#What lies beyond for me now that I am slowly becoming at peace with my past?

[alexandria-thornton]

All of this has made me feel so terribly old.

[luxmaeastra]

//👀//

Kaden looked to Sebastian, turning back to the fighting leathers he was putting on.

"I don't know what you're asking."

Sebastian tisked, dropping his blade on the counter and standing. He crossed his arms as Kaden narrowed his eyes at him.

"Don't break that blade Sebastian, I'm not getting you another."

"Tell me what you know Kaden!"

Kaden straightened and titled his head.

"You ordering me boy?"

"Yes I am. I am your Prince, I am the Heir. You do what I say."

The lightning grew up his body. Kaden's lips thinned, so much power. He remembered how his mother had fought, twisting through the air. Alighting buildings, slipping through the clouds and on the wind currents.

Did this boy understand everything she had given up for him to have this opportunity?

Kaden stalked toward him, and just like he predicated Sebastian's magic gutted. He stepped back, gasped as Kaden punched him in the face.

He fell to his knees, scrambling away but Kaden grabbed him by the throat slamming him to the wall.

His fire licking up his hand, touching the boy's throat.

His grip tightened as Sebastian tried and failed to get free. Again and again, Kaden eyes narrowed and sneered.

"Stop reacting, think. I taught you better that - think Sebastian. You want your answers, prove to me you've earned them."

Sebastian went still, eyes closing as he twisted again becoming a storm cloud and reappearing solid behind him. He rubbed at his throat, looking to Kaden. He looked to the table, Kaden could see his walls reforming in front of his eye.

Pathetic.

The Asteri wouldn't heel against a child. They needed to be cut at the knees and brought to kneel by force.

"Sebastian -"

"Tell me why my magic is so much stronger than my parents. It's - I know it's stronger than Unir ever was."

"You didn't see him fight. You don't know what he was capable of."

Sebastian straightened, throwing his shoulders back. He raised his chin, finally Kaden could see the glimmer of the Prince he was.

"You promised me answers."

"Then ask me a decent question."

Sebastian looked to the door and back to him.

"Are Thurr and Mala my parents?"

Kaden resisted the urge to be obtuse about it. If they learned this later what then? Everything they'd worked for... everything they'd fought for would be in vain.

"No."

He wouldn't give him some pitiful answer like they were the ones that mattered. Thurr and Mala didn't care so much about the children but for only what they could do.

Sebastian shoulders sagged and looked to the door. He blinked once, twice, trying not to cry. Would he ever get the control over his emotions he needed to survive?

"She was the one who had Sygael and Sorae years ago wasn't she? It's why P - Thurr killed her."

Kaden shrugged but nodded. He moved back to pick up the blade and held it out to him.

"They died to give you and your sisters the life you have now."

Sebastian didn't look to the blade, only him.

"This gilded cage? Is this the freedom they wanted for us -"

They wanted you to live! You'd be all be dead or sold to the highest bidder without them!"

Kaden gripped his shoulder and shook him head and held the blade out to him.

"Live for them....they loved you all enough for that."

Sebastian looked to the blade, slowly taking it.

"What - what am I meant to do? Beyond lead the Asteri I guess why us? Surely there were others?"

"Your mother was strong, she..."

Kaden but his tongue but decided again to be honest.

"She was one of Unir's strongest Generals. A changeling that kept the others in line, she was their Queen for all intents and purposes. Your blood buys their loyalty too."

He turned back to his own things.

"You and your sisters are meant to bring about peace Sebastian."

"Our blood buys their loyalty, but what of those who are being lied to?" Sarai's voice rung out across the room as she entered, Silba was just behind her.

Even if Sebastian hadn't meant it, they had come at a call they had heard. Distress and concern, they were always close and nearby when needed. Even if they weren't talking, or upset with each other, they would come.

This revelation had answered many things, the questions which had been lingering for too long. Why they were not treated like other children, why their parents did not care for them as they had seen others do.

"We are meant to bring peace, but we are not like you. Your kind will not support us if our blood is discovered."

Silba scoffed and folded her arms. "And our usefulness to father will end, and which point what will happen to us?"

Sarai moved to stand next to Sebastian, her eyes settled upon Kaden. "We need more than just prep talks Kaden," she couldn't bring herself to use the old uncle term - none of them were family and this was all false. "We are in the lions den, and so many I am sure are already eager to see us fall."

[izzysbeans]

It is so common of me to wish i was dead. As a kid i was obsessed with beetlejuice, i wanted to be like Lydia, talk to the dead. I even asked my mom one day if i could have her seance table with candles and all. I remember how she freaked out: she thought i'd started to like the dead more then i did the living. In retrospect maybe she was right. She forbade me from watching beetlejuice for a while, but ghosts were everywhere and she couldnt stop death from following me.

Around that time my grandmother and my great-grandmother both past away. I insisted my mom let me see their bodies. She couldnt believe how calm i was. 8 years old, looking death straight in the face, no fear in sight but rather fascination instead.

At 11 i started going out on my own and id walk alone to the cemetery, sit right at my grandfather's grave and tell him all about how me and my brother were doing. Id see him in every white butterfly and every sunflower field. I envied that peacefulness and i wished i could reach him.

At 14 i met a boy who liked to cut his thighs. He hated his life and there was a weight of expectations on his shoulders, things he could never do, he could never be. He tried to kill himself and i screamed out the door of that bathroom so loud i thought i'd never be able to speak again. My brother kicked the door down. There was a lot of blood. He survived and he hated me for saving him. I didn't know what i was saving him from. It broke my heart i wondered if it was my right to make that decision for him, if i had made the right one.

That same year i tried to kill myself too. It is not that i thought there was no way out or that i was trapped in some way. I felt like i didn't have anything to do with this world or in it. I felt like there was no saving me anyway. Id imagine my friends and family suffering for my death. Slowly but surely getting over it. I took all my pills and i went to sleep. Too quickly my body realized what i had done and i started throwing up compulsivly. We lied about what had happend when i went to the hospital. I felt nothing when i woke up.

When i turned 16 my cousin Sara past away. She left a husband and two kids here. I went to see her body and in a way i was relieved for her. She had suffered so much because of her cancer. I couldnt fathom her strenght, she foght it for so long. At her funeral i cried in anger because the priest dared to say god had claimed her and god makes no mistakes: i kept thinking how cruel must a god be to rip a family apart like this. For the first time i thought maybe death wasnt so fair after all.

At 21 i studied to become a mortician. For the most part i was just looking for a job. I felt like not many people wanted to do it and it seemed like something i could be good at. I saw some bodies and reacted accordingly. I was happy. It felt like i was doing a good thing. Honoring them. But there isnt much work in that industry for someone who looks the way that i do. So i had to find a new job.

Now i work at a tech company and i find myself back to when i was 8. Wondering every day what lies beyond the vail. Wishing i was experiencing Lydia 's adventures. Wanting to cross over to find out what else is there. One foot here one foot in a different realm, always living a half life, never fully experiencing anything. I stay in the world of the living and yet all my life i have lived as a ghost.

I am alive but death still follows me.

[devotedlydelicatetrash]

Ephemeral Love

The only sound is a soft breeze rustling through the evergreen trees in peaceful woodland beyond human corruption. A broad and unbroken field of snow-covered ice lies ahead, stretching further into the horizon until it approaches the gloomy, chaotic barrier of dense woodland on the opposing coastline. Above that woodland, darkness reigns, pitch black skies speckled with far more stars than anything you could ever deem imaginable. A linear blur of green light glows lustrously in the northern skies and gradually morphs into leaping bolts of scintillating and iridescent rays of light that race over the vast darkness of space. The Aurora Borealis.

     Slowly, the curvature of the earth starts to rise in the east, followed by its oceanic contours and a glowing disk of luminescence. Lastly, with a radiant burst of golden shafts of light, the sun begins its ascent in the east. The rays of golden light illuminate the clear and calm blue skies, casting eccentric patterns of light and shadow around the forest. The only creature who has made any noise at all is a blue jay perched on a broad leafy tree by the lakeside, singing joyfully at the top of its lungs. Solitude.

     "Are you okay?" A soft voice guides me out of my trance.

     "Yeah" I whisper back just as gently, afraid that even the smallest of sounds would break the silence.

      I fall back into my thoughts, this time they are trained on the beautiful black-haired boy beside me. Vante's characteristics sometimes remind me of origami. He's all angles and sharp edges. Sharp triangular jaw line sanded over gently, very gently, to give it a softer edge. In some perspectives, his eyes appear fox-like, with sharp ends that soften when he smiles. Oh my, his smile is the most beautiful thing you've ever seen. Like a curtain peeled back, it unveils the show stopper: his dimples. His lips are carved in the style of a doll's, the upper lip a little deeper and plumper than the one below, placed so very delicately. Skin as pale as porcelain, he reminds me of a prince. His aura cannot be mistaken for anything less than royalty, exuding immense power and fiercely intense confidence. His thick set of brows give him a mysterious and stern appearance. With a voice as deep as the ocean, it reminds me of a cold glass of vodka, piercing but soothing, as if all your worries are washed away with one sip. He is gorgeous, like a fairy from your dreams: ethereal.

     Invisible waves of bittersweet euphoria ripple through my entire being as I am cast into the infinite depths of paramount darkness before me. My heartbeat quickens its pace as the booming sound of laughter echoes through the wilderness across the lake, piercing through the tranquility and peace of the quiet break of dawn. With every reverberation I feel myself becoming more and more entranced as I perch myself against the bark of the tree and let myself smile.

     Sometimes I wonder if this is what true love looks like—pure and untainted by lust. A beautiful and blooming rose. Then, I remember that you cannot see love, you feel it and you will know when you feel it, or rather, the lack of it. One taste and you're addicted, falling into the dark abyss of greed. You crave to taste more, obsessed until you can't survive a day without it. Love. Such a beautifully treacherous thing. Love. The feeling that consumes me whenever I let my mind wander towards the boy next to me. Now I have the answer to my question, this was true love–permanent love.

     It all feels like a reverie now, too good to be reality. Maybe it is. Maybe I made him up in my mind, desperately seeking redamancy, the feeling of someone loving you back the same way you love them. Perhaps he is a figment of my imagination; a product of my eunoia, but I do not care. He is the nepenthe helping me forget my lacuna.

     "I'm sorry" He says, looking at me for the first time since the dawn of the new day.

     "I know" I reply, the smile on my face turning melancholy.

     "Can you grant me one last request before you leave?" I find myself asking.

     "Promise me that whenever you think of me, you'll think about the good times that we had. Before you stopped loving me." I wait for him to tell me that he takes back everything he said, that he loves me still, but it never comes. All that is sent my way is a somber nod before he stands up.

     "I love you" I said for the last and final time.

     He doesn't hear me as he makes his way out of the woods and out of my life forever.

     "I still love you" I muttered one last time before I was left alone to ponder my thoughts.

      My love for him runs so sickeningly deep that its thorns are rooted deep in my lungs. White roses prickle my organs as the sinfully gleaming blood cloaks the white of these flowers. They bloom whenever I see him, making even the softest of petals feel like icicles that grow in the winter. The love I feel for him is still true love–permanent love. It would have hurt less if he was truly just a part of my fantasies, it would have hurt less when I had the epiphany that his love was not true–it was ephemeral. 

[skiyoosmi]

to the stars above | z.

featuring. zhongli (genshin impact)

genre. fluff, angst, smut, ancient-liyue!au

word count. 5.4k

marga's notes. aAAAa look look, it's my first commission!! school has kept me really occupied for like the past month but after pulling a few all-nighters, i've finally finished my responsibilities along with this little baby! once again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you to my bubs @ramannnn for trusting me with this one <33

Nobody knows when the world began, how it came to be and why it continues to be. Even I, whose mind is filled with nothing but wonder for it, have no idea. One thing I am quite sure of... is how mine did.

It all started with him— a man of many titles, different identities yet at the end of the day, all these monikers are the same; it's all him. He adored Liyue more than anything else, knew it like the back of his hand. He went where the winds lead him, stayed where the moon shines upon him, stood where the golden sun kissed his skin. He found serenity in the walks he travels as he goes about his day, the sceneries his eyes take in and the calm sounds the nature resonates for him. And as if it was fate decided upon by the Celestia, it led him to me. Suddenly, my little world that used to be nothing became everything... quickly and all at once.

An exasperated sigh escapes from my lips, frustration and disappointment filling my whole being as I stare at the blank parchment paper I held in my hands. Another day was again wasted with no progress, I thought, mentally beating myself up for not being productive enough. Before I could further drown myself into such pessimistic ideas, I snap out of it and let my eyes cherish the view that lies ahead of me. Though I feel a little guilty for taking Vermeer's place, I can only whisper an apology with little to no sincerity. Because truly, nothing can beat the picturesque landscape of Luhua Pool— the crystal clear waters that would most probably reflect my face like a mirror if I were to ever look at it, the ruins that ignited the spark of curiosity within me, wondering about the pasts it holds and the stillness and feeling of peace it gives me as I sit in this cliff. Feeling somewhat a bit better, I place my things on top of the old bag I bring no matter where I go. There's always a better day for writing, I tell myself as a form of consolation, bringing my slim arms up to begin stretching. I've been sitting on this log for quite a long time now, after all.

"It seems like you are in a bit of a dilemma," a deep voice comments from behind me. Out of surprise, I lightly jump and turn my head towards the stranger. Right at that moment, it felt as if all the air circulating inside my body had been depleted. Captivating was an understatement as to how he appeared before me. With the sunlight striking his face and accenting his unique features further, he stood with his hands behind him, head tilted as he looked at me with interest, all while keeping his dignified posture.

"Oh, hello. I am afraid so, yes," I respond, or rather, mutter under my breath since I was not really used to having sudden encounters with other people, nor am I fond of it. I tend to keep to myself, finding it much more peaceful than having to tend to others' overbearing expectations and demands which is partly the reason why I chose to live in the outskirts, far from the center of Liyue that contrasts my comfortable abode, "I apologize. I failed to realize that somebody other than Vermeer liked to stay here," I told him, arching my eyebrows a little when he let out a breathy chuckle.

"Oh, you have no need for such formal apologies. I do not always go here, at least probably not as often as the man you call Vermeer. I was simply taking a walk and I think I got carried away by Liyue's view and eventually, my feet led me here," he explains, a hint of sheepishness present in his tone, "and I guess I'll have to thank my feet for that."

Because it led me to you, interesting one. For many years, it will remain unspoken, kept by the strange man to himself and unveiled once his heart gives up from the resistance he upholds.

For the following hours of lounging around Luhua Pool, I learned a lot about the stranger— he calls himself "Morax," and like the god of Liyue, he enjoyed history and is extremely knowledgeable about it, aspiring to know and understand everything of the world, he often brews tea, even going as far as inviting me once I am free from any form of work. Just as he shared facts about himself, I did too.

"So, Cheng, you said you have a bit of a dilemma?" he inquires, slightly angling his head towards the direction of the side I'm sitting on. I nod my head up and down, mouth forming into a small pout of disappointment as I remember that today has not been that progressive.

"Yes. I am trying to write a novel, you see. Something that will leave an impact on this world so that even if I may pass, I will still live on the memories of people," I tell him, an ambitious expression present on my face. He hums, eyes going over the terraces that make up the current view we have and the two huge statues standing by the ruins, "Why so?"

I pause for a moment to think of a reply, "I guess I just do not want to let someone alone in this cold world. Wouldn't that be too cruel and sad, to just leave them with nothing?"

If I'm able to write words that will provide comfort to my readers, then maybe... just maybe the world will be less lonely... even for just a little bit. At least, that's what I thought as silence consumed us, the sun setting as if to remind us that finally, another day is nearing its end. Now, what will tomorrow bring?

"Well then, I do hope I will be able to read at least some of your works at least once," he speaks as he stands up, lightly dusting away his clothes, "It certainly has been a pleasure to be your company, Cheng."

As he walks down the slope of the hill, his somewhat broad back facing me, I call out, "Will you be back?"

He stops and turns, a soft smile is plastered on his face as he responds, "Only time will tell."

But time was no friend of mine. At least that's what I have come to realize as many days passed without him returning to this place. Though maybe it's only because it almost felt as if time slowed down and I was only eager to see him again, something I have scolded myself to— what a fragile heart do I have to already seek a stranger's presence? That is what others call love at first sight, a devilish portion of my mind whispered cheekily within me and I gasped in disbelief, "Absolutely not," I lightly slap both of my cheeks, "I'm just too coped up in my own world. I probably need to go see more people."

That thought remains a simple yearning though because once again, I find myself lounging around the same spot in Luhua, a quiet hope ignited within me, fulfilled when I hear the familiar voice he adorns as he speaks, "You're here."

I release a sound that is between a giggle and a breathy chuckle, "And I see your feet had led you here once more?"

"They were curious, or should I say... I was," he explains as he takes a seat beside me, his posture remaining solid despite the uncomfortable position.

"Of what?" I ask.

"Of you," he simply replies, unaware of the sudden yet unsurprising effect it had on my heart that was already beating rapidly with just his mere presence. I try not to be so showy of it though, too embarrassed to even think of how fast I became fond of him.

But it was no wonder. After all, he himself was an interesting one; from the way he carries himself, the way he speaks, and the way he's just him... all and every action hold so much dignity that it just leaves me almost breathless and in awe every single time my eyes finds their way to his figure— and to think that this was just our second meeting? My mother would most probably let out the most shameless giggle as I tell her these thoughts, pushing me and teasing me like a normal person in their teens would. I shake my head to get out of these thoughts, listening to Morax as he tells another wonderful tale, almost making me think that he lived it himself with how he knew it, going over even with the smallest details.

"You know, Morax, you have such a good memory to remember all of those things despite simply hearing about it," I suddenly speak up in the midst of the silence that engulfed us while he tries to think of the next story to tell, "I hope I can stay in them too... in your memories, I mean. I know I am far from being the most interesting person but for some reason, I wish for that."

He pauses, eyes trailing slowly towards me, beyond my knowledge, before he lets out a somber smile. You already are, is another one of him that becomes an afterthought.

I heaved out a sigh before shaking my head again, "Ah! Why do I keep having such lonely thoughts? Forget about that. Please do not mind me, alright? I think I really need to stop being stuck in the mountains."

I pick up my small bag and shuffle inside it, letting out a quiet sound of 'aha!' as a sort of celebration when I successfully got a small book out, "Here."

He blinked his eyes in confusion, wondering what it was I handed to him so I spoke in delight, "You told me you wanted to read at least one of my works so, here. I am warning you though, it is not like the ones that sell best in the bookstores. It might bore you, or weird you out like what others say."

"What others say?"

"They say it's too unrealistic, too impossible... but I believe otherwise. We live in a world where gods and adepti watch over us. What makes my story impossible then?" I ponder, him still being confused.

"What is it about anyway?" He asks, having no idea of what the context my book had.

"It's about an archon who began living as a simple man in Liyue."

Our meetings became more frequent after that and eventually, we got comfortable with even just the presence of each other, having no need for long talks and such, but just peace. Today, like any other day, Morax was just reading the book I gave him, while I was thinking of what my next story would be about. Occasionally, he looks at me with an odd expression that is almost equivalent to astonishment, as if I have done something so great that it made him look at me that way.

"What made you think of this plot?" he asks all of a sudden, not forgetting to put a piece of paper that served as a bookmark on the page where he stopped just in case he accidentally closed it.

I hum, thinking about my answer to his question, "Hmm. Truth to be told, it was just a mere wonder for me. Archons and the adepti, although not entirely immortal, live so much longer than an average human does, watching over us as we go about our daily lives, waiting for sudden wars to break out and then fight the enemies that attack us. Growing up, those were the things that all the people around me told me. So I began to wonder, do they ever get tired? Is it not too taxing to keep on doing that? What if... they just lived with us, among the crowds? Because I think it is too lonely wherever they are. Would it not be better if they were with us, rather than above us, so they could at least have memories to live by?"

Morax does not give a response, or rather, he finds it difficult to find one. Still, it does not stop the affection that spreads within him. He does not say it out loud, but for someone who prefers to be alone, Cheng was full of empathy. And somehow, that did wonders to Morax's heart.

"Now that I think about it, I kind of actually want to address my books to them now," I hum once more, "It would be like a message for them: Do not be too lonely even if we pass. Because of your help, through these stories, we can show you that we lived a good life."

I huff as soon as I finish my sentence, "Although one of those who read it said that was impossible, because according to them, why would archons give up their power to live a life where there is only simplicity?"

Morax let out a sound that made it look as if he got offended himself, "Archons can do that, can they not?"

"I know! That was what I was saying to them. Anyway, I am not forcing them to like what I wrote. It's just a story, after all. It can do no harm," I shrug, beginning to fix my belongings as the sun began to set, "I should go now, Morax. It is still quite a long walk to my home."

"I want to live a good life too," he suddenly tells me, making me halt and turn to him in confusion, "With you. The good life and memories you shall tell in your stories, can I be part of them too?"

The universe does not stop for anyone, nor does time— science will consistently proclaim this fact matter what timeline we shall live in. No matter how much someone begs to the Celestia to grant their wish of controlling, or stopping time, no one will be able to do such things. But somehow, it seems like when it comes to him, everything is possible as I feel my world stop at his words, just like the way it also began when I met him. And as if planets were colliding with each other, I suddenly felt my heart crash upon him and as if out of instinct, I let go of the truth.

"Of course. It would be the greatest thing to have you."

Life was strange in its own way. That is what I have come to realize in this simple life of mine.

Despite the fact that the "me" of the previous year has never even thought about putting my whole being on my sleeve, it is pleasingly odd how right now, I find myself in this kind of situation with the man who swept me right under my feet and claimed my heart as his.

“You're cold," I whisper amidst the silence of the night in my abode, my index tracing the ears of the man who had me sitting right on his lap, the shorter strands of his silky hair tucked behind them. So, so alluring.

He takes hold of my wrist, planting a soft kiss on its side, all while maintaining eye contact as he quietly drawls, "Then I suppose you can keep me warm tonight. Will you?"

As if in a trance, I nod my head, letting him take the lead as he laid me down, back against the soft mattress, him following on top with his arms supporting his build. With arising confidence, I circle my arms around him and pull him down, bringing our lips together, a sigh of relief escaping both of our mouths as if to say, "Finally."

I wonder if he thinks the same way as I do— that this was Celestia in its own way. I felt like I could do anything as long as it was with him. The kiss felt like the power we once suppressed from each other became a supernova that changed our world's course all of a sudden. But despite the tension and heat we both emitted at the moment, there is a warmth that engulfs me the same time he fully wraps his arms around me.

I am here. I will always be here.

No noise disturbs the peace we have created, only the quiet sound of crickets reach our ears but even that fails to distract him from what he's doing. He gently tugs on the sash that keeps my coat tied. Nimble fingers explore the remains of my clothing, loosening all until I am set free from them.

His eyes raked over my body, an expression of awe plastered on his face for so long that it made me somewhat conscious. Because as he unravels his to me, I am enlightened by the fact that my figure is nothing worth comparing to his — not even close. A hint of sweat glints from his skin due to the moonlight, making him look even more ethereal. But who was I to complain?

So instead, I look down, fiddling a little with my fingers as I feel my cheeks heat up. How is it that I only realize now what kind of situation we are currently in? Before I further drown in such shameless thoughts, he lifts my head up by the chin, an amused look on his usually-gentle face, "Are you feeling shy, beloved?"

I meekly nodded, to which he lets out a soft laugh and whispers, "Don't be. You are the epitome of beauty itself. If you don't believe me, allow me to show you nothing but truth tonight, I swear under the moon and all these stars."

He dips down and captures my lips in a kiss once again with more passion, if it was still even possible.

"You are made for me, as I'm made for you," he proclaims as he thrusts inside me after minutes of preparation, soft pants and groans following his statements. I can only whimper in response, pain evident in my tone at first with my hands lightly clawing at his back. I pray to the heavens above that they don't leave awful marks after this.

He halts and utters an apology, thumb caressing the bone of my cheeks while he waits for me to adjust. He scans my face after a few seconds, relief flashing in his eyes when I nod for him to continue.

"I... b..." I try to speak out but the pleasure overwrites any sensical thought that goes through my mind. He slows down a little, looking over my face and smiles, urging me to talk.

"Stay with me, beloved. We still have all night," he tells me, encouraging me to voice what has been on my mind.

"I... I belong to you, always have and always will..." I manage to croak out, voice quite hoarse due to the sounds that I let out previously. Perhaps pleased with what I have proclaimed, he begins going even deeper and at the same moment, I begin falling deeper.

"Yes, yes, you do," he repeats like a mantra, his voice sounding more and more desperate to reach his high. I cry out with him, creating a harmony that even the best bards shall be ashamed.

It was a long night— the longest yet most beautiful night I have ever had in this simple life of mine. And in that moment, as we reach the stars together, I knew right there and then that this man is someone who will be etched in my heart for as long as I live, deep into its roots— for him, it shall beat and it shall love.

You, who are reading this, most probably have had enough of these teeth-rotting praises I kept on writing. But what can I do except to apologize? These words are the only ones that can flow out of my mind and mouth to show how magnificent it was to be loved by him.

Well, nothing significant really changed. He was still the same gentleman I met, if anything, more gentle. Just like in the beginning, he made my heart flutter every chance he gets, no matter how many years have already passed.

We built a dynasty together.

But maybe I should have known that ours were also bound to crumble like the ones that have long existed even way before us.

Days, months and years went on, I realized that he was actually the opposite of me— unlike me who was clearly not parallel with time, he held it right on the palms of his hand. I was not blind, nor was I a fool, I can clearly see how he looks like he has not aged a day, all while I was here, maturing more and more each second that passed by, the amount of signs of me aging increasing significantly.

Morax. Knowledgeable of history as if he lived it himself. Time. All these thoughts eventually congest my mind as realization dawns upon me. He was not merely a man named after the god himself— Morax was him, he was Morax.

"How appalling," I mutter with a hint of sadness and dismay in my tone. I stood in front of the mirror, fingers hovering over my face, wrinkles appearing as I scrunch it. A pair of firm arms snake its way around my lean waist, chin resting on one of my shoulders as he hums his words, "What has got your beautiful mind occupied, my beloved?"

Taking hold of his arms, I turn my body around to face him, a somewhat melancholic smile etched on my face as I look up at his much taller frame, "You are a sight to behold, even to this day." He arches one eyebrow out of amusement and curiosity, wondering why I suddenly started pouring him compliments. After all, my shyness prevents me from consistently doing so. Nonetheless, I continue speaking, "I wish... I could be with you even when everything changes into a whole new world."

I lifted a hand up to cup his cheeks and began rubbing it lovingly, a lone tear finally dropping from my eye as soon as I closed it, "but I cannot, I do not have the ability to do so... I am but a mere mortal, after all."

His eyes widen as he finally discerns my actions and concerns, immediately opening his mouth in hopes of consoling me but I beat him into speaking, "It's alright, Morax. I have been putting the pieces together for a while now. I am in no way angry. I just..." I pause, gulping hard before my lips start to quiver, "... I cannot imagine how lonely it must have been. And now... I think about it and I... I do not want to leave you alone again."

My cries eventually start becoming louder, something that is very new to the both of us, seeing as I have always been composed. Love can change a person into a whole new being. I remember a book I have read once and at the moment, I can only agree. Maybe it was the way my heart clenches at the mere thought of him walking alone, or the way I can imagine us taking our last breaths together yet I know that will never happen— but either way, it was painful.

He whispers sweet nothings to my ears, placing light kisses on my temple as he leads us to the bedroom to rest once my tears have finally ceased and I have calmed down. His hold on me gets tighter every time I let out a small hiccup due to crying, almost as if he was telling me that he was feeling the same pain as I was.

Hours pass by as we lay in silence. My tears have long dried up but we remain coped up in each other's arms.

"Would it not be interesting if you bear the name Zhongli?" I ask him in a somewhat croaky voice.

He peers down and tilts his head, "Now where did that thought come from?"

I shrug, or at least try to, and look up at the ceiling as we shift our positions to lay on our back, hands finding one another and intertwining, "Hmm... nowhere. Just a name I wanted to give you in case that you are needing a new one."

"Oh? How come it would be interesting then?"

I look at him with a comforting yet sad smile.

"Because it means it's time to leave, to go somewhere far away... and unfortunately, I will have to leave soon."

He furrowed his eyebrows together, "Do not say that. Who knows? Maybe you will be able to live a hundred years by my side. Besides, I think it sounds lonely. I do not think I would want to get reminded of the fact that you are not here with me."

I hum, "But if you bear the name I gave you, wouldn't it feel like I never went away? That no matter where your feet take you, no matter how far you go, I am and will always be with you, just as I have vowed."

The wooden door leading to my writing room slowly slides open and Morax's head peers in, an adorable smile plastered on his face, "You have been quite busy these days, beloved. I do not wish to disturb you but I am starting to long for your presence."

I let out a shameless giggle, "Alright, alright. Just let me write down a few more words while I still have ideas to input."

He peeks on the parchment paper out of curiosity, taken aback when he finds his name on it, "You are writing about us?"

I nod proudly, "My last piece."

"... But why?"

I smile and approach him, taking his hand and placing my forehead against his after he lowers his head down to my level, "I told you, did I not? I do not wish to leave the person I love with nothing. So that you will not be lonely, my words will be with you. I will be with you, always..."

"... and to tell the gods... to tell you, that I loved every second of my life with you— that it was, indeed, a good life."

"Who are you, young man? Are you my son?" I speak with a very hoarse voice, squinting my eyes at the figure in front of me, as if my poor vision will allow me to do that.

I hear a melancholic yet gentle sigh come from him before he takes my rough hands and looks afar, "Don't mind me. I'm just someone who vowed to be with you for as long as time lets us."

"Oh.... really? That’s quite endearing," I hum, "Well, may I know your name?"

"This… I think I may just have an idea to whom this book is for," Paimon trails off, looking over at the traveler who was in the same trance as her, "Paimon thinks we should let the strange person we saw a while ago give this directly to Zhongli!"

Lumine nods, turning around and starting to run towards the direction they were at previously, recalling the person named Cheng who gave them the novel they just finished reading. They were unique, dressed in layers of robes and it was almost as if they lived in the old times of Liyue. Even the way they talked and moved screamed ancient.

Just as they turned the corner, a woman near the Liuli Pavilion called them over, "Traveler! Here!" As they approach, Lumine cranes her neck to look around the area but to no avail, the strange person was long gone.

"Are you two alright?" the woman asks, much to their confusion, "I saw you talking to literal air awhile ago and I was worried you have eaten something strange."

The pair looks at each other in surprise before Paimon replies, "You didn't see anyone? Like a person dressed in the strangest attire? They dressed really anciently!"

The door of the Liuli Pavilion opens and there goes Zhongli, a calm expression morphing to an awkward one when he realizes he barged into an ongoing conversation. He apologizes for the disturbance and despite the curiosity he had upon overhearing bits of Paimon's statements, he starts his walk back to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. At least not until he hears Paimon call his name, "Zhongli! Wait! A person named Cheng. Do you know them?"

He abruptly stops and turns to the two, eyes wide for a second before it returns to his usual demeanor, "How... how do you know of them?"

"We met them," Paimon says, as if it was the simplest thing to do, "Well, honestly, we don't know because we were apparently speaking to nothing but air! It's so odd!"

He stays still, honestly having no idea of what response he should give them because he himself found it hard to believe.

"Well anyway, they asked us to give you this nov— wait, where is it? It was just in your hands a while ago, Traveler!"

In the midst of the loud chaos made by the two in the middle of Liyue, he thinks he knows what to do and where to go now.

It was the day of the Rite of Parting, an event where he's supposed to be taking part of, even just a part of the audience. But he finds himself hanging around the Wanwen Bookhouse, eyes scanning the shelves until it stops at a familiar name engraved on the cover of a book.

"Oh! Greetings, Mr. Zhongli! I see you took a liking to a very great and romantic novel," Jifang comments as she sees the book in his hands.

He looks at her, "Is it really great?"

She gasps in delight, "Yes, indeed! Almost all of the Liyue folks have enjoyed this story! You can say it is a classic, especially for readers! Cheng definitely outdid themselves with this one! Such a mysterious person yet equally amazing. Imagine? Being able to make such a beautiful love story with Morax? They don’t mention the present name they gave Morax though, such a shame. Maybe it was due to old age, they wrote it until the last moments of their life after all. Anyway, I have to get back to work but enjoy reading that masterpiece!"

He feels his heart swell in pride upon knowing his lover had his wish come true. His nimble fingers carefully open the pages of the book and hours later, as he sat inside the Funeral Parlor after taking the novel home, he finds himself absorbing each and every word Cheng have written, the loneliness sitting idly inside him subsiding little by little.

I found solace in the countless cups of tea you brew whenever I encounter distress with my works, the endless stories you tell with a smile so beautiful that not even the most heavenly scenery can vanquish, but most of them all, the feeling of your hand intertwining with mine, providing me with serenity no one else has ever done before. Under the moonlit night of Liyue, I remember your wistful amber eyes, staring deep into my soul as you proclaim your love and desire for me. How foolish was it of me to think that I could live this life without even experiencing such warmth and intimacy?

It is a banality, really — how I wish to become a well-known writer with unique tales and yet the story I am telling is something so common to folks that they have most probably heard similar ones before. But I guess this is what it means to love and to be loved. Everything is like a cycle that just keeps on being repeated, yet we never get tired of it, of the feelings it brings. So, thank you, Morax. Words will never be sufficient to show how grateful I am to you for showing me a whole new world but I suppose this is still a way for me to give back to you.

With this little book of mine, I hope my heart reaches yours regardless of how many eras may have passed before and after us. So, my beloved, do not be too lonely without me. Even if you find yourself longing for my presence, just open this and my heart shall be with you.

This belongs to you, it always will.

And I do, as well.

[showrunnerihardlyknowher]

26 for the prompts? perhaps w the cat n mouse lads :3 (also look danny i did it i sent a prompt are u proud)

I...actually don't remember what the prompt was for this one, but I'm 87% sure it was "I'm not that scary, am I?"

So fine since y'all keep asking for 'em, here's more of the cat and mouse bois. Shoutout to @gabbydafurry and an anon for finally giving them names.

--

“C’mon.”

“No.”

“Please?”

“I said no.”

“I’ll make pollo asado for dinner, we can eat it together while we watch!”

Aaron sighed and rubbed his hands against his forehead, trying to ease the dull throb that had yet to wane over the past two days. His headache certainly wasn’t being helped by the constant badgering of his...roommate, for a lack of better words (as well as being a title so eagerly self bestowed by the cat in question) but much like many of their other interactions, his resolve was starting to wear thin. Usually, he was able to hold his ground for at least a week until he was bribed into giving the other some type of social interaction with the promise of his favorite foods. Today, however, the poor mouse just wanted a moment’s peace free from knocking on the walls or calling through the cracks until he answered, and if that meant watching some stupid movie then fine.

Plus, Lucas did know how to make some incredible Mexican food.

“...fine,” Aaron conceded after a pause, the pressure behind his eyes giving him a sharp pang before fading to its usual ache, almost like his own body was projecting how horrible of an idea this was.

As soon as the mouse slipped out from behind the curio, he came face to face with the massive grin of the cat mere inches away from the opening. Seeing the grin only split wider when he was fully in view of the other normally would have instinctively sent a shiver up his spine, it was kind of difficult to be intimidated seeing how Lucas had strangely contorted his body to lay on the floor between the curio and the bookcase. Most cats seemed to be fairly flexible, so it probably wasn’t too uncomfortable for him to be so bent and curled up, but he definitely lost some of that hunter’s prowess with his back twisted sideways and one leg leaning against the shelving.

In a flash, Lucas had managed to untangle his strange positioning to instead be crouched on his knees, now looming over Aaron in a way he wasn’t sure he would ever get used to. He flinched back when his hand started to reach out towards him, fully intending to scoop him up to dizzying heights without a second thought, but the appendage stopped just short of touching him at all. Instead, he dropped his hand palm side up and waited, smiling all the while. At least he was getting better at remembering Aaron’s explicit request to not be grabbed without permission, though he did always apologize with a sheepish look and some little treat whenever he forgot.

Once Aaron climbed onto the awaiting hand that radiated a delightfully intense warmth into his already aching muscles, Lucas was already jumping up a chattering a mile a minute about how much the mouse was going to love the movie he picked out, how dinner would be ready soon, how he wasn’t expecting him to actually agree to watch a scary movie with him since he never seemed like the type who would be into that sort of thing but--

“It’s a scary movie?” Aaron interrupted, the noise finally registering beyond the headache. Truthfully, he tuned a lot of what the other said out for almost every conversation, not that it ever seemed to make a difference. Yeah, sorry, I’m a bit of a chatterbox, he admitted once, but it’s less weird talking to someone who doesn’t respond than to talk to yourself, right?

Debatable.

Lucas tilted his head and snorted. “Uh, yeah? That was one of the first things I told you about. You know that one actress who’s in almost every one of those Christmas movies we watch, who’s always the jealous best friend?” Aaron has no idea who he was referring to given that he never absorbed anything from those stupid romance movies he was boarderline forced to watch, but nodded anyways, “Right, this is supposed to be her big break out role, or something. It’s the first thing she’s doing as a lead actress, and you know, good for her! I’m glad she’s getting out of that typecast she’s been in forever. Horror probably wouldn’t be my first choice for her, but I guess since she has those singing vocals it could carry over to being a scream queen. Kind of like when--”

And Aaron was out of the conversation again.

Lucas continued to drone on about the actress’s entire film career, or at least that’s what the mouse was assuming he was doing when he occasionally zoned back in to pick up a stray word here and there. The headache he had been staving off to the best of his ability was starting to come back with twice as much force as it often did in the later days. He probably could have just asked the other for some aspirin, maybe even some cold medicine as that was no doubt what this bout of illness was turning into, but asking the cat for anything was always out of the question. Of course, Lucas tried to sway him numerous times into thinking it most certainly was not and that he could always ask for whatever he needed, never to his avail. Aaron was indeed willing to prolong his suffering if it meant not having to stomach the dreadful embarrassment that would come to being indebted to the feline, no matter how insignificant.

Unfortunately, he was only setting himself up for failure in thinking this “agreement” would be providing him any sort of relief. His headache was treading dangerously close into becoming a full fledged migraine and the flashes of light and screams from the television would not be doing him any favors. His only saving grace was that, after he had been settled on the couch and Lucas scampered off to get the dinner he promised, the cat turned off every other light possible to, as he put it, really get them in the spooky mood!

The smell of the food was delicious and nauseating. His stomach both wanted and revolted at the idea of anything filling it, which would only serve to worsen his headache no doubt. Damn it all, he wanted to throttle both himself and this illness, the first for agreeing to watch this stupid movie when he was already feeling under the weather, the second for preventing him from getting his half of the deal. These movie-dinner dates deals were the only reason Aaron continued to stick around, even if he thought the torment of being forced to watch awful romcoms in exchange for a hot, homemade meal was a little unfair. No, that wasn’t entirely true, Lucas was a freaking culinary genius as far as the mouse was aware. It was a wonder why he wasn’t majoring in a cooking field.

“I’m not hungry right now,” Aaron lied when Lucas had asked why he wasn’t eating. “I’ll try some later.”

The cat looked at him strangely before shrugging. “Alright, just let me know. If you don’t like it, I can always make you something else.” There he goes again, offering things he knows the other can’t accept. At least he could let it slide this time as he had no appetite to think of any other dish.

Lucas finished his own meal in silence, completely fixed on the television as the opening scene carried on, introducing the canine main character that Aaron did, in fact, vaguely recognize. This was fine, he figured, the dark apartment coupled with a painfully slow movie, a warm body moving to curl up behind him as it so often did during these deals, he could probably get a few moments of real rest in before the credits rolled. As much as he loathed to admit it, the cat was actually rather...comfortable to be forcefully cuddled by. He wasn’t like other movie goers that needed to make a comment on every character’s decision, steady breathing and the occasional purr helping the mouse slowly relax.

That relaxation was cut short as soon as the romcom actress tore her tiny avian neighbor to shreds by the end of the first act.

Aaron had hardly been paying attention to the storyline up until this point, something to do with the girl being bitten and experiencing insatiable hunger lately. The sudden carnage of the otherwise trusting little prey creature made both of them flinch in surprise, though Lucas was quick to laugh it off. From then on the mouse’s unwavering attention was glued to the screen, but not by his choice. A chill ran through him each time she claimed another unsuspecting victim, always a prey animal, and ripped them apart with her teeth and nails like a starving animal. The way the tiny’s incredibly realistic viscera was slurped into her bloody mouth made him queasy, all too easily imagining himself in their shoes.

Eventually, her hunger became too strong and she began attacking fellow predator species as well. Ripping into throats and soft bellies was far messier than snacking on a tiny creature in three bites, making her feast all the more gory. While the violence still unsettled him, it was a touch more bearable now that he couldn’t picture his own body being mangled between the teeth of a predator he thought he could trust. Speaking of…

The mouse gulped and risked a glance behind him at the other who had hardly moved, save for a few jolts and snickers whenever a particularly good jump scare managed to startle him. It didn’t go unnoticed that every time Aaron had physically reacted to a sudden screech or attack, the cat would curl just a little bit tighter around him, hiding a laugh behind a rumbling purr. He wanted to believe this was meant to be an act of comfort and not something equally as nefarious as the canine plotting her next kill. Regardless, Lucas was equally transfixed on the movie, except he seemed to be enjoying every minute of the horror aspect. His tail would flick in interest during the high tension scenes, even more so when a chase sequence was underway. It made sense, considering that was his favorite game to make Aaron play.

Whatever the case may be, the mouse couldn’t help but be unnerved tenfold that the other had the audacity to enjoy a fictional movie he was interested in seeing. The last thing the mouse wanted was for Lucas to get any more ideas when it came to chasing him around the apartment, much less awaken any sort of primitive instinct to maim his prize after it had been captured. To this day, it remains a deep seated fear in the back of his mind that every time the cat cupped his hands over him, his teeth would be quick to follow. Natural instincts were hard to shake for a reason when it came to prey animals such as himself, he could only hope the same wasn’t true for predators.

His imagination was running rampant, enough so that he completely missed how the movie ended. Something about a cure, something about being put down, whatever. The only thing on his mind was the morbidly hilarious thought that if Lucas were to go feral like the canine, would he eat him raw or would he cook him up in another fantastic dish?

Aaron jumped when Lucas moved to sit up behind him, only now registering the credits scrolling across the screen. He stretched a bit, the quickly fading warmth that had been surrounding the mouse making him realize just how tight the other must have been snuggled around him. How did he not notice?

“Wow,” Lucas said, pursing his lips. “That...was one of the worst movies I have ever seen in my life.”

That wasn’t the reaction Aaron had been expecting him to have, but it was certainly better than to hear him go on about how it was a brilliant masterpiece. He got up to flick the lights back on, still laughing as he recounted each poorly written scene and cheesy effects. “I mean, oh my god, right? The mail man saved everyone? Seriously? I actually feel bad for making you watch that, you totally have dibs on the next movie night.”

He turned around to look at the mouse who was still huddled tight on the couch, wide eyes glued to the screen even if it was just names moving along with ominous background music. Lucas gave him another quizzical look, smirking.

“C’mon, even you have to admit those tinies had zero survival instincts. Like, who goes up to a rabid dog and asks for directions? I get suspending my disbelief and all, but they could have made it just a pinch realistic. This is so going to tank her acting career…” The cat shook his head and moved closer to the couch so that he stood right in front of the television, finally drawing the other’s attention to himself. “Hey, you hungry now?”

Oh, absolutely fucking not. An hour and a half of being tensed up gave no relief to his aching muscles and now that the lights were back on, so was his pounding headache. His stomach rolled, the nausea a mix of dizziness and disgust from the special effects. He didn’t even want to think about food, he didn’t want to be out in the open anymore, and he most certainly did not want to spend another minute in the cat’s company right now.

“S-sure…” Aaron finally squeaked out. He just needed Lucas out of the room, distracted somewhere so he could make a break for it. In some instances, he would have just darted off whether the cat saw him or not, but that always resulted in a game of chase that had a 50/50 success rate, the other loving it anyways. All he wanted was some peace and quiet to rest up and heal and not think about how easy it would be for the other to bite off his head whenever he felt like it.

Lucas stood there for a minute, studying him, and just when Aaron genuinely feared he was going to pounce, he flashed an innocent smile. “Cool, just give me a couple minutes to get it heated up.” And with that, he disappeared into the kitchen.

Aaron decided to be bold and waste a few precious seconds of his head start to collect himself. Deep down, he knew he was being ridiculous. Lucas had been nothing but kind to him. Aloof, but still kind all the same. But as a prey animal that spent the better part of his life living in walls and stealing to survive, trust was a risk he simply couldn’t take. There was hardly any benefit to keeping up this con if the end goal was simply to eat him. For all he knew, though, Lucas was nothing more than a merciless sociopath that was willing to milk every ounce of fear he could before chowing down. A sociopath obsessed with romantic comedies and wore an apron when he cooked and had begged Aaron for two months straight to tell him when his birthday was so that he could make him a miniature cake.

...okay, so maybe Lucas wasn’t a sociopath, but that didn’t mean he was trustworthy. Evolution gave him sharpened fangs and agile reflexes for a reason and the mouse was not about to find out what it was like to be on the receiving end of those one day.

With his head as clear as it was going to be for the time being, sans the dull throb behind his eyes, the mouse finally pushed himself up to make his way over to the couch arm. Slowly, as to not overwork his stiff joints, he climbed his way down to the floor and skittered under the couch for a little extra protection. Strangely, he noticed that he didn’t hear any noises coming from the kitchen just up ahead and when he stopped by the doorway, he couldn’t see anyone either. Losing track of the massive cat should not be possible, especially considering this was a one bedroom apartment and there was literally nowhere else for the feline to go without coming back through the entryway. Aaron should have taken it as a blessing, but of course he couldn’t leave well enough alone.

He proceeded to be daring and come out from under the couch completely to peek into the kitchen, confirming it was empty. Again, that shouldn’t even be possible for Lucas to slip out without having to directly pass the living room to go somewhere else. Unless he had, which would mean Aaron missed him somehow. He had been in quite a deep thought process on the couch...but he could have sworn he was only collecting himself for a minute!

The answer became glaringly obvious when the mouse took a few hesitant steps back and turned to retreat under the safety of the couch, only to come face to face with Lucas. He damn near jumped out of his skin, slamming his back against the wall in an effort to gain another inch of distance between himself and the face taking up his entire view. Really, this was nothing too out of the ordinary for the cat, he loved to sneak up and pounce whenever the opportunity presented itself and Aaron wasn’t too obviously close to heart failure. What made his heart stutter, however, was the fact that Lucas didn’t look like...well, Lucas. There was no smile, no warm eyes, no words being talked a mile a minute about nothing.

No, there was just a frowning cat with his ears pinned back and pupils slit, stalking closer with a terrifying rumble in his throat.

Instinct overtook him as soon as he saw the other’s lip twitch, trying to dart under the couch for safety and having his path immediately blocked by a hand being slammed down, claw out. Aaron couldn’t even yelp, the bile in his throat threatening to turn into vomit if he idled around too long. So, he didn’t. Instead, he turned on his heel and scampered in the opposite direction with the cat hot on his trail. He very nearly dodged a swipe, Lucas hissing that his blow didn’t land while Aaron only tried to speed up his sprinting. They circled maybe half of the living room, the mouse weaving under furniture while the cat knocked into them in an effort to jarr his prey into taking a misstep.

It worked, unfortunately, when Aaron took a sharp turn at the bookshelf and caused Lucas to clip it with his shoulder. The small bump did nothing to deter the cat on his hunt, but the two books that came tumbling down were enough to make the smaller skid and trip to avoid being squashed under the novels. He ended up twisting his ankle awkwardly, stumbling flat on his face while the momentum of his running made him roll twice until he landed on his back. Despite being winded and the additional pain in his leg, he knew there was no time to waste, trying to pull himself. It was too late, though. The cat was already on top of him, hand coming down to pin him under his palm while only his head poked free from between his fingers.

That cold, terrifying face came nearer, eyes tunnel visioned on its prize. Oh God, Aaron would give anything to have the other Lucas back right now. He’d watch a thousand sappy movies, do a date night for every meal, actually move into his bedroom like the cat had suggested he do a dozen times. He wanted...fuck, he wanted his friend back. What he thought was his friend, anyways. Not this killer, not this predator who was baring his teeth and was now mere inches away from biting off his face and--

The growling above him broke off into a snort shortly before turning into a full blown laugh. Aaron wasn’t sure when he had closed his eyes in preparation for his certain death, but when he dared to open them and blinked away the budding tears, he saw that smile he had been wishing for again. Kind and warm, just like eyes, and it was like Lucas had never even taken the form of a starving hunter in his life. Like he hadn’t been moments away from devouring his beloved roommate.

“Oh, come on,” he howled with laughter, “You can’t be serious! That movie actually scared you? I mean, I thought you looked a little freaked out by it, but wow!”

The movie...so this...this wasn’t real. Lucas was just pretending, just playing a prank on him. He thought that the movie had simply wound him up and made him jumpier than usual, no different than watching a zombie flick and popping out from behind a bush at your friend later on.

Except it was different. It was different in the fact that zombies aren't real, but predators are. Predators didn’t need an excuse to go feral and maim and consume their tiny cohabitants, they simply could by the laws of nature. And yes, it may be illegal and have several laws in place to protect prey species, but if no body was ever left behind, who could say if foul play was involved? That was the whole plot point in the otherwise dull movie they sat through together, the reason why the woman was able to avoid suspicion of her sickness by feeding on tinies that could only be reported missing at most.

Lucas’s laughter had tapered off, still clearly enjoying himself. “Alright, note to self, no more horror movies.” Finally, he released Aaron from under his hand to sit back on his haunches. “Man, I really didn’t think you would scare that easily, especially from a B-movie like that. Anyways, are you actually ready to eat now? I put your stuff in the oven so it would reheat better, but it should be done by now….Ronnie?”

Aaron hadn’t moved an inch since he was originally pinned, not even after the hand had been lifted off of him. He just stared up blankly at the cat, trembling and wide eyed, unable to do anything as the rapid succession of events sunk in. The cat’s humor died down a little, smile hesitating.

“Hey, look, I’m sorry. I just couldn’t resist, you know?” He shrugged a little sheepishly. “You didn’t even notice when I came back so I thought...I don’t know, it was funnier in my head. I almost broke character and started laughing before you ran!” With still no verbal response, Lucas reached out a hand. “Aaron? You good? Come on, I’m not that scary, am I?”

The reaction he got probably wasn’t what he was hoping for with Aaron suddenly scrambling to push himself away from the outstretched hand that might trap and tear apart his limbs. He gave a sharp squeak, managing to find his footing only to come crashing down as soon as he took the first step, his ankle noticeably swollen by this point. His cry of pain was muffled into a desperate grunt, trying so hard to drag himself away as a last ditch effort to avoid the same fate as the bird and the squirrel and the mole in the movie.

Lucas gasped. “Oh, Ronnie, your leg!” Both hands were reaching for the mouse now, aiming to cup around him and scoop him up before they surely put him out of his misery. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry! I didn’t...oh my God, I hurt you.”

Yes and no. In truth, Aaron had been the one to hurt himself by making his body move in ways it physically shouldn’t. But that didn’t change the fact that Lucas had shown his true colors. Perhaps in hindsight, that wasn’t a fair assessment, as he really did think he was playing a harmless little joke on a skittish friend. The pain came from knowing that the cat could turn feral, though, no matter how genuine he was being. There was still clearly an instinct within him, one that knew how to hunt and bare his teeth and hiss, one that knew deep down where they both ranked on the food chain. It hurt in knowing everything he thought about his friend, everything that kept him from really letting down his walls like the other so desperately wanted, was right. Cats and mice were not friends.

“Get away from me!” Aaron shrieked when the hands came too close. Though they withdrew quickly, he didn’t bother to watch if they would move again as he forced himself up to stumble back to his nook behind the bookshelf.

“Aaron, wait!” It was a fruitless request and Lucas knew it as he didn’t even try to stop the mouse from disappearing behind the furniture back into the walls. It would only make matters so much worse. “Aaron, please, you’re hurt, just...at least let me help you. Please. I...I’m so sorry! It was an accident, I promise!”

The cat shuffled closer, leaning down in hopes that the other could at least hear his pleas better, could hear how sincere he was trying to be. “I would never hurt you, Aaron. You’re one of my best friends. Look, it was a stupid prank and I’m an asshole and I’ll never do it again, just please come out. Just let me know if you’re alright?”

It didn’t matter how hard or for how long he tried, Aaron was long gone within the walls.

[kuronanox]

Every moment with you-Ukitake Jushiro

"If I had to be reborn every lifetime it would always be you."

(Your Name) sighs while sitting on the floor packing all her belongings and putting them in boxes to move out the barracks. This was the hardest thing to do, everything they shared and everything Ukitake had were being placed else where. It didn't feel right to her but and she just lost her husband and home.

She felt lifeless as Kyoraku sat across from her and frowned. Of course he was still heart broken by his best friend, his brother death. They were inseparable.

"(Your Name) I know it's hard but I promise you things will get better."

"Better said than done." She answers back but doesn't look him in the eye and folds his captains cloth placing it in a nice decorative box where she put all his special belongings.

"You will be okay out there?" He asks worriedly as she nods her head in response and rubs her red eyes from all the crying.

"I'll check up on you every often." Kyoraku sits himself up and takes one last look of Ukitake and (Your Name) house before looking down and bidding a farewell.

"(Your Name) come here." Ukitake kindly smiles at his wife as she set the hot tea down. Walking towards him he held a brush as she sat in front of him and hummed in delight.

"You know my favorite part of the day is at night and we get to spend quality time together." He says as she hums in response.

"My favorite part is waking up to you." She answers back as he chuckles and ties her hair back in a low bun as she turns towards him.

"I guess your answer is better than mine." He slightly pouts and takes a sip of the tea that was prepared.

(Your Name) curled in bed alone as she cried again they spend hundreds and years together as friends and the love of each other life's. So she asked herself how do you fully heal if you've spend most your life depending on each other.

Ukitake was no longer here, who could she depend on that was like him? His soothing voice and calming nature made her feel secure.

Looking out the window it was a starry night as she moved out to the country side to heal more. Setting up his shrine and everything else it was weird. Never had she been alone like this.

(Your Name) wondered was his soul reborn yet? Was he in Rukongai or the Human World? Either way it would be impossible to find him. There's was millions of soul getting reborn everyday.

"You're sick! I'm not letting you leave this room." (Your Name) yells at Ukitake as he coughs and holds onto his desk for support as she ran to his side and held him up.

"Yes but work comes first." He says softly and sits back down to do unfinished business.

"Honey. You've down enough, maybe it's time you retired? It's only a matter of time and you are only getting older!" She exclaims as he chuckles and swats her away kindly.

"I still look young though."

She rolled her eyes and pouted, Ukitake health was slowly getting worse but it never stopped him from working hard and supporting his squad.

There were times she worried he didn't have long to live because of how severely sick he would get at times but those thoughts she bore were heavy on her heart.

"I'm just scared...what if something bad happens to you?"

Ukitake looks up to her and grabs her hand gently with his and kisses it.

"I'm here right now that's all that matters."

"But what if there comes a time you aren't no more?" She questions as he knits his brows to find words to say.

Ukitake didn't know what to say because he also knew.

"You know I'll always have you and I'll be somewhere better." Although those weren't the words he wanted to say the truth had to be told as she looks down and nods.

"I love you." She whispers and he smiles.

"I love you too."

Waking up the sun peaked up as she groaned and looked towards her side.

"I guess its still a habit. I can imagine you here but you aren't here."

Getting ready for the day she had a unexpected visitor. Well it was expected but he didn't tell her.

"Good morning!" Kyoraku happily says walking into her new place as she smiles back and lets him in.

They both said their prayers to the shine before setting up the table to eat breakfast.

"How are you holding up?"

She wanted to lie but didn't know how to.

"It's okay, I can't say I haven't stop crying and doing old habits but I think being out here is better and getting the fresh air feels nice."

The older man hums in response and stares out to look at the flowers scattered everywhere. "He would have loved it out here."

"I know... that's why I decided to come out here. It's more like 'you've worked hard let's go rest somewhere peaceful now' I know it's time for me to rest also."

Kyoraku smiles and then looks at Ukitake picture.

"He's smiling down at us (Your Name) theres no need to torture yourself no more."

She rolls her eyes playfully and looks at the picture too before grinning. "I know but it's hard."

"I'm not leaving him!" (Your Name) screamed at Kyoraku as Ukitake prayed to Mimihagi as to becoming the right hand of the soul king.

"I promised him you would not die in this war!"

(Your Name) cried as she watched Ukitake sacrifice himself and suffer in pain.

"You knew and didn't tell me, you guys both knew! How could you let me leave him like this." As she cried and  fell on the floor.

Kyoraku grabbed her forcefully as she struggled to get loose and she screamed in pain.

"I'm not letting him leave by himself."

"Don't be selfish (Your Name) you aren't thinking! He's doing this for the sake of Seireitei! He's doing this for everyone! For you!" Kyoraku yells at her as she looks away and cries into his chest.

Glancing back at Ukitake she wasn't sure if he was still physically here.

Wiping her tears she cooled her head and nodded.

Kyoraku left as she signed and laid in bed. She would go back to work when she was fully healed but as of right now she didn't wanna do anything.

Life at this point had no meaning to her if he was gone.

"I promise you I'll get better."

50 years later

It took her a few years after Ukitake death to piece herself back together, during the time she went back to being a shinigami and full filling her duties to protect souls and those she loved.

There had been a disturbance in the world of living so her and few lieutenants were sent down to the world of living to check it out.

"I feel a high reitsu coming from the west." Hisagi says as him and Kira went to check it out.

"I'll check east and Renji will go south." Rangiku tells (Your Name) as she nods and follows north.

It had been many years since she was last down here. It had been during Aizen's battle.

"The human world has changed quite a bit."

After reporting a few suspicious incident to Kyoraku she watched the sunset alone waiting for the others.

A man in his 30s walked by her reading a book, he was smiling peacefully with his hair tied in a low pony and a nice button up.

The white hair tamed.

She gasped slightly as he looked up to her and his eyes widen a bit.

"You can see me?" She asks questioning him.

"I can see you, Ive seen many things since I was a child." Ukitake laughs not fazed a bit from her outfit and sword.

She felt happy tears fall from her eyes as he jumped a bit afraid he had hurt her feelings because she was dead and he wasn't.

"I'm sorry, I'm just so happy. You're alive."

He tilts his head in confusion as she wipes them away.

"My name is (Your Name)." She introduced herself as he kindly bowed

Although she wanted to bring him back he had a different life here and showing them together would only confuse him.

"Your name sounds familiar to me." Ukitake says as she sadly smiled and lied to him. "Maybe it's common around here?"

"No it's pretty unique. I've heard it somewhere." He says but can't seem to connect the clues.

Oh how was the world was cruel to them both at this moment. She would have to remember all the memories of them as his was mixed with confusion and facts.

"Do you believe in rebirth?" She then asks him as he nods his head. She took a deep breath and said the following words Ukitake told her before his death and sacrifice.

"If I had to be reborn every lifetime it would always be you."

Ukitake touches his head as it started to feel a bit dizzy and she held him and he gasps. He knew for sure something about her was familiar but he was getting frustrated not being able to figure it out.

Tears fell from her face as Ukitake eyes were watering. "Why am I crying? My body is doing it on its own."

Ukitake was beyond confused but she wouldn't let him suffer no longer. She knew he was safe and happily healthy living down here and that's all she needed to know.

"I'll wait a few more years for you and then we'll meet up there."

Ukitake looks at her and reached his hand out. He didn't want her to leave this comforting feeling and Ukitake knew he knew her somehow but he can't remember.

Kissing his forehead she took one last glance and disappeared.

"I'll see you then my love. I'll watch over you till it's your time and then we can finally be together again."

Ukitake looks up to the sky as the uncontrollable tears fell from his face and he tried his best to compose himself. He just couldn't as he cried, he felt something from her and he would have to wait.

As much as he wanted the pain to leave, his own heart neglected his mind.

"I'll see you again (Your Name)."

(Authors note: Oo so sad, Ukitake is literally so precious, he didn't deserve death.)

[phoebe-delia]

Deja Vu

Angst. MCD x2. Bittersweet ending though, trust me.

"Captirevero"

The spell settled over the Pensieve, causing it to glow for a moment before the light sank into the metal.

Hands shaking, Harry poured the vial into the basin, the cloudy substance stirring with the addition. Once it settled, he took a breath, closed his eyes, and let himself fall.

His younger body feels familiar, but a bit snug, like an old t-shirt that just barely fits but not the way it used to. His hands are in the pockets of his robes as he slowly paces around the Room, restless. He runs a hand through his hair before placing it back into his cavern of fabric, clenching both of his fists and grabbing at the cloth.

Finally, the door creaks open and Draco—he was still 'Malfoy' back then—steps into the room. Harry looks up with a start, forcing himself to stop walking.

He lets the other boy approach him, a wary look on his pale, aristocratic features. Draco swallows nervously.

"Thanks for meeting me," Harry said, hating the way his younger self's voice cracks.

Draco doesn't seem to catch it, or he does he doesn't comment; he just nods. "What did you want to talk about, Potter?"

"I'm sorry. For what happened today."

Draco's jaw clenches. "It's fine. You have to keep appearances, I understand."

Harry shakes his head. "No, Malfoy that's the thing. I didn't expect her to kiss me; I pushed her off a second after you turned away, really. It's my fault for not being clearer with Ginny earlier. It's over between her and me, for good this time, and I'm tired of keeping you a secret."

Something shifts in Draco's eyes; gods, they're just as grey as Harry remembers. "You don't have to do this, Potter," his voice is quiet, unsteady.

Harry feels himself smile softly. He reaches out and takes Draco's smooth hand in his own calloused one. "I know, Draco. I'm doing this because I want to."

And Draco's smile is as blinding as he remembers.

The scene shifts to him struggling to open the door to his flat while simultaneously balancing a large, heavy box in his arms. The aching soreness of his arms is familiar as he blindly reaches for the handle, only to meet resistance and a lock. He fumbles for the key but is unable to reach it properly in his back pocket without losing his grip on the box. Finally, he kicks at the door and calls Draco's name. Merlin, he knows he can't have lost it already. What is taking so long? Harry doesn't remember what's supposed to come next, but he's fairly certain that—

Draco opens the door and nearly runs into Harry, a look of surprise on his face falling into exasperation, laced with fondness. He steps back and lets Harry through, rolling his eyes.

"Harry, honestly, I told you to leave the door open when you got the next box. Why didn't you set it down first and get your key properly, at least?"

Harry puts the box down on the newly set up kitchen table and turns to Draco with a grin. He shrugs. "It was easier my way."

He revels in the familiarity of Draco's derisive, yet heatless scoff. "Merlin, you're impossible."

Harry smirks and walks up to Draco, taking him into his arms before he can protest.

"Mm, yes but I'm your impossible."

Draco gives him a strange look. "What does that even mean?"

Harry shrugs and nuzzles his face into Draco's neck, letting out a contented sigh as the ache in his muscles fades. "I dunno. Like you said, I'm impossible."

Draco huffs and strokes Harry's hair. "Yes, yes you are," he says softly. Harry smiles and closes his eyes.

With each new scene he enters, his nostalgia and joy become increasingly tainted by foreboding. He knows the irony of his smile when he and Draco promise to love one another in sickness and health. He watches the years of dinners and cuddles and bickering and fights. He is surprised by old forgotten jokes and can still recite every word of their favorite stories.

He recalls the terror when Draco is diagnosed and he is helpless to do anything other than hear himself repeat to Draco the same assurances of hope that he knows all too well are doomed. He is forced to watch as Draco lies in the hospital bed, unconscious and kept alive under a stasis spell, his outward self seeming anxious and sick with uncertainty while his inner self awaits the inevitable.

And anticipating the deep and intense sadness of watching Draco's casket get lowered into the ground doesn't make the experience any less painful.

The memory dissolves once again and Harry knows he's drunk.

He remembers this day as if it were yesterday: the dull ache of grief, that a hole had been ripped out of his heart through his chest, and how he'd tried to fill it with firewhiskey. He is sitting in the recliner in the living room and decides he is tired of living in the present.

He stumbles into the bedroom and opens the closet door, revealing the only thing that's been able to give him a reprieve from the pain over the last few months. The Pensieve sits, inviting and beckoning him to take a break from his mourning. And every time it's ended, he's always been more depressed than when he'd started, knowing the breath of air was over and the sensation of drowning would return.

But not this time. After this, he would be drowning no more.

He picks up his wand and casts.

Harry feels a sudden jolt, causing him to stumble back. He is still in his normal body, but this time he's at King's Cross. He waits for the eerie sense of dread to wash over him, but all he feels is peace, contentment. He sees a figure sitting on an otherwise empty bench, and the calm feeling dissolves and is replaced by anticipation twisting in his stomach. He clenches his fists and walks toward the figure, ready to have the confrontation with Albus Dumbledore he'd always craved, but his heart starts pounding as he starts to make out a lithe figure and white-blonde hair.

Despite his disbelief, he jogs toward the bench to confirm his hopes, his worries. His breath catches in his throat when the figure stands and turns piercing, stormy grey eyes at him.

"Hi Harry," Draco says. "Having a stroll down memory lane, are we?"

Harry nods. "Yeah, I...But usually it—wait, what are you doing here?"

"Love, do you know how long you've been here?"

Harry furrows his eyebrows. "Just a few minutes, right?"

Draco presses his lips together. "No, you've been here for the last ten years."

Harry's breathing grows shallow. "T-ten years? Am I...am I dead?"

"Harry, do you remember what happened?"

Harry shook his head. "I thought I was just watching our memories. I do that when I miss you."

Draco gave him a soft smile. "You've been reliving our memories over and over for ten years, love. You cast a spell on the Pensieve to pull all of you in here and to keep yourself in here until you caught up to where you left off. "

"So, I'm not dead, then," Harry knits his eyebrows.

Draco nods. "Correct."

"Then why am I here?"

"Because you have a choice. You see, you used a rare spell that allows the caster three options when the run of memories is over. You may return back to the real world and live out the rest of your life. You can stay in the loop of memories until the end of your natural life. Or you can come beyond the Veil."

Harry's breath catches. "You mean I can—I can go with you, now?"

A gentle smile settles on Draco's lips. "Yes, Harry, you can. If you want to, that is." Draco takes a deep breath, seeming to steel himself. "But you've got to decide."

Harry smiles. "I want to go with you."

Draco's mouth opens slightly in shock. "You don't have to do this for me, Harry, really."

Harry grins. He walks up to Draco and takes a smooth hand in his own. A sense of deja vu washes over him, the sensation welcome and warm.

"I know, Draco," he says. "I'm doing this because I want to."

And Draco's smile is as blinding as he remembers.

[amenomiko]

Thank you for the request @lareina2501 ❤❤❤❤❤ It's an honor to be your fav writer (∩´﹏`∩) 💕💕💕💕💕💕💕 I will do my best more and more ∩( ✧Д✧)∩✨✨✨✨✨✨✨!! As for this request I've changed the storyline to match with the angst and happy ending, if you don't mind >3< ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤! Hope you like it!

Come Clean

Pairing: IkeSen Mitsuhide x MC

Type: One Shot

Rated: Angst + Happy End

🦊💙🦊💙🦊💙🦊💙🦊💙🦊💙🦊💙🦊

"This game ends here."

If travelling into an unknown place, an era with endless war, a timeline she have to wipe her tears but to survive...

The words that he uttered to her on that day hurts the most.

Everything was a gameplay to him. With that teasing smile, gradually changed into a hateful look, he pointed the gun that he always use to end someone's life to her. "I was just using you all the time. Who would've known you even give all of yourself to me-- to think that you shed enormous drop of tears just from Yoshiaki's words.. Aren't you the fragile one?"

Liar.

"Was it sated enough for you?"

Liar.

"Did I satisfy you?"

Liar.

"You are beaming with happiness just from a kiss? Such lonely girl you are."

"Mmmf--"

Waves and waves of swirling stirred inside of her, causing her to stumble to the side, of where she nearly bumped upon the edge of the wall if it isn't because of the support on the table nearby.

Mitsuhide..

She gasped, tears pricking within her orbs,

Mitsuhide..

Vomiting out everything that she could throw,

Mitsuhide..

Her coughs slowly emerges into a sob, and it grew stronger when she rub her belly.

Why did you lie..?

.......

It was a spur of the moment. It could be. It might be.

From a slow, loving kiss on her brow, her lips found his, where they exchanged their body heat with one another. Kisses, groans, soft moaning, endless marks all over her body, genuine confession towards each other-- it is such a blissful moment and memories for her.

To think that he choose to lie for the sake of her safety--

To think that he would use his weapon to threaten her..

So that she could stand in the light, and him, always in the abyss of darkness and evilness. And furthermore,..

To think that just from that one night, she had bear his child...

Oh she had tried to be with him. But he pushed her away. Many times. He even use another woman to make her believe that he was just using her all along--

...He even announced his marriage to the same woman to get rid of her completely--

And then..

She gasped again, now clenching on her stomach-- "K-Kana--..!"

Her maid bursted into the room, "Princess..? Princess!!"

-----

And then..

The wedding celebration were held joyfully, he even announced to the public of his happiness. He even laughed, smiled, nuzzled on his bride's nose, just to show how much he love her. Right in front of her, in front of her eyes, that clearly were decorated with nothing but a swell.

"I am happy for you, Mitsuhide."

Oh how it killed her.

It's as if she has taken a knife and stab her own chest.

"Well, to be honest.. I am having his child..! He is kind enough to marry me for the sake of our child..!" His bride whispered to her, from a gleeful voice that suddenly changed into a menacing ones,... "Now it's clear to you, isn't it? You are NO princess, so you should learn where do you stand, don't you think so?" Then it was again replaced with a smile the moment her husband called for her.

Ah.. So this is how they played it.

If it is like that, it's fine.

If it's for the sake of her child, then she will do it too.

Yes, she should learn her place. So she will leave everything. From a place where she didn't belong, a place where people wouldn't know, a place where people will forget.

With the help of Sasuke,...

That very same night she had faked her death. She had brought her most trusted maid with her, leaving no trace behind. Changing her appearance together with her maid, she made it as if she had never existed.

She made a promise with Sasuke as well. To keep it a secret, to never see her and to never associate with her. It was beyond his agreement, as she is his friend, but he have no choice.

------

"Princess.. You overexert your body again. It's not good for the child, as it will be born soon."

Smiling weakly, she caresses her growing belly. "I'm sorry.. I can't help but to remember that night. Especially when it was snowing like this."

Kana and MC wheeled their head to the garden, watching how it become white all over from the falling snow. "I don't know, Kana. It was not even snowing when he said those words, but maybe, just maybe, that night has become cold when he choose to lie."

"...Princess..."

"My apologies. I'm being very melancholy am I?"

Kana shakes her head. "Please don't say that, Princess. Here, have some water before you rest, alright?"

She nodded, leaning against the reclining chair before turning to see the white garden once more.

..To think that snow could make you feel this lonely. But she is not alone, she will be with her child. Even if her existence has faded to other people.

--------

There is no other day that he feels empty.

Staring into nothing in an ample silence, the feeling of the metal in his hand has been forgotten.

Such metal; the hairclip he had given her, is still smeared with blood, the blood of hers on the night she had gone from his life forever.

Lying is never enough for Mitsuhide. But it was more than enough for her. He lied for her own good. He hurt her for her happiness. He cast her aside for her safety. He trampled her feelings and love for him, for her best.

Even though everything had went well-- ending Yoshiaki's life, and gained another peace for his Lord, he is not satisfied. Faking a marriage, faking a love just to make her believe he didn't need her anymore-- it is the biggest sacrifice and self torture for him. More than the torture that he get in the cell when he was accused as the traitor back then..!

Her death is the ultimate torture of his life..!

Why did this happen? How could this happen?

What have he done to her??

"...Kh--"

And again,

There's no other day that he feel empty. There's no other days he will shed his tears while holding the hairclip close to his heart. He have seen it. He have seen her jumped off the cliff, right in front of his eyes. He had been searching, high and low, every places, to no avail. He had refused to believe, he nearly went crazy just from this..!

Is this..

A punishment for him? Yes. Indeed it is. For trampling her genuine and sincere love for someone like him..

"My lord."

He didn't answer his vassal. It was until Kyubei hand him a letter that makes his heart thump so loud in his chest.

-----

"Princess..! Princess..!! Please..! Please stay awake..! Your child needs you..! Please..!!"

"Give it your best, My lady..! Push with all your might..!!"

She couldn't feel her grip around the cloth in her palms anymore. She had tried all she could, but she sees nothing but whiteness. Her eyes narrowed-- she is in verge of fainting once more. "No..! You can't faint!! My lady!!"

'Ahh.. Mitsuhide.. Where are you.. Will you be here..? Will you come to my rescue just like you use to do..?'

Her hold around the cloth loosened, and the voices next to her couldn't be heard anymore, when..

"MC!!!"

The door burst open, revealing a pale looking Mitsuhide. Pale and thin, weaker than ever.

She must have been dreaming. For Mitsuhide to come and to found her like this, just like how she secretly wished. "MC..! Please..! Don't leave me..! Don't leave us..!" He squeezed her hand tight, patting her face lightly for her to stay awake. "I am here..! I will be here..! So please..!"

His facade broke. Tears after tears streaming on his face, wetting the surface of her cheek. "I love you.. Please. I'm begging you.." He grit his teeth to fight the upcoming tears, kissing her brow and temple over and over.

"Mmf--"

Her grip has tightened once again, eyes shut to give her all, especially for her unborn child.

Hours has passed, and by nightime..

A beautiful, melodic sound had filled the house.

-----

"....."

Mitsuhide has been staring at his daughter for quite some time. She is now nestled in his arms, sleeping peacefully as her father rub her cheeks gently.

He had stayed awake the whole time, even until MC had woke up. Both of them didn't say anything, only exchanging a silent look to one another.

Then after a while..

He rose and settled next to her.

There's no words were uttered, but he pulls her close with his other arm, burying his head in the crook of her neck where a silent cry could be heard, and an endless strings of apologies were said.

Throughout the time when she lived in seclusion, her maid has been exchanging letters with his vassal secretly. Both of them updated each other's situation, and when it is the perfect time for their masters to meet again, that is where the letter were given to Mitsuhide.

He had brought her back, to everyone's surprise. Things had been cleared between them; a happy ending for both of them. No lies, no facades, just the truth.

And....

*Extra*

"THIS, is WHY, I've TOLD you, to NOT do EVERYTHING, ON YOUR OWN! JUST LOOK WHAT HAD HAPPENED?? JUST LOOK!! THE MOTHER OF YOUR CHILD HAVE TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THAT HELL THANKS TO YOU!! AND JUST LOOK AT YOU?? YOU ARE LIKE THOSE BEGGAR ON THE STREETS!!"

"My, my, how rude ( ͡^ ͜ʖ ͡^)."

"OH HELL YES, I AM. SEE? SHE EVEN HAVE TO FAKE HER WHEREABOUTS BECAUSE SHE'S HURT!! AND--"

"....Mmmnnnn..."

"Oooh, oooh, my baby angel, Uncle Hideyoshi ish here (❁´◡`❁)🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸~~~ WHERE ARE YOU GOING MITSUHIDE I'M NOT DONE YET (　☉д⊙)!!"

"MC needs help, so I will leave my daughter with you for a while ( ͡^ ͜ʖ ͡^)."

"Oh okay-- wait- WAIT! YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO SEE HER. YOU ARE GROUNDED MITSUHIDE! G R O U N D E D!!!"

"Mmmnnn.. Eeehhheeee QAQ!!!!"

"Aaaaahhh my baby angel QAQ I'm sorry!!!"

"Oh my ( ͡^ ͜ʖ ͡^)."

"Just give her konpeito, she will stop crying for sure (˵ ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°˵)." - Nobunaga

"MY LORD NO (　☉д⊙)!!"

[ruewrites]

Thrones are Built on Lies Chapter 8: Change of Heart

AO3

Ship: Solomon/Asmo, Diavolo/Lucifer

Word Count: 4550

Warnings: None

A/N: As always comments and feedback are appreciated! I hope you all are still enjoying the fic so far!

Prev

Next

Diavolo’s face was a welcoming sight to Solomon that morning as he left his room. He beamed the moment their eyes met and crossed the room in order to meet him. “Good morning! I trust you slept well last night?” his booming voice was almost too loud for Solomon, but it still brought a smile to his face.

“As well as a scholar can, yes.”

Well, books hadn’t been the only thing keeping him up last night. His dreams hadn't been too terribly helpful. If only he could have a little peace of mind while he slept. Maybe he’d crash tonight after his little outing. Asmo was rather high energy and Solomon had no doubt that he’d most likely be worn upon their return. Maybe he’d even sleep for a day. That would be rather nice the more he thought about it.

Diavolo nodded, “I will admit, it took me a while to get used to things here as well. It’s easy to become homesick, but Lucifer and I take visits back home every now and again. I promise it will get easier.”

“Were they all as welcoming to you as they are to me.”

“You’re lucky you weren’t here with the late king,” Diavolo shook his head, “Or maybe he would have liked you a little better than me. You aren’t the one who wanted to marry Lucifer.” That’s right, neither Azazel nor his brother had wanted Diavolo to marry the crown prince. From what he could gather, it sounded like Azazel still wasn’t fond of the union. “The point is, it takes them a while to warm up to people, but they will soon enough.”

Hopefully. Solomon seemed to be making way with the family, so he could only assume they’d start to like him soon even if just a little bit.

“In any case, how have things been with Asmodeus?”

Ah.

Oh.

“I know he was excited by the fact that you took the whole ‘Lilith’ thing well, a little melodramatic, but still happy,” Diavolo continued, “He’s been talking about how his eventual wedding would be the ball of the century ever since Lucifer and I got married.”

Solomon hadn’t even talked to him about the wedding. He’d been so caught up in learning about Arcadia that the wedding seemed more like a concept to him than an actual event that would occur soon. When was the coronation? How much time did he have left? Why had it not been more focused on his radar? Now that he thought about it more, he didn’t have a single clue about what any of his wedding plans were going to be. What food were they preparing? What times was everything occurring at? What was he supposed to wear? Were people going to witness their union? They were only a few of a long list of questions that Solomon should have known the answers to, and yet he didn’t.

It seemed like whenever Solomon solved one problem, another one arose. For whatever reason, it never occurred to him that their union would be a big event. Lucifer's would have been since he was the crown prince, but his? A small ceremony to seal them together would have sufficed. Did it really need to be big?

"He certainly has been dreaming for a while now hasn't he?"

"He certainly has," Diavolo nodded, “He has rather vivid dreams, they’re not always big in the grand scheme of things, but they’re very specific.”

So that probably meant that Asmo was hellbent on what he’d said to him last night. No matter how he tried to change the direction of his thoughts they always came back to the outing he was supposed to have today. Solomon knew love couldn’t be forced and that love was a rare thing to occur within an arranged marriage, but would Asmodeus accept that? Surely he had to know this small fact. Perhaps he was just in denial.

But why?

Why not just accept what life had given to them and be excited for the opportunities that it could provide?

“Has he talked to you about it?” Diavolo’s voice brought him out of his thoughts.

“About what?”

“His ideas. Surely you’ve heard some of them.

Solomon's blank expression must have said all that Diavolo needed to know. His face fell slightly. Solomon couldn't read the expression well. At first he thought that perhaps it was confusion. Disappointment? He couldn't place his finger on it. What he did know was that it made him feel uncomfortably guilty.

"Oh. I see," the pause between them was only a second too long, "You should spend more time with him. He's a kind person. Just a little-”

“High energy?” Solomon finished. Kind? Well if him ensuring Solomon that he’d fall head over heels for him was considered kind, Solomon would agree. This was the first positive thing he’d heard about his fiance the moment he’d stepped onto the grounds. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that he really hadn’t heard too many good things about Asmo, only the things that he couldn’t do quite right. What could be the truth?

“Well yes, but I may have a soft spot for him,” Diavolo continued, “He was one of the few who made me feel welcomed here. ‘Anything for my big brother’s husband�� he’d say. We spent a lot of time chatting and sometimes he’d offer to take me to various places in Arcadia. All when Lucifer was busy of course.”

Maybe he had been a bit more well behaved because Diavolo was more than willing to spend time with him. Solomon was a busy man, he had research to do among other things. He couldn’t just drop his research at any time. Nonetheless, he could still contribute to the conversation. “Forgive me for saying so, but I find that a little hard to believe. Only because you seem to have a soft spot for most people you come into contact with.”

There was that booming laugh.

“Am I truly that easy to read?”

“Only a little.”

Diavolo was a genuine man. Solomon had to wonder if he had some sort of magic of his own to cause people to loosen up around him, or was he just that charismatic? Either way it made his marriage to Lucifer feel even stranger to him. How could there possibly be anything there deeper than the arrangement? Then again, according to Azazel, Diavolo seemed to have more of an influence of the crown prince.

What allowed someone to become that close?

Well, Simeon had some influence over his own decisions, but their relationship was different. Solomon would have had to been naive to think the two were equivalent. Diavolo and Lucifer had something beyond a close friendship and Solomon could see it even if he was rather confused by it.

“I think Lucifer might be your favorite person though,” he wanted to see what he said. He wanted to see how Diavolo talked about Lucifer. In a way, it was a roundabout way of him wanting to know more about the elusive eldest.

Diavolo seemed to melt right before him, his eyes turned gooey and warm and his body relaxed. “Perhaps, he’s a wonderful man and stunningly beautiful. The most ethereal being I’ve ever seen, sometimes I doubt that he’s human,” he sighed, “He’s intelligent too and an absolutely capable ruler.”

“You admire him.”

“I love him,” Diavolo corrected, “I’d do anything for him, I’d give my own life for him.”

Solomon didn’t know why those words threw him off. Giving up your life. Would Solomon do that for anyone? He wasn’t sure. He had people that he wanted to protect, yes. But giving up his own life? Thinking about that wasn’t something he wanted to do at the moment or later. It was a morbid concept.

“Asmo is quite smitten with you,” Solomon was vaguely aware that Diavolo was still talking, “He was completely fine when he left, but when he came back he was spellbound. I think it was good for him to have a little joy.”

It was easy to forget that the family was dealing with two deaths: the King and their sister. There had also been supposed assasination attempts. How much tragedy followed the family around?

It didn’t mean that he was going to give in to Asmodeus’ every demand, but he would try to keep those things in mind.

“It feels good to see him lively again, he was so anxious when it came to pretending, I know I was relieved that you took it all well.”

“I’m happy he’s not anxious anymore as well, I was worried I was doing something wrong. I’m glad to know that that wasn’t the case.”

Diavolo’s hand grabbed the handle to the door to the caverns as he turned back to Solomon, “We should talk more, I heard you’re going to have an outing today and I’d love to hear more.”

***

“Will you ever be on time for any meal?” Asmo huffed, crossing his arms.

“Maybe one day,” Solomon hummed, taking a seat, “But I did show up.”

“If you showed up early we could spend a little time together before everyone else got here.”

Solomon noticed that Asmodeus wasn’t looking at him. Following his gaze, Solomon saw that he was staring at Lucifer and Diavolo. Diavolo had his hand on the crown prince’s shoulder. He leaned down close to his ear and said something that made Lucifer smile ever so slightly and chuckle. He mouthed the word sit, and Diavolo took his place next to him. It was incredibly tender. No one else seemed to pay it any mind, but Asmo’s fingers gripped at the table.

“I might be able to come sooner if someone wouldn’t mind teaching me how to navigate the castle.”

He noticed Asmodeus nod slowly, but he didn’t look towards him. What had gotten into him? What about Lucifer and Diavolo had him so fixated? Unfortunately his little novice charm didn’t give him all of those answers. Did he dare reach up to see what he was feeling? It could give him an idea of how to steer the conversations.

His hand wandered towards his chest. But before his fingertips could brush against the pendant, Diavolo’s butler entered the room. “Breakfast will be out shortly, but I do have tea ready.”

Barbatos started at the head of the table, pouring tea for each member and setting out small biscuits. When had been the last time he came to breakfast? He came to other meals sure, but most of the time Simeon brought it back to him as he often slept through it.

“Welcome your majesty,” Barbatos said, pouring the steaming liquid into his cup, “It’s lovely to have you join us this morning.”

“Oh thank you.”

“Your scribe seemed to be getting tired of you missing meals.” Wasn’t he the bold one? “Anything in your tea?”

“No thank you.”

Barbatos nodded and moved on to Asmodeus.

“No cream or anything? Really?” Asmodeus leaned over to look at his cup.

“Really. I stay up rather late, and sugar makes you crash.”

“Then what about sugar rushes?”

“It’s a temporary rush. It won’t last in the long run.”

Lucifer had taken his tea black as well, so why was it so intriguing to Asmo that he might drink his own in a similar fashion? It was almost like it was some sort of secret or big surprise to his fiance.

“You really are a serious guy aren’t you.”

Now what was that supposed to mean?

“Does that mean you no longer want to go out?”

“No!” Asmo jumped in quickly, eyes going wide, “No we’re still going out. You can’t get away from me that easily.”

“I didn’t suspect that I would, You seemed rather determined.”

“Well good! You shouldn’t think that you could get away.”

Solomon snorted. He looked around the table to each of the members. Levi wasn’t fighting with Mammon like they’d been on the first day he got here. While the two of them weren’t talking, they seemed to be getting along better. Satan was focused on a book from his library, one that he’d have to remember to ask him about later. The twins sat silently. Well, Beel sat silently, Belphegor was asleep. Solomon also noticed that unlike the rest of his siblings, he was dressed in black. Had he been dressed in mourning attire when he arrived?

“Husband!” Asmo sang waving his hand in front of his face, “You should be paying attention to meee.”

“He ain’t your husband yet Asmo,” Mammon chuckled, before Solomon could even get a word in, “And he won’t be if you scare him away.”

“I won’t scare him away!”

A few of the other brothers snickered from around the table as Belphie opened one of his eyes. “Are you sure about that?” he asked, “When you met him you weren’t you.”

Solomon heard a bit of an edge to his voice. It wasn’t playful like Mammon’s had been.

“Enough,” Lucifer held up his hand, “It’s too early for this. We’re going to have a nice breakfast as a family or else I’ll banish you from Arcadia.”

“Aw come on Luci, you wouldn’t banish your baby brother would ya?” Mammon asked, leaning a little closer and batting his lashes.

Lucifer only narrowed his eyes, “Don’t test me.”

***

“Mammon runs the treasury, Levi is the head of the navy, Satan holds the records, and the twins split agriculture. Belphie takes care of the animals when it comes to stuff like milk and eggs and Beel takes care of crops and beef,” Asmo had been talking the entire ride down to his sector. He counted off each one of his siblings on his fingers as he named them off. He’d chosen to sit shoulder to shoulder with Solomon instead of across from him. Not that he was surprised. Asmodeus was rather clingy. “Lucifer as the head stays in the center and oversees all of Arcadia. He wasn’t always the welcome committee, but he had to take over. Luckily he has Diavolo for that now.”

Solomon shifted trying to give himself more room only for Asmo to follow him, “And what do you do?”

Asmo grinned, “Oh showing interest? Well, if you must know, my district takes care of little self care items. Lotions, perfumes, flowers, pretty things. Honestly mine is the best. Sure the other things are important I suppose, but what is life without beauty? My district is the most beautiful and therefore it's the best.”

Well, that seemed a bit shallow. Was looks the only thing he really cared about? All of the other things he had listed were equally important. How could he undermine them for the sake of his own? Every element came together to make a community. No one aspect held everything together alone.

“You’re going to love it. I can’t believe I haven’t taken you here sooner! Well I kind of can, after all I wouldn’t have been able to if- Well, you know.”

The carriage stopped and Asmodeus immediately seemed to perk up. The carriage bounced with him as he waited for the chauffeur. As soon as the door opened, he took Solomon’s hand and walked the two of them out. The first thing he noticed was a few timid townsfolk peeking out from behind their doors or windows or even stared from their stands.They seemed fixed on Asmo. Of course Solomon remembered that many of them most likely stayed hidden or on a low profile because of the death of the king along with the threats. It was nice to see some other life around. A royal being around probably put them at a higher risk.

“Hello my adoring darlings!” Asmo sang, “I’ve decided to treat you all with a visit today, and I’ve brought my soon to be husband to see all of you! Make sure you show him just how wonderful you all are!”

Solomon caught the sweet scent he usually associated with Asmo wafting from one of the shops. So, they did come from here. How frequently did Asmo visit? Slowly people emerged from their houses and stands and continued to go about their days. Asmo grinned at him and took his hand.

“Come on, I want to show you around.”

Asmo spent most of the time talking about himself. Asking if Solomon thought he looked pretty, if his town was the best one he'd ever seen. That was the last thing he really remembered as he started to tune Asmo out at that point. There was so much he could take of this man just talking about himself. He figured that he might learn something about his fiance, but it turns out he was wrong. Did Asmo seriously think that this would get Solomon to like him? He knew what Diavolo had said, but still.

Was he really that nice?

Or was he more like what he'd heard Azazel describe?

Whatever the case, he was trying too hard to impress him.

Asmo led him towards the center of the square and turned to face Solomon, “If I can get some musicians together, would you like to dance with me?”

“Oh, well, I’m not the best dancer,” he could at social events if he had to, but it wasn’t something that he would do in his free time. The idea of there being a possible audience also made him nervous. He stepped back and looked around, "Perhaps another time."

Asmo's face fell slightly, but he let Solomon step back. It almost seemed as if he was trying to think about what to say to convince Solomon to change his mind.

"I think I'd like to meet some of your people and to look at the products they create," Solomon continued, taking note of the plant life around him. Each of them seemed to have some sort of pink tint to them. At least the color themes seemed consistent.

"Of course."

The people were seemed rather intimidated by him. Not that he blamed him. He was an outsider king and a rather prominent figure at that. He was going to marry their prince. He took notes as they wandered. After all, he was going to have a say when it came to this place, he should know more about it.

Asmo’s chattering eventually dulled with each increasingly listless response Solomon gave and he scribbled away in his notes. Perhaps he finally understood that Solomon needed to focus, that he needed quiet if he was going to make any progress in his studies. He paused in his strides when he came to a patch of flowers surrounded by tiny metal arches.

They smelled impossibly sweet, almost as sweet as Asmo's perfumes. What were they? They weren't anything that Solomon was familiar with. He was certain they didn’t have them back at home. This was something he could ask his fiance about. It was only when he turned to ask him did he realize that Asmo wasn’t there. He wasn’t anywhere to be seen actually.

His eyes glanced around the area. Surely he couldn’t have gone that far? Was he really that upset by the fact that Solomon wouldn’t dance with him?

He plucked one of the flowers and started to try to retrace his steps to find his fiance. This was supposed to be a date between the two of them. Of course he would lose his fiance here. Of course his fiance would run out without telling him. Of course. Of course it had to be this way. Of course his fiance couldn’t have been reasonable. Of course-

There were children laughing.

Children?

“You’re doing so well!” his fiance was standing among them, engaging in their little games. This was a different side of him. They were all in a little circle with their hands linked. Sometimes the children would break the chain and run around before finding new spots.

He wasn't striving to impress them, perhaps because they were children (and easy to impress).

He's a kind person.

Diavolo had said he was kind. Solomon had been skeptical. The more he watched, the more he realized that perhaps he’d been wrong. He’d judged him too harshly. Perhaps he hadn’t been as level headed as he thought.

Watching him laugh and play with the little ones was certainly an experience all on it’s own. He seemed like he didn’t have a care in the world.

Solomon also had another realization.

Asmo had a different type of worry plaguing his mind. He’d been nervous that Solomon would reject him because he wasn’t Lilith sure, but after he’d been worried that Solomon wouldn’t be impressed with him. His worries transformed and were presenting themselves through a different outlet. Solomon hadn’t been paying attention because Asmo was smitten with him, which was the minimum that he needed.

He could be good to him.

He could be kind to him.

It seemed like Solomon hadn’t been doing the best job at doing those things the more he dwelled on it. To put it frankly, he’d been ignorant. Solomon couldn’t even say that he wasn’t completely unaware of how he’d been acting. He hadn’t been terrible to Asmodeus, but he certainly hadn’t been good or kind either. He could have been better.

One of the kids must have tripped or something, because the next thing Solomon knew he heard sobbing.

“Oh darling, it’s alright, hush now. It’s only a scrape,” Asmo’s voice carried to Solomon’s ears. It was soothing, it felt safe. It lit something inside of him, a feeling that he couldn’t quite place his finger on. Whatever it was, Solomon knew he enjoyed it. His voice alone could convince the tension to leave his body and place his mind at ease. It felt like if Asmo said it was alright then everything had to be alright. Slowly the sobs settled and the child buried their head into Asmo’s shoulder. Slender fingers ran through their hair in an attempt to sooth them.

Solomon realized that this was a third face he had never seen from his fiance before. How many more could he possibly have? What more did Solomon have left to discover?

“I thought you didn’t like kids,” the words came out of his mouth before he could stop them. No thought ran through him, only an action that he chastised himself for.

Asmo jumped ever so slightly and turned to face him. He seemed surprised to see Solomon there, more surprised than Solomon thought he should be. “What brought you to that conclusion?” he asked.

“Your reaction to the rabbits.”

“Ah well,” Asmo laughed slightly, “You still thought I was someone else then, and I’m not exactly capable of giving you children in that sense. I do love the little ones though, they’re the cutest little things.” Asmo poked the child’s nose earning a soft little giggle, “Aren’t you all?”

He stopped for a moment, scrunching up his brow before turning to Solomon, “What brought you here? You seemed… busy in your own little world.”

Oh, so he’d been ignoring him, and unfortunately Solomon knew it wasn’t the first time he’d been aware of this. He was just more aware of it than he’d like to be at the moment.

He cleared his throat before holding up the flower, “I had been curious about some of your plants and wanted to ask you a few questions, but I see that you’re busy right now.”

Solomon glanced at the rest of the children standing behind him and thought. He was curious about the game, and he hadn’t been giving his fiance much mind as of late. “Would you mind if I watched your game?”he asked.

It was fun to watch them play. The way the children interacted with the fifth prince was adorable to say the least. At some point, they’d managed to talk Solomon into playing. There was no better way to learn than to participate. He wasn’t great at it, but the children seemed to enjoy him fumbling about squealing with absolute delight. Asmo had even joined in, and oh Solomon had almost forgotten how much he enjoyed his laugh.

When it came time for the children to return to their families for lunch, Asmo led him into town to meet more of the locals. They showed him their wears and how they went about making their soothing lotions and sweet perfumes. To his surprise a few of them had also been magic users. They didn’t have strong magic, but it did help with relaxation, recreation, and with what plants the little town did have. In other words, it seemed like it could also be utilized for healing in the form of muscle relaxants or even helping in the production of certain medicines.

They all also seemed to enjoy Asmo.

This hadn’t been what he thought it would be at all. In fact, Solomon was enjoying their little date. Watching Asmo interact with the people of his sector was certainly more enjoyable than him trying too hard to impress him. Solomon liked this side of Asmo. He was relaxed and his eyes were soft and tender. There was a beauty about him that was being reflected outward.

For the first time, Solomon truly felt like he was getting a glance at his soul.

“Your majesty?” a young woman approached Asmo, violin in her hand, “Would you like music?”

Solomon wasn’t sure what possessed him to look up in that moment, but he realized how many eyes were on them. No. How many eyes were on him. Then he remembered. Asmo would be giving up his position in marrying him. That meant that Solomon would now have say over anything that happened. For the first time what that really meant hit Solomon. Asmo would no longer have control over his sector, and his people were worried. They didn’t know anything about Solomon, and neither did Asmo.

He wanted him to love him.

He wanted him to respect him.

Asmo was just as scared, and Solomon had been stupid enough to miss it all.

“On any other day that would be lovely my dear, but I’m afraid my-”

“You mentioned wanting to dance earlier,” Solomon cut in, bowing ever so slightly, “Consider this my apology for being so rude and ignoring you.”

Joy radiated from the prince. Solomon could feel his warmth buzzing all around them as they headed back to the center of town.

This didn’t mean Solomon was in love.

But this did mean that he was going to try harder.

He was going to give the prince what he deserved and show him that he didn’t need to worry.

Solomon would take care of things.

The music started up, the woman with the violin leading in a few other instruments as they joined hands. Solomon wasn’t a fantastic dancer, but it didn’t seem to matter to Asmodeus. It was such a simple want.

Ah. Yet how quickly a fairytale-esque picture can shatter.

Solomon didn’t even register hearing the whistle of the arrow as he pulled Asmodeus in close and it scraped his sleeve, barely missing his fiance.

[silence-burns]

Please Hate Me //part 45

Fandom: Marvel

Summary: Based on: “Imagine having a love/hate relationship with Loki.” by @thefandomimagine​ Who would have thought that babysitting a god could be so much fun?

Genre: slow-burn, enemies to lovers, banter, smut in this chapter

Loki, despite being raised in a royal family, was at heart a man of simple pleasures. What more could he want from life than what he already had? 

The Edge was a place of wonders, that much was indisputable. And even if not all of them were easy to enjoy, there were still moments worth living for. 

The stars above felt closer than the last time Loki paid attention to them. Galaxies swirled in their eternal dance, the stars bright and colorful. Here, at the edge of the known universe, one had to wonder what laid beyond it. Here, it didn't feel far at all.

But even though some part of him couldn't stop the curiosity, Loki was tired of adventures. Or at least the ones where he had to risk his life and others'. Years ago, he'd have been surprised any 'others' would choose to stick with him and stay by his side despite it all. It was still a strange, new concept that baffled him whenever he realised how comfortable he’d grown in his new life. How vastly different it was from what he had predicted his future to look like.

But it was okay, Loki concluded. If life wanted to surprise him in that way, he'd allow it. 

Loki closed his eyes. The wind gathered the sweet scent of flowers, blowing it through the lush gardens, overflowing with life. It was one of the many wonders of the Edge - how capable it was of change. How easy it was for the muddy creeks to turn into crystal-clear ponds. How the dry patches of grass could turn into fields of greenery and flowers. How the gnarled trees could turn into a forest thrumming with noise and movement. 

All of it for a price paid in blood and ash. 

Loki's hand brushed his throat, where he had still felt the ghosts of pain. 

It was over, Loki had to remind himself again. The mission was over and they were all leaving the Edge soon. There were other, better, things to focus on. He should think about how soft the grass was as he laid on the field. How warm you felt, pushed into his side and wrapped in his cape. How peaceful it was among the trees, with birds singing somewhere in the distance-

"Don't ya fucking LICK that frog, Peter, or I swear on your aunt, I'll-" 

"It smells like carrots!" 

"It doesn't mean you have to- oh my god… This is the last time I abduct you." 

Loki smiled. The birds were no longer singing, or at least not through the deafening ringing in his ear, but he didn't mind. He didn't mind that life at all. 

He heard rushed steps to his left moments before the boy reached him. Loki cracked one eye open. 

The fattest, most annoyed, orange frog he had ever seen flopped from the boy's hands, all six legs dangling loose. 

Peter's smile was brighter than the countless stars overhead. "Look what I found, Mr. Mischief! There were more of them, and in different colors too!" 

The frog burped. It indeed smelled of carrots. 

Loki closed his eye. "What does it taste like?" 

"Like a frog, unfortunately…"

"You should check out the other ones." 

"Okay!" 

And before he knew it, the boy was gone. The thicket shook. A few faeries rushed away, desperately flapping their translucent wings. 

"He's gonna lick all the frogs now," you grumbled from your cocoon. "He's gonna be sick." 

"I can heal him." 

"How nice of you. I'm sure he'll appreciate it." 

"What can I say, darling? I'm a generous god." 

"So in all your godly wisdom you told the boy to go lick some frogs?" 

"Let him have some fun." 

You turned your head to face him. Loki was looking at the stars overhead. Dark bruises peeked from under his collar. Magical aftershock, he had called them when he had explained why they didn't disappear despite his healing. They'd stay for a while, he said. A small price to pay. 

"I'm glad it's over," you said quietly. 

"So am I." 

"Do you think…," you licked your lips. "Is it okay for us to just lay here and enjoy this change?" 

The Edge took a shape that was so vastly different that it still seemed like a miracle. The balance was indeed a precarious thing there, no flicker of energy ever wasted. The land replenished, bringing to life things that made you admit that magic could be beautiful. 

Still, you couldn't forget where all this energy came from. How the Queen had delayed her own fading by killing so many others.

"We did what we could," Loki understood your worry too well. "It is beyond us to change the laws of these lands and their dwellers. Harsh as this might feel to us, this is what life looks like here. All this," he gestured to the shimmering forest around, "is what the Edge was always supposed to be like, if the order of things had been kept."

"Wise words coming from an outsider."

You unfurled from Loki's cape so fast you almost ripped it from beneath him. The Prince was standing at the edge of the clearing the three of you chose to spend your final hours at. He was wearing a robe in distinct shades of silver, the pattern covering the fine fabric meandering within the eye-catching lines. It was the most vivid thing you'd ever seen him wear, the shine of the metal pieces razor-sharp.

The Prince wasn't looking at you. "I have lived for so long I couldn’t remember how my own world was supposed to be. How strange it was to see it wither throughout the centuries despite the Queen's fading supposedly filling out the essence lacking. How strange it was for so many Rifts to form and plague our lands. How peaceful it had become now…"

Loki and you exchanged glances, but kept quiet. The Prince kept his hands clasped behind his back, but you couldn't forget them drenched in blood.

During the silence after the Prince's words, Peter came back from whatever he had occupied himself with and likely annoyed whatever creature he managed to find. He took one look at the visitor and disappeared between the trees again. He was a smart boy, after all. 

"We are glad this issue is resolved at last," Loki said carefully. 

"So am I." 

The Prince nodded to himself. His eyes were cold and distant. You wondered how long one had to live to forget their own past. 

And how long it'd take the Prince to vanish, now that the weight of fading had fallen to him. 

"The body of your ambassador is being prepared for the transport," he said at last before leaving the clearing. He did not take the path towards the palace, though. Loki and you watched him disappear between the trees, walking slowly among the flowers in full bloom. You couldn't help but wonder if he was reminiscing, or creating fresh memories. 

The air tasted like ash in your mouth. 

"I think I prefer spiders." 

Loki shushed you. "Don't bring bad luck. I want to leave this place in one piece." 

"Oh? And where would you rather be?" you asked as you laid back down on the soft grass. 

"Somewhere nice and quiet, but I'm open to suggestions," Loki purred into your ear, bringing you close to his chest. 

"Then I'm sure my little surprise will be to your liking."

Loki stilled. "A what?" 

"You'll have to be patient. We're here, so I'm not sure what's going on on Earth, but I think it should be ready when we're back."

Loki's mind was overflowing with all the possibilities and ideas. He went over your past conversations, trying to piece together whatever hints you might have given him. "Should I guess?"

"I'm not telling you anything. You have to wait." 

Loki did not want to wait, but his options were limited. 

By the time you were to leave the Edge, he was no closer to finding out what you had planned. The three of you waited patiently on the same balcony you had arrived on all those weeks ago. It hadn't felt that long, probably because of how much had happened since then. 

Roses climbed high over the stone walls of the palace, their flowers heavy and blooming. Petals rained down, picked off by the wind and taken away. 

The ambassador's body was wrapped in silk and bound tight, ready to be taken to his birthplace at last. 

"Do you think he found out what the Queen had been doing?" you asked quietly. 

"He might've been suspicious enough to look for all those ancient scrolls in the library and pieced together the facts," Loki said. 

"And the Queen didn't let him spill her secret." 

Peter frowned. "So… she was the bad guy, right?" 

If only things were so easy. 

"Often, there's no good or bad," Loki said, looking at the roses. "There are just things that'll hurt you more than the others, and the things that'll hurt others but save you the pain. Everything is a matter of choice. And values." 

The three of you watched the Bifrost open and swallow the remains of the ambassador. Only he would be allowed on the grounds of Asgard that day, at least officially. No hint of emotion could be noticed on Loki's face as he watched the flash of light disappear. You took his hand. 

Out of the shadows of one of the towers came the Prince, entering the balcony from the side of the river, shimmering far below. He was alone, no guards following his steps. You wondered how many of them were left. 

"Looks like this is farewell," he said in a deep voice. 

"We are glad we could help," Loki lied smoothly. 

There were no words left to exchange. It was clear that whatever would happen now to this place was way beyond either of your control. 

No amount of evidence could ever make you trust the Prince, though. 

The light surrounded you in a flash of colors, pulling on each and every fiber of your being. Loki tugged you into his side, Peter sticking himself to his other. 

The feeling of being ripped to atoms and then roughly put back into shape half a galaxy away was almost familiar by now. Still, it was no more bearable than the previous times and left you with a mild dizziness once your form materialized back on Earth. 

You'd never laugh at people clapping after plane landings again. 

The sudden change of the surroundings hit you with a cold blast of winter chill and sun, although its light was diluted through the clouds. It was strange not to see the galaxies in the reach of your hand. 

What was even stranger was seeing Thor calmly standing at the top of the Stark Tower, where the three of you had been transported to. 

"I think I prefer the bag," Peter mumbled, dangerously green on his face. 

Thor approached you with a frown that, Loki knew, had never led to anything good. At least not for him. Brotherly love could be rough at times. 

"So, you're back," he said, openly eyeing the kid. "How did it go? Are we at war?" 

"We're all good, thanks for your concern," you cooed sweetly. 

"The Edge was never more beautiful than when we left it," Loki smiled. 

Thor took a steadying breath. "...is it in ruin?" 

You thought back to the slightly devastated great hall of the palace. And the gardens still dealing with the aftermath of a spider infestation. 

"I just told you it's not! Why do you always accuse me of lying, brother? I'm deeply hurt by your lack of trust." 

"It's the safer option," Thor said. "As glad as I am to learn that the crisis is apparently solved, I dare ask what is the boy doing with you?" 

Peter blanched. 

Loki pushed him off the roof. "What boy?" 

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw not-a-boy swinging off into the city as fast as his webs allowed him. 

The second steadying breath helped Thor even less than the first one. There was a tiny little vein pulsing at his temple, threatening to burst along with his temper. 

Loki patted Thor's arm on his way to the stairs. "Don't worry, brother. We took care of everything."

"That's precisely why I worry." 

You sent him a kiss as you followed Loki. It didn't seem to be appreciated enough. 

You couldn't believe you were back on Earth. The change that felt huge before, only grew with each step you took down the Tower's familiar corridors. The kitchens, the day rooms, training grounds - it all felt so strangely unreal after the weeks living among the shifting, feral magic of the Edge. 

"It's good to be back," you said at precisely the moment Bruce Banner appeared on the other end of the corridor leading through the labs. 

Bruce froze, his eyes growing wide. He, apparently, had a dramatically different opinion about your coming back. 

He shifted nervously on his feet, but there was no escape. "So, uh… How did it go?" 

Loki pretended to think. "Well, don't expect to see the real moon anytime soon." 

The look on Bruce's face was worth a pic, but your phone had been left in your room before the mission. 

"It really is good to be back," Loki repeated your earlier words sometime later, once the door to your room closed behind your back. 

Not much seemed to have changed, which was strangely reassuring. Loki wasn't sure what his feelings were towards the small figurine of his unnerving similarity were, but even its sight was not unwelcome. It still stood on the narrow and slightly dusty windowsill, covered in the snow on the other side of glass. 

But there was one thing out of order that immediately caught Loki's attention. As far as he was concerned, the neat stack of business cards on the bedside table was not there last time, as well as the not-so-neat single one, with hand painted spider and a set of what could be horns, if one squinted hard enough. 

'thought it would be cool' said the little note scribbled with a gel pen. 

"And what is that?" Loki asked, picking it up. 

"Part of the surprise." 

"'Professional mischief for an affordable price'," Loki read out loud. "Sounds like a catchphrase of some detective agency, like the ones from the shows you showed me."

Loki thought about what he just said. He looked at you with a frown. 

"Only if you want it to," you shrugged with a little smile ghosting over your lips. 

Loki blinked. "You're actually serious." 

"I thought it would be nice if we had something of our own. You know, outside of this mess," you pointed towards the door, currently being banged with a fist from the other side. Two voices demanded to know 'everything about that damn moon'. 

Loki looked back at the neat stack of cards. The thick paper was pleasant to the touch. 

"You said it was only part of the surprise?" 

"How glad I am you asked, love." 

Loki watched you pick up your coat and gloves. You opened the large window to the left, letting the alarmingly chill air inside. "Shall we?" 

One more voice joined the ones behind the door. Loki could not see into the future, but he had a feeling that door would be the most occupied place in the Tower soon. 

"That's a lovely idea," he said and picked you up. 

The burst of magic solidified under his feet as the two of you left the Tower and all the people looking for you. 

The sun was slowly setting. It was not late, but as always during the winter time, day hours were sparse. You were high enough in the air for the pedestrians not to notice you, but even then, what would they do? Tony had been flying around in his suit on a daily basis, and wouldn't hear anyone having a problem with that. 

The wind pushed rogue snowflakes into your faces. It felt refreshing to be back in the city you were so familiar with. Everything seemed new and wondrous, especially from such a perspective. Even plane flights couldn't do it justice, not when you couldn't feel the breeze in your face, and clouds passing by so closely you could almost reach out to them with a hand. 

Loki changed course when you directed him to the older part of the city. It was still relatively close to the centre, but no skyscrapers, and certainly no towers could be found in the neighborhood of old brick apartments; only buildings a few floors high, and narrow lawns separating their fronts and the road, both currently covered in snow. No one bothered to take care of it, at least since it last fell. 

Loki put you down in front of the one you pointed him to. 

"I must admit I'm surprised," Loki said. "I'd never expect to come to a place like this, for whatever reason." 

"You don't even know why we're here yet." You led him up the ice-covered stairs to the scarcely lit interior stairwell. 

You ignored the apartments on the lowest floor, and instead took him upstairs. With a set of keys you fished out of your jacket, and which Loki dimly remembered you grabbing before leaving the Tower, you opened the door with a number 13 on it. 

"You're not superstitious, right?" you laughed quietly. 

Feeling you observe him carefully, Loki stepped inside. The short hall led to a room that once upon a time could've been someone's office. But that was a long time and a few crises ago, when the furniture was free of the scratches, and the walls didn't shed old paint every time seasons changed. Still, it had its charm, Loki had to admit as he stepped further in. If cleaned, the large window could allow a lot of light onto the heavy desk in front of it, and to the sitting area with two couches and a coffee table. To the right, Loki noticed another set of stairs, leading upwards. 

"The upper part is connected. The previous owner used it as an apartment, with this here being his working area," you explained. 

Loki nodded. 

"What do you think?" you elbowed him in the side, too nervous to wait patiently. 

Loki sat on one of the couches. Oh, he could definitely feel the atmosphere of this place, so similar to the crime shows you had made him binge (and he didn't even whine about too much). He had never thought of himself as a detective, not like the ones on TV, but on the other hand - who on Earth could be better at solving any and all supernatural secrets this planet might still have? There certainly didn't seem to be a lot of competition in that area. 

He was still contemplating his future and, of course, possible fame, when you slipped onto his lap and cupped his face. 

"What. Do you. Think?," you asked clearly, looking him straight in the eye. "Don't make me wait, asshole."

A lazy, satisfied smile creeped on Loki's face - precisely the one he knew always drove you crazy. 

"I'm still unsure, darling," he drawled, leaning further back onto the couch and reveling in the feeling of having you pressed against him. "For some very strange reason, I can't make up my mind just yet…" 

The setting sun painted golden patterns on your face. Your hand wandered over Loki's chest, and stopped over his racing heart. However much he tried to stop it, his heart had always been the one to betray his every emotion. 

"That's such a shame," you leaned into his neck, pushing his head to the side. "I would do anything to make it easier for you…" 

Loki's hands slipped to your thighs, holding you steady against him. His fingers shook when he felt your lips follow the curve of his neck, right over his rapid pulse. He closed his eyes as you slowly worked on undoing his shirt. 

"Anything you do will be enough," his words were breathy and quiet.

"Are you sure?" 

"I can't think of a single thing I wouldn't let you do to me right now." 

You certainly were enjoying yourself just as much, given the smile ghosting over Loki's collarbone, and the trail of kisses going slowly down. Loki's grip tightened over your legs, his breath becoming shorter the further you went. He felt the heat rising deep inside his chest, just as his thoughts turned murkier with each small movement of your hips, brushing unnervingly close to where he had wanted them to, but still not-

A strangled sound escaped his throat. Loki pushed the coat off your shoulders and threw it to the side, not caring where it landed. He had other things on his mind, and one of them included his hands diving under your shirt, and roaming over your back, so wonderfully warm. 

Loki shivered when you brushed over his bulge, earning you a breathless moan as you worked on his belt. 

"I think I'm starting to warm up to this place," he muttered into your lips. His fingers tugged on your trousers, as impatient as yours. 

You drank in the sounds that came from him. You stroked his shaft gently, brushing your thumb over its underside. He shuddered in your grip, tense to the point of near pain. Loki's nails dug into the skin of your back as you rose and then sank onto him, taking him in an unnervingly slow pace. 

His heart thundered in his chest as you rode him gently, the sight engraving itself into Loki's memories - those deepest, most secretive ones, which he often came back to to relive and thoroughly enjoy. 

The couch kept creaking under the two of you, growing louder as your moves became sloppier and more desperate. Loki couldn't help his hips from grinding into yours every time you rose above him, chasing the pleasure and getting close to it. Loki's thrusts became erratic. His hands gripped your ass when you leaned closer, hitting just the right spot-

He came, shivering under your touch, waves of pleasure shooting through his body. 

"Sorry," he muttered, his voice hoarse. He could already feel the redness blooming over his cheeks. He didn't think he'd be done so soon, hadn't planned it…

You shut him up with a kiss, brushing the hair plastered to his forehead to the side. Your hips rolled over his a few more times, riding him into the couch and melting his bones as you extended the feeling. 

"It's okay," you said. "We have all the time in the world now." 

Loki nodded, words failing him. He brought you closer to his chest, his arms closing around you in a tight embrace as he burrowed his face into the crook of your neck. For a few moments, the only thing he could think about was that home wasn't always a planet, or a building. Sometimes, on those few rare, and incredibly lucky occasions, it could be a person. 

And it was more than enough. 

"I love this place," Loki admitted quietly. 

[diyeoracha]

IwaOi Fanfiction Masterlist with 90+ Works

Hello! In celebration accumulating over 290 bookmarks on my AO3 account featuring IwaOi, Haikyuu S4 part 2, and @haikyuuweek2020​ (Day 7 - Free Choice), I decided to create a masterlist of all of my favorite Iwaoi fics in order to keep myself organized as well as contributing to more traffic for those works! Works are split up into genres such as alternate universe (either not childhood friends or set on Earth), angst, canon compliant (post timeskip with spoilers), canon divergent (childhood friends but divergent timeline post timeskip), high school, and university au

Formatting update: Jan 13, 2021 (spacing is wonky on the mobile app!).

Fic update: Jan 7, 2021

This is incomplete as I got distracted while re-reading a lot of these and have only gone through half of my bookmarks, but feel free to check my own page here for the rest of them! I really do hope you guys enjoy reading these and leave comments and kudos! Please reblog and like so more people can enjoy

Titles marked with (♡) are my absolute favorites and there’s a chance I cried while reading them but otherwise they’re in alphabetical order

Alternate Universe

an allegory of all the things we could’ve been

Word count: 16k

Summary: “I don’t know anything about some red string,” Iwaizumi murmurs into the cracks of Oikawa’s skin, “or even about lifetimes or fate. But no matter where you are, I’ll find you. Gods or otherwise.” Reincarnation AU

And All the Prince’s Men

Word count: 65k

Summary: “Father only loves that which he owns, and I am the one thing that can never truly be his.” Royalty AU

Built a Temple in Me

Word count: 55k

Summary: Up the mossy mountain steps, past the komainu guardians and the faded red gate, and beyond the boundaries of the green shrine—that’s where the forest and the spirit world within it lies. That’s were Hajime met him, and where their story began.But intertwining of destinies can be ugly business, Hajime finds, when their first meeting begins with blood and the too-human eyes of a beast. God Oikawa AU

Quote: It fills his heart anyway, heals the hole in his chest that had been bleeding since he cut Tooru so forcibly from him.

Cotton Breathing

Word count: 13k

Summary: Long-distance and summer only but childhood friends AU

Conquering the Great King

Word count: 105k

Summary: Oikawa's lips twitched into a smirk and he brought them hovering just over Iwaizumi's, "One time thing, Two time thing, what's it matter as long as it's not a Relationship thing?"

Quote: Oikawa's eyes twitched wide for less than a second, his knee pressed in hard against Iwaizumi's thigh, "I may be gorgeous, but I'm not a doll."

dear diary, i met a boy

Word count: 15k

Summary: Iwaizumi's first impression of his upstairs neighbor involves getting woken up at two in the morning to the sound of Oikawa singing along to trashy pop music. He'd thought it would get better, but it all just goes downhill from there. Modern AU

Desperado

Word count: 82k

Summary: Clearly Iwaizumi had a checkered past. Kyoutani has never asked about it, nor has Iwaizumi ever brought it up. He knows it’s a sore spot for his mentor, just like the gorgeous Monte Carlo he keeps hidden away is, so he leaves it alone. Out on the streets, you learn a little something about when to turn a blind eye in order to survive; Kyoutani knows better than most to leave the past of men like Iwaizumi well alone. Heist AU

Even Heroes (have the right to dream)

Word count: 20k

Summary: Oikawa Tooru, ace reporter of the superhero beat of Asahi Shimbun, hates superheroes. Or maybe he just hasn’t met the knight one yet. Superhero AU

♡Infinite Risks

Word count: 8k

Summary: “It’s my fate,” Oikawa responds slowly. He’s crying. “It’s too lonely,” Iwaizumi’s heart sounded broken. “And I’m not there with you. Not really.” Edge of Tomorrow AU

In Defense of Reptiles

Word count: 9k

Summary: In their seventh year, Oikawa is chosen to be the Hogwarts champion in the Triwizard Tournament, and Iwaizumi suffers. Harry Potter AU

Quote: “You are so spoiled,” Iwaizumi tells him, but lets him shuffle down until Iwaizumi’s hand is now running through Oikawa’s hair instead of rubbing his shoulder.

In the Telling

Word count: 6k

Summary: Muggleborn Iwaizumi could not be less impressed with pureblood Oikawa Tooru. Harry Potter AU

♡Lockdown

Word count: 72k

Summary: Within the first few months of his stay, Oikawa gets caught up in a war between cellblocks, becomes a prime target, and must decide just how far he's willing to go to protect Iwaizumi Hajime. Prison AU

♡long nights, no peace

Word count: 18k

Summary: It's the steady knowledge that Iwaizumi Hajime will always be someone that he can rely on, that no matter what the world throws at the two of them, they share in a piece of each other's soul. Pacific Rim AU

Quote: Quiet settles between them softly, like the warm pressure of the blanket, or Iwaizumi's fingers curling to lightly hold the fabric of Oikawa's shirt.

The Long Light

Word count: 36k

Summary: Iwaizumi Hajime's seventh year at Hogwarts begins, and begins, and begins, and begins. Somehow, Oikawa Tooru is always there. Harry Potter AU

Magic Man

Word count: 12k

Summary: Oikawa is named the most desirable wizard in France. Iwaizumi is not impressed. Harry Potter AU

Quote: You keep saying partner or them. Is it rude of me to ask you to clarify?

Meet me in the grey area

Word count: 24k

Summary: Set in a hero/villain AU with Iwa as our trusty hero and Oikawa as our charming villain

Saw You at the Fish Market

Word count: 14k

Summary: In other words, Oikawa befriends hot part-time worker Iwaizumi and tries to impress him both off and on the court, in hopes of more.

♡♡ (sing with me) A Song of Conquest and Fate

Word count: 26k

Summary: When Seijou receives a missive from Aobajousai to discuss a potential peace, its emperor Oikawa Tooru could not have foreseen the series of events that would follow. Historical fantasy AU

Similar Creatures

Word count: 53k

Summary: "What's your name?" "Whatever you want it to be."(Or, Oikawa gets directions from an attractive stranger on a street corner.). Escort AU

♡Something Like Us

Word count: 28k

Summary: Friends since childhood, Oikawa and Iwaizumi now live together, both playing for the National Team. It's no secret that athletes who are bonded perform better. So if the two of them happen to bond...It'd be for the good of the team, right? A/B/O AU

Space

Word count: 44k

Summary: Tries not to think of his rooftop garden, or the apartment he used to inhabit, or Hajime’s broken expression on the night they whispered their goodbyes before Tooru’s launch, attempting to push it all to the back of his mind behind visions of this alien world terraformed. Astronaut AU

Stop the Time

Word count: 10k

Summary: Iwaizumi Hajime, 27, E.R. nurse at University of Tokyo Hospital. Hospital AU

♡♡The Loyalty of A Traitor

Word count: 76k

Summary: Iwaizumi Hajime was an undercover officer with a single objective: Infiltrate the Seijoh Syndicate of the Yakuza and tear them down from the inside out. His primary target was the boss, Oikawa Tooru. The job itself was simple enough, until Iwaizumi got in too deep and absconded not only from the mission, but from the city itself. Yakuza AU

These Flowers I Stole For You

Word count: 3k

Summary: ANBU don't cry. They tear themselves apart, bit by bit, and then they stitch themselves whole again. Naruto AU

on shipwreck shore

Word count: 8k

Summary: “I’m going to murder you in cold blood and feed you to the basilisks,” Iwaizumi says conversationally. “You can’t do that, I’m your boss,” Oikawa sings, positively sparkling. “Also we’re partners, which means,” he points at Iwaizumi and leans in, “you’re stuck with me.” Detective AU

Page 305 of 304

Word count: 53k

Summary: “…she called you ‘papa’,” iwaizumi managed. oikawa just stared for a moment longer before relaxing in a smile. “yeah. cute, right? but you can call me ‘daddy’ if you want.”

Temporary fix

Word count: 12k

 Summary: “And you’ve shampooed his hair how many times now? Hmm. Yeah, that’s not technically a bromance.” A/B/O AU

Tokyo Boy

Word count: 16k

Summary: He has feelings for Iwaizumi Hajime, who probably has casual lovers just like him in every major city he visits on business. Oikawa is just his Tokyo Boy, just another pit-stop on Iwaizumi’s travels. Businessman AU

Trial by Fire

Word count: 78k

Summary: (lawyer!AU - in which Iwaizumi loves his objections, Oikawa is beautiful, and they have more chemistry than two opposing attorneys probably should.)

Watch Me

Word count: 32k

Summary: Oikawa's a cam model. It’s been a month since Iwaizumi first spoke in his chat. When they meet in person, things get complicated. Cam model AU

Angst

open when

Word count: 1k

Summary: Iwaizumi knew it was coming, but it still hurt. It still hurt when he opens one letter and drowns it in the tears he cannot keep at bay.

Chasing Paper Suns

Word count: 10k

Summary: Post-high school,     Oikawa makes it to the national volleyball team but Iwaizumi doesn't. The     next three years become an exercise in growing up without growing apart

Quote: “ ‘it’s just—I’m     just trying so hard—’‘What, and I’m not?’

Timeless (We Have 30 Days)

Word count: 12k

Summary: Or AU where you're branded 50 days before you die. But Oikawa doesn't tell anyone so now there's only 30 days left.

the weight of water

Word count: 6k

Summary: “Again,” he says, the smallest tremor in his voice, and Oikawa blinks at him a moment before smiling, soft and sweet. “Iwa-chan,” he replies, and Iwaizumi closes his eyes. “Again.” “Iwa-chan.”

Canon Compliant

Are You Listening?

Word count: 4k

Summary: 30 times oikawa said i love you and 1 time he didn't have to

Quote: “Iwa-chan, watch out for the log—!” Oikawa looked on in horror as his best friend tripped and fell flat on his face.

Edge of the balcony

Word count: 8k

Summary: Iwaizumi looks older, he realizes. Oikawa knew he had aged as well, and so did everyone around him, but the thing was when you see people often, you don't notice the subtle changes in appearance. And Oikawa hadn't seen Iwaizumi in four years.

How can this loser ever win

Word count: 2k

Summary: everyone is in stupid love with Iwaizumi Hajime and he has no idea

♡♡♡Lost in Translation

Word count: 9k

Summary: Because misfortune come in threes, Iwaizumi Hajime starts his Thursday having a screaming fight with Shittykawa, spends his lunch break listening to the UCI women's volleyball team gossiping about how Ushijima Wakatoshi had gone public about his longtime love affair with Oikawa Tooru, and closes out the day by drunkenly dropping his phone into a sewer grate.

maybe we could be enough

Word count: 9k

Summary: iwaizumi hums in reply as the car goes silent, frank ocean crooning from the speakers. they stop at a red light when iwaizumi feels eyes at the side of his face, and turns to look at oikawa.

Most people never even get a single high school rival

Word count: 5k

Summary: Team Argentina gets to know Iwaizumi Hajime (27) Athletic Trainer.

Primavera

Word count: 8k

Summary: They say it takes twenty-six years, for certain breeds to fully bloom.

Quote: Did you know that distance is only me, growing towards you?

♡♡♡rest on your laurels

Word count: 4k

Summary: In Iwaizumi’s heart of hearts, untouched by time, they are young and alive, burning with the hearth of home and bright as winter light. Unbreakable. Invincible.

♡♡♡Something Borrowed

Word count: 16k

Summary: In which Oikawa and Iwaizumi have always been a foregone conclusion to everyone else, but a massive, unanswered question to one another.

‘Til Infinity

Word count: 2k

Summary: “Hey,” he says, “that cloud looks kind of like a dick.”

Quote: “I got you ladybug”

♡♡♡ You Set Off a Dream In Me

Word count: 15k

Summary: In which Oikawa is 41 and ready to retire. He's at the top of his game and ready to find a new challenge. Turns out his new challenge is pretty familiar. It's high school, round 2.

Quote: A past with an Iwaizumi that wasn’t on the opposite side of the net, monsters on all sides, guiding a setter that had lived the dream left behind in the ruins of Tooru’s past self.

Canon Divergent

a world alone

Word count: 60k

Summary: Iwaizumi has his medical books on the musculoskeletal system. Oikawa has his research papers on parallel universes. It isn't until much, much later that they realize they have each other.

♡Almost a Stranger

Word count: 16k

Summary: Iwa-chan's leaving Kapan. Tooru's not sure he can forgive him, but he's not going to admit his long-held feelings, either. A trip to Miyajima complicates everything.

Quote: There are only two things that have ever broken Oikawa Tooru’s heart. Iwa-chan would say Tooru has no heart to break, but that’s simply untrue.

Count your blessings, it goes 1,2,3, me

Word count: 7k

Summary: He's unsettled by the undefined boundaries of their relationship so it's all his luck that he accidentally wins three wishes to be granted just for him, and all that comes to mind is Iwaizumi.

Quote: Now, as an adult, past convenience of circumstance and the haze of hormonal lust, exactly none of his feelings have worn off

♡♡♡the courtship ritual of the hercules beetle

Word count: 66k

Summary: Tooru is pretty sure he could manage the mating habits of a mosquito. It’s the mating habits of people he can’t seem to get right.

♡days fall away

Word count:17k

Summary: Except now he’s back home, so close to his old haunts and to Oikawa himself, and it's—weird.

Quote: “You and Tooru,” he begins, and then shrugs. “I was just thinking, you look at each other a lot.��� And he walks away, leaving Hajime winded, and sort of aching, somewhere deep in his chest. Whatever that means.

♡here comes your man

Word count: 8k

Summary: Iwa-chan, it reads, Have a good day today! Good luck! <3 <3 <3 Suga chokes. It’s hard to imagine anyone calling the scowling and fierce Doctor Iwaizumi “Iwa-chan.” But marriage probably comes with all sorts of liberties. Doctor AU

♡♡In damp earth my body

Word count: 15k

Summary: Onscreen, the nation’s favorite setter has arranged himself so that he’s bowing, forehead pressed to the court, like he’s thanking everyone for their kindness thus far, like he’s asking for forgiveness. Hajime thinks: shit, it’s really happening

In the Business of Love

Word count: 22k

Summary: Meet Oikawa Tooru: He's a best-selling shoujo manga artist, a hardcore romantic and you won't believe where he's getting his lovey dovey fodder from...Enter Iwaizumi Hajime: He's Oikawa's best friend, a realist who also happens to be a wedding magazine writer despite not believing in romance...

Quote: A flare of pride lit in Oikawa as he watched Iwaizumi's eyes crinkle with mirth and in that yawning second, it bloomed into a warmth that bordered on a burn, forcing a bittersweet inhale.

it's been so long (nobody knows me the way you do)

Word count: 8k

Summary: Tooru hums, only half-listening. Somewhere along the way, Hajime’s palm has settled itself over the curve of Tooru’s cheek, thumb tracing over the line of his jaw.

Quote: Iwaizumi blushes even more. “That you’re here, I mean. I’m happy that you’re here. With me.”

♡♡♡Mint

Word count: 19k

Summary: It's the December after Iwaizumi’s last year in university when Tokyo welcomes him with a new ad campaign for Bright Days toothpaste, and Oikawa Tooru—fresh off a run at the 2016 Summer Olympics—has decided to grace the city with his signature grin, a flip of his wayfarer sunglasses, and the most irrepressible tag line for the signboard above.

Quote: "To be able to tell him, in the new year."  This comes under Oikawa's breath, so low that Matsukawa and Hanamaki can't hear, and the game continues.

Six-Month Lover

Word count: 89k

Summary: Iwaizumi barks out a laugh. “I’m still trying to get over the fact that you made a PowerPoint presentation about why we should date.” Oikawa doesn’t tell him the file has existed for the last twelve years, constantly receives updates, and that the original copy contained almost a hundred slides before he forced himself to get a grip.

Special Relativity

Word count: 22k

Summary: Time moves differently for people in different inertial reference frames. Oikawa goes on a two-year exploratory mission in space. Iwaizumi's been waiting for a lot longer than that.

♡♡sunset towns

Word count: 33k

Summary: In the summer of 2020, Oikawa Tooru returns home from his first successful stint as captain of Japan’s national volleyball team. In one hand, he holds the undisputed weight of an Olympic medal, and in the other, his unresolved feelings for a childhood best friend.

♡♡Thirty Years and Change (the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad)

Word count:     19k

Summary: It’s July 10th, 2024, and Oikawa Tooru is an Olympian. His smiling face airs on an NHK promo every 45 seconds. He’s captain of the national men’s volleyball team, reigning star of the professional leagues, and he hasn't spoken to Iwaizumi Hajime in two years.

Quote: Oikawa’s grin in  the last set of the morning’s game. Oikawa’s grin as they sat on their asses on a golf course. Oikawa’s grin when they were in college. When they were in high school. When they were twenty-two, seventeen, fifteen, twelve, six.

High School

Bet On It

Word count: 13k

Summary: Hajime knows exactly how shitty Oikawa's personality is, and has no scruples whatsover about betting Oikawa six thousand yen that he can't be nice for an entire week.

Quote: The whole instant-compliance thing was seriously creeping him out. Oikawa from a week ago would have made a crack about how if he'd wanted something cold, he could have just put his face on Hajime's shoulder.

Betweens

Word count: 2k

Summary: Iwaizumi is asleep in the club room. Oikawa is blindingly awake in the club room. The sun moves slowly across the sky, and Iwaizumi’s skin is gold underneath it. Oikawa watches the changing shadows on Iwaizumi’s face and thinks about nothing in particular.

Don’t think too much

Word count: 6k

Summary:  In which Oikawa and Iwaizumi have a confusing, drunken encounter and then deal with the (sticky) consequences.

Quote: As soon as that thought crossed his mind, though, Oikawa did what he always did:  exactly the opposite of what Hajime wanted

Gates

Word count: 12k

Summary: The day after their graduation ceremony, they drive to the beach at Shirahama. Iwaizumi drives, because it’s his car, and as he has told Oikawa on multiple occasions, he’d rather die than let him touch the wheel.

Quote: ‘Yeah,’ he says, because they’re on a beach, and they’re supposed to be on a metaphorical journey, and they’re supposed to be growing up, and completing rites of passage, so it’s honesty, today - just for today, at least.

♡♡i sing the body electric

Word count: 8k

Summary: It was never part of the plan, falling in love with his best friend, but then again, most things in Iwaizumi’s life that involve Oikawa rarely unfold the way he thinks they will.

Quote: But Iwaizumi thinks about Oikawa laughing with that girl in the low light of the gym, a particular kind of quiet intimacy that Iwaizumi’s only ever read about in books hovering in the air, and all it makes him feel is small and petty and spiteful.

it’s better than words

Word count: 3k

Summary: [ or : oikawa makes iwaizumi participate in three bonding activities for new friends, and iwaizumi just wants to know why oikawa's being so weird about this]

Make sure you cross the line

Word count: 4k

Summary: With graduation just around the corner, Iwaizumi knows he has to gather the courage to really ask Oikawa out.

Quote: He’s been asking Iwaizumi to go out with him every single day this past week, increasingly panicked about getting his time and attention now that they’re nearing the end of this season of their lives.

Only the jellyfish know

Word count: 6k

Summary: Their third and final year at Aoba Jousai has come to an end, and the guys decide to go to the beach the day after graduation. That day, the ocean water is salty, the watermelon is sweet, and the people are sweeter.

static

Word count: 6k

Summary: Being snowed in with all of Seijou volleyball in his childhood home brings back a lot of memories for Iwaizumi, because it's kinda Oikawa's childhood home too.

Quote: It's fate that brought them together and choice that keeps them that way. The closest description in Hajime’s vocabulary is partners, but only because Oikawa taught him what its true definition is.

Told before and told again

Word count: 3k

Summary: This is how Hajime and Tooru fall in love, through the accounts of those around them.

Quote: When Oikawa lets out a long, heavy breath, Iwaizumi looks up at him and frowns, and flings a towel over Oikawa’s head to cover his face. Then, he tugs, once, on Oikawa’s fingers, and leads him down the hallway, Oikawa walking quietly in tow.

♡we can do better than that

Word count: 16k

Summary: Oikawa and Iwaizumi go on a road trip during the summer after their high school graduation. It doesn't go as expected, but maybe that's not such a bad thing after all.

Quote: Because Iwaizumi’s known Oikawa nearly all his life and never felt anything more than vague affection usually followed by intense irritation for him. But then suddenly at eighteen years old and nearly two weeks into a very badly planned road trip, it’s like someone flipped a switch somewhere inside Iwaizumi

♡when it starts to rain, they go inside

Word count: 33k

Summary: “Where?” starts Iwaizumi.“ My parent’s old lakehouse, silly, didn’t you hear me the first time?” OR: Oikawa takes Iwaizumi to his lakehouse for two weeks, post-graduation.

reassemble it

Word count: 15k

Summary: When Tooru was six years old, he discovered—unbeknownst to him at the time—two of the most important things in his life: volleyball and Iwaizumi Hajime. It was ironic that he had stumbled upon them hand in hand—quite literally, too.

♡things that change, things that stay the same

Word count: 8k

Summary: Oikawa realizes he's in love with his best friend; it sucks for a while. (But only a while.)

Quote: Iwaizumi’s expression right now is less terrified than it used to get back then, but he’s tight-lipped with concern, and his broad body blocks out other passengers as if their stares might be a danger to Tooru too.

University AU

An Archaeology of Affection

Word count: 23k

Summary: For Hajime, it is a riddle and simultaneously so evident. It fills his chest, surging like water, paints heat up his neck. In retrospect, it eats up his days, makes them its own until it feels like his heart has always been in his throat at the smile thrown over Oikawa’s shoulder, the stilling of his fingers on Hajime’s sleeve.

closure

Word count: 22k

Summary: In his first year of university, Oikawa builds a new friendship and upgrades an old one. Or: Ushijima is not a great wingman, but he tries his best.

Quote: “On the first day of his university career, Oikawa Tooru walks into his dorm, spots his assigned roommate, and turns one hundred and eighty degrees and walks right back out. He dials a familiar phone number - the first one he ever memorized - and starts complaining before Iwaizumi even gets the chance to say hello. “Iwa-chan,” he says, “tell me why Ushiwaka is in my dorm room.”

♡♡♡galaxies, within you

Word count: 21k

Summary: Hajime and Tooru move in together at the start of university. Too bad they’re stuck with the two gremlins that haunt their apartment.

Quote: I AM A HEADASS

Hands to yourself

Word count: 11k

Summary: He missed his parents, and he missed Takeru, and Takeru's badly behaved puppy. He missed Aoba Jousai, and he missed the volleyball team. He even missed Karasuno and Shiratorizawa, just a little.

Home, and how we made ours

Word count: 3k

Summary: “No, I like it here.” There’s a rustling as Iwaizumi shifts, inching closer. “I like it here, as in this crappy apartment—with you.”

Quote: “Do your fights end up being like—you know, about actual things and then extending into toddler days and suddenly you’re accusing Iwaizumi of kissing the girl you used to like in preschool?”

in progress to you

Word count: 6k

Summary: The eventuality of Oikawa and Iwaizumi falling toward each other is dramatically lackluster. Still, it's a process to go through.

Quote: “But what if you didn’t eat my pudding all the time?” Iwaizumi asks flatly, ignoring the way Oikawa is slapping his thigh to get out of his chokehold. “Do you think I buy them for you, huh? I buy them for me, you turd.”

Like we’re made of starlight

Word count: 6k

Summary: (a look into iwaizumi hajime’s journey of falling in love with oikawa tooru, from when they’re babies meeting for the first time to young adults moving in together.)

Ninety nine percent

Word count: 14k

Summary: more than anything, oikawa tooru wants to be with iwaizumi hajime, but he's only ninety nine percent of the way there.

Quote: Their ace was lining up for the ball, knees bent and arm pulled back, just as Tooru tosses the ball……to Hajime.

no sleep in the city

Word count: 7k

Summary: Along their journey to find Tokyo's best ramen, Iwaizumi finds himself asked again and again why Oikawa is still single.

Quote: “I was only telling Hanamaki literally yesterday that your personality isn’t as vile as before,” Iwaizumi informs, slightly stiff from the way Oikawa’s got an arm looped through his own. “Why do you make me such a liar to people I care about?”

Out of nowhere

Word count: 8k

Summary: They move in together after graduation and it's doing weird things to Iwaizumi's heart. He's a little in denial about it.

Quote: Oikawa excitedly ran up to him when Iwaizumi came home with groceries the other day. Not about the food but just to say how boring everything is when Iwaizumi's not there, eyes shining, and he couldn't meet his gaze after from blushing down to his neck. He doesn't know how much more he can take.

♡♡shiver

Word count: 16k

Summary: Oikawa was always the brave one. Hajime just followed two paces behind.

Quote: “I’m in love with you,” Oikawa tells him three days after they graduate junior high, head in his lap and hands gently folded over his chest and completely and totally unconcerned that he’d just shattered Hajime’s world.

Terpischore

Word count: 38k

Summary: They’d ended up going to different universities, Tooru and he. The distance was good for them. The confession Hajime dropped in both their laps wasn’t. That’s how it’d ended – a lifetime of friendship crumbled to dust in the space of five minutes. (Or, a lesson in learning to move on from things you can't have, in finding old loves in new ways and in understanding that life is never truly simple... till it is.)

terrarium

Word count: 11k

Summary: At this point, is he really happy with just staying best friends forever? Will he be writing journals and collecting rocks forever (he will, he knows, but that is aside from the point)?

these foolish things (remind me of you)

Word count: 3k

Summary: Oikawa helps Iwaizumi move into his new college dorm.

Quote: He’s desperate for something to happen. It must show on his face because Iwaizumi blushes and looks away. The thing is, Oikawa always looks at him like this when Iwaizumi isn’t paying attention.

They say it rains diamonds on Jupiter

Word count: 35k

Summary: "You're in love with him. "Hajime considers denying it. "Yeah," he says instead.

Quote: “Share the weight of your feelings with me, Hajime wants to beg when he hears Tooru's first hitched breath. Let me carry some of your burdens”

to be first, to be best

Word count: 26k

Summary: Hajime is apparently something of a masochist, and as he stares down at the tie-dyed AREA51 T-shirt in his hands, he thinks “I’m totally in love with this asshole, aren't I?”

Undecipherable

Word count: 4k

Summary: "Koi no yokan," he says. "The sense one can have upon first meeting a person that the two of you are going to fall in love."

Quote: Because for all the bravado, for all the flaunting Oikawa does, he wants Hajime by his side, and no one else.

♡we shine like diamonds

Word count: 26k

Summary: "You know Abe-kun from class?" they snicker, hands cupped around their mouths like they're passing along a filthy secret. "I hear his older brother is... gay."

Where you are (I’ll be)

Word count: 6k

Summary: Theirs is a love that starts out like a seed and it takes two sets of hands tending it for a shoot to appear. There are no dramatic declarations of love, only a pair of hands that find each other again and again and again.

Quote: Oikawa broke off into giggles as Hajime slowed the descent of his hand from a slap to the back of Oikawa’s head to a gentle ruffle of the taller boy’s hair

♡♡with every second that you could give

Word count: 9k

Summary: The journey of Iwaizumi and Oikawa going for gold.

Quote: He knows they’re too close. Iwaizumi knows it too, and they both decided to move in together anyway.

Your love is sunlight

Word count: 6k

Summary: It's Iwaizumi's birthday, and they have a talk about the future.

Quote: But Hajime doesn’t think any present could top this: them, kissing in a sun-dappled bathroom, Oikawa’s skin warm under his hands, and the promise of a life together stretched out before them.

[baoshan-sanren]

Chapter 55

Emperor Wei WuXian And His Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Birthday

Google Docs file

Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 Part 1 | Chapter 8 Part 2 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15 Part 1 | Chapter 15 Part 2 | Chapter 16 | Chapter 17 | Chapter 18 | Chapter 19 | Chapter 20 | Chapter 21 | Chapter 22 Part 1 | Chapter 22 Part 2 | Chapter 23 | Chapter 24 | Chapter 25 | Chapter 26 | Chapter 27 | Chapter 28 | Chapter 29 | Chapter 30 | Chapter 31 | Chapter 32 | Chapter 33 | Chapter 34 | Chapter 35 | Chapter 36 | Chapter 37 | Chapter 38 | Chapter 39 | Chapter 40 | Chapter 41 | Chapter 42 | Chapter 43 | Chapter 44 | Chapter 45 | Chapter 46 | Chapter 47 | Chapter 48 & Chapter 49 | Chapter 50 | Chapter 51 | Chapter 52 | Chapter 53 | Chapter 54

“I want to see A-Yuan.”

WangJi suppresses a sigh, and makes no response.

Jiang WanYin, who has likely never suppressed a single thing in his life, bristles like a cat, “Are you deaf, as well as stupid? The Lan Sect Leader has ordered that you rest. Granny Wen has ordered that you rest. You are not going.”

Slumped against the pillows, Wei Ying does appear feeble and weak, his body motionless in a way that suggests an exhaustion too deep for needless activity. It had taken a long time to remove all the trappings of rank necessary for the audience he had held. It had not taken nearly as long as the initial preparation, but long enough where even Lady Jiang had looked worn down by the process. WangJi’s task during this time had involved standing on the other side of the screen, listening to the faint mutters, and being handed layers upon layers of silk. The disrobing process had resulted in a succession of whispering, slithering sounds, both of silk against silk, and silk against Wei Ying’s skin, sounds that will doubtlessly haunt him in his dreams.  

He is not precisely tired, but he is beginning to feel brittle in an unfamiliar way. The day had been long and stressful, allowing no time for contemplation and reflection. There will be consequences to the assistance the Lan Sect had provided to the Emperor. There will be consequences to such a blatant attack on the Divine Ruler, and these consequences may range anywhere from a set of executions, to an outright war. There will be consequences to Wei Ying’s actions today, the audience he had held, his defense of Wen RuoHan, his order for the immediate release of the Wen Sect from the Imperial dungeons.

Only days ago, WangJi would have disregarded the majority of these events as issues beyond his scope of understanding and responsibility, but today, he cannot. Soon enough, this will be his world as well. The Second Young Master of a disgraced Sect need only obey. The Emperor Consort must understand the complexities of ruling an Empire, the consequences of each decision made, the hierarchy governing the sect relations, and the full scope of the delicate balancing act that keeps the Empire peaceful and prosperous.

This is the cost of marrying Wei Ying, a price that WangJi is more than willing to pay. But it is a cost made no less overwhelming by his willingness.  

Wei Ying’s expression turns stubborn, “He is alone among strangers, thinking I am on my death bed. I want to see him.”

“Wei WuXian,” Jiang WanYin says tightly, “if you can get up right now and walk out of this palace on your own two feet, you can go see A-Yuan, or go straight to hell for all I care.”

Lady Jiang may have acquiesced to his request, but she had taken her leave. The Imperial guards could have been ordered to carry Wei Ying anywhere he desires to go, but this would defeat the purpose of keeping the child hidden.

Wei Ying had been ordered to sleep.

WangJi thinks, if he could only be persuaded to close his eyes and stop speaking for a moment, the exhaustion he is trying so hard to ignore would accomplish the rest.

“Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying whines, turning his head, his eyes large and shining, “I want to see A-Yuan.”

Wisps of hair are stuck to his cheek, curving around the line of his jaw. His face is pale, but his lips are no longer bloodless, hovering just on the verge of a pout. WangJi knows that this is an expression Wei Ying has used before; he has seen it turned on Lady Jiang, and he has seen it throughly shatter her resolve. He remembers thinking Lady Jiang too easily swayed by such obvious tactics. He remembers thinking that he, himself, would never fold so easily by a mere hint of a pout.

WangJi is a fool. Love must permanently remove the most essential parts of one’s brain, because he can say absolutely nothing in response to Wei Ying’s plea.

Instead, his mind unhelpfully provides the memory of Wei Ying’s braid coiled in his lap. Wei Ying’s temple pressed to the side of his neck. The rich scent of ripe pears. The curve of Wei Ying’s waist through the heavy silk of the Imperial dragon robes.  

Underneath these memories, his mind is hopelessly sifting through possible solutions to the issue. Wei Ying most certainly can not walk out of the palace on his own two feet. He can not cross his own chambers without being supported, and would likely need to be carried any longer distances. A-Yuan cannot be brought to him, as the situation at court is still dangerously tense, and the child must remain hidden.

“If you attempt this,” WangJi says carefully, “you will fall ill before you reach him. It will scare the child, to see you so weak. But if you must go see him, I will carry you.”

Jiang WanYin splutters.

Wei Ying’s eyes widen.

The expression on his face, the baffled disbelief slowly melting into a familiar softness, is so open, so transparent, that WangJi feels his own face heat in response. He is suddenly finding the embroidery on Wei Ying’s bed curtains extremely fascinating.

“You are both right,” Wei Ying says after a few moments, “I should not go tonight. Tomorrow is soon enough.”

“Ugh,” Jiang WanYin says, “Now I feel ill too. Just go to sleep.”

“You leave first,” Wei Ying says, “I want to speak to Lan Zhan.”

Jiang WanYin makes a noise. It is a wordless one, but it still manages to perfectly express a hefty dose of disgust. He leaves quickly, as if afraid that Wei Ying will begin to speak to Lan Zhan before he has managed to make his exit.

Wei Ying reaches out, but seems to do so unthinkingly, the motion immediately interrupted by a hiss of pain. Perhaps the wrist injury is not the most serious one he had suffered, but WangJi has noticed him forget that particular pain often enough, where each resurgence catches him by surprise. In two steps, he finds himself by the bed, but once there, he is forced to stop and practice some self-restraint.

“You promised to be more careful,” he says, “The Head Healer should have strapped that arm to your chest.”

He means it as an admonishment, but his voice does a poor job conveying anything other than worry.

“It does not hurt,” Wei Ying lies with a smile, “Come sit next to me. That way, I do not need to move much.”

Only moments ago he had insisted that he is well enough to visit A-Yuan. Now, he is too weak to move on his own, and must have WangJi sit by his side.

WangJi wonders why these brazen tactics, which would be abhorrent in anyone else, are so irresistibly appealing when employed by Wei Ying. He wonders if there is anything about Wei Ying that will ever be unappealing. He is, again, forced to consider the possibility that love makes one unbearably stupid, and that this is precisely why he has already moved to sit down by Wei Ying, without giving the consequences of such action any further thought.

Wei Ying reaches for him again, the moment he has settled on the side of the bed, and WangJi takes his hand carefully, supporting the splinted wrist with his palm.

“You said you would not move.” 

“I forgot,” Wei Ying says shamelessly, his fingers warm against WangJi’s pulse.

“You should sleep,” WangJi admonishes.

“I will,” Wei Ying says quickly, “but I have not-- had the chance to speak to you. After-- the Gifting Ceremony.”

His gaze lowers to their joined hands, fingers restless against WangJi skin, despite the fact that even this small movement must pain him.

“A great deal has happened,” he goes on, the words rushed, “There is so much I was not aware of before. About YanLing DaoRen, and his use of resentful energy, and this-- apparent affinity for demonic cultivation present in his descendants. The Lan Sect takes pride in the purity of their cultivation techniques. Over the centuries, they alone have remained unblemished by unorthodox practices.”

He falls silent then, letting WangJi try and make sense of the words on his own. This feels much akin to Wei Ying’s proposal, where WangJi must separate the words, then place them in a different order, just to discern the meaning behind them.

Once he does, however, he feels frustration and fondness flood him in equal measures.

“I still want to marry you, Wei Ying.”

“You--“ Wei Ying shifts, “Are you not worried? This affinity does not bother you?”

“Will you begin practicing demonic cultivation?” WangJi counters.

“What? Of course not!”

“Then it does not matter,” WangJi says firmly.

“How can it not matter?” Wei Ying says, agitated, “YanLing DaoRen nearly destroyed the Empire. He slaughtered thousands. How can you be sure that his madness will not become my own?”

WangJi, prepared to call his assertion utter nonsense that it is, pauses before speaking. It had not occurred to him that Wei Ying would be so throughly rattled by Nie HuaiSang’s revelation.  

In retrospect, it seems obvious that this had to have been the purpose of Xue ChengMei’s story. To sow doubts and fears, not just in Wei Ying, but in all those closest to the Emperor. A filthy tactic, meant to cause chaos and uncertainty. It is no wonder that Song ZiChen had demanded no one speak to the boy.

“Wei Ying,” WangJi says carefully, “You are not YanLing DaoRen. I am not Lan ZhongYi. We exist under the shadow of those who came before us, and bear the burdens they have placed on our shoulders. But we are not them.”

Wei Ying’s breath stutters, his fingers pressing against WangJi’s wrist.

“But--“

“We spoke of Lan ZhongYi, and the reasons behind his actions. Do you remember what I said to you?”

“My mother did not kill Xu XiaoYun,” Wei Ying says softly.

“And I did not kill the Empress,” WangJi responds.

The words feel much lighter than he had imagined they could be, if ever spoken out loud.

Wei Ying falls silent, a rare enough occurrence where WangJi allows it to happen. There are now dark shadows under his eyes, and it takes a great deal of restraint not to issue another reminder about the necessity for rest, and long, uninterrupted sleep. Perhaps Wei Ying’s stubbornness requires a different type of approach. WangJi is starting to believe that any firm insistence on a specific course of action is more likely to propel Wei Ying in a completely opposite direction. This is something that will require further thought.

“You still want to marry me?” Wei Ying says, the corner of his mouth now slightly lifted, an expression that is not quite serious, but not quite teasing either.

“Yes,” WangJi says, “I still want to marry you.”

Wei Ying grins, shifting a little closer, “Will you allow me to make the announcement? Before the Lan Sect departs?”

WangJi is certain that the events of the last few days have already reached Cloud Recesses. The delay to consult with the Elders seems pointless now, as the rumors of the betrothal have been running rampant since the last Sect Leader meeting. Uncle’s actions, during and after the Gifting Ceremony, must have only served to reinforce these rumors.

It is difficult to decide which course of action will result in greater impropriety. An immediate announcement, or a lengthy delay, during which the entire court will ruthlessly judge his every interaction with the Emperor. The Emperor who is wholly unashamed of expressing his affection, and insists on behaving as if they are already betrothed.

WangJi sighs, “You must obtain uncle’s approval for the announcement.”

“Will you come and visit A-Yuan with me tomorrow?”

WangJi nods. It is a small enough request, and he is fond enough of the child where a visit would not be a chore.

“Will you spend the night?”

“Wei Ying!”

It is unbearable, the sheer number of times Wei Ying can make his face heat in a single day. How can an Emperor be so utterly shameless?

“Ahh, Lan Zhan, do not be angry. I only meant that you should stay in the Imperial chambers. What if I were to fall ill during the night and need assistance?”

Carefully, WangJi places his hand back down, and rises from the bed, “If this is the case, we should summon the Head Healer right now, and request that she spend the night in the Imperial chambers.”

Wei Ying splutters, “Wait-- that--“

“I would not want to take the chance of you falling ill during the night.”

“Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying whines, “Why are you so cruel? Can I not ask my future husband to spend the night with me?”

“No, you may not.”

“What if I were to find myself unable to sleep, and in need of company?”

“Summon the Royal Companion. I am sure he will be equal to the task.”

“But--“

WangJi bows deeply, “Good night, Your Majesty. I will take my leave now.”

“Lan Zhan!” Wei Ying’s voice follows him out into the hall, “Hey, Lan Zhan! Wait!”

WangJi closes the door behind him, and turns to the nearest guard, “His Majesty requires the presence of the Royal Companion. And the Head Healer.”

The guard does not question the order.

[iamakiller]

the anatomy of a killer (5/7)

This isn’t about me, it’s about you.

How I made you ...

*

The great Greek storytellers lied, when they told the tale of Hades and Persephone.

It is true that Persephone was a child of the springtime.  Everywhere she went, flowers bloomed, harvests thrived, and people rejoiced.  

But in her heart, she longed for winter.

And Hades?

He longed for something he couldn’t even begin to describe ...

*

The long, sun-drenched days of summer have finally come to an end.  The lush, verdant leaves on the trees that line the avenues of the city have grown dry, withering to dust even as they transform to vivid shades of gold, orange and brown.

Autumn has arrived, and winter is just around the corner.  

I can smell it in the evening air.  I can feel it in the marrow of my bones.

The nights are turning so bitterly cold now.

But together, we are warm.

*

Persephone had grown weary of late, but nobody else seemed to notice.  They cared only for matters which were light-hearted and easy to comprehend.  

Her friends sang and danced in the fields as gaily as ever, so Persephone tried to ignore her dry throat and leaden limbs to join them, because she had never done anything else.   

But the glib lyrics tasted like bile in her mouth, her once-radiant smile felt like it had been painted on, and poor Persephone suffered in silence as everyone around her made merry.

But someone noticed …

*

The world around us is shriveling, dying.

But you, my love?

You have begun to bloom.

As the shadows encroach, and the days grow colder, I have been tending you with great care.  Soon, you will reach your full potential.  Soon, your true beauty will be unveiled.  And I, your humble gardener, will be there to appreciate you in all your glory.

When I beckon, you come to me.

With a gentle sigh, you sink down onto me.  Your walls twitch and flutter around me for a moment, and then all is still.

Softly, gently, in perfect unison …

We breathe together.

The world is so quiet.  It feels so peaceful, when I’m with you.

*

Persephone didn’t even think to ask her friends to come with her, when she walked into the field of flowers she had never seen before.  Somehow, she knew that she must go alone.  

But did she know what she was doing when she grasped the stem of the biggest, brightest flower?

If she did, perhaps she simply dreaded the unknown far less than her current, miserable existence.

Regardless, as she began to pull up the flower, she smiled her first real smile in a hundred years.

*

My sharp edges have become blurred, but not softened.  I can no longer recognize where I end, and you begin.  Our bodies are joined, and our hearts beat as one.  I understand your mind, because you think just as I do.  I know your soul, because it is the same as mine, isn’t it?

And I have wanted ...

I have wanted ....

I want you to know me.

I want to show you ...

Slowly, I reach for the blade where it rests atop the nightstand, and place it in your hand.

*

When the earth began to split, and Persephone saw what was inside, she didn’t make a sound, or try to run away.  

Instead, she stared into the darkness, and the darkness stared back at her.  Persephone felt seen for the first time in her life, and she smiled once more.

When Hades held out his hand, she took it.  Gladly.

*

The blade feels right in your palm, doesn’t it?

It’s beautiful, isn’t it?

Do you see how it seems to glow in the lamplight, as if lit from within by the stories it remembers?  It contains multitudes, just like me.  It is filled with pain … pleasure … history … potential.

My love, I see your potential.  From almost the first moment I met you, I knew what you could become, if only you knew what I knew.

I want you to know.

I want you to know me.

The flame within you has guttered for so long.  You have struggled for so long, and my heart aches for you, as it aches for myself ...

My love, I want to ignite that flame, and watch it rise.

I want to see you burn like me.

“Hold the blade to my throat,” I tell you.

Without a moment of hesitation, you obey.

*

Hades’ hand wasn’t warm like the sunshine Persephone knew so well.  Instead, it was hot like the surface of the sun.  But it didn’t hurt her, because Hades did not want it to.  Somehow Persephone understood that fact, even though he had not yet spoken a single word to her.

Stern, silent Hades led her down, down, down into the darkness.

Persephone had never been so far from home before, but she was not afraid.  

*

You feel it, don’t you?  

My pulse beating against the point of the blade.  The blood, coursing through my veins.  My life, balanced on a knife edge.

It’s like a drug, isn’t it?  Intoxicating.  Exhilarating.  

The flame inside you has stopped guttering, hasn’t it?  Instead, it is beginning to grow.  Brighter, hotter ...

You are going to burn so beautifully, my love.

I feel myself harden inside you.  Your eyelids flutter closed, but only for a split second  When you open them again, I find myself dazzled.

With careless benevolence, I have tended you for months.  And now you have finally burst into flower.  You have burst into flames.

With the blade still pressed firmly against my throat, you begin to rock against me.

*

They walked for a long time, in almost total darkness.  The space felt narrow, the walls felt at times as though they were closing in, and the ground was rocky and uneven.  But Hades knew the way, and he made sure that Persephone did not slip or stumble.

Eventually, they reached the end of their journey, and she found herself in the depths of his lair.  Wide-eyed, she stared around her, and felt confused.

She had often been told of the horrors that lurked in the underworld, but looking around her now, she discovered that not a single word had been true.

This place was dark and hot, but it was beautifully furnished, and so different to anything she had seen before.  Flames roared, and shadows danced on the ceiling.

Persephone had never seen anything so wonderful in all her life.

*

I hold you.  

I guide you, as I have guided you since the moment we met. 

My fingertips dig into your sides hard enough to bruise, as I look upon the beauty of your form, and I take my pleasure as you take yours.

The hand which is not holding the blade flexes and grasps at thin air until I bring it to rest against my torso. You hold your palm over my heart for a second, and then your nails rake stinging furrows down my chest, and you rock rock rock against me.  

When the blade nicks my skin, you do not stop, but your eyes widen.

I smile at you, with blood trickling down my neck.

I am so proud of you.  Of us.  Of what we will become, you and I.

You smile back at me, reassured.  Your smile is brighter than the sun.  Brighter than all the suns in all the galaxies.  

Brighter than the fires of hell.

*

“There were others, you know,” Hades said, quite conversationally, as he led the beautiful Persephone further into the depths of his retreat.  “But they did not come willingly.  They did not understand.”

Their corpses littered the floor now.  Some of them still lovely, some of them just fragments of bone, but all of them so empty now.  They had served a purpose once, but Hades couldn’t remember what it was anymore.

Persephone held his hand as he helped her to step over them, and did not say a word.

“Will you dine with me?” Hades asked.  He had never requested before, only commanded, and none of them had ever assented.

Imagine his surprise when Persephone nodded, and followed him to the table, where a sumptuous feast had been laid out for them.

*

It’s strange ...

My mouth is moving.  I can feel the rumble of my voice in my chest, and in my throat ...  

But all I can hear is the roar of blood in my veins, the thunderclap of my heart, as the flame within you, me, us continues to spread far beyond what I could ever have imagined.

You have probably already realized that I am no wordsmith when I speak, but even though I cannot hear what I am saying, I feel the same sense of clarity, of rightness, that I feel when I commit my thoughts to paper or screen.  If the unknown syllables spilling from my lips are even half as elegant as the ones which adorn the decadent halls and galleries of my mind, then perhaps you understand me better now.

Perhaps you know me …

And then, my voice catches in my throat, and I can speak no more.  

Your hand is steady, the blade stays in place, piercing my skin again even as we begin our final descent.

And you lean in ...

You whisper something to me ...

But I do not understand it in this moment.

We are lost.

We are found.

We are burning.

We are burning, together ...

*

Hades sat down at the table.  There were a great many chairs to choose from, but Persephone climbed into his lap, and tucked her head under his chin, as though she had always belonged there.  “I’m starving,” she declared. 

It was the first time she had ever spoken to him directly, and her words felt like music to his ears.  If anyone knew hunger, it was Hades.  He had been starving for a thousand years ...

His laugh was rich and deep as he reached out to pluck a pomegranate from an ornate serving dish right in front of where they sat.  “Then eat,” he told her, offering her one single seed.

Surely she knew ...

Surely she understood there was a price to pay ...

But Persephone just smiled, and reached for his other hand, which was holding the rest of the fruit.  When she wrapped her little fingers around his wrist, his skin should have been hot enough to sear her to the bone, but she didn’t feel a thing.  

Hades’ gaze was fixed on her face as she leaned down to take a great bite of the fruit.  As she chewed with great gusto, juice dripped down her chin, until he wiped it away with his thumb.  “How was it?” he asked, when he could find his voice again.

“Delicious,” she replied, reaching for the fruit once more.

Still smiling, she offered him a bite, but Hades shook his head.

He had been starving for a thousand years, but he wasn’t hungry anymore ...

*

You sleep so soundly next to me.  Your hair feels like spun silk against my fingertips.  You are soft and warm, your jagged edges quelled by your slumber.

As I fold my limbs around you, preparing for another long night of watching over you, the words you whispered earlier come back to me quite suddenly, as clearly as if you had just spoken them again.  

I can almost feel the trace of your breath against my neck, your lips ghosting over the shell of my ear, as you speak so sweetly to me from the depths of your heart …

“I love you, Charlie.”

In the darkness, my eyes snap open.  

I want to hold you closer.  

(I want to push you away.)

My love ...

Oh, my love ...

What have I done?

[sserpente]

Pastel Blue (Chapter 5)

Synopsis: After his lucky escape, the Tesseract takes Loki on new adventures–but unfortunately, his journeys through space do not go unnoticed and he soon ends up on TVA’s radar. Working for them, albeit reluctantly, he keeps finding himself in the company of a young woman, Jess, who works in the linguistics department and who has a truly strange effect on him. Smitten by her confidence and smugness, he seeks her presence like a bee hunting for honey and lets her wreak havoc in his heart without really knowing why. But he is determined to find out. He means to escape this godforsaken place anyway.  

Find all chapters on my masterlist! (Unfortunately, Tumblr will not display my recent posts if I add a link.)

It almost felt like no time at all. Had one whole week really passed already since Loki had accommodated himself in her unit? In the books, the characters who had to share a room usually fell in love by the end of the story or, even better, they had some mind-blowing sex and then ended up together, and yet all she had done was play with her vibrator like it would be taken away from her the next morning for good.

But unlike any of the mischief and the chaos she had expected, Loki was a rather pleasant roommate. He was respectful, calm, tidy… and she doubted he had ever entered her room without her permission. Unless, of course, he had done so in her absence.

Jess gnashed her teeth, her eyes fixed on her brown hair in the mirror. Ariana had found this lovely youth magazine in the nineties yesterday, one that had already been thrown in the bin. The only reason she had taken it was because the cover showed a blue phone booth with Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor on the cover. Jess had spent all morning skimming through it, reading the headline article as well as chuckling about the gossip and the ads—even though some of them were rather sexist.

At some point, she found a double page on fancy hairstyles for women and now struggled to copy one of the elegant braids to spice up her own hair. Thus far, she had been failing miserably, flinching with a grunt when Loki opened the bathroom door. He tilted his head upon seeing her sitting on the edge of her bathtub with her tongue sticking out a little and her fingers entangled in her brown hair.

“Yes?”

“I meant to get washed but clearly, you are occupied in here.”

Jess huffed, flinging the hair tie into the sink. “I’ve been trying to braid my hair. Like this, look!” She pointed at the magazine. The woman in the picture looked like it had taken her five minutes to create this look, and they’d had the audacity to rate this style ‘quick and easy’.

Loki chuckled. “You look like a scarecrow.”

“Why, thank you.” She rolled her eyes. “You can take your shower, I give up on this.” She said.

His sigh surprised her. “Allow me.”

“What?” Jess’ reply was all but a chirp but Loki had already approached her and fetched the hair tie from the sink. The braid was indeed a simple one, and as he stood behind her to part her hair for her, he had to refrain from letting her know just how soft it felt.

He had often braided his mother’s hair as a child. It was an activity that had calmed him down whenever Thor and his friends had made fun of how fond he was of books and preferred to use his mind and tricks rather than raw strength in play fights. The hand movements he was so familiar with that he had no need to look. Instead, he met Jess’ eyes in the mirror. She swallowed, and for a brief moment, he found himself remembering the whimpers coming from her bedroom at night.

Quickly, he averted his gaze again, parting her hair to reveal the earrings dangling down her earlobes. They shimmered in the artificial light of the bathroom. He had never seen her without them, come to think of it.

“They are moonstones.” She said when she noticed his glance. His finger brushed against her left earring once more, making it swing a little. “M got them for me on my birthday. The stone is said to soothe emotional instability and stress, and to stabilise emotions.” After all, her own parents were unlikely to buy her birthday presents anymore. “He asked me to always wear them… that they would protect me from evil.”

Loki hummed. He was familiar with the healing properties of moonstones. They were rather common on Asgard too. Only it made him wonder why Mobius would be so keen on her keeping them on at all times.

“Do you truly believe that?”

She shrugged. “I choose to.”

His fingertips brushed against the soft skin of her neck and he sucked in a deep breath. Jess’ lips parted. She was indeed a beautiful woman, was she not? Loki pondered if she was aware of just how alluring she was. How delectable she sounded when she came undone, believing so naïvely that he was unable to hear the fun she had with herself.

Lust flared up in his blue eyes, his fingers caressing her neck once more, and him braiding her hair all of a sudden turning into a subtle excuse to touch her over and over, to explore what their physical connection meant to him. Then it hit him. The inexplicable tension between them was indeed sexual too.

It was perfect, was it not? If Jess desired him, in whatever way she imagined to… then perhaps he could make use of her attraction, especially as this meant that he too would get to blatantly act on those carnal needs simmering right beneath the surface of his very core. He could not possibly trust her beyond that.

“There.” He announced, finishing up the braid by tying the loose ends together with her hair tie. She looked exactly like the model in the magazine now—only Loki had done an even better job. Jess swallowed once more, wishing, subconsciously, that he would touch her one last time. When he stepped away from her instead, she came to suppress a disappointed whimper.

“M is, um… you’ll be sent to a different unit next week.” She said, breaking the oddly peaceful but palpable silence between them.

“Am I?”

“Yeah. Reese recovered well, I mean, that’s what M told me. He will take over after the party.”

“What party?”

Jess stood, clutching the sink behind her for support—Loki did not fail to notice how flustered she was now, almost as if him braiding her hair had intensified whatever it was she felt for him. It had been a long time since he had last had to think this way upon meeting someone of the opposite sex, let alone a mortal woman.

“Dave is celebrating his anniversary this weekend. It’s a big deal here at the TVA, much more important than birthdays. M didn’t tell you about it, then.” She concluded.

Loki shook his head slowly and decided to give her a smirk. Her reaction, blood biting at her cheeks, pleased him. “I’d dare say I am not invited to your silly festivities.”

“M is thinking about it. About inviting you, I mean. And I guess you could… use a break from all… this. Besides, apart from security, everyone will be drunk by midnight. Lots of snacking and dancing…”

Loki rolled his eyes. He had already hated these kinds of parties back on Asgard. Fandral would shamelessly flirt with three women at once, Volstagg would stuff himself into a coma and Thor would brag with his hammer on the dance floor, making the women believe they could lift it as they danced with him.

If anything, however, this absurd anniversary was the perfect opportunity for him to let his charm play and gain her trust. Jess sighed, prompting him to look up and meet her eyes. She stood, approaching him with the hint of a smile both scornful and compassionate at the same time… and then wrapped her arms around him.

Loki tensed up, his arms hanging by his side motionlessly. Physical affection was the last thing he had expected in a place like this, even from Jess. Perhaps, gaining her trust would be easier than he thought it would be, and still, part of him was unable to deny how much he enjoyed knowing that someone at least pretended to care, as peculiar as she was. Her touch felt like someone had set his entire body ablaze.

“Listen, I know you’ve been through shit and I know you hate everyone right now, including me. M may or may not have red on his ledger but you’re a part of the team now. You’re one of us. If we don’t stand up for each other, then who will?”

“I never agreed on becoming a part of the team.” Loki responded darkly.

Jess moved away from him a little, her smile faltering. “Me neither.”

~*~

“You’ll have to explain that to me one more time. When your father, I mean, Odin, fell into the Odinsleep—whatever the hell that means—your mother gave you the throne?”

Loki hummed. That was the part of the story Thor had left out upon telling S.H.I.E.L.D. and all the other silly secret organisations run by mortals how dangerous and menacing his adoptive brother was.

Jess was flicking through one of the thickest books he had ever seen. It was a collection of astronomical anomalies written down in a language not even Loki could decipher and it was so big she had to stand upright rather than sit at her desk to read the top of the pages. She gazed at him from the corner of her eyes.

“Thor was no longer on Asgard and Mother refused to leave Odin’s side. I was the only one left fit to rule—only Thor’s idiotic friends did not accept me as their king.”

“Let me guess… they pretended you were the villain so you became the villain?” Nibbling on her candy necklace, she bit off a pearl with a loud crack. Loki flinched a little. It was short of a miracle she had not chipped any of her teeth yet.

“I saw my chance,” he said. “So I took it. I never saw myself as the villain. And I never lied. I was the rightful king of Asgard.”

Jess bent over to read the small print. She was still wearing the plait Loki had braided into her hair. It swayed from side to side a bit as it fell over her shoulder, revealing her neck. Her scent was almost unnerving—unnerving in a most ferocious and desirable way. Intoxicating. He had sensed it when she had hugged him already and now, part of him was greedy to press her close to him once more and feel her body against his. He suppressed a growl. He should be enjoying his quest to tiptoe nearer and nearer to getting this ridiculous collar off his neck and make this mortal woman swoon over him—not the other way around. He was the one in control. He had to be.

So he stepped closer, his tread so quiet Jess never heard him approach her.

“So you came to like it. The power of the throne?” She said without looking up. Loki nodded, oblivious to the fact she could not see him. She cursed under her breath when his arm brushed against hers, eliciting a barely noticeable smirk from him. It was amusing how quickly he could read her reactions to him now.

The Trickster swallowed. “I meant to prove myself to the man who never saw me as a potential heir in the first place.”

“How did Thanos find you?” Jess choked out when he moved in closer, demanding all of her attention to himself. It almost scared him how fast she forgot about the massive book on her desk, her eyes fixed on his face as if it bore the answer to all of her questions. Loki’s expression hardened nonetheless, regardless of how much the urge to taste her lips rose within him.

“How much do you know?”

“I know what M told me… that you were his ally and he helped you take over Earth in exchange for the Tesseract.”

Loki narrowed his eyes at her. “Then you know nothing.” Her glance found his lips now too. He was standing close enough for his warm breath to ghost over her mouth, her heart beating more rapidly with every passing second.

Fuck. Her office was being monitored. Sucking in a deep breath, she moved away from him and closed the thick book on her desk shut. “It’s late. We should head to the party.” She cleared her throat. “You can, um… wait for me here so I can get changed. Give me five.”

Loki nodded, taken by surprise until he noticed her glancing at the chunky surveillance camera in the corner of the room. Ah… there it was. The fear or shame or both to be caught being involved with him. Loki gnashed his teeth when she rushed past him, fleeing from the scene. That, at least, was something he was familiar with.

He remained in the office, almost as if glued to the spot, for a while longer before he made his way towards the cafeteria where the festivities would take place. Jess would catch up—besides, so he had to admit, he was indeed looking forward to seeing their faces when he joined the ridiculous little party and what it might give him to work with.

“Really, that’s all? That’s almost a little disappointing.” He heard Dave say in the distance, presumably a few yards away from him, his voice ricocheting through the dark hallway.

Loki stopped dead in his tracks. As silent as a mouse, he leaned against the wall, melted into it almost, and slowed down his breathing.

“Yes…” Another voice that Loki identified as Mobius’, replied. “We did take a risk with them but I must admit, I too almost expected a little… more. I thought one of them might… feel something, you know—a connection or recognition, maybe.” Loki could hear his suit ruffle as he shrugged. “Well, timelines can be unpredictable. We do know that better than anyone else.”

Connection. Recognition? For some peculiar reason, he was certain the pair were speaking about him. Him and… Jess? Who else could they possibly mean? His gut feeling, however, told him that he should, seidr or not, get rid of the security footage in Jess’ office as soon as possible. Whatever it was Mobius wanted to see unfolding between them, he was not going to grant him the satisfaction of presenting it to him on a silver platter.

Fortunately enough, they were too far away to hear him, he realised that once more when Jess’ footsteps echoed through the hallway. He knew it was her without even looking behind himself and yet, found his heart skipping a beat when she touched his arm.

“Ready? You know they might give you suspicious looks as soon as you… what are you doing?”

Loki gave her a disarming smile. “Nothing. Shall we?”

~*~

A/N: Put your swords up, put ‘em up; it’s going down.

[khoicesbyk]

A Knight’s Return.

Rated: Explicit. | Contains sexual content and strong language. (You know? The usual from me. 😁) | Bolded and/or italicized words are conversations and thoughts of the characters. | Main Characters: Kayden Vescovi (LI) and Queen Kassidy Rosario (MC)

A/N: this VERY SPECIAL one shot is a birthday fic/present for one of the most amazing women I have ever come to know! @shewillreadyou has pretty much become somewhat of a mom/mother figure to me. And God knows I need her. So HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIM! I LOVE YOU! *in my Lennie Williams voice*

Tag List (my Nanny girls): @shewillreadyou @secretaryunpaid @lucy-268 @txemrn @pixie88 @shannonsaid @shannonwrote @sfb123 @thefrenchiemama @chemist-ana @aussieez @choicesficwriterscreations

Many MANY thanks to @secretaryunpaid for the preread! Since I couldn’t show the birthday girl. I enlisted the help of one of my biggest cheerleaders. And she did NOT disappoint! 😁😁😁😁😁😁

This one shot is rated Explicit. It is NOT reading material that is safe for those under 18. Reader discretion is STRONGLY advised!

TW: Sexual Violence. Again Reader discretion is STRONGLY ADVISED!

Current Word Count: 5,080 words. (more or less. I stop counting after editing and re-editing. 🤷🏾‍♀️) 

Being the Queen of Cordonia was not an easy task. Most women would crumble underneath the pressures of the title and crown. But not Queen Kassidy Rosario-Rhys. She ruled faithfully alongside her husband King Fabian Rhys.

When they married almost 12 years ago, they married based on politics and a shared ideal of peace and prosperity amongst their people and kingdom. Although both cared for one another, neither was in love with the other. Living in separate wings of the palace proved that point.

While Fabian had his mistress named Natalia, Kassidy had the love of her life. She had Kayden Vescovi. Her faithful lover and the dutiful Crown Shield. When she ascended to the throne, it was revealed that he could do magic. Something that hadn’t been seen in Cordonia in at least 500 years. He used his magical powers to save her from an assassination attempt at the Conclave.

Her majesty is madly in love with her fiercest protector. And he is madly in love with her. The only problem was his powers. As the years went on, he found out that he had no true control over them. So to learn how to control them, he had to leave. Something that broke Kassidy’s heart but she also understood that this was something that he had to do. He hated to leave his home and especially her bed but his mind was made up.

She missed him every day that he wasn’t there. During the day she was able to keep a brave facade of the faithful queen and wife but at night, she longed to feel her lovers' strong arms around her again. To feel his lips on her skin and hear his voice in her ear. But he was gone and she had to go on. Her kingdom needed her and she needed something to distract from her broken heart.

She cared for Fabian and always wanted him to be happy. And she was elated that he had found true love but, she couldn’t help but feel jealous, slightly resentful, and lonely. His love was with him constantly, while hers was gone. Until the day he returned.

It had been 3 years since Kayden left to truly harness his powers. And when he returned the news traveled fast.

His majesty was in a meeting with advisors when a young page came running in.

“Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Come quick!”

“What is it?”

“The Crown Shield has returned!”

Fabian exhaled in relief.

“Finally!”

A crowd gathered at the palace around the returning Sorcerer. Fabian was delighted to greet him.

“Greetings Crown Shield! It is good to see you.”

Kayden kneeled with his head bowed to his king.

“Thank you, my King. It is good to be home. I come with news.”

“Wonderful! Simply wonderful! Let us enter my chambers and we will discuss what you have learned in your travels.”

Kayden nodded and followed his king into the palace.

After showing Fabian and his trusted Advisor Lord Hunter Fierro how he’d mastered his powers, Kayden was informed of the impending war with Gemmora. A kingdom to their southeastern border.

“Surely you’re joking.”

Fabian sighed.

“I wish but King Gerard is dead set on waging war against us.”

“What would you have me do, your majesty?”

“Take your position as The Crown Shield and lead us to victory.”

Kayden bowed with his head with a fist over his heart.

“As you wish my king.”

Fabian smiled.

“Thank you, Kayden. And please no formalities my friend. We’ve known one another for years now.”

Kayden smiled at Fabian as they shook hands.

“I will get started recruiting soldiers immediately.”

Fabian nodded.

Before he left Fabian's chambers, Kayden had to ask about her.

“If you don’t mind my asking…is…is she here?”

“No. She is visiting her House’s lands but will return tomorrow. I’m sure when she hears the news of your return, she will be elated to see you.”

Kayden smiled wistfully.

“Yes, I’m sure she will. I am eager to see her.”

“I know you are. You both have much to catch up on.”

Kayden left the palace and spent the next day reuniting with his crew and recruiting soldiers. When the next night came, he was eager to see his queen. It had been a long time since he’d seen her. Since he touched her. Since he tasted her. And he knew she’d be angry with him. He left her alone for 3 years. She would be a fool to not resent him. But still, he had to see her.

When he got to the palace that night, he was immediately escorted to her private chambers. His chest was tight with anticipation and excitement. When he stepped onto her balcony with the servant he was escorted by, there she stood. She was looking up at the stars, silently praying that he would come back to her. His heart was doing flips at the sight of her.

“My queen…” the servant spoke up.

When Kassidy turned around, she was frozen in shock. Her true love. Her Knight. The man of her every waking dream was home.

“Thank you.”

The servant nodded to her and him before leaving them alone.

“My love…”

She cocked an eyebrow at him.

“So the rumors are true? You are home.”

“Yes, I am. I have missed you.”

“How was your training?”

“It went well. I have mastered my powers. I have so much to show you.”

She stood there with her arms crossed and her emotions warring within her. She missed him terribly but she was also furious with him.

“You are not happy to see me?”

He stepped closer to her. Wanting to feel her in his arms again.

“It’s been 3 years Kayden. What am I supposed to be?”

“Not this.”

“And what do you think this is?”

“Resentful.”

She chuckled dryly.

“Again, I have not seen or felt you in 3 long years! And you just expect me to jump into your arms the minute you decide to finally return to me?”

“My love…”

She holds a hand up.

“No. You don’t get to call me that. Not after all this time.”

“Please…I have missed you so! I lo—“

She cut him off. She did want to hear him say that he loved her. Not now.

“This conversation is over!”

She moved to walk around him but he grabbed her by the arm and kissed her. He wanted to taste her lips on his. Feeling her this close to him, after all, this time apart, made the magic within him swirl to life and made her knees weak. When their kiss broke both were breathless.

“My…love…”

Kassidy kept her eyes closed and when she opened them, she remembered where she was and where he’d been. When he went to kiss her again, she slapped him.

“Don’t you dare touch me!”

Holding his jaw he chuckled.

“At least you remembered what I taught you.”

Her eyes blazed with fury.

“You don’t get to kiss me! Not now! Not ever!”

“You don’t mean that.”

“After not being able to so much as look at you…yes, I do!”

She went to stomp past him but he caught her wrist.

“Do not walk away from me, Kassidy!”

She stiffened before turning to face him.

“Your majesty.”

He stared at her in disbelief.

“Don’t do this Kassidy.”

“It’s your majesty. And you will address me as such!” She hissed at him before jerking her wrist away and going inside to her chambers.

Kayden didn’t blame her for being angry. He’d left her alone. She was hurt. But he was not about to give up that easily. With a sigh and a snap of his fingers, his powers came to life. He heard her gasp and when he walked into her bedroom, she was frozen in place struggling to get free.

“I told you not to walk away from me.”

“Kayden! Let me go this instant!”

He cocked his head to the side with a smile slowly spreading across his lips.

“Of course…your majesty. But first I feel you need an attitude adjustment.”

She was beyond furious at this point.

“LET! ME! GO!”

He just stood behind her watching her struggle. With a wave of his hand, the doors behind him closed and locked. As did her bedroom door. He didn’t want an audience for what he planned to do with her. He could hear her heart pounding in her chest as he got closer to her. Using his powers he turned her around so that she faced him. The scowl she had on her face both broke his heart and turned him on.

“My queen…my love…you have no idea how much I have missed you. How long I have yearned to touch you. To taste you. To take you. It has been 3 long years that I’ve been away, and this is how you greet me?!”

She looked at him with pain and rage behind her eyes.

“You! Left! Me! For 3 years I have been here. Missing you! Wanting you! Needing you! And where were you? Hmmm? You were gone! That’s where you were! Leaving me to lie in this bed alone! To yearn for your touch and especially your kiss! While you were gone, I had to watch him fall in love with her. He got to go to bed with her in his arms! I watched him be happy! While I…I…I was alone! In the very bed, I was supposed to share with you!”

“You know why I left Kassidy!”

“Yes, I know. You were harnessing your powers as you put it!”

“And I could not do that around you! I was afraid that I would hurt you. So I left. It was safer for the kingdom.”

“It was safer to leave me alone while you went galavanting all over Cordonia?!”

She struggled against her restraints to no avail.

“My love…struggling will do you no good.”

“KAYDEN LET ME GO!”

She was frustrated and angry beyond belief. He just stood there watching her with a smirk on his lips.

“Have I told you how gorgeous you are when you’re upset?”

“WHEN I GET OUT OF THIS I WILL HAVE YOU HANGED!”

He merely tilted her chin up so he could look into her eyes.

“No, you won’t.”

That is when he kissed her passionately. He wanted to taste her anger while letting his hands trail along her dress. And try as she might, she couldn’t physically stop or resist him. But she wasn’t going to just give in to him so easily. And she proved it by biting his bottom lip.

“I wouldn’t have done that my love…”

She stared him down.

“Don’t you EVER forget that I AM YOUR QUEEN! You will kneel before me!”

He smiled wickedly at her.

“Let me show you something, my love.”

He walked behind her and draped his right arm over her shoulder while resting his chin on her left shoulder. When he opened his hand, magic swirled in it.

“Beautiful isn’t it?”

She stared at the swirling above his hand.

“Impossible.”

“Not really. It’s still the magic that I’ve casted before.”

“But you could only make barriers!”

“I still do my love but now I can do so much more.”

“But how? Your magic is controlled by your thoughts.”

“Mere concentration and practice. I went from feeling the magic within to projecting it. My powers are endless. For instance, your very beautiful dress. Although it is exquisite, I prefer you without clothes.”

“Well, there’s nothing I can do about it.”

He chuckled and shook his head.

“My love…I don’t need you to do anything but feel.”

“What are you—“

Her words were swallowed when he grabbed her chin and brought her mouth to his. She was powerless to stop him. The more she fought against his restraints, the tighter he made them. He broke their kiss to look into her eyes.

“Why do you insist on resisting me?”

“Because you have not earned the right to touch me!” She hissed.

He ran a finger down the right side of her neck as his lips grazed just below her left ear. His warm breath left her feeling heady.

“You! Are! MINE! I will do with you however I please!”

He felt her heart pound as his finger trailed down her chest then he abruptly stopped and stepped away from her. With him away from her, Kassidy was able to regulate her heartbeat and breathing despite still being restrained. Kayden was impressed with his love.

“Good, very good. You’ve remembered what I taught you about self-control and discipline.”

She glared at the door to her balcony not saying anything to him.

“The silent treatment does not work on me, my love. You know that.”

She continued to stare without saying a word to him.

“So you want to be defiant, hmmm?”

He spun her around so that she was facing him.

“Very well. Since you will not give me what is mine, I shall take it from you. Starting with…”

He trailed off as he swirled his finger. Doing so, sent ribbons of magic swirling. He watched as she thrashed about as swirls of magic took her dress and undergarments off. When his magic finally dissipated she was completely naked before him.

“Much better. This is how I always preferred you to be in my presence.”

He walked towards her, never taking his eyes off of her. She could feel her body heat rising with each step he took towards her. He circled her like a wolf stalking its prey. The sound of his boots going across the polished floor of her bed-chamber was making her lightheaded.

“Look at you, my love. The most beautiful creature under the stars. Baring herself to me.”

She bristled as one of his gloved hands touched the bare skin of her stomach.

“Are you cold?”

He loved watching her shiver at his touch.

“Let me go!”

“I don’t think so. I’m not quite done with you. I have waited years to touch you, my love. I’m going to thoroughly enjoy this moment.”

“I! Am! Your! Queen! You WILL obey me!”

Kayden shrugged.

“Yes, you are my queen. And normally I would kneel before you and carry out whatever it is you wish of me. But tonight I have a mission. It’s quite simple.”

He leaned in close to whisper in her ear.

“I…am…going…to…tear…you…apart!”

His words made her shudder. He stood behind her with his hands firmly on her hips. He left a trail of heated kisses from her right shoulder to her neck.

“Now comes the fun my love.”

Kassidy closed her eyes and steeled herself for what was to come. He took his hands off her body and whispered harshly in her ear.

“Kneel.”

Hearing those words was when she decided she’d heard enough.

“I will NEVER kneel!”

“My love…you don’t have a choice in the matter!”

With a finger pointed downward, he forced her to her knees. She was under his control. He walked in front of her and looked down at the woman he calls his queen.

“Never have I seen a more beautiful sight. My love on her knees.”

“I…am…YOUR…QUEEN!”

“Still defiant. Still fighting. Just the way I like you.”

“I bow to NO ONE!”

“You’re right my love. You don’t. But then again I’m not just anyone. I’m the one who will drive you insane!”

At the snap of his fingers, magic swirled around her legs. It slowly traveled up her calves eventually resting at her thighs.

“Look at me, my queen.”

She refused to look up at him.

“Have it your way…”

With a simple pullback of his left hand, he forced her to look at him. When he looked into her eyes, he saw the lust, the rage, the want, and the need behind them.

“I want to watch the look on your face as I make you submit!”

She had to close her eyes and exhale slowly to keep herself from giving him satisfaction. The magic traveled up her thighs and as it got closer to her core, it started to feel warm. And when it split into tendrils, she had to suppress the moan she felt creeping up from her chest.

“You can try to fight my love but I know you and your body better than anyone. You will submit to me!”

“I submit to NO MAN!”

“Not yet you don’t.”

She watched as he opened his balled-up right fist and began flexing his fingers. It felt like his hands were everywhere at once. Her breasts and especially her most sensitive lips between her legs felt like they were on fire. Begging to be touched and kissed. Kayden watched as Kassidy tried to fight him and his powers but she was quickly losing.

“Is this not what you desired?”

She screwed her eyes shut and bit down on her bottom lip to suppress the moans of pleasure that were rising in her throat.

“Don’t fight it, my love. Let it consume you.”

It felt so good. Her resolve was crumbling rapidly.

“That’s it, my love! I know you want it.”

He was right. She wanted it and him but to submit? She was too strong and stubborn for all of that. She held out for as long as she could but, when the magic swirling around her intensified, she nearly lost her mind. Especially when her body began to tremble. The pleasure was beginning to overtake her.

“Good. Very good. I know that it feels good. Doesn’t it my love?”

She couldn’t hide it anymore.

“YES! YES! YES! YES!”

She was going insane and he was loving every minute of it.

“I knew you would never be able to resist me. You love me too much to do so. And now that your attitude has been corrected, I can truly have my fun with you.”

She glared at him.

“Let! Me! Go! NOW!”

He smirked at her.

“Not yet. There’s one thing I want from you.”

He released her from her bonds and Kassidy found herself face first with his VERY throbbing member. She takes her right thumb, sticks it in her mouth for a split second, and begins to circle the tip with it causing him to shudder.

He groaned, desperately wanting to feel her lips on him. But instead, she was going to take her time, the same way he did with and to her. She continued to just circle the tip earning groans and moans of both pleasure and torture.

“My queen…don’t…you…dare…tease…me!” He says between ragged breaths.

She could feel the magic swirl around them.

“So you can torture me all you like, but the minute I give you a small taste of your own medicine…you can’t handle it?” she teased him.

Before he could even utter a word in response, her mouth descended onto him. All he could do was feel her moving against him. She felt so good. Her mouth was warm, wet, and totally in control of him.

At that moment, he would do anything just to keep her mouth on him. She started slow because she wanted to savor this, and wanted him to know what it felt like to be slowly tortured. She wanted him to beg for it, to plead for it, to crave it. She wants him to feel for her what she feels for him.

Up and down and up and down and up and down, she went. Never allowing him a reprieve. Never letting him fall over. She was determined to give it to him, the same way that he gave it to her. She always made sure to swirl her tongue around him just enough from time to time, to turn him from the Crown Shield to a man possessed.

She had him right where she wanted him. At her mercy. His mind racing, his heart pounding, his toes curling, struggling to stay upright, his breaths coming in pants. That’s what she wanted and she was getting it. His hips started to move in time with her mouth, as his hands found their way into her hair as she worked him over.

She used her hands to stroke him real good while her lips stayed on his tip. Just like he loved doing to her, she loved hearing him moan and groan. Every so often she’d glance up to watch the look of pleasure on his face.

“My Knight…I want you to make love to me…”

“Yes, your majesty.”

He raised an eyebrow and smirked. She watched as the rest of his clothes disappeared. He was still as beautiful as ever to her. He grabbed her chin and brought her to her feet. He rested his forehead against hers.

“My queen…”

He knelt before her, his head bowed.

“I am yours.”

“Yes, you are.”

She draped her arms around his broad shoulders and kissed him deeply.

“My Knight. My heart is so full now that you’ve come back to me. Now let me show you how much I’ve missed you.”

He picked her up and wrapped her legs around his waist and carried her to the large canopy bed she always shared with him.

She loved feeling his muscles flex as he laid her down. He pinned her beneath him as he kissed her. He broke their kiss to let his eyes roam her body.

“See something that you like?”

“Only the most beautiful woman in all the lands.”

“And what is it you plan to do with me?”

He chuckled softly.

“Whatever I please…”

With a wink, he used his powers to reposition her so that she hung slightly off the edge of their bed. When he was ready, he threw her legs over his shoulders and went to town feasting on her treasure.

“YESSSSSSSSSSS!”

Her body was on fire. His mouth felt like magic. She grabbed the bedding and squirmed as he ate her out like he was starving. Her moans, her shrieks, and especially her screams were delicious and music to his ears. Every time he either licked, nipped, or sucked on her clit, it drove her further and further to her edge. It throbbed from the repeated friction of his mouth and his fingers. And her vaginal muscles clenched and released every time he circled her entrance.

Whether Kassidy wanted to admit it or not, she loved watching his head move in between her legs. Her legs started to spasm so she tried to back away, long enough to calm them. But her lover was NOT having that.

“Ohhh no, my love! You DO NOT move! Not until I say you can!” He growled.

The tone in his voice was so low, it nearly scared her.  He was relentless and animalistic when it came to feasting on her. Her back arched and her toes curled every time he dragged his tongue up and down.

She wasn’t going to last much longer.

She felt him alternate between his mouth on her clit and fingering her. She didn’t think it could get any better than this. But, Kayden was about to prove her wrong. Just as she was about to go over her edge, he stopped cold. She cried out in a mix of shock, disbelief, and anger. But he just chuckled at her.

“My queen, you do not need to worry. You’ll get what you want from me.”

She couldn’t believe it. She was seconds away from seeing the stars and he stopped.

She was having a hard time believing him at the moment. But he was right, he would make sure that she would indeed get what she wanted. He came upon the bed, gathered her in his arms, and covered her lips with his. Letting her savor the taste of her wetness on his lips.

With her distracted by the kiss, Kayden snapped his fingers. Their kiss was broken when she felt her wrists pin above her head. With a wicked look in his eyes, he winked before he plunged his tongue into her mouth then placed the fingers of his right hand that tingled with his powers between her legs.

The sensation from the fingers made her nearly jump out of her skin. She squirmed as he pleased her without really touching her. He nursed on her right breast while pinching her left. She white-knuckled the bedding under her and screamed bloody murder.

“That’s it! Tell me how you like it, my queen.” He told her.

She could barely think, let alone form a coherent sentence. He was torturing her in the most delicious way. He was determined to drive her over the edge and into a sweet oblivion.

“YES! YES! YES! YES! YESSSSSSSSSSS!”

She squirmed underneath him as he continued to move his very magic fingers. She was quickly coming undone at the seams. Her body was tingly and on fire. He listened as her breathing became more and more erratic. He was determined to break her in half.

“Let me hear you scream!” He growled in her ear as he closed his fist and sent magic coursing through her.

That was it. That was all she needed. Her back arched, her voice tangled in her throat, her toes curled, her eyes rolled back and her body convulsed as wave after wave of pleasure crashed over her.

She laid there trying to recover from what he just did to her. All she could see was his face just centimeters above hers. He was a sight to behold. He had a very smug look on his face.

With a wicked grin on his face, Kayden settled himself in between her thighs. He circled her entrance, causing her to cry out in anticipation and need. Her cry was all he needed to hear from her. He spread her legs, lined himself up with her entrance, closed his eyes then plunged himself inside her.

It had been 3 long years since he’d made love to her. He was determined to enjoy every second together.

“KAYDEN!”

Hearing her scream his name as she took him spurred him on. So there they were. Together in bed with her feet to the ceiling and him going deep inside her. His Queen. The love of his life. She belonged to him. And he confirmed it with every thrust of his hips into her.

Hearing her moans drove him insane. He wanted to please her. He wanted to feel her vaginal muscles clench around him as he slammed into her again and again. He wanted her cries of pleasure. And he wanted to stake his claim to his queen. He watched her body flush and tremble under his touch. Feeling her unleashed his powers.

He went from bracing himself against her headboard to snaking his left into her hair and pulling her head back. Doing so, exposed her neck to him. He couldn’t keep his lips off her skin. He HAD TO taste her. And to be honest, she loved it even more than he did. He dragged his tongue across her neck which caused the fire inside her to burn hotter. Every stroke made her dizzy yet always left her craving more. She needed him. She wanted him. She craved him.

Kayden had turned her out and didn’t even realize it.

He was incensed by her. Her skin. Her scent. With both of his hands on the headboard behind her, he continued to go deep into her. Relentlessly pounding her, giving her everything he had to give. He would bury himself to the hilt, deep inside her just to pull almost all the way out, then thrust himself back inside her. Again and again and again. And with her unable to move her hands, she was powerless to stop him.

“KAYDEN! TAKE! ME!” She screamed as he pushed her further and further towards her climax.

She needed him. She wanted her release. She teetered on the edge. As much as he wanted to hold out, he too was close to his own climax. And there was only one way that he’d achieve his goal of breaking her.

He pulled out of her, despite her cry of protest just to flip her over onto her stomach. With her wrists restrained by his magic binds, she was at his mercy. He tapped the side of her left ankle before spreading and keeping her legs apart.

He leaned down to slowly leave a blazing trail of kisses up her spine. The kisses raised goosebumps on her skin, made her shiver and bite her bottom lip. He was deliciously wicked and she loved every second of it.

“My queen…this is how I break you…”

She was about to find out that those words were more than a wicked promise. Especially when he mounted her.

“Don’t blink my love.”

When he grabbed her hips and slid inside her, her body went still. He robbed her of her voice and took her right then and there. All she could was whimper. Feeling her clenching around him, caused a low growl to reverberate in his chest. She felt like he was going to rip her apart.

“Tell me you love it!”

“I—“

She stopped as he thrust himself into her.

“TELL! ME!”

“I! LOVE! IT!”

She felt drunk off him.

“Tell me you want it!”

“I! Want! It!”

“Tell me you want me!”

”I! Want! You!”

“Tell me you need me!”

“I! Need! You!”

He let out a satisfactory growl.

“That’s right my queen! You will always need me! You will always want me!”

The truth was that he needed and wanted her just as much. When she was at her most vulnerable, is when she was the most beautiful to him.

She belonged to him. And he belonged to her. When her muscles clenched around him one last time, that was it for both of them. She screamed to the heavens above and he buried his face in the crook of her neck and shuddered as he let go inside her. When it all was said and done, they were extremely exhausted and thoroughly satisfied.

He pulled out and curled up with her in his arms. He covered them both to keep them warm.

“I love you my queen. Never forget that.”

“I love you too my knight. There will never be another man for me. My heart belongs to you.”

He held her close as they drifted off to sleep.