#They didn’t intend to hurt him which is why they also felt so comfortable asking him to rejoin

[ciderjacks]

Party infighting

[maxivstappen]

THE GREATEST — TRUE BLUE

[ part one / masterlist / requests are open ]

☽｡⋆ part 2 of THE GREATEST. he tried to live without you, but how is one to survive with a broken heart? a story based on TRUE BLUE by billie eilish. — lando norris x fem!reader (could technically be read as a stand-alone)

ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 angst, hurt & comfort, hints of fluff (?) 𝄞 4.1k words

❝ Lights out, you’re not here holding me ❞

Lando had never before felt the way he did the day you left him. Seeing you walk through that door, intending to never come back to him ever again, it pained him. It took him too long to realize how much he hurt you, and now he had to suffer the consequences. He swore it wasn’t on purpose, but when his friends told him that also the third girl he had brought along since you broke up with him resembled you in a way, he stopped denying. There was no use. The guys knew, the internet knew, he knew that he wasn’t yet over you. And he thinks he never will be. You left an empty place in his heart, a place that would forever be reserved for you only and you only. No matter how hard he tried to find someone else, no one would ever be able to replace you.

The girl he brought to the first race after the summer break was long forgotten already.

At first, everyone around him believed him when he said he felt happier now without you. But the moment he went back to his old ways, the heartbreaker they’ve known for so long, they realized he wasn’t. The girls always looked like you. He only rarely smiled anymore and he couldn‘t care less about his friends‘ relationships, even going as far as faking a gag or simply not coming to hang out with them at all. He said it’s because he needs to focus on racing. They knew it was because of you. Lando was yet to tell them why the relationship ended. He’d rather crash his car and DNF in every race for the rest of his life than to ever have to talk about the night you left ever again. He felt embarrassed and bad and was so terribly regretful. Only his parents knew the whole truth. He told them with tears caressing his face just like you once did, and seeing the disappointment in their eyes, he felt his heart rip apart even more. They had loved you so much, only waiting for the day he would finally go down on one knee for you, and now he messed it all up.

If he could just go back and make it all alright. Make you feel unconditionally loved wherever you went, make you happy, keep you happy. He would change it all if he just had the chance, but he knew you deserved better. Maybe one day, he could be better again.

He is ready to give up the very thing for you that had made you leave him that night if you’d ask him to. Racing would never again mean as much to him as you, though broken up, still do to him.

He was currently seated in his McLaren, waiting for the lights to go out so he could try his very best to overtake max at the start already. He should have his mind on the track. He shouldn’t think about you, not here. But like always, he couldn’t help it. He hoped to see you in the stands once he was able to get out of the car again. He hoped to see you wave and smile at him, run into his arms and let him kiss you all over, do all the things he had failed to do so many months ago. He knew it wouldn’t happen. He believed anyway. The lights went out and the cars began moving. He tried his best, he always did, but he wasn‘t afraid to lose anymore; for what was it worth to win a race when he had faced the greatest loss of them all already?

❝ I count every tear down my cheek instead of sheep ❞

You couldn’t sleep. You could never sleep while he was racing. Especially when he was on the other side of the world, which is why you went with him last season, and also at the start of this one. Maybe you never should’ve. Long distance was hard, but you managed. He felt farther away when he was still sleeping next you every night. At least when he didn’t send you off to sleep on the couch.

You tossed and turned in your sleep, but you didn’t dare to turn on the TV. It’s been months, you should try to live without him. Without seeing him. Without feeling for him. His races had nothing to do with you, neither did the outcome. And god, if he wins and you have to watch him kiss someone else again you might as well just take his racing car and drive right into the nearest wall. He’s so far away and yet, it didn’t make you love him any less. You huffed, fear slowly building up inside of you. You knew you shouldn’t do this, you had to wake up early tomorrow and really, it wouldn’t be that bad to miss a race once or twice, but you couldn’t help it. Reaching for the remote, your eyes were flooded with tears and your heart stung like never before when you saw him driving out there. You were rooting for him nonetheless. Just months ago you had watched the races from inside the McLaren hospitality, but now? All alone in your bed, anxiously following his every move. You would never fall asleep like this.

❝ Sleepwalk, find myself on your street. Three knocks, ring the bell, then I leave ❞

And there you stood high up in the stands the next weekend, head hanging low as you didn‘t want any fans of him recognizing you, back in his territory. You tried to ignore him, you really did, but your eyes kept following him around the paddock and didn’t leave him even while he was doing the quick interviews he had to do on his way there. And honestly, it kinda felt like home. Attending the races. Being near him. Being with him. You missed it more than anything else in the world, and you felt pathetic for it. He hurt you every way he could, and still, he didn’t hurt you enough to make you hate him. And you really wanted to hate him.

You went to the race together with one of your friends from uni. You bonded over formula 1 and your shared passion for the sport and quickly became very good friends. However, she had to leave soon, moving to another city for a better starting point for her career. Hence, you decided to save some money and go to a race together for the last time; for now, at least. You still remember the way she looked at you when you told her you were with Lando. The way you swooned over him to her, and the way you cried your eyes out when it all ended. You really thought you‘d be able to spend the rest of your life with him, and now all you had left of him were memories. She‘s known you long enough to immediately notice your longing after him the moment your eyes locked onto his dark brown curls. Your heart fluttered and it made you nauseous. One day this would stop, right? Your feeling must fade at least sometime, or was this all just wishful thinking? Could you not just get over him like everyone else got over their exes and start dating someone new?

Your heart ached. He was so close, not out of reach anymore, not on the other side of the world anymore, but still, there was no way of getting back to him, the crash barriers and the grandstand keeping you away, and it felt like the end of your relationship all over again, with him on the track and you sitting and waiting patiently on the sidelines, always at least an arm length distance between you two. You shouldn’t even want to get him back. You left out a sigh as he walked into the McLaren hospitality, finally out of sight. But still not out of mind.

Your friend huffed next to you, and finally decided to try and convince you to talk to him after the race while you were still in the same place, to get closure at last. You knew it must annoy your friends and maybe even your family that it was so hard for you to just move on. They put effort into understanding, but still, Lando wasn‘t good to you, at least not in the end. Many would treat you better, but you didn‘t seem to care. You quickly shook your head no, telling her how he probably didn’t want to talk to you and that catching him after the race would be nearly impossible, with bodyguards and tons and tons of interviewers and cameras around him.

The conversation ended soon after, as the lights went out and the drivers hit the gas. You pondered for a second, reconsidering your friend‘s suggestion, a weird feeling building up in your stomach. Maybe you shouldn’t even be here, maybe you should *leave* after the race and never look back. But to your dismay, every sense in your body was telling you to stay.

❝ I try to live in black and white but I’m so blue ❞

The race went well, but he didn‘t really care. Of course he was happy, the whole team was euphoric for their two drivers who secured place 2 and 4, huge smiles plastered on their faces. Once he was done with the post-race interviews he left to go back and get some rest inside his apartment, at least until the others came around to drag him to the afterparty, slandering from one club into the next one.

Everything felt so lonely without you. His bed was cold even when he was hidden under his blanket, and the dining room was nothing more than a reminder that he wasn‘t spending his evenings with you. Watching TV got boring. Everything got boring. He didn’t even know why he lost you anymore, he didn’t know what the hell it was that made him believe you weren’t made for him, making him believe there was actually something more important than you in this lifetime. You haunted his every thought, and even though he truly only wanted the best for you, deep inside him, he wanted you to still need him as well.

He stood in front of his bathroom mirror, gently buttoning up his shirt like you used to do, always leaving the 3 highest ones unbuttoned. He missed your touch, your eyes looking up at him and your hands always reaching for his. His arms would be wrapped around your waist and his head would be leaning on your shoulder, sneaking a few, small kisses up your neck as you changed your earrings for the night, the imagine of it painted onto your fast beating heart as you stood in front of the full-body mirror in your apartment, finishing up your accessoires. You wore a blue dress that covered your thighs, not reaching your knees. It hugged you in all the right places, accentuating your features. It used to be Lando‘s favourite, but you had no other alternative, not having brought any other dresses. Your friend insisted on going clubbing anyway, desperately wanting to finally get him off your mind for one night at least.

The other drivers were loud and happy and drunk and Lando sat next to them, staring at his already empty glass. He knew how this would go. At some point, either the drivers or one of their girls would tap his shoulder, saying they have a friend they think he would really like, and if he would like to be introduced to her. He would agree so they would finally keep their mouths shut, he would talk to the girl. Maybe they would kiss if he drank enough. Maybe he would take her home. Maybe he would think about you the whole time, maybe he would accidentally call her your name. Maybe he would wake up in the morning and would be happy that she‘d left, content with it only being a one-time thing and not meaning anything.

Because, in the end, nothing meant anything without you.

He pretended to laugh at the jokes of his friends, but really, none of this was fun to him. These nights were nothing more than a constant reminder of how he used to have his fun while you were waiting for him at home, cold and sad and alone. How could he be so stupid and leave you alone all the time? He doesn’t even know why he did it anymore. He yawned, very obviously not enjoying the party. Yes, it was nice seeing his friends so happy, the mood wasn’t as tense as it was around and on the track and the people inside the night club were vivid, dancing and drinking, seemingly having the time of their life downing countless beverages, but still, the happiness didn’t reach him.

“Dude, I think your girl‘s here.“ Oscar pushed him slightly, two vodka bull in hand for himself and Lily. Lando didn’t pay him any mind and rolled his eyes, not really in the mood for talking to any girl that isn’t you at the moment. Couldn’t they just give up? He wasn’t ready yet for someone else, he didn’t even know if he wanted to be with someone that isn’t you at all. Ever. Instead of arguing with Oscar about how he didn’t want to hear from any other girl right now, he went to get another drink as well.

He pushed through the dense crowd of people, navigating through the cacophony of laughter and piercing yelling that seemed to echo from all directions. The deafening loud music blasting through his ears made it difficult to focus, and the harsh sound of glass clunking together only added to it. The colorful LED lights rapidly switched from green to red to purple to yellow in a matter of seconds, creating a dizzying light show that overwhelmed his vision. This sensory onslaught of sounds, sights, and sensations overstimulated his senses, making each step forward feel like an effort.

Finally at his destination, he waited for the waiter or waitress, he wasn’t quite sure, to get his order. He wasn’t certain what his plan was that night at all. Sleeping around or not, you wouldn’t stop haunting his mind anyway, so was it really worth it? Getting drunk and trying to make his nights feel less lonesome? Or should he just wait and really focus on his carrer again until maybe, one day, you’d come back?

He ignored the possibilty of you not coming back at all.

He let his eyes wander around the scene unfolding in front of him, occasionally making eye contact with random girls who winked at him and tried to get his attention, but he didn’t pay them any mind. Frustration started to bubble up inside of him as the wait for his drink seemed to go on for forever, until suddenly, his heart skipped a beat.

Lando was certain that in a room full of people, he would always be able to notice you first. He pondered if it was you whenever he‘d walk by a girl with the same hair colour as you, immediately dismissing the thought when he saw a face that didn’t match yours just a second later. But this time, it was different. The hair ressembled yours without a doubt, and of course he remembered the dress he had bought for you so long ago; never once had he been able to keep his hands to himself when you wore it. The height matched you perfectly as well. But it couldn’t be you, right?

Oscar‘s words replayed in his mind and he finally understood what he meant. Who he meant.

It was really you.

You tried to enjoy the party, but you really weren’t doing so well. Your friend had left you near the bar, thinking you’d be hitting it off with a guy you’ve been talking to for some time, but that wasn’t the case. he left just five minutes after to go home, asking if you’d like to come with him. You denied, but your friend was nowhere to be found, having found someone in this club herself. It was scary being alone in a club full of drunk, intoxicated people, even more so when you sensed someone staring at you from behind. You didn’t have to worry about things like that when you were still with Lando, with him always stuck to your side, a protective arm hanging around your shoulders. you shuddered at the thought, and dared to turn around to find the very person who was looking at you so steadily.

And then you locked eyes.

The world suddenly went quiet. All the chaos, the noise, it all faded into the background, no sound to be heard other than the synchronised, rapid beating of your heart. It seemed as if the only two people in that room were you and him, only the void surrounding the two of you. The LEDs turned blue, engulfing you and him, the light accentuating your features and he couldn’t move even if he wanted to, stuck in a trance of what this could mean for him in the future; what this could mean for you both. Time seemed to stand still. He wanted to run to you, to hold you, to tell you how much he missed you, but his feet felt like they were glued to the floor. His breath hitched and so did yours, all the yearning, all the longing hitting you and him at lightspeed.

You walked towards him, each step filled with electricity. The tension was palpable, his mouth agape as you stood in front of him, only centimeters away from closing the gap between you. There was so much he wanted to say, so many things he wanted to apologize, so many things he wanted to make right, but he didn‘t dare to say things first, afraid too scare you off. The last thing he wanted is for you to leave him again.

“I didn‘t know you‘d be here, thought I‘d seen Oscar but I wasn‘t sure,“ you started, stumbling over your own words, laughing awkwardly, then biting your lip right after. He noticed, because you always did that when you were nervous; you’d done it too when you broke up with him. You wanted to blame it on the alcohol, but that would be a lie, one he could look right through of. You just couldn‘t process actually being in his presence again.

“You still wear the dress?“

“It‘s, uhm, quite pretty, so yeah.“ You nodded along to your own words, gulping at the tense and awkward silence right after, looking down at your shoes, the sight of him in this light still not leaving your mind. Maybe he didn‘t even feel the same way, maybe he didn‘t even want to talk to you. Maybe you already made a fool of yourself when you made your way over to him, maybe you really should‘ve just stayed at home. But at the same time, this is what you‘d hoped for this whole time. To finally see him again.

“I‘m so sorry for what I did to you, y/n, please believe me. E-Ever since you left, I couldn‘t stop thinking about you. Not once. I tried to move on, y‘know, would probably be better for you as well, ‘cause you deserve better than how I‘ve treated you at the end and I don‘t want to have to put you through that again but I just- I miss you so much, I don‘t know what to do! And now you‘re here and I swear I‘ve been waiting for a moment like this and-,“ he stopped for a second, heavy and shaky breaths filling the silence, „If giving up racing means you‘ll let me come back to you, I‘ll do it.“

Your teary eyes widened and you looked up at him again, staring into his. One could take it as an empty promise. But you knew better than anyone else that Lando wasn’t one to joke about racing, ever. “Lando you can’t just- I- I mean, racing? It didn‘t work before Lan I just- don‘t give up your dreams for me, please? You shouldn‘t, you have so much ahead of you still,“ you sighed out, every single part of your body overwhelmed like never before.

But Lando was certain. He traced every yet so small feature of your face and body with his eyes, and he knew in that exact moment that, no matter what, he could never lose you again. Not this time. Not when fate hat somehow brought you together once again, giving him a second chance to make it all better. Question was now if you’d let him have that second chance too.

He lifted his hand to gently wipe away the tear running down your cheek, having you lean into his familiar touch. “I’ll do it for you”, he said, and that was when you broke apart, legs feeling numb and wobbly suddenly. Tears streamed down your face as you took another step forward and he wrapped his arms around your body out of reflex, gently placing soft kisses on top of your head, tearing up as well as your cried into his chest.

Maybe it was bad, maybe you shouldn’t feel like this again, but you’ve never once after the breakup felt as at peace with yourself and your as you did now, even if you were in a loud and busy club, surrounded by drunk and high people. You managed to push them to the back of your mind, the familiar scent of Lando’s perfume calming your senses. It felt like home. Maybe he really did owe you something, and though you once were anguished because of it, you wouldn’t ever deprive him of the joy of racing. There would be a way through it without having to abandon any of your or his dreams. There must be if you want it to work out, and you were sure that this time, it would. And so was he.

Lando took you home with him that night, not before you shot your friend a quick text message, afraid she might think you were kidnapped or whatnot. You knew that you’d have to fly home again in two days. He knew that too, but there was no need to rush things anyway. You were still his and he was still yours, and that’s all that mattered for now. It’s gonna be weird explaining this to your friends and your family, but neither of you minded it as long as it meant you could be with each other again. You would have to talk things through and see how you’d manage the race weekends and the events and the media - but not now. Now, with you calmly and lightly snoring in his arms, he didn’t care about any of that, simply content with having you again.

He promised you before you drifted off into your tranquil slumber that he will make it right this time. He will be there for you no matter what, he will defend you and take you with him and show you off and love you like already should have done all these months ago. This time, he will put in the work and the appreciation and the effort, and then, you will finally be able to be the greatest.

❝ I’d like to mean it when I say I’m over you, but that’s still not true. ❞

taglist for part 2 of the greatest : @mrs-saturday @tylerstacobell @angeltroian @acesbakery @directioner5life @malynn @escuellasceramicdollie @strangetoadroadbat @norrisdriver @aliceisnuts @carlando4 @f1fantasys @no-144444 @belivisa @callsignwidow @cruzgrecia @ifsoniacouldfly @wony6ung @hurtblossom @faeriepigeons @interlagos @xnatqq @fanficweasley @youreintheclubb @chaimaarouaine11 @idgasb @cruzgrecia @madstxo @trisharee (basically everyone who commented vv sorry if you didn’t want to be tagged!)

[actiniumwrites]

Not sure if you’re taking request still but if you are was wondering if you could right abt reader hiding their fever from Tighnari or Diluc (or both)

𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑

synopsis: in which you try to hide your sickness from them, just trying to stay out of their way, except it doesn’t quite go to plan

characters: heizou, thoma, tighnari, dottore, and childe x gn!reader (separately)

warnings: angst to fluff, hurt/comfort, descriptions of being sick, a tiny bit of swearing, established relationships

notes: thanks for the request! i tried pretty hard to come up with something for diluc but i wasn’t able to so i just did tighnari. i also added in some other characters, hope that’s okay :) also reminder that this is a relatively old request and i’m not actively taking requests!

heizou:

you hadn’t intended to ever hide your sickness from him, honestly

you woke up with the incoming feeling of what you assumed was a fever. your temperature was high and you felt fatigued

still, when your red haired boyfriend came prancing into your shared bedroom excitedly shaking your shoulders begging you to join him on his day off, you felt as though you couldn’t refuse

he was just so happy and you didn’t want to ruin that, not when he had been so stressed recently

walking around ritou with him seemed to be alright

the weather wasn’t bad and he even took you to a few shops for some lunch and souvenirs

but as the time passed, your head felt dizzier and your eyes stung a bit. the red of the maple trees was blending with the blue of the sky and the shops around began to spin

“are you okay?” he had asked worriedly, noticing your eyes began to droop and the overall fatigue you seemed to be experiencing

he put a hand to your forehead and noticed the burning sensation and light sweat building quickly

“shit, you’re sick? why didn’t you say anything?” he asked as he began to rush you home. his arms were around you, steadying you against him

“you were so excited,” you mumble against his shoulder, “i didn’t wanna ruin that, but it looks like i did anyway.”

the detective’s heart ached as the words left your mouth, he couldn’t believe you would say something like that, “please don’t say that again. your health matters way more than my fun, don’t ever forget that.”

when you got home, you fell asleep quickly, all snuggled up in the warm covers

heizou dimmed the lights and brought some medicine and water to place on the table next to you for when you woke up

as he got in the bed with you, he made sure to pull the blankets snuggly over you and bring you closer to his chest and placing a small kiss to your forehead

“i love you,” he whispered before shutting his eyes and holding you close.

thoma:

thoma hadn’t asked you to help him with chores, but here you were…helping him with chores

although the weather was beautiful, it was spring and in influx of new leaves and all sorts of pollen was in the air and on the floors of the estate

you were kind enough to help your boyfriend out with all of the spring cleaning to prevent him from getting stressed

unfortunately, it only lead to you getting stressed and consequently sick

you had already felt the oncomings of sickness for the past week

from various headaches, lack of sleep, the inability to eat, all the way to a runny nose and sore throat — you knew it was only going to worsen, but still clung to the hope it was just spring allergies

still, you chose to help him anyway while also leaving out the details of your sickness

about two hours had passed since your last break before fatigue hit you hard. the rake you had been using to gather fallen flowers was now leaned against the wall

your arm was resting against the railing to balance yourself as you sat on the small set of stairs under the shade

“thoma,” you called out to him through shut eyes and rushed breaths, “i’m so sorry, i- i don’t think i can help you anymore.”

he ran to you almost instantly, dropping everything in his hands to check if you were okay

when he saw you weren’t, he rushed you inside to your guys’ shared room

“oh archons, i’m so sorry i didn’t notice! you really didn’t have to help me if you weren’t feeling good,” he apologized, urgently trying to help you

it was like that for hours after

he was constantly apologizing for not noticing and you could tell he truly felt bad

he even brought you fresh homemade soup and anything else you so desired. you name it, he got it

at the end of the day, he fell asleep alongside you, swearing to stay by you until you felt better.

he didn’t even care if he got sick. if it was for you, it was worth it

tighnari:

tighnari had been frustrated all week

you had noticed that almost instantaneously and even if you hadn’t, all of his grumbling, dark eye bags (which he never seemed to have), and the distance he was placing between you would have made it blatantly obvious

he didn’t seem himself as of late and that made you feel a bit down yourself

eventually it got to the point where his mood was dampening everyone else’s and you had fallen ill

the forest watcher was so stressed that he hadn’t even noticed

you had tried to tell him when he requested you help him with collecting samples of withered areas, but he was quick to shut you down before hearing you out, requesting that you, “please just help me without complaining.”

under normal circumstances, you would have told him off and not allowed him to dictate over you like that, but you weren’t feeling well at all and didn’t have the energy to argue

besides, it would only be an hour and a half right? you figured you could get through that

you should’ve known what you were getting into. your boyfriend always took longer than expected, though you hadn’t expected an hour and a half to turn into two, which then turned into three

when you realized the time, you began to ask to go home and just come back tomorrow. it was getting dark and was definitely a reasonable request of him

but tighnari wasn’t in the mood and he brushed you off, choosing not to answer your question

moments later, his equipment fell and broke — almost as if karma had struck him

he was never one to lose his cool so easily, but here he was yelling at nothing and kicking his bag over

when you had asked him to calm down, he refused and snapped at you too.

he didn’t mean it — you knew that, but you couldn’t help but feel like he did. like he meant to snap at you and that all his anger was somehow your fault

mixed with the fatigue and shivers from your now fully developed fever, your eyes drooped and you fell forward into unconsciousness

hours had passed before you awoke. but when you did, you found tighnari right by your side handing you a cup of water and some of his homemade medicine

“i’m so sorry,” he started quickly, stumbling over his words as he tried to apologize, “i was so selfish forcing you to go with me. i mean, what kind of boyfriend doesn’t even notice when their partner is sick?”

you cough before responding, “you were a little harsh, but it’s okay now. you were just stressed and no one was around to help you out when you needed it, so don’t feel too bad okay?”

he nodded sadly and fell against your lap, still guilt-stricken by his lack of awareness and clouded mind from just a mere few hours ago

he would take the next week off he decided. taking care of you was more important and he had a lot of making up to do

dottore:

you weren’t surprised the doctor had failed to recognize the fact that you were sick

while he was a doctor, he wasn’t one that cared for his patients or anyone besides himself

when he had called you to his lab early one morning to aid him in some lab work, you knew there was no chance of it ending well

you loved him, you really did, but your boyfriend was pushy. and when his mind was set on something, it became the most important thing to him

today he had asked for your assistance in his lab for whatever new experiment he had conjured up this time

initially, you refused as you weren’t feeling well and didn’t have the energy

but, as aforementioned, dottore is a stubborn man and wouldn’t take no for an answer

“dottore, i’m not feeling we—“ you tried to argue with him

“ah ah, i do not care what excuse you have this time. i need your help and only your help.”

he didn’t even hear you out

so you sucked it up and helped him

about an hour had passed when you began feeling strained

back and forth of reaching for different materials and finding information for him became too much

“can we just take a break?” you breathed out heavily, immune system weak from your sickness

“no, what did i tell you? it is imperative that we do not stop until this is finished,” he stops for a moment, tone softening as he turns to you, “i’ll take you out to that place you’ve been wanting to try later, i promise. just, help me with this and we can go.”

you smile at the offer, happy he was finally making the time to go out with you, but it wasn’t enough

as soon as he asked for the next object, your dizziness kicked in as your neck craned to see it up on the high shelves of his lab

and the next thing dottore heard was a thud with you on the ground

“dottore… i can’t— i’m so sorry,” tears pool at your eyes as your fever worsens

he helps you up with a stern look, his arms wrapped around yours as he pulls you closer to inspect your face, “why didn’t you tell me you were sick?”

“are you serious? i did tell you! you didn’t listen to me,” you exclaim

dottore softens in the way he only does around you, quietly offering you an apology and his coat to warm up your shivering body “i apologize, my love. i should not have been so neglectful of my own partner.”

he’s careful as he carries you to your shared bed and wraps you up:

“how about that restaurant? i’ll pick up whatever you want.”

childe:

sometimes childe can be a literal child. you knew that when the two of you began dating. sometimes you minded, other times you didn’t

he had a way of nagging when he wanted things and whining when he didn’t get them

you hadn’t gotten out of bed all morning and childe was getting impatient, hoping you would spar with him today for fun

you didn’t bother to tell him you were sick, thinking that he’d eventually realize later in the day

but childe was having one of those days and didn’t have a care in the world for anyone but himself

he came in to your shared room and collapsed on you, completely missing the pained grunt you let out as complaints flew left and right out of his mouth

things like: “spar with me, please!” and “c’mon we haven’t challenged each other in so long!” among many other complaints

he was right, it had been along time. and while you didn’t exactly want to spar with him today, you figured if you just indulged him for one round he would let it go

so you got up and got your equipment desperately trying to ignore the pounding of your headache

childe was beaming with excitement as he kissed your cheek and ran out to grab his equipment

when you got outside to join him, the chilly wind of snezhnaya bit at your skin and made your nose run faster than it had been before

childe quickly went in for a few hits, you dodged them and countered him quickly

it seemed to increase his determination as he charged at you effectively hitting you in the side

you didn’t let it affect you too much, aside from a bit of coughing which your boyfriend had chalked up to being from the impact of the hit

you had only lasted ten minutes longer before he landed one last hit, knocking you to the ground

“oh, c’mon! that one wasn’t even that bad. don’t tell me you can’t handle a hit that weak!” he laughed, just teasing you

you bent over on your hands and knees, violently coughing as tears poured out from your eyes

“hey hey hey, what’s wrong?” childe panicked as he dropped to his knees next to you with one hand placed on your back to support you

his hand reached your forehead, feeling a burning sensation, “woah, you’re burning up! why didn’t you tell me you were sick?”

“you were—“ you were cut off by your coughs, “so excited to spar. i figured if i just indulged you for a round or two i’d be fine…”

“hey, you didn’t have to do that,” he said softly, “i would’ve understood if you just told me. i care more about you than fighting, you know that.”

childe picked you up quickly and brought you back inside your shared home and to your bed, wrapping you up cozily under the covers before joining you

“childe, no— you’ll get sick,” you tried to push him away.

he smiled and firmly placed a kiss on your lips,“oh c’mon, when have i ever cared about that?”

[huffleflufflefly]

Now That I "See" You - An Ominis Gaunt x Reader One Shot

I've edited this so many times and yet I keep finding typos and mess ups 😥. I hope it's all better now.

Ominis Gaunt x Reader One Shot

Fluff? I think? I'm new to this. It's not spicy so.

Temporary eyesight, kissing, cuddling...I think that's it XD

(I got this idea from deaf people having Cochlear implants to be able to hear and I thought, what if they made glasses so you could only see when you wear them? (Using magic obviously, I know we can’t do that IRL) Also, if you got tired or overwhelmed seeing things, you could just take them off! Similar to the implants, when you don’t want to hear, you can just take the magnets off. Anyway I’m not the best at writing, but this idea was in my head for a long time! Enjoy!)

Basically: You’ve been working on a temporary fix to help Ominis see. You’ve tried multiple potions, charms, the lot. You came up with an idea to somehow enchant a pair of glasses to help him see. You’ve tried quite a few times, but you felt this pair was the one!

"I've done it!"

I yell as I sprint over to where Ominis is. He's in his usual spot. The cold, hard floor of the Defense Against the Dark Arts tower.

"You've said that at least a hundred times already" He teased, a small smirk playing on his lips as he looked in your general direction.

You shoot him a playful glare which he can sense, making his smirk grow wider. "Oh c'mon, try to be a little more supportive than that! This is for you, you know!"

I reach into my bag and pull out my invention as previous forms of it spill out, littering the floor. Pairs of glasses. Enchanted glasses to be specific. 

These are intended to let the user see temporarily while they have them on. Ominis has been very patient with you through this long process with each prototype, each one giving no new result so far aside from one that made him see a blinding light once. You apologized again and again until he scolded you. He asked you to continue in the hopes that that meant there was some improvement in store.

You'd been at it for hours, days. The dark circles under your eyes making it more than evident of your sleep deprivation. Fortunately, the boy you care so much to stay up these ungodly hours for didn't notice, or so you thought.

"I hope these work this time, for your sake." He definitely noticed. “I don’t understand why you’re going through all of this effort in the first place, (Y/N) .”

I sigh. “Do I need a reason? If I must, I was curious if there was anything that could be done. When Sebastian told me your family tried everything, I felt like there had to be something!

“You sound an awful lot like Sebastian right now.” He chuckled softly as I instruct him to close his eyes before placing the glasses on his face, resting them on the bridge of his nose.

His eyes opened slowly as he felt the cold metal against his nose. Nothing. No difference. Not even the brightness that hurt his eyes with the last pair. He comes up with something, anything to hear the smile in her voice.

“I think I see something! Little shapes!” He tries to settle his voice as he lies, but it’s obvious to  you.

“It’s alright,” You sigh in defeat, sinking to the floor to sit beside him. “I thought for sure this one would work! I used anything I could that claims to improve eyesight!”

He tilts his head toward you, a playful smirk growing on his face, “(Y/N), you can’t improve eyesight that wasn’t there to begin with.” He meant to say it in a teasing, yet comforting way, but then he heard a sniffle and quickly reached out to you, pulling you towards him before you could start crying. 

“Shh..I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for it to come out that way, darling.” He rubs your back gently as he tries to soothe your disappointed heart. “I don’t need to see to be happy. I have you and Sebastian in my life. I couldn’t ask for anything more.” One hand moves to your hair while the other searches for and cups your cheek. “I don’t need sight to know how much I’m cared for, nor how beautiful you are.”

At this you blush slightly, the heat carrying over to his fingers. Your frown curling into a smile. “I know that…but I wanted to try. You deserve to see this beautiful world.”

He puts a finger to your lips, cutting you off. “All I want is to be here with you, my dear.” Ominis traces his finger along your lips. “And maybe a kiss as well” You look into his cloudy blue eyes, a mischievous glint dancing across them.

“That can definitely be arranged.” You reach for him and pull him close, connecting your lips, the kiss laced with passion and understanding. Feeling his kiss settled your sadness and desire to keep trying to help him see. You relax almost enough to fall asleep in his arms, but tense up when you start slipping. 

After a few moments you pull away. “You know it’s a shame, you look very handsome in these glasses.” 

He chuckles, lifting a hand to caress your cheek. “If you’d like, I’ll wear them for a bit.” His eyes widen suddenly and flicker around your face. He…sees something! Similar to his wand, being able to see shapes, silhouettes of people and objects, but a bit different. He can see a bit more shapes. 

You notice his eyes travel to yours, locking onto them. “Ominis?” You look at him, a confused, concerned expression plastered on your face. He can see the outline of your eyebrows turning inward.

“I..I can see..maybe not everything, but…(Y/N)..I think it worked after all!” He cups your face, still looking into your eyes, lifting his hands to your face to feel the features he sees. “This is incredible! I see my hands moving, the outline of your jaw, your eyes.” He pauses for a moment, a warm, affectionate smile forming on his face. “You’re beautiful (Y/N)! Just as I thought! Oh Merlin, this is incredible!”

You take a moment to register his words, blinking rapidly. Finally, your face softens and you smile. “It worked?”

“Yes! I can see far more than I can with my wand!” He reaches down with ease and grasps your hands tightly. “Thank you (Y/N), truly.” 

Feeling both accomplished and full of love for this man, you pull him into a tight embrace. You both hold each other, tearing up slightly from the excitement. You immediately start thinking of more experiments to try out.

[turtletaubwrites]

Misty Eyes ~ Part 5

THIS FIC CONTAINS DARK CONTENT. 18+ ONLY. MDNI.

Pairings: Trafalgar Law x Fem!Reader, Doflamingo x Fem!Reader (Past & Flashbacks)

Word Count: 3975

Misty Eyes Masterlist

Ao3 Link

Summary: Feeling good seemed out of reach, but you'd never felt safer than you do with Law. Safe enough to ask for what you want.

Author's Note: Alright friends, patience is required, but rewarded 🥰

Thank you so much @pinejayy for this delicious request!!

Rating/Warnings: Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Explicit Sexual Content, 18+ ONLY, MDNI, AFAB!Reader, She/Her Pronouns for Reader, Reader-Insert, Devil Fruit User Reader, Swearing, Eventual Smut, Angst, Pet Names, Degradation, Punishment, Emotional Abuse, DARK CONTENT, DUBCON, Grooming, Trauma, Past Sexual Abuse, Manipulation, Power Imbalance, Dubious Consent, Doflamingo is His Own Warning, Bondage, Dissociation, Inappropriate Use of Akuma no Mi | Devil Fruit Powers, Kissing, Shame, Blood and Violence, Vomiting, Minor Character Death, Sparring, Childhood Memories, Chaste Childhood Kiss, Teasing, Tickling, Yandere Doflamingo, Hurt/Comfort, Smut, Hair-Pulling, Birth Control, Unprotected Sex (stay safe out there!), Forced Pregnancy (Implied/Intended), Sterilization (Implied/Intended), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Cunnilingus, Vaginal Fingering, Penis in Vagina Sex, Soft Trafalgar D. Water Law, Other Additional Tags To Be Added, Fluff, Sexual Dysfunction, Safe words, Choking, Praise Kink, Body Worship, Multiple Orgasms, Aftercare

!!! SPOILERS !!! This story begins during the 2 year timeskip before the Punk Hazard Arc, and there will also be spoilers for the Dressrosa Arc for backstory lore

| masterlist | about me | rules | ao3 |

“What do you mea–”

“Nuh uh,” Law scolded, sticking his thumb in your mouth like a hook to pull you closer by your bottom teeth. “You know I could always tell when you were lying. I know you faked it.”

You pulled his hand away from your face, frowning at his shit-eating grin. 

“I don’t know wha–”

“You little liar,” he accused, sitting up. His movement forced you to slide from straddling his waist to sitting in his lap, the feel of his still firm cock beneath you making you gasp. 

You wrapped your arms around his neck, even as you scowled at him. His satisfied chuckle made you scrunch your nose, heat burning your face. 

“How could you tell,” you gave in, earning a quick kiss before he flipped you, laughing at you while he laid you on your back beneath him. 

“You’re a terrible liar.”

Your mouth fell open in outrage, but you couldn’t attack him while he held your fists, kissing your knuckles. 

“I’m an incredible liar,” you squirmed, his weight pinning you down. 

“See what I mean,” he taunted, your futile thrashing making you breathless. “That wasn’t believable at all.”

A frustrated huff left your lips as you struggled to punch that smirk off of his face, but he stopped talking while he kissed his way along your neck and collarbones, so you let it slide. He finally slowed, releasing your hands as he pressed a gentle kiss to your lips. 

“Why didn’t you just mist away,” he seemed to tease, but his voice was too soft. 

“I…” you paused, about to argue until you realized that you didn’t want to answer. You clamped your eyes shut against that feeling, then opened them again to glare at him. “Don’t change the subject. How could you tell I was lying?”

Law took a moment, seeming to search for his answer, which did not appease you.

“I’m not sure,” he smirked at your disgruntled hum. “You always seemed so… cute when you lied.”

He blinked, looking down as if he hadn’t meant to say that, but you wouldn’t give him a pass just for looking adorable. 

So you bit him.

“Gah, what,” he sat up, pulling back in surprise until your teeth left his arm.

“Two things,” you snarked, propping up onto your elbows, “I want to know exactly what my tell is so I can get rid of it, then I want to hear all about how you thought I was cute back then.”

“So your tells are,” he grunted, catching your fist at the plural word, “sometimes the corner of your lip goes up just a bit–”

“It does not! That’s the first thing I trained out,” you argued, sitting up on your knees to face him. You narrowed your eyes at him while he ran his thumb over the edge of your mouth, until you sighed at his touch. 

“Maybe I just pay more attention,” he mused, voice husky as he kissed your temple. His breath moved to your neck, your need for answers melting away. Until your body reminded you of the moment.

“Uh, Law,” you coughed, pushing him away gently, “do you have a towel?”

He returned from his adjacent bathroom with a warm, damp towel, helping you clean up the mess he’d made before kissing up your stomach and chest again.

“What’s my other tell,” you interrupted, his soft touches ending as he rolled his eyes. He grabbed your hand, kissing your fingers before moving your own thumb across them. 

“You rub your thumb over your fingernails,” he reported, brow raised as if judging your performance. 

“I do that all the time,” you yanked your hand back, embarrassed that he’d read you so well. Lying was something you prided yourself on. It’s what kept you safe. 

“It’s a self-soothing behavior,” he softened, pushing the hair back from your face. “And you’re right, you’re probably a great liar. I just spent too much time watching you.”

Releasing a frustrated breath, you looked at his stupid face, and couldn’t help but smile. 

“Is this when you tell me how cute you thought I was?”

Law sucked his teeth, his bright eyes ready for a challenge, but instead, he kissed you. Unhurried lips and tongues, treasuring the taste of each other. 

“I thought you were gross,” he whispered against you, earning a hard punch to the arm. He laughed before he continued, holding your wrists again. “But then I thought you were cute, and I thought that was gross too.”

You grinned at the memory of what a grouchy kid he was. For over two years, you’d spent everyday together, bickering, sparring, and causing chaos. 

“At first, I studied you to gain an advantage during training,” he confessed with a sigh, looking away while his fingers tugged at the sheet. “I don’t know when it changed, but eventually I was watching you because I wanted to. Because you were cute.”

He teased the last word, caving in to your demands, and you rewarded him with another kiss, wrapping your arms around him. Soon hands and lips were traveling, until he laid you back against the pillows. 

“Can I make you come now, or do you have other demands?”

You rolled to the side to hide your face while your skin burned, and his pleased hum and teasing kisses along your side didn’t help. 

“We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do,” he soothed, your breath going too slow, and too shallow. “But I would love to make you feel good.”

His voice, his words, his gentle fingers that had pulled away to give you space, all of it made you freeze. 

“What can I do to help you feel good, Y/N?”

There were so many strange thoughts in your head, most moving too fast for you to follow.

Except for one thought that felt more like an emotion, a need. You were barely conscious of it, yet it drove you forward, pulling him onto you.

Make him feel good. 

Lost again in the way he touched you. Lost in the way he breathed your name while his marked fingers smoothed along your skin. Lost in the need to please him. 

“Fu-huck,” he gasped out, moaning as your fingers wrapped around his shaft, already hard again. 

Stroking him with purpose, you lined yourself up as you rubbed his tip through the new wetness his touch had drawn. His eyes rolled back before he buried his face in your neck, leaving a sloppy kiss against your skin.

A long whine left your lips, frustration making you writhe when he pulled away. He laid on his side at the edge of the bed, panting while his eyes tried to focus on your face. 

You rolled, crawling toward him with your lip caught between your teeth, more needy sounds leaving your throat. 

“Gods, you’re too fucking good,” he rasped, catching your hands before they could reach his cock again, “but, you didn’t answer my question, Y/N. How can I make you feel good?”

Your body slumped, a heavy sigh leaving your lips before his fingers brushed across them. 

“Let me take care of you,” he pleaded, the words hot against your ear. 

All you could do was nod, body limp as he lifted you back to the pillows, propping you up as if you were one of the precious comics on his shelves. That thought made you laugh, making him narrow his eyes at you until you giggled even more. 

“Something funny,” he teased with that lovely smirk. 

Words weren’t leaving your lips, so he sucked his teeth while he watched you squirm. Your breath stilled at the touch of his fingers along your inner thighs. 

“It seemed like you enjoyed me eating you out earlier, until I started fingering you. Did I read that right?”

Your eyes went wide, pausing for a moment before your words spilled out.

“N-no, it all felt amazing! I just got overwhelmed, but you felt so good…”

He watched you closely then, and you wondered if you’d shown a tell. 

But I didn't lie… 

“Okay… Please tell me if you’re feeling overwhelmed, or if you don’t like something.”

“I will,” you promised, your voice a bit high while you tilted your head down to the side, looking up at him with a teasing smile playing on your lips. 

“How about we use a safe word,” he suggested, smoothing a hand along your arm while he ignored your attempt to distract from the topic. “Do you already have one you’d like to use?”

Your eyes were a little wide as you shook your head, but a gentle kiss on your temple slowed your breathing. 

“It should be a word that doesn’t mean much, and that we wouldn’t normally say. Anytime you’re feeling overwhelmed or want to stop, you can say it, okay,” he paused, waiting for you to nod before continuing. “How about… radish?”

“Why radish,” you snorted, your body loosening up.

“Why not,” he grinned at you. His smile was a sight you’d never get enough of. “Do you have any other ideas?”

Your lips quirked, but you agreed to the word.

“Perfect. Now, will you please tell me how to make you feel good?”

He stared at your parted lips while you froze. No words came to mind. Just tension, and a mild sense of danger. 

“It’s alright if you don’t know,” he reassured, his eyes going soft as they raked over you. “Just talk to me. Is it alright if I touch you?”

You caught yourself rubbing your thumb over your fingernails when you agreed, stopping the movement before he noticed.

What’s wrong with me?

Law’s hands and lips traveled the length of your body, pulling soft gasps and sighs from your throat. You moved into his touch, reacting, showing him how good it felt. 

“I can’t believe how beautiful you are,” he whispered, looking down at your face while he traced his fingers along your leg. Your cheeks were already burning before a breathy moan surprised you both. 

He cocked his head at you, repeating the movement. For some reason, the barest touch of his fingertips to the middle of your shin made you moan again, the ticklish sensation feeling better than you thought it should. 

“Mm, found something,” he teased, leaning closer to kiss your embarrassed face. “Do you know any other places I can touch to make you moan like that?”

“Law,” you writhed, voice breathy as his fingers danced up your body. 

“Come on, pretty. Tell me one thing that feels good. I know you can think of something.”

There was no pressure in his words, but there was heat, and the hint of a challenge. You still couldn’t think of any words, but you managed to move your head to the side, trailing your fingers along the crook of your neck. 

He hummed as his fingers replaced yours, as your eyes fluttered shut. 

“Your skin’s so soft,” he purred, the hunger in his words making your toes curl. “Does it feel good when I kiss here too?”

Whining, your body went loose when he laid beside you, one of his legs resting between yours before he kissed your neck again. 

It felt so good, you could have stayed in this moment forever. The feel of his lips, tongue, facial hair, even his breath overwhelmed you. That sensitive skin sent electric shocks down to your lower back until you shook for him, his warm laughter only adding to it. 

“Thank you for showing me what you like,” he breathed against your ear. “You’re being such a good girl for me.”

Law’s praise took every thought away, everything was gone while your body reacted. Your hands fisted the sheets, your thighs tried to rub together, seeking friction, but his leg was in the way. 

“Mm, Y/N, is it alright if I finger you? You can say the word if you want me to stop, okay?”

Hesitation came back, along with anger. Anger at yourself for whatever was stopping you. For whatever was keeping you from enjoying this time with him. 

Anger at yourself for not pleasing him by giving him what he wanted.

“It’s okay, hey,” Law soothed, his thumb stroking your cheek, “we can stop here, or we can do something else. Whatever you–”

“I want to,” you choked out. Clearing your throat wasn’t enough fix the broken sound in your voice. “I don’t know why, but… me feeling good seems…”

His soft eyes warmed your skin, even though you couldn’t meet them. He waited for you.

“I keep getting nervous when it’s just me,” you murmured, keeping your eyes wide to fight the heat there. 

“Just you feeling pleasure,” he prompted, studying your face while you gulped, nodding to confirm. “You said you want to. Do you wanna try, and we can stop if you need to?”

“Mhm,” you agreed, looking up as you brushed away an unwelcome tear with the back of your hand. 

Law pressed gentle kisses across your face, wiping away another wayward tear. 

“You deserve to feel good, Y/N.” His fingers followed his pretty words, and you fought to just be here with him. So slow, so light, that tattooed hand trailed lower, until he traced around your entrance, leaning close to your ear again. “I wanna make you come so bad. Please, can I feel you come on my fingers?”

Your “yes,” came out in a whine, and you both moaned at the slide of his fingers, your drenched pussy aching for his touch. 

“Gods, you're so wet,” he panted, playing with your clit while he watched your face. “Can I–”

You interrupted his request, nodding permission before he pushed one finger, then two inside of you. His eyes never stopped scanning, and he sat up to free his other hand, caressing down your body. 

It felt so good, but there was something. You’d been able to keep memories out, but you couldn’t relax. 

“What do you need,” he checked in, his skilled fingers bringing you close, but not close enough. 

“I feel like I–” you moaned, his thumb moving over your clit while his fingers curled up to that spongy spot inside you. “I feel like I need to make you feel good.”

“Mm, you are making me feel good,” he rasped, his body seeming to relax at your confession. “I love the way you’re gripping my fingers like this. I love the little sounds you make. Watching you come would make my fucking year, Y/N.”

A laugh fell from your lips, then a moan as he pressed a little deeper.

“You don’t need it, but you have my permission to come,” he teased, his voice just a bit too real, and somehow those words released something. A tiny smirk graced his lips as you started to fall apart. 

“Gonna be a good girl, and come for me?”

“Fuck,” you breathed, the steady rhythm he’d found was building so much pressure in your core it almost hurt. 

“That’s it, you’re doing so well,” he praised, his free hand grabbing your chin to force your heavy lidded eyes to his. “You’re close, yeah? I want you to tell me exactly what you need so you can come on my fingers like a good girl. I know you can.”

“Law…”

“Can you do that for me?”

So close. So fucking close. But here was a new plateau, and all of his wonderful work was about to go to waste. Until you thought of something. 

Something that came with a pile of confusing memories and shame. Something you would have ignored, and stuffed away if you hadn’t felt so safe. 

If Law hadn’t made you feel so safe.

“Choke me, please.”

The request was almost silent, but you saw his lips part slightly. A hesitation. A mountain of self loathing threatened to roll over you.

Long, tattooed fingers encircled your throat, a necklace marked with “DEATH.” 

“Such a good girl, telling me what you want. Let me feel you– Mm, there’s my girl.”

He wrapped the perfect amount of pressure around your neck, keeping the pace with his other hand until your body started bucking, your eyes rolling white. 

It was everything you fucking needed. 

And it kept going. 

Law never stopped giving and giving, praising you while you shattered. You almost went to mist from the overwhelm, only managing to stay solid because you needed to keep coming for him. For you.

You mourned the loss of those wicked fingers choking and fucking you, but he worshipped your body again while aftershocks tore through you. 

“You’re fucking amazing,” he chuckled, laughing harder at the gibberish you replied with. He kissed and caressed you while your body came back to the room. “Can I get you anything? Water, or are you hung–”

He’d moved away slightly, but you reached out with your wobbly arms, pulling him close. He hummed at your touch, then gasped again when your hands found his cock, the heat of him making you writhe.

“Y/N, we don’t have to–”

“Please, fuck me,” you begged, sluggishly rolling onto your stomach. Looking over your shoulder at him, you got to witness the loveliest, most desperate look you’d ever seen on his face when you lifted your ass toward him. “I need your cock.”

There was no hesitation now. 

Just the whispered, “say the word if you need to,” before he was behind you, thrusting into your twitching cunt while you screamed for him. 

Tattooed hands on your hips helped him slam into you, hitting that perfect spot so fast, so hard, that you came in what felt like seconds.

“Oh fuck. Pussy feels so good, baby,” he moaned, slurring a bit before pressing your upper body into the bed. The new angle made you scream louder, clawing at the sheets. 

“You like that, Y/N,” he checked in, voice strained as he fought his need. 

“Pull my hair,” you demanded softly.

One of those hands pushed you down, his weight between your shoulder blades while he pounded into you. Frenzied thrusts rocked your body while his free hand fisted into the hair at the back of your head, finally giving you that sting you needed. 

“Do it again,” he forced through his teeth, his bruising grip making you drool onto the sheets. “Come for me, pretty. Come on my cock right fucking now.”

“Law, fuck, I’m…”

Words were gone, his quarters ringing with your breathy screams, and his heavy grunts. The slapping of wet, needy flesh nearly drowned you both out until he buried himself as deep as he could go, your toes curling while he filled you with heat. Your body milked the come out of him until you both collapsed, sweaty limbs still reaching for each other. 

“Are you okay,” he coaxed, brushing another hot tear away from your cheek. 

“I’m happy.”

Those words had left your lips many times over the past few years, but this time you didn’t have to lie. This time you let tears fall without shame, laughing as he left tickling kisses anywhere he could reach, holding you close. More laughter floated through the air while he carried you to the bathroom. You trailed your fingertips along his lines of ink, as though you were walking the paths around your new home, memorizing each lovely view. 

“You know this doesn't mean I’m gonna go easy on you, right,” Law threatened as he threw a blanket over your bare skin, wrapping himself around you. 

“You’re such an ass,” you hummed, nuzzling into his warmth. 

“You could be nicer to your captain, you know,” he quipped, his deep voice making you shiver. 

“If you’re my captain, does that make me a Heart Pirate?”

His arm tensed around you, and your mind cringed against your presumption.

Nothing’s changed. I’m still a tool, a threat, even if I am something more. Don’t fucking push–

“Only if you want to be.”

Law’s hushed offer stilled your thoughts. You couldn’t answer without seeing his face, so you twisted in his arms until you could cup his cheek, knowing that the shy smile on his face reflected your own. His eyes poured over you, until his brows creased slightly as he waited for your response. Waited to hear if you wanted to spend your life as a pirate, living on this submarine, putting yourself in danger. Waited to hear if you wanted to stay with him. 

It wasn’t a question.

“I do,” you promised with a kiss, pulling back to smirk at him, “but I’m still gonna call you an ass.”

Soon you were begging, breathless as you lost the fight, your cheeks hurting from laughing after his long fingers had stopped tickling you. Being wrapped up in each other still felt unreal. He fell asleep so fast, his light snores a comforting sound, even when you couldn’t stop the tears from staining your skin. 

You’d never felt safer. 

But memories were still there.

Doffy. 

He’ll find me. He’ll take me back. After he makes me watch him kill Law. 

He’ll probably use my hands. Just like…

You went completely limp, head lolling as your body fought the sticky memory of blood on your hands.

Part of your brain still had memories. Part of your brain berated you for not enjoying this perfect moment with Law. But most of your brain went to a strange buzzing place, unfocused eyes seeing nothing but a blur. 

When this empty space wasn’t frightening, it was relaxing, in a sick way. 

Leaving. 

Being nothing. 

Safe.

“Y/N? You okay,” he checked in, groggy voice filled with concern. 

Your limp body rolled as he shifted. A tiny part of you floated above the bed, watching, yelling at yourself to move, hating that he had to deal with this.

The rest of you was trapped in a fish tank, sinking to the bottom.

Law stayed with you. Even though you couldn’t feel, even though you couldn’t hear, you knew he was there. He was there when you returned, soothing your “sorry’s” away. Asking what you needed, bringing you water, then starting all over again as if it hadn’t happened.

Holding you close as he drifted off to sleep, and this time, you followed him. 

This time, Law pulled you from the nightmares. He reminded you where you were while he kept you from clawing at your chest. He waited until he saw your eyes stay present, then he teased you until you were his again. 

“Hurry up, or I’ll make you use the barracks bathroom,” he warned, pushing you through the door with a towel and a change of clothes. He beamed at your middle finger, and you could hear him counting down random numbers while you got ready. 

“Why don’t you just join me,” you challenged, about to turn on the water.

“You know why.”

You showered fast, even though your body twisted with need at the thought of him shoving you against the tile wall, but your mood soured when you looked in the mirror. It was disorienting to see that face on this submarine. To see that face anywhere but at Doffy’s side.

You managed to pull yourself out before you fell too deep, but this time you didn’t push it away. No hiding, no running in fear. 

Doffy lived there, behind your misty eyes. The weight of his presence hung around your shoulders like that heavy, pink coat. Your body screamed with the need to be safe, the need to be whatever he wanted you to be. His laugh echoed in your skull as he called for his “pretty doll.”

But you weren’t a doll anymore. 

I’m a Heart Pirate now, Doffy. And I’m gonna help Law kill you.

Likes, comments, and reblogs bring me all the ✨dopamine✨ thank you so much!

a/n: Heeeyyyy we made it. We completed the fic request. It's over... Lol, not! I have so much more planned for this story, but there will be a pause here while I circle back to another fic. But fret not, I'm obsessed with this story, and have already outlined some upcoming chapters!

Thank you so much for joining me! Again, I hope none of you relate to the reader's trauma, and her struggle to enjoy her own pleasure, but if you do, you're not alone 🖤 I hope you are given all the patience and love you need so that you can enjoy all the pleasure you desire.

You deserve to feel good!!

Tag List: @shewrites02 | @jadeddangel | @nothing-but-brass | @lovemesomefanfic846

Part 6

Operation Olive Branch has compiled a working spreadsheet of ways to help families fleeing from the genocide in Palestine. If you enjoyed this fic, and are able, please click the link to find a list of GoFundMe's, as well as other ways to help.

| masterlist | about me | rules | ao3 |

[arecaceae175]

For Want Of Rest: Ch. 4

FAN JOY JULY!

Fic Summary: Five times Sky falls asleep somewhere that isn’t a bed plus one time they all do. Or, Sky struggles to manage his disabilities, then the chain has a conversation about accessibility and accommodations.

Fan Joy July! Each chapter is inspired a few amazing art pieces of Sleepy Sky <3. There are plenty more chapters and art inspirations to come :D

Chapter Summary: Sky struggles to stay awake as the chain travels. 1.3k, angst and hurt/comfort. Also Legend decided to use she/her pronouns in this one, apparently. Good for her

Art pieces:

Sky snoozing by @narsh-poptarts Sky and Wars napping by @sraksha

My favorite thing about narsh-poptarts's art is how much the pose mimics the one in the game. Even later in life, blorbo is still the same eepy blorbo. I also think the pose is cool and it looks hard to draw!

Sraksha's art is always amazing. It's such a distinct, soft style that is perfect for two blorbos napping. I love how Warriors is smiling in the second panel. He is very proud of himself for helping his brother be comfy <3

Chapter warnings: could be read as dissociation, but is intended to be blorbo being soooo fucking tired. Also Sky continues to be an unreliable narrator with low self esteem and internalized ableism (directed towards himself, not others)

“You good, Sky?”

Sky held back a sigh and forced a small smile instead. Ever since they found him passed out beneath the tree, one of the other heroes was never far from Sky. He was glad he was used to living in close quarters on Skyloft and used to Groose’s anxious clinginess; some of the others surely would’ve snapped by now. Every time he felt frustration bubbling at his family’s overbearing concern, he had to remind himself that he was thankful they cared so much.

Legend was watching him with thinly veiled concern. Against his will, Sky’s eyes darted to the braces on Legend’s knees and the compression gloves on her hands. Sky felt the burn of shame. He could ignore the ache in his joints and the fatigue dragging him down. He didn’t want to be the one to slow down the group. 

“I can keep going,” Sky said. 

“Not what I asked.”

Sky felt the tips of his ears go pink. “I’m okay. Are you? Do you need a break?”

“If I need a break, I’ll ask for one,” Legend said pointedly, narrowing her eyes at Sky. 

Sky shrugged and turned away. A break would be nice, but he didn’t need one. The pain wasn’t unbearable yet, and he was still moving. As long as he wasn’t assigned to a watch shift tonight, and they made it to a place to stop early in the day tomorrow, it would be fine. He could handle it.

Legend’s stare weighed on Sky’s shoulder for another moment, before Sky heard her huff and stomp away. Disappointment twinged in Sky’s chest, but he couldn’t quite figure out why. His gaze went back to his feet and he tried to let himself zone out, just barely watching for hazards he could trip on. It was easier than focusing on the pain in his hips or knees or back or feet or head or the one weird, sharp twinge in his ankle— that was new, what was that about?

It must have worked, because next thing he knew, Four’s stopped feet appeared in his view. Sky barely scrambled to a stop before he ran into Four, and he still had to put a hand on Four’s shoulder to steady himself. He muttered an apology as he took a step back. Four smiled and waved it away. 

Sky glanced around. They were still in the woods— which did not make Sky want to cry, not at all. The path ahead was split into three forks. Wild, Time, and Twilight were crowded around a broken signpost trying to make sense of the directions. 

Pain slammed into him with full force. His legs were shaking minutely. Sky felt himself sway, and he desperately looked around for the nearest tree to discreetly lean against. Things always felt worse just standing. If they were going to be here for more than a few more seconds, Sky really needed to find a spot to rest. 

“Hey,” Legend said quietly. 

Sky looked at her in surprise. She inclined her head towards Sky’s left and raised her eyebrows. Sky followed her gaze and saw a tree stump partially hidden from Sky’s view. Sky felt himself sag with relief and immediately went for the stump. He collapsed on top of it with less grace than he would like to admit. Against his will, his eyes slid shut immediately. He crossed his arms and clenched his fists into the fabric of his sleeves as he breathed through the wave of pain in his hips and back with the new pressure. 

The voices of the others faded into background noise as Sky began slipping into a light doze. Sky could still hear the words, but he didn’t put much effort into processing them. Someone would get him when they needed to move again. 

A voice rose louder than the others. “Um, guys?” 

Sky startled, ever so slightly. Sky knew he should probably open his eyes to see what the problem was, but he couldn’t muster the energy. There was a span of silence.

“Is this a safe place to make camp?” 

“Fresh monster tracks.”

Another pause. The voices faded into a buzz. 

“Sky.”

Sky jolted, then winced as his back twinged. He rubbed his dry eyes. “Hm?”

Hyrule smiled apologetically and held out a hand. “We’re moving on.” 

“Oh. Okay.” Sky stifled a yawn as he took Hyrule’s offered hand and let the traveler pull him to his feet. “Thanks.”

Hyrule’s smile widened. “‘Course.”

As they started to walk again, Sky tried to focus on anything besides his body. He looked around the path and noticed a hero was missing.

“Where’s Twilight?” Sky asked. 

“Scouting ahead,” Hyrule said. His ears twitched, and wasn’t looking at Sky. If Sky had any energy, he would’ve pressed. His thoughts were too heavy for that, so Sky just hummed a reply. 

An amount of time passed. Sky didn’t know how much. Staying upright and putting one foot in front of the other was taking all his concentration. An amount of time passed, and then Twilight was jogging down the path towards them. 

“There’s a cave close. A few monsters outside, but it don’t look too deep. We can clear it,” Twilight said. 

Sky frowned. His accent was thicker than usual. That usually meant he was tired, hurt, or stressed. 

“It’s a tight fit, though,” Twilight continued. 

“We’ll split up,” Time said. “Legend?”

Legend shook his head. “I’d rather keep moving.”

“I can stay,” Warriors said.

“Um.” Sky cleared his throat. His ears pinned themselves to his head as Sky grabbed his sailcloth to fiddle with it. “I don’t think I would be the most helpful right now.”

Warriors, with clear movements in Sky’s line of sight, patted Sky’s shoulder. “We’ll stay back.”

“I’ll stay, too. I’ve got a bit of a headache,” Four said, tapping his temple lightly with one finger. 

“Come on, then. It’s close,” Twilight said. 

“Stay safe,” Warriors called as the group left. 

Sky’s eyes burned, both with forming tears and the dryness of exhaustion. He hated feeling like he let the others down. He hated being too slow. 

Sky stepped far enough to be off the path and collapsed in a heap against a rock. He curled his sailcloth around himself and let his eyes slide shut, then let his head fall against the rock. His entire body throbbed. 

“Do you need anything for the headache?” Warriors asked. 

“No, it’s not bad. More pressure than pain, really. I’ll stand watch if you want to…” Four trailed off.

Sky’s neck protested the angle with sharp pains. He huffed a watery breath of frustration and dragged an arm up to rest between his head and the rock. 

Leaves crunched as footsteps approached. 

“Sky?” Warriors asked softly. His voice was closer than Sky expected. He dragged his eyes open and saw Warriors kneeling beside him. 

“Hm?”

“Do you want to lean on me? It’ll be more comfortable than the rock.”

Sky briefly considered protesting, but exhaustion and pain won over. He nodded wordlessly and pushed himself off the rock just a bit. Warriors smiled and settled against the rock just behind Sky with his head pillowed on his hands.

“Touch is okay?” Sky had to check.

Warriors smiled and nodded. “I wouldn’t have offered otherwise. Here.”

Warriors gently guided Sky to lean back against his side. With the way he had his arms up, Sky’s head fit securely on his shoulder. Sky scooted until his back was fully supported and extended his sharply aching knee. He wanted to thank Warriors, but he couldn’t find the energy to open his mouth. 

Sky’s eyes slid shut as the aching in his body settled. He’d be sure to thank Warriors tomorrow.

Endnotes: By the way, in case any of the implied stuff wasn’t clear: when Legend left Sky, she went up to Time and Wild and said “Birdbrain needs a break. Don’t make it obvious.” And then when Sky’s on the stump, they’re trying to figure out if they can stop and rest because Sky is clearly having a horrible time. Wolfie is sent to scout for the nearest place to rest, even though they won’t make it to wherever they were going. And they split up on purpose so Sky doesn’t have to fight. There is plenty of room at the cave. Sky doesn’t know any of that though. Blorbos :)

[1-have-no-idea]

Had you

(Gif not mine :))

Character(s): Fives, reader

Genre: angst(?) comfort

Overview: Fives was known for being, well, promiscuous, but that didn’t mean he didn’t actually have his eye on someone. Someone ends up getting hurt, and he’s left wondering if he lost you for good finally.

Warning(s): brief cursing (both in Mando’a and Basic,) angst, mentions of sexual activity, promiscuous Fives, Fives basically being a player, arguing, ooc Fives…?, arrogant Fives, insecurity

2021 words

———————————————————————————

Oh, he’s mad. He’s fuming. He’s frustrated. He doesn’t understand why you’re making this so hard, why you couldn’t just… let you and him happen. In reality, all of it was just hurt.

“Why?!” Fives shouted as soon as you two got outside from the bar, throwing his hands out to his sides indignantly, almost resembling a child pitching a fit over not getting their favorite toy. The only thing different was that you were more to him. Not a mere toy. You were everything. “Why don’t you want me?” The Arc cried out, his tone loud, because he needed, he needed you to hear him.

You couldn’t believe it had came to this. A moment ago, you and him were chatting happily with each other while drinking, him gazing at you so very lovingly, like a puppy wanting to impress his owner, and now here you two were. Yelling at each other. All because he made a pass at you and that insecurity got the better of you. It baffled you how such light-hearted and loving eyes could turn so clouded over and angry just like that.

A scoff of disbelief left you which ended with an incredulous laugh as you whipped around to face him, eyes wide and brows furrowing. “I’m- I’m sorry, is this what this is all about?” You asked, before gesturing to him with a hand, moving it side to side as if to make sure to gesture all of him. “You’re mad because I won’t throw myself at you like how you already have, like, seven women throwing themselves at you-?” Fives’ brows knitted together and his mouth parted as he searched for words, only making something akin to a strangle in the back of his throat. “Why wouldn’t you-?” He asked like he was seriously struggling to accept that you wouldn’t try for him.

You shook your head, eyes narrowing at him. “You are unbelievable.” You spat out through gritted teeth. “You have so many girls in that club that are willing to happily spread their legs for you, you don’t need me, you’re being selfish-”

“Shut the hell up!” He bellowed out in rage, face contorted in utter fury. Fives knew he was quite promiscuous, but hearing you throw it up in his face made him feel ashamed, his pride bruised. It also didn’t help how he didn’t actually want those girls. He just wanted a quick relief, that’s all it was.

“No! I won’t, Fives!” You retorted, voice raising to meet him. “You’re mad because you’re not getting your way, and you’re being a jerk about it, and I’m calling out your bullshit!” You yelled, and the man flinched backwards as if you had struck him. You may as well have. “I’m- I’m not like that!” And that was supposed to be a yell, but it came out more begging than how you intended it.

“I’m not like that!” You repeated, and it sounded even more pitiful. “I don’t go around and sleep around- I- I don’t want something casual, I want- I want something lasting, I–” You cut yourself off. You were getting shaky. This was getting to you. No, you told yourself. Don’t cry. Don’t you dare cry, you will not cry while talking- don’t– “I do want you.” You finally admitted, voice more quiet, which made the waver to it more pronounced. “And I do love you, I’ve loved you since the first time you came up to me and said that stupidly charming pick-up line-” you took a shaky breath, feeling your eyes start to burn as you glanced up at the sky before looking back to him.

“But all you do is go around picking up girl after girl for a night of fun, and I don’t want to be that. I don’t want to be a moment's pleasure, I–” your lips started to quiver and you felt your eyes well up. He was watching with parted lips and a shocked expression. “I’ve watched you, had you come up to me with a different girl under your arm every time, do you know how much that hurts?” You asked, as if he could understand you by you explaining it.

“You don’t want me. You want girls.”

And that was the final straw that broke the camel's back. As soon as you hissed those words out like they were poison on your tongue, when you looked him straight in the eye, you actually saw him.

And what’s more? You saw how the trooper looked absolutely horrified. Like you just murdered his entire family in front of him. And then you saw how his eyes were glossy. You had made him cry. A rush of guilt flooded into your heart, begging for you to take the words back, but you knew that if you took them back, you’d be lying to him and yourself. So you just sat there, staring at him, swallowing down your guilt and pain.

It was utterly silent, until Fives slowly shook his head like he was in denial. “No…” he whispered, sounding so lost. “No, no, that’s not it,” he spoke in a hushed tone, taking a step towards you, but you stepped back and he took a shaky breath, stopping in his tracks. He didn’t want to scare you away, not that, because he feared he was already losing you. “That’s not it at all.” And he looked like he wanted to promise that but you didn’t believe him. Tentatively, he took another step towards you, watching to see if you’d move away. When you didn’t, he took that as consent to move a little closer.

His lips quivered, and when he swallowed the lump down in his throat, it bobbed. “You… you loved me this entire time?” He questioned, his tone shaky and almost hopeful. Oh. You had said that in that fit of anger, didn’t you? You went quiet, looking at him, averting your eyes before looking back at him, and your face softened. Anger leaving it and the sadness and longing remaining. You looked so insecure. And in that moment, Fives saw himself in you.

He wanted to tear himself apart right now. It all hit him like a blaster bolt. You had loved him this entire time, he had you, he loved you too, but in that insecurity, in that longing where he thought he’d never get you, and that desperate need for someone to have their attention on him all the time, to maybe fill the space that he yearned for you to take, he went to others. And he sat there and made you watch, not knowing he was shattering your heart, your faith in him over and over again. He had you and now he’s lost you. He was an idiot. And that was the understatement of the century.

“I– why– why didn’t you tell me–? Why didn’t you– I– blast it, why didn’t you ever say something?” He breathed out in despair, voice breaking at the end. And you were honest. Crystal clear for him. “I thought you didn’t want me. I mean– Maker, you showed up with a different girl each time I saw you. I didn’t want to be hurt.” Even more. He heard that last part, the silent part you didn’t say. He knew. Baby, he knew.

Calloused hands reached for the sides of his neck and his fingers curled to his nape, dragging his fingers down the flesh in an anxious manner, shaking his head in disbelief. “I’m so stupid. I’m so kriffing stupid,” how could he even fix this? He hurt you so much, you couldn’t even have faith in his love. He didn’t blame you. He really didn’t.

“I love you. I really do. I– I know you don’t believe me now, but I– you have to trust me, I swear, I kriffin’ promise.” He gasped out desperately. “I know that sounds so bad, but I love you, you don’t know how long I’ve loved you– I just– I was so scared, and insecure, and I didn’t think you’d ever want me so I went to other girls, but they meant nothing to me-!”

You shook your head, tears brimming your eyes once more and you averted them as you pressed your lips together and that just made him ramble even more. “No- no, please, look at me, look at me, mesh’la, I need you to hear me when I say this, need you to trust me, please, I’m telling you the truth right now.” He gently cupped your face in his hands and directed your face to him, breathy pleas leaving him, and didn’t it sound pathetic. But in reality, he was. He was pathetic. His tongue poked out to moisten his lower lip, looking at you pleadingly and sighing a breath of relief when you finally looked at him.

“I’m sorry. I’m so, so, sorry. I know you probably, most likely don’t love me-” anymore, “and that’s okay. I understand that, I don’t blame you, but you need to know, I need you to believe me on this one thing,” he took a deep breath, a single tear rolling down his cheek which he quickly wiped away with the back of his palm. You had successfully made the strong, confident, and tough Arc trooper cry. “I never stopped loving you. Never once. I love you. And I know I had a horrible way of expressing it, but please. Believe me when I say it’s only you I want, it was only ever you. Baby, it’s just you. I love you.”

In response, your lips quivered, and you felt the tears burning in your eyes, and you knew you couldn’t speak, because if you did, you’d cry. So, taking a shuddering breath, you looked at him hopelessly and exhaled before speaking again. And then you broke. Eyes shutting as the tears finally escaped you and a soft sob left your throat.

“Did- did you like them-?” You asked tightly, sounding oh, so very small. “Did you ever feel anything for them-? Tell ‘em the same things you’re telling me?” You questioned, and a whispered ‘no…’ left him, as he crooned your name and wiped away your tears. “No, baby, no. Not ever. I just… I just wanted to be seen, but I–” Fives took a grounding breath before continuing. “It was stupid. I was stupid. I should’ve just- should’ve just told you, but I… I guess I was scared.” He admitted with a small self-deprecating chuckle. “I was scared.”

“You were scared?” You echoed softly.

He gave a small nod, a sad and crooked smile plastered on his lips. “Yeah. Yeah, I was scared. So Arc trooper of me, right?” He quipped sarcastically, but you could hear that guilt and insecurity in his tone. You were quiet for a moment before responding.

“Me too.” You admitted. “I was scared too. I am scared.”

Now you both were quiet, but with one gentle rub to your cheek with his thumb, he pulled you in closer until your head was resting in the crook of his neck, wrapping one arm around your waist while the other moved to cradle the back of your head.

“I’m sorry. For everything.” He whispered into your hair. You shook your head and closed your eyes, breathing him in while resting your cheek on the cool plastoid of his chestplate. “All is forgiven, Fives. I’m sorry, too.” You apologized, and he hushed you gently. “Ain’t got nothin’ you have to apologize for, mesh’la. S’my fault.” And you tried to protest, but a small squeeze shut you up.

“I love you. You believe me when I say that, right?” The trooper whispered, almost pleadingly if you listened hard enough. “I know,” you reassured, before pulling away and pressing a chaste kiss to the corner of his lips.

“I love you too.” And with that, the Arc gave a wobbly smile before finally pressing his lips to yours, eyes shutting, hearts warming… because he had you. And finally, just like how you’ve always wanted, you had him.

[ireadwithmyears]

Hi and sorry to bother. I wanted to ask if you do writing request? It would be nice to get a request from you about a Kix x reader fic where Kix would take care of a sick reader. But it's okay if you don't do request and you can just ignore what I said.

the prettiest bother I have

Request for @bullfinch-lover

Pairing: Kix/gn reader

Word count: 2.5 K

Tags/warnings: domestic fluff, hurt/comfort, mentions of medication, plus syringes but no actual injections

Summary: Kix returns home from a long deployment to find you sick with a wisdom tooth infection. It’s not what you had intended to welcome him home with

A/N: well, this wasn’t what I had envisioned when I started writing this. Then again, I didn’t really know what my plan was. Until my life decided to throw personal experience at me, and I decided to make the best of it. So uh, this isn’t the traditional flu sickness, but considering I’ve still felt like crap and all I wanted to do was go to bed, I still think it counts. Hope you enjoy. Also, please note that I am a visually impaired writer who is currently working without a beta. I do my best, but there are still going to be things that I miss.

“Are you finished eating, cyar?”

Kix’s voice cuts through the constant, throbbing ache in your jaw, and your unfoundedly intense interest in pushing the mashed potatoes and steamed soft vegetables around on your pla

You should eat more. You know you should, especially when you take into consideration the effort that your partner had put into curating it when he had returned to you after his most recent deployment, only to find you curled up on the couch, struggling with a wisdom tooth that had picked up an infection because food and debris kept getting caught beneath the hole between part of your tooth and gums.

The whole, you think glumly, still somewhat annoyed. You hadn’t even noticed it was there until, after a week of persistent jaw pain that you had at first played off as a headache until it never went away, the medical droid had informed you of its existence. Why in the name of the galaxy there was a hole there to begin with, you didn’t have a clue, and didn’t bother asking the medical droid, because whenever you dared to ask them a question, whether it was just their no nonsense programming, or your low self-esteem, they had a habit of making you feel stupid for not knowing the answer to begin with.

Regardless, this brings you back to the here and now, but when you open your mouth to respond, your jaw gives you what you can only assume is a warning twinge, and you hesitate, shaking your head after a moment.

“If I say yes, you’ll make me gag on that awful mix of salt water again,” you grumble with an exaggerated grimace, folding your arms and propping them against the table.

Kix leans back in his seat across from you, fixing you with a look. Patiently, in a tone that suggests this isn’t the first time you’ve had this discussion, he explains “We have to flush out the area regularly, especially after you eat. It’ll help keep the site  clean and clear out infection.”

“I have antibiotics for that,” you point out, but he’s already on his feet, stepping around the table and guiding your arm through his, pulling you up from your seat and towards the kitchen.

“Come on, lovely,” he encourages, giving you one of his charmingly handsome smiles that makes it almost impossible to say no to him on the best of days. “It’ll only take a minute.”

*

“One more,” Kix decides, plunging the syringe back into the cup, mixed with lukewarm water and salt.

If you were doing this by yourself, this would have been a one and done thing, maybe more than once a day if you were feeling up to it, which, right now, you most certainly are not. But fortunately and unfortunately, your boyfriend is a medic, he insists on being completely, and in your opinion excessively, thorough, going as far as using a tiny mirror to examine the hole in your tooth to make sure he’s clearing out any leftover food that’s gotten stuck in it.

You let out a sigh, but don’t put up much more of a fuss, opening your mouth without prompting and allowing him to flush the solution into the hole, waiting for you to wrinkle your nose and spit it out into the sink. 

He checks again, and you can tell by the slight downward tilt of his lips what he’s about to say before he even says it. “Okay, I lied. One more time, cyar’ika,” he says gently, depressing what’s left in the syringe before refilling it. “I promise, this is the last one, and then I’ll leave you alone to rest.”

“Kiiix,” you whine, pouting in a way that might put a toddler to shame. This is stupid, ridiculous that you’re getting upset about this, because what’s the big deal? It doesn’t even hurt, just feels gross and tastes gross and you’re just so over it. You’re tired, and it hurts, and nothing is making it not hurt and you’re upset that you’re even getting more upset because it shouldn’t be this hard.

Kix lets out a soft sigh, then places the syringe back into the cup, instead, gently cradling your face between his hands, leaning forward and pressing his lips softly to your forehead, lingering there a moment.

“I know how much you’re hurting right now,” he whispers, breath warm against your skin, and somehow, those words, the simple acknowledgement that he understands how hard this is for you brings an unexpected lump to form in your throat. 

He pulls back, gentle smile on his face as he continues, in a tone that’s much lighter. “I know that this is gross and you’d probably prefer to spit it out in my face whenever I make you do it,” he says, giving you a small nudge. “Just one more for me, meshla. Then you can sleep.”

“I can’t sleep,” you huff,  sounding dejected. “I haven’t been able to sleep, Kix.”

“I know, cyar,” he breathes, his voice soft and empathetic. “I could hear you tossing and turning last night, trying to get comfortable.”

“Sorry,” you mumble, your stomach twisting with guilt as you avert your eyes to the ground. 

Here he was on shore leave for the first time in months, undoubtedly his first time in a warm, comfortable bed in all that time, and here you were, making his life harder, and making him do his job when all he should be getting right now is well-deserved rest and comfort.

“Shh, none of that,” he murmurs gently, fingers delicate as they tilt your chin up from the ground. “Open up, cyar. Let’s do this one more time, and then we’ll see if we can’t figure something out to make you more comfortable, hm?”

You raise a curious eyebrow at that, seeing the thoughtful look in his eyes that suggests he’s planning something. But before you can ask about it, you comply, opening your mouth and allowing him to guide the syringe into the small gap. As he works, he continues to speak, the cadence of his voice providing a constant, soothing melody to ground yourself in.

“Tilt your head back for me. Yeah, that’s it. I know, it doesn’t taste nice. Doing so good. Almost done, meshla.”

When he checks again, you’re relieved when he declares that he is satisfied with his work, and he sends you off to lie down. 

“Won’t you come with me?” You ask, looking up at him with pleading eyes. Normally, you’d be more reserved. But with how you’re feeling right now, you’re not ashamed to admit that you’re feeling clingy and want cuddles.

“I will shortly, ner cyar,” he reassures you, reaching to wrap an arm around your shoulders and giving you a gentle squeeze before stepping back. “I’m just going to pop into the medbay on base, but I’ll be quick, I promise.”

Contented with that, you migrate to the couch, flopping down and preparing yourself for a few hours of countless position changes, in hopes to find one that miraculously makes the pain in your jaw hurt less.

*

It’s not working. 

This infuriated exclamation rings throughout your ears as you sit up, removing the useless ice pack from where it’s been pressed against your cheek. Some medical site on the holonet said it would help reduce inflammation and pain. Whoever wrote that article, you think, as in a fit of utter frustration, you hurl the ice pack across the room, was a complete liar.

When you don’t hear the ice pack dully thud against the floor as expected, and instead hear a thump as it collides with something more high up, more solid, followed by a soft “Oof,” your eyes fly across the room. 

Across the room to where you had half hazardously thrown it and where, unbeknownst to you, Kix was standing, having just entered the room.

“Oh,” he says, his tone only slightly surprised, his face held completely impassive as he bends to pick the ice pack up from where it’s landed at his feet.

“Well, that isn’t the first time that’s happened to me,” he continues, sounding utterly unfazed and almost amused as he straightens.

You decide, in this moment, that the only thing you can do to preserve what little dignity you have, is to pull the blanket over top of your head, and simply never show your face again.

“Hey, no, don’t hide, meshla,” he soothes, and you feel a slight dip in the couch as he moves to sit beside you, first tugging at the blanket, then pulling your head into his lap. 

“I’m sorry,” you grown, cheeks burning. “I didn’t mean to, I swear. I I just...”

“Bad timing,” he reassures, gently pressing a finger to your lips and leaning down to drop a kiss to the top of your head. “That’s all it was.”

After a moment, he moves his fingers to gently stroke along your cheek, delicately feeling around the sore side of your jaw.

“I presume you feel the same?” He asks, his voice quiet as he peers down at you.

“Umhm,” you agree with a long sigh. “Hurts too much to get comfortable.”

He hums softly in understanding, fingers running through your hair. “I might have something that can help with that.”

Those simple words have you peeking up at him with cautious optimism, as if he’s the son and this is the first time you’re seeing it on a rainy day.

He gently nudges you up into a sitting position, propping pillows beneath your back as he holds up a small bottle of pills. 

“Give it,” you say without hesitation, holding out your hand expectantly. At this point, you don’t care what it is. You’ll take it if it means even a small amount of relief from this hell.

“Really, cyar,” he says, his voice half teasing, half chiding even as he pops the lid. “You should at least ask me what I’m about to give you.” You only shrug half heartedly in response.

He pours out a pill and holds it in his hand, not giving it to you yet. “I went to the medbay to get this for you. Though it contains traditional painkillers that we have at home, I need to also warn you that it contains a narcotic, which, amongst helping relieve the pain, will also make you pretty drowsy, and, with the little sleep you got last night, will most likely knock you out.”

“Wonderful,” you respond immediately, shooting him a smile that quickly turns into a grimace as your jaw throbs in protest. “I’ll take it.”

“Let me just get you a glass of water,” he says, turning away.

“I don’t need water,” you protest, even as he’s turning to move into the kitchen. “I can swallow pills without it.”

Okay, while  that’s technically true, it’s not the most comfortable experience. But you can do it, and apparently, you’re so eager to have drugs in your system that you’re too impatient to wait even a few moments longer that you’ll take the discomfort. Kix, on the other hand, does not approve of this idea. 

He spins on his heel, turning back to face you,  one hand immediately going to his hip. You recognize the unyielding medic look just as it falls into place over his features.

“You will do no such thing,” he says sternly, fixing you with a piercing look, as if he’s mildly horrified by the very suggestion. “Do you realize how much of a choking hazard swallowing pills dry is?”

At your lack of response, he turns, moving to the kitchen and returning a moment later with a glass of water. You take your meds gratefully, and Kix carries you up to bed.

*

“How’s that?” Kix murmurs softly, his voice just above a whisper.

You’re lying on your stomach, soft and warm blankets tucked around you in your bed as you wait, not so patiently, for the meds to kick in. You’re already sleepy, though, and the way Kix is running his fingers through your hair, gently massaging the base of your scalp and occasionally lightly pressing into the back of your neck with his thumbs to ease some of the tension is quickly bringing you there, in spite of the pain that is only now beginning to reseed.

You hum a soft sound of approval, then whisper a quiet “Don’t stop, pleease,” as his thumbs sweep over your temples, rubbing soft, soothing circles over them, pressure light, taking care not to irritate any points that are sore, especially around your upper jaw.

“Wouldn’t dream of it, meshla,” he whispers, leaning down to press a light kiss to the back of your shoulder. 

“Kix?” You say hesitantly after a few moments, your eyes still closed. At his soft “Mmh?” In response, you continue.“Sorry you’re starting your shore leave off like this, love,” you say with a deflated sigh.

“What do you mean, cyar’ika?” He asks gently, shifting to lie down beside you and pulling your back flush against his chest.

“Like this,” you say, confused and slightly exasperated because he doesn’t get it. “Like, instead of getting any time for yourself or going out and having fun you’re here, taking care of me. I should be taking care of you right now and instead, I’m just making you do your job.” You press your lips together, adding in a slightly trembling whisper “I’m just being a bother.”

“Ner Kar’ta,” he murmurs, his arms tightening around you a fraction as he looks down at your face. “Why would you think that you’re bothering me?”

“Because,” you say, as if that’s all the explanation he needs, not able to hide your confusion now. “You spend all your time taking care of your brothers and then you come home and tell me about how much of a handful they are and how many headaches they give you and I just, I didn’t want you to have to deal with all this when you came home.”

“It’s adorable that you even think that you could be as much of a handful as my vode,” he muses, gently taking your chin between his fingers and turning your head to look up at him. “First of all, my beautiful cyar,” he whispers, running his thumb along your bottom lip, before leaning forward and softly pressing his against yours. “You’re a lot nicer to look at,” he says, his voice low and teasing, but his eyes are warm, and looking at you intently. “You’re not a bother, meshla,” he a firms. “Even if you throw ice packs at me and threaten to give me a heart attack by suggesting that you take your medication dry,” he continues with a smirk, lightly poking your side, which pulls a small giggle out of you.

“You never could be,” he says softly, pressing his forehead against yours before replacing it with his lips, where he lingers. “And,” he speaks again, his voice half playful, half sincere. “If you are a bother, then you’re my bother, and it seems to me, meshla, that you’re the prettiest bother I have.”

*

That night, you sleep, for the first time in a week, the whole night through, your pain much diminished, and your heart much less troubled, because Kix is there, his strong arms holding you tightly, and his skilled hands, gentle but unwaveringly steady as they hold you together.

[littleoddwriter]

Hey, could you please do Edward Teach x ftm reader where reader is having dysphoria and Ed comforts him?

Wrong Body | Edward Teach/Blackbeard x Trans!Male!Reader

Hey there! Thank you for the request and waiting so patiently for it. I hope you like what I've done with it! <3 summary; You're feeling particularly dysphoric and Ed comforts you. notes; Trans!Male!Reader; TW for rather explicit Gender Dysphoria; Emotional Hurt/Comfort; Ed's trying his best; Kissing; Short Fic.

Ao3. Ko-Fi.

It was a pretty calm day on the ship. Ed was lounging about in his cabin with you sitting across from him. Neither of you had been talking for a while, simply enjoying each other’s quiet company as you often did. 

But every few minutes, sometimes even seconds, the rustling of your clothes disturbed that wonderful ambience. It wasn’t so much the noise your clothes would make that distracted him, but rather the small noises you made when you adjusted yourself. Quiet huffs of annoyance, frustrated grunts, and the like.

“What’s goin’ on?” Ed asked eventually, a little harsher than intended, but he was as concerned as he was also annoyed by your constant need to retouch your appearance and position. 

“Nothin’,” you muttered, grumbling a little. 

Frowning, Ed sat up and leaned into your personal space, looking at you closely with sharp eyes, which softened as soon as he saw the look on your face. You weren’t being rude to him. You were simply exhausted and distressed. 

“Y/N…” he sighed softly, trying again, but more gently. “What’s botherin’ you?”

While answering him this time, you grabbed your shirt with barely contained rage behind your motions, adjusting it yet again. Your voice reflected that aggression, “Just… my fuckin’ clothes not fittin’ my stupid body right. Damn it!” Your tightly clenched fist hit against your leather-clad thigh.

“What are you talkin’ about? They fit you just fine!” Edward told you, confused by your outburst and reasoning behind it.

“No, they don’t! They make me look like a fuckin’ woman!” 

Realisation dawned on him, “Oh,” he whispered, elongating the sound.

He’s never actually witnessed you like this. Never as angry and distressed, at least. Most of the time, you seemed indifferent if maybe a little melancholic about the fact that you weren’t born in a guy’s body. 

Putting a gentle hand on your shoulder, Ed caught your attention again, making you look him in the eyes. He’s never been the most affectionate person, but he’d let his guard down around you several times; especially now that you’d started growing closer a while ago.

“That’s not how I see you at all. You know that, right?” Edward spoke softly, but with firmness behind his words. “I don’t really know or understand what you’re goin’ through, mate, but I know that you’re a handsome guy. Doesn’t fuckin’ matter what body you were born in. Or what your clothes look like. I think you’re fuckin’ hot in this outfit.”

For a long moment, you just looked at him and didn’t say anything. He shot you an uncertain smile, thinking that he might have just messed up and made you feel worse. But he felt your shoulders relax under his hand, some of that tension leaving your body with a deep sigh.

“I feel like it’s all too tight, like it’s just showing off what I was born as. And it makes me feel awful. Why couldn’t I have been born in the body I was meant to have?” you told him quietly.

Ed’s hand tightened around your shoulder, rubbing it soothingly with his thumb. He didn’t understand that, either. Why was it that way? It seemed unfair. Ridiculous even, if he was being honest. But he believed every word about how you felt. How could he not? Clearly, it was real for you. Feeling like you were meant to be a man, but having been put in the wrong body before birth. It was like a cruel joke.

“I don’t know,” Edward told you with all the sympathy he felt for you, “but I know that you’re a man either way. You know that, too. And so does the entire crew. Nobody on this ship thinks of you as anythin’ but one of us. One of the mates.”

You couldn’t help the smile that his words put on your lips. It felt and looked a little strained, as you were still upset; but it was a start. Edward returned the smile, more brightly even. 

Leaning in some more, Ed pressed his lips against yours, his impressive beard tickling your bare skin. He put his free hand on your cheek, holding onto it and guiding your head to fit your mouth better against his own. 

When he pulled away, he hummed softly, “I’m just gonna say it again. You look really fuckin’ hot in this outfit.”

Ed could feel your cheek grow hot against his hand and he grinned. You opened your mouth to say something and he saw the uncertainty in your eyes, so he captured your lips in another searing kiss, preventing you from arguing what he told you. He’d help you see the truth in his words eventually.

[silver-tooth-the-panther]

Vivian, the Protector of the Innocent

The cold wind beat against your skin as you cried into the night. Stress had built up inside you for the last few days and well..you just couldn’t take it anymore. You were tired, tired of the day, tired of the people around you. You carried so much on your shoulders and you felt like there was no one there to help you or hear your cries.

That’s when you saw it. The large, bulky creature stood in front of you, seemingly trying to hide itself in the trees. It’s body seemed to be top heavy with a large chest and shoulders and a thin waist. It’s front arms seemed to be crooked like a praying mantis and the clawed hand paws weren’t really separated from it’s bulky forearms. It had the face of a deer skull and it’s large antlers could easily be mistaken for tree branches. It’s eyes were oddly human and they were positioned in the center of the pitch black eye sockets. It’s silvery, grey fur shone brightly in the moonlight and it gave the beast a sort of mystical aura.

You shrieked in fear when your eyes stared directly into the creature’s eyes. “W-what is that?!” You yelled as you tried to crawl away. The beast said nothing as it used it’s strong forearms to bring itself closer. “G-get away from me!”’ You yelled at the thing before your back was pinned against a tree.

The creature raised its paw-like hand and purred softly. “There is no need to be afraid, little one.” The creature’s voice was oddly soothing and gentle. It was deep of course, but not in a frightening way. “I have come because I heard your cries and I simply wanted to help.” It said as it sat up, revealing a red, see-through belly.

“W-who are you?” You asked, voice still shaking. The creature shook it’s head, causing its ears to flop. “I am Vivian. The protector of the innocent.” Vivian tilted his head, seemingly thinking. “So you’ve come..to help me?”Your voice was beginning to calm down as you couldn’t pick up any ill intentions from him.

“Yes, little one…You seem stressed..Let me help you..” It was then that Vivian opened his jaws, his bottom jaw splitting into two. You yelped as you felt his gaping maw over you, saliva dripping from its sharp teeth. You waited for him to bite down on you, tearing your flesh to bits. However, that moment never came.

Instead, Vivian carefully started to swallow you whole. You struggled and fought against the red muscles that held you tightly, but it was of no use. The cryptid’s throat pulled you deeper and deeper into it’s belly. It purred as it did so, enjoying every second. Eventually, you were delivered into Vivian’s stomach.

The red walls moved around you and hugged you tightly. It also felt oddly warm, which felt nice but you were still inside a monster’s stomach. “Let me out!” You yelled fearfully as you struggled against the red, see through flesh. Then, you saw Vivian place a hand on his gut. “Shh, it’s okay, little one. You’re safe now.”

You tried wrapping your mind around what he was saying. “Safe?! What do you mean safe?!” You started to sob. You didn’t want to die, not here, not like this. A sad rumble came from within Vivian. “I do not intend on hurting you..I’m just trying to comfort you..” Vivian then laid on his back, resting his paws over his tummy.

You wiped away your tears as you tried to calm down. “Why did you eat me then?” You confused as to why this was his solution to your stress. “Because..it’s warm and safe..You have no need to worry..you can talk to me..Let my tummy relax you.”

You tried listening to the cryptid’s advice, which seemed to be working. Since Vivian was on his back, it made the walls of his belly slowly lift up and down. Vivian’s heartbeat was also incredibly soothing. It was soft and gentle like flowing water in a creek. You finally took a deep breath and eased your body into this strange environment.

“Feeling better?” Vivian asked softly, slowly caressing his tummy. “Yeah..” You sniffed. “Good..Now tell me..what exactly has gotten you so worked up?” You then told him all of what’s been weighting you down and why you came out here to cry.

“I see..” Vivian spoke softly. “A little flower like you deserves so much better..You’re strong, little one..I know you are..but we all need time to wind down..Just relax inside my tummy for tonight..I’ll let you out in the morning.”

“Thank you.” You sighed as you caressed the walls of Vivian’s tummy. Your eyes grew heavy with drowsiness. However, you didn’t fight it this time. You just closed your eyes and drifted off to sleep.

(This is introducing my new cryptid comfort pred, Vivian! He’s an recent OC of mime and I love him dearly. I’ve been stressed out lately because of school and other things, so I decided to make this to make me feel better. I hope you like it! If you want to see more Vivian stuff, just ask!)

[amberlynnmurdock]

Ben Tallmadge x Reader

Untitled 

@the-summer-of-73 requested “It’s okay to cry, you know” from this prompt list.

Thank you for the request!!! I hope I did it justice :) 

Genres: angst, with a fluffy ending 

The good thing about the sweltering heat in July was that at night the temperature dropped to a somewhat comfortable temperature, allowing you and Anna to spend time together, prepping items to barter for the next morning. 

It also meant that you and her could sneak a few drinks while the soldiers carried on with their own shenanigans by their own tents. You and Anna stayed perfectly out of sight and watched with amusement: close enough to see, but far enough to be safe from them. 

Suddenly your attention is pulled to your left, when you see Major Tallmadge hurriedly running out of Washington’s quarters. To put it simply, he looked stressed. He made a beeline for his own tent, gripping the sword at his side, not paying attention to his surroundings. Concern stirred inside you. Whatever happened inside Washington’s quarters clearly did not go well for Ben. He wouldn’t ask you, but you knew he would want to see you after something like that. 

“I don’t suppose that went well,” Anna huffs. “It’s late. If you go now, I’ll make sure no one saw you.” Anna gives you a knowing look and gestures to Ben’s tent. You gave her a smile. 

“Thank you for looking out for me,” you tell her. Standing up from your stool and wiping the dirt off your dress, you too, make a beeline for Ben’s dimly lit tent. 

Upon entering, you see the Major sulking, facing a dark corner of his tent, one hand on his waist the other running a hand through his golden brown hair. He doesn’t have to turn around to know you’re there--it was something Ben was good at. He could feel your presence like a veil. 

“Not now, __,” Ben says, still facing the corner.

You sigh, “then when? Tomorrow and we pretend that I didn’t just see you storm out of Washington’s quarters? What happened?” 

“Nothing that concerns you,” Ben says sharply, turning his head slightly so you see his profile. You’re hurt by his tone, but his words, but you know deep down he doesn’t mean it--but still, it doesn’t mean he should’ve said it. He suddenly pulls at the white ties around his neck, loosening them, like they had been choking him. 

“I made a mistake coming here. I’ll leave you,” you say as you begin to turn around and leave him to brood alone. 

“Wait--” Ben suddenly says. 

Before taking another step, you feel Ben’s hand grab yours, pulling you back in. You look up at him confused, concerned, to see his deep blue eyes half hidden, and his jaw clenched. You know he’s got about a thousand thoughts swirling in his head: thoughts about the ring, thoughts about the enemies hidden in this camp, the pressure of wanting to impress Washington, and yet you wondered if he ever saved a thought for just anything that didn’t so easily affect his mood. You knew Ben was under pressure all the time, but he forced himself to come off as a composed man, who really just needed a goddamn break. 

“I’m sorry,” Ben quivers, avoiding eye contact with you. His eyes were glued to the ground. “I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that. You don’t deserve it. After everything you’ve done for me--everything you are to me.” 

“Ben,” you softly say, placing a hand on his cheek that felt warm and soft. He turns his head slightly into the palm of your hand and takes a deep breath, mesmerized by your calming scent. “You don’t have to be strong always all the time. It’s okay to cry, you know.” 

All Ben does is look at you. He looks at your concerned face, your care for him, your loving and affectionate touches, and he realizes how much he doesn’t deserve anything like it. He’s a man of war, a spymaster, he’s killed and nearly been killed dozens of times--how is it possible for him to be as soft as you? He wasn’t worthy, he thought. Which is why he pushes you away. But you always intend to stay. 

A tear does fall down his cheek. Sometimes it did feel like it was all too much. It felt liberating to be able to admit that to himself, with you. 

“Ben,” you whisper, running a hand through his hair. Your fingertips brush the blue ribbon holding his hair back, and you undo the loop so it falls to the ground. You loosen his hair so it falls out of being tied back. His hair falls just short of his shoulders. 

“You’re not a Major right now. You’re Ben Tallmadge,” you tell him, “you’re a good man, who simply needs a break.” You push his blue jacket off of him so he’s just in his white shirt. You run your hand down the length of his arm and take his right hand into yours, leading him to his bed. 

Ben makes no move to stop you. He’s so used to being in control, but for once, he lets you take over. 

[angstyandromanticwriting]

Lyutsifer Safin X Fem!Reader Angsty, depressing prompt

!TW: Violence, implied suffering from depression, gun/mention of gun, anxiety, insult, begging to be shot!

You would be startled when someone held their hand over your mouth, and you whimpered, trying to escape their hold, but they were too strong. “Why am I always your second option?” You would relax momentarily when you recognised the voice to belong to Safin, and when he could see that you were calm, he let go of you.

“What do you mean, Safin?” You asked, confused as you turned around to face him.

“You were with - him, weren’t you?” Safin guessed, and you frowned; you’d only gone to see James in the hospital to see if Emily was okay after Safin had accidentally thrown her when he’d lost his temper due to James pushing him too far.

“Why would I be?” You questioned, not wanting to upset him.

Safin sighed shakily, lowering his head partially. You expressed concern for him; you knew that he’d been feeling guilty after what had happened, and he’d been more distant from you and Sylvia - For example, he’d disappeared to the base for a few days as he wanted to be alone, to think about what he’d done to Emily. “Then where were you when I needed you the most, angel?” Safin inquired, his voice quiet and barely audible.

“I was just with one of my other friends,” you murmured, hoping he’d believe the lie, but he clearly didn’t - the hurt look on his face told you that he didn’t.

Safin attempted to harden his heart against you, not only to convince himself that he no longer cared that you were still speaking to James, but also to push you away from him more; he’d begun to feel as if that would be the best thing for you, Sylvia and Emily. Safin drew a sharp breath, forcing the tears out of his dark greyish blue eyes, before he stepped closer to you. “I threw Emily on purpose,” he stated, his voice firm; he was trying hard not to let it break. You shook your head; you knew he couldn’t have done that to Emily on purpose; he was always so good with her. “I never cared about her, and I never cared about you,” he spat, “nor do I care about Sylvia - I only regret her!” You fell quiet, feeling a spear stabbing at your heart; you couldn’t believe he’d go so far as to say that to you, and unbeknownst to you - Safin hated himself for what he was saying, as none of it was true. “I was only using you,” he claimed, thinking about what to say as he did, “I needed a distraction, but I never once intended for Sylvia to be the result of it.”

“Safin, stop,” you whined, wishing he’d tell you that he didn’t mean anything of what he was saying, before your heart could shatter completely. “You’re hurting me,” you added, and Safin tried to hide the guilt he felt, faltering briefly; he found he couldn’t continue as he let himself break.

“I’m hurting you?” Safin responded, his voice close to a whisper. “I - I am barely holding on to the rope which holds my heart and soul together,” he expressed shakily, and you couldn’t hold it back as a sob escaped your lips. Safin then dragged himself from the room, feeling as if he didn’t deserve to comfort you by hugging you or saying anything else to you.

↯

You decided to check on Safin, though you weren’t sure why after what he’d said to you, even if he was lying. You knocked on the door gently, before you warily opened it - Safin was sat down on the edge of Emily’s old, petite bed, his face in his hands. “Are you okay?” You asked, breaking the painful silence.

Safin slowly lowered his hands, shaking his head slowly. “I’m not okay,” he murmured genuinely, his voice strained. You frowned, noticing the tear stains on his cheeks, and the light tint of red in his eyes; they were sore after his crying session. “Is it okay if I - give up?” Safin inquired, and you sat beside him, attempting to place your hand on top of his, but he moved it away before you could.

“You can give up sometimes,” you answered, “but it can’t be for forever.”

Safin hesitantly glanced up at you, and you attempted to lean forward to kiss him, but he wouldn’t let you, standing up and moving away from you; he still felt as if he should try and get you to move on from him. “I’m not good for you, Emily, or Sylvie, Y/n,” he uttered, and you shook your head quickly, clearly disagreeing with him, “and because of that, I - Don’t see a future with you-”

Safin would be cut off when the door bell rang, and you winced, wondering who it could be as you hadn’t dared order anything, or invite anyone to come to your house. “I’ll - See who that is,” you mumbled, and Safin watched as you left the room, nervous, but hopeful at the same time; he wanted an escape, and if it was James at the door, he knew he could retrieve it, and he wouldn’t have to face the pain anymore. Safin listened as you opened the door, and he shuffled closer when he heard you utter ‘James’ in surprise. “What are you doing here?” You questioned, anxious; you were worried that he’d find out that Safin was in your house.

“I wanted to see how you were doing,” he answered, “so-”

James faltered when he noticed Safin exit Emily’s old bedroom, before a scowl played on his lips. You panicked, looking back at Safin. “Safin, no,” you whined; you couldn’t believe him. James pushed you out of the way, before he managed to pin Safin against the wall as he reached for his gun in it’s hidden sheath. “Don’t!” You cried, but James tried to ignore you, until he found that he couldn’t as he begrudgingly looked back at you.

Safin glanced down at the barrel of James’ gun, he just wanted James to pull the trigger already. “Please,” Safin pleaded, desperate, “pull the trigger.”

“Shut up!” James commanded, looking over at you again.

“Please don’t do this,” you begged, “let him go.”

“Don’t, just - just pull it-”

“Stop talking to me!” James yelled at Safin, annoyed and irritated by him.

“Just let him go, James,” you stammered, “a-and I’ll tell you everything, okay? I’ll answer any questions you have for me, I promise, just please don’t hurt him.”

James reluctantly withdrew his gun, though he didn’t know why he hadn’t just killed Safin on sight. “Why are you helping a monster?” Safin asked James, hoping he’d change his mind, and he considered it briefly as he glared back at Safin, but you reminded him of what you said when you murmured ‘James’ warily. James dragged himself away from Safin, who wore a disheartened expression on his face; he had bargained for himself to get shot, but now he would have to continue to suffer the pain of remembering how he hurt Emily. You pulled James out of the room, worried that he’d suddenly decide that he wanted to shoot Safin again.

↯

When Safin felt as if he should try and plead with James to shoot him again, he entered Emily’s old room, where you were still trying to explain the situation to James. James grunted when he noticed Safin, but you pressed him back down on the bed, worried that he’d hurt Safin. “Get out!” James demanded, and you silently pleaded for him to do as James commanded. “I don’t want to see you!” James shouted, and Safin grunted, disappointed as he removed himself from the room.

↯

When you’d convinced James, somehow, to leave without hurting Safin, you checked up on him, wanting to see how he was faring. “I wish that I had never met you,” Safin murmured, and you frowned, lowering your head slightly as you stepped back subconsciously, your hand finding the door handle.

“Really?” You responded, and he nodded gravely. “I just saved your life, Safin-”

“And I wish you hadn’t,” he interrupted, looking up at you, “you’ve only made things worse.”

You scowled, glaring up at him. “Why would I ever let myself help someone like you?” You uttered, and Safin bowed his head again. “You’re not good enough for me, and I hate myself for falling in love with you!” You spat, and he nodded slowly again, a pained expression on his face. “I - I’m leaving, Safin - I can’t take this anymore,” you stated, “and by the time I get back, you better be gone!”

“No!” Safin cried, finding that he felt as if he couldn’t let you go, even though he’d previously wanted this to happen as he believed that it was better for you, Emily and Sylvia. “Don’t leave me, Y/n,” he begged, “please!”

Safin stood up, his eyes full of urgency. You moved away, shaking your head. “Stay away from me, Safin!” You exclaimed, and he stopped in place, his eyes filling with tears.

“Fine,” he spat, “go - You’re useless to me.” You scowled at him, before you stormed out, and once you’d left the house, he sank on the edge of the bed again, staring ahead of him through glistening, sunken eyes.

~~~~~

Hope you enjoyed this prompt! ❤️

[jolienjoyswriting]

Attune Your Ears (The Rewrite), Ch. II

Chapter 2 of 2 for "Attune Your Ears (The Rewrite)," an Essence of Ragnarok story. Previous version available here.

Eliza's true intentions are revealed.

Word count: 2,736 – Character count: 15,728 Drafted: March 18th, 2023 Revised: March 19th, 2023 –

Yeah, this still ends how you think it does.  I'm not apologizing. Also, negative character traits, oh my gooo–

Joseph Lithius, Elizabeth Armstrong, "Essence of Ragnarok" series, and related characters and concepts created by and © Jo Li KMC

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    It had been about a month since Eliza first asked Joseph to join her at home.  Since that time, they had been meeting a couple of days on the weekends to… "become acquainted".

    At first, it just seemed like a weird "bird" thing.  He would sit down and let Eliza sit near or on him.  She would chirp or whistle a little as she stroked one of his ears, then once he was relaxed, she would lean up and "preen" the other with her beak.  Sometimes, though… things didn't go according to plan.     Over time, the fox started to develop a lot of small nicks and things along his ears from where she had "slipped".  There were a couple of healed spots where she had drawn blood, too.  She hated hurting him like that…  Not only did it make her feel incredibly guilty, but she seemed to have a clinical fear of the red stuff!  It still worked in her favor, though, as her fox friend would immediately pull her in and comfort her.  It wasn't something she planned for, much less intended for him to do… but she greatly appreciated that it was his instinct to do that.  He gave pretty good hugs…

    Through trial by fire, Eliza began to figure out the secrets of a good "ear preen".  She would run the edge of her beak along the edge of his ear at a perpendicular angle, making sure not to move forward or backward… just "sideways".  She still managed to cut loose some finer fur, here and there, but overall… it just made Joseph feel good.  And that made her feel good.  That was her end goal the whole time… learning how to "groom" his ears and make him smile.  However… during their latest meeting, Joseph stopped her.  When she leaned back and looked at his face… she realized why.  He was blushing pretty hard…

    "Liz…" he sighed, unable to look at her.  "Liz, when… when you rub my ear, it feels so nice…  Your feathers are so soft and your fingers are so warm…  Plus, you're a lot more gentle than Kris is."     The bird smiled, blushing a little.  She never knew how to handle compliments.     "B-but… when you start running your beak over my ears…"     The fox sighed again before glancing up.     "Okay…  Don't… take this the wrong way, but… it feels nice.  Like… really nice.  As in… it feels really… really… nice.  Do… do you get my meaning?"     Eliza stared at him for several seconds, seemingly oblivious.     "What I mean is…"     Then… slowly, the bird leaned in…     "H-hey, wait."     And she started using her beak on his ear.     "Nnn… nnn…"     Which, once again, caused a reaction…

    The warm blush grew under the fox's fur as he held onto Eliza's midsection.  His breathing slowed and became heavier…  One ear was delicately rubbed and tickled by her hand while the other was under constant assault by her sharp, cool beak.  She was breathing into his ear, too… seemingly on purpose.     He wanted to stop her again.  But at the same time… he kind of didn't.

    "L-Liz…  Ah… haa…"

    The fox squirmed and shifted beneath the friendly falcon in his lap.  It didn't seem like she wasn't going out of her way to tease him.  He wasn't sure she even realized what she was doing…  Even when his hands started to roam along her back and slide down her fanned tail feathers… it didn't seem like Eliza had any plans to stop preening his ear.  He knew he should have stopped her…  He knew what might happen if she kept playing with his ears like that…  However… the rational side of his brain had become clouded by all the good feelings.  It felt incredible.  It was addicting…!  He wanted her to keep going… no matter what.

    "I…  I…  L-Liz…!  I…!"     Joseph panted hard and his body trembled.  He pulled the bird closer as she nibbled on his left ear.     "Liz…  Liz…!"     His eyes shakily opened and he tried to focus on a random spot on the wall.  His body was on auto-pilot as his brain came back online.  However, even if he'd wanted to stop things… it was far too late.     "Liii– aaaugh…!!"     The fox threw his head back, passionately crying his friend's name.  At least, he tried to.  As his head went backward… Eliza's sharp beak cut a swath through the chocolate fur and tender flesh on the back of his ear.  The sound he made was somewhere between pain and… and pleasure.     All at once, the bird realized what happened.  She leaned back, covering her beak and staring in wide-eyed… curiosity.  She watched him spasm… heard him groan… and witnessed the effects of what she had done to the young fox.  She should have felt ashamed, knowing what she'd done.  However, behind those feathered hands of hers… was a big, proud smile.

    She had accomplished… exactly… what she had set out to do from the first day.

    As the fox began to calm down, Eliza relaxed her face.  She feigned innocence, gingerly reaching up to stroke the ear she had been nibbling on… only to genuinely wince back.  She'd felt something warm, wet, and sticky.     Joseph's eyes shot open, his head clearing in an instant.  He was quick to notice his friend violently wiping her hand on his shirt.  When he looked up, he noticed an expression of near-hysteria on her face.  He was pretty sure he'd heard her scream, too, but it didn't seem like she was making any noise, anymore.  Her mouth just hung open and she desperately tried to wipe something off her hand.  It didn't take him long to figure out what was going on…

    Eliza was having a panic attack.

    "Liz," he said with a slight pant.  "L-Liz, hey.  Look at me."     The girl continued to hyperventilate, scraping her hand against his freshly-stained white T-shirt.  She'd gotten blood on it… which absolutely did not help her situation.     "Elizabeth," he called again, keeping his voice calm.     She pawed at him a couple more times, clearly not paying attention.     "Elizabeth," he repeated more firmly.     She shuddered before finally looking at him.     "Look here," he told her.  "Focus on my eyes."     Her gaze started to look elsewhere…     "No-no," Joseph said, gently tapping her cheek.  "Over here."     She shivered… and slowly, she started to look back his way.     "Right into my eyes, Liz…" he whispered with a smile.  "Just my eyes."     The girl shakily nodded before letting her eyes lock onto his.     "Now… stay focused on my eyes.  I'm going to carry you into the bathroom.  Okay?"     She nodded a little more… before outright burying her face against his collarbone.     "Wuh– o-okay, that works, too…  Eh heh…"

    With some difficulty, Joseph gently picked the bird up, carrying her bridal-style into the rear of the house.  Once they were there, slowly but surely, he managed to wash the blood off her hand.  With that done, he made sure she was okay, then he politely asked if she would stay outside for a minute.  She briefly tightened her grip on him before calming.  She then closed her eyes and carefully left the bathroom, closing the door behind her.  It wasn't long after that Joseph came back out, sans shirt and with a large kind of bandage over his entire ear.

    "Thanks for being patient," he sighed, offering a comforting smile.  "You did good…"     She couldn't return the smile.  She just looked worried…     "Don't worry…" the fox whispered, gently cupping her shoulder.  "I'll grab my dirty shirt when I leave."     When she shook her head, Joseph tilted his.     "What's wrong?" he asked.     She gestured upward.     "What?  Oh, my ear?"  The fox laughed.  "Liz, I'm fine.  Just a little tender.  I'll heal!"     Though he was smiling… Eliza couldn't stop fretting.     "It's fine, Liz," he reassured her with a grin.  "You can stop wringing your hands and giving me that look.  Besides… the beak injuries make me look cool."     For some reason, that finally got the girl to smile.     "There's a pretty bird!  Heh, I like seeing you smile…"     He reached over, gently stroking one of her white, feathery cheeks.     "It makes me happy."     His smile warmed as she leaned in, cupping his hand with hers and rubbing her cheek against it.  That feeling didn't last long, though, as it reminded him of what they were doing before she had her panic attack…     "Liz?"  When she looked up, he quietly told her… "We… we should talk about earlier…"

    The mood was tense as Joseph sat on one side of the futon in the living room.  Eliza had joined him on the other side.  Neither of them could really look at the other…     "Liz?"     Until the former spoke up, anyway.

    "Liz…" he began, looking right at her.  "Liz, did… does… does what we did… c-count as 'cheating'…?"     The hazel-eyed bird blinked a couple of times.  That clearly wasn't the question she'd expected him to ask!     "I… I know you probably…  I-I mean, you were just having fun, right?  You didn't mean to actually… y-you know…"  He blushed hard, looking down and folding his ears before shakily whispering the words, "S-set me off…"     Eliza kept calm.  She felt guilty about pushing him so far…  Proud, but guilty…  And yet, that sweet, innocent fox had given her the perfect escape!  She was home free!     "Liz…?"     So… why, then…?     "Er… L– Liz…?"     Why… didn't she take it?

    Joseph blushed harder than ever.  Without a noise, that pretty bird had shuffled over and leaned into him.  She nuzzled his shoulder with her cool beak and gently stroked a hand over his chest, quietly chirping…  It was pretty obvious what she was trying to tell him.     "So… it was on purpose…"     He looked away, spitting a curse.  He was hoping that wasn't the case…     "You knew what was going on the whole time… but you just kept on pushing…"     When his tone changed, Eliza leaned back and looked at him.  The fox looked… conflicted.  Again, not something she was expecting.

    "Liz…"     He sighed, removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes.     "Liz," he repeated as if she wasn't listening.  "Liz… I… I have a girlfriend…  You two are friends.  You can't– huh?  What?"     Eliza was shaking her head.     "What?" he asked.  "O-oh, right.  You two aren't…"     When she nodded, he just sighed more, shaking his head.     "Look," he started again, "my point is that… you know… there's… like… boundaries and stuff?  And… and stuff!  There should be, and…"     The fox shook his head again before putting his glasses back on.     "Void Below… if Kris knew what we just did…"     He laughed a little… then he sighed even more.     "You know what the worst part about all this is, Liz?"     The bird offered a look of curiosity.     "The worst part is…"  He weakly smiled before admitting to her… "I don't feel bad about it.  Not even a little."     Again, Eliza was wide-eyed.  She… really… did not expect that.

    "D-don't get me wrong!" Joseph cried, startling the bird.  "I'm pretty sure I just cheated on my girlfriend by letting you do… what you did…  B-but at the same time, it's like… I guess it could be m… much worse?"     Eliza gestured over to him, prompting the fox to expand on that.     "We could've… you know…"  He sheepishly grinned as he suggested… "H-had… sex?"     And once again… the bird was wide-eyed with surprise.  And embarrassment!  She became very flustered very quickly, hiding her blushing face behind her hands… only to peek at the fox through her fingers.     "I-I know!" he laughed.  "Crazy idea, right?  You and me… having actual sex?"     He laughed… paused… then looked down, biting his lip.     "What a… a crazy… s-stupid idea…"     And it was at that point… that Eliza became fully invested in the conversation.

    "I… I'm a good boyfriend," Joseph continued, talking to the floor.  "I love my girlfriend with all my heart!  She's warm and… well, she can be warm.  And she can be cuddly, too!  I guess I…  Gods Above… I don't know what I'm saying."     The fox sighed more deeply than before.     "Look, forget I said anything…  I'm just still high from the… the 'nibbling'…  I'm perfectly happy with my girlfriend!  She's everything I… could…"     He trailed off, looking up.  Eliza had leaned back in.     "I… um…"     The girl had her hand on his cheek and she was looking right into his eyes.     "L… Liz?"     She raised her other hand, two fingers pointing at his eyes.  She then turned them around, pointing at her eyes.     "Liz…"  The fox quietly chuckled.  "I'm not having a panic attack…  I'm… having a guilt attack.  I… don't wanna be disloyal to Kris."     Eliza didn't make a sound.  She just leaned in and rubbed the front of her beak to his nose, keeping her eyes locked onto his.     "How… how do you do that?" he whispered with a blush.     She nuzzled his nose with her beak a little more and stroked his cheek.  He could see her smiling, too.     "How do you say so much without saying anything…?"     The bird cocked her head, asking a question without saying a word.     "And… why are your caramel eyes so pretty…?"

    Eliza blushed a little, herself, as Joseph brought his hands to her cheeks.  Slowly, she closed her eyes.  A smile came back to the corners of her mouth as he nuzzled her beak, and her blush warmed more as his cool nose touched her face.  When she was pulled into a hug, though, she pulled inward and hugged back with all her might.  He was such a precious, innocent thing…  It was making her feel guilty about what she'd done.  But… she loved being so close to him.  He was fun to cuddle with.

    "I've decided."

    An unknown amount of time had passed since the pair embraced.  The fog of warm feelings slowly lifted and Eliza leaned back, curiously looking at her friend.

    "I've decided…" he repeated.  "I've decided that what we did… probably pushes me into the 'cheating man-whore' kind of boyfriend."     Eliza recoiled at that, silently gasping and covering her beak.  She was about to make another gesture when…     "And I'm… I'm okay with that."     Joseph reached up, gently pulling her hands away from her beak.     "I'm okay with it," he continued with a genuine smile, "because we didn't do anything truly 'cheaty'.  All you did was play with my ears a little…  It's not your fault my ears are that kind of 'sensitive'."     When he winked, Eliza silently giggled and smiled.     "I don't regret letting you do that," he continued.  "It felt nice… and up until the point a completely unrelated thing happened–"     The bird immediately looked at her fox friend's bandaged ear and frowned.     "– we were both having a really good time!"     She looked back, offering a somewhat awkward smile.     "Honestly, if I'd met you sooner…"     Joseph looked down, lowering their hands to the futon cushion.     "Well… maybe you and I could have become closer than we are now."     He looked back up, smiling.     "I bet you'd be a kick-ass girlfriend, Liz…"     She brought a hand up, covering her beak as she soundlessly laughed and looked away.  She was blushing, too.  As much as they flustered her, she did appreciate his kind words.     "I wonder if Lan or Los…"  He hummed.  "Eh, nah, that's none of my business."     When he noticed his friend blushing a little more, he just grinned and wagged his tail.     "Threesome…" he lewdly whispered.     That was too much for the poor girl.  She pulled her other hand back and hid her face with both of them, harshly shaking her head.  She had no idea that "innocent" and "precious" fox could suggest such a thing!  In a way, though… it kind of made her appreciate him more.

    "Well… I should probably be going…"

    Eliza moved her hands…  Joseph had stood, but he was still looking her way with a smile.  When she smiled back, he smiled even more and wagged his tail again.     "Before I go, through…"     The bird got to her feet as the fox paused and looked down.  What was on his mind?     "I was thinking…  You made me feel good…"     When he slowly looked back up, Eliza noticed… his eyes were half-closed – even more so than usual – and he was wearing a rather… suggestive grin…     "Maybe… I could return the favor, sometime…?"

[sad-brunnettee]

Sleeping beauty

OP boys with a s/o who falls asleep any chance they get

Ft. zoro, Law and Sanji

Zoro

At first he would be very confused and wonder if you were giving him the silent treatment or just ignoring him

Once it dawns on him that it could happen under any circumstance he makes sure you’re next to him

His sense of direction is the absolute worst but when it comes to you he tries to pull his shit together

Even if you’re just asleep on the ship he makes sure nobody comes by to disrupt you

It bothers him when someone wakes him up from his nap and wouldn’t want that to happen to you

Even then, he still insists that you tell Chopper about this. Fearing that it could be something serious and you would need to seek medical attention

Reluctantly you go to Chopper after Zoro threatened to not stop anyone from waking you up until you spoke with him

When the two of you found out that it’s just because you’re tired, he makes sure you get enough sleep during the nighttime

Also going far as to let Sanji take care of your chores. He will do some too if he feels generous enough

Regardless of this, he’s kind of glad you’re a sleepy head because that means the both of you take naps together

It also gives him an excuse to cuddle with you and keep you close to his side

He will lie and say it’s for your own good but it just makes his heart flutter

Law

He’s a doctor so of course he will be worried about your well-being

He tried asking you questions just to understand your situation better but yet he couldn’t confirm whether you had narcolepsy so he went ahead and did what any sane person would do. Watch you from afar and study you

After noticing that you only fell asleep after a long day or just whenever you were comfortable he felt relieved

Yet he couldn’t help but worry seeing just how easy it was for you to fall asleep

Fear started clouding his mind with thoughts such as: what if marines find you, or what if you get kidnapped or if you fall asleep in a weird position you could somehow hurt yourself

So he made sure to always be near you in order to keep a close eye on you

If he wasn’t able to be there he would ask Bepo to take care of you

Which you didn’t complain about because his fur was the softest and most comfortable place to lay on, sometimes you would sleep there for hours not allowing poor Bepo to do his work

Sometimes Shachi and Penguin would be responsible for you if the three of you were sent out for errands but that changed after they once lost you and found you asleep inside one of the stores

As much as Law complains he still cares about you and wouldn’t change a thing about you

Which is also why he got you your own transponder snail, that way he could be in contact with you if you lost track of time or went somewhere on your own

Sanji

I see him as the only one to call you sleeping beauty out loud saying you are his princess/prince

He would also freak out anytime that he sees you in an uncomfortable position, worried you would later on complain about pain in your neck

There are other times that he just admires you with hearts in his eyes and takes pictures to later on show the other straw hats how adorable you look

Once you find out about it you’re a bit embarrassed because there’s some drool falling from your mouth in some of them

Yet you don’t tell him to stop because he just looks so happy and so in love with you

You also make it hard for him to get up in the mornings because you always end up falling asleep again and again

When the both of you reluctantly get up Luffy starts complaining but Sanji simply says that the more he argues the less food he will get

There was one time that you accidentally fell asleep near Zoro which cause Sanji to see red and kick Zoro out to the sea without a care

When he’s not making food or cleaning the kitchen you drag him out with you to enjoy the view and talk about your plans for tomorrow

Next thing both of you know, you’re fast asleep making him stay there longer than intended but he never complains

Regardless if he’s near you or not, he makes sure all of the ship has pillows and blankets nearby for you to grab and lay on

[ethereal-writes]

More Than Just A Pretty Face (Ft. Asmodeus and GN!MC)

Warnings: Sick character, dizziness, lack of appetite, self depreciating thoughts, pain killers, romance is sort of implied.

Length: 1.8k words

Genre: Angst, hurt, fluff, comfort

Summary: Asmodeus comes down with something, leaving him less than glamorous. You stick around anyways.

A/N: I know I should probably be working on the 'Selfish' series of oneshots (that aren't really oneshots anymore) but this fic has been sitting unfinished in my drafts for so long, I figured I'd finally get it done and out. This is adding on to the 'When He Knew He Loved You' series, for which I've already written: Mammon's version.

Anyways, this is a sickfic, and I hoped I tagged all the right warnings. If you think I should add some, please let me know! I hope you enjoy!

-Ethereal (✿◡‿◡)

Story below, please don't claim as your own!

Asmodeus hadn’t looked in the mirror today, and he didn’t intend to any time soon.

His head hurt, his nose was running, and his throat was scratchy and dry. He was exhausted, even though he had just woken up, and his whole body ached.

He was pretty sure that if he had looked in a mirror, it would’ve shattered.

There was no way he was making it to RAD that day.

He had spent the morning in bed, whining to no one about how awful he felt, and part afternoon posting photos he’d taken earlier before immediately falling back asleep.  

You hadn’t been that concerned when Asmo missed breakfast that morning. In a household that large, people missing now and then wasn’t that unusual. You also didn’t have any classes with him that day, so you didn’t notice he wasn’t at RAD.

You did, however, notice that he wasn’t there to walk you home like the two of you had originally planned.

Asmodeus woke up to a string of messages from you.

You: Hey, where are you? 3:40pm

You: Did you leave without me? 3:45pm

You: Okay…well, Satan offered to walk me back, so I’m going to go with him. 4:00pm

You: Hope you’re alright. 4:00pm

He woke up the rest of the way pretty quickly and texted you back.

Asmodeus: I’m so sorry sweetie! 5:37pm seen

Asmodeus: I’ve been feeling a little under the weather today, I didn’t even make it to RAD. 5:37pm seen

Asmodeus: I’m so sorry, I should’ve arranged for someone else to walk you home. 5:38pm seen

He waited one, two, five minutes.

No reply.

He turned his phone face down, rolling over. He tugged the sheets over his head.

He already felt physically awful, and now he’d upset you. Even worse, he didn’t have the energy to try and fix it right now. Honestly, in the state he was in, he would probably end up making it worse.

Great. Now he was crying. As if his nose wasn’t stuffed up enough.

Groaning, he sat up. He reached for the tissue box, only to realize he’d already used the last one. He let out a frustrated whine, flopping back against the pillows.

Why?

Why was nothing going right today?

This is what I get for leaving them to fend for themselves, he thought.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

“Come in,” he said, wincing at both the pain and the raspiness of his voice.

A second later, the door swung open. It was the last person he’d expected to see: You.

“Hey,” you whispered, balancing a tray as you shut the door behind you. “How’re you feeling?”

He didn’t answer, opting to bury himself further into the sheets instead. He'd upset you enough without making you look at his ugly face.

“T-terrible,” he said, shivering as a chill ran through him.  

“Are you cold?” You asked him.

He nodded, then realized you probably couldn’t see him. “Freezing.”

“Hm.” He heard you come closer, then put something on his bedside table. The tray, most likely. “Do you mind if I check you for a fever?” You asked.

He laughed, regretting it when his throat started to burn. "Honey, you can't see me like this."

"I can't?" You asked genuinely. "I don't think I can catch whatever you have, so that can't be it."

"It's not that. It's that I look horrible right now," he said.

"Well, of course you do. No one looks good when they're sick," you said matter-of-factly. "So, can I check you for a fever?" You repeat.

"You..." he trailed off. You didn't care?

But everyone cared!

Asmodeus was the most beautiful being in the three realms, second to none! They didn't call him the Jewel of the Heavens for nothing.

"Huh?" was the only response he could come up with.

"I want to check you for a fever," you repeated for the third time. "Can you roll over please?"

Still unable to form a proper response, he obliged.

You pressed a hand to his forehead, your brow crinkling slightly. "You're really warm. We should try and get your fever down," you said, mostly to yourself.

"Now, have you eaten anything yet today?" You already knew the answer, but sighed anyways when he shook his head.

"Okay. I brought you some soup, do you want some?" You asked.

He shook his head. "No, I'm not hungry."

"You probably don't feel hungry," you said. "But you should still try and eat something. Can you have a few bites, please?"

"I don't wanna," he said, sounding more like a bratty toddler than one of the most powerful demons in Hell.

"Come on, please?" You asked. You weren't going to force him, but having nutrients in his body would help him fight off whatever he had. "I made it just for you."

He sighed, but he sat up. "A little. But only because you made it," he said.

"Alright, good." You grabbed the bowl off the tray and started to pass it to him.

He stopped you. "My hands are shaking." He held them out to prove his point. "I'm going to spill everywhere."

He paused a second, then a sly smile slid onto his face. "Would you be a dear and feed me?" He asked, batting his eyes.

He didn't really need to ask you twice; you were the one who wanted him to eat in the first place.

You nodded, taking a seat in the space beside him. You stirred the broth a second, holding your hand just over the surface,

"It won't be too hot," he assured you. "Demon, remember?"

"Oh, right." Even so, you stirred it another few seconds before you fed him a bite.

The soup was warm and delicious, and he wound up finishing the whole bowl. Turns out he was more hungry than he thought.

You smiled, placing the empty dish back on the tray. "Good job. I also brought you some painkillers, did you want to take them?"

He nodded quickly, holding his hand out for the two pills you had.

He popped them into his mouth, then glanced to the water glass on the table, then back to you expectantly.

You rolled your eyes good-naturedly, retrieving the glass and bringing it to his lips.

You slowly tilted the glass upwards until he gave you the signal to stop.

"Do you feel a little better?" You asked him.

He nodded, going to lay back down. This was the longest he'd been awake all day, and he was really starting to feel it. He allowed his eyes to flutter shut.

"That's good," you said. "Now, let's see what we can do about that fever, hm?"

You didn't wait for a response, heading into his lavish bathroom. It was easy to find a cloth --how many towels does one demon need, anyway?-- and didn't take long to soak it in cool water.

You wrung it out so it wasn't sopping wet, then headed back to him.

You gently laid it over his forehead. "Hopefully this will help a little...are you tired?"

"Mhm," he hummed.

"Okay, that's alright," you said. "Do you need anything else?"

His eyes flickered open, giving you a hopeful look. "Cuddles?"

You smiled but shook your head. "I'm sorry. Your fever is way too high for that."

He huffed, his lips pursed in a pout. "Fine."

"I'm going to leave you to rest for a while, did you want me to leave? Or stick around for a bit?"

At the mere suggestion of you leaving, he weakly reached to grab your wrist. "Don't go?"

"Okay, I won't." You adjusted to sit more comfortably on the bed. "Go to sleep, alright? I'll be here when you wake up."

He squeezed your hand, making you squeeze back. Then he fell silent, and you assumed he fell asleep.

A few minutes later, you were proved wrong when he said your name.

"Why did you stay?" He asked.

"Why did I...stay?" You repeated, confused. "What do you mean?"

He sniffled. "Here. With me. When I look like this." He vaguely gestured around himself with his free hand.

"Why did I stay with you while you're sick? And you look sick?" You asked, not sure if you were missing something.

He nodded.

"Well, you wanted me to stay, and I wanted to help you."

"Why would you want to help me when I look like this?" he pressed.

"Whether I want to help you has nothing to do with your looks." You sounded offended at the mere suggestion. "I don't care about you because you're pretty. You know that, don't you?" Your tone softened into genuine concern.

Blame his sleepy state, blame his fever, but he responded honestly. "That's usually why people do."

Your silence made him nervous, and your thumb had stopped caressing the back of his hand.

Any second now, you'd start laughing. Of course, being pretty was all he was good for.

"Oh, Asmo." Your heartbroken tone threw those thoughts out the window immediately. "You're so much more than being pretty," you whispered softly.

"I am?"

"Yes!" You exclaimed. He flinched at the sudden increase in volume. You resumed stroking the back of his hand as an apology, though no actions could've compared to what you said next.

"You're gorgeous. There's no denying that. But there's so much more to you than that. You're brilliant when it comes to fashion. You've had what, six of your fashion lines featured at Majolish?"

"Eight," he corrected, and you smiled.

"See? That's incredible! And you're so good with people too. You're great at making them like you, sure, but you're also just...good at being social. You've also got the most emotional intelligence I've ever seen. You always know how to tell when people are down, and you always know how to cheer them up. You've got the most beautiful voice I've ever heard, you give incredible cuddles and massages, and most importantly-!" You paused to take a breath.

"Most importantly, you're always you. Unapologetically yourself, no filter, no matter what anyone else thinks. You're not afraid to speak your mind, you're not afraid to laugh or cry. There's no filtering you, in the best way possible," you stressed, squeezing his hand tightly.

"You're not worth my time because you're pretty. You're worth my time because you're you."

He opened his mouth to speak, to say something, but he couldn't. All that escaped was a choked sob.

You recoiled, releasing his hand. "Did I say something? I-"

He cut you off, sitting up so quickly it made him dizzy, The wet cloth fell into his lap, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

He wrapped his arms around you, nuzzling into your shoulder.

"You said everything," he said, squeezing you as tight as he thought would be safe.

"Thank you."

[life-in-the-monster-haus]

Some people have pointed out you can extremely easily pick the lesbian flag out the leaked howleens hair. While this is probably a delightful coincidence I’m wondering how you feel about howleen being the lesbian rep instead of clawdeen? Would it be a nice treat or a cop out?

You super can! Her hair looks like the sunset flag just upside down.

I want GOOD queer rep in Monster High! I want it almost as much as I want diverse body types. I want it so badly. I’ve DUG deep and unearthed some some queer rep crumbs. Zomby Gaga was technically our first Bisexual Doll, Greta Gremlin is technically our first trans doll with Frankie being the second, Neighthan & Valentine we’re both intended and coded to be gay men written by a gay man. But where or… should I say were was our lesbian rep? Garrett proudly declared Clawdeen as a Lesbian and because he was the creator most fans took his word as law… but this didn’t feel like a victory to me, it felt hollow. It bothered me & I couldn’t figure out why, after being called Lesbophobic by a dozen people on Twitter for daring to disagree with Father Monster it hit me! Years prior Garrett was asked outright if he wrote Clawdeen to be a lesbian & he said it was never intended her to be that way but he supports people who see her as gay. NOW fast forward like 2-3 years? Garrett left Mattel, he was not fired he left. Garrett declares Clawdeen as a Lesbian. The timing is important because not only did this come after admitting she was never written to be a lesbian, he said it years after he left Mattel and no longer had any influence on Monster High, Clawdeen was no longer his character. His word now means nothing. This? Was messy and unfair to lesbians who deserve to have good rep! Not just a sloppy afterthought tagged on later. Mattel clearly did not agree & hammered it home in G3 that Clawdeen’s hobby is “flirting with boys” and in the live action movie Deuce is crushing on her and the feeling is mutual. This had to hurt lesbians who see themselves in her and that? Was cruel. (I’m keeping my fingers crossed for Bisexual Clawdeen).

Now! I told you that story to tell you this story: Howleen has never had a canon love interest, she is also 14, these two things are related because in the episode Fierce Crush there is some type of full moon event going on that is making all of the werewolves lovey-dovey. (It’s probably mating season, but this is a kids show.) it's the first full moon of the lunar leap year.

There werewolves are giving their lunas a token of their love, This Crescent Moon High boy gives his ghoul his class ring.

Clawd gives Draculaura his varsity jacket. (someone please draw her absolutely swimming in that jacket pls)

Dee O'Gee gives his luna his... flea collar... how sweet of him...?

and Clawdeen tells Howleen not to fall into that “I gotta get a boyfriend” trap because she is too young. Howleen takes this as great personal offensive & says she’s not in a manner very fitting of someone whose obviously not mature enough to be dating yet. On cue Romulus helps Howleen with her stuck locker & she makes goo goo eyes at him, Clawdeen instantly tries to curb stomp that by gently reminding Howleen that Romulus used to puppy-sit her.

She tells her friend Lothar who...is someone we have never seen before this moment and we will never see again... That she "Really Likes" Romulus. As her friend, he tries to give her good advice and the advice he gives her IS good advice but she messes up and sets Romulus on fire.

But her attempts to impress Romulus are all in vain because apparently he's into.... The Create A Monster Wolf girl!?!?

Sure... Why not?

Anyways Howleen is kinda bummed by this and Lothar comforts her telling her that "If he can't see how furrific you are? then it's his loss"

Which is once again, really good advice. Lothar is pretty wise for someone we've never met before and we will never see again... Pity, we could have used a wise chubby little brother troll doll.

But then oh no! he likes Howleen! but she only see's him as a friend and the episode ends with narration from Frankie that "Romance can be pretty tricky sometimes. For every Monster who wont notice you, There's someone behind you, you're not noticing and someone right behind them" implying this slug girl has a crush on Lothar. WTF she's cute too! give us slug girl little sister doll!

Now NORMALLY I would say this is Howleen expressing an attraction to boys. That's usually my M.O. of ringing that cow bell that she's into boys and that automatically rules out Lesbian but still keeps the door open for her being Sapphic And OH BOY! I’m gonna eat my own words here but part of being being emotionally mature is admitting when your wrong and I don't think this attraction to Romulus is genuine. I think she is just trying to spite Clawdeen which is her usual M.O., Seem more mature than she is and she's probably feeling pressure from this lunar new year thing, I don't think she's actually into Romulus considering It has never come up before this episode and it never comes up again.

And I'm glad it never comes up again because it's fuckin' gross. He's way too old for her and I mean that in a serious way not in my usual "Romulus is absolutely a 45yr old grown ass man" way. He's gigantic and more than likely a High School Senior or even a Super Senior which puts him around 18yrs old and I know 4 years might not seem like much the older we get but that is a huge maturity gap for teenagers and totally inappropriate and possibly illegal I'm not really sure.

SO! Since that is really the only time we see her show an attraction to boys and no, I'm not counting her kissing the eyeball boy in "Why do Ghouls fall in love" that was her under the influence of Cupid's love spell and not real. it doesn't seem like she's into boys, but once she becomes friends with Twyla? they are never apart! and that is freshman shorthand for "I like You" could I be reaching? could be, maybe, it's possible... I'm not a fan of "they're dating just because they hang out a lot" but Twyla is literally the only person she trusts whose not family.

However, this is all circumstantial evidence, she's 14 and may not be into anyone! despite her protests she is still a baby.

But I don't think her being gay would be a "cop out" I think it would be wonderful lesbian rep if they plan her this way! her and Twyla is a huge ship and I find it adorable. there's gotta be SOMETHING there if so many people ship it. normally I don't go with the flow with ships I need something there.

But a lot of gay kids see themself in Howleen and if anyone could be the one to show them it's okay? it would be her. Howleen spent the entirety of G1 trying to find herself.

I think it's time she does.