#Well Mel's ears are covered

[mameillieureennemie]

more co-worker!vi x reader content :)

you and vi get caught.

"So," Mel starts off slowly, an elegant hand poised under her chin. "Do you want to tell me why I found you and Violet doing unsavory things in the break room?"

You shrink down in your seat, face aflame, as you avoid eye contact at all costs. It doesn't help that you can feel Mel's stare burning into your skin, but there's nothing you can do about that.

You're trapped.

"Well," you begin, just as slowly. "I—we were just talking about work, and you know how our conversations go. It starts off civil before she's pressing my buttons, and I wanna rip her head off." You sigh, closing your eyes. "Except this time instead of ripping her head off, I—"

"Climbed her like a tree." Mel fills in helpfully, and you shrink even further into your seat. You even cover your face with your hands, horrified about what's currently happening.

It wasn't your fault, okay?

Vi was messing with you again, straying away from what should have been a simple conversation. All you wanted to do was check if she'd be in attendance for the seminar this weekend, but nooooo.

She had to poke and prod at you until literal steam was blowing out your ears. It also didn't help that Vi messing with you was kind of a turn on. Maybe it's because of the teasing smirk she gives, her gorgeous face turning playfully mean—who can tell?

But all it took was her standing a little too close to you and yep.

Your lips were on hers, and she was licking into your mouth, her strong arms lifting you onto the counter so she could muscle her way between your thighs. It felt so good, had your eyes rolling back a little as she surrounded you fully, not allowing you to focus on anything else for even a second.

It had escalated a bit too far for an office setting when one of her hands slipped under your shirt, tugging at the cups of your bra to free your breasts. And the usual you wouldn't have allowed it, but there's something about Vi that has you losing all caution.

So that's how Mel found you both, all debauched and nearly half-dressed, and that's not the best sight for your boss to see.

"I'm sorry," you mumble, embarrassed but loud enough for Mel to hear. "I don't know what came over me."

"Someone almost came alright," Mel says nonchalantly, and you choke on your breath. "But it's fine, this stuff happens. You aren't the first I've caught, and you probably won't be the last."

You peer up from your eyelashes, observing Mel's expression, and feel relieved to see it calm and amused.

"Thanks," you reply, smiling wearily as you sit up a bit. "Am I free to go, or do you want to torture me some more?"

"I'll have my fun with Vi first," Mel says, smiling sharply, and you give an amused snort as you rise from your seat.

"She's a tough one," you say, and Mel laughs.

"That's what makes them more fun." She replies, and you can't help but agree.

As you exit Mel's office, Vi immediately stands up from where she's sat and comes over to you. She checks you over like you've just come out of a battle, and it's so annoying; you love it.

"Everything okay?" She asks, concerned, and you allow her hands to gently cradle your cheeks. In fact, you may lean into her touch a little because her skin's nice and warm.

"Everything's fine," you assure her, tilting your head to press a small kiss against her palm. You notice how her breath hitches at that. "You're up so try not to put your foot in your mouth."

Vi laughs, kisses the tip of your nose. "I always do."

You groan around a laugh. "Not a good thing, Violet."

Vi leaves you with a squeeze of your hand before walking into Mel's office. You watch her close the door, your expression instantly twisting into something conflicted.

With furrowed brows, you shake your head and proceed back to your office, trying to ignore a certain feeling stirring.

No.

It can't be.

[sunflowerwinds]

take care | s.a

summary: you get absolutely hammered at a party with your bestfriend, caitlyn, and you call your girlfriend to the rescue when your exhaustion hits you out of nowhere. sevika takes care of your intoxicated state and the groggy morning after.

pairing: fem!reader x sevika arcane

contains: slight modern!au (they use cell phones), established relationship, alcohol consumption, cait & mel being BAD BITCHES, fluff, mentions of suggestive content, sevika being so attentive and patient <3

word count: 2.9K

a/n: absolutely self-indulgent, i wrote this the day after recovering from a hangover LMAO <3 i hope you all enjoy!!

You truthfully couldn’t remember the last time you had gotten as drunk as you were at this very moment. A friend of your best friend's had invited you two out to this warehouse party-club situation. You were hesitant at first, not knowing if you had that in you but the second you arrived at the apartment of the friend, who you found out was named Mel, and they were pregaming with Fireball and Malibu shots, you knew you were incredibly fucked.

You had a great time, granted.

Your best friend, Caitlyn, Mel, and you made new friends amid the crowd. The girls were so lovely, throwing compliments on hair, makeup, and outfits back and forth.

Before you knew it you had made your way onto the stage with the DJ, telling him to play a certain selection of songs. He even lets you queue them up on his laptop. You huff as you realize that you want to go home but Mel was talking to some tall man who was quite handsome off stage in a corner and Caitlyn was with you on stage but she was busy talking to a red-haired butch that was covered in tattoos on the other side of the large stage.

You reach lazily into your back pocket, pulling out your phone to call your girlfriend. You blink rapidly to try and focus your eyes on your screen, leaning a bit to one side as if that would help your slightly blurry vision due to both your intoxication and the number of strobe lights.

You successfully press the call button and hold the speaker up to your ear as you take slow steps over to Caitlyn, tapping her bare shoulder as she is wearing a rosewood red lace tank and a short black skirt. You mutter an apology to someone you bumped into as you tap on her shoulder again.

She turns her head around to see you holding up your phone to your ear, furrowing her brows.

“Wait, darling, who are you calling?” Caitlyn shouts over the music, one hand on the girl’s shoulder that she was talking to and the other brushing her long blue hair over her ear.

“Sevik– Hi, baby!” You beam as the line clicks, cutting yourself off before nodding to Caitlyn and mouthing, ‘Sevika’.

You think you hear a little bit of shuffling on the other line before you shake your head with a frown, looking up at your best friend. The line clicked off so you assumed you needed to go somewhere quiet to be able to talk to the woman you loved.

“Cait, wait a minute. I’m gonna,” you take a deep breath to stabilize yourself, holding a hand out to make sure you don’t face plant onto the ground. “‘M gonna go just a little bit outside so that Sev can pick us up. I’ll be righ’ back, okay?”

“No, no, you’re not going alone. Wait right here. Do not move.”

The taller woman turns to the butch she was talking to, sending her a quick flirty smile before leaning down to say something in her ear. You wait patiently for her, looking down at your screen again to see a few message notifications from Sevika.

from sevi ❤︎ | Babe, is everything okay?

from sevi ❤︎ | You did mean to call me, right?

from sevi ❤︎ | Please text me, my love. I’m getting a bit worried.

Your heart aches at the bright reminders that you have a girlfriend: who cares about your well-being. You look up to see Caitlyn placing a kiss to the woman's cheek before handing her back her phone. You swore even being as drunk as you were, you could tell how flustered that woman was. You understood though.

Caitlyn is fucking stunning.

“We grab Mel and we head outside, okay? I see her right there.” Caitlyn’s long arm hooks on yours, a big of a smug grin on her face.

“She was hot! You gave her your number right?” You squeal as you carefully step down with Caitlyn to the ground level once again.

A wave of nausea washed over you as you attempted to balance yourself out. You believe Caitlyn confirmed the fact that she had gotten the butch’s number but the next thing you remember is being face-to-face with Mel and the man she had been talking to.

She tells you his name, leaning in to shout it in your ear.

“Jay? Hi Jay! You are very handsome,” you shout in his face, a stupid smile on your face.

The man’s face twists in amusement at your state and looks at Mel with a softer expression. “H-Hi! It’s Jayce but thank you.”

Your mouth forms into an ‘o’ at how you misheard the name, stuttering out apologies. He waves it off, telling you it's okay.

“I think someone’s calling you,” the man, Jayce, points to your phone that was buzzing in your hand.

You look down at it, muttering a curse as it was Sevika calling you once again and you are still inside the loud crowded warehouse.

“Meli, we’ve got to go outside for a moment. Sevika’s calling her,” Caitlyn placed a hand on Mel’s forearm.

Mel looked between you and Jayce, excusing herself to the man and reassuring him that she’d be right back. He told her it was fine and to not worry about it. You couldn’t hold back your awe and wave ‘bye’ at Jayce as Caitlyn and Mel now had one arm hooked on either one of yours as the three of you made your way outside.

“I’ll call her back,” Caitlyn reaches for your phone that was gripped tightly in your hand.

You easily allow her to take it from you, resting your head on Mel’s shoulder as the fresh air hits you the second you step outside. You hum a random tune as Mel rests her head on your head too, rubbing her free palm on your hand.

Caitlyn took a step away from you two to dial Sevika on your phone again to let her know that you were fine and just wanted to go home. Within minutes after ringing her back, Sevika was in her beaten town truck just across the street. You gasped at the sight of it, even in your drunken state, you were able to recognize the familiar vehicle.

Sevika walks over to you three, greeting Mel and Caitlyn first before allowing you to wrap your arms around her torso to lean into her touch. You held yourself up weakly, stumbling over the curb.

“Sevika,” you sigh with a slight groan.

“Yeah, baby, I’m here. We’re gonna go home,” the taller of you two leaned down to press a kiss to your damp temple from your sweat.

“We’ll see you on Monday. I’ll call you tomorrow to make sure you’re okay.” Caitlyn assures you with a sweet grin, leaning back into Mel now that you are clinging to your girlfriend.

“Wait, who’s taking you home? I don’ want you guys to be here alone,” you look up at Sevika and point your finger over her shoulder to her truck. “Let’s take ‘em home, baby.”

Mel and Caitlyn are quick to assure you and your girlfriend that the man that they were previously talking to would take them home as he was the DD for his best friend that he was with that night. You stare unable to remember for a moment who they were talking about.

“Ohhh, Jaycey boy! He seems really nice, Meli. I’m so happy for you,” you nod in approval with a thumbs up as you lean into Sevika’s chest.

“She has our locations, Sevika,” Caitlyn tells your girlfriend, hinting to her to check it every once in a while to make sure the man wouldn’t take them anywhere they weren’t supposed to.

Sevika nods in understanding, sternly telling the two to please be safe. Mel showed a photo of Jayce to Sevika to make sure she knew who this man was. Your mind only had bits and pieces of that night that you were able to remember.

For instance, after Sevika had picked you up, you couldn’t remember the drive home whatsoever. What you do remember is begging Sevika to get some Nacho Fries and a frozen Baja Blast.

You reached over her lap from the passenger's seat to tell the worker your order, Sevika placing a hand on your lower stomach to keep you steady so you wouldn’t fall forward and hit your face on the car door.

“Wait, Sevi, do you wan’ anything?” You turn your back into the car to look at your girlfriend.

“No, I’m okay. Thank you, baby.” she leans forward to kiss your side before patting your hip to motion for you to sit back down.

“Mm okay,” you hum before telling the worker that should be everything and snuggle back down into your seat.

After paying for the food and handing it to you in the passenger's seat, Sevika told you that you were almost home and you could eat it then. You didn’t listen and ate all of the fries in her car and hounded down the Baja Blast with ease.

Thankfully, your shared apartment was only a few minutes away from Taco Bell.

Sevika had opened your passenger's side door when you arrived, holding back an amused at the giddy expression on your face. She held her arm out for you to grasp onto as you stepped down onto the concrete of the road. You hum to yourself as you look up at Sevika, raising your free hand to pat her broad shoulder.

“Baby, would it be so bad if we…?” You trail off as you giggle to yourself at the thought.

“If we what?” Sevika hums back as her arm slithers around your waist to hold you up as the two of you make your way to your apartment.

Sevika internally cursed as she knew you wouldn’t want to go up all of the stairs. You two lived on the fourth floor.

“Well, I don’t know. What we woul’ usually be doing on a Friday– Oh!”

You yelp as Sevika wraps her arms around your waist to hoist you up and over her shoulder, cutting off your words. Your hands rest on her lower back, grinning mischievously to yourself at the sight of her skin.

“You don’t feel like throwing up?” Sevika questions as she holds your thighs down with one of her forearms.

“Nuh-uh. ‘M lovin’ this view though,” you chuckle to yourself as you stare at her ass, blinking a bit to focus your vision.

Sevika shakes her head knowingly, smiling at your giggles the whole way up the stairs. She even felt your hands caressing her strip of skin that was exposed from her slightly cut-off t-shirt.

“You’re having fun down there?” She questions as she approaches your front door, reaching into her front pocket to pull out her keys.

You merely smack her ass to confirm her suspicions to which she lightly smacks your own with a: “Keep your hands to yourself.”

You twiddle with a loose string coming from the shirt as she carries you into your cool apartment, tossing her keys into the bowl near the front door. She kicks the door shut with her foot with a soft grunt, scaring you for a moment at the sudden movement.

“Baby, lock the door for me, please?” She asked you, scooting backward a few steps.

You lift your head, steadying yourself with one weak hand on her lower back as you reach for the three knobs. You twist each of them to the right with a soft click. Sevika kisses the side of your hip that is next to her face and thanks you before making her way down the hall to your shared bedroom.

“Sevi, I think I’m gonna throw up a little,” you warn her, hiccuping a bit.

Sevika’s eyes widen at your words as she carefully sets you down on your feet, holding your hips to lead you to the bathroom. You cover your mouth as you stumble to kneel next to the toilet, hunching over as you wait for the vomit to hit the water. Sevika quickly took her place next to you as she pushed back your falling strands of hair, gathering it in a ponytail in her fist.

“Let it out if you need to. It’s okay if you can’t,” she rubs your back with the other hand, wincing at your gagging.

You groan as you shake your head, eyes watering at the fact that it wasn’t coming up.

“It’s not– I can’t. I though’ I could, Sevi,” you frown up at her as you slump against the wall in front of the seat.

Sevika shushes you as she releases your hair and takes your hands into her larger ones, urging you to stand up.

“It’s okay. Let’s just get you to bed,” she instructs you gently.

You nod slowly, sniffling as you let her lead you back into the bedroom. You remember her carefully removing your ‘party clothes’ and putting one of her sleeping tees on you. She knew how much you adored them so at least you would have that to wake up to. She grabbed some of your micellar water and a rag to remove what was left of your makeup, holding your jaw in your hand as you kept trying to lay down once the comfier clothing was on.

After doing the usual night routine, you plopped down onto the mattress with a satisfied sigh as she snuggled your cheek into the pillowcase.

“Night, baby,” you hum as you smack your lips.

“Good night, my love,” she teases as she places a kiss on your cheek before rounding the bed to lie down on her side.

You pretty much passed out as soon as Sevika had lifted the covers over you two, mouth ajar and limbs awry.

You were never drinking again.

You thought as you carefully sat upright in your bed, squinting your eyes hard as the light from the morning sun was blinding you through your thin curtains. The headache and nausea hit you all at once as you covered your mouth, afraid of the bile that might escape. You wait a few seconds to make sure you aren’t actually going to throw up. Your eyes follow to your bedside table as you reach over to grab your phone, your movements slow as ever.

As you squint your eyes to focus on the screen, you see a few messages from Caitlyn and Mel; telling you they made it home and they were in fact not kidnapped. You then shift your eyes to the numbers at the top.

It was 9 o’clock in the morning; way too fucking early for the night you had.

You grunt as you gradually lay back down, wanting to stay still for the next three hours to not trigger the pounding headache to worsen. You peer over your bedroom door to see that it was left halfway open, the sound of footsteps coming down the hallway. Not to your surprise, it was Sevika with a small tray of food for you. You could hear her whisper a curse as she tried her hardest to not spill the coffee on it.

“Sevika?” You call out to her, your groggy and strained voice making your head hurt.

“You’re awake. Good morning,” Sevika tells you with a knowing and sympathetic smile.

You groan in response to her words, wanting to grab the pillow you were laying your head on and shield your face.

“I want to sleep,” you say right off the bat, frowning at her as you try to recollect the events of the previous night.

“I know, my love but can you eat this for me? You’ll feel better once you have food in you.”

Your girlfriend slowly sits herself down on the empty space next to you; her side of the bed. You knew she was right but you felt like you had to use so much energy just to sit upright, let alone eat.

And chew.

And drink.

It all sounded so… bothersome. But then you feel Sevika leaning over to press a few kisses onto your cheek and jaw, a hand rubbing up and down your arm that was out from under the comforter. You shut your eyes as you sigh at the feeling, wishing the kisses could push away your hangover.

“15 minutes,” she places one kiss on your jaw, “and then,” another to your nose, “you can sleep all day.”

You pretend as if you weren’t already set on eating as she continues to kiss as gently as possible every square inch of your face. Your smile grows as you force out a grumbled ‘fine’ as you steadily sit upright so that your back is resting on the headboard.

“You’re too good to me, Sev,” you tell her as you rub your tired eyes, yawning as she places the tray in your lap.

Sevika hums in agreement, playfully tapping underneath your chin with a hooked finger.

“Just eat. Then I’ll leave you alone, I promise.”

“No,” you reach for her hand, intertwining your fingers. “Never leave me alone.”

Sevika can’t help the smitten flush that covers her face as she takes your intertwined hands to kiss the back of yours.

“Never.”

You weakly smile at that before digging into your eggs, toast, fruit, and Tylenol with a long and collected sigh, enjoying the flavors of it all. You look down at your sleeping attire, feeling warm at the fact that it was Sevika’s.

Whether it was drunk, sober, or mind-numbingly hungover, she always took care of you.

TAGLIST: @eilishxo @nevergonna-give-u-up @archangeldyke-all @violynsb @lesbianpuppygirl @cutestdarkskin @moodient @starytree @capedyke @sameshoeally @lovinglynny @rurides @iluvwomensm

[anticipatedexhale]

Happy birthday!!! It's a day to celebrate you!

♡ ◞ includes: caitlyn, jayce, jinx, mel, viktor, vi, ekko

☆ ◞ summary: they surprise you on your birthday!

△ ◞ warnings: gn! reader, flufffff and also definitely not proofread

Mel Medarda.

Mel Medarda did not do things halfway. When she loved, she loved with intensity. When she planned, she planned meticulously. And when it came to you? Well, she was going to make sure your birthday was something you would never forget.

You had a feeling something was up when, the night before, she had simply kissed your cheek and said, “Wear something nice tomorrow, darling.” That was it. No explanation. No hints. Just a knowing smile before she walked away, leaving you both intrigued and slightly terrified.

And now? You were standing in front of an enormous, private dinner setup on one of Piltover’s highest balconies, the entire city glittering below like a sea of golden stars. A long, lavish table stretched before you, covered in candlelight, rich wines, and an array of gourmet dishes that looked too perfect to eat. Soft music played in the background, and the scent of fresh roses filled the air.

Your mouth fell open slightly. “Mel…”

She was standing beside you, looking as breathtaking as ever in a deep gold dress, her earrings catching the candlelight. She smiled at your reaction, clearly pleased with herself. “Surprised?”

“That’s an understatement,” you breathed, turning to her. “How did you—when did you—?”

She chuckled, looping an arm through yours and guiding you toward the table. “Let’s just say I have my ways.”

You shook your head in disbelief as she pulled out your chair for you—because of course she did—before settling in across from you. “Mel, this is… a lot.”

She arched a perfectly sculpted brow. “Are you saying you don’t like it?”

“No! It’s—” You gestured around wildly. “It’s incredible. I just don’t know how to deserve all this.”

Mel leaned forward, resting her chin delicately against her fingers. “You don’t have to deserve it,” she said softly. “I wanted to do this. Because you deserve to feel celebrated. To feel adored.”

Your chest tightened at her words. She had always been someone who built walls, who calculated every move, but with you? She always let you see the tenderness beneath it all.

A warmth spread through you as you reached across the table, taking her hand in yours. “Thank you, Mel. For everything.”

She smiled, her thumb brushing over your knuckles. “Happy birthday, my love,” she murmured. “Now, let’s toast—to you.”

She lifted her glass, and as you clinked yours against hers, you realized that, out of everything—the lavish gifts, the extravagant setting—the real gift was this: Mel, choosing to love you in the way only she could.

------------------------------------------------

Jayce Talis.

Jayce had never been great at keeping secrets. It wasn’t that he was bad at lying—he just got too excited and always ended up giving himself away. So, when your birthday was coming up, you could tell something was up.

He’d been acting weird all week—disappearing for hours, sending hurried messages to people when he thought you weren’t looking, and worst of all? He sucked at playing it cool.

“What are you up to?” you had asked him the night before, arms crossed as he nearly tripped over his own feet trying to distract you from a set of blueprints on his desk.

“Nothing!” he had said way too quickly, grinning wide enough to make it obvious that he was lying. “Just, uh, some important Council business!”

You didn’t buy it for a second. But instead of prying, you decided to let him have his fun.

Fast forward to today. Your birthday.

The entire morning had gone by suspiciously normally. Jayce hadn’t mentioned a word about it. No casual "Happy birthday!" No cheeky wink. Not even a hint of whatever he had been planning. You were starting to wonder if he’d somehow forgotten—until you walked into his workshop.

The second you stepped inside, BOOM!

Confetti everywhere.

Not just a little—an entire explosion of tiny colored paper pieces rained down on you from above, and in the middle of it all stood Jayce, arms wide open, looking way too proud of himself.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!” he shouted, grinning like a kid who just pulled off the best prank ever.

You blinked, completely frozen in shock as confetti slowly drifted onto your hair, your shoulders… everywhere.

Jayce, realizing that maybe confetti cannons were a bit much for an indoor setting, winced. “Uh… okay, maybe that was overkill.”

You stared at him, then at the absolute mess he had just created, and finally burst into laughter.

“Jayce! What the hell?!” you managed between laughs, shaking the confetti out of your hair.

He let out a relieved chuckle, stepping forward to wrap his arms around you. “Okay, so maybe I got a little carried away,” he admitted, pressing a kiss to your forehead. “But hey, at least it was memorable, right?”

“Very,” you teased, resting your head against his chest. “But please tell me this isn’t all you planned.”

Jayce gasped dramatically. “Of course not! Who do you think I am?”

With that, he took your hand and led you toward the back of the workshop, where a table was set up with a cake—one that was definitely a little lopsided but obviously homemade. Next to it, a small pile of gifts, and most importantly? A chair with another small confetti cannon.

“Jayce,” you warned, eyeing it.

“Okay, fine, I’ll put it down,” he said with a laugh, setting it aside. “But I do have one more surprise.”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, wrapped box. The moment you opened it, your breath caught—it was a tiny Hextech pendant, glowing faintly, crafted into a delicate design.

“I made it myself,” he said, a little bashful now. “Figured you deserved something special.”

Your heart melted. All the ridiculousness, the over-the-top confetti, the chaotic energy—it was so Jayce. And you wouldn’t have had it any other way.

You looked up at him, smiling softly. “This is perfect.”

Jayce exhaled, finally relaxing. “Good,” he said, leaning in to press a kiss to your lips. “Happy birthday, sweetheart.”

------------------------------------------------

Viktor.

Viktor wasn’t the type for grand gestures. He didn’t do over-the-top surprises or loud celebrations. He preferred the quiet things—the ones that mattered, the ones you’d carry with you long after the day had passed.

That’s why, when your birthday came around, you weren’t expecting much. Not because he didn’t care—far from it. But because Viktor was always lost in his work, constantly chasing ideas, and you didn’t want to burden him with expectations.

So, when the morning passed without so much as a mention of your birthday, you tried not to let the disappointment creep in. Maybe he really had forgotten.

But then, late in the evening, as you walked into his dimly lit workshop, you found something waiting for you on his desk.

A small, neatly wrapped package. And next to it, a stack of papers, the ink still fresh.

Your name was written at the top.

Curious, you picked up the papers, eyes scanning the first few lines. And then your heart stopped.

It was a letter. No—many letters. Pages upon pages, filled with Viktor’s precise handwriting.

You sat down slowly, hands trembling as you began to read.

He wrote about the day he met you. How he hadn’t expected someone like you to step into his life, let alone stay. How, despite the chaos of his mind and the limits of his body, you had never treated him as anything less than whole.

He wrote about the small things. The way you made tea exactly how he liked it, even though you hated the taste. How you always remembered to bring an extra blanket when he fell asleep at his desk. The way you touched him—so gently, as if you saw the pieces of him that no one else did.

He wrote about the nights he spent awake, thinking of you. Wondering how someone like him had managed to deserve someone like you.

And at the very bottom, in slightly messier handwriting, was the last line:

"If I am to leave any mark on this world, let it be the love I have for you."

Tears blurred your vision by the time you finished. You pressed a hand to your mouth, overwhelmed, as you turned to see Viktor standing in the doorway, watching you with quiet apprehension.

“You—” Your voice broke. “You wrote all of this?”

A faint flush touched his cheeks as he shifted his cane, looking away for a moment. “I am not good with spoken words,” he admitted softly. “But I wanted you to know.”

You stood, crossing the room in seconds before wrapping your arms around him. Viktor stiffened slightly, then melted into your embrace, exhaling shakily.

“You didn’t forget,” you murmured against his shoulder.

His hand came up to rest against your back. “Of course not,” he whispered. “How could I?”

You pulled back just enough to look at him, your eyes still wet. “This is the best gift I’ve ever received.”

Viktor’s lips curled into a small, almost shy smile. “Then I suppose it was worth every word.”

------------------------------------------------

Caitlyn.

Caitlyn Kiramman was a woman of precision. Strategy. Planning. She didn’t do things on a whim—every move she made had a purpose. So, when your birthday rolled around, you knew she had something up her sleeve.

But you hadn’t expected this.

“Caitlyn,” you said slowly, staring at the handwritten note she had left on your bedside table. “Is this… a scavenger hunt?”

The paper was neat, her elegant script detailing a simple instruction: "Meet me at the shooting range. Wear something comfortable. Happy birthday, darling."

A grin tugged at your lips. You had no idea what she was up to, but you weren’t about to back down from the challenge.

Clue #1: The Shooting Range

When you arrived, the place was empty—except for Caitlyn, who stood there in her crisp uniform, a knowing smirk on her face.

"Right on time," she said, stepping forward to hand you your next note.

"You really set all this up?" you asked, amused.

She winked. "I am the Sheriff, you know. I have my ways."

You unfolded the paper, laughing when you read it. "Show me what you've got—hit the target three times in a row, and I'll give you your next clue."

“Oh, you know I’m not as good as you,” you groaned, giving her a playful glare.

She merely crossed her arms, looking smug. “Then I guess you won’t be getting your next clue.”

You sighed dramatically before stepping up to take your shots. By some miracle (and maybe a little bit of Caitlyn’s coaching over the years), you managed to land all three.

Caitlyn looked genuinely impressed. “Not bad. I might have some competition.”

You grinned. “Now give me the next clue, Sheriff.”

Clue #2: The Bakery

The next stop led you to a small, tucked-away bakery—one that you and Caitlyn often visited after long days at work. The moment you stepped inside, the owner smiled knowingly and handed you a small, beautifully wrapped box.

Inside? Your favorite pastry, still warm. And another note.

"A little something sweet before your final stop. Meet me at the place where we first realized we were more than just friends."

Your heart skipped a beat. You knew exactly where that was.

Final Stop: The Rooftop

You climbed the familiar fire escape, the city stretching out beneath you. The cool breeze hit your skin as you reached the top, and there she was—waiting for you with a picnic set up, lanterns glowing softly around her.

Caitlyn turned at the sound of your footsteps, her smile softer now, more intimate. “Took you long enough.”

You let out a breathless laugh, taking in the sight. “You really went all out.”

She stepped forward, tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear. “I wanted today to be special for you. You deserve that.”

Your chest tightened at the tenderness in her voice. You reached up, taking her hand in yours. “It already is.”

She exhaled, eyes searching yours before leaning in to press a slow, lingering kiss to your lips. When she pulled back, she smirked. “Happy birthday, darling. Now, come on—before the food gets cold.”

And as you sat together, laughing and sharing stories under the stars, you knew that this—her—was the best gift you could have ever asked for.

------------------------------------------------

Vi.

Vi never made a big deal about birthdays—especially her own. But when it came to you? She wanted to do something. It didn’t have to be fancy or extravagant, just something that would make you smile.

So when you woke up to an empty bed and a note scrawled in her messy handwriting—"Meet me at our spot. And wear something you can move in."—you had a feeling this was going to be interesting.

The "spot" turned out to be an old, abandoned bridge overlooking Zaun, a place you two often went when you needed to get away. When you arrived, Vi was already waiting, leaning against the railing with her usual cocky smirk.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart," she greeted, pushing off and walking toward you. "Took you long enough."

"You are aware that normal people do things like dinner and gifts, right?" you teased.

Vi shrugged, draping an arm around your shoulders and pulling you in close. "Yeah, well, I ain’t normal, and you’re not getting some boring, predictable date."

Before you could ask what she meant, she stepped back and tossed you something—knuckle guards. Not unlike hers, but sleeker, custom-fitted to your hands.

You stared at them, then back at her. "Vi—"

She grinned. "Figured we could get into a little trouble together tonight. You game?"

Oh, of course she planned a street fight for your birthday. You laughed, shaking your head. "You’re unbelievable."

"Yeah, yeah, but you love me anyway," she said, nudging your chin up with her gloved hand. "And after this? We’ll grab some drinks, maybe dance, maybe do something actually romantic."

You slipped on the knuckle guards, flexing your fingers. "You know, for once, I think I like your idea."

Vi smirked. "Atta babe."

And with that, she grabbed your hand and pulled you into the night, ready to make this a birthday neither of you would forget.

------------------------------------------------

Jinx.

Jinx didn’t do things halfway. Ever. If she was going to celebrate your birthday, then it wasn’t just going to be some boring dinner or a couple of gifts. No, no, no. It had to be big. It had to be chaotic. And, most importantly, it had to be fun.

So when you woke up to a loud BOOM in the distance, followed by a series of colorful fireworks lighting up the Zaun skyline, you had a gut feeling that Jinx had something to do with it.

You barely had time to get out of bed before the door slammed open, and there she was—grinning wildly, hair messy, hands covered in soot.

“Happy birthday, hot stuff!” she practically screamed, launching herself at you.

You barely caught her, stumbling back as she wrapped her arms and legs around you like an overexcited monkey. “Jinx—what the hell was that explosion?”

She giggled, pressing a quick, excited kiss to your cheek. “Your birthday surprise!”

“…You blew something up for my birthday?”

“Duh! But it wasn’t just something—it was a whole abandoned building! You should’ve seen it—BOOM, KABOOM, colors everywhere!” She jumped down, grabbing your hand. “C’mon, I saved the best for last!”

You weren’t even dressed properly before she was dragging you out the door, her energy contagious despite the slight panic bubbling in your chest.

The Grand Finale

She led you to an open rooftop, one of her favorite hideouts. The moment you stepped onto it, you saw what she had set up—scrap metal and neon signs arranged into a very crooked-looking Happy Birthday! message, flashing erratically with sparks flying from the edges.

Your mouth fell open. “Jinx… did you—”

“Make it myself?” She puffed out her chest proudly. “You betcha!”

It was… chaotic. Dangerous, even. But it was so Jinx, and the fact that she had put in all this effort—in her own, reckless way—made your heart ache in the best way.

She flopped onto the floor, patting the space beside her. “Alright, birthday babe, sit. I got one more thing.”

You sat down, still in awe as she pulled a small, messily wrapped box from her coat. “Now, before you open it, just know that I think it’s cool, and if you don’t like it, I will cry. Probably. No pressure.”

You gave her a playful side-eye before unwrapping it. Inside was… a handmade, slightly dented metal locket, with her signature blue monkey logo engraved on it.

You opened it and nearly laughed—inside was a tiny, badly drawn stick-figure version of you and her holding hands.

Jinx watched you carefully, chewing her lip. “Sooo… you like it, or am I gonna have to start the waterworks?”

You turned to her, grinning. “Jinx, I love it.”

Her face lit up, and before you could react, she tackled you in a tight hug, knocking both of you onto the ground.

“Best! Birthday! Ever!” she cheered, giggling as she pressed kisses all over your face. “Now, let’s set off the big fireworks!”

You exhaled, laughing as she pulled you back up, her excitement never fading. And as she set off the last explosion of the night—lighting up the sky in wild, electric blue—you realized that, in all her chaos, Jinx had given you the most uniquely perfect birthday you could have ever asked for.

------------------------------------------------

Ekko.

Ekko was a man of few surprises. He was methodical, thoughtful, and knew how to make things right—whether it was fixing a broken clock or fixing his world. But birthdays? That was a bit of a new territory for him. So when yours came around, you could tell he was determined to make it special.

You woke up that morning to a soft knock on your door. When you opened it, there stood Ekko with a wide grin on his face, holding a small box wrapped in plain paper.

"Happy birthday," he said, his voice warm and a little sheepish. "I hope you like it."

You smiled, taking the gift from him and opening it. Inside was a beautiful, hand-carved pendant—a clockwork piece that looked just like a miniature version of his old time machine. It was intricate, delicate, and totally Ekko.

"You made this?" you asked, amazed.

"Yeah," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I know it's not much, but I thought you'd like something that... reminded you of us."

The pendant was a symbol of time, and that alone was enough to make your heart flutter. You couldn't help but smile as you hugged him, thankful for the gesture. "I love it."

"Good," he said, his grin returning. "Now, c'mon. I have something else planned."

A Quiet Escape Through Time

Ekko led you through the streets of Zaun, but this time, there was no rush. No plans to rush into battle or solve problems. This time, it was all about you—and the time you’d spent together.

As you walked, Ekko began to recount stories of the past: your first meeting in the undercity, when he had been just a kid trying to survive; the way you helped him and his friends when everything felt like it was falling apart. With every story, you felt yourself sinking deeper into the warmth of his words.

Eventually, you came to a quiet, secluded spot by the river, an area you didn’t even know existed. The sound of the water trickling over rocks was the only noise in the air, and the view of the stars above was breathtaking.

Ekko set down a small blanket he had brought along, gesturing for you to sit. "This was one of my favorite spots when I needed to think," he said softly. "I figured you might like it too."

You sat down beside him, your legs stretched out on the soft grass. Ekko opened a small pack, pulling out a couple of homemade sandwiches, some fruit, and a thermos filled with his own special brew.

"Happy birthday," he said again, handing you a cup of the drink. "I thought we could have a peaceful moment together. No chaos. Just... us."

You took the cup, your heart swelling with affection. "This is perfect," you said, your voice quiet but full of meaning.

Ekko watched you for a moment, then smiled, though there was something a little more sincere behind his eyes. "I know we’ve been through a lot. And I know I don’t always show it, but... I’m really glad you’re in my life."

You reached out, gently resting your hand on his. "I’m glad I’m in yours too, Ekko."

For the rest of the night, the two of you sat together, talking and laughing under the stars, with no rush or distractions. And when the moon was high in the sky, Ekko pulled you into his arms, holding you close.

"I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but I know I’m happy right here, right now," he whispered, pressing a kiss to your forehead.

As the night wore on, you couldn’t help but feel that Ekko’s simple, thoughtful celebration was exactly what you needed. In that quiet moment, everything felt just right. Time could slow down, but with him by your side, you knew that every second was worth it.

Author note: GUYSSSS ITS MY BDAY IM FINALLY 17 YUPPIEEE (Jan 30)

[just1cefor4ll]

—You’re the kind of person they write rock songs about

-modern!au Viktor x fem!reader warning. not proof read, swearing, might be OOC

part one || part two

‼️A/N. if anyone wants to be added to the taglist for this fic, let me know!! ‼️

'Taste me, you will see

'More is all you need..'

You were an art major with dreams of becoming a performer—a passion that stuck to you during your high school years. It wasn’t always a dream of yours; as a child, you’d imagined yourself as a ballerina or a doctor saving hundreds of lives but everything changed when the gates of high school and teenage drama opened up to you.

In your sophomore year, you and a few friends stumbled upon a shared love for music and decided to form a small rock band. Powder, your best friend, took the lead as the singer. Her stepsister, Isha, played the drums, while Ekko, Powder’s boyfriend, handled the bass. You took on guitar duties and backup vocals. The band quickly became a big part of your lives, and you weren’t half bad.

By the time you all made it to college—except Isha, who was in her senior year of high school—you were performing at local bars and small venues. The gigs didn’t pay much, but they weren’t a loss either, and your parents were proud of your dedication.

You got more of a recognition when the principal assigned you and the band to play some of your own songs or whatever covers you deemed fit for the occasion and even got an award which earned you the title of the ‘schools rock stars’ by most of the people who attended that day and it quickly spread and stuck until graduation.

The journey, however, wasn’t always just rainbows and sunshine. Learning guitar and perfecting your singing skills took patience, and there were moments of frustration.

Your forgetfulness and stupidity often kicked you right in the ass—or well, fingers— having to buy a new guitar pick every few days leaving your fingers bloody and sore. On a particular night performing at the Last Drop your guitar was left bloodied after you thought it would be an absolutely genius idea to play Metallicas ‘Master of Puppets’ which luckily went great! The crowd went wild however it did earn you quite a scolding from Vander as he carefully put band aids on each of your fingers. However he could tell by the proud look on your face that you thought it was worth it, people coming up to cogratulate you on your performance, suggesting songs or giving you sweets they bought as a sort of reward and all Vander could really do was laugh at his daughter’s best friends foolishness.

While you immersed yourself in music, Viktor—a double major in physics and engineering—navigated a completely different world. His close circle of friends—Vi, Powder’s older sister; Jayce, Mel and Caitlyn, Vi’s girlfriend—shared little in common with your bandmates, yet you crossed paths by chance from time to time. Viktor knew of you mostly through Vi and Jayce’s stories or from the few times he happened to see your band perform.

One such instance was prom, where he watched you take the stage with confidence. Another was a night at The Last Drop, where Viktor had ended up by chance when Vi dragged the group into the establishment for a few drinks.

Today the bar was as lively as ever. The dimly lit bar was packed, and the familiar hum of chatter and clinking glasses filled the air before the first note was played. “Are you ready?” You half screamed into the mic as a roar of cheers and claps bounced through the walls. You strummed your fingers along the strings of your guitar, gifted to you not long ago by your friends since your old one was pretty wrecked however it still had it’s place and on display in your bedroom as a symbol of where you first started while Isha got into the beat of ‘Can’t stop’ by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers.

You saw a few faces light up but most didn’t quiet recognize the song but still looked like they were enjoying themselves as the chatter slowly died down, all eyes and ears on your performance.

Viktor sat in the corner with Vi, Jayce, and Caitlyn, his attention flitting between their conversation and the band on stage. He wasn’t one for loud, crowded places, but something about your music intrigued him. He knew of the rock genre because of Jayce being quite a fan of System of a Down and many other bands he would need a whole notebook to name however Vi had a big part of the introduction herself but he adjusted to the change of genre he wasn’t quiet familiar with before he met his dear friends.

There was a passion in your performance that resonated with him, though he couldn’t quite explain why.

After the set, you stepped off the stage, sweaty and exhilarated. Powder gave you a playful nudge, her eyes twinkling with pride. “Killed it as always,” she said with a grin.

“Thanks, Pow,” you replied, wiping your brow. Your gaze swept across the room, catching sight of a group you vaguely recognized—Vi’s crew. As if on queue Vi averted her gaze from the group and caught your attention, waving you over, and though you hesitated for a moment before you all made your way to their table. “Hey, Rockstar!” Vi greeted, giving you a playful smirk. “Nice set tonight. You finally learned how to tune that thing, huh?”

You rolled your eyes at her teasing. “Thanks, Vi. You still can’t keep a beat, though, can you?”

The group laughed, and you found yourself pulled into their orbit. Introductions were made, though most were unnecessary—you already knew who they were. When it came to Viktor, however, there was an awkward pause.

“Viktor,” he said, offering a polite nod. You smiled and gave your name in response and decide to strike up a conversation with the man. “Thanks for sticking around! You don’t seem like the type for these kinds of outings.” You say truthfully and chuckle nervously.

“It was... impressive,” he said after a moment, his voice quiet but sincere. “You’d be correct on that last part. I don’t often attend these kinds of events, but your performance was captivating.” His accent was foreign to you yet it was a cute quality, making your stomach flutter with butterflies. The compliment however caught you off guard. You weren’t used to that kind of earnest praise, especially from someone who seemed like they’d be more of the jazz or pop type. “Thanks,” you said, a bit bashfully. “Glad you enjoyed it.”

The conversation shifted back to the group, but Viktor’s words lingered in your mind. Something about his quiet demeanor fascinated you, and you couldn’t help but want to know more about this mystery of a man.

That night when you all went your seperate ways once you got to the college dorms, Powder noticed how lost in thought you were; basically just lying on the bed and looking at nothing. “Okay, what’s with your teen spirit Cobain?” She chuckles at her own joke and you look at her with a ‘really?’ face, letting out a giggle of your own. “So many other jokes out there and that’s what you come up with?” You push her shoulder playfully and sit up from your bed, facing her. “Okay, okay.. enough shaming my stand up comedy, what’s wrong Y/N?”

“That Viktor guy from your sister’s group.. with the accent and shit?” You start as a smirk sneaked onto her lips, kicking her feet in the air as she lied on her stomach. “Yeaah?” “Well I don’t know, something about me just.. makes me want to get to know him you know?” You sigh, throwing yourself onto Powders bed, lying on her stomach. “He’s such a nerd though! From what Vi told me over the phone a few times he’s like a workaholic but ten times worse girl. And he looks like he has a couple conditions.. probably should get that checked.” She mumbled to herself, making you giggle. “Come on Pow that’s just straight up mean.”

“But look who’s giggling.” She flicks the side of your head and joins in on your laughter.

You remember the cane he had, the golden details and carvings and the way his under eyes were darker then the rest of his pale, almost sickly skin. His jawline was sharp with a straight nose and an almost unnoticeable underbite. He was pretty cute.. He was probably a cool person to be around so you wondered if you’d have the chance to maybe hang out with him.

“Do you think your sister would be up to hanging out? You know, our group and hers? We have that show next weekend we can invite them there and spend the rest of the night doing whatever!” You suggest and quickly get a nod of approval from your blue haired friend which only made your excitement rise.

Next weekend it is.. Maybe he’d be up to a one on one hangout once you have the chance to ask, maybe even over the phone if you’re lucky enough to get his number or socials. Until next weekend all you could do was practice and imagine every sort of scenario of how it would all go.

taglist: let me know if you want to be added

© URFAVLARRY

DO NOT REPOST, TRANSLATE OR COPY ANY OF MY WRITING TO OTHER PLATFORMS

I DON’T CONSENT FOR MY WRITING TO BE USED TO TRAIN AI 🚫

[megalony]

Silence Is Golden

This is a new imagine for Eric from A Quiet Place: Day One. I know there aren't too many people interested in this fandom but I really enjoyed writing this one and hope you will all like it too.

Taglist: @justagirlthatlovedtoread @musicistheway @avada-kedavra-bitch-187 @luula @missdreamofendless @bradleybeachbabe @woderfulkawaii @amberpanda99 @daggersquadphantom @marvel-and-chicago-fan @angryknightstatesmantrash @minjix @lyje @kmc1989 @itsmytimetoodream @noonenuts @hiireadstuff @ashie-babie @classyunknownlover @jayyeahthatsme @sp1ritssz @dumb-fawkin-bitch @oliverstarksbae @gimatida @heart-35 @supernaturalstilinski @kyky9103 @gay4hotmilfs @itshamleth @chaoticnosleepinfluencer @gs29 @wh0reforsmutstuff @mel-vaz @natashamea18 @chrisevansdaughter @alexandra848484 @deena-beena-weena @targaryenluvs @kpoplover-19 @marvelmenarebeautiful @gillybear17

@zoeybennett @mrspeacem1nusone @zephyrmonkey @estella-novella @eleventhdoctorsangel @kniselle @senjoritanana @shauna-carsley @dottierose @cfdhouse51 @darkfemme1 @rainechase45 @lolalolsstuff @jupiter1700 @ashdoctor @an-aliens-ghost @lunaroserites @houseoftwistedspirits @callsignwidow @winterreader-nowwriter @reneinii @bellsbomb @western-pyro @itsgigikay @harry-satellite @midsummereve1993 @babyqueen17 @buckyyyismahhlife @sammiejane22 @mrsyixingunicorn10 @op-81-lvr-reblogs @talicat713 @niamhmbt @strawberry-canyon @bieberhoodforever @911fangirlie @hollandxxmix

Main Masterlist

Summary: Eric is relieved when he finds his wife amidst the chaos. And when they try and find a safe haven, (Y/n) calms him down when his panic overloads and becomes too much.

Enjoy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Eric didn't like this.

He had the desperate need to cup his hands over his ears as he walked and cower down as if to make himself a smaller target, but he knew it wouldn't help. He knew covering his ears wasn't going to make a difference when everyone around him was still making such apparant noises that they were going to attract the creatures. Cupping his ears wasn't going to cause everyone else to be quiet.

With his elbows pinned into his waist, Eric bound both arms around his middle and continued to walk against the tide of people.

They nudged past Eric, pushing him left and right, moving him at all angles while they made noises that were surely going to cause their impending doom. The wheels of a wheelchair squeaked and clicked over stones and curbs. People pulling suitcases let them tumble from left to right and get stuck in pot holes.

Women wore heels, rough shoes clicked against the floor, people hummed and muttered and bashed together.

Eric aimed his head down towards the floor and made himself as small as he possible could so he could weave through the crowds.

He was well aware that he was walking in the opposite direction to everyone else. He knew they were all aiming for the river. He heard the announcements through the tanoids on the helicopters; boats were being set up, people were urged to get to the water. Apparently the creatures didn't like the water. There had been nothing said about the destination of the boats or where anyone was trying to go.

For all they knew, people could be getting on boats, preparing to sail for days or possible weeks on end without an actual destination in sight. But no one could live on the water forever. They would need food, water, supplies, things they couldn't possibly get while sailing into the abyss like that.

Eric couldn't think about any of that. He couldn't follow the flow of people and aim for the water; for a brief sense of security that might not last or even be true. He couldn't go with everyone else.

Not without (Y/n).

He had to find his wife.

Deep down, Eric knew that he might not be able to find her. He might not be able to find his wife anywhere. Anything could have happened to her. He prayed she had stayed in the apartment, that she hadn't gone out anywhere, but there was always the possibility that she had left for an errand.

(Y/n) could have been crushed in the panic of people trying to survive and escape. She could be trapped beneath a collapsed building, caught in an explosion or dragged along with the sea of people towards a boat, never to see Eric again.

His worst fear was that she had been maimed or killed by one of those creatures.

Eric couldn't think of a world without (Y/n). Trying to imagine this world in an apocolypse was hard enough, but Eric would rather scream until his lungs shrivelled up and show himself to a creature than live a life without (Y/n). Therefore he was going to find her. Eric had to find her.

He was going to search the streets until he eventually found his wife. He was trying to make his way back to their shared apartment, praying that she would be there when he walked in and he would be able to hold her in his arms and thank God that he had her safe with him. Eric wasn't going to stop searching for her. He only had two choices, find (Y/n) safe and sound or lose his heart and give himself up to the creatures.

'I can't do this alone.'

He had never been good at doing things on his own, even simple tasks were worrying for Eric. When he met (Y/n), he found someone to share his life with, someone to be himself around and someone who wouldn't judge him and would walk through life with him. Someone to hold his hand so he never had to do anything alone, someone who he could love with his whole being and protect with his life.

Eric couldn't survive in this strange, terrifying new world on his own; he had to have his wife by his side or he wasn't going to make it.

His head stayed bowed down as he weaved through the throng of people until he was pressed up against a building with his feet shuffling along the pavement.

He hated the feeling of his sopping wet suit clinging to every inch of his skin. Riding the subway had been Eric's intention this morning, until chaos overtook everything and he ended up fighting for his life, swimming his way out. He barely made it half the ride on the subway before everything turned around. He had been going to work. How could plans change so much since this morning?

Just the memory of why he was dripping wet made Eric shiver and wince and he imbedded his arms tighter into his chest to try and calm himself down. He had been on the verge of a panic attack since the moment he crawled out the subway. He couldn't afford to slip into one now and risk getting himself killed.

Someone made a sound.

Maybe it was the accumilation of all the different noises, the squeaky wheels and the clicking of heels and the rustling of coats and papers and people barging together.

Whatever noise alerted the creatures, it seemed to drag a handful of them towards the street, all at once.

Eric's arms unravelled from his waist so one hand could smother against his mouth and nose. He pressed down harshly enough that his palm was almost grating against his teeth and his upper lip ached as he tried to smother himself and stay quiet. He didn't want to make a sound. He didn't want to be cut to pieces or torn or impaled or thrown about the street by one of those merciless things.

But he also wanted to cry. He wanted to burst into a fit of tears and scream and wallow in self-pity and terror all at once.

The tears leaking from Eric's eyes mixed in with the water that was already cascading down his face from his sodden hair. Every inch of him was drenched in water so at least no one could spy the tears pouring down his face.

His eyes turned a horrible shade of red as his brown iris's deepened and his body began to shudder on the spot.

He found himself backing up until his back was against the wall and his stomach creased forward until he was compacting in on himself to try and calm down and stop from screaming. Screaming had never been something Eric was accustomed to, he didn't feel the need to burst out into fits of screams all that often. But right now, in this moment where he knew silence was golden and necessary, there was nothing he wanted to do more than to unleash a scream so horrible it shook the world to its core.

When a creature jumped down from a building with a horrible echoeing scream and blundered past a swarm of people, Eric's eyes snapped closed. Tears continued to streak down his face but he kept his eyes tightly closed so he didn't have to see people fly into cars or see the blood splatters when people were needlessly and carelessly maimed.

Eric wasn't sure what made him open his eyes a few moments later. Maybe it was the screams and the need to look and see which way he should move to be away from immediate danger. Or maybe it was just something within him telling him to look and become aware of his surroundings.

Whatever it was within him, Eric opened those dark brown eyes and tried to look around him.

He found himself shuffling to the left, sliding along the building as he tried to find somewhere safe to cower down and hide.

That's when he saw her.

He recognised that frame, that hair, those sparkling eyes that were fuelled with fear. He knew that beautiful frame that was cowering down, trying not to get crushed by the swarm of frightened people running, sliding and colliding in all directions.

Eric's legs began to move before he registered what he was doing and he was trembling as he aimed for her. He had to get to her. That was (Y/n), that was his wife. Eric didn't have to run all the way back to their apartment. He didn't have to scour the streets or stay out all day and all night to try and find her. He didn't have to imagine her lifeless body somewhere in the street, carelessly killed and forgotten by all who passed her by. He didn't have to contemplate throwing himself in front of a creature to be joined with her again.

He had to fight for her, he had to fight to get to her and stay with her and make sure nothing happened to her. She was his reason for living through this mayhem.

The need to call out her name had never been more prominent and Eric clamped his lips shut to make sure that he didn't make a single sound.

Tears pelted against his skin, scraping along his face with the wind when he pelted across the road. His body skitted to the left and he twisted at an angle, narrowly avoiding colliding into a man running the opposite way to try and find somewhere safe. Somewhere to hide, some sense of shelter in the chaos that enveloped them.

(Y/n) tried to keep moving. She tried to weave through the crowds who were now screaming, despite knowing that sound was what would get them killed.

She tried to cower down, to find somewhere to stop, somewhere that she could hide and wait for the creatures to finish their destruction.

An arm deadlocked around her waist. A frozen, dripping wet hand clamped around her mouth, as if sensing the scream she was desperate to let out at the sudden unwanted touch.

A sodden chest pummelled into her back and sent her spiralling off kilter, allowing whoever had hold of her to drag her towards an alley. Their intention was unclear. Surely someone couldn't be trying to hurt her in a world where silence was the key to their survival. This person couldn't be trying to harm her when the desolate creatures were in thee midst of another attack. That was a death sentence for them both.

(Y/n) tried to move. Her elbows thrust out behind her before her hands curled around the wrist near her mouth and she tried to yank the hand away from her mouth. But all her movements ceased when she felt a familiar, if frozen, pair of lips hovering over her ear.

A quiet, almost non-existent rendition of 'shh' tickled the shell of her ear before their face was tucked into the crook of her neck and she felt those ice cold lips attaching to the crook of her neck. She could feel each frosty breath that fanned against her skin, showing just how close he was to a panic attack. Stood on the edge of the abyss, one centimetre from falling over the edge.

Her body went lax in his arms, allowing him to steer her into the alley and tug her down until they were both crouching on the floor, hovering as close to the wall as they could manage.

(Y/n) could feel every bittersweet wave of relief that flowed through her body while she pushed back into Eric's arms. Changing from trying to fight off his touch to cling to any part of him that she could. Her hands curled around his forearm when his hand moved from covering her mouth to curve over the top of her chest instead with his hand clamped down on her shoulder.

Her eyes fell closed when she felt Eric pressing his chest down into her back, curving around her like a protective blanket with his arms enveloped around her. She realised after a moment or two that he was slowly rocking them back and forth, swaying from his toes to his heels, presumably to try and calm himself down.

She could feel how badly he was breathing into her neck, but not from any injury. From the sheer overload of panic. Her thumbs began to swipe across his forearm and she tilted her head down to press a kiss to his exposed wrist where she could feel every aching beat of his heart.

Where had he been? Why was he in this part of town? What had he been doing to be drenched from head to toe? She could feel the water dripping off his suit, creating a puddle beneath them while his damp curls tickled her cheek and his frozen features were beginning to thaw out against the crook of her neck.

(Y/n) let a few tears fall from her eyes as she dug her nails into Eric's forearm and curled in on herself even tighter. She pushed back into Eric at every sound of a creature screeching like a siren or the sound of its claws scraping through the road, tearing up the streets as they passed through in a haze of destruction.

Each scream that somebody let out made them both wince. Screaming because they were scared was futile and a mistake, but screaming in agony or the process of death was even worse. Neither Eric nor (Y/n) wanted to hear their last sounds.

The silence was worse.

When the world seemed to settle, when the street suddenly died and all the noises stopped, (Y/n) wondered if time itself had paused for them. It felt like fate was giving them a moment to be with each other before their end would take them.

(Y/n) didn't want to raise her head or open her eyes. She didn't want to move and see the end coming to take them, and she was sure that Eric felt the same.

The pair of them stayed like that, wrapped around each other in a cold, broken alleyway for what felt like an eternity. Until the dust settled and the threat of the end seemed to vanish into thin air.

Eric was the first to move, he rose his head from where his face had been tucked into the crook of (Y/n)'s neck and took a second to glance over his shoulder towards the end of the alley. There was no creature hovering around, no monstrosity making clicking noises, prowling to find its next victim. No stranger wandering nearby crying or whimpering or screaming or searching for a loved one or a friend to sit with.

It was just… silence.

It felt dangerous to move, to break the bubble of serenity and closure they found themselves in. Moving felt like threatening their existence. It felt like taking an unnecessary risk, but (Y/n) couldn't just sit here anymore. She couldn't stay crouching here in the alley forever without turning round and looking at her husband. Checking if he was alright, hugging the life out of him. She had to move.

Her body trembled as she slowly unhooked Eric's arm from across her chest like a seatbelt of protection. Her knees quaked and shuddered as she tried to turn around without making any sound. It was harder than she thought, to concentrate on being quiet when she never had to think about making a noise or a scuffle before.

It made her move ten times slower than normal and moving so cautiously felt strange. But once she was turned around, (Y/n) could feel the flood gates opening.

She felt the tears streaming down her face and her lower lip wobbled so much she had to bite down on it to stop herself from sobbing and making a sound.

He was here.

Eric was here, he had found her when she had been trying her best to search for him.

When the world turned to madness, (Y/n) didn't know what to do. Staying in the apartment felt safe, it seemed like the safest thing to do when strange creatures were roaming outside causing mass chaos and destruction in their wake. Staying in the apartment would have been safe, but it wouldn't have helped.

How could (Y/n) stay when she didn't know what had happened to Eric? He left for work in the morning less than an hour before the world turned to madness. (Y/n) had no idea whether he made it to work, whether he had been hurt along the way or God forbid, killed. She didn't know if he was injured and needed taking to hospital or if he was stuck or trapped somewhere and couldn't get out.

She had no idea what had happened to him and (Y/n) couldn't just sit at home and ponder on what could be and what ifs when she could go out and try to do something. Try to find him.

The subway clearly wasn't an option and (Y/n) had felt her heart shatter to pieces in her chest like shards of glass splintering throughout her blood when she realised the subway was flooded. Eric could have been down there. He could have been trapped, drowned, torn apart. He might not have made it out.

And (Y/n) couldn't get down to the platforms to search for him. She had traced the subway from up above, followed the roads along the street on Eric's route to work to see if he was anywhere abouts while she prayed he had made it to work and was somewhere safe.

But now he was here. He was safe, they had found each other and nothing was going to tear them apart again.

(Y/n) looped her arms around Eric's neck and leaned forward until her chest was merged against his. The movement was slow, making sure their clothes didn't make any squelching noises as they glued together and that she didn't knock him off balance and tackle him to the ground making an echo that would give away their location.

Her arms shook horribly around his neck and she couldn't help but scratch her nails into his back, tearing into his maroon jacket that looked more like melted chocolate now it was drenched through to the bone.

More tears poured down her face as she held her breath deep in her lungs to stop from gasping and choking. Her knees pressed in between Eric's sodden thighs like she was wedging herself into his chest, trying to become a vital organ hidden away in ihs ribcage.

One hand moved from his back to cradle the back of his neck and her nails scratched through his damp curls, knotting them between her fingers when she felt him trembling in her arms. His fingers clutched tightly into her upper back and she could feel him silently crying into her neck as she did the same with him.

Having Eric in her arms had never felt so compelling and deadly before. She had never been so relieved yet heartbroken at the same time because he was here, he was safe, but he was shell shocked. He was tormented and frightened and emotionally hurt. And it wasn't going to get much better than this. They had found each other, that was the highlight of their lives, things couldn't get a lot better than this.

(Y/n) continued to scratch her fingers through his hair against his scalp while she turned her head and pressed her lips against his damp cheek that was just starting to thaw out.

She pressed open-mouthed kisses along his cheek and up to his temple until her lips were against the centre of his forehead and her hand slid around to cup his cheek rather than his neck. Her thumb swiped beneath his eye, brushing away the tears cascading down his face while she began to sway them from side to side like he had done moments before.

Eric didn't want to clutch at (Y/n) as tightly as he was, but he didn't feel like he had much other choice. If he didn't hold onto her like his life depended on it, he feared he might just fall into a nightmare or wake up from this dream into a world where he didn't find her in time. Into a world without her; a world which he wouldn't be able to survive in.

He let his nails puncture into the middle of her back through her shirt and his lips pressed against her collar bone while he focused on the feeling of her lips against his temple.

But when he heard what she was whispering against his skin, he could feel himself starting to shake all over again and it was harder to stop a sob from escaping past his lips. He was almost sinking his teeth down into her collar bone to stop from saying anything at all when she spoke so softly and hushed that it sounded like he was listening to her voice in his head rather than out here in the real world.

"You're safe, baby. You're safe now."

***

A grin pulled at (Y/n)'s lips when she heard the front door slam shut with a bang that echoed around the apartment towards the kitchen where she was stood. And when she heard the all too familiar sound of Eric's leather shoes clicking against the laminate with a fast pace and a quick stomp with every other step, she gathered that he was rushing.

She turned around just in time to see him barrel over to her and his hands found her hips with vigour. He couldn't seem to stop himself in time and his chest barrelled into hers, pushing her back until her hips thudded back against the kitchen counter and she was pinned between the counter and Eric.

A sharp grin spread across his face as those deep brown eyes creased and he dove down to steal a kiss from her lips.

When the shock wore off, (Y/n) reached her hands up to cup his face. Her fingers traced and tickled along the edges of his jaw where he was just starting to grow a few traces of stubble.

She could taste traces of coffee on his lips which mingled in with the cherry lipbalm she wore and a chuckle escaped her lips when she felt Eric's tongue move out to taste the balm on her lips.

She could feel his hands tightening around his hips and his pelvis pushed against hers until she was positively crushed against him in the best possible way. The feeling of Eric's chest depending and moving with a laugh made (Y/n) shiver but the sound of his laugh flooded her ears like the best symphony she had ever heard.

"So?" She drawled while her hands slithered down his neck until she was clutching at his collar which she carefully began to alter and smooth out the creases. Her fingers worked to straighten the collar over the edge of his blazer jacket before her hands patted down his chest and her fingers danced over his shirt while her head angled to one side.

Was he going to keep her waiting in suspense all afternoon?

Eric took a moment to dart his eyes up and down her frame like he was searching for something when really, he was just drinking her in. And his tongue traced his lips, savouring the taste of her lip balm while he watched her bubble over with excitement before he had even said one word.

"I passed. I can apply for the internship now."

The bright smile that lit up Eric's face was enough to make tears well up in (Y/n)'s eyes as an excited cheer left her lips and she surged forward to loop her arms around the back of his neck. She yanked him down to her until their lips meshed together in a tangled fight for dominance, while both of them were still laughing.

He passed the test. He could apply for the job he wanted at the law firm across town. The best law firm in the city. The firm that would help him pass the bar and become a lawyer. Just one more year and a handful of other tests, and that would be it. Everything would be official. Eric would have the job he'd always wanted, the job his parents had coached him through and helped him move to New York to do.

Everything was slotting into place and it had been suspiciously easy so far. Just one more year, and everything would be official. Everything would be set in stone.

The memory flashed before Eric's eyes and had his pace slowing down when the large multistory building came into view. He wasn't sure what kind of building it was or what it was used for or even why it had brought such a memory to the fore front of his mind.

The building didn't look like the office which Eric used to work at, the place he used to visit everyday. His office hadn't been made of glass like this with about one hundred floors reaching up towards the sky. But something about the building brought that memory to light for Eric and it made his heart sink to the pit of his stomach.

He would never be able to run home to (Y/n) like that again. He would never be able to pick her up and sit her on the counter and hear her laugh and cry and say how proud of him she was. He would never do anything that made her proud; not in a world like this. The only thing he could do was protect her and keep them both alive. Nothing else mattered; there was nothing else he could do.

Eric wanted to go back to that day. There were so many days he would want to revisit, to live again and experience and see. He would have to replay them all in his mind like a videotape and hope that none of them started to fade or change and that they would get him through this strange, corrupted world.

His hand tightened around (Y/n)'s as they continued to walk through the near-empty street.

They had gone home, they had spent one last night in their apartment, somewhere they felt safe but where they would probably never be safe and never see again. They thought about their memories, their possessions, everything they would be leaving behind.

And they decided to leave in the morning. They couldn't stay here, it wasn't practical. They couldn't live in the middle of a broken city that was void of everything except chaos and predators. They had to go somewhere safe, they had to find their way to the sea and go with others to keep themselves alive.

But making the journey down-town towards the sea wasn't as easy as it seemed.

Eric felt the way (Y/n) suddenly tugged on his hand and when she merged her temple into the back of his arm, he paused. He turned his head to look behind him, to look down at his wife and figure out why she had stopped. But he didn't need to look. He heard it too.

The familiar, blood-curdling clicking noise that indicated a creature was nearby.

Without thinking, Eric tightened his hand around (Y/n)'s and picked up the pace again. He steered towards the right, pulling her along with him as he tried to be quick but not too fast that his trainers clicked against the floor and alerted the creatures of their presence.

The only place to hide was the office building beside them that looked abandoned, deserted.

(Y/n) curled her free hand around Eric's arm, trying to glue them both together so she didn't lose him, not for one moment. Her body stayed as close up behind him as she could manage and she followed him into the turnstile doors.

But her face bashed into his back and her heart jumped into her throat when the doors wouldn't move. She looked up at Eric, a sense of panic flooding her face as a look of sheer anxiety mixed with a small dwindle of determination crossed Eric's features.

He let go of her hand and pressed both his palms down against the glass while his knees bent and he hunkered forward to try and shove the door.

There was a briefcase in the way. Wedged between the door and the corner of the wall, preventing the doors from spinning and opening any further.

They couldn't just stay here, the doors had to open. They had to get inside. They had to find somewhere relatively safe, somewhere they could hide.

Eric felt (Y/n)'s arm curl around his lower back and her cheek pressed against his shoulder while she moved her other hand to try and help him push the door. They had to get inside.

'Come on. Please!'

His lips rolled together and his brows furrowed as he shoved the door just enough to poke his head through the gap. Just a little more, just another two or three feet and they would be able to get through.

"Oh no." The quiet, almost non-existent noise fell from Eric's lips when the door swung round and the briefcase slammed closed and spun out like a spinning wheel.

The screech was almost instantaneous and (Y/n) could feel tears welling up in her eyes when the noise got louder. They were here; and there was more than one.

With both her hands on Eric's hips, (Y/n) nudged him forward and clutched him tight as they set off into a sprint. They had to move, fast. They had to get somewhere safe, somewhere to hide. They didn't have a choice but to take a diversion inside here on their way to get to the sea.

Both their bodies stayed hunkered down as they bolted through the unused, seemingly broken turnstile and aimed for the escalators.

(Y/n)'s hands left Eric's hips and clamped over her mouth to stop herself from screaming when a violent crash shattered from above and they both hunkered down when a sprinkling of glass clattered down on them like deadly flakes of snow. One of the creatures had crashed through the glass ceiling.

Her body hunched over until she was running crouched over but all she wanted to do was go down on her knees and curl up into a ball. Running while fuelled with adrenaline and every nerve set alight wasn't an easy task.

It was as if Eric's movements spoke a thousand words when he reached behind him and hastily turned to the left to reach out for her. His left arm secured around her waist and his other hand clenched around her arm so he could tug her in front of him.

One hand clamped down on her hip and the other held her shoulder so Eric could keep her in front of him. He couldn't hurry if (Y/n) was behind him, he needed his wife ahead of him so he could ensure she was alright and push her in an emergency to get her out of danger.

His chest kept merging into her back as they skidded around corners but every time Eric turned to look over his shoulder, he could feel his lungs tightening up and threatening to quit on him.

Three- no, four creatures were following them. Reaching for them. Desperate to tear them apart.

Their feet skidded against the marbled floor littered with glass and dirt and shoes and hundreds of sheets of paper as they turned a hasty corner and pelted out of an open side door.

What other choice did they have? Where could they go?

As long as she had Eric's hands on her body and his frame close behind her, (Y/n) could keep running. She could ignore the pounding of her heart, the squeeze in her lungs that were gasping for air and the pins and needles in her hands and feet. She could ignore everything as long as Eric stayed with her and didn't fall a step behind.

'Oh dear.'

She didn't want to. She really, really didn't want to steer Eric down there, not after what he had been through yesterday, but they didn't have much of a choice. They needed to get somewhere safe, somewhere to lose these creatures so they could get back on track and try and get to the sea.

The subway was right there.

The subway was down below and this entrance wasn't flooded to the brim with sewage and water. They could lose the creatures easier down there. There would be more places to hide, smaller gaps to wriggle into and things to use as cover down there. And there might be water.

The tanoids said these things don't like water. They could hide in the water or in the subway cars. They had to take the chance.

(Y/n) didn't bother to point, she didn't want to take the risk of showing Eric where she was trying to go and have him panic or try to drag her in a different direction. He had pushed her ahead and (Y/n) was going to try and guide them somewhere safe.

She reached behind her to latch her fingers around Eric's wrist where his hand was on her shoulder and she tried to run on her tiptoes, which was a challenge, as she headed down the steps.

Eric didn't seem to realise where they were going until they reached the bottom of the stairs. She felt the shiver that coursed through him and the way his nails pinched through her clothes and into her skin, but he didn't try and stop running. He continued to rush behind her, despite the agony pounding through his system.

'I'm a horrible wife.'

How cruel did this make her? She knew what Eric had been through yesterday, she had listened to him last night as he explained what he had gone through and the panic he had felt. She listened to everything he said, and here she was, dragging him back down somewhere that was going to scarr him again.

Tears glistened in her eyes that she tried to force back as they hurried around the corner and down another flight of stairs towards a platform. Any platform, just somewhere to keep them safe. Somewhere they could hide.

This time, as they neared a platform, (Y/n) could feel Eric's resistance start to build up. She could feel his hands piercing into her hip and shoulder, she could feel the way he was hunching over her and trying to steer her to one side, presumably to get her to run away from the track and to somewhere they could cower down.

There was a broken train car ahead. It seemed to have come off the tracks with how it was scraped up against the concrete edge of the platform and tilted on one side.

Hiding in the car wouldn't be a safe bet. The electrics could still be on and with all the water around, that was a recipe for disaster. Anything could collapse on them in there, they could become crushed or trapped or fatally injured. The creatures could tear that car apart piece by piece and kill them in the process.

(Y/n) paused on the very edge of the platform and looked between the tracks and Eric.

He shook his head. The way his lips curved down into a broken, gaping expression and the hollow look in his eyes made (Y/n)'s own eyes water. She didn't want to force him to do this, but they needed to get away.

That track was submerged in water, the water was flowing right to the very top of the platform. They could hide in there, they could trail through the water, follow the tracks, towards another subway stop and get out somewhere else in town. The creatures didn't like water, either they couldn't swim or they couldn't last long submerged in water. Either way, this was their only advantage.

A shiver coursed down Eric's spine and he visibly shuddered when (Y/n)'s hand reached out to cup the side of his face. she brushed her thumb along his jaw and nodded at him until he reciprocated the action and agreed.

He could hate her if he wanted; but she had to try and save them.

Eric could feel himself shaking before he got into the water. He sat down on the edge of the platform and carefully lowered his legs into the water. They couldn't afford to make a splash.

It felt strangely familiar to have water right up to his waist again and he cringed at the feeling and the memories of yesterday that came rushing to the fore front of his mind. He didn't want to think about yesterday. He didn't want to think about how close he had come to drowning.

Once he was in the water, he carefully turned towards (Y/n) and curled his hands around her hips when she sat down on the edge. He helped her lower into the water and he took the time to press a gentle, careful peck of his lips against her forehead.

He liked that she moved in front of him, he liked that (Y/n) was taking the lead, taking that stress from him and allowing him to follow her. And when she reached behind her and held onto his hands, Eric felt like crying.

He let her lift his hands and place both his palms down on her shoulders and she curled her hands around his wrists, brushing her thumbs across his skin to try and calm him down.

They could walk in tandem together, if Eric needed to cling to her to stay calm and get through this, then that was okay.

For a few seconds, his chin perched on top of her head and his chest glued down against her back as they waded through the water, one step at a time. The distant sound of the creature crashing around on the platform made them both shudder with each crack of the wall tiles and each screech it erupted.

There was very little light down here. Only the ventilation shafts in the ceiling provided little glimmers of light, but it was enough to let them see straight ahead and allow them to continue their descent along the track. The only relief was that they knew without a doubt that no subway train was going to come from either direction and mow them down.

(Y/n) could feel the panic radiating off of her husband the further they tried to trail through the water. And as they moved and Eric began to shake and his breathing started to become shallow and stuttered. He was panicking. He was getting nervous and upset. And (Y/n) couldn't blame him, not one bit.

"What happened?" The sound of the rain and the cushioned walls of the apartment gave them a little leeway and enough cover to be able to speak without just mouthing their words silently or trying to use what little sign language they knew. They were both too shaky to try and write down their conversations.

(Y/n) laid her head on Eric's shoulder and bound her arms tighter around his waist as they sat in the window seat, trying to be close enough to the rain to use it as cover.

Her fingers skimmed up and down the softness of his jumper while she felt him lean his cheek on top of her head. The way he shuddered told her whatever he experienced today hadn't been good. She figured by the looks of him that he didn't make it to the office this morning.

That might have been a blessing. The office could have collapsed. Eric could have been crushed or killed or left for dead at the office. Him not making it might have done them a favour and brought them back to each other.

"I was on the train for five minutes when- when they… the train stopped at the next platform, we were told to evacuate, but it was too late." Eric couldn't help the way he started to cry as he remembered the memories of this morning that somehow felt like a lifetime ago.

"I was one of the last to get off, t-the water was so high already. I was about to ask what was happening, when one of those things, it… God, baby, it got a woman and h-her kid. Snatched them and all they did was whisper."

Eric had been one second away from asking the man beside him what on Earth was going on. Why the subway was covered in broken tiles and bricks and clawed posters. Why everyone was panicking, where the water was coming from and why it was rising fast. Why they needed to evacuate. He almost asked any number of these things when a lady ahead of him whispered something to her child.

That was it. They were attacked, they were killed.

Their deaths had effectively saved Eric's life. He clamped his hands over his mouth and backed away into a corner, trying his best to stay alive.

"The lights went out and the water, I couldn't breathe. I was at the stairs when it rose high, I h-had to swim out. All I could think was getting back to you; to make sure you were okay."

The only thing pushing Eric to keep going was the thought of getting back to (Y/n). To make sure his wife was okay, to make sure she was alive. That was all Eric could think about and that was what got him through the event.

His arms tightened around (Y/n) when he felt her pressing a bundle of tender kisses against his chest and along his neck.

She was his reason for staying alive.

When it felt like Eric was slowing down, (Y/n) turned to look over her shoulder. What she saw broke her heart.

Tears were sliding down his features and those beautiful brown eyes that always reminded her of chocolate buttons were all but melted over and full of sorrow and panic. Those eyes bore right through into (Y/n)'s soul.

She watched as his lower lip wobbled like he was frozen cold and it made his chin jutter up and down. The way Eric's shoulders started to tremble showed (Y/n) that if they weren't in the water right now, he would of been tremoring from left to right and probably would of collapsed to the floor. Her husband was terrified.

"It's okay." (Y/n) tried to speak as low as she possibly could until it felt like she was moving her lips but nothing was coming out. She couldn't risk being any louder, she needed to calm him down but she couldn't use her voice and alert the creature of their presence.

Her hands tightened around his wrists and she watched as Eric nodded to himself and switched from clutching her shoulders to deadlock both arms around her neck and shoulders instead. He clasped his hands together over her collar bone, pushed his chest down against her back and squished his cheek against the side of her head so his lips were hovering against the side of her temple.

They started to wade through the water again, but (Y/n) shuddered when she felt Eric's arms clutch tighter until he was almost cutting off her breathing. And she found herself shaking her head when she heard him speak.

"It's okay. It's okay; we're okay." Eric started to whisper those words again and again, over and over to keep himself moving. But his voice was rising. He was whispering rather than muttering or mouthing. He was going to alert the creature where they were.

Eric snapped his eyes closed to try and ward off the tears as his shoulders quaked and his hand cupped the side of (Y/n)'s face so he could dance his thumb across her cheek to calm himself down.

When (Y/n) felt his chest shudder against her back and his breathing started to hitch, her eyes widened and she did her best to turn around in his tight embrace.

'No. Baby no.'

She tried her best to mouthe slowly and carefully so Eric could see what she was trying to say. He couldn't speak, he couldn't. But he was. He was muttering again.

Reaching her hands up, (Y/n) clamped them down on either side of Eric's face that was starting to turn cold and frozen just like when they found each other yesterday. Her thumbs brushed away his tears and just as his lips parted to whimper, (Y/n) surged forward.

Her chest meshed into his, glued together by the water that made their clothes tangle and entwine and stick together. Her elbows pressed against his chest, her hands squeezed his face and she brought him closer until her lips smothered his own.

She kissed him like their lives depended on it.

Her tongue swiped across his lower lip, her mouth parted to inhale what little air Eric had in his lungs and her tongue battled against his as she tried to calm him down and keep him quiet at the same time. When she felt Eric's hands shift down to clutch at her waist, she parted just enough so that there was a gap between their lips that were still barely touching.

She allowed Eric to suck in a deep breath before she engulfed his mouth again and savoured the touch, a little less erratic this time. She could feel Eric calming down against her. His chest wasn't stuttering or heaving, he wasn't gasping with shallow breaths, clutching at straws for a gulp of air. And more importantly, he wasn't muttering or whimpering anything anymore.

His frozen lips felt heavenly and calmed (Y/n) down more than she thought possible. She parted slowly to gulp for air before she moved to kiss the corner of Eric's mouth. She watched as his eyes closed and his head tilted back and his mouth hung open while he lost himself in her touch, trying to melt into her.

He was more than happy for (Y/n) to short-circuit his brain to get them through this mess.

He didn't want to be in the water after yesterday. He fought, scrambled, pushed and clawed his way out of that subway station to get back to fresh air, to stop from drowning. Eric didn't want to do that again, but if this was their only chance at refuge then he didn't have a choice. As long as he had (Y/n) with him this time, Eric might just be able to get through this.

'Okay?'

(Y/n) mouthed quietly once Eric finally opened his eyes after their lips parted. He seemed a little calmer and his breathing was a lot better now.

He managed to nod and before (Y/n) could turn around in his arms, her eyes widened and she grasped onto his neck when she felt his hands move. He was slow but stealth as he pulled her chest against his and started to walk, giving her no choice but to loop her legs around his waist.

At least with them being in the water, Eric wasn't really carrying her or needing to hold her weight; the water was doing that for him.

If he wanted to see her face and hold her like this, if it was going to help get him through this then (Y/n) was okay with that. She would stay cuddled up against him if it was what Eric needed.

Her legs looped loosely around Eric's waist to sit on his hips and her arms curled around the back of his neck. When Eric rested his chin on her shoulder and meshed his cheek against hers, (Y/n) began to card her fingers through his curls and she turned her head slightly hush and breathe against the shell of his ear. Praying that giving him some kind of noise, no matter how discreet, might just calm him down.

Eric breathed against her shoulder and tried to look dead ahead and every few steps, he would tighten his arms around (Y/n)'s waist.

(Y/n) kept her eyes peeled for the creature that was slowly but surely heading their way. Climbing the ceiling, crawling somewhat like an oversized spider to get to them. To kill them. She was glad Eric was looking the other way, him seeing the creature would only ignite his panic. Not that (Y/n) wasn't panicking, seeing the creature getting closer, but she could cope a little better than Eric.

It wasn't until the water rose towards Eric's lips that he started to struggle. He could walk and wade through the water just fine, but it was harder to keep moving with the water getting higher the further they went. He didn't want to start taking a nose dive under the water. He wanted to get out now.

The creature screeched as it scrambled faster along the tunnel when a bit of concrete smashed against the wall with the flow of water.

The noise made (Y/n) shudder in Eric's arms and she turned to look behind her to see how much further they had to go to get to the next junction. The next platform where they would be safe.

It didn't look much further. If they could get through that water, the creature wouldn't survive. It wouldn't follow through the water. The current was already doing half their job by dragging them along.

Another whimper left Eric's lips as he stopped walking, but it didn't make a difference. They were floating along now. He could barely breathe. His lungs were tightening, his head was tilted back with (Y/n)'s but they didn't have a lot of space left to breathe before they would be submerged.

He couldn't go under again. He couldn't drown again. He couldn't!

"No, no." Eric's lip wobbled as he started to shake his head and he wafted one arm to try and stop them from going any further, but it was futile. The water was dragging them. The creature was screaming behind them and getting closer. It splashed into the water and started to speed up towards them, despite its own sense of panic.

(Y/n) unravelled one arm from Eric's neck so she could point to her face before she pointed to the water.

She watched him shake his head; he didn't want to go under. They were running out of time, air, space; and choice.

Her legs unlatched from his hips but her hands cupped his face and she kissed the corner of his mouth again while she forced him to look into her eyes. She wasn't going to let go. She would stay with him, she would be here with him and she would look after him. But he had to trust her, he had to do this.

"Baby, you have to." When Eric shook his head, (Y/n) nodded and kissed him again. "Keep hold of me baby. Head under. Now!"

Her lips attached to his and she tried to breathe as much air as she could into his lungs before her hands moved to his shoulders and she pushed. She only had to nudge a tiny bit before the water did the rest and rose above their heads.

The feeling of Eric's nails piercing her skin was somehow oddly comforting, it meant he was still clinging to her and by her side through the madness. His fingers scraped and clutched at her skin until he had a tight grip of her forearm and he dragged her arm towards his chest.

To stick to Eric without being pulled away by the current, (Y/n) looped an arm around the back of his neck when they were close enough. She tried to keep her eyes open but the water burned and the little flecks of grit and dirt made it impossible to keep looking.

She had to close her eyes and hope the current would take them to a pocket of air or a new platform. Somewhere they could get out.

Their legs thrashed together, kicking at bits of ironwork, bricks, tiles and what Eric was sure was the creature which made him thrash harder. He fought with all his might, twisting as the current turned him upside down like he was on his way to Wonderland.

He clutched at (Y/n), making sure not to lose her for a moment. He didn't want to become parted, they couldn't be separated. Not at any cost.

He had to close his eyes when he felt the need to scream, the need to make a noise and the desperate urge to breathe which he knew would choke him.

A rock pummelled into Eric's chest and sent him reeling to the right, barelling into (Y/n)'s frame before the water seemed to spit them out like a bad taste.

They crashed onto a broken pile of rubble and dirt and the air overwhelmed them until they were both spluttering and gasping for air.

They made it.

The creature wasn't nearby. It hadn't survived the water. They did. They had made it somewhere safe; they were near a makeshift tunnel, leading up to a patch of light ahead. That had to be somewhere safe, somewhere better than this.

(Y/n) felt her head spinning in circles as she collapsed on her back on the rubble with the water licking at her heels like it was trying to thank her. Her chest heaved but she spluttered when she felt Eric move. His head plopped down on her chest and his arm deadlocked around her waist as he laid on top of her, gasping just as much as she was.

His wet lips attached to the side of her neck and he clung to her as much as he could without fully squashing her beneath him.

When he felt her fingers weave into the hair at the back of his head and her lips flutter against his temple, Eric could of cried. But it was her words, hushed against his dripping forehead while they clung to one another, that made Eric's whole body light up.

"I'm so proud of you."

[fadingdaggerr]

Hii!! I hope you've had a great day!!

So, I had this idea and I can't stop thinking about it, it's like rotating in my brain like a Rotisserie Chicken. IDK if you're still taking requests but I just had to send this.

Anyway, Melissa and reader are in someone else's house (R parents or idk some kind of sleepover with the teachers) and for some reason they can't sleep together in the same bed/room, like they're used to, which is concerning R because Melissa doesn't really sleep well alone.

But Mel tries to ease R saying she'll be just fine for one night, and very reluctantly R agrees.

Well, it turns out she can't. R and obviously a few others in the house wake up to Melissa's screaming in the middle of the night and R runs to her, shes is sobbing, shaking and clutching R for dearlife, just absolutely terrified and not even letting R move. R calm her down and take care of her, like with a lot of fluff and comfort.

I'm just obsessed with R taking care of Mel and being really sweet.

Yeah that's it. I love your stories, they are really really good. And I could only think of you when this thing came out of my brain.

+ I absolutely loved what you did in "Know I'm Alive", I was kicking my feet and internally screaming. (I sent that anon 👉👈) So thanks, I enjoyed it a lot, like a lot a lot, like, if I could I would eat that it.

You're really talented!! <3

by the sun, by the moon

pairing: melissa schemmenti x gn!reader

summary: request above! | 4.8k

includes: no pronoun use for r, fluff, hurt/comfort, family play fights/sibling banter, r’s family adores mel, probably ooc!mel oops

warnings: unhealthy relationship dynamic (short), attempted violence (short), mentions/insinuations of sex, one outdated traditional value, sleep difficulties/nightmares, anxiety/panic attack

note: please feel free to skip the section that discusses the unhealthy relationship dynamic/violence. it begins after the first section divide with the line “for her entire childhood…” those topics are only explicitly stated there and only referenced one other time. please do not feel as tho you need to read triggering material to understand the story, i tried to make it understandable without having to read potentially distressing content :)

Melissa’s head tips back when she hears you coming back downstairs, having been waiting for you since your mom called during The Real Housewives time. The way you’re watching your feet with furrowed brows makes her fully turn until she’s kneeling on the couch, leaning over the back to get closer to you.

“Something wrong?” Melissa asks, reaching to grab your hand to pull you closer.

You shake your head, “no, no.” Warm hands rise to cradle the redhead’s face, “how would you feel about spending the night at my parents place Saturday? They’re hosting Jonah’s birthday, wanted our help to set up the night before.”

Her eyes widen, “just Saturday night?”

“Just Saturday,” you reaffirm, tucking a loose hair behind her ear. She cautiously nods, barely moving. “We don’t have to if you’re not comfortable with it, I’m not going to make you.”

“I know, I know,” she says through her breath, “we’ll stay the night.” The kiss you press to her forehead feels heavier than just a silent thank you.

—☽—

For her entire childhood and through her marriage, Melissa slept like a rock. She slept through Kristen Marie’s and Joe’s snoring, her college girlfriend’s sleep talking, her parents having a screaming match so loud the cops got called. Before starting teaching, she even had to train herself to wake up at the sound of her alarm, knowing that being late to the school was ten times worse than being late to JC Penney.

Two years after she finally left Joe, Melissa met Eric.

Tall, charming, nice-smelling Eric with his salt-and-pepper beard always tidy, a covered up Marine tattoo on his forearm. He’d bought her drink after his friend accidentally knocked hers off the counter of the bar, and two hookups later, she was agreeing to a real date. Three months later, she was his girlfriend and allowed him into her apartment. He got to know where the spare key was hidden after a year.

Eric was everything Joe was not. During arguments, Joe would shut down and leave, only returning when he smells like cheap liquor and some other woman’s perfume. Eric always stayed, told her his point of view, listened to hers, calmly told her when she was overreacting. He was smooth, never raised a hand towards her or threw things at the walls. Melissa always knew when she was in the wrong, but he never made her feel bad about it.

Eric was particular. He liked his shirts folded a certain way, beer only from a glass, and silence when he worked. If she was excited about anything, he only ever allowed her to speak about it until he’d lost interest, almost always by the time she paused to take a breath. When he properly introduced her to his friends, his hand on her knee would tighten when she spoke. Quickly, she learned that the tighter the grip, the less she should speak. Four hours at some sports bar and Melissa had only been able to say a total of six sentences. Eric liked Melissa quiet. Melissa became quiet.

He started to prod about meeting her family, and she shut him down. Again and again. The fourth time, he banged his fist against the table, the end of his fork creating a small dent. Green eyes fixated on the dent as he began to calmly explain that he had introduced her to his family, it was her turn. Mumbling those were your buddies got her stuck on her own couch that night, clutching the blanket Nana made her before she started college.

Two months later, she began to slowly bring back Eric’s clothing to his apartment on the off-chance they went there for a night. Grading her student’s assignments began to take longer and she triple-checked the scores to waste more time, suddenly too tired to have sex or even talk before going to sleep. Otherwise, she listened to his rules, spoke when spoken to, cooked when asked.

The morning he narrowly avoided calling her a moron to her face when she made the eggs over-medium instead over-easy, she officially made her choice. That night, at the Italian restaurant he brought her to, she called it off.

“Why?” Eric asked, eyes stone, unwavering from hers.

She took a deep breath, “you treat me like a pet. Speak when spoken to, move when told, I’m sick of it.” Her grip on the table cloth tightened, “tomorrow, I will put your stuff outside. You’ll pick it up when I tell you to, and then you will leave.”

He sits back in his chair, tongue poking at his bottom lip, “and if I don’t want to break up?”

“Too bad,” she shrugs. Standing from the table, Melissa leaves him with the check and the sad excuse of Italian cuisine on the table.

At work the next day, it takes all morning, lunch, and prep to fully debrief Barbara on everything that had been going on. It made sense to the kindergarten teacher why she had yet to meet this Eric fella, but after hearing this, she knew Melissa wasn’t proud of getting herself in this situation. A promise of a wine weekend and greasy food makes Melissa truly smile. Barbara hadn’t realized how fake every little grin had been until now, she missed her best friend.

That afternoon, Melissa came home to the loose brick that hid her spare key ajar. The blood in her veins runs cold. Opening the unlocked door, glass scratches across the wooden floor, crunching under her heels. Every picture frame, the television, the radio, the coffee table, the stovetop, the tea set from her grandfather, all smashed to pieces. Holes were in nearly every wall, the stair railing broken. The entire first floor was destroyed, only upstairs was left pristine, as if nothing had happened at all. Bat in hand, she checks every closet, under her bed, in the bathtub, everywhere. He was gone.

Leaning against the wall, she slides down and sobs. Melissa is forced to make a choice she didn’t want to make. Opening her phone, she calls Joe.

Joe, despite everything he had done, was at Melissa’s house within the hour. In one hand he held a bag from the hardware store, containing new locks and keys, the other hand had his very own bat, nails pounded through the wood. Like he said when they signed the papers, just because he wasn’t in love with her, doesn’t mean he didn’t care.

Three weeks later, after things had settled and locks were changed, Melissa felt more secure. Still every night, she woke at every sound, wind and the smoke detector quickly became her mortal enemies. Bundled in her soft pajamas and thick comforter one night, she finally fell into a hard, deep sleep forced from pure exhaustion.

Paperclips, a screwdriver, and a small sheet of flexible metal are all someone needs to pick a lock and shift the deadbolt. Eric surely knew that, always the smart man, yet never the brightest. Slowly, he moved up the stairs, bourbon fueling his motions as well as his heavy steps.

A particularly loud thunk wakes Melissa, hand flying under her pillow to the bat Joe had made her promise to keep there. Another thump made her jump out of bed and to the side of her dresser with an iron grip around Edith Houghton. When her door opened, she stayed pressed into the corner, hoping she stayed hidden just long enough for him to leave so she could grab her phone.

Liquor breeds stupidity, worsens it when it is already present, and Eric had left to check the bathroom. Quickly, Melissa called the police, shakily texting Joe as she whispered to the operator. At that point, she didn’t care who got there first. She just wanted to be free of him.

She moved to a new apartment before the month even ended. Barbara insisted on cameras, which Gerald installed. Joe insisted on a nailed up bat, which he made himself. Not a night has gone by since then where she didn’t have it within arms reach of the bed.

It took six years for her to sleep again.

—☽—

The light tracing of nonsensical patterns on her abdomen is what wakes Melissa, eyes cracking open to the bright sun peeking through the curtains. She wishes now, more than ever, that she had agreed to the blackout curtains, groaning into her pillow. With the knowledge she’s now awake, several soft kisses press against her shoulder, traveling to her neck. With a sleepy grin on her face, Melissa turns to face you.

“Morning,'' you mumble against her lips, hand traveling up to her hair to separate the knots that you created. “Sleep good?”

The only response you get is a little huff that almost sounds like yeah, her face burying in your neck to hide from the light. You lay there with her, finishing your detangling mission as Melissa’s nails trace up and down your arm. A final, sound kiss lands on the crown of her head before you shuffle out from underneath her, reaching for your previous discarded university shirt and sweatpants. The redhead watches through droopy eyes, scanning over you before your pajamas cover everything she adores.

“Gotta get up, beautiful,” you say through a yawn as you walk out the room, “we need to be leaving for one.” A tiny groan escapes her lips as she rises from the bed, though a small smile crosses her lips when she sees your sweatshirt thrown over the chair in the corner, just waiting for her.

Not even halfway down the stairs, there’s a clatter from the kitchen and a quiet exclamation of fuck. “You’re not even awake and you want me up,” Melissa says as she walks to the coffee maker. She’s met with a small slap on her ass in return, not even caring to be embarrassed of the girlish giggle she lets out.

Whose fault it is that you’re late leaving, who could tell? Between the forgoing packing and wrapping your cousin’s present last night for a taste of Melissa and her lack of pants this morning, it’s hard to say. Nothing that going a gentle twenty over on the highway can’t mend.

Driving up the dirt road, the dense trees thinned and your parent’s yellow house came into view. Your father’s questionably functional truck sits in the front of the garage, your mom and brother’s cars parked close together on the lawn. Seeing the way your hands tighten on the steering wheel, Melissa slides her hand from your elbow to the free hand on your thigh, playing with your rings to calm you. Being at your parents house was always overwhelming, fun, but overwhelming.

Narrowly avoiding scraping the side, you pull in next to your brother’s car. Looking at each other, you and Melissa give each other a nod of we got this. She’d been over here before, she’d been to three family reunions and almost every birthday party, but never had you two stayed the night, always being some of first to leave to sleep in your own bed.

With a little grunt, you hop out of the car and jog to Melissa’s side to open her door. She gives you a half glare when you tap her hand away from helping carry the bags in, you never let her lift a finger, if you can help it.

“Well, look who decided to show up!”

Both you and Melissa jump at your mother’s yell from the porch, bangles clanking together as she widely waves to the both of you. Gravel crunches under her feet as she rushes over to the two of you, immediately pulling Melissa into a hug. Before you were banned from saying it, you used to joke that your parents preferred your girlfriend to their own child. The giant smile on Melissa’s face when she interacts with your family makes it worth it.

Tumbling upstairs, you bring your bags into your childhood bedroom with Melissa close behind. Even with every time she had been here, she loved being in your room. It was a time capsule of your life before college, all the posters of bands and movies still hanging on the walls, trinkets covering every space. She particularly loved the little collection of rocks on your bookshelf, clearly in order from favorite to least favorite.

The bed bobs as you both drop onto the mattress, groaning at the comfort after three hours in the car. You turn your face towards her, leaning to press a kiss to her shoulder, “I love you.”

Melissa leans in closer, “I love you, too.” She watches your eyes flick to her lips, beating you to the chase and pressing her lips to yours softly. It takes every ounce of effort to not moan at your tongue tracing her lip, her hand coming up to grip your shirt and keep you close. Stomping up the stairs makes you both jump apart, feeling like teenagers getting caught, not that the room was helping.

The door opens to show your dad, boots trekking in dirt that will inevitably get him in trouble with your mom. The hand not on the doorknob is over his eyes, “you two better be decent. Ma has lunch ready downstairs and clothing is probably mandatory.”

“Knock it off,” you mumble as you shuffle towards him so he can give your head a gentle noogie. Neither of you were big on hugs, only really being physically affectionate with your partners, but the love is always clear in every fistbump and hand on your shoulder.

You and Melissa trail behind your father as he goes to the kitchen, both fighting laughs after nearly getting caught by your dad. However, the second your mom peers over at the two of you, you both act like you had been silent the whole time, eyes flicking around in feigned innocence.

Lunch is a mismatch of all the foods your mom made for the birthday party the next day, making you all be her taste testers, even if she only really wants Melissa’s opinion as the other cook in the family. Pasta salad, potato salad, mac and cheese, shortcake, even some chicken with her new lemon pepper recipe. You and your brother fight over who gets first dibs on the pasta salad, ending with his wife taking the serving spoon from your hands and grabbing some for herself.

“Act your age,” Kennedy says to her husband, making you laugh, before she gives you a sharp glance, “that goes for you, too.” Melissa turns away to unsuccessfully hide her own laugh from you.

Lunch ends with your mom and your brother arguing over another serving of macaroni, “we need food for tomorrow! Fuck’s sake, Marcus.”

—☽—

Your father divides everyone into groups to set up the backyard. Your mother takes Melissa and Kennedy to help set up the tables and lights, forcing you and Marcus to help your father with the tent, bonfire pit, and yardgames.

Getting all the yardgames for the little cousins was the easy part, even if it took a while because the three of you had to play a game of cornhole before you could do anything else. None of you got a single one in after two turns, making you all set into defeat, the game was agreed between the three of you to be stupid now. With your father taking a break now, getting the tent together was a doomed venture with you and Marcus.

“If you don’t let me hold it up, it’s gonna keep falling.”

“Fuck off! No, it won’t,” Marcus says with confidence, trying to stand the tent all at once before securing it. Four had already fallen, and a job that should only take twenty minutes was taking nearly an hour.

“How is it gonna stay up if nothing’s holding it, huh? Thought you knew everything?” He flips you off and doesn’t answer, continuing putting the spike in the ground, though without the other end being held up, the weight pulls it down again. Giving up, you walk away and attempt to find your dad for something else to do. You stop in your tracks, just step from the patio.

Watching Melissa with your family always makes butterflies erupt in your chest. She used to be so nervous around them, uncharacteristically quiet and meek, but now she’s almost as carefree with them as she is with her own. The sunlight makes her hair shine, and it’s damn near impossible to look away. It seems you’re of similar mind, her head turning towards you, fighting a grin when she sees the dopey grin on your face.

You almost start to walk towards her, but a strong hand pulls you back. Your dad pushes the hatchet into your hands, “you’re on firewood duty.”

“Bu-”

“Nope, you’re not slinking off to your girl. Go chop the wood, Casanova,” he says as he walks back to help Marcus with the tent.

It’s hours before you even get a chance to see Melissa again, as if your parents were keeping you apart. Which they were, knowing that you’d ignore everything you had to do if it meant you got to just look at Melissa. By the time you got back inside, the button up you’d been wearing was abandoned on a lawn chair and you were out of breath. How much firewood does one bonfire even need?

Walking in the backdoor into the kitchen, Melissa is leaning against the counter, her eye on the mixer filled with what will be cheesecake going to your tanktop clad form as she chats with Kennedy. Creeping up beside her, you wrap an arm around her waist and press a lingering kiss to her cheek, mumbling a greeting into her skin before trudging upstairs to shower the sweat and dirt off.

—☽—

By the end of the night, everyone is half-awake and struggling to keep their eyes open as a TV movie drones on. Neither you or Melissa are paying attention, too wrapped up in one another in the arm chair. Legs dangling over the arm, Melissa is seated on your lap, head tucked into your shoulder as you mindlessly play with her hair. The hand on the back of your neck stops its soft ministrations, her breathing slowing as she fights falling asleep.

You speak quietly for only her to hear, “you ready for bed?” She just nods against you, and you tap her legs to prompt her to move. Her hands hold onto your arm to steady herself, wavering where she stands.

“Alright, we’re calling it. Night guys, we’ll see you in the morning,” you announce into the room as Melissa starts going towards the stairs, not trusting her ability to speak when she’s this tired. You get a quiet chorus of night before you walk to the stairs, but your mother’s voice stops your movements.

“Jellybean, could you do me a favor and take the trash out before you head upstairs?” she asks without taking her eyes off the TV.

You internally groan before nodding, turning to Melissa, “go up, baby. I’ll be right there.”

This catches your mother’s attention, immediately moving to face you, “you mean to say ‘goodnight,’ right?”

“What?”

Her eyebrows rise, “you’re saying goodnight, then going to your room. Right?” Melissa’s blood immediately runs cold, color draining from her face. If she was tired two minutes ago, she was wide awake now.

“No...” you say slowly, confused, “why would Mel not also be in there?” You peak over your shoulder to Melissa, giving her a look before your attention is back on your mother.

“So, you’re staying in the guest room? Or is Melissa?”

Your face screws up, “Neither of us? My room’s got a full, that’s fine for us.”

“No.”

“Hell you mean ‘no,’ Ma? Marcus and Kennedy are sharing a full, it’s not a huge deal,” you hear Melissa step down from the stairs, her shaky hand holding your elbow.

“Marcus and Kennedy are married, unlike you two. I know you live together, but my roof, my rules. You know that,” she says matter-of-factly. The other three people in the room pointedly avoid looking at you, not wanting to get on your mom’s bad side.

You argue back, “that’s fucking ridiculous, Ma. We are grown adults, in a relationship.” The arched brow on your mother’s face tells you that you shouldn’t be arguing, but she doesn’t know. She doesn’t know about the panic that is starting to eat away at Melissa’s veins at the sudden thought of sleeping without you, something she hasn’t done once in over three years now.

“No rings, two beds. Don’t think I won’t be checking.”

Not wanting to make more of a scene, Melissa tugs on your arm to gain your attention. Turning to her, you can see the silent plea in her eyes for you to give it up. Shoulders sagging, you let out a grumbled fine. Breaking away from her, you go to the kitchen and roughly pull the trash from the bin. It takes a great deal of effort to not slam the door as you stomp to the garage. When you come back in, you don’t bother saying anything to anyone, just wrapping an arm around Melissa to guide her upstairs.

When you get into your room, you shut the door and lean against it with a huff. The two of you silently change into your pajamas, moving slowly from exhaustion and an attempt to prolong your time together. Melissa turns away to fold her clothes on the bed, and you move to wrap your arms around her waist, propping your chin on her shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” you say, “I’ll stay in here tonight. Not like she can’t ground me anymore.”

Melissa turns in your arms, loosely wrapping her own around your shoulders, “it’s alright, I’ll be fine. I don’t want her mad at you for my sake.”

“Baby-”

“Don’t do that,” she says, though the sigh in her voice gives away her uncertainty, “I’ll be okay, amore.”

Your eyes scan over her face before you nod. Her arms pull you closer, noses brushing before she presses a sound kiss to your lips. Melissa’s arms shift and her hands cup your face, moving your head to press kisses to your cheeks, forehead, and chin, until the sour look on your face disappears.

Tugging her into you, you bury your head into her neck, pressing a long kiss there. From her neck you mumble, “I’ll be in the room right next door.”

“I’ll survive in the guest room, this is your bedroom,” she says, though she doesn’t fully mean it.

“What’s mine is yours. Plus, this one’s more comfortable, you’ll thank me later,” you hug her tighter, “so... I will be next door.”

“I told you, I’ll be fine,” she says. It’s more for her than you this time. Three years. Three years of falling asleep with you still awake beside her and waking up with you already looking at her.

You walk her back towards the bed, getting in with her, though not under the covers. With everyone, especially your mother, you don’t think it’ll hurt to stay until Melissa falls asleep. Her back presses to your front, hand holding yours to her chest, fast beating heart beneath. In a hushed voice, you speak about little things that don’t matter in hopes that it will calm her enough. Slowly her breath evens out, face burying into the pillow as it always does when you hold her like this.

Carefully, you detangle yourself from her and press a kiss to her hair, “I love you.” Stepping out of the room slowly, you leave the door cracked just a little and eye Melissa before turning. At the top of the stairs is your mother, brows raised.

“You better be going to your own bed,” she says quietly, though her tone is hard.

Rolling your eyes, you respond, “I am. Just had to make sure Melissa was asleep first.” You try to go into the room next door, but your mom’s face is silently asking for context, “she doesn’t sleep well. Different place, different sleeping arrangement, it’s difficult.”

You don’t particularly appreciate the dismissive way your mom just nods before walking towards the master bedroom, clearly thinking it was just an excuse, but it’s too late to fight about it. The sooner you sleep, the sooner you can wake up and crawl into bed with Melissa before she wakes. You watch the crack in the door and listen for Melissa until sleep comes over you.

—☽—

Something wakes you just past three in the morning, an ear splitting scream coming from next door. At first, you think it’s just your own anxiety, closing your eyes slowly. A second scream, this time of your name, and you’re springing out of bed, throwing the door open hard enough to bounce off the wall and slam shut. Four steps bring you to your childhood bedroom, rapidly swinging the door open to run in, not noticing the others joining you in the hall.

When you get into the room, moonlight illuminates Melissa where she’s sitting up with a hand gripping her shirt as she breathes in quick, panicked pants, eyes flying around the room until they land on you. Before she can even reach for you, you’re practically pouncing on the bed to get in front of her. Your hands go to her shoulders, her own gripping your forearms, her watery eyes darting around your face. Taking in deep breaths and letting them out slowly, you motion for Melissa to mimic you, trying to slow her rapid breath and heart.

Short gasps become slow, shaky breaths as panic begins to fade and tears form. A whimper of your name makes you pull her into you, her arms gripping your shirt and she cries into your neck. Between broken sobs, only the words window, knife, and everywhere and mention of a him come through, but you understood. This wasn’t the first time Eric’s actions haunted her at night, though it had been nearly two years since she’d woken up in a sweat.

Peeking over your shoulder, you see your parents and brother in the doorway. The look you give your mother is filled with anger and a raised brow that says I told you to listen. The clear fury makes your father pull her back towards their own room, pushing your brother to his. Some level of courtesy hits your mom, closing the door fully before she gets tugged away.

Attention back on Melissa, you alternate between playing with the ends of her hair and lightly dragging your nails over her back under her shirt. You tuck her hair behind her ear, tacky from tears, “you’re safe, Mel. Nothing and no one’s going to hurt you, I promise. I wouldn’t let them.”

Rocking side to side gently, you feel her breathing return to normal, body no longer shaking from tears. Trying not to jostle her, you turn your body to lay down with her, keeping her tucked into your neck with your arms around her. Pressing a kiss to her head, you slide an arm down to grab her hand, lacing your fingers together.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers, just below your ear.

You squeeze her hand, “you never have to apologize for this. If anything, I’m the one that should be sorry. I should have stayed.”

She sniffled, “I’m a grown woman, I should be able to sleep alone.”

“And I should be able to stand up to my mother about sleeping in the same bed as my girlfriend, yet here we are,” you say jokingly, trying to lighten the mood.

Thankfully, she chuckles, the vibration on your skin making you smile, “so it’s all your fault.”

“I’ll gladly take the blame,” you mumble as you settle into the bed more, relaxing as you feel the redhead relax against you.

In a sudden move, Melissa props herself up over you, hair dangling in your face. Leaning down, she kisses your forehead, then each cheek, and finally your lips, long and loving. It’s a quiet thanks that she will never owe you.

“I love you,” she whispers.

“I love you more,” you whisper back.

It takes half an hour for sleep to creep back in, Melissa’s breathing growing slow where she rests on your chest, your heart beating under her ear. When she eventually falls back asleep against your chest, you stay awake and trace lines on her back. You’ll gladly stand guard if it means she sleeps peacefully, stay awake if it means she’s safe.

note: solaris write a fic under 3k like u planned challenge good lord man. also thank you thank you for the compliment, it’s an honor to be the first person u thought of to write this. i hope i did ur vision justice <3

as always, feedback appreciated <3

[motthe]

I'm back with more Viktor luman au angst, but this time with mage Viktor:

On the day before the final battle, Reader is in the lab helping make some of the wepons for the final battle. Jayce leaves to deliver the last of them to the enforcers, but not before giving Reader reassurance that everything was going to be okay. Then he leaves, closing the door behind him. Reader whose overwhelmed knowing that Viktor nearly killed their friends and is going to do something awful. No one knows what he's planning, but he did send a robot to attack Mel and Jayce. As she sits there with her hand covering her face, she hears a creek. She thinks it's just Jayce back from delivering the wepons. She calls out to him, but no one answers back. Looking up, one of the robots is standing right in front of her. It's a blank white metallic face reflecting her shocked expression. This is bad she's all alone in the academy. Everyone evacuated to the other buildings in anticipation of a fight. So that means no one is around to hear her scream for help.

Before she can fully react, it lunges at her. She quickly grabs a nearby wrench and smacks the robot away. She goes to hit it again, but from behind her, another robot takes her wepon from behind. Now defenseless, she goes to run, but the robots are faster they grab her by her arms and hold her down on a table. Reader struggles and fights, but she's no fighter she's a doctor. All she can do is struggle and hope to somehow get away. It's all in vein though, as they bring her arms over her head, all she can do is kick her legs uselessly.

"Don't be scared, my love." Rings out a voice reader knows very well. It's followed by something small bumping into her face and nuzzling it. She looks over to see Viktors lumen nuzzling her. She hadn't seen the little guy in a while. Viktor took him when he left for Zaun. The little guy was different, no longer a dim yellow he now glowed blue much like the hexcore with black veins inside of him. It would be comforting if she wasn't currently being restrained. "I won't hurt you, I'd never hurt you."

"Why should I beli-" Turning towards where the voice came from, she loses her voice when she finally gets a look at what he's become. A tall, imposing figure steps from the darkness in all his glory. He has a beauty to him but also gives her a sense of dread she can't quite place. Maybe it has to do with the robots holding her down or the glowing eyes that seem to analyze her. Viktor walks closer, his cane turned staff clicking as it hits the floor. Once he's close enough, he holds out a hand about to touch her face.

Snaping out of her trance, she kicks out her leg, attempting to kick him away. Only for him to grab it with the hand that hovered over her face moments ago. He holds it down while the follower, still holding down her arm, uses its free hand to hold down her other leg. Now completely immobile, she feels tears well up in her eyes as she starts to beg. "Viktor, please, this isn't you don't do this." She doesn't quite know what she's begging him not to do, but she has a feeling these white robots weren't built in a lab. Considering Viktors new look, she has a hunch these robots were once - she just can't think of it. "You dont need to be afraid, my love. You will understand everything if you just join me."

She watches as Viktor releases his staff, and it floats beside him as he goes to rub her lumen. It's curled up under his neck, shivering in fear but still trying to find comfort in him. She shivers from the touch before shaking her head. "No, I don't know what's happened to you, but you need to stop this madness. You can end this and we can go home together please." She pleads but it falls on deaf ears as Viktor's hand leaves her lumen. He reaches out to her face again. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to force you, but no matter, you will join me either way." With that, he touches her forehead. She gasps as she feels suddenly so light and warm. At the same time, everything begins to erase. All her thoughts and memories are scrubbed from her mind, but with her last bit of clarity, she calls out to Viktor, "I love you Viktor, I will always lo-" She doesn't finish as her lumen falls off Viktors shoulder and absorbs into her new body.

Jayce gasps after seeing the vision given to him by the mage. Who he now knows is Viktor he questions why he gave him the rune and that vision. The mage is quiet as he walks from the still white body of the doomed timeline Jayce. He goes over to the standing statue of a woman. Despite being turned like the others, she still looks human. Her face isn't blank but has all her facial features. Her body is still that eerie marble with gold flecks, but unlike the others, she has no traces of corruption. She's draped in the blue blanket with a very small blue lumen huddled under her head. The mage caresses her face before kissing her lips that will never kiss back. As he does, Jayce hears a whisper he almost thought was the wind. A faint I love you is heard before mage Viktor pulls away looking to Jayce he smiles but it doesn't reach his eyes "Cause in all timelines all possibilities only you can show me this."

Okay, so I hope no one was confused, but in the og/doomed timeline, mel still becomes a mage, but the difference is no mage Viktor, so doomed Jayce has no idea what Viktor is planning. Also that's why instead of evacuating out of the city, they relocated civilians to safe houses. This is to explain why there's so many robots in the doomed timeline. As for how he evolved in the doom timeline, honestly, it was probably singed who helped him evolve to his final form. Then mage Viktor shows Jayce how he turned the reader further, giving his alternate self a reason not to go through with his plan. Also, mage Viktor knows that out of everyone, Jayce is the only one who can get close enough to Viktor to stop him. So Jayce goes back and convinces the reader to leave with the other civilians. The final battle goes as planned, but now Viktor sees what mage Viktor did in doomed timeline to his soulmate, and the ending happens. But after Jayce and Viktor get sucked into the arcane, all that's left behind is readers' lumen who travels back to the reader once the civilians return.

sad hours at work 😭 but for real this was beautifully written. love how much thought went into this!!!

[hivemuthur]

What was that? - Ch. 12.

viktorxfemale!OFC mature

friends to lovers, co-workers, sexual tension up to the wazoo, pinning and banter that got me frustrated when I was writing it, attempt at humour, some angst and a slow burn with a happy ending and a classic Viktor for once

Ch.1. | Ch.2. | Ch.3. | Ch.4. | Ch.5. | Ch.6. | Ch.7. | Ch.8. | Ch.9. | Ch.10. | Ch.11. | Ch.13. | Ch.14. | Ch.15.

word count: 5,1K

tag: #what was that

author’s note: @rennethen as beta reader

Cross-posted on AO3

—

The week was such a drag for Renly. With Heimerdinger buried in other projects, she had to deal with students panicking over their theses and exams. She had managed to steal only brief moments with Viktor—a quick kiss when Jayce wasn’t looking (and a quick shag when he went out to meet Mel once). Meanwhile, she was stuck at the academy, unable to focus on her actual work, while Viktor remained in the lab, diligently doing his.

They were scheduled for a lunch date, which was the only thing keeping her alive today. But as the hours dragged on, it began to seem less and less doable. A group of students had ambushed her after the lecture, shouting questions over one another and waving their papers in her face. Her breath hitched as she made yet another faint attempt to keep them in order, her head spinning slightly, when a distant, familiar voice cut through the chaos.

“I think it would prove more efficient if each of you signed up for Ms. Huxley’s office hours.”

Viktor was leaning in the doorframe of the lecture hall, his cane resting idly in front of him, as his sharp, unforgiving gaze swept over the group of desperate abusers. The room fell silent, save for a few faint protests echoing across the walls and the shuffle of about a dozen reluctant pairs of feet passing Viktor as they exited. His look of disapproval left no room for negotiation, his suggestion tinged with an aftertaste of threat that no one dared challenge.

Her heart wanted to run up to him and hug him in gratitude, but her body refused. She slumped into her chair and buried her head in her arms, covering her ears tightly. Seeing Renly undergo what looked like a system shutdown, Viktor walked up to her, propped his cane against the desk, and motioned for her to get up. Once she did, he settled into the chair and gently pulled her onto his lap.

“What do you need?” he whispered, cradling her form to his chest as his open palms rubbed her shoulders, warming her.

“Quiet,” Renly croaked, swallowing the lump in her throat as she wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled her face into his hair. “Thank you for saving me.”

“Give me your hands.” He patted her hands and squeezed them tightly in his, placing them between their chests. Resting his forehead against hers, he inhaled deeply, motioning for her to do the same. “Breathe. We are alone.”

Following his lead, she closed her eyes and took a long, steady breath through her nose. The warmth of his palms grounded her, his scent enveloped her abused senses.

“Can you feel my heartbeat?” he asked, pressing her palm to his chest.

She nodded, her eyes still closed.

“Breathe with it. What’s the fabric of my shirt?”

Renly swallowed, her fingers tracing the stitching of his button-up. Her brows furrowed in focus as she whispered, “Linen?”

“Well done. What do I smell of?” He leaned into her, granting her access to his collar.

Instead, she nuzzled into his neck, taking a long whiff. A smile tugged at her lips against his skin as she felt the shiver that travelled down his body. “Parchment. And… mint?”

“Correct. Can you tell when I last shaved?”

She opened her eyes, tracing her fingers along his cheek. “Yesterday.” It was a cheat—she’d watched him do it. Still, it brought her to a fragile state of peace, one that Viktor had gently guided her toward.

Viktor nodded with a smile. “How do you feel?” His hands cupped her face.

“Better. Calmer,” she exhaled with relief and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. “Thank you,” she murmured, pressing her nose against his face.

When she pulled back to look at him properly for the first time today, her brows furrowed. “You look… pale. Are you alright?”

“Yes,” he lied. It was a small lie, but he felt the burning weight of it settle in the pit of his stomach. This wasn’t the time to tell her that the medicine wasn’t working as well anymore. He would tell her. Later.

“Just long hours—you know how it is,” he said, pressing his lips to her forehead before she could probe further. “Do you want to get that lunch?”

“I do,” she replied, shooting him an inquisitive look. “But we’re not done talking about… this.” She motioned vaguely around him. She could tell his breath was more shallow and his eyes more sunken. She had seen him tired before, but somehow, this felt familiar in a way she didn’t like.

“Of course, officer. Just let me have my last meal with my woman.”

Renly giggled and let herself be led toward the cafeteria. Most people at the academy knew by now—mostly thanks to Jayce’s big mouth—so the secretive glances they were getting weren’t surprising to her anymore. What was surprising, and she scolded herself for it, was that they were mostly longing glances in Viktor’s direction, cast by their coworkers and students. Of course, how had she not seen it before?

A pang of insecurity ran through her as they sat at the table, chatting about nonsense. Two students approached, giggling like students would, to tell Viktor that they loved his lecture. It was a lie, of course—Renly knew Viktor’s lectures well, and they were unbearably boring and meticulous. Even though Viktor’s unwavering devotion left her with no doubt about his interest, she scolded herself again when she felt the urge to mark her territory.

“Darling, I’ll have to get back to class soon. But I’ll see you in the evening?” She meant the lab, but didn’t mention it. It worked. The girls left with pouty faces.

Viktor smirked immediately. “What was that?”

“What?” The word came out as innocently as she could muster, though it carried the tone of someone caught in the act—which, of course, was exactly the case.

“Darling? You’ve never called me that.” True. She hadn’t assigned him a pet name yet. Viktor’s grin was becoming unbearable as he leaned over the table and pulled her toward him by her neck.

“Would you like to let everyone know I’m yours?” He rubbed his nose against her face, making it flush red—part embarrassment, part something else entirely. “Or maybe I should let everyone know that you are mine, hmm? Lásko.” His smirk was merciless.

“Viktor—” It was the last word she managed before he kissed her gently, right in front of everyone. She felt her cheeks burn, but she closed her eyes, letting herself drown in the moment, even in this unfamiliar setting.

When the kiss broke, her eyes were still squeezed shut, and she couldn’t help the grin blooming on her face. “Is there anything you won’t notice?” she asked, her voice light but tinged with embarrassment as she buried her red face in her hands.

“I don’t think so. Especially not something like that.” Viktor’s tone was smooth, utterly unfazed. He returned to eating the rest of his lunch, the satisfied smirk still lingering on his face as he chewed. “It feels good to know that you don’t take me for granted.”

“I’m glad you’re entertained,” she replied with a huffed laugh, the blush still creeping down her neck. Her eyes flicked to him briefly before darting away again. “I meant every word of it, though!”

“Of course.” Viktor’s voice held a teasing lilt as he set down his fork and turned to her fully. “Just forgot to mention that you’ll see me at the lab, didn’t you?”

“Aren’t you lucky to be so desired that women have to fight over you in the cafeteria?” she shot back, crossing her arms but failing to hide the playful glint in her eyes.

“Eh, I suppose so.” He shrugged, his smirk softening as he leaned closer. “I hope you know there is only one woman I want, yes?”

“I do,” she said, her tone gentler now. Her lips quirked into a small smile, though her blush lingered. “But… I dare say, the kiss it just got me was completely worth the indignity.”

“I shall take note of that,” Viktor said with mock seriousness, his golden-brown eyes twinkling mischievously.

“What?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“That you are willing to undergo some undignified practices for a proper reward,” he replied, his smirk widening.

“You are impossible,” she groaned, shaking her head, though her grin betrayed her.

***

“Eh, and what do you think?” Viktor asked, more to the room than directly to Jayce. His eyes were shielded by goggles, his brows furrowed as he searched for another rune combination. He stood in front of the device, his cane leaning against the workbench as he balanced on his good leg. Jayce lingered nearby, arms crossed, his face unusually tense as they both watched the Hexcore’s crystalline structure shift and pulse, almost alive.

“It’s stabilising,” Jayce said, though his voice carried little satisfaction. “At least for now. But it’s… changing. I’m not sure we fully understand what we’ve created.”

Viktor’s fingers hovered just above the surface of the glowing core. He felt the thrum of energy, like a heartbeat beneath his palm. “No,” he admitted, his voice soft, almost reverent. “It is evolving. Becoming something… more. Perhaps something we cannot control.”

Jayce let out a breath, running a hand through his hair as he leaned in closer. “Where do you think we can go with it?”

“Eh, we are in uncharted waters here,” Viktor replied, his gaze unflinching. “But I believe it can take us beyond the border of what is possible and what is not.” He hesitated for a moment, his hand dropping to his side. “At least, I hope so.”

Jayce put his goggles on. “We should show it to Heimerdinger. This could be the revolution we’ve been searching for.”

Viktor flinched for a second. It could have been. It could also have been the means to his own salvation. “Yes. I’m afraid I’m relying on it more than I would like to admit.”

Jayce turned sharply to look at him. “Viktor, what are you saying?”

For a moment, Viktor said nothing, his eyes fixed on the Hexcore as if searching for answers in its shifting facets. Then he straightened slightly, gripping the edge of the table for balance. “My symptoms are slowly catching up with me, Jayce. My condition—” He faltered, his words catching in his throat before he forced them out. “It’s inching back to where it was.”

Jayce’s face softened, his frustration giving way to concern. “Why didn’t you say anything? To me? To Renly?” He felt a pang of guilt. They’d been working non-stop lately, and even though he’d noticed Viktor looking more pale and tired, he hadn’t asked.

Viktor’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Because it is not yours—or her—burden to bear.”

Jayce took a step closer, his voice gentler now. “But it is ours, Viktor. That’s what this partnership is. What your relationship with her is. None of this is about going it alone anymore.”

Viktor didn’t look up, his hands trembling slightly as they gripped the edge of the workbench. “Alone is simpler,” he murmured, almost to himself. “Alone, I can manage the consequences. I can accept them. But with you—” His voice faltered. “With her—it becomes… complicated. Messy.”

Jayce’s expression tightened. “Complicated isn’t always bad. Viktor, you know as well as I do that we didn’t get here by playing it safe or simple. You don’t have to shield us from this. From you.”

For a moment, Viktor was silent, the hum of the Hexcore filling the air between them. His voice, when it came, was low and heavy. “Do you know what I see when I look at this?” He gestured to the Hexcore, its crystalline surface shifting with an almost hypnotic glow. “I see possibility. But I also see something that consumes. Something that demands more than it gives.”

Jayce tilted his head. “And what do you demand of it?”

Viktor’s gaze flickered to Jayce; his golden-brown eyes shadowed. “More time,” he admitted quietly. “A chance to keep working. To be… useful.”

Jayce exhaled sharply, his hands clenching at his sides. “You’re more than just your work, Viktor. You know that, right? Renly knows that. And if the Hexcore can help you—if it can give you the time you need—you have to let us in. Let us help.”

Viktor’s lips twitched into a faint, bitter smile. “You make it sound so noble, Jayce. But you forget—help often comes at a price. A price I may not be willing to pay.”

Jayce shook his head, stepping closer. “And what about the price of shutting us out? Viktor, you promised her. You said you wouldn’t do this anymore—shouldering everything by yourself.”

The words struck like a hammer, and Viktor’s composure cracked just enough for Jayce to see the conflict roiling beneath. “I did,” Viktor admitted, his voice strained. “And I wish I could keep that promise. But you must understand, Jayce… I am not like you. I have walked too close to failure—too close to ruin—to believe that others can share the weight without it breaking them.”

Jayce’s brows furrowed, his voice softening further. “It’s not about breaking, Viktor. It’s about carrying it together. Renly would—no, will—fight for you, just as you’ve fought for this.” He gestured to the Hexcore. “You’ve given everything to this work. Isn’t it time to let it give something back?”

Viktor turned away; his shoulders hunched as though the weight of the conversation pressed down on him. “Perhaps,” he said after a long pause, “or perhaps it takes more than it gives. Either way… it is a risk only I should bear.”

Jayce placed a hand on Viktor’s shoulder, the rare gesture of comfort drawing Viktor’s gaze back to him. “Then don’t make it alone,” Jayce said, his tone steady. “We’re here for you, Viktor. And that includes her.”

Viktor studied him for a moment, his expression unreadable. Finally, he sighed, a sound of resignation and exhaustion. “You always were the optimist.”

“And you were always the realist,” Jayce replied, his lips quirking into a faint smile. “So let’s meet somewhere in the middle, eh?”

It wasn’t long before Renly clattered in, dropping all her bags filled with notes and students’ essays loudly on the floor. “How are my favourite coworkers?” she chirped through the corridor, stepping into the kitchen to find the coffee already made, presumably by Jayce.

Grabbing a cup, she marched toward the lab. “You will be very happy to hear that not only do I have the last essays to check with me, but I’ve also managed to make my apartment people-friendly—” She kept talking as she made her way through the hallway but stopped mid-step when she saw Jayce and Viktor leaning over the workbench, their brows furrowed, clearly having a serious conversation.

“Am I interrupting?” It was meant to come as a tease but came out more unsure than she’d intended. Viktor didn’t look up from whatever he was examining, though it seemed his eyes were fixed on his hands, splayed flat on the workbench.

Jayce lifted his head, offering her a forced smile. “I’ll give you two some space,” he said as he rose slowly, walking past Renly toward the exit. He patted her shoulder on his way out.

Renly glanced over to the Hexcore, its faint glint casting an eerie light across the dim room. The shifting hues of blue and purple flickered against the walls, creating a shadowy, restless atmosphere that mirrored her own growing unease. She willed her legs to move, the weight of uncertainty pressing against her chest, and walked slowly to sit opposite Viktor.

His head hung heavily from his neck; his body slumped into the chair as though the weight of the world rested on his shoulders. Renly hesitated before reaching out, her hands trembling as they clasped his. She tried to form a question, but her voice betrayed her, leaving her with nothing but a gentle squeeze of his palms.

“I… wasn’t completely honest with you.” Viktor sighed heavily, the words leaving his lips like a stone dropping into a bottomless well. The load of his confession seemed to press him further into his seat. His head dipped lower, and for a moment, he stared at the floor before managing to lift his gaze—just enough to glance at their joined hands.

“I could tell,” Renly said softly, her voice no louder than a whisper. Her grip on him loosened, her shoulders slumping as though the weight of his words transferred to her. She leaned forward, searching his face with imploring eyes. “Just which department?”

“Health,” Viktor admitted, his voice barely audible. “I’m sorry.” He squeezed her hands tighter, as though willing his touch to convey what his words could not. “I’ve been feeling progressively worse over the course of the last two weeks.”

Renly gasped, her fingers twitching before she instinctively released his hands. The sudden absence of her touch seemed to make him smaller. Her brows furrowed, and her lips parted as she struggled to process his admission. “What of your medicine journal?” she asked, her tone sharpened by disbelief.

“I… might have made it look better than it was in truth.” Silence, for a moment.

“I don’t understand.” Her voice cracked, a mixture of confusion and anger lacing her words. “Why didn’t you report it to me? Everyone else is improving; I…”

“I know.” Viktor’s voice was steady, but there was a crack beneath the surface. “Which is precisely why… I’m afraid my case might be irrelevant to your research.”

Renly’s eyes narrowed as she straightened, her hands now clenched into fists on her lap. “And you have made this decision without including me—a person who does the research—why?”

“Renly—”

“No,” she interrupted, standing abruptly. Her chair scraped against the floor as she began pacing the length of the room, her movements slow but deliberate. She ran a hand through her hair, the other gesturing aimlessly as if she were trying to grasp her own swirling thoughts. “Please, tell me—what made you feel like lying to me every time I asked you how you were feeling? What made you think taking a cure that is clearly not working was a better choice than telling me, so I could look into it?”

Viktor sat motionless, his shoulders tense and his head tilted downward, as though her words were striking him blow by blow. “Because there might be another way,” he said finally, his tone low but resolute. “And I didn’t want to distract you before I was sure.”

Renly let out a disbelieving laugh, her pacing halting momentarily as she turned to face him. “Distract me?” she echoed, her voice rising. “This is my work, Viktor. If you can’t understand how harmful this is in scientific terms, I don’t even want to know what was driving you when you didn’t tell me—as someone who’s in a relationship with you for… what, a month?”

“Renly, please.” Viktor’s voice was pleading now, but he remained in his seat, his posture rigid.

“You could’ve lied about the coffee, but this?” Her voice cracked, and she turned away from him, resuming her pacing.

“I… technically did lie about the coffee, too,” Viktor said, a faint attempt at levity breaking through his otherwise sombre tone.

Renly froze, staring at him in stunned silence for a moment before she exhaled sharply, shaking her head. “Unbelievable,” she muttered under her breath, more to herself than to him. Her hands gripped the back of her chair as she leaned against it, her eyes darting to the Hexcore before returning to him.

“Yes, well… technically, I don’t count the spoons. I just… eyeball it.” Viktor let out a bitter laugh, the sound hollow and self-deprecating. It might have been a good joke, in different circumstances.

Renly didn’t react. Her gaze remained fixed on the table, her fingers absently tracing the patterns in the wood as though searching for answers within its grain. When she finally spoke, her tone was flat, almost clinical. “I will need a sample from you.”

“I… are you sure?” Viktor asked, his hesitation slipping through in a rare moment of uncertainty.

“Viktor, I will need a sample from you so I can carry on working.” She lifted her head then, her eyes meeting his with a sharp intensity. “I hope whatever you think you have as an alternative was worth endangering my research. And us.”

The words landed like a heavy slap, but Viktor nodded silently, rolling up his sleeve with slow, deliberate movements. “Of course,” he murmured. His gaze flicked toward her briefly, as though searching for a trace of softness in her expression. “Endangering you or us, Renly, is the last thing I wanted.”

“Well, care to tell me why you did it, then?” She straightened and walked over to her workstation, collecting the necessary tools with precise, almost robotic movements.

“The Hexcore.” Viktor’s voice was steady, though there was an undercurrent of conviction—perhaps even defiance—beneath his words. “It’s… evolving. I think it might be the answer.”

Renly froze for a moment, her back to him, before turning slowly. The look in her eyes was unreadable, her expression carefully neutral, though her knuckles whitened as she gripped the equipment. “This?” she repeated, her voice low and cold. “This… highly uncertain and potentially dangerous thing is what you are relying on?” A mirthless chuckle escaped her lips. “Unbelievable.”

“You haven’t seen where we’ve got with it,” Viktor replied, his tone softening as if he were trying to coax her into understanding.

“Viktor,” Renly snapped, striding back to his side and setting the equipment on the table with a sharp clatter. “All it’s been doing is killing plants for the last two weeks. You can’t be serious.”

Viktor opened his mouth to respond, but her glare silenced him. Without waiting for further explanation, she grabbed his arm, adjusting his position brusquely. Her touch was firm, precise—nothing like the gentle care she had shown the first time she drew his blood. He winced slightly as the needle broke his skin, though he said nothing.

The discomfort didn’t escape him, nor did the stark contrast in her manner. It was professional, detached, almost as if he were just another subject in her research. It stung more than the needle itself.

“Jayce agrees with me,” Viktor said finally, his voice quieter now. “We are going to show it to Heimerdinger.”

Renly shook her head, her hands working efficiently to collect the sample. “Of course he does,” she muttered under her breath, her eyes fixed on her work. “I’m sure you’ve both convinced yourselves it’s some great breakthrough. Meanwhile, I’m left scrambling to figure out why the cure isn’t working for you.”

She straightened, placing the vial of blood down with a precision that bordered on aggressive. “Do you have any idea how reckless this is? Do you?” Her voice cracked slightly, and she turned away, busying herself with the tools to avoid looking at him. “You didn’t even tell me you were getting worse. I should have seen it. I should have asked. But I didn’t, because I trusted you to tell me.”

“Renly, I didn’t do it to hurt you. I did it for you.” Viktor’s voice cracked as he reached his hands out to her, his desperation laid bare. “I am working like a madman so you can be free of this burden.”

“Viktor, you promised me,” Renly snapped, her voice trembling with emotion as she took a step back, away from his outstretched hands. “You promised me you wouldn’t carry it alone.”

“I promised I would try.” Viktor’s hands hovered in the air, unsure of what to do with themselves before falling uselessly to his sides. “I’ve tried, and then this…”

“That’s low, even for you,” Renly interrupted, her eyes narrowing. “Don’t try to trick me with semantics.”

“I am not tricking you!” Viktor’s voice rose, frustration beginning to seep into his words. “Why do you refuse to validate how I feel?”

“Viktor, I…” Renly started, but her voice faltered. She looked away, exhaling sharply before meeting his gaze again. “I’m not dismissing you. I’m just… hurt. It really fucking hurts that you would turn to this instead of me. It hurts that you believe in something that is potentially dangerous—something that clearly alters the structure of tissues and cells—more than you believe in something I did. And yes, I’m doing it for you as well.”

“Renly,” Viktor pleaded, taking a small step closer, his voice softening. “You can’t cure my leg. You can’t cure my spine. There is only so much you can do, and I do believe in you. I just—”

“So you’d rather risk it than have something that’s real?” Her voice broke, and her shoulders slumped as though the weight of the conversation was physically bearing down on her.

“My pain…” Viktor hesitated, his voice growing quieter, almost a whisper. “My pain is the most real thing I feel. Even more real than you.”

Renly flinched as though the words had physically struck her. Viktor’s face twisted with regret, but he pressed on, his voice trembling now. “In fact, you still feel unreal to me. I wake up every day, and I have to remind myself that I have you.”

Closing the space between them, Viktor cupped her face gently, his hands trembling as his forehead came to rest against hers. His touch was tender, but Renly’s body stiffened. She was still wearing her gloves, and her hands rose to grip his arms—not with affection, but with the strength of someone trying to maintain control.

“Viktor…” Her voice was barely audible, strained and filled with something close to heartbreak. She pushed him back, pulling away with visible effort. “You can’t just…” She looked at him, her breath uneven, her eyes glistening. “Please, go.”

Viktor’s hands lingered in the air, hovering as if unsure whether to reach for her again or let her slip away entirely. “Come with me,” he whispered, his voice a mix of desperation and longing.

Before she could respond, he pulled her in, his lips capturing hers in a kiss that was slow but laced with a deep, aching need. For a moment, Renly gave in, her hands clinging to him as though she might drown if she let go.

When they broke apart, she rested her forehead against his, her breath shallow. Her voice, when it came, was barely more than a whisper. “I have work to do.”

Viktor lingered, his face inches from hers, searching her eyes for a sign of forgiveness, of understanding. But she had already turned away, retreating back into herself.

They parted with hollow “I love yous,” as all other words seemed to fail them.

Renly sighed heavily as she heard the door close behind Viktor. She allowed herself to release the swell beneath her eyelids, tears falling faster than she could wipe them away.

All of this had gone so wrong. Of course, she wanted Viktor to be healthy. But she had no idea how to unpack it all. Renly slumped into her chair, staring blankly at the collection of samples scattered across her workstation. Her mind spun with thoughts she couldn’t quite organise. Why hadn’t Viktor felt comfortable enough to tell her the truth? She replayed their conversations, his subtle deflections, the moments when he looked tired but brushed it off with a joke.

She scolded herself, the sting of guilt sharp in her chest. How had she been so blind? So lovestruck that she failed to notice the very person she was falling for? Viktor, brilliant and self-sufficient to a fault, had hidden so much from her—maybe because she hadn’t looked closely enough.

Her gaze wandered to the Hexcore, faintly pulsing in the centre of the lab. Its glow unsettled her. It had always unsettled her. There was something unnatural about it, something dangerous in its allure. But she knew what it meant to Viktor. She knew the Hexcore symbolised his dream—the freedom to overcome his limitations, to exist beyond the boundaries his body had set. She didn’t want to stand in the way of that dream.

But…

Her stomach twisted. The Hexcore wasn’t a dream; it was a gamble, one that felt increasingly like a losing hand. She sighed heavily, forcing herself to focus on the samples in front of her.

The hours ticked by as she worked. She compared Viktor’s recent samples with older ones, charting his health over time. She compared his data to that of the other participants, noting the stark differences. It wasn’t long before a pattern emerged, one that made her chest tighten with both frustration and clarity.

It was just like the first iteration of her cure—the one that failed. It was too strong. She hadn’t accounted for Viktor’s underlying condition, the unique way his body worked. Her original formula had pushed his immune system too hard, causing more harm than good.

Renly grabbed a notebook and began scribbling furiously, filling pages with diagrams, calculations, and measurements. She tweaked the dosage, recalibrated the concentration of ingredients, adjusted variables she hadn’t considered before. Over and over, she checked her work, refusing to let her emotions cloud her reasoning.

Her eyes burned from exhaustion by the time she arrived at a conclusion. Viktor’s treatment would need to be uniquely tailored, a formulation with a varying concentration that could coax his immune system into responding correctly. It would need to be delicate, precise—like tuning an instrument.

She wrote out her findings in meticulous detail, every step clear and methodical. Then she set to work preparing the new version of the cure. “Angus 2.0, here we go.”

She worked in complete silence this time. As the final mixture was set to sit and stir, Renly leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples. Through the lab windows, the faint glow of dawn began to creep over the horizon. She exhaled deeply, the weight of the sleepless night pressing heavily on her chest.

There was still so much to figure out, so much uncertainty. But for now, this was something she could do.

[saturnzskyzz]

Arcane TKL headcannons!

But very random and with no order to them! 🤩💪

A/N: 𝙸 𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚝𝚘𝚘 𝚖𝚞𝚌𝚑, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚢𝚎𝚝 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚗'𝚝 𝚐𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚋𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚌 𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚒𝚌 𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚊𝚜 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚍.. 𝙰𝚗𝚢𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜, 𝙷𝙴𝙰𝙳𝙲𝙰𝙽𝙽𝙾𝙽'𝚂!!!!!!

・if Jinx knows that she's about to get tickled, she'd bite her bottom lip to not laugh. Which fails almost always 😔

・if you catch jinx by surprise though, she'd instantly laugh out of shock: "AH- whahat are yohou dohoing?!"

・Vi, Ekko, and Mel are all gigglers. For ex: (I love throwing in examples 🪰🙏)

Vi: "ehehehaha, cahahait! Wahahait!..." Most of the time will provoke Caitlyn, and then she ends up regretting it 😭😭

Ekko: "waitwaitwahahait- ihihi cahan explahahain..." YOU SCHEMING SON OF A- he never takes what he dishes out 😔✋ the contagious giggles he would inflict in your head though??!!! Jinx abuses this so much.

Mel: "ihihis this reheheally nehehessassary??! Ehehehahahah.." hardly ever provokes, but Jayce would definally get her by surprise to enlighten those giggles.

・if you get Vi's, or Mel's worst spots, they cackle. ✋✋

vi: "AAH! NAHAHAT THEHERE!!"

Mel: "AAAHHH- WAHAIT!! IHI'M SORRY"

・Ekko, Caitlyn, and Jayce fall victim to anticipation tickles. Or air tickles. Maybe both.. Both.

・jinx, Viktor, Mel, steb, Vander, Caitlyn, Lest, and Loris are all lers. 100%

・Steb and Lest are evil lers. Literally Shivers down my back evil 🫣

・Jayce, Ekko, Vi, and Mylo are Lee's

・claggor, Silco, Heimerdinger, and Maddie are switches

・claggor and Vander have boisterous laugh's. Vander would have a mix laugher similar to markipliers and Arin Hanson. If you've watched markipliers videos well enough, and you know his friend Bob, that's the kind of laugh I see Claggor having. OH MY GOD Bob laughs quite a bit.

・Mylo was always on the receiving end. Bros always getting picked on and scolded for, c'mon now.

・Ambessa used to always give Mel cheer up tickles. Along with her brother as well.

・Jinx was always the ler for Isha and Sevika. Sevika would fight back though.

・steb and Maddie would always give each other playful pokes here and there. AAAHHHHH

・steb, lest, and Jayce having ticklish ears????

・steb would have whisper laughs, if that makes sense?? I don't know if y'all have seen the smiley scene in mha where Todoroki would kind of stiffle his laughs and they kind of sounded breathy in a way?? That's how I picture steb's laughs to be.

・lest would have a gorgeous laugh. Oh my God!!!

・Vander and Silco always tickled each other. No lie. Silco would get Vander more because he's more ticklish, but that doesn't mean that Silco wouldn't be on the receiving end.

・vi and jinx would always have tickle fights. Same with claggor and Mylo. It's a sibling bond effect, I swear.

・vi is a soft tickler. Doesn't matter who her target is.

・sevika is a rough tickler though. She's less experienced, I fear 😔✋

・those who would have a goofy laugh would be Mylo, jinx, maddie and Loris.. I don't really know why. But they're really fond to hear, yk?

・of course steb, Caitlyn, and Viktor would be embarrassed when tickled. It's the professionalism in them 🙏

・Jayce would give the best beard tickles... 🫠

・steb, Maddie, lest, and Jayce cover their mouths when tickled.

・Vander, jinx, and Jayce would give birthday tickles.

"Say hello to the birthday girl!" Vander says as he lightly tweaks the side of Vi's ribs like a piano

"Dahahad! Stohohop, thihis is embaharrassing!!"

・vi would pull some shit on Caitlyn like the five little pigs game.. Oh my GAWD the TEASEEEEEHRODKFKSKF

・since Viktor can change into his Herald form, he'd definitely use his claw to tease Jayce. (I've seen the art 🫵)

"It appears that you are,, a little tense by my claw, are you not?" Viktor said, knowing far too well that the claw was dangerously resting on Jayce's ribs.

"Ihihi-uhum.."

OHMTOFISJEKDKFSKFKGN

・let's come back to steb. HE'S SO CUTEWJSOSKKFKSFK he gives a small smile when tickled. AAAHHHHH

・also Loris's beard though??!! Second best on the list of giving the best beard tickles.

・Loris definitely gives cheer up tickles as well. He'd be SO GENTLE.

・every ler has a fixated spot they like to stay at, sooooo ROLL CALL!

Jinx: armpits (tsk tsk tsk, EVILLLLL 🙂‍↔️)

Vi: sides (lightly 🪶)

Caitlyn: oddly enough, the back. She won't do it often, but oh boy if she gets an opportunity, she's gonna TAKE ITTTT

Ekko: hear me out on this one... Neck kisses.. HE LOVES TO GIVE THEM!!!

Jayce: the waist. I SEE THOSE HANDS PRETTY BOY 🫵🫵

Viktor: also sides 😔✋ stop it

Mel: stomach (SHE'S A SUCKER FOR JAYCE'S TUMMY, DON'T LIE)

Steb: knees. The way that he'll latch onto your knees like a damn LEECH??!! AAAAHHHH RUNNNN

Sevika: thighs. DON'T PLAY!

Maddie: neck and ears. YOU MOTHER FU-

Ambessa:... Hips.. 🏃💨

Loris: neck. IT'S THE BEARD!!!!!

Vander: he's a dad. He's going for yo feet. (This better not just be my dad, or I'mma feel so embarrassed for outing that out 😔) obviously not saying this to be weird. Those fetish accounts better hop off 🫵

Silco: ribs. YOU FUCKIN' PIANIST!!

Singed: bros using tools on yo stomach 🛠️

Claggor: he's a simple man. He's using the tazor method on your sides. Bzzt GONE

heimerdinger: I strike him as a palm reader type of fellow, and if he sees that you're ticklish on your palms.. He's gonna use that as an advantage.

Mylo: shoulders. He's using the pressure point on yo ass.

・speaking of Mylo using the pressure point method.. Everytime, he does this to powder and claggor, and then he ends up being on the receiving end of things.

"AAAHHH I'M SOHORRY!" (okaaaay buddy 😒✋)

There's abviously more, but that's all I'm doing right now. 😭✋

[harleehazbinfics]

Home is where my Heart is.

Chapter 3: The First Time Table of Contents | Profile

Word Count: 1100+ Warning: implied rape and abuse A/N: idk i feel weird that he's kinda ooc; tbf he is very different here in this ff BUT LISTEN crazy meets sweet, ITS KINDA CUTE also also, imma take a break and continue my devout!reader ff, you can check it out here. thanky!

mmmmm i changed so much dialogue i wonder how this'll go. (edited as of Feb 20)

It had been quite a few months after Alastor and I have started going out. Nothing drastically different happened when we were still friends then transitioning to lovers.

Both of us would mind our own business, however, that didn’t really mean that we weren’t thinking about each other. If Alastor went on radio, I would listen to him while doing mundane chores, listening to his voice through the vintage filter of the stereo, I'd even retort to his witty commentary as if he was in the room with me. While, I would be out doing shows across the city, ranging from clubs and cafes to the early television programs.

Today was one of those days, where I would be waiting for Alastor to pick me up after performing a show, as he promised to bring me out to drink for our date. I stood at a lamp post waiting for him, looking down at my shadow.

“Well, look who it is. Lil’ Mel out in town?” a raspy voice said to me, “Must be nice to finally get out of that orphanage, huh? How’ve you been liking it so far? Missed me?”

Hearing this familiar insistent voice sent shivers down my spine, having flashbacks of my days in the orphanage. I wrapped my arms around myself.

“Go away, Aidan. I don’t want to talk to you,” I announced, fear creeping up on me.

“Oh, don’t be like that, babe!” he said putting his hand on my shoulder, “Don’t you remember all our fun times?”

I wriggled out of his grasp and angrily answered, “Fun? Hah, you’re insane. And never call me babe! Goodbye.”

I tightened my grasp on my sling bag and briskly walked away, looking for a more crowded area. But I never got too far when he suddenly had my arm in a tight grip making me squeal in pain. He covered my mouth with his other hand hushing me, and placing his knee between my legs. This scenario was all too familiar that tears welled up in my eyes automatically, but I gathered all my courage tensing my body and biting his hand, frustration clear on my face.

Meanwhile, Alastor was already a few buildings close to your arranged meeting place when he stopped when he heard a familiar voice.

“I told you to let go of me!”

This shout reaches his ears following a thud, fearing the worst he then bolts toward Miledy’s direction.

“Miledy!” he yells however freezes when he sees a man looming over her with a metal pipe in his hands.

“AL!” she screamed scared out of her wits.

Without a second thought, he lunges at the man throwing the both of them to the side leaving me on the floor. I looked at Alastor in fear for him when I saw him struggling to wrestle the larger man off of him.

“STOP! GET OFF HIM!”

Aidan seemed to falter when he heard me, creating an opening for Alastor and managing to stab him through his chest. Aidan gathered the last of his strength to wrap his hand around Alastor’s neck. I panicked and grabbed the forgotten pipe and bashed him over the head, making him go limp on top of Al.

Alastor moved the body to the side and with a relieved look on his face, he moves forwards and pulls me in a tight hug.

“I was so scared. Did you get hurt?” he frets over me.

“You’re not scared of me? I just killed a-a person, Al,” I asked afraid of his reaction.

“Heavens no! I’m more relieved you’re not hurt,” he replied letting go of the hug and placing his hand to the side of my face.

Relieved that Alastor didn’t leave her despite her sins, she finally broke down as she recounted the traumatic events that had happened, including the times where she comforted herself to sleep crying after Aidan was done playing with her, causing all these bottled up grievances to burst out. While Alastor did his best to comfort her in an embrace.

“We should probably leave now. It won’t take long before someone calls the police,” he explained holding on to her shoulder. I only nodded my head shakily still rattled and followed his lead.

He covered the body and lifted it over his shoulder keeping it steady while his free grabbed my hand and ran far far away. We eventually ended in a forest where we buried the body. I wiped the sweat off my brow breathing deeply from all the extraneous activities. After that was all done, Alastor led me to a cabin outside the hunting grounds.

“Where are we?” I asked while looking at the old furniture and the floorboards that creaked.

“My house,” he stated simply offering me a glass of water. I took and drank all of it without a second thought making Alastor tug a very subtle smile on his lips at how she completely trusted him.

“Al, we just killed a man and buried him. What if they figure out that we did it? What will happen to us?” I ramble, face going pale from different scenarios going through my mind.

He kneels in front of me a frown adorning his face when he saw how distraught I was and replied, “I’ll never let them hurt you. I promise, they will never know.”

“What about you, Al! What if they take you away from me. I don’t want to be separated from you!” I yelled hoping he’d care about his own well-being.

“Oh, sweetheart,” he said reading through me and holding my face in his hands, “I’ll never ever leave you, not if I can’t help it.”

My eyebrows furrowed still unconvinced, “How can you be so sure?”

His eyebrows drooped and a wry smile takes place while putting his hands on my knees obediently, “I’ve been hiding from them for years now. They haven’t had any idea that it was me. Knowing a lot of people surely has its perks.” I looked at him confused. “The first person killed was when I was 16, on the day that my mother died, and I’ve been running ever since.”

“I’m sorry I lied to you. But I never wanted you to be involved in this dirty past of mine,” he apologizes. “But I swear on my life that I never had any bad intention towards you. All I want is for you to be safe and free from worry.”

It took a very long time before one of us did or said anything. I took his hand, stood up and walked him towards the balcony that we walked past getting here. And just watched as the sun slowly rose hand in hand.

“I guess this is how we live for the rest of our lives now,” I uttered just above a whisper to the wind.

“I’ll protect you. No matter what.”

“Me too. You can depend on me… I love you, Al.”

“Thank you, Miledy.”

[shslbunnylover]

★★★𝙎𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙘𝙝'𝙨 𝙝𝙞𝙙𝙙𝙚𝙣 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙨 (𝙆𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙩𝙤𝙗𝙚𝙧 𝙙𝙖𝙮 31: 𝘾𝙤𝙨𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮)★★★

Character: Melissa Schemmenti

Taglist: @inlovewithgreta @lilfartbox1 @marvels--slut

Trigger warnings (DL, DI): Dom/sub dynamics, breast and slight nipple play, clitoral stimulation, eating out, swearing,

Genre: Smut

A/n: Have a Happy Halloween everyone! Thanks for all the support on my first kinktober!! Also no we will not talk about the current state of my hands-

Word count: 3.0k

...

...

"What has gotten into all of you guys?" You exclaimed, dropping the pencil that you had been using to teach the kids that day's art lesson.

The kids were off the walls, and you could hear the kids from the other classes all across the school, you were so incredibly confused about what had suddenly happened.

You were good at keeping them well behaved, they truly did respect you...well...as much as a student can respect a new teacher.

The screams and squeals of the kids in your classroom were ear-piercing, leaving you to cover your ears as you tried to figure out what had gotten the kids all riled up.

Quickly running over to a group of kids, you noticed a bunch of candy wrappers all around the desks, making you stop in your place.

"Oh, crap..." You muttered, opening the door to your classroom to see if you could get some help, only to be bombarded by a bunch of kids, knocking you off your feet.

You flinched as you stumbled backward, only to be caught by a pair of red-gloved hands.

"You okay, hon?" Melissa asked with a concerned look, occasionally glancing over at the kids who were now running around everywhere.

You nod, incredibly flustered at the fact that her boobs were so close to your face thanks to the nature of her scarlet witch costume.

"Yeah...T-Thanks Melissa..." You muttered, looking down at your Ai Hoshino costume with a nervous smile as you stood up, blushing even more as you felt the redhead's protective arm wrap around your waist to keep you from falling again.

"No problem," She replied finally letting you go once all the kids had poured out into the entrance hallway.

You quickly ran over to the rest of your teacher friends, your skirt bouncing up and down the more you ran, leaving Melissa to get a slight view of your ass, leaving her blushing softly as she walked up to the group.

"What the hell is happening?" Ava exclaimed, looking at all the kids with wide eyes.

"They got into the candy! That's what happened!" Mr. Johnson exclaimed, walking over to the group of you. "Little miss witch over here was too absorbed in that damn phone, the kids stole the candy!"

"Alleged phone, alleged candy!" Ashley defended herself as Melissa shot a glare in her direction.

"Oh my god Ashley you dumbass..." You cursed, rubbing the bridge of your nose as you looked over at Melissa, who quickly wrapped her arm around you once again, leaving Ava to raise an eyebrow.

"Look there is no way we can teach the kids while they're like this!" Barbara exclaimed, dodging another running kid.

"I agree with Barb," Melissa replied, "But how are we going to get these kids to be in one place at the same time where they can get their energy out?"

"Yeah, it's raining out so they can't go outside," Jacob added before Ava spoke up.

"Hey! Little gremlins!" Ava exclaimed, "Free recess in the gym!!"

All of the kids stopped in their tracks, running quickly over to the gym, leaving the nine of you to follow suit and strip them of the candy so they wouldn't get even more riled up.

As you and the older redhead patted down your first batch of the sugar-crazed students, you looked over at her, still unsure about how to do it properly.

"Mel?" You ask meekly, nervous about asking her. "C-Could you help?"

"Of course hon," She replied, taking your hands in hers as she guided you, leaving you a blushing mess.

"Ah...Thank you, Mel..." You mumbled, looking off to the side as you could feel the dampness in between your thighs increasing.

"Alright, I think that's the last of them," Melissa sighed in relief, looking at you as she pushed the kid into the gym, sliding the candy into a pile with her foot.

"Now what are we going to do with all this candy?" You asked,

"Oh! I have a human si- I mean...A safe bigger than a breadbox in my classroom," The redhead replied, side-eyeing the camera and blushing as you giggled endearingly at her slip-up.

"Girl, can I use that? I've been looking for a safe place to keep my other safes," Ava asked, brushing her cape off to the side.

Ignoring her question, Melissa spoke once again.

"Alright, Jacob, Barbara, Ava, and Y/n, come with me. Janine and Gregory, you stay here and make sure they don't escape,"

You all nod simultaneously, quickly making your way to Melissa's classroom.

"Say, where did Ashley go?" You pondered out loud, continuing to walk quickly to not waste any time.

"She left after you guys began patting down the kids for the candy, apparently she doesn't do well in stressful environments," One of the cameramen who was following your group replied.

"She apparently doesn't do well with anything," You and Melissa retorted simultaneously, causing you to tilt your head away to hide your now flaming-red cheeks.

"I'll stay with Ava," You added, watching as Ava grabbed a dodgeball before throwing at a kid.

"You sure hon?" Melissa questioned, trying to hide her obvious soft spot for you to the best of her abilities.

You nodded, looking away from her costume as you felt all of the moisture from your mouth fall to your core at the mere sight of her large breasts being caged in that tight red costume.

"Alright, we'll see you later," Barbara nodded, waving to the two of you as the group left to go find baby Thanos.

You stood in the gym for a while, out of breath as sweat poured down your face, internally cursing yourself out for thinking that you could handle playing dodgeball with a bunch of sugar-hyped kids.

You thought it was a good idea at the time, but it wasn't.

"Ava!" You exclaimed, shooting your leg up in the air as you saw a dodgeball hurling straight at her head, causing the ball to hit the ceiling before falling into your hand. "Pay attention! We can't tire these kids out if you get knocked out!" You groaned, throwing the ball quickly at one of the kids.

"Whatever!" Ava replied, throwing another ball as she looked at you, then back at the students, noticing them starting to become tuckered out. "I'm pretty sure we've already done it!"

Watching the last kid finally tire himself out, you took a sigh of relief.

"Finally, you mumbled, fiddling with your dress as you took another deep breath, turning around when you heard the voices of your teachers returning.

"Hey- Oh dear, what happened to your faces?" Barbara asked worriedly, noticing Ava's lack of an eye contact and smudged makeup, along with your lack of a wig.

"I did my job is what happened to my face," Ava replied, bouncing the dodgeball onto the ground before it returned to her hands once more.

Melissa quickly walked over to you, taking your chin in her left hand in concern, making you dart away to avoid her gaze yet again.

"Hon? Are you okay?" She asked, the position she had you in leaving you incredibly flustered as she continued to worry over you.

"Mhm..." You mumbled, still slightly tired from the running, but mainly just flustered.

"Did you guys find baby Thanos?" Ava asked,

"No, we came back to see if he retreated here," Janine shook her head.

"Excuse me? Adults?"

Still keeping a hand on your chin and waist, Melissa turned around to face one of the students, who had brought baby Thanos back into the gym.

"Chad! You found baby Thanos! How!?" Janine exclaimed, grabbing the candy thief by his shoulder so he wouldn't leave.

"I just followed the trash," Chad replied, smiling at his amazing impression of Mr. Johnson.

You chuckled softly, making Melissa turn around to face you once more, leaving you to look away the moment her beautiful green eyes made contact with yours.

Raising an eyebrow, Melissa pulled you in, whispering in a slightly husky yet incredibly seductive voice.

"My class. After school. Don't be late," She muttered, watching with amusement as your cheeks flared up with blush.

"So? Wanna tell me why those pretty little cheeks of yours have been so red today? Or maybe about how you haven't been able to look at me for more than a second?" Melissa smirked, shutting the door behind you, chuckling as she gazed upon you leaning on her desk, your pink tights highlighting your beautiful legs.

You shake your head, not wanting to even think about glancing at her beautiful costume that accentuated her beautiful curves.

"My cheeks have not been red," You tried to protest, a squeak from your lips cutting you off as the redhead walked over to you and placed her hands under your thighs.

"Are you sure about that? Because I think...just maybe...that my costume has something to do with it~" She teased, leaning into you so it was almost unavoidable to see her breasts and perfect cleavage.

"I-I-!" You mewled in surprise, beginning to apologize almost immediately. "I apologize! I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable! You just looked so pretty!" You confessed, looking the older woman in the eyes as yours filled with worried tears.

"Oh, princess...You're so cute when you're all flustered," The redhead commented, brushing off your apology as if she didn't care about how flustered you had become over her costume.

Shaking slightly, your hand wrapped around her wrist, your other hand pulling her body onto yours as the two of you began to make out, your lips intertwining in a perfect embrace.

When you finally separated your mouths, your lips tasting that of each other as you both licked them clean, tasting the other once more.

"Fuck hon... You're good at that, you know?" Melissa smirked before kissing you once again, her hand falling to your breasts, pulling slightly at your clothed nipple to hear any sort of sexual sound released from your perfect lips.

You could only whine in response, a tiny gasp escaping your lips as the feeling of your dress being unzipped slightly left a single gust of cold air to brush over your back.

"Is this okay?" The older woman asked, pulling her expression from a more teasing and slyer one to a more considerate and loving one, even though her speech before was still filled with love and adoration for you.

You nodded, your mouth only allowing for you to release a needy whimper as you watched your dress pool at your waste, throwing your head back as Melissa pressed her lips against your nipple and swirled her tongue over the nub.

"Mmmm~ Fuck...Melissa..." You moaned, covering your mouth slightly with your hand as she continued to pleasure you on top of the desk, holding your hand down with hers so you both could remain in this position.

Her mouth continued to pleasure your breast, making you moan viciously as she nibbled at the sensitive tip of your tit.

"Your tits taste so good," Melissa hummed in contentment, looking up at you for consent before fully sliding off your dress, watching the pink fabric fall to your feet as she got down on her knees.

"Please...I need you inside of me," You whimpered, bucking your hips just a little bit as you felt the redhead sink her head between your thighs, slowly licking strides onto your dampened sex before beginning to toy with your clit.

The feeling made your head fall back, your hand tucking itself into her hair as you moaned.

"M-Melissa...Please...Please let me touch you," You whimpered, not wanting to be the only one receiving pleasure.

"Don't worry hon, we can take care of that later~" The redhead chuckled before sliding her tongue inside of you, your legs shaking at the sudden new feeling.

You were overwhelmed with the pleasure of the penetration. Her tongue was highly skilled, even with her lack of being with a woman in at least a whole decade, and she seemed to know all the right spots and rhythms to make you see stars. Her fingers stroked your clit with more pressure now, making you shake and moan uncontrollably. it was almost too much. You wanted to scream, but you could only produce lewd little whimpers and mewls that only made the wetness in Melissa's underwear increase.

With her free hand, she reached up and pressed softly on your nipples, punching the hardened nub in between her fingers. Between that, the punishing thrusts from her tongue, and the hot pressure on your clit, you couldn't hold the knot in your stomach together anymore.

"Please..." You begged her once again, your thighs clenching around her head as your legs rested on her back, your eyes fluttering shut as you began to feel your orgasm approaching your body like a tsunami.

Pulling her tongue away from your folds, Melissa looked up at you with passion and smugness as she began to speak, her fingers now working harder thanks to the more focus she had put on them.

"Already~?" Melissa asked teasingly, her smirk softening as she looked up at you, watching just how needy you truly were. "Then go ahead...cum for me," She smirked once again, placing her tongue back on your sensitive and heated core as she closed her eyes, working her magic once more.

The sensations overwhelmed you. The world went blank, and all you could feel was the warmth of your orgasm and Melissa's touch as she fucked you into pure submission.

Once you had been brought out of your blissed-out high, you looked down at Melissa, who was currently licking your thighs clean of cum before looking up to meet you.

"You liked that hm?" The redhead chuckled, standing up to dominate you in height as you were leaning down and back on the desk.

You nodded, smirking as you took a deep breath to fully retreat from your post-orgasm clarity.

"Yeah, one could say that tongue is one of your secret superpowers...wouldn't you say, Scarlet witch?" You teased, a soft blush scattering across your cheeks as you felt your body being pressed up against Melissa's once again.

"And I'd say you put on quite a performance...didn't you? Miss Hoshino?" Melissa smirked, looking at you with eyes of both love and lust. "Why don't you come back to my place, and we could have some dinner together?"

You nodded, kissing her on the lips once more.

"Yeah, I think that's a good idea~"

Let's just say you definitely wouldn't be able to do any trick or treating that night with the aftermath of your little dinner session.

[morgana-larkin]

Alrighty, Mine Part 6! This is honestly over 4K words of fluff but I bet no one is complaining. Also 2 smut parts cause I got my period when I was halfway through writing this lol

On another note: don’t know if anyone noticed but since you guys like seeing my lists of fics that I’m going to write, I decided to add the list to my masterlist. If you scroll down to the bottom of the list you’ll see it. I’ll keep it as updated as possible! And requests are open for any character on my masterlist!

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

Mine - Part 6

Warnings: LOTS of fluff, smut x2

Words: 4.3k

You and Melissa wake up on the first day of summer break. You’re spooning each other and she begins kissing your shoulder.

“Morning Amore. Our little troublemakers are still asleep. Maybe we can have some adult time.” She tells you and you giggle as you crane your neck to kiss her lips. All you’re wearing is a long t-shirt of hers and she loves when you wear her clothes, a sign that shows her that you’re hers.

She reaches underneath the shirt and cups one of your boobs. She brushes the nipple with her thumb and you gasp into the kiss. As soon as you gasp she slips her tongue in and eagerly explores your mouth. She then brings her hand down your body, quickly finds your clit and begins rubbing it. You pull away and you try to stay quiet but a couple of moans slip out. She reaches under you and puts her hand over your mouth, and slips a finger in your mouth for you to suck on. It works to conceal your moans, just in time for her to slip a finger in your entrance. You suck on her finger harder and then she starts pumping in and out of you and you screw your eyes shut.

“Mmm, I love you Amore.” She says in your ear and then kisses and sucks your neck.

“I love you too Mel.” You come not even a minute later and she pulls out of you.

She gets you on your back and then she straddles your thigh and starts grinding. She bends down to kiss you while still grinding herself on her leg and she moans. You place your hands on her hips to help her as well as tense up your thigh muscles. She comes with a gasp and then stays sitting on your leg and catches her breath. Just then Amelia opens the door and walks in without warning. Melissa immediately gets off of you and covers both of you with the blanket.

“Amelia what did we talk about with the door?” Melissa says to her and Amelia looks confused and then guilty.

“To knock and let the pewson answe, sowwy.” She says and with that cute little voice and sad eyes, both of you can’t stay angry at her.

“It’s ok my little Tesoro, what’s up?” Melissa asks Amelia while getting up to hold her.

“I’m hungwy.” She tells Melissa.

“You’re hungry? Oh well we can’t have that now can we?” Melissa tells Amelia.

“No we can’t.” Amelia agrees proudly.

“So what do we want to eat for breakfast today?” Melissa asks as she leaves with Amelia to go to the kitchen downstairs.

Just as she leaves the twins start crying. You get up, put some shorts on and go check on the twins.

After feeding them, you bring them both downstairs and see Amelia happily eating apple slices while sitting on Melissa’s lap on the couch. Melissa looks up from the tv and sees you carrying the twins.

“There’s the piccole stelle.” Melissa says softly as you put them in their play pen to crawl around. You join them on the couch and Melissa hands a plate over to you with scrambled eggs and apple slices.

“Oh I get apple slices too? I’m flattered.” You tell her and she giggles.

“Thought you’d appreciate it.” Is all she says.

“Mamma?” Amelia asks Melissa.

“Yes Tesoro?”

“What does Tesowo mean?” Amelia asks her, this child is full of curiosity, surprising nobody as she’s the child of two teachers.

“Tesoro is Italian and it has two meanings. Direct translation is treasure but it can also mean darling.” Melissa explains.

“What about the one you gave my sibwings?”

“Piccole Stelle?” She asks and Amelia nods. “Well that means little stars. All 4 of you are bright stars in my life though.” Melissa tells Amelia with a big smile and eyes full of fondness.

“Will they get theiw own when they get oldew?” Amelia asks.

“Ya they will.” Melissa answers and then Amelia’s attention goes back to the tv.

Later in the day, you’re colouring with Amelia on the floor and Melissa is peacefully walking around the room while feeding Nico with a bottle. Then all of a sudden, Amelia gets up and runs to Melissa with a piece of paper.

“Mamma! Mamma!” Amelia says and then reaches her, as Melissa turns around to face her with a smile. “I made this foe you!” She exclaims and shows her the drawing she drew with you.

“Oh it’s beautiful! Thank you so much Tesoro!” Melissa tells her as she takes the drawing from Amelia. “As soon as I finish feeding Nico then it’s going right up on the fridge.” Melissa says and Amelia is smiling proudly.

The next day you arrived at the park. You’re pushing the twins in the double seated stroller and Melissa is walking hand in hand with Amelia.

Amelia runs off to play with the other kids after telling her to be careful and you and Melissa go join some other parents at a picnic table nearby. You’re on your way back home in the car when Amelia asks a question.

“How come I don’t have a daddy?” She asks, you look back at her and Melissa looks at her with the rearview mirror.

“What?” You ask her, thinking you heard her wrong.

“The othews talked about having a daddy and I don’t have one. Why don’t I have a daddy? Is something wong with me?” She says and Melissa pulls over at that so you can both look at her.

“Nothing is wrong with you Amelia.” Melissa starts.

“Families are always different than other families. You don’t have a daddy but you got a mommy and a mamma. Other kids might have two daddies.” You explain.

“Ya, and other kids might only have a daddy or might only have a mommy. Or in other cases, different family members taking care of them.” Melissa continues the explanation.

“Well, I’m happy I have two mommies.” She tells you both and you both smile at her.

Melissa continues the drive home while Amelia tells you what else the other kids talked about.

That night Melissa makes a move on you and you giggle at her. “Again? Was this morning not enough?” You asked her.

“It was, but can I not want my wife multiple times a day?” She says and wiggles her eyebrows.

“You can, just surprised.” You tell her and she kisses your neck.

“The twins sleep halfway through the night now which means we got a solid 5 hours until they wake us up.” Melissa tells you as she trails down your body on the bed.

“Hmm, how romantic.” You tease her and she smiles at you before she makes you come three times.

The following week you take Amelia swimming again as Barb and Gerald wanted to spend the afternoon with the twins.

“Are we still going to your family this weekend for July the Fourth?” You ask Melissa on the way to the pool.

“Yep, all my siblings will be there, everyone is excited to meet the twins.” She says and you smile.

You, Melissa and Amelia have a lot of fun at the pool. Amelia splashes both of you, you spin her around in the water and she learns how to doggy paddle.

On July the fourth, the 5 of you go to one of Melissa’s siblings' houses to celebrate Independence Day. Everyone there takes turns holding the twins and talking to Amelia. Amelia plays with some of her cousins while you and Melissa talk to Melissa’s siblings.

When you get home, you put Amelia to bed while Melissa feeds the twins before putting them to bed. She meets you in bed when she’s done and then the two of you snuggle and fall asleep immediately.

You wake up suddenly from a nightmare and Melissa is looking at you with a worried face. “Amore, are you alright? You were starting to scream.” She asks you.

“Uh ya ya, just a nightmare. I’m sorry I woke you up.” You tell her.

“It’s alright Amore, I just want to make sure you’re alright.” She says full of love and you smile at her. You lean into her and she wraps both arms around you in a side hug and kisses your forehead. She notices your worry of falling asleep again so she starts humming softly and you fall asleep in her arms and she falls asleep after you.

The next day you hug her from behind while she’s cooking breakfast for the 3 of you. She smiles softly at you and leans into your touch.

“Well this is a nice surprise, morning Amore.” She says.

“Morning beautiful.” You tell her and she blushes. “9 years we’ve been together and 5 years married and I still have the ability to make you blush.” You tell her proudly.

“You know you’ll always have the ability to do that.” She says and scoops the omelette onto the plate next to the orange slices. She then turns around to face you and wraps you in a hug. “Happy Anniversary Amore!” She says

“Happy Anniversary.” You tell her and she gives you a passionate kiss.

“Ew!” You both hear and then look to see Amelia standing there with a weirded out look.

You smile at each other and then bring breakfast out for the 3 of you while the twins are in their playpen.

“Tesoro, you’ll be spending the day with Grandma and grandpa today, and the twins as well.” Melissa tells her.

“Not with you?” Amelia questions.

“No, me and mommy are going to be spending the day with each other. We got married 5 years ago today, so we’re celebrating that.” Melissa explains and Amelia just nods and digs into her eggs.

You’re giggling as Melissa is kissing your neck and pinning you to the wall. You just got home from dropping your kids off at your parents house and Melissa is immediately on you.

“9 years I’ve been worshipping this body and I love seeing it everytime, you’re so beautiful.” She tells you as she puts her hands under your shirt. “I feel like I can never get enough of you.” She says with almost a growl to her voice. She then picks you up bridal style and carries you to the bedroom.

“Ah” You scream out as it took you by surprise and then giggle at her eagerness. “Major Deja vu.” You say as she places you on the bed and she winks at you.

She then takes your shirt and bra off, climbs on top of you and attaches her mouth to a nipple and you buck your hips and moan.

“I love it when you moan, my favourite music.” She says as she goes to the other nipple and gets the same reaction from you. You reach for her shirt and immediately take her shirt and bra off and she smiles at your eagerness. “So eager for my chest I see.” She teases and you nod.

“You know how much I love it or how much I love them.” You say as you place your hands on her boobs and she kisses you.

She places her body right on yours as she kisses your neck. You wrap your arms around her neck and legs around her waist. She makes sure to leave a few hickeys on your neck, she knows you love hickeys and she loves claiming you as hers, win-win.

She can’t wait any longer and takes your pants and underwear off at the same time and stares at you bare underneath her. “Hm Mia Principessa.” She tells you. “What do you want today? Tongue, fingers or strap?” She asks as she runs her fingers through your folds and you buck your hips. “Or all 3?” She adds and you think about it for a second.

“All 3.” You say and she smiles. She places herself in between your legs on her stomach and wraps her arms around your thighs. She dives to your pussy and runs her tongue along your folds before sticking her tongue in your entrance. You moan out as she runs her tongue all over and gasp when she slips into your entrance. She pumps her tongue in and out of you a few times before she moves her tongue to your clit. You grab her hair, moan out and buck your hips when she does. She pins you down with her left hand and with her right hand she sticks her middle and index finger in your entrance. “Omg Mel! That feels so good!” You gasp out as she pumps in and out of you.

“And you feel so good around my fingers, it’s just sucking them in, always wanting me.” She hums out when she pulls away from your clit to speak. She goes back to sucking and licking your clit and you get closer and closer to an orgasm.

“Mel, I’m so close!” You cry out and she speeds up her tongue and fingers, giving you permission to come. You come immediately and she slows down her movements and then pulls out of you and pulls her mouth away as well. While you come down from your high, she goes to the closet to retrieve the strap and puts it on. She walks back over to you and tells you to get on your hands and knees. You obey and get on all fours and then she gets on the bed behind you.

She runs her hands up along your back and over your ass, she loves the feel of your body and the fact that she gets to call you hers. She goes to your clit and rubs it a bit to make sure you get wet enough and then goes to feel your entrance. “Sei Mia Amore.” She tells you and you whine. You love it when she talks to you in Italian and love it when she calls you nicknames and tells you you’re hers.

She lines the strap up with your entrance and pushes it in. You moan out as you feel it fill you and she slides it all the way in. She gives you a second to adjust then begins pumping it in and out of you. She then puts a hand on your chest and brings you up so that your back is against her chest and you’re only on your knees. She places her hands on you, one on your breast and the other on your stomach. She continues pumping in and out of you and then places a hand on your clit and begins rubbing it. You are moaning and gasping against her and you start bucking your hips as you’re close. You reach behind you and place a hand in her hair.

“I know you’re close baby but I need you to hold it for a bit.” She tells you and you whine.

“Mel please, I need to come.” You tell her as she sucks on your neck and you moan. Your legs were getting shaky and the over sensitivity from holding it was getting to you.

Melissa was getting close to coming as well and wanted to come together. “Ok baby, come, come with me.” She says and you immediately let go and come for the second time today, Melissa immediately comes after you and she stops her movements. She pulls out of you and takes the strap off as you lay down on the bed. She lays down next to you after cleaning you both up and wraps an arm around your waist. She tucks the loose strands of hair that’s in your face behind your ear and gives you a kiss on your forehead. “Happy Anniversary Amore Mia.” She says softly and you smile at her.

“Happy Anniversary honey.” You tell her and she gives you a kiss.

The two of you continue to celebrate your anniversary together by going out to a restaurant on a date. You have a wonderful time together, just the two of you before you pick the kids up from Barb after supper time.

“Were they ok?” Melissa asked Barb as you grabbed the bags of stuff for the kids.

“Oh they were angels.” Barb says. “I absolutely adore your kids.” She adds and then pulls Melissa to her and whispers so you wouldn’t hear as you’re saying hi to Amelia. “I’m proud of you Melissa. You’ve come a long way from when I first met you, and you’ve built a lovely family.” She tells her best friend and Melissa blushes and smiles.

“Thank you. I’m very happy with my life. I have the most amazing wife and kids I could ever ask for.” She tells Barb and Barb smiles at her. You finish saying your goodbyes to Barb and Gerald and then you take the kids and strap them in the car. Melissa gets Amelia strapped in while you do the twins.

“Mamma guess what?” Amelia asks Melissa.

“What’s up my little Tesoro?” Melissa asks as she finishes with the straps.

“Auntie Barb taught me the alphabet.” Amelia says proudly and Melissa gasps.

“No way!” Melissa replies to her and then Amelia proceeds to sing the alphabet song.

“Now I know my ABC’s, next time won’t you sing wit me.” Amelia finishes and she missed about 5 letters but Melissa kept that to herself.

“Wow Tesoro! You did amazing!” Melissa congratulates her and Amelia smiles at her proudly.

The next day Amelia is playing with the twins as she barely knows them and she’s confused as to why they don’t know certain things. You’re sitting next to them on the floor, playing with sound books with the twins and Amelia.

“Mommy, how come they can’t talk or walk?” Amelia asks you.

“Because they haven’t learned to yet. When you were their age you couldn’t walk or talk either.” You explain to her. Melissa comes up behind you and joins you all. She hands Amelia a plate of her favourite fruits and vegetables for a snack as it’s lunch time and she wraps her arms around you and rests her head on your shoulder.

“Momma, awe you tiwed? I lay my head on mommy’s shouldew when I’m tiwed.” Amelia asks Melissa.

“I’m not tired, my little Tesoro. I’m just happy being near mommy.” She tells Amelia and you smile softly at her. Amelia happily eats her blueberries and cherry tomatoes that Melissa prepared on the plate, as well as carrot and banana slices. “I wonder if they’re teeth are showing yet.” Melissa says about the twins. “They started teething a couple weeks ago right?”

“It was a month ago and yes they’re coming in, why do you think I’m not breastfeeding anymore.” You joke and she laughs.

“Imagine all the meals I can make everyone.” She says and hums.

“The fact that you can only cook for 12 will come in handy.” You tell her and her smile widens.

“No it’s mamma.” Amelia says to the twins.

“Ma!” Caterina says as Amelia gets annoyed and Nico is just focused on the book.

“They’we not saying it wight.” Amelia complains to you both.

“They’re just babbling Tesoro, they don’t know what they’re saying right now.” Melissa explains to her.

“Remember when Amelia said her first word?” You tell her and she groans.

“Yes, I might have overreacted.” She admits and you chuckle.

“Might have?” You question and she hides her face in your chest.

“Ok I did.” She whines. You pat her head and run your fingers through her beautiful ginger locks and she hums softly. “Hm I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“Mamma.” Nico says and you both turn to look at him.

“He finally said it wight.” Amelia tells you both as she points to Nico. You both smile at the scene in front of you and kiss Melissa’s head.

“Yes he did Tesoro.” Melissa tells Amelia.

A few days later you return home with Amelia from the store and Melissa is feeding the twins applesauce for lunch.

“What do you want for lunch Amelia?” You ask her as you bring the groceries in to the kitchen. Amelia following behind you, carrying the loaf of bread.

“Um, PB and J!” She says and you smile at her.

“You had that yesterday. Is it your favourite?” You ask her and she nods. Melissa comes into the kitchen with the empty applesauce containers and throws them in the trash. “We got a PB and J lover here.” You tell her and she smiles at Amelia.

“Oh really? Are you having it for lunch?” She asks Amelia and she nods.

A couple days later…

“Come on open wide.” You tell Nico. You’re trying to feed them dinner while Amelia is watching Melissa cook from the kitchen counter. Nico refuses to eat anything right now and you huff. “What about an airplane?” You ask and proceed to do airplane. He still won’t eat anything and you give up. “Mel?!?” You call out to her and she peaks her head out of the kitchen a few seconds later.

“Yes Amore?” She asks.

“Nico won’t eat anything. It’s like he’s on an eating strike.” You say with a huff and she chuckles.

“How about we put some of the dinner in the blender and try feeding it to him? It’ll be done in a couple minutes.” She suggests. “I mean it’s about time they try my cooking anyway.” She adds and you laugh.

“Worth a try, no one ever refuses your cooking.” You say as you go to put the barely touched food jars away.

Melissa finishes cooking the food and she puts some in a bowl to give to you to put in the blender. She gets the plates ready and on the table while you finish blending the food and putting them back in the bowl to give to Nico. You sit down with the bowl and put it on the table and you take one scoop of it and bring it to Nico’s mouth. To your surprise he takes a bite and swallows it.

“Like you said, no one ever refuses my cooking.” Melissa says proudly as she gives Amelia a bite of food and you roll your eyes.

*one week later *

“So Amelia and the twins will be in the same room right? Just in a different section.” Melissa asks the daycare worker.

“Yep, your twins will be in the baby section there.” The worker points to a section of the room. “And Amelia will be in the toddler section over there.” He adds and points to a different side of the room. “That way we have all kids in one room but split into different age ranges so the kids can play with others their own age.”

“Ok. I guess this is where all 3 of them are going now, starting next month.” Melissa tells you and you nod. She sighs and you wrap an arm around her waist.

“I think they’ll love it here. I know it’ll be hard like it was for Amelia but I’m sure it’ll be great.” You say with a smile and she smiles back at you.

“You’re right, I know it’ll be alright but like you said, it’s hard.” She says and you give her a kiss. “Where do we register them to go here?” Melissa asks the worker.

A week later you’re celebrating Mel’s birthday and you have your coworkers from school and your families over to celebrate. It was a barbecue as it was what Melissa wanted and a few of her siblings took charge with the cooking. They all sang happy birthday to her with the cake that Amelia loved eating. After it was time to open presents and she got Amelia to sit on her lap and help her open gifts.

She eventually got to your gift and you signed all 3 of the kids names there as well. You got her a new pots and pans set as she started complaining that it was time for new ones and she smiles widely at it. “Omg you got the exact set I wanted! Thank you Amore!” She says and gives you a kiss.

The rest of the summer is spent bringing them to the park to get the energy out and socialise with other kids, going to the pool as Amelia loves to swim, going on picnics and overall just spending time as a family before school starts again.

On the evening of the last day, you and Mel are going around and making sure everything is prepared for tomorrow.

“You have the lunch for Amelia ready to go and the blended ones for the twins?” You ask her.

“Yes, it’s in the fridge.”

“And you put the teething rings in their bag?”

“Yes, I did earlier.”

“And you put Amelia’s stuffy in her bag?”

“Yes Teddy is in there.” Melissa can see you on the verge of a panic attack so she intercepts before you start. “Amore, everything is good to go for tomorrow.” She begins and holds your hands. “Like you told me last month, they’ll love it there and everything will be alright.” She tells you and you nod.

“Ok ya, you’re right. Everything will be alright.” You say and she places a kiss on your forehead and you let out a breath.

“Now, both Amelia and the twins are asleep, I suggest we get some too before they wake us up in a few hours.” She jokes and you giggle.

“Ok, I love you.” You tell her while looking into her eyes. She cups your cheek with a hand and looks back into your eyes.

“I love you too Amore.” She tells you, and you both get ready for bed and then fall asleep with you safely wrapped in her arms.

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[agerefandomstuff]

Your Soldier Boy fic made me wish I was Butcher’s little sweetheart 😭 he’d be such a funny caregiver!!

Request for Butcher x Reader caregiver? Maybe catching them slipping during a mission and taking care of them when they get back home 🥺

Can be gender neutral or fem leaning, up to you 🥰

um.. this might be a long one that got more focused on the first part "slipping on a mission" then the second part. but um........please, I hope it feeds you a little.

Title: Bad Time to Slip

Word Count: 3550

Description: Y/n is beginning to slip when youre suppose to be on mission. Sure it wasnt the most dangerous mission but you feel an obligation to do it even when things go wrong, like you starting to regress, which only makes you feel worse. Butcher is a little slow to catch on too focused on finishing the job. but one thing is for sure, even if he has the grace of Bambi on ice, he is your daddy.

Cw: -cussing.

-Semi-cannon compliant Butcher being a bit crude and kind of putting his goals above others.

-The Boys world in general needs its own warning.

It was suppose to be an average mission. Well average for them anyway. Go into the supes only nightclub, get evidence that there was an illegal V distribution ring in the basement, get out, meet daddy in M.M.’s car–NOT daddy. This was not the time for daddy talk! Yet it was all you could think of as you waited anxiously in line, shifting from foot to foot as you held your forged invite and ID. You were Emma Bunton tonight while Hughie was Mel C, names courtesy of Butcher’s humor and adoration for the Spice Girls. You only hoped the security guard wasn't as big of a fan as he was or didn't get paid enough to care about such obvious fake names. 

Hughie bumped your shoulder and attempted to give you a reassuring smile, although his resting anxious face didn't exactly fill you with the warm and fuzzies. In fact, you and Hughie’s nerves were palpable even over the hidden earpieces and through the grainy video feed Butcher and M.M. were keeping an eye on you both over. 

“The way they both manage to rile each ova up you'd think they were in line for the gate o’hell ta meet the big man ‘imself. Christ.” Butcher shakes his head wanting to be in disbelief at the two of yous’ terrible nerves but honestly after knowing you both this long it wasn’t that much of a surprise. More aggravating than anything.

“They haven't even said anything to each other or gotten inside and they're already gonna blow it. We gotta call it.” M.M. reached out to unmute the microphone ready to call you both back in and abandon the mission for the night but Butcher’s hand casually covered the button first, blocking him. 

“Now now.. Hold y’horses. Let's ask em if dey’ll ‘andle it.” Butcher leaned closer to the microphone and pressed the button,speaking in your ears.. “Y’both look like y’bunch of lil scared shitless kids goin ta their first peepshow. Y’both been through worse shite. So wouldja both quit bein a couple o’ sniveling twats or does daddy need ta come handle it for one of ya’s?”

Daddy.

There it was again. 

He hadn't even meant it like that. He didn't know you couldn't get the thought of being cuddled up on the couch against him watching one of the shows you liked to watch and he liked to pretend got on his nerves instead of waiting in line for half an hour while freezing your toes off as the supes around you talked about things that made your skin crawl. Oh how you were thinking of slipping into comfort clothes–or even settling for Butcher’s! One of his sweaters that had mystery stains in it and smelled like nicotine or a button up with one of the cheesy prints he liked that also carried its own very… unique scent to it. Not your current outfit that made you uncomfortably aware of every knot and stitch in the fabric that rubbed you raw or how your toes felt just a little too squished in your shoes. You would take any of his stinky clothes or his stinky couch or his entire stinky self over this stupid mission right now!!

“Ah I um.. I don't know how you feel but I–” You had opened your mouth to tell Butcher that you couldn't do it today. You were giving up on today’s mission because you were slipping and you needed time to get back in the right headspace so you wouldn't muck up the mission today. But.. Hughie had beaten you to it, stumbling over his words as he started to respond to his earpiece only to remember he needed to phrase it as if he were having a conversation with you. “I– um I mean– Annie texted and said I have to go. Sorry!”

You stood there looking at him dumbfounded as he turned in the line and awkwardly pushed his way out of the crowd of people, retreating back to the van and effectively leaving you alone and only a few people from the entrance.

“Oh bollocks.” Butcher grumbled under his breath, seeing you stand there like a sad little guppy in a sea of predators immediately made him turn around and pull his overcoat on. 

“Woah– what? What exactly do you think youre doing?” M.M. asked, shocked but not getting in the way of the man as he tugged out their collection of fake IDs, spending a whole few milliseconds to make sure he grabbed one that would work.

“What’s it look like Beautiful? I just got tagged in.” Butcher shoots him a quick toothy grin, forever seemingly unphased by the world, before hopping out of the back of the van, leaving M.M. to deal with closing the door while he saunters around the building. He claps Hughie on the shoulder as they pass by each other, giving him an apathetic smug look. Which Hughie desperately wanted to take as there being no hard feelings about him suddenly dropping out, but his anxiety made him look over his shoulders a few times as he joined M.M. as if he expected Butcher shoot him in the butt or something while his back was turned. 

All your feelings on the other hand had plummeted to your feet, leaving you frozen in place until someone shoved you forward and forced you to keep following the moving line. As your eyes stayed glued to the six armed man in front of you, it felt like not only did the line seem to be moving much more quickly than it had when you had a partner, you also felt like you were suddenly much… much smaller than before. Everything seemed too big and towered over you. Moments ago you were beside a regular building with other adults roughly your height–Hughie, the stringbean, and a few height enhanced supes being the outliers of course. But all alone, the lights everywhere were too bright, the streets too noisy, and you felt like even the red rope keeping the line neat was taller than you. One more shove to keep you walking might just cause you to fall right under someone’s shoe to get stepped on like some tiny bug. 

You really wish you’d spoken up faster than Hughie. But.. someone had..to do the mission… and you couldn't let the team down…

…..Also how could you possibly ever get out of this crowd now without an adult to guide you through?

You were way too small to do it by yourself. Surely you'd get lost or stepped on or one of the bad supes might pick you up and take you home and do all the terrible things daddy says they’ll do to sweet little kids like you!

As your mind spiraled with regression-brain-fueled fears another hand suddenly clapped onto your shoulder making you jump, apologies tumbling from your mouth as you assumed you were getting pushed for the line moving again. 

“Woah– woah now. Hold on jus’ a minute, doll. Came t’make sure y’alright afta y’buddy bailed. I don't need t’hear any sorries,” Instantly at the sound of Butcher’s crass tone your mouth stopped and your head snapped up to meet his face. You're not sure you'd ever been so relieved to see his scruffy beard before. The tears that were threatening to well up in your eyes paused and you quickly jumped on him, arms wrapped around his neck while your face buried itself in the collar of his duster.

You could've sobbed in the relief to have someone here–not just anyone, but daddy come save you from getting pushed around and stomped on from the scary supes. You let out a shuddering breath then took several long deep breaths in, letting his scent mellow out at least one of your overstimulated senses.

“Oh.. di'ja get lonely already?” Butcher teases his tone more gentle as he wrapped one arm around your waist the other lightly patting your back half heartedly returning the hug while still making sure to be keeping an eye on the surroundings since you weren’t. He presses one quick kiss to the top of your head then pulls you back just enough so you couldn't keep hiding against him. “C’mon then. We’re next, love.”

Always more focused on the mission, Butcher got back to business, slipping his hand down to the small of your back to guide you forward while your gaze stayed on his face, fear written over it as you debated on telling him you were slipping. 

“Da–” You started but he tugged your ID out of your hand and offered it over to the security guard that vaguely shined a blue light over both of them then handed them back, jutting his thumb to the door and never once actually looking at your faces. Butcher slips both IDs in his back pocket and with his hand still on your back guides you inside the nightclub, never giving you the chance to even really start on your explanation before you were inside. 

Once inside your brain really started to get overwhelmed, now fighting harder between slipping further and coming back up from all the… adult scenes before you. Your cheeks burned red but the dark lighting accompanied by the random colorful strobe lights hid the most of your embarrassment. Yet it couldn't stop Butcher from noticing how you cringed at the scent of what you could only assume were drugs, liquor, and sweat. Also maybe.. Piss?

Butcher chuckled at your discomfort assuming it was just you being a normal prude like Hughie acted and switched his hand from your lower back to holding your hand, dragging you over to the bar top. “I’ll talk t’miss barkeep whilst you keep an eye out fer any vials bein passed around.”

While you were glad to not get separated with the hand holding it also made you feel vulnerable not having that protective arm halfway around you like your own shield or security blanket. 

So when you neared the bar you used the thick crowd as an excuse to press as close to him as possible, peeking around his shoulder in an attempt to watch as instructed. But everything still felt so big and every time you peeked out your eyes were either met with a sight you weren’t mentally old enough to see or someone with a terrifying physical mutation that only made you think of the Vought+’s horror movie section. 

To make things worse Butcher was progressively getting more irritated with the bartender, his voice no longer as light and playful as it started but more like he was interrogating. Or…. maybe you imagaining that because you were scared and couldn't hear anything very well over the eardrum shattering music.

Getting the tip he wanted, Butcher threw back a glass of whiskey and shuffled you both away from the bar, too focused on his objective again to think much about how you’d practically been hiding under his coat the whole time. Besides, you being cuddled against his chest wasn’t an unfamiliar feeling thus he didn't think he needed to focus on worrying about you too much in the moment. you were tucked against him not causing problems. Being quiet. Being still. Being rather meek and– actually now that he thinks about it– “Y’alri–” Ah. Nevermind that now. There’s what he was looking for.

Moving on while keeping you close against his side like a mother hen in the grocery store, Butcher pushes his way through the people to an unassuming door near the back. A few people had gone inside sporadically since they'd come in and the few that came back out usually either instantly left the club or were proudly rejoining the party with powers that likely were not that strong before they went in. 

You flinch as someone lets out fireworks from their hands above the crowd, forcing Butcher to also stop in place when you grab onto his shirt with one hand and retreat yet again into him. He glances down at you then at the door, M.M. crackling in your ear to ask why you’d both stopped. 

You were so close. He could bust in, crack some heads, take some pictures and vials, maybe even handcuff some people to make Hughie feel like he was learning to be less violent or some shite–

But.. 

M.M. was right to bring up ditching today. as much as he hated to admit it, you just weren't in it today and he should've pulled you as well and just done this himself. He was better off alone.

Ah hell! He's gotten too damn soft in his old age. His moral compass actually made him feel an obligation to take care of you and he couldn't just… force you through this without feeling a bit guilty later.

“Y’ain’t very big ‘bout now, are ya, love?” Butcher lowered his lips to your ear so you could hear him better. Your heart ached at his tone. That was daddy. You knew he knew now. But god you also didn't want him to. You wanted to be big and finish the mission even though everything was so scary right now. After all it was your job and that's what you were supposed to do!

You looked up at him and shook your head a little, your glossy eyes matching your fearful look which easily gave away your lie. “I can help. I can be big. We can finish. G..get the bad guys.”

He cupped your head, lightly petting your hair back, his mind already made up. “No. Y’done, kid.”

Hot tears came fast after that, feeling like you'd let him and the rest of the team down. M.M. confused voice prattling away with questions and concerned assumptions as you continued to plead with Butcher. “But the mission…? It’s not done?”

“Let the grown ones take over, yeah?” Although his inflection seemed to pose it as a question this wasn't an option. He leaned down just enough to hook his hands under your bottom and hoist you up, not having an ounce of difficulty with how often he’d lifted you by now. Yet if this were any other time he would definitely keep pretending like it broke his back to carry you.

“I..I can still help. L-let me help–” You stumbled out desperately, your hands grabbing onto his shoulders for stability as he started to carry you towards the back exit where it would be a shorter walk back to the van, this time being more cautious as he pushed past people so he wouldn't accidently get his baby squished. 

“I know y’can help. I got it.”

“But–”

“I said no.” His tone quickly shut you up, your little mind too afraid of that firm parental tone to go against it right now. You shrunk into him, wrapping your arms around his neck and burying your face in his chest as you tried not to let the tears fall. “Now if y’keep arguin with Daddy yer gonna get a swat ‘long with gettin decommissioned. Undastood?”

“Yes, daddy...” You managed to get out after he carried you outside, all the noise from the club getting trapped inside as the door swung shut behind you, allowing him to hear your pitiful voice. 

Your barely unshed tears weren’t even brought on simply because of getting chastised, you had gotten in trouble before without crying, it was the accumulation of everything and him using that tone was like the final nail in your regression coffin. It’s like he was saying you weren’t allowed to hold off your regression any longer. You were little now and you couldn’t do your big person job and that was final.

You were getting so far into your head trying not to succumb to full blown crying that you hadn't noticed Butcher had been rubbing your back and whispering little reassurances in your ear until he had stopped to put you in the passenger seat of the van. 

Fearfully you clung onto him after he set you down, not allowing him to buckle you in or pull away to shut the door or heaven forbid abandon you when you needed your daddy so so badly. He chuckled a little at the way you grip at his overcoat and whimpered, looking at him like you were the world’s saddest pup. Even Terror couldn’t produce those kind of puppy eyes yet he managed to swindle Butcher out of just about as many treats as you did. 

“I’m comin back. Don’tchu worry y’lil head. Just gotta finish this up, yeah? Then we can head on out, make us a good hot cuppa, an you can cry y’littke eyes out then. I'll even lettcha wipe y’nasty little baby snot on m’favorite sweata, hows about that?” Using as much grace as he always does, Butcher tries to convince you to let go of him, wiping away one of your fallen tears. M.M. shifted impatiently behind him, having gotten out of the van to accompany him back in to finish the mission you couldn't–

“No, daddy, please– it's too much! I need you! The monsters will find me if you leave and they’ll eat me up like you always say and–”

Oooh… there goes karma. Another one of his hilarious lil jokes coming back around to bite him right in the arse. Even M.M. gave him a disapproving look and a “not cool, man.” to which he just shrugged off and ruffled your hair while he tried to think of a way to temporarily fix this while not technically making himself seem like a liar. Kids needed to have a healthy fear of supes anyway, right?

“They ain't gonna eatcha. This ‘ere van is uh… pretty much invisible an so are you. Long as y’stay inside it.” He tugged your hands off his coat, placing them in your lap and holding them there for a few seconds as he continued. “Besides y’got Hughie with you. What’s still scary when y’got him ‘round?”

“Everything! He’s scared of everything too!” Butcher had to press his lips together to not crack up, knowing you were being serious and genuinely afraid. He clears his throat then wipes your tears away again as he takes a step back.

“Right well… you sit tight. An prove t’him it's not all scary.” He stops midway from closing the door, opening it back up to clarify. “An when I say sit tight I mean I don't want those cheeks moving off that seat less ya need ta take a piss. An even then y’do it by the wheels–an we don’t tell M.M. if y’get any on it,” he pauses with a mischievous smirk, pointing at you in a playful warning and a wink, “Then y’plant y’pot back in this here seat. Good?”

You hugged your arms around yourself, unhappy with him leaving but trusting he would be right back like he said. You nodded once, peeking up at him from under your pinched worried brows. With that confirmation, he shut the door and headed back into the building with M.M.

It took them only fifteen minutes to sneak back into the building, cause trouble, get the evidence they needed only to “accidentally” set the building on fire while making their grand escape. M.M. slammed into the driver’s side door in his attempt to get in too hastily, which gave Butcher just enough time to jump into the back with his manic bloody grin–pleased with the chaos since it went his way–before M.M. could put his foot to the floor and peel out of the alley, supes futilely chasing after them on foot. 

After falling on his butt from the initial speed up, Butcher made his way up to the front, he leaned over your seat–which you were gripping onto for dear life–and buckled you in, giving you a mischievously innocent look.

“Y’did good, baby! Y’did good! Look atcha! Still in one piece, no chunks taken out from monster bites, an still in yer seat! Y’made daddy very proud, love.” He pressed a firm kiss to your temple, blood from his split lip leaving a mark on your skin like lipstick but all you took away from it was his affection. 

With one hand still white knuckling your seat for stability as M.M. weaved dangerously through the night’s streets, your other hand reached out for Butcher’s, worry still etched on your face from earlier. He happily took your hand in his and kissed your knuckles, still very much riding the high of kicking scumbag supe ass. 

“Love ya, kid. We’re gonna sleep well tonight.”

“We are?” There was something about his confidence that began to reassure you, making you finally start to relax ironically amidst the most chaotic part of the night.

“Course! How could y’not when y’ll be cuddled up with daddy? I happen t’know someone who’s given rave reviews ‘bout my cuddlin skills.” He winks at you, squeezing your hand for a split second then letting go as M.M. turned without warning, sending him flying back with an amused slew of ridiculously british curses.

[yanderu-deredere]

chew.

★ you get really drunk but that's okay! despite these strangers being a bunch of guys you just randomly met, you trust them! they'd never do anything to you! at least, nothing you don't want!

a/n: was gunna work on the third part of the slasher yanderes but actually the werewolf yanderes did so well that i wrote this dirty rag i pass off as smut instead also lowkey one of my fav yandere blogs followed me becos of the werewolf fic sooo i have to write this LOL

important: for everyone that read the first part, i HEAVILY added some stuff so please re-read that before coming over here and reading this so it makes sense

also also this is the smut scene and theyre all men so please don't be gross in the notes or in my inbox about like butt stuff cus like they're men and they have butts idk what to tell you. one of the warnings is heavy ass play.

and please don't report my post becos that's literally so petty and rude and uncalled for, especially since it's properly tagged and censored (is that the right word? you know what i mean)

part one (bite.) ★ part two ★ (here) ★ extras (bite and chew.) ★ extras (taste) ★ part three ★ (swallow.) ★ part four (digest.)

pairing: poly werewolves x male reader word count: 3589

general warning: reader is cheating, bottom reader has male parts and pronouns, reader is implied to be attracted to both genders, reader is definitely under the influence of alcohol, yanderes may be under the influence of the moon? real wildt, biphobia becos leonard assumed reader is straight, polyam ending (all three with reader)

sexual warnings: very dubious consent, descriptive ass play, leonard is a power bottom, one hard spank, reader is fucked and gets fucked, voyeurism because mel watches a little

You felt yourself start to get sleepy. It only made sense, after all. Your stomach was full, you had your fill of alcohol and, now, you had a great time with your new friends.

Before you could drift off, though, a scene in the movie the four of you decided on caught your eye.

It was some angsty romance about a girl who moved to a new town and was caught between choosing two werewolves or a vampire as a lover. You had heard of it but never really watched it.

You think it was because your girlfriend trashed it all the time?

Shows what she knew since you ended up really enjoying it. The cinematography was great, the actors and actresses were all great and the plot was typical for the genre but still interesting.

What you hadn't expected was that it just had full blown porn as one of the scenes.

You watched as one of the werewolves pushed the girl into the male locker room? Felt illegal but you stored that in the back of your mind. The other werewolf was already in there and caught her.

They sandwiched her in between the two of them and started making out, their hands hurriedly stripping her clothes as she watched them swap spit.

You couldn't help it. There was something about the, emmm, artistic filming of the two rugged men kissing that had your cock twitching in your pants.

With wide eyes, you continued to watch them strip her and start fucking her in the middle of the male locker rooms. Something about marking her as theirs or something? Making her their mate? Covering her in their scent?

This was so wild and what was even more wild was that your cock was steadily getting harder as you continued to observe them basically make a meal out of her body and impale her on their cocks.

You felt a breath against your ear "What, you like?"

You pretty much jumped in your seat, your hand clapping over your ear as you snapped to look at Leonard who smirked wolfishly at you, chuckling at your probably scared expression.

You just scoffed at him, pushing him away "I may have a girlfriend but I'm not blind."

My cock isn't either. You wanted to add. You'd never denied your attraction to men and women. Just because you were with a woman didn't stop you from ogling at men.

"Wait, really." Leonard was leaning against you again, trying to peer at your face to see if you were being serious "I thought you were just one of those poser straight guys that flirted platonically but would go 'Ohh, but like, I'm not gay or anything' and deny it."

You were really offended by his insinuation but decided to give him the benefit of your doubt "It's whatever. I'm attracted to both men and women."

You expected him to leave it at that but, suddenly, he smirked even more, looking quite pleased with himself "Oh, really?"

Then, he took you by the wrist and pressed it to his dick. You could feel it, even over his jogging pants, how hard and stiff and big it was.

He leaned forward, lips ghosting your ears "You know you made it like this."

"M-Me?" Your fingers twitched, unsure whether you wanted to pull your hand away or tease him through his clothes.

You felt his hips jolt up desperately to meet your palm and you looked down to see him tenting. Just seeing how hard he was and feeling it were two different things.

Seeing it and feeling it made it feel more real, made it feel like you should do something about it.

Distantly, you heard Mel say Leonard's name in a warning tone but you were simply too focused on the fact that you gave such a beautiful man like Leonard such an obvious hardon.

Then, Leonard was suddenly growling like an animal and pushing your hand away. You felt both relieved and disappointed, thinking that was that. Maybe Mel didn't want him doing anything?

You were dead wrong. Instead, Leonard was taking off his shirt and kicking off both his pants and his briefs.

"Gods, I've been waiting for your dumb fucking ass to make a move and fuck me all night." Leonard huffed, rolling his pretty blue eyes. "You're just as oblivious as you are gorgeous."

Another distant warning tone from Mel that you would've listened to but you just couldn't find any space in your brain to do anything but watch, mesmerized, as Leonard undressed.

You would take a few more moments to observe how handsome he looked without his glasses if it weren't for the fact that his cock, all pale and pink and girthy, curving up to his belly button, took all your attention.

"Hey, eyes up here, moron." Leonard tried again before kneeling in front of you and, finally, just taking your face into his hands and pulling you into a sloppy kiss.

It was absolutely filthy. His mouth was open, tongue practically fucking your mouth and coaxing your tongue to play, like he was trying to eat you alive or something.

It made you feel so light-headed, like you just couldn't think.

No thoughts passed through your head. You kissed him back. Your brain was empty. He pressed forward and your back bowed, trying to accommodate his body as you guys made out, chest to chest, his cock pressed against your clothed torso.

You could feel the wet spot on your shirt that his pre-cum made.

Then, just as suddenly as he started, Leonard was pulling away. Your eyes were unfocused for a second, like you didn't know where you were, like he sucked out your brain.

The first thing you noticed were how blue his eyes were, almost like they were the sky. They were so clear, so beautiful, just like the rest of him. Then, he was pulling away even more, taking the pillow on your lap with him.

You were still very drunk. Surprisingly, the kiss did nothing to sober you up. So, honestly, your broken train of thought didn't track that he would bend over for you.

In fact, part of you had thought (and slightly hoped) that he would've ripped your clothes off and bent you over.

Instead, he took your pillow and hugged it to his chest as he fisted his cock and bent to show you his cute round butt.

It was an ass you'd more than love to fuck, if you were being honest.

The biggest surprise wasn't his ass, however. A good looking guy like him? It was expected that his ass looked good too.

No, the biggest surprise was what was already in his ass. Nestled between his ass cheeks was a pink glass butt plug in the shape of a rose.

The rose was big enough that it pushed his ass cheeks apart and the glass was translucent enough so you could see the ring of his ass struggle to accommodate the rest of the plug.

You couldn't even imagine how he would've looked like, taking the butt plug in. Or how he would look when you slowly took it out of him.

But, then, you remembered.

You had a girlfriend that was waiting for you back at the bonfire. Or, maybe, not at the bonfire but definitely at home. Or, maybe, not at home because she never liked visiting you at your place but--

It didn't matter. All that mattered was, no matter how shitty she was, you had a girlfriend and fucking Leonard's adorable shapely ass was considered cheating.

"Fuck, c'mon, take it out and just stick your cock in." Leonard groaned, pushing his ass towards you even more. When he did, it made the plug in him stick out a little, pushing it out a little before sucking it back in.

You groaned too, palming your dick through your pants, unsure of what to do. Looking at him like that, watching him desperately holding the base of his dick, offering himself off like he was a man possessed, did something to you.

"I-I can't--" You tried to valiantly say no but he whimpered, all helplessly and soft, like he'd die if you didn't help him out, even just a little.

You sighed before deciding to acquiesce a little by grabbing the base of the toy and slowly pulling it out. You watched as his walls seemed to protest, trying to suck it back in, before finally letting go.

"Please, more." He moaned so prettily when it popped right out, all loud and high-pitched.

You turned to Mel, a look of desperation like he was the only one that could help you. Instead of help, you were met with the sight of Mel cradling Isamu in his lap.

Mel was still fully clothed but Isamu was completely naked from the waist down. Isamu's back was against Mel's chest, his cock in Mel's fist, completely hard, flushing dark brown-red at the tip and leaking so much pre-cum.

You hadn't even realised that the two of them had started getting it on behind you

Just watching them made you dizzy

You didn't think Mel was even paying attention to you for a second but, as soon as your eyes were on them, Mel's eyes snapped to you like he was hyper aware of you and you swore his eyes were glowing.

He was looking at you in a way that made you feel so small, that made you feel like a rabbit in front of a pack of wolves.

And he certainly looked wolfish, the way his sharp teeth marked Isamu's neck up, leaving bruises and bitemarks all over his tan skin, the way his eyes glared, all predator, none of that polite man that welcomed you in his home left.

You felt a shiver go down your spine.

You wanted to run away but you felt rooted in place.

You saw Mel's mouth move but whether he was mouthing something to Isamu or just mouthing at his neck, you couldn't tell. All you could hear was your heart beating in your ears.

From the corner of your eyes, you could see Isamu's hips jerk hard into Mel's fist but Mel's fist was absolutely immovable. HIs entire demeanor seemed unwavering, like a steadfast predator who'd chase you down to the ends of the Earth.

The entire thing both mortified you and absolutely turned you on and you didn't know why.

"Hey! What the fuck! Hello, someone's ass is right in front of you?" Leonard started whacking your thigh with his free hand, his ass wiggling around again as if that would entice you.

You were pulled away from your thoughts and you turned back to him, sigh leaving your lips again. You knew Mel would be no help and Isamu looked like his brain was leaking out of his cock.

"Okay, okay, compromise." Leonard looked at you over his shoulder, desperation clear on his face.

It made him look surprisingly pathetic but also incredibly cute, especially with that adorable red flush to his face and the way he was staring at you with puppy eyes.

"Just the tip. The tip is all I need. Just an inch and I'll jerk myself off." He tried convincing you and, though you knew cheating was cheating, you couldn't help but feel just a bit sorry for him.

At least, it made sense in your absolutely alcohol drunk head.

"Fine." You stood, taking everything from the waist down off and piling it on top of Leonard's things. "Goddamnit, fine."

Leonard practically squealed "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

You nodded, positioning yourself behind him. He whimpered almost excitedly, shifting a little to position himself better. You spread his ass cheeks with your thumbs, testing his ass to see if the two of you needed any lube.

Surprisingly, he'd used so much silicone lube with the butt plug that some of it was still dribbling out.

You moved the head of your cock to press against his ass, pushing it in just a little. And, oh god, did it feel good. Leonard definitely already prepped himself and he was sucking you in so good.

"Shit." You huffed out, eyes screwing shut as you gripped his ass tighter in your hands "Just the tip. Just the tip."

You heard him babble agreements but, honestly, the words you were saying were mostly for yourself.

"Gunna jerk myself off. Gunna cum while I squeeze the tip of your fucking cock." Leonard moaned as he pushed himself back as much as you would allow him "Need you to jerk yourself off too. Need you to cum inside me. Please? Please?"

You nodded, unsure if he was looking at you because you still had your eyes shut. You were sure if you looked at him even a little bit, you'd bust a nut immediately.

You let go of one of his ass cheeks to grip the base of your cock, getting ready to either jerk yourself off or hold it to prevent yourself from coming.

Before you could do either, you felt someone slap your ass. The force of it pushed you forward and you were suddenly bent over Leonard, your cock much deeper into his ass than you were planning.

You moaned, both from the sting of pain on your ass and from Leonard's ass milking your cock. The only thing that prevented the whole thing from going in was your fist.

Hell, the only thing preventing you from cumming was your fist.

"What bad boys, leaving 'Samu out." Mel muttered behind you.

You didn't know what he looked like or what he was doing. You were too busy moaning, your hand on Leonard's ass gripping it like a lifeline, your forehead resting on the nape of his neck.

"Shit, shit, shit." Leonard so eloquently replied, his ass humping back against you "Move, you fuck head! Shit! Ohhh, your cock feels sooo good, baby."

You moaned again, unable to take Leonard's dirty talking in conjunction with his ass just strangling your dick as you tried to stay as still as possible.

As a way to placate him, you shifted your head, your lips brushing against his neck before your teeth nipped at his skin and started leaving hickeys.

"Oooh, fuck, baby." You heard a squirt before, suddenly, Leonard's hand sounded like it was jerking his own cock off with lube.

Was that Leonard's hand? Where'd he get lube?

The thought had barely entered your mind before there was another squirt and then you felt the cold chill of lube between your own ass cheeks.

Wait--

You looked over your shoulder to see Mel, looking down at you with that same piercing gaze in his eyes. This time, his mouth was stretched into a predatory grin, teeth too sharp and mouth too wide.

"Ya' know, 'Samu was feeling lonely." He told you matter-of-factly like that meant something but it wasn't Isamu that was pulling your ass cheeks apart.

Your eyes flickered around and, quickly, you spotted Isamu right beside Mel, cock in his hand, a dark flush on his entire face as he watched you and Leonard, mesmerised by the entire scene.

Before you could ask if you did anything to offend him, you felt one of Mel's thumbs start prodding at your ass and you groaned, your back bowing, your chest pressing against Leonard's chest and your hips pushing forward to get away.

Of course, since your cock was inside Leonard, it meant you were pushing more of it into him. Not that he was complaining. He was just babbling out obscenities, happy to take your cock as he jerked himself off.

"Now, now." Mel licked his lips, pulling you just a tad closer (and making Leonard complain a little) before pushing more of his thumb in "We need to make sure you're properly prepped to take Isamu."

"W-Why?" You stuttered out, cheeks feeling hot at the thought of taking that monster cock in your ass.

That had to count as double penetration and double cheating, right?

"You don't want to help him out?" Mel frowned at you and the disappointment on his face (however fake a part of you said it was) made your heart ache.

So, of course, you nodded and Mel smiled again, all wolfish and mischievous, obviously pleased with your answer.

He slowly fed more of his thumb into your ass, stretching it a bit more and pushing at your walls. You just took it obediently, your hips stilled by his strong calloused hands.

Then, when he thought you had enough of his thumb, he slowly took it out before replacing it with his fingers. That was definitely much thicker.

He started with one, which was easy to take. But then two felt impossible, especially when he started scissoring them, pushing your walls apart and forcing your ass to take it without moving your hips.

You whimpered and whined the entire time.

You think maybe Leonard came sometime while you were getting fingered but also maybe not because he continued fucking his own fist and desperately trying to hump your dick.

You still kept your hand on the base of your cock, trying your hardest to save that last handful of inches as if it would make a difference.

"What a good boy." Mel pressed a kiss to your lower back as he fucked his fingers in and out of you, the squelch of it just as obscene as the way your ass clenched and unclenched around his fingers

Then, finally, he pulled them out and didn't thrust them back in "I think you're ready for 'Samu's cock, don't you?"

You shook your head but you were too overwhelmed to really say anything else. The words just wouldn't come to your head. It seemed they just ignored your silent protest because Mel and Isamu switched spots swiftly.

Isamu put the blunt head of his dick to your ass and, before you could say anything, he was pushing in. And, god, he was absolutely hefty. Your hips were already trying their hardest to push forward, to get away, to do something against the stretch of it all.

"It's okay, you can do it, darling." Mel comforted you, his sticky hand rubbing up and down your back.

Isamu didn't seem to pay you any mind, absolutely enamoured by how your ass felt around him. He just kept going, pushing more and more in.

Probably the only thing stopping him from just pushing it all in one thrust was Mel's other hand on his lower stomach, reminding him to go slow.

Finally, after what felt like forever, his hips met your ass and you didn't feel like your guts were going to come out of your mouth anymore.

You sighed, relieved, only to cry out when you felt him pulling out and it was like he was taking everything with him.

There was another squirt of lube and then the second push in was much smoother but it didn't make it feel any less like he was carving his way into your guts.

"Give him your hand, darling." Mel suddenly ordered you when Isamu's hips met your ass again.

You complied, letting go of Leonard's ass so you could reach behind you and offer it to Isamu.

Isamu took your wrist and gave the inside of it a kiss before biting down. You screamed, of course, but you didn't think he bit hard enough to draw blood.

"I-Isamu?" You whimpered, looking over your shoulder at him with tears prickling your eyes.

Isamu just pressed gentle kisses to his bitemark and apologised. That was when you realised that the embarrassed shy flushed look on his face was gone, replaced with an almost feral determined shine in his eyes.

You couldn't even question him. You couldn't even open your mouth before he was drawing his hips back and fucking you with abandon.

You leaned your forehead against the nape of Leonard's neck again, moans and whimpers and whines leaving your lips as you felt Isamu fuck you with abandon.

Your grip on your cock tightened even more as you felt that familiar coil of heat in your stomach.

Then, without you noticing, you felt someone's lips against your ear. Mel? You couldn't tell, your brain felt like it was melting

"Give me your other hand too, darling."

You obeyed without even thinking and, with one hard thrust from Isamu, you were fully sheathed in Leonard. Immediately, you came spilling into Leonard's ass and Leonard moaned like a porn star when he felt it.

"I-- Hah! Uwah, came! I came! Wait-- I-- Hah, wait-- I, hah--" You panted, huffing and moaning as your toes curled and your body bended, plastering itself against Leonard.

Instead of stopping, Isamu just pressed himself tighter against you until the three of you were as close to each other as could be, Isamu's hips still jack rabbiting into yours, his cock pistoning in and out of you, causing your hips to fuck your cock (which should've been softening but was surprisingly still hard) in and out of Leonard.

Mel smirked, your hand in his, watching the three of you, a satisfied expression on his face. He pressed a kiss to your knuckles before wrapping your fingers around his cock.

Oh, how cute, you couldn't even wrap it entirely around. That was fine, he would come easily around your fingers. Just knowing it was you was enough to make him cum, after all.

Add the fact that now he knew you were theirs? Well, he'd cum in a couple pumps, no problem.

[kallie-den]

Lifestyle Takeover Ch. 1

Mel is tasked with taking down mean, domineering business rival Vivienne Gilbert - who, as it just so happens, is a secret superfan of Mel’s journalist best friend turned pet bimbo, Emma

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---

As she sat outside the CEO of Valeyard Solutions’s office, Mel Adams checked the time on her phone once more and sighed. Supposedly, her host was running five minutes late - this, from a woman who had never been tardy for anything in her life. Making Mel wait was the most transparent power play in the book, and worst of all, it was proving entirely effective at pissing her off.

Really, the whole situation was setting her on edge. An unfamiliar office in an unfamiliar building, opulent yet spartan, and Mel was about to meet one of the most formidable rising stars of the hypnogarch world. A woman who, like Mel, hailed from a social and economic elite who used mind control to leverage and reinforce their power. Only, unlike Mel, this woman had notches on her belt and a fearsome reputation. They were meeting on her turf, too. In hostile territory. Mel was out of her depth.

Which was, of course, the point. This was a test. Mel’s trial by fire, given to her by her parents. To become a fully-fledged hypnogarch, you had to be strong. If you weren’t, your peers would eat your lunch and make you thank them for it while your brains drooled out of your ears.

“Ms. Adams?” said a secretary, approaching and offering a polite little bow. “Thank you for waiting. The CEO will see you now.”

Mel rose from her seat and followed as the secretary led her into the office. She didn’t bother to reply. There was no point, and, like all the others, she gave Mel the creeps. The entire floor was staffed with near-identical women, all of whom wore identical outfits: tiny pencil skirts and tight, white blouses, open to expose cleavage - and all of them had suitable bodies to make the clothes distracting. But more to the point, each one of them had a certain telltale, glazed look in their wide, guileless eyes.

All of the secretaries were completely hypnotized.

It was another typical flex from a powerful hypnogarch. But just like making Mel wait, it was unnerving.

“Melanie Adams,” said the woman behind the CEO’s desk, as they reached her. She smiled a thin smile. “My. I suppose I should be honored.”

It was her. Vivienne Yvette Gilbert. Mel would have recognized her anywhere from all the magazine covers and fawning interviews. She looked just the way she always did in her photos: tall, professional, and classically beautiful, but modest, with her long, tailored suit only just tight enough to hint at the well-honed body underneath. Her auburn hair was tucked back in a neat, disciplined ponytail, and her eyes reflected a keen, vicious intelligence.

Vivienne Gilbert was a business savant, combining old money wisdom with new money ambition, and was, by all accounts, an extremely skilled hypnotist. Her company was taking the corporate world by storm, and the small army of brainwashed secretaries outside attested to her ability to get whatever she wanted from people, by any means necessary.

This was Mel’s test. This was the woman she had to destroy.

“Mel, please,” she offered. “And really, I’m the one who’s honored. Your time is valuable.”

Vivienne nodded graciously, and indicated for Mel to take a seat opposite her. The secretary who had led Mel inside stood at attention to one side, against a nearby wall.

“So,” Vivienne began. Her confidence was supreme. “To what do I owe this pleasure - a visit from the profligate faildaughter of two of high society’s most prominent elite?”

Mel bristled a little, but didn’t let it show in her face. “Curiosity, really. I thought that the two of us might want to get to know each other a little. After all, we’re both from the same generation, right? Just like mine, your parents were-“

“Cut the crap,” Vivienne interrupted with a slicing wave of her hand. She leaned forward. “My time is valuable - more valuable than yours, at any rate - so let’s not waste it. Despite your wasted youth, I’m told that you’ve recently taken a position as executive vice president at one of the family businesses. And recently, shell companies attached to your family have been making aggressive offers to buy out my stake in Valeyard - offers I have declined.”

Mel simply nodded. She wasn’t surprised to learn that Vivienne had figured this much out. Anything less would have been a disappointment.

“You’re here,” Vivienne surmised, “because your mothers asked you to make in-person overtures. They want my Valeyard, and they’ve sent you to persuade me to sell.” She let out a brief, quiet laugh. “Amusing.”

Mel spread her arms. “You’re correct, of course,” she replied. “So far, you’ve rejected all offers. That’s your right. But everybody has their price, even if it’s not monetary. Assurances, perhaps. A position in one of our conglomerates? With Valeyard in the family, we could achieve new levels of market dominance and integration. You could be part of that. You could reap the rewards. Power, prestige - you name it.”

It wasn’t a bad offer - but just as Mel had expected, Vivienne rolled her eyes.

“Sophistry,” the CEO dismissed. “You and your parents simply want to take what’s rightfully mine. You want control - and you want it because you’re afraid. My Valeyard’s quarterly numbers put all of yours to shame. For now, I’m just a good story. A new, rising star. But in a few years, I’ll be knocking at your family’s doors. Challenging your mothers. I’ll be a competitor. A rival. A threat.”

Mel said nothing. She wasn’t wrong.

“Let me make this very clear.” Vivienne smiled a shark’s smile. “I am a threat. You and your mothers are right to be afraid. I’m not willing to be a partner or a pawn, or a… vice president.” She sneered the last two words. “I intend to come out on top. Understand?”

“With respect,” Mel replied, after a moment’s consideration. “Valeyard isn’t exactly rightfully yours, is it? You’ve already shown a willingness to jump ship, given the right opportunity. After all, you didn’t found this company. You simply acquired it. You took advantage of someone else’s capital and someone else’s ideas. Perhaps we aren’t so different.”

Vivienne simply laughed at the provocation. “You really are new to this world, aren’t you?” she mocked. “Yes, I acquired Valeyard. I took it from the original owner. Do you understand what that means? It’s mine. Not hers. Mine. She lacked the strength to hold on to what she’d built, and I had the strength to take it. That’s the very definition of rightful ownership.”

“I understand,” Mel retorted. “And you’ve guided the company all the way to the top of the stock market. Some would say you’ve already proven yourself.”

“Some would say?” Vivienne echoed derisively. “Ridiculous. You’ll have to do much better than that if you expect to convince me. Especially since I suspect that your mothers would prefer I end up much like the original founder.”

“And how’s that?” Mel asked.

Vivienne’s smile grew wider than ever, and she gestured off to one side. “Why don’t you see for yourself?”

Hairs stood at attention on the back of Mel’s neck as she realized Vivienne was indicating the brainwashed, identity-scrubbed secretary who’d led her into the office.

At first, it seemed absurd to believe that such a sharp, entrepreneurial mind could have been so completely blunted. But Mel knew all too well just how far someone could fall given the right kind of treatment, and besides, now that she was looking closely, there was a certain, unmistakably resemblance between the woman standing at attention before her and the woman she’d seen in old photographs when she’d been researching Valeyard’s history.

How long must she have been a mind-controlled thrall by now? Years? It was terrible to imagine - but the worst part was that, even as they were talking about her, the woman’s eyes registered absolutely nothing but blank, blissful, helpless compliance.

For the first time, Mel felt truly intimidated by the task her mothers had presented her with.

“By the time she signed over her company to me, she couldn’t even remember what she was losing.” Mel turned back to Vivienne and saw that she was turning over a pocket watch between her fingers. It was, by all accounts, her preferred instrument of control. “Still, I suppose she’s happy enough - serving me. It’s right where she belongs. Don’t you think?”

Mel just sighed. “I don’t think you intend to seriously entertain any offer I make you.”

“At least you’re smart enough to have figured that out,” Vivienne remarked. She closed her pocket watch and slipped it back into her jacket pocket. “No, I don’t. I just wanted to get your measure. And if you’re the best your mothers can send, well… I’m not impressed.”

“I see,” Mel said stiffly. She stood. “In that case, I won’t take up any more of your precious time.”

“Very gracious.” Vivienne replied contemptuously. She stood too, and indicated the door. “I’m sure you’re perfectly capable of showing yourself out.”

Mel turned, ready to leave. Vivienne didn’t seem to have figured out that Mel had been sent to brainwash her, not persuade her. That was, perhaps, a tiny advantage - but she couldn’t imagine how she might possibly leverage it. She’d seen no hint of any chink in Vivienne’s armor, and given that Mel’s skills as a hypnotist were still developing, she couldn’t see herself winning out in a fair fight. She needed an angle, but there was none.

What did that leave? How was she possibly supposed to win?

At that moment, as Mel was taking her first step towards the door, something happened that caught her attention: her and Vivienne’s phones both buzzed and lit up at exactly the same moment.

Vivienne’s phone buzzed all the time, of course. But for it to happen at precisely the same instant was a little weird. It was as if they had just received the exact same notification. Mel had to assume it was nothing more than a coincidence, but all the same, she found herself glancing at her phone to check.

It was a notification from her girlfriend Emma’s OnlyFans.

Mel didn’t really need to sign up for it - after all, Emma was not only her girlfriend, she was brainwashed to adoringly follow every one of Mel’s wishes. But Mel stayed signed up all the same, both to be supportive and because Emma regularly posted some very, very high-quality content. Despite all the brainpower she’d lost, she was quickly developing her talents as both a model and a photographer. The image set Emma had just posted was particularly alluring: she was dressed, as usual, in pink, skimpy exercise gear, and was in a series of unbelievable poses that perfectly showcased her sluttiness, her flexibility, and her curves all at once. Mel was lucky enough to be able to enjoy that body every night, but even so, it got her just a little hot and bothered.

Quickly, Mel slipped her phone away and chalked the simultaneous notifications up to coincidence. After all, there was no way that Vivienne Gilbert, of all people, was signed up to Emma’s OnlyFans.

Or so she thought, until she looked over and saw Vivienne staring at her screen with a faint but distinct blush in her cheeks.

It still seemed impossible. But suddenly Mel found herself wondering.

“Vivienne?” Mel voiced cautiously. “Is something up?”

“Hm?” Abruptly, Vivienne realized that she was still in the presence of her guest. “No. No, of course not,” she said, a touch too sharply. “But as you can see, I’m very, very busy. Please leave.”

Her tone was off - and more to the point, Mel caught a glimpse of something damning as Vivienne slipped her phone into her pocket.

The OnlyFans logo.

“Of course,” Mel said. “Goodbye.”

She left the Valeyard headquarters with a fresh spring in her step. It had come from the unlikeliest of places, and she still wasn’t sure of her next move, but suddenly Mel had something to work with.

She’d just found her angle.

***

“Hey, Emma? I’m back!”

As soon as Mel stepped into their penthouse apartment and called out to her girlfriend, Emma Park started bouncing toward her with the energy of a golden retriever.

“Babe!” she gushed, as she leapt into Mel’s arms. “Ohmigosh, you’re like, so early!”

Mel couldn’t help but chuckle. ‘Bouncing’ really was the most appropriate term. On top, Emma was wearing nothing but a pink sports bra that was specifically intended to look tight and press her cleavage together while doing absolutely nothing to keep her assets from jiggling up and down as she exercised vigorously for her audience.

Emma Park, exercise bimbo. It was her brand, and she worked it marvelously.

“I just couldn’t stay away,” Mel said brightly. “I love you, Em.”

Emma’s whole face lit up. “I love you too!” she exclaimed, delighted, and started giggling.

As it often did, even after six months, seeing Emma like that did hit Mel with a certain pang. After all, Mel had made her girlfriend this way. Unbeknownst to Emma, Mel had transformed her from a brave, smart muckraker to an airheaded, giggly bimbo. It had been done out of love, because it had seemed like the surest way to save Emma from herself, and from the clutches of the kind of mind controllers she was investigating - but still, it troubled Mel that she’d needed to take from Emma so much of the sharpness and activist passion that she’d always loved about it.

She’d tried to preserve, though, the kernel of all that. Emma’s passion; her energy and drive, her enthusiasm for her work, and her talent for connecting with an audience. It just so happened that, now, all of that was directed differently, at her OnlyFans career instead of investigative journalism. Emma was flourishing in her life: she was hot, successful, popular, healthier than ever - and most importantly of all, happy.

Mel had her pangs of guilt, but making sure the girl she loved was happy and safe was something she would never be sorry for.

“Actually,” Mel said, pushing down on her reflections. “I have an ulterior motive. I’m here because I need to talk to you. I was hoping you could help me out with… with a work thing.”

“Oh, woah,” Emma tittered, dragging Mel over to their couch. “I dunno, I’m not good with all that, like, smart corporate stuff.”

“True,” Mel conceded. “But in this case… look, what if I wanted to track down someone on OnlyFans? Someone who I knew was one of your patrons on there?”

“Oh!” Emma seemed surprised at the question, but her eagerness shone through. “Well, um… do you know, like their username or anything?”

“I’m afraid not,” Mel replied. “I know who they are in real life, and I know - or, at least, I’m hoping - that they’re signed up to support you. I just need to try and dig into that a little more.”

“Hmm.” Emma stood up and started pacing circles around their apartment. It was a huge space - an open-plan penthouse that Mel had lived in alone for years. There had been plenty of room for Emma, and now part of it had been converted to serve as a dedicated exercise area and set. “I dunno… I mean, most people are pretty, like… what’s the word… anonymous?”

“Yeah.” Mel slumped. “Damn. I should have figured.”

“Sooo.” Emma leaned over and peered at Mel. “Who is it, anyway?”

“Vivienne Gilbert,” Mel said. “She’s a big-time CEO,” she added, when Mel gave her a blank look. “It’s for my folks. They want me to… well, to brainwash her somehow.”

She hesitated to mention it to Emma at first. The old Emma wouldn’t have approved. In truth, the old Mel might not have either. She’d always kept hypnogarch power games at arm’s length, but masterminding Emma’s transformation had given her a certain taste for it - a taste her mothers had been eager to help develop. Now, Mel was coming into her own as both a business leader and a mind controller. She was steadily becoming the kind of heir her mothers could be proud of.

But Vivienne Gilbert, it seemed, stood in her way.

“Hmm,” Emma pondered for a long moment. “Well, um… if she’s, like, super-rich, then maybe she’ll be, like… one of the real big spenders?”

Mel’s eyes went wide. Clearly, some of Emma’s old journalistic instincts were still in there - and she’d never been more glad.

“Oh my god!” she cried. “Emma, you’re a genius.”

At that, her girlfriend just giggled.

“Can you show me a list?” Mel asked urgently. “Maybe something will jump out.”

“Sure!”

Emma perched back down on the couch, brought up her OnlyFans on her phone, and, with Mel peering over her shoulder, navigated to a list of her supporters and sorted them by total financial contribution.

The top name immediately stood out. A ludicrously huge tipper - anonymous, but with the email address ‘anon-of@valeyard.com’.

Gotcha. Mel could have danced a jig.

Instead, she reached over Emma’s shoulder and took the phone from her girlfriend’s hands. With manic energy, Mel navigated to what had to be Vivienne’s profile and started looking over her activity history. Not only was she a big spender, she had also left long, enthusiastic comments on every single one of Emma’s posts, including the one Emma had put up during their meeting.

‘Emma!’ it read, ‘my goodness, you NEED to stop distracting me while I’m in meetings… I’m going crazy, this is your best set of pics yet! I know I always say that, but WOW. I’m SOOOO jealous of your mysterious mistress for getting to put her hands all over you all night long. What I wouldn’t do to take her place… she must be quite the woman, I can see that she’s left you with nothing to worry about except pumping reps, draining your brain, and showing yourself off. No worries, no cares, no stresses, just perfect, bimbo bliss. Honestly, I’m a little jealous… but mostly I’m so glad I get to be your no. 1 fan!’

Mel wasn’t one to judge, but she couldn’t help raising an eyebrow. She was having a hard time picturing the icy, vicious CEO she’d just met with saying something like that. The message was gushy, to say the least, but the detail about the meeting all but confirmed Mel’s suspicion about this being Vivienne. More importantly than anything - even her obsession with Emma - Mel detected something crucial in Vivienne’s message. A kind of confused longing, as the CEO described Emma’s ‘bimbo bliss.’ It was enough to make Mel wonder which of them, exactly, the woman was truly jealous of.

Maybe, just maybe, Vivienne Gilbert’s armor wasn’t so impenetrable after all.

And maybe Mel had the perfect weapon sitting right by her side, giggling happily.

“Hey, Emma,” Mel said slowly, as a plan started to form in her head. “What do you say to making a special little thank you video for your number one fan?”

***

As soon as Vivienne Gilbert closed the door to her family’s mansion behind her and felt herself safe from prying eyes, she let her shoulders slump and permitted herself to release a deep, weary sigh. It had been a long day - but then, weren’t they all? - and by the time the last of Vivienne’s engagements had concluded, the sun was long since set. Her staff had retired to their quarters for the night, leaving Vivienne alone to rest for the night.

For five hours - six, if she was really lucky - before she would have to wake up and do it all over again.

When Vivienne had first set her sights on the very pinnacle of social, economic, and mental dominance, she hadn’t quite appreciated how bone-weary the struggle would leave her, day after day. There was no end to it: to the challengers, rivals, competitors and schemers, each one of whom needed to be managed, defeated or subverted as Vivienne climbed her way to the top.

It was a good thing, then, that being in her family’s old home always reignited the flame of Vivienne’s ambition. She remembered it as it had been in her youth: grand, yes, but dark, faded, outdated. Now, thanks to the fortune she had amassed, it had been reborn in splendor. Thanks to her tireless efforts, the name ‘Vivienne Gilbert’ echoed through the corridors of power.

Yes. For this, it was all worth it.

The corners of Vivienne’s lips turned upward in a faint sneer as she remembered how, in their meeting earlier that day, Melanie Adams had tried to draw some kind of comparison between their upbringings. Ridiculous. What would she know? Melanie Adams was the daughter of two prominent, rich, successful hypnogarchs at the top of their game. She couldn’t possibly fathom the kind of scorn that was piled on the daughter of a fading, old-money family being overtaken by a new generation of power-hungry leaders. She had been allowed to laze about for years and take an interest in business and hypnosis when it pleased her, while Vivienne had been orphaned as she’d left business school, and forced to fight alone in the hungry power games that dominated their society in order to secure her position and rebuild her family name.

Melanie Adams couldn’t fathom that kind of drive. She was just another trust fund brat, underestimating her.

But that was OK. It would just make it all the more satisfying when Vivienne ate her mothers’ companies alive and made them beg to lick her shoes clean.

Vivienne smiled ruefully to herself as she let down her long, wavy, auburn hair. Spite was as good a motivator as any. Getting to crush irritating little bugs like Melanie Adams was one of the many pleasures of success. That was, admittedly, a few years away. With her at the helm, Valeyard had taken the corporate world by storm, and was well on its way to becoming a major player, but rapid expansion took time and careful management. For tonight, Vivienne would simply have to find some way to relax in the brief time she could afford before going to bed.

Right on time, her phone chirped with an incoming notification.

When she looked and saw that it was an OnlyFans post, Vivienne’s stomach filled with a delicious, naughty sense of arousal and anticipation. Her OF subscriptions were her guilty pleasure - a secret one, of course. In her line of work, it could be dangerous to let one’s pleasures and proclivities become widely known, which was why Vivienne was always very careful to use a dummy corporate email with no name attached. Valeyard had thousands of employees, and there was nothing to tie her account back to her.

Which meant that, when the mood took her, Vivienne was free to enjoy herself in peace.

Vivienne rushed upstairs to her bedroom, perched on the edge of her huge bed, and opened up OnlyFans. Her wicked excitement doubled when she saw who the notification was from: Emma. Her very favorite. Two posts from her in one day was a rare treat.

The CEO’s eyes widened when she realized that the notification wasn’t a post at all. It was a private message.

‘hiiii,’ it read. ‘hope you’re doing just peachy! I know you’re all anonymous and I like totally respect that! but I also rly rly wanted to do something extra special for my no 1 fan!! so here’s a special private vid nobody else gets to see!!! hope you enjoy it!!! Emma xoxo’

For the first time in Vivienne Gilbert’s life, she felt herself genuinely starstruck. Her heart was pounding, and a giddy, nervous smile came to her face. Her fingertips trembled as she tapped on the screen and downloaded the attached video.

More than once, she’d felt a little embarrassed by how much she’d willingly given to Emma’s OnlyFans. But now, she was nothing but grateful.

Emma wasn’t Vivienne’s only OF sub, but she was by far her favorite. It was difficult to put her finger on why; to Vivienne, Emma was simply perfect. The perfect bimbo. Hot? Yes. Dumb? Yes. Blonde, pink, submissive? Extremely. But beyond that - and beyond any other brainwashed bimbo Vivienne had ever seen - there was something truly, remarkably carefree about Emma. When she giggled, or posed, or exercised for the camera, there was something magical about the way all the old, faded little worry lines in her face completely evaporated, leaving her the very image of mindless, brainwashed bliss.

Whoever her mistress was, they clearly took excellent care of her.

After discovering Emma’s OnlyFans, Vivienne had often considered taking on a bimbo pet of her own. It wouldn’t have been difficult - for a person of her resources and a hypnotist of her talents, there were any number of women who could easily be molded into her ideal bimbo plaything. It might even make a nice change from the identical, obedient secretaries that had become Vivienne’s signature.

But somehow, she just couldn’t bring herself to.

She lacked the time, Vivienne reasoned. Or, perhaps, she didn’t want a distraction from her work. Perhaps she didn’t want her fondness for bimbos to be so easily discovered by one of her many, many enemies. Those were all fine reasons - but they weren’t the real reason. Deep down, Vivienne knew that the reason she loved Emma’s content so much wasn’t because she wanted to own a bimbo like her.

It was because she was ever so slightly envious of her.

Just thinking about it brought a faint blush to Vivienne’s cheeks. It was embarrassing. Mortifying, even, for a woman like her. But in her heart of hearts, she couldn’t deny that there was something appealing about the idea of sinking into that carefree bimbo mindset - of forgetting all the stresses and pressures that accompanied her career, and becoming so dumb and giggly that none of it seemed to matter.

Looking at Emma on OnlyFans made her feel that longing far more keenly, somehow.

It was, of course, a deeply inappropriate and shameful desire for a hypnogarch to entertain. Vivienne had to excuse it to herself as nothing more than an aberration of her psyche; a byproduct of the immense stress she was under, day after day. It had no deeper meaning. It was a fantasy. Nothing more.

And crucially, nobody would ever know.

Safe and secure in that knowledge, Vivienne got comfy on her bed and hit ‘play’ on the video Emma had sent her.

It began with a familiar scene: the set Emma used to film almost all her videos. It was a space in some kind of large apartment, with the floor covered in exercise mats, set against a pink, decorated backdrop. In front of it, Emma stood, and her outfit immediately sent thrilling shivers racing down Vivienne’s spine.

She was dressed up like a cheerleader. That was new.

Emma certainly had the body to pull off the tiny top and scandalous, pleated miniskirt. She was in incredible shape. Her body put Vivienne’s to shame, and that was saying something. Vivienne flattered herself that she looked good. She’d been blessed by genetics, and she incorporated enough exercise into her routine to keep her waist trim and her butt bubbly and shapely. She made sure, of course, to dress with the kind of restraint and dignity that befitted her station, but she’d often found it useful to be able to distract the eye of a prospective rival with a hint of her shapely legs or prodigious cleavage. All the better to lull them into a trance.

Emma, though? She was simply in a different league. All the time and effort she spent working on her body really showed.

One more thing to be envious of.

“Hiiii,” Emma squealed gleefully on the video, with a little bounce that was hot and adorable in equal measure. “Wow! I just, like, love getting to say hi to my number one fan! You’ve given me so much, I really just wanna give you a little gift in return. As, like, a thank-you!”

Vivienne found herself surprisingly flustered. She’d never dared hope for even this level of personal attention from her idol.

“You’ve been cheering me on soooo much, all this time,” Emma went on. “So I figured, maybe I should do a little cheering for you? That’s… um… it’s… irony? I think?”

She giggled. Vivienne did too.

“You must really super like me.” As she spoke Emma bent down and picked up a pair of pom-poms that had been resting at her feet, one in each hand - pink, of course. “I’m, like, totally flattered. Sorta makes me wonder… why? Like, how come you like me so much?”

Already, Vivienne was mesmerized. Emma just looked so good. She made a mental note to reply to the bimbo’s message and explain every little thing she loved about her.

“I mean, obviously I’m, like, so pretty and hot.” Emma struck a little pose. Vivienne purred appreciatively. “But, maybe it’s something more than that?” She giggled. “I dunno. I guess I’m not smart enough to figure out stuff like that.”

Her mindless, carefree laugh washed over Vivienne like a warm, calming ocean tide. Yes, this was the perfect way to relax after a long day.

“Anyway!” Emma made a little show of bending this way and that, stretching and warming in. In the process, her pleated skirt rode up over her ass and hips, giving Vivienne quite the eye-candy to enjoy. “Here I go!”

Vivienne was holding her phone closer and closer to her face. She didn’t want to miss a thing. Already, her body was buzzing with pleasant arousal. Seeing Emma giggle and trip up on her words and bounce around always did it for her, and the CEO was becoming more and more aware of the pent-up need that had been building inside her all day. Her hand started to stray down, toward the hem of her pants.

Abruptly, music started to play. Not a soundtrack, added in post. This was playing out loud on Emma’s set - a bright, upbeat pop track that immediately had Vivienne tapping her fingers along with the rhythm. And then, Emma started to cheer.

“One! Two! One! Two!” Emma sang, each one of her words punctuated by motion: a sway of her hips, a motion of her pom-poms, all perfectly in time with the music. “Emma’s the only one for you!”

Vivienne giggled. It was a perfectly cute, silly little chant for a bimbo like Emma. And, she supposed, it wasn’t far wrong.

“One! Two! One! Two! Emma’s the only one for you!” Emma repeated, still dancing. As she bounced up and down, the way her big, bimbo tits bounced beneath her hopelessly inadequate top was mouth-watering. “One! Two! One! Two! Emma’s the only one for you!”

She kept chanting it, over and over, each word inflected with pure, giddy eagerness. Vivienne was utterly captivated. It was so enchanting to think that this video was just for her. For no one else. As she watched, Emma’s ditzy chant quickly started to worm its way into the CEO’s head. Something about it was infectious. It occupied her attention so completely, she failed to notice the deep, echoey, binaural tones that were slowly creeping into the music.

“One! Two! One! Two! Emma’s the only one for you!” Emma paused briefly to catch her breath. Her cheeks were flushed and her forehead was shining with sweat, and she was all the more attractive for it. “Hey, why don’t you, like, chant along with me?”

Vivienne rolled her eyes. She couldn’t imagine herself doing something like that. But all the same, the suggestion made her slip her hand down into her panties. She was already turned on.

“Oh, wait! That would be silly.” Emma giggled. “It would have to be, like…” She started bouncing to the music again. “One, two, three! One, two, three! Emma’s the only one for me!”

Vivienne shivered rapturously as she drew a finger across her sensitive lips, and grinned wider than ever. Emma’s new chant, with its energetic triple beat, was quickly proving to be even more of an earworm.

“C’mon!” Emma urged, after a little more cheering. “Give it a try? For your fav little bimbo?”

She made the cutest, poutiest face Vivienne had ever seen, and even the hard-hearted CEO couldn’t bring herself to refuse. In truth, she was already half-murmuring along to the silly little rhyme.

“One, two, three,” Vivienne said out loud, keeping time with Emma as the bimbo started chanting again in the video. “One, two, three. Emma’s the only one for me.”

She let out a bashful little laugh. There was nobody around to hear, but all the same, the cheer made her feel self-conscious. It wasn’t all bad, though. When was the last time Vivienne had been able to do something so frivolous?

“Yay!” Emma cried. Vivienne had to remind herself it was just a recording. Clearly, Emma had anticipated her participation. “See? Isn’t this fun?”

As Emma kept cheering - and Vivienne along with her - the CEO was forced to admit that it was. There was something disarmingly simple and joyful about the chant. Already, Vivienne could feel weight being lifted from her shoulders. When she focused her mind on the words, the rhythm, the rhyme, it made it all the easier to forget about the stresses of her daily life.

“One, two, three. One, two, three. Emma’s the only one for me.”

Vivienne kept going, and her mood kept brightening. Each word of the little cheer bounced into the next, carried by the tempo of the music, and any brief pause that might have led to stray thoughts was instead occupied with staring at Emma’s gorgeously toned body as the bimbo jumped and pranced for Vivienne’s entertainment.

Vivienne felt something wet on her chin, and realized she was actually drooling over her. That should have been embarrassing, but somehow she was beyond that, struck with a giddy, infectious enthusiasm that left her uninhibited and euphoric about everything.

“One, two, three. One, two, three. Emma’s the only one for me!”

Her chanting steadily picked up in volume and enthusiasm. Vivienne was slipping further and further into the right mood for it. More and more, she felt oddly like she was really there with Emma, dancing with her, imitating her. Maybe it was just how close she was holding her phone to her face. She felt like Emma’s bimbo-themed home gym was all around her. Her vision was starting to blur from how focused she was - or was it something on the video, instead? Some kind of compression artifacting that manifested as sweeping, spiraling patterns, prickling in and out of existence around the edges of the frame?

Vivienne wasn’t sure, but she couldn’t bring herself to look away and check. She didn’t want to miss a single moment of Emma’s video.

“One, two, three! One, two, three! Emma’s the only one for me!”

She was so relaxed. Perfectly relaxed. It was blissful. And as Vivienne’s muscles gradually let go of all the tension she’d been carrying around, waves of pleasure and arousal started to course through her body. Between her legs, her pussy, dripping on the bedsheets beneath, demanded more and more attention. Vivienne started moving her fingers faster and faster - stroking her cunt in time with the music, in fact.

It felt incredible. This was exactly the relaxation she had been craving. The pleasure was washing away all her stress. Vivienne longed to sink deeper into it, to luxuriate in it - safe in the knowledge that she was anonymous to Emma. Her fingertips dipped inside her cunt, and her chants turned into moans.

“One, two, three! One, two, three! Emma’s the only one for me!”

“You know,” Emma said, dropping her chant. Vivienne kept it going. “Cheering like this makes me feel so, like, happy, y’know?”

Vivienne nodded as if Emma could see her. She was so lost to pleasure, she failed to realize the absurdity of that.

“Just… kinda bubbly and silly and fun!” Emma struck an adorable pose. “Like… I don’t even need to worry about thinking for myself!”

The pose flipped up Emma’s skirt, and Vivienne gasped pleasurably as she saw that Emma was naked beneath the skirt, and dripping down her sculpted thighs.

“It’s just perfect!” Emma exclaimed, giggly. “Totally perfect for a bimbo like me, anyway. Not having to think feels, like, sooooo good.”

Vivienne just nodded again. That sounded just right to her. Still, she was moaning the dumb cheer Emma had given her.

“One, two, three! One, two, three! Emma’s the only one for me!”

“It’s so much better this way.” Emma’s hand drifted down, stroking over her midriff, reaching for herself in unmistakable arousal. “No silly worries… no silly cares… I’m wayyy too dumb for that now.”

Once more, Vivienne nodded eagerly and moaned her new mantra. It sounded so good. So blissful. Vivienne could only fantasize about what it might be like to live in such a permanent state of dumb, horny euphoria.

“All I have to do,” Emma half-moaned, half-giggled, “is look hot, and listen to the music, and shake my pretty little ass for my owner!”

It all sounded so right. More and more, as she succumbed to a pleasure-drunk trance, Vivienne felt as though she could hear other things, too. Other lyrics, buried in the music, barely audible, but layered, so that they flowed into her brain without resistance. That should have been a red flag, but her defenses were down. With each beat, Vivienne’s fingers pumped in and out of her needy cunt, driving more and more of her rational thoughts out of her head.

“One, two, three! One, two, three! Emma’s the only one for me!”

Vivienne’s voice was filled with more joy and enthusiasm than ever, but she was losing the rhythm as heaving moans robbed her of her breath. Her pleasure was cresting, driven by the merciless pumping of her fingers. When the orgasm hit her, Vivienne screamed and thrashed, but even then she didn’t stop cheering. She couldn’t. The music drove her onward, as did her endless craving for the empty, bimbo bliss Emma’s words suggested. She just kept muttering, over and over, in a ceaseless, mindless drone.

“One, two, three! One, two, three! Emma’s the only one for me! One, two, three! One, two, three! Emma’s the only one for me! One, two, three! One, two, three! Emma’s the only one for me!”

She didn’t stop, not even after her orgasm faded. Vivienne even kept touching herself, keeping her pleasure at a roiling boil, driving herself onwards towards the next peak. The music demanded it, and so did Vivienne’s own, insatiable arousal. Nothing had ever felt as good as this. So, she just kept chanting, and touching herself, and working herself even deeper into an eager, compliant trance.

“OK!” Emma announced on the video abruptly, in her giggly, bimbo drawl. “I think that’s enough fanservice from me. But… if you’re really my number one fan, you wanna know what I’d really like you to do?”

Vivienne was just barely conscious enough to nod.

“I want you,” Emma giggled, “to go back to the start of this video, and, like, watch it all over again from the start! M’kay?”

There was no question of doing otherwise. Though her hand was trembling with aftershocks of pleasure, Vivienne managed to use her thumb to scroll all the way back to the start on her phone. At once, it began to play again.

“Hiiii,” the recorded Emma said. “Wow! I just, like, love getting to say hi to my number one fan!”

For hours, until exhausted sleep finally claimed her, Vivienne watched the video over and over again, looping it each time as Emma instructed. Each time, she kept chanting and kept touching herself, conditioning herself to accept all the pleasure Emma’s message offered, bringing herself to orgasm after orgasm, and etching all the subliminal, hypnotic suggestions buried within the video into her brain.

—

I would like to express my gratitude for the generosity of all those who  support me on Patreon, and to give a special thanks to the following  patrons in particular for their exceptional support:

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Finally, special thanks to Neana for commissioning this story!

[redwayfarers]

not to me, not if it's you

wayfarer. mc/melchior larkspur. set post game. gen, 1,7k words.

Settling down is not a new practice for Melchior. He did, long ago, many a time; he welcomed family and descendants that way too. It is not a bad thing, everything considered. He’d simply forgotten the little details of it. Thankfully for him, he now has someone to pass his knowledge to and thus revise. 

As to the receptiveness of his pupil, well, he cannot say there’s nothing to be desired. It’s hardly Cassander’s fault, though. Being born magiani in a world and a culture that despites your very existence does not yield itself to a lot of domestic bliss. 

“I halfway expect to die in a fight or something,” Cassander says, once. He doesn’t look all too pleased with the world that day. These moods strike him, like an oddly built mechanism, in a way Melchior has yet to decode. “This domestic shit feels unnatural.” 

“Unnatural?” Melchior raises his eyes from the manuscript he’s working on to pointedly stare at him. 

“Yeah! It’s like I’m waiting for a roof to fall over my head, or to trip on my own fucking sword and bleed out in the kitchen! Is this how you people with magic are all the time? Peaceful? Sounds like a fucking scam, that’s what it is. You’re scamming me right now.” 

Melchior knows better than to take the bait. Cassander is simply looking for a fight to calm his nerves. “You can always leave, if that’s what you’d prefer,” Melchior says calmly. 

Cassander huffs. “Work’s scarce. By the time I find any you’ll be who the fuck knows where and this thing between us? Scattered to the wind. Dead and buried. Only fond memories until we both live out our remaining centuries.” 

Melchior stares still. “And do you want that to happen?” 

Cassander holds his gaze for a long time. He taps his fingers on the table, trying so hard to sit still under the onslaught. At some point, however, he drops his hand fully on the table and presses until his nail beds turn pale. “No,” he says, and his voice breaks. “It’s just that– Fuck. Why am I like this?” 

Melchior sighs. Cassander isn’t looking at him, shoulders bent under the weight of his own head. Hair shadows his face against the bright daylight that reflects against the gold in his long ears. Parts of  the tattoos covering his arm hide with him, yet the brightness of the roses on his forearm catches attention. 

Almost enough to make Melchior miss how his shoulders shake. 

Chair creaks as he rises, settling the papers that rustle when his hip catches on them. His slippers make no sound when he rounds the table and comes to stand by Cassander’s side. With a gentle hand, Melchior removes hair from Cassander’s shoulders; the curls, heavy and coarse, seem as ill equipped for such soft touch as Cassander himself. 

Cassander breathes a little cry-laugh. “I’m trying to be miserable here,” he says. “Stop trying to make me laugh.”

“That was not my intent,” Melchior responds. “I was trying to offer solace.” 

Cassander lifts his head and looks Mel in the eye, bewildered. “I know,” he whispers. “I don’t think solace will fix my head, but– Look, I don’t mean half the things I say, okay? Especially not– not this. You con people, sure, but you’re not playing with my heart, and here I am, accusing you of doing your job. No, that sounded wrong. Go scam rich people, I don’t care. Do your job elsewhere. I am not your job. I’m just an impossible to deal with fuckbuddy you keep around for whatever fucking reason and I’m making this even harder for you.” He blinks. “Not like that. Not all the time, anyways. I’m sure you’re not hard for me right now. That’d be weird. You’re angry, right? You’re probably so angry deep down but you’ve seen a lot of nutcases like me–” 

“Cassander,” Melchior says in a low voice. Cassander nods and looks away. “Go weave, or sew. We will talk later, after you’re not one hair’s breadth away from jumping out of your skin.” 

“That’s an order, boss?” Cassander says, in a strange voice. 

“Alternatively, you can kick something,” Melchior adds. He isn’t angry, not really, but he is starting to feel like conversations need to happen later. If today needs a boss, he will step up to the task. “No fights with the crew. We cannot talk when you’re like this.” 

“Got it,” Cassander says, frustrated. He stands up and marches to the door, playing with the tail ends of his hair. He closes them louder than intended; Melchior watches for a few more moments before he sits down again and rubs his face with his hands. 

It is true he is not angry, but he would be lying if he said these moods of Cassander’s didn’t make him exhausted. It is hardly Cassander’s fault, of course; no sane person would choose this kind of suffering. He doesn’t take any of the accusations personally, either. Were he younger, were his life less full of a senseless number of years, perhaps. Now, all he does is sigh deeply and rub his temples. 

He loves Cassander. When he chose to invite him into his life as a partner, he knew it would be through joy and difficult times alike. That same love makes it difficult to watch him struggle, but he knows far too well that Cassander needs to make the call himself. There are people who can help; he just needs to reach out. All Melchior can do is wait and pray. 

The manuscripts glare at him in an accusatory manner. He feels restless. He’s suddenly all too aware of the half-empty cup of tea Cassander had made him, and he downs it with a grunt. 

Someone knocks. 

“Melchior?” Kit’s head peeks through the barely open door. “We need you at the rehearsal. We can’t seem to decode one of the scenes.” 

Good, Melchior thinks. There’s work to be done before he can talk to Cassander properly. That’s good for taking his mind off things a little. 

***

Evening falls on their little troupe. Running a company of actors requires a lot of time and a lot of work, a work Melchior deeply enjoys, and time spent with his people, his friends, never a time wasted. 

However, his thoughts turn, ever so slightly, to Cassander throughout the day. Melchior hasn’t seen him at all since breakfast, and the troupe hasn’t either. He trusts Cassander can take care of himself; he’s a Wayfarer after all. His heart aches a little every time he remembers what had happened, but he brushes it off. 

It is, after all, temporary. 

Cassander finds him when Melchior retreats for a pause. His clothes are fresh, his hair braided away from his face, long and sad. There’s a bruise on his right hand. 

“No civilians were harmed in the making of it,” Cassander says by way of explanation. “I was trying to stick it to the wall. Sero taught me just how hard I can hit it before I break my hand.” 

Melchior blinks. “What?” 

“You never had wall hitting lessons?” Cassander tilts his head. “You never had a don’t rage at other people talk? It was either the wall or some unfortunate fucker. Lots of dwarves today for some reason.” He stops. “I don’t like kicking people while they’re down.” 

“Are you less angry now?” Melchior redirects the conversation and rubs his neck. “Will you bite my head off?” 

“Depends if you’re a dwarf,” Cassander says, in a joking voice. “For real, though, I’m not as on edge as I was today. I don’t know what triggered it, but I did feel like my skin was too tight and I figured talking to people further while I’m like this will just make me feel worse.” He sits on the bed and taps the place beside him. “Uh, I’m sorry about that. How you have the patience for me is beyond my wildest dreams. I would’ve kicked my ass out of here long ago.”

“Fortunately, no such luck,” Melchior responds. He looks at Cassander’s awfully bruised hand. “Where’s your medical kit?” 

“I can do it myself,” Cassander mutters and pouts. It’s unintentional, but delightfully adorable nonetheless. “It doesn’t hurt, it’s not as bad as it looks–” 

“I need your medical kit,” Melchior orders gently. 

“In the first drawer by the bed,” Cassander gives in, putting his hand gingerly on his lap. Melchior takes the kit out and sits beside him. 

“You sweet, poor man,” Melchior whispers and takes Cassander’s hand. He hisses a little when Melchior kisses the bruised knuckles. 

“What are you doing?” His voice goes a pitch higher, embarrassed. 

“Kissing it better,” Melchior simply says and opens a jar of herbal-smelling salve. Cassander doesn’t move his hand away, though he does hold it a little stiffly, when he starts rubbing it into tender flesh. 

“I’m not a kid,” Cassander says - whines - as he stares pointedly at his injured hand. “I can take care of it myself. Sirin taught me well enough–” 

“That I do not doubt, but let me take care of you. You’re not helping anyone by punishing yourself.” 

Cassander looks away. “Go fuck yourself,” he says, with no real heat. He huffs. “I– Fuck off. Just. You don’t– For fuck’s sake.” He sighs deeply and with feeling. 

“What happens when you love someone,” Melchior continues, gently spreading the salve, “is that you will have patience for them and not abandon them when it gets difficult. What happens is you take care of them, even on their bad days, even if they inconvenience you. Because this is a partnership, no?” 

Cassander is quiet. 

“This is a partnership, Cassander, not servitude,” Melchior repeats, massaging his fingers. “I welcome inconvenience from you because it means you are my equal, just as you welcome inconvenience from me.” 

“And the sex thing?” Cassander sounds strained. He flexes his hand.

“That is sex,” Melchior replies. “Relationships are more than just sex. If I ever make you feel like you are not cherished, I trust you’ll tell me.” 

Cassander lets out a chopped breath. He pulls Melchior closer and buries his face in the side of his neck; his eyelashes, wet with tears, tickle Melchior’s skin. 

Melchior puts the salve down and wraps his arms around him, lets his hands rub Cassander’s back and buries one of them gently, yet firmly in his hair. 

One mistake does not make the lesson less worthwhile.