy me, and the prototype was no particular help, you’re more like deadweight since Ortho can do your tasks all on his own. But he wanted a friend, and who am I to deny it? I chose the original’s soul for flat and basic little traits. A dim, sorry, subservient little mortal. Except…” 

When he glanced over his shoulder at you, his yellow eyes glowed dimly and you couldn’t discern his expression due to how the angle concealed the lower half of his face. Those eyes alone made you want to jump right into the river of souls, but you didn’t want to test the theory if he actually forcefully dragged you out of certain doom. What was fairly certain was that the Lord of Underworld could most definitely create fates worse than anything the judges could’ve conjured up just for you. The only thing you could do was pray that he would be merciful. “Please, believe me, I didn’t want to lie to you––!” 

“pLeAsE, bELiEvE mE, i DiDn’T wAnT tO LiE tO yOu.” Idia openly mocked you, even copying the way you would anxiously grip your hands together as if in a thoughtful prayer begging for mercy. “But you did! Lucky for you, I didn’t care for the original. And, it’s a hassle getting a new imp so you got stuck with me, just your luck. Poor sorry little imp, I almost feel bad for you. Almost. Not really though.” 

He… didn’t care? Was this mercy? Or some odd form of it? He made no movements to end you right then and there, not seeming to be debating it.

“I’m not stupid.” He clarified with a scowl, and that’s what made you realize that he was cross because you underestimated his intellect. Were gods truly so prideful? Maybe. It seemed so. And in the grand scheme of things, maybe he didn’t care because this didn’t affect his plans in the slightest. Why would a powerful immortal who rules over the dead’s domain, care for a human? “I don’t care who you really are, as long as you stick to the script and make Ortho happy. Got it? If you do what you're told, you’ll live.”

“O-Oh…” That wasn’t even half as much as painful of a punishment as you expected it to be. Just don’t underestimate him for his pride’s sake, and keep a solid friendship with Ortho. Noted. Those you could definitely do. “Um, thank you so so so much for sparing me your, uh… your most lugubriousness…?” 

His nose crinkled and he frowned at the horrid attempt at a title. “Ew, stop that, don’t be weird. I’m not gonna kill you, that should be obvious even to someone stupid. And don’t even think of calling me Lord, that’s complete overkill. This isn’t the Dark Ages. Just use my name, it’s not like I’m gonna smite you for it. Just Idia Shroud.”

✧   ✧   ✧   ✧   ✧

It was said that there were five stages of grief, and you had experienced all five since arriving. From the tiny voice in the back of your mind denying the reality of the situation, to the current state of acceptance to which you had no choice but to arrive at. With each passing night as you watched the planets in the sky like stars grow closer and closer to aligning, it counted down like the doomsday clock to your demise. If Heraclea didn’t lose by then, you would fail. Idia would never claim Mount Olympus, and you’d meet a terrible end. 

As you stared up at the planets, seeing they were so close to a perfect straight line, you became lost in thought. It became common now, where you would stare off into space, wondering if death would come to claim you and fearing in what form it may come, only to be forcefully brought back from that eternal slumber should Idia continue to breathe. Going over constant plans and ideas, that led to deadends. Because the hero was destined to win, she had the smarts and strength to do any feat once thought impossible. The only hope brought you back to the original plan, keep Meg safe once Idia struck a deal with Heraclea in which the love interest’s safety hangs in the balance. 

That was the only way. 

“Are you even listening?” Ortho inquired, slightly annoyed that you had just ignored everything he was saying. Hovering off the ground, he floated upwards a bit to be in your line of vision as your head remained tilted up to the night sky. The artificially generated blue flames on his hair swayed lightly, casting a gentle blue glow and the shadows outlined his metallic horns. Tilting his head, he stared at your eyes filled with despair just staring off into nothingness. “Helloooo? Come on, there’s no time for mental breakdowns!” 

When he waved a hand in front of your nose, you blinked, snapping out of that despondent daze as you slowly turned your attention to the young boy in front of you. Seeing his face that looked similar to Idia was not doing anything to help your current state. “H-Huh…?” 

How did he even find you at one of Idia’s temples in the human realm? You had no idea. It was the easiest place to get to, considering all of the Lord of the Underworld’s mortal-made temples were accessible through the doors of his abode. Not that there were many of the temples, and the majority of them were abandoned inside the hollow cavities or caverns they were constructed in. 

Ortho furrowed his eyebrows, as he floated back down towards the earth, now only hovering a few spare inches off of the ground. Whatever he was talking about before you began paying attention, was clearly no longer the topic of the conversation as he gazed at you quizzically. “What were you thinking about?” 

Was it really worth telling him? Ortho had constantly insisted that you were supposed to be working as a team, and for a while, you had. While he was an android boy, he was incredibly dependable. He possessed abilities and skills you couldn’t even dream of achieving, and if anyone could help you while Idia dealt with leading the titans, it would be Ortho. However, who’s to say that you wouldn’t immediately be tossed to the side once you served this greater purpose as a step to assist the Lord of the Underworld in reaching the peak? 

Your fellow imp gazed at you, blinking those wide yellow eyes that appeared so innocent. But you knew what Ortho was capable of, what he was willing to do for his elder brother. Lie, cheat, trick, murder–– and that was only scratching the surface. Well, maybe not outright lying, because he seemed so adamantly against it. “You can tell me. We’re friends, right? I’ve never had a real friend before, besides my brother, but friends are supposed to trust each other, right?” Gravity pulled him down, until he was right beside you, seated on a crumbling fallen column that was sideways on the floor. Small fingers reached for your long sleeve, slowly gripping it. 

“Right…” You exhaled, still debating whether this was a good idea or not. Part of you worried if he could even detect if you were lying, and so you decided it better not to risk it. At the worst, you’d be discarded and had to survive in an apocalyptic-like world once the titans were freed, but in the best case scenario, you would actually manage to succeed in assisting the antagonist gain a happy ending. The latter of which would effectively grant you a good ending as well. “T-These plans you’ve been making with Idia haven’t exactly been working, but… I think I know how this’ll play out in the end. Everything that’s happening now is almost exactly like a story I knew from my home.” 

“It is?” He brightened up, looking downright giddy as he jumped a few inches on nothing but air. Those wide yellow eyes of his that glowed like headlights, peered at you intensely as he exclaimed, “And you never told me! Well, how does it end? We could use this to our advantage in defeating the hero! With your help, we can’t possibly lose! This came at a perfect time, just as we were running out of pawns to use.” 

With your hand so close to your mouth, you were debating whether to bite your nails out of pure anxiety or just clamp your fingers over your lips to shut yourself up. Instead, you opted to dig your nails into your palm and forced yourself to open your mouth. The words came out slow, like the painfully laggard pace of dripping water. “We’re supposed to lose…I’ve t-thought of everything to try and stop this story from dragging on for this long, but we keep underestimating Heraclea. That’s the issue. We forget that even though she’s mortal, she still has part of the strength she would have if she were still a goddess. So there’s no beating her, at least not fairly…” 

Ortho leaned closer, hanging onto every single word. His little metal hands continued to cling to your sleeves. A silence lingered for a moment as he processed your words. “Okay… so we have to cheat…? I dunno…” 

“Not exactly. We’re just… leveling the playing field. Yeah… That’s all we’re doing.” Nodding slowly, as if trying to convince yourself of this. Despite the Lord of the Underworld’s uncaring demeanor and your fellow imp’s rather cruel ways, they were both honest. Idia kept his word, and Ortho told truths. “Right before the titans will be freed, the Lord of the Underworld discovers that the hero’s weakness isn’t a physical one, it’s an emotional one. That… weakness is Meg. So the Lord of the Underworld pretends to kidnap the love interest, and offers a deal to the hero. I-If the hero agrees to give up their strength for twenty-four hours, Meg will be freed.” 

Like a lightbulb going off in his head, his blue fire hair sparked for a moment as he straightened up and exclaimed, “That would work! But, wait a minute, if that’s the real story, then what happens so we lost…?” 

“I was just getting to that.” You assured him, your voice remaining quiet as if afraid of being overheard by any living creature in the vicinity. The temple was abandoned, and they were the only two living things for miles. “T-The hero agrees to the deal, under one condition. If their loved one is hurt, then the deal is off.” 

It clicked in his mind as he nodded in understanding. “Ohhhhhh…” The cogs turned in his mind, weighing the meaning of your words and what was supposed to happen. “You mean Meg dies…? That’s okay!” 

Your jaw dropped at the mirth in the android boy’s tone. Wasn’t he supposed to be upset? Saddened? Did he not care at all for the human they occasionally worked with? It was true, half the time he was away on business trying to persuade other beasts to submit to Idia. “W-What? I thought–– I thought you would care!” 

“Not really. It’s not really a secret that Meg doesn’t care about me or Idia! He’s kinda mean to me, actually…” He sighed, averting his gaze as he murmured, “Mortals are so complicated. I can’t understand them, and my brother says they’re all the same! Well, almost all of them. I get you, and Idia actually likes your company. Which is saying something, because he can’t stand any of the mortals he’s ever spoken to. It’s actually kinda concerning because all he talks about is you and how sad and miserable you are, but he doesn’t mean it in a hateful way. He just says it’s annoying how you get stuck in people’s heads. But we’re getting off track.” 

Wait, wait, no, go back on that track. Why was Idia tolerating your company? Not that it was a bad thing, as it allowed you to live longer than most folk who had ever encountered him. It was a tad worrisome, and you couldn’t help but visibly grimace. 

“All we need to do is make sure Meg lives and remains without a scratch for those twenty-four hours, right? That’s easy enough! We can knock him out cold or have Cerberus watch over him. Either way, with us on watch, it won’t really matter! We’ll be free!” 

You watch him yell with glee as he jumps high into the air, until he is several stories in the sky as he laughs. What a sight this would have been to any other mortal nearby, who may have had the misfortune of stumbling across two imps at the abandoned shrine of their master. When he began to plummet back to earth instead of gracefully floating back down, you nearly stumbled on your own two feet with your arms automatically outstretched to try and catch him. 

Just before you could trip and fall flat on your face, his hands caught your sleeve and prevented you from taking a nasty fall. He remained hovering off the ground, as per usual. Those brilliant blinding eyes gazed at yours as he exclaimed, “We’ll finally be happy! Idia and me, and now you! We can make history, you’ll be the first mortal to ever live on Mount Olympus! Isn’t that great? Of course, if the air pressure becomes an issue affecting your breathing pattern, I’m sure Idia would be glad to come up with a solution. He really liked your company when you two went to observe our target, you know. He won’t admit it, but I think you being there helped him calm down when Heraclea stopped the eruption at the volcano.” 

“Uh, well––” 

“Oh! You know what I want to do as soon as we get to Olympus?” Times like these when he jumped from topic to topic so eagerly, and remained so high in spirits is what reminded you that he was supposed to be child-like. It was easy to see him as an innocent youth, if you ignored the disturbing things he said every now and then. “I heard that Hermes has some really cool accessories. We should take them! And don’t forget Ares! I’ve always wanted to see his helmet and hold the legendary sword he wields! There’s so many things we can do once we’re up there, and we’ll have all the time in the world! And––” 

All you could think of as your fellow imp blabbered on and on about relics he wished to steal from other gods and how he planned to spend his time having fun with his brother and yourself, was that you really just put your entire existence in his little metal hands. Only one sentence ran through your mind as you stared slack-jawed at him.

I’m going to fucking die…

✧   ✧   ✧   ✧   ✧

They were right on track towards the implosion of destined failure, but all it would take would be one sharp turn, and unexpected change, to send them veering off course. It was surprisingly easy for Ortho to convince Idia to send out Meg on a quest to find Heraclea’s weakness. Although you knew the answer already, and by extension so did Ortho, Idia did not. And you were not about to tell him your whole life story and how you knew details that others should not know of this world and those living in it. 

Now it was only a matter of waiting, waiting for the confirmation to arrive that Meg was the key to the hero’s destruction. To occupy the hours, you looked upon a scroll Ortho had brought along to the mortal realm. Seated atop the roofs of grand estates to avoid being seen and questioned, it was the perfect spot as the duo of imps were to await further instruction from the god. 

On the scroll you held, were various faces of monstrous beasts. Titans. The ones that stood out the most, were the four at the very bottom, with a fifth not too far behind. Those you recognized, and would be the ones to lay siege on Mount Olympus: Lythos, Hydros, Pyros, Stratos, and Arges. The last of which would be the one to kill the hero while she was in her weakened state. 

“This one… This one-eyed freak is the one we send to kill Heraclea.” You point out the image of the cyclops, able to distinguish it from the other titans. Unlike the others composed purely of the four elements, this titan was several tons of pure mass. A creature of unnatural proportions and unrivaled size, which would serve as a worthy opponent to the hero when she didn’t have her superhuman strength to protect her. 

Ortho gazed at the scroll, paying no mind to the garden below where Meg was eventually supposed to emerge with knowledge of Heraclea’s weakness. Focusing his optic sensors on the simple painted image of the titan Arges, he was still in thought before nodding in approval. “It’s true that Arges is a worthy titan with the capability of wrecking havoc and killing numerous humans, but why him specifically? If the hero won in the story as you said, wouldn’t we want a different titan? I believe that Pyros would be most effective! His elemental body composed primarily of lava will easily burn through human flesh.” 

“Well, yes… That’s a very vivid way of thinking about it.” How in depth was Ortho picturing the death of the hero? It almost seemed as if he wanted to send the most destructive of them all just to cause her more suffering, even if his way of thinking was logical. You shook the image out of your mind as you explained meekly, “Arges comes close to killing the hero. If he had taken things seriously instead of treating it as a game and delaying death, he would’ve won. But he didn’t, because he was toying with his victim… and because the hero’s trainer returned to their aid in those last moments.”

Either way, you were damning a person, a good person, to a horrible death. It wouldn’t be swift or painless, and far from merciful. The titans would have centuries of pent-up rage to release violently, and if miraculously Arges was defeated, Ortho wouldn’t allow the protagonist to slip away with their life. The imp beside you was far from the helpless little devils that appeared in the story, he could be just as lethal as his elder brother. And yet, despite the guilt you could feel slowly building up the more you thought about it, the more often you repeated to yourself: she wasn’t real. If you could fully convince yourself of that, that despite her bright blue eyes and smile as warm as sunshine, she was just a character from a story, then the guilt of her approaching death wouldn’t faze you too much. 

The dangers in this world were real, the enemies were real, Ortho was real, Idia was real. She was not. Even if that felt like a lie, it was a lie, it didn’t matter. If you thought of her as a simple pawn in a game, then the burden of your sin wouldn’t be able to permeate throughout your consciousness. It was just like flicking a piece off a board. It was that simple. Because it was either her, or you. The choice was obvious. 

As Ortho peered down at you with his big bright eyes, he continued floating in the air as he inquired, “Hey, hey, when we get there, I call dibs on Ares’ helmet and sword. You can have Hermes’ stuff, okay?” 

“That’s fine with me…” Frankly, you didn’t care for tinted glasses, legendary swords, or the helmet of a god. 

In the midst of their conversation and planning, a swirling cloud of mist like a portal appeared a few feet away. From it, came the familiar voice of the god, “Imps, time’s almost up.” 

Going through the cloud was one experience you could never quite get accustomed to. It felt like you couldn’t breathe, like a cold dead wind knocked the air out of your lungs as it transported you to a new location each and every time. This time, the destination was a place directly outside of a largely empty colosseum underneath gray skies that was bound to brew a storm. 

“Meg is out of commission, he got too soft. But, he’s there to lure his little hero. Humans are so predictable, so naive, no offense.” Idia’s gaze traveled over to you, only offering a half-hearted shrug and a crooked small grin as a weak apology, if it could even be deemed an apology at all. 

To which you nodded, not really affected by his choice of words. “None taken.” 

“Ortho, you take care of the pegasus and the satyr. Will you?” The immortal lord’s yellow eyes darted over to his brethren, the young imp straightening in attention upon hearing new commands. “Clip its wings, do whatever you have to, I don’t care what it is. I want them out of the way. Join us whenever you’re done.” 

“Understood!” Ortho chirped, watching as his elder brother turned away to slowly walk towards the colosseum. Your fellow imp’s eyes met yours and he must’ve remembered your warning of the impact the satyr could have on the plot, because he used his ability to generate a holographic disguise of the satyr over himself. With one swift slicing motion over his neck, his head rolled to the side in a disgustingly almost realistic spillage of blood before the holographic flickered off. The imp winked at you, far too cheerful for someone planning to commit murder in the next upcoming minutes. In the next moment, he was gone through a cloud of black smog. 

The gruesome image was stuck in your mind as you were left to follow the Lord of the Underworld, jogging to catch up with him and walk at his side as he approached the coliseum. The closer and closer you got to the towering arena, the more the thought dwelled at the forefront of your mind. You would be responsible for not one death, not just extinguishing the burning bright protagonist, but others. Not just Meg, or the satyr, or the pegasus, but countless other souls. Who knew how many mortals the titans would crush, freeze, burn, shred to bits and pieces? So many lives all to save yours. 

Just remember, it was a story. They were just fictional characters, they didn’t even have any relevance to the plot. Background characters whose faces and voices blurred together, whose names would go unheard. That’s all they were. 

“Hey. You nervous or something?” 

Immediately you were yanked out of your intense train of thought, as if pulled out from beneath the surface of water. The god seemed to have picked up on the nervous tics and the grimaces on your face.

“You look like you’re gonna puke… Cut it out. I’m the one who should be nervous, seriously.” 

Gripping the fabric of your clothing to prevent any unnecessary movement, you swallowed thickly and nodded stiffly. Just walk. All you had to do was walk beside him, act as an escort and keep up with him when approaching the towering open entrances to the largely abandoned coliseum where one could faintly pick up on the sound of clanging metal dumbbells in a steady rhythm. 

“Sorry…” You choke out, suppressing any sort of queasy sensation. Think of golden gates and feather-stuffed clouds softer than any tempur-pedic, not the destruction and trail of blood that would lead to paradise at the peak. “Just–– the hero we’re walking towards can probably crush my skull between her biceps without even really trying. And, I kinda prefer my skull intact, you know?” 

“No, I don’t know.” Idia rolled his eyes, seemingly not very much in agreement. Then again, he had little to fear when it came to actually being harmed. Yes, Heraclea could do some damage to him, but he couldn’t die. He was immortal. 

The pair stopped at the arching entranceway moments before entering the threshold. 

“You know what I do know? Rumors.” Of course he knew things. Ortho constantly kept him up to date on the latest happenings, and of course his pawn that fit in best with other mortals, Meg, had kept him informed about anything important in the mortal lands. “A certain little bird told me something interesting before he turned traitor. That a strapping gal, who, I dunno, rides a pegasus and listens to a satyr, has been on the lookout for a small kinda pathetic-looking mortal with horns. Turns out that your crying face made a crying mark on her from that day in the gorge.” 

She knew you. You didn’t know whether to cry or scream. What was worse? The hero with the strength of a thousand suns or the god that reigned over the dead? 

The god. The god was easily the most frightening one, you decided as you realized that Idia was staring at you intensely again. It caused your breath to stop, your hairs standing on end. The immortal looked as if he just wanted to smite you right then and there, reducing you to nothing but ash. For something that was beyond your control. 

“I have got to say, you have this talent, a curse, and it makes me want to literally just––” Idia tightly clenched his fist, pursing his blue lips as he decided against going into detail. To simply put it, words like crush, tear, destroy, or pulverize into atoms would not be able to adequately put his thoughts into words. “Turns out, it’s not just me that notices. You have this strange agonizing little ability to just… worm your way into someone’s mind, and not stop. It festers like an open wound. Infecting it, making the thoughts grow more and more, worse and worse, increasing every day.”

In your seconds of stunned and petrified silence, Idia peered down at you. 

His eyes glowed in the shadows under the stone arches. The smoke at his feet brushing against your legs like tendrils of gray wisps. Abruptly he remarked, “I think I finally realized why I find you so annoying.” 

“What––” 

“You’re used to death and choose the logical routes that are deemed as heartless. Maybe in your previous life you were seen as odd and somewhat of an outcast, like us.” 

Previous life. What exactly did he mean by that? How much exactly did he know, but chose not to explicitly state? Was he assuming you had a previous life here in his plane of existence, this story? Or did he somehow know that you once had a life elsewhere, before being damned into this role by trial? 

Slowly your eyes traveled over to him, only to see that he was already glancing down at you with those glowing yellow eyes. The eyes of death himself. Unsmiling, unfeeling, unstable. The breath of life was frozen in your throat as he tilted his head slowly to one side, his gaze never leaving yours, not blinking even once. “Do you blame yourself?” 

“H-Huh…?” 

“Well, it’s common for you simple mortals in this type of situation you’re in to feel a type of guilt, before and after what has been done.” The number of mortal souls he must’ve seen of the damned were immeasurable. The good, the bad, the worst. All of it he had witnessed. Guilt. Was that what you were feeling now, at the thought of sacrificing others for your own survival as you manipulate the story? 

The breath lodged in your throat escaped like a short stifled gasp. “I… I don’t––” 

“I see it all the time, you’re no exception.” Idia turned to face you fully. The Lord of the Underworld was looking down at you, the smoke at his feet curling around your legs. It was cold lifeless air, sending a chill from your toes all the way to your neck. Those eyes felt like the worst pair of eyes in the entire world–– no, the entire universe. It felt like he could read you inside out, deciphered every bit of your soul like code. “Mortals will invent blame, trying to shove the burden on others and create an excuse. When in reality…” 

Reality. This was reality now, at least for you. A reality you had attempted to shape into your will, into a satisfactory ending where things would be carefree in a heavenly paradise above the clouds. And yet… what did it cost? Lives? What did that matter? But a portion of your sanity. 

“It’s completely out of your control.” 

The Lord of the Underworld returned his sights ahead, to where he would encounter the beloved daughter of the god who damned him to an eternity of drudgery in the most secluded realm in this plane of existence. As he walked, it felt like his fleeting wisps of smoke lingering after each footstep, compelled her forward. 

Just before the shadows of the arching columns ended, they stopped on the edge of darkness where they could watch. Straight ahead was Heraclea, her back turned to them. She was lifting a bar with huge thick metal weight plates that likely each weighed about the same as a house, yet she so effortlessly lifted them up and down with the same hands that strangled the most fearsome beasts to death.

Idia stood close at your side, keeping his fingers folded in front of him as he stood slightly slouched, watching the hero with utter disdain before his gaze traveled to you out of the corner of his eye, but he didn’t move his head. Instead of that same type of hateful loathing he felt towards the protagonist, he looked at you with something else, something less evil and more gentler but equally as chilling. 

In an instant, he was gone in a puff of smoke, his voice seeming to echo all around you and even within the confines of your skull. Low and quiet, but haunting. “You know you were never in control, right?” 

You were never in control. 

You could only watch almost lifelessly as Idia appeared in front of the protagonist. Everyone, everything, began to sound so far away. The crackling fire of the torches on the wall, the voice of the suspicious immortal and wary mortal in the distance, the low howling of the wind beginning to pick up, each one fell on deaf ears. 

That one parting line, just five words, made you question everything that you had worked for thus far. Again, there was the question: how much Idia know? Have you been played for a fool? For all your days here, you had been through hell and back, quite literally, doing his bidding in the hopes to exploit the situation and create an ending that suited your preferences. Had he known this, or was it his choice of words messing with your unstable mind? Just as he insinuated that your presence was permeating throughout his mind, this god was driving you mad! 

The plot appeared to be progressing as intended, the Lord of the Underworld attempting to trick the Hero into a deal they could not refuse. When Idia snapped his dark bony fingers, instead of seeing plum colored garbs and wavy brown locks of Meg, you felt that dreadful sensation of the cold dead wind knocking the air out of your lungs as you suddenly found yourself thrust into the spotlight of the center colosseum. 

All eyes, the two pairs in the vicinity, were on you. You felt yourself go pale. There was a reason Idia had mentioned the fact that the hero knew you existed, and this was it. It was a warning, a hint to his plans. Somehow, someway, the hero cared, and it should have never happened. Why wasn’t Meg here instead? 

The hero’s bright blue eyes sparked to life with familiarity. Any mild irritation she expressed while interacting with the immortal were quickly dashed and replaced by genuine concern. “It’s you––” 

Immediately your gaze traveled to the Lord of the Underworld, who appeared irked by the mere presence of the protagonist that has gotten in the way of his every attempt. Idia hardly even looked at you, even as the words came rushing out past your lips, “This wasn’t––” 

Those cold wisps of smoke gathered, materializing into a rope-like object that restricted your movements. It binds your wrists together, covering your mouth to prevent any sort of noise from leaving your throat. 

This wasn’t the plan. This wasn’t supposed to happen! Why was this happening? 

Just before you could hit the dirt ground, the hero’s warm hands inches away from your flesh as she extended her arms out to catch you–– snap! The snap of Idia’s fingers caused that dreaded cold lifeless air to hit you like a slap as you were whisked away from strong safe arms. 

For a few sparse seconds, you were in complete and utter darkness. It was cold. Just you and your thoughts, with one more prominent than others: Idia had used you. Toying with you like one of the pawns on his board, pinning you against the unbeatable foe he was currently facing. The god utilizing you as if you were the secret ace up his sleeve, but why? What was stopping Heraclea from decimating you just as she had to his other pawns? 

Again, you heard the snap, and you were back in the colosseum. Rapidly you scanned your surroundings, growing more and more disorientated with each snap of his fingers that tossed you back and forth from space to space until you couldn’t tell right from left. What you could still detect was the solid surface beneath you, like those uncomfortable rigid stone benches where the audience would spectate the bloody battles. 

“–– that’s the trade off. You give up your strength for twenty-four hours, specifically the next twenty-four hours, and the mortal you’ve been looking for is as free as a bird.” Idia prattled on, speaking quite rapidly whether out of habit, out of the jitters, or due to the time-crunch, but it could’ve been all three fueling his fast-talk. “I mean, you do want them safe, don’t you? That’s the mortal you’ve been looking for, isn't it? The one you’ve spotted in multiple cities, right? Sorta small and meek, the distinct horn-things they got going on there, sad little face, kinda hard to miss ‘em.” 

Heraclea had been looking for you. The hero had spotted you in cities–– and the only time you were in civilization was when you were tasked to set up the disasters and accidents that the hero would come to face. Were you sloppy and was this accidental, an opportunity the Lord of the Underworld decided to take full advantage of? Or was this always his intention from the very beginning? 

How many times had Heraclea spotted you to grow attached, at least enough to the extent that Idia felt he could safely bet on the hero risking her divine strength to spare you? Each moment flashed through your mind, as you dashed through alleyways and backroads, with the help of Ortho, each time setting off a disaster or a beast to challenge the hero. While Ortho had his strange metallic body which levitated and his holograms to disguise himself, you only had your own two legs to run and a cloak to conceal yourself. How many of those times of sneaking past corners, weaving through crowds, disappearing behind buildings, had Heraclea seen? So engrossed in these thoughts, that you practically missed the intense verbal exchange between the two. 

While Heraclea was naive, she wasn’t downright stupid, and Idia merely wanted this to hurry along to remain on schedule. 

“––What do you owe these mortals, hm? This is the mortal you’ve wanted to save! Them and their sorry eyes.” In one swift movement, Idia was beside you, his thin fingers forcing you to look straight at the protagonist. 

You couldn’t scream, you couldn’t yell, you couldn’t cry. How different would this have turned out, if instead, you had risked turning to Heraclea for help in the very beginning? 

Those blue eyes, the kindest blue eyes in the world, peered at you from afar. Was that pity in her eyes as she looked at you? 

The god pinched your cheeks between your fingers, as he made you look at her. Really look at her, the woman which you were planning to sacrifice to save your own skin. The woman who was currently contemplating on saving you at her own expense, even if she had no idea that you had aided in the countless attempts to kill her thus far. It’s like Idia wanted you to really get a good look of her before she was gone. “Are you for real going to look straight at that miserable little face and say no? I mean, talk about a letdown. I thought you cared for them––” 

“Stop it!” Cutting him off, the hero’s soft gaze at you turned to frown once she focused on the pale immortal. It only took one second. Just one second for her to cave, just as what was intended. You feared being labeled as an enemy by her, but apparently, Idia did not feel the same sort of trepidation. “Swear. Swear that they’ll be safe from any harm.” 

Finally letting go, Idia shrugged nonchalantly as he slowly approached Heraclea. He didn’t plan on harming them anyways. This worked out even better than what was imagined. Now, there was absolutely no use for Meg, no need to keep him from harm when it was his own imp that had to be shielded. An imp that risked the lives of others to keep themself safe, and an imp that the Lord of the Underworld wouldn’t allow any harm to befall. “Yeah, fine, whatever. This mortal here remains safe, otherwise you get your strength right back. Everyone goes home happy. M’kay, deal?” 

As soon as he outstretched his pale hand, his black-tinted fingers reaching forward, Heraclea eyed his appendage with suspicion. As if she half expected the black on his fingertips to be some sort of deadly poison that would infect her as soon as she touched his hand. Her blue eyes glanced at you for a brief moment. 

“Hey, you hear me? Look, you wouldn’t get it, but I’m on a schedule. I need an answer, like, now.” For a flash, a quick moment, his normally calm blue mane appeared to spark red and flicker higher and further across his shoulders.

Again, the hero looked at you. For all she knew, you were an innocent soul held hostage by a god. Yet you were far from innocent. 

“Going once.” 

You were watching the valiant woman practically seal her certain doom.

“Going twice––” 

A fate in which you helped form and doing nothing to stop it. 

“Alright…!” Heraclea looked at her own calloused hand with apprehension, but thrust it forward before any hesitation could kick in. 

As soon as their hands connected, Idia gave an eager toothy grin. You could only watch as the life and energy was practically drained out of the hero as she sank slowly to her knees like being pulled down by intense crushing gravity. As soon as they let go, it was like seeing the color fade from her. Her healthy glowing tan was reduced to an ashy almost-gray hue, her eyes dimmed as they lost their spark of energy, and she could barely even stand on her own two feet. 

Idia no longer held any regard for the now simple mortal, not even sparing her so much as a glance as a wave of his fingers caused the hefty weight she had been training with, to float before crashing against her, practically tossing her to the other side of the colosseum. 

You had no idea if she were alive or dead, or nearly dead but left just breathing to receive torment from the titans that would be released only momentarily. There wasn’t even any time to ask or to check her pulse, as Idia snapped and suddenly your restraints dissipated into thin air. 

“See, didn’t I tell you, you get into people’s heads?” He remarked far too casually. With another snap, there was chariot-like contraption summoned. 

You couldn’t tear your eyes away from the rubble the hero had landed in. You waited, searching, anticipating some sort of movement. A sign of life. 

“Don’t look at her anymore.” Upon seeing this, Idia frowned deeply. The tips of his fiery hair sparked warm hues, the flames growing taller and casting longer shadows. “Why are you still looking at her?” A final movement of his hand had his fingers land on your chin, keeping your head in place so his glowing eyes were peering right down at you. The worst eyes in the world. “Don’t wanna be late now, after all our hard work. If there’s anything left of Heraclea, we’ll have the titans handle the remains so there won’t even be bones to bury. You wanted this, didn’t you? Don’t let the guilt eat you alive now, not when you knew what you were getting into. Usually I’m the downer, but I don’t get why you look so shocked. I’m granting you a front row seat to this cosmic takeover biz, my Puny Little Imp.”

[starkenobi]

Stupidly in Love | Bucky Barnes x reader

masterlist — warnings: mcu; avenger!reader; misunderstanding; idiots to lovers; romcom; fluff.

Summary: Y/N agrees to help Bucky win Natasha's heart. No problem, right? Except for the fact that Natasha is her best friend and Bucky is her crush. Where the hell had she gotten herself into?

Y/N didn’t know how she ended up in that situation. Okay, frankly, deep inside she knew. She had dug her own grave. Just didn’t imagine it would be so damn deep. Who’d have imagined that approaching her crush would automatically result in that kind of misfortune? It sounded way too much like those awful teenage movies. But here she was, agreeing to help her crush to go out with her best friend.

Look, in her defense, she panicked. She should have confessed right there, but she chickened out. C'mon, it's Bucky Barnes she's talking about. The famous Winter Soldier, Captain America's best friend and one of the greatest Avenger's spy. Of course, she could hold her ground just fine too, even getting the nickname of Avenger's golden wildcard. But was it enough? Sometimes she didn't think so.

She was doomed.

It all happened so fast. She was in the library studying for her next mission when Bucky appeared in all his glory, approaching with determined steps. And then there was her, with doe eyes, trying to assimilate the whirlwind of words that escaped from Bucky’s lips. She was caught off guard, with her crush before her speaking so passionately... What should she do, say no? Probably, unfortunately, her brain crashed, and fifteen minutes later, she was running toward the shooting range, where she knew her best friend was. But when Y/N came on the range and saw Natasha practicing with some shield agents, she felt completely lost. Y/N could imagine what Natasha's reaction would be, but the broken brain and the heart hammering in her chest made her believe that she should keep to herself.

Of course, the secret didn’t last long. She couldn’t hide anything from Natasha, in fact, she’d never be able to hide what was happening even if she could. Bucky was even closer. He started to dedicate his spare time to her. Y/N thought it was strange, but Bucky never asked about Natasha's preferences and tastes. In fact, they spent their time together talking about her and Natasha's early friendship before the Avengers. Sometimes it was even possible to forget the reason the two became closer. But after a week, Natasha confronted Y/N. Slamming her hands on the table and pushing Y/N's book aside, Natasha stared at her with narrowed eyes.

“What the hell is happening? Are you two together? What are you hiding from me?”

Y/N swallowed hard, feeling her heart drop as she stared into her best friend's eyes. But as soon as she understood Natasha's questions, she frowned in utter confusion.

“What? What are you talking about?”

“C’mon, it’s me! You don’t have to lie to me.”

“But- Wait, is this about me and Bucky? We’re just friend-”

Natasha groaned, cutting her off. “Everyone is commenting on the fact that you two are glued to their hips!”

“What?”

“Don't “what” me. Am I your best friend or not, dude?”

Y/N nipped her lip, averting her eyes from her best friend's intense expression. This is it. Now was the moment that she’d have to confess the real reason Bucky had officialized their friendship, that her long crush was actually into her best friend. That she was utterly fucked up. Natasha raised an eyebrow at Y/N, folding her arms and waiting impatiently for an answer. The tension between them was palpable and Y/N, hanging her head low, whispered.

“Bucky asked for my help so he could ask you out.”

After a minute of silence, Y/N looked up confused by the lack of reaction. Only to watch Natasha burst into a fit of hysterical laughter.

“Fuck, that was a good one. For a moment I thought-”

Y/N's voice boomed. “I’m serious!”

Casting an accusatory glance toward Natasha, Y/N got up and disappeared into the hallways before Natasha could follow her. Over the next few weeks, Y/N did what she thought was best: avoid both Natasha and Bucky. But speaking the truth, after her fight with Natasha, her best friend made no effort to look for her either, staying by Clint's side. During the first days after the discussion, Bucky tried in all ways to approach Y/N, but after receiving several cold shoulders, he stopped trying and decided to just watch from afar. She felt like a fool, but at the same time, was completely confused and afraid to have a broken heart. Y/N realized that it wasn’t just a simple crush. She cursed herself, how could she fall in love when the situation was clear enough? Right in front of her fucking salad.

The compound was big, and over the years it became even bigger. But that didn’t stop the story from spreading faster than fire. Everyone was talking about the turmoil between the three greatest spies.

“Wait.” Y/N frowned, interrupting Tony's gossip. “What do you mean by three greatest spies?”

Tony looked at her as if she had grown a second head. “You really don’t know what's happening, do you?”

“What should I know?”

Tony gaped at her. “Dammit, wildcat! What have you been doing in the last two weeks and a half?”

“Honestly? I have no idea.”

As an excellent observer, Tony chuckled “You’ve been trying to avoid those two so hard that you closed yourself to the rest of the world.”

Y/N rolled her eyes, but deep down she knew her friend was right. Slumping her shoulders, she sighed. “I'm an idiot, Tones.”

The thing is, Y/N was so determined to avoid everything, that she didn’t know of the fight during the last mission. More precisely, the fight between Clint and Bucky. And unlike the rumors, yes, Bucky didn’t accept very well all the gossip, but people who were there claim that Clint punched Bucky while howling something about him being a player.

“And if your little head is thinking that Clint was defending Natasha's honor. You're wrong.” Tony said smugly, a huge smile on his lips as he watched Y/N’s reaction closely.

“Oh?”

“It was because of you.”

Y/N narrowed her eyes. “What? But we're not even close!”

“So Natasha didn't tell you?”

And once again, after long weeks, Y/N was running toward the shooting range. With red ears and an annoyed look, she marched across the place until she was in the seating area. Clint was the first to notice her presence but not fast enough to stop Y/N from knocking Natasha down. No one knew how to react, watching in silence as Natasha pushed Y/N off, but only to throw a punch against her. They didn’t know why they were fighting, but with all the energy and lack of communication, the others had to step in.

“Enough!”

Clint's order fell into the void, Y/N struggled trying to get away from the other agents.

“You're a hypocrite, Romanoff!” Y/N roared with an accusatory glare.

“So that makes you a chicken!”

Natasha hissed back, but before things got worse, Clint's voice boomed. “I said enough!”

Ten minutes later, Y/N and Natasha were sitting on the avengers’ louge. Clint stared at them with his hands at his waist, a slightly annoyed expression on his face. He didn’t like to see the two best friends fighting over nothing.

“So?” realizing that neither of them would speak, Clint sighed exhausted “Look, Y/N, we’re not close friends but I like you. You're a good person. And that’s why I did what I did.”

“Thanks, but I know there's more than that.”

Natasha grunted displeased, running her hand through her hair before facing Y/N. “We’re together, I mean, Clint and I.”

Y/N scoffed. “Tell me something I haven’t found out through someone else.”

“I didn’t say anything before ‘cause we were just secretly fuck buddies.”

After a few minutes in silence, Y/N broke the tension with a burst of laughter, making Natasha and Clint exchange confused looks. But at the same speed as she began to laugh, in a heartbeat she was serious again and got up from the sofa.

“I can’t believe you said all that shit, when you were the one doing something behind my back!” Y/N hissed, pointing an accusatory finger towards Natasha.

“Well, what did yoy want? You were spending all your free time with him!” Natasha hissed right back, getting up as well but being stopped by Clint's hand on her shoulder.

Hearing the Natasha's words, Y/N’s angry expression quickly softened. “Wait, you're jealous?”

With a pinkish hue to her cheeks, Natasha scoffed. “No? No!”

“Yes, she’s totally jealous.”

Natasha glared at the archer. “Clint!”

“What? I’m tired of this fight.”

So, the power duo was back again. And Y/N started to explain in detail the day Bucky sought her out for help, the free time they spent together talking about everything and at the same time nothing. Clint and Natasha exchanged glances, everything making more sense. In the end, Y/N was completely oblivious and Bucky, and Winter Soldier was a damn coward.

Natasha and Clint decided that they wouldn’t say anything, for the time being, preferring to let Y/N vent and then get some dinner together. But after a few days, Natasha noticed that although things had returned to normal with Y/N, the idiot she calls best friend continued to ward off Bucky like a plague. A little uncertain, Natasha decided to talk with Steve for advice - the Captain was away for a long three months mission. But it didn’t take long to get a response from him, unfortunately, the message contained only two words: ask Sam.

Natasha sighed in defeat as Clint took the phone of her hands to read. Of course, Steve would push the problem (Bucky being stupid) to Sam, he was the best to solve this kind of bullshit (even if he didn’t like to admit it out loud).

Clint returned her phone, stole one of Natasha's toast and took a big bite before teasing his girlfriend. “You're o cute when you're worried.”

“Now isn’t the time to flirt and that’s my toast!”

Clint waved his hand dismissing Natasha. “Whatever, I'm already two steps ahead of you.”

Natasha scoffed. “How so?”

“I talked to Sam yesterday during our recon mission, we already have a plan.” the archer smiled smugly, stealing a sip of Natasha's coffee. “We locked Bucky and Y/N in the old lab on the east wing.”

“You WHAT?”

Y/N didn’t know how she ended up there. Sam invited her to see an old lab he had found that it could become hers, or so she thought. And to say that Sam Wilson could be 100% trustworthy. Now she's stuck in a room... With Bucky. A fucking cliché. And, maybe, a terrible nightmare. The two remained silent, avoiding eye contact and trying to dissociate from the awkwardness. They were embarrassed, but for completely different reasons. The words Sam said before leaving echoed in Y/N's head: If you wanna get out, better start talking. And it seemed that the more she thought about it the harder it seemed to be. Y/N nibbled at her bottom lip, sitting by the window, she could see Bucky's reflection sitting in one of the tables behind her. She wanted to tell everything to Bucky, but she didn’t have the guts. It had been 30 minutes, and Y/N could only imagine the worst scenarios.

She didn’t want to have her heart broken, no matter how much it hurt her to deal with what she felt for Bucky. Natasha was right, she was a chicken. But it wasn’t fair that her friends joined forces to put her in that situation.

“Y/N I need you to stop overthinking for a bit.”

Bucky's voice sounded so smooth, almost a whisper if it weren’t for the quiet room. Y/N looked up and turned slightly to glance at the tables, but instead, she found the super soldier standing closer, a shy smile on his lips.

Having the attention he wanted, Bucky sighed. “Hello.”

“H-hey, I'm sorry for-”

Y/N started nervously, wincing slightly for stammering, but Bucky quickly interrupted her. His voice softer, if that were possible. “That’s fine. Actually, huh, Tony warned me.”

She stared at him with big eyes, feeling her ears warm, she scoffed in disbelief. Sam and Tony were so dead. But none of that made sense. Why would her own friends do something like this? And warn Bucky about it but lie to her?

“You're overthinking again.”

“Why?” Bucky frowned, but Y/N didn’t wait for answers and pressed on. “Why did you agree to their plan?”

Bucky didn’t say anything immediately, deciding to kneel so he could look her better in the eyes. “Isn’t that obvious?”

She replied in a small voice. “No?”

He breathed out "cute" before moving closer and resting one hand on her knee. They were both so nervous, but now they couldn’t back down. Bucky could no longer ignore what he felt, not after knowing Y/N felt the same.

“I fell in love with you.”

She gasped at those words, her lips parted like she wanted to respond and finally gush everything she felt for Bucky. Y/N shook her head trying to form a coherent sentence, but she got distracted by Bucky's huge smile, eyes shining with adoration.

“I know.” Bucky whispered softly, taking Y/N’s face in his hands as if it was the most delicate flower. Then he inclined his head slightly so their lips were close enough that Y/N's warm breath mixed with his. “You can say it later, but I really want to kiss you now.”

Y/N felt as if her heart was going to explode, she nodded her head but quickly pressed her mouth to Bucky’s soft lips. It was better than she had dreamed. And she had dreamed way too many times about kissing Bucky.

The spell was suddenly broken when the door opened abruptly, slamming against the wall. She jumped slightly trying to pull away, but Bucky thought otherwise, deciding to wrap his arms around her waist in a half hug. And when they looked at the intruder, it was none other than Sam.

“That’s enough PDA for today, kids.”

Bucky groaned. “Fuck off.”

”No can do, the others are waiting.” Sam chidded, making no effort to hide his own smile. “Don't wanna be skinned alive by Romanoff, y'know.”

Sam headed toward the door, allowing Bucky to get up off the floor and bring Y/N with him. The two smiled secretly, she took initiative and held Bucky’s hand, wrapping their fingers together as if they've done it for years. Both smiling from ear to ear. Maybe they wanted to do it for so long that it just seemed natural. Bucky kisses her forehead tenderly, walking side by side as if there were no one else in the world. Y/N squeezed Bucky’s hand before finally saying the words with her heart on her sleeve.

“I love you too, in fact, I have for a long while.”

Bucky couldn’t stop smiling. “Yeah, I think I noticed.”

“Oh.”

“And sorry for coming with that terrible excuse. I kind of panicked.”

“What do you mean?”

Bucky stopped walking, turning on his heel so he could face her. “You're really oblivious, huh? I was going to ask yoy out that day.”

She frowned for a moment, but soon wrapped her arms around Bucky's neck, squeezing him. “I hope you take me on several dates and kiss me a lot.”

Bucky laughed at her teasing, noting her flushed face. “Everything you want, but with one condition.”

Y/N pulled away a little so she could look into Bucky's eyes. “Yeah?”

Bucky gave a peck on her lips before whispering. “Be my girlfriend.”

“Hey, lovebirds, can you leave it for later?”

The couple groaned, yet Sam remained unbothered. Maybe he was right and that was enough hot stuff for the curious eyes. But in the end, they didn't care. So, hand in hand, they entered the lounge. All smiles. Why? Well, they were stupidly in love.

comments, likes and reblogs are welcome and appreciated! thank you for reading and supporting my writing 💜

note: english isn’t my first language, and i don't mind if you call me inbox or dm to point out errors or typos. but please be kind!

[stealingyourbones]

Danny, being a halfa, falls under the strange category of people who can converse with the dead and act in their names. Most mediums simply convey messages. It was rare for someone to be able to fulfill a ghost’s dying request and have that act tied to the ghost’s core.

Honestly it’s annoying.

He doesn’t get any alone time anymore for homework or hobbies. The dead are constantly pestering Danny to help with their desires - which, sure, it helps them move on which means they’re out of Danny’s hair, but come on!! Give a guy a break! Just because he doesn’t need as much sleep as a fully living person doesn’t mean he can go without entirely!

“No Scott,” Danny repeated for the fifth time, “I am not flying to California tonight. Do you know how far that is? Literally the other coast of this massive continent. Meet me there in August like everyone else on the list.”

Spending the first spring break of college creating a map and calendar for Last Rites was not something Danny expected when he moved to Gotham.

Why did this city have so many ghosts?! It was ridiculous. And he thought Amity Park was bad? At least the ghosts here were mostly Shades. Not visible to anyone unless they were also dead-adjacent or had The Sight or a bloodline curse or a magical amulet… you know what? There were enough of those in this curse ridden city, why couldn’t these ghosts go find one of those people instead? Danny was exhausted.

So exhausted he didn’t notice the vigilante dropping down from the rooftop.

“Hey there kid, you alri-”

“Yeah yeah,” Danny waved a hand dismissively at the voice without looking up. “Wait in line like everyone else. But honestly you’d be better off coming back tomorrow when I’ve had some sleep.”

“Think maybe you outta get started on that sleep now, bud?” the voice behind him spoke in a calm careful tone.

One Danny had heard all too often since dying.

His head jerked sideways to stare wide-eyed at Nightwing, who tensed just a little as if expecting Danny to run or fight. Instead he let out a groan and slumped onto the park bench, rubbing his eyes to ease the burn of fatigue. He’d been coming out to this park at the corner of campus each night to keep the Shades from mobbing him all day long in classes, but they’d spread the word around Gotham that he was here and his precious spring break had become a non-stop line of requests and arguments. Made sense he’d caught the attention of one of the Bats. Should have expected it sooner.

Danny ignored all the voices around him and looked at Nightwing directly as he prattled off his usual list when someone caught him talking to thin air.

“No, I’m not hallucinating. I got all my Rogue Gallery immunizations the day I checked onto campus. I’m not schizophrenic. The only meds I take are for adhd and the occasional Tylenol. I’m not a danger to myself or others. Unless they attack me first.”

Nightwing nodded along, but tilted his head at the end.

“I’m talking to the dead,” Danny answered the unspoken question in a tired monotone, waiting for the usual skepticism or plea for help with lost loved ones.

“Oh. Okay then.”

“What?” That wasn’t expected.

“No yeah, that makes sense.”

Danny was sure his jaw was on the ground. “You… you believe me?”

“Well sure,” the hero shrugged and chuckled. “I can’t see ghosts myself but I know a couple magicians who work with one, and my little brother Robin has a ghost on his team - she’s actually visible most of the time so I don’t know if that’s a special skill or something else going on. But I’m glad you’re okay and don’t need any emergency medication. I know a couple 24 hour pharmacies that would help but it’s nice when they’re not needed. We don’t get a lot of mediums around Gotham holding court at night so you really can’t fault me for checking in.”

Danny was still floating in the relief of not being questioned or doubted. That hadn’t happened since Jazz found out his secret. She’d had plenty of questions about his halfa status, of course, but never called him crazy for talking to things others couldn’t see. Even Sam and Tucker would forget sometimes and give him strange looks before realizing he was dealing with a Shade, Wisp, or Memory.

He didn’t realize he was wobbling until Nightwing’s arms shot out to stabilize him.

Danny blinked up at the pretty face that was trying not to chuckle, held by strong arms, and so far past tired he might be getting delirious after all because his brain seemed to have lost its filter and he said out loud,

“You actually believe me. I think I love you.”

Then the horrifying embarrassment hit at the same time as Nightwing’s laughter. Which… sounded delighted rather than mean spirited?

“Well now it’s your turn to wait in line, cuz that’s the fourth confession I’ve had this week!” They both devolved into snorts and giggles, Danny still relying on those arms for balance, but when they’d caught their breath the vigilante said, “Come on, you’ve really got to get some sleep. I’ll walk you back to your dorm.”

Ignoring the whispers and grumbles of the Shades was easier with someone walking beside him.

This is so incredibly cute oml. It’s so rare to see the bats actually go with the flow and god it isn’t done enough. 12/10 immaculate, glorious.

The entire plot I can see so clearly in my mind dude:

Danny chatting to Nightwing as they walk to his dorm

Nightwing asking some casual questions about ghosts and Danny asking about vigilante work.

Nightwing informs the Bats of Danny as he might be a valuable asset in the future.

Nightwing helps free shades with Danny and he realizes why Danny is so incredibly tired all the time.

Nightwing managing to stumble into Danny every day of his break, slowly getting to know each other more and more and becoming really good friends (perhaps lovers 👀).

Wonderful stuff man ty for the ask!

[f1ora1f1owerswrites]

then and now

Summary: Jake Seresin and Bradley Bradshaw’s rivalry turned into a friendship over the years. You, Jake’s high school sweetheart, watched their bond grow from complaints about Bradley’s mustache to mutual respect, showing you how much Jake had changed.

warnings: established relationship, she/her used, no use of y/n, character growth (???), FLUFF!

a/n: happy new year!! my first fic of 2025...wow! i have had so much fun with this blog and thank you for all the love!! :) i hope you enjoy this cute little read!! <3

w/c: 960.

***

Jake Seresin’s career had taken him to some amazing places, but coming home to you was still his favorite.

He stood in the doorway of your shared home, his bag dropped on the floor with a thud, his khaki uniform slightly wrinkled from the long trip. The moment he saw you coming down the hall with that familiar smile, everything else faded.

“Missed me, sweetheart?” he drawled, the corners of his mouth lifting into a grin.

“Always,” you said, throwing your arms around his neck and pulling him into a tight hug. Jake chuckled, gently rubbing the small of your back.

As you stepped back, brushing his hair out of his face, you caught the tired look in his eyes. “Rough trip?”

Jake groaned, tossing his keys onto the entryway table. “Rough doesn’t even begin to cover it. Do you know who I got stuck with the entire time? Bradley 'stupid mustache' Bradshaw.”

Your brow furrowed and a grin lifted onto your lips at the newfound nickname. “Bradley? Goose’s son?”

“The very same,” Jake replied, running a hand through his hair. “He’s so smug. He acts like he’s God’s gift to naval aviation. Walks around with that stupid mustache like he’s in an ‘80s movie.”

You laughed, patting his chest. “You mean like you walk around acting like God’s gift to, well, everything?”

Jake’s jaw dropped in mock offense. “Hey, that’s different. I actually am God’s gift to everything.”

Rolling your eyes, you shook your head, but your smile gave you away. “What’s he done that’s got you so worked up?”

“Besides thinking he’s better than me at literally everything?” Jake started pacing, his hands gesturing wildly as he ranted. “He called me Hangman like it’s a bad thing, said I don’t have anyone’s back. Can you believe that? I’m a team player!”

You stifled another laugh, biting your lip. You’d known Jake since high school, long enough to know that his bravado was often just a cover for how much he really cared—about his work, his teammates, and, even when he wouldn’t admit it, his newfound rivalry with Bradley Bradshaw.

“You’re a lot of things, Jake,” you teased, “but maybe it wouldn’t hurt to actually try getting along with him?”

Jake scoffed, waving you off. “Not gonna happen.”

***

But over time, you watched that stance soften.

Years passed, and Jake’s stories about Bradley became less irritated and more… amused. By the time they were assigned to the same mission (and not just the occasional practice) in San Diego, the exasperation in his voice had been replaced with something suspiciously close to respect.

You caught on early, especially when Jake started calling Bradley by his callsign, Rooster. The first time he casually mentioned, “Rooster actually had my back in the air today,” you nearly dropped your mug.

“Wait, wait,” you interrupted, setting your coffee down. “You’re telling me Bradley ‘stupid mustache’ Bradshaw had your back? And you’re not complaining?”

Jake shrugged, the corner of his mouth twitching like he was trying to suppress a smile. “I’m just saying, the guy’s not entirely useless.”

“Wow,” you teased, leaning against the counter. “High praise coming from you.”

Jake rolled his eyes, but you could see the shift. By the time he was recounting the mission where he and Bradley worked seamlessly together to save their team, you knew something had changed.

“You know,” you said one evening, as Jake lay on the couch with his head in your lap, “I think you like him now.”

Jake groaned, covering his face with a pillow. “Don’t start, sweetheart.”

“I’m serious!” you insisted, laughing as you tugged the pillow away. “You two are practically inseparable now. Admit it—you’re friends.”

Jake peeked up at you, his green eyes soft. “I didn’t say we’re not friends. But don’t go telling him that, alright? I’ve got a reputation to maintain.”

You laughed, brushing your fingers through his hair. “Your secret’s safe with me.”

***

The first time you saw Jake and Bradley joking together in person, you almost didn’t recognize them. It was during a barbeque on the beach in San Diego, the whole squad and their partners gathered around the fire pit.

Jake was standing beside Bradley, both of them laughing as they recounted some ridiculous story about their mission. The easy camaraderie between them was a far cry from the complaints you used to hear.

“Unreal, isn’t it?” Phoenix said, nudging you with her shoulder as she handed you a drink.

“What is?” you asked, though you already knew.

“Those two. They were at each other’s throats when this started. Now? Thick as thieves.”

You smiled, watching Jake throw his arm around Bradley’s shoulders, tugging him closer in a playful headlock. “It’s definitely been a journey.”

When Jake caught you watching, he grinned and motioned for you to join them. “C’mere, honey. Rooster’s trying to convince me he’s the reason we’re still alive.”

“Because I am!” Bradley called, holding up his beer.

You walked over, shaking your head fondly. “I can’t believe this. Jake Seresin, willingly standing this close to Bradley Bradshaw? I think I need to sit down,” you say, dramatically feeling your forehead with the back of your hand.

Jake rolled his eyes, pulling you into his side. “Don’t let it go to your head, darlin’. I’m just humoring him.”

Bradley smirked. “Yeah, okay, Hangman. Whatever you need to tell yourself.”

As they launched into another round of playful banter, you leaned into Jake’s side, your heart full. Watching their friendship grow had been funny, sure, but it also reminded you of just how much Jake had grown over the years. From the cocky high school boy you fell in love with to the man standing beside you now, he’d built something meaningful—not just with you, but with the people who mattered most.

And if he occasionally complained about Bradley just to keep up appearances, well, that was fine by you.

[drewstarkeysring]

She did what?- Drew Starkey part 2

˚⋆ ୧ ‎ ࣪ Warnings Cheating , Odessa , swearing

Summary Hollywood is so overrated, but when Larissa finds out what our beloved Drew is up to, shit hits the fan 💋

"I miss you how you made me feel last night"

"When can you leave her house already, I need you"

You're Gut feeling all your friends talked about having when they have gotten cheated on. You said to yourself you would never feel that. Drew was good to you, no signs, no evidence. Until now, you can't breathe. heartbroken is the feeling you felt.

It's been an hour, and he still sleeping.

I looked through all of the messages. He has been gone for two months, which means for those two months. He has been lying and cheating with her. The girl you hate, you knew she always talked shit to her friends when you would be with Drew at a bar. You brushed it off because you never wanted to ruin the moment.

"What are you doing on my phone," Drew says, staring at me. He is caught, and he knows it. He has been awake for the past 5 minutes.

Disbelief is all you feel, the man you loved for 2 years who you thought couldn't hurt you in a way that all your friends told you or the internet. Deeply in love with this man. The hurt you felt, and he was about to hear it.

"Are you kidding me, the shit I found on your fucking phone, you cheated on me with this bitch, be so for real right now Drew". You say

He looks like he has seen a ghost, a ghost that is about to get put through the ringer. "I don't know what to say... I'm sorry baby". He says

"Dont call me that, we done Drew, Done. I have nothing to say to you". you express

"I am gonna leave save us both the trouble". Drew says

I take his phone and throw it against the wall. It shatters. Thank God fuck that hoe. Crash out is all you think but let this motherfucker think you're calm and collected.

A few days later

Brian, your best friend, always was in a show with Odessa. You needed a friend that made you feel at home. Both you and Brian made it up together. You met him at an award ceremony and knew he would be family. He was there with you for everything: first Big Movie, First Vogue Magazine Cover, Victoria's Secret shot, and plenty of other amazing accomplishments. He gets you and always supports you through everything. A big brother that you always wanted.

"I really can't believe him, two months away from you, and you would think he was thinking of you, but no, just thinking with his Dick," Brian says, he takes a sip of his wine.

You roll your eyes. "I wanna kill her and him. Everything I gave to that man and sacrificed for him, cheating, was never on my radar for him. Especially with her, like dude, the bitch is all over him 24/7 you would think, hello, he has a girlfriend maybe I should back away and stop trying to fuck him anymore, but no, my boyfriends fucking her in Italy for two months, while his girlfriend is home waiting for him and missing him." you express in disbelief

"If I could take anything back, it would be that boundaries are a major thing, that first night I met her, I should have known that she wanted him all over him and how she would brush me away every time I would speak."

Sitting on the floor with Brian as the TV in the background was just for noise for your ears. Chineses was just ordered, and Brian brought you your favorite red wine and yap session.

"You're perfect, beautiful as people would say," Brian says jokey. He nudges your shoulder, teasing you. "Don't let this silly man drive you crazy you have major things coming for you, accomplished many, and our the people's princess if you have any takeaways with this shit, it would be he lost the baddest bitch he will ever meet. You should be proud of yourself but do not, and I mean I do not let this shit get you off your tracks, major things are happening in your life. Oscar red carpet for Anora, Fenty shoot, and Vanity Fair shoot with Lily-Rose Depp. Life has shit planned for you." He says while hugging you and reassuring you of your worries. "I love you hoe". He nudges you again.

You roll your eyes. "Love you more boo". You hug him

[novvabee]

Idk if you’re taking requests but I’d love another poly! Jegulily x reader smut, maybe the boys walking in on reader and Lily 👀

so uh... idk if im good at writing smut but this one is for you love!!! also i am writing this from a hospital bed and my brain is only half working so

Caught

summary:James and Regulus catch you and Lily having some alone time

cw: MDNI. smut, this is kinda pwop, oral (f and m receiving) unprotected piv, cumplay?, swearing, idk this is literally just smut, lmk if anything needs to be added.

word count: 4.2k

Lily couldn’t be more perfect if she tried, her golden shining skin, her blazing emerald eyes, her ethereal copper hair. She was perfect in every sense of the word and you couldn’t believe she was yours. 

How truly lucky you were. You got her all to yourself, yours to hold, to sleep next to, to feel. She was all yours, if only you didn’t share her.

You sometimes forgot that she wasn't only yours. You forgot that you had to share. 

You loved your boyfriends, of course you did. And they loved you and Lily just as much. But there were days, moments that you just had to have her to yourself. You had to allow yourself to give into the pure greed you felt. She was yours, and you were hers.

That feeling, that greed, was especially present now, when she was pulling you upstairs into your bedroom. To be fair, you had been all over her all day, pulling her close and kissing every bit of skin you could reach. You could tell she tried to not let it affect her, but she had her limits. Limits you knew how to push and bend, knew exactly what to do or say to get exactly what you wanted.

Once she had finally snapped and gripped your wrist firmly, pulling you along behind her, you knew you had reached your goal. You got her to fold with a few whispered words and a coy look.

From pulling you behind her to pushing you into the room and onto the bed, every moment was heating up in the most delightful way.  From her lips to her touch, you felt the flame of desire ignite and there was no extinguishing it now. Not as she climbed atop you, not when she lifted your shirt from your body, not when she kissed down your frame all the way to the flimsy material of your underwear that you were left in.

You could live in this moment forever. You could bask in the feeling of her gripping your thighs and pulling them apart, slotting herself nicely between them. 

She slid her fingers into the waistband of said flimsy panties and slid them down your legs and threw them somewhere near the door. She made quick work of diving in, licking a stripe up your core. You groaned at the feeling, her tongue circling your clit over and over.

See, you all agreed that it was fine if two of you broke off every now and then for some quality one on one time. There was no rule against just you and Lily having some fun on your own, the other two didn’t have to be there. But, there was a sort of clause to this, just don’t get caught by the other two. More importantly, don’t get caught by Regulus.

At the beginning of your relationship, you often felt guilty, excluding the other two. That was, until Regulus had you in the shower all alone, growling that if he ever caught you like this with James or Lily, you would regret it. And that intrigued you.

Ever since then, you had yet to be caught, to see exactly what you would be regretting if you were. Now, there had of course been some close calls, but you took pride in yourself for the fact that you were incredibly sneaky and mischievous.

Today, you thought it was going to be one of those times, where you were able to sneak off and not be caught, just like every other time. That was until you heard the click of the door handle and looked just in time to see James and Regulus enter the room.

You saw James’s face spark with confusion then awe as he drank in the sight of Lily on her knees in front of you, lounging on the edge of the bed. 

Regulus looked slightly different. You saw him look from you, to Lily, to the panties on the floor right in front of where he stood, then back to you. All with an unchanging expression. His eyes bore into yours, and you knew that you were fucked now.

“Lily,” you whined, trying to wiggle your hips out of her grasp, but she wouldn’t budge. You tried again, this time trying to push her away.

“I hear them,” she acknowledged. She didn’t halt her actions, if anything, it just encouraged her.

Your eyes were still locked on Regulus’s. His face still void of any shock, any emotion at all really. It was a strange contrast to James’s wide eyed stare and blushed cheeks, now the same deep pink color of his cock which was no doubt hardening beneath his jeans by the second.

With Lily’s continued ministrations, you couldn’t help the small moan that left your lips. You tipped your head back and allowed yourself to drink in the pleasure, whatever consequences be damned. Lily clearly wasn’t stopping, so why shouldn’t you continue to feel good?

You heard Regulus approach, his footsteps along with the wet sloppy noises that came from where you and Lily were attached being the only noises filling the room. He stopped just short of the side of the bed and reached to grasp your face in one of his hands, turning you to face him. You looked up at him and felt your heart rate rise in anticipation, wanting to finally find out what he had in store.

To your surprise, he just leaned down and kissed your lips. It was sweet, soft. He broke away and slid in behind you, helping to prop your body up so Lily could get better access. She took full advantage of this and flattened her tongue, adding pressure to your bud so nicely. 

Regulus again turned your face to kiss you. You craned your neck to the side in an almost uncomfortable angle to reach him. He gave you a few soft kisses before licking along your bottom lip. You opened your mouth for him, allowing his tongue to explore yours. Your tongues danced together, there was no need for a battle of dominance when you both found a rhythm.

Lily seemed to be annoyed that the attention was off of her when she was the one working so hard, so she decided to bring a finger to your entrance and circle it, collecting your wetness before pushing in ever so slightly.

You forgot Regulus, snapping your attention back to her. You met her sultry gaze staring back at you as if tempting you to look away again. You saw her tongue start kitten licking you again and you moaned out, throwing your head back against Regulus’s shoulder. He stayed firm behind you, wrapping his arms around your middle to hold you in place for Lily.

Lily took Regulus’s help and added another finger to your entrance, pumping both in and out of you, curling upwards in the way only Lily did. You lost all your senses, letting out breathless moans and praises of Lily’s name. She felt so amazing. You were becoming undone for her, getting closer and closer to your orgasm.

“You just gonna stand there, pretty boy?,” you heard Regulus’s voice from behind you, "Or are you gonna come join us?”. 

Lily halted her work on you and turned to look over her shoulder at where James still stood, your juices covering her mouth and chin. You whined, not wanting her to stop, but also looked to where your other boyfriend was.

He looked like he was in desperate need of some attention. You smirked, enjoying the fact that he could get this worked up by just watching you three. He stood, a little spacey and breathless. 

You decided to help him out and smiled sweetly at him. “C’mere Jamie, I wanna play with you.” He nodded and moved quickly to be by your side.

Lily turned back to you and winked up at you before continuing. You fought the urge to roll your eyes back, you had to be somewhat coherent for James now. You turned your attention to where the boy was struggling to undo the button on his jeans, too busy watching what Lily was doing. You took pity on him and helped him. 

His eyes flicked to you and gave you an appreciative look. He slid his jeans down his thighs leaving him in just his boxers. You reached up to wrap your hand behind his neck, pulling him into a kiss. His lips were needy against yours, eager for your touch at last. He shimmied out of his boxers and allowed his cock to be free of its restraints.

You took him in your hand, gathering his leaking precum to use as lubrication. You stroked him up and down with ease, pulling away from the kiss to allow his moans to ring through the air. Such sinful moans falling from his lips and you had only just begun touching him. 

Regulus chuckled from behind you, amused with how needy James was. Regulus seemed to reward your actions by attaching his lips to the small space under your ear and sucking, biting. There was surely to be a bright purple bruise there the next time you looked at yourself in the mirror.

Everything was getting too much for you, every action, every noise, every touch, was blending together and you were falling fast. You felt the brink of orgasm approaching. You couldn’t help but moan out, throwing your head back onto Regulus’s strong shoulder. 

Lily’s eyes shot up to yours, looking so sultry yet angelic between your legs, her tongue working her magic. She lapped you up in time with her fingers curling in just the right way, the way that only Lily understood. You were right on the edge, letting out breathless moans and chants of Lily’s name, before she suckled on your clit as her finishing move of her routine, and you were undone.

You felt every wave of pleasure as Lily worked you through your orgasm. “Good girl,” she drawled, giving you the praise she knew you wanted, Regulus doing the same by kissing your neck and shoulder sweetly. You relaxed for one moment, trying to catch your breath, before you heard a whimper beside you.

Your attention turned to the sad looking James at your side. You had forgotten his pleasure when seeking your own, and now he was pouting. You giggled, trying to compose yourself, and peeling yourself away from where Regulus and Lily had you, and crawled into James’s lap. Lily took your spot in Regulus’s lap, lounging lazily as both of them watched you and James.

Facing him, you took his face into your hands and pecked his lips. He tried to deepen the kiss again, wanting to continue where you had left off, but you cood, “Awe baby, I’m sorry. Did I forget about you?” James nodded fiercely, arms tugging you closer to him, trying to feel you everywhere. You could feel his dick so close to your bare cunt and groaned, grinding down on him to elicit the same reaction.

He whimpered and bucked his hips up into yours, dangerously close to entering you.

“Do you wanna be inside me baby? Would that make up for it?” you asked. James was almost shaking beneath you as he nodded and bucked up to meet your core again. You chuckled at his attempt to enter you, but looked to your other two lovers, just to make sure everything was alright.

Regulus had Lily in a similar position that you had just left. She was leaned up against his chest, legs spread for Regulus’s hands to work on her dripping cunt. You let out a short breathless moan at the sight. Regulus was whispering something into Lily’s ear that had her moaning and throwing her head back the same way you were just moments ago. 

James must have had enough of your inattention, because he bucked up into you once again, this time finding his mark. James slipped into you easily due to the wet mess you had become on Lily’s tongue. You both groaned out at the familiar sensation, James stretching you out and you squeezing him in the way he loves. 

Still facing him, you grabbed his face and pulled him into a fast and messy kiss. You both felt that needy desperation and melded together as you connected. James opened his mouth for you and you took advantage by licking into it. He moaned and pushed your hips down onto him even further. You threw your head back and let out a rather pornographic, attention seeking moan, putting on a performance for Regulus and Lily just as much as you were for James.

You started grinding down onto James, back and forth, as he let out soft whimpers. You moved your hips in a silent rhythm, getting James as close to his release as you could without bringing him to the edge. You moved your hips in time with his thrusts, the way you knew he liked, and let him think he was the one in control by allowing him to move your hips back and forth on his cock. He brought one hand up to cup your breast, pawing at it before taking your nipple into his mouth and suckling. You moaned and gripped his hair at the back of his head, tugging just slightly. 

You snuck a look at Lily and Regulus where he had his ring and middle fingers pumping in and out of her at a rapid pace. Lily’s face was twisted with pleasure and ecstasy, eyes screwed shut and cheeks reddening to match the color of her lovely hair. She was going to come undone soon, and you couldn’t wait to hear the beautiful noises she would make. You know that watching you and James was tipping her closer and closer to the edge.

You rocked your hips on James at the same time as Regulus’s fingers sliding in and out of Lily. You cried out, gripping James’s shoulders and squeezing with your nails, no doubt leaving tiny crescent moons indented into his skin. You knew that sent a rush of pleasure down to James cock by the way he twitched inside of you and he let out a gargled moan.

You watch as Lily’s chest heaves up and down, moaning so seductively and making you want her between your thighs again. She let out moans in quick succession, squirming in Regulus’s grasp, legs flailing and hands gripping his thighs, anything to try and get away. But Regulus was all too used to this, and had her tightly against him as he continued his assault on her cunt. Fuck you werent going to last much longer.

In out, in out, in out. You could make out the sweat lining Lily’s chest. You started bouncing on James in time to Regulus now. James whimpered and nuzzled into the crook of your neck, giving you full control without pretending now. Bouncing, bouncing bouncing, closer and closer to the edge. Regulus added his thumb to brush Lily’s clit, and it had her screaming. You nuzzled back into James and slammed your hips down onto his, clenching his cock hard and feeling him spurt into you, moaning your name over and over, kissing your neck and holding you tight into him. You felt so good, wanting, needing to continue to rock your hips onto his, but you didn’t want to overstimulate him, especially when he had been such a good boy for you. 

You didn’t have to wait for long, Regulus was pulling you off of James moments after James was completely coming down from his high. Both you and James whined at the feeling of the loss of each other. You felt the emptiness rush over you, but Regulus had a look in his eye that meant you wouldn’t have to go empty for long.

Regulus laid you down on the bed, smiling down at you. You became suddenly shy at his attention, remembering what he had said all that time ago about being caught, and now here you were, caught, and at his mercy. You were slightly scared, but you needed something, anything from Regulus. You would take the rough punishment, the unfair edging, the nerve-shattering overstimulation, anything.

 “My turn baby,” He said, kissing your clavicle and taking your right thigh and pushing it down on the bed next to your body, giving him unrestricted access to your pussy, still dripping with James release. Regulus reached down between your two bodies and spread James’s cum up and down your cunt for lubrication. You could have cum from just that alone, but he then dipped two fingers into you, curling them upwards and making your back arch, before pulling them out and using James’s cum as lubrication for himself, tugging his cock once, twice, before lining up with you.

You looked over to where James was now between Lily’s thighs, eyes glazed over from pleasure. Lily’s fingers tangled in James’s locks as she used her leverage to grind on this tongue, meeting him lick for lick.

Regulus turned your face back to him, squishing your cheeks so that your lips pouted out. He chuckled at your expression. “Eyes on me now babygirl, yeah?” he said, more like demanded.

You nodded to him, eyes not leaving his, as you felt his tip line up with your entrance. He then pushed in, so slowly. Inch by inch he pushed in until he bottomed out. You had no breath to moan or cry out. He pulled out ever so slightly before thrusting in again. You arched your chest up to meet his and he took this as a sign to speed up a little more.

Still holding your right thigh in place, he thrust into you deeper. You felt every glorious inch of him and forgot about the whole ‘being caught’ scenario… Maybe he did as well. Maybe there was no reason to worry yourself. You let yourself relax and enjoy it all.

You finally got out a strangled moan, encouraging Regulus on. He was slipping in and out so easily, so quickly, that you barely had the right state of mind to notice that James and Lily were now 69ing.

Regulus gripped your thigh with one hand and brought his other to grip your throat, stabilizing himself as he thrust even harder into you. You whimpered, half at the way he was making you feel, and half due to the moans coming from both overstimulated James and Lily.

Regulus squeezed your throat in the most delicious way that made the sides of your vision go fuzzy and all the blood go straight to your pussy. Regulus pounded into you with vigor as he saw your eyes start to roll back into your skull. He was letting out breathless sounds, the only thing close to a moan he would ever let out, while you while you completely let go, moaning and cursing, chanting his name like a sinful prayer.

“Reggie, R-Reggie.” you cried out.

He smirked down at you. “What is it baby?” he asked with fake worry. You could hear the noises that James and Lily were making and you knew you were going to cum for Regulus embarrassingly fast.

“C-could we… switch positions. P-please?” you asked as he continued pounding into you.

Wordlessly he gripped your hips and turned you so that you were on your hands and knees. He pushed down on your middle back so that your tits met the bed and your ass was perfectly on display for him. From this position, you could watch James and Lily with ease. She was on top, riding his face, her juices running down his neck and chest, his cock a deep red, ready to be played with again.

You caught Lily’s eye and for the second time tonight, she winked at you. You turned into a shy mess again, hiding your face in the sheets before you felt Regulus slide his dick up and down your slit, recoating himself to push into you. 

He lined himself up with your entrance yet again, but it was you who pushed back onto him. He let out a low groan and took your hips in his hands. He wasted no time, holding you in place as he pounded into you. You moaned so loudly that you were sure everyone down the block could hear you, but you didn’t care, his cock was too deep, he felt too good. And Lily and James sounded as if they were right there with you, feeling just as amazing. 

“Fuck James,” Lily moaned out, lazily stroking his cock while still riding his face.

Regulus continued thrusting, bending one of his legs to the side of you for better leverage, reaching new depths. You cried out broken moans holding off your orgasm as long as possible, but you couldn’t hold it for much longer.

“I, Reggie, I’m s’close,” you moaned. “Please can I cum?” you still didn’t know for sure where you stood with him, if he was going to rip away your orgasm at the last second for getting caught.

Regulus just breathed out a “Cum whenever you want baby.”

He thrust into you faster now, knowing that you were on the brink. You couldn’t stop it, everything again came crashing down on you. You screamed out, but Regulus shoved your face into the bed to muffle the sound, still fucking into you to chase his own release. 

You couldn’t catch your breath, listening to James come undone next, then Lily right along with him, her high pitched moans reverberating off the bedroom walls. 

Regulus pounded into you for a good while after you had cum, James cuddled into Lily’s lap as they both just watched you take your pleasure.

Your body felt so lifeless as Regulus used it, pounding into you like a doll. You loved it. He was close, his thrusts becoming sloppy and not as coordinated as usual. You decided to finish your performance with an encore. 

“Fuck Reggie,” you moaned out with a scratch in your voice from all the moaning and screaming. “You fill me up so good.”

You felt him twitch, gripping your hips and getting ready to spill into you.

“Merlin, you feel so good Reggie.” you coaxed, trying to get him to cross the finish line like all of you already had.

“You know how to make me feel so good, Y/N.” Regulus said, out of breath and sweat dripping down his temple as he chased his high.

You moaned once more before hitting the final nail on the coffin. “I love you Reggie.” you breathed out.

This completely broke him. He threw his head back, eyes tightly shut as he let out a whimper for you, coating your walls with his hot ropes of cum. You smiled and moaned with him, loving the fact that you got him to make such pretty noises, especially when he is the most reserved out of the four of you.

You confidently whipped around to face him, disconnecting from his cock to connect to his lips with a small peck. He smiled down at you yet again. “I love you too,” he replied softly.

You crawled to where James was laying on the bed, beat and ready to cuddle and sleep. Lily had gone to grab a few towels to wipe off with. You kissed James’s cheek and asked if he had enjoyed himself. He nodded sleepily and you giggled.

Lily took care of James while Regulus grabbed a cloth and wiped your core down for you. You told him you could do it yourself, but he insisted. 

“I thought you were going to be mad at me.” you admitted to him, breaking the comfortable silence that had built throughout the room.

“Why would I ever be mad at you babygirl?” Regulus replied to you, wiping down your thighs where he and James’s cum had mixed and dripped out.

You shrugged but said “Well because of what you said about if you ever were to catch me… I thought that you’d be mad or jealous or something.” you tried to explain.

He chuckled, folding the small towel before throwing it somewhere near the laundry. “Oh baby,” he said, “As long as I am able to join, I’m never going to be mad or jealous.” He kissed the top of your head before slotting himself behind you, spooning you. “That is, as long as I am able to join…”

“I would never not want you to join.” you said to him quickly. “I like when we all have fun.”

“Oh baby,” Lily said, crawling in behind James to spoon him just as Regulus was spooning you. “You didn’t like when it was just me and you?” she teased.

“I did!” you tried to defend yourself. “I just… I don’t want anyone to ever feel left out.”

Regulus cooed at you and kissed your cheek, cuddling into you. “Aren’t you just the sweetest thing?” Regulus said.

“She certainly is.” Lily said, licking her lips and winking at you again.

oh gosh... i will check for spelling and grammar issues tomorrow whenI am slightly more aware of my surroundings but hey, first work of 2025 done!!! please let me know if there is like a glaring issue or anything lmao. please send in asks/requests case i am SO BORED in this hospital ❤️

[romanscool]

Hey I love ur stories so I was wondering if u could give me recommendations for the best AO3 MAXIEL stories you've read if u don't mind, thnx 💜💜

hi anon! thank you so much for this ask!! I always love recommending maxiel stories,,,

i have way too much, but I've tried to skim through them and pull out the ones I could read over and over again without ever being bored of it. so anyways, here you go, my fav 13 maxiel fics in no particular order:

I know your name (but not who you are) by @prongsofficial (rated G)

“Hi, Daniel,” the man at his door says, tentative with a sideways smile. There’s sweat on his hairline and two cage-like boxes in his hands. He hears a meowing come out of them when he shifts to set them down. “Max,” Daniel breathes out, floored and caught in the way Max rubs at his own arm awkwardly. Max just smiles. -- Based on the Stick Season (Forever) album by Noah Kahan

a hauntingly beautiful nine-chapter non-linear fic about what could've happened if Daniel had to retire after his hand injury in Zandvoort 2023. Gorgeous. Just the right amount of angst, fluff and crushing dialogues.

dead heat by @powerful-owl (rated E)

"Oh my god. Okay, you’re an alpha. Yeah, Max? You’re an alpha?” Max looks up, tongue lapping at the webbing between Daniel’s fingers. He waits for his thoughts to print into words: paper roll unfurling, sticky nozzles stamping please, need, yours. He just nods. “You’re an alpha.” Daniel laughs, reedy and weird. “Max, what the fuck. Why are you on your knees?”

I'm not usually into a/b/o fics but this one. this hit and still hits me everyday. I have read it almost three times now (keep in mind this is a 35-chapters/200k words fic) and I can't believe how well written it is. the smut is beautiful, angsty and punch-to-the-gut. worth every seconds spent reading it. I also really liked the fact that this is not your traditional a/b/o dynamics, with the little weak omega getting roughly fucked by perma-rut alpha. nope. it's so much more.

breaking every rule for you by @magicalrocketships (rated E)

Daniel's always been competitive. He's never backed down from a challenge, even if it's one he doesn't understand the rules of and doesn't remember signing up for. But he knows this: if Max sends him a dick pic, then Daniel sends one back. Or, it’s Daniel's first year at Renault, and Max hasn't spoken to him in months.

soul-cushing, kink-finding, whatever the fuck even fic. no words to describe this one I think. it's messed my brain up. anyway. 200k words of max and Daniel being idiots, max with a girlfriend he doesn't love and Daniel not accepting he's in love with max. all that while sending dick pics everyday. hot. beautiful. made me cry and bite into my own arm because of how I wish I could just grip both their heads and smash them like barbies so they can kiss.

that's where I am by @flawlessassholes (rated E)

“Her name is Emily,” Daniel says softly. Max’s eyes snap down to the baby, still sleeping on Daniel’s chest. It’s—she’s snoring a little. In that snuffly way that babies snore. “Short for Emilian.” His eyes snap back to Daniel’s face, so serious, and Max knows it’s a joke, of course, but he still opens his mouth to say— Then Daniel’s face breaks into that wide grin, the real one, the one Max hasn’t seen since. Well. In a while. It feels at once so familiar, and also like seeing something rise from the dead.

There’s a month between Melbourne and Baku. A month to convince Daniel to return to racing. A month to learn and relearn how to love. A month for everything to feel right amidst a season that has felt nothing but wrong. A month to create a family, and a month to maybe lose it all.

daniel has a baby and max learns how to deal with that. all that while Emily (dan's kid) is the cutest baby ever. made my heart ache in the best way, had me having a baby-fever for 8 chapters. the smut is gorgeous, the story had me weeping and I could not believe how someone could even come up with such a well-rounded idea. gorgeous.

haven't you heard what becomes of curious minds? by vivienne_xoxo (rated E)

Daniel is on the verge of quite possibly nothing in his last year of high school. Max is on the verge of everything in his sophomore year. The one thing that connects them is soccer, squash, and track and field. Being at different schools, they only see each other once per season for games. However, they find themselves meeting in the spaces between, unknowing of what it all really meant. As Daniel nears graduation with a GPA of a whopping 2.0, a sexuality crisis, and a blonde twisted in his bedsheets and his brain, the one thing he really knows is that he's so, so fucked. OR: A sports rivals with benefits, strangers to lovers Maxiel fic that no one really wanted. Literally just the school I go to right now but with changed names.

everything a teen!maxiel fic could ever want to be. teens in love, max and Daniel going through everything that comes with that. sexuality crises all over the place, hormones, too. love it. this is the fic that made me want to start my own teen!maxiel. it's funny, angsty, has way too many crack-worthy dialogue. I love it.

a sure thing by @thewindowatkirkland (rated E)

Afterwards, once they’ve headed back inside on unsteady legs and showered in Max’s insane ensuite, Daniel pulls on his clothes and watches Max do the same. He’s always quieter after sex, once the adrenaline and dopamine have receded some. Daniel gets it, the whole hooker thing is more awkward for most people once the fucking is actually over. “How much do you charge for a full night?” Max asks, after he transfers the fee for today, the little notification pinging on Daniel’s phone. M. E. Verstappen has sent you a payment. Daniel doesn't bother to check the amount, Max will have rounded it up to the nearest thousand anyway, just like he always does. OR: daniel is an escort, max is a five time world champion, and also one of his regular clients. (aka, the hooker!dan au)

gorgeous. no words. 30k of hooker!Daniel that had me going a little crazy. so many good smut scenes, so many insane dialogues, so many insane angsty moments that aren't angst but feel like it... love love love it. I've read it a couple times already and it always has me on the floor. beautiful and breathtakingly so.

growing sideways by @thewindowatkirkland (rated E)

“We’re in Monaco,” Max says, “and you haven’t lived in either of those places for a very long time, Daniel. Since 2013.” It must be fucking amnesia, Daniel reasons, because when he went to bed last night it was July 2012. And here a grown up Max Verstappen is, telling him 2013 was a very long time ago. OR: daniel wakes up in a bed he doesn’t recognise, next to a man he doesn’t know.

what if Daniel woke up as his 2012 self with braces and awkward limbs but he's in his 2024 self bed, next to his 2024 self boyfriend (max) and he can't understand how any of this is happening? that's it. that's the plot. loved the little references, the race watching, the max trying to make Daniel learn everything they've had since 2012. the virgin smut. hot. but. everything about this fic is so, so sweet. it's gentle. like a hug after a long day, it takes you in and you never want to let go, especially because it has Daniel's fucked up teeth/braces in it. (joking but you know how I am with teeth, right?)

(just let me) adore you by @sillystappen (rated G)

One night, Max confronts the monster under his daughter's bed. Turns out, that monster is a very kind mothman called Daniel.

adorable. mothman!daniel (beautiful, beautiful, woah) takes car of max's daughter because other monsters might want to hurt her. so, so sweet. max is gentle but obsessed, and who can blame him even, Daniel is gentle, gentle, gentle, and caring, and so. argh. sorry. I'm obsessed with the fluff, the daughter, the developing bond between max and moth!Daniel. short and so cute.

auditory stimulator by togenkyo (rated E)

There are no rules for falling in love. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. Max may not be well experienced in love, but he's pretty sure that "Falling in love with a guy you met when you accidentally picked up the phone at a sex hotline." should be a rule.

so funny. had me giggling in a public space over silly roommates trying to get max laid/in a couple. so fun and quirky, really had pulled in from seeing 'Phone Sex Operators' in the tags. I'm glad I read this. great dialogue, story and characters.

hey, remember that time by @powerful-owl (rated E)

There’s a snowstorm outside and a snowstorm in Max’s head. “Yes, okay. What.” “I think I’m gay? Pretty sure. Or like. Hella bi. Cause I think I’d still – if you were a – sorry. My body likes you, Max.” — (Max owns an inn and Daniel has amnesia.)

so funny... love, love, love. I always love those kind of stories, the AU with amnesia and all, but this one is genuinely the best I've ever read. I love all of @powerful-owl 's fics, but this one. it has me in a chokehold. read it again during the holidays for the snowy/angsty/smutty vibes and the scenes always have me giggling or crying. sometimes both at the same time. can't believe she has the power to write such good scenes like the bathroom one. description is just gorgeous, smut is always really good and goofy and. yeah. love it. can't say I've ever been let down by one of her works.

new wave (new emotions) by nothoughtsjustvibes (Kitkatieb) (rated G)

In which Max realizes he’s in love with Daniel and flies to Colorado to make it Lewis’s problem. Lewis just wants him to leave – preferably on a plane to Australia.

so so fun. lewis' POV, which is always really fun to read, especially since it's maxiel. just. lewis objective on the whole 'yes max, Daniel is in love with you, too' situation without actually saying it out loud. cause max has to figure it out for himself. really, really cool and original. loved reading.

two's company, three's a crowd by Whippasnappa (rated E)

“I need to be good at these things so it does not matter when. When they see.” Max says. He's- Daniel's chest feels like its caved in. Max looks so fucking ashamed, and his eyes are wet, lashes fluttering like he’s trying to blink away tears. “See what? Max?” He can’t- there’s nothing about Max that Daniel could imagine would be so off-putting that someone wouldn’t want him. Clearly there’s more to it, then, the reason why Max hasn’t hooked up before. “It is small.” Max says.

whippasnappa is a genius on this one. small dick!max is alway shy fav max but this one,,, gorgeous. breathtaking. couldn't stop staring at y screen even if I died. could've died actually. had me having three heart attacks. have never come back from this one. arghhhh

we predict blue skies and tight pants by dontburnme

The sight just made him dizzy. The hottest man he’s ever fucking seen flipping off a cliff into the murky Oslo waters twenty seven meters high up. Or, Daniel’s a Red Bull high diver and Max experiences an out of body experience watching him.

in which, Daniel is a diver and max watches him dive. and dies, a little. it's crazy, crazy good. had me a little crazy, pulling my hair out by the end of it. I, too, had an out of body experience. crazy, crazy, crazy, and such a fun concept. alway love me some short and sweet AU-fics.

bonus!!: high and dry by @jermeows

real cowboys ride cock, y'know right?

technically not a fic but. it's such wonderful fanart I HAD to include it. maxiel cowboys; what more is there to say...

[bootsukki]

1.

fic masterlist!

full masterlist

taglist: @adelinesthoights @bellssforyou @halfp4stmidnight @avis-writeshq @carm1lla @sunghoonsgfreal @reirain @cherrypieyourface @aynfp @keldracula @kurroomii @chilichopsticks @shanchiikiss @starstrikeer @yzaelki @just-lilita @chiiibeaa @baby-bunnyxn @zarisluvr @xxpr3ttyk173rxx

Suno’s dining hall was like no other on campus. It was tucket away from the usual hustle and bustle of campus life. It was close to your building and it was the kind of place where people came to work, study or just enjoy a coffee with friends, the hum of muted conversations and clatter of coffee cups providing a comforting background noise. 

As you enter, you find an empty spot for you to sit. Your lat class finished early today with Professor Ukai wanting to end a few minutes early. Professor Ukai was your favourite among all of your professors and even though not everybody like his way of teaching, you always found his honesty and view of the world interesting. 

While waiting for Tsukishima you started to get more nervous and anxious about this lie of yours. There was no way that his friends wouldn’t notice that you were lying to their faces but, for some reason, you didn’t want to step out of his plan. You needed the social interaction, as pathetic as it sounded.

You saw Tsukishima enter the dining hall with a big gym bag on his back and he looked around, waving as soon as he spotted you, making his way towards your table. He left his gym bag on one of the free chairs.

“Sorry, I tried to leave practice a bit early. Have you been here long?”

“No,  just arrived.” You answered, smiling. “I still haven’t picked up a drink.”

“I’ll get it for you, what do you like?”

“Could I get a green tea?”

Tsukishima gave you a thumbs up, making his way towards the beverage table, where he started heating up some water for you as well as filling up his water bottle, taking big glups of it. Tsukishima was attractive, he was tall and had broad shoulders and he seemed to be very well-fit. You coughed, moving your eyes away from him, focusing on the other students that were there enjoying a snack or working on their laptops. 

“Here you go.” Tsukishima placed a steaming mug of tea in front of you and you muttered a quick thank you as he sat down. 

“Alright,” he said, setting his water bottle down. “I feel like we need to set some ground rules if we’re going to pull this off.”

You nodded, the warmth of the cup heating up your hands. “Yes. I don’t want to be caught on the first night.”

Tsukisima smiled. “Okay, I thought that the story could be pretty easy. As I said, we are neighbours, which makes everything easy. We met once, starting talking and just decided to go on a date a few weeks after we met each other.”

“Well, Yamaguchi knows who I am and how long I have been living there, so…” You said. “If we say we went o a date a few weeks after meeting, we would have been together for almost a year, don’t you think?”

“You are right.” Tsukishima nods. “After summer, maybe? They’ll believe me if I say we kept in contact through text. Talked during summer and took you on a date after being back from break. September.”

“That’s okay, it seems normal enough.” You answered. “About physical….?”

Tsukishima clears his throat and nods again. “I… Well… If we are going to act as a couple we should at least be comfortable enough to look… convincing, I guess?” You look at him, sipping on your tea. “I’m not big on PDA at all and my friends should know this by now, so I think the only thing they wouldn’t find weird is hand-holding.”

“That’s fine by me.” You replied. “Something else?”

“Nicknames?”

“Uh….” You think of the last lovey nickname you had and you start tapping your foot nervously. “No, I’d rather not.”

“Yeah, same.Simple is better. Although… All my friends call me Kei or Tsukki so… I think you calling me Tsukishima would be weird.” he said, adjusting his glasses. 

“Oh, okay. I’ll call you Tsukki.”

Tsukishima looks at you for just a second and takes a sip from his water bottle. “I may need to know some basic things about you, just i ncase.”

“Oh, yeah. I don’t any of your friends interrogating me about you and literally not knowing anything.” You laugh. “I need to know some things as well, like your birthday, your favourite food, if you play any sport…”

“Volleyball.”

You heart skips a beat at that.

“Volleyball?”

“Yeah, I’ve been playing with my friends since high school. I don’t aim to win things but I enjoy it a lot and I’m a part of the university team.”

“Oh.”

“And you?”

“I…” You think about the times you spent learning that same sport with your friends, all of them teaching you how to jump and hit the ball. You think about the times where he would pick you up and help you hit a ball, the times where he would take you to watch games or when you would hold him after everything in his mind was doubt after doubt about his career and decisions. “I don’t play any sport.” 

“Volleyball is fun.” Kei adds, smiling. “Are you a part of any club?”

“I write for the university paper and the newsletter, which no one reads but I guess it improves my skills for the future.” 

“Well, I’ll start reading it now.”

You smile for a second and finish your tea. Kei looks at you and takes his phone out of his pocket.

“This… It may be weird but I told Yamaguchi about us yesterday and he was really excited that he starting telling the groupchat about you and they… Well, they asked for a picture of you.”

“Oh.” You started to get a bit insecure about your looks for a second, you weren’t wearing the best clothes and you usually went to class without any makeup. “I don’t really good right now.”

“I think you look really nice.” Kei answers quickly and he looks at you. “If you don’t want to, that’s fine. Maybe I could use one from Instagram or something.”

“No, that’s fine.” You fix your hair for a second and smile. “Take the picture.”

Kei opens his phone camera and snaps a few photos of you and shows them, letting you choose the one you’d prefer people seeing before Kei sends it to his friends’ groupchat.

“I’ll show you a photo of them if you want. That way, you¡ll know something about them before meeting them.”

“When am I…?”

“Tanaka is throwing a small get-together at his apartment tomorrow night if you’d like to come. We usually play boardgames, videogams or watch a movie and drink.”

“Yeah, that’s fine. Sounds fun.”

Kei smiles, moving his chair closer to yours. “I’ll pick you tomorrow at seven then.”

You nod, letting Kei sit down next to you, arms brushing together as he shows you a picture of his friends.

“I can’t believe you.” You turn, spoon on your mouth, looking at your roommate Yachi Hitoka, sending you a death glare. Your eyes widen, confused and you close the ice-cream lid. “I can’t believe I have to hear from Yamaguchi that Tsukishima and you are being all lovey-dovey.”

Well, being lovey-dovey isn’t what you would call it, but… You take the spoon out of your mouth and think about what you are going to say. You also need to lie to her, Hitoka is a really baaaaaaad liar and she’s not one to keep secrets. “It’s a new thing, really.”

Her death glare turns into an excited smile and she gets closer to you, moving your shoulders as she laughs. “I can’t believe it! How long?”

“Septemeber, I guess. We were talking a lot during summer so…”

“Girl, I can’t believe you kept this from me.” She says. “I’m really happy for you. You guys make a really cute couple!”

“You think so?” You ask, confused. “We haven’t been together for long…”

“(Y/N), I’ve thought about it for quite some time now. I started thinking about it one time we were all in the elevator and you were giving them their mail. Tsukishima was looking at you really weird. Now I understand that it was all loveeeeee.”

You laugh and shake your head, cleaning the dirty spoon and putting the ice-cream back into the freezer. You feel a bit bad for lying but on the other hand… 

“Do you…” You interrupt her and the petite girls looks at you. “Do you want to help me with an outfit? I’m meeting his friends in like two hours.”

Without answering, Hitoka runs to your room and opens your closet, taking all the majority of your clothes out and putting some music on her phone.

“Sit down, I’m calling reinforcements.”

Tsukishima fixes his hair and picks up his wallet and jacket, but before he can open the door, Yamaguchi runs to the door and closes it.

“We need to talk about two things. First of all, are you nervous? Second of all, were you going to leave without me? We are going to the same place!”

“Why would I be nervous?”

“Because you are introducing all of your friends to the girlfriend we discovered you had literally two days ago. It’s a big step.”

“Well…” The truth was that Tsukishima was indeed nervous. He hated not knowing if he was going to be caught in his lie or if you would be too overwhelmed to continue with the arrangement. “Not really. She’s cool.”

“I know she’s cool but this is the first “girlfriend” you’re introducing.”

“That’s fine. Everything will be fine.” Tsukishima opens the door again. “And I don’t want to leave you alone but I want to spend some time with (Y/N) before we go to Tanaka’s apartment.”

“Oh. Ohhhhhh.” Yamaguchi smirks, pushing Tsukishima out the door. “Enjoy, champ.”

Before Tsukishima can respond, Yamaguchi closes the door on his face and he just sighs. He walks down the hall and knock on the door of your apartment, leaning away from the door as it opens. “Hey, I–” Tsukishima looks at the door number and confused, looks back at the girl in front of him which isn’t Yachi nor you. “Sorry, I–”

“You are in the right apartment, sorry!” The girls leans away from the door and Tsukishima notices, at least, 5 other girls looking in his direction. “We are just having a small gathering while (Y/N) gets ready. You are Tsukishima, right?”

“Right…”

“I’m Yuki Tsumoni.” Tsukishima hesitates, wondering if he should wait for you outside but Yuki pushes right inside and the other girls wave, making their way towards him. They start saying their names but he can't bother to remember them. 

Yuki leads him to the living room–a small place filled up with decorations and trinkets collected by you and Hitoka during this past year, a black coffee table and some bookshelves.

“(Y/N) is almost ready.”

“Okay.”

Just seconds after the girls surround him and start asking him questions (“Oh my God, you’re so tall, how tall are you?” “How long have you guys been dating?” “Where are you from?”), you make your way towards the living room. Tsukishima looks at your outfit, you are wearing a long green sweater and some denim skirt with boots. His eyes move up to your face, noticing the light make-up and your hair up in a ponytail.

“Hi, sorry, I–”

“Not a problem. Shall we go?”

Tsukishima moves away from the girls, who are looking at both of them as if waiting for something. You smile at him and make your way towards the door, saying goodbye and Tsukishima grabs your hand, looking back at the girls, whose eyes are focusing on the way his hand engulfed yours.

You pray he doesn’t notice your gasp of surprise.

[bloggerspam]

"I'm telling you, Manson. He's definitely Superman."

"I just don't see it, Weston." Sam sighs as dramatically as she can, "This is Phantom all over again."

"Don't act like I was wrong then," Wes sneers, getting all up in her face. "And I am not wrong now!"

"Yeah, yeah." Sam rolls her eyes, perking up when someone enters the bullpen. "Oh, hi Mrs. Lane."

"Hello, Sam, Wes." Lois smiles in greeting as she makes her way across the room, "What's the scoop?"

Wes huffs, not answering but dutifully returning her greeting with a tight smile. Sensing an opportunity, Sam grins, shark-like.

"Oh, nothing, it's just…" Sam leans in, whispering conspiratorially, "Wes here's a bit of a conspiracy theorist, y'know?"

"Oh really now…" Lois obligingly whispers back, both women chuckling as Wes sputters in denial. "What's the theory today?"

"He thinks Mr. Kent is secretly Superman!" Sam watches gleefully as Lois doesn't so much as twitch, even as a crash can be heard in the next room over.

Sam knows Clark gets his coffee after his wife, gentleman that he is he always makes hers first and usually follows maybe a minute later with his own cup. She's delighted that today is a day Superman wasn't needed.

"Is that so?" Lois has a gleam to her eye like she knows Sam is up to something, but isn't sure what. "I wonder where he got that idea?"

"Honestly?" Sam shrugs, innocent as possible, "Could be anything with this guy!"

"That is not true!" Wes hisses, darting panicked glances towards the doorway to the breakroom. "You can't honestly believe that glasses and an ill-fitted suit do anything to hide that they're the same person. Jimmy dyed his hair three times last month when he went undercover, make up and everything, and it still was noticeably him!"

He's right, of course. It was extremely obvious the moment Sam saw him that Superman and Clark Kent were one and the same. It was honestly a surprise that only Wes caught on to Danny's 'secret identity' back in high school, and it's a big surprise that Superman is working under the same conditions.

Sam would suspect magic involved, but Superman is weak to magic, and Danny's almost immune.

Truly, another mystery for the world.

"I dunno, Wes…" Sam sighs once more, pressing a palm to her own cheek in thoughtful distress. "I just don't think Mr. Kent's tall enough!"

Lois looks like she's half a second away from busting up into laughter, bouncing her eyes between Sam and Wes like a tennis match.

Wes is splotchy red now, and honestly, she's pretty sure he knows she's fucking with him by now. Just as he's about to say something about it though, Clark Kent himself walks into the room.

Wes freezes like prey caught by a predator. Bully for him, he shouldn't have accosted her about it at work.

He shouldn't have accosted her period, but really, not even 30 feet away from Superman? An alien who can literally hear things from all over the god damn world?

Wes should know better.

"Good morning Mr. Kent!" Sam cheerily greets, "Having a super morning?"

Lois can't take it anymore and laughs hard enough to almost spill her coffee. Wes groans into his hands, finally realizing why Sam is acting this way.

"Morning Sam, Wes." Clark's wobbily smile matching the uneasy wobble of his voice, doing a dorky little wave. "I guess you could say I'm having a blast?"

Sam cackles. "And the coffee this morning?"

Clark huffs, looking helpless. "Out of this world."

Mechanic! Val AU Extras!

I decided to create a whole new post for the extras, apart from the main story. Sorry If the reblog confused anyone!

But hey, i finally got the inspiration to write this scene out!

It's really bad and rushed because I JUST finished it, but its done and i am not changing it. <3

Also on AO3 :)

===

Jason has a plan.

He fidgets with the box of chocolates in his hands, waiting for the door to open. Danny had said he understood, in his texts, had reacted positively to Jason asking to see him, to celebrate Danny's move.

But text can only go so far, and the subtext is actively trying to murder Jason via anxiety and guilt.

Jason's not 100% sure, basically, that Danny knows Jason likes him. The misunderstanding was cleared, but the uncertainty has not.

Jason had a plan, a big one. He was going to take Danny, just the two of them, to the Gotham Observatory to celebrate the move. He was going to lead Danny through the exhibits that he had researched thoroughly before hand, and then take him to dinner at this little hole in the wall Italian place, with the perfect mood lighting and atmosphere for a cozy little dish of spaghetti. Maybe joke about Lady and the Tramp, tell Danny he's pretty.

He was going to ask Danny to be his boyfriend, cuddled up together in the ambient candle lights in his best leather jacket and a little moon rock pendant, to the moon and back and all that. It was going to be perfect, it was going to be good.

And then, maybe, in the far off future Jason could…could let Danny in. Let him know he knows about Phantom, despite Steph's doubts. Slowly start teasing Danny about Red Hood and Jason Todd being on his Hall Pass list.

But then Talia had snitched on Timbers, taunted Jason about how his little replacement was so very hard to catch before throwing a knife at his head.

And then the misunderstanding happened, and Val with the Red Hood reveal, and—

And Jason had a plan, but the plan went to shit.

But Jason is a Bat, against all fucking odds, and so he pivoted, adjusted, re-calibrated the entire time he was working on that stupid Mazda.

The new plan is sound. The new plan is a little slapshot, but it works, and Jason has been practicing his heartfelt apology and subsequent love confession for the last two hours.

The door opens, Danny looking worse for wear. He looks sad, downtrodden, and hurt. Eye red-rimmed and skin a pallor that insomniacs love to don, lips chapped and bitten to all hell. His hair is all over the place, and his voice creaks and cracks when it asks who is it? before the door is even fully open, and Jason thinks he'll have to tell Danny not to do that in Gotham, to check before opening the door because it's not safe and—

And Danny is the most beautiful thing he's ever seen, eyes widening upon seeing him, looking flustered and embarrassed to be seen in "such a state."

Jason practiced, he reminds himself, for two hours.

The door opens, and Jason opens his mouth before Danny can even greet him.

"I'm Red Hood!" His voice squeaks at a pitch it's never squeaked before, "I'm Red Hood, you're Phantom, and I'm desperately hoping you understand that I'm an idiot and I was being chased by three ninja assassins and had bloody gloves and couldn't text properly."

Danny is speechless, Jason can see this by the way his mouth flaps open and shut but no sound comes out. Jason is about to crawl out of his own fucking skin. He doesn't remember what his speech was before. He pivots.

"I know I should have waited," He continues, and despite all the training he's so panicked he possibly can't even see anymore, "But I don't like making you wait if I can help it because I'm kind of desperately in love with you?"

There's a long silence.

"Was that a question?" A different voice calls out from behind Danny. Tucker, he thinks.

"No!" Fuck, his face is burning. He looks Danny in the eyes, tries to convey confidence. "I am desperately in love with you."

He stands there, just for a moment, before remembering the chocolates and shoving them gentle into Danny's chest, who takes it with a startled blink. "I got you chocolates. To say sorry, and that I like you."

Danny looks down on at the box, a novelty thing. They're fancy, high quality, shaped into the different moons of Jupiter. Jason had them custom made for the Observatory date.

"I—" Danny pauses, still seeming to process things as he stares at the chocolates in his hand, using his other hand to try and pat down his hair. He's beautiful, and Jason hates that he made him feel any type of negative feelings at all.

"It's okay," Danny finally settles on, smiling softly at him. Jason's insides feel like molten lava. "It was just a misunderstanding."

"Yeah," Jason smiles helplessly back, "But it still hurt you."

Before Danny can say anything to that, he's yanked back into the apartment. Jason reaches out, instinctively, before catching himself.

Sam stands in the doorway with her arms crossed and a scowl that could curdle milk.

Jason swallows dry spit.

"You did hurt him." Sam's voice is so low Jason could scoop it off the floor, "And Danny might forgive you, and Val might have let you off easy, but I don't like it when people hurt my friends."

Behind her, Jason can see Danny being dragged away by Tucker, who gives him a two fingered salute and a wink.

Well. Fuck.

Jason's got a long time to grovel before he can see Danny again, he can tell.

Jason takes a deep breath. It'll be worth it.

Because when all is said and done, he's gonna ask Danny to be his boyfriend.

By the way Danny blows him an apologetic kiss, he's fairly confident they'll be fine.

He catches the kiss and puts it in his pocket, ignoring Sam's rolling eyes, and prepares himself.

Jason, after all, has a plan.

[loredrinker]

Tearing Down the Veil - Solas, Immortality, and the Chaos of Mortals

In further exploring Solas coming into form through lyrium before the Veil existed, something occurred to me that got me thinking about immortal time vs mortal time. (My Solas thoughts are always shifting.)

Solas's mission to tear down the Veil didn’t actually exist until we’re introduced to him in Inquisition. We are led to believe that while Solas purposefully created the Veil to banish the Evanuris and the Blight, he did not foresee the devastation it would create ("...a wound inflicted upon this world. It must be healed").

So, in reality, from Inquisition to Veilguard, Solas has only held this mission for a total of about 12–14 years - which, in comparison to his previous life of up to 8000 years and then thousands of years in deep sleep, is hardly any time at all (I am not ignoring how his previous regrets would affect him, just keeping this as simple as possible for this post). Also thank you to @abelas-inan for clarifying that Solas was in slumber for thousands of years "he slept ~3750 years".

In this previous post, I explored what his time in Uthenera may have been like. I thought he might have been active in the Fade, but after just finishing Trespasser (again), thoughts have changed. 

Solas tells the Inquisitor in Trespasser, “The orb had built up magical energy while I lay unconscious for millennia.”  

So, questions/thoughts:  

"Unconscious" refers to a state in which a person is not awake and not aware of their surroundings or themselves. In Solas’s context, he says he was "unconscious for millennia," suggesting he spent thousands of years unaware of everything happening in the world.  

What was Solas’s unconscious state like? Was he completely unaware, or could he reflect within the Fade? His description of “dark and dreaming sleep” suggests he may have perceived slight ripples in the Fade, reflecting the chaos of the world. Perhaps he became gradually more aware as his awakening approached.

I initially wondered if the killing of Felassan occurred while Solas was in Uthenera, but the timelines don’t align. The Masked Empire ends just before Inquisition, making it likely that Solas killed Felassan in the year before the Temple of Ashes explosion. This would have been a highly emotional moment, marking his first year in this new world.

No shit his awakening in modern Thedas is an intense shock.

Which aligns with his description of waking in a world that felt “tranquil”. It also explains his decision to approach a Dalish clan to reveal himself - only to be met with threats of violence and rejection. It suggests that Solas wasn’t fully caught up on Thedas’s history or the Dalish’s disconnection from their roots and how history had reshaped them. These were supposed to be his people. Small wonder he carries bitterness toward them throughout Inquisition. 

Now, Solas is faced with the horrifying consequences of the Veil, burdened by a new and excruciating regret. If he was unconscious for millennia, he likely jumped back into the Fade upon awakening to uncover everything he’d missed. When he tells the Inquisitor about the battles of Ostagar, he’s recounting what he learned from the Fade, piecing together history during his first year awake.

It’s speculative, but plausible, that he studied the world’s changes extensively through the Fade - gathering insights on different factions, cultural shifts, and political landscapes. He may have also consulted spirits, seeking to understand how the Veil had twisted them over time.

So, the world he once knew is gone, and the consequences of his actions are catastrophic. 

Tearing down the Veil becomes his new mission - not a goal forged over centuries, but one born of immediate and overwhelming regret. How could it not? Because of him, the elves and spirits lost everything. 

Add the fact that he is living in modern Thedas, navigating a timeline vastly different from his timeless, immortal existence.  Naturally, it begs exploration.

Immortal Time vs Mortal Time 

Solas now lives in a world of mortals - a world where time is compressed and perceived differently through a mortal lens. 

For a mortal: 

Ten years is a significant portion of life. For a 30-year-old, it represents one-third of their existence.  

The briefness of mortal life lends a constant urgency to decisions; ten years is a narrow window, carrying immense pressure to achieve goals, foster relationships, or experience growth.

Memories are shaped by a finite brain, which can create the sensation of time passing faster as life progresses.  

For an immortal: 

Ten years might feel like a brief moment in the vast expanse of their existence. To someone who has lived for millennia, a decade to an immortal could feel as a single season does to a mortal. 

Time for immortals would be more likely measured in milestones, not years and there would be an absence of a fixed endpoint. Without the pressure of a ticking clock, serious actions could be delayed for careful years of planning, viewing a decade as barely a delay at all.

Immortals, with an infinite capacity for memory, might not experience the passage of time as mortals do. Memories unmarked by significant emotions (intense regret or joy) could fade away becoming indistinguishable from a vast expanse of their existence.

Through fiction and media, we are told how immortals perceive time differently. Without the looming pressure of mortality, immortals can take the time to plan, reflect, and deliberate - luxuries that mortals can't afford. 

Solas – Forced into Compressed Timelines 

Solas previously lived in a world of endlessness. Even massive, horrible events, like the war against the Titans, the rebellion against the Evanuris, unfolded over long arcs of time.  He could carefully plan rebellions, build alliances, and execute long-term strategies without concern for immediate deadlines.  If a decision led to disaster, he could step back, reevaluate, and take a century to rebuild if necessary.  Imagine how long it would have taken him to plan the ritual to banish the Evanuris – and then execute it?  

Solas had centuries to adapt to change, to plan.

But mortal time? Solas is thrust into a world where time moves quickly. The lifespan of these mortals means alliances and relationships are fast and fleeting, and any delay risks losing key opportunities or allies - as well as risks of unforeseen curveballs.

I imagine the pace of change in a mortal-dominated world compared to the cadence of an immortal existence would feel relentless.  For someone accustomed to thinking in terms of centuries rather than a year or two, this rapid tempo could be dizzying, even destabilizing. It sheds light on some of his mistakes and misjudgments - he wouldn't have the centuries he’s used to for recalibration. The constant need to react and adapt could prevent him from fully processing his doubts or mistakes, like seeing potential future consequences or that there might be another way forward.

Since tearing down the Veil isn’t a millennia-long goal but a relatively recent mission, and because he is now operating within a faster-paced, mortal timeframe, it becomes entirely plausible for Solas to be thrown off course - and for his mind to shift. And we see him being thrown off course repeatedly. He is forced to recalibrate and remain fluid in the face of unpredictability: 

"It wasn't supposed to happen this way"  "I could not foresee..."  "I had plans..."  "When he survived, my plans were thrown into chaos." 

The immediacy of interactions and the pace of this time force Solas into a reactive state, disrupting his certainty and positioning him to being open to changing it. 

Other factors at play? 

He is physically vulnerable, weakened and far from his full power. This vulnerability forces him to rely more heavily on strategy, manipulation, and alliances - skills he mastered but now must deploy with urgency and limited resources. 

For the first time in his existence, Solas must also conceal his identity. In the ancient world, he had no reason to hide who he was. In modern Thedas, however, his initial attempt to reveal himself to a Dalish clan ended badly. What would this have felt like for him? To see the stories about him so twisted, his people fragmented and hostile, and to realize that he must now hide who he is? 

Solas has to now operate from the shadows, finding agents and using the Fade to manipulate minds and make connections. He orchestrates getting the orb into Corypheus’s hands to unlock it. Corypheus’s survival and the Inquisitor gaining the Anchor throw everything into chaos - again. 

He recalibrates, pivots. He investigates the explosion, offering his services, but now, after the Dalish incident, he knows he can’t reveal his true identity. Solas must understand the situation, study the Inquisitor who holds the Mark, and observe the world he now inhabits. This leads him to join the Inquisition. 

Life for this immortal continues to move at a fast speed. The chaos and unpredictability of modern Thedas - and the mortals who inhabit it – seem to continuously throw him off balance. It’s no wonder we meet a Solas who is guarded, observant, thoughtful, and careful. He even admits to the Inquisitor, “You throw me so easily,” - an acknowledgment of how unsettled he is. 

Solas in a Constant State of Flux 

From Inquisition to Veilguard, Solas seems to be in a constant state of flux, and this ongoing reaction and disruption can become fertile ground for change. It forces adaptability, disrupts entrenched beliefs, and opens pathways to new perspectives. Constant flux pushes someone to operate outside their habitual framework - else they succumb to despair. But Solas never crumbles. He is nothing if not resilient and persistent in his goal (pride is stubborn). 

A reactive state is also usually emotionally charged. Being reactive demands constant observation and quick decision-making, while a state of flux necessitates collaboration and communication with others. For Solas, this means engaging and working with mortals in crisis - and crisis forges bonds. 

You know what I find hilarious? Solas telling Rook it took him centuries to build bonds during his rebellion, but when Rook asks about the Inquisition, Solas is like, “Yeah, I made friends, created bonds and grew fond of a bunch of them despite myself (maybe even fell in love) - IN A GODDAMNED YEAR". Don’t tell me this constant flux didn’t affect him. 

Perhaps this is why he goes into isolation after Trespasser (addressing the shift from agents flocking to his cause to him suddenly being alone). He knows he can’t have anyone around who might create further disruptions or entanglements - because those connections threaten to throw him off course yet again. 

And this whole time in the 10 years after Trespasser, he knows he's being hunted – so he needs to stay one step ahead to get to his ritual.  But then Varric and Rook show up, bringing more disruptions and forcing Solas to react once again. Killing Varric, Rook throwing his plans into chaos - forced into a literal prison where he can't do anything (where all he can do is think and reflect). Rook's appearance pushes Solas further off balance. The improvisation of Rook is great because it continually derails Solas’s efforts to dig in, as external forces keep dragging him out of the certainty he’s trying to cling to. 

And then, at the very end, Rook delivers the final blows: reminding Solas that he doesn’t get to choose for the entire world, throwing the Inquisitor at him - a respected friend or love from his recent past (and to an immortal, 10 years might as well be a year) - and then Mythal (and we all know his reaction there – UGH). He’s thrown again, raw and exposed. 

His 12–14 years of certainty that the Veil must come down, lived amidst the constant flux and disruption of mortal lives, filled with heightened emotions and entangled relationships, gradually wore away at that conviction. We see this unravel throughout the games - his evolving thoughts and shifting perspectives.

And maybe those sobs at the end aren’t just about the culmination of everything or the release of being free. Maybe they’re also because he finally sees it - the truth he’s been blind to. A truth revealed through one chaotic moment and mortal relationship at a time. Blind, because the compressed timeline of mortals forced him to act so quickly, leaving little room for the reflection he once had in abundance: that another path could exist.

Always open to other thoughts and perspectives - my ideas are constantly evolving. I’m also not suggesting Solas isn’t deeply reflective; his immortality has honed that skill over millennia. I’m simply speculating that, compared to the endless time he once had, the modern world would give him less room to reflect.

[sunny374940]

Let me show you how beautiful you are

Hello again, long time no smut. Emmrich is a bit insecure about his body and Rook shows him just how beautiful he finds him. Get loved, old man.

Cw: anal sex

Here on ao3

And here is the rest of my stories.

Rook woke up, blinking muzzily in the darkness of their bedroom. The greyish light of pre-dawn was barely penetrating the curtains, suggesting that it was too damn early to be awake.

He stretched an arm to Emmrich's side of the bed but he was, like most mornings, already up and about, probably getting breakfast ready. As Rook was rolling over to get more comfortable, he caught movement out of the corner of his eye and turned his head towards it, curious.

Emmrich wasn't getting breakfast. In fact, he was standing on the rug next to their bed, his back to Rook, and he was wearing nothing at all.

Well, not a bad sight to wake up to.

And then Emmrich was stretching himself up, raising his arms to the ceiling and the view of the muscles of his back moving under the skin had Rook transfixed. He looked on as Emmrich bent all the way down, touching the floor with his palms and presenting Rook with a rather nice view of his ass.

So he really did exercise in the mornings. Rook still didn't understand why anyone would choose to do that willingly, but decided not to complain, since he was enjoying himself quite a lot.

But he wanted more than just to look at Emmrich, so he sat up and started making his way to the edge of the bed.

“Morning, handsome,” he said as he reached Emmrich, who was now absorbed in stretching his wrists. Emmrich startled at the sound of his voice, turning around.

“Darling, did I wake you?” He sounded so apologetic that Rook almost felt sorry for him.

“Nope, I didn't even notice you at first when I woke up. But I'm glad I got to enjoy the show.”

Emmrich sputtered a bit at that and a blush began creeping upon his cheeks. Ha. He could be the one blushing for a change. Rook got out of bed, standing on his toes to kiss him.

“You're beautiful, you know?” he whispered between kisses. And Emmrich was blushing even more, he noted with a certain degree of satisfaction.

“This body has passed its prime some time ago, my dear, but thank you for the sentiment,” Emmrich said quietly, and he was looking down now, wouldn't meet Rook's eyes and was he… ashamed of himself?

What the fuck?

This wasn't how it was supposed to go. Emmrich should have accepted the compliment, then said something terribly suave to make him blush in turn and then he should have kissed him again, maybe even done more than just kiss him. He wasn't supposed to go all quiet and sad, and Rook had to do something about that. He grasped Emmrich's chin gently with his fingers, making him face him again.

“Hey, I like the way you look. I think I've told you many times already, no?”

“Compared to you, I leave much to be desired, where matters of physicality are concerned,” came the cheerless reply and his were still downcast and Rook wouldn't stand for it. If Emmrich wouldn't believe his words, he would have to believe his actions. Rook caught Emmrich by the hand and dragged him down onto the bed.

“Lie back for me?” he asked and Emmrich obliged with the barest raise of an eyebrow. Rook sat himself on Emmrich's thighs and ran his hands over the skin of his stomach, relishing at the softness he found there. There wasn't a thing he didn't love about him and Emmrich would know that by the time he was done with him.

“You, Emmrich Volkarin, are a beautiful man, and I am going to show you.”

And Emmrich didn't seem to have anything to say for once. The blush was spreading down to his chest and Rook couldn't stop himself from leaning down to kiss him on the flushed skin. He licked at a nipple as he went, earning himself a breathy moan. Rook raised his head to look him in the face and found Emmrich staring at him, enraptured, the lovely hazel of his eyes a thin ring around dilated pupils. He could start there, then.

“I love the color of your eyes, you know? They remind me of summers in the forest where I grew up, the trees glowing in the sunlight. And your crows feet are so adorable, I want to kiss you right there every time you smile.”

And Emmrich did give him a small smile at that and allowed himself to be kissed. They were getting somewhere at last, but still there was a shade of doubt on his face.

Emmrich reached out to link their hands, as if he needed the reassurance, and Rook took the opportunity to raise Emmrich's hand up to his lips, kissing his knuckles. He didn't let go after he was done, instead using his free hand to stroke at Emmrich's fingers, examining them as if he hadn't already committed every line of them to memory.

“Your hands are so strong but you have such delicate fingers it always surprises me. I love how elegant they are when you weave magic… and how they can take me apart.”

He could hear Emmrich’s breath hitch a little and there was a hunger in his eyes, making Rook want to do all manner of delicious things to him.

His cheeks hadn't lost any of the adorable blush and his lips were parted, just begging Rook to kiss him some more. But that would have to wait for a bit longer, as Rook was on a mission now. Emmrich’s free hand came to hold onto Rook's thigh, fingers digging into his skin, not enough to hurt, but enough to tell him just how much he desired him.

Rook's felt his cock grow hard at the sight and Emmrich seemed to be very interested in this development, eyeing him hungrily.

“See what you do to me? Just seeing you like this makes me want to take you,” Rook said, letting his voice lower into a rumble. “Can I?”

“Yes, please,” Emmrich replied, breathless, cock hardening at Rook’s words.

Rook got off of Emmrich's legs, and reached for the vial of oil that stood on the bedside table and set about getting Emmrich ready for him.

He nudged Emmrich's legs apart and stroked oiled fingers against his asshole, applying just the slightest pressure. The way Emmrich moaned at the touch had Rook grinning and he wasted no time, pushing a finger inside, then a second, opening him up, and the sounds Emmrich made were amazing, little breathy moans and sighs of pleasure.

“Are you ready for me, love?” Rook asked, though there was very little doubt about Emmrich's readiness, as he had taken to fucking himself on Rook's fingers, moaning constantly.

“Y-yes darling, very much so.”Rook entered him then, slow and careful, relishing in the groan that Emmrich made when he started fucking him. His head was thrown back, his eyes closed and Rook would be repeating himsef, but he just had to say it.

“You're so beautiful, love.”

And Emmrich whimpered at the praise, a delightful sound that made Rook want more. He hooked Emmrich's legs over his shoulders, grabbing his ass with his hands, giving it a squeeze for good measure.

“You've got an amazing ass. It's just right for me to hold onto when I kiss you. Or fuck you just. Like. This.”

He punctuated every word with a snap of his hips and Emmrich was lost in his arousal, holding onto Rook's forearms as he was thrusting into him.

Rook took pity on him then, taking his cock in hand, stroking it in the way he knew he liked and he could see that Emmrich was getting close to the edge. Although Rook wasn't far behind, as it was taking all his willpower to not cum right away at the way Emmrich was falling apart under him. But he wanted to see him cum first, see the blissful expression on his face, and he wanted it now.

“I love the way you look when you cum. Can you do that for me?”

And Emmrich was nodding, words seemingly lost to him.

“Let me see you, love.”

Those words were all it took and Emmrich's hips seized as he came all over Rook's hand. His mouth opened in a silent cry, his eyes went wide at the force of it and he looked so beautiful that Rook couldn't hold on anymore and followed with his own orgasm, hips stuttering against Emmrich's ass. He slumped over Emmrich, breathing heavily.

“Do you believe me now?” Rook asked, searching Emmrich's face, hoping that there would be none of the self-doubt from earlier.

“I… am beginning to see the truth of your words. Thank you, darling.”

There was only quiet contentment in his eyes, but it wouldn't hurt to ram the point home some more.

“You are the kindest, smartest, most amazing person I have ever met. And you are also very beautiful,” Rook said, leaning down to kiss him.

“You, my dear, are a wonder and I am honored that you think so highly of me,” Emmrich said after their lips parted. “When we met I had no idea that I would gain such a caring lover, yet here you are, giving me such love I never even thought possible.”

“Wow. Um. Thanks.” And now Rook was blushing. All was right in the world again.

[therandompagesblog]

Hunting Your Soul Chapter 5 🫀Y/N🫀

Trigger Warnings: Stalking, Mentions of death and murder, mention of the word rape, mention of the word torture, mentions of period blood

I seriously needed to get out of the house. I needed to move and stay somewhere else. I can't believe my stalker cut me. Except I don't think he was any type of stalker. He was something that lived in the shadows. He was something that was supposed to be in a prison cell but would never get caught. I believed he was the monster that was supposed to stay in my grandmother's fantasy books. I could be wrong but I felt it in my bones. This creature was a vampire or a monster. A monster that has sharp claws. A werewolf even. If he was a vampire surely my blood would have tormented him and called to him. Surely he would have drained me. I was guessing it was a male. It was this stereotype that women didn't stalk. But what if this one did? I honestly didn't want to think about it too much. My head was hurting. I decided I needed to get out. I needed to go for a walk. Grabbing my coat I walked out of the house and headed down the street. The sun was up. I believed if they were a night monster they wouldn't follow me. They would hide in the shadows where they belonged. I walked along the beach so my trainers wouldn't get covered in the sand as I embraced the sun. I felt the sun warming up my skin and it made me excited. I smirked for a brief moment when my phone rang. "Be careful my love. One day the sun will burn." The voice spoke before hanging up. The voice was hoarse and husky. His words were a giveaway. He was a vampire and he wanted to damn me. He wanted to turn me into one. At least it confirmed he was a male. His voice frightened me and caused me to turn around. There was nowhere where he could be. It was far too open. Unless he was in the black-tinted car. Shit he was. Fuck my life. Do I run? I spun around and walked forward nervously. He couldn't get me if I was out in the open. Out in the sun. I was safe out here, but how long could I stay out here? I walked towards the pier when something buzzed in my pocket. Unknown: I'm not going to hurt you petal. You can enjoy the sun. It was nice to see you happy. I want you to embrace your last days till you're mine. I realised then a vampire was stronger than all forces put together.  Me: How long have I got left? Unknown: So polite to ask. A week. More if I am generous. Me: How long till you kill me? Unknown: A while. I will not kill you straight away. I want you to beg to be killed first. I sucked in a breath and put my phone away. I was not going to allow this monster to ruin my last few days of freedom. One thing I wasn't going to do was beg to be like him. I wouldn't be a monster. It wasn't who I was. I sat on the bench on the pier. Listening to the waves crashing against the rocks. Listening to the wind whisper. The birds fluttering by. Listening to my thoughts wander off.

I was thinking about what the monster would do to me when he kidnapped me. Would he hurt me? Rape me? Torture me? I wanted to know what he wanted from me. Would he tell me if I messaged him? If I messaged him, I would be luring him closer. It was a stupid thing to do. No sane person would ever do that. I guess if I was already damned. I slapped my forehead. I felt like a fool for my thoughts. I shouldn't message him, but I wanted clarification on my death so I could prepare. I wanted to know how I would be treated by my capture. Was that so wrong to know? Surely not. It wasn't like I was being captured by a human. I was being taken by a monster. Something inhuman. Me: What is your name? Can I know that? I waited for him to answer but he didn't so I gave up. He wasn't going to tell me. There was no point pushing the chapter to tell me more information in case I riled them up or added to their obsession. Now that was the wrong thing to do. The right thing to do was go to my Grandmother's house and listen to the creepy readings she was currently reading. That was the right thing to do. Except when I got there Grandmother was out with her friend Avis again. Leaving me alone. Possibly endangered. What could my grandmother do anyway? Wack him with her walking stick. I'm sure he'd win anyway. I picked up the book my grandmother was reading and it was called SKZ Mate by The Random Page. I nonchalantly flicked through and read a couple of pages to pass the time when I ended up engrossed in the book. Maybe grandmother does have good taste in books. Just not men. That was a joke everyone told themselves as Grandfather died from a horse chase on a lad's holiday in Spain. Apparently, he and his friends had annoyed these horses and they ended up chasing Grandfather to his death. It was ironic considering grandfather was always up to no good in his youth. Grandfather was known to pull random stunts with his friend so it wasn't a surprise he died in that way. It was a story to go by. At his funeral, Grandmother was said to have scolded him for having an early grave. It was a shame as I never got to meet him. He sounded hilarious and a stereotypical man. Some say my father was like him until he met my mother. She grounded him some say. It was also said that my father stalked my mother until she agreed to go on a date with him, so I guess mother and daughter alike. Except I had a planned kidnapping. Did it bother me that my stalker wasn't responding? A little bit. I had no idea why I was so bothered by it, but I was. I at least wanted him to communicate with me so I could become familiar with him until I died. Not become dead but dead buried in the ground. I sighed at my thoughts. It was like I was yearning for him already. I was ridiculous and I was blaming it on my hormones since I was due on. I had no idea when I was due but I was. I just prayed he wasn't a vampire and wasn't appealed to it. I hoped he was the vampire that saw it as deceased blood and it didn't bother him. I was praying for it at this point.

Did my prayers come true? Absolutely not. Days later I woke up to change my bin that was filled with tampons and I found them gone. All gone. I could see they were once in the bin as the bin bag was stained red but they were nowhere to be seen. Instead, a note was there. Thank you for your deliciousness. Chan x I learned the monster's name was Chan as he answered my text message a few hours later. Apparently he sleeps during the day. Which made me gather he was a vampire. The traditional stereotypical vampire that sleeps during the day and comes out at night. The one that burned during the day. My stalker continued to text me throughout the days. Asking me how I was as if he was trapping me into kindness. Sometimes I started to fall for it. Each day he was more curious about the things I liked. Each day he dropped me a present. A book on vampires. Some pyjamas. Another day it was flowers. He was softening me up for the day he would take me. Take me away from my family. My Grandmother.

18+ Taglist for those who are not turning back

@catlove83 @itsyourleilei @whatudowhennooneseesyou @leeknot @estella-novella @fackeraccount @eastjonowhere @cocofia143 @jennibahng @noerinspace @sleepingmissingprincess @ye0lkkot @hiitsmebbygrl16 @shhimhereforsmut @jaeminie-cricket @stayceebs97 @ritiiiiiii @chlodavids @beautystarry @hyunjinhoexxx @hash2013 @jeonginontopforever @catnipchannie @kaqua @fairy-lixie @myflowercloud @galaxy4489

[gilbertscurls]

tea parties and tiny chefs — matt sturniolo

summary: can you imagine him sitting down and letting your child serve him play pretend food from their mini kitchen?

The late afternoon sun poured through the living room windows, painting the space in warm golden hues. The soft hum of a distant cartoon played on the TV, but it was barely noticeable over the excited clinking of plastic plates and the babble of a very determined little chef.

Matt sat cross-legged on the floor, elbows resting on his knees, watching with an amused smile as your daughter shuffled back and forth from her miniature play kitchen. She wore an oversized chef’s hat—one you were certain was originally white but had been aggressively “decorated” with rainbow markers—and a pink apron tied crookedly around her tiny frame.

“Okay, Mr. Daddy!” she announced, clutching a plastic teacup in one hand and a neon green plate in the other. “Your tea is ready, but it’s really hot, so you gotta blow on it!”

Matt’s lips twitched as he accepted the cup, holding it delicately between two fingers. He made an exaggerated show of blowing over the nonexistent steam, eyebrows raised like this was the most important task he’d ever been assigned.

“Phew, close one,” he said, his voice light with humor. “I almost burned my tongue there. This tea smells amazing, though. Did you steep it for…uh…five hours?”

Your daughter gasped, horrified. “No, silly! You don’t steep tea for five hours. Just three minutes. Everybody knows that.”

From your spot in the doorway, you stifled a laugh behind your hand. Matt caught your eye briefly, his smile softening, before he turned his attention back to his tiny host.

“Right, right. Three minutes. My bad, Chef.”

She nodded in satisfaction before placing the green plate in front of him. On it sat a mismatched assortment of plastic food—a yellow banana, a blue steak, and what looked like a pink cookie.

“This is a very special dinner,” she said with gravity. “You have to eat it all, even the cookie, because it has magic sprinkles.”

“Magic sprinkles? No way.”

“YES way.”

Matt gasped, clutching the plate like it held a priceless treasure. “I’m honored. I can’t believe you’d trust me with such an important cookie.”

Your daughter’s face lit up, her chubby cheeks glowing with pride, and for a moment, your heart swelled at the sight. Matt had always been so good with her—gentle, patient, and endlessly entertaining. It wasn’t just about humoring her; he enjoyed these moments. You could tell by the way he leaned into her imagination, matching her energy beat for beat.

You stepped forward then, joining them on the floor. “Chef, is there any food for me, or am I not on the reservation list?”

Your daughter’s head snapped up, her expression serious. “Oh no, Mommy. You don’t have a reservation. But I can squeeze you in…if you promise to tip well.”

Matt barked out a laugh, clutching the plastic teacup to his chest. “She’s already running a five-star restaurant. Watch out, world.”

The three of you spent the next hour huddled around the tiny kitchen setup, plates and cups being shuffled back and forth, fake vegetables and neon desserts being “devoured” with dramatic flair. Matt never once looked at his phone or seemed distracted. Every ounce of his attention was devoted to your daughter’s world of make-believe.

At one point, as your daughter busied herself “washing” dishes in the little plastic sink, Matt caught your eye again. His smile was softer now, quieter, as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t find the right words.

You leaned closer, your voice barely above a whisper. “You’re really good at this, you know.”

Matt shrugged slightly, but his ears turned pink. “She makes it easy. And…it’s kind of nice to slow down like this. Just…be here.”

You pressed a kiss to his shoulder, your heart full.

Eventually, the little chef announced that the restaurant was closed for the night. With a dramatic yawn, she declared she was far too tired to cook one more thing. Matt scooped her up in one arm and carried her to the couch, where she nestled into his chest without hesitation.

You sat beside them, your head resting on Matt’s shoulder as your daughter’s sleepy breaths evened out.

In the golden light of the fading sun, with the soft weight of your child in Matt’s arms and his steady presence beside you, the world felt still. Peaceful.

And as Matt pressed a kiss to the top of her head, his eyes meeting yours over her sleeping form, he realized that moments like this—the quiet, simple ones—were the ones he’d treasure most.

tag list: @stuwniolo, @sturnobsessedwh0re, @matts-myloverboy, @imjusthereforthesturniolosmut, @lizzymacdonald06, @asherrisrandom, @sturniolowhore69, @faith5drpepper, @emely9274, @psychologyloverfr, @lovetaylorrussellgrr, @conspiracy-ash, @helpimateenagerinlove, @ghostlythinggoingaround, @sturmatt, @chris-hallelujah, @goingtojohnkramershouseee, @wurlibydominicfike, @straw8berry, @shadowthesim, @courta13

[cillians-sweetheart]

How to Calm a Man - Robert Capa

Capa!Patient(29) x Fem!Psychologist!Reader(25)

Plot: (kind of a silly plot and beginning but trust it’s good) On the Icarus II ship, physicist Robert Capa meets the Gardner and psychologist aboard and can’t resist her ‘man calming’ treatment.

Content: smut, handjob (m), riding, therapy sex, slight teasing, cream-pie, unprotected pv, oral (f), face riding, semi public setting

Aboard the Icarus II, I join the group of the ‘real’ scientists as they say while they discuss a new radiation detection device currently being manufactured. I sit next to a long haired man in a tank top at the back of the room. He was the physicist, the one who created this idea for a radiation detector.

His head turned to me as I sat next to him in my tight, colourful, tank top and yoga pants. Though I hadn’t been looking straight at him, I could feel his eyes glaring to the side of my face.

“I don’t believe we've been properly introduced yet.” I turned to him, breaking the awkwardness of his stare. “Dr Y/L/N.” I grinned warmly, holding my hand out to him. He took my hand in his and shook it lightly.

“Capa, Robert Capa.” He replied shyly, “You’re positioned in the greenhouse.” He nodded, taking recognition of me. His flashing blue eyes analyzed my every feature.

“Yes I am a horticulturist, but I also have a degree and work in psychology.”

Capa leaned back slightly, intrigued by what I had said. “I wouldn’t have expected to see a psychologist working on a space mission.”

“It’s quite common that being so distanced from civilization can cause astronauts to grow severely unwell, mentally. Specifically, most suffer with anxiety and isolation caused depression, which as you probably know can cause difficulty in completing the mission.” I smiled and chuckled as I explained the best I could my reasoning for being on this mission.

“I suppose you’ve met the majority of the crew then.” He smiled while he fidgeted with his hands. “All of these intelligently complicated minds putting together one of the most important humanity saving missions sure can cause some to lose their minds.”

“Oh yeah,” I chuckled. “If you ever wanted to stop by and do some yoga, just let me know.” I winked. “Just kidding, I know guys like you probably wouldn’t be into that.”

“Can’t say I am.” He laughed along and shrugged.

“Well it’s more used in calming women… but do you know the best way to calm a man down?” I leaned closer to his anxious, handsome face, and my voice turned seductive, sounding like silk through his ears.

Capa paused, staring deep into my eyes. He regained his composure and the rest of the crew began to part to their stations, leaving us alone as last. “I’m not sure I do,” He grinned awkwardly. “How?”

“Well you don’t seem necessarily stressed.” I tiled my head, making him want to beg for the answer.

He chuckled and his expression turned to amusement as he played along. He couldn’t help but be drawn in by me, and my power. “Are you offering to fix that for me?”

“If you were stressed, yes.”

Capa smirked and leaned back against the cushion. His tone is still teasing through my game with his sarcasm. “Is that so?... Well I suppose I am feeling a bit stressed. Now that you mention it.”

I giggled and moved myself closer next to him. My hand slowly rubbed up his thigh to the center of his lap. I looked into his eyes as his cheeks went red and his breath got caught in his throat. The look in his eyes became serious, and lustful.

I looked over my shoulder around the empty area, then grabbed his hand in mine and stood from the sofa. “I’d like to see you in my office, Mr Capa.” I winked and pulled his tall, lanky body off the sofa.

Capa followed behind me, his mind going out of sorts and his eyes moving quickly up and down the backside of my body. He felt a sudden eagerness for what it was that I had planned. What it was that truly calmed a man.

Walking through the narrow halls I brought Capa to my bedroom, which was also my office where I would ease these poor, stressed men on ship. In my room I locked the door and continued to drag him to my bed, pushing him down onto the colourful, mandela patterned duvet.

He stared up at me while I crawled over his slim body. My hand returned to message the bulge beneath his track pants. His breath hitched and his body began to slowly loosen from my gentle touch. The suddenness of it all caused his mind to fog up with nothing but mindless pleasure, and need.

“So… what is it that’s making you so stressed?” I said mockingly as I continued to gently rub him.

He inhaled deeply, a silent whimper escaping his lips as I squeezed the tightening fabric beneath my hand. “I think you know what’s making me tense.” His voice was sarcastic and seductive.

“For sure something is tense.” I winked feeling the hardness of his cock in my hand, lightly stroking it through the fabric.

Capa blushed at my words and his body quivered slightly under my touch. He struggled to keep his voice and breath even with the growing pleasure I caused him. “Maybe you should do something about that then.” He groaned.

“That's my job.” My hand traveled up under his tank top to the hem of his pants. “How else would I heal these men here?” I smirked.

He swallowed hard, “That’s your speciality? Taking care of the physical ailment of your patients?”

“It heals both mental and physical health as it is a full body release.” My fingers glazed his bare, hot skin. “Also known as the best way to calm a man.” I wrapped my smooth hand around his pulsing, hard cock. Capa’s eyes closed and he inhaled deeply. I -while taking his cock from his pants- moved to straddle him.

I stared into his eyes while I stroked him with a therapeutic touch. The sight in my hands, and the length of his cock was the biggest -longest- compared to the other men aboard. It excited me in a way no other man has.

“Does this seem to be an effective treatment, or is there still more that you need?” I asked hoping he’d let me take this further, or even deeper by chance.

He stifled a groan and just barely opened his eyes to look up at me on his thighs. His eyes holding a look of need and lust “There's definitely… more I need.” He panted through a moan.

“Good…” I purred. And with the room dimly rit, I lifted the tight tank top over my head. My breasts falling out and bouncing against my chest. Suddenly his eyes were now wide open, scanning down my body as I began to strip down my pants. Revealing no bra, and no panties underneath.

His eyes roamed from between my legs to my breasts, to every curve and contour of my body above him. I stroked him faster while moving my hips up closer. Close enough I could rub his cock with my soft, wet pussy. The touch made him twitch and groan with arousal. His eyes became unable to look away.

Slowly lifting my hips while holding eye contact, I sat my pussy down onto his thick cock. He groaned as my soft, hot flesh wrapped around him tightly. His needy cock bucked up into me, and his hands grasped around plushy hips.

My hands lifted beneath his shirt as I felt his sweaty, slim torso and chest. My tight walls squeezed against him the further my hands lifted. I kept lifting his shirt until it was fully over his head and thrown to the floor.

Capa’s eyes closed tightly and his body arched desperately into me. He tried, and struggled to hold that little bit of control he still had.

“Does that feel good?” I bit my lip and began to slowly grind and twirl my hips around his throbbing cock. He became overwhelmed by the slow pace, and could hardly speak through his soft groans.

“Mhm…” Was all he was able to moan out.

As my wet arousal began to spread over his length, my speed increased and I jumped hungrily down onto him. His groans grew louder as I rode him and clenched my walls around his needy cock. Both of our breaths came out as heavy gasps and moans. His cock hit everywheres I needed and wanted it to. My insides twisted and ached with pleasure.

Luckily with the thick, steel, sound proof walls, I could scream for him and slap my pussy against his cock as hard as I wanted.

Capa eyes stayed glued at the sight between us. He became completely immersed in the moment. His twitching became more frequent, as did his low groans. Instinctively, his hips began to buck up into mine. The double amount of force made both of us incredibly close.

I rode harder and bit my lip, “Mh, you feel so good.” I moaned.

Capa gasped and groaned, his cock twitching and beating inside of me. Hot cum shot up deep inside me. I too felt as though I were going to cum and continued to fuck his cock. Tremors shook through his body. The sensitivity made him whimper and shake as he still continued to cum all the way until I did.

His breath was laboured and ragged as I finally began to slow down. Both his and I’s cum dripping heavily from between my thighs. But I didn’t move, nor did I get off yet.

I hadn’t said anything but leaned down towards him, pulling his face into a rough kiss. He immediately sank into it and his body reacted eagerly to my silky lips. His sweet moans filled my mouth before he paused and pulled back to say, “I want you sitting on my face…” With the most sexy, low voice.

I giggled and my expression turned to pure excitement. There's nothing I wanted more than to rub my pussy on his beautiful face. “Is that a yes?” He smirked.

“If it helps my patient.” I winked and sat up away from his face.

“It will help me a lot.”

Instantly I moved myself to have my thighs either side of his head. His hands came eagerly around my thighs, pulling my soaked pussy down to his lips. He closed his eyes and flicked his tongue hungrily over my clit. I shivered and whimpered over him, my hands latching onto his hair. His tongue never slowed. He licked and sucked as if he were a pro.

He held my hips tightly, being sure I wouldn’t move until I came on his tongue. I desperately -the best I could- tried to grind against his face as my insides began to tighten. Capa hadn’t even been thinking of anything but the taste of my sopping pussy on his lips. A taste he’d continue to crave.

I looked down at his beautiful face, seeing him lick me so perfectly made everything come out all at once. I shook profusely against his face. Screaming and moaning, I came like I’ve never had on his lips and tongue. He groaned deeply against me as he continued to lick me all the way through my orgasm.

His eyes glared up at me with satisfaction, and perfection. With the look on his face alone I knew he’d be getting stressed a lot more often. And with a cock -long and thick- like his, so would I.

[shewasverynice]

Fandoms: 呪術廻戦 | Jujutsu Kaisen 

⚠️ SPOILER HEAVY ⚠️

Major Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death 

Full tags/warnings on Chapter links post

Major Characters: Original Character, Gojo Satoru, Geto Suguru, Ieiri Shoko, Yaga Masamichi, Nanami Kento, Haibara Yu, Tsukumo Yuki, Choso

‎‧₊˚✧ Chapter 27✧˚₊‧

"Move!" Haibara shouted, charging forward and knocking Sarah back with his shoulder. She grunted, but let herself fall as the curse sailed overhead and missed its pounce. Meanwhile, Nanami was at the ready and sliced the curse nearly in half before it began to dissipate.

"Damn! That was close!" Sarah laughed breathlessly when she sat up, but when she grinned up at Haibara and Nanami neither of them were smiling. She closed her mouth, sheepishly looking down at her hands in her lap. "I… I'm sorry."

"No, It's— Don't apologize," Nanami sighed, shaking his bangs out of his face. He glanced at Haibara who looked equally frustrated as he caught his breath. Nanami inhaled deeply for a moment, held it, then let it out slow before he squatted down to look at her. "You're too careless," he said sternly, "How did you not sense it?"

"I dunno," Sarah mumbled, looking at her shoes.

"Seems like you've been having a harder and harder time sensing them," Haibara said once he'd caught his breath, "Right, Nanami? I've noticed it too."

"Yes, I agree," Nanami said, holding his hand out for her as he stood up.

She took his hand and pulled herself to her feet. "You… may have a point…" She said quietly, "But how can that be? I've never had trouble before?"

"I have no idea," Nanami admitted, "I don't believe it's possible to 'get used' to being around curses."

Haibara suddenly gasped and pointed at Nanami. "But what if she's more used to being around a lot of cursed energy and that's why she's not sensing the small stuff?" he suggested, then looked at Sarah, "You're always around Geto and Gojo, maybe that's the problem? That's a lot of cursed energy to just hang around."

"I doubt that's it," Nanami said thoughtfully, placing his hand to his chin. "If that was the case then why is it only her? Shoko-senpai doesn't have this issue."

"Well and Shoko-senpai doesn't really go on dangerous missions so we wouldn't be able to tell," Haibara said with a shrug.

"Sarah, Kento, Yu," Yaga called and the three off them looked up to the hillside before moving to their mentor's side.

"Yes, sensei!" they called, lining up in front of him obediently.

"Sarah, go inform the manager that we're done here," Yaga commanded then turned to the boys, "You two, stay put."

Sarah hurried off and Yaga looked at the two boys with a grim expression. "This was something I feared may happen," their mentor said quietly.

"What do you mean?" Haibara asked, tilting his head.

Yaga cleared his throat, clasping his hands behind his back. "Cursed energy is inherently a negative force. But every force has…" He trailed off, glancing at the two boys expectantly.

"Something else?" Haibara said, his brows furrowing.

"An equal and opposite reaction," Nanami said, his eyes narrowing as he considered the possibility. He glanced up at Yaga and asked, "Is being around all this cursed energy depleting her secondary energy?"

Yaga said nothing and Nanami nodded. Haibara still looked confused, but then asked, "We're not hurting her are we?" Yaga said nothing once again, instead turning to lead the boys back to the car.

"You recall when Gojo explained her secondary energy?" Nanami whispered to Haibara.

Haibara nodded, "Yeah, so it's the opposite of cursed energy right? But what would that be?"

"They've been called it 'Blessed' energy for now, although Geto didn't exactly agree with the name," Nanami explained.

"So if cursed energy is negative normally then her stuff is positive normally?" Haibara asked.

"That's what I am assuming," Nanami agreed, "Which would mean that when the two combine they may be wiping each other out."

Haibara gasped and covered his mouth. "It it because she and I—"

"No, it has nothing to do with your relationship," Nanami said, rolling his eyes. He looked ahead at Sarah as she spoke to the Manager that had come with him. The girl didn't seem any worse for wear and her cursed energy was always minuscule so sensing a change was out.

"If only we could ask what's happening to her without the stupid vow," Haibara grumbled, "I bet it would make sense then."

"Then maybe we should ask the real her," Nanami suggested, glancing at Haibara with a hint of a smirk.

"Really?!" Haibara covered his mouth after he'd shouted, looking around as if the whole woods hadn't heard him.

"Gojo can do it," Nanami said with a nod, "He must have. There is no other explanation for why he knows more than we do."

"Why do you think it's Gojo-senpai that did it?" Haibara asked.

"Because what can't that idiot do?" Nanami sighed.

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"You serious?" Satoru laughed out the question, staring at the first years in front of him.

"Yes," Nanami repeated, "Please take us to speak with her tonight."

"No," Satoru said simply.

"Aww c'mon senpai!" Haibara groaned, "You know how to do it! At least tell us how!"

"Nah, see that's a slippery slope for all of us," Satoru chuckled darkly, "We can't keep fucking with something like that yet. I've already taken too many risks myself."

"It's not like you'd get hurt," Haibara huffed.

"No, but she would," Satoru warned, leaning in closer to Haibara. "Don't fuck with it yet. Don't even consider it."

"You've yet to explain why we can't," Nanami said, "In fact, it seems as if you have a lot more information on her that you're willing to share even with your own boyfriend. Why is that?"

Satoru was taken aback, then he grinned. "Oh-hoh! You gonna try to make me tell you?"

"Wait, this is—" "Yeah! I am gonna make you!" Haibara said excitedly, stepping up to Satoru's challenge.

"Hell yeah, Haibara let's go!" Satoru said, jumping up from his seat, "You and me. On the field right now! If you win, I'll tell you two literally everything I know."

Nanami considered this for a moment, then asked, "Am I allowed to assist?"

"Fuck yeah you can," Satoru said confidently, "Two on one is nothing to me. Let's go!"

The training field was mercifully empty when they arrived and the cicadas buzzed all around in the hot summer air. Satoru adjusted his sunglasses, his signature smirk plastered across his face as he walked onto the field with his hands in his pockets. The other two moved to stand across from him, both loosening up with stretches and rolls of their shoulders.

"Five minutes," Satoru announced, his voice carrying that unmistakable mix of arrogance and amusement. "If you two can last that long, I'll call it a win for you."

Haibara’s grin was as bright as the sun outside. "Five minutes? That’s easy! I’ll make you eat those words, senpai!" He hopped on his toes, shaking out his arms, brimming with energy.

Nanami, however, furrowed his brow. His sharp, calculating gaze flicked between Satoru's relaxed stance and the mischief glinting in his eyes. He sighed quietly, adjusting the grip on his cursed blade.

The moment Satoru clapped his hands together, the sparring match began.

Haibara lunged first, his fists glowing faintly with cursed energy as he aimed a powerful jab at Satoru's midsection. Satoru sidestepped effortlessly, pivoting just enough to let the punch skim harmlessly past him. "Not bad," he teased, flicking Haibara’s forehead with a speed so quick it was nearly imperceptible. Haibara stumbled back, blinking in surprise.

Before Satoru could press the advantage, Nanami was upon him, slashing in a precise diagonal arc. Satoru ducked smoothly, sweeping his leg in a low kick that Nanami leapt over at the last second. With a quick twist, Nanami reversed his momentum, bringing his blade down in a tight vertical slash.

Satoru caught Nanami’s wrist mid-swing, twisting just enough to force him back. "Ooh, nice form, Nanamin! You’ve been practicing."

Nanami gritted his teeth, jerking his arm free and retaliating with a rapid series of strikes. Satoru parried each with fluid, almost dismissive motions, his movements a step ahead at every turn.

Haibara rejoined the fray, coming in from Satoru's blind spot. His movements were wild but determined, a flurry of punches and kicks designed to overwhelm. Satoru spun gracefully, dodging one attack after another, his arms weaving a dance that deflected each strike without a scratch. At one point, Haibara thought he’d landed a clean kick to Satoru's ribs—only for Satoru to grab his ankle mid-air and swing him in a controlled arc, sending him tumbling to the floor.

"Come on, Haibara, you said this was going to be easy," Satoru quipped, offering a mock pout.

Undeterred, Haibara scrambled back to his feet, sweat dripping from his brow. "I’m just warming up!" he shot back, charging again.

The two underclassmen shifted tactics, coordinating their attacks. Nanami’s strikes came in sharp, calculated bursts, forcing Satoru to sidestep and block with precision, while Haibara’s relentless energy kept him dodging. It was an impressive display of teamwork—every time one of them pressed, the other followed up with a well-timed blow. But Satoru, to their mounting frustration, danced through it all like a leaf in the wind, never breaking his stride.

Nanami feinted a high slash and swept low instead, aiming to trip Satoru. It almost worked—Satoru teetered slightly—but he used the momentum to cartwheel out of range. He landed with an exaggerated flourish, spreading his arms wide. "You’re getting there! Maybe next year, though."

Haibara, seizing the opening, hurled himself forward with a fierce uppercut. For a fleeting moment, he thought he’d caught Satoru off guard—until Satoru leaned back just far enough for the punch to graze his chin, then delivered a playful tap to Haibara’s temple that sent him staggering.

By the three-minute mark, Nanami and Haibara were visibly flagging, their breaths coming in short, sharp gasps. Their attacks grew slower, less coordinated. Satoru, by contrast, hadn’t even broken a sweat. His grin widened as he caught Haibara’s punch mid-swing, spun him around, and gently but firmly shoved him to the floor.

Nanami, seeing an opening, lunged with a powerful, cursed-energy-enhanced thrust. Satoru sidestepped and swept Nanami’s legs out from under him in one smooth motion, sending him sprawling.

The room fell silent except for the ragged breaths of Nanami and Haibara, both lying flat on their backs. Satoru crouched beside them, his expression smug but not unkind.

"Almost three minutes. Not bad at all," he said, ruffling Haibara’s hair as the younger boy groaned. "But you’re gonna need more than guts to beat me. How about I help you train? No charge, of course—my teaching is priceless."

Nanami sat up, glaring. "You could’ve gone easy on us."

"Easy?" Satoru laughed, standing and stretching lazily. "I didn’t even use Limitless. That was easy." He shot them a wink. "Come on, guys. Next time, aim for four minutes. Maybe then I’ll really try."

The training weeks rolled by in a blur of early mornings, aching muscles, and endless teasing from Satoru. Nanami and Haibara quickly learned that the hardest part wasn’t the grueling workouts—it was dealing with Satoru's mouth.

"Rise and shine, sleepyheads!" Satoru sang, kicking open the dorm room doors at dawn. "Time to make your senpai proud! Or, you know, less disappointed."

Nanami groaned, burying his face deeper into his pillow. "Do you ever stop talking?"

"Only when I’m asleep," Satoru said with a grin, yanking the blankets off him. "C'mon Nanamin! Haibara’s already downstairs stretching. If he beats you in the run today, I’m never letting you live it down!"

Downstairs, Suguru greeted Haibara with a calm smile, handing him a water bottle. "Good morning, Haibara. Ready for another day of pain?"

"You bet!" Haibara grinned, radiating energy despite the early hour. "I’m getting faster. I can feel it!"

Suguru chuckled, clapping him on the shoulder. "That’s the spirit."

Mornings began with runs. Long, endless runs through the school grounds and the surrounding woods, with Satoru jogging backward half the time, calling out taunts and challenges. "Haibara, you call that a sprint? My grandma moves faster! And Nanami, if you trip over one more root, I’m getting you real glasses."

Weights came next. Satoru wasn’t shy about piling on the plates, either. "You’ve got to push yourself past your limits!" he’d declare dramatically, lounging on a nearby bench. "Or, you know, just cry about it. Either works for me."

Suguru, thankfully, was the voice of reason. He’d step in with quiet encouragement, demonstrating proper form and reminding them to breathe. "Focus, Nanami. One more set. You’ve got this," he’d say, steady and patient, while Haibara chugged water and cheered them both on.

And then there was sparring. Always sparring. It was the highlight of every session—and the most humiliating part. Satoru would step onto the mat, his hands in his pockets, grinning like he owned the place. "Let’s see what you’ve got today," he’d say, as if they weren’t about to throw everything they had at him.

At first, every match ended the same way: quickly. A flick of Satoru's wrist here, a sidestep there, and they’d be on the ground in seconds, panting and defeated. But over time, something changed. The matches lasted longer—seconds ticking into almost a full minute, then a minute and a half. They started landing hits, tiny glancing blows that barely fazed him but felt like monumental victories.

"Hey, Nanamin, was that your fist or a mosquito?" Satoru teased one day after Nanami managed to graze his ribs.

"That was a warning," Nanami muttered, trying to catch his breath.

Haibara, meanwhile, got more creative. He’d charge in with reckless abandon, grinning even as Satoru threw him to the mat. "One of these days, senpai, I’m gonna wipe that smirk off your face!"

"Dream big, Haibara," Satoru replied, laughing as he helped him up. "But maybe dream a little smaller for now."

Months passed, and the grueling routine began to pay off. Haibara’s wild energy was more controlled, his strikes faster and more precise. Nanami’s movements grew sharper, his strategy more refined. And while Satoru still wiped the floor with them every single time, those precious extra seconds felt like victories in themselves.

One morning after a particularly long run, the group sat under the shade of a tree, sweat soaking their gym clothes. Satoru lounged with his hands behind his head, while Suguru passed around water bottles.

"You’re getting there," Suguru said, nodding at Nanami and Haibara. "I can see the progress."

"Yeah, yeah," Satoru chimed in, grinning. "At this rate, you might actually make me try in, like, a year or two."

Haibara laughed, wiping his face with his sleeve. "Five minutes isn’t impossible anymore. I can feel it."

Nanami didn’t say anything, but there was a faint smile on his face. He looked at his calloused hands, the ache in his muscles, and the fire in his chest, and he knew Haibara was right. Five minutes wasn’t impossible.

"Gojo-senpai," Haibara suddenly called, jumping to his feet. "I want to go one-on-one with you."

Satoru, remained reclining against the tree trunk with his arms behind his head, tilted his head up to squint at Haibara through his sunglasses. “You serious, Haibara?” he asked, a lazy grin tugging at his lips. “Because I don’t want you crying when this ends in, like, ten seconds.”

"I’m serious," Haibara replied, bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet. His confidence was contagious, and even Nanami raised an eyebrow from the sidelines, intrigued despite himself.

Suguru chuckled softly, sipping his water. "Go on, Satoru. Give him a shot."

Satoru pushed himself to his feet with an exaggerated groan, brushing off imaginary dust from his gym clothes. "Alright, Haibara," he said, clapping his hands together. "Let’s see what you’ve got. Just don’t embarrass yourself too much."

The two moved to the path, facing each other in the dappled sunlight. Nanami and Suguru settled in to watch, their interest piqued. Haibara dropped into a fighting stance, his easy smile not betraying a hint of nerves. "You ready?" he asked.

Satoru slid his hands into his pockets, giving a cocky shrug. “Born ready.”

The match began with Haibara darting in fast, throwing a clean jab aimed for Satoru’s chest. Satoru swayed like a leaf in the wind, effortlessly avoiding the strike and countering with a quick kick that Haibara barely managed to sidestep. Their movements were fluid, each exchange coming faster as Haibara pushed harder, and Satoru danced around him with infuriating ease.

But then Satoru’s sharp ears picked up something—barely audible over the rhythm of their movements. He froze mid-step, raising a hand to stop Haibara, who staggered back, confused.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Satoru said, pointing at him. "What the hell are you muttering?"

Haibara blinked, sheepishly scratching the back of his head. "Oh, uh... It’s nothing. I just… kinda think of music when I’m fighting. It helps me focus, y’know?"

Satoru’s eyebrows shot up behind his sunglasses. He slid them off with one smooth motion, revealing his glowing Six Eyes. "Hold on. Think of music? Like, what kind of music? Sing it."

Haibara recoiled, his face burning red. "What? No way!"

“Come on,” Satoru pressed, his grin stretching even wider. “Don’t be shy. We’re only going to make fun of you a little."

Suguru snickered from the sidelines, and even Nanami allowed himself a faint smirk. "You’re not getting out of this now, Haibara," Suguru called, clearly enjoying the show.

Reluctantly, Haibara cleared his throat and began to sing, just loud enough to be heard over the rustling leaves. “Defy youuuu... to the eeeend…”

Satoru’s grin turned to delight as recognition dawned. “The Offspring? Oh, you’ve got taste, kid!” He clapped his hands once, a loud, approving sound that echoed through the clearing. “But don’t butcher it. Sing it properly. This is sacred ground.”

Haibara laughed despite himself, shaking off his embarrassment. He sang a little louder this time, his voice steadying as he moved back into his stance. Satoru grinned, raising his hands in a loose guard. “Alright, rockstar, show me what you’ve got.”

The fight resumed, and at first, nothing seemed different—until Haibara’s cursed energy shifted. His singing faltered as he realized the air around them was shimmering faintly, almost like heat haze. His strikes became sharper, his movements faster, but it was as if the energy wasn’t entirely his own. Satoru’s grin widened, his Six Eyes glowing brighter as he took a step back to assess.

Then it happened. Haibara’s cursed energy surged, bright and fierce, rippling like a wave. The world around them seemed to flicker for just a moment, and everyone froze. Even Suguru sat up straighter, and Nanami’s eyes widened.

“Whoa,” Satoru breathed, his grin splitting into a laugh. “Well, well, well. Look at that. That’s a sign of something pretty fucking cool, Haibara.” He clapped Haibara on the shoulder, his amusement replaced by genuine excitement. “You’ve got something special in you, kid. Let’s see how far we can take it.”

"S-something special?" Haibara panted, looking at Satoru, then down at his own palms. He flexed his fingers, balling his fists back up. Something had happened. "What was that? Was that a cursed technique?"

"Not exactly," Satoru said tilting his head. He pointed at Haibara and said, "That was almost a domain expansion."

"Now hold on," Nanami said, standing up, "That's… impossible isn't it? He doesn't have an innate technique?"

"Well, technicalities like simple domain aside," Suguru chimed in, standing up as well, "It should be impossible. However, I trust Satoru's eyes more that my knowledge on the subject."

"It's interesting actually," Satoru said, tilting his head, "By all the taught knowledge it should be impossible. But I always had a theory about it."

"You talk like an old scientist," Suguru teased and Satoru only shrugged and poked out his tongue.

"So what you're saying is that I do have a technique?" Haibara asked, looking up at both his senpai, "You're not messing with me, right? You really mean it?"

"Here's the thing," Satoru said, throwing his arm around Haibara. He cleared his throat dramatically then said, "I don't know." Haibara slumped and Satoru grinned at him while he shook his shoulder. "Hey, relax, I'm not done! I don't know, but I do wanna find out. And you're gonna be my lab rat for a bit, yeah?"

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"H-hold on…" Haibara huffed, leaning on the railing up the tall staircase. He winced as he stood up, stretching his legs and rubbing at his thighs. "I'm so sore… Gojo and Geto have really been working us hard!"

Sarah chuckled, adjusting a few loose strands of his hair and then fixing his jean jacket for him. He stood still, a goofy little smile on his face as he let her preen before he just couldn't take it any longer and he grabbed her hands.

"You're so cute," he said, grinning at her, "I'm sorry I kept you waiting so long for this date."

"Pff," she scoffed, tugging him along with her, "It's not a big deal. I'm not really all that high maintenance."

"Hmm," he hummed a little, following happily behind her with a goofy smile. "But you could be if you wanted to. You're definitely cute enough for that."

"Shut up," she laughed, "What do you mean?"

"I mean if I could get you nice things I could—"

"Don't do that," she huffed, stopping suddenly enough that he bumped into her back.

"Huh? Did—Did I make you mad?! I'm sorry!" he grasped her hands tightly, turning her to look at him. His eyes were wide and already a little teary and she couldn't help but giggle.

"You're so quick to get emotional," she teased, wiping under his eyes with her thumb, "Don't be. I'm not mad or anything. I just don't need you thinkin' you need to buy me things."

"Yeah?" he said softly, "I know girls like gifts and things so I thought maybe if I—"

"I like you plenty, Haibara-kun," she said with a softer smile than he expected, "Don't worry. You're a lot of fun. Don't read into other shit people do, okay? Just be you."

Haibara grasped her hand in both of his, his eyes wide and sparkling. "Can… can you call me by my first name now?" he asked suddenly.

She raised her eyebrow. "Oh, right, I forgot about that," she mumbled, "Would that be okay with you? I know it's a big deal."

"Yes! Please! I want it so bad!" he admitted readily, nodding excitedly.

She laughed, pulling their hands down still intertwined down. She leaned forward, just close enough for only him to hear her say, "Well, how about we keep going on our date… Yu?"

Haibara gasped and dropped her hands, pulling Sarah against his chest. His hand pressed the back of her head in and the other arm wrapped awkwardly around her waist. He kept it inside, but she could still hear him screech with his mouth closed and she couldn't help the muffled laugh buried in his t-shirt.

"Oh? All that huh?" she teased, trying to look up at him only to have him push her face back down.

"Don't look at me right now," he mumbled, "I-It's too much."

"Yeah? Just 'cos I said your name?" she asked, more seriously that time.

"It's… it's so crazy," he answered, peeking down at her for a moment before he looked away.

"Weird, but really cute," Sarah giggled, tugging on his hand again, "C'mon, people are staring. Let's go!"

Haibara nodded and followed after her. Eventually the curiosity bested him and he asked, "I'm surprised you think so. You grew up here, didn't you?"

She looked over at him and nodded, "Mhmm, yeah I did. I just never… thought it was a big deal…" She said, then furrowed her brows, "Because I… I didn't grow up… here?"

"Ah!" Haibara gasped, "L-Look! There's a—a place with gyoza! That's your favorite, right?!"

Sarah grinned at him, "Oh! Hell yes! Let's go!"

Haibara sighed with relief. It was too close. Always too close. And why did it always happen to him? It was like he was constantly having to jump through hoops to keep her from panicking. How was he supposed to learn more about his girlfriend this way?

There had to be a solution. There had to be some way, right? Some way for him to ask her about herself and get an answer that wasn't based on some big fake memories planted by the higher ups. But that of course… that required him to learn how Satoru was doing it.

"Do you think I could last five minutes in a real fight with Gojo-senpai?" Haibara asked suddenly.

"Pff," Sarah scoffed, "I don't think anyone could if he was going all out." Haibara slumped and sighed and she quickly patted his arm. "Oh, don't take it too seriously okay?" She said with a smile, "It's not your fault. He's just naturally amazing at like… everything."

"Yeah, he really is," Haibara sighed, "I want to beat him though because I… I just need to. For something I need."

"Something you need?" Sarah asked, glancing up at the menu board at the stand with Gyoza.

"Yeah, it's like… something really important," Haibara said, "Something I can't get unless I do it."

"What makes you think you have to do that?" She asked, "Like… isn't there another way?"

"Another way?" He asked, tilting his head.

"Yeah! If Gojo is an immovable wall, then maybe you can just… go around?" She suggested.

Haibara pointed at her, his mouth fallen open. "That's a great idea! Go around! I can do that!"

"Yeah! You definitely can!" Sarah said, patting his back. "You can figure this out!"

"You're right! I absolutely can!" He beamed, looking at the menu.

That evening, he dropped her off at the doors to the main HQ building. Nothing unusal. A quick peck on her cheek and she was off with a blissful smile and a blush. Haibara, meanwhile, was going to figure this out. There had to be a way. There just had to be!

Haibara crouched behind a large stone pillar near the entrance, his chestnut eyes tracking the subtle movements of the guards stationed at the perimeter. Each step he took was careful, or at least as careful as he could manage. He wiped the sweat from his brow and turned his attention back to Sarah once he was sure the guards had stopped watching him. She moved with tense determination, her steps brisk yet purposeful as she approached the two handlers waiting for her. Gojo hadn't lied about that part, not that he expected him to. Haibara stayed low, barely daring to breathe as he watched the exchange unfold. Sarah crossed the threshold, and the barrier flared for a moment, shimmering like heatwaves in the air. The sound of her scream pierced the stillness, and Haibara winced, clutching at the fabric of his shirt as if to shield himself from the sound. His teeth ground together as he watched the guards catch her trembling form, steadying her until she recovered. Her voice came next, muffled and too soft for him to discern, but it seemed calm despite her earlier cry. "Come on, Sarah," he muttered under his breath, leaning forward slightly to catch a better look. With a subtle nod from one of the handlers, Sarah was escorted down a set of stairs. Haibara waited, his legs cramped but steadfast, watching until the last shadow of her presence disappeared below. Only then did he move, emerging from his hiding spot and following quickly. He scanned the area, searching for another entry point. He tried the nearest side path, but yet another line of glowing talismans blocked his way, their protective energy sizzling faintly in the air when he approached. Another route led to a pair of guards stationed by a large gate, their stances alert. More alert than he was expecting. Haibara paused in the cover of a dense bush, rubbing the back of his neck in frustration. "There’s gotta be a way in," he muttered, clenching his fists. Gojo did it somehow. He kept repeating that in his mind. But the usual brute force Gojo would favor wasn’t an option. Haibara was pretty good, but he was nowhere near that good. He sighed, running through his options. "What would Geto-senpai do?" His thoughts conjured an image of Geto’s easy smile, the way he charmed his way through situations with calm words and clever manipulation. “Yeah… maybe that could work.” Straightening his posture, Haibara adjusted his expression to one of weary exasperation and stepped out from the shadows, deliberately walking into the guards’ line of sight. "Hey, uh…" he called out, scratching the back of his head and letting his voice tremble slightly. "I think I’m lost. Any chance one of you guys could help me out?" The guards exchanged a wary glance, their hands hovering near their weapons. Haibara’s heart pounded, but he kept his face as neutral as he could, leaning on his best impression of Geto’s confidence. "Smile and sweet talk," he thought. "Just smile and sweet talk."

Haibara swallowed hard, forcing himself to keep his smile intact as the guards stared him down. He could feel the weight of their scrutiny, every second stretching out like an eternity. His fingers twitched at his sides, aching to fidget, but he held his ground. “I was… supposed to be training with the people who handle the ceremony,” he said, pitching his voice to sound just uncertain enough to seem harmless. Vague was good. Gojo had told him everything he needed to know about the ceremony—the strange ashes, the weird energy of the ritual—but how much could he safely reveal without giving himself away? One of the guards raised an eyebrow, his hand still resting on the hilt of his weapon. “Training, huh?” he asked, his tone skeptical. “Who sent you?” Haibara didn’t hesitate, the words slipping out before he could stop them. “Gojo-san.” His heart skipped a beat as soon as the name left his lips. "What did I just do?" Panic surged through him, but he kept his expression neutral, his mind racing for a way to backpedal. But before he could say anything, the guards exchanged a look and nodded. “Alright,” one of them said, stepping aside. “Follow us.” Haibara blinked, barely concealing his surprise. They bought it? Relief mingled with a new wave of anxiety as the guards turned and began descending the stairs. He followed, his footsteps casual as he could manage but his mind a chaotic whirl. His fingers found the hem of his shirt, and he began fidgeting with it, twisting the fabric between his fingers as they descended deeper into the building. The air grew cooler, the walls narrowing as they moved into what felt like an underground chamber. His eyes darted between the guards, their broad backs blocking most of his view. "I’m so screwed," he thought, his stomach twisting. "What was I thinking? Throwing Gojo’s name around like that? What if they double-check? What if—" He forced himself to take a slow breath, trying to calm the storm inside him. He needed a plan, something clever enough to get him through this. Geto could talk his way out of anything, right? Maybe Haibara could too—if he didn’t choke. One of the guards glanced over his shoulder, and Haibara quickly plastered on a sheepish smile. “So, uh… how often do they run these ceremonies?” he asked, his voice light, as if he were just making small talk. The guard said nothing, his eyes merely flicking to Haibara for a moment before refocusing ahead. "That’s not ominous at all," Haibara thought grimly, his fingers tightening on his shirt. He glanced around as they reached the bottom of the stairs, his sharp eyes taking in every detail of the dimly lit corridor ahead. The faint scent of ash lingered in the air, mingling with something darker, more sinister.

The air shifted without warning. Haibara’s body tensed as he felt it—a wave of energy washing over him. But unlike the oppressive, suffocating force he expected, this was something entirely different. It was soft and light, like the touch of a gentle breeze or the warmth of sunlight breaking through clouds. His racing heart slowed, his breathing evening out as a strange calm settled over him. His eyelids grew heavy, threatening to close entirely, and for a moment, he forgot where he was. It felt safe, like a long-forgotten lullaby sung to quiet his fears. "This has to be it," he thought, his mind grasping at the faint threads of hope. "The second energy… Sarah’s energy. They’re taking me to her." But the tranquility shattered in an instant. The guards halted abruptly, their hands gripping Haibara’s arms as they forced him forward. Before he could react, he was thrust into a cold, empty room, the stone walls closing in like the jaws of a predator. The stark chill bit at his skin, starkly contrasting the warmth he’d felt moments ago. His gaze darted around the room, taking in its bleakness, until it landed on the figure standing at its center. An old man, tall and thin, loomed over him, dressed in a flowing robe that seemed to absorb the dim light. His face was lined with age, his sharp eyes glaring down at Haibara with a piercing intensity. The man’s voice cut through the silence like a blade. “Did you tell anyone else what you know?” Haibara froze, his mind scrambling for an answer. His mouth opened, but no words came out, just a garbled mess of stammered syllables. “I—I didn’t— I mean…” he trailed off, his throat dry as sand. His hands curled into fists at his sides, his nails digging into his palms as the gravity of the situation pressed down on him. The old man’s gaze didn’t waver, his expression as unyielding as stone. Haibara’s thoughts raced, every possible response falling apart before it reached his tongue. But no clever words or cunning plans came to him. All he could do was stand there, the weight of his mistake pressing down harder with each passing second.

Taglist:

@inthedarkshadows000

[wowstrawberrycow]

Finally!!

I am so sorry @fandom-chameleon23 this has taken so long! But I didn't forget about it! I wrote their moment after the battle at Helms Deep the way I wish it would have happened. And yes, this was their first kiss! 💋❤️

Also as promised @howling-medic I tagged you too!

How my shipper brain wanted it to happen ⬇️

Legolas may have felt a vast expenditure of energy. They may have even reveled in the great relief of victory if it had not been for acute agony within them. Brittle shards of glass pickled their chest before a fierce heaviness set in. Then pained throbbing had caught their throat when a needling sensation attacked their nose. The realization that their heart’s greatest wish had been ripped from their life. They could feel their lips quivering now as regret rained torrentially soaking their core. Of course, they logically knew this was part of the game of war. Why hadn’t they spoken before? Their eyes finally grew wet against their will. Their soul began to quake within their body. They could swear that it could have left at any time in search for their heart's desire. Maybe at least then they may be reunited.

“42!”

An all too familiar voice cut through all the other jovial sounds causing their ears to perk. Their eyes bulged, and their heart had come to a screeching halt. The shards stabbing in them seemed to collapse one by one. This couldn’t be a cruel trick, they wanted to believe their keen eyes. In an abrupt sprint, they ran to the fiery redhead scooping him up into their arms. Unrestrained, they peppered his face with kisses before locking lips with the man. Tears fled their eyes in rivers.

Gimli was beside himself but did not deny the kiss. He in fact gladly welcomed it, parting his lips to allow the elf to slide their tongue between them. With closed eyes, he melted into the act. His own heart pounded finally sensing the cocktail of emotions he had repressed since leaving Lothlorian.

“41” Legolas replied sniffling between shaking breaths. They pressed Gimli closer to their chest feeling their shoulders tremble. “I thought I had lost you forever. So glad am I to see you on your legs”

Doing everything they could not to fall to their knees, they began walking. It didn’t matter the direction so long as it led to a safe place. Security within the solitude of the store room ended up being their refuge. They plopped on the nearest soft spot they could find. The elf squeezed Gimli with all their might that was left. Tears continued to fall from their eyes.

Gimli had barely a chance to process all that had just transpired. Though it all happened so quickly, he could not ignore his heart’s attraction. He too yearned for the tall graceful blonde. To hear their beautiful voice and let it nourish the soil of his core was all he wished. Or perhaps there was more to it than that? It had taken an entire night’s battle for him to finally realize it for himself. With gentle hands, he caressed their back. “No more tears darling. I can’t bear to see you so undone.” Gimli pulled Legolas in for another kiss. Though this time it was gentler than the one they shared previously.

Legolas nodded, doing their best to heed their dwarfs' words. “ Gimli, please… I need so desperately to speak to you.” They sniffle blinking tears from their eyes.

“There will be time for that my dear. For now, we must rest.” Gimli caressed the elf’s cheek.

Legolas couldn’t get themself to protest. their weary body and frazzled emotions left them riddled with vulnerability. All they could do was nod, letting their arms loosen. They were together and that's all that mattered. “I love you.” they whispered close to Gimli's ear.

“As do I dearest,” Gimli replied without any hesitation. He hummed letting himself absorb the long overdue affection. Truth be told, this moment was more nourishing than any amount of rest could provide. It soon would be one that his entire being would cherish for the rest of his days.

hi there 👋

I saw your asks post AND that you ship gigolas so here’s a TTT re-read thought for you

Legolas and Gimli get separated during the battle of Helm’s Deep for an extended period of time and their reunion is cute in the book but I imagine their first kiss happened right after bc they were both so afraid of losing one another 🥺

Oh 😱 you're not wrong I remember!!!! It's extremely sweet tbh❤️❤️❤️

Yes! I may just have to re-read that this winter and give my take on what happens 😏😉🤔

I do like writing drabbles! I have fallen off the drabble train because of dumb life stuff ughhh... but maybe this will help! I'm going to be writing a couple of Thranduil X Elrond drabble tonight but then I'll get started on that re-read!!! I've decided this is my fandom homework!!!!! I need a Gigolas spin on this now!

MY LIFE DEPENDS ON IT!!

😤😤😤

Moo~Moo~🍓🐄