#a return to form after the Bad Fic yesterday

[thelordofgifs]

Happy Tumblr Milestone Saturday, congrats!!!

If you're up for a fic prompt, any thoughts on Maedhros playing a musical instrument?

Yikes so sorry this took three months to get to! Thank you for the prompt friend <3

-

“I think,” says Maedhros, “I should learn to play the harp.”

Maglor stops what he is doing and stares at him. “Nelyo.”

“What?” Maedhros says mildly. “It is a key part of my own history.”

Maglor’s face twists in distress. He turns his gaze back to his work, organising the little bottles of medicines and salves on the table.

“The fiddle, otherwise,” Maedhros suggests. “Or the flute?”

Maglor makes a small, unhappy sound, quickly stifled. That is not what Maedhros wanted. There were few memories he dared cling to, in Angband, scared that in turning them over too often he would rub away the details, or else that they would be snatched perforce from his mind; but he does remember the clear bright sound of Maglor’s laugh, which rang so often and easily through the streets of Tirion. He has not heard it once since his return.

Hard enough to realise he does not know himself any longer – but to find his little brother a stranger is nigh unbearable.

“I was joking, Káno,” he says. “I know I cannot play with only one hand.”

“Oh,” says Maglor. He smiles bravely, although his eyes are wet. “I knew that.”

“Come and sit,” Maedhros says, and then flinches – it sounds like an order, and what right has he to give orders?

But Maglor sets aside his fidgeting and sits down in the chair next to Maedhros’ bed. He always balances the distance perfectly, close enough for Maedhros to see him without straining his neck, far enough away that the proximity does not frighten him. Today, however, Maedhros wants his brother near. He reaches out to take Maglor’s hand in his.

“I miss you,” he says, and then, “I miss me.”

“I know, Nelyo,” Maglor breathes.

“Shall it never again be as it was?” Maedhros asks.

“I think not,” says Maglor, “and yet—” He swallows. “I am glad that you are back, Nelyo.” His eyes bleed apologies.

“Sometimes,” Maedhros says dreamily, “I think I am still there, and it was only some facsimile of me that Thorondor bore back.” Maglor takes a breath and Maedhros adds, “I know that it is not true. My old self was lost long before Finno came.”

“Nelyo,” Maglor says miserably.

“Now I have upset you,” Maedhros says. Tentatively, he lifts his hand to Maglor’s cheek, and Maglor does not flinch in disgust from his touch. “And I only wanted to make you laugh.”

Maglor smiles wryly. “Laughter is in rather short supply, these days,” he says.

Maedhros has known that to be true for himself. But he did not think—

"Is the world so changed?" he asks. "Are you so changed, dearest?"

Maglor lowers his gaze. He looks rather ashamed.

"I should not have left you," Maedhros murmurs.

Maglor meets his eyes again, startled. "How you can say that!" he says. "When I—"

Maedhros touches his cheek again. "All the same," he says, "it has been hard for you."

"Nelyo, that is absurd," Maglor says. "You cannot possibly blame yourself that I grieved you – and while you were living all the time!" He smiles again, bitterly.

Was I? thinks Maedhros. But aloud he says, "Káno, I – I barely recognise anything of myself. May I not – at the very least – remain your elder brother?"

"You are always that," Maglor says, blinking away his tears.

"Then come here," says Maedhros, and he pulls Maglor into a hug, and does not shudder to feel his body so close; so there is still this. And if Maglor is a stranger to him now he still lays his head on Maedhros' good shoulder as he used to when he was very small, and they sit that way for a while.

It cannot last forever – Maedhros is too weak to sit upright for long. Eventually, Maglor lowers him carefully down onto his pillows and fetches the evening round of medicines, and once again he becomes the carer and Maedhros the patient. He is still very gentle, as he coaxes the bitter concoctions into Maedhros, and changes the dressings on his wrist. So perhaps the world is not so changed.

***

The next morning, Maglor is carrying his harp when he comes into the tent. He looks pensive, but not unhappy, and he smiles to see Maedhros awake.

"Have you come to play for me?" Maedhros asks.

"Yes, if you would like me to," says Maglor; "but first I thought you could try playing it yourself, if you want to."

Maedhros blinks at him. "Káno, I only have one hand."

"I can teach you some simple melodies," says Maglor, and then he looks uncertain. "But we don't have to – if you would rather I played instead—"

"I'd like you to teach me," Maedhros says gently. (That was interrupting – they will punish him for speaking out of turn – no, it is Maglor, it is Maglor who loves him. Maedhros knows that.)

Maglor brings the harp over to the bed and sits down beside it. He reaches for Maedhros’ hand. “May I?” And when Maedhros nods, he places Maedhros’ fingers on the harp, and teaches him the name of each string in turn.

It turns out to be possible to pluck out a simple little melody on the harp, even with Maedhros’ numb and clumsy fingers. Eventually, Maglor stops guiding his hand and accompanies him instead, smiling encouragingly as he does so; and the sound of the music is very sweet. And when Maedhros deliberately botches the tune, moving his fingers quickly across the strings in a rapid, messy glissando, Maglor's laugh is sweeter yet.

[ln4bub]

34 with Max pls

Came home from Uni today so sorry for the delay, the wheel of fics spun this request yesterday so enjoy

———————————————————

Max hadn't been paying much attention to you since he got back for winter break, catching up with his friends and gaming. You didn't mind really, happy to see him relaxed for a change, able to turn his mind off. But that didn't mean you didn't feel left out, so you hatched a plan. Digging through Max's drawers you pulled out one of many Red Bull hoodies, finding merchandise for his team was like finding a needle in a stack of needles. Luckily you were fresh out of the shower so you slip the hoodie on, towel drying your hair as best as you can.

You always felt good after a shower, freshly shaven and legs moisturised. Looking in the mirror you admired the way the hoodie sat on you, the hem resting below your ass but a small bend over would expose enough to your boyfriend. You send him a text, asking if he wants anything. He asks for a glass of water, one you happily bring him.

Walking into his gaming room you find him deeply invested in a game, headphones on, his laugh filling the room as his friends make some sort of joke about him never losing. You place the glass on his desk, causing him to turn his head to face you. He puckers his lips, asking for a kiss. You grant him his wish, your lips meeting his in a quick peck. As you turn to leave you can feel his eyes burning into you. His right arm wraps around your waist, tugging you back towards him.

He mutters something to his friends about being right back before removing his headset, "You're not wearing anything underneath that, are you?" He groans. Hand lifting the hoodie to get a glimpse of your bare ass. "If you need me that bad you can just ask schatje, you know that." He tells you, standing from his chair to wrap himself around you from behind. Your head leans back against his shoulder as his warmth engulfs you, his hands slipping under the hoodie to rest below your breasts. His pinkies rub across the sides of your breasts to your ribs, causing goosebumps to raise over your stomach.

He removes himself from you for a moment, slipping his headset back on to tell his friends he's logging off, making up some excuse when they start asking questions. He returns to his position behind you, spinning you by the shoulders to face him. His hand cups your jaw as he brings his lips to meet yours. You melt into his form, moaning at the taste of his lips. You feel them curl into a smirk at your neediness, your arms wrapping around his neck as your lips move in sync.

He guides you backwards, pressing you against the wall, a whine escaping your lips at the cold feeling hitting your legs. The warm weight of his body more than made up for it, his lips traveling down your neck. Your hand reaches down, cupping the growing bulge in his sweatpants, making him groan out against your neck. Your hand slips under his waistband, feeling the thick weight of him in your hand. He allows you to pull his sweatpants down enough to expose his cock, red and aching for you.

His own hand moves in between your legs, groaning at the wetness coating his fingers. Max moves to kiss you again, his tongue slipping into your mouth when you moan at the rub of his fingers over your clit. You’re overwhelmed by him; his mouth on you, his fingers between your legs, his cock throbbing at your touch, his scent coating the hoodie. You whine in impatience, guiding Max’s cock between your folds.

“Ohhh is that what you need schatje? Need my dick?” He groans, sliding his thick cock through your folds. Max looks down to see the way his dick glistens with your arousal before pushing inside you. Your leg is hitched over his arm, standing on your tiptoes as the burn of the stretch sends shivers down your spine. You moan out his name, your nails raking down the back of his neck.

“So tight for me, been too long since I’ve been inside you.” Max mumbles, his forehead resting against yours. The movement of his thrusts sends bursts of pleasure through you, making you forget the pain of the position you’re in. Max taps your other leg, encouraging you to jump as he supports your weight in his arms. Yours wrap around his neck as he uses his hold on you to drag you up and down his cock.

His groans mix with your own moans, the sounds of your wetness filling the room along with the slap of your skin against Max’s. He can feel your walls tightening so he leans his head down to your neck, sucking against that spot on the hinge of your jaw with a gentle nibble. The feeling makes your toes curl and back arch as you cum around him, feeling him follow you just seconds later. You both pant, breath taken from the passion and effort.

Max keeps his cock inside you as you curl up against him, carrying you as he returns to his chair. The movement of his steps sends jolts of pleasure to your pussy, his cock remaining half hard at the squeezing sensation. He returns to his previous position, gaming with his friends and making sure his face-cam remains off.

No one else gets to see his perfect girl cuddled against him, cock still buried deep inside her.

[heartofmortis]

✧ exile (what a ghostly scene)

. *. ⋆ Anakin / Vader x Reader

summary: you were bail organa’s ward, raised on alderaan with your younger sister. in the twilight of the clone war, you and anakin fell in love. when the war died, it dragged you and anakin to early graves with it — leaving only darth vader behind. even after years without you, he still wants you back. and there is nothing he would not do to bring you back to him. . .

tags: angst, tragic romance, suitless vader, no y/n, gn reader, inspired by the 2020 vader comics & vader immortal, past major character death, mourning, vader needs a hug, resurrection

note: my first reader/second person fic — i’m sorry if the tense is bad ajsjwjwjqjq. i’ve had this in my drafts for soooo long and i finally decided to finish it 🫶

word count: 1k

part 1 of 4

The stars have died, fizzling out into oblivion. All that remains is a charcoal heart that once belonged to Anakin Skywalker.

The boy from Tatooine is unreachable now, trapped inside the twisted soul of Darth Vader. The galaxy’s beloved Hero With No Fear is gone. With the rise of the Empire, the Jedi and their sympathisers will be erased from memory. A clean slate to start a new era.

Three years after the creation of the Empire, Darth Vader stands alone. His tower on Mustafar is isolating; its strategic position is a constant reminder of that day. His injuries still hurt sometimes: phantom itches on his now metal legs; scars from his burns that did not fully heal. The medical droids say he is lucky — the fire could have done more serious damage, and he could have been forced to rely on a suit keeping him alive for the rest of his days. Instead, the ebony coloured mask and suit he wears are to conceal his identity. A precaution so that Anakin Skywalker can fade from people’s tongues and memory, leaving the tyranny of Darth Vader in its place.

The weight of his failures is not the heaviest burden. Darth Vader drowns in his anger and grief. He was not strong enough to kill Obi-Wan Kenobi. He was not strong enough to save you.

(All things die. Even stars burn out.)

You were the stars in his sky, his light in the dark, the silvery moon to his blazing sun. So tender and kind. Perhaps your heart was too good for this world. Perhaps, it was your weakness all along. (How could peace ever love a dragon?)

Since you met, you had been Anakin’s sun. You anchored him; guided him home. You were his destiny. And, without you, the galaxy had turned cold. The fiery world outside, all hot air and lava fields, only stood as a reminder of his failure. He’d lost you. After everything Anakin had tried — surrendering himself to the dark side, betraying the light — he could not save you. Time had not quelled the pain.

Vader wonders if you would still recognise him. His copper hair has grown longer (he remembers how you used to cut it for him after he returned from another mission, and you’d giggle as you braided thin locks together), but his face hides behind an obsidian mask. You always loved the blue of Anakin’s eyes, but now they are blazing amber.

Mornings are the only time Vader allows himself to dwell on the past. It is when he finds himself alone and does not have to hide.

Vader recalls how you arrived on Mustafar like it was yesterday. (You haunt him every waking moment.) He could sense your conflicted emotions as soon as you disembarked your ship. Vader wasted no time approaching you, drawing you into his arms (where you belonged; where you were safe). His lips reconnected with yours, fitting together like puzzle pieces as he kissed you hungrily, his hands settled on your hips to keep you close.

You and Anakin had met after turning nineteen. He and Obi-Wan were called to Alderaan to protect the Queen and Viceroy from an assassination attempt. Being their ward, you had been there the whole time and quickly formed a connection with the young padawan — your relationship had blossomed during the Clone Wars.

He rested his forehead against yours as you spoke. “I heard terrible things. Tell me none of it is true.”

Vader hadn’t replied immediately and instead drew his head back to look at you. He would tell you any sweet lie if he needed to as he fought to quell the anger flaring in his eyes. “What have you been told?”

“Obi-Wan told me—”

Vader’s grasp around you tightened protectively. “Obi-Wan is alive?”

“He said you’d killed Jedi. Killed younglings.”

“You must not believe him, my love. He’s a traitor.”

It wasn’t the answer you sought, and you took a step backwards out of your husband’s grasp. “What have you done?”

“I did this for you. To save you.” He cupped your chin in his flesh hand and whispered your name. “I love you.”

Your eyes trained into his. There was no denial, no remorse in his stature; his only regret was letting Obi-Wan tell you anything.

He repeated his words. “I did this for you.”

From the shadows of your cloak, you drew a blaster. Only a small, weak thing. Vader watched your hands tremble. He did admire your courage. “Fix this,” you demanded. “Please,” you begged.

Anger flickered in Vader’s eyes. He had never seen you unimpressed with him. With an easy glide of his hand, Vader used the Force to knock the blaster out of your grip and pin your arms by your sides

“I am stronger than the Chancellor now,” he explained desperately, drawing you to his side. “I can overthrow him. Then you and I can be together; we can run away — just like you always wanted to.”

(But you didn’t. He lost you. Some might call you a traitor — Vader maintains that you were misguided.)

Three years later, regret still festers inside Vader’s hollow soul. There must have been a way to save you.

He misses you endlessly: craving your touch and the sound of your voice. (There is nothing Vader desires more than to have you back in his arms.)

Part of him wants to forget. To cast his memories of you into an abyss; to put the past behind him. But it is an impossible task. You are too well tangled into his soul. You haunt him. (And you’ll haunt him until his death.)

Today, there is no time to focus on you. A new morning brings meetings and training. You were Anakin’s Achilles Heel — but Darth Vader shows no such weakness. As Vader sits on his throne, reading over mission logs and other updates from the spread of the Empire across the galaxy, he receives a message: he must make his return to Coruscant immediately. (Your memory pulls him under the ocean again until he can no longer breathe.)

[saberlight1]

nurturing — billy the kid

pairing: billy bonney x fem!reader

warnings: mentions of violence, death, trauma, sickness, established relationship, reader is also a gunslinger, Y/N usage, standard billy the kid warnings.

authors note: yes i love this man so bad. him in billy the kid deadass altered my brain chemistry lmao. this fic is based off of this request— please, continue to send me your ideas and whatnot, i love reading them! i hope you enjoy <3

masterlist

When you woke up, that unusual ringing in your ears, that pounding in your head, and the scratchiness of your throat— you knew you had fallen ill. One of the boys in the gang, or hell, maybe even someone you had came across had given you something— you didn’t really want to know.

You groaned, rubbing your eyes as you pulled the covers closer to you, attempting to sleep away the sickness. You didn’t want to get up to go to the doctors nor did you have enough money to even pay one. So you did what you do best— ignoring the problem completely.

You fell back asleep easily, sleeping the day and night away completely. When your eyes first fluttered open due to the sunlight intruding on your slumber, you thought you were free from the confines of your illness, but you were mistaken.

The second you sat up, all symptoms that were now arguably worse returned within an instant, causing you to get dizzy. You crashed back down instantly, a whine leaving your lips. Your muscles ached from staying in bed all day, and you wanted a damn drink— a real one. And you wanted to see your cowboy.. so bad. But with the pounding in your head feeling just as powerful as your heartbeat, the thought of even moving made you want to throw up.

And it did— you wanted to cry as you were forced to rush to the trash can in the corner. After 5 minutes of throwing up, your stomach finally relented. You carried yourself back over to your bed, the exhaustion taking over once again.

Hours later, a soft yet powerful knock on your door woke you up with a jump. Your eyebrows knitted as you heard the knocks only get louder. Now alert and awake, you slowly reached for your gun-belt that was neatly rested on your bedside table, grabbing your loaded pistol and cocking it. You used the pistol to slightly lift up the curtain to your window— it was raining, and it was night.

No one good could be paying you a visit at this hour.

You crept over to the door, the knocks only increasing in volume. You slowly turned the handle, your gun tightly in your grip— finger ghosting over the trigger. Adrenaline and anxiety coursed through your veins, you didn’t even feel sick anymore.

The door creaked open, and you pointed the pistol at whoever was out there before you revealed your form.

“Jesus, lady.” Billy’s soft laugh hit your ears, making you lower the gun instantly, placing it on the table by the door. “Stayin’ ready, huh?”

A heavy sigh of relief left your lips as you silently walked into his arms, your head resting on his shoulder as your headache began to form again. His arms wrapped around you quickly, the tip of his hat hitting your head when he leaned down to leave a kiss on your hair.

“You alright, honey?” He whispered, still holding you. “Been wonderin’ where you were. Supposed to meet me at the stables earlier.”

You sighed, completely forgetting your plans with the man. “I’m sorry, Billy,” Your hoarse voice whispered. “I’m sick, I been asleep all day.”

His eyebrows knitted together in concern immediately, as he pushed you off his shoulder to cradle your face in his hands gently. “How bad is it?”

“Just feel like shit,” You chuckled, sending a smile to his face. “I’m okay, Billy.”

His eyes clouded with worry. “C’mon, let’s get you in— away from this storm before it gets you sicker.” He ushered you in. “You seen a doctor yet?” He asked.

“Nah, I didn’t think it would get worse, plus it’s not like I got the money to pay one. Tried to sleep it off, I felt too bad yesterday to get out of bed at all.” You responded as you went to lay down. He tucked your gun back into its holster, before he went to refill your water.

He came back a moment later, a glass of water and a wet rag in hand.

“Thank you,” You whispered as you took a sip, as he placed the wet rag on the back of your neck.

He hummed back to you, laying down next you once you put the water aside, bringing you into his arms.

“You gotta tell me when you’re sick, darlin’.” He whispered to you in the moon lit room. “Can’t loose you to somethin’ like that. Happened to me too many times.”

“I’m sorry, Billy.. I— I don’t mean to worry you.” You said, looking up at him.

“You don’t gotta apologize, baby, just tell me next time so I can come take care of you, y’know?” He smiled, a lovey smile on his lips as he bent down to leave a kiss on your nose. “What can of man would I be if I left my lady to lay sick alone?” He pinched your side slightly, a giggle escaping your lips.

“I reckon you’d be a regular ole’ cowboy.” You joked.

“Well, luckily for you, I happen to be an outlaw.” He chuckled as he leaned down to kiss you— but your finger pressed into his lips stopped him. He looked at you, offended.

“I don’t want to get you sick,” You told him, your smile now more teasing.

“I don’t give a damn about some cold, baby.” He pushed your hand out the way, pressing his lips against yours in an instant, the man kissing you passionately— as if you possessed the air he so very needed. He pulled back, his teeth nibbling on your bottom lip. “Haven’t seen you in days, missed the feelin’ of your lips.” He muttered against your lips before connecting them again, his words sending shivers down your spine, your arms wrapping around his neck.

You felt comfort in the fact that you’d always have your outlaw to be there to make you feel better, no matter what.

[astarionancuntnin]

Bad Blood

summary: it was meant to be a nice, simple plan. get the sorceress to fall in love with him to assure his own safety, nothing more. what he didn't plan was to fall for her as well, and all the complications that came along with it.

or

my own twist on the astarion confession scene with the reader!tav from my previous fic, Undisclosed Desires

rating: M

word count: 3.6k

pairing: astarion x you (fem!reader, sorceress!tav)

cw: angst, hurt/comfort, self-destructive tendencies from tav, dissociation, mention of past trauma (rape/abusive relationship), toxic coping mechanism, near death experience, talks of manipulation tricks (Astarion's confession speech). full list on ao3

a/n: a follow up to Undisclosed Desires (master list can be found here), now featuring astarion POV! reading the previous fic isnt mandatory but i do highly suggest it to get a feel of their relationship + reader!tav's character and the build up that brought them there (mind you UD is explicit).

read on ao3

my masterlist

or keep reading down below ~

How do I try? I don't know why I wanna fall in love

I wanna die, every time I see you parking up

Forget about the fights, remember the nights we had, it's not enough

I wanna lie, pretend I'm alright, but-

-

I’m… not expecting you to say it back, but I meant what I said yesterday. I don’t know where this’ll go, but I know I want to be with you.

The words resonated in Astarion’s head.

He pretended to be sleeping back then, but he heard everything she said. Her confession had struck him harder than he had expected, leaving him at a loss for words.

Of course, this was the expected outcome; he did everything to make her fall for him. It was easy after all, a routine of sorts. She might've been a challenge at first, but she was always meant to fall for him; everyone does. Everything had gone exactly according to plan. Everything but for one simple detail.

I think I’m in love with you.

Astarion has had those words in mind ever since her declaration, a few nights ago. Those little words that shouldn’t have meant as much as they did when she spoke them.

They didn’t talk about what happened, but their relationship was stable. He had what he wanted; security from the leader of the group, assurance that she wasn’t going to turn on him, and a meal every night. She was less aggressive towards him, which was an added bonus, although he admired that fire in her that made her a menace on the battlefield, without taking away that softness in her character, even, if he had to be honest, it bothered him that she didn't save that energy for their own group.

That balance in her personality, this goodness mixed with this fire within that drifted him towards her, that made him love her in return.

…Love? No, that couldn’t be right. He found himself enjoying the banter between the two of them, it’s true. She was just as witty as he was, and their back and forth was the most fun he had during the day. She challenged him, kept him on his toes, ready for anything, and the few times they had sex were great, he couldn’t deny that either.

It might've started out as a ruse to have her trust and protect him, but then it became much more intimate when she opened herself up to him during those precious moments. He was able to know her unlike anyone else among their group.

She was more than he expected her to be, more than just a victim meant to be disposed of. That’s why this situation turned out to be such a problem to him now.

At first, he hated the feeling; couldn’t believe how his own plan had turned against him. But then he saw how she cared, when no one else did, and she let herself be vulnerable for him when she came forward with her own feelings. When he held her close that morning, he didn’t want to let go. She sounded so sincere, felt so warm and soft against him, a safe haven.

Until he could come forward with his own feelings — if he ever did — he would have to resign himself to accepting any form of affection from her only when she was the least likely to notice.

After all, he couldn’t let himself show any type of vulnerability, lest fall for her. It would go against his meticulously crafted plan.

And yet.

It was just so difficult not to, when she was always taking a stand for him. She was merciless and cruel to those who posed a threat to their group, protecting him as much as she protected herself. She was probably the most courageous member of their party, but as of late, this courage had turned into recklessness; casting strong spells that could have wiped an entire village when a simple, smaller one, would’ve done the trick. Every fight made her take more unnecessary risks to secure their victory, and given the shadowlands were dangerous territory, she believed it justified her recent impulsiveness.

It didn’t make any sense coming from her — she used to be more strategic, she was resourceful and able to lead battles using everyone’s abilities; that’s why they had put her in charge of their group. But their latest fights had been too close for comfort, and tension had risen around camp.

It has worked so far, she had claimed, not seeing the issue with her behaviour, and dismissing everyone who came forward to express their concern.

But what if it happened to fail? What then?

Astarion's fellow companions blamed it on the shadow-cursed lands that must’ve been affecting her, surely, as she was growing back to her cold, distant self, but Astarion noticed the change in her behaviour specifically following their visit at Last Light Inn.

She was fine when they first entered the vicinity, but by the time they were leaving, the sorceress seemed anxious and eager to go back into the woods, away from the security the inn provided, which went against everything they had fought for.

When she was asked about it, she blamed it on a bad gut feeling, dismissing any of their concerns, and when Shadowheart agreed and blamed it on the presence of the Selûnite cleric — who they didn’t even get the chance to discuss with — the rest of their party didn’t push for more information. She stayed mostly silent for the rest of the day and even ignored Astarion’s remarks.

Her behaviour was odd, but he couldn’t let himself care too much. Stick to the plan, he repeated to himself.

She let him feed the following nights, but she seemed away during their sessions. She wasn’t exactly the talkative type and he didn’t want to pry, but she caught his attention when she walked out of her tent, panting, a few times throughout these last nights. When he had taken a peek, he found her clutching at her chest, struggling to breathe as she was pacing nearby.

Astarion knew better than to ask, but curiosity got the best of him. Tonight, after everyone else had gone to bed and he joined her in her tent, he would confront her about her nightly troubles.

She was dabbing her neck, cleaning the traces of his recent feeding, her eyes lost in the distance, when he spoke up.

“I’ve noticed you seem… away, during our little sessions, as of late.”

“Hm?” She’s snapped back to reality, proving his point, but still avoiding any eye contact. “Oh, it’s nothing, don’t worry about it.” She tried to push the matter aside.

“Believe me, I would if it was anyone else but…” he stopped himself from saying anything he might regret, sliding back into his careless self. “You're the leader of this group. Our very lives are between your hands and I would quite like to keep mine.”

She chuckled humourlessly, “I'm telling you, I'm fine.”

“Allow me to doubt that, Especially with those nightmares you’ve been having lately.”

Her gaze locked with his, a dread settling within her.

“Is that what they are then?” He asked. “Night terrors?”

Her eyes darted across her tent; he could see the internal fight she was having with herself, deciding to come clean about her condition or not.

She sighed deeply after a few seconds, taking in a moment to find the words and it took her a few tries to finally speak up.

“When we passed by the Last Light Inn, I… recognised someone. He…” Her breath cut short. “We used to date. Or something like that. It wasn’t a great experience, to put it lightly. I was young and naive, and he took advantage of it. He–”

The words got stuck in her throat, unable to carry on as her breathing quickened. Her eyes blinked uncontrollably, still staring ahead, lost in a world of her own. It took her a moment to finally come back and continue.

“I hated myself for so long. I felt guilty of what had happened to me. It took me years to get over it– I thought I was over it, but the second I saw him again, it all came back at once.”

She paused once more, trying to regulate her breathing. “I spent all those years thinking about how I could make him regret what he did to me, if we ever crossed paths again. And when it finally happened, I froze. I. fucking. froze.”

Tears were threatening to fall and she pulled her knees close to her chest, turning her head aside; she couldn’t bear to let him see her in that state. “I’m sorry– you need to leave.”

Except that was the last thing he wanted.

He wanted to stay and comfort her, tell her that he would be by her side no matter what, that he would help her get her revenge if that’s what she desired, just like she promised to help him out against Cazador, but he simply couldn’t. The words remained caged in his chest as he got up and opened the flap of her tent before bidding his goodbyes.

The next morning, she avoided him like he used to avoid the sun; anytime he was nearby, she would turn to face someone else among their group, as if she couldn’t stand to look at him. Her speech was concise, mathematical, she had lost any sign of the emotions she had experienced the night prior.

When she selected the members of the party for the day, he was surprised to be a part of it. He wasn't scared to be left in camp, after all, she made it clear in the past that his ability to lock pick any and every thing made him a valuable asset, but he had his doubts after how she had been acting this morning.

The sorceress proposed to visit Moonrise Tower to get to the heart of their problem, but the shadow curse had made it tedious to navigate further and Karlach urged the group to revisit the Last Light Inn to get the help of the Selûnite cleric. With the majority of the party agreeing, their leader had no choice but to step over her current feelings for the sake of their mission, but she made it clear that they wouldn’t stay a second longer than needed in there.

To her dismay, that moment would take up most of their day.

After receiving the blessing of the cleric, a winged man, that Isobel referred to as Marcus, arrived from the skies claiming that she needed to leave with him, and when it was made clear that it wasn't an option, a fight ensued with his own army of undead.

They should've been able to handle them, it was their first fight of the day and they were prepared for anything. Or so they thought.

The hits from their enemies were stronger than anticipated and Shadowheart barely managed to keep everyone alive with Marcus who used his necrotic powers to drain them dry at every chance he had; against their best attempt, Isobel was knocked out and captured by the winged man.

Without the moon cleric to protect the inn, all its inhabitants were claimed by the shadow curse; one by one, the group of adventurers watched them die and turn against them, prolonging their already lengthy battle.

They defeated all the harpers within the inn before making their way outside, where another group of possessed fighters were waiting for them. The fight had been going on for what felt like forever; waves of new enemies kept coming in and the party was running short on spells and patience. More worrisomely: Shadowheart had used her last healing spell.

With everyone’s health running dangerously low, the sorceress knew she had to act fast to assure their victory. She was scanning the battlefield to evaluate her options when she froze, her gaze stuck on one of the Harpers that was approaching them. Astarion recognized her behaviour from the night before and he knew he had to step in.

He screamed her name, trying to make her snap out of it, but she remained motionless, unable to react to her environment, as a range of emotions visibly flooded her all at once. Without Karlach by her side to slash the undead that was coming for her, she would’ve been downed right there and then. The fiery tiefling screamed her name again and grabbed her by her shoulder, grounding her back to reality.

“Soldier, hey! You with me?”

Their leader blinked quickly, taking back her surroundings, “Yeah… yeah, I’m fine, sorry.”

“What’s happened to you? You were this close to being a goner.”

She didn’t answer back, but when her eyes fell back on the Harper she recognized seconds ago, an uncontrollable anger started boiling within her, and although Astarion noticed the fists clenching tighter and tighter at her sides, he wasn’t expecting what came next.

She freed herself from Karlach’s grasp on her shoulder as she bolted straight to the Harper she had in her sights. No one was able to stop her before she casted flaming hands on the undead, with a guttural scream that was cut short by the explosion that followed.

Blinded by rage, the sorceress missed to notice the multiple barrels of smoke powder that surrounded their last enemies as she cast her spell, blowing them up and herself in the process.

The rest of the party remained far enough to be spared by the explosion, Karlach receiving barely any damage. As the smoke settled down, the figure of their friend appeared, spread on the ground among the corpses of their fallen enemies.

No… No, it can't be—

Despite his distance from her, Astarion was the first one to reach her. He quickly rushed past the cleric and barbarian to land next to the fainted sorceress, bringing her head close to him. He tried to look for her eyes, but they were shut tight with no sign of life.

“Wake up… Wake up! Come on now. Please…” His hold of her became desperate, looking for any sign of consciousness; her body’s warmth was turning to a familiar coldness, and the soft melody of her heartbeat was getting quieter. Dread started to settle in and he shot a deadly stare at Shadowheart who was still standing next to Karlach, checking on her smaller wounds. “What are you waiting for? An invitation?! Heal her!”

“I used my last spell on you earlier!” She tried to explain. “We need to bring her back to our camp.”

“Would it kill you to try?”

Karlach nodded to Shadowheart, agreeing that their friend was in bigger need of care than her, and Shadowheart approached the fainted party member begrudgingly, knowing fully well she would be of no help, and knelt next to her as she tried to cast a healing spell, but nothing happened.

She tried again, and again, but her magic had run out. “I'm sorry, I– I can't.”

“What do you mean, you can't?!” Astarion spat out. “That's your sole purpose! What good of a cleric are you if you can't even heal her!”

“Hey!” Karlach stepped in before Shadowheart could retort. “Yelling won't get us anywhere, alright? We're all exhausted, and Soldier here needs serious help – let's just all go back to camp? Halsin might be able to take a look at her.”

His eyes narrowed, looking back at his lover, and he nodded to his friend. Without wasting any more time, Karlach picked her lifeless body from the ground, leading the march to their campsite without muttering another word.

Back at camp, the party rushed to bring the burned sorceress to Halsin’s tent. At the brief sight of her lifeless body, everyone else rushed to see the state she was in.

“By Sylvanus, what happened back there?”

“Does it matter, druid? She clearly needs help!” Astarion shouted.

“She was in the middle of an explosion, it was pretty bad.” Karlach stepped in, providing an answer for the archdruid. ”Can you fix her up?”

“I’ll do what I can, my friend, but I’ll need some time– “ He turned to Astarion who was hovering. “And space. Do not worry, I will come to you once I am done.”

With those last words, Karlach laid their fallen friend down in Halsin’s tent and guided Astarion out with a pat on the shoulder and a soft “Come on, Fangs''. He followed her, giving one last look at the woman he grew to love, a mix of anger and worry painted over his face.

Astarion remained at his tent, trying to take his mind off of her by sewing up his torn clothes, but his mind kept going back to the moments before the explosion. He had pieced together what had happened, but he couldn't understand why she had put herself at risk like so. She was the smartest among them – he even enjoyed taunting Gale about it – and she was logical in combat. Why would she go as far as to risk her life over this? He kept pacing around in circles for the rest of the evening, expecting the worst as time went by.

As night time approached, the flap’s of Halsin's tent opened to reveal an exhausted healer. Astarion hurried to him, his worry circulating to the druid with unspoken words.

“I stabilised her.” He tried to reassure the pale elf. “She will be alright, but she needs to rest. Her wounds were… a lot to bear. If she didn't have her strong resolve, she might’ve not made it.”

His eyes darted to the opening of the tent, mindlessly walking in, not ready for what was before him: the sorceress half naked, her clothes having been replaced almost completely by bandages. The few bits of her skin left bare showed old scars and new bruises covering them. She lifted her eyes to meet his, only to turn away at the vision of his visible worry.

“It's bad, isn't it?” she sighed heavily. “He said I shouldn't use my powers for a few days. Said it could ‘compromise the healing process’.” She mocked the archdruid’s voice. When Astarion didn’t say anything in return, her eyes darted back to him to notice his expression hadn’t changed in the slightest. “You shouldn’t have to see me like this.”

“And you shouldn’t have blown yourself up, dear.”

She scoffed, “It’s not like I did it intentionally.”

“Not unless your intention was to end your life,” he snapped.

“Gods, what’s wrong with you?”

“Me?! What's wrong with me is that I happen to care for a brat who's prone to self destructive behaviour!”

“Excuse me?!” She raised herself up on her elbows.

“That stunt you pulled back there? You almost died!”

“We all could've died! I made the right choice to save our skins and nobody is grateful for it.” She groaned in pain, her body reminding her of her recent wounds.

“What choice?! Blowing yourself up? You blindly rushed in and put your life at risk. Gods, do you even realise the danger you put yourself in?”

“It was a calculated risk,” she hissed, her voice lowering. “And… I needed to do it.”

“What, kill yourself? Are we really that bad of a crowd, darling?”

“Ugh, I don’t even know why I’m trying to justify myself to you – It worked out, didn’t it? Why are you making such a big deal out of it now?”

“Because I care about you!”

"Oh right, it would be such a shame if something happened to your precious meal."

"You are more than that to me!”

She froze, the anger vanishing from her face, “...What do you mean?”

Shit.

“When you… when I held you in my arms, back there I – I thought you were gone.” His voice cracked. “I didn’t think I would care, Hells, I didn’t plan to, I–”

She quickly blinked in confusion, “Plan?” and he realised just then what he had let out; he needed to come clean.

“I know how it’s going to sound but, please, just hear me out. I… I had a plan. A nice, simple plan - seduce you, sleep with you, manipulate your feelings so you’d never turn on me. It was easy - instinctive. Habits from two hundred years of charming people kicked in. All you had to do was fall for it. And all I had to do was not fall for you… Which is where my nice, simple plan fell apart.”

She stayed silent, taking in everything he confessed, her gaze going back and forth as she was considering his words, and Astarion was starting to fear this was a mistake; this was meant to show her he cared just as much as she did. He couldn’t afford to lose her, not now that he laid out his feelings, not after almost losing her. He reached out for her hand, trying to bring her back to him.

“I swear this plan is long gone by now.”

She scoffed, finally finding her voice again. “So all this time…” Her chest rose as her breathing accelerated and she pulled her hand away from him in disbelief. “Everything you said, what we did–… Gods, were you even attracted to me?”

“Of course I was!” He exclaimed. “Look at you, for goodness sake – you’re a vision. And you’re so much more than that.”

“Right. Then all of this,” she points at the two of them, “The flirting, the teasing, the soft words, you caring about me… It was an act, all along?”

“Yes— No! I mean– only at first, but then what we had – after that first night – it was real, I swear.”

She looked away as her eyes teared up, removing her hand from his grasp. “Why are you telling me this, Astarion?”

“I… I’m not sure… But you deserved to know.”

“I cannot believe I let myself fall for you. I’m such a fool.”

“Please–” He reached out for her hand again and she backed off abruptly.

“Don't touch me.”

The familiar words made his undead heart clench in pain and he backed off slowly. Despite her visible tears, Astarion knew she was boiling with rage.

“Please… say something.”

The tears streamed down her face as she blinked, her gaze stuck on the ground before them.

“You better have had your fill yesterday, because that was the last time I let you feed on me.” Her eyes met his, in a fury that he had never seen before, and she spoke with a shaky but dark voice. “I don't want you anywhere near me anymore.”

He nodded, “I understand–”

“I don't think you do,” she cut him off, her raging eyes piercing through him.

He looked at her incredulous, until she confirmed his worst fear.

“I want you gone from this camp by tomorrow morning.”

-

But every time I see those eyes

I wonder if you know you're keeping me up late at night

I don't know where to go

I pretend, I don't care, I tell myself you're right here

It's nothing but a nightmare, nightmare

Thank you for reading! Comments, reblogs, and likes are very much appreciated <3

tag list (comment or message me if you want to be added!): @grimistheangerinmystares @silverfangmarks @roguishcat @nyx-knox @anacdoce

[storm-angel989]

Ooooh, How about a Vee's (highschool) daughter halloween fic Plz! :3

Hi friend,

Wow, talk about a quick inspiration! And so very on brand with yesterday being Halloween <3

I know I haven't posted much-grief is a funny thing. Know that I'm still here, taking it day by day as fast or slow as I can.

Enjoy!

<3

Mandy

The First Halloween

Halloween in hell was vastly different than Halloween on Earth.

A younger version of Valentino delighted in the chaos and tricks that rained over Pentagram city every October first. After all, the carnage always ended up strengthening his bank account- whores didn’t come cheap, after all. But having a baby, much less having a baby with a former angel, changed all that. 

“I don’t see why she needs this experience,” Valentino complained to his wife as she zipped up the front of his infant daughter's pumpkin costume. “Going around, begging for candy from total strangers. It’s silly.”

“You never went trick or treating?” His wife asked as she picked up the now babbling child pumpkin. “Even as a kid?”

Ha. As if he had ever had the choice to have that experience. There was so little his wife knew about his life on Earth- and that was intentional. She didn’t need to know what he had gone through, the things he had seen. It didn’t matter, after all. There was nothing he could do about it now, and reliving the past wouldn’t change it. All he needed to do was to be sure his daughter never suffered the same fate. 

“It wasn’t really an option, not where I grew up,” he responded as lightly as he could. “And besides, I just don’t see the point…”

“The point is to have fun and make memories,” she responded firmly. “Speaking of, go put on your costume.” 

There were very few places in their relationship where Valentino drew the line. It just so happened that Halloween costumes were one of them. 

“Mi amore, I am not dressing up like a pumpkin. It’s bad enough I have to wear my human form on Halloween night,” he told her firmly. “I will go trick or treating, and I will carry the grotesque plastic pumpkin to gather the candy. But I will not dress up. End of discussion.”

She rolled her eyes in response, but didn’t argue as she lifted up their daughter, settling her against her own bright orange shirt, painted with black jack-o-lantern eyes. 

“Fine, but open up the portal. I want to be home before dark.”

At that, Valentino obliged. A quick turn of the green glowing stone- a temporary loan from Asmodeus, Sin of Lust himself, and a black portal appeared. A burst of red light and Valentino himself turned from his demon self to a human, a chosen self vastly different from the human body he wore in life. 

“Let’s do this,” Valentino grimaced as he took her hand.

She hesitated and Valentino could feel the disapproval in her eyes as she  looked him over. For the briefest of moments, Valentino was sure she was backing out of this whole silly thing. 

“Val, you can’t go out like that. You look like a pimp.” she said finally. 

“Bebita, I am a pimp,” he replied patiently. “This is what I always wear.”

“Go put on jeans, and an orange shirt at the very least,” she told him. “Come on, for the pictures. For the baby.” 

For anyone else, Valentino would have refused. Thrown a temper tantrum. Smacked them, even. But for his wife? He just sighed, turned and walked to their bedroom. A few moments later, he returned dressed in her requested outfit. 

At that moment, Velvette walked in the door. A glance to him, a glance to his wife. One snarky comment and a glimmer of purple later, and a black jack-o-lantern face appeared on his orange shirt, matching his wifes. 

“Much better,” she commented. “Have fun kids. Vox and I are going out.”

Every inch of Valentino wished he could join them. Instead, he took his wife's hand and through the portal they went. 

Three hours, countless houses and a plethora of pictures later, Valentino dumped the bag of candy onto the kitchen table while his wife settled the baby in the other room. The clamoring of doors snapped him to attention and he turned to see Vox and Velvette walking in the door, a wicked grin on both their faces. 

“Have a good time?” Valentino asked as he began to sort through the pile of sugar. 

“Meh, it was fine,” Vox said as he reached over to grab a treat from the pile. “Not as much fun without you. Or as profitable, for that matter.”

“Next year, why don’t you just join us?” Valentino asked sarcastically. 

To his surprise both shrugged in response. 

“It’s not out of the question,” Velvette said as she perched on the countertop. “I mean, it was rather boring. Same routine year after year- could use a little spice. Toss me a kit kat.”

“I wouldn’t call trick or treating with a baby spicy,” Valentino said drily as he tossed the requested candy. “But you’re welcome to join.” 

The Fourth Halloween

Never did Valentino ever expect to come to enjoy the holiday he so detested as a child. The memories of him hearing about kids older than him, watching handmade or store bought costumes shine while he was lucky enough to find clean clothes that morning. Of staying in the dark house at night while his mother kept him locked up to prevent him from engaging in what she called “the devil’s holiday”. How ironic, really, was it that he ended up an overlord in hell. 

“I want you to be Daddy Shark for Halloween,” his daughter requested at the turn of September. “And Momma be Mommy Shark. And Uncle Voxxy and Auntie Vel to be Auntie and Uncle Shark!”

His initial reaction was to buckle. To protest and refuse.But as with most things, when it came to her, it wasn’t in his nature to say no. So somehow, by the grace of his daughters big blue eyes, a few “Daddy Pleases” and Auntie Velvette’s sewing machine, the overlord of lust and depravity found himself in his human form on October 31st, dressed in an incredibly warm, overly tight dark blue shark suit. 

“Aw, see? Family costumes are cute, Val!” his wife cooed as she kissed his cheek. 

Cute wasn’t the word for it. He shuddered to think what would happen if the world ever saw three powerful overlords dressed as sharks at the bid of a child. And he hoped beyond hope that his wife was correct- the phones she took truly were private to them and them alone. 

“Let’s just go,” he grumbled as he adjusted his fin. 

His daughter reached for him, a tiny yellow shark held by Vox’s blue and red finned arms.

“Daddy carry me!” She demanded. “Daddy! Want. Daddy.” 

“Someone, please bring the stroller,” Valentino grumbled as he cradled the child to him. “I’m not carrying her all night.”

“You’re gonna have to- we’re going to need the space for all the candy!” Velvette said cheerfully from inside her purple shark costume. “Come on, let’s go!” 

The Sixteenth Halloween

“What do you mean you don’t want to go trick or treating?” Valentino demanded of his daughter. “We go every year, it's a tradition.”

His daughter looked up from where she lay on the couch, phone in hand. 

“I mean, it's kinda lame dad. I’m too old to dress up and beg for candy. And besides, all my friends are meeting at 666 for a Halloween party. I’d rather go there.” 

And just like that, the tradition Valentino had come to adore crumbled before his eyes. Nevermind the fact that 666 was his own club, he’d rather she and her friends get wasted where he could keep a close eye on them. Though, from her attitude lately, he suspected if she ever knew he sat above the scene, watching for any sign of trouble, 666 would cease to be her favorite haunt. 

“Oh, and don’t worry about my costume, I ordered one online and it came yesterday. Aunt Vel is making some minor adjustments, but it will be ready by tonight. All my friends and I are going to match.” She announced as her phone alarm went off, signaling it was time for her to leave for school. She leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Love you dad, see you later.” 

Valentino couldn’t believe what he was hearing. In haste, he called his wife, Vox and Velvette in that order. To his surprise, none of them seemed concerned. 

“I mean, it's only normal that she'd want to hang with her friends. Besides, you hate Halloween,” his wife reminded him. “You complain every year.”

Valentino clenched his teeth, “that doesn’t mean I don’t like her participating. It’s safe. We’re all there with her.”

“She’s safe in your club,” Vox reminded him on the second phone call. “That’s the entire reason we curated it the way we did.” 

“And don’t forget what you were doing before you had a kid. We can get back to that. Make higher profits,” Velvette added during the third and final call. “Don’t worry Val. And don’t take it personally.” 

Valentino snapped the hang up button, as he had done with the other two at their first sign of disagreement. How was it that not a single one of them were concerned that their baby was choosing to spend Halloween in a club instead of getting candy? He stood up from where he sat at the kitchen table and yanked on his coat as he made his way to the club. If she wasn’t going to trick or treat, he would at least make sure she spent Halloween getting treats and no tricks. 

From the suite above the dance floor, Valentino had seen and could see everything. Girls dressed in little more than underpants. Desperate men in thrown together costumes. Demons from all circles of hell gathered to celebrate the spookiest night of the year. As he surveyed the scene cautiously, he checked the tracker Vox had installed on his daughter's phone. She should be walking in right about now.

“Hey, is she here yet?” His wife’s voice asked as her arms wrapped around his neck, kissing him softly as she leaned on his shoulder. 

“No, not yet,” he scowled as a group of demons dressed in bunny ears and what he constituted as lingerie, made their way across the club floor. He glanced at his phone. “Stupid thing must be glitching, it says she just walked in.”

“Baby, she did. She’s right there,” she pointed at the crowd of scantily clad demons. “The blonde in the center is her.” 

Valentino was on his feet in an instant as fury swelled through him. Control began to slip and slowly his teeth turned into sharp red points as his overlord form creeped out. Just the thought, let alone the sight of his daughter out in public, dressed like….dressed like…

“Hey, stop. Don’t you even,” his wife snapped as she grabbed his arm. “Val, take a breath.”

“She cannot be out in public dressed like that,” he hissed. 

“Listen, babe. You go down there, let alone looking like like that, and reveal to her that this is your club, you lose the place where you can keep an eye on her. She’ll go somewhere new and…”

“And I’ll buy that club too, if I don’t already own it,” Valentino snapped as he tried to yank his arm out of her grasp. “She can’t be walking around like…” 

“Valentino,” Vox’s calm voice came from the doorway. “You’re not seriously thinking of wrecking a perfectly profitable night, are you?”

Valentino knew better than to look up and see the swirling red and blue eye displayed on Vox’s screen. 

“Vox, that's your niece out there, your niece dressed like…”

“Dressed like what? I outfitted her. The costume she brought online? Total garbage,” Velvette’s voice drifted through the room as she strode in. “Every girl needs a costume like that. She looks fabulous.”

“My daughter doesn’t,” Valentino snapped. “And I don’t appreciate..” 

“Oh come on Val. Are you telling us you never dressed up in questionable costumes as a human teenager? Or went after girls dressed like slutty versions of animals?” Vox teased. “Come on…” 

“I didn’t celebrate Halloween,” Valentino snapped.

All three adults in the room turned and stared at him. 

“Wait, what? Not even when you were little?” Velvette asked. 

“Heck, my father ran the angelic military unit and even I celebrated halloween,” his wife added. “We went down to Earth and…”

“This is besides the point,” Valentino said sharply. “My daughter is not…”

“Your daughter is fine. Sure, she’s a little…scantily clad, but Val, she’s safe.” Vox cut him off. “So again, take a breath.”

Valentino let out a huff and turned away from the group. “It’s not just that. It’s…” He paused as he tried to collect his thoughts and instead, they became more garbled. He stood in silence, watching the scene below. 

“Hey, I’m sad to see our tradition change too,” his wife said softly, slipping her arm in his as she laid her head on his shoulder. “But hey, she’s still our kid. For a few more years at least. And besides, she’s under our watch.”

“What happens then?” Valentino asked quietly. “She grows up, she moves away….”

“We have a long time before any of that,” she reassured him gently. “For now, enjoy the show.”

Valentino raised an eyebrow as he continued to watch the scene below unfold. “What show? Our daughter is not a show, and I’ll be dammed....” 

“Just you watch. We taught her well.”

Below him, a scream of anger on a sopping wet demon. His daughter, laughing and holding an empty glass. Words Valentino never expected to be hurled at his daughter from the mouth of the demon. He didn’t have to give security orders to remove him- he was already being hauled out the door. 

“Guess she really can handle herself,” Valentino muttered. He bent down and kissed his wife's hand. 

“She better, she’s got at least six more halloweens like this one if she’s anything like you.” She teased.

[devastatedloyallute]

Chapter 8 of Bigger Than The Whole Sky -A Guitarspear fic

Chapter Sum: Lute and Abel return home after visiting Adam at the Hazbin Hotel. Abel has many questions.

Read on AO3!

Lute and Abel had followed Emily back through the portal to Heaven she had created. When they returned home, they waved Emily off as she ran to hopefully not get into trouble with her sister. Heading inside and closing the door, Lute looked down at Abel.

 “Are you going to explain to me how it is that you convinced Emily to make you into a stowaway?” Lute asked, her hand on her hip. 

Abel covered his hands and looked at the floor ashamed, “I had asked her before she left yesterday to come to the daycare to pick me up…and she told the nanny that she was setting up a surprise, and because she’s one of the seraphim no one questioned her.” He rubbed his arm as a way to comfort himself before he looked up at her with pleading eyes, “I’m sorry, mama.”

Lute calmly sighed and knelt in front of him, “You could have gotten hurt. I thought you were safe up here, but you weren’t.” She brushed his hair from his cheeks, “Everything turned out okay, but what if it hadn’t? I don’t know what I’d do with myself if something had happened to you.”

“I’m sorry for making you worry. I just wanted to see dad,” Abel said quietly before he wrapped his arms around her and buried his face against her.

Lute pulled him in before standing and ruffling his hair, “Okay, now how about we make something to eat and then it’s bedtime.”

“Bedtime? But it’s still light out!” Abel whined.

“Yes, but you need some form of punishment for that stunt you pulled, young man,” Lute said sternly. Abel gave her a small pout but nodded.

While they sat at the kitchen table eating their chicken nuggets, Abel had to bring up a few of his itching questions, “Hey mama? I’ve been thinking…If Hell is where bad people go, why did dad end up down there? What did he do that was so bad?”

Lute felt goosebumps begin to cover her body.

“Also what’s an exorcist? Why did Charlie have to rebuild her hotel? What happened to the other one?”

Lute could feel her skin growing paler, and her breathing froze. ‘Shit. I don’t think I can lie my way out of this one…’ 

“Mama? Are you okay?”

Lute swallowed hard, “I- Abel, you aren’t ready to learn about those things. They’re grown up matters. How do you even know about these things in the first place?”

“But I’m not going to be a grown up…Why can’t you just tell me? Dad’s gonna make it home, so just please tell me why he’s down there!” Abel pleaded. “I overheard you talking about it when I was hiding! It’ll be okay. I can handle it, mama.”

Lute’s words got caught in her throat. ‘I can’t tell him. But I can’t keep avoiding these questions…What do I do?’  She took a sip from her drink, her mouth feeling very dry. 

“Finish your dinner, then we can talk about it,” she said coldly, devolving to her stoic nature as a mental defense mechanism.

Abel quickly devoured his nuggets and put his plate into the sink. He patiently waited for Lute to finish hers, swinging his legs from the chair happily.

Lute finished her food and also put her dish away. She hesitantly motioned to the couch and Abel went there quickly. Lute took in a deep breath and sat beside him. 

“Okay…Let’s start with the easiest question and work our way up to the harder ones,” Lute began. Abel watched her intently. “What happened to the old hotel and why did they have to rebuild it. Simple, the old one got destroyed.”

“But how did it get destroyed?”

Lute hesitated only for a moment, “They got attacked. Moving on.”

Abel reacted shocked, as if he were watching a movie, waiting for what was next.

“An exorcist is…” Lute drew in a shaky breath, trying to find the best way to explain, “Exorcists are the people who go down to Hell and eradicate the bad souls down there.”

Abel covered his mouth in surprise, “But I thought dad said that there was a curse that did that once a year?”

“You can think of them as that, they play the same role. They’re an important part of Hell, in a way. They keep the population under control, or it can get crowded quickly.”

“Are they actual people?”

“They are,” Lute replied.

“If they kill people, doesn’t that make them bad?”

“I suppose it could. But it’s their job.”

Abel scrunched his face in disgust, “That’s a mean job.”

“Maybe so, but they have to do it. If Hell is too overcrowded, then it just breeds more chaos and destruction. So it has to be done.”

“But then how come more people aren’t trying to get into Miss Charlie’s hotel? So that they can work on getting out of Hell?”

“Many of them probably don’t want to come here. They would rather stay down there to continue to do the things that got them sent there in the first place. Not everyone wants to better themselves.”

Abel paused for a long time. “Okay, that makes sense…They wouldn’t be able to do those bad things here.”

“Exactly, so why would they want to be here?” Lute remarked rhetorically.

Abel looked at her sadly, “So then…The questions about dad are the hardest to answer?”

Lute felt a strong chill run through her entire body,  “Abel…I really don’t think you’re ready. We should wait until he’s back with us.” She was in too deep to back out now, whatever happened next was going to, but it would be best if he were here before testing the extent of this poor child’s optimism.

Abel shook his head, “Just tell me already, mama!”

She felt as though her back was against the wall. She inhaled sharply and spoke slowly, “Your dad…Your dad and I…We are exorcists. The commanders. We lead the others into Hell to control the population there.” Lute braced herself for argument, but nothing came. No outburst of yelling or crying. She just saw Abel’s face silently begin to swell with tears as he processed what she had told him. His bottom lip began trembling.

Lute wanted to console him, but when she reached out to touch him he flinched away from her. He could barely see through his tears, “How could you do that? You say it’s just a job, but dad’s down there. And he’s there because he killed people? Are you going to keep going down there and hurting people? What if dad gets hurt before he can come back?”

“No! No, we aren't going to continue the exterminations…At least not until he’s back here and safe.”

“So when he’s back, you’ll keep doing them? And does that mean you are the ones who attacked Miss Charlie’s hotel?!” Abel cried in disbelief.

“I- I don’t know, okay? It’s complicated,” She raked her nails through her hair. “We’re just the ones who do the dirty work, someone else was telling us to,” Lute confessed, her resolve and composure collapsing.

Abel jumped off the couch defiantly, no longer listening to her. His face burned gold from anger, “And that’s why you got so mad at me when I would talk about forgiving the mistakes people made…you didn’t really think those people are worthy of forgiveness, or that they can change.” Abel waved his arms out, “But now that dad is down there, you suddenly change your mind?”

Lute rose to her feet but was speechless. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, trying to find something to say. 

Abel glared at her through his tears. “You know what? Maybe you should be down there with him!” He screamed to her as he ran past her and down the hallway to his room.

Lute collapsed to the floor and could feel her heart shatter as his door slammed shut. Left in her guilt, she reflected on his words. She felt no anger, only a pestering emptiness. ‘We didn’t believe it to be possible. Just more of their silly excuses to avoid being killed...We didn’t know.’

 She sat on the floor lost for words. The sweetest kid she had ever met quite literally told her to go to Hell. He had rightfully called her beliefs into question, and she didn’t have a defense. She wasn’t sure what she believed in anymore.

Abel ran over to his window and opened it. He formed his hands into fists and began to flap his wings as hard as he could. As he pulled himself onto the window sill and leapt down from it, he achieved his first flight. He only hovered a couple feet above the ground, but he wasn’t looking to celebrate. He flew off quickly in the direction of the promenade, looking for the farthest place he could think of to go.

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

When Lute had regained her strength, she went to Abel’s room. She knocked on his door but got no answer. 

She frowned and pleaded softly, “Please, let me in, Abel.”  She opened the door quietly, thinking that he had maybe cried himself to sleep. Upon realizing the window was open and he was nowhere in the room, she froze. 

Running outside she took off into the sky, hoping to see more of the area and find him quickly. 

‘He can’t have gone too far. It’s Heaven, so he’s safe. But still...’ 

She checked the daycare first, hoping it would be the first and last place she’d have to check. Elle did an extensive head count but he wasn’t there. 

She went to Emily, thinking that maybe he went to her. He wasn’t with her either. 

Emily reassured her that she was positive Abel was okay, it is Heaven after all. Lute tried her best to coherently tell her what had happened before he left. Emily frowned, “Well, it’s understandable why he’s so upset…I think it might be best to let him cool off.” 

Lute searched all over the promenade, on the verge of a panic attack. The ice cream shop, the zoo, the many shops along the street. But Abel wasn’t anywhere.

‘Where could he be?! Wait-‘ She pulled out her phone and quickly tried to contact Adam. ‘Please. Please let this work.’

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

A few hours after Lute, Emily, and Abel had made their departure from the hotel, Adam and Angel sat talking to each other while Husk tended the bar, as usual.

“So, your kid. He's real young to be in Heaven…Do I wanna know how that happened?” Angel asked as he nursed from his martini glass.

Adam frowned before taking a sip of his drink, “Well to make an old story short, his brother killed him.”

Angel’s eyes went wide, “Oh right, this was like early early history. Was it like, outta jealousy or anger?”

“Nah, just…unsupervised kids. Playing a game that went too far,” Adam mindlessly swirled around the liquid in the glass. “It was my fault, I wasn’t paying enough attention.”

Husk rolled his eyes and scoffed, “What? You feel bad ‘cause your kid died? Oh, boo hoo.”

Adam gave him a scowl and went back to his drink, “Of fucking course I do. It was an accident that should have been avoided…But I couldn’t do anything about it. I used to push the blame onto my ex, but she was right. I should have been watching them.”

“Heh, good. Have a taste of your own medicine,” Husk remarked.

“The fuck’s that supposed to mean, Feathers?” 

“It means, you should know how it makes others feel when their own kids die in front of them,” Husk snarled at him.

Angel’s eyes flicked between the two of them and slowly stood, beginning to back away. “Imma just stay outta this one. Maybe I’ll go get Charlie,” he mumbled under his breath.

Adam stared back at Husk blankly. His eyes widened after a moment, “Oh shit. I don’t think I realized that was a possibility. I mean, makes sense but fuck…Wait, is that why you hate me so much?”

“Among other reasons,” Husk narrowed his eyes. He cleaned up Angel’s empty glass and ran a rag over the condensation puddle left on the counter. Husk sighed as he looked back at Adam, “I won’t forgive you, you know. Charlie may believe you can have a change of heart, and maybe you can, maybe you did. But you won’t get my forgiveness. Not after what you’ve done.”

Adam downed what remained of his drink, setting the glass down in front of Husk. He watched as a bead of water ran down the glass, “Yeah, I get it. I wouldn’t either.” After some painful seconds of silence that dragged on he solemnly asked, “Did I kill one of your kids in the past?” 

“You yourself? No. The exorcists, who were under your leadership? Yeah,” Husk answered sharply.

Adam lowered his eyes to the floor, “Shit, my bad…I mean- I’m sorry. How long ago was this?”

“I watched my own daughter get slaughtered in front of me. Will be coming on 10 years this upcoming extermination. I couldn’t do anything but helplessly watch as she cried out for me to help her,” Husk said as he absentmindedly took care of Adam’s glass and wiped the bar again. “And the boss just made me stand there and watch,” he snarled to himself

Adam turned to look at him, “Boss? You mean Freakshow? So all that time you spent holding a grudge at me, for something that guy did?”

“He ain’t the one who causes the exterminations, jackass. Not like back then we knew we could fight them anyway,” Husk replied.

Adam was hesitant for a moment. While it’s true he led the exterminations each year, but they weren’t originally his idea. “What if she’s in Heaven now and just no one knew about it?”

Husk gave him a disapproving, skeptical eyebrow raise. 

Adam shrugged, “Hey, ya never know? Could be? That snake guy is there now, so guess anything’s possible. Who knows, he might not have actually been the first, maybe they’ve just been keeping ‘em secret. Like they might have an entire district restricted to just people from here.”

Husk blinked at him, “…You believe in that now? Whatever happened to that “redemption is nonsense” spiel?”

“Hey man, look. I want to get home just as much as you don’t want me here,” Adam waved his hand up with a smirk. Husk rolled his eyes in response.

Charlie came speed walking into the area, “Okay you two, this needs to stop. You need to get along or so help me.”

“Nothing’s happenin’, Princess,” Husk replied calmly.

“It’s- It’s not? Angel said a fight was about to break out,” Charlie asked confusedly.

Angel shrugged, also confused, “Well it seemed like it was gonna get there.”

“We’re alright. I’ve voiced my complaints, and now it’s over with and off my chest,” Husk said plainly.

Adam glanced between Husk and Charlie, “Uh, yeah. Yeah, we're good.”

Suddenly Adam’s phone began to ring, startling everyone. He pulled his phone from his pocket, “It’s Lute…” 

He looked at the others before raising a finger to excuse himself, stepping away to answer. “Hey what’s up, babe. You miss me already?” He said with a playful tone.

“I can’t find Abel.” She sounded scared. He’d never heard her full on scared before, aside from those last few moments when he was dying. 

“What?”

“Abel, he was asking so many questions and I didn’t know what to do I-”

“Woah hold on, breathe. Back the fuck up, what about Abel?”

He heard her take a deep breath to steady herself. “Abel started asking about exorcists and asking what got you sent to Hell. One thing led to another and now he knows we’re the ones who kill sinners and attacked the hotel. He ran away and now I can’t find him anywhere.”

Adam gritted his teeth, “Oh. Oh that’ll do it…Shattered his worldview. Welp…Guess we couldn’t keep it from him forever…A-Anyway- Did you check the daycare?”

“Of fucking course I checked the fucking daycare! That was the first fucking place I looked. Emily hasn’t seen him either. I have looked everywhere I can think of -and it’s getting late and I am freaking the fuck out.”

“Hey it’ll be alright, it’s Heaven-”

“Yes, I get it, it’s Heaven he’ll be fine. I know. But where is he? Where could he have fucking gone?!” She said while grinding her teeth. ‘Why is everyone reminding me that?!’

Adam held the phone away from his head as she yelled. “Yeesh, sorry. Um, what about the park? The one that’s like a garden. He always liked nature and stuff, maybe there?”

“Thank you. What if he isn’t there, what then?” Lute’s voice strained.

“Relax, babe. He’ll turn up.”

“How are you being so calm?!”

“It’s not like I can do anything from down here? It’ll be alright, trust me, he’s probably there.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Uh, I’m his dad? That’s how,” Adam said with a snort. He heard her aggravated sigh and spoke softly, “Let me know when you find him though.”

“I will.” Lute’s tone had calmed slightly. 

As the call ended, Adam sat back down at the bar, “Ugh, could ya pour me a shot? Somethin’ strong would be great.”

Husk gave him a raised brow, “Whiskey?”

“Sure, whatever works,” Adam rubbed his forehead. Husk poured him his shot and handed it over.

“What was that about?” Angel asked.

Adam shot back his drink, making a face as he swallowed, “Eeugh- that was fucking gross.” He shook off the taste and turned to answer Angel, “Guess Abel found out about the exterminations and our role in ‘em. He got real upset and ran off. Lute’s out lookin’ for him.”

“He didn’t know??” Both Charlie and Angel gasped.

Adam scratched at his hairline, “Yeahh…That kids too smart for his own good…We had tried to beat around tellin’ him but guess that could only go so far…”

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

Abel had found his way to the garden in the park. He had been there before during a supervised trip with other kids from the daycare. It had started to get dark and the garden was being illuminated by the lanterns from a walkway. 

He sat at the edge of the pond and started angrily throwing pebbles into the water one at a time. He sniffled and wiped his tears on his shoulder, “Stupid, stupid…”

He heard the rustling of grass behind him. He tucked his knees to his chest making himself appear smaller.

“Hello there…Little boy? Are you alright?” The voice asked nervously. Abel peeked over his shoulder. That wasn’t the voice he had expected to hear. “May I sssit with you?”

Abel gave the man a small nod and turned back to continue tossing pebbles into the water.

“Why are you crying? What’ss wrong?”

“I’m mad. And…sad,” Abel choked out.

“Oh, how come you’re alone?”

“Because. I ran away from home. My parents lied to me about something really important and I don’t think I can trust them anymore…” Abel wiped his running nose, “And now I don’t know what to do.”

Sir Pentious looked down at him sadly, “Oh my. I bet they’re very worried about you.”

“I don’t think so…Who are you anyway?”

“My name’s Sir Pentious, and you are?” He asked with a smile.

“I’m Abel,” he pulled up chunks of grass and threw them into the water, now out of rocks. “How come you’re out here all alone?”

“Oh well, the eldest ssseraphim only permitted me to go out after everyone had gone back to their homes…She doesn’t really want people to sssee me, I guess.”

Abel looked up at him, “Why not? That doesn’t seem very fair.”

Pentious shrugged unknowingly. They sit quietly watching the water ripples in the pond.

Abel buried his face in his knees, “I miss my dad…and I miss mama…But they’re bad. Really bad.”

“Why do you think they’re ssso bad? They’re here in Heaven, are they not?”

Abel shook his head, “Nu-uh, my dad’s down in Hell. He used to be up here, but he’s not anymore. He killed people.”

“Oh. Well, you know. When I was alive, I’m sssure I must have killed a number of people with the great machines I created,” Pentious awkwardly mentioned.

Abel looked at him shocked, “Then, how come you’re in Heaven? Killing people is really bad.”

“I was in Hell until only months ago, then I ssshowed up here.”

Abel looked at him confused, “You were? So how come you’re up here now?” 

Pentious shrugged, “I’m not really sssure, but I believe it may have to do with my time at this lovely hotel I had been ssstaying in.” He began to tear up, “Oh, how I miss the friends I made there.” 

Abel blinked at him a few times, “Wait! Do you mean Miss Charlie’s hotel??” 

“Why yes! How do you know about that?” 

Abel looked away, “That’s where my dad is right now…”

“Oh…” After a pause, Pentious set a hand on his shoulder, “Well then, I’m positive he’ll make it back some day.”

“How can you be sure?”

Pentious smiled at him, “A little sssorry can go a long way. If he can accept his faults and ssstrives to be better, all it takes to ssstart is sssorry.”

Abel looked at his feet tearfully, “Maybe…Maybe I should go home, tell mama I’m sorry for leaving…and for the mean things I said to her…But I’m scared.”

“She’s your mother, I’m sssure she’ll forgive you.”

Abel rested his cheek on his knee, facing Sir Pentious, “Could we maybe stay and hang out just a bit longer? I don’t think I’m ready yet…”

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

Lute arrived at the park entrance, she scanned over the area tirelessly, “Abel? Abel are you out here?” Her voice was more afraid than angry, though it was present.

She shuffled her way through the park until she came to a clearing.  There at the edge of the pond sat Abel and his newest friend. They were laughing quietly to each other, but Lute couldn’t hear over what. As she stepped closer with her hand over her heavy beating chest, she whispered, “Abel…”

Sir Pentious turned to the sound of her voice, “Oh, hello there.”

Abel turned to look as well, his eyes welling with tears upon seeing Lute. He scrambled to his feet and began running to her, “Mama!” 

He clung himself to her legs tightly, as if someone were trying to pull him away from her. He wailed and sobbed into her repeating, “I’m sorry, mama. I’m sorry.”

Lute looked down at him and rested her hand on his head, at a loss for words, just relieved to have found him. She squinted at Sir Pentious, “Have we met before? You seem vaguely familiar…”

Pentious looked side to side anxiously, “Uh…I don’t believe ssso?”

“Hmm, alright.” She pat Abel’s head lightly, “Okay buddy, say bye to your friend. It is most certainly past your bedtime.”

Abel waved back to him, not letting go of Lute’s leg. “Bye mister Pentious. I hope we can hang out again, maybe when the seraphim stops being so mean to you,” he said softly. Lute gave him a questioning head tilt but brushed it off. Abel took her hand and stared up at her, “Home?”

“Yeah, buddy, home,” she said quietly as they walked out of the park. 

Pentious wiped away the tears forming in the corner of his eyes as he watched the two leave, “Aww, he’s a sssweet kid.”

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

 Back home, Lute was tucking Abel into bed. She kissed his forehead lightly, but as she pulled away his voice cracked, “Please don’t leave, mama.”

She ran her fingers over his forehead and cheek, “I’m not going to, Abel. I’m here.”

“I’m really sorry for what I said, I didn’t mean it…I was just mad. And sad…S’mad,” he explained with sad eyes as he sat up. “I really do think everyone needs second chances…No matter what they’ve done.”

She gave a knowing nod, “I know, buddy. And I’m sorry for keeping things from you. Me and your dad. I’m sure he’s not feeling great about what happened either. Hey- why don’t we give him a call?”

“Okay! And I can tell him about the new friend I made! He used to be a part of Miss Charlie’s hotel!”

Lute’s expression fell for a second. ‘Oh. Now that makes sense.’ She pulled her phone from her pocket and called Adam’s number and put him on speaker when he answered.

“Hey! You find him yet?”

“Hi dad!”

“Does that answer your question?” Lute chuckled.

“Yeah, hey wait-” Adam hit a button on his phone and turned his camera on, “Hey can ya see me??” He was lying across his bed.

Lute held the phone up, “Yup.” She turned her camera on and handed it to Abel. Abel giggled happily upon seeing his dad through the phone.

“So, I heard you were giving your mama trouble?” Adam poked playfully.

Abel gave a sad pout, “I did…But I told her I was sorry!”

Adam gave him a smile, “That’s a start. I gotta say that too. It wasn’t right to lie to ya, but maybe you can see how it was kinda messy to explain?”

“Yeah…But it’ll be okay. I made a new friend today! He said he had also killed a lot of people, but he’s in Heaven now after staying in Miss Charlie’s hotel, so that means you can too!”

“Oh shit, really? Musta been that snake guy I keep hearing about. That’s cool.”

Lute brought a finger to her lips in thought. ‘Yup, I remember him now. You killed that guy, Adam. Maybe don’t bring that up.’

“Yeah pretty sure I’m the reason he made it up there,” Adam let out a half awkward  laugh.

Lute smashed her hand into her face and frustratingly brushed her hair back, ‘Oh, you fool.’

“Well, at least he’s up here now! He said the seraphim are being kinda mean to him though, not letting him see people…” Abel mentions sadly.

“Ah yeah, that bitch Sera probably. She’s got control issues, and sinners getting redeemed into Heaven isn’t gonna be something she has control over. She’ll get over it. Especially once I’m back. She can’t do shit to stop me, either.”

Abel laughed which then turned into a yawn, “I love you, dad. I’m gonna go to bed now, goodnight.”

“Alright, kiddo get some sleep. Love ya too,” Adam said as Abel passed the phone back to Lute. Lute gave Abel another kiss on the forehead before exiting the room, leaving his door ajar.

Lute propped the phone up against the lamp on her nightstand facing the bed. She changed into a nightgown before laying down facing the phone, “You know, it’s gonna be really strange falling asleep without you here.”

“Pssh, you were doing it before, weren’tcha?”

“Yeah, when you were dead and I didn’t have a choice,” she replied snarkily. 

“You got my hoodie, right? Snuggle with that,”

Lute shifted around and grabbed his hoodie from the other side of the bed, “I do in fact have it. And I was planning to.” She tucked it under her chin and had her arm around it. She took a deep whiff of his hoodie and nuzzled into it. 

Adam watched her blissfully, wishing he could be there, “Wanna stay on until we fall asleep?”

“What, like those couples in long distance relationships?”

“I mean, that is pretty much our situation right now, so…”

Lute peaked at him from behind the fabric of his hoodie, “Sure, we can do that. Makes it feel like you’re right here with me.”

“Yeah,”  he said softly.

Adam watched as her eyes grew heavy and eventually closed. Her breathing slowed and there was the faintest sound of a snore. He looked at her longingly, wishing he could reach out and touch her.

“Somehow I’ll make it home. I promise.”

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

Thank you for reading 💕 😇

[anniebear-92]

Paw Prints

Have I risen from the dead? Seemingly. I am sorry for the long delay, there has been quite a bit going on in my life that I just have not had the time to sit down and bust out this next part. I think the next part will be the NSFW part that will not really add to the story should you wish to skip it. I plan at least one other SFW part and then our story will be coming to an end. Stay tuned though as I have other ideas that I have written down for one shots, fics and head cannons :)

Summary:

Things just have not been the same since your phone call with Kirishima. Given the cold shoulder from your cat is nothing new but you've had enough and are bout to do something about it.

It had been a quiet, long last few days since your conversation with Kirishima. Katsuki had been seemingly giving you the cold shoulder as he refused to speak more than a few words towards you or even meet your gaze. He had even taken to sleeping in the guest room to your shock.

Kirishima had called just a bit ago to inform that he aquired documentation for the feline to enroll in school and was planning to drop them off later this afternoon. You huffed as your gaze followed the broad shoulders of his best friend as he naviagated around the kitchen, banging and throwing things into a pan.

You had contiplated several senarios in your head as to what could've caused his sudden coldness towards you, none of them lining up properly to the truth. A plate was dropped into your lap as he fell into the spot beside you, the chopsticks he now weilded like a pro digging into his meal and depositing the haul bewteen those full pink lips of his. Heat began creeping up the back of your neck as your gaze dragged over the features of the handsome man that shared your home. Becoming hotter than the sun when you found the vermillion pair boring back into yours.

Clearing your throat you began tearing into your own out of embarrassment at being caught. It has become increasingly hard to continue denying any sort of attraction or feelings towards the stoic blonde. Kirishima continues to this day to push the issue that he can clearly see it and you should just tell him how you feel. The flavors of the food had you lost in thought as you savored when a crash of chopsticks hitting an empty plate earned your attention.

Katsuki had scarfed down his meal, now ready to return to the kitchen and dump his plate in the sink before retreating into the guest bedroom for the fifth day in a row without a word. As he stood, you found yourself unable to take the silence any longer.

"Katsuki."

His body visibly stiffened as his eyes narrowed down at you. No words were shared as he waited for you to speak.

"Could, you tell me what I did to earn your silence? It's about as bad as when you were in your cat form all the time. Kind of a one sided conversation really."

He snorted sharply, turning to take his plate to the kitchen once again in silence.

"Katsuki! Come on, I can't apologize or grovel to you for something I don't know what I did!" You followed him with your own empty plate now, visible distress on your face as he huffed and dropped the plate into the sink.

He rounded and snatched the plate from your hands, his gaze boring into your own.

"It's fine."

You rolled your eyes, crossing your arms across your chest before rebutting his statement.

"It's clearly not fine. You've been completely ignoring my existence for days. Sleeping in the guest bedroom after arguing with me that you'd be sharing my bed as always and even spending time in your cat form when you need to leave the room for whatever reason! I haven't even been scented in awhile which is abnormal, especially when I came in yesterday after petting that stray dog in the park!"

His nose wrinkled in memory of the horrid smell, he had fought his instincts to rid you of that horrible odor the second you walked into the door. However he had resolve, if avoiding you to get rid of these feelings you clearly didn't want wasn't going to work he would have to find another tactic.

"Fine. I was upset and now I'm not. Happy? I'll scent you and sleep in your bed again if you want."

Inhaling deeply while closing your eyes in frustration. His stubborn streak was about on your last nerve when the doorbell rang.

"It's Kirishima."

He simply stated before turning and walking towards the guest room once again, most likely to either hide or change his clothes for the day.

Swinging the door open you found the shining redhead standing there with a manila folder in hand and flanked by someone you were, unfamiliar with.

"Hey! I have Katsuki's stuff!"

His bright smile dropped when he saw the distress in yours, shaking your head you gave him the faux smile you always did to hide the argument you had just endured.

"Thanks, I'm sure he'll be excited. Uh, who is this?"

You shot a polite smile to the shorter of the two now standing inside your entry way. His unruly dark hair curled around his face that was littered with freckles and bright, shining emerald eyes. He wore a smile that rivaled Kiri's when he stuck his hand out.

"Hello! I am Izuku Midoriya. I'm an old friend of Kirishima and Kacchan's."

You cocked a brow at the second name, unsure of who he was referring to.

"Kaachan is Katsuki. He and Izuku were friends back when he was a Kitten, before he was adopted by that family. Midoriya joined my family's organization as a volunteer a few years ago to help other hybrids."

Your eyes flashed between the two in surprise at the mention of the secret race as if he was not a total stranger in your home.

"Ah! Sorry, I am a hybrid too. Don't worry about your secret getting out!"

The bright smile of the shorter man grew wider as long matching dark ears sprouted from under the curls, reminding you of a... rabbit!

"Who the fuck are you talking to?" The growling voice of your roommate came from just around the corner, like he didn't tell you who was at the door.

"It's Kirishima and a friend!" You called, ignoring the fact he was actually speaking with you as if he had not ignored you for days on end. He rounded the corner quickly and came to a halt at the sight of the bunny hybrid.

"What the fuck?"

His lip curled and he was immediately behind you with such speed, thick arms wrapping around your waist to pull you back into the solid wall of muscle.

"What are you doing here Deku?!"

Blinking rapidly the shorter man returned to his human state as his eyes began flicking between the two of you.

"I heard from Kirishima he had made contact with you once again. I came to see my old friend, also if it was true you had found and are living with your mate."

A large hand clamped over the smaller man's mouth as a squeak left your body. Kirishima gave a nervous smile and chuckle while he began word vomiting an apology.

"Ha, don't worry about him. He's just got the wrong words is all! He grew up in an all Hybrid community so he's still learning what to and not to say."

"Mate?" You questioned as you leaned your head back against Katsuki's chest to find his face rivaling the color of a tomato. His Vermillion eyes remained narrowed at his childhood friend in severe annoyance. His tail whipped behind him as if the expression on his face was not enough to show his anger.

"She's not my mate!"

A sudden wave of unexplained sadness hit you like a ton of bricks. Confusion as to why this upset you as you looked down at the floor.

"Uh… let me take our host here and you two can catch up over there huh?" Kirishima's attempts to defuse the situation as he took you from Katsuki's grasp and into your bedroom, leaving the two in an intense stare-down that could end in several ways. Most of them not great.

Kirishima set the folder he had still clutched in his hand on your nightstand before helping you sit on the side of the bed.

"Alright tell me what's going on between you two. I could tell the second you opened the door that you're upset and I can smell Katsuki's distress."

You let out a loud huff before looking up at the man with his thick arms crossed across his chest. You began telling your best friend about the last few days since he had seen you, Kat's cold shoulder and sleeping apart. His short and sharp words towards you and even the argument just moments before he arrived.

"I had a feeling this was going to happen." Kirishima ran a large hand over his face in exasperation and sat beside you. "It's just as I told you on the phone that day. You have feelings for Katsuki."

Your jaw dropped and eyes going wide as dinner plates. "I do not! I told you that the other day!"

"When he started ignoring you, right?"

You thought for a moment before nodding, that was exactly when he started ignoring you. "Could he have heard me and upset him?" You whispered as Kirishima nodded.

"It's clear he thinks the world of you as the person who saved him from death, gave him a home and more love than he's ever experienced in his life. How would you feel if that person blatantly said they don't like you?"

Your gaze fell to the carpet between your toes, realizing that though you had retreated to your bedroom for privacy, Katsuki's hearing was sensitive enough he most likely heard every word.

"I didn't even think about that. I didn't mean anything by it. I love him, he's my cat and a sweetheart. I don't want to take advantage of that and give him the wrong ideas!"

A snort lifted your vision to the redhead who gripped your chin in his large fingers. "I don't think he's got any wrong ideas love, I think he's just finally expressing what you've both been hiding this whole time."

Your lips parted to respond when a loud crash outside the room caught both of your attentions. You were quick out the door to find Izuku up on top of the fridge, as Katsuki attempted to swipe at him and pull him down.

"Get down here you damn rabbit! I'm trying to tell you how things are!"

The rabbit hybrid lowered a foot and pushed the blonde's cheek, tilting his head back. "I know how they are alreadyand you are just trying to deny it! I know you Kaachan and it's the truth!"

A snarl from your cat had you rushing forward and wrapping your arms around his waist. "Chill out! What's the matter?"

His arms froze as he looked down at you underneath his bicep, his narrowed eyes visibly softening at the sight of you.

"The rabbit thinks he knows things and he's wrong!"

"The rabbit is right." The squeak came above you and you looked up to see the small man on all fours peeking down at you, his long ears flopping forward as he leaned down.

A snarl and another swipe had Izuku leaning back once again as you gripped Katsuki's arm. "That's enough! No eating the guests!"

His response is a huff, lowering his arms as you took both his hands in yours. His low voice grumbling about not eating him and just wanting to "talk" to him. As you began scolding the half feline man, Kirishima assisted Izuku off the top of the fridge and a few feet away in the case Katsuki advanced once more.

The two guests watched as you gave Katsuki the 'what for', his eyes intently watching you and hanging on to every word. Visible pout on his lips when he gave his rebuttal to his actions, had them both thinking the exact same thing.

They're in love, and too stupid to admit it.

"All right, all right I've had enough." Kirishima clapped his hands to catch your attentions quickly. "This needs to get sorted out or I'm taking Katsuki to live elsewhere."

The fur on Katsuki's tail and ears bristled as he then snatched you into his side. "I ain't going anywhere!"

"Then tell her how you feel. Right fucking now dude! I'm done with this!" He nodded towards Midoriya who nodded and made their way towards the front door. "You solve this or I'll take that paperwork back and move Katsuki into one of our half way homes until we find him a place of his own. You both have things to say and quit beating around the bush and just say them!"

Stunned to silence the both of you watched as the two exited your apartment and shut the door respectfully firm behind them.

A loud sigh broke the silence as Katsuki's large hand wrapped around yours, pulling you towards the couch and pushing you to a seat. Raising your head to snap at him for his roughness you found a somber look on his face, distress showing clear as day as he attempted to find the words to say.

"Katsuki?" You started as he finally fell onto the couch with his head in your lap. "This is too fucking hard." His words were muffled into your thigh though you caught them easily from your time of hearing his mumbles and grumbles.

"What's wrong sweetheart? Can you finally tell me why you've been so mad at me lately?"

He took a moment before turning his head and catching your eyes with his own. Sitting up he took both of your hands and lifted one to his hair. You began giving him the scratches he asked for and his rumbly purr sounded throughout the silent room. His vermillion eyes had closed from the feeling of your hands running over his ears and through his hair for the first time in days.

After a few moments he slowly cracked them to hold your gaze.

"I… heard you the other day talking to the mutt."

Letting out the breath you had held as he confirmed your fear and Kirishima's previous musings. You let him continue as he dropped his view to your other hand he still held.

"It.. hurt hearing you say you don't like me. I've, never felt this way about anyone and just saying this right now makes me want to vomit and hide in my room."

He raised his hand to your cheek, thumb running softly back and forth over the soft skin. His face was the softest you had ever seen from him, a glow in his irises held you like a trance as he continued.

"I hate that it took those two idiots pushing me but, they're right. I need to tell you how I feel or things will not end well between us at this rate."

You began chewing at your bottom lip when he huffed in faux annoyance, his thumb raising to pull it from between your teeth as he usually did.

"What did I tell you about that. It's a bad habit." His gravelly voice was soft, eyes focused on your lips he had just freed from their confines. Heat crept up the back of your neck and into your cheeks as the most intense stare-down between the both of you ensued.

"Katsuki?" You whispered to him and luring him from his inner thoughts.

The fingers that still held your cheek flexed as he finally gripped tightly, his words were practically a low snarl of "The hell with it."

Your face was pulled towards his and his soft lips crashed against yours.

It was if time stopped when your lips met, eyes closing and meeting his kiss with fervor of your own. Both of your feelings being said with the intertwining of your bodies, his arms pulling you against him tightly while tilting his head to deepen the kiss.

The two of you remained in this moment for quite some time, not wanting it to end a second too soon. When you finally parted, lips slightly apart and panting as the pair of you contemplated who would speak first.

"Does that explain enough?" He finally spoke, thumb running over your now swollen bottom lip from his kisses. They spread into a wide smile as you shook your head, "No, use your words."

His eyes rolled as he dropped his hand from your cheek. "I fuckin' love you okay? I.. Want you to be mine. Only mine, my mate."

Mate, that was a word that had been thrown around more than anything today. You understood what a mate was but as far as Hybrids? No clue.

"What is a mate to you Katsuki? Humans don't have mates." He paused a moment while contemplating his words. "A Mate to a hybrid is their partner. Their one true love that they will cherish and be with until their last breath. If I take you as my mate, I will have no other until I leave this world."

Your breath caught at the seriousness in his voice, the set eyes that looked to yours in order to gauge your reaction. When you said nothing you could see his tail begin flailing in panic, his expression remaining stoic though as his ears flattened against his hair you smiled.

"I love you too, you annoying fur-ball."

His face lit up into a bright smile, lifting you up into his arms as he held you tightly. His cheek rubbed back and forth against your own and lower into your throat. His soft lips pressing against your skin lightly as he whispered "Mine."

"Are you done giving me the cold shoulder now?" You whispered as he chuckled. "You won't be rid of me now idiot."

Katsuki's head was on a swivel when you arrived on campus for his first day, his shoulders were stiff and pulled up to his human ears to show his discomfort. You slid your palm into his, lacing your fingers as he turned his head to you. "Don't worry, most of our classes are the same so I'll be with you. Otherwise Kirishima is in your other classes or Izuku since he transferred over."

He scoffed at the mention of his childhood friend. Izuku learned of Katsuki's intentions to join your school and study something, he had yet to decide on what that was exactly, regardless the green haired hybrid had taken the chance to be closer to his friends and transferred from the college the next town over. Katsuki now begrudgingly had not only his partner, best friend (he animatedly denies this) and his childhood friend to deal with on a daily basis, checking in on him and making sure he was assimilating well into human society.

"I'll be fine. I don't need baby sitters." The blonde snapped as he continued taking in the view around them. "You still haven't decided your major yet?"

Your question was met with a shrug, "I figured I'd see how classes go and make a decision then."

You nodded when waves from a group of people caught your attention. Face lighting up as you recognized your friend group around the tall red haired golden retriever. Sero, Izuku, Kaminari and Mina all stood and joined in greeting you as you approached. Katsuki immediately turned while still holding your hand to return the way you had just came.

"Nope."

You tightened your grip on his hand and pulled him back towards your friends. "Aw come on, they're not so bad once you get to know them."

Rolling his beautiful crimson eyes he scoffed, "They're people. People are… ew." You chuckled as you finally came upon your friends.

Introductions were made for the group to your new boyfriend and he begrudgingly shook hands with most of the group. Mina squealed and pulled you aside in order to try and get details out of you, waiving her off with a promise to explain in President Mic's class, which was one of the few you did not have with Katsuki.

While you stood in the circle of your friends, the voices seemed to fade as your gaze remained on the tall blonde beside you. His mouth moving in response to whatever prying question your friends had. You couldn't believe where you were at this moment in time, holding hands with someone who truly cared for you instead of what you could offer. Someone who started off as a sick cat that you nursed back to health, your house pet that occasionally broke things with his psychotic zoomies and sassed you at meal times. All to think he was the man squeezing your hand for your attention and bringing you out of your thoughts.

"It's class time, let's go dumbass."

You smiled brightly as you leaned up and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. His face burned almost as bright as his eyes as he pulled you along down the walk.

"Katsuki, the class is this way."

He huffed and began pulling you the other way you indicated. Bright smiles all around as the both of you made your way to class. Things were definitely going to be interesting around here.

Taglist: @lunrai @nonomesupposedto @j-brielmalfoy @bitchimaghost2 @traumamakesmefunnier @chevalrie @izukusgirlfriend @megolothy

[nights-flying-fox]

Leo Blues

Leon (Future Leo) realizes that his younger self is feeling a bit blue and decides to help him feel better.

I wrote half of this months ago and the other half today. Shoutout to my friend @little-banjo-frog for giving some ideas and helping with the fic!!! :D

This is part of an AU but you don't really need to know context. Just that Future Leo is back to past, and maybe some other family members, and he is hanging out in the lair with others.

Oh also this is inspired by @tmnt-event-blog 's prompt (basically what motivated me to finish it haha)

Word Count: 2530 ☆ Fandom: rottmnt ☆ Warnings: a very brief implication of death/losing someone close ☆ AO3 Link: Here!! ☆

Leon knew himself well. Not himself himself, but his younger self. Leo was a younger version of Leon after all, and Leon knew what it did mean when he sulked away from everyone. 

Today Leo was less chatty, he didn’t leave his room other than to get breakfast and join his brothers to help them with some things. These two things were more than enough to tell Leon his younger self was in a bad mood. 

That is exactly why right now Leon was on his way to Leo’s room. He didn’t tell anyone else, since he knew how he used to be around on such days. Always hiding his negative emotions and keeping it to himself. Not wanting to share the hurt and make anyone else sad. Leon was worried that he wouldn’t talk to him either, but he had to try his chance. What were your future selves if not to help you when needed, right? Ignoring the 'annoying them till they start throwing stuff at you' part, of course.

He knocked the wall before opening the curtain and entering Leo’s room. As he expected, he found the boy sitting on his bed with legs crossed, his phone in his hand but his eyes blankly staring at the ground. Leon wasn’t even sure if he heard him coming. He most probably didn’t, considering how he flinched when Leon put his hand on his shoulder and sat next to him. 

 “Hey, pequeñin ,” He said as he kept his voice low and smiled softly. 

 Leo gave him a confused look before smirking. “Hey, anciano .”

 The older turtle rolled his eyes, but said nothing. He wasn’t here to jokingly bicker with his younger self. “Haven’t seen you around a lot today.”

 “Eh, got stuff to watch and catch up.” Leo shrugged.

  Lies. “Ah, so feeling blue , huh?” Leon stated the fact, but not without smirking at his word choice.

 “Blue suits me well after all.” Leo replied casually, with a wink and matching smirk. 

 Leon felt himself relax a bit, at least his younger self felt comfortable enough to open up with how he was feeling to him, even if it was in the form of joking. “Has no one ever told you being this blue is too much?” Leon asked.

 “I thought you’d know the answer already, considering we share the same sixteen years of the past.” Leo answered.

 “Heh, you’re right. How did I miss that?” 

 The two sat on the bed for some seconds, enough for Leo to slowly lean towards his bed frame and for Leon to come up with a quick plan to repaint Leo’s mood. 

 As he got up he said “I’ll be right back, and don’t worry I’m not bringing anyone.” to Leo. The other was quiet, only watching him leave. 

 Leon’s first destination was the living room. The last place he had seen Leo’s tablet (which he probably had forgotten to pick it up yesterday). Entering in, he saw it was still on the same spot as before. The room was empty, nobody other than Splinter who was enjoying his usual commercials. Leon smiled at the nostalgic scenery. No matter how long passed since he returned to the past, he still couldn’t get used to the fact he once again was back at home. Back to the casual chaotic life he had before the apocalypse. The little simple things would forever make him feel warm. 

 After picking up the tablet, he walked towards his next destination: His room. Or rather his, Future Mystic Hands’ (they really needed a shorter ‘official’ nickname that both Mikeys would accept) and Case’s room. He took the extra blankets (Mikey Two wouldn’t need them anytime soon) and left. 

 Next up was the kitchen, which was the final room to visit before returning to Leo’s room. As he came close to the entrance he heard the chatter. Casey, Donnie and April’s laughter filled the kitchen. The three were sitting on the chairs, mugs of three different kinds of drinks on the table. Casey was the first one to notice him: “Hi Sensei!”

 "Hey Case," Leon ruffled the boy's hair as he walked by him. Casey grumbled in protest, but Leon could see his grin. What a hypocrite. 

 "Will you join us Big Blue?" April asked with a smile, "Mikey's made hot cocoa."

 "Sorry guys, got other plans." 

 "What other plans?" Casey questioned, raising a bow. 

 "Finally catching up on some TV series." He answered.

 "All by yourself?" April asked.

 Leon got two mugs. "Yeah, myself and I." 

 "I see, you mean you and Leo ." Donnie pointed out. "And here Future Boy was telling us some future stories." 

 Leon turned to squint at Casey. "What kind of future stories?"

 "Ummmmm…" Casey looked away. Bad sign. A very bad sign.

 "Nothing you should worry about." April said and sipped from her cocoa.

 "Somehow this makes me worry even more." Leon deadpanned. Then he turned back to what he was doing.

 Donnie smirked, "You'll most likely find out soon anyways." 

 That could only mean an embarrassing story. But hey, two could play that game. "Well, maybe you'll find out more future stories too." 

 "Oh ho ho, tell us all of them man." April sounded excited to learn more embarrassing stories. Leon couldn't blame her, there were a lot of crazy silly things going on even in the doomed future.

 "Maybe not all of them." Casey chipped in, looking with somewhat pleading eyes to his sensei. 

 "Perhaps." Leon replied, meanwhile finishing with preparing the tray with the snacks, leftover pizza and hot cocoa mugs. "But not yet."

 "Leaving us at cliffhanger?" April huffed.

 "I didn't even start saying anything."

 "The trailer was enough." 

 Leon grinned, "Soon in the lair… stories from the future." He said dramatically.

 "Three V.I.P. tickets, please." Donnie said after sipping his probably way too sweet coffee. "For the premiere."

 "We accept payment with story sharing." Leon smirked.

 "Deal. Junior shared plenty." 

 "Sweet."

 Leon turned to look at his protégé. Casey watched with confusion. Then Leon realized that the boy didn't know– or rather didn’t remember. "Do you remember cinemas, Case?" 

 "Yes?" His eyes shined brightly the moment he connected the dots, "Oh!" 

 "...Future didn't have cinemas." Donnie announced his own findings as he thought out loud. "I hadn't considered that."

 "I believe you guys can fill him with some culture of the present?" Leon asked.

 "Of course, there's so much for the Future Boy to discover!" April got her arm around Casey's neck and pulled him closer. Casey smiled, putting down his mug of tea to side hug her. 

 It was good to see the boy had gotten better at being relaxed. Being always on alarm was a hard habit to break from after everything he went through. 

 As the three began talking about all the places and things his future lacked, Leon left the kitchen and headed back to Leo's room.

 The boy was now under the blanket. Leon could tell that he still was on his phone from the subtle light. 

 "Hot cocoa delivery," Leon announced. 

 "Mikey's?" Leo asked from the spot he was in.

 "Yep."

 He peeked and then reached to him, "Gimme!"

 Leon gladly gave him one of the mugs. "If you come out we can share the snacks."

 This perked Leo's interest a bit more. He squirmed out of the blanket, no more laying on the bed. He noticed the rest of what Leon collected on his short trip in the lair. 

 Leon took his place next to him and wrapped the blankets he brought around them. He placed the snacks and pineapple pizza between them, and the tablet in front of them. "What do you wanna watch?"

 Leo shrugged, "Dunno." 

 Good thing Leon was still a Leo. He knew what his comfort movies were and he could use this to his advantage. “Kung Fu Panda?”

“Sure. Are we doing a marathon?” Leo asked.

“You bet. After all, it has been a while since I last saw them.” Leon grinned. He barely could remember the movies, or the days he would watch them with his family thanks to Donnie, in the middle of the apocalypse. He really hoped they could do that again, just not in an apocalyptic situation.

Leo looked at him, with a glint of sadness. He quickly looked away towards the screen. “You better plan watching Secrets of the Scroll too, then.” He said. Voice completely normal, as if it wasn’t him who was hiding under blankets a short while ago.

“You know I will.” Leon hummed. He hadn’t missed that look, and he would help himself. “Before that… is there something you want to talk about? You seemed like you wanted to say something a second ago.”

He seemed uncertain for a moment, “Ah, no. Nope.”

“Are you sure?” Leon knew that this was a lie. “Because whatever you say, stays between us.”

“Yeah, yeah… just…” Ah, there it was. “Remember last night’s patrol?” He said a bit quietly.

Leon nodded, “Yeah. Didn’t you guys end up kicking Stockboy’s butt?”

“Yes… but…” Leo pulled his legs towards himself. “I almost failed.” He whispered.

“But you didn’t.” Leon pointed out, urging his younger self to talk.

“But I almost did!” Leo repeated. His hold on the mug tightened.

“And why is it a problem?” Leon questioned, genuinely. He wanted to know why Leo found it such a big problem.

“Because the last time I failed, everyone I loved almost died .” 

Leo sounded so tired, and equally panicked. And Leon couldn’t even blame him. Not when he did the same thing. Not when he did lose them. Not when he froze once he heard the words.

Leo took a breath, “Sorry, I… I didn’t mean to. I…”

Leon looked at him. The boy he once was. So young, sad, broken… Unfairly punished by a cruel fate. And never ever let himself relax, to be seen weak. Especially after the apocalypse. After losing so much. After becoming a leader, responsible for whatever is left. This boy had almost experienced it. He almost had the same life as him. And even though he managed to escape the hell, he still was suffering from it. Even though he literally had sacrificed himself, he had given his everything to save everyone, he was still hurting thinking of what could’ve been. Of what happened.

And, oh, how unfair that was.

  He put his mug aside, then gently took the mug Leo was holding from his hands (who looked at him confusedly) and put it next to his. Then he pulled the boy into a tight hug. “It is okay, Leo.” He said, voice small but powerful. “It has passed, everything will be alright.”

“But what if I make another mistake? What if everything goes bad again, because of me ?” Leo responded, his voice trying to stay strong but clearly close to breaking.

“You will make mistakes.” Leon said. “You will make so many of them. Just like I did. Even after everything that happened. Even when I was a leader.” He pushed away the memories full of pain, regret, and shame that creeped from the back of his mind. He had learned to accept them, once he had time to recover and focus on himself. Or rather he was learning to, it was a hard process to return to what you had locked to survive. He didn’t want Leo to do something similar, or let his fear destroy him. “And you know what? It is amazing that you make mistakes. It means you are trying something new. You are trying to be better. To learn. That you realize them means you are trying to learn from them.”

“And what if I don’t have time to learn from them the next time I make a mistake?” Leon knew Leo had shut his eyes and was doing his best to not let everything out, to not break in front of him. He was holding Leon tightly too.

“You will have time. Trust me.” Leon affirmed. “After all, what is important is the fact that you are trying. You aren’t giving up. You are trying to be better. And I am so proud of you.” He broke the hug and looked at his eyes. “I know you think otherwise, but you are actually a much cooler dude than me. You are even teaching me new stuff every day.”

Leo smiled a bit, a shaky one. “How so?”

“You were the one to remind me what I always fought for, you are the one to remind me who I was– or rather, I am .” Leon smiled at him. “You are beating yourself up for something impossible, and while I know it is hard to not to do so, I also know you are strong, Leo. And you are never alone.”

And with those words, Leo finally let himself relax and smile. Then Leon saw as tears fell, right before Leo hugged him tightly. He didn’t say anything, but he didn’t really have to. Leon knew how much it meant to be reminded of having someone by your side even at the worst times. For someone to confirm even when the world felt like it was ending (which was not an unfamiliar concept for both of them, sadly) things would turn out well. So he held the boy, until he stopped crying and shaking, letting everything out after who knows how long.

When Leo broke the hug and sat, leaning to Leon instead of his bed, Leon patted his head. “How blue are you feeling?” He asked, handing back now luke warm hot cocoa. Somehow, they hadn’t gone cold, which to be honest was weird.

“Less than before.” Leo smiled. “I never had thought I’d end up getting hugs from my older self, but here you are.”

“Isn’t it insane?” Leon replied with a smirk.

“It is.” Leo grinned. Then he added. “Thank you.”

“Don’t even mention it.” Leon replied. “Now drink your cocoa and get ready, because I want to watch Kung Fu Panda.”

Leo grinned. “Sure thing, old man.”

“No, even after those hugs? You are cruel.” Leon teased.

“Those are just facts.” Leo smirked. Then he sipped the hot cocoa, “Mmm, this is good.”

“I bet it is.” Leon said as he sipped his. Oh, it was even better than he remembered it to be. “It really is…” He nodded. He had missed this so much.

“So are we watching the movies or..?” Leo asked, a fake hastiness in his tone.

Leon laughed, “Yeah, let’s start.” He grinned as he opened the movie.

He didn’t think much of it, but he was grateful for Leo. He wouldn’t ever talk about it, but those words he told his younger self? He needed to hear them too. He had forgotten them. He may have had his family back, but still sometimes it was hard to remember things weren’t always bad. That things would be okay in the end, and that he wouldn’t ever be alone.

So in the end of the day, both blue masked turtles had ended up feeling better– or as they would call it, less blue.

[xxsycamore]

𝘐𝘯 𝘈𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘉𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘮 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦 (Yves x GN reader)

↬🌸 A date with Yves in late spring.

Yves Kloss x Gender Neutral Reader • rating: G • tags: Fluff; Dates; Gardens; Tea Parties: Reading; Birds; Tea snacks; Afternoon Naps; Some humor • wordcount: 1, 239 • masterlist

a/n: after 200+ fics, this is my first time fully writing one on my phone 😂 I'm nervous! It didn't come natural to me and it felt different from my usual stuff, but I'm away from home and I had to finish it before the challenge ends 🥺 Inspired by that one time I walked by an apple tree in full bloom in the morning, and the pavement was completely covered in its petals when I returned just a few hours later...I made a poll asking you which character you'd like to see in a spring-themed fic, and here we are, with the winner! Yves + prompts 4. Gardens; 7. Flower Crowns; 14. Birds Chirping (fluff) for Spring Showers, Spring Flowers Challenge by the lovely @aquagirl1978 & @violettduchess 💖 Hope you enjoy!

Spring is too short.

And unlike the endless duties of those who buzz around the palace, much like the busy bees outside, it has an end. A prince with a penchant for all things beautiful and his equally gracious lover would naturally want to make the most of the season.

Too bad they're just like the bees. And when they are to finally catch a break, the gardens are simply calling for them with the promise of an apple blossom-scented date.

Book in one hand and Yves' hand in the other, you shield your gaze from the suddenly dazzling sun, somehow having missed the mundane act of it.

"Make yourself comfortable. Don't stand so stiffly, this is no tea ceremony with officials."

Watching the back of the bulter that served you tea as he walks away, you move your gaze back on Yves and his kind suggestion. Reclining back and enjoying your book, sitting back up just for a small sip... it does seem pleasant.

"But in your presence, Prince Yves..."

"Don't be like that! You deserve a rest. Besides, I'm fine where I am."

Yves' bright smile is a little too much to argue with. A small sigh leaves your tea-warmed lips as you sink further into the settee.

You and Yves have been dating for some time now, the golden middle of feels-like-forever meeting 'every sensation is new like we only became a thing yesterday'... so much to be felt. Being comfortable in his company is swept by a current of bubbling excitement, of fixating on his every little gesture, of hearing the echo of his words in his head for so long after spoken words of love.

As for him? He seems to have it even worse. The crystal-clear oceans in his eyes waver in turbulence as you look up from your book (not a single full sentence yet read...) to meet his gaze, flashing him a content smile. He smiles back, awkwardly, tipping his chin slightly up to match his usual poise. His eyes though, they linger on your form... For a second you stiffen, sure that it has to do with your current posture - legs folded sideways and rested on the settee - and you consider putting them back down. But Yves just cleans his throat and stands up from the tea table.

"I... Have something I need to do. It won't take long so please wait for me here and enjoy your book!"

And then he's gone.

You blink as the pink of his cape camouflages among the magnolias and fully disappears in another second, leaving you wondering what businesses Yves could possibly have further ahead in the garden...

🌸🌸🌸

The book you've acquired puts an old saying to shame as it proves to be as magical as its cover, the further into it you get. In a world of flowers and fairies two people find love, and you wonder with how much the emotion makes your eyes sparkle, if every romance book should be marked as having magical elements. 

When the chirping of birds becomes louder than the narrative in your head, you look up from your book to find two round little sparrows perched on the wrought iron chair Yves was seated in. You figure you've been as still and tranquil as a garden statue, enough for the two little balls of fluff to dauntlessly approach the table. 

'Too bad that not even crumbs are left when Yves' baked treats are brought to the table...', you don't say out loud, seeking their company for longer. It's true, you've already eaten his delicious tea snack... And now you're not immune, and definitely not in this picture perfect afternoon, to getting sleepy.

Suppressing a yawn, you notice how the warm breeze brings a swirl of fallen petals down on you. With the apple blossom standing tall above you, it's no surprise that all nearby surfaces are adorned with the little pinkish white petals. There are some on your clothes, too.

Yes, beauty could be found behind the hard covers of the book too, sometimes. And speaking of it...

'Where did you go, Yves?'

🌸🌸🌸

"-falling asleep in a place like this!"

Something is threatening your sacred nap. It's melodic but carries a hint of panic...

"-or if it has gotten cold?!"

It's familiar, yet it could as well be a part of the ambience and nothing more...

"Wake up already!!"

Eyes blinking into focus, the weight of a good nap is persuading you into resting them for a little longer... But you recognize the pinched face of your lover.

"Prince Yves!! I've fallen asleep..."

You lift yourself from the cozy curled-up position you've been holding for awhile now, limbs begging for that nice after-sleep stretch out. And in the improvising version of doing so in front of a wide-eyed Yves, you discover said limbs - and your whole body, actually - covered in fallen apple blossom petals.

"So much of them..."

"You're BURIED in them! It's like you've been out in the snow!"

Truly, it does resemble a thin layer of snow... you should probably get to your feet and shake them off, but solving the riddle behind Yves' strange demeanor takes priority. Taking a better look at him, the last bits of sleepiness make way for becoming more perceptive, and you can't help but gasp.

"What happened to you?!"

Hair slightly unkempt and a mud stain spoiling the beauty of his visage, the lower your eyes go, the more they're met with striking surprise. His clothes are a mess! Splotches of green stain his trousers and blazer, as well as his cape, likely caused by a close and rough encounter with the grass...but why?

"I... Wanted to make this for you."

Only now you notice the hand hidden behind his back, now brought into sight along with the item it holds. 

"A flower crown?"

Yves meets your gaze with barely hidden embarrassment.

"Y-You looked so pretty earlier, it would've been bad taste not to present you with something! And there are all kinds of flowers blooming now, and I've seen you admire all of them...it was hard to choose, you know! And then there were these stupid traps laid all over the garden...!"

That explains a lot... Poor Yves. There's something laughable in his eagerness to go through all of this despite the obstacles, but it's equally touching.

"it's so pretty! Thank you so much! I don't know what to say..."

The sweet smile is back on Yves' face, but the furrowing of his brow returns as he motions to place the crown on your head.

"I wonder if that's needed at all, with you being practically buried in flowers already!"

A chuckle rises to your lips but you don't want to disrespect his efforts, so you begin to brush the petals away - only to be stopped by Yves' gentle hand landing on yours.

"Let me look at how pretty you are a little longer, okay? I was away all afternoon..."

The heat blooming on your face is reasonable given how unexpectedly sweet his words are, yet you wish your composure was harder to break. You nod and a single petal sticking to your head falls down in a slow dance.

You hold your head lowered though, signaling your desire to have that flower crown finally on your head; choosing to bear even the additional heat that would inevitably come to your face with it.

Taglist: @arsnovacadenza @ale-teodora @kimi00twin @otomelady @privilegedpancake @g-kleran @pumpumnnnp @thesirenwashere @ravenarld @kimmy-banana @devonares @animeworldsposts @randomanimatedhusbandoseeker @galaxyprison @sadshaxk @starshards26 @pro-cat-stination @acethephoenix256 @ikevamp-shrine-2 @nad-zeta @crystal13unny @keen19thcenturygoatsstudent @lordsister @ikemen-banshou @themysticalbeing @canaria-blackwell @otome-scribbles @rhodolitesrose @coornn @kpop-and-otome @queen-dahlia @kisara-16 @chaosangel767 @ikemenlibrary @queengiuliettafirstlady @aurora-morning @aquagirl1978 ​ @ikemenlover24 @violettduchess @mcofthemansion @joy-the-reader @katriniac @ikemen-writer @aceuuuuu @atelier-the-atelier @tele86 Let me know if you want to be tagged/untagged!

[aceofstars16]

The Return

Hey look, it's a new Gravity Falls fic! I wrote this a few days ago and edited it yesterday and today (I want to write other things but...we will see cause my throat is being stupid right now...I don't want to get sick...)

After 30 years, Ford is finally back in his own dimension. But things aren't quite what he expected. Filling in some gaps in ATOTS, mostly the end of the episode, before and after Stan and Ford talk. (Just me getting into Ford's head in that whole scenario)

You can read it on AO3 or below:

              Ford watched as Stan ushered Mabel and Dipper off to bed. His mind was buzzing with all that had happened, and his emotions were a whirling mess as he tried to wrap his head around the events of the day. A day that had started off in another dimension. Fighting Bill. Trying to right the wrong that he’d committed all of those years ago. And Stan had ruined it. Again. It seemed his brother had a pension for that.

“So…” Stan’s voice interrupted his thoughts, resulting in Ford looking at his brother. Something that, after all this time, seemed so foreign to his mind. Even more so considering his brother looked far different than the last time he’d seen him.

The smallest hint of sadness grew in his chest at once again seeing his brother looking so old. At realizing just how much time really had passed. He was so different then Ford remembered, but…at the same time, he was still Stan. With the same mischievous glint in his eyes, the same short fuse, the same stubbornness. And then same recklessness - doing things without thinking. Anger sparked in Ford’s chest at that thought. Stan had been so careless, and put the whole world in danger. However, despite his annoyance at Stan, Ford couldn’t push away the guilt over his first reaction at seeing his brother. Especially when he saw the bruise that was slowly forming on Stan’s cheek.

Ford didn’t want a repeat of the fight in the basement. And he knew if he tried starting a conversation with Stan, he was liable to do just that. So he opted for the only solution he could think of. 

“I’m pretty tired myself.”

The disappointment on Stan’s face pricked at Ford’s heart, even as he tried to ignore it. After all, at the moment, it was the best course of action.

A second later, Stan’s expression hardened.

“Seriously? I haven’t seen you in thirty years! And you just want to push me away again?!?” Tossing his hands in the air, Stan turned on his heels to head back into the house.

It would be best just to let him walk away but… “Stan, wait.”

His brother stopped and looked at him skeptically.

Trying not to think about how horribly things could go, Ford scrambled for a different approach.

“How…how about I see if I can find some clean clothes and then we can…talk?” In all honestly, Ford really did just want to sleep, and have a few hours to himself to calm his whirling emotions. However, he couldn’t entirely push away the notion that he should at least try to talk to Stan. After all, Stan was right about one thing: it had been thirty years since they’d last seen each other. And it would be prudent to figure out what their next step was as well. But to do that in a collected way, Ford knew he needed at least a few minutes to decompress first. If he didn’t, he was liable to snap at his brother again.

Stan let out a huff but after a moment, conceded. “Fine.” The smallest hint of a teasing smile grew on his mouth. “I mean, you do smell pretty bad.”

Ford couldn’t hold back the smallest huff of laughter. However, a movement later, he shook it off when he remembered why he was in the state that he was. “Yes, well…I don’t suppose you still have any of my old clothes around?”

For a moment, a shadow passed over Stan’s face, but it cleared up so quickly that Ford wasn’t quite sure it had been real or not. “Eh, yeah, there might be a box of your stuff somewhere around here.”

Ford met Stan’s eyes. For a moment, there was a connection between them. Like when they were kids. A sense of understanding, care, and concern. But it was gone before Ford could truly get a handle on the emotions and he quickly looked away and started heading inside. “Come along then.”

-----

 They ended up finding some of Ford’s old clothes in the back of Stan’s closet - or really Ford’s, seeing as Stan was sleeping in his old room. Ford would be lying if he said the old clothes didn’t bring back a lot of memories. Studying in college, researching Gravity Falls, running around in the woods chasing one anomaly or another. His old red turtleneck was in the best shape of all of them – aside from one of his old button ups, but that wouldn’t cover his tattoo. And there was no way he was going to let Stan see that. He was also grateful that his old coat was still in decent shape. In some ways, Ford clothes seemed to have aged better than Stan. Though there was a small hole in one of the arms of the turtleneck, and his old boots seemed to be permanently stained with mud, but it was better than the state of the clothes he had been living in for…he couldn’t even remember how long.

Despite saying he only needed new clothes, Ford had found himself insisting on a shower as well. Mostly because he needed more time to get his thoughts together. Though, he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t also itching get well and truly cleaned up. Sure, he’d had access to a shower in the parallel dimension – Fiddleford had seen to that – but that seemed like ages ago, and any time he encountered Bill, he felt far dirtier than he should.

Once clean, Ford made his way back into the hallway. Despite it being his house, the entire structure felt like a completely different place than he remembered. It no longer felt like home.

“That’s better. You look like a nerd again.”

Ford glanced over to see Stan standing in front of a mirror, a smirk on his face. Walking over, he looked in the mirror. And for the first time since he got back, he really got a look at himself and Stan. Side by side. They still looked the same – aside from differences in their hairstyle and…body shape. However, there was still that one glaring difference that once again reminded Ford of how long it had been since they’d been in the same room together: their age.

“Look at us. When did we become old men?”

Looking at Stan, Ford couldn’t help but be struck by another realization. “You look like Dad.”

“Ugh, uck, don't say that.” Stan made a face, looking at Ford and laughing.

For a moment, the connection that Ford had felt earlier came back, and he found himself laughing with his brother. But as before, it died as quickly as it came. As reality struck him once again. It was time to fill Stan in on the next steps. The ones that Ford had fought with himself over in the shower.

Letting out a sigh, Ford reminded himself of all that had happened. Not only returning – which in and of itself created a mess that was far more dangerous than Stan seemed to realize - but all that Stan had done while he was gone. Taking his name, his house, his life.

“Okay, Stanley, here's the deal. You can stay here for the summer to watch the kids. I'll stay down in the basement and try to contain any remaining damage. But when the summer's over, you give me my house back, you give me my name back, and this Mystery Shack junk is over forever. You got it?”

“You really aren't gonna thank me, are you?”

Anger flared up again in Ford’s chest. Thank Stan? For the mess he made? It took all his control not to snap at his brother again. So much for the time to himself helping him keep his cool. However, he did manage to hold his tongue.

Stan’s questioning look died, replaced by anger of his own. “Fine. On one condition: you stay away from the kids; I don't want them in danger.”

Stepping forward, Stan poked Ford’s chest, resulting in him having to lean back as Stan accused him of being the danger when Stan was the one that had put everyone in danger.

But Stan’s insensitivity wasn’t over as he continued. “Cause as far as I'm concerned, they're the only family I have left.”

After years in the multiverse, Ford was used to keeping his emotions in check, however, he still felt the sting of the comment as it penetrated deep into his heart. Thankfully, he managed to hide the pain, burying it underneath a layer of anger. After all, Stan was the one who had caused this mess, not him. Still, as he heard his brother’s footsteps on the stairs, the smallest hint of sadness wormed its way into Ford’s chest.

For a moment, he was looking at both of them in the mirror again. Twins who hadn’t seen each other in decades. Brothers who had once been best friends. Swallowing hard, Ford shoved the pain down as far as he could. He didn’t have time to dwell on those emotions. He had an interdimensional portal to check on, and make sure no one could ever use again. But despite his resolve, Ford found that he couldn’t make the pain go away completely. Just like he hadn’t been able to dispose of it all those years in the multiverse, when he’d wondered how his brother was doing. And if, by some strange miracle, he’d ever see him again. But those past wonderings were nothing like what had just happened, what was now his reality.

Letting out a sigh, Ford shook his head. He didn’t have time to dwell on his feelings, he needed to focus on his work. At least he had a goal that he could hone in on. Having a purpose had kept him sane for thirty years. It had given him something to focus on instead of the torrent of emotions running around in his mind. Hopefully this new goal would help him with these emotions as well.

One day at a time. That was all he could do. Get through each day until the summer was over and things could go back to normal – though he wasn’t entirety sure what normal was any more. No matter, that was a problem for another time. For now, he would cling to that future, the hope that some semblance of normal would return come the end of summer. It might be an uncertain thing, but right now it was the only one he had the energy to hold on to. So, he got to work.

[enchantedchocolatebars]

The Zombie Outbreak Part 3 of 3 [The Bad Ending] Part 1 and 2 are here (part 1) and here (part 2)

(This fic is canon divergent. It’s also based on this headcanon)

The morning of November 1 meant one thing for the town of Gravesfield: the zombie apocalypse was finally over.

With the rise of the early sun over the horizon, its golden petals spreading out into the rich blue sky, the undead were still shuffling around town, dragging their rotting limbs as groans of pain emanted from their throats.

The lives of the walking dead were drawing to a close.

As they became more and more sluggish, the monsters’ movement became increasingly slow until they stopped and finally met their inevitable end.

Once the last zombie took its final breath and the townspeople were certain that it was safe to leave their homes and shops, they did so.

Despite their once neat town now being in utter ruins from the outbreak, surviving the night and witnessing another beautiful morning brought relief and joy to the citizens of Gravesfield.

Several individuals continued to smile as they began to breathe in the fresh air.

The Lord’s kindness was truly a blessing to them.

…

The town’s natural state was slowly being restored as shops were beginning to reopen and the town’s female residents were cleaning up the zombie decay that laid around the area, while the male residents did their part to help by burying the dead zombie bodies back in their burial locations.

“Bye, bye, Mr. Zombie!” A peppy Pip farewelled the flesh-eating being laying lifeless in the open hole that his father had dug up as Caleb, who was holding the brown sack with the severed zombie hand inside it, tossed it into the hole.

“See you next year!” He giggled.

Cadman, their father, then proceeded to cover the hole with dirt until it was completely filled.

After setting aside his shovel, Cadman sent his two boys a fatherly smile as he knelt down to ruffle their hair, causing them to smile and chuckle.

He was proud of them for being brave yesterday, just like any good father would be.

…

“Oh, Mother!” Little Philip beamed in a bright, cheery voice as he was the first to enter his home, with Caleb and Cadman entering as well.

“We’re home!” He happily announced.

The aroma of food coming from the kitchen brought him a wider smile as he sprinted towards it.

Caleb and Cadman follow him, and they both smile as they smell the air.

…

“Everyone, where were you… ?”

Patience Wittebane asked the male members in her family, her sweet voice filled with motherly concern and slight frustration as she cooked, but she didn’t turn around.

“You three were supposed to return home hours ago…” She huffed, wanting an answer.

“Sorry, mother,” Caleb replied with a sincere apology, still smiling.

“Father had taken us to all the shops in town.”

It was their reward for being such brave boys.

“Yeah!” Philip gleefully agreed with his brother.

“A zombie head rolled into one of the shops we were in! I wanted to bring it home so I could show it to you, but father said no,” Philip stated with a pout, which made his father laugh.

“But I did get to bring this!” The brunette happily pulled out a frog from behind his back.

“It’s a frog!”

“Oh, you brought a frog home, did you… ?” His mother’s voice was oddly dark and ominous when she said that.

Pip took a frightened step back when he saw a dark glow form around her body.

“M-Mother?” He whimpered softly.

Witnessing this made Caleb and Cadman frightened as well, and they both froze in place.

Something wasn’t right.

…

When Patience slowly turned around to face her family, they were in utter shock by her terrifying appearance, their breaths all caught in their throats.

They were at a lost for words.

Even Mason Munderburker, the name Philip had given to his frog, let out a scared croak when he saw Patience as he shivered in fear in his owner's grasp.

His wife's / their mother's once beautiful brown eyes were now lifeless and colored blueish-white with blood around the lines, and her fair skin was now ashen and blotchy as a deep groan left her throat.

She was now among the living dead.

"I hope you’re all hungry," Patience began with a chilling hum as she slowly approached Philip, Caleb, and Cadman.

They in turn backed away slowly, their blood running cold.

Tears began to form in the corners of Little Philip and Caleb's eyes at their mother's zombified state.

"Because dinner is ready. And by "dinner", I mean all of YOU!"

She shouts and swiftly lunges at them, which causes them to scream as the entire atmosphere quickly cuts to black.

In the darkness, the words "The End" are eerily written in cursive blood with Patience's sinister laughter echoing in the background.

[yourlocalartsonist]

ROTTMNT Moths Fly In Packs - Chapter Four

A/N: Hello I have returned with yet another chapter for y'all to feed on! I am lowkey so happy the fanfic's going on for so long cuz I have a history of abandoning projects after like the third chapter, so clearly tis a sign I might actually keep this fic long running for years and years to come :D I know I have a lot of ideas for it so I'm def taking a few years on this one but oh well I'm having fun. Hope you guys like this one, tidepod duo is one of my favs and I got to implement some of my own lore bits here and there and foreshadow certain things... Also can y'all believe the Hidden City Zoo was mentioned in one of the episodes but we never got to actually see it like fuck u Nickelodeon, now I'm forced to write a self-indulgent fanfic so my brain can finally rest >:( But yee tell me your fav parts if y'all feel like it <3

Also! Credit to: @sweaterrat for being my beloved beta reader, and my irl friend "The Leo Hater Reading a Leo Fanfic" for inspiring some quotes~

*Phuphu means "paternal aunt" in Bangla

Next Chapter

Previous Chapter

Chapter One

Disclaimer: Chapter involves themes of abusive family, mention of death, violence, and curse words. If you're sensitive to that stuff, scroll past and stay safe!

“Remember we’ll be back by nine, this place better be spotless or you’re staying up and making sure it is!”

“I know Phuphu*, I’ve got it. You and Meeta just enjoy your day.”

My aunt called for her daughter who was still at the mirror adjusting how she looked, smoothening out her patterned gold dress and putting any flyaway strands back in place. They were both going to a birthday party for one of my aunt’s friend’s sister’s brother-in-law’s son and, as usual, I wasn’t invited. Instead, I got tasked with keeping the apartment in check while they’re gone in case there’s an explosion or something. They never give me a better reason. 

“Hurry up child, we’re going to be late!”

“Mommy you’re the one who always says beauty takes time.” 

Meeta took one last look in the mirror and joined her mom at the door.

“Well, don’t you look stunning!”

“Um, of course I do? Have I ever not looked perfect?” There it is, my ever so humble cousin. I mean don’t get me wrong I admire her confidence, just crosses a line when she starts putting others down for not looking as good as her. And by others I mostly mean me.

But regardless, it was true. Meeta did look stunning all day everyday. She’s only fifteen but still considered the beauty of our family, especially to our relatives outside America. Tall, dark eyes, milky skin. Shiny black hair done up in a tight bun. Meeta takes great care to always look picture perfect.

I waved goodbye as they left for the party. It did feel a little bad, never getting to tag along and join them anywhere. But then again, eight years of technically being in debt to my aunt didn’t exactly leave any respect for me so parties are the least of my concerns. She acts as if not yelling at me for one minute would end with tragedy just because she’s letting me stay here for free. My only form of compensation: taking care of the house. Cleaning, shopping, running errands, all that jazz. It’s either that or a job so I chose household chores, it’s got more perks.

Like getting to choose my own schedule! As always, I was told ahead of time that they’d be out today so while my aunt and Meeta were sleeping last night, I got the majority of the cleaning done (with the exception of their rooms, of course). I asked Jaiden if we could hang out today and miraculously they agreed so I had to make sure today's cleaning would take no more than an hour, even if that sacrificed a little bit of sleep yesterday. All I’ve gotta do now is just some light sweeping. Totally worth it in my opinion.

Soon after I was done, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket and saw it was a call from Jaiden. Fumbling with the buttons I eventually managed to answer.

“Jaiden? Are you out already? Give me like ten minutes I’ll-”

“I can’t make it.”

Wait, what? “Wh-what do you mean?”

“I can’t make it today, something came up. I just wanted to quickly call you and let you know.”

Beep!

They hung up.

My heart sank thinking about their words. Something came up? I’ve been so excited to hang out with Jaiden all day and now something came up? We already haven’t spent much time together lately. They don’t talk as much at school and stopped responding to my texts. I got worried I did something wrong but every time I’d gain the courage to ask they’d just say they were low on energy and I’d accept that answer because what else could I do? After all of this time of practically begging them, I finally got them to agree on making plans in hopes we could talk and now today of all days something just happened to come up? 

I sighed and quickly returned to rationality. It must be a last minute situation, I mean they barely even called for a minute. Probably something important or maybe a parent randomly said no. Jaiden did say their parents are a bit flip-floppy. Either way, no point in getting mad at Jaiden, it’s not in their control. I begrudgingly shoved my phone back in my pocket and paced around the house trying to entertain myself. I’ve already cleaned every nook and cranny I could bullshit into justifying as a mess so that’s not an option. I don’t really have any inspiration to work on my art or writing either. 

I went into my room and flopped on the bed. 

Ugh, this sucks! It’s only three pm, I still have so many hours to kill. Maybe I should just take a nap. 

Before I could try to doze off to dreamland, a sound forced my eyes back open.

A knock? At my window?

But when I stuck my head outside no one was there. So either the wind was being a little bitch or I’m so depressed I’m hallucinating. I groaned and was about to go back to bed but, the very second I turned my back, two voices shouted in unison before I got tackled to the ground. 

“Surprise attack!”

My poor back stung against the hard floor as the two mutant idiots curled around me. 

“Leo, Mikey! I missed you guys! But, um, I do still need to breathe.” 

We sat up, still on the floor and my soul eventually returned to my body. 

Mikey flashed a vibrant grin “So, whatcha doing? Any plans or are you free today!? Please say you’re free!”

“Oh, I am now, I guess. I was supposed to hang out with a friend but they canceled last minute so my day just about cleared up.”

“Aww sorry to hear that Salena.” And he’s back to hugging. I’d be more annoyed if Mikey didn’t give such great hugs, he’s as soft as a sponge. “But, on the bright side, that means you can come hang out with us now! Leo and I were planning on going to a zoo and-”

“A ZOO!?” 

Am I dreaming because holy daze it feels like I am! I could barely contain my giddy giggles the entire walk over. 

“I’ve always wanted to go to a zoo literally my entire life! Getting up close and personal with all the amazing different animals! I mean don’t get me wrong, books are great but it’d be so different to see one in person! I feel like I’d get carried away and go inside the enclosure, though, but that’s fine! Just the usual intrusive thoughts and stuff!” 

“Hey Salena, love the enthusiasm and it’s really great to see you so happy but, maybe you should save your energy for when we actually get there?”

“Sorry! I’m just so excited!”

“Yeah, I had a feeling you’d enjoy this.” He smiled and turned back to Mikey. “Hey Angelo, we there yet?”

“Yepperoni! Just give it a sec and let the Master of Mystic Arts do his thing.” Mystic arts?

He held out his hands and they started glowing. Contrasting with the neon blue I’m used to seeing, a portal opened up in sunset colors. 

“Guys, am I missing something? Why are we opening a portal?” I glanced over at Leo for some answers only to be met by his stupid amused smirk.

“So, we may have hidden a tiny little detail about this zoo trip.”

“Damn, you don’t say?” 

Mikey, the only thing between me and the glowing mystery hole, stepped off to the side. “We weren’t just gonna go to any regular zoo. We’re going to the Hidden City Zoo!”

Hidden City? Oh wait, that’s the place Raph talked about, the reason why there were so many Yōkai near my house! This is probably one of the gateways to it? I leaned in a bit closer, a little more cautious than usual. It sounded thrilling to explore the Hidden City but a zoo? What kind of animals could a mutant zoo have? 

“Um, we’re not gonna get immediately mauled death by some crazy rabid mutant lion or something, right?”

“Dunno. Only one way to find out!”

“What.”

The blue bastard pushed me through without hesitation as my poor knees made contact with the hard, rocky surface on the other side. I thought of letting my violent desires get the better of me for a minute. Until... 

The new world in front of me left me starstruck.

The sky painted in various hues of pink and gold, an enormous entrance built on seafoam-colored stone displaying the words Hidden City Zoo. Peeking inside it only got better, the place was littered with wild and wacky creatures I’ve never even dreamed could exist! And in the distance, I think I can make out a rollercoaster?

It seems like Mikey’s in just as much awe as I am “Omigosh look at how big it is! And it has an amusement park nearby? This place is even cooler than I thought!”

“Dudes, what’d I tell you, this was totally a great idea! Ugh, I should’ve gone here last time instead of that stupid spa.”

“Why didn’t you just go after the spa?”

“Oh cause we all got thrown in jail. A dumb bird and an evil wig framed me for theft so that kinda took up the whole day.”

“But Dad and I bailed them out and saved the day! Who’s the best turtle now Leon~” 

A giggle escaped my lips “The fact that I’m not even surprised. Now c’mon, enough blabbering, we gotta go explore!” 

A mutant zoo is somehow exactly what I expected it to be but also completely different at the same time. Most of these guys look like regular animals, just bigger and louder. But a few others actually reminded me of more traditional Yōkai I saw in a book about Japanese folklore. I remember Mom used to hate how interested I was in it, which was pretty strange since she herself was Japanese. That was the only thing I ever knew of her heritage. She kept trying to tell me Yōkai knowledge was useless and I’d have way more fun learning about real animals instead. Unfortunately for her, my curiosity was not one to be quenched so I simply ended up learning about both. 

I looked at one of the bear Yōkai, they’re called onikuma I think. We made eye contact and either I need to get my vision checked or it just smiled at me. Weren’t these supposed to be wild animals? Come to think of it actually, the more Yōkai-looking creatures resembled the mutants outside the zoo enclosures more than the ones inside. You know, the guys walking around on two feet wearing clothes and taking pictures on their phones the same way we were and are very obviously not wild animals. 

“Whatcha writing, Salena?” the tangerine looked over my shoulder while I was typing on my notes app.

“Oh, just trying to learn a bit more about these guys. I don’t know why but something just feels-” 

Before I could finish my sentence, my stomach chose violence sending a sharp pain through my body as it rumbled louder than a whale call. 

“Oh yeah, I forgot to eat today.”

“You do that too?”

Mikey let out a dramatically loud gasp “What is wrong with y’all? How can anyone forget to eat? We’re getting food right now.”

“Chillax Mikey, I’ll be fine! We can wait a little-”

“Don’t make me go Doctor Delicate Touch on you.”

“N-Nevermind.”

We were unwillingly dragged by the terrifying midget to a food booth nearby. I mean, it’s not too bad honestly, the food in the Hidden City is way better than in New York. We got a super delicious burger packed with juicy meat, creamy cheese, tomatoes that actually taste like something, and… worm fries. I avoided that last delicacy but Leo seemed to enjoy it. Mikey on the other hand wrote down every tiny detail while rambling to himself the whole time. 

“Don’t mind him, Mikey loves to cook. Sometimes he tries remaking recipes of any food we liked outside.”

“Ahem, I don’t just recreate them, I improve them!”  

I looked at the giant burger in my hands amazed at Mikey’s confidence. “You want to improve this? This is literally the best burger I’ve ever had in my life! How could you top this?”

“Yeah, Miguel, you sure you’re good enough for this one?” He glared as Leo playfully stuck out his tongue. 

“You’ll just have to wait and be impressed! But on another note, how’re you doing Salena? Enjoying the day so far?”

“Enjoying doesn’t even begin to describe it! Everything is so cool here! I’ve always wanted to go to a zoo like this. I bugged my parents about it a lot when I was younger but we never had enough money for the tickets and stuff. They promised they’d take me one day but…” They died before they could. 

I never realized how I completely forgot about that. Life got so busy that getting upset over zoos seemed too silly to do anymore.

I snapped back to reality feeling the boys’ eyes on me.

“Sorry, sorry! I didn’t mean to ruin the mood-”

They hugged me. 

“It’s a good thing we took you here then!”

“Yeah, consider it a thank you gift for Mr. and Mrs. Moni.”

This feels… warm. And familiar? It’s a hug. I’ve hugged plenty of people. But those hugs felt different. I feel so small right now and that’s strangely a good thing. Everything is warm and cozy and a little dreamy. 

I think the last time a hug felt like this was when my parents were still here.

The rest of the day went by delightfully. We took a stupid amount of pictures - mostly because Leo wanted to boast to Raph and Donnie later - and Mikey even dragged us on to a few of the rides at the amusement park. The mood felt a little softer than before. I’m not entirely used to it but I honestly don’t mind.

But as usual, the pleasantly chill vibe can never last for too long. A loud crash grabbed our attention towards one of the exhibits where a bunch of employees were scrambling around with cages in their arms. Mikey managed to stop one of them mid-panic to ask what’s going on.

“Something broke the glass and now they all escaped!”

I caught Leo inspecting the broken glass. Following his eyes, they landed on what seemed to be a giant crab claw. He quickly noticed the two culprits in the distance frolicking around in acrobat uniforms and groaned. “Ugh, I think I know who that something was.”

“Who are those guys?”

“The Sando brothers. We just can’t enjoy a single day of peace can we?” Mikey grit his teeth with a murderous glint in his eyes. Like I said, soft as a sponge. Just when he’s mad, he’s as soft as a sponge left out too long without water.

The employee was focused more on the escaped critters and rushed off before we could ask anything else. “They’ll wreck everything! We need to catch them before they wreck everything!”

“Hey wait! What animal got loose!?”

I squinted at the label trying to read the small text, immediately filled with dread now understanding everyone’s panic. One of the raccoon-sized demons hissed to my right, preparing to pounce.

“Uh, guys? This was a shrew enclosure!”

“A what enclosure?”

“Duck!” 

“Wha- GAH!” It would seem I managed to avoid it at the expense of traumatizing the blueberry. “GET IT OFF ME! GET IT OFF ME!”

Mikey kicked the shrew off revealing poor Leo’s scratched up and terrified face. “Why are they so violent!?”

“They’re shrews, that’s their job! But they’re usually no bigger than a human palm, I can’t believe ooze could supersize them that much.” I quickly wrote down the new info on my phone as Mikey helped Leo up.

“Leo, what’s the plan?”

He looked at the crabs while dusting himself off “We should probably take care of the circus clowns before they destroy anything else. What do ya say, Angelo? Think you can keep up with professional acrobats?”

“You know I can! Cowabunga!”

“Wait! What do I do?” 

“Oh, Mikey and I can take care of this. You don’t wanna just lay low till we’re back?”

“And let you two hog all the fun? I thought you knew me better than that.”

He softly chuckled “Right, adrenaline junkie, how could I forget?” He looked at the several mutant shrews raging havoc all over the place “Well, we could use someone to help catch the… shrews right? You seem to know a bunch about them. Maybe you could help make sure they don’t destroy the whole place.”

My eyes lit up “You got it chief!” 

“If you need any help, holler!” 

I went over to the employees. Some of them were still trying to capture the tiny devils while a few others were getting a mystic wall ready where the glass broke, I’m assuming to temporarily keep them in. I’ll need a plan to get all the shrews in there. Mindlessly chasing around already proved to be a fail. 

I know I definitely read about this before. Shrews are carnivorous, they like eating things like snails and slugs but those were the regular-sized shrews. What could I feed these giants?

Think, think, think. There’s gotta be something around here I can bait them with…

“Wait! The burgers! Of course!”

I bolted inside a kitchen and scanned around for any giant clumps of meat.

“Hey, kid! Who are you, what are you even doing here?” 

“Sorry, I’m in a hurry. Shrew problems.” 

“What?”

I looked past the confused guy and saw what I was looking for. Shoving down my guilt, I grabbed a bunch of bacon patties and ran out the kitchen. 

“Hey!”

“I’m sorry, it’s a necessary sacrifice!”

Back outside, I found a shrew and waved one of the patties, catching its attention. 

“Over here, buddy!” Usually, thin bacon strips would be enough to lure them but I figured giant meat circles were more appropriate for these guys.

Once I got it close enough to the enclosure, I threw the patty in letting the shrew jump after it, getting trapped behind the transparent magic wall. One by one, all the menace mice were eventually recaptured. Not gonna lie, I’m still a little surprised it actually worked. 

“Salena, look out!” 

I dodged to Mikey’s instruction just in time for another giant crab claw to fly bullet-speed past me getting absorbed into the wall. It would seem mystic glass can’t really be broken, good thing too since the shrews escaping again would’ve broken my will to live alongside it. 

Unfortunately, I spent too long collecting myself and got snatched up by the back of my shirt, now facing the presumed Sando brothers.

“Look Carl, it’s the gross little human that keeps ruining our plan!” 

“Ha! Look at it swing!”

“Put me down you bald red freak!”

He suddenly looked at me in pain as if my dream of breaking his dumb claws open had actually come true “B-bald?..”

“Did you just call my brother bald!?”

“I can’t believe that’s the part you’re focused on.”

“I… I used to be so beautiful with my luscious long locks before I got turned into this! You still got to keep your hair, why was life so cruel to me!?” The red nuisance began pouring a waterfall of tears.

“See what you did!? Now you made him cry! Hey, it’s alright Ben, that human doesn’t know beauty when they see it.” Are you serious.

“You’re right! We should do something awful to it! Something that’ll make them regret calling me bald!”

“Yeah like!.. Like…”

“Ooh, I know! We should eat it!” 

“DUDE! Why is that the first thing you think of!?”

A familiar taunting voice joined in the conversation “Lame! You guys are so awful at plans, no wonder you got outsmarted by a regular ol’ human!” I’d be offended if I wasn’t preoccupied with my confusion. 

“Excuse me!? Did you just call my brother lame!?”

“Why does the universe hate me today!?”

“I’d like to see you idiots do any better!”

“Oh-ho we could do so much better, right Mikey?”

“What are you guys-”

“Duh! I mean there are rollercoasters everywhere and they didn’t even realize higher ground would speed things up by a trillion.”

HUH!? “No no no no no no! We do not need to go higher ground!”

“Hey come to think of it, Mike, dropping someone from a high place is a pretty heinous thing to do, too. Way worse than eating them.”

“OH YOU TWO ARE SO DEAD IF I’M NOT!”

“Ben, they actually have a point.”

“Y-yeah they kinda do… Welp doesn’t matter if we take credit for it, anyway! See ya later, jerks!”

They jumped onto the coaster as I helplessly awaited my fate, praying the dumbass turtles had some sort of plan and didn’t just use me as live bait for the crab monsters. 

“Look down at your death tiny pest! I bet it’d take you days just to finally hit the ground!”

“Woah, you really think we’re that high up, Ben?”

“Yeah! Or actually, no not really, I think it’ll only take like a minute or something.”

“Really? That doesn’t sound as cool. Should we go higher ground-”

“UGH! Why does it matter, I’m dead either way you buffoons!”

“Oh yeah, good point.” He let go of me and off I was screaming as I fall to my doom.

But just above me, a pair of chains wrapped around the rollercoaster and snapped it like a stick, sending idiot crab men falling down with me. Still in shock, I didn’t notice the blue katana fly by, teleporting a smirking turtle just in time to catch me. 

“Leo?”

“Missed me?~” He drew his blade mid-air and opened a portal landing us to safety. 

“You didn’t think we actually ditched you, did you?”

“Aha, I was starting to…”

I looked past his shoulder towards the sound of Mikey’s hyper yelps.

“It’s mystic time, baby!” I gawked as the orange portal, just like the one from earlier today, opened up swallowing the terrified acrobats and sending them to who knows where. 

“Mikey can open portals, too!?”

“Don’t tell me you thought there was a gateway to the Hidden City directly outside the zoo.”

“Actually, yeah I kinda did.”

Mikey walked over pressing against the glass wall between us. Wait, glass? Where even are we?

“Leo, Salena! Are you guys okay?”

“Don’t worry, little brother, we’re perfectly fine. We just gotta get out here.”

“Uh…L-Leo!” He followed my frightened gaze to the giant mutant bullfrogs behind us. 

“So that’s what the glass was for.”

“RUN!”

I grabbed his hand and started sprinting away from the green enemy, making sure to dodge the enormous pink tongue currently hunting us.

“You know, for someone who supposedly failed gym, you’re pretty light on your feet.”

I furrowed my brows, more towards his accusation than his inappropriately relaxed smirk “I did fail gym! You’re just lucky dodgeball’s the only sport I’m good at.”

We hid behind a nearby rock, gasping and trying to catch our breaths.

“Man, of all the places you could’ve picked, why’d you portal us here?”

“Hey, it’s not like I meant to! My portals mess up when I panic.”

“You were panicking?”

He looked just as surprised as I did “Ah-”

“Guys! Are you dead?!” his comms let out Mikey’s panicked voice.

“We’re okay, Mikey. Just resting for a bit.”

“Oh good. Cause uh, THE COPS ARE HERE! WE’VE GOTTA MOVE!”

“The cops? Eugh boy.”

“Wait why is that a bad thing? Does the Hidden City not have Good Samaritan laws or something?”

He laughed and rubbed the back of his neck “So uh, remember the whole ‘us getting thrown into jail’ thing? Yeah, we may or may not still be wanted criminals for that whole shebang.”

“You said you got bailed out!”

“I never said legally!”

“Oh my god.”

He peeked from behind the rock, making eye contact with Mikey still waiting for us outside the enclosure.

“Okay, I’ve got an idea but we’ve gotta make a run for it. You ready to leave the zoo?”

“Yeah, I think I’ve had enough mutant mayhem for one day.”

We raced past the mutant frog. Leo swung his sword one last time, creating a portal, and shoved it so it reached both sides of the glass barrier. The three of us dove in as it closed behind, falling back to a soft carpeted floor. 

I rubbed my head and looked around “My room… M-My room! Omigosh we made it guys, we’re alive!” 

Mikey and Leo were a little less celebratory than I thought they’d be. 

“Sorry for dragging you into a fight, Salena. Again. Man, that’s the second time that’s happened. Which, I guess it isn’t a lot, but still weird it happened twice.”

“Ugh, this was supposed to be a fun, relaxing trip to the zoo. I can’t believe those stupid crab jerks showed up and ruined it.”

I had no idea they’d be so dejected over this. 

“Who said anything about ruined?” They looked at me puzzled by my unfazed smile.

“Did you hit your head or something? We should check for injuries. Leo-”

“No, guys, I’m fine! Really!”

“You almost died twice today and you think that wouldn’t ruin anything?”

“Okay, yeah, that would’ve been inconvenient if I did, but I didn’t! I mean, come on! Think about literally everything else that happened! My first ever zoo and we just so happened to save it from disaster that exact same day? Guys, this was amazing!” I let myself breathe a bit, feeling the adrenaline calm down. “Life’s been so much better ever since I met you.”

Leo stared at me silently while Mikey caved into his emotions. “That’s it, I can’t take it anymore! Group hug!” 

The teary tangerine pulled us in. For a while, we all stayed like that, cuddled on the floor. Warm, cozy, and comfortable. As weirdly thrilling as the danger was, I think the hugs were still my favorite part about today. 

I would’ve loved to just enjoy it a bit longer but my phone alarm rang, the one I always set to be an hour before my oh so beloved family returned.

“You better go. I don’t think my aunt would be very happy with two random turtles in my room.”

After our goodbyes, I happily jumped into bed ready for some quiet downtime. I guess even though I didn’t get to hang out with the person I initially planned to, today might have turned out better this way. I opened up Instagram and started scrolling and catching up on everything else in the world. A YouTuber posted a new video, a couple and their cat went on vacation, an artist opened up commissions. All in all, seemed to be a pleasant day for everyone else, too. 

My thumb paused. A new post from Zane. They were pictures from a party he went to today, seemed like he had fun.

I got to the last picture on his post. My eyes went wide, staying glued to the person next to him. Heavy eyes. Dark hair straightened into a ponytail.

I felt my stomach doing flips realizing who it was. 

“Jaiden?”

Next Chapter

[melilovesghost]

Hello again, super duper sorry for how late this is, I didn't get it finished in time for yesterday and then something happened that made it so I couldn't finish it yesterday either, but hopefully this ones so good it'll make up for the lateness, and today's actual one too, I can't wait to write it up. Prompt list by @kroas-adtam as always. This one is still based on the wattpad fic "It's A Long Way Down" by JamieStark445 but it's a bit more loosely based. Enjoy!!

Day 4 - Table and Tempreture Play

The full moon is in 2 days, and Ifrit will be damned (as if he wasn't already) if he doesn't get the one he wants. His favourite little toy. Ifrit stalks the halls, sniffing out his scent, until be can smell that he's near. He hides behind a corner as he spy's on the ghoul, waiting for him to turn the corner allowing him to pounce. The unsuspecting ghoul does so, leaving Ifrit to drag him into a storage closet. "Wha-" you hear as the noise is cut off buy the closet door being slammed shut.

"What the fu-" The ghoul starts before being shut up by Ifrits lips meeting his. "You're mine again, little dewdrop" Ifrit said seductively as he went to mark the unsuspecting ghoul for the duration of the moon. "All mine". Ifrit's teeth sunk into the water ghoul as he moaned. Dew could feel the heat rising in the larger ghoul, he had a slight feeling that Ifrit wasn't going to wait until the full moon to slut him out. Ifrit placed one last kiss on the water ghouls lips before leaving the closet, leaving the smaller ghoul in a state of shock, trying to process what just happened.

Later on, at dinner, Ifrit couldn't take his eyes off the small water ghoul, catching the attention of everyone else sat round the table. "Got him again did ya Frit?" Omega teased. "Of course I did, the little slut knows he's mine and only mine" Ifrit said, whilst looking Dew directly in the eyes, with a smirk. Dew choked on his food from this abs exused himself from the table for a short while to recover, and to try and hide his increasing boner. A short whole later he sheepishly returned to the dinner table, making sure to keep his eyes away from Ifrit. After the meal, Ifrit went after Dew and grabbed his wrists, pinning him to the wall. "Deciding to ignore me are you? Can't take the heat?" Ifrit teased. Dew couldn't form words, he could only make a pleading hum. Ifrit looked down at Dew's pants, noticing a rising bulge. "Oh look the poor little water ghouls horny for me already. Shame the full moon is still two nights away isn't it? I'm not sure you can wait that long." Ifrit continued to tease as Dew got harder. He could only shake his head in response to the fire ghoul, completely submitting to him. "Aww what a shame, poor you" Ifrit teased once again, letting go of the water ghouls wrists and beginning to walk away, causing Dew to whimper from the lack of contact. He longed for Ifrit's touch. He needed him.

In the common room the ghouls were playing a game of uno, but all Dew could do was look at Ifrit. He needed to feel that ghouls touch. Everyone noticed this, of course, eventually causing Alpha to shout "Satan get a room you two, Dew all you've done the entire game is stare at Ifrit" Dew just looked at the ground in response to hide his embarrassed blush. "Come on then Dewy, let's go" Ifrit said, grabbing Dew harshly by the hand and dragging him away to his room. Dew could feel himself getting hard as he was being dragged away. He was so ready for Ifrit. He wanted him so bad.

As soon as the door shut behind them Dew pounced straight on Ifrit, attempting to kiss him, only for Ifrit to push him away. "Ah ah ah Dewy boy, I didn't bring you in here to fuck you, I just brought you in here since you seemed to have forgotten how to act infront of other ghouls. You couldn't stop looking at me, so now that's all you're going to do. No touching though, and that includes yourself. Everytime you try to touch me or yourself you'll get burned, okay Dewy?" Dews face began to frown. He couldn't hold himself back but he didn't want to get burned either. Then Ifrit began to strip. This sent Dew over the edge. Hoping, Ifrit wouldn't notice as he was taking his clothes off, he began to touch himself through his trousers. He got away with it for a few seconds until he accidentally let out a moan. He immediately clapped his hands to his mouth, hoping Ifrit didn't hear it. He did. Obviously. "I think I remember saying that includes yourself Dew." Ifrit spoke, glaring at him. "Don't think I wasn't kidding when I said you'll get burned" and with that he flung a small fireball at Dew, hitting his right hand. Dew winced in pain as it scolded his skin. "That'll learn ya"

Eventually, Ifrit was completely naked and laid sexily on the bed. Dews face showed how badly he wanted to touch him, to feel him, but he knew he couldn't unless he wanted to feel the burn. His dick was so hard it was like his trousers were going to burst open. Dew kept making sounds of resistance from the desperation he felt. Ifrit stayed like that for 30m, before finally speaking. "You've been such a good boy Dew, now go back to your room, but you better not touch yourself, save all that for the moon, its just 2 more nights, and we're already partially into one of them." Dew solemnly went back to his room, fighting the urge to touch himself.

The next day passed and Dew was going crazy. He NEEDED Ifrit. All he could do was stare at him. All. Day. Ifrit kept smirking and winking at him, teasing him throughout the day. The burning rule still applied and it was killing the poor water ghoul. Everytime he tried to do something he was shot with a small fireball. The water ghoul just couldn't take it anymore. That night he lay awake. It took everything in him not to touch himself. "This time tomorrow I'll be getting fucked so hard I won't be able to walk" he thought, smiling to himself from the thought of it.

The next day Dew was excited. Tonight was the night he got Ifrit all to himself. He was so ready for him. Everytime he saw Ifrit he smiled at him with a look of longing. At this point noone cared about how obsessed Dew was with Ifrit, they all had their own partners for the night. Time was ticking by and Dew was getting needier and needier. He was constantly looking at Ifrit for approval to when they can begin. The sun was finally starting to set, and Dew couldn't take it anymore, it's close enough right? Or so he thought. Right as he reached his hand up to touch Ifrits chest he was hit with another fireball. He growled in response, from pain, anger and pure desperation. "Fuck Ifrit I can't take it any more, please fuck me, please, please" he begged, whimpering. "The moon is set to rise in an hour, I want to be at full potential when my cock is inside you, tearing you apart" Ifrit responded. "Please Ifrit, I can't take it any longer" Dew pleaded, tears were streaming down his face at this point. It was torture.

Finally, the moon had risen and both ghouls could feel it. "Right then Dew, I think it's time" Dew moaned loudly just from the thought, dick immediately hardening. "Please Ifrit, just fuck me, no teasing, no foreplay, no nothing. I need you so fucking bad" Dew was already begging and they hadn't even begun yet. What a slut. Ifrit being the ghoul he wanted to draw this out for as long as possible just to torture the poor water ghoul. The best part about full moons is that ghouls can cum as many times as they like. Ifrit was thankful for this rule, as with Dew's desperation he had a strong feeling he will have cum before he can get his clothes off. Ifrit slowly started unbuttoning his tops, causing Dew to growl and start doing it for him, only for him to get burned once again. "Ah ah ah, don't think that just because the moon's out that you can touch all you like, you've still got to be a patient little pup. Just watch me strip, appreciate my body." Dew was physically drooling at this point. Ifrit continued to slowly remove his clothing, causing Dew to whine from lust, until he was eventually in just his boxers. "Your turn, Dewy." Ifrit ran his hands over Dew's body, making him moan and his knees to falter. He slowly started undoing the smaller ghouls buttons, revealing the "Sodomizer" tattoo that he had, further reminding Ifrit of how much of a slut the little water ghoul is. Dew was physically shaking just from Ifrit's touch. He needed the larger fire ghoul so badly it was killing him.

Once he was fully naked, Ifrit placed a long, deep kiss on Dew's mouth, making him moan loudly, going limp in Ifrit's arms. "Can, can you fuck me now, please, please Ifrit, please" the water ghoul panted, out of breath from the kiss. Ifrit knew he had teased him enough, and entered the smaller ghouls hole with no warning. The pleasure from this alone was enough to make Dew cum. "Cumming for me already are we slut?? Let's see how long you can last when I'm fucking you" and with that Ifrit started pounding mercilessly into Dew. Dew managed to grab a nearby table to keep himself up as he screamed in pleasure. Ifrit was pounding into him so hard that the table was creaking, almost as loud as the poor water ghoul was screaming. Tears were streaming down his face as Ifrit relentlessly pounded into him. He definitely wasn't going to be able to walk tomorrow. Soon after Dew reached his second climax, the tension around Ifrit making him follow shortly after. The fire ghouls cum was hot inside him, he could feel his insides burning, but it felt do good. So do good. "Don't think I'm done with you yet Dew, the night has just begun" Ifrit said as he began to pound into the water ghoul once again.

[sirowsky]

I posted 890 times in 2022

252 posts created (28%)

638 posts reblogged (72%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

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I tagged 779 of my posts in 2022

Only 12% of my posts had no tags

#pedro pascal characters - 246 posts

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Longest Tag: 126 characters

#23 when i got my first car. it was a pos ford that my dad owned before me and almost never started for him. always did for me.

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

A Little Menace 2

That didn't take me very long. Thank you guys for all the love for part 1, it was massively inspiring :)

Rating: Mature Warnings: ornithophobia (fear of birds), cursing, yearning, more improper thoughts, modern!din, din djarin x female reader, no use of y/n, no description of reader. Human boy Grogu. Word Count: 2518 Author’s Masterlist

Link to Part 1 Link to Part 3 Link to Part 4 Link to Part 5

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   Your doorbell rings at almost exactly 5pm, and you have to stop yourself from running to the hall with excitement.    Even though you’ve changed outfits five times and gone over every inch of it before settling on this one, you still check your appearance one last time in the hallway mirror, before opening the door.

   “Hi, guys!” you call out a little too loudly, your excitement spilling into the two short words and quickly overflowing. But you’ve been waiting all day and now they’re finally here, Grogu’s response being a reserved but polite smile, while Din is grinning almost as wide as you, making that pleasant warmth return to your stomach.

   “Hey. Good to see you again.” he responds softly, instantly making your knees weaken.

   “Likewise. Please, come in.” you offer, stepping aside to let them pass before closing the door behind them.

   They’re not wearing any shoes since it wasn’t exactly a long walk over, so you invite them into the living room without pause and then immediately set to work. Partly because you don’t want to give the kid enough time to start doubting whether he’ll be able to do this, and partly to distract yourself from the fact that his father smells intoxicating.    Had he trimmed his patchy little scruff of beard since yesterday? And who the fuck had told him that it was okay to wear a white Henley over those arms and chest?

   You wonder if it’s deliberate. If he knows exactly how that shirt accentuates his form and is being passively flirty. The way his jeans hug his ass and thighs makes you think yes, definitely deliberate.    Not that you ogled him while he made his way into the living room, or anything. (Yeah, right…)

   “Okay, Grogu, listen to me. I know you’re worried, but the first thing I want you to know, is that I won’t let anything bad happen to you. I promise. Do you believe me?” you ask, putting a hand on his shoulder, and he meets your eyes.

   He looks nervous, but seems to want to trust you, and after a few beats, he nods.    You take his hand and gently tug him along towards the balcony, stopping by the open door and kneeling next to him.    The feeder sits five feet above the ground, so its fully visible above the metal lower third of the glass walls that enclose the balcony, and the smaller birds are in the middle of their evening feeding routine. Another half-hour and they’ll all be gone for the day.

   However, the metal partition does hide the larger birds, hopping around on the ground, so the kid shouldn’t have to endure his worst fears on this first attempt to help him overcome his fear of them.    You don’t say anything at first, you just watch him closely, gaging his reactions and trying to learn just how frightened he is, how slow you’ll need to take this and where his hard limits are.

   “If you get really scared, just tell me and we’ll close the door, okay?” you say, and he nods slowly, keeping his eyes on the little finches, tits, thrushes, sparrows and robins, darting back and forth from the feeder.

   “See that little yellow one? That’s a yellowhammer. It actually lives about half a mile away at the edge of a big field, but because it hasn’t been a great year for grass-harvests, it’s been struggling to find enough food to feed its family. So, it comes here about three times a week to top up on quality grains.” you explain, and he follows the little bird with his eyes.

   You keep going like that for a few minutes, pointing out the different species and their characteristics until he seems perfectly at ease. Then you crawl on your hands and knees past the doorway and out onto the balcony, whispering for him to do the same, and he drops down and makes a show of being discreet and silent.    You crawl right up to the sliding door that leads out there, and he bravely follows, trusting that you won’t open it, so you take him in your arms and whisper in his ear.

   “They can’t see us through the glass, but just in case, move slowly and only peer over the edge.”

   Your conspiring tone makes him giggle, despite his nervousness, and he mirrors your movements as you slowly raise your head above the metal edge, just enough that you can see over it.    And when one of the birds turns its head towards you, you gasp theatrically.

   “Do you think it sees me?”

   He snickers and drops his head down below the edge again.

   “No, no it’s gone back to eating. It didn’t see me. Phew.” you exhale, dropping down next to him with a smile. “Do you think that’s enough for today, tough guy?”

   He nods, but still with a big grin on his face and you point towards the door, mouthing ‘go’ at him and following him when he crawls back into the apartment, where Din has taken a seat on the sofa where he could see the whole thing.    He’s smiling too, breaking into a laugh as his son gets up and jumps into his lap, clearly pleased with himself for getting so close to the birds.

   “Great job, kid! Was it scary?” he asks, while you get up and close the balcony door to help the boy feel safe.

   Grogu nods and hugs his dad, who chuckles and looks at you with sparkling eyes, making your knees wobbly again, so you sit down on your coffee table in front of the sofa, to keep from falling over.    Christ, he’s even more beautiful today somehow.    How in the hell are you gonna be able to do this every day without jumping his bones at some point?

   “You did really good, Grogu. I’m proud of you.” you say softly, and the boy lets go of his father’s neck and turns towards you with a proud grin, and even though he doesn’t say a word, you know what he’s anticipating. And you see no reason to keep him waiting. “So, how about we break open that box of LEGO now?”

   His eyes go wide and he all but leaps out of Din’s lap and runs across the floor, over to your work desk where the big cardboard box is sitting underneath it.

   “Hey, wait for me you rascal!” you call after him, earning you a fresh bout of giggles as you get up and chase him.

   The construction is too big for the desk, so you bring it back to the sofa and the wide expanse and sturdy nature of the oak coffee table, where you let him do the honours of breaking into the box.    You wouldn’t have thought that a kid so young would be this good at something this advanced, and you watch in amazement as he slowly and methodically follows the instructions, while you and Din mostly just support him by helping him find pieces and interpreting some of the more difficult instructions.

   “How old is he?” you ask his father, while Grogu’s focused on a hunt for a tiny black piece that he needs to find before he can move on.

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133 notes - Posted July 18, 2022

#4

Don't Die

Here comes the last of the prompts I've gotten for this celebration, and we're wrapping up with a heartbreaker! I got this ask by an anonymous sender, where the prompt was "You can't die. Please don't die." with Din x Reader, so naturally, my head went to angsty-land...

Now, as this concludes the 400 Challenge, I just wanna say thank you to everyone that sent me prompts and helped me to mark this occasion! I love all of you <3 And I'll always accept asks, requests and prompts, if I feel comfortable with the subject, so please don't hesitate to ask.

Rating: Mature Warnings: ANGST, Din Djarin x female reader, mostly Din's pov, AU. Grogu, Cobb Vanth, Peli Motto and Greef Karga appears. Word Count: 1500 Author’s Masterlist

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135 notes - Posted July 29, 2022

#3

A Safe Place

So, I have no idea where this came from. None. But it's Pero, and I don't really need reasons to write him.

This is a standalone Pero Tovar one shot, with a female reader but told entirely from Pero's perspective.

Summary: He opens the door one night to find a friend in trouble, and in trying to help, he discovers that she's much more than a friend.

Rating: Mature 18+ONLY Warnings: TW domestic abuse, TW physical abuse, angst, hurt/comfort, no physical description of reader beyond female, happy ending. Word Count: 3250

Author's Masterlist

The two short knocks were so faint that had he not been on his way to lock the front door, he never would’ve heard it. It was well past midnight, and he’d just turned the tv off to go and brush his teeth before bed, so the house was dark and quiet, and still he barely heard it. He switched on the lights in the hall and opened the door. It had been a long day for a lot of reasons, and he was tired, but that all became insignificant when he saw you out there, leaning against the wall, covered in cuts and bruises, and hardly able to stand. You’d been beaten. Badly.

He stepped out and wrapped an arm around your waist, seeing how you flinched when pain shot through you at his touch. He wasn’t the most careful or tender of men, but he tried to soften his grip so as not to cause you any unnecessary discomfort, while he helped you get inside and guided you to his bedroom. You followed without protest, moving slowly and with great difficulty. You didn’t meet his eyes even momentarily, and he wondered why it felt like you were ashamed. Once he’d sat you down on the bed, he went into the adjoining bathroom and got some warm water and towels that he brought back and placed on the nightstand. He tried to be gentle as he wiped the blood off your face to try and see where it was coming from, but some of it had already dried and therefor required more effort. Every time his ministrations made you twitch or wince, he felt more and more like a monster for adding to your pain, but it had to be done. He found three larger cuts on your face and head, none of whom would need stitches, but he was gonna tape them together after he’d checked the rest of you over. Next were your hands, and they were in bad shape. You’d fought, and you’d fought with everything you had, as evident by the badly chafed knuckles. Your hands would need to be bandaged, but at least you seemed to have avoided breaking any bones in them.

“Where else?” he asked while dunking the small towel in the now dark red water.

You gave no response and didn’t move at all, and repeating the question yielded no better result, which made him huff in frustration. He was neither patient nor eloquent, meaning his responses to most situations consisted of grunts, sighs and eyerolls, which was usually enough to convey how disinterested he was in most things. But this time, for the first time, he regretted using such a crude way of communication, because you visibly shrunk at the sound, hunching even further in on yourself and angling your bowed head away from him.

He’d known you for almost ten years, ever since working his first real job, as a bouncer at a bar where you’d been a bartender, and at first, he’d found you childish and spontaneous and way too naive. You’d been the brightest spot of every room you set foot in and the one that everyone wanted to hang out with, simply because you’d radiated fun. You’d basically been his complete opposite, and while he’d never had anything against you, he hadn’t particularly liked you either. That is, until he’d seen you take every ounce of masculinity out of a guy that had made the mistake of putting his hands where they weren’t welcome. Naive, yes, but by no means helpless in either words or actions. He liked that quality in people, all people, not just women, because knowing that they could and would handle themselves meant that he didn’t need to worry about them. And try as he might, when he cared about someone, he worried. He wasn’t sure exactly when he’d begun to care about you, since you’d been nothing but an annoyance to him ever since then, but he damn well did. Not that he’d ever admitted it, even to himself. You’d pretty much just decided to befriend him, whether he agreed or not, and that had been how your relationship had worked from then on. You’d show up unannounced at all hours of the day or night, sometimes inviting yourself to crash on his couch after a long night, and sometimes bringing takeout and a movie, just because you were bored and knew that he wouldn’t throw you out. Occasionally, you’d even cook or bake. And it didn’t matter to you that he rarely engaged with your ideas, or even answered you when you prattled on about anything and everything, you just smiled and kept at it, determined to have a good time, no matter the mood of the room. That was who you were at your core: someone that made the most out of every breadcrumb. And more importantly; a free spirit. Someone not meant to be tied down and trapped by commitments and promises. You’d been happy to take home a random guy to enjoy yourself with for a few hours on the weekends, but that was as close as you’d ever gotten to people. Even the friends you’d had were more shallow acquaintances than real relationships, since you’d never allowed anyone to really know you. Well, anyone but Pero. During your forced visits you’d usually talk all the time, and the topics were as varied as insects were plentiful. But sometimes you’d stray into more personal areas, like your family, or dreams, or things you’d gone through in your life. So, in truth, he was probably the one person that knew who you were, behind the scenes, even though he hadn’t asked or wanted to be. Or perhaps because of it. All of this meant that he’d known when you’d met the guy that had changed everything. He’d known it from the first day, because your behaviour had started to change that quickly. He’d never mentioned his observations to you, it wasn’t his place to judge or meddle with your affairs, but he’d noticed, and he hadn’t liked what he’d noticed. The guy had snared you into a relationship you didn’t want, but for some reason didn’t know how to get out of, despite your confidence in yourself. And the result of that had been a slow and painful death of the person you really were, as your soul became increasingly trapped behind the walls of the cage that somehow grew around you. He’d watched it happen, and said nothing, even though he’d wanted to, because in your eyes he’d seen how desperately you’d needed his house to be a sanctuary. A place where that person was still allowed to live and shine, as free as she’d always been. So, he’d let you, knowing that every time you’d left, you’d returned to that cage.

Now that he saw the finger-shaped bruises on your wrists, he regretted his silence. His compliance. Because this was how the guy had trapped you. This was why you hadn’t found the strength to walk away. And a part of him had known it all along, but told himself that it wasn’t his fight, and that unless you asked, he had no right to meddle. But the truth was simply that he hadn’t wanted to get involved. And for no better reason than because that would’ve meant admitting that he cared. Well, too fucking late, pendejo…

“I don’t care what happened, just let me take care of your wounds.” he pleaded, hating how gruff he still sounded.

You wouldn’t meet his eyes, but you took a jagged breath and reached up to pull your long-sleeved t-shirt over your head, grimacing badly with the pain the movements caused you. And as soon as the shirt was off, he knew why. Big black bruises had already formed along your left side, from the hip all the way up to the underside of your bra, and angry red scrapes, most likely from the toe of a boot, adorned the softer flesh of your love-handle. White-hot rage filled his blood at the sight, and he had to clench his jaws down tight, to silence the string of curses that spilled from his lips. But he couldn’t halt the anger.

“I’ll kill him.” he spat between his teeth.

You flinched, but more likely at the hard and cold tone of his voice, than the words he’d said, so he tried to speak softer, although with limited success.

“You need a hospital, scans, medica-…”

“No.” you cut him off, but your voice was weak and fragile, even with such a small word.

“You could have internal bleeding, broken ribs, damaged organs.” he pressed, but you just shook your head.

“He doesn’t know… about you. I’m safe here.”

That would imply that you weren’t safe at a hospital, and when he considered the fact that this man had forced you to marry him, and would likely have a story prepared, explaining your injuries, it wasn’t unthinkable that he could get his hands on you, even around medical professionals. You were scared, and you’d come to him to feel safe, which for some reason eased the rage and made a different kind of warmth spread through him.

“Okay. Let me get some bandages.” he offered, and you nodded once.

He noted that you still hadn’t looked at him, and that sense of shame still hung over your head somehow, which he just couldn’t understand. But for now, his focus was on making you feel better. When he came back to the bedroom after having retrieved his first aid kit from the kitchen, you’d slumped down on your side on the bed, with your feet still on the floor. He lifted them up to make you more comfortable, and you didn’t react to the movement at all, so he kept a close eye on your breathing while he worked, just in case you weren’t merely sleeping. Even though your pulse was strong, and everything seemed stabile, he was much too anxious to have a hope of sleeping that night. So, he dragged a more comfortable armchair from the living room into the bedroom, that he could sit in to watch over you while you slept. But before he settled in, he dug up the duffel bag from the bottom of his closet. He hadn’t used the blades inside of it in the ten years since he’d cleaned up his act, but he still trained with them, and kept them sharp and ready. He’d never imagined that you would be the reason he might have to resort to that kind of violence again, but he would gladly do it to keep you safe. For all the annoyance you’d made him suffer over the years, you’d never once been unkind or deliberately selfish or unthinking. Not to anyone, even your bastard husband. He took his seat by your side, and after a few moments, reached over and wrapped one finger around your pinkie. Just so he’d know if you stirred, in case he dozed off. He looked at your hand, all red even where there wasn’t any visible damage to your skin, and he thought about how hard you must’ve fought, and it brought a small smile to his face, just barely enough to twitch at the corners of his mouth. But it felt bigger than that. Because that kind of spirit was how he was used to seeing you, that was the person he knew you to be.

The morning came without anyone having banged on his door in the night, reinforcing your statement that your husband really didn’t know that Pero’s house was where you’d spent most of your free time, even after getting married. He wondered how you’d managed that? How had you been able to carve out entire days or nights away from him, for over three years? Abusive men were controlling assholes, they generally kept their victims on a tight leash, but somehow, you’d figured out a way to keep a little corner of freedom, no matter what your lesser half had done. It was admirable, and perhaps the only reason you were in his bed right now. Without that little speck of freedom, you probably would’ve succumbed to your husband’s control completely. Allowed him to dictate every thought and emotion. But perhaps only because you’d had a slice of something better, reminding you that life wasn’t supposed to be lived in chains, you’d been able to hold on to yourself, until you’d found your breaking point, and used it to get away. He wondered how much you’d managed to hurt the guy in return, given the state of your hands. He hoped that the answer was: a lot.

You regained some energy over the course of that day, even though the bruises only looked worse, and your pain was still not lessened. The improvement seemed to be more of mind and spirit, than body. He cooked for you and helped you move around, and you were strong enough to tease him about his culinary skills, which was a good sign. But any time he tried to ask you about what had happened, you shut down and stopped talking all together. He wanted to know so that he could decide what he was gonna do about the situation, and with his general lack of patience, it was twice as maddening to be forced to wait, when he had no clue what your husband was doing to find you. By the end of the day, you asked him to stay with you after he’d tucked you into bed, and he couldn’t refuse you. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time you’d slept next to each other. Sometimes when you’d stayed the night, he’d found you curled up on one side of his bed in the morning, having snuck in at some point during the night, and he’d always woken you and told you to get your own bed. Your response to that had always been to suggest shared custody of his bed, since it was the comfiest one you knew of, and in more recent years had graduated to you simply reminding him of that shared custody, even though he’d never actually agreed to it. But now, he wondered if maybe it had just felt safe to you, even before you’d met your husband. A calm port in an otherwise perpetually storming sea.

There was no moon to be seen that night, nor stars to bear witness to his vengeance. It wasn’t his to take, not really, and he’d left you alone even though he knew that you needed him there. But his blood still boiled at the mere thought of the man, and there would be no peace until the bastard was gone for good. He knew which house it was, even though he’d never been there before. He knew where the hidden key was, even though he’d never used it before. Through your eyes he’d seen every inch of your home, and it seemed as familiar to him as you did, when he stalked through the bottom floor, making no sound at all. One step of the stairs creaked, and he skipped it without even needing to count them. The master bedroom was on the far end of the upstairs hall, to the right, past the nursery that he’d made you decorate in the hopes that it would make you yearn for a child as much as he did. No doubt only for appearances, as a man like him would take enormous offence at the suggestion that he wasn’t fertile, or man enough, to father a child. The bedroom door always stood open a few inches, so the bastard would hear it if you moved through the house at night. He snuck inside and found the guy sleeping on his side, the duvet down by his waist and his arm on top of it. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, so the bruises you’d left on him were on full display in the light coming from the small lamp on his bedside table. Pero took a moment to admire your handiwork, some of it bad enough that large medical patches hid them, and he smiled in earnest. Because this meant that you’d already won. You’d already beaten him, in mind, body and soul. Meaning all he had to do was finish the job, so that you would never have to.

It would take another two days until you finally told him what had happened. He’d understood your shame then, as your kind heart had been made to endure terrible things for you to save yourself. Forced to reduce yourself to the most basic of instincts, ignoring all forms of humanity and decency and respect, in order to free yourself of a monster. You’d managed to stop your inner beast before delivering the killing strike, though, of which he was grateful. Both because it meant that your soul was still intact, but also because it had allowed him to exact his own revenge as well. It would take another few days before he told you about that, though. And only because the news reported about your husband’s disappearance, asking for tips concerning the whereabouts of his wife. You were shocked at first, but not appalled or disgusted, and after just a few minutes, you thanked him for his actions. He assured you that the body couldn’t be found, and that no blame could ever be laid at your feet, and you left it at that for the time being.

You never married again, but you did have a baby, a few years later after finally finding someone that you trusted to treat you right. He’d always been there, but you’d always thought that he was out of your reach, and he couldn’t say for certain that he hadn’t been. If you’d wrapped your arms around his waist and pulled him to you for that first kiss, back when you were still just the friend he never invited, he wasn’t sure that he would’ve kissed you back. But he did that day. He kissed you with all the passion he possessed, tugged at you, begged you to come closer even when your entire body was pressed against his. He kissed you all night, everywhere that you would let him, and in those kisses, he learned what it was to love someone. How it felt. How it hurt and comforted all at once, how it burned and soothed and then started all over again, every single minute.

You gave him the rest of your life, and he took it proudly, all the way to your shared grave, many wonderful years later. In his final minutes in this life, having grown old and grey, he thought about the events that had unfolded back then, and he wondered if he’d given you enough. If the years you’d had with him had been good enough to balance those awful ones. To outweigh them, even. He looked at your face, still so soft despite the wrinkles, and still warm despite your soul having departed in the night. And you looked so peaceful, almost happy, even in death, that he had to have done something right. And that was enough. He’d gotten to be the one that made you happy. And now, he was the one that got to go with you to the next adventure.

--THE END--

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143 notes - Posted January 31, 2022

#2

Wrong Way Home

--Marcus Pike one shot--

This is so not what I was supposed to spend all my writing time on this week, but that's what happened. This was also not supposed to be such a self-portrait, but it really is. It's completely self-indulgent and I make no apologies. I wrote this for myself, because I needed it, but maybe someone else needs it too.

Description: You pick up a stray and decide to help him get to where he's supposed to be, a decision which ends up having lasting implications.

Rating: Mature themes 18+ONLY Warnings: female reader, vague physical descriptions, driving, animals on the road, cursing, blizzard, hazardous weather conditions, fluff, angst, happy ending. Word Count: 12,690 Author's Masterlist

Two consecutive blizzards had dumped almost three feet of snow on your hometown, in the space of just one week, and now a third one was bearing down on you, expected to drop at least another two feet. You were used to bad conditions, having grown up there, but it was just as cumbersome and inconvenient each year, no matter how well prepared you were. Thankfully, the city council was also used to it and had all its resources in the streets, day and night, to try and manage the frozen masses that were trying to bury you. They had urged all citizens to keep off the roads other than what was absolutely necessary, but you were a good driver who knew how to handle snowy roads and bad visibility, and you had a good car too. So, when your mom had asked you to help her clear some snow in front of her house that Friday, to make sure the winds couldn’t push it up against her front door, you hadn’t hesitated to make the drive over.

She was retired and had badly arthritic hands, and while she was good at managing on her own most of the time, there were certain things she just couldn’t do anymore. You’d made her stay inside while you’d battled against the winds and the whirling snow for a good two hours, until you’d cleared enough of it that she’d hopefully be able to get her door open in the morning, even if it kept snowing all night. Once you were done, you stepped inside to keep her company for a while and get yourself warmed up. You were sitting by the little table at the kitchen window, sipping tea and looking out on the storm, talking about the latest things to have happened in the family since the holidays that had come and gone. Your mother knew that the depth of winter was hard for you, because the lack of sunlight made you depressed, and did her best to keep the mood light, but she could tell that you were more than ordinarily tired today.

“How was work this week?”

“It was okay. You know how it is, it’s stressful and hard, but fun and rewarding too.”

“Yeah. Thanks for coming today, I know how much you need your weekends off to rest your mind.”

“It’s not your fault that the sky is falling down, mom.”

“No, I know, but I just want you know that I appreciate it. You always come when I call, and I wanna make sure you know that I try not to take that for granted.”

“Thanks for saying that, but I’m happy to help, and I need a kick in the ass to keep myself from never leaving the apartment until spring. Besides, shovelling snow can be really therapeutic too.”

“I suppose that’s true. Will you stay for dinner?”

“No, I think I wanna get home and shower. How about tomorrow? I assume there’ll be more snow to wrestle with by then.”

“Sure, that sounds good. I do have one more favour to ask, though.”

You smiled and shook your head a little, before taking the last swig of your tea.

“You always do. What is it this time? Don’t tell me you went and bought something on some online flea-market again, I’m not picking up some odd chair or a pair of socks on my way home, not in this weather.”

“No, no, it’s just the Christmas tree, if you could help me get it up to the attic?”

You couldn’t hold back the sigh that pushed past your lips at that. The plastic masterpiece weighed a ton, and the narrow steep staircase to the attic required some delicate manoeuvring, which should be interesting when your muscles were already spent from your battle with the snow. But your mother knew that you’d still do it, which was why you didn’t feel bad about the sigh.

“Fine. But that oldest brother of mine is bringing it down again next season, mark my words.”

She just smiled and took both your cups to the sink, while you got up and went to work on the eight-foot beast of a tree. Half an hour later, just after 3pm, you were back in your car and making your way through the small village where your mother lived, mentally mapping the ten-mile route to get to your apartment, trying to think which roads might be best maintained. The wind was howling and tearing at the car, even at low speeds, and visibility was awful with how much snow was being pushed around out there. It was a minor miracle that you even spotted him. He was little more than a shadow against a dark background, but his movements caught your eye and once you took a closer look, you got worried and slowed down further before reaching him. He wasn’t anywhere near dressed correctly for that weather, wearing the kind of coat that looks good but isn’t actually that warm, and suit-pants, suggesting a full suit under the coat. But nothing more. No thermal clothes of any kind, not even a hat or proper gloves. His shoes were under a foot of snow, but you’d bet anything that it wasn’t gonna be boots. On top of that, he was carrying what looked like an overnight bag and a generally confused body-language, leading you to the conclusion that this was either the most unprepared tourist you’d ever seen, or someone that was seriously lost. You came to a stop right next to him, but the windows were frozen shut, so you waited for him to take the hint, until he opened the passenger side door but politely only poked his head inside.

“Hi, can you help me, I’m completely lost?”

An American. That was unexpected, but thankfully your English was excellent, and you’d finally get a chance to use it.

“Get in, you’ll freeze out there.”

He did as you’d said, and sat down, cramming the bag down on the floor by his shiny shoes that were absolutely packed with snow. You turned the heater up to maximum and then started driving again.

“I need to keep moving or we might get rear-ended by someone not expecting a car standing still in the middle of the road in this weather.”

While you explained, he took his thin leather gloves off and put his trembling hands against the warm air fan in the centre consol.

“That’s okay, I don’t have a clue where I am anyway. Thank you for stopping.”

You reached underneath his arms for the button that started the heater in the passenger seat.

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147 notes - Posted January 23, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

A Little Menace

I recently had some trouble with the neighbors, and of course, my good friend @deadhumourist managed to turn it into an idea for a story. So, here's a lil thing based on her idea.

Rating: Mature Warnings: Includes ornithophobia (fear of birds), cursing, improper thoughts, modern!din, din djarin x female reader, Grogu is a human boy here. Word Count: 2080 Author’s Masterlist

Link to Part 2 Link to Part 3 Link to Part 4 Link to Part 5

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   He’s just a kid, he doesn’t know any better…    That’s what you keep telling yourself as you throw some clothes on to run outside and stop your next-door neighbour’s kid from breaking your birdfeeder.

   The thing is, this isn’t the first time he’s been messing with it, nor will it be the first time you talk to him about it, and he’s always apologetic once you catch him, which makes you think that this is about getting attention.

   But you’re not his parent. It’s not your job to teach this kid how the world works and it’s not fair to him that he should have to endure getting repeatedly told off by a stranger, when you suspect that it's his dad’s attention he really wants.

   “You know your dad will have to pay for that if you break it, and it wasn’t cheap.”

   He flinches at the sound of your voice, spinning on his heels to look at you, and taking a few steps back, but he doesn’t run away.    Your apartment is on the ground floor, and your balcony door is just a few feet from the feeder, so by the time he’s registered the sound of it opening, you’re already close enough to grab him, should you need to.

   The thing is about the size of a large suitcase, cylindrical in shape and housing over fifty feeding-stations that varies in the types of seeds or other kinds of feeds that it can hold. Large nets for peanuts and Plexiglas containers for small grains, for example.    It’s mounted on a big metal pole that’s been driven six feet into the ground to anchor the whole thing, and at the base of it, a separate type of feeder accommodates the magpies and other larger birds, to keep them away from the little guys.

   “I’m trying to help the birds survive winter, why are you trying to hurt them?”

   It’s a pretty solid construction, so in truth, the kid would have to work really hard to actually break it, but that doesn’t mean he can’t still damage it. Plus, it scares the birds when he throws sticks or sometimes even rocks on it.    Today though, he’d tried to sneak up on some blackbirds sitting on the ground and feasting on dried mealworms, doing his best to kick them as they scrambled to get away. Thankfully, he’d missed them all, but it had seriously pissed you off.

   As always, he doesn’t answer you, but he does meet your eyes and you can see that he’s close to tears. Real ones. His body-language shows you shame and regret as clear as day, and you just can’t figure out what he’s trying to accomplish with all this.    You sigh and cross your arms over your waist. He’s not your kid to teach, but this has to stop, and if his dad isn’t gonna take care of it, then you’re just gonna have to.

   “I told you last time that if this ever happened again, I’d be marching you home and having a serious conversation with your father, and I keep my word, kid.    So, you can either come with me calmly, or I can drag you there, what’s it gonna be?”

   He looks worried, but after a moment’s deliberation, he slowly comes to your side and walks with you through first your balcony and then your apartment, out your front door where you immediately ring the bell of the apartment directly to your left.

   Despite living next to them for over two years now, you’ve never seen his father. You’ve heard him bustle about in the kitchen, and their bathroom is wall to wall with yours, so you hear it every time the bathtub is filled or drained. But you don’t actively listen to your neighbours, you just register the sounds that are loud enough to cut through your music or sounds of the tv.    Since you’re not the nosy type, you haven’t been running to look through the peephole whenever you’ve heard the door open, but he comes and goes like any regular person so if you had, you would’ve seen him.

   The door opens, and you automatically begin to explain why you’re standing there with his son, in the hopes that he won’t get angry with you.

   “Hi, Mr. Djarin, I’m sorry but your son-…” you trail off when your gaze connects with a pair of deep brown and slightly sad-looking eyes that are studying you closely, in between glances at the boy.

   “What did he do?” he asks, his voice soft and low, and somehow making you feel like you wanna purr.

   “Uh…” you’ve almost forgotten your reason for bothering him. “He was being mean to the birds in my yard. I would’ve let it go if it was the first time, but he’s thrown things on my feeding station and nearly damaged it a few times too.”

   He sighs heavily and pinches the bridge of his nose, before sinking to one knee and beckoning the kid closer.

   “Grogu, I’ve told you so many times now… the birds aren’t dangerous. If you leave them alone, they’ll just eat and leave.” he tries to remind his son, and you idly wonder if you’ve ever heard a name like that before.    But the kid doesn’t answer, so Mr. Djarin looks back up at you.

   “He’s afraid of birds. The smaller ones are more skittish, so he can ignore them because he knows that they mostly keep their distance. But the crows and magpies and the bigger ones are bolder, and they frighten him.” he explains calmly, with a very apologetic undertone.

   You’re struggling to pay attention, though, because he’s kneeling just two feet in front of you, looking up at you with puppy-dog eyes and you can’t help but wonder what he’d look like buried between your legs.    If you’d known that he was this fucking beautiful you would’ve been glued to that peephole every time you heard him at the door.

   “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.” you try to sound diplomatic, but you’re not sure what to do about the situation.

   One the one hand, it makes sense that he would be so aggressive towards the larger birds if he was hoping to scare them away for good, and that he’d be inclined to destroy the feeder to try and keep them from coming back.    But on the other hand, his actions are still not acceptable and no matter what he feels, he isn’t entitled to destroy people’s property.

   “I’ll pay for any damage he’s caused, of course.” he offers, and a streak of compassion stings your chest.

   He’s a single father, doing his best, clearly exhausted and unsure of how to ‘dad’ correctly sometimes, and you simply can’t be upset with either of them anymore.

   “Well, actually the feeder is homemade, so it would be hard to put a value on it. But he hasn’t broken anything yet, and I think I might have an idea on how to keep it that way.”

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185 notes - Posted July 17, 2022

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[kursed-curtain]

A bee boy au fic~

-+-

As Graham settled in for the night, fully prepped with a bedtime story, there was a rustling sound. Graham tried to ignore it.

It didn't go away. It got louder, in fact. Closer.

The rustling turned into rattling, as the windows shook. Then, they burst open, as shadowy figures encroached on him.

Graham called for help, only for it to never come. The figures tugged at his hair, at his clothes, at his arms and legs. They bruised him with their stone-solid touch and razor claws. Graham kicked and screamed, only for-

Young Graham snapped awake to find himself back in his bedroom, lit by a fading candlelight. He wiped his eyes. He felt around the bed, only for what he was looking for to be nowhere.

"Benny?"

He ducked under the bed. The flame on the lantern went out, causing Graham to yelp in fear and immediately make a run for the office. He knocked, three times in succession, in rhythm with the royal guard march.

"Come in, Graham," No.1 called.

Graham rushed in and hugged No.1's leg.

"What seems to be the issue?" No.1 inquired.

Graham muttered, "...I can't find Benny."

No.1 held up a finger, then pulled out the weighted stuffed bumblebee from under his desk. Graham pulled the bee in for a tight hug.

"You left him here yesterday. I apologize for not returning him sooner." No.1 said.

Graham moved to the couch in the office and plopped down there. He rocked Benny back and forth, making gentle buzzing sounds, which then turned into sniffles. At the sound, No.1 set down his quill to sit next to Graham.

Graham finally spoke up, "Can you talk for Benny?"

'Talking for Benny' was Graham's way of asking No.1 to be Ben's translator - even though, in reality, these were actually No.1's words. It was a lot easier for the lad to not worry about judgment when he was talking to a stuffed plush.

No.1 sat Ben down on his lap and let Graham prepare his thoughts.

"...I had a bad dream."

No.1 put his ear up to the sewn mouth of the plush bee before he responded. "Ben says he would like you to expand on that."

Graham rubbed his legs anxiously. "It was about the goblins. They came and I couldn't stop them," he clenched his fists as tears formed in his eyes. "The goblins took me from the castle! I- I didn't wanna go!"

No.1 hurriedly moved his hand, along with Ben's 'hand,' into Graham's fidgeting fingers. No.1 took his handkerchief and wiped Graham's messy tears. "It was all a bad dream. It's over now," No.1 ran his hand through Graham's curls. "You're here, correct? That means the dream wasn't real."

"It felt real," Graham sniffled, fiddling with the beads in Benny's hand. "I don't wanna be taken anywhere… I wanna stay here. I like the garden and the guards and the beehive and…" he trailed off, breaking into more tears.

No.1 gently cupped Graham's face in his hands and spoke firmly, "I promise you, for as long as I live, I will never let anyone steal you away." He put a hand to his chest. "It is my duty to protect and serve my kingdom and its people, after all."

Then, No.1 took Ben's other hand and put it to the plush body, like Ben was putting a hand on his chest. "Ben says that, as your bee guard, his duty is also to protect you from harm's way. And to let you eat your vegetables instead of eating it himself, but that's not part of the main contract."

Graham wiped his eyes and shakily giggled, "Bee shield!" He held out Benny and maneuvered him to block any invisible threats.

No.1 moved back on to the couch. Graham laid down, using Benny as support. No.1 brushed Graham's hair out of his eyes.

"Thanks, Benny." Graham yawned. He muttered, "Love you, Dad."

No.1 had to keep his composure. After all, he was on duty. To protect and serve…