#Roman is my stupid little boy <3 | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

thlayli-ra · 2 months ago

Note

Prompt:

Punkintyre fucking in Cody's dressing room since they nearly got caught it the hallway (maybe it's the day before or of a ppv) and Cody is never in his dressing room. Drew and Punk trying to stay quiet, and they manage to not attract attention despite their activities, until Cody and Roman (Or Randy if you prefer Candy) walk in clearly about to use Cody's dressing room for the exact same thing as Punkintyre.

(I personally think Roman would be funnier since Drew/Punk could get all pissy about Cody banging him:

Punkintyre: ROMAN?? SERCOISLY?! HE'S THE WORST! YOU CAN'T BANG SOMEONE WHO YOU FOUGHT AT WRESTLEMAINA, WHO ATTACKS YOU, WHO INTERFEARS IN YOUR MATCHES?!

CodyRoman: :/

I just think they're funny)

Anyway, love your writing/Art, keep up the great work! I hope you enjoy their Hell In A Cell match <3

Whelp! The same day I tell my brain not to get distracted, I get this amazing prompt and immediately get distracted 😅

I've written Dead Dove Punkintyre, heart-warming hurt/comfort Punkintyre - now it's time to get a little silly with these two. **Warning** - Punk being the ultimate little shit incoming...

Rating - Mature (18+)

Words - ~3k words

'Were you under the ring the whole fucking time?'

Punk blinked up innocently at Drew who was looking more than a little hot and flustered. 'The signal aint great,' he replied with a cute shrug as he held up his phone, pointing to the app that was currently open on the screen. 'I had to be close by for it to work.'

'You mean, you wanted to be close by,' Drew shot back, seeing right through the tattooed man's lies, 'so that you could listen in while you tormented me.'

'And you did so well,' Punk cooed. 'Nobody would have a clue.'

'Please, please tell me you didn't go live on Instagram this time?'

'I didn't, I swear,' Punk put up his hands before muttering under his breath, 'stupid apps wouldn't let me use them at the same time.'

All of a sudden, Drew's entire face scrunched up and he nearly collapsed in on himself. Quickly, he put his meaty arm against the wall for support.

'Oh?' Punk tilted his head to the side, a cocky smirk rising up one cheek. 'You feeling ok there, Big Boy?'

Drew grunted a blasphemy in reply. 'Turn it down.'

'Turn what down?' Punk bent low in order to see the harrowing expression on Drew's face.

'The thing! The damn thing!' Drew pleaded, screwing his eyes shut.

'Turn the damn thing down, what?'

'Fuck you! FUCK YOU!'

'Tut tut,' Punk shook his head and looked back at his phone. 'You know what happens when you disrespect Daddy?'

Drew's brow shot up when he saw Punk's finger slide up the screen. 'NO! WAIT! GAARRRGGHH!' The large Scot fell against the wall, needing both hands to hold himself upright.

'Damn!' Punk's huge green eyes glistened impishly and he practically giggled with glee. He could actually hear the damn thing vibrating like crazy in Drew's trunks. 'It sure packs a punch, huh?'

'TURN IT DOWN! PLEASE! FOR THE LOVE OF THE WEE MAN! TURN IT DOWN OR I'M GOING TO-'

'Shhh!' Punk scolded the Scot, glancing around him. 'You want the entire backstage to hear you?'

'GAH! FUCK! FUUUUU-'

'Dammit!' Punk grabbed Drew by his large shoulders and shoved him down the hallway, away from prying eyes and ears. Heading the first door they passed, he looked inside and found the small locker room empty. 'Here, get in.' Pushing the writhing Scot inside, Punk pulled the door shut. Now that they were safely hidden away, he could focus on torturing his victim even more. 'You can't take a little teasing, you big baby?'

'YOU HAVE THAT THING TURNED ALL THE WAY UP! DON'T YOU?!'

"Don't be dramatic,' Punk scoffed. 'Of course I don't have- oh, wait, yeah I do. Whoops!' He used his finger to slide the curser on his screen down, but only by a tiny margin. Just enough for Drew to stop yelling but still enough to keep his breath coming in those juicy little gasps. 'That better?'

'You little shitebag,' Drew cursed through his gritted teeth.

'What happened to all that self-control in the ring out there?' Punk asked, sidling up to the Scot who was soaked through with sweat, and not just from the exertions of his match. 'Is it cause I'm here now?'

'You wish that- hrrfff!' Drew's words were savagely cut off by Punk's hand grabbing the front of his trunks, fingers curling tightly around his rock-hard cock and balls...

..and the solid silicone ring around the base of his dick!

'Ooh, there it is!' Punk's eyes lit up with mischief. Using his thumb, he slid the curser up and down so that he could feel the difference in vibrations, grinning from ear to ear as Drew's whimpering kicked up into desperate whines and back down again, allowing the suffering Scot to steady his senses for a few seconds. Before jamming it all the way back up again.

'FUCK! FUCK! FU-'

Punk felt a throbbing down south and couldn't resist anymore. Grabbing Drew by the back of his head, he yanked him down to his height and muffled his howls by shoving his tongue into his open mouth. He hummed joyfully as he invaded the warm cavity, giving Drew some vibrations above to match the ones below, and entangled his inked fingers in his wet hair.

A rumble tingled Punk's lips, not from his own throat but from Drew's. He had finally awoken the Scot's inner beast! Large hands grabbed him by the thighs, lifting him clean off his feet and he was slammed against the wall. Drew thrusted his aching groin between Punk's legs, the vibrations of his cock ring now shuddering through the denim of Punk's jeans to excite his own dick.

'Shhhhhhhiiiitttt,' Punk choked out, the strength of the sensation between his legs almost blinding.

'How'd you like that, ye wee prick!' Drew snarled in Punk's ear, ruthlessly pinning the smaller man's groin with his own.

Inked fingers clawed at Drew's naked shoulder blades, ragged nails digging in as the fierce convulsions pulsed through them both. Overcome with animalistic desire, Drew began to dry-hump the older man, growling at every distressed yelp from his trapped victim.

Until-

'What was that?' Punk lifted his head, eyes wide and ears pricked. Drew hadn't noticed and was still grinding his hips against him. 'Drew! Stop! Someone's coming!'

The Scot finally paused. In the silence, they both heard voices right outside the door.

'Shit!' Punk swore as the handle to the door began to turn. He wriggled free from Drew's grasp. 'In here. Quick, you idiot!' Grabbing Drew by the wrist, he pulled him towards a closet in the corner and managed to squeeze them both in right before the door opened. The two men held their breaths as the voices became clearer, drawing closer.

'I meant what I said,' the first voice said, footsteps stomping into the room, 'I'm done with the Bloodline.'

Inside the closet, Punk gulped loudly. He knew that voice. It was Cody Rhodes! And going purely by the sound of the hefty footsteps following him, he was most likely with his work husband, Randy Orton. Or maybe Kevin Owens?

'So you keep sayin',' a deep, rich voice answered, 'but I'm not buyin' it. Nobody is!'

Punk's jaw just about dropped to the floor. That wasn't Orton. Or Owens.

It was Roman fucking Reigns!

'I don't care what anybody thinks,' Cody snapped back. 'I have been fighting the Bloodline in one variation or another since I returned to the WWE. I've watched them hurt the people I care about, I've endured all the punishment they've inflicted on me, that you inflicted on me. I have bled because of you and your family.'

There was a pause. Tension filled the air so thick it could be sliced with a knife. Punk imagined the two men were standing chest-to-chest and feverishly wished there was a slit or keyhole or something in this closet door he could peep through to watch the action. Instead all he had was a six foot five, quivering Scotsman jamming all four giant limbs into him.

'Can you just-' he hissed at Drew but clammed shut when Cody started talking again. Low this time, quiet. Oh, it was getting serious. Punk pressed his left ear against the door - his bad ear but it would have to do - to hear what he had to say.

'Far as I'm aware, I beat Solo Sikoa in Berlin. I beat the Tribal Chief-'

'He is not the Tribal Chief! He may wear the Ula Fala but that man is an imposter!'

'That's your problem, not mine!'

'You are the WWE Champion!' Roman lets his words hang in the air. 'When you won that belt from me, you made a promise to change the WWE for the better. To lead us all-'

'You were the one who made the mess in the first place.'

'I know...' Roman's voice turned small. Defeated. 'I just... want to fix it.'

Punk pressed his ear tighter against the door. Damn his partial deafness! And Drew wasn't helping with his constant whimpering. Two large fingers tugged at his sleeveless shirt, trying to pry his attention away from the other men outside. 'Get off,' he scolded Drew.

The Scotsman gave a pathetic whine.

'Shush!'

'P-Puuuunk!'

'Shut up! Or else they'll hear you.'

There was a long, drawn out silence, a shuffling of feet. By the time Cody spoke again, his tone has softened. 'You have your chance to fix it now. You're back! Go, take down the Bloodline. For good.'

'But, I can't do this alone,' a squeak of a sneaker. Punk guessed that Roman had stepped closer to Cody. 'I've never done anything on my own. Please, Cody. I need you!'

'Puuuuunk.'

'Will you just shut the fuck up!'

God he wished he could see. He was certain that Roman had his arm out, hand cupping Cody's blushing cheek. He knew that sweet sight well. Punk always loved how his pink cheeks contrasted beautifully with his platinum blonde hair.

Cody heaved a sigh. There was a slight shake to it, like he had been caught off-guard. Punk licked his dry lips and used all of his energy to focus. 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend,' he said finally. 'Right?'

'Right,' Roman replied, his tone warmer, like he was smiling. 'Anyway, you remember how it was when we feuded. We were good together.'

'We were good together,' the champion had turned a little hoarse. Just exactly how close was Reigns to him right at that second? Punk was dying to know!

Another tug at his shirt. 'Puuuunk. Pleeeasseeee!'

'I swear to Jeebus, if you say one more word, I'm gonna- woah!' Punk had finally turned around to look at Drew and was shocked to see the scarlet face on the larger man, beads of sweat as big as bullets raining down his brow. He suddenly remembered the toy on his cock and the high-pitched buzz filtered back into his range of hearing. 'Oh fuck, I forgot!'

'T-turn it d-down. P-p-please. I'm going to, I'm so close to-'

'Don't you fucking dare!' Punk warned the Scot, frantically searching his pockets. 'Not before I have a chance to-'

Both men jumped a foot when a long clatter boomed out right next to them. Something had smashed into the other side of the closet door. No, wait, not something. The mumbled moans and loud slurps betrayed the culprits as Roman and Cody, making out sloppy style right there on the other side of the thin wood.

Punk turned to Drew in disbelief, mouthing 'holy shit' to the other man. Drew could only reply with a pained grimace.

'Damn, I've missed this,' Roman's voice rumbled, only an inch or two away from the stowaways. 'You always taste so good.'

Cody was breathless already. 'So... so everybody keeps telling me.'

'Is this an expensive suit?'

'No. Why?'

The sound of fabric being shredded bucked life back between Punk's legs. The blood drained from his head, rushing down south fast, making his jeans all the tighter. Then his shirt was tugged again.

'Daddy?'

Oh, fuck! Drew was desperate now! Why now? Why call him that now? When Punk was starting to ache horribly himself but couldn't do a damn thing about it.

'Daddy! P-please h-help me.'

'I'm trying! I'm trying!' he hissed back, sliding his hands into every one of the pockets of his jeans, struggling to fit his inked fingers between the too-taut denim and coming up empty.

Punk went still.

Horrible realisation dawning on him.

Drew arched his brows wretchedly at him, his blue eyes swelling with dread.

'D-daddy?'

Punk slowly met his gaze, lips pursed tight. 'I... don't have my phone,' he whispered fearfully. 'I must have dropped it when-'

Another clatter against the door and both men backed away, wedging themselves as far back into the tiny space as they could. The wood slammed again and again, rhythmic. Punk's brain went into a spin when he recognised the sound of two men fucking one another like wild animals.

Meanwhile Drew let out a pitiful squeal of his own, the intensity on his cock too much to bear. Punk rushed towards him, ramming both of his hands over Drew's mouth. 'Shhhh, hold on. Just... hold on a little longer.'

The rhythmic banging intensified, punctuated by deep strains of Roman's grunts and higher tones of Cody's gasps. All while Drew's warm dog breath fogged on Punk's hands, the buzzing seemingly getting louder, like a swarm of angry hornets surrounding them. Punk was pressed so tightly against Drew that he could feel the sensation of the cock ring on his stomach, jiggling his lower gut like jelly. On a hydraulic drill. During a mag 9 earthquake!

He grit his teeth, tried to fight back against the growth in his jeans but was failing miserably. How the fuck had Drew's dick not exploded from this fucking thing yet?

The Scot was dangerously close though. Teetering right on the edge. A tear ballooned out the corner of his eye and slid down his cheek.

'No! Drew! No!'

Suddenly Punk's hands were useless. Drew's bellows breaking through the inked fingers.

'The fuck was that?'

Punk's heart skipped a beat. They'd been rumbled!

Ten seconds later, the door was wrenched open, light hitting the two accidental voyeurs concealed inside the closet. 'Punk? Is that you? And... Drew?'

The Scot let out a final strangled wail followed by a long, drawn-out groan of relief. His large legs went slack and he slumped to the floor, back pressed into the corner of the closet and head lolled.

'Oh for fuck's sake, Drew,' Punk kicked one floppy tree-trunk leg with the toe of his sneaker. 'You fucking, pathetic-'

'Eh-hem!'

Punk looked up sheepishly at Cody and Roman. Both men were in a dishevelled state, like they had only had enough time to zip up their flies after the interruption. Cody's shirt was torn apart and his cheeks rosy. Roman was panting, his shoulders heaving.

Punk crossed his arms and lowered his brow. 'Yeah?' he glowered at the pair. 'Can I help you?'

'Well, yeah!' Cody replied incredulously. 'You can tell me what you're doing here.'

'We were here first,' he shot back with a shrug. 'What are you doing here?'

'It's my locker room.'

Punk squinted at him, confused. 'Your locker room?'

'It has my name right there on the door!'

'Oh,' Punk withered. 'I... did not see that.'

'Punk,' Cody scrubbed a hand through his hair with a sigh, 'what are you doing hiding in my locker room, with Drew McIntyre of all people?'

The tattooed man bristled at the question. 'What am I doin'-? What about you? What are you doin'? What would Randy say if he found out you were sleeping with the enemy?'

'You're the one fucking Drew McIntyre!'

'Hey! We were not fucking!' Punk protested before quickly returning the conversation back to Cody and Roman. 'And anyway, come on! Roman fucking Reigns? The guy made your life hell? You faced him at Wrestlemania, twice! He attacked you for crying out loud!'

'Drew McIntyre smashed your face into a metal door and left you a bloodied corpse in your own home town!'

'Roman had his third cousin, thrice removed, through wedlock or however the fuck Dwayne is related to him, beat you to the floor and whip you senseless with a leather belt.'

'Oh... my god!' Cody screamed into his hands. 'Are you even listening to yourself right now? Are the concussions finally catching up with you? Do you even remember what the hell happened in Berlin or have you just lost your damn mind?'

'What did you do to Drew?' Roman's booming voice broke through the two men's bickering and they turned to spy the unresponsive Scot.

'Oh, shit! I forgot! Again!' Punk looked around and spied his phone on the floor close to where Drew had lifted him up earlier but before he could retrieve it, Roman picked it up. 'Hey! Gimme that!'

'Hmm,' Roman cocked an eyebrow as he scanned over the controls on the phone's screen. 'Just-Vibing? What is this?'

'Nothing!' Punk failed miserably at looking innocent.

Roman slid his thumb down the curser and Drew let out a sigh of sweet relief. But as he slid it back up, he tensed up again and thumped his head back against the corner of the closet. Then, when he pressed a button, there was a series of sharp buzzing which Drew gasped with in unison.

'Wait, it pulses?' Punk asked in astonishment. 'I didn't know that!'

'Man, old people with technology!' Cody mocked.

'Shut. Up!'

Roman ignored them and walked over to the ragged Scot. 'Hands up, Puppy,' he said and Drew immediately complied.

'Wait, what?' Punk spluttered out from behind.

'He was mine first,' Roman returned. He dipped two fingers into the studded waistband of Drew's trunks and pulled them back, discovering a wet, sticky mess coating the inside of his gear as well as the brightly coloured silicone ring wrapped around Drew's softened dick. 'You got him a cock-ring?'

'He broke my bracelet, so I told him to buy me a replacement,' Punk shrugged with a mischievous grin. 'Told him he could keep it in his trunks like he used to, you know, for old times sake.'

'It's the same fucking colours too,' Roman rolled his eyes.

'Maybe it's about time he returns it,' Cody side-eyed Punk, slyly.

'Huh?' the tattooed wrestler glanced warily between them. 'What are you-?'

'Good idea,' Roman said, reaching into Drew's trunks and slipping the silicon ring off of him, the Scot purring as he was freed. However, Punk's panic spiked and he tried to back away from the impending danger. 'Here,' Roman tossed Punk's phone to Cody, 'since he sullied your locker room, you get to play with him first.'

'Well, if you insist,' Cody grinned wickedly at Punk, who found himself backed into a corner, Roman and the cum-soaked cockring drawing closer and closer.

'Now, wait, we can all talk about this like gentlemen, right? Guys. Guys???'

#Thlayli-answers #Thlayli-writes #cm punk #drew mcintyre #punkintyre #cody rhodes #roman reigns #writing prompts #requests #wrestling fanfiction #wwe fan fiction

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5tr4wbaby · 1 year ago

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✨ art under ramble ✨

It’s my dream that when (NOT IF, WHEN) Red Dead Redemption 3 releases it’ll be a prequel to the second game. I’d love if you’d play as a new character who is part of Dutch’s gang in the early days and you are part of the VDL gang vs O’ Driscoll feud, witnessing the death of Colm’s brother and Annabelle and all other crazy moments mentioned in passing in RDR2. But mainly what I want to see is Dutch, Hosea, Arthur and John in the early days. I want to see the curious couple and their unruly sons in their purest form! I want to see Dutch and Hosea hold hands again, sweet Bessie doing sweet things and John’s horrendous reading lessons, Miss Grimshaw whacking everyone into shape AND ARTHUR WITH COPPER AND BOADICEA!!!

ANYWAYS

I had these really stupid ideas about how camp would work with so many characters, camp interactions and chores and tents. Maybe one day you are awoken by Miss Grimshaw shoving hungover Arthur’s head in a troth of cold water after a long night out and Hosea and Bessie chuckling by the fire. And by night you'll find new recruit Bill Williamson arguing with anyone he can find and Dutch teaching John slights of hands at the poker table. And what about all the new characters!!!!!?????

I get the impression that all the camp chores and tasks were dumped on baby John. You’ll find him dragging hay bales across camp, washing shirts, chasing chickens and half-ass-ly doing whatever jobs Arthur has convinced him to do by giving him an old penny after telling him it’s an ancient Roman coin that is worth a thousand dollars (lots of stuff like this happened you cannot convince he otherwise). While John peels potatoes in camp he dreams of getting his own gun, riding into town and robbing a bank just like a real outlaw! Then everyone would finally appreciate him as the awesomest and bestest gunslinger in all of history! Everyone knows that if John got his greasy hands on a pistol all hell would break loose. So he is cursed to camp indefinitely, at the expense of everyone around him. This absolutely led to him being a crazy teenager. Dutch's parenting is shit, we all know it.

Branching off the chore idea; if you called your horse in game, a little rat boy John would lead your horse to you. Come on just IMAGINE calling for your horse in camp and hearing faint steps approach you and when you look down you see a flea infested child holding your horse by a lead and spitting bizarre threats at you in an attempt to escape camp and rob some people.

sorry for the john posting :3c

#red dead redemption 2 #rdr2 #john marston #rdr2 fanart #rdr2 john marston #red dead redemption #fanart #rdr #rdr2 headcanons #rdr2 john #red dead redemption 2 fanart #red dead redemption THREE???????#goofy ahh post #as usual #rdr2 precanon #red dead redemption 2 headcanons

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enihk-writes · 9 months ago

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[at the end of a burnt wick]

pairing: tang bo x afab!she/her!reader

NOT exactly an x reader because i didn't want tang bo and reader's relationship to be romantic, tried to make them platonic / co-workers like ah-duo and the emperor from the apothecary diaries + implied tangchung because all roads lead to old men yaoi

summary: anthology of a married pair

content warning: archaic wedding practices mentioned (i.e. having to consummate a marriage against the will of both parties) // stillbirth and child loss (disconnect with traditional expectations of parenthood)

word count: 6.66k

author's note: my roman empire lately is about how i used to audition to nijisanji and only niji at least 3-4 times (didn't even pass the first stage lol) before i got really fixated with rotbb.... maybe one day i will try my hand at vtubing and streaming again... for now it's fanfiction time ragggghhh!!!!! fictional men 4ever!!!!

[PLEASE PROCEED WITH CAUTION! I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY TRIGGERS CAUSED BEYOND THIS LINE]

═══════════════

FIRST MEETING

the first time the young tang bo met her, was when he was a little over fifteen.

she was also just as young as he — a wee lass that had yet to lose the childlike roundness of her cheeks, round eyes that seemed to sparkle in wonderment at all the grandeur around her. tang bo didn't understand what was so special about the surroundings, he'd grown up here all his life and had already seen most of anything money could buy. this girl was weird.

he didn't find out until much later that this was the first time she had ever left the four walls of her room, much less her own home.

he thinks that it was no wonder she had looked so amazed with everything she saw back then. he can't imagine a life where he had to live constrained to one place, going through the same routine everyday would have bored him to death.

he wasn't looking forward to future conversations with that girl — he was certain she would be utterly dull and boring.

═══════════════

ENGAGEMENT

tang bo was furious that the elders had went and signed off the engagement contract without even asking for his approval. he had been meeting with countless hopefuls for a few years by now, and he'd been able to fend them all off by acting in ways that had all these well-bred ladies huffing and puffing in indignation. crying to their fathers that they would rather die than marry a man like he.

so who was it that agreed to this!

tang bo mutters under his breath, teeth gritted, fists clenched. he had to see with his own two eyes the woman who was stupid or desperate enough to let herself be wed to the likes of him.

elder!

the young man throws open the doors to the main hall, not caring one bit about the guests sitting inside. the elders and the patriarch in question frowned at his behaviour, biting their tongues from chastising him in front of strangers.

his gaze lands on a familiar face, a little older and a lot less naive, but familiar nonetheless. he didn't know that a person's demeanour could change so drastically in a few years.

tang bo's hands fall to his sides, he shuffles towards the end of the table, plopping down on the empty spot across his soon-to-be betrothed. he eyes her figure, chewing on the inside of his mouth, trying to come up with something to insult her with.

tang bo—

the patriarch didn't even get the chance to finish his sentence when the young man scoffs at the girl's face, the corner of his mouth pulling up into a sneer.

really? her?

tang bo glances over at the heads of his family, finger pointing rudely in the girl's face. they all sigh, knowing what was about to come from the impudent boy. they could only hope this girl wouldn't take his jabs to heart.

hey you.

he juts his chin at her.

all my other candidates looked prettier than you. hey, did you even bother to put in any effort when coming to meet me?

she ignored him, sipping on her tea serenely. the girl's guardians shift in their seats nervously. ah, this young master has yet to face their mistress' infamous anger.

tang bo clicks his tongue.

oi, did you even — hey!

he didn't expect her to splash the remainder of her drink onto him. the warm liquid splatters across his face and drips down his now damp hair, even the front of his robes were now soiled from the tea.

he looks over to the elders of his family in surprise, hoping that they'd stand up for him but none met his eye. he felt betrayed when he catches some of them trying to hide the twitch of their mouths suppressing their laughs.

they all thought that it was about time someone put this boy in his place, talented and intelligent as he may be.

needless to say, the rest of the meeting went on smoothly. and it ended with the confirmation of the two's engagement. much to tang bo's despair and the girl's indifference.

═══════════════

FIRST 'DATE'

he really tried his best to drag his feet that day. the elders had arranged for an evening dinner in the newly established inn downtown with his bride-to-be and tang bo really did not want to go. he was kicking up a fuss with his clothes, this one was too dull, that one is too bright, it's too rough, it's too short... and so on. but when he finally ran out of excuses and the attendants tiredly managed to dress him appropriately — the sun was beginning to set.

tang bo perks up. perhaps he didn't have to go out with her after all!

he steps out of his room, surprised to see that there was no one in the courtyard. he shouldn't have felt a jolt of worry then, but he did, and he wondered if something was wrong.

where is she?

he asks to no one in particular, heading to her room three doors down from his, footfalls heavy on the lacquered wooden planks of the corridor. he hears panicked voices muffled behind the doors and throws the doors to her room open.

she sat in the middle of the room in nothing but her undergarments, surrounded by the tang estate's maids and piles of unworn clothes. she had her back facing him, and all he could see were the maids hurriedly hiding away the containers of makeup all shying away from his scrutinising gaze.

out.

the maids didn't have to be told twice. they all scurried out of her room like mice, tails between their legs and faces pursed in anxiety at being caught in the middle of something they probably shouldn't be doing. tang bo sighed heavily. to think the woman he was to marry was getting bullied, by mere maids too? he felt ashamed on her behalf. he didn't like people who were fine with others taking advantage and stepping all over them. he hated that they didn't have a backbone to stand up for themselves.

kicking off his shoes, he entered her room — nose scrunched up instinctively at the suffocating dust in the air. he looked around to see all the windows shut tightly, there were no gaps for even a sliver of light to shine inside.

how has this girl been living so far, for her to be fine with this treatment?

tang bo coughed, stumbling over to open the windows, lightheaded from the lack of breathable air. he waves his hands to chase the dust outside, coughing even harder when the little particles get all up in his face.

he hears her giggle. much to his growing annoyance, what was so funny anyway.

he sits in front of her, letting the pile of unworn clothes cushion him from the hard floor. under the orange glow of the setting sun, he sees her for the first time today, all dolled up in the most garish makeup that would have certainly humiliated her, and had he not barged in she would have had to go around in public like that.

you look uglier today.

she chuckled and hummed in response, she looks around in search of something. grabbing a rag from under the clothes, she proceeded to wipe off her painted face, only to have tang bo take it out of her hands with a soft, let me.

he holds her chin between his fingers, rubbing off the white powder that contrasted starkly against her skin, making her look sickly. he rubs off the crudely drawn-out eyebrows and the thick rouge that sat on her lips. he can't help but notice the way her lashes fluttered as she tried to keep her eyes closed. maybe his fiancee was a little cute.

with her face now bare, the girl lets out the breath she had been holding. but tang bo wasn't done yet.

where are you facing. turn back here.

he ordered pointedly, and she couldn't help but to go back into her prior position. lips and eyes squeezed shut, much like a puppy getting told off for misbehaving.

picking up a brush out of the many lying haphazardly over the vanity, tang bo dipped it's tip into the little porcelain jar left ajar. it was lipstick in a shade deep red, the type that would have looked lovely especially on her.

he holds the girl's now bare face in one hand, the brush in the other, outlining the shape of her lips with the new rouge. the feathery touch of the brush tip was ticklish, moreso with how tang bo had been holding it in an uncharacteristically gentle way as though he were a potter painting intricate patterns on a cup before he sent it off to the burning fires in a kiln.

he pinched the brush, smudging the tint against his fingers and drawing faint circles at the outer corner of her eyes.

tang bo leans back to admire his handiwork. he couldn't help but feel proud of the results. not only was he good at martial arts and medicine, he had an amazing eye for aesthetics too? where would anyone find a better husband then he?

the girl opens her eyes cautiously, her gaze meeting his. he looked pleased, boastful even.

hmph. you look more presentable now.

he hands her a mirror, and as she looks at her reflection against the shiny bronze surface, she had to agree. her fiance had done a good job with her face. maybe he wasn't all that awful.

thank you, young master tang.

the girl smiled, her eyes crinkling upwards in a smile. tang bo scoffs and looks out the window, hiding his embarrassment at her sincere words. thinking back now, this was the first he'd heard her speak, wasn't it? maybe he should pay more attention once in a while.

heh. of course you should be thanking me.

the sky and grown dark. lucky him, he didn't have to go out to that dinner with her after all.

═══════════════

THE FIRST REAL DATE

tang bo felt a little irked that she had been walking behind him even when he had slowed down to match her pace. it's almost like she had been deliberately hanging back.

you.

he grabs her wrist and pulls her towards him. she stumbled over her feet and falls over with a startled squeak.

you're my fiancee. so stand proud and walk beside me.

he declares with a hand on his hip, the grip on her wrist with his other not once loosening. he walks again, just as slow as he had been earlier, feeling a little happy that the girl no longer lagged behind.

he'd started to warm up to her, no longer seeing her as the stranger living in his house, one day to become his wife. she was more akin to a little sister he'd have to babysit.

no, actually she was more like an apprehensive kitten left on his doorstep that he'd grown to like taking care of.

buying her sweets and spoiling her with accessories she might not even have a chance to wear just because he thought she'd look cute in them has been one of his favourite hobbies these days.

why was he so anxious about getting engaged before? ever since she became his fiancee, he didn't have to go out and meet with any more annoying noble ladies clamouring over each other trying to win over his affection. the best part was that she kept to herself, and minded her own business unless it was time to visit the elders and the patriarch for afternoon tea — which he didn't mind since having her as his own personal walking event reminder has really saved him from getting scolded even more by the old farts.

ah! look! they're selling meat skewers over there! come on, let's go get some! i'm sure you'd like those too.

tang bo giggles and drags the girl over to another street vendor. ah, lucky him. he's hit the jackpot with the whole engagement game — a tolerable and cute wife-to-be, could a boy ask for anything more? guanyin-ma really was looking over him after all.

═══════════════

FORTUNE TELLER

after two seasons of living under the same roof, the heads of the tang clan decide that it was time for the two to meet with the fortune teller. set up an auspicious date through the tung shing, and be wed on the right phase of the moon and the best placement of the stars in the sky.

the young master is lucky to have found someone this compatible. it is hard for children born in his year to find a suitable partner. they say snakes rarely get along with the other zodiacs.

says the old eccentric woman who proclaimed herself to be the best fortune teller in sichuan and the one who had been checking the birthdates of all the potential brides that had been introduced to tang bo thus far. the boy felt the urge to get up and fight that hack, respecting his elders be damned, so she was the one sending him all those insufferable girls his way.

he feels a hand grab at his arm. fingers digging into his flesh enough to keep him seated. he looks over at the girl sitting next to him, expression unchanging, her body angled to lean a little closer to his.

his hand reached over discreetly to peel her fingers off him, bringing her hand down to hold his under the table, fingers intertwined. she seemed to relax a little, tense shoulders falling ever gently, her jaw growing slightly more slack.

to the untrained eye, the girl's expressions were the same. but to him, he's watched her long enough, even if it wasn't every day, to spot the subtle changes whenever she expressed herself. tang bo pats himself on the back for being such an attentive fiance.

his attention shifted from the conversation between the fortune teller and the elders to the girl's hand. they were soft and smooth, as expected of a lady of noble birth. his on the other hand were calloused from training, the tips of his fingers were starting to turn darker from the constant exposure to poisons. shit, he might have to start wearing gloves.

the girl hadn't been paying attention to the conversation going on either, spacing out until the elders called on the two. stifling their startled gasp, the two youngins stared at their elders, a confused expression painted on their faces, not one bit guilty for ignoring everything that was being said.

ah, it's good they are getting along well.

the fortune teller chuckled with a knowing glint in her eye trying to suggest something, but both tang bo and the girl didn't seem to catch her drift, the old woman's point flying over their heads.

the elders soon turn back to their discussion, talking about the best days that would suit the two.

look here, since they are both born as snakes, their auspicious numbers are two, eight and nine. i'd suggest we hold the wedding...

tang bo nudges at the girl.

hey.

she looks up at him. he leaned down next to her ear, wanting to ask her about her birthday, too embarrassed to ask about it outright in front of the elders. he didn't want to seem like an incompetent fiance to his future bride.

she hides a growing grin. it was nice of him to start paying attention to her. little steps, little steps. she wriggles her hand out of his grasp and writes down the date with her finger on the surface of his palm.

good thing their hands were under the table, or people would know about the cause of the redness dusting the back of his ears.

the meeting dragged on until late in the evening. it ended with the agreement that they were to be wed on the eighth day of the eighth month on the eighth year of the emperor's reign.

truly the most auspicious day for a union.

═══════════════

A BRIDE-TO-BE'S DRESSING ROOM

the long-awaited day came by later than expected. the previous emperor passed before he even got close to the eighth year of his reign. not wanting to change the numbers of the date, the elders decided to push the event back until the current emperor had reached his eighth year.

by then, the two had grown into a man and a woman, a lot older than the common age to be wed. but it was no matter. who would dare speak up against the tang clan's young master and his wife-to-be?

the day, hell, even the night before had been hectic. tang bo slipped past his attendants to take a peak at what was going on in her room. traditions be damned, who cares about the groom not seeing his bride until they were at the altar? that was so outdated!

what are you doing here?

she had been left alone to rest from the non-stop preparations since before dawn. tang bo walks in, careful not to make too much noise as he slides the door shut behind him.

why? can't i visit my wife?

i am not your wife.

yet~

his teasing voice moved behind her. he picked up the brush to comb out the knots that were all tangled up — the maids had put on extensions to lengthen her hair. she hadn't been able to grow them to the expected length, much to the annoyance of the maids. they hadn't been nice when attaching the accessories, she could still feel the burning sensation on her scalp.

there was no need to kick up a fuss at this point. especially in front of tang bo. this guy would have kicked out all the attendants who had been treating her poorly, but that felt like too easy of a punishment. she wanted to deal with them herself when the time comes, sorry for that, young master tang.

the leather gloves he wore were cold, and the feeling of his fingertips scratching against her scalp was soothing, enough to draw out a quiet purr from the woman. much to her shocked embarassment.

oh?

she leans away from him.

...please ignore that.

but how could he?

my wife... how can you be so cute~!

i need you to shut up right now.

═══════════════

WORLD'S MOST BORING CEREMONY

if it was any consolation, the two had agreed that this whole affair was a pain in their ass.

wife, do you know when this will end?

what makes you think i have the answer to that?

tang bo thinks his bride was lucky to have that red veil over her face. if she wanted to shut her eyes and sleep, none of the guests nor elders would be any wiser. poor old him. they should have made a veil for the goom too, which smartass decided otherwise anyway? if he ever met that person, tang bo promised he would pummel the other to the ground.

wife.

she hums in acknowledgement, bowing her head at a guest who had come up to the front to pay their blessings to the pair.

wife.

tang bo called out again, his tone getting a little impatient. wincing when he felt her pinch the skin between his thumb and index finger. he tried to smile at the strangers passing them by, feeling drained and completely spent from the day's activities. it didn't help that the noisy chatter of everyone around them was making him feel worse.

wife, you should tell the elders that you're tired and want to rest for the night... i'm sure they'd listen to you.

why me? you go!

huh? me? nuh-uh, you go!

the back and forth lasted for a bit until they both agreed to ask the elders together. after all, having a partner-in-crime to take the fall together with you was way better than facing backlash alone.

perhaps the atmosphere of a wedding had put the elders in a carefree mood, perhaps it was the result of a dozen empty wine bottles. they think it might be both, but no matter, they received permission to get out of there.

the best news either had ever heard today.

scurring away quickly, the newlyweds giggle amongst each other like kids up to no good even as they were well into their twenties. the guests and elders cooed in amusement, talking about how nice it must be to be young and in love.

though that second part was so far from the truth, when the two talk about it again in their later years, it had grown into a funny story they liked to reminisce about over a midnight drink.

═══════════════

THE FIRST NIGHT

tang bo glanced over at his wife, carrying the same grimace as she did. it was hard not to cringe at the overtly crude decorations in their now shared room.

right. that was how it was in these parts. they were now husband and wife so the elders are probably expecting the results of the two carrying out their marital duties within the next year.

i don't want to do that...

me neither...

now sitting across each other on the floor, they discuss how to trick the maids who would certainly check the bedding the next morning. if nothing happened tonight then they would be under more scrutiny. but who's to say that there won't be any surveillance after? ugh! this was all so annoying!

tang bo watched as the woman before him let out a big sigh, dropping her head into her hands. he felt sorry for his wife, it must be hard living as the new daughter-in-law of his family.

should we get this done and over with?

he suggested finally, after exhausting all their options. his wife makes a face at that, but she can't argue.

awkwardly he hands over a vial, an all-purpose antidote of sorts, in case she gets accidentally poisoned while coming into contact with him. the head had passed it to him sometime during the ceremony earlier, tang bo had been hoping he didn't have to use it, at least he held himself back from throwing the whole vial at the wall when it was given.

he didn't say it at first, but he could hear the eyes and ears surrounding them grow careless every few moments, revealing their presence by accident with an unintentional movement or sound. how uncouth of them to be watching the two newlyweds like this. it seemed she'd also noticed their presence, with how she'd glance out the windows whenever a small rustle was heard.

i'm so sorry.

he murmured an apology as he kissed her cheek — he didn't have to look to know she had a faint look of disdain, directed to no one in particular yet still stung through his heart.

it's not your fault.

so she says. but it might as well be. to him at least.

the consummation wasn't a pleasant process. neither could look at the other in the eye. the knowledge that people were standing outside the room to listen in on the completion of their marriage made this whole ordeal so much worse.

wife...i...

tang bo feels his hips stutter, his face burns in shame as his hoarse voice tries to speak.

her hands reach out to brush his hair out of his face, fingertips lightly smooth out the crease of his furrowed brows. she'd resigned herself long ago, knowing this whole process was inevitable from the time she reached adolescence. to think her own husband did not...

she felt a slight twinge of pity. the young master tang was a lot more sheltered than she had thought.

when it was all over, they scrambled to get away from the other, each sitting at the furthest end of the bed — letting what had conspired sink in. how many more times would this have to happen in the future?

she was the first to collect herself. getting up, she shuffles over to tang bo, her hand reaching out for his.

my husband, we should go and clean up.

he nodded, taking her hand in his wordlessly as she led him to the tub hidden behind the partition. after dipping the dry towels in the now warm water to wipe their bodies clean, slipping into clean nightgowns and peeling off the soiled bedspreads to throw them aside, they finally crawl under the covers, yawning tiredly.

sleep came over easily, surprisingly enough.

═══════════════

DIAGNOSIS

the questions that hung around in the air at this time of the year were all about babies, children, the next generation. everyone wanted to know which of the wedded members would be expecting soon.

most eyes were turned on tang bo and his wife.

unfortunately.

their marriage had happened over five years ago, almost ten, and all this time their other relatives who had gotten married later than they were popping out one offspring after another — yet none were to be seen for the young lord and his lady. the elders often lamented on the silence of their side of the estate.

rumour has it that their relationship was on the rocks, with how neither shared a room nor did they spend a night together like all the tang spouses — save for the occasional times they'd go to visit the other's quarters every two to three months. to scratch an itch as one might say. after all, they were still young and quite healthy, so such urges were still common occurrences. might as well do it with someone familiar rather than do that with a stranger.

the relationship between tang bo and his wife was actually far more amicable than anyone could have guessed. it was hard to describe the solace they'd found in each other's unspoken commanderie within the household. they'd been living together long enough to know virtually everything about each other, yet there was always a line drawn between them to keep the distance.

today, she wasn't here for any of their usual arrangements. tang bo had came back to find his wife nursing a cup of tea in one hand, resting it on top of a propped-up leg. she had set out a game of weiqi on the table, next to a steaming teapot and array of snacks.

looks like someone's got news.

his teasing voice called out to the woman, settling down on the seat across her. he hums in thought, contemplating his move as she places down her white bead on the board.

your uncle came over to see why we weren't having kids yesterday. he's given me the results this morning, right after you left.

the woman holds out the folded paper, a little crumpled from being kept between the layers of her robes. tang bo takes it, opening it to read what his so-called uncle had diagnosed his wife with. talk about elder butting into a youngster's business for no good reason.

this...

he says that i'm barren.

she looks down with a small smile,and it looked a little bitter. of course, how could she not be? after all that had happened those few years back?

to say that she's unable to carry a child after all she had gone through back then was such a cruel prank from the heavens. he knows his wife wanted to be a mother more than anything, to give that little baby all her love in the world or along those sentiments — as did he. so if that's not going to happen... then, what now?

they were silent as they moved their beads across the game board. contemplating their next moves and what to say to the other.

there's crab stick snacks here, you should try some.

as always, she breaks the silence first. grabbing a few sticks of the salty treat to nibble on before handing the container over to her husband. tang bo reached for the food mindlessly, thinking about how nice it'd be to have these with some sweet wine.

ah, but his wife wasn't much of a drinker so that's a bummer.

═══════════════

ONLY CHILD

he should have heard the cries of the baby.

it was quiet inside, and out where he was waiting too. the nurses and maids walked out of the room with buckets of soiled, bloody rags with their heads down and mouths drawn into a thin line — something was wrong, something had gone terribly wrong.

tang bo felt his feet move, walking towards the bedroom where the doors were still shut tightly. he weaved past the attendants trying to hold him back, all telling their young master to go back and wait.

wait? why did he have to wait when he didn't know what was happening to his wife right then? she needed him. and she needed him right now.

the midwife slides the door open just as he was about to open it himself. they both take a step back in surprise.

young master... the lady is alive and well. she is waiting inside.

the older woman bowed and scurried away from the scene to join the others in the courtyard outside.

his wife lay on her back on top of fresh bedsheets and a clean nightgown. she had a sickly pallor, lips were chapped dry with red marks of blood from where the skin ripped open. hair that was riddled with sweat stuck onto the sides of her face, the untied tresses splayed over the top of the bed. her eyes were unfocused and blank, staring straight up at the wall, mind elsewhere. her cheeks were still stained with the remnants of her tears, the evidence of what transpired within these four walls.

wife...

tang bo called out cautiously. she didn't respond, barely even moved an inch to acknowledge his presence.

next to her on the bed was a small swaddle, the stillness of what was supposed to be alive unnerved him. the child's dull skin, probably in some shade of grey, eyes that were never to open, oh.

he sits by her bedside, back facing her. he too, did not know what to say to her at that moment. he was the last person that could have possibly comforted her. well, it was his child too but they were both not lovers so this was an offspring born out of necessity rather than a genuine want. and at this point in his life, tang bo wasn't actually too thrilled about the prospect of fatherhood. not that he would resent that kid, it's just he might not have loved them like he should.

his wife, she's mentioned her anticipation of motherhood but once in a while, he'd catch glimpses of the unreadable expression she had when no one was looking — all while she rubs her growing belly. it made him think that perhaps she wasn't always telling the truth.

once there was a patient who had came to the tang estate to treat the growing tumors in his intestines and since he was a rather important guest, most of the members of the main family, the two of them included, had dropped by to greet him and wish him well for recovery. tang bo could never forget the intensity of her absent gaze at the patient's stomach, her balled fist tightening over her shawl ever so slightly.

perhaps it's good that she's dead.

tang bo feels his eyebrows rise up in shock.

you're not too keen on fathering a child either, are you?

he shakes his head.

well, that makes the two of us. the heavens must be looking out for her, keeping her away from parents like us who can't give her the love she needs.

his wife sighed deeply. her tired face falling to the side to look at him, a lopsided smile making its way onto her lips as if to ease the heavy tension of her words away. she might be right. perhaps, it was better this way. tang bo closes her eyes with his palm, patting her to sleep the way one would with a feverish child.

their daughter would later be the two's first and only child.

═══════════════

SWORDSMAN

the woman wondered how one-sided her husband's relationship with his friend was. the man was a rather expressionless fellow — his sentences were short, curt and straight to the point. her husband didn't seem to mind, with now he was almost always all over that man. ah well, she's just happy tang bo has an actual friend.

rather than worry that he was drunk off his rocker out on the streets past midnight doing who-knows-what in who-knows-where, at least now he's causing trouble with someone she could easily track. apperently, the man was a troublemaker in his own home too.

the first time she met the older sect brother of her husband's friend, they shared a look of silent understanding. ah, so you too have an oversized child to deal with.

watching tang bo come home staggering on his feet together with the man, leaning on the other for support used to riddle her with worry but now she just ushers them both into a spare room prepped with the necessary herbs to concoct a hangover remedy and hope for the best. her husband was a capable man, he would never let himself falter and die in a ditch.

in hindsight, she might have been too confident in his abilities.

the swordsman was the best thing to have happened to her husband. and it was not an exaggeration by any means. not when he looked at his happiest for the first time since she'd known him. even if they were both past their fifties and sixties.

how nice. she thinks to herself whenever she spots them together. to find your other half, your kindred spirit in this word before you died... it must be nice.

she can't find it in her to be bitter. really.

═══════════════

FIRST CHIPPING

if he were to look at what society deemed as a bastard husband, then that requisite would have had his face plastered as a prime example. the type of husband that any aspiring groom should not ever become.

though for those who were in the know, mainly his wife and himself, there was more to their marriage than what everyone saw. it didn't take long for either of them to recognise that this union had been a discreet way for them to hide away from what kids like them were supposed to act like in this rigid society.

they've stuck by each other as the only people who would have understood each other the best. so now that tang bo was finally finding the happiness he should have sought after all this time, he was always feeling the guilt of leaving her behind on her own in that house that had always been too big for just the two of them.

she has yet to utter a word of displeasure to him. that's how she was — the quiet one who kept to herself, letting things happen until the worst had passed over. it was one of the little things he detested about his wife.

he can't bring himself to really hate her. there was a time when he had opened up his heart and confided in her about some things he's been scared to come to terms with. the type of realisation one has from a very early age and has buried deep within themselves to fit into society and the expectations people had of him.

his wife had held onto his hand wordlessly, squeezing it ever so often to assure his nerves. he's never been this vulnerable before. he never thought things like this could be so frightening.

she had something to say too. but not right now. this was his moment, she's not so tactless to take it away. she can't stop thinking that if they'd been more honest earlier, then perhaps they wouldn't have hurt the other unknowingly all these years.

the walls they'd built between them were starting to come down a little — who would have thought they'd find out something new after decades of marriage.

═══════════════

COMING TO TERMS

she couldn't really understand why her husband was loudly crying into her shoulder. her good robes were getting wet from his tears and snot. how did this almost seventy-year-old man have no shred of shame — in front of the attendants no less?

she had given him her blessings earlier today, and he was now free to pursue the swordsman so why was he not going off to sweep his beloved off his feet and ride off into the sunset or whatever those romance novels say?

wife, you know you aren't obligated to be bound to me any more right? if you wish, you are also free to love someone else...

tang bo managed to say between sobs.

...thank you for your consideration.

she hesitated. what did he mean by her being free to love someone else? she can't think of a time when she'd ever felt that kind of emotion, at least not the one that every person around her was chasing after, even back when she was in her youth.

there was always a disconnect whenever the other wives she'd corresponded with ranted and raved about their husband's infidelities or little annoyances. they were always on the verge of hysteria, driven to that point out of love for their husbands they said. and she'd think about how foolish it was.

thank goodness her relationship with tang bo had not been built on a foundation that flimsy. rather, it was one based on mutual respect. which was far better—

ah but. he must have felt trapped in this marriage. not everyone in the world was like her. not everyone had been born with the inability to be like everyone else and it was unfair how they all just instinctively know what romance and lovers-love is. so to have held him back in this loveless situation for this long was a cruel thing.

the good wife, the understanding wife, the kindhearted wife. it's all that she's been the majority of her life. she doesn't know what else there was to her now that she's let-go of these titles. she's free to do what she wants. but what does a caged bird set free know?

she had packed lightly, the clothes on her back were lighter and less showy, the stark opposite of what she used to wear as the daughter-in-law of the tang family. there was not much hesitation as she donned the weimao — it's white veil falling past her knees. she looked at the darkened courtyard of their estate.

she's received enough goodwill in this lifetime. she prayed at the ancestral shrine one last time, asking them to look after everyone now that she's going off.

═══════════════

MORNING AFTER

tang bo awoke to the frantic bustle of the maids outside his room. turns out his wife had gone missing overnight without anyone noticing. he walked out of his room, wandering around the family estate until he reached the main halls where it was quieter. no one was allowed in here outside of events except for the elders and the main family.

he picks up the tattered note that had fluttered to his feet — eyes widening as he takes in the words written on it.

tch, that woman could still pull some tricks at her old age huh. he didn't think she'd still know how to surprise him. the paper was burned away on a candle flame. he wonders if he'd see his wandering wife on his travels with his taoist-hyung. would they all share a drink at the teahouse when they do? oh he hoped so. there's not much things to look forward to at this age, so at least give him some stories and a meal.

ah. he should let his taoist-hyung know about this too. before it slipped out of that old head of his.

#enihkwrites #rotbb #rotmhs #return of the mount hua sect #return of mount hua #return of the blossoming blade #dang bo #tang bo #return of the blossoming blade x reader #return of the mount hua sect x reader #dang bo x reader #tang bo x reader #gonna be real with you idk why i even wrote this #idk how i even had the idea to write this #it's more like a “tb was definitely married so how would that rls go with him and his potential wife”#*shakes the fic* pspspspspsps come get your fix loves

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a-small-batch-of-dragons · 4 months ago

Text

Change | Changing | Changed?

Sooo Ive read Change like 10 times and though I love ALL your fics, that one gained a special place in my heart as soon as you posted it. I really vibe with Roman (maybe I am autistic…) and I love projecting onto him and watching him suffer. Anyway I was wondering if you feel like it or had any ideas, if we could get a third chapter? Maybe more about how the others react to finding out what Patton and Janus did to Roman, or more protective Ollie! <3 – stealing-babies

Had this concept idea hit me: Patton (as part of being Thomas’s emotions) is hypersensitive to the effects of the other sides's rooms + the imagination. No idea what one could do with that but thought it was neat enough to share. – ax3-e0ns

Have you seen the new incorrect quotes? I feel like there could be some Roman angst/hurt/comfort potential, either with Logan or Janus, what with the stress ball or the 4am chocolate pudding scene – anon

Hey, I was wondering if you’d be interested in writing a fic where Roman’s actually the one who finally snaps and goes off on everyone about he himself has been treated? I don’t see enough of the boy standing up for himself for a change. No worries if not! – anon

Read on Ao3 Part 1 Part 2

Warnings: panic attacks/dissociation

Pairings: none

Word Count: 7191

Roman is over the top, bombastic, and enthusiastic. He is prone to fits of passion and emotional outbursts. Such is the nature of Creativity. But the others...don't like that. They aren't exactly ambiguous about it either. Or, Roman struggles to walk the line between being himself and being something the others can tolerate. It gets far worse before it gets any better. Getting better takes...a long time

The deepness of the Imagination's oceans vary according to the demands of its various creatures. On this day, when Red Prince is too quiet and a little too sad, Oliver the Kraken decides that the ocean needs to be as vast and monstrous as it can be. He takes Red Prince in his arms, cradling him against his bulbous body to afford him protection within his aura from the crushing depths, swimming down, down, down, past the shoals of fish and pods of whales to the hidden tunnel near the base of the great cliffs. The water here is icy cold, lit only by the sparse bio-luminescence of the deep-sea folk, briefly illuminating the jagged rock walls and mountainous sea terrain. Oliver moves through as silently as a monolith of his size can, Red Prince held delicately in the safety of his grip. As they reach the end of the tunnel, it begins to curve upwards, a faint violet light coming from someplace above the surface of the water.

The Kraken breaches with a soft splash in the hidden cavern, lit by the glowing crystals growing along the walls and the ceiling. Red Prince lets out a breath, sagging in his grip, his tiny fingers stroking the bumps and scars along his skin. The cavern rings with the quiet music of water lapping against the crystals and the slight breeze that blows through their hollows, interrupted by the sloshing sounds of him swimming toward the island in the center of this sheltered cove. Small piles of glowstone highlight the soft white sand underneath flowering trees. The faint smell of them wakes Red Prince from the stupor he had been in since entering the Imagination, and he reaches for them as Oliver nears the island.

"Thank you for bringing me here," he mumbles as he's deposited on a patch of pale green grass.

Of course, Red Prince. You know that you will be safe here, whenever you want to be. He shifts his arms around to prop himself up a little. I will not let any harm come to you.

"I know." Still, Red Prince shuffles a little, tugging his limbs close to himself. "I just—I suppose it's stupid."

Nothing is stupid to me, Red Prince, not if it concerns your well-being.

"Are—you like spending time with Remus too, right?"

Oliver burbles quietly, the water frothing around his arms. Yes, Red Prince, I do. And despite that, I do not favor him anymore than you.

The hidden meaning seen, Red Prince's shoulders relax and a small smile comes to his face. Oliver reaches out to lay an arm within Red Prince's reach and his hand rests on it. Little birds twitter in the trees. The crystal song changes pitch.

You need not fear anything here, he says again, and you may stay as long as you like. She-Who-Tends-The-Clouds knows you are here as well, even though she cannot get here. Is there anything else I can do for you, in this moment?

"I—I don't know." He curls up a little tighter. "I'm just…I'm just really scared. And it feels like nothing I do even helps make it go away."

The water bubbles again as his arms churn. What does it feel like? Does it feel like the type of fear that Green Duke makes?

"Sort of? I just—I keep waking up sick to my stomach like something bad's going to happen, like, bad enough that I don't want to wake up anymore."

That is worrisome indeed. The arm wraps around him and tugs him slightly back toward the water. I regret that I cannot hold you the way you might desire.

"This is great, Ollie, you're…you're great." Red Prince now sits near one of the piles of glowstone, turning to rest his cheek upon it. "I think I'm…I think I'm tired."

The bone-weary ache of his words ring through the cavern. A few birds flutter down to perch on the rock, making soft chirps as they run their beaks through Red Prince's hair. Red Prince's smile brightens just a smidge.

"Thank you, little birds."

You know that we all would gladly give you whatever you need, Oliver says, there is nothing you could ask of us that we would not try to provide to you.

"I know."

Although none of us have arms that would embrace you, would you like to be held still?

"Yes, please."

It would be our pleasure.

It is not a simple thing for a Kraken to embrace Red Prince, but Red Prince is sad and upset and in need of comfort, and so he takes two arms and wraps them gently around Red Prince and the pile of glowstone. The pile is not the most forgiving of surfaces, but glowstone is warm to the touch and yields ever so slightly if pressed. Red Prince does not seem to mind, closing his eyes as a soft sigh leaves his lips. The birds perch on his head and shoulders. One of them settles into the crook of his neck, a wing brushing his cheek. He turns his head and his lips brush the tip of its beak. It chirps.

"Not the most fairytale of places," Red Prince mumbles, "but I do like this a lot."

We do specialize in the unconventional, Red Prince, and if I may speak for the birds, we all are quite happy to stay here for as long as you need.

The ocean is vast and hungry, monsters swim its depths and light vanishes from the waters far before it approaches the entrance to the hidden cavern. But here, in the quiet light of the crystal cave, Red Prince is safe for the moment and Oliver is content.

***

At the very tops of the mountains, high beyond the clouds, grow small trees no taller than a bush that could grow anywhere else. The trees have soft and warm bark from the sun's warmth, for there is little cover up there amongst the flat planes of rock and stone. She-Who-Tends-The-Clouds nests at the very peak, between the trees, sleeping in the light of the endless spinning galaxies of stars. The wind blows cold in the darkness of storms alone, where the clouds can rise high enough to block out the infinite skies. Otherwise, the sweet warm gusts of wind waft the secrets of the valleys up, up, where she may peruse them in comfort and safety.

It makes it far easier to rest easy when she has her charge nestled against her chest, humming a quiet song to keep her company.

I have missed your voice, Red Prince, she says gently, I cannot say I have heard it nearly enough in the recent times you have come.

"I haven't really felt like singing all that recently."

I know, says she, and leans down to nuzzle her snout against his chest, is there anything I can do?

"Just sitting here with you is nice. I haven't really had a lot of places that I feel safe enough to just exist in for a while."

The now familiar tingle of irritation flickers down her scales and she lays her head down next to him, watching him fiddle with a small amulet—from the kindly man who lives deep in the woods, no doubt, he had long ago taken a liking to Red Prince and provided him with many gifts and trinkets. She puffs a small smoke ring. What is this one for?

"He said it was to bring a sense of comfort to me." He runs his thumb over the engraving, the shape of a blooming flower worked beautifully into the metal. "I don't know if it was just supposed to be figuratively or if there's some magic in it, but…I like it."

It is a most thoughtful gift. Partway between sentiment and practicality, is it not?

Red Prince smiles. "Yes, it is."

Then it is perfect for one such as you. She nudges him with her snout to make him chuckle. Perhaps he has been refining his gift-giving for you intentionally.

"I didn't come here to be teased," he protests, but it is only lightly, and she relents as soon as she began, turning her head to rest once more towards the edge of the mountain to sniff the breeze. "I…I said thank-you, and that I'd be…interested to learn from him."

Her ears prick up slightly. Oh? I did not know you would be interested in such a craft.

"I'm trying new things."

It does not take a dragon of superior wit and mind to know that Red Prince has long be afraid of sharing new things with Those-Who-Do-Not-Shape, and as such, has even hesitated to try something in the safety of the Imagination. Her chest warms with contentment, a low and pleased rumble thrumming through the surrounding stone. Red Prince smiles. She turns once more to press her snout into Red Prince's stomach.

Words cannot express how pleased I am to hear that, Red Prince.

"Yeah," he says quietly, "I know. I…yeah."

The breezes forgotten for the moment, she sighs happily and lets Red Prince run the medallion across the ridges of her snout. I do not wish to push you, but I have questions if you would answer them.

"I trust you."

I will not abuse it, Red Prince, you have my word. She shifts her tail to curl it around him, adding another degree of safety even atop this mountain where none else would dare to tread. Does Green Duke still help you?

"Remus is great. He's—he's really helpful, he's—I wouldn't—I don't think I'd be able to do any of this without Remus."

What does he do to help, if you would tell me?

"He helps take the heat off me when I need it, or he's always there to help me escape if I need to. He also helps me explain what's going on with me or—or if I need to do things a different way than what they want."

I see. Are you…safe with him?

"I've never not been safe with Remus."

She lets out a quiet growl, not quite a reprimand, not quite not a reprimand. You were frightened when he came upon you on the grass, where The Deep One and I were tending to you.

"Yeah, but that wasn't—that wasn't really because of him, it was…I think it was…"

Even now, just speaking of it, Red Prince hunches in on himself, curling up in the lea of her. With another soft rumble, she moves them a little closer to one of the small trees, affording him something to clutch if he needs it. He rests his cheek against the warm soft bark, taking in the shade. She gives him the time he needs, but keeps up the gentle rumble of her breath to ground him.

"…I was scared of him being there because the others would—because I thought they would just immediately be mad at me, not because I thought Remus would hurt me."

And the others, do they still frighten you?

Red Prince lets out a long sigh, slumping against the tree and her chest in turn. He looks like the little child whose favorite toy has floated away in the river, and the old man who has seen a thousand thousand years and still must watch the sunrise.

"Yes," he says with that voice of infinite sadness, "every day."

I am sorry, Red Prince, that I cannot always protect you from the hurt they cause you.

"It's not your fault. I know…I know most of it's my fault."

No, she says firmly, raising her head up to look him in the eye, it is not your fault, Red Prince, you are scared and hurt, and that is not and never will be a burden that falls on your shoulders and your shoulders alone. You are scared, that is true, and you are hurt, that is true. But you have been taught to be scared and hurt, and you are far too gentle of a soul to have done that to yourself.

Red Prince sniffles and oh, her intention was not to make him cry, and so she leans forward to gently lick away his tears. He tucks the medallion into his pocket and hugs her back, the tears subsiding quickly as he falls into a doze against her heat.

You are welcome to come back here, Red Prince, whenever you need.

"Will you take care of me like this if I do?"

Yes, of course I will.

***

Patton sits next to him on the couch and Roman immediately tucks the medallion into his pocket on the far side of his leg. He can tell by the way Patton shifts that he notices it, but doesn't say anything. Remus comes over a moment later and sits on his other side, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and pressing a smacking kiss to his head.

"Hey, Roro."

"Hi."

"You doing okay today?"

"Yeah, I think so."

Across the room, Janus gives him a look but doesn't say anything. After another moment, he gets up and ruffles Remus's hair, kissing Roman's forehead. Roman tenses a little and Janus doesn't seem to take any offense, moving away and sitting next to Logan. "Well, shall we decide what movie we're watching tonight?"

"I'm partial to something along the lines of The Imitation Game," Logan says, looking up from his notebook, "but I am aware that we've been going with my choices quite a few times over these past few weeks."

"I'd be down with watching that," Virgil says, "but I think I'd rather—I mean if we're throwing out choices, I wanna put Pacific Rim out there."

"Ooh, I do like watching giant robots punch giant aliens." Remus nudges Roman. "What about you, Roro?"

"Um, I don't really have an opinion right now."

"Okay." Janus says quickly before anyone can say anything else, "that's fine, sweetie. What about something like one of the documentaries we've been working through?"

"That sounds great," Patton says, but Roman can tell he's still looking at him, "Roman, does that work for you?"

"Yeah, I like documentaries."

"Settled, then." Logan stands up and fetches his laptop, beginning to hook it up to the TV. "Roman, would you mind helping the—"

"Yep."

He doesn't give anyone the time to say anything else, immediately going over to Logan's side to fiddle with the cords and make sure everything's good. Behind him, he can feel the eyes creeping up his back and rounds his shoulders. Logan touches his back lightly in thanks as he finishes, quickly going back over to let Remus lie on top of him. Janus chuckles at the two of them even as Patton yelps, quickly getting up and going to sit by Virgil.

"Sweetie? Can I play with your hair?"

"Um, if you want to."

"Thank you." Gloved fingers begin to scritch lightly through his hair and he closes his eyes, letting Remus's weight sink him into the couch. The sensation is soft and makes his brain go a little fuzzy, and he thinks that maybe he'll fall asleep here, before the documentary starts…

"Is everything ready?"

Patton's voice wrenches him back to wakefulness and he knows that Virgil, Janus, and Remus can all sense it. Remus lets out a quiet growl, holding him a little tighter. Janus kisses his fingertips and ruffles his hair again. Roman keeps his eyes open for the rest of the documentary and there's a sickness curdling in his stomach that he can't quite shake.

"Hey," Remus whispers when the documentary is loud, "hey, Roro, just stay with me, okay? Just hang out."

"I'm trying."

"I know, and you're doing great. Hey, can you name all the colors on the screen right now?"

He turns his head and looks at the animals, the plants, the skies. "Brown…white…purple…green…blue…black, yellow, red, and pink."

"Hey, nice, good job." Remus nuzzles into his neck. "You're my favorite brother."

"I'm your only brother."

"So?" He nuzzles into him again and it tickles. "You giggling down there, Roro?"

Roman glimpses Logan glancing at them and braces himself to be scolded, but Logan only smiles fondly at them and shakes his head, looking back at the screen. Remus follows his gaze and huffs, flopping down like a cat and making a show of being comfortable while shielding Roman's head from everyone else.

"You're safe," he whispers into his ear, "you're safe, I've got you, nothing's gonna hurt you right now."

There's nothing like this in the Imagination, Roman knows, nothing like this comforting weight and warmth and safety that he can't really get from the dragon or Ollie or anything else. He curls into Remus and tries to lose himself in the documentary. It's interesting, something about how these animals have adapted to living in urban environments. But he sees a rat scurry through a dark, dank alleyway, and can't help but feel like he's recognizing something in himself.

***

"Remus," Logan calls, walking down the hall, "can I speak to you for a moment?"

"What's up, Lolo?"

"Can we…" He indicates Remus's door. "Would you mind if we spoke somewhere more private?"

Remus nods and opens his door, welcoming Logan inside. Logan fiddles with a notebook, turning pages back and forth. After a while, he sighs and looks up.

"I have a question about Roman, and I want you to know that I don't intend to cause him hurt by investigating this information."

Remus raises an eyebrow. "Well, this definitely doesn't make me incredibly inclined to help you."

"I don't think it's anything that you did, if that's any consolation."

"It's not, but proceed."

Logan sighs. "Can I have your word that you will not immediately attempt to cause me physical harm when I ask this question?"

"I will not immediately break your spine, no."

"Is that the best I'm going to get?" Remus grins a little two widely and he sighs again. "I suppose that's a yes. Very well: I am…concerned that something has happened between Patton, Janus, and Roman, and I don't know what to do."

Remus takes a deep breath and sits down, pinching the bridge of his nose. "What's he told you already?"

"Something stemmed from the incident between the three of them when Thomas was still uncomfortable with his homosexuality, but I don't know—"

"The 'incident,' is that what he called it?"

"…no, that's my word for it."

"'Cause it was a fucking incident, alright." He reaches out and grabs a squid ink sac. It bursts in his hand. "That was—shit, and you and Emo didn't learn about this until later, did you?"

"I was not aware of an incident until Roman told me about it recently."

Remus growls at him and he steps back with his hands raised. "You mean that Roman was physically locked out of the Imagination for months, and you guys didn't fucking notice?"

Logan's expression drops. The notebook clatters to the floor. "Roman was what?"

"How the fuck did you not know about it? The Imagination—shit, Lolo—"

"No, I knew that Roman didn't go into the Imagination for a while, but I didn't—I was not aware that it was because his entrance was prohibited. What—why—"

"Because Roman's existence hasn't actually been appreciated by everyone around here for a long time and things like stuff he needs to do to stay alive are viewed as privileges that can be revoked."

Guilt and regret tremble at the corners of Logan's mouth and he adjusts his glasses. "I know I have played no small part in this—"

"No shit."

"—but I didn't…Remus, you must understand, I never meant to…I had nothing to do with this. I didn't know. I wasn't—I don't—I wouldn't—Roman is Creativity, how would I—"

"I believe you," Remus says quietly, reaching out to put a hand on his shoulder, "I know, Logan, I know."

Logan lets out a shuddering breath, removing his glasses to rub his eyes. "I apologize. I did not foresee myself becoming this upset."

"Yeah, I know."

"The…the incident, if I may still call it that—"

"That's fine, yeah."

"—would I be incorrect in assuming that it was not the only one of its kind?"

"Well, they never tried to banish Roman from the Imagination again, that's for fucking sure." Remus shakes his head. "God, I've never—I've never fucking seen Roman like that before and I never want to see him like that again. But yeah, Lolo, I don't—you're smart enough to know that Patton and Janus have been holding some sort of power over Roman for a long time."

"Yes."

"That's not an accident. Roman's really vulnerable to stuff like that—and you need to know that I'm telling you this because if this somehow gets back to them," he continues, tightening his grip on Logan's shoulder, "I'm going to know exactly where it came from."

"I won't betray your confidence."

"You'd better fucking not. Yeah, Roro's the Ego—he's fragile in ways that Patton and Janus can exploit. Uniquely exploit, because Patton can feel what's going on in the Imagination to a certain extent, and Janus…"

"Janus knows Roman," Logan says softly, "and that is perhaps all he needs."

"Yeah."

"You said Patton can feel what's going on in the Imagination?"

"Well, Thomathy isn't exactly unaffected by what happens in the Imagination, nor is he immune to what his Ego does to take care of him. So when Roro's trying to make himself feel better, Thomas can feel it, which means Patton can feel it."

"So Patton knows when Roman's trying to cheer himself up."

"Yeah."

"How…how is this a bad thing?"

"Well, if you have a conversation with someone and they immediately run to make themselves feel better…"

Logan's expression shutters and his jaw sets. He adjusts his tie and covers Remus's hand with his own. "I don't know what else I can do for Roman, especially since I have contributed to the pain he has felt, but if there is anything, please, tell me?"

Remus looks at him, eyes narrowing slightly. He seems to be content by what it is that he's found, however, and nods sagely with a seriousness that seems almost foreign to him. Logan nods back and picks up his notebook.

"Is there anything else that I should know?"

"Not right now, I don't think."

"Can I…is Roman in the Imagination right now?"

"Why?"

"I…wanted to tell him that I had an idea for another board game I think he and I could play together. You could play it with us too!" They start moving toward the doors. "It's a mystery horror themed thing—"

"Sold!"

"Remus, I didn't even explain what it—"

"You said 'mystery' and 'horror.' Lolo, I'm in already."

***

"I'm sorry, he did fucking what?"

Logan puts his hands on Roman's shoulders and a different shudder goes through him, one triggered by the dry warmth as opposed to the near flinch in response to Virgil's shout. He leans into the touch as much as he can.

Virgil, of course, senses his fear, and quiets immediately, slouching a little to make himself seem smaller. "Hey, I'm sorry, Princey, I didn't mean to shout."

"It's okay."

"It's not," Logan says softly, "and that's alright too."

"L's right." Virgil even goes so far as to ease himself into a seated position on the other side of the room. "I know how bad yelling can be for you, Princey. I'm—shit, I'm just really upset for you right now."

Roman peeks out at him under his hair, surprised to see a soft smile on Virgil's face. After a moment, he holds out a hand, and Virgil gets up and ambles over. He sits down next to the base of Roman's chair, tangling his fingers with his. He gives a few reassuring squeezes and Roman squeezes back.

"Can I—so obviously I'm gonna try not to shout again, but can Remus keep telling me about this incredibly fucked up thing that happened to you?"

Roman nods. Logan squeezes his shoulder. He drifts away again, for he has no need to relive this more than he already does, focusing on the comfort of Logan's touch and the way that Virgil squeezes his hands every once in a while. Remus's voice stays low and even, but there's an undercurrent of steel that doesn't quite vanish even when the words never raise louder than the low thud of the wind against the walls of the Imagination's cabin.

"—incey? Princey?" Roman blinks. Virgil looks up at him. There's a furrow between his brows but he makes an effort to smile. "Hey, there he is. I'm so fucking sorry, Princey, that's fucked up. That's really fucked up, and I'm sorry that I've—I'm sorry that I've ever had anything to do with making this worse. I don't really—I'm not great with words, but I—"

Roman squeezes his hand. "You didn't do it to me, I don't…I don't blame you for that."

"But I've been doing the same sort of shit. Hey, hey," and here his voice softens a little when Roman goes to protest, "I'm not trying to make you feel bad. I'm not trying to run my own fucking pity party over here, I just—fuck, Princey, you're owed so many fucking apologies about all this shit, okay?"

A lump suddenly appears in his throat. He swallows heavily.

"Oh, hey, hey, c'mere…" Warm arms wrap around him and he's leant back into a strong chest. "Hey, it's okay, you can cry, Princey, that's okay."

"Shh, little one," Logan murmurs when Roman starts to try to apologize, "you're safe here. You're doing very well."

There's a soft thwoop sound and he peeks out to see Remus has summoned a massive mattress on the floor of the cabin. The windows are open, the late-afternoon breeze blowing in with the soft sweet smell of grass and flowers. Virgil and Logan must've had some sort of silent conversation, for he's lifted up into two pairs of strong arms and laid down on the mattress. Remus tucks a blanket over them and then gleefully flops down, much to the surprise and chagrin of the other two.

"Hey!"

"Remus!"

"Cat pile time, everyone hush and cuddle Ro."

Roman chuckles, a little watery, but snuggles into the midst of the three of them. Logan sighs, far too fondly, and presses a kiss to his temple. Virgil scoots a little further away so none of them are at risk of losing circulation, still holding onto Roman's hand.

"I vote that we don't talk about this anymore for right now," Logan says quietly, "all in favor?"

"Me."

"Also me."

"Yeah," Roman mumbles, "can…can we just stay here for a while?"

"Of course, little one."

***

"Sweetie," he hears distantly, "sweetie, it's alright, it's just me, I'm not here to hurt you, can you open your eyes for me?"

Roman opens his eyes. He's lying on the floor in the hallway. It's dark. Someone is leaning over him.

"Sweetie," he hears again, "sweetie, can you say something?"

"J-Janus?"

"There you are, my sweet prince." Janus smiles and cups his face. "Can I help you sit up for me, sweetie? I don't think the hallway is very comfortable at this point at night. There's nothing wrong with sleeping on the floor, believe me, but I think a fine prince such as yourself would be better suited to your bed."

Roman blinks again. "I'm…on the floor?"

"Yes, sweetie, you're on the floor. Do you remember how you got here?"

"I was…I was in the kitchen."

"Yes, that's right. You were making chocolate pudding."

"Why was I making chocolate pudding?"

A small smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. "I believe you said it was because you've lost all control."

"That does sound like me."

He chuckles. "Now, sweet prince, can we see if we can sit you up? Come, come, lean on me…that's it, there you are."

Roman blinks a few more times as he slowly lifts himself up, holding onto Janus's shoulders. Janus slips more of his arms around his waist to help him, murmuring more encouragement in his ear as he goes. He lets out a sigh of relief when he sits up, leaning now against the wall. Janus crouches there with him, tucking his hair back behind his ear.

"Janus?"

"Mm?"

"I'm sorry."

"Whatever for, sweet prince?"

"I was—I'm—I didn't mean to—"

"I'm not angry with you, sweet prince," Janus says gently, "I promise. I'm only worried—can we get you to bed?"

"I don't want to impose—"

"Sweetie, I'm not asking you because I have some obligation, I'm worried, and I want you to be safe in your bed so you can rest." He leans down and kisses his forehead and everything is fuzzy for Roman, and he doesn't know what to do, but warm touches are warm touches and he's always been weak to a soft voice with gentle words. "So?"

"…okay."

He leans against Janus's side as they move down the hallway, opening the door into Roman's room. He pulls back the covers and lies down, leaning to help tuck him under the sheets. "There you are, sweet prince, is that better?"

"Why…why're you only nice to me when there's no one else around?"

Something shutters across his expression before it settles on something terribly sad. "I don't know, sweetie. I'm—I'm trying to be better about it, but I seem to keep messing it up."

"I don't know what to believe anymore, Janus." His voice grows thick. "I don't know whether you're going to be nice to me or hurt me."

The bed dips as Janus sits down near his head, still carding his fingers through his hair. "I'm sorry, Roman. I'm so, so sorry."

"You hurt me, Janus," and now he begins to sniffle, "you—you keep hurting me."

"I'm sorry, sweetie, I'm sorry."

Janus doesn't move away, not as Roman sniffles and sobs his way through saying how much pain Janus has caused him, not when he tells him how difficult it is to keep moving forward, not even when he says how scared he is right now, with his belly showing and Janus's teeth at his metaphorical throat. He just sits there, listening, pressing kisses to Roman's hands and cheeks.

***

"Patton?"

"What is it, Roman?"

"Shut up."

Virgil mutters oh, shit. Logan takes a deep breath. Janus's shoulders tense. Remus steps closer.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Roman says through gritted teeth, "shut up. You don't know what the hell you're talking about. You don't get to talk over me like that. You don't get to act like I'm just some good-for-nothing spoiled kid that doesn't know anything."

"Now, Roman—"

"No. I've had to sit here and have you talk at me for ages. You're gonna listen to me for once." His hands ball into fists. "You don't get to act like you're the one who's always going to be right. You don't get to do that, not to me. You don't get to act like I'm the one who always comes into this sort of thing with a preconceived notion of how it's going to go. I'm the one who's tried with you. I've tried so many times to just talk to you and you never listen to me."

"That's not—"

"It is. It is true, because every fucking time I have to walk away from those 'conversations' with bruises all over me because you can't be bothered to think about what your words do to me. Because they hurt, Patton, and you don't get to act like they don't. You don't get to act like you don't know what you're doing when you tell me I'm stupid or petty or a bully, you don't get to act like you're hurting me because you don't have a choice or that it's my fault I'm getting hurt."

Remus brushes against his arm. A silent keep going.

"You don't get to act like you don't know why I'm scared of talking to you sometimes, not when you've claimed the authority to remove my fucking coping mechanisms like they're some luxury that you think I don't deserve anymore. You don't get to hold that shit over my head like you have the right to it. No, I don't want to talk about this stuff with you. No, I don't feel safe to talk about with you, and no, I don't feel bad about saying any of that because it's true."

"Those are very hurtful things to say, Roman."

"It's hurtful to tell someone they're wrong when you haven't even taken the time to actually listen to them. It's hurtful to invite someone to a 'conversation' and then just lecture them the whole time. It's hurtful to hold someone's insecurity over their head for actual fucking years and use it whenever you want because it's a convenient way to make someone listen to you."

Patton just looks at him. Roman's breath suddenly catches in his throat. He's yelling at Patton. He's yelling at Patton.

"He's right, Patton," he hears Virgil say, "you're—I'm not gonna say the rest of us are blameless here, but you're really unfair to Roman sometimes and that's not cool."

"And now, how am I supposed to react to all of these accusations? Are you all going to gang up on me now?"

"We're not ganging up on you," Logan says, "the rest of us have barely said anything."

"But you're not disagreeing with Roman."

"No, we're not, because he's right." Remus squeezes Roman's shoulder. "And you know he's right."

"I don't think it's right that he's making me out to be this big bad guy who's trying to hurt him on purpose!"

"I don't think it's right to act like we don't know what they're talking about," Janus says softly, and Patton turns to look at him, "you know we've been unfair to Roman, Patton. We've been cruel to him, almost, and even if we didn't know the effects of what we did when we did them, I think we both know better now."

"Why are you looping me in with you?"

"Because the reason Roman was so receptive to praise and positive attention was because it was so foreign to him he didn't even think to question it," he says, voice a tad sharper now, "and there's really only one person who could've started such a thing."

Patton goes quiet for a long, long moment. Then he looks at Roman. Roman flinches just at that look.

"Roman? Is…are you…did I really make this a lot worse for you?"

Trap. This is a trap. This is a trap, this is a trap, this is a trap.

"You can tell me," Patton says, which doesn't make him think it's any less of a trap, but then Janus nods at him and he manages to swallow.

"Yeah," he mumbles, "yeah, it's—it's really bad, Patton."

Silence. Remus squeezes his shoulder tightly. There's a roar of blood in his ears. Distantly, he hears Virgil mumble something to Logan and Logan starts talking. They're all talking now, but Roman can't say a thing. He's so scared. He's so scared. He's going to pass out. He's going to throw up. He's going to have a sword thrust into his chest and split his ribs.

"Roman," he hears Remus say, cutting through the fog, "Roro, you did great. You did it, it's over now. If you need to run and hide, you can. We'll take care of it. It'll be okay."

He thinks more than says I can go?

"Yeah, Roro, you can go."

Roman's gone in the blink of an eye.

***

The forest is dark. There is no moon. The sky is black. The trees loom over the clearing. The wind is bitingly cold. The grass crunches and snaps. No living creature dares move.

Roman curls up on his knees in the middle of the clearing. The wind whips across his bare skin so harshly it feels like a blade. In the dark of the night, there is no refuge from the biting cold, no place where he could go and be free of the pain ravaging him inside and out. Breath shudders out of him in pitiful clouds of steam. He shakes and trembles.

The reverberations of the approaching footsteps are so powerful that he feels them deep in his chest.

With jerky movements, he looks up. It's difficult to tell at first what's different, just because the mass is so large it's hard to distinguish it from the surrounding sky, but as he moves, the faint silhouette of the wolf becomes discernible from the forest. Glowing eyes gleam down at him, light reflecting off of the fangs, as the enormous paws come to a stop right in front of him. His head bows, his snout lowering to breath warm air across Roman's frigid form.

The wolf, unlike the other creatures in the Imagination, does not speak. Not in the way that Oliver or She-Who-Tends-The-Clouds speaks. But he knows Roman, more perhaps than any aside from Remus, and so he needn't speak to be able to communicate. He leans down, taking Roman's limp form in between his giant teeth, beginning to carry him through the woods. His tongue presses against Roman's freezing arms, trying to convey some warmth back into him, but he is too massive and too focused on carrying him to safety to be able to do something more right now.

There is no fear sweeter than the kind that curls in Roman's stomach at this moment, for what could be more terrifying than the one that carries him in his jaws? They move through the dark forest, over fallen logs and past trickling streams, deeper still into a thicket where the warm air from the valleys below has created a dense fog. A few skittering noises as different small critters move away from the wolf's path. They reach the base of a cliff and he recognizes the entrance to the wolf's den.

He's carried into the den, laid down on soft moss next to a small fire. The warmth licks at his limbs as the wolf lies down with a growl, circling him with his bulk. Roman turns and snuggles into the soft fur of the wolf's belly, hearing another soft growl that sounds almost like a huff of endearment. The fire snaps and crackles, a soothing noise as the wolf's heart beats steadily against his side. He continues to let out low huffs and growls, reassuring Roman of his presence and safety in this moment.

The fear re-surges. He retches, clapping a hand over his mouth. He curls up tighter, as if he could squeeze it from himself. The wolf growls again, a little louder, and his tails flicks up to almost cover him as though it were a blanket. He knows it is ridiculous to be scared, here, between the paws of the wolf, but he is only small and cannot help it.

Another huff of breath and the snout pushes against him.

I know, he thinks, I know it's okay to be scared, but I—I—I—

The wolf rumbles again, tongue darting out to lightly lick his hand.

Can I just be scared? Is that okay?

Another rumble, and this time he feels the wolf shift slightly so he can curl better around him. He noses gently at Roman's head, lapping at his hand again, his tail lightly tickling under his chin. He closes his eyes and leans into the gentle attention, letting the wolf protect him. The sound of the fire soothes the frantic part of his hindbrain, the fur too tempting not to burrow into just a little. He's barely the size of a thorn in the wolf's side. The wolf rumbles, lying his head down and leaning it against him so he's pressed in on all sides.

The sickness recedes ever so slightly. Exhaustion quickly replaces it. The wolf breathes slowly. Roman turns his cheek to rest against the soft fur.

***

"I just don't understand!"

"You're hurt because Roman has expressed that you've hurt him."

"Well, yeah!"

"I don't think you get to be mad at him for that, Patton."

"I'm not mad, I'm just very disappointed that—"

"Okay, no, you don't get to do that either. That's not—Patton, the reason this got as bad as it did is because Roman doesn't feel like he can express that he's upset. At you or anyone else."

"But that's—how is that fair?"

"Okay, I think we're going in circles here—look, Pat-Pat, the point here is that Roro's upset—rightfully so, and he needs to time be upset about it now that he knows it's safe for him to be upset."

"It's always been safe for him to be upset!"

"No, Patton, it hasn't."

"Not when we've been jumping all over him for just expressing how he's feeling."

"He knows he can come and talk to me, he does! I don't understand why—"

"Patton, when was the last time Roman sought you out? To talk to you, or even just to hang out?"

"…"

"Patton?"

"…oh, no."

***

It takes a long time.

Roman spends a lot of time in the Imagination. Patton can feel it, can feel how hurt Roman is and how Thomas must be feeling by association. Everyone spends more time just…existing around each other without actually doing anything.

It takes a long, long time.

Fear never completely goes away, but it does become a little less omnipresent. Pain fades, or dulls, but the memory still causes flinches.

In time.

***

"Roman?"

"Hm?"

"Any ideas?"

Roman glances up at the others. They're all looking at him expectantly. Logan raises an eyebrow and gestures for him to go on.

A slow smile spreads across his face.

"Well, I did think of something."

General Taglist: @frxgprince@potereregina@gattonero17@iamhereforthegayshit@thefingergunsgirl@awkwardandanxiousfander@creative-lampd-liberties@djpurple3@winterswrandomness@sanders-sides-uncorrect-quotes@iminyourfandom@bullet-tothefeels@full-of-roman-angst-trash @ask-elsalvador @ramdomthingsfrommymind@demoniccheese83@pattonsandershugs @el-does-photography @princeanxious@firefinch-ember@fandomssaremysoul@im-an-anxious-wreck@crazy-multifandomfangirl @punk-academian-witch@enby-ralsei@unicornssunflowersandstuff@wildhorsewolf @thetruthaboutthesun @stubbornness-and-spite @princedarkandstormv @your-local-fookin-deadmeme @angels-and-dreams@averykedavra @a-ghostlight-for-roman @treasurechestininterweb @cricketanne @queerly-fluid-fan @compactdiscdraws@cecil-but-gayer@i-am-overly-complicated@annytheseal@alias290@tranquil-space-ninja @arxticandy @mychemically-imbalanced-romance@whyiask@crows-ace @emilythezeldafan@frida0043 @ieatspinalcords @snowyfires@cyanide-violence@oonagh2@xxpanic-at-the-everywherexx@rabbitsartcorner @percy-07734@triflingassailantofmyemotions @virgil-sanders-the-gay-emo@cerulean-watermelon@puffed-up-bees@meltheromanstan@joyrose-fandomer@insanitori@mavenmush@justablah65@10paradox10@uhhh-hi-there-i-am-nervous@cutebisexualmess@bella-bugatti-frogetti-baguetti@ultrageekygirl

#dragonbabbles #fic #sanders sides #roman sanders #roman angst #roman sanders angst #logan sanders #remus sanders #sympathetic remus #deceit sanders #janus sanders #sympathetic deceit #virgil sanders #patton sanders

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blueonwrestling · 10 months ago

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I would like to make the arguement that nobody really deserves an award for being "booker of the year" this year when it comes to american wrestling.

I think All Japan or CMLL's booker should be the winner as they've both had a very hot year each, with my personal vote going to the CMLL booker Painco quite frankly.

Tony Khan has booked Dynamite from a 9 out of 10 weekly show down to a 8 out of 10 weekly show, and while i still think AEW is the best weekly program going in america, booking your show down, even if just by a little doesn't make you the booker of the year, along with 2 aew ppv's being quite weak this year, DoN being the 2nd worst of all time in my opinion and World's End being 3rd worst of all time I just don't think he's had the booker of the year award level good booking, it's been good, but there has been episodes that have sucked.

Also Tony Khan has booked weekly ROH as kinda just maintence booking? The PPV's for ROH have been a run away success and all 3 of them this year have been some of the best, but the weekly tv lacks quality and alot of stories, which they're starting to do more of now absolutely, but alot of ROH matches are announced at the last minute for PPVs instead of being built up.

Weekly NXT shows, I say this unironically, if you like weekly NXT shows that much that you think Shawn Michaels is booker of the year you need to get yourself checked out, how do you dress yourself in the morning, are you mentally all there, are you stupid, are you fucking mental, a horrid product with fucking terrible sub high school drama acting and fucking terrible matches that are the worst of gif wrestling.

And Raw and Smackdown, Smackdown just doesnt matter quite frankly the show doesn't matter at all, nothing happens on Smackdown, and Raw being the best of WWE's tv programmings by default is a nuts situation to say, but Triple H has done a horrible job with pretty much everything on Raw/Smackdown, Rhea has done nothing this year, the fake world title Seth Rollins has is laughable, Cody has been spinning his wheels and Roman still exists.

So theres my thoughts for this "booker of the year" stuff, gun to my head and you force me to pick an american booker im picking Tony Khan, but I still say he's booked AEW into a slightly worse position than it was last year.

Edit* When I say america, I do mean just the bigger promotions, the bois over at DPW and Chris Hero are also in the running for bookers of the year with how well they've booked their small indie promotions.

Revolver and Defy too have had strong years.

#wwe #aew #tony khan #aew dynamite #aew rampage #aew collision #triple h #shawn michaels #nxt #raw #smackdown #wwe nxt #wwe raw #wwe smackdown #booker of the year #cmll #dpw #chris hero #deadlock pro wrestling

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f0xgl0v3 · 9 months ago

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Octavian’s Auguraculum.

Okay!!! It’s been… a while, but my boy finally gets his Auguraculum!

I made the Auguraculum finally. It is SO historically inaccurate to actual Auguraculums; I’ll admit that. But an actual Auguraculum (aside from tabernaculum augurale. Which there is little information on from what I’ve tried to find) were well maintained thatched huts. Now, I didn’t want to give him a downgrade so instead…

Here is the Final(ish) art for the outside and the Dias of the Auguraculum! The uh, inside is pretty interchangeable, there’s a lot of like, bookshelves and tables and stuffed animals and space. Seeing as it’s also the like general area where the legion is gathers at times (This is taken from Tabernaculum augurlae; which was a part of the military camps and would be the religious and legal center for Camp Jupiter. Temples get to be for the New Rome citizens.)

But uh, I based it off of things like the Parthenon, and also just old Greco-Roman buildings? It’s fantasy and again, I wanted to give my guy an interesting looking building.

Now the literal and figurative centerpiece of this fictional building is that Dias and the glass dome. As my scribbles say the Dias is on a sort of like magic pulley system? It is hooked up to a loop up in the glass dome and then twists back down to a side where the Rope/Chain/whatever is stored when the thing is pulled up, idk that’s a lot of specifics that I might not specifically know but the essentials are that the Dias can move up closer to the Glass dome to view birds more easily; also to get away from annoying people who keep storming in while you try to do your job :3

As I said a couple times, it is not actually historically accurate to any Auguraculum I could find, however I think it looks nice and it’s a good setting for stuff and it gets rid of the stupid temple hill-

But uh, yeah sorry this is so short lol. I really like the design I finished with, also for all purposes of saving my hand and fine liner; I made the columns Doric, know that in actual like everything they would be Corinthian columns (the ones that look like they have leaves). The Auguraculum is also very close to the Principa, and it still has the stones where the prophecies are carved in. They’re on the Dias and quite possibly are being carved into the tiles beyond that. Uh also there’s a lot of plants and drapery and fabrics on the ceilings; partially to hide the whole pulley stuff, partially just because it looks cool.

Uh, okay. It’s really cold and I’m shaking right now but I have to go memorize my lines, also sorry there is no finished-finished art but I’ve been in a digital art ‘slump?’ As of late, I’m figuring it out. (Also I’m running out of pages in my sketchbook-)

#hehe :3 #pjo hoo toa #camp jupiter #hoo #hoo octavian #pjo octavian #hoo headcanon #octavian headcanon #octavian hoo #octavian pjo #percy jackson #percy jackon and the olympians #okay bye

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dragonfly0808 · 2 years ago

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A Heroes of Olympus… Rant? Idk

So, I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump so I decided to reread my Riordan books to get me out of it and I’ve been thinking a lot about the Heroes of Olympus series specifically because… as much as I love that series looking back on it… there was just so much potential not just with the story but with the characters so… I’ve decided to make a small list of shit I would change just cause I feel like it.

So, first off, I don’t think I’d change much about The Lost Hero and Son of Neptune other than 3 tiny things.

1st, in The Lost Hero, Jason doesn’t fully remember Reyna like Percy does Annabeth, but he knows that there’s someone waiting for him. Also, Piper and Jason have an actual conversation in which they’re both like ‘Look, neither of us asked for this and I’m really sorry but we shouldn’t be together when our relationship never really existed.’

2nd, about Piper… SHE SHOULDN’T BE AN ‘I’M NOT LIKE OTHER GIRLS’ GIRL BECAUSE GIRLY GIRLS CAN BE JUST AS BADASS AND HAVE STORIES JUST AS GOOD AS TOMBOY AND NERDY GIRLS FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK- Sorry I am just so sick and tired of fantasy books specifically treating girly girls with little to no respect. Like… come on man.

For Piper she’d either be a girly girl from the start or she’d embrace her girly side while hanging out with the Aphrodite cabin (who deserve so much justice, I might actually do a one-shot about the Aphrodite cabin just cause I had an idea of Percy on his first week getting his nails done by Silena cause he always wanted to but couldn’t cause of Gabe/bullies idk) but yeah, Piper could go on a small journey of learning to embrace her girly side and also discovering she’s lesbian/bi, to which Drew reminds her that Aphrodite is the goddess of all kinds of love.

Son of Neptune I would only change Frank, he wouldn’t get his weird glow up, let him stay chubby and awkward!!!

Now… this is when we really deviate.

Cause… I would actually have Reyna and Nico be part of the 7 while Percy and Annabeth stay behind in New Rome (Percy stays in New Rome as Praetor and Annabeth returns to Camp Half-Blood to lead or they both stay in New Rome and Annabeth gets the idea to build something like that in Camp Half-Blood you know… BUILD SOMETHING PERMANENT).

Maybe Reyna or Nico get a vision that lets them know that they are the ones supposed to go with the 7 instead of Annabeth and Percy. (Maybe instead of Nico it’s Thalia who’s in the Jar idk) and so Reyna and Nico go with the 7 (Reyna and Jason have an emotional reunion as they should’ve but they still don’t talk about their feelings cause they’re Romans and duty comes first)

And… hear me out! 1) Piper, Hazel and Reyna would make such a powerful trio just… women! 2) Nico would have a tough time bonding with the boys (he has a strong bond with Hazel and I feel like Nico would be surprised to bond with Reyna quickly, but eventually he and Jason would become low-key besties and his banter with Leo would be very fun.) 3) ACTUAL SCENES OF THE 7 BONDING.

So Reyna would get Annabeth’s quest maybe with another villain? Point is, at the end of Mark of Athena, Reyna is the one that’s getting dragged to Tartarus, Jason tries to catch her, they’re hanging off the ledge, Jason can’t fly because the pit is trying to suck them in or smth. Reyna tells him to let her go, it’s his duty to lead the group yadda yadda yadda. Jason refuses to, tells Nico (or Thalia if she’s the one they rescue who knows?) to meet them on the other side of the Gates and we get a Jeyna Tartarus fall.

House of Hades. After years of not knowing how to approach the subject because of awkwardness/fear of abandonment/trust issues/too many praetor duties, etc… the fact that Jason was willing to fall into Tartarus with her, and the very real possibility of dying, makes Reyna and Jason finally talk about their feelings and get together and they survive Tartarus together.

In the meanwhile shit is going down in New Rome cause of stupid Octavian. Percy and Annabeth have to leave. On the Argo II everyone is having a mental breakdown so Nico or maybe Piper step up to try and lead (I would actually love it to be Piper cause she had potential as a leader so yeah).

Then another big change, Ogygia. Leo does land up on Ogygia, he does meet Calypso BUT- they don’t fall in love, however, they do grow to love each other which is what allows Leo to leave.

I don’t know exactly how it would work but I would love for platonic love to be the thing that finally saves Calypso and gets her off Ogygia. This would also play into an arc I’d give Leo all about 1) learning that he doesn’t have to be in love to be complete and growing and being okay with being alone as long as he’s not lonely and learning that platonic love can be just as strong as romantic love or 2) Leo realizing that he’s aromantic and asexual and it’s just heteronormative thinking that makes him believe he isn’t complete without a romantic partner and finally accepting himself as he is. And again, learning that platonic love can be just as strong as romantic love.

Also, more angst to Hazel’s Hecate-like powers, maybe for a moment she thinks she’s dead again or smth like that idk.

Finally, Blood of Olympus.

First off. The Athena Parthenos. That quest would go to Percy, Annabeth… AND GROVER. FUCK YEAH BITCHES. That way, we get our original trio back with an important quest and we get to see them again.

Real Jeyna Tartarus PTSD, just, angst galore.

A longer final battle with each of the 7 having a critical role in the final battle. Nico and Hazel fighting side by side, Frank and Leo, Reyna and Piper, Jason striking lightning from above. Percy doing his thing with Annabeth leading the Greek side.

And finally… I’d honestly have an actual death. One of the 7 would die, no resurrection, no nothing.

I think it’d either be Frank or Piper.

Frank because of the set up with the stick and the underrated boy finally coming into his own and sacrificing his life for the greater good.

But the better option (to me at least in my version of the story) would be Piper. We see her grow so much through the story. First coming into her own and embracing her girly side, then being forced to step up and lead when Jason and Reyna are in Tartarus and just overall becoming a hero in her own right. (Also I feel like Piper would just have a strong bond with every single one of the 7, she’s Leo’s person, low-key besties with Reyna, she’s one of Jason’s closest friends she inspires and is always there for Hazel and Frank, etc. so it’d be all the more painful, she and Nico bond over not being straight).

Also also, it would almost close the circle of the Aphrodite hero. Silena was the first hero of Aphrodite cabin, but some people still doubt her, Piper is the second hero of Aphrodite cabin that no one will ever doubt or try to discredit. They burn a pink shroud and her siblings and every single one of the seven, along with Percy and Annabeth mourn her. And all of Camp Half-Blood silently agrees to never underestimate or take the Aphrodite kids for granted again.

The series ends with Leo keeping his promise to Calypso to go back for her with help from Frank and Hazel, Annabeth asking Reyna for help to build a New Rome in Camp Half-Blood and Jason, Nico and Percy maybe confronting the gods or smth like that.

So yeah uh… those are the things I’d change that no one asked for… yay… I stayed up until like 2 am just thinking about this don’t ask me why ajajjajajaa hope you enjoyed my ramblings!

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afterdarkprincess · 1 year ago

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🌙🌟 Fic Masterlist 🌙🌟

Aftershocks

Relationship: Sami/Jey Rating: Explicit Summary: Sami and Jey dealing with the aftermath of Tribal Combat at Summerslam -------- Jey had no right to ask Sami for help in the tribal combat match. No right to think that Sami would help anyway. He’d done his damndest to make sure that DIDN’T happen. But his damn stupid heart had hoped, had some faith that maybe in his hour of need Sami would be there for him.

And instead he got…well, what he got.

Masterpost AO3 Link

Tangled Up With You All Night (Burning It Down)

Relationship: Jon Moxley/Seth Rollins/Roman Reigns Rating: Explicit Summary: Shield Era 2012 Seth has an encounter with 2023's Jon Moxley and Tribal Chief. Sexytimes ensue. ------ He drops his gaze, avoiding Roman’s eyes.

“I dunno, Ro- I don’t understand...” it sounds like weak protest even to his own ears, and Roman’s not having it.

“What’s not to understand?” Seth’s chin is gently lifted and held to meet Roman’s gaze again. “Look if you wanna leave, we’re not gonna stop you. But we’ve been wanting to get our hands on you for a long time, baby. Let us take care of you.” -----

Post AO3 Link

The Devil's In the Details (But You Got a Friend in Me)

Relationship: Sami/Jey Rating: Explicit Summary: Royal Rumble AU- Sami gets injured at the Rumble and never betrays Roman. Friends to Lovers through SummerSlam ------ “Yeah, Uce. I know Roman was probably jokin’ back then, but you really Sami Uso now. You stuck with us.”

That earns a laugh, “Can’t say I’m complaining.”

“Damn straight,” Jey grins. “And you don’t have to prove nothin’ to nobody.”

Sami’s eyes glisten as he nods. “I like that, ‘Sami Uso’”

“Me too.” ------ Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 AO3 Link

Ours

Relationship: Roman/Jey/Jimmy/Solo/Sami Gangbang Rating: Explicit Summary: After WarGames, Roman decides what Sami Zayn's place is in the bloodline, a willing hole for them to use. ______ “You see boys, our ‘Honorary Uce’ here has been struggling to find his purpose in our family.” Roman looks at Jey directly. “It took him a while to earn our trust, but he’s done so with hard work and dedication. I decided it was time for him to finally take his rightful place.” He gestures back to the bed.

____

Post AO3 Link

Can't Keep My Hands to Myself

Relationship: Sami/Jey/Cody Rating: Explicit Summary: Things get a little heated in the bus after the Fastlane Press Conference, Sami facetimes his boyfriend to get in on the action.

---- “Yea, Boo- we was just getting cozy…” Jey’s dick brushes against the warm bulge in Cody’s pants and he lets out an unmistakable groan.

Cody freezes beneath him, looking at Jey in alarm.

There’s a pause before Sami speaks again. “Oh we’re getting cozy like that, huh? Baby, you know the rules.” ----- Part One Part 2 AO3 Link

Sweet Like Justice Relationship: Sami/Jey Rating: Gen Summary: Backstage at Crown Jewel, Jey and Sami hatch a plan to subvert the Judgement Day ---- “Just hope Damien doesn’t use this to his advantage. I don’t think I could stand to see another belt on the Judgement Day.” Sami sighs, frustrated at all the chaos that the group has caused over the last few months.

Jey turns Sami to face him, a wide grin on his face as he shucks off the black hoodie he’s wearing. “Think I got an idea, Sami.” ----- Post AO3 Link

A Moment Backstage Relationship: Sami/Jey Rating: Gen Summary: Sami and Jey share an interaction backstage before the Tag Title Rematch (set during Nov 13th 2023 Monday Night Raw) ---- “They were trying to mess with us, Jey. Don’t let them get in your head.” Sami’s face is soft, and the understanding look in his eyes is doing nothing to assuage Jey’s guilt.

“Sami, I messed up wit’ you. Big time.” ---- AO3 Link Post

#masterlist #wwe fanfiction #samijey #ambrolleigns #the bloodline #roman reigns #jey uso #main event jey uso #sami zayn #solo sikoa #codyjey #cody rhodes

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acaciapines · 1 month ago

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"So… you're me?" Leo was asking, his arm thrown around Minnie Brighton, and he looked skeptically down at Sammy and Elena sitting at a picnic table. "But from the future?" "No. I'm Sammy." "I change my name to Sammy?" Elena gave Leo a look that was torn between resignation and amusement. "My sister is going to marry you?" Minnie asked, wrinkling her nose as she looked up at Leo. Elena scoffed. "There are so many other pretty girls here. Why you?" "Because-" Leo began and then did a double take. "Other pretty girls?" he asked. Minnie shrugged. "Chica, I am a boy." Minnie ducked out of his arm to take a step back and look at him. "....you are?" "It is a sign of beauty, little one. I was androgynous at his age as well," Sammy said stoically.

THEYRE BONDING!!!!!!!!

also vera and percy's entire scene is SO GOOD OKAY....vera has her two people she needs to protect....her stupid ideas for her roman name from the space book she and leo were reading...NEGOTIATING WITH PERCY YOU GO GIRL!!!!!!

i do love the deal she made. her divinity for ev if percy promises to not hurt her leo and minnie...but she gives it when she wants to. like.

man. vera you deserve a LIFETIME.

im always on her side <3

god. okay. back to reading. this chapter is already everything i have ever wanted. just "It was so strange. Percy still couldn't wrap his head around everything… the idea that someone just casually thought he'd murder a little girl and a fellow demigod."

like. Man. i love this percy arc SO MUCH hes not my favorite character (its soooo obvious who those are) but i ADORE the path his story has taken. so so so interesting.

#son of sea foam #sosf #vera love of my life #sorry this is like three sections in one lol i dont wanna make so many posts i gotta read the new chapter #sosf spoilers

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oatmealdaydreams · 1 year ago

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Newest Asides: Reaction Post [Part II]

Part II of the reaction post.

Trigger/Content Warning: wine mention

Beware of spoilers of the new Asides video (Virgil Reacts to...)

[Part I here]

==Actual Content, Part II==

his book is Crosswords for 365 Days by Will Shortz (prob published by New York Times)

^it's smaller text says A year of easy-to-hard puzzles

his tie. omg, his tie.

that is either a red and blue tie OR a dark-orange and blue tie

^either one fits

ANGER - Logan as anger? oh f*ck, the foreboding set in

"and people start acting funny when it comes to rules" -> why does this stick with me. why.

"Lo-gan" -> very nice, Roman

"here he goes again" -> this happens often, doesn't it?

HEY YEAH. Uno wtf

loving Logan's portrayal as Anger (fits him a little too well)

"poo-poo everything I suggest" -> feels a little too canon there, buddy (angst angst angst)

REMUS, MY RAT BASTARD (affectionate)

"that gave me an idea" // "no-"

^f*ckin ded

FEAR - Remus as Fear? hmm, I see, I see…

Remus as Fear is just a YUS from me, omg <3

his white hair streak/fluff, his greenish mustache, his green sweater vest, YUS I LOVE HIM

the bowtie, lmao

"snake, spider, or rat-" oh hey, my three fav Sides -> Snake Boi, Anxious Spider F*ck, and Rat Man

needs to check for snake, spider, or rat? why would he need to check as if they were out to get him or something? hmm?

^thoughts formulating, theories materializing

we are literally talking about sh*t rn

Roman looks so done with Remus - average sibling behaviour

loving the Janus-Remus interactions

"it's very gross- and terrifying" -> yep, that's. that's Fear. Yep.

"are we going to do that?" // "NO, nO-"

^mm, sibling interaction gives me life

oh wait, Remus also has no orange

It appears that the only two without orange on them are Remus & Patton. hmm.

^TIME TO THEORIZE

"Fearmus" // "Joyman" -> both these names are amazing

"Kill-Joyman" lmao

"yeah, that's accurate" -> NOT PATTON AGREEING

aw, now Joyman refrains and holds himself back, nooo

^mm, wonderful angst material tho

Joyman dramatizing Virgil/Other-Anxiety's arrival

I had to stop the dang vid to stim cause skfskafslfjal- no I am not normal about this

the anticipation, oh god why

"Anxiety~" // no one shows up

^lmao, Joyman must've had a "bruh" moment there

"-I can't do this" -> in the deepest voice ever, Virgil wtf

Everyone's reactions, lmao

"Speak for yourself, sweetie" -> f*cking love Janus

OTHER ANXIETY - poor Virgil, he looks so off with the orange

love how angry Virgil is over people thinking Anxiety would look like it's portrayed in the movie

everyone's reactions ksdfaskdf

Remus laughing at him - the Dukexiety content we needed

"sorry, you look stupid" -> Remus omg LMAO (they're besties, your honour)

JANUS. YOU MF, I LAUGHED-

"isn't that not how he always looks?" -> mm, classic Janus & Virgil hostility, my fav <3

Virgil shutting it down gives me the idea that all of them [the Sides], not only the twins (Creativity), can end Daydream Mode or whatever this is

"oh, buddy" -> reminds of when Virgil said he didn't like being called 'kiddo' so Patton was like "okay" and now calls him 'buddy'

loving all of their interactions with each other, just the Sides being a mess of a family

JANUS & REMUS HAVE THEIR OWN SPOTS!!

^hey, does this signify that c!Thomas has accepted them as parts of himself? just saying.

^^he doesn't have to like them to accept them, btw

the map behind Remus? yus, love that for his spot cause he's Creativity and thus can create worlds (the map fits that aspect) [this was a bit of stretch - leave me be]

"I was told there would be wine" -> ah makes sense, Janus was bribed

"…told I could kill Bing-Bong" -> yep checks out, Remus was also bribed

Headcanon: Patton bribed those two Dork Sides

love how those two were frickin bribed into this, lmao

"has the vibe shifted" -> idk why but this killed me (laughing)

"oh good, you reminded me of that scene" -> sad Patton; he plays Sadness so well (even when not Sadness - oh no)

"I always played Fear" -> not only have they done this before, but roles were pre-established and got switched because of the sequel (and Virgil playing Fear makes Biggo Sense, cause fear and anxiety kinda intertwine themselves [in a way])

^it seems like maybe Jan & Re don't usually play games with them like this, and maybe this is their first times as a group of six? Like, this is Jan's & Re's first time just hanging out with the other four?? cause of dialogue and how things are worded

"similar energies" -> why is so Remus GenZ-coded? (I say as a GenZ) (it's funny to me)

"no, he's right" -> besties besties besties (Jan & Re)

Roman Misunderstands Janus counter, anyone?

yep, floral-designed hoodie. the motif never ends

"Hi Bud" -> Pat's face is like :D

"Oh god, yes" -> he sounds so relieved to see Thomas, aw

"aesthetic-based casting" -> explains why Patton was Sadness and Janus was Disgust; but why Remus as Fear? and Ro as Joy?? hmm, must form some thoughts…

^wait, what does that mean for Logan? FOREBODING

^^WAIT, REMUS AS FEAR MAKES SENSE NOW - OH NO

maybe Ro was Joy cause he desperately wants control of a situation because with everything happening in canon, he's lost control of things and f*cked up and- angst angst angst

Virgil and Other Anxiety are so different, jfc

"Doctor Who is stupid" // "FALSEHOOD"

^and that's why he was Anger, yep, I see now

why does Logan express actual emotion but only ever through anger (and sass)? TIME TO THEORIZE

maybe because Logan was usually dismissed/not taken seriously whenever he expressed emotion, so now all he has is sass & anger & a cold-exterior mask to hide behind? (evident from earlier videos)

aww, Ro being kind to Vi and platonic Prinxiety being friends slkffslkfdlsafjkd

"is that really how some people would think Anxiety would like?" -> the Others' reactions - oh no, the silence

"they all wanna say yes" -> Remus, this is why you're my fav character

love how Remus is kinda chill/domestic this episode <3

Remus be forcing others to confront things they're trying to avoid, and that's my fav thing about him

can you tell I'm a Remus stan yet

"nope" -> yeah, that's Remus [lmao]

Remus and Virgil are such besties in this, and I LOVE IT

==More IRL Thomas==

mm, promo

stickers, I wish I could have ye

yay, famous outro

==End Card==

Sadton Tries To Pun but gets Pun-Blocked by Anger-Logan

"interrupting cow" -> he's so sad, noooo

Joyman horribly singing to musicals is not something I expected, but I love it anyway

"it has been THREE. HOURS. I will murder you with a butterknife!" OtherAnxiety-Virgil is a whole mood

JANUS FINALLY GETTING HIS WINE

Him calling Remus "buddy" is everything to me

^Janus sounds like a frickin wine mom, omg

"idk, I just let him play" -> explains so much about Jan & Re, dear frickin god

why does the wine look like Kool Aid-

#tw wine mention #edit: just realized Virgil having that deep-ass voice before coming onto screen as Other Anxiety as as prob his Tempest Tongue cause he ->#he was hating/really anxious about being Other Anxiety n sh*t #thomas making a SaSi-related vid about the movie trailer has the same energy as me writing that fic about the MRIH pilot episode #spoilers #ts spoilers #tss spoilers #sanders asides spoilers #sanders asides #asides #tss #reaction post #long post #part II #thomas sanders #just saying

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lighttailoring · 9 months ago

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Mr Cereal Korn + 5, 7, 8, 21 for the character ask game!

5. What's the first song that comes to mind when you think about them?

Roman by Eugene McGuinness!

This song was taken off Spotify for some unfathomable reason so it's not on my playlist any more but to me this is Syril's Song and nothing can change my mind. Every lyric just fits. Also Eugene McGuinness should have been a megastar of the 00s indie-pop scene & not a day goes by when I'm not mad about him staying as obscure as he did

7. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you like?

I love how we all collectively latched onto him being *canonically 35 years old* in Season One. He's our washed up emotionally stunted millennial baby man and that's final <3

8. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you despise?

I know I have ranted to you about this before (sorry) but I hate the "incel" stuff. Syril is an entirely different flavour of freak. He doesn't hit any of the beats of an "incel" character (like say Xander from Buffy). He's like, the absolute opposite of someone who's constantly trying to get laid - he is SO fucking uptight he's practically snapping in two. I can kind of see him as maybe one of those "nofap" idiots but again I think his motivations would be *so* much more unhinged than wanting to Attract High Value Women. He's like... a priest, to me. One of those ones who loves Jesus a little *too* much. Like, I'm a keero through and through but even when he's creeping around outside Dedra's work I genuinely don't think he understands what's driving that behaviour because he's always denied himself in service of being a Good Boy and that's SO MUCH MORE JUICY than him just being some 4chan guy.

21. If you're a fic writer and have written for this character, what's your favorite thing to do when you're writing for this character? What's something you don't like?

I love to Put Him In Stressful Situations. Like I have a great deal of affection for him but writing him in total despair and forced to make impossible choices is very fun for me. I don't like to deliberately make him look stupid (he can of course make a fool of himself). Like the previous question - it's so much more fun, personally, for me to put him in the spiritual equivalent of predicament bondage than just to point and laugh at him.

#*looks nervously at ao3 account*#yeah I just think of him like a priest. I definitely havent put any more thought into it than that #syril karn #syrilposting #monsieur cereal korn

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dogcodedcatboy · 10 months ago

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13 + 15 fr the ask game >:]]

HI THANK U FOR SENDING AN ASK! i didn't forget abt these i just had a silly day at work (spent lunch break looking for my missing wallet it was hiding in a dunkin donuts bag in my car </3)

13. What's the most noticeable physical attribute of your s/o to you? aaron: if i wanted to be a dick...i would say his height. i mean...5'6 king. you could lose him in like, some tall grass. shortest guy i know. but, if i wanted to be like, real and true or whatever...i would say his eyes. holy shit. talk about big beautiful baby cow eyes...ugh.

roman: Aaron's most noticeable trait? Oh, definitely his giant fucking nose...with the piercing, too. The one that looks like a door-knocker thing? Not that it doesn't fit his stupid handsome face or whatever...asshole looks like he's carved out of marble or some shit. 15. Who's clingier?

aaron: everyone thinks i'm gonna say its me, and tbh fair...cause in all of my other relationships it's been me. BUT...i was fucking floored by the sheer degree of clinginess this guy can display. i mean, i am a little needy, don't get me wrong. when we're apart i text him a lot, when he's away i really like to hear his voice and call every so often...but roman is on another level. when we're together he's like my shadow, i swear he'd be happy if i carried him everywhere with me like some kind of boy emperor or bug-eyed purse dog. not that i'd mind...

roman: If he said me, I'm gonna be pissed, okay? I'm not /clingy/. It's not /clingy/ to want to spend time with someone you...care a lot about. If it is, then, fuck me, maybe I am the clingy one. Whatever. I text him a lot, sure, what else am I supposed to do at work? If he doesn't want me blowing up his phone, he should try being less witty and charming...or whatever. And, when we see each other I want to make the most of it, ya know? Maybe I do want to fill that time with couply-spooning-lovey-dovey bullshit. Gross, I know.

#asks #THESE ARE FUN #meeks 🧃

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vinbee631 · 2 years ago

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Learning the Proper Way

Roman doesn't know how to dance, and he doesn't want to learn. Too bad he has to.

after a teensy hiatus, I'm back! I will get all the logince week fics written at some point lmao

quick warning, there is a mention of character death here, and the grief process. if you would like to skip past that, I left a little warning where that section starts and ends. safe reading, my friends! <3

thanks for being here, and enjoy my silly thing for day 5: dancing

In just under a month, the King had plans to host a celebration, crowning both of his sons as the heirs, ruling together as a team whenever their father eventually abdicated the throne.

Of course, Roman was thrilled about this development. While under a technicality he was the eldest male and eligible for the throne, the idea of ruling an entire kingdom by himself was ridiculously daunting. Having Remus as a guaranteed presence, and getting to make decisions with his input, sounded much more manageable.

However, he had to get through the party first.

And parties, for the traditional royal, meant ballroom dancing.

The twins’ father, Thomas, was usually all about breaking the harmful traditions and stereotypes of leaders past, but he truly enjoyed the dancing, the live music, and the intense amount of people to talk to.

Roman typically enjoyed these, too. As children, there hadn’t been any pressure to participate in anything that made them uncomfortable, so they mostly spent time talking to aunts and uncles and cousins or copying the dancing of the adults around them, and ultimately failing at it and settling for spinning around the room at speeds that probably could have taken a group of dancers out if they weren’t careful.

This time, however, as the future kings, there would be an expectation for at least a bit of traditional dancing.

This meant Roman needed to learn how.

Both of the boys did, but they would be receiving individual lessons, considering the trouble they could get up to if they were working together.

That was probably the best idea, to separate them, but it also meant that Roman was completely alone, doing something he really did not want to do.

Well, perhaps not completely alone.

“I’m going to step on your feet the whole time. This is going to be miserable,” he warned Logan, his best friend who had nobly volunteered to assist him in learning for the next few weeks.

Logan rolled his eyes, beckoning for Roman’s hands. “The whole point of these sessions is to teach you. I do not expect you to be prodigious, but you have to at least appear to be able to dance by the last of the month, yes?”

Roman grumbled, taking Logan’s hands reluctantly. “This is so stupid. Can’t I just- hover on the edge of the ballroom like Virgil so loves to do?”

“Virgil is Captain of the Guard,” Logan replied in exasperation, “and is typically under strict orders to be surveillance, not a dance partner. Besides, you are one of the Crown Princes. If you would like to explain to your father why one of his heirs is going to be hiding away from people all night just to avoid the fact that he doesn’t know how to dance, you are welcome to.”

“Alright, alright, I get it,” Roman groaned. “Doesn’t mean I’m going to be happy about it, though.” He let out a put-upon sigh, beginning to sway along to the music with Logan.

“Somehow, I was not expecting you to enjoy it,” Logan gently teased, fighting laughter at the sight of Roman’s pout. “You’ll be alright. We’ll take it slow, if nothing else, to avoid you stepping on my feet as much as we can.”

Well, Logan may have jinxed himself with that, considering Roman then went on to accidentally step on his feet.

Four times, in fact.

Roman sighed again, breaking away from Logan’s grip to fold his arms over his chest. “I hate this. I’m not any good at it, and that’s obviously not going to be changing anytime soon!”

Logan waved a hand, pausing the music. “Roman, dear, we’ve been practicing for ten minutes. I was not expecting you to be passable on your very first try. Dance is an art, a skill, and it required practice, proper practice, to excel at it. You still have over three weeks to learn, and you will get there by then, I am certain of it. But you will never get there if you choose to give up at the start.”

Roman rolled his eyes, unfolding his arms and holding them out for Logan to take. “Stop being so smart and right and whatever and just start the damn music.”

“If you say so, my prince.”

The rest of the lesson would continue similarly. They continued to work at half speed, and they had some pretty good moments where everything was going smoothly and there seemed hope for Roman yet.

And then, he would make a mistake, step on Logan’s foot again, get caught up in the moves and miss something, and they’d be back to square one.

Logan, despite the calm front he was putting up, was beginning to get frustrated. He understood that Roman was having a hard time, but it wasn’t like him to give up so easily, and so frequently. Yet, once Logan began to talk, it was easy to coerce him back into trying again.

By the fifteenth time the two had separated in the first hour, Logan desperately needed a break from this behavior (and perhaps some headache medication).

“Is there a particular reason you are being so difficult about this?” Logan waved the music away once more and pulled up a chair to sit for a moment. “I do not mean that in a judgemental way, and I am not… too upset about it. I am merely curious why you seem so- disinclined to learn properly.”

“I just- I really hate dancing, okay?” Roman grumbled, his pout slightly hidden from the way his head tipped downward. “I’m not interested in learning properly because I am not interested in learning, that’s all.”

It didn’t seem like Roman was even convincing himself of that.

“I hope you’ll forgive me for not believing that. You do not have to talk about it if this is making you uncomfortable, but I would like to know the cause of your distress. It will likely make these lessons easier, and… it is not pleasant, seeing you upset.”

“Aww, he does care after all!” Roman teased, his grin not quite meeting his eyes. “But uh, I guess I should talk about it, yeah? Might make things easier than if I just avoid it forever.”

“Possibly,” Logan responded, frowning out of concern for his friend, “but again, you do not have to talk about it if you are not ready. There is no pressure here for you to share anything too personal.”

“You are making quite a big deal of me being pissy about dancing lessons,” Roman continued to tease.” Seriously, though, I am going to talk about it. I just… I could use some time to figure out how to explain it. Perhaps at the next lesson?”

“Sounds good. I suppose this would be a good spot to wrap things up, anyway. I should have some more tips for you then, but if you have any questions before then, please do not hesitate to come and find me.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Now, I’ll see you later. I want to see how Remus is doing.” Logan nodded, waving to Roman as he closed the door behind him.

He hoped that, perhaps, Remus would be able to lift Roman’s spirits a bit. The two could get up to all kinds of things if left to their own devices, and that may be a good distraction from whatever was bothering him.

Oh shit, wait.

"Roman! Get back here! The two of you had better be supervised!"

…

By the time their second lesson rolled around, it seemed Roman wasn’t actually ready to talk.

Logan was far from upset. He was still a bit concerned about his friend, but if he had something going on and felt a need to talk about it, Logan continued to remind him that he would be available to listen whenever Roman needed it.

At least their next practice went a lot more smoothly. Roman was still ridiculously upset whenever he made a mistake, but he was still receptive to Logan’s reassurance, and their breaks between working out the moves became smaller and smaller.

This time, they were able to make it to about two hours of dance before they called it for the day.

Logan was beginning to feel a lot more optimistic about their end result.

Until Roman showed up to their third session, being dragged along by the ear by his brother.

“Ro, you have to get this over with. It’s not gonna be any easier if you hide.” Roman whined, swatting at his brother’s hands. “Let go of me! I’m going, I’m going, dammit!”

Remus rolled his eyes. “You’re just behaving now cuz Logan’s here. Go on, show me what you’ve learned so far?”

“You’re going to be disappointed,” Roman grumbled, but he met Logan’s hands on the ballroom floor without any further complaint.

Logan blinked, searching Remus’ face for any sort of explanation for their behavior, and ultimately receiving none. “If… if now is a bad time for you, we… we can always postpone for-”

“No. Now that I am already here, I would like to get this done as quickly as possible, please.” Roman’s voice was clipped, slipping slightly into the more formal speech he adopted for council meetings and talking to other rulers. It certainly didn’t provide Logan any reassurance, but he didn’t get another chance to question it, as Remus had already started the music.

He had planned to introduce Roman to full-speed dancing today, but he had a feeling that wouldn’t be a very well-met suggestion. Instead, they stuck with what they’d been doing, dancing at a slower pace, with Logan offering tips and reminders as they went.

All things considered, Roman did a very good job. He only made one small mistake, and instead of getting upset and throwing himself out of Logan’s arms with a huff, he simply sighed and kept going.

Logan wasn’t sure if that was supposed to be concerning or not.

About twenty minutes into their practice, Remus stood, gently tapping his brother on the shoulder.

“May I have this dance?”

Roman nodded, smiling slightly as Remus took his hands, swinging him around way faster than his previously established speed. Roman yelped, giggling as he tried to keep up with his brother.

Logan watched with a smile on his face, discreetly increasing the pace of the music and watching the twins laugh as they tried to keep up. Inevitably, it got too fast, and one tripped over the other and they fell to the floor, bright, genuine smiles on their faces.

“See? Told you we’d have fun.” Roman smiled, a bit sadly, and the two shared a conversation in their expressions that Logan couldn’t interpret. Not that he needed to, it seemed the two had something important and private to work out.

“Alright, I’ll quit takin’ up poor Lo-Lo’s time. Good luck with the rest of it, I’ll be with Dad when you’re done if you wanna join us.” Roman nodded, allowing Remus to hoist him off the floor before he left.

“Shall we continue, then?” Roman nodded, meeting Logan a bit more reluctantly than he had his brother, but Logan would have been a bit surprised if he hadn’t.

He just wished he knew the source of Roman’s hesitance. Whatever it was, it was a great deal to him, and Logan wanted more than anything to find a way to help make things easier for him.

However, he couldn’t do anything if Roman didn’t tell him how to help. So instead, he continued working with him, teaching him ways to make complicated moves look easy, ways to conserve his energy so he could dance for hours if needed without getting too out of breath, and so much more.

He pretended not to notice how Roman became more and more closed off the closer they got to the date of the dance.

Maybe everything would work itself out.

…

Logan was much less confident of those things working themselves out when, just a week from the fateful day, Roman didn’t shop up to the ballroom at his assigned time.

Well, it wasn’t too abnormal for him to be a minute or two late, especially lately. Logan gave him the benefit of the doubt and stayed, wandering around aimlessly while he waited.

After fifteen minutes of waiting, he eventually gave in and went looking for the missing prince.

He wasn’t in his room, nor Remus’ (who had thankfully agreed to help Logan search for his brother) nor the number of guest rooms scattered around the palace. Remus checked the kitchens, the courtyard, and the garden, and came up Roman-less.

Well, that left them with just one option left.

The two hesitantly made their way to King Thomas’ chambers. They knew once he found out, there would be a whole battalion of guards searching the palace and surrounding area for the prince. They had tried to avoid that outcome as long as possible, for Roman’s sake, but they did need to actually find him.

In the end, it was Logan that pushed the door open, Remus clinging to his heels and peering over his shoulder.

They were surprised, but mostly overwhelmingly relieved, to see Roman with King Thomas, the King smiling gently at the two boys in the doorway.

“Roman, I believe you have some visitors if you are up for it.”

Roman sniffed (sniffed?) and turned to face where his father was looking. “O-oh, hi.” Logan wasn’t quite sure he felt a twinge in his chest at the sight of looking so- small, but he pushed that aside for now.

“Hey, Ro. Not doing so great, huh?" Roman nodded, and Logan swore the twinge was growing stronger. "S-sorry for makin' you worry. I probably- s-scared you by not showing up to lessons."

Logan shook his head instantly. "That's not your fault, Roman. Yes, I was a bit worried, but only because I feared something had happened to you. I'm not upset that you made me worry, and you shouldn't be either."

"And look at that," Remus joked, "you proved the nerd does actually care about us, congrats!" When Remus' attempt to lighten the mood barely moved the corners of Roman's lips, they knew they were dealing with something big.

"Alright, Ro, no more jokes for now. Do you need to talk about it? Lo and I are great listeners."

Roman hesitated, and Logan didn’t miss how his eyes briefly flickered toward him, before his gaze settled firmly in his lap, the question still unanswered.

“I can leave if you would like to speak in private, Roman. I will not be offended if you need space.” Roman quickly shook his head, letting out a frustrated huff.

“Having a hard time with words?” Remus asked, and he seemed completely unsurprised when Roman nodded in return. “That’s fine, take your time Ro, I won’t let him go anywhere.”

Logan let out a small huff of laughter as Remus pulled him to sit on Thomas’ bed next to Roman, and then planted himself firmly in Logan’s lap, mirroring their father and Roman’s position.

The four waited in comfortable silence, and Logan listened as Roman’s breathing slowly relaxed, the sniffling from earlier vanishing.

“I… well, I’m having a hard time explaining because this is something I’ve only talked about with my family. I’ve never told Logan… and I want to! But it’s… it’s anxiety-inducing, very much so.”

Logan nodded in understanding, reaching out a hand to hold one of Roman’s. “I know you already specified you did not want me to leave, if at any point it gets too overwhelming, I can give you space. Regardless, you are safe here, and you may take as much time as you need to figure out how to express your feelings.”

“Are you out for my job, Logan?” If Thomas were any other type of ruler, that kind of statement likely would have terrified Logan. But he had been used to Thomas’ light-hearted teasing for a long time. After all, he was the one the twins had picked it up from.

Roman nodded, taking a deep breath to collect himself. “It’s… this is related to the dancing stuff before. I may be making a bit too big of a deal about it, but as soon as we first talked about the obligation I have, it’s been… I guess, hanging over my head.

“When me and Re were really little, when… when Papa was still around, we spent a lot of time learning all kinds of stuff from him. He had a… more difficult time expressing in words how much he loved us, so we’d do things with him, instead.

“He used to take us on trips outside the palace, he taught Rem how to hold a sword, but I was too scared to, and…

“He used to dance with us.

“It wasn’t really… I never properly learned how, and I probably would have sooner if he didn’t… yeah. But, whenever I’d really get into learning how, it just… I couldn’t think of anything else but him, and…”

Remus had gently moved out of Logan’s lap so he could wrap Roman in a tight hug, and Logan would have joined him if there were any space.

“Oh, Ro-bro. I wouldn’t have made ya do all that practicing if I’d-”

“No,” Roman cut him off gently, wiping his tears on his sleeve, “I’m glad you did. I wanna learn, I think it’s a good thing that I’m processing all this now, too. If you hadn’t pushed me, I probably just would have ignored it for an even longer and even unhealthier amount of time. I think this is what Papa would have wanted. So, thanks."

“You’re awfully quiet over there, brainiac. Wanna share what’s on your mind?” Logan nearly smiled at the old nickname. Thomas had been using it since he was a boy, and he found it didn’t get old, however juvenile it was.

“I… well, I too wish I would have known sooner, but I’m glad you felt comfortable enough to share that with me. I’m just… I’m very sorry, Roman. King Nico left us far too soon, and I... I wish there was more I could say or do to help.”

Roman rolled his eyes, nudging his brother out of the way. “Re, budge, I gotta knock some sense into our resident brain cell.” Roman scootched himself out of his dad’s lap to sit in Logan’s, pressing their foreheads together.

“You did help, dummy. You are helping, just by listening to me. I… probably wouldn’t be going through with this if the lessons had come from anyone else, even Dad or Remus. So, quit being all bummed, that's supposed to be my job right now.”

Logan huffed, lightly flicking him on the arm. “I’m not ‘bummed,’ I’m upset for your sake, although that is reassuring. I am… glad you are feeling better, though, and if there is more I can do, please do not hesitate to ask.”

"Gee, do you like me or something, Lo?” Roman teased, pulling Logan in for a tight hug. “And I thought I was a dummy about feelings, geez. So silly.”

Logan scoffed, but he didn’t break away from the hug. “I am not silly. I do not know what you are trying to insinuate, Crown Prince.”

“I’m insinuating that you are silly, and I will die on this hill! The silliest ever! A positively goofy guy!”

Logan rolled his eyes, pulling back from Roman just enough to make eye contact with Remus and Thomas. “Please, back me up here. He is being entirely unreasonable.”

“Hm, I dunno, I think I agree with him. You can be kinda silly. What kinda goofball reads books for fun? Seems pretty silly to me.”

“Don’t forget all the research projects and presentations he’s made to prove a point. Those have to be included,” Thomas added, much to Logan’s embarrassment. Oh, gods, they were all going to gang up on him, weren’t they?

“Yeah! And there’s all the formal talking he does, even when he’s just with us. It’s like, that’s his normal way of speaking, so goofy!”

“And the telescope we installed in the balcony of the library just so he could tell us about the stars?”

“Y’know how he’ll distract pushy nobles from bugging me by talking about crazy stuff, like how he spent an hour talking to Lord Cassius about modern agricultural developments because he was pushing me to get remarried?”

“Oh my gods, yes! We can’t forget how many times he’s literally run into us because he’s thinking too hard or reading something.”

“And how many times have we caught him up working at 2 am because he got swept up in it?”

“Yeah, the jury’s out, Lo, guess you’re just the goofiest ever, no contest. Oh, oops, we broke him.” When the three of them finally finished picking on him, Logan was bright red, hiding his warm face firmly in his hands.

“Our bad, sorry Lo. You doing alright down there?” Logan let out an embarrassing squeak, the other’s laughter doing nothing to help him calm down.

“I… I am fine. You… you all are- incredibly mean. How do I ever put up with you?” The three nobles laughed, and Logan found that actually, he didn’t mind all the teasing. It was just how this crazy family showed they cared about him.

And he cared about them, too.

…

The party itself went well, the preparations going a lot smoother without the cloud of dread hovering over Roman’s head.

He even seemed excited about it now, which made a very happy feeling settle comfortably in the chests of his family and friends.

All in all, the party was a large success. The announcement went over well, and not a negative word was heard about the unconventional choice of the king, only hopeful and positive remarks about the twins’ future reign together.

The rest went off without a hitch as well. Thomas was an incredible host, it almost seemed as if he was talking to ten people at once with all the socializing he did. The twins followed suit, happily accepting all the prattle from excited royals and citizens alike about their future prospects.

And at last, closer to the end of the night, the band set up and the music began.

Many excited couples flocked to the ballroom floor, along with Thomas, as he was happily tugged along to dance with whoever asked politely.

Remus quickly followed his father, dancing surprisingly cleanly for someone with a reputation for much more chaotic and silly things than traditional ballroom dancing.

Unlike his brother, Roman was a bit more hesitant. He stayed behind for a while, keeping up the socializing instead of diving right into dancing. Logan wasn’t surprised, but he had an idea to ease his friend’s nerves.

He gently tapped the prince on the shoulder, politely interrupting Roman’s conversation with a noble Logan hadn’t been introduced to before.

“What’s up, Lo? Enjoying the party so far?” Logan nodded, gently squeezing Roman’s hand. “Of course, your father organized it after all. It wouldn’t be anything other than perfect. Although, I have a quick proposition for you if you aren’t busy.”

“Anything, Lo.”

“May I have this dance?”

Roman blinked, and his surprise quickly melted away into a small smile. “Yes, Logan, yes you may.”

ahh h/c my beloved

my ao3 :)

#sanders sides fanfiction #sanders sides #ao3 fanfic #tumblr fanfic #roman sanders #logan sanders #thomas sanders #remus sanders #virgil sanders #hurt/comfort #dancing #royalty #minor character death #figured i should warn you about that #loginceweek2023

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