#Redacted 2022 Winter Gift Exchange

[k9rage]

Watching Your Back

A winter exchange fic for @the-sugar-crash 's exchange! Written for @salemcat – I hope it's enjoyable.

Milo/Male darlin, 1k, General

Tags: sickfic, copious snark, cuddling, developing relationship

"I can handle myself. I'm not even that sick."

"That's not the point," Milo groans. "I want to help. Your pack wants to help, darlin."

"I don't need your help."

Milo stares, disbelieving. He knows they're a bit of a lone wolf, but they're still his pack. He's not an idiot and has no illusions that they're ever going to be especially comfortable asking for help, so he's gotten better at offering it instead.

He bites back a sharp remark, instead saying, "I'm sure you could get by on your own, but you don't need to. We're pack."

The other wolf frowns, surely trying to find some way of denying him. His teeth dig into his lip as he frowns down at Milo.

"Fine," he spits out, like it pains him.

He sounds incredibly nasal when he speaks and his eyes are less alert than usual. Tank is a lot of things, but he's always made a point to be alert, especially after things with Quinn. It's concerning to see him this out of it.

Milo finally finds himself able to relax his shoulders again, following the taller wolf into their shitty apartment. He didn't exactly invite him in, but he's never exactly been known for his hospitality.

"Christ, do you even have any food?"

The other wolf grumbles in annoyance at that, brows scrunched together. If not for the obvious cold, it would be sort of cute. "I have food in the fridge. Don't expect it to be anything fancy, though."

Truthfully, Milo would be surprised if it was anything other than takeout.

He rifles through his cupboards and fridge, taking stock of what little food he has. It's not a lot, but he can work with it. Hopefully he still has cold medicine in the cabinet.

"Alright, just… sit down. I'll bring you some shit– starin’ at me like I've grown a head isn't doing you any favors."

Milo watches the bigger wolf curl up into a pile of blankets he's clearly been napping in most of the afternoon. If it'd been even a few months ago, he doubts he would've curled up with his back to him like this.

Implicitly he knows Tank is trusting him a lot to watch his back while he's vulnerable, given his history.

It makes him smile. He would trust him to watch his back too, if things were reversed. It's good to know the feeling is mutual, especially given… whatever they have going on.

It's not a romantic relationship, exactly, but it's not a platonic one either.

They go out together at midnight to diners and talk over the details of any leads on Quinn together, bicker over text messages, and even occasionally ride to pack meetings together. On rare occasions, Milo will lace their fingers together and he'll squeeze his hand back, even though neither of them acknowledge it.

The microwave beeps shrilly, jarring Milo out of his thoughts.

The soup isn't much, but he still seems incredibly warmed by it. He gets that expression he always has when he's trying to hide that he's a bit touched.

Milo drapes the lone blanket Tank has over the two of them and rubs his cheek against his shoulder. "You should've told me you were sick earlier," he says quietly, "I would've brought cold medicine over. My ma wouldn't stand for you sniffling like that and you know it."

He grumbles, pointedly eating a spoonful of soup instead of responding.

"I can handle myself. I'm not even that sick."

"That's not the point," Milo groans. "I want to help. Your pack wants to help, darlin."

He glares over the bowl of soup. His eyes are less alert than usual, though, and Milo knows how he is. He's not going to admit it, but he's hurting.

"You can help," the other werewolf finally spits out. Every inch of him practically screams discomfort at the concession, so Milo just nods and quietly waits at their side until he feels him lean against Milo's side.

"Just me, huh?" He asks eventually, stifling laughter at the scowl he levels in Milo's direction.

"Don't push it, Greer," he grumbles.

Milo raises a hand in mock surrender. "Alright fine, you little nightmare."

That earns the slightest smirk on his face. He's feverishly warm even for a werewolf when Milo leans against him a bit more, though he doesn't bother to point it out. Darlin probably already knows.

"Come here," he says quietly, waiting for the other man to lean against him. His chest presses against Milo's and he grumbles about Milo wrapping a blanket around the two of them. The predictability makes him smile.

"I'm not a dog, Milo," he replies irritably.

Contrary to his words, the tension in his back softens gradually the longer he's pressed in close like this. The smaller werewolf adjusts both of them, carefully leaning back until his back is pressed to the cushion and the bigger wolf is leaned against his chest with a grumbling sigh.

He's heavy, but Milo doesn't mind the pressure. He's seldom a cuddler, so he doesn't mind the bigger werewolf sprawling out on top of him.

"What's that? I can't hear you over the sound of the little yippy dog on top of me right now."

Milo laughs at the scowl pinching his face, stroking between his eyebrows to soothe the wrinkle there. His expression softens after a moment, smoothing the other man’s hair back.

"Hey," he says after a moment, "I'm just teasing a little."

He huffs, but rubs his cheek against Milo's shirt. It's a sweet wolf gesture of affection without any words, and Milo knows he'll smell like them to any other wolves now.

Milo noses at his hair in return with a sigh and strokes down his spine in a way that earns a low, blessed hum.

"Darlin," he says quietly, slipping a hand up the back of his shirt to stroke at his bare skin. It always seems to make him feel relaxed because his shoulders seem to melt from the perpetual stress.

He grunts in reply and noses at Milo's shoulder instead of answering, lazily curling closer to Milo's chest.

"Is crushing me making you feel better?" He asks, earning a stifled snort of laughter.

"Yes," he replies, and Milo ruffles his hair playfully before nudging him in close enough to kiss the crown of his head.

"I'm so glad my suffering is bringing you joy," he snickers.

Darlin snuggles in and sighs, arm thrown out over his chest and his cheek squished to his shoulder. The pressure is nice, but honestly the best part of it is watching him actually relax.

Not even 10 minutes pass before he hears a quiet, barely there snore from him. He gets trapped beneath the bigger wolf for nearly two hours, but he can't bring himself to mind when they wake up and give him that slow, happy smile which always seems to steal his breath away.

And they actually get dinner together– even if it is just Chinese delivery from two blocks away.

[angelcactus]

Warm Hands, Warmer Hearts

My submission for the Gift Exchange! I finished it like 5 minutes ago bc I put it off for like..... a month.

ANYWAYS this is for the lovely @zozo-01 They wanted a Sam and Darlin’ fic so I delivered bc I dont write those goofballs enough.

Dahlia wasn't a stranger to snow. It normally got 3-4 inches, sometimes even 5 or 6 if it was a good year. Sam grew up in a state that never got much snow, and every year he complains about it. His partner on the other end? They LOVED the snow. It was the one pleasure they enjoyed besides wrestling other pack members and winning.

It was about a week before the next solstice and Dahlia had gotten about 5 inches of snow. Darlin’ was ECSTATIC. They had driven over to Sam’s house prior to the snow storm so for the time being they were, happily trapped, at his house.

It was nearly 7 and the sun had already set, the snow on the ground was illuminated by the porch lights and the driveway lights. Darlin’ was sitting on the porch, a warm drink in their hands. They were waiting for their mate to come home so they could cuddle and maybe watch a movie. The sound of Sam’s truck pulling up made them perked up.

Sam turned his engine off and opened his door. He didn’t even get a word out when a hard and cold object hit his forearm. Sam fully stood on the shoveled driveway and looked at his arm.

“Did you just throw a snowball at me? I haven't even- you know what?” Sam said picking up a ball and smashing it into a ball “two can play at that.” he grinned, his face illuminated by the porch lights. Darlin’ giggled and collected more snow as they ran around the yard, tossing and avoiding snowballs. Sam had gotten a good few hits in with his vampire speed. If they continued to play like they were unempowered, they were gonna lose like an unempowered.

But Darlin’ wasn’t unempowered. They were a shifter.

Darlin’ dove behind Sam’s truck, barely missing the snowball that was thrown. They took a breath and shifted, their clothes ripping and tearing at their bigger wolfier form. Darlin’ jumped out and stood alert in front of Sam. They lowered their upper half ready to pounce. Sam smirked, tossing his snowball up and down, tauntingly.

Darlin’ lunged and dodged, throwing the snowball right into their side. They laid on the snow and flailed around dramatically, whining and whimpering as they rolled in the cold snow.

“Ok ok I get it, I killed ya. Did you have your fun?” Sam fully stood up, wiping the melted snow on his pants. Darlin’ stood up, still shifted, and walked in circles around their mate. Sam smiled and started to walk inside.

“I believe all your clothes are still in the wash and I doubt you wanna walk around naked, even though it is a very good sight for my eyes.” He chuckled as Darlin’ nipped at his hand in retaliation. Sam rolled his eyes and held the front door open.

“Shake off first, I ain't gettin’ snow in here.” he grumbled, kicking snow off his boots and stepping inside. Darlin’ rolled their eyes and shook like a- well you get it, like a dog. After shaking off they stepped inside and dive bombed into the couch, rolling on the soft seats.

“Wh- Hey!” Sam laughed, covering them in a towel and drying them off. “You are wet and cold my couch is warm and comfortable, I don't want that to mix, Darlin’.” He kissed the top of their snout and rubbed the towel on their fur.

Darlin’ whined and pouted as much as they could via wolf form. Sam nodded and took the towel off, talking it to the bathroom and hanging it up.” Darlin’ circled on the couch but couldn't get comfortable. Sam noticed and sat down in his normal spot, patting his thigh. Darlin’s tail wagged briefly as they laid their head on his leg.

“You are just a big ole dog arent you Darlin’?” Sam smiled, petting their side. Darlin’ huffed and shut their eyes. “Ok, Ok, Nap time. But you owe me that movie ya hear?” He said, leaning down and kissing their head. Darlin’s tail thumped against the couch until it slowed down signaling Sam that they fell asleep.

[zozo-01]

It's their Big Night, but we can have fun too.

Happy New Years Eve everyone!!! This fic is apart of the Redacted Winter Gift Exchange ran by the amazing and lovely @the-sugar-crash!! Thank you so much for hosting this event!! And a big thank you to @taelonsamada for helping me through writer's block, @lostinanothersmemories for letting me use their headcanon of Darlin's nickname being 'fluffy' and to @sri-rachaa for beta reading this for me!!!

@starlight925, I hope you enjoy your fic!!! It's always fun to revisit my favourite non-canon couple!!!

CW: This is an David/Darlin' story, No Angel or Sam AU, surprisingly no angst considering who is being written ;-;

--

“Hey Tank! We wanted to ask if you could-”

“If this is about chaperoning the pup’s prom, then no. Do you want me to say it french? Trouver quelqu'un d'autre parce que non, je ne veux pas y aller.”

Asher knew that this task would be one of the hardest of his life. He's handled inter-pack politics, an onslaught of the most vicious empowered folk, and he has been blessed with the patience to navigate David’s temper. But holy hell, nothing could top this.

“I know this isn’t your thing, but pleaseeeeee! It would mean so much to the pups that their favourite tank wolf is thereeee!” He wore the best puppy eyes he can muster, a look that has made the most strong-willed people give into all of his desires. Or to get Gabe to sneak him another sweet treat without his parents realizing.

There was only one person with even more deadly puppy eyes than him, and they were standing in front of him.

Tank scoffed in disbelief. “If you think some sorry ass puppy eyes is gonna change my mind, then you better start begging.” 

For a split moment, Asher genuinely considered begging them to go. It had been tradition for the older wolves to attend the pup’s prom, just to make sure no shenanigans happened that night. And the shenanigans that do occur only do so after every wolf make sure the pups will be okay.

It was part of the reason why Asher wants them there so badly. Unfortunately, Tank had plenty of experience both doing and witnessing dumb teenagers doing dumb teenager things. Having them there would make sure none of the pups slip through the gaps of the older wolves’ piercing sight. Like hell they’d let a pup pass through without notice the same way they did.

He didn’t want to say that reason though, it makes him sound like he’s using their bad experiences to his advantage, and that is the last thing he wants. He wants them there because they’re them and they’re a wonderful presence to be around.

A lightbulb went off. Asher remembered that there was someone as desperate, if not more, then himself to have Tank be a chaperone.

“David’s gonna be there.”

Unnoticed by human ears, Tank’s breath hitched and their heart rate sped up for a quick second. It was just that, a quick second.

But for the poor darling Tank, Asher did not have human ears and a second in their change state was all he needed. ‘Hehe, got you right where I want you,’ he thought mischievously. 

“I sure as fuck hope David is going ‘cus how the fuck are you gonna get anyone to go if the big dawg ain’t going?” 

Asher's face beamed in a wicked grin. They were deflecting, and when Tank deflects, it means you’ve struck some nerve in them. There was a truth that they were desperately trying to conceal, and that was their everlasting and ever burning feelings for a certain Alpha.

Lucky for them, that certain Alpha was holding onto hope that they had felt the same.

And as Beta, it was duty to bring these two stubborn dumbasses together. After everything they’ve been through, they deserve to feel true and unbound joy with each other. All he had to do was convince the both of them to tell each other the truth.

Seems easy enough?

“Well, David said that he wants you there too! You’re pack and therefore, you need to be a part of pack traditions!” He flashed his trademark easy going smile and continued, “and besides, heard that David’s going all out for this event too.”

They raised their eyebrows. “Our David? Going all out for something that isn’t company related? You’re gonna have to tell me more buddy.”

‘Fuck yes! They’re curious and now they won’t stop until they find out! That’s another point for best Beta Asher!’

He lowered his voice as if he was revealing his own greatest secret. “David’s pulling out the suit, you know? The black one with the gold designs?” When Tank realized what Asher was talking about, their eyes widened by a fraction and they took a sharp intake of air. 

The suit in question was one that David wore at an industry dinner that was mandatory for everyone, including the pack’s beloved wayward wolf. He had worn a classic black suit that had gorgeous golden embroidery that adorned one half of the blazer. The whole outfit had shown off David’s well toned body. He exuded power and commanded attention from everyone in the room, and that included Tank’s.

Asher had later learned from his mate that after the dinner when they, Tank and Stealth had met up for some after party fun, Tank had confessed in a drunken stupor how much they adored David’s outfit. How they were ready to rip out the eyes of everyone in that room so they could keep that sight to themselves. 

If the outfit had that much of an effect on them, who’s to say it wouldn’t have that same effect again? And there is nothing that makes a person want to confess more than thick sexual tension choking them.

“I’ll…” They let out a sigh knowing they fell hook, line and sinker for Asher’s trap. “I’ll go, you bastard. But whatever you’re planning? It ain’t gonna work. There is no way in hell that I’m gonna let it.”

“Do you even know the plan?” “No, but you’re fucking planning something and that’s enough to keep me on edge.”

‘Typical Tank to think that there are nefarious plots being plotted against them.’ Sure their instincts were right that he was planning something, but that didn’t negate the fact that he wished they didn’t have to be this hypervigilant. Part of him hoped David could ease the desperate grip Tank has on control of their life.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’ll text you details later!” He ran off, ready to tell David the good news.

‘Now I just gotta convince him to wear that black suit without giving Tank away.’

--

“Oh hell fucking nah, you ain’t wearing that outfit to prom.”

“I’m with Milo on this, what the hell are you doing Tank?”

Despite many preconceived notions about them, they truly cared about how they appeared. 

Something, something, if they were going to die, they want to die pretty. 

It hurt Tank to wear such a boring outfit, but between not having the most… appropriate outfit for a high school prom and how they absolutely do not want to steal the show with their scars, they have relegated themselves to wearing a terrible outfit. Said outfit was a pair of black jeans, a hoodie and some nice shoes. It was nice, basic but nice.

Milo and Sweetheart were anything but basic.

He ripped the outfit from their hands and threw it onto their bed. “Tank, I know you can do better than that!” He walked over to their closet and rummaged through a number of outfits. He pulled out a red cropped and backless shirt. “See? This outfit is way better than the shit hoodie.”

“First off,” they started off while taking the shirt in Milo’s hand. “Don’t diss my hoodie. Secondly, who in the fuck would wear a shirt like this to prom?” They gestured to redshirt in their hand. “I’d get dress-coded before I make it to the hall and I’m not even a student!”

Sweetheart walked over to their closet and took a peak in. “What if you wore a leather jacket on top of that? That should keep it ‘appropriate’.” The stealth grabbed the first jacket they saw.

The jacket was a black leather one, slightly larger than the ones they own. It had laid untouched in their closet for a long time, years even. They don’t know why, but they were convinced that the jacket wasn’t theirs. Which is stupid, it had a similar style to their other black jackets. And sure, it was a bit oversized, but Tank was never opposed to a looser fit.

So where the hell did that jacket come from? And who did it belong to?

Milo snickered and said, “oh I know why Tank don’t wanna dress up.” He strained his arm so he could wrap it around Tank’s shoulders. “They don’t want David to see them all dolled up. Gotta keep that side of ‘em locked up!”

They pushed Milo’s arm off them with the sound of Sweetheart’s laugh echoing in the background. They tried to stutter out an answer, but each word that left Tank further incriminated them. 

Sweetheart patted them on the back. “It’s ok you know, having a crush on your Alpha.” They picked up the red shirt and black leather jacket off the ground. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t be the hottest wolf in Dahlia. Now go show everyone why you’re the pack’s heartthrob.”

The wolf knew when the stealth says everyone, they specifically mean David.

Tank took the outfit from Sweetheart and kicked the other two out of their room. 

They were the Tank wolf of the Shaw Pack, they were one hot ass wolf and like hell they’ll let anyone intimidate them.

But their feelings for David Shaw might be the one thing that could scare them.

–

“They’re late.”

“It’s only been half an hour, they’ll be here.”

This is ridiculous. Here he was standing in the middle of the banquet hall, watching a bunch of sweaty and horny teenagers, in his fanciest outfit and the person he wanted to see hadn’t showed up. What was the point of putting on this jacket if Tank wasn’t going to show up?

Asher noticed the all too familiar impatient look on his Alpha’s face. “Look, they’re coming with Milo and his mate, and you know how they like to take their sweet time.” He put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. “They’ll come.”

Asher’s reassurances doesn’t make up for the fact that the worst case scenarios are flooding David’s brain. Had they decided that the pack tradition wasn’t worth it? That he wasn’t worth it? Or maybe something had happened to them on the road. A car crash? Quinn?

He needed Tank to walk in this hall or so help him, he will shift and tear the city to the ground to find them and-

Asher's face lit up at the sight of Milo, his mate and Tank walking into the ball. “Well look who decided to show up! Took them long enough.”

David’s face relaxed seeing his wayward pack member face under the neon lights. Their eyes scanned the room, looking for suspicious people and exits. It’s a habit he’s aware of, but one he wishes they’d never develop. Wasn’t like he could blame them, the life Tank lived forced them to be hyper aware of every single little detail. It was their survival instinct, their way of protecting themselves.

Though he wishes that he can be their protection. That one day, Tank will never have to take a hit again because he’ll be there.

Their wandering eyes caught his stationary ones. Once Tank realized it was David eyeing them from across the room, their face relaxed and a small smile appeared. A smile that was made more beautiful by the bright lights surrounding them. Though nothing outshined them. In David’s mind, nothing could ever outshine Tank.

The newly arrived trio pushed past the awkward teenagers on the dancefloor. A few of the pack pups stopped the older wolves and stealth to thank them for chaperoning. The trio finally made their way to the Alpha and Beta, ready to receive their assignments.

“Thank you all for volunteering your time, though it would be appreciated if you came on time.” What? He could be a little salty about them taking forever and giving him a heart attack.

Milo scoffed at David’s comment, while Sweetheart and Tank snickered. “David, you can’t blame us for taking this long! It takes time to look good!” He pushed Tank in front of David. “Especially this one! Fucker took forever, but ain’t it worth it?”

David was inclined to agree that their delayed appearance had been worth it.

Tank looked really fucking good. Maybe too good for his heart to take.

And… he could be wrong, he often is, but… were they wearing his jacket? The one he lost a few years back? He looked closer and saw a familiar patch on the jacket… And the familiar scent lingering on it, mixing it with theirs…  Oh yeah, it’s definitely his. 

He pushed down the shiver of pride and assigned placements for the latecomers. Milo and Sweetheart were stationed by the snack table, making sure no one even thinks about lacing the food or spiking the drinks with anything. He also hoped that the constant influx of hungry partiers would keep them from making out. 

Tank on the other hand was to walk around the hall and keep their eyes peeled for anything weird. He knew stationing them in one spot for the whole night would drive them crazy. Had it not been for that, he’d have them stationed with him at the entrance, an artificial way to keep them close to him. 

Once everyone was told what to do, Milo, Sweetheart and Tank left to where they were designated. Though, David so badly wanted to drag Tank back. Just to have a conversation with them. To tell them they look wonderful. That he loves them.

But there was work to be done, so like always, David swallowed down and choked on the love that has been years in the making. 

--    

David’s scent filled their senses and brought a sense of comfort to their wolf side. He cleared their throat and said, “Tank, I need you for a second.” Thank goodness for David and his bailouts. They had been approached by everyone and anyone left, right and centre and desperately needed a break.

“So what do you need me to do?” They asked, curiosity piqued.

“Milo and Asher said that they were running out of plates at the food table, so he wants us to get more.”

They raised their eyebrow. “And they asked for you and me? Specifically? No one else?” They couldn’t help but be suspicious. 

“Yes? Is that a problem?”

They were going to kill the two later.

Tank waved David off, gesturing to him to forget everything.

The two walked through the familiar yet unrecognizable hallways from their childhood. They could see their younger, brighter self leaning against the lockers. That they could feasibly achieve a fairy tale ending with their fairy tale prince. Walking through the school with David in their old prom outfit, loving him like a lovestruck teenager should.

Years later, they had somewhat gotten their wish, they were walking through the school with David, but with years of experiences weighing down on them.

What could have been had they not fucked it up royally?

“Nice jacket.”

David perked up at the sudden complement. “You think it looks good?” Did they think he looked good, had he looked in the mirror? He looks like he’s a kind king who decided to grace his subjects with his presence. Tank just had to be a lucky wolf to be this close to him.

“It does look good on you and I’d say you should wear it more often, but then it would lose it’s charm.”

“Well I’ll wear it more if you like it.”

Their heart sped at that comment. He’d wear it more? Because they like it? Tank had to fight their pulse to maintain a steady beat. They did not need his wolf ears to pick up how much that comment had affected him. 

They didn’t know what got to them more. The fact that they’ll get to see him in that jacket more often? Or that their opinion matters to him?

Thankfully for their wandering mind, the two wolves have arrived at the storage room. David came forward and pushed it open, letting them both walk inside.

The storage room was dark, the singular lightbulb not being enough to light up the room. It was also cramped. Extremely cramped, to the point that their back was pressed onto his chest. They felt their body heat up, but were convincing themselves that it was because of the humid air and not from their own embarrassment. 

They had found the plates they were looking for on a high shelf. David noticed Tank looking at the plates and wordlessly picked them, making them let out a squeal. “Fucking hell David! Give a wolf a word before you pick them up!”

He chuckled at their words. “Forgive me, your majesty. I’ll give you a warning next time.”

Tank pulled his hair in protest. They definitely weren’t thinking about the more suggestive side of their actions. 

But their heart dropped at the sound of the door slamming shut.

And it locking.

“SHIT!” David dropped Tank back onto the ground and they ran to bang on the door. “WHAT THE FUCK? UNLOCK THIS SHIT RIGHT NOW!” Every second that passed made their banging more violent and frantic. David called out their name to try to get them to stop, he didn’t want them to get hurt, but nothing was working.

“FLUFFY!”

“WHAT?”

It had been years since anyone called them fluffy. 

David thinks it’s a shame, ‘fluffy’ always fits them better than ‘tank’.

“Instead of banging on the door like a maniac, I’ll call Asher to get us out of here.” It was their worst nightmare, being stuck in a small room, but if they were stuck with David, then they'd stick it out.

Once David made the phone call, Tank opened their mouth. “So what now, Alpha? You got anything to keep us busy?” 

“You look good in that jacket too.”

Oh fuck, his plan was to kill them before help arrives. 

Tank thanked the shitty school infrastructure for only having one lightbulb, so that David wouldn’t see their embarrassed reaction. “Ah thanks, Stealth pulled it out of my closet. Gonna be honest, don’t know where I got it from. Just kinda popped in one day.”

“It’s mine, the jacket. It’s my jacket.”

Shittttttttt.

Tank scrambled to get the jacket off of them, spewing apologies like their life depended on it. They were so caught up in the new information they were given, they had completely forgotten the ‘scandalous’ outfit they wore underneath. But David placed a hand on their shoulder, stopping them.

“You look good in it and I want you to keep it. Besides,” he leaned in to whisper in their ear. “I want to be the one to take it off you.”

With all the false bravado they could muster, they replied, “sounds like you like me Shaw.”

“I don’t.”

Well there goes their heart. Like they ever had a chance with a man like him.

His eyes softened at their dejected look. “No, no, that’s not what I meant.” He ran his hand through their hair. It was an action that had always brought them warmth and comfort, and he remembered that. 

“You know I’m not the best with words. I’m terrible at expressing my feelings, but you never needed that from me, an explanation. You always got what I was trying to say and accepted it with no question.” He took a deep breath and continued. “But you deserve to hear this, because I want to be clear where I stand. I know that your mind likes to wander, so I’m telling you right here, right now how I feel.”

“My fluffy puffball.” That had earned a chuckle from Tank. “I love you.”

Tank blinked in disbelief before responding. “You… love me? But I’m fucking me! The pack fuckup!”

He scoffed at their words and placed a hand on their cheek. “You made some mistakes, sure, but that doesn’t make you a fuckup.” He placed his other hand on their hip, light enough to not scare them off, but present so he can ground them. “I have loved you when we were kids who were less scarred, I love you during your bad days with Quinn and I still love you. And Fluffy, if I’m being honest, I don’t think- no, I know I will never love someone love someone the way I feel for you.”

How do they respond to that? They were words they’ve been wanting to hear for the longest time. Tank has never thought they deserve such soft love, especially from a man like David, but they won’t fuck up this opportunity they were gifted by the heavens. So they went with theur heart and said the one thing in their brain.

“David, kiss me, please?

And he granted their request.

One soft kiss turned to two, turned to him pressing Tank against the wall and them ripping each other’s jacket off.

Maybe Tank will finally get their fairytale ending with their fairytale prince.

[starlitangels]

Redacted 2022 Winter Gift Exchange

For @skylardoessh1t Thanks to @the-sugar-crash for organizing the event! I had a blast! 1.0k words

CW: blood, injuries to reader-insert character... angst-to-fluff

—

The front door to the apartment creaks open. “Skylar? Sweetheart?” Milo calls out. 

You barely hear him over the pounding of your own heart in your ears. Your mouth doesn’t want to form his name. Even if it did, your throat can’t manage more than a groan.

“Sky? Baby?” Milo tries again. “If you’re waitin’ to scare me, there are easier ways to go about it.”

You groan.

Milo hears. You know he does, because the thudding of his feet on the floor lets you know he’s rushing to you.

The door to the bedroom swings open and in an instant Milo is kneeling in front of you. His string of swears is drowned out by your heartbeat in your ears. But through half-lidded eyes, you see the way his mouth forms the words—and you know he’s using enough bad language that his mother would scold him if she happened to hear.

“Hey. Sweetheart—look at me, okay?” Milo pleads. “Just look at me. I’m gonna call my ma and Sam. They’re gonna come and they’re gonna heal you. I’ll do what I can too, but you know I’m no good at deep wounds.”

All you can do is grunt agreement.

“Okay,” Milo whispers. He wrangles his phone out of his pocket with one hand, the other planting firm pressure over the deep gash in your thigh. There’s a moment of silence during which you watch your boyfriend screw his eyes shut. A single tear slides down his left cheek.

You want to reach up to brush it away, but the muscles in your arm won’t cooperate without shooting pain down to your fingers.

“Sam! Sam,” Milo exclaims. “It’s—it’s my mate. I—I came home and—” He swallows thickly. “—and they’re sittin’ on the floor in our bedroom, bleedin’ into the carpet.” He pauses for a moment. “I’ll do what I can but deep wounds are beyond me. I... I got no formal trainin’, you know that.” Another pause during which his forehead wrinkles in worry. “Okay. Yeah. Yeah, I can try.” He meets your half-closed eyes. “She’ll stay strong. Always does.” He hangs up. “You hear me, Sky? Stay strong, sweetheart.”

“Mmm...” It’s not enough, but it’s all you can say without spitting up blood.

You watch Milo grimace as he expels magic into the wound in your leg. His grunt is strained and your clouded mind reacts, reaching out for him.

He takes your hands, kisses each one, and sets them to your sides to keep them out of the way. “Don’t worry about me. I’m fine,” he insists. “I got plenty o’ magic.” He grunts again as he tries to keep sealing the same wound to your leg. “God—what the hell did you pick a fight with?” His voice is barely more than a whisper, but you hear it cut perfectly over the roaring in your ears of your blood.

“Didn’t,” you muttered. “Investigation...”

Milo scoffs like he doesn’t believe you, but doesn’t make the sassy retort you know is sitting on the tip of his tongue.

Your eyelids flutter.

“Oh no. Nah-ah-ah, Skylar,” Milo snaps. “You are not passin’ out on me. C’mon, baby. Open your eyes. Please.” His hands—covered now in your blood—cradle your face. “Hey. Open your eyes.”

“Mi... Milo...”

“Yeah. It’s me, baby. I’m here. I got you. You need to keep fightin’.”

“Mmm... make me.”

He snickers. “There’s my sweetheart’s sass,” he says, soft and fond. He lowers his hands from your face to flood the wound on your leg with healing magic again. “A’ight. Tell ya what.” He grunts as more magic pours into your leg. One of his hands raises to rub his temple. He’s externalizing too much magic for a shifter.

“What?” you manage to prompt.

“If you survive this little stunt... will you marry me?”

He disappears from your vision for a moment, and returns with a black box in his—somewhat cleaned—hands. He pries the lid open.

“I’ve had this for a while. Just been waitin’ for the right time,” he admits, almost sheepish. Milo is a proud, tough wolf. He’s insecure sometimes too; but he’s never been sheepish.

Until now.

You nod heavily. “Yes. O’ course,” you mumble.

“Good. I love you, baby.”

“Love you... too...”

Blackness creeps around the edges of your vision.

“Sweetheart, no! Sky—Skylar!” Milo’s frantic pleading fades with your consciousness.

Door hinges creak. “I got here soon as I could,” a deep voice with a Southern accent says—

Before everything goes dark.

—

Your eyes open to soft lights and soft sheets as consciousness returns. Most of your body is sore, but not as painful as before.

“Skylar!” Milo exclaims. His warm, callused hand closes around your right one. “How’re ya feelin’, sweetheart?”

“How honest do you want me to be?” you mutter.

“Still that bad?”

“No... it’s better than it was.”

“Good. Sam and my ma did their best—but you’ve been out for about six hours.”

You blink heavy eyelids to meet his gaze. “And did you get any rest in those six hours?”

“That’s not the point.”

“Milo,” you warn.

“Sweetheart, I’m serious. I come home off a job to you bleedin’ out on the carpet in our bedroom—you think I’m not gonna drop everythin’ to take care o’ you?”

“You must be exhausted.”

“I’m fine. I got a little nap in there while my ma was helpin’ out Sam.”

This is a war you’re too exhausted to keep waging, so you let it drop. You take a deep breath and sigh to clear the unconsciousness from your lungs.

Memories trickle back into your mind.

You sit up straight, ignoring the way your spine protests. “Hold on! Did you propose to me before I passed out?”

Milo’s impish grin spreads over his face, but he doesn’t meet your eyes as he gets out of the chair he’s been sitting in beside your side of the bed and plants a kiss on your forehead before heading to the kitchen to fill a glass of water. “I got no idea what you’re talkin’ about, sweetheart,” he remarks, handing you the glass.

The pressure around the ring finger on your left hand says otherwise.

[beemybella]

Be there for you - (Redacted gift exchange 2022)

This is my redacted gift exchange for @darlin-collins I hope you like it and I hope you’re having an amazing holiday (if you’re celebrating)! Sending you love!

I wrote a scene between David and Darlin. Darlin helps David do some paperwork for the security company and after that things get chaotic, but also sweet. I don’t want to say much to not spoil it, so enjoy your reading!

—------ ♡ —------

“I’m glad you came over, I could finish a lot of paperwork,” David was facing Darlin, with his sleeves rolled up and the first shirt buttons unbuttoned. They stood on his front porch after a long day of work.

“Well, it was nothing, glad I could help,” Darlin does their usual straight smile and balances their arms on each side, awkwardly.

“It was not nothing, I saw how you wanted to run away the moment I showed you how much work it really was,” he does a side smile.

“This is why I prefer the field…” they murmur. “Well, I’ll get going then,” they had their hands in their pockets, they wore an old jacket passed down by a family member, and their nose was turning redder as the minutes passed.

They nodded slightly as a goodbye and turned to their car, parked in front of David’s house. Just as they were stepping down the stairs something cold lands on their back.

“What the,” they stop at their feet. “What did you just do?”

“Hm?” he replies.

“Don’t ‘hm’ me, you know what I’m talking about,” Darlin' raises an eyebrow, now facing him.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, I guess you’ll have to show me,” he had his arms crossed, and a smug smile on his face.

“You’re joking,”

“I’m not,”

Darlin' sighs, turning back around but instead of walking to their car they grab a handful of snow and turn rapidly to him, swinging the snowball in his direction.

Darlin’s moves were fast but David is quicker and dodges the snow. “Is that all you got?”

“Oh you’re asking for it,”

They look like two kids playing snow fights, hidden between things and attacking each other when they think the other one is distracted. It was a rare sight, not only for Darlin’ but David as well, seeing him play so carelessly, without thinking about keeping up an image, was a rare sight indeed. He let himself enjoy the moment until his senses kicked in, and something felt wrong.

David smells blood on Darlin’.

“Wait,”

“What, are you afraid now?”

“No, wait,”

“No, you asked for it--”

David grabs their arm, surprising Darlin’ for a second. “You’re hurt,”

“Uh?” they look down at their leg, where they felt a slight burn. “It’s fine,” They try to brush it off and get away from his grip but it only tightens more.

“Hurt doesn’t mean fine, Darlin’,” despite his firm grim, his voice was friendly. “You’re hurt, you need to take care of it. Come,”

His hand slid to their wrist and guided them inside, once again.

“Sit,” David gestures with a nod to the couch close to the fireplace. Darlin’ obliged, thinking it was too late to escape, but once they sat on the comfortable furniture the warmth of the fire embraced their body, and suddenly staying just for a little longer didn’t feel too bad.

The lights were low, and the main source of light was the fireplace, which led the room to be in warm orange tones. Darlin’ looked around while they waited. There were some photographs of David’s friends, Asher and Milo were in most of them, and Amanda too. They looked happy and younger, Darlin’ wondered when they were taken. They looked around a bit more until their eyes landed on a group photo, the whole pack was in it, even Darlin’.

“That photo feels like it was taken lives ago, doesn’t it?” David said, as he placed the first aid kit on the center table and sat in front of them.

“Ah, yeah… I didn't even know it existed,” their eyes linger a little more until they move to look at him, meeting another pair of dark eyes, with warm light reflected. “You don’t have to do this, you know?”

“Do what? Help you out? I do,” he says as he starts to clean their wound.

“No you don’t--”

David stops and looks them in the eyes. “I want to take care of it. I want to take care of you, so let me do it for once,”

“David—” their eyebrows tighten.

“Stop being fucking stubborn and sit still,” he growled but continued to take care of their wound.

“It doesn't look too bad,”

“I told you--”

“Still needs to be treated. You know they add up,” David says as he finishes bandaging their leg.

“I’ve heard that before,”

“I’m sure you have,” he quietly snorted.

Darlin’s tongue does a little tsk. And David’s rare side smile comes back.

“Alright, all done,” David takes a few seconds.

“What?” they ask.

“Nothing,”

“What is it?”

“I just... This scenario just now reminded me of our childhood,”

Darlin rolls their pants back down. “Hm? I don’t think you’ve ever bandaged me. Honestly, I don’t think anyone ever did,” they look into the distance trying to recollect their memories.

“I know, but I’ve done it to the others” David gets up and sits on the couch, leaving some space between them.

“You never, I mean-- I never tried to help you in that way,”

“It’s fine, I wouldn't want it even if you offered at that time,” Darlin’ spoke as if those words carried no pain, maybe they didn’t, or maybe they were just dumb to it.

“Still, I wish I had,” David however, carried it all with him.

“Why are you doing this?” they face him, moving their body as well.

“What?” he looks at them, meeting a confused pair of eyes.

“You’re being all sentimental saying all these things, how you want to help me, how you wished you had done something, what is it that you really want to say?”

David sighs.

Darlin’ gets up ready to leave. “Again, I’m glad I could help, I’ll get going now, thanks for… The treatment I guess,”

David takes their arm and makes them look at him, but before he could say something, Darlin does.

“You don't have to take care of me just because you're my alpha, you know that right? You don't have to take care of me at all, I don't need it, I never did. I’ve been doing just fine without any help,” they almost hiss.

“You don’t see how fucked that is? I’m not telling you to depend on others or me, you’re grown, you can handle your shit, but relying on others and asking for help when you need it is fine,”

“I just said I don’t need it--”

“I want to take care of you, damn it. I know you can handle yourself, you’re strong and I admire that, and you’ll always be, but being strong doesn’t fucking mean handling everything alone until you’re just bones. Let others fucking help you for once, let me help you. I… never got to be there for you,”

“What do you mean?” Darlin’ was speechless and David was already standing up running his hand through his hair.

“When we were teenagers… You felt distant, and I understand things were difficult for you, but I wish we had been more close before we grew up and things started to fall apart… Before I became the alpha,”

Darlin’ knew what he was trying to say. After becoming the alpha, David had to draw a line between himself and everyone else. “It’s not your fault we weren’t close David,” Darlin’ says with a quiet voice. “If it makes you feel any better, I didn’t feel much of a difference when you became the alpha, aside from having to listen to you every now and then… I drew the line between us first,”

“And I didn’t break it,” he says.

“Because you didn’t have to,”

The silence was heavy in that room, they could only hear the fireplace until David could hear something else, something so loud in his ears wanting to break through a cage. Darlin’ was looking away but their heart beat strongly in their chest, they wished they could silence it.

“I should have, as the alpha of the pack and... As someone who cares for you,”

David reaches their hand to their face slowly, getting closer, but without touching them.

“Darlin’,” he whispers, with his rough voice.

“Why do you care…?” They look up at him, with their eyes red, not letting the tears fall, but asking for something. His hand moves even closer and embraces their cheek so carefully.

“I hate this,” they knew whatever this feeling was they didn’t want it to go away, they didn’t want to lose the warmth he was giving them.

“Let me make you not hate it,” he said, before embracing them.

[sojutsu]

Unwrapped Memories

Happy holidays, @ant1-leigh! I was your Secret Santa for this amazing exchange, and I hope I did your prompts justice. I used "Vincent/Lovely, Christmas presents, something Christmas related". I hope you enjoy!

And a HUGE thank you to @the-sugar-crash for putting this on!

“Annnnd.... There!  All done!”  Lovely dusted their hands off as they admired their handiwork, the soft glow of Christmas lights illuminating the living room in steady pulses of light.

Vincent had given them free rein to decorate the house, and they took that privilege and ran with it.  Garland on the mantle.  The biggest tree they could fit in the corner, decked out in white and colored lights, dependent on the mood.  Tinsel.  Shiny snowflakes on the windows.  The place looked like a veritable winter wonderland... except for the stockings, which looked slightly off-center now that Lovely was examining them. 

As if mocking them and their Christmas spirit.

Unacceptable.

“And not a moment too soon.  It’s already...“ Vincent checked the non-existent watch on his wrist, a smile evident in his voice, “...two minutes into December.  We almost missed it.”

His deep chuckle reverberated thru their back as he came up behind them, wrapping his arms around their waist and slotting his head onto their shoulder.  The kiss he pressed to their temple was comforting as they micro-managed the exact angle of the wayward stocking back into place.

“Well yeah, but... now we get to appreciate them all month long.  December goes really quickly, and I... I don’t want to miss any of it.”  They received an amused hum in response, turning in his grasp to face him.  “Maybe I’ll start right after Halloween, next year.  After all, it’s the best season!  Hands down.”

This was going to be perfect, they promised themselves amidst Vincent’s non-committal hum, sealing it with a peck to his cheek.

After everything that had happened in the past year, it had to be perfect.

 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

This was as far from perfect as you could get.

Lovely did not know what to get Vincent, and the first week of December had already flown by.

What did you get someone who had the ability to buy a fleet of expensive cars?  Lovely wasn’t rich, and besides, whatever Vincent wanted he just bought.    

It was still early in the month. 

They had time. 

But it still felt wrong. 

After all, they’d already picked out gifts for most of their friends, the items wrapped and sitting patiently beneath their tree until it was time to hand them out.  People they didn’t know as well as they knew their charming, considerate, and extremely thoughtful boyfriend.  The person who mattered the most to them by a large margin. 

Someone they loved. 

So why couldn’t they think of something for Vincent?

(“Is it that surprisin’ you’re havin’ a hard time?” Sam had asked them on their way to a Clan meeting when they voiced their concern.  Vincent was taking care of an errand for William and would meet them there.

“Well, yeah... a little bit.  Nothing seems good enough, y’know?”

Sam had laughed like he was in on a joke, soft and non-judgemental, but Lovely didn’t know which one.

“I’ll bet.  You’ll figure it out, don’t you worry.”)

But they hadn’t.  And they did. 

That was how they ended up sitting at the kitchen table, laptop open in front of them and cookies baking in the oven, scouring the holiday sites full of deals and looking for inspiration.  Any inspiration.

Clothing.  Electronics.  Decor.

Nothing jumped out at them.  Nothing sparked an idea. 

Nothing was good enough. 

Lovely could tell they were at their wit's end because they finally Googled, ‘What to buy your vampire lover?’.  The screen's bright light blinked to life with a strange offering as their salvation: a vampire hunting kit.  And to their chagrin, and possibly telling just how lost they were, they actually gave it a modicum of thought before shaking their head with a sigh.

Maybe they should go the cheesy route and just put a bow on themself and sit below the tree.

......

No.

Vincent could have them whenever he wanted, so that wasn’t special either.

“Lovely?  Are you home?” Vincent's voice carried as the front door shut, the sound masking the thud of the laptop's lid as they closed it in defeat.

They had time.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Time was running out.

That’s what Lovely told themself as mid-month rolled around, and they still hadn’t thought of a respectable gift for Vincent.

They’d admit to there being a few leaps of logic in between, but it was also how they found themself putting the last few pieces of tape back on rewrapped presents, sliding them back under the bed as if they hadn’t just snooped.

To be fair, Lovely was a snoop.

But really, didn’t it just mean that their gifts weren’t well hidden if they could find them so easily?  Why wouldn’t they look under the bed that they shared together?  It was almost like Vincent didn’t know them at all!

Which was, of course, a lie.  Everything that they found was a thoughtful gift.

Their favorite body spray.  The one that just so happened to be the one Vincent loved on them the most.  They’d worn it on every date night since he’d told them, and their bottle was near empty by now.

A Dahlia School of Elemental & Energetic hoodie that had their E&E participation number and final placement embroidered below the school insignia.  There were symbols of the main 8 classifications going up the arms, elements on one arm and energetics on the other, with their previous electro-energetic symbol dyed their favorite color amidst the white of the rest.

There were even some fancy chocolates that they’d hesitated on returning to their hiding space, considering Lovely knew they were to die for from prior experience.

Thankfully not literally, although that wasn’t really a problem anymore.  And that was okay.  They had worked hard at it, but they finally cherished the life they could build with Vincent forever.  They just had to show him how much he meant to them. 

But if anything good came from unearthing their gifts early, it was that they thought they finally knew what to get him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Vincent, it’s lovely!!  And I swear that isn’t a pun.  You’d know if it was,” they leaned forward on the couch they shared, giving him a quick kiss he returned with equal measure, as they held their new E&E hoodie protectively between them both.  “I love it!” 

“You might have a different set of powers now, but I hope it reminds you of how much determination you have and not something...”

“I love it,” they repeated, sensing the war within Vincent.  But they meant it, and they refused to let any guilt seep into the joyous occasion.  “I worked really hard on my powers back then, and you better believe I’ll master these ones given enough time.”

“Of that, I have no doubt.”

There was a moment of contented silence as they gazed at each other.  It didn’t last long, not wanting to dwell on any negative thoughts that Vincent might find himself in, and they reached below the tree to grab their gift for him.

“Okay, okay, enough of that!  My turn next!” Lovely knew that if they still had their powers, they’d be literally buzzing with excitement.  They held out a small, meticulously wrapped package to Vincent, reds and golds shining in the tree light as soft Christmas music played in the background as ambient noise.  “I really hope you like it.”

“Anything from you is a gift I’ll cherish.”

That sap earned him a gentle smack to the arm, and his laugh filled the air.  “Just open it!”

Vincent carefully popped the bow off of the top, handing it to Lovely with a quiet, “Hold this for me.”  He slid slender fingers under the tape to release it, allowing the moment to draw out, and Lovely is sure he was trying to torture them with how slow he was going.  Their suspicions were confirmed as they glimpse the corners of his mouth twitching.

“I know how fast you can open things when you want them open, Vincent.  Hurry up!”

“Okay, okay!” His laugh is genuine as he drops the discarded paper to the floor with the rest, finally giving in.  He pulls out a key and holds it between them, a question in his eyes.

“No, I didn’t buy you a car before you ask.  But...” at this, Lovely turns the key over in his palm so that the name of William’s business faces up.  “I booked us a week at William’s cabin we loved, and he agreed to give you the time off to enjoy it,” they hold up their hand as he parts his lips to speak, wanting to give their reasoning in case he found it offensive.  “This past year has been really... difficult, and sometimes it feels like our good memories get tainted because of... everything that’s happened, whether we want them to or not.  I don’t want that.  I just want us to make more memories with each other because you’re the best thing that’s happened to me.  And I want you to remember that.”

Lovely is quiet afterward.  They know they are, because they can feel Vincent’s loving gaze on them as they find great interest in the floor.  Now that it’s out in the open, it sounds stupid.  Even when he takes their hand in his, they have second thoughts.  “Is that stupid of me?  Was it a dumb gift?”

“Lovely,” he tips their head to look at him, gently takes the bow from their hands and puts it on their head, “You are the only thing I wanted for Christmas.  Here, in my arms.  Everything else was a bonus.  But, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to create happy memories, and I’d love to do that with you for as long as you’ll have me.”

Strong arms wrapped around them as if he could instill the truth of his words into them.  Lovely locked their arms around him in return before whispering into the space between them.  “You’re really hard to buy for, you know that?  I swear I was going crazy trying to figure out what to get you.”

“Oh?  Is that why you unwrapped your gifts early?  To give you an idea?”

Their head snapped up, wide eyes and open mouth the epitome of ‘deer-in-headlights’.  Lovely wanted to shake their head, to deny, but things didn’t work like that anymore as their bond denied them their lie.

“You know... I expected you to snoop, Lovely.  There’s a reason one of your presents didn’t make it under the bed,” his amused expression only deepened their embarrassment.  In the interim, he pulled a small box from the coffee table drawer and its presentation almost made it too pretty to open.

Almost.

“....Oh.  I thought I was pretty sneaky about it, to be honest,” they at least had the presence of mind to look chagrined as they took the gift, popping the bow from its top and idly fingering the shiny paper.  “You’re not mad, are you?”

“Of course not.  If I wanted them to be kept a secret, I would’ve hidden them at Sam’s like I did this one.”

Lovely tucks that piece of information away for later as they let the paper slide to the floor.  The top of the box opens with a soft click of hinges, and a familiar insignia stares back at them.

“Is this...?”

“Yeah.  It is.”

They lift the necklace, the Solaire clan insignia rotating in the quiet of the moment before they place it in their palm for a better look.  Slotted in the center are two gems of different colors that shine with the aid of the Christmas tree lights, and Lovely feels their eyes grow wet with emotion. 

“I know birthstones are a thing, but... death day gems seemed more fitting.  After all, this is when you pledged yourself to us.  In... the most extreme way possible, but...” he fumbles his words before taking a breath, continuing as if he’d rehearsed each and every way they might’ve responded to such a gift. 

“This is a promise.  To better days.  Not allowing the past to dictate our future.  You’ve come such a long way Lovely, and it hasn’t always been easy,” his laugh is devoid of mirth, and Lovely slots their hand into his in reassurance.  “Far from it, in fact.  There’s been some pitfalls, and that’s to be expected.  But how far you’ve come in a year is nothing but extraordinary.  Like you.”

“I'm pretty sure nothing can really express what I want to say... but, I love it, Vincent.  And I love you.  Thank you for being on this journey with me, and I can’t wait to make new memories with you.”

There’s a breath of relief that they both share, and a kiss that leaves them breathless follows.  They touch foreheads and speak into the space between.

“Merry Christmas, Lovely.”

“Merry Christmas, Vincent.”

[arrowfleur]

A Perfect View

A Redacted gift exchange fic for @angelcactus !!

Thanks to @the-sugar-crash for setting this whole thing up <33

Things I took from your form:

Favourite characters: Sam and William

Favourite couple: Huxley and Damien

Prompts: hidden presents, snowball fight, fluff!

Word count: 1.7k

Hope you enjoy!! Can also be read over on A03

“We’re almost there Dames, promise.”  

Damien had never been much of a nature kind of guy before he met Huxley, he appreciated the trees that shaded the path up to D.A.M.N in the summer and the flowers his mother used to decorate their house when he was growing up but that was about it.  

And as he walks now, fingers intertwined with his partner, he supposes that hasn’t actually changed, not exactly. His growing adoration for the outdoors wasn’t what kept him coming on these hikes, but Huxley. More specifically, the way the earth elementals aura would light up when showing him a cool plant or how he trusted in sharing private trails and paths he’d discovered on his many walks out here alone. The cuddling close in the tent when it was colder out was also an added bonus.  

The fire elemental let his partner guide him up the last stretch of hill, observing Huxley’s eyes growing wider with each step and for good reason to. The view from the top was magnificent, all glimmering snow and forest paired with a winter’s sun falling slowly behind the horizon. The other man guided Damien towards the edge of the cliff, placing his heavy back-pack down and winding his large arms around his waist from behind.  

“Whatd’ya think?”  

Damien took in the sight of it for a little while before turning in Huxley’s hold to look up at the only other sight there that could match the forests beauty. Huxley’s cheeks had reddened slightly from the cold, the sun reflecting it’s golden light off of his tanned skin and dancing around his dark eyes.  

“It’s beautiful Hux.” Huxley smiled wide before reconnecting his lips to place a kiss atop of his boyfriend's head, arms tightening around him.  

“Yeah?”  

“Yeah. Thank you, for showing me this.”  

“Of course, dude, I want to share everything with you, I’m glad you let me.” Dames rested his head between Huxley’s collar-bone and jaw, sharing his heat and returning the hug, attempting to memorize every feature of Hux’s face and every branch of the trees around them in hopes to never forget a single detail of this moment.  

“Is this the reason you brought me up here?”  

“Almost.”  

“Well, what is it?”  

Huxley let out a low laugh from his chest, breath visible in the air, “Not yet, soon I swear.” Damien stared at him questioningly, he had never really been the most patient person but if Hux wanted it to be a surprise, he would wait. “We should probably get the tent up before it’s completely dark out.”  

-  

Huxley had collected dry wood on the walk up, the tent he’d brought was a pop up and didn’t take much time setting up, just some pegs to stick it down. He watched as Damien positioned the firewood into a pyramid shape, warming up the smaller pieces in his palms until they sparked and placing them gently in the middle of the larger ones. No matter how many times he witnessed his boyfriend use his abilities, Huxley still found himself enamoured by how beautiful something so destructive could be. The earth elemental set up the beds and sleeping bags inside making sure it would be comfortable for them.  

“Hux, fires done. I’m gonna go get changed.”  

“Okay Dames.”  

Huxley had already changed and began setting up a mat for them to sit on by the edge of the cliff. He stared at the fire behind him as the flames grew higher, intertwining with each other. The heat slowly encased his body moving from one side to the other. He recalled the countless nights he’d spent shivering after being unsuccessful in setting one up for himself as he dragged his fingertips through the top of the flames, quickly as to not burn his hands.  

His boy scout's instructor was the first to teach him that trick, showing how the fire would only burn him when treated incorrectly, but when given the perfect balance of air and wood and treated carefully it would flourish. Dames had placed a circle of rocks around the wood and Hux brushed his fingers through the flames once again.  

“Um, Huxley what's this?”  

Damien sat down besides his boyfriend, wearing joggers and Huxley's hoodie, a wrapped-up box in hand. “oh, shit man you weren’t supposed to see that yet.” He wrapped a blanket over Damien's back, wrapping his arm over his shoulder to bring his partner closer.  

“I wanted to wear one of your hoodies and it was in the same bag, I thought we’d already given each other our presents. Sorry, I should have asked.”  

“It’s okay Dame’s, what's mine is yours, I love seeing you in my clothes. Besides, I probably should have hidden it better.”  

“I haven’t gotten you anything else.”  

“That’s okay. It’s not much, open it you’ll see.”  

Damien unwrapped the silver wrapping paper to reveal a black box filled with his favourite snacks and two pairs of binoculars.  

 “Hux what are these for?”  

 The fire elemental picked up one of the pairs of binoculars passing it to his partner. “You know how that forest is the only place covered in snow?” Damien nodded into his shoulder, intrigued. “Well, that’s the Solaire clan's land and every year the king hires contra-fire elementals to cover it in snow for new year's.”  

“Why?”  

“Because Vampires are strong and the sound of the fireworks covers the sound of the snowballs.”  

“Snowballs... you mean the William Solaire set up a snowball fight?”  

“Mmhmm, it's fun to watch, they get really competitive with it, I only found it out a couple of years ago when I came up here to watch the fireworks. It’s the best view for them.”  

Damien considered that for a moment, taking it in before placing his hand on Huxley's cheek, kissing him slowly whilst his core filled with a warmth unlike any he’d ever experienced. “Thank you Hux, for I mean, the present yes but for today as a whole and just everything, thank you.”  

Huxley snuggled him in closer, re-wrapping the blanket around both of them and looking down towards the forest. He knew what Damien meant even when he didn’t exactly say it. “Of course, Dames. Always.”  

The pair waited for the game to start, lifting the binoculars to their eyes as soon as they heard a bang.  

“Is that a shifter?”  

-  

“Go I'll cover you Darlin’”  

Sam shot out an armful of snow balls as his partner weaved throughout the trees. This year him and Vincent were the team captains, usually he didn’t care much about winning but even he could admit he wasn’t immune to a little sibling rivalry. Although not technically brothers Sam always viewed Vincent as one and he’d be damned if he didn’t try his best to beat him.  

Sam’s team consisted of his Darlin’, whom a lot of the other vamps didn’t aim for out of fear of causing them harm, not knowing how tough they were. His two progenies' although pretty newly turned were swift and hard to catch, he’d taught them well. And Sam’s main advantage, king William Solaire himself, who always had a trick up his sleeve, and never lost.  

Sam managed to hit two of Vincent's vamp’s out with the help of his mate's distraction before finding cover behind a tree to figure out his next game plan. He knelt down, picking up snow and rolling it between his palms before freezing in place at the sound of quiet laughter from above.  

“You know no one’s placed me in this position before Samuel, going against both of my progenies.”  

The southern gentleman looked up startled to find his leader seated on a large tree branch next to a pile of snowballs. “William, sir.”  

“You know Vincent's fast and Alexis well, she’s a lot of things and relentless is one of them, you are never going to succeed attacking them down there.”  

“If you’d rather be on Vincent's team sir, I'd completely understand. I didn’t mean to make things uncomfortable.”  

“No, no Samuel. I created the rules to this game and I will Honour them as they are. I believe you’ve misunderstood.”  

Sam looked around for any oncoming attacks before returning his attention to the King. “Misunderstood sir?”  

“I’m thanking you, Samuel. I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to knock some sense into those kids for a while now and you’ve presented me one perfectly.” Williams smiled slyly, a glint in his eyes Sam had never seen before.  

“Oh-”  

Fred and Bright ran up behind him giggling to each other, “we’ve just knocked out four of them but they got me.” Sam ruffled Fred's hair up smiling at his snow-covered form.  

“Alright kid go sit out, well done; Bright go get Darlin and any others you can find and bring ‘em back here.”  

“Okay.”  

“Okay.”  

It was endearing how they always spoke in unison, like two halves of a whole. Sam looked back up to William, trying to recall where their conversation had left off. “I don’t s’pose you’ve got a plan Sir?”  

“That would depend entirely on you and the rest of your team's ability to climb.”  

-  

“Are you sure their around here?”  

“Yes, Lovely the last of them ran over here I saw it.”  

“I can’t see an-” “Did you hear that?”  

“Everyone get back, they’re close.”  

Vincent and the rest of his team retreated back, taking cover and scouring the area for any movement. Although pitch black, Vampire sight was no joke and Vincent could see the forest clear as day.  

“No one's here.” His voice was hushed as he whispered to his partner. “We should loo-”  

“Now!”  

A familiar southern accent sounded out as Vincent and his whole team fell prey to an avalanche of snow falling from above. Coating them entirely. Once sure everyone had been hit, Sam and whoever was left of his team greeted the unsuspecting losers of the game on the ground.  

Sam’s fangs were visible, face graced with a shit-eating grin. He reached out a hand to help his ‘brother’ up from the ground and waited before Vincent took it reluctantly.  

“Now, what were you saying about cowboys not being made for the cold?”  

[autisticempathydaemon]

this could be the end of everything (so why don't we go)

A Secret Santa fic exchange gift for @will-graham-is-my-baby-girl who requested Vindemiator/Freelancer cottagecore sweetness 🖤

And a huge thanks to @the-sugar-crash for setting this up! This was my first ever fandom Secret Santa, and I had a blast 🧡

“Talk to me,” his freelancer murmurs against his neck, lips and words gentle against his aching skin like butterfly kisses. “Tell me more about the life we’re going to have.”

“What, you don’t trust me, Freelancer?” Vindemiator says jokingly despite his exhaustion, his hands loosely wrapped around their waist. “Questioning my skills as an architect?” The IV drip of his love’s low, simmering, desire stops as they lean back on his lap to hold his face in their hands.

“I trust you with my life. Don’t doubt my faith in you or in the promise you made me.” Their eyes on his are so tired- they both are after all the hiding, the running, the everything- but they’re also so full of love. It doesn’t sustain him like their lust, but it does settle warm, steady, and comfortable in his chest better than any meal. With a slow, languid blink like an unguarded cat, they curl into Vindemiator’s body, nose gently tracing his collarbone. “I just like hearing you make the promise again.”

He would make them anything they ask- food, clothes, stars, a safe place to stay, a world where they could finally be together. The incubus would not deny his love every note of magic in his body; another devoted oath is hardly a drop in the ocean.

“A house in the forest, my Freelancer. Just like you dreamed of.” With his words and his magic, Vindemiator forms a small cottage of smoke and light, a phantasmal diorama of the structure they’d exhausted themselves building all day. He rests his head on theirs, smiling weakly against their hair as they lay down and hope. “Or, at least, it will be after a couple of days of wood and nails.”

“I did sort of daydream less splinters and sore thumbs at the Academy,” Freelancer says with a loose, easy snark in their voice that has Vindemiator tightening his grip on their body with an ecstatical, painful happiness at the sound.

“Your daydreams, though flattering, woefully overestimate the powers of one incubus and underestimate how much magic it takes to build a house,” he says, shaking them lightly just to feel their laughter vibrating against this chest. At his fingertips, the tiny house spins and catches the rare, glimmering sunset light. “As potent and absolutely delicious as your energy is, there’s only so much I can do in one day.”

“Excuses, excuses. You just want to see me sweat,” they mumble sleepily, and Vindemiator has to hold back his own laughter lest he jostle them out of their cozy, contented daze.

“If I wanted to see you sweat, there’d probably be another kind of hammering involved,” the demon jokes, his charge’s scandalized mirth melting on his tongue like chocolate. Their fingers dig into his side, first to tickle but then just to cling close, and he soothingly strokes up and down their back with one hand, bringing the little illusion closer with the other. “We’ll have a little kitchen here, facing west, so whatever sunshine we get will keep you warm in the morning. I’ll conjure whatever ingredients your gorgeous heart and hungry stomach could possibly want, and we’ll bake the day away.”

“I only know how to bake bread,” they say, the kind of little, trivial complaint that’s delightful because there’s nothing else to complain about.

“We’ll have time, endless ingredients, and each other; we’ll practice.” Freelancer snuggles deeper into his chest with a placated hum and watches as Vindemiator conjures a lawn in front of the small house with a flick of the wrist. Plants start to grow from it, sprouting and unfurling and blooming right before their eyes, and Freelancer coos in sweet, childish glee at the sight.

“Here’s where we’ll grow the herbs,” he says, pointing at little boxes on the windowsills and plots of earth beneath them. “Basil, thyme, rosemary, lemon balm, oregano, mint. Seeds are easy to magic, so we’ll try all of them.” As Vindemiator lulls them to sleep, Freelancer watches the vision lazily twist back and forth like a child dreaming of the prettiest ornament on the Christmas tree. As their eyes drift close, they wish on all the stars, on their favorite star, that the two of them have time to make those dreams come true.

“Here is where we’ll grow the root vegetables, on the south side of the house since they don’t need light,” Vindemiator says in a loving, soothing whisper, gently kissing the top of their hair as he speaks. “I could pull a potato out of thin air for you, but nothing will be more enchanting than the look on your face when we harvest them.” His human only responds with soft, rhythmic breathing and sweet, cozy contentment the incubus luxuriates in as he bundles them closer and tighter in his arms.

“And so many flowers. We won’t have just fruits and vegetables and herbs; we’ll have anything and everything you could want. They don’t need to be useful or practical.” Vindemiator rocks the two of them back and forth and closes his own eyes as he feels his Freelancer drift deeper into sleep and relaxation. “I will give you all the pretty, joyful things left in this world and keep you safe from all the rest.”

Sunset starts to darken into dusk, and the demon considers whether he has the energy to put a ward around his sleeping human or if he even needs to. They’ve spent what has to be four days and nights deep in these woods, not making much light, not using big amounts of magic, and the only creatures to intrude on their homesteading bliss have been the forest critters. The revolution at the Academy and the capitals must be going well if no one is bothering to pursue a runaway demon and his charge. Vindemiator takes a deep breath he doesn’t need of forest air and his love’s scent and wonders if they’ve really done it, if he really kept his promise-

-if the faint aura coming through the clearing is the harbinger of cruel, unavoidable fate.

Just as the incubus starts to panic and measure just how magic he has left, how quickly he could get his sweet, tired mortal to run, a boy stumbles and fumbles through the bushes.

No… not a boy.

“I didn’t know your kind still existed,” Vindemiator says. “No one’s seen an empathy daemon in decades- a century, even.” The child, because he is definitely still young by daemon standards, staggers towards them on nervous, tentative feet.

“Good at hiding,” he says softly, stopping a few feet from them to sit on the ground and gaze in wonder at the sleeping human. “They’re your charge?”

“Of a sorts,” the incubus says with a wry smile. He’d known an empathy daemon once… a long time ago, before things really went to hell and back, before the running. Vindemiator had missed the childish amazement they exude, had thought that kind of pure goodness had been wiped out. “This is my Freelancer. They’re my friend.” His love curls closer into his chest with a lazy, sleeping smile, as if sensing he’s talking about them, and the small daemon gasps with delight. Just that small taste of joy puts color in his cheeks, adds a shine to dull pink horns.

“Do you think they’ll be my friend too?” he asks, voice filled with innocent, impossible hope, and Vindemiator reaches out to affectionately ruffle his hair.

“I bet they’d really like that; you can help us with the project we’re working on. What’s your name?”

“I’m Caelum. It’s nice to meet you!” The empathy daemon smiles at him, bright and vibrant and beaming, and it feels so much like rare, warm sunshine that Vindemiator cannot help but smile back.

[romirola]

The Elegy Experience (A Redacted Gift Exchange 2022 Fanfic)

Happy Holidays, @cottagecorexboy! I am your 2022 Redacted Gift Exchange Secret Santa! Here are the prompts I pulled from your list to create this fic: Gavin/Freelancer, couple watching cheesy seasonal movies together, baking, warming up indoors. Thank you and hope you enjoy! A huge thank you to @the-sugar-crash for organizing this wonderful event! Thanks for reading. Any and all feedback is welcome and encouraged.

Click here to read "The Elegy Experience” on AO3!

Rating: T; WC: ~1.7K; Characters/Pairings: Gavin/Freelancer

Summary: Gavin takes stock of all that Elegy has to offer, including shoveling, cookies, and his beloved Freelancer.  

Tags: Love, Romance, Comfort, Cozy Cuddles, Fluff, Support, Domestic Fluff, Softness, Cookies, Shoveling is Hard Work, They Deserve to Relax, Falling Asleep Together, Redacted Winter Gift Exchange 2022, Gender-Neutral Freelancer, Oneshot

[ace-in-a-shopping-cart]

Domesticity

Summary: Sweetheart and Milo spend a comfortable day at home, decorating and getting ready for a Christmas with the Pack. Word Count: 2824 CW: Cursing, food mention, drink mention

Author Note: This fic was written for the Redacted 2022 Winter Gift Exchange event! It's a gift for @teasandcardigans, I really hope you like it! Big thanks to @the-sugar-crash for arranging and hosting this event!

Milo burst in the door, letting a gust of cold wind follow him in. Sweetheart shivered and scolded, “Milo! Did you have to bring the entire North Wind with you?” They chuckled right after, letting him know they weren’t actually mad.

“Sorry, Sweetheart, ‘m just not quite used to bein’ in a real house, is all.” He shoved the door closed with his foot and shuffled forward.

“Well, at least take off your coat first. You’re going to drag snow and stuff everywhere if you’re not careful.”

He bent over to yank at a shoe. “Yes, Mist.”

Sweetheart laughed at the title. “Thank you, love.”

With a wet pile of coat, boots, scarf, and gloves left on the welcome mat, Milo picked back up the grocery bags. “Thanks for keeping an eye on the pie crusts,” he called back to them as he shuffled into the kitchen.

“I didn’t do much.” Sweetheart bent down to pick up another ornament.

By the time they stood back up, Milo had already padded over to them. He reached out with cold hands to gently hold their face. “Still, it helps that you were here to watch them. It let me go out and grab the needed stuff.” He pulled them in for a kiss which they gladly returned.

“I love you,” Sweetheart said, hands coming to rest on his hips, one still holding the angel ornament.

Milo smiled, pressing his forehead to theirs. “I love you so much.”

When they parted, Sweetheart reached up and placed the angel near the top of the tree. Milo shifted next to them, a hand moving to their lower back while the other dropped away. “Why do ya put them there? At the top like that?”

Sweetheart shrugged. “Ma Marie once told me you liked seeing the angels at the top. Like, they’re watching over the rest of the tree or something. I know you didn’t get a proper tree growing up so I like to fulfill that little Christmas dream.”

He kissed their cheek and murmured, “Too fucking sweet to me,” before walking past them.

The music filtering through the air, coming from Sweetheart’s favorite Christmas playlist, was soon joined by the smells of baking as Milo resumed working on the pies. “Are you sure you wanna work on the tree instead of help me bake, Sweetheart?”

Their laugh drifted through the open concept space. “Yeah, baby. We’ve only got a few days left until the rest of the Pack ramps up the visits and I wanna make sure it looks good for them. Besides, it’ll be nice to have it all decorated for the holidays and we don’t have to worry about it again until taking it down.”

“Okay. Lemme know if that changes or you need a break or something.”

Sweetheart assented. They were more than content to stay where they were, decorating the tree. Aggro was curled up around their feet, blissfully unaware of the joys a Christmas tree could bring a cat, and they were more than willing to just stay there and hum to their music as they decorated the tree.

The house had only been fully moved into a few days ago so they were all still trying to get used to the space. Sweetheart thought that a few of the usual routines they’d done, like them decorating the tree while Milo made something delicious in the kitchen, would get them both used to it and more in the spirit of the holiday.

The afternoon was quiet and peaceful. At one point, Sweetheart picked Aggro up to lay across their shoulders as they moved around, the cat purring up a storm and only digging his claws in to stay put when Sweetheart shifted a bit too quickly or too high for him. They hummed and swayed along to the music, sometimes singing along to it if they got too caught up in what they were doing. Those times, they would catch Milo looking at them, stopped in the middle of a task like rolling out dough, mixing fillings, or putting things together. They thought it was sweet.

When they looked up from a box for a moment to glance at the track, Milo was leaning against the island and once again watching them. “Like what you see?” Sweetheart teased.

Milo bit his lip and smirked. “Yeah, I do.” He padded forward and lifted Aggro from Sweetheart’s shoulders. “I love you, Aggro, but right now I want my Mate for myself.”

Sweetheart laughed as the cat raced off, the bell on his tree in the office soon sounding. “Oh, you want my attention, is it?”

Milo hooked an arm around them and pulled them close, his other hand coming to caress their cheek. “I always want your attention, baby. Dance with me?”

The song switched over to a softer one, perfect for dancing to. Sweetheart let themself get swept into his arms. “Did you finish the pie?”

“I just slid two of ‘em into the oven.”

He twirled them around before pulling them close. The way his eyes lingered shut whenever he blinked and the gentleness he held them with almost drove them crazy. They felt so loved and cared for, cradled in his arms and with his loving gaze directed at them. They sighed and came even closer, letting their head rest on his shoulder. “I love you, My Little Wolf.”

He groaned at the name but tightened his hold even as they both swept across the floor, easily taking the steps to a waltz despite the song not being the right tempo for it. “I love you too, gremlin.”

The waltz slowed until they were just swaying together. A timer from the kitchen startled Sweetheart’s head up, heart suddenly pounding. Milo’s hand was instantly on their cheek, thumb stroking their cheekbone. “Shh, baby, it’s just a timer. Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you with it.”

They shook their head, shaking off the anxiety curled in their chest like a snake. “No, it’s fine, don’t worry about it.” Still, they pulled back and pushed their sleeves down their arms, seeking warmth and the lack of skin exposed to the air. “You . . . probably need to go check on that.”

They felt their Mate’s eyes on them, their strings humming at the thought of him, as they crossed the living room and went back to the Christmas tree, pulling an otter ornament from the box. Sighing, they turned to look at Milo, who they could still feel watching them. “Seriously, love, I’m fine. It happens occasionally, I get startled, it’s not that big of a deal. You should know that by now.”

“I do, and I know you’re tough enough to deal with it but would still tell me if you needed help. I’m just upset with myself for not telling you I set the timer. I always tell you and now I’ve gone and upset you.”

Sweetheart placed the ornament on the tree before padding over to their partner. “Milo Greer, the only way you could upset me right now is by keeping that attitude up.” They slid a hand along his cheek, fingers slipping around his ear. “I love you too much to be upset by a little timer startling me. I’m okay enough to handle it. Now, go check on those pies and maybe bring back some hot chocolate. The tree’s almost finished.”

He smiled and kissed them gently on the lips. “You got it.”

Another few ornaments went up as they heard Milo check on the pies. They kept him in the corner of their vision as they went back to humming along with their music. “Do you mind if I turn it up a bit?” they called to him.

He turned, a smile back on his face. “Sure, I don’t mind that.”

They nodded and cranked the dial up a few notches before going back. The sounds of Milo making hot chocolate were comforting and soothing, like a balm to their soul. A spoon clinked against the inside of a mug before Milo spoke again. “Hey, Sweetheart?” he called, walking over to lean on the island again.

“Yes, my love?”

“Do you want any marshmallows, a candy cane, anything like that in it?”

They paused to think, a small train ornament nestled in their grasp. Humming to the music still, the tip of their tongue poked out in the way it sometimes did while thinking. “Um, sure. I’ll take some marshmallows.” They turned their head to look at him and a smile lit up their face when they realized he’d been watching them and was already smiling at them.

“You got it, then. Anything for you.” Milo padded back on socked feet to add those to their mug and a candy cane to his own.

He walked back out and placed their mug nearby, kissing their cheek as he did so. Instead of moving away, he just stayed where he was. His own mug went next to theirs and his arms wrapped around them, chin resting on their shoulder. Sweetheart reached up to run their fingers through his hair before putting up the last few ornaments.

They turned their head to look at Milo. The way his eyes scanned the room and his hands lightly gripped their sweater, something was going on in that head of his. “Penny for your thoughts, my love?”

He blinked and turned to look at them. “Sorry, I was just a bit lost in thought.”

They hummed, shifting an ornament to another branch. “Care to share those thoughts, darling?”

“I was just thinking about the new house and how good you are to me. I mean, I’m standing here with you right now, my Mate who gets my magic jumping at just the thought of you. There’s music playing that we both love. The house is warm and my pies are coming along nicely, and I’m about to sit down to a lovely little cup of hot chocolate with my favorite person in the world. What more could I ask for right now?”

Sweetheart smiled and cradled his head, pulling him close to kiss his cheek. “Sap.”

“Yeah, I know I’m sappy. I’m full of Christmas cheer and our decorating is almost over, I’m allowed to be a little sappy.” He shifted, putting a hand on their back and placing a kiss on their shoulder. “Now, how about you leave the tree alone and take a break with me? Drink your hot chocolate before it becomes chocolate milk?” He murmured the words into their shoulder, lips so close to their sweater that he kissed them with almost every other word.

Sweetheart chuckled and shifted one last ornament around before turning to wrap an arm around his waist. “That sounds nice.” They shifted their feet, leaning on him just a bit more and resting against him. They loved these moments, when words weren’t needed and they could just exist with each other.

Milo picked up both their mugs and they walked to the couch together. Sweetheart took their drink, Milo’s going on the side table, while they settled into the couch. Milo sat down and swung his legs onto the couch, back half against the armrest and half against the arm of the couch. Sweetheart curled up between his legs with their back and side against his chest. He wrapped one arm around them while his other hand held his mug on his knee.

He hummed low in his chest, a noise of contentment. Sweetheart could almost feel their soul echo that contentment back at him, pressed so close to their Mate and safe in his arms. It was nice to just be able to relax with him and a warm cup to drink.

Milo pressed a kiss to their cheek. “Thank you, Sweetheart.”

They looked up at him after taking a sip, smiling and savoring the taste of homemade hot chocolate. “For what, babe? Putting the ornaments on the tree? You were busy cooking, it’s the least I can do.”

He smiled and shook his head. “No, but I am thankful for that. I meant, thank you for buying this house with me and letting me know I can provide for and take care of you. It feels good to give you stuff and spoil you. You do so much for me and it’s the least I can do in return. I love you so much and would never have been able to imagine my life like this before I met you. You’ve given me so much and changed me in so many ways I could spend the rest of my life trying to pay you back and it wouldn’t be enough.

“You might not think what you’ve done and what you continue to do for me is anything special, you might just brush it off as nothing, but it’s everything to me and I need you to know that. Sweetheart, you’ve given me everything in life and I don’t know how I can ever tell you what you’ve truly done for me, the changes you’ve made in my life and me to make me a better man and a better wolf. Fuck, Sweeheart, I don’t think I’d even be able to shift right now if it weren’t for you. You’ve helped me in so many ways I can’t describe what you do to me.”

Sweetheart took a breath and placed their cup on the coffee table before reaching for Milo, putting their hand on his cheek. “My love, my Little Wolf. It isn’t nothing. Not to me. It’s never just been something I do casually. I love you and always want the best for you and want to care for you the way I do because you deserve it. And, you haven’t just given me nothing in return. You’ve given me a reason to relax, a reason to live outside of my work. You’ve given me a reason to come home and a reason to rest. Not to mention that you practically had to teach me how to rest and relax at some point.” They laughed.

“Milo, baby, you’ve given me someone to spoil, someone to hold, someone to love. You transformed my life so completely, more than you know. In a way, it feels like I’m the one who has to pay you back. You’ve helped me get promotions, pay raises, get through so many panic attacks and lessen my anxiety and panic attacks. You make life worth living and please never forget that.”

They nestled against him as Milo squeezed them tighter. “I love you,” he murmured against them.

“I love you too, my Mate,” Sweetheart responded, curling up and getting comfortable.

They sat like that for a while longer, just soaking up each other’s company and drinking from their mugs. Eventually, Milo had to get up to take the pies out of the oven and took care of their mugs while up. Sweetheart kissed his cheek as he left and pulled a pillow into their lap. They thought about getting up to get a book but weren’t exactly in the mood to read. So, they searched for something Milo might like to watch.

He came back and slid into his spot. “What are you up to?”

“Looking for something.” They responded absentmindedly. They kept flipping through things until Milo made a noise they knew as his This Might Be Interesting noise. They chuckled. “Really? A nature documentary is what gets you?”

“Hey, a man’s allowed to have his hobbies. Besides, why were you looking for that?”

They smiled and shifted their pillow and themself until they were lying on top of Milo. “Because, I’m kind of tired. So, I’m either going to take a nap or pay just enough attention to this to talk about it with you later. Either way, it’s relaxing time and I demand to be held.”

He chuckled, wrapping his arms around them and accepting the remote. Automatically, he started rubbing up and down their back and sides in ways he knew they liked, ways he knew soothed them. “Okay, Sweetheart. You go ahead and sleep or do whatever you need to relax. I’ll just be here, watching my documentary and enjoying it.”

Sweetheart laughed, raising their head just enough to let him see them stick their tongue out at him before settling again. “Who knows, I might actually pay attention to it too.” Even as they said that, they yawned and felt their eyes drifting closed.

Milo just dropped a kiss on the top of their head. “Sleep, baby, you need it anyways. I know you didn’t sleep well last night, don’t try to argue with me.”

“It’s not my fault you’re so comfortable to lay on like this.” Sweetheart grumbled even as they felt the tension leave their body. Soon enough, Sweetheart was drifting off to sleep and Milo was enjoying a documentary about tigers.

[eranajmes]

Cold Evenings

Written for the Redacted 2022 Winter Gift Exchange event forrrr @haradasaya !! I hope you enjoy (and the new year treats you in kindness) <3

Darlin woke with shivers traveling up their bare arm. The kind of shivers that cause your whole body to viciously shake in a weak attempt to gain back its previous warmth. Their eyes opened at the involuntary action, despite their drowsy unwillingness to. They couldn’t see much thanks to the blackout curtains, but they didn't need sight to recognise that their arm was traitorously not under the blanket. In fact, it was covering someone else’s body entirely.

Slowly registering their current predicament, Darlin found themselves moving their hand upwards despite the cold. The simple solution would be to bury it back under the blanket, but removing their arm from Sam was a concession they weren’t willing to make, no matter the circumstance.

Tracing their fingers across his serene face, they felt the coolness that coated his skin; finding it comforting rather than off-putting. Something so uniquely Sam. Reaching the bridge of his nose they briefly wondered if he once held any scars that were lost to time. Little stories that outgrew him. Their fingers travel past his chapped lips and brush against his jaw, but Darlin's gaze continues their downward path. Noting the maroon sweater he wore that matched their own laying on the carpet below.

“It was an old tradition,” he had said bittersweetly, “Something my Grandmother coined back when.”

It felt wrong at first. To be part of something so personal, but they found they liked the sense of belonging that came with it. As hammy as it seemed.

Darlin's chest became tight at the resurfacing thoughts; holding themselves back from simply crushing the unsuspecting boy in a hug. So, they merely place their forehead against his own, attempting to gently communicate their current feelings into his dreaming mind.

“…Darlin?”

Or not so dreaming.

Read more on AO3.

[bicyclepainting]

Redacted 2022 Winter Gift Exchange

this fic is for @myanettes! its for avior/starlight and uses the prompts "ice skating," "holding hands," and "fluff" ! i hope you enjoy :-)

special thank you to @the-sugar-crash for hosting this event <3

~

Starlight had thought it would have taken more effort than it did to convince Avior to go ice skating with them. 

Balancing around on sharp blades on ice would probably have been a hard sell for him– for most daemons really. But he seemed to warm up to the idea with their promises of holding hands and getting hot chocolate after. 

The rink was nearly empty, which Avior was grateful for. There wouldn’t be many people for him to potentially embarrass himself in front of. He never was interested in human activities before meeting Starlight. Him only staying on Elegy mostly to feed led to him knowing enough about humanity, but actually participating was another thing. 

Most of it was fairly easy, especially with Starlight’s help. They’d taken him to the movies, various museums, farmer’s markets, and even an observatory (that one was his favorite).

But ice skating seemed particularly difficult– not to mention dangerous. At least he’d be able to heal either one of them if it ever came to it. Thinking about the last time he had to heal them made him sick. 

He quickly shuts the memory away to look down at his Starlight knelt before him, lacing up his skates.

“That seems really tight,” he winces.

“It has to be to support your ankles,” they explain.

He takes a deep breath, trying to ignore how dangerous this all seemed.

They glance up at him. “We don’t have to do this. We can just go home and get some hot chocolate and blankets and just–

“No,” he interrupts. “I want to do this with you.” And he does. He just has some safety concerns.

“You worry too much,” they tease.

“Well someone has to,” he scowls.

They stand from tying his skates, moving to sit beside him on the bench to lace their own.

“This is why we work so well together.”

“Yeah, that’s why,” he rolls his eyes with a smile.

They finish lacing their skates and stand, balancing on the blades. Holding out their hand to Avior, they intend to act as something for him to balance on when he stands.

He balances on his own surprisingly easy, standing solidly before them. 

“Look at you! You’re going to be a natural.”

Avior stays skeptically silent at his partner’s optimism. 

They slowly make their way towards the entrance to the rink holding hands, not in a necessarily romantic way, but more so that Starlight could make sure Avior didn’t fall before he even got in the rink. 

They step on the ice before him, facing backwards so they could look out for him. 

With both hands out in front of them, holding his so that he could balance, they were expecting to have to do a lot of heavy lifting to make sure neither of them fell. Or, at least make sure neither of them fell too hard. A certain amount of falling was to be expected, it was an inevitability. Every skater, no matter how experienced, falls. They explained this to Avior before they left, mostly to set his expectations.

They were shocked when he started skating past them. Slowly, albeit, but skating. He just went.

“You’ve never done this before?” they ask.

Even Avior seemed to have a look of shock on his face. “Never.”

“I guess some people are just naturals at it.” They smiled as they skated slowly beside him. 

They had explained the mechanics of skating to him on the drive to the rink. Though days earlier they had seen him intently watching videos of people ice skating, which he promptly shut off once he realized they were in the room with him. 

The two started picking up their pace, though Avior still stuck close to the wall. They made a round around the rink before they even knew it. And even though he was doing just fine balancing on his own, he reached out to hold their hand.

They grab it without question– for once– and he pulls their entwined hands up to his lips, pressing a kiss to their knuckles. He looks at them just in time to catch their shy smile and to notice the lights reflecting their eyes that truly did look like stars.

It’s not by coincidence that he calls them Starlight. 

While they might have been distrusting of each other at first, they quickly grew to be his hope, his light at the end of the tunnel that was their hell. There was a part of him that had accepted they would never escape together. And if he died there alone, then at least at the end of it all he had had them. Even just for a small while. They were his stars in an otherwise bleakly dark sky.

Seeing them skating next to him now, free and happy, his heart could just explode with pure joy. He briefly wonders how he even considered, however briefly, saying no to ice skating with them. 

He doesn’t let their hand go for the rest of the time they skate around the rink together– despite Starlight’s half-hearted protests that he was holding them captive. 

“You promised we could hold hands,” he reminds them.

“Not for the entire time! I need autonomy.”

“My fingers would freeze without yours. You really want me to get hypothermia?” he teases.

They roll their eyes and mutter something about him being dramatic, but don’t let his hand go. He even catches them later, staring at their hands with a little smile. 

Eventually the two decide to stop skating and get hot chocolate at one of the vendors outside of the rink.

As they stood together, warm drinks in hand, Avior noticed Starlight shivering slightly.

He puts a magically warm hand to their cheek, a nervous expression painted on his face. “You’re too cold.”

They felt warmth emanating from his hands, thawing the coldest parts of their face and spreading to the rest of their shivering body.

“I love you,” they say, broad grin stretching across their face.

He leans forward to kiss the tip of their nose, spreading more warmth to them through his lips. 

“I love you too, my Starlight.”

[gumballrightfoots]

Date Night petty fight

2022 winter gift exchange !!!! this gift is for the lovely

@romirola ( i have more but… writersblock)

am

i one day late? … yes.

shouts out to @the-sugar-crash for hosting and setting all this out amazing job and amazing stories and sending out ahit for me

ans im pretty sure @annahhopee requested me to do can’t remember but stil this was fun

credits to @glitchedvariety for giving me outfit ideas and being my fanfic team

It was their anniversary night

Sweetheart was busy getting ready in the bathroom while Milo stood in the room him, and his mate shared standing in front of the mirror checking himself out deciding on what tie to wear. He huffed at not being able to decide between the gold or black tie. Giving up slightly he turned back to the bed. “Jesus fucking Christ!” he jumped back bumping into the mirror a bit to the sudden appearance of his little man sitting on the foot of the bed observing him. After getting his heart rate back down from the sudden surprise he huffed a laugh, “What is it with you and Sweetheart tryna scare the living shit out of me” Milo said with playfully narrowing his eyes at Aggro.

 In return Aggro gave a sassy meow with what could only be a cat eye roll. Milo gave an offended look and a gasp with a hand going over his chest “Don’t give me that sass i am your father” milo said pointing his finger at his furry little “son”. Aggro yet again gave another sassy meow now rolling he full head to look away from Milo licking his paw. Milo looked shocked and betrayed, “You!” before milo could go on with going back and forth with Aggro he was interrupted by the sound of his mate's voice, God how he loved that voice.

 “Milo? are you fighting Aggro?” he heard his mate questioned he could basically hear the utter confusion but amusement in their voice. He turned to face them “Yea he was givin me sass just like you-” Milo was once again cut off with the sight of his mate. They were breath taking, everything single thing about them. He looked them up and down from their face with the cute little confused expression with a little smile.

To their neck that he’s kissed, marked, and massaged. Then to their hands ones he held, ones he squeezed, ones he’d put a ring on. For the time being there's a promise ring in the place on where their wedding ring is going to go. He noticed they were fidgeting with it while they leaned against the door.

“Milo?”

He heard them say again falling from his lovesick daze with them moving closer to him. “Hm? oh! yea i was fighting him, he was givin me sass “ milo said smiling with sweetheart closer to him standing infront of him. Sweetheart laughed to themselves before wrapping their arms around milo’s neck, “ he learned from the best” they joked looking down at him .They both laugh a bit looking at each other, admiring each other

“ you look so fuckin incredible sweetheart “ milo spoke raising their hand to kiss it lookin at them with awe

They loved it when he kisses their hand

“ You too, you dont clean up to bad shorty”

..

…

“alright listen here you piece of shit”

Sweetheart almost busted out laughing with his reaction it was always the best. They got most of their enjoyment from messing with him

“ Im tryna be all sweet and endearin on our fuckin anniversary nigh and you just gotta make fun of my height. “ Milo fussed like he didn’t like every little “argument” about them making fun of him.

“ oh come onn you know i had to-“

“ you really didn’t”

“i said it with love hon”

“ sure you did “

Milo huffed and rolled his eyes annoyed while sweetheart just laughs , his reactions are always the best.

“ And another thing-“

Milo was cut off yet once again this time by sweetheart leaning down kissing him.

He melted into it , he knew it was a “ shut up and forgive me “ kiss, but he loved it none the less. He got a bit upset when sweetheart pulled away

“….”

“….”

“ you know im still not lettin that slide right”

“ what!? i did the shut up and forgive me kiss and everythinggggggg come onnn” sweetheart whined head falling back.

“ how bout not makin fun of me in the first place you ass im not that damn short”

“ sure you arent shorty”

“ you-“

“ shhhhhhhh shh hush hush hushhhh we have reservation don’t we ? we should probably get going right”

milo took out his phone , they did have to leave if they wanted to make it . Milo groaned he could already sense the shitty eating grin Sweetheart had on their face when they knew they got out of this. He didn’t even have to admit defeat they already knew.

“ Exactly nowww let get goin shall we ? “ Sweetheart said with pride in their voice for winning this, picking up one of the ties and fitting it around him.

He rolled his eyes , he waited for sweetheart to finish with his tie before stepping back and gesturing towards the door

“ After you investigator” milo said smiling looking up at them they smiled back at him and kissed him one last time before walking out of the room

“ Thank you shorty”

He cursed them in his head but he’ll let it slide… this time .

[redothello]

Snowed In Cinammon

A little something for the Redacted Winter Gift Exchange this year.

For @friendlyfaded - Happy Holidays! A bit of Aaron to enjoy as the year wraps up.

Typically, the best thing about a day off was the chance to get errands out of the way. On a day like this though, with a sudden blast of snow closing off the main roads? There was no way Aaron would be able to do anything that wasn’t within walking distance. It didn’t help that the cold had shut off the heater, essentially trapping Aaron and his partner in the bedroom until they could call someone to fix it.

“On the plus side,” they said from the corner of the room they’d set up a tiny fire in, “we have plenty of water to make hot tea with.”

“I’m still focused on your use of tea candles to boil water.”

They shrugged and tossed a lopsided smile at him over their shoulder. “We gotta make use of what we have, right?”

Admittedly, the two mugs they brought over to the bed were enticing – warm to the touch, and an aroma to match. “Cinnamon?”

“Mmm,” they mumbled, nuzzling into his shoulder. “It’s your favorite.”

Aaron tried not to laugh it off. “It is, yeah,” he said softly. “Thank you.”

“You’re not really going to go out, are you?”

“I’d… I’d like to, of course. We have things that need to be done, and they won’t wait on a bad snow day.”

“Mean.”

“Responsible.”

He could see them sticking their tongue out at him out of the corner of his eye.

“I won’t though. The things can wait a day for me to be warm in bed with you.”

The two sat like that for a while, warm under the blankets. The snow might be a nuisance for those with things to get done, but it was beautiful outside, and the cinnamon in their tea made it look softer than it would otherwise.

“There’s some spongecake in the kitchen,” Aaron said softly, “Does that sound good?”

“It sounds amazing,” his partner said, their eyes lighting up at the mention of cake.

_____

There turned out to be pears in the kitchen too, which Aaron sliced to have with the cake. It would go well with the cinnamon in the new tea that was being brewed but wasn’t too sweet to ruin the dessert. Certainly, they went well with the smile on his partner’s face as the two returned to bed, and although he’d never say it to them, that felt much better than running errands.

[reasyjones]

*Redacted Winter Gift Exchange 2022*

This is my part of the exchange, a gift for  @starlitangels ! Hope you’ll enjoy :3 Of course it’s Avior, and I made you two go on a cute winter date, with skating and hot chocolate and cuddling under warm blankets. Thank you for your ideas, Star ^^ And huge thanks to @the-sugar-crash for making this happen, hope we’ll be able to do this next year too!

***

Tally definitely wasn’t the best at ice skating. Did she went to the rink anyways? Hell yeah. It was winter AND she brought her boyfriend to enjoy this pre-Christmas eve date together, and what’s better and more romantic than ice skating?

She had barriers on one side and Avior at her other side, so she felt pretty secured if she happened to lose her balance. It still amazed her that her boyfriend, who had never worn skates before, had better control on the ice than her. She went to the rink since she was a child and she still struggled, meanwhile her demon partner moved like he was born to glide on the ice.

“You sure you never done this before? You look like a pro compared to me.” She joked, and quickly regained her composure when she nearly tripped on the uneven surface of the ice.

“Whoa, careful there, Starlight.” Avior said as he squeezed his girlfriends hand, which was a struggle since they both had thick and warm gloves on. “I think it comes with the territory of being a demon. I never encountered any problems when it comes to controlling my balance or hand-eye coordination.”

The long haired woman just mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like ‘Not fair’ but left it at that. She just slowed down and let the demon almost drag her for the next few moments. Avior then turned to face Tally and took her other hand too, skating backwards and slowly guiding her into the middle of the rink.

The woman seemed uncertain and panicked a little, being this far from the safety that the barriers provided. But when she finally looked up from her feet and noticed the warm and calming smile Avior send her way, her nerves eased a little.

“You’re doing great Tally, see?” Her boyfriend cheered.

“That’s a team effort, but thanks, love” She smiled and squeezed his hands in appreciation.

The two skated like that for a while longer and even managed to do the spin, earning a few curious looks from the rest of the people on the rink. Mostly because the two laughed really hard when they both almost hit the ice with their bottoms on the failed attempts.

Clearly, the unwanted attention was bugging Avior, and he took the brown-eyed woman back to the barriers. It was when they noticed that the falling snow was clearly changing into blizzard and decided it was better to go back home. They quickly changed their skates to winter boots and hurried all the way back to their house.

They came back just in time when the snowstorm really started and power outage begun. When they wanted to turn on the lights it just didn’t work and the temperature showed clearly that the electric heating system was not working either.

“Great. Thank gods for the fireplace” Tally said as she attempted to start the fire.

“Starlight, let me take care of this. You should change into something dry and warm” He said as he switched their places. His girlfriend just sighed with amusement and went off to find some cozy clothes.

When she came back, she shoved some fuzzy socks and comfy, winter themed pajamas in Avior’s arms. She was already wearing a matching set, just in different colors. And obviously, her pajamas was smaller, but the cute snowlake pattern stayed the same.

“Really?” Avior raised his brow as he watched the clothes in his hands.

“Of course. It’s warm. It’s comfy. And we’ll be matching. Something’s wrong?” She asked with a grin.

He decided that he’ll go with it, and went to change too. He was back almost immediately, so Tally was sure he just used magic to change. She barely had time to take their favorite mugs from the cupboard to start making hot chocolate. Avior just hugged her from behind and the difference in height made it easy for him to rest his chin on soft hair at the top of Tally’s head.

It was a bit inconvenient to work with a needy demon attached to your back, but she made it work. Firstly, she played some music through her speaker, just to feel the vibe. She then used gas stove to heat up the milk, then added the hot chocolate powder mix and stirred. It was hot and sweet, just perfect.

“Starlight, you know you almost boiled it?” The demon asked as he looked at the steaming chocolate and then at his girlfriend.

“Well, we call it hot chocolate for a reason, you know?” She grinned “But yeah, I might overdid it, just a little bit. We’ll need to wait a sec for it to cool down” She split the beverage in two mugs and set it aside.

“You want me to cool them a bit with magic? Or do you think that would be cheating?” The man joked, kissing the couple freckles on her cheek.

Tally then turned to face Avior and smiled at him. The song from the speaker made her think of a way to pass this short while.

“I have a better idea” She said as she started to hum in time with the song.

She draped her arms around her boyfriend’s neck and started to sway to the rhythm. He was a bit surprised, but followed quickly and soon they were slow-dancing through the kitchen, slipping a little in their fuzzy socks. They laughed and embraced each other tightly just when the song ended and was replaced with something more catchy and lively. Avior leaned down and the two shared sweet kiss, before Tally perked up.

“Wait, I’m sure we have mini marshmallows somewhere in here. I want them in my hot chocolate” She said as she slipped from his arms, giving him one last quick kiss.

“Okay Star, as you wish” He said amused as he went to light up the candles in the living room.

Tally was searching through cabinets and just when her boyfriend was entering the kitchen, she finally found what she wanted.

“Ha, gotcha! You know what, love? We still have some of this teddy grahams and chocolate chips. What do you think about mini s’mores?” She asked with her head still deep in the one of the bottom cabinets.

“Hot chocolate and s’mores? After today, I think we totally deserve it. There’s no such thing as too much sugar. At least not until tomorrow” Avior said as he took some of the food from Tally’s hands. They both went to the living room and seated themselves down on the carpet near the fire with their warmest blanket. On the coffee table sat a few vanilla scented candles, two mugs with their hot chocolate and everything for the s’mores.

For the rest of the power outage they just sat there, cuddled together under the blanket, making mini s’mores with tea light candles, sipping on their quickly cooling down drinks and just talking, like they often did. It felt like nothing has changed since they met, yet everything was different. Better, of course.

When they decided that it can indeed get to sweet, they just watched as the snowstorm roared behind the window, grateful for the fire and the warmth shared under the blanket. It was cozy. It was nice. It was one of this precious moments they spend together in calming silence, just staying in each other’s embrace and savoring it.

It was their first winter together like that, and they wanted to cherish it. After everything they’ve been through, they deserved a little bit of calm and peaceful stillness.

“You know what, Starlight? I never knew winter could be this fun. Thank you for showing me” Avior’s quiet voice cut the silence.

“Mmm, you’re welcome hun. When I told you about all the things I wanted to do together, this was also in it” She answered sleepily. “I love you, Avior”

“And I love you too, my Starlight” Was the last think Tally heard before she fell asleep in her love’s arms.

[dormienschas]

Happy Holidays everyone!!

Soooo...for my Redacted 2022 Winter Gift Exchange...I had the luxury of writing for @arieshasbrainrot57

Hi there!!! I was your secret santa!!! You can read your fic HERE on ao3!!!

What I used from your form:

Favorite Voiced Character: Vincent

Favorite Couples: Sam/Darlin'

Prompts: Winter Themed/Being together and in love

I did BOTH HAHAHA!!! I hope you enjoy!!!

Can't forget to thank @the-sugar-crash for organizing this event!!! I had loads of fun for it being my first year doing this!!!