#almost fell asleep with my cat sleeping on my chest

[cressidagrey]

Such A Mystery - Part 12 - The End

Pairing: Max Verstappen x Colette Leclerc (Original Character)

Summary:

Max Verstappen fell in love at the ripe old age of 12 and never looked back.

Colette Leclerc really regrets posting that particular Taylor Swift Lyric to her private Instagram account, because it made George Russell go insane.  

The rest of the world has absolutely no idea that the Dutch Lion and Charles Leclerc’s twin sister have been a couple for 15 years and are expecting a baby. 

Warnings: 

Pregnancy, Mention of multiple miscarriages, Pregnancy complications, George Russell Bashing (he's probably really nice in real life but in this, he's the bad guy, sorry), Jos Verstappen, We have apparently now reached the time where I also bash Ferrari. I am sure they are super nice in real life too. They are not in this.

Author Notes: Huge thanks to @llirawolf for holding my hand through this. Chapter 12 of 12!

They were alone. Just the three of them.

Colette had never felt so exhausted in her entire life. But she had also never been so happy. Charlie had been fed once more and had then fallen back asleep, curled up on her father’s chest. Colette herself could barely keep her eyes open.

And she should be sleeping, but she could only watch her daughter curled up against Max's chest.

"How did we manage to create something so perfect?" She asked him softly.

Max let out a tired little huff of laughter, not bothering to open his eyes. “She is perfect, isn’t she?” he murmured quietly.

Colette felt a smile tugging at her face. “Perfect and absolutely beautiful,” she agreed quietly, shifting a little to get a better look at the two of them. "So perfect it almost hurts to look at her."

Max smiled at her. "I...There is this thing you should know," he said hesitantly.

Something about his tone, the hesitance in his voice, made Colette pause. "What is it?" she asked curiously.

"I may have told the whole world about us? On Instagram?" he admitted with a grimace.

She could only snort at that. "I think your father made sure that that cat was out of the bag," she told him drily. "What did you say?"

"That we have been a couple for 15 years. That I couldn't be happier with you and our little family," he said simply. "I wanted everybody to hear our truth," Max said softly. "Not what other people write."

"There is a romantic inside you after all," Colette teased him softly.

"You aren't angry?" Max checked.

Colette sighed. "Not at you," she said simply. "I can't be angry at you. You just want people to know how happy we are together. We kept it quiet for years for me," Colette said, staring at her daughter. "Is it weird that it feels like she put everything into perspective?" she asked him, nodding towards Charlie. "I just...I don't care anymore,” she admitted.

Max stared at her, blue eyes wide, but Colette just shrugged. “I was terrified for so long what people were going to think about me once they knew about us...but now...I don't care. What does it matter?"

Max reached over and laced his fingers through hers. "It doesn't," he promised her. "I'll start screaming it from the rooftops tomorrow, if you'll let me."

A laugh escaped her before she could stop it. "I think the media already knows," she teased, squeezing his hand. "We can just put my Instagram on public and let them eat their heart out," she suggested. It wasn’t meant seriously. Not really. 

But the more she thought about it, she wondered if that was what it was going to take. Opening up the digital scrapbook of her life. Letting anybody have a peek at their relationship. Hoping that finally they would understand.

"We'd break the internet," Max retorted, grinning at her.

Colette laughed. "We really, really would. Reason enough  to do it?" she teased him.

"And give my PR team a heart attack? Absolutely,” Max returned immediately. “Tell me when.” 

"I love you," she told him seriously. "And I am ready to love you in public too."

She had done it from the shadows for 15 years after all.

He stared at her. "Are...Are you sure?"

"I am very, very sure, mon coeur," Colette told him softly, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. "The only opinion that matters to me is yours - and my family's. I don't care what anyone else thinks," she added, glancing down at Charlie again, who slept blissfully on, cuddled against Max's chest.

"If people want to call me an attention whore or a gold digger, they are welcome to it," Colette said quietly. "I don't care. I'm happy and you're happy and our baby is happy. Let them write whatever they want."

***

"Marry me," Max blurted out.

His words came out of his mouth before he had even realised what he was saying. The room suddenly became very quiet, as if all the oxygen had suddenly been sucked out of it, and Max suddenly realised that he had just blurted out the question he had been meaning to ask for months, at a time that couldn’t be further from ideal.

Colette was staring at him, her eyebrows raised and a look of surprise on her face. She seemed frozen and totally caught off guard by his question. And he didn’t blame her for that. She was exhausted, and had just given birth, and here he was, bombarding her with questions as if this was the perfect moment to do it.

But then she smiled at him. 

"Yes," Colette said simply. "Always yes. You know that.”

Relief surged through him so strongly, Max thought he might just about collapse. She had said yes.

Granted she had said yes the last time as well. 

He remembered that day like it had been yesterday…remembered coming home that May evening in 2016…Fuelled with adrenaline from his first “proper” win. Remembered the trophy that still had a place of pride in their living room…the bottle of champagne, the Pirelli cap…and the ring that he had bought after that race. The celebratory crepes for breakfast the next day where still a tradition they kept with. 

Max felt like he could have exploded there and then, just from happiness. He couldn’t believe that he had just asked her, that she had just said yes. It didn’t feel real. It felt like something out of a dream.

"Yes?" he repeated incredulously, just to make sure he hadn’t actually dreamt it. "You’ll marry me?"

"Properly this time," she teased him, with the most beautiful smile on her face, as she leane up to press a kiss against his lips. “I’ll marry you, Maxie.”

He couldn’t stop himself from laughing, the sound breathless. It wasn’t just exhaustion that made him sound like that, it was disbelief, a sort of giddy lightness.

"Properly this time," he echoed back to her, his words soft. "You’ll marry me properly."

He couldn’t actually believe she was saying yes. "I do have a ring," he assured her. "It's at home. I hid it in the trophy."

Colette laughed. "Of course, you hid it in the trophy," she repeated, her voice warm and amused."Of course you did."

Max gave her what he hoped was at least a resemblance of a sheepish look. “Where else would it be safe?” he said defensively. "And I know you wouldn't look there," he added.

"A perfect place to hide something you don't want me to find," Colette agreed.

Max grinned at her. "Exactly," he said happily, gently brushing her hair from her face.

"Which trophy?" she asked him seriously.

"Spain 2016," he answered honestly. His first one. The one. 

"You hid it in the 2016 trophy?" Colette repeated, her smile widening into a grin. "Really?"

"Just felt appropriate,” he answered honestly. He still remembered handing it to Colette for the first time, the ring that he had bought clanging around in the bottom of it. 

"It is," she agreed softly, leaning up to press a kiss against his lips.

Max smiled against her mouth, his arms tightening around her, pulling her a little closer. He couldn’t believe they were having this conversation. He couldn’t believe he had just blurted out the one question he had been wanting to ask for ages, and she had actually just said yes.

"You’re really going to marry me," he mumbled against her mouth, unable to help the words. "You’re actually going to marry me."

"I had your baby, but this is what shocks you?" Colette asked him with a laugh. 

He laughed, pulling her closer again and nuzzling his face into her shoulder, her words causing him to blush faintly. “I love you,” he mumbled against her skin quietly.

"I love you too," she echoed back quietly. "And yes, I will marry you. As many times as you’ll ask."

"I am the luckiest man in the whole world," he said softly.

"No, I’m the luckiest," she told him gently, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him close again. "To have you, and this, and Charlie, and all of it. It’s everything I ever wanted.”

[graveyarrdshift]

hello mates and ladies in my phone

[motorsportbarbie13]

A Package Deal - Part 2

In which something a little more serious and a lot more meaningful than either of you anticipated starts to blossom between you and your curly haired crush.

Warnings: nothing, this is so tooth achingly fluffy, you may need a trip to the dentist afterwards. Pairing: Lando x SingleMom!Reader Word Count: 5.3k (oops)

Master List

(quick note in case anyone is paying super close attention. i switched the job reader has at McLaren to fit this bit of plot in. I think switched all mentions over in part one, but just in case you notice the different job title, that was on purpose :) )

yourusername (private) posted:

110 likes liked by landonorris, BFFSarah, coworkerMolly, and others yourusername scenes from the longest winter break ever landonorris is Stella baking me more cookies??? >>>yourusername she gave all gingerbread men mullets 'just like lando', what do you think? >>>landonorris thats my girl!! coworkerMolly that skirt on you is INSANE btw >>>yourusername ;)

The holidays slip away in a blur of presents and hot cocoa dates with Stella so fast that before you know it, school is beginning again and you're forced back into the office on a regular basis. With the way the holidays fell this year, you ended up taking nearly two weeks of annual leave between Christmas and New Years and while you appreciated the time off to reset and battle burnout your job inevitably brought on, by the time you dropped Stella off at school that first morning, you were near ecstatic with relief.

You didn't want to admit it to anyone, not even barely to yourself, but you also had missed Lando. He'd spent Christmas at his parents for a few days before jetting off to somewhere gorgeous and warm with his friends and while he texted you near constantly, you often found yourself wondering what he was doing. You hated how much you looked forward to the chime on your phone alerting you to a new text but even more, you hated how much your heart stuttered in your chest every time you saw it was his name that was lighting up your phone.

You had told Sarah about running into Lando at Harrods that Saturday and then made the mistake of telling her that he had bought the booster seat (downright refusing to allow you to even split the cost it with him) and driven you home. She had grinned like a cat with warm milk, saying she knew something was going on but was wildly excited when you told her about the drive home.

Like you had predicted, Stella had been fast asleep by the time Lando had merged onto the freeway. She had stayed sound asleep even after you had reached your house, Lando allowing his Range Rover to idle for nearly twenty minutes in your driveway as you chatted. The conversation was quiet, neither of you wanting to wake a sleeping Stella but it flowed as easily as champagne on New Years Eve.

As you sat in the passengers seat of the SUV you couldn't help the way your mind wandered into the 'what ifs' of what was happening here. What if everything hadn't been ruined the moment Lando found out that Stella was yours? What if that, despite everything being against you, this was the time it all worked out. They were dangerous thoughts, especially for a single mom who couldn't allow her heart to be compromised. There was another heart that had to be taken into consideration: Stella's fragile six year old heart. So when Lando had started allowing his gaze to wander down to your lips and leaning almost imperceptably closer towards you with each passing moment, you had ignored his advances. You didn't want to, but you were scared. The what if's scared you but the what ifs not working out scared you even more.

You had slipped out of the car before anything could happen, thankful for the fact that Stella began to finally stir after nearly 30 minutes of you and Lando talking.

After that night, the texting had started and while Lando hadn't visted the MTC since, he had made a point to check in with you a few times each day. He didn't want to get ahead of himself, reminding himself of how you had ever so subtly rejected his advances the night he had taken you and Stella home.

As he had been analyzing the evening the next day with Max, his best friend had all but warned him off of you. 'Being with a single mom is a challenge that I don't think you're up for, mate.' Had been his warning, a warning that Lando had so far, chosen to ignore. He knew it was kind of a crazy thing to consider, especially with the lifestyle that he had become accustomed to over the last few years, but there was something magnetic about you. The way you sacrificed everything in order to make sure Stella was taken care of. The way you took on everything solo despite having a solid support system, because you didn't want to be a burden to anyone. The way you still managed to find magic in a life that had to be full of heartache and difficulties.

You were a magnetic force to be reckoned with and the fact that you had opened up to Lando that night in the car while Stella slept soundly in his back seat was something that he cherished.

It was also why he found himself nervously pacing outside of Sarah's office one January morning after he had returned from his vacation in Finland. The new season was fast approaching and it was time to get down to business and spend more time in the sim and at the MTC, making sure he was ready to give everything for the 2025 season. But he also had other reasons to be at the MTC even more: you.

Sarah is in her office that chilly January morning when she hears shuffling outside her door. It's propped open so all it takes is a quick peek outside. "Lando?" She calls, spying the driver hovering outside her door, hands shoved deep into his pockets as he paced the empty corridor.

"Oh. Hi. Sorry." Lando pushes his curls off his face, stepping into the brightly lit office. "Am I interrupting? I can totally come back..."

Sarah nearly laughs at the anxious energy radiating off of Lando but manages to quell it, not wanting to spook him. "No, it's fine. What can I do for you?"

"I...well..." Lando cards his hand hand through his hair once again, searching for the right words. He hadn't gotten the best reception from Max when he opened up about his feelings for you, so he was really nervous about what your best friend was going to say. He didn't want to get told off by her too. "I was wondering if I could ask you for a favor?"

Sarah smirks. "Does this favor have to do with our favorite single mom who works down the hall?"

Lando goes crimson at the question but a bit of him feels relieved at the smile that plays on Sarah's face. "Uh...It does actually. I was wondering if you would be willing to babysit Stella Saturday night so I could take her out to dinner and maybe a movie or something."

Sarah pushes away from her desk, the look on her face transforming from smug to soft admiration. "You really like her, don't you?"

Lando nods earnestly, "I do. Stella kind of threw me for a loop there at first but after spending time with them before Christmas..." He drops the rest of the sentence then, not sure if he should be opening up this much to your best friend. She probably knew how you felt about him already but it was a natural reaction for him to keep his feelings closely held. "I know our lifestyles are not exactly...compatible but she's amazing and I just want to spend more time with her."

"You'd be lucky to land a girl like her, Lando." Sarah observes, leaning back in her chair. "And while I agree, your lifestyles are radically different, I think you two could be good for each other."

"Yeah?" Lando's voice is a wash of relief, having expected to face the same criticism that he had faced from Max.

"Yeah, I do. I'd be happy to take Stella for the night as long as she's okay with it. Have you asked her?"

Lando shakes his head. "I wanted to make sure you were okay with it first."

"Can I give you some advice though?" When Lando nods, Sarah continues. "You're going to have to be patient with her. She's been through a lot and she has a lot on her shoulders. She doesn't need someone adding to that load. She needs someone who's going to help her carry that load, take some things off her shoulders. And if that's not something you think you can do, don't even start anything with her. If you're not all in with her and Stella, please don't pursue anything further, okay?"

Lando leans against the door frame, taking in your best friend's words. "I'd never do anything to add to what she already carries." He says softly and Sarah grins.

"Good. Tell her I'll take Stella for one of our famous sleepovers, yeah? Treat her well, Lando. I don't want to have to kick your ass if you hurt her."

"Thanks, Sarah. I'd never hurt her, I promise."

"Good. Now get, I think she's leaving after lunch today to get Stella for a dentist appointment. She should still be in her office though."

yourusername (private) posted a story:

replies: BFFSarah oh my GODDDDDDDD! you're going to give the poor boy a heart attack. >>>yourusername stoppppp, i'm so nervous. >>>BFFSarah not as nervous as he was when he was in my office on Tuesday asking me to babysit Stella ;) landonorris well hello pretty girl. is that outfit for me? >>>yourusername maybe ;)

"Wait, so you were the one who came up with the idea for that tire deg prediction program?" Lando stares at you from across the table, jaw nearly hitting the white linen tablecloth.

You blush into your wine, not good at taking compliments. The small Italian restaurant that Lando had booked a table at was quiet and cozy, allowing both of you to focus on the person sitting across from you and not anything else. It was nice, getting out of the house without Stella in tow. As much as you adored your daughter and valued every single second spent with her, sometimes it was really nice to have some time away. You were on your second glass of wine and your head was buzzing delightfully, the look on Lando's face as you fell into conversation about the work you were so passionate about sent something that felt a lot like desire curling deep in your belly.

"That was me. I'm actually working on an improved model for the upcoming season. More inputs like weather and historical degradation data should help the model give Andrea and the team a better idea of when the ideal pit window for you and Oscar will be in real time."

Lando just stares at you, dumbfounded. He had known bits and pieces of your job from the time he spent accosting you with questions over the last six months but he had never realized how deeply ingrained you were in his weekend routine already. "That program helped me win Miami last year." He says, totally awestruck.

You fidget under his attention, barely hiding a smile. When you had stumbled upon data analytics and predictive modeling in your first semester of uni all those years ago, you had never imagined it would lead to you writing a program that helped an F1 team predict how and when the tires were going to go off during a race. It was just one of many projects you had worked on in your two years at McLaren but it was absolutely the one you were most proud of.

"Well, hopefully with the improved modeling system I've been working on, we can get you and Oscar onto that top step more this year. I have a meeting with Zak and Andrea next week actually to discuss putting more resources into it so we can further develop it."

"I don't know how you can improve on it, the data I've seen it produce is already wildly helpful." Lando has to resist the urge to cover your hand with his, the need to touch you suddenly overwhelming.

He had been so nervous tonight while driving over to your house to pick you up for dinner, it was a wonder he hadn't ended up in a ditch or something. Stella had already been whisked away by Sarah by the time he got to your house, but there was a (albeit a bit stale) gingerbread man with a curly mullet left on the counter for him. 'Stella gave me strict instructions to make sure you get your cookie.' You had informed him, face serious with the task at hand.

Now that you were sat across from him, plate of food sat half eaten in front of you, Lando found himself not as nervous as he thought he'd be. The butterflies were still there and he had to constantly keep the desire to lace his fingers with yours in check, but the way you had made him feel calm and comfortable during the time he visited you in your office before had simply transferred to dinner tonight. He'd never felt more at ease with someone who made him so nervous before and while it was an uneasy feeling, it also felt like the most natural thing in the world.

"I didn't realize anyone beyond the strategy team used the models." You admit.

Lando likes the way your cheeks flush under his praise, even if you're still refusing to meet his eyes while he compliments you.

"Will and I go over all that data after session. With how unpredictable the tires can be from day to day, I really depend on that information."

"Well, I'm glad my little data project is doing its job." You say simply, before taking another bite out of the food before you.

The rest of dinner passes in casual conversation and meaningful looks exchanged over drinks and dessert. If having dinner with Lando and Stella in London had been fun, this dinner was certainly a more intimate affair. It wasn't until your third glass of wine that you settled into the feeling that there could be something between you and Lando, allowing the fear to take a back seat even for just one night.

"Can I ask you something?" You ask boldly while dessert is being placed in front of you.

"Anything."

And he means it.

"I know the first time you found your way into my office was by mistake but I've always wondered why you kept coming back. I mean, my office is literally on the opposite side of any place you'd ever be normally."

"Besides the fact that you're the prettiest girl I've ever seen in my life?" He flirts shamelessly, the alcohol in his system making him braver than he really felt.

"Lan..." You scold, fighting the urge to roll your eyes.

Lando chuckles and finally loses the battle he's been fighting all dinner. He reaches across the table and slips his fingers into the spaces between yours, rubbing his thumb over the soft skin of your hand. The spark that ignites when he touches you has the breath catching in the back of your throat. "Because you talked to me like a normal person. It was right around the time the championship race was heating up, as manufactured by the press as it was. The team was a bit in shambles and I just felt really unsupported."

He doesn't have to say it, but you instinctively know he's talking about the Hungary race earlier in the year. The Wednesday after that race, Lando had popped up in your office first thing in the morning and had sat across from you until well after lunch. The way his shoulders hunched and he kind of just folded himself into the desk chair that you now kept specifically for him had broken your heart.

"You never asked me about racing or the championship or anything like that. You let me talk and ask questions about your job and I was just able to forget the outside world for a bit. I was never Lando Norris, McLaren Formula 1 driver competing with Max Verstappen with you. I was just 'Lan'. I really appreciated that, especially during the second half of the season."

You had become his safe space was what he wanted to say but fear kept that bit of information from passing his lips. For now.

The warmth of Lando's fingers tangled with yours travels through your entire body. "I'm glad I helped." You murmur, heat pooling low in your belly at the look he's giving you from across the table.

"More than you know."

"Okay. No, I understand. Yes, she was fine when I dropped her off this morning. Okay. Yes, thank you. Tell her I'm leaving work right now, I'll be there in about twenty minutes. Thank you, Ms. Rose."

Panic floods your chest as you stare at the computer screen in front of you. "Fuck." You whisper, frantically looking up the phone number for Zak's personal assistant. "Fuck. Fuck. Fuck."

"That is a lot of swearing for 10 in the morning on a Wednesday."

Your eyes fly from your computer screen to the door of your office where Lando stands, leaning against the doorframe looking unreasonably handsome in a green jumper and jeans. You couldn't admire him for long though, panic returning to the front of your mind as you desperately try to figure out what you're going to do.

"Stella's school just called." Lando immediately crosses the room and sits down in 'his' chair, as he's begun to think it. Ever since your date last Saturday night, he hasn't been able to get you off his mind. He's been at the MTC every morning this week, something that even Zak noticed this morning and made a comment about him being extra dedicated to getting the new season started off on the right foot. If only he knew the real motivation for being around all the time now. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd spent any time back at his other apartment in Monaco.

"Everything okay?"

"No, she's running a fever. They need me to come get her except remember that meeting with Zak and Andrea I told you about? It's in..." Your eyes flicker back to your computer screen before bouncing back up to meet Lando's concerned gaze. "Fifteen minutes. I'm going to have to cancel and God knows when I'm ever going to get this kind of face time with either of them before the start of the season. Without their support, the upgrades to that tire deg model I want to make will basically be dead in the water."

Normally, you handle the pressures of being a single mom pretty well. You realize your career trajectory is a little different than normal, with you being unable to work late or travel extensively or do any of the other things that usually help with job advancement and you made your peace with that a long time ago. You make enough to provide very comfortably for Stella, so when you're passed over for promotions or unable to dedicate extra time, you're usually fine with it. Not today though.

"I've been prepping for this meeting for weeks. Weeks, Lando. Sarah is on annual leave in Spain and my dad is in London today with a client, there is literally no one else to go get her. Today of all fucking days." Tears threaten to spill over, you're so frustrated. You've worked so hard to get this meeting and now it's all going to go to waste.

"I'll go get her." The way Lando says it has shock slicing through your heart, quick as a knife. He says it so casually, like you're silly for not even considering him.

"What? No, Lando, I can't ask that of you."

"You're not asking, I'm offering." Lando stands, pulling out his phone. "Text me the address of her school and I'll go get her. I drove my Rover this morning and guess what I still have in the back seat?" A brilliant smile flashes across his face.

Something stills in your chest at the fact that Lando left your daughter's booster seat in his car after all these weeks.

"Lan..."

"I don't want to hear any more arguments, mama."

Well that was certainly something you'd have to unpack your reaction to later.

"Are you sure?" You bite at your lower lip and Lando has to physically restrain himself from kissing you right there in your office. Something which he still hasn't done, as much as it was killing him. After dinner the other night he had wanted to kiss you more than anything but he hadn't wanted to rush you, Sarah's words echoing in his head. How he needed to be patient with you and how you'd bene through so much the past few years so he had chickened out, erring on the side of caution and had settled for a hug and quick press of his lips to your cheek instead. He had regretted it every moment since dropping you off at your door that night.

"Absolutely. Now, go call Ms. Rose back and tell her Lando Norris is coming to get Ms. Stelly Belly. Do you have a spare key for me? I'll take her back to your place and we'll watch movies 'til you can get home."

An unfamiliar sense of calm settles over you at the sound of confidence in Lando's voice. You don't let just anyone take care of Stella, especially when she's sick. Really, the only other two people that you'd ever trust with her are Sarah and your dad. That list now was a list of three, you supposed.

"Okay." You reply weakly. "Thank you, Lando. Seriously. I don't know how I'm ever going to repay you."

"Go get ready for your meeting, pretty girl." Without a second look, Lando turns and walks out of your office. Moments after he gets into the lift to head to his car, his phone chimes with a text from you giving him the address to Stella's school.

A few hours later, you slot the key to your front door in the lock, swinging the door open as quietly as you can manage. From the entryway, you can hear the TV playing in the living room on the other side of the house.

Just in case Stella is asleep, you don't announce your presence opting to tip toe towards where you think Lando and Stella will be instead. The sight that greets you when you finally spy them has your heart clenching painfully, stealing the breath straight out of your lungs. The couch is perpendicular to where you stand, so you can just see Lando's profile as he sits, cheek tilted down resting gently on Stella's head as he watched Frozen playing on the TV in front of him. Stella is cuddled up in his lap, her arms thrown around his shoulders and her little head is buried deep in the crook of his neck. Lando's arms are wrapped securely around your little girl as he cradles her to his chest.

You rub at your sternum, desperatly trying to massage the ache that has settled there at the way Stella is curled up into Lando for comfort. You've never seen her do this with anyone other than you. Not even Sarah.

Lando senses when you walk into the room, having not even heard the door open moments before. Stella sleeps soundly against him, her warm breath tickling at the space between his neck and shoulders. They hadn't been home longer than twenty minutes when Stella had started to cry because she felt so poorly. When Lando had offered her a cuddle to make her feel better until you could get home, Stella had crawled right up into his lap and fell asleep before Anna even had a chance to build that snowman.

He was surprised at how comfortable this felt, with Stella seeking comfort from him. How easily it had come for him to just wrap his arms around her frame so she'd stop crying. He was pretty sure he'd do anything to get your little girl to stop feeling sad.

Lando turns to you after a few moments and smiles. Something passes between you then, with Stella asleep in front of you. It's powerful and reassuring and everything that you've been waiting for since the day you had realized you'd be raising Stella on your own.

"I think I finally got her fever down." Lando whispers, not wanting to wake Stella up.

"Oh my gosh, I didn't even tell you where the paracetamol is in the house." Your hand flies back to your throat in horror.

"It's okay. Stella told me where it was. My mom helped me figure out the dosage for her."

"Your mom?" You squeak, swaying on your feet.

Lando chuckles. That had been an interesting call. He hadn't had the time to explain to her exactly why he was asking for help to figure out how much paracetamol to give Stella but he was panicked, the school being unable to give her a dose of anything and her fever was going up. She had been confused, but helped without further question.

"It's fine. We got it figured out and then I turned Frozen on and she fell asleep pretty quick after that. I haven't found the thermometer yet but she feels a lot cooler than she did earlier."

For a moment, all you can do is stare at Lando. It unnerved you how comfortable he was with her. Not in a bad way but in a completely unexpected way that had goosebumps littering your skin.

"How'd the meeting go?" Lando breaks the silence after a few moments.

Your eyes snap from Stella's sleeping frame to meet Lando's gaze. He made no attempt to move Stella off his lap or hand her over, just kept his arms securely around her while he waited patiently for your answer. He could tell you were trying to wrap your head around what you were looking at and he was hoping it was a good thing. He knew you weren't used to people stepping up for you, the close inner circle you kept was very small, but he hoped that after today you'd maybe let him in a little more.

"Oh..." You pause, struggling to focus on anything other than the sight in front of you. "Good actually! Zak was super impressed with what I've got done so far. He wants me to go to Bahrain later in the month for testing with the team to test the program first hand. And he wants me to go to a few races too"

"Baby," Lando coos, reaching out a hand to capture your fingers with his. Your heart squeezes at the pet name as you barely hold in the squeal at the nickname. "I'm so proud of you, that's amazing."

Tears threaten at the edge of your vision. It had been a long time since someone other than your own father had told you that they were proud of you. "I called my dad and him and my step mom are going to watch Stella whenever I need to travel and whatever they can't cover, I'm going to hire a nanny."

It had been Zak's idea to hire the nanny, a suggestion that nearly bowled you over when he made it. He knew your situation and had wanted to make sure that you were able to travel while being comfortable with leaving Stella with someone.

"Zak offered me a raise to help offset the cost of hiring someone." You say quietly, reflecting on how insistent the man had been when you waffled at the thought of traveling more this season.

The thought of getting to travel with you this season, even if it was solely for work, was so appealing to Lando it was a little silly. He had been thinking the other night how much it was going to suck having to travel so much this year just as things were getting started with you. He usually loved losing himself in the season, not having anything hold him back or weigh him down from enjoying the constant moving and sleeping in different hotel rooms every weekend. But as the season had approached and the prospect of spending less time with you had started to become a reality, the thought of the start of the season had filled Lando with a bit of dread and anxiety.

You just sat there for a moment, smiling over at Lando and Stella as he grinned back at you. It was a comfortable silence as that same feeling from earlier crackled through the air. Like something was being set into motion today that neither of you quite understood but both knew was the start of something important.

"It's almost dinner time. Why don't you go put her down in her bed, she sleeps like this whenever she's sick, and I'll make us dinner?" You suggest finally, realizing your stomach is begging to be fed.

Lando follows your suggestion and within a few minutes, is joining you in the kitchen as you bustle about trying to figure out what to make. "I was going to make some chicken noodle soup, I think I have everything for it and Stella loves it when she's sick."

"Considering I was going to be ordering take away tonight, anything you want to feed me is good." Lando murmurs, coming to stand behind you at the counter as you peel some carrots and chop the onions.

His arms slip around your waist and you can't help but lean back into his warmth for a moment, enjoying the way the heat of his body seeps into your muscles. Lando nuzzles into the crook of your neck, breathing in the scent of you as deeply as he can, trying to commit your scent to memory. He wants to remember every little detail about this evening, something calm and steady settling into his bones as he gets a glimpse of what could be.

"You're distracting me." You mumble, the heat of Lando's breath tickling the sensitive skin at your neck.

"I"m sorry, but you're a constant distraction to me so consider it payback."

You chuckle, putting down the knife so you can spin around to face Lando instead. Your arms snake up his body before you clasp them behind his neck, enjoying the way he melts even further into your body now that you're closer.

"Thank you for coming to my rescue today." You whisper, voice raspy with emotion as you think about how much Lando's done for you in the short time you've been spending time with him.

Lando bumps his nose with yours and grins, the way you feel in his arms is something he's never experienced before. "I'd do anything for you and Stella, you know that."

"After today, I certainly do."

The look Lando gives you turns your core molten and you struggle to catch your breath. Gazing up at him through your lashes, you drop your gaze down to his lips before they flit right back up to those green blue watercolor eyes that always seem to find you wherever you are lately. Before you can steady yourself, he's leaning forward eyes locked on yours. The smile that sits at the corner of his mouth is so utterly enticing, you nearly forget your own name.

When Lando covers your lips with his for the first time, you swear you see stars. Gold bursts of light spark behind your closed lids, your entire world stuttering down to the way Lando kisses you. It's full of promise and longing and the smokey taste of desire. Your hands tangle through his curls on their own accord as you desperately try to get impossibly closer to him, losing all sense of decorum and control with just a simple kiss.

When he pulls away, Lando is satisfied at the heavy lidded look you stare up at him with, heart hammering in his chest like he's just finished the Singapore Grand Prix.

"I've been thinking about that since I left you at the door on Saturday without kissing you." He confesses, forehead tipping forward to rest on yours.

Emotion clogs your throat as you struggle for a response. Warmth pools deep in your belly as you settle on just a simple nod in response, knowing that Lando will instinctivly be able to tell that you feel the same. Silence fills the kitchen, comfortable and easy as Lando kisses you again. Both of you could feel it with that second kiss, this thing happening between you on this random Wednesday afternoon and both of you were secretly scared to death at what this was going to mean for every facet of your lives.

Tag list: @shelbyteller , @formulaal @martygraciesversion381 @longhairkoo @samantha-chicago @stelena-klayley @dark-night-sky-99 @luckylampzonkland @chlmtfilms @aykxz98 @forensicheart @cheer-bear-go-vroom @lieutenantchaos @willowsnook @sltwins @linnygirl09 @meglouise00 @mixedstyles @strawberryy-kiwii @secret-agents-stole-my-bunnies @mrosales16 @charlesgirl16 @leclercdream @eloriis @daemyratwst @dramaticpiratellamas @mochimommy2002 @bibissparkles @llando4norris @chelseyyouraverageluigi @iamaunknownsecret @maxivstappen @imlonelydontsendhelp @nina-or-anna-or-nora @a1leexxa @littlegrapejuice @sunflowervol18 @freyathehuntress @finn-dot-com @swiftie-4-lifes-stuff @chirasama @lauralarsen @dr3wstarkey @saskiaalonso @rbv3rstappen @ilovechickenwings @guaaafiiburg @mcmuppet @glitteryturtledeer @mindless-rock @piastri-fvx

[awkward-walking-potato]

Claws and Whiskers

Sequel - Claws paws and whiskers

What happens when you bring a cat home to logan.

wolverine x reader

My inbox is open to requests for any X-men

The day you brought the cat home, you weren't entirely sure how Logan would react. The little furball had shown up at your door one rainy afternoon, a scrappy-looking tabby with a fierce attitude and a pair of bright, defiant eyes. It reminded you of someone you knew all too well.

Logan was out when you arrived with the cat tucked into your jacket. As you dried the little creature off and set up a makeshift bed in the corner of the living room, you could already picture the scowl on his face. Logan wasn’t exactly known for being a cat person—or much of an animal person, for that matter.

When Logan finally walked through the door, his boots thudding heavily against the wooden floor, the cat immediately bolted under the couch, hissing as it went.

Logan raised an eyebrow, glancing between you and the couch. “What the hell is that?”

“His name is Scratch,” you said, trying not to laugh at the irony of the situation. “I found him outside. He’s staying with us for a while.”

Logan crossed his arms, his expression dubious. “You sure that’s a good idea? Looks like he’s ready to tear my face off.”

“He’s just scared. Give him some time,” you said, moving closer to place a hand on Logan’s arm. “Besides, I think you two have more in common than you realize.”

Logan snorted, but didn’t argue. “Right. I’ll be in the garage if you need me. And try to keep that thing from scratching up my bike.”

The first few days were tense. Scratch seemed to go out of his way to avoid Logan, glaring at him from across the room or darting out of sight whenever Logan entered. Logan, for his part, gave the cat plenty of space, though you caught him grumbling under his breath more than once when Scratch knocked something over or decided to use the corner of the couch as a scratching post.

But despite their rocky start, you noticed small changes over time. Logan would leave the room with a plate of food, only to return later with the plate empty and Scratch sitting suspiciously close by. He started talking to the cat in his gruff, no-nonsense way, like he was trying to make a point about something important. And Scratch, ever the stubborn little creature, would sit there with his tail flicking, pretending not to care.

One evening, you came home late from work, exhausted and ready to collapse into bed. As you walked into the living room, you froze, the sight in front of you almost too good to be true.

There, on the sofa, Logan was stretched out with one arm draped over his eyes, fast asleep. And curled up on his chest, purring softly, was Scratch. The cat’s tiny body rose and fell with Logan’s steady breathing, his claws kneading gently against Logan’s shirt as if he had finally found a safe place to rest.

You couldn't help but smile as you quietly set your things down and moved closer. The sight of the two of them together—both tough and rough around the edges, but undeniably soft when it mattered—warmed your heart. You leaned down to brush a kiss against Logan’s forehead, careful not to disturb him.

Logan stirred slightly, his arm slipping from his eyes as he blinked up at you. “Hey,” he murmured, his voice rough with sleep. “What time is it?”

“Late,” you whispered back, your fingers running through his hair. “I see you two have made peace.”

Logan glanced down at the cat, a small, almost sheepish smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Yeah, well… turns out he’s not so bad.”

You chuckled softly. “I knew you’d come around. You’re more alike than you think.”

Logan rolled his eyes but didn’t argue, his hand coming up to gently scratch behind Scratch’s ears. The cat responded with a deep, contented purr, snuggling closer into Logan’s chest.

You watched them for a moment longer before straightening up. “Come on, let’s get you both to bed.”

“Nah,” Logan murmured, settling back into the couch. “We’re good here. You go ahead.”

You hesitated for a moment, then nodded, leaning down to kiss him again, this time on the lips. “Goodnight, Logan. Goodnight, Scratch.”

As you walked down the hall to your bedroom, you couldn’t help but feel a sense of peace wash over you. Logan might have been tough as nails, with a lifetime of scars to prove it, but there was no denying the softness he kept hidden beneath all that gruff exterior. And Scratch—well, he was just a cat. But in some strange, wonderful way, he had managed to find a place in both your hearts.

And as you drifted off to sleep, you knew that the three of you—claws, fangs, and all—were exactly where you were meant to be.

[moo-blogging]

Nothing in my head but enjoying a soft morning with Levi.

You woke up when the sun's up. You checked the clock on the night stand, and it showed 8.47am. It was a holiday, but your body did not care. You could no longer sleep in until 11 like you used to.

An arm snaked around your waist and pulled you backwards. You smiled when your husband, Levi, snuggled his face into your nape. You turned your head, "good morning, Levi."

Levi groaned and mumbled, "morning, my love." He lifted his face to kiss your cheek. He relased you as you flipped over to face him. Your bodies came together so naturally, arms wrapping onto each other, your face fitted onto the crook of his neck and his chin rested on the curve of your head. You both exhaled in relief at the same time.

"What's the time?" Levi asked in his deep, sleepy voice after he swallowed. "8.50," you kissed his neck. His Adam's apple moved as he cleared his throat. You asked, "do you want to sleep in?"

Levi thought for a moment. His arms were strong in your shoulders. His body relaxed slightly as he exhaled again, "I wanna make you breakfast." A pause. "Pancakes?"

You nodded to his chest, but neither of you moved. It was true that you hadn't had breakfast together for some time now. Work had been busy and you had been skipping breakfast from time to time. It was rare for you both to wake up naturally on a holiday.

"Mmm.. 5min and I'll get up." Levi kissed the top of your head. You laid there for a while, listening to each other's heartbeat. You almost fell asleep when Levi nudged you away. "I'm getting up now," he announced. You decided to get up with him too. You cleaned up yourselves in the bathroom like you used to when you first moved in together. Watching each other's reflection in the mirror brought back memories.

You shared a kiss in the bathroom after you brushed your teeth. Your arms resting on his shoulders while his around your waist, you pressed your lips onto his. There was a small kissing sound when you pulled away from each other. Well, maybe a few kisses before Levi gently slapped your ass and ushered you out.

In your pjs, you sat at the counter and watched Levi flipping pancakes by the stove. Levi had this thing where he had to wear an apron when he cooked. Watching him in an orange coloured apron with a cat on it, flipping pancakes, was a bliss. You must have maxed out your luck to have this man in your life.

Taking everything in: the kettle was on, your mugs standing next to each other waiting for tea to be poured, Levi carefully scopping the pancakes from the pan to the plates, it was a perfect morning.

"Not too much syrup, Y/n," Levi warned you gently as he pushed the hot pancakes toward you. You grinned at him. And he grinned back.

[sh1-n0bu]

This anon know what is good, i guess i never make a ask so i'm doing now. Can u do that concept with any character (and mc of course) , may a hybrid? Idk, sorry if is confuse, a lil nsfw maybe?

-🍑

✿ 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙩𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙘𝙖𝙩 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩 ✿

characters: cat!6reeze x nb!reader

warnings: fluff!!!! fluff fluff fluff fluff fluff! also modern au!

notes: wanted to take a break from writing smut and take inspiration from my own fluffy bby for this one. also @junerixi , simping for only one☝️anemo boy is an illness. i hope you recover soon😚 honkai:star rail ver can be read here!

art by Mechodes on twt

oh gods

a menace

a complete menace i say

you know that thing cats do? when they just keep a direct eye contact with you as their little fluffy paw slowly pushes your potted plant or a cup full of drink to the edge of the table while you watch hopelessly bc your hands are dirty or busy doing smt?

yeah, it’s the 5th time the flower shop owner is seeing you this week and your wallet is crying

it’s almost as if you two were sworn enemies in your past life and scaranya is out for blood

doesn’t have that much of a zoomie episodes but when he does oh boy

you better retreat into a safe place but even then you’re not safe from scaranya’s terrifying zoomie powers

he’s literally running and jumping around everywhere

the table, on top of the fridge, the curtains, on top of the washing machine, your little bookshelf - everywhere

scaranya is such a little shit (affectionately)

his preferred way of waking you up is faking puking noises and when you throw your covers off and literally zoom into the living room, he gives you a look as if saying “finally awake, you silly human slave”

sometimes he even jumps on top of your chest harshly but that’s only used if you’re oversleeping with your alarm clock snoozed for the past 20 minutes and you’re running late to work

despises baths with a burning passion

if you’re taking him anywhere a large body of water is, he’s trashing around, kicking, hissing, biting, scratching - the whole pack

after a successful bathing time, with added new scratch marks on yourself, he would not approach you until you fall asleep

after you have fell asleep, he would quietly approach your sleeping figure and give small, shy licks to the angry red scratches he caused as if apologizing for being so aggressive

hates rainy days too, especially the ones with thunder and lightning

jumps up 5 ft into the air if a thunder strikes and runs into your lap, shaking small body curling into himself with all of his cockiness and pride out the window

scaranya appreciates you greatly but he’s just a bit too bad at communicating and so he shows his affection by lapping up the scratches he gave you

“scaranya, aren’t you gonna go out to the back garden and play with the rest? it’s nice outside today”

hmph! what do you mean by play with the rest of the cats? he’s a royal! he’s superior! scaranya has never heard of such bullshit befor- oh! a bird! must. catch!

scaranya and miao gets into fights sometimes and whenever you separate them, scaranya goes to sulk in the corner of the house silently

until you go over to him with a sigh and pick him up gently, he doesn’t even resist - just choosing to simply curl his tail around your wrist

a solid 9/10 kitty if he would just stop being a tsundere

art by Mechodes on twt

miao acts more like a guard dog than a cat sometimes

the smallest out of all the kitties yet also the strongest one. honestly the sheer amount of times miao has taken down a wild dog 10 times his size just keeps giving you more and more heart attack

doesn’t get zoomies, if anything he stops the other kitties’ zoomies if they go a bit too far - which most of the times escalate into scaranya and miao fighting

cleanse the land house through slaughter bug hunting

a sweet baby

miao’s preferred way of waking you up is to silently sit on your side of the bed and stare until you get that feeling of being watched and wake up to 2 piercing yellow eyes just staring holes into your soul

yes, you have yelled and fell off of your bed many times due to that

you found little miao at a dark alleyway, covered in blood and barely on the brink of death with his tiny paws twitching constantly

grew up malnourished on the streets with his 4 siblings dying out one by one, so due to that miao’s body is very small and he’s extremely territorial with you - his one and only sweet human

always leaves his scent on you by rubbing his head around your ankles

miao is indifferent when it comes to taking a bath, unlike scaranya, and he can be very obedient as well

when rubbing soap into his legs and washing his paws he would stretch out his limbs to make it easier for you to wash him - anything to lessen the load of his favorite human

he also seems to like your co-worker, zhongli a lot

one time you came home with zhongli due to a deadline of a great project coming closer and upon seeing him, miao immediately jumped into his lap, purring lowly, rubbing his head on zhongli’s hand

yes your heart broke at the betrayal and yes miao apologized with a dead rat in his mouth

but if it’s any other guests you’re bringing home, then miao would either get on top of the fridge and simply watch or hiss at the guest

oddly likes being in high places

one time, you made him a small necklace-collar thingy out of a few pearls and he wears that with pride, chest puffed out (a replica of his necklace)

loves sleeping on the lower parts of your bed at night. it’s soft, fluffy and he can keep an eye on you and keep you safe so it’s a win-win in miao’s book

“miao-miao, do you wanna come with me to the back garden to pick up the tomatoes?”

before you can even finish your question he’s already at the back door, staring at you expectantly with his tail thumping slowly against the floorboards

thanks to miao and kazunya your house will never get any bugs, roaches or mouses inside

if feeling incredibly vulnerable and soft, miao paws at your arm to ask for pets bc he just needs the comfort of his favorite human

literally a 9/10 kitty if he would just change his way of waking you up

art by ayon🌿 on twt

heinya is another little shit (affectionately)

he likes to cause trouble and drama here and there

also really enjoys spilling tea to you

it doesn’t matter if you’re waking up and is still groggy or just coming in through the front door, back from work - heinya is spilling all the drama of the shows he watched on the tv while you were away or the different birds he saw through the window - meowing away at you excitedly

another helpful hand

if you’re coming back from grocery shopping then heinya can take some of the smallest and lightest bagged things and dragging them to the kitchen alongside miao, kazunya and nyaether

heinya’s preferred way of waking you up is to make biscuits - you know that cute thing cats do with their paws squishing at their favorite spot over and over - on your stomach or lower back or! he just meows besides your ear over and over until you eventually wake up

the perfect alarm - heinya

he’s such a sweet baby

and heinya really likes watching real life crime documentaries for some reason

at first when you found this out, you couldn’t help but think heinya is going to murder you in your sleep but soon you realized he just loves crime related things

and bc he like crime related things, you bought heinya a cute spy glass shaped squeaky toy

when getting the zoomies, heinya decides to bite and kick at the spy glass shaped squeaky toy - making the toy let out squeaks at every little kick

heinya enjoys spending time outdoors, sniffing at the different scents wafting in the air, tracking down all different sorts of footsteps and paw marks with great interest - you sometimes wonder if heinya was a detective in his past life

loves to bring you all sorts of interesting things he found - an old ripped part of a newspaper article, a weirdly shaped leaf, a flower he has never seen before, a half bitten chicken still warm - wait where’d he get this?

loves to sleep using your hand as a pillow my cat does that to me so rip bc you have been captured by the amazing detective heinya and you won’t be moving for hours on end, let’s hope you had a nice snack and a toilet break beforehand

chose to wear the smooth, black satin you tied around his neck as a collar - either bc he loves to wear soft things or he just loves it bc you gave it to him

heinya is an incredibly affectionate kitty, always meowing for you for pets, cuddles and perhaps his favorite soft wet food? he’s been really good!

doesn’t really mind taking baths as well, if anything he uses this opportunity to shake bubbles everywhere!

for some reason, also loves to groom your hand. maybe it’s just something your kitties all share?

overall another solid 9/10 kitty, if you don’t mind being splashed with water and bubbles while bathing him

art by @bbadtime on tumblr

kazunya, me beloved

literally an angel, how could you ever be mad at him even as he took a whole bite out of your potted plants’ leaf?

another kitty that loves staying in high places like miao and stay outdoors like heinya

joins miao on his duty to cleanse the land house through slaughter bug hunting from time to time

a lazy, sweetheart of a cat that loves to sleep on warm places and the sunlight - you literally had to buy a window sling just for him to nap under the sunlight

another helpful hand!

will drag the lightest and smallest bagged things to the kitchen whenever you come back from grocery shopping - more so if it’s cat food

isn’t a picky eater but sometimes, just sometimes, prefers food with fish in it’s ingredients

kazunya is mostly tasked to wake you up by the other kitties bc he’s the sweetest

wakes you up by purring and snuggling with your face, neck, hands - anything just you in general

soon enough, the small fluff purring and cuddling you wakes you up and as a reward for waking up, kazunya gives you a small kiss - a lick to the tip of your nose - making you laugh

doesn’t meow a lot, only when he has to or if it’s an emergency such as the litter boxes not being cleaned, the food trays being empty etc

always gives you a kazunya kiss as a thank you

a gentle baby, even to the guests

whenever a guest comes over to your house, they always gush about the cute white cat with a small red streak in his fur

kazunya doesn’t get zoomies. even if he does it’s rare like only once a week

always grooms himself to keep himself clean, not to mention his white fur sparkling as well

surprisingly enjoys bath times, would even suggest you to bathe him by tugging on your sleeve then pointing to the bathroom with his fluffy paw!

however there’s just one thing that kazunya does that makes you shiver

it’s that he always, always! brings you dead animals or bugs. birds, rats, mouses, cockroaches, crickets - anything that he managed to hunt - he brings over to you with his tail swishing happily behind him

it’s considered a gift in cat language, you know that! but it’s just a bit dirty especially if he brings over different bugs. the rats, mouses and birds you can handle but the bugs brrr

one time, kazunya proudly brought you a dead wolf spider as you held back a tear and a screech, deciding to take his gift with a forced smile

you never recovered from that

a 10/10 kitty if he would just stop bringing you dead spide - kazunya is that a mf dead tarantula in your mouth?

art by os_Amaniwa on twt

another best kitty!

a sweet kitty that never complains!

helpful, never complains, never picky with his food - a literal angel

however sometimes nyaeather disappears randomly, coming back after a day or so

he always seems to be searching for something - his twin - you soon found out, by registering him and getting his pet password

and so you decided to help him reunite with his twin by putting up posters, articles, news on the internet, tv, radio - anything to make nyaether happy

after a whole half year of dedication and endless search, nyaether’s twin was finally found!

turns out the person who adopted nyaether’s twin was your co-worker, dainsleif, the quiet and mysterious tall man

after talking to him about the situation of the twin kitties, you both have come to an agreement to let the kitties have a play date once a week

when the day of the first play date has arrived an someone knocked on your door, your kitties gave you a confused look

upon taking nyaether in your arms, you walked over to the front door before unlocking it and letting dainsleif inside. as the blond man placed down the catbag and opened it, from inside stepped out a cute, similarly blonde furred kitty with a baby blue colored collar

upon seeing the kitty, nyaether jumped out of your arms and tackled his twin. cuddling her and licking at her face with a teary eyes - you and your co-worker dainsleif couldn’t help but laugh at the adorable situation

since then nyaether had made a silent oath to always be beside you and be your best kitty! you have done a lot for him by helping him reunite with his twin - nyumine - so he would do anything in his power to lessen your load!

nyaether’s preferred way of waking you up is by giving a gentle meow beside your ear and give your cheek three kisses - repeat the process on the other side until you eventually giggle and wake up

another kitty that doesn’t mind taking baths! however he just prefers the water to have a bit of bubbles to soothe his nerves

likes to sleep in your arms since he has separation anxiety like scaranya - due to the incident with his twin

“nyaether, keep the others in check okay? i’m going out on a quick grocery shopping!”

“myaaa!”

such a sweet baby🥹

his meows are higher pitched and not full “meow” like kazunya or miao’s instead it’s a short “myaa!”

a solid 11/10 kitty. highly recommend, get yourself a nyaether today!

art by os_Amaniwa on twt

a little shit AND a menace (affectionately)

very hyper too! sometimes you wonder if nyenti has ADHD but in cat version

it’s like he’s always in his zoomie mode as if to make up for having 2 kitties that barely has zoomies - which are miao and kazunya

his affectionate attitude doesn’t help as well

twirling, rubbing himself on your lap, hand, bageling his way around you - he’s always sticking close to you 24/7

one time as nyenti was rubbing himself on your hand while you were working on your computer for an important document, he tripped and fell on your keyboard - deleting your entire progress of work with a “myeeew!”

yes, you cried that night

unlike heinya, nyenti doesn’t really enjoy being outdoors - he just prefers to stay on your lap, lazily bathing in the sun - as he sometimes meows with heinya about some dramas

another kitty that loves to spill the tea to you

him and heinya meows your ears off with the things they have seen, watched, witnessed and heard - sometimes even adding some dirt on the other kitties such as kazunya eating leaves from your potted plants, scaranya sleeping on your hoodie bc he missed you, miao destroying the pantry during his duty to cleanse the land etc etc etc

nyenti’s preferred way of waking you up is to play with your hair. whether it be grooming at your hair, playing with them, tugging on the ends gently - it doesn’t matter which form - as long as nyenti wakes you up, that’s all

he also doesn’t do much hunting either, preferring to watch from the sidelines as the others chase some bugs and small animals they found

for some odd reason nyenti likes you to put flowers on top of his head or a flower shaped charms as a collar - his most favorite and preferred one being the white lily

cut the flower's bud and place it on top of nyenti upside down like it's a cone hat and nyenti would give you the biggest, affectionate "myew!" while rolling around on the ground, showing you his tummy

a sweet kitty if he would just stop being a little zoomie induced shit

nyenti is another kitty that hates taking baths

doesn't react as aggressive as scaranya but he likes to yell his defiance a lot and i mean a lot

overall, a solid 8.5/10 kitty if he would just stop meowing loudly in your ears everytime you take him for a bathtime, making you more and more deaf

[kiame-sama]

Humans Are Extinct (Yandere!TWST x Fem!Reader) Monster AU pt 7

(Last of my predrawn beast men, so I should probably see if I can get the next chapter picture drawn despite my slow af laptop fighting me for every bit of existence)

Warnings; Yandere, platonic yandere, romantic yandere yandere behavior, yandere tempers, yandere attitudes, custody battle, poaching, territorial behavior, hoard guarding, implied violence, cooking, casual threats, untrusting yet kind-hearted reader, fem pronouned reader, Vampire Bat, Raiju, Cervitaur, Dragon, Crow, Unicorn, Cecilia, Harpy, Nemean Lion, Shinigami, Water Nymph, Gnoll, Crow,

~~~~~~~~

The loud crack of thunder drew you from your deep sleep. You had been pressing your face and entire body into the warmth beneath you and you could already feel the faint imprints along your cheek from whatever you were laying on. Thunder continued to roll outside and you slowly tried to gather your bearings.

Currently, you were in the nest Malleus had constructed in Ramshackle, though you were not the only occupant when you fell asleep or when you woke up. Lilia and Sebek were awake, their gazes turned outside and it was still rather dark out. You slowly sat up, trying to see what was so interesting outside when a green bolt of lighting struck the ground near Ramschackle. The sudden lighting forced a squeak of fright to escape you which drew the attention of Lilia and Sebek.

"I was worried he would wake you. It's alright, (Y/n), go back to sleep."

"What's going on, Lilia?"

"An unfortunate poacher decided to try their luck and Malleus was the one who took note of their presence. Don't worry, you're safe."

"Is Malleus okay?"

Lilia giggled at this, reaching out a hand to pat your head in an affectionate way. He was acting as if he didn't just say Malleus was fighting someone who was trying to hunt you down for their own nefarious gains.

"Of course he is. Malleus is a Dragon and there are very few who can actually stand up against a Dragon."

You were going to respond to Lilia when you noticed something strange. Silver didn't seem to be present and he certainly wasn't with Lilia or Sebek. Worry began to bubble up in your chest as to where the Reindeer man could possibly be before you felt the warm bed beneath you breathe.

Looking down, you were both horrifed with yourself and the situation as you realized you had been laying across Silver's Reindeer half like a bed. Your legs straddled the Reindeer's hips and you had likely been nuzzled down into the shoulder blades of the deer half. His human half was sitting up and completely still even as one of his blue and purple aurora colored eyes stared at you over his shoulder.

He was very warm and soft.

"Oh? Oh! Goodness, Silver, I'm so sorry-!"

As soon as it hit you that you must have crawled on top of the Reindeer during the night, you were quickly trying to get off of his back. Lilia actually started to laugh as you quickly dismounted from the Reindeer's back, falling back into a pile of pillows and disrupting poor Grim. The cat-like creature responded in a startled way to being jostled, his pronged tail lashing wildly as his fur stood on end in fear. You would have laughed at the startled response if you didn't feel so badly about frightening him to that point.

"Myeh?! Hey! What's the big deal? I'm sleeping-"

Another crack of thunder sent the furball diving forward to hide against your stomach, shaking in abject horror from the uncomfortably close sound. Of course Grim would be terrified of lightning, who knows how easily that 'den' of his would flood in a storm or how close he has been to being struck by a bolt. You couldn't help but pull the soft gray critter closer, petting his torn ears and back to try and soothe him even as his little wings shook.

"... You can lay on my back if that will help you sleep."

The almost tired drawl came from Silver as he slightly turned to look at you better, his Reindeer half partially rolling to one side when he yawned. Despite how inviting the offer was, you were still upset with yourself and worried you had offended the silver haired man somehow. Though you had been dubious about sharing the large nest with your- mostly uninvited- guests, you had been the one to invade his personal space and even climbed on his back while you slept.

"No! No, it's okay. I'm so sorry, Silver. I didn't mean to-"

"Why are you so upset?"

"... What?"

"I'm not angry, if that's why you're worried. Father sleeps on my back quite often during the day. I'm not angry you chose me as your sleeping companion."

"But I didn't mean to-"

"I know. You likely were drawn to how warm I typically am. It is quite drafty in this building, and it doesn't seem like there is any central heating."

You made a mental note to ask the professors about potentially acquiring a heated blanket to avoid cuddling your bed companions while you slept. It seemed like Silver was being truthful with you as Lilia crawled over to your side from where he had been gazing out the window. He was quick to flop down across the secondary shoulders of the large Reindeer and ruffled the silver fur with his Bat wings as he made himself comfortable.

"Silver's nice and soft, and his coat always keeps him warm even in winter. He really does make a good bed whenever I need a quick nap. Besides, he makes such cute little snoring sounds-"

"Father!"

"Keeheehee, just saying~ (Y/n), you should have seen him when he was just a little wobbly calf. I have some pictures back at Diasomnia I can show you. His legs were so long and he always tripped over them-"

"Father, please."

Lilia's joking helped calm your stress from the situation and also seemed to be helping Grim calm down. The blue-eyed cat-bat finally lifted his head from where he had been hiding his face against your stomach, reaching out a paw to touch the Reindeer's side. He clearly must have liked how warm and soft Silver was as he crawled out of your arms, curling up next to Lilia on Silver's back and snuggling down into the shaggy fur. You almost missed it, but as you looked up at Silver you could see a clear bright pink blush painting his fair cheeks before he looked away.

"It's over. My liege is on his way back."

Sebek said calmly, still looking outside with an almost unreadable expression. The lightning hadn't struck more than once and the thunder quickly quieted down after the first boom that woke you. It was almost like the storm was not actually a storm and you wondered just what it was that caused the lightning or why it was green.

He entered the room silently, only his bright green eyes were visible in the dark of the hallway as if he were wreathed in shadows themselves before he entered the room. Moonlight streamed across his form and he was once again the odd Dragon that had stumbled across you that first day.

"Did I wake you, child of man?"

"The thunder did."

"My apologies."

"Why are you apologizing for thunder? You didn't make it happen... Right?"

Malleus smiled as he returned to the nest, settling by your side and smiling at you patiently. It must not have been raining as he didn't seem to have a drop of water on him. He tilted his head and regarded you affectionately as if he were watching a beloved pet paw at him for attention.

"How little you know... Don't worry, there won't be anymore thunder tonight. I have the feeling that my message was recieved loud and clear."

"Did..." you found it oddly difficult to talk, "did you kill someone?"

Malleus didn't answer you, he just slowly blinked and reached out a clawed hand, patting your head gently. You found yourself wanting a bit more distance from the Dragon, wondering if you made a mistake to ask a question you truly did not want the answer to. As per usual, Lilia was quick to interrupt the tension with a loud yawn and stretch as if to imply you all should return to sleep.

"Here, (Y/n), I'll groom you to sleep again!"

"You really don't have to, Lilia."

"But I want to."

"One of these days I need to talk to everyone about personal space..."

~•§•~

The early morning dawn seemed to be a sleepy one as things slowly emerged from their warm beds and into the brisk morning. The low roll of thunder heard late in the night was certainly not lost on anyone as to the source of the sound. Even the few who rose for an early meeting seemed to be acutely aware of the Dragon's absence.

"Good morning, all. I have called this meeting at the behest of Riddle concerning the most recent events of orientation."

The Headmage stood at the head of the table, his feathers slightly ruffled from sleep as it was still quite early in the day. He usually rose with the sun and clearly had more energy than some of the Housewardens sitting at the table. Leona was barely awake as he lay with his head on the table, only the flicking tail showed the Nemean Lion was even conscious.

"As I am sure you all know by now, we have a Human living in the dorm on the main campus. Unlike most dorms, you do not need to enter a mirror to get to it and so it is easier for outsiders to access. However, there is no other place the Human can stay without putting her at risk of too curious students. Riddle, you told me you had a solution in mind for this?"

Riddle nodded, clearing his throat and straightening his bow.

"(Y/n) is Human and we all understand the gravity of the situation at hand. Humans died out from Twisted Wonderland centuries ago and now one has appeared in our school. It is our duty as Housewardens to assist in the safeguarding of this Human as her survival could mean the beginning of advancements made far beyond our lifetimes and even in our lives now. I'm sure we all understand the importance of keeping her safe. This being said, I am of the mind that it's time to switch out who is safeguarding (Y/n). This should be a shared duty of all the Housewardens, not just a privilege exclusive to Diasomnia."

Crowley nodded, leaning against his hand as he gave the proposition more thought. It seemed several of the other Housewardens were in agreement- at least, those who were physically present- at the idea of a shared responsibility.

"I, for one, think this is a wonderful idea, Riddle. Octavinelle is ready to open our doors to this poor unfortunate soul and keep her safe."

"You aren't usually one to offer help without a price, Azul. What are you looking to get out of this?"

"Nothing, of course! Just looking to help the less fortunate."

"I highly doubt that, Azul."

It was then Vil spoke up, the Harpy regarding the other Housewardens as if assessing them while he spoke. He could raise issue with letting the soft Human stay with any one of these uncouth ruffians.

"I agree that we all need to take turns guarding the Human, but how many of us can honestly be trusted with her? It is clear now that all of Twisted Wonderland will soon know she is here if they don't already. Frankly I wouldn't trust any one of you with her safety. Riddle, what makes you think you should be the one to protect her?"

"W-What?"

"It was one of your dorm's students who decided to post a picture of her. I think your dorm has done enough damage for now. I should think you would agree to revoke your own rights to guard her until you can prove you are able to keep your students in line."

"What is that supposed to mean, Vil?"

"Oh? Do I have to spell it out for you? Usually you're smarter than this, Riddle."

Vil stood, his crest raised and an almost cruel smile curling his lips as he approached the distraught Unicorn. As far as Riddle was concerned, only he knew the rules to taking proper care of a Human so only he could provide adequate accommodations for her. But the way Vil spoke made a dark kind of doubt seep into Riddle's mind, wondering if the Harpy could be right and that alone was an upsetting reality Riddle didn't really want to face at the moment.

"You can't even begin to protect that Human from students in your own dorm, how can you hope protect her from actual threats?"

Riddle wanted to retort or have the grinning Harpy's head but he couldn't find the words to respond to the proud bird. Vil only grinned wider at the silence he was met with before turning to the other Housewardens with that same energy.

"None of you can. Leona shouldn't even be considered given he's a Nemean Lion. Azul will try to make a deal with her. Kalim will lose her within minutes. Idia can't even talk to us let alone talk to and protect her. Really, the only two who could be of any use are Malleus and I. Malleus is genetically wired to be a good guardian and I certainly have enough skill to actually keep her alive."

Crowley considered Vil's words, tilting his head side to side as he thought about what the Harpy said. He was of the mind to just let the Human choose her own guard, but maybe he would have to reconsider that given how upset the Housewardens were getting over her and it had only been two days. There was truth to the unusual charm of the extinct species and the hold they clearly had over others even in such a short time.

"I think you all are ignoring the bigger truth and being selfish as hell."

The growl came from the golden lion that now lifted his head from the table he had been resting it on. His green eyes glinted in the morning light and the faint sunrays seemed to shine off of his golden coat. Even his wild tresses held a faint glimmer that made the prince look every bit as regal as his lineage suggested.

"She isn't from here. She has a home she likely wants to go back to. We can't talk like we're keeping her when we should find a way to send that Mousey home."

"I would agree with you, Leona," Azul started, his eyes glinting with humor at the knowledge he was about to reveal, "but there are a few problems with that notion. Jade and I spoke with her yesterday and she claims she came from somewhere filled with Humans. There is nowhere like that left in Twisted Wonderland. I would wager she is from another reality entirely, one where only Humans thrive. One that we can't get to despite many trying in the past to prove we are not alone. I don't know how she got here, but she is stuck here now. Besides, do you really want to be the one to tell Malleus we are taking his Human away? I get you don't pay attention in classes, but I certainly do and I have heard the many tales of Dragons going as far as to kidnap Humans they are fond of."

Leona growled a low warning to the Cecilia to watch his words lest he be the recieving party of the Lion's ire. Though he was a lazy Lion and didn't seem to be bothered with much, he was still a force to be reckoned with when he actually decided to fight.

"Why the hell should I care why that damn lizzard wants the Human?"

"Well, Dragons and other Fae did take the extinction of Humans the hardest and mourn the longest, I would wager the older ones are still in mourning. Next to them, the Merfolk were the next most heartbroken by the ending of such a fascinating species. I wouldn't expect you to understand- being a Nemean Lion and all- but-"

"Keep talking, Cephalo-punk and I'll give you something to mourn over."

Azul closed his mouth quickly, knowing he wouldn't actually stand a chance if pitted against the weapon-immune golden Lion. For all his abilities, so many seemed to pale in comparison to the sheer strength Leona contained in his form alone. Out of the water, a Lion would always win in a direct fight against an octopus, the same was true for Nemean Lions and Cecilia.

"I can protect her better than most of you but none of you want to admit that. You all want to pretend I'll gobble that little Mousey up and refuse to even let me stand my own ground. What? Too afraid she'll like me more than you lot?"

This got Vil's feathers to ruffle as the Harpy seemed ready to fight the grinning Lion that so clearly challenged those at the table. Luckily for everyone else, the floating tablet finally decided to interrupt the conversation.

"Fine, we all gotta do it. I vote everyone's dorm gets put in a raffle and the next Housewarden to guard her is chosen that way."

"This is unlike you, Idia. You don't even show up in person to most classes."

"Humans were the best inventors we had before they died out. The last human lived on the Isle of Woe and made enough inventions to keep the Shroud family rich for centuries. Why wouldn't I want the best story telling species and most inventive species to give me new ideas? Probably why you want her too, Azul."

"Well, I certainly understand a profitable business venture when one is presented to me..."

"Exactly my point."

Crowley nodded, clapping his hands together and drawing the attention of those at the table. He heard exactly what he wanted to hear and he was willing to give every Housewarden a fair chance, even Leona.

"I believe a raffle is a fantastic idea, Mr. Shroud! And because I am just so kind to all, every Housewarden will be given a fair shot."

"Headmage, I beg you to reconsider-"

"Let's start this raffle!"

Riddle tried to start but the Crow had made up his mind and there was no changing it. As he used magic to summon his usual way of raffling students, he glanced around the room for a moment. Odd, he only counted six but there should be seven?

"... Did no one remember to invite Mr. Draconia to today's meeting?"

~•§•~

You stood in the kitchen of Ramschackle dorms, tiredly cooking up enough breakfast to feed your uninvited guests, Cater, yourself, and Grim. Despite your annoyance at being the only one to cook- let alone being the only one who really knew how- you dutifully continued your task. According to Silver, Lilia actually cooked often but was so abysmally bad at it they all thought cooking was a useless skill. It wasn't until you cooked for them that they even realized cooking food could actually make it taste better and not worse.

"If you all insist on making me cook for you, I'm going to insist you all provide the ingredients. The kitchen may be well stocked now, but if I have to keep feeding extra mouths every day the pantry is going to eventually run out."

You idly listened to the sizzle as you half-jokingly scolded the group that milled about your kitchen and sniffed in your direction occasionally. They were eager to get some breakfast from you and had all woken up before you did in anticipation for the warm meal you would no doubt create. Apparently you had once again moved to cuddle Silver's warm body in your sleep and the Reindeer refused to let Grim or even Lilia wake you before the sun was mostly up. The five others in the shared nest were all in agreement to let you wake on your own time, but your actual invited guest was quick to herald in the morning and woke you. It seemed like Malleus and Sebek were ready to attack the redhead but quickly calmed when you pulled yourself out of the nest to start cooking.

Cater had been an affectionate nuisance and asked you nonstop questions about what you were doing and how Humans cooked things. It became very clear to you- based on his questions and curiosity- that junkfood really didn't exist in Twisted Wonderland. Despite how you wanted to cry upon hearing this and mourn the loss of your comfort foods, you realized that you may be able to make your own junkfoods. You would certainly need help acquiring things, but there had to be some kind of inventive monster on this campus that could help you.

"I agree! These guys can bring the food and you can cook it! Why let them get all this free stuff if they don't help with getting or making it?"

"I can help cook-"

You were quick to smack the reaching hand with your wooden spoon, startling Lilia as his wings fluffed out in surprise.

"You," you started with a near threatening tone, "will keep your hands off of the things in my kitchen. Silver already told me how your cooking is and I will not allow you to scorch my meals."

"I think I'm a pretty good cook-"

"The answer is 'no'. You don't get to cook in my kitchen. I agree with Grim that it would be a welcome change to have you all bring me the foods you want and maybe even more spices than the few I have here, but you aren't cooking. If you really want to help me right now, you can start washing dishes."

Silver sent a silent thanks your way for sparing him and the others from another evening spent eating Lilia's cooking. The Bat Fae had learned to love cooking from the few Humans he had the pleasure of meeting, but he was so abysmally bad at it that his 'meals' could barely be considered food. Malleus and Sebek were also relieved to see you quickly shut down any idea of letting Lilia cook and they all breathed a sigh of relief.

"I can do dishes! Riddle and Trey make me do them all the time. Don't know why Trey never lets me help him bake things though."

Cater was quick to roll up his sleeves, starting on the pile of dishes that had already begun to accumulate in the large sink. Maybe it wouldn't be all that bad if you could get your freeloaders to help clean or gather ingredients instead of doing it all yourself. Despite calling them freeloaders, you were appreciative of at least Malleus and Lilia being fairly adept guards for your safety. It did make you wonder what Malleus had done last night, but you also felt in your heart of hearts that you didn't really want to know if the lovely Dragon had killed someone on your behalf.

"Hey," there was loud scratching at that side door again and you already knew who it was, "the door's locked again. Please, have mercy, I'm just a starving Gnoll."

"... I really shouldn't have fed him. He's gonna come back every day and night for more."

You had the foresight to add extra to what you were making, anticipating the unusual pull your cooking seemed to have on the local monster population. Part of you wanted to keep feeding Ruggie as the gaunt appearance of the ever hungry Gnoll pulled at your heartstrings. His clear hunger and almost non-existent stomach told you just how little the Hyena man actually ate and it genuinely saddened you to know he was likely actually starving.

"Lilia, can you get the door?"

"On it~"

Ruggie was quick to scamper up to your side and sniff loudly at the food you were cooking. His tail wagged at almost impossible speeds as his stomach howled to be satiated, his Hyena head bobbing up and down when he began to cackle in excitement. Despite the warnings you had received about Gnolls, Ruggie didn't act like a slavering beast that sought Human flesh, instead he seemed much like someone who grew up never knowing when he could eat again or if he would be safe in the night. He reminded you so much of that first good look you got at Grim, covered in all the scars that riddled his little body and marred his cute appearance with tales of agony sustained. Both of them made you want to protect them however you could.

As you moved over to another pan which you had been using to cook up some scrambled eggs, you couldn't help but chuckle when Ruggie continued to vocalize his excitement. The cackling and whooping from the Hyena was almost a comforting song in the background of your morning. It was only when he reached a grizzled paw towards the pans that you barked out a similar whoop at him. Your sound startled the Gnoll as his gaze snapped to you in surprise, his nose working overtime as if to find the fellow Gnoll that whooped in response to his sounds.

"Woah! You didn't say you knew how to speak Gnoll!"

"I don't."

"What was that then?"

"Where I'm from, Humans are typically quite good at vocal mimicry because it is how most of our infants learn to speak. You were whooping, so I whooped back."

Ruggie cocked his head to the side curiously, you could almost see the gears in his head turning and grinding as he took in your words. His short tail had been still as he lost himself in thought before it resumed the rapid wagging pace as his brain caught back up to the rest of him.

"Cool! What other sounds can you make?"

The rest of your time cooking was spent making various noises- from growls, to cackles, even to various barking- to entertain the Gnoll and distract him from the food. Once it was ready, you had Sebek get enough plates for the eight of you and set to divvying up the meals. Naturally, Ruggie and Grim were the first to happily dig in to their breakfasts.

Things were peaceful and somewhat quiet, but as it usually was in this strange new world, things were not going to stay quiet for long.

"(Y/n)," a familiar voice called from the direction of the door to your dorms, recognizing the voice of the Headmage Crow, "I have news and a gift for you, my little chick! Where are you?"

"We're in the kitchen!"

The Headmage was surprised to see the odd group you had gathered in your kitchen, looking over the various students in surprise.

"Mr. Diamond? What are you doing here?"

"I told Cater he could stay here for the night since he was kicked out of his dorm. Sure, what he did was stupid and I am still mad about it, but no one should have to spend a night in those woods. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if something terrible happened to him, especially in the name of protecting me."

"It's beautiful," the Crow sniffed as if he were about to cry, "such a heartwarming display of genuine kindness! I would expect nothing less from the beautiful heart of a Human! I've missed you wonderfully naïve and forgiving little creatures so much! Nothing quite like a Human's forgiveness to soothe the turbulent soul!"

You were stunned when the Crow actually burst into tears, covering his face with his hands and openly weeping from your- in your mind- simple act of kindness. It seemed the others weren't prepared for this behavior either as they all stared at the fully grown Crow Fae man weeping and bawling like an infant. He was quick to compose himself despite the sudden onslaught of tears as he pulled you into a hug you were too surprised to return, wondering what his problem was that he was so ready to emotionally break down in front of you.

"My beautiful little chick is the kindest soul to ever live and grace these halls with such a warm heart!"

"Um..."

"Here," he interrupted your confusion and pulled back to shove a hastily wrapped package into your hands, "A gift from your professors! It's a cellular device to let you communicate with us when you need. Sam assures me Idia has already programed our numbers into it and it is ready to be used whenever you wish."

"Thanks? Why-"

"Also! The other Housewardens and I have come to an agreement concerning your continued need for guards due to Mr. Diamond's actions. All Housewardens and their accompanying Vice-Housewardens will contribute to protecting this dorm and will switch out every week based on a raffle. This week is Diasomnia's turn, next week is Ignihyde's turn. You haven't met Idia or Ortho yet, but they'll be by to introduce themselves soon. Well, Ortho probably will be, Idia is excited to meet you but he isn't one to socialize much..."

A deep snarl came from where Malleus stood, casually setting his plate down to face the Crow directly and continue the deep percussive noise of his displeasure. It was more than obvious to everyone that the Dragon was not content with the idea of giving you up even for others to guard.

"You dare divvy up my hoard like I should have no say in what happens to her? My Human is not a pet to trade with anyone and everyone who takes interest."

"I'm not saying that, Malleus, what I am saying is her protection should be taken seriously by all students at Night Raven College and the best way to show others she is worth defending is to allow them time to form their own bonds with her by protecting her. Besides, Diasomnia needs their Housewarden and Vice-Housewarden. It isn't fair to those students to be left without yourself and Mr. Vanrouge permanently."

Malleus just growled in response, knowing Crowley was right but still furious he was not part of the decision making process.

"And Kingscholar? What of his dorm?"

"Mr. Kingscholar is a Housewarden and has made a convincing argument for allowing himself to be one of (Y/n)'s guards. As Savanaclaw has no Vice-Housewarden, it will soley fall on his shoulders when his name is drawn."

Ruggie then spoke up, trying to give yourself and Malleus a wide berth to not upset the Dragon further. Though the Gnoll was quick to fold to more powerful mages, he was excited to hear Leona would be given a chance and equal respect as a Housewarden.

"If Leona actually asked to help, no way he will let anyone tell him no. He doesn't like doing extra work, so the fact he volunteered for extra work shows he actually means to do it!"

"Exactly my thinking! Why deny such a strong student a chance to prove himself? Who knows, perhaps his time with (Y/n) will prove Nemean Lions do not deserve the negative view society has of them."

You were irritated that none of these men bothered to ask you how you feel about the situation, but if the nighttime interruptions were anything to go off of, you were still in danger. Though the prospect of being bounced around between several monster men didn't excite you, there was obviously need for their protective behavior.

"Now, I hope you all enjoy your classes today. I hear there may even be an unbirthday party happening in Heartslabuyl that you may wish to attend. Have a pleasant morning, my little chick."

[yuyusuyu]

birthday kisses!

pairing. idol! song mingi x non idol! fem! reader

synopsis. you wake up feeling very parched and very in love with your boyfriend, song mingi. you admire his beauty and suddenly have the need to give him a kiss... too bad you're too shy.

warnings. pet names (tiny i literally saw someone say that mingi would call his s/o tiny and i literally died and i'm running with it now, baby, pretty/pretty girl), kisses (as an aroace person: ew), mingi being mingi (he is a menace himself he literally bites you)

genres. romance, fluff, established relationship

wc. 0.8k

a/n. reader has glasses because we are all blind in this today. also ! happy birthday to our lovely mingi :( (literally please ignore my last mingi oneshot. it was literally supposed to be up TODAY not two days early wtaf tumblr.....)

reblogs and comments are appreciated! helps with not getting shadowbanned!

YOU wake up suddenly, feeling very thirsty as you try to crane your neck back to see the stupid alarm clock you have sitting on top of your night stand. you can’t make out the numbers, and attempt to blindly reach out for your glasses when mingi grunts, trying to shove his nose further into the crook of your neck. it’s then that you remember that you fell asleep hugging your boyfriend while he rested his head on your chest, saying that listening to your heartbeat helps lull him to sleep while he had his arms tightly wrapped around your waist. you feel slightly embarrassed at the position you’re both in as you card your hand through his short-ish hair, your other hand resuming its previous mission of trying to grab your glasses from its place by the alarm clock.

after a few seconds of blindly reaching out for your glasses, you huff, deciding to just grab them later as you try to shimmy out of your boyfriend’s hold. mingi groans, tightening his grip. “what are you doing, tiny?”

“i’m thirsty,” you whisper. “i’ll be back before you know it.”

mingi sighs, “okay. don’t take too long, though,” he mumbles, attempting to open his eyes to look at you. “i just want to sleep the day away with you.”

you snort, now sitting up with your feet touching the cold floor. “baby, are you sure you don’t want to go out and do something? you only have today off, and you’ll be busy later at night for the live.”

the male shakes his head, stuffing his head into his pillow afterwards. “just wanna sleep with my pretty girl today…”

“even if it’s your birthday?”

mingi hums in response, and you laugh, quickly kissing the crown of his head and whispering happy birthday to him before pushing yourself up. when you’re in the kitchen, holding your glass of water, you purse your lips in thought, taking a sip from it.

you are definitely going to drag mingi out to do at least something today after he’s fully awake… which will probably be some time after one in the afternoon.

when you go back to the room, you happily crawl into the covers and mingi immediately pulls you into him, shoving his nose into your neck again. you laugh, wrapping an arm around his head and scratching his scalp softly. mingi hums, and he reminds you of a cat when he nuzzles his nose into—

“ow?” you yelp, bewildered as you push mingi away from you to see him smiling at you cheekily. “what was that for?” you pout, rubbing the spot mingi bit.

“nothing,” he replies. “let’s go back to sleep, yeah?”

you drop the subject and resume scratching his scalp. you don’t know how long it’s been when you decide to look down at the sleeping male. you can’t see mingi with how he has his face in your neck, so you lean back, almost cooing out loud at how adorable he looks with messy, oreo hair. you then trace over his eyebrows with a finger before lovingly caressing his cheek, eyes smiling along with your lips as you press quick kisses to the dots on his face. one kiss right beneath his eyebrow, one kiss on the top of his cheek, one kiss on his jaw, and one last kiss on his temple. your eyes then fall to his lips and you have the sudden urge to kiss them, but you flush in embarrassment at the thought of doing so.

unlike your boyfriend, you find it a little harder to initiate skinship.

well… only when you let yourself think about it just like now.

you settle with kissing the dot by his temple again, pulling back and gasping in surprise when mingi’s eyes fly open.

“what the…? mingi, since when—”

he cuts you off by leaning in, staring straight into your eyes. you attempt to lean back, eyes wide.

“well, if you won’t do it,” he says, licking his lips. “i will.”

mingi leans forward, his mission being to kiss you. you whine and cover your mouth, making him laugh as he gently pries your hands away.

“stop! i-i have morning breath!”

“okay, and? i don't care. c’mon pretty,” he says, chuckling. “let me have my birthday kiss.”

“stop,” you drawl. “when you say it like that, you know i’m going to cave in!”

mingi bites your cheek all of a sudden, pulling the flesh back as you squeal, laughing afterwards. “that’s why i said it. now give me my kiss before i bite you again.”

“you’re turning into wooyoung,” you huff, frowning as you settle down and admit defeat. “biting everyone out of nowhere.”

“i only ever bite you out of love,” he sings, pecking your nose quickly before kissing you.

the kiss is soft and fast. mingi opens his eyes to see your own flutter open, and before you can even process what’s happening, he’s already pressing his lips to yours again, the kiss being a little rougher than the previous one. it leaves you in a daze when he pulls back.

“w-why did you—”

mingi cuts you off by humming, pointing at his face afterwards. “give me more kisses, and you can't say no because it's my birthday.”

“you're abusing your birthday power,” you scoff, but nonetheless smile and pepper kisses everywhere on his face, making him grin. “happy birthday, mingi.”

[vrystalius]

Hiiiii!!! I genuinely love your writing and wanted to ask you if you could maybe so some Genya x Reader and like, him cuddling you and just being the shy cutie he is

Sorry for bothering u lmfao my love for Genya is too big to be kept silent🥺

Sleepy cuddles with Genya

You’re both tired after training, so how about recharging with cuddles and sleep?

Pairing: Genya x fem!reader

You’re incredibly proud of yourself and Genya for managing to make him feel comfortable enough to share a futon together. You can still feel how stiff and awkward his movements are, and how he doesn’t really know where to out his hands yet. So, you have to take the lead. Your arms find their place around his broad shoulders, your fingers tracing his back muscles. You felt how his breath hitched slightly. His face nuzzled into your warm neck, hiding his blushing face. Your lips softly pressed up against the side of his head in an attempt to calm him.

“Gen? You okay?”

Genya slowly lifted his head out of your neck, glancing at you. His eyes were droopy. He nodded slowly and hummed, cuddling closer onto your body, draping your sheet over both of your bodies.

“I’m jus’ tired… I missed you…Lots.”

His voice was a little muffled by being pressed against your chest. His eyes started to flutter close and his arms slowly wrapped around your waist tighter. You smiled softly and ran your fingers through his messy mohawk, massaging his scalp. You felt his chest starting to rumble. It was his bodily way to show that he’s happy. His chest would to rumble and vibrate, similar to how cats purr. It was odd at first but is now very adorable to you. Soothing almost. While running your fingers through his messy hair, you suddenly felt something biting your arm. Looking down, you saw Genya’s big, apologetic eyes and a bite mark on your bicep.

“S-Sorry, didn’t mean to- i-it kinda just happened-“

You quickly shushed him with a gentle kiss against his forehead. His tense muscles started to loosen and his face visibly relaxed again. Genya nuzzled into your neck and his arms wrapped around you tighter.

“It’s okay, don’t worry. Bite me as much as you want, I can handle it.”

Your boyfriend nodded and sighed deeply. Gods, he looks so adorable when sleepy. You really have to hold back your cuteness aggression to not kiss and bite him all over. Your fingers found their place in his hair again while his eyes fell close. The soft vibrations in his chest returned and his lips parted slightly, soft snores slipping out. He seemingly fell asleep already, exhaustion and your cuddles knocked him out immediately. You felt him slowly grow limp against you while his arms still were firmly wrapped around your waist. Genya so adorable when asleep, you really had to hold back to not smother him in affection. Again.

💠

I need a Genya plushie. I realised this while writing. It’s unfair that I have a Sanemi plushie but not a Genya one! And thank you for your support, I hope you enjoyed this! My love for Genya also is something I have to live out more XD

Anyways, make sure to EAT, SLEEP and DRINK enough <3

Take care of yourselves!

[illyrianbitch]

One Summer — Part Five

Pairing: Reader x Azriel

Summary: One beach house. One festival. One summer to fall in love.

Warnings: drug usage (weed n edibles), alcohol, mor & cass legit being siblings, reader & az being a lil touchy, az being vulnerable, some insecurities

Word Count: 5.7k

Previous Part | Series Masterlist | Next Part

not fully proofread. <3

✹ ✶ 𖧷 ✶✹

It was 7:09 AM when you woke, a golden sheen slowly seeping through your curtains. Your phone’s screen was still dimmed, locked in Do Not Disturb for another two hours, and your body protested the movement to slip out of bed. You weren't generally an early riser, never found much enjoyment in waking before necessary. But as you stepped onto the balcony and watched the world greet the day, you began to understand the appeal. You savored the sense of calm, letting it seep into your bones. 

In a little over three hours you’d be back in the Summit Pulse parking lot preparing for the second day, stomach full of spiked seltzers and a full face of sunscreen— with extra on your nose.  

You glanced back towards Azriel’s room. The curtains were still drawn tight, no light escaping through them. He must still be asleep. A soft smile tugged at your lips as you recalled the night before— Azriel bathed in the moonlight, eyes closed and a smile hanging on his lips. 

You sat in the memory for a few more moments before you headed to the kitchen.

You stopped in your tracks as you rounded the corner of the stairs. 

Azriel stepped in from the back door, a ray of sunlight pouring into the space behind him. It illuminated his figure almost perfectly. He had clearly come back from a run: black shorts and matching tennis shoes to match. But his shirt—his shirt was no longer on his body, but rather in his hands. He wiped it across his face and your gaze fell down to his torso, tracing the detailed black ink across his arms and chest. The small droplets of water clinging to his skin didn’t look like sweat, and his hair was too damp to be attributed to the run alone. He must’ve rinsed off in the outdoor shower.

“Hi Az.”

You hoped your voice sounded steady, that it wasn't weighed down by sleep— or, worse, tinged with a longing that could betray how blatantly you had been staring.

Azriel’s head snapped up, eyes widening as he registered your presence. He pulled his shirt down to his chest, the motion hurried and frantic like that of a chaste Victorian woman covering her bosom. You glanced down at the movement then back up to his eyes and raised an amused brow. The corners of your lips twitched with a smile.

A pink hue spread across his cheeks as he cleared his throat, stepping fully into the threshold of the kitchen.

“Look who’s scaring who now.”

“Sorry,” you replied, a similar flush now painting your cheeks. You dropped your gaze and moved further into the kitchen. “I guess I need a cat collar too.”

“Maybe,” he mused with a small laugh. The sound rippled through you. “You’re up early.”

“You are too. Did you go for a run?”

Azriel nodded, his fingers drumming a gentle rhythm on the kitchen counter. “I did.”

“Very impressive.”

A slight grin touched his lips. “It helps clear my mind.”

The idea of a clear mind seemed incredibly appealing at the moment. You were excited for the day ahead—truly, you were. But there was still an anxious flutter in your stomach, a sense of stress that made your skin prickle.

“Maybe I should go for a run too, then.”

Azriel tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing as he studied you. Normally, you’d find extended eye contact uncomfortable, feeling exposed under anyone else’s gaze. But with Azriel, it felt different—less intrusive. He opened his mouth to respond, but the backdoor slid open again, admitting another stream of sunlight. 

Cassian stepped in, shirtless of course, and a large smile spread across his features as he took in the sight before him.

“Y/n,” he greeted. “Up bright and early, I see.”

“I am,” You said with a smile. You gestured to his form with your chin. “Guess I missed the shirtless memo, though.”

Cass chuckled— a hearty sound that pulled the corners of your lips even higher. He strolled over to you with a wink. “Hey, no one’s opposed.”

You flicked a glance at Azriel. The blush on his cheeks seemed to deepen, though it was hard to tell if it was the lighting or just your imagination. Cassian walked to the cupboards, pulling out a glass and filling it at the sink. You watched as he took a long sip, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“We ready for today?” He asked cheerfully, turning to fill the cup up again. “I think it's my favorite lineup.”

“Me too,” Az said. You glanced over at him, eyes tracing the curve of his mouth as it blossomed into a smile. “I feel like the sets will be great.” He tossed a glance your way.

Cassian guzzled down another glass of water before he nodded at Azriel. “You gonna shower?”

They shared a bathroom here— a large one found in between both of their rooms. According to everyone in the house, their shower had a water pressure that rivaled yours. Morrigan had told you to use their shower whenever you had the time, claiming that their showering experience was elite and totally unfair. You hadn’t had the opportunity as of yet.

Azriel’s gaze flickered to you once more before he gave Cass a smile. “Nah man,” he said, “You can hop in.”

Cassian grinned. “Sweet. See you guys in a bit.” 

It wasn’t until you heard the echo of his heavy footsteps upstairs that you turned back to Azriel. His eyes were trained on you, that warm, inviting look still on his face. Even from feet apart, you could see the gold in his eyes—and you thanked the morning sun for giving the house such great lighting.

You offered him a smile and made your way around the kitchen.

The fridge and the cupboards were all stocked thanks to you, Azriel, and Feyre’s thorough grocery list, so you found what you needed within a minute. Some bagels, eggs, cheese, bacon, and cream cheese.

Azriel craned his head to take in the assortment in front of you. “I thought you preferred lighter breakfasts?” You met his gaze as he continued, “Simple cream cheese with nothing else.”

Something in your chest stirred. A people-watcher, indeed. Even after two years of little interaction, Azriel still remembered something as small as your light stomach in the morning.

“I do. But I need something heavier so I don’t waste twenty bucks on a mediocre pizza slice.”

Azriel grimaced, the skin on his nose scrunching in a way that seemed entirely too soft for his striking, sharp features. “Yeah,” he said with a low whistle, “The prices were steep.”

You nodded and pulled out two bagels. “I also think Mor is going to need a heavy breakfast. Something nice and greasy.”

Mor had started off Summit stronger than any of you. You stopped counting how many drinks she’d managed to get through sweet-talking. She’d been generous to share the wealth among you, switching between who she would give the free drink to. There was no doubt she’d saved a good dent in your wallets. But even with all of her graciousness, Morrigan had drunk her fair share.

Azriel let out a sound of understanding and moved around the counter, situating himself next to you. “Then let me help.”

You accepted the offer with another smile. You’d been offering those to him a lot recently, so much so that it felt like your cheeks naturally tugged at your lips in his presence. Azriel pulled out a pan, turning on the stove. You caught his stare as you were cutting the bagels in two.

“What is it?”

You fought the urge to bring a hand to your face—did you have something? Some remnants of crust around your eyes from sleep? You’d washed off, gotten ready before you came down, but maybe you’d missed—

“Nothing,” Azriel shrugged. “I’m sure Mor will appreciate breakfast. It’s sweet of you to think of her.”

Right on cue, the groan of a very hungover Mor filtered into the room. Azriel went back to tending to the stove before you had a chance to pull a response from your throat.

✹ ✶ 𖧷 ✶✹ 

You had to give credit where credit was due: Cassian knew his audience. 

You’d only been in Summit for about an hour and a half and he had already secured a handful of numbers from various admirers. 

You watched as he brought a hand to his face, absently stroking his mustache as he talked to Rhys. There was something about Cassian that drew people in; a friendly and approachable magnetic charm that was often lost on Rhysand and Azriel. It wasn’t that the two other boys were less attractive, no, but their beauty was sharper— finer. Intimidating. Cassian, despite his large stature, was someone you’d talk to in public. 

It didn’t hurt that he knew how to present himself. He loved his hair oils and the meticulously chosen skin-care products that he used. Cassian was sensitive to smells, couldn't handle anything with fragrances, so he was loyal to a specific skincare company manufactured in Milan. You thought it was extremely overpriced. He argued that beauty was priceless. 

This summer had also made one thing abundantly clear: the man knew how to dress.

His sleeveless black Harley Davidson shirt clung perfectly to his broad shoulders, exposing his muscular arms and the tattooed wings extending down his biceps. Loose blue jeans hung low on his hips, cinched by a rugged belt, and the fucker was wearing boots— goddamn cowboy boots in the 80 degree weather. 

You didn’t want to admit that it worked. 

It looked great—effortlessly cool, like he belonged in a vintage motorcycle ad. You were stewing in your envy. You, Mor and Feyre had planned your outfits in advance, spent days deciding which vibes for which days. Cass outdressed you all. It wasn’t even a contest. 

“It’s not fair.”

Mor’s whine pulled you back into the present, the sounds of Summit crashing back into focus. Rays of the sun prickled on your skin as your gaze traveled to the blonde, a small pout on her lips and a scowl written into the crease between her brows. 

You were all standing in a loose circle. Az stood close on one side of you, with Mor on the other. Cassian, Feyre, and Rhys were across from you, their backs to a sea of people watching the set of a band you didn’t recognize. You were all still recovering from the last performance, a sense of sweat still clinging to your skin from the densely packed bodies you’d rubbed against. 

“What isn’t fair?” Feyre asked. 

Mor gestured around at the crowd, her expression bordering on exasperated. “I can’t figure out who’s gay here. It’s like a terrible game of Where’s Waldo.”

Rhys opened his mouth to reply, but Mor wasn’t finished. 

“We used to have a culture, y'know? Carabiners, septum rings, two short nails!” She raised her hand, wiggling her fingers for emphasis. “Tell me why every girl here is dressed like my ex.”

You snorted at the familiar rant and Cass let out a sigh, rolling his eyes as he took a swig of his drink. Mor had been on a roll all morning. She’d denied it for the past half hour, but you all knew that she was pissed Cassian was getting more numbers than she was. She could get free drinks from guys and ditch them, but the girls seemed too intimidated to talk to her. That, or they just assumed her friendliness was exactly that: friendliness. Platonic. 

Mor shot him a look. “Don’t roll your eyes at the rich history of—”

Cassian rolled is eyes again. “Okay, I’m not rolling my eyes at—” 

“And you did it again!”

Cassian’s lips tightened.“I was rolling my eyes because your ex did not dress this nice.”

His gaze drifted to a sight beyond her, golden eyes scanning the crowd. His head followed the movement of a group of people passing by. “Definitely not this nice,” he finished, voice trailing off as his mind wandered elsewhere.

“She dressed fine.”

Cass didn’t respond. Feyre leaned in closer to Rhys, whispering something in his ear as they both exchanged amused glances. Mor snapped her fingers in an attempt to pull Cassian back to their conversation, but his head remained turned. He brought his drink to his lips as she shot you a frown. 

“I think he’s ignoring you,” Rhys told her, leaning forward with a mockingly innocent grin on his face.

“Thank you, Rhys,” She said through gritted teeth. “You are so helpful.”

“You just need to beat him,” he replied. “You really gonna let Cass out-flirt you?”

Mor’s annoyance seemed to dissipate, replaced by a glint of determination. If there was anything more pronounced than Mor’s flair for the dramatic, it was her relentless drive to surpass those around her. Though it sounded bad, her ambition was never born of malice and only really came out around men. Her competitive streak was something you’d grown used to over the years, a trait that was likely to serve her well in her legal career. It certainly served her well in every debate held by Professor Davids.

You let Mor and Rhys fade into the background again as you felt a stare burning into you— a warmth that was more welcoming than it was hot or uncomfortable. 

You turned and met Azriel's steady, intense gaze. It made your skin tingle. "What?”

Azriel didn’t answer right away. Instead, he motioned to the corner of his lip with the hand not holding his drink. "You have something…”

You quickly brushed your fingers against your face, trying to find and remove whatever it was that had him staring. You could feel your cheeks heating up, the memory of another moment flashing in your mind—his touch lingering on your temple after the bonfire, the way his fingertips had burned against your skin as he wiped away the sand. 

“Did I get it?”

Azriel leaned in, studying your face with that same careful concentration.  He was so close now that you could smell the faint scent of the beer he was holding, mingling with something distinctly Azriel—warm and familiar. 

 “I don’t know… it’s just some…”

“Some what?” 

The barest hint of a smirk tugged at his lips. You frowned at the motion. 

“Some drool,” Azriel said, his expression shifting into a smirk. “Probably from when you were blatantly checking Cass out.”

“Ha ha,” you retorted, rolling your eyes. A smile grew on your lips despite yourself. 

Azriel’s grin widened and you swiped his drink. “Give me that,” you mumbled, hoping the can would hide your flushed cheeks.

You wiped at your mouth again, just to be safe, and gestured vaguely in Cassian’s direction, "His fit goes so hard, Az. I have to stare."

Azriel raised an eyebrow. “His fit?”

"Are you feeling left out?" you teased. "I can stare at you next."

As if you weren’t planning on it anyway, your gaze already sweeping over his form. But you’d gotten your stare in this morning, admiring him in the car from the backseat. Like most of Azriel’s outfits, his clothes today were simple— loose black t-shirt and shorts, sneakers, and a black hat to match. While you missed his curls on full display, you couldn’t complain too much. The hat looked great on him. 

With a casual shrug, he reached to take his drink back from you. "Maybe."

You laughed, letting your voice drop into an exaggerated, overly sweet tone. “Azriel, I’m so sorry for not staring at you. Let me objectify you right now and make this right.”

He rolled his eyes dramatically, but the smile tugging at his lips betrayed his amusement. Still grinning, you tugged his hands down to you, making sure he was fully paying attention. "I’m serious," you continued, mockingly sincere. "Let’s fix this before it ruins our friendship."

Azriel shook his head, still smiling, but there was a softness in his eyes that made your heart skip a beat. Feyre’s laugh pulled your attention back to the group. 

Her cheeks rounded as she smiled, wrapping an arm around Mor’s shoulders. “I think the heat is getting to you, babe. Let’s get something nice and cold.”

Feyre flashed you a smile and gave a nod for you to follow. You and Azriel trailed behind the group, and you took the opportunity to bat your eyelashes dramatically, giving him an exaggerated, adoring look. Just then, Mor leaned her head back and reached an arm behind her for you to grab. 

With a playful shove, Az pushed you away. “Get out of here,” he murmured, still grinning. You flashed him a bright smile then skipped forward to take Mor’s hand.

✹ ✶ 𖧷 ✶✹ 

While excitement had hummed beneath your skin all morning at the thought of seeing the smaller set with Azriel, anxiety had trailed closely behind it, nipping at the edges of your thoughts. Realistically, you knew it was silly—leaving the group for an hour and a half at most wasn’t a big deal. It wasn’t life or death. In the grand scheme of things, it was nothing.

Except to you, it was everything.

Because in a few months, you were going to disrupt a much grander, more important plan. Mor would start planning for law school, and you’d have to tell her—and everyone else—that you didn’t want any of it. So, you didn’t want to start changing plans now. You wanted this summer to be perfect, for this festival to go exactly how everyone else wanted. You’d have fun no matter what. And deep down, whether you wanted to admit it or not, you felt like you still needed to make it up to everyone—for the time you’d lost while dating Eris, for the small anger—no, disappointment—they’d felt when you started seeing him.

But today, the world blessed you.

Mor and Cass had met two girls. “Twins,” Cass had grinned, his eyes gleaming with mischief. “They’re twins!”

Feyre and Rhys were more than happy to enjoy the bigger sets alone, standing behind the sea of people, savoring the experience from afar—Rhys behind her with his hand wrapped securely around her waist. Cass and Mor disappeared into the crowd, hands clasped with their respective twin, diving into the thickest part of the masses.

And you and Azriel had headed for the smaller stage on the east side of the festival grounds.

Now, you found yourself standing alone in the crowd. Az had headed off to the bathroom a little while ago, insisting he didn't want to risk leaving too late and wanted to beat the gummy.

It had been around forty minutes since you'd taken the edibles—ones you'd carefully pulled from a small baggie that once held a spare button for a sweater your mother had bought you for church.

“Sour apple,” you’d told him with a knowing smile. “I know those are your favorite.”

Azriel had given you a soft smile in return, the corners of his eyes crinkling slightly as he accepted. There was something comforting about the exchange, a sense of nostalgia that made you feel eighteen again, transported back to your freshman dorm when you and Az would eat these same gummies, lay on the ground, and listen to music.

A body stumbled back into you and you blinked, taking in the man before you. He was cute in an indie festival kind of way—jorts, a button-up with only the top button done by his neck, the rest open to reveal a plain white tank.

“Oh, shit,” he said, putting a hand out in apology. “I’m so sorry.”

“You’re good,” you replied, giving him a polite smile. Your eyes felt heavy and you bit back the urge to let your smile widen—not for him, but because of the dizzying feeling in your head. This was great. You felt great. But god, you wished he would look away. The man only cleared his throat, the action almost endearing in its awkwardness.

“Sorry about that.”

You raised an eyebrow. “You already said that.”

“Right.”

He turned back to his friends, tossing them a glance, and then faced you again. There was a sweet smile on his face.

“I’m Aiden, by the way.”

“Cool,” you managed to say, your mouth dry. He extended a hand. It took you a moment to register that he was offering it for a shake. You lifted a heavy hand and shook his, the contact sending a shiver through your body. You pulled your hand back, but he kept staring—eyes wide like a puppy.

“Oh, my bad,” you laughed. “Y/n.”

“Cool,” he said, repeating your earlier words. He shifted on his feet, looking between you, the crowd, his group behind him, and the stage.

“This is like my favorite band,” he said, tossing a thumb over his shoulder. “It’s bittersweet that they’re getting recognized. Like, I’m happy 'cause they deserve it, but I know I won’t be able to afford any more tickets.”

Your mind wasn’t keeping up with the conversation but you let him ramble anyway. He was nice. Harmless, truly. In any other circumstance, you’d probably engage more. But it was hot, the crowd was getting more condensed, and your high was slowly cresting. You needed to stop smiling so much. Your cheeks were hurting. And Azriel—where was Azriel?

You nodded as Aiden kept talking, his words blending into the background noise of the festival. He settled down and gave you an awkward laugh, perhaps realizing you weren’t entirely following along.

A hand slid around your waist, and you melted into the touch of those familiar ridges on your exposed skin.

“Sorry I took so long,” Azriel said. “I got you this.” His other hand reached around and offered you a drink.

Aiden blinked, glancing up at Azriel with a brief look of surprise before he quickly masked it. They exchanged a few words—something about the crowd and the set—but you were too focused on the hand still wrapped securely around your waist. The last time he’d had an arm wrapped around you was two years ago, but now, every slight movement of his fingers was magnified by the tingling sensation in your body.

You lifted the drink to your lips. It wasn’t alcoholic. Instead, an icy, tart taste of frozen lemonade flooded your senses. You smiled, nodding in appreciation at the flavor, at the way it felt in your mouth. You felt Azriel’s chuckle more than you heard it.

“Thought you might like that,” he said.

“How?”

Your heartbeat quickened as Azriel leaned in, lips hovering your ear. “It started hitting me in the bathroom,” he murmured, voice low and slightly rough.

Your eyes widened slightly and a grin spread across your face. Azriel grinned back almost instantly. “Saw the drink on the way back. Perfect for cotton mouth, yeah?”

You took another sip with an approving hum. “You’re a genius, Az. I could kiss you.”

You missed the way he blushed, eyes darting away for a second before he composed himself. His grip on your waist tightened ever so slightly, and he chuckled softly, his expression half-amused, half-flustered. “Save it for later,” he replied, trying to sound casual, but the hint of color still in his cheeks betrayed him.

Azriel slowly pulled away and you instantly felt the absence of his touch, the spot where his hand had rested feeling empty and exposed.

“Can I grab something from your bag?”

You nodded, lifting a hand to let him unzip your small purse. He had stashed some of his things in there earlier when you’d offered—his wallet, keys, and his camera, which he now carefully retrieved. His movements seemed slow, deliberate—or maybe that was just you and your high.

“What are you doing?” you asked, your voice soft and slightly muddled.

Azriel glanced up at you, a small, secretive smile playing on his lips. He held the camera up. 

You immediately shook your head, a playful groan escaping your lips. “Nooo, not now,” you protested, already imagining the awkwardness of your gummy-induced smile being immortalized on film.

“C’mon.”

You shot him a pleading look. “Az,” you said, drawing out his name as if it could somehow convince him to let you off the hook.

“Y/n,” he countered, mimicking your tone. “You’re going to deny me of my artistic pleasures?”

“Pleasures?” you echoed, the word rolling off your tongue with a chuckle. “Fine, fine. Okay. One photo.”

Azriel lifted the camera and you smiled—a real, genuine smile that was all for him. He took the picture and you leaned into him to view the screen. 

“I look terrible,” you said with a grimace.

Azriel shook his head, turning to face you. His eyes glimmered beneath the brim of his cap, a soft smile playing on his lips. “How can you not see it?” 

You frowned at his words. But before you could ask what he meant, a light tap on your shoulder pulled you from your thoughts. The girl standing behind you sported a bright smile on her face.

“Do you guys want one together?” 

You and Az stayed still, staring at her with slightly narrowed eyes, brows both burrowed. She glanced at the camera in Azriel’s hands, then back at the two of you. “A picture,” she clarified with a small smile. “I can take one of you guys.”

You blinked, exchanging a slow look with Azriel before nodding. “Oh, right! Yes, thank you,” you said, stepping closer to him as he handed her the camera.

You stood next to him, a little stiff at first, but then Azriel’s hand wrapped around your waist again and you melted into his touch. The girl smiled at the sight, lifting the camera to snap the photo. She handed it back. “Y’all are so cute. Let me know if you want another.”

You felt a blush creep up your cheeks at the compliment— a compliment intended for a couple. You glanced at Azriel. His expression seemed unfazed, though, as he took the camera from her with another thank you. He brought the screen closer and you both looked at the picture.

The photo was perfect. A wave of warmth spread through your chest, something deep and bright. It traveled through your entire body, down to your fingertips and your toes. 

Azriel’s gaze remained fixed on the screen. “I usually don’t like photos of myself,” he said. “But I really like this one.”

“Well, you look good,” you replied.

“I look happy.”

You looked up at this, your eyes meeting his. The distance between you seemed to shrink and you could feel the heat of his body close to yours. It felt like every fiber of your being was on fire, heightened by the festival's energy and the intoxicating closeness you now found yourself in.

Why was it hard to breathe?

A loud cheer erupted from the crowd as the band took the stage. The noise jolted you out of the moment, and you both fumbled to put the camera back in your purse. Azriel’s gaze lingered on you for a moment longer. Then he settled behind you. 

The band kicked off, and the music surged through the crowd, a force that seeped into your skin. You grinned as the world blurred into a pleasant haze, colors and sounds swirling in rhythm. The euphoria of being high intensified with each beat, and the band sounded even better live—this was one of your best decisions in a while.

You could feel Azriel behind you as you swayed to the beat and his hand settled lightly on your waist. It was a gentle touch, clearly there for support to keep you from swaying too far. It sent a shiver down your spine all the same and you instinctively leaned back into him, pressing closer. Azriel’s touch initially stiffened, but seconds later he relaxed, his arm wrapping around you more securely.

You tightened your grip on your drink and looked up at him. His returning smile made your heart skip. Eyes closed, Azriel moved to the beat, still smiling. You followed his lead, letting the music guide you both.

Soon, the crowd, the sun, and noise faded into the background, leaving just the two of you lost in the music.

✹ ✶ 𖧷 ✶✹

The overcast sky draped your surroundings in a soft, gray light.

The set had ended half an hour ago, but you and Azriel had stayed put, lingering even after the crowd around you, including Aiden, had dispersed. Eventually, the call of the munchies became irresistible, and you both decided to get food. Now, with a few street tacos and a soda down, you were sitting on the large grassy expanse in the middle of Summits festival ground, next to Az as he nursed his basket of fries.

“I wish I could play music like that,” he said. His voice was steady but something pricked at your skin as he talked, a lingering sense of something sad, something bitter. “Connect with people through something other than words.”

You studied him for a moment, eyes tracing a path from the baseball cap on his head to the curls that stuck out from beneath it, down to his face as he brought a fry to his mouth.

“You say that like you can’t.” He looked over at you as you spoke, a contemplative expression crossing his features. You tilted your head at him. “You’re only twenty-two, Az. You have a lifetime to do whatever you want.”

The right corner of his mouth tugged upwards. He raised a brow as he picked another fry but didn’t bring it to his mouth. His gaze fell to his hands. The same hands that had stayed wrapped around your waist the entire set. 

“I don’t think it’s that easy.”

You let the silence stretch, watching as his eyes darted back and forth, scanning his surroundings, lost in thought. When he finally looked back up at you, you maneuvered yourself to face him, crossing your legs.

“The things that are worth it are not always easy,” you said softly. “What’s stopping you?”

Azriel looked down again, then back up at you with those deep, hazel eyes. The brim of his cap cast a shadow on his face, making his eyes seem darker, clouded by his thoughts. He raised a hand, almost defeated, and gave a humorless laugh.

“I can’t exactly play guitar.” He ran his thumb along his fingers, tracing the raised ridges of his skin. “The strings get caught. Hurts too bad.”

You wanted to say you were sorry because, truly, you were. But you didn’t. You were sorry he thought that way, that he saw this part of himself as something completely and utterly debilitating.

“Django Reinhardt had severe burns across his hands. He’s considered a jazz legend. Developed his own unique way to play and everything.”

Azriel’s brows furrowed slightly but he said nothing, just listened. He could tell you had more to say. You took a small breath and continued, “I’m not saying it wouldn’t be incredibly difficult. But it’s always possible. Especially for people like you.”

He blinked. “People like me?”

You nodded, tapping your temple with your finger. “The strongest minds can do the hardest things.”

The sun peeked through the clouds, lighting the grass around you. Azriel smiled then, like he was in disbelief. You couldn’t imagine why.

“You think I have a strong mind?”

You nodded again and leaned forward to pick a fry from his basket, bringing it to your mouth. Your high had dissipated, but some still lingered, and the small fry tasted incredible.

“Or,” you said, leaning forward to grab another fry. Azriel’s eyes twinkled with amusement. “You could always be a spy.”

He laughed, the sound starting as a snort, and then he leaned back casually, his arms extended behind him, palms pressing into the grass. His muscles flexed subtly with the pose, his tattooed wings peeking out from beneath the short sleeves of his shirt. You tried not to stare at the way his physique was accentuated, tried not to think about how his chest felt against your back in the crowd. 

“What?” you asked when he gave you a look. “What’s that face for?”

He shook his head, an amused smile playing on his lips. From your view of the side of his face, you could see the small dimple in his cheek deepen as he said, “You gotta drop that whole spy thing.”

“Why? It’s so perfect.”

Azriel rolled his head to look at you, just staring.

You shook your head at him. “See, that’s something a spy would do. Stare and try to intimidate.”

“I’m not trying to intimidate you.”

“No?”

He shook his head.

“Just staring?”

He shrugged, but the corners of his lips lifted into a cheeky grin.

You squinted at him, your gaze falling to the basket of fries next to him. Your mouth was still dry but somehow watering for another taste. He caught your sight quickly, letting out a small laugh and sitting up to pass the basket to you.

“See,” you said, holding the fries tenderly, as if they were precious. “You can even read my mind. Perfect.”

“Spies can’t read minds.”

“No,” you said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “But they can read people.”

Azriel raised an eyebrow, his face reflecting his deep contemplation. You could practically hear his familiar “Yeah?” as you looked at him. 

“Maybe I can just read you.”

Your stomach flipped. “Then what am I thinking about right now?”

Azriel stared at you for a moment. You suddenly regretted asking the question because all you could think about now were his eyes, the way he was looking at you, and the tingling sensation in your body. God, it was a good thing he couldn’t actually read minds.

“I’m actually not sure,” he said, his voice low, as if confessing something. “But what I’m thinking about is how much you love those fries.”

“Stop,” you whined. “They’re good.” You paused, looking down at your fries. You tossed a side glance at Azriel. “And I’m also still a little high, okay? Don’t be mean.”

He laughed, sitting upright and wiping his hands clean. He leaned into you. “I know,” he said. “I’m still a bit high too.”

“You are?”

Azriel nodded, a grin breaking out on his face. You started to notice the smaller details now, how slow his breathing was, how his eyes were still squinted. The redness in them was hidden under the shadow of his hat.

“Why do you think I’m not saying much?”

You felt your heart skip a beat. “You never say much.”

He only grinned wider. 

✹ ✶ 𖧷 ✶✹

authors note: these parts will probably get longer hehe. i just luv this lil friendship that has all of this chemistry sprinkled into it. i have their future kisses/moments already written and yall... i do believe the wait is a lil worth it. also pls let me know if your tags work! 🥺

permanent tag list 🫶🏻: 

@rhysandorian @itsswritten @milswrites @lilah-asteria @georgiadixon 

@glam-targaryen @cheneyq @darkbloodsly @pit-and-the-pen @azrielsbbg

@evergreenlark @marina468 @azriels-human @panther-girl-124 @bubybubsters 

@starswholistenanddreamsanswered @feyretopia  @ninthcircleofprythian @velariscalling @azrielrot

@justyouraveragekleemain @marigold-morelli @mrsjna @anarchiii @alittlelostalittlefound

@melissat1254

@m4tthewmurd0ck @beardburnsupersoldiers @isnotwhatyourethinking @tothestarsandwhateverend  @micahssketchbook

thank you for reading🫶🏻

[tangyswriterstudio]

hello hellooo, good day 🫶

how are you ? hope you're doing well ! i would like to make a request, if that's alright (ˊ˘ˋ*) it can be platonic or romantic, or perceived as both ! i wouldn't mind either way

azul, kalim, rook, silver, and lilia w/ a partner that shows affection in odd ways ( i.e pinching their cheeks, nuzzling up to them like a cat, giving them random things from their collection, etc.) if i unknowingly surpassed the amount of characters i can request, i am so so sorry ˚‧º·(˚ ˃̣̣̥⌓˂̣̣̥ )‧º·˚ you're totally free to remove some characters if you want !!

thank you so much !! take your time, and stay safe 🫶

Hihi! Thanks for req! Honestly idk if I even follow my own rules atp

AZUL

-You liked to give Azul random treasures that you found like seashells, broken pieces of jewellery etc.

-And he keeps it all in a special chest inside his room but you don't have to know that

"Azul what's that chest?" you ask.

"Just some contracts..' he replies with no hesitation.

"Can I se-"

-Oh gosh! So sorry! He suddenly needs to take the chest to his vault in his office!

-TELL HIM THERES NOTHING TO BE ASHAMED OF

-You eventually found out and gave him more items along with kisses.

LILIA

-Looks like we got a biter!

-You like to bite his cheek, who could blame you? They look so squishy and soft... Anddd now you've bit Lilia the 6th time today...

-He doesn't mind it though, probably bites back.

"Lilia-sama! Do you think... that... Uh." Sebek questions what hes seeing.

Lilia sitting on the couch and... you nomming on his cheek.

"Yes? What is it Sebek?"

-Anyways, Lilia knows this isn't normal but whats stopping him from biting back. NOTHING.

-But when he bites, it hurts so you make sure not to bite too hard for him.

KALIM

-You liked to just jump into Kalims arms and then just get some Zs

-The first time you did this he almost dropped you, and poor Kalim thought you died in his arms until Jamil said you fell asleep.

-Expect to wake up in a luxurious bed and maybe Kalim next to you..

-Kalim tries to do it to you too... except you didn't see it and you both fell to the floor.

-When you fall asleep Kalim definitely lights incense, stress relief lamps, candles you name it. He's making sure you get the sleep of your life.

SILVER

-You hide in his jacket... while he's wearing it? Don't know how but you just stand there in the warmth.

"Silver.. your back looks big with legs?..." Lilia giggles in confusion.

-You come out the side of his jacket and ask "Whats up." all nonchalant

-And when he falls asleep with you in his jacket you either fall asleep with him or just go on your phone til he wakes up.

-He's canonically buff, you're trapped. Til he wakes up.

ROOK

-You tug on his hair gently for his attention as if he doesn't give you enough

-Vil hates it but you promise to brush his hair after and he trusts you.

"Hmm? What is it monsieur trickster?"

-You point to your lips

-Rook smiles and gently pulls you in by your hair and gives you a mwah.

-It's only fair if he returns the favour right?

the last 2 r short TT

[silvercloverr5]

Regulus black undoubtedly likes to cuddle.

He’s a stoic, noble boy man, he’s quiet and his etiquette is impeccable. You’ll never catch him with his elbows on the table, or god forbid gifting an informal hug to somebody upon meeting with them.

But with you? Oh, you. Regulus melts. The second he sees you sitting down or laying down, he almost subconsciously begins to search for places he could squeeze in. The only people he’d ever trust to watch this happen is Barty, Evan, the rest of his slytherin accomplices and Sirius. (Sirius only because he’ll sometimes cuddle up to his older brother, after their conflicts resolved.)

He noticed you sitting on his bed, you’d usually come over to hang out in his dorm because you liked it better than yours. Evan and Barty were both laying on barty’s bed, talking to each other quietly (as quiet as Barty could manage, which, let’s be honest, isn’t very quiet.) and you were sprawled on his pillow lazily with a book in hand.

Regulus dumped down his bag and flopped onto you, head thumping onto your chest. A low growl left his throat as he nuzzled his head against you. His arms folded in, locking you into place, like he was scared you’d leave. Giggling quietly, you put your book down, and moved your hand to sift through his neat black curls, tousling them up just how you liked it. His chin was resting on your chest now, and his dreamy silver eyes were heavy and dopey, filled to the brim with nothing but undeniable, obsessively intense adoration. “You okay, Reg?” You mumbled. He replied with a pathetic low whimper, and squeezes you tighter, moving to close his heavy eyes and rub his cheek into your chest like a cat.

“…ev, are you fucking seeing this?”

“Yes, Barty, but that was literally you when we started dating. You can’t blame Reg.”

“Well, yeah, but… it’s regulus!”

You hissed a playful “shhh” towards Barty, raising your eyebrows while you pet the (almost asleep) Regulus’s hair, with his cheek smooshed against you and his back rising and falling softly with each calm breath he took. He murmured something incomprehensible into your shirt before he was unconscious.

“Oh… my… god. Does this not just disgrace the Black family name?”

“Barty, come on!”

“I know, Ev, I’m kidding. I guess it’s cute. After I’ve finished retching and gagging, I guess it’s cute. Ev, will you hold my hair back?”

Barty said, before dramatically pretending to throw up over the side of the bed. Evan laughed and scraped back his boyfriend’s straight black mess of hair, petting his back. Finally, Barty fell back onto Rosier’s chest and wiped his dry mouth, panting for extra effect. He smiled widely and gave you a thumbs up. “Yeah! Super cute!”

You scoffed. You loved your best friends.

But there was nothing you could love more than the peacefully sleeping boy on your chest.

[hitomisuzuya]

Scaramouche x fem!reader. Aftercare. Fluff. Not smut but tagged as such for a few sentences here and there. Soft Scara

@notyashiro128 requested some Scaramouche aftercare from me via my inbox awhile ago. Bear with me, everyone. I am running on about 3 hours of sleep while I write this. I think quite a few of you guys wanted me to write something like this.

Scaramouche is quite unforgiving in bed. He really lays into you. He is a very aggressively passionate man. And the results would very often show themselves on your body.

However, don't think there weren't those nights where sex with him was soft. You always got such a unique balance between rough sex and soft sex with him.

His aftercare is surprisingly quite tender. This man will go to the moon and back taking care of you.

He will offer to run you a warm bath with salts, soothing oils, and scented bubbles. He was a fan of lavender. Plus, the scent would help you sleep. It why he primarily liked to use it. (Shhh, sometimes it helps him sleep to.)

He would get in the tub with you, put his arms around you from behind and hold you against his chest. He would rub the soothing compounds in the essential oils the heat of the bath water released into your sore muscles.

His kisses would be soft, and doting, his tongue soothing against any inflamed skin from his bite marks. More often than not, it would led to soft, equally as passionate sex. You would be trembling almost breathless in his lap.

Scaramouche is something of a king of massages. I mean, look at his beautiful, gorgeous hands and those drool worthy fingers. You would be on your stomach, pillows propped around you carefully positioned by him. His fingers would knead into your sore muscles. You would melt like butter, sighing in relief as he tended to your sore muscles. Let's just say you would be drooling, practically asleep when he was finished. He was very thorough with his massages.

If you wanted something to eat or drink, he got it for you. It didn't matter what it was, even if he had to go out to get it. And he always came back with some kind of treat, like chocolate. He always grumbled about that, though.

One of his favorite things to do while he waited for you to fall asleep (he always made sure you fell asleep first<3) was to run his fingers tenderly over the bruises and bite marks he'd made. You are a beautiful canvas to be decorated by paints of passion by him.

This man is and always be a cuddler. A clingy little octopus in fact. Prefers to generally be the big spoon. It makes him feel like he is protecting you while you were in a vulnerable state position like sleep. Basically, Fort Knox level protection.

If you wanted to talk, Scaramouche would talk about anything, even if he said he thought the topic was stupid. Please talk to this boy, he loves the sound of your voice. He will indulge you on any topic, even if it was something simple as you seeing a cat today.

He had a feeling he was going to hear the words, "Hunny, can we?" followed by the words cat and keep him soon. And he would relent because you called him Hunny.

Count on Scaramouche stroking your hair if you are resting your head against his chest. It may look like an absentminded gesture while you talked, but it was something enjoyed doing. He loved to hear the soft, content sigh from you as you curled into him more.

Essentially, you are the center of this man's world. He is rude, arrogant, egotistical, self centered, obnoxious. An experience to deal with. And Scaramouche knows this. But damn it, he loves you. And he more than shows it.

His aftercare is further extended into the next morning. If he had to get out of bed before you, and leave your side before you woke up (which he HATED probably more than sweet things), he would leave a little note next to you. Usually, it was a song lyric or maybe a line from a poem that reminded him of you.

You kept every one of them.

Before you fall asleep, you are guaranteed hear him say, "I love you," as he kissed the top of your head.

[heathermason6060]

Daryl Dixon x f!Reader: Together Apart Ch.2

Warnings/Mentions: History of abuse, neglect, strong language, mentions of character death, alcohol and drug abuse, ptsd, shared trauma, reader is cold, angst, fluff, eventual smut

Summary: Reader gives friendships a try, and the first signs of Daryl changing start showing after unexpected tragedy.

Notes: I love writing Merle and early season Daryl, I hope they're in character!

"I'm ten seconds away from blowing his goddamn brains out."

"Not worth the wasted bullets." Daryl watched as Shane stalked back up towards the Greene house. You scoffed and rolled your eyes when you saw him stopping himself from slamming the door, at least needing to respect Hershel gave him some restraint from being a complete piece of shit. You weren't sure how long that would last though.

"Can't fucking stand these people Daryl. He looked like he wanted to kill me."

"Ya called 'em a homewrecker. The hell'd you expect?"

The days would go by without pause, no matter how you all screamed and cried for just one minute, one minute to get it together and breathe. Everything was constantly changing, and it ended up making you colder. 

The Greene farm was a nice place. You enjoyed the chores you took on there, you got to work with the horses, the cows, and the old barn cat. He'd end up passing away after a while, which would have really upset you if it hadn't been such a peaceful death, he just fell asleep with a stomach full of deer stew and never woke up. 

Andrea's strange half admiration and half disturbed likeness to you strengthened at the time on the farm, which you didn't know how to handle. You'd always wanted a girlfriend, ever since your first one in 6th grade ended your friendship. Your mother had shown up to pick you up from school, so high on Percocet she could barely keep her eyes open. She rear-ended the father of your friend, he got pissed, she spit in his face, and he called the police. ‘My daddy says I can't hang out with trailer trash like you anymore.’ She'd told you the next day. 

You secretly liked the way Andrea looked up to you. It was nice having a woman think highly of you, or any adult for that matter. She would often ask for shooting practice, and you even let her try out your bow a few times. 

She kind of fucked up your budding friendship when she shot Daryl. If you hadn't been so busy helping him get up into the house you would have shot her in her foot, and that's not an exaggeration. You wanted to stay up in that room with him until he fully healed, willing to sleep on the floor just so you'd be with him at all times, but the insecure fear of being seen as weak and clingy prevented you from doing so. You were out in the woods most of those days, hunting or killing any dead you ran across.

It was almost humiliating the way people would update you on Daryl’s condition. At first it was just Rick letting you know he’d be okay, but then it was Maggie and Hershel updating you on his eating habits, how much he ate, when he ate, he was only in bed for a couple of days, but it felt like weeks. Each time someone would tell you the miniscule details of his day you’d respond the same way, ‘Why’re you telling me? I’m not his mamma’. If you could look past the embarrassment of feeling like a worried child, you would be grateful. 

Andrea unknowingly made it up to you when you heard her bitching at Lori in the kitchen once, apparently having enough of her ‘a woman's place is in the kitchen making life worth living, leave the guns to the men' spiel. You complimented her afterwards. 

“Been real sick of that shit.” You had said as you loaded your Ruger pistol. “She's lucky it was you who said it, I think I would've punched that bitch in the face if she said that bullshit to me.”

Andrea was almost too stressed over the Beth situation to fully appreciate the gravity of your praise. She nodded as she looked over the field, eyes squinting against the bright afternoon sun, her arms crossed over her chest. “All my life I've heard that kind of thinking from men. It's different when it's a woman telling you that you're not worth the same as a man. Especially when said man lied about her husband being dead and got in her pants right after.” 

You smirked, stuffing your gun into the back of your jeans as you looked her over. “Wanna go kill some dead people?” 

“Oh, god.” She groaned dramatically. “That's the best idea I've heard all week.”

After you lost the farm, you wound up at an old prison. That was one of the rare times you had allowed yourself to try and be positive, and forced yourself to make friends, although it was obvious all your relationships were strained. Andrea was the only person who had ever made an effort to get to know you, and she was gone. 

Shane’s death didn’t affect you much, truthfully you were glad Rick killed him. The constant tension and heated arguments drained you just as much as Dale’s annoying humanitarianism. You attempted being friends with Lori, Hershel, Carol and Beth, despite the young girl being your polar opposite. She was soft, pretty, sweet and bubbly, you were hard, mean, vulgar and distant. 

Which might be one of the reasons your relationship with her had started to work. Beth saw you as a challenge, like a mean feral cat, and deep down you saw her as a possible redemption. If you could become friends with Beth, the sweetest girl with the kindest heart, you could do it with anyone. 

Lori never trusted you, so you never got far with her. She would look at you with this look on her face, like you were always seconds away from cutting her baby out of her stomach or some twisted shit. You had cursed her out once for said expressions, calling her a stuck-up bitch who thinks every woman that isn't her is beneath her. She died a couple days later, and a part of you that you couldn't push away felt like shit about it, for a very long time.

The whole Governor shit was a pain in your ass. But it was a blessing in disguise, because he was the reason you were reunited with Merle. 

“I want to come.” You stood your ground, grabbing your Ruger AR-15 from its spot on your cell wall. 

“I said no, we’ve got enough concerns, we don't need to be worrying about you.” Rick tried to speak in a hushed tone, his intentions good, not wanting you to feel embarrassed if the others heard you being denied. They knew you seethed at the prospect of being told what to do. You didn't work well with others, that was glaringly obvious.

“I don’t need you to worry about me.” You hissed, tugging the heavy gun over your back so the strap dug into your shoulder. 

Rick repeated your name, using his angry father tone, and that seemed to work. Your shoulders drooped and you growled out a few insults under your breath. You missed when the group members had more say in the way things were. Rick had become more authoritarian after Lori died, and it never affected you until that day. 

When they got back you were waiting at the door, pacing like a mother in those movies whose children had stayed out too late. Your eyes brightened as they filed into the prison, you saw Maggie and Glenn were back, and Michonne had returned as well. 

Your anxious smile slowly faded as the door closed behind them, counting two missing bodies. 

“Where…?” You breathed, looking between Rick and Maggie, your heart racing. 

Rick started having a goddamn mental breakdown after that, screaming at the walls and pointing his gun at things only visible to him. Tyrese, the newcomer, and his group fled, and a part of you considered it as well. If Daryl and Merle were dead, you had no reason to stay. Especially not with Rick behaving like a fucking maniac and no one speaking to you. 

True to your nature, you abandoned the prison in search of the Dixons. You knew they couldn’t have truly left, they would never do that, they'd never leave and forget you. Especially Daryl. He had promised to you one night after you fully secured the prison, that he was the one thing in your life that would never change. He’d never die, he’d never leave, he would always be there. Not in those exact words, of course, but in his own way.

He had stayed true to his promise. You found the two of them on their way to the prison, traveling through the same trails you’d originally used to find the place. 

“Thought I’d never see you two assholes again.” The apocalypse had made you more skilled at hiding your true emotions. You came off as playfully irritated, a contrast to the way you were barely keeping tears at bay. 

“Awww,” Merle teased in a condescending tone, faking a pout, “You miss us?”

“No. Rick’s group makes you seem like a peach though.” 

“Our group.” Daryl’s voice had taken on a strange edge as he walked ahead of you down the trail. “Those are our people now.”

You glanced at Merle to see he was outwardly displaying your same reaction, rolling his eyes and silently mimicking his brother's words. 

No matter how happy you were to see the two of them, Daryl’s reply echoed in your head for a long time. He meant what he said, you could tell by the way he spoke. He was changing, you hadn’t noticed it until that day, he wasn’t the same Daryl from Atlanta, the Daryl you knew. You swallowed your retort and followed him back to the prison. 

The Governor shit was really a pain in your ass after that day, making your earlier experiences a walk in the park. Through the tense days you found yourself around Merle more, the two of you discussing the prospect of just getting the fuck out of there in hushed voices, despite you both knowing Daryl would never abandon Ricks group. It was like he had some sort of unknown obligation to them, something you couldn't decode for the life of you, no matter how hard you tried.

“You're gettin’ real close to bein’ a bonafide pussy, boy.” Merle had said one day, shoving his finger in Daryl’s face. You stayed silent as they argued, biting at the soft skin inside your cheek. 

“Why? Cause I ain't jus’ lookin’ out for myself no more? Cause I actually give a shit about these people?” Daryl standing up to Merle wasn’t a familiar sight, and it made you feel emotions you really weren’t comfortable with. 

“It’s making you weak, brother.” Merle urged, nearly slicing his own scalp when he went to put his hands on his head, the heat of the moment causing him to forget his right hand was now a weapon. “Can't you see it? I ain’t gonna let you die for these sheep.”

Daryl would soon come to regret his last interaction with his brother. You, on the other hand, were lucky enough to have had some peaceful final moments with him before he vanished. 

“Dude, that's my fucking bed!” You shoved Merle away from your mattress, groaning when you saw it shredded and ruined. You’d have to go to the other cellblock and get another, if he hadn’t already paid those cells a visit. 

Merle sat on the floor breathing heavily through his mouth, resting an arm over his propped up knee.

“The hell you do that for?” You grumbled, kicking a chunk of bedding out of your cell and into the hallway. 

“Hopin’ to find some contraband.” 

“Dude, you could’ve just asked me. Holy shit.” You grabbed one of your bags from the corner of your room and began to dig through it, finally pulling out Merle’s old stash bag. HIs eyes lit up and he practically jumped for joy, snatching it out of your hands.

“You’re so fuckin’ beautiful, you know that?” He grabbed your face with his hand and noisily kissed your cheek, making you groan and shove him off. “Oh sweetheart. Whooo! Daryl know about this?”

“No, didn’t want him to know. I’m better at making shit last than him.” You replied. Daryl didn't like drugs the way Merle did, he had his run in with meth and its consequences and he was strong enough to quit and not touch it again. Other drugs were a different story though, you suspected the speed and painkillers would be gone by now if he had known you were the one who stole it.

He fished out the group of smaller baggies he was looking for, full of various shades of white in different textures. He groaned like he just creamed his pants and leaned over, planting another dramatic smooch to your forehead.

You stayed with him on the floor of your cell as he got high, and eventually he left to go ‘clear out the walkers in the tombs’, something you were happy to sit out on. He told you to stay back and you laughed, teasing with a ‘it's all yours, tweaker’. 

Even though your last moments with him were pleasant, you never forgave yourself for not accompanying him. 

@ophelialaufey @carlgrimesgfofficial @theskinniestjackson-denny @dilfish-daydreams @my1fx

[bonny-kookoo]

𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙇𝙞𝙣𝙚 | Welcome Home [Request]

Jungkook can't remember the last time you've been apart for so long. And with you gone, he might just go crazy- or make odd spontaneous decisions.

Tags/Warnings: Racer!Jungkook, established relationship, romance, they're so goofy, so much love, smut, lube? is that a warning?, bare sex (MC has an IUD), Jungkook got a haircut bc his girl was not around to make him contemplate his decisions before making them

Requested by: Miriwe on Patreon

Length: 2k words

-> Masterlist

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"I'm gone three days and you're already going crazy apparently." You laugh as you walk into the living room, where Jungkook is sitting on the couch, not having heard you walk in it seems like.

He immediately pauses his game to jump over the back of the furniture, almost tripping as he runs to you, picking you up to hold you close.

"Of course I went crazy!" He laughs, putting you down to your feet again to kiss you. "Had to spend three days in an empty bed without my fiancé." He laughs into his kisses, and you giggle. "Why didn't you tell me you were back? I would've picked you up from the airport." He whines a bit childishly, while you just shrug.

"Nah, would've caused too much of a commotion." You deny, reminding him of the fact that he's always causing some chaos whenever he's seen in public. "But putting that aside, when did you buzz it off?" You ask, fingers curiously running over the shaven sides of his head.

"Yesterday, actually." He chuckles. "My hair was getting in the way." He shrugs.

"So you decided 'oh yeah, I'm just gonna get even hotter while my girlfriend is away with her parents' like, excuse me?" You scold playfully.

"Fiancé, first of all, and I guess that already answers the question if it suits me." He laughs, happily correcting you in your own title.

"Ah, I can't believe I'm gonna get married to you." You swoon teasingly, smacking his chest once. "Now lemme go, I'm hungry." You say- but he's not letting you go at all. If anything, he pulls you even closer to himself.

"I'm hungry too." He tells you instead. You look at him in confusion.

"Okay? Then let me cook, idiot." You say, but he shakes his head.

"Nop." He denies, before picking you up and carrying you to the bedroom, hand loudly smacking your ass.

"Jeon Jungkook, no!" You laugh. "Please, I'm so jetlagged from the flight-" You complain, but he lets you down gently on the unmade bed, sheets unruly from his nightly rest. He's not really been sleeping well without you home- the three days of not having you around truly reminding him of just how much he needs you in his life.

Not just to keep order, but in general.

As odd as it sounds, he even caught himself multiple times the first day calling out to you, just to remember you're not home. His mind expected you in bed, in the kitchen, in the living room, every single time he'd enter the room- and the kitchen felt lonely, suffocating, with no company but the buzzing fridge and ticking cat-shaped clock on the wall. His house suddenly felt.. bland.

Especially on the second day, when he came out of the shower just to find the bed cold and empty, he found himself sitting on the edge of it, looking through pictures of you and him on his phone, browsing his gallery for hours until he finally fell asleep. It was a reminder, those few days. A reminder that he needs you, that you're a part of his life he can't really bear to not have around anymore.

A reminder that he made the right decision in asking you to marry him, entering the final stage of your relationship.

"I'll do all the work baby." He purrs, crawling over you as you stretch your limbs, visibly relaxing in the familiar home once more. "How was your trip?" He wonders, and you laugh, his hands helping you out of your sweater.

"Kook, I love you, but I'm not talking about my goddamn parents when we're about to have sex." You complain, and he chuckles, nodding.

"Alright, you got a point." He admits, pulling down your pants and socks to kiss up your leg. "I missed you so much." He hums against your skin, and you smile, reaching out to run your fingers through his hair.

"So much so you buzzed your hair off?" You laugh, and he nods, teasingly biting at your thigh.

"Exactly." He agrees. "Would've gone bald if you'd stayed away a day longer." He says, lips traveling up your stomach before his hands cup your chest, running over to the back of your body to unhook your bra.

"Oh no!" You jokingly exclaim. "But honestly I think your face makes every haircut work. Even that Dora-the-Explorer situation you had a year back." You say, making him roll his eyes as he throws your bra down carelessly.

"Stop bringing that up." He complains, and you laugh brightly so.

"But it's funny!" You tell him, before he bites at your chest. "Hey, stop biting!" You giggle.

"Stop biting~!" He mimics you, before he moves to kiss your neck. "As if you don't love it." He purrs.

"Caught me." You reply, legs moving already to wrap around him. "Now get naked, nerd." You flirt, and he can't help the laugh that escapes him.

"Can we be romantic at least once?" He whines, leaning back to rid himself of his shirt and pants.

"No, you'd burn the house down with those yankee-candles you got." You threaten, and he rolls his eyes yet again, opening the bedside drawer to search for a small bottle of scented lube, just in case.

"You really have no trust in me, baby." He shakes his head, putting the little plastic bottle on the side for now as he moves to pull your panties from your legs. "What if I used electrical ones?" He proposes. "Turn on some music. Cigarettes after sex- like, the band, not me smoking." He corrects.

"Obviously." You hum. "I'd leak your nudes if you smoked inside the house." You sigh, and he looks at you for a moment.

"That's a joke, right?" He asks, and you shrug, smiling at him. "That's a joke. You're joking." He states once more, but still, you don't answer. The funny part is that deep down, he actually believes you would indeed do that. You're a wildcard after all- he never  really knows if what you say is a joke or an actual fact you state.

Like when you said that he was fine accompanying his friend to his bachelor party, which was held at a nightclub, naked dancers included. You'd simply told him to have fun, but eat at home- and while for a moment or two, he didn't really know what you meant, he realized it soon after. You had no issue taking a look- hell, you constantly told him that some of the other racers were 'pretty hot', but he knows you'd never go after anyone but him. You might get your appetite up, yes-

but you eat at home.

"Jungkook you've never even sent me nudes you idiot!" You laugh after a moment of watching him clearly contemplating his life-choices up until now, finally realizing that you're right. "Or did you sent someone else some, huh?" You suddenly threaten, foot against his abs keeping him away from you while you glare.

"Absolutely not." He shakes his head immediately. "You can bet your pretty ass on that." He says, as you remove your leg from him, hands now reaching out, inviting him back in. "Only got you-" He hums towards you, kissing your lips hungrily. "Only need you." He finishes, and you sigh, hands on his arms.

"Missed you." You admit. "Couldn't sleep well at all." You say, and he smiles.

"Me neither." He shakes his head. "Thought about you way too much." Jungkook tells you, while his hand travels between your legs, touch reviving your soul it feels like as he works you up.

"We're so in love, it's actually kinda disgusting." You laugh, and he joins in on that.

"Nah." He denies. "We're just the definition of love." He shrugs, curling his fingers inside you, making you arch your back.

"Jungkook please-" You whine. "Stop teasing me, I'm way too horny now!" You complain, and he grins, moving to stroke his length with the hand still covered in your arousal.

He's just as impatient, but he also knows he needs to prep you well. Years of being in a relationship with you also comes with in-depth knowledge of your body, and how to love you just right. You might not realize it sometimes, but he knows that if he doesn't pay good attention to detail, you'll be sore tomorrow-

and he plans on making up for those three days, just to remind you what you've been missing.

He reaches for the tiny bottle on the bedside table to squeeze some of the clear liquid out, making sure to make it as comfortable as possible for you, before he lines himself up with your entrance, moving your legs up a little to pull you closer. It's been something you've been quite insecure about- having refused to admit to him for months that he's packing a bit too much for you to handle without any help sometimes, and he's felt bad that you thought you couldn't tell him. Back then, he'd been insecure himself- with no prior knowledge about anything regarding sex, you've been both a little lost in translation on some occasions.

There's been more than a handful of awkward moments during your times together- and by now, you're both comfortable to the point where nothing is weird any longer.

The sweet smell of sweet strawberries fills the air faintly as he pushes himself in, sighing in bliss at the familiar feel of your body welcoming him. "Good?" He asks you, and you nod, making him tap your nose so you open your eyes again. "Really?" He asks again, and you move a bit now, nodding. It's the confirmation he needed to start moving, leaning back on his heels to roll his hips forwards, your lower body resting over his thighs as he keeps you elevated like that with his hands holding your legs. You've got your arms relaxed into the pillows over your head, eyes closed as your chest sways with every thrust he delivers.

He loves having you back. Not just your body- but you, in general.

"I wanna come with you next time." He tells you, fingers gripping the flesh of your thighs. "Don't care if they like me or not." He growls, never slowing down his pace.

"Jungkookie~!" You whine, before laughing. "What did I say literally- like- twenty minutes ago?" You complain, and he laughs too, nodding.

"Sorry, sorry." He apologizes, letting go of your legs to lean over you, kissing you once more. It's the only way he knows he'll shut up for long enough- there's just so much rushing through his head, everything that's happened in those three days trying to break out his mouth just to talk to you- because he can talk to you now. You're back home, and he just missed you so fucking much.

Now, of course you talked over the phone daily, sure. But it's just not the same. It's not close enough.

Right now, he's out of breath, forced to part from you just a little, leaning his face into the crook of your neck as he presses his pelvis into you, your legs wrapping around his waist to keep him close, arms around his neck keeping him from parting from you. "I love you so much." He hums against your skin, picking up his pace, exhaling through his nose as his jaw clenches, orgasm approaching quickly. His hand assists you by finding your most sensitive spot, pushing you over the edge so he can let go as well, your core clenching around his length to keep him in, milk him for all he's got.

He's out of breath, and so are you- his body simply laying down close to you, moving you around to lay over him, still inside you. "Kook, I'm sticky-" You whine, but he just smiles, hands smacking your butt. "Jungkook!" You scold, laughing, and he simply reaches for your face, to peck your lips.

Twice. Because once is just never enough.

[sinnabarmoth]

Her Kitty and His Bunny

(A/N: My first Xavier prompt! Meant to have this out last month but I got really wrapped up in the Dragon Sylus fic. Oops.)

Pairing: Kitty|Xavier x Bunny|Reader (fem)

Prompt: Sweet fluff of kitty Xavier meeting and falling for the Bunny girl Reader working at the bookstore.

Length: 3k

It was a normal day of work at the bookshop which meant things were pretty slow. You wandered along through the shelves trying to find a book for a pick up order. You had to go near the back of the shop and you were surprised by what else you found there.

You had heard him before you saw him, the fluffy ears on top of your head catching the tiniest sounds all the time. And you could hear someone muttering softly. You turned the corner to see who was back here because you could have sworn the store was empty.

Laying against the wall, a book opened and resting on his chest was a man you vaguely remembered walking in earlier. Blonde, handsome face, cozy peach cardigan, pair of fuzzy cat ears and an equally fluffy tail that was curled around him and resting on his lap. He had fallen asleep directly in front of a warm ray of light and you couldn’t deny it looked heavenly. You could have done with a nap yourself.

How long had this guy been back here? Should you wake him? He wasn’t bothering anyone. But what if he had nodded off accidentally and needed to be somewhere? Or what if this was a medical problem?

“Sir. Sir, wake up.” you said.

“Hm?” he turned his head away from you towards the sunlight.

“What a pain.” you muttered and squatted next to him. You shook his shoulder. “Sir, you need to wake up now.”

He shifted again but his eyes opened this time to look at you. You could almost swear he was about to go back to sleep but you kept poking him. “Sir, are you alright? You’ve been asleep back here for quite some time.”

He sat up straight, rubbing the sleep from his eyes with a yawn. What a sleepy kitty this guy was. It was rather cute seeing how soft and bleary he was right after a nap. “Sorry,” he said quietly, “I didn’t even realize I had fallen asleep back here.”

“I wanted to make sure you were okay.” you stood back up. “You know it isn’t exactly a smart idea to fall asleep whenever, right?”

“Yeah, I’ve heard that. I only meant to sit and read a chapter to see if I liked this book but then the sun came in and I just dozed off.” he stood up, stretching his arms high above his head. A bit of his shirt rode up and you caught a peek of his toned stomach. What kind of physique was he hiding under that cardigan?

“Must not have been a good book if it helped put you to sleep.”

“It was good actually. So good that I read through five chapters in one go before I fell asleep.” he flipped through the book. “I think I’ll get it.”

“Good to hear.” you looked past his head and saw the book you had originally come back here looking for. “There you are!” you stretched past him to grab the book on the high shelf. It was just out of range, your fingertips grazing the spine.

The man turned to see what you were reaching for and easily plucked the book from the shelf. “I was wondering why you were suddenly reaching towards me. But you weren’t. Is this the book you wanted?”

“It is. Thanks.” you checked your watch. “Oh they’re gonna be here any minute to pick this up. I gotta get this packaged.” you turned and scuttled back to the front desk. You grabbed the paper you wrapped books in and went through the folding process, tucking in a bookmark and sealing it with a custom sticker.

The man that you woke up was standing near the desk watching you work in silence. When you were done you set the book aside with the rest of the pick up orders and turned to him. “Ready to check out?”

“Yes.” he set the book on the counter. “Do you do that for every book you sell?”

“No, just the ones that are getting picked up or delivered.” you shrugged. “Why, were you hoping I’d wrap this one? You giving it as a present or something?”

“No. I was merely curious.” he thumbed through the stack of bookmarks by the register as you scanned the item. “You must have been working here a long time if you can package them that quickly.”

“Been a couple months so I’ve had the time, yeah.” you cocked your head at him, “Is this your first time in here? I’m pretty good with faces and I don’t remember yours.”

“No. Last I remembered it was still a noodle shop.”

“Really? Hasn’t been a noodle shop in like thirty years.” you appraised him closer. He didn’t look like he was that much older than you. How old was he if he remembered it from before it got turned into a bookstore? “If you don’t find it rude of me, how old are you? I could have sworn you were only in your twenties.”

“Oh, I am.” he said. “I remember it being a noodle shop because I had family that came here when it was and they talked about how good the food was. I found an old take-out menu so I decided to come down and check it out, only to find out it had become a bookstore in the meantime.”

You laughed. “Sorry to disappoint you. There is a really good noodle place a block down if you’re still hungry.” you placed a hand over your stomach. “What I would give for some chashu ramen with extra naruto. Maybe even some edamame. That sounds heavenly.”

“You could always order some.”

“No, I can’t. The place doesn’t do delivery and I have to stay and watch the store. The owner also gets mad if I eat at the front desk so even if I could get food I can’t eat it. They claim it is unprofessional looking. Not like there’s a huge amount of people coming in here everyday. Most of the time it’s pretty empty.” your stomach grumbled again.

“That sounds unfair. Do you not get to eat at all?”

“I have granola bars that I sneak bites of.” you shrugged. “So it’s not like I’m starving.”

“That doesn’t sound sustainable.”

“It is what it is.” you turned the card machine towards him. “Whenever you’re ready.”

The man paid you for the book and you handed him the bag. “I’ll check out that noodle shop you recommended. Thank you.”

“Have a nice afternoon. Enjoy those noodles for me.” you waved as he left.

Your smile dropped once he was out of sight. You had forgotten to ask his name. Maybe he’d come in again some time and you could ask then. You doubted it though. Outside of your regulars that had been coming here for years the only people that came by were lost tourists and students looking for cheap used textbooks.

Pick up orders came and left. You had blown through the last of your stash of granola bars and stared at the clock. You still had three hours before the end of your shift. You weren’t gonna make it. Stupid rabbit metabolism!

Your leg bounced in boredom as you stared at the clock, willing the hands to move faster. Your head slumped onto the counter. You were so freaking hungry!

Your ears perked as you heard the door bell chime. You picked your head up to greet whoever walked in and saw the handsome sleepy man from before. He had a plastic bag in his one hand and he held it out to you. “Special delivery.”

“What is this?” you took the bag. Inside were two takeout bowls of hot ramen. “Did you buy this for me?”

“You were hungry and you said the place doesn’t do delivery. So I thought I’d start my own delivery service, although I suppose it is a specialty service since it only has one customer.”

“This is amazing. Thank you so much. I can pay you back. How much was it?”

“You don’t have to pay me anything, except,” he took out both bowls and slid one over to you. “Don’t make me eat alone.”

“But the owner--”

“The camera behind the front desk isn’t hooked up to anything. Either it’s broken or it was put up there just to intimidate shoppers out of stealing. The owners won’t know you were eating at the front desk unless they come in.” he said.

You really looked at the camera you spent days hiding your granola bars from and your mouth dropped open. It really wasn’t attached to anything! They had let you believe you were being monitored that entire time! You could have been eating full meals this entire time and they wouldn’t have known! It’s not like they ever come down to the store. They own it but you basically run it.

“So?” he held out a pair of chopsticks to you.

“Thank you so much.” you took the chopsticks. “What’s your name by the way? I never asked.”

“Xavier.”

“Nice to meet you, Xavier. And thanks again for the food.” You opened the lid on your ramen and saw he had gotten exactly what you had said you were craving, chashu with extra naruto.

You are your ramen together and bit by bit got to know more about Xavier. He had been living abroad for a while and recently moved back to Linkon. He worked as a Hunter which was exciting. You had to remember not to mention how much Hunter inspired media you absorbed. There was an entire bookshelf back at your apartment that was full of Hunter romance novels and movies. If he knew about that he’d probably think you were weird. You couldn’t help it. There was something just inherently exciting and romantic about Hunters that drew you in.

You told him about your life living in Linkon and how you liked to spend your days when you weren’t working. It wasn’t anything nearly as exciting as what he did but it made you happy.

After that Xavier just kept popping in while you were working. He always made sure to stop by with some kind of food. Sometimes they were sweet breads from the bakery, hot ramen on rainy days, smoothies from the food truck down the street. Just something to help tide you over until you got off work. And you talked and talked and talked until finally you told him to just give you his number so you could text. Because no matter what there was always more you wanted to say to each other and not enough time while you were working to talk about it all.

He didn’t stop by the store as often after he got your number but you still talked every day thanks to it. He said you calling him was often what woke him up from his naps. How the man could fall asleep anywhere and everywhere was a mystery to you. Last time you had called him he had dozed off on the train and woke up to realize his destination had been three stops ago so he had to get off and get a cab back to where he needed to be anyway.

“Xavier, I swear, it isn’t normal for someone to fall asleep as much as you do. And don’t just say it is a cat thing. Cats like to lie down but I know other cat people and they do not nap as much as you do.” you were going up and down the aisles of the bookstore restocking some items. Xavier was following behind you with the box.

It was late and the shop had already closed but you needed to get these books out for their official release tomorrow morning. It was the highly anticipated sequel to a Hunter romance novel. You had already pre-ordered your copy and were going to sneak one from the stack while Xavier wasn’t looking to take home and read.

“I work a lot. I have to sleep when I can.”

“That’s the excuse you gave last time. I don’t think that your job has you on call so much that you have to take a military sleep approach to it.” you had run out of space on the shelf you were stocking and reached to start putting them on the next shelf up. But once again it was just out of reach.

“I’ll get this.” Xavier stretched past you, putting the books on the higher shelf. You hadn’t moved yet so he was practically pressed against you as he reached to put the books in place.

“Uh Xavier,” you said, “Can I uh…can I move first?”

“Hm?” he looked down without stepping back. You knew he was tall before but with him looking down at you from so close only made you realize how much shorter you really were.

“Your ears are pinned back.” he said, “Am I making you uncomfortable?”

“A little…” you broke your gaze, heat rolling up your neck.

“Sorry.” he stepped back. “Didn’t really think about it.”

“It’s okay.” you took a couple steps away to regain your wits. You felt a little flick on your tail and you jumped a foot in the air.

Xavier was standing where you had been, had outstretched. “Did you touch my tail?”

“Sorry again. It was up for the first time and I had never seen it do that before. It looked so soft on the underside I just found myself reaching out to feel it.” he said. “I didn’t think it’d be a big deal. You touch my tail all the time.”

“Well, yours is longer. If you touch my tail you’re basically touching my butt!”

He cracked an embarrassed smile. “As I recall, that didn’t seem to bother you either when you touched mine.”

“I told you it was an accident! How long are you gonna hold that over me?”

“I don’t plan on holding it over you. I just like to remind you every once in a while.”

“That’s the same thing!” He chuckled again. “What is it now? Why are you laughing!”

“I never noticed before but when you’re angry your nose twitches.”

“Ugh!” you covered your nose. “No it doesn’t!”

“Yes it does. You say I’m so much like a cat but you have so many rabbit tendencies too. Right down to loving carrots.”

“I just happen to like carrots and a lot of media portrays rabbits loving carrots. That is correlation, not causation.”

“And the fact that you jumped really far when I startled you?”

“You startled me. Exactly. Who wouldn’t jump?”

“You cleared a good couple feet in a single bound, bunny.”

“You don’t get to call me bunny like you’re trying to be cute. Not unless you’re cool with me calling you kitty.”

“I’m fine with that.”

“What?”

“You can call me kitty Xavier if you want. I don’t mind. So I can keep calling you bunny, right?”

“No! That wasn’t--”

“You just said if you get to call me kitty I get to call you bunny. Or should I call you bun-bun instead? Floppy ears? Cottontail?”

“Stop! You are so embarrassing!” you covered his mouth to stop the nicknames. “Fine, you can call me bunny, but only when no one else is around.”

He pulled your hand off his mouth. “Does that mean I get to call you bunny now? We are alone.”

“Fine. But don’t overdo it.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, bunny.”

“Curse whatever metaflux fluctuation that determined our evolution millenia ago to give us these animal appendages.” you muttered under your breath. “There was a point in time thousands of years ago when we didn’t have animal tails and ears. Why couldn’t we have stayed that way?”

“So we wouldn’t miss out on the fun of petting our own ears.” Xavier said, giving you a little scratch behind the ear as you stood there. You unconsciously leaned your head into his touch before coming to your senses and gently smacking his hand away. “Something wrong?”

“You--you--” now that Xavier pointed it out you could feel your nose twitching again. “I do not understand you at all.”

“What’s there to understand?”

“Why do you like teasing me? I didn’t get that vibe from you when we first met but lately you keep doing it.”

“I guess it’s because I like you.”

Your eyes went wide. “What?”

“I’ve liked you for a while. Do you think I’d bring just anyone food unprompted, even when the weather is bad? Or let them touch my tail or scratch my ears?” you could see his face going pink and his tail was swishing from side to side, “I…I like you a lot.”

“Wow.” was all that came out of your mouth. You weren’t expecting a confession. How were you meant to respond?

“Honestly, I thought you already knew. I thought this whole time you had been flirting back with me. You touch me so casually and you’re always sending me such cute messages, calling me first thing in the morning and stuff…” he looked away, his ears plastered against his head. “I guess I was reading too much into it. I’m sorry that I made you uncomfortable.”

Had you been flirting all this time? In retrospect it was obvious. So painfully obvious to everyone but you. It was no secret that you found him attractive. He was also always super kind to you. Each time he came by with something for you to eat your heart started beating faster. Not just because seeing him meant he had food but because you knew you’d get to talk to him more. You called him first thing in the morning every day partly to make sure he woke up at a decent hour but also because his voice was the first thing you wanted to hear at the start of the day.

You wanted to be around him. Be near him. Always have part of him in reach.

“You too…” you murmured.

“Huh?” he glanced back at you.

“...like you too.” you said, a little louder.

He prowled closer, leaning in close to your face. “Say again? My hearing isn’t as good as yours.”

“I said I like you too!” you snapped, your face roiling hot. “I really really like you! Happy?”

His arms wrapped around you, pulling you close into his chest. You could hear a faint purring deep in his chest. “Yes.”

You let yourself melt against him. He was so warm. You nuzzled your face into his chest a little more and he chuckled. “Hopefully now we can do something outside of this bookstore.” you said.

“I don’t mind where we are so long as you are there too, bunny.”