#Rouge would find it amusing

[lilpatison]

[Moulin Rouge 2001] art dump

(Because this movie lives rent free in my head.)

[bumblehoneybee]

Tall Drink of Water

Requested by my very best friend @peachypede

Apparently, it was supposed to mean something. Shadow wasn't as up to date with social norms, but what was currently being implied to him made less sense than Amy's insistence that it was normal and expected to remove shoes upon entering a home.

He regarded his. . . fellow hedgehog with squinted eyes. "I don't follow."

"Isn't it kinda weird?" Sonic asked him, rocking back and forth on his feet. "Cause they're so much taller than you."

"And that's supposed to be. . . weird?"

"Well, I figured you'd be intimidated-" Sonic cut himself off, boggling the snort that Shadow let out. "Wah-! You're laughing??"

"You're being humorous, thinking I would ever be intimidated."

Sonic furrowed his brows, cheeks puffed out. "Okay, Mister Ultimate Lifeform, so it doesn't bother you?"

"It does not." Shadow confirmed with a shake of his head. "I like that they are taller. It makes it more amusing whenever I sweep them off their feet."

Sonic just blew a raspberry, no longer interested now that his teasing had failed. He finished up his bothering with a poke to Shadow's nose, laughing as he was batted away. Shadow scowled after him, but didn't chase when the blue blur ran off into the city.

There were other places he wanted to be, rather than in the presence of the world's biggest annoyance.

The world around him cracked like lightning as he snapped his fingers, teleporting back to your shared home. He wondered, toeing his shoes off at the door, if you would also find that strange conversation humorous like he did. You always liked to laugh, so he trotted to where you were prepping lunch for yourself in the kitchen.

"Welcome back, Shads!" You chirped, throwing him a grin over your shoulder. The lights above you haloed your head, like something divine. Shadow merely basked in it as he leaned against the counter. "Was your walk good?"

"Ran into Sonic." He replied. You shook your head, already expecting the complaints soon to come. "He told me something funny."

"Oh?" You asked, intrigued now.

"He said he thought I would be intimidated because you're taller than me." Shadow paused, waiting for your laughter. You did chuckle, but then your face twisted with an expression he hadn't seen on you before. He didn't like it. "Don't tell me you thought the same."

That made you actually laugh. "Of course not." Shadow huffed his approval, so you turned your smile back to your lunch. "I was surprised, though. Remember when I told you about how people had types?"

"Yes. You told me how I checked all your boxes-"

"Shut up!" You snapped, no real heart in it. Still, Shadow smirked at you, enjoying the flush that crossed the apples of your cheeks. "What I mean is, it seems a majority of guys like it when their partners are shorter than them."

"I am not like most guys." Shadow responded easily. You refused to look at him, but could feel his teasing aura. "I'm the. . . whole package."

"Bye." You strode off, taking your lunch elsewhere.

Sadly, you couldn't get far before your legs came out from under you. A loud yelp popped from your throat, but it didn't cover up the warm, low chuckles Shadow gave as he flustered you endlessly.

Still, as he kissed your cheek, nuzzling into your temple, you couldn't find it in you to mind.

"What did Rouge call you that one time?" Shadow asked in a low murmur. You were too distracted by the little kisses to really listen to him. "You're my tall drink of water."

Cackles rang throughout the apartment. And though it made him cringe to say it, Shadow was glad he did. Your laughter was music to his ears, after all.

[endless-ineffabilities]

But Daddy, I Love Him (chapter one)

Daemon Targaryen x f!reader

synopsis : the reader is a daughter of the Lord of House Arwen - ever so dutiful and mild-mannered. Slated to be the lady wife of some highborn Lord, someone who is noble and decent. Not the volatile Rogue Prince. Not Daemon Targaryen.

in this chapter : The Rogue Prince and the reader meet. Their fates entwine. A fool is made out of a Lady.

themes/warnings : Daemon being Daemon is a warning in itself, Daemon has a superiority complex, highborn!reader, House Arwen is my own creation (name inspired by lotr!)

series list : chapter one - chapter two - chapter three

word count : 2k ▪︎ masterlist

a/n : the title and the series concept inspired by the TS song ofc <3

Dutiful daughter, all my plans were laid. Tendrils tucked into a woven braid...

Your chambers. The Godswood. The library.

Every day is the same. The mornings start with your ladies in waiting helping you prepare for the day. Running your bath, carefully pressing your frocks, lacing you up in your bodice. Making sure each lock of hair is in place, the right amount of rouge dabbed against the apples of your cheeks.

You were once a perfect little girl, now a perfect little lady.

Soon a perfect little lady wife.

This is your story, already woven, already told time and time again. The same story for all ladies of your standing.

All you have to do is to be good. And so you are.

Thank the gods for the stories you read, enabling you jump into different lives. Adventures and romances you know you will never have, not truly. But you are happy to play the fool with every page turned.

The library has become your safe haven, your home within your home. Nestled high in the sprawling castle of House Arwen. Nothing can disturb you here. No one.

Or so you thought.

The very first words you hear Daemon Targaryen say to you come across as rather rude. You will find in time that he does not mean to be rude. Not all the time, that is. This is just how he is.

"I have always found that story rather dull. Amusing how you seem to be so engrossed in it, my lady."

"Excuse me, but I will you have you know - " you raise your head, taking in the visitor. Or intruder.

"Prince Daemon," you rise from your seat, offering a well-practiced curtsy. An instinctive move of obeisance for a lady like you.

He barely acknowledges your gesture, his face flat and impassive. "That book. I was forced to read it in my youth. Our Maester all but shoved it down my throat."

You immediately do not take to his approach. That book is one of the most famous tales from Old Valyria. He should know, being of Valyrian blood and all.

"I believe there is much to like about this book, my Prince."

"Such as?"

"Well, it depicts a warrior knight of Old - "

"Some warrior knight," Daemon scoffs, not even letting you finish your statement. "He gave up his powers for the love of a wench he knew for just a fortnight. He had every chance at glory but he squandered all of it away. For what?"

"For... for love?" comes your response, though you know he did not really want one.

For someone who claims to dislike this story so much, he sure knows it well.

He mindlessly taps his fingers on a nearby shelf, eyes lazily reading the titles. Drifting through the room with the unmistakeable disdain of someone who is used to having so much, the world practically by his feet, but is disinterested with it all.

You think that you could fall dead right then and Daemon wouldn't care. Wouldn't even bat an eyelash. He rolls his eyes at your mention of love, and it does not help your impression of him.

"There are only two things worthy of love in my eyes, my lady, and that is power and blood."

"Blood? Well, my prince, family is one of the most important - "

"Blood is not the same for me as it is for you. My blood carries a legacy of fire and magic, being of Old Valyria. You would not possibly understand how I hold my blood in high regard."

Oh may the gods strike him down now.

Your hands clench into fists, pressing against your skirts, but you don't have it in you to notice the unladylike gesture. All you can think of is letting him have a piece of your mind. "A family can have a flock of sheep or a horde of dragons, my prince, and it makes no difference to me. Your family is your family, your blood is your blood. But whether you choose to love them does not solely depend on blood."

It is as if he sees for you for the first time then, the moment you show that you have your own voice, and that you will not simply cater to his whims.

He turns eager to press you further, make you break, make you cave in. "What of you, my lady? What is it that you find worthy of love? Family, I presume, from your poorly formed argument? What about a lord husband?"

"I do love my family," you nod. "And when I do wed, I am sure I will love my lord husband just as dearly."

He walks closer, but does not stop in front of you as is the polite thing to do in conversation. He circles you, and you feel exposed by the way he openly takes you in. "Oh, but how will you know? You do not have a choice, do you? How can that be love?"

You do not answer right away, for the prince has just voiced one of your biggest fears. What if you do not find love in your lord husband? What sort of life would that entail? One which you have been preparing for since you entered womanhood, one you always thought you would be willing to accept. It is your duty, after all.

So you say just that. "It is my duty, and if I am able to fulfil my duty, then I am certain that will bring me happiness."

Daemon scoffs, his lips forming a self-righteous sneer. "In the story, do you then think that the warrior knight would have been better off fulfilling his duty and abandoning his love?"

"It is not the same."

"It is exactly the same."

"No," you emphasize, "because he had a choice. I do not."

He had stopped right in front of you, a bit too close for comfort, almost as if he needs to lean in to scrutinize you fully. "Love is the death of duty, my lady. Take my word for it, you would be far better off playing your role. If you truly wish to honour your family, you would not fall in love at all."

He's so close that you can feel his breath fanning your face. If you didn't know any better, you would believe that simply being so near Daemon Targaryen is the reason why your body feels like it is on fire. He gives off heat like a furnace, like a dragon.

Maybe he is a dragon. Is that not what they all say about Targaryens?

You open your mouth to take a breath, lest your throat also burns from the dry warmth, your stomach curling adding to your nerves. It prompts you to ask, "What about you, my prince? Has duty stolen every chance you have at love?"

His eyes draw downward to your lips, and his faint blonde lashes catch the light. The Rogue Prince does look otherwordly. Everything you have heard about him has been inadequate.

His violet eyes meet yours once more. "I would not bother with such frivolity. As I said, my lady, power and blood are all there is."

"Perhaps so. Perhaps true love only exists in the stories that I read."

"You are learning," he nods, and offers what might be his first genuine smile to you.

"Nevertheless," you step away from him, and carry your book back to the shelf. "I do not fault the warrior knight for choosing love over glory. I would choose as he had done, if that were a possibility."

His response is glib, but not meant to offend. "Then you are a fool, my lady."

"I wish I were a fool, my prince," you smile, lowering your gaze. "Aren't all fools happy?"

"You wish nothing more than to be mere mummer who has found happiness in love."

"If only," you say. It's surprising how easy you're finding it to engage in conversation with him. It feels like you have known him for many moons and not only for this moment.

The Rogue Prince, of all people. Which begs the question, what is he doing in the library of House Arwen?

"Pardon me, my prince, but why have you graced us with your presence this morning?"

He turns serious, almost bored, that he has to acknowledge the reason for his visit. "My brother, the King, has sent me to relay an official decree to your Lord father. He is to accept the position of Master of Coin for the small council."

"He... he is?" you swallow. This would mean that you have to go with him and live in the Red Keep. This also signals that your betrothal to Tyland Lannister is afoot. Your father had recently paid a visit to Casterly Rock to arrange for your marriage to Tyland or Jason Lannister. If it is to be with Jason, you would be sent to Casterly Rock. If Tyland, your father would take the offer to be part of the small council. You are to accompany him and begin courtship with the Master of Ships.

At least it will be Tyland and not Jason.

"Yes, I am supposed to meet your Maester here in the library to deliver the royal decree," Daemon replies, the task so insignificant to him, unaware that he has just delivered news that determines the course of your life.

Not that it makes any difference. Your father has always wanted to join houses with either the Lannisters or the Baratheons. Forge a true Westerosi alliance. It seems that he will finally get his wish.

Your thinking gets the better of you, and you stand unmoving, the weight of duty suddenly feeling too much to bear.

Daemon's face scrunches in what can misconstrued be concern. But surely he isn't. He must only be uncomfortable at your sudden silence and blank expression.

"Is something the matter? Are you not pleased that your father is graced with an opportunity such as this?"

"Of course. I am sure that he would be delighted."

"You do not seem to be."

No, you aren't. While you have met Tyland Lannister before, there was never any attraction there. From your side and his. Yours would be a marriage of convenience, for the benefit of both Houses.

How I wish I was the warrior knight.

"It matters not how I feel, my prince."

There is movement by the doors, and the old Maester rushes in all out of breath.

"My prince!" He calls out immediately. "My deepest apologies that I have kept you waiting."

Daemon pays him no mind. His attention is solely on you. Conscious that the Maester observes the exchange, you clear your throat. "I shall take my leave, my prince. The Maester will see to you now."

You tilt your head and curtsy in farewell. As you pass by Daemon, your hand brushes against his, the pads of his knuckes rough against your own. The first and likely the only time your skin will come into contact with his, you strangely think with regret. Still, it catches you off guard and you feel a sensation like needles pricking all the way up your arm.

"My lady," he greets, and under his breath, making sure the Maester cannot hear, he adds, "my lady fool."

Another smile is shared between the two of you.

Love is the death of duty, he had said. Sooner rather than late, you will find out just how it rings true.

Supper with your Lord father is but another constant. You have always been grateful for it, especially since the passing of your late mother.

He is the only family you have around, with your elder sister already married off to some Lord in the Riverlands. She has already done what was expected of her, securing an alliance for House Arwen and bearing children for her Lord Husband.

The mantle has been passed on to you. It was never something to ponder over, as it is not something in your control.

Do your duty. Play your role. Pray that you never fall in love at all, Daemon said.

But might I fall in love with Tyland? Should that not be what I aim for?

"I heard that you encountered Prince Daemon this morning," your father says. "I trust that you acted accordingly as befits his station."

"Of course, father."

"Though it matters little to me how that rogue prince fares." The derision in his tone cannot be contained. Your father has never held Prince Daemon in any regard, viewing him as a waste of his titles.

"The Prince was gracious enough to exchange pleasantries with me."

Pleasantries. Never mind how he mocked your story, your family, and by extension, you.

"Careful, daughter. Prince Daemon is never loathe to chase after the nearest skirt that catches his fancy. I feel for his newly betrothed, the Lady Laena Velaryon. Far too good for him, that one."

"Daemon is betrothed?" you ask, unable to hide your surprise. Last you heard, his wife Rhea Royce passed in a tragic hunting accident. You also heard the whispers that she perished by her husband's hand.

After finally meeting him, you would not count it as an impossibility. But some part of you does not want to believe that he could be capable of something so vile.

"Yes, Prince Daemon has been betrothed once more. No doubt the most fruitful union for their Houses," your father confirms. With all this talk of betrothals, you already know what is coming, but your stomach sinks all the same when he adds, "as will be the union of House Arwen and House Lannister, dear daughter. You should consider yourself highly fortunate. I have toiled considerably to bring about your betrothal to Tyland Lannister."

"Of course, father." The words are empty, worn through, forever echoing in your ears.

Of course. I will do my duty. What is love after all, but a passing fancy, mere fiction entombed in between pages?

The red scales of the infamous Blood Wyrm glisten under the bright sunlight.

Caraxes lets off an ear-splitting screech as Daemon guides him across the skies.

"Daor tolmiot sir." The Valyrian smoothly comes from Daemon like a song. Not far now.

Not far from the seat of House Arwen in the Westerlands. His destination, for some unknown reason.

Just the seventh day after he was sent to deliver the decree, he finds himself returning once more. It is the day that your Lord father, yourself, and the rest of your envoy are set to ride for King's Landing.

And Daemon has decided to extend an offer to you, the Lady Arwen, one that might infinitely expedite your travels.

There were a myriad of justifications floating around in his head. He found out that you are betrothed to Tyland Lannister and his actions on this day would no doubt ruffle the preening lion's mane.

Anything to needlessly anger a Lannister, Daemon would enjoy.

He would revel in the pleasure of bespoiling such a prim and strait-laced Lady such as yourself. It would be like sport to him.

It must also not be forgotten that this would rouse the ire of your Lord father, who has never held any love for Daemon and vice versa.

All these reasons make complete sense to Daemon. All but one which he does not allow himself to entertain.

That he wishes to see you.

Who are you, if not just another proper wench with your honour and your faith for the Seven Gods up your arse? Daemon has much more discerning tastes, from dragonrider to tavern whore, but never one with your disposition.

You are nothing to Daemon. No one.

But that does not mean he will refrain from indulging in the pleasure of causing chaos.

The clouds part as Caraxes dips lower, revealing the outline of your meagre castle.

"Sepār ilagon konīr." Daemon refers to the inner courtyard where a line of carriages await, precious possessions being lugged onto them by footsoldiers.

Caraxes dives down with precision, his wings casting a shadow over the courtyard as he suddenly descends, leaving everyone startled.

Daemon's boots heavily crunch against the gravel as he jumps down, and he scans the wary crowd for his prize.

Soldiers rising to attention, bowing their heads to their prince. Ladies-in-waiting openly ogling him as he draws nearer. The Maester and his apprentices approaching him with rushed greetings springing from their mouths.

And then, there you are.

Standing just behind the small crowd, whispering hurriedly to your companion. You shush when you spy Daemon heading right for you.

"My prince." You perform the usual curtsy. Daemon thinks the movement does not suit you. He much preferred it when you were getting riled up at his remarks back at your library.

"My lady," he greets. "Lovely weather we are having, is it not?"

You appear confused, your eyes narrowing and nose scrunching for but a brief moment, and Daemon relishes in prompting such an unguarded expression. But it reverts back into your polished smile.

"Yes, it... it is, my prince. Forgive me, but I was not aware that we were expecting you."

No. Of course not. "Let me rephrase that. It is lovely weather for dragonriding, and I am inclined to think that you would enjoy the journey to the Red Keep."

"I am afraid I do not follow."

Daemon gets right to the point and his next words ring true, leaving no room for doubt as to his intentions. "My lady, I would like for you to ride with me."

Your posture becomes slack, and you gape at him like he has grown a second head.

"That would be inappropriate, my prince."

"No," he sneers. "It would be inappropriate if I take you for myself right there on the dragonsaddle, my lady, but I merely wish to offer a ride."

Your companion blushes profusely at his words. Apparently the image affects her so much all she can do is stare at her feet.

You, on the other hand, are unyielding. Your eyes blazing right through his own violet. A nagging voice in Daemon's mind insists that this is what he came for. Nothing else.

You finally say, "It is unbecoming of me to even entertain that notion, Prince Daemon. My Lord father and my betrothed would surely not approve."

Daemon takes a step closer, and the two of you stand nearly toe to toe. "But do you not wish it? Do you not wish to fly on dragonback? Much like the heroes in your stories I would wager."

"Those are just stories. It would be foolish of me."

Daemon laughs dryly, "My lady, is that not what you are? A lady fool who dreams of adventure and love?"

You frown when he has you cornered, your thoughts whirring in that foolish head of yours. Daemon feels the need to run his thumb over your pursed lips.

Perhaps I am the foolish one.

The Maester interrupts, breaking the impasse, nervously looking between the two of you.

"My prince," he says, "if you came to speak to the Lord Arwen, he is still in his chambers. He should be on his way down shortly."

You glance at the Maester then back to Daemon, awaiting his response, but he has none to offer.

You tilt your head disapprovingly at his outright discourtesy until he extends his hand to you. "My lady," he says with sincerity, "you shall be made a good lady wife soon enough, but today I invite you to be foolish with your prince."

It is the Maester who speaks, "My prince, the Lady Arwen must not - "

But you rudely interrupt, a newfound fire blazing in your eyes. "Is it as exhilarating as the stories say?"

"Enough to please a fool," Daemon replies.

With a smile, you fit your hand right into his, consequences be damned.

I may not write for him as often, but Daemon just might be my favourite to characterize and the most fun to weave stories with 🖤

This is a fixed miniseries, with a more or less fixed story, so it will only a three-parter.

[acourtofmoonlightandstars]

Find me - Chapter 1

Pairing: Azriel x fem!reader

Summary: At a ball you meet the one person you thought you would never see again, you left him once. Will you leave him again?

Word count: Currently no idea

Warnings: Some sugestiveness, angst and minor details of Azriels work as a spymaster.

Note: So this is loosely based on a dream I once had, it was heartbreaking so I thought I might as well use writing as therapy

Chapter 2

The ballroom was huge and the light flickering from the crystal chandeliers that hung above your head made all jewels, sequin and glitter reflect the light. It was a beautiful sight.

You walked through the crowd of people, looking for no one in particular. You had no idea how or when you’d gotten here, you weren’t even quite sure who had invited you. Usually you stayed within the borders of your own court. But it seemed that you’d made an exception for once.

Everyone seemed somewhat familiar. You smiled at the friends who laughed around the tables filled with food as they filled each other goblets with fairy wine, at the couples who snuck away to find somewhere a little more secluded to steal a minute or two and at those who filled the room with laughter that echoed through the room.

As a waiter walked past you, you grabbed a flute of champagne from his tray. You sipped at the bubbly drink as you scanned the room once more, hoping to see at least one person you recognized. And then you spotted him.

He was beautiful in his black suit, it was such a stark contrast from his usual leathers and blue siphons. His wings were tucked close to him, almost as if he was afraid to take up space. His hair was combed back, revealing his forehead and the slight wrinkle he had between his brows. Your breath hitched, and you suddenly wished you were able to turn invisible at will.

You wanted nothing more than to walk up to him and ruffle his hair, once again revealing his somewhat loose curls that you’d once loved to run your fingers through in the late hours of the night. You wanted nothing more than to once again kiss his lips, to taste him.

But you had left him, that much you knew. But you just couldn’t remember why.

His shadows pooled around his feet, and indicated the constant stream of information that was always available to the Shadowsinger of the Night Court. You felt something cold around your ankle, and as you hiked up your skirt you saw the little rouge shadow that had slipped past its master. It almost looked like a puppy happy to be reunited with its owner as it twirled around you.

You giggled, which only seemed to amuse it even more.

In the hope that you could turn it away before he noticed its absence, you looked towards where he had been mere seconds before, and your eyes met his right away. The eyes you had once loved to stare into for hours at the time, the hazel pools of a man you once knew, seemed sad all of the sudden.

It was an emotion that seemed so out of character for him, and you felt your heart breaking a little at the sight of it, especially knowing that you were most likely the cause of the sadness and the purple shadows that hung underneath his eyes.

Azriel furrowed his brows at the rouge shadow as he no undoubtedly tried calling it back to him. But it seemed like it refused to listen to his quiet command. He walked towards you with a confidence that would make lesser males crumble in his presence.

You felt the blush creeping up your neck before it settled in your cheeks.

“Excuse me” he almost whispered, as he went out of his way to not meet your eyes. He bent down and physically yanked the shadow from you. You could’ve sworn it looked almost sad to leave you behind.

He stood up, and quickly turned away from you, almost fleeing. You don’t know what came over you but you grabbed his wrist and saw him stiffen as your skin came into contact with his.

“Y/N… Please, dont” it was an almost silent plea, one who broke your heart, but there was no way you were letting him walk away from you.

You pulled him towards you, forcing him to face you. He had a pained expression on his face and his eyes were closed. Despite of that you still send a small smile his way. Your other hand found his other wrist and you slowly pulled his arms around your waist.

He reacted instantly and despite not even noticing, he pulled you closer to him. “I’m so sorry” You whispered as you raised your hand to his cold cheek. He leaned into your touch as he finally looked at you, a single tear escaping his eyes. Your thumb quickly whisked it away before anyone had a chance to notice it.

The shadows swirled around the two of you desperate to give you some privacy, and even his wings seemed to be shielding the two of you from wandering eyes.

“I don’t know why I left you, I won't ever leave you again, please just give me another chance” you whispered, your voice threatened to crack, as his eyes searched your face for any sign of a deception, any sign of what you were saying, was nothing more than a lie.

“Don’t say things you might regret…”

You shook your head and sent a small smile his way, it was filled with regret and sadness. “It’s always been you and I’m here now and I promise it won't ever happen again”

But were you able to promise him that? You still couldn’t remember why or how you had left him behind, it was like a distant memory that was locked away, one you couldn’t access.

He pulled you from the ground and you couldn’t help the giggle when he nuzzled his nose into the crook of your neck. Desperate for your scent, desperate to feel your heartbeat against his own. “You better mean it” he whispered against your exposed skin.

You pulled at his hair, ruining it even though he had most likely done his best to bend his curls to his will for the event tonight. But you didn’t care, you always liked him better with his bed head anyways.

He kissed his way from that sweet spot where your neck met your shoulder, he nibbled at your ear and kissed you from there, down your cheekbones until his lips hovered over your own. And in a blink of an eye he stole your shallow breaths from your mouth with his own. He ate every whimper and small moan, as if they all belonged to him and him alone, as if it would be the crime of the century if any other male heard it.

“You do know you’re in a public place right? Everyone can see you” the voice was teasing, but in no way cruel. Without letting you down Azriel turned towards the other winged male that now stood in front of the two of you.

Azriel laughed, and his brother realized he hadn’t heard that sound in months.

“I apologize Cass” and he felt you stiffen in his arms, and sent you a reassuring smile, before once again returning you to the ground. He was here, the Lord of Bloodshed, Cassian. But of course he was, they would all most likely be here.

“It’s all good. But Nesta is gonna hate that she skipped this ball tonight, she would’ve loved to see you take a female in front of all these fancy fae”

This time it was your time to laugh, and you flet how your muscles relaxed at his way of addressing the elephant in the room. Azriel couldn’t help but to pull you closer to his side, lips kissing the top of your head.

“So you must be the one who broke my brother's heart” Cassian said as he crossed his arms, to anyone beside you and Azriel, he would look angry, almost disappointed in the way he stood before you. But all you could see was the happiness he held for his brother.

Cassian sent you a small smile. “Don’t worry, I don’t judge, my own mate was indecisive as well”

You couldn’t help but almost wince at his words. It wasn’t that you were indecisive, or at least you didn’t think that was it…

“It’s okay. It all worked out in the end” Azriel said.

The night went on and his hand never left your hip, he pulled you as close to him as he could whenever he felt a male came too close to you. You adored his possessiveness. Now you just needed to feel like you’d earned it.

The two of you spent almost every day together after the ball. It didn’t take him long to introduce you to the rest of his family. The inner circle of the Night Court.

Your father had told you the stories of both their power and their beauty, but despite all the stories, they were kind, welcoming and warm. You felt right at home.

At no point did you regret making contact with him the night of the ball. In fact you could feel yourself falling in love with Azriel, a little more every day.

He adored you, and he spared no expenses in showing you exactly how much you meant to him. Everytime he came home from a mission, he would bring you flowers from the given court. He would either make you homemade meals, or take you out to eat at the most beautiful restaurants in the city.

He would take you on flights over Valaris, on walks near the Sidra or just down to the nearest cafe or bakery to pick up something sweet or warm whenever you felt a little down. Apart from that he spoiled you rotten with gifts, to such a degree you almost had more diamonds than Amren.

You were however your happiest whenever you woke up to him by your side, and nothing beat the beauty that was his eyes as they reflected the morning sun. They were like liquid gold. He was beautiful, and sometimes you couldn’t help but wonder if this was all a dream.

As time went on he opened more and more up to you. He told you about his life, both the good and the bad. About his childhood, who he had become after Rhys and Cassian had found him. He told you about his role in the court as both shadowsinger and spymaster, and how he had days where he loathed who he was and what he had done, and others where he celebrated the screams he carved from the lungs of his prisoners.

And despite his fears you didn’t flee or coward when he reached out for you. You had instead held him, and whispered sweet nothing in his ear, confirming that you loved him despite all he had gone through, and that you loved him because of who he was. He had cried in your arms at your words.

You saw him, all of him and you loved both the good and the bad.

At no point had you ever expected to be with a man of his profession, but here you were. The people of Valaris were quick to catch on. They always greeted the two of you, they helped you with picking his gifts and selecting his favorite sweets at the bakery he loved to visit each sunday morning.

The fact that you got to be his in Valaris of all places, was more than enough. Being out and public to all fae, to all courts, would only paint a target on your back. One that he feared would take you from him too soon, whereas you feared that you would be used against him. You had no interest in ever letting it come to that.

After All you wanted nothing more than to protect him, to keep him safe, and he felt the same. He had given you one of his shadows, the rouge that had left his side that night of the ball. After all it seemed like it liked you more than him anyways, but this way he would know if you were ever in any kind of danger.

Nesta had told him it was a little much, especially since the two of you were basically joined at the hip, it was rare that you saw one of you without the other. You were one soul separated into two people. It was clear for all to see.

The inner circle had quickly started making bets on just when the bond would snap for the two of you. And despite the fact that you always rolled your eyes when they began speculating, you couldn’t help but hope that they were right.

Your brother had his mate, and so did Azriels brothers. It would only be right if the two of you had one too right? And if so why wouldn’t the Cauldron grant you eachother? With every fiber of your being you hoped that he was yours and that you were his.

One morning you stood in the courtyard at the house of wind as the sun was slowly rising from its usual hiding place beneath the horizon. Azriel was circling you, wearing nothing but his boots and leather pants.

The look of his tattoos and his muscles were now covered with sweat that was glistening in the morning sun, was enough for you to skip practice and go back to bed with him. You wanted nothing more than to be entangled in him and his scent.

The sun that shone through the fine membrane of his wings made him look like a god of death and war. What a sight to see. He sent you a dazzling smirk as he saw the pure lust and adoration in your eyes. He most likely smelled it on you as well.

You smirked back and sent him a little wave. But it wasn't enough for him to lose focus on his task at hand. It rarely was.

“You look so beautiful angel,” he said. Despite what you might’ve thought he couldn’t help but adore you in the morning light either. He was mere seconds away from abandoning his workout only to throw you over your shoulder and have his way with you. Where that would be, he didn’t care. You chuckled. It was his favorite sound in the entire world, and he hoped that he would always be the one to make you laugh.

And then you felt it. It was as if the world shifted on its axis, it was like it had been so many months ago. It was the same feeling you had the first time you had left him. And as the memories came rushing back to you, you paled.

As your smile dropped and your eyes became distant, almost as if a fog now hid them from the world. “Y/N…?” You heard his fear and desperation as he said your name.

“Promise me you’ll find me, promise me” It was all you could say, you struggled with getting the words out as you felt yourself drifting from this reality. You saw him spring towards you, his wings giving him momentum.

And then everything went dark.

When you woke up the darkness was still surrounding you. You laid there with your eyes closed for a few minutes as you tried to recall his features, his name, where you had been. But there was nothing, nothing except an ache in that place that usually held your heart.

All you remembered was the feeling of running your hands through his hair, how his lips sent electricity down your spine as he kissed that sweet spot right beneath your ear, whenever he snuck up behind you. You remember his rough hands, and a feeling of something cold that you couldn’t quite place. Everything else was a blur.

As you opened your eyes you looked towards the small clock that stood on your bedside table. 06:45. You had to get up soon, but the mere thought of leaving your bed made your head spin. It felt like you had lost something precious, it felt like you had lost your heart, and in its stead there was now only a black hole filled with nothing but emptiness and pain.

You had no idea how to start your day, it felt like you should stay right here, stay at home and mourn the loss of him.

Maybe he remembers, maybe he will be able to find me. You thought as you tried soothing the emptiness in your chest by rubbing the palm of your hand over where it ached.

But how could he? He was after all only a figment of your imagination, he was after all only a character in your dream. But he felt real, and you could nothing but hope that someone, someday would ever love you as unconditionally as he had.

At the other end of Prythian, Azriel Shadowsinger, Spymaster of the Night Court, had woken with such pain in his chest that he for a second had been convinced he had been stabbed in his sleep. And as his dream, no his memories of you, flooded his senses he knew what he needed to do.

You had to be real, he needed you to be real. So he sent out his shadows in search of the one person who now held his heart, the one person he would never stop looking for, you, his mate.

I promise you angle, I will find you

note: aaaaah this is my first ever acotar fic! don't be afraid to leave feedback, I would very much appreciate it! I feel like a part two would be absolutely amazing, but maybe I'll just do it as a stand alone since it's kind of heartbreaking. But we'll see!

[gay-dorito-dust]

Fluff with jiyan? The rest is up for you :3

Idk where this went as this feels more crack than fluff.

Long before he was a general he was a medic, and with that came a need to treat each and every one of your injuries, whether it be a paper cut or a burn jiyan felt the need and the duty to care for it and see it heal properly.

So that’s exactly what he did and it never failed to amuse you.

‘Must you always be reckless with yourself?’ Jiyan would find himself asking as he finishes up covering the cut on your upper forearm.

‘Must you always resort back to your medic days whenever I get hurt?’ You retorted, looking at his work and taking note of how the bandage didn’t feel neither loose nor too tight, it felt just as it should if it were done by the hands of a professional. It amazes you that the same calloused hands that meticulously covered your wound were the very same calloused hands that now leads an army into battle, it wasn’t something your mind couldn’t quite grasp yet despite how long you’ve been with him.

‘I wouldn’t have to if you didn’t go out and get hurt by a rouge Gulpuff.’ Jiyan replied as he crossed his arms over his chest while you smiled sheepishly at the mention of how you got where you were in the first place. You didn’t see that Gulpuff coming and that was your biggest mistake.

‘It came out of nowhere!’ You cried, waving your arms and immeditly regretting it when pain flared within your injured arm.

‘Even if you didn’t see it coming, you would’ve still been able to hear it coming.’ Jiyan explained but the moon upon your face told him all he needed to know as he added. ‘Unless you were listening to music unnecessarily loud, again. I’ve told you the danger that poses to your hearing.’

You pouted, not one for liking when Jiyan was disappointed in you. ‘Then they shouldn’t make music that makes me wanna rail loosing my hearing for.’ You muttered under your breath as Jiyan could only run a hand down his face. You were certainly something so he wasn’t quite certain why he was acting as this was anything new but getting ambushed by some Gulpuffs while listening to loud music was defiantly…something.

‘Then at least promise me that you’ll listen to music at a moderate rate, or at least have one earphone out while you’re out on your explorations, the last thing I want is you getting seriously hurt and I’m unable to help.’ He then asks as he holds your face in his hands, looking at you intently with his golden eyes.

‘I promise,’ you muttered as you melted into his hold, ‘I promise I’ll stop if it gives you peace of mind.’

Jiyan kisses your forehead before pressing his forehead against yours. ‘It very much would my dearest, it very much would.’

*a week later*

‘A Gulpuff attacked me.’ You told jiyan as you pointed to your forehead where your most recent injury was, teary eyed.

Jiyan only sighed as he got the first aid kit from the kitchen but while retrieving it he couldn’t help but smile to himself, you truly knew how to make life entertaining, even if it was your unspoken rivalry either some Gulpuffs.

[dreamlandcreations]

• chapter 1 • ñuha dāria • my queen •

Daemon Targaryen x Stark!Reader

Summary: Daemon is about to meet his match...

Warnings (and some ramblings): physical description vaguely (?) described and implied by relation, not gonna spoil the plot but there's gonna be targcest (come on, it's Daemon), other canon stuff (violence, death/murder, sex, misogyny, calling children bastards), Daemon is about 21 (according to canon, you'll see what I mean), reader is younger by at least two years; twisting up canon: Alyssa died within the year of Daemon's birth, Queen Alysanne is still alive and the Daemon-Rhea wedding has not happened yet, the fight is basically the Geralt vs Renfri fight (if you want visuals bc I suck at describing it 😅), bit of insta love, enemies to lovers (sort of), it's mostly from Daemon's POV, not proofread at all

Series masterlist • next chapter

• 102 AC • Winterfell • The tourney

Daemon was warned to behave before most of the House of the Dragon parted from King's Landing but he was called the Rouge Prince for a reason.

The tourney was held on the second day of their stay and he had not shown himself in public until then, content to spend his first day in the North reading under the heart tree.

Daemon always loved dramatic entrances, always seeking attention that he seemingly only gets when he is misbehaving. So he was ready to wreak havoc during the event that was supposed to be a friendly match between the great houses.

As a prince, he got to choose his first opponent, and who else would it be than a Hightower. He spared a smirk to that cunt of a Hand before he marched ahead to win with brutal precision, sending his opponent's horse and the knight himself to the ground.

The horrified gasps and then the loud cheering from the crowd only made his smirk wider. Daemon looked over the high seats from where the Targaryens, Velaryons and Starks watched the show. He immediately noted three empty seats, two besides Lord Stark - no doubt one of them was his brother's or cousin's whose helmeted figure Daemon had seen in the line of knights - and one by the King.

Since his grandmother, the Queen, was not present due to her illness, the only one who was sending him scolding glares was his brother, Viserys. The old king just sighed at the scene, while Corlys and Rhaenys sat there, amused, like parents watching a naughty child.

The next challenges were won just as easily as the first, although none of them was even remotely close to that savage end the Hightower boy had to suffer.

While the Prince usually didn't bother to watch the others, this time that Stark was drawing attention with his effortless wins. Prompting the people to make guesses and bets if a wolf could win against a dragon. Well, they were about to find out.

The first round shattered his opponent's shield but, to his astonishment, he stayed upright in the saddle. Daemon was smirking as usual but this time a tiny bit of admiration made his eyes glint in a softer light.

He could tell the little wolf would go down in the next round but he didn't expect to be taken with him too. The dragon prince's blood was singing at meeting a worthy opponent who was just as determined to win, no matter the cost.

The boy must have known he had no chance to stay on the horse, so instead of attacking Daemon as would be proper and expected, he somehow hooked his spear under his arm, yanking him back with the force of his own fall.

Both of you heavily landed on the ground, the impact crushing the air from your lungs and making it unable to move for a long moment. The spectating people were holding their breath, waiting to see if you were, well, alive or not.

The cheering was deafening as you got to your feet and proceeded to fight with swords.

Without wasting another second, you marched forward. Stabbing in his direction, aiming for his head and swinging at his neck with the same momentum once your initial blow missed its target.

The prince leaned away from each attack and his sword met yours at the third strike. He let you lead the fight for a few more clashes but he paused to assess you as he blocked a blow that meant to hit his legs.

Daemon straightened and stepped back, pushing your sword away with his and striking down with a high swing of Dark Sister. Your sword met his again, protesting under the finer steel.

To spare your weapon the worst of the hit, you focused on meeting the side of the blade while avoiding the edge and rolling the swords, trying to dislodge the weapon from his grip.

To unsuccessful stabbing attempts later you made a move at his head again. He ducked down, then didn't hesitate to use the opportunity of the few seconds you left yourself open.

You didn't expect a hit by his other hand and certainly not the following kick that sent you to the ground. Unfortunately, this resulted in losing your helmet.

Daemon paused at the sight.

It was no brother or cousin of their host, not even a boy as he suspected from the lighter build of the armour but a girl with the features of a Stark, the infamous wild beauty of the North, Lord Stark's niece by his late sister.

For the second time during this event, a unanimous scandalized gasp was heard from the crowd right before loud the protests of his brother and your uncle reached the two of you as they forbade you to continue the fight.

At that, your still bewildered expression turned into something Daemon was extremely familiar with. Blinding, all-consuming, untamed rage at being denied.

The Targaryen prince grinned wickedly at you but before you could turn your anger on him, he tore off his helmet, throwing it away and subtly nodding at you, giving you the approval to attack him and continue the fight. The answering spark in your eyes before you charged at him made his heart skip a beat.

It was similar to how you started the first time. He let you advance, then half-heartedly attacked back, ending the session with another backhanded slap before he pushed you backwards until your back met the edge of the fighting arena.

"You are holding back." You practically spat the accusation at him through gritted teeth while holding your sword to block his. Although with the way he took hold of your hand, making sure that your blade did not cut into your throat proved that you might as well let go altogether and would still be safe from any harm.

The world around you seized to exist as the prince pressed a little closer. Answering with an infuriatingly smug grin. "It would be unforgivable to hurt a little lady like you."

"You just hit me," you scoffed.

"You'll live."

"If you won't start fighting properly, you will not." The menacingly low threat made chills run down his spine, eliciting a low chuckle out of him that was definitely a mistake.

Then 'the little lady' pulled a knife on him.

Daemon grunted at the pain of being stabbed in his side. He looked at you with disbelief, the blade went through his armour like it wasn't even there. Valyrian steel.

It was enough distraction. You pushed him away, attacking with the dagger and the sword simultaneously and if you were a little less aggravated, you'd be impressed with the way he blocked your attacks with not just his sword but bare hand fight combined before he started to use his sword more like a shield.

Swords crossed, you paused.

Daemon could have swiped your legs, and you could have stabbed him with the dagger again but you were too busy trying to make it a show that you could overpower him and he was just too pissed to let you go easy.

In a blink of an eye, you were kneeling on the ground with your opponent's blade digging into your shoulder. Although he was careful not to cut too deep, he was not above the pettiness of giving you a scar in return for his.

A half groan, half gasp sound was the only indication of your pain and Daemon felt a moment of regret before he was consumed by flames from deep within that seemed to be seeded in the pull he felt towards you from the moment he laid his eyes on you. He found your rage and your inner fire, which was clearly visible in your determination and anger at the present, mesmerisingly beautiful.

He became distracted again. It was enough for you to be able to move and swipe at his leg, cutting him with the dagger before you stood and faced him with a challenging stance.

A few seconds of silent discussion followed, with him letting you know he will give you what you wished for if you continue, warning you that he will not hold back anymore.

You grinned, attacking him, again using both weapons, with some moves applying them like a single extended weapon.

Then he put you in a difficult position. Stopping the dagger by grabbing it, he was forcing you to stay still not by strength but by thrusting you that you would not want to permanently damage him.

If you pulled away now, he would lose at least a few fingers if not his hand altogether. Both of you gritted your teeth, mostly in pain but it showed more like anger, which made it seem like you were practically snarling at the other.

With barely clutching the handles, you pry his hand off enough to only graze him. And it leaves you vulnerable.

You almost lost your weapons when he immediately attempted to disarm you. Then he truly advanced, forcing you to defend yourself and back away. He was relentlessly stabbing and swinging with Dark Sister in your direction.

Then it was over, he took your sword. Holding you at the end of his blade, telling you to yield.

It was only then that you heard the crowd again. Cheering at the incredibly fast and hard-to-follow battle they just witnessed.

Despite the loud audience, Daemon still heard as you sighed with annoyance, keeping eye contact with him as you threw your dagger to the ground, refusing to do more or say the words.

He smiled, this time with pure amusement only. He stepped away, letting you breathe freely and to his further entertainment dropped to the ground to sit and rest or pout like a child. It was hard to guess and that made him enjoy the scene even more.

You were so busy with pealing away the suffocating armour where you could reach and the impending scolding that you knew was coming the moment you tied up your cousin and took his place, that you didn't pay attention when the prince received the flower crown or what he was planning to do with it.

Feeling the crown of winter roses placed on your head, you look up, wide eyes meeting with the Rogue Prince's mischievous gaze as he offers his hand and helps you stand. Without letting go, he bends a little, kissing the back of your hand as he murmurs, "My queen."

Series masterlist • next chapter

[diminuel]

Let's say Ace was feeling extremely petty/ornery, and decided he didn't want to go by Gol or Portgus (maybe he isn't Rouge's child in this, or maybe he doesn't want to shame his mother's family somehow, maybe he wanted to just have the same name as the parents that raised him). If he's Garp's son Ace might not want to take that name as it's Garp, even if his dad and brother are Monkeys. Regardless in Ace's quest for a last name, he finds out Crocodile's last name. Not sure if he finds old papers or letters or maybe a photo with the name on it in an attic, but Ace finds his Baba's name. He likes it. Decides he will use it.

Thus you get one very proud Rocks D. Ace or Newgate D. Ace.

Dragon would be 100% down to watch the world's reaction to his son's name, while wearing the traditional Monkey D. smile.

Crocodile...is not amused no doubt.

(Just imagining the chaos Ace could bring with this)

I do enjoy the chaos this might bring as well! >:3

(Side note though: Isn't Newgate Whitebeard's first name? It's Edward Newgate and in Japanese you say the family name first and the first name second. So it would be Edward D. Ace? But we can ignore that *lol*)

I think if Ace managed to dig up the Rocks name, finding old files in a hidden drawer or something while he was snooping around, he'd really create a horrible storm. Because the World Government have tried to eradicate Rocks' name from the history books, they are sure they were successful in getting rid of his offspring. So why the hell does this guy use that name? Just a coincidence? Does he like rocks or something? Is there any connection? Maybe it would at least distract from him being Roger's son (I'm not sure how Sengoku found that out in the first place. Garp didn't just blurt that out, right?)

If Ace doesn't know just what big of a deal the Rocks name and the lineage is, I think the chaos might also quickly turn into the potential for family drama and angst.

I think if he chose Newgate or Edward, it wouldn't be that big of a deal, because he ends up being Whitebeard's "son" anyway. But I have a feeling Crocodile's first reaction to seeing a bounty poster with that name on it wouldn't be joy because Ace chose his name, but disgruntlement because of his strained relationship with WB X'D

[theunaveragepsychoticbitch]

This Fucks

[Dry humping, but it gets wet pretty fast. AMAB Reader. AFAB Barbie. Grinding, daydreaming, pussy eating, Barbs wears panties at the end, Barbs calls you Master, crack-ish. Standalone series]

Pt. 1

And then he'd ride you, fast and hard. He'd feel you through your boxers, through his own panties. He'd claw at your shoulders when you grinded against his clit just right and tears would fall as his eyes fluttered. He'd scream out-

"I guess you like the outfit?" And- wait, no, that's not what happens.

An amused huff punctuated your sentence, and as you eye him, several realizations hit him at once:

One, he was unbelievably wet. The throb of his clit and the uncomfortable wet feeling of his underwear clinging to his skin left him barely able to hold back a grimace, less he have to explain that to you too.

Two, he'd gone completely still in his daydream. How long had he been staring blankly at you, red in the face and just barely starting to breathe heavy? The only thing that could make this worse would be if he'd been wearing his summer uniform, the layers thin enough you'd have definitely seen his nipples perking through his shirt.

Third- he was wearing the summer uniform.

"Yes, I, it's very nice... my deepest apologies."

Your response comes paired with a toothy smile, and he swears he can feel himself getting wetter. "No problem, I know you have a lot on your plate. Hell, I'm distracting you right now, aren't I?"

You definitely were, just not in the way you think.

"I'll text you tonight then, Barbs. See you later~"

He nods, sad to see you go. You're his favorite distraction, his most coveted one easily. You probably think you were being a nuisance now.

Barbatos walks you out, waving and watching until you turned the corner out of sight. He sighs, locking the door behind him and heading straight for the nearest bathroom.

-------

He's baking cookies for you today. Soft, melty chocolate chip- just how you like it. In fact, he's baking a variety of pastries: donuts and cupcakes, all in your favorite flavors. He's making an "I'm sorry" basket for his shameful behavior the other day.

As he begins to glaze the donuts, hands drift over his waist, settling in place and pulling him closer- ass first -to your dick. He could feel it through your uniform; did you just get out of class? The lingering scent of potions gone right and wrong alike met his nose, and he chuckled, eyes crinckling at the corners when he smiles.

"You didn't even bother to change, I see."

Your lick the cuff of his ear, whispering into it. "Needed you too bad." By all nine of the circles. There was a greedy rasp in your voice, like you could barely speak through your own desire. Your hands got firmer as they slid down to hold his hips. Your thumbs massage circles into his ass as you give a few test thrusts, seeing how thick the material on his pants were.

He looks back to find you scrunching your brows as if in deep focus.

"I want these off." You say, your tone deadpan.

Barbatos jumps to obey, donuts completely forgotten, and you help him, shimmying his pants down as he undoes the buttons. You undo your own, and then it's briefs to boxers as you hump him, rocking him against the counter and making his eyes roll back. He's obsessed with the feel of it, how hard it is, leaving no room for mistaking how much you want him.

He's close, fuck, fuck, he's so close. You are too, going by the way your thrusts get more and more aggressive. Barbatos' eyes squeeze shut, and as his peak gets closer and closer, he can feel that tightening in his stomach, making him tense up right before the big-

His eyes spring open, immediately locking on where his hands have burst an entire piping bag of glaze onto one donut. Embarrassment at getting so caught up paints his face a lovely shade of rouge, getting even darker as he realizes that glazed donut holes are not the best distraction for... well, glazing (non) donut holes.

Once again, his underwear clings to his cunt, providing the slightest friction against his senstive clit as he moves about the kitchen, cleaning up his mess.

He sighs as, also once again, he makes his way to his room to clean up a different mess.

(–>Himself)

--------

"Fuck me, you're doing great 'batos."

Your hands are on his hips, helping him bounce on your clothed boner. You've barely got ten minutes- you both have places to be. Him, a meeting, you, a class. But that didn't stop you from sliding your pants to your knees and leaning heavily on a side table in one of the castle's many forgotten salons, nor him from showing you the pretty pink panties he put on today in the hopes you'd get to see them.

With your bulge fitted comfortably between his cheeks, he switched from bouncing to rolling, gyrating his hips and crying out like a whore as you groaned into his back, sinking your teeth into the blushed skin of his neck. Just low enough the collar of his uniform covers it, of course. You're nothing if not courteous.

As your blunt nails sink into his flesh, Barbatos starts to wonder if this is what insanity feels like. Delirium colored with the pinks and reds of lust, your groans like a mantra in his ears he can't, won't, get rid of. The ache of his own pussy consumes him- you're breathtakingly close, yet it's never enough for him. His greed is as constant as his heart beat, a steady rhythm of "more".

Your chest to his back, your breath on his ear. He'd soaked through his panties long ago and knew they'd be nothing short of ruined when he came. Cumming on your cock, even through your clothes... it was so good. God, you felt-

"-so good! Thank you by the way, I never would have fixed that without you."

And just like that, the time demon returns to the present.

------

Despite the cold of the room, sweat rolls down the back of his neck as he thinks,

'What am I supposed to tell you this time?'

Barbatos can feel you staring at him, but it seems the floor is particularly interesting today. He can't keep his eyes off it- or rather, he can't keep his eyes on you.

A faint sunset pink dusts his cheeks, and in a manner much unlike his usual held-together persona, he fiddles with the edges and fingers of his gloves, tapping his foot against the shining wooden floors and licking his lips a rather unnecessary amount.

"Nervous?"

He chuckles when you ask, but there's no humor in it. He still doesn't look at you. He wishes he could go back to work. He's on his break right now, which he usually doesn't take, but took advantage of for your sake. It's only thirty minutes, but it feels like hours.

"There's no need for anxiety, Barbs. I just wanna talk..." You trail off into silence, polite on your part, suffocating on his. Leaning over, you take a sip out of the tea you personally prepared for this occasion. It held not so much as a candle to Barbatos', of course, but you thought it'd be a good change of pace for something like this.

'They're gonna hate me.'

He's so sure of it, not even a peek into the future would change his mind. You'd learn of his disgusting habits and shame him, then tell him you never wanted to see him again. It was inevitable.

"Barbatos,"

He tenses involuntarily at hearing his name.

"You've been distant lately, you know?" You watch his face as you talk, speaking slowly and gently, as if trying to calm a scared animal. "Avoiding me so actively that everyone has noticed, making excuses everytime I ask to hang out, and disassociating when we actually do. What's happening to us? Did I do something wrong?"

'Fuck.'

The thought is followed by budding tears in his eyes. He's ruined everything, and to top it off, you think it's your fault.

What the hell was he supposed to say to you?

"My apologies Master, I find myself lost in thoughts of your dick sandwiched between my asscheeks."?

Get serious.

....but as his own voice meets his ears, things do get serious. Very, very, very quickly.

The room empties of sound, not even a breathe to be heard. But as loud as his heartbeat is in his ear, there's no way you're deaf to it.

How the fuck did he accidentally say that aloud? Of all God-forsaken things-

"I... are you serious?"

For the first time since entering the room, he looks at you. Your face is oddly.... blank. He can't read your eyes, but your posture is rigid as you rest your forearms on your knees, hands tightly clasped around a small teacup.

There's no use lying now. It'd only serve to make things more awkward. This was his punishment, he was sure of it- to die in flames of embarrassment, haunted by this day for the rest of forever.

"I... suppose there are more choice words to be used. But yes. I want you quite badly, Master. Need you, even. And it's ruining my immortal life." The last part is no more than a whisper, but you hear him as though he yelled it.

"I know I've ruined our relationship. I've let your kindness go to my head, and find myself unsatisfied with standing quietly behind you. I wish to be by your side."

He's said so much, too much, but it's as if the words run from his mouth on their own. He bites down, almost drawing blood as his fangs dig into the soft skin.

You're silent, still as unreadable as a closed book. He feels out of place in his skin under your gaze. It's unwavering strength begins to unnerve him as he prepares for a verbal beating.

"Beside me, or under me?"

He'd say it's his turn to be speechless, but the shit eating grin on your face makes him think you knew exactly what you were going to say a long time ago.

Nevertheless, he answers seriously. Thinking back, it may have been the shock that made him answer so honestly.

"..both."

You smile wider, a wild look in your eyes.

"Both is good."

And in the following seconds, Barbatos was hit with realizations of several things, once again:

One, you were messy. The table was cleared of dishwear, utensils and food alike in a quick swipe of your arm. Hopefully, you didn't expect him to help clean it up later.

Two, you weren't and never have been a weakling. You lifted him with an ease he'd only seen out of Beezlebub, or Diavolo. Despite his size, he was pure muscle, and quite heavy. But you didn't even break a sweat as you held him bridal and layed him out on the table, gentle as a lover should be.

Three- it was just as big as he'd imagined.

You fit yourself between his legs, holding them wide open as you grabbed his waist to pull him to you. You whisper under your breath, and the lights flicker before dimming down. Your eyes are alight with something that scared him as much as it aroused him. It was bright, fierce, hot. Like passion, but so much more intense. It had to be in your blood, pumping throughout your whole body and heating your skin till it burned at the touch.

Scorching fingers caressed him through his clothes, dragging down his torso as if imagining how easily they could rip through the fabric, the shreds joining the shards of glass on the floor. Your bulge pressed into him more and more as you tried to get closer, as though dizzy-headed with the thought of fucking him deep.

God, he wanted you to fuck him deep. Maybe he was the dizzy-headed one.

"What did you dream about, Barbatos? Tell me everything, my love."

'Such a sweet talker.' He thought. But he lied if he said it didn't make his pussy throb.

"You had me just like this... with your face in my neck, telling me things, as you..." He blushes, and it encourages you closer. Chest to chest, your voice is a sultry whisper in his ear. "As I what, darling?"

He gulps audibly, nervous fingers grasping the sides of your shirt. You can hear a tremble in his voice, "You... you were dry humping me. Slow, but hard, and relentless. There were tears in my eyes."

He doesn't know what he expected, can't explain why his breath caught in his throat when you began to rock, slow, but hard. One hand cradled his face as he closed his eyes tight, overwhelmed by the drag of your cock over his clothes. You were pressing on his clit just right, even through the layers. Again...again, again, hah, agai-

"Ah!" He moaned out as you pressed especially hard. Your other hand was on his hip, and the bruising grip made him think you wanted this too more than anything else you've done so far. If he had to put it into words- you held him like you didn't think you'd ever get the chance.

"Fuck... tell me what I said, Barbatos."

It takes a few seconds, and when he finally finds his voice, his speech is interrupted by gasps of pleasure. "I.. hell, you- you told me how good I felt. That- fuck, Master- that you needed me. All the things you'd been waiting- hah, to do to me."

You kiss his neck, your voice low in his ear, but your words loud in his heart and mind. "You're perfect, Barbatos. Can you feel it? How hard you get me? Just looking at you- it drives me insane. Makes me wanna make you feel good."

The hand on his hip moves to undo his pants. He claws at your back as you speed up your strokes. "I'd go so deep, baby. Make you see stars. I wanna fuck you till you're sleep, till I'm the only thing you think of, till you call out of work."

You stop your administrations, and in the blink of an eye, Barbatos finds his panties are out where you can see them.

And yes- he is wearing the pretty pink ones.

"I'm gonna fuck you till you need me."

Like the asshole you are, you're much more gentle with your own clothes, getting them off just as fast yet leaving them mostly whole. Your dick twitches against the constraints of your briefs. It makes Barbatos salivate, the thought of having all of it on his tongue, down his throat, making him gag and cry. In his pussy, bruising his cervix and-

Why was he still imagining things, when the real thing was right in front of him?

Quick as ever you flip him on his stomach, smirking at how wet and sticky his panties have gotten. In this position, the fat lips pressed against the thin fabric in a way only describable as lewd. You drag a single finger down his slit, starting from his asshole and stopping at his clit. Watching him shiver as you dragged it back up, tremble as you go back down again. The shocked way he squeaks and grabs the table as you press on his clit.

You can't see his face when you put your own in it, licking him through the cloth, but you can definitely hear him. He's unabashedly loud, his hips acting on their own. Sloppy kisses make him squeal, and long strokes of your tongue make him moan. When you suck on his clit, he calls your name, a desperate cry that thanks you even as it begs for more.

"[Name], Cum- cumming. I'm-"

Your hand snakes down to grope at your dick as you eat him faster. You can taste him; his essence is all across your tongue and it's absolutely euphoric. He rocks a little harder every time you whisper how good he tastes into his clit, cries a little louder. You can hear how hoarse his voice is getting though. His screams are shadows of what they were, the scrape of his voice against his throat sending shocks through you. It all makes you suck him a lil harder.

And then he arches into your mouth, cumming on your tongue with a sultry moan from deep in his chest. Your eyes roll as liquid gold coats your tastebuds, the aftertaste like a mouthful of diamonds. Angelic whimpers meet your ears, and you can't help overstimulating him as you work to not waste a drop.

Barbatos swears that hours pass, but your clean up job only lasts a few more minutes. His head is heavy and light at the same time, not a thought to be found among the thick sex haze.

He feels like you shared your fire with him, the burning power shocking his nerves and waking his body up even as you suck him to sleep. Everything's so sensitive, too sensitive, yet you keep going...

Gods, please keep going....

Then you stop. He's left ass up and face down as you catch your breath. His own chest heaves, the tears that fell drying on his face or pooling between his cheek and the table. He should be worried about that, what a mess you'd made of him, of the room, of everything. But the only thing he could focus on was your breath, far too close to his sensitive, throbbing cunt.

Barbie's hips were bruised to the touch, yet he couldn't manage so much as a wince when you grabbed them again. You were much gentler this time, at least.

You pull him into your lap, a glimmer in your eye as his head lolls on your shoulder.

Slowly, tantalizingly so, you grind up into him. Weak he may be, he still tries to grip your wrists, settling for loosely wrapping his fingers around them. He feels your head come to a rest on his shoulder, and your hands move to interlock with his, dragging them with you as you wrapped both of your arms around his torso.

Borderline chaste kisses were peppered across his shoulders and neck as a pace was set. Barbatos didn't think he could take it- being humped like a whore, then grinded on mid-embrace like a lover dearly missed. The butterflies in his stomach stirred at the mix of emotions pumping through him, filling him with a ticklish, fluttery feeling that made giggles spill from his throat.

"...off."

He hums his confusion, and you try to be a little louder.

"Can I take these off?"

Your voice is a romantic whisper in his ear as you nod towards his panties, soaked through and leaving nearly nothing to the imagination by this point.

You asked so politely, and you made him feel so light, he couldn't find it in him to say no.

He blushes, and nods.

His panties are off in a snap! , pink pussy finally exposed. Now, his arousal soaked your briefs directly, and the twitch it gave at being so close to his warmth felt brand new.

The feel of the cold air against his hot cunt made him choke and sit up, breatheless gasps escaping in a flurry as you stroked the squishy lips, ghosting over his clit to circle his hole.

He watched your fingers drag arousal from his hole to where his bud ached, flicking it and making him cry. The tears streaked his skin as they fell fast down his cheeks. Watching you seemed to make it more intense, seeing exactly how your skilled fingers moved to bring him such electrifying pleasure.

Oh hells, you'd started moving again too. Your labored breathing was felt against his back as you grinded into him

t desperately. Your hips worked like you needed this, needed him, needed to cum against his cunt and take him over the edge with you.

Your fingers sped up as you strained to keep your pace steady, the jerk of your legs getting worse and worse as you got closer. Barbatos could feel how you twitched against the briefs, and even in his weakness, tried to meet your thrusts in the middle, rubbing his sensitivity pussy along your bulge and making himself sob at the intensity.

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck-

Heavy breathes and heady gasps filled the room as your stomachs started to lock with lightning. Barbatos was seeing stars, felt like he was one. Exploding with pleasure, bright as the sun and just as blinding. There wasn't a thought in his head as your grunts and moans became more frequent, the open mouthed kisses you planted on his ear and neck making his eyes roll. Your free hand left his hip and made for his nipple, and with an aggressive twist, it was over.

The two of you exploded in sync like a supernova of catastrophic levels, the orgasm rawing both of your throats as each other's names rang in the air. The flames in your blood were slowly doused, leaving your skin as sticky as it was sweaty- and it was very much so both.

Neither of you can breathe, so you pant between sloppy kisses. Weak arms wrap around your neck as your hands tangle in sweat-soaked hair, drool escaping down the sides of your lips. He can taste himself on your tongue still, his essence making your spit stick to your lips a little more. The sight spurred him more, until exhaustion truly wracked you both, dropping your bodies to the table in a mere moment.

Barbatos couldn't find any talking words. He's not quite sure what he could say- "hey, that was pretty nice, albeit unexpected?"

"Yeah, hah, that's one way to put it."

He has got to get control of that.

Your eyes were already closed when he looked up at you, using all his strength to do so. You whispered, mumbled really, and he strained to listen through the haze still clouding his mind.

"....beautiful, Barbatos. Everything... you. We have to do this again.... day when you're actually free."

Remembering he was far overdue to return to his position should have sent him into shock, or perhaps cardiac arrest, but he found all he could do was sigh. The castle would be fine without him for a couple hours... and it's not like they had any guests today...

Barbatos yawned, his head getting heavier and heavier with the rhythmic movement of your chest. A quick glance showed you to already be asleep, your peaceful expression painting a smile across his face.

His last image before drifting off is of you, with a single line of drool slowly slipping out the corner of your mouth.

--------

A/N: IVE BEEN WRITING THIS FOR A WEEK. AHHHHHHHHHHH

[marvelgurl789fanfics]

Remy Lebeau (Gambit) x Child OC

(Remy Lebeau (Gambit) x Rogue)

~Safe~

Warning: angst, mentions of child abuse, injuries

(Not the best at grammar or punctuation)

Summary: The X-Men get information on a new mutant holding facility being built. Remy finds the building has a prisoner already a very small one at that.

Masterlist:

~~~~~

The X-Men were on the Blackbird on the way to some mutant sentinel holding facility being build in some desert, Gambit stopped paying attention to Scott’s speech on this place after getting the gist of it. Go in destroy the place, don’t get killed easy. Gambit had found a much more interesting way to spend the flight than listening to Scott go on, Rogue’s legs looked mighty fine crossed like that as she listened to the mission brief, ‘What Remy would give to touch those fine legs, what a way to go out’ Remy thought to himself with the knowledge of her skin being a death sentence within seconds.

Feeling eyes on him Gambit lifted his gazes from Rogue’s legs to her eyes glaring at him. “Will you pay attention” she scolded him, “Sorry, Cher. Gambit got lost in thought” he smiled at her. Rogue rolled her eyes with a small smile forming on her lips “I know what kind of thoughts you’re having right now Cajun” she scolded in a teasing manner, earning a grin from Remy. “If you two are done we’re about to land” Wolverine groan, amusement in his eyes despite his tone of voice.

They landed a bit of a walk from the location with there being no cover in the sand left little choice. “Once inside me and Jean will head to the security room. Storm keep your eyes on the sky and watch for possible reinforcements. Wolverine, Morph take to the east wing and search for any prisoners in the holding cells. Gambit, Rogue go west and search the labs and destroy any files they have of mutants.” Scott said as they approached the base. The X-Men rushed the base and knocking out what few guards there and split into their groups.

Breaking into the base’s lab Rouge and Gambit took out the guards, most of the scientists chose to flee than fight back. The lab was soon empty besides the knocked out guards on the floor. Rogue went to the computer and began destroying files, while Gambit started with the paper files charging them and destroying the paper with small explosions. “Cells are all clear” Wolverine came from their communications link, “Well except the guards, who are not liking their new home” Morph snickered. “Good, Storm how are things looking?” Jean asked. “The sky remains clear” Storm informed. “We’re done here too, Gambit, Rogue how are things going there?” Scott asked. “All good sugar, we just finished with the files�� Rogue answered walking over to Gambit who just finished with the paper files. “Then let’s get out of here, regroup at the Blackbird” Scott ordered.

“Shall we Swamp Rat?” Rogue teased heading for the exit, Gambit was going to say something sassy back but heard a whimpering and stopped in his tracks. “What is it?” Rogue stopped as well noticing Gambit’s smile drop from his pretty face. “Don’t know Cher, but Gambit heard a noise” Gambit said moving to where he heard the sound. After a few steps around the lab equipment there was what looked like a dog create with a little girl who looked no older than three shaking in fear curled up cowering in the back of the cage. Gambit felt like the world froze thinking of what kind of monster would do this to a child, a sharp gasp from Rogue shook him from his shock.

Gambit dropped to his knee’s immediately breaking the weak lock opening the cage door. The small girls eye widened with fear once the door opened. “It’s ok mon Cheri, Gambit won’t hurt you none” Gambit said as gently as he could taking in the girl appearance for the first time. The small child had light green scale starting at her cheeks down to the sides of her neck mixing with her pale skin, her scales seemed to go down the tops on her arms and hands. Messy dark blonde hair with scales at her hairline, pure golden eye with slit irises reminding him of a cat’s eyes. The girl was wearing torn and dirtied clothes. She looked at him with a mix of fear and curiosity, slowly starting to uncurl herself. The child kept her eye focused on Gambit’s every move ready to retreat if he made any sudden movements. “Gambit just want to help you” he said very slowly reaching his hand out for the girl to take it.

After a moments of hesitation from the child, she took his hand and he gently led her from the cage. Once the girl was out of the cage and in the light of the room Rogue and Gambit noticed the bruises coving the girls body and her favoring her left leg. “Oh sugar!” Rogue said with heartbreak clear in her voice but choosing to keep still not wanting to frighten the already terrified child. “Gambit get you outta here” Gambit said slowing getting to his feet and picking up the child holding her to his chest. The girl flinched at first of being lifted off the ground but quickly relaxed tucked to his chest. “Let’s get to the ship, she as cold as ice” gambit said heading for the exit wrapping the side of his coat around the girls small body, Rogue quickly followed after him.

Once they reached the Blackbird it seemed the rest of the team was waiting for them. “What took you slow pokes so, oh who this” Morph teased then noticing the child in Gambit’s arms, getting the whole team looking at the small child. “Gambit found her locked in a cage right before we left” Rogue explained. Jean walked over to Gambit and the child gently putting her hand on the girls back, making the child flinch and bury her face into Gambit’s chest shaking trying to cling to him for dear life. “It’s ok mon Cheri, no one gonna hurt ya now” Gambit soothed.

The whole flight back the girl refused to let go of Gambit. Quiet discussions between the team about the mission and the child went unnoticed by Gambit, trying to soothe the scared child who found comfort in him for reasons he would never understand. Five minutes from the school the girl was fast asleep still cuddled up to him, “The child seems to like you” Storm commented. Gambit looked up from the sleeping girl on his lap “Who doesn’t like Gambit” he joked trying to deny the comment. ‘Of course she likes me for now Remy found her’ he thought to himself. “I usually don’t like sharing but I can make an acceptation for this little girl” Rogue teased coming behind Gambit’s chair racking her gloved hand through his hair. “Don’t know Cher, she might not want to share Gambit with you” Gambit teased back enjoying his hair being played with.

The Blackbird landed in the hanger, the team filling out “Take our little guest to get check out by Beast, we’ll talk to the professor” Scott said to Gambit. The girl still had a death grip on Remy’s jacket even in deep sleep and nobody had the heart to separate the girl from her object of comfort even in this case the object being Remy himself. “If she’ll let go of Gambit long enough to let Beast” Gambit joked walking to the med bay with the sleeping child in his arms. A few steps from the med bay the girl jolted awake panic clear on face. “Mon Cheri, Gambit right here, you’re safe” stopping in his tracks for a moment to clam the child, the girl relaxed into his chest once again while he walked to the med bay.

“Gambit nice to see you in one piece, who this little one.” Beast greeted as the med bay door shut behind them. “Gambit found her while on our mission, she’s pretty beat up” Gambit said unconsciously rubbing the girls back in comforting circles, “I see, let me take a look” Beast nodded in understanding and gestured to the medical cot. Gambit gently sat the girl on the cot but her death grip on his coat remained “it’s ok Gambit promise not to go no where” Gambit gently convinced the child to let go and as promised stood to the side but still in view of her. “Hello I’m Dr.McCoy, what might your name be?” Beast greeted the child kindly being careful not to spook the child who kept looking at Gambit for reassurance.

“F-63” came a small shy voice after a moment of silence. “Is that what those people called you before Gambit found you” Gambit spoke up earning a slow nod from the girl. “I see, do you know how old you are?” Beast asked her, the girl just held up three fingers. “Ok, little one I’m just gonna take a look at your injuries. Is that ok?” Beast asking the girl, and after the girl received a nod of approval from Gambit she gave Beast a nod of her own. Beast looked over the girl carefully explaining to the child exactly what he was doing to not startle her. “Noticed her favoring her left leg” Gambit said getting Beast attention. Beast took a look at the girls right leg then gave the girl a smile “That wasn’t so bad” Beast said earning a nod again from the girl then coaxing the girl to lay back on the cot and relax.

“How she looking?” Gambit asked quietly for the girl not the hear, “where to start, on closer inspection the bruises appear to be from needles being them injections or IVs it’s hard to tell. Her leg is not broken but is severely sprained, and then the girl seems to be very undernourished and dehydrated.” Beast informed keeping his voice down as well. Hearing this felt like a kick to Gambit’s gut, “usually I would set up an IV to help with the dehydration, but giving the situation I think it would do more harm than good” Beast continued. A knock on the med bay door got their attention, the door slipping open as the professor and Rogue entering the latter holding a tray. “Hello Gambit, Beast can I talk to you for a moment of the girls well being” Xavier said going back in the hall with Beast now following in toe.

Gambit walk back the child who kept looking at him with pleading eyes “Everything gonna be just fine mon Cheri” her promised gently brushing some of her messy hair from her face. “Hello again sugar I thought you might be hungry” Rogue said setting the tray within the girls reach. The girl looked at the tray containing a pb&j sandwich cut into four small pieces of and a glass of milk, looking at Gambit and getting a nod from him, the girl started to slowly eat the sandwich. “If you’re still hungry after this there’s plenty more” Rogue smiled at the girl. “Did you learn her name?” Rogue asked turning her attention to Remy. “F-63, but that’s no name” Gambit said a bit bitterly but kept his voice down for just for Rogue to hear. Rogue hummed in thought turning to the girl “sugar do you like the name F-63.” She asked the girl who was now chugging the milk, the girl paused her drinking and shook her head no at Rogue’s question.

Remy let out a light chuckle at the child who now had milk dripping from her face, “did you get any in your mouth.” He grabbed a tissue from the side table and gently whipped the girl mouth earning a giggle from the girl. Rogue’s heart swelled that their interaction “What about Fiona?” Rogue asked the girl who stopped giggling. “Fiona does have a nice ring to it no?” Gambit said. The girl pointed to herself “Fiona?” She asked looking to the two adults watching her. “If you want that name” Rogue smiled to the child earning a nod and a slightly more confident Fiona from the girl. “A very beautiful name Mon Cheri” Gambit said to Fiona with a smile.

The Professor and Beast entered the med bay once again, Xavier now making his way to the child and Gambit and Rogue stepping aside. “Hello F-63, I’m Charles Xavier” he greeted the girl with a smile, “Fiona” Fiona responded immediately earning a raised eyebrow from Beast and Xavier. “Rogue and Gambit may have helped her with a new name” Gambit said rubbing the back of this neck. “Well Fiona is a much lovelier name” Xavier said with amusement turning to Fiona once again. “Do you know where your parents might be.” Xavier asked gently probing the girls mind. The girl gave a confused look tilting her head to the side pointing to Gambit “Papa?” Fiona said making Gambit slightly choke on air, and Rogue trying to keep from laughing. “The other did say she took quite the liking to you” Xavier chuckled as well.

“All of her memories are of the lab, my guess would be her parents gave her up when she was born cause of her appearance. For now she’ll be staying here at the school, and Gambit I hate to put you in this position but it seems she find comfort in you. Can I trust her to your care for now?” Xavier said to the group telepathically. “Gambit will play the caretaker for Mon Cheri” Gambit agreed aloud, with a nod and a smile to Fiona Xavier left. “For the time being I think it would be best for her to stay in the med bay, so I can keep an eye on her injuries. I’ll find more suitable clothes for her” Beast said leaving the med bay as well.

Fiona started to blink tiredly struggling to stay awake, Remy moved the now empty tray to the side and covered the girl up more with the blanket on the cot. As the girl’s eyes closed Gambit felt arms wrapping around him from behind “I think this will be a good thing, I think you make a good daddy” Rogue teased whispering in his ear, making a blush cover his face and spread to his ears.

~~~~~

I plan to make a part 2

Part 2

[vilevenom]

This idea has been sitting in the back of my mind for a while now, and I finally decided to give it a go. But, wow, I haven't written smut in a literal dogs age, so please be gentle!

This fic is EXPLICIT. But I'm not your mom, so make appropriate decisions for yourself.

Made to Worship at Your Bed

Fandom: Sonic the Hedgehog (no specific media)

Pairing: Sonic/Shadow

Summary: Their first time doesn't exactly go as planned, but it's better than either of them could have imagined.

WARNINGS: Explicit sexual acts. Characters are depicted as ADULTS

P.S - I am a bottom!Shadow truther. Fight me.

Sonic knew perfectly well the implications of Shadow inviting him over while Rouge was off on some globe trotting escapade, leaving the dark hedgehog alone in their shared apartment.

The two had been dating for a few months now, but had yet to spend a night alone with one another. Sure, they'd slept together, but only in the most strict of senses. At any given point, someone was always right around the corner, bound to pop up at the most inopportune of moments, and shatter any notion they had of privacy. Sonic found it to be rather frustrating if he was being honest, though Shadow seemed to find his irritation amusing more than anything. This only served to frustrate the blue hedgehog further.

So, of course, he'd jumped at Shadow's invitation, making sure to take extra time to wash himself thoroughly, going even so far as to steal a small bottle of sweet smelling quill conditioner from Amy to make sure he looked and smelled as delectable as possible. He knew Shadow liked him regardless of how he presented himself, given how the hybrid had practically pounced on him once after they hadn't seen each other for a week, while Sonic had bits of branches and mud stuck all through his quills. But, that didn't mean he couldn't put forth some effort. Shadow was more than worth it, after all. And if the night went the way he hoped it would, then his little bit of extra preparation would serve him well.

A grin of utter jubilation settled itself on his face as he twisted this way and that in front of his bathroom mirror, finally nodding at himself once he was satisfied. He then dashed out of the house, shouting a quick goodbye to Tails as he slipped on his shoes. On his way to Shadow and Rouge's apartment above Club Rouge he made exactly two stops; first to purchase a small bottle of lube on the likely chance that Shadow didn't have his preferred brand (which didn't leave his fur feeling like it was matted with glue as it dried) and a second to buy a moderately sized bouquet of fragrant brightly colored flowers. He knew Shadow absolutely adored the smell of fresh flowers, though only very select people would ever be privy to that information.

Nerves struck him without warning as he came to a stop on Shadow's door step, causing him to freeze with his hand poised just before knocking on the door. However, he squashed them down as quick as they'd come with a swift reminder to himself that he'd been looking forward to this for weeks. It wasn't even his first rodeo, so he wasn't entirely sure what he really had to be nervous about. Perhaps it was the fact that it was Shadow that made him so jittery. Even just being in the same room as the dark hedgehog made his heart go all fluttery in his chest. None of Sonic's previous partners had made him feel quite like Shadow did, so maybe he just didn't want to disappoint the hybrid. After all, the Ultimate Lifeform must have some wild experiences under his belt. Sonic certainly did.

With a brief shake of his head Sonic knocked on the door, rocking back on his heels as he waited for Shadow to answer. The dopey smile that spread across his face as the door swung open came completely unbidden, and he was sure he looked like a lovestruck idiot. However, he could hardly care with the way Shadow's expression softened and his eyes lit up upon landing on Sonic and the bouquet in his hands.

"These are lovely," Shadow hummed in lieu of a greeting, stepping aside to let Sonic in and gingerly take the flowers as they were pushed into his hands.

"Not as lovely as you," Sonic replied with a wink, chortling at the faint flush that spread on Shadow's muzzle as the hybrid shut the apartment door with a soft click.

"Flattery will get you nowhere," Shadow stated bluntly, though he did let a small smile curl his lips as he leaned in to press a soft kiss to Sonic's cheek, "But, thank you for the flowers."

"Needed to get something pretty for my pretty," Sonic chirped, toeing off his shoes and trotting after the dark hedgehog into the apartment, grinning like a loon as Shadow rolled his eyes and headed into the kitchen, unable to hide the way his smile grew fondly.

"You're ridiculous," Shadow hummed, pulling a vase from the cupboard under the kitchen sink, "Dinner will be ready in a moment. Go sit at the table. I'll bring it out shortly."

"Aye aye, captain," Sonic said, giving Shadow a mock salute and laughing as the hybrid obviously tried to muffle a chuckle at Sonic's antics behind a hand.

Dinner was served not a minute later, just as Shadow had said. Spaghetti and meatballs, with a side of cheese bread. Sonic arched an eyebrow as a plate was set in front of him, biting his lip to try and keep from snickering at Shadow's choice of food. However, he obviously hadn't hidden his amusement well enough, as Shadow sat across from him with a little frown. "What's so funny?"

"Sorry," Sonic finally said after a moment, rubbing at his cheek as he grinned warmly at Shadow, "This is just…very Lady and the Tramp of you." He was surprised to find a flush blossoming across Shadow's muzzle at his comment, as he'd fully expected the reference to fly right over the hybrid's head. He sat up in his seat in as Shadow ducked his head and hunched his shoulders in obvious embarrassment. "Wait…was this on purpose?!"

"…Rouge made me watch it last week," Shadow murmured with a hint of hesitation, hands in his lap, "I thought it was nice."

"Oh, Shadow," Sonic crooned, immediately out of his seat and speeding around the table to crouch next to the other. He let a warm smile settle on his face as he tried to catch Shadow's eye, reaching out to scoop the hybrid's hands into his own. "It is nice. Cliche, sure, but very nice. I just hope you didn't hide a suspiciously long noodle between the plates to try and recreate the whole scene."

"What? No, of course not. That would be impractical, and make a mess."

"Of course," Sonic chuckled, squeezing Shadow's hands gently while leaning up to press a kiss to his cheek. "Sorry if I embarrassed you. I just…never expected something like this from you."

"I wanted our first real date to be memorable," Shadow admitted with a small shrug, his posture loosening, "Those cartoon dogs seemed to enjoy it. Rouge suggested having a record of 'Belle Notte' playing, but I thought that was a bit too on the nose."

"You were right. And I would've clocked it a lot sooner," Sonic said with a snort, rising from his crouched position and heading back to his chair, now that Shadow no longer seemed like he might implode from embarrassment. "I appreciate the effort and thought, Shads. It's really sweet of you."

Shadow opened his mouth, a hint of a challenging smirk on his face, before he seemed to think better of whatever was on the tip of his tongue, letting his jaw shut with a click of his teeth. Sonic arched an eyebrow in confusion as Shadow sat back and stabbed a meatball a little too violently with his fork.

"Uh…what's up, Shads?" Sonic prodded, carefully twirling a forkful of noodles up as Shadow stuffed the entire meatball he'd skewered into his mouth. He frowned lightly as Shadow muttered something around the mouthful of meat, the hybrids cheeks turning bright pink again. "Come again?"

"I said," Shadow said, scowling as he swallowed his mouthful, glaring across the table at Sonic with a growl in his voice, "I wanted to do something sweet for my sweet."

Sonic nearly choked on the noodles he'd only just started chewing, coughing as he hastily swallowed them down, quickly chugging half his glass of water afterwards. "Uh, wow," the blue hero finally managed to gasp out as he cleared his throat, "Maybe next time you want to be romantic, say it without the scary face and snarling?"

Shadow huffed, idly twirling his fork around his plate. "It was stupid and embarrassing. You said it first, so of course it was."

"Flatterer," Sonic chirped, chuckling as Shadow rolled his eyes at him. "And unlike with you, that will get you everywhere with me," he added with a wink, relishing the way Shadow's eyes widened minutely as he nearly choked on the pasta he'd just delicately put into his mouth. "Careful, Shads. Don't want you choking until later. If you're into that," he added with a wink, cackling at just how beat red Shadow's face immediately went, while quickly ducking as a piece of bread was lobbed at his head.

The rest of their meal went by without incident, with idle chit chat about Eggman's last attack, GUN's current operations, and how business at Club Rouge had been going taking up a majority of the time.

Once their plates were emptied, Shadow swept the dishes away before Sonic could open his mouth to ask if he could help with clean up, blinking as another plate was placed in front of him not a moment later. He stared down at the delicate looking little chocolate cake, more than a bit surprised by its appearance. In all the time he'd known Shadow, he really couldn't recall ever seeing the hybrid indulge in dessert. When he lifted his gaze, he found Shadow staring at him intently from across the table, his fork poised over his own cake, obviously waiting for Sonic to take a bite before starting. Suddenly feeling like this little cake was much more important than it had any right to be, Sonic picked up his fork and cut into his cake, surprised by the sudden flow of warm, velvety looking chocolate that spilled from the center across his plate. His ears perked at the sigh of relief from across the table, arching an eyebrow as he glanced back up at Shadow.

"I was worried I'd made them wrong," Shadow explained without Sonic needing to ask. With that, he dug into his own cake, humming in appreciation as he took a bite.

"You made these?" Sonic asked, scooping up a bite and doing his best to hold back a moan as the rich taste of warm chocolate slid across his tongue. Shadow had obviously added something to the filling, as it had just a hint of spice that only served to enhance the overall flavor. "This is amazing, Shadow!" the blue hero gushed, not missing the pleased smile that spread over Shadow's face at the compliment.

"I read that lava cakes were a staple dessert for proper dinner dates," the hybrid hummed, swiping liquid chocolate up with his fork and quickly licking it clean, smirking at how Sonic's eyes were trained on his mouth. "I'm not very well versed with baking, but I wanted this dinner to be…special," he admitted quietly, setting his fork aside. "I realize that this may sound silly, but…I wanted this to feel like a regular date. Like what other Mobians do. Our schedules so rarely line up properly, and any time we've gotten to spend together has been co-opted by friends or missions, so I wanted tonight to feel…"

"Normal."

Shadow huffed out a little breath, his gaze fixed on his plate. "I realize that's not really something you're interested in, so I'm sorry if it's a bit boring, but-"

"No! No, Shadow," Sonic found himself rising from his seat for the second time that night, though he did not round the table this time. Instead, he leaned forward, placing his hands on the table so when Shadow lifted his gaze to look at him, he could see the conviction in Sonic's expression as he spoke. "I know how much basic things that other people take for granted, like just getting to have dinner together, mean to you. I want you to get to experience all of the things you missed out on, growing up in space. I know I'm Mister 'Gotta Go Fast', but I am more than happy to slow down with you to enjoy the little things in life. You're worth going slow for, Shadow."

The sudden flash of something dark in Shadow's eyes was not the reaction that Sonic expected from his little speech, his heart skipping a beat as the hybrid abruptly rose from his chair, the wood making a terrible screeching sound as the legs scraped across the floor. Sonic flinched as Shadow grabbed his hands, relaxing after a beat when that was as far as the action went.

"And you," Shadow breathed, getting into Sonic's space, pressing in until the back of Sonic's knees hit his chair and he had to dig his heels in or fall backwards into his seat, "are more than worth going fast for."

Sonic had to swallow hard to keep from whining at the way Shadow was staring at him now, his tail twitching in anticipation, before he finally let out a breathy moan when he was tugged into a hard kiss. Finally, finally, this was what he had been eagerly anticipating since his invitation, his tail a blur as he returned the kiss with vigor.

"Come with me," Shadow rumbled against Sonic's lips, smirking at the shiver that visibly shot up Sonic's spine at his words. Keeping a firm hold of the blue blur's hand, their half eaten dessert forgotten, he lead Sonic through the apartment and into his bedroom, firmly shutting the door behind them. A pleased little hum escaped him as Sonic practically melted as he was pressed back into the door, the hero of Mobius reduced to a clingy puddle as Shadow resumed their kiss and pushed his tongue passed his teeth.

A string of saliva connected them briefly as Shadow pulled away from the kiss, a triumphant smirk settling over his features at the glazed over expression on Sonic's face. "Enjoying yourself, hedgehog?" the hybrid asked, taking a short step back.

Sonic simply whined as Shadow's heat slipped away from him, reaching out to try and catch the hybrid, only to grumble in frustration as Shadow stepped further back, just out of reach of the hero's clingy fingers. "Shadow," he whined, pushing himself off the door to follow after the darker hedgehog, only stopping to stare with wide eyes as Shadow languidly stripped his gloves and socks off, leaving behind only the glint of gold against his striking dark fur. He shot Sonic a sultry smirk over his shoulder, his tail flicking invitingly as he began to meander towards his bed.

"Don't keep me waiting, hedgehog," Shadow murmured, finally breaking Sonic out of his stupor. He was fairly certainly he'd never stripped his gloves and socks off so fast, tossing them only chaos knew where. He paused on his way to the bed to dig the bottle of lube he'd bought out of his quills, only to freeze like a deer caught in headlights with his hand still shoved deep into blue spikes as he moved to climb onto the bed.

Shadow had settled himself into the pile of pillows at the head of his bed, his relaxed quills spread out tantalizingly across them. He was watching Sonic with half-lidded eyes, his knees bent and spread wide, showing off his swollen pouch, while his hands danced teasingly over his abdomen and through his chest fur. Sonic was fairly certain his mouth had never been more full of saliva, as he nearly drooled over Shadow's little display. A weird little chirrup-y sound left him as he finally pulled the bottle from his quills, though his feet remained glued to the carpet.

"Well?" Shadow purred, his knees spreading impossibly wider as he dipped one hand down to tease at the slit of his pouch. Sonic simply choked on air, unable to form enough of a thought to get himself to move. Which was apparently the worst possible thing he could do, because as the seconds dragged on, Shadow quite obviously began to second guess himself. His knees snapped together in a flash as doubt obviously made itself at home in his mind, his cheeks flaming red as he sat up from the pillows, scowl on his muzzle. "I…forget it. This was stupid," he grumbled, his distress finally jarring Sonic's body into motion.

In a flash Sonic was on the bed, tossing the bottle into the pillows so he could get place his hands on Shadow's legs, rubbing his thumbs against the insides of the hybrid's calves in what he hoped was a reassuring or comforting gesture. "Hey! Shadow, no no no. Chaos, I'm so sorry," Sonic soothed, hating how Shadow's ears were pinned back in embarrassment when that had been, bar none, the most erotic display Sonic had ever seen in his entire life. Now he just had to convince Shadow of the same thing, or risk never getting to see the ultimate lifeform beckon him between his knees again. "You short circuited my brain a bit there, that's all," Sonic said with an apologetic little laugh, "I was expecting you to top, if I'm being honest. Got myself all prepped and ready, so I was not expecting to find the most amazing creature ever created splayed out across the bed like that for me." The immediate flick of Shadow's ears towards him at the praise made Sonic smile.

"…Did you want me to top?" Shadow asked after a beat, instead of addressing anything Sonic had just said, earning a fond eye roll from the hero.

"Only if you want to. I just figured, with how you like to be in control of situations pretty much all the time, that'd just carry through to the bedroom. I'm more than happy, either way," Sonic reassured, petting down Shadow's calves to rest his hands on the inhibitor rings at his ankles.

"That's the exact reason I didn't want to," Shadow muttered, causing Sonic to frown in mild confusion. He let out a tiny huff of air, glaring at the blue hero for a moment, before deflating and ducking his head slightly. "I was doing some reading in preparation for tonight, and I wound up on a website which discussed different sexual positions, preferences, and so forth. I wanted to be well prepared for any direction the evening may have gone, and I…I found a particular article talking about 'bottoming' or being a submissive, and I thought it would be nice to-to have someone I trust be in control." He peered up at Sonic, his cheeks significantly less red than they had been before, but still distinctly pink tinged. "And I," he cleared his throat, looking away quickly as he spoke, his ears pinning back once more, "I wanted to know what it would feel like to have someone inside me who I chose to let in."

"Shadow," Sonic breathed, his own cheeks flushed, but for completely different reasons than Shadow. His tail whipped back and forth as he leaned further into the hybrid's space, startling Shadow into falling back into his pillows with a put upon grunt. "That is, simultaneously very sweet, incredibly touching, and the hottest thing anyone has ever said to me."

"I…Really?"

"I wouldn't have said it if it weren't true," Sonic hummed, sliding his hands back up Shadow's legs to gently wiggle his fingers in between the hybrid's knees. Slowly, he pushed Shadow's knees apart and pressed into the space it made, smiling encouragingly as Shadow relaxed further back into the pillows. "Now…I believe I have some making up to do, since I'm pretty sure neither of us are all too aroused anymore," he added, glancing down to find that, as expected, Shadow's pouch was very much flat and hidden by fur. He smirked at the way the hybrid squirmed at being observed, and how his tail curled up protectively over his crotch. "Now, now," Sonic soothed, planting his hands to either side of Shadow's chest and leaning in over the other, his smirk growing at the way Shadow's eyes grew wide at his somewhat domineering shift in demeanor, "I'm going to take good care of you, Shads. I promise. You trust me, right?"

"Of course," Shadow breathed, his claws absently digging into the bedsheets, ears pricked forward in interest.

"Good. Then first," Sonic hummed, pulling Shadow's hands from the sheets to burry them in his blue quills instead, "You can touch me. And you know I'm not fragile, so you can even use claws a little bit, if you want. Just be careful not to dig in too deep, okay?" A quick, jerky little nod from the hybrid was his only response, but he could feel Shadow's fingers toying with his quills, so he figured his words were getting through. With that, he dipped his head down and began to pepper Shadow with tiny kisses, starting from the side of his muzzle and working his way down, pausing only briefly to dig his fangs lightly into the juncture of Shadow's neck and shoulder, relishing the restrained little moan the action resulted in. "Don't be shy, Shadow," Sonic murmured into the hybrid's shoulder as he moved down to a fluffy white chest, taking a short moment to press his face into the soft fur there, "I want to hear you. You'll be a good boy and let me hear you, won't you?"

The moan that ripped out of Shadow was louder and more unrestrained than Sonic had been expecting. He jerked his head up to find Shadow's face beat red, one of his fangs digging into his lower lip as he stared at the ceiling like it had offended his mother. "Did you like that?" Sonic asked, a wicked grin on his lips as Shadow let out a strained grunt, obviously at war with his want to let go and his inherent need to hold himself to some impossible standard while maintaining control. "Hey, it's okay, Shadow," Sonic cooed, letting his fingers dance up and over the hybrid's sides, "I like that you want to be my good boy. And I like how loud you were. Let's me know I'm doing a good job, doesn't it?"

Slowly, between his gentle cajoling and tender caresses, Sonic could feel the tension the dark hedgehog held slowly melt away. He hummed happily at the way Shadow's ears rolled back into a relaxed, submissive position, and his gaze softened as he let his coiled muscles relax against the bed. "That's it, Shads," Sonic cooed, settling back down to resume his trail of kisses, "Such a good boy." The low moan that escaped Shadow this time was far less exuberant than the last, but just as thrilling to Sonic. He was fully aware of the sheer weight of the trust he was being given, as Shadow let the last vestiges of his walls fall down. It was a heady feeling, and Sonic was eager to ensure he kept it.

The low, rumbling purr that kicked up as Sonic's kisses moved over Shadow's stomach were an additional surprise that had the hero's ears perking forward eagerly. He lifted himself slightly to find Shadow's head tipped back, blinking slowly and obviously letting himself slip away into Sonic's tender ministrations, if the way his gaze seemed unfocused and his fingers lazily stroked through blue quills were anything to go by. Sonic smirked, chewing on his lip for a moment, before making one of his signature snap decisions. He quickly dipped his head and ran his tongue over Shadow's now prominent pouch bulge, the tip of his tongue just barely pressing into the slit there. He braced himself as Shadow let out a startled grunt, Sonic fully anticipating the way the dark hedgehog's fingers tightened and pulled at his quills as his purr guttered out.

"S-sorry," Shadow's breathy apology sent a shiver down Sonic's spine, his tail happily wagging away as he grinned up at the hybrid, while Shadow pet apologetically at his head.

"No need to apologize, Shads," Sonic hummed happily, licking his lips languidly, "I didn't exactly give you any warning. Do you mind if I continue?"

Shadow gave his head a short shake, his low purr starting up again as Sonic scattered a few soft kisses to his inner thighs, before letting his tongue slide back over Shadow's pouch. He was infinitely curious to know what Shadow was packing, if he was being completely honest with himself. The thought had occupied his mind on a handful of occasions, resulting in more than one swift trip to the bathroom to either clean himself up or take a cold shower. He was a touch disappointed that he wouldn't get the opportunity to ride Shadow like he'd imagined this time around, but getting to swallow him down would be a good consolation price. As such, he let out his own happy little moan as the tip of Shadow's cock began to poke out of his pouch, his tail practically turning into a blur as he laved his tongue once more over the slit, before closing his mouth over it and sucking. He jerked a bit as Shadow's hands suddenly shoved down on his head, a startled shout from the hybrid accompanying the action as Shadow's girth rapidly slid into Sonic's mouth, very much choking the hedgehog as the length of it was a bit more than he had been expecting. He squirmed in Shadow's hold, lifting his head quickly and sucking in a deep breath once the hybrid's hands were out of his quills, and his cock out of his throat. He was never quite so thankful to not have a particularly strong gag reflex.

"Are you okay?" Shadow wheezed, looking a mix of dazed and apologetic, his hands hovering in the air, reaching for Sonic.

"Y-yeah," Sonic coughed, rubbing at his throat with a light wince, though he shot Shadow a quick smile of reassurance, "Caught me off guard, is all."

"That's an understatement…"

Sonic snorted, finally looking a bit bashful as he shrugged slightly. "Sorry, not sorry?"

Shadow simply chuckled, letting his hands drop to the bed, digging them into his own quills as he nestled more fully into his pillows. "Of course you're not sorry."

"Nope," Sonic chirped, finally looking down to see what he was working with, only for his mouth to flood with saliva at the sight. It was no wonder Shadow had choked him, despite his lack of gag reflex. The hybrid's cock was girthy and long, with a tantalizing looking ridge of little bumps lining the underside. He swallowed and ran his fingers up along the side of Shadow's spit slick dick, grinning madly at the whine and shiver the simple little touch elicited from Shadow. "Especially not when this is my prize."

"Sonic," Shadow murmured, almost pleading. It was such a wild departure from what Sonic was used to, it made him all the more eager to please his partner and make this a night Shadow would never forget. If only so that he would get to experience it over and over again.

"I've got you, Shads," Sonic hummed, momentarily casting his gaze around at the pillows to locate the little bottle of lube he'd haphazardly tossed there earlier. Quickly, he snatched it up, holding it so Shadow could see the label when he was cast a curious look. "I'm gonna prep you now, okay?" He leaned in to press a brief kiss to Shadow's mouth at the hybrid's nod of ascent, before sliding back down the bed, slathering his fingers in lube as he went, before taking the tip of Shadow's cock into his mouth. He began to bob his head a little as he gently swirled his fingers over Shadow's entrance, not missing the way the hybrid tensed slightly at the touch. Sonic had little to no doubt that no matter how many experiences the other may have had, he was definitely the first partner Shadow let top, and as such he was bound and determined to go as slow and gently as possible to make this the best possible experience Shadow could have.

Once the hybrid was used to his touch and had sufficiently relaxed, Sonic gingerly pressed the tip of his finger inside, dipping his head to swallow down nearly half of Shadow's length in order to distract from the intrusion. Luckily, this time Shadow's fingers dug into own pillows instead of Sonic's quills, though his hips did jump up a bit, causing Sonic to draw back and click his tongue quietly. "You gotta relax, Shads," he murmured, methodically pumping his finger in and out of Shadow as the hybrid panted above him, "Much as I enjoy your cock in my throat, I'd like it to be on my own terms, yeah?" His only reply was a short nod from Shadow, and the hybrid squeezing his eyes shut as he forced his hips back down onto the bed. "Mmm, that's a good boy," Sonic sighed, rubbing at Shadow's stomach with his free hand, not missing the low whine that left the hybrid at the pet name.

Sonic continued to prep Shadow slowly while laving attention on his cock, pausing every time the other squirmed or made a sound of distress. It made the whole process about three times longer than Sonic was used to, but as he'd told Shadow over dinner, the hybrid was more than worth going slow for, especially now. And he couldn't even say that he wasn't enjoying the tedious process, given that he'd never seen Shadow so free with himself. Sonic was committing every soft whine, quiet plead and aborted movement to memory. Truly, he wished he had a camera so he could go back later to rewatch Shadow come undone beneath him on repeat.

Finally, when Sonic was three fingers deep and Shadow looked like he was near tears as little strings of babbled nonsense escaped him, Sonic figured he'd been thorough enough. Gingerly, he extracted his fingers, relishing in the whimper and low whine that left Shadow as he did so. "Hey now," he cooed, snatching the little bottle of lube up from the bed to pour some over his own sizable length, which had slipped free of his pouch while he'd been tending to the hybrid and had begun to weep precum against the sheets, "The best is yet to come. No need to whine." He chuckled at the soft scowl Shadow shot him, the hybrid's ear pressed back as he barred his teeth a little. "C'mon," Sonic hummed, tapping the head of his cock against Shadow's entrance teasingly, "What's the magic word?"

"F-fuck you," Shadow nearly snarled, though it was breathy at best, while his hips shifted to press down to try to force Sonic inside.

"Ah, ah, ah," Sonic shook his head, drawing back and grinning at the way Shadow huffed and arched his back. "The point of this activity is to fuck you," he added, snorting as Shadow dug his head into the pillows with a grunt, "Now…What's the magic word? Don't you want to be a good boy?"

That seemed to be Shadow's magic word, as his hips dropped and his chest gave a slight heave as he sucked in a deep breath. Tentatively, he peered up at Sonic, the grasp on his last few shreds of control seemingly slipping away. "Please," he whispered, whimpering as Sonic shifted forward to rub the tip of his dick against Shadow's entrance once more.

"A little bit louder, Shads. I didn't quite catch that."

"Please!" Shadow shouted, uncharacteristically desperate. His eyes were pleading as he pushed his hips down, his back arched with the movement, and his claws digging into the pillow behind his head enough that it looked two seconds from being torn in half.

"That's my good boy," Sonic cooed, letting himself finally sink into Shadow's welcoming heat.

The sob that followed caught the hero completely off guard, faltering at the sight of tears slowly rolling down Shadow's muzzle and dampening his fur. He quickly scrambled to pull out, worry coursing through him at the thought that he'd somehow managed to hurt Shadow, despite his thorough stretching. However, upon shifting his hips he found Shadow's legs firmly clamped around his torso, forcing him to either stay still or move forward. He swallowed thickly, reaching down to pet at Shadow's stomach, since he certainly wasn't about to press forward while the hybrid was actively crying.

"Shads? Hey, Shadow? Can you look at me?" Sonic pleaded, worrying his bottom lip as Shadow slowly blinked teary eyes open to stare up at the hero, his vision blatantly unfocused. "Hi there," Sonic cooed, offering the other a tentative smile as he continued to pet at Shadow, "You okay?"

A slow nod was Sonic's only reply.

"Okay, well…you're crying. Are you aware of that?"

Shadow frowned lightly, pulling a hand free of the pillows to swipe at his face, his brows arching in bewilderment as he wiped away tears.

"I'll take that as a no…Are you hurt?"

A short shake of his head was Shadow's reply as he stared at his now damp fingers.

"Okay…you wanna keep going?"

"Mmm," Shadow hummed, nudging his feet against Sonic's lower back, forcing the hero's hips forward an inch, a low groan leaving Shadow as Sonic sunk a little deeper into him. He let his hand fall back into the pillows, his own worry over his tears obviously nowhere near what Sonic's had been if the way he rolled his hips was anything to go by.

"Alright. Well, you let me know if you do wanna stop, okay?" Sonic insisted, ignoring the grumble of irritation his lack of movement caused. "No, Shadow. This is important. You tell me if we need to stop. Okay?" Sonic waited patiently as Shadow rolled his head back with a groan, watching intently as the hybrid took a couple of deep breaths, before finally focusing back on Sonic, looking a bit more lucid this time.

"I will," Shadow rumbled, dancing his fingers up Sonic's arm, before digging them back into the pillow next to his head, "S'just a lot. S'good, though. Keep going." That seemed to be the extent Shadow was willing to keep focus, as he relaxed back into the pillows and nudged at Sonic's hips again, "Please."

"Mmm, how can I say no to that?" Sonic sighed, letting Shadow push him forward, essentially allowing the hybrid to set the pace as he ever so slowly pressed inside.

Once fully seated inside, Sonic buried his nose in Shadow's shoulder, lingering to let the other get used to the feeling of being full. He knew from experience that it could be a lot the first time, and he didn't want to accidentally overwhelm Shadow again by moving too soon. He smiled faintly as Shadow's hands moved from being dug into the bedding, to sunk into his quills, taking the opportunity as Shadow clung to him to suck a few more little love bites onto the hybrids shoulder and neck. He was so absorbed in his own little activity that he nearly choked on saliva and fur as Shadow's muscles suddenly clenched around him. For a moment, he'd thought it had been in response to his bites, as Shadow relaxed again when he pulled his face away. However, the hybrids' muscles clenched again without warning not a moment later, pulling a low whine from Sonic.

"Shadow?" He leaned a bit further back so he could get a look at the hybrid's face, only to find Shadow zoned out and staring at the ceiling, his lower lip caught between his teeth as his abdominal muscles methodically tensed and relaxed against and around Sonic. "Fuck," the hero grunted, gasping at a particularly hard clench, dropping to dig his face into Shadow's chest. He knew it wasn't the intention by any means, but it practically felt like Shadow was trying to milk him. "Shads," Sonic groaned, gasping as Shadow shifted his hips at the same time as he clenched his muscles, the hero's self restraint holding on by an extremely thin thread, "Shadow, please."

That seemed to snap the hybrid out of whatever strange little zen moment he'd gotten caught up in, letting his hips drop to the bed and going lax beneath Sonic. Letting out a little breath, Sonic sat back, drawing out slowly as he moved. He couldn't help the fond little chuckle that left him as Shadow gasped and whimpered at the loss, only to moan happily as Sonic easily slid right back in. "I've got you," Sonic sighed, starting up an unhurried pace, drawing nearly all the way out and pressing back in, in long, steady strokes. "That's it," he hummed, watching in rapt attention as Shadow's gaze went completely unfocused, his tongue lolling out of his mouth as his beath came out in short, sharp little gasps. "So good for me, Shadow," he began to ramble, experimenting with his angle every other thrust to see how the dark hedgehog would react, "You're taking me so well. Look at you." He grinned as Shadow's hips suddenly shot up, accompanied by a choked gasp. A tell tale signal to Sonic that he'd hit the hybrid's prostate.

Sonic leisurely ground into that spot inside Shadow a few times, biting at his lip as he watched thick beads of precum drip from Shadow's cock onto his belly. "Fuck…just look at you," he breathed, shifting to lift Shadow's legs over his shoulders so he could bury himself inside just that little bit deeper. "Wish you could see yourself like this, Shads," he groaned, his pace picking up slightly, earning punched out little gasps from Shadow, "So gorgeous. Head totally empty, all spread open and stuffed full of my cock." He pressed a sloppy kiss to the inside of Shadow's knee, leaning in and practically bending the hybrid in half as his hips sped up further, the sounds pouring out of Shadow's mouth nearly loud enough to rattle the walls.

"Such. A. Good. Boy," Sonic grunted, punctuating each word with a sharp, hard thrust, feeling his end rapidly approaching. He grunted as he ground himself into Shadow as deep as he could go, leaning up to languidly drag his tongue over Shadow's ear, the sensitive appendage flicking against his mouth. "Touch yourself," Sonic practically growled into Shadow's ear, "Let me see you cum." He shifted back once he felt Shadow's hand trying to wriggle in between their bodies, a feral little grin on his face as the hybrid hurried to obey, wrapping his fingers around his length and stroking quickly. "Good boy, Shadow," Sonic growled out, picking up his brisk pace once more, chasing his own release as Shadow's back arched off the bed with a broken moan. "Cum on my cock, pet. Cum all over yourself for me," he grunted, nipping at the inside of Shadow's knee and letting out a pleased groan as Shadow spasmed below him, his muscles convulsing as ropes of white painted his belly and a thready shout ripped from his lungs. "Mmm, that's my good, obedient boy," Sonic cooed, before slamming his hips home and emptying himself as deep inside Shadow as he could push.

The two sat entangled for a moment, their panting breaths echoing though the room the only sound. Finally, Sonic shifted minutely, an apologetic smile on his face as he carefully slid Shadow's legs down from his shoulders. "Ah, sorry about…well, my mouth sort of ran off without me," he said with a light chuckle, his thumbs swirling little circles through the damp fur of the hybrid's thighs, "I didn't meant to make it weird…" As he moved to pull out, he found Shadow's legs had shifted to wrap around his hips, effectively pinning him in place. He blinked, about to ask Shadow what was up, when the hybrids arms wrapped around his neck and pulled him down, very nearly smashing his nose into the other's shoulder. "Ah! Oh? Uh…cuddles? Is that what you want?" Shadow's deep, rumbling purr began to kick up again as Sonic settled against him, so he figured that was the correct answer. He supposed there were worse things than being koala cuddled by your boyfriend while still buried balls deep inside him. He let out a quiet sigh, nuzzling into the side of Shadow's muzzle and letting his own purr reverberate through his chest.

Sonic stayed like that until he could feel his dick starting to retract into his pouch, at which point he figured it was time the two of them get cleaned up. Gingerly, he pried Shadow's arms from around his neck, while planting a quick kiss to the hybrid's cheek. "Mmm, I think it's time to get up, Shads," he sighed, sitting up and back, unable to help himself but to glance down as he finally fully slipped free of Shadow's heat, watching as his spend slowly began to seep out of the hybrid's entrance. He bit his lip to try and hide his self satisfied grin at how he'd marked the 'ultimate lifeform', though his tail easily betrayed him as it wagged happily away. "Look at you, Shads," he murmured, pushing one of Shadow's knees further out to spread the hybrid open wider, "So pretty…"

He frowned, his purr coming to a stuttering stop as it finally occurred to him that Shadow wasn't making some snide remark back at him for his comment, or snapping at him for staring. As a matter of fact, he hadn't really said anything since letting Sonic know that he was okay after crying. He dragged his gaze up to Shadow's face, a little worried at what he might find, and more than a little worried to find Shadow still looking nearly as dazed as he had been in the throws of passion, though curiously the hybrid was still purring loudly.

"Shadow?" He shakily pet at Shadow's side, when something he'd read only the week before suddenly popped into his head. At the time, he'd thought Rouge was just being her regular, mildly vulgar, cheeky self when she'd sent Sonic several links about dominant/submissive relationships, and aftercare instructions. He'd scoffed when he'd opened them, thinking she'd been trying to pull his chain about how rough Shadow was going to be with him. Now he was wondering if, perhaps, she'd been trying to subtly support Shadow in her own weird way by sending Sonic some rather informative links. He hadn't really had any intention of reading the articles, but now he was quite thankful for his natural, insatiable curiosity. If he was recalling correctly, Shadow was likely in some sort of 'subspace', probably brought on from pushing himself to give up his control to Sonic, and the hero continuously putting particular emphasis on praising the hybrid as a 'good boy'. Nothing too serious, but he needed to snap Shadow out of it slowly to make sure the other didn't suddenly become overwhelmed.

"Hey," Sonic cooed, reaching both hands up to gently cup Shadow's face, softly brushing his thumbs along the other's cheek bones, "Shadow? Hey, pet…I need you to focus on my voice, okay? You were such a good boy, but I need you to focus now, alright?"

"…I was good?"

Sonic's ears immediately perked up at Shadow's soft words, nodding happily at the other. "Yes! You were so good. Now, just listen to my voice and come back to me. You did so well, I just need you to keep listening to me…"

It took a bit of soft cajoling, but Shadow's gaze finally seemed to snap into focus on Sonic as he took a deep breath, a full body shiver over taking him as he lifted his hands to cover the cobalt blue ones on his face. "Sonic…"

"There you are," Sonic sighed happily, leaning to pepper feather light kisses over Shadow's face, his toes curling happily at the soft chuckle he managed to pull from the hybrid. He sat back on his haunches once he felt the hybrid was sufficiently peppered, resting his hands on Shadow's knees and absently rubbing them. "You doing okay?"

"Yes," Shadow murmured, rubbing at his face with a quiet grunt, "Though, that was…unexpected."

"Good unexpected, or bad unexpected?"

"Mmm…that remains to be seen."

"…How's that?"

Shadow chuckled quietly. "I'm trying to decide if it's worth it to allow you to call me 'pet'."

"Ah," Sonic flushed, lopsided grin on his face, "Sorry. That really was heat of the moment. It just sort of slipped out."

"I'm sure it was," Shadow muttered, shifting to sit up, only to cringe at the feeling of Sonic's cum dribbling out of his entrance. "That's-"

"I got it!" Sonic cut Shadow off, zooming away, only to reappear a moment later with a damp washcloth in hand. "Here," he hummed, placing a hand on Shadow's chest to encourage him to lay back, while carefully cleaning up the mess he'd left with the cloth.

"It's cold," Shadow grumbled, flopping back into his pillows.

"Yeah, sorry," Sonic sighed, looking sheepish, "Didn't really have time to let the water warm up. But! How about I go run us a bath? I saw the fancy tub in the bathroom, and nothing feels nicer after sex than a warm bath."

"Is that so?" Shadow hummed, rolling onto his side as Sonic slipped off the bed. "Speaking from experience?"

"Oh, yeah," Sonic grinned, shooting Shadow a wink, "Having someone else wash your quills after an orgasm? One of my top ten favorite experiences."

"Well, then. I guess I have to try it for myself."

"You got it," Sonic chirped, bouncing on his toes. He quickly swooped in to press a brief kiss to Shadow's cheek, taking note of the smitten little smile on the hybrid's face that he was sure Shadow thought he was moving to fast to see, before shooting off to the bathroom to start the bath. For good measure, he added a few splashes from the various bottles around the tub into the water, humming in satisfaction at the enticing aroma that flooded the bathroom. The resulting smattering of bubbles across the waters surface was a nice bonus, too.

When he returned to the bedroom, Sonic found Shadow sliding from the bed, his toes just about to touch carpet, before Sonic zipped over and scooped him into a bridal carry with a cheeky grin.

"I can walk!" Shadow snarked, punching Sonic in the shoulder with no real power behind it.

"I'm aware," Sonic hummed, waltzing out of the room, "But this is just nicer, isn't it?" He concluded that Shadow must agree with him, as the hybrid did little more than huff quietly and fold his arms over his chest. He chuckled and kicked the door shut once they were in the bathroom, striding over to the tub and snorting when Shadow's arms suddenly coiled around his neck tightly. "…Seriously? You think I'm going to drop you in the tub?"

"It's you. Of course I do."

Sonic rolled his eyes, gingerly placing Shadow in the tub before reaching to shut off the faucet. "Give me at least a little credit, Shads," he sighed, stepping into the tub himself after snatching a couple of wash clothes from under the sink. "That'd be no way to treat my perfect little pet, now would it?"

Shadow bristled and growled quietly under his breath, earning a soft chuckle from Sonic. "Careful, hedgehog."

"Yeah, yeah," Sonic hummed, poking at Shadow to get him to turn around in the tub, pouring some soap into his quills and digging his fingers in once the other finally decided to cooperate. "Anyway…what did you think? Still worth going fast for?"

"Hmm?" Shadow sounded somewhat dreamy as Sonic's fingers dug into his quills, tilting his head slightly to glance over his shoulder. "What? The sex? Or the bath?"

"Uh, either? Both?"

"The bath is good," Shadow sighed with a little nod, turning to face forward again, "As for the sex…I knew it was going to be messy. That alone never really made it very appealing to me. But…I enjoyed it. It was nice to let go and know I was going to be cared for. So, for that, thank you, Sonic."

"You're welcome? Never really been thanked for sex before, so this is new," Sonic snorted quietly in amusement, grabbing the shower head to rinse the soap from Shadow's quills.

"I don't expect it will be a reoccurring thing," Shadow chuckled, turning around once Sonic indicated he was free of soap, "But for the first time? Especially since I hadn't realized what would happen…I appreciate that you kept calm and helped bring me back to myself."

"Well," Sonic admitted, blushing slightly as he sunk into the water, "I might've…Rouge might've sent me some reading material."

"Of course she did," Shadow snorted, rolling his eyes. "Even still. For a first experience, you certainly made it enjoyable."

Sonic froze blinking up at Shadow from the water, squinting slightly. "Wait…Wait a minute," he sat up, water sloshing over the edge of the tub, much to Shadow's chagrin. Several casual comments and the way Shadow had acted suddenly fit together like little puzzle pieces in Sonic's head. "You were a virgin?!"

Shadow simply stared at him with an unamused arch of his brow. "Yes? I would have thought that was obvious."

"Wh-no?! You're, like, the coolest guy around! And ridiculously attractive! How?!"

Shadow couldn't help the little chuckle that left him at Sonic's astonishment, twirling his finger in the air to indicate that the hero should turn around so he could return the favor of washing his quills. He finally spoke once Sonic situated himself with his back to Shadow. "It's simple, really," he hummed, rubbing soap into Sonic's quills, "No one else was worth my time."

"I-" Sonic sunk into the water as a flush spread over his cheeks, only to squeak as Shadow prodded him into sitting back up, "That's both incredibly sweet, and a little bit conceded."

"I'm not wrong."

With a soft laugh as Shadow rinsed soap from his quills, he couldn't help but quietly agree.

"Oh, and I've decided," Shadow later commented out of the blue, once the tub was drained and they were both wrapped in oversized, fluffy towels and sat huddled together on fresh blankets on Shadow's bed.

"Yeah? What'd you decide?"

"That I don't mind."

"Mind what, Shads?"

"Hmm…being your 'pet'."

A self satisfied grin danced across Shadow's lips as Sonic choked on air.

[itstheendofthegoddamnworld]

Kissed by Moonlight (Alucard x Witch! Reader) 9

A/N: So, I honestly didn’t have anything else planned for this series, and sadly, this will be the final chapter. I hope you’ve enjoyed this – I certainly had fun exploring this dynamic and delving more into a softer Adrian. This will finally bring the long awaited slow burn to the forefront, so I hope it is what you imagined. Enjoy!

Summary: All in the name of love.

PREVIOUS

Follow the story on A03!

Chapter 9 [Final]

“Easy does it.”

Wincing, the warmth of the water collides with the open wound on your arm, deep are its cuts that have marred your skin. They don’t look appealing, and you grimace at how they will scar. If you could only practice better with healing, you could get the scars to fade in the future, but they would never be fully gone, a reminder of your foolishness that day.

Adrian is silent as he works beside you, wrapping fresh gauze after he had to cauterise the bleeding on the side of the road. It left you slumped and light-headed for the remainder of the journey back to the castle, in and out of a state of lucidness, you found yourself by the fire, Adrian tending to you carefully.

You don’t mean the way to push Adrian’s fretting hands off of you, but the need for sleep has your mind exhausted, idly staring into the flames as you get distracted by what Adrian is saying to you.

“If you die on me, I will not forgive you, you know?”

You laugh breathlessly, catching him staring over at you from the corner of your eyes. “I’m sure I would need more than a scratch to put me down.”

“That is true,” he murmurs, sitting back in the space beside you. “But you’re still the bravest witch I know.”

“Ha ha.” you wince, sitting up as you try to get comfortable. If you’re lucky, you may find sleep with ease, whether that be looking at the fireplace or found back in your room alone and cold. “The dumbest witch you mean?”

Adrian leans closer in, subtle but you notice it without saying anything. You have grown comfortable with him beside you, and any contact whether it be discreet or not is enough for you to crave more. It seems the Dhampir is stuck in his thoughts whilst you observe him.

Placing a hand on his arm, you bring him out his thoughts, “Penny for your thoughts?”

“Nothing,” you cannot help but notice how his cheeks rouge lightly, looking away bashfully, “I just… there was something that drifted into my thoughts.”

“Which was?”

“Earlier today, when you were looking at the jewels, the jeweller commented about well… us.”

You stiffen, looking at him in horror and dread. “Oh, I’m sorry if that made you uneasy. I didn’t think it-”

“I didn’t feel uneasy by it however,” he managed to answer, and you hung on the edge of your seat to hear its words, “rather, it was… endearing.”

Oh.

“You... I do not know what to say, Adrian.” You laugh nervously, bubbling inside your stomach. “What does this all mean?”

Adrian shuffles closer in until his shoulder bristles against yours, “I suppose I should be downright honest with you at this moment,” his laughter is airy, with a hint of bravery he has plucked. “I am deeply afraid I will lose you one day, Y/N.”

You with ease hold his hand, reassuringly. “I’m not going anywhere, Adrian- it was just a scratch-”

“I’m not talking about the scratch, what does the future imply for me and… if you’ll be there beside me.”

Your breath gets caught in your throat, you feel clammy, and every hair on your body rises until you cannot think straight. You’re certain your heart is in your mouth and you’re struggling to breathe, but Adrian continues, pouring his words out to you.

“It’s amusing how this has consumed me that I cannot articulate my words correctly.” He stumbles. “It is feverous the way you enter my dreams, my waking thoughts and worries. My days are never satiated until you’re by my side. You consume me, body and soul, and still, it is not enough.”

He is still breathtaking, even when he’s flustered, but you listen, only because you don’t know what to say.

“I thought it merely impossible for two people from different backgrounds to fall in love. My mother and father did and still, their love sprouted and flourished. A human and a vampire, it was a myth, but their love showed, despite how fleeting it was.” He chuckles hesitantly. “I never thought I could understand what they shared until I met you.”

“What are you saying, Adrian?”

“Oh, God, how do I say this without making a fool out of myself,” he’s so bashful, a blushing schoolboy who has to overcome this announcement, but he doesn’t stray from it, rather prides himself in the confession. He holds your hand close over his chest, above the stammer of his pulse. “My heart-- it yearns for you.”

You watch in the seconds that pass when you reciprocate his feelings that his entire demeanour changes. The tenseness of his body immediately relaxes, and relief surfaces within his eyes, sweet and pure. There is such softness to him that has surfaced that he seems like a completely different person. Perhaps he had been so nervous that you would reject him, that this had taken off guard.

Adrian doesn’t shy away from you, grabbing your face in his warm hands. You lean further into his touch, excited and giddy. His honey-golden eyes glow against the embers of the fireplace; bright with passion.

You don’t know who leans in first, but you gasp as Adrian’s lips brush against yours experimentally, eyes flickering up to your eyes to make sure you feel comfortable against him. Noses brushing, you relish in his scent, grazing your bottom lip against his. The gasp that leaves him is similar to a whimper, and you delve further against his, never truly having your lips connect with him until the teasing becomes all too much.

Two flames, flickering now as one.

His lips are warm and inviting, intense as your bodies collide with one another, hands seeking to hold as much of each other as possible. It takes some getting used to before you find confidence, teeth clanking awkwardly against his fangs, you adapt to kissing him quickly and find that his kisses are addictive, soft, and tentative.

Adrian lets out a garbled moan, his hands moving to your scalp, his fingers finding your scalp as he softly tugs your head back, disconnecting his lips from yours and finding the base of your neck.

You gasp, feeling like prey. Excitement bubbles up in your exposed throat, thinking he will finally sink his fangs into your flesh, however, hot wet kisses press from your pulse point, up along your jawline.

“Adrian.” You softly gasp, your hands finding his scalp as the Dhampir continues his actions.

Adrian pulls back to marvel at you and you’re both a sight to behold: hair dishevelled, skin flush. Adrian’s golden eyes are blown wide and dilated, his breath ragged.

“You’re addictive,” his breath is laboured, and he pulls you back against him. He cradles the side of your face with his hand, stroking your cheekbone, “my little witch.”

You don’t speak when your actions are used to show how much you adore him. You pour your love into him, and all worries and qualms, fears of the darkness and what lurks outside the castle walls disappear. You’re safe in his arms and you’re finally happy.

You don’t speak when your actions are used to show how much you adore him. You pour your love into him, and all worries and qualms, fears of the darkness and what lurks outside the castle walls disappear. You’re safe in his arms and you’re finally happy.

“Don’t leave me,” he murmurs against the fullness of your lips, holding you to him, afraid you will turn to ash in his hold. “Don’t leave me, please.”

“Never.” Are your words, and you promise to hold onto them, for as long as you carry breath and Adrian is there to breathe it back into you.

[mamamittens]

If Ace wasn't so hung up on his dad, he could have done the funniest thing ever.

Like.

Really fucking funny.

Imagine with me, an Ace that is, at best, annoyed about who his dad is. Like, that's a high bar and the kind that overshadows just about anything you can do.

He could become an incredibly decorated marine and the papers would still go on about his old man's legacy and it's effect on him.

He could be a notorious pirate--and just be portrayed as chasing his old man's shadow.

So, obviously, he still keeps a lid on it.

But he's not afraid to ask about his dad. Particularly if someone knew him. And it's not even a weird question from a pirate cause like, yeah! What was he like?!?

Ace would have more specific questions of course. But in general not that weird to ask. And even less weird if the person he asks clocks him as Roger's son but, obviously, won't make a whole thing out of it cause obvious consequences of that getting out.

A politely kept secret, if you will.

Where am I going with this?

Imagine Ace has a chance to pull some shit on the Marines. Real old guards who know too much to be overwhelmed by force or anything like that. People who rubbed shoulders with his Gramps back in the day.

Imagine, if you will, it's Halloween or Roger's execution anniversary.

A little bit of costuming and well, it's been two decades.

They can be forgiven if they don't realize this 'Ghost Roger' is a bit shorter than they remember.

And Ace just absolutely terrorizes them. Acting exactly like his dad, chasing them around demanding they give him a good fight. Which, they, obviously couldn't do when he was alive either.

Every so often, for a special kind of asshole, Ace plays dress up.

And has the time of his life being a menace. A complete, utter bastard to those poor Marines.

His new folks are utterly floored and try very hard not to die from laughing too hard because it's just... So damn accurate.

Ace didn't grow up with his dad and, arguably, takes after his mom considerably. But in a pinch, he makes one hell of a resurrected Pirate King Gone Mad.

Whitebeard has to remind himself it's just Ace, the urge to jump in and kick ass is so strong. He was good friends with Roger but damn, did that man deserve to get his teeth kicked in a few times. And all those nostalgic feelings come sweeping back.

Ironically, pretending to be his dad is more in line with something Rouge would find sadistically amusing.

He really is a mixed bag of both of his parents personalities.

[emthimofnight]

This is just a (game) theory but is the reason that Sonic finds Camellia’s feelings and Stellar's obliviousness so amusing is because he himself might have been Camellia’s shoes with a certain edgy hedgy?

HAHAHA that's not a bad (game) theory!!! But the real reason is that Sonic is just. Like that. 😂 He's teased both Knuckles and Rouge and Silver and Blaze in canon for the potential romantic tension between them. He just likes to stir the pot!

He wouldn't point it out to Stellar or Camellia directly, of course. He'd mainly make supportive comments to Camellia when Stellar is out of earshot, like "I'm glad Stellar has someone who cares about her as much as you do," with a classic Sonic wink. 😉 Camellia would be pretty flustered, thinking he's clocked her for her crush, hahaha!!

[max-nico]

"Well, what do you like, Shadow?" Sonic asks, staring up at the cloud covered night sky.

Shadow finds himself pausing, his eyebrow furrowing in contempt. "I liked Maria."

"Duh, I'd be concerned if you didn't, Shadow. I meant what do you like now?" Sonic huffs through an exasperated grin. "Like–If you could only bring three things with you on a deserted island, what would you pick… or do you like dancing or are you more of a cooking type-a guy? What would your perfect day be like? If you had to choose between a cottage or a penthouse, which one would you buy? Do you prefer warm temperatures or cold?"

"As the ultimate lifeform my body temperature is always perfectly regulated, I have no need to think about that."

"It's not about what you need Shadow–" Sonic sighs, flippantly gesturing his hands. "–It's about what you like, about what makes you happy."

"What makes me…happy?"

"Yup."

Shadow thinks for a moment, his head now turned toward Sonic, who's still not looking at him. Though in all fairness, Shadow himself is more looking toward Sonic's direction than at the hedgehog himself. He's lost in thought, focused on finding something he genuinely likes on this godforsaken planet.

Shadow opens his mouth to answer.

"And don't say something that Maria liked, I'm asking about you."

Shadow closes his mouth. Back at square one he supposes.

It's hard to think of something he genuinely enjoys. He's spent so long preserving life for Maria, growing plants for Maria, saving people for Maria, eating for Maria, living for Maria. What begins with him and what stops with her is a giant mess. It's a tangled ball of raw emotions that he can't even begin to decipher, let alone understand.

"C'mon dude, I know you have some good memories in there." Sonic finally turns to Shadow, his whole face lit up in some amalgamation of amused and disbelieving. "Better than having no memories at all, am I right?"

To that, Shadow's introspection halts. His face flattens at the joke as he doesn't find it funny, and he remembers the absolute dolt he's talking to. God, this whole conversation is stupid, isn't it? He has to wonder why he's talking about literally anything with the hedgehog next to him, he's a moron on top of all other morons.

Sonic has enough emotional competence to at least be apologetic as Shadow gets up to leave. A hand coming up to stop him before he can get very far, and a repentant look to accompany it as well. Shadow simply deadpans in response.

"Too sensitive? My bad." Sonic looks down at the grass. "I've been trying to get better with… that."

Shadow tries to pull away, his counterpart doesn't let him.

"I won't make another joke like that, promise. Come sit back down."

For a reason unknown to Shadow himself, he complies. He takes the same place he was sitting before, Sonic is a little closer now, but it doesn't really bother him. The grip on his arm doesn't either. At least not enough to make him do something about it.

"Now, you still haven't answered my question."

"Have you considered the possibility that your question is stupid?"

"Humor me. Just a little bit longer."

Shadow sighs, rolling his eyes and looking back up at the sky. It's easy to fall back into his reappraisal and forget about the blue hedgehog all together. It's easy to focus solely on Maria too, but it's hard to think of himself. Not being able to answer Sonic's question makes him feel dumb in a way he's never experienced before, shame is probably a better word for whatever he's feeling, but it's even harder to admit that then think about himself.

He repeats the question to himself a few times, as if that will magically give him an answer. Repetition makes him irritated, God he's so irritated right now. Stupid ass hedgehog asking him stupid ass questions.

"I'm tired of thinking about this. Let me leave."

"Aw c'mon, Shads." Sonic frowns. It's an odd look on his face. It makes Shadow uncomfortable. "Look, I'll try and help. You like Rouge and Omega don't you? I've seen you walk out of Tails' garage before–which was a little surreal for me by the way–but I assume you enjoy hanging out with him, right?"

This makes Shadow think. Sure, he's okay with Rouge, grateful to her at least. He's been staying with her for the past few weeks, and though she lives on takeout, talks enough to make him deaf–don't even get him started on her attitude, and hoards like she's never had anything of her own before, he's truly indebted to her. He would never say this out loud of course, she would hold it above him and never ever let it go. Rouge is annoying enough without him giving her leverage.

She's oddly kind though, in her own special way. She doesn't touch his stuff unless asked to, makes sure to order enough take out for him to eat too, she's even allowed him to put up the few portraits of Maria he has. Rouge constantly gives out mixed signals because of this unfortunately, so it's hard for Shadow to get a read on her.

All of this being said, he wouldn't call Rouge a friend, but he wouldn't call her a foe either. Rouge is also way past the acquaintance stage, but not nearly close enough to be called family. Their whole relationship is completely out of Shadow's depth.

Omega's is easier to classify. Not with one word, nothing that simple, but it makes sense in his head. Simply put, he and Omega bond over their mutual love for blowing shit up. If they talk, they're discussing bombs and war tactics. If they're hanging out, they're testing explosives. Sending messages? You guessed it, they're talking about how funny it would be to bomb GUN.

They're like… bomb buddies or something. He thinks that's how Tails referred to them. Omega would think it's stupid a name though, which is fine, because Shadow also thinks it's stupid a name. They work well like that.

They're still not friends though.

Now, as for Tails, that's another complicated case. They both enjoy engineering and talk shit about Sonic when he's not around. They both enjoy learning, and find space fascinating. They both enjoy mutual silence as well, making talking to him easy with no pressure to keep the conversation going.

He still doesn't think Tails qualifies as an answer though, because the whole reason he even began to give the kid the time of day was because of Maria. Young, hopeful, naive, bright blue eyes, golden hair. He was like a bucket of water while being surrounded by wildfire. He still is, because Tails reminds him so much of Maria that it hurts sometimes, but the nostalgia feels like a reprieve from all the newness so the pain is welcomed. The pain is greeted, given a tour, and then shown its bedroom in his mind.

So sure, he'll give Sonic this one, the fox is his friend, he genuinely likes the fox, the kid is easy to talk to and incredibly sweet, sue him. He neglects to say this out loud anyway, both because it's not a valid answer, and telling Sonic he found companionship in his kid brother makes him want to keel over. He'd never hear the end of it, and the hedgehog already talks enough to power the sun.

"I think I like when it rains." He says instead, just barely catching a distant flash of lightning behind Sonic's head.

"That's a good thing to like, Shadow." Sonic accepts Shadow's answer easily, shrugging his shoulders. "I like the rain too."

"You hate the rain."

Sonic smiles, letting go of his arm. "Yeah, I just didn't want you to feel bad."

Annnddd that's it. This is pre-sonadow technically, but I wrote it with platonic intentions lol. This is pre all Shadow relationships.

I am incapable of not giving Shadow and Tails a wholesome relationship sorry not sorry.

Anyway, this fic is titled I Think I Like When It Rains on AO3. I posted it there a while ago so I decided to put it on Tumblr bc why not.

Please feel free to hit up my DMs or askbox, though if you're requesting I prefer my askbox lol. I am a multishipper if ships are your jam, but I mostly post Sonic and Tails being brothers (NOT A SONTAILS SHIPPER PLEASE DON'T TALK TO ME ABOUT THAT LOL)

[theocddiaries]

Sonic: Shads, I'm going to pick up Tails from his club. Rouge's apartment is near that. Wanna race? Shadow: I'd like to race. Assuming you actually go near Rouge's house. Sonic: …Where do you think I would take you? Shadow: Who knows? You said you'd be home yesterday, but you came home three days ago. You say you're racing me to Rouge's, but for all I know, I'll end up in a deserted amusement park. Or a cornfield maze. Or a back alley dog fight. You tell me. Sonic: …I'm going to pick up Tails and Rouge's apartment is on my way there. Race me if you want. Shadow: You know, I find myself wondering if anything you've ever told me is true. Sonic [grunts. Mutters to himself]: I didn't make it back. I plummeted to the Earth, dying heroically, but I went to hell because I shoplifted from the convenience store during the first ten years I was stuck here… Those years weren't as bad as I thought, I guess.

[elsannej]

Omega finds meatbag allergies hilarious:

There's Rouge, whose job relies on stealth, sneezing up a storm and being essentially out of commission for a few weeks on a bad pollen year of some specific plant. (She'd preferably take a vacation/job on another continent during springtime but it's not always feasible.) Being his favourite, at least Omega's somewhat more accommodative towards her compared to Shadow, and brings her antihistamine, tissues and eye drops to the bed when she wakes up congested with her eyes plastered shut. He mentioned the saying "blind as a bat" and had an alarm clock thrown at him for it; he's mostly impressed by her good aim considering she's going off of hearing alone, but knows to shut up for future reference.

(While I don't think Shadow would realistically have allergies, what are allergic reactions anyway other than the result of an over reactive immune system? ->Any time Shadow encounters a new allergen, he suffers through the allergic reaction for ±24h until he desensitizes to it. And unfortunately for him, symptom alleviating meds don't work for him.) >To Omega, the concept of the "Ultimate Lifeform" succumbing to dust particles or inorganically farmed fruit is ironic. He finds Shadow's misery greatly amusing and makes sure to respond to every wall-shaking sneeze with a "BLESS YOU". There lies a bigger risk in jesting Shadow, as he tends to throw Chaos spears instead of household appliances, but Omega likes to take his chances.

It all culminates with an extra maintenance checkup at Tails's because it's spring and Omega's been experiencing overheating a bunch recently, with it having nothing to do with the warming weather. The reason ends up being accumulated hair and fur stuck in Omega's fan filters. (Fur/feather possessing mobians tend to shed more this time of the year, Team Dark residence and Tails's workshop being a prime examples; hairs littering almost every surface.) Omega [takes it well] when Tails explains it's not feasible to make changes to the robot's ventilation system, other than to make the filters more easily cleanable.

Rouge and Shadow [react respectfully] when Tails gifts them a specialized vacuum cleaner "for Omega's fur sensitivity ^^!"