#also explains why handsome devil is suddenly getting more attention i thought it was just bc it also has rugby gay people

[sprolden]

shut up you're telling me the reason that blond man from the rwrb movie looks familiar is because he was in HANDSOME DEVIL???? !!???? well thank god he finally got to violently make out with another man. long overdue

[wonlouvre]

hello! i see your requests are open again 😌 can i request jeonghan x reader, enemies to lovers kinda thing maybe where they have the same friends but jeonghan & reader always clash etc etc fluff at the end idk

i know you’ll come up with something amazing as always, do what you want with it 😘🥰💗

balance | y. jh. 

pairing: jeonghan x reader genre: enemies to lovers (kind of), fluff warnings: heights, ski mountain mechanical malfunctions (you know, dangling in the air kind of thing)  word count: 1.5k (i got carried away, im sorry)

💌: thank you so much for requesting!!! this was honestly fun to write although there was little to none banter, i’m so sorry :’( thank you for trusting me! i hope you like it <3 i will try to post at least two drabbles/requests per week :)

To you, Yoon Jeonghan was the type of person that looked like he would trample all over your principles in life. It’s a little dramatic of you but he can’t blame you for thinking so. He’s cocky, annoying and full of shit. The two of you stepped off on the wrong foot when he thought it was funny to pour sparkling water on your instant noodles as a prank during one of the traditional ski trips your group of friends always hold.

Soonyoung introduced him on what was supposed to be the best trip of your life only to get ruined when he made fun of you. Although technically speaking, your cup wasn’t the only victim of his shenanigan because the rest of your friends complained and threw it at the perpetrator before they could even finish eating. But you were hungry and stubborn, so you didn’t let it go. 

Ever since then, despite not confronting him, Jeonghan’s energy and wholebeing never clicked with yours. You barely speak a word to him and you rarely hang out with him, unlike with every single one of your friends. He hasn’t noticed and even if he did, you’re sure he could care less. Which is fine by you. The instant noodle prank is history and now that this year’s ski trip will be your third with him, you have just gotten used to ignoring his existence. 

“Jeonghan’s staring at you,” Seungcheol says, startling you. 

Your eyes throw daggers at him, not because he startled you, but because of what he said. 

The tall man nudges your shoulder with his. “I’m not lying. Give him a glance and then you’ll see.”

To set the record straight, you don’t have a grudge on Jeonghan for who he is. It’s more of what he does that gives a bad impression on you. Aside from the noodle incident, you noticed how much he takes pride in teasing and playing with the gullible younger ones and you hate him for that. It’s a good laugh every once in a while but it can hurt feelings at times and you don’t want that. He also likes to disagree and debate with everyone (you’re just glad you haven’t been a victim yet). When everyone else says yes, he’ll boldly say no. That’s how moronic he is to be friends with. 

Of course you acknowledge his good deeds. Whether you like to admit it or not, Jeonghan is a great friend. He is a beacon of strength among you knowing that he’s one of the oldest in the group. He knows where and when to have fun. He knows when to be there for anyone who needs him. He’s supportive. He’s loving. He’s more than okay. 

You’re just turning a blind eye because you’re still petty. 

It has come to your attention that apparently, Jeonghan has been harboring a crush on you. It’s a stupid rumor and you choose to ignore it because why. Why would he have a crush on you? You try confirming if it’s true by looking at him and observing his actions whenever he’s not paying attention. But to no avail, nothing special stood out.

In fact, it seems like all the staring and observation made you develop a crush on him. Now that’s even more annoying. 

You roll your eyes at Seungcheol’s nonsense and walk away from him to go to Jeongyeon who’s currently checking in everyone to the hotel. You might as well help her register everyone to all the activities you will be participating in. 

“Collect their IDs,” she orders without looking up from the form she’s writing on. “And tell them to fall in line so they can sign the consent form.”

“Told you we should have filled out the online form before getting here,” your complaint doesn’t go unheard by your friend who only glares at you, scaring you to immediately obey her instructions.

“IDs please,” you ask with your hand out and your friends happily complied as they chatted through the waiting time. You walk around to make sure you have everyone’s and as you double check, one last ID was missing. 

“You didn’t forget about me, did you?”

The devil himself, Yoon Jeonghan.

You take a deep deep breath before turning around and face the handsome face you’ve been sick of. Wait, did you just call him handsome?! 

Jeonghan flashes his signature smirk while pulling his wallet out from his pocket, picking one of the many cards inside it to hand to you. His gloveless fingers grazes yours and it concerns you why it made your heart skip a beat. You avoid his gaze and everything else about him and run back to Jeongyeon who’s the one asking for these in the first place. 

You heard his low chuckle and you wish you could wipe off his annoying grin with your fist. 

Moving on from what happened in the early afternoon, the rest of the day was pleasant enough for you and your friends to continue. Everyone had lunch at the local restaurant first before doing the group activities. It’s a good thing none of you are afraid of heights (except for Dokyeom, but he manages). Soonyoung leading everyone to hike the safe side of the snow covered mountain wasn’t a problem for him. 

After the quick mountain hike, you all scattered to have fun and decided to meet up for dinner in the evening. You, Jeongyeon, Dokyeom and much to your dismay, Jeonghan all went up to snowboard. 

The lift was supposed to carry the four of you up to the starting point before your adrenaline descend, but Dokyeom suddenly felt a wave of fear of heights and needed to calm down for a few minutes. He tells you to go on ahead and you did. You just didn’t expect Jeonghan to be accompanying you instead of Jeongyeon. 

You hide your disappointment and bewilderment as you make yourself comfortable. It’s awkward but it doesn’t matter. You’re just going to keep quiet and avoid looking Jeonghan’s way. This ride will probably not be a good ten minutes, right?

Jeonghan holds onto his snowboard while you place yours on the floor. A barrier of some sort to distance yourself from him. Your eyes are glued to your feet, watching them move from side to side. You also distract yourself from admiring the view outside the window, but it’s hard when you can feel his eyes burning holes on the back of your head. 

“Y/N.”

You hate it. You hate it. You hate it. 

Why does your name sound so melodic coming from his mouth?

You turn your head and raise your eyebrows, waiting for him to continue. 

But the lift doesn’t let him because it suddenly stops mid-air, echoes of metals clanking and brakes screeching following suit. The abrupt stop causes the lift to shake a little, making you hold onto the metal bars out of fear. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, there has been a mechanical malfunction of the lifts and our engineers are repairing it now at this moment. We apologize for the inconvenience and fear that this has caused. We request everyone to remain calm and seated…”

The announcement falls deaf to your ears because all you hear is ringing. You’re not afraid of heights at all. But you have never experienced an incident like this before. You’ve heard and read about it and not all of them ended well. 

“Hey,” Jeonghan’s voice snaps you out of your dilemma. 

You blink away your tears and clutch your chest to calm your heart that’s beating faster and faster. 

“Y/N?” Jeonghan calls for you again, but this time he’s reaching his hand out. “You’ll be fine. Here, take my hand.”

Jeonghan probably noticed the panic in your eyes. So, after throwing away your doubts outside the window, you carefully move a little closer to him but not beside him as you don’t want to ruin the balance of the lift. You unclench your fist and finally take hold of his waiting hand. 

Jeonghan’s warm palm and genuine smile calms you down. Your heartbeat slows down and your breathing goes back to normal. Your eyebrows furrow in both fear and embarrassment. You question the universe how and why did this have to happen. 

“Hey, don’t cry.”

“I’m not!” 

Jeonghan giggles at your outburst and you don’t know if that’s music to your ears or if it just makes you want to punch his handsome face more. 

“I like you Y/N,” he suddenly confesses and you grimace. 

“I like you too,” you confess back, tightly gripping his hand. “But now is not the time, Yoon Jeonghan.”

Jeonghan bites back a smile that says he’s in love and just gently caresses your hand. It’s unbelievable how the opportunity arose itself right at this moment, but it was now or never for him. He’d explain how much he likes you in detail later. For now, he’s okay with this. 

“But, later though?”

“Yes, now shut up before I throw you out first.”

[joonie-beanie]

Missing Ingredient

Pairing: Solomon x Reader

Word Count: 5,467

Preview: Solomon needs help obtaining some "nectar" for a spell he wants to try, and asks you for your assistance.

Unbeknownst to you, the so-called nectar he needs isn't from a flower at all.

This chapter is also being posted as a part of my “Devil Doms” series on AO3.

I wrote this after getting inspired by one of @/shokujin-art’s pieces with Solomon and their MC Ethan!

WARNING: This chapter can be considered dub-con. If dubious consent makes you uncomfortable, please do not read.

“I need your help.”

The smile on Solomon’s face is a little disconcerting. After all, usually it’s not he who is asking you for help, but…you decide to hear him out.

“With what?”

Your gaze is openly skeptical as you regard him, but his smile doesn’t waver.

“I need nectar for a spell I’ve been wanting to test out for a while. I was wondering if you could help me in that regard.”

You blink at him, confused. Nectar? How the hell are you supposed help with that? It’s not like you’re an expert with flowers, and you certainly have no idea about flowers that reside in the Devildom.

“You…want me to help you find…nectar?”

He nods, bringing a hand up to his chin—his eyes turning towards the ceiling.

“Well…basically, yes.”

You narrow your gaze at his phrasing, concern growing by the moment. Exactly what the hell is Solomon playing at? You know he’s a bit of a sketchy bastard, and sometimes you feel like he can’t be trusted, but…so far, he hasn’t wronged you.

…that counts for something, right?

“Listen,” you say, poking a finger into his chest. His eyes widen at the action, and he pauses—staring at you as you continue to jab him. “I’ll help you, okay? But I better not be harmed on this journey to achieve whatever “nectar” you need. Got it, wizard boy?”

Solomon rolls his eyes at your nickname—catching your finger when you move to press your nail into his chest once more.

“You won’t experience any pain,” he says, laughing quietly. His eyes crease, a handsome smile lighting up his face, and for a second, you forget about your worries.

“I promise.”

The next weekend, you get a text from Solomon demanding that you come over to Purgatory Hall.

Today is the day—he needs your help with his nectar issue—and so, you pack up your bag and head over.

You’d attempted to ask him what retrieving this nectar would entail. After all, did you need to dress in hiking boots?? Would he be taking you out into the Devildom wilderness to try and find some rare, valuable flower?? But Solomon had refused to reveal any details.

He’d simply explained that it may take a few hours, and that you should just bring yourself, and any basic necessities.

So now, here you are—standing on the step to Purgatory Hall—waiting for Solomon to come and let you in. It takes a few minutes, but eventually the grand wooden door is pulled open.

“Took you long enough,” you mumble as he ushers you inside. The sorcerer can only laugh, keeping pace beside you as the two of you traverse the halls—heading towards his room.

“Sorry,” he says. His hand moves to wipe at his brow. You notice the tiny beads of sweat sticking to his skin, and curiosity fills you. “I was preparing.”

“Preparing for what?”

Again, Solomon reveals nothing. He easily laughs off the seriousness of your question, waving a hand in front of him as if to try and dissipate any of your worries.

“Preparing to retrieve the nectar,” he responds after a moment, flashing you a small smile. “I’ve been trying to gather the ingredients for this spell for many, many years, and this is the last, and hardest one to collect.”

“And…you need my help in particular with this…why?”

Your eyebrows are knit together on your forehead, and you’re sure that Solomon notices your trepidation, yet he chooses not to address it. Instead, he continues a few more strides up the hall before stopping.

You’ve already arrived at his room.

He reaches out to grab the doorknob, his silver eyes darkening playfully as he regards you. The subtle shift in his demeanor has butterflies tickling the inside of your stomach, and you swallow nervously.

While you’re not as magically inclined as Solomon, you can still feel the magic leaking from inside of his room. He obviously has something planned for you once you step inside, but you’re not sure what.

“…you promised you wouldn’t hurt me,” you remind him, pouting angrily—attempting to hide your apprehension. Your words have Solomon rolling his eyes, and he releases the door knob.

Standing straight, he jerks two of his fingers towards you, and suddenly a golden magic circle encases one of your wrists.

Your eyes widen in surprise, but before you can think to say anything, he’s making another motion with his hand. Quickly, the magic circle tugs you forward, and within seconds, you find yourself directly in front of Solomon.

His previously kind smile is now replaced with something more akin to an amused grin.

“I gave you my word, didn’t I?” he asks, free hand moving to gently brush a few stray hairs from your face. The gesture contradicts his current attitude, making you feel torn. Anxiety and excitement mingle in your gut—both turned on and concerned by your predicament.

“You did, but you’re kind of a bastard, so I want you to reassure me…,” you mumble, cheeks heating up as you stare at him.

This isn’t exactly the first time Solomon has used his magic to fluster you. No, many times now he has casually used spells to fuck with you—making you more sensitive to the touch, or creating a brief gust of wind to flip your skirt up while at RAD. It has kind of become your thing—picking on each other, with Solomon bridging into sexual territory every so often.

Actually...you’d made out with him a few weeks prior—both of you slightly intoxicated, and drawn in by the club music at The Fall—but it had never gone beyond kissing, and groping. Despite that, the sexual energy between the two of you had been palpable.

Yet, nothing had come of it. You’d mutually parted—preserved your friendship—and gone your separate ways that night. You’d assumed that Solomon simply wasn’t interested in doing those kinds of things with you—that any playfully sexual advances towards you were done in the spirit of friendship. Which you were okay with.

But…now that you’re standing here—hair risen all across your body at the magic leaking from his room—you know that he has big plans. And judging by the glint in his eyes, and the way his thumb is carefully caressing your cheek—you’ll certainly be in for a treat.

“When you step beyond the threshold of this door, no harm will come to you,” he speaks calmly, dipping down to press a soft kiss to your lips. Almost instantly, you’re melting into him—heart hammering against your ribs as your defenses are so easily torn away.

“Do you trust me?”

You nod, and his fingers leave your face. You hear the doorknob turn.

“I shouldn’t, but I do.”

He laughs at that, and in the next beat, he’s pulling you inside.

His room is just like you remember it—spacious, and dark. His desk is littered with an army of ingredients, and spell books. His bed is nicely made, and there’s a single, leather armchair tucked into the corner of the room, near the fireplace.

The only thing out of the ordinary is the golden blob of magic sitting in the center of the room. There’s an intricately drawn circle of chalk surrounding it—many runes, and foreign words tied into the dormant spell.

“I’m beginning to think that this “nectar” you need isn’t exactly from a flower…,” you mumble, sending him a little look when he once again uses the magic circle around your wrist to force you farther into his room. Solomon only smiles, guiding you forward until you’re standing inside the chalk ring—the blob of magic at your feet.

“To be honest, for the longest time I thought I was searching for a rare flower,” he says, sighing as he recalls his strife. His footsteps echo throughout the silent room as he scoots arounds the circle, shaking his head in disappointment. “This is a spell I found in an ancient text, and the words were quite hard to decipher. At some point, I picked out the word “nectar”, but figuring out what kind of nectar took far too long.”

As he speaks, you feel the spell at your feet start to buzz to life. And when your gaze flickers to the floor, you note that the blob of magic is starting to…move?

With each passing second, as the spell activates, the ball of golden magic expands and contracts—bulging here or there. You’re forced to divide your attention between Solomon—who is now standing in front of the leather chair—and the magic at your feet (which looks ready to explode).

“Solomon…,” you speak nervously, gasping when a second magic circle suddenly encases your free wrist. You turn to look at the sorcerer just as he jerks his fingers towards the ceiling—forcing your arms high above your head, where the spinning circles then merge into a single, larger one.

“H-Hey! You still haven’t told me what the hell is going on!” you stutter, feeling warmth on your cheeks as you realize your current state of vulnerability. With your hands bound like this, there’s no way you can escape whatever Solomon has planned.

“And yet, you still look like you’re enjoying this,” he teases you. You attempt to glare at him, but there’s no real power behind it, considering he’s right.

“Bastard…”

Solomon laughs at that, and he steps into the chalk circle without warning. His hands find your waist, and he kisses you without an ounce of hesitation. His lips are firm, and warm—moving against your own languidly, like he’s got all the time in the world.

The show of intimacy successfully distracts you from the ball of magic at your feet. Well…at least until the energy takes a new form—multiple, long limbs of magic shooting out, and wrapping around you.

“Mmph!” you squeal around his tongue, rearing back in shock. You look down, wriggling as the warm tendrils of magic climb your body. One is already hugging your waist—replacing the feel of Solomon’s hands as the wizard takes a step back—watching everything unfold with a self-satisfied grin spreading across his lips.

“Basically,” he speaks, calm as ever—as if you aren’t being molested by magic. His magic. “I finally figured out that the “nectar” I’ve been searching for is the arousal of a human. The product of their pleasure.”

His words have you feeling even hotter—an embarrassing gasp leaving you as one of the tendrils wraps around your thigh, and wiggles against your clothed sex.

“Really, of course I finally figured it out once I’m here in the Devildom.” He shakes his head, crossing his arms disappointedly. You bite your lip, trying to stifle another lewd sound as the tendril around your waist curls up between your breasts.

From what you can tell, there are 2…well, tentacles of magic in total—with one occupying your legs, and the other busying itself with your torso.

“I-If you need human arousal, why not use your own?” you ask him, already quite breathless. The sound makes Solomon’s eyes sparkle.

“What? You think I want to sit around and jerk into a cup for god knows how long?” he laughs, eyes raking down your body. His gaze stops near your hips, and he makes a motion with his hand. In response, the tentacle currently rubbing softly against your pussy pulls away—hooking under the waistband of your pants.

In one swift motion, it tugs the garment down your legs, and discards it onto the floor. You flush hottly, pressing your thighs together in an attempt to preserve a sliver of modesty—but the tendril of magic easily slips its way between your legs, once again rubbing against your pelvis.

“And besides, this route seemed much more fun.” He smiles cheekily, a dark sort of amusement lingering in his silver gaze. “I always pegged you as the type to enjoy a situation like this anyway. You know, a damsel in distress with a bit of kink and sex thrown in.”

You send him another look, but can’t say anything. Because…he’s not necessarily wrong. You can’t deny his words, nor can your body deny its reaction to your current predicament. Each pass of the magic between your legs or against your breasts has arousal pooling in your gut.

“Of course, if I’m wrong, just tell me, and I’ll stop.”

Despite the teasing look on his face, his words are genuine. He won’t do anything you’re not okay with. Even if he needs the ingredient for his spell, it seems he’s not entirely an asshole. At least, not to you.

“N…no…I’m okay with this,” you admit meekly, causing him to smile. “But…how are you retrieving the… um…”

You’re too shy to say it, now, realizing what the nectar actually is.

“Well, I did mention that all of this took time to prepare,” he responds, allowing the tendrils of his magic to continue roaming your body freely. It seems like he’s able to control them when he wants, but otherwise, they’ll continue working towards their goal on their own.

“Since I was able to get you to agree to help me out—”

“Without telling me what would actually be involved.”

He sends you a look—a little annoyed at being interrupted despite so kindly answering all of your questions.

“Oh I’m sorry—,” he makes a motion with his hand, and suddenly the tentacle around your chest is tearing your shirt away with a definitive rip. In the same beat, the tentacle between your legs slips beneath the crotch of your panties—tugging them off your body.

Somehow, it manages to discard the garment near Solomon’s feet, so he bends down and picks up the cotton fabric with a smile—the large spot of arousal hard to miss, even in the dim light of his room.

“—but do you really have the right to be sassing me about my ethics, when you’re already wet enough to stain your panties? Clearly, you’re turned on despite me not telling you, love.”

You open your mouth to attempt to defend your pride, but the only sound that comes out is a lewd gasp. The smooth magic between your thighs resumes its motions—now rubbing up against your wet pussy with no barrier. The contact makes you ache—your clit already so sensitive to the touch—and a satisfied grin settles on Solomon’s face.

“As I was saying,” he continues with his explanation calmly, but his gaze doesn’t leave the sight of you. With your panties gone, and your shirt in tatters on the floor, the sorcerer would be a fool to not watch the show unraveling in front of him.

“It took time to prepare. I had to figure out what would be the best way to retrieve the nectar without letting it go to waste. After all, sex can be so messy.”

Solomon pauses for a moment, soaking in the sound of your voice as you whine—your body flushed from head to toe as the thick tentacles of his magic keep their pace, rubbing against you in all the right places.

His slacks are beginning to feel a little tight.

He coughs.

“Basically, the raw magic will absorb your “nectar”, and will keep it trapped until I can draw it out.”

“S-So what?” you whimper, fingers helplessly curling and uncurling above you. His magic circle allows your wrists no wiggle room. “Y-You’re just going to sit here and watch your magic molest me until you’ve collected enough of my arousal for your spell?”

“Molest is a strong word,” Solomon says, seating himself in the leather chair. He leans back, letting his legs spread wide, and your eyes fall to the tent in his pants. “I prefer fondle. Or, pleasure. After all, you’re feeling a fair amount of pleasure right now, aren’t you?”

With a small inclination of his fingers, the tentacle between your legs pulls back—the thick, rounded tip pressing directly against your clit. It moves in miniscule side to side motions, and Solomon sees the way your entire body flexes—thighs shaking with each pass over your bundle of nerves.

“Fuck,” you pant, arms straining against their bindings. The wizard chuckles.

“Shall I make you cum like this? Or would you prefer to wait? Personally, I have no qualms making you orgasm until you’re begging me to stop, but I also don’t want to break you. You’d be a pain to put back together.”

“Asshole,” you remark.

With the tentacle still swiping across your clit, you know it won’t be long until you reach your climax. And while you know cumming will only serve to make everything more sensitive afterwards, you can’t bring yourself to pass up the offer of an orgasm. You’re already too close, and your body is begging for a release.

“I…I want to cum. Please.”

“Look at you, saying “please” even though you’re calling me an asshole.”

You so desperately wish he was within kicking range, because if he was, you would absolutely lift your leg and wipe that cocky grin straight off his face.

Luckily, the magic between your legs quickly distracts you from your anger towards the sorcerer. 

As if hearing your plea to cum, it begins to work even faster—searching for the pattern that will undoubtedly drag you into the depths of your pleasure. And once it finds it—lewd gasps and moans falling from your lips—the tentacle keeps at it until you’re tumbling into your release.

Sensing your orgasm, the magic limb presses up against your pelvis. It slots between your folds, rubbing languidly as you experience your high.

You can only guess that it’s currently collecting all of the precious “nectar” that has leaked from your throbbing pussy following your climax.

“Shit…”

Apparently willing to give you a moment to breath, the magic tendril occupying your sex continues its slow motions. In its place, the tentacle that had been lazily fondling your chest until now gets to work. It fully wraps around both of your breasts—squeezing, and tugging—almost as if it’s attempting to milk you.

Your eyes flutter shut at the sensation—quiet, hot breaths filling the space in front of you as the tailend of your orgasm finally passes. Yet, you can still feel the embers burning in your gut, threatening to reignite with any simple touch.

“Feel good?” Solomon questions, drawing you out of your haze. Your eyes fall to him, heart thundering in your chest when you notice that one of his hands has strayed beneath his trousers—fingers enclosed around his length through the fabric of his underwear.

“Perverted wizard,” you speak instead, completely ignoring his question. The smallest of grins grace your lips, a breathy laugh leaving you. “Getting so hard from watching me. Shouldn’t you be ashamed?”

He chuckles at your words, looking amused by your wit.

Truly, you’re a fool to be speaking to him like that, as if he isn’t the one in charge right now. While he’s been kind to you thus far, he has no issue in changing that.

“Be a good cock slut and shut the hell up.”

He flicks his fingers, a fake smile plastered on his face, and in the next moment your pussy is filled to the brim with his magic. The tentacle reaches deep—snaking between your walls until the soft head is pressed flush against your cervix.

The abrupt intrusion has you crying out, wrists once again straining against their bindings as you struggle to adjust to the new sensation. And yet, Solomon grants you no grace period.

The magic begins to move—sliding in and out of your wet walls at a swift pace that has your mouth opening, but no sound coming out. At the same time, the tentacle at your chest squeezes harder, the tip of the appendage moving to swirl around one of your hardened nipples.

“S-Solomon,” you choke out, knees buckling under the intensity of his magic. The way his name sounds falling from your lips—desperate and overwhelmed—has his cock jumping against its confines.

His jaw clenches, fingers squeezing a bit tighter as he strokes himself.

“I’d slow their pace down, but I can hear how wet you are from here,” he remarks, silver gaze falling to the space between your thighs. As the tentacle grinds inside of you, small amounts of your arousal are soaked up by his magic. As they’re absorbed, the liquid pools in the main body of the magic—the blob still resting at the center of the chalk circle which is keeping his spell active.

“I called you a cock slut teasingly, but it seems you actually are one. How precious.”

“Fuck off,” you pant, body writhing as the embers in your gut quickly reignite into flames—hot, intense, and growing with each second that passes.

He laughs at your exclamation, pressing to his feet. With deft fingers, Solomon quickly rids himself of his pants, and underwear—the pieces of clothing lying abandoned on the floor beside your own. And when he moves forward—once again entering the magic circle, and stepping into your personal space—you feel your heart skip a beat.

Your pussy clenches around the tentacle still working inside of you, nervous butterflies blooming in your tummy when you see the dark look in Solomon’s eyes. Like he’s finally giving you a glimpse of the real him—not the kind façade he always shows in front of the others.

“If you’re going to use your mouth in such a vulgar fashion, I know a better way.”

Suddenly, without warning, the magic circle encasing your wrists presses downward—forcing you to your knees. The tentacles adjust accordingly, but continue their ministrations as normal. The new position, however, has you eye-level with Solomon’s weeping cock.

“Say ah,” he says, canting his hips forward. The tip of his length smears against your hot cheek, and you flit your gaze up to him—aroused, and a little scared.

He’d be lying if he said the fear didn’t turn him on.

“No?” Solomon tangles a hand in your hair—firm, but not enough to hurt. He holds your stare, his eyes expectant. Yet, he doesn’t force himself upon you. After all, he gave you his word that he wouldn’t hurt you, and while right now he would love nothing more than to stuff your mouth with his cock, he won’t if it’s pushing you too far.

You take a deep breath, trying to calm your nerves (although it’s not easy to do, considering the two tentacles that are still very bent on pleasuring you for the sake of your “nectar”). Then—

You part your lips, hot breath fanning against his length.

“Aaah—”

Solomon looks genuinely surprised for a moment. However, he definitely won’t be wasting such a perfect opportunity.

“Truly a cock slut,” he says by way of praise—sliding his cock into your mouth before you can even think of responding.

The moment he hits the back of your throat—making you gag—you realize what you’re in for. There’s no way you’re making it out of this situation sane. Not with Solomon fucking your mouth, while his magic devastates your pussy, and fondles your chest.

In contrast to the quick, brutal pace the tentacle currently occupied with your sex has taken, Solomon starts off slowly. He rocks himself into your mouth, his silver eyes focused on you as your lips suction around him. Each time, he ventures deep—his cock sliding into you until you can take no more.

Tears blot your eyes, body tensing as you resist the urge to gag around him once again. Solomon notices your struggle—watching the way your fingers curl into fists. A part of him debates being nicer. You’re already struggling thanks to the ministrations of his magic, after all, and yet—

“You like it rough, don’t you?”

He reaffirms his grip on your hair—holding your head steady as he begins rolling his hips. He’s still not as fast as the tentacle devastating your pussy, but his slow pace is no more. No, he fucks you quick enough that you don’t have time to steel yourself for the sensation of his cock hitting the back of your throat.

So now, along with the wet, slapping sounds already filling the room, your frequent, helpless gagging can be heard as well.

To Solomon, it’s music to his ears.

“I don’t need you to tell me “yes”. I can already see the answer with how much of your arousal my magic is collecting,” he says, breathing a laugh. “Seriously, you’re the one that should be ashamed, Y/N. You stand there and tease me for getting hard, but you’re the one positively leaking right now. Do you want to be even more stuffed? I could create a third tentacle if you like.”

“Nn—,” you attempt to shake your head, tears finally rolling down your cheeks. You already feel like you’re going insane. There’s no way you’d be able to handle anything more than this.

Solomon grins at your response, purposely grinding into your mouth, and holding himself there. He watches as you flounder—body writhing against the bindings at your wrists. 

Even as you struggle to breathe, you can feel the orgasm building inside of you.

You choke down a sob.

Solomon’s magic is relentless. You have no idea how long it’s been—how long the tentacles have been teasing you—have been trying to milk you for all that you’re worth—but it’s been long enough to bring you to the edge once more. And each time Solomon forces you to gag around him, you only inch closer.

“Mmph,” you whine pathetically around him, your body shaking as your pleasure continues to build to a peak. It won’t be long until you’re sent tumbling over the edge a second time, and once that happens, you’re not sure how much more you’ll be able to take. Your brain already feels like it’s on the verge of short-circuiting.

“This is a good look on you—,” he comments. Sweat has beaded on his brow—stray strands of his hair sticking to his forehead, and you’re mad that he still manages to appear so handsome despite his disheveled state.

“—ruined, and on the brink of orgasm. You’re going to cum again, right?”

Your noise of admission is lost around his cock as he continues fucking into your mouth. However, he doesn’t need to hear your agreement. He can already tell—what, with the way your eyes are practically ready to roll back into your head.

“You should wait for me,” he says, amusement tugging at his lips when he feels you whimper. “Can you manage that?”

Without waiting for your muffled attempt at a response, Solomon thrusts become rougher. He fucks into your throat, groaning at the way you instinctively gag and swallow around him. Saliva pools at the corners of your lips—slipping down to your chin and mingling with the tears that have fallen from your eyes.

You’re so overwhelmed. You’ve never experienced so many sensations at once, and while you try your best to hold out for Solomon—to be good, and wait for him like he’s requested—you can’t. It’s impossible.

With a strangled cry, you come undone. Your body thrashes, your head naturally attempting to pull away from Solomon for much needed air, but he doesn’t let you go anywhere.

“Ah, if only you had waited a little longer,” he remarks, disappointment in his tone. He lowers his other hand to grab your head, and more tears pour down your cheeks as he face fucks you to his heart’s content—even as your orgasm continues to roll through you.

Luckily, the sorcerer isn’t very far behind. He finds his release just as your orgasm is beginning to subside, the tentacles that are assaulting you finally beginning to slow their ruthless pace. 

Gripping your hair, he forces himself deep into your throat—a dark satisfaction settling in his gut as he watches you choke on his seed.

“Swallow like a good girl,” he chides, one of his hands moving to wipe away your tears. As best you can, you swallow around him—puffy eyes turning up to him. The pleading look on your face successfully softens his heart, and with a sigh, he releases your head.

Immediately, you’re pulling back—coughing and gasping for air.

“P-Please, I can’t…anymore…,” you beg, voice raw. The tentacles have started picking up their pace once again--ready to resume their duty after having given you a few minutes to rest.

Solomon clicks his tongue, his silver gaze dropping to the mass of magic on the floor. There’s a fair amount of your “nectar” that has settled at the bottom of the orb. Enough that Solomon will be able to attempt his spell more than a few times.

So, with that in mind, he releases you.

The tentacle around your torso unwinds—your breasts feeling used, and sore from its touches. At the same time, the magic stuffing your pussy slowly pulls out—the limb soaking up whatever excess arousal you have to offer as it retreats.

Before long, the two tentacles have remerged with the ball of golden magic—the light from the spell circle fading as everything settles back into place. Once he’s sure that your precious juices are properly kept, Solomon waves his hand, and the magic binding your wrists disappears.

Almost instantly, you’re falling forward—catching yourself on your hands and knees, fingers smearing through intricately drawn chalk lines. Solomon kneels in front of you, brushing your hair from your eyes.

“You did well,” he says.

“You’re the worst,” you respond. 

Your entire body feels like jello. You’re not even sure there’s any blood left in your arms.

He chuckles.

“Fine, I’m the worst.”

Grabbing you beneath your arms, Solomon helps you to your feet, and leads you over to his bed. He throws the sheets over you, and then moves to retrieve the blob on the center of his floor. He gingerly places it on his desk—resting it atop a plush cushion, like a prized pet.

His eyes linger on it for a few seconds, satisfied. Then, his silver stare turns back to you—his sheets rustling as you settle yourself in.

There’s absolutely no way he’ll be kicking you out anytime soon. If you can barely walk to his bed with his help, there’s no chance that you’ll be able to walk all the way back to the House of Lamentation.

Luckily, he doesn’t seem to mind your company. He’s got a heart inside of him, even if parts are stained black.

“I’ll go get some water,” he says. However, just as he’s brushing past the bed, there’s a knock at his door.

He pauses at the sound, and you hold his sheets tighter around your naked body.

Eyebrow raised curiously, Solomon strides to the door and pulls it open. Standing on the other side is a red-faced Simeon. He looks both angry, and embarrassed.

Solomon’s heart drops.

Despite all his preparation, he’d forgotten to enact a noise blocking spell…

“Oh shit.”

“Oh shit is right,” Simeon responds, crossing his arms. “You’re lucky Barbatos agreed without question to teach Luke a new recipe despite me calling him last minute. Once I heard you and your partner…going at it. You live with a child up the hall, Solomon.”

Solomon sighs. “I’m sorry. I meant to cast a spell to block the noise, but I forgot.”

“Next time, don’t forget, or I’ll have harsher words to say to you.”

“Very much noted.”

“Good.” Nodding, Simeon turns to stalk away from the wizard, but pauses.

“Oh, by the way, you mentioned inviting Y/N over this weekend. Are you still planning to do that? I’d love to see her.”

“Uhhh…,” Solomon resists the urge to glance back into his room, towards the bed where you’re currently hiding yourself. “Yeah. She should be over later. I’ll let you know when she gets here.”

“Good!”

Smiling, Simeon disappears up the hall. Solomon shuts his door, and from beneath his covers, you quietly scream.

“Simeon heard us fucking!! What’s wrong with you!!”

Again, Solomon sighs.

“Yes, yes, we already agreed—I’m the worst. Now pipe down, or I’ll have to shut you up again.”

When you actually cease your scolding words—glaring at him over the edge of his sheets—Solomon cocks an arrogant eyebrow.

Well then, he certainly knows the best way to get you to shut up from now on.

[minor-solemnity]

Request:

Pairing: Tom x oc/reader

Summary:

Tom and oc go to the slug club yearly galla and oc is the loud Gryffindor 2nd in class and her and tom have been nemesis for long but the sexual tension is real and then tom sees her dancing with potter ..

Slughorn is like “ahh two of my favourite students” and he introduced them to a lot of people and a little girl spills something on tom and oc defends the girl and slughorn is like why dont you help him change oc ( as tom had some injury and was drenched and couldn’t change on his own ) and when they fight all the way to his dorm and she only agrees because slughorn tells her to and then when she helps him out of his shirt there is a lot of sexual tension and then kiss or maybe have sex in his dorm

And in the end she ends up sleeping on his bed and he like sees her face glisten in the moon light and is like fuck i like her even though he was trying to convince himself he didnt care abt her throughout the party ? And in the morning she is like well you slytherins have great beds you rich aristocrats or something and he just laughs and kisses her and malfoy is like well who would have thought the slytherin ice cold king and the Gryffindor lioness

I dont know feel free to change it up and if you donr want to then thats ok too it would mean a great deal to me if you write it no pressure tho..( going anon because i am shy )

~ red

Heyyy so I took a few liberties and this is gonna be a two parter because I have zero chill apparently but I hope you like this, Red! 

Next part will be up in a day or two :)

Never Gonna Give (You Up) Pt.1

You smile up at him as innocently as you can. You know you shouldn’t bait him. You know you’re being immature. You know that if this night descends into one of your usual verbal sparring matches you won’t be impressing anyone, let alone Christella Beaufort. But something about him brings out the worst in you. Makes you feel slightly wrong-footed which in turn makes you want to push and needle until he reacts.

You take a moment to marvel at the decorations for this year’s Saturnalia party. Every year, Slughorn seems to set himself an unofficial challenge to out-do himself with more elaborate designs. This year, the theme is clear: gold. Just lots and lots of gold. From the tablecloths to the chairs, to the golden snowflakes that melt into nothing a couple of feet above your head, to the floor which has been charmed so that whenever you take a step you leave a shimmering footprint in your wake. It’s bright and festive and you can’t help but smirk at the thought of Tom Riddle being stuck in a room full of Gryffindor colours. 

Speaking of the devil, you spy Riddle talking to Slughorn and one of the Ministry officials that often grace Slughorn’s get-togethers. You don’t particularly want to go over and talk to him, but you do want to make yourself known to Slughorn and find out if he managed to Christella Beaufort on the list this year. She’s the Head Curse-Breaker at Gringott’s, fiercely independent, highly intelligent, and so tenacious she had singlehandedly opened the door to witches wanting to go into the profession. In short, she’s your idol.

“Come on, Potter. We’ve got pleasantries to make and hands to grease.” You grab Fleamont’s hand who you’re attending the party with (as friends - you’ve made it very clear to him that you’re not interested in finding out whether his skills on a broom translate off the pitch). With that, you stride over to the drinks table where Slughorn and Riddle are chatting, Fleamont stumbling after you, his hand still locked in yours.

“Professor,” You greet Slughorn with a warm smile, “I have to say, you’ve outdone yourself once again. I’m particularly fond of the colour scheme this year.”

“Ahh, my dear girl, how lovely of you to join us!” Slughorn cries jovially. He pats your shoulder and you watch as his eyes slide to your hand, which is still clasped around Fleamonts. And (not that you care) you notice that Riddle’s eyes are also fixed on your intertwined hands. You let go of Fleamont’s hand and it has nothing to do with the frown that’s now marring Riddle’s brow.  He casts a fond (and slightly calculating, truth be told) eye over the three of you. “My three best students! First, second, and third.” Your smile turns strained and over Slughorn’s shoulder, Riddle’s charming smile turns smug.

Slughorn introduces you to the Ministry official - a boring looking man who you promptly forget the name of but who Fleamont seems entirely taken by. Before you know it, Potter has abandoned you to talk shop with Slughorn and Mr Ministry and you’re left with Riddle.

Lovely.

Just. Lovely.

At least there’s champagne. The other professors might disapprove but in all your years of Slug Club Saturnalias, Slughorn has never once skimped on the champagne. You reach for a glass and look at Riddle with a critical eye, searching for any imperfections. Frustratingly, you can’t find any. Riddle is, as per usual, the most handsome man in the room. Pale skin, impossibly dark eyes, refined features and cheekbones as sharp as his tongue. Metaphorically speaking. Though the idea of Riddle with a forked tongue is enough to make you snort into your champagne flute. 

Riddle’s attention snaps to you and he raises an eyebrow, unimpressed, impatient, annoyed with you already and making absolutely no attempt to hide it. “Did you find something amusing?” 

“Oh, no. I was just taking in your general appearance,” You say, waving a handle vaguely towards him. You smile up at him as innocently as you can. You know you shouldn’t bait him. You know you’re being immature. You know that if this night descends into one of your usual verbal sparring matches you won’t be impressing anyone, let alone Christella Beaufort. But something about him brings out the worst in you. Makes you feel slightly wrong-footed which in turn makes you want to push and needle until he reacts. It doesn’t help that the rivalry you’ve had with him since first year has only become more intense and heated as you’ve gotten older. 

His eyes narrow and he drags his gaze across your body. The moment stretches and your cheeks flame as his eyes follow the nip of your waist and the curve of your hips. Your mouth goes dry. Because this is another thing that you hate about Riddle: he never fails to make your stomach swoop. By the time he raises his eyes back to yours, his expression is one of ironic amusement. “Colour me impressed,” He murmurs, angling his body ever so slightly towards you and you have to force yourself not to take a step back. “You actually look… passable this evening.”

Prat.

You should walk away. You should find one of the fancy people that you’ve been desperate to meet since your invitation arrived a month ago. 

You don’t.

You stay and bicker with Riddle, throwing increasingly caustic taunts and jibes at each other whilst you sip champagne and pretend that you’d rather be anywhere else. You realise about twenty minutes into a debate about Minister for Magic Spencer-Moon’s policies (you rather like the pro-muggle legislature he’s attempting to pass and Riddle thinks you’re being horribly naive) that Riddle is still here. Which, well, obviously he’s still here; he’s talking to you right now in that same condescending tone he uses to tell students off for staying out past curfew. But he doesn’t have to be. Riddle is as ambitious as you are, more so, even. So why has he spent most of the evening with you and not sucking up to the many rich and talented witches and wizards in attendance tonight?

You glance around the room, suddenly aware that it hadn’t even occurred to you to leave. You’ve been so wrapped up in your conversation that everything else had just sort of… faded away. For reasons you are unwilling to examine too closely, you feel yourself grow warm. Riddle is still talking, gesturing animatedly with his champagne flute, looking horrendously handsome and like… oh Merlin, he looks like he’s enjoying himself. And that is… Well, quite frankly, that’s enough to make your brain grind to halt from shock.

You’re saved from your inner turmoil by Fleamont who appears at your side and wraps a hand around your waist. Riddle’s expression shutters. He looks at Fleamont’s arm around your waist and sneers and, for reasons beyond your grasp, you have to bite your tongue to stop yourself from explaining that Fleamont is just a friend. Fleamont, oblivious as always, grins and asks you to dance and you can’t bring yourself to look at Riddle as he leads you away to the dance floor. 

Fleamont is a good dancer. You suppose this is to be expected from the heir to one of the oldest pureblood families in Britain. You imagine that he learnt to waltz before he learnt to walk. You try to focus on the dance, on the way that Fleamont spins you around the room causing your dress robes to fan out around you in an elegant circle but out of the corner of your eye you can see Riddle watching you. He’s subtle about it, you’re fairly sure that no one else would notice, but even as he makes conversation with a wizard you vaguely recognise as Ensio Kiimamaa, widely regarded as the leading Potions Master in contemporary wizarding society, his eyes flicker to where you’re dancing with Fleamont. 

You’re really not sure what to make of it.

The dance ends, and Fleamont makes a show of bowing and offering you his arm, which you take with an exasperated laugh. “Let’s go talk to Kiimamaa, I hear he’s thinking about taking on apprentices next year.” As little as you want to go near Riddle for the rest of the night, you can’t think of a good reason to object, so you nod begrudgingly and walk over, trying to convince yourself that the trepidation you feel is a result of being introduced to Kiimamma and not because of the way Riddle’s looking at you.

You make your introductions and Kiimamma begins to explain his latest discovery: a highly acidic venom harvested from the Icelandic water-dwelling vatnaormar. He produces a vial of dark liquid, uncorks it and passes it around the three of you. “It’s highly dangerous to touch, but I’ve found that a sniff of it can induce heightened concentration and focus - I hope to find a way of incorporating it in a potion that’s safe to drink.” 

Riddle holds the uncorked venom delicately between his fingers, raising it up to the light to observe the venom and then time seems to speed up and slow down all at once as you watch in horror as two things happen almost simultaneously. 

First: A little girl, who you assume to be Kiimamma’s daughter, shakes free of Slughorn’s hold on her arm and bounds over, waving her arms excitedly before losing her balance and crashing into Riddle. Second: the uncorked vial slips from Riddle’s fingers and the venom arches in an elegant curve through the air before it splatters across Riddle’s chest.

The effect is immediate. The venom tears through Riddle’s dress robes in almost no time at all and his skin begins to burn, leaving awful red and pink welts on the pale skin of his chest. The little girl starts wailing and Slughorn and Kiimamma start flapping their hands.

Riddle’s eyes flash in pain and anger and embarrassment and he completely forgets his usual charm and grace as he rounds on the girl. Before he can start yelling at her as he so clearly intends to, you step forward and place your hand on the girl’s shoulder. “It was an accident, Riddle. She didn’t mean to.” You say and then add in a low tone so that only he can hear, “She’s his daughter. Don’t fucking yell at her.” His gaze snaps to yours and there’s a moment when you think he’s going to yell anyway before his jaw clenches and he gives you a single tight nod.

“Riddle, my poor boy, you must go to the hospital wing. Not to worry, I’m sure Madam Montague will be able to sort you out in a flash.” Later, you will be able to appreciate Slughorn’s ability to sound jolly in even the direst of circumstances. Right now, you just find it rather insensitive. Slughorn turns to you and with slightly pleading eyes asks you to escort Riddle. Try as you might, you can’t think of a good reason not to, so with a vaguely helpless glance to Fleamont, you grudgingly nod, scowling at the ground in annoyance.

You loop your arm through Riddle’s and he stiffens under your touch. You repress the urge to roll your eyes and begin to make your way out of the room, ignoring Riddle’s laboured breathing and the slight trembling of his shoulders. It’s only as you get to the door that you notice a tall, dark-haired witch with a jagged scar crossing the length of her face steps out of the floo. Christella Beaufort, the one person who you had wanted to meet tonight has arrived and you’re not going to get to even say hello.

(part 1) (part 2)

[uwua3]

if it's ok 😳👉👈 i really love your writing and i've had this idea in my head for awhile but i can't get myself to write it on my own 🤔 i wanted to see how your spin would be on it- so can i request a prompt where reader gets jealous of tenma's co-actress in a romance and tries to mimic what she does to him in a show they're in?? ty!!! 💕💕💕 i look forward to your interpretation

thank you so much for requesting~ ♡ i love you sososo much; i hope this lives up to everything you’ve dreamed of! ♡ ～('▽^人) i LOVE YOU!!! <333

summary: when tenma lands a role in your favorite drama, he had one goal: to become your favorite actor

warnings: envy/jealousy, food mentions, rivalry (all covered briefly!)

author’s note: after learning everything there is to know about the k-drama, true beauty, on tik tok, i’ve decided to write this! for context, the only thing i recommend watching before reading this is watching the “roar” scene!

this is also the first time i’ve introduced made-up characters with names! please enjoy jun, the first character who isn’t canon to the a3!verse :D

word count: 3,768

music: like a movie – b1a4

pretty u!

🌻☀️ sumeragi tenma

what the heck was love, and why did he have to be in it?

sumeragi tenma, future “world’s best actor”, was suddenly... seeing why he hadn’t won that award yet. with a script in his hand and confusion in another, tenma read the title of the next drama he landed the role for

“PRETTY U...” it was japan’s next major love story, advertised on every social media platform possible with the all-star cast in the spotlight already. although it had already been out for a season, tenma was entering as the up-and-coming newest character of the series

tenma was boyish, young, and much too confident for his age—perfect for the role of a second-lead bad boy who was going to steal the heart and test the protagonist’s commitment

except... he didn’t actually want to take up a new project so soon. he only did because—

“what?! you’re going to be chan on PRETTY U?!” he proudly nodded and watched as you began ranting about how much you loved this show. there was only one reason he came to the audition: tenma wanted to star in your favorite television series

you always went on and on about how great everything about PRETTY U was. after hearing so much and pretending not to listen (even if he could practically explain the entire plotline now without watching it), tenma let himself become a fan, too

after all, how could he not be a fan when you loved PRETTY U so much?

tenma didn’t respond to his manager’s pleas until one day, you revealed another reason why PRETTY U was your favorite production: the main lead

“he’s so handsome~ i love him so much!” “do you know him? could you get me his number?” “look at him... he’s the most perfect actor in the business right now—ah, sorry ten!”

tenma scoffed every time, claiming he could most certainly do better than that hotshot. although the boys typically didn’t do the same type of television, he had become tenma’s #1 rival without even knowing it

besides... what did that guy have that tenma didn’t? he was just nice! sure, he held open the door for the lead, bent down to tie her shoes, bended over backwards just to be the perfect boy-next-door. yeah... even he couldn’t pretend anymore

tenma pouted at the thought, skimming over his next pilot episode for rehearsal tomorrow. he was too good to be real, after all, he was meant to end up with the lead girl anyways (spoiler alert!)

but, it didn’t matter how perfect that actor was! because tenma had gotten the role of “chan”, the leather-jacket wearing mystery with an actual heart of gold, and he was going to make the entire audience swoon

(though, tenma just wanted to make your heart skip a beat when he ended up on the big screen)

tenma would never admit how fast he checked his phone when he felt it buzz in his pocket. sure, it was unprofessional during rehearsal but he knew it was you. however, his smile dropped the moment he read what you sent

you: remember to tell him how much i love him!

tenma: hah... no good luck for your new bad boy?

you: you know i’ll always root for you, ten!

tenma: but, i’m better than that actor, right?

tenma watched his message get delivered and was about to keep bothering you until someone called his name like they were friends. speak of the devil...

that actor’s straight, white toothy smile made tenma stand a little straighter (damn it, tenma was shorter), eyes wide as the actor gracefully introduced himself as his co-star for the next month or so (how did his voice sound even better in person?!)

“good morning, tenma! my name is jun, i’m so honored to meet a fellow actor on set! let’s work together well!” were they... really the same age? tenma barely registered the fact he was suddenly shaking jun’s (right, that’s his name) hand. why did he have such a manly grip?

tenma quickly (to his dismay) found out that him & jun had entered the industry around the same time but often had different projects, so they were never featured in the same production before. apparently, that was creating quite a buzz in the media that two childhood stars were competing against one another

a competition that tenma couldn’t lose. he was going to be your favorite actor, not his rival!

jun, like the perfect gentleman everyone described him to be, showed tenma around the PRETTY U set. jun had nothing but good things to say about the crew and vise versa. that only reinforced how tenma was oddly much more quiet than he usually was. luckily, one of the talents of being an actor was improvising, so jun was doing just fine

when they had reached the dressing rooms, jun shot a bright smile at tenma and gestured to the rather large room

“we’ll be sharing a dressing room together, tenma! we’ll be spending a lot of time together!”

tenma suddenly regretted his decision to become chan of PRETTY U. you couldn’t have had a different favorite show?! anything but... this

there were now three main characters for PRETTY U: hoshi, yuri, and chan, creating a love triangle for millions of viewers to watch every week

nakamura jun, leading role, played “hoshi”, the boy-next-door. this is the popular boy at school with the best grades and an even greater reputation amongst everyone. next, uedo ren, one of japan’s rising female actresses of this generation. she is adored as “yuri”, the perfect girl. she is the typical nerd who suddenly transformed into the prettiest girl at school from learning make-up

last (but definitely not least!) is sumeragi tenma, playing “chan”, the bad boy. it was nothing like tenma’s done before, since the character was much less expressive than he was used to. chan is a traditional rebel who is revealed to have a soft side for yuri. but, chan (ironically enough) has a secret history with hoshi, causing tension in this already confusing love triangle

(embarrassingly enough, jun had to explain to tenma the complications and ties between each character. tenma, unfortunately, found it to be extremely helpful)

even with this newfound knowledge of the characters in season 2, tenma couldn’t help but absolutely ruin the first day of rehearsals. even with a decade or so of acting as his experience, one thing kept him from being chan: his lack of chemistry with “yuri”

“cut!” the director called out again for the nth time, sighing as their eyes landed on tenma, who was not enjoying being the center of attention this time, surprisingly

“take 5, kid. once you come back, i expect you to actually go through this scene without messing up your lines.” tenma nodded and exited quickly, feeling flustered from the looks of sympathy directed his way. usually, it was one-and-done. it didn’t take a hundred tries just to do another romantic and cliché scene

tenma exhaled loudly once he felt the fresh air upon his face. without the fear of cameras in his face anymore, tenma ran his hand through his hair with a frustrated kick at the concrete. come on! he was renown child actor sumeragi tenma, why was he so in his head now?

tenma was about to yell into the sky before he heard someone close the door, standing beside him with their usual silence. tenma didn’t even have to look to know it was jun (probably with the most pitiful look ever)

“tenma? are you okay?” jun waited as tenma tried to not say anything he’d regret, shifting his weight on his foot back and forth before relenting, shrugging as if it couldn’t be helped

“i don’t know... i just, i can’t see yuri that way. how am i supposed to flirt with someone i don’t even like?”

jun pondered the thought for a moment, before tilting his head, a boyish smile overtaking his features. tenma unwillingly relaxed; jun finally looked his age

“who do you like then?”

tenma froze, a blush even foundation couldn’t hide blossoming on his cheeks. jun let out a teasing “oooh!” as he nudged tenma with his shoulder, who pushed back with an eye-roll

“i-it’s not like that! don’t be so—ugh!” tenma cut himself off, rubbing the back of his neck and avoiding jun’s knowing eyes. damn it, they barely knew each other. why was he getting so comfortable with his enemy?!

“well, whoever you thought of, imagine yuri as them.”

“is that what you do?”

jun shrugged, not giving a clear answer for once. before tenma could ask for more information, their break was over

when tenma returned to the scene, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. when he opened them again, he watched as yuri transformed into the one person he’s been trying to impress this entire time: you

when “you” smiled, tenma couldn’t help but follow along. his first-take after break made the cut for the final product

“you must really like them, tenma~” — “stop!!!”

filiming afterwards became easy, especially when he imagined all his romantic words were directed towards you. he could feel the clamminess of his hands, the rapid beat of his heart, the intense blush across his face, all at the thought of you

(the only time he had to start over was when he accidentally said your name instead of yuri’s)

tenma was sure he’d become your favorite actor now! after all, you were his favorite person

“will you watch the first episode of PRETTY U’s season 2 with me?”

you had never said yes so fast in your entire life. when tenma learned there’d be a cast-viewing of episode 1 after finishing the season, he knew his +1 invite could only go to the biggest fan of the show

throughout filming, you were always the person who got him in trouble when the text tone wasn’t put on silent. you liked spamming tenma with a bunch of supportive and encouraging messages when you were available, meaning tenma always had something to look forward to after each scene

in return, tenma would send a selfie of him with his castmates or the set (or, what he was allowed to show under his contract). yet, despite your constant pleas, there was one co-star he’d never take a photograph with: jun

(“tenma! we’ve worked together for months~ shouldn’t i be called your friend now?” “no—” “huh?! don’t pretend you don’t like me!” “who said i was pretending?” “tenma!”)

at first, tenma was apprehensive about inviting you to an event where jun’s picture-perfect face would be on display everywhere. but, whenever he saw you, the weight of the tickets suddenly felt much heavier in his pocket. he couldn’t deprieve you of such an exclusive event just because of his jealousy (even if he was this close to doing so)

when tenma impulsively asked three days before, it felt worth it when you threw your arms around him (he hugged you back and pretended this meant something to you)

“i love you, ten!”

tenma felt like he was on set again, with yuri’s arms tightly holding onto his heart

“i love you, too.”

even after saying it so many times, tenma meant it even if he didn’t say it to your face every time

you looked like the star of the show

tenma fixed his tie as his blazer suddenly felt too tight. you appeared in your most formal attire, looking like a million bucks as you two sat across each other in the limo

“ten, look at all of this!” you pointed out every little thing of preparing for a professional event. the little glasses of champagne neither of you two could drink sat to the side as the leather seats molded to fit your posture. as the night lights of tokyo blurred by, tenma couldn’t help but think you sparkled more than this diamond of a city

“i can’t wait to go see the first episode! thank you for inviting me.” you bowed your head, as if suddenly overcome with gratefulness. tenma lightly kicked your shoe with his, fondly rolling his eyes as he tried not to smile (mission failed)

“don’t worry about it, who else would i bring? you’re my favorite pe—friend. friend, yeah...” tenma trailed off, suddenly finding something very interesting outside of the window. you only nodded, seemingly more interested in the fact there was enough room to walk around

when tenma caught sight of the infamous red carpet laid out in front of the theatre, he cleared his throat and put on his best face for the cameras. after stepping out of the car with his bodyguards nearby, tenma turned and gave you a genuine smile. not his typical arrogant smirk the news source ate up, but a type of smile only reserved for you

when he held out his hand, the flashing lights behind him seemed like a real celebrity, something you had never considered him to be before. it was like seeing tenma in a new light (both literally and figuratively)

“shall we?” you took his hand and wondered if you could ever have your own j-drama. perhaps, tenma could even be the main lead...

before you could step off to the side, tenma already had his arm wrapped around your waist with his unchanging expression (however, underneath it all, he was internally freaking out. what was he going to do now?!)

“you’re my date, right? walk the red carpet with me.” tenma winked (you swore it sparkled) as he gestured towards the carpet ahead. suddenly, the line seemed much longer

“t-ten... you’ve never brought a date before...” you mumbled, acutely aware of how soon it was to walk down together. tenma’s arm stiffened, but nothing else exposed the revelation as he looked down at you

“you’re my first, then.” and my last, tenma thought to himself. before you could change your mind, it was showtime. tenma put on his movie star face and introduced you to familiar interviewers, smiling away as if you two weren’t panicking on the inside

while you were focusing on the fact you were going to be going viral as tenma’s first “date” to the event, tenma was trying not to blush from how close you were. you felt... right besides him

tenma was a natural in front of an audience waiting for him to make a mistake. he flawlessly answered every question with swaggering confidence, his stride easy and poses photogenic

you did your best to follow his lead but it all ended when tenma took you into the theatre, staring down at you with a bright smile

“we did it! see, told you we’d be just fine.” tenma let out an exhale of relief, glowing with joy from the adrenaline of everything that came with being a superstar. as you looked up into his excited eyes, you saw him lean down before—

“your arm is still around me.”

silence, then a hurried separation as tenma put too many feet between you two. it was suddenly as if you two were strangers. you regretted the words the moment they left your mouth; you didn’t mind at all... why did you say something?!

“um... so, food?” tenma spoke up after an eternity of making excuses. you two quickly moved to the line of movie snacks, using candy and popcorn to substitue the suddenly awkward silence

when tenma ordered all your favorites without even asking, he turned around with the selection only to close his eyes and internalize every single thing he was feeling because there he was, his worst enemy

jun entered from a side door, most likely finishing up helping the crew with set-up (and 30 minutes early as usual) before catching tenma’s iconic bright orange hair, a grin lighting up his face

“tenma! it’s me, jun!” he said, as if they weren’t the two main leads of japan’s most famous drama so far. immediately, your smile matched jun’s as you watched as your favorite actor of all time make his way towards you two

“jun... of course you’d be here.” tenma said through gritted teeth, forcing a pleasant smile even with an armful of junk

“ah, still keeping the bad boy attitude? we’re off set now, you can stop method acting now.” jun joked, bringing his attention to you with a dazzling smile that would absolutely make any fansite’s career

“oh? who is this, a friend of yours?” tenma tried not to sigh so loud when you couldn’t help yourself and burst into a long rant about how amazing jun was. tenma waited until you reached your midpoint and stopped you with a quick nudge, trying not to scream (could jun stop being so... perfect? could you stop being so cute?!)

when tenma introduced you, he stood a little closer as he tried to maintain his jealousy. “they’re my date, by the way.” no one had asked, but tenma was clearly telling anyone who was around you two had gone together

jun’s eyes lit up in recognition as he let out a noise of surprise. “ah~ so this is who you—”

tenma didn’t regret losing his giant popcorn so fast to a co-star who could only be silenced with food. his wallet could afford another one, anyways. his pride on the other hand? could not let you know his acting secret already

“what was jun going to say?” you asked after you two departed for the viewing room. tenma nonchalantly pretended like everything was okay as he guided you to front row

“probably something about the fact you’re the one who always interrupts our scenes.”

“hey! my texts make your day, don’t lie!”

“go sit down and eat already, jeez.”

when it began, your eyes couldn’t leave the screen. it was better than you could have imagined. everything was perfect, it exceeded the standards of even the toughest fans out there. you loved every second of it... except...

tenma was too good at being chan. even with his bright hair, the dark clothes he wore made him appear intimidating, with his sharp eyes and even sharper smirk. chan’s appearance was tough, rough, and mean, everything tenma wasn’t

yet, you still couldn’t help but feel your heart sink when chan was clearly in love with yuri. yuri was one of your favorite characters by far, but she ended up bothering you for the entireity of the episode

especially every time she shared a scene (which were many times) with chan. chan was revealed to be a bad boy with a heart of gold, all with a special soft side for yuri

what was this feeling? were you... no, you couldn’t be! after all, you had never seen tenma that way before, right? yet, every time chan made an exception for yuri, you felt sick to your stomach

was it possible that tenma liked the actress who played yuri? you snuck a glance at tenma, only to see he was looking at you already (he’d never admit it, but he was watching your reactions to see if he made you proud. yet, every time you saw him, you subconsciously frowned)

were you not proud of him? did you not like his performance as chan?

before tenma could ask you, the scene changed into one of chan’s. he was standing outside in the school uniform, his head ducked as he swiped through yuri’s social media. before he could look up, yuri jumped in front of him with a teasing smile

“roar!” she called out, referring to their inside joke earlier in the episode. yuri cutely bounced back with another roar, holding her hands up like paws. chan watched, his typical rock-hard expression breaking to reveal his developing feelings for yuri

later on, chan stopped yuri in the hallway, other students watching as the school’s bad boy and goddess interact

“do that again.” chan demanded to which yuri innocently tilted her head, confused like a little puppy. “do what?” “that... that thing.” when chan roared, tenma sunk into his seat with an embarrassed defense and explanation ready. but, when he looked, you finally cracked a laugh at his little roar

your smile only fell when yuri roared again as a joke, but chan smiled for once. tenma wondered why... he thought you would be so happy to be here with him. maybe, he’d never be better than jun...

when the episode ended, it took a moment before you stood up and clapped. tenma followed along, but all he could think about was how he let you down. not only as chan, but as your boy, too

when you two left the room, you two hung back to watch as everyone congratulated one another on the success of the production. in the midst of the cheer and celebration, tenma felt small as he watched your blank expression

what did he do wrong? he put his best efforts into every scene; he might even say it was his best work yet. before he could apologize, you did the unthinkable: you roared

you jumped up into his face, holding your hands up like yuri did. when yuri did it, tenma didn’t feel a thing. but, when you did, tenma felt it. the butterflies fluttered in his stomach as he stared at you, frozen in place

“this is the part where you ask me to do it again.” you shyly trailed off, about to put your hands down before tenma weakly put his hands up, knowing he was about to regret his next move (if the embarrassment didn’t kill him, he didn’t know what would)

“roar!”

that was too loud, wasn’t it? the room suddenly went a lot more quiet as they turned their attention towards a teen actor roaring at his date

“yah! why didn’t you ask me the next line?”

“b-because... i know i like you even without you doing, that, again.”

you paused, taken back by his honesty. as tenma contemplated just falling onto the floor right then and there, you suddenly hardened your expression, standing up straighter with your arms crossed

“do that again.”

“do what?”

“that thing.”

when tenma roared again, much quieter this time, you nodded as you finally smiled genuinely for the first time ever since that episode started

“good, i know how chan feels now. i like you, too.”

“does that mean i’m your favorite actor now?”

(when jun released a video of tenma roaring online, he captioned it with “ROAR = ILY!!!” tenma realized maybe he wasn’t all that bad, but still)

[stopbeingrude]

Hellooooo guys. This time the chapter turned out to be longer than I expected. I hope you won't mind... ,, I like the rain, it always seemed like the only thing that was like me…" Chapter 3 In Tempeville. The sun was setting so it must have been after 8 p.m. The couple sat quietly in their wagon, trying to occupy themselves with talking. The conversation quickly turned to the topic of their wedding, which was to take place in 5 months. However, the ice mage couldn't help but feel, that his fiancée was somewhere else with her thoughts. Several times he caught her not listening to him... And don't get him wrong Gray was aware that Juvia had been going through some really tough times over the last few days, but that didn't change the fact that he felt a little neglected. - "Darling..Juvia is sorry , but she's really tired , you won't be offended if she takes a nap for a while.... right?" - said Juvia, looking completely exhausted. - "Eh no..come on , lie down"-he sighed, then covered his fiancée with a blanket when she rested her head on his lap. All these events must have worn her out. No wonder. As he stroked her blue hair, the boy looked at her face, which was even paler than usual..In addition to signs of fatigue, worry could be seen all over it. He felt a strange prick in his heart. It was true that they had explained everything to each other recently, but he still couldn't push away the strange feeling that it wasn't all. -'She already told you everything, what are you so worried about? That you're not the center of her attention? Since when do you act like a brat?- he asked himself- 'Everything will turn out fine. We will find the information about the place of his death and everything will be back to normal. WE will be back to normal '- he encouraged himself. After all, the patient ones shall be rewarded… *******************************

When they reached their destination, it was little before 10 p.m . With lanterns everywhere, Gray was able to get a very clear look at the area, despite the prevailing darkness. Tempeville was a fairly small town. Definitely smaller than Magnolia. With the map in their hands, they headed towards the center of town, passing many houses, a library and the occasional store. When he turned his gaze toward the train station, he was greeted by acres of forest. Hills of green surrounded the town on almost every side, making it seem even smaller. To be honest, the place seemed quite charming to him. Surely, once they had rested after their journey and found some time, they would go for a little walk to explore the surroundings. Juvia could use a little stress relief... They headed for the nearest hotel to finally get some rest. To Juvia's shock, she came face to face with Mrs. Revee. It surprised her immensely. What could this woman be doing here at this hour? 'Right, she told me about her new business, back when we talk at the market …'- reminded herself, water mage - "Oh Juvia?! Darling, what a coincidence. I never thought I'd see you here… Did you decide to visit us after you met me? Oooh I'm so flattered... ..And who might be this handsome gentleman with you, Hmm?. Like mother like daughter, she always attracted the best looking ones too yohoho."- the lady laughed loudly -'Ymm what's going on here? '- thought the slightly embarrassed man. He really felt out of place. They only came here to find a room for the night. He wasn't looking forward to chatting with some strange woman… - "Juvia is also glad to see you. I decided to go on...a little vacation to some places I have visited in the past.....And this is my future husband Gray."- The girl said with a smile, turning her gaze towards her fiancé. The look she gave him, full of adoration and love, made the man feel a pleasant warmth. The blushing man returned the smile. Oh if only they were alone at this moment. -"Hmm..H-hello , Gray Fullbuster.."- he extended his hand towards an older woman. Lydia was a rather short ,plump lady. She looked like she could have been in her late forties. Her brown hair was tied up in a ponytail and her teal eyes, despite her age, still shone with a youthful glow. The most striking thing about her, however, was the sheer number of pins in her hair. - 'God...I understand that some hair is difficult to handle, but what the hell is this?" - thought Devil Slayer...Suddenly he was pulled out of his thoughts by a woman's shout. -"EXCUSE ME ?! HUSBAND ?! OH MY GOD!!! "- screamed the woman loudly, VERY loudly -"...JUVIAAAA! Who would have thought?! It seems to me that not long ago you were learning how to read...time flies so fast..! - she wailed, pulling the girl into a hug, almost choking her to death -'Well, it's clear who influenced Juvia's emotional side '- observed Gray, then he spoke to weird brunette -"I really don't want to disturb you, but we're a bit tired after our trip and we'd like to rent a room…" - "..You don't have to tell me anything Honey, I got it. You'll get the one on the second floor…number 14- she handed him key-…. Boy what are you doing?!" - The woman said as Gray pulled out two sacks full of jewels. - Hmm....I wanted to pay you….How much is it? Probably something over 8,000 jewels per night, right? - "NO, NO, NO,... Sweetie, you'll pay me when your time here is up...besides why would you pay me that much..Pftt..? "- Lydia chuckled. - "..Mrs. Revee, Juvia...we can't abuse your hospitality like that..!"- said the terrified blunette. After all, they didn't know how long they'd be staying... -"...~Oh..Cut the crap, baby. You're not just a customer, after all. I'll take you to the bedroom now. Breakfast is at 8:30 a.m .Dinner at 1:00p.m . Remember that…~." ******************************* - "Dear God. I thought that woman would never go away..." - Gray sighed, throwing himself onto their bed after making sure Lydia was gone. Juvia looked at him slightly amused. - " Don't exaggerate , she was just happy to

see me..."- Juvia said with a smile, while taking off her boots - " I would like to remind you that you have seen each other before. Like 2 days ago? Besides, she didn't need to call her family and staff just to say hello to us..."- stated the black-haired man , already fixing his pillow. - "Juvia, for one, was very happy to see people treating her nicely" -said Juvia, slightly offended by the fact that her beloved was so mean towards Mrs. Lydia. Admittedly, she was always...quite loud and sometimes unpredictable….but that doesn't change the fact of how loving, understanding and caring Mrs Revee was. She was more of a mother to her than..... -"Okay, but it's almost midnight and no one in their right mind would be having a chat at this hour. " - answered the ice mage. He did not want to seem rude, but let's remember that a few hours train ride is not necessarily the most pleasant and relaxing experience. -"Okay, okay...You're tired. I understand. No one will bother you anymore. Sweet dreams, my poor baby..."- she said jokingly, heading towards the bathroom, while trying to untie her green corset. This action did not escape the attention of the black-haired man. - "...Oh?..Are you….going to take a bath?...Actually, I could use one too..."- started the man with a small smirk, already getting out of bed. ... Honestly..It's been like two weeks since they... - "You were tired just a minute ago. Didn't you? Good night…~"- the woman slammed the bathroom door behind her before the man had time to say anything. Despite the closed door, he could clearly hear his Juvia laughing. Offended, Fullbuster went back to bed. What did he do to deserve this kind of treatment? Fully awake by now and bored, Devil Slayer decided to look at the newspapers. As he flipped through the pages, he came across many articles. However, the ones that caught his attention the most were about the dark guilds. What? Dark guilds are prowling in such a tiny town? What would they even be looking for here? Before he knew it, he was looking through older ones, from weeks, months ago… He eventually came across an interview from about a year ago in which the township mayor Bernard Nirious was interviewed. -"Mr. Nirious, for many long years your town has struggled with the problem of attacks by Axel Ventro's gang. We know that the police have already taken all necessary measures to catch those people. However, do you have any suspicions as to why they continue to return to you over the course of several years?" - "But of course, Margaret. The matter is very simple. It's all about revenge. Some of you may not remember this anymore, but almost 30 years ago Axel's father Caspian and his men attacked Tempeville. It was a terrible slaughter, I get chills every time I look at that damn forest... If it hadn't been for two powerful mages who suddenly appeared on the day of the attack, I don't know what would have happened to the town... Fortunately, everything ended well and old Ventro was put behind bars. But let me tell you, he didn't last long there. About a year after the incident he managed to escape. When police finally got on his trail, they found him, but he was already dead. The kid wants revenge on our heroes, because he believes that they were behind the murder of his father." - "I see, so don't your saviors feel threatened?" - "Well...Miss Lockser has been dead for about 25 years now…" 'Lockser ?!'- immediately noticed Gray. 'So it was Ms. Eliana who saved this town…….which means the other one must have been…' -".. It's really sad to see such young people leave this world, but unfortunately she was struck down by some bloody disease..... As for our other hero Jeremiah Agam, he lived in our village for quite a while. If my memory serves me right, he took care of Eliana's baby for a while. Poor little thing...To lose parents at such a young age? Horrible..... In later years Agam began to leave, as he said himself, on business matters, so he was seen less and less. He must have died on one of his missions, because after year x773, we

completely lost contact with him... - "If they are both dead, why does Ventro still not give up?" -" I think that question would have to be asked of Axel himself…" Gray decided to put his thoughts in order. Jerry took a new job. Juvia mentioned that this job was the reason he left her…..because it was too dangerous. Since suddenly out of nowhere Jerry stopped coming back to Tempeville... is it possible that he knew about this whole Axel guy...? His thoughts were interrupted by Juvia, who finally decided to come out of the bathroom. -"What are you reading?" - She asked while wiping her hair dry. - "Juvia! Come here quickly and read it "- the man wasted no time throwing a newspaper in her direction. Juvia, taken aback, started to read. Gradually new emotions began to appear on her face. First surprise, then unrest, and finally... Anger? To her fiancé's astonishment, she reared up with sudden fury. - "..What kind of bullshit is this?! This idiot is invading a town just because he thinks Jerry killed his old man..?! Jerry?! Of all the people in the world... ?! " - deep down she knew that she shouldn't scream at this hour, but she couldn't control herself. Gray was afraid to speak up. He had seen her angry, but not like this...Plus she had never cursed before. Juvia took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She had noticed lately how tense she was and how easy it was to piss her off ....She should probably start drinking those teas , she's been hearing about. - "Juvia...I didn't mean to upset you. I was just saying that if Jerry started leaving the village, maybe he knew about those guys. You told me yourself that he claimed his job was dangerous. I'm not saying he was directly responsible for the old man's death, but maybe...."- he gulped- "...he was connected to it in some way...?- Gray uncertainly raised his gaze towards his beloved, being prepared for another outburst, but instead of that he saw that the girl held a hand to her temple area. Juvia didn't know what was going on. She suddenly felt intense pain, was it from the stress? She needed to sit down...or - "Oi , what is going on?!' - asked the frightened mage, immediately appearing at her side -" My head... It's ... Can you give me some water? - the man did it right away. -"There must be some painkillers in here somewhere...Give me a moment," - said the concerned fiance, as moved towards his suitcase. Juvia kept sitting on the bed. She couldn't believe that Jerry would hurt someone like this. He fought with such people quite often, but everything always ended in a fairly peaceful way. These people ended up battered, but that's about it.. Why did Gray think that he might have…. The moment when he said goodbye to her appeared before her eyes, the woman felt suddenly cold. -"......I've always been aware of the fact that one day I would be in danger. But you have nothing to do with it. I won't let anything happen to you…'' 'Jerry... Are you... No…' -".. it's nice that you don't hold a grudge against these children....But in my opinion, not everyone deserves forgiveness.…" '..No , that doesn't..' -"...People are capable of many things when something threatens them or their loved ones" -'...Calm down, take a deep breath..'- blunette said to herself, trying with all her might to calm herself down. Just like a few nights ago, tears started running down her face. No matter how hard she tried to convince herself otherwise, what Gray was saying was highly possible... - "Juvia I have it.....Juvia?! Does it hurt that much? Here...Swallow it quickly...Maybe I'll put some ice on it..or.." - " Gray…"- said man suddenly froze. -"......Y-yes..?" -" You might be right..about Jerry...." -" I..Juvia...listen to me, I understand that this is a lot for you....Come here - the boy wrapped his arms around her -...I didn't say he was responsible for the murder, just that he might be connected to it, or at least to the group. That could be the key to finding some information about him... Do you get it..?"- water mage nodded. -"I'm sorry, I shouldn't yell

like that...." -'' Well being honest you gave me quite a scare "- he said with a chuckle. - "It's not everyday you see the polite and refined Juvia Lockser, using such vulgar words..." - the man added cockily. Blunette couldn't help but smile. How is it that he can be grumpy and mean one moment , tender and caring next and then playful and cocky another? Gray Fullbuster is really an interesting case.... - "Now let's go to sleep, it will do us good... and tomorrow we will try to do something" - he said covering them both with a quilt and they both fell into a deep sleep. Neither of them realized, however, that their rather loud exchange of words had not escaped Lydia's ears. - "So this is about Jerry after all?"- she said to herself as she sipped her tea in her private room. - "Of course it had to be about him. Do you really think after all trouble she's been through she'd want to come back here out of her own free will?" the woman continued. That boy's words still rang in her ears..

He could have been connected to the group, that's why he started to leave.' Something didn't feel right here. Jerry always despised these kinds of people after all. Why would he be connected to them in any way? Brunette woman had no idea. It didn't sound like something he could do at all. But what could she know? Yes, she and Jerry rather liked each other. You might even say they were friends. But that didn't mean she knew everything about the golden-haired man. This is where someone closer to him would come in handy. A picture of a man she knew well suddenly appeared before her eyes. -'' It's possible that he has already come back" - she thought, running towards room 7 on the first floor and then bumping into the man she just wanted to find as soon as possible. - "Hi, Lydia, I didn't expect to see anyone so late at night. I hope I didn't accidentally wake you up, I tried to be as quiet as a mouse - he answered with a light laugh. -" No, no, no... You know.., I was just about to go to you. I...need your help - the little woman looked at the man. - "Oh really? What could you possibly need at this hour…"- the man asked with a big grin-"...Is this about…." - "It's about Jerry…"- she interrupted him. The smile was completely gone from the huge man's face. Instead it was replaced by anxiety. Why had she decided to talk about this subject? - "....I...Lydia, I've mentioned many times that I don't know much myself…" - "...I know there are some things you don't want to tell me about. I get it. Really. But..Juvia is here and I'm sure you're aware of the fact that she would want every last bit of information.... "- determined woman looked at the man in front of her, waiting for any answer. But the man stood completely still. Revee did not know what was happening at that moment. It was strange to see a talkative and cheerful doctor, standing completely silent, looking somewhere into the distance. Had she said something wrong? She thought that since Toshi and Jerry were close friends maybe he would be able to… - "Juvia?.....You mean Eliana's child?...Juvia Lockser... she's here?" Toshi asked, agitated. - "...Yes, she arrived here about two hours ago... I accidentally heard that it was just to find out what exactly happened to Jerry. They...well she and her man.... think he was somehow connected to the Ventro attacks." After a brief moment of silence, probably to collect his thoughts, Dr. Toshi Rall, whispered - "T-tomorrow...tell her I want to see her aroud 12.... I'll do my best...For now, I need to sleep...G-good night...-the doctor headed toward his room. The brunette also headed towards her bedroom. She didn't know if she did the right thing...but one was certain. Poor Juvia could not leave town without answers. ******************************* Side note: I've noticed that some people want to be tagged when they follow some fanfiction or author. So I thought, why not? So if anyone wishes to do so, let me know. Previous chapters

https://stopbeingrude.tumblr.com/post/662943372250677248/to-save-you-time-i-like-the-rain-it-always

[bitter-sweet-farmgirl]

Friends

OH MY GOSH DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG IT’S BEEN SINCE I WROTE FOR FILI?!!??!  TOO LONG.  I enjoyed every second of his Fee-Fluff.  Although, I actually kept trying to put ‘Kili’ instead of ‘Fili’...  I think I need to write for Fili more or Kili is trying to tell me something  Also, I was SO SO SO tempted to use one of Arwen’s lines in here...  But I didn’t. You’ll know the scene when you come to it though... ;)

Fluff about friend-zoning and Fili working up the nerve to tell a special lass he likes her.

Tags:  @elvish-sky @kumqu4t @ladylouoflothlorien​

MASTERLIST

OC(s) Used:  Loka

Word Count:  2,177

Translation(s):  Surprisingly, none

Warning(s):  None.  Just fluff!

~~~~

"It's time to end this, once and for all."  Kili declared suddenly as he sat next to me in the library; head propped up on his palms.  I glanced up sharply from the thick tome I was currently pouring over.

"What?"  I asked, not sure if I had heard him right.  

"I said, it's time to end this once and for all.  I'm sick of watching you pine after Fili."  He repeated, adding some clarification to his words.

I let out a sigh, grabbing the ribbon I was using as a bookmark and placing it in the book to mark my spot.  Something told me I wouldn't be returning to it for awhile.  "What are you even talking about, Kili?  I don't pine after Fili."  I said, and Kili smirked.

"Uh huh.  I've counted you watching him 178 different times in the past three days.  Explain that."  He said, prompting a faint blush to appear on my cheeks.

And I thought I hadn't been that obvious...  Hmm, perhaps it was time to be a bit more--

"That's what I thought."  Kili's confidence-loaded voice broke through my thoughts, and I looked up to see him grinning knowingly at me.  "You fancy him, don't you?"

I gave Kili a confused look, trying to buy myself time.  "Fancy who?"  

Kili threw up his hands in a show of exasperation.  "Fili.  My brother.  The one who's always watching you."  He said in much too loud of a voice, and I motioned at him to be quiet.  I didn't need this to be the new rumor circling Erebor.

Mahal, how embarrassing would that be?

But his words puzzled me; the way that they implied that Fili---no, surely not.  It was too good to be true.

Footsteps sounded behind me, interrupting my musings, and Kili winked at me, grinning mischievously.  "Who fancies who?"  A deep, gentle voice asked behind me as broad hands came down to rest upon my shoulders.  

Speak of the devil...

"I was just talking to Loka here about a lad from the Iron Mountains.  She thought he was quite fetching."  Kili piped up suddenly, and I shot him a glare.  The nerve of him...

Fili's hands tightened on my shoulders, and I fidgeted a bit in discomfort.  "Hey, be careful about squeezing me too hard.  I'm not iron."  I muttered, and Fili's hands disappeared in an instant as he came around to stand beside me.

"Sorry, Loka."  He said, but his thoughts seemed to be elsewhere.  Those beautiful blue eyes of his had a faraway gaze.

Kili kicked my shin underneath the table, and I turned to him with a stifled yelp of pain.  "What the hell was that for?"  I hissed, glaring furiously at the insolent Prince.  

You were staring again.  He mouthed with a cheeky look on his face.  I just gave him a disgusted look and turned my gaze back down to the book I had so reluctantly vacated.

"If you'll excuse me, I've got some things to take care of."  I said, breaking the silence that had fallen over us as soon as Fili approached.  

Before either of them could protest, I gathered up my stuff from the library table and hurried out of Erebor's royal library.  Maybe I could finally finish the tales of Númenor in the comfort of my own room?

~~~~

"Loka!"  A sharp cry of my name had me halting in my tracks as I walked through the halls of Erebor.  Turning around, I was surprised to see Fili jogging towards me; decked out in full royal garb.

"Prince Fili?"  I asked, fidgeting with the bundle of fabric in my arms.  A grimace flashed across Fili's face at my use of his title.

"How many times have I told you that you don't need to call me by that...?"  He groaned, and I gave him an apologetic smile.

"Obviously not enough times; but I kinda have to call you by that since you are the Crown Prince after all."  I said, but Fili just shook his head.

"Forget etiquette for once, Loka."  He said, giving me a pleading look that awoke butterflies in my stomach.  

Nodding, I smiled at him.  "If that's what you command...  But anyways, why did you stop me?"  I asked curiously, and Fili shuffled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his rapidly reddening neck as he turned his gaze to the floor.

"Uh..."  He was suddenly at a loss for words, and I watched this with a incredulous look.  Never before had I seen Fili look so...  nervous.

"Fee?"  I called softly, using Fili's childhood nickname.  

"Would you like to go to the ball with me?"  He suddenly said; words rushing out in a jumbled hurry that left me speechless for a moment as I processed them.

"The ball that's happening in about four days?"  I asked, and Fili nodded quickly.

"Aye, that one.  Would you like to go with me?"  

Disappointment welled in my stomach as I looked at the hopeful expression on his bearded features.  "I would love to--"  I began, and Fili's face broke out in a wide smile.

"Tha-that's great!"  He said excitedly, but I raised a hand to stop him.

"You didn't let me finish.  I would love to go with you, but I'm already going with someone."  I said, and the smile was wiped off Fili's face, only to be replaced with a furrowed look that didn't belong anywhere on his handsome features.  "I'm so sorry, Fili."  I whispered, but Fili was quick to shake his head.

"No, no, I should be sorry for bothering you.  It's no big deal Loka, I just thought...  Who are you going with?"  He asked, quickly switching topics.

An image of a dark-haired Dwarrow--the exact opposite of Fili in so many different ways--popped into my head.  "Maglorian.  One of Dain's ambassadors."  I said quietly, forcing a bright smile onto my face.

Fili nodded, a dark shadow passing over his face at the mention of the name.  "I've heard of him; he's very nice."  He said, giving me a smile that was so obviously fake it hurt.  "Well, save a dance for me maybe?"  

I nodded quickly, trying to find a way to lift this black cloud that had suddenly settled over Fili.  "Of course!  I'll always have a dance for you, Fee."  I said softly, and a smile flickered across his lips.

"See you around, Loka."  He murmured, turning and walking past me down the hallway.  I watched him go, noting the way his shoulders were slumped in a picture of disappointment.  But why?  Surely he hadn't wanted to go that badly with me?  Hadn't his question just been a friend asking a friend so they didn't have to go alone?

Shaking my head, I continued on my way to the Palace seamstress.  My dress needed some alterations to fit the current styles of King Thorin's court, and I hadn't had time before now to deliver it to her.

~~~~

The day of the ball had finally arrived, but something just seemed wrong.  Maglorian was very polite and nice, but not even his gracious manners could bring a genuine smile to my face.

I tried--I really did--to keep my attention on him, but I couldn't help sneaking glances towards the dour Fili.  Mahal, I'd never seen him look so hurt before.

"Miss Loka, would you like something to drink?"  Maglorian's cultured tones had me looking away from where Fili stood beside Kili and Thorin; watching the festivities.  

Forcing a smile, I nodded sweetly.  "That sounds lovely, thank you Maglorian."  I said, and he smiled back, heading away from me towards the refreshments.  

Breathing out a sigh, I returned my gaze towards the trio of royals, only to notice that one was missing.  

Kili.

Glancing around the crowded ballroom, I tried to spot the dark-haired Prince in case he attempted to pull a prank on me or something.  I wouldn't put it past him.

"Fancy a dance, my lady?"  A cheeky voice said from right beside me, and I whirled around to find Kili standing in front of me.  

Rolling my eyes, I accepted his proffered hand.  "I suppose, if only to get away from the ambassador and his manners for a moment."  I said, prompting a laugh from Kili.

"He's that bad, huh?  I thought you said he was handsome."  

"He's handsome in his own way, but he just oozes 'proper etiquette'.  It's enough to make any lass sick."  I grumbled, placing on hand on Kili's shoulder as he settled a hand on my waist.  The music had turned to a slower waltz that was perfect for talking.

Kili chuckled, grinning down at me.  "Perfect."  

His words had me looking up at him in bewilderment as he suddenly spun me away from him and into someone else's arms.  For a moment, I thought it was Maglorian and I went to pull away.

"I thought you said you'd save me a dance?  Did you change your mind?"  A familiar voice asked teasingly, and I realized Fili was the one with an arm around my waist.

Blushing, I looked up at Fili with a sheepish smile on my face.  "I thought you were Maglorian...  You are welcome to as many dances as you wish to claim."  I said, quickly adjusting my grip so that one hand was held in Fili's while the other rested on his broad shoulder.

Fili raised an eyebrow.  "So you don't like that ambassador then?"  He asked quietly, and I shook my head.

"Of course not...  He's just a nice guy that I thought would be fun to go to the ball with."  I said, understanding suddenly dawning on me.  "Wait, you thought that me and him were serious or something?"

Pink began to tinge Fili's cheeks, and he looked away from me.  "Well..."  

"You're jealous of him!  Are you afraid he'd steal your friend away from you?"  I teased, laughing at the thought even as my heart sank.

Friends, always friends.  But I'd have to content myself with that.  He'd never see me as something more.

"No."  Fili's voice was uncharacteristically hard and I scanned his face worriedly.  "I wasn't afraid that he'd steal my friend...."  He trailed off and let out a sigh, raising his head to look around at the other dancers around us.  "I--just come outside with me for a moment.  I'll explain."  He said suddenly, dropping his hand from my waist to lead me towards the doors out to the hallway.

I followed obligingly, wondering what he was going to explain.  What did he even have to explain?

Once we were finally alone out in the deserted hallway, Fili grabbed my hands and looked down at me with a searching expression in his crystal blue eyes.  "I don't know why it's so hard to say...  I've never been so afraid of something before..."  He muttered, and I looked at him with a furrowed brow.

"Fee?"  I prodded, and he took a deep breath, ducking his head for a moment before looking back up at me.  "I was jealous of that Dwarrow, yeah, but not for the reasons you think."  He whispered, and my eyes widened slightly.  

Was he going to say what I thought he was going to say?  

"I thought that he was going to steal away the heart of the lass who stole mine."  He said quietly, looking at me with such a vulnerable expression in his eyes, it brought tears to mine.  "It's alright if you don't feel the same, Loka, I'll get over it eventually."  He muttered as I stared at him in disbelief.

"No!"  I exclaimed, and Fili watched me apprehensively.  "Don't get over me, please.  I love you."  I whispered hoarsely, and Fili scanned my face closely, looking for any hint of a lie.

"Loka..."  He murmured in a low voice, raising trembling hands to gently cup my face,  "I feel like I'm dreaming."  

I smiled at him, closing the space between us until I was held close between his arms.  "Then we're sharing the same dream."  I whispered, tilting my head upwards as he leaned down to slant his lips over mine; his golden locks falling like a curtain over both our faces.

"Oh Mahal, finally!  I thought I'd have to lock you two in a closet somewhere!"  

Fili reluctantly pulled away from me with a sigh, turning his head to look at a grinning Kili leaning against a pillar nearby.  "Do you mind?"  He said with a raised eyebrow, and Kili raised his hands in a show of surrender.

"Sorry...  Just keep in mind that Uncle is going to be looking for you soon, so don't get too cozy together..."  He said, winking suggestively.  

"Kili..."  Fili growled, but a red flush was spreading up his neck.  "Don't make me--"

"I'm going!  I'm going!"  

With that, Kili disappeared back into the festivities, leaving me and Fili alone once more.  

Looking back down at me, Fili gave me a roguish smile.  "Now, where were we...?"

[soramel]

Chained to You (Part 4)

genre: angst, romance, unconventional relationship warning: eventual smut A/N: cross-posted; the story continues at Part 18 in wattpad;

1 2 3 4

Part 4 words: 2,595

Drumming your fingers on the steering wheel, you unconsciously bit your lip as you tried to sort your thoughts out. You even closed your eyes... forehead scrunched in confusion as your failed attempt to detach yourself from all the happenings irritated you more.

So what if he has a woman?

It shouldn't be surprising at all because he's accomplished, has a good family background, and for sure, the looks that everyone would kill for.

Did I just admit that he's attractive?

You scoffed at the thought. Those sleepless nights you spent on analyzing worksheets after worksheets finally altered how your brain functions.

Your phone rang, pulling you out of your reverie. Its noise cutting through the deafening silence in your parked SUV. Then a knock came through the window, startling you. "Fuck!" you said out loud, clutching your chest.

It was your bodyguard. "Saeho!" you shouted at him sounding annoyed but it only muffled through the car door.

Taking a quick glance at your phone, you saw it was the devil you were just thinking about seconds ago. Instead of taking the call, you chose to open the window instead and talk to Saeho.

"What?" you snapped at him, also wondering how he found you so fast.

"You need to head back inside, Ma'am," he said in a stern voice, not liking the disappearing act you pulled.

You sighed and said, "I know. Just give me a break."

He watched you lean your head back on the headrest as you try to recollect yourself. The ringing of the phone just ended when it rang again with the same caller id. With a drag, you handed out the device to Saeho, but he just looked at it.

With another nudge of the phone in the air, he took it slowly from your hand.

"Sir," he answered as he put it by his ear.

There was a pause before Taehyung spoke up.

"Where is she?" he asked, his voice laced with darkness that even made a big man like Saeho gulp.

"She's safe, sir. We're in the basement parking. She's inside her car. She gave me her phone for me to answer," he explained.

"Get her back here. Now."

Then you heard the line cut off.

Saeho handed back the phone to you and pleaded for you to follow his boss' order. "Ma'am, this way, please," his voice having a more hint of emotion now as he snuck in his arm through the window to unlock your door.

With a huff, you alighted from the vehicle and passed him your purse.

Saeho followed your steps, taking an enough distance from you like he always does. You suddenly stopped from your tracks and faced him again.

"I can't really go back there this soon. I'm still annoyed," you wondered out loud, leaving the man in conflict. It really is indeed difficult to serve two masters at once. He didn't know what happened when he saw you rushing down the hall and it was not his place to ask why. But he was smart enough to deduce the reason behind your act.

He might not show it but he feels bad for you, but at the same time, he wants to keep his job. Taehyung pays him a handsome amount which sustains the needs of his wife and ailing child.

"We're in no hurry but we have to keep moving, Ma'am," he replied in compromise.

You turned around an walked towards the entrance at a much slower pace. He opened the door as you headed inside the elevator lobby and waited for a lift.

#

"She's tightly guarded, Sir. We can't find a window to execute the plan," the man spoke through the phone.

The news earned a sigh from the other line.

"Keep trying. It'll be more difficult to get to her once the ceremony's all over."

"Copy, sir," then the hired man ended the call.

Regardless, the receiver prepared himself for the worst, and that is having to do everything by himself.

"Useless bastards," he muttered under his breath.

It was two hours before midnight and they only had little time left to act on the situation. Once they miss this window of opportunity, they'd have to take matters to their own hands and it won't be a pretty sight.

There were still no progress from the team he sent. It was difficult to bypass the heiress' security. Although they blend well in the crowd, his men were trained enough to recognize the security team's tactic.

Namjoon wasn't the type to get his hands dirty. No matter what job that is.

J, negative

He then replied without hesitation,

Plan B

He threw the phone on the table with a thud after sending the text message.

#

When Jungkook received the order, he immediately left the hotel suite to pursue his target.

#

Saeho approached Taehyung cautiously and said, "Number unidentified, but I sent someone to follow through and extract information."

Taehyung's jaw tensed in response. "Why not grab one of them now?"

"We can't do that without grabbing much attention. Unless, that's fine with you, sir," Saeho replied. Taehyung's eyes were deeply set on you as you talk with your colleagues. He roamed his stare on their faces then to the people within your perimeter, then back to you. His eyes met yours.

Without breaking away from your gaze, he uttered, "I'll bring her back to her room. Keep me updated."

"Yes, sir."

Saeho then gave way to Taehyung as he strode the distance between you. From his cold demeanor, he flashed a warm smile to your colleagues, making them flustered.

You felt his hand slid around your waist. His hold was gentle yet firm.

"S-sir!" one of your colleagues managed to utter a greeting. Both men and women looked at your fiancé with admiration.

You casually introduced him to them. "This is Minho, Song, and Hyeji. My team in one of my projects. And you already know Jae."

Without further ado, Taehyung said, "Would you mind me taking my wife back? We need to head back early for tomorrow's wedding."

This made you take a step back but with his kind of hold, you were only able to put an unnoticeable distance from him. "Already?" you voiced out in protest.

"Sure!"

"Of course," your team replied in unison.

"You need to have a proper rest," Taehyung told you before flashing his swooning smile back to your colleagues.

"Thank you, excuse us."

You were still confused as he led you out of the banquet hall. You were stuck to his side until you could finally free yourself from his grip once you stepped in the lift.

"What's happening? Isn't it rude to just leave our own party? Like that?"

He's getting on your nerves and your annoyance is also starting to get the best of him. He thought the attitude was because he was 10 minutes late to your dinner.

Taehyung let out a sigh and faced you after pressing the floor button for your suite. "Charles will handle it. I just want you to get your rest."

Though that was just his excuse.

You crossed your arms in front of your chest, "If you were paying attention, I was still in the middle of a conversation with my team when you decided to have things your way. I didn't like that."

He tried his best to hide his sarcastic smile by looking down but you caught on. Your brow twitched in annoyance. His actions and the way he treats you makes you feel disrespected. No matter how much you want to cut ties with him, you need to know the tricks hidden up his sleeve.

Why would the news of merger suddenly brought harm to your family's life

Why the Kims, your supposed protector, are sweeping important facts under the rug

Why does your father trust them so much

Questions that you're sure would pile up as you try to uncover the truth. Despite that, you're determined to protect what's yours even though that means selling your soul to the devil.

You stared deep into his eyes.

"Fine. See you tomorrow at our wedding," you let out in a dismissive tone.

He sighed inwardly in relief as he watched the door slam right in front of him.

The room was dark as you entered. With a sigh, you blindly took off your accessories starting with the earrings.

You're getting married tomorrow and it's really happening. To an estranged childhood friend, a man you barely know, a lover of someone else. Red flags that were enough to stop someone from proceeding with the foolish ploy.

But this is for your family's sake.

The Kims are a possible threat you had to understand first.

On a flick of a light switch, you were startled to see a man standing in the middle of your suite. You almost squealed in shock but it got cut off when he approached you in a stride, stifling your voice.

Fear rose up in your chest and your imagination had gone haywire with the thought of why would be someone in here.

"Hush, I'm not here to harm you," he looked at you intently and you slowly start to associate a name on the man's face. It should have comforted you but it only added to your growing fear and confusion.

Jungkook?

He saw the recognition that flashed your eyes, then he continued in a much lower and hushed voice. "Promise me you won't scream, I just need to talk."

Your brows furrowed. What is Taehyung's friend doing in my room, surprising me like a murderer, in the middle of the night?

Just to know what the fuck is going on you nodded your head thrice, still breathing heavily, with your pulse racing.

Once his grip loosened, you immediately took a step back, holding your purse in front of you as if that was enough for a weapon to defend yourself.

"What are you do--" your loud and scandalous voice made him cover your mouth again. You didn't see how but he's now on your back, your body tightly pressed to his.

"Not so loud," his voice laced with irritation. It wanna made you scoff, you should be the one irritated in this situation, not him.

"Taehyung's not who you think he is," he murmured, hoping that will stop you from fighting him off.

You did your best to calm down to show him that you're ready to listen. Not that you don't know what he's talking about. You know who the true Taehyung is.

Jungkook loosened his hands on you once he thought he piqued your curiosity.

You turned to him, a little bit surprised at the very close distance he had put in between.

You looked up a bit to meet his eyes.

"I know who Taehyung is,"

You told him, full with pride.

He was about to speak when you cut him off, "So if you're here to warn me about his lover, you can leave. I've already decided," you told him and he seemed surprise at the news. It looked like that was not the thing he was pertaining about but you could care less.

This marriage is more than you and your feelings.

If being close to the threat will help save your family, then be it. If they're not and they're really trying to help, then better.

Jungkook raised his eyebrows in surprise, "You're truly whipped," he said in disbelief. Well that was not new to him. He knew Taehyung during his teenage years. He knew how he was or is with the ladies.

"I'm not. I-" you were about to spill some sensitive information but you luckily caught yourself.

No one else is supposed to know about this except you and your private investigator, Hoseok.

"Well that sucks but that was not just it, Princess," he informed, the title he used sounded like a mock.

"His family will use yours to get what they want. This might bring harm not only to your family, but to everyone."

#

Tilting your head to the side, "then this will be just another billion dollar venture for them," you stated after Jungkook told you what he could let you know... for now. He has yet to see for himself and the organization which side you're on. It was a huge gamble for them to involve you in this. If it were up to him, he would rather not involve a socialite like you. The type that Taehyung lures in and break. But to Namjoon, you were different.

He silently strode to the door and looked into the peephole to see if there are guards. "How did you get in here anyway?" you asked him, as you were sidetracked from his movement.

"The balcony," he stated as he walked back. "They'll eventually monopolize the IT industry. All the servers, engines, systems, running in this country will be under their control. Just masked in different names."

"We traced that 65% of the sector belonged to their family already. Indirectly,"

"and if this will go out of hand, there will be irreversible repercussions." he finished as he stood before you, meeting your gaze intently.

You walked around the living area of the hotel suite, settling on the couch. "I didn't know they had that slice too," you blurted out as you went in deep thought. The Kims are involved in a lot of ventures. May it be in security services and systems, management consultancy, logistics, and others. But so is your family. Well your mother's side to be specific. With it being more prominent in hospitality and airline industry.

You traced back your gaze to the intruder.

"Regardless, that's none of my business, Jungkook. The world is what it is." you told him.

And he knew.

A privileged woman like you won't understand it. Because the system fits well for you that you became a part of it.

His jaw almost twitched in disgust, but he managed to mask it off with a smirk. "Your family will be their puppet. You will bear the damages once things fall out of place,"

"Then I'll make sure it won't," you replied, looking at him straight in the eyes.

Taking a deep breath, you suggested, "I could pretend this didn't happen. I'll let you slip back where you came from without sending a distress call to my security next door." then you took out a black device out of your purse, lifting off its switch. Then you placed your thumb on top of it, ready to press it in any second.

He let out a chuckle. "You'll be lying dead on the floor before they arrive here, don't underestimate me."

You let out a sweet smile and shook your head. "I'm not. I know you're very capable of that seeing how you managed to get here," then you unceremoniously pressed the device which made made him jump to his feet and briskly left, leaving the glass door open. All the while making sure that you know how pissed he is and he's not yet done with you. If eyes could kill.

Saeho barged in right after a beep. "Ma'am," he let out. When you seemed fine, his eyes scanned the room immediately, looking for any threats.

With your gaze on the glass door, he jogged onto it seeing that it was ajar.

You stood up and headed into the bedroom. "Please close it. It's getting cold," you calmly ordered as you closed the bedroom door shut.

[yoddream]

the devil to my angel | h.rj

because there’s literally no gif that fits better than this one

pairing: devil!renjun x fem!reader

warnings: uh swearing, pettiness, angst, fluff, drinking, underage drinking (looking at you string bean), honestly I don’t remember anything else i’m sorry

word count: 6k

summary: you’ve seen the cartoons. you’ve also seen your own devil that lived on your shoulder.

a/n: AYYYYYYYYYE ITS HERE!!!! I swear I was gonna post it that night but then my friend needed to get out of the house so I went with her instead, and I’ve been busy with work and errands oops. my b. but here it is! I hope it’s as good as you all expected it to be.

He showed up when you were in kindergarten. Your best friend, Jaemin, had taken the seat next to Jeno, the boy you thought was cute, when he knew you wanted to sit there. You could feel the tears welling up in your eyes when all of a sudden, there was a tiny “pssst!” in your ear. Looking over, you found a tiny boy about your age sitting on your shoulder. He was wearing a red t-shirt, red shorts, and red shoes. He had protruding from his hair, and a tail that flicked back and forth.

“Take the cap off his favorite marker,” he whispered.

“What?” you asked quietly.

“Take the cap off Jaemin’s favorite marker! He deserves it after taking your spot,” he urged you.

“But then he won’t be able to use it,” you said with a pout.

“So? It’s not gonna hurt him or anything.”

He gave you a smile that you couldn’t refuse. So, you went to Jaemin’s desk at the end of the day and took the cap off the pink marker before shoving it back in his pencil box. Your stomach twisted a little, but you ignored it when you looked at the boy on your shoulder. He grinned at you one more time before disappearing.

The next morning, there were wails echoing down the hallway as Jaemin sobbed over his favorite marker having been dried out overnight. The boy on your shoulder was cackling at the reaction, but you felt tears well up in your eyes. He looked over at you and immediately started panicking.

“Why are you crying?!”

“Because I hurt Jaemin. He’s my best friend,” you mumbled. “I feel really bad.”

“He’ll be fine, Y/N. It’s just a marker.”

You still felt bad, so when it was time to color, you gave Jaemin your pink marker. It wasn’t anywhere close to his, but he gave you a giant hug and let you sit next to Jeno, so you felt better. The boy on your shoulder pouted when you tried to make things right, but he didn’t say anything.

It took you a year to find out his name was Renjun, and that was only because you were going to scold him for suggesting something too mean, only to realize you didn’t know his name. After that, he showed up whenever you were upset, giving you new ways to make the people who hurt you inconvenienced in the pettiest ways possible. Whether it was by eating the last cookie when you knew Haechan wanted it after he made fun of you for your crush on Jeno, to emptying the shampoo bottle until there were only a couple drops because your sister made Jaemin cry because he played with your Barbies with you.

You were in college now, rooming with Jaemin and Jeno. It took you forever to get over your crush on the older boy, but you still appreciated his face and didn’t hesitate to cuddle with him during movie nights. Renjun still visited, but there wasn’t much reason for him to be with you as much as he was. The two of you had become friends in a way, but it was still very obvious that he was supposed to be there to help you get revenge.

“So, what am I doing again?” you asked quietly as you stood in line at Starbucks.

Jaemin had taken the last of your frozen waffles—your name was written all over the box so nobody would take them—the other day, so Renjun had suggested messing with his coffee order when the three of you met up for your study date after your morning lecture. It was your turn to order, which made it perfect.

“Ask Haechan to make Jaemin’s drink and add a shit ton of strawberry syrup to it. Then tell him that when Jaemin goes up to order a new drink, make one that’s decaf that looks like his cup of poison,” he told you. “You were going to eat those waffles for breakfast that morning, and instead your stomach was growling so loudly in your lecture that your professor kicked you out. He embarrassed you, and he ate something that was clearly not his. It’s a double whammy.”

It was your turn to order, so you said exactly what Renjun reminded you to say. Haechan had to stifle a laugh as he asked what Jaemin had done, his eyes widening when you explained what had happened to cause you to act out like this. The drinks were made quickly, and you brought them over to the table. The boys thanked you before returning to their books. Renjun appeared in the middle of the table, his silver hair shining under the light as he kept his full attention on the boy with pink hair. You nudged Jeno to watch Jaemin as the boy took a sip of his drink. His face twisted is disgust when the taste of strawberry hit his taste buds. Renjun was rolling around the table, cackling while holding his stomach.

“Ugh, I hate you,” Jaemin muttered as he sent a glare your way before heading to the counter to get a new drink.

“What’d you do?” Jeno asked as he leaned into your space. There was a sound of disgust that came in the direction of Renjun, but you ignored it.

“Told Haechan to put a bunch of strawberry syrup in Jaemin’s drink since he ate my waffles,” you replied.

He snorted and shoved your shoulder lightly. “That one was pure evil.”

“You’re not denying that he deserved it,” you pointed out.

“No, I’m not.”

“I absolutely did not deserve that!” Jaemin argued when he came back with his new drink. You glanced at Haechan, who winked at you.

“You ate my waffles,” you said.

“It was an accident!”

“I wrote my name all over the box!”

Renjun tugged on your finger to get your attention as Jaemin complained to Jeno about you. The little devil crawled up your arm and returned to his spot on your shoulder. You found it odd, considering he could just teleport himself there, but now wasn’t a good time to question it. Hiding him from your friends was difficult, but you didn’t want them to think you were crazy.

After your classes were done for the day, you collapsed on your bed and let out a big sigh. There were small footsteps on the nightstand beside you. Knowing who it was, you didn’t bother to look over.

“What’s wrong, kitten?” Renjun asked from his perch.

Your heart leapt at the nickname. It didn’t matter that he’d been calling you that since you were a kid; his nickname for you made your stomach twist in a good way. It sometimes made your cheeks heat up and your palms to sweat. Your body’s reaction scared you every time, because if you were imagining him—well, you didn’t want to think about it.

“’M just tired,” you stated. “My coursework seems to be growing bigger and bigger every week.”

Your pillow suddenly shifted under Renjun’s weight as he jumped down. His steps were shaky as he tried to stay steady on the stuffed object. You turned you head as he reached you, wondering what he was planning.

“I’m sorry. I wish I could help,” he said honestly before pressing his tiny lips to your cheek.

“It’s okay. I’ll just have to manage my time better.”

“I hope that doesn’t mean hanging out with me less,” he said with a chuckle.

You smiled. “Of course not.”

You took some time to admire him. He was wearing a red button-up that was done up to the collar, tucked into some black slacks, a pair of black dress shoes on his feet. His silver hair was combed back but relaxed. He looked so handsome, but you would never tell him that.

“Hey,” you said. “I have a question for you.”

“Shoot.”

“Why isn’t there an angel to accompany you? You know, like they have in the movies.”

The boy smirked, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Because you’re already an angel.”

You blushed at the comment and flicked him, which knocked him over. “Shut up.”

“Hey, you were the one that asked,” he whined.

You laughed and watched as he returned to the nightstand to pout, arms crossed and everything. Crawling over, you leaned on your elbows and watched as he turned away. You stretched your head enough to press a kiss to the back of his head, and you watch the hue of his shirt crawl up the back of his neck.

“I’m sorry, Renjun. Do you forgive me?” you asked.

The boy turned around and let his arms fall to his sides. “I guess.”

A few hours later, you were working on your homework when you heard the tiny snores coming from your bed. Looking over, you found Renjun knocked out on your UFO squishable. He’d convinced you to get it when you’d gone to the mall a couple months ago, and it was his favorite thing to sit on when you were too busy to give him your attention. Your phone was playing a video beside him, so you got up to turn it off. He stirred, his eyes slowly opening as he smiled at you sleepily.

“Hey there, kitten,” he mumbled.

“Hey. C’mon, you’re falling asleep. Either head home or go to bed,” you told him quietly.

Groaning, he stood up and crawled onto the shelving that was in your headboard. In one of the little cubbies was a doll bed that was comfortable enough for him. There was also a doll’s closet nearby that held some of Renjun’s clothes. With a snap of his fingers, he was changed into red silk pajamas. You decided it was time to go to bed as well, so Renjun made sure to cover his eyes until you were in shorts and an oversized t-shirt. His lips pursed, but he didn’t say anything. You plugged your phone in before turning off your lights and crawling into bed. There was a press of tiny lips against your forehead.

“Goodnight, Y/N.”

///

Having a devil sit in your shirt pocket as you attended your classes was definitely weird. Renjun didn’t need to be there, but he insisted he did in case you needed to get revenge on anyone. It hurt whenever you were feeling especially lonely, wishing he would tell you that he just wanted to spend time with you, but you knew his job demanded him to track you as much as possible. There were times you two were friends, but then he would turn around and act as if he was just there to do his job.

“This lecture is so boring,” Renjun whined as he flopped onto your desk. “Why can’t we go get ice cream?”

You ignored him, continuing to write notes from the PowerPoint. He shoved your pen to grab your attention, but you simply pushed him away with the tip of your writing utensil. Frowning, he sat on your textbook and watched as your pen glided across the paper, the ink looping stains into the surface in the form of words.  You questioned why he would stay when he could do whatever he wanted until the lecture was over. There would be no reason to get revenge while you were taking notes.

When class was over, you headed back to the apartment. Jeno and Jaemin were in the living room with their books out. You collapsed onto the couch between them and leaned against Jaemin. You could feel the smile he pressed to your forehead in a kiss before returning his attention to studying.

“That’s it?” you asked.

There was a chuckle, and then you were being dragged into his lap. You could hear his voice raise in pitch as he nuzzled your neck and tickled you, saying “I love you,” over and over again. You giggled and squirmed in his hold, but he didn’t let go. Jeno was watching from the other side of the couch, smiling brightly. Between your schedules, the three of you didn’t get much time together outside of your weekly movie nights, so moments like this were ones you cherished.

“Satisfied?” Jaemin asked when he finally pulled away.

“Very. So, what movies are we watching tonight?”

The boy holding you froze. You could feel him tense up, and you knew what he was going to say wasn’t what you wanted to hear. “I, uh, I actually have a date tonight.”

Your eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Oh. Okay.”

“I’m sorry, Y/N—”

You waved it off with a smile. “Jaemin, don’t worry. Jeno and I can still have our movie night, right?”

“Actually—”

Groaning, you got up and started to leave. “Fine. I’m gonna go study.”

You ignored their calls to you, closing your bedroom door and locking it. You weren’t upset that they had plans; it was the fact that they didn’t tell you until you brought up movie night. Nobody liked learning about something last-minute.

You were lying on your bed when Renjun appeared. He crawled across the pillow and tangled himself in the hair on the top of your head. He loved playing with your hair, especially when he knew it could calm you down.

“So, what are you gonna do for the rest of the night, kitten?” he asked.

You shrugged. “Probably just watch movies alone and drink. I’ve got nothing better to do.”

“I can watch with you.”

“I don’t want you to get lost in the couch,” you mumbled.

“Oh! I almost forgot! I have a new trick.”

Before you could ask, he was jumping off your bed. You gasped, even though you knew he wouldn’t be hurt, and watched there was a sudden puff of smoke, and then Renjun was standing in your room, human-sized. He threw his arms out as if to say, “Well, what do you think?”

“Renjun, that’s amazing!” you exclaimed.

You jumped up and threw your arms around his neck. He grunted in surprise before slowly hugging you back. His face was buried in your neck as he said, “I won’t get lost in the couch like this.”

You couldn’t help but giggle at the comment. You tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t let go, so you guided him to the bed. He immediately laid the two of you down, pressing close to your side. It was the complete opposite of how he usually acted, so you were concerned.

“You okay?” you asked.

He nodded and said, “I’ve never hugged someone before. It’s nice.”

“O-oh. Well, feel free to hug me anytime.”

A couple hours later, Jaemin knocked on your door to let you know that he was leaving. You told him to have fun, making sure you didn’t sound upset. Jeno showed up shortly after, telling you he was heading to work. You vaguely remembered him mentioning needing to pick up shifts since hours were down, which would explain why he was working a night he usually didn’t. Once they were gone, you and Renjun headed to the kitchen to make snacks before starting your movie night. The way he moved around was awkward, as if he didn’t know how to act now that he was human-sized.

Once everything was ready, the two of you curled up on the couch, blankets thrown over your laps. There were two different kinds of alcohol on the coffee table, along with three kinds of snacks. Your heart raced as he threw an arm around your shoulders, but you ignored it as you clicked on a random movie. Immediately, you grabbed a bottle and took a swig, wincing at the burning that slid down your throat. There were eyes boring into the side of your head, but you ignored it and grabbed some fries instead.

About half an hour into the movie, Renjun stated, “Humans are weird.”

“How so?” you questioned.

“Does she really dress up as her brother every day? How the hell do her teammates not notice?” he asked.

You couldn’t help but laugh. “Boys are dumb, Renjun.”

“I’m a boy.”

“You’re not a human boy.”

He let out a sigh and pulled you closer. “Thank god.”

You didn’t know how much time had passed when you reached the bottom of the one of the bottles. Neither of them anything more than halfway filled, but it was still a lot of alcohol to have consumed. You put the bottle down and reached for the other, but a hand on your wrist made you pause. You looked over to Renjun, who seemed worried. Rolling your eyes, you grabbed the bottle and took a swig.

“I’m not taking care of you tomorrow,” he told you.

“You never do,” you pointed out. “I’ll be fine.”

The room was spinning, despite you not moving. Your head felt heavy, so you let it loll to the side. It hit Renjun’s shoulder, but you didn’t bother to move it. You could hear him mumble something, but you were too drunk to ask him to repeat it. Instead, you closed your eyes and let the alcohol lull you to sleep.

Jaemin and Jeno walked through the door, feeling exhausted. Jaemin had been stood up, so he went to Jeno’s job and waited for his shift to be over before they went home. The two of them looked at the sight before them and sighed. You were slumped over, passed out. Both bottles were empty, all the snacks were gone, and the TV lit up the room with the main menu of your favorite movie. They looked at each other before stepping forward to clean up the mess. They knew you weren’t upset about them leaving you alone on movie night, but they couldn’t help but feel bad. You wouldn’t have drunk so much if they’d been there, and you definitely wouldn’t be so hungover tomorrow.

Renjun watched as they cleaned, making sure to move gingerly around you, even though the three of you knew nothing would disturb you when you were in this state. He then looked at you and frowned; watching you drink like that scared him. You didn’t do it often, but when you did, you went pretty hard. He didn’t know what he would do if something bad ever happened to you while you were in that state.

///

“No.”

“But—”

“No, Renjun. I’m not doing it.”

“But he gave you a low score!” the devil argued.

You were sitting at your desk, staring at the test that you had taken a couple weeks ago. You had studied for it, but the questions were super hard, so you weren’t surprised to see the mark. Renjun, however, wanted you to get revenge.

“I deserved it, though. Looking at everything now, I can see where I messed up. It’s completely on me, not him,” you told him.

Renjun huffed and crossed his arms. “Fine, but you better do whatever I suggest next time.”

“To him or in general?”

“Both.”

Rolling your eyes, you headed to the kitchen and looked through the cupboards for something to eat. You could hear Jaemin and Jeno start to whisper to each other harshly, but you ignored it. You were looking for your favorite cereal, but the box wasn’t there. Confused, you glanced around and found it sitting the recycling bin. You slowly turned around to find your roommates holding cereal bowls, looking like deer caught in headlights.

“Jeno poured it,” Jaemin said quickly before going back to eating.

“Dude!” the other boy cries out. “Y/N, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know it was yours. I thought Jaemin bought it!”

“For her! I bought it for her!”

Without a word, you grabbed your keys, a sweatshirt, and your wallet before walking out. Your slippers made a shuffling sound as you walked through the apartment building and down the street to the convenience store. There, you bought your favorite cereal, a new gallon of milk because you knew you were running low, and some candy. Renjun appeared on your shoulder, a devilish grin on his face. How fitting.

“What’s the plan?” you asked as you walked back to the apartment.

“I was thinking of dyeing his hair to match Jaemin’s?”

You couldn’t help but grin. “That’s a step above petty, isn’t it?”

“It was your favorite cereal.”

“You’re just suggesting it because you’re still upset about Jeno rejecting me.”

He scoffed. “He turned down a perfectly good girl. How else was I supposed to react?”

You could feel the blush heating your cheeks. “I don’t know, like you don’t care? I thought you weren’t supposed to worry about me?”

“After spending fifteen years with you, do you really think I wouldn’t care about your feelings?” he questioned.

“Guess not.”

When you returned to the apartment, the boys were nowhere to be found. You remembered that Jeno had to work again, and Jaemin was driving him to work, so you acted fast. Luckily, the hair mask that Jeno used on his bleached hair was already a pink color (because Chenle bought it from an expensive salon store and there was no way a broke college kid with hair that desperately needed hydration in his hair would turn it down, no matter the color) so you mixed in some of Jaemin’s hair dye and put everything back in its place before carefully shoving the trash to the bottom of the can. You then entered your room right as Jaemin came back, so you were safe.

You woke up to a scream the next morning before your door was thrown open. Sitting up, you looked at Jeno’s hair, a hand flying to your mouth to stifle your giggles. His blond locks were now a pastel pink, matching your best friend almost perfectly. There was a deep frown on his face as he stared at you.

“My hair? Really?” he asked.

You got out of bed and walked over, running your fingers through his hair once you reached him. His eyes closed at the feeling, all tension from his body leaving immediately. You smiled and said, “You look good in pink.”

His eyes opened halfway and he stared at you with a grin on his face as you scratched his skull lightly. “You sure know how to get me to calm down.”

“We’ve been friends since we were five, Jeno. I’d be concerned if I didn’t know how,” you stated.

“Did you put it in my hair mask?” You nodded. “Well, I guess I can keep it pink for a while.”

“Honey, you don’t really have a choice.” You stood on your toes to whisper in his ear, “Just don’t eat my cereal again,” before pressing a kiss to his cheek and leaving your room.

Renjun appeared on the couch in the family room, his facial expression similar to what Jeno’s was a couple minutes ago. “What the hell was that?”

You shrugged, knowing the boys could hear you. He rolled his eyes and asked, “You realize you just flirted with him, right?”

“So what?” you mouthed.

“I thought you were over him.” You nodded again. “Clearly not if you’re acting like this.”

You scoffed as you poured yourself some coffee before making a bowl of cereal. Whatever you did shouldn’t make him so angry, so you weren’t worried about it. If he was mad, that was on him. You could live your life however you wanted, so if you flirted with Jeno, you flirted with Jeno. There was no harm.

You decided to work on your homework, hoping to get it done before Haechan’s frat’s party. All the guys were going, so you were excited to hang with them. Jeno and Jaemin waited for you to finish your homework before leaving for the party. Renjun was back on your shoulder, dressed in a red sweatshirt and black skinny jeans. The sweatshirt was oversized, practically swallowing him. He looked adorable, but you couldn’t say anything without the others hearing you, so you just had to settle for looking at him as much as you could.

Before you even stepped on the property you could feel the bass in your chest. It seemed like the lights were off, but you could see the glow of blacklights from the windows. It would be easy to spot Jaemin and Jeno, even when you were drunk.

You walked through the door and pushed through the crowd to the kitchen. There, you found Jisung, Chenle, and Mark doing shots. Jisung locked eyes with you and spat out the shot, though. You placed your hands on your hips and waited for his excuse.

“I was just, uh, I was—sorry Mom,” he stuttered.

“Dude, she can’t control you,” Chenle stated.

“No, but I hate when she’s disappointed in me,” Jisung whined.

You hit Chenle on the back of the head as you passed him to grab a cup and some liquor. “Be grateful somebody’s here to take care of you, brat.”

Chenle threw an arm over your shoulders and pressed a noisy kiss to the side of your head. “I always am.”

It didn’t take long for the alcohol to take over. You were drinking random liquor, playing beer pong, and taking shots with Mark and Haechan. Renjun had disappeared at some point, but you were too drunk to care. At one point, you found yourself dancing with Jeno in the family room. Everybody was pressed close together, so you didn’t think much about the hands on your hips. You wrapped your arms around his neck to keep yourself steady. Your foreheads were pressed together, and it felt nice.

You didn’t know how long the two of you were kissing before you finally realized what was happening. You pulled away and stared at one of your best friends, jaw dropped in shock. Jeno’s eyes opened slowly, your gazes meeting. You could tell that he was surprised as well by the way his body tensed up. You looked around and froze when you spotted Renjun. You expected him to look annoyed or angry, but not upset. Not like his heart was broken.

“Renjun,” you said.

The devil turned around and pushed through the crowd. You pulled away from Jeno and followed Renjun, calling his name over and over to get him to stop. When you exited the house, he looked at you one more time before disappearing in a puff of smoke. There was a lump in your throat as tears threaten to spill.

“Renjun, please,” you whispered.

Usually he came as soon as you called him, but that night he didn’t.

///

Jaemin was worried. You hadn’t holed yourself in your room since Jeno gently rejected you when you were all sophomores. Jaemin had managed to get you to open up for him back then, but this time you wouldn’t budge. At this point, he just wanted to make sure you were alive. The door hadn’t opened since the night of the party.

He knew what happened at the party. He saw what happened. He watched you run away, seemingly chase someone. He caught you when you had collapsed on the lawn in tears. He carried you home as you mumbled about a “Renjun” over and over again. He had no idea what you were talking about, but it was clearly the reason you were shutting everyone out.

You skipped class for two days before finally returning to your normal schedule. Jeno and Jaemin tried to talk to you, but you kept ear buds whenever you weren’t in class. They could tell that you had lost weight by the way your sweatshirts hung on your frame as if it was one of theirs instead. You buried yourself in your studies, working on essays well into the night.

It was about a month after the party when Jaemin and Jeno finally cornered you. You were in the living room, highlighting one of your textbooks when Jaemin snatched it from your grasp. You made a noise of protest, but he ignored it in favor of sitting on the coffee table. You could see Jeno standing by the hallway, unsure of whether he should join or not.

“Y/N, we’re worried about you,” Jaemin stated. “You haven’t talked to anyone, and you haven’t been eating enough. You’ve lost far too much weight to convince us you’ve been working out. No, don’t you dare argue with me, we both know that’s what you would’ve told us. We don’t want to get a call from the hospital that you passed out on campus. It would break our hearts to see you like that.”

“’M sorry,” you mumbled.

“We just want to know what’s been going on,” Jeno chimed in. “It’s not just because I kissed you; that’s been made clear.”

“Does it have to do with somebody named Renjun?” Jaemin asked quietly.

You felt your composure crumble. You hadn’t seen or heard from Renjun in a month, and it was killing you. The longer it went on, the more you were convinced that he had never existed in the first place. You were scared for what that meant; would anything else pop up that would have you questioning your own sanity?

The doorbell rang, so Jeno offered to get it, saying something about Mark coming over to study. Jaemin reached out and placed a comforting hand on your shoulder as you tried to hold it all together. It was so difficult to, especially when you hadn’t talked to anyone about it.

“Y/N, it’s for you,” Jeno called out.

Confused, you got up to see who would be visiting the apartment. Your whole body froze up as your eyes landed on the boy standing before you. His silver hair was trimmed and combed back. He was wearing a button-up, a light jean jacket, and black jeans. In his hand was a paper bag with no logo on it. There was a sad smile on his face as he stared at you.

“Renjun,” you whispered.

“Hey, kitten.”

The nickname made you move. You ran forward and jumped into his arms, muffling your sobs in his neck. His hands clutched your body tight, as if he was afraid you would disappear. You knew Jaemin and Jeno were watching, but you couldn’t bring yourself to face them just yet.

“So, this is the Renjun that you’ve been so upset over?” Jaemin asked. You could hear the protectiveness in his voice.

“Jaemin,” Jeno hissed. “Give them their time.”

“Can we go to your room?” Renjun asked.

You nodded and grabbed his hand before dragging him down the hallway. As soon as your door was closed, you hugged him again. He rubbed your back and pressed kiss after kiss to your hair, apologies flying out of his mouth in between.

“I just—how are you here? How can they see you?” you asked.

He seemed to hesitate before grabbing your hand. He guided it to his head, and you could feel ridges on his head. It dawned on you that they were scars, located where his horns used to be. You gasped and pulled your hand away to place it on his cheek instead.

“What happened?” you questioned.

“I, uh, I gave it all up.”

“What do you mean?”

He shrugged and said, “I became a human.”

Your breath got caught in your throat. Why would he become a human? He could do whatever he wanted as the devil, so why would he give it all up?

“Why?” you finally asked.

A sigh left his lips as he sat on your bed. You followed, not wanting him to stray too far. He seemed to hesitate before grabbing your hand. “When you’re the devil, you’re not supposed to feel anything but anger and happiness, and the happiness is only supposed to happen when you get the person you’ve been assigned to do whatever you feel they should do. Caring about them was not something we could do, so I already knew there was something up. Feeling like I wanted to cry when I saw you kissing Jeno? It wasn’t supposed to be possible. And then I checked on you a couple days after the party, and—”

“You checked on me?” you asked quietly.

He smiled softly. “Of course I did. I’ve never been able to stay away for long. Anyway, I heard Jeno apologizing through the door. I knew you were both too drunk to know what you were doing. I went to Satan and talked to him for a long time about it, and he set up tests to make sure I wanted to become a human.”

“Sounds like you jumped through hoops to get here.”

“They were on fire, too.”

You laughed at his joke, which made him smile. Then, he urged you to get a shower, which would be the first time in a few days. Embarrassed, you rushed to the bathroom and jumped in as soon as the water was hot. You took the time to clean every crevice on your body, which you noticed was actually as thin as Jaemin and Jeno had said. They weren’t exaggerating when they said something about you passing out.

Upon exiting the shower, you noticed there was a pile of clothing sitting on the counter. Confused, you walked over to inspect it. None of it was familiar, but you pulled it on anyway. They smelled like cologne that you knew neither Jaemin nor Jeno owned; Renjun must’ve sneaked them in without you noticing. Smiling, you took the towel and dried your hair a little before stepping out of the bathroom. The three boys were in the living room, your friends seemingly interrogating Renjun. He looked over to you and rolled his eyes before grinning.

“Hey there,” he greeted. “You hungry? I brought some food from your favorite place.”

You nodded shyly and watched him grab it from the paper bag he brought with him. You went to sit next to him on the couch, but he grabbed your hips and guided you to his lap, instead. A squeak left your mouth, and there was a low chuckle behind you.

“Either of you planning on telling us what happened?” Jaemin asked, clearly annoyed.

You turned to Renjun, who was biting his lip. He looked at you, and you shrugged. He sighed and looked at your friends before saying, “So, I was the devil that lived on her shoulder.”

Renjun told them everything. When he first appeared, everything he’d convinced you to do, how his feelings for you grew, him seeing what happened at the party, becoming a human, everything. Their eyes were wide, their jaws were dropped, and their bodies seemed to be frozen in shock. You munched along, listening to Renjun’s side of the story. When he was done, you looked at your friends and waited for their reactions.

“You know, that actually makes a lot of sense,” Jeno commented.

Jaemin flailed. “What?!”

“Every once in a while, it seemed like she looked to her shoulder and talked. I always thought I was imagining it or she was doing something else,” Jeno explained.

You let out a big yawn before anything else could be said, so Renjun suggested going to your room to nap. He tossed out your trash and was soon on your heels, locking the door behind you two. He joined you on the bed and threw an arm over your waist. Rolling over, your eyes locked with his. It was a couple minutes before he finally asked, “What’s on your mind, kitten?”

“Just wondering when you’re gonna kiss me,” you mumbled.

Smiling, he propped himself on his arm and leaned over you. Your lips brushed before you finally took the last step and pulled him down. He grunted in surprise, and then his hands came up to cup your face. Your heart was beating like crazy, and it felt like it would burst from your chest any minute. He pulled away and pressed a couple kisses to your cheek before leaving a final one on your forehead.

There was so much that needed to be talked about. He needed to situate himself in the real world with school, a job, and a place of his own. He needed to learn the mannerisms of humans since he didn’t care to pay attention before. But for now, taking a nap with him was the only thing on your mind, and that was okay.

Everything was okay.

[igotthesmellofbooks]

Invisible Chains

So. It's a series, I guess. Basically, a princess and prince love story. I think.

Anyways, enjoy!

*Please note:

To be used for reading purposes only. You may not pass this off as your own. If you would like to continue this by writing it even though it is not a prompt, kindly give me credit in case you do use it. Also, I will be posting some characters sketches as well. Hopefully.

I leaned against the railing of my balcony, gazing down at the gorgeous meadows below, the cool, dewy morning wind rippling my long hair. The sun peeked over the horizon.

I breathed deeply and relaxed my muscles.

One day.

Just one more day, then those buffoon princes would be here for whatever alliance my father wanted to form. What that had to do with me, I had no idea. But my father never shared any news about alliances with me, so I found this rather suspicious.

I don’t know why I was so nervous. It was a rather strange feeling for me.

Ugh, sometimes I wished I wasn’t a princess. Fine, most of the time.

Ever since a week ago, when one of my maids had found out my plan to escape from the royal palace, my father started keeping me under strict lock and key. I wasn’t even permitted to go the library anymore.

It was so infuriating. So, so infuriating, being under everyone’s scrutiny, to be judged every minute; no matter what I did. I couldn’t even eat as much as I wanted. (Oh, and before YOU start judging me as well, yes, I eat heartily. I work up an appetite by exercising. And I exercise a lot. I suppose I should be grateful my father even lets be train now. Hmph.)

Each day was the same without fail.

But I had this feeling that something was going to happen today.

My maid, Alyssa, was exceptionally loud today. She chattered on and on about how the new stable-boy was so handsome, and how the cooks had improved their cakes and how a maid was so rude and all sorts of gossip.

Strange. My father had ordered everyone not to speak to me after finding out about my plan to escape. It only served to solidify my feelings about today.

When I asked what was going to happen today, she refused to open her mouth again. Ugh, I certainly didn’t know the art of subtlety, did I?

Suddenly, I heard the rumble of my chamber doors opening. Seemed like my father had a little visit planned, hopefully to explain what the hell was going on.

To my disappointment, it was only a messenger. He cleared his throat nervously and began speaking, sweating under his collar. ”His majesty wishes to speak with her Highness this evening, over dinner at 7.”

Hmm. Interesting. I nodded vacantly in dismissal. “You may leave.” Alyssa told him. He bowed and left. She studied me. “What are you thinking?”

She was my only friend, so I didn’t mind her asking.

I shook my head. “Nothing. Just-” I sighed. “Just wondering what this is about.”

She gave me a small smile. “Don’t worry. You’ll find out soon enough.”

I returned her smile and turned back to my balcony.

I continued gazing at the horizon, the sun already in the sky. A flock of birds flew steadily in the sky. How I wished I could be free.

Almost at once, the morning quiet was shattered by a horse’s neigh, right underneath me. Sighing, I looked down and saw a horse, more than 10 feet from me, trying to bite a stable boy’s hand, which held a carrot. The rider himself was nowhere to seen.

Or so I thought.

A shrill whistle cut through the air, making both the horse and stable boy freeze, mid-tug.

A tall man, probably the rider, came from inside the stables and reached for the carrot, taking it. “Thank you. I’ll take it from here”, he spoke in a deep voice. A simple request, but spoken with authority. Must be a noble man or someone else. His voice did all fluttery things to my stomach. Hmm. It was not like me to swoon over a stranger; or rather, his voice. In fact, it was not like to swoon over anyone at all.

Meanwhile, the stable boy had left and now the tall man was brushing the horse’s mane and feeding it the carrot. WITH HIS BACK TO ME.

I have no idea why, but I get incredibly frustrated if I am unable to see a person’s face.

I could see nothing of his face save his luscious, raven – black hair.

Turn around, I silently said.

Scoffing, I returned my attention to the meadows.

Then I felt a pair of eyes searing into my skin. Shifting slightly, I peered over the railing and drank in every speck of his perfect features, marred only a tiny scar at the corner of his top lip. He was beautiful. Blessed with a square jaw, full lips, a perfect nose, high cheekbones and long lashes, he was as gorgeous as the devil. It was his eyes, though, that I found most mesmerizing. Beautiful cobalt eyes, dark as the ocean. Which were looking right at me.

To be continued….

[twoidiotwriters1]

Pure Blood 24 (Sirius Black x F!Oc)

Words: 1,839

Masterlist:

Chapter 23 // Chapter 25

“Persephone," Regulus complains rolling his eyes. "How long are you going to be like this?"

"Until you tell me the truth.”

"You can't hold me forever.”

"Try me,” I tighten my grip around his torso and he sighs.

“There's no truth, I don’t hide anything from you.”

"I know you lie, I've known you since you were a baby.”

"Perse- let me go!"

"No!"

He grunts and falls silent and looks around, a bit embarrassed at the attention we're getting. I'm about to tell him something else, but a sneeze interrupts me.

“You're still sick and you’ll make me catch it too if you continue in this way!"

"It's worth it, so you won't go out with your mysterious friends anymore!”

"Ok, I'll tell you, but please let me go!”

Little by little I obey and we both stand face to face. He fidgets uncomfortably.

"It's not something… it's complicated, Persephone."

"I'm worried about you, Reg. Sirius told me that–”

"Wait, Sirius?" He asks raising an eyebrow.

"He saw you with Rosier, come on Reg, you always hated them, what’s changed?"

"Now you believe my brother?"

"Don't change the subject," I point out. "Why were you with them?"

"Nothing, it's a boys’ thing" he shrugs.

"Oh, come on. That doesn't work for me.”

"You can't know, Persephone," he says suddenly serious. "You better not go where it does not concern you.”

He walks past me and his shoulder bumps with mine. Never since I knew him had he treated me like this. He asks for space, and obviously I won't give it to him, he's hiding something from me and I must find out.

Trixie left, Sirius is acting suspiciously nice, I’ve to catch up on my assignments, Remus following me like a shadow and my cold, which is almost out of my system, but I'm still sneezing. And I can't enjoy winter, I’d love to see snow cover the school, but no.

What else can go wrong?

I walk into the Great Hall and sit at the lion's table. Jenna’s on my left, Lily is on my right, while Remus is in front of me and Peter’s next to him.

"And the other two musketeers?" I ask him. Remus shrugs.

"They've been acting pretty weird lately."

We didn’t give it importance and we continued talking. Lily’s explaining to me something they did in the history of magic, but I was distracted the moment two Ravenclaw girls passed very close to Remus, they see him with a smile, whisper something, laugh and continue on their way.

Lupin also notices but he just looks down and his cheeks turn red.

"What just happened?" I say interrupting Lily.

"It doesn't matter," Remus whispers.

"You say it like it's happened to you before, Wolfie," I raise an eyebrow and he just shakes his head.

"Didn't the girls leave you alone?" Lily adds looking at him worriedly.

"Wait, which girls?"

Remus looks at her pleadingly not to say anything to me, but Lily ignores him.

“Some girls find what happened with Trixie and Remus very funny. 'I can't believe she noticed him' and 'He's the worst of the marauders' is what they say–”

"They say what?!”

"Percy, forget it, it's not worth it,” Remus says trying to calm me down.

"Of course, those lies are not worth giving importance to–”

“No they aren't. They are right though, everyone is. I'm a laughingstock.”

"You can’t be serious.” I can't believe Remus thinks that. His eyes look at me sadly and I feel my heart shrink.

"Remus John Lupin stop thinking like that!” He rolls his eyes.

"Percy the faster I accept it, the less damage."

“I’m offended!"

“Persephone,” Lily warns me, but I ignore her.

"I can't understand how you think like that, Remus."

“Percy…”

“No, I will not allow it. If you only saw yourself as I do, you would think differently. You’re one of the best people I’ve ever met. You’re kind, intelligent, you defend your friends and family, you’re stronger than you think! You still don't believe me?"

He scratches the back of his neck.

"Remus, you’ve helped me in so many ways, I cannot see you as a bad person, or as a loser, do not compare yourself with your friends, everyone has their qualities and if others don’t see how incredible you are, then they lose. Besides, that's better since I'll have more of you all to myself,” I joke and he smirks.

"Thanks, Percy."

I want to answer, but I see another group of girls in the distance who point to my friend. My body feels tense and I stand up despite Remus and Lily's warnings.

"Hey!" I yell at the group and they stop laughing. "If you want to keep talking about Remus, it’d be better to say it to our face and not just laugh like kids and then run away!" The girls blush and try to hide at their table. Now I have the undivided attention of others. “And this goes for everyone else, why don't you get a life instead of continuing to talk about what happened with Trixie? She’s gone, stop being idiots and let others live!” I glance at Remus. “Remus Lupin is one of the best people who have studied here and is much better than the vast majority of you.”

Some others whisper among themselves. I ignore it and sit down again. I've never seen Remus so flushed, but at least he's smiling.

"You didn’t have to do that.”

“A ‘thank you’ would’ve been nice,” I joke and he laughs.

"Don't worry, Remus. Surely after that speech, the girls will be behind you,” adds Jenna sarcastically.

"Yeah sure," He snorts.

“Hey!" I complain "Didn't you just hear what I just said?”

"Thanks, Percy. But you have to admit that I’ve never been good at romantic relationships."

“What?"

"Name a girlfriend of mine, skipping the devil," He says with an amused smile at the nickname.

I think for a few minutes and realize that it’s true. Remus hasn't had a girlfriend. I completely ignore the thought of my older sister having a crush on him.

"It doesn't matter, you’ll find a great girl, who’ll have to be approved by Lily and me,” Lily rolls her eyes. "All in good time, Wolfie. Soon you will have to reject your admirers.” He laughs.

"Surely.”

"Enough of so much negativity! You’re a very handsome boy, any girl would die to be with you!”

"Whatever you say, Percy,” I don't like the way he says it. How can he not tell how wonderful he is?

“Remus," I complain.

"Okay, maybe you're right, but I don't think any girl would-"

I don't let him finish, I pull his shirt to bring him closer and I kiss him, closing my eyes. I never would have believed that Remus' lips were so soft and delicate. For a few seconds I feel that he wants to reciprocate the kiss and- damn- he’s good. But the kiss suddenly ends when he pushes me away. I open my eyes and meet his pale expression and that's when I realize what I just did.

Holy shit.

I sit back on the bench and I can feel many glances on me.

"P?" Jenna asks, but I don't dare look at her, I keep staring at Remus.

"Uh, that- that's a test… maybe now everyone will notice you?” I stutter.

I grab my bag and run out of the large dining room with my eyes downcast to avoid everyone's stares.

What else can go wrong?

“Sirius?"

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

"Only this happens to you.”

"Thanks for the support.”

"Why the fuck did you kiss him?"

"I don't know, Jenna!"

"Do you know what you need?"

"Kill myself?"

"No, a girls' night" she says excitedly and I complain.

"Not again…”

The girls have been having sleepovers for a long time and Jenna has always invited me, but I always decline. I know Lily's friends are good and our relationship has improved and blah blah blah. But I’ve never been one of those things, now less, they’ll want to ask about what happened.

"Come on, I just ask you to be one night!"

"That's what everyone says," I say putting a hand on my chest exaggerating. Jenna sighs.

“Please?"

"But they’ll about ask what happened and talk nonsense and I'm going to be uncomfortable…”

"P, If you feel like this, I’ll give you permission to go, please, just one night!"

I see her pleading face and I growl.

"At least I hope sweets.”

“Sure."

We were silent for a few seconds.

“Don’t you really know why you kissed Remus?"

“No!"

"There must be a reason…”

"Well, I don't have it.”

“P…”

I pout.

"Stop scolding me,” I say taking my green blanket and putting it over my head. Jenna sighs.

"We were just coming off the Trixie drama and now you come up with this!”

"You're going to make me cry.”

"I think that's my job," says a third voice. We look up and behind our couch is my older sister.

"I don't want to see anyone anymore, come back later or never, thank you.” I complain now, covering my face behind the blanket.

I feel the chair move and I hear a little "I'm sorry" from Jenna.

"They say you were in the infirmary.”

I uncover my face and glare at my sister.

"Yes, like three years ago, thanks for worrying, sister."

She rolls her eyes.

“Not all your rumors interest me and most are false. Like that one about you kissing Lupin,” She says disinterestedly or so it seems because her eyes are towards the fireplace.

My body tenses.

"Er, haha, yes, people make up a lot of things…”

“Did you?" She says suddenly, her voice fails a bit.

"I didn’t plan to fall into the black lake,” Felix did.

"You know I'm not talking about that.”

What, this is not the invisibility blanket?

“Juno…”

"Is it because of what you read in my journal?"

“It's not what you think, I don't know why I kissed him, I don't understand, I'm trying not to panic, but come on Juno. Your crush with Remus was nothing serious, was it?"

"That does not entitle you to–”

"You sound like dad already,” I wince.

"At least I'm on his side.”

“Now, let's talk about family favoritism!”

"It is not necessary, we both know that you’re no longer on that list.”

I grunt.

“Is that what you came to then? To claim something from me that you have no right to and to emphasize the obvious– don’t you have something else to do?"

Her response was a clean slap on my innocent cheek.

“You’re a mess, Persephone. You always were, now the whole family knows it and soon all the important people of the magical world will know it too,” She says and smiles falsely. “Can’t wait to see you at the meeting,” She ends and then walks away.

“Ouch…" I rub my cheek.

Taglist

@treestarrrrrrrr @siriuslysirius1107      @thagreenmoon @madmaiden2890  @ren-ela   @avipshamitra   @auroraawrites @findzelda  @lizlil @siriusmuch   @chloe-geoghegan1 @reverse-hxlland  @may-rapp @the-specific-oceans

 @bloodorangemoonlight​

@eveft​

[ratabrasileira]

I love how Az pines after ONE female, and suddenly he's this evil, awful Fae male. admittedly, its a little weird for it to go on for so long but whatever, it's SJM. we never said the shit she writes makes sense, but not once not ONCE has he ever forced himself on Mor. they're friends, but she knows he has a crush on her and that's the extent of it.

then the entire fandom sexually objectifies and fantasizes about him for years. YEARS. then he has One Horny Thought about Elain and suddenly he's canceled. i really fail to understand how this is Az's fault. have the headcanons of the fandom really poisoned peoples minds so much?? they're out here calling him daddy dom and wanting him to spank and choke them à la S&M Rihanna, but when he (mentally! to his godsdamnself!) admits he jacks off to the thought of Elain sometimes (btw, a completely normal fucking thing to do,) suddenly he's the Devil and Must Be Canceled as if the fandom hasn't been sexually objectifying and drooling over him as a 50 shades type character this entire time.

seems pretty hypocritical imo. idk. that might just be me.

Oh hello, nonnie.

Tbh I've never paid too much attention on Azriel. I joined this fandom in the beginning of this year and tumblr was all about Nesta and Rhys and yes, Az and the ship war (I was obsessed with Feysand). But now that I'm paying attention to his character... I can't enjoy him and I'll explain you why. Yet, I do think he has a very interesting backstory and I would definitively read his heal arc; he's a good guy we all know that, otherwise he wouldn't be in the IC (some people may disagree on this lmao).

"He has never forced himself on Mor." True, but he reminds her of his feelings and that it's always there. I don't know about you, anon, but for me it would be creepy to have a guy pining after me and just... don't get the hint that "heeey we don't have a chance". Mor want to be his friend, but Az was hopeful that her feelings for him would be somehting more in the five centuries that they live together. Also, I don't think he'd loved Mor, maybe for a few years, but then what was supposed to be love turned to be an obsession. I can't with it; it brings me weird feelings.

Anyways, others reason for me to dislike him:

The way the fandom portraits him; as you said, a sexual object. Yeah, falf of my frustration is about the fandom and not the character itself. The things I see people saying about him is how sexy and misterious he is and a idead of how Azriel is like. I didn't read fics or headcanons about him to say that there is a fanom Azriel, but I don't doubt that there is; not when I see people saying that his POV was so OOC (we don't even know the guy). So, I don't want to be associated to this Azriel idea.

He is quiet, he doesn't show his opinion frequently and when he does, he tries to leave as the good guy. I can't connect with it. I used to spend most of my time playing video games with people like Azriel. I'm not saying that he'll be quiet and then say something disgusting, but the impression he gives to me is something like that. It's awful to think that a guy is cool, like "yeeeeh we're having a good time together" and then the guy says "oh but not all men" or "but you're a woman!"

He's sad and need therapy and, nonnie, the amount of "exposed" on twitter that I saw because of it. There are real people thinking that sad boys are sexy and all those stuffs and I can't with it. I see this same situation with Azriel; everybody hype him because he's misterious and good-loking, but he have such heavy traumas and don't know how to deal with it. It's the same situation that happaned with Tamlin and I don't want Azriel to become a Tamlin 2.0 (can you imagine how Feyre will feel specially if Elain becomes a Feyre 2.0?). I want Azriel to heal first and then go after his LI.

He has angry issues.

Now about his sexual thoughts.. I don't think people disliked him for imagining Elain in a sexual way. Everyone (I think) has sexual thoughts and, as you said, it's ok!! It's normal and common and health!! Thing is: he only thought on Elain in a sexual way while it seems that he wanted to build a relationship with her.

I think people started changing their opinion about Azriel because of the redflags that there are in his POV. He only thought about her as a pretty face and a way to find true hapiness with love. He didn't see her. We all know that a relationship like that is unlikely to work, so people got careful about it.

And this situation of him being "freak in bed" actually concerns me mostly because of how will SJM deal with it. But, as I said, I never undestood this hype that he got. I would love to see BDSM representation in the books (please don't make it as 50 shades) and I even have headcanons about it for Az, although it's just a slight and distant idea. What I do care about Azriel is his past and traumas and how he'll deal with it, not how handsome he is.

I hope you undesrtand what I meant, anon. If you disagree with me about anything that I listed feel free to call me out or other stuff, I'm always open to a debate, although half of what I said is my feelings for the concept that I have about the character and personal taste. And sorry about the long post 😅

[writeyouin]

The Crooked Man X Reader - Purpose (COMMISSION)

A/N – Thank you for yet another commission from @petitelepus​. I hope this is to your liking.

Warnings – Minor thoughts of suicide. Minor harassment.

Rating – T

Commission Request: A female Reader Fable who is loyal to the Crooked Man down to the bone! She knows what he is doing is wrong but he also gave her life a meaning.

Word Count - 1827

You clung tightly to your purse which was the only thing you had left in the world; all it contained now was one lonely five-dollar bill and a pocket-sized painting of your cottage in the homelands. You had never been one of the main fables that the Mundy’s talked about, only one of many scullery maids in Prince Charming’s palace; nobody of great importance.

Ever since you had come to the Mundy realm, it had been one problem after another, going week to week trying to scrape enough money together just to survive. Now, with no money and no job prospects from either Fabletown or the surrounding Mundy area, you were forced to go to the Business Office for help. If Old King Cole was still around, you doubted it would be a problem; he was a merry old soul after all. However, the person you had to convince was Ichabod Crane, and you had heard that he didn’t have much in the way of generosity. Although it was late and you were the last person awaiting a meeting with Mr Crane, you hoped it wouldn’t affect his judgement, and that he might be moved to help you.

Finally, Crane himself opened the door but it wasn’t to see you, it was to kick both Snow White and Bufkin out.

“TAKE THAT WRETCHED CREATURE AND KEEP IT AWAY FROM THE BUSINESS OFFICE MISS SNOW! I WILL NOT TOLERATE ANY MORE OF ITS DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOUR.”

Snow looked like she was about to argue, but had evidently had enough that day, “Come on Bufkin, let’s leave the Deputy Mayor alone; it’s closing time anyway.”

“Yes, Miss White,” Bufkin agreed, not caring that Crane had kicked him out. The advantage of being a flying monkey was that he could always get back into the Business Office from the outside window whenever he wanted to, and now he could mooch a drink off someone before returning.

“AND YOU-” Crane pointed an accusing finger at you, seeming to lose some of his bluster afterwards, “Make it quick.”

“Yes, Sir,” You squeaked, stepping into the office and closing the door behind you.

Crane walked to his desk, closely followed by you as you explained your plight. At the sound of your desperation, he started paying closer attention.

“So you need money,” Crane concluded.

“Yes, Sir, but a loan would be fine, I’ll pay it back as soon as I find work.”

“That’s redundant. If you are unable to find work, then I’ll have wasted an investment. It would be better if I simply gave you a job myself.”

“That’d be wonderful, Sir. I used to be a scullery maid so I can clean and-”

Crane waved your explanations away, “I am not in need of a maid. I have another job in mind for you.”

“Anything, Mr Crane. I’ll do anything.”

Crane closed the gap between the two of you, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear in a way that only made you feel vulnerable and afraid. “That’s what I like to hear.”

You tensed up, clenching your teeth, the hairs on the back of your neck standing up as Crane trailed his hand down your arm. Under his touch, you froze, feeling cheap and abused.

“I happen to need someone for various roleplays,” Crane told you. “And since you’re willing to do anything-”

Coming to your senses, you pushed Crane away from you, running out of the office as fast as you could with tears in your eyes; Crane’s screamed insults following you out of the room.

In the dark of the night, you kept running, not daring to stop lest your shame catch up to you. Without Crane’s money, you had nothing, not even enough to rent somewhere cheap for the night. Once you got to the park, you finally stopped running, walking along the bridge so you could look down at the glassy water that reflected you and your many failings.

Catching your breath, silent tears slid down your cheeks. What was the point of living in a world crushed in the fist of capitalism? With all that you had in the tiny handbag, you may as well resign yourself to starving to death, if the cold didn’t take you first. It would probably be better if you drowned yourself now. Unlike Mundy lakes, the one in Fabletown was deceptively deep, and would serve as a half-decent final resting place. Mechanically, you inched your leg over the side of the little wooden bridge, so you were straddling the handrail.

“Begging your pardon Miss, but I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” a cockney voice said from behind you.

You turned to find Tiny Tim watching you sympathetically.

“Tim,” You breathed, recognising him instantly; it was hard not to when he was such a major character.

“Aye, thanks for leaving off the tiny. I hate it when people say that. You wanna come with me? I have someone interested in employing you.”

You looked towards the glassy water once again, fear now clutching your heart as you scrambled to get away from it, back onto the safe side of the bridge. Tiny Tim put an arm around you to steady you. “Do you want my coat, Miss? You’re freezing.”

You nodded jerkily, stuck with the thought that you had been close to throwing your life away. Tiny Tim removed his coat, wrapping it around your shoulders. “Alright then, you coming? I’m s’posed to take you to the boss.”

“Who is it?”

“Ah…Best he explains it, he’s had a bit o’ bad press lately, so his name does no good.”

You started thinking of all the villains you knew of. Bluebeard, the Tweedles, the Jersey Devil; you couldn’t picture Tiny Tim working for any of them.

“I promise he’s good. He gives people like you and me jobs. Who else’d hire me as a bodyguard?”

“…Alright, I’ll join you.”

With an amiable smile, Tiny Tim led you towards an out of place door on the bark of a tree, deep within the park. From the door, he led you down a rich hallway till you were in front of two solid-oak doors.

When he opened them, you found a man like no other. He was an older gentleman with a sagging left eye, as if he’d had a stroke. His nose looked like it had been broken more than once, and he held a cane, to keep up straight.

Instantly, your breath left your body in a state of panic, for who did not know of the Crooked Man? He was whispered to have taken part in every recent major crime in an attempt to control Fabletown, and there was nothing he wouldn’t do; suddenly, Ichabod Crane was starting to look like a real martyr.

“Miss (L/N), Sir,” Tiny Tim announced, before leaving you alone with the Crooked Man.

“Ah, yes, Miss (L/N), please, take a seat,” The Crooked Man gestured to the sofa opposite him in the small office.

“Why am I here?” You asked in a small voice, sitting down.

“Why? Because I heard that you were looking for employment, and I saw the manner in which Crane was planning to abuse you.”

“How? That only just happened…”

“Ah, it is of no real concern,” The Crooked Man answered, thinking of Bloody Mary and all she managed to see through her mirrors. “Tea? Coffee perhaps?”

“No, thank you.”

“Ah, I see you have manners. They’re so often overlooked nowadays, don’t you think? Alright, down to business,” He sat down in the armchair and scratched his chin. “I have heard that you are in need of employment, and it so happens that I’m looking for a personal chef, as well as a house maid. You will be free to come and go as you like, and you will be handsomely compensated for your work. The only thing I would ask is for your discretion. You see, my name has certain connotations, as I’m sure you are well aware of.”

A small part of you wanted to ask whether you would be executed if you didn’t take the job, but another larger part of you didn’t seem to care. You had met Tiny Tim time and time again, and he seemed to be a reasonably good judge of character. Perhaps he was right; it wasn’t every day you got offered a job that you were suited to for a good wage.

“It will be a pleasure to work for you, Sir,” You inclined your head politely.

After three months of working for the Crooked Man, you had never been happier. The work was good and it paid more than you deserved. You found yourself looking forward to taking his meals to him, enjoying every interaction with him. He was always polite and respectful, in a way that nobody else had ever been before, and whenever you brought the tea tray to his meetings, he made sure his goons always treated you with the upmost respect. Once, Tweedle-Dee had dared to lay a hand on you, and he was immediately punished. It wasn’t a pretty sight, but it had warned the others off you for good.

While you knew that the Crooked Man’s business dealings were morally wrong, you found that you didn’t care. He had brought you back from the brink of depression, and for that, you would forever be loyal to him.

“Breakfast, Sir,” You announced yourself into the office where he spent most of his time.

“Hm,” He replied, reading through some paperwork. He was unusually quiet as he scanned the script in front of him.

“Everything alright, Sir?”

He put the papers down with a sigh, managing a smile for the first time that morning. “Nothing that cannot be fixed. Just a dip in some stocks of mine that I find rather disappointing.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It will all be fine, my dear,” He said with a grin.

Your breath hitched in your throat; he’d never called you anything but your name before. Was it possible that he held the same feelings for you that you harboured for him? Or was it merely a platonic nickname, now that you had been working for him a while.

“A penny for your thoughts, (Y/N)?” He asked, noting your distress.

As coolly as you could, you approached him with his morning tea. Upon delivering it to his desk, you pecked his cheek. It was a move that could possibly lose you your job, but you decided to risk it anyway. If the Crooked Man had any thoughts, he kept them well guarded as you silently left the room, your heart pounding. Once the door was shut, the Crooked Man pressed a hand to where your lips had been and took a deep breath. He would have to find a way to repay the gesture ten-fold; you had very quickly become more to him than just another employee.

Like my work? Buy me a coffee and earn preview of the next fic, or commission me on the commissions page.

[babyjiminiexx]

Angel On Fire (Chapter 1)

Sinopsis/Chapter 1/ Chapter ?

Demon!andBisexual!Jimin X Demon!reader (Mention of the other members)

When you fell in love with him you had never thought you would get caught and pay for it. But here you are now, body fuming with hate and ready to sow the pain with every step you take.

————-

Warnings: mention of sex, swearing and mature language, mature topics... 

Author's Note: i just wanted to say a quick thank you to every single one of you for sharing and leaving kind messages about AOF!! i didn’t expect any of this and i am SO GLAD!! that you’re liking the idea and the direction it’s taking!!  💖

Also, this is kind of a chapter 0, it’s to put in situation so i’m sorry if this doesn’t have the drama y’all were expecting, i want to slowly build it and put my readers in situation so this can last as long as i can write about it and so you can really get that conection that i wish i can give you!! but anyways, i hope you’ll like this and again, thank you so so much, i’ll try to do a proper post about this!!  💖 💖 💖 💖 💖 💖 💖

————-

"Wow... That was... Like... WOW!", you couldn't help but laugh at the comment, "Seriously! It was the best sex I've ever had!"

You get up from the bed that was now witness of the many sins you had committed during the night and turned your head to the young boy that was laying on his back, still naked.

"Why are you so surprised?", you ask while lightning up a cigarette.

"I-I don't know! No woman has ever done the things you did to me!", he said, still trying to recover his breath, "Don't be so dramatic", you laugh.

Slowly, you make your way back to the bed, leaning your body over his and caressing his cheek, "You're actually cute, do you know that?"

"Did you came?", the boy asks. Of course you didn't. "It was great", you say placing a peck on his lips.

Humans... Specially men, always trying to do their best, but still failing at it, how sad... But what counts is the intention, they say. He was just a boy in his early 20s, you found him alone trying to get your attention at the bar a few hours earlier. It was cute how much effort he would put in his actions to see if you would notice him, and the way his blood made a single turn all over his body when you finally approached him was even cuter. You needed a distraction, again. It wasn't that hard to get one anyways. As a demon, you could make any woman or man fall for you whenever you wanted to, and you soon found that eternity could feel pretty lonely, so that came in handy. At first you weren't really down for that idea; your Master insisted that a few of his disciples showed you that being on the otherside of Heaven wasn't that boring after all.

When in the Land of Gods, any contact with the human world was totally forbidden; in the Netherworld... Boy that was a different story...

Demons found fun in playing with the human race, distantly or near them. They were so innocent, so ignorant, so... human, that living amongst them turned into your favorite pastime.

And this boy was a pretty good pastime.

"Can you stay the night?", the boy asked you with puppy eyes. Again, he's so damn cute.

"No baby, I have grown ups things to do..."

"Now? It's 4AM! Don't you ever sleep?"

"Darling, the Devil never sleeps", and with that, you got out of the apartment, going straight to yours.

Forgetting about why you were out in the streets at this time, you actually enjoyed late night walks like these. The silence. It was really nice when you spent your whole day in between noises of cars, people complaining and others. You could use this silence admire things that simple humans couldn't see, and it was beautiful.

You weren't that far away from your apartment, on your way there you just crossed the path of a drunk homeless man that kept ranting about not having wine anymore, so you being you, you gave the poor man a few gallons of it, just so he could have a little more fun out there. He was too drunk to notice how you managed to make appear the wine anyways.

Not even a second in your home, you start to feel strange. Not strange in a bad way, but surprisingly good; everything was feeling so peaceful, maybe too peaceful, way too good to be real. That strange feeling had been following you all day, you couldn't perceive what it was, but you knew it was there. A warm and peaceful feeling. You double checked your apartment, not really sure about what you hoped to find...

"So, Paris, huh?", you sigh in relief and smile at the sound of that familiar voice, "I can't say I expected to find you that far away"

"Jimin...", you left your coat on the kitchen counter and went straight to give the blond boy a hug, "Feels good to see you..."

"How long was it? 18? 19 years? Let me see you...", he took your hands and made you turn around, "2020 looks amazing on you, glad you abandoned these thin eyebrows and cowboy boots from the 2000s", he laughed.

"Come on, full denim boy, you thought you were the top in the 2000s!"

"And I sure was..."

It was good to see him again, you didn't actually realize how much you were missing Jimin until now. He was the first person to not look at you like he was about to eat you raw when you fell into the Netherworld. And he was one of the firsts to show you all the pleasures of that world too, every pleasure. You can say that all you are today is thanks to him; he was your best friend, and that explained the feeling that accompanied you the whole day.

"So, what did I miss?", he asks you while taking a bottle of red wine from your shelf.

"Nothing much...", you sigh, "the usual, I'm always here and there, trying to get fun from now and then..."

"I saw that...", he said with a smirk. You obviously knew he was there, he would never miss seeing you in these kinds of situations, you even thought you had seen him smiling at you in the corner of the dark room of the boy's apartment. You chuckle at that thought. "The boy was very handsome, very very handsome... A pity he wasn't that good..."

"What can you ask from humans?", you laugh, clinking your glass now half full of wine with his, "but i'm sure you're not here to tell me how much you like watching me get fucked by cute boys, am I wrong?"

He laughs slightly, "You're right..."

"So, what's wrong?", you could see his eyes darken at the question, which made you worry a little bit. Jimin wasn't the type to get upset or annoyed by things that easily.

"I'm worried about you, y/n... I’ve been watching you...", you didn't need further explanation.

" I don't know what you are talking about, Jimin", of course you knew.

"Y/n... Stop trying to find him... He's older than you, more powerful, more cunning... He knows you're looking for him, he has known for the past 373 years... Stop wasting your time like that..."

"If you came here just to tell me to stop you can go through that damn door and go back to where you come from. He has to pay", you said, starting to feel your body heating up in anger.

"I know you're still in pain, but it has turned into an obsession, and he will always be ahead of you..."

"I know that! I've been behind him for years!", you yell. "Jimin, baby... it's been 20 years, please can't you just forget about that for a moment and recover lost time?"

"I know...We just worry about you, we don't want to see you ruin your existence on Taehyung...", he says warmly taking your hand in his.

"Jimin, I love you, you know that, right?", he nods, "So please, understand that I cannot stop, because what you can't understand and will never feel is the pain that I've been enduring for the past 400 years, it's more than physical pain, it's more than my scars. It's my whole self burning alive from the inside every damn day."

"I know... I just want to let you know that I care about you, and even though Taehyung is who he is, I understand, and I won't stop you... Just take it easy, for you. How long have you not enjoyed things?"

"Well, twenty minutes ago actually...", Jimin sighs and laughs,"I'm not talking about that kind of enjoyment"

You knew how worried he was, and you understood it. Him and the rest of the boys back home had seen you cry tears of blood and experiencing madness at its pure form for months after you fell into the Netherworld. You remember seeing Taehyung in your dreams and waking up screaming and debating yourself so hard that Yoongi and Namjoon had to go to your room and try to calm you down by force. These two... You also spent all these months hating them for that, for using force on you, for tying you to your bed and immobilizing you for hours. But when you finally accepted everything, the situation and your current life, you found yourself apologizing to them for making them go through a few rough months. At the end of the day, they had no other choices than trying to quiet you down, otherwise the Master himself would have taken care of you, and that wouldn't have been a pretty thing to see... Tortures in the Netherwolrd were never pretty...

You never understood why amongst all the demons, these men were the only ones that showed interest and care for you; the others would just stare at you like their future meal, or try to sneak out behind you, just for the fun of tormenting you. But soon enough, your friends showed you how to handle things, and most importantly, they showed you how to be aware of your own power, your own capabilities, which came in really handy as for the Netherworld as for the human world.

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

You don't know how long you've been talking to Jimin now, it just feels right. You missed him so much and now him being here with you is the most amazing feeling ever.

"Are you going to leave?", you ask, sadness suddenly invading your body.

"Probably..."

"Where are you going to go this time?"

"Well", he sighs, "I have some place I want to visit, people I want to meet, you know, the usual... I don't really want to be bothered by unfortunate visits by the others so I was thinking about Madrid... or the Philippines... or even Hawaii..."

"These are... three completely opposite places", you laugh.

"Yeah... I would like to try my luck there though, remember I have all the time I want to discover and rediscover the world, just like I’ve been doing”

“I guess you always have new people to meet and new things to see... Crazy how the world can change in a few hundred years...”, sometimes you found yourself remembering how the world used to be like. How different and great it was, even though each era had its difficulties and wars, or even pandemics, each one had its charm... You kind of missed some of these eras.

You and Jimin stayed looking at each other for a while, in silence. You don't want him to leave and you know he doesn't want to leave either, but you know he has to. It's sad though, now that your best friend found you after almost 20 years, for him to leave like that... You hoped he would stay a few more days at least, but you also understand why he wants to leave so fast. No one wants to stay in the same place for too long.

“I’ve missed you, you know?”

“I know”, Jimin answers, taking your hand in his, “but I you know I’ve never liked this frenchie style of life...”

You both laugh looking at your apartment. It was indeed the most cliché apartment in the most cliché place on Earth. It was nice though.

“Just... Be careful... Don’t do anything stupid, okay?”, you ask.

“When did I stopped making stupid things?”

“That’s true...”, you laugh. At the end of the day, you guys were still demons; any thing you did didn’t matter, at least while you don’t piss the Master off, that would be the end of you. “Will you stay here for the day at least?”, without realising it, you suddenly turned into the cute boy you left alone in his room earlier this night, and you couldn’t help but smile at the thought. 

“I guess I can... What about a tour of this beautiful and not full of piss at all city?”, he proposed, to which you accepted right away.

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

It was actually a great day. You and Jimin had been outside all day and it turned surprisingly well, or maybe it was the fact that you were finally reunited with your best friend that made everything look fine. 

“I think I know this guy...”, Jimin suddenly said while looking at a painting in one of the many halls of the Louvre.

“Oh, come on! How can you know this random dude on a 250 years old painting?”; you laugh.

“Laugh all you want, darling. I think this guy died from the Plague and is still now to this day running naked through the Master’s mansion”

“You’re fucking playing with me! I’ve never seen this guy!”

“No, I swear! I took him infront of the Master and he went completely mad!”

You continued your walk through the museum while laughing and, even though it sounded crazy, talking about the people in the painting, actually recognizing a few of them. It was a random though that crossed your mind, but it was really crazy yet amazing how you knew at least half of these people, painters and painted, and humans had no idea.

“I tell you, if anyone knew that Van Gogh was busy doing lines with Pablo Escobar in Hell, they would be surprised!”, you say thinking about it.

You kept talking and walking with Jimin until noon, not seeing the time pass. You finished you visit in the museum, took an Uber and went straight to the Eiffel Tour park, since Jimin had insisted to go there to see how the Tour would light up just after eight o’clock, even though he had seen it in the past.

You would always get surprised by the amount of tourists that would be there for the same thing, fortunately, you found a free spot. Both of you sat there and just like that, Jimin took out a bottle of wine for you.

“I’ll start thinking you have an alcohol problem...”

“Yeah, probably, but who cares?”, he laughed before opening the bottle like a pro, “honors to the ladies...”

You took a sip of the red wine, suprised by the taste. It was different, you weren’t a wine expert but you could tell it was an expensive one.

“Why do you look at me like that? If we’re going to get drunk at the feet of the Eiffel Tour, at least let’s do it with luxury...”, the dark haired boy took the bottle.

“Do you know anything about the others?”; you ask after a few minutes admiring the view.

Jimin took a deep breath and started looking through his memories, “Well, I don’t really know much. I haven’t seen them in a few years now...”

“Same... Last time I saw Jin was at an ABBA concert... 1982 I believe...”

“Ah... ABBA 1982 in Wembley Arena... What an epic concert...”

“Surely was...”, you chuckled, “But yeah, that was the last time... From what he told me Hoseok had apparently left for India in 1974 and never appeared again, so I assume he stayed there for a while, and maybe he’s still there; Jungkook was permanently staying in the United States, he got there in 1953 after touring through Europe; Namjoon, strangely, ended up being present for the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, thing that I am strangely not surprised about, he obviously survived to it and directly went to America; and Yoongi, no one knew about him, everybody started losing his tracks around 1834 when he sailed for an unknown destination...”

“Well... I can tell you that Jungkook and Namjoon are indeed still in America, from what I know Jungkook is kind of a famous social media influencer or something like that... Namjoon is currently working in a big advertising company... And for the rest, I know Jin is now in Japan, but I’m not really sure why though; and for Hoseok and Yoongi, no idea... I last saw them together in 1998 I think, they apparently missed me and wanted to grab some coffee all three of us and talk about the past, and them they just vanished again”

You were not really surprised to hear that, Hoseok and Yoongi had always been the most secretive ones when it came to their private life in the human world. They showed you and educated you a LOT too, but never went too far into explanations or anything. Obviously you loved them so much too, but you weren’t surprised at all about what Jimin just said.

“I guess Jungkook and Namjoon would be the easiest ones to get in touch with then...”

“Yeah. If you want to see them or call them you know they would always answer”

After a minute of thinking, you kind of felt bad about not really knowing anything about your friends, and it felt even worse that another friend had to update you. You knew how they were, you knew that seeing the circumstances of literally everything, everyone would have went their way. But it felt weird, you guys were so close once and now everybody was separated, ad two of them were basically missing.

“Don’t think about it too much, I can see smoke going out of your ears”, Jimin’s voice took you out of your own head, “You know they still love you”

“I know”, you sigh, “It’s just that I feel bad about not being there for them or not knowing about them...”

“Y/n... We’re fucking demons, and we’re way older than you, don’t you think we couldn’t sneak out and literally just spy on you whenever we want to?”

That... was actually true. 

You never really realized that, because you couldn’t really use that power, so you just forgot about it. But if Jimin could appear just like that in a random room while you were having fun with someone, without making a noise, you supposed any of them could.

“Why spy on me when you can knock on my door and take me out or something?”, you asked; for you it was obvious, it wouldn’t make sense to spy on someone or take care of them in the distance or make random objects in their rooms to manifest their presence, like they did in the past. 

“You know how they are, they’re enjoying their stay here, they’re just doing their thing, just they want to make sure you’re okay without intervining in your life just like that”

“I guess... I miss them though...”

And it was true, you missed them more than anything. 

“Stop being sad and get up”; your friend said after a few moments of silence.

“What? Why?”

“We’re going to get fun”, he extended his hand and you didn’t even had time to think, you just took it and followed him to the nearest metro.

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

You could feel yourself float to the sound of J Balvin’s voice. The discotheque was full of people and you were having the time of your life; way funnier than you going hunting alone...

Jimin and you had your eyes on a group of boys for a while now, and you were playing with them in the distance, teasing them. You obviously knew all of this was a show, because you both had them in your pocket since the first moment you entered the party, but like a lion with a gazelle, you liked watching your prey from far and play with them a little bit.

It didn’t need much for you to be stamped against the wall of the small bathroom by one of the boys with your dress up your ass. You assumed Jimin was having his fun with one of them too, so you didn’t worry too much about him, you just let yourself flow. The guy was handsome, just like the perfect mix between a young Johnny Depp and Keanu Reeves, exactly your type. And fortunately, you could see he knew what he was doing... But bad luck to you, I didn’t last as long as you wanted.

You adjust your dress, leave a last kiss on the Johnny Depp guy and leave the bathroom, looking for your friend. He apparently finished earlier than you because he was already half done with his drink.

“So?”, he ask.

“Well, let’s say I had my fun... What about you?”

“Nice guy...”, he smirks, “Come on, it’s getting late”

You could understand how what you guys were doing with people was not exactly THE THING to do for humans, they had more morals than you when it came to that, and during your life you had had bunches of arguments with passenger friends about that, but that’s just how things are. You know who you are, you know the power you have, you don’t care, that’s it, end of the conversation. 

It was nearly 4.30AM when you got out of the discotheque, the streets being full of drunk people either puking or singing with their friends. 

“Y/n...”, your friend called you; you didn’t realized he stayed behind you, “I have to go now...”

“Already?”, you fake cry.

“Hawaii is not the nearest place from here, you know?”

“So you’re going for Hawaii then?”

“Yeah I think so... You know you can always come visit me...”, he pulled you for a tight hug. 

You knew it wasn’t really a goodbye, it was more like a “see you soon”, but you couldn’t help feel horribly sad, and you hated that feeling. The only ones capable of making you feel what you call “human emotions” were your six friends. And you hated them for that.

“Thank you for today though, I had the best day I’ve ever had in a long time”, you smiled against his chest.

“Same for me... I’ll miss you... But seriously, come visit, I won’t be able to not see my best friend for another 20 years, I’ll go mad before that”

He laughs and when he starts pulling his body away from yours, you know it’s the goodbye. 

“I love you, okay?”, he says. “I know, I love you too...”

And before crossing the street and disappearing behind a building, he gave you a last passionate kiss that left you hungry for more. It was your ritual, a last goodbye kiss that meant that you’d see him again.

Yes, Jimin was your best friend, but you couldn’t deny the numerous feelings between you two, just like with the other five. But you just couldn’t let them flow. It’s not that you didn’t want to, it’s just how things are. One of the punishments of the Netherworld were to not being able to properly love someone. You felt love for Jimin, of course you did, but not the love you WANTED to. It was a big difference, what you wanted to do and what your body was able to do. And while you felt bad about it in the past, you have it like it’s the most normal thing in the world now; but still, you couldn’t stand the image of Jimin leaving you.

MASTERLIST 

[mxliv-oftheendless]

Writer’s Month Prompts Day 19

Day 19: Metamorphosis

Oh my god you guys this one was so much fun to write out! Requested by @cosmicrealmofkissteria <3 Hope you like it!!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Listen, Velma tried to be a good student. She was a Ravenclaw, after all; she just wanted to be a good student, make it through Hogwarts, graduate at or near the top of her class, and go on to have a promising career in whatever she excelled in. She was thinking Potions; it was rather like Muggle chemistry, which she had always been fascinated by.

So far she had nice friends as well; there was Fred and Daphne, both Gryffindors. Fred, a Chaser for the Gryffindor Quidditch team, wasn’t the brightest lightbulb of the bunch, but he still tried, and liked to create complicated traps with his magic. Daphne was a redheaded firecracker who all the boys agreed was one of the prettiest at Hogwarts (which kind of lowered Velma’s own self-esteem a bit but anyway), but she was the nicest girl and was always ready to defend her friends to bullies. There was also Norville, but he preferred Shaggy, a lanky beatnik of a Hufflepuff who sometimes got scared of his own shadow; he was kindhearted and was always down to hang out with his friends, or sneak into the kitchen to hang out with the house elves and eat. She was pretty sure all the house elves loved him.

Apart from her friends, who made life at Hogwarts more fun, there was also… Paul.

There were many reasons to stay away from Paul. For one he was a Slytherin, and although Velma didn’t believe in relying solely on stereotypes, she had been made fun of by enough Slytherins already to want to keep her distance from most of the lot of them. He also had the reputation of being a heartbreaker and a shameless flirt, flirting with girls and even some boys, and Velma wasn’t keen on getting her hopes up only to have them crushed. Also, although he wasn’t as obnoxious as her fellow Ravenclaw Ace Frehley, he still was one of the boys that liked to fool around in class. Did he ever actually get any work done?

So yeah, there were many reasons to stay away from Paul Stanley. Even if he had a cute face and that long dark curly hair and a charming smile… all the more reason to stay away from him. It was always the handsome ones that were the worst, her mother always said.

“Hey! Hey, Velma!”

Velma froze in the hallway. Speak of the devil… She turned around to find Paul himself running to catch up with her, bookbag bouncing against his side. He stopped and smiled as he worked to catch his breath. “Finally caught up with you… You dropped this.”

He held out… a quill? Velma blinked at him. “You ran all that way because I dropped a quill?”

Paul shrugged. “It wasn’t that far,”  

Blinking owlishly at him for a second, Velma reached out and took back the quill. “Thanks,”

“No problem.” She was about to turn around when Paul spoke again. “You’re headed to Transfiguration, right? Mind if I walk with you?”

And she was reduced to blinking owlishly at him again. He kept smiling for some reason and explained, “Ravenclaws and Slytherins have Transfiguration together. We’re in the same class.”

How did he know that? I mean she knew that, she’d known they were in the same class ever since term started, but why would he put in the effort to observe that?

Don’t fall for it, Velma. Don’t fall for the smile and the good looks. Plus everyone’s going to assume you’re dating him and you’ll never get a moment to yourself again. “I’d… I’d rather walk by myself, thanks,”

A look of disappointment flashed across his face, but only for about a millisecond. “Oh. Okay, that’s fine. I’ll see you in class, then.”

Velma nodded. “Yeah,”

She turned back around and strode briskly away, her mind turning. What was that about? No guy had ever put in the effort to talk to her before, unless it was to make fun of her or get closer to Daphne. Heck, Paul had even flirted with Daphne before. But Velma was alone. What did he gain from talking to her when she wasn’t with Daphne?

Unbeknownst to her, Paul was watching her walk quickly away, and he sighed. There went his chance to ask if she wanted to go to Hogsmeade with him. Gene was right; he really did have it bad for her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Velma paid attention carefully to Professor McGonagall as she lectured the class. They were learning the spell that would turn creatures into rabbits. She wondered if it would work on human beings as well, but before she could raise her hand and ask, Professor McGonagall was demonstrating the spell. Oh well; she could ask her after class was dismissed.

Readying her wand, Velma focused on the object in front of her, which was a jewelry box. She focused on the box, imagining it turning into a rabbit in her mind. She waved her wand. “Lapifors!”

The box morphed, until it was a small rabbit.

“Very good, Miss Dinkley,” Professor McGonagall complimented as she walked past, supervising the students as they attempted to pull off the spell. Velma beamed happily. “Perhaps you can also figure out how to reverse it back?”

Velma gave a moment of thought, then looked down at the rabbit sitting on her desk and waved her wand. “Repari—”

Then she suddenly jerked up as pain washed over her bones. Her arms and legs seized and jerked, and Velma felt a flash of panic as her wand fell from her hands and she suddenly heard a familiar voice screaming something. She fell out of her chair and her vision went dark.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Paul was barely paying attention to Professor McGonagall as she lectured them all on the spell. He was too focused on the back of Velma’s head. It was turned towards the front, and he knew from having other classes with her that she was paying close attention to every word. It wasn’t until Gene nudged him that he snapped back into focus and lifted his wand to attempt to perform the spell.

After a few tries, spent waving his wand at the water goblet on his desk and saying “Lapifors”, Paul gave up. He sat back and sighed, and glanced over at Gene’s successful attempt, currently sniffing around his desk. “How did you do that?”

“Say it with feeling,” Gene advised.

“I’ve been trying to do that!”

“Well try it again,”

Paul sat forward and lifted his wand. He was about to wave it when he heard, “Very good, Miss Dinkley,”

He looked up to see that Professor McGonagall had stopped at Velma’s desk. Had she already transfigured her object? He wondered if Velma was beaming proudly at the praise like she had once when Professor Snape said her sleeping draught was “acceptable”, the highest praise anyone outside of Slytherin was likely to receive from him. She had such a pretty smile…

Smiling at the thought of Velma’s likely happiness, Paul turned his attention back to his water goblet and waved his wand. “Lapifors!—Hey!”

Gene’s rabbit had crept over to his desk and started sniffing his arm, and Paul jerked his arm away, in the process moving his wand in the wrong direction. For a moment, he hoped nothing would happen. Then he suddenly heard shouts of surprise and looked up just in time to see Professor McGonagall back away and, terrifyingly, Velma collapse to the floor. He rocketed out of his chair and ran towards her desk, pushing through the forming crowd of students. He looked down… and stopped.

Velma’s robes, uniform, and glasses lay on the floor, nothing in them except a rather large lump. The lump began to move, until a small pink nose surrounded by brown fur poked out of the hem of the skirt.

Gasps rose and Paul’s stomach dropped in utter horror as a brown rabbit crept out of the robes.

Then sudden laughter began to erupt, maddeningly from a chorus of Slytherin girls. “Dinkley’s been turned into a rabbit!” they jeered. “Now she’s got four legs to match her four eyes!”

“Shut up!” Paul whirled around to shout at them. They stopped in utter shock, because Paul had never yelled in anger before. He turned back to Velma, who was being inspected by Professor McGonagall. “Is she okay?” he asked worriedly. He felt like the lowest form of humanity; this was all his fault. If only he’d been focusing on the water goblet instead of thinking about Velma…

“Miss Dinkley is all right,” Professor McGonagall confirmed. “But it seems someone has turned her into a rabbit.” She straightened up and fixed them all with a stern glare. “Well? Who is responsible for this?”

Paul knew there was no way he could get out of this. But he deserved whatever penalty he got. So with a regretful look, he raised his hand. “It was me… It was an accident, I swear. I wasn’t focusing and I moved my arm and—I’m sorry…”

Professor McGonagall looked at him sternly. “Mr. Stanley, be thankful this can be easily fixed. You could have caused irreversible harm to Miss Dinkley. We will discuss your punishment later. In the meantime, you will help me get Miss Dinkley and her belongings to the hospital wing.”

Her tone of voice left no room for argument; not even Gene was willing to protest Paul getting punished for a simple mistake when Professor Minerva McGonagall spoke like that. Paul simply nodded, “Yes, ma’am,” and went to grab Velma’s bookbag and wand. He also bent down to gather up Velma’s clothes from the floor while Professor McGonagall carefully picked up Velma, who was visibly shaking. Paul wondered if she was panicking over what was happening, or if she could hear and therefore knew it was Paul’s fault she’d been turned into a rabbit.

“All the rest of you, carry on,” Professor McGonagall instructed. “Return to your seats. Come along, Mr. Stanley.”

Paul nodded and followed her out of the classroom, the entire time wondering how he was going to apologize to Velma for this.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

He ended up keeping his distance from Velma for a week afterwards, too nervous of how she would react. He was also kept away by her friends, mostly Daphne, who upon hearing about the incident confronted him and accused him of doing it on purpose. He also had to serve detention, and got five points taken away from Slytherin. But he spent his entire detention thinking about what he was going to say, and as soon as he was set free he sped off to find Velma.

His first pick to look was the library, and to his glee he found her at a table in the back doing her homework. She was too absorbed to hear him approach, which was good, because it gave him a chance to get his nerves under control. He blew out a quiet sigh, clenching and unclenching his fists, then pulled a quill out of his pocket and placed it on the parchment she was writing on.

Velma stopped and looked up. He shrugged at her, hands in his pockets, and smiled. “A spare in case you lose your quill again,”

She frowned slightly, then pushed it back over to him and went back to work. His heart sank sadly, but he still didn’t give up. “Can we talk?”

“I’m kind of in the middle of something,” Velma whispered, not looking up at him. The harsh whisper stung.

“But I need to talk to you,”

“About what? Turning someone into a rabbit?”

Now that… that stung hard. A voice that for some reason sounded like Gene’s spoke in his head. Quit being a coward and say it. If nothing else than do it so I don’t have to hear you pining over her for another year.

He sighed and pulled out the chair beside her to sit down. “I’m so sorry that happened. I swear it was an accident. Gene’s rabbit sniffed my arm as I was saying the spell, and I jerked my body, like this—” he mimed his movements from the day of the incident, “and my wand moved and the spell hit you. I swear that’s what happened.” Velma glanced up at him, and for a moment he thought hopefully that she would speak, but then her eyes went back to the parchment. “I’m really, really sorry, Velma. If it makes you feel any better, I got detention and five points taken away from Slytherin.”

“Daphne said she was going to punch you in the face; that made me feel better.” Disappointingly, Paul’s face showed no signs of any punching. It never showed signs of any flaws; what was his skincare routine? Shut up, brain.

“Yeah, your friends confronted me in the hallway the other day. I told them it was an accident. Your one friend—Frank?”

“Fred,”

“Yeah, him, he said he would punch me in the face if he saw me go near you again,”

“Should’ve been Daphne who made that threat. Fred doesn’t follow through unless he’s in the moment.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. One time he saw a group of Gryffindors trying to beat up Shaggy and—” Velma froze, realizing she had raised her head and was looking at Paul. Oh jinkies, he was even cuter up close. “… And never mind.” She looked back down at her homework.

Paul’s heart sank again. He thought he’d been making progress. “Velma, please…” he reached out and placed his hand over hers, making her stop and look up at him. “Please let me make it up to you. I’ll do whatever you want. In fact…” he couldn’t believe he was going to say it, but, “do you want to go to Hogsmeade with me next weekend? I can take you to the Three Broomsticks or something, or wherever you want.”

Velma stared at him in utter surprise. After a moment of blinking at him, she asked, “… Are you asking me out on a date?”

“So I can make it up to you,” Paul said quickly. He didn’t want to ruin this somehow. “I can take you anywhere you want, or if you don’t want to do that I’ll do whatever you want. I just… I really like you, and maybe it doesn’t seem like it right now but I swear that I do. What happened in Transfiguration was a total accident.”

Silence. The seconds ticked by. And with every second that passed Paul’s anxiety grew. She was going to say no. She was going to tell him to go away. She was going to say to never talk to her again. She was going to yell—well, not yell because she wouldn’t want to get kicked out of the library—she was going to furiously whisper-yell that he had some nerve asking her out after he just turned her into a rabbit. She was going to—

“Okay,”

Paul immediately felt hope rise in his chest. “Really?”

“Yeah,” a faint smile was appearing in the corner of Velma’s mouth. “Okay. I’ll go to Hogsmeade with you. But I’m making you go with me to the bookstore first.”

Paul nodded his head so furiously that for a moment Velma thought it would fall off. “Okay, that’s fine. I’ll meet you in the courtyard before noon.”

“Sure.”

He couldn’t keep the smile off his face. “Well… great! I’ll leave you to your homework. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Velma had a smile on her face, and it was a breathtaking smile if he’d ever seen one. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Paul waited until he had left the library, because he didn’t want to get yelled at by the horrifyingly scary Madam Pince. But when he was out in the hallway, he pumped his fist in victory. “Yes!”

He was so going to tell Gene when he got back to the Slytherin common room that he finally asked out Velma Dinkley, the cute bespectacled Ravenclaw he’d been pining over since last year… and that she said yes. Next weekend couldn’t come any faster…

[serenitydusk]

Until Midnight

A fluffy fic request from my dear friend @nerdqueenkat​!  Just in time for her birthday!  Thanks to @ijwrff for being my beta!  

“I have a favor to ask you.” 

A pit of dread opened up in your stomach. The fact your boss was asking and not telling you to do something told you exactly how onerous you were going to find this task.

“And I’m asking you because I know you’ll do a great job.” 

And that just cinched it. “I’m going to hate this, aren’t I?’ You sighed.

“Absolutely.”  Gressil grinned. It did have a drop of sympathy in it. “I wouldn’t ask, but I cannot go, and you’re the only one I trust to not make a mess of things.”  He quickly explained that in all likelihood, you’d be one of the few, possibly only, humans there.  “Just mingle a bit, make some connections. Be seen.”  It was one of those parties that he couldn’t get out of without offending the host, but even he couldn’t be in two places at once. “There will be a bonus in it, plus overtime.”

In the end, he gave you the bonus up front, plus let you have the company credit card to buy an outfit and shoes. 

“Get whatever you need.” Well, you certainly had. You’d never paid this much for an entire season’s wardrobe let alone one dress. And the shoes. You had actually texted Gressil how much they were, expecting him to blow up and tell you absolutely not. But he had sent you to this place in particular.

‘That’s fine. Whatever you need.’

‘Gress, it’s more than my house payment…for just shoes….’

‘If that’s a hint for a raise….’  There was a pause, then a new text came through. ‘Ok. You should see the increase in next month’s check.’

You nearly choked. You’d never, not once, asked for a raise, and to be fair, you’d never really had to. Gressil had always been good about making sure you were well paid, above what was considered a competitive salary.  

You had to admit, you looked …really good. The guy that helped you pick out everything had been a genius and had made a shopping trip you’d been dreading into something that was almost fun.  

But all that confidence dwindled once you got inside and saw everyone.  Every. Single. One. of them was perfection. Perfect smiles. Perfect hair. Perfect clothes. Perfect bodies.  And here you were a fraud playing dress up and feeling like a potato. The anxiety welled up inside, breaking you out in a cold sweat.  You’d promised Gressil an hour.  One hour. And then you could leave.  And after about fifteen minutes you decided you could do this.  It’s not like anyone was noticing you anyway. You’d made your appearance, now you just had about forty-five more minutes that would have earned you a nice bonus you could use at Christmas.

“You’d think a place like this would have hired decent help.”  A man smiled at you snidely.  You weren’t sure what exactly he was, but he definitely wasn’t human. Not with the green skin and scales. “Do be a dear and run and fetch us some more champagne, won’t you? If you’re quite done gawking.” He looked back at his companion snickering, “Humans… barely worth the effort to impress really.” 

You looked behind you, trying to figure out who he was talking to, when it dawned on you that he was talking ...to you. “I’m not sure what you’re thinking… but I don’t work here. I’m a guest, like you.” 

“Oh, that’s cute. You’re nothing like me.” His smile took on an ugly bent to it. “It’s insulting that you think so.”

A deep laugh came from behind the green-skinned fellow, “You’re right about one thing. She’s nothing like the boil on the devil’s arse you are, Heulog.”  A tall man stepped around them. He looked ...more human than the green skinned man, at first glance. But it was clear that he wore only the thinnest veil of humanity around him.  His eyes were like molten silver and the pupils were cat slitted.  And his face … he had to be the most beautiful man you’d ever seen. “Come on, my dear. Let’s leave these jackeens to their own devices.”  He took your hand, deftly steering you away.  

Jackeens?  Who even said that?  He sounded vaguely European, but for the life of you, you couldn’t place the accent. Scottish maybe?  With a hint of something exotic?

He found a spot out of the way, a place for you to finally sit down as he handed you a glass of wine. “Dreadful party, really. Such a bore. I’m Ash, by the way.” 

Introducing yourself as well, you took the wine. “Thank you for that.”  You glanced around, not seeing the two jerks any longer. 

“They aren’t going to be bothering anyone here again.” He took a sip of his own drink. “And you’re welcome. I should be thanking you for giving me some noble purpose by saving a lovely maiden.” 

Your cheeks flushed at the ‘lovely maiden’ bit. As handsome as he was well, he probably just flirted with anyone and everyone. Giving him a wan smile, “I’m fine now really. If you want to get back to ..whoever you’re with here.” 

“Ah, well, I’m not with anyone.”  Oh he knew a few people here.  And liked even less.  Which was saying something for the gregarious prince. He sat down, “Maybe we can keep each other company until this thing is over?  At least keep each other awake?”  

Laughing a bit wryly, “That hard up for company?” Why was he even paying attention to you when… you looked out across the room and saw a sea of beauty that you couldn’t possibly compare to no matter how hard you tried. 

“I think you’re lovely company.” He gently tilted your chin, bringing your gaze back to his, “Inside and out.” He let out a slow breath, “Besides, you’re exactly what you appear to be and you have no idea how alluring that is for a change.” 

“What do you mean?” It was a struggle to look away from those beautiful eyes, but you managed a glance back out to the crowd. 

He shrugged as he leaned back. “Just what I said. You can’t see it, but that…” He tossed his head towards the crowd, “...is not what you think it is.” 

Well, that wasn’t nerve wracking at all. You knew Gressil wore a human guise, but you had never really thought beyond what was under it. “Are you telling me that everyone here is a monster?” 

“In one way or another, yes.” He didn’t seem particularly offended that you referred to them, ...or him, as a monster. 

“Even you?” Perhaps not the wisest question to ask, but the words had already left your liips.

Gressil had warned you once, “The illusions keep you humans safe, Don’t try to look past them.” And you’d tried not to wonder, accepting what you saw as what was real. But you couldn’t believe this gorgeous man sitting beside you was ...a monster.  Even if he wasn’t human.

“Perhaps especially me.” 

“I don’t believe it. You’re not human, but that doesn’t make you a monster.” You saw a look in his eyes as he sat back up leaning closer to you. A look you couldn’t name, some emotion that was so fleeting. Longing? Almost pleading with a hint of vulnerability and then it was gone. Leaving you to wonder if you had just imagined it. 

As you chatted, a new crowd of people wandered in and that’s when you saw him. Your ex. What in the hell was he doing here? “I have to go. I have to.” You stood, nearly losing your balance as you grabbed your purse.

Ash reached to steady you, catching you by your elbow, feeling your panic rise.  He glanced over to where your eyes kept darting to. “Who is he?” There was a hint of steel in his voice underneath the silk. 

You shook your head. “Nothing like that. Just …”  Dropping your head, embarrassed at your overreaction. “...a very bad decision that I let go on for longer than it should have. I just never expected to see him here.” He hadn’t noticed you yet, you could still slip out. 

A ...goblin? Ash could see through the glamour, but he doubted you could. “You have nothing to be ashamed of.”  He rose. “Don’t run. He’s not worth it.” Tucking your arm in his, he stroked your cheek, “Please?” 

Shaking your head, “I have fifteen more minutes and I can go home.” 

Ash glanced up at the giant, ornate clock. “It’s not even close to midnight yet.” He grinned, knowing it was a cheesy reference. “Stay until then.  Be my Cinderella?” 

You scoffed, “You cannot be serious. This isn’t some fairy tale. Why would you want to be Prince Charming ...to me?” 

“Darling, why wouldn’t I?”  He frowned, clearly confused. 

Hot tears burned at your eyes and throat, but you’d be damned if you cried and ruined your makeup. “Because I’m a pumpkin not a princess?” 

Brushing aside the traitorous tear that slipped down your cheek, “Darling...whoever told you that you weren’t beautiful lied. They were afraid if you knew your worth, you’d know you were too good for them.”  He kissed your forehead and for some reason it calmed you.  If he had hugged you instead, you were sure you would have ended up sobbing in his arms. “There is a reason fae have stolen humans and taken them as lovers for eons past. You are beautiful.” 

“You’re fae?” You swallowed back a sob at his words.

His laugh surprised both of you. All of that only to ask if he was fae. Though, he was not offended, letting you move the conversation to less emotional territory. “Yes. My mother was.” 

At least until you asked, “And your father?” 

There was a flash in his eyes, bitter and sharp, “My father was not.”  It was gentle, but it was also obviously a closed subject for him. “Come. If you wish to avoid him, we can find a secluded spot and watch the party from the safety of a glamour.  Or you can venture out and be treated like the princess you deserve to be.”  

It was a tempting choice, to hide. But after thinking for a moment, “You won’t suddenly disappear?” 

“Not without you.”  Ash grinned, taking your hand and leading you out into the crowd. 

The two of you danced and he did introduce you to some people you could bring back to Gressil as potential clients. One of whom addressed your ‘date’...(was this a date??) as ‘your highness’.

Once they’d wandered off and you were alone again, you leaned close to whisper. “You’re an actual prince?” 

“An actual prince.” He nodded clearly amused at your shock.

“Your mother’s the queen?” You felt just a touch lightheaded at this revelation. 

“Sister, actually. It’s a bit complicated, but yes, she’s the queen, and as her younger brother, I’m a prince.” He spoke of it as if it were no consequence, though in truth, it was. He hadn’t been born into the role, both he and his sister had earned the right to be called fae royalty. It had been no easy thing for either of them. “It doesn’t change who I was five minutes ago.”

The idea of being with a prince was a bit daunting to say the least, but perhaps he was right.  He was who he was, title or not. 

It seemed like the hours flew by and before long the clock started the midnight chime. The two of you had found a quiet balcony, away from the noise and it seemed like the rest of the world had faded away. And you didn’t want this to end.

“It doesn’t have to…”  

Blushing you realized you’d said it out loud, “It does. I go back to work tomorrow and you go back to Neverland, or wherever it is you came from.” 

“I can always return, you know.  Or you could ...come visit. I promise I won’t steal you away unless you want me to.” He brushed a kiss over your knuckles. “If you’re interested, that is.” 

“IF?  If I’m interested?” You couldn’t quite believe this was all happening, especially that he’d want to see you again. 

“Are you?” A smile played at his lips as he brushed a loose strand of hair away from your face, leaning closer as if he was going to kiss you. 

You were barely able to get out a whispered ‘yes’ as the clock struck midnight and his lips touched yours.